Year in Review The year in review January-June 2000 Stabroek News January 7, 2000 While largely free of labour unrest, the year 2000 brought in its train difficulties of a more profound kind. In particular, Guyana found itself under threat from two of its neighbours, whose actions had implications not only for our sovereignty, but also for our economic development. On the domestic front, the first half of the year appeared dominated by crime; the volume of cases may not have been exceptional, but their high-profile nature certainly was. Foreign Affairs Suriname The year began innocently enough with the Foreign Minister informing the nation that Canada had apologized for dumping seven deportees at Timehri in December of the year before (SN, 8.1.00). The first quarter continued to provide upbeat news with a report which appeared on March 6, stating that two oil exploration companies - Century and CGX - were expected to begin drilling for oil in June. As it transpired, the optimism was premature, and on May 31 we reported that although the CGX rig had reached its destination in the waters near the Guyana-Suriname border, the Paramaribo daily De Ware Tijd was alleging that Guyana had ignored a diplomatic note from Suriname asking for clarification about the exploration of oilfieds in the area. Our report of the following day said the rig would reach its target site off the Corentyne coast in a few days. The ominous nature of the situation was apparent from the lead story of June 3, which revealed that Suriname had been invited by Guyana to send a high-level delegation within 24 hours to discuss this country's right of access to the Corentyne River, and, by extension, its offshore resources. Quoting a CANA report, the story said that the Suriname government had warned "that it reserves the right to take appropriate measures to bring an immediate end to these illegal activities." The authorities in the neighbouring state were not bluffing, and as the public learned on June 4, Suriname gunboats had forced CGX to remove the rig from its Eagle drilling site on June 3, although no actual shots had been fired. A high level meeting, Guyanese were told, was to be convened in Trinidad and Tobago in a few days. On the following day it was reported that the rig would remain west of the area until the issue had been resolved. Talks between the two sides got underway on June 6 in Port of Spain, and the next day Foreign Minister Rohee was quoted as telling this newspaper that Guyana was "more or less there" on a number of objectives it had set out to achieve. The hopeful tone also infused the report of June 8, although the only concrete agreement coming out of Trinidad was that a Joint Technical Committee would begin working immediately. On June 9, readers learnt that Guyana had given Suriname until June 18 to agree to a Memorandum of Understanding which would allow the CGX rig to return to its drilling site. That all was not going quite as well as had been at first anticipated was evident from tbe front page stories of June 10, when the Government of Guyana described as "mischievous" reports emanating fropm Suriname that it was trying to renege on an understanding reached between the two sides in Trinidad about CGX's drilling activities in the disputed area. The next straw in the wind was the seizure of four Guyanese fishing boats in the Corentyne River by the Suriname navy. A build-up of police and soldiers in the Nickerie district was also reported. The theme of a military build-up in the Corentyne was given some expansion in the edition of June 11, where the complaints of speedboat captains that their operations in the river were being hampered, were recorded. Negotiations began again on the rig issue on June 13, this time in Georgetown. Guyana's team for this round included former Foreign Minister Rashleigh Jackson, but by the following day it was evident that the outcome would be no different from that on the previous occasions. By June 16, the Guyanese public had learned via Reuters that the results from the May 25 election in Suriname indicated that former President Ronald Venetiaan would head the new government in that country, probably around mid July. If the Guyana authorities entertained any hopes that this prospect would have an impact on the negotiations, it was not to be. These opened in Paramaribo on June 17, where proposals from both sides were tabled, including one from Guyana suggesting that the maritime area in dispute should be declared a "special zone" for the sustainable development of both nations. On the 19th, however, a report was carried indicating that the talks had collapsed yet again. The same edition also offered a little glimmer of hope with regard to CGX's future, which had indicated its intention to drill in a new site, this time nowhere near the disputed zone. The following day it was reported that drilling had actually started at the Horseshoe West site. Suriname's next move was when outgoing President Wijdenbosch wrote President Jagdeo requesting a meeting within two days. In the edition of June 21, Jagdeo's response was carried, indicating that he had asked his Surinamese counterpart to make "specific proposals" different from those which had been discussed in Georgetown, Port of Spain and Paramaribo. Four days later, it was clear that the meeting was in doubt, and in the event, it did not take place at all. Our front-page report of June 24, dealt with the violation of Guyana's airspace in the New River Triangle on June 22, when a CASA 212 maritime aircraft belonging to Suriname was spotted by GDF troops stationed in the area flying between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, rather than the regular 7,000 feet. In our final edition for the month of June, it was revealed that the Guyana-Suriname basin had an undiscovered potential of 15 billion barels of oil, and that if CGX struck oil in any of its four drilling targets it would be ranked among the larger oil and gas producers in the world. The lead report of June 30, however, was the address by Major General Joe Singh at a change of command parade to mark his retirement, where he likened the GDF in its current state of unpreparedness equipment wise, to an "orchestra without instruments." Urging "a revolution in the minds" of the nation's leaders he said that the country's work at the diplomatic level needed to be backed by adequate defence capabilities. Venezuela On February 12 we reported that President Chavez was deferring his visit to Guyana, on account of the catastrophic flooding in Venezuela, but that did not distract him from reiterating his country's claim to Guyana's territory, which was carried on March 20. The real deterioration in relations with Venezuela last year, however, had its probable origins in what became known as the 'Beal Deal.' After negotiations had been continuing in the early part of the year for Beal Aerospace Technologies to construct a spaceport in the Waini, PNC Leader Desmond Hoyte released to the media on May 11 a version dated February 11 of the Government's proposed agreement with the company. Later that day, the Prime Minister hosted a press briefing to defend the proposed contract. The issue of May 12 set forth some of the terms of the agreement, which included a 99-year tax holiday for Beal. Among other things too, the firm was to pay US$75,000 for 25,010 acres of land for its primary site (US$3 per acre), and US$1 per acre in easement annually for its buffer area. It was also to be required to pay US$100,000 for administrative expenses each year as well as a graduated launch fee. The front page of May 20 informed the nation that the deal had been signed, and that the company would be granted an interim environmental permit to begin draining the Waini site. The PNC, in response, said it would use its "full political might" to ensure that the deal did not materialize. Further criticisms of the contract on the grounds of a dilution of sovereignty as a consequence of the sale of land to Beal, among other things, appeared in our issue of May 21. However, the Guyana Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry lent the investment their support (SN, 26.5.00), although the Guyana Trades Union Congress asked for a copy of the contract, a request the Government said it would consider. Venezuela had her say, reported on May 25. In a communique, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said that it "deplored the signing of the deal and ratifies to all parties concerned that it does not recognise concessions granted in the Essequibo territory." In a fuller version conveyed in our edition of May 28, the statement also indicated ominously that it would not recognise cessions granted in the "marine projections" of Essequibo. The Government response to this was carried two days later, when it dubbed the Bolivarian Republic's opposition as "interference in the country's internal affairs." This in turn produced a further denunciation from the Venezuelan administration (SN, 4.6.00). Crime The nation was subjected to the news of a slew of gruesome murders in the year 2000, a disturbing number of which also fell under the rubric of domestic violence. 'Blackie' The year kicked off inauspiciously with bandits armed with machine guns and grenades attacking the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in Brickdam, and making off with $13M (SN, 11.1.00). On January 12, we reported that Linden 'Blackie' London and Andrew Douglas were among the suspects wanted for the crime, while six days later another report stated that about 80 ranks had been dispatched to Parika to foil what had been tipped as a planned robbery by 'Blackie' in that area. Another man, Cecil Albert McDonald, called 'Beast,' who had also been named by law enforcement as a possible suspect in the NIS robbery, was reported killed by a party of police at Mahdia in the January 20 edition. Three days later, however, angry Mahdia residents insisted to this newspaper that the police had shot the wrong man, and that McDonald had not been one of the perpetrators of the heist. The following month, 'Blackie's' name was to resurface in an even more dramatic way. On February 10, this newspaper's front page declared that Guyana's most wanted criminal had died in a fusillade of bullets after emerging from his hideout. He had been under siege by the Joint Services in the Toucan Guest House in Eccles, East Bank Demerara, for eleven hours, and had finally emerged with his hands in the air and his clothes on fire. Rhonda Forde, the woman who was with him in the apartment at the time, was also killed, and two GDF officers and one policeman were injured. Private Lennox Harvey, the most seriously wounded, had been shot in the left eye, which he subsequently lost. As for the Toucan Guest House, it was virtually destroyed in the siege. The following day's report stated that the police and the army were at odds over exactly how London had met his end. The GDF account indicated that it had conducted the negotiations with the wanted man, and had been able to induce him to come out of hiding "when he was shot and killed." Crime Chief Floyd McDonald, however, at his press conference on February 9, had indicated that the police would have preferred to have London arrested, "but that he apparently thought otherwise and as a result of his actions he was killed." The exact circumstances of his shooting were never finally clarified, although Dr Luncheon was reported as saying on February 19 that the Joint Services involved in the operation at the Toucan Guest House had not contemplated that London should be taken alive, while on February 20 the President added that no permission had been given for the negotiation of London's surrender. Linden London was buried on Wednesday, February 16, in circumstances amounting to chaos at some points. According to our report of the following day, his body was placed at the Square of the Revolution for public viewing from about 7:30 in the morning, and the funeral procession left the square followed by a mammoth crowd some four hours later. He was finally laid to rest near his home village of Vergenoegen, his casket having been attended by thousands of people at one stage or another. In the same edition we reported that ballistic tests had placed London at four robberies. Andrew Douglas, allegedly an associate of London's and wanted as a suspect in the America Street robbery of the year before, was brought back from Suriname where he had taken refuge, according to our report of March 9. He appeared in court on March 14 to answer 14 indictable charges. Another wanted man, Hilton Rodrigues, called "Chammar" was reported on March 19 as having been shot and killed by a police party on a mud dam behind Cromarty, Corentyne the previous day. During the exchange of fire, Constable Allan Higgins was killed. 'Chammar' had been wanted for questioning by the police in connection with several robberies and at least two murders. 'Gibbons' The population enjoyed some diversion with the case of a man claiming to be Edward Garfield Gibbons, an American citizen who had been wrongfully deported to Guyana after serving a one year sentence on a marijuana conviction in Texas. On January 12, we reported that Gibbons had been discovered languishing at the Brickdam Police Station, a guest of the Guyana Police Force since April 28, 1999. During his nine months sojourn, he had not ventured beyond the compound, but once his existence was brought to public attention, officialdom embarked on the exercise of trying to establish his true identity. The Guyanese authorities eventually were satisfied that he was not one of their nationals (although he had assumed the same name as a Guyanese who was legally domiciled in the United States), and on March 4, we reported him as having been deported back to the US whence he came. The saga reached its climax in our report of April 16, when it was disclosed that Gibbons' real name was James Dean Collins, and that his nationality was Jamaican. An equally unlucky resident of the Brickdam lock-ups whose case was covered in the issue of January 23, was a Dominican Republic national, who had stowed away on a United States-bound boat which had put in at Port Georgetown. Peering out from his hiding place, he espied the KFC sign near Stabroek Market, and promptly disembarked, presuming himself to have reached the US. Visa racket On January 23 we published the substance of a telephone interview with US Consul Vincent Principe, in which he said that investigations had not substantiated allegations that US embassy staff were engaged in visa scams. It was a smokescreen, as our story of March 21 made evident. There it was revealed that on March 17 US diplomat Thomas Carroll and Guyanese Halim Khan had been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, both of them federal offences. The US Attorney's Office in Chicago was reported as saying that $535,000 and ten gold bars had been seized from safety deposit boxes controlled by Carroll in the Chicago area, and that officials were trying to freeze additional assets under the control of the two men. The investigation of Carroll, it was stated, had begun in June 1999, after a tip-off from confidential sources. As was related by SN the following day, Carroll appeared in court in Chicago on March 22, and was held without bond. Khan had been arrested in Miami. In our edition of March 31, a possible Chinese connection was given coverage, where a restaurant in Georgetown was said to have been a key recruiting point for the visa scam. The report adverted to a possible link between the racket and the stream of illegal Chinese aliens passing through Guyana. It went on to say that since Carroll and Khan's arrest, three of the embassy's local employees had been dismissed and their visas revoked. On April 22 a report of the setting up of an inter-agency local task force to help the US Embassy in its investigations appeared. New Charm The search of the rice vessel the New Charm filled a lot of column inches last year, but if anyone expected that it would yield either the drama or the drugs' haul of the Danielsen, they were to be disappointed. CANU took possession of the Maltese-registered ship on March 1, and subsequently the long process of unloading it began. On March 4 we reported that after thirty-four days, some 200 pounds of cocaine had been located, but that, as it transpired, was the sum total of what was found. A front-page story in our April 20 issue, reported President Jagdeo as saying that the vessel and cargo were to be confiscated, following which the rice would be sold. A report on May 12 indicated that the rice had been sold to local rice miller Desmond Kanhai for over $89M. Economy/Business/Industry Dr Roger Luncheon was reported on January 8 as saying at a press conference that the economy was averaging growth above 2.5 per cent for the year, and that the annual report showed a successful economic performance for 1999. However, based on figures from the Bureau of Statistics, a front page story a week later gave inflation at the end of 1999 as being almost double the figure for 1998 - 8.6% as against 4.5% the previous year. Foreign currency trading, according to our report of January 26, grew in 1999, and the dollar depreciated 8.9% over the previous year. In a popular move, the President announced a ten per cent cut in the consumption tax on fuel - 50 per cent to 40 per cent - on March 3, and the suspension of the tax on cooking gas (SN, 4.3.00). This decision came in the wake of the rise in the world market price for oil. March 27 was Budget Day, when Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar presented his maiden budget of $62.2B, containing no new taxes and a 26.6% across-the-board increase for public servants, teachers and members of the disciplined services, effective from January 1, 2000. The Government, he said, would distribute in excess of 20,000 house lots, and expend $1B on housing infrastructure, etc. He also announced an additional US$30M to be spent on sites and services. Poverty programmes would be allocated $235M, while $252M had been budgeted to assist various local democratic organs in the implementation of their work programmes. The sum of $241M had been provided for the payment of rates and taxes to the City Council (SN, 28.3.00). Reactions to the budget given in our edition of March 29, did not reflect any great enthusiasm from most quarters. Elements of labour dubbed it "a major disappointment," while some of those in business called the pre-budget consultations "an exercise in futility." Chartered accountants Ram & McRae in their analysis found the budget lacking in vision and creativity, with a marked reluctance by the Government to respond to the pleas of the private sector. However, they went on to say that for its part, the private sector had hardly distinguished itself by courage, innovation and commitment to the general good of the country. Difficulties for the rice industry emerged into the open last year, and in January, Minister Gillette of Trinidad came to Guyana to sort out issues affecting the export of rice to the twin-island republic (SN,16.1.00). Mr Mahendra Persaud of Nand Persaud & Co. Ltd, told the newspaper that although the talks with the Minister had been positive, the major problem being faced by Guyanese rice exporters was the fact that Trinidad was not applying the Common External Tariff to rice imported from outside the region, which made local rice uncompetitive. Dr Peter de Groot referred to the technological limitations locally, which caused a problem with the uniformity colour of the product. On March 7 we reported that the spring rice crop production figures would be down on account of rain. For the first half of the year, sugar was in a more upbeat mode, with the publication in our March 26 edition of remarks by Mr Brian Webb that the Guysuco expansion project at Skeldon was moving ahead on the assumption that concessional funding would be made available from the IMF. Gold, on the other hand, did not have a good year on account of the world price, and on April 25 a report was carried stating that the stock of Cambior, the parent company of Omai Gold Mines Limited, had dipped to a record low. Two days later, it was stated that the company had raised $48M towards its debt repayment. Where bauxite is concerned, we reported on the same day that Aroaima's bid for Bermine had been rejected based on the Government's bid evaluation criteria. JP Santos and Bounty Farm announced the opening of a $35M supermarket early in the year (SN, 31.1.00), but the long established Guyana Stores was left in limbo after the deferred privatisation deal finally fell through in June, (SN,6.6.00). It was also not a good year for cinemas, Liberty's owner claiming in our April 17 issue that the budget was the last straw for him. Two months later on June 19, it was reported that 14 Global Films cinemas were to be closed. On a more positive note, a deal for the establishment of a merchant bank was signed by the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI), the Beharry Group of Companies and the International Finance Corporation (SN, 28.6.00). The Guyana Americas Merchant Bank, it was announced, would operate out of GBTI's Regent Street branch. An investment fund - the Caribbean Investment Fund - registered in the Cayman Islands was launched on March 26. (SN, 27.3.00). Politics This was the year when the machinery for the general election began to grind somewhat tardily into motion. The seven-member Oversight Committee on Constitutional Reform under its chairman, Information Minister Moses Nagamootoo embarked in January on the task of overseeing the drafting of a revised constitution in accordance with a time-bound plan approved by the National Assembly (SN, 15.1.00). After it had approved an elections commission draft bill, the latter was taken through all its stages in Parliament on April 10. (SN, 11.4.00) Despite some expressed reservations, the vote was united in establishing the seven-member Elections Commission. On May 3 we reported the names of the six candidates which had been submitted by the Leader of the Opposition to the President from which he would select an Elections Commission Chairman. On May 5, the President's choice of Major General Joe Singh was announced at the annual Officers' Conference of the GDF at Camp Ayanganna. At the same time, Jagdeo made public that Singh's successor as Chief of Staff would be Brigadier Michael Atherly. Singh was to demit office on June 29 after 35 years in the army (SN, 6.5.00). The names of the Commissioners representing the two major parties were published in our editions of May 9 and 10. The names of Robert Corbin, Robert Williams and Lloyd Joseph had been submitted by the Opposition Leader, the second of which, the report stated, had been put forward by The United Force Leader, Manzoor Nadir. The Alliance for Guyana submitted no names. The PPP's representatives on the commission published the following day, were given as Moen McDoom, Dr Keshav 'Bud' Mangal and Mohamood Shaw. On April 26 we carried a report reflecting the unease of some political parties about the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was to govern support for the 2001 election. The MOU was a precondition for financial and technical support to the Elections Commission, which was to be a signatory to it along with the Government of Guyana and members of the donor community. The parties were concerned that the MOU threatened the commission's sovereignty, although the report stated that the donor community would take on board the comments. In March, Professor Andrew Reynolds, an elections systems expert arrived at the behest of the Oversight Committee to advise on options for a new electoral system. A report in our May 19 issue said that the Oversight Committee had yet to agree on an electoral system and the task force it had assigned to undertake this exercise had missed its April 13 deadline. The committee was therefore taking back the responsibility for electoral reform from the task force. A story four days later expanded on the disagreement between the two major parties about the allocation of seats to the regions. It was a dispute which was to find no amicable resolution. On May 24 we reported that the Elections Commission would shortly be advertising for staff for its secretariat, including the posts of chief election officer and deputy chief election officer. As far as the parties per se were concerned, the PPP celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on January 1, while on March 27 we carried a report stating that the General Council of the PNC had backed Hoyte as leader, and that he would lead his party into the 2001 general election. The inter-party dialogue envisioned by the Herdmanston Accord, was not extended into the year 2000, because the Heads of Government of CARICOM decided to discontinue the involvement of their facilitator, Maurice King. At a press conference, Secretary General Edwin Carrington had alluded to a perception that the dialogue had not been as productive as it should have been, and that it was up to the two major parties to dispel that perception. Foreign Affairs July-December On July 4 we reported on the meeting of CARICOM Heads in Canouan, where the question of the removal of the CGX oil rig figured prominently in the discussions. President Jagdeo objected to the presence in military uniform at the talks of Suriname's army chief, Jerry Slingaard, but the heads in caucus came to no decision on his apparel, and Jagdeo left the resolution of the issue to the discretion of President Wijdenbosch. His mode of dress did not change. It was Suriname's Foreign Affairs Minister, Errol Snijders, who gave the media a clear statement of his country's position on the CGX rig. He told them that there was no problem with discussing joint exploration in the Corentyne offshore zone, but Guyana first would have to accept that it was Surinamese territory. Coming out of the Canouan talks, it was agreed that negotiations between Suriname and Guyana should resume in Jamaica. However, before those got underway, there was a report in our July 7 edition that Suriname gunboats were continuing to seize Guyanese fishing vessels. On July 11 we reported the news that the Horseshoe well was dry, and that if no solution was found to the problem of the Eagle drilling site, then CGX would leave by July 15. In the meantime, on July 10, the public had learned from an unnamed official, that a major oil find in Guyana would have enormous potential for clearing this country's stock of debt within a few years. The negotiations in Jamaica opened on July 14, facilitated by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson at the request of CARICOM. While these were underway, we were able to report that the Suriname patrol boats were less in evidence in the Corentyne, and that cross-border trade and travel were resuming at a slow pace. Despite the best efforts of the Jamaicans, however, we had to inform the public on July 18 that the talks had folded. Two days later, our front page stated that the oil rig was to leave, and that President Jagdeo had said that during the negotiations, Suriname had denied the existence of a maritime dispute with Guyana. Apparently taking his cue from Suriname, President Chavez of Venezuela was reported by El Nacional as saying that Venezuela could grant oil concessions in maritime areas which had not been demarcated, just as Guyana had done. In a story carried by this newspaper on July 23, based on the El Nacional account, Chavez was quoted as having said that Venezuelan sovereignty would be confirmed over an area which included "... the territorial sea in the zone of reclamation [Essequibo]." At a mining conference hich opened on July 27 in Georgetown, Guyana Geology and Mines Commissioner, Brian Sucre, indicated that oil exploration in the country was in a state of flux, and that border controversies needed to be settled quickly. That there was sound basis for his concern received further confirmation when the public was informed that it was unlikely that Century would drill in its concession off Guyana's North-West coast as a consequence of the border controversy with our neighbour to the west. Guyana's response to Venezuela's interference was unveiled in our edition of July 29, where President Jagdeo was reported as telling the media that the UN Good Officer was to be invited for discussions. In addition he said that a presidential advisory commission on the border would be set up, which would be broad-based, and that he had written to the Commonwealth Secretary General, among others, to apprise him of developments in relation to our neighbours. According to our report of August 30, the border advisory committee was convened on August 28. On August 29 we carried a report of an intrusion onto the Scotsburg foreshore five days earlier by four Surinamese soldiers, who discharged six rounds into the air. They had been pursuing a passenger boat which ran aground at Scotsburg, and the soldiers followed in a dinghy launched from a patrol boat. A crowd gathered, some of whom were armed with bottles and sticks, and the soldiers retreated on the arrival of a BASS landrover. It took some time for the local authorities to establish what had happened, and it was not until September 8 that we could report that a formal protest had been lodged with the Surinamese government. On August 31 we published our first report from Brasilia, where the South American heads of state were meeting. Chavez argued his case for Guyana's Essequibo in front of the foreign media, although Jagdeo was subsequently to counter this by presenting Guyana's case. The following day the Jagdeo-Chavez talks were carried, where the Guyanese President offered to make available to his Venezuelan counterpart a copy of the Beal contract. It was a decision not without its critics. On September 4 Guyanese were informed that Suriname had lodged a map with the United Nations and CARICOM showing the New River Triangle as Suriname territory, and on September 5, Jagdeo was reported as being prepared to give Suriname a copy of the CGX licence, something which had been refused at an earlier stage. Ten days subsequently, the Commonwealth expressed support both for Belize and Guyana in their border difficulties with more powerful neighbours, and on the twenty-third of the month, it was announced that investment in the Essequibo region was to get a push from that organization. Guyana Is First's forum on the Suriname boundary was held on September 15, with panellists which included Messrs Cedric Joseph, Harold Sahadeo and Rashleigh Jackson, and Dr Barton Scotland. Venezuela was back in the news again on October 5, when based on a report appearing in El Universal, this newspaper said that Guyana was to be excluded from new oil concessions being offered by her to the members of the San Jose Accord. The Venezuelan daily had quoted Foreign Minister Rangel as suggesting that the reason for the exclusion was the territorial controversy with this country. Takuba Lodge reacted strongly, supported by Prime Minister Lester Bird of Antigua. However, Jamaica wasted no time in accepting the offer, and the CARICOM Bureau wasted no time in welcoming it (SN, 16.10.00; 17.10.00). The earlier strong statements from Guyana notwithstanding, on December 29, we reported Foreign Minister Rohee as stating that Guyana had applied to join the Caracas Energy Accord. A report in our issue of December 2, quoted President Venetiaan of Suriname as expressing the view that the border with Guyana should become irrelevant. When the year closed, however, there were still no talks with Suriname. The oft discussed Brazil-Guyana road appeared to move into the realm of the possible with the news (SN, 12.12.00) that the Federal Government of Brazil had agreed to fund the surfacing of the road as well as the construction of a deep-water harbour on Guyana's coast. The erection of a bridge over the Takutu river was slated for September, 2001, the Governor of the Brazilian state of Roraima was quoted as saying. The Christmas Eve edition relayed the news that face to face negotiations were underway on a maritime treaty with the United States. Politics July-December The August 2 edition of the newspaper supplied the information that Stanley Singh was to remain as Chief Election Officer. In addition, it was reported that the Oversight Committee had completed its task, and its proposed constitutional amendments were ready for the National Assembly. On September 18 Parliament gave unanimous support to the proposals, although the opposition parties expressed reservations about some areas. One of the areas where no consensus could be achieved was the elections seats bill, which was passed as a consequence of the Government employing its majority on November 23 (SN, 24.11.00). The opposition had argued for a minimum of two geographical seats for each region, while the governing party insisted on only one for Regions 8 and 9. In contrast, the constitutional amendment paring the president's powers was passed unanimously by the National Assembly on December 15 (SN, 16.12.00). On August 11, Jagdeo had signed into law the Ethnic Relations Commission Bill, which had also received the support of the parties in its passage through Parliament. Equally uncontentious was the postponing yet again of the local government polls, which are now to be held on or before December 1, 2001 (SN, 17.12.00). On August 11, we reported that January 15 was the projected elections date, but eventually it became clear as the claims and objections period had to be extended, that this was not feasible. On December 7 on the advice of the elections commission, and with the agreement of the opposition, the President announced March 19 as the poll date (SN, 8.12.00). The elecions commission's decision to produce a new national identity card for use by voters in the 2001 election appeared in our edition of September 6. The claims and objections period was first slated to begin on October 9, and then the date was pushed back to October 16. As we reported in more than one issue, registration was sluggish, however, and the time-frame had to be made more elastic. On November 21 we reported that an estimated 130,000 voters still had not been photographed. It was subsequently decided that they would be written to, and that they would also be given until January 4 to have their photographs taken (SN, 13.12.00). More problematic was the matter of the electoral roll. On September 8 we had reported PNC Leader Desmond Hoyte as alleging that the 1997 National Register of Registrants was grossly inflated. A refutation of this claim from Dr Ramsarran of the PPP/Civic appeared in our edition of September 23. The following day we reported that initial field tests by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had indicated no sign of padding. The issue was not allowed to rest, however, and on November 16, we carried a report on the submission by the PNC of a list of non-existent persons. In our edition of November 25, GECOM Chairman Joe Singh promised a thorough probe. On December 4, we published the findings of the GECOM field test, which suggested that the list was 84 per cent accurate, and that perhaps seven per cent of registrants were unaccounted for. The following day a front-page story reproduced the PNC claim that the projection from the field survey showed that forty thousand odd names should not be on the list, as well as the PPP response, which said that the analysis was misleading, and that major errors were in PNC regions. On December 6, Singh was reported as saying that the field survey results would be reconciled with the data acquired from the claims and objections period. By December 16, the GECOM chairman could project that the size of the electorate was likely to be around 420,000 (SN, 17.12.00), and six days after that we printed the substance of a PNC letter to him indicating that the party was withdrawing its block objection to names on the list. The decision to formally withdraw the objection, the report said, came following an elections commission statement on the make-up of the final voters' list. Money from the donor community for the poll was reported on in the editions of September 26 and 29, while on October 7 readers learnt that observers for the election would begin arriving on October 11. A roundtable conference of representatives of the media, organized on behalf of the elections commission, produced a code of conduct for the media, the contents of which were published in our edition of October 18 on page 14. It is intended to ensure responsible coverage and reporting of the 2001 election. As for the parties, there was no shortage of new ones, including a party based in the hinterland - the Guyana Action Party (GAP), which got coverage in the October 30 issue. Where the PPP/Civic is concerned, Minister Moses Nagamootoo's intention to leave government and pursue studies in Trinidad was made public on August 25. His resignation was effective from September 18. A story appearing on October 2 said that Prime Minister Hinds was to retain the number two spot on his party's slate for the upcoming election, information which was confirmed in the edition of December 27 where it was also stated that Jagdeo would be the presidential candidate. On the PNC side, it was stated in our August 26 edition that at the opening of the biennial congress, Hoyte had announced that the party would go to the polls as the PNC/Reform. The 'Reform' element would comprise "a group of citizens of ability and goodwill who are not card-bearing members of [the PNC]," he said. The following day it was made known that the poll for a successor to the PNC leader would not take place until after the election, while on the day after that, the public heard that Robert Corbin had defeated Vincent Alexander for the post of PNC Chairman. The biggest issue dividing the parties at the end of the year, was the matter of what was to happen after January 17 - the Herdmanston Accord deadline. After apparently uncompromising stands had been adopted by both sides - the PPP/Civic saying it would not leave office (later amended to include voluntary restraints), and the PNC saying it must demit office - the President invited the leaders of the parliamentary parties to meet on the matter (SN, 2.12.00). The talks, according to a release issued on December 7, were cordial, and the President and the leaders decided that a parliamentary committee should examine the question (SN, 8.12.00). The representatives on the committee which was convened by Dr Luncheon were Donald Ramotar (PPP/Civic), Rupert Roopnaraine (AFG), Aubrey Collins (TUF) and Basil Williams (PNC) (SN, 13.12.00; 16.12.00). At the end of the year, no movement had been reported by the committee on the issue confronting it. The year closed with a report in our December 30 issue on a civic group calling for a national government. Economy and business July-December The second half of the year produced little good news for Guyana's agricultural sector. The extent of the crisis in the rice industry came to public attention with a report in our edition of July 23 that the industry owed $11B to the banking sector, representing about 27 per cent of its loan portfolio. Dr Peter de Groot, in an interview with this newspaper published on September 13, cited the loss of the Overseas Countries and Territories route in 1997, and the institution of safeguard measures by the European Union as signalling the start of the downturn for rice. In addition, he said, there was the prolonged El Nino drought, and the falling prices on the international market. Once again, he said, Guyana was experiencing adverse weather conditions and even lower world prices. There was too, the problem with Jamaica, an important market, which was importing rice from the United States. Following a meeting between President Jagdeo and stakeholders in the industry, we were able to report on September 21 that $3.7B of the rice debt had been rescheduled, and on the following day that the central bank had granted a two-month waiver to enable the commercial banks to renegotiate loans owed by the sector. The problems with the Jamaican market were tackled head on with a visit to this country by Jamaica's foreign trade minister, Anthony Hylton. As indicated in our September 24 issue, when talking to Essequibo rice farmers, he pledged to review his country's policy of importing rice from the United States, once there was an assurance on rice quality, price and consistency of supply from Guyana. On October 12 we printed the announcement of $20M relief for Mahaicony farmers, many of whom were rice farmers, and on October 20, an increased relief package of $85M to rice farmers. The November 5 SN brought news from Minister Da Silva of a lapse on the part of two Ministry of Trade officials. They had ducked a waiver request from the Eastern Caribbean Group of Countries, which almost lost Guyana the St Vincent rice market. Six days later we printed the denial by a St Vincent company importing rice that there had been any collusion between it and the Guyana trade officials. The news for sugar was also not good in the second half of the year. On September 19, we reported a World Bank suggestion that Demerara be taken out of sugar production, and only the Berbice operations expanded. The institution's response to Guysuco's expansion plan did not find favour with the management of the local industry. However, the World Bank was disinclined to amend its position, as was clear from our report of October 15, when its consultant deemed Guysuco's plan infeasible. On the last day of the year we reported that Guysuco would break even after an initial projection of a $1B loss on account of the depreciation of the Euro. On October 31, we carried a report on comments by local officials who expressed the view that Guyana could link with others to fight the European Union's Everything But Arms scheme, which would have a negative impact on our exports such as sugar and rice. Where the mining sector was concerned, the public learned on August 13 that its difficulties notwithstanding, Cambior would retain Omai. The banking sector had mixed fortunes, most commercial banks showing increased profits, except the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (SN, 19.7.00) and the Guyana National Co-operative Bank (SN, 30.7.00), the last-named of which had heavy losses, although it was still viable (SN, 5.8.00). On September 2 we reported that both it and the GNCB Trust were to be put up for sale by June 2001. A report in our August 19 edition said that competition in the telecoms sector was likely in two years, following the signing of a US$1.1M deal between the Government and the IDB intended to facilitate reform. The ending of AT&T's telephone accounting service to Guyana was to cause problems during the year for those trying to call Guyana from the United States (SN, 6.1.00; 9.9.00). However, the final day of 2000 brought an announcement of the opening of a web-based call centre. Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar told an investment seminar on August 25, that a growth of 2.86 per cent had been recorded for the first half of the year because of a recovery in mining and the support service sectors, as well as higher labour productivity. This was better than for the corresponding period last year which recorded a GDP of 2.1 per cent (SN, 26.8.00). Some businesses expanded during 2000, such as Kissoon's, and there were new ventures like the $60M resort on the highway, and a paper recycling plant. In addition, Guyana Stores, as we reported on October 6, was finally privatised. Polysac, on the other hand, said it lost $100M in five years through unfair competition (SN, 31.8.00). A report in our July 29 edition said that the Guyana Government had been notified the previous day that the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation was renewing its support for US investments here. A report entitled 'Poverty and the Guyana Survey of Living Conditions' indicated that one in three Guyanese were living in absolute poverty (SN, 1.10.00). The following month Guyana's poverty reduction programme was cleared by the IMF and the World Bank. Crime July-December Of all the domestic violence cases last year, the most tragic was that of Sonia Hinds, who lost both her hands and an eye after she was chopped by her reputed husband. The couple had quarrelled over a pair of shoes (SN, 7.8.00). On December 2 we were able to report that Ms Hinds had received prosthetics. The year was alarming too in terms of the number of children who were the victims of crime, sometimes at the hands of other children. The most disturbing case occurred in December, when two brothers aged nine and ten were electrocuted as they climbed through a wire fence which had been electrified. They were going to pick mangoes in the yard (SN, 14.12.00). A man was subsequently charged with manslaughter, and held without bail (SN, 21.12.00). In another case at Charity, a nine-year-old died, and his brother was critically injured as the consequence of a robbery committed by two teenagers aged 14 and 15 (SN, 12.9.00; 14.9.00). Nor were schools sacrosanct, as acts of violence were committed on their premises by schoolchildren. On November 20 we reported the case of a school prefect who might lose her eye (she later did lose it) as a consequence of an attack in the schoolyard. Two stabbings by students also came to public notice, one by a fourteen-year-old girl who stabbed a male student in Berbice (SN, 31.3.00), and the other which was reported on December 14, when one St Barnabas student stabbed another in the yard. Guyana's role as an in-transit zone for narco-trafficking was still apparent in the second half of the year, after the discovery of a burnt-out, Brazilian-registered Cessna on the 35 Miles Mabura road. Authorities suspected a drugs connection, and surmised that the plane had been deliberately torched (SN, 7.7.00). A report carried on November 22 covered the busting of a molasses ship by CANU, whose officers found nine kilos of cocaine aboard. On November 25, we reported on the sacking of 11 ramp attendants at Timehri by BWIA following a drug bust at Piarco on the ninth of the month. Their case had been taken up by their union - the CCWU. The final chapter in the saga of the New Charm was relayed in our issue of December 17, when the boat was released after its owner had paid $75M. The strange tale of another boat was given coverage on November 17 and 18, after it had been seized by police who had found it carrying army surplus equipment, including ammunition pouches and parachutes. A week later we reported that the consignee had handed over the contents to the GDF. That pirates were still active off Guyana's coast became apparent when we reported on August 1 that they had attacked four boats in the Atlantic. In an unexpected move, the Director of Public Prosecutions sent the Monica Reece file to the Chief Magistrate so that an inquest could be held into her death seven years ago. Her body had been thrown out of a moving vehicle onto Main street on Good Friday, 1993 (SN, 23.11.00). The police did not escape criticism in the year 2000. In particular there were the questions raised about the death of Mohamed Shafeek in police custody in Brickdam. Varying accounts emanated from the police themselves, the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs, and on October 5 we reported that Shafeek's widow had filed an order nisi instructing the Commissioner to submit a copy of the report to the chief magistrate so an inquest could be held. It was subsequently announced that there would be an inquest. Central government/local government January-December Dominating the headlines under the rubric of local government last year was the issue of the Regent street vendors. The story began quietly enough with strains being generated between the City Council and the Water street vendors over their stalls being dismantled after six o'clock in the evening. On March 25 we carried a report saying that they had been granted an interim injunction by the court against the council. It was the Regent street vendors, however, who were to seize the spotlight after Justice Carl Singh dismissed an injunction which had allowed them to remain in Regent street. The council wasted little time thereafter in removing them, the report of which was carried in our October 1 edition. The vendors did not make their exit from the city's commercial centre quietly, and proposals were put forward from various quarters about their relocation, including from the Mayor and the Prime Minister. On October 11 a story appeared in this newspaper saying that the vendors were being offered temporary accommodation in Merriman Mall, and without further ado the authorities set about making it ready by asphalting the avenue and a large portion of the parapet. On October 21 the news was made public that unlike the Regent street scion of the vending community, the Water street branch was to be allowed by the court to stay where they were. Three days later the Regent street vendors and the City Constabulary were at war on their former selling grounds, a confrontation which ended in shots being fired, four constables being injured, and eleven persons held (SN, 25.10.00). On December 7 we reported the City Council as having decided that the vendors should relocate to the Mall by the following Monday, a decision which was in keeping with the tenor of a meeting President Jagdeo had held with them. The end of the year came and went, however, and the newly prepared place stood empty. In other local government news the market sellers at Mon Repos showed as much reluctance to occupy their new market - the design and organization of which they were very critical - as did the Regent street vendors the Mall. We reported on their row with the authorities in the issue of February 17, but it was not until December 16 that we carried a story saying that roadside stalls at Mon Repos were being dismantled to ensure that their owners went into the market. In New Amsterdam Mayor Errol Alphonso had a stormy year with his council and others, but on December 30, the announcement of his resignation was carried in this newspaper. In a surprise move, Mayor Hamilton Green was reported on July 25 as wanting the operations of City Hall investigated. Minister of Local Government Harripersaud Nokta was only too willing to oblige, as indicated in our edition of August 5. Other representatives around the horseshoe table, however, were less than enthusiastic, and as our report of August 15 indicated, the GGG and PNC councillors formed an alliance to pass a motion disassociating the council from the decision, which they said was in contravention of the District and Municipal Councils Act (Chapter 28). Central government Almost 24 kilometres of Guyana's sea defence was under threat, according to George Howard, head of river and sea defence (SN, 16.1.00). On March 30 we reported that the European Union had granted the government Euro 20M in aid for sea defence works. At the end of the year BK International received praise for the standard of its work on the Good Hope/Lusignan defences which were commissioned on December 29. On September 18, we reported Chairman of the Guyana Forestry Commission Bal Persaud as saying that it was intended to set up forest reserves in various parts of the country, while on October 13 we published the news that the Government of Guyana and Conservation International had signed an exploratory lease of 200,000 acres of State land as a 'conservation concession.' In a different kind of move, it was made public in our edition of December 1 that the illegal loggers of Region 10 were to be regularised, over the objections of the Forest Producers Association. From our September 30 issue it was learned that the depressed town of Linden was to receive $2.2B from the European Union to be used for its economic revitalization. Two days prior to that, it had been announced that the Government and Ballast Nedam had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) setting out preparatory targets for a contract for the building of the Berbice river bridge. On December 11 we reported that the company had requested an extension of the MOU, and on December 18, that they had received it. On September 29 (reported the following day) four judges were named to the Appeal Court. Our front page of November 5, however, said that the appointments were not in accordance with the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission, which the President was constitutionally bound to follow. The appointments themselves were not the issue, but the arrangements designed to postpone Justice Singh's appointment until after she had rendered judgement in the elections petition case, while still preserving her seniority. On November 21, the appointments were challenged in a court action brought by Stephen Fraser (SN, 22.11.00). This newspaper's front page of October 8, brought to public notice the case of housing contractor Tilak Netram, who had not been blacklisted by Government after he had allegedly failed to honour commitments for a housing project undertaken some years ago. He was now working on the Tuschen Housing Scheme, said the report. Two days later Minister of Housing Shaik Baksh responded to say that Netram was working as a "carpenter" on the Tuschen scheme, and only four contracts had been awarded him since 1992. After there had been criticisms from Auditor General Anand Goolsarran about the Government's use of its share of the lotto funds, President Jagdeo announced (SN, 14.10.00) that although it had not been doing anything illegal, the Government was prepared to pay the lotto money into the Consolidated Fund. Accidents January-December There was no sign of any let-up in the road carnage in 2000, and some horrendous crashes, often caused by speeding, took all too many lives. Some of the worst involved mini-buses, such as that which occurred on March 6, when an East Coast crash took 11 lives and injured 17 (SN, 8.3.00). By the following day the death toll had risen to 12. On two successive days in July, eleven more people were killed in smash-ups. The first occurred on July 2 (reported the following day) when a bus crashed into a post at Soesdyke killing three and injuring two, and the second took place on the Linden highway, when eight persons were killed and six were injured (SN, 4.7.00). Towards the end of the year on November 29, we reported another accident involving an East Coast bus which plunged into a trench, killing one person and injuring 12. Flooding appeared less severe this year, although it was reported in Charity (SN, 6.4.00), Wakenaam (2.5.00), Gunn's Strip (25.5.00) - which necessitated the villagers moving out altogether - and Noitgedacht, Linden (5.12.00). In the last-mentioned case the Linmine chief took responsibility and apologized to the residents (7.12.00). The flooding had been caused when a blockage of sand and silt at the mined-out Kara Kara site burst. Aside from the smaller fires which took place this year, there were two spectacular ones. The first involved the destruction of the Park Hotel with its colonial contours (SN, 7.5.00), and the second the burning of the Panday bond (SN, 19.9.00). The first in particular exposed the limitations of the fire service to deal with a blaze of that kind. At the end of the year, the full insurance claim on the Park had not been paid, and on November 26 we reported that the burnt debris from the hotel was to be sent overseas for testing. That too had still not been done when the year closed. On May 4 we carried a report on a plane which crashed near Kurupung. The following day we reported that its pilot had been found dead. Our story of April 15 first informed the public that a Guyanese vessel loaded with sand for a Trinidad beach resort - the Gran Rio R - was missing off Tobago. In follow-up accounts, we described how the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard had instituted a search for the missing sailors. However, they were not found, and the search was subsequently called off (SN, 3.5.00). In an unusual accident in the zoo, a keeper was killed by a jaguar (SN, 31.5.00). The animal was subsequently shot by a member of the police force. On September 27 we reported that a runaway ship which had broken its moorings had caused chaos in the Demerara river, damaging six other vessels. A tragedy at Timehri Docks, where three young children were burnt to death when they were left alone in a house while their 17-year-old mother went out to look for a job, was carried in our issue of October 5. Army January-December In a report published in our May 6 edition, President Jagdeo acknowledged that army financing was inadequate, and following the CGX fiasco, critics became more vocal about the GDF's equipment deficit. On November 2 we reported Dr Luncheon as announcing that the army was to get a $545M capital injection, although this was insufficient to cover the acquisition of patrol boats. The year ended with the GDF still land-locked. Its hardware deficiencies notwithstanding, the army declared itself ready to deal with foreign aggression, as reported on September 13. However, the following month (October 29), we quoted Chief of Staff Michael Atherly as conceding that the GDF had seen a shift in the military balance between the local armed forces and potential adversaries who had displayed a penchant for being confrontational. A mystery blast at Camp Groomes, an army ammunition depot near the Linden-Soesdyke highway killed three and injured eleven soldiers on Deceember 18 (SN, 19.12.00). Aid was sought in ascertaining the cause of the blast, and it arrived in the form of three members of the US Southern Command, one of whom was a burns specialist and the other two explosives experts (SN, 23.12.00). Subsequently four GDF soldiers were flown out for treatment of their burns in the United States (SN, 27.12.00). On the 28th we reported that the two Explosives Ordnance Disposal experts from the US, in conjunction with the GDF team were examining a fire theory to exlain the explosion. However, confirmation or otherwise of this hypothesis, it was said, would have to await the results of forensic tests in the United States. On December 30 we carried a report quoting Dr Luncheon as saying that Colonel McPherson had retired from the army, and that his retirement had taken effect from the day after he had been freed by the court of criminal charges. Miscellaneous January-December Education In the sphere of education the year kicked off with the Teaching Service Commission stripping the regional education authorities of the power to make appointments of pupil, acting and senior acting teachers. Despite criticisms of the new arrangements, including some from the Guyana Public Service Union, the decision was not revoked (SN, 10.1.00). On February 12, we reported that University of Guyana (UG) Vice Chancellor, Harold Lutchman had been ordered on pre-retirement leave, and on February 29 that he had been granted a high court order temporarily halting the UG Council decision. In August he sued the university for non-payment of his terminal benefits. Dr James Rose was the same month appointed Acting Vice Chancellor, a position which some of those familiar with the university statutes alleged did not exist (SN, 8.8.00). The opening of the new university campus at Tain, Berbice, was delayed because, among other things, the authorities would not grant duty-free concessions to UG lecturers who had to travel between Turkeyen and Tain. The concession was eventually granted (SN, 26.10.00), and the new campus formally opened on November 19 (reported the following day). The rehabilitation of schools proceeded under the PEIP and SSRP programmes during 2000, but there was no corresponding dramatic upturn in educational performance. The Minister of Education made reference to the low level of reading skills among Guyana's children, while on November 12, we reported that the country's CXC performance was down slightly from last year. `On an unsavoury note, a West Demerara teacher was alleged to have sexually abused six male students (SN, 22.10.00), triggering an investigation by the Ministry of Education. On December 13, we reported that he had been sacked. Health The inadequacy of cancer treatment available locally received especial notice in the year 2000. On August 12, the award of a contract to construct a cancer centre in the compound of the public hospital was made public, and when cancer sufferers picketed the Ministry of Health in September, Health Minister Henry Jeffrey said that a Cuban oncologist as well as $4M worth of cancer drugs would be due in the country shortly (SN, 5.9.00). On October 28 we published information about a CIDA funded scheme which would make PAP smears available daily at the Cancer Society. On April 14 we reported that the Ministry of Health would buy the AIDS treatment drug, AZT. On January 22, the public learned that teenage mothers accounted for 22 per cent of the deliveries at the Georgetown Public Hospital, although infant mortality was down. Six days later we reported that malaria was also down by 27 per cent. On September 15 (reported the following day) a new $41M in-patient ward at the public hospital was unveiled. The year was punctuated by episodes in the long-running battle over the Medical Council. Despite an agreement between President Jagdeo and the executive members of the Guyana Medical Association (GMA), which allowed for the establishment of a committee to draw up the regulations which would govern the implementation of the amended Medical Practitioners Act, 1991, the committee never met. Its members were to be drawn from Government and the GMA, but the latter organization wanted government representatives who could make decisions which would be binding on the government. As reported on December 27, the Medical Council went to court in a bid to stop Jeffrey from making regulations under the act and was granted an order against him. The matter was to be heard on January 8. The Minister had contended that the Council was no longer in existence, since the act had come into effect on November 1. He had appointed a committee to make recommendations with regard to the regulations. Labour On January 17 we reported that the Government had signalled to the main public service union, the GPSU, that it was going to cease agency shop and fees deductions because of poor accountability. The matter eventually reached the courts. May Day proved as divisive as ever, with separate rallies being held, and the CCWU walking out when the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Norris Witter began his speech. The GTUC Secretary levelled accusations against GPSU President Patrick Yarde, who defended himself in a separate rally. Miscellaneous * Contrary to expectations there were no major Y2K problems in Guyana (5.1.00). * The Guyana National Bureau of Standards recalled snow tyres (15.2.00). * Mashramani was deemed a success, although divisions were still evident in the form of two flag-raising ceremonies (24.2.00). * The unrestrained pollution of rivers was declared a big problem (22.2.00). * A centre for Amerindian rights and law was established (27.3.00). * Two British retired judges arrived as part of the justice improvement project (3.5.00). * The Caribbean Media Conference held in Georgetown was opened by Prime Minister Owen Arthur of Barbados (6.5.00). * According to the Guyana Forestry Commission, the environmental compliance of timber companies was below standard (10.7.00). * The Commonwealth Caribbean Heads of Judiciary conference opened in Georgetown (15.10.00). * A locust attack was reported in Region 8; experts were subsequently sent to the affected area, and $10M given for the locust war (1.11.00; 3.11.00;7.11.00). * The generator set at Canefield was recommissioned, bringing the promise of an end to the blackout woes of Berbice (14.12.00). * The Registrar was fined for contempt of court (15.12.00). * Draft broadcast legislation was unveiled (27.12.00). * A night shelter for the destitute was opened (31.12.00). 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