Guyana Chronicle E-paper 01-26-2019

SATURDAY 26 January, 2019

No.105529

Royston 13 King fired PAGE

GECOM can’t be ready in 50 days

–Amna Ally declares after hours-long meeting with GECOM officials AG challenges …to inform President of stalemate 03 validity of 09 PAGE

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Resolution 101 …says gov't can’t be defeated by no-confidence motion when Article 70 guarantees it five-year term

Guyana, India share close historical, ancestral bonds 18 PAGE

–PM Nagamootoo

Ministers in Bourda walkabout

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Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson engages a city resident during a ministerial outreach in the Bourda, Georgetown area on Friday (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

GECOM can’t be ready in 50 days

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–Amna Ally declares after hourslong meeting with GECOM officials

… to inform President of stalemate

By Rabindra Rooplall “GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM cannot) be ready for the next 50-days,” Government Chief Whip Amna Ally said, while noting that she will be telling President David Granger about the stalemate that occurred in the aftermath of Friday’s meeting at the electoral body.

Ally, who is also minister of social protection and general -secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform and Teixeira were mandated to meet with GECOM to ascertain its readiness to hold early elections. However, much like what happened

ing at GECOM’s Kingston, Georgetown headquarters.

She said that the PPP’s representatives are giving a timeline to suit a 90-day period, but both GECOM and the coalition-nominated commissioners do not see it as being feasible within that time span. Adding that GECOM has to train people to work for elections, Ally said this will take a lot of time that may last several months.

Meanwhile, Teixeira said after the meeting , the GECOM chairman appears to be unwilling to come to a definitive conclusion on the issue of elections. She explained that Guyana’s constitution makes it clear that

tutional crisis, Teixeira said the election body wants a house-to- house registration which would take eight months to a year. “It would be unthinkable to expect that the opposition would give a two-thirds majority to such an extension, when there is a no-confidence motion that has been passed in the National Assembly, and that is when the meeting broke up,” Teixeira said.

Asserting that there are about 54 days left before the constitutionally appointed date for elections, Teixeira said she asked the commission if it was not possible to operate on simultaneous tracks whereby procurement, ballot papers, training and

GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick and Chief Whip of the PPP Gail Teixeira speaking with the media after the meeting on Thursday when the commissioners met, on Friday the GECOM officials were unable to come to a consensus on exactly how much time it needs to prepare for General and Regional Elections. “The chairman had to terminate the meeting because it was going nowhere as far as I am concerned,” Ally told media operatives after the meet-

after a no-confidence motion is passed, the President and Cabinet must resign and general elections must be held in 90 days. Government is currently challenging the outcome of the vote in the High Court.

Underscoring at the meeting that the GECOM will be held responsible for putting Guyana in a consti-

extracting persons who are dead and eligible to vote on the list can be done.

“The commission did not answer that, except that CEO Keith Lowenfield had some concerns about the training; we are convinced that the commission trained approximately 10, 000 people for Local Government Elections.

We can use 7,500 and there-

fore we do not believe it’s impossible from that 10,000 pool plus an additional 2,000 persons being trained to work as temporary electoral staff,” she explained.

She opined that Lowenfield is being forced not to give any dates pertaining to the hosting of elections.

The PPP chief whip said after three meetings with GECOM nothing has been decided and “persons are trying to find all sorts of reasons and justifications that the elections would not be held within the 90 days but could very well be way past that, aiming for a house- tohouse registration.”

On Thursday, following a meeting of the commission, Commissioner Vincent Alexander speaking with the media, said that the PPP-nominated commissioners seem to have forgotten that the very constitution which stipulates the 90-day period makes provision for necessary adjustments. Asked to speak on the basis of his experience in the work on the average time such could take, he said: “GECOM itself in the past has discussed and enunciated on the question of a timeframe for unscheduled elections and that, which is in our records, was 180 days.”

Alexander said Lowenfield had objected and warned against rapid preparation methods. “The CEO clearly said that the time is insufficient if you want to hold the elections in March, which is what they are calling for now. He’s saying that you really want to create a situation to prove the incompetence of GECOM by mandating us to do something that is undoable…to train people to be prepared for an election in March,” he said.

The commissioners also disagreed on whether a claims- and- objections period should be held before

Government Chief Whip Amna Ally after the meeting the list is verified as fit for an election. “Act No. 15 of 2000 mandates that the claims and objections period ought to be held to refresh or give life to the list. Never, in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2018 when we contemplated the holding of elections, was there an active list that we have now. I say all of that to say to you that there’s not a legal requirement for any sort of refreshing of the list in terms of house-tohouse registration; in terms of claims and objections; in terms of continuous registration. We have an active list,” Sase Gunraj, another PPP-nominated commissioner, said.

However, Alexander had

maintained that while houseto-house registration is still a viable option, at minimum, the other commissioners are pushing for there to be a claims- and- objections period for the cleansing of the list. “If one looks to the petition of the PPP to which Commissioner Bibi Shadick was a participant, they said that people have impersonated voters who were on the list.

This says that we have accepted that the list is flawed, but now they are unprepared to go to an election with a claims and objections –at minimum – which allows for some cleansing of the list,” Alexander said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Venezuela crisis: Guaidó rejects talks with Maduro Saturday, January 26, 2019

(BBC) Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has rejected an offer of t a l k s f ro m P re s i d e n t Nicolás Maduro amid an ongoing power struggle between the two.

Mr Guaidó declared himself “acting president” on Wednesday, a position that has been recognised by several countries, including the US. But Mr Maduro called the move a “coup” influenced by the US and cut off diplomatic ties in response.

A UN Security Council meeting on the crisis is due to be held on Saturday.

Mr Maduro began a second term earlier this month after polls marred by an opposition boycott and vote-rigging claims.

- 09:00 hrs

The international community is split on whether to recognise his government.

On Friday, he said he

and again said he would consider offering him amnesty.

Mr Maduro has so far retained the support of the

Some countries say Nicolás Maduro is the legitimate president while others are backing Juan Guaidó

was ready to talk to his rival - but Mr Guaidó said he rejected “fake dialogue”

country’s military, but Mr Guaidó has asked them to “put themselves on the side

of the Venezuelan people” and back him instead.

He has also called for major demonstrations demanding Mr Maduro’s resignation to be held next week.

WHY IS MADURO UNPOPULAR? Venezuela is in economic crisis - hyperinflation and shortages of basic essentials has hit its population hard and caused millions to flee.

Mr Maduro has faced internal opposition and ongoing international criticism for his human rights record and handling of the economy.

Mr Guaidó - who is leader of Venezuela’s elected National Congress said on Wednesday that the country’s constitution allows him to take power because Mr Maduro’s presidency is illegitimate.

He has promised to lead a transitional government and hold free elections.

WHO IS BACKING WHOM? The US, more than a dozen Latin American countries, Canada and the UK have backed Mr Guaidó after he said he was the legitimate president.

But Russia has condemned foreign support for Mr Guaidó, saying it violates international law and is a “direct path to bloodshed”.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced US policy toward Mr Maduro as “destructive”.

According to Reuters, Russian military contractors have been flown secretly into the country to provide security for the president.

China, Mexico and Turkey have also publicly backed Mr Maduro.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Ministers in Bourda walkabout

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… to address concerns of vendors, citizens

SEVERAL ministers of government and members of the APNU+AFC party on Friday hit the streets of Georgetown during a walkabout meeting with vendors and other citizens around the Bourda Market area and listening to their issues and concerns.

Included in the contingent were Ministers Nicolette Henry, Annette Ferguson, Amna Ally, Sydney Allicock, Keith Scott, Dominic Gaskin and Karen Cummings; APNU Georgetown Councillors Denroy Tudor, Ivelaw Henry and Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore were also a part of the outreach, as well as Regional Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira.

The members arranged themselves in groups and tackled several areas around the market. “It’s just mainly to sensitise the public as to the work of the APNU and to give some amount of knowledge to some of the queries asked by some of the residents and shop owners within this area ,” explained Tudor.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Karen Cummings, and Minister of Education Nicolette Henry, noted the eagerness with which they were received from those persons with whom they interacted. They were asked to do the outreach more frequently.

“My route took me to North Road, I interacted with the vendors there, listened to their concerns… some of the things they spoke about is that they want to see us more often. They spoke about the parking, it’s a little congested at Bourda. We had a councillor on my team and we took notice of that and we want to do something about that,” Cummings said.

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin also encountered a number of vendors who were grateful for a listening ear. “We went down Bourda Street and into Robb Street. They were a lot of issues with the vendors. The people are generally polite, some are louder than others, but generally it’s a good reception. Every time we go out we get a fair share of complaints, but that’s what we’re here for.

And we have to find solutions. We interacted with the vendors outside. Some complained of having their stalls demolished, others complained about having to buy from wholesalers who then sell retail at the same price they sell to them wholesale,” Gaskin said.

Gaskin said the congested state of the market is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed, but noted that such issues fall under the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

Nonetheless, he said wherever possible the Ministry of Business could offer it’s assistance it would.

“There’s too many persons selling the same thing, but it’s a lot of competition for a small customer base, and therefore the people are coming out more and more outside the market. It’s a bit disorderly and we need a solution. It starts with a more orderly arrangement and whatever the rules are we have to implement them very strictly. We have a new municipal council now in place and we hope that they can come up with some solutions. I think as a government even though we don’t have the responsibility for the municipality, I think that we should look to be a part of some

Minister within the Ministry of Health, Karen Cummings, interacting with a driver

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, (right) and Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore (second from right) meets with some of the Bourda Market meat vendors solution to this problem. It’s not peculiar to this market,” Gaskin said.

One citizen who enjoyed the activity was Bonita Montaque, a well-known women and children’s activist. “I’m aware the ministers are meeting citizens and doing

what they’ve been doing before with some intensity and I thought it’s important if not for all citizens at least for me to join.

I operate an NGO but I do have political preferences and I’m not afraid to address that publicly,” Montaque said.

Georgetown Councillor Denroy Tudor

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Government’s success against piracy

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N April 27, 2018, an attack by pirates occurred off the Atlantic Coast of Suriname; 15 Guyanese fishermen were either known to have died or are missing and presumed dead; fortunately, there were survivors and government’s response was immediate. Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan revealed that he was in constant contact with the Suriname government and Guyana was expecting answers to questions about what had happened.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon made it clear that all the affected families were given financial assistance by government; medical and funeral expenses were covered, and families of the missing fishermen were given money and psychological and other needed assistance to help them recover from the trauma. And he added that, “The Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) [maritime] unit has increased its security posture.”

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo assured the nation that Guyana’s anti-piracy laws were up-to-date; he said, “Whatever the motive, I wish to remind all fishing folk and their hired hands that offences at sea carry serious penalties.”

These include life imprisonment for hijacking; life imprisonment for piracy; 10 years imprisonment for covering up a piracy attack, where death resulted and death by hanging for murder on board a vessel during an armed robbery, hijacking or piracy.”

The saddening event and the quick and massive response by government are remarkable, because since the APNU+AFC coalition was elected in May 2015, pirate-attacks have all but disappeared; prior to the April 27 incident, the year 2018 was without a single incident of piracy. In contrast, during the long and torturous reign of the PPP regime, piracy was an almost daily occurrence; fisherfolk left their families to go to work not knowing if they would return. And in those days, the PPP government did absolutely nothing.

One wonders, why?

Guyanese, particularly fisherfolk based in Berbice, recall those horrible years before the coalition took office.

One remembers that in 2007, 15 boats were attacked in a single day — December 1. On that day, five of the boats that were attacked and some of the terrorised crew were taken by pirates to Suriname and abandoned in Coroni and

Copenaam. Some of the fishermen later said that they had recognised the voices of the masked attackers as Guyanese connected with wealthy and powerful interests. The victims also said that they were threatened with death if they talked.

The poor fishermen were so desperate after getting no help from the PPP authorities, that they pooled what little money they had and offered a $500,000 reward to anyone who could help them.

One recalls that in November 2008, an attack by pirates at the Rose Hall foreshore ended with a shootout, leaving Detective Constable Travis Glasgow dead, along with 57-year-old fisherman Hector Boodhoo, who was tortured and killed by pirates while tied to a tree.

On October 28, 2009, five pirates attacked the ‘Prince Oman,’ a fishing boat, taking two fishermen hostage – one from the Corentyne, the other from Annandale – and stealing the whole boat with equipment and catch worth $6 million.

The bodies of the hostages were found two days later as the survivors of the attack recovered from shotgun pellet wounds.

In March 2010, fisherman Narine Sundar was beaten mercilessly with cutlasses by three pirates near the Corentyne foreshore. His engine and other valuables were taken by three pirates and he was left without a means of making a living.

On June 4, 2013, five armed pirates attacked five fishermen at sea, tied them up, threw them overboard, stole their equipment and supplies and set fire to their boat. Two of the victims drowned, the three survivors somehow made it to shore.

On February 17, 2014, five armed men aboard a boat attacked fishermen on another boat named ‘Sharmila,’ on the Corentyne River. The attackers robbed the fishermen of their entire catch, fish-glue and equipment, and abducted the captain of the Sharmila.

On July 2013, when pirates attacked a group of Guyanese fishermen, the men fought back and managed to subdue the attackers. The fishermen then chose to go to Suriname and handed the pirates over to Surinamese authorities, because they had lost all confidence in the PPP government.

This is totally understandable, because the fishermen said that under the PPP government they were afraid to speak out

because of threats from ‘big ones.’ They say that the police could not help them because the ‘piracy set-up’ involves some very rich people in powerful positions; the fishermen were afraid to talk; they feared for their lives and that of their families left behind when they went out to sea.

The PPP government’s response was unbelievable; PPP officials said that there were not enough human resources, equipment and technology to patrol our 432 kilometres of coastline. Even more incredibly, when a group of fishermen, fed up with the situation, approached PPP Minister Clement Rohee, he told them that he cannot deal with everybody; they have to form an association and send representatives to see him. Further, he suggested that they form their own committee like a policing group. Can anyone believe it? Those examples of attacks and the PPP government’s response was as if the attacks were typical, almost-everyday occurrences.

The fact that regular and frequent attacks are now in the dark past is no accident. Following the April 2018 attack, Minister Harmon explained that when the administration took office in 2015, piracy attacks were a regular occurrence.

However, coordinated efforts by the government resulted in a significant reduction in the number. “This is a result of a consistent approach by the government, the first thing we did was activate the Anti-Piracy Task Force, which met at least once per month to review matters of this nature…The minister of public security and several ministers also engaged the local fisherfolk with respect to protection of their vessels when they are out at sea…This combined effort on the part of the state, in our view, forced those who had that criminal intent to have to operate outside of Guyana’s waters, but certainly this is something that we have to continue to look at because it seems as if this kind of criminal intent ran very deep and it is something which the security forces will have to pay greater attention to as we move forward,” the minister of state had said.

As Guyanese contemplate the future, citizens should remember what was “normal” under the PPP regime.

Guyanese should reminisce on the days when fisherfolk from the Corentyne were being killed daily, and PPP government officials did nothing to help. And we must resolve never to allow Guyana to go back to those horrible days.

Counsellors need to be licensed Dear Editor,

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N 2014, the number of clinical counsellors in Guyana could have been counted on the fingers. Today that situation has not significantly improved, but at least there are now quite a number of graduates in psychology, with more on the way. It is generally accepted that a counsellor should have a masters, at a minimum, as well as clinical experience before being dubbed a counselor; those with a first degree may be able to provide a level of counselling after gaining clinical experience and

adequate supervision.

However, there are quite a number of individuals who dub themselves counsellors without even a first degree in psychology, much less clinical experience. The Caribbean Voice and other concerned stakeholders are calling upon the ministry of public health and the ministry of social protection, respectively, to please act on this situation to protect vulnerable citizens.

Such action must include a mentoring framework for first-degree holders, as well as a set amount of supervised hours of practice and a licensing exam. Just as importantly,

those without the minimum requisites should be held accountable for claiming to be and/or practising as counsellors.

The Caribbean Voice has among our diaspora members, a mental health consultant who has experience in licensing protocols, having worked with the International Registry of Counsellor Education Programmes. She has indicated willingness to help set up a licensing mechanism in Guyana.

Regards The Caribbean Voice

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Ali contradicts Jagdeo on benefits from oil Dear Editor,

P

LEASE allow me space in your newspaper to respond to an article that was carried in Kaieteur News, dated 24th January, 2019, under the headline “Against all odds...PPP Gov’t will reopen sugar estates—Jagdeo.”

We all know by now that Bharrat Jagdeo is good at making false promises and, moreover, to ensure he has his way in everything. Well, after his handpicked presidential candidate a few days ago announced that under his watch as president of Guyana, he will create some 50,000 new jobs, which is another false promise to the nation and have some US$500 billion being invested in Guyana, which the Hon. Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Business, said is a brag by Ali. The minister went on to educate this PPP presidential candidate, who allegedly faked his qualifications by having some degrees and certificates, that “For the current year, GO-Invest alone is projecting to aid investments valued at some US$300-$400M; and the projections do not include investments in the mining or in the petroleum sectors, or in the retail and commercial sectors which don’t benefit from investment incentives.”

The Hon. Gaskin went further and educated this so-

called point man on finance for the opposition “So this plan or programme that Mr Ali is promoting is not unusually ambitious; and he may wish to revise his figures upwards if he is seeking to compete with the coalition government on its track record on investment.”

Ali also said that oil benefits will be realised within a year of the PPP in office.

But yet his bossman, Bharrat Jagdeo, told Guyanese that the country will start benefitting from oil revenues sometime between 2020 and 2025.

Ali said that if the PPP is in government, he will create 50,000 new jobs for Guyanese.

Well, Mr Ali needs to restudy the PPP when they were in government, because from 2000-2015 the PPP created less than 5,000 jobs for Guyanese in 15 years. That is why we saw many leaving the shores of Guyana for elsewhere in the Caribbean or the US. So, the dream of creating 50,000 new jobs is another falsehood that is being promised by the PPP. I know that the PPP, if they are in government, would use our tax dollars to create jobs for the youths that will once again be used as political weapons in doing the politics and propaganda work for the PPP. This was very evident in the hinterland and also here on the coast.

So Guyanese, we all need to see the lies and deception

in the politics of the PPP. They will lie and lie and lie in ensuring that they regain government. But it means that they will have to keep lying for a long time, because the people of this country understand what’s taking place and why it is taking place. The people of this country have full confidence in this democratically elected government.

To deal with the fiction and dreams of Bharrat Jagdeo, we need to understand that when this former president think about the oil and its revenues, his brains start to work fast and he says whatever comes out of his mouth, by the way, which most of the times are racism and false promises.

Bharrat Jagdeo is out again to fool the sugar workers who are mostly Indians and especially the ones in Berbice.

How can this man re-open the estates when over the past decade or so, the IMF told him that the estates need to resize and the EU told him that they won’t be granting monies in future for the industry, because sugar is taking a negative impact\turn for the worst?

But instead of listening to those international agencies, he took US$200 billion and invested it in a factory that he says will be a modernisation plan in turning the industry around for the better. Well, he did turn it around, but not spinning, it’s upside down. This

FITUG concerned about developments in Venezuela Dear Editor,

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HE Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) as a concerned neighbour has been keeping a close eye on the unfolding developments in Venezuela.

The federation is deeply saddened by the ongoing violent protests which are aimed, undoubtedly, at destablising the legitimately elected government of President Nicholas Maduro. We hold that President Maduro’s election is an expression of the popular will of the Venezuelan people and in keeping with the constitution of that country. We also recall that the election declared by reputable observers from various countries as free and fair. Notwithstanding such an endorsement, we have seen in recent times certain forces, internal and external, trying to destablise the democratically elected government with the obvious intention of bringing about ‘regime change.’ Various means are being used to attain these ends.

Among these means, in addition to the instigation and whipping up of violence, we are aware of economic sanctions which have severely impacted the Venezuelan working people and also the threats of military intervention.

These are inexcusable acts and are in violation of international law and the country’s sovereignty and are certainly not in keeping with accepted norms of state-to-state relations. Interestingly, we note in spite of open calls for the armed forces to oppose the elected government, the people of Venezuela and its military forces are standing with the Maduro administration. We remain confident that the Venezuelan people will stoutly defend their sovereignty and with their vigilance and militancy, will once again frustrate and defeat those who nurture and stoke instability in this troubled neighbouring country.

We of FITUG condemn the latest acts of bold-faced

interference in Venezuela and together with the democratic forces and peace-loving people of our Region and, indeed, worldwide, stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela in these anxiety-filled times and in their current trials. We remain hopeful that the schemes to destroy democracy will not succeed. We remain hopeful too that the aggravation of the obtaining situation will be averted, that all concerned will strive for peaceful and just solutions to the problems, while retaining a commitment to a democratic future.

Regards FITUG

man needs to tell the workers the truth about the industry. He needs to tell them about the estates he closed down during his time as president and why he had to do it. He also needs to tell the workers that he and the PPP had the same plan in mind that the APNU+AFC did with the industry and that’s downsizing.

Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP could not have told the workers that in 2015, because they would have lost a lot more votes from the sugar workers and their families, over which he and the PPP claim to have control and transport.

This entire announcement

by Bharrat Jagdeo is a falsehood and the aim is to fool the sugar workers and their families, so as to get their votes at the upcoming polls.

So, all the falsehoods and lying tactics will be used by the PPP and Bharrat, as what they have been doing all along since the death of Dr Jagan.

Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP need to come clean and tell the working-class people of Berbice and Guyana at large, especially the sugar workers, why is it after winning the 1992 general and regional elections, they abandoned them and stopped the May Day Rally in Berbice?.

Why they took away the API from the workers?. Why they never tried to do the right thing for the sugar industry and how

much they are using them?.

I can go on and on with questions to which the PPP and its leader would never give true answers . All they will do is “beat around the bush” and cast blame, so that the workers can be fooled.

Why is it that the PPP doesn’t want to respond to the truthful and valid questions the citizens of this country have been asking them over the years in the print media?

I will give the reason\s and I know I will be highly criticised for this, but I do not have any intention at all to downplay, degrade or belittle anyone.

Brothers and sisters, the reason for the PPP not wanting to respond to questions via the print media is clear. Many of us as Guyanese, especially my Indo brothers and sisters in Berbice, do not like to read, especially the newspapers. We tend to listen more to television, radio and meetings and draw our conclusions thereon. That is why the PPP is having press conference after press conference and television programmes 24/7, because they know that we in Berbice tend to believe what we hear because we hardly read or don’t read the newspapers or materials that will educate us.

So, they are using the form of talking to you and fooling you, then you will believe what they have to say and fall for their crap. That’s what’s

happening here in Berbice.

We need to ask the PPP and Bharrat some serious questions with that reckless statement that he made about reopening the industry.

Berbicians, especially my brothers and sisters in the sugar industry, don’t fall for the fake and false promises that the PPP is putting to you.

I can say and clearly state that the reason for those fake and false promises is because the PPP wants power at all cost.

They will fool all who have to be fooled and then leave them by washing their hands from them.

Let’s all remember that in 1992, Dr Jagan promised Berbicians a new airport, because too many Berbicians have to go a long way in getting to the airport. In the PPP’s 23 years, did they fulfil that promise?. The PPP gave us a bridge, by the way, which is good, but yet fool us and put into the agreement that the bridge company can raise the tolls year after year. So let us not fall for the promises of the PPP. They are all empty promises being made by a one-man dictatorship political party; yes, that’s the PPP. Let us reject the trickery of Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP and most of all, let’s reject the entire PPP. Regards Abel Seetaram

Charrandass should not be trusted Dear Editor,

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READ Stabroek News (Monday, January 14): “Charrandass Persaud says enquired about gold price for clients.”

I have listened the teleconference and heard Charrandass saying he had no money, that he owed the bank for a Prado SUV he had bought; yet he wants us to believe that he was buying US$1,000,000 (about GUY$210 million ) in gold for his clients!

Charrandass is not a gold dealer or a gold exporter. He

could not legally buy US$1m in gold! I heard him say for ‘a’ client, not clients. Whether it’s one or more, they are rich!

As for taking a lie detector test, this is absolute rubbish.

He said that he decided to vote against the government after hearing what Minister Harmon said during the debate about Mr. Jagdeo and his fake marriage; but the same man said that before he voted he contacted ‘my friend’ Peter Ramsaroop, Jagdeo’s adviser, for security and alerted a Canadian diplomat that he would leave the country. You don’t need a lie detector to tell

when you already know.

But he would not return to Guyana for any such test, he has already made excuses when he said at the conference of 20 persons that when he comes to Guyana, the police will put him in a thick cell, and he would be found handing inside it. He is now accusing the police with planning his suicide.

All I want to say is that decent people have to distance themselves from tricksters such as Charrandass.

Regards Kenny Valladares

Hemp advocate urges removal of barriers for legalisation Dear Editor,

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UYANA is a blessed country and can become an agricultural powerhouse, but to achieve it, the legislative barriers for cultivation and processing of industrial hemp, which is not marijuana, must be removed now,

for the richness of Guyana is astounding.

Mr. Editor, 80 per cent of Guyana’s vast forest is preserved and is providing oxygen, a service to the world.

There is good soil in all 10 regions of the country, good climatic conditions and an abundance of fertile land and water. Industrial hemp is an

agricultural commodity and when legalized, will provide large-scale employment mainly for our youth at all income levels, create new industries, build our regional and national economies and eradicate poverty.

The legalisation of Industrial Hemp will make a reality of our great leader, Linden

Forbes Sampson Burnham’s programme of feeding, clothing and housing the nation, for this profitable crop will produce food, clothes, building materials and also over 25,000 different products.

O u r d e a r P re s i d e n t Granger, I support the ‘Green’ Initiatives, but it will not be a reality without

Industrial Hemp. Please act and remove the barriers for legalisation and processing of Industrial Hemp and the APNU+AFC will have something to speak about in the elections campaign whenever.

Regards Hemp Advocate

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Gov’t deploys Welfare Psycho-social Unit at Mae’s … Min Henry, other officials visit school

MINISTER of Education Nicolette Henry on Friday visited Mae’s School to speak with and offer counselling services to students and teachers affected by the suicide of 15- year- old student Vanica Schultz, who died on Thursday, January 24, 2019.

The minister was accompanied by representatives from the Ministry’s Schools’ Welfare Psycho-social Unit.

“What we saw here is a symptom of a larger problem and at the level of the Ministry of Education, we have undertaken several initiatives under a broad umbrella of the school health programme.

Now I would want to see a stronger collaboration with the public education system and the private education system,” Henry noted.

Located in Subryanville, Mae’s School is one of Guy-

ana’s more popular private schools.

“This morning the ministry of education (MoE) is here with the psycho- social support team so they can provide the teachers and students, who are personally affected, with the type of support services required and where referrals are needed, we would also be able to make those interventions.

Some general discussion will take place here. There’s another part of the intervention [which] will be a very private and closed setting based on the sensitivity and the nature of this intervention,” said the minister.

Just last November, the MoE commissioned the $16.3 million first ever Mobile Psycho-social Unit, to take welfare officers wherever they were needed across the country.

Henry was also accompanied by Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, who pleaded with the students to realise the value of their lives, not only to their families, but to their country and society at large as well.

“We need you to understand that we don’t want a repetition of this action because this country is very dependent on you and the skills that you have. You are all gifted and you have something to bring to the table to help develop this country; please do not attempt to destroy that gift. Please understand that life is filled with issues and we have to learn to navigate these issues,” Hutson noted.

Staff and students of Mae’s School were shocked on Thursday, January 24, when Schultz took her own life by ingesting carbon tab-

Minister of Education Nicolette Henry engages Paul Burnette, the school’s Director (ag) of the Secondary Department lets. The school was also disputing allegations that the student was involved in an investigation about the drug ecstasy being found at the school.

The student is said to have succumbed at a private city hospital sometime around 12:30pm, after being rushed there earlier Thursday morning.

“I would like to say that we have never found any drug or anything illegal on that child, she was a child that has never given us any problems. That’s why this came as such a shock to us,” declared Paul Burnette, the school’s director (ag) of the secondary department.

“We even had a PowerPoint presentation that was given to them about the pills and how it affects you and the disadvantages. We had one done last term and there were actual plans to have more done this term.”

Burnette at the time was speaking at a press conference held at the school’s auditorium Thursday afternoon for a briefing on the situation.

“I don’t know where they could have gotten that from that there is ecstasy at our school, but I’m telling you I have never found it. The teachers have never found it.

I just want to clear this up -we have never found ecstasy at this school,” he said of the reports, which claimed that the student was involved in an investigation.

After posting an apology on her Instagram page on the evening of Wednesday, January 23, 2019, the fourth form student, it was reported, entered her class smiling around 08:30hrs on Thursday, January 25, 2019. She distributed letters to a few friends and, moments later,

began vomiting profusely “She gave them letters.

When she came in they said she came in smiling then she sat down and there about she started to vomit,” explained Burnette. He further said: “She was a pleasant, loving, regular, beautiful young lady. You wouldn’t believe that she would do this, there was no inclination whatsoever to say that [she] had a problem. Always quiet, never give us any trouble. I’ve been teaching her for years and she’s never given me any indication saying ‘I need help’ or ‘this is bothering me’ or ‘this is hurting me’; so to be honest, I didn’t know that she was a child that was hurting.

She was a normal child and that’s what worries me.”

Burnette strongly denied allegations that teachers initially refused to take the student to the hospital when she first began vomiting, because they were afraid that her vomiting would dirty their cars.

“Within five minutes time from the message getting to the office that she was not feeling well I turned to Sir Paul; I said, “ We have to go through the gate with her.

I said you drive and I called the mom and I said ‘she’s [the victim] not feeling well’ and she [the mom] said she was driving and I didn’t want to alarm her [but] I said it seems as though she needs medical attention, which hospital would you like us to take her to, [her mom] said to take her to Woodlands and I’ll meet you there and we took her,” Deputy Director of the Secondary Department, Esther Winter, recounted.

Burnette said he himself carried the student down the stairs.

“It’s posted that we were

reluctant to take her to the hospital, that is not true.

Look at my condition if you smell me I smell of vomit… I lift that girl down the stairs,” Burnette conveyed.

Burnette said it was while he was taking her to the car that the student confessed to him that she had ingested the poisonous substance and continually apologised.

“She was able to speak with us before leaving here because I keep asking her what is it? What? What? Tell me and she said ‘Sir I swallowed a carbon tablet.’ Even in the ER she was speaking she just keeps saying that she’s sorry,” Burnette recalled.

While the school has not ruled out the possibility that the student might have faced bullying or experienced peer pressure, Burnette said he believed if the student was being bullied she would have reported it since the school provided ample avenue for students to have dialogue with teachers.

“We always have sessions with them. We bring them down to the auditorium by class and we would talk to them about anything they want to talk about. For example, when there was this viral upload about pornography we had countless sessions with them about the dangers of it and how it could follow them for life and how it could affect you as a man or woman,” Burnette said.

Burnette says going forward the school will be looking to offer counselling to the students and staff.

“We realise that the students are traumatised, she was their friend, a really close friend and we never knew that she was hurting or paining in any way,” he noted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

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AG challenges validity of Resolution 101 …says gov’t can’t be defeated by no-confidence motion when Article 70 guarantees it five-year term

By Svetlana Marshall

THE government could not have been defeated by way of a no-confidence motion when Article 70 guarantees it a five-year term in office, Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams SC, argued as he challenged the validity of Resolution 101 in the High Court on Friday.

For more than four hours, the AG and attorneys-at-Law Maxwell Edwards, Roysdale Forde and Anil Nandlall debated the constitutionality of Resolution 101 when they appeared before the Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire on Friday in the case The Attorney General v The Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition.

The chief justice will hand down her ruling in the matter on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Resolution 101 is a certification by the Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaac that the no-confidence motion was validly passed on December 21, 2018 by a majority vote; but the AG and his team of lawyers have asked the High Court to consider whether Resolution 101 is constitutional and effective. Resolution 101 was issued on the basis of Article 106 (6) of the constitution which states that “the Cabinet including the President shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly.”

Williams, who appeared in association with Maxwell Edwards and Mayo Robertson, submitted to the High Court that Resolution 101 was not lawful. In laying the foundation for his arguments, the AG said it is important to note that resolutions of the National Assembly are ‘Subsidiary Legislation’ as defined by Section 2 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Act, Chapter 2:01. With Resolution 101 being subsidiary legislation, can it lawfully abridge or curtail the five-year government term of office provided for in Article 70 (3)? That is the question that must be determined Williams told the court. But for him, it is a “no, no.”

He argued that Section 20 (1)(b) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Act clearly states that “No subsidiary legislation shall be inconsistent with the provisions of any Act,” in this case Article 70 (3).

That article states that “Par-

liament unless sooner dissolved shall continue for five years from the date when the Assembly first meets after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved.” The resolution, the AG argued, is inconsistent with the Act.

in which the legislation was declared in part unconstitutional for being in conflict and repugnant to entrenched provisions in the Jamaican Westminster Model Constitution. He argued that the case in point provides useful analogy

Attorney General Basil Williams, SC

“It is respectfully submitted that having regard to the foregoing, this Honourable Court in interpreting article 70(3) in the light of Resolution 101 to determine the legal issue stated, should come to the ineluctable conclusion that the whole beneficent purpose of a motion for a vote of confidence being to curtail a government’s five-year term, Resolution 101, amounts, in both fact and law to an inconsistency in terms of section 20(1)(b) of Cap 2:01 with article 70(3) and is invalid and of no legal effect for breach of that statutory prohibition or restriction. It is an illegality,” the AG submitted to the court.

CONTRAVENTION He further put to the court that the National Assembly has no legislative capacity to pass a resolution in contravention of Section 20 (1) (b) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Act Chapter 2:01, and as such, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo had no legal capacity to propose the motion. Advancing the arguments put by the AG, Edwards submitted to the court that Articles 106 (6) and (7) that were introduced into the constitution by Act 17 of 2000 are inconsistent with the intentions of the framers of the constitution with regard to the five-year security of tenure which they conferred upon an elected government by Article 70 (3).

Edwards cited the case of Hinds V The Queen (1976)

as to how the principle of entrenchment applies to render Section 5 of the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2000 (No 17/2000) inconsistent with Article 70(3).

He submitted that the Parliament, by reintroducing into the constitution the machinery of a no-confidence motion, abridged guaranteed rights provided under Article 70.

The chief justice, while interjecting, questioned Edwards on the method used to pass Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2000 (No 17/2000) in the National Assembly. In response, he stated it was passed by a two-thirds majority “because of coincidence of bipartisanship between the political parties.”

However, the chief justice put to Edwards that the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2000 (No 17/2000), which includes Article 106 (6), meant the requirement on the basis that it passed a two-thirds majority and as such it is within the constitution. She elaborated that Article 106 (6) provides that if there is a no-confidence motion, the Cabinet, including the President, shall resign.

But Edwards while holding fast to his position, maintained that Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2000 (No 17/2000) was passed “by coincidence and doesn’t change the law,” in this case, Article 70.

“The Parliament in 2000, whether we like it or not,… in 2000 two-thirds of the rep-

resentatives of the people of Guyana changed the constitution and inserted 106,” the chief justice stated.

Nandlall, who appeared on behalf of the respondent Bharrat Jagdeo, argued that Williams and Edwards’ arguments are flawed. He submitted that to use the Interpretation and General Clauses Act to treat the Resolution as a subsidiary legislation is a misuse of the legislation.

Arguing that Resolution 101 is applicable, Nandlall put to the court that it does not stand on its own. He explained that Resolution 101 was certified on the basis of Article 106 (6) of the Constitution which provides for a no-confidence motion to be passed against a government.

In addition to ruling on this matter on Thursday, the chief justice will rule in the case Christopher Ram v The Attorney General and Leader of the Opposition. Ram has asked the court to rule that the no-confidence motion was validly passed, but the Attorney General has

argued that it was invalid on the grounds that an absolute majority (34) in the 65-Member National Assembly was not acquired on the night of the vote. On the same day, she is also hoping to rule on case Compton Reid v The Speaker, Charrandass Per-

saud and the Attorney General, in which the applicant has challenged the validity of the vote cast by Persaud on the basis that he breached the constitution by having dual citizenship while being a member of the National Assembly.

Attorney Anil Nandlall

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New wind station installed at Onverwagt

A WIND station, which is expected to boost the data gathering capacity of the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, was installed at Onverwagt, Berbice.

It is said to be the first of its kind to be installed by the ministry.

According to the release from the ministry, the 60-meter wind resource measuring station is a project cited as a cooperative effort between the Government of Guy-

Technicians installing the wind station (Photo Credit : Ministry of Public Infrastructure )

ana, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

“The key goal of this project is to promote renewable energy technologies through Guyana’s Sustainable Energy Program in urban and off-grid areas with the objectives to: increase energy access in Guyana; reduce longterm operational costs (primarily fuel costs) of on-grid generation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector,” the ministry said.

It was noted that the importance of the wind tower is to yield quality wind data, which can be used by wind project investors to develop wind farms in Guyana along its coast.

The ministry said it recognises that high quality wind measurement is an essential ingredient in determining the feasibility of the wind project. “The ministry’s expectation is that within one to two years of [collecting] high-quality data from tall met-masts (60-80 meters height), wind project developers can prepare a bankable feasibility report which can then lead to the financing of wind farm projects.”

The tower consists of three wind speed sensors, wind direction sensors, temperature and a relative humidity sensor. Over the next six months, the Hinterland Electrification Company will be installing three additional wind towers to facilitate the agenda of instituting renewable energy sources along the coast of Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

The newly installed tower of the wind station

A technician operates on the wind station during its installation

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Schools Mash competition continues

SECONDARY school students brought their vibes to the Region Three Children’s Mash competition on Thursday at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

The event got off to a late start but the packed crowd did not mind the wait. As the various schools took to the stage to

sing or dance, you could not hear yourself over the cacophony emitting from the stands. This cacophony was especially present when the upbeat Soca sounds were blasted over the speakers and the students brought their energetic routines.

But perhaps, the house was See page 12

The Rising Stars from the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary school breaking it down

Students performing a devotional dance

Secondary school students from the Region Three Mash competition dancing to Blaxx’s ‘Hulk’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Gov't assures squatters of priority in allocation GIVING an update on the action taken last year by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to address squatting in certain areas in Guyana, Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Adams-Yearwood, said works have commenced.

In a meeting at the ministry on Wednesday, the minister said that last Thursday, a team went to Belle West and met with a group of about 30-35 squatters, who had visited the minister to voice their concerns on when the works would begin.

“Last week when we visited, we recognised that there are parts of the area that need building up. The land was swampy, but the land is now hard and more appropriate for housing.

However, I told them that

at this time, CH&PA does not have money to put in the necessary infrastructure… But because they have commenced squatting, and I know that if I say to them we can’t allow you to, they are going to go overnight and put up their structures and it is going to make things more difficult for us,” she said.

To prevent further setbacks, such as having persons squat and fall outside of boundaries of the house lots, the minister said that the squatters have agreed to work with CH&PA timeline.

She said that they have already surveyed the area and piles are already in place.

“Sometime during next week, I am hoping that we are able to conclude on what checks we need to do and we will be in a position to commence allocation to these persons in the first instance,” she posited.

She added: “those persons who were already in the system, who have applied,

we collected their acknowledgement letters. The ones who never applied, we are conducting interviews and the surveyor and engineer are on the ground. We have since been doing follow up checks to ensure that the area is ready to accommodate construction.”

Minister Adams-Yearwood also highlighted that even though there is a list with about 200 plus names, where persons would have applied, those persons who are desirous of having an allocation in Region Three, and more particularly in Belle West, those are the people CH&PA is going to allocate to first.

“A large percentage of the applications went to the youth population and we are looking within the next week or two to make an announcement where we are looking at another area where we are going to facilitate young professionals,” Yearwood unveiled.

Schools Mash ...

From page 11

The capacity crowd at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora [Adrian Narine photos] ‘brought down’ just after midday when a group of boys calling themselves ‘Rising Stars’, from the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School, took to the stage to perform their Hip-Hop routine. Of course, these older students – ages 11 to 17, brought superior dance choreography and in some cases, costumes, compared to the nursery and primary children.

The Department of Education in Region Three commenced activities celebrating Mashramani 2019 under the theme, “Celebrate 49 with victory in mind – Rediscovering El-Dorado.” Nursery school children kick-started the celebrations while the primary school pupils followed.

Coordinator of the Regional Children’s Mashramani Competition and District

Education Officer, Caroline Daniels, told the Guyana Chronicle that the competition focused heavily on promoting the arts. Even in promoting the arts though these older students, they, however, took it a step further than the nursery and primary school children. Students from the Vreed-en-Hoop and Stewartville Secondary Schools also engaged in social commentary through the arts. The Vreed-en-Hoop school performed “Suicide Hurts” while Stewartville gave their “Dance of Hope”.

The students also engaged in the “pyramid” as part of the myriad of activities organised under the physical display section.

This particular activity required a high degree of skill and coordination, which was definitely not lacking.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

St Kitts PM visits President Granger

PRESIDENT David Granger, on Friday received a courtesy call from Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of CARICOM, Dr Timothy Harris, at State House.

The President was accompanied by Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, who is also performing the functions of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Guyana’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Ms. Charlene Phoenix.

Prime Minister Harris was accompanied by Secretary General of CARICOM, Mr. Irwin LaRocque, and Mrs. Charmaine Atkinson- Jordan, Chef de Cabinet, Office of the Secretary General.

Prime Minister Harris, who assumed the CARICOM Chairmanship on 1 January had accepted an invitation extended

by Ambassador LaRocque when they met in Basseterre in early December last year.

The Chairman will hold discussions with the Secretary-General and Members of the Secretariat’s Executive Management Committee, and will address the Secretariat’s Staff.

Prime Minister Harris will welcome his fellow Heads of Government to Basseterre on February 26-27 for the 30th Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.

President David Granger greets Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of CARICOM, Dr Timothy Harris, at State House (MoTP photo)

King fired as MCC town clerk –– chief constable asks for more documents and time GEORGETOWN Mayor and City Council (MCC) T o w n C le rk R o y s t o n King was on Thursday, January 24, 2019, served with a dismissal letter by the Local Government Commission (LGC) after “he did not respond verbally or in writing to the charges laid against him,” having appeared before the body on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, LGC Chairman Mortimer Mingo confirmed that King appeared as scheduled on Wednesday and offered nothing substantial in his defence.

King had been charged with gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, dishonesty, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds at the municipality.

When King appeared before the commission earlier in January, he had asked for an extension so his lawyer could be available to appear with him. However, when he appeared on Wednesday, King was without legal representation.

“Mr. King appeared on Wednesday before the commission in keeping with the letter where we asked him to appear to give him an opportunity to answer to the charges that were

laid against him coming out of the CoI. He did not answer to the charges either verbally or in writing.

The commission took a unanimous decision of the commissioners who were present to have his services terminated with immediate effect from Wednesday last.

The letter has been served on him and I think yesterday [Thursday, January 24, 2019] he received the letter,” Mingo affirmed.

King was among a number of City Hall officials who were recommended to have disciplinary action taken against them, in a report emanating from the inquiry into the operations of City Hall that was conducted during the period September 24, 2018 and November 2, 2018.

The report was submitted on November 30. King had been on administrative leave since September 21, to facilitate the investigations of the CoI. The CoI was presided over by Chairman and sole commissioner, Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard.

Calls made to King on Friday, January 25, 2019, for a response to the situation proved futile. Deputy Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe is currently the acting town clerk of the municipality.

Apart from King, Chief Constable Andrew Foo also appeared before the LGC on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. However, Foo’s lawyer requested additional documents, and time, to put forth Foo’s rebuttal. The request was granted.

“The lawyer asked for some additional information, which was handed over to him and whether we get a response or not we’re going to reschedule him and if he does not [appear], the commission will meet and take a decision concerning Mr. Foo,” Mingo said.

Mingo noted that the commission would be scheduling appearances for other officers within the next two weeks, as well as addressing other recommendations coming out of the CoI report.

Other officers recommended for disciplinary action include acting Town Clerk Harry-Munroe; Internal Auditor Omodele Umojo-Newton; City Engineer Colvern Venture; HR Manager Paulette Braithwaite; Assistant City Engineer Rashid Kelman, and Sherry Jerrick.

“Based on the number of officers who were cited in the report, we are now putting together the time and dates when they are going to appear. In any case

within the next two weeks we’re going to be dealing with all of the recommendations contained in the CoI report,” Mingo said.

Apart from the disciplinary action, there was also the recommendation for a forensic audit to be conducted by the Audit

Office, and for criminal charges to be considered against officers.

Mingo confirmed, earlier this month, that both the Audit Office and Guyana Police Force (GPF) were written to and acknowledged receipt of the correspondence.

Former Town Clerk Royston King

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Domestic violence survivor receives hampers MINISTER of Social Protection, Amna Ally, on Friday donated a food hamper to a domestic violence survivor as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to support vulnerable groups.

Red Thread’s spokesperson and survivor of Domestic Violence, Natasha Houston, who is currently pregnant, had suffered tremendous physical abuse at the hands of her now-deceased husband.

The hamper, made up of food and baby supplies was well received by the woman who expressed profound gratitude for the timely donations from the Ministry of Social Protection. “I am thankful for everything so far and I am hoping for the best through my

delivery and that everything come through safe. I want to thank her [Minister Ally] and her staff for everything,” Houston said.

Houston’s abusive husband went berserk and attacked her and their two children in August 2013. She was severely injured and lost her right arm, while the children did not survive the assault. However, the woman said she is delighted by the support she has received over the years from the Ministry of Social Protection and other organisations.

Ally said the Ministry of Social Protection, along with its strategic partners, is committed to implementing legislation and policies relevant to the prevention and

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, presenting the hamper to domestic violence survivor victim, Natasha Houston response to domestic violence.

Over the years the ministry has raised awareness throughout Guyana on domestic violence within the 10 administra-

tive regions and provides survivor’s support services which include psycho-social services and trauma counselling among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Big boost to deep South Rupununi –– existing HEYS businesses to each receive $50,000 grant

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe with the recipients of the resource items RESIDENTS of several deep South Rupununi villages are now in a better position to enhance their businesses, which were established under the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme.

This is now possible after the participants received resource kits from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, a release from the ministry stated. Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, on Sunday handed over the kits to the participants of the programme at the villages of Shea, Awaraunau and Maruranau, during a ministerial outreach in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region.

Minister Garrido-Lowe said the government is faithfully keeping its promise to the indigenous peoples and more so, the youth, in ensuring they are empowered enough to provide for themselves and their families.

“This is the APNU+AFC Government showing you how much, as a government, we care for our indigenous peoples. It is our duty, if we care for our people, to build the capacity of our youth… to give them the knowledge and skills in different areas,” she said. She further added that youths who enrolled in the programme were trained in different areas – building self-esteem, anger management, mathematics and English, business/budgeting, eco-tourism, agriculture and at least two vocational skills.

She said the vocational skills include garment production, carpentry and joinery, masonry, catering,

information technology, small engine repairs and electrical installation. “This means that you can earn money with the skills you have gained; you will be able to raise your standard of living and that of your family’s, and the entire community will benefit in the end. And this is what the APNU+AFC Government is all about – ensuring that our indigenous people receive the opportunities that you deserve so that you too will have a chance to enjoy the good life,” she said.

Garrido-Lowe said the ministry ensured 215 villages were reached under the programme ; 20 youths were catered for from each village and each were assisted with $30,000 per month, while they learned the different skills including how to do business, how to identify business opportunities in the villages and how they can pursue such ventures in order to be successful.

To date, the program has achieved its desired outcome and participants have been vocal about the positive impact it continues to make in their lives. Daniel Charlie of Maruranau said, “I do pig rearing, that is what I started off with and now I have eleven pigs and early next year I will have more”.

Sylvin Robison, who is also into pig rearing said, “I have three mother pigs and they are ready to drop and so I expect to have plenty more”. Other participants are operating snackettes, while others are engaged in joinery, gardening and poultry rearing, which are positively contributing to their lives and their respective village

economies.

Addressing some of the challenges experienced, Minister Garrido-Lowe applauded the youths for their efforts noting that: “we know that the economy is slow but you are still with your business that you have not given up and that is a testimony to your character.

And that is a really good attitude when you want to achieve your dreams but it takes effort, dedication and patience.”

Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe also assured participants from the villages that this year, their existing businesses will receive an additional grant, with each business receiving $50,000.

This grant was already approved in the National Assembly and the youths will soon begin to receive their disbursements.

Minister Garrido-Lowe thanked parents and villagers for supporting the youth through this journey and assured that government will leave no stone unturned as it relates to youth development. Over the last two years, 3,795 youth in 215 villages were able to benefit from training in life skills, vocational interests and entrepreneurial skills.

The APNU+AFC Government has invested more than $2B in indigenous and hinterland youth development. Meanwhile, Minister Garrido-Lowe also updated residents on the current political situation and they were assured that government will continue to function within the confines of the Constitution which will ensure that peace and harmony prevail.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Region 5 begins rolling out projects

THE Administration of Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice) has commenced rolling out its $3.7B budget for 2019.

Regional Executive Officer, Mr Ovid Morrison, disclosed that the Regional Procurement and Tender Administration Board (RPTAB) opened bids for some $154 M worth of projects in the first wave of implementation of its work programme for 2019, on Tuesday.

He said that over 350 bids received from contractors are currently being processed with efforts being made to expedite the award-

ing of contracts in order to make way for the second wave of execution of the administrations work program for 2019. Upgrading, rehabilitation and construction of community roads valued at $105M; education infrastructure projects valued at $29M and health care improvement projects valued at $19M, were among the tenders opened.

The initial wave of programmes for public works comprised a total of sixteen community roads from Blairmont in the east of the region, to Perth Mahaicony in the west, which will be

upgraded. Some tenders valued at a total cost of $23M were received for upgrades in the education sector with respect to schools and their environment, mainly improvements with respect to fences and tarmacs.

Tenders were opened for the construction of guard huts at eleven schools within the region, at an average cost of $504,000 each. Invitations to tender for the construction of guard huts were deliberately restricted to small and start-up contractors so the “smaller guys� could get a piece of the pie, Morrison said. Tenders were opened

Members of the RPTAB of Region Five at the opening of bids by contractors for its first wave of 2019 current and capital projects for eight projects in the health sector in the region at total value of $19M; most of which are mainly upgrades to health centres in commu-

nities throughout the region.

In December 2018, the $3.7B awarded to Region Five by central government in its Budget 2019, ten-

ders for public perceived $382Million; healthcare $844Million; education $1.9Billion and agriculture $300Million.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Blossom Inc. NGO helping to mend lives of abused children in Region 10

AMID an upsurge in cases of child abuse, especially child sexual abuse, coming out of Region 10, the Blossom Inc. NGO thought it necessary to establish a child advocacy centre in Linden.

The objective of the centre is to provide needed services to the child and parents, so that they can heal from the

tion, Region 10 and operates only upon referrals from the ministry. Its staff is trained in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and is able to professionally provide the counselling needed for the children.

In addition to providing trauma therapy, Blossom Inc. collaborates with other stake

A Blossom Inc. trained Region 10 counsellor Mellissa Chapman trauma they would have experienced and be reintegrated into society.

The centre is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protec-

holders such as the Linden Hospital Complex Social Workers and the ‘E’ Division Police Force, where team decisions are made about investigation, treatment, man-

agement and prosecution of child sexual abuse, emotional abuse – such as neglect and extreme physical abuse cases. Forensic interview and victim support services will also be provided to the affected children and their families.

Region 10 counsellor, Mellissa Chapman, related that there continues to be an upsurge in child abuse cases coming out of the region, and such services provided

by Blossom Inc., are indeed necessary. Chapman holds a degree in sociology and with her TF-CBT training, she is able to bring relief to many children and their families.

“To help them with whatever traumatic experiences they would have experienced and to help them reintegrate into their family, get back into their social life, because when children go through traumatic experiences, it can be really difficult for them… so this counselling helps them to overcome all of these things.” Chapman said, citing behavioural changes such as low performance at school, withdrawal etc. She also provides court support for children, so that abusers can face the full brunt of the law.

Chapman said that putting a smile on the face of a broken child is her passion and she will continue to provide the needed support

See page 18

A section of the child-advocacy child-friendly space where counselling is conducted

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Guyana and India share close historical, ancestral bonds –PM Nagamootoo

THE Indian High Commission Thursday evening hosted a reception in honour of India’s 70th Republic Day, at the Guyana Marriott, Kingston.

In brief remarks, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said the Government of Guyana anticipates that the friendship between the two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years ahead.

“Guyana and India share close historical and ancestral bonds which continue to deepen our cultural exchanges at the people-to-people level through the Indian Culture Centre. Our common love for sports, particularly cricket and hockey, has also inspired healthy competition and exchanges between our sportsmen and women.”

This significant observation, Prime Minister Naga-

mootoo noted, provided an ideal opportunity to reflect upon the longstanding relations that Guyana and India share. “Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in May 1966, Guyana and India have seen a steady increase in bilateral exchanges,” he explained. He observed that the bonds of friendship between the two nations were further strengthened with the visit to Guyana of the Dr. Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, H.E. V. Mahalingam and Minister of State Joseph Harmon toast to the prosperity of India and Guyana’s bilateral relations with High Commissioner of India to Guyana, H.E. V. Mahalingam and other officials (Delano Williams photo) Development, Water Resources, and Ganga Rejuvenation and Development. The prime minister highlighted that during the visit, “the Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman and myself held fruitful discussions with Minister Singh on the future of Guyana/India cooperation in areas such as petroleum and technology.”

In addition, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said his counterpart in India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vision for a New India by 2022, is characteristic of his pragmatic leadership.”

He explained that Guyana is learning from India, and “I congratulate her for these incredible strides in nation-building.”

Nagamootoo proposed a toast on behalf of the Government of Guyana, for the continued prosperity of the Government and People of India, and the strengthening of bilateral relations in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation.

Meanwhile, High Commissioner of India to Guyana, H.E. V. Mahalingam said: “Since the establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Guyana, not only bilateral relations between India and Guyana have been warm and friendly but also, we have consistently held

common positions and supported each other in the multilateral arena,” Mahalingam shared.

High Commissioner Mahalingam explained that India and Guyana have much in common, “as we share the same colonial past, freedom struggle through peaceful means and our societies being multi-racial and multi-cultural.” He said India looks forward to continue working together with Guyana “in promoting universal peace, equitable economic development and peaceful solution to the problems being faced by humanity.” The high commissioner also highlighted that “India would like to join Guyana in its efforts to promote and encourage environmentally sustainable development and its quest for a “Green Economy.” Many people throughout India celebrate their nation’s Republic Day, which is a gazetted holiday, on January 26 each year. It is a day to remember when India’s constitution came into force in 1950, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent republic.

Among those who attended the event were Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and PPP presidential candidate Irfaan Ali. (DPI)

Blossom Inc. NGO helping to mend ...

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to the children.

“It has always been my passion to help people and it brings joy to me that I can make a change, not only to the child but to the parent, because it can be hard for the parent to deal with whatever traumatic experience the child may have encountered. For 2019, nine cases have already been referred to the advocacy centre.

Statistics show that for 2017, Region 10 had the highest rate of child abuse. The Child Protection Agency (CPA), recorded a total of 4,179 cases of child abuse.

Region 10 reflected 22.1 per cent per 1,000 children.

That means that in every thousand children, 15 are being abused, every two hours a child is abused and every day, 11 children are abused. Chapman noted that more cases are being handled at the child advocacy centre that was commissioned in May, last year. The centre allows abused children to relay their experiences only once, at an interview where representatives from all the necessary agencies are present.

These include a forensic interviewer, police officer, doctor, relative, welfare officer and whoever else is needed in the process to allow for justice to take its course.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Massive clean-up to keep dengue at bay

THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will carry out a massive cleanup activity on Sunday, starting at Stabroek Market, in a bid to keep the city clean and keep dengue at bay.

At a press conference to detail their planned activities for prevention of the outbreak, Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Suzette Reynolds, of the M&CC’s Public Health Department, offered that the intention is for the Vector Control Department to begin spraying daily in communities from Wednesday. She is

to how assistance will be provided.

SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION Reynolds explained that dengue is a viral infection caused by mosquito bites. Some of the symptoms include severe headaches, a high fever, pain in the muscles, bones and joints; pain behind the eyes and digestive issues like vomiting and diarrhea.

It can also be accompanied by a rash, but the absence of rash does not mean there is no dengue.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Suzette Reynolds putting up a dengue poster outside City Hall on Thursday not sure, however, if the M&CC has the resources to get this done.

Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry, said vendors and other volunteers are expected to come out and help with the exercise on Sunday, which is aimed at minimising the likelihood of the outbreak.

Reynolds referred to dengue as a deadly virus, and a very vicious cycle.

According to her, the routine work by the Vector Control Department would not be enough to deal with this issue. Over the next two months or so, she said the department will try to incorporate other departments to get the work done.

Reynolds informed that while the corresponding department in the Ministry of Public Health contacted the M&CC lately, no specific details are available as

There may also be bleeding from the mucus membranes. There can even be hemorrhagic shock, which can end the life of the person affected.

“A mosquito infected bites someone and when this person becomes infected; if they are not isolated under nettings and so forth, a healthy mosquito can now bite that sick person and get the dengue virus and then transmit it to other persons. So it’s a very vicious cycle,” Reynolds said.

The symptoms appear at least four to seven days after the infected mosquito would have bitten the person and after that incubation period, the symptoms start with very high fever, pain when moving the eyes, pain in the main joints, bones and muscles; rashes throughout the body, mild bleeding from

the nose or gum, and a tendency to bruise easily.

According to Reynolds, persons with chronic diseases are more at risk such as those with diabetes, renal problems, asthma, and liver diseases. Pregnant women or recent post natal women, infants, and adults over 60 years of age, are also more prone to the virus.

“Someone who has had

it before may not get it again. If a patient has had dengue type one in the past, and a mosquito bites them that carry the same type one, they will not be infected. But if a mosquito that carries types two, three or four bites them, they will be infected and very much likely will suffer a worse form of manifestation of that illness,” Reynolds explained.

According to her, the main prevention mechanism is isolation under netting for infected persons.

“We should use screens on doors and windows, and if they don’t have such, keep them shut. Especially for children, allow them to wear long sleeve shirts and pants and footwear when going outdoors, especially in the night time.

Use insect repellant. Limit

your exposure, especially at the time of dusk and dawn because that’s when the mosquitoes are more active and do not give them a place to breed.”

Reynolds informed that the mosquitoes breed in both clean and dirty water.

“Preventing dengue starts with you. You can do simple things to avoid the transmission of dengue,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

UG launches oil and gas programmes … UWI Principal urges students to develop Guyana, Caribbean

By Vishani Ragobeer THE University of Guyana (UG) on Friday launched its two newest degree programmes: the Associate Degree in Science (Petroleum Engineering) and a Master’s Degree in Science (Petroleum Engineering) as part of efforts to develop local capacity.

At the official launch on Friday, Vice-Chancellor of the university Professor Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith highlighted that the programmes were established as part of the efforts to respond to the national need of positioning its human capital to work within the emerging petroleum sector.

The Master’s degree is being offered through partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, while the Associate programme is being done in conjunction with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

“We found it necessary to build partnerships- to tap into the expertise of people who are in Guyana and out of Guyana,” Dr. Griffith highlighted. “This programme is enabled by partnerships to help us rightsize [and] deal with some realities that we aren’t able to deal with ourselves.” According to him, the pursuit of partnerships will be more forthcoming as the university serves to meet the needs of the country- beyond oil and gas development.

In this regard, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI, Professor Brian Copeland posited that locals ought to position themselves to foster development in their country and contribute to the development of the Caribbean. “There’s no question that everyone believes that Guy-

ana’s oil and gas discoveries have to be used responsibly for the betterment of the country and its people,” he said.

He contended, “These degree programmes are the first critical steps which would equip and encourage its graduates to take responsibility to use their knowledge and expertise to ensure that there is accountability in the extraction process and that Guyana will-- in the first instance-- get its fair share of the monetisation of this natural resource.” And further, he noted: “Even better, it sets the stage for Guyana to take greater command of its oil and gas sectors in the nottoo-distant future.” In taking command of the emerging sector, he urged that Guyanese think of long-term, strategic and sustainable development.

According to him, food and housing security, health and education are areas that should be focused on as the country plans ahead for perhaps the next 20 to 30 years, using revenues from the petroleum sector.

“The country should be careful to not create a society that is overly dependent on the state for all of its needs,” he however cautioned. This is a characteristic of the infamous ‘Dutch Disease’ in countries worldwide. If the country is able to harness its human capital and strategically plan for sustainable development, it could possibly fashion itself into a “dream society” he envisions.

“In this dream society the economy would be sustainable and will be robust. As such, it will not be characterised by the few economic giants, but will be grown by a firm export earning structure that is that democratised… through what the germans

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith (left) with Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI, Professor Brian Copeland after signing the documents to bring the Master’s Degree Petroleum Engineering course on stream at the University of Guyana call a Mittelstand,” The Mittelstand is an economic model that fosters innovation through export-oriented Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). It allows for the democratisation of the country where all persons have a hand in creating businesses that could generate foreign exchange, which trickles down to the smallest possible level (like family units).

According to Copeland, this Mittelstand model is a missing factor of the economies of the Caribbean. These economies are heavily dependent upon few sectors.

In Trinidad and Tobago for example, he said, the the oil and gas sector doesn’t employ that many people, but

yet most of the economy is dependant on it. That is harmful to the economy. And to remedy this, he underscored that education of the people is critical. “The national education system must ensure that it prepares citizens to successfully function in the world of the future. In this regard, creating a sustainable economy in this dream society requires that our education seeds and nurtures a strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.

He clarified however that innovation is a product or process that is new, but has begun to produce returns on investment thus bringing value to society. And in most contexts, it is used for tech-

nological concepts-- though it can also be applied to economic and social spheres.

This concept of innovation is used by UWI to fuel strategic and practical endeavours geared at revitalising the Caribbean, through cultivating the prerequisite skills in human capital, according to the principal. And he further noted that the university has been trying to fuel efforts to build this Mittelstand while bolstering the existing economic efforts being undertaken across sectors.

“The challenge with building the Caribbean Mittelstand is not without basis because many of our graduates pick up jobs that are below their academic experience,” he shared and ex-

plained that this is so because the economy is saturated with professionals in the traditional fields such as medicine and law. “We strongly believe that these students should be motivated and supported to apply their expertise and inventive talents to the foundation and development of their own enterprises,” Professor Copeland highlighted.

“Create your own businesses,” he said simply and later added: “What we need to build the Caribbean Mittelstand is a virtual swarm of SMEs.” And he suggested that the Caribbean’s system of education should move from a “purely functional” approach to one that integrates the arts with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to cultivate professionals that can create solutions and fuel innovation.

In the Guyanese context, he stressed that innovation-driven entrepreneurship, societal transformation and economic transformation must be a high priority, since the country will have oil as a major income earner. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” he said. As such, he noted that the first graduates of these new programmes will be expected to offer solutions to the very real problems of Guyana and in doing so address the many anticipated and expected challenges as the country transforms. UG officially launched these programmes on Friday however it has been accepting applications earlier.

Registrar of UG Dr. Nigel Gravesande has affirmed that young people are eager to get involved in the emerging oil and gas sector, with a large number of persons already applying for UG’s new petroleum engineering programme.

Businessman charged with attempted murder A 31-year-old Kumaka, Mabaruma businessman was on Friday taken before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, after being charged for attempting to commit murder.

Brenton Charles called ‘Banko’ of Kumaka, Waterfront, made his appearance at

the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Particulars of the charge alleged that, on January 22, 2019, at Kumaka Market, Charles unlawfully wounded Kenrick Henry with intent to commit murder.

Charles’ attorney, Trenton Lake, made an applica-

tion for bail on the grounds that his client acted in self defence, since the defendant was being attacked by Henry.

Police Prosecutor, Adduni Inniss, opposed to Charles being granted his pre-trial liberty on the grounds that the victim was still hospitalised and his injuries were listed as life-threatening.

Inniss informed the court that the victim was stabbed five times about his body by Charles.

The acting chief magistrate, however, overruled the prosecutor’s objection and released Charles on $400,000 bail. The matter was adjourned until January 31, 2019. According

to reports, Henry was at Charles’ bar, when an argument ensued between them.

It is alleged that, Charles armed himself with a knife and stabbed Henry several times about his body. The injured man was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the hospital.

Brenton Charles called ‘Banko’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Police destroy ganja fields in Linden

AN intelligence-led operation ended with the police destroying six cannabis fields measuring some 11 acres at Seven Miles, Millie’s Hideout, Linden.

A 22-year-old farmer, who was found tending the

prohibited plants on one of the fields, was arrested and is expected to be processed for court today.

In a press statement, the police said the six fields of cannabis were destroyed on Wednesday following their

A camp of the ganja farmers at Seven Miles A field that was destroyed

The police set fire to one of the fields

discovery. “The approximately eleven acres of cultivation had an estimated eighteen thousand one hundred (18,100) plants measuring from a foot to eight feet in height, and with an average weight of three thousand six hundred and ninety (3690) kilograms,� the police explained.

It noted that several nurseries with about three thousand (3000) seedlings, five

makeshift camps, hammocks, groceries, kitchen utensils, and about nine hundred (900) kilograms of dried cannabis were also found and destroyed. Additionally, the ranks found in one of the camps: five live cartridges, three empty 12 gauge casings and a .45 spent shell.

The 22-year-old, who was found attending to the prohibited plants at one of the fields, was arrested.

Some of the items found at the camp

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

49 new cases of leprosy recorded last year

CHILDREN with leprosy more than doubled last year according to local statistics raising “serious cause for concern” among Guyana’s Public Health Ministry authorities.

In her feature address at Friday’s launch of World Leprosy Day held at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown, Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, disclosed that of the 67 new cases of leprosy, children comprised six per cent of the figure.

Though the figure dipped last year, falling to 49 new cases, the percentage of children infected climbed to 14 and this is troubling the public health minister said.

“We have a serious cause for concern. A significant percentage of our children are at risk of this disease, and hence it is imperative that we boldly endorse this year’s theme through education and heightening of public awareness so that all those afflicted by the disease can be encouraged to seek medical assistance before disabilities and deformities become visible,” Minister Lawrence counselled.

The 67th Annual World Leprosy Day was observed this year under the theme: ‘Ending Discrimination, Stigma and Prejudice’ and this prompted Lawrence to charge Guyanese to help “destroy the myths about the disease (and) pull down barriers of stigma an d discrimination and spread the important

message that leprosy can be treated and cured with antibiotics once discovered in the early stages”.

Globally, 30 persons are diagnosed with leprosy every hour. The figure is less depressing in Guyana with almost six per month in 2017 (67) and slightly more than four (49) in 2018 contracted the contagious ailment, Leprologist Dr Holly Alexander said.

Alexander lauded the dedication of the MoPH, led

by Dr Heather Morris-Wilson, Director of the government’s Leprosy Control Programme, in fighting the disease. The infectious aliment has moved “to the front burner” Alexander said, reminding the audience that lepers can still live “highly productive lives”.

Worrying too, is that fact that persons affected with leprosy have a higher prevalence of psychiatric problems than the general population of patients with other diseases. Lawrence reminded that depression can “reinforce feelings of social exclusion, interfere with work and daily life, reduce social interaction and lead to further isolation and in severe cases, can lead to suicide.”

“The depression may also lead to, or accentuate a lack of self-care, low self-esteem, strong negative feelings of guilt, self-doubt, anguish, fear and sadness, which can impact on the patient’s mental health which can worsen impairments,” Minister Law-

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, shares a light moment with the Armadillo mascot

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, viewing the exhibition with students from various schools rence said.

The global leprosy agenda is to eliminate the disease at the sub-national level despite the myriad challenges, PAHO/WHO representative here, Dr William Adu-Krow, said in his presentation. According to Dr Adu-Krow, obstacles include limited impact on transmission of leprosy; continued delay in detecting new patients; and persisting discrimination against people affected by leprosy are among the most frequent.

To help address those challenges, the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020: ‘Accelerating towards a leprosy-free world’, and endorsed by the WHO Technical Advisory Group, centres on three major pillars, which are: strengthening government ownership and partnerships; ensuring accountability by strengthening monitoring and evaluation in all endemic countries in order to objectively measure progress; and promoting inclusivity by stopping discrimination through establishing and strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders, including persons or communities affected by the disease, Dr Adu-Krow told invitees.

Poisoned attitudes and leprosy have survived together for millennia. Dr Morris-Wilson pointed this out in her welcoming remarks by noting that lepers “are often excluded, and their human rights violated.”

Internationally, 37 per cent of people affected by leprosy believe the disease affects their right to work and a staggering 55 per cent believe that the disease is frequently used as grounds for ending their marriages.

Making matters worse for

them, “there are also an unbelievably 157 laws in place that discriminate against people affected by leprosy,” Dr Morris-Wilson said.

Guyanese acceptance of people suffering with leprosy “must be complete if we want to fight against stigma, dis-

crimination and prejudice,” Minister Volda Lawrence said.

“At the population level, it is essential that the acceptance of persons with leprosy be long-term and one that is based on knowledge about the disease to

reduce stigmatising attitudes…by enlightening the general public, especially shopkeepers and workplace managers who are frequently in contact with leprosy patients, could be an effective way of intervention,” Lawrence said.

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RDC remains committed to hinterland development – RE0 REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Region 10, Orrin Gordon, has assured youths in the region that the RDC remains committed to hinterland development.

He made the disclosure while addressing youths recently at a Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme, training session. Gordon told the gathering that there are challenges in all regions, but Region 10 has sought to ensure that systems are in place to address youth development and empowerment especially in border regional communities.

He disclosed that owing to some challenges in Region Four, his RDC made a decision to step forward and assist the participants of the programme by ensuring that they were paid their stipend in a timely manner. These were communities on the Linden Soesdyke Highway and beyond. “It is tough on the accounts staff but they know our position and adapt willingly. However recognising the importance and value of such a programme the Region was happy to assist,” the REO said.

He added, “This says that somewhere along the line we

Regional Executive Officer (REO) Region 10, Mr Orrin Gordon have been doing what is expected of us and that is very important in pushing youth development, and we will continue to do what is expected of us despite the circumstances.”

The regional executive officer said that there is an urgent need for more young people to access the numerous opportunities that HEYS provides. He declared that the RDC recognises that and is committed to ensuring such, through programmes and initiatives like this. He pointed out that youth empowerment is providing holistic development for all Guyana, noting that the RDC wants to see more youths accessing the programme.

“Let me reassure you that as head of administration there is need for entrepreneurial development, self-employment, self-empowerment and HEYS, which happens to be one of the programmes, will be used to ensure that young people across the length and breadth of Guyana, more particularly in the hinterland communities, that you can play your part”.

He spoke about self-empowerment and economic liberation, stating that those requirements are being met with what has been reported by the trainers and facilitators.

Gordon has been REO for under a year but stated he has been able to review and examine projects in a number of hinterland communities. He said he has recognised that several communities were being taken advantage of by some contractors, as many went into communities and instead of contributing positively they were responsible for making things difficult for some residents.

As such, he stressed that he recognised an urgent need See page 26

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Destitutes in court for stealing $391,000 in lingerie SENIOR Magistrate, Leron Daly, on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court remanded two

worth $391,000, property of Mondale Rogers.

Prosecutor Sanj Singh strongly opposed the release

Leslie Ferdinand

Harry Mowanie

homeless men to prison for stealing a quantity of female lingerie and slippers.

Harry Mowanie and Leslie Ferdinand both denied the charge which alleged that, on January 23, 2019, at the Stabroek Market Wharf, they stole a quantity of brassieres, 30 pairs of slippers and 10 panties

of the duo on bail, citing that the defendants had no fixed place of abode.

Singh also noted that, when the duo was arrested by the police, some of the stolen items were found in their possession.

Magistrate Daly remanded the duo to prison until March 1, 2019.

RDC remains committed ...

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for capacity building, declaring that it was because of this need, that resulted in the RDC using community participation and awarding some 33 projects to all satellite communities in Region 10 i.e. communities in the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice Rivers, to the tune of $54M. “We had to be patient and two members of the Public Works Department were placed to work with the toshaos and councils to help build capacity and become empowered”.

Some Toshaos are ready to go in 2019, so strong they have become.

He further noted that in November, his region also hosted for the first time in recent history, a regional toshaos’ conference. Region 10 is a trend-setter, as no other region has hosted a toshaos’ conference within their region since the NTC last year. He said that all 10 toshaos from his region were in attendance noting that two CDC groups were also invited to attend. He stated that because of the overwhelming support and success of the conference, the follow up meeting is slated for February this year. “We are prideful in having these conferences for our hinterland residents. We have two toshoas who sit on the national toshoas body NTC and they have to understand that they are unique so they have to put together a body in region 10,” he promised.

REO Gordon declared that these and other initiatives form part of his region’s approach in empowering the youths and residents as a whole within the region. He warned persons that despite there may be a feeling that things are only taking place in Linden; this misconception has to be corrected as the RDC addresses a number of issues relating to Region 10 instead of Linden. “Our mission is geared towards empowering our hinterland communities and therefore I urge our leaders, especially the toshoas, that they need to do a lot better so as to fuel the development that we are facilitating within their respective communities,” he said.

“I am aware of the issues regarding the economics, education, health and logistics and can assure you that at the region we will ensure that all are being addressed.

That is why we have programmes like HEYS and the success stories from such programmes like these have brought success to the hinterland communities,’ the REO declared.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

FAO seeks to help boost shrimp, groundfish in Caribbean AS shrimp and groundfish resources in the southern Caribbean continue to be intensively exploited a new capacity-building course to help countries better manage the exploited fish and crustacean species in the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NBSLME) is taking place in Port of Spain this week.

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the five-day workshop started on Monday, 21 January, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and will close on Friday, 25 January, 2019. Intended for fisheries managers and fisheries officers from countries in the NBSLME (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago), the course seeks to strengthen their knowledge of the status of these intensively fished marine resources in the NBSLME by increasing their technical capacity in fish-stock assessment, particularly in data-limited situations. Participants are also being introduced to FishPath, a comprehensive and standardised approach to guiding the selection of monitoring, assessment and decision-rule options for data-limited fisheries.

Internationally renowned fisheries expert Dr. Jason Cope (University of Washington, United States of America) is leading the training over the course of the week. Since 2004, Dr. Cope has participated in numerous groundfish stock assessments in the Northwest Pacific. He is also involved in diverse research activities, including the development, application and teaching of methods for data-limited fisheries.

“Dealing with limited data and resources is a common challenge facing the management of most of the world’s fisheries,” says Dr. Cope. “Nonetheless, data-limitation does not exclude the use of the scientific method, statistical theory, and clever population-modelling approaches to provide critical insight and scientifically based advice to fisheries managers. Increasing capacity to apply fisheries theory in data-limited situations remains a worldwide need; the good news is, we have the tools to meet this need.”

The training is part of a wider regional effort to bolster the management of shared living marine resources through an ecosystem-based management (EAF) approach. It will also make a significant contribution to the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+) Project.

As a CLME+ Project partner, the FAO is implementing an EAF approach to fisheries in the sub-region. In this context, the FAO is working with countries to ensure a more resilient marine environment that can effectively support sustainable food production and related livelihoods. “The methods and techniques offered through this course will be key in establishing the regional capacity required for effective stock assessment of the shrimp and groundfish resources of the NBSLME. By defining the best strategies for their sustainable management, fisheries officers and managers can help the Region improve its food security and increase the incomes of its fisherfolk,” explains Dr. Jeremy Mendoza, Regional Project Coordinator at the FAO for the CLME+ Sub-Project “EAF for the Shrimp and Groundfish Fishery.”

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Australia earn first-innings lead over Sri Lanka

(REUTERS) - TRAVIS Head and Marnus Labuschagne missed individual centuries but forged Australia’s highest partnership of the summer to earn the hosts a handy first-innings lead against Sri Lanka on day two of the series opening day-night Test yesterday.

Their 166-run stand powered Australia to 323 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 144 and Pat Cummins struck with the final ball of the day to reduce the tourists to 17 for one at stumps at the Gabba.

Lahiru Thirimanne was batting on six, having lost opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne to Cummins for six with Sri Lanka trailing by 162 runs. “(It was) a massive wick-

et,” said Head after play.

“It’s nice to get them one down and break the lefthanders up.

“I think the way Jhye (Richardson) and Pat bowled against the right-handers yesterday by swinging the ball away means we can put them under real pressure in the morning.”

Head (84) and Labuschagne (81) featured in a 166-run partnership for the

fifth wicket, surpassing the 112-run stand between Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch in the Perth Test against India as Australia’s best this season.

“I think the way myself and Marny (Marnus Labushagne) built that partnership put them under pressure to bat for a long period of time and put us in a commanding position,” Head said. “I think that’s the more pleasing

Marnus Labuschagne sweeps towards the leg side.

(Bradley Kanaris/CA/Getty Images)

aspect of today.”

Resuming at 72-2, Harris (44) could only add four runs to his overnight score before offering a simple catch to Lahiru Thirimanne off Lahiru Kumara in the first over of the day.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon also departed soon after for one, leaving Australia on 82-4 when Labuschagne and Head steadied the innings, both bringing up their half-centuries in the middle session.

Labuschagne, playing in his fourth Test, scored his maiden Test half-century in 97 balls with three boundaries, after taking 20 balls to get off the mark.

Head scored his fourth half-century off 109 balls, with six boundaries, but was fortunate to survive on 29 when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella off Suranga Lakmal (5-75).

Labuschagne looked set to score Australia’s first century since Usman Khawaja’s 141 against Pakistan in October but he chipped straight to mid-wicket off Dhananjaya de Silva.

Head’s tilt at a breakthrough hundred also end-

ed in heartbreak as he was trapped lbw by Lakmal.

“I don’t think we’re far away from a batter getting a big score,” said Head, who has scored four half-centuries in seven matches. “Guys are spending time out in the middle and starting their innings really well.

“It just takes one guy and we go on and get that roll on.”

Next ball, Lakmal had Tim Paine edging through to Kusal Mendis who took an excellent diving catch at slip.

Cummins also departed without scoring, caught behind off Dushmantha Chameera as the night conditions again offered plenty of assistance for Sri Lanka’s swing bowlers.

Kurtis Patterson played some impressive strokes to make 30 on debut before he became Lakmal’s fifth wicket.

“I treasure the Australian five (wickets) more than the New Zealand one because I always had a dream of achieving a five-wicket haul in Australia and it’s a dream come true,” said Lakmal through an interpreter.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA 1st innings 144 all out AUSTRALIA 1st innings Marcus Harris c Lahiru Thirimanne b Lahiru Kumara 44 Joe Burns c Kusal Mendis b Suranga Lakmal

15 Usman Khawaja b Dilruwan Perera 11 Nathan Lyon c Kusal Mendis b Suranga Lakmal

1 Marnus Labuschagne c Lahiru Thirimanne b Dhananjaya de Silva 81 Travis Head lbw Suranga Lakmal

84 Kurtis Patterson lbw Suranga Lakmal 30 Tim Paine c Kusal Mendis b Suranga Lakmal

0 Pat Cummins c Niroshan Dickwella b Dushmantha Chameera 0 Mitchell Starc not out

26 Jhye Richardson c Dimuth Karunaratne b Dilruwan Perera 1 Extras: (b-6, lb-17, nb-5, w-2)

30 Total: (all out, 106.2 overs)

323 Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-72, 3-76, 4-82, 5-248, 6-272, 7-272, 8-278, 9-304.

Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 27-9-75-5, nb-2, Lahiru Kumara 15-5-37-1 (w-2), Dushmantha Chameera 21-3-68-1 (nb-3), Dilruwan Perera 32.2-9-84-2, Dhananjaya de Silva 8-3-22-1, Dimuth Karunaratne 3-0-14-0.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings Dimuth Karunaratne c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins Lahiru Thirimanne not out

Extras: (b-4, lb-4)

Total: (one wkt, 6.0 overs)

3 6 8 17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

(BBC) - Top seed Novak Djokovic set up a tantalising Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal by thrashing Lucas Pouille in a one-sided semi-final.

The Serb, 31, needed just one hour 23 minutes to win 6-0, 6-2, 6-2.

Djokovic broke serve seven times as he outclassed 2 4 - y e a r- o l d F r e n c h m a n Pouille, seeded 28th and in his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Djokovic and Spaniard

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39

Djokovic sets up final clash with Nadal

Nadal - who have 31 Grand Slams titles between them meet tomorrow.

The world number one set up their first meeting in Melbourne since their epic six-hour final in 2012 - which the Serb eventually won - with a near flawless performance against Pouille.

He made just five unforced errors and hit 24 winners on Rod Laver Arena.

“It is definitely one of the best matches I’ve ever had on

this court,” said the 14-time major winner.

“Everything worked how I imagined it before the match it was a tough one for Lucas.”

Djokovic is aiming for a seventh Australian Open crown, which would move him clear of Roy Emerson and Roger Federer in terms of alltime victories in Melbourne.

Nadal, who would trail Federer by two if he wins his 18th major, could become the first man to claim a second

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career Grand Slam in the Open era.

Djokovic was competing in his 34th Grand Slam semi-final - a record bettered only by Switzerland’s Federer - against a player who had never won a main-draw match at Melbourne in his five previous visits.

Although the pair had not met in a competitive match, they knew each other’s game because they have been regular practice partners in recent years.

Unfortunately for Pouille, and those who had paid up to about £400 for a ticket, the second semi-final proved to be little more than a practice match for the world number one.

Pouille saw his serve come under immediate pressure in the second game, lumping a forehand long then dumping another into the net to give Djokovic two break points.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia on court during his men’s semi-final match against Lucas Pouille of France during day 12 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park yesterday in Melbourne, Australia.

(Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday, January 26, 2019)

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) Alfred Freeman-5/54 (Manchester, 1928) (2) Herman Griffith-6/103 (The Oval, London 1928) (1) (2)

TODAY’S QUIZ: What is the highest Test score by a WI in England?

What is the highest Test score by a WI against England in the Caribbean?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

40

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

US$25M for Mervyn Dillon to coach T&T Red Force Trinidad in CPL 2018

THE Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced the tournament’s economic impact for Trinidad & Tobago. The 2018 event, which took place between August 8 and September 16 last year, created a total economic impact of US$25,689,199 in the country.

This represents an increase on the 2017 figure even with the tournament having two fewer matches in the country in 2018.

This figure has been calculated using organiser spend, visitor spend and media value and was collated for Hero CPL by world-renowned researchers, SMG Insight.

In addition to that economic impact figure the Hero CPL employed 254 staff in Trinidad & Tobago and filled 8,573 hotel rooms during the 2018 event. The value of media exposure and mentions of Trinidad & Tobago from this coverage was US$5,490, 704, more than double that achieved in 2017.

The Hero CPL spent US$4,069,867 in Trinidad & Tobago during the 2018 event with the tournament hosting seven matches in the country, a significant investment that shows the commitment to staging cricket at both Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Speaking about the report from SMG Insight the Hero CPL Chief Executive Officer, Damien O’Donohoe said: “Trinidad & Tobago has always been very good to us as a tournament, with local support being absolutely fantastic. It means a lot to us that we are able to deliver tangible economic benefits to the country. The finals for the 2018 tournament were fantastic and we can’t wait to be back in Trinidad & Tobago in 2019 to get the party started again.”

(CMC) – Ex-West Indies speedster Mervyn Dillon has been named head coach of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, replacing Kelvin Williams who quit in the wake of the team’s third defeat of the Regional Four-Day Championship last week.

In a shakeup of the management staff, Roland Sampath was also replaced

by David Furlonge, as the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket

Ex-Windies seamer Mervyn Dillon

to slowly but surely build momentum through their innings, taking just 38 off the first Powerplay but 91 off the last ten.

(ESPNCRICINFO) WEST Indies are set to be without Sunil Narine and Andre Russell for their ODI series against England.

Narine has informed CWI that he is not yet confident enough in his bowling action to get through an ODI, while Russell has informed them that his knee is not yet up to the demands of 50-over cricket.

Narine hasn’t played an ODI for more than two years, but insists he is keen to return to international cricket. He has struggled with his action for most of his career, first attempting to remodel it in 2011 and then having it reported

Sunil Narine

to offer a simple chance to Kagiso Rabada at midwicket for 2.

With Babar - dropped on 9 by Andile Phehluk-

was nestled around 50 until the first drinks break, after which he started to take a more proactive approach.

At the other end, Babar

Reeza Hendricks nails a pull. (Associated Press)

Beuran Hendricks, the left-arm seamer on ODI debut, struck with his seventh ball in the format, Fakhar Zaman top-edging a swipe

responsibility that has been placed on him and we are confident that he will effect the turnaround in the fortunes of the Red Force.”

The 44-year-old Dillon, who grabbed 131 wickets in 38 Tests between 1997 and 2004, holds a Level III Cricket West Indies certification.

He takes over with Red Force fifth in the six-team standings on 36 points, after winning a single match.

Narine, Russell still off Windies duties

South Africa go 2-1 up in series (ESPNCricinfo) - Pakistan took advantage of a flat track and a ragged performance in the field from the hosts to raise 317 for 6 in the third ODI at Centurion.

Imam-ul-Haq reached his fifth ODI century to underpin the innings, sharing stands of 132 with Babar Azam and 84 with Mohammad Hafeez to set a platform before a promoted Imad Wasim accelerated the scoring with an unbeaten 23-ball 43.

Imam was a recipient of a second life, courtesy one of South Africa’s five lapses in the field, dropped

by Tabraiz Shamsi at midoff off Dale Steyn shortly after he had raised his fifty.

Babar, Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Imad were all also dropped off chances of varying difficulty and made the errors count on what has been the most batting-friendly pitch of Pakistan’s tour so far.

Pakistan were thus able

Board (TTCB) moved to rescue Red Force’s ailing campaign.

President Azim Bassarath said heavy responsibility now rested on Dillon’s shoulders, especially considering the state of Red Force’s campaign.

“We have high expectations for Mr Dillon as he brings a wealth of experience to the job,” said Bassarath.

“He realises the great

wayo at square leg - leading Pakistan’s counterattack after the early loss of Fakhar, Imam took his time settling in. His strike rate

reached a 56-ball fifty with a swiped pull off an inconsistent Shamsi, and five overs later Imam followed him to the landmark with

Andre Russell

an uppercut boundary over point.

The pair had been made to toil through their century stand, running a lot of singles, but just as they began to reverse the pressure and three balls after Imam was put down at mid-off - Babar misread a Steyn slower ball to be trapped lbw for 69.

His dismissal set up the prospect of a re-run of the ongoing battle between Steyn and Hafeez, and Steyn should have had Hafeez for a 16th time in international cricket when he found the outside edge with Hashim Amla at slip. But Amla palmed the chance away one-handed, and Hafeez instead ran to a 44-ball fifty.

He fell straight afterwards, Phehlukwayo making up for his early mistake by pulling off a stunning airborne catch at mid-on, but Imam ticked on to his hundred, having raised his strike rate to the high 80s.

He has a remarkable conversion rate in this format, having now scored more hundreds than the

during the Champions Trophy of 2014.

He withdrew from the 2015 World Cup squad to work further on his action.

He is expected to work with Carl Crowe, the spin-bowling consultant, in the coming weeks. The news almost certainly ends any chance he has of playing in the 2019 World Cup. Russell’s involvement remains possible. He is fit enough for T20 cricket - he has been involved in the BPL and has just been announced as a replacement for Steve Smith in the PSL - but feels his fitness is not quite at the required level for a longer game. He last played an ODI in July.

fifties, but his concentration wavered after he had celebrated his hundred in emotional, critic-silencing fashion. He holed out to Rassie van der Dussen at deep cover straight afterwards to give Shamsi his only wicket of the match.

Shoaib, having been put down off a difficult, dipping chance by David Miller in the deep, raised the tempo further at the death, putting on 52 with Imad, who, too, was dropped, drilling Phehlukwayo to Reeza Hendricks in the deep, the fielder reverse-cupping and missing the chance.

Reeza also gave away a boundary in the process, allowing Imad to plunder three fours off Phehlukwayo’s tenth over, and he followed that up with back-to-back boundaries off Steyn.

The 300 came up in the 48th over, with Imad and Sarfraz Ahmed swiping a couple of boundaries after Steyn and Rabada’s late strikes to get rid of Shoaib and a promoted Hasan Ali.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

41

Josiah-Tanner looking to build on weekend wins

ACE long-distance runner Euleen Josiah-Tanner is looking to build on her dominant performance at last Sunday’s South East Indoor Championships to get in top shape for the World Masters Indoor Championships in March.

The Berbice-born athlete, who lives in the US, won the 3000m and the onemile race in the Masters category at the JDL Fast Track in Winston, Salem NC. She clocked 5:45 in the mile and 11:17 in the 3000m.

The 44-year-old, who dominated the Courts 10K

for several years in Georgetown, said that despite the wins she feels that she has to step up her game to dominate her field.

“It (the meet) was okay, but I have a lot of work to do.” She said that she wants to work on her speed and endurance. “I want to work on times that would put me in the top five or top 10 in the world.”

The mother of three is no stranger to big meets. At the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships last March she won the 3000m for her age group. In July, at

the USATF Indoor Championships, the Southern California Track Club athlete won the 5 000m, finished second in the 10 000m while she led her team to gold in the 4x800m relay.

She showed versatility at that meet by also claiming a silver medal in the 800m less than three hours after the gruelling 5 000m run (3.1-mile run).

Over the next two months, Josiah-Tanner aims to produce better times as she looks to make her mark at Worlds, which is scheduled for March 2430 in Poland.

Valvoline continues Rahaman family tradition

LUBRICANT brand Valvoline has continued its sponsorship of the Rahaman name by sponsoring the youngest addition Nathan, ahead of the second round of the Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT) next weekend.

The company presented young Nathan, who competed last year in the 60cc Kids cup, a cheque to assist with his campaign in the three-leg series is being contested in Barbados.

GIVING BRIEF REMARKS “The brand Valvoline is a big brand in racing all over the world. Every year we have been sponsoring and we are so happy to be sponsoring a young person.”

“This may be a big thing

Nathan Rahaman

this year; we don’t know. It is in the infancy stage right now but it could be something that is amazing and will bring a lot of pride to all of us in Guyana.”

He noted that the automotive world syncs with the Valvoline name and as such, their interest in racing was something that was written.

“When we brought the product first, we started in racing and it was only right that we continue there; we started with Jad (Nathan’s grandfather) and Ryan (Nathan’s father) and we moved onto the son.”

After the completion of the first two rounds in early January, Rayden Persaud is the highest-placed Guyanese with 55 points.

In the first round, he picked up 35 points, finishing seventh while in Sun-

Euleen Josiah-Tanner had a dominant start to her season.

National Schools TT challenge set for next weekend

IN AN effort to re-establish the schools table tennis championships and give new players the opportunity to exhibit their talent, Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission, will host a National Talent Spotting Schools Novices and Elite Teams and Singles Table Tennis Challenge from February 1 to 3.

The association is hoping that the tournament can unearth talent and spur a renewed interest in the sport at the junior level.

According to information from the association, all schools are invited.

Six categories will be contested by players 18 years and under (born on or after January 1, 2001). The players will battle in an Open Elite Team Championships, an Open Boys Rookie/Novices Team Championships, an Open Boys Rookie/Novices Singles Championships, an Open Girls Rookie/Novices Singles Championships, an Open Elite Boys Singles Championships and an Open Elite Girls Singles Championships.

Along with prizes for performances, the bestdressed school will also be rewarded.

United beat Arsenal 3-1 as Sanchez scores

day’s second round, Rayden managed just 20 points. His nearest competitor is Jeremy Ten-Pow, who has 54.5 points.

Elan Rahaman has 53 points, Nathan Rahman has 45 after missing most of Saturday. Paige Mendonca has 32 and Zachary Persaud has 25.

Atop the regional table is Calem Maloney, the Barbadian. He has 158 points and is being chased by countryman Adam Mallalieu who has 144 points. Ryan Chisholm of Jamaica is third with 103 points while countryman Zander Williams (90) is fourth. Jamaica’s Tommi Gore (82) rounds out the top 5.

The team also received sponsorship from Dyna’s Embroidery which provided team jerseys for all the drivers.

(BBC) - Alexis Sanchez made a goal-scoring return to Arsenal to set Manchester United on their way to a fourth-round FA Cup win which makes it eight straight wins for interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Sanchez has struggled to produce his best form since swapping Emirates Stadium for Old Trafford a year ago but was at his sharpest to take Romelu Lukaku’s superb reverse pass in his stride and round Petr Cech to give United a 31st-minute lead.

Lukaku was the creator again two minutes later, as Jesse Lingard’s precise finish doubled United’s advantage - and even though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back before the interval, Solskjaer’s side were always in control.

United keeper Sergio Romero’s superb save from Aaron Ramsey at the start of the second half was crucial in keeping Arsenal at bay and United were rarely troubled afterwards.

Arsenal’s cause was not helped by injuries to key defenders Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Laurent Koscielny; substitute Anthony Martial wrapping up United’s latest success when he pounced after Petr Cech could only palm out Paul Pogba’s shot with eight minutes of normal time left.

SANCHEZ SHOWS FORM AT LAST Sanchez moved from Arsenal to Manchester United with great fanfare, but the 30-year-old’s time at Old Trafford has largely been a miserable tale of injuries and lack of form.

The Chilean made his return to the stadium where he was once idolised, having scored only four goals from 32 appearances, but here he gave Arsenal’s fans a painful reminder of his quality.

He was sharp and mobile - playing on the left of United’s attacking trio with Lingard in the centre and Lukaku posted to a profitable role on the right - and deserved his well-taken goal.

to come from Sanchez as his United renaissance continues.

NIGHT OF PAIN FOR ARSENAL This disappointing defeat came at a heavy cost for Arsenal and manager Unai Emery - the exit from a competition in which he had high hopes of making progress compounded by further injuries that will drain his defensive resources.

After losing Hector Bel-

Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United scores their 1st goal during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium yesterday in London, United Kingdom.

(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Sanchez ignored the inevitable jeers to take his chance with calm and contribute to United’s attacking threat with real thrust and energy.

With the in-form Martial and Marcus Rashford starting on the bench, Solskjaer will hope this is a sign of things

lerin for nine months to a knee injury sustained in the win against Chelsea, Emery is now waiting on injury bulletins for Sokratis, who limped off early on with an ankle problem after falling awkwardly, and Koscielny, whose facial injury resulted in 10 minutes of added time.

42

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

Anderson, Sinclair and Outar hit centuries N AT I O N A L p l a y e r s Kevlon Anderson and Junior Sinclair, along with Jeetendra Outar, scored centuries in the latest round of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/New York Business Group Under-19 tournament.

Sinclair and Anderson who have represented Guyana at Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, scored 213 and 137 respectively while the exciting Outar scored 109 to press his case for a Berbice Under-19 call-up in the upcoming Inter-county tournament.

Scores from matches played: At Albion, the home team scored 388-5 from their allotted 50 overs with Outar 109, Reyad Karim 84, Sarwan Chaitnarine 69, Tameshwar Mahadeo 31 being the principal scorers. Bowl-

ing for No.73 Cricket Club: S. Nahar took 2-81 and R. Jamaladeen 3-82.

In response No.73 Cricket Club reached 85 all out in 30.1 overs as only T. Budhan 22 and S. Nora 11 reached double figures. Rico Ramsammy

Community Centre ‘B’.

Sinclair and Anderson put on a record 340 for the first wicket. Sinclair struck 23 boundaries and 13 sixes in a brutal exhibition of stroke-play while Anderson struck 21 boundaries and four

Kevlon Anderson

Junior Sinclair

took 4-24, Beesham Surujnarine 2-23 and Kevin Umroa 2-11.

At Hampshire, Rose Hall Town Pepsi ‘A’ scored a massive 5177 from their allotted 50 overs versus Albion

sixes. Mahendra Gopilall 63 and Tyrese Sealey 33 both clipped in with useful runs. Pavendra Ganesh claimed 3-31.

Albion Community Centre ‘B’ were bowled out for 96 in 23.3 overs

to lose by a massive 421 runs. Hemendra Gurdyal 27 and Damien Cecil 29 were the top scorers as off-spinner Junior Sinclair returned with the ball to take 4-6, Mahendra Gopilall 2-6 and Joshua Wilson 2-26.

At Edinburgh, Edinburgh Cricket Club defeated Mt Sinai by 77 runs. Edinburgh Cricket Club made 154 all out.

Lee David 61, F. Mingo 17; T. Sinclair 3-38, S. Giddings 3-25, S. Lewis 3-50. Mt Sinai Cricket Club were 77 all out in 20 overs. T. Sinclair 23; L. Sanichara 3-21, Trevon Wharton 6-15.

N o . 1 9 K e n d a l l ’s Union defeated Edinburgh Cricket Club by 101 runs. No.19 Kendall’s Union scored 214-7 in 30 overs while Edinburgh Cricket Club managed 113 all out in 17 overs. Lee David 44.

BCB/Spready’s Snackette 100 balls tournament

Several teams go through to second round THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) commenced Spready’s Snackette 100 balls tournament for teams in the Lower Corentyne area last weekend.

At the conclusion of round one, Chesney, Rose Hall Tigers, Whim National, Courtland and Fyrish recorded victories and will advance to the second round.

Delbert Hicks

SCORES FROM THE MATCHES PLAYED: Chesney CC defeated Tamarind Root CC by two wickets. Tamarind Root CC made 130-6 with P. Deonarine top-scoring with 65. V. Mangal supported with 23 while S. Bacchus claimed 3-16 and A. Deonarine

2-28. Chesney CC, in reply, reached 131-8. Imran Khan made 26, Krishna Amoi 18, S. Subahur 28; D. Ramsammy 3-33, R. Deonarine 3-21.

Rose Hall Town Tigers CC bettered Albion Open CC by 18 runs. Rose Hall Town Tigers 129-2. Delbert Hicks 65 not out, Brandon Prashad 20.

Albion Open CC 111 all out. Andy Naidu 50, S. Dhanai 16. Delbert Hicks 2-22, Rondell Lewis 2-25, Naresh Mahadeo 2-21, M. Goberdhan 2-15.

Courtland CC prevailed over Jai Hind by 27 runs.

Courtland CC 130-9. Jamal Cort 31, Leroy Bristol 16, John Percival 24; R. Mangal 3-8, D. Ramdat 2-33. Jai Hind 103 all out. T. Baldeo 53; John Percival 4-10.

Whim National CC beat Toopoo Cricket Club by five wickets. Toopoo CC 78-9.

U. Narain 37, M. Shivmangal 13; V. Samaroo 3-13, D. Venkiah 3-9. Whim National CC 81-5. K. Deonarine 24, M. Basdeo 18, V. Samaroo 16; N. Mangar 2-26, A. Ramsammy 2-20.

At Fyrish: Fyrish CC thrashed Kilcoy CC by 60 runs. Fyrish CC 1588. Monilall Shivdyal 58, Chandradat Roopnarine 31. Kilcoy CC 98 all out.

Reeaz Ramcharran 5-20, Imran Ali 2-25. Saif Azeez 2-14.

Guyana to host Regional Under-19 tournament … LBI facility among venues to stage games

By Rajiv Bisnauth THE Caribbean’s most prestigious youth tournament will be held in Guyana this year, according to secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Anand Sanasie.

The regional youth tournament dates back to 1968 when it was contested under the British American Tobacco Series. It has been the main scouting ground for the region’s finest talent who would go on to grace the international stage in full West Indies senior colours.

Most of the current Windies players found their footing in the Regional Under-19 Tournament before going on to represent the Windies in Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket.

Meanwhile, Sanasie con-

firmed to Chronicle Sport that the rehabilitated LBI Community Centre ground will be among one of the venues to host matches.

Anand Sanasie

The GCB has committed approximately a $600M investment towards the general upgrading of the facility.

A visit to the facility yesterday revealed that phase one, which includes major repairs to the overall pavil-

ion, filling of the playfield and fencing to the entire ground, has almost been completed.

Further Sanasie indicated that lights will be installed shortly while phase three will include a new players’ pavilion along with the construction of a new double-decker stand to accommodate 5 000 spectators and a parking lot.

The third phase will be done next year, and according to the GCB secretary, the board anticipates the completion of the entire project by next yearend.

The GCB had secured the lease for the LBI Community Centre ground, early last year from Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo), which eventually paved the way for the major developments there.

The GCB had already in-

vested close to $75M a few years ago to construct the existing hostel, the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at that location, and over the years the Board has saved a lot of accommodation expenses through the use

of this hostel to house its players.

In addition to the facilities for the accommodation of teams preparing for local and regional tournaments, the Centre comprises indoor nets, a gym and a lecture

Works ongoing on the fence

room, all designed to turn out more rounded players, who are prepared to meet the challenges of the modern game.

The multi-million dollar structure was officially opened in 2010.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, January 26, 2019

OH

43

YES

JASON!

Holder double puts West Indies in command (REUTERS) - WINDIES captain Jason Holder and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich recorded the highest unbeaten seventh-innings partnership in Test history as the hosts put England on the ropes in an extraordinary first Test in Barbados yesterday.

six wickets after tea.

His 202 not out, achieved at the healthy clip not far short of a run a ball, was the third highest by a number eight in Test history, behind only the Pakistan duo of Wasim Akram (257 not out) and Imtiaz Ahmed (209).

completely demoralise the visitors.

But England openers Rory Burns (39) and Keaton Jennings (11) survived 20 overs without many problems, though Burns must have had his heart in his mouth when he survived a vociferous lbw appeal by

Shane Dowrich makes a compact half-century. (AFP) England, set a massive target of 628 in their second innings, were 56 without loss at stumps on day three, a tidy start but still facing the daunting prospect of surviving two more days in Bridgetown.

After 18 wickets fell on Thursday, there was none yesterday in a remarkable turnaround of fortunes for both teams on a Kensington Oval pitch that did not seem to have changed much overnight.

Holder etched his name into the record books with an unbeaten double-century before declaring his team’s second innings at 415 for

Holder and Dowrich, who made a more patient century with an innings of 116, put on an unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership of 295 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

Their stand was the third highest for a seventh wicket in Test history, and also surpassed the previous record for an unbeaten partnership, 259, set by VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India against South Africa in 2010.

Holder prolonged England’s agony in the field by delaying his declaration beyond what was necessary, perhaps in an effort to

Alzarri Joseph in the thirdlast over.

Holder decided not to review it, a good decision as a replay showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump.

OUTSIDE SHOT England’s untroubled start to the second innings was in stark contrast to their 77 all out in their first innings, the lowest ever Test total by any team at Kensington Oval.

Yet the tourists still had an outside shot at victory when they reduced West Indies to 61 for five late on the second day.

Airport Cricket Club knockout tapeball competition set for today

AT LEAST eight teams have indicated their willingness to participate in Sunday’s Airport Cricket Club knockout tapeball competition, which is billed for the Airport Ground (CJIA) from midday.

The 11-a-side, six-over competition, will see teams battle for a first-place prize of $100 000.

According to one of the organisers, the Airport Cricket Club will use the funds from the competition to purchase uniforms for its players.

Along with the competition, there will be a BBQ and lime with the semi-final and final being played under lights.

For more information, contact Keshan (660-1368), Baksh (672-1632) and Yellow Man (666-5157).

But that was before Dowrich and Shimron Hetmyer (31) put together a half-century partnership, before Holder and Dowrich took the match completely out of England’s reach.

England pace bowler James Anderson collected five wickets in the first innings, but toiled without success in the second (0-58), while off-spinner Moeen Ali had the best figures, 3-78.

He instigated the Thursday collapse, but could not add to his haul yesterday.

England captain Joe Root showed little faith in leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who came in for severe punishment, particularly

by Holder.

He had 0-61 off nine overs, while Root was more economical with 0-37 off 10 overs.

West Indies and England are playing a threeTest series in the Caribbean.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES 1st innings 289 ENGLAND 1st innings 77 WEST INDIES 2nd innings (o/n 127 for six) K. Brathwaite lbw b Moeen Ali 24 J. Campbell c Jennings b Stokes 33 S. Hope c Jennings b Stokes 3 D. Bravo c Stokes b Moeen Ali 1 R. Chase c Stokes b Moeen Ali 0 S. Hetmyer c Buttler b Curran 31 S. Dowrich not out 116 J. Holder not out 202 Extras: (b-1, lb-1, nb-3) 5 Total: (6 wkts decl., 103.1 overs) 415 Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-60, 3-61, 4-61, 5-61, 6-120.

Bowling: Anderson 18-4-58-0, Curran 17-1-69-1, Moeen Ali 20-3-78-3, Stokes 25-3-81-2, Rashid 9-061-0, Root 10-0-37-0, Jennings 4.1-0-29-0.

ENGLAND 2nd innings (target: 628) R. Burn not out K. Jennings not out Extras: (b-4, w-2) Total: (without loss, 20 overs)

39 11 6 56

day 3 - First Windies, England Test at Kensington Oval

Ben Stokes feels the heat on a day of toil for England. (AFP)

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43

Holder double puts West Indies in command Page

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Guyana to host Regional Under-19 tournament

Anand Sanasie

Valvoline continues Rahaman family tradition » 41 Page

Jason Holder takes off after reaching his maiden Test double-hundred. (Getty Images)

Nathan Rahaman (left) receives sponsorship from Mr Sase Sankar, CEO of Sankar’s Auto Works (Delano Williams photo)

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019