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Despite the option to combine forces formally, no political party submitted a Joinder of Lists to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by Monday night’s deadline. This means that all six parties which filed candidate lists last week — APNU, PPP, WIN, AFC, ALP, and Forward Guyana — will officially contest the upcoming elections as separate entities.

This was confirmed by GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj in a Facebook post  on Tuesday.

However, while the absence of official joinder lists may suggest a crowded ballot, the reality is that several parties have already stitched together alliances, coalitions and partnerships to boost their electoral prospects.

For instance, businessman Azruddin Mohamed’s We Invest in Nqationhood (WIN) has teamed up with Dr Mark France’s A New and United Guyana (ANUG) to present a united front. Similarly, Forward Guyana, led by Amanza Walton-Desir, has joined hands with Dorwain Bess of V-PAC and Nigel London of The People’s Movement — billing themselves not as competitors but “co-builders” of an alternative vision.

The Alliance For Change (AFC), under Nigel Hughes, is also running as an alliance with Sherwyn Downer’s United Workers Party. Meanwhile, the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has paired with the Working People’s Alliance to reinforce its base.

Under Guyana’s electoral system, parties that submit their candidate lists separately can still formally combine their lists — a process known as a Joinder of Lists or Combination of Lists. This can only happen after the official lists are approved and published, and it affects how seats are distributed once the votes are counted.

Crucially, a joinder does not change how people vote. Voters still choose their preferred party list on the ballot paper. The joinder comes into play only when GECOM allocates seats in the National Assembly. Parties in a combined list pool their votes to maximise seats won, but seats are then distributed among them according to each party’s individual vote share.

To activate this mechanism, parties must send a written notice to the Chief Election Officer — in this case, by the July 21 deadline — and the agreement must be formally gazetted so the public is aware.

With Monday’s deadline now past, all official combinations are off the table for this election cycle — at least on paper. The alliances now depend on behind-the-scenes partnerships and political cooperation rather than the formal mechanism designed to help smaller or like-minded parties secure a stronger foothold in Parliament.

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To ensure they are compensated in the event of extreme weather conditions and their livelihoods are protected from increasing threat of climate change, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday launched a premium-free crop insurance venture for rice farmers.

The programme, unveiled in partnership with Indian agricultural giant United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) and Philip Morris International, will provide free insurance coverage to approximately 6,000 rice farmers, shielding them from losses caused by extreme weather events such as flooding and drought.

Importantly, farmers will not be required to pay any premiums.

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday launched a premium-free crop insurance venture for rice farmers (Photo: Ministry of Agriculture/July 22, 2025)

The insurance scheme is part of a broader national effort to enhance food security, modernise agriculture, and promote climate-smart farming practices.

Noting that the initiative is a long-awaited reality after years of stalled progress, President Ali told those gathered at the launch in Region Two that “this programme is not just relief.”

“It is a lifeline for you.

“For years we have talked about crop insurance but little traction was made until now. This is what makes today so historic,” he said.

President Ali stressed that the government is committed to providing farmers with real support, including easier access to credit through a reformed financial system.

“We want farmers to succeed. We want farmers to become wealthy. We want you to have less tax burden and more disposable income.

“Now you can go to the bank with your insurance. We are challenging the banks: with this insurance, the risk is reduced, and the cost of lending to our farmers must reduce substantially,” he said.

As part of the programme, President Ali also announced that a pilot rice farming system will be introduced using modern technology and advanced tools to improve productivity, efficiency, and climate resilience.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha welcomed the initiative as a transformative moment for the sector.

“From now, you will be covered by this product so that you can be compensated when these things happen,” he said.

In the past, Mustapha said agriculture insurance in Guyana was out of reach.

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday launched a premium-free crop insurance venture for rice farmers (Photo: Ministry of Agriculture/July 22, 2025)

“We are the first country in the entire region that is launching a product to cover our rice farmers,” he said.

Mustapha added, “This is not just about risk reduction. It is about empowerment. It provides our rice farmers with a safety net, allowing them to plant, plan, and produce with greater confidence knowing that help is available when nature strikes hardest.”

UPL executive Jaidev Shroff praised Guyana’s leadership in supporting farmers, noting that agriculture is often the hardest hit by climate change.

The future for agriculture in Guyana is fantastic. “Farmers can not only feed the world, we believe that farmers can help decarbonize the world if they are incentivized right,” Shroff said.

With rice as one of Guyana’s leading agricultural exports, the government’s plan to extend this insurance model nationwide could set a precedent for climate-smart agriculture across the Caribbean and beyond.

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National Boxing Coach Lennox Daniels is eagerly anticipating this weekend’s staging of the Andrew Lewis Novices Championship, describing the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) event as the premier scouting ground for unearthing the country’s next generation of amateur boxing stars.

Daniels will be ringside at the National Gymnasium from July 25 to 27, keeping a keen eye out for the next Keevin Allicock, Desmond Amsterdam or Abiola Jackman- three of Guyana’s most decorated amateur pugilists in recent years.

“This is where we’ll identify the raw talent that we need to develop and invest in,” Daniels said.

“We already have a solid core of boxers, but the Novices Championship is our nursery, this is where we begin grooming future champions.”

Daniels noted that amateur boxing in Guyana is experiencing a resurgence, fuelled by increased opportunities for young fighters to compete at the regional and international levels.

He pointed to the upcoming Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Boxing Championship, scheduled for August 1-3 in St. Lucia, where several young Guyanese fighters will be tested on foreign soil.

“I’m really excited about what this weekend holds. We’ll get to see talent from all across the country step into the ring. This is one of the most crucial events on the GBA calendar, because it’s where we first see the boxers who have the potential to rise through the ranks,” Daniels noted.

When asked about the return of the Republican Gym (Guyana Prison Service) to competition, Daniels responded cautiously, “We’ll see. I know they’ve been putting in some work behind the scenes.”

“It’s always good to have Republican Gym involved, they’ve been an integral part of the sport, but right now, our focus is on identifying and nurturing the young fighters who can impact the national programme in the long run.”

At last year’s edition, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Boxing Gym reaffirmed their dominance, capturing the Best Overall Gym title.

Daniels commended their preparation and welcomed the challenge they bring to the ring.

Notable performances in 2024 included Jagwan Milo, who was crowned Best Novice Boxer; Ryan Rogers of Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym, named Best Schoolboy Boxer; and rising female standout Kenisha Plass, who walked away with the Best Female Boxer award.

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The Board of Directors of Archery Guyana has announced that Lucas Chung and Karin Toppin, together with Coach Jeewanram Persaud, have been selected to participate in a prestigious high-performance training camp in Asunción, Paraguay.

The camp will take place on August 2-6, ahead of Guyana’s historic debut in Archery at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games.

“This exciting opportunity comes as a result of the activation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Guyana Olympic Association and the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, which provided for the participation of one male athlete, one female athlete and one coach in the training camp,” Archery Guyana outlined in a press release.

“The selection was based on the winners and rankings from the 2024 Recurve Category competitions, ensuring that athletes were chosen on merit and recent performance.”

Archery Guyana added that the female spot was initially offered to Roshini Boodhoo, the highest-ranked female recurve archer from 2024, who unfortunately had to decline due to personal reasons.

The opportunity was then extended to second-ranked female recurve archer from 2024 Toppin, who graciously accepted and will benefit from the full training experience.

Following the conclusion of the training camp, Toppin will return to Guyana, while Chung and Coach Persaud will remain in Asuncion, Paraguay, to represent Guyana in archery at the Junior Pan Am Games- a historic first for our country.

All associated costs, including airfare, internal transportation, accommodation, meals and training, are fully covered under this international collaboration.

Archery Guyana added: “The Board of Directors of Archery Guyana extends its sincere appreciation and thanks to President Godfrey Munroe and the Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association for their leadership and continued commitment to athlete development. Their efforts in establishing and operationalising this MoU have directly contributed to expanding international opportunities for Guyana’s athletes.”

“This marks a proud and exciting moment for the Federation and the nation, as Guyana steps confidently into the Junior Pan American archery arena for the very first time.”

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A DJ and a selector were Monday remanded to prison after they were charged for inciting rape committed on a 20-year-old girl at Raghoo’s Bar at Soesdyke Junction last week.

The accused, Leon DeFreitas, 37, and Ryan Rajnarine, 30, appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Friendship Magistrate’s Court.

The charge was laid under Section 3(3) of the Sexual (Offenses) Act Chapter 8:03.

They were not required to plead, and the matter was adjourned to August 18 for disclosure.

The charge was laid hours after Police issued a wanted bulletin for the prime suspect, Barry Sullivan.

Police said Sullivan, 29, a resident of Timehri, East Bank Demerara, is wanted for questioning in relation to rape.

The incident has sparked public outrage, prompting an investigation. The bar has since been shut down by authorities.

Police Headquarters in a statement said the young woman reported the incident to police around 8:20 p.m. on July 18.

The victim subsequently told the Police that she was drugged and raped. She said she was assaulted at the bar while bystanders watched and filmed rather than intervene.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, condemned the attack in a statement, calling it “most reprehensible” and criticizing the inaction of those who recorded the assault instead of helping.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also launched an urgent probe into what it described as a “matter of grave concern.” Officials warned that continued sharing of the video may further violate the victim’s privacy and interfere with the ongoing investigation.

 

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Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of Mocha businesswoman Desiree Hyman, who was gunned down last Friday in First Street, Mocha, East Bank Demerara.

After a weekend of investigation, ranks acting on intelligence conducted an operation on Sunday, 20 July, between 18:00 and 19:30 hrs, which led to the arrest of Weedon Oudkerk, a 42-year-old taxi driver from Paradise, East Coast Demerara.

According to a police report, detectives tracked Oudkerk to Dennis Street, Sophia, where he was informed that he was wanted in connection with the alleged murder of Hyman. He was cautioned at the scene and denied any involvement, but was taken into custody and escorted to the Providence Police Station.

Police say the investigation remains active as they gather more evidence and question the suspect. Hyman’s killing had triggered calls for swift justice, with relatives and residents expressing concern over rising gun violence and the need for greater community safety.

Investigators are urging anyone with additional information that could assist with the case to come forward as they continue to piece together the circumstances that led to Hyman’s tragic death.

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Press Release from the Guyana Cricket Board

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has named two teams to participate in a pivotal two-day Under-17 trial match scheduled for July 22 and 23 at the LBI Ground on the East Coast of Demerara.

This trial fixture forms a crucial part of the Board’s early preparation for the upcoming Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-17 Tournament, which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 11 to September 2, 2025.

The match will serve as the final opportunity for players to impress the selectors before the national squad is announced.

Following the trial, the selected group will move into encampment starting August 2 as the team continues its build-up to the regional competition.

Team A: Richard Ramdeholl, Marcell Nandu, Thierry Henry (wk), Adrian Hetymer (captain), Nicholas Lovell, Jonathan Mentore, Gibran Yacoob, Danesh Persaud, Navendra Sankar, Arif Khan, Ramesh Singh, Erin Benjamin, Elisha Ramdatt and Gavin Kisten.

Team B: Jathneil Nurse, Vishal Williams, Lomar Seecharran, Emmanuel Lewis, Devin Lallbeharry, Dave Mohabir, Feeaz Baksh, Sohail Mohamed (wk), Shane Prince, Darwin Joseph, Dennis Crossman, Bomesh Lall and Reyaz Latif.

The Guyana Cricket Board extends best wishes to all players and looks forward for a competitive match-up.

Bowl-off is 09:30h on both days in the red ball match.

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Rouge Salon and Spa is sponsoring the upcoming National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers Tournament, scheduled from July 25-29, with July 27 as a rest day.

This seven-round competition, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), will be held at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, aiming to select the top nine junior chess players who will challenge the current National Junior Chess Champion, Ricardo Narine, in the National Junior Chess Championships scheduled to begin on August 1, 2025.

Current National Junior Chess Champion, Ricardo Narine

This eagerly awaited annual competition, open to players under 20, will be conducted using the Swiss format.

Each match will feature a 90-minute time control with an additional 30 seconds added to the clock after every move.

The tournament boasts a formidable line-up of top junior talents.

Reigning champions expected to compete include Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber (U-16), and Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi (Women’s and U-16 Girls Chess). –

Other key players contesting are Kyle Couchman, Alexander Zhang, Kishan Puran, Alek Ubaldo-Singh, Micaiah Enoe, Tremusa Marshall, Omar Shariff, Arysh Raghunauth, Rafael Park, Jaden Todd and Ciel Clement.

Champions for the 2025 age category competitions: Nicholas Zhang (U-14 Open), Emma John (U-14 Girls), Abel Fernandez Ciria (U-12 Open) and Kataleya Sam (U-12 Girls) will all vie for a chance to make the top nine contenders for the 2025 National Junior Chess Championship title.

With over 70 competitors participating in the National Junior Qualifiers annually, the GCF is setting an ambitious goal to boost attendance by 20 percent this year.

Chess activities hosted by the GCF, including tournaments, chess camps, chess clubs, and training sessions, have encouraged children’s participation over the past year.

The GCF has expanded its reach to thousands of children over the past two years, thanks to chess being on the curriculum in Georgetown secondary schools through the Ministry of Education’s Five Priority Areas Programme.

With this initiative, the federation is actively considering plans to include chess-in-schools in other Regions outside of Georgetown.

The GCF expresses its appreciation to Rouge Salon and Spa, a consistent sponsor of chess, especially noted for their significant contributions to the Women in Chess programme.

The GCF acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport which will be providing the venue for the tournament.

The FIDE-rated tournament will be supervised by FIDE Arbiters, Mr. John Lee and Mr. Anand Raghunauth.

For more information on the tournament and sign-up details, please visit the GCF website (guyanachess.gy).

Follow the GCF on Facebook and Instagram for further updates. (GCF Press Release)

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Hours after he was arrested, Shaka Phillips has confessed to shooting and killing Linden teacher, Jenel Phillips on Saturday night in Linden.

Police Headquarters said that Phillips claimed that he threw the murder weapon, a gun, in the Demerara River.

Investigators have since took Phillips at the area where he claimed he toss the gun but Police said due to the tide they were unable to recover the weapon.

Williams also known as ‘Concrete Man’, 21, is accused of murdering Pollydore on Saturday night while she was attending a wedding reception at the R & R hotel in Linden.

The two had separated after living together due to “constant” abuse Pollydore faced and she had obtained a restraining order against Phillips.

Phillips is the father of her youngest of three children.

Linden teacher begged for her life, ex-partner had history of self-harm & meltdowns 

 

Enquiries revealed that Phillips journeyed to the hotel in a fit of rage since Pollydore was not answering her phone. Pollydore’s relative, Malika Pollydore, related to the Police that her aunt was standing at the entrance of the hotel when she was approached by the suspect.

Phillips reportedly asked Pollydore why she wasn’t answering her phone. An argument ensued between them, and the suspect reportedly took out a handgun and discharged a round at Pollydore.

The woman then ran to the hotel pool area. Phillips chased after her and discharged two more rounds before escaping.

After committing the act, Police said Phillips related that he rode away on his bicycle and went into hiding in Amelia’s Ward.

“He told investigators that he subsequently went to ‘Adams boat landing’ and threw the gun in the Demerara River,” Police Headquarters said.

Police said Phillips interview was video/audio recorded.

Statements are currently being obtained from eyewitnesses as the investigation continue.

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Minutes before she was shot and killed in Linden Saturday night, Jenel Pollymore, a young mother of three, begged her ex-partner, from whom she tried to escape, to spare her life.

“She started to beg. She said ‘don’t kill meh.’ He shot the first bullet to her and eventually she start run…but he run behind her and that is where he shot two more times.

“She beg he for she life,” Madonna Pollydore, the dead woman’s step mother said during a Facebook live on Sunday.

Pollydore, 26, was shot and killed while attending a wedding reception at the R & R Hotel located in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Reports are that Pollydore and suspect, Shaka Phillips had separated after living together due to “constant” abuse she faced and she had obtained a restraining order against him. Phillips is the father of her youngest child.

Madonna related that the situation got tense two weeks ago, a period which saw a culmination of weeks of abuse and police inaction.

According to Madonna, Jenel had ended the relationship, but Phillips refused to let go. Instead, the threats were more with him even attempting to harm himself.

“He threatened to take his own life by throwing gasoline on himself and knocking himself with a hammer in his head,” Pollydore said.

Fearing for Jenel’s safety, they turned to the police for help.

“After she said she wanted out of the relationship, we went to the station because he was getting abusive. He was choking her and things like that,” Madonna said.

Linden teacher, 26, shot and killed by abusive ex-partner

 

Police reportedly advised that a restraining order be taken out. So a date was provided and one was issued for June 22, 2025.

But not long after, Phillips violated the order. “He came here and snatched her phone out of her hand. We went to the station and told them he violated the order. Police said they had no vehicle at the time,” Madonna explained.

Jenel was reluctant to return to the police station, saying she had little faith in the system. “She said that when you go to the station there is no way that these people going to protect you,” Madonna said.

In the days that followed, the suspect continued to terrorize Jenel, lurking around her home, knocking on windows, and trying to force his way in. Madonna said she and her family were forced to change locks to keep him out.

On Saturday night, Jenel had asked her mother to care for her baby so she could attend a wedding. Around 20:00 hrs, she messaged saying she was waiting for a car and would be home shortly.

Enquiries revealed that Phillips journeyed to the hotel in a fit of rage since Pollydore was not answering her phone. Pollydore’s relative, Malika Pollydore, related to the Police that her aunt was standing at the entrance of the hotel when she was approached by the suspect.

Phillips reportedly asked Pollydore why she wasn’t answering her phone. An argument ensued between them, and the suspect reportedly took out a handgun and discharged a round at Pollydore.

The woman then ran to the hotel pool area. Phillips chased after her and discharged two more rounds before escaping.

Minutes later, Pollydore’s phone rang. “I got a call saying ‘Madonna I get shoot.’ Then someone else took the phone and all I hear them saying was, ‘Madonna, come at R & R now, now. Yuh daughter just get shoot,” Madonna recalled.

When she arrived, there was a heavy police presence.

“When she was alive them ain’t coming fah give she the security. When she dead now they guarding she, for what?” Madonna said.

Pollydore described Jenel as someone who always put others first.

“She is a person that would give her heart out for everybody,” she said.

The family is now left grappling with the loss and is hoping that justice would be served.

Phillips was subsequently apprehended by the Police.

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