Kaieteur News

Page 1

join ExxonM in

Govt. concerned about Gov school dropout, learning loss

...as teachers continue strike for better pay

DDL products denied entry into T&T

...company calls for export standards to be implemented across CARICOM

AC Marriott owners get 16.5 acres of land in Ogle to build housing complex near Exxon's new HQ ...cite booming oil industry as reason for investment

Close to $1B in contracts signed to upgrade police stations, wharves

arrested,placed on$500,000bail …aspoliceprobefreshsexual assaultallegationsagainsthim

NEWSK Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly Online: www.kaieteurnews.com May15,2024-Vol.19 No.20 Online readership yesterday, 67,619 Wednesday Edition Price $100 (VAT Inclusive)
AIETEUR
Israeli protesters block aid trucks destined for Gaza
Dharamlall
CCJ rules Guyana Govt. can
fight against unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spills
Nigel Dharamlall

CCJ rules Guyana Govt. can join ExxonM in fight against unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spills

TheCaribbeanCourtofJustice(CCJ)hasoverruled

the decision of Guyana’s Court of Appeal, allowingtheGovernmentofGuyana(GoG)tojoin thefightwithExxonMobilandtheEnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) against an unlimited parent company guaranteeforoilspills.

The decision was handed down on Tuesday after being heardbyJusticeA.Saunders,JusticeW AndersonandJustice M.Rajnauth-Lee.Guyana’sHighCourthadruledinfavourof publicinterestlitigants,GodfreyWhyteandFrederickCollins on May 3, 2023 for ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) formerly Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)toprovideanunlimitedparentcompanyguarantee toprotectthenationfromcostsofanoilspill.

In his judgment, Justice Kissoon was very clear and had castigatedtheEPAforabdicatingitsstatutoryresponsibilities stating that the EPAhad “relegated itself to state of laxity of enforcement and condonation compounded by a lack of vigilance thereby putting this nation and its people in grave potentialdangerofcalamitousdisaster.”

BoththeEPAandtheoilcompanyhadappealedtheruling of High Court Judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon, while theAG, who was not initially a party to the case, applied to join the appeal on May 12, 2023. He was subsequently denied on December19,2023. OnJanuary31,2024,theAGmovedthe CCJtoappealtheCourtofAppeal’sdecision.

During his weekly programme, ‘Issues in the News’ on Tuesday evening, the AG explained, “after hearing submissions from all parties on the 13 May, 2024, not surprisingly, the CCJ reversed and overruled the decision of theCourtofAppealbyallowingtheAppealandorderingthe AttorneyGeneraltobeaddedasapartytotheAppealwhichis

Continued on page 3

Kaieteur News PAGE 02 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Attorney General, Anil Nandlall SC

Dharamlallarrested,placedon$500,000bail

Former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall was on Tuesdayplacedon$500,000 bail after he was questioned by police at the Cove and John Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD) about allegations of sexual assault.

Dharamlall,anexecutive member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), presented himself to police in the company of his attorney, Bernard DaSilva justafter09:00h.

Heisaccusedofsexually assaulting28-year-oldSarah Hakh, a former female employee of the ministry he headed in 2020 and 2021. The former Minister left the police station until Tuesday afternoon.

M e a n w h i l e , Dharamlall’s lead attorney DaSilva told reporters that his client was being processed by the police. He described it as “a normal procedure.” DaSilva was at the time leaving the police station.Hedisclosedthatthe accused was interviewed by police and denied all the allegations.

“He is cooperating with the police…the police will have to take it from there,” the lawyer said noting that his junior attorneys remained with Dharamlall duringtheprocess.

The attorney added: “I haveeveryconfidenceinthe police to do their work, I do not want to interfere and therefore, I would not want to remain with him. I have given him instructions, and he is matured enough to followmyinstructions…”

On Monday, Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum disclosed that the sexual assault allegations levelled against the former minister a r e u n d e r a c t i v e investigation.

LastFriday,Hakhhelda press conference detailing

Former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall

herallegedsexualassaultby Dharamlall. She had disclosed that she filed a police report and is hoping thatjusticeprevails.

According to reports, Hakh reportedly met Dharamlall back in 2020. She shared that during her first time meeting the accused, it was over dinner where they had a professional interaction, but added that some of his actions that evening “was juststrange.”

In an initial statement to the media last year, the woman had shared that the officialcalledheraboutajob offer On the day of the supposed meeting with the official and his team, the womansaidthatshedroveto State House, Anna Regina, Region Two, where the official said a meeting will be held. She also shared detailsofthesecondalleged incident which occurred at theofficial’shomesometime in2021.

Shortly after Hakh’s press conference, Dharamlall issued a press release accusing her of embarkingonacampaignto “tarnishmyreputation.”

He first acknowledged the press conference stating that he is aware of certain malicious allegations being

CCJrulesGuyanaGovt.can...

Frompage2 stillpendingintheCourtofAppeal.”

According to the written ruling of the CCJ, it has been ordered that the Appellant be added as a party to Civil the AppealNo.67of2023.TheAGarguedthatsincetheGoGisa partytothe2016ProductionSharingAgreement(PSA)with ExxonMobil, the operator of Guyana’s Stabroek Block, the Stateshouldhavebeenaddedtotheappeal.

“We also explained in great detail that the Attorney General represents the public good and the public’s interest. This is one of the most important contracts ever executed in thehistoryofthiscountrytowhichthegovernmentisaparty and from which the government is getting hundreds of millionsofdollarsannuallywhichthegovernmentisusingto financeitsbudgetandtoexecutetransformationalprojectsfor thebenefitofthecitizensofthiscountryandthattheAttorney Generalprotectsthepublic’sinterestinlaw,”Nandlallposited followingtheruling. Hepointedoutthatthegovernmentwill nowapplytotheAppealCourttobeaddedtothematter

…as police probe fresh sexual assault allegations against him

levelledagainsthim.

“From the outset, I wish to categorically and most vehemently deny each and

every one of the allegations made by the said Hakh therein For some while hitherto, I was privy to

rumours that Hakh was making unsavory comments inrelationtome,butImade a deliberate effort to ignore them…”

He continued, “Her demeanourtowardsme

Continuedonpage12

Kaieteur News PAGE 03 Wednesday May 15, 2024

Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456

Editor: NIGELWILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Spending Guyana's oil money to monitor Guyana's media

We always suspected that this was what the oil partner of Guyanese, ExxonMobil, was doing. Now we know for a fact what this partnerofGuyanesewasdoing. ItwasusingmillionsofUS dollarstowatchandstudytheGuyanamedia. Thiswaswhat the auditors, Ramdihal & Haynes Inc., et al discovered, and it is not a shabby story, a sick one. It tells how far ExxonMobil would go to identify those media entities that poseathreatinwhattheyreport,andhowtheyreport. When wethinkofhowlowthisworldprofitleaderofanAmerican oil company would go, the analogy of an anxious, fearful spousedeepens,onewhoisspyingontheother,onethatmay dodangerousthings.

The auditors rejected ExxonMobil's submission of US$2,465,061foritsPublicAffairsProgram. PublicAffairs Program is the shiny white linen that concealsspying on the Guyanesemedia.

ExxonMobil has no trouble with, would not waste time, monitoring either the State-controlled media, or the private media that is friendly to the government. Its monitoring, which is a nice word for spying, could be asserted as undermining in some subtle way, is focused on the small independent media corps that exists in Guyana. At a quick count, there are only a handful of such independent and outspoken media presences in this country, with this paper leading the way on oil matters, and another flexing its musclesinthesamedirection.

No matter how tiny the local independent media community, ExxonMobil has an interest, and what must be fierce objections, all things being equal, to any oil article, any oil posture and commentary, that exposes its lopsided relationshipwithGuyanaandwhathasbeenitspracticesand their consequences for Guyanese. Because this profitdriven,profitatallcosts,andmaximumprofitbyanymeans American oil company has engaged in what we believe are dubious practices, the consequences for Guyanese are emerging, but still largely unknown. It is why ExxonMobil spent close to GY$500M (half a billion Guyana dollars) to monitorthelocalmedia.

To make matters even uglier, ExxonMobil is so brazen that it used Guyana's oil revenues to monitor independent Guyanamediahouses.

Part of that US$2.465M would have provided financial supportforcountermessagestobluntordiluteexposésfrom amediaentitylikethispaper Exposésabouttoxicdumping, flaringintotheatmosphere,theenslaving2016ExxonMobil oil contract, the expense inflating, the lack of ring-fencing provisions, installing meters at the production sites, and the glaring lack of transparency in most oil operations. Instead of ExxonMobil using its strength to resolve these troubling issues, it was spending Guyanese oil money to use its Guyanese media helpers to monitor mostly the independent Guyana media. The monitoring, which we insist is another nameforspying,hasitsownprofessionallabels. There was media messaging, which had to include efforts to counteract stories in the media that made ExxonMobil look irresponsible There was issues management, which is how to put a hard corporate spin on revealing articles that left ExxonMobil looking not like a partnerbutadeterminedpredator

The farce of public consultations was another sponge to absorb Guyanese oil money to deceive them and mislead them. There was spending millions of US dollars to propagandise the fairness and honesty of ExxonMobil through outreaches and what were categorised as public service messages. Those could never be said to serve the interests of locals, but what served the interests of ExxonMobil, one of which is to brainwash Guyanese via billboards and low self-esteem Guyanese who would do the company'sbiddingforadollar Theschemersandmoversat

List of preferred names was handed to delegates at PPP Congress before voting

DearEditor, ASNeditorialonMay11 missed the most important activity, the main purpose of the Congress, namely the election or selection of the Central Committee I attended the Congress with myunclefromAnnaRegina; he has high regards for Vice President Jagdeo, but he was most disappointed with

entertainment.

The CC is the most important body of the PPP, and it is tasked with electing or selecting the General Secretary or leader of the party as well as the Presidential Candidate and head of the list to choose Members of Parliament. As in previous Congresses, the election or selection was fraught with flaws. There was fraud and members spoke openly about it. The Central Committee election orselectionwasmanipulated to obtain a list of members with utmost loyalty to two individuals, the President and Vice President The irony of the PPP Congress is that the individuals who cried the loudest about electoral fraud in March 2020 were the ones behind

fraud in the congress. And the star lawyer, Anil Nandlall, who was primarily responsible for deterring the attempted fraud and for the PPP being in government was cheated at the Congress.

InthesixCongressesthatmy uncle fromAnna Regina and I attended, I never witnessed or experienced such boldfaced skullduggery or fraud. Myuncleconcurred.

The Congress was held May 3, 4, and 5 at the Convention Center Election to the all-important Central Committee was held on May 4 Counting was done

behind closed walls throughout the night and results announced midafternoonofMay5.

A preferred list of 26 names was circulated among many,butnotall,ofthe2512 delegatesthattheymustvote for on that list of nominees. WhatsApp and text message of the list was also sent to selected delegates on who they must vote for The Amerindian delegates were targeted and instructed to vote for that list of preferred nominees The list was sanctioned by the big guns at Freedom House and distributed with their consent Prominent

individuals, inclusive of several on the list, went around targeting the Amerindian delegates and selected others, instructing them how to vote and who to vote for The Amerindians came in special airconditioned Brazilian buses; many of the delegates came with their families, making the trip as a family outing. There were over 2,000

Amerindians at the Convention Center Their entire expense (lodging, food, phone, transport, wifi, etc.wasbornebythepartyor was it the government. The PPP put them up in special mass facilities in Sophia and surrounding areas not far fromtheConventionCenter In the preferred list were such names as Kwame McCoy, Nigel Dharamlall, Mae Thomas, Faizal Jaffarally, Bryan Allicock, Jennifer Westford, Paul Cheong, Anand Persaud, among others. The preferred list was noted not for the names included but the names excluded Among those excluded were long time stalwarts:Anil Nandlall

When the voting was about to take place, an announcement was made that those who were not delegates must leave the two massive tents of over four thousand. Only a handful of individuals left the tent Ballots were distributed to everyone who remained Those who received the preferred list matched it against nominees on the ballots and ticked off names accordingly The ballots were presumably counted (manufactured?) and the resultsannouncedonSunday mid-afternoon.Therewasno transparencyinthecounting. And not everyone at the site there was eligible for a ballot.

Those excluded from the preferred list did relatively poorly Kwame McCoy and Nigel Dharamlall got more votes than Anil Nandlall, Frank Anthony, Vindya Persaud and all the others whowerenotonthatlist.It

(who was primarily responsibleforthePPPbeing in office from August 2, 2020), Vindya Persaud, Frank Anthony, Seeraj Dharamkumar, Charles Ramson, Bheri Ramsaran, Sase Gunraj, Clement Rohee, Donald Ramotar, Indranie Chandarpal, Vishwa Mahadeo, Hydar Ally,amongothers.

(Continued on page 5)

A society must be built on the foundation of laws, love and a moral foundation

DearEditor, Listening and reading r e l e a s e s f r o m t h e G o v e r n m

t H i g h Command one cannot fail to be impressed. The President goes to Region 7 and promises jobs and other opportunities, and in every

Region, there are similar high sounding promises and in some cases, actual developments.

Thisletteristoremindall of us that material things are good and necessary so that we can all share in the comforts of life, but in

Speeding kills

DearEditor, Monday'shorrificaccident on the Linden/Soesdyke Highwaythatclaimedthelives of five Guyanese should be a wakeup call for the authorities to do more to prevent any futuresuchaccidents.

Mobile speed cameras should be installed along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway

and strategically across other h i g h w a y s o n W C D , Corentyne, ECD, etc. to detect and prevent speeding

Speeding kills and yesterday's accident is a clear reminder of this.

Now what will be done to preventarecurrence?

With best regards Marcus Perry

ExxonMobil clearly decided to proceed on a path of conditioningGuyanesethroughitspublicaffairsprogram. The company used the people's money to do so, instead of agreeing to deal with them fairly and give them the kind of money that representstheirrightfulshareoftheirpatrimony Monitorinsteadofmakinggoodonthisabusivepartnership relationship. Make use of millions to mold the mind of Guyanese through the various forms of issues management. Those can never be part of oil production operations, only weakeningGuyanesefurther

addition to this, a society must also be built on the foundation of laws, love or better put, a moral foundation, or else society will collapse consuming all ofus.

Be reminded from the Encyclopedia of Philosophy that 'in the first half of the eighteenth century certain British philosophers argued that moral sense is the faculty by which we distinguish between moral right and wrong The deliverances of this faculty are feelings or sentiments; hence, it is counted as a sense.'

Look around and in dealing with our natural resources - the most recent one,oilandgas,somefolks seem unwilling to even use the word 'renegotiate. To renegotiate is a cardinal principle that should guide Parties if conditions that existed when the initial Contract was signed changed for better or worse, then renegotiation should be a “Sine qua non ” Second, in the c i v i l i s e d s o c i e t y

particularly those based on the model we accepted at Independence this very month in 1966, sets out a clear division between the Parliament, the Executive, the Judiciary and the fourth estate, that is the media.

When you have, as in the case today in Guyana, the E x e c u t i v e b e i n g disrespectful of the Judiciary, disregarding Parliament and trivialising the fourth estate, then a countryisindeeptrouble.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , a democratic Government d i s a l l o w s c e r t a i n functionaries such as Permanent Secretaries and the Heads of certain Institutions being openly alignedwithapoliticalparty

We saw this in evidence at the last Congress of the People's Progressive Party When a Government mistreats the Guyana Teachers'Unionandshowsa blatant disregard and disrespectforTeachersinthe Public sector, we are in big trouble and one on this mattercannotavoidthinking (Continued on page 6)

Kaieteur News PAGE 04 Wednesday May 15, 2024
proceedings and the S a t u r d a y n i g h t
e n

The current Council of the Guyana Press Association should excuse itself

DearEditor,

P r o f e s s i o n a l associations play a crucial role in advocating for standards, providing professional development, and safeguarding the interestsoftheirmembers.

With World Press Freedom Day still fresh on our minds for all that it represents, I am compelled to point out the governance

v a g r a n c i e s o f t h e Management Council of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) based on its gross disregard for financial accountability, for the perpetuation of naked, grave and egregious breaches of t h e A s s o c i a t i o n ' s constitution, and the inherent democratic deficiencies of the current leadership.

I begin by pointing out that it has been more than a year since the Annual General Meeting (AGM), curiously described as a General Members Meeting, was called and the scandalous elections were held for a new Management

C o u n c i l H o w e v e r, incredibly, that meeting has notyetended!Asareminder, after the elections were completed,themeeting,held on May 14, 2023, was suspended to be continued later.

More than a month after that - June 13, 2023 - the executive used its Facebook page to announce that the meeting will continue on July 8, 2023 at the Theatre Guild in Georgetown. The agenda items included an “update” on the organisation andavoteonamendmentsto theGPA'sconstitution.

It pains me to point out that, as per the GPA's constitution, since these

matters were not on the agenda for discussion at the May 14 meeting, the continuation of that very meeting cannot introduce new matters. It only requires the very basic reading and comprehension skills to deduce this if one glances at the GPA's constitution. I should point out that Denis Chabrol, a floor member of the Council, proposed the idea of amendments to the constitution but, on my objection, it was agreed that this matter could not be addressed at the meeting because members could not possibly have been asked there and then to propose changes to the constitution and vote on it on the same day

The response to the call for a continuation of the meeting was abysmal. There was no quorum so the meeting could not go ahead. For reference, a quorum for such meetings is quarter of the voting membership of the Association and at the elections96membersvoted.

D e s p i t e a l l t h e machinations it deployed to get 70 votes, it could not persuade 25 persons to show upforthecontinuationofthe meeting.

Yet, the GPA, in a July 8, 2023 statement posted to its Facebook page, said that since there was no quorum, the Council opted to have a brief consultation on proposed amendments to the GPA's constitution, and then itmadetheremarkableclaim that “a number of members from various media houses provided suggestions,” seeking to slyly convey some sort of broad-based consultations.

In any case, it was promised that a new date

List of preferred names was...

From page 4 was not an election; it was a selection. If the results were not 'kacked', the party's supporters, the country would have gotten a true picture of support for the varied nominees It is important to note that more than 200 delegates did not vote for IrfaanAli or Jagdeo. Who were they? They must have been turned off by the fraud. The entire country shouldcondemnthefraud. Those at the top were pleased at the outcome. The native Amerindian people were used and abused to produce a desired outcome of the PPP Congress as they also did in the past three Congresses. An old wornout strategy was successful once again. There is no

would be announced for the continuation of the meeting, buttherehasnotbeenaword on this since. If you don't believeme,do aquickcheck oftheGPA's Facebookpage. So, yes, incredibly, an Annual General Meeting cannot be concluded one year after it started. Editor, what makes this more incredible is that this is the first meeting of members being held in six years – yes, thefirstandonly!

Doesn't this signal great apathy among members? Doesn't it signal that members do not want to get involved in the shenanigans of this current Council? Isn't it time that this executive excuseitself?

If you don't believe me, check the photos of the World Press Freedom Day event held at Moray House in Georgetown. Barely a handful of journalists turned uptotheevent.Emptychairs in a small room read more of an embarrassment, if anything else. Editor, please indulge me to point out just one of two of the crass amendments proposed by the Executive – yes, proposed by the Executive and not members. The proposed amendment is for (1) the life of the elected leadership executive to be extended from two to three years, and (2) for a president tobeeligibletorunforoffice for not two, but THREE consecutive terms! That the Executive could think members would even considerthisisasvomitusas theproposalitself.

Editor, it compels me to remind you that this Council was elected through dubious and undemocratic means. A year ago, I pointed out that the last remaining members

of the past Council, all of whom stood for office and werere-elected,dictatedthat it would not accept applications from new members (members who it suspected would vote for me), while it renewed and accepted membership from those it was sure would support Nazima Raghubir's candidacy And then voting by proxy (in favour of Raghubir) took place for those who could not attend without any explanation of how voting by proxy would take place Once voting commenced, proxy sheets appearedfromtheleftsideof the auditorium, where Raghubir and those who supportedherweregathered.

I had petitioned, joined by editors of several media houses, for the voter's list to be produced but none was produced until I was able to getonthestageonthedayof the vote and was able to take pictures of it. It confirmed our suspicions that the Council had allowed membership of those who did not qualify, as per the GPA's constitution, to be votingmembers.

Some may argue that Raghubir's70votestomy25 wasalargemargin,butifone were to subtract all of those who did not qualify to vote but did vote (either in person or by proxy) and add the legitimate members of the press who did qualify, the odds would have been easily stacked against Raghubir and the current Council. It's no whimsical assumption when one considers the fact that the editors of 10 media houses petitioned for membership for those who were refused and petitioned for the release of the voter's list in the interest of

t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d

accountability My media house alone had over 10 legitimate members of the media who qualified for votingrightsbutweredenied membershipovertheblanket position that no new members would be accepted until a new Council is elected.

An almost instant glance at the voter's list, I had pointed out that those who did not qualify for voting membership of the GPA included a taxi driver, a farmer, and a Bollywood radio host. Raghubir knows the farmer well as he previously worked with her and he recently applied to w o r k a t m y n e w s organisation.Shealsoknows very well the former cameraman who worked with her and left the profession and worked as a taxi driver at the time of the elections.

But, for argument's sake, let's forget all of them. Let's justlookattwoofthecurrent executive leadership:

Secretary Iva Wharton and

A s s i s t a n t

Secretary/Treasurer Ariana

Gordon. The GPA's constitution demands that a voting member be someone who“devotesamajorpartof his/her time and earns a major part of his/her income from journalism” and that would have to be “involved i n t h e p r a c t i c e o f journalism for 'three consecutive years' to be entitledtothemembership.”

Editor, at the time of the GPA's elections, three consecutive years had not elapsed since Ms. Wharton endedherstintasheadofthe PublicRelationsDepartment

a t t h e M i n i s t r y o f Communities (now Ministry

of Housing and Water). And the same goes for Ms Gordon, who was employed at the Press and Publicity Unit of the Office of the President. Both devoted a major part of their time and earned a major part of their i n c o m e f r o m t h e i r government jobs, not journalism, up until at least August 2020 when the new governmentwasswornin.

Let me further remind you that Ms Raghubir squatted in office for three years after her legitimate time in office ended before calling elections, using the excuse of COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, even when business had returned to normal and even when such Annual General Meetings were effectively held by organisations way larger than the membership oftheGPA.

Even in those five years, the GPA Council failed to meet the basic requirements of the GPAconstitution. Not a single general members meeting was held in those five years, and as I pointed out above, the one called for her re-election is still ongoing.

Let's get to finances. Not a single financial report was provided to members in the fiveyearsRaghubirserved (Continued on page 6)

redeemingqualityinsomeof the persons selected on the CC; at least one of them is accused of rape again. And more of them have been involved in abuses of female Indigenous people The Congress was also known formuchvulgaritynotworth repeatinghere.

Clearly, the PPP leadership has not learned a n y t h i n g f r o m t h e experience of previous Congresses or from the period March 2, 2020 thru August 1, 2020. Dr Jagan and Janet would not have closedtheireyestothefraud; they must be turning in their graves. Was the change in administration of August 2, 2020worthit?

Yours truly, Rudesh Jodha

Kaieteur News PAGE 05 Wednesday May 15, 2024

Let us move beyond thought and talk to action and preserve our beautiful country

DearEditor, I am writing to express my deep concern over the growing violent behaviour of our young people, in particular, that is gradually and tragicallyescalatinginto robberies, murders and other criminal acts on our streets. Sociologistswilltellyouthat many factors contribute to thisheartbreakingsituation. They will also tell youth at a critical aspect that demands our attention in addressing this problem is the role of parenting. I have noted that some are attempting to place this scourge at the doorsteps of other institutions without even considering one iota of the fact that children do not produce themselves And bringingthemintothisworld i s a t r e m e n d o u s responsibility that cannot be abandoned.In recent times, we have witnessed an increase in violent incidents

among youth, pointing to a significant crisis in their upbringing and moral guidance. As a community and nation, we must recognise the indispensable role parents and guardians play in shaping the minds and behaviours of young individuals. The literature is pellucid that when children lack proper guidance, support, and supervision at home, they are at a greater r

n destructivebehaviours.

The consequences of inadequate parenting are not confined to the home but spill over into schools and, ultimately, into society Educators are increasingly burdened with behavioural issues that stem from problemsthatbeginathome. These unwanted behaviours

affect th

ning environment and place enormous pressure on our educational system to

address the issues rooted in the family as we seek solutions. We must invest in comprehensive support systems for parents and guardians. I propose some ideas that may help address targeted families at this juncture.

· Parenting Workshops a

Teaching effective parenting strategies can be beneficial. These workshops can cover

development, and managing stress. Support groups allow parents to share experiences andlearnfromeachother

· Family Counseling and Intervention Services: Professional counselling can help families address underlying issues that affect discipline, such as marital problems, mental health issues, or past traumas

A society must be built on the...

From page 4 we have a Government that ispractisingapartheid.

An apartheid not based on race or ethnicity but an apartheid based on an emergingclassstructure.You see, all of the Ministers and TopBrassoftheGovernment can afford as they do to send their children to private schools and therefore care little about the disadvantages facing the majority of families who can ill afford private schools and transportationcosts. The disdain shown to Teachers and their Union must be seen in that context

as a serious matter of widening the gap between the rich and the poor What a caring Government should by now have initiated is a massive programme of training of Teachers, Nurses and others, so that we have the personnel to cope with a changing world of which we areapart.

This will ensure that the schoolsandhospitalsthatare being built can be properly staffed by trained Guyanese. We hope and pray that the foresight of a previous administration for free education from Nursery to University is made real once more.

Intervention services can provide targeted support to prevent the escalation of discipline issues into abuse orneglect.

· School and Community Collaboration: Schools can play a critical role by identifying struggling families early and linking

y resources This might include hosting family nights, sending newsletters homewithtipsondiscipline, or having social workers engage with families directly

· Access to Child Care and Respite Services: Sometimes, parents need a

break. Access to affordable child care can provide parents time to manage stress, attend to personal matters, or rest, which can improve their overall ability todisciplineeffectively

M e n t o r i n g Programmes: Connecting p a r e n t s w i t h m o r e experienced mentors who can provide guidance and support can be incredibly empoweringandreassuring. It is critical to note that notwithstanding all the systems that might be put in place, the onus is on the parents to access them for intentional transformation We must act swiftly and

decisively. By strengthening the family unit and ensuring that parents have the tools and support they need, we can significantly impact the escalation of youth violence. Let us unite as a community and nation to foster an environment where every childcangrowupinastable, nurturing home and where our streets are safe. Let us rekindle the community spirit of watching out for each other and our families. Let us move beyond thought and talk to action and preserve our beautiful country

Sincerely,

The current Council of the Guyana Press...

From page 5 her first protracted term in office. Indeed, even at the meeting for the election of the new Executive, no financial statement was provided – a basic norm of a n y A G M b y a n y organisation.

Clause 20.1 of the GPA's statesthis:

“The Council shall cause to be kept proper books of accountswithrespectto:

(a) all sums of money received and expended by the Association and the matters in respect of which s u c h r e c e i p t s a n d expendituretakeplace

(b) all sales and purchases of goods by the Association

(c) the assets and liabilitiesoftheAssociation

M e m b e r s h a v e absolutely no idea of the spendingoftheGPA'sfunds, including millions of dollars collected from Open Society Foundations.

Editor, the GPA's constitution at clause 10.1, dealing with disciplinary powers, points out the following:

“The Council shall be empowered to warn, admonish, reprimand,

suspend or terminate the membership of any member who commits an act or conducts himself in such a manner that the Council shalldeemhimtohave:

(a) violated any such standards of professional conduct as may be establishedorprescribed;

(b) act (sic) in breach of anyrulemadebytheCouncil or in breach of the Constitution of the Association;

(c) brought or is likely to bring the practice of journalism,journalistsorthe Associationintodisrepute.

Editor, it is spectacularly clearthatthecurrentCouncil is in violation of all the counts that call for disciplinaryaction.

Will they not bow in shame and discipline themselves, and, to use local parlance,justbeatout?

T h e i n d e f i n i t e suspension of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) due to the Council's inability

to secure a quorum highlights a significant disengagement of the membershipbase.

The failure to reconvene theAGM almost a year later reflects an inability of the current Council to command the respect and engagement ofitsjournalists.

This lack of engagement gives the current Council no local standi to act in the interest of Guyanese media workers.

For an Association that represents the press, the stakes are particularly high, as public trust in journalism is critical to the functioning of a democratic society Therefore, Editor, this Council should, in disgrace, excuseitself.

Yours sincerely, Neil Marks Journalist

Former President of the Guyana PressAssociation

This issue underscores a deeper problem of declining trust and respect for the Association's leadership among its members. The rigging of elections within t h e G PA n o t o n l y u n d e r m i n e s t h e Association's democratic foundation but also compromises its role as a model of journalistic integrity. Such actions jeopardise the Association's credibility and diminish its authority to advocate for journalisticstandards.

Kaieteur News PAGE 06 Wednesday May 15, 2024
f engaging i
isk o
lear
e
nd Support Groups:
t o p i c s l i k e s e t t i n g boundaries, positive r e i n f o r c e m e n t , understanding child
them with necessar
Kaieteur News PAGE 07 Wednesday May 15, 2024

EU-LatinAmericagrouptohelpGuyanatacklecross-bordercrimes

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil NandlallonMondaywelcomedadelegationfromtheEuropeLatinAmericaProgrammeofAssistanceagainstTransnational Organised Crime (EL PACCTO) 20, in support of combat cross-bordercrimesinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean

The EL PACCTO 2.0 team, on a mission to address transnationalorganisedcrime,iscurrentlytouringCaribbean countries, including Guyana, to identify crucial areas for supportandcapacitybuilding.

The delegation, led by Marc Reina Tortosa, Senior Executive Manager, included Alain Lemangnen, Strategic Key Expert for Environmental Crime, Maite Verhoeven, StrategicKeyExpertfortheCaribbean,LuukBruijn,Project Officer, and Federico Suarez, Programme Manager, DelegationoftheEUtoGuyana.AccompanyingtheAttorney GeneralwereShoshannaV Lall,AssistantSolicitorGeneral, andRommelSt.Hill,AML/CFTOfficer

Inthepressrelease,theteamoutlinedELPACCTO’s

Continued on page 12

Kaieteur News PAGE 08 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Attorney General with members of EL PACCTO

The PPP's leadership and its fear of Marxism

The PPP is cagey when it comes to constitutional change at the national level.

Its General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo insists that any changesmustbeapprovedby thepeoplethemselves.

But when it comes to the changes to the PPP's own constitution, the PPP did not seeitnecessarytohavewideranging consultations at the level of the party's groups,

regions and county conferences on the issue of

expunging MarxismLeninism and references to socialism from the party's constitution. Such double standards are not unknown to thePPP

It is a contradiction that the congress took a decision to expunge references to Marxism-Leninism and socialism from the party's constitutionwhileatthesame time authorising the Central Committee to establish a teamtoreviewandupdatethe very constitution and to report in one year's time to County Conferences where thechangeswillbeadopted.

The bourgeois class must have been extremely desperate to erase references to Marxism- Leninism and socialism from the party's constitution.Itcouldnotwait on the outcome of the review andupdatingprocess.

The main justification for expunging references to Marxism-Leninism from the party's constitution is that such references are relics of theColdWar

At his post-Congress press conference, General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo confessed that the party had long moved away from the practices of MarxismLeninism and socialism

which he claims belongs to a differentera.

The party has every right to decide to change its ideological position. But it should not arrogate to itself the right to claim that Marxism-Leninism belongs to a different era and has no relevance today Bharrat Jagdeowouldbetooyoungto know but this very issue was debated 50 years ago: the issue of whether the ideas of Marx transcended time and place i.e. whether it was relevant to the present age and to non-European societies and societies much different from the era of Karl Marx Walter Rodney addressed this very issue in a 1975 lect

“Marxism and African Liberation'. The lecture was deliveredinNewYork.

In that presentation, Rodneysoughttoanswertwo questions. Firstly, he sought to answer the question of the continued relevance of an ideology that originated within the cultural context of Western Europe during the 19th century, pondering its applicability to regions such asAfrica, the Caribbean, and to black communities elsewhere. Secondly, he probed whether Marxism holds merit when transposed onto different societies and historicalepochs.

At its 32nd Congress, the PPP/C effectively dismissed the relevance of MarxismLeninism as applicable to Guyana today It also dispensed with the ideology as not being relevant to this era. The leadership of the PPP and its delegates certainlydidnotbenefitfrom the insights of Rodney on the relevanceintimeandplaceof Marxism Rodney argued

that Marxism can be viewed as both a methodology for understanding societies and as a revolutionary ideology Rodney concluded that as a methodology, Marxism was independent of time and place and thus applicable to different eras and different societies.

But more fundamentally was that as a methodology Marxism identified the role of classes in the evolution of society

Thus,itcanbearguedthat Marxism as a methodology has value across time and place in terms of examining classrelations.

But this is precisely the sort of methodology which the PPP is escaping from. Because the inescapable conclusion which will be drawn from a class analysis today of Guyanese society is that the gap between the various classes is widening andthatthebourgeoisclassis monopolizing most of the benefits of the growing economy

There is a school of thought that says that under Jagdeo's neo-liberal economic policies, the primary beneficiaries have overwhelmingly been the capitalist class, which has seen its wealth and influence multiply. Jagdeo's approach, it is said, not only favoured the capitalist elite but also facilitated the emergence of an oligarchic class, further concentrating economic and politicalpowerintothehands ofaselectfew

The present PPPdoes not wish for an interrogation of class relations in society It does not wish for this happen because it will expose how rather than being working class in orientation, the

DEM BOYS SEH

Like yuh leff yuh manners home!

Yuh ever notice how in Guyana manners gettin' rarer than a bargain?Afew years ago, we had a big campaign against bad manners. It was merely fightin' against littering, but it endupfallingflatonitsface.

Thank God for the good old days when "Good Morning" was not just somethin' your granny used to say It was like your daily vitamins, essential for startin' off the day right.And if yuh fail to say: Good Morning” yuhboundtogetpullupbyyourelders.

"Thank you" used to flow like the rum at a Guyanese wedding. And holding the door for someone else used to be second nature, notanoccasionalhappening.Olepeopleused to encourage de men fuh open de door fuh a lady,exceptifitisaplanedoor

Dis ain't just 'bout manners, it's 'bout addin' a lil' dose of humanity to our everyday hustle. In dis world where everybody rushin'

present PPP has been a facilitator of bourgeois interests Rodney also examined Marxism as a revolutionary and classbasedideology

In this regard Rodney argued that bourgeois ideology inherently serves the purpose of preserving the existing societal structure and economic system It functions to uphold and reinforce the prevailing mode of production and the associated social relations.

T h i s i d e o l o g y i s fundamentally conservative, aiming to maintain the status quo and to perpetuate the interests of the dominant capitalistclass.

Contrary to bourgeois ideology, scientific socialism takes a revolutionary stance,

consciously aiming to dismantle the current system of production and its accompanying political relations.

It recognises the interconnectedness between i d e a s a n d m a t e r i a l conditions, asserting that socialist ideas emerge from the interests of the working class and are aimed at challenging and ultimately overthrowing the capitalist modeofproduction. By advocating for the transformation of societal structures and economic arrangements, scientific socialism seeks to create a more equitable and just society, where the means of production are owned collectively and utilised for the benefit of all members of

society The PPP is taking Guyana down the road to perdition Instead of becoming a more equal society, Guyana under the bourgeois PPP government, is becoming a more unequal society And decades from now, this country will explode in class conflicts –the legacy of the present leadershipofthePPP

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

like dey late for de bus, a simple "please" or "excuse me" could smooth out de bumps in deroad.Butohgosh,deresistancewefacin'! Some people gon' laugh like dem thinkin' manners is old news, like rotary phones and black-and-whiteTV Butwesaytodem,inde faceofalldiscynicism,wegotajobtodo!

So let's do dis ting with style and sass, armed with smiles and nods. Leh we reclaim mannerslikewereclaimin'welostsuitcaseat deairportatChristmastime.'Causeindiswar against rudeness, we fightin' with sincerity, and de win ain't just in clean streets but in brighterspiritsandcloserbonds. Remember a lil' courtesy could be de difference between a frown and a smile. So let's do dis, Guyana!And also remember dat throwingthebouquetbehindyoutoseewho's nextisforweddingsnotfunerals. Talk half. Leff half.

Kaieteur News PAGE 09 Wednesday May 15, 2024
re e
u
ntitled

Beingintherightplaceattherighttime

Much has been made of President Ali’s dancing, fantasizing, and capsizing the presidency He believes that he is entitled. After all, it is not easy to deal with a superpower oil company Give the president a break, folks.

Muchmorehasbeensaid andinkspilledabouthowhe is hailed and toasted from Brooklyn to Beijing, and fromtheUNtohighplacesin Washington and London. I sayhailon,hailI.

Now for the gut check thatnoGuyaneseisgoingto like, most of all PPP luminaries. HisExcellency, President Dr Mohamed

IrfaanAliisabeneficiaryof the luck of the draw As Guyanese say, luck beats handsome. I say luck beats intelligence,luckovercomes dumbness, luck vanquishes crassness.

Hereisatruismthatcan’t bebeaten. PresidentAlihas found himself, through circumstances, in the right place at the right time with therightwindpoweringhim ahead; he rides the crest of good times. Guyana is a countryonautopilot. That’s the sum of President Ali’s grandeur Followme.

President Jagdeo needed a proxy Note that I did not saypatsynordummy Aman

knowing his place, staying right in that space, and making no waves. Enter President Ali. The first plank fell into place. The political was taken care of; thecommercialwasleft.

It is bigger than big. There she stands, mighty ExxonMobil. Themuscular, powerful expression of America’s essence As A

monuments go, Exxon is a towering,awe-inspiringone. PresidentAliwasright.

Dealing with Exxon is like dealing with a superpower Bharrat Jagdeo, that smart fish, was also right. Get a man to go

with the flow, no tampering with any programme, no crusader with a cause, no playingatbeingahero.

Theonlygoodheroesare deadones. Everstudiedthat truth? To be commercially wrong, i.e., to cross Exxon, is to write one’s own political death warrant Goodbye,StateHouse. Say hello to Exxon’s doghouse. Jagdeoknewthat,andhegot Ali and gave him his marching orders. Hold the line Honour contracts Bettercontractmanagement.

Yes sir, Bob. Here is how America works my fellow Guyanese. Alistair Routledge is upset, and he

whispersimpatiently to the man from Kansas,DarrenWoods, and Texas phones ring in Washington.

Not Seattle, but DC, from Foggy Bottom to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue White House, we have a problem. Check to see who is flying out under the radar to meetAntony Blinken. It is not to discuss Maduro or EXIMBank. Oil.

Thanksfortheinvite;not to worry, a little experimenting, a bit of overreaching. Everything will be back to normal in a jiffy,nomoregettingcarried away. Two Guyanese presidents being the best of, the most loyal, American Marines. Good soldiers for the American Way One more blink and it is out on their backsides, all two gentlemen,notjustone.

Being a good listener, a better grasper of crude reality, the best at company friendliness, President Ali’s placeisassured. Thisiswhy all those doors are opening, everybody inside and outside are bowing and scraping Corporate America, political Africa, brotherly Brooklyn, calculatingEurope.

Supporters of President Ali have chalked that up to his majestic bearing, his unequalled intelligence, his swaggering confidence. I settleforthebasics,themost easilyunderstood.

Guyana’s oil makes all and sundry line up to curry favour with the current king of oil It is the right commodity for the right moment. Iamsorrytohave todothis,butImust.

There is no oil, and ExcellencyAli(oranyother) is just another Black Third World supplicant, one of those common nuisances Withoil,PresidentAliisthe darlingoftheworld.

Eternallove. Friendship forever If I burst any big, bright bubble among PPP loyalists,Iapologisetenfold. Since I have gone so far downthisroadoffrankness,

it would be a disservice to my contemporaries, my fellow citizens, to stop now A word of caution: graphic languagecoming. Dressadoginasuit,put the presidential seal on his forehead,andtheworldfalls athisfeet. Itisthepowerof oil. Whetherdummyorbum or blithering imbecile, this oil makes the utterly adorable of that dog. Pick one-German Shepherd or streetcur Myintentisnotto trivialiseoroffend.

It is to lay the table, seat Guyanese guests. I depart forquieterclimesbyleaving thisforallGuyanesetochew anddigest.

President Ali said publicly that facing off against Exxon is like facing off against a superpower I agree in some respects, and to some limited extent. But why shiver in boots, when there is a superweapon in hand? OIL!

Whoeverwantsthisoilis welcome to come and get it.

But on Guyana’s terms, baby Take it, or haul ass. Myresponsetothreatsabout rogue leaders, blacklisted state,andearningabigblack markinAmerica’sbadbooks would be simple. Not one, buttwo,middlefingers.

Shutdown credit Influence European postures. Apply squeezes. Guyanese will manage somehow. They always have. PresidentAliisinthe right place at the right time. He made the right party moves, good political moves. Hemadethewrong (worst) national moves Wrongheaded, weak, and woeful leaders do so, live thatway

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

Kaieteur News PAGE 10 Wednesday May 15, 2024
a
merican c
pitalist
Kaieteur News PAGE 11

Norton signals new form of protest

—accusedPPP/Cofpayingcitizenstostayquiet

O

AubreyNortonisoftheview thatstreetprotestsagainstan o

shed People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration is now a thing of the past, and that the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity Alliance for Change

(APNU+AFC), now has to find alternative means of achieving their collective objectives.

This, since the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), now rich with oil money—the first for any

successfully managed to decimatenotonlythepublic service and the unions, but also buying out people to stay quiet The damning concessions were made by the Opposition Leader during a recent broadcast of Politics101discussion,with Worker Peoples’ Alliance’s

(WPA)DavidHinds.

AccordingtoNorton,the PPP/C has managed to use the newfound oil resources to essentially buy out the poor and middle class. With this in mind, he cited as example that persons who were paid $40,000 monthly could not take part in any

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton

political activities for the opposition What this redounded to according to Norton is that “people who would normally come out and protest would say to we will support you” but not publicly

Adamant the PPP has impoverished his party’s supportbase,theOpposition Leader said, this was compounded by the ruling administration’s embrace of useoffearanddominationto “control political activity.”

Hequalifiedthispositionby pointing to the “accentuated politicization”oftheGuyana Police Force to the point wheretheyareinfactfiling, according to Norton, trumped up charges. “What thePPPhasdonebasicallyis tochangetheenvironmentin which people operate and that in itself demands that you have a different strategy.”

To this end, he disclosed

thatfollowingananalysisof the situation at hand, the party has opted against it since and is instead focused onregainingpoliticalpower

AccordingtoNorton,the PPP/C with its hands on the country’s purse strings has also managed to exercise so much control that even contractors that were linked to the PNC/R have backed away, so much so that the party has been finding it difficult to mobilise resources while not at the sametimecompromisingthe leadershipoftheparty.

Reminding that unlike the past where the PNC/R couldeasilyrallysupportfor street protests by members of the public service and unions, the Opposition Leader,wasofthefirmview this does not obtain today He adumbrated further by reminding that one of the significantchangesthatthe Continuedonpage22

Dharamlallquestionedbypolice...

Frompage3

changed fundamentally after I rebuffed her advances and spurnedherattemptstoengageinanintimaterelationship.”

Lastyear,Dharamlallresignedamidstaninvestigationinto the rape of a minor. Recently, he was re-elected to the 35memberCentralExecutiveofthePPP.Dharamlallsecuredthe sixthhighestnumberofvotesamongthosenominatedforthe 40-member Central Executive Body and five non-voting members.

EU-LatinAmericagrouptohelp...

Frompage8

commitment to a regional approach in the Caribbean, involving institutions like the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security(IMPACS),andtheRegionalSecuritySystem(RSS).

Duringdiscussions,Nandlallemphasizedthesignificance oftheprojectforboththeregionandGuyana,particularlyin lightofthecountry’sburgeoningoilindustry Hestressedthe necessityforarobustlegalandpolicyframeworktosafeguard against transnational crime, ensuring the protection of Guyanesecitizensandinvestors.

Nandlall outlined key areas of focus for EL PACCTO’s mission in Guyana, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, environmental crimes, cybercrime, and human trafficking.

He highlighted ongoing legislative efforts, such as the recently passedAML/CFTAct, proposed FirearmsAct, new Cybercrimelegislation,andinitiativesforassetrecoveryand management.

Recognising the need for specialised expertise, Nandlall proposedcollaborationwithELPACCTOtoprovidetraining for judges, magistrates, and security professionals in investigatingfinancialcrimes.Heemphasizedtheimportance of such training in effectively prosecuting criminal elements involvedincross-borderactivities.

Kaieteur News PAGE 12 Wednesday May 15, 2024
pposition Leader
il-fl
u
G u y a n e s e administration has
Kaieteur News PAGE 13 Wednesday May 15, 2024

Govt.concernedaboutschooldropout,learningloss

- as teachers continue strike for better pay

With the resumption of the countrywide teachers’ strike, Minister of Education, Priya ManickchandonTuesdaysaidthat the absence of the educators in classroomscanleadtolearningloss anddropoutamongchildren.

The minister made the comments during a press conference,whichshehostedatthe National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) where she addressed several matters regarding the education sector Commentingontheimpact ofthestrikeactionontheeducation system, Minister Manickchand said “So any teacher who stays

away from a classroom will cause somedisruptionsanditwillhavea negative impact on the system and our children and we are always concernedaboutthat.”

She added that during the COVID-19 period, the world learned that absences from the classroom will result in learning loss and can result in early school leaving (school dropout). It was reported that having commenced their strike action last week, teachers on Monday hit the streets intheirnumbersastheycontinueto press government for salary increases encompassing a multiyear agreement from 2019-2023.

And while the educators were on the streets officials of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) and the MinistryofEducationmetwiththe Chief Labour Officer at the Ministry of Labour in conciliation talks to hammer out terms for the ending of the strike and a way forward.

The meeting did not yield a settlementonMondayandsawthe two sides continuing the talks on Tuesday The minister at her press conference noted that while it wouldbeprematureofhertospeak on the proceedings of the conciliation at this time, she explained that her ministry had

written to the Minister of Labour forinterventionintotheissue.

“What are we conciliating about or what is the deadlock, the deadlock is the Union saying they wantsalaryincreasesfrom2019to 2023 and the ministry or the Government of Guyana is saying we are ready, willing and happy to engage in discussion on salary increases from 2024 onwards. So the conciliation process is really about the timeline. So what we have a deadlock on is the timeline…We are trying to get the Ministry of Labour to intervene to determine which timeline we shouldlookat,sothatishappening

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand during her press conference on Tuesday.

rightnow,”sherelated. Kaieteur News had reported that during a virtual press conferencelastweekTuesday,the Continued on page 22

Kaieteur News PAGE 14 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Kaieteur News PAGE 15 Wednesday May 15, 2024

AC Marriott owners get 16.5 acres of land in Ogle to build housing complex near Exxon’s new HQ

...CITE BOOMING OIL INDUSTRY AS REASON FOR INVESTMENT

The developers of the AC Marriott Hotel presently under construction in Ogle, East Coast Demerara have been granted another16.5acresplottoconstruct a US$120M housing complex, completewithitsownsupermarket, shopping plaza, office space and townhouses.

A project Summary for the developmenthasbeensubmittedto

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine whether the construction activities will require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

According to a layout of the site seen by this newspaper, the proposed project is located a stone’s throw away from

ExxonMobil Guyana’s new Headquarters and a short distance

fromthesiteearmarkedforthenew ACMarriottHotel.

The investors, Trinuyana Investment Inc. justified the need fortheprojectagainstthebackdrop ofGuyana’srapidlydevelopingoil and gas industry It explained, “While Guyana’s offshore oil and gas industry rapidly grows, infrastructure will have to be developed onshore to support the

PROPOSED PROJECT SITE

MP showing the proposed site for the housing complex at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

activitiesintheindustry.Oneofthe critical areas for development is housing and commercial retail sector.”

Be that as it may, the investors noted that most of the current housing and commercial retail facilities can be characterised as traditional establishments with only a small number of businessoriented properties of

“international standard” located in the vicinity of Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

To this end, the mixed-use development project envisaged by Trinuyana Investments Inc. seeks to offer high quality and wellpriced housing accommodation andcommercialretailsfacilitiesfor thegrowingnumberofexpatriates Continued on page 22

Kaieteur News PAGE 16 Wednesday May 15, 2024
MARRI CaribbeanSurgery Inc.(Ogle) ArtWilliams&Harry WendtAeronautical Eugene F.Correia International Airport BertramCollinsCollege ofPublicService
OTT
ExxonMobilGuyanaOfficeComplex Temporarilyclosed

PUSHFoundationmakesdonationtoschoolsinVictoria

Latoya Staddon, representing the Push Foundation, made a remarkable visit to three schools in Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara recentlywhereshedonateda range of items including school supplies for the studentsandteachers.

Staddon, a US-based resident of Victoria first stopped at the Victoria Primary School where she generously donated books and a desktop computer to theschool.Attheschool,she engagedwiththeteachersby

playing the game “Teacher Feud,”- an exercise which the teachers enjoyed, Staddon said. While there, shealsoput-uppostersinthe library with one of the studentsandorganisedbooks onshelves.

Thesecondvisitwasata nursery school where push foundation sponsored lunch for the teachers and donated books. She also interacted withtheteachersplayingthe game “Teacher Feud,” and motivated the teachers to workhardandprovide

Continuedonpage22

Kaieteur News PAGE 17 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Latoya Staddon, representing the Push Foundation hands over books and other items to a teacher of the Victoria Primary School Latoya Staddon, representing the Push Foundation posing with teachers of the Victoria Primary Latoya Staddon, representing the Push Foundation posing with teachers of the Victoria Nursery School

Venezuela expands military presence at Guyana border in ‘perpetual prewar footing,’ says report

ofGuyaneseland.

In a report shared with CNN,theWashington-based think tank Center for

Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns that while the Venezuelan government “has little to gainandmuchtolosefroma full-blown conflict” it continues to play “a dangerous game” over its claim over the densely forestedEssequiboregion.

“The constant drumbeat asserting ‘the Essequibo is ours,’alongside the creation of new military commands and legal structures to oversee the defense of the region, is helping to institutionalize a sense of perpetualprewarfooting,”it wrote.

Tension over the region, whichamountstoabouttwothirds of Guyanese national territory, mounted last year after a Venezuelan referendum in which voters assented to creating a Venezuelan state within the disputedregion.Guyanahad called the move a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomedovertheregion.

CNN previously reported in February about anexpansionofoperationsat Venezuela’sAnacoco Island military base despite both countries agreeing in December to pursue a diplomaticavenuetoresolve theconflict.

Using satellite imagery and social media, CSIS found that the expansion of Anacoco Island’s military basehascontinued.Abridge isseenbeingbuiltacrossthe Cuyuni River to connect the Venezuelan riverbank to the island, which has been a point of contention between the countries after it was awarded to Guyana in an 1899 ruling by an

international tribunal Venezuela annexed it in the 1960s.

The island’s airfield has expanded and now includes a small control tower, CSIS writes Satellite imagery fromMarchshowedanarea next to the airfield with more than 75 field tents, “enough for a battalionsized unit of several hundredpersonnel ”

Thefieldtentshavesince been relocated to the southern side of the airfield “demonstrating the base’s continued ability to provide logistics and resupply for a sizeable military force continuously for over a month,”itwrote.

Meanwhile,bythecoast, at least two Iranian-built Peykaap III (Zolfaghar) fast missile boats are seen at Venezuela’s small coast guard station at Punta B a r i m a , “ p l a c i n g Venezuelan missiles and naval forces within arm’s reach of the Guyanaadministered Essequibo” as it just 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Guyaneseborder

Madurocould‘fall victimtoownrhetoric’

The threats to Guyana have concerned its partners. Last week, two US Navy F/A-18fighterjetsflewover the capital Georgetown, demonstrating “our routine security cooperation and expanding bilateral defense partnership with Guyana,” the US Embassy in Guyana wrote.

While smaller than Idaho, Guyana is home to vast oil reserves and is on track to become the world’s highest per capita oil producer It,however,hasan

army estimated to be less than 5,000 soldiers, and lacks the hardware or manpower to face possible Venezuelanaggression. Allthingsconsidered,“if you’reifyou’reGuyana,and yourarmyis5,000people,it doesn’t seem like the Venezuelans are taking their footoffthegas,”RyanBerg, director of the Americas Program at CSIS and lead author of the report, told CNN.

T

upcoming Venezuelan elections at the end of July have given Maduro the motivation to escalate againstGuyana,usingitasa way to distract from his record: Millions of people have fled the country due to poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care. CSIS argues that instead of tamping down the aggression after the vote, “Maduro may be tempted to ramp up both rhetoric and action related to the Essequiboinatruegambitto manufacturearegionalcrisis in the aftermath of a stolen election.”

It may not be in Maduro’sinterestto“initiate a full-blown conflict with neighbor Guyana, but his escalatory rhetoric tethers his political reputation and legitimacytohiswillingness tobackhiswordswithforce” especially with his key internal ally, the armed forces,CSISwrites.

“Thus, one of the most concerning possibilities is that Maduro will fall victim to his own rhetoric. He has whipped up nationalist passions without providing anescapevalve.”

Kaieteur News PAGE 18 Wednesday May 15, 2024
CNN Venezuela continues to build up military infrastructure and hardwareclosetotheborder with Guyana as President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters scale up their threats to annex an oil-rich piece
as be
culation that the
here h
en spe
December 10, 2023. Roberto Cisneros/AFP/Getty Images
Aerial
view of the Essequibo region taken from Guyana on
Kaieteur News PAGE 19 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Kaieteur News PAGE 20 Wednesday May 15, 2024

works on Linden Highway Highway smash-up…

Officials in Region Ten are calling for the urgent e x p e d i t i o n o f t h e rehabilitative works along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway in wake of Monday's horrific accident which claimed the lives of fivepersons.

The officials believe that the current state of the roads and speeding contributed to thetragicaccident.

Though the survivors are yet to detail what transpired early Monday morning, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement attributed speeding and loss of control of the vehicles to the accident.

Eye witnesses related that the particular stretch of road in the vicinity of Long Creek is very wavy and unbalanced, causing drivers to change lanes when driving.

“Inquiries disclosed that PTT 8159 was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane while PAF 6785 was proceeding north along the western drive lane both

allegedly at a fast rate, as the vehicles were about to pass each other, the driver of PAF 6785 reportedly lost control of his vehicle causing it to collide head-on with PTT 8159,” the police statement said. The Government of Guyana budgeted $10B for major rehabilitative works along Linden-Soesdyke

Highway Region 10

Member of Parliament (MP)

Jermaine Figueira in his statement called on the government to move ahead with the works that have beenbudgetedfor

“In January 2024, it was announced that US$183 million was earmarked for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, yet this much needed action remains noticeably absent. Why? How much more lives have to be lost for positive change?

Inthisregard,Iagaincall upon all road users to e x e r c i s e g r e a t e r responsibility as I implore the government to expedite necessary investments to fix

Expedite rehabilitation –Reg.10officials

this highway and for greater police presence to help curb the rampant recklessness on thisvitalroute,”hesaid.

While calling on the government to do its part, Figueira also called out drivers for reckless driving on the thoroughfare that is infamousforfatalaccidents.

“The urgent need for responsible road use while i n f

u r a l improvements are crucial, the behaviour of road users plays a pivotal role in ensuring safety Reckless driving, particularly by h e a v y - d u t y t r u c k s transporting sand, stones, and lum

s a significant threat to all road users.

These vehicles often speed, overlook traffic regulations,andoperatewith little regard for the safety of others, leading to frequent, sometimesfatal,accidents.

To every driver on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, consider this a plea for heightened vigilance and responsibility The highway

Third suspect in murder of man at ECD bus park nabbed

The third suspect in the murder of 33year-old John Williams, a machine operator at the East Coast Demerara (ECD) bus park, wasnabbedbypoliceonSaturday Williams of Martyr's Ville, Mon Repos, ECD was stabbed to death around 21:15hrs on Saturday at Commerce Street, Georgetown between Longden and Water Streets by three teenagers – two of them ages 14 and 15. Police on Tuesday identified the third suspect as 18-year-old Daniel Badley called “Sun Sun” of 41 Second Street, Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Badley has reportedly told investigators that he was in company of the other teen boys on the day ofWilliams'murder

On Monday, Kaieteur News reported that Williams was killed while three teenagers

triedtorobhimofhishaversack. Investigators learnt that Williams was walking north on Water Street with a green haversackonhisback.

When he turned east onto Commerce Street, the three suspects pounced on him from behind They tried to snatch his haversack but he fought and one of the teens stabbed him to his left chest. Williams fell motionless on the roadway and the suspects walked away from the scene.An ambulance was summoned and when it arrived, the Emergency Response Team pronounced Williams dead.Police managed to arrest two of the suspects that same night. They both admitted that they only wanted to rob Williams. They also told investigators who inflictedthefatalstabwound.

New $53 million training centre, labour office for Oronoque, Region One

The Ministry of Labour's Board of IndustrialTraining (BIT) will be establishing a $53 million technical training centre and labour office at Oronoque in Port Kaituma, Matarkaisub-district,RegionOne,following therecentsod-turningceremony When completed, residents will benefit fromarangeofskilltrainingprogrammesand services for the first time. The project is scheduled to be completed in six months and will feature similar design to the training centres currently being built in Corriverton and New Amsterdam in Region Six. This modern building will feature welding and fabricationandjoineryfacility,inaccordance withtheCaribbeanVocationalQualifications (CVQs)standards.

The plot of land was provided by the Ministry of Housing and Water in conjunction with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Additionally, a technical officer from BIT will be assigned to the area. Some 20 residents from Canal Bank and SebaiinRegionOnearealreadyparticipating in a four-month programme to become licensed small engine technicians, following therecentlaunchofthetrainingprogramme. Upon completion, these individuals will be able to pursue entrepreneurial ventures to earn an income. These training programmes are part of the government's broader developmental plan to provide training opportunities for Guyanese to be certified. (DPI)

is not merely a route for transportation but a shared space that requires mutual respect and adherence to traffic laws,” the Member of Parliamentsaid.

The MP, who is also a teacher, works at the same school with Dwalon Farrel who died in Monday's accident. Farrel was heading toLindenatthetimewiththe other passengers. Figueira said the loss of his colleague is particularly poignant, as he prioritised making an impactonhisstudents'lives.

Similar calls for rehabilitative works to commence were made by Linden's Deputy Mayor Dominique Blair, who said, “This incident underscores the urgent need for immediate action to address safety concerns on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway We cannot afford to wait for more lives to be lost before taking decisive steps to

ensure the safety of all road users...Iurgethegovernment to prioritise the necessary infrastructure improvements and maintenance work on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway without delay. Enhancements such as improved signage, road markings, and lighting, as well as measures to address any hazardous conditions, are essential to prevent future accidents and protect thelivesofourcitizens.”

Inadditiontocallsforthe r e h a b i l i t a t i o n a n d improveme

thoroughfare, citizens also made calls for the reopening of the healthcare facility at Long Creek. They believe thatthefacilitywouldenable swifter response when accidents occur on the highway It is believed that some of the lives lost, could have been saved had the response time been faster andmoreefficient.

M e a n w h i l e , t h e survivorsoftheaccidentsare all still warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). They are identified as Asha Grannum, Aubery Gandi, Rashana Burberry, and Ashana Rammacingo. Their conditionsarelistedasstable butserious.

Those who died in the accident are Rayhum Leacock, Clinton Patterson, Uranie Hall, Rushell Leacock,andDwalonFarrel.

A candle light vigil is being held in Kwakwani on Thursday, in honour of three of the five victims who lived there. They were journeying to Georgetown at the time of theaccident.

Meanwhile in Linden, teachers showed solidarity for their two colleagues who died by donning black to the planned Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) protest on Tuesday

Kaieteur News PAGE 21 Wednesday May 15, 2024
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Port Kaituma teen died from drowning - autopsy

...had also sustained head injuries

Anautopsyperformedon the remains of the Port Kaitumateen,FabioDaSilva, 19, found dead on Saturday revealed that he died from drowning.However,Government Pathologist, Nehaul Singh has reportedly advised detectives to conduct further investigations before wrap-

ping up the case because he discovered that DaSilva sustained head injuries.

Kaieteur News was told thattheheadinjuriesareconsistent with that of a fall. DaSilva'sremainswerefound floatingintheKaitumaRiver atPashielanding,CanalBank, Port Kaituma, North West

District,RegionOne.

An investigator said the possibilityexiststhatDaSilva could have hit his head after fallingorplungingoverboard.

AC Marriott owners get 16.5 acres of land...

From page 16 and young Guyanese professionals. The Executive Summary of the project details “Thearchitectureofthebuilding was designed and engineered using green and smart engineering technology in keepingwiththeLowCarbon DevelopmentStrategy(LCDS) along with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)andfulfillingthe sustainabledevelopmentgoal (SDG) 11 sustainable cities andcommunities.”

ThetransportedPlot“Jai” willbedevelopedforHousing and Commercial Retail to includeotherfacilitiesincluding restaurants, gym, running

track, pool, tennis court and even a doctor’s office. According to the Project Summary, construction is estimatedtobecompletedinone year, providing jobs to 150200constructionworkers.

Notably,mixed-usedevelopment, combining housing andcommercialretailspaces, can have several cumulative impacts on the environment and local community These impacts can include increasedtrafficcongestion,air andnoisepollution,strainon infrastructure such as water and sewage systems, and changes to the social fabric of the area. The investors have submitted a detailed

plantotheEPAoutliningmeasures to mitigate those environmentalandsocialimpacts.

Trinuyana Investments Inc. said impacts from the project willhaveminimaleffectswith the exception of short-term production of construction waste. The development also does not entail the removal, resettlement, disturbance of any third parties, or interruption of any livelihoods.

Dead, Fabio DaSilva

To find out if this might be the case, police have decided to conduct a “full fledge” investigation. Kaieteur News learnt that police will also be investigating DaSilva's last known whereabouts before he was found dead to see if there might have been any foul play involved in his death. Kaieteur News on Sundayreportedthattheteen was last seen alive on Friday nightduringadrinkingspree. His mother said that he did not return to their home that night and on Saturday morning, she went in search of her son only to discover that he was dead. Some relatives had said that DaSilva's body bore multiple marks of violencebutpolicehavesince ruled this out after crime scene experts found none. Others said he was observed imbibing with friends after whichtheyheardscreams.Investigations continue. Saturday revealed that hediedfromdrowning.

Trinuyana Investment Inc. is a partnership between a Guyanese consortium and Trinidadianinvestors.InJuly 2022, the sod was turned for theAC Marriott in Ogle.The four-star hotel is expected to feature150rooms.

PUSH Foundation makes donation to schools in Victoria

From page 17 qualityeducationtotheirstudents. Lastly, she visited a privately-owned nursery in the village to donate books andinteractedwiththepupils and teachers. Push foundation sponsored lunch for all the teachers and donated books and a desktop computer.Non-GovernmentalOrganization(NGO),‘Providing Unlimited Support and Hospitality (PUSH) members: LatoyaStaddon,DoreenPratt Ebai, Yvonne Ricketts, and Antoinette Hunter. Push Foundation is highly thankful to Sabrina Lutchman, OdelisMcSween,andLoretta Inverary for vitalizing outreach success. Staddon said they all played a vital role in the success of the outreach to the schools.

“Theirhelpwiththesponsored lunch, bingo learning games, and library poster signs was priceless,”

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Staddon said, adding: “Push Foundation is proud to have establishedalong-lastingrelationship with them, acknowledgingtheirdedicationto education as admirable and inspiring.

This is the second year in succession that the PUSH Foundation Inc. has reached out to schools in Victoria. Last year, the organisation donated cleaning supplies, books, etc. It gave financial awards to top students of one of the schools. Founded in 2022, PUSH Foundation

Inc. empowers communities globally, from the US to the Caribbean and Africa. Push Foundation is a non-profit venture that assists immigrantfamiliesandchildrenby providing specialisation mentorship and innovative coaching programs that enable self-sufficiency and resources to integrate into the community. Push

Foundation’s other ventures includesupportingcommunitiesthroughsupplies,clothes, toiletries,teachingassistance initiatives, and other crucial

necessities for children attending school globally.Speaking to the KaieteurNews,Staddon,said as a Caribbean-American with a primary school upbringinginVictoria,Guyana, sheisproudtobeabletogive back to her community. She said her education-based specialisations and past experiences “have made her conclude that our homes deservethesamelevelofattentionthatwehaveprovidedfor the local communities; we have served in the USA.”

Norton signals new form of protest

From page 12

government did was to put most public servants on contracts. This, he said, led to a situation where, “you were easily fired; (since) you are not a public servant.” According to Norton, this has alsoinherentlyledtothedecimation of many of the trade unions that are no longer vibrant.Doubling down on thenewpositionhereminded that“…withalltheprotestwe

hadin1997;westillendedup at the bargaining table.”

Protests, he said are no longer leading to regime changes,evenwhileinsisting “…wewillprotestbuttheform of protest has to change; the kind of protests that we are accustomed to, whether we like it or not, the government has done everything to cripple it.”According to Norton, this has now led the party to seek out new forms

of protest in order to achieve the party’s objective without exposing its support base to the “viciousness of the PPP/ C.”According to the opposition leader, many persons have told the party’s leadership flat out, while they are supportive of the APNU+AFC; “…manyofthemhavesaidtheir livelihoodswerevirtuallycompromised if they didn’t go that route—joining up with thePPP/Cpublicly

Govt. concerned about school dropout...

From page 14 Union’s President, Dr. Mark Lyte had said that since the 29-day strike held in February, the Union was unable to have discussions with the governmentonthemulti-year proposals for increases in salaries. It was reported that the multi-year proposal covers a period of five years, 2019to2023.TheUnionhad proposed a 25 percent salary increasein2019anda20per-

centincreasefor2020-2023.In a statement back in March, the ministry’s Chief Education Officer (CEO), Saddam Hussain had maintained the Ministry of Education’s position on the GTU multi-year agreement has not changed adding that “any multi-year agreementmuststartfromthe year2024,notretroactively.”

At another press conference on Friday last, Lyte had said that they were ready to

go to arbitration over the stalled salary talks. The disclosure was made during a press conference at the Union’s headquarters on Woolford Avenue. Dr. Lyte was asked to what extent the union is willing to go in pursuing the grievance procedure; given that the government has refused to discuss thetimeframetheyrequested the collective bargaining agreement.

PAGE 22 Kaieteur News Wednesday May 15, 2024

No resumption of work unless Govt. offers something tangible - GTU

…talks with Education Ministry to continue on Monday

The second day of discussions between the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) ended in a stalemate and with the GTU assuring that it will remain on strike if the ministry refuses to place a tangible solutiononthetable.

Nationwide strike resumed on Monday followingtheinabilityofthe two sides to come to an amicablesolution.However, both sides met to discuss the terms of resumption but have since been unable to agree.

The GTU has been callingonthegovernmentto hike teachers' salaries and have since put a multi-year agreement 2019-2023 to the g o v e r n m e n t f o r

c o n s i d e r a t i o n T h e government has since refused to accept the proposal, noting that it is only prepared to engage the Union on salary matters from 2024 onwards. This resulted in the Union utilisingindustrialaction.

The two sides have not been involved in Collective Bargaining, an element integral to the resolution of thestalemate.

On Tuesday night, General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta McDonald told Kaieteur News that the Unionrequestedthatseveral phrases be added to the Terms of Resumption, the two sides were discussing but the ministry did not agreetothem.

“We deliberated on the fact that we cannot trust any word that comes out of the officials of the Ministry of Education, because once bitten, twice shy, ” McDonald said She continued, “So in order for us to resume duty fully and call the strike off, to have a full resumption, it means that we would need to have something that is tangible forustoholdonto.Thusfar, the ministry is not prepared to release anything that is tangible...”

It should be noted that the process of Conciliation

hasnotyetstarted.

The General Secretary underscored that the Union has been very lenient with the government and the ministry She noted too that the GTU is eager to have the issueresolved.

“But we are not going to go down that same road that we went down a few months ago, unless we have something tangible coming from the Ministry of Education with regard to the resumption of duties, there will be no resumption of duties,”McDonaldstated. She shared too that on Monday the talks with the Education Ministry will continue.

On February 5, teachers fromacrossthecountrytook to the streets to protest for better wages and salaries. This action went on for almost a month and resulted in a court battle between the Union and the government. In response to the GTU's i n d u s t r i a

government had announced t

Close to $1B in contracts signed to upgrade police stations, wharves

The Ministry of Home Affairs has embarked on a significant transformation of the Guyana Police Force's (GPF) infrastructure with the signing of contracts totalling$963,829,709forcapitalprojects. These projects, signed on Monday, encompass the construction and rehabilitation of police stations and wharves acrossRegionsOne,Three,Four,andSix.In RegionOne,theImboteroPoliceStationwill undergo reconstruction for $144,900,000, with two new wharves at Mabaruma and Morawhanna to be constructed for a total of $111,997,350.

In Region Three, major infrastructural works totalling $88,942,350 will be carried outattheDenAmstelPoliceStation.Region FourwillwitnessthereconstructionofNorth Ruimveldt, Beterverwagting, and Mahaica Police Stations, with a combined investment of$386,442,767.

Additionally, the highway patrol base will be upgraded to a police station for $121,687,160. In Region Six, the Orealla Police Station will undergo complete rehabilitation works amounting to $109,860,082. The contracts were signed in the ministry's boardroom between Permanent Secretary Andre Ally and the contractors in the presence of Minister of HomeAffairs,RobesonBenn.

Lusignan Prison inmate escapes, supervising officer under close arrest

An inmate of the

Minister Benn emphasised the importance of timely completion and adherence to quality standards, warning of consequences for non-compliance “All projectsshouldbecompletedatorwithinthe budget. There should not be any surprises. We've noticed some issues with the time and the quality, which seem to stem from a lack of attention to the contract's distinct terms and conditions. It's crucial that we all, as a team, understand and adhere to these conditions for successful project delivery.”

MinisterBennstressed.

Theministeraddedthatsternactionswill betakenagainstthosecontractorswhofailto comply with the ministry “We terminated a few contracts last month because people didn't takeus seriously We were not the first government agency to do that. But we are coming under tremendous pressure to meet what is called the Public Sector Investment Programme(PSIP),”theministerrecounted.

Minister Benn emphasised the importanceofopencommunicationbetween contractors and the ministry, urging them to promptly report any issues encountered during the construction process Additionally, he stressed the critical need to ensure the safety of workers at all times by providing them with the necessary safety gear (DPI)

participated in the strike action – salaries will be deducted. However, GTU challengedthegovernment's decision in court and on April 19, 2024, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon ruled in favour of the teachers, affirming the legality of the strike and prohibiting the g o v e r n m

deductions.

The current nationwide teachers' strike is expected to continue as the talks between the Union and the EducationMinistrycontinue with hopes of meeting an agreement to have the educators back in the classrooms.

Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara (ECD) escaped on Tuesday while labouring at the snackette in the compound of the Cecil Kilkenny Training School. The escapee has been identified as Jose Awad Reports are that Awad, of Redlock Lima Sand, Essequibo, escaped around 13:00h. He was serving two years for break and enter and simple larceny According to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), the prisoner was left unsupervised for a short period of ti e when he made m good his escape Several search teams were dispatched in different areas in an effort to recapture the inmate. The Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot has urged the public, as well as the escapee's relatives and friends, to provide any relevant information regarding his whereabouts to the Officer-in-Charge at the

Lusignan Prison or the nearest police station so that he can be returned to prison. All information will be t r e a t e d w i t h s t r i c t confidentiality The GPS also called on the escapee to surrender to avoid serious confrontation that is likely to involve the use of force. Meanwhile, as investigations continue, the supervising officer will be under close arrest.

Kaieteur News PAGE 23 Wednesday May 15, 2024
a t t e a
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o m implementing salary
The escapee has been identified as Jose Awad.

DDL products denied entry into T&T

...company calls for export standards to be implemented across CARICOM

A p p r o x i m a t e l y

US$100,000 worth of p a c k a g e d m i l k a n d

US$40,000 of flavoured bottled water produced by Demerara Distillers Limited have been denied entry into TrinidadandTobago.

Executive Chairman of DDL, Komal Samaroo called an urgent press conference on Tuesday where he ventilated his concerns regarding what he described as “extremely onerous and stringent p r o c e s s e s ” f o r t h e importation of animal and animal-based products into TrinidadandTobago.

In March this year, DDL exported four 20-foot shipping containers to T&T basedonanevaluationofthe Trinidad Market by a Trinidadian business enterprise The company saidithasalwaysutilisedthe services of a partner in the m a r k e t w h o i s knowledgeable of the regulations The DDL Chairman explained that while two containers of packaged milk products were denied entry and returned to Guyana, the bottled water products have been restricted from sale pendingthecompletionofan “ u n c o n v e n t i o n a l l y exhaustive examination” of theproducts.

He said on May 13, DDL engaged with a team from the Ministry of Trade of Trinidad and Tobago to discuss the rejection of its milk exports “We were advised of an extremely onerous and stringent process for the importation ofAnimalandAnimal-based productsbasedonprovisions

of Trinidad and Tobago's Animal Disease and Importation Act 2020,” he said.

The DDL Chairman told reporters that his company adhered to the regulations as advised by their Trinidadian expert, however the companywasunawareofthe additional requirements. In fact,Samarooposited,“DDL find these requirements contrarytothespiritofintraregional trade especially since we are reliably informedthatGuyanahasno suchreciprocalrequirements fortheimportationofsimilar products from Trinidad and Tobago.”

DDL currently exports the same products to three other Caribbean states includingSuriname,St.Kitts and Barbados and has not encountered such barriers to trade. The Chairman said that the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President Irfaan Ali was informed of the situation and was shocked and is committed to resolving the issue. To this end, Samaroo explained, “If you are going to accept as a norm, different set of rules and different standards then we can't have free trade. It hastobeonacommonbasis.

The European Union, the North American Free Traders, all on common basis.You can't have a set of rules that an exporter to your market has to go through these hurdles and then you have ready access to everybody else. It is wrong.”

Kaieteur News asked the Samaroo whether he was calling for a standard to be setacrossCARICOMforthe

Man electrocuted by his own illegal connection

A 36-year-old taxi driver was reportedly electrocuted on Sunday by an illegal connection he set up at his Church Street, Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara(WBD)home.

DeadisRondelWilson.

Police said that Wilson's body was found around 12:10hrs in a drain next to his home.“It is alleged that thedeceased(Wilson)setup

import and export of products among member states. Heresponded, “Iam calling for whatever it takes to allow even access to each market.” When asked if this would be a suggestion to government, he said, “absolutely.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in a press release issued late Tuesday night said that it has, along with the Ministry of Agriculture, been made aware of the non-acceptance of dairy products produced by “one of the country's largest producers of dairy products which was destined for the Republic of Trinidad andTobago”.

The Ministry reminded thatundertheRevisedTreaty of Chaguaramas, the implementation of the

CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) to which both Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana subscribe requires free movement of goods and services under the regional integrationframework.

“The refusal of entry to the dairy products wholly produced in Guyana by CARICOM member state is an affront to the spirit of Caribbean integration agendaandmustnotbe accepted,” the Ministry ofForeignAffairssaid.

Acknowledging that regional products must satisfythenecessarysanitary and phytosanitary rules, the technical regulations as well as any product specific rules of origin required to qualify the products for regional preferential treatment, the

ministry said that “available information indicates that the dairy products from Guyana destined into Trinidad andTobago were in full compliance with these requirements”.

Further, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that while some details about the transaction and what led to the incident are still being discussed, the Guyana Livestock Development Agency (GLDA) remains in close contact with its counterparts in Trinidad and Tobago, the exporter and the importer to resolve this matter within the shortest possibletime.

“Guyana remains committed to ensuring that nationals who wish to exerciseortakeadvantageof rightsgrantedbytheRevised Treaty of Chaguaramas and other regional protocol undertheintegrationagenda, are not unduly restricted. Guyana has opened its m a r k e t t o r e g i o n a l producers, it is expected that market access for products from Guyana into any CARICOM country is guaranteed for full benefits of regional integration to be realized,” the press release said.

Israeli protesters block aid trucks destined for Gaza

(BBC NEWS) Israeli protesters blocked aid trucks destined for Gaza on Monday, throwing food packages onto the road and ripping bags of grain open intheoccupiedWestBank.

The lorries, which were set upon at the Tarqumiya checkpoint west of Hebron, came from Jordan and were headed to the Gaza Strip, where people are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

The White House has condemned the attack, describing the "looting" of aidconvoysas"atotaloutrage".

The group reportedly behind the protest said they were demonstrating against the continued detention of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Unverified footage shared on social media showed protesters toppling boxes from lorries onto the ground, and stomping on them once they had fallen. Some videos appeared to show vehicles being set on fire later in the evening. The BBC has not been able to independently verify these. According to reports in Israeli media, the Tzav 9 activist group were responsiblefororganisingtheprotest.

diversion system in his building, with several live electric wires in close proximity”policesaidwhile adding that “Residents in the area reportedly heard a loud noise (an explosion) as the deceased was tending to the wires at the time of the incident”.

Police are investigating thematter

Israeli media reports describe it as a right-wing group which is seeking to halt humanitarian aid transfers into Gaza while Israeli hostages are held there.

OneprotestertoldAFPnewsagency she was at the checkpoint on Monday because she heard aid trucks were on "their way to the hands of the Hamas, who are trying to kill other soldiers and otherIsraelicitizens".

Hana Giat, 33, said "no food should go into Gaza" until Israeli hostages are

returned"healthyandalive".

In a statement cited by the JerusalemPost,Tzav9rejectedsomeof the protesters' actions, saying that "acts were committed today that are not in line with the values of our movement".

It added, however, that "blocking the trucks is an effective and practical step in which we shout that 'no aid passes until the last of the hostages returns'". Fourprotesters,includingaminor,were arrested at the demonstration, according to a statement from their lawyers.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the protesters' behaviour was "completely and utterly unacceptable"andtheWhiteHousewas raising its concerns with "the highest leveloftheIsraeligovernment".

The humanitarian situation in Gaza - the intended destination of the aid trucks - is a matter of grave concern among many in the international community

The UN's World Food Programme haswarnedthatPalestiniansinnorthern Gaza are experiencing a "full-blown famine".

In the south, where most Palestinians have sought refuge, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated after Israel launched an operation in eastern Rafah, closing the entry point for aid via Egypt. Aid agencies say getting supplies through another southern crossing, Kerem Shalom, is also extremely difficult due to the securitysituationthere.

Israel has long maintained that it is committed to facilitating deliveries of

humanitarian aid into and within Gaza and has accused Hamas of stealing the aiddesignatedforcivilians.

Theincidentcameonthesamedaya UN staff member was killed and another injured as they travelled to a hospital in Gaza. Monday's incident coincidedwithIsrael'smemorialday,as the country stopped to pay its respects to those who have lost their lives in war andterrorism.

According to Israel's defence ministry, the names of 826 people from thesecurityforceswereaddedtothelist of the country's fallen this year, alongside 834 victims of terrorist attacks. Almost all of them were from the 7 October Hamas attacks and the warthatfollowedinGaza.

Israellaunchedamilitarycampaign inGazatodestroyHamasinresponseto thegroup'sattackonsouthernIsraellast year, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage. More than 35,090 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run healthministry

WhiletheIsraelioffensivehasbeen focused on the Gaza Strip, tensions betweenIsraelisettlersandPalestinians intheWestBankhaveheightenedsince the start of the war Around 700,000 Israelis live in 160 settlements alongside2.7millionPalestiniansinthe occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the settlement watchdogPeaceNow

The international community regards the settlements as illegal, althoughIsraeldisputesthis.

Kaieteur News PAGE 24 Wednesday May 15, 2024
an illegal electrical
Executive Chairman of DDL, Komal Samaroo
Kaieteur News PAGE 25 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Kaieteur News PAGE 26 Wednesday May 15, 2024

Seven advance to round of 16 including...

From page 28

Secondary, along with one loss to Queen's College. They netted a total of four goals, with two credited to Naomi Wilson, and one each from SerinaCoyandNikitaJames. Bartica Secondary School earned the top spot in their group in Region Seven (Cuyuni Mazaruni) after winning a best-of-three series against their sole opponent, Three Miles Secondary With a total of nine points secured, Nerismar Williams led the scoring with four goals, while Noriamar Wikkiams and N i c o l a J o s e p h e a c h contributed two and Kelys Williams added one to the tally

In Region Ten (Upper

D e m e r a r a - B e r b i c e ) , MackenzieHighassertedtheir dominance in their group, concluding with thirteen points. They recorded wins

over ChristianburgWismar

S e c o n d a r y, L i n d e n Foundation, and Wisburg Secondary, combined with a draw against New Silvercity Secondary Additionally, they received a walkover from Harmony Secondary In total, they scored five goals with Zareika Caesar contributing threeofthem. Also joining the Round of 16 fray is Christianburg Wismar Secondary, who secured eight points by defeating Wisburg Secondary and Harmony Secondary, drawing with Linden Foundation and New Silvercity Secondary, and facing a loss against Mackenzie High. Their tengoal collection showcased six strikes from Natalya Huntley, three from ShamikaAlphonso andonefromCrystalMoore.

GFF President Wayne

Forde commended the

dedication showcased by all participating teams and congratulated the winning squads.

“The last two weekends have produced nothing short of fantastic football. We saw some exciting matches. Just seeing the young ladies out there… enjoying themselves and not being too broken even though the results may not havegoneintheirfavour.”

“It's encouraging for me and my team who are working hard behind the scenes to make sure the tournament is a success. We have a few more weeks of the tournament left andIthinkthemomentumwill build and we can expect to see manymoreexcitingmatches.”

In a post-match interview following the group trophy win, Queens College captain Kenisha Benedict disclosed that students were initially reluctant to join the team due

Wednesday May 15, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

You'll find that you have a much better than usual connection with the people around you, Aries Your psychic sense is acute, and you should use this sixth sense to pick up things that otherpeoplemightmiss.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Be persistent and don't give up the fight today, Taurus. It might seem as if you aren't making progress and that it's harder to make decisions aboutanything.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Your current plan of attack may run into some snags today, Gemini This might be caused by an emotional need that you may not have recognizedearlier

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You may need to take a more disciplined approach to your communication today, Cancer Trynottobesoharsh andlimitingwithyourwords.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

This is an excellent day for you,Leo Youshouldfindthat things are running smoothly and to your advantage Watch outforthosewhomaywantto rainonyourparade.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You may feel rather lazy and out of touch today, Virgo. It could be that your emotions have taken a stronger hold on your psyche than your rationalwayofthinking.

to fear, but a collective decision was eventually made tocompeteand"doourbest."

"When we won the first

couple of rounds, we were so surprised with ourselvesandsohappyandwe knew that the next time we came out to play again we woulddoourbest,”sheadded.

Tournament Coordinator

L a v e r n F r a s e r a l s o congratulated the winning teams and shared that she is looking forward to the forthcoming weeks of competitionwithoptimism.

“Movingforward,Idonot foresee any difficulties because so far things have beengoingwell.”

Sixty schools and more than a thousand student athletes are competing in the championship which marks the start of the FIFA Football F o r S c h o o l ( F 4 S ) programme's competitive stage.

Dolphin Swim Club takes GASAto...

From page 29

accountability but also to uphold the integrity of the sport and ensurefaircompetitionforallathletes.DolphinSwimClubasserts the critical importance of organizations adhering to the highest standards of transparency and honesty in all their dealings, especially concerning the accountability of funding from international organizations.Moreover, the club finds GASA's suspensionwithoutahearingordueprocessdeeplyconcerning. Interestingly, the club revealed that subsequent meetings followingthesuspensionsawGASAagreeingtorevoketheunjust sanction against Dolphin Speed Swim Club. Instead, they committedtoestablishing,documenting,andadheringtoaproper procedure for addressing alleged violations.Dolphin Speed Swim Club additionally urged the Guyana OlympicAssociation (GOA) to utilize its influence to guarantee the preservation of the fundamental principles and values of Olympism within GASA.The Club reiterated their unwavering dedication to fostering a culture of integrity, fairness, and respect within the swimmingcommunity (Rawle Toney)

Flow

named Official and Exclusive....

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Todayisagooddaytodream, Libra Be aware that structured forces may try to convince you that the route you want to take isn't the mostpractical.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

You might feel like your emotions are up in the air, Scorpio. As soon as you feel emotional, there may be a more structured force telling youtobereasonable.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Throughout the day you may getthefeelingthatsomething has changed in the way people relate to each other, Sagittarius. It will be as if people are surer of themselves,moreopen,more expressive.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Your head is filled with passion today, Sagittarius, and you may be feeling a bit moresentimentalthanusual.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

It may be difficult to express your

lf fully today, Aquarius Somehowthewords aren't coming out quite as clearly as you'd like Powerful emotionsaregettingintheway

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

You might need to hold your tongue today, Pisces People's feelings are more easily hurt now, and the slightest criticism could be misinterpreted as a terrible insult.

F4S, jointly launched by FIFA, the GFF, and the Government of Guyana on May 12, 2022, aims to contribute to the education, d e v e l o p m e n t a n d empowerment of students across Guyana.On May 18, the spotlight will shift to the student athletes representing the six remaining regions, including contenders from the East Bank, East Coast and GeorgetownSouthzones.

From page 31 andFlowallowsustodothis, asweaimtodevelopthesport of cricket across the Caribbean and partner with Corporate Caribbean and other stakeholders.“We are thrilled to have Flow as the exclusive Presenting Partner for the T20 World Cup's volunteer programme, and we look forward to ensuring this collaboration helps us to deliver an out of this world tournament.”

More than 900 volunteers from across the West Indies will participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Volunteer Programme, which

willserveasacornerstonefor supporting various aspects of the tournament including hospitality, logistics, and fan engagement.

As the Presenting Partner for the Volunteer Programme in the Caribbean, Flow will also play a pivotal role in ensuring volunteers are fully prepared to elevate the experience when tens of thousands of fans, media, players, and officials visit the WestIndiesinJune.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 blasts off on 1 June with the tournament's first match featuring USA taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Full match fixtures are available Match tickets, including party-stand tickets for Caribbean fixtures, and hospitality packages are a v a i l a b l e a t tickets.t20worldcup.com. Box offices across the Caribbean are now open and tickets are available for sale there. Locations and operatinghoursareavailable.

A dream...

From page 33 promotion, which required iBETcustomerstospend$2000 or more to qualify, offered consolation prizes, one of which an iPhone 15 Pro—waswonbyNeerajKhan. "I signed up about two weeks ago and have been playing ever since. So, two weeks later, winning an iPhone feels great! I'm really happy! I find iBET fun to play,” Khan shared.DellonCaesar,whotook home the third-place prize of a 55” Samsung Smart TV, expressedhisdisappointmentat not winning the trip to the Champions League finals However, he found solace in concluding the promotion with a prize.”I'm happy to have won this television; it's actually my second TV win with iBET," Caesar remarked, encouraging others to sign up and join the sportsbettingplatform.

Kaieteur News PAGE 27 Wednesday May 15, 2024
se

GFF- Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls' National Secondary School Championship...

Seven advance to round of 16 including top finishers Waramuri Primary, Bartica Secondary, Queen's College and Mckenzie High

Waramuri Primary, Bartica Secondary, Queen's College, and McKenzie High have topped their respective groups in the Guyana Football Federation-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls' National Secondary School Championship, booking their spots in the Roundof16.

Following two intense weekends on May 4 and 11, thecompetitionhasreacheda boiling point with parents, coaches and student athletes eagerly anticipating which teams will be the next to advancetothesecondround.

Waramuri Primary has emerged as the standout performer in Region One (BarimaWaini), dominating their group and creating history as the first school to progresstotheRoundof16. With an unblemished

record, they clinched victory inthreeconsecutivematches, defeating Santa Rosa Secondary, Kwebanna Primary and Kamwatta

Primary and accumulating nine points. They netted a total of eleven times, spearheadedbyAlliaHenry's remarkable seven goals,

Queen’s College vs St. John’s College – The battle is on between Queen’s College and St. John’s College.

supported by Sada LaCruz with two, and Erica Harris and Norismar Williams each chipping in one to the scoreboard.

Trailing closely behind is Santa Rosa Secondary, securing their place in the next round with six points garnered from victories over Kwebanna Primary and Kamwatta Primary, despite a sole defeat against Waramuri Primary Their goal tally reached ten, with Veronica Chatta leading the charge with six goals, backed by L

valuablecontributions.

Q u e e n

C o l l e g e dominated Georgetown North within Region Four (Demerara Mahaica), securing five consecutive wins and an impressive fifteen points. They defeated N e w C a m p b e l l v i l l e Secondary, Institute of Academic Excellence, North Georgetown Secondary, C h a s e ' s A c a d e m i c Foundation and St. John's College, with a total of seventeen goals to their

credit Rachel Joseph contributed with nine spectacular goals, closely followed byAnika DeFreitas with seven, while Rebekah Joseph added one to the s c h o o l ' s t a l l y N e w Campbellville Secondary a l s o a d v a n c e d b y accumulating eight points from two wins against St John's College and Chase's Academic Foundation, two draws to Institute of Academic Excellence and NorthGeorgetown (Continued on page 27)

Back to basic!

- NSC 3-stage cycle race returns to original starting point

The Independence Three Stage cycling road race will pedal off from its original starting point, following a meeting held yesterday between Director of Sport, SteveNinvalle,andpresident of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), Horace Burrowes.

Scheduled for May 1819, the race is sponsored by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and stands as the GCF's flagship eventonitsannualcalendar Previously, there were concerns raised by several of the country's top clubs and cyclists who threatened to boycott the event, due to proposed alterations by the GCFtotherouteoftheinitial leg.

However, this year, the GCF had proposed starting the race from New Amsterdam, then proceeding to the Corentyne before returningtoNewAmsterdam forthefinish.

On May 4, a group of cyclists, mainly from top local clubs, sent a letter to Burrowes expressing their disagreement with the proposed change to the first stage'scourse.

Yesterday,theDirectorof Sport informed Kaieteur News that a meeting had been held with the GCF president, after which it was agreed that the race would revert to its original starting point.

The second leg starts from the Berbice Bridge and concludes at CARIFESTA Avenue, while the third and final stages pedal off from

Traditionally, since its establishment in 1983, the first leg of the Three Stage race starts from Corriverton and concludes in New Amsterdam.

The GCF 3-Stage Race has consistently stood out on the sporting calendar, showcasing top cycling talent from both local and internationalarenas.

With three demanding stages, the race provides a formidable platform for riders to showcase their endurance, skill, and determination.

In last year's edition, Phillip Clarke of Barbados claimed the top honours, accruing 35 points to narrowly surpass Guyana's Romello Crawford and Curtis Dey, both with 34 pointseach.

Following closely were Robin Persaud (27), Alexander Leung (17), Emmanuel Gayral with 11 points, and Jorryn Simpson, also with 11 points, completingthetoppositions.

Kaieteur News PAGE 28 Wednesday May 15, 2024
etisha Austin's four
s
Kara Kara, Linden, to finish onHomestretchAvenue. Bartica Secondary School

ExxonMobil Boy's and Girl's U14 Football Championship kickoff delayed by a week

The eagerly anticipated fifth edition of the ExxonMobil Boy's and Girl's Under-14 Football Championship, slated to commence this Saturday (May 18),hasencounteredaminorhiccup.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the tournament's kickoff has been rescheduledtoSaturday,May25.

This update was confirmed yesterday during the customary Team Briefing hosted by the Petra Organisation, the tournament's dedicated coordinator Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of Petra, addressed the

circumstances beyond their (the

organisation) control necessitated the delay Consequently, the championship will now commence on May 25 at the MinistryofEducationround.

Despite the slight delay, excitement remains palpable as 56 teams, comprising32Boy'sand24Girl'steams prepare to vie for the coveted titles. Notably,thisyear'seventpromisestobe the largest in terms of participation since its inception, building on four yearsofsuccessfultournaments.

With an extended wait, anticipation is sure to reach fever pitch as the tournament approaches its new start dateonMay25.

DolphinSwimClubtakesGASAtoWorldAquaticsIntegrityCommittee

The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) might be causing a splash within World Aquatics, but unfortunately, notforpositivereasons.

Dolphin Speed Swim Club recently addressed the IntegrityUnitofswimming's global governing body, highlighting certain actions taken by GASA, but more importantly the club's suspension from the Association.

According to a letter obtained by Kaieteur News, Dolphin Swim Club raised concerns regarding the abrupt suspension of their clubwithoutdueprocess.

They also pointed out alleged violations of the

World Aquatics Integrity Code, including accusations of discrimination and favoritism, as well as the admission of forgery of documentationbyamember.

T h e s e r e c e n t developments have sparked widespread concern and a call for greater transparency within the local swimming community Dolphin Speed Swim

Club highlighted its unwavering dedication to upholding the core principles of fairness, integrity, and inclusivity in aquaticsports.

They asserted that all accusations of misconduct are taken seriously, firmly believing in the importance

ofthoroughinvestigation.

Theswimclubpointedto the importance of fair proceedings, stating that any findings must be disclosed and all involved parties should have the chance to defend themselves during a hearing.

They noted the need for all mitigating and, if applicable, aggravating factors to be considered before determining any wrongdoing and imposing sanctions.

“It is our firm belief that every athlete deserves equal opportunities and fair treatment, regardless of their background, affiliation, or st

swimming community We

Golden Jaguars hunting

‘W'

tonight - Golden Jaguars head coach satisfied with team performance

Golden Jaguars head coach Jamaal Shabazz aims to conclude the two-match friendly against the Soca Warriors on a positive note as the two teams clash tonight at the Hasely Crawford Stadium at 7:00pm.

In their first encounter on Monday, TrinidadandTobagopickedupanarrow21winoverGuyana,courtesyofgoalsfrom Ezekiel Kezar and veteran Kevon 'Showtime'Woodley

Kelsey Benjamin notched his seventh international goal in the 47th minute, maintaining the Golden Jaguars' balanced record against Trinidad and Tobago with three wins and three draws in their last six encounters.

Reflecting on the match, Shabazz expressed satisfaction with the performance of his predominantly inexperienced Golden Jaguars line-up, comprised mainly of players from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League.In fact, on Monday, Shabazz fielded an all-local starting line-up, comprisingofmostlyplayersfromthetwo

unbeaten clubs in the Elite League, Slingerz FC andGuyanaDefenceForce(GDF).

Shabazz opted to start Jamine Cumberbatch (GDF) in goal, while the rest of the line-up included Jeremy Garrett (Slingerz FC), Quincy Adams(SlingerzFC),LeoLovell(SlingerzFC), Darron Niles (Slingerz FC), Curtez Kellman (Slingerz FC), Amos Ramsay (GDF), Kelsey Benjamin(GDF),RyanHackett(GDF),Stephen McDonald (GDF), and DanielWilson (Captain) fromWesternTigers.

As both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago utilize the two friendlies as part of their preparation for the FIFAWorld Cup Qualifiers, Shabazz emphasized that these matches will playacrucialroleinshapingtheGoldenJaguars' identityandplayingphilosophy

“Not bad,” Shabazz said of his side's performance against his regional rival, “coming out of the league, some of them for the first time (playing International football). I'm prepared to gobackinwiththesameapproach.Maybethrow somefacesaroundandseehowitlooks.”

Guyana will kick off their FIFA World Cup QualifiercampaignonJune6againstPanamain Panama City, while the Soca Warriors will host GrenadaonJune5.

have filed the attached formal complaint with the Aquatics Integrity Unit (an independent arm of World Aquatics charged with administering the Aquatics IntegrityCode),detailingthe alleged violations and providing evidence to support our claims,” the

swim club said They

objective in taking this action is not only to demand

(Continued on page 27)

Kaieteur News PAGE 29 Wednesday May 15, 2024
anding within the
expressed that their
gathering, explaining that
Petra's officials and MoE representative (seated) share photo opportunity with representatives from participating schools at yesterday's briefing

T20 World Cup 2024 - India allotted Guyana semi-final

on June 27

If they qualify for the knockouts, India will play their last-four match in Providence

ESPNcricinfo - India will play the second semifinal of the men's T20 World Cup on June 27 in Providence, Guyana, if they qualify for the knockouts stage The ICC's playing c o n d i t i o n s f o r t h e tournament, accessed by ESPNcricinfo,confirmsthis. India have likely been allotted the Guyana semifinal because of the match timings.

The first semi-final in Tarouba, Trinidad, is a night game, set to be played from 8.30pm local time on June 26

Medvedev has never successfully defended an ATP Tour title. (Getty Images)

- which in India is 6am on June 27. The Guyana semifinal, however, will start at 10.30am local time, which is a far more TV-friendly 8pm inIndia.

The final in Bridgetown, Barbados,isalsoadaygame, starting 10am local time on June29,or7.30pminIndia.

The playing conditions have also confirmed that there will be no reserve day for the second semi-final. Instead, there will be 250 minutesofextratimeallotted to the match - rather than the 190 minutes allotted to the

first semi-final and the final, which have reserve days - to tryandensureafinishincase t h e r e a r e w

a t h e r interruptions.

This additional hour of extra time has been added on because the tournament schedule allows no time for a reserve day, with only a oneday gap between the second semi-finalandthefinal.

The second semi-final couldbeinforatightsqueeze in case of persistent rain, particularly because in semifinals and finals at ICC events, a decisive result can

Dominant Swiatek sails into Italian Open semi-finals

BBC Sport - World number one Iga Swiatek breezed into the semi-finals of the Italian Open with a straight-set victory over 18thseedMadisonKeys.

The22-year-oldPole,whotookthetitlein Rome in 2021 and 2022, wrapped up the 6-1 6-3 win in 77 minutes.It is the second time in 13 days that Swiatek has triumphed against Keys, beating the American by the same scorelineintheMadridOpenlastfour

Swiatek will face third seed Coco Gauff orAustralian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen next.Swiatek has yet to drop a set in the Italian capital ahead of her French Open title defencelaterthismonth.

The four-time Grand Slam winner is aiming to become the first woman since SerenaWilliamsin2013towinback-to-back singlestitlesinMadridandRomeinthesame season.

Medvedev title defence ended by Paul

Inthemen'sevent,DaniilMedvedev's titledefencecametoanendafterhefellto a 6-1 6-4 defeat by American 14th seed Tommy Paul.The Russian's exit means world number five Alexander Zverev, whodefeatedPortugal'sNunoBorges6-2 7-5 on Thursday, is the highest ranked player left in the tournament World number two Jannik Sinner and thirdranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew because of injury before the event, while top seed Novak Djokovic was knocked out by AlejandroTabilointhesecondround.

Tabilo followed up his surprise win over the Serb by upsetting Russian 16th seed KarenKhachanov

The Chilean, ranked 32nd in the world, won 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (12-10) to reach his first ATPMasters1,000quarter-final. HewillplayChina'sZhangZhizhen,who defeatedBrazilianqualifierThiagoMonteiro 7-6(7-4)6-3.

American Taylor Fritz overcame BulgarianeighthseedGrigorDimitrov6-267 (11-13) 6-1 after letting a match point slip duringa20-minutesecond-settie-break. Fritz, the 11th seed, will now take on Zverev, while Paul's victory over Medvedev means he will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the last eight.Hurkacz fought back from a set down to beat Sebastian Baez ofArgentina 5-77-6(7-4)6-4.

Swiatek will begin her bid for a fourth French Open title later this month. (Getty Images)

only be achieved if both teams have batted for at least tenoverseach.

In most T20 games, the team batting second only has

Guyana can expect a serious influx of India fans in the lead-up to the semi-final on June 27. (BCCI)

to bat for five overs for a result to be achieved in shortened games, and this remains the case for the majority of games at the T20

GGA President credits Minister Priya Manickchand for helping Golf's growth

The Development of Golf in Guyana by Guyanese golfer, golf course designer/builder and Master Coach Aleem Hussain in partnershipwiththeMinistry of Education, the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy startedthreeyearsago. Hussain, who is the president of the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy (previously president of the Lusignan Golf Course 2017-2020) credits the rapid growth of the sport to a shared vision with Minister Priya Manickchand.

NexgenGolfAcademy,is currently the only training facilityinthecountrythatisa certified LPGA/USGA Girls Site, offering opportunities and scholarships to young womenandchildren.

However, what he's most passionate about is the development of the sport amongst young players and changingthegametomakeit more accessible and affordable, introducing an innovative approach to

shortening the game and playing at night similar to 20/20cricket.Inlessthantwo years, Nexgen Golf and Allied Arts has trained teachers in 8/10 regions on golf and in September 2023, the Priority Programme was introduced in Guyana's Secondary schools and Golf quickly grew to be the sport ofchoiceamongstlearners.

By this time, results from CSEC had shown that over 300 students had taken Golf as their PE elective, achieving 100% pass rate with93%atGradeI.

By January 2024, with

Grades 7-9 students in 38 schoolsparticipatinginGolf, over 13,000 young students were actively engaged in a sport.

Additionally,Golfisnow also being promoted to trainee teachers at the Cyril Potter College of Education so that every school in all regions would have access to a sport that was once reservedonlyfortheelite.

Due to combined efforts, Guyana now has the largest schoolgolfprogrammeinthe region with the highest pass rateatPECSECandwiththe emphasis on starting at Grades 7-9, it is evident that this programme has s u c c e e d e d b e y o n d expectations.

Additionally, golf has been introduced to Special Needs kids, Orphanages, Visually Challenged persons and even the Guyana DefenseForce.

Through partnerships with a variety of sponsors andtheMinistryofTourism's Guyana Tourism Authority, thousands of Guyanese are now able to experience Golf forthefirsttime.

ESCL to celebrate President Tom Bacchus...

From page 31 coming out and take part in a one-day event to recognise our president Tom (Bacchus); overyearshe[is]doingafantasticjobandhe is more than happy to keep the game of softball on the Coast getting better and better,”Laynestated. Bacchus, who is a regular player, will be celebrating58years.

He has been an administrator and player alsoinOrlandooverthepasttwoconsecutive decades. Layne further mentioned that the ESCL would like to take the opportunity to express their profound gratitude to all their sponsors for the number competitions that weresuccessfullycompleted. They echoed similar sentiments to the playersaswell.

e
Kaieteur News PAGE 30 Wednesday May 15, 2024
World Cup, except the three knock-out games. This was also the case for the semifinals and final of the 2022 T20WorldCupinAustralia.

ESCL to celebrate President Tom Bacchus

birth anniversary with cricket match Sunday

The Essequibo Softball Cricket League (ESCL) will becelebratingtheirPresident Tom Bacchus' 58th birth anniversary on Sunday at Reliance Sports Ground, Essequibo Coast, Region 2 Pomeroon-Supenaam with cricketmatch.

The 10-10, over-40 action is set to bowl off at 10:00 am with three teams participating. The teams are: Caribbean Cricket Club, Reliance Sports Club and EssequiboLegends.

According to Chairman of the ESCL Wakeel Layne, theyareexcitedtorunoffthe o n e - d a y e v e n t a n d simultaneously recognising theworkstheleaderhasbeen doing since the formation of the League in 2021.Layne alsoinformedthat,verysoon another tournament will be commencing with top cash andtrophyprizesatstakes.

For Sunday's occasion, thewinningteam,runners-up

side, batsman with the most runs and bowler with the most wickets will all receive trophies. The Most Valuable Player in the final will take homeatrophyaswell.

“This will be anybowling and a round-robin and we at the ESCL are delightedtohavesometeams

(Continued on page 28)

Guyana Defence Force FC extends lead to six points with convincing 9-0 victory against Potaro Strikers FC Final showdown looms as round two nears conclusion

As the season winds down, Guyana Defence Force FC asserts dominance atop Women's League Division One Round Two standings, boasting a sixpoint lead after a 9-0 win overPotaroStrikersFC.

IntheMay11matchupat Rivers View Ground, the G e o r g e t o w n s i d e overpoweredPotaroStrikers

with their relentless attacking strategy Glendy Lewis set the pace early, finding the net in the 4th minute and adding two more stunning goals in the 7th and 35thminutes.

T h e a r m y s q u a d continued to push hard, breaking through the home team's defence as Jalade Trim scored twice in quick succession in the 8th and 21st minutes, while Shenessa Cornelius added another goal in the 31st minute, bringing the tally to six by halftime.The second half witnessed Cornelius

Flow named Official and Exclusive Telecommunications Supporter in the Caribbean for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024

C&W Communications has been announced as the Official and Exclusive Telecommunic

ions Supporter in the Caribbean for the upcoming ICC Men's T20WorldCup2024.

Part of the Liberty Latin

C & W

Communications is the leading entertainment and communications provider in

Carib

operations in 20 markets with the brands Flow, Flow Business, C&W Business and BTC. The company's services are underpinned by over 50,000 kilometres of the most modern subsea and terrestrial fibre networks in theregion.

extending her tally with another goal in the 70th minute.

Sandra Johnson then struck in the 80th minute followed by Glendy Lewis in the 85th minute, securing a comprehensive 9-0 victory for Guyana's premier women's club Guyana Defence Force now has twenty-seven points from nine consecutive wins In second place is the Guyana Police Force with twentyone points, tallied from seven wins and two losses.Fruta Conquerors FC holds onto third position with thirteen points, earned from four wins, one draw, and four losses Potaro Strikers FC remains in fourthplacewithfivepoints, comprising one win, two draws,andfivedefeats.

At the bottom of the table,ParkuriJaguarsFCsits in fifth place, with one win, one draw, and six losses to theirname.

Supporterfortheeventinthe C

C & W

services and support to

n d communication throughout the tournament. From highspeed internet access to reliable mobile networks, C&W Communications will playacrucialroleinkeeping players, officials, fans, and stakeholders connected and engaged during the ICC Men'sT20WorldCup.

C&W Business will also p r o v i d e i n t e r n e t connectivity services for the tournament's official media hub at the Lloyd Erskine

S

ndiford Centre in Barbados, the host venue for

the final. This first-of-itskind remote media hub for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup will feature minimum 200Mbps download/upload speeds and can facilitate 200 travelling journalists from aroundtheworldwhowillbe able use the hub as a central location for the tournament where they can view all tournament matches and participate in a full-range of in-stadiamediaactivities.

Chief Executive Officer, C&WCommunicationsInge

Smidts said: “C&W Communications has a long andproudhistoryofkeeping the Caribbean connected to the things that matter most, and this partnership underscores our dedication to supporting the love of cricket,camaraderie,andthe

spirit of competition –values that resonate deeply with us as an organisation, our customers and the communitiesweserve.

“ A s t h e o ff i c i a l C a r i b b e a n telecommunications and ICT provider for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, we look forward to connecting millions of fans across the Caribbean and around the world to the excitement and passion of this premier sportingevent.”

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament

Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “Cricket possesses immense power to unite people and the strategic partnership between ICC Men'sT20WorldCup2024 (Continued on page 27)

Season two of the YBG U23 Tertiary Basketball League underway

LTI and GTI register opening wins

Part of the action on Sunday in the YBG U23 Tertiary Basketball League Season Two.

The second season of the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Tertiary Basketball League tipped off last Sunday at the National Gymnasium Indoor court, showcasing a thrilling opening day with Linden Technical Institute (LTI) and Government Technical Institute (GTI) securing notablevictories.

Linden Technical Institute set the tone for the league's excitement, dominating their match against New AmsterdamTechnicalInstitute(NATI). LTI's forward, Kemol Grimmond, stole thespotlightwithastellarperformance, tallying 22 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists. Neil Marks and Colin

Phillips also made significant contributions, each scoring 12 points, with Marks impressing with seven rebounds. Leron Joseph and Stephen George added valuable points, powering LTI to a commanding 81-45 victory over NATI Despite Jared Dainty's commendable effort of 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals for NATI, they fell short against LTI's formidableperformance.

In the following match, GTI showcased their prowess with a 72-62 winoverGuyanaSchoolofAgriculture (GSA). Martin Edwards led the charge for GTI with an impressive 23-point display, supported by Jamal Mercier

and Peter Langervine, who contributed 15 and 14 points respectively. Langervine also showcased his defensive skills with 12 rebounds and 6 steals.DespiteShannonWilson'sstrong showing of 23 points and 15 rebounds forGSA,GTI'scollectiveeffortsecured themthevictory

The excitement continues this Sunday (May 19) with a thrilling triple header: UOG versus GSA at 5:00 pm, followed by UCC versus LTI at 6:30 pm, and concluding with NATI versus GTIat8:00pm.

The league will unfold every Sunday, culminating in the Finals on June17th.

Kaieteur News PAGE 31 Wednesday May 15, 2024
at
A m e r i c a g r o u p o f c o m p a n i e s
,
ean with
A s t h e O f f i c i a l Telecommunications
the
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e n s u r e s e a m l e s s c o n n e c t i v i t y
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Tom Bacchus
-

KFC Elite League Season Six...

Clubs and referees participate in round one review sessions

Officials from the ten clubs participating in the KFCEliteLeagueSeasonSix Round One, along with referees, on May 11 engaged in comprehensive review sessions conducted by the GuyanaFootballFederation's Technical and Referees Departments.

The one-day assessments were held to pinpoint areas for improvement as the GFF prepares to kick off Round Two on May 24. Round One commenced in February and concludedthismonthafter45 matches.

GFF President Wayne Forde, Technical Director Bryan Joseph, Head of Referees Lenval Peart and Referee Instructor/Assessor Natasha Lewis were all in attendance at the reviews, conducted at the Federation's National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara.

representatives of Guyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC,GuyanaPoliceForceFC, Santos FC, Den Amstel FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Monedderlust FC and BuxtonUnitedFC. They shared valuable insights on the organisation of Round One of season six,

The club session saw p a r t i c i p a t i o n f r o m

covering topics such as fixture alterations, team uniformity and controversial refereedecisions.

GFF President Wayne Forde shared that the discussion with the officials fromtheeliteclubswasfrank andengaging,resultinginthe resolution of several areas of concern by the end of the

session.

“I was pleased with the level of participation and I want to thank all of the representatives for attending the review last Saturday Football stakeholders share a unified goal which is the advancement of the sport in Guyana, with the Elite League playing a key role in

GFF and BSCNA first youth Diaspora talent ID camp set for June in the United States

Young players of G u y a n e s e lineage who are residing overseas will have a chance to earn a spot in Guyana's youth national training programme through the inaugural Diaspora Talent Identification Camp which will be held in June in theUnitedStates.

Organised by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Blackpool Sports Club of North America (BSCNA), the camp is tailored for youth players aged 14 to 19, and will be heldfromJune28to30atthe Wiregrass Ranch Sports CampusinOrlando,Florida.

R e g i s t r a t i o n f o r participationwillbedonevia anonlineportalandthecamp will be an immersive

experience for young male and female players in the diaspora, featuring sessions specifically designed to identify and catalogue talent for Guyana's national youth teams. In 2023, GFF and BSCNA signed a historic three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pave the way for the creation of the GFF's first International Player Scouting Network (IPSN) with a s t r a t e g i c f o c u s o n methodically pinpointing, enlisting and nurturing youngfootballers.

GFF Technical Director BryanJosephsharedthat“we are excited to see the young talentinthediaspora. It is President Wayne

Forde's philosophy that the best talent that has Guyanese lineage should be afforded the opportunity to represent ournation.”

“This opportunity will provide further insight on what talent is available for ournationalplayerpool.

We will catalogue that information and exploit it as practicable as possible along with our localised highperformanceprogramme.”

Establishedin1960inthe United States by former members of the local youth team St Sidwell's Rovers, BSCNA is a p

the diasporacommunity

our strategic development strategy.”

“We are all looking forward to the start of the second round of the KFC EliteLeagueSeasonSixlater thismonth,”Fordeadded.

During the second assessment session overseen b y R e f e r e e Instructor/Assessor Natasha Lewis, match officials assigned to season six underwent a thorough evaluation, during which they were briefed on the concerns raised by players andcoaches.

Controversial decisions were scrutinised, with a refresher on the game's rules provided where necessary The interactive sessions also emphasised the importance of consistency and sound

d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g i n officiating.

Lewis stressed that these discussions are key to “raise the standard of refereeing, protect the image of football, protect the players and ultimatelyallowtheleagueto run smoothly” for Round Two.

GFF Technical Director Bryan Joseph added that it was “a great initiative that allowed the coaching staff to openly discuss challenges experienced in the first half of the league. The referee committee was also happy to share their thoughts on improving the relationship with the clubs on and off the pitch.We look forward to the other planned workshops, all designed to make our league better.”

North Soesdyke Masters overcome Essequibo Masters

PAGE 32 Wednesday May 15, 2024
rominent Guyanese
t o p r o m o t i n g a n d
football within
football club committed
popularising Guyanese
Review with Elite League Clubs – Representatives take time out for a photo during the Review of the Elite League Clubs.
North Soesdyke defeated
North
batted first and posted 200-8
Leron Primoscoring84,AnandBharat27not
and
25.
for
The Referees participate in the session of the review of the tournament so far. EssequiboMastersby36runswhenthe teams collided in
a
25-over cricket fixture recently at Farm, East Bank Demerara.
Soesdyke Masters
with
out
Gavin Singh
Bowling
Essequibo Masters Navishaul Pooran claimed4-36andN.Mandala2-24. Inreply,EssequiboMasterswerebowled out for 164 Imtiaz Ganie made 39, Ramnarine (only name given) 27 and Zaki Salim 23. Bowling for North Soesdyke S. Mohammed had 3-37, E. Mohamed 2-8, UcilArmstrong2-13andDelroyWilliams218. North Soesdyke Masters

A dream come true!

iBET sending Keith Dowridge to the Champions League finals

“It's a dream come true," Keith Dowridge exclaimed, describing his elation upon winning an all-expenses-paid trip to witness the UEFA Champions League finals clash between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on June 1, courtesyofiBETSupreme.

Dowridge emerged as the lucky winner from thousands of entries, seizing what many consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Guyanese football enthusiasts to experience the pinnacle of clubfootballlive.

“I'm still thinking that I'm dreaming,soImustsaythanks to iBET Supreme for their kind gesture and I hope that there's more like this in the future,” Dowridge remarked d u r i n g t h e o f f i c i a l presentation ceremony, held at iBET's Charlotte Street location.

According to the avid iBET gamer, “I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would get to watch a Champions League finals live; I'm still dreaming, so maybebythetimeI'mreadyto travelI'llsnapoutofitandget back to reality But to be at Wembley, the most talked about stadium in Europe right now.”

Present at the event were iBET Supreme's General Manager, Abigail PrimoChase, Senior Marketing Manager Omar Dattadeen, andBrandAmbassadorRawle Toney

Dattadeen extended his congratulations to Dowridge for claiming the top prize in the promotion and urged him to fully relish his London excursion, all compliments of the sports and virtual gaming company Meanwhile, the (Continued on page 27)

Kaieteur News PAGE 33 Wednesday May 15, 2024
Dellon Caesar and his third-place prize of One 55” Samsung TV Neeraj Khan, winner of an IPhone 15 Pro (L-R) Senior Marketing Manager Omar Dattadeen, Keith Dowridge, General Manager Abigail Primo-Chase and Brand Ambassador Rawle Toney.

Golden Jaguars hunting

‘W' tonight

- Golden Jaguars head coach satisfied with team performance

- NSC 3-stage cycle race returns to original starting point

Sports

Guyana Defence Force FC extends lead to six points with convincing 9-0 victory against Potaro Strikers FC

- Final showdown looms as round two nears conclusion

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Back to basic!
takes GASA to World Aquatics Integrity
Dolphin Swim Club
Committee
The Guyana Defence Force lead the points standings. Kelsey Benjamin (right) battles Soca Warriors Captain Sheldon Bateau during their Friendly encounter on Monday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. (TTFA Photo) Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle (right) and GFC president Horace Burrowes.
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