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Attorney Vanessa Thomas on Sunday urged supporters of the opposition APNU to look to the past for inspiration on tackling the country’s housing challenges, invoking the 1970s self-help model that gave birth to communities like Melanie on the East Coast of Demerara.

Thomas, who has practised law for over two decades, mounted the APNU’s campaign stage at Melanie where she reminded residents of her roots in the village and her family’s political legacy. “Melanie Damishana I am home.”

She is the daughter of Jeffrey Thomas, C.C.H., a former parliamentarian, Minister of Regional Development and Minister of Home Affairs.

Addressing the crowd, Thomas rejected claims that the APNU lacks a housing plan. “The other side would have you believe that the Partnership for National Unity has no housing plan. That is a lie,” she declared.

“Melanie was started through self-help and the spirit of corporativism — and by that we mean we built Melanie with our hands. Must not be forgotten.”

She called on young men in the community to “get out of bondage” and “take courage”, assuring them that under an APNU government, housing would once again be placed in their hands.

Thomas highlighted the coalition’s proposed rent-to-own programme, which she said would help families afford rent and secure mortgages.

“We didn’t just give land in Melanie — ask Jeffrey… Thomas, my father,” she said, recalling that her father was among those who helped transform the area from pasture land into a thriving settlement in the early 1970s.

She dismissed the PPP/C government’s boasts of distributing 50,000 house lots, arguing that serviced land alone means little without the means to build.

“How are you going to build your houses?” she challenged, urging residents to demand answers.

She stayed clear of addressing the hundreds of homes built by the government over the last five years for low and middle-income families and young professionals.

Several other speakers touted the rent to own model as key for the working class and poor.

Sunday’s rally at Melanie formed part of the APNU’s push along the East Coast as the opposition ramps up its campaign ahead of the upcoming general elections.

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Paul Williams, the former Deputy Commissioner of Police, says he has long dreamt of stepping forward as a leader in the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) — ambitions he says caused him to be stifled when he was overlooked for the top police job.

Speaking at APNU’s rally in Melanie on Sunday, Williams, who hails from Beterverwagting (BV) on the East Coast of Demerara, told supporters he is ready to prove the opposition still has strong leaders.

“I was waiting for the opportunity to finish my service and now to step up to show that we have leaders,” Williams declared to loud cheers.

Williams framed his move into frontline politics as a sacrifice for ordinary people, adding, “What I’ve sacrificed myself for… what I’ve gone through — it’s for the people.”

But the former deputy top cop proceeded to defend recent unrest linked to protests in different parts of the country, suggesting criminal behaviour was provoked by deliberate schemes.

“They want to lure you to traps… that is what happens to our brothers and sisters who are jailed. They call them criminals and thugs — we need to get sense,” Williams argued, pointing to recent violent flare-ups in Georgetown and on the East Coast.

Williams accused the very top police brass he served in of deliberately allowing protests to escalate into looting and violence, claiming it was part of a plan to criminalise communities and discredit the opposition.

“They want to lure you to traps,” he told supporters, insisting the authorities knew exactly how crowds would move and failed to prevent damage and arrests.

He pointed to the Golden Grove protest and unrest in Georgetown, claiming police “could have stopped you even before you left,” but instead allowed marchers to reach key areas where, he said, “they had a scheme plot to create that situation.”

Williams also claimed private security and police failed to protect businesses intentionally, adding: “They knew people would head to Regent Street. Why did they not keep security in place?”

He urged supporters to “get sense” and stop falling into what he described as traps meant to brand them as criminals and thugs.

Williams is one of the new faces unveiled on APNU’s slate weeks ago as the opposition ramps up its campaign.

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Titans All-Stars, the reigning national T10 champions, secured their spot in the Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast national finals with a hard-fought victory over Village Rams in the Georgetown/East Coast Demerara zone final.

Played at the Lusignan Sports Club on Sunday, the Titans successfully defended 98 runs in a nail-biting finish.

The Titans boasted a lineup filled with national talent led by national stalwart Leon Johnson.

After posting 98-7 in their allotted 10 overs, thanks to Keemo Paul’s (29) and Quentin Sampson’s (28) contributions, they faced a determined Village Rams side. Rajpaul Basdeo was the pick of the Rams’ bowlers, taking an impressive 2-7 in his two overs.

The Village Rams’ chase saw their bowlers keeping them in contention throughout the Titans’ innings. However, costly errors in the field ultimately proved to be their downfall.

Despite a magnificent unbeaten half-century from national youth player Yuestidir Persaud (51* off 24 balls), which took them to the brink of victory, the Rams fell just short, reaching 92-3 at the end of their 10 overs.

Omesh Danram chipped in with a valuable 23.

Yeudistir Persaud on the go

Earlier in the day, Titans showcased their dominance by crushing Up Tap XI in the first semi-final, winning by a comfortable margin of 91 runs.

In the other semi-final, Village Rams secured their place in the final by defeating Team Upsetterz by 45 runs.

FULL SCORES: https://flsport.gy/live-score/

With this victory, Titans All-Stars earned $300,000 for the zone winners, while Village Rams collected $100,000 as runners-up.

They now join Montra Jaguars from Berbice and Eccles All-Stars representing the East Bank/West Demerara zone in the national finals.

The final spot will be determined after the Essequibo zone playoffs scheduled for July 26 and 27, with the final in Anna Regina on July 27.

The grand finale of the Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast is set to take place on August 3 at the National Stadium, Providence.

The stakes are significantly higher nationally, with teams competing for a lucrative grand prize of $1.7 million.

The national runner-up will receive $700,000, along with a trophy and medals, and the losing semi-finalists will each receive $300,000.

Individual performances will also be recognized with various prizes, including the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, which comes with $150,000 and a motorcycle.

Other individual accolades include Most Runs and Most Wickets ($100,000, a trophy, and a TV each), Man-of-the-National Final ($75,000, a trophy, and a TV), Highest Strike Rate ($35,000), and Best Economy ($35,000).

The Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast has garnered support from: Kares Engineering Inc, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, KFC Guyana, Star Rentals, Banks DIH, ENet, Guyana Lottery Company, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Impressions, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal, Shawn’s Mini Mart, Giftland Group of Companies, Kris Jagdeo Construction Company, Montra Restaurant & Lounge, Windsor Estates, The New Doctor’s Clinic, GuyOil, ANSA McAL, SuperBet Guyana, Digital Technology, Camille’s Academy, Navin Construction, Demerara Mutual Life Insurance, Continental Transportation, and Environmental & Technical Solutions.

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Chase’s Academic Foundation defended their Under-14 Boys’ Football title with a commanding 4-1 victory over Three Mile Secondary on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on the sixth edition of the ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ Schools U14 Football Championship.

However, Chase’s hopes of a historic double were dashed as their girls’ team fell to a 2-0 defeat against an impressive Bartica Secondary side, who lifted the girls’ title in style at the Ministry of Education ground.

The day’s opening match saw Bartica Secondary’s girls’ team overcome a strong Chase’s Academy lineup after a closely contested first half.

Despite chances for both sides, the deadlock remained unbroken until midway through the second half.

Nerismar Williams and Alesha Gonsalves sealed the victory for the Region Seven school.

Chase’s Academic Foundation celebrates their title success (PHOTO: Kaieteur News)

Seeking to avenge their girls’ team’s loss, Chase’s Academy boys delivered a powerful performance, sweeping aside Three Mile Secondary with a convincing 4-1 victory to retain their U14 crown.

After a goalless opening period, the game burst into life in the second half. Nyron Barrow, the tournament’s eventual MVP, opened the scoring, and just six minutes later, Jadan Christian extended Chase’s lead.

Aaron Vascancellos added a third for Chase and Barrow then capped off a fine individual display by netting his second.

Three Mile managed to grab a consolation goal through Akeem DaSilva, but it was too late.

In the girls’ third-place playoff, Waramuri Secondary edged Marian Academy with a narrow 1-0 victory.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ third-place match, West Ruimveldt defeated Waramuri Secondary 4-1 in a penalty shootout after the game finished level.

Three Mile Secondary (Girls) and Waramuri Secondary (Boys) were recognised as the tournament’s Most Disciplined Teams.

Bartica Secondary’s Nerismar Williams was the standout player in the girls’ division, picking up the Highest Goal Scorer and MVP awards.

Ronelly Williams was named Best Goalkeeper, while Chase’s Academy’s Leandra Henrito was awarded Most Promising Player.

Jadan Christian (Chase) and Robinho Abrams shared the boys’ highest goal scorer award.

Nyron Barrow (Chase) took home the MVP trophy, Michael Boodie was named Best Goalkeeper, and Robinho Abrams (St John’s College) was recognised as the Most Promising Player.

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General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, on Sunday outlined several plans for Region Six in the PPP’s next term in office. These include a four-lane road from Moleson Creek to New Amsterdam, a toll-free four-lane bridge across the Berbice River, and more.

And he told hundreds of supporters gathered at the Albion Estate Road, Berbice, that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) had shown from 2015 to 2020 that they cannot deliver on their promises.

“Their supporters, as well as ours, recognise that the PNC—no matter what they promise—the APNU and AFC will never deliver on what they promise,” he said.

Several former members of the APNU and AFC have endorsed the PPP/C’s presidential candidate for a second term, some of whom are now on the party’s list of candidates to sit in the National Assembly.

Berbicians at the PPP/C’s Albion, Berbice rally (Photo: July 20, 2025)

The General Secretary outlined trends in the past, which he said show that “they are prejudiced against Region Six.” He pointed to their actions, including the closure of several sugar estates and the reduction of the region’s budget, noting that they are once again preparing to close more sugar estates in the region.

“At their launch, one of their speakers said, ‘We will shut the sugar industry down and grow marijuana… that is not 2015—that was a couple of weeks ago,” Jagdeo noted.

“People did not believe us in 2015, but now they are saying it again,” he said.

During the 2015–2020 term in office, the APNU+AFC Government shut down the Rose Hall, Skeldon, Wales, and Enmore sugar estates, putting more than 7,500 sugar workers out of jobs and plunging entire communities into economic and social crisis.

Further, rice farmers were left without adequate support, as the former government stated that “rice is a private industry.”

Instead, he said, the PPP/C has increased access to better healthcare, more training, employment of part-time workers, and other benefits.

“Without us in office… Berbice would have been a forgotten country because there is institutional discrimination against people who live in Berbice… You have to understand what is at stake here—that only with a PPP/C government can this region make progress,” Dr Jagdeo said.

He reminded supporters that the founder of his party, Dr Cheddi Jagan, hailed from Region Six, noting that he must be proud of the unity now seen in the region.

“The founder of our party was born here, and I am sure that if he is looking down upon us today, he will be extremely proud of how his party has grown and how they have remained strong to his ideals and committed to serving the people of this country,” he told supporters.

“We will work to ensure that the cost of living comes down for everyone,” he committed.

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President Irfaan Ali on Sunday pledged sweeping investments in his second term, promising to transform the country’s traditional rice and sugar belt into a major economic and logistical hub.

Speaking at a packed rally of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) at Albion Estate Road, Ali outlined a vision that includes the establishment of Guyana’s second oil and gas hub, a deepwater port with a direct link to Brazil, and large-scale modernisation of the agriculture sector in Region Six.

“This region will be home to our second oil and gas hub,” Ali told thousands of supporters.

He said gas will be processed in the region, and there will be a deepwater port that connects Guyana to Brazil, opening up massive trade opportunities.

Berbicians at the PPP/C’s Albion, Berbice rally (Photo: July 20, 2025)

Long known as the bedrock of Guyana’s rice and sugar industries, Berbice will also see intensified investment in drainage and irrigation, storage and drying facilities for paddy, and new insurance mechanisms to protect farmers’ crops, Dr Ali said.

“You are voting because you want to see Guyana become the food capital of this (Caribbean) region,” the President declared.

He said in his second term, he will reduce taxes on key agricultural inputs, including four-wheel vehicles critical to production, and open new lands to expand farming.

Ali said a dedicated fertiliser plant will be built to ensure affordable and accessible supplies for local farmers. He also pledged to boost agro-processing, including cold storage and packaging facilities, and to open 6,000 acres of new pasture lands to support livestock expansion.

The President stressed that such progress would not be automatic and required sustained effort.

Region Six has long been a stronghold of the PPP/C, and Sunday’s rally sought to energise the base ahead of the 1 September general and regional elections.

The government’s strategy for Berbice is part of a wider national push to diversify Guyana’s rapidly growing oil economy, with a focus on food security, modern infrastructure, and inclusive development.

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The new PPP government will establish a US$200 million fund towards the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), incumbent President Dr Irfaan Ali announced Sunday at Albion.

“You are voting because you want to embrace the plans of the government,” Ali told the crowd at a re-election rally at Albion, Berbice.

“…We will co-invest with you… We will make money available to you… We will make low-interest loans available to you.”

Previously, he announced that a Development Bank will be et up to support SMEs through improved access to capital and financial services, he said. The proposed development bank will be designed to offer co-financing, enhance liquidity, reduce borrowing costs, and eliminate the need for traditional collateral- one of the biggest challenges SMEs currently face.

“If you’re able to match lending with a 0% interest rate, we can bring down the commercial bank interest rate from 6% or 7% to 3% for SMEs,” Dr Ali said recently at a consultation on the PPP’s manifesto.

“When we remove the risk by providing the matching funds, the banks, in turn, will have to reduce their collateral requirements.”

The proposals reflect the PPP/C’s broader efforts to diversify the country’s oil-fuelled economy and promote inclusive growth. Dr ali said the party’s agenda focuses on removing bureaucratic hurdles, leveraging banking sector liquidity, and creating sustainable economic opportunities for local businesses.

“How are we going to ensure that small businesses are involved in the development of our country?” the President asked. “These are the key issues we are tackling head-on.”

Guyana’s economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world due to offshore oil production, but the PPP has said it is working to ensure that the wealth generated leads to equitable development.

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With just over forty days remaining before the 2025 General and Regional Elections, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has urged supporters in Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne) to mobilise supporters to go out and vote on Monday, September 1.

He was at the time addressing the party’s rally at the Albion Estate Road, Berbice.

“Don’t think you can only come to this rally. Go back to your village and plan so on the first of September, we can walk into another victory,” he told hundreds of supporters dressed in red at the party’s rally.

The PPP General Secretary and Guyana’s current Vice President said in 2020, his party won 40,000 votes in the region, but he is looking forward to seeing an increase to 55,000 in 2025.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the PPP/C’s Albion, Berbice rally (Photo: News Room/ July 20, 2025)

He urged supporters to go into the community and mobilise supporters to go out and vote.

“Live, sleep, eat PPP for the next 40 days,” he told those at the rally.

“We have work to do, we have to get back into government, we haven’t been able to do all we want to do, we had to take care of our people from COVID, we had to then breathe life back into the economy” Dr. Jagdeo added.

He added: “We need to fix a lot of things in the future but only one party can do that, and that is the People’s Progressive Party.”

Dr. Jagdeo highlighted that the party has grown to be trustworthy and does not say “soon or shortly” but rather outlines his plans for the future.

He was at the time hinting at political opponent US -US-sanctioned Presidential Candidate for the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party Azruddin Mohamed, who recently failed to outline a single project or policy his party intends to implement if elected to office. When questioned by the media, he instead said “very soon” and “shortly” they will unveil those plans.

“You have to defend this party, you have to defend its legacy,” he told attendees at the rally.

The Albion Rally is touted to be the largest so far since the PPP/C launched its re-election campaign at Kitty, Georgetown on July 14.

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Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Sunday rallied supporters in the party’s traditional heartland of Berbice, calling for a renewed mandate to continue what he described as “five years of solid, sustained development” and urging the re-election of the “Big Man” Dr Irfaan Ali.

It was red as far as the eye can see at Albion as supporters of the ruling party brought the sort of political energy that is needed to give the government of Dr Ali his second term in office.

In Berbice, the birthplace of its founder, Dr Cheddi Jagan, the government has made visible investments: new roads, improved healthcare facilities, and housing developments now dot the region.

Addressing a packed crowd, Phillips invoked his military background and the party’s record in government, saying he is from the “Red Army”, noting he spent 35 years in the Guyana Defence Force.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips shares a light moment with President Dr. Irfaan Ali before he addressed the the PPP/C’s Albion, Berbice rally (Photo: News Room/ July 20, 2025)

“We have grown from strength to strength. The Red Army is moving forward together for a better Guyana,” he stated.

Referring to the party’s 2020 election victory after a prolonged electoral crisis, Phillips reminded supporters of the opposition APNU+AFC coalition of attempting to cling to power despite losing at the polls.

He noted that the whole world knew without a doubt the PPP had won the elections, but it took five months for the party to fight off the machinations of the then APNU+AFC government and finally assumed office. And once it did, the PPP hit the ground running,

Phillips defended the PPP’s development record, citing initiatives including COVID-19 cash grants, the reintroduction of the “Because We Care” school cash programme, and increased homeownership and entrepreneurship.

“When you ask a question about development, we take note, and we go to the drawing board. You wake up next morning hearing the excavator working on the road, the drain cleaning,” he said, contrasting the PPP’s responsiveness with what he described as the APNU+AFC’s empty promises.

He also backed President Irfaan Ali’s “One Guyana” initiative, saying the administration has made tangible progress in uniting the country’s diverse ethnic groups.

“We have achieved One Guyana!” he declared.

And Phillips warned against reversing course.

“Comrades, this is serious. Are you going to risk that now?” he asked.

“This is not the time for risk-taking.”

He promised more infrastructure, expanded housing, and continued government engagement with communities across all ten regions.

“That last road in your community to be done – we will get it done,” he said.

The PPP/C is seeking a second term for President Ali in the 2025 general and regional elections, scheduled for September 1.

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