Guyana chronicle e paper 10 02 2017

World Bank seeks gender-neutral Petroleum Bill Page 11

Gov't mulls offering lands No. 105053

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

… to storm-hit Caribbean nationals

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Garfield Christopher Parker

Man wanted

by Interpol busted with cocaine, ganja Page 2

Pan in the Gardens! The Bishop Steel Orchestra was among several bands that entertained patrons at the Botanical Gardens as part of the Education Month activities on Sunday. A total of 10 school bands participated among them being: Bishops’ High School; Dolphin Secondary; North Georgetown Primary; St Rose’s High; West Demerara Secondary; President’s College; Queen’s College; Diamond Secondary; Mahaicony Secondary and North Ruimveldt Secondary. Panwave and the Buxton Steel Ochestra also participated in the event. ( Delano Williams photo)

Sex offenders’ registry coming

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PM urges partnership in agriculture sector Page 2

Miner killed after pit caves in Page 3

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Agriculture Month

PM urges partnership in agriculture sector … says Guyana ripe to be ‘breadbasket’ of Caribbean

AGRICULTURE Month 2017 was on Sunday launched with calls for a more vibrant sector.

Themed “Food Security and Hinterland Development: Our National Priority”, the month of activities was declared open by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

At the event which was held within the Ministry of Agriculture’s compound, Prime Minister Nagamootoo told the gathering that the time is ripe for Guyana to look towards being the nation of food security that can

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo delivering the feature address at the launch of Agriculture Month 2017. (Photos by Delano Williams)

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo receives a basket filled with local produce from Permanent Secretary (ag.) Joylyn Nestor-Burrowes. assist the world in challeng- the people of the Region that ture sector for their hard work ing economic times. when in need, Guyana will be but he also noted the massive The Prime Minister re- there to assist. devastation which occurred ferred to the recent hurricanes He said “our biggest need as a result of the Category 5 which devastated several ter- is food” and “Guyana is well storms, Irma and Maria. ritories within the Caribbean, poised and very fortunate The two hurricanes leaving many homeless and that in terms of food, we are wreaked havoc in sevwithout food and potable wa- self-sufficient.” In this light, eral territories, leaving ter. He said, “We have to be the Prime Minister congrat- them without basic food a reservoir of hope,” telling ulated all within the agriculTurn to page 3 ►

Man wanted by INTERPOL busted with cocaine, ganja A 55-YEAR-OLD minibus driver of Tabatinga, Lethem, was on Sunday morning busted at Mabura Police Outpost, allegedly with a quantity of cannabis and cocaine for trafficking.

Garfield Christopher Parker, whose name ap-

Garfield Christopher Parker

peared on the INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organisation) wanted list since 2016 for international drug trafficking, is currently in police custody and is assisting with the investigation.

According to reports, on Sunday, October 1, about 04:00 hrs, the police acting on information received, stopped minibus BKK 8295 and conducted a search at Mabura Police Station.

Two cardboard boxes and a multi-coloured suitcase were found and a quantity of taped parcels were retrieved, containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis, along with a small plastic parcel containing what is suspected to be cocaine.

The drugs were weighed and the cannabis amounted to 24.9 kilograms and the cocaine 200 grams.

Parker, who was the driver, claimed ownership and knowledge of the drugs and told police that he was

transporting the drugs for someone in Lethem. He is currently being processed for court.

The suspected narcotics that was found in the minibus.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Gov’t mulls offering lands …to storm-hit Caribbean nationals

By Svetlana Marshall

THE Government of Guyana has signaled its willingness to make lands available for Caribbean nationals whose countries have been ravaged by hurricanes in recent times.

Tropical Storm Harvey in August wreaked havoc in the Caribbean followed by Irma, which devastated the Caribbean island of Barbuda, in addition to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) among others. Hurricane Irma was followed by José, Katia, Lee, Maria and Norma, of varying intensities.

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the just concluded 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA72) in New York, President David Granger said Guyana stands

ready to assist. “Guyana has a very important role to play in all of this, particularly in the Caribbean. One, we are the largest CARICOM state and we have to consider our land space as being the hinterland of the Caribbean, we have to sit down and speak to other Caribbean states, to see how this gift, maybe, could be utilised to give the people in the Caribbean a better life in the wake of these disasters,” the President said.

Attention, he reiterated, must now be placed on providing relief and evacuation, but said the affected should not be moved from one affected country to another.

While relief and evacuation are short-term solutions, medium and long-term solutions should be implemented to reverse the effects of glob-

al warming. “More importantly, we got to think about mitigation, how we are going to prevent climate change at a global scale from affecting small-island developing states and also low-lying developing states, because, Belize, Suriname, and Guyana can also be affected by global warming and rising sea levels,” he emphasised.

Days later, 2nd Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, who had accompanied President Granger to UNGA72, expounding on the president’s comment, made it clear that the Government is willing to make lands available to the affected Caribbean residents on a temporary basis.

“The availability of land in Guyana is, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest

in the world. Population density is very low, so lands are abundant. The problem really is, in some areas infrastructure for drainage and perhaps irrigation as well is lacking. So you don’t really have a shortage of land even if all of those areas were to be handed out, you would still have an abundance of land elsewhere,” Minister Greenidge told a large gathering at the Medgar Evers College, in Brooklyn last week. He subsequently told Guyana Chronicle that making lands available to islanders is nothing new, noting that lands were made available to St. Lucians and other Caribbean nationals along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway in the past.

Minister Greenidge said that if West Indians are interested in settling in Guyana

on a temporary basis to allow for the reconstruction of their homeland, the Government is willing to facilitate them.

“If West Indians are interested, and if those who are providing relief, need a place in the short term, at which people can be resettled while (their) land is being rebuilt and made habitable, Guyana is prepared to assist in that regard,” Minister Greenidge told the Guyana Chronicle.

While US-based Guyanese, who were present at the Medgar Evers forum, applauded the Government for taking such a bold decision, Opposition Member, Anil Nandlall said the President has no authority to do such.

“Indeed, from the inception, the PPP has issued several statements calling on the Government to render assistance. However, and with the greatest of respect, His Excellency the President cannot arrogate unto himself

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the power and authority to offer Guyana’s land mass to foreigners without a word of consultation with or approval of the real owners of these lands - the citizens of Guyana,” Nandlall stated upon hearing the news.

Nandlall, the former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister under the PPP, stressed that the issue was never discussed with citizens or at the level of the National Assembly. “The Leader of the Opposition or anyone else was informed or consulted in any manner whatsoever. Are we so unimportant in the President’s mind? From whence has President Granger derived the authority to offer our patrimony and our sovereign territory to foreigners?”

Nandlall noted too that the announcement comes at a time when thousands of Guyanese residing in Guyana are still clamoring to own a piece.

PM urges partnership ...

From page 2

supplies. “The dreams of the Caribbean people in many respects have been shattered,” said the Prime Minister. Nagamootoo said too that Agriculture Month allows for reflection on the country’s capacity and ability and he stressed that Guyana is blessed beyond measure.

Notwithstanding what Guyana has to offer, the Prime Minister told those gathered that efforts must be made to diversify the crops.

He referred specifically to agro-processing and “new agriculture” where the country must focus on standards to meet its growing external market.

This month the Prime Minister said must mark a new beginning for the sector. “We do not want partisanship in agriculture, we want partnership. As we observe Agriculture Month, the message should be that all are involved, consumed and so this Agriculture Month must make a new beginning, and it must make a difference in the way we look at this all-encompassing industry.”

FULL POTENTIAL Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder in brief remarks encouraged farmers to join forces with Government to realise their

fullest potential.

He said this year’s theme reflects the government’s commitment and vision, noting that his ministry is committed to ensuring that there is a more productive and resilient sector. “…we are committed to developing a green state economy …” he said, noting that Guyana is on the path to sustainable development. As a result of the country’s sustainable development agenda, Minister Holder made it clear that attention must be paid to the impact of climate change on this development path.

“The fact that our main agriculture activities are situated in the coastal zone, which is some 6ft below sea level and leaves our people vulnerable, this is one example why hinterland development for food security is a national priority,” Holder declared.

The Agriculture sector has grown, he observed, adding that it is gradually being made resilient but it is prone to climate change. “Everyone has a role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change…” said the Minister of Agriculture, who noted that this year’s activities will see a push for environmentally-friendly operations.

Minister Holder also stressed the importance of

self-sufficiency and noted that Guyanese need to eat more of what is produced here. During this month, National Tree Planting Day will be observed in Mabaruma, while there will be the commissioning of a turmeric factory in Hosororo.

Permanent Secretary (ag.)

Joylyn Nestor-Burrowes underscored the sentiments of both the Prime Minister and Minister Holder. She too highlighted the importance of

agriculture here and the benefits that can be accrued, not only locally but externally.

At the conclusion of the launch, the Prime Minister was presented with a hamper of natural, local produce as a token of appreciation. Also present at the event were General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Ms. Alison Peters and Chief Hydromet Officer, Dr. Garvin Cummings.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder addressing the gathering.

Miner killed after pit caves in A GOLD miner was killed on Sunday morning in Mahdia, Region Eight when the pit he was working in caved in, causing him to be buried alive.

Dead is 27-year-old Kellon Peters of Lot 122 One Mile Extension, Wismar, Linden. Peters was the ‘marack man’ working on the 4 inch land dredge when the accident occurred in the vicinity of St. Elizabeth, Mahdia, Region Eight. The dredge belongs to Ronald Percival.

Speaking to Guyana Chronicle from the scene of the incident, the cook disclosed that the accident occurred shortly after 10:00hrs on Sunday. According to her, Peters and two other miners were in the pit at the time when the wall caved in.

Ashanti Peters, Kellon Peters’ sister, told this newspaper that her brother was expected to return home on Sunday but instead they got the devastating news of his passing.

Kellon Peters, she said, had spent many years working in the “gold bush” but left his One Mile Extension

residence in August with the promise of returning home a month later.

“He was expected to return home today for his mother birthday today. He called last night (Saturday night) and said he was coming home,” Ashanti Peters said as she struggled to come to grips with the reality of the death of her younger brother.

It was around 11:30 on Sunday morning that his family in Linden received the news of his death.

“The bahir (cook) called. She said the pit caved in with them. Three of them were in the pit at the time but he didn’t make it.”

His body is expected to be transported to the Wismar Hospital Mortuary from Mahdia today. Peters is survived by his two daughters, ages three and five, and his other relatives and friends.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is currently investigating the incident. A senior engineer is spearheading the investigation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Violence erupts as Catalans vote on split from Spain Spanish riot police burst into polling stations across Catalonia on Sunday, confiscating ballot boxes and voting papers to try to halt a banned referendum on a split from Spain as Madrid asserted its authority over the rebel region.

The Mayor of the regional capital Barcelona Ada Colau issued a statement demanding “an immediate end to police charges against the defenseless population”. Madrid said its police had acted in a proportionate manner. Police broke down doors to force entry into voting stations as Catalans shouted “Out with the occupying forces!” and sang the anthem of the wealthy northeastern region. In one incident in Barcelona, police fired rubber bullets.

Officers in riot gear hit people with batons and forcibly removed would-be voters, including women and the elderly, from polling stations.

Catalan officials said over 460 people had been injured in the police crackdown and the Spanish Interior Ministry said 12 police had been hurt. Central government’s representative in Catalonia Enric Millo, referring to police action, told a news conference: “We have been made to do something we didn’t want to do.”

The referendum, declared illegal by Spain’s central government, has thrown the country into its worst constitutional crisis in decades and deepened a centuries-old rift between Madrid and Barcelona. It remained unclear what action the Catalan government might take. However much voting takes place, a “yes” result is likely, given that most of those who support independence are expected to cast ballots while most of those against it are not.

Despite the police action, hundreds-strong queues of people formed in cities and villages throughout the region to cast their votes. At one Barcelona polling station, elderly people and those with children entered first. “I‘m so pleased because despite all the hurdles they’ve put up, I’ve managed to vote,” said Teresa, a 72-year-old pensioner in Barcelona who had stood in line for six hours.

The ballot will have no legal status as it has been blocked by Spain’s Constitutional Court and Madrid for being at odds with the 1978 constitution. A minority of around 40 percent of Catalans support independence, polls show, although a majority wants to hold a referendum on the issue. The region of 7.5 million people has an economy

larger than that of Portugal.

LARGE CROWDS Differences were apparent in the conduct of the national Civil Guard and the regional police, Mossos. In Catalonia’s pro-independence heartland north of Barcelona, the Catalan force made little attempt to

Scuffles break out as Spanish Civil Guard officers force their way through a crowd and into a polling station for the banned independence referendum where Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was supposed to vote in Sant Julia de Ramis. REUTERS/Juan Medina

remove people from polling stations. Organizers had asked voters to turn out before dawn, hoping for large crowds to be the world’s first image of voting day. “This is a great opportunity. I’ve waited 80 years for this,” said 92-year-old Ramon Jordana, a former taxi

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not able to access the ballot boxes. In a town in Girona province where Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was due to vote, Civil Guard police smashed glass panels to open the door and search for ballot boxes.

Puigdemont voted in a dif-

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driver waiting to vote in Sant Pere de Torello, a town in the foothills of the Pyrenees and a pro-independence bastion.

The Catalan government said voters could print out ballot papers at home and lodge them at any polling station not closed down by police.

Elsewhere, people were

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STATIONS RAIDED Around 70 polling stations had been raided by police, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. The aim

of the raids was to seize referendum material and not to target people wanting to vote, another senior government official said. A top-flight Spanish soccer match between Barcelona and Las Palmas was played without any supporters in the stadium because of the unrest.

“FC Barcelona condemns the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today in order to prevent its citizens exercising their democratic right to free expression,” a statement on the club’s website said. One analyst said the scenes being played out across Catalonia on Sunday would make it harder for Madrid and Barcelona to find a way forward. “I think it is going to make the clash more intense and make it more difficult to find a solution,” said Antonio Barroso of Teneo Intelligence. Puigdemont originally said that if the “yes” vote won, the Catalan government would declare independence within 48 hours, but regional leaders have since acknowledged Madrid’s crackdown has undermined the vote. (Reuters)

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ferent town in the province. He accused Spain of unjustified violence in stopping the vote and said it created a dreadful image of Spain. “The unjustified, disproportionate and irresponsible violence of the Spanish state today has not only failed to stop Catalans’ desire to vote ... but has helped to clarify all the doubts we had to resolve today,” he said.

Nicola Sturgeon, the pro-independence leader of Scotland, which voted to remain part of the United Kingdom in a 2014 referendum, said she was concerned by the images she was seeing from Catalonia.

“Regardless of views on independence, we should all condemn the scenes being witnessed and call on Spain to change course before someone is seriously hurt,” she said on Twitter. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: “Violence can never be the answer! We condemn all forms of violence and reaffirm our call for political dialogue.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Trump defends federal response in Puerto Rico as criticism mounts U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his government was doing a “great job” to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria and took a new swipe at critics who said he had been slow to aid the island, whose power grid was destroyed 12 days ago.

The Republican president has intensified his praise of federal response efforts in the U.S. territory after the mayor of the capital rebuked the efforts and American media continued to broadcast images of the havoc and suffering on the island. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who lost her house in the storm and has been attacked

by Trump on Twitter, said on Sunday she would be willing to meet with him when he visits the island on Tuesday.

“If he asks to meet with me, of course I will meet him.”

Maria pummeled Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 on the heels of an earlier hurricane, with roof-ripping winds and torrential rains that caused widespread flooding and heavily damaged homes,

roads and other infrastructure. About half of the island’s 3.4 million people do not have access to drinking water, and 95 percent remain without power, according to the Pentagon.

Impassable roads have made it hard for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others to distribute food, water and fuel. Carmen Miranda, 60, of Luquillo, is among those who has faced long lines for gasoline, medicine and supplies. She spent 13 hours one day trying to buy fuel at a station that ran dry and was in line on Saturday at a store that ran out of diesel.

“I‘m going to have to come back another day,” she said. “It’s just horrible, those lines. That needs to be resolved immediately.

President Trump, anyone, help us,” she said. At a press briefing in San Juan, the capital, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello reported some progress in getting to people who needed help but acknowledged that problems remained. “We still need to

do much more,” he said.

Trump, however, lashed out again at San Juan’s mayor in a pair of Twitter posts.

“We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico.

Outside of the Fake News or politically-motivated ingrates,” he said. “People are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military.”

The Trump administration has been on the defensive since Friday when Cruz pounded the acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke over her comment that the federal response in Puerto Rico was “a good news story.” Trump accused the mayor of acting on behalf of Democrats. On Sunday, his representatives fanned out over the morning television news shows to chastise the tenacious Cruz.

FEMA director Brock Long admonished her for not being in closer contact with relief coordinators.

“The problem is, if you’re not connected into that joint

field office, then you don’t understand commanders’ intent,” he told ABC. “You don’t understand the successes of what has been done versus what needs to be done, where the gaps are.”

Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin both said on Sunday that Cruz’s criticism was unfair. Mulvaney said he hoped the mayor would get on the team “as we all pull the same direction.” Cruz, who has been living in a shelter, pressed on with her appeal for basic necessities as insurers and politicians began to tally the costs of the storm and the size of the aid package Puerto Rico will need. “Let us not talk about the debt, let us not talk about the cost of reconstruction.

Let us just talk about saving lives right now,” Cruz said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” programme.

POLITICAL BICKERING Trump has alluded to the island’s financial problems several times since Maria hit. Puerto Rico filed the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. municipal history this year and is struggling to regain economic stability in the face of a $72 billion debt load and near-insolvent public health and pension systems.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, urged an end to the political finger-pointing.

“Every minute we spend in the political realm bickering with one another over who’s doing what, or who’s wrong, or who didn’t do right is a minute of energy and time that we’re not spending trying to get the response right,” Rubio said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” programme. The insurance industry has begun to tally the damage from Maria, with one modeling company estimating that claims could reach $85 billion.

Trump was accused last weekend of giving shortshrift to Puerto Rico’s recovery while focusing on the National Football League players who knelt during the playing of the national anthem at games.

He issued his latest attack on San Juan’s mayor from

the New Jersey golf resort where he spent the weekend. The creator of Broadway hit “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico, took Trump to task on Twitter over his attack on Cruz: “She has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING. You’re going straight to hell.”

Conservative commentator Eric Erickson said he had planned to defend the Puerto Rico recovery efforts until the president attacked Cruz: “Yay, President Trump punched a critic — a critic who is on an island trying her best to help others where most of the people now have no homes, no power, and no running water. What a man he is!” he wrote on Saturday. (Reuters)

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Allegation of harassment, racial profiling

RECENTLY when the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) held the Ministry of Finance Deputy Accountant General, Vladim Persaud for questioning based on a forensic audit that dealt with the management of NICIL and recommended criminal and/or disciplinary action against those responsible, some startling allegations were made by former president Donald Ramotar.

The former president has accused the Government of engaging in harassment and racial profiling of young Indian professionals. In societies like ours where racial sensitivities can ignite, given cleavages, it requires carefulness on the part of everyone, not only to recognise the dangers such accusations present but also how to avoid succumbing to the temptation. Acknowledgement of these important factors is not meant to silence the voice of anyone who thinks such practices exist but to bring to the fore certain critical issues

which cannot be ignored.

Hoping stories or allegations of this nature will disappear or retreat to the backburner does not extinguish the proverbial flame but merely sends it underground to simmer where it could become more dangerous. It is this conflagration society must seek to avoid and doing so includes examining each issue on its merit and whether laws and persons’ rights were or are being violated.

If the facts are looked at recognition would be given that SOCU, which was established under the PPP/C Government as part of the administration’s effort to stamp out corruption, was acting based on recommendations of the audit. Before it can be said that arresting someone in this instance is tantamount to harassment and racial profiling, it has to be established if such action was unlawful given the nature of the issue and whether the person’s race is considered a factor in the matter.

Harassment constitutes a

pattern of behaviour that targets and singles out a group or individual with no probable cause. In the case of an investigation, speaking with those who are considered important to gathering evidence relating to the matter under review is part of the investigative process. Given Mr. Persaud’s position he would undoubtedly be considered intimately involved in the matter and likely to be identified for questioning.

Harassment and racial profiling are discriminatory acts under the law and deprive persons of their fundamental rights. Mutuma Ruteere, United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, addressing a November 2015 Special Event, hosted by the organisation, pointed out that racial profiling “impairs the fundamental rights of individuals and groups and expands on discrimination already suffered as a result of ethnic origin or minority

status.”

Where the former president expressed the view such as was the case of the Deputy Accountant General could be determined.

Alternately, if it is a case being pushed that law enforcement should ignore persons for questioning given their identity or political association, then it would be suggesting some are automatically exempted, and where the law originally intended to be universal now becomes subjected to legitimising inequality. Similarly it is worthy to recall among the first persons attracting law enforcement’s attention were former Minister of Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford and her personal assistant, Ms. Cummings, both of whom are Africans and presently before the court, though the PPP/C has accused the APNU+AFC Government of witch-hunting. Even if the integrity of the Deputy Accountant General’s work performance can be vouched for such does not preclude or should

prevent the police exercising due process in its work. If society is to reach the stage of social equality it cannot escape recognising and respecting the importance of all being held to the same standards and playing by the same rules. When members of the society deviate from such acceptance one of the things they do is undermine the course of justice and immobilise law enforcement.

It is not unreasonable to expect society will hope those who served or are serving in high offices will echo support for every institution that seeks to protect the property of the state, and further ensure all are treated equally under the law. The converse statement to the former president’s allegation risks accommodating the perception that some who

attracted the police’s attention during the PPP/C government were the result of political and racial motivation, a perception the party would likely reject. It is reasonable to have assumed given allegations of corruption as a government, interest would be maintained in clearing one’s name by cooperating with and requesting others to support the police in its investigative work. At the same time it would not signal a healthy development for society where allegations of witch-hunting, harassment and racial profiling are made whenever issues of accountability are raised. The party leadership may find it noteworthy that it carries a responsibility to work for social equality.

Greater parental responsibility, Audit needed into GECOM’s Media Monitoring Unit supervision needed Dear Editor

Dear Editor

THERE are huge hues and cries over the recent sexual abuse and murder of that lad, Leonard Archibald, and I do agree with the mammoth condemnation of that heinous crime.

Every time things like these happen, there are always immediate emotional outbursts, then society slips back into its usual mode of docile complacency.

As the stories about young Leonard’s demise unfold, we are learning of all sorts of negligence, especially by public officials. We are also learning that the maniacs who committed that crime made open, voluntary confessions.

Why aren’t public officials being sanctioned and punished for these lapses? Why are we as an economically-challenged nation wasting taxpayers’ dollars to prolong a judicial process

for self-confessing criminals?

Why are we having so many debates over the institution of the death penalty against those who presumptuously take the lives of others? Do murderers have more human rights than useful, innocent, productive citizens? Why do we continue to tolerate nonsense and expect it will somehow dissipate?

I believe that the level of parenting and supervision of molested and abused children also needs to attract greater attention and investigation.

My recent article, in which the importance of family stability and the roles of social service agencies and the state were mentioned, is a precursor to this note.

There are always a host of related vulnerabilities in single-parent situations. Reality varies broadly from theory and even some statistics. We know that the fathers of many

children are either voluntarily or involuntarily absentees from the family, but there are also overwhelming stories of single mothers who leave children unattended and unsupervised.

Some mothers understandably have to go to work, but there are countless others who leave children unattended to go partying, or to participate in other frolicking activities. The resulting sad stories, tears, denials and excuses somehow seem to overshadow parental neglect and irresponsibility when horrible things occur.

Child vulnerability and sexual abuse can be significantly reduced in this country if greater parental responsibility and supervision are demanded of child custodians, as is done in countries whose policies we conveniently mimic.

Regards ORETTE CUTTING

COULD the big Gs at Kaieteur News, Glen and Gildharie, say who was responsible for hiring the relative of a former GECOM high-ranking official at the Media Monitoring Unit?

One of the Media Monitoring Unit’s responsibilities was the monitoring of the placements of advertisements placed by GECOM. So the million-dollar question that taxpayers are continuing to ask is, was GECOM given value for money with the official evaluating quotations for the placements of advertisements, and his relative as one of the media moni-

tors tasked with checking if all of GECOM’s ads were carried in the print and electronic media?

The son of this former official worked with the Media Monitoring Unit for the 2006 and 2011 Regional and General Elections and Troy Tec Advertisement Agency, with the said official signing a certificate of performance as work done satisfactorily for Troy Tec Advertisement Agency, which won 98% of those contracts. Did the Guyanese taxpayers get value for money?

The Auditor General Deodat Sharma needs to bring the Media Monitoring Unit for 2006 and 2011 Elections under his radar. The official and his son were in serious

conflict of interest.

The audit office’s cluelessness was how the late American General, George Armstrong Custer, described his loss to the Plains Indians at Little Big Horn in 1876.

Mr. Sharma, I know that you are no army general, but you are the auditor general and the word clueless should never be associated with you and your staff. There is an urgent need for a forensic audit of this former official, his son, Troy Tec and the Media Monitoring Unit that monitored the 2006 and 2011 Regional and General Elections.

Regards Former GECOM employee

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

I will continue to serve my community Dear Sir,

My attention was drawn to a letter under the heading “Hilbert Foster is no cricket Administrator” written by Godwyn Allicock.

The letter is not only libellous, but also a determined and well-planned attack on my character. Ever since the Kaieteur News had carried some endorsements from several persons, the smear campaign has started via Facebook and Letters to the Editor. The sad part is that I have never told anyone I would be contesting the Berbice Cricket Board election, and I am left to wonder what would happen if I do so.

I have received numerous requests to do so and would make a decision very soon.

Why cannot we behave like civilised people and run a clean campaign based on achievements and ability, to get things done and plans for the future? I hold no brief for Mr. Allicock but attacking

me seems to be a fulltime job for him. All of his statements in the letter are libelous and false. a) I have never recommended a 20/20 cricket for Under-13players, never organised any such tournament nor plan to do so. Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has recently formed an Under-13 team which is currently playing in an eight team tournament in Georgetown, organised by the Softball League. The club agreed to do so since no form of cricket is being played in Berbice. b) I have never formed a Special Events Committee under my brother’s presidency of the Berbice Cricket Board. The elected Executive Committee asked me to head the committee which included Anil Beharry, Leslie Solomon, Gregory Rambarran, Shabeer Baksh, Winston Smith, Hubern Evans, Rabindranauth Saywack, Romesh Munna and Angela Haniff among others.

c) The work of the Special Events Committee is well-documented and played a great role in the development of Berbice Cricket. This was done not by the efforts of one man but a group of honest, dedicated individuals whose main objectives was to lift Berbice Cricket to the highest level. d) The Special Events Committee never had its own bank account. All funds raised were handed over to the Treasurer, Anil Beharry and the Berbice Cricket Board Trustees. The Berbice Cricket Board’s Financial Accounts were audited on an annual basis and approved by its member clubs at the Annual General Meetings. e) The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club membership is open to all Berbicians free of cost. We do not, as a matter of policy, ask cricketers to join our Club.

The accusation that we stole cricketers from Upper Corentyne and surrounding areas

is simply untrue. Players like Clinton Pestano, Askhay Homraj and Parmanand Narine all asked to join the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and had their requests granted. f) Mr. Allicock in his letter accused me of doing the Berbice Cricket Board fixtures for matches and picking venues and selecting umpires. This statement is highly fictitious and libelous as I never did any of the following. The preparation of fixtures was done solely by the Berbice Cricket Board Competitions Chairman, Mr. Carl Moore who also selected the venues while the Berbice Cricket Umpires Association was responsible for the selection of umpires. I have never overstepped my role in the Berbice Cricket Board, and Mr. Moore along with the Umpires Association can be contacted to verify same.

Mr. Allicock’s most famous theme is about people enriching themselves at the

expense of cricket. It is very easy to target people’s character when you cannot target their record of achievements.

Personally, I can safely say that I am not a rich person, do not live any type of fancy lifestyle and has always tried to be humble. I do not own a vehicle, do not own a piece of jewellery, have the oldest bicycle in the world to go work, and can say without fear of being corrected that I do not have half a million dollars in my name or my family’s name.

It hurts when you sacrifice a lot to serve humanity and is targeted by others who have nothing to do. I would continue to serve my town, my county and my country to the best of my ability, and would urge Mr. Allicock to do likewise. By the way, since I am no cricket administrator, I should return the numerous awards I have collected, including the National Sports Personality Award from the Government

Sterilised explanations, downplayed criticisms and repetition of outright lies Dear Editor, Having heard criticisms of the coverage being provided by the Kaieteur News from Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, I undertook a research effort of my own. What I found was that ‘fake news’ persist in the face of available facts and explanations.

I have read the negative reports from the Kaieteur News on the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration’s stewardship of the petroleum blocks, in particular articles that quote Mr. Christopher Ram. The last such article was headlined ‘Trotman refused to correct PPP’s errors with ExxonMobil contract –Ram’ and published on September 26, 2017.

Jagdeo, in response, had addressed these criticisms and answered Mr. Ram’s questions at his press conference on Wednesday (September 27, 2017). Mr. Ram questioned why 600

blocks were given to ExxonMobil, by the late former president, Mrs. Janet Jagan, when the limit is 60. Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that the law allows for a higher number of blocks to be issued “under special circumstances”, and explained that Jagan may have very well included geo-political considerations, particularly given Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory.

He also noted that at the time the blocks were issued to ExxonMobil it was at a time when Guyana was considered a high-risk country and interested parties were not in abundance. And of course we had not found oil as yet. It was Mrs. Jagan’s decision that led to Guyana finding oil. Mr. Ram also questioned why the agreement with ExxonMobil was extended by Jagdeo in 2008. And the former president has explained that a “reset” was needed since ExxonMobil had enforced a force majeure soon after the initial agreement for the 600

blocks, following acts of aggression from Suriname related to the territory. Dr. Jagdeo explained too that on September 7, 2007, the United Nations pronounced on the Guyana/Suriname dispute and in 2008, the force majeure was lifted – which means that between 2000 and 2008 nothing was being done.

It has to be noted that the process of relinquishment would have been affected, were it not for the ‘reset’. The law says the original agreement, that a company holds the original blocks issued for four and a half years and after then it has to relinquish (give up) 50 per cent of the blocks.

After that there is a threeyear extension, after which a further 50 per cent of the blocks has to be given up.

The Kaieteur News, which publicised Ram’s questions and criticisms in the first place, has made no effort to publicise the responses by former president Dr. Jagdeo to the said ques-

tions and criticisms. Interestingly enough, Dr. Jagdeo had also criticised Kaieteur News for only publishing Ram’s comments as they relate to the former PPP/C government, while ignoring the strong words he had for APNU+AFC Minister, Raphael Trotman. A day later, what the Guyanese people read was an article headlined ‘ExxonMobil contract with Guyana… Trotman’s actions make him a liability to Guyana – Ram’.

The article included the mildest of Ram’s criticisms of Trotman and his colleague Ministers. The article also repeated Mr. Ram’s two questions, which were answered by Dr. Jagdeo – responses that still fail to see the ‘light of day’ in the Kaieteur News.

Mr. Ram’s criticisms of the APNU+AFC government included that: “The individual ministers seem hopelessly uninformed and their performance is unimpressive; Minister David Patterson’s claims about

blocks that “there is nothing left to give out’ are not supported by facts; Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, was quoted as saying that expenses for the trip to Texas would be charged as Cost Oil, which would be a breach of the accounting provisions of the PSA and sends a wrong signal to ExxonMobil; and that in a number of cases Minister Trotman has acted unlawfully, failed to act as the law requires and often demonstrates a basic lack of understanding of the Petroleum laws.”

It would appear that Kaieteur News is making every effort to hide the incompetence and corruption of the current Coalition Government by sterilising and distorting or not publishing the Opposition’s responses and criticisms of the APNU+AFC Government.

Regards, COLLIN CROAL, PPP/C MP

of Guyana and the Guyana Cricket Board Special Award for outstanding contribution to the development of cricket.

Over the years, my faith in God has been my tower of strength and would continue to be so.

To Mr. Allicock and his friends, I would strongly urge that you concentrate your efforts on informing the Berbice Cricket Clubs on your plans for the future, and to run a clean election campaign based on your achievements. On a personal note, I would like to express thanks to the countless friends, cricket clubs, political leaders and members of the business community who visited me or called to offer words of encouragement in the face of the restless campaign against me.

Regards, HILBERT FOSTER Secretary/CEO, RHTYSC

Koko Mary featured in Timehri Magazine Dear Editor,

As we close off Indigenous Month 2017, many would have contributed positively towards the growth of Guyana just after Independence 1966.

However, I am almost certain that many would have done their part prior to Independence and as I was perusing a historic book of 1961 captioned ‘TIMEHRI MAGAZINE...The Journal of The Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana’, they featured one ‘KOKO MARY’ who appears to be an Indigenous woman and I am almost certain she played a pivotal role from or within her community and former British Guiana at large.

Perhaps a family member or historian can join and educate us briefly who was Koko Mary?

Attached you will find a photo image of the cover of the magazine and a black and white photo of the subject in question.

Regards T. PEMBERTON

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Being there for children THERE are no national accolades for those who have dedicated their lives to caring for children.

From teachers to nursery and day care workers to those in the public service who have worked diligently with families and children for decades.

For these people the work is not a job but a ‘calling’ it is the most natural thing for them to do in life. They bring joy, hope, love, care, encouragement and inspiration to children and their families who otherwise would probably fall by the wayside or have a very difficult time ‘getting by’ for one reason or another.

When you speak to these people, one of the things you realise is their

natural insight into the mind of a child and the needs of children. Through their eyes a child is not ‘bad’ or ‘disgusting’ or someone who deserves a good beating; no, these people see a child who may be troubled by his/her experiences in life so far or a child who is a product of the circumstances that he/she has been presented with in life.

These people realise that when they interact with a child they are actually interacting with everything that has happened to that child since birth. All the child has seen, has heard and had been through and how he/she has been treated: The good and the not so good. All these and the other elements such as the child’s intellectual,

IDB, NPTAB host training for bid evaluators THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), last week concluded a two -day workshop aimed at improving the evaluation of tenders financed by the IDB. The training which was themed “What to do when procurement goes wrong”, focused on identifying potential challenges that adversely affect the efficiency of the procurement process. It sought too, to explain the context in which such situations generally arise, why, and what could be the outcomes.

According to a release, the workshop was part of a strategy dedicated to achieving better efficiency and performance at the evaluation stage of the IDB-financed procurement processes. An earlier event which was conducted on June 20 and 21 this year, focused on the principles of evaluation for complex infrastructure procurement processes and consulting services. Meanwhile, a third workshop with the focus on the analysis of financial information, will be held before the end of the year.

The general objective of the workshop is to avoid occurrences that may adversely affect the execution of the procurement process, to increase quality, and reduce the total time between process launch and contract signature.

The two-day session was attended by a Approximately 45 persons who have been appointed on evaluation panels were selected by the NPTA to participate in the sessions, the release stated.

The IDB Country Office in Guyana is committed to providing all necessary assistance to improve project execution, disbursement projections, and capacity to manage and implement all forecasted procurement activities, it added.

emotional and social growth are part of the developing child. They know about child development and therefore understand children.

If adults want to help children they must (try to) understand them. For instance children do not need to be moulded into any particular shape or beaten into submission when they do something wrong. They simply need to be guided and allowed to bloom naturally.

Adults must be steadfast in their approach with children. They should know when to ‘make joke’ and when to be serious.

So that a child will not overstep his/her mark: a mutual respect between adults and children must exist from the start (or be

built along the way) for a healthy relationship to flourish and be maintained.

Children need trustworthy adults in their lives.

The best adults are those who can relate to children on the child’s level and who go out of their way to find different ways and strategies to deal with ‘problem’ children because they know that children can never really be a ‘problem’, though in some cases their transitional lives seem filled with its fair share.

It has been written: If a child cannot learn the way you teach then teach them the way they learn. ‘Teach them’ not beat them or preach to them or maltreat them: adults need to be adaptable, dependable and approachable to meet

the needs of the growing child. It is a fact that adults have a phenomenal influence over children and any form of abuse, neglect or abandonment by parents could leave an indelible mark on children for life.

On the heels of child protection week, we at the Childcare and Protection Agency implore, adults, caregivers and parents to take their time with children, have patience: be attentive, inquisitive and alert around them. Make them feel special, compliment the positive things they do and do not consistently highlight the negative. Most parents want their child to succeed and grow into a well-adjusted rounded adult but this will only happen if the time and care is given now.

There are those whose vocation in life is to nurture and care for children, they have the knack, the tact and the inclination to help children meet their potential, but for all those who fall short in this area, this message is to let you know that there is time and room for improvement. Don’t give up on children, they need your support, love and care for their growth and development.

(If you are concerned about the welfare of a child you can ring the CPA hotline 227 0979 or email chilcaregy@gmail. com A Message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection)

PPP wants probe into Durban Park project THE Parliamentary Opposition is calling for an investigation to be launched into Homestretch Development Inc. (HDI)–the special-purpose company which had spearheaded the initial construction of the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project.

In a letter dated September 25, 2017, and addressed to the Chairman of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), Carol Corbin, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill, requested that an investigation be carried out into the award of contracts and payment of monies to HDI, as it relates to the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project.

The request was made in keeping with Article 212 AA (1) (h), (i) and (j) of the Constitution of Guyana. In the correspondence, the opposition MP pointed out that during the initiation of the project in September 2015, ahead of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary, the project was dubbed a private initiative.

“The National Assembly was informed that this project would be funded by private individuals through

an unnamed private organisation, and, that this project would be no drain on the public purse. There were no specified budgetary provisions in the 2015 and 2016 Annual Budgets for the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project,” Edghill pointed out.

He added: “From September 2015 to January 22nd, 2016, there was no account of what monies were collected, who collected these and who authorised the collection, nor how these were spent. Government had promised to account for the donations received, but this was not done.”

On April 21, 2016, President David Granger mandated the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson ,to immediately assume full responsibility for the D’urban Park Development Project.

By November, 2016, the Government sought approval from the National Assembly for the sum of $406.7M to assist with the payment for goods and services provided for the completion of the multi-million dollar project.

Also, an additional $500M from the Consolidated Fund was sought by

the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in December, 2016 and was approved by the National Assembly.

“We were told in the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly that the sums approved would be given to the Homestretch Development Inc. (HDI), a special purpose company, to honour its financial obligations to contractors and suppliers. This is the first time that the name of this company was made public,” the Edghill recalled, while pointing out that the company was registered on January 22, 2016.

“From its inception to April 21st, 2016, the private company, HDI, had control of financing and managing the project. From April 22nd, 2016 to June 2017, it is estimated that public monies amounting to GYD $1.5B have been spent on the project. We look forward to your investigation,” Edghill told Corbin, in his correspondence.

The Parliamentary Opposition wants also wants the PPC, following the completion of its investigation, to disclose the procurement process for contracts awarded to facilitate works on the project, prior to April 21, 2016 and up to June 30,

2017.

The PPP wants too, the Commission to determine whether a private company can engage contractors without having any established procurement process, and whether that company can also then request and receive public monies for funding the same contracts.

“Does our Procurement Act bind government-owned and controlled Special Purpose Companies (SPC) to follow its procurement rules?

Was there a budgeted and actual cost for every completed phase of the project?

Was there a projected final cost for the overall project?

What payments were made to individuals, contractors and companies as it relates to this project and what liabilities, if any, to individuals, contractors and companies were owed for works and services up to June 2017?” were among the questions posed to the PPC, with the hope of acquiring the answers, if or when, the investigation is conducted.

The PPC also wants the PPC to determine whether there was any illegality or mismanagement of this project, and if so, to make the necessary recommendations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Guyana urges no delay to judicial settlement of the border controversy

By Odeen Ishmael

ON December 16, 2016, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon decided that the existing UN Good Offices process which began in 1990 in order to find a solution to the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy would conclude at the end of 2017.

A UN media statement revealed: “If, by the end of 2017, the Secretary-General concludes that no significant progress has been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the next means of settlement, unless the governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so.”

Two months later, on February 27 this year, the Secretary-General appointed Norwegian diplomat, Dag Halvor Nylander as a mediator to help find a solution to the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

Nylander has since been making regular visits to Georgetown and Caracas for meetings with government leaders to explore and propose options for solving the controversy arising from the Venezuelan claim that the 1899 arbitral award settling the then ex-

isting border dispute is null and void.

VENEZUELA’S STATEMENT Since the December announcement, the Venezuelan government remained noticeably silent on the decision by the Secretary-General to ask the ICJ to rule on the issue.

However, on September 15, it finally acknowledged this fact after a meeting between President Nicolas Maduro and Nylander. In a public statement, the Venezuelan government stated: “The UN Good Offices process will continue until the end of the year, when the organisation will determine if significant progress has been made in the dispute, otherwise the case will be referred to the International Court of Justice.”

But, a few hours later, in a sudden reversal, it amended its statement by reverting to its long-held position that a settlement should be reached by mediation, and even claiming that “mediation will be supported by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in order to find a practical and satisfactory solution, as set out in the [1966] Geneva Agreement.”

CUYUNI BOUNDARY Meanwhile, Guyana has remained adamant that the

ICJ must finally decide on the issue.

On September 13, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge firmly stated that Guyana was in no mood to entertain any request for more time beyond this yearend to decide whether the controversy should be taken to ICJ. No doubt, the Venezuelan government’s ambiguous position over the decision to involve the ICJ is an indication that it is fearful of an international judicial decision on the issue. It has always insisted on mediation even though that process has failed to show any result ever since the involvement of the UN Secretary General in 1982.

GUYANA URGES NO DELAY IN ICJ INVOLVEMENT This latest about-face by the Venezuelan government has certainly become irksome to the Guyanese government. President David Granger spoke on this matter at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20.

He stated: “Guyana looks to the international community to ensure that Venezuela is not allowed to thwart the processes of judicial settlement, which is the clear and agreed path to peace and justice. . . Four UN Secretaries-General have been seized of the Venezuelan claims.

The choice has become one between just and peaceful settlement, in accordance with international law, and a Venezuelan posture of attrition that is increasingly more blustering and militaristic. In this matter, protraction is the enemy of resolution, and the ally of sustained conflict.”

Granger reminded the General Assembly that former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and his successor, António Guterres, had already agreed that the ICJ will be the next means of peaceful settlement if by the end of December 2017, unless Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that mediation should continue.

It is obvious that Guyana will not request any change to this decision since it has not seen any success in the UN mediation efforts.

Guyana maintains that the international arbitration award of 1899 decided on the border; that there is no border dispute and what exists is a controversy arising over Venezuela’s claim that the 1899 award is null and void; and that the Geneva Agreement signed by Venezuela, the United Kingdom and Guyana in 1966 calls for a settlement of the “controversy” and not of the border.

On the other hand, while Venezuela continues to insist on the nullity of the arbitration award, it has never presented a legal case

to verify its position, but it demands a “practical” settlement of the border.

INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEE OF GUYANA’S BORDERS With a judicial settlement expected in due course, Guyana must decide to have its territorial integrity guaranteed by the international community.

Back in the early 1960s, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, hoping to lead the country into independence, had plans in this direction. On July 17, 1968, during debate in the National Assembly on the motion denouncing the “Leoni decree” by which Venezuela claimed a twelve-mile strip of Guyana’s continental shelf off the Essequibo coast, Opposition Leader Dr. Cheddi Jagan explained: “When we were in the government we said that even if it may appear that we were surrendering part of our sovereignty, we are prepared to sign such a treaty with the Great Powers, who will not only see that Guyana remains neutral, but who will guarantee our territorial integrity.

Perhaps, it would have been a surrender of a bit of sovereignty in that we were saying they would supervise our neutrality.”

Dr. Jagan pointed out that Austria, after it regained independence in 1955, signed

Odeen Ishmael a treaty with Russia, France, Britain, and the USA during the mid-1960s to guarantee its territorial integrity. He felt the Forbes Burnham-led People’s National Congress-United Force (PNCUF) coalition government should have negotiated a similar treaty when the country attained independence, and blamed it “for failing to lodge, in conjunction with the British, at the United Nations, the boundaries of Guyana at the time of independence, for failure to negotiate a treaty of guarantee of our territorial integrity with the Great Powers, East and West.”

With a yet unclear Venezuelan position on a judicial solution, one is left to wonder if that government will be willing to accept the ruling by the ICJ if the decision is not in its favour.

It is, therefore, imperative for the Guyana government to consider negotiating an international guarantee of the country’s borders as soon as the judicial settlement of the controversy is finally reached.

Human traffickers targeting Indigenous communities –– UNICEF report

A RECENT study done by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs (MIPA) has revealed that one in every four victims of trafficking in persons is Amerindian.

The study, which was conducted in 12 villages from nine of the 10 administrative regions, has revealed that trafficking still exists in those communities.

The former Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security had reported that 158 of the persons trafficked between 2013 and 2015 could have been identified by their ethnicity.

The recent study has discovered that most of the trafficked Indigenous Peoples were women. Though persons in the villages understood the concept of human trafficking, and there is an environment of prevention and identification of cases,

anecdotal information has revealed that persons are still being lured into it.

Persons reported that trafficking happened internally when girls and boys are going to the cities and mining and logging areas with the promise of good jobs. It also

happens between countries, when young people would go to Brazil trying to find better opportunities.

“Child trafficking has a straight relationship with children’s involvement in economic activities and child labour,” the report has revealed.

Quantitative and quali-

UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist, Mr Michael Gillis, presenting some of the findings of the study to the audience at the Umana Yana a few weeks ago (Adrian Narine photo)

tative data have shown that children and adolescent involvement in economic activities, household chores and early labour is quite common among the Indigenous populations.

The Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2014 revealed that 35 per cent of the Indigenous children between five and 11 years old are involved in economic activities that are paid or unpaid for at least one hour in the week before data was collected.

Similarly, 74 per cent of Indigenous children in the same age group are involved in household chores and 41 per cent of the Indigenous children between five and 17 years of age were identified as being involved in child-labour. These indicators are reportedly the highest among different socio-economic groups in Guyana.

According to the report, involvement in economic activities and child-la-

bour are connected to the harsh economic situations in families that demand

children and adolescent to start working to support the families.

Woman shot during gunplay at Agricola A 26-YEAR-OLD woman was injured during a shootout at Agricola, East Bank Demerara during Saturday night.

The woman is identified as Aisha Eversley of Freeman Street, Agricola, who was shot to her left foot after two men, both armed with handguns, had an argument during which they discharged rounds at each other.

The incident occurred at about 21:00hrs at Fifth Street corner, Agricola. Eversley was caught in the crossfire and shot.

She was treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital and sent away.

Aisha Eversley

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Sex offenders’registry coming

THE establishment of a sexual offenders’ registry is on the horizon as Guyana endeavors to strengthen its efforts against child sexual abuse, according to Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene.

Greene was reported as saying that her agency will be working to assist with the creation of a sex offenders’ registry. Many persons have been calling for the establishment of this registry for years, including the CPA. In light of the crime against 13-year-old Leonard Archibald recently, the need for this has increased greatly. When the Guyana Chronicle spoke to Greene on Saturday, she stated that Guyana has adequate laws to protect children; in fact, she

Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene postulated Guyana has “one of the best child protection acts.” However, she posited that the enforcement of these laws and the attitudes of peo-

ple is lacking.

She explained that the combatting of these issues are compounded by the plethora of issues faced by the police service and the “long, slothful process” of the judicial system. Greene related that the establishment of this registry is definitely under strong consideration by the CPA, which falls under the purview of the Social Protection Ministry. There are some areas that need to be ironed out however.

“Even when we start the registering of the sexual offenders, they gotta go through the system and there’s a point where they could appeal,” Greene said, adding that “The system must work.” Nevertheless, she emphasised, “Collective responsibility is needed,

nothing partisan. There’s nothing partisan about child protection, this is about children.”

Also, speaking on the Juvenile Justice Bill, Greene related that it seeks to lessen the adjudication of juveniles by the justice system and focus more on child rights.

The CPA, under the purview of the Ministry of Social Protection and its social services department, has been a key stakeholder in the review and creation of this bill. It was highlighted earlier this year, by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, that the bill seeks to abolish truancy, wandering, among other crimes deemed “economic.”

Greene further disclosed to the Guyana Chronicle that raising the age of criminal

responsibility from age 10 is definitely a component of the bill. “A child at 10 right now could be charged and placed before the court and that’s really very young,” she said, but could not ascertain what age this should be raised to.

Other components of the bill include mandating compulsory probation reports for juveniles, as well as the provision of legal representation for all juveniles. In layman’s terms, she explained, “[the] juvenile justice [bill] is saying that from the time you hold a juvenile, you gotta start the rehabilitation process. So, the places where you’re gonna hold them must be places that will not jeopardize them or put them at risk.”

Despite the extensive changes being advanced through this bill, the direc-

tor related that she does not anticipate much opposition towards this bill when presented in parliament. She welcomed initiatives to “fix” aspects of the bill and make it better, though. Throwing her support behind this bill however, she stated, “We need to get some changes; we definitely need to reform the juvenile justice bill.”

“I don’t see why we’ll have opposition to this unless somebody has a better point that we could fix.” It was reported that the bill was completed in July and was reviewed by the Minister of Public Security and a parliamentary committee that included the Attorney General, parliamentary opposition and the Social Protection and Public Health Ministers.

Suspects in East La Penitence murder for court today THE SUSPECTS in the murder of 58-year-old Fazal Shaheed, who was shot and killed during an invasion at his family home in East LaPenitence, Georgetown, are expected to be placed before the court today.

Two of the suspects involved, reportedly lived in the same street where the murder took place, and had allegedly confessed to the crime and are assisting the police with their investigation.

On Sunday, September 24, at Lot 194 East La Penitence, Georgetown, armed gunmen stormed Shaheed family’s home as relatives were making the final preparation for his father’s one-year memorial service.

The deceased was in MURDERED: the yard, around 00:40hrs, Fazal Shaheed when the men invaded the house in which his two brothers, sisters and mother were at the time. The dead man’s brothers, Talin, 50, of Toronto, Canada, and Shalim, 53, of the United States, were both shot about their bodies.

A police source close to the investigation, told the Guyana Chronicle that it was Shaheed, during his last moments, who told a relative who his killers were, since they lived a mere few houses away. And, it was that critical information which led to the arrest of the two suspects less than 24 hours after the incident occurred. One of the suspects has been identified as the little brother of a high-profile Lusignan Prison escapee who was recently recaptured.

The suspects reportedly told the police that the gun that was used for the home invasion was borrowed from a friend. The source said too, that the men further confessed that after seeing ‘strange faces’ in the street, and having learnt that the persons were foreigners, they had planned the robbery. However, things did not go as planned as Shaheed and his two brothers resisted and as they fought with their attackers, the gunmen discharged several rounds at them. Shaheed was shot four times about his body.

Meanwhile, the Police last week had sought legal advice to further detain the men, as the detectives widened the probe in a bid to arrest another person who is reportedly also implicated in the murder/robbery.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

World Bank seeks gender-neutral Petroleum Bill

By Ariana Gordon

MINISTER within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, has met with representatives of the World Bank to examine the Petroleum Commission Bill to ensure that the proposed legislation is gender-neutral.

Broomes travelled to the United States in September and met with Sheila Khama, Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives of the World Bank, and Director of the African Natural Resources Center (ANRC) and other of-

countries like Ghana, women have been encouraging their governments on the importance of gender neutrality in policies in the extractive industry in particular. “So in Guyana, we are in a position where our Bill is at the Select Committee, so we have a unique opportunity and time to look at all the areas. We will re-look at the Bill carefully,” said Minister Broomes, who reminded that the extractive industry is evolving.

The minister stressed that women are important to the development of communities,

with three representatives of the World Bank on the subject. Those who travelled to Guyana are Susana Moreira, an Extractive Industries Specialist; Tomas de la Calle Botero, who holds an MBA in Energy and Patrice De Vivies, Senior Gas Advisor, Energy and Extractives, all of the World Bank.

Following Wednesday’s meeting, the two sides agreed that in going forward there must a roundtable discussion with all stakeholders, something, she said, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman supports.

“Minister Trotman and I had a meeting since I returned from Washington. He has given all consent that I will continue to get the relevant information to provide to him, to ensure that it is well taken care of, not only in policy but in the Act.” Broomes opined that the move to work with experts in the field at the level of the World Bank is important, and it shows that Guyana is on the right track. She said progress is evident when the government is taking the lead, and not civil society calling on the administration to address

Sheila Khama (centre), Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives of the World Bank makes a point to Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes (right) and other officials of the World Bank’s extractives department in Washington D.C. last month. ficials on the matter. Khama is a natural resources policy advisor. In an interview with this newspaper, Broomes explained that in the lead up to the 2015 General and Regional Elections, the coalition government preached gender equality and neutrality.

The minister, who herself had been involved in mining for approximately 30 years before becoming a government official, told the Guyana Chronicle that her meeting with the World Bank officials was geared at examining gender equality in policies, and more specifically the extractive industry.

“That meeting I think is very timely; you know that the Bill is right now at the Select Committee. Minister Trotman is dealing with oil and gas, but is in agreement with me getting the information to deal with the gender aspect,” she stated.

Broomes said that in

and more so the country, and said that they must be involved in every aspect of life. Broomes posited that in moving forward, there must be equal opportunities for women in the extractive industry.

She said women must never feel inferior. “… this is not something we should just talk about… this is something we have to ensure is taken care of.

We campaigned strong on gender and equality and we have the political will and we have seen much change,” she told Guyana Chronicle.

COLLABORATION Meanwhile, the Minister said her Ministry has agreed to continue collaboration with the World Bank on the issue of gender in the extractive sector.

On Wednesday last, a follow-up meeting was held

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, stands alongside Sheila Khama, Director of the African Natural Resources Center, and Practice Manager Energy and Extractives, World Bank, while in Washington D. C. issues of gender balance.

“It is for us as a responsible government to look at all the areas, so that when we come back to the Parliament, it makes provision for all,” she stated.

While the Minister could not provide a fixed timeline for the deliberations to take place, she estimates that within a month, satisfactory work would be done in the area.

Parliament resumes from its recess on October 10.

She told the Guyana Chronicle that she observed that in some spheres there are not many women involved and reminded that, “…women play a great role in the extractive industry…women play a great role in shaping and building Guyana and taking it forward.”

Meanwhile, Minister Trotman during Parliamentary deliberations on the legislation said, there had been extensive consultation on the legislation which provides a legal framework for

regulating and monitoring of the sector. The Petroleum Commission of Guyana Bill 2017 was drafted by the Oceanic and Natural Resources Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Secretariat and then sent to the government for extensive consultations.

The Bill, he said, provides a legal framework for an efficient, safe, effective and environmentally responsible exploration, development and production of petroleum in Guyana. The Bill is also aimed at providing for the establishment of a petroleum regulatory agency.

Government has argued that the 1996 and 1997 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, had arbitrary power disposed on the subject minister, something which ought not to obtain, and decided that such power ought to be dissolved into a Commission or regulatory agency.

(L-R) World Bank representatives Thomas de la Calle Botero, Susana Moreira, and Patrice De Vivies, along with Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, following a meeting in Georgetown Wednesday last.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

‘A Congress House in every region’ … Pres Granger urges as he re-commissions Linden office

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE Region 10 People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) regional office was on Sunday reopened by Party Leader, President David Granger.

The building underwent extensive renovation. The office which is located on Coop Cresent Mackenzie, was renovated in time for the party’s 60th anniversary at the tune of $8.5 M and was spearheaded by the Region 10 Party Chairperson, Sandra Adams.

The opening ceremony

also saw in attendance PNCR Chairman, Basil Williams; General Secretary, Amna Ally Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Yearwood and other regional party representatives.

Adams in her address revealed that the deplorable condition of the office was of concern to the party and they undertook its renovation as a project for the 60th Anniversary.

“The office began to lose its attraction to members and supporters. Upon my return home to Guyana in 2014, my

heart bled to see the state of the party office and I pledged to myself and others that as long as I am here and in Region 10 and have anything to do with this party, the office is priority and it has to look better than what we had,” she affirmed, adding that the party is also almost debt free.

President Granger commended Adams for piloting such a project after going through a time of difficulty.

The party, he said has provided a quality of leadership that no other party has offered Guyana. It is one that has a conscience and never

Party Leader, President David Granger, cutting the ribbon of the newly–refurbished party office with Regional Chairperson, Sandra Adams gives up on the people. “We could have been a failed state had it not been for Forbes Burnham, we could have been a failed state in 1962 if the PPP had gotten into office,” Granger said.

The newly–renovated party office in Mackenzie Linden

MORE THAN A POLITICAL OFFICE The party leader articulated that in every region, there must be a party office, which is symbolic since it is like a beacon of strength in the community.

“I want to see that monumental party office that is standing up for the principles of the party, I want to see a party office that is symbolic.

In every single region there must be a Congress House.”

Granger encouraged the regional leaders to not only

use the office as a political meeting place but as a social meeting place for the entire community, especially for young people. It must be a house that never sleeps and should meet the region’s economic and social needs.

He told the gathering that the PNCR survived, because of five important institutions and urged the regional executives to follow these; the constitution, congress, equality, members and general council. General Secretary Amna Ally said that she is overwhelmed that the office has been completed since it is a symbol of building and not a symbol of destruction. “There was a time when we came to Linden and our own party comrades resented us and I

am happy to be here today and as I look around I see many of those comrades and I am very happy that we can realise that working together pays off and not being divided,” Ally said. Region 10, she said always comes through for the PNCR no matter what and she is happy that no longer is the region being discriminated against.

Williams for his part said that in each region there must be a Congress house where the plan of action for regional development should take place.

The refurbishing of the party office was made possible by the contributions of several members of the business community in Linden and ordinary residents.

Legislative Drafting and Law Revision to the member states of the organisation. In the Caribbean, he supervised the revision of the Laws of Grenada done by LexisNexis. He also undertook the revision of the Laws of Belize which are being published by the Regional Law Revision Centre in Anguilla. Justice Zuru had also prepared a preliminary law revision format for the Commonwealth of Dominica and he also revised the Laws of Antigua and Barbuda.

In Guyana, he was in-

volved in correcting errors and omissions made in the 2010 revised Laws of Guyana, as well as, providing manpower training to the personnel of the member states in legislative drafting and law revision. He was also involved in training members of the legal staff in the use and application of the new civil procedure rules.

Shortly before he died, Justice Zuru was actively involved in laying the groundwork for the establishment of the Law Reform Commission.

The late, Justice Abdullahi Zuru

AG Chambers legal consultant passes away

CONSULTANT in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Justice Abdullahi Zuru, passed away recently due to illness, the ministry said in a release.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams and members of his staff, last Friday paid tribute to the late Justice Zuru at a special gathering at the ministry’s boardroom.

Williams remembered Zuru as “a man of great intellect, who was principled and religious and with a passion for reforming the law.” The At-

torney General further stated that the late Justice Zuru had even managed to impress the President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger, with his great work ethic and progressive thinking.

During the ceremony, several members of staff were unanimous in their description of their late colleague’s work style and ethic which they described as “dedicated and committed.”

Justice Zuru was also described as an advocate for legal professional development and continuing legal

education, whose belief was that with proper mentorship, young attorneys could become office holders who would dispense their functions with integrity and impartiality.

Though based in Guyana, Justice Zuru was a national of Nigeria, and a former Solicitor General and Judge of the High Court in Nigeria.

Justice Zuru had also worked worldwide as a Law Revision Consultant. During his life, Justice Zuru moved to the CARICOM Secretariat as a consultant involved in

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

President urges greater awareness of climate change

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… during tree planting exercise at Linden

The Region 10 arm of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Sunday kicked off the party’s 60th Anniversary celebrations with a tree planting exercise during which President David Granger who is also leader of the party, emphasised the need for Guyana to up ramp up its fight against climate change.

The exercise saw the participation of President David Granger who is also the PNCR leader, PNCR Chairman Basil Williams, PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally, Minister of Communities Valerie Patterson- Yearwood, Chairperson of the PNCR Region 10 Sandra Adams and several regional party representatives and well as government officials.

The party’s symbol which is the palm tree as well as coconut trees were planted alongside Burnham Drive by

climatic phenomenon which was also caused by the over 100 years of bauxite mining.

When you fly over these areas, you will see, that it looks like old sores and once we continue to extract minerals from the soil, once we continue to cut down trees, we will be faced with the challenge of climate change and global warming.”

It is on this premise that the PNCR leader stressed the importance of tree planting since it will aid in saving the environment, since trees are more profitable standing than being cut down. For those that are cut down, he urged the gathering, to replant them since it will not only benefit us but the future generation. “This exercise is very important and I refer to Guyana as the green state and we need to protect our biodiversity and wildlife... wildlife like our trees are more valuable alive than dead……..

President David Granger waters a newly-planted palm tree, while Region 10 Party Chairman, Sandra Adams looks on President David Granger and several other party executives. At the short ceremony which saw the gathering of several PNCR supporters and Lindeners, President Granger in his feature address stressed that the tree planting activity should be taken seriously as it is a means of celebrating ‘greeness’ and the environment- something that he was recently highlighting internationally. The importance of this, he said, is evident in the catastrophic hurricanes that devastated several Caribbean islands. “What happened in Barbuda is worse than warfare, what is happening in the Caribbean is worse than war and that damage is caused by global warming, that damage is caused by climate change,” Granger posited.

Linden, he said, is not disaster-proof, especially from flooding which is caused by the river system. “Therefore, residents are dealing with a

where do these animals live, they live in our forest, they live under the trees and if you cut the trees down, you remove the habitat, you destroy the habitat,” Granger articulated.

In his short address Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland said that the tree planting exercise is indicative of adding new life to “ourselves and the next generation so as to ensure the regeneration of new life.”

This, he said, was practised by the founder leader and is therefore “incumbent upon us to continue along that path.

As we sow new life into our future, we must nurture it, guard it, guide its growth and development to ensure that our yields are indicative of our values,” Holland said.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said that it is a time of celebration and that as a party, the members have stayed resolute. “The tree planting exercise will encourage residents of Region 10 to plant more, since

a large percentage of our agricultural produce come from out of the region. Today’s exercise lends support that we in Region 10, should up our game as it relates to producing for our people in Region10.”

National Tree day will be officially celebrated on the first Saturday in October and President Granger urged all Lindeners to celebrate this event of ‘greeness.’

President and PNCR Leader, David Granger, plants a palm tree on Burnham Drive Linden on Sunday at a tree planting exercise held in observance of the party’s 60th Anniversary. Looking on is the party’s Region 10 Chairperson, Sandra Adams and Regional Chairman, Renis Morian

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Culvert to stop flooding in Wismar alleys under construction

By Naomi Marshall

AFTER years of battling with flood waters, residents of First, Second and Third Alleys in Wismar, Linden can now stop worrying about when the next flood will happen.

The Government, through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has awarded a

completed within the next six weeks.

Rockcliff explained that whenever it rains heavily or there is high tide, communities in the area, in the past, were inundated with water because the culvert was malfunctioning.

He further explained that the underground tubes of the culvert were damaged,

close whenever there is high tide to prevent flooding.

Linden’s Mayor, Carwyn Holland, said that he is elated to see the project finally becoming a reality.

“In recent months the people of Wismar were under water as a result of this culvert, which has been defective for some time. This is a problem that should

vent it from coming in,” he posited.

Cloreen Craig, whose Lot 11 Second Alley house has been constantly flooded, welcomed the project.

“There were days I could not [have] gotten off of my bed because the water was so high, and don’t let me talk about the damages done, but I must say that I am very, very pleased that the culvert is being fixed after so many years,” she said.

Though the contracting company is from De Hoop Mahaica, Hoosein told Guyana Chronicle that Lindeners are being employed.

At the time of the visit, there were two construction workers assisting in the construction of the foundation of the culvert.

According to the foreman, more Lindeners will be employed as the project progresses.

Works ongoing in the vicinity of Burnham Drive and Water Lily Street, Wismar Linden multimillion dollar contract to M.K. Hoosein Contracting Company for the construction of a new culvert in the vicinity of Burnham Drive and Water Lily Street at Wismar. This infrastructural project is expected to alleviate flooding in First, Second and Third Alleys, and neighbouring communities.

When Guyana Chronicle visited the area late Friday afternoon, work was in full progress.

Marlon Rockcliff, the foreman attached to Hoosein Contracting Company, told this newspaper that the project commenced last Wednesday and is expected to be

causing water to seep out and under them. “The problem was that the tubes were damaged, it wasn’t functioning properly. When the water gets in it use to seep under,” said Rockcliff.

According to him, the new culvert is being built in such a way to prevent damages and seepages. “They didn’t have a concrete base there, so we are putting a concrete base there before we put the rubber tube back in,” the foreman explained, while adding that the culvert will also be built with a self-closing gate to the front that would release water off the land when necessary, and

have been solved several years now, I’m just happy that finally its being done,” Holland told this newspaper.

During the rainy season and during high tides, residents, he pointed out were significantly affected by flood waters.

“What we know is that the water was coming in whenever there was high tide without any thing stopping it from coming in on the land.

So the longer the water remains high, it comes in and it flooded all the alleys, that was the main problem so they needed a proper culvert right here that would allow the water to go out but pre-

M.K Hoosein Contracting Foreman, Marlon Rockcliff explaining aspects of the multimillion dollar project during a site visit on Friday

The foundation of the culvert being built

Caricom launches online platforms to promote regional trade

THE Caribbean Community’s development of a Single Market and Economy has been given a boost with the launch of four new online platforms aimed at promoting trade and improving the ease of doing business.

The CARICOM Secretariat, with support from the European Union last Monday launched the CARICOM Online Companies Registries; Labour Market Information System; Community Public Procurement Notice Board; and the CARREX Platform and On-Line Public Portal, at a ceremony in Barbados.

In a release Caricom said the Online Companies Registries provide a region-wide electronic platform for online name searches and name reservation, business and company registration, public access to records, e-payment and e-signature, among other features. It will also facilitate a better overview of the pre-

vailing business climate in the Region, helping for example, to identify areas of saturation, those with growth potential, and even the role of the informal economy.

The EU’s Dr Stephen Boyce, in his remarks at the launch, said at least one recent high profile example illustrates the critical importance of this platform. “A few years ago, the inflight magazine on LIAT was rebranded as LIME. This was just a few weeks before a telecommunications giant in the region acquired a similar moniker. The result was a further rebranding to Zing to avoid any conclusion.

A regional register would have avoided this,” he noted.

The development of this platform required automating the more than half of the national company registries in CARICOM which were still paper based, upgrading those already automated, and providing a functioning web

software/application information system. With the Labour Market Information Systems there is now a central depository for data on the labour markets in participating CARICOM Member States. This allows for better matching of skills with available positions at the regional level, and will thus facilitate movement of skills in the region and better management of labour migration within the Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Additionally, the launch was told that the system can guide the education system, helping it to meet market demands through academic, technical and professional development programmes designed to build and repurpose those already in the workforce and those about to enter. The Community Public Procurement Notice Board should help both the private sector and governments by facilitating the exchange of information on

procurement opportunities and contract awards. Governments, in particular can, through improved coordination of their public procurement exercises, maximise the potential economies of scale. Suppliers, including small and medium enterprises, can access opportunities both in their national space and engage in joint-bidding with other regional suppliers for opportunities across the region. The platform can also facilitate the capture of statistics on specs, pricing and other areas which can be used for future tenders and budgeting.

The CARICOM Rapid Alert System for Dangerous (non-food) Consumer Goods (CARREX) Platform and Online Public Portal should help business-customer relations by serving as a source of public information on dangerous non-food consumer goods that pose serious risks to the health and safety of consumers.

CARICOM Deputy Sec-

retary-General Ambassador, Manorma Soeknandan, in his remarks at the Launch, noted that significant strides have been made in advancing the CSME’s regional and sectoral policies but that more is left to the done.

“These have been enumerated in the CSME Review considered by the Conference of Heads of Government and the Conference has approved the Implementation Plan for the CSME 2017-2019 in line with the CARICOM Strategic Plan which will see work progressing in these areas.”

The EU’s Dr Boyce stressed the need for building resilience in the system across the region: “During the past three weeks, the path of devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria has reminded us of the fragility of our built infrastructure. As our brothers and sisters across the region rebuild their lives and livelihoods, attention must also be paid to building a more robust and resilient digital

infrastructure. At the regional and national levels, it will be vital to create technology recovery strategies as part of the business continuity planning process.”

Barbados Ambassador to CARICOM, Robert “Bobby” Morris, speaking on behalf of the country’s Foreign Minister, stressed the importance of the CSME to regional development.

“The realisation of the CSME is seen as a major item in the advancement of the Caribbean and in recent times the COTED (CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development) and the Conference (of CARICOM Heads of Government) have had the CSME and Freedom of Movement, in particular, under intense scrutiny in attempts to realise the full benefits of integration for the masses of our people,” he said.

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South Africa need seven wickets for victory on the last day POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa (Reuters) South Africa need seven wickets on the last day to secure victory in the first Test and go ahead in the two-match series as Bangladesh struggled on a rain-curtailed fourth day at Senwes Park on Sunday.

Morne Morkel snagged two wickets in the first over of Bangladesh’s second innings and they were 49 for three at stumps, still 375 runs shy of an improbable victory.

South Africa, who had started the day 54-2, declared their second innings on 247 for six, with captain Faf du Plessis scoring 81 and Temba Bavuma 71.

A partnership of 142 between the pair pushed along the scoring rate as South Africa sought to set Bangladesh a large target, but still give themselves enough time to bowl them out on a pitch that has proven lifeless.

Two breaks for rain hastened the decision to declare and when Morkel bowled Tamim Iqbal with the fourth ball of the opening over and then had Mominul Haque trapped leg before two balls

later, it seemed all was going to plan for the home team.

Mominul had consulted with Imrul Kayes about reviewing the decision to give him out but was persuaded not do so, only for television replays to show Morkel’s delivery was headed well down off and that the umpire had made a poor decision.

Morkel then removed the middle stump of Mustafizur Rahman with the second ball of his next over only for TV to show he had bowled a no-ball, reinstating the batsman.

It means Morkel now holds the world record of 14 test dismissals being overturned because his foot was over the bowling crease. To add to the ignominy, he was later taken to hospital with a side strain that could rule him out of the rest of the series.

Imrul was the third wicket to fall as he was caught behind off the spin bowling of Keshav Maharaj for 32. Captain Mustafizur, not out on 16, and Liton Das will resume on the last day with survival uppermost on the visitors’ agenda.

By Andrew Both

Morne Morkel rocked Bangladesh’s top order with two quick wickets ©AFP

SCORECARD

SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings 496 for 3 decl (D. Elgar 199, H. Amla 137, A. Markram 97) Bangladesh 1st innings 320 (M. Haque 77, Mahmudullah 66) South Africa 2nd innings (Overnight: 54-2) A. Markram c Das b M. Rahman 15 D. Elgar lbw b Sh. Islam 18 H. Amla c Das b M. Rahman 28 T. Bavuma c Das b M. Haque 71 F. du Plessis lbw b M. Haque 81 Q. de Kock st Das b M. Haque 8 A. Phehlukwayo not out 6 K. Maharaj not out 19 Extras: (nb-1) 1 Total: (for 6 wkts decl., 56 ovrs) 247 Fall of wickets: 1-30 D. Elgar,2-38 A. Markram,3-70 H. Amla,4-212 F. du Plessis,5-217 T. Bavuma,6-222 Q. de Kock Did not bat: K. Rabada, M. Morkel, D. Olivier Bowling: Mehidy Hasan 11 - 1 -

69 – 0,Shafiul Islam 13 - 1 - 46 – 1, Mustafizur Rahman 11 - 2 - 30 – 2,Taskin Ahmed 6 - 0 - 29 - 0(nb-1), Sabbir Rahman 5 - 0 25 – 0, Mahmudullah 4 - 0 - 21 – 0, Mominul Haque 6 - 0 - 27 – 3.

BANGLADESH 2nd innings (Target: 424 runs) Tamim Iqbal b M. Morkel 0 Imrul Kayes c de Kock b Maharaj 32 Mominul Haque lbw b M. Morkel 0 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 16 Extras: (nb-1) 1 Total: (for 3 wickets, 15.3 overs) 49 Fall of wickets: 1-0 T. Iqbal,2-0 M. Haque,3-49 I. Kayes To bat: Mahmudullah, L. Das, S. Rahman, M. Hasan, T. Ahmed, M. Rahman, S. Islam Bowling: M. Morkel 5.2 - 2 - 19 2(nb-1), K. Rabada 5 - 1 - 23 – 0, D. Olivier 2.4 - 0 - 5 – 0, K. Maharaj 2.3 - 0 - 2 – 1.

Sri Lanka collapse brings Abu Dhabi Test to life

AN intriguing conclusion to the Abu Dhabi Test is in prospect after Sri Lanka collapsed to 69-4 on the penultimate day, having conceded a first-innings lead of three to Pakistan.

Debutant Haris Sohail compiled a valuable 76 as Pakistan recovered from 3408 to reach 422 all out in Sunday’s afternoon session.

At that point, a draw looked highly likely, but the chances of a positive result increased when Sri Lanka wobbled in their second innings, losing four cheap wickets including skipper and first-innings centurion Dinesh Chandimal.

The final day will begin with Sri Lanka 66 ahead, and Kusal Mendis (16 not out) and nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal (2 not out) at the crease.

Pakistan initially came under pressure at the hands of Rangana Herath and Lakmal after resuming on 266-4, trailing by 153.

Azhar Ali - unbeaten on 74 overnight - fell 15 runs short of a hundred, caught at short midwicket off Herath, while Sarfraz Ahmed made only 18 before playing on to Lakmal, who then trapped Mohammad Amir lbw.

When Herath had Yasir Shah held at slip with

the final ball before lunch, Pakistan were in trouble, but Sohail and Hasan Ali counter-attacked in a precious ninth-wicket stand of 50.

Hasan hit three sixes before becoming Herath’s fifth victim and Sohail, dropped on 51, was able to edge Pakistan in front as last man Mohammad Abbas (1) held firm for 34 balls. Sohail eventually fell to Nuwan Pradeep facing the third new ball.

Sri Lanka adopted a cautious approach in their second innings, crawling along at less than two runs per over, but nevertheless lost wickets on a regular basis.

Dimuth Karunaratne (10) and Chandimal (7) each fell to Yasir, the former oddly opting to walk despite replays suggesting no bat or glove had been involved as Pakistan celebrated a catch from Shan Masood at shortleg.

In between those dismissals, part-timer Asad Shafiq had Lahiru Thirimanne (7) caught behind, having been brought on to complete an over when Hasan was injured, and Sohail rounded off his fine day by having Kaushal Silva lbw for an 87-ball 25.(Omnisport).

United States win Presidents Cup golf over International team

Debutant Haris Sohail compiled as valuable 76.

SCORECARD

SRI LANKA 1st innings 419 (D. Chandimal 155no, D. Karunaratne 93, N. Dickwella 83) Pakistan 1st innings (Overnight: 266-4) Shan Masood b Herath 59 Sami Aslam lbw b D. Perera 51 Azhar Ali c sub b Herath 85 Asad Shafiq c Thirimanne b Herath 39 Babar Azam c Dickwella b Pradeep 28 Haris Sohail c Lakmal b Pradeep 76 Sarfraz Ahmed b Lakmal 18 Mohammad Amir lbw b Lakmal 4 Yasir Shah c Thirimanne b Herath 8 Hasan Ali st Dickwella b Herath 29 Mohammad Abbas not out 1 Extras: (b-5 lb-9 nb-8 w-2) 24 Total: (all out, 162.3 overs) 422 F a l l o f w i c k e t s : 1 - 11 4 S .

Aslam,2-116 S. Masood,3-195 A. Shafiq,4-266 B. Azam,5-294 Az. Ali,6-316 S. Ahmed,7-326 M. Amir,8-340 Y. Shah,9-390 H. Ali,10-422 H. Sohail Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 22 - 5 - 42 - 2 (nb-1 w-1), Nuwan

Pradeep 25.3 - 1 - 77 - 2 (nb-6), Dilruwan Perera 37 - 10 - 92 - 1 (nb-1), Lakshan Sandakan 35 - 7 - 98 - 0 (w-1), Rangana Herath 40 - 12 - 93 – 5, Dimuth Karunaratne 3 - 1 - 6 – 0.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings Dimuth Karunaratne c Masood b Shah 10 Kaushal Silva lbw b Sohail 25 Lahiru Thirimanne c S. Ahmed b Shafiq 7 Kusal Mendis not out 16 Dinesh Chandimal c Shafiq b Shah 7 Suranga Lakmal not out 2 Extras: (lb-1 nb-1) 2 Total: (for 4 wickets, 40 overs) 69 Fall of wickets: 1-20 D. Karunaratne,2-33 L. Thirimanne,3-51 K. Silva,4-65 D. Chandimal To bat: D. Perera, R. Herath, N. Dickwella, L. Sandakan, N. Pradeep Bowling: Mohammad Amir 7 - 2 - 14 – 0, Mohammad Abbas 6 - 2 - 7 - 0(nb1), Yasir Shah 14 - 2 - 25 – 2,Hasan Ali 4.2 - 0 - 8 – 0, Asad Shafiq 3.4 - 0 - 7 – 1, Haris Sohail 5 - 2 - 7 – 1.

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Reuters) - The United States won their seventh consecutive Presidents Cup golf over the International team on Sunday even as the final margin of eight points disguised the one-sided nature of the event.

A Sunday rally by the beleaguered Internationals, who won six of the 12 singles matches and halved three others, allowed the visitors to avoid a record defeat and escape Liberty National with a little pride.

The U.S., led by unbeaten Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, prevailed 19-11 to claim the cup for the 10th time in 12 stagings of the biennial event.

The record winning margin is 11-1/2 points by the Americans in 2000.

The result left the International team searching for ways to make the event more competitive heading into the 2019 installment at Royal Melbourne in Australia.

But no matter what they had done it would not have been enough to stop the home team this time.

“It’s tough to be on the receiving end of another loss for all of us,” International captain Nick Price said after presiding over his third straight defeat at the helm.

“This is a juggernaut of a U.S. team. They’re an overpowering team.”

The American team certainly impressed Donald Trump, the first sitting U.S. President to present the cup to the winning captain.

“I’ve been watching this from the beginning, and I have to say our team U.S.A., wow, did you play

well,” Trump said.

Winning captain Steve Stricker concurred.

“U.S.A. team golf is in a great spot,” Stricker said of his team, which has an average age of less than 32 years.

“Looks like they could be around together for a long time. They played well all year long and they came here with a lot of confidence. They continued it right through this tournament here.”

The International team of players from the rest of the world, excluding Europe, started the final day needing to sweep every match to snatch victory.

A touch embarrassed after performing miserably in the foursomes and four-ball matches, the Internationals performed much better in man-toman play on Sunday, though it was too little, too late.

“It was really weird being out there today, knowing there was no chance of losing,” said world number one Johnson.

Among the International winners in singles were former world number ones Jason Day and Adam Scott, as well as Hideki Matsuyama, currently the team’s top-ranked player.

American losers included the past three major champions, Jordan Spieth, who has not won a singles match in either Presidents or Ryder Cup events, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka.

Spieth won his first four matches this week, but he still copped a friendly ribbing at the winning team’s press conference.

“I’ve got a question.

How does it feel to be 0-5 in singles,” Johnson asked Spieth.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

India reclaim No.1 ODI ranking Mercedes have ‘real big problems’ to resolve says Hamilton as Rohit century sinks Aussies SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) - Formula One world champions Mercedes have some “real big problems” to fix with their car, title favourite Lewis Hamilton said on Sunday after finishing second in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Briton, now 34 points clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and well on his way to a fourth title, started in pole position but lost out to Red Bull’s 20-year-old Dutch driver Max Verstappen.

Hamilton was helped by an engine problem sidelining Vettel in qualifying and another issue preventing the German’s team mate Kimi Raikkonen from taking his place on the front row of the starting grid.

But Verstappen was significantly faster once the race started while Vettel showed the Ferrari’s potential by going from last to fourth and beating Hamilton’s team mate Valtteri Bottas.

“There is (a fair amount of work still to do) but there’s nothing we can do,” Hamilton, who was also gifted a win in Singapore two weeks ago when both Ferraris collided at the

done an exceptional job with what we have. There are some real big problems that I can’t really explain to you...

“But we really need make sure we rectify them for next

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton wipes his forehead on the podium. REUTERS/Edgar Su

start, told Sky Sports television. ”It’s the way the car is. ”I think globally we have not got the best car and we’ve

year’s car if we’re going to have any chance of fighting both these teams next year when they step up their game,” added

the Briton.

Hamilton said the car was good at some races, and not at others, but Mercedes would do everything they could to stay ahead.

Team boss Toto Wolff also sounded far from celebratory, despite Hamilton stretching his lead by six points with a hefty dose of luck.

“I am just very down, I must say,” declared the Austrian. ”We have lost so much pace this weekend...how can a car that is so fast on many circuits lose so much with a tire that is overheating?

“Probably if you look at the real pace today it would have been P5 (fifth). And that is worrisome. Now let’s see what happens in Suzuka. We have a couple of days to try and understand.”

The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka follows on immediately from Malaysia, with four races remaining after that.

Mersey misery as Koeman’s Everton lose and Liverpool draw

By Neil Robinson

LONDON (Reuters) - Everton manager Ronald Koeman is under mounting pressure after they lost 1-0 at home to Burnley on Sunday, while Liverpool drew 1-1 at Newcastle United as the Merseyside clubs continued to struggle in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s latest slip allowed Arsenal, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0, to leapfrog them into fifth place as the chasing teams scrambled to keep up with the ferocious pace set by the Manchester clubs who are five points clear at the top.

City and United have 19 points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on 14, after they won

4-0 at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, with Chelsea, who lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City also on Satuday, and Arsenal both on 13.

Sixth-placed Burnley have 12 points, above Liverpool on goal difference, as their first league win at Goodison Park since 1976 saw them continue their best start to a Premier League season.

Sean Dyche’s side have taken eight points from four away games -- more than they managed in the whole of last season.

Jeff Hendrick scored the only goal after 21 minutes, finishing off a magnificent team move in a game that brought more speculation about the future of the under-fire Koeman.

The Dutchman splurged 140

Barcelona win behind closed doors after day of protest

BARCELONA’s La Liga game against Las Palmas was played behind closed doors as a protest after their request for it to be postponed in light of Catalonia’s independence referendum was rejected.

The Spanish government pledged to stop a poll declared illegal on a day of violent protests and unrest.

Barca took the decision to play behind closed doors 25 minutes before kick-off, with thousands of fans outside.

The league leaders cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people in north-eastern Spain, has its own language and culture and Barcelona is its capital.

It also has a high degree of autonomy, but is not recognised as a separate nation under the Spanish constitution.

Police used batons and fired rubber bullets during pro-referendum protests in Barcelona, and Catalan emergency services say more than 760 people have been injured.

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said police had “acted with professionalism and in a proportionate way”.

A statement from La Liga said the match should take place as normal because the security and safety of fans had been “guaranteed” by the Catalan police. (BBC Sport)

Burnley’s Scott Arfield in action with Everton’s Morgan Schneiderlin REUTERS/Andrew Yates

million pounds ($187.5 million) in the transfer market during the close season but dropped one of his major signings, former England striker Wayne Rooney, to the bench for Burnley’s visit.

Rooney came on for the last half-hour but failed to inject any life into Everton’s attack and a chorus of boos greeted the final whistle. The defeat left Koeman’s side languishing in 16th place with seven points from as many games.

“I have experience and I know if you win your life on a daily basis is different from if you lose,” said Koeman.

“It is not nice to get two weeks (for) an international break if you lose.... I will try to

do my best for the job. All the stuff and the questions is not in my hands.”

SUPERB STRIKE The Mersey mood was no better at St James’s Park where Liverpool’s performance was typical of their season so far.

Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho’s superb long range free-kick gave the visitors the lead -- his third goal in as many games -- before another display of defensive frailty.

Jonjo Shelvey, a former Red, split the Liverpool defence with a pass to Joselu who scored after the ball rebounded off his shin following Joel Matip’s tackle.

Rohit Sharma struck his 14th ODI century to see India to victory.

ROHIT Sharma struck his 14th oneday international century as India thumped Australia by seven wickets in Nagpur to complete a 4-1 series victory and reclaim top spot in the ICC rankings.

On a slow, dry pitch, India’s spinners and the wily Jasprit Bumrah played key roles in limiting Australia to 242-9, with only 52 runs coming in the last 10 overs as wickets tumbled.

The tourists’ hopes of defending their total were significantly dented when Rohit, who accelerated to 125 from 109 deliveries after a cautious start, shared 124 for the first wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (61).

Rohit then added a further 99 in the company of skipper Virat Kohli (39) and, although both men fell in the 40th over to Adam Zampa, India were able to secure a routine victory with 43 balls unused.

As a result, Kohli’s men regain the number-one ranking they had lost courtesy of Thursday’s loss in Bengaluru.

After choosing to bat, Australia were given a good platform by openers David Warner (53) and Aaron Finch (32), while Travis Head (42) and Marcus Stoin-

is (46) put on 87 for the fifth wicket.

India were able to keep the run-rate firmly under control, however, and Head’s departure to Axar Patel - the pick of the attack with 3-38 - triggered a collapse that saw Australia lose five for 37 at the end of their innings.

Kuldeep Yadav (048) and part-timer Kedar Jadhav (1-48) provided strong support to Axar and Bumrah (2-51) proved typically effective at the death.

In reply, Rohit took 15 balls to get off the mark in the face of fine bowling from Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

However, the experienced opener soon found his stride, enjoying particular success against Zampa and Head as Australia’s slow bowlers struggled to make an impact.

Rahane missed a straight ball from Coulter-Nile to fall lbw in the 23rd over, yet India remained in command and Rohit reached three figures in style by pulling the same bowler for six.

The expensive Zampa gained belated rewards by having Rohit and Kohli caught in the deep, but Jadhav (5 not out) and Manish Pandey (11 not out) saw India over the line with ease. (Omnisport)

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Dant rebound to take OSCL playoffs title …Restoration Warriors win `B’ Conference

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Displaying great resilience following their crushing defeat the previous day in the Norman Sue Bakery 15over final, Dant rebounded to defeat EC Bannas by four wickets in the Conference `A’ playoffs final, played last Sunday at the Ashtonbee Number One ground, as the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) 2017 season ended in a blaze of glory.

The victory by Dant meant they had retained the Playoffs Championships for the fourth consecutive year, adding to their Caribbean Sensation 10/10 title, and the Conference `A’ regular season crown. They however had to settle for the runner-up spot in the NSB 15-over tournament, going down by nine wickets to archrivals Sunshine.

The `B’ Conference saw Restoration Warriors upstaging favourites Enmore in a nail-biting finish, winning by four runs over the regu-

lar season champions who had tallied 83 points to their fourth placed opponents who ended with 65.

D a n t ’s v i c t o r y w a s engineered by a brilliant all-round performance by former Guyana national

bowling with the outstanding figures of three for 15 in four overs.

Daesrath, who clobbered three sixes and a four in his fine knock, joined his skipper, Looknauth Ramsuchit, with Dant in some bother at

two fours and a six. For EC Bannas, Amit Pooran claimed two for 15 and captain, Trevon Garraway, grabbed two for 39.

MVP, Elton Baker, with a solitary boundary in his 27, was the top scorer for

winners decided with two deliveries remaining in the final over in the low-scoring affair.

Set 94 for victory, after Enmore were dismissed for a disappointing 93 in 19.4 overs, Restoration Warriors

The victorious Dant players celebrate their win

captain Damador Daesrath, who was undefeated on 31 when victory was achieved at 139 for six, in pursuit of EC Bannas 137 for eight made in the allotted 20 overs.

Daesrath, who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Dant, had earlier featured prominently in the

81 for six in the 14th over, and in danger of losing their second final in successive days.

The two Berbicians, however, batted with great poise, adding an unbeaten 59, and romping to victory with five deliveries to spare.

Ramsuchit played a captain’s innings of 32 not out, and which was laced with

`B’ Division champs, Restoration Warriors

EC Bannas who were also indebted to some 39 extras, mostly wides, as they reached a challenging total.

Bholanauth Sukhu supported Daesrath with two for 28.

The much-anticipated `B’ Division final lived up to its pre-game hype, with the

huffed and puffed their way to 96 for nine in a similar number of overs, with skipper, Ravi Bodo, leading from the front with 33 and being the only batsman to reach double figures. His knock included four fours and two sixes. Extras contributed

a healthy 31, including 17 wides.

Zakier Yusuff, who was later voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Enmore, captured four for 21, while Mahesh Ramroop (three for 22) and captain, Shiv Persaud (two for eight) were among the wickets.

Former Guyana Under-19 player Eugene LaFleur with 21 (one six and a four) was Enmore’s leading scorer, while the bowling honours went to MVP Fazil Rasool (three for eight) and Navin Misir (four for 22).

OSCL president Albert Ramcharran thanked the teams for their participation in the 2017 season and reminded the players that the league will be making attempts to participate in the upcoming Guyana Softball Cup, depending on the availability of players.

The league’s annual presentation, dinner and dance is set for Saturday, October 21 at the Estate Banquet Hall, Scarborough.

Celebrity T20 charity match aims to raise Albouystown sweeps A-Division Commander 10/10 cricket funds for hurricane-ravaged islands PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Two-time Twenty20 World Cup-winning skipper, Darren Sammy, will lead an Invitational XI against a Trinidad and Tobago side, in a celebrity charity Twenty20 match later this month aimed at raising TT$1 million (US$148 085) for Caribbean countries affected by the recent passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The match, scheduled for October 14 at Queen’s Park Oval, has been organised as a joint venture by Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), the T&T Cricket Board and Queen’s Park Cricket Club.

Sammy, a former Test captain, will preside over a side including the likes of West Indies stars Chris Gayle, Rovman Powell, Kesrick William and Chadwick Walton, with Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake also expected to participate.

The T&T outfit will be led by Kieron Pollard and is expected to comprise some of the biggest names on the international T20 circuit.

Dinanath Ramnarine, chairman of SporTT, said the venue was vitally important in light of the recent devastation, especially

in Dominica.

“The Leewards Islands and Greater Antilles bore the brunt of the 180 mph winds and torrential rain while the destruction has been immeasurable on all levels with dozens of lives lost, hundreds of homes damaged and basic utilities and infrastructure on many islands devastated,” said Ramnarine.

Kieron Pollard

“While the Caribbean is not immune or unaccustomed to the sometimes destructive forces of nature, the call for immediate relief from neighbouring countries was met with urgency and the entire region has rallied around the most affected.”

He added: “The intention of this charity match is to use

sport as the unifying force for good that we all know it is and can be.

“It is important that our sporting heroes can stand up and be counted when their assistance is required they are ready to put their talent on display for the benefit of more than just those who spectate but those who need it most.”

Dominica suffered widespread devastation and the loss of 15 lives when Hurricane Maria slammed into the island two weeks ago as a category five cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Only two weeks earlier, Hurricane Irma struck Barbuda, leaving the tiny island uninhabitable.

Several other islands especially in the northern Leewards were also affected by the tropical systems.

The winners of Commander-A Division Cricket tournament pose with their trophies. Albouystown picked up both the male and female title.

BOTH the Albouystown Male and Female teams swept the A-Division Commander’s 10/10 cricket competition at the Eve Leary ground, on Saturday.

The one-day competition which featured six male and five female teams was part of

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday September 25, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) James Anderson-32 wickets (2) Malcolm Marshall-41 wickets Today’s Quiz: (1) Which English wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals in

ODIs against the WI? (2) Which WI wicketkeeper has effected most dismissals in

ODIs against England?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

an outreach programme for 21 youth groups in the Division.

In the final, Albouystown, batting first, posted 30 all out while losing finalists East Ruimveldt finished on 29 all out, in the final over.

Earlier, East Ruimveldt pulled a bye to the final which meant that Albouystown had to play a playoff against North Ruimveldt which they won.

Meanwhile, in the female playoff, Albouystown, Mocha and Craig, were left to battle for the top three spots.

The Albouystown females got the bye leaving Craig and Mocha to square off.

Mocha defeated Craig, bowling them down for 38 all out from a needed 50 runs to win.

In the final match, it was

the Albouystown girls who walked away with the winning prize after the Mocha team could not make the needed 54 runs to beat them.

Mocha finished with 38 for 8 after 10 overs.

The other male teams were from Craig, Mocha and Agricola, while the other female teams were East Ruimveldt and North Ruimveldt Youth Groups.

The presentation of trophies for the first to third places winners, was done by Deputy Commander of ‘A’ Division, Superintendent Phillip Azore, and Community Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Sonia Herbert.

The event was sponsored

by Trophy Stall, Germans Restaurant and Mohamed’s Enterprise.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 2, 2017

Dhawan returns East Bank ease to 4-wicket for Australia T20s Franchise League 3-day tournament….

win over West Berbice

..Nehra and Karthik recalled

…Wins also for Georgetown, Essequibo and Lower Corentyne

By Rajiv Bisnauth EAST Bank completed a four-wicket win over hosts West Berbice yesterday in their round five game of the Franchise League three-day tournament at the Bush Lot ground.

to the winning total before both batsmen were dismissed

by Derich McAlmon and Seon Glasgow respectively.

At the other end, Persaud stood firm, and took the winning target within reach before he was dismissed off Andrew Dutchin for 28.

Demerara top order to grabbed for 6-76.

Leg-spinner Steven Sankar claimed 3-19 while Paul Wintz had 1-42. Bowling for West Demerara Keshram Seyhodan took 3-31 in Georgetown’s second innings.

At Port Mourant; Esse-

Anthony Adams claimed 6-29, while Ricardo Adams had 2-52.

Over at the Lusignan ground, Lower Corentyne inflicted an innings and 141 runs win over East Coast.

Lower Corentyne resuming at their overnight 343-3, declared at 405-7. Jonathon Foo

Shikar Dhawan

Raun Johnson

Ashmead Nedd

Robin Bacchus

Anthony Adams

Scores in the match: West Berbice 140 and 190; East Bank 191 and 145-6.

Set 140 for victory, the visitors resuming the final day with 77 runs short of the victory target, lost four wickets in the process.

From their overnight 63-2, the visitors’ added nine runs before left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (3-42), removed Sachin Singh for 23.

Sherefane Rutherford joined the other overnight batsman Darshan Persaud, and made a 9-ball 16, inclusive of a four and two sixes while Steven Jacobs contributed 17

Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed was unbeaten on 15 when victory was achieved.

Meanwhile, at Tuschen ground on the East Bank of Essequibo, Georgetown beat West Demerara by six wickets.

Set 124 for victory, the City team reached their target in just 21.5 overs. Robin Bacchus hit a composed unbeaten 52, and Christopher Barnwell stroke a blistering 47.

West Demerara resuming on 43-2, were bowled out for a modest 186. Akshaya Persaud made a solid 51, but it teenage spinner, Ashmead Nedd, who ripped through the West

quibo whipped Upper Corentyne by 169 runs. Essequibo resumed on 361-3 and were bowled out for 454, a lead of 297 runs.

Ricardo Adams took his overnight 62 to 87 while Kemol Savory took his 37 to 49. Off-spinner Eon Hooper finished with figures of 7-116 while David Latchya had 3-78.

Set 298 for victory, Upper Corentyne folded for 128 in 47.3 overs. Balchand Baldeo top score with 31. Joshua Ramsammy and Hooper contributed 20 runs apiece.

Bowling for Essequibo,

failed to add to his overnight 152 while Kevlon Anderson added 18 more runs to score to be dismissed for 120.

East Coast in reply were bowled out for a paltry 97.

Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was the main destroyer, with four wickets.

With a huge first innings lead of 308 runs, the visitors enforced the follow-on.

East Coast were then skittled out for 167 in their second innings with pacer Raun Johnson taking six for 36 and Kasim Khan two for 52.

The sixth round bowls off on Friday.

SHIKAR Dhawan is set to make his India comeback in the Twenty20 series against Australia, while Ashish Nehra and Dinesh Karthik have been included in a 15man squad.

Dhawan missed the 4-1 one-day international series over Steve Smith’s side to be with his wife as she recovers from illness.

The opening batsman is expected to return in a three-match T20 series which gets under way in Ranchi on Saturday.

There is also a place in the squad for 38-year-old paceman Nehra, who last featured for his country in a T20 win over England back in February.

Karthik missed the win over Sri Lanka in a one-off T20 last month, but the wicketkeeper-batsman gets the nod

to take on Australia.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been playing county cricket for Worcestershire, did not play in the ODI series and have been rested for the three matches in the shortest format.

Rohit Sharma made a magnificent 125 from only 109 balls as the new topranked side India eased to a seven-wicket win over the tourists in the fifth and final ODI on Sunday.

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Axar Patel.

Foreign players being offered US$ 10 000 per game to play in Pakistan Super League LAHORE, Pakistan, (CMC) – West Indies players who opt to play matches in Pakistan during next year’s Pakistan Super League will benefit from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) largesse, with foreign players being offered US$10 000 per game.

Media reports here said the match bonuses would be paid in addition to the players’ existing contracts, with the hope of encouraging international players to make themselves available for the home matches.

For the first time next year, the PSL is set to host six to eight matches in Pakistan, with the remainder scheduled to be played at the usual venues in United Arab Emirates.

This home schedule is expected to include

FLASHBACK: Darren Sammy celebrates leading Peshawar Zalmi to victory in the final of the PSL last March.

double-headers in Lahore and Karachi.

If the move comes to fruition, it will mark the first time PSL matches will be played inside Pakistan.

Last March, the PCB took the bold decision to host the final of the PSL in Lahore, with the likes of two-time former West Indies captain, Darren Sammy, and veteran batsman Marlon Samuels both participating.

Barbados-born England all-rounder, Chris Jordan, also played in the final but several other international players opted out over security concerns.

International cricket has not been played in Pakistan since 2009 when the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked by armed militants en route to the

Gaddafi Stadium, leaving several players injured and members of the security forces dead.

Since then, Pakistan have played their home matches in the UAE but in recent years, the PCB has lobbied for the return of international cricket.

Last month, the PCB hosted the three-match Independence Cup with the blessing of the International Cricket Council, a Twenty20 series which featured a World XI – comprising Sammy and West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree – against Pakistan.

Following the series, the PCB announced it had confirmed a threematch T20 series in November with West Indies, with Sri Lanka expected to follow for a similar series.

East Bank ease to 4-wicket winSeeover West Berbice Page 23

Forde maintains dominance in COURTS 10K

WINNERS! Participants of this year’s COURTS 10K Road Race showing off their spoils upon the completion of the event on Sunday.

By Rawle Toney CLEVELAND Forde once again proved that he’s the best distance athlete in Guyana after winning another COURTS 10K road race yesterday.

It was the seventh edition of the event in Guyana, and the win was Forde’s

sixth, as he clocked 33 minutes, 37 seconds (33:37) to hold off second place finisher, Winston Missigher, who crossed the line at 33:47 and 2015 winner, Cleveland Thomas, who ran 33:25.

Overseas-based Euleen Josiah-Tanner, who won six consecutive COURTS 10K

was absent from yesterday’s run and Ashanti Scott made good of her chances to win the women’s category, running 43:08, beating Leyanna Charles (45:38) into second, and Joanna Archer (46:05) who finished in third place.

Meanwhile, Alisha Fortune, stopped the clock at 51:37 to win the women’s

West Indies set for Zimbabwe Test tour

Masters Category, ahead of Cyrleen Phillips (54:24) who came in second, and Carla Adams (55:16).

Maria Urquhart’s time of 45:06.05 was enough to see her winning the Junior Category, while Ann Ingacio (45:17) and Shema Tyrell (49:41) were second and third, respectively.

Llewellyn Gardener (43:13) won the men’s Masters, beating Clifton Thom (46:58) into second place, and Murice Fagundes (55:04) was third.

This year’s 10K was the most lucrative of the past six years, with Courts Guyana Inc. investing in excess of $2,000,000 in the race, to

ensure the success of the event as the company is proud of the growth it has seen throughout the years.

The event was opened to runners in the junior, senior and masters categories for both male and female and Courts handed out $1,500,000 in cash, prizes and trophies.

Persaud steals the show at Caribbean Invasion Drag race meet SHAWN Persaud stole the show at the Caribbean Invasion Drag race meet yesterday at the South Dakota Circuit.

Persaud and his Toyota Caldina ran untroubled in the unlimited class, registering a fastest time of 8.311 seconds.

Other winners on the day included Devindra Persaud, Shivan Raganath and Lawrence Bhowadin.

Details in a subsequent article.

The West Indies will oppose Zimbabwe in two Test matches THE West Indies will ning on October 15 ahead 12 months. They featured play against Zimbabwe of the start of the series. there in a tri-series, also in two Test matches Following a disap- involving Sri Lanka, in scheduled for later this pointing season against November last year. month in Bulawayo.

England the regional Zimbabwe, who The first match will be team will hope for better narrowly lost to Sri held from October 21-25, luck against opponents, Lanka in the longest while the second will be- which it will face in the format in their last outgin on October 29. Both 2018 World Cup quali- ing, could welcome batsmatches will be played at fiers having failed to se- man Brendan Taylor the Queens’ Sports Club. cure automatic progres- and seamer Kyle Jarvis The team which is expect- sion to the 2019 World back into the internaed to arrive in the country Cup. tional fold after both on 11 October – will face The match will be gave up English county Zimbabwe A in a three- West Indies’ second tour deals to return to their day practice match begin- to Zimbabwe in the last home country.

Shawn Persaud’s Caldina leaves Avi Samaroo in the dust (Samuel Maughn Photo)

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2017