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Django

No doubt, it has already been recognized that the main opposition in Guyana, APNU/AFC, has moved from a position of utter incompetence and absolute irrelevance to being outrageous, malicious and in some cases even comical.

The Government of Guyana is recognized in the Caribbean for its stellar smooth and expeditious procurement of an adequate supply of vaccines against the Covid-19 virus. Indeed, Guyana, has thus far, procured the largest quantity of vaccines among countries in the Region.

In any normal society, the procurement of an adequate supply of suitable medication in a public health pandemic will receive the commendation of every leader in that society. Expectedly, the APNU/AFC leadership is incapable of such gesture. Instead, with characteristic negativity, they have begun to undermine the Government’s efforts, even fabricating and concocting in their attempts to denigrate.

They first started with the price of the vaccines, failing to recognize the distinction between the World Health Organization recommended prices and the prices generated by the global market demands.

Now they have commenced a campaign to denigrate the quality of the vaccines. Joseph Harmon now demands an explanation of the vaccines’ “chain of custody” from the time it leaves the factory, to its arrival in Guyana!

The particular vaccine to which Mr. Harmon refers is Sputnik, the very one which he chose to take. Now that he is immunized, he castigates the very vaccine, implicitly encouraging others not to take it!

Guyanese people need help ,read the comments .

Replies sorted oldest to newest

MitwahSenior Member

PPP on the defensive. Dem got caught dealing with a notorious international crook.

6/18/218:08 AM

seignetSenior Member

That place gat no good, even if dey can pick up gold nuggets from the ground and crude belching out of the ground.

That country runs on who you know.

Fellas! When alyuh bringing back Shallyv.

6/18/218:53 AM

MitwahSenior Member

Well is a graduate from Wes Dem University running de country now.

6/18/218:57 AM

SpugumJunior Member

Transparency is the elephant in the room here but would the government admit it, l think not!

The print media, the PSC, other so-called independent journalists were all caught out. They all have failed to hold the government to account. Embarrassed that Rowley exposed them they circle the wagon (their complacency).

Guyana is not a real place!

6/18/219:05 AM

seignetSenior Member

Doan cry for me Argentina should be replaced wid Guyana.

6/18/219:13 AM

SpugumJunior Member

Now it has become an international incident.

6/18/219:22 AM

MitwahSenior Member

Harmon emphasized that given that the vaccines were purchased from a UAE supplier, Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al-Maktoum, who has been linked to a convicted fraudster, the authenticity of the goods should be brought into question. Harmon also stressed on the “excessive” $600M expenditure on the vaccines purchased without any approval of the Opposition.

Harmon called out for “reckless” claims about ‘fake’ COVID-19 vaccines – Kaieteur News (kaieteurnewsonline.com)

6/18/219:48 AM

SpugumJunior Member

Trinidad condemns attack on PM Rowley by Ramsammy, city chamber

Trinidad’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs in a statement today slammed attacks on Prime Minister Keith Rowley by Guyana’s Health Ministry Advisor, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

The criticism by Ramsammy and the GCCI of Rowley pertained to the vaccines being used here. In a letter in today’s Stabroek News, Ramsammy said: “Prime Minister Rowley said that Trinidad and Tobago has the most vaccine doses already in country than any other country in CARICOM, except Guyana, but that Guyana’s vaccines do not count since they are not approved. All the vaccines in use in Guyana were registered and approved for use by Guyana’s Food and Drug Analyst Department”.

The statement by the Trinidad ministry said “At no point in time has Prime Minister ever disparaged the vaccine programme in Guyana, nor has he ever implied that the vaccines in use in Guyana are defective or unsafe; and it is extremely unfortunate that the Advisor to the Ministry of Health of Guyana would use falsehood to publicly attack the Prime Minister of a friendly neighbouring country”.

Rowley at a recent press conference had said:

“I want to indicate to you that the vaccination programme in Trinidad and Tobago is as good as or probably better than most, certainly in the CARICOM and worldwide. And for that basis I want to bring you up-to-date on as to where we are as a member of CARICOM. I brought a table here to show you …what our position is and I would ask you to look at the third column which says total vaccines received by country and there are fourteen CARICOM countries there and five CARICOM associates. Of the 14 CARICOM countries the only country in CARICOM that has received into its borders more vaccines than Trinidad and Tobago is Guyana. And the reason for that is that Guyana took a decision which we did not take, I have raised that at this platform before but I would raise it again, the Guyana Government took a decision that Trinidad & Tobago did not take, that is early in the proceedings to use vaccines that were not approved by World Health Organisation. As a result of that Guyana had a larger volume of vaccines available, we did not participate in that and that explains it. So if one is looking at WHO’s approved vaccines it would be clear that Trinidad and Tobago got within its borders more vaccines than any other CARICOM country and that includes Jamaica, that has twice the population of Trinidad and Tobago”.

The Trinidad statement today further called “upon the authorities in Guyana to disassociate themselves from such unwarranted, scurrilous and disrespectful attacks on the sitting Chairman of CARICOM, which incidentally is headquartered in Georgetown, Co-operative Republic of Guyana”.

The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs has noted with concern the recent misleading, disrespectful, and potentially damaging comments in the Guyanese media ascribed to Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Advisor to the Ministry of Health of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, as well as a most reprehensible and slanderous Statement ascribed to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), directed against the current Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and current Chairman of CARICOM.

The comments and Statement attempt to associate Prime Minister Rowley with views which he does not hold and which he has never expressed. It is noteworthy that in his published commentary Dr. Ramsammy could offer not one single quotation from the Prime Minister to support his false allegations, nor did Dr. Ramsammy offer a shred of evidence to support his misleading claims. At no point in time has Prime Minister ever disparaged the vaccine programme in Guyana, nor has he ever implied that the vaccines in use in Guyana are defective or unsafe; and it is extremely unfortunate that the Advisor to the Ministry of Health of Guyana would use falsehood to publicly attack the Prime Minister of a friendly neighbouring country.

The Statement of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry as published in the Guyanese media also makes references to Prime Minister Rowley that are completely false and appear to simply repeat the fake narrative of Dr. Ramsammy. Further, that Chamber Statement’s disgusting slur to the effect that Prime Minister Rowley “fulfils his historical trait of demonstrating scant regard for the lives of Guyanese” must be regarded as a particularly scurrilous attack against the Chairman of CARICOM.

Ironically that slanderous Statement was issued by the Georgetown Chamber mere days after Prime Minister Rowley instructed the relevant arms of his Government to organise much needed relief supplies and assistance for Guyana, in response to the Government of Guyana`s request through CARICOM for help with their response to heavy floods. Further, Dr. Rowley, as Chairman of CARICOM has been well recognized for his robust and consistent advocacy and frequent communication with US and global leadership on behalf of all CARICOM people, including the people of Guyana, in pursuit of greater access to COVD-19 vaccines for our region. Additionally, Dr. Rowley intervened to help achieve the release of Guyanese fishermen detained in Venezuela earlier this year, he led CARICOM’s support for Guyana during a critical period of the border (controversy) with Venezuela, and he physically went to Guyana during the pandemic to work with fellow Heads to assist in CARICOM`s efforts toward ensuring that the outcome of Guyana`s most recent general elections was peaceful and reflective of the will of its people.

The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs strongly condemns the published falsehoods against Prime Minister Rowley by Dr. Ramsammy and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and calls upon the authorities in Guyana to disassociate themselves from such unwarranted, scurrilous and disrespectful attacks on the sitting Chairman of CARICOM, which incidentally is headquartered in Georgetown, Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...msammy-city-chamber/

6/18/219:51 AM

DjangoAdmin

PPP/C again have proven to be corrupt ,tiger doesn't change its stripes. They go to Parliament requesting monies and can't gives details how it will be spent ,they took money out of the Consolidated fund without Parliamentary approval, all their supporters are quiet like mouses ,why ? they are benefiting from the giveaways from the government.

Their term in office haven't reached a year ,scandal after scandal are uncovered. A Shiek shows up and they were duped in the vaccine scam.

Sputnik-v was pushed by the Russians to countries for control of Covid-19 ,the countries population are used as guinea pigs ,no one knows what will be the after effects of the trials.

June 17, 2021

Russians Don't Want Their Covid Vaccine

https://www.bloomberg.com/opin...heir-sputnik-vaccine

A third wave could prove costly. It’s a warning to other governments hoping to ignore vaccine hesitancy or distrust in authority.

Before thousands descended on St. Petersburg for Russia’s annual economic forum this month, the local governor boasted to radio listeners that no one had held a similar-scale event since the pandemic struck. A few days later, President Vladimir Putin told the audience that his country was in a better virus position than most and would quickly open to vaccine tourists.

The triumphalism proved premature. Russia has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks, with numbers at the highest in months and the added threat of troublesome new variants. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared an extended holiday to curb what he called an “explosive” growth in infections, and on Wednesday went further, ordering the city’s service-sector and municipal employees to get vaccinated. The Kremlin has said for months that there are no plans for compulsory jabs.

The problem is not the country’s vaccines, which have been available since late last year. Published data suggests they’re effective too. Rather, it’s the devastatingly slow pace of inoculation, undermined by a toxic mix of complacency and chronic distrust in authority. Even the flagship Sputnik V shot, which Moscow has used to bolster its standing abroad, has been met at home with skepticism. It’s an embarrassment for the Kremlin, and an unwanted public reminder of the limits of its power.

Russia has been hit hard by the pandemic. It revised its 2020 Covid-19 death toll higher by nearly 40% earlier this month. New cases, which have remained at more than 7,000 a day since late September, surged to near 13,400 on Wednesday. Moscow and the surrounding region accounted for more than half of the total.

Yet only 10% of Russians have been fully vaccinated. In Moscow, a city of some 12 million, Sobyanin put the number of vaccinated people at more than 1.8 million. By contrast, the city of Beijing has fully vaccinated more than 80% of its adults.

Not Rushing

Despite an early start in the race to vaccinate, Russia is now lagging behind Europe and the United States

Source: Bloomberg Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker As at June 17

Past infections also provide some level of protection, so this third wave may not be as bad. But the government’s going to have to crack vaccine hesitancy to keep from lagging behind a reopening West and a rapidly vaccinating China. A poll published last month suggested 62% of respondents were unwilling to get vaccinated, while a separate survey showed 55% of respondents weren’t afraid of contracting the virus. Without widespread inoculation, the Covid-19 tail will be long — and Moscow’s jab diplomacy will look painfully hollow.

Russia’s June surge is a warning to other wealthier vaccine laggards, including Hong Kong, where mistrust in government runs high, or slow-moving Japan. But it’s a pricklier problem for Putin, especially ahead of September parliamentary elections. The upbeat all-is-well narrative of the past months makes it harder to convince people to get their jabs now without something of an about-turn.

Vax Populi

Russian vaccine hesitancy cuts across all age groups

Source: Levada Center

Respondents were asked "Are you prepared to be vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine?" Survey conducted April 2021, published in May 2021

It’s a painful own-goal for the country. Russia rushed to become the first nation to approve a Covid-19 shot, but it dragged its feet on peer-reviewed data. And while it moved swiftly to start its mass vaccination campaign, Putin didn’t lead the way. When he was finally inoculated, he chose to do so behind closed doors, an uncharacteristic display of coyness. He would not, he said, be a “performing monkey.”

Vaccines have not been a sufficiently pressing priority. Now officials will have to tolerate alternative local approaches, as in hard-hit Moscow, where Sobyanin has taken a tougher line throughout the pandemic.

Ultimately, the Kremlin can silence political opponents, but it can’t quash popular discontent or rapidly fix the distrust that keeps people from inoculation centers. That will have economic as well as political consequences for a country that, while it’s done better than many during the pandemic, is grappling with rising food prices and contracting real disposable incomes.

6/18/2110:01 AM

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