Guyana Chronicle E-paper 02-01-2019

FRIDAY 1st February, 2019

No.105535

CJ Rules: 07 PAGE

Charrandass’ vote valid, majority is 33

Business of gov’t continues T

HE Government of Guyana says it respects Thursday’s ruling

by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, but asserted that until the matter is concluded at the highest court of appeal, the status quo remains and the business of government continues as usual.

In a terse statement, the administration said the ruling is not in favour of the government’s position with regard to the vote on December 21st, 2018, however, due process continues and the government will file an appeal in the Court of Appeal. “The government continues to believe that the full adjudication of this issue is in the national interest,” the statement read.

“The government reassures the Guyanese people that it will continue to act in accordance with the constitution of Guyana.”

UK 12 sacks Sittlington Child perishes in fire PAGE

Dr. Sam Sittlington

‘We’ll go all the way’

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Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

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Gov't signals move to appeal CJ ruling on confidence vote

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

CJ ruling to be challenged

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

… Attorney general says gov’t will go all the way to CCJ

By Lisa Hamilton ATTORNEY General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, says that the government will go all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), if needs be, to appeal the ruling of the High Court on Thursday that the no-confidence motion was validly passed.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire ruled that although former Member of Parliament (MP), Charrandas Persaud, was

a conservatory order and the chief justice refused, so we’re going to appeal the matter and we’re going to renew that application there because we’re saying to her, the time is running and we wish to have this matter resolved before the time runs out,” Williams explained.

He said that the legal team now awaits the written judgement of the chief justice, which was promised to be delivered

by Wednesday, February 6, 2019, so that they can prepare their case for the

Senior Counsel Neil Boston speaking with members of the media illegally sitting as an MP due to his dual citizenship, his vote for the no-confidence motion was valid and that 33 constitutes a majority of the House and that Cabinet must resign.

She also refused to grant a stay and conservatory order in her ruling. However, later on the corridors of the High Court, Williams said that George-Wiltshire’s ruling is just one conclusion within the three-part, hierarchical court structure. “I asked just now for a stay and for

appeal process.

He maintained that the chief justice’s assessments failed to comprehend the difference between a simple majority and an absolute majority; the latter of which would have required the motion to secure 34 votes to be carried. The argument is based on the sitting members of the National Assembly being 65, an odd number; half of the House would be equal to 32.5 members.

Considering there can be no “half of a person”,

the legal minds had contended that 33, therefore, represents half of the House, while 34 would then constitute an absolute majority. Williams reminded the media that former CCJ President, Sir Charles Byron, had similarly determined Guyana’s Assembly to have both a simple and absolute majority.

The legal affairs minister stated further, that similar rulings on the simple and absolute majority in other jurisdictions have been pronounced upon by current President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders.

NO NEED TO WEEP “We feel very strong about our case, and just as happened in the Cedric Richardson [third term] case, where we went on to appeal to the Court of Appeal and then from the Court of Appeal to the CCJ, where we won it and stopped [Opposition Leader] Jagdeo from saying that he could have a third term; we’re going all the way again,” the AG affirmed.

He added: “There’s no need to weep and gnash teeth. Our courts are a hierarchical system; our final court is the CCJ. So, like in the GECOM Chair [case] when Nandlall [and others] lost their appeal to the courts, [shows] it’s all part of the process.

Nothing is over until the CCJ makes a final determination, so there’s nothing to panic about.”

REMAIN CALM The attorney general also encouraged members of the public to remain calm during the legal period, and to go about

business as usual with the assurance that the rule of law will prevail.

“Be calm.

Go about your business in the normal way; we are still the government. Remember, this is not a nice court case that is going through; this is a court case where we came to the court because of an act of treachery on the part of Charrandas Persaud in the Parliament. You must remember, we haven’t lost an election, we won the elections in 2015; we are in office about three and a half years and we have done a lot to roll back the atrocities of the 23 years, and we’re very confident that at the next elections we’ll do even better.

So, do not despair; just let the law take its course and that’s what the law is doing,” Williams urged.

PLEASED WITH RULING Coming out of the courtroom, Attorney-at-law and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP), Anil Nandlall, said that he was very pleased with the ruling.

He stated, however, that he does not believe that any court would grant a conservatory order or any order that would have effect of staying the ruling made by the chief justice.

“Before you can appeal a case, you have to have an appeal that has merit. The chief justice throughout her ruling, dismissed the submissions of the attorney general on the ground that they lacked merit,” Nandlall argued.

His sentiments were

soon after discredited by Senior Counsel Neil Boston, who said, when questioned by the media: “I’ve heard Mr. Nandlall said to you that you only appeal when you have merit. That is so misleading. You’re appealing because you want to challenge the validity of the judge’s decision.

We will seek to challenge in the Court of Appeal and when we get there, we will seek a conservatory order…we want a clean copy of our decision because the success of our conservatory order will depend on the quality of the grounds of appeal that we will file and what we are complaining about.”

DUAL CITIZENSHIP The two also spoke on the pressing matter that MPs with dual citizenship will now have to abide by the country’s laws which speaks against such.

“It would appear as though they may have to vacate their seats. We can’t speak for them and what they will do,” Boston said.

“Legally they should not be there.”

Meanwhile, Nandlall said: “Because of this ruling, it means that the persons who are currently in that peculiar circumstance should not be sitting in the Parliament. In relation to elections, leaders of the lists now will have to ensure that persons who are placed on those lists comply with the constitutional provision as it relates to dual citizenship.”

This matter aside, Boston also took issue with George-Wiltshire’s ruling regarding the National Assembly Validity of Election Act. He told the me-

dia that based on the Act, she noted that a petition should have been brought within 28 days after the elections results were certified and published in the official gazette, to remove Charrandas Persaud from his position in light of his dual citizenship.

However, Boston contended: “Charrandas’ issue only arose some three years and six months after the elections results were published.

So, it is our position that the National Assembly Validity of Election Act could not apply or did not make any provision to deal with a

Attorney-at-law and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Anil Nandlall situation like that…I think the chief justice has taken a conservatory approach.

We expect to see some judicial activism.” He also argued that Charrandas was obliged to communicate to the Speaker of the National Assembly or the list representative, his intention to shift his vote as the Constitution stipulates.

Republic Bank records US$52.3M in first quarter profits CHAIRMAN of Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), Ronald F. deC. Harford, has announced that the group recorded profit attributable to shareholders of US$52.3 million for the quarter ending December 31, 2018.

This represents an in-

crease of US$1.6 million or 3.1 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous financial year, the bank said in a statement. At December 31, 2018, total assets stood at US$10.8 billion, an increase of 3.6 per cent over the total assets at December, 2017 and 2.9 per cent over September, 2018.

Mr. Harford, in announcing the results said, “The increase in profitability continues to be driven by our overseas subsidiaries, mainly Guyana. RFHL previously announced the potential acquisition of up to 74.99 per cent of the ordinary shares of Cayman National Corporation Limited (CNC),

the parent company of Cayman National Bank and the agreement to acquire Scotiabank’s banking operations in Guyana, St. Maarten and the Eastern Caribbean (including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

The current position is that the CNC acquisition is at an advanced stage of the regulatory approval process and we have recently commenced this process for the Scotiabank transaction, in addition to engaging all other relevant stakeholders.

Although there are economic challenges in sever-

al of our key markets, we believe that the solid performance achieved in this quarter will continue for the remainder of the year.” Mr. Harford expressed his appreciation for the continued support of management, staff and customers of the Republic Group.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

GTUC backs gov’t move to appeal CJ ruling

THE Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has urged all Guyanese to support the government’s right to appeal the ruling by the Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George-Wiltshire in the no-confidence motion case, saying that the final outcome will provide guidelines and options for law and order and for good governance.

Justice George Wiltshire made several rulings on Thursday in the High Court.

In her rulings, she said that 33 persons are the majority of the elected Members of Parliament (MPs). On the issue of dual citizenship, the Chief Justice also ruled that the vote of former APNU+AFC MP, Charrandass Persaud was valid even though he was occupying a seat in the National Assembly illegally or against constitutional provisions of the state. Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC, subsequently applied for a stay of the judgement passed by the Chief Justice as well as a conservatory order for the government to remain in

office until the appeals are heard. The Attorney-General told reporters that government “is going all the way” as he noted that the case will be appealed all the way to the CCJ. “There is nothing to panic about or nothing to worry about,” he said. ”We haven’t lost an election, we will go through the court system,” he said.

In a statement Thursday evening, the GTUC said: “At this point, the government has indicated its intention to appeal. It is their right to so do as it would have been that of the Opposition if it was in a reverse position. All Guyanese must support the execution of this right as the judicial process allows. This process, which may seem frustrating to some, is necessary in the pursuit of justice and fair play. It provides us guidelines and options for law and order and for good governance. This is the ultimate definition of our maturity, our selflessness, and our competence as a people to put Guyana first by allowing the Laws to work for all and at all times even, or more

… urges restraint, respect for the court particularly, during times of political struggles.”

The union said George-Wiltshire’s ruling on the validity of the Confidence vote, dual citizenship and what constitutes a majority is predicated by the evidence presented since it is not the Judge’s prerogative to weigh in on any side.

“So as Guyanese continue to look at the merits of her ruling, it is imperative we keep her scope and limitations in focus. For it is a tenet of Lady Justice to be blind as she weighs the evidence before her.”

According to the GTUC, prior to the court’s ruling, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had stated the PPP/C will not accept a “judicial coup.” “Today (yesterday) supporters of the Coalition Government, in response to the ruling, are expressing displeasure and demonstrating willingness to question the Justice’s character. Both responses fly in the face of the judicial system and the independence with which it is held.

Both directly and indirectly set out to besmirch the character of the learned and upstanding

Judge and undermine.”

HIGH TENSION The GTUC says the very nature of this case with its high tension, emotional and impact potential will cause society to continue discussing and debating this leg of its legal outcome for a long time.

“It is very important that we as individuals, groups, a country, get this right. It is important that we resist the ease of temptation to not just embrace irrationality but to destroy the very system, the judicial process and those within responsible for government fulfilling its law abiding (judicial) role. Better judgment must prevail.”

According to the GTUC, both sides must remember that it is the very same Judge who, in June 2018, upheld the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM and was ridiculed by some who did not find favour with the decision. Today, the other side has an apparent win at this level but is reminded that it is government’s prerogative/right to further pursue a higher court decision in keeping with their constitutional allowance to

so do.

“GTUC urges that we allow the Courts that have the responsibility to adjudicate on issues of these nature, to do their work within an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, not one that demonstrates the historical propensity of some in our society to stoke violent and non-violent confrontation when they are either not in control or unable to have their own way. GTUC lauds, so far, our ability to be restrained and keep those willing to do otherwise at bay. It says we are demonstrating political maturity and we are allowing our system to work; that our means of settling political disputes and grievances are improving to a level where we can claim more respect in the international world even as we treat each other with dignity,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the GTUC reiterated its call for the government and Opposition to work together “to keep us as a nation intact through this phase; keep us mindful of the tension, internal and external, threatening the country’s peace and stability. Citizens are also urged

General Secretary of the GTUC, Lincoln Lewis to hold all politicians, civic society and those who engender to engulf this nation in any acts of mayhem or terror accountable for their well-being and safety at this point in time.” The trades union movement observed that so far society is holding up well in pursuing this legal recourse “and we must continue to do so cognisant that at the end of the day, we still have a nation to build and a destiny to mould. We are still one people, interdependent and connected by a shared history.

This is as defining a time as many historical landmarks in our political struggles.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Berbice water problems to be over by weekend … GWI blames low voltage at pump stations for issues THE Guyana Water Inc has promised that by this weekend Berbicians problems in accessing water in their yards would be over and the company has reiterated that the issue at hand is as a result of low voltage by the Guyana Power and Light.

In a statement, GWI said it is aware of the difficulties being experienced by East Canje residents as well as those from Edingburg, Adelphi, Sheet Anchor, Adventure to Number 69 Village, Whim, Black Bush and areas served by the Manchester pump station.

“GWI wishes to state that it has no internal issues as it relates to its electrical system and mechanics. The issue with respect to access to water is in fact due to technical glitches in power generation by the Guyana Power and Light,” the statement read.

According to the water company, in order to resolve this matter, GWI’s Executive Director of Operations, Mr. Dwayne Shako has been in contact with GPL’s Operations Director, Mr. Bharrat, together with Mr. Rose, who has clearly indicated that there is a generation issue at the Cane Field Power Station.

This has resulted in GWI experiencing low voltage at its pumping stations in these areas and as such has been unable to pump water to supply citizens.

“This has resulted in the power company relying on its Skeldon and Georgetown systems to serve the entire county of Berbice. GWI has looked at every possible electrical solution but our pumps require 415 volts to operate; they are currently receiving an average of 360 volts and with this, our motors will not operate”, Mr. Shako said. “In

an attempt to push the pump station at New Amsterdam and Sheet Anchor, the cable and other aspects of the motor were damaged and had to be extracted”, Shako noted.

Additionally, GWI said the New Amsterdam Water Treatment Plant has been operating on a generator for the past 4-5 days. To date, GWI has lost millions in damaged equipment due to the quality of power provided by GPL and suppliers are unable to guarantee the longevity of motors as a result of the unreliable power supply.

The company said as a result of the low voltage, home-owners may experience minimal effects within their households, which require 110 voltage, but GWI’s situation differs. “GWI of-

ficers have been deployed across the Region in an effort to monitor the situation.

Mr. Shako noted that “after speaking with Mr. Bharrat of GPL, he indicated that the problem will persist until over the weekend when the issue will be resolved. He said the voltage will continue to fluctuate throughout the day and more so in the evening when the domestic load increases.”

GWI said, too, that its pump stations are automatic and monitored via a remote control. As such, once the voltage is regularised to 410415, the stations will go into operation within one minute.

A collaborative effort is ongoing between GWI and GPL in an effort to address this challenge.

GWI engineers inspecting one of the damaged pieces of equipment

Greene to face High Court trial for rape FORTY-one-year-old Odingo Greene, who was freed twice, previously on two murder charges, was, on Thursday, committed to stand trial at the High Court for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl.

Greene called ‘Dingo’ of Station Street, Kitty, was committed by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The businessman is on trial for allegedly engaging in sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 years, between November 1 and November 30, 2016, at Georgetown. The matter was dealt with in camera.

According to reports, on the day in question, the teen Odingo Greene was alone at home, when called ‘Dingo’ Greene forced himself into the home and raped the girl.

Greene will go on trial at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes before a judge and jury.

In 2012, the High Court freed Greene of the murder of 28-year-old Nazalene Mohamed, due to insufficient evidence.

He was also convicted of the murder of Sandra Harvey on April 26, 2004, and was sentenced to death by Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes.

However, a retrial was ordered by the Guyana Court of Appeal and this was done before Justice Jaynarayan Singh who upheld a no- case submission and discharged the conviction on May 12, 2005.

Friday, February 1, 2019 03:00hrs –– 14:30hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Fighting Tuberculosis ONE of the world’s most challenging health issues continues to be that of tuberculosis (TB).

Despite the stubborn nature of the disease itself and the numerous obstacles and frustrations associated with fighting the illness, Government’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the eradication of TB by the year 2030 remains commendably resolute.

TB is one of the world’s worst killers, particularly of HIV-positive persons.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that last year, 10 million people, including 1 million children, fell ill and were diagnosed with TB, and 1.6 million deaths occurred from the disease; 230,000 being children. While measurable progress is being made worldwide, the number of new cases is falling by about 2 per cent per year; the rate of decline must immediately accelerate to about 4 or 5 per cent to reach the 2020 milestone of the international End TB Strategy (ETBS).

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that most often affects the lungs, although it can infect other organs. The disease is curable and preventable. Most frequently, TB is spread through the air. When someone

with lung TB coughs, sneezes or spits, the TB germs are picked up by the air. Another person only has to inhale a few of those germs to become infected. The WHO estimates that about one-quarter of the world’s population has latent TB, which means, they have TB bacteria in their bodies but are not yet sick. And they cannot transmit the disease. Those people with latent TB have a 5 to 15 per cent lifetime risk of getting sick with TB. However, persons with weakened immune systems, such as people living with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, or people who smoke, have a much higher risk. In fact, 7.9 per cent of TB cases worldwide are attributable to smoking.

When a person gets sick with TB, the symptoms – usually, cough, fever, night sweats, chest pain, weakness, and weight loss – may develop slowly. The victim may ignore the seemingly-mild symptoms, thereby allowing the deadly disease to take hold. The WHO says that without proper treatment, 45 per cent of HIV-negative people with TB, and nearly all HIV-positive people with TB will die.

Treating and curing TB is difficult for numerous reasons: the course of treatment may be long, extending into one or two years. Patients have to stick with the

treatment, and, some forms of TB, called multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), are more difficult to treat.

Guyana’s government has identified and tackled those difficulties. According to Dr. William Adu Krow, the local PAHO/ WHO representative, new technology has been introduced to shorten the treatment-period from a period of years to about nine months. To ensure that patients take the medicine, government uses the Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) strategy. This means that trained persons deliver and make sure that patients take the medicines. Regarding drug resistance, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Dr. Karen Cummings reports that “The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is real and cannot be ignored, so the MoPH will be collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to tackle [this issue] through enhanced public awareness, antibiotic conservation, and increased surveillance.”

Work continues through the training of more DOTS workers, a national TB manual has been developed and disseminated to professionals caring for TB patients around the country, annual conferences on TB have been held in collaboration with local

and international agencies, laboratories have now been appropriately equipped throughout Guyana’s regions, targeted interventions for children and adolescents have been introduced, counselling and support services are now available, and numerous studies and other feedback mechanisms have been activated.

Government’s commitment to improving the quality and availability of healthcare is reflected in the 2019 budget, with $35.9 billion being allocated to the sector; $2.6 billion more than in 2018. That ongoing commitment is already showing results.

Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall, Programme Director of the National Tuberculosis Programme has disclosed that for the 2016 to 2017 period, the TB Programme recorded a reduction in the number of related mortalities to 8.2 per cent per 100,000.

Because of the slowly-progressing nature of TB, The Ministry of Public Health, as well as international agencies, is now working to accurately quantify the effects of government’s efforts.

However, clearly, progress is being made, and there is little doubt that benchmarks and milestones will be met as government continues its systematic work.

All Guyanese have an entitlement of beneficial share in the nation’s wealth Dear Editor, GUYANESE are intelligent enough to understand what has been occurring in their country since 2015; more so since December 21, 2018 – an orchestration of forces, led by a political collective, bent not only on destabilizing Guyana, but derailing its socio-economic trajectory path. This has been attempted by a naked, fraudulent grab for power, masquerading under the outright deception of a no-confidence motion.

Of course, the nation had been informed by the Leader of the Opposition that the no-confidence debate would spotlight on the government’s performance, and would benefit the nation. It was a deception, as perfidious as it comes since it was a deceptive means to an equally deceptive end.

Guyana has travelled quite some distance, since 2015, gradually putting distance between itself and those dark, frightening years that would have experienced its national dignity being trampled upon, without any

care and concern for the many who would have suffered from the many injustices meted out; so many scars do they still bear, and their communities now struggling to emerge from its years of deliberate neglect. Since the post-December 21 events are now well known, Guyana and its people have so much to lose should such forces be allowed. It is a nightmare that the entire nation ought to be determined not to ever return to such a distorted understanding of itself; and this is extended to those who did not have to experience the ugly spite of race and discrimination. For it must be remembered that whatever occurs in Guyana to any segment of our populace, will have a trickledown effect on others. This fact cannot be denied.

It is quite clear that what has been occurring is about a cabal, in indecent haste, trampling on anyone and everyone [in] its path, to greedily grab the new-found resource of oil, which will become the national patrimony, for themselves, friends and cronies. They are easily identified since they are known by their many false and deceptive daily statements.

Ominously, very ominously, but not surprising, this contains all the portents, and is a virtual replay of the two decades of exclusion of a segment of our society.

Is it that those whose salivation have now certainly reached the point of self- inundation, cannot comprehend what such selfishness and greed, coupled with outright discrimination, would have caused in a nation that is still suffering from years of criminal pillage? Further, is it that greed, so all-absorbing in its mental swathe, and lascivious in its desire, does not allow even for a scintilla of thought as to its possible consequences, on the part of those who have become dazed by its unconscionable heat?

Let it be said to these forces that represent nothing but their narrow self-interests, that every Guyanese, irrespective of race, do have a share in the national patrimony and is entitled to a fair share of its distribution.

And it is without contradiction to say that since this is their country, especially born and bred, and that whatever wealth, such as what would derive from a lucrative oil industry,

that they have the right, as every other, to every legitimate expectation as participants in its beneficial apportionment.

Further, Guyana is a country of six races, and since it is a matter of historical fact that representatives of each of those named groupings have either as individuals, but mostly as a collective, as is current, taken part in the governance of the nation’s political-social-economic administrative affairs, then it is arrant nonsense on the part of those who suggest that a particular ethnic group is not capable of governing Guyana.

Such a perception/opinion is not only downright discriminatory but sickening racism that continues to be peddled by those whose only understanding of government and governance is division and dominance. It is reckless and gravely irresponsible for the Leader of the Opposition who told his Berbice supporters to take our country back.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

CJ upholds Charrandas’ vote …but confirms he is a dual citizen

By Svetlana Marshall IN a landmark decision, Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire ruled that the vote cast by Charrandas Persaud in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018 was valid, even as she confirmed that he sat in the National Assembly while being dual citizen – something which is unconstitutional.

“While agreed that continued illegality should not be permitted in whatever was done, a vote of an unqualified MP cannot and would not nullify that which has occurred in the past where the proceedings were lawful,” the chief justice said in the High Court on Thursday.

At the time, Justice G e o rg e - Wi l t s h i r e w a s handing down her ruling in the case Compton Reid v The Speaker, Charrandas Persaud and the Attorney General, in which the New Amsterdam farmer sought a total of seven declarations and two orders, intended to set aside the decision of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, that the no-confidence motion was carried.

Reid, through his Attorneys Rex McKay, S.C; Neil Boston, S.C, and Robert Corbin, had argued that the passage of the motion could not have been valid on the grounds that Persaud’s presence in the National Assembly at the time was illegal.

However, Persaud, through his lead Attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, approached the court to strike out Reid’s application on the grounds that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the claim, and that the challenge should have been brought by an elections petition.

In delivering her more than one-hour-long decision in the first of the three constitutional cases on the validity of the no-confidence motion, the chief justice ruled that she had jurisdiction to treat with the first of the seven declarations sought by Reid. Reid had asked the court to declare that Persaud is not qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly by virtue of his own act and acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience and adherence to a foreign pow-

er – Canada – in Contravention of Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Guyana.

Justice George-Wiltshire said the declaration did not seek to nullify his election but spoke to his current status and whether Persaud can be qualified for election as an MP in the future. The chief justice also ruled that she had jurisdiction to address the second declaration sought, in which Reid called on the court to declare that Persaud on April 7, 2016 was disqualified from being nominated as a member of the National Assembly.

said that the fifth declaration sought also amount to an attack on Persaud’s eligibility. “To make such a determination, Reid would have had to file an election petition,” she posited, while stating that the court had no jurisdiction to grant the declaration. In like manner, the chief justice said that Declarations Six and Seven, which sought to nullify the vote cast by Persaud on December 21, 2018, should have been sought by way of an election petition.

While she did not declare that Persaud’s presence in the National As-

of which were repeatedly renewed. The chief justice noted too that based on the evidence provided under the Canadian Citizenship Act, an applicant for citizenship of Canada is obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. Attributing to the classic case on treason – Joyce v the DPP, in which Joyce was an American citizen resident in a British territory, the chief justice conceded that having a passport has far reaching implications.

this is not for this court to pronounce on,” the chief justice said. She made it clear that until and unless they are amended, the constitutional provisions must be adhered to.

“Any change to reflect a different view may be undertaken by constitutional amendment if the public and their parliamentary representatives are so inclined,” she added.

CANNOT BE AN MP As such, she said anyone who holds dual citizen-

Expelled MP, Charrandas Persaud

Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire

But the chief justice said she had no jurisdiction to rule on the third declaration in which by Reid was seeking to nullify Persaud’s nomination as a candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

“This prayer…has as its objective the reversal of the result of his election.

As result, I have concluded that to seek to nullify his nomination would amount to and does amount to a collateral attack on his election as a MP. To challenge his election would have necessitated compliance with the specialised procedure…that is by petition within 28 days of the official declaration of results,” she explained.

While stating that Declaration Four “need not be granted,” the chief justice

sembly was illegal and amounted to a breach of the Constitution, the chief justice offered to address the issue of a Member of Parliament holding dual citizenship due to its national importance.

Stating that the Constitution is very clear, the chief justice referenced to Article 155 which states that “(1) No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who – (a) is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”

It was noted that based on the evidence provided

by Reid’s attorneys, it is undeniable that Persaud holds both a Guyanese and Canadian passport, both

“A person who holds a passport is under acknowledgement of allegiance and by renewing the passport, he is by his own act renewing that allegiance to the state which issued that passport to him,” she stated.

It was noted that the issue of dual citizenship continues to draw attention throughout the Commonwealth. In the case of Guyana, the chief justice said the language of Articles 53 and 55 of the Constitution of Guyana is simple and does not require complicated legal gymnastics for their interpretation.

“These provisions seek to preserve for membership of the National Assembly, persons who only hold Guyanese citizenship and who would not have voluntarily taken an oath of allegiance to another country.

While this may say that this does not permit the fullest participation of diaspora Guyanese in the political leadership of Guyana,

ship should not and cannot be a Member of Parliament.

On this basis, she said Persaud is not qualified for election to the Parliament.

She also declared that Persaud was disqualified for membership of the National Assembly.

CROSSING THE FLOOR In providing guidance for the future on the issue of crossing the floor and voting against one’s list, the chief justice, while alluding to Article 153 (3) said, a MP who switches just as a vote is about to be taken does not cease to be a member; shooting down the arguments put by Boston and McKay. “It may be wrong, some may even say immoral, it may be disloyal and a violation of the spirit and intent of the Constitution for such an MP not to have communicated his change in heart as provided for in Article 156 (3), but they

would not have ceased to be an MP at the time of the vote,” she stated.

Additionally, she said Article 58 (1) outlines a penalty for a person who remains an MP while unqualified. That Article states “Any person who sits or votes in the National Assembly, knowing or having reasonable ground for knowing that he or she is not entitled to do so, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars for each day upon which he or she so sits and votes.”

However, she made it clear that the article did not state that a vote by an unqualified person amounts to a nullity. In fact, she pointed to Article 165 (2) which safeguards the proceedings.

A part of that article states that “…the presence or participation of any person not entitled to be present at or to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly shall not invalidate those proceedings.”

Shooting down the arguments put by Boston, the Attorney General Basil Williams and his associates Maxwell Edwards and Mayo Roberts, that Persaud was a “usurper” on the night of December 21, 2018, the chief justice said one should not disregard his other actions in Parliament.

“There is no evidence that the second respondent knew that he was not qualified to be elected, more so, that there have been submissions that not only he had dual citizenship while sitting as an elected MP,” she posited.

Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said there should not be any cherry-picking when treating with the Constitution. “In my view, one would not be able to choose an issue such as for example: a no-confidence motion, to saying that a vote on that issue that one was displeased with, becomes a nullity because of the serious consequences for the government of the day, while matters including national budgets in which an unqualified member voted would remain intact,” she stated.

In concluding the case, the chief justice said if it could have been found that Persaud was disqualified to be elected, his vote could not have been nullified.

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Mechanic fined $50M for cocaine trafficking

MAGISTRATE Rushell Liverpool, on Thursday at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, handed down a four-year jail sentence, along with a fine of $50M, on a 48-year-old mechanic, after finding him guilty of trafficking cocaine.

Rajendra Persaud, 48, of Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was found guilty of the charge which read that on June 6, 2018, at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, he trafficked 35 Kilograms of cannabis and 13.8 Kilograms of cocaine.

Persaud was jointly charged and on trial with Khamraj Lall, 39, of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo; 36-year-old Marlon Lawrence of Felicity, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Cleve Thornhill, and 36-year-old Doodnauth Chattergoon, also of Zeelugt.

However, Persaud was found guilty of the charge, since it was found that he had knowledge and control of the illicit drugs while his other co-accused were freed from the indictment.

Magistrate Liverpool noted that, based on the evidence and testimonies from the witnesses, Persaud had tried pinning blame on the other defendants and kept changing his story.

Persaud’s attorney, Siand Dhurjon, during his plea of mitigation, begged the court for

leniency and asked for the minimum sentence to be imposed on his client.

Magistrate Liverpool, sentenced Persaud to four years imprisonment, along with a fine of $50M. According to reports, CANU ranks, on June 6, 2018, at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, intercepted the five men with the cocaine and cannabis stashed in false bottoms of two 15-gallon gas bottles.

CANU was able to make the bust after receiving information regarding a shipment of drugs arriving at Parika, from Charity, in a speed boat.

Acting on the information received, CANU officers then went to the Parika location where they intercepted motor vehicles PSS 8019 and PVV 7934.

In one motor car were Lawrence and Persaud, while Thornhill and the other co-accused were in the other.

The vehicles were searched and two blue 15-gallon gas bottles were found with the bottoms cut and covered with brown paste.

A further examination of the containers revealed several packages, some containing cannabis and others containing the suspected cocaine.

From left: Doodnauth Chattergoon, Rajendra Persaud, Khemraj Lall, Marlon Lawrence and Cleve Thornhill

Elderly man on rape charge freed

AN elderly man exited the Demerara High Court a free man on Thursday after a 12-member jury found him not guilty on both counts of rape of a child under the age of 16 years.

The matter was called in the Sexual Offences Court before Justice Jo-Ann Bar-

low. The members of the jury deliberated for more than two hours and returned to the courtroom with the verdict.

The foreman told the court that on the first count of sexual activity with a child, a family member, they found the accused not guilty.

The verdict was unanimous.

According to the indictment, between May 14 and15, 2017, Alfred Campbell allegedly engaged in sexual activity with the female child who was only 12 years old at the time.

On the second count of sexual penetration which stated that between June 1 and 30, 2017, the ac-

cused, Alfred Campbell, raped the female child-his step-daughter-- while they were living in the same house at the time, in the county of Demerara.

The foreman announced a unanimous verdict of not guilty as well on this count, too, after which the judge told the accused he was free

to go.

Alfred Campbell walked out of the Demerara High Court in smiles, surrounded by a few relatives.

The State was represented by Seeta Bishundial, Lisa Cave and Sarah Martin while the defence attorney was Maxwell McKay.

Alfred Campbell at the Demerara High Court on Thursday

Cherry picking the constitution and violating constitutional jurisprudence is a new normal Dear Editor, LEGAL scholars of repute and legal luminaries all concur that strict interpretation used in the interpretation of taxing or criminal matters is not applied in constitutional provisions. Literal interpretation defeats the “will” of what the farmers intended.

In 1997, the court ruled the 1997 elections were “vitiated”, that Articles 59 and 159 were violated, the elections were therefore null and void, as it was ultra vires articles 59 and 159.

Editor, the question now was “what is the status of the PPP government? Which had, in the courts view, committed flaws, massive voter irregularities and illegalities per se affecting the elections outcome.

Under the Herdmanston Agreement, the government’s shortened mandates should have ended January 17; GECOM concluded it was not technically prepared for an acceptable elections.

The political question, “What happens to government in the interim period?” The resolution of Ester Pereira’s election petition,

effectively settled the issue. The court ruled that …in order to uphold the rule of law, prevent the creation of a legal vacuum, with grave consequential chaos and in the interest of effective government, the President and his cabinet as presently constituted, should ‘continue to perform their respective functions of office, not under virtue of declared unlawful elections, but under the order of the court.

The PPP/Civic’s view was that the 1997 elections were null and void on ‘technicality’ and should not require the PPP/C government to resign. Editor, Jagdeo and his cohorts, cabal and desperadoes –Ali Baba+40 all suffer from lapus memoriae (see Philology).

Ignorance of amazing altitude and galactic proportions has seen the emergence of principles, elucidated by the dull and ignorant, the ruling political elite, with suspect democratic credentials with dubious certificates and credentials fraudulently obtained through criminality.

Teitel argues - in the rule of law ‘dilemma which arise in politically controversial cases constitutionalism takes on a ”balancing of

ideal justice” with political reality leading to an ambivalent directionality of law”.

Editor, corruption is a serious malady undermining the very health of the polity, the political clamour by the PPP and its fascism has continued unabated by Jagdeo. The ventriloquism by this dangerous individual in which he pontificates that the five persons selected by him, all agree the HE, Jagdeo must sit in a government, headed by a person, selected by Secret Ballot. Directed by him, to be presidential/candidate/nominees, speaks of unbridled, purported executive arrogance, and both bureaucratic and political morbidity of connivance.

Editor, in 2016 in a Russian video interview published Monday 1st February, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev harshly criticised Putin and Dmitry Medvedev…”Putin Rules” “Manually” with the help of rogue factions who entrench corruption…deficient Russian institutions provides for the supremacy of arbitrariness and abuse, rule by ‘fear’, they decide, between then, as if there was no

society, no constitution. They believe they are saviours of the Motherland”.

In Guyana, the former PPP President sees profit as the natural spoils of office and has plotted to infect a monetising of the office of president; it is call ‘profiting’ from the Presidency.

With amnesia, our fatal forgetfulness has seen the resurgence of Jagdeo-demented lies, his elitist xenophobia-racial superiority and hand-picked successor a paralysing virus of menacing power play; first (1) Donald Ramotar, (2) Mohammed Irfaan Alli, This country is not Jagdeo, et-al corporation, it is a nation of 700,000 people.

1. Jagdeo – what happened to the police 19 per cent in the Armistrony Tribunal?

2. Jagdeo – where are NIS squandered funds?

3. Jagdeo – who funds ‘sugar’ that is a bankrupt industry?

Regards Ronald Kendall Insp. Of Police (Rt’d)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

‘Disaster risk management is everybody’s business’

MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon, who holds responsibility for the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), on Thursday said that the responsibility of disaster risk management and response rests not only with the central government but rather, it requires a concerted effort from every member of society.

The minister was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening of the first Annual Regional Disaster Risk Management (RDRM) Conference for Regional Chairmen and Regional Executive Officers from the 10 administrative regions at the Cara Lodge.

The minister said Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) are a very important layer in the governance system of the country, and particularly in disaster risk management and response, since it is the first responder to the needs of the citizens in their respective regions.

“It is to you that the people of the region look for first response to tragedies and disasters and development, and it is to you that they will look for answers.

I believe that Guyana has

regions,” Minister Harmon noted.

The minister further added that Guyana has been experiencing the effects of climate change since the massive floods of 2005, which left many communities across the country inundated. Since then, Guyana has experienced several disastrous situations as a result of climate change and global warming. These disasters, he said, severely affected the livelihoods of many villages and the overall economic and infrastructural landscape of the respective regions.

Disaster risk management

fence, we have to look at it in a holistic way. We also have the production of oil that will be taking place soon and so the question of oil spill management becomes another issue we will have to deal with carefully. So, we have to broaden our lenses in the way we look at civil defence.

The challenges are different in the various regions,” the minister asserted.

With this in mind, Minister Harmon then noted that the conference will become an annual feature that will see all regions coming together and planning for the year, as there is requirement

9

… Minister Harmon says at RDRM Conference for Regional Heads

Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon delivers the feature address at the opening of the one-day Regional Disaster Risk Management Conference hosted by the Civil Defence Commission and the Ministry of Communities at Cara Lodge rolled out in eight of the 10 administrative regions. Additionally, he noted that the work of the regions, as it relates to disaster management in 2018, has been reviewed while plans for 2019 are being finalised.

“The CDC’s vision is to lead, coordinate and facilitate a sustainable disaster risk management system for Guyana that reduces risk and enhance resilience to the impacts of all hazards and Minister of Communities, Mr. Ronald Bulkan (eighth left–front row) and Minister of State, Mr. Joseph disasters. To achieve this Harmon (ninth left–front row) with the Regional Chairpersons and Regional Executive Officers of the 10 vision, in 2015, the CDC administrative regions at the one-day Regional Disaster Risk Management Conference at Cara Lodge embarked on a mission to ensure that each region has policy guidance. Our activ- without a doubt, foremost a RDRMS where they are ities should not be reactive among those challenges. We equipped and prepared to rebut we should be planning see the involvement of the spond to all disasters; floods, prevention methods. It is community as important to droughts, oil spills, health not disaster response. It is crafting plans and strategies hazards. The CDC recognisdisaster risk management to manage and mitigate the es the need to decentralise and this requires proactive challenge of disaster risk risk management since each measures as well as reactive management. Integral to region is physically, ecomeasures,” he noted. sustainable communities nomically and culturally Meanwhile, Minister of also, is the capacity of our unique. This realisation led Communities, Mr. Ronald regions and our communities to the development of this Bulkan, with whom the CDC to rebound from disasters. comprehensive system,” has partnered to make the Responsive institutions and Lieutenant Colonel Craig event possible, said the con- capacity are important to our said. ference is timely and rele- regions in order for them to To date, the CDC has vant, given the challenges be effective first responders. produced 24 community posed by climate change. Regions should have region- disaster risk management The event, he said, ties into al disaster risk management plans, five municipality Regional Chairpersons and Regional Executive Officers at the Regional Disaster the vision of the Ministry committees because we can plans, six disaster risk asRisk Management Conference held at the Cara Lodge of Communities, which is never be overly prepared, sessments and a risk assessto promote cohesive, em- we can only be effectively ment for Demerara-Mahaica moved away from the system and response planning must for this system all across the powered and sustainable prepared to ensure lives are (Region Four). It has also communities for all citizens safe, infrastructure protected finalised and handed over where everything resides therefore become a concern country. within central government. I of every stakeholder.

“In many communities, of Guyana. This vision, Min- and to minimise damage to eight Regional Multi-Hazard believe that we have changed “We have had and will you find that disaster risk ister Bulkan, noted is taken the local, regional and na- Preparedness and Response that paradigm which says continue to have these sit- management is the job of seriously and forms the bed- tional economy and national Plans to eight regions.

The commission hopes that unless the minister or uations because of the low the CDC primarily and it rock of the ministry’s daily development,” Minister Bulkan said. to complete Demerara-Macentral government is there coastal plain on which we is important that we un- strategic work.

“When we speak of susDirector General (Ag.) of haica and Potaro-Siparuni then nothing can happen. live. [The] majority of our derstand that disaster risk tainable communities, it is, the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel (Region Eight) Regional We have restored the local population and what we management starts from the government system and the produce is located here and lowest level. You and the among other things, under- Kester Craig, said this year’s Multi-Hazard PreparedRDCs to manage their re- so the threats of rising sea people are the first respond- stood to mean wider com- conference was held with ness and Response Plans gions and neighbourhoods. levels will continue to be ers and, in most cases, the munity involvement in deci- the aim of examining the by the end of 2019, thereWe can’t take disaster risk something to which we have last responders. What we sion-making, in crafting and strengths, weaknesses and by equipping all of the preparedness as something to pay attention. There are envisage is that all of the articulating the community’s opportunities in the Regional regions to prepare for and that we don’t have to deal areas in which our biodi- capacities would reside in vision in recommending Disaster Risk Management respond to emergencies with. Disasters present a versity is threatened and so the various regions and from solutions to challenges, and System (RDRMS), which and disasters. (Ministry of reality for us in all of the when we look at civil de- the centre, you would get disaster risk management is the commission has already Presidency)

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

33 is an absolute majority–CJ … upholds no-confidence motion against gov’t

… says Cabinet should resign while government remains in Office

By Svetlana Marshall CHIEF Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on Thursday ruled that the No-Confidence Motion was validly passed in the National Assembly as declared by the Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, on the grounds that the Opposition acquired an absolute majority.

As such, in an inter-related matter, she ruled that Cabinet should have resigned on December 21, 2018, with immediate effect while the government remains in Office

pending elections.

In a case brought against the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition, Attorney General Basil Williams had challenged the validity of the resolution by Parliament saying that the motion was carried.

Williams argued that though the opposition secured the support of renegaded MP Charrandass Persaud-a then Government Parliamentarian-- it did not secure an absolute majority when the motion was put to a vote on December 21, 2018.

According to Williams, who appeared in association with

attorneys Maxwell Edwards, Mayo Robertson and Robert Corbin, 34 votes or more were needed for the motion to be validly carried. His arguments were based on Article 106 (6) which provides for the resignation of Cabinet upon its defeat by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.

However, on Thursday the Chief Justice ruled that 33 votes in the 65-Member National Assembly amount to an absolute majority.

In explaining the reason

behind her decision, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said the High Court considered what constitutes a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly, and the majority of members present and voting. She noted that this was the approach used in the case Kilman v Speaker of Parliament of Vanuatu (2011).

Vanuatu Constitution provides for the Parliament to pass a motion of no- confidence in the Prime Minister but only if supported by an absolute majority of the Members of Parliament. That Parliament has 52 members, however, in the case in point, only 51 voted, and the Speaker had ruled that the motion was carried 26:25 vote. While the Speaker’s ruling was upheld at the level of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court ruled that the Speaker’s ruling was in contradiction of the Constitution.

However, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said that the Court of Appeal did not rule out the interpretation that half plus one equals to an absolute majority.

“The court of appeal overruled the decision of the Chief Justice but did not reject as incorrect the interpretation of absolute majority, which the Chief Justice also said could only be determined by reference to the number representing all members of Parliament.

“It must be recognised that while the interpretation of absolute majority given there is at least half plus one, in this case, 27 of the 52 members, this is said to be consistent with the interpretation of absolute majority,” the Chief Justice explained.

She noted that the situation of odd number is not unique to Guyana; however, not many examples were placed before the court by the Attorney General – the applicant in the matter. In the Kenyan Parliament (1998), the Chief Justice pointed out that while the formula half plus one was used, no explanation was given by the Speaker for utilising the formula.

“It must be noted that in the No-Confidence Motion moved in our National Assembly, the Speaker found that the motion had been carried by a majority of 33 to 32. It must be noted that, as the applicant admitted, no one in the National Assembly at the time, none of the elected members or anyone else indicated to the Speaker that the vote could not be carried by a majority of 33/32 and when this challenge was

raised, the Speaker declined to reverse the vote,” the Chief Justice said. The Speaker, who is represented by Senior Counsel Rafiq Khan, referred the matter to the Court for determination.

On that basis, she said “In my view it would be inconceivable this court would accept what was said by the Speaker in the Parliament of another jurisdiction over 20 years ago without any identifiable authority indicated to overturn a ruling made by the Speaker of our National Assembly, and the validity of which was not doubted at the time…”

She ruled that in acquiring a majority, one side must acquire one more than the other side. The Chief Justice, however, made it clear that in the case of an absolute majority as specified by the Constitution, is a majority of all Members of Parliament present, regardless if there are present or not.

According to her, it would be a fallacy to state that an absolute majority could also be a simple majority of Members of Parliament present and voting.

“The Court of Appeal in Kilman…explicitly states that 27 is both an absolute majority and a simple majority of 52, since if all members are present and voting, an absolute majority is equal to a simple majority,” she pointed out.

However, it was acknowledged that it is more difficult to acquire an absolute majority. Using Vanuatu as an example, it was pointed out that in an absolute majority provision at least 27 votes would be required for a motion to be successfully passed while in a simple majority, a very small number may suffice once a quorum is reached.

“In our 65-Member National Assembly, therefore, a majority of all elected member of the National Assembly in accordance with the principle of one over all rivals combined, is 33 members. This is so since the maximum number of potential opposers could only be 32.

“A majority of those present and voting may vary if 45 members are present and voting, a majority of those members present and voting is 23…if all 65 Members are present and voting, a majority of those members present and voting is 33,” the Chief Justice explained.

In case of an absolute majority where all members are taken into consideration, the majority will be 33. “At least 33 votes must always be obtained to meet that requirement. If 55 members are present, a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly would still be 33. If only 45 are present,

a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly would still be 33, and even if only 33 members are present, a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly would still be 33,” Chief Justice George-Wiltshire further explained.

The Attorney General, in presenting the case, had argued the government could not have been defeated by way of a No-Confidence Motion when Article 70 guarantees it a fiveyear term in office.

Williams had contended that Resolution 101, which validates the passage of the no-confidence motion, was lawful because resolutions of the National Assembly are ‘Subsidiary Legislation’ and cannot lawfully abridge or curtail the five-year government. But the Chief Justice ruled that his arguments were inconsistent.

STAY OF JUDGEMENT Upon hearing the ruling, the Attorney General applied for a stay of the judgment by the Chief Justice as well as a conservatory order for the government to remain in office until the appeals are heard.

But these were not granted by the Chief Justice, who posited that the order should be sought at the level of the Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, in the case Christopher Ram v The Attorney General and Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker ruled that Cabinet, which is a subset of government, should have resigned with immediate effect upon the passage of the no-confidence motion while government remains in office until the President takes the oath of office following an election. That election, according to Article 106 (7) shall be held within 90 days of the defeat of a government or such longer period as the National Assembly by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all elected members.

Contrary to the arguments put by the Attorney General that to have a government without a Cabinet would be a recipe for chaos, the Chief Justice, in delivering the third ruling for the day on the matter of the no-confidence motion, said there will be no resulting chaos.

It must be noted that while the Cabinet, including the President, is required to resign, the President remains the President of Guyana and the ministers remain Ministers of Government and will continue to function in those capacities.

According to the Constitution, they are required to resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.

Child perishes in Mon Repos fire A FIRE on Thursday afternoon at Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, has left a two-year-old child dead.

Reports are that around 14:00hrs, the fire was observed in a bedroom at the top- flat of the building, which stood opposite the National Agricultural Research Extension Institute (NAREI) compound.

The child’s grandmother was reportedly in the bottom-flat of the building when the fire started in

the bedroom.

An eyewitness told the Guyana Chronicle that neighbours responded to the fire but the blaze was too much for them to handle. Attempts were made to retrieve the child from the bedroom but responders could not contend with the smoke.

Members of the Guyana Fire Service who responded to the fire, managed to contain the blaze to the house where the fire started.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Timehri bus drivers welcome Code of Conduct –– begin wearing uniform in support of it

A FEW of the minibus drivers of Route 42 (Georgetown to Timehri) on Monday signalled their endorsement for bus drivers to start wearing uniformed attire and adhere to other provisions contained in the imminent Minibus Code of Conduct, noting their hope that the implementation of regulations will also help to ease some of the problems currently facing them at their bus park.

The drivers donned matching T-shirts and caps affixed with the logo of the United Minibus Union

ways in which they should handle passengers, making special provisions for the elderly and disabled.

Minibus drivers at the Route 42 bus park have been complaining about their situation for some time now.

The Route 42 minibuses were formerly located at Russell Square, West of Parliament Building, however, in August of last year, the buses were barred from using that area by the Mayor and City Council (MCC) which converted the area into a market square for vendors who they relocated from the dangerously dilapidated Stabroek

to physical confrontations between the drivers. .

“We do not have a turn [system]. Some of the workers there create a turn system for themselves but eventually break it themselves and it cause a lot of problems; it could even cause bloodshed.

Umpteen time people fight with each other. Even though we know each other for some time, you still find people fighting against each other.

There should be a turn system set up there to maintain order, to prevent people fighting against others for passengers, because it’s not nice,” Welcome noted.

United Minibus Union President, Eon Andrews (right) met with some of Route 42 minibus drivers on Monday. From left are Quincy Welcome, Paul Leonard, Felix Walker and Leroy Johnson (Tamica Garnett photo) (UMU), the only group recognized to negotiate on behalf of the minibuses.

Apart from noting the insufficient space provided for buses at the temporary Route 42 park, drivers also complained about the bullying by some drivers since there is no proper line system in place on the park, and noted their wish to see the situation whereby touts, who are paid to load buses, are removed.

The call for minibus drivers to start wearing uniformed attire is one of many proposals contained in a recently drafted “Minibus Code of Conduct” brought about by consultations between the Ministry of Business, the UMU, the National Road Safety Council and the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department.

President of the UMU, Eon Andrews, was present at the bus park on Monday to listen to some of the concerns of the drivers and get feedback on how they felt about the Code of Conduct, which is expected to be signed and go into effect within the first quarter of the year.

In addition to requiring uniforms, the Code calls for drivers and conductors to have their fare structure properly displayed and to desist from playing loud music and overloading the buses. The Code also advises on proper

Wharf.

At that time, the then Town Clerk, Royston King, promised that the M&CC would look into finding another area for the minibuses to operate. However, since then the buses have been occupying several temporary parks, finally settling on occupying an area on Bungle Street and a section of Water Street.

However, the drivers continue to note that the space is insufficient to accommodate the many buses plying the route.

“I don’t know who tell M&CC to trouble these people, but this confusion has been created. I’ve always said that this country has more bus than it needs, it’s just that there are certain areas where persons do not work beyond 4 or 5 o’clock. You find it appears as though there’s a [shortage] of buses. But there are times when East Coast buses would create a situation, staying on the East Coast for a while so that the crowd could build up in town so that they can call for this $200.

So there are many things that happen that needs to be addressed,” explained Andrews.

Route 42 driver Quincy Welcome noted that the lack of a line system, which would give all drivers their fair chance to full their buses, leaves for a system of bullying and chaos to prevail in its place. This, he said, leads

Another driver, Felix Walker, noted that when the drivers tried to create a turn system among themselves, it was the “touts” who disrupted the system because it interfered with how they make their money.

“We had an orderly system and when the touts realise they getting forced out, they come and create mayhem between the drivers. That’s how we’re in this confusion right now,” Walker remarked.

A regular feature on all bus parks around the Stabroek Market area, touts load the minibuses on the park and are in turn paid a fee each time they load a bus. The more buses they load and the faster they do so, the more money they make, as such, touts are often aggressive in how they solicit passengers.

Touts are known for enticing passengers to leave one bus for another and in some cases they guide passengers on the wrong bus, simply to make their load faster.

Paul Leonard, who has been working the Route 42 for some four years now, says his biggest concern is that there are various sub-routes within the 42 route and certain routes are encroaching on others.

“It’s a lot of branches come off of the 42 route; it got ‘Short to Grove’, Mocha, Timehri, ‘Diamond inside’,

and Eccles,” Leonard explained. He said he operates “Short to Grove” and that sub-route has been facing pressure from the Mocha buses.

“When we deh hey we tek about three hours to make one load, and they make about five to six trips

because they not working Mocha alone, they working short. When they snatching the short ones [passengers] and we waiting for the Grove passengers, we waiting three hours. That’s why we does gah end up going on the hot plate and going all about, all about and then the police

running we. But we got to do that to survive ‘cause staying here for three hours for a load is pressure.

The Mocha buses would come in you line, but you can’t go in their line; they want fight, they want bore yuh wheel, all kinds a thing,” Leonard stated.

12

Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter

TIERAN Sooknanand, 17, who fatally stabbed taxi driver Deonarine Laljit, called “Baba” at Number 72 Village, Corentyne on July 5, 2017, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter at the Berbice Assizes on Thursday.

The teenager, represented by Attorney Chandra Sohan, had initially pleaded not guilty to the capital offence following

his appearance at the Berbice Assizes two weeks ago.

However, after consulting his attorney and his parents, he admitted to the offence of manslaughter following arraignment before Justice Brassington Reynolds.

The case has since been adjourned for the hearing of the probation report, mitigation, and the State’s case by State Prosecutor, Mandel Moore.

Eight witnesses, including three policemen, the wife of the deceased and a pastor, were scheduled to testify at the hearings.

Meanwhile, according to reports, on July 5, 2017, at approximately 12:30hrs, the accused, now 17-years old, was a backseat passenger in Laljit’s car when he dealt him two stabs: one to the neck and the other to his shoulder.

It is believed that the

lad had specifically caught the victim’s car with the intention of causing bodily harm, because it was alleged that the taxi driver was in the habit of making inappropriate remarks to the boy’s sister.

The accused, a former student of Skeldon Line Path Secondary, and of Number 65 Village, was further remanded to the juvenile holding centre at Sophia pending his sentence.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Thief flees with judge’s television BERBICE police are investigating the theft of a 32’’ smart television from the judges' quarters within the compound of the Berbice High Court.

The device, valued $120,000, was secured in the temporary dwelling of the rotating judges assigned to the Supreme Court.

It was reported that the caretaker of the building, Alexis Cameron, had observed that a window at the northern side of the wooden and concrete edifice was opened.

At the time, the security guard was not around. Earlier, a contractor assigned to do renovation to the roof of the building had gone to the site and did not see the guard and proceeded to commence his task.

Reports revealed that the television was affixed to the wall prior to its removal.

Investigations are ongoing.

UK sacks Sittlington

… over setting up of local private fraud probe company

THE British High Commission has terminated the contract of Dr Sam Sittlington, who has been serving as Adviser to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, confirmed the move. “In light of information about Dr Sam Sittlington’s private business interests, his contract in Guyana has been terminated with immediate effect,” a statement attributed to Quinn read.

Reports are that the move was made after information published in the Stabroek News yesterday (Thursday, January 31, 2019) indicated that Sittlington, an Irish financial investigations expert, is in the process of setting-up his own fraud investigation company in Guyana.

Dr. Sam Sittlington Sittlington has been working with SOCU on a number of high-profile cases, including those involving opposition members of parliament. He was hired through the Security Sector Reform Programme. His recent move to set-up a company may have been seen as a conflict of interest.

While responding to queries made by the opposition last March, Quinn reported that Sittlington’s role at SOCU was one in which he served in an advisory and training capacity, and not in an operational role.

The British High Commissioner stated, at the time, that Dr Sittlington’s contract at SOCU was funded by the British High Commission and was designed as a follow-up to his work with the unit in 2017.

The financial investigations adviser was tasked with working with the Director of SOCU, Sydney James, and was responsible for reviewing all current investigations carried out by SOCU, provide advice and guidance on each case, as well as in relation to liaising with other agencies – external and internal – in order to progress SOCU investigations, provide practical advice and guidance to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and lawyers of the Attorney General Office, on progress of crime matters.

He was also tasked with conducting meetings, workshops, research and training and submitting reports on his work and findings.

Sittlington’s contract was expected to end in 2020.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

CDC to unveil emergency response programme in February

IN keeping with their objective to build capacity for disaster risk management, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in collaboration with ExxonMobil will be rolling out a Voluntary Emergency Response Team (VERT) programme in February 2019.

The VERT programme will be executed over one year and will see 30 volunteers being trained in a number of areas. Some of these in-

Director-General (ag) of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant-Colonel Kester Craig

Boat captain gets five years, fined $136M for cocaine trafficking MAGISTRATE Rushell Liverpool, on Thursday, January 31, 2019, sentenced a 33-year-old boat captain to five years imprisonment along with a fine of $136M for trafficking over 65 kilograms of cocaine.

Damion Williams, 33, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, after standing trial at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, was found guilty of having, on December 24, 2017, at Boodhoo Housing Scheme, 65.027 kilograms

and was hired by Williams, whom he owed $20,000.

In her submission, the magistrate further disclosed that a police witness had testified, during the trial, that Anderson had admitted that he was given two gas cylinders, a day before the incident, and did not know that drugs were inside.

Under caution by the said police, Anderson confessed that Williams had placed the cylinders in his taxi for transport.

of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Williams was charged jointly with Vaughn Anderson, 30, of Boodhoo Housing Scheme, Parika, East Bank Essequibo. However, Magistrate Liverpool, on Wednesday, January 30, ruled that the police prosecutor failed to establish a case against Anderson to prove key elements of the charge, such as, knowledge and control.

On those grounds, Magistrate Liverpool dismissed the charge against Anderson and turned her attention to Williams.

The magistrate, in her submission, noted that Anderson was a taxi driver

Magistrate Liverpool, in her ruling, noted that she was satisfied that Williams had knowledge, possession and control of the cocaine, which was stashed inside of the two gas cylinders.

She further stressed that the manner in which the cylinders were cut indicated that Williams intended to traffic the narcotics.

Although Williams’ attorney, George Thomas, had begged the court for leniency, Magistrate Liverpool imposed the maximum sentence on the defendant.

Williams will have to serve five years behind bars and was ordered to pay a fine of $136M.

clude Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis; Community-Based Disaster Risk Management; First Aid Emergency Medical Response; Oil Spill Response, Natural Hazards and Disaster Risk Management, among others.

In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Director-General (ag) of the Civil Defence Commission

(CDC), Lieutenant-Colonel, Kester Craig, said while there was an active volunteer programme, the commission recognised the need to have “highly skilled” volunteers in the area of disaster risk management.

“The volunteers will be trained to respond in the community in which they work, secondly to respond within the community, thirdly within the region and finally to

respond in the Caribbean as part of the Regional Disaster Risk Management System,” the acting CDC head explained.

Lieutenant-Colonel Craig noted that Guyana is well positioned to lend assistance to Caribbean islands. He told the DPI, that the programme would see volunteers being trained in both the theoretical and practical aspects. “They would

have put in hours in the communities, and they have to conduct assessments… They have to participate in operations and spend time in the fields.”

After completing the one-year programme, the participants will become fully certificated.

It was noted that measures will be put in place for the programme to be conducted biannually.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

GRA detains unlicensed drones

THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is reminding importers, owners and operators of drones that they must obtain a permit from the GCAA to operate these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

The authority in a release

said it has noted that during the period leading up to the Christmas holidays and after, the Customs and Trade Administration of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) detained a large number of recreational drones imported into the country without the

required permit.

It is therefore necessary for the public to be reminded of the following: No person shall operate an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, irrespective of the dimensions or maximum weight of that aircraft, for the purposes of obtaining,

recording, or transmitting information, once it has a camera or provisions for a camera, unless that person has obtained written authorisation from the authority to obtain, record, or transmit such information.

Secondly, the GCAA said a person wishing to use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for any or all of the activities referenced in Paragraph (1) may submit a request in writing to the authority, and shall include in the request the name and address of the applicant and the name of the company for whom he is working, if applicable. The request must also include details of the aircraft to be used, including the

make, model, serial number and dimensions of the aircraft, as well as the type of power plant installed on the aircraft, and any other information requested by the authority.

“It should be noted that operators of UAVs will be prosecuted for any breach of the Drones Directive and any other written Laws of Guyana being in force at the time of operation, including but not limited to the Criminal Law Acts of Guyana, Customs Act of Guyana, and the Telecommunications Act of Guyana,” the GCAA warned.

Application for the Drone Permit must be made to the Director-General, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority,

73, High Street Kingston, Georgetown. Alternatively, applications can be submitted online using the Drone Application form on the Authority’s website found at https:// gcaa-gy.org/drones/.

The application process, which includes the required security clearance from the Guyana Police Force, can take up to a minimum of thirty (30) working days.

The GCAA is strongly urging individuals, especially persons desirous of visiting Guyana, or those importing drones, to start the application process in advance of the planned visit with the drone or importation of same.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

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West Ruimveldt residents urged to utilise ICT Hub

RESIDENTS of West Ruimveldt are now beneficiaries of an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Hub. The facility was commissioned on Wednesday by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications at the David Rose Centre.

The facility will provide members of the community with access to online government services and assist students and other persons engaged in academic pursuits.

Addressing the gathering at the commissioning ceremony, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, said the government is committed to providing communities across Guyana with

access to high-quality ICT infrastructure.

The minister reminded that to date, a total of 172 ICT Hubs have been commissioned across the 10 administrative regions through the government’s outlined policy aimed to enhance connectivity and access to Internet and E-Governance services.

“Every child and adult will be able to access the ICT Hub within the West Ruimveldt community, and our ministry will be devoted to training every individual on how to use the laptops. Training will be available,” Minister Hughes said.

She disclosed that each laptop at the ICT Hub contains over 100 soft copies of text-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes interacts with some of the children who will frequently use the ICT Hub books from the Ministry of Education, aimed to assist children with their homework and research. She urged parents to encourage their children to utilise the hub. Minister Hughes highlighted that more than 300 schools across the length and breadth of Guyana have free internet access and her ministry will work to

ensure that every school benefit in the future.

Councillor for West and East Ruimveldt, Tricia Richards, said she is delighted that children within the community will be given access to the ICT Hub, a crucial tool for development in a modern economy.

(DPI)

A section of the gathering at the ICT Hub Commissioning on Wednesday evening at the David Rose Centre in West Ruimveldt

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 1, 2019

Buxtonians to cash in on RAID project

17

… farmers now able to return to abandoned lands … Min. Holder distributes much-needed planting materials

MINISTER of Agriculture, Noel Holder, recently led a team to Buxton Village, East Coast Demerara, where massive works are being carried out under the Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development (RAID) programme.

The project, which is being funded by the Caribbean Development Fund (CDF) at a projected total investment cost of G$318,600,000, was developed to further foster growth in Guyana’s agricultural sector, the ministry said in a release.

According to the ministry, the purpose of the outreach was to observe the progress made thus far in the project and to meet with farmers and distribute much-needed planting materials. During his interactions with farmers in Buxton, Minister Holder explained that agriculture has always been seen as an important element in the plan for reducing poverty.

“Agriculture is everywhere and can play a major role to bring the ‘Good Life’ to all involved in it. This village was selected because we see the potential of the farmers and we are ready and prepared to work with you and offer assistance in every capacity. This is not going to be a one-off something as we plan to execute other projects in the area over time,” Minister Holder said.

The Agriculture Sector Development Unit, the section of the ministry responsible for overlooking and executing the project, conducted a series of assessments and consultations with farmers and residents of Buxton, and a number of persons indicated their readiness to return to farming on abandoned lands, provided that improvements are made to the existing drainage and irrigation system.

Based on those assess-

ments and consultations, areas that were earmarked for development under this project included improving management, infrastructure, agricultural technology, access to credit by small farmers, diversification, rehabilitating and maintaining D&I systems and construction of farm-tomarket roads.

Works in Buxton under the RAID project will be executed in two phases.

Phase one, which included the rehabilitation of the D&I systems, saw the excavation and rehabilitation of 29 km of irrigation canals, 42 km of primary drainage channels, the construction of a stoplog structure, a combined stoplog/ aqueduct structure, a spill weir and the clearing of 180 acres of land, which are now being prepared and cultivated by farmers.

Additionally, two Doosan Excavators, one Caterpillar Bulldozer and a tractor with implements were also procured for the execution of the project and continued use in the area.

Phase two, which involves field development, will see the 180 acres of land leased by the NDC to individual farmers being cleared for agricultural activities. Currently, approximately 120 acres have already been ploughed and chipped and 24 acres are already under cultivation.

To date, the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) has distributed 1,200 coconut seedling and 2,402 citrus plants to over 24 farmers. A weekly delivery schedule is maintained which is expected to conclude by the end of March, 2019 for the delivery of the remainder of the 15,000 seedlings to be supplied.

Communities like Buxton, Mocha, Triumph and Ithaca have been identified for urgent intervention given the fact that, for over the last three decades, residents have

experienced instances of severe flooding of the farmlands due to extreme storm events and an inadequate drainage system.

Minister of Agriculture distributing planting material to farmers at the Buxton location in the presence of the Former Chairman of the Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council (5th from left) Forbes Abrams, and the current Chairman of the Council, Mr. Neirpaul Purai (second from right standing) along with other officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Franale Hold er – destined for greatness Franale Holder

By Vishani Ragobeer

M

EET 28-year-old Franale Holder, a young woman who is out to make a name for herself- as an artiste and an entrepreneur, who also endeavours to push the frontiers of the arts in Guyana.

“Franale is a driven, frank, outspoken young woman whose aim is to ultimately become a National, and eventually International, Singer/Rapper/Entrepreneur/ Song and Script Writer,” the artistic woman told The Buzz in an interview.

Her aim is to touch lives and bring enjoyment to people through the culinary and creative arts.

On the local scene, Franale released her mixtape in 2016

which was produced by EK Designs and she was able to sell 200 copies locally.

She has a YouTube channel too; it’s called Franale’s Mind.

If you’re interested in a taste of Franale, you can check out her music video for her song ‘All the things you love’ that was produced right here in Guyana.

She has also inserted herself, just a bit, into the music scene in St. Kitts and Nevis, where she produced a single called ‘It’s me’ and was featured on two tracks – ‘I do’ ft. Kid Haze and ‘Love’ ft Chettie – with artists from the Caribbean country.

And no, it’s not all just about her. Three years ago she created Franale’s National Hip Hop and Poetry slam, which is a platform for Guyanese to express themselves (and win some money while they’re at it!).

Continuing on her path to put Guyana on the map, she has been working on new music and is hoping to release her first EP at the beginning of March. The EP is named: “For Culture, Gods & Kings.”

Holder said that she’s pretty “optimistic and excited” about this set of music because it features a bit of Egyptology- something she’s really into-and, while many might not understand exactly what she seeks to portray, she is just comfortable being who she wants to be.

“If they misinterpret who I am, then that’s on them. As Lil Wayne said, when people understand you they get bored, [so] keep them guessing,” the artiste said matter-of-factly.

“I know it will be criticised but I don’t really feed into bad feedback,” said Holder, adding,“If its constructive criticism then I’ll listen.”

Franale Holder

Aside from what the EP features, Franale also highlighted that she is working with another national talent –J Taylor, who is making waves as well,J Taylor. He’s a hip-hop producer, beat-maker and singer, and according to Franale, he’s just good.

But aside from the creative arts, Franale has another superpower; she can cook up a storm! The young woman balances her pursuits in music with her fulltime businessFranale’s Creole Kitchen.

Her daily specials are unique, but provide that truly authentic Guyanese feel. Really, she could make you enjoy cabbage, pumpkin or all your other vegetarian any day.

“I love to see people’s reactions when they look at me, then eat my food, and are in disbelief that some pretty girls cook that well,” Holder said smugly.

She also loves pineapples and purple haze (if you know, you know) which just add to her truly interesting personality.

Watch out this March for her EP!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

WE WRESTLE WITH OUR DEMONS I

… and we create to the bitter end, words for a fallen Artist

T doesn’t matter to the Muse, she will inspire the soul to create, whether like the outcast bird in the movie ‘BE’, there is an audience to approve or, one who is indifferent because the creative rhythms does not beat in that soul until the task is done, and the intuitive process is complete and the imaginative becomes manifest.

This is part of a conversation, not in the exact words, that I had with Hubert Edwards, former Lieutenant of the GPM and artist.

Eddie passed a week ago, and was buried the day after my wife saw a flash of his Death Announcement on TV. Upon enquiring, I learnt that the two days followed consecutively and it was over.

Eddie grew up on Saffon Street Charlestown; I had family on Drysdale Street but we didn’t know each other then, he was older that I am, and from our later conversations lived in a different world, so we never met until we were adults. He went through experiences that while in our friendship we would discuss cause and effects, and in those conversations he related that his step-father had imposed on his mind a certain denunciation of self, in preference for another, which he pursued, and time and time again proved his undoing, resulting in serious setbacks.

We would chat at his comic book exchange store on Broad Street, then after experiencing a

fire there, he moved into the La Penitence market and I would exchange books there. Eddie had made the newspapers in the early 70s after creating a knowledge-based game. For readers who don’t know, back then we were rated as one of the more literate of the CARICOM nations, novels were exchanged on the water front, in offices and in schools where comic books reigned supreme. Both English and American brands were new on the bookstore shelves, then to the exchange market, and the one local comic book creator Rudy Seymour’s books were coveted. The exchange book stand sustained families, and were always busy, each market had several; they were stacked with second-hand novels, magazines, comic books, nonfiction and also ‘Adult’ stuff.

Then there were the official bookstores, Graphic, Universal, Fogarty’s, Argosy, GNTC, the super popular Ifill’s in Stabroek Market and Lachmansingh’s Drug Store on Camp Street between Princes and Norton Street. The Forbes Burnham government encouraged local creativity, opening a world that had never before challenged local talents. I jumped into the arena before Eddie with a badly illustrated ‘The Shrouded Legacy’ in 1981,in the Chronicle and the criticisms from colleagues demanded investment in books, courses, and the setting up a semi-comfortable studio. Eddie published an illustrated edition of

`Joan of Arc’ in the mid 90’s, after emerging from the experience of a major pitfall. Though I could not understand the choice of the subject matter, I provided what references on period armour I had. My encouragement revolved around Eddie developing a semi studio,

with the rest of the world. The technological face of illustrated story- telling had jumped leaps and bounds.

When in the 90s I travelled to the USA, I would return with trade books, dip pens, Fantasy art publications and Sunday

encouraged him to do something on the subject which he did for the DF; I’m not sure how that went.

Eddie then proceeded to throw himself into a project we had spoken a lot about, an illustrated edition of the Guyana/Venezuelan border controversy. I lent him

comfortable enough to enable him to produce work at a professional level, this time with a local bias.

Eddie’s major problem was the much-taken-for-granted development of such a much-needed operations space, and equipping it, and mastering the tools and techniques necessary to compete

edition pullouts of the Daily News cartoon section that he added to the Conan collection and whatever was necessary for the general morgue. In the early 90s, I had done with the support of UNICEF, the first illustrated story on HIV-AIDS in Guyana, which I don’t think that the Ministry of Education ever distributed. I

what books I had on the subject, but I feared Eddie’s management of such a task from the standpoint of the graphic storyboards. Nonfiction historical projects like that would need a tremendous volume of portraits, lithographs and photographic references, all certified as period accurate. Artists in Guyana didn’t have the support

of grants, and we didn’t have the museums or libraries either.

Ironically, we do have the people and the enthusiasm, regardless, a lot of Amazon shopping and paid access to data payments would have to be done. Eddie dropped the illustrated edition and resorted to a general book on the subject, with accompanying illustrations of the major players that he would render. And because there was no finance to license the original pictures, he went to then President Jagdeo with the book; he interpreted thumbs up and was sent to Rohee, who dismissed it.

After 2015 he proceeded to explore other aspects of his talents, connected with a mutual friend, Ronald Austin at Foreign Affairs, received support and informed me he was making adjustments to the book. By then, he was once hospitalised with prostate issues, and I knew that the adequate, self-generated atmosphere that a man feels comfortable with, to aid his healing was not there. The last time we spoke, he was considering a project on the emergence of the Hebrew nation a controversial subject that I had some insights of, we did discuss the angle he would take and arranged some follow-up discourses.

Eddie passed between the 12 and 14 January, 2019 and was quietly buried. To me, his artistic efforts placed him in the brother/sisterhood of artists, thus, this, his abridged story needs to be told.

Farewell brother.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

`Link Show’ is back!

- Set for March 20 – 25

By Tamica Garnett GUYANESE who’ve missed their much-loved, satirical review the, “Link Show”, can look forward to seeing the show return this year for its 34th edition, booked for March 20 – 25 (excluding March 21) at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

The show’s producer, Gem Nascimento, told `The Buzz’ that while there’s no scheduled staging for March

21, which is a National Holiday (Holi), the possibility of a show has not yet been ruled out altogether, and will be decided based on demand.

However, don’t rush down to the NCC to secure your tickets just yet, they’re not yet on sale, and are not slated to be out for another three weeks. Nascimento assured though, that they’ll definitely be ready by February month end.

The usually sold-out show

is expected to run nightly from 8pm, and last no longer than three hours. Nascimento has assured that it will not disappoint those hungry to see its return.

“The environment is just so ripe that you can’t help it, but think that a Link Show should be on,” Nascimento told `The Buzz’, while adding “people are thinking about what is happening now in the country and you can’t help but satirise these, so those

A scene from a previous Link Show

issues will dominate the show, because they are current and they’re very topical. It’s what everybody is talking about.

So they can expect different angles hitting at that. They’ll be lots of laughter and satirical stuff.”

Director of the satirical performance, Ron Robinson, is also getting the word out that patrons will be happy with the show this year.

“We have another week more to work on scripts, we have quite a few scripts and we will start rehearsals next month, February. So there’s still enough time,” Nascimento noted.

First staged in November 1981, `Link Show’ was last held in 2015. That year there were two shows, one in its usual February slot and another in August, following

A scene from a previous Link Show

“Everything that they expect they will get. There’s so much happening in Guyana, from the no-confidence motion, to who will come out on top, there’s so much material,” he noted.

Producers are still working on the scripts for review, while rehearsals are expected to start next month.

A scene from a previous Link Show

the May 2015 elections. However, over the past few years, issues within the production team halted the shows.

The Link Show is famed for its satirical representation of occurrences in Guyana’s society. Given the current political atmosphere, there’s no doubt that there’ll be no shortage of material for the pro-

ducers to go on, with sketches that well be flawlessly acted out by some of Guyana’s top comedians.

“The Link Show has always provided lots of laughter, great laughter, and really heavy satire. And, of course, there will be one and two slapstick comedy for those who the satire will go above their heads. There are those who come to see the show, and they really don’t get the full impact of the satire and they’re the ones who look forward to the slapstick stuff so there will be those. We try to cater for everyone. And of course, we always do a dance, and there’ll be the calypso, so those are all elements of the show that will continue,” Nascimento noted.

Eagerness to see the show return is aplenty as news of the shows return continue to flow across social media.

Several persons have even noted their hopes of not just attending but also being a part of the show. The opportunity to see those hopes come to fruition is just right, as Nascimento indicated that the show will not be shying away from including new actors and actresses this year.

Robinson concurred that he too was looking forward to seeing new youngsters injected into the show, stating “we will be using of course a couple of the regulars, but I’m very keen on encouraging young people, looking to nurture young talent now coming up. There’s talent I saw in the recent drama festival, I saw some good potential there and we would like to invite them and give them a bit of encouragement.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Several Guyanese among winners at Caribbean Style and Culture 2019 awards

Guyanese model Jasoda Ramlagan, is among five Caribbean models vying for the 2019 Caribbean Style and Culture People’s Choice Award (Photo credit: Dione Vanderhyden)

ADMIRED makeup artist (MUA) Renee Chester of Bromeliad Inc., along with Guyanese designers Quinton Pearson, Nadia Thomas-Winters, and Andy Anthony Cummings were among those named as winners at the 2019 Caribbean Style and Culture Awards and Fashion Show, which will be held this June in Washington DC. Meanwhile, Guyanese model Jasoda Ramlagan, is also among five Caribbean models currently vying for the 2019 People’s Choice Award For Renee, who is the Make-Up and Aesthetics 2019 Award winner, this is her first award since beginning as a make-up artist some 10 years ago. One of Guyana’s most sought after MUA, Chester said it’s nice to be recognised for her work.

The Caribbean Style & Culture Awards and Fashion Show is the brainchild of Karib Nation, Inc. a non-profit organization, which began in Washington, DC in 1992. The organisation promotes social and economic prosperity while encouraging the cultural enrichment of the English, French, Spanish and Dutch-speaking Caribbean community in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.

Other Guyanese, who’ve

also been bestowed with awards by the organisation, include designers Sidney Francois, Ryan Berkeley and Michele Cole of ColeFacts.

Guyanese models, Nikita Barker and Natasha Harper, were also are among models who’ve been awarded.

It was earlier this month that Chester found out about being selected for the award, which, she said, was a little bit of a surprise, but nonetheless felt a worthy conferring.

“I felt good about it, quite elated, and not to toot my own horn but I did feel deserving of the award,” Chester shared with The Buzz.

“I’m so excited that my career took such a good turning point, especially at the beginning of the year, to give me something to go with for the rest of the year and years to come.”

She’s looking forward to travelling to the US in June, to meet with the organisation and receive her award.

“I’m nervous and I’m excited at the same time. What am I going to say? What are they going to ask me? But I’m so excited,” she said.

Chester is all the more excited because her business Bromeliad Inc. is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To commemorate the celebration she will hosting the second edition of “50 Shades of MUA”.

First held in 2017, ’50 Shades of MUA’ was created with the aim of providing a

Guyanese designer Quinton Pearson, was last year presented with an award by First Lady Sandra Granger, when he showcased pieces at the CSC Awards and Fashion Show

platform for makeup artists to network, and to encourage makeup artists to infuse a more fashion-conscious outlook into their everyday operations. The event was attended by some 200 local makeup artists from across the country.

While it was hoped that the event would become an annual event, Renee said the decision was taken not to host one last year, since she wanted to do extensive work on the 2019 edition, in honour of the 10th anniversary.

Renee says like any industry, the MUA business has been changing but she does her most to ensure that she keeps abreast

and keeps her business relevant.

“It has definitely become a little more challenging because techniques are changing all the time, so the request of clients and students and so on are more, so in order to cater to the service accurately to these people I have to always stay on top of my game. I have to customise a lot of personal time, and compromise down time in order to keep in tune with what’s going on. There’s books to read, research to be do, practice to be done. So that’s where, to me, the challenge is, in just trying to stay relevant and stay humble in what you do,” she said.

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‘Tantimerl and she junkie’ hits LICHAS on Saturday

By Vanessa Braithwaite

T

HE much-anticipated comedy of 2019, will be released on Saturday at the Linden Concert Hall and School (LICHAS), as the Mic James Drama Group presents “Tantimerl and she junkie”.

But, as a matter of caution, Lindeners attending the stage show are advised to leave their dentures at home, wear no wigs and ensure they have a blood

pressure test done, as it is expected that the hilarity will be top notch.

While the play is comical and rib-tickling, the main aim is to raise awareness on drug abuse by moving away from the cliché’ methods of telling the story, Executive Producer Michael James said.

“This show is actually highlighting what goes on in the minds of the ‘junkie’ or the drug abuser, and the ills they face from their addiction, as well

as the inhumane way they are treated,” James related.

The play is also a multifaceted, experimental drama which culminates the three facets of theatre: singing, dancing and poetry.

James said that this is by far his best work, as it relates to producing stage shows and he is confident that Lindeners will fully enjoy it. Several new faces, in the local drama arena, are also characters in the play, as James said he is continuing to sift out

new talents within the town.

“So it is more than a regular comedy, it adds family values and the denial factor as well, on the part of relatives and friends.This is about raising awareness and letting the truth be told, this is about us being more sympathetic to drug abusers. The bottom line is love and how we treat people, so I am hoping the play instills some sense of humanity into the audience,” he posited.

Michael James is the pioneer of drama and film production in Linden, and he has been on a mission to sell Linden and showcase its culture, beauty and potential to the world, through the lens of a camera.

The production team, well known as Mic James Production and Drama Group, has already successfully produced six movies since 2005. As emphasised, it is not about making a profit for James, but about sifting out the talents of youths, while simultaneously keeping them meaningfully occupied.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

IT’S time for the weekend again, people… and it’s going to be a sports-filled-one, with Super Bowl 53 set for Sunday and the Lakers vs Warriors this Saturday. And of course, Mash Season continues so there’re a few Mash-themed events to help you get into the festive vibes. So don’t stay cooped up at home.

Today The Mashramani Soca Rehearsals are taking place at the Seawalls Bandstand, so head down and enjoy the breeze and preview of the performances of those still in the running for the Carib Soca Monarch Crown.

Banks “Pon De Avenue” continues on Main Street, as part of the Mashramani celebrations! Enjoy Live Entertainment, 2019 Calypso performances, Banks Beer Promotions, and much more.

On a $1000 budget? Tower Suites $1000 Poolside Happy Hour continues from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, with $1000 specials. Enjoy a Burger and Beer, any margarita, or beer specials for only $1000 at the Tower Poolside Start your weekends at Aura Sky Lounge with Business Fridays from 5pm. Grab your best friend an head out and make it a party.

The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents “Latin Night”. Get two Desperados Tequila Beers for $1000 Tomorrow THE much-anticipated comedy of 2019, will be released on Saturday at the Linden Concert Hall and School (LICHAS), as the Mic James Drama Group presents “Tantimerl and she junkie”.

The National Drama Company presents “Musings of a Poet: An evening of wine and reflection” at the National Cultural Centre. Performances by members of the National Drama Company, students of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama. Cost: $1500 The Duke presents Games Night at the Roraima Duke Lodge from 19.00hrs. Get your team and reserve your spot early, there’s a bonus point for the team with the most awesome name. This is an 18 and over event.

704 Sports Bar has the NFL Superbowl viewing party. Watch the New England Patriots battle the Los Angeles Rams. Time: 7:00pm Ready for shots? Aura Sky Lounge has you covered with Seductive Saturdays! Doors open at 8pm!

Sunday The Adult Calypso Rehearsals are taking place at the Seawalls Bandstand, so head down and enjoy the breeze and preview of the performances of those still in the running for the Calypso Monarch Crown.

Game Day is here. Super Bowl 53 is showing at the 704 Sports Bar. Head out see the Rams take on the Patriots and enjoy half time games and free shots with every touchdown. Reserve your seats for this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Admission: Free The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams battle for the ultimate NFL prize in Super Bowl Llll this Sunday and you can catch it on the big screen at Palm Court. Enjoy beer, wings and bucket specials! Get Free shots with every Touchdown.

Admission: Free The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents “Dinner with 70s ad 80s music.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Windies openers firm after England fold for 187 NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC) – Another incisive display from West Indies seamers once again brutally exposed England’s suspect batting, as the visitors folded cheaply in their first innings to give the hosts command of the opening day of the second Test here yesterday.

Still brimming with confidence following their dominant first Test victory last weekend in Bridgetown, Windies hardly put a foot wrong as they bundled England out for 187 before reaching the close on 30 without loss – 157 runs behind heading into today’s day two at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

Veteran seamer Kemar Roach bowled superbly to claim four for 30 while newball partner Shannon Gabriel worked up a fair turn of pace on the two-paced surface to finish with three for 45.

Alzarri Joseph snatched two for 38 – both wickets coming before lunch as West Indies started the day strongly and dictated the opening

session.

Left-hander Moeen Ali top-scored with a counter-attacking 60, while Jonny Bairstow also played authoritatively for his 52.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes chipped in with 35 but his was one of four wickets to tumble after tea as England’s lower order were wiped out by the hostile pair of Roach and Gabriel, 52 minutes after the resumption.

Chasing their first series win over a higher-ranked side in seven years, West Indies made early breakthroughs after winning the toss and choosing to bowl.

England made a circumspect start but it was Roach who made the breakthrough, having left-hander Rory Burns caught at second slip for four by captain Jason Holder going low to his right, with the score on four in the fifth over of the morning.

Debutant Joe Denly (6) made an inauspicious start to his international career, toe-edging Joseph’s first ball

of the morning – a wide long hop – to be caught at the wicket at 16 for two, nearing the hour mark.

Joseph then got the prized wicket of Joe Root for seven, the England skipper gloving a snorter to third slip where John Campbell parried for Shai Hope running around from fourth slip to complete the catch at 34 for three, three-quarters of an hour before lunch.

And England suffered yet another blow about 20 minutes before the break when Jos Buttler edged an out-swinger from Holder to Campbell at second slip, to fall for one.

Bairstow chose attack as the best form of defence, hammering nine fours and a six – an astonishing blow over extra cover off Holder – in a breezy 64-ball knock, to be unbeaten on 52 at lunch with England on 78 for four But not for the first time, England wobbled after a break, as West Indies struck twice in the space of 23 minutes after the resumption.

First, England lost

Bairstow to the second ball of the session without adding to his interval score, lbw on review to a full-length one from Roach which swung back.

Three overs later, lefthander Ben Stokes failed to survive a hostile spell from Gabriel and nicked a catch behind to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich for 14.

In crisis, on 93 for six, Moeen followed Bairstow in counter-attacking, as he posted an invaluable 85 for the seventh wicket with Foakes, to keep the Windies without further success in the session.

Moeen played with freedom, gathering eight fours and a six off 104 deliveries while Foakes was the more patient of the two in an 84ball innings which contained four fours.

However, any hopes of continuing the rebuilding efforts perished quickly after the break, as England lost their last four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 10 overs.

Moeen’s resistance ended in the fifth over following the

resumption when he clipped a simple catch to Gabriel at mid-wicket off Roach, and Foakes added three to his tea time 32 before playing on to Gabriel, attempting to pull.

Sam Curran (6) and James Anderson (1) offered

little resistance and then failed to find any magic deliveries when they bowled, as left-hander John Campbell (16 not out) and Kraigg Brathwaite (14 not out) safely navigated the 21 overs thrown their way.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings R. Burns c Holder b Roach 4 J. Denly c wkp. Dowrich b Joseph 6 J. Bairstow lbw b Roach 52 J. Root c Hope b Joseph 7 J. Buttler c Campbell b Holder 1 B. Stokes c wkp. Dowrich b Gabriel 14 Moeen Ali c Gabriel b Roach 60 B. Foakes b Gabriel 35 S. Curran c (sub.) S Brooks b Roach 6 S. Broad not out 0 J. Anderson b Gabriel 1 Extras: (w-1) 1 Total: (all out, 61 overs) 187 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-16, 3-34, 4-55, 5-78, 6-93, 7-178, 8-186, 9-186.

Bowling: Roach 15-5-30-4, Gabriel 15-5-45-3, Joseph 10-3-382, Holder 13-5-43-1, Chase 8-1-31-0.

WEST INDIES 1st innings K. Brathwaite not out 11 J. Campbell not out 17 Extras: (lb-2, nb-1) 3 Total: (without loss, 21 overs) 30 Bowling: Anderson 6-1-10-0, Broad 7-2-10-0, Stokes 5-2-5-0, Curran 3-0-3-0.

Position: West Indies trail by 157 runs with all 10 wickets intact.

Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua ‘likely’ to scrap April bout UNIFIED world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is “very likely” to scrap his 13 April date at Wembley Stadium, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua, 29, signed a two-date agreement to fight at the national stadium, with the first being his 22 September win over Alexander Povetkin.

Hearn says a fight with Dillian Whyte in the UK or American Jarrell Miller in New York is set be Joshua’s next test.

“The main thing is it looks like 13 April is unlikely,” said Hearn.

“I think Dillian thinks, for a fight like that, he’d

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want a bit more time.

“So, if we do the Whyte fight, I think we move it to May or June anyway.

“But the Jarrell Miller fight is very close for June at Madison Square Garden.”

Hearn told IFL TV the Wembley date was “not 100%” off but scrapping it looks “very likely”.

Should a rematch with Whyte - beaten by Joshua in 2015 - go ahead in the summer, another UK stadium would be sought with Hearn saying Wembley would not be part of the equation again this year.

Whyte, 30, made pub-

lic his frustration at the initial financial offer to take the fight, but has since been offered improved terms.

B B C S p o r t u n d e rstands Miller is the more likely candidate to face the IBF, WBA and WBO world champion next as

he would provide a gateway into a new market by giving Joshua the opportunity for his first bout in the US.

Anthony Joshua last fought at Wembley in September 2018 when he defeated Alexander Povetkin to retain his world titles

Miller, 30, hails from New York and has 23 wins and a draw on his 24-fight record.

While Hearn made offers to WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Britain’s Tyson Fury as prospective opponents for Joshua at Wembley, the nature of the 1 December draw between the pair means it is almost certain they will meet again in a rematch first.(BBC Sport) Their enthralling Los Angeles contest created a public clamour for a second bout, restricting Joshua’s options, despite him holding three of the four major world belts.

(BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Wife of jailed Bahraini footballer begs Thai PM for his release Prison guards escort Bahraini football player Hakeem al-Araibi from a court in Bangkok on December 11, 2018.

By Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK, Bahrain (Reuters) - The wife of jailed Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al Araibi pleaded with Thailand’s prime minister yesterday to ensure he is not extradited to his native country, saying he faces torture there and should be sent back to asylum in Australia.

“He would go back to face imprisonment, torture and

possible death. Please help my husband. I don’t want to lose him,” Araibi’s wife wrote yesterday in an open letter to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

“I am terrified that the final decision to deport him will take place within the next few days,” she said in the letter, which was obtained from Araibi’s lawyer.

Lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said the wife has asked for her name not to be pub-

lished out of fear for her safety.

Araibi, who fled Bahrain in 2014 and was later granted asylum in Australia, was arrested in Bangkok in November on an Interpol notice issued at Bahrain’s request.

He was convicted of vandalising a police station in Bahrain and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia.

He denies wrongdoing, saying he was playing in a televised football match at the time of the alleged vandalism.

Human rights groups say Bahraini authorities tortured Araibi because of his brother’s political activities during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Bahraini authorities deny allegations of torture.

Nadthasiri said the letter had been submitted to the government.

BCB announces senior female squad

WITH the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) senior female Inter-County tournament set to bowl off tomorrow, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has released a strong 14-member squad to take part.

Tremayne Smartt

Despite the absence of West Indies player Shemaine Campbelle who is with the West Indies in Pakistan, the team will be led by West Indies left-arm pacer Tremayne Smartt with her Windies teammate Erva Giddings as the vice-captain. Winston Smith and Sylvia Autar will serve as coach and manager respectively.

West Indies selectee Sheneeta Grimmond, who has recovered from injury and was recently part of the West Indies training camp, is expected to lead the batting lineup in the absence of Campbelle and Shabiki Gajnabi, who will be leading the Guyana Under-19 Select

Prabudial Ramdial Memorial Golf Open on tomorrow THE Prabudial Ramdial Memorial Golf Open, sponsored by Vish Trading Inc., is on tomorrow at the Lusignan Golf Course.

The tournament, according to a release from the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), proves that everyone can make a difference in the lives of others.

Since 2010, the family of Prabudial Ramdial, under the direction of Vish, has been a generous sponsor of the Lusignan Golf Course.

The LGC has noted that all are welcome to participate in this event which celebrates the life achievements and memory of Prabudial ‘Speedy’ Ramdial.

The Open Medal Play tournament will tee-off at 12:30hrs and trophies for the first three finishers will be at stake along with the usual Best Gross and Nearest to the Pin awards.

team, the fourth team to participate in the same tournament.

Grimmond is expected to receive support from Melanie Henry, Sherica Campbelle, Marian Samaroo, Smartt, Giddings and Dian Prahalad. The strong bowling attack will be spearheaded by Smartt, Giddings, Subrina Munroe, Grimmond with support from off-spinner Plaffiana Millington, medium pacer Sherica Campbelle and left-arm spinner Dian Prahalad, President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, stated that the Berbice team have been in training for over a month under the supervision of Smith and are fully prepared to defend their title.

In round one of the 50over format; Berbice will face Essequibo at Lusignan while Demerara opposes the Guyana Under-19 Select team at GCC. The other two rounds are billed for February 3 and 5.

The full squad reads: Tremayne Smartt, Marian Samaroo, Russhanna Lynch, Erva Giddings Plaffiana Millington, Sherica Campbelle, Melanie Henry, Kimmone Thomas, Aleema Arokiu, Sheneeta Grimmond, Subrina Munroe, Ashmini Munisar, Abigail Kishun and Dian Prahalad.

“Once the prime minister reads it maybe he will help based on humanitarian considerations because he has the power to do so,” she told Reuters.

Though Araibi’s morale was low, Nadthasiri said he had told her when she visited him in prison that he was hopeful he would be released back to Australia.

HONEYMOON HELL Araibi’s wife said in her letter the newly-wed couple travelled from Australia to Thailand “because we thought it would be the perfect country to have our honeymoon” but instead found themselves in a nightmare of arrest and detention.

She asked Prayuth to show the same concern for those fleeing torture as Thailand did in the case of 18-year-old

Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who fled what she said was family abuse to Thailand and was quickly resettled to Canada this month..

Thai government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Prayuth told reporters on Tuesday Araibi’s case was a matter for Thailand’s courts.

He acknowledged the concerns of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who urged this week that Araibi not be extradited, but also said Thailand had good relations with Bahrain.

“We are good friends with everyone. We have to figure out the solution. I know that everybody is concerned about this,” Prayuth said.

Araibi has also been a vocal critic of the president of the Asian Football Con-

federation, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, who is a cousin of the Bahraini king.

Sheikh Salman has recused himself from the Araibi case and the AFC joined soccer’s world governing body FIFA this week in urging Thailand to allow Araibi to return to Australia.

Activists and athletes from Australia and around the world have called for Araibi to be allowed to go back to Australia. Players, the manager and owner of Thai soccer league club Chiang Rai United joined the call for his release.

Nadthasiri has said the next step was to see whether Thai prosecutors would submit Bahrain’s extradition request, made this week to the Thai court, which was expected in early February.

BCB to host Under-17 Inter-secondary school cricket tournament

GBTI branch manager Ghoeblall Mahadeo hands over sponsorship to RHTY&SC cricket manager Robby Kissoonlall as Simon Naidu and GBTI staff look on.

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has joined h a n d s w i t h G u y a n a ’s leading youth and sports organisation, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) to host an Under-17 tournament for 17 secondary schools in Region Six. The tournament will be sponsored exclusively by Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry (GBTI) Port Mourant branch.

Assistant Secretary/ CEO of the club, Simon Naidu, stated that the tournament will be played on a knockout basis with 25 overs aside.

Naidu expressed gratitude to the GBTI for sponsoring the tournament.

The tournament will be contested by Skeldon High, Tagore Memorial, Line Path Secondary, Central Corentyne, Black Bush Secondary,

Winifred Gaskin Secondary, Manchester High, Corentyne Comprehensive, Port Mourant Secondary, J.C. Chandisingh Secondary, Lower Corentyne Secondary, Canje Secondary, Berbice High, Vryman’s Erven Secondary, Berbice Educational Institute, New Amsterdam Secondary and Tutorial Academy.

Players must be born on or after the 1st September, 2000 and have an attendance rate of 80 percent.

Schools who play players above the age limit or who are not attending school will be expelled from the tournament and debarred from all school tournaments in 2019.

GBTI branch manager Ghoeblall Mahadeo stated that the bank was pleased to sponsor the tournament.

GBTI, he stated, as a matter of policy, invests heavily

in sports and education. He urged the teams to play the game in a spirit of unity, goodwill and discipline.

BCB and RHTY&SC will use the tournament to promote the Say Yes to Life and Say No to Drugs Message to the 17 schools.

Further, Naidu hailed the outstanding work of the BCB in promoting the game of cricket across the county. The 18-year-old Naidu also indicated that the club will continue to work closely with the BCB in order to further raise the standard of the game in Berbice.

Last year, RHTY&SC used over $2M of its own funds to assist its Secretary/ CEO, Hilbert Foster, to fulfil his duties as president of the BCB. Meanwhile, Foster stated that 35 tournaments are scheduled for 2019.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Over 30 athletes to compete at GAPLF’s Novices/Juniors Championships

Trophy Stall Port Mourant/UCCA U-19 tourney

No. 73 Young Warriors, Scottsburg United clash in final tomorrow NO. 73 Young Warriors The leading wicket-takand Scottsburg United have reached the final of the Trophy Stall Port Mourant, Berbice-sponsored Upper Corentyne Cricket Association Under-19 50 overs round-robin tournament.

The final is set for tomorrow at the No.72 Cut and Load ground. Action starts at 09:30hrs. Admission is free, P.A system/music to entertain, and lots to eat and drink will be on sale.

er is Seiraj Chatterpaul of No.72 Cut and Load with 20 wickets, followed by Sarwan Chaitnarine 17 (including 2 five-wicket hauls), Mahendra Chaitnarine 14 and Rudy Jamalodeen of Scottsburg United with 13 wickets.

The tournament has been dominated by the bowlers.

However 15 half-centuries were scored while in the bowling department seven five-wicket hauls were taken.

Rudy Jamalodeen

Sarwan Chaitnarine

Trophy and cash incentives will be presented to the winners and runners-up while the batsman with the most runs and the bowler with the most wickets in the competition will receive trophies. Also, a trophy will be presented to the MVP of the tournament and manof-the-match in the final. Both teams will also receive medals.

The leading run-scorer so far is Mahendra Chaitnarine of No.72 Cut and Load with 145 runs (including 2 half-centuries), followed by Vettorie Latchman 139 runs and Sarwan Chaitnarine 126 runs (including 2 half-centuries) both of No.73 Young Warriors.

Sarwan Chaitnarine is the only player to take 2 five-wicket hauls and score 2 half-centuries. Also, the best bowling figures were from Rudy Jamalodeen of Scottsburg United, taking 7 for 36, whilst the highest individual score came from M. Headley (77) of Radha Krishna Foundation Academy.

This tournament is organised by the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and is sponsored by Mr Ramesh Sunich, Managing Director of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market, Georgetown. Its new location at Market Road, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice will be opening soon.

Runita White at last year’s Novices/Juniors Championship

By Michelangelo Jacobus THE Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation’s (GAPLF) 2019 calendar of activities will lift off on Sunday (February 3) with over 30 athletes set to compete for top honours at the St Stanislaus auditorium from 10:00hrs.

The Novices/Juniors Championship has been described as the birthplace for the future champions of powerlifting by GAPLF president Ed Caesar.

In an invited comment, C a e s a r t o l d C h ro n i c l e Sport; “This championship is where we see the future

of powerlifting in Guyana come to the fore. This year we have at least 36 athletes registered for three flights, the highest number at these championships for as long as I can remember.”

Among those 36 athletes who have been confirmed, five are females. This is an encouraging sign for the GAPLF’s thrust of attracting more female athletes to the sport.

Caesar also explained that the emergence of such a large number of new athletes to not just powerlifting but also ‘weight training’ sports is a welcome sign as a number of the seasoned athletes in the arena are nearing retirement.”

Last year’s Novices pro-

duced arguably Guyana’s biggest female talent in recent years - Runita White, who went on to tear up the record books in the 2018 season.

Pre-sold tickets for the event cost $1 000 or persons can pay $1 500 at the gate.

Action will get underway at 10:00hrs.

Athletes List for Novices/ Juniors Championships 2019: ♦ Guest Lifters Lisa Oudit, Blossom Babb, Bjorn Williams, Kenneth Melville ♦ Female Novices Ameera Wajidally, Shelly Ann Gomes, Chitra John, Nela Gomes, Esther Maycock

♦ Juniors Keshawn Rahiman, Timothy Bagla, Fawaz Rampertab, Ramzan Mohamed, Akram Gaffor, Jermy Indarjit, Isaiam Latchman, Daniel Singh, Askhay Goukaran, Leon Sukdeo ♦ Masters Roger Rogers ♦ Male Novices Omar Wajidally, Intiaz Haniff, Rudra Persaud, Davendra Sookdeo, Leon Oudit, Clifford Osbourne, Parvattan Heel, Marlon Wilson, Arjun Roopnarine, Ramnarine Ragoobar, Wazim Mohamed, Tremel King, Courtney Williams, Mark Semple, Derbe Fraser, Joel Harry.

Taking us lightly is a risk, says QC cricket captain to GCA teams QUEEN’S College is out to prove that they are good enough to compete against the best junior cricket teams in the capital and their opening victory in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Noble House Seafoods Generation Next U-19 100-over cricket competition might have proved their capability.

The ace high school’s cricket team defeated GNIC by six wickets and skipper Navindra Persaud is elated with the performance.

The GYO club cricketer said that he and his schoolmates hope to return QC to its past glory - to a point in time when the school was well respected in the cricket fraternity. “‘I’m very sure we are the underdogs of this competition and that’s not an issue.

We have nothing to lose, but we have a lot to gain from playing. As a team we have

been getting a lot of support from the school and affiliates so we don’t want to disappoint and we hope that this

batch of cricketers can restore Queen’s College to being as dominant in cricket as we were before.”

FOCUSSED Persaud said that the players are pumped up and are very excited to play and win their

games.

“Taking us lightly is a risk …. No doubt we are coming up against some big

QC cricket team will look to make their mark in the GCA U-19 competition.

teams in our group, but right now we are focussed, fearless and we have a lot of talented players waiting to make their mark.”

In their opening game, it was Persaud who exploded with an all-round effort. GNIC won the toss and batted first, but they could not get past the off-spin of Persaud who picked up 4-22 from 6.3 overs and pacer Anthony Singh, who cleaned up the tail with 3-9 from six overs.

Only A. Sarwan 21 (3x4) and G. Benjamin (16 runs 3x4s) reached double figures as the home team fell for 78 in 24.3 overs.

In reply, Persaud, who started off his innings with a pair of sixes, finished with a game-high 33 runs (3x4, 3x6) while T. Allen added 25 (3x4, 1x6) to push their team to 80-4 in 12 overs.

Dwayne Dick led GNIC’s attack with 3-30 from 5.5 overs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Ministry of Public Health joins seventh Milo schools football

THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has signalled its intention to be a part of the seventh edition of the Milo schools football tournament, continuing their effort to stamp out gender-based violence.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Public Relations Officer (PRO) Terrence Esseboom, contended that this is something that needs to be dealt with. He stated that “the ministry is committed to ending the cycle of gender-based violence through all avenues including sport, because we want to start it at a young age”.

He added, “The MoPH would want you to use the discipline and training from sport and bring them into the social work. It is important for our young men who are inevitably the men of tomorrow and leaders of tomorrow to realise that we are not supposed to go down that road.”

Meanwhile Petra co-director Troy Mendonca added that they are glad to have the invaluable support of the ministry

of health once more. “The MoPH has come on board for another year of Milo schools football tournament and we are enthusiastic about their support. We think that having them on board boosts the tournament and their support means a lot to us at Petra.”

The seventh edition of the Milo schools football tournament will see an increase of six teams from 18 to 24 teams when the tournament gets underway next weekend. In a provisional list revealed at the launching, several private institutions have been omitted.

The tournament kicks off next Saturday at Ministry of Education (MoE) ground on Carifesta Avenue and will conclude on April 14.

After two months of heated clashes in the group round-robin format/knockout format, the champions will pocket $500 000, second-placers $300 000 and third-placers $200 000, all towards a project of the school’s choice.

Boult onslaught hands India record loss … tourists manage just 92 INDIA suffer ODI cricket’s biggest-ever loss in terms of balls remaining after being skittled out for just 92 in the fourth ODI in Hamilton.

India have created a slice of unwanted history after they slumped to a record defeat in the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton.

India were bowled out for their seventh-lowest ODI total in history as Kiwi swing-king Trent Boult ripped through them in the fourth match of a five-match series in Ham-

ilton.

Without skipper Virat Kohli (rested) and veteran gloveman MS Dhoni (injured), India were dismissed for just 92 in less than 31 overs.

The Black Caps, led by a quick-fire 37 not out from Ross Taylor and 30 not out from Henry Nicholls then romped to the victory target in just 14.4 overs.

The 212 balls remaining un-bowled by India was a new high mark for balls remaining in an ODI defeat. It eclipsed the previous mark of 209 balls re-

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ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

maining set by Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2010.

Opener Martin Guptill had set the tone from the

Trent Boult wrecked India with figures of 5 for 21.

first ball of New Zealand’s run chase when he smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar over deep mid-wicket for six runs, before carving the next two deliveries for boundaries, before being dismissed off the fourth ball.

Boult bowled unchanged after the Black Caps elected to bowl first and finished with figures of 5-21 from his 10 overs, including four maidens.

After India’s openers had moved the score to 0-21 without loss, Boult re-

moved both Shikhar Dhawan and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma in the space of two overs before a devastating period of play that broke the game wide open.

From a score of 2-33, India lost three wickets for no runs in 11 balls, as Boult and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme did the damage. de Grandhomme removed Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik in the space of four deliveries, both without scoring, before Boult dismissed debutant Shubman Gill in the following over.

A score of 5-33 quickly became 6-35 and then 7-40 before some late hitting from the tail pushed India above their record ODI low of 54, scored against Sri Lanka in 2000.

With his teammates falling around him, Hardik Pandya clubbed four boundaries before he became Boult’s fifth wicket while tail-enders Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal also reached double figures to ensure a record low score was avoided.

India lead the fivematch series 3-1.

Wakenaam Cricket Committee/Farmers Cup T20

Khan, Zaman, Daniels star in WCC T20 tournament

SANS Souci and Sans Souci Jaguars got their Wakenaam Cricket Committee (WCC)/ Farmers Cup T20 campaign off to a winning start with victories in their respective games played last Sunday at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success.

Kamal Khan

Led by a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Kamal Khan, Sans Souci defeated G Square Cavaliers by nine wickets. Khan grabbed 4-14 while Cleon Venture took 2-13

as G Square Cavaliers of Belle Plaine were skittled out for 50 after taking first strike.

Ghansham Samwaru and Marlon Dindyal were the only batsmen who reached double figures with 14 and 10 respectively. Sans Souci then raced to 51-1 in 6.5 overs with Heera Sukram scoring 24 and Khan 13. Sahadeo had 1-10.

Sans Souci Jaguars beat Maria’s Pleasure by five runs in their encounter. Zameer Zaman struck a fine 52 while Beesham Moses made 42 to guide Sans Souci Jaguars to 133 all out in 20 overs, batting first.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Marsh Singh captured 4-25 and Vinod Persaud 3-30. Maria’s Pleasure threatened, but fell for 128 in 19.5 overs in response. Kennard Lewis and Leorayan Ramlakhan made 26 and 20 respectively; pacer Derwin Daniels grabbed 4-29.

The competition continues on Sunday with Good Success facing G Square Cavaliers at 09:30hrs and Sans Souci playing Noitgedacht SC at 13:30hrs at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Zeelandia will host Maria’s Pleasure at 09:30hrs.

Fraser-Pryce feels she is getting back to her best FOLLOWING her 7.21secs, 60m-run with which she opened her season on Saturday, seven-time World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce believes she is gradually returning to the form that established her as one of the world’s best female sprinters.

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce

The Pocket Rocket was the fastest over the distance at the Queens/Grace Jackson just ahead of 2016 Olympic champion Elaine Thompson and the 2018 NACAC 100m champion, Sasha Lee Forbes’s 7.43s.

Fraser-Pryce, 32, returned to competition in 2018 after taking almost two years off to have her son Zyon and to heal an injured toe which contributed to her missing out on becoming the first woman to win three

consecutive Olympic 100m gold medals.

Now into her second season back, she tells Sportsmax.TV that she feels she is close to being her old self once again.

“I am feeling optimistic about my performance, looking back I can see where I can improve and definitely get a lot more efficient,” she said.

“What I can say is I definitely feel a lot better than I did in 2018 for sure. It’s still early but I am sure getting back to my 2016 form or better will require a lot of work which I am putting in.”

She said she has put her faith in Coach Stephen Francis, who has guided her to two Olympic gold medals and five individual gold medals at the IAAF World Championships. She believes he will get her ready to contend for yet another gold medal at the 2019 World Championships in Doha in late September.

“Fortunately, for me, Stephen Francis is the coach so I’m sure he has plans in place that will make sure I am fit and ready for our championships and beyond,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, February 01, 2019

Paul stars with bat and ball as 20 wickets tumble at Queen’s Park Oval PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Exciting West Indies all-rounder Keemo Paul conjured up magical performances with bat and ball to twice hurt Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as leaders Guyana Jaguars kept their noses in front, on a dramatic opening day of their sixth round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship here Friday.

Twenty wickets fell at Queen’s Park Oval as Red Force, sent in were bundled out for 108, before Jaguars then tumbled for 150 in reply, to eke out a 42-run first innings lead.

At the close, Red Force were 13 without loss in their second innings.

The 20-year-old Paul was never out of the spotlight, first coming to the fore by taking three for 26 with his brisk pace to help dismantle Red Force’s innings, before lashing a whirlwind unbeaten 66 at number eight.

Seamer Clinton Pestano took three for 37 while left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer (2-20) and new-ball speedster Romario Shepherd (2-23) supported with two wickets apiece as Red Force never found their

footing.

Paul now has 16 wickets in three matches since

returning from the tour of Bangladesh with West Indies last month.

Keemo Paul blasted an unbeaten 66 with 10 fours and three sixes.

No Red Force player passed 20 in head coach Mervyn Dillon’s first game in charge as Tion Webster, batting at number three, topscored with 19.

Jaguars then wasted a 31-run opening stand between Chandrapaul Hemraj (23) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (13) as former Test seamer Ravi Rampaul (2-34) sent back both lbw in successive overs, as five wickets perished for 13 runs.

Rocking on 44 for five, Jaguars found relief through a 32-run, sixth wicket stand between Shepherd (23) and

Reifer (16) before Paul joined Shepherd to put on a further 38 for the seventh wicket.

Shepherd was one of three wickets to fall for three runs in the space of eight balls as Jaguars slipped to 117 for nine and it signalled the start of the fireworks from Paul.

The right-hander blasted 10 fours and three sixes off a mere 36 balls, scoring all 33 runs in a last wicket stand with Gudakesh Motie.

Leg-spinner Imran Khan was the best bowler with three for 22.

Smith hundred floors Pride Dottin hits unbeaten 80 as Windies Women win big over Pakistan as Volcanoes cruise

Devon Smith

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Devon Smith dominated with his 37th first class hundred as Windward Islands Volcanoes collared Barbados Pride’s bowlers, on the opening day of the sixth round of matches in the Regional Four-Day Championship on Thursday.

Opting to bat first at Kensington Oval, Volcanoes piled up 325 for five, with the veteran left-hander ending on an unbeaten 146.

Smith faced 256 deliveries in six hours and 21 minutes at the crease, and struck 18 fours and a six.

Discarded Test batsman Sunil Ambris continued to keep himself in the selectors’ minds with a fluent 79 while former Barbados captain Kirk Edwards chipped in with 39 and Roland Cato, 29.

No such dominance was envisioned when Taryck Gabriel perished cheaply on the stroke of the first hour for three with 10 runs on the board, caught at short leg off off-spinner Ashley Nurse.

But Smith emerged from a cautious start to anchor three outstanding partnerships and ensure Volcanoes dominated virtually all three sessions.

First, he put on 67 for the second wicket with Roland Cato who struck six fours in a 54-ball innings before falling on the stroke of lunch, caught at point off pacer Shamar Springer.

Smith then added 96 with Edwards whose knock came from 70 balls and included six fours, as Volcanoes reached tea without further loss on 151 for two.

When Edwards perished in the seventh over following the break, Smith and Ambris put on a further 141 for the fourth wicket, to heap more misery on the hosts.

Ambris counted nine fours off 109 deliveries in just under 2-¼ hours at the crease before becoming one of two wickets to fall in the space of 16 balls late in the day.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua - Fifteen (15) years after their last visit to Pakistan, WINDIES Women returned with a convincing 71-run victory over Pakistan Women in the 1st T20 International in Karachi.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Windies Women recovered from 59 for 2 to post a demanding total of 160 for the same 2. Thanks to a destructive 109-run partnership between Deandra Dottin and Chedean Nation, who scored 90* (60) and 50*(35) respectively.

The visiting team got off to a flyer before they lost opener Kycia Knight midway the 4th over with the score on 34. In the next 5 overs, Pakistan slowed the scoring rate only giving up 17 runs and taking the wicket of Shemaine Campbelle via run-out.

However, Nation then joined Dottin and the two put on an unbeaten partnership of 109 runs off a little more than 11 overs. The two were especially ruthless in the last five overs scoring a quick-fire 62 runs with Nation smashing two huge sixes much to the delight of her teammates.

Dottin indicated she didn’t open the innings with intentions of going hard from early on. However, the pitch set the deliveries right in “sweet zone” and she punished the Pakistan bowlers, smashing the ball around the Southend club.

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof rotated her bowlers to try and curb the Windies free-scoring, but they all felt the wrath from the Windies Women’s bats.

The biggest surprise unleashed by the Windies Women came via Chedean Nation. The veteran batter took a few deliveries to settle

in, but then unfurled 4 fours and 2 mammoth sixes on her way to a maiden T20I half-century.

When Dottin’s scoring slowed, Nation took the charge in taking the Windies score well past the par-score on the ground. She matched Dottin’s pace between the wickets, as the pair picked up the singles and doubles when boundaries were hard to come by.

out. Sandhu finished with figures of 1-23.

Pakistan innings never got the foundation or stability they needed to go after the 161-run target. Only captain Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan reached double figures. Shamilia Connell opened with a spell of beautiful seam-bowling, which had both openers Sidra Ameen and Javeria Khan caught behind by Merissa Aguilleira

er (male or female) in T20 International T20 cricket.

She used the grip of the surface along with leg-spinner Afy Fletcher to peg back the Pakistan batters. Mohammed’s 4 overs and Fletcher’s 4 overs totalled 32 runs for 3 wickets. Deandra Dottin added a wicket to her 90 not out with that of Sidra Nawaz for 0.

Shakera Selman who bowled her first 2 overs

Deandra Dottin hits eight fours and four sixes in her unbeaten 60-ball score.

Maroof brought herself on with the hope of breaking the partnership, but she was punished with 10 runs from her only over.

Nashra Sandhu was the only Pakistan bowler to take a wicket when she had Knight caught for 8.

Campbelle was run-out for 4. The Windies Women finished their innings on 160-2, Dottin on 90 not out and Nation on 50 not

for 2 and 19 respectively.

Kycia Knight took a brilliant catch, covering a few yards to her left to dismiss Umaima Sohail, handing Connell her third wicket. Then Shakera Selman stunned Nida Dar with a lightning fast return to run her out for 2.

Anisa Mohammed playing in her 100th T20 International, showed just why she’s the leading wicket-tak-

for 5 runs, returned to bowl the 18th over and was rewarded for her accuracy and consistency. She removed Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof caught and bowled for a valiant 38, then took the last Pakistan wicket of Aiman Anwer lbw for 4. Pakistan 89 all out in 18 overs.

Deandra Dottin was n a m e d P l a y e r- o f - t h e Match.

DAY 1 - Second Test at Vivian Richards ground today

England fold for 187 See Page 27

...Windies openers firm

England opener Rory Burns was removed cheaply by Kemar Roach ©Getty Images

England captain Joe Root was caught in the slips off a savage Alzarri Joseph delivery. (Getty Images)

Moeen Ali overcame a particularly dicey start to top score with 60. (Getty Images)

Paul stars with bat and ball as 20 wickets tumble at Queen’s Park Oval ► Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2019