Four extra public holidays?
-committee sends report to Parliament
Stabroek News
April 27, 2004
Guyanese could be enjoying four extra public holidays if the recommendations of the Public Holidays Committee are taken on board, although these might be at the expense of Boxing Day.
When the National Assembly meets on Thursday it will be presented with recommendations from the select committee, chaired by Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, for the inclusion of May 5 (Indian Arrival Day), May 26 (Independence Day), September 10 (Amerindian Day) and October 12 (African Holocaust Day) as public holidays.
ROAR Guyana Movement said in a press release issued yesterday that in the last few years, Gajraj, under powers granted to him, has been declaring May 26 a holiday. It is calling on him to declare May 5 a holiday since the parliament would not have time to consider and vote on the committee's recommendation.
Stabroek News understands that the committee has also asked the Parliament to consider dropping Boxing Day as a public holiday, as well as, after consultations with the Muslim community, substituting Eid-Ul-Fitr for Youman Nabi.
The select committee was set up to consider the inclusion of May 5 and May 26 within the roster of public holidays without necessarily increasing their number. Besides Gajraj, the other members are PPP parliamentarians Dr Dale Bisnauth, Indranie Chandarpal. Shirley Edwards and Zulfikar Mustapha, PNCR MPs Deryck Bernard, Amna Ally and Dr George Norton and ROAR's Ravi Dev.
Following the death squad allegations against Gajraj, the PNCR committee members refused to attend the meetings he chaired in keeping with their party's position of non-recognition of Gajraj's in his official capacity.