SOCIETAL psyche has been conditioned to celebrate male machismo that is mainly physical-based, with scant consideration, and even scantier applause, for the merits of all the ways women supersede male strengths and achievements; and even today, when an era is emerging where women are striding heights unimaginable in yesteryears, that challenge men in practically every arena where it has been pre-dispositioned to male dominance to emerge with even superior achievements, because women are pushing the boundaries and establishing capabilities and capacities where the male animal has not even aspired to.In Guyana, this synergy was precipitated by a forward-thinking man whose recognition that one human being has the same pre-condition to excellence in achievement as another – notwithstanding class, religion, gender; or any other societal barrier preceded his struggles for human rights, social equity, and the upholding of all that enhances human dignity; and he even took that struggle to the international community of nations.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Liberator of Guyana, Father of the Nation, and the Mahatma of the Western Hemisphere, was a man out of his times and thinking; and he refused to bow to the prevailing concepts of his era that women are lesser creatures – such a consideration was not even on his radar; hence he always strode into every fray with his wife Janet firmly by his side, even recognising the advantages of her advancing before him in some instances – such as with the establishment of the women’s arm of his political movement and socio-political struggles – first the WPEO, then the WPO, a cadre that was the wind beneath the wings of many victories against oppressive forces in this land all Guyanese call home.

Within the political landscape, because women often took centre-stage in many areas of struggle in the first-established PPP through the dynamics inculcated through Dr. Jagan’s recognition that women were a strength rather than a weakness in any socio-political demographic, when LFS Burnham forced a split in the PPP he took with him women who had been forged into tensile steel through the fires of political struggle; and thus first the Burnham faction of the PPP, which later morphed into the PNC, emerged with a women’s arm almost as strong as the WPO – the WRSM: Women who were no less dynamic and goals-oriented – albeit the goals were in different directions, than WPO members, such as Viola Burnham, and of recent times the late Deborah Backer, Faith Handing, Clarissa Rhiel, and Vanessa Kissoon, among others.

But while the leadership of the PPP continues to celebrate, motivate and equate strong women, the Opposition collective continually denigrates and degrades women standing firm in their resolve and refusing to compromise on their convictions, their integrity and their principles – especially in the execution of their respective mandates; regardless of societal misconceptions of rights and wrongs, of diplomacy that borders on hypocrisy, of acceptance of foreign invasion and violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Guyana, of transgressions – repeated endlessly despite advocacies and advisories that diplomatic envoys were transgressing against the hospitality of this host country and violating diplomatic norms and conventions, even to the point of breaking international laws and requisite behavioural patterns, of rejecting sycophancy to an offending and offensive envoy of a very powerful nation; and also of confronting pertinent issues that relegate female members of a particular Opposition party to mere ‘squaws’ instead of giving them their rightful positions of respect and equity as merits their contributions and commitment to their Party’s cause, such as the treatment meted out to PNC stalwarts like Faith Harding and Vanessa Kissoon, and former AFC member Gowmattie Singh.

It is to be hoped that Vanessa Kissoon can rally her leadership skills and engage her community into productive endeavours, like Faith Harding has done to demonstrate what the male supremacists in their party never learnt – that leadership is about caring and developing ways to enhance lives rather than self-aggrandizement and the mere pursuit of power for power’s sake.

The joint Opposition, with leverage provided by opposition media, especially the Kaieteur News, has intermittently vengefully pursued several women with their normal vitriolic invectives and pejoratives – in both the PPP and PNC ranks, who have refused to bend their knees to the male machismo of Opposition leaders and supporters, with most recent victims being Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba – endlessly vilified in the most despicable ways by Hamilton Green and his cohorts; PNC Parliamentarian Vanessa Kissoon, assaulted and degraded by her party’s leadership; and Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

The latter, in the spirit of militancy in defence of the sovereignty of Guyana, bearded the foreign snake in his cave and, with a precise, clearly defined but uncompromising address, presented with great style and elan, wrote finis to an episode of great disgrace to the representative of a guest nation hosted on Guyana’s soil, who has violated the hospitality of this country at so many levels and in such diverse ways that he has forever blackened himself and reputation in the annals of Guyana’s history of hosting foreign envoys since Guyana won independence from the British colonisers.

His violation of Guyana’s territorial integrity continued on the eve of his departure from this land when he again crossed all diplomatic boundaries, taking advantage of his captive audience at a function organised by his embassy in celebration of a USA landmark in its history, to again interfere in this country’s internal affairs by casting aspersions on this country’s Government and people in extremely undiplomatic and derogatory language, reflecting his lack of diplomacy and his disrespect for a sovereign state to which he is a guest.

This was merely one of his multiplicity of transgressions against this sovereign state, listed among them being disrespectful to our Head-of-State; insulting Ministers of Government, and even encouraging anarchy and civil war in a country where he was welcomed three years ago. Of course this merited a fitting response from this sovereign state of the Republic of Guyana, which the Government of Guyana, through the medium of Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand, delivered in fine style in denouement of the Machiavellian anti-Government/pro-opposition plots, programmes and strategies devised, supported, implemented and encouraged by U.S. Ambassador Brent Hardt.

The entire Guyana should have been proud of Minister Priya Manickchand for her grace and courage under fire as she delivered the coup de grace on Brent Hardt.
However, instead of well-deserved plaudits for forthrightly condemning someone who used his diplomatic immunity to repeatedly violate the hospitality of Guyana, those who had enjoyed the largesse of the unrepentant Hardt exhibited the proverbial ‘fish market’ syndrome by attempting to drown the voice of Minister Priya Manickchand, with Nigel Hughes even refusing to allow her the use of a microphone.

But ‘leader’ of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, conscious of Opposition’s need for US funding, with his remarks denouncing Manickchand’s action – especially with his reference to ‘Sitira gyal’, with all the implications and inference of prostitute-like behaviour inherent in his language and rhetoric, has encapsulated all the Opposition’s concept of the place a woman should hold in the socio-economic framework of a country, despite its public shows to encourage female voters by giving token positions to a few females within their ranks.
However, they should emulate the example of the PPP which, guided by the principles of its founding father, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, empowers women to challenge and breach hitherto socio-political parameters, very much in the spirit of Cheddi and Janet Jagan’s freedom struggles.

Ironically, in emulating Janet Jagan by using strong language in defence of this nation, Priya Manickchand is a product of the USA concept of democracy; so Hardt’s undemocratic ‘democracy’ projects and rantings had formidable opposition – emerging out of USA spirit of struggles against oppressive forces, to which Hardt himself alluded.

The only problem is our freedom has already been won – by the PPP and Dr. Cheddi in October of 1992; so his ‘democracy’ project and his advocacy for civil war is unnecessary; because our democracy was won through democratic processes by a leader who always refused to succumb to adjurations to take this country and people via a route of violence to the ultimate goal of peace, progress and prosperity in a united nation – a concept to which Opposition elements remain strangers.

Because there has never been and will never be any need for physical confrontations when the PPP boasts such weapons as brilliant minds, patriotic dispositions and razor-sharp intelligence and tongues of a Priya Manickchand.

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/13/on-strong-guyanese-women-and-priyas-denouement-of-brent-hardt

Stakeholders of President’s College (PC) including past students and board members yesterday met with the Minister of Education to discuss concerns about the school and the minister has now indicated that she will consider the possibility of opening the school to Georgetown students.

During a round-table discussion at NCERD in Kingston, a number of issues were raised by the former students including the state of the infrastructure and the poor functioning of the board of directors.

Last month, the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results were announced and the school was noticeably missing from the ‘top schools’ list.

At yesterday’s gathering, Manickchand was questioned at length on just why the entry requirements for the school had been lowered.

According to Sam, in some years only 49 or 55 students would enrol in the school’s first form classes when the school has a maximum capacity of 120 new students. Chief Education Officer (CEO) Olato Sam explained that, over the years, fewer students were deciding to accept a place at President’s College and were instead choosing other senior secondary schools or a school in their communities.

In response, the former students attributed the school’s low intake to a number of factors including the poor maintenance of the school’s infrastructure and the fact that Georgetown students are not offered a place at the school.

Last month, Manickchand explained that President’s College is the top school on the East Coast which allowed both residential and non-residential places. This year, students who attained 491 marks and more and who live between Cummings Lodge and Mahaica were awarded a non-residential place while residential spots were awarded to students from all regions except Region 3.

However, no spots were awarded to students from Georgetown. After having this apparent flaw pointed out, Manickchand conceded that there might be need to change this policy.

“Perhaps coming out of this meeting – if the concern is that there would be Georgetown students who would like to go to PC because of financial circumstances – what we can have coming out of this meeting is a solution that we could possibly look at opening it to our students in Georgetown if they wish to go; once they have been given one of these five national schools then they can go on a residential place,” Manickchand said.

The minister revealed that there are currently 18 staff vacancies in the school and the former students expressed their belief that this also was playing a part in the school’s degeneration.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/news/guyana/07/13/ministry-will-consider-opening-pc-georgetown-students-manickchand-says/

EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand, accompanied by Georgetown and regional education officers, visited East Berbice (Region Six) on Friday, July 11, to continue consultations with parents and guardians on Government’s new initiative to give each school-age child a grant of $10,000.

The Minister and her entourage were warmly received by Region Six residents, who braved the rains to fill every meeting place in large numbers; and she held engagements with parents in 122 schools in several meetings on how the Education Ministry can best provide the grant to the children.

Minister Manickchand asked parents to indicate by the show of hands whether they preferred encashing a voucher or purchasing goods from accredited stores with the vouchers; and the almost unanimous choice was being able to encash the vouchers.

The parents/guardians were also asked to indicate the financial service of choice they would prefer to use in encashing the vouchers; and responses ranged from the Guyana Post Office Corporation to Western Union, to various commercial banks, to Mobile Money Ltd.

The Minister encouraged parents/guardians to alert her on issues that were of concern to them, whether or not those issues were education-related; and parents/guardians expressed concerns about businesses that were taking advantage of them by increasing prices on school items when they use the uniform vouchers to purchase items for their children.

The parents were very angry that when the voucher programme is not on, prices for school items would cost much less, but as soon as the ministry announces start of the voucher programme, stores raise their prices.

Parents expressed that they would normally be able to get many more items if they paid cash than when they purchase with the vouchers. They said they felt robbed. One woman at Tagore Memorial Secondary School said, “These stores unreasonable. The government trying to help the people and the store gouging out them eye”.

Minister Manickchand said that if this report is true, she is very disappointed with the stores. She assured the parents/guardians that if the ministry finds any store that has raised its prices for parents shopping with the government-issued vouchers, the Ministry would deal condignly with that individual business.

The Minister said that, on the other hand, she knew of some stores that would actually give special tokens to parents shopping with the vouchers. She publicly called on storeowners to have a conscience, and explained to the parents that they have the power to make the stores offer competitive prices.

Parents also expressed their views on automatic promotion, and made recommendation on how children should be promoted.

Minister Manickchand addressed a range of other issues raised by parents/guardians in the county, and committed to bringing to the attention of the various Ministers the matters that were raised.

(GINA)

Source: http://guyana.hoop.la/topic/education-minister-visits-berbice-as-consultations-on-10-000-grant-continues

SAGICOR Visionaries Challenge 2014, the second annual Sagicor Visionaries Challenge contest for secondary school students, was launched on Wednesday at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCRED), Battery Road, Kingston, Georgetown.

The contest also aims to ignite interest among youth for innovation in STEM in an effort to build and integrate sustainable communities throughout the Caribbean, and integrate knowledge gained from formal and informal education to enable tomorrow’s leaders to build a more sustainable Caribbean.The contest seeks to engage high school students to solve problems facing their schools and communities, using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

This year’s challenge will include students in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Hillsborough County – Tampa, Florida, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
National competitions will take place in November 2014, and one representative from each winning team will travel to Tampa, Florida for the STEM Ambassador Programme in July 2015.

IMPRESSED
Speaking at the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge 2014 launch yesterday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that measures will continue to be taken to improve performance in STEM, areas that often present a challenge to students. Manickchand stated that she was deeply impressed with the progress she saw from the 2013 challenge. Secondary school students entering the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge had the chance to design a sustainable solution to a problem facing their school or community.

ZEEBURG SECONDARY
In Sagicor Visionaries Challenge 2013, Zeeburg Secondary School emerged the overall winner in the Guyana finals of the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge Competition, copping the national award from among 19 schools which submitted a total of 32 projects for judging.
“Here was a group of young people from a particular committee, identifying a problem that was affecting not only the school but the community for many years… and I was deeply impressed by that. I particularly liked this whole concept of Sagicor – it really brings science to life,” she said.
Zeeburg dominated the competition, last year, with its entry: ‘Use of a Shrimp Drier to reduce air pollution.’ The winning project submitted by Zeeburg aimed at reducing air-pollution in the community, brought on by the primitive method of sun-drying fish and shrimp. The method used is both hazardous to the health of residents of the community, more so the school located nearby. The school had complained of being greatly affected by the odour and attendant fly infestation.
The competition, the team said, presented the ideal opportunity for them to brainstorm and come up with an innovative project (a mechanical shrimp drier) that would bring relief to both the school and the wider community affected by current method of drying shrimp.
“Teaching inside the classroom, with the blackboard and textbooks that is all good and necessary, but if we teach our children to practically employ what they are learning it will be more effective. This is what this project really does; it allows the students to practically employ classroom knowledge to our environment. Learning them is one thing, using them is another… The Sagicor Visionaries Challenge, for me, is a practical example of this,” Minister Manickchand said.

MICRO SCIENCE KITS
She said while limited resources may prevent establishment of science labs in every secondary school across the country, the ministry has been able to find innovate ways of meeting this vital need. Some of these efforts are evident in the introduction of the micro science kits which were given to several schools which do not have labs, particularly in the hinterland. These kits seek to engage students in the sciences by using small amounts of chemicals while performing experiments.
The ministry also introduced the Inquiry Based Science Education programme in 2012. This was done with support from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and aims at generating interest among fifth and sixth grade primary school students in the sciences.
Minister Manickchand said, “By 2015, all schools will be using the micro science kits than the more sophisticated labs. We have been able to execute it in the schools in the hinterlands.”
Deputy Chief Education Officer, Ms. Doodmattie Singh, indicated that this challenge will allow students to leave the programme as “Caribbean ideal persons.” According to her, the Sagicor Life Incorporated and the Caribbean Science Foundation have the same goals as the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC). The programme encourages students aged 11 years to 18 years to identify challenges in their schools or communities and propose solutions.
She also indicated that students who will be sitting the science subjects at CXC will be allowed to use Sagicor Visionaries Challenges 2014 projects, which are viable as School Based Assessments (SBA).
Sagicor’s Manager, Marlene Chin, stated that the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF), Sagicor Life Inc. (Sagicor) and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) believe that, through greater community involvement, “we can live more sustainably and build a better future.”
“To create more sustainable communities we’ll need greater local knowledge of our limited natural resources, and the impacts of climate change on our food, health, energy, and water security. Innovation in science and technology must play a critical role in overcoming these challenges,” she said.
She urged the students to “recognise your good fortune and give your dreams a chance.”

BULIDING POTENTIAL
According to Science Coordinator and Country Representative for the Caribbean Science Foundation, Ms Petal Punalall-Jettoo, this ambitious initiative is geared towards making students enlightened about the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Each participating school is allowed to envisage and put into action various STEM-driven project ideas. It is expected that both teachers and students will work in close collaboration in order to derive the desired result. However, the collaboration is further extended, according to Punalall-Jettoo, who noted that “each project idea comes along with an entrant teacher and a group of students who work together, and beyond that they are supported by mentors from universities from various parts of the world.
“This is what it is all about; the main goal is to encourage students to embrace and understand careers in STEM to create innovation for national and regional development…This is why CXC, particularly with the Science Foundation, have come together with the Ministries of Education to support in a big way, financially and morally, the motivation that comes from Sagicor,” Punalall-Jettoo asserted.

FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING
She pointed out that this programme allows students to bring formal learning and combine it with informal learning, thus helping the students to realise their potential.
The project guidelines were developed using the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) social studies School Based Assessment.
National competitions will be held in the various countries. There, the competing students will be provided with a poster board, table and power outlet that they can use in any way to showcase their project idea and convince the judges that their projects are the best. The team leader from each winning team and supervising teacher at the national level will compete in the regional competition in Barbados. They will also represent their respective country in a seven-day STEM Ambassador programme to Florida which includes visits to places like the Kennedy Space Centre, Disney’s EPCOT center, The Museum of Science and Industry and the engineering labs at the University of South Florida.

Source: (By Sandy Agasen) https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/11/sagicor-visionaries-challenge-2014-off-to-a-grand-start

-Ministry of Education continues consultations

The Ministry of Education, as a part of the Government’s $10,000 per child grant which was allotted in the 2014 National Budget, is currently engaging parents and guardians of school-age children on the most suitable way in which it can be issued. This grant is set to be available in the September school term.Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, during a recent visit to Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) engaged parents of 45 schools in nine separate meetings ‘on how the Ministry can best provide the grant to them’.

Manickchand told the gathering who attended the consultations “it is not $10,000 per household so a mother with 10 children can be sure that she will be receiving $100,000 for her children, each child of school age is entitled to the $10,000 grant.”

From much discussion and deliberations it was unanimously chosen by parents and guardians to be able to ‘cash’ voucher. Ms. Manickchand also consulted the parents and guardians on the question of which financial service they would prefer to be able to get their cash. On the Essequibo Coast, the parents have four services available to them. These are the banks, post offices, Western Union and GT&T’s mobile money.

Some parents noted that they were expecting to receive their grant before school reopens in September. However, Ms.Manickchand explained that the grant will be issued in the new school term to facilitate the children now entering the public school system. She added that as many as 10,000 children are expected to start school in September, and based on the law, until they start school at the beginning of the term, they will not be counted as children attending school.
The Minister and a team of Education Officers during last week were involved in a similar consultation at the Stella Maris Nursery, the New Diamond/Grove Primary School and the Golden Grove Primary school on the East Coast of Demerara, which also saw impressive crowds. Earlier in the month, Minister Manickchand and team travelled to and consulted with parents of Region 9 over a three-day period.

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/11/parents-to-get-10000-grant-in-september-term

Education Minister Priya Manickchand came in for a second round of booing yesterday when she tried to rebuff criticism in the National Assembly over her recent attack on the former US Ambassador.

APNU MP Africo Selman, addressing the Assembly under Standing Order (SO) 19, took Manickchand to task for remarks made a week earlier at a reception hosted by the then departing Ambassador Brent Hardt at the residence, where she elicited jeers and boos after attacking the envoy over his criticism of the excuses given by the Donald Ramotar administration and the president himself for not holding local government elections. Manickchand castigated the ambassador in a manner many critics have labelled undiplomatic and unprofessional. Lauding her riposte, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon labelled Manickchand’s presentation as a “feral blast”. Since the incident Manickchand has been scolded as well as defended for her actions.

After she was cleared to speak, Selman told the house that she is “personally aggrieved” by the minister’s “attack” because it was embarrassing, undip-lomatic and inappropriate. Before Selman got too far, though, PPP/C MP Gail Teixeira rose and pointed out that while Selman claimed to be making a personal statement, she was purporting to speak on behalf of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which contravened SO 19. SO 19 says: “With the leave of the Speaker, a Member may make a personal explanation at the time appointed under Standing Order No. 12 (Order of Business) although there be no question before the Assembly; but no controversial matter may be brought forward nor any debates arise upon the explanation.”

Selman had said that APNU believed government should have called and discussed the matter outside of the limelight, as opposed to “attacking” Hardt.

Teixeira, the PPP/C’s Chief Whip, laughed when Selman claimed she was personally aggrieved by Manickchand’s actions, while PPP/C MP Bibi Shadick said she could not see how Selman could have been aggrieved unless she was a staff member of the US Embassy. Shadick also noted that the matter on which Selman wished to speak was controversial and that the SO under which she was permitted to speak does not allow statements on controversial issues.

Despite these challenges to Selman’s claim though, House Speaker Raphael Trotman allowed her to continue, although she was cautioned that her presentation ought to be based on her feelings, not those of her party. Throughout Selman’s statements Teixeira and Shadick could be heard laughing and taunting.

Following Selman’s presentation both Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Manickchand, rose to offer responses, although there was some confusion as to who would go first. PPP/C MP Manzoor Nadir also rose with the intention of making a presentation, saying that he was personally aggrieved by Selman’s presentation.

APNU MP Basil Williams, however, reminded him that the Standing Orders do not allow the National Assembly to debate personal explanations. But Nadir insisted that he was personally aggrieved and asked for permission to respond to Selman, while Shadick argued that government was not trying to debate Selman, but answer her. Ultimately, Trotman decided against Nadir’s pleas to answer Selman.

Manickchand was the first to rise to speak but she deferred to Rodrigues-Birkett after she indicated interest in speaking. Rodrigues-Birkett, though, decided to defer to Manickchand since her actions were the main focus of Selman’s presentation.

Manickchand, however, said she would defer to Rodrigues-Birkett, again, as Selman’s statement also addressed the portfolio of the Foreign Affairs Minis-ter, which Rodrigues-Birkett holds. Eventually, Manickchand agreed to speak but sought Trotman’s assurance that Rodrigues-Birkett would also be allowed to speak to defend her portfolio. After Trotman refused to give such an assurance, Manickchand brushed him off with a flick of her wrist and proceeded to give her presentation.

Manickchand told the National Assembly that as a sovereign nation Guyana does not have to seek to please any other jurisdiction. She also said that with her actions on July 2nd, she fulfilled the mandate given to government by the people of Guyana. At this point APNU MP and Chief Whip Amna Ally was heard asking, “Who mandated you to do that?”

Manickchand said Hardt’s interference in Guyana’s politics was undiplomatic, and that in so doing he violated the Guyana Constitution and the Vienna Convention. She further stated that government is of the view that Hardt’s speech at a previous reception called for insurrection, and that he overstepped boundaries with statements made about President Ramotar and PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee. At this point, Ally started a series of dry boos, as Manickchand persisted with her presentation. Meanwhile, Manickchand noted that Alliance for Change MP Moses Nagamootoo requested that she shut up, and remarked that she was not surprised he made such an utterance.

As Manickchand continued with her presentation the booing started by Ally gained momentum as her fellow opposition Parlia-mentarians joined in. Manickchand was almost inaudible throughout the latter part of her speech as a result of the pervasive booing. Eventually she finished her speech and the Speaker announced that Rodrigues-Birkett would not be allowed to speak.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/news/guyana/07/11/manickchand-triggers-boos-defence-feral-blast/

–playing nice is not an option in face of ‘gross interference’

EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand yesterday, in the National Assembly, defended the stance she took against former United States Ambassador Brent Hardt for his “frequent” and “repeated” utterances that went against diplomatic protocol.

And she made it clear that leaders of Guyana have a duty to defend Guyana’s sovereignty, and do not enjoy the luxury of saying yes to the dangerous interference simply to avoid trouble or to please someone, including another country.

“A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’, merely uttered to please; or worse, to avoid trouble,” Manickchand said, in reference to a quotation made popular by Mahatma Gandhi.

The Minister’s comments followed a statement made by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Ms. Africo Selman, who claimed “personal grievance” over the tongue-lashing Hardt had received at a reception he hosted to mark the US’ 238th Independence Anniversary.

The former US ambassador has been one of the most vocal members of the diplomatic corps. He had repeatedly called on the current Administration to hold Local Government Elections, and had been vocal to the point where he flayed the Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, for “selectively” abiding by Guyana’s Constitution, even as the country awaits long overdue local government elections.

He’d also mocked PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee. It was at this point that the Government decided that it had had enough; that Hardt had crossed the proverbial ‘red line’. The end result was then Acting Foreign Affairs Minister, Priya Manickchand taking him to task at the US Independence celebration last Wednesday, where he repeated his call for the “restoration of effective elected local government” in Guyana.

Manickchand made clear that her position — and by extension the position of the Government of Guyana — was right and necessary, given not only the violation of diplomatic protocols, but the contravention of international conventions; namely, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, as is explained by the Oppenheim’s International Law, 9th Edition.

“We are proud that we have done what we were mandated by the people to do, and represented Guyana against interference,” she said.

INSURRECTION CALL
According to Manickchand, Hardt’s comments also included dangerous undercurrents, as the former US Ambassador’s statements incited a call for insurrection.

At his reception last Wednesday, Hardt had referred to the move by Americans, pre-independence, to take up arms to challenge the positions taken by King George, the monarch of the United Kingdom (UK), who ruled what is today the United States of America (USA).
Hardt said, “He (King George) refused his assent to laws. He refused to pass laws for the accommodation of large districts of people. He dissolved representative houses repeatedly, and refused, for a long time after such dissolution, to cause others to be elected.

“…in a short space of time, the loyal citizens of the colonies came to feel that their unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness had been eroded, or even usurped.

“The ability to attend to their own affairs in their local legislatures had been suspended and not restored…. In taking this historic and courageous stand (the fight against King George) back in July 1776, the citizens of the American colonies came together to form what would be a great nation.”

According to Hardt, one of the core strengths of our nation has been the “vital role” that state and local governments have played in “giving people the opportunity to participate directly in their governance” – something that Guyanese could be able to do through the holding of local government elections.

“The American history we celebrate serves as a valuable reminder of the importance of respecting rights to local representation; for, among the American colonialists’ lament, we do well to recall that the elimination of local representative houses and the refusal, for a long time after such dissolution, to cause others to be elected were the wellsprings of discontent that convinced once loyal British subjects to declare their independence,” Hardt said.

It is the latter comment, in particular, that struck discord.

“In that speech (last Wednesday’s speech) Government is of the view that it called for insurrection,” Manickchand said yesterday.

PRIOR DISCUSSIONS
The Education Minister also stated that Government has repeatedly engaged Hardt on the matter of his breach of diplomatic protocols.

“We have said this repeatedly; and what is more is that neither Mr. Hardt nor any of his representatives has ever said the matter was not addressed behind closed doors,” she pointed out.

Manickchand called on Selman to apprise herself of the facts of the issue, given that the APNU MP, in her statement, pointed out that there were other avenues available for the Government to voice its concerns.

Minister Manickchand said she expected — now that Selman and her party are aware that the Ambassador was indeed engaged — that they would have no difficulty in calling for him to apologise for his repeated breaches and insult to Guyanese.

Additionally, the fact that Selman raised the issue as a point of personal grievance attracted some debate. The Government’s Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira, questioned under what point of order Selman was making her comments, since reference was made by her to her party’s position, a statement she later rephrased to cement her argument that the issue was a personal grievance.

Government MP Manzoor Nadir added his voice to the raging debate, noting that Selman’s comments caused him personal grievance.
However, the Speaker, Raphael Trotman, declined to entertain this, and allowed Selman to complete her brief statement, wherein she also called on Manickchand to apologise to the nation for an “undiplomatic” speech.
Opposition MPs were loud in their rejection of Manickchand’s statement, but the Minister was adamant, as well as emphatic, in maintaining her position.
This issue has been at the core of debates at several forums, particularly in social media and in the letter columns of the dailies.

Source: (By Vanessa Narine) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/11/manickchand-leaders-have-a-duty-to-defend-guyanas-sovereignty

IN wake of the remonstrations by the intrepid Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Roger F. Luncheon, consequent upon the ill-advised interventions of the former American Ambassador, H.E. Brent Hardt, in Guyana’s internal politics, particularly its municipal affairs, the Opposition elements sought to chastise the Government on the pretext that they were sanctimonious enigmas of Constitutional safeguards and International relations.

However, their babble of papal, piety and diplomatic grace suffered a stinging rebuke in the form of a classical exposition of the principles of International law and Conventions by a most apolitical Guyanese elder, Professor Justice Duke Pollard, retired Justice of the Caribbean Court of Justice, referring as he did to “chapter and verse” from sources of unquestionable authority. Few, even among the non-cognoscenti, would dare doubt his exceptional credentials.

Surprisingly, support from an Ex-Cabinet Minister of Foreign Trade and International Co-operation, Dr Henry Jeffrey, has put the cat among the pigeon-headed malcontents whose nationalism was unwittingly compromised on the alter of political expediency, exposing their said state of pertinent learning and knowledge.
The Major Cabinet members, both visible and invisible participants of the appropriate reaction to the persistent demonstration of uncouth violations attributable to this defiant Ambassador, not the least prominent of which was his arrogant reaction to the Government’s position on the LEAD Project, must feel vindicated that their scrupulous defence of the principles of sovereignty was worthy of public articulation at a forum where others who may have, or may have been inclined to replicate this kind of invasive discourtesy, would not be obliged to recalibrate their public utterances.
The message was a clarion call for them to rein in their effusive interference in Guyana’s internal affairs and the current Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs should feel some measure of comfort that his learned advice to H.E. President Donald Ramotar and his Cabinet colleagues has met with approbation at such an esteemed judicial level.
It may also be a timely reminder to the persons whose commentaries reflect a deep-seated resentment for any and all actions of the current Executive Government, among whom is one who describes himself as a financial analyst/attorney-at-law, that in a previous Administration, two American Ambassadors, Roberts and Admiral Thomas, with whom he was known to be associated, had their tenures abbreviated for not dissimilar activities. Incoming Ambassadors should therefore take warning, as the Rastaman is wont to say.

JUSTICE CHARLES R. RAMSON, A.C.O.R
(Retired Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs)

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/11/the-uncouth-violations-attributable-to-this-defiant-ambassador

–says former minister, Dr. Henry Jeffrey

FORMER Minister of Foreign Trade, Henry Jeffrey, contends that former US Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt, has violated international law by becoming involved in the domestic affairs of Guyana.

In his regular column published in the Stabroek News, under the headline ‘The US/Guyana debacle: Two wrongs, nothing right’, Jeffrey cited the writings of renowned expert, GR Berridge, who pointed out that major powers
routinely conducted political operations in the countries they were based, as well as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

In addition to the Vienna Convention, Oppenheim’s International Law, 9th Edition, at p. 1068, states that: “(It) is universally recognised that envoys (or other diplomatic agents) must not interfere with the internal political life of the State to which they are accredited. It certainly belongs to their functions to watch political events with a vigilant eye, and to report their observations to their home State. But they have no right whatever to take part in that political life, to encourage one political party or to threaten another. It matters not whether an envoy acts thus on his own account or on the instructions from his home state. If he does so, he abuses his position, and the receiving state will either protest, or, in a more serious case, request his home state to recall him and appoint another individual in his place, or, if his interference is very flagrant, dismiss him.”

Oppenheim, an authoritative publicist on international law, further stated: “A line must, however, be drawn between functions which it is proper that a diplomatic mission may exercise, and those which it may not, although it has to be recognised that it is not always easy to draw such a line.” (p. 1067). Ambassador Hardt was due to leave Guyana on July 6, 2014 on the termination of his assignment in this country.

BEYOND ACCEPTABLE

“It appears to me then that when outgoing US Ambassador Brent Hardt in his speech at a Blue CAPS meeting publicly berated the president and government of Guyana for not implementing local government elections, being inconsistent in their reasoning for not doing so and suggesting that more voices should raise in protest, he went beyond what is acceptable diplomatic behaviour,” Jeffrey said.
He acknowledged that there is a majority consensus regarding the need for local government elections; but makes it clear that Hardt’s position could not have gone without reprimand by the Government.

His comments followed the fallout after the former US Ambassador was upbraided last Wednesday for ‘crossing a red line’ with his comments. Hardt has been one of the most vocal in the diplomatic corps, calling on the current administration to hold local government elections. He has been vocal to the point where he flayed Head of State Donald Ramotar for “selectively” abiding by Guyana’s constitution, even as the country awaits long-overdue local government elections. It was this comment that constituted a ‘red line’ for the Government and resulted in the then acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand taking Hardt to task at the Fourth of July event celebrating the 238th Independence Anniversary of the U.S., held at his Cummings Lodge residence, where he repeated his call for the “restoration of effective, elected local government” in Guyana.

According to Jeffrey, it was “out of line” for Hardt to “salve his conscience” by publicly berating the President and his Government.
“This is simply not his remit,” he stressed.
The former Foreign Trade Minister added that there were other means available to send messages to the current administration; rather than the way the issue was handled by Hardt.
“We should not confuse the role of the ambassador with that of his government. My memory tells me that when, under the PNC, the US government wanted to publicly suggest a change in government’s policy, it did not do so through its ambassador. Presidents can send messages; special missions, which may or may not be public about the concerns of their governments, may be dispatched; legislators may be utilized, etc.,” he said.

Source: (By Vanessa Narine) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/07/11/hardt-violated-international-laws

MUCH has been said about the speech of the Hon. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the U.S. Ambassador’s farewell reception on July 2, 2014.

Regardless of the opinion taken on the Minister’s comments and the related issues, please permit the Women’s Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security to urge that persons and organisations commenting on the issue refrain from the derogatory practice of name calling.
Specifically, the Bureau is appalled at the reference by an Alliance For Change (AFC) leader to the Minister as ‘Satira Gal’. The connotation of this phrase is disrespectful to all women, as it implies if a woman is vocal about her opinion or that of her interests, she is ill-mannered.
Had the message been read by a male representative of the Government, would the AFC’s choice of words be similar? It would seem that the AFC’s sentiments about the Minister is premised on the fact that she is a woman and it certainly reflects the need for much more work to be done in Guyana to erode the barriers of gender inequality. It is hoped that the AFC would see the logic in retracting this insulting reference to the Minister.

WOMEN’S AFFAIRS BUREAU
Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security