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Second failed arson attempt at St George’s Cathedral
THE Rector, Rev Terry Davis and public-spirited citizens saved the historic St George’s Cathedral in Georgetown from destruction by fire early Sunday morning.
Reports said the Guyana Fire Service also helped extinguish the flames believed set by vagrants.
After the blaze was put out, it appeared that pieces of paper and other materials had been put and lit under the northern door of the historical building.
A section of the door facing Church Street and part of the flooring inside were scorched and a heap of wet sand was still visible when the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene yesterday.
The fire started shortly before 05:00 h Sunday and Davis, who lives nearby in Carmichael Street and was alerted, immediately ran over to the tallest wooden structure in the world with extinguishers.
This second arson attempt on St George’s, following one after the 2001 general elections, was the subject of a meeting at which officials discussed improved security for the place of worship.
A member said vagrants and mentally challenged persons usually linger around there and some were seen early Sunday morning.
“They have to be of unsound mind to want to destroy such a beautiful and holy edifice,” he declared.
Commonwealth envoy finds:
Commitment to democratic growth in Guyana
THE special Commonwealth envoy trying to promote a peaceful and conflict-free Guyana says he has found a commitment to democratic growth here.
The assessment by Sir Paul Reeves, appointed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon as his Special Envoy to Guyana in August 2002, came when he addressed the National Assembly on Thursday.
Sir Paul was here last week on his latest visit to promote constructive dialogue between the main political parties and, among others, met President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader Robert Corbin.
“Over three years and in the midst of some real struggles, I have observed progress and a commitment to democratic growth in Guyana. I have witnessed the National Assembly beginning to come into its own as a legitimate and democratic forum for debate and decision making,” he said.
“Never forget that you have friends, like the Commonwealth and the international community, ready to stand with you as you strive for a peaceful and democratic Guyana,” he stressed.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said he noted that the country’s Constitution is not flawless and is still open to debate and modification and offers a way forward for the nation.
This, he said, gives the National Assembly a chance to develop independently.
Sir Paul listed number of positive developments in the National Assembly that are encouraging:
* five or six committees have been established
* Standing Orders are due to be amended to make the National Assembly function more efficiently
* there is an enormous increase in questions asked and answered in the assembly
* motions are being considered on a timely basis and
* the building has been refurbished
GINA said he expressed his hope that the National Assembly would be the forum for constructive discussion on matters crucial to Guyana’s future and congratulated Speaker Ralph Ramkarran for his determination and commitment in seeing the improvements through.
Noting that general elections are due next year, he said the next 12 months will be “a testing time for Guyana as you face a general elections and a challenging world economic order,” adding that there are many decisions and procedures yet to be put in place.
“We all know that there are contentious issues which potentially could let in confusion. It is a time to be decisive,” he urged.
He told the Members of Parliament that they should trust the democratic processes and institutions such as the National Assembly.
Birth revellers attacked, robbed in Buxton
FIVE persons in a motor car visiting relatives at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, were yesterday still reeling from shock after they took a wrong turn and ended up in a freshly dug ditch on the Brusche Dam railway embankment at Buxton, East Coast Demerara on Sunday night.
They were assaulted and robbed of money and jewellery by four gun-toting bandits who capitalised on their plight.
During the ordeal the victims begged for mercy from the gunmen who eventually ordered them out the area.
Reports said the three men and two women were returning to their Wales, West Bank Demerara home about 18:30 h Sunday when they took a wrong turn and came to a standstill in a ditch across the Brusche Dam railway embankment.
They had gone to relatives at Coldingen for a birthday celebration and fled after they were forced to abandon their vehicle by the gunmen.
They reported the robbery attack to the Vigilance Police Station and a police crash truck went to the scene and was able to tow the car away.
Fishmonger, Suresh Persaud and his policeman neighbour, Sundat Ramoutar, who were travelling in a car owned by Ramoutar’s sister last week, were killed and burnt beyond recognition in the vehicle by gunmen on the Stratsphey railway embankment after they were waylaid at a freshly-dug ditch on a road in Buxton.
Hindus want more pandits as marriage officers
HINDU leaders want more pandits to be made official marriage officers and President Bharrat Jagdeo has promised to help their case.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said Hindu leaders raised the issue with Mr. Jagdeo at his official State House residence in Georgetown on Saturday when he hosted a Diwali Utsav.
The President said he is willing to help more pandits be accredited to perform legal marriages and will be working with Hindu organisations to ensure this happens, the agency reported.
It said that after the Utsav function on the State House lawns ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, on November 1, the leaders were given a chance to air their views and concerns on national issues, as well as seek the government’s response and assistance.
GINA said one leader highlighted the need for more pandits to be licensed to do legal marriages as there is none in his village on the East Bank Berbice and couples often have to resort to be married by priests of other religions.
The President urged the leaders to come up with lists of persons the communities would recommend to be licensed and forward these to his office, the agency said.
“If you get me these lists then I promise you I will ensure these people get licensed within a month,” he said, adding that the names must be reputable and have broad-based community support.
GINA said Mr. Jagdeo also noted the need for the lists to be representative of the various geographical locations to avoid some villages having too many and others having none.
Additionally, not every individual will be automatically licensed.
The President was informed also of a long list of persons awaiting approval to become Justices of the Peace and GINA said he noted that these appointments are made by him after the names are verified by his staff as being credible.
“One thing that most of these names lack is community support and I would be frank here, no one is going to be appointed if they do not have the support of the community because many persons see this appointment, not as a service to the community, but as a money-making venture,” he said.
Several concerns were also raised about persons using the names of Hindu festivals, including Phagwah and Diwali, to promote non-religious events such as dances, the agency said.
The government cannot do anything about this, President Jagdeo said, but the religious community needs to be more vocal in its condemnation and urge persons not to support such events.
Calls were also made for the perseveration of certain parts of the foreshore for Hindu religious functions.
One leader, GINA said, sought more cooperation from the Police Force in protecting the property of mandirs (churches) including the public address systems and Mr. Jagdeo said the matters will be looked into.
A group of Hindus will also meet the President and Minister of Housing and Water Shaik Baksh to discuss allocation of land in new housing schemes for the construction of temples, the agency said.
President Jagdeo also reaffirmed his commitment of working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address social ills, as this was a pressing concern of the Hindu community. They complained about the prevalence of drug houses in various communities, particularly rural areas, as well as “junkies”, GINA said.
The President pointed out that he has already spoken to the Police Force about frequently raiding communities and talking directly to residents to ascertain where the drug houses are. He said that even if the frequent raids do not find any evidence of drug sale or use, then a least these would make the selling of drugs unprofitable.
On the issues of drug abuse, homeless persons, teenage pregnancy and other social ills, President Jagdeo urged NGOs to come up with proposals of how the government can assist and the help would be given.
The age of consent was also raised and the agency said he explained that the government recognised the need to have it raised from 13 to 16 years.
However, whether it would remain at 16, or change, is subject to the end of the consultations and the Parliamentary process, as legislation to this effect has been tabled in the National Assembly, he advised.
New mandir for Hague
THE new Saraswati Devi Mandir at Hague Village on the West Coast Demerara was earlier this month religiously and officially opened by Pandit Yoganand Ramnarain of Queens, New York.
Construction of the mandir complex commenced almost three years ago, mostly from numerous fund raising activities and funds donated by devotees, mandirs and businesses in the New York area, a press release from the group said.
The project was spearheaded by U.S. trustee Mr Anil [Deon] Bedasie, a former resident of Hague Village.
The press release said the mandir complex was designed by Bedasie, who consulted numerous pandits from the USA, Guyana, Trinidad and South India, Swamis and other specialists with experience in temple building.
On behalf of the organisation, he thanked the numerous devotees, businesses and mandirs locally and abroad who contributed either financially or otherwise to make the mandir a reality.
Services at the church are held every Sunday starting at 07:00 h.
Cameron and Shepherd Prize awarded
THE Cameron and Shepherd law firm in Georgetown yesterday awarded its 2005 Prize to Ms. Manjusha Singh-Rahaman.
The award is a book prize, offered annually to a Guyanese graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad, who has excelled in Civil Procedure.
Ms. Singh-Rahaman, recently admitted to the Bar, graduated with a Law Degree from the University of Guyana in 1999 and the Hugh Wooding Law School in 2005 with a Legal Education Certificate.
At the simple ceremony, Mr. Hari Narayen Ramkarran, S.C., of the firm, explained that the legal profession is very demanding and success only comes to those who accept and confront the challenges which are offered.
He stated that Singh-Rahaman will be well aware of these challenges having achieved the distinction of leading her colleagues in the subject area of Civil Procedure.
The awardee said she is grateful she was chosen for the prize, adding that she enjoys drafting which is a main topic in Civil Procedure.
Also at the presentation were Ms. Josephine Whitehead, Mr. Rafiq Turhan Khan, Mr. Nikhil N. Ramkarran, Associate, Mr. Kamal Ramkarran and Consultant, Mr. Joseph Arthur King, S.C.
Despite glitches:
Car & bike show sparks in Berbice
By Clifford Stanley
LAST weekend’s `Car and Bike’ show in Berbice was in the opinion of many spectators a reasonably successful affair which would have been more impressive had it been better organised in terms of physical facilities for the event and management of the programme.
During the show, many vehicles were unable to climb the ramp apparently because the incline was too steep and one motorcyclist narrowly escaped serious injury when his 600 cc machine fell off the ramp with him astride on it.
Conversely, the stage on which the artistes performed was too low providing a clear view to spectators from only one side of the ground.
As a consequence of the ramp problem, many of the vehicles which were on show had to be judged at ground level where large crowds effectively blocked out the view of those who were reluctant to force their way through.
On location though, the Guyana Chronicle observed that the promoters Andrew France and Oslen Munroe had little or no cause for complaints since the venue, the Edinburgh Community Centre, was filled with hundreds.
Glitches aside many felt that the show provided good entertainment and a pleasant Saturday evening distraction.
Some patrons said they had been impressed, even awed, by the extent to which vehicles on the show had been equipped and decked out for the competition.
A Starlet motor car decorated with art depicting a mermaid swimming in a blue bubble-filled ocean, released similar bubbles continuously into the air from a machine inside the vehicle and was one of the star attractions.
Impressive also were the big bikes, mainly Suzuki and Yamaha 600s, several of which discharged intermittent spurts of what appeared to be fire from their exhaust pipes when being revved by the riders.
Paragon Sound System and Rhythm Star dished out popular music continuously and at high decibels and scantily-clad `Passa Passa’ female dancers entertained with flexible, energetic and exotic gyrations on the stage for those who were able to see.
A. Ally & Sons of New Amsterdam won prizes for the Cleanest Motor Car, the best Fully Loaded motor car and runner-up for Best Music.
Other winners were Cleanest 4x4, PHH 3778 owned by Sukhpaul, Best Music in 4x4, PJJ 1828 owned by Sheik Haniff, Cleanest Motor Van PJJ 3582 (name of owner not given), the Smallest Car PDD 3480 owned by Sukhpaul and Hassan Inshan (vehicle # not given) got the prize for Best Music.
The adjudged Oldest Vehicle on show was P 9400, a Land Rover reportedly manufactured in 1975.
Inshan also won the runner-up prize for the Cleanest Motor Car.
Tito Samuels won the prize for the Cleanest and Biggest Bike on show -- CD 5042.
Motorcycle CC 1686 was adjudged the Oldest Bike on show (name of owner not given).
Prizes given away included close to $100,000 in US and Canadian currency plus jewellery, cell phones and trophies.
Chief of the Judges Jeanesse Gray said the show compared favourably with those she has attended in Georgetown though there could have been better management of schedule of the events.
As a motor vehicle enthusiast who has attended many car and bike shows, she added that she had found the value and range of prizes offered in the Berbice show to be matchless so far.
Echoing the views of many, one young lady said: “I enjoyed the show, the music, the mood. This is the third show and it was better than the last one. We hope/expect that there will be more participation and the promoters get better at it the next time around.”
France, one of the promoters had earlier said that proceeds from the event would go towards hosting a buffet Christmas luncheon for the less fortunate children in Edinburgh Village.
The promoters will also give gifts to the oldest male and female living at Edinburgh Village as well as to the mother of the first baby born to the village on the night of the show.
Plaisance vendors to be moved off highway
HOUSING and Water Minister Shaikh Baksh on Saturday visited the Plaisance market on the East Coast Demerara to inspect a site for the construction of a bigger annex for vendors encumbering the highway.
He told the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) that funds are available to extend the annex situated south across the highway, opposite the market.
Mr. Baksh visited the market along with Minister within the Ministry of Local Government Clinton Collymore, whose ministry is tasked with developing municipalities and rural communities under the ambit of NDCs.
Baksh told the NDC that an engineer from his department would return to draw up the plan for the extension of the annex to hold some 300 vendors who usually line the highway, disrupting the flow of traffic.
According to the minister, he was directed to undertake the relocation process by President Bharrat Jagdeo, and assured vendors that they would be consulted on the plan before the work is undertaken.
He assured the NDC that the process will not be drawn out, since funding is already available.
The NDC chairman, Mr. Clinton Rollox, welcomed the news from Baksh that funds are also available for repairs to the original Plaisance market.
An inspection of the market will be done, and it is expected that repairs to the market and the extension to the annex will be undertaken simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Baksh visited other communities on the East Coast Demerara Saturday. Among these wereVryheid’s Lust North, where $22M was spent on road works in the area.
The other areas he visited were Montrose North, D’Endgragt South and Industry Area JJ.
PCA Chairman going to Essequibo next week
CHAIRMAN of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), Justice Cecil Kennard is making another outreach visit next week.
A press release said he is going to Essequibo Coast, on Friday, November 4 and staying through Saturday, November 5.
During his stay, Mr Kennard is slated to speak with residents about the PCA functions and receive complaints against members of the Guyana Police Force.
The release said interested persons can contact him in the boardroom of the office of the Regional Administration of Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) at Anna Regina, from O8:30 h on November 5.
While in Essequibo, Justice Kennard will appear on RCA Channel 8 television the Friday evening and answer questions relating to the conduct of the Police there, as well as other related matters and talk on issues of national importance, the release said.
Justice Kennard has already visited several rural areas within recent times and he is also scheduled to meet residents of Linden, Upper Demerara River; Lethem, Rupununi; Mabaruma, North West District; East and West Coast Demerara and Berbice, soon.
Hurricane Wilma affects BWIA Miami flights
BWIA West Indies Airways Limited has announced that passenger flights BW 432 and 431, to and from Miami in the United States, respectively, were cancelled yesterday due to effects of Hurricane Wilma that closed Miami International Airport.
But flights to and from the same destination remain on schedule for today, Area Manager, Mr Carlton Defour said in a Georgetown press release.
Passengers due to travel on today’s services are asked to contact BWIA on telephone numbers 227-1250, 226-1260 and 1-800-538-2942 to confirm their arrangements.
Defour said the BWIA Hurricane Preparedness Team is closely monitoring the situation and bulletins will be issued as necessary.
Guyanese among Wilma victims in Florida
A GUYANESE and her daughter were injured when Hurricane Wilma slammed southwest Florida, reports said yesterday.
The girl's name is Julia Bijuli-Singh and her mother's name is Emily Singh, a report said.
The Guardian newspaper in London carried an Associated Press dispatch which said the girl was seriously injured in Florida on Sunday.
She suffered a fractured skull in Wellington when falling hurricane shutters struck her head, said Palm Beach County Sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller.
She was reported in critical condition at Delray Medical Center, Miller said.
Her mother was also hospitalised with cuts, Miller said.
More bird flu in Russia:
UN urges focus on Asia
By Aleksandras Budrys
MOSCOW, (Reuters) - Russia confirmed more bird flu cases yesterday, raising fears it could spread over Europe, but a U.N. official said the best way to stop it was for donors to pay up and fight it where it began, among Asian fowl.
The European Union was poised to ban all imports of captive wild birds after a parrot died of H5N1 in quarantine in Britain.
More dead birds were found and taken for tests in Croatia, Hungary and Portugal as suspect cases multiplied.
But the numbers involved in Europe are still small and no humans there have been infected, unlike Asia where 61 people died after close contact with infected birds.
A World Health Organisation official from Asia said Europe still had good prospects of stopping H5N1 reaching its tame bird population because it had reacted faster and more openly.
"There is an excellent chance for Europe to contain the Asian flu," said Shigeru Omi.
The U.N. food agency's head said the world must focus on Asia, and on stopping the virus passing between birds, as the best way to prevent the nightmare scenario of it mixing with a human strain to cause pandemic deadly flu.
"Too much time has gone by and even now we seem to focus more on addressing a possible pandemic which is spread from human to human," said Jacques Diouf, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
"It's good to be ready should this happen. But for the time being we have 140 million birds killed or dying or have died because of avian influenza, with $10 billion of costs ... and it is still there (in Asia) that we are having contamination to human beings," he told Reuters in an interview in Canada.
He said the FAO had helped develop a $175 million strategy to control H5N1, which surfaced in South Korea two years ago, and had received pledges of $30 million in aid -- but donors had not yet handed over a single cent.
WESTWARDS
Carried by migratory birds, H5N1 has now moved west as far as European Russia, Turkey and Romania.
"If, as we think, migratory birds will be one of the ways by which avian influenza is spreading around the world we can expect ... the problem in the Near East, in East and West Africa and naturally in North America and South America," said Diouf.
Croatia said it would cull more poultry after finding two more dead wild swans suspected of having an avian flu strain in a rural area where flu was found last week. The strain has yet to be identified.
Several geese and seagulls found dead north of Lisbon, in a fishing port where migrating birds are common, were being tested for flu, Portugal said.
Countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have taken steps to try to stop migrating birds mixing with domestic fowl.
To close one possible channel of infection, the European Commission proposed a temporary ban on imports of wild fowl as pets. Veterinary experts will decide on it today.
Fernand Sauer, director of public health and risk assessment at the European Commission, said confusion between different types of influenza was to blame for an exaggerated fear in Europe about the risks, which had reached hysteria.
ASIA
Countries that have already suffered from flu outbreaks were redoubling their efforts to stop its return.
North Korea said mechanisms were in place to eliminate "any slight symptoms in time", using its experience from an outbreak of a different strain earlier this year when more than 200,000 chickens were destroyed and 1.1 million poultry vaccinated.
A report that China would close its borders if it detected human-to-human transmission of bird flu unsettled Hong Kong stocks, with shares in hotels, retailers and airlines sliding.
An Australian firm said yesterday it was confident a vaccine it was testing in humans could protect against a pandemic form of the H5N1 virus unless it undergoes major genetic changes.
CSL Ltd, the world's largest maker of blood plasma products, has begun human vaccine trials using different dosages and hopes to know results by February.
Dead Suriname parrot had deadly H5N1 bird flu
By Mike Peacock
LONDON, (Reuters) - A parrot that died in quarantine in Britain has been found to have the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the agriculture ministry said on Sunday, and the spread of the virus meant the country was now at greater risk.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that scientists had found "the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus" in the parrot.
"The closest match is to a strain found in ducks in China earlier this year," the ministry spokesman said.
The parrot, imported from Suriname, was part of a mixed consignment of 148 birds that arrived on Sept. 16, the ministry said. They were held with another consignment of 216 birds from Taiwan.
All the birds were culled while in quarantine.
Debbie Reynolds, Britain's chief veterinary official, told reporters during a teleconference that the parrot likely caught the virus while in the quarantine centre where it was kept with the Taiwanese birds.
Her staff reviewed the global threat and determined "there is a high risk of further global dispersion of this virus".
As a result, Britain and others must increase their vigilance.
"There is a risk to the United Kingdom and this risk has increased," she said.
She said however that the finding did not affect Britain's "avian influenza disease-free status".
Reynolds said the parrot's tissue samples were mixed by mistake with another bird's so there may be two infected birds in the quarantine centre but that is not clear.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 60 people in four Asian countries since breaking out in late 2003 in South Korea.
It has also reached European Russia, Turkey and Romania, tracking the paths of migratory birds.
H5N1 has triggered widespread concern because it can transfer to humans in some cases, although only if they have had prolonged and close contact with infected birds, and some experts fear it could mutate to transfer between humans.
Youth parliamentarians in high-energy sessions
By Mark Ramotar
THE sixth National Youth Parliament (NYP) kicked off at the Ocean View Convention Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara yesterday with President Bharrat Jagdeo urging the young parliamentarians to make full use of the `golden opportunity’ to express their views, ideas and opinions in a constructive and civilised manner.
He said the NYP provides one of the best fora to inspire young persons to demonstrate leadership qualities which will help them realise they have the power to shape their future and that of Guyana.
More than two dozen smartly-dressed young people, in a sitting mirroring the National Assembly, engaged their audience with some high-energy and constructive arguments during both morning and afternoon sessions on several bills and motions covering a wide array of topical issues.
Among the topics debated was an Opposition Motion that sex education should be included in the school’s curriculum, and a Government Bill that favours the immediate introduction of a biometric database management system as part of the Government’s crime fighting mechanism.
And a new feature of this year’s NYP was the 10-minute rule bills which were presented by several participants on various topics, ranging from global warming and teachers rights to the mandatory age of secondary education and Guyana’s preparedness for recycling.
Chairman of the NYP, Kwame McCoy said this was a diversion from the previous Youth Parliaments here when only one bill was discussed and debated and the session started in the afternoon (from 14:00 h) instead of the morning as was the case yesterday.
McCoy also pointed out that the participation at this year’s NYP was “most reflective” in terms of the wide and diverse representation from the different regions of Guyana. “We also have this year, more than ever, participation from areas outside of Region Four,” he posited.
He noted that in spite of several limitations such as lack of adequate financial and other resources, the NYP has improved significantly over the years.
The annual Youth Parliament is one of the many projects undertaken by the Guyana Youth Development Association (GUYDA) which is registered with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Yesterday’s NYP had Dexter Todd performing the duties of Speaker of the House while Shaun Cooper was Clerk of the National Assembly; Gary Hinds as Deputy Clerk and Carl Phillips as Sergeant-at-Arms.
The 13 members on the Opposition side were Iman Chin, Sherry Van Lange, Hubert Forrester, Sadhana Samtani, Delon Earle, Bonita Mitchell, Lakerajie Persaud, Latoya Drakes, Sophie Sancharra, Arletta Carmichael, Victor Wills, Premchand Persaud and Sheanna Briggs.
The 15 members on the Government side were Lennox Gasper, Mark Ross, Nimran Persaud, Deanne Joseph, Roschelle Allison, Sueann Lyle, Shawn Freeman, Tracie Mohabir, Melissa Sealey, Nevio Daniels, Godfrey Collins, Natoya Munroe, Ivan Bentham, Shripaul Rooplall and Marlong Laing.
President Jagdeo, in the feature address at the opening ceremony which preceded the start of the second (afternoon) session, said he was “pleased to see the many new faces” and congratulated the youths for being selected as parliamentarians and getting the wonderful opportunity to participate in the NYP.
He implored them to make the most of this opportunity saying, “You are here on a very important mission and while many persons might want to make light of your presence here…I know (it) has much significance for our country and the progress that we are trying to (make) in developing Guyana.”
Guyana, according to President Jagdeo, is on the right path when young people can get together from across the regions of the country and across other kinds of differences and in a civilised way, share their views and at the end of the day, find solutions to those differences instead of creating enmity in their hearts.
He also emphasised the need to change the culture of the country, especially the political culture. He noted that many people, through intolerance or narrow-mindedness for instance, cannot come to the realisation that regardless of their differences - what is important is that they are, first of all, Guyanese.
He expressed the hope that changes being made at the Parliamentary and national levels will translate or aid other changes in the Guyanese culture. “A change in people’s attitudes to one another is what is needed”, the President asserted.
He also gave the young parliamentarians a brief background of the changes being made at the levels of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and underscored that Guyana has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, an achievement which all Guyanese should be proud of.
With regards to the Executive, President Jagdeo said changes were made in the Guyana Constitution to reduce the powers of the President and more importantly, put in place term restrictions on the President. He noted that a President in Guyana, starting from when the constitutional changes were made in 2001, cannot run for office for more than two terms, pointing out that most countries in the world, and none in the English-speaking Caribbean - do not have this sort of term restriction.
He said this change was “necessary” due to the need to have a “constant renewal at the top” because no matter how good or how smart a person is, changes at the leadership level are needed from time to time.
President Jagdeo also urged the NYP participants to be familiar with events taking place around the world and in their country and to be aware of critical issues such as HIV/AIDS, hunger, malnutrition and the changing faces of crime and criminal activities across the globe.
He wished them well in the future, and expressed the hope that many of them might very well end up being future Parliamentarians of Guyana.
Yesterday’s ceremonial opening of the NYP was chaired by Christine Bailey, General Secretary of GUYDA, while Lester Paul, Executive Member of GUYDA gave the closing remarks.
Canadian visas warning
WITH a growing number of immigration consultants advertising their services in the media here, the Canadian High Commission in Georgetown is advising visa applicants that if they choose to hire a representative their application will not be given special attention, faster processing or a more favourable outcome.
“The Canadian High Commission in Georgetown receives applications from individual applicants. No one is obliged to hire a representative for immigration matters. The use of a representative to assist in completing an immigration application is a personal choice,” a statement from the High Commission said yesterday.
“The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, whether they use the services of a representative or not,” the statement added.
However, for individuals who choose to pay a representative to act on their behalf when applying for visas to Canada, the paid representative must be "authorised", the High Commission said.
According to the High Commission, "authorised" paid representatives may only be: lawyers who are members in good standing of a Canadian law society and students-at-law under their supervision; or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC); or notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and students-at-law under their supervision.
Applicants will be required to disclose the name and membership information of their representative when they apply, the High Commission added.
Applicants may also be represented by family members, friends, and members of non-governmental or religious organisations if no fees are charged for their services and as long as the representative has been authorised by the applicant.
For consumer protection, the High Commission noted that the Government of Canada will only deal with authorised representatives who belong to the organisations listed above.
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