It could be said that the career of Robert Corbin straddled two important eras in Guyana’s post-Independence history. The first consisted largely of the establishment and consolidation of authoritarian rule coupled with economic decline. The second consisted largely of the establishment and consolidation of democratic rule coupled with economic growth. Corbin made his mark in both eras. He was actively engaged in supporting the former and made an important impact on the latter. 

The failure to achieve a political solution after 1992, which was on Cheddi Jagan’s and the PPP’s agenda since 1978 with its adoption of proposals for a National Patriotic Front Government, was not only the PPP’s fault. It was also the PNC’s fault. Desmond Hoyte’s PNC had time only for political supremacy, not political solution, and demonstrated its policy in the streets with ‘slow fire, mo’ fire.’ No one in the PPP envisioned an approach to the PNC in those circumstances or if one did, imagined that such an approach would be entertained for more than a minute. 

Corbin assumed the leadership of the PNC just one year after Hoyte announced that he was finally convinced that the time for ‘shared governance’ had arrived. But shortly before, in 2001, Bharrat Jagdeo had won the elections. At around the same period, therefore, new leaders had assumed office. The talks between Hoyte and Jagdeo in 2001 having failed, Corbin and Jagdeo made another effort. In 2004, agreement was reached featuring the following issues: Constitutional and Anti-Defection legislation; Commitments to Linden; Local Government and Reform Dialogues; and State Media Access and Dialogue. Within a few months this attempt at dialogue was ended by the PPP, for a reason or reasons unknown.

Corbin turned his attention to building a coalition for the elections. He appears to have understood that the PNC badly needed an alliance of forces. He came up with an outfit of one-person parties which he named PNCR-1G. He faced the 2006 elections having failed to establish a viable coalition, significant opposition to his leadership within the PNC and the newly formed AFC. The PNC obtained five seats less than in 2001. The AFC won five seats. Recognising that he might not be able to overcome internal opposition to his leadership and that the AFC posed a danger, he called in David Granger. APNU, with the WPA being the main junior partner, was established. In 2011, the new opposition party, APNU, recovered the votes and seats that the PNC had lost. The AFC gained, taking away support from the PPP, which dropped to minority status. 

APNU+AFC, an electoral coalition, won the elections in 2015 but its government failed to implement constitutional reform for shared governance which had been promised in its manifesto. Having lost the elections in 2020 and there being no constitutional reform for shared governance in place, APNU lost out completely. 

It appears that at this point Corbin lost whatever influence he may have still had. An internal critic, Aubrey Norton, won the leadership and his allies swept away the entire frontline leadership, ditched the AFC, went alone to the elections, and was crushed by WIN. APNU dropped from 31 seats in the National Assembly to 12. WIN won 16 seats. PPP/C obtained 36.

Shared governance had always been premised on the PNC being the second largest party with the objective being to reduce ethnic tension and competition at election time and generally in the society. Not only did no one expect the massive loss that APNU suffered but no one expected a large-scale migration of African Guyanese support to an Indian Guyanese-led party, WIN. For reasons other than the ethnic factor, such as the possibility that WIN could potentially draw away PPP/C supporters, shared governance is no longer an option for the PPP.

What does the future hold? APNU might make a comeback as it did in 2011. The PPP/C would be happy with such an outcome. It would remove the threat of WIN potentially winning the elections by its Indian leader taking away Indian votes. And the PPP knows that without APNU having a viable coalition partner that can draw votes away from the PPP, which APNU does not have, APNU cannot win elections. It is not likely that WIN will be that partner. In the meantime, while the capacity of the government to deliver benefits to the population because of Guyana’s growing oil income continues, there are clouds on the horizon, namely, the slow trickling down of benefits, the high cost of living and allegations of corruption. Whether the PPP/C can keep WIN at bay in these circumstances is not known. Failing to pay attention to gathering clouds on the horizon in 2006-2011 caused the PPP/C to lose its majority support in 2011 and the elections in 2015.

Is this a time for overtures to the APNU? Apart from the fact that it is always helpful to be on good terms, as far as is possible, with your adversaries in politics, good relations with APNU will assist in isolating WIN. If APNU is seen to be “gaining concessions” from the government which will benefit its supporters, maybe it will regain some lost ground at the expense of WIN. The recent discussions between APNU and WIN did not appear to bear much fruit. For the PPP to take on two opponents simultaneously would not seem to be the best course when one could be susceptible to an approach. 

Source: Kiskadee Watch

-workers pressing for $145m in retroactive payments

A proposed relocation of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) head office to Berbice has not been officially communicated to employees, a senior staff member has said, as 258 non-unionised senior employees continue to press management for approximately $145 million in outstanding retroactive salary payments.

Speaking to Kiskadee Watch yesterday, the source said management had engaged head office employees to gather information about their family arrangements, personal circumstances and other obligations as it explores the feasibility of relocating the office.

“Nothing, nobody has been officially informed that the head office is being relocated,” the source said, adding that employees had not yet been formally notified of any decision to move.

The source said the corporation’s employment and labour obligations would have to be considered if a relocation proceeds, particularly if employees are required to work at a location more than 10 miles from their current workplace.

The source, who said they were also affected by the proposed move, said they were not involved in the assessment of employees’ circumstances and could not comment on the findings of the ongoing engagements.

However, the senior staff member said that while moving the head office closer to the corporation’s sugar-producing operations in Berbice could have strategic advantages, they saw no financial benefit to the move.

“Strategic-wise, it might be a good idea,” the source said, noting that approximately 75 per cent of GuySuCo’s operations are in Berbice, while the remaining 25 per cent are in Demerara.

The source added that some head office functions would still need to remain in Demerara because of the corporation’s international operations and its dealings with port authorities.

The employee stressed, however, that the relocation remained an exploratory exercise and was not yet a confirmed move.

Further, the source said the more pressing issue for the affected senior employees was the withholding of retroactive salary payments covering January to August 2025, as well as the removal of a salary increase from their pay beginning in January 2026.

In two letters dated August 20 and September 8, 2026, the 258 non-unionised senior employees appealed to GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer Dr Paul Cheong to address unequal treatment in the payment of salary adjustments.

The employees said they were excluded from the 2025 de-bunching retroactive payment, despite unionised employees receiving payments covering the same period.

According to their correspondence, the outstanding payments for the 258 employees amount to approximately $145 million, while retroactive payments to unionised workers totalled about $900 million.

The affected employees said they represent approximately 3.1 per cent of GuySuCo’s 8,300-strong workforce and that settling their claims would account for 13.8 per cent of the overall retroactive payment.

The source told Kiskadee Watch that the salary adjustment had been implemented in September 2025, with the affected employees receiving the increased salaries from September to December that year. However, the retroactive payments covering January to August 2025 were never received, while the salary increase was removed from their pay beginning in January 2026. “There is some payment that GuySuCo is contractually obligated to pay senior staff, increase in salary. That was unilaterally removed from us from January 2026,” the source said.

The employees argued in their August letter that correspondence issued to them in September 2025 outlined their new salaries for 2025 and 2026, including the retroactive payment. They said the subsequent decision to exclude them from the payment contradicted those arrangements and created an unjustifiable disparity between non-unionised senior employees and unionised workers.

The source also questioned why some senior employees, including field superintendents represented by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), received the retroactive payments while other senior staff were excluded.

The employees contend that the disparity amounts to a breach of their employment arrangements and called on management to reconsider its position.

In their September 8 letter, the employees asked GuySuCo to confirm that the outstanding payments would be included in their September 2026 salaries.

The source said the corporation had not responded to their concerns or made the payments by the time of the interview.

The correspondence was copied to GuySuCo’s board chairman, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Labour Minister Keoma Griffith and the Chief Labour Officer at the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning.

The employees had previously requested a favourable response within three days of their August 20 letter, warning that they could pursue further formal action to protect their contractual rights if the matter remained unresolved.

The source said the senior employees were now prepared to pursue the matter through legal channels. “We, the non-unionised senior staff, we are going to pursue this matter through a legal channel.” 

The employee also expressed concern that the Labour Ministry had not addressed the matter, despite the correspondence being copied to the Chief Labour Officer.

The source described the situation as discriminatory and said the employees believed their contractual rights had been breached.

The source further argued that GuySuCo’s difficulties extended beyond the salary dispute, contending that the corporation’s management and the way its operations are handled were contributing to its challenges.

The employee maintained that the corporation’s sugar industry had potential but said its challenges were not unique, pointing to difficulties faced by sugar-producing countries internationally.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Terrence Campbell has denied reports circulating on social media that he was held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) after allegedly being found with 43 rounds of live ammunition while preparing to travel to Trinidad and Tobago.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Campbell said he was leaving Guyana but had not been detained at the airport and was not “caught”  with any ammunition.

“I was never held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport,” Campbell said, adding that the authorities had not “caught” him with ammunition.

Campbell said he would not comment further on the reports, which he described as sensational Facebook posts.

The parliamentarian, who said he had been involved in aviation and aviation security matters for almost three decades, suggested that some matters in the field were not suitable for public discussion.

“Very often these matters are not matters suitable for wide public discussion. Consequently, I will refrain from further public comment on the sensational Facebook posts currently circulating,” he said.

Campbell said his statement was intended to reassure his friends and followers about his wellbeing. “Last, I made this post to reassure my many friends and followers that I am ok and all is well,” he added.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

Dear Editor,

Robert Corbin, who passed on October 4th, the day before the anniversary of the return of free and fair elections in Guyana in 1992, played an outsized role as a leader of the PNC in politics before and after that date. By the time I returned in 1988 to represent the NY-founded “Jaguar Committee for Democracy” to join the local struggle for electoral reform, Robert had become indispensable to Desmond Hoyte’s campaign to solidify his leadership of the PNC.

In the1985 elections, he had reprised the role he played in the party since he was a teenager working assiduously as a member, then leader, of the party’s youth wing, the YSM to organize majorities  for the PNC at the polls of 1968, then in 1973 and 1980 for Forbes Burnham. Missing a parliamentary seat because of his age in 1968, he was handed one in 1973 and occupied it for over three decades. He earned a formidable reputation as a street politician, feared only slightly less than Hamilton Green, who was eased out of the party after Hoyte calculatedly rewarded Corbin with the Deputy Prime Ministership and transferred several PM responsibilities to him. 

Quite conscious by then of the snobbery of Caribbean “doctor politics”, Corbin entered law school after the PNC’s loss in 1992 and had just finished his first year at Hugh Wooding when he rushed back to mobilize for the Dec 1997 elections.  As such, he would again prove his worth as he subsequently helped organize massive rallies for Hoyte’s violent “mo fyaah; slow fyaah” campaign against Janet Jagan’s presidency. 

Elected to Parliament in 2000 on the ROAR ticket after the PNC-bludgeoned, truncated PPP term, I became personally acquainted with Robert as a member of the opposition. Evidently knowing that I was vegetarian (then) he sought me out at a meal break with  a particular non-meat dish, which served as an ice-breaker to  many discussions on several of my pet issues – including reforming and “balancing” the Disciplined Forces. To my surprise, he said he agreed with me but advised that the process would have to be carefully crafted and executed. After he became PNC leader, he vigorously supported the establishment of the Disciplined Forces Commission which, inter alia, would recommend that policy and enabling mechanisms.

Mr Hoyte’s sudden passing in late 2002 resulted in Robert being elected PNC leader the following March – but not without much drama in the party from several quarters including Mr Hoyte’s protégé Raphael Trotman and Team Alexander. Not long after, I received a call from Lance Carberry saying that Robert wanted a meeting, to which I agreed, at his home in south GT. I found that Robert was convinced – as Mr Hoyte had become not long before he passed – that shared governance was the vehicle to resolve our political logjam.  I informed him, however, that such a vehicle would suffer from the disequilibrium in size if individuals or smaller parties were to join the PNCR and the PPP was out. He agreed to the latter proposition and  emphasized subsequently at discussions that there could be no national government without the PPP.

We parted amicably and very soon, the nation heard that talks between President Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Corbin had commenced as the latter downplayed Hoyte’s “slow fyaah; mo fyaah” strategy. This precipitated greater consternation from within and without the PNC. Sitting next to WPA’s Sheila Holder in Parliament, one day she burst out that “this is not what we put Corbin there…he was supposed to “manners” the PPP.”

Robert believed that Jagdeo would arrive at a modus vivendi with him at power sharing and acted accordingly. He also diligently had discussions at Waterchris with the smaller opposition parties like ROAR and WPA. However, sitting next to him in early 2006 at Sash Sawh’s funeral at Castellani House, when Jagdeo pointedly mentioned the “intellectual authors” of Sash’s murder, Robert angrily exclaimed, “If I was the old Robert Corbin…!” There was no agreement between them and with Trotman’s AFC siphoning off five seats from Corbin’s PNCR-One Guyana in the 2006 elections, he faced more strident leadership challenges. 

Robert stuck to his guns about the PNC needing an accommodative image and by 2010 announced he would not be their Presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. He riled party leaders like Aubrey Norton when he engineered APNU’s formation and David Granger’s presidential candidacy. Ironically, he was peripheralized in the new APNU+AFC government  and Granger destroyed his inclusive vision by also sidelining his smaller coalition partners.

Robert Corbin demonstrated it is possible for political leaders to evolve and rise to the  needs of their country. 

RIP Robert. 

Sincerely,

Ravi Dev

Source: Kiskadee Watch

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand has questioned the handling of National Border Patrol Director Daniel Seeram’s case following his conviction for assaulting his former wife, insisting that the law must be applied consistently regardless of an accused person’s status or legal representation.

In a statement reflecting on the advancement of women’s rights in Guyana, Manickchand said the country had made significant progress in protecting women from harm but warned against making exceptions in individual cases that could undermine those gains.

She questioned whether the usual legal procedures following a conviction and a decision to remand an accused person pending sentencing were being followed in Seeram’s case, and called on his attorney, Nigel Hughes, to clarify the legal steps being pursued. “I don’t know what the facts are between Mr Seeram and the complainant. And I don’t need to know,” Manickchand said, noting that a court had heard the matter, found Seeram guilty and remanded him pending sentence.

The minister said Seeram was entitled to pursue all available legal defences, including appeals and consequential orders that an appellate court could make. However, she asked whether any order staying the remand decision had been made or applied for, and whether the usual procedures were being followed. “Every single time we offer a ‘but this one is different’ we halt the progress we should be making. And it is time we stop,” she said.

Manickchand argued that the handling of such cases had implications beyond the individuals involved, particularly for women who might be considering reporting abuse or seeking protection through the courts. “These are public policy issues that cause shifts and changes one way or the other,” she said, adding that women needed to be confident that their rights would not be eroded when an accused person obtained high-profile legal representation.

She also said the public needed to be assured that the courts would treat cases fairly, regardless of who appeared before them.

Seeram, who serves as National Border Patrol Director, was found guilty on October 2 of assault causing actual bodily harm against his former wife, Farzana Hamid, following a trial before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. He was remanded to prison pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 2.

Seeram’s attorney subsequently challenged the magistrate’s decision to remand him, arguing that the decision effectively predetermined a prison sentence before the completion of the sentencing process.

On October 5, High Court Justice Joy Persaud-Singh dismissed Seeram’s application for judicial review, finding no indication that the magistrate had acted unlawfully, irrationally or outside her jurisdiction. The ruling upheld the decision to refuse bail. Seeram’s legal team subsequently indicated that it would approach the Court of Appeal in a further attempt to secure his release pending sentencing.  Since then, it has not been clear where Seeram is being kept. His lawyer and the police have said nothing. On Friday the Guyana Prison Service confirmed that Seeram was not in its custody.

The case arose from a complaint concerning an incident at the former couple’s Cummings Lodge apartment on September 11, 2023. Hamid testified she was awakened by a sharp pain to her head and realised Seeram was hitting her. She said she began recording the incident on her phone, which was subsequently taken from her and damaged.

The magistrate found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and rejected Seeram’s account that he had merely pushed Hamid while attempting to leave the apartment. 

In her statement, Manickchand also reflected on her admission to the Bar in 2000, describing the changes in the legal system and society’s response to domestic violence over the past 26 years. She recalled an experience early in her legal career when a magistrate questioned whether a man should be removed from his home for a “mere slap”.

Manickchand said the exchange demonstrated a lack of understanding of the nature of domestic violence, which she explained often involves repeated incidents of abuse before a victim seeks legal intervention.

She noted that the Domestic Violence Act was four years old at the time and that the Sexual Offences Act had not yet been enacted. The latter was passed in 2010 following a national advocacy campaign known as “Stamp It Out”, she said.

The minister said access to finances, education, training, home ownership and political representation for women had improved significantly, crediting advocacy by political organisations, non-governmental organisations, religious leaders and members of the public. However, she maintained that progress would be undermined if laws and principles designed to protect women were applied inconsistently.

Manickchand said the Seeram matter highlighted the importance of ensuring that the rights of women were protected without compromising an accused person’s entitlement to due process. She also questioned whether the public was receiving sufficient clarity about the legal steps being taken in the case, saying the difficulty of separating facts from social media commentary underscored the need for fair and responsible reporting.

The minister called for greater transparency about whether the ordinary legal process was being followed and, if not, why any departure had occurred. “Our country and her people deserve more. And want more,” she said.

The Guyana Police Force has provided no explanation for why Seeram was not handed over to the prisons.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

The transformation of the Parika Ferry Stelling continues to take shape, according to a release yesterday from the Ministry of Public Works.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Madanlall Ramraj, yesterday inspected the ongoing works, where river defence works have significantly advanced, with the area now fully sealed to protect against flooding.  He was accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture,  Vickash Ramkissoon. 

Construction of the stelling is approximately 15% completed, with pile cap works underway ahead of the installation of precast beams. 

Further, the diversion route has been completed, allowing cargo exceeding 20 tonnes to once again be transported through the facility, the release added.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

Guyana’s tourism sector is poised for further growth, with the country’s accommodation capacity projected to approach 6,000 rooms by the end of 2026, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported yesterday.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Kamrul Baksh, spoke on the sector’s expansion while addressing the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026, noting that the country’s room stock has grown significantly from the relatively small number of rooms available in 2020.

The expansion has been supported by increased investment in the hospitality industry, including the entry of international hotel brands such as Hyatt, AC by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton and others, alongside the development of additional accommodation properties, DPI said.

The director said a further 15 hotels are expected to come on stream after 2026, signalling continued growth in the country’s capacity to accommodate visitors.

DPI said that the increased room stock is particularly important as Guyana strengthens its meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market.

Baksh noted that the country had hosted more than 20 conferences and exhibitions during 2026, attracting significant numbers of visitors and generating business for restaurants, bars and other tourism-related services.

He noted that the Hospitality and Tourism Institute is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, providing an important foundation for developing the skilled workforce required to support the expanding industry.

Questions have been raised about the occupancy rate at some hotels given the increased competition. Critics have said that the government has at great cost sought to host conferences as a means of boosting occupancy but that this is not sustainable.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

The police yesterday issued wanted bulletins for two men over the murder on Forshaw Street last year of Dainier Vegas Infante.

The police are seeking Nicholas Daby, 18, and Mikhail Mario Joseph, 26.

The murder occurred on 2026-05-10.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

Seventy-five-year-old pensioner Abdool Nazir and his wife, Zanita Persaud, are now homeowners after receiving a newly constructed house through the Men on Mission (MoM), according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Nazir, who has been living with end-stage kidney disease, had been struggling to build a home on land allocated to him by the government before reaching out to MoM for help, DPI said.

Nazir said the support had made a life-changing difference for him and his wife.

“If it wasn’t for the Men on Mission, I would never own a home,” he said, thanking the initiative, the contractors, workers and everyone who contributed to the construction.

At the ceremony at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith said the handover demonstrated how the President’s vision of men playing a more active role in society was being translated into meaningful support for communities.

He commended the men from the public and private sectors who volunteered their time and resources to improve the lives of vulnerable citizens, while encouraging other eligible families to seek assistance through the initiative.

National Coordinator Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli said that the latest handover brings the number of homes delivered to approximately 161 since the programme began four years ago.

Murli also encouraged other vulnerable families who meet the eligibility criteria to seek assistance, emphasising that the initiative remains committed to supporting those in need.

He described the newly constructed house as more than a physical structure, highlighting the security and stability that homeownership provides.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

Dear Editor, 

I said it early, didn’t I?  The PPP Government had to prove me and some other Guyanese right, didn’t it?  The MV Barima Commission of Inquiry (CoI) had all the ingredients of a total farce in the making, and that was just proven.  It has nothing to do with the billion-dollar award to lift the tragic boat from its watery grave.  Still, I would recommend that Guyanese pay close attention, and never lose sight of that salvage exercise.  One lapse for one second, and a bouncer could remove one’s head.

How much the Barima CoI is a full-fledged farce came out in a walkabout.  The foreigners paid a visit to the Kingston Wharf, looked around, and they beheld a Guyanese political marvel.  A fresh, spanking, sparkling wharf in tiptop condition.  One never seen before by the natives. The Queen Elizabeth II or the USS Abraham Lincoln could dock there, and every member of the crews of those two ships would break out into an ear-to-ear smile.  Is this Guyana something, or what?  The waiting Kingston Wharf reception, that greeted the CoI Quintet was one fit for a visiting monarch.  Staff starched and proper; everyone helpful to a fault.

The Kingston Wharf, the MV Ma Lisha were all as clean and smooth as brand-new babies, just freshly scrubbed and washed, without a speck of dirt or any other funny stuff within sight.  If one wants to see dedication and industry in action, there both were.  The Kingston Wharf and the MV Ma Lisha could have had their maiden visits and being ready for a maiden voyage.  I can’t wait for the witness parade. Who’s called, who’s forgotten.  The schooled and the unquestioned.  Plus, the softball questions.  Plus, that PPP Government beauty: I don’t recall.  Ye gods!

The picture presented to this international CoI was perfect.  No congestion.  No overloading.  No fare beaters.  No touts.  No rodents.  No impatient, rowdy passengers with their baggage.  Not one PPP Government minister, not one senior public servant (PPP powerhouse again), and not one arrogant Freedom House operative (more PPP royalty) busting any line, and clearing ordinary people out of the way.  No excess baggage.  No heavy-duty machinery.  No nothing.  What the CoI saw wasn’t just a farce, it was a fix intended to fool the unwary.  Whoever was behind that masquerade should be charged with a felony.  Gawd!  Things are beyond crooked in this country.  Again, I ask: if for a wharf to create the best first impressions (one furthest from truth or daily reality in real-time) for the CoI team, then what machinations could be involved with lifting that boat?  A boat with many political secrets.  A boat that still is capable of producing the incredible, despite being totally under water for over two and a half months.  Try this for unbelievable: the MV Barima still has a bunch of smoking guns underwater 11 weeks later.  Go for it, brother BK.  Show how some magic could be worked.  The PPP Government is paying for the lifting of a boat.  It isn’t paying for the lifting of any veil.  Guyanese are left to connect the dots and decide how big a fool their government is trying to make of them.

I believe that if the PPP Government could make the weather and tides behave to suit its twisted objectives, it would put on that show for the CoI.  

Sincerely,

GHK Lall

Source: Kiskadee Watch