https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/the-identity-led-argument-for-rodrigues-birkett-can-obscure-professional-merit/
The identity-led argument for Rodrigues-Birkett can obscure professional merit
Dear Editor,
As you are aware I have consistently supported Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidacy for United Nations Secretary General. For this reason, I listened closely to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Naturally I was especially attentive to the portion in which he urged UN member states to support Guyana’s candidate. What stood out most was his repeated emphasis on Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett’s Indigenous identity.
President Ali referred to her emergence from a small Indigenous village and to the barriers she overcame as an Indigenous woman. He later urged the international community to “look beyond the small country that nominated her,” noting CARICOM’s endorsement and appealing to member states to give “this Indigenous woman” the opportunity to help shape the United Nations we all want to see succeed.
That emphasis may have been intended to present a powerful story of perseverance, representation, and achievement. Yet in a high-stakes global campaign, explicitly centring identity carries real risks. A candidate of Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett’s stature does not need her qualifications filtered primarily through ethnicity; doing so may unintentionally narrow the conversation around her candidacy.
First, an identity-led argument can obscure professional merit. Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett has a formidable administrative and diplomatic record, having served as Guyana’s foreign minister, minister of Amerindian affairs, and permanent representative to the United Nations. If the campaign leads with her ethnic background, critics may wrongly reduce a serious candidacy to symbolism rather than evaluate her executive experience, diplomatic judgment, and governance credentials.
Second, identity-based appeals may have limited influence among the major power brokers at the United Nations. The selection of a Secretary-General is shaped heavily by geopolitical alignment, diplomatic compromise, and confidence in administrative capacity. Arguments about representation may resonate morally, but they are unlikely to outweigh the hard calculations that dominate such a contest.
Third, the strategy could invite avoidable domestic criticism. In Guyana’s sensitive multi-ethnic political environment, highlighting ethnic identity abroad may allow political opponents at home to argue that representation is being used selectively for international appeal, while raising questions about how diversity and inclusion are practiced domestically.
Finally, framing a candidacy so strongly around identity places an unfair burden of representation on the nominee. If elected, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett would have to make difficult decisions as a neutral custodian of the UN Charter. Those decisions should be judged on principle, competence, and diplomacy, not constantly interpreted through the lens of her background.
Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett’s story is unquestionably inspiring, and her Indigenous heritage is an important part of who she is. But her case for the highest office in the United Nations should rest above all on competence, experience, independence, and diplomatic vision. To rely too heavily on identity risks overshadowing the very qualifications that make her a credible and compelling candidate.
For that reason, I found the framing disappointing.
Sincerely,
Keith Bernard
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Linden council wants Town Clerk sent on leave over disputed CH&PA board nomination
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/linden-council-wants-town-clerk-sent-on-leave-over-disputed-chpa-board-nomination/
Linden council wants Town Clerk sent on leave over disputed CH&PA board nomination
The Linden Mayor and Town Council has asked the Local Government Commission to place Town Clerk Lennox Gasper on administrative leave pending an independent investigation into correspondence in which he told the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) that the Council had selected him as its representative on the authority’s Planning Board.
In a September 2026 statement, the Council said it had become aware of an August 14, 2026 letter from Gasper to CH&PA Secretary Rajesh Ramgolam, in which the Town Clerk stated that the Council, during its statutory meeting on August 5, had decided that he would serve as its representative on the new CH&PA Planning Board.
However, the Linden Mayor and Town Council says it has no knowledge of making such a decision at that meeting.
The disputed correspondence, dated August 14 and addressed to Ramgolam, states: “please be informed that the Council at its Statutory Meeting held on August 5, 2026, has made a decision for Mr. Lennox Gasper, Town Clerk as the representative to serve on the new Central Planning & Authority Planning Board.”
The letter also provided Gasper’s telephone number and email address as contact information for the CH&PA.
The Council has now raised questions about the circumstances under which the letter was issued and whether it accurately represented an official decision of the elected body.
The Council described the matter as serious and unprecedented, particularly because the correspondence was directed to a statutory authority and attributed a decision to the Council which the Council says was never made.
As a result, the Council has formally requested that the Local Government Commission consider placing Gasper on administrative leave while a formal and independent investigation is conducted into the matter.
The Council said any further administrative or disciplinary action should only follow the findings of the investigation and the applicable procedures.
Mayor H. W. Dominique Blair, J.P., said the Council’s position is that decisions must be made through the proper process, accurately recorded and faithfully communicated.
The Council further maintained that no individual officer should communicate to a statutory authority that the elected body has taken a decision when, according to the Council, no such decision was made.
The councillors have also provided individual written endorsements supporting the representation made to the Local Government Commission.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Food security gains remain vulnerable to weather, price shocks – Singh
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/food-security-gains-remain-vulnerable-to-weather-price-shocks-singh/
Food security gains remain vulnerable to weather, price shocks – Singh
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has warned that gains against hunger could be reversed by severe weather, rising input costs and disruptions to food production and trade, even as he cited Guyana’s progress in reducing undernourishment.
Speaking on Tuesday at a ministerial dialogue during the UN General Assembly in New York, Singh called for sustained investment and closer coordination across agriculture and food systems to make healthy diets more affordable.
According to a Ministry of Finance release, Singh said Guyana was among the Latin American and Caribbean countries that had reduced the prevalence of hunger and undernourishment to below 2.5%. He congratulated Brazil, Chile and the Dominican Republic on reaching the same milestone.
The minister cautioned, however, that national progress offered no protection from disruptions beyond Guyana’s control.
“Despite some reduction in food insecurity across the globe, progress remains uneven and vulnerable to multiple shocks,” he said. He cited an estimate that 520 million people could still face hunger in 2030, leaving the world off course for the UN goal of ending hunger by that year.
Singh said current El Niño conditions and geopolitical tensions could worsen the outlook. He pointed to increases in wheat, fertiliser and diesel prices, saying these would raise the cost of producing and distributing food. The price comparisons were presented by the minister in his address; the release did not identify the underlying price data.
Turning to Guyana, Singh said the government was investing in agricultural production and exports, transport links to farmland and markets, and a regional food hub with cold-storage facilities. He also cited the use of hydroponics and shade houses, tax measures intended to encourage private investment in agriculture, and farmers’ markets aimed at easing food prices.
School meals and health screenings formed another part of the government’s approach, he said. Singh described the National School Feeding Programme as a means of addressing hunger among children and pointed to screening programmes for nursery, primary and secondary school pupils.
The minister also repeated the government’s claim that 156,000 jobs had been created over the past five years, arguing that higher household incomes would help families meet their nutritional needs.
“These and other measures have helped to keep the incidence of hunger, undernourishment, and child malnutrition low over the last five years,” he said.
Singh said Guyana would continue pursuing increased agricultural output and more efficient regional food trade under President Irfaan Ali’s CARICOM “25 by 2025 plus five” initiative. He argued that reducing the region’s food import bill would make its food supply more secure over the long term.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
APNU cites Armstrong wage awards in rejecting hyperinflation warning
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/apnu-cites-armstrong-wage-awards-in-rejecting-hyperinflation-warning/
APNU cites Armstrong wage awards in rejecting hyperinflation warning
APNU has challenged warnings that a substantial increase in public servants’ wages would lead to hyperinflation, pointing to the pay awards granted after the 1999 public-service strike and the inflation figures recorded in the years that followed.
In the second part of a statement issued yesterday, the party reiterated its call for a minimum public-service wage of $200,000 a month. It said any proposal for higher pay should be tested against the country’s finances, productivity and inflation, but argued that the possibility of hyperinflation should not be raised without examining the evidence.
The party cited the Armstrong Arbitration Tribunal, which awarded public servants increases of 31.06% for 1999 and a further 26.66% for 2000. As the second increase was applied to the higher salary, APNU said the two awards amounted to a compounded increase of about 66%.
According to Stabroek News, the awards followed the 1999 public-service strike. The newspaper has reported the tribunal’s awards as 31.06% for 1999 and 26.66% for 2000.
APNU said Guyana had no oil production at the time, yet the wage awards were not followed by hyperinflation. It cited Bureau of Statistics figures showing inflation at 8.6% in 1999, 5.9% in 2000 and 1.6% in 2001. The bureau’s published Georgetown inflation series records those figures.
“Rather than throwing around the word ‘hyperinflation’, let us examine the numbers and determine what Guyana can sustainably afford today,” APNU said.
The party did not argue that wage increases could be made without regard to their economic effects. It said decisions should take account of inflation, productivity and the government’s finances. Its contention was that the Armstrong awards offered reason to question a claim that substantial increases would inevitably produce a sharp rise in prices.
The historical comparison has limits: inflation in the years after the awards does not establish on its own what effect a $200,000 minimum wage would have now, or what it would cost across the public service. APNU did not provide an estimate of that cost in its statement.
It maintained, however, that oil revenues had given Guyana far greater resources than it possessed in 1999 and that the government should examine what it could afford to pay those who keep public services running.
“Shouting ‘hyperinflation’ is not an economic argument,” the party said. “The serious question is: what can this economy sustainably afford to pay the people who keep the public service running?”
APNU has separately called for collective bargaining, published salary scales and a multi-year wage policy linked to the cost of living and public-service needs.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Gore joins J’s Supermarket Challenge as Group 4 battle heats up
https://kiskadeewatch.com/sports/gore-joins-js-supermarket-challenge-as-group-4-battle-heats-up/
Gore joins J’s Supermarket Challenge as Group 4 battle heats up
Gore will link up with the One Guyana team for the weekend as J’s Supermarket makes a push to transfer its winning ambitions from the horse-racing arena to motorsport.
The experienced Jamaican received the call to compete only during the week but is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel in Guyana. The outing will also provide important preparation ahead of the November 1 Guyana Grand Prix.
Gore is expecting a fresh challenge against a different field of drivers and is hoping to deliver an entertaining performance for the fans.
One of the biggest tests will come from Rameez Mohamed and the BM Soat/Prem’s Electrical KTM X-Bow. J’s Supermarket owner Jermaine Sripal acknowledged that Mohamed’s machine carries considerably more horsepower but said the team remains confident in its own package.
Sripal believes having the right personnel around the programme will be important, drawing comparisons with the approach that has helped J’s Racing Stable become successful in horse racing. He views Gore’s addition as another important piece of that team effort.
Competitors will first tackle practice and qualifying sessions before Sunday’s racing.
Practice begins at 10:00 with Bikes and continues in 20-minute intervals. GP4/GP3 will follow at 10:20, GP2 at 10:40, Rookie/Female at 11:00, 1500/1600 at 11:20, Starlet at 11:40 and Vitz at noon. The track will close at 12:20.
Qualifying gets underway at 13:00 with Bikes before GP3 takes the track at 13:20. GP4 follows at 13:40, GP2 at 14:00, Rookie at 14:20 and Female at 14:40. The 1500 class qualifies from 15:00, 1600 from 15:20 and Starlet from 15:40, while the Vitz Cup completes the session between 16:00 and 16:20.
Race Day will feature three two-hour blocks beginning at 10:00. The opening block runs until noon, the second from noon to 14:00 and the third from 14:00 to 16:00.
Bikes will lead off each block, followed by 1500/1600, Rookie/Female, GP2/Starlet, Vitz and GP3/GP4. A Handicap session from 16:00 to 16:20 will close the day’s action.
Fans can attend for $4,000 for adults and $2,000 for children, while the GMR&SC has reminded all competitors to report on time and be ready for their assigned sessions.
The championship is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, One Guyana, GuyOil, ENet, KFC, Tropical Shipping and Castrol.
Jamaican racer Tommi Gore is set to add another dimension to the Group 4 battle when he takes control of the J’s Supermarket-backed KTM X-Bow during the opening round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s 2026 National Championships.
Gore will link up with the One Guyana team for the weekend as J’s Supermarket makes a push to transfer its winning ambitions from the horse-racing arena to motorsport.
The experienced Jamaican received the call to compete only during the week but is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel in Guyana. The outing will also provide important preparation ahead of the November 1 Guyana Grand Prix.
Gore is expecting a fresh challenge against a different field of drivers and is hoping to deliver an entertaining performance for the fans.
One of the biggest tests will come from Rameez Mohamed and the BM Soat/Prem’s Electrical KTM X-Bow. J’s Supermarket owner Jermaine Sripal acknowledged that Mohamed’s machine carries considerably more horsepower but said the team remains confident in its own package.
Sripal believes having the right personnel around the programme will be important, drawing comparisons with the approach that has helped J’s Racing Stable become successful in horse racing. He views Gore’s addition as another important piece of that team effort.
Competitors will first tackle practice and qualifying sessions before Sunday’s racing.
Practice begins at 10:00 with Bikes and continues in 20-minute intervals. GP4/GP3 will follow at 10:20, GP2 at 10:40, Rookie/Female at 11:00, 1500/1600 at 11:20, Starlet at 11:40 and Vitz at noon. The track will close at 12:20.
Qualifying gets underway at 13:00 with Bikes before GP3 takes the track at 13:20. GP4 follows at 13:40, GP2 at 14:00, Rookie at 14:20 and Female at 14:40. The 1500 class qualifies from 15:00, 1600 from 15:20 and Starlet from 15:40, while the Vitz Cup completes the session between 16:00 and 16:20.
Race Day will feature three two-hour blocks beginning at 10:00. The opening block runs until noon, the second from noon to 14:00 and the third from 14:00 to 16:00.
Bikes will lead off each block, followed by 1500/1600, Rookie/Female, GP2/Starlet, Vitz and GP3/GP4. A Handicap session from 16:00 to 16:20 will close the day’s action.
Fans can attend for $4,000 for adults and $2,000 for children, while the GMR&SC has reminded all competitors to report on time and be ready for their assigned sessions.
The championship is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, One Guyana, GuyOil, ENet, KFC, Tropical Shipping and Castrol.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Discussion