Guyana Chronicle E-paper 24 October 2018

WEDNESDAY 24th October, 2018

Teachers’

AFC list ‘clean’ No.105437

wage pact 03 … High Court dismisses PPP’s challenge to to be AFC nominators in Whim/Bloomfield NDC signed …GECOM says vindicated by ruling 03 today PAGE

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Fears over safety of GECOM chair 24 PAGE

… commissioner laments ‘venomous’ attacks by opposition

EPA seeks permanent solution for Diamond gas well 17 PAGE

Works commenced in earnest on Tuesday at a new site for the relocated Stabroek Wharf vendors.

On Monday at its statutory meeting the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) took a decision to allow the vendors to begin construction of their stalls immediately. This, was even though the relocation site has not yet been fully prepared. But Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and other councillors, at the council’s fortnightly statutory meeting, argued that the council is barely left with any other option than to allow the vendors to begin construction immediately. (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Construction of East Coast-East Bank road link to start July 2019

THE feasibility study for the East Bank –East Coast bypass road from Diamond to Ogle, has been submitted to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure by the Consultant- RITES Limited – a Government of India enterprise.

The project is estimated to cost US$104,000,000. The Guyana Government through a loan provided by the Gov-

ernment of India, has entered into an agreement for the East Bank – East Coast Road Linkage Project. In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure disclosed that the feasibility study was submitted on September 21, 2018, in addition to an Inception Report, which was submitted at mid-year.

The Inception Report and Feasibility Study form part of

Stage 1 of the three-pronged project, which will see a road connecting Diamond Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara to Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara. “The proposed design for the main alignment comprises three sections. Between the Rupert Craig Highway and the Railway Embankment will have four lanes with a cycle lane on each side and covered concrete drain which will be used as a sidewalk; between the Railway Embankment and the GuySuCo compound will have a similar but expanded design, along with the cane field area which will have four lanes with a 40m reserve to separate the direction of traffic. All other deliverables

will be submitted in 2019,” the Public Infrastructure Ministry said.

It will also allow for integration with the existing road network via a number of connector roads, measuring a total length of 9.62 km, at the following roadways: at Aubrey Barker, Haags Bosch, Mocha-Arcadia Road and at Diamond Access.

According to the ministry, the consultant is expected to submit the Draft Detailed Project Report in February, 2019, the Final Detailed Project Report in April, 2019 and the Bid documents in May, 2019. RITES was awarded the contract for consultancy services at the cost of US$ 1,321,000.

Stage 2 is expected to commence in July, 2019 with the construction and supervision of the road project. “The Government of Guyana has also approved the Consultancy services for the continuation of this project; i.e. from Diamond to Soesdyke, which will also commence

in 2019,” the ministry noted.

The final stage is the Post Construction/ Defects Liability Period.

Based on the agreement, the terms of reference (ToR) stipulate that the consultants have to submit an Inception Report, Feasibility Report, Draft Detailed Project Report, Final Detailed Project Report and Bid Documents.

The ministry noted that the project when it materialises will significantly reduce the heavy vehicular traffic along the EBD and ECD corridors.

“The new road will serve to reduce the congestion by providing commuters with an alternative route, thereby improving the safety and comfort of commuters.

Additionally, the new local distributor road will also allow commuters to navigate around the outer limits.

“The option around the city would reduce traffic congestion in the Capital City. In summary, the travel time between East Bank and

Georgetown will be reduced, thereby creating significant savings for commuters. By taking off some traffic from the East Bank Highway and Georgetown, it would also reduce the deterioration and erosion of these roadways,” the ministry explained.

It noted too, that the new road will also integrate other local distributor roads on the EBD with the road network of Georgetown and the ECD corridor, while simultaneously improving connectivity with the Ogle Airport.

“This is consistent with the Transportation Policy Proposal of the Greater Georgetown Development Plan (2001-2013), aiming to link the road networks on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), East Bank Demerara (EBD) and the capital city,” it stated.

Currently, the East Bank Highway is the only exit route available to residents who occupy Georgetown, the East Coast of Demerara and the East Bank of Demerara.

Charges against corporal, ASP withdrawn THE charges of assault and wrongful detention on Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mahendra Singh and Police Corporal Christopher Dharamraj, were on Monday withdrawn by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution.

The attorney representing the men said that the decision of the DPP Chambers came after several inconsistences were found in the file as given by the victim, who made the report against the lawmen.

The corporal was charged with causing actual bodily harm, while the po-

lice ASP was charged with wrongful detention of the victim.

Added to that, the two men were also charged departmentally but it is it unclear if those sanctions were already executed. The men were also transferred from their original postings in the force.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the man, who made the claims against the ranks, did not appear in court when the matters were called.

The ASP and corporal were accused of operating a strip club at Diamond and it was alleged that on one of the ‘business nights’, at the

establishment, the corporal assaulted a taxi driver while the ASP detained him after he threatened to speak out about their involvement in the operation of an illegal strip club.

The man had claimed that he was at the location to make a pick up and the police prevented him from entering the facility and assaulted him.

The Police Office of Professional Responsibility was also involved in the matter and this resulted in the officers being sanctioned departmentally and transferred from their original postings.

AFC list ‘clean’ 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

… judge dismisses PPP’s application in Whim/Bloomfield case

… AFC’s nominators to remain on list JUSTICE Navindra Singh on Tuesday dismissed a court case filed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) which sought to have the names of 50 nominators removed from a list submitted by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the Bloomfield/Whim Local Authority Area (LAA).

The case was brought against GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield and the Returning Officer, Bloomfield / Whim, Orlando Persaud. It is the second case in recent days that has bearing on the impending Local Government Elections that the PPP have lost. Last Thursday the Appeal Court dismissed its challenge to the appointment of Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission by President David Granger.

In a Fixed Date Application, Shafraz Beekham, a PPP/C candidate contended that he and 49 others were misled by AFC representa-

tives into signing as nominators on the AFC’s Lists of Candidates. As such, his application was intended to quash GECOM’s decision to refuse to withdraw, remove, or delete the applicant’s name and the names of 49 other electors that appeared on the AFC’s list of nominators.

In handing down his ruling on Tuesday in the High Court in the Berbice, Justice Singh said there was no evidence of fraud, trickery or threat, and as such there was no basis to ask the chief elections officer to ‘strike out’ the names of the nominators from the AFC’s Lists of Candidates.

His decision to dismiss the case was done after reviewing a police report of an investigation into the claims levied by Beekham. The High Court Judge had ordered the police investigation on October 11, 2018.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, in a brief interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said the Elections Commission

welcomes the High Court’s decision. “Based on what the law says, we know that we were in keeping within the confines of the law. The parties submit their lists of candidates with nominators once you have reached the required amount, and the other criteria…then we have no basis to really say that these persons were coerced.

So we have always been on the premise of that side, and so the decision by the judge has really proven our case,” the GECOM PRO said.

GECOM was represented by Attorneys-at-Law, Excellence Dazzel and Teni Housty while Beekham was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlall.

But the decision did not sit well with the PPP. In a statement hours after the ruling, the PPP said “electoral democracy and the citizens’ right to vote in Guyana suffered yet another blow.”

According to the opposition party, the police report submitted to Justice Singh totally misrepresented what the residents of the Whim/

Bloomfield Local Authority Area claimed they said during interviews with the police. “Significantly the police in the report claimed that they were unable to locate Abraham Nagamootoo, Mavis Nagamootoo and other members of the Nagamootoo family and other AFC Candidates who were implicated in the statements given by the residents. There is no doubt that the police investigation and the ensuing report were perverted by and contaminated with political interference,” the PPP/C contended in its statement.

Maintaining that the report was tailored to meet a particular conclusion, the PPP/C said it contains various damning statements.

“For example, all of the persons interviewed and whose names are on the AFC list of backers made it absolutely clear that they did not know that they were signing any document supportive of the AFC; that they are not supporting the AFC and that they all requested that their names be removed from

those particular lists,” the PPP/C claimed. “This finding is repeated 12 (twelve) times in the report and on each occasion, these persons asserted their support for the PPP/C. Worse yet there is one person who said that he did not sign at all,” the PPP/C added.

The chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), James Patterson warned of an orchestrated plan to stall the November 12 Local Government Elections (LGE). He says GECOM has been facing “designs and machinations to stymie the operation and coming into force, the coming elections” and that there is “mischief afoot internal and as well as external...I find that very troubling,” he told reporters at a recent news conference. “I feel sad to have to report to you that since my regime here, it seems to be that integrity has been put in a blind trust.

Fortunately, I have a cadre of operatives who don’t yield to that sort of description,” the former judge said. He said while he understands and

Justice Navindra Singh supports the right of anyone to move to the Courts to have their issues addressed, there seems to be a move to use the legal system as a tool of disruption.

“I am not saying people who are aggrieved should not have access to the Courts, but I believe that some time, some lawyer, some member of the profession may file an action in the Court deeming, if it comes to that, the misuse of the legal system by any particular individual to have transgressed access to the Court and deem him searched.”

Teachers’ wage pact to be signed today

By Lisa Hamilton

THE Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) are set to meet today on the signing of the official document on shared agreement for salary increases.

This was confirmed by GTU Executive Lancelot Baptiste on Tuesday. Baptiste told the Guyana Chronicle that the meeting is set to take place at the Ministry of

Education at 14:00hrs.

Last Thursday, GTU General-Secretary Coretta McDonald relayed that the two parties were still “ironing out” a few non-salary issues.

The GTU and MoE were scheduled to meet last Wednesday to sign the official document, following an amicable settlement reached on the matter on October 12, 2018.

Coming out of the Octo-

ber meeting, it was agreed that teachers will receive a 12 per cent retroactive payout for 2016; incremental increases of eight per cent for the years 2017 and 2018, while a sum of $350M was being offered for debunching for the period 2011 – 2018.

However, speaking with the newspaper last week, McDonald stated that non-salary issues too were, at the time, still being worked out.

These included duty-free concessions, class sizes and qualification allowances.

“For the duty-free allowance,” McDonald had said, “the GTU needs to be clear on the ‘cc’ that is going to be approved: whether it’s going to be 1800cc or 2000cc.”

And in the case of the qualification allowance, she stated that there is a technicality regarding the number of teachers that are expected to get an allowance for a

particular qualification.

She explained further that certificates in education are no longer being offered; these have been replaced by management certificates.

“It’s just a mere case of switching names and ascertaining the amount of teachers that would have completed that programme. All it would change is the amount of persons that would receive this allowance,” she said.

Regarding class sizes, McDonald said the GTU wants already existing laws to be enforced [and] observed at all times.

“We’re hoping that it wouldn’t become a problem.

The thing is, the faster we get these out of the way and have the agreement signed, it’s better for us; because that means it’s going to pave the way for early talks for the 2019 process,” she had said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Turkey, U.S. vow to get to bottom of Khashoggi killing ANKARA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Turkey and the United States vowed on Tuesday to get to the bottom of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and punish those responsible, after Saudi Arabia admitted that the prominent journalist died during a Saudi security operation in Istanbul.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan dismissed Saudi efforts to blame the murder on rogue operatives and urged Riyadh to search “from top to

bottom” to uncover those behind it, while U.S. Vice President Mike Pence described the killing as “barbaric.”

Khashoggi’s death in the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2 has caused global outrage and raised questions about the possible role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia who tightly controls the kingdom’s security services. Turkish officials suspect Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and critic of

the crown prince, was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by Saudi agents.

Erdogan stopped short of mentioning the crown prince who some U.S. lawmakers suspect ordered the killing of the Washington Post columnist. “The Saudi administration has taken an important step by admitting to the murder. From now on, we expect them to uncover all those responsible for this matter from top to bottom and make them face the necessary punishments,” Erdogan said in a speech in parliament.

“From the person who gave the order, to the person who carried it out, they must all be brought to account,” he said, adding that Riyadh needed to “uncover all those responsible for this matter from top to bottom.”

Turkish sources have said that authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the killing. Erdogan made no reference to any audio recording. Riyadh

initially denied knowledge of Khashoggi’s fate before saying he was killed in a fight in the consulate, a reaction that has met with scepticism from several Western governments, straining their relations with the world’s biggest oil exporter. The kingdom has since changed parts of its official narrative about the killing, further deepening international concern. A Saudi cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman said Riyadh would hold to account those responsible for the killing and those who failed in their duties, whoever they were. Turkish investigators searched a Saudi consulate vehicle in Istanbul that contained two suitcases and other items, according to broadcaster CNN Turk. It was not clear what was in the suitcases.

“I want to assure the American people: we’re going to get to the bottom of it. This brutal murder of a journalist, of an innocent man, of a dissident will not

go without an American response and, I expect, without an international response,” Pence said at an event hosted

by The Washington Post.

He said U.S. President Donald Trump would ultimately decide whether to impose economic sanctions on Saudi Arabia once all the facts were available, and called the killing “barbaric.”

A host of Western executives and governments have pulled out of a high-profile Saudi investment summit that started on Tuesday because of the Khashoggi affair. The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations called for a thorough and credible investigation, saying Saudi Arabia must ensure such an incident could never happen again. The Saudi king and crown prince received Khashoggi family members including his son Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh, state news agency SPA reported. Erdogan said the killing was planned from when the 59-year-old Khashoggi first went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 28 to obtain documents necessary for his marriage. He was told he would need to return later to collect the documents.

A day before Khashoggi’s death, agents arrived from overseas and began to scout locations, including the Belgrad Forest near Istanbul and the city of Yalova to its south, Erdogan said. Police have searched both areas for evidence of Khashoggi’s remains, Reuters has reported.

On the day Khashoggi arrived for his appointment and was later killed, the hard disk in the consulate’s camera system was removed, Erdogan said. “Covering up a savage murder like this will only hurt the human conscience. We expect the same sensitivity from all parties, primarily the Saudi Arabian leadership.”

“We have strong signs that the murder was the result of a planned operation, not a spontaneous development.”

On the day of the killing, 15 people went to the consulate, including security, intelligence and forensic experts, Erdogan said. Consulate personnel were given the day off.

“Why did these 15 people meet in Istanbul on the day of the murder? We are seeking answers to this. Who are these people receiving orders from?” Erdogan said.

He added that he wanted Saudi Arabia to send the suspects to Turkey for trial. The White House and the State Department did not respond to a request for comment on Erdogan’s remarks. Trump has played down any suggestion that the crown prince was involved in the killing but has also warned of possible economic sanctions. Trump has repeatedly highlighted the kingdom’s importance as a U.S. ally and called Prince Mohammed a strong and passionate leader.

King Salman, 82, has handed the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia to the 33-year-old prince. Trump spoke with Prince Mohammed on Sunday. He told reporters on Monday that he had teams in Saudi Arabia and Turkey working on the case and would know more about it after they returned to Washington on Monday night or Tuesday.

CIA Director Gina Haspel was traveling to Turkey on Monday to work on the Khashoggi investigation.

On Saturday, Saudi state media said King Salman had fired five officials over the killing, including Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide who ran social media for Prince Mohammed. Riyadh is also working with Turkey on a joint investigation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Young: Different assessment method for flood loss claims

Communications and National Security Minister, Stuart Young

The Ministry of Social Development has changed its methodology of assessing persons for flood relief grants, National Security Minister Stuart Young has said.

Young said the ministry will now apply “more common sense” to the methodology, bearing in mind that not everyone is expected to keep their flood damaged furniture and appliances. Regional Corporations had been advising persons waiting to be assessed for government grants, not to get rid of their damaged belongings until they were assessed.

“In discussions with the Minister of Social Development they have changed the methodology of accessing because we recognise that, espe-

cially in places like Greenvale and other associated areas, we don’t expect people to keep their appliances. And they (Ministry) are developing different tests (like) looking at the (water) level marks. In the Greenvale area we know that practically everybody at a certain (water) level would have suffered loss,” Young said during Tuesday’s joint media conference to update the nation on ongoing flood relief efforts.

He said while the methodology has changed, the quantum of the grants will remain the same, so affected residents in Greenvale will still receive a $15,000 grant.

“It is not an increase in grants for anyone. There is not going to be any discrimination in grants for any spe-

cific area. The grant level remains as are. But in the Greenvale area, anyone who’s been on the ground there would know that you can state as a fact without fear of contradiction that up to a certain level (were affected).

So all single storey homes, all two storey homes you saw in every single home where the water level reached above counter height, so it will affect all appliances… the washing machines, the stoves, the fridges,” he explained.

“So it is easy in an area like that, that is actually a blocked off area, to say this is where the water level reached, so you know anybody below that water level has suffered loss and damage,” he added.

On Monday, Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn said distribution of grants will begin before the end of this week. She said the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) will be responsible for the $15,000 house repair grants for persons within its affected developments; Oropune, La Horquetta and Greenvale. Crichlow-Cockburn added that the Ministry of Housing and Self Help will deal with grants for other affected areas, while the Ministry of Social Development would be responsible for grants for the replacement of household appliances, furniture and sanitary plumbing. (Trinidad Express)

Rowley declines regional help “We are coping for the moment.” This is what Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has told regional leaders who said they were “on standby to assist the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the event that requests for assistance are forthcoming”.

The Office of the Prime Minister said in a release yesterday that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has been contacted by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr Keith Mitchell and the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.

‘God is good,’ says Bishop charged with killing wife told by the court that it was a non-bailable offence.

When asked about representation, Corbin mentioned applying to Legal Aid but also said that he will try to get his mother to organise a lawyer for him.

The magistrate remanded him into custody until November 20. Corbin said, “God is good” as he was being led away by police officers. (Trinidad Express) Melroy Corbin

‘GOD is good’ were the words from Melroy Corbin after his court appearance on the charge that he murdered his wife, pastor Alisa Ali. Corbin, 45, a bishop, cried as he faced Chaguanas magistrate Adrian Darmanie.

The magistrate told Corbin he was not called upon to plead to the indictable of-

fence that he murdered Ali at Gill Trace, Lamont Street, Longdenville on October 13.

Ali, a grandmother, was stabbed multiple times at her home, located next to her church. The charge was laid on Monday by corporal Jane Stephen-James of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations. Corbin who is also known as Mel, was

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Respect for the court THE hallmark of every judiciary must be its independence. This is a pre-eminent quality that has to be an inherent factor residing in the ethical and moral understanding of any legal officer who is going to be appointed to function as a judge.

In any democracy, where the Rule of Law is allowed to be the guiding principle in the dispensation of justice, not only must the sacred tenet of the independence of the judiciary be expected to be unfettered, but that its judges are expected at all times, to be fair in their deliberations, and not be

constrained by factors such as political influence, and social/class cleavages. Their ultimate delivery of justice must be reflective of, and be mandatory of the laid-down laws, and nothing else.

It explains why it is a given understanding, and a respected tradition for decisions of the court to be respected. Of course, there are always going to be disagreements, since in judicial matters, expectations of outcomes are not always welcome by either side of the particular judicial contention.

The fact that there are higher courts, which allow for the particular litigant who

did not find favour in the lower court, to seek redress in the particular matter means that the wheels of justice are always in motion. This is expected to be the guiding and professional principle of any attorney, irrespective of who he/she may be, and what matter is represented, and who may not be successful in his/her particular appeal. But to descend to the disrespectful level of publicly abusing the presiding judges, as suffering “a collapse–a mental, judicial, jurisprudential collapse in reasoning”; suggesting “political’’ influence behind court decisions; labelling the learned chief

justice’s ruling as being “adventurous’, while further describing the nation’s judiciary as not mature, and even branding two eminent Queen’s Counsel as “aliens”, is unforgivable.

It is inherent of a thought process that intends for justice to be distorted, regardless of the facts. It is also judicial sacrilege, that such reprehensible conduct could originate from a member of the Bar, who had once served as an attorney general and leader of his country’s Bar; and who also hopes to be his political party’s presidential candidate, for the 2020 national and regional elections. One

wonders, what our young attorneys-at-law are opining about such a shocking assault on the most senior segment of the nation’s judiciary, and by extension, two very senior members of their country’s Bar, who have been part of the state’s defence team.

Regardless as to the nature of the case that engages the court, it has to be interpreted in the ambit of the country’s laws, with the particular judges being mindful of such, and therefore following that unswerving line.

However, it would seem that Anil Nandlall and the opposition political party that he has been representing in the extant matter of a constitutional challenge against the President’s appointment of the chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, believe that judges, and hence

the courts, are obligated to bend the laws to support and accommodate their particular expectations.

No political party should expect any court, to adjudicate in their favour, out of fear, coercion or duress. To do so would only result in the gradual erosion of the line between stability and anarchy of the laws of society.

For no proper court that accepts its sacred role of protecting the laws of its jurisdiction, and ensuring their very unbending application will ever divert from such a process. After all, the law was made to be informal, and to be blind, but to be dispensed only in the name of what is right/ just – justice. Mr. Nandlall should remind himself of this fact and advise his party leaders accordingly.

Orchestrated campaign being waged to oust GECOM chair, CEO Dear Editor, COMMISSIONERS representing the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have embarked on a concerted plan to undermine the work of GECOM by raising in the public sphere, their versions of developments at meetings of the commission, whether they be statutory or special.

At the outset, I wish to state that the views expressed here represent my perception of the PPP-nominated commissioners’ versions of events, which in my opinion are characterised by halftruths, downright lies and deliberate misrepresentation of what actually takes place at meetings of the commission.

I believe that the primary reasons for these so-called revelations, which have nothing to do with setting the records straight, are intended

(1) to undermine confidence in both the Chairman, Hon. Justice (retired) James Patterson and Commissioner of Registration/Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, which will result in the CEO being removed and in the case of the chairman, pressuring him to offer his resignation; and (2) to have them replaced by persons amenable to the machinations of the PPP for the forthcoming 2020 General and Regional Elections and beyond.

To succeed in their quest, a well orchestrated campaign is being waged by the PPP to hold these two persons and the three commissioners not affiliated to the PPP, up to public ridicule. It is noticeable that from the moment Justice Patterson was announced as Chairman of GECOM by President David Granger, there have been a number of vicious attacks, led by the PPP, on his person. Accompa-

nying these attacks, again led by the PPP, are the allegations that his appointment to the position is intended to lay the foundation for the rigging of the 2020 elections. These allegations are not directed exclusively to Justice Patterson, but also include the CEO Keith Lowenfield and those commissioners at GECOM whom they refer to as PNC and WPA commissioners- Charles Corbin, Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman. The three named commissioners have made it very clear that they do not represent any political party on the commission, but are members of a constitutional body. However, in spite of the assurances by the three commissioners, the allegations continue unabated.

Fear for safety of GECOM chair A point to note is that because of the perverse and vicious nature of the campaign to unseat Justice Patterson, I

am using this opportunity to publicly express my fears for his safety. It cannot be ruled out, particularly when it is realised that the campaign against him is led by no less a person than the leader of the opposition, that some misguided member/s of the PPP may construe this to mean that they now have licence to plan and carry out acts of violence against his person, although this may not be what Mr. Jagdeo intends to happen. However, I want to use this opportunity to call on the authorities to take note of the developments and try to ensure as far as possible, any danger which may be posed to Justice Patterson’s person as a result of the venomous nature of the attacks on him can be averted.

I hold no brief for commissioners Corbin and Alexander, who are long-standing members of the commission capable of presenting their

views of what is taking place on the commission. However, I believe it is only fair to them for me to acknowledge some pertinent facts: both of these men have been known to take highly principled positions in the past and currently, on matters critical to GECOM’s existence. Additionally, were it not for the intervention of Commissioner Alexander at the 2011 General and Regional Elections, which led to the retraction of an attempt to impose a fraudulent result on the populace by the then Chief Election Officer, Guyana could well have been embroiled in serious disruptions with dire consequences to the nation at that time.

While it is true that I am the commission’s most recent appointee, I arrived there with a track record which few can equal or fault. It is therefore in a situation where the allegations accusing me of working ‘to rig the 2020 elections’ are

being repeated ad nauseam, I am now issuing a challenge to all of the present PPP commissioners on GECOM to prove that any or all of them have been more consistently involved in the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana than I have been, for the past 40 years.

Attacks intensified The attacks on GECOM’s chairman intensified during the period when the Administration and Finance Committee of the commission, acting on instructions from the commission, began a process of interviewing and recommending to the full commission, persons to be considered for employment for certain positions within the commission’s staff structure.

The sub-committee comprised four commissioners: Vincent Alexander and Bibi Shadick as joint chairpersons TURN TO PAGE 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

FROM PAGE 6 and Robeson Benn and Desmond Trotman. Its work is being facilitated by the presence of the CEO and the Admin and HR managers, who are there in non-voting capacities. Prior to the sub-committee commencing its work, a decision was unanimously taken at a meeting of the full commission on how the recommendations from the sub-committee would be addressed by that body. For the benefit of the public, let me state here that in arriving at its unanimous decision on how the recommendations coming from the sub-committee are to be addressed, the members of the commission took into consideration that there could be disagreements in the sub-committee, hence, the need for a format to resolve any such situation.

Applicants, in keeping with the published academic and other criteria, which were revised after the initial advertisements, were shortlisted by HR and invited to be present for interviews on specified dates and time.

To date, only interviews for four positions have been done and the relevant recommendations made to the full commission. In two of the positions -- legal officer and deputy chief election officer -- there were disagreements on filling the positions.

In the case of the legal officer, one of the applicants, an overseas-based Afro-Guyanese, was the lone candidate interviewed. He had excellent qualifications, was admitted to the bar in Guyana and other Caribbean countries and enjoyed active practice in the USA. He was very impressive in the interviewing session. In the post-interviewing session, Commissioner Shadick said she was highly impressed both with his qualifications and conduct during the interview and would have scored him 100, except for the fact that he had no experience practising in the local courts. She indicated that she would not provide him with a score and objected to him being recommended as a result of his lack of experience in the courts in Guyana. Commissioner Benn attempted to have the candidate disqualified on a spurious allegation, which, not unusual for him, he could not prove.

Both Commissioner Alexander and I supported the applicant’s candidacy on the basis of his qualifications and conduct during the interview. We also felt that the fact of him being admitted to practise in the courts of Guyana and the Caribbean with a period of practice in Trinidad and Tobago, indicated that he had fulfilled all of the criteria, as advertised, for appointment to the position.

At the level of the plenary, Commissioner Sase Gunraj supported the PPP commissioners, while Commissioner Charles Corbin supported the position advocated by Commissioner Alexander and I. The chairman voted with the PPP Commissioners and additionally, supported a proposal from Commissioner Shadick that the position should be revisited to allow for consideration of candidates who possessed the Legal Education Certificate, but were not shortlisted because they did not possess post-graduate qualifications. That proposal was acted on and a legal officer acceptable to all but Commissioner Benn, was selected.

I do not propose to go into details on what transpired when interviews were conducted for the position of deputy chief elections officer, except to say that the agreed formula was followed. There were disagreements on who should be appointed; this went before the full commission, transcripts of both candidates were shown to those commissioners – Justice Patterson, Sase Gunraj and Charles Corbin -who were not members of the sub-committee.

Commissioners Gunraj and Corbin expressed

their choice of preferred candidates and the chairman requested time to consider the matter. At the commission’s statutory meeting on June 12th, 2018, the chairman announced his support for Ms. Roxanne Myers’ candidacy.

Then all hell broke loose.

The PPP commissioners in reacting to the chairman’s announcement of support for Ms. Myers, proceeded to launch a vitriolic attack on his person. In their attempts to make a case (in the public domain) against the chairman and other members of the commission that the matter of the DCEO’s appointment was based only on ethnic considerations, the PPP commissioners failed to point out to the ERC that the chairman supported their objection to the recommendation to appoint an AfricanGuyanese to the position of legal officer.

The same PPP Commissioner failed to point out to the ERC Investigators that the Chairman offered no objection to the recommendation for Mr. Aneal Giddings, an Indian Guyanese, to be appointed to one of the most important positions at GECOM, that is, the position of Information Technology Manager.

These same PPP Commissioners failed to point out to the ERC that Commissioner Desmond Trotman made it clear to an African Guyanese candidate that based on his poor showing during the interviews, his (Commissioner Trotman’s) conscience prevented him from proposing his candidacy for the position.

These same PPP commissioners failed to point out to the ERC that they felt I was too harsh to the candidate at reference. I replied by telling them that I was there to ensure that only the best candidates would succeed but, since they were upset by my statement to the candidate, I would desist from doing so; but I was also putting commissioners on notice that I will be carefully scrutinising each candidate-whoever he or she may be-- and will be harsh in my scoring, once they do not measure up to what I believe are the required standards for the positions for which they have applied.

These same PPP commissioners failed to disclose to members of the ERC that in two instances, Commissioner Desmond Trotman failed to score two African-Guyanese candidates, one of whom had applied for the position of DCEO and without being asked, volunteered the information that they had actively campaigned for one of the large political parties, the PNC, in past elections.

Let me make it clear that at no time during the interviews any candidate was asked which political party he or she supported. I believe that members of the sub-committee, with no exception, took it for granted that each candidate would have a preference for a political party; a person’s political choice was not and will never be a factor in my consideration of that person’s suitability for a position. It will only be factored into my thinking when it is expressed in a way that is intended to influence me to show preference for that person’s candidacy during the interviewing process. I will never bow to that kind of pressure being brought to bear on me. At all times during the exercise under review, my decision was based only on a candidate’s suitability for a position.

I believe my fellow Commissioner Alexander was similarly inclined.

If my memory of events is correct Commissioner Alexander himself at one of the post-interview sessions among commissioners, made the same point to the other commissioners. Remarkably, while the PPP commissioners felt that they could not score the offending candidates very high, they did not reciprocate our sentiments. I make this point to show the difference between the attitudes of Commissioner Alexander and me and that of

Commissioners Shadick and Benn on matters of principle. Alexander and I were not afraid to incur the wrath of leaders of the political party, (including calls for our removal from GECOM) who may have felt aggrieved by what they believed were the discriminatory actions of two members of the interviewing panel. I believe PPP Commissioners Shadick and Benn would have felt no compulsion to take similar action, if the offending candidates were members of the PPP. These same PPP commissioners failed to point out to the ERC investigators that their preferred candidate, because that is what he was in spite of what they may have said and continue to say, had benefited from the misrepresentation of his qualifications and misrepresented his role in a vital area of the commission’s work over a number of years.

These same PPP commissioners failed to say to the ERC investigators that when their preferred candidate was exposed as a stranger to the truth in a certain area, that Commissioner Shadick attempted to help him to save face by posing a carefully crafted question, which however did not help his cause.

These same commissioners, in making the claim of a commissioner awarding candidates maximum scores, failed to point out to the ERC investigators that it was Commissioner Shadick herself who first put that trend in motion and I followed her lead.

Commissioner Benn has on several occasions sought to make the point, unsubstantiated by any empirical evidence, that Afro-Guyanese comprise 90 per cent of GECOM’s staff complement. He has, when asked, bluntly refused to provide proof in support of his claim; and when the chairman provided evidence which contradicted him, he then changed his position to say that his reference was in relation to the senior staff employed at GECOM. I applaud the actions of the chairman in respect of the contemptuous behaviour of the UNDP’s resident representative in Guyana, on the matter of an aspect of aid to improve the functioning of the IT department of GECOM. To put it mildly, her actions of violating established protocols on how matters of this nature are to be addressed were discourteous and insulting to the chairman and all of the commissioners of GECOM. In taking the stand he did, the chairman sought to dignify not himself, but the commission and all commissioners. It is unfortunate that instead of the PPP commissioners showing solidarity with the chairman on this matter, he has been subjected to further undeserved public criticisms from them.

Offering advice I have been accused by Commissioner Shadick of offering advice to the chairman and defending him on occasions at the commission’s meetings. On both of these matters I plead guilty and unhesitatingly, refuse to apologise for acting as I did. The advice I offered to the chairman was in relation to him saying at a press conference that he was not averse to giving consideration to resigning from the commission. I said to him that so far the court in Guyana (at the time I was referring to the acting chief justice’s decision) had found that he was properly appointed and because the issue was being reviewed by the courts, he should allow the process to evolve. Subsequently, in light of Commissioner Shadick’s persistent demand to see his contract, giving as her reason to determine if his actions were legal, I responded by saying that he was sworn to carry out his functions in keeping with the constitution. I never said he could function without recourse to the commission. As I had said previously, it does not suit the purpose of the PPP commissioners to put the entire picture

up for public scrutiny.

My defence of the chairman is against the spate of unjustified attacks directed at him by the PPP commissioners. I made it clear at a meeting of the commission that I was not prepared to sit by and allow this behaviour to go unchallenged.

I want to say to Commissioner Shadick and the other PPP Commissioners that my defence of the chairman is a natural response of mine to what I believe are unjustified, undeserved attacks on individuals. I now speak here to two such instances: the first occurred during Mrs. Janet Jagan’s presidency, when I was a guest on a call-in programme hosted by Mr. Sherwood Lowe and I had cause to admonish a caller for some derogatory remarks she had made about Mrs. Jagan. In the course of my response to the woman, I said to her that the President is entitled to protection under the law like every other citizen in the country.

For a few days after my appearance on that programme, I got a lot of flak from some members of the public who said they expected better from me. I however stood my ground; and I recall that at least one leader of the PNC, Ms. Debbie Backer, congratulating me for the position I took.

The second occasion was in relation to something that had occurred during Bharrat Jagdeo’s first term as President of Guyana. At that time, Mark Benschop hosted a programme that was televised in Guyana; just prior to closing one of his segments, he said: “Last night the President of Guyana was seen in a gay bar in Trinidad.” I felt the comment was unjustified, vindictive and spiteful and was intended to hold Jagdeo up to public ridicule. Feeling as strongly as I did on the matter, I wrote a letter, which was carried by Stabroek News, condemning the remarks as “gutter journalism of the worst kind.” Following the public exposure of the letter, an angry Mark Benschop called me, threatening that if I did not recant my remarks he would sue me for libel. My response to Mark was that I was sure he had recorded the programme and advised him to listen to what was said and if after he was done, he still felt he was libeled, then we would meet in court. Nothing happened. There was no court action. Perhaps Mark felt that in my impoverished state there was no way he would have been able to collect awarded damages if he had won. But maybe, just maybe, he might have thought that it was in his best interest to allow the matter to die. Needless to say, Mark never spoke to me for a lengthy period.

This matter of coming to people’s defence is part of my upbringing and was instilled in me by my mother, who, even though she brought up her children in impoverished conditions, felt it was important for them to inculcate certain principles of behaviour. Those early lessons were reiterated when I became a member of the WPA and came under the influence of people like Eusi Kwayana, Clive Thomas, Rupert Roopnaraine, Walter Rodney, Tacuma Ogunseye, Andaiye, Karen De Souza, Rohit Kanhai, David Hinds, Mike Henderson and a host of others too numerous to mention here.

I have been cultured in this way and believe I am a better person for it. Because I hold the view that Commssioners Shadick and Robeson Benn have not been similarly steeped in this tradition, anyone functioning in this manner is seen by them to be doing something that is fundamentally wrong and unacceptable.

Time may help them to see things in a different light.

Regards Desmond Trotman GECOM Commissioner

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

ECLAC, ILO stress sustainable development model to create new job opportunities

LATIN America and the Caribbean is the most biodiverse region in the world, but it is losing its natural wealth due to the environmental harm being caused by the current development pattern.

That is why there is a pressing need to transition

toward a more sustainable model, both from an environmental and labor point of view, which would enable access to new opportunities and improvements in employment, ECLAC and the ILO indicate in a new joint publication.

In the 19th edition of

Employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean (October 2018), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) address how urgently needed environmental sustainability –

especially the decarbonization of the energy sector and the circular economy – can affect the world of work, and the challenges posed by this situation.

For example, the United Nations organizations project that the transition toward energy sustainabil-

ity would create more than one million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030. Similarly, the evolution toward a circular economy – in which the efficiency and lifespan of materials improve upon promoting durability and repairability, remanufacturing, reuse and recycling – would create 4.8 million net jobs by 2030, since job creation in those sectors reprocessing wood, steel, aluminium and other metals will easily compensate for the losses associated with the extraction of minerals and other materials.

However, environmental transitions also entail challenges for the world of work and the need to develop suitable skills among the labor force, ECLAC and the ILO warn. “To achieve a transition with the capacity to create decent employment and which is fair for everyone, the complementarity of policies is key. Policies that aim for environmental sustainability must be accompanied by integrated legal frameworks and policies for social protection, skills development and gender equality, which promote social dialogue,” Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, and José Manuel Salazar, the ILO’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated in the document’s foreword.

The report explains that some regulations, legal frameworks and policies already exist, both at an international and national level, for fueling an environmental transition that optimizes the creation of employment and decent work. For example, some multilateral environmental agreements directly refer to international labor laws and regulations, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), the International Tropical Timber Agreement (2006) and the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (2009). The Paris Agreement, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2015), also

includes key aspects from the world of work.

On a national level, based on a sample of seven countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, in six of them, the legal frameworks for the energy sector make explicit mention of skills development and research and development. In five of them, general reference is made to the world of work, and in four cases to job creation. However, in none of these countries is social dialogue mentioned, which is a mechanism for moving toward a just transition, ECLAC and the ILO indicate.

With regard to the current context, the document notes that after seven semesters of interannual increases in the open urban unemployment rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the first half of 2018 a reduction was seen for the first time, albeit a very small one of 0.1 percentage point. This is partially due to the fact that, since the third quarter of 2017, the urban employment rate has registered inter-annual increases of 0.2 percentage points, which had an impact on the unemployment rate in early 2018 upon coinciding with a slight deceleration in the growth of the labor force participation rate, which continues to be fueled by women’s increasing labour insertion.

According to both organizations, the unemployment rate lies above the projections that were made in late 2017 because the region’s economic growth was less vigorous than expected (the projection for 2018 fell from 2.2% at the end of 2017 to 1.3% in October of the current year). In this new scenario, it is expected that the average urban unemployment rate for 2018 will show little change from 2017, registering around 9.3% again.

In this context, labor market and social protection policies will continue to be crucial for protecting the well-being of the population, ECLAC and the ILO stress.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Inmarsat proposes undisturbed connectivity for Guyana

By Vishani Ragobeer

BRITISH satellite company, Inmarsat, is looking to provide undisturbed connectivity throughout Guyana for industries and sectors that are affected by the lack of connectivity in some areas.

According to Godfrey Freso, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Skyridium Communications -- the local partner for Inmarsat -- the company has been in Guyana for about two years and is working to streamline the process with government and non-governmental agencies.

“Our aim and our goal is to bring connectivity to Guyana and to provide solutions that are tailored and specific to every single industry in this country

at the moment,” he said.

Many remote areas in Guyana have little to no access to modern communication technologies.

Resultantly, communication can only occur at certain fixed points. Inmarsat owns and operates a global satellite network and offers mobile and fixed communications services for governments, businesses and industries.

Freso, who a US-based Guyanese, explained that communication in the local mining sector for example, may be limited depending upon geographical location and the connectivity infrastructure in place.

“They [miners] have to wait until they get to their locations to turn on a radio on so that they can communicate with their camps,” he said. With the

satellite communication avenues being offered by Inmarsat, the miners can communicate from any point.

The CEO said this is especially critical when mishaps occur. “If they break down on a trail, they can easily snap a photo and send it to the relevant persons,” he said.

This technology, Fresco noted, is also useful in the maritime, aviation, oil and gas and business sectors as well as defense and security.

“Take the Venezuelan border for example; rather than soldiers communicating from their radiosets at their base camps, they can have mobile solutions and they are in constant contact with the relevant persons from the point they are stationed,” he contended.

As such, he affirmed, “It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are, our solutions keep you connected at all times.”

Also commenting on government’s ambitious eGovernance project, he said, presently, eGovernance is using fibre ca-

bles powered by GTT but satellite technology has a wider reach.

“We’re prepared to sit with them to look at what are their requirements, and [tell them about] our solutions and how cost-effective we can work for them.”

He said Inmarsat wants to work with Guyana’s public and private sectors, pointing out that the rates for its services are second to none.

“We’re price-effective, we provide the solutions and we’re ready to go,” he said and mentioned that the companies have already initiated talks with several governmental agencies.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

47 patients back on their feet … thanks to Operation Walk Maryland

FORTY-SEVEN patients are on their way to walking again thanks to Operation Walk Maryland (OWM) which conducted 53 operations over four days on their first trip to Guyana.

Six of the patients requiring knee joint replacements had to have operations done on both knees. Of the 47 persons benefitting from the joint replacement

surgeries, 29 were female while 18 were male. Although OWM originally aimed for 50 replacements, of the 53 replacements done, 35 were on the knees and the other 18 were hips.

The team is expected to return in January to conduct follow-up examinations and to determine how they can help to develop a sustainable local programme that will allow more Guyanese to ac-

cess the service throughout the country.

At a press conference to highlight the work of OWM, Dr. David Samaroo, Head of Orthopaedics at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, noted that the project was a record achievement, worthy of being recognised.

These procedures done over four days were heralded as a success, according to Senior Registrar of Medical From left to right, Dr. Gurpal Bhuller, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Charlie Renland Volunteer OWM, Maria Khanuja, Co-Founder and Logistice Co-ordinator OWM, Chief Executive Officer, GPHC George Lewis, Co-Founder, OWM, Dr. Paul Khanuja, Dr. David Samaroo, Head of Orthopaedic, GPHC and Senior Registrar of Medical and Professional Services, GPHC, Dr. Kaaleshwar Ramcharran. and Professional Services, GPHC Dr. Kaaleshwar Ramcharran. “We didn’t have any significant complications after surgery and I know the patients are very grateful and they are very happy, especially when we went into the wards, the patients’ joy on their faces, we see them walking around the wards with the physiotherapists it was really good to see.”

“For this project, we actually began screening 170 patients who required joint-replacement surgery.

What this team has managed to achieve over the weekend we have been trying to put in place for some time.”

Dr. Ramcharran explained that this is due to the fact that these surgeries

are expensive. Such a procedure at a private hospital would incur a cost of $2M inclusive of attached fees to conduct a joint-replacement surgery.

Previously, OWM, patients would have been asked to pay a minimum of $200,000 to the hospital.

This covered the cost for the replacement joint while the surgery was free of cost.

“Operation Walk, through their generous supporters and donors they were able to garner enough donations to make these surgeries free of cost for all of our patients here in Guyana. So those patients who would have initially paid the $200,000 and were awaiting surgery by local surgeons, those persons are actually going to be refunded,” Dr.

Ramcharran said.

Chief Executive Officer of the GPHC, George Lewis, envisioned that accessing orthopaedic surgery is likely to be less of a hassle as the OWM will work with the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that it is made available throughout Guyana.

The team of six orthopaedic surgeons is headed by Dr. Paul Khanuja, Co-Founder of Operation Walk Maryland. He has indicated that this is their ninth international project, this being the first to Guyana.

OWM is a private, notfor-profit, volunteer medical service organisation that provides free surgical treatment for patients in developing countries and in the United States. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Taps flow for Hyde Park, Grove homes!

–– more communities in the East Bank Essequibo area to benefit

“THIS feels good. Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” Nicole Westford of Hyde Park, East Bank Essequibo said while washing her face for the first time with water piped into her home, thanks to a new service from Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

“We used to have black tanks catching rainwater and have that run through our pipes and we set up pipelines since 2010 because since then we were promised. However, we now have pipe water,” she told the Department of Public Information (DPI)

Rajpaul Narine at his stand pipe

Westford is one of over 50 residents in the peaceful communities of Hyde Park and Grove, East Bank of Essequibo, now enjoying running water in their homes thanks to the recently laid pipes. And according to the Manager of Region Three, GWI Branch, Denise Woolford, the utility company is currently on a mission to ensure all of Region Three receives service. “We have a mandate and that is to provide the service to our people and not just any service but quality service. GWI is a service provider and our focus at this point in time is to bring relief to the many residents who suffered a long while now. Providing water to residents of these communities was nothing difficult and it makes us feel nice to know that we are putting smiles on people’s faces. All I will do now is encourage them to pay their bills or face disconnection,” Woolford said.

The manager also indicated that more communities that are not in receipt of GWI’s service will soon be visited to ensure the provision of “full service” within the East Bank Essequibo area. Woolford noted that once the main lines are already installed, getting the water to the homes comes at the expense of GWI. Resident Rajpaul Narine said he was extremely happy that water was finally in his area. Another resident, Mala Smith opened her main pipe and proudly displayed running water for the first time in her yard.

“Thank you. We have light, now we have water. I understand everything can’t come at once but we are seeing that development in many forms is coming.”

Mala Smith displaying running water in her yard.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Parenting for success THE older generation would always ask, ‘why is this generation so bad and lawless?’

My question is, ‘wasn’t it your generation that raised us?’ As a columnist writing on youth-related issues, my mind always ponders future topics to discuss. This week, I have come to realise that you cannot speak or even

help young people without getting to their greatest if not most important influencers-- their parents. Given last week’s topic on single-parenting, I thought it would be only as effective to continue writing on the effects of parenting and the influence our parents have on us.

I once saw a quote on the walls of a primary school that

read: “Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression.”

That is certainly the focal point of this discussion.

Poor or bad parenting may fail a child in her/his development. We learn our social skills from our households. Our child-to-parent relationships are our first social relationships. An un-

born child even develops a bond with the mother way before birth. If a child by chance develops a negative relationship with a parent(s), that can have an effect on the child and his/her other social relationships, even their overall behaviour in society.

It’s no lie that crime can be an after-effect of

poor parenting. It is said that, ‘children live what they learn.’ They are very vulnerable, I have mentioned this one or two times before.

As such, it is very easy for them to be involved in crime.

Whether if their parents are criminals and/or in jail or even if they are exposed to violent video games/movies, it can easily form an impression on them. Over the years, juvenile crimes have been increasing. In my very own town of Rose Hall, currently, there’s a ‘gold-chain thieving spree.’ Young boys ride on their bicycles and single out their victims, either by being a stranger to the town or soft-spoken.

They ride up closely and snatch the chains from your necks and then hurriedly ride away. Let me make it crystalline and now say: most of their parents are aware of this behaviour! So can a solution to juvenile crimes be more effective parenting? Of course.

In the same way, parents can also fail their children through abuse or failure to report a known case/complaint of abuse of any kind that happened to the child. Did you know that the majority of adults who were abused as children, either turn out to be abusers themselves or they experience domestic abuse as adults?

If a child was never taught abuse of any kind is wrong, (sexual, physical, verbal), then she/he will grow up to believe it’s okay to either abuse or continue to be abused. Negligence can also be a contributing factor to a child’s behaviour and personality. Also, there is a big disconnect when it comes to communication between child/teen and parent. In the Guyanese context especially, there are certain things that are considered ‘big people talk’ and are perhaps taboo to be talked about: these include sex, courting, drugs and alcohol. For parents reading, I’ll tell you this; if you do not teach your child, someone else will. There are children who are afraid to confront or even confide in their parents.

Be approachable, form conversations and guide your

children onto a healthy adult life. Sometimes, I feel we go straight from childhood onto teenage-hood then into adulthood with no transitional period, no information or knowledge beforehand.

All in all, I believe as adults, there is an inner child within us that needs attention, care and even the need to be loved. The larger the gap in our child-to-parent relationships, I believe the more attention that inner child demands as an adult. In my defence, children were never asked to be conceived and born; as such, those responsible for the birth of the child should take up their roles or seek help with someone who can (adoption).

If you are under the age of 18, you are considered a child by the law. As such, a parent/ guardian is responsible for the emotional, physical, mental and overall well-being as well as, meeting your basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, education, etc). There is no doubt that the morals and beliefs of our parents are passed down to us.

Arguably enough, who our parents are and their style of parenting are often mirrored through our very own personalities and behaviours. In one of my Sociology classes at UG, my lecturer showed us a picture of a child living in Syria. It was graphic enough to leave the entire class puzzled; bombs and shooters, blood and guns, dead people and fires. It is not to be blamed on the parents, but that example was used to display the effects our environment has on children; similarly, parents and their influences.

Just as Batman and Wonder-woman, Justin Bieber or Beyoncé, our parents have an influence on us. Good and effective parenting should be a lifestyle to all. Those failed children will ultimately become adults who act out that failure.

The Child Protection Agency is always there to help protect the rights of a child. Please contact them on: 592- 227-0979 (hotline) or 227-4420, 225-4082, 2251117.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

OSH Dept. opens probe into PSI gas leak

PRITIPAUL Singh Investment Inc. has given the Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) Department of the Ministry of Social Protection full access to its Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara facility, to conduct an investigation into the recent ammonia gas leak.

This is according to Pritipaul Singh Investment’s Assistant Managing Director, Vishnu Panday. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Panday said that OSH officials from the ministry visited the Mc Doom facility on Tuesday, and have launched an investigation into Monday’s ammonia gas leak. “We had these officials and we have allowed them full access to the plant to conduct their own investigation,” Panday said, while noting that the report from the OSH department would be welcome.

The incident, which occurred around 14:30hrs, resulted in 14 employees of the company being rushed to the Woodlands Hospital in the city for medical attention.

Some employees reportedly fainted while others complained of feeling nauseated.

Of the 14, six were kept overnight for observation, and were reportedly discharged on Tuesday.

Panday said that the company has submitted the required documents to the OSH department. The company also wrote the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, informing him of the incident in keeping with Condition 7 (1) of the Operations Permit issued to Pritipaul Singh Investments Inc. The assistant managing director said that the compa-

Manslaughter charge for man in Sophia bicycle killing A 31-year-old labourer was on Tuesday charged for manslaughter and remanded to prison for unlawfully killing 26-year-old Seon Harry last Thursday in Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Darius Barrington of 634 ‘A’ Field Sophia appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on October 18, 2018 at South Sophia, Squatting Area, Georgetown, Darius Barrington unlawfully killed Harry.

Barrington’s Attorney, Lawrence Harris, during an application for bail, stated that his client was first assaulted and attacked by Harry with a cutlass. The lawyer said both men had a fight and in the process Harry was injured.

Police Prosecutor, Neville Jeffers stated that the file is completed and the matter is ready for hearing and 30 witnesses are expected to be called. He also objected to bail being granted to the defendant due to seriousness of the offence and the penalty it attracts. Bail was refused by the magistrate and Barrington was remanded to prison until November 2, 2018 and the matter was transferred to Court Two where it will be heard.

Reports indicate that Harry, last Wednesday evening, picked up the bicycle of his assailant and went to purchase food and upon his return, the assailant confronted him about removing the cycle without permission. This led to a heated exchange and the suspect kicked the box of food out of Harry’s hand. Residents say the fight ended with both men going their separate ways.

However, the next morning Harry showed up at a location where the suspect normally limes and confronted him about his behaviour on Wednesday night. Harry reportedly showed up with a cutlass and dealt the suspect several chops about the body but the suspect managed to whip out a knife and stabbed Harry.

Harry fell to the ground and died in view of several persons who had gathered at the scene.

The dead man leaves to mourn his pregnant girlfriend.

ny has launched an internal investigation to have a better understanding of the cause of the gas leak, and a compressive report will be compiled on Thursday the latest. That report will be submitted to the EPA, he added.

However, based on a preliminary investigation, Panday explained that one of the lines through which the ammonia gas flows to the processing plants was damaged after a motor fell on it. “It appears that one of the motors snapped and fell, hitting the line that caused

that leakage,” he posited, noting that within seconds the gas spread within the atmosphere.

According to him, employees were immediately evacuated and the damaged pipeline sealed to prevent further leakage. As a precautionary measure, he said that employees who complained of feeling nauseated were taken to a private hospital for medical attention. He noted that while this is the second gas leak within a month at the fisheries, the first was very

minor and did not require any evacuation or movement of employees because the incident was resolved almost immediately.

Panday maintained that the company maintains a high standard of operations, and has effective monitoring and maintenance systems in place. “Like anything in the world, there can be an unguarded moment, this is where a motor just fell, hit a line and caused it to be severed,” Panday stated.

He contended that if

proper systems were not in place, then the situation could have been worse as he boasted of the many international awards the company has copped over the years. He said it was based on Pritipaul Singh Investment’s outstanding operations that caused it to be recognised internationally.

Chief Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Denzil Roberts, said that the Department of Fisheries will be launching an investigation into the reported incident as well.

14

A conversation with a runner in the National Park

IN my humble opinion, the National Park is an oasis. The National Park is formerly the home of the exclusive Demerara Golf Club since 1923.

In 1965, it became the

Queen Elizabeth II National Park. On May 25th 1966, this physical space became the historical scene of the memorable and momentous final lowering of the Union Jack. In that beautiful ambi-

ance, independent Guyana was born. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is an aura of public spirit at this place. Guyanese of all socio-economic statuses, race, religions, and creed seem to

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

come together in a common cause of a basic need for human relaxation through exercise and a good old gaff.

I am a frequent visitor to the National Park, and this consistent sojourn is driven

by the need to jog in an open space. On a normal day of indulgence, I encountered a runner who claimed that we were once high school colleagues, but I could not recall this individual. My inability to recollect this acquaintance did not prevent the unfolding of an extremely interesting discussion. He reflected on the state of affairs in Guyana.

He confessed that he was a supporter of the former government and had a change of heart when he observed certain changes in the country after 2015. He alluded to the fall of the drug empire, the restoring of strong public institutions with professionals and not political hacks, the reappearance of national awards after decades, local democracy, freedom from fear of respectfully dissenting and being critical of the government. He mentioned that we should never go back to the days when drug lords became more powerful than the state, and Guyana was branded a drug pariah state that was a wash with dirty money to the point where banks began to discontinue doing business with us.

However, at the end of his

intervention, there was an anti-climax and he expressed concerns about the economy.

He informed me that he lives in a depressed community, and under the former regime there was a flow of capital through the community.

During our discourse, I seized upon his points on the fall of the drug empire and the complete disappearance of victimisation by the state for public dissent. I impressed upon my friend that these are two critical developments and they must be upheld. There was one point of note that incurred our slight disagreement. I noted, if you accept that the drug empire has fallen, then it follows for us to expect some economic fallout. It is expected that there will be some transition and those effects will be felt, but it is always better to sacrifice nationally for these long-term changes. If you have a nation surviving on ‘dirty money’, once you restore order, it is inevitable that the murky and dark liquidity will dry up.

These conversations about the country coupled with good exercise are the ultimate perfection of relaxation.

Man to stand trial in High Court for attempted murder

NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Morris Khan was on Tuesday committed to stand trial in the High Court for attempted murder of Oswald O’Brien.

This ruling was handed down by the Senior Magistrate, Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The charge against Khan, states that on February 15 2018 at Old Road, Craig, East Bank Demerara, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded O’Brien with intent to commit murder.

Khan was remanded to prison by the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he appeared the first time to answer to the charge.

The preliminary trial ended on Tuesday with the magistrate finding that there is sufficient evidence to send the case to the High Court for trial. According to police reports, on the day in question, Khan dealt O’Brien several lashes with a bicycle bar.

He was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Dozens graduate as pest control applicators DOZENS of employees, especially new ones belonging to chemical pest control companies, have been trained by the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) and graduated on Tuesday as pest control applicators.

The PTCCB, in 2012, started the training programme which has become an annual event, culminating in a graduation ceremony.

It encompasses the basic proficiency and intermediate levels.

This year, 49 employees graduated under the basic proficiency level and 27 under the intermediate proficiency, at De Impeccable Banquet Hall on Brickdam.

the basic training is intended to introduce participants to the concept of pests and their management; and also to raise awareness about pesticides and their efficient and judicious use.

“It is a foundation course and therefore seeks to expose attendees to the general concepts of pest, their biology and behaviour, and the role these play in management. In contrast, the intermediate training seeks to expand on the knowledge gained from the basic training and includes a more hands-on, practical approach to professional pest control application,” Garnath said.

She added: “Today, the total number of individuals

dependency on chemical pesticides where possible.

“You are responsible by your profession not only therefore for your life, but that of others. Please use pesticides responsibly,” she urged.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd, during her feature address, noted that pesticides are important tools for controlling organisms that limit crop and livestock production, damage property, spread disease, or otherwise detract from the quality of life. However, as with any tool, she cautioned that their misuse can pose a threat to human health and the environment.

Some of the employees who graduated under the PTCCB initiative on Tuesday The programme targets new employees in the business, so as to bring them up to speed with how technology is impacting the field; how to understand the safe use of pesticides; and how to handle certain products that have to be used. It is an in-house training which runs for one to two weeks, during which the employees study a package and then write an examination.

Deputy Registrar at the PTCCB, Suresh Amichand, told the Guyana Chronicle that the best graduating students this time around are Pawan Persaud and Sherlin Inniss for the basic proficiency; and Navendra Jerry for the intermediate level.

Registrar of PTCCB Trecia Garnath, in congratulating the students, offered that

exposed to the training is 192 with 177 of them being certified to practise as pest control applicators. Eighty nine percent of those persons who wrote the basic proficiency were successful and will be graduating today. Thirty persons went on to the intermediate proficiency. Ninety percent or 27 of these persons were successful and will be graduating today.”

The graduation ceremony was held during Pesticides Awareness Week under the theme, “Increase Food Safety, Reduce dependency on pesticides, and Adopt integrated pest management.”

Garnath encouraged the employees to be responsible in their use of chemicals, and to seek to reduce the

“Minimising pest damage, while simultaneously providing for equitable and orderly domestic and international trade in agriculture commodities must always remain in sharp focus.

We must have a cadre of pest control professionals who are well trained to deal with pests and pesticides in such a manner that the general public is protected, wholesome food is produced, for both local and international consumption and the environment is not adversely affected,” she said.

Pesticide applicator certification is a means of ensuring that individuals who apply pesticides professionally have the knowledge to do so in a safe, judicious, and effective manner, Nedd

From left are: Chairman of PTCCB Leslie Munroe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Delma Nedd and Registrar of PTCCB, Trecia Garnath said, adding that trained, knowledgeable, experienced applicators are regarded as professionals capable of using pesticides in a responsible manner.

“It is important that you therefore understand that you are responsible for learning about and complying with pesticide laws and regulations before making

any applications. You are responsible for any consequences of actions that result from an application and you are responsible to broaden your job-related skills and professional competency,” she pointed out.

Chairman of PTCCB Leslie Munroe told the employees that they have a very important role to play

because the use of pesticides is often taken lightly.

“They are used as though there are no consequences to how they use them. I’m concerned about how it [sic] is being used nationally; we need to come up with more environmentally friendly methods of dealing with pests.”

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Cops enlightened about tenants, landlords dispute EXCEPT in cases where a breach of the peace is occasioned, no member of the Guyana Police Force should find themselves getting involved in disputes between tenants and landlords, Police Commissioner Leslie James said.

He made his position clear during a recent tour to a number of police divisions last week.

The commissioner reminded his officers that such matters are civil in nature and ought to be dealt with by the courts.

James also said that a memo to this effect will soon be dispatched to all police stations.

He stressed that if ranks are not clear on what should be done when these matters arise at their respective stations, they should immediately contact their subordinate officer(s), sub-divisional officers and if possible, the commander of the division.

There have been instances where landlords made requests to the police to evict their tenants.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

EPA seeks permanent solution for Diamond gas well

NEW Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams says a permanent solution is being sought for the gas well at Diamond, East Bank Demerara that recently exploded.

Dr. Adams and a team on Tuesday morning visited the site which is still emitting gas in small pockets.

The EPA officials also conducted a brief meeting with residents to ascertain how they are being affected by the gas. Dr. Adams underscored that the aim is to find a permanent solution for the situation, in collaboration with other agencies. “We are going to try to monitor as much as possible and come up with a permanent fix. That is what we are going to be driving at. I understand the anxiety of the residents, but the key here is for us to determine what the permanent resolution is and we have got to do that in collaboration with agencies and entities that are working on it” Dr. Adams stated.

Senior Environmental Officer, Tishanna Redmon said during the visit, a number of tests will be conducted in the area. “We will be using the MultiRAE which is a piece of equipment that evaluates air emissions. We will be testing for carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and volatile organic carbon,” Redmon

Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Vincent Adams explained.

The senior environmental officer pointed out that the most recent test conducted revealed emissions of nitrogen oxide as well as volatile organic carbon. However, the gases were not in alarming amounts and all emissions were below two parts-per-million. According to Redmon, feedback from residents indicates that they have been experiencing

Gas being emitted from the site abnormal symptoms and were advised to visit a doctor to get a clear diagnosis of what exactly is causing the symptoms.

EPA Head, Dr. Adams said while there

is no way to ascertain the volume of gas below the surface at the moment, the agency will continue to monitor the situation and provide feedback to the residents. (DPI)

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The late Winston McGarland Bailey better known as ‘The Mighty Shadow.’ (Trinidad Guardian photo)

Mighty Shadow dies at 77

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018 (Trinidad and Tobago Guardian) THE calypso fraternity has been thrown into mourning following the death early Tuesday morning of veteran Winston “Mighty Shadow” Bailey.

Bailey, who celebrated his 77th birthday on October 2, died at a hospital on Tuesday morning after ailing for some time and suffering a stroke on Sunday.

Bailey, who was to be conferred with an honorary doctorate by the University of the West Indies this year, won Road March titles in 1974 (Bass­ man) and 2001 (Stranger) and the Calypso Monarch title in 2000 with “What’s Wrong With Me” and “Scratch Meh Back.” He also won the International Soca Monarch title with “Stranger” in 2001.

Bailey was also awarded the Hum­ming­bird Medal (Sil­ver) in 2003 for his contribution to culture.

Man jailed for robbery with violence A MAN, who told the court that he is frustrated, was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a robbery with violence charge.

Christopher Niles, 24 of Fourth Street Alberttown, appeared before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to three robbery-with-violence charges.

The first charge alleged that on October 20, 2018 at Kingston Seawall, Georgetown, Niles robbed Techan Balgobin of one gold chain valued $90,000. And during or immediately after the robbery he used personal violence on the said victim. It was also alleged on the same day, at the same location, Niles robbed Bibi Mangru of one Guess purse valued $20,000, containing $35,000 cash and during or immediately after the robbery he used personal violence on the said victim.

It was further alleged that on the same day at the same location Niles robbed Mahoni Mangru of one purse values $ 30,000, containing $ 50,000 cash and one Samsung cellphone valued $ 70,000 and during or immediately after the robbery he used personal violence on the said victim.

Niles denied the first and last charges and pleaded guilty to the second charge that was read out to him in court by the magistrate. In his explanation the man told the court that, he was riding on his bicycle, when he saw the two victims were in a compromising position in the car and he said “that’s what y’all come to do on the seawall.”

He further added that he rode up and saw the two sisters and out of frustration he grabbed the purse that one of them was holding and a woman came out of the car and threw a brick at him, as such he pushed her down and rode away. During his attempt to escape he was cornered by the police.

Police prosecutor, Simone Payne, objected to bail due the seriousness of the offences, and the fact that all the charges are similar.

According to the facts presented by the police, on the day in question at about 10:40hrs, the victims were in a car parked at the Kingston Seawall when Mahoni Mangru decided to walk around with her sister, while Bibi Mangru and Techan Balgobin stayed in the car.

However, Bibi Mangru saw when the accused rode past with a bicycle and stopped, as such he assaulted her daughter by choking her and giving her several kicks and cuffs about her body and relieved her off the items mentioned. A report was made to the Brickdam Police Station and the accused was arrested with the items in his possession.

The man was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the magistrate. Meanwhile, the other two matters were adjourned to October 31, 2018.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Karasabai to host international tourists FROM January 2019, the village of Karasabai in the South Pakaraimas of Region Nine will be receiving its first overnight international tourists, a step towards greater tourism development in the village.

On Sunday, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peo-

ples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, visited the community to discuss the new venture.

Over the last weekend, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) had conducted its own discussions with the villagers and the village’s tourism committee, to determine ways of improving their tourism contribution.

Coming out of the discussions was a draft three-year plan for tourism, which will enable villagers to make informed decisions, while developing their tourism product.

The plan outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the village, as well as the required capacity-building and infrastructural development

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin; and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe in Karasabai

necessary for the successful implementation of the village’s tourism product.

“The primary aim is to work with them to determine their vision, goals and priority actions to get tourism off the ground; then we will be essentially creating an action plan for them, which incorporates all the information they shared with us,” GTA Director Brian Mullis had explained.

According to a release from the Ministry of Business, Gaskin expressed optimism that something tangible will emerge from the discussions.

“We are not here to just have a chat with you and disappear; we are here to start a process,” the minister said, even as he encouraged the villagers to work along with the GTA so that the expected outcomes are realised.

As the villagers are now working to ensure that everything is in place for future tourists to have a memorable experience, the village’s Deputy Toshao Andrew Albert expressed his vision for the community.

“We want to develop the

The village of Karasabai, South Pakaraimas, Region Nine

area, so we can accommodate both local and international tourists…we would like to see that by 2021, all villagers are both direct and indirect beneficiaries of the tourism industry,” he said. He added that the village intends to merge its agricultural sector with the tourism product.

Karasabai is home to approximately 1200 Amerindians of the Macushi tribe and most of the villagers are excited and optimistic that their community has what it

takes to be a leading tourist destination.

According to Albert, the village has already constructed an Eco Lodge to house tourists, but is presently developing more cabins to accommodate a larger number of tourists.

Some of the unique experiences visitors can have in Karasabai include its golden sun parakeet, giant anteaters, flora, fauna and the seasonal pink and gray dolphins, among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Dr. Yesu Persaud hailed as visionary entrepreneur – at launch of UG lecture series in his name

By Lisa Hamilton SEVERAL notable figures from the business, political, education and civic societies reflected on the life contributions of Dr. Yesu Persaud on Tuesday at the launching of a new University of Guyana (UG) lecture series in his name.

Hosted at the Pegasus Hotel, the function saw reflections being made on Dr. Persaud’s long and distinguished career in business, civic and philanthropic works.

Dr. Persaud has served in several positions of business and innovation, such as former Executive Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and founder of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED).

He also functioned as Chairman of Guyana Youth Business Trust; Trust Company [Guyana] Limited; BEV Processors Inc; the Private Sector Commission; the Cheddi Jagan Children’s Fund; the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry Limited; and the Caribbean Council for Europe, among others.

The astute businessman, who was present at the function, turned 90 years old on October 18, 2018 and will on November 10, 2018 be presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of Guyana.

In welcoming the gathering, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith said the event’s theme ‘Dr. Yesu Persaud: A Life of Audacious Authenticity in Business Entrepreneurship and Civic life’, is a fitting one.

He stated that Persaud’s audacity is one the university can and will unapologetically celebrate as an example to students in business and social sciences. “[We’ve found] an opportunity to let people beyond Georgetown, beyond Guyana... be able to have the recognition of what he has been, and how he has contributed by letting his name and his life and livelihood live beyond one space,” Griffith explained.

DISTINGUISHED SON Later, addressing Dr. Persaud’s contributions to Guyana through the DDL was Finance Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts who spoke on behalf of the government.

“You’ve placed Guyana on the map as a brand…

“I think you have a great portrait of a man; a great and a successful businessman and entrepreneur; a man whose integrity is unquestioned; selfless service for the good of the country and a concern and care for the less considerate in our society.”

Remarks came too from Pro Chancellor Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh; CEO of Mings Products and Services

Dr. Yesu Persaud is flanked for a memorable photograph by Professor of Physiology, School of Forensic and Applied Science Jaipaul Singh and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith (Adrian Narine photo)

your contribution has been able to allow Guyana to feel resilient. It has been able to withstand the shocks coming on board through changes in the market. It has been able to say that we’re on the path that permits us to have economic growth and development demonstrated from the fullness of a global company,” Butts remarked.

Meanwhile, representing the business community were Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IPED Ramesh Persaud; CEO of DDL Komal Samaroo; member of the Indian Action Committee Neaz Subhan and former senator of Barbados Maxine McClean.

Ramesh Persaud told the audience of Dr. Persaud’s principles for managing non-profit organisations which now guides IPED in its daily operation.

Some of these he highlighted were: setting a clear mission; electing apolitical and free-serving board of directors; appointing leaders only on their merit; maintaining good records for transparency and accountability; zero tolerance for corruption; and consistent focus on sustainability.

“Good governance and the principles of Dr. Yesu Persaud laid out above certainly contributed to the marketing results of IPED; and we trust that other notfor-profit organisations and NGOs can emulate these principles to achieve similar success,” he stated.

MODEL ENTREPRENEUR McClean, who is in Guyana as a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Guyana, thanked Dr. Persaud for being a true exemplar of

a committed business entrepreneur.

“Dr. Persaud has made a significant contribution to business and indeed the development of Guyana and by extension the Caribbean and beyond,” she said, adding: “His contributions in business, banking, enterprise development, public service and, of course, philanthropy, clearly demonstrates his business acumen and civil consciousness…anyone seeking to understand what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur need only to study the life and achievements of Dr. Persaud.”

Samaroo spoke later on Dr. Persaud’s corporate restructuring; his people focus and his growth strategies that were responsible for DDL’s success in the formative 10 years after nationalisation.

During his years working alongside Dr. Persaud, Samaroo said he came to know him as a “people-centred leader” and a visionary who took care of his employees.

“He was an innovative leader. He looked to do old things the new way and looked at how we could use our old skills to do new things. He was a results-focused person…. above all, I think he has a contagious, positive, ‘can do’ attitude where failure is not an option,” he said.

Meanwhile, Persaud’s impact also stretched across to international regions with remarks coming, too, from broadcaster, novelist, poet and academic, Professor David Dabydeen.

“Through you philanthropy you’ve made an indelible mark on Guyanese society and the businesses you have created and improved the

lives of thousands of deserving people,” he said.

Reading a statement on behalf of Caribbean-born writer Ian McDonald, was Professor Paloma Mohammed, who coincided with previous remarks, stating:

Limited, Stanley Ming; Special Assistant to the Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Eric Phillips, and others.

In appreciation of Dr. Persaud, a mini-exhibition on his life was put on display outside the conference hall. The exhibition featured literature, photographs and other information for visitors to view.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Man-made oasis: Xinjiang’s ‘green wall’ fights expanding desert

OVER 30 years ago, a war against desertification was waged silently in Kekeya, a little-known place in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. But the influence was earth-shattering. Locals won the battle and passed on the spirit of fighting mother nature’s ills to those who will continue striving for a better environment.

Located at the northwestern edge of the Taklimakan, the largest desert in China, Kekeya was once notorious for its erratic weather and constant sand storms. Taklimakan Desert covers 337,000 square kilometers, slightly smaller than the size of Germany.

It is also the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert.

An afforestation project to prevent the desert from expanding and to reduce the impacts of sand and dust storms on nearby residents was launched in Kekeya in 1986 and completed in 2015.

Over the past 30 years, a great “green wall” stretching around 77,000 hectares has been gradually erected between the desert and towns.

The remarkable achievement of Kekeya, located in the Aksu Prefecture, has inspired more people to participate in ecological campaigns, which are already underway and expected to transform the desert into an oasis.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE People in Kekeya suffered from droughts for hundreds of years.

Historical records show that, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a local official hired people to drill wells and explore underground water in Kekeya. But authorities abandoned such attempts, as the total cost was likely to be extremely high.

Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, locals made a second attempt, digging several wells in Kekeya, but no water came out. In the 1960s, a project to channel water from a river in the city of Aksu

was also forsaken.

“Planting trees in Kekeya is no different from farming fish in sand,” said Eli Sulayman, 77, a retired forester in Kekeya.

Eli said Kekeya suffered around 100 days of sand and dust storms every year. “In spring and winter, fierce winds blew up and sand

into Kekeya to solve soil and water problems, and built roads to aid the transportation of plants and trees in the barren land.

Meanwhile, the local government had been mobilizing the masses to grow trees from the very beginning. Later, people from all walks of life in Aksu voluntarily joined

engulfed the cities. Residents had to turn on the lights even during the daytime.”

“Either we endured or we escaped,” said Eli. In 1985, heads of departments in Aksu decided enough was enough. A head office for desertification was then established the following year to improve the situation.

Many people had doubts about the risky decision, but Bi Kexian, then director of the local forestry department, said that, “For the sake of our next generations, I was willing to take the risk of turning the bare land into green.”

Bi took the lead by surveying the soil environment. Huge obstacles ahead included deep ravines and salty soil in need of water irrigation.

Groups of technicians and workers headed

the campaign, digging holes for trees and fertilizing the land.

“Until now, I often dream about digging tree holes, which made my entire body ache,” said 50-something Lai Qing, reminiscing about the days of tree planting when she was 20.

From 1986 to 2015, 3.4-million-person-time volunteers planted about 13.37 million trees in Aksu, according to the local forestry bureau.

The dusty days in a year decreased sharply, from about 100 days to 29, the local meteorological department said.

Thanks to the efforts of forest rangers, the survival rate of trees in Kekeya also exceeded 87.5 percent, way beyond expectations.

“I would feel guilty if I failed to take care of those trees that people had worked

so hard to plant,” said Imam Memet, who has been patrolling and protecting Aksu’s forests for three decades .

MISSION CONTINUES In a memorial hall in Kekeya, a red account book showing records of afforested areas in the region is displayed. The figures have been increasing without a stop thanks to the completion of Kekeya’s greening project.

Three more ecological projects on the peripheries of the Taklimakan Desert were launched after Kekeya’s project was completed.

In the basin of the Aksu River, an 84,000-hectare greening project has been completed. This autumn, a 71,000-hectare project in the Ogan River Valley is on track to completion. In the spring, Kongtailike District planted 4,000 hectares of trees.

Transport networks, irrigation and reforestation in the three areas have also been developed along with the three ecological projects, which are expected to benefit 1 million residents after all of them are completed by 2020.

For the better preservation of the hardwon forests and to further stabilize residents’ incomes, the local government has introduced more cash crops including apple trees, walnut trees and jujube trees.

The sweet juicy Aksu apple has become signature to Xinjiang’s agricultural products, which are widely known among Chinese people.

After years of development, Aksu has become a major forestry and fruit production area in Xinjiang, with the output of the prefecture reaching over 13 billion yuan (1.88 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017.

To improve people’s living standards, the local government has also been increasing pollution control and city construction, and residents are encouraged to go for a walk by the clean rivers, new parks and squares around the city. (Xinhua)

China’s vision to build community with shared future inspire world

CHINA’S vision and action to build a community with a shared future for mankind are inspiring the world to pursue common development, sustainable prosperity and long-term stability.

Against the backdrop of a complicated international situation, China, the world’s largest developing country, has decided on cooperation instead of confrontation, partnership instead of alliance, and coexistence rather than isolation in its diplomatic activities.

CONNECT TO BENEFIT With a neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China has been making contributions to the peace and prosperity of the region and the rest of the world.

In April, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal meeting in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. With mutual trust and cooperation on the agenda, the Xi-Modi meeting was hailed as a new milestone in the development of China-India bilateral relations, after a military stand-off in the border area of Dong Lang (Doklam) last year.

In the meantime, Xi also had three meetings in less than three months with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which Xi said opened up a new chapter in the development

of China-DPRK relations.

In December last year, South Korean President Moon Jae-in made his first visit to China after taking office; in August, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visited China following Malaysia’s general election; moreover, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay an official visit to China on Oct. 25, the first by a Japanese prime minister in seven years.

China’s commitment to good neighborliness and friendship, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation appeals enormously to more countries including the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso and El Salvador, which have recently established or resumed diplomatic relations with China.

COOPERATE TO WIN As a responsible major country, a builder and contributor to the current international system, China is committed to working together with different partners to make the cake of cooperation bigger and achieve mutually beneficial and winwin results.

On July 16, Xi held talks with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Director-General Audrey Azoulay, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission Presi-

dent Jean-Claude Juncker in three separate meetings in Beijing.

Consensus was reached in all three meetings on safeguarding the rules-based international order, advocating multilateralism, and supporting free trade so as to promote world peace, stability and development.

As the world is facing a growing list of issues that need resolution, pressures are building up for various countries and major countries in particular to shoulder the responsibilities of facilitating cooperation.

In September, the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) brought African countries together to discuss one common issue -- development, as notable achievements were scored in Sino-African cooperation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commended China-Africa cooperation for its exemplary role in South-South cooperation, “which makes important contributions to world peace and development with demonstrative significance.”

As Xi has said during his meeting with Jim Yong Kim, the world today is a global village. Despite the constant appearance of unilateralism and protectionism, the blended interests and shared destiny of different countries and economic globalization are irresistable, and win-win cooperation represents the general trend,

Xi stressed.

OPEN UP TO SHARE Over 2,800 enterprises from more than 130 countries and regions have confirmed their participation in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will be held next month in Shanghai. As the world’s first import-themed national-level expo, the CIIE is seen as a major measure by China to resolutely support free trade, and it also accords with President Xi’s proposal to pursue open, innovative and inclusive development.

“Looking ahead, China will open still wider and its development will deliver even greater benefits to the rest of the world,” Xi said in a speech at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam in 2017, adding that the CIIE “will help all parties to better share the opportunities of China’s development.”

“The expo sends a strong message from China in favor of free trade and multilateralism,” said Argentine political observer Patricio Giusto. China’s opening-up “added certainty and hope to the world today,” International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said when meeting with Xi during the Boao Forum in April. (Xinhua)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Youth Dept. sets record straight on business grants DIRECTOR of Youth Melissa Carmichael-Haynes has expressed concerns over what she describes as the reckless allegations being made against the Department of Youth, in some sections of the media regarding persons not being able to access business grants.

The allegations were made with specific reference to grant awardees who have not yet been able to access their grants, because they have failed to comply with the formal requirements, the department said in a statement.

The Department of Youth, which falls within the purview of the Ministry of the Presidency, is mandated to provide opportunities and a safe space for the youth of Guyana to network, and to foster an environment that would bring about their empowerment and development. It therefore follows that this department is required to create programmes and activities which seek to support youth initiatives and to address the challenges facing our youth; one of which is youth unemployment, the statement read.

Guided by ‘The National Youth Policy of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana’ (NYP), Policy Priority 2, ‘Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship’ (Pg.15), the department said it hosted the Guyana Youth Business Summit from May 23 – 24, 2018 at the Pegasus Hotel. Young entrepreneurs from across the 10 administrative regions were given the opportunity to engage in discussions on starting and developing their businesses.

During the summit, 11 participants were declared winners of the ‘Jaguar’s Den Competition’ and were selected for grant funding to develop their proposed businesses. Subsequently, the Department of Youth held a meeting with the winners to discuss the expectations and documentation required to facilitate processing of grants.

The department said at the meeting it recognised that a significant number of the businesses proposed, lacked the relevant documentation; as such, recipients were given the deadline of June 22, 2018 to submit the relevant documents. These documents are: Business Registration; NIS Compliance; TIN Certificate; National Identification Card; EPA Compliance (where applicable) and Business Account Number.

The department said that on June 22, 2018 it received the required documents from some of the awardees, while others failed to submit same. “At that point, those who were unable to provide the documents recounted a litany of challenges which precluded them from meeting this deadline. In deference to them, the department then granted an extension to the original deadline,” the statement said.

It added, that the Department of Youth then submitted the request for grants to be processed based on the documents which were in their possession after the initial deadline of June 22nd, 2018. To date, those payments have been processed; however, the account numbers which were provided have proven to be personal accounts and as such deposits have been delayed until business account numbers are submitted. “The Department of Youth will continue to collaborate with the young people of Guyana on projects to foster development and empowerment.

However, it must be noted that the Government of Guyana has processes of accountability which require adherence to the rules and standards which are in place to guide our actions and we must comply.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Minister Ally provides aid to Sophia fire victims

Some of the items handed over to the fire victims

MINISTER of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally, on Tuesday presented a quantity of relief items to five families, who suffered losses after their Section ‘B’, Sophia apartment was

destroyed by fire on Sunday. The presentation was done at the Minister’s Lamaha Street office.

Minister Ally expressed her heart-felt regret to the distraught families. “We

present to you some relief items, so that at least you can start somewhere; and we trust that you are going to be able to rebuild… we are really sorry about what happened,” she said.

Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally (centre) with two victims of Sunday’s fire.

The items, which included kitchen utensils, a kerosene stove, a double mattress, sheets and pillow cases, which were given to each of the families, were obtained through the Min-

istry’s Difficult Circumstances Unit. In expressing her gratitude, one recipient, Ms. Tamara Fraser, thanked the Government of Guyana for providing her with a “fresh start” as

she takes steps to rebuild.

“I’m thankful for the help, because everything was destroyed, the bed and everything… right now I have to get somewhere to go,” she said.

Fears over safety of GECOM chair …commissioner laments ‘venomous’ attacks by opposition A COMMISSIONER on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has said that he is fearful about the safety of the chairman amid a ramping up of attacks against him from members of the opposition.

Desmond Trotman, in a lengthy letter to the newspaper, said commissioners nominated by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on GECOM have embarked on a concerted plan to undermine the work of the body raising in the public sphere, their version of developments at meetings, whether they be statutory or special.

“At the outset I wish to state that the views expressed here represent my perception of the PPP-nominated Commissioners’ versions of events, which in my opinion, are characterised by half-truths, downright lies and deliberate misrepresentation of what actually takes place at the meetings of the Commission,” Trotman said in his letter.

He added: “I believe that the primary reasons for these so called revelations, which have nothing to do with setting the records straight, are intended (1) to undermine confidence in both the Chairman, Hon.

Justice (retired) James Patterson and Commissioner of Registration/Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, which will result in the CEO being removed and in the case of the chairman, pressuring him to offer his resignation; and (2) to have them replaced by persons amenable to the machinations of the PPP for the forthcoming 2020 General and Regional Elections and beyond.”

Trotman said to succeed in their quest, a well-orchestrated campaign is being waged by the PPP “to hold these two persons and the three commissioners not affiliated to the PPP, up to public ridicule. It is noticeable that from the moment Justice Patterson was announced as Chairman of GECOM by President David Granger, there have been a number of vicious attacks, led by the PPP, on his person.” Trotman said accompanying these attacks, again led by the PPP, are the allegations that his appointment to the position is intended to lay the foundation for the rigging of the 2020 elections. “These allegations are not directed exclusively to Justice Patterson, but also include the CEO, Keith Lowenfield and those commissioners at GECOM

Justice (retired) James Patterson, Chairman of GECOM

who they refer to as PNC and WPA Commissioners - Charles Corbin, Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman. The three named commissioners have made it very clear that they do not represent any political party on the commission but are members of a constitutional body. However, in spite of the assurances by the three commissioners, the allegations continue unabated.”

Fear for safety of GECOM chair Trotman said a point to

note is that because of the perverse and vicious nature of the campaign to unseat Justice Patterson, “I am using this opportunity to publicly express my fears for his safety. It cannot be ruled out, particularly when it is realised that the campaign against him is led by no less a person than the leader of the opposition, that some misguided member/s of the PPP may construe this to mean that they now have license to plan and carry out acts of violence against his

person, although this may not be what Mr. Jagdeo intends to happen,” Trotman wrote.

He called on the authorities to take note of the developments and try to ensure as far as possible, any danger which may be posed to Justice Patterson’s person, as a result of the venomous nature of the attacks on him, can be averted.

Mischief afoot Patterson himself said at a recent news conference that these were troubling times at GECOM, noting that even at the last lap towards Local Government Elections (LGEs); several intentional obstacles are being placed in the path of the commission. “The commission has been experiencing, at every turn, designs and machinations to stymie the operations coming into force [for the coming election].

Mischief is afoot, internal as well as external. I find that very troubling,” Patterson said.

While the chairman opted not to speak on the external efforts to stall the forthcoming elections, internally, he said, that neither commissioners nor staff is excluded from the plot. He stated further that oftentimes private discussions at meet-

ings are disseminated almost immediately afterwards to outside persons.

The chairman also addressed the issue of racism.

He said that money remains the “source of all evil,” as Guyana’s pending oil wealth from its developing petroleum sector has given way to greed and greed to bad judgement. “It is even more sad to see that the default position of our politicians seems to be to play the racial card. It seems too, that integrity has been put in a blind trust. It seems to be our politicians have retreated into ethno-political camps and that has got to stop if this country is to move forward,” Patterson said. He is still confident that the best days of Guyana are ahead and reminded the public that LGEs are critical to local democracy. “I feel sad to have to report to you that since my regime here, it seems to be that integrity has been put in a blind trust.

Fortunately, I have a cadre of operatives who don’t yield to that sort of description and they, as the saying goes, ‘hold my hand’,” Patterson said.

He warned: “So, anybody who wants to destabilise its work is tampering with democracy.”

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Advertise in Guyana Chronicle Classified Ads. For All Your Classified and Space Ads. Call 225-4475.

Ask for Calvin: EXT 213 Vitalene: EXT 214

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KFC joins sponsorship team for Ignite

Marooners beat Hurricanes to top Super50 Group B BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners trounced Leeward Islands Hurricanes by eight wickets under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, to end their preliminary campaign on a high and top Group B of the Regional Super50.

Chasing a revised target of 169 off 41 overs in a rain-affected encounter at Kensington Oval, Marooners safely navigated the interruptions to get over the line with 13 balls remaining.

Their chase was a measured one with opener Kjorn Ottley top-scoring with 67, Nicholas Kirton stroking an unbeaten 65 and Jonathan Drakes, 21 not out.

Hurricanes had earlier found themselves limited to an inadequate 209 for nine off their 50 overs after fast bowler Jermaine Levy snatched four for 48 and off-spinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar, three for 38, to ruin the innings.

Only captain Devon Thomas showed any real enterprise with 46 while Keacy Carty chipped in with 26 and Akeem Saunders, 24.

The victory ensured Marooners topped Group B with 26 points, with Scorpions finishing second on 21 points, to take the other semi-final spot.

Hurricanes started badly when Montcin Hodge perished without scoring in the second over with the score on one, leaving Thomas to attempt to rebuild the innings.

The right-hander then put on 39 for the second wicket with Carty before adding a further 47 with wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton (22), as Hurricanes got up to 87 for two in the 22nd over.

Thomas, who opened the innings, struck four fours and a six in a 67-ball knock but departed in the 22nd over when he was bowled

by Jaggesar.

Left-hander Kjorn Ottley plays through the onside during his half-century against Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Monday. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

Two more wickets fell to Jaggesar as three wickets tumbled for 30 runs to leave Hurricanes stuttering on 117 for five in the 30th over.

Saunders and Orlando Peters (23) attempted another repair job by putting on 40 for the sixth wicket but Levy and left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley (2-29) combined to snatch four wickets cheaply and restrict Hurricanes.

In reply, Kjorn Ottley posted 36 off 43 balls with fellow lefthander Amir Jangoo who struggled for 19 balls to make nine runs before becoming frustrated and skying a loft at miserly off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall to cover point in the eighth over.

There was no collapse, however, as Kirton arrived to anchor two half-century stands and see Marooners to victory, after the target was twice revised.

First, he put on 79 for the second wicket with Kjorn Ottley before adding another 55 in an unbroken third-wicket stand with Drakes.

Kirton counted five fours in a 97-ball knock while Kjorn Ottley faced 94 deliveries and struck four fours and a six.

Dismal England fall to record 219-run ODI defeat A DISMAL England fell to their heaviest defeat in one-day international cricket as Sri Lanka thrashed the tourists by 219 runs in the final ODI in Colombo.

With England having already won the five-match series, they made three changes, resting captain Eoin Morgan.

They bowled and fielded poorly, with Niroshan Dickwella scoring 95 as Sri Lanka posted 366-6 - the hosts’ highest score against England in ODI cricket.

England slumped to 4-3 in reply and were 132-9 when rain stopped play.

Umpire Aleem Dar ran from the pitch as a heavy storm broke

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

while also signalling that Liam Plunkett’s dismissal for lbw had been confirmed on review.

That ninth wicket lifted the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score to 351 and, with no further play possible, the match was abandoned shortly after 16:35hrs BST, leaving England 219 runs behind.

England’s previous biggest margin of defeat in terms of runs was 165 runs, which has happened twice - against Pakistan at Karachi in 2005 and West Indies at Kingstown in 1994.

Having won the ODI series 3-1, England now face Sri Lanka in the sole Twenty20 on Saturday before the three-Test series starts on November 6. (BBC Sport)

Third EBFA/Ralph Green U-11

Timehri Panthers, Grove Hi Tech, Swan Diamond Upsetters & Agricola post first-day wins

LOCAL fast food company Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has joined the sponsorship train for the upcoming Ignite event of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC).

During a ceremony last week, Paul Subryan, KFC General Manager handed over the company’s sponsorship to GMR&SC Office Manager Cheryl Gonzales.

The company said, “The finale of the Caribbean Motor Racing series has become a major event on our annual sports calendar and which attracts a large cross-section of Guyanese and has become a major family event.”

The Ignite event, which is the basis for the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) will take place on November 10 and 11 at the South Dakota Circuit.

Teams have been confirmed from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and CAMS as well as competitors from Europe for the two-day racing extravaganza.

Launched on Friday evening, the event will feature several classes of racing including groups one through five, as well as the culmination of the Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup and the Super-stock class.

That is in addition to the local Street and Sport Tuner classes along with the Choke Starlet Cup, a Street Bike class and 125cc Motorcycle class.

Among the sponsors for that event are ExxonMobil, GBTI, B.M. Soat, Noble House Seafoods, STAG Beer, Air Services Limited, GUYOIL, Palm Court, Hand-in-Hand, Ramada Hotel, Survival Supermarket, Club 704, Sheriff Security, EC Investments, Prem’s Electrical, Nexus Machinery, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Choke Gas Station, Japarts, R. Kissoon Contracting, E Networks, Miracle Optical, Bikers’ Bar, Samaroo Investments, Innovations America and SuperBet, Agriparts, Mobil1 and KGM Security Service.

Ten Pow, Rahaman ... back page

From back

One of the many female players in the U-11 league, Timehri Panthers’ Jamika Medouze, accepts the ball from GFF president Wayne Forde to officially start the league on Saturday.

TWO helmet-tricks, three hat-tricks and a similar number of doubles were recorded on an eventful opening day of the third edition of the East Bank Football Association/Ralph Green Under-11 League, which commenced last Saturday at the New Diamond Grove Primary School ground, East Bank Demerara.

A total of 29 goals were recorded in four of the six scheduled matches with Timehri Panthers posting the biggest win, 11-0 over Samatta Point/Kaneville. In that match, Omar Sam was the second player to net a helmet-trick behind Swan FC captain Anderson Webber who achieved the feat in the very first match of the league which saw Sawn defeat Herstelling Raiders, 6-0.

Sam blasted the fastest goal on the day and league so far, scoring in the 1st, 7th, 17th and 24th minutes. Also in the Timehri v Samatta Point match, hat-tricks were scored by Shaquelle Caleb (2nd, 3rd, 6th) and Keron Williams (8th, 13th, 14th). Jaden Ceres netted the other goal for the Timehri lads in the 11th minute.

Defending champions Agricola Red Triangle and Diamond Upsetters posted wins without kicking a ball as their opponents, Mocha Champs and Kuru Kururu Warriors were no-shows.

Swan, in their first match at this level under the EBFA umbrella, looked a solid unit in disposing Herstelling Raiders, 6-0. Swan,

featuring a differently-abled goalkeeper in Kedon Nazir, were led by captain Nazir who was the first player to notch a helmet-trick. He was on target in the 17th, 18th, 20th and 25th minute following the first goal of the league from Teon Lonke in the 12th minute, Ezekiel Reid scoring the other in the 21st minute.

Grove Hi Tech’s Jamal Cordis netted the other hat-trick on the day in his side’s 6-0 triumph over Hauraruni Eagles. He found the back of the net in the 14th, 21st and 22nd minutes. Teammate Jevon Pluck struck a brace, in the 3rd and 12th minutes with the other coming off the boot of Akeem Evans in the 17th minute.

Diamond United battled back from a goal down to draw with Friendship All Stars 3-3. Tyresse Tuesdee netted in the 7th minute for Friendship but one minute later, Diamond United’s Iouson De Silva equalised.

Friendship were back in front in the 13th minute through a Lloyd Barker goal which was again cancelled out by Da Silva’s second goal in the 14th minute. Barker scored an own goal in the 23rd minute but netted his second legal goal one minute later to ensure a draw in the exciting encounter.

Matches will continue on Saturday at the same venue from 09:00hrs.

43 points and Shahab Ghanie 34.

Just three points separate Stefan Jeffrey and Steven Nobrega at the top of the Easy Cup Super group. Jeffrey has 108, while Nobrega is on 105, followed by Kristian Jeffrey (75) and Brian Ten Pow (66).

The X30 Junior is led

by Rayden Persaud on 109, followed by John Phang (95), Elan Rahaman (82), Faraud Mohamed (81), Gianni Carpenter (76) and Mikhail Persaud (51).

Shan Seejatan is the leader of the X30 Mas-

ters, having accumulated 123 points. He is followed

by Haniff Mohamed on 98, Mahendra Boodhoo on 83 and Ralph Persaud on 36.

Mikhail Persaud is a runaway leader of the X30 Senior, having amassed 125 points.

Matthew Phang with 87 is in second spot, followed by the Trinidad and Tobago pair Zachary Boodram (76) and Kristian Boodoosingh (74), John Phang (59), Elan Rahaman (50) and Raymond Baksh (41).

Admission to the event is free.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

RHT Bakewell crush Whim National Cricket Club to lift Rhonda Lewis trophy A MAGNIFICENT innings of 91 from National Under-19 player, Kevlon Anderson, and a destructive spell of 3 for 18 by West Indies female pacer Erva Giddings, led the Rose Hall Town (RHT) Bakewell to an easy 130-run victory over Whim National in the final of the BCB-organised Rhonda Lewis Memorial 20/20 Tournament, for teams in the Lower Corentyne area.

Earlier in the day, they had brushed aside Fyrish to reach the final.

Playing in front of a large and passionate crowd, RHT Bakewell won the toss and batted first. They lost National Under-19 player Jason Sinclair in the third over, caught off medium pacer Yogindra Harrinarine for 7, at 18 for one.

National junior players Kevin Sinclair and Kevlon Anderson then added 80 for the second wicket, with Sinclair being brutal on any short ball, as he raced to 68 (6x6, 5x4) before he was caught on the deep midwicket boundary off the bowling of V. Sookshine.

N a t i o n a l U n d e r- 1 5 all-rounder Jonathan Rampersaud and Anderson then added 100 for the fourth wicket in 10 overs, before the latter was bowled off the last ball of the innings for a classy 91, which included 12 boundaries and one six.

Fourteen-year-old Ramper-

Kevin Sinclair collects the winners’ trophy from the parents of the late Rhonda Lewis.

saud was left unbeaten on 22, with one six.

Harrinarine took 2 for 44 from his four overs while V. Sookshine bowled well to take 1 for 28 from his allotted four overs.

Needing to score at just under 10 runs per over, Whim National were never in the hunt as the youthful RHT Bakewell fielded brilliantly and their pacers were very hostile in cool overcast conditions.

Anderson returned with the ball to make the first breakthrough when he had opener N. Deonarine caught

behind by Chanderpaul Govindan for 0, at 3 for 1 in the second over.

Former National Under-19 pacer Sylus Tyndall and West Indies female pacer Erva Giddings then ripped the heart of Whim National team to bowl them out for 69 off 16.2 overs. Giddings took 3 for 19 (4 overs) Tyndall 2 for 14 and Kevin Sinclair 2 for 15 as only V. Sookshine and K. Deonarine offered any resistance with 19 and 10 respectively.

Earlier in the day, RHT Bakewell defeated Fyrish by 65 runs in the semifinal. RHT

The victorious RHT Bakewell team pose with the Lewis Family.

Bakewell amassed 160 for 3 from 15 overs with Junior Sinclair 64, Kevin Sinclair 31 and Kevlon Anderson 39 being the principal scorers.

Fyrish in reply were restricted to 95 for 8 with Krishna Rengasammy 15 and R. Ramcharran 26 being the principal scorers. Junior Sinclair 4 for 7 and his captain Kevin Sinclair were the destroyers with the ball.

BCB president Hilbert Foster at the closing ceremony hailed the tournament as a tremendous success and expressed gratitude to the Lewis

Family for sponsoring the tournament, which attracted large crowds to the different venues.

Lindon Lewis, father of Rhonda hailed the outstanding organising skills of the BCB in hosting a tournament of high standards as a tribute to his daughter who died of cancer in 2006 at the tender age of seventeen.

Lewis committed his family to sponsoring the tournament in the future once he was satisfied with the leadership of Berbice Cricket.

Kevlon Anderson was

named Man-of-the-Match, Mahendra Charran - Best Fielder, Jonathan Rampersaud - Most Disciplined, Kevlon Anderson - Most Runs in the tournament, Junior Sinclair Most Wickets in the Tournament, Chanderpaul Govindan - Wicketkeeper with Most Dismissals, Kevin Sinclair - MVP of the Tournament and Erva Giddings won the Award for being the Best Bowler in the Final.

The talented Anderson took home the Best Batsman award. The winning team and runners-up collected a trophy each along with cash prizes.

Ramphal and cousins donate $200 000 worth of cricket gear to BCB

THE outstanding work of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to attract the support of overseas-based Guyanese.

The BCB last Friday received over $200 000 worth of cricket gear from four overseas donors, led by Brian Ramphal, towards its countywide Coaching Programme and preparation of its Inter-county cricket teams.

Ramphal, who earlier this year donated $1M to Berbice Cricket for several programmes, was this time supported by his cousins Raj Mathura, Sham Mathura and Michael Rampersaud who all live overseas.

BCB president Hilbert Foster during the presentation ceremony at the St Francis Training Centre hailed the support of Ramphal and his friends for Berbice Cricket.

The president noted that Ramphal came on board with the BCB, on the advice of former Board secretary Oscar Ramjeet and donated $1M of his personal funds.

Ramphal’s funding was used to host a two-day Training Programme for 40 Pre-Level One coaches, a Double-Wicket tournament, an Annual Awards Ceremony and the publication

of educational posters.

A 30-page Magazine would also be published in early December as part of Ramphal’s sponsorship. Foster noted that Ramphal and

Brian Ramphal hands over gear to BCB senior coach Winston Smith in the presence of the other donors and BCB president Hilbert Foster.

Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh are the largest donors to the BCB in 2018 with million-dollar personal donations.

The BCB’s success on and off the cricket field over the eight months has been achieved because of great support of sponsors, local and overseas. The Foster-led administration on the February 18, inherited a meagre $42 865 in the BCB Bank Account and through an aggressive and well-planned marketing drive, has been able to raise over $8M in cash and kind for Berbice Cricket.

Administrator Angela Haniff stated that the donated gear would be used by the BCB coaches in coaching outreaches while young cricketers who do not have their own gear would have access to them at trial matches.

Haniff noted that the BCB is grateful to Ramphal and his cousins for the contribution and pledged to make sure that the gear is used for the intended purposes.

Ramphal stated that he is honoured to assist Berbice Cricket as he is very impressed by the vision, achievements, accountability and hard work of the current BCB Administration. He noted that he was a strong follower of the legacy of Berbice Cricket despite not

being a Berbician.

Ramphal stated that he was satisfied that his funds were well used and pledged to work along with Berbice Cricket in the future. He expressed confidence in the future of Berbice Cricket under its current leadership.

12:35 hrs Jake Peter

American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Big Mischief Race 2 O Shea Can U See Race 3 Truth In The Lies Race 4 Rossby Race 5 Itsakeyper Race 6 Wicked Freud Race 7 Alisio Race 8 Hallie Belle South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:50 hrs All Aboard 09:25 hrs Flichity By Farr 10:00 hrs Fiorella 10:35 hrs Sarabi 11:10 hrs Epic Sword Irish Racing Tips Navan 08:35 hrs Western Frontier 09:05 hrs Dancing Mountain 09:40 hrs Art Of Unity 10:15 hrs Miss Power 10:50 hrs Shareva 11:25 hrs Tide Of Time 12:00 hrs Scaglietti

English Racing Tips Newmarket 08:30 hrs Rainbow Heart 09:00 hrs Stay Forever 09:35 hrs King Ademar 10:10 hrs Artistic Language 10:45 hrs Prefontaine 11:20 hrs Ortiz 11:55 hrs Alignak 12:30 hrs Al Fajir Mukbile Fontwell 08:40 hrs Fenlons Court 09:15 hrs New Millennium 09:50 hrs Canyon City 10:25 hrs Redmond 11:00 hrs High Command 11:35 hrs Hardtorock 12:10 hrs Crackle Lyn Rosie Chelmsford City 11:50 hrs Constituent 12:25 hrs Lieutenant Silver 13:00 hrs Sylvia’s Mother 13:30 hrs Windy Guest 14:00 hrs Matterhorn 14:30 hrs Blistering Dancer 15:00 hrs Papa Delta 15:30 hrs Molten Lave

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Logie hails coaching project as vital for region ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Former West Indies player and coach Gus Logie has described the recently-launched Mothers & Daughters cricket programme, as a huge fillip for the game in the region.

The 58-year-old was a member of the West Indies team of the 1980s’ glory days era, and is now the assistant coach of the Windies Women preparing for the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup which runs from November 9 to 24.

“I had the opportunity in the early 1980s to work with a women’s team here in the West Indies and it is really great to see how the game has evolved and has become part of the mainstream,” he said.

“There is great professionalism and the women work very hard to improve.

The skill level has improved tremendously and it is really is a joy to see where we are now and where we want to go.

“This Mother and Daughters event as well as the Women’s World T20 are stepping stones. We want everyone to come out and support the ladies. Let women’s cricket be the catalyst for the rebirth

of West Indies cricket.”

He continued: “The next few weeks will be huge in the lives of so many people.

It is a coming together and we want the girls to repeat as champions. More than that, we want to see them lift themselves, lift the game and lift the people of the

the unveiling of the Mothers and Daughters programme – a coaching project piloted by the International Cricket Council and organised by Cricket West Indies.

It forms part of the event around the region’s hosting of the tournament, which will be played in Antigua, St Lucia

Assistant West Indies Women coach, Gus Logie.

Caribbean.

“If we can come together and support the team and the tournament, nothing is impossible.”

Several hundred people, including over 100 participants, turned out in capital here last weekend to mark

and Guyana.

“This is great … a great event to have in the Caribbean and especially in this year when we’re hosting a world event. We start in Guyana in a few weeks as well as in St Lucia and then back here in Antigua for the semi-finals

and final,” said Logie.

“It’s a great initiative, it’s a great way to introduce women to the game and it will have great impetus as we look to build and grow the sport among everyone in our families and our communities.”

Next month’s tournament will be the sixth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup and the second time it will be held in the Caribbean.

However, it is the first standalone event after the previous five editions were held alongside with the ICC Men’s World T20.

West Indies are defending champions, having won the last edition in India in April, 2016. Australia, who lost that final, have won the tournament three times while England and the Windies have won it once.

The hosts will contest Group A with England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh while the Aussies battle India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland in Group B. Matches will be played at Guyana National Stadium, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.

Second Champion of Champions dominoes competition set for Sunday THE second edition of the Champion of Champions dominoes competition, which is organised by the Senior Organising Secretary of Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA), Mark Wiltshire, will be held on Sunday (October 28) starting at 13:00hrs at Green City Restaurant and Bar, Lot H D’Urban Street and Vlissingen Road.

Entrance fee to the competition is $12 000 and the winning team will take home a trophy and $175 000, runners-up $75 000, third-place $35 000 and fourth-place $15 000.

The Most Valuable Player in the final will also be rewarded. All prizes are guaranteed.

The qualifying teams are Gold for Money, All Players, All Seasons Racing Service, Mix Up, Spartans, Providence, C7, C6, Phantoms, Gold, T and T, Turning Point, Gangster, OPKO, Thunder, Lions, Transport SC and Angels.

The guest teams are Strikers, Masters, NA Killers, Orange Walk, Narine’s 6, No Mercy, Linden, NIS, Travellers, Bank of Guyana, Top Gun, Medicare, Sunflower and Rockets from Essequibo and Bartica Bank.

While Seeram’s Bar of First Street, Alexander Village is the latest sponsor to lend their support, other s p o n sors on board are Shemar’s Trucking, Boston’s Pawn Shop, All Seasons Racing Service and Big Boss Trucking Service.

Juventus take charge of Group H with win at Man United

By Simon Evans

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - An impressive Juventus beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford yesterday to take command of Champions League Group H with a maximum nine points from three games and demonstrate just how far Jose Mourinho’s side are from Europe’s elite.

Paulo Dybala’s 17th minute goal, a simple conversion after a low cross from the right by former United favourite Cristiano Ronaldo, won the game but the dominant Italian champions could have won by a much more convincing margin.

Paulo Dybala United needed their Spanish keeper David de Gea to be in top form as he made a series of good saves, including an excellent effort to keep out a second-half strike from Ronaldo.

If United fans can see little hope of their side catching up the top trio in the Premier League, they will also know after this game that there is precious chance of them doing better in continental action.

With four points leaving them second in their group, ahead of Valencia and Young Boys, United may still progress to the knockout stages but the gulf between them and a team equipped to reach the latter stages was all too evident.

United were unchanged from the team that drew at Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday but the visitors very quickly demonstrated that they had no fear of the task in front of them.

Perhaps United’s players would have been better joining their manager Jose Mourinho on the ten-minute walk from the team’s hotel to the stadium than sitting in traffic for an hour on the team bus because they made

a woefully slow start.

Right from the outset, Massimiliano Allegri’s side were sharper, faster, more precise and showed more purpose than Mourinho’s men, who struggled to even match the tempo of the Italian champions.

The most disconcerted Juve looked in the early exchanges was when a fan invaded the pitch only to be apprehended by security before he could reach his apparent target, Ronaldo.

It was no surprise at all when, in the 17th minute, Juve took the lead.

Ronaldo broke down the right and put in a low cross towards the near post which Chris Smalling and Juan Cuadrado challenged for before the ball fell kindly to Dybala, who converted with ease.

Juve sensed the fear in their opponents and looked for a quick second as Joao Cancelo burst unchallenged into the area and then tested United De Gea with a fierce drive.

It was a busy opening half for the Spanish keeper - Ronaldo struck a swerving freekick straight at De Gea, who then did well to keep out the follow-up effort from Blaise Matuidi.

The halftime statistics showed a remarkable dominance for a visiting side at Old Trafford with Juve enjoying 67 percent of possession and double the amount of passes.

Ronaldo, operating in a free role, roaming wide when he felt it would be fruitful, brought another fine save from De Gea seven minutes after the interval with a thundering shot after being set up

by Cuadrado.

United’s effort could not be faulted, however much guile and penetration they lacked, and they could have drawn level in the 75th minute when Paul Pogba, facing his former club, struck the post with a left foot shot from outside the box.

At the final whistle, another fan tried to greet Ronaldo and came up against security officers but the Portuguese insisted on taking a photograph with the interloper and left the field to the applause of both sets of fans.

Once again, United fans were left with a reminder of their glorious past in the shape of their old boy Ronaldo. It was their only consolation after a game in which their current weaknesses were so comprehensively exposed.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wed. October 24, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Desmond Haynes-1357 runs (2) Sachin Tendulkar-1573 runs

Mark Wiltshire (left) accepts the sponsorship package from Darren Seeram of Seeram’s Bar.

Today’s Quiz: (1) Where and when was the first ever ODI between the WI & India was played?

(2) Who were the captains involved?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Holder urges further batting improvement in today’s second ODI VISAKHAPATNAM, India (CMC) – After watching India’s batting juggernaut make a mockery of a 300plus target in Guwahati last Sunday, West Indies captain Jason Holder has urged his side to improve on that effort, in order to challenge India in the second One-Day International here today.

West Indies did well to pile up 322 in the opening ODI after 21-year-old Shimron Hetmyer blasted 106 but Rohit Sharma (152 not out) and captain Virat Kohli (140) made light work of the run chase, to win it for India with over eight overs remaining.

So, even though pleased the Windies had scaled the rare heights of a score in excess of 300, Holder said it was important they better that performance, especially since India’s batting line-up knew no boundaries.

“We all see how the conditions can be here in India and the kind of scores you get here in limited overs cricket are quite high,” Holder told a media conference.

“So you’ve got to be hitting that 300-run barrier more often than not and sometimes

a par score could be 320, 340 or 350, and you’ve got to bowl ridiculously well to come out and defend it.”

He continued: “I think it’s a positive to see that we’re batting all 50 overs as well.

We’ve been (criticised) in the past for not utilising every single delivery so it’s really good to see our batters put up their hands, get a good score and hopefully we can come and repeat it and keep improving and building on it.”

West Indies were given a hasty start in Guwahati by left-hander Kieran Powell who made 51 before Hetmyer arrived to smash half-dozen fours and sixes in a thrilling 78-ball knock.

The hundred was Hetmyer’s third this year and third in his career and Holder said he hoped the left-hander extended this form throughout the series and pushed on to score bigger hundreds.

“It’s good to see a young player come in and score runs and being consistent with it,” said Holder.

“I can only urge him and hope that he continues in that vein. We have a long series ahead – four more games left –

so it’s a matter for him to repeat that kind of a performance, regardless of whatever happens.”

He added: “Our batsmen need to be more clinical. If we get in, we have to go the distance.”

West Indies bowlers were put to the sword in the opening ODI. Veteran seamer Kemar Roach went at nearly 7-½ runs per over while debutant fast bowler Oshane Thomas leaked 83 runs from his nine overs.

Disappointingly, the Windies spinners were unable to put the brakes on India’s scoring as off-spinner Ashley Nurse went at exactly nine runs per over and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, seven.

Holder said an improved effort was needed from both Nurse and Bishoo, especially with the wicket expected to give some assistance to the slower bowlers.

“I had a look at the wicket; definitely there is no grass on it. As we have seen, spinners tend to do pretty well here,” he noted.

“Our spinners didn’t do as well as we would have liked in the last game. Credit to the two Indians who played outstanding knocks. I

FIFA head says Qatar World Cup to be best yet DOHA, Qatar (Reuters) FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed Qatar’s progress on infrastructure ahead of its 2022 World Cup and said the tournament is poised to be the best one yet during a visit to the next host nation yesterday.

Qatar’s tiny size, high temperatures and lack of ready stadium infrastructure have prompted some to question FIFA’s decision to make it host, but the desert state has since launched huge construction projects and promised to complete seven new stadiums by 2020.

“You can see the progress which is being made here four years before kickoff,” Infantino said via a statement from Qatar’s local World Cup organising committee after he toured the 40 000-seater Al Wakrah stadium.

“The stadium is very impressive. When you enter here you immediately feel how imposing it is.”

“The Russian World Cup has been the best ever but the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar - I

am sure - will be even better,” Infantino added.

The next tournament’s logistics were further complicated last year when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorism, a charge Qatar denies.

Qatar has nonetheless said it is pushing ahead with ambitious infrastructure plans to host the World Cup - the centrepiece of Doha’s strategy to project itself on the global stage - and has since inaugurated a $7.4 billion (£5.7 billion) port and expects to open its first metro by the end of this year.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino

felt Bishoo came into his own in the second spell. He got the wicket of Kohli, which is crucial for his confidence. It’s important for him to be a bit more expressive and look to take wickets.

“Nurse just needs to build more pressure and take one or two wickets in the middle overs. The wicket might suit a little bit of spin. Hopefully, whoever is picked delivers.”

The match bowls off at 13:30hrs (04:00hrs Eastern Caribbean time).

SQUADS: INDIA – Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yujvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed WEST INDIES – Jason Holder (captain), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Obed McCoy, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas.

Left-handed shot-maker Shimron Hetmyer will be key to the Windies batting plans.

Steve’s Jewellery golden rewards for Guyana Softball Cup MVPs IN what has become a tradition, Steve’s Jewellery has once again put up pieces of Guyana’s gold for the Most Valuable Players of the various categories at Guyana Softball Cup 8, set for this weekend.

The Church Street business

establishment presented three gold pendants in the shape of a cricket bat to representatives of the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association, the organising body of the three-day tournament.

The pendants are accentuated with diamond studs. A

Dharam Persaud (right) of the GFSCA receives the MVP prizes from Mitchell Perreira.

pendant each will be presented to the Most Valuable Player of the Open, Over-45 and Over-50 categories.

Steve’s Jewellery representative, Mitchell Perreira, said the company is enthused to be once again afforded the opportunity to be part of the biggest softball competition in Guyana.

Dharam Persaud of the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association was thankful for continued sponsorship of the MVP prizes by Steve Naraine, the proprietor of Steve’s Jewellery. He related that such rewards are an added incentive for players to strive for excellence on the field.

Teams from Guyana, New York, Canada and Florida will converge on Guyana on the weekend of October 26-28 to compete for softball supremacy in the Americas.

Once again, the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association is promising an action-packed and competitive tournament.

The category finals would be on October 28 at the Demerara Cricket Club, starting at 10:00hrs and concluding with the Open final under floodlights.

Marooners to clash with favourites Red Force in first Super50 semi ...Jaguars take on Scorpions in second semi-final

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Surprise semi-finalists Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners will have the unfortunate task of facing tournament favourites Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, in order to reach the Regional Super50 final.

Marooners, led by inspirational captain Carlos Brathwaite, defeated Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their final preliminary round match on Monday night here, to top Group B with 26 points.

This ensured them a clash with Red Force who ended second in Group A with 27 points. The two teams face off at Kensington Oval tomorrow at 14:00hrs in the first semi-final.

Red Force are boasting a star-studded unit with the likes of Dwayne and Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and skipper Denesh Ramdin all included.

Marooners have been outstanding, however. They lost two of their first three matches before rebounding to close out the preliminary round strongly.

In Friday’s second day/night semi-final, Guyana Jaguars will take on Jamaica Scorpions, in what is expected to be an evenly contested affair, also at Kensington Oval.

Jaguars finished top of Group A on 29 points while Scorpions were second in Group B on 26.

The final is carded for 11:30hrs at the same venue on Sunday.

Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners have been the surprise element of the Regional Super50. (CWI photo)

KFC joins sponsorship team for Ignite See

Ten Pow, Rahaman to face off this weekend at Georgetown Grand Prix

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The Georgetown Grand Prix returns on Saturday at GT Motorsports.

Paul Subryan, KFC General Manager hands over the company’s sponsorship to GMR&SC Office Manager Cheryl Gonzales.

THE Georgetown Grand Prix will be back in action at GT Motorsports this Saturday, with action blazing off at 18:00hrs.

The organisers are urging patrons to come out and witness the best that Guyana has to offer in riveting go-kart action.

As the season winds down to the end, the battle will be on to see who would be crowned 2018 overall champions of the various categories.

In the two Georgetown Grand Prix events this year, the battles were intense and

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Saturday promises to be no different.

In the Sunburst Kids Cup, 2017 champion Jeremy Ten Pow is facing a stiff clash with Nathan Rahaman to retain his crown, as just six points separate the duo after six completed races.

With four wins, Ten Pow has 128 points, but the consistent Rahaman is a close second on 122, including two victories.

They are followed by Justin Ten Pow on 87, Paige Mendonca on 81 and Josh Khan on 32.

The Baby Cup is a twoway battle between Justin Ten Pow and Nicholas Sawh, who have both recorded three wins this season. They are both locked on 126 points, with Caleb Paul way back on 51.

Dharmendra Dharmo leads the Easy Cup Rookie on 62 points, but his lead is slim as Naresh Alves and Zack Persaud are close behind in second and third on 51 and 50 points respectively. Sachin Narine has

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