TODAY, for the first time in 467 days or over one year, the Government of Guyana will return to Parliament under new circumstances and in recovery from a five-month-long electoral process, which made headlines across the world.
Members of Parliament (MPs) will, this time, take to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) today, an alternative to the Parliament Building Chambers and the best solution for engagement during a world health crisis which has killed almost one million people globally.
It is only the second time that this change of venue has occurred, having first being required in 2002 when then President Bharrat Jagdeo issued a proclamation designating that the National Assembly meet at the Ocean View Convention Centre while renovations to the Public Buildings were ongoing.
Under the new arrangement and likely another first, several MPs are to participate in the proceedings online, from home due to health-related concerns. Even so, and apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, normal circumstances did not lead to the hiatus of Parliament being held.
The last Parliament held was the 115th Sitting of the 11th Parliament which occurred on May 23, 2019. This Sitting, along with the three previous, was boycotted by the then opposition which was displeased with the continuance of operations of the APNU+AFC Government after it had been legally booted by a no-confidence motion.
We have a large database of Guyanese worldwide. Most of our readers are in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Our Blog and Newsletter would not only carry articles and videos on Guyana, but also other articles on a wide range of subjects that may be of interest to our readers in over 200 countries, many of them non-Guyanese We hope that you like our selections.
It is estimated that over one million Guyanese, when counting their dependents, live outside of Guyana. This exceeds the population of Guyana, which is now about 750,000. Many left early in the 50’s and 60’s while others went with the next wave in the 70’s and 80’s. The latest wave left over the last 20 years. This outflow of Guyanese, therefore, covers some three generations. This outflow still continues today, where over 80 % of U.G. graduates now leave after graduating. We hope this changes, and soon.
Guyanese, like most others, try to keep their culture and pass it on to their children and grandchildren. The problem has been that many Guyanese have not looked back, or if they did it was only fleetingly. This means that the younger generations and those who left at an early age know very little about Guyana since many have not visited the country. Also, if they do get information about Guyana, it is usually negative and thus the cycle of non-interest is cultivated.
This Guyana Diaspora Online Forum , along with its monthly newsletter, aims at bringing Guyanese together to support positive news, increase travel and tourism in Guyana and, in general, foster the birth of a new Guyana, which has already begun notwithstanding the negative news that grabs the headlines. As the editor and manager of the publication, I am committed to delivering Blog entries and Newsletters that are politically balanced, and focused on the positive ideas we wish to share and foster among Guyanese.
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