Chronicle 05 15 2016

3 dead, 16 injured No. 104552

SUNDAY MAY 15, 2016

Price: $140

(VAT INCLUSIVE)

- in Essequibo smash-up

Page

2

Prison sweep Page

3

- Scores of weapons, contraband seized - 15 high-profile prisoners transferred

The improvised weapons which were seized from prisoners yesterday

St Cuthbert’s craftswomen plead for markets - bet on GuyExpo

Hosting ‘guests from foreign’ Page

Page

17

- for the ‘Jubilee celebrations’

12

Manufacturing body wants to see new Page 10 industries, revival of others

2

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Three dead in Essequibo smash-up - 16 others injured

THREE persons were killed and 16 others hospitalised after a mini-bus and a car crashed Friday night at Richmond Village, Essequibo Coast.

Dead are 19-year-old Esau Cornette and 45-yearold Lavon Gray - neighbours of Dartmouth Village – and Gavin Lawrie, 19, of Plantation Andrews. They were pronounced dead at the Suddie Hospital.

Reports disclosed that the driver of the mini-bus,

is listed as critical; and Kadeen Clay, 17, of Dartmouth.

The other injured persons, who were taken to the Suddie Hospital, are: Stephen Benn, 22, who was listed as critical; Kevin Brummell, 25; Rodwin Barrington, 20; Kevon Clay, 20; Trevor John, 18; Delroy Barrington, 24; Lancel Caesar, 22; Roven Johnson, 19; Anzel Cornette, 20; and Glenford Stephen, 26. Others were discharged with minor injuries.

Unconfirmed reports dis-

Dead: Esau Cornette

Dead: Gavin Lawrie

BRR 9867, Glenford Stephens, was heading to Anna Regina with 17 passengers and the car, PMM 5867, was heading in the opposite direction when they collided. The incident occurred around 23:00 hrs.

According to reports, the mini-bus was negotiating a right-bend and ended up on the western side of the road which resulted in a head-on collision with the motorcar.

As a result, most of the minibus passengers were flung out of the vehicle.

Six persons, including the driver, Gavin Lawrie, were in the car at the time. The others who have been hospitalised are Maxwell Lawrie, 18, of Better Success; Ruel Lawrie, 34, of Plantation Andrews; Navin Radish, 21, of Plantation Andrews; Anil Mark, 17, of Better Success; and Maxton Lawrie, 28, of Better Success.

Among those injured from the mini-bus who were taken to the Georgetown Hospital are: Aldred Shepherd, 23, of Dartmouth who

closed that the persons in the mini-bus and the car were out partying before the accident occurred.

Residents flocked the accident scene and tried to aid with the removal of the bodies from the road. Hospital sources disclosed that many of the injured persons suffered broken limbs.

Regional Councillors and Liaison to the Public Security Ministry, Hardat Narine, told this publication that he was very disappointed with the unprofessional behaviour of the policemen at the accident scene and at the Suddie Hospital, Essequibo Coast.

Reflecting on the scenario, Narine explained that the accident scene was one which was confusing, since bodies were scattered on the roadway and the police did not use their vehicles to transport injured persons to the Suddie Hospital.

He said that when persons at the scene requested to help, the police at the scene were telling concerned citizens to leave the injured persons alone, since an ambulance

would deal with the picking up of the injured.

The RDC official said he then confronted the police at the scene, relating that the injured needed help as early as possible since they had been on the roadway for over 35 minutes crying for help.

“I started behave badly and myself and public-spirited citizens started to assist.

I picked up the first person, which was a man lying in the middle of the public road, [and] the police were saying leave them until the ambulance come. Then I start to motivate people to help,” the liaison to the Public Security

Ministry explained.

Narine explained that he picked up a teacher who was attached to the Charity Primary School since he was bleeding baldy. He said only one person could have fitted in a lying position in his car and he rushed that person to the Suddie Hospital.

He said he contacted a doctor and placed her on alert, and other doctors were summoned to treat the injured.

He alleged that at the Suddie Hospital, the police that failed to render assistance, and as at the accident scene, began to behave in an

unprofessional manner while using indecent language in the accident and emergency section.

“When I confronted a policeman about his behaviour, he wanted to fight. He was telling relatives of the injured that when things happen must not call on them for help,” Narine stated.

He explained that Saturday morning four persons were air-dashed to the GPHC, while others were taken by Ambulance on the ferry service.

“I want to thank Dr. Khan, Dr. Gray, Dr Rajiv and their team for doing a wonderful job in assisting

The mini-bus involved in the crash

The mangled Toyota Carina had six occupants at the time of the accident

with all the accident victims,” he said. Traffic Chief (ag) Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud called on passengers in vehicles that are speeding to be more vigilant and reprimand drivers who use the road recklessly, since allowing drivers to speed can result in their own demise.

When asked if there is a way to check for alcoholic content other than a breathalyzer test, the Traffic Chief said there is no blood- alcohol testing being done in Guyana due to the unavailability of the relevant machine. (Rabindra Rooplall)

3

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Camp Street Prison clean-up - Scores of weapons, contraband seized - 15 high-profile prisoners transferred

A LARGE quantity of dangerous weapons and other illegal items were yesterday seized from prisoners at the country’s main prison at Camp Street, Georgetown, less than three months after security was beefed up following a riot which left 17 prisoners dead.

In an early morning operation, prison authorities, assisted by police and army ranks, raided prison cells and unearthed 173 improvised weapons, two kitchen knives, three screwdrivers,

one hacksaw blade, 44 cellphones, a quantity of razor blades, 149 lighters, three garden files, five tattoo machines and a quantity of marijuana.

The early morning exercise was part of “Operation Restore Order”, to control the one prison in Guyana to have given authorities grave headaches, especially in the days leading up to and after the deadly March 3 riot, which saw prisoners setting the remand section of the jail alight.

The Camp Street prison currently holds double the amount of persons it was built to accommodate, and the authorities have tried to ease the overcrowding by transferring prisoners to other locations.

AS a result, 15 high-profile prisoners were yesterday reshuffled to other prisons.

Director of Prisons Carl Graham disclosed that the operation commenced at 05:00hrs and lasted less than two hours, and the Guyana

Fire Service was on standby to assist in case of any disturbances.

A Commission of Inquiry was set up by President David Granger following the

March 3rd riot, and the report from that inquiry would likely contain recommendations to manage the country’s prisons.

President Granger has

said the country needs a maximum security prison, and there are indications that the Mazaruni prison could be upgraded to fit that need.

Cellphones, ganja, cigarettes and other items were seized in yesterday’s raid

Officers sort the lighters which were seized in yesterday’s Camp Street prison raid

4

SUNDAY CHRONICLE

May 15, 2016

International Day of Families TODAY is a global day in acknowledgement and celebration of families. Today, 15thth May, 2016, is a special day because it calls for nations around the world to refocus on the Family and to restore the familial structure and core values which our societies so proudly upheld. More than two decades ago, the United Nations declared May 15,1994,as International Day of the Families. The social and economic realities challenging our families then were daunting, threatening to disintegrate the family. In the wake of mounting anxieties and fears, the need was expressed for the global spotlight to be focused on families; and it was at this

- Statement by Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence

DATE: 14/5/2016 M 06 07 11 12 19 20 01

14/5/2016

02

03

04

07

25

14/5/2016

6

juncture that the International day of Families was conceived.

Today, the family remains functional in the face of even greater challenges. Some of the issues of yore (smaller households, increase in separation/ divorces, changes in gender and inter-generational relations) are still evident and to those have been added the alarming incidence of domestic violence and abuse, suicide, the emergence of the LGBT group and the global acceptance of same-sex marriages, among others. The family despite these challenges has demonstrated resilience, but undoubtedly the family structure has weakened under these overwhelming pressures, hence the theme for this year Families,

3

4

14/5/2016

Healthy Lives and Sustainable Future.

Will Durant astutely observed, “The family is the nucleus of civilization. The importance of the family cannot be disputed, for it’s from this core that our society of doctors, teachers, professionals and others is recruited.The family is the transmitter of values and Alex Haley reminds us that “in every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past and bridge to our future.” What we are now as families had a past and will help shape our future.

The late Princess Diana said that for her, “Family is the most important thing in the world” and Michael J. Fox, added, “Family is not an important thing, IT’S EVERYTHING.” The sustainability of our Guyanese families calls for a reappraisal and commitment to Family. We in Guyana envisage a three-pronged approach to make this a reality. The Government’s policy envisions building strong families. Our goal is to refocus on the family as a unit.

We need to re-establish that bond, that nucleus that provided the foundation for our societies the family that inculcated strong moral values, that was the listening ear in times of trouble and need; in short, the family of nature/nurture, lending support, and being the bulwark for the future..

To my mind, we’ve lost valuable ground in that we tend to act independently of collaboration, consultation and communication with the family unit. We have to remember the pivotal role of the nuclear family, but we must acknowledge the impact of the extended family and the ‘Village’ in molding the family and by extension, the society and the nation. Perhaps the high incidence of our social issues may be as a result of our moving away from this maxim of being our brother’s keeper. For me, this year’s theme demands that we re-examine our roles in the context of the ever-changing societal values and make the necessary adjustments that will enable the sustainability of our families. In the words of Gaylord Nelson, “The family as an institution needs the commitment of its members to guarantee its survival. But some have to be in the vanguard holding the torch lighting the path for others to see clearly and follow.” Guyana needs vibrant, healthy and productive families for a sustainable future!

I wish you all a wonderful International Day of Families, 2016.

02

04

07

10 12 15

17

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Zeelugt man accused of beating wife to death freed - post-mortem shows wife died of heart attack

BOBBY Ramkarran of Lot 4, Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, who on Tuesday last had been accused of beating to death his wife of 50 years, has been freed by the police after the post-mortem results into the death of the woman revealed that she died of heart failure caused by the blockage of an artery.

The 76-year-old husband had been detained as part of police investigations into the death of 71-yearold Sohodra Ramkarran after relatives and several neighbours had become suspicious that the woman had met her demise at his hands.

Liloutie Parsram, a grand-daughter who lives a short distance away from her grandparents’ home, said her grandfather had related that he had travelled to Georgetown on Monday to do some business, and upon his return home he had had an argument with his wife. Before Ramkarran’s arrival home, his wife had reportedly started to prepare dinner, but because of the argument, she had decided to imbibe alcohol instead.

The couple would sometimes imbibe alcohol

The Ramkarrans in happier times together, and would often get into arguments; but according to the woman, her grandfather insisted that he had not consumed alcohol on Monday.

On Tuesday, her grandmother’s already stiff body was found in a locked bedroom in the bottom flat of the house.

“Grandfather claimed

that after he quarrel on she, she went into the room in the bottom flat and she just lock sheself in there.”

Parsram said a male neighbour helped Ramkarran gain access to the bedroom by prising open a window. But when he entered the room, he discovered Sohodra Ramkarran’s

lifeless body leaned against another window that was already opened.

The granddaughter explained that her grandfather was the one who then placed her grandmother in a lying position in the room, since he was reportedly claiming that she was not dead.

5

6

SUNDAY CHRONICLE

May 15, 2016

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Sunday Editor

Neil Marks

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Diversifying the economy

MINISTER of Finance Mr. Winston Jordan recently advised the nation that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling on Guyana to diversify the economy.

The IMF’s role in Guyana’s economy has, at best, always been complex. Guyana’s immediate post-independence legacy shows that diversification was doggedly pursued as a matter of policy in the nation’s developmental thrust.

For instance, besides producing sugar, GuySuCo (The Guyana Sugar Corporation) was also encouraged to become involved in dairy and cashcrop farming, as well as aquaculture. As such, cows were primarily reared for the making of milk and cheese, while tilapia and hassar rearing and the cultivation of black-eyed peas were popular activities in the aquaculture and cash-crop farming sectors.

And in the bauxite industry, outside of mining for bauxite, the production of alum was also encouraged for water treatment purposes, as was the rearing of poultry, goats and sheep. This same spirit of diversification would also consume the rice industry, which, in addition to producing white and parboiled rice, was heavily involved in the production of such by-products as rice flour and rice cereal.

Then there was Region One, in the Barima-Waini area, which was engaged in a major way in the production of palm oil, primarily in the village of Wauna.

And the Guyana National Service (GNS), operating in the Berbice River, has long been associated with the production of items such as red beans, mung, black-eyed peas, cotton and peanuts.

But history will also show that, outside of a few large companies, the private sector landscape has not been big on diversification. To a large extent, it has been small, market-driven, and very averse to taking risks.

Risk taking was left to the Government to fill that void through State institutions, in much the same way as Research and Development (R&D) which nevertheless redounded to the benefit of the private sector through merchandising with, or the provision of service to, the Government.

Entities like the State-owned Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC), for instance,

researched and produced pharmaceuticals and notable products such as Limacol, Ferrol Compound and Nutrophos. There was major fruit processing, and Guyana’s carambola (known locally as the five-finger) entered the European market. There were state-owned institutions that assembled such things as radios, stereo sets, refrigerators, bicycles, and the famous ‘Tapir’ vehicle. Though these were produced for the local market, if such efforts were encouraged, and with R&D, there would have been improvement and the ability to compete in external markets.

Guyana’s earlier efforts show a deviation from the reliance on primary products such as rice, sugar, bauxite and gold.

The State, through the Guyana Gold Board, continues to train goldsmiths with the intent of establishing a jewellery industry. An industry of this nature would create value-added products to our precious metals.

The slowing down and calls on Government to get out of business, which impacted negatively on diversifying the economy, was pushed by the IMF. A long-held view is that forces with political influence within the IMF caused pressure to come to bear on the Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte administrations, to shift their policies and privatise State institutions, placing them in private hands which, on many occasions, were only interested in making money, and at the expense of national development.

The record would show that privatisation negatively

impacted employment. Where Government institutions factored in maximising the use of human resources/capital, privatisation saw labour as a fixed cost that needed to be reduced significantly.

Some of the consequences suffered were an increase in social ills such as poverty, crime, homelessness, and family instability, where member(s) moved to seek employment/economic opportunities. The intensification of the notion that the private sector was the engine of growth, which was built on the neoliberal model, saw less attention being paid to the cooperative movement, which is part of the nation’s tri-sectoral economy.

What is patently apparent is that the IMF’s present position to diversify the economy, and its advice as to the direct role of the State in this regard, is a clear indication that this institution has come full circle.

It also confirms that Guyana was on the right path from the very onset, but was compelled to change course in order to qualify for funding and technical assistance.

And where presently the global focus is on sustainable development, the IMF is hard- pressed to embrace the principles and elements that were enunciated and practised here from the early years of Independence.

As such, in light of where the country is, in order to make diversification sustainable, it would require a national policy, supported by diverse programmes but led by the Government, which has a greater responsibility to society.

7

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Observing the 50th goes beyond celebration -and to the essence of our struggles and who we are

AS A teenager who had experienced the 1964 divisions wherein my family suffered losses of life in the Abary River, Mahaicony district, and on the Son Chapman during the racial clashes; when, in 1965, leading up to Independence, there were serious efforts made at a process of healing and coming together, the hope that blanketed the nation clothed the people.

On the West Coast of Berbice, where I lived at the time, villages from Belladrum to Ithaca were decorated in the national colours (red, black, gold, white and red). Women, men and children were decked out in their Sunday best on the night that saw the lowering of the Union Jack and the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead. Villagers congregated at common areas, such as school grounds and playgrounds, not wanting to be left out.

When the radio commentator announced that Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan hugged each other at the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead, the crowd responded with cheers and tears. Though we were not at the National Park, the power of radio and delivery by that broadcaster allowed for our visionary sense to picture ourselves being in the Park and witnessing the moment.

That night I was at Yeoville -- in the yard of Henry Wade, who incidentally will be buried next week -- where many were gathered to celebrate and listen to the radio coverage. After the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead at midnight on the 25th May, villagers beat their drums and danced in a celebration that lasted until the night of 26th May. On the 26th, villagers visited various communities, thanks to the spirit of camaraderie that saw owners of vehicles making them available to transport persons.

Outside of the newspaper, the radio was the only other mass media for getting information on what was taking place in Georgetown. Back in those days many did not own a radio, and this technology

was not only an opportunity to get the news, listen to music, cricket, etc., but was also the medium around which villagers and families congregated, organised a ‘lime,’ shared experiences, and deliberated on matters of national, global and communal interests. The elders, informed and connected, also played a role in keeping villagers updated on the local politics and the progress leading to the issuing of the Independence Proclamation by Britain.

Let us not forget that Independence was not granted, it was fought for by our parents and forebears, some of whom gave of their blood, lives, sweat and tears. And though Jagan and Burnham became political rivals and sought to influence under whose leadership Independence should be achieved, they were united in the position that the time had come when Guyanese must be allowed to chart their own destiny.

For those of us who had the opportunity and privilege to be part of this monumental period of the nation’s history, a re-enactment or recount of same today would reignite the moments and impart something to those who didn’t live this experience. It brings into reflection that though nothing is amiss with parades and other celebratory events to mark the anniversary, such will be greatly enhanced by retracing events that led to Independence, including the players, major and rank-andfile, whose contributions made it possible and on whose shoulders we stand today.

Recognition of Independence cannot exclude, at the trade union and political levels, the roles and stories of persons such as Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, Forbes Burnham, Janet and Cheddi Jagan, P e t e r D ’ A g u i a r, J a n e Phillips-Gay and David Rose. It cannot exclude those who were pioneers in the music business, such as the Yoruba Singers, Eddie Grant, Aubrey Mann, Dave Martins and others. Neither should it ignore earlier local sportsmen and women,

educators, entrepreneurs, innovators, skilled artisans, professionals, etc.

Equally important is knowing the infrastructure (laws, institutions roads, etc.) established during limited self-government (1953-May 25, 1966) and the early years of Independence.

The 50th Anniversary has to be significant and memorable, not only for the celebratory events, but equally for the knowledge about those who paved the way, set about building the new nation, and made contributions in many ways to forging nationhood and indigenous identity. The schoolchildren and postIndependence generation should have the benefit of this knowledge. Such can take the forms of documentaries, local music and radio serials, panel discussions, school essay competitions on Independence, and other interactive/learning events.

Outside of entertainment, which also would have been more prudent using local artistes, it helps to have a structured sense of understanding and appreciation of what Independence means, the sacrifices made, and why it is important to work as a team, i.e. as Guyanese, to preserve Independence at all cost.

With Guyana facing border conflicts with Suriname and Venezuela, a sense of disconnect by Guyanese in proudly identifying with, seeing here as home, and wanting to fight, protect and develop Guyana at all cost is regrettable. People should seek understanding and reminders why we struggled, the achievements made, and the importance of staying the course.

Check around in countries where patriotism ranks high, admiration given, and association sought; this is so because persons have that sense of wellbeing, connection and investment, which leads to a territorial disposition and contributes to making that country what it is. Guyana and Guyanese need similar experiences. The 50th Anniversary presents the opportunity; let's seize it.

8

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Our First Independence Day

By Odeen Ishmael THROUGHOUT the early part of 1966, preparations for Guyana’s independence celebrations went in full swing. A special committee appointed by the government designed the new Coat of Arms, and selected the Canje Pheasant (or Hoatzin) as the National Bird.

The name for the independent nation— Guyana—had already been chosen since 1962 by a select committee appointed by the House of Assembly.

NEW NATIONAL SYMBOLS The general design and colours of the new flag, appropriately called the “Golden Arrowhead”, had already been chosen during the period of the PPP (Peoples Progressive Party) government (1961-64) from entries submitted through an international competition.

The winning five-colour design was submitted by an American, Whitney Smith.

It was finalised, with slight adjustments, by the successor PNC-UF (Peoples National Congress-United Force) coalition government after the 1965 independence confer-

ence, which granted independence to Guyana.

The flag of Guyana was designed with a golden arrowhead along its middle to signify Guyana’s journey into the future. The golden arrowhead, with narrow white and black strips along its sides, was set on a green and red background, with narrow white and black strips along its sides.

The five colours were also seen as symbolic to the country’s various assets: Green for the agriculture and forests; gold representing the country’s mineral wealth; red for the zeal of nation-building; black border depicting the people’s endurance; and white symbolising the natural water potential of the country.

A nation-wide competition, sponsored by the then National History and Arts Council, also helped to select the words of the new National Anthem. The winning entry, “Green Land of Guyana”, was written by Reverend Archibald Luker, and the words were set to music by Cyril G. Potter, a prominent Guyanese educator and musician.

Even though Thursday, 26 May, 1966 was Independence Day, the celebrations actually began four days before, and continued until

29 May. Numerous public events were held, and these included carnival-style parties, exhibitions, float parades, and public rallies addressed by Prime Minister Forbes Burnham and his Ministers.

For the occasion, public buildings and business places were brightly decorated with streamers and buntings bearing the colours of the Guyana flag.

VILLAGE CELEBRATIONS The radio and newspapers concentrated their reports on independence activities in Georgetown, and to a lesser extent in New Amsterdam.

As a result, we knew very little about the celebrations in the rural areas, where public buildings were also decorated with streamers bearing the colours of the Golden Arrowhead.

We had our own activities in my little community, in the ethnically diverse neighbouring villages of Britannia and Chester in West Coast Berbice. I was a teenage teacher back in those days, and we had school holidays from May 25 to 27 (Wednesday to Friday) for the celebrations.

Mid-morning the Wednesday, the village overseer of Bri-

Dr. Odeen Ishmael tannia, Mr. Rupert Shepherd, one of my father’s friends, dropped by at our home to divulge the plans of the local authority to usher in Independence Day. It is important for me to add here that our small, rustic home at Britannia in those days was a relatively important location for the dissemination of local information.

It was not unusual to find our ‘bottom-house’ having a few young people who would just drop by to chat. My father would also have “gyaff sessions” with his friends who might congregate there; at other times, they gathered under the huge, shady tamarind tree on the Chester roadside in close proximity to home.

(That tamarind tree, which dates back to the days of slavery, is still standing, regal

The Duke of Kent handing over the Independence constitutional documents to Prime Minister Burnham

as ever.)

I was at the time chairman of the village cricket club, and had already become active in community activities. (I guess being a teacher also wielded some influence and respect.) At the same time, I was also secretary of the local PYO (Progressive Youth Organisation) group, and, quite often, intense political debates with persons of various political persuasions occurred at our “bottom-house”.

Those in our community who supported the PPP, from a few years before, had serious differences with PNC and UF supporters, who had, up to the end of 1964, vehemently opposed independence for Guyana. I myself, even though a youngster, had participated in the West Berbice area in two “Freedom Marches” for independence before the 1964 elections, and I remember how we were jeered and mocked by our political opponents for demanding freedom from colonial rule.

Even back then, I found it difficult to understand why those persons whose ancestors suffered under the bondage of slavery and indenture would object to their own freedom from colonial oppression.

ABOUT-FACE Then, astonishingly, in 1965, we witnessed an amazing turn-around. With the establishment of the PNC-UF coalition government under Forbes Burnham, who had now become an advocate for independence, all those who had vociferously opposed this constitutional status suddenly began to behave as if they had been the staunchest freedom fighters from the beginning of time!

But despite such hypocrisy on the part of those persons, that did not deter PPP supporters in our community from welcoming independence, even though it was granted under a government of two parties which had dumped principles aside by rejecting the independence movement when they formed the opposition before December 1964. Independence was also being celebrated under the cloud of a long-existing state of emergency, and the detention, without trial, of a number of persons, mainly from the PPP. Mr. Shepherd, fully aware that we were willing to help

despite these circumstances, explained that the local authority would host a party for the community’s roughly 100 children on Independence Day, and sought assistance for this activity. By this time, a little crowd had gathered, since some other inquisitive villagers in the area had dropped in to listen. In the end, we had a few persons who volunteered to decorate the Village Office, prepare the site for the outdoor children’s party, and to assist in sharing the refreshments.

INDEPENDENCE BANNER The Overseer also asked for my assistance in preparing a large “independence” banner to be mounted across the road. He came prepared for this, and pulled out from a bag a long piece of white cotton fabric, about eight yards in length, on which the appropriate slogan would be written. His bag also contained a few small tins of red, green and black paint and paint brushes.

We t h o u g h t t h a t w e should have a neatly written banner; and for that job, we all felt that Oswald Marks was the man to do it. Oswald, who was my mother’s ‘first-cousin’, was a burly ex-teacher in his late 30s, and was well-known in the community for his calligraphy and also his admiration for Fidel Castro. We sent someone to call him from his home, and eventually, it was agreed that he and I should decide on the appropriate independence slogan for the banner.

After lunch, my father (Hamid Ishmael, who passed away in March 2006) and a couple of his friends rigged up a crude carpenter’s “work-bench” in the “bottom-house”, using old boards and planks which could be found in almost every backyard in the area.

Oswald carefully stretched and tacked the white fabric across the “work-bench”; yelled at a few curious little children to keep their distance, and, with a pencil, carefully sketched the large letters of the simple slogan the two of us had conjured up: WE WELCOME INDEPENDENCE TO GUYANA. Then, with the red paint, he carefully filled in the letters.

By this time, a sizeable Please see page 9

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016 From page 8 group had gathered to witness this exercise in calligraphy, and everyone felt that Oswald had done a magnificent job. However, both Oswald and I felt that since there was some vacant space left at the two ends of the banner, we should find some additional small slogans to fit there. Oswald carefully lit a cigarette and, eyes half-closed, he puffed away. Then, suddenly, he dipped a paintbrush in the green paint tin and, with a flourish, wrote in neat smaller cursive letters diagonally across the corners: ¡VIVA GUYANA! Obviously, the “Castro admiration” had influenced his choice of this revolutionary slogan.

Late in the afternoon, by which time two long wallaba poles were already planted on both sides of the dusty red-brick road in front of the Britannia village office, a small crowd gathered to watch as the new banner was strung up. No ladder was used; “Booghin” Booker, one of the best “greasy pole” climbers in the area, mounted the poles to which he tied the cords attached to the ends of the banner as everyone “oohed” and “aahed” at how majestic it looked, even though it could only be properly read by viewers coming from the west.

FLAG RAISING IN GEORGETOWN That evening of May 25, everyone tuned in to Radio Demerara and the British Guiana Broadcasting Service (BGBS) to follow the events taking place in Georgetown to usher in Independence. A grand cultural performance took place at the Queen Elizabeth Park (later to be renamed the National Park).

Dignitaries in the audience of thousands included the Duke and Duchess of Kent, representing Queen Elizabeth, and representatives of foreign governments. Then, at midnight, the Union Jack, the symbol of British colonial rule for 163 years, was lowered, and the new flag of Guyana, the Golden Arrowhead, was raised majestically to the top of the mast.

With the raising of the new flag, fireworks burst across the sky in various parts of the country. As we listened to the commentary on radio, we could only conjure images of the fireworks display after the Union Jack was lowered and the Golden Arrowhead slid up the flagpole to unfurl in the Atlantic breeze. For me, I felt a distinct pride when the radio commentator announced that Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham had embraced PPP leader, Cheddi Jagan just before the

flagraising ceremony, indicating their satisfaction that Guyana had finally won its political independence.

Early on a bright, sunny Independence Day, everyone was up early and shouting greetings of “Happy Independence” to each other. Soon, many of us managed to get copies of the Guyana Graphic to read about the activities in Georgetown; but we were also more taken up with our own activities planned for that day. Later, volunteers would remind families of the children’s party. As if the children needed to be reminded at all!

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT Again, around mid-morning, many of us tuned in to the radio to listen to the broadcast of the national events taking place in Georgetown. The first big event was the State opening of the Parliament of Guyana, which was preceded by a military parade, accompanied by much pomp and pageantry.

Significantly, for this occasion, a portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh decorating the wall of the Parliament Chamber was removed, and replaced by a portrait of Prime Minister Burnham.

The meeting of Parliament was chaired by the Speaker, Aubrey Alleyne.

The Duke of Kent read the Throne Speech on behalf of Her Magesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and then handed over to Prime Minister Burnham the constitutional instruments designating Guyana an independent nation.

Immediately after, there were speeches by Prime Minister Burnham and Opposition Leader, Cheddi Jagan.

Burnham, in an appeal to Guyanese nationalism, declared: “The days ahead are going to be difficult.

Tomorrow, no doubt, we, as Guyanese, will indulge in the usual political conflicts and differences in ideology. But today, to my mind, is above such petty matters. For today, Guyana is free.”

In welcoming independence, Jagan seized the opportunity to point out that the Burnham Government was abusing its powers through the extension of the state of emergency beyond the date of independence. This, he said, was generating fear throughout the country, and was detrimental to the struggle for peace and security.

He also highlighted the view that his party was “the victim of repeated constitutional manipulations designed to keep it out of office.” He added, “We are confident that despite these manipulations, the People’s Progressive Party can be triumphant at future elections if

these are fairly held.”

OUR VILLAGE EVENTS In our rural community, our big event began at one o’clock. The Village Office sported the new Golden Arrowhead on a flagpole, and brightly-coloured balloons and streamers were strung everywhere. Since the Village Office and its compound had almost no space for a gathering, the party was held on a plot of vacant grassy land over the road, opposite the office near to Rupert Shepherd’s house. A large tarpaulin-covered tent was erected there, and under it, tables were laid out to set up the delicacies, ice-cream makers, and big white buckets brimful with homemade drinks. And beneath the tables were a few crates of bottled lemonade.

The children, mainly toddlers and those of primary school age, all dressed up for the occasion, were given small paper Guyana flags and balloons. In no time at all, they organised themselves in their own groups, played games, and ran around and shouted in excitement and glee. Someone had also brought along two donkeys to the site, and offered free rides to the older and more adventurous children. There was musical accompaniment from Wilfred Ross’ juke-box, “The Devil”, belting out the latest tunes, which were not necessarily those that little children enjoyed. The District Commissioner and his wife dropped in for a while, but they did not remain for too long, since they had to attend similar functions elsewhere.

Village councillors and other adult volunteers served the beverages, “home-made” ice-cream in cones, salara, buns and candy, as well as phulourie, mithai and channa.

The eatables were all packed in brown paper bags, and each child received one of these. All the liquid refreshments and the eatables were donated by residents in the community; the large quantities of salara and buns were donated by the local baker, “Uncle Manoo” Hookumchand (father of Mrs. Clarissa Riehl, our High Commissioner to Canada) of the neighbouring village of Tempie.

And as the sun began to set, the children were each given a small paper bag containing cake, sweets and balloons to take home.

FIREWORKS DISPLAY But our little celebration had one last surprise. While everyone was at the children’s party, the police from far-off Weldaad Police Station set up fireworks on the “side-line dam” separating Britannia and Chester. It was around the time the party was

The Golden Arrowhead being raised on the advent of Independence as Prime Minister Burnham looks on ending that the news circulated that the fireworks would begin at seven that evening.

Meanwhile, that same afternoon in Georgetown, Sir Richard Luyt was sworn in by the Duke of Kent as Guyana’s first Governor General at a ceremony in the ballroom of Guyana House, the official residence of the Governor General. Luyt would be the representative of Queen Elizabeth, who continued as Head of State of the new independent nation.

Back in our village, as darkness descended, an excited crowd gathered by the public road in the area at the

head of the “side-line dam”.

Apparently, the news had spread far and wide, and people from miles away turned out to witness the spectacle.

It was the first time most of them would see a live fireworks display, and two policemen were there to keep people away from the place where the fireworks rockets were set up.

Soon, colourful explosions filled the sky, and screams of excitement filled the air. This continued for about half an hour, and then it was finally over. We had all seen and enjoyed the fireworks, and we felt

satisfied that it was not only the town people who had witnessed the celebration of our Independence Day. We, the rural folk, were also part and parcel of it; at least, in our own simple and unique way. (First published in the Sunday Chronicle in May 2007, on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of Guyana’s independence. This edition has some minor editorial changes. The writer previously served as Guyana’s Ambassador to the USA, 1993-2003; Venezuela, 2003-2011; and Kuwait and Qatar, 2011-2014)

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Manufacturing body wants to see new industries, revival of others THE Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has expressed confidence in the business sector, and has noted the Government’s efforts to address its concerns.

In a statement yesterday, the GMSA noted that Finance Minister Winston Jordan has been generous to the GMSA with his time and guidance. The statement read that Minister Jordan has given consideration to the umbrella body’s recommendations for improvements in the services provided by several agencies, including the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The statement said Minister Jordan agrees that manufacturing remains at the heart of Guyana’s economic development, once the sector evolves from exportation of primary products only into industries that process local raw materials into user-ready, table-ready products.

According to the GMSA, given the current governance dispensation, “it is our hope that former and potential manufacturers of household sundries, toys, plantain and cassava chips and construction materials would start up new manufacturing enterprises utilizing readily available raw materials, or expand their current operations with more alacrity”.

The GMSA noted that, through a series of focal changes, the manufacturing sector as it is today evolved from import substitution to export orientation to foreign investment. It said the phase of Import Substitution was characterized by in-country manufacture of most consumables for home and business.

The export orientation phase saw the 1984 establishment of the Guyana Manufacturing & Industrial Development Agency (GUYMIDA) to assist and advise entrepreneurs with formulating and implementing business projects. The

challenges, which were many, were exacerbated by shortages of a number of factors of production, including energy and foreign currency.

The statement listed the 1990s as another difficult decade.

It said entrepreneurial focus shifted to investor partnerships and foreign direct investments.

“This current decade has been labelled the period of the ‘pincer movement’, a two-pronged approach to business premised on export promotion and in-country value-added production”, the body noted.

It recounted that as year 2000 approached, the sector was at a stage where the export of primary products – rice, sugar, bauxite, plantains and other vegetables, fruits and coconuts -- became more lucrative. The GMSA said the move cost growers, farmers, loggers, miners much less to export raw, primary products than it did to establish value-added industries utilizing farm products, wood, rice, sugar and minerals.

The body said value-added moves would have brought less financial returns.

“These unfortunate circumstances were also shaped by the global competitive market which is dominated by products (including appliances) made from plastics, polyurethane, steel, and other cheaper synthetic materials”, the GMSA said.

At the same time, other players in the sector, such as furniture makers, found it necessary to backward integrate in order to remain relevant and profitable.

“Furniture makers found it more proficient to acquire forest concessions. From there they got the kind and quality of wood they needed to retain their standards”, the body said. In addition, the body said, the “bullish presence” of the Chinese

in the external markets resulted in manufacturers investing less in their secondary and tertiary operations, choosing instead to trade their primary products.

The GMSA said it is not “unsophisticated”, noting that there are only a few operators whose markets are mostly in-country and who have not yet graduated to advanced computerized technologies for processing, labelling and packaging, marketing and tracking the standards and progress of their competitors.

The GMSA mentioned the 1970s/80s as the years when manufacturing was at its pinnacle here. It listed the D’Aguiars, the Kissoons, the Gafoors, the (Toolsie) Persaud family, Claude Geddes, Continental Agencies, the Yassin family and the John Fernandes families were among the first ‘occupants’ of then British Guiana’s first Industrial Estate.

“They manufactured wooden furniture and foam, construction materials, metal fencing, soaps and household sundries, and provided needed services”, the body said.

Today it noted technology’s benefits to the economy, noting that “the introduction of Fourth Generation (4G) technology will play no small role in keeping our overseas markets, and the Government’s introduction of “Economic Diplomacy” into Guyana’s Foreign Service offers much needed on-theground trade facilitation”.

The GMSA also expressed its sympathies to businessman Sattaur Gafoor, whose Houston, East Bank Demerara business complex was partially gutted by fire. “We pledge to do everything possible to boost his return to profitability and to doing what he loves best, being of help to others”, the body noted.

Sunday May 15th, 2016 - 12:30 hrs Monday May 16th, 2016 - 13:30 hrs Tuesday May 17th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs

HINDS’SIGHT

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Dr David Hinds

11

I want Mr. Granger to be a good President

-but I also want poor people to have bread, justice and equal opportunity ONE year ago, there was a change of government in Guyana for the first time in 23 years. Many Guyanese were relieved, not just because they had voted for a government of their choice, but because the outgoing Government had violated almost every tenet of democratic norm.

In other words, the electoral defeat of the PPP took on revolutionary significance. To understand the significance of May 2015, one has to take an honest, dispassionate and nationalist view of our modern political history.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MAY 2015 Up till 2015, all of Guyana’s Independence experience had been characterized by undemocratic governance. Both of our major parties, grounded in the support of our two major ethnic enclaves, took turns in administering the Government, and both invariably went down the slippery slope of ‘commandist’ government.

In 1992, after long resistance by the ethnic masses, separately and together, and on the strength of the mainly Indian Guyanese vote, the country relieved itself of PNC authoritarianism.

Crucial to that resistance was the role of sections of the African Guyanese masses, which rebelled against the excesses of the Government they voted for. The WPA was critical to giving voice to that rebellion. In the end, it was the WPA’s accommodation with the PPP that allowed the PPP to garner the parliamentary majority it needed in 1992. That piece of political history is often buried by the PPP and by those who have slight understanding of political complexities in Guyana.

The new rulers, instead of moving the country away from authoritarian rule, deliberately decided to massively expand the authoritarian state they inherited.

The burden of such a state eventually crushed all in its way, including its own ethnic electoral base. It was no accident that a small but significant section of the latter broke ranks in 2011 and 2015.

The AFC was critical to giving leadership to that electoral revolt, which joined with African Guyanese and a section of the Amerindian masses to oust the PPP and create the new Coalition Government.

There are many elements that contributed to making that moment a revolutionary one; but the most important one is the fact that, for the first time since 1953, significant sections of the three ethnic masses voted for the same political entity. That is most significant. The people rejected the old, well-meaning but futile model of getting them to vote for one party, and instead embraced the plural model of voting for several parties under one banner.

They had lifted Guyana’s politics to another level.

Here is why: Parts of the authoritarian excesses of both the PPP and PNC governments were grounded in ethnic insecurity and its attendant abuse of the secured ethnic vote. The Coalition Government represents in

some ways a challenge to the ethnic-garrison politics that has been at the core of authoritarian rule in Guyana. So, if this new plural model is properly managed, one of the pillars of authoritarian governance should be somewhat diminished.

It is for that reason that the Government has to be vigorously monitored. Politicians do not always understand the importance of history, or they sometimes deliberately ignore its significance. Governance is often reduced to raw politics. It is this combination that led to the PPP transforming the 1992 democratic opening into the worst anti-democratic experience this country has experienced since the end of colonial rule.

AFTER ONE YEAR After one year in office, the Coalition Government has done exceedingly well, as far as basic governance is concerned. It has begun to tackle some of the basic things that governments should confront: provision of services to communities, defending the country’s sovereignty, and facilitating political stability without resort to the denial of civil liberties and the erosion of civil rights. The Government should be commended for that; coming to office in the wake of a rampant regime and holding things together is a massive achievement by any standard.

But I think that more attention has to be paid to the big picture — Vision. I am not satisfied that the Government has put before the nation a larger vision of where it wants to take Guyana. Ever so often, President Granger has given hints without really presenting an overarching outlook. I am, for example, very impressed with his recent assessment of the Government’s first year in office. It is clear that he understands the challenges; but I think we have to move to another level, one which articulates how we are going to preserve what we won in May 2015 and use it to advance a comprehensive political, economic and cultural agenda that speaks to overcoming the myriad challenges of a post-colonial plural society which has stumbled badly in its first 50 years of independence.

THE VENDORS Early last week, the AFC referred to me as a “self-proclaimed” critic who apparently is out to undermine the Government. Later in the week, former President Ramotar described me as a black nationalist who is interested only in having a black government in office — the very Government that the AFC thinks I want to undermine — and that I am a chief propagandist for this Government.

I am dizzy. You see, just the other day, when I was growing up in Buxton as a little, poor, bare-foot boy, if anybody had told me that one day presidents and rulers of Guyana would pay attention to what I have to say, I would have laughed at them.

Within the bowels of the negativity of those two commentaries against me lie something liberating about poor Guyanese and poor people everywhere — out of their daily agonies they produce the most searing critiques of power. I am proud to be a product of that tradition, and shall remain loyal to it always. It makes me understand why we have to beautify our capital city but simultaneously hear the agonies of the vendors, and see their protest not as anti-progress but as a cry for respect and dignity.

There surely must be a way to reason with the vendors, rather than treat them like outcasts in their own country. There is something morally and humanly wrong with a scenario in which poor people’s stalls are bulldozed while the sins of the rich, including rich crooks, are left untouched. We are beautifying Georgetown by displacing poor people and disrupting their lives, but the ugliness of stolen state assets is left intact. We can reason with the rich and powerful, but can’t reason with poor people.

It is that kind of official behaviour that needs to be checked.

I join with all Government supporters in wanting the Government to succeed; for if they do, we all succeed.

But I want to be an example, going forward, that fashions a culture of support that is not blind and mindless, but one that is grounded in the defence of the poor and the powerless against the might of official and non-official power.

I want Mr. Granger to be an effective and good President, but I also want poor people to have bread and justice, and equal opportunity to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty and want. So I stand on the side of the vendors.

TONY COZIER For us in the Caribbean, cricket is a conversation that reaches beyond the boundary. For six decades, Tony Cozier interpreted for us the complexities of what happened within the boundaries, and linked them to our Caribbean spirit to produce a beautiful tapestry. In the tradition of CLR James, Cozier made cricket more than “bat and ball.” His voice, insights and critiques were very much central to our cricket in its highs and lows. He gave voice to our worth, our beauty, our culture and our soul; but Tony Cozier’s voice would be of better value in the land of the living. All the same, walk good Tony, as I borrow Martin Carter’s words: “I salute you/ And I say/Death will not find us thinking that we die.”

More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com.

Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Hosting ‘guests from foreign’ - for the ‘Jubilee celebrations’

By Francis Quamina Farrier SO, you’ll be hosting a guest or two from the Diaspora; people coming home for Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Jubilee Celebrations.

Good for you! Good for your guest(s)! Take it from me, it won’t be easy for you or for your guest(s), if you do not have patience and display your best Guyanese personality.

Your guest will be coming with high expectations; and you, on the other hand, will be expecting a lot from your guest(s).

However, make sure that the two expectations are not like two powerful clashing winds which cause terrible, frightening claps of THUNDER. Make sure that you show them the kind of hospitality for which Guyanese have been known for, over the decades and centuries. Be a good host. In fact, be a great host.

ASK FIRST My first advice to you with regards to your “guest from foreign”, is that you DO NOT impose YOUR itinerary on them. Find out from them what THEY would like to do; where THEY would like to go; and who THEY would like to meet.

They may have some suggestions, and you may also have some suggestions. But let the final decision be THEIRS. Many Guyanese who have been “ENJOYING THE GOOD LIFE IN FOREIGN” worked very hard for what they have achieved. So, their return to the Land of their Birth at this time is like a sacred, once-in-a-lifetime “Pilgrimage to Mecca”.

For them, especially those in the 60-plus age group will even shed some tears of joy when their feet first touch the precious soil of Guyana. Please DO NOT say to them, “Eh-eh! Is wha wrong wid you?” Please DO NOT. Please understand that theirs will be emotional tears of joy; the joy of being back in their native land at this very special time in the history of our country. This is the land where their navel strings are buried.

So, let their tears flow like the Kaieteur Falls during the rainy season. Do not call your guest a “cry-baby”, or make any other negative comments. It would be better for you, and for your guest, for that matter, if you take some candid photographs with your expensive Iphone, and record for posterity that beautiful, tearful moment. Your guest will forever thank you for recording that “One Moment in Time”, when they cried while in Guyana for the 50th Independence Anniversary Jubilee Year.

SHOW ‘EM HOW Show off how Guyanese here at home are up-to-the-minute with the modern trends. Almost all of us here in Guyana have smartphones. Some of us bought ours, while some of us ‘t’ief’ the smartphone we have. I have to let you know that, back in January this year, someone stole my very expensive iPhone, which had many irreplaceable recorded images stored in it; including a photo with President David Granger and myself.

I am still a little angry with myself for allowing myself to be such an easy prey for that brazen thief. There are at times, that unguarded moment, when unfortunate things happen. Let your guest be on their guard at all times. And you, too, must be on your guard at all times. The petty thieves will be looking for every opportunity to strike.

DON’T BE RUDE And, my fellow Guyanese here at home, please DO NOT ask your visiting guests, “Suh, is wuh yuh bring fuh meh?”as soon as you give them that welcoming hug. That would be very rude and a total turn-off.

With such a crass welcome, visiting ‘Fambly’ or ‘Frien’ will do everything within their power to stay away from you for the duration of their stay in the land that gave them birth.

Please be sensitive. Most of those people who will be visiting worked very hard while “up in foreign”.

They were getting up early on very cold winter mornings before they saw the sun, which rises at around 08:00hrs during the winter months. They got into very cold cars or buses or trains to go to work. I have seen it on my visits to North America and England during the winter months, and I can tell you, it’s not easy. Those places are very, very cold. No joke, countryman! When you speak while outdoors, the warm air of your breath makes a little fog. Yes, my Guyanese sisters and brothers who have never gone “up north” during wintertime.

As you speak, is suh de breath from yuh mouth mekkin’ fog right in front yuh face. And as my dear departed friend, Godfrey Chin, used to say, “Yuh t’ink it easy?”

LEAVE THEM ALONE! Now, here is a particular piece of advice for you at-home Guyanese, regards visiting couples. If you see couples walking

around in GT public spaces holding hands, please refrain from staring at them; whether they are Man-and-Wife; Boyfriend and Girlfriend; Girlfriend and Girlfriend; or Boyfriend and Boyfriend, PLEASE DO NOT STARE at them. Leave them alone! Be civil; show some class. People in most places in the Diaspora are free to hold hands with whomsoever they so desire. So, consider it NO DAMN BUSINESS OF YOURS to pontificate and condemn. Leave that to “Pastor What’shis-Name”. Consider how some couples here in Guyana have not been holding hands, but instead have been chopping off hands and other parts of the bodies of those whom they claim to have loved.

Another thing: Let your hugs be considerate. Some of the visitors from the Diaspora who are age 60 years and over might

hosts who have a very considerate guest. That guest will sit and share with you all the great experiences they had before leaving Guyana. They will tell you of their very dedicated and loving teachers; and how life was slow and oh so mellow back in those long-gone days of innocence.

They will tell you of swimming in a countryside canal, a hinterland creek, or the Luckhoo Swimming Pool in Georgetown. With a trance-like expression on their face, they will recall bosses who were kind and helpful. They will ask you about their schoolfriends; of their first boyfriend or first girlfriend; of that first kiss which Dave Martins sings about, which made them feel like their head fell off. They may ask you where that “First Love” can be found. Please plead ignorance, especially if your guest has a wife or husband.

Your guest may also tell you how they rode the train which travelled from Rosignol to Georgetown, or from Parika to Vreed-en-Hoop; and how they are so sad that only the “line-top” remains.

be suffering from arthritis; so, hug them every gently. And please refrain from engaging in long and lingering hugs; except if that person is an old-time boyfriend or girlfriend. Please be advised to keep the hug platonic if either of you is now married.

However, if you are both single at this time, then you can hug and rub like two sticks from the caveman era, and reignite that old flame. Let your long-simmering love blaze again. Go for it! Celebrate the Jubilee as well as your personal romantic reunion. Best of luck! Who knows! Captain Gerry might even give you an all-expenses-paid wedding reception, on the house, at Duke Lodge.

FOR THE BRAGGADOCIOS Now, you might have a guest who wants to show off, and bring to bear a superiority complex on you. Please be patient.

They will, and most likely in a loud voice, let you know how they live in a six-bedroom mansion with a swimming pool in the suburbs “in foreign”; and how they also own a fleet of expensive cars: A Porsche, a Mercedes-Benz, a Jaguar, a Ferrari, as well as a Mustang. Then, after a brief pause, they may add, “And a Harley Davidson motorcycle.”

Don’t argue; keep quiet. At a convenient time, take them for a spin into Pradoville 2, and ask them what they see. Make sure that you show them the mansion in which GUYANA’S HIGHEST PAID PENSIONER resides. That building should be one of Guyana’s main tourist attractions.

For nostalgia, you may want to take your guest, if they are from America, to see the now-deserted building on Main Street which once housed the Embassy of the United States of America so many years ago, and where they were probably issued with their first visas, and without ever having to stand in a long line.

That old, derelict building should also be a tourist attraction during the “Jubilee celebrations”.

On the opposite side of Main Street, you can show them the new-look Sacred Heart Church which has replaced the iconic wooden structure which was gutted some years ago.

DOWN MEMORY LANE My sincere hope is that you are one of the many lucky

Your guest may also tell you how they rode the train which travelled from Rosignol to Georgetown, or from Parika to Vreed-en-Hoop; and how they are so sad that only the “linetop” remains.

Some will tell you about their daily crossings of the Demerara River from Vreed-en-Hoop to Georgetown to go to school or to work. They will ask you about the Demerara River ferryboat, the MV Queriman.

Avoid making your guest sad by telling them that the T&HD (Transport and Harbours Department) ferryboat, the MV Queriman, is now beached up at Ampa Bay on the Essequibo River, just a few miles north of Bartica, with shrubs growing out of it.

Just tell a little “white lie”, and say that you really don’t know. Instead, invite them to view the beautiful little replica of that ferryboat at the National Museum on North Road in Georgetown, opposite the General Post Office. It was the responsibility of the T&HD to ensure that those retired ferryboats were maintained as tourist attractions. Unfortunately, the T&HD never had any such vision.

As your guest happily rambles on, continue to be patient; listen as though that guest and you are the only persons marooned on one of the many small islands in the middle of the Mighty Essequibo River, with no modern gadget to interrupt you.

There is that saying which Judge Judy likes to use quite a lot, “God gave us two ears and one mouth”. Suh, shut yuh one mouth, and open yuh two ears and listen with intent to your guest as they recall “The Good Old Days”, growing up in colonial British Guiana when the “White Man” was in charge; British Guiana, the land that gave them birth.

“Those were the days!” your guest would likely say with a happy sigh. “Yes! The days when Bookers ruled the roost, and not the drug lords!”

THE GOOD OLD DAYS Back in the day, we had the colonial masters giving us a little hell, but also a little heaven: A good education, for example. Those were the days when laws and rules had to be

Please see page 13

13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

From page 12 followed, and no one escaped justice because they had connections in high places, or lots of money to bribe the police.

In fact, in those colonial days, the police would lock you up if you dared offer them a bribe.

Now, let me tell you: Many of those who migrated in the 1980s, the 1970s and even as early as the 1960s still

Hilton Hemerding’s “Beautiful Guyana”, and Dave Martins’ “Not a Blade of Grass”, since, at some point in time, you might hear your guest burst out singing those two popular patriotic Guyanese songs.

Then you may also notice your guest looking at, and listening to, the parrots, the kiskadees, the blue sackies and the many other Guyanese birds flying by and singing

Old Lombard Street, looking north know every word of Guyana’s National Anthem; they also still know every word of Guyana’s National Pledge. So if you are somewhat uncertain of yourself now, let me advise you to do yourself a favour and ‘box-up’ on those words.

It might also be a good thing for you to polish up your knowledge of the lyrics of

their tropical songs. Do compliment your guest, and let them know how happy you are that they are back home, enjoying all the wonderful sights and sounds and tastes, like home fruits and dishes.

And if you notice your guest peeling a banana from the tip, as the Americans do, instead of from the stem as we Guyanese in Guyana do, you

may be tempted to laugh; but do so only on the inside, and suppress your amusement.

BEWARE THE AMERICANISMS The way Americans peel a banana is something which many of the returning visitors will bring with them, including those so much over-used words. “Like”, and “basically” are the principal ones. In America, if a sentence has five words, the two words, “like” and “basically” will most likely feature somewhere in that sentence.

It is disgusting and annoying, even to some Americans; that includes American TV’s Judge Judy. Those two words seem to provide oxygen to millions of Americans, as well as some USA-based Guyanese.

So, if your guest uses those two words over and over again, then my recommendation is that you take them into a corner and whisper gently into their ear: “You know, basically, I do not basically, like, appreciate “like” you know; basically, like using those two “like” words, which, basically, are, like, over-used. And, basically, “like” is like, basically, very annoying to me.”

Your guest may respond by saying, “Well, basically, I was like basically didn’t realise, like, I was basically using those two words, like so

often.” Smile pleasantly and say, “Basically, I like that.”

While still in Guyana, your guest may see quite a number of young men wearing their pants on the ground; that African-American sub-culture, which is now very much a part of the Guyanese sub-culture. It is like, basically (ooops!) popular with quite a number of Guyanese young men, and not only those of African heritage.

BE A GOOD HOST So, I plead with you, my fellow at-home Guyanese, be as good a host or hostess of your guest as you possibly can. You will most likely be remembered fondly when they return to “foreign”. Treat your guest in a similar manner as you would like to be

treated if and when you are visiting them “in foreign”.

Display the famous Guyanese Hospitality as best your time and financial resources can afford. Flash that sweet Guyanese smile as often as possible. It costs nothing for you to give, yet it is priceless. If you are a good host(ess), you may benefit in the long-term. For when your guest returns to “foreign”, they may very well start to pack a barrel, or even barrels, packed full of goodies to send to you for Christmas.

However, whatever you do for your guest must not be done with such ulterior motives; do it just for the love of doing good.

So, enjoy the 50th Independence Anniversary Jubilee Celebrations with your guest(s) visiting “from for-

eign”.

And remember: Every day is special in our lives; some more special than others. Every year is also special; some more special than others.

This “Jubilee” year is special; one in which you can make your “guest from foreign” leave with so many pleasant memories, especially for being your guest. Do your very best to make those memories happy ones, for your guest and for yourself.

And I hope that you will have lots and lots of ‘selfies’ to share with ‘Fambly’ and ‘Frens’, both here in Guyana and in the Diaspora as well. You have the technology to do that; bought or stolen. So, enjoy your hosting of your “guest from foreign” for Jubilee.

14

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Suspect in murder of Linden woman arrested STAFREI Hopkinson Alexander, who escaped from the Mackenzie Police Station December last and was wanted for the murder of a Linden woman, was apprehended yesterday morning during a checkpoint search at the Kupakari Crossing, Rupununi.

The police said yesterday that Alexander of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was in a vehicle at the checkpoint.

A wanted bulletin had been issued for Alexander and Robin Maxwell Thomas who were charged with the murder of Shevon Gordon,

which occurred at Wismar on April 4, 2015. They had escaped from the Mackenzie Police Station on December 8, 2015.

Hopkinson and Thomas reportedly escaped by smashing a hole through a cell wall. The suspects, along with Aiden Bowen,

of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, were charged for the April 4, 2015 murder of the businesswoman who was shot near her One Mile, Linden premises.

Aidien Bowen, their alleged accomplice, was in the same cell at the time.

Stafrei Hopkinson, 30, was November last arrested and charged with Gordon’s murder. He was also slapped with several armed robbery charges.

The slain woman’s husband, Fitzroy Elon Gordon, described the escape as “a set up”, and expressed concern for the safety of his son, who is the key witness in the matter.

Shevon Gordon was shot after she resisted

Captured: Stafrei Hopkinson Alexander two armed bandits who had accosted her after she stepped out of her truck.

She was also relieved of a bag containing money. The businesswoman was later pronounced dead on arriv-

al at the Linden Hospital complex.

Meanwhile, in the latter part of December, 2015 the body of Robin Maxwell Thomas was fished out of the Demerara River. Officials said that Thomas’s badly decomposed corpse was found in the vicinity of West Watooka, near the Mackenzie/ Wismar Bridge.

But he was only positively identified after detectives matched the victim’s thumbprint to prints of Thomas they have on record. A post-mortem indicating that he was murdered. The post-mortem revealed that Thomas sustained blunt trauma to the head and that his skull was fractured.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

15

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE

May 15, 2016

Kardashian, CHI Miss Universe cosmetics for local market - Young entrepreneur answers the call to return home

By Alva Solomon

WHEN beauty company Avon closed its doors in Guyana last year, many persons were left without a diverse range of beauty and care products to choose from. At the same time, the move left in the cold many persons who had traded the products to supplement their incomes . But young Guyanese entrepreneur Robeta Sami had her own alternative plan.

Sami, who is based in Barbados, will this week unveil her ambitious plans to capitalise on the void left by Avon using the CHI Miss Universe, Biosilk and Kardashian product lines. Sami created her own company, Caribbean Premier Distributors (CPD), and she subsequently obtained sole distributor status from the beauty companies last December.

Ever since, she has been making numerous calls, travel arrangements and local contacts to develop her business plans.

Going the trip alone, the young woman noted that failure is not an option at this time, as she has come home to make a success of her dream.

She said that she will not simply be having a store selling the popular products, but she will be a distributor of the products and as time stretches, she will work towards distributing other unique and reputable beauty- care products. She said that the product line, especially the CHI Miss Universe branded items is not unique to Guyana’s beauty industry.

However, her business of marketing those products is at affordable costs. “A product which sells for $10,000, you can buy that for $4000,” she noted.

“The Kardasian line is one that is in demand globally, the CHI Miss Universe is the product line of choice selected by the Miss Universe organisation for those persons who take part in the international pageant,” she added.

Sami said that midway through 2015, she started pursuing the idea of distributing beauty- care products. Though based in Barbados, some eight years to date, she said that she worked around the clock marketing the Avon branded products while she worked as a distributor here in Guyana. She operated a local store .

“I had over 100 persons working along with me as representatives and so it is something similar which I hope will come out [of] the new plans,” Sami noted.

She said that over the years in Barbados she had visited several beauty shows and workshops and it is at those events that she struck up conversations with the parent company’s representatives of CHI, the Kardasian brand and Biosilk. “I had been contacted by a company based in Mexico, but my marketing plans were more focused on products that are more reputable”, the young woman noted.

Having established contact with the product lines, she said she quickly returned to Guyana and scoped the business climate here. “Beauty and care are always in demand, so I can tell that there is a market here,” she said. In addition, she had to find a new location for her store and she found that site at the Kaylan’s Mall on Lamaha Street close to Camp Street. There she was packing a range of beauty items from the product lines, when this newspaper visited last week. Persons

Entrepreneur Robeta Sami and one of the products which will officially be on the market next week were already visiting the store and making enquiries as regards being representatives to sell the products. The products include lotions, perfumes, hair- treatment products and men’s beauty -care products.

Sami said that she established contact with a number of local related businesses including the Milady’s House of Beauty in Queenstown. In addition, popular Guyanese fashion icon, Sonia Noel, has embraced the

products and Sami’s plans. “Establishing that contact with Sonia is one of the best things that has happened in my plans”, Sami said.

On Monday this week, she will officially launch the product lines at the Georgetown Club, where a workshop will be held to showcase the products and their usage at 5 pm. She said that persons can also make arrangements to be representatives of the product lines.

University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus has Lions Club

LIONS in Guyana gathered on Saturday, April 30th, at Georgetown Club for the charter (launch) of the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus Lions Club.

The Campus Lions Club is the first of its kind in Multiple District 60, which covers the Caribbean and small islands.

Twenty-two (22) students and one faculty member -- Lion Nelsonia Budhram-Persaud, who serves as Faculty Advisor for the club -- was inducted

by Lion Shabier Hussein, who himself has served Lionism for over 30 years.

Dr Barbara Reynolds, acting Vice- Chancellor of the University of Guyana, urged the new club to live by the code of ethics of the largest humanitarian service organization, while upholding the traditions of the highest tertiary institution of the land.

She appealed to them that while there are three courts -court of public opinion, court of law and court of morals and ethics -- she hopes they live by the latter, since it pro-

-the 19th club in Guyana

Members of the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus Lions Club. Club president Curwin Alleyne is at centre

duces the highest standard.

New club President, Lion Curwin Alleyne, in his acceptance speech, sought the goodwill of those present while promising to network and collaborate with other clubs to fulfill the motto of Lionism: “We Serve”.

He will lead the club with a board of seven for the next two years, as the club develops its strategic plan and recruit new members. The board of seven consists of 1st Vice-President, Nathifa Victorine; 2nd Vice-President, Tiffini Barton; Secretary, Tevera Franklin; Treasurer, Malisa Richards; Membership Director, Ashelle Ramnarine; and Tamer, Romein Kadir.

Among the community projects the club has already embarked on is rehabilitation of the Therapy Room of the Diamond Special Needs School.

To get involved with the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus Lions Club, please contact Lion Curwin Alleyne on +1592-688-8088 or email curwin.alleyne@gmail.com.

17

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Melinda Alleyne: Young businesswoman with a passion for Amerindian culture ‘Each month I cook a pot – a Tuma pot - and I go around Mahdia and the other villages to sell.’––Melinda Alleyne

By Alva Solomon

MELINDA Alleyne is a young businesswoman with a mission.

Sitting opposite her mother under the benab at the Amerindian Heritage Village at the Sophia Exhibition Complex on Friday night, she busied herself, like her mother, knitting hats, chair backs and tibisi-

ri–made items. When this newspaper visited their booth, several tibisiri-woven vests and female apparel hung nearby.

This proud descendant of the Patamuna indigenous tribe has been in the handicraft business for some six years to date. She said that as long as there are major events where she can feature her products, she records

Bridget Alleyne knits an item which is made in the colours of the Golden Arrowhead

her presence, and GuyExpo 2016 did not escape her plans.

Alleyne said she started crafting various hand-woven items, having been taught by her mother. Although it is time-consuming, she spends most of her time learning something new from her mother. She said she would also collect orders from customers, and Friday night she collected several orders for the items on display.

“People also know me, so that helps me in this business,” Alleyne said.

While she has plans to pass on the knowledge to her children, whenever that time comes, she is also willing to teach anyone who is interested in learning the art of handicraft. She said she operates between Georgetown and Mahdia, though the craft is not widely practised in her Region Eight hometown of Mahdia.

“Most people don’t do craft there, so I would supply persons, especially during the Heritage in September,” Alleyne noted.

“It is limited, and most do not follow the culture because they are preoccupied with mining and gold min-

Melinda Alleyne knits an item made from the tibisiri straw. Knitting is an art she was taught by her mother Bridget ing among other activities,” she added. She said about 10 persons are into craft at Mahdia.

The young woman said that her grandmother sings songs in the Patamuna language, and from time to time she would sing along.

“I know the words also,” she said.

In addition, she said, she cooks the foods which her

grandmother, mother and siblings taught her to cook over the years.

“I know some of the songs, (and I know) to cook the food, to prepare the different types of food on the menu: the tuma pot, boiley-boiley and farine,” she said with a broad smile.

She added that farine can be cooked into fried rice and the result would be one that

is very tasty.

“Most people do not follow their culture because of what they are surrounded by -- the environment.

Only at Heritage time people see the use of knowing what their culture is; whole year they don’t pay much attention,” Alleyne said, as she expressed hope it wouldn’t always be that way.

St Cuthbert’s craftswomen plead for markets FOR years, the St Cuthbert’s Mission women’s group has been engaged in craft-making using tibisiri and other natural items, but due to the scarcity of markets for their products, their craft is seemingly dying away.

The women learnt their craft from the older folk, but today, not too many are willing to learn.

This is evident from the paucity of craft booths at GuyExpo 2016 as compared to the past, when there was a prevalence of creative pieces at every corner of an exposition.

Added to that, Ruth Shuman, a member of the group, said that the craftswomen are “discouraged and tired,” because of the unavailability of markets for their products.

Though they have stuck to their culture, the level of discouragement is still high when they can’t sell the products they make with their bare hands.

“We take our time, particularly days, to make these tibisiri craft, also with

straw and straw guts. We does make bowls, bread trays, fruit trays and even gift wrap, just to name a few.”

However, when done, they are forced to settle for meagre payments or even nothing for their well-crafted pieces, which she said, would sometimes even be stored away for months and even years because of the lack of consumers.

“It does be hard to keep the group together because sometimes it don’t function and sometimes when they get orders they try to do something.

“Other than that, throughout the year they are not even encouraged to do what they love,” said the craftswoman, who highlighted that she would venture off to different areas to get some sales just to keep the group together and active.

Their plea for markets continues to grow, hence, she has made her way to GuyExpo 2016 in an effort to get exposure for her products and also to educate persons on the operations of the group and the wonders of craft-making. (Navendra Seoraj)

- bet on GuyExpo

Ruth Shuman’s daughter displays some of her craft items at GuyExpo

18

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

May 26 baby hampers donated

by Massy Group Minister Henry and staff of Massy

WOMEN who will give birth on May 26, 2016 will be given a special treat of baby products from popular brands including Teddies, Pampers, Dr Chase and Always, which are distributed by the Massy Group.

The management of Massy Group presented 50 hampers to the Minister within the Ministry of Education, The Hon Nicolette Henry at their new distribution site at Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara, last Friday.

“This is a noble gesture, and certainly this is the type of partnership the ministry and the Government appreciate,” Minister Henry stated in her acceptance remarks, while indicating her willingness to work with companies and agencies that are interested in furthering the development of our people.

“In the case of the 50th you know that this is a momentous occasion for Guyana.

“The theme ‘Reflection, Celebration, Inspiration speaks to three important areas,” the minister said. She shared her sentiments regarding the deeper meaning and symbolism of the theme which calls on Guyanese to reflect on the past, celebrate the present and inspire Guyana’s youth for the future.

“The selection of a roaring jaguar as the logo also bears great significance to the country’s movement into the future.”

Port Mourant Market workers strike over non-payment of salaries WORKERS of the Port Mourant Market on the Corentyne in East Berbice (Region Six) should have received their monthly salaries on Friday last, but this did not happen because of “foot-dragging” by the Port Mourant Neighbourhood

Democratic Council (NDC).

Workers downed tools yesterday, causing concern among vendors about sanitation in the market in their absence over the weekend.

Regional Executive Officer Dr Veerasammy Ramayya and Prime Minister’s Representative in Region 6, Gobin Harbhajan, responded to complaints from the workers and visited the market yesterday.

Vendors complained that the strike had resulted in the sanitary facilities in the market being closed, with no alternative site being available. The buildup of garbage had already resulted in a

pervasive unpleasant odour, particularly in the fish and meat sections of the market.

Ramayya described the Port Mourant NDC as a PPP/Civic-dominated Council whose members had been very callous and insensitive in not processing the workers’ payments on time. He expressed hope that the NDC would expedite payment by Monday latest, since the pile-up of garbage due to heavy sales over the weekend would precipitate a major health hazard that would be detrimental to vendors and the neighbouring community if not removed.

Region Six REO, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya, and the PM’s Region 6 Representative, Gobin Harbhajan (right), listened to a concerned vendor during their visit to the market yesterday

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

19

20

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

21

22

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

23

24

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

25

26

SUNDAY CHRONICLE

ENGLISH RACING TIPS Market Rasen 09:10 hrs Film Director 09:40 hrs Our Kylie 10:15 hrs Net Work Rouge 10:50 hrs Kentucky Star 11:25 hrs Johns Spirit 11:55 hrs See Double You 12:25 hrs Flemenskill Ripon 09:00 hrs Rainbow Mist 09:30 hrs Hollywood Harry

May 15, 2016

10:00 hrs Eid Rose 10:35 hrs Glenrowan Rose 11:10 hrs Spring Offensive 11:45 hrs Sagely 12:15 hrs Rainbow Orse 12:45 hrs Amazement Stratford 08:50 hrs Approaching Star 09:20 hrs Lift The Lid 09:50 hrs When In Roam 10:25 hrs Mount Haven 11:00 hrs Aigle De La See 11:35 hrs Sleep Easy 12:05 hrs Devil To Pay 12:35 hrs Burlington Bert Irish Racing Tips Killarney 09:05 hrs Sound Money 09:35 hrs Legacy Gold 10:05 hrs Investmentsuccess 10:40 hrs A Great View 11:15 hrs Aminabad 11:50 hrs Hurricane Darwin 12:20 hrs Bertter B Quick 12:50 hrs Runfordave Navan 08:45 hrs Washington DC 09:15 hrs Edgar Allan Poe 10:20 hrs Bodi Beach 10:55 hrs Gallope 11:30 hrs No Biggie 12:00 hrs Arch Sting 12:30 hrs Successor South Africa Racing Fairview 08:35 hrs Kirby Ninja 09;10 hrs Fly Like The Wind 09:45 hrs Bollemakiesie 10;15 hrs Pioneer Spirit 10:50 hrs Amaseus Rocks

27

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Hinds poised to make successful defence of three-stage title TEAM Evolution’s Orville Hinds is poised to make a successful defence of his Independence Three-Stage cycle road race title when the event climaxes today on Homestretch Avenue.

After completing the first two stages, Hinds will go into today’s final stage (Kara Kara, Linden Highway to Homestretch Avenue) with a healthy lead.

Hinds won stage one (Corriverton to New Amsterdam, Berbice) in one hour 41 minutes 14 seconds and placed second in the second stage (Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue) with a bunch time of two hours 42 minutes .05 seconds.

Going into today’s third and final stage, Hinds will benefit from a bonus time of 17 seconds overall, having won the first stage for a 10-second bonus time and placing second in stage two for

seven seconds bonus time.

After being sent on their way from outside the Corriverton Police Station, Berbice, by Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Junior Niles and Andrew Hicks broke away from the other 55 starters, but Hinds in company with team-mate Michael Anthony and Trojan Cycle Club’s Jebon Crawford gave chase and connected to the duo and instead of staying with them, the trio continued pedalling hard but it was too much for the young Crawford, who eventually dropped out and Hinds went on to outsprint Anthony for the stage victory.

Niles finished third.

Some one minute later, Hinds’s Team Evolution’s team-mate Marlon `Fishy’ Williams outsprinted Linden’s Shaquiel Agard to finish fourth and

earn three bonus points. Crawford ended the stage in the sixth position.

Stage two started at 14:00hrs from the Rosignol Ferry Stelling and concluded on Carifesta Avenue.

Of the 57 starters, only 53 started the second stage and when they were given the green flag by race coordinator and national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed, the 53 cyclists went off at a very fast pace which saw the more inexperienced riders being dropped very early in the stage.

They stayed together and were travelling in Indian file passing through Cotton Tree Village, but as they approached Waterloo Village, West Coast Berbice, Hinds suffered a puncture to his back wheel. He however,quickly got a change of wheel and powered his way back to the leading

bunch with assistance from his teammate Williams.

At Belle Vue, the top riders were all bunched together and were eying each other and approximately five miles after leaving Abary, Mario King decided to jump the pack and opened a three-minute lead on the others who were led by Hinds.

The pack connected at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, after which there were several mini attacks mostly by Williams; and as the pack reached Plaisance, Hinds and Anguillan Joseph Hercules distanced themselves from the others and Hercules went on to outsprint Hinds to the finish line.

Despite placing second though, Hinds starts today’s final stage a comfortable leader and will have to only hang in to make a successful defence of his title.

South Dakota ready for GMRSC king of Drags -Surinamese arrive ready for a fight

By Stephan Sookram THE South Dakota circuit has been transformed into a battlefield of asphalt and burnt rubber for today’s King of Drags event, which falls under the auspices of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) According to club president Mahendra Bhoodoo, today’s event has been on the minds of competitors since the year commenced and is expected to be one of the largest.

Over 20 competitors from Suriname are already in Guyana for the quartermile shootout with the best of that country expected to come under fire from some of Guyana’s best, according to the GMR&SC boss.

He said, “It is Guyana’s Golden Jubilee and we want to make it big; we want to make an im-

A scene from the 2015 burn-out event, Team wreckers Verosa takes on a Mitsubishi Evolution (Sean Charles Photo) pression, so we went out to the Surinamese and tried to bring all their fastest cars here and they responded. We ourselves put our systems in place and our competitors are stepping

up to the game.

“We are looking at 100 competitors to run, about 20 Surinamese and close to 80 locals, so we are going to start early.

At 09:00hrs we are going

to start qualifying and at 12:00hrs eliminations will start. We will not be registering after 10:00hrs in the morning,” continued the GMR&SC president.

“It will be a beautiful day of racing, rain or sun.

We will not postpone it, nor will we not cancel it.

It has to be on Sunday and it will be a beautiful day.”

Admission for adults is

`$1000, children $500.

Today’s event will also feature the class- type drag, whereby participants will be separated on the basis of their times over the quarter mile.

28

SUNDAY CHRONICLE

May 15, 2016

Hat-trick hero Suarez leads Barca to title glory

By Richard Martin BARCELONA, (Reuters)-A ravenous Luis Suarez bagged a third hattrick in five games as defending champions Barcelona won 3-0 at Granada to clinch their 24th La Liga title yesterday.

The Uruguayan converted Jordi Alba’s low pass in the 22nd minute to give Luis Enrique’s side the lead. He then headed in Dani Alves’ cross in the 38th before tapping Neymar’s pass into an empty net in the 86th.

Suarez finished the season as La Liga’s top scorer with 40 goals, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s grip on the honour since 2009.

Barca ended with 91 points, one ahead of Real Madrid who won 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna.

Ronaldo scored twice for Real before being substituted at halftime, finishing the campaign with 35 goals.

Gerard Pique came close to giving Barca an early lead when his header was tipped away by goalkeeper Andres Fernandez who also saved well from Messi.

Fernandez was powerless to stop Suarez’s opener, however, the Uruguayan tapping the ball home at the far post.

The second goal was delightful. Javier Mascherano launched a long diagonal pass towards the byline and Alves raced to meet it before hooking a cross for

Suarez to nod in from close range.

Suarez nearly laid on a third for Neymar but the

reth Bale manoeuvred his way past a defender on the left and cut the ball back to Karim Benzema who

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates his second goal.

(Reuters/Marcelo Del Pozo) Brazilian was denied by Fernandez.

Neymar then generously played in Suarez to complete his hat-trick before the end.

“This title tastes great after so much hard work throughout the year and suffering right until the end,” said Barca captain Andres Iniesta.

“The league is the tournament that tests your consistency throughout the year and it’s the one we want to win every year.”

Real got off to an ideal start at Deportivo when Ga-

squared it for Ronaldo to score in the seventh minute.

The Portugal striker’s second in the 25th minute had an element of good fortune, his header from a corner bouncing off Deportivo’s Pedro Mosquera on its way into the net.

Ronaldo also hit the post and the crossbar before being replaced by James Rodriguez although there was no suggestion he had an injury two weeks before the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.

Pathan powers KKR to victory over Pune YUSUF Pathan maintained his impressive form with a brutal knock as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rising Pune Supergiants by eight wickets in a rain-affected match at Eden Gardens to go second in the Indian Premier League(IPL).

KKR were beaten by fellow top-four hopeful Gujarat Lions last time out, but put that setback behind them by easing to victory over bottom side Pune yesterday.

Piyush Chawla took 2-21 as the Supergiants, who now have no chance of making the play-offs, made 103-6 from 17.4 overs before heavy rain led to a lengthy delay in Kolkata.

The Knight Riders were set a revised target of 66 to win in nine overs and Pathan - who went into the match with two half-centuries in his last three games blasted 37 not out from only 18 balls to seal victory with 24 balls to spare.

Pune were reduced to 26-2 when Usman Khawaja (21 from 17) failed to build on a start, but Australia team-mate George Bailey (33 off 27) looked capable of making a big score after two early setbacks.

Bailey came down the track to smash Shakib Al Hasan and hit another three boundaries before he was stumped off the bowling of impressive spinner Chawla.

Runs proved to be hard to come by before the rain came and there were concerns that the match would be abandoned, only for the umpires to give the green light for an 11:45pm (local time) start.

Ravichandran Ashwin (2-30) got rid of Robin Uthappa (4) and Gautam Gambhir (0) in the first over, but Pathan showed what great touch he has been in recently by striking three sixes and another four boundaries in a match-winning knock.(Sportsmax.com)

29

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

FIFA reformer Scala quits over loss of independence

By Brian Homewood MEXICO CITY, (Reuters)-Domenico Scala, a Swiss businessman who led reforms to clean up scandal-plagued FIFA, quit his post at the global soccer body yesterday, saying its watchdog committees had lost their independence and members would be under threat of dismissal.

Scala, head of the audit and compliance committee, said the reform of FIFA, which is attempting to recover from the worst graft scandal in its history, had been undermined following a resolution

well as former executive committee members.

GOOD GOVERNANCE Scala, responsible for monitoring FIFA’s spending, played a big role in implementing reforms aimed at avoiding a repeat of the corruption scandal that has seen 42 football officials and entities indicted in the United States.

He said the new rule “undermines a central pillar of the good governance of FIFA and it destroys a substantial achievement of the reforms”.

“It will henceforth be possible for the Council to

Head of FIFA audit and compliance Committee Domenico Scala by the FIFA Congress on Friday.

However, FIFA later said that Scala had “misinterpreted” the decision and the committees would remain independent.

The resolution, passed by 186 votes to one, gave the FIFA Council power to appoint or “dismiss any office holders” of its independent bodies such as the ethics committee and the audit and compliance committee.

It effectively gives the Council, which has replaced the former executive committee and is headed by the new FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, the right to fire ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, ethics investigator Cornel Borbely and Scala himself.

The ethics committee, which was reformed in 2012, has played a key role in cleaning up FIFA. It has investigated and banned more than a dozen top officials for ethics violations.

These have included former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke as

impede investigations against single members at any time, by dismissing the responsible Committee members or by keeping them acquiescent through the threat of a dismissal,” added Scala.

“The bodies are factually deprived of their independence and are in danger of becoming auxiliary agents of those whom they should actually supervise.”

Scala told the Congress on Friday he had “made enemies”, without giving details.

P r e v i o u s l y, c o m m i t tee members could only be sacked by the Congress, which is held annually and where each of FIFA’s 211 member associations hold one vote. FIFA Council meetings can be called at short notice.

The vote was passed among raft of administrative measures and was not the subject of any discussion.

FIFA said it was intended to allow the Council to appoint new members while the system of committees was re-structured over the course of the next year.

“FIFA regrets that Mr Scala has misinterpreted the purpose of the decision taken by the FIFA Congress,” it said, adding that the ruling would allow “for the swift removal of members who have breached their obligations”.

“The Council fully respects the independence

of the Audit and Compliance and the Ethics committees, and any suggestions to the contrary are without merit,” it said, describing Scala’s comments as baseless.

Eckert and Borbely, in a joint statement, said the move would not have any impact on

their work. “Both chambers will continue to exercise this work in full independence,” it said.

However, Mark Pieth, a criminology professor at Basel university who headed an earlier FIFA reform group in 2011, said the move was a “complete breakdown” of the

FIFA reforms.

“The independence of the (committee members) is the centrepiece of the reforms, that is what we needed to do to get away from Blatter,” he told Reuters by telephone.

“It’s more of the same, it’s what we were used to in the old days.”

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

‘Hand-in-Hand History of Cricket in Guyana 1865-1897’ launched

AS part of activities to commemorate its 150th anniversary, the Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies on Friday evening officially launched the Hand-in-Hand History of Cricket in Guyana 1865-1897, Volume One, at Cara Lodge.

Prominent Guyanese historian, Professor Clem Seecharan researched and wrote the book that consists of 482 pages, and chronicles the history of cricket in Guyana, spanning the years 1865-1897.

The ceremony was chaired by Howard Cox, Fire Manager/Director, while chairman of the Handin-Hand Group of Companies John Carpenter delivered the welcome remarks.

Former West Indies wicketkeeper and Vice-captain Deryck Murray along with Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine delivered feature remarks.

Murray in his remarks, said he is happy to be a part

of the historic launching, since cricket has played an integral role for the Caribbean people since the 1800s.

After lauding the company and Seecharran, he demanded “dissolution” of the WICB, and called for a more competent group to lead the WICB. Roopnaraine explained that cricket is an important part of Guyanese history and culture and as such, he lauded the company as well as Seecharan for the bold step taken in ensuring our history is remembered.

Both Minister Roopnaraine and Murray recognised the contribution of the late Tony Cozier, who passed away on Wednesday last at the age of 75.

Also attending the ceremony were numerous cricket enthusiasts and stakeholders, including: current and past Guyana/ West Indies players such as Roger and Mark Harper and Steven Jacobs; female West Indies player

Professor Clem Seecharan as he signed another copy of the book alongside Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies Fire Manager/Director Howard Cox (right) and Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnarine (left).

Tremayne Smartt ; former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank An-

Brewley registers first hat-trick as High Rollers edge Coomacka 3-2 THE Linden leg of the Banks DIH-promoted 2016 Guinness Greatest of de Streets Football championship began on Friday night with some exciting matches and the elimination of teams in light of the winners advancing at the tournament venue, the Mackenzie Car Park.

The now annual football spectacle is being played during the Linden Town Week celebrations which are being held in collaboration with the country’s 50th Independence anniversary activities.

The first game saw Speightland and Future Stars playing to a 1-1 stalemate with Roy Cornelius netting for the Speightland side in the 11th minute and Future Stars replying through Jashawn Moore in the 16th minute.

The second game of the night ended with Classic Six brushing aside Trend Setters 3-1, as the winners were led by a double from Shane Lucky with goals in the 6th and 19th minutes of the game and the other coming off the boot of Colwyn Drakes in the 11th minute. The one strike by the losers was from Taffon Alexander in the 17th minute.

Eagles then shut out Unruly Shots with a 3-0 whipping behind Dellon Charter’s double, which came in the 3rd and 11th minutes, while the other was by Benny Neblett in the 16th

minute.

Another 3-0 scoreline was replicated when Royal Youths blew past Trainline Warriors who failed to put up a resistance as Denzil Pryce’s double in the 2nd and 14th minutes and another from Kwesi Tafawa ended any hopes of the Warriors.

The fifth game ended 2-2, but East Side Jammers prevailed over Scheme 2-1 on penalty kicks.

The Scheme had gotten goals from Manatambu Akbar in the 5th and 8th minutes, while East Side Jammers matched those scores through goals from Ivor Dublin in the 3rd and Duquan Wilson in the 15th minute for a 2-2 stalemate, before the deciding penalty shoot-out.

The sixth game finished with Main Street Panthers rolling past Cherookee Park 2-0, after the winners secured goals from Chris Bowling in the 5th minute and Kevin Kennedy in the 18th minute.

The High Rollers edged Coomacka 3-2 with young Omar Brewley getting the first hat-trick of the tournament which came in the 3rd, 5th and 9th minutes of play, while for the losing Coomacka side Dorwin Daw netted in the 5th minute and Joel Rawlins in the 10th minute.

The eighth scheduled game did not come off, but Half Mile/ One Mile advanced to the next round of play in the 32-team tournament. (Joe Chapman)

thony; former West Indies cricketer, Joe Solomon; former West Indies Crick-

et Board director, Claude Raphael; former Director of Sport, Neil Kumar; mu-

sician Dave Martins and members of the diplomatic community among others.

Tri-Nation ODI Series to be played under lights BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – History will be created in the Caribbean when all 10 matches in the upcoming Tri Nation One-Day International Series will be day/ night matches.

This is the first time all matches in a series will be contested under lights.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced yesterday that the games, featuring West Indies, South Africa and Australia, will start at 1.00pm. The first innings will be played in daylight from 1.00pm to 4.30pm and the second half will be played from 5:15pm to 8:45pm.

The Tri Series starts in at the Guyana National Stadium (June 3-7), then moves to Warner Park, St Kitts (June 11-15); and concludes at Kensington Oval, Barbados (June 19-26).

Roland Holder, the WICB’s Cricket Operations Manager, outlined: “This is a major series with three very attractive teams featuring some of the world’s best players. They are accustomed to playing under lights all over the world so we look forward to some very entertaining cricket.

“We looked at ways to enhance the appeal and the spectator experience and it is accepted that fans like the day/night matches. I’m sure we will have a win-win situation for players and fans and everyone will enjoy the afternoon start and the finish under lights.”

MATCH SCHEDULE June Friday 3: West Indies vs South Africa – Guyana National Stadium Sunday 5: West Indies vs Australia – Guyana National Stadium Tuesday 7: Australia vs South Africa – Guyana National Stadium Saturday 11: South Africa vs Australia – Warner Park Monday 13: West Indies vs Australia – Warner Park Wednesday 15: West Indies vs South Africa – Warner Park Sunday 19: Australia vs South Africa – Kensington Oval Tuesday 21: West Indies vs Australia – Kensington Oval Friday 24: West Indies vs South Africa – Kensington Oval Sunday 26: The Final – Kensington Oval`

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2016

Golden Jags relying on pace ahead of Canada friendly tonight

By Stephan Sookram A PACY Golden Jaguars outfit will be what the Canadians have to put up with when they meet this evening at the National Stadium,at Providence, in a football International Friendly.

Captain Colin Nelson, who spoke to the media yesterday, confirmed that his side will be looking to utilise their pace against the Canadian Olympic side.

“We are approaching the game with the same intensity as every other game and this game is to prepare for the next round of CFU matches, which is in two weeks and we are playing to come out with intense pace,” Captain Nelson said.

The defender continued, “Being the captain, I don’t see it as any extra work; I mean it’s a football team and a duty is expected of every player despite being captain or captain not, my duty is to lead and guide the players.”

Head coach Jamaal Shabazz, who congratulated the Canadians on qualifying for the Olympics, reminded that Guyana will be no

push-over, saying, “You will indeed get a test today. You will get a huge test and you know we intend to put our best foot forward.”

Meanwhile, his opposite

reserved in disclosing his game plan, saying, “We don’t know a lot on the team but we will watch the videos [we have] before today’s game and we have training on Sat-

Jamaal Shabazz, Golden Jaguars head coach interacts with his opposite number, Canadian coach Micheal Findley during yesterday’s reception (Adrian Narine Photo) number Micheal Findley, said the match “Gives us a great opportunity to engage in competition, but most importantly, advance ourselves as a nation and also CONCACAF.” The Canadian skipper, Maxime Crépeau, was more

urday afternoon, so we are going to see how we can hurt them and make them pay for their mistakes.”

Quizzed on the conditions, the goalkeeper continued, “We’re all professionals and sometimes we have to adjust to so many

things in our lives, so it’s good to play in the heat.

“Obviously, that’s why we’re drinking water, but maybe some guys will get cramps, but we just have to adapt as quick as we can for a good performance for tomorrow’s game,” the Montreal FC player added.

Today’s clash commences from 19:00hrs and will be preceded by a match between Milo champions Chase Academy and Digicel champions, Linden’s Christiansburg / Wismar Secondary School at 16:00hrs.

Shabazz will have 25 players from which to choose his starting 11 and substitutes.

The full squad reads: Andrew Murray, Solomon Austin, Tafari Browne, Collin Nelson, Kester Jacobs, Lennox Alleyne, Gregory Richardson, Leyland Millington, Jeran Wilson, Dwight Peters, Linford Adams, Denzil Bobb, Revnell Shultz, Dellon Lanferman, Ishankie Charles, Anthony Whyte, Daniel Whyte, Marcel Barrington, Clive Nobrega, Tichard Joseph, Hubert Pedro, Charles Critchlow, Jahall Greaves, Cortez Kellman and Haqq Mustapha.

Guyana, Canada teams hosted

by Canadian High Commissioner

By Stephan Sookram TWENTY-four hours before Guyana’s Golden Jaguars go up against a Canadian Olympic football team, the locals were afforded the chance to “size up” their opposition.

The Jaguars and their Canadian opponents along with management as well as Guyana Football Federation (GFF) officials and the Government of Guyana were guests of the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Pierre Giroux’s residence during a mid-afternoon reception.

The locals had a chance to meet their competition ahead of today’s encounter during yesterday’s meet and greet with the host opting to give a few remarks on a lighter note before the whistle goes.

He commended Canadian hall of Famer and Guyanese-born Alex Bunbury for his moves in this regard, as it is his initiative that brought the match to fruition.

According to the Cana-

Members of the Guyana National Team share a moment with their Canadian counterparts ahead of tomorrow’s game. In the front row kneeling are Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Pierre Giroux and acting GFF president Retired Brig. Bruce Lovell (Adrian Narine photo) dian diplomat, Bunbury approached him at the High Commission, putting forth his “dream” of having the two teams, Guyana and Canada, playing an international friendly.

“Today, that dream has become reality and so we are very happy to see you all here; we hope that both teams will be playing well tomorrow,” Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Pierre Giroux,said.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones was also on hand,

saying, “Noting that we are celebrating Guyana’s 50 th anniversary and of course the relationship that Canada and Guyana share, indeed, this is the most fitting tribute.

“In honour of the Golden Jubliee, it was a desire of President David Granger to have an international friendly football match,” continued Jones.

In the absence of GFF President Wayne Forde, acting president Brigadier (Retired). Bruce Lovell contend-

ed that the GFF is happy to be the facilitating body for the games, adding that since their time in office, the new GFF executive has been trying to get more exposure for the national teams.

He added: “We have begun to see that strategy bearing fruit, because from the start of the year to now, we have jumped 32 places in FIFA’s rankings.”

In closing, he thanked the Canadians and wished them the best of luck.

Records tumble as Bangalore demolish Gujarat …centuries for AB de Villiers and Kohli as they destroy the Lions bowling attack ROYAL Challengers Bangalore blasted their way to the biggest winning margin in Indian Premier League history as they defeated Gujarat Lions by 144 runs yesterday.

Bangalore reached 248-3 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a tally second only to their own record high score of 263 set against Pune Warriors at the same venue in April 2013.

They recovered from an inauspicious start, losing big-hitting opener Chris Gayle for six when he dragged Dhawal Kulkarni onto his stumps in the fourth over.

But that was as good as it got for the Lions, as surviving opener Virat Kohli (109) and the next man

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli added 229 for the second wicket in just 96 balls. in, AB de Villiers (129 not out), clubbed their way to a massive total.

De Villiers in particular proved devastating, smashing 12 sixes and 10 fours, while Kohli managed eight maximums and reached the boundary rope five times.

Kohli eventually departed after 55 balls, snared by an acrobatic Dwayne Bravo catch at backward square leg off Praveen Kumar (2-45).

From the final ball of the innings, Kumar drew an inside edge from Shane Watson, who departed for a golden duck, but the damage was done, De Villiers unbeaten from 52 deliveries at the end of a brutal display.

It was only the second time in T20s that two batsmen have scored centuries in the same innings, while Kohli and De Villiers’ second-wicket stand of 229 was also the highest partnership in the history of the format.

The Lions were without captain Suresh Raina, who missed his first-ever IPL game to attend the birth of his daughter, leaving Brendon McCullum to lead the team in his absence.

Having seen his team taken apart in the field, the stand-in skipper was part of a comprehensive failure from Gujurat’s top order, departing for 11 after fellow opener Dwayne Smith went for seven.

Aaron Finch (37) and Ravindra Jadeja (21) top scored, while the final six batsmen to arrive at the crease could only muster 14 runs between them.

Chris Jordan (4-11) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3-19) did the damage with the ball for Bangalore, setting a new record for a winning margin in the process. Royal Challengers were on the wrong end of the previous mark, having lost by 140 runs to Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the first IPL in 2008.

The result leaves the Lions second in the table, while Bangalore are sixth, two points off the top four with three matches still to play as they seek to snatch a berth in the finals.(Omnisport)

Guyana, Canada teams hosted by Canadian High Commissioner see story on page 31

Hinds poised to make successful defence of three-stage title

see story on page 27

Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds raises his arms in jubilation after winning the first stage of the Golden Jubilee three-stage cycle road race, while Michael Anthony and Junior Niles battle for the minor places

Anguillan Joseph Hercules (left) outsprints Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds to win stage two of the Golden Jubilee three-stage cycle road race (Photos

by Adrian Narine).

Golden Jags relying on pace ahead of Canada friendly tonight

see story on page 31

Captain Collin Nelson (second from left) exchanges a signed Golden Jaguars shirt with his Canadian counterpart Maxime Crépeau (Third from left). Guyana’s Dwight Peters (extreme left) looks on. (Adrian Narine Photo) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2016