Guyana Chronicle E-paper 10-05-2018

FRIDAY 5th October, 2018

Free core 05 homes PAGE

–– for some 250 families from low-income communities

Three new passport offices 11 next year

Grave risks to local governance No.105418

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… AG warns, if appointment of GECOM chair is overturned

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–– Minister Felix

PPP pulls 09 out of LGE at Wakenaam PAGE

– Jagdeo

Members of the Brazilian military and their local counterparts at a flag-raising ceremony to kick-start the drilling of eight artesian wells in the South Rupununi. The simple ceremony saw the hoisting of the Guyana and Brazil national flags. (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Grave risks to local governance

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

… AG warns, if appointment of GECOM chair is overturned

By Svetlana Marshall

ATTORNEY General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams on Thursday argued that the Court of Appeal has no jurisdiction, sitting as it is, to hear the appeal against the ruling of Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire which upholds the appointment of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, now that the case has become an elections matter.

In presenting preliminary arguments in the Court of Appeal before acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards; Justice Dawn Gregory; and Justice Rishi Persaud, Williams argued that the case, Zulfikar–V–AG, became an elections matter when the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, by way of a publication in the official gazette, set November 12, 2018 as the date for Local Government Elections.

He noted that while the elections would culminate on November 12, 2018, the electoral procedures

L-R: Barbadian Queens Counsels Hal Gallop and Ralph Thorne; Solicitor General, Kim Kyte, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Principal Legal Adviser Tiffany Castello. (Photos by Adrian Narine) have commenced, and as such, matters pertaining to those elections could only be brought by an election petition before an election court.

In setting the foundation for his arguments, the attorney general pointed out that when the chief justice heard the case – ZulfikarV-State – which brought into question the decision of President David Granger

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

to appoint Justice (Ret’d) Patterson Chairman of GECOM, the country was not in the process of an election. A decision on that matter was handed down on June 8, 2018.

He said the official announcement of Local Government Elections in July, 2018, has operationalised the electoral process, noting that these procedures such as voters’ registration are being done under the chairmanship of Justice (Ret’d) Patterson, whose appointment is being challenged on the basis of constitutionality and legality.

“That challenge, your honour, really questions whether councilors can be validly elected on November 12, 2018 at Local Government Elections under the chairmanship, administrative conduct, of Justice James Patterson,” he said while maintaining that it is an elections matter.

The attorney general said, were the Court to ignore that the country is in elections mode, accept jurisdiction, hears the matter, and ruled that the Justice (Ret’d) Patterson’s appointment as Chairman of GECOM was unconstitutional, it would have a catastrophic effect on the upcoming Local Government Elections. According to him, the Chairman of GECOM is the engine of GECOM, and by extension the Local Government

Elections.

Noting that millions of dollars have already been spent to facilitate the elections, Williams asked the Appellate Court to hold its hands in the matter. In his arguments he maintained that the validity of the appointment of Justice (Ret’d) Patterson as Chairman of GECOM cannot be challenged until after the Local Government Elections are held and the results declared as he pointed to the case Seecomarsingh Singh v Butler (1973).

Building his case further the attorney general pointed to N P Ponnuswami v Returning Officer (1952). “The appeal was dismissed on the basis that statute required that any matter which has the effect of vitiating an election should be brought up only at the appropriate stage in an appropriate manner before a special tribunal and should not be brought up at an intermediate stage before any court,” he said while quoting from 1952 SCR page 223.

He said in Guyana, Article 78 of Cap 1:01 empowers Parliament to make provision for the election of members of Local Democratic Organs including municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). He added Parliament made such provision by the enactment of the Local Authorities Act Cap

28:03, and noting that Section 146 Local Authorities (Elections) Act makes provisions for the challenge of the validity of the election of a councilor to be made in the High Court by way of an election petition.

“It is further submitted that it is a matter of first importance that elections should be concluded as early as possible according to time schedule, and all controversial matters and all disputes arising out of the elections should be postponed till after the elections are over so that the elections proceedings may not be unduly retarded protracted,” the attorney general told the appellate court.

For Guyana, Local Government Elections is critical to local governance, Williams argued, noting that the functionality of municipalities and NDCs can be severely affected if elections are not held. The attorney general was accompanied by the Solicitor General, Kim Kyte; Barbadian Queens Counsel, Hal Gallop and Ralph Thorne, and Principal Legal Advisor, Tiffany Castello.

In his opening argument, Nandlall spoke hypothetically as he made his case.

“If, God forbids, the Chairman of GECOM commits murder, then he cannot be charged, placed before a court and tried until elections takes place, and it can only be done by way of an

election petition. I think that graphically explains the rational of what the attorney general is saying. It only has to be stated to be rejected,” Nandlall told the court.

He rejected the position put forward by the attorney general that the case Zulfikar-V-AG is an elections matter. In building his case, Nandlall pointed the court to the case involving Professor Ventose in Barbados which was determined by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). “In that case, Ventose filed Judicial Review proceedings challenging aspects of the electoral process which prevented the registration of his name on the list of electors, and I detailed how expeditious the court in Barbados and the Caribbean Court of Justice disposed of the matter… before elections day, not to wait until elections, and use an elections petition,” Nandlall explained.

He stated that the case, in question, challenges the constitutionality of the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM, which any citizen has the right to do at any time.

“I know of no principle which suspends a citizen’s right to challenge a constitutional violation until the expiration of an event…I know of no principle which suspends the provisions of the Court of Appeal Act, I know of no such principle. I don’t know how the common law principle or a principle contains in a case can suspend the jurisdiction of this court confer upon it by Parliament to hear an appeal,” Nandlall told the Appellate Court.

He also disagreed with the attorney general on the position that GECOM’s Chairman is the engine of elections, noting that it is the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) who runs off local, regional and national elections in the country.

The Chancellor, upon hearing the arguments put forward by Williams and Nandlall, indicated that the appellate court would hear arguments for the substantive case, and during which, will make a determination on the issue of jurisdiction of the court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

GECOM chair appeal…

Nandlall, Bajan QCs clash over ‘fit and proper’ clause

By Svetlana Marshall

of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) James Patterson.

The case was brought against the Attorney General Basil Williams by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, who is being represented by Nandlall. Article 161 (2) of the Constitution states that “…the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or

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ARBADIAN Queen Counsel, Hal Gallop and Ralph Thorne, and the former Attorney General of Guyana, Anil Nandlall clashed over the proviso in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution as arguments opened in the appeal against the ruling of Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire, which upholds the appointment

who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly. Provided that if the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for, the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge.”

CONSENSUS CANDIDATE Opening the arguments in the Court of Appeal on Thursday, Nandlall told Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards and Justices Dawn Gregory and Justice Rishi Persaud that the existing formula which involves the Opposition Leader is aimed at arriving at a consensus candidate as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

He argued that while the Opposition Leader, under the Constitution, is required to submit a list of six nominees that are not unacceptable to the President, the “President is not entitled to a perfect candidate.”

Nandlall emphasised that the Article within the Constitution was designed to bring a compromise, so that the candidate produced by the formula would be a person who enjoys both the confidence of the President and the Leader of the Opposition. “That is the magic of the formula,” he posited. Turning the court’s

attention to the proviso, Nandlall explained that it came as a subsequent stage of the formula. “Obviously, someone recognised that a constitutional vacuum can be created if you have a…Opposition Leader who refuses to submit a list….

It is to meet that very rare and exceptional eventuality that the proviso was inserted,” Nandlall contended.

The proviso, to which he alludes, states, “Provided that if the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for, the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge.”

The attorney argued that the proviso cannot be activated once there is a list of reasonable names, pointing out that the Opposition Leader, in this case, furnished President David Granger with three lists of a total of 18 names.

He noted that the lists were generated after he conducted extensive consultation. “These lists were rejected one after another without accompanying reasons,” he told the Appellate Court.

Gallop, in defense of the state, told the court that at the foundation of the case is the interpretation of the constitutional provision – Article 161 (2). According to him, Nandlall, in his arguments, refused to consider the phrase “not unacceptable.” Turning the court’s attention to the 2017 Marcel Gaskin vs. the Attorney General case, Gallop said “it is still good law.”

Gaskin, in his application, had questioned whether the list of persons for appointment as GECOM Chair to be submitted by Jagdeo must include a judge, former judge or person qualified to be a judge; the President is required under the constitution to state reasons for deeming each of the six names on the list as unacceptable; and whether

the President is obliged to select a person from the six names on the list unless he has determined positively that the persons are unacceptable as fit and proper for appointment.

Justice George-Wiltshire in her ruling, said that persons nominated to be selected as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) do not have to be judges, former judges or persons qualified to serve as a judge, adding that the President has the ultimate say on who is determined fit and proper to serve in the post, and could also reject the list of nominees.

“The decision has not been appealed against, that says it all really,” the Barbadian Queen’s Counsel told the court. Addressing the issue of “discretion,” Gallop put to the court that Nandlall in his arguments was suggesting that the discretion did not lie with the President but rather the Opposition Leader, in this case, Bharrat Jagdeo.

He said that the argument put forward by Nandlall that once the Opposition Leader proffers a list, the appointment must come from there, is flawed. “I respectively suggest that the court must reject that submission. It did not find favour with the learned Chief Justice,” Gallop said.

He said the proviso that allows the President to appoint the Chairman of GECOM after failing to acquire an acceptable list from the Leader of the Opposition forms a critical part of the process. “If for whatever reason, the President cannot find somebody on that list that is not unacceptable to him, he has the right given to him by the Constitution to invoke the proviso,” Gallop argued, as he shot down the position put that the proviso can be activated only if a list was not provided. Thorne had put forward a similar line of argument.

The state was also represented by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Solicitor General Kim Kyte; and Principal Legal Adviser, Tiffany Castello.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Free core homes

By Lisa Hamilton

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EXT year, some 2,500 citizens in low income communities will benefit from improved housing conditions whereby 250 families will receive free core homes while others will receive improved housing infrastructure.

The programme, Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), is being made possible by the government through a US$30M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

It is being executed by the Ministry of Communities through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).

The programme commenced in 2018 and will run for five years, targeting communities in Georgetown; West Bank of Demerara; villages of Recht Door Zee, La Parfaite-Harmonie, Westminster; and Lust-en-Rust and Onderneeming.

It will also be implemented in South of Georgetown up to Diamond/Grove and to the East Coast of Demerara up to the village of La Bonne Intention.

To this regard, members of religious organisations and other community bodies were invited to attend an AHUAP stakeholder sensitisation meeting on Thursday at the Regency Suites Hotel.

There, CHPA Chief Executive Officer, Lelon Saul, explained the purpose of the programme.

“CHPA is mandated by law

to provide housing solutions for the working class and, over the years, we have offered several solutions… it is recognised that those with little or no affordability are often overlooked. For this reason, the Government of Guyana through the Central Housing and Planning Authority will provide housing solutions,” Saul said.

will result in US$16M being injected into this area, beginning in the Sophia/Cummings Lodge area.

This investment will go towards secondary road maintenance and rationalisation; climate ready drainage, street lighting, pedestrian parks and multi-purpose community facilities and more.

With the implementation

Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lelon Saul, speaks about the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP) (Delano Williams photo)

He explained that the three major components of the programme are affordable and sustainable housing, consolidation of existing housing schemes and the implementation of support and institutional strengthening.

The first will result in the building of core homes and home improvement subsidies in a sum of US$10M. Meanwhile, with many of the country’s housing areas plagued by poor infrastructure and services, the second aspect

of the support and institutional strengthening component, Local Democratic Organs (LDOs) will also benefit from training activities regarding the operation and maintenance of urban services.

“The Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme will bring significant benefit to citizens especially those living in project areas. I urge you to encourage citizens to support the programme and those who are eligible for subsidy, I ask you to encourage

them to apply,” Saul said.

Several questions from the audience and presentations from Community Development Director, Gladwin Charles and Architect, Kurleighene Hinds, revealed other guidelines and specific details of the project.

REQUIREMENTS To qualify for a core home, the applicant must demon-

Three granted $200,000 bail each

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HREE women appeared on Thursday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman and were charged separately for bribery.

The charges state that

on Monday at the Brickdam Police Station, Lanise Madison, one of the three women, willfully attempted to obstruct or pervert the course of justice by offering the sum of $120,000 to one Sergeant George to prevent him

Pamela Gobin

Lanise Madison

Latoya Toppings

instituting a charge against her son, Kirk Madison.

The 36-year-old mother of three, who resides at North Ruimveldt, denied the charge, and was granted bail, as the prosecutor was not opposed to the idea.

Pamela Gobin of Soes-

-- for some 250 families from low-income communities

tation or a Certificate of Title to Land while completing full payment for the lot.

Core houses will have no less than 330 square feet and will be single-family homes constructed an estimated cost of US$20,000.

Its design is expandable and includes a sanitary block (septic tank, toilet and shower); kitchenette; living room;

Members of the audience making queries at the stakeholder sensitisation meeting at the Regency Suites Hotel (Delano Williams photo)

strate that he/she is living in a low standard building which does not meet habitable requirements or which structural condition justifies replacement.

Other selection procedures include persons coexisting with two or more nuclear families; living in an at-risk area prone to floods or other conditions and any other specific situations stipulated by the CPHA. The applicant must also be the owner of the property holding either an Allocation Letter, Agreement of Sale, Transpor-

dyke Sand Road was also slapped with the same charge as Madison for offering the sum of $200,000 to the said Sergeant George for him not to institute charges against one Mario Persaud.

The 39-year-old security guard, like Madison,

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standard bedroom spaces; basic doors, windows, electrical wiring and water connections; a multi-purpose skink; concrete outer walls; concrete floor slab and wooden porch rail and stairs.

In addition, the CPHA will provide material and labour to construct the unit.

Beneficiaries must contribute G$100,000 as equity share contribution and the CPHA provide the building plan which beneficiaries must obtain approval for at the

relevant authority and pay associated cost for such.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS Meanwhile, for home improvement, the selection procedure is the same as for core homes with the addition that the selected plots must be free from any illegal encumbrances or owner limitation and occupied by the owner.

The CHPA will provide materials to the beneficiary up to the value of G$500,000 while the beneficiary must provide all labour to implement the improvement works and other criteria.

They will be focused on basic improvement including repairs to roofs, walls, floors, expansion to address overcrowding, sanitation improvements, rainwater harvest, improvements to water units and other modifications for persons with disabilities.

The application process for both core houses and home improvements will be opened soon and notice of such will be widely disseminated to the media, LDOs and community groups.

Meanwhile, 30 per cent of the labour force needed to construct core homes is expected to come from within the communities to facilitate job opportunities.

Also, following queries from the audience, the CPHA confirmed that measures will be taken to guard against the resale of the houses by opportunistic individuals.

--for allegedly trying to pass bribe denied the charge and was granted bail.

The same applied to 27-year-old Latoya Toppings, of Lodge, who is alleged to have willfully attempted to obstruct or pervert the course of justice by offering the sum

of $ 120,000 to Sergeant George to prevent the institution of a charge against Kevin Dike.

Each was granted bail in the sum of $200,000, and told to return to court on October 10.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Sometimes in October

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CTOBER is an important month in the annals of Guyana’s history. It is the month when British troops invaded the then British Guiana, ostensibly to turn back a communist plot. Four years later, after the split of the nationalist movement along ethnic lines, the People’s National Congress (PNC), one of our major ethnic parties, was formed. And in October 1992, the People’s Progressive Party regained office after some 28 years in opposition.

But it was the events of October, 1953, that set everything in train. On October 8, 1953, the British Government landed troops in then British Guiana and the next day the Governor, on the orders of the Crown, suspended the constitution which, among other things, gave limited self-government to the colony.

Several leaders of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which, a mere 133 days earlier had won the first election under universal adult suffrage, were arrested and forced to spend months in prison. It would be another four years before some degree of political democracy returned to the colony.

So, what was all the excitement about? Once in office, the PPP began to make some modest, but important changes to the political landscape. These included lifting the ban on so-called subversive literature and on socialist leaders from entering the colony; amending the 1945 Rice Farmers Security Tenure Ordinance to make the landlords rather than the tenant farmer ultimately responsible for the upkeep of the land, and to protect the tenant farmers by enacting a standard rental for land; and passage of a Labor Relations Bill in the Lower House to make it legal for employers to negotiate with workers through their trade unions.

Although those government actions were aimed at democ-

ratising the political economy, in the context of the Cold War, they were considered by the Western powers to be subversive.

British Guiana was, therefore, deemed a “communist threat.”

So, upon the urging of the then USA government, the British invaded the colony and removed the elected government. The USA took similar action in Guatemala and Iran, where elected governments deemed to be too left wing were overthrown. The government was removed and the constitution was suspended, what national poet, Martin Carter, himself a PPP leader of that time, referred to as the “dark time’ and a “carnival of misery.”

The habit of overthrowing governments deemed to be too left-leaning characterised Western foreign policy during the Cold War. It may have contained communism, but the consequences for many countries have been devastation. In the case of Guyana, independence was delayed and the invasion of the country opened the door to the politics of ethnic division. While the British may have satisfied their national interests, their action set in train a series of developments that would change the course of history in the soon-to-be independent Guyana.

By 1955, the PPP had split into two ethno-ideological factions that would eventually consolidate into an ethnically polarised political system. After two election results-- in 1957 and 1961-- which produced ethnically skewed results, the country was plunged into three years of violent disturbances that pitted the two major ethnic groups against each other.

The legacy of those years still haunts our country as our political parties and their followers are persistently locked in a zero-sum political competition which has contributed in no small way to the country’s socio-economic underdevelopment.

Suffice to say that 1953 represented both a high point and

a moment of despair for our new country. The PPP’s victory at the elections of that year represented a significant statement about the possibilities of a multi-ethnic government based on the support of the working classes. Here were young men and women prepared to rise above ethnic sentiments in the service of joint nationhood. It was indeed a shining moment pregnant with possibilities for an enduring future.

But despite their best intentions, the leaders seemed unable to suppress their individual quest for power. That the multi-ethnic experiment blew up within a couple of years is hardly something for us to be proud of as a nation, for we have not recovered that magic since. More than six decades after October 1953, many still yearn for the ethnically united example of that period.

Over the years, several questions have been asked. What if the British had not invaded? Would the united movement have withstood the pressures of ethnic hegemony that had begun to stir before the British intervened? Were the leaders of the movement too politically naïve and inexperienced? Did they underestimate the imperialist forces?

Some of our scholars have delved into these questions, but more work needs to be done in this regard. Maybe our younger historians and political scientists should be encouraged to go back to a larger investigation of this period. At least two of the active leaders of the then PPP are still alive—Ashton Chase and Eusi Kwayana—and their perspectives would be invaluable in this regard. It is time that our country begins to invest in its history, however uncomfortable aspects of that history may be.

And the events of 1953 and the history which it spawned is a good place to begin. (Reprinted)

MoPI working to reduce delay in traffic on ECD Public Road Dear Editor,

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EFERENCE is made to a letter published in the Sunday, September 30, 2018 edition of Kaieteur News, under the headline, “The Infrastructure Ministry has missed the point on the East Coast road”.

The ministry wishes to respond to the claims put forward by the concerned professional.

On the matters of the East Coast Road Project, the ministry wishes to assure the general public that we are working assiduously to deal with the delay of traffic and the environmental issues highlighted in the letter.

The East Coast Road Widening and Improvement Project is being executed by China Railway First Group Company Limited for a cost of fifty million, one hundred and ninety-five thousand, nine hundred and forty-one United States dollars (US$50,195,941.34).

The physical works on the project commenced on August 29, 2017, and the project is expected to be completed in September 2019 and thereafter the Defects Liability Period will last for one year.

The scope of works for the project includes the widening of the existing roadway between Better Hope to Annandale into four lanes and thereafter an upgrade of the existing two-lane road. Seven bridges and 12 culverts will be widened in the four-lane section and two bridges will be reconstructed. The project will also involve the installation of sidewalks, street lights, traffic signals, road safety signs and markings. The finished surface of the roadway will comprise four inches of asphaltic concrete.

It should be noted that a contract for supervision services was awarded to an International Consultancy Firm-- Sheladia Associates Inc.-- in association with E&A Consultants for a cost of two million, three hundred and ten thousand, eight hundred and ninety-nine United States dollars (US$2,310,899). This consultant is the client’s representative and is responsible for the supervision of all works on site to ensure that there is compliance with quality standards, traffic

management plan, environmental management plan and also to ensure that the project is completed on time and within the budget. It is therefore misleading to inform the general public that this project is indeed a major indictment and requires a stalwart effort by the regulatory agencies to enforce the applicable regulations”, when on a daily basis an average of twenty specialised technicians are on site to observe and monitor the works of the project. The technicians ensure that all quality standards, safety measures and environmental regulations are adhered to.

The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2019, and the present progress of works is 35 per cent. The ministry is anticipating that all works for the four-lane section will be substantially completed by December 2018.

The ministry and consultants have engaged the contractor for the Traffic Management and Environmental Management Plan to be adhered to, and as a consequence, a safety and environment audit was done a few days ago where the pressing issues affecting the residents and commuters were logged and the contractor instructed to remedy them within a week. Moreover, as it relates to the dust, the issue has been remedied by the implementation of three water trucks wetting the road seven times per day.

Further, approximately 125 directional signs and reflectors will be installed before Sunday, 7 October, 2018.

In addition, one of the interventions which has been implemented is for more trained flagmen to be used to regulate the flow of traffic while materials are being offloaded on site. Thus, trucks will not offload materials during the peak period in the mornings and afternoons. The ministry is cognisant of the fact that commuters have to wait15 to 20 minutes the most. The speed limit in the construction zone is 20 km per hour, which should be understandable, since major road works are being done. Therefore, in order to have commuters out of the construction zone as quickly as possible and to alleviate the buildup in traffic, the contractor has begun training more flagmen.

It must be noted that for the past two weeks the ministry along with the contractor have been collaborating with the Guyana Police Force to have traffic flowing rapidly, especially during peak hours.

With the assistance of the police officers, there has been a major reduction in drivers cutting in and out of the lanes.

The writer is wrong in stating that we have contracted with the worst set of foreign contractors in the form of Chinese. This is distasteful and disrespectful to the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation when they are known for constructing some of the world’s largest infrastructures. For instance, as recently as August 21, 2018, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited had opened the World’s first Ultra-High-Pressure Tunnel in the Yangtze River in the city of Changshu. Also, there was the completion of the Mecca-Medina High-Speed Rail with a length of 450.25 kilometres and a design top speed of 360 kilometres per hour. It is the world’s first dual-line electrified high-speed railway crossing the desert zone in the form of a joint venture between Chinese and Saudi enterprises.

With that being said, the ministry is confident that China Railway Construction Corporation has the capacity and capabilities to execute the road project within its scheduled time and simultaneously adhering to all other regulations for the safety and betterment of all Guyanese.

The concerned professional is therefore urged to do background research before making wild, fallacious arguments.

Hence, the ministry wishes to advise commuters to remain within the regulated 20km/h in the construction zone and to assure the general public that all measures are being put in place to avoid inconvenience to commuters and residents in the project area from Better Hope to Belfield.

Best Regards, Ms. Krest Cummings Public Relations Officer Ministry of Public Infrastructure

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

61st Anniversary of the People’s National Congress Dear Editor,

T

ODAY, the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) celebrates sixty-one (61) years of its existence. This is as good an occasion as any on which we can take an accurate measure of the contribution of the PNC to the political, economic, social and ideological development of Guyana.

The occasion also presents the opportunity for the party to examine its substantial and acknowledged contribution to the building and development of Guyana and the management of its external relations.

Yet a political party of the stature and accomplishments of the PNC cannot rest on its laurel or ignore the lessons of the past.

It must continue to review those achievements and lessons with a view to ensuring the relevance of its organs and its ability to take on the new challenges of a new era, characterised by the emerging oil and gas sector. Also, it is necessary that it corrects and protects its own record which some have rushed to impugn and challenge even as they ignore the striking and visible accomplishments of the party.

Above all, the PNC must salute and acknowledge the contributions of the ordinary men and women of this society who, by their sacrifices, commitment and belief in the values and purpose of the party made it strong, vibrant and ensured that it would be a political fixture in the context of the political landscape of Guyana.

And the party must not forget its leaders--L.F.S. Burnham and H.D. Hoyte—[and] such figures as J.P. Latchmansingh, Jane Phillips Gay, Dr. Ptolemy Reid, Winifred Gaskin; Claude Merriman, Winslow Carrington, Neville Bissember, Shirley Field Ridley, Margaret Ackman and Winston Shirpal Murray, Eugene Correia, to name a few of those who have passed on. There are still some giants who are with us and whose contribution to the building and development of the party must be recognised.

Reference is made to Hamilton Green, Sase Naraine, Yvonne Harewood-Benn, Malcolm Paris and Jeffrey Thomas, among others.

These elders of the party continue to give counsel, advice and guidance on matters critical to its existence and the implementation of important decisions.

The formation of the PNC in 1957 provided the occasion for the real and effective opposition to the PPP. Before this, the PPP-- a Marxist-Leninist organization-dominated the political landscape, having marginalised all or most of the parties and organisations of the period. The PNC not only opposed the misguided ideological direction of building socialism in a colony but offered a distinct and different programme for the development of Guyana. In the judgement of the PNC, any ideological construct had to be indigenous to Guyana and based on the country’s historical development. And during this period the Guyanese people were witness to the stability, endurance and sustained leadership in difficult circumstances.

Defeated in successive elections in 1957 and 1961, the party endured while it called for a more just electoral system. It was in these circumstances that the true qualities of Mr. L.F.S. Burnham were demonstrated. The shunning of British attempts to remove him

from the political arena in British Guiana by making lucrative offers, and threatening to put him before the courts on trumped up charges, did not deter him from leading the PNC in that critical phase of the history of this country from 1962 to 1964. Out-manoeuvring the PPP at successive independent conferences, Burnham was finally named premier after the elections of 1964 and would lead Guyana to Independence in 1966.

It is often overlooked what Mr. Burnham did after he became the prime minister of an independent Guyana. His main concern was to heal the country’s racial divisions, occasioned primarily by the “hurricane of protest” which began in 1964 after the leader of the PPP declared that he had been hoodwinked by the British.

A committee was appointed to house those who had been displaced as a result of the riots.

After Dr. Jagan rejected his offer to visit the communities which had been harmed by the riots, he did so alone. Then he embarked on a major plan to rebuild a shattered economy and erase the worst evidence of the colonial society. An example of the latter will suffice.

It must not be forgotten that it was the PNC that immediately after Independence put an end to the situation in which social clubs were based on ethnic considerations and some groups in the society were barred from joining others.

Beyond this, the role of the party could be examined by looking at four distinct periods: 19641970; 1970-1985; 1985-1992. The party is now in a coalition and leads the government and this will be referred to in due course.

Between 1964 and 1970, Amerindian rights were restored, housing schemes and highways were built; the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was established in 1969; the irrigation schemes at Tapakuma, Black Bush, Cane Grove, Canals Polder were built.

Highways were built from Linden to Georgetown and in Berbice, where the PPP is strong. The school system which was notoriously shattered under the PPP underwent a process of overhauling and generally measures were put in place to revive an economy which, according to the Jacob Report which was completed by the British Government, had declared that British Guiana was bankrupt.

These internal developments were paralleled by major foreign policy initiatives: Guyana, in conjunction with Barbados and Antigua, formed a Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) in 1965, which laid the foundation for the Caribbean Community in 1973. In 1970, Guyana joined the Non-Aligned Movement and would host its first foreign ministers’ meeting in this sphere in 1972. It was clear that the PNC-led Government was laying the groundwork for the implementation of major policy decisions.

The period between 1970 and 1985 would see major transformations in the economy as the bauxite and sugar industries--the emblems of colonial domination-- became nationalised and placed in the hands of the people of Guyana. A development plan was launched for the 1972 to the 1976 period and one of its central plans was to feed, clothe and house the nation. The school system was taken over by the government and major changes were introduced by the PNC-led Administration. Most important of all, the right to education was

not conditioned by which race the average Guyanese belonged to, neither were their class origins an impediment to entering the school system at appropriate levels. Sport was given a fillip also. It was at this period that every area in sport, whether it was in boxing or cricket, that Guyana made major achievements. In cricket in particular, Guyana produced two test captains: Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd, and the country was dominant in regional cricket.

In diplomatic terms, there were major breakthroughs. The internal tilt towards socialism and socialist policy was mirrored by the significant recognition of the Government of Cuba and the People’s Republic of China. Thereafter, the PNC Government established relations with many communist and socialist states. This was done despite the opposition and concerns of many western countries. Additionally, the PNC, in collaboration with like-minded states, sought major changes to the international system, as they sought to create a new international economic order, which was based on justice and equity, and which could ensure that the voices of small nations were heard.

The activism of Guyana in international affairs ensured that it was elected a member of the Security Council twice, in 1975, that it held the Presidency of the Council for Namibia; that one of its citizens was elected a member of the World Court and that it would be honored as the only developing state to be invited to the Cancun Summit held in Mexico in 1981 at which a selected group of developing states met with states of the third world to discuss the problems affecting the countries of the north and the countries of the south. In this recounting of the successes of the party, it must not be forgotten that, at great cost to itself and the people of Guyana, it effectively supported the African states as they sought the end of apartheid and the liberation of Southern Africa.

It may be appropriate here to say a word or two about the border controversy with Venezuela and the border dispute with Suriname.

These two questions were raised by the party at this juncture because as it gained strength and recognition internationally it was able to ward off the threats from Venezuela and Suriname. Both countries were to make major substantial claims to Guyana’s territory, beginning in the 60s and they sustained these claims throughout the 70s and 80s.

In the case of Venezuela, there was an extravagant claim to five eights of the country’s territory. These claims, which began in the 60s, were to challenge the foreign policy management of Guyana, but due to the skill of the leadership of the PNC and the support of an array of gifted diplomats, Guyana was able to parry the diplomatic aggression of Venezuela and keep the threat from Suriname in abeyance. By the time the PNC left office in 1992, both issues were contained and a period of seeming normalcy ensued between Guyana and its western and eastern neighbours.

It seemed that the transformation of the economy and the society was proceeding as planned. However, the global economic crisis triggered by the fourfold increase in the price of oil between 1973 and 1979, made its completion a most difficult exercise. As a small, open and vulnerable economy, Guyana was hard hit and many economic and social problems overtook the nation. Yet, by 1983, there are in-

dications of a return to growth. Between 1985 and 1992, the PNC had put in place, under Mr. Desmond Hoyte, an Economic Recovery Plan (ERP), the success of which is best described in the words of the World Bank Report of April 10, 1992: “The Economic Recovery Program, launched in 1988… aimed to eliminate distortions in the commodity and factor markets, reduced the size of the public sector and restored international economic relations. Few countries have moved so far, so fast.”

In recounting the achievements of the PNC, I do not wish to give the impression that it encountered

no difficulties as it tried to manage the transformation of the society from a colonial entity into a modern, democratic state. There was not unalloyed success and there were not such reversals as to undermine the confidence of the PNC in the eyes of the people.

The party has maintained, with one exception, approximately a 40 per cent popularity with the Guyanese electorate from 1961 to 2011.

Based on its record, I have every confidence that it would lead the coalition government with confidence and success, and, given the pool of political talent it has acquired over the years, it

will help the new government in navigating the challenge and difficulties as the country embraces the emerging Oil and Gas sector.

I have no doubt that playing such a role will necessitate the generation of ideas for a new period. This is a challenge to which the PNC/R is clearly equal.

Its record of development in the past and its laboratory of ideas for the future development of Guyana hold much promise for the attainment of the good life for all Guyanese.

Regards Mervyn Williams

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Strategic war against mosquitoes intensify -- as re-mapping campaign for filaria begins in Region Six

By Nafeeza Yahya

L

IFE has not been the same for Ann (not real name), a resident of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice, who discovered she had Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) or filaria 19 years ago.

“One night I took ill and I started to get some pain and start trembling with fever. In the morning, my feet started to swell, I went to a private doctor and got an injection but it was no help. I then went to New Amsterdam Hospital and they give me a card to come back in the night to do a test but before that I started to treat it [feet] with other things like Bengay and other topical treatments and so and it went down a little but after a while when it returned I went for the test, that’s when I tested positive for filaria. Then it make one swelling and never went back down.”

This is how Ann described the situation when she first discovered she had the disease. Like her, there are many others who may be infected but they realise too late when the condition becomes

chronic and physical/external symptoms manifest. At this stage, the effects of the disease are irreversible.

Filaria, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariidae.

There are three types of these thread-like filarial worms: Brugia timori, Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti. The latter is most commonly responsible for the disease in Guyana and across the world.

Locally, the condition is usually described or referred to as ‘bigfoot’ (elephantiasis, the thickening of skin/tissue of the limb - as in the case of Ann) and ‘goadie’ (hydrocele or scrotal swelling in males).

As the local names suggest, there is widespread stigma and discrimination against the 36 million people worldwide with manifestations of the chronic disease; not to mention the lifelong effects in trying to lead a normal life.

For Ann, she has been blessed with a supportive family whom she had to care for and nurture. At the time

of her diagnosis, her five children were between the ages of two and 12.

“Throughout the past 19 years, it has been tough, I always have to wear long clothes and slippers ‘cause if people see it open they stare.

I am not ashamed about it.”

She admits that while she is now aware of the disease because she is a victim, prior to becoming a victim, she knew nothing about lymphatic filariasis or its symptoms.

SMALL BUT DANGEROUS “My family used to say none of our generation never get this, where I get it from.

Then you won’t believe a small thing like a mosquito would do this much harm and changes to a person’s body.

At certain time when it gets worse, I would feel a pain and then the worms would come out, it’s a very painful process,” she said.

Having accepted her condition and trying her best to cope with the disease, Ann is hoping for a cure but has become an advocate in her home and community for clean surroundings and preventative

methods as she does not want another person to become a victim of the disease.

Her passion for prevention and sanitation is shared by Marvin Dindial, Regional Environmental Health Officer of Region Six. He believes hygiene plays an important role in the process and is a strong advocate for prevention.

Dindial and the team from the Vector Control Unit noted that a lot has been done to address the disease by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Ministry of Public Health, but feels that if everyone is more conscious of their environment and try to keep it clean; there will be less filaria cases.

“Basically these things are transferred by mosquitoes and sanitation plays a very important part in mosquito breeding; so as public health inspectors, we are pivoted on the ideology that source reduction is key and we try to reduce, remove or eliminate the sources of infection and this comes back to the basis of lot inspection and our department is very emphatical on lot inspection – we visit, inspect and advise on breeding grounds of mos-

quitoes. When we enforce the lot inspection, we try to guide and educate persons on the risk of not only filariasis alone, but other diseases that could really affect human health,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Health has partnered with PAHO, the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and other stakeholders to conduct a nationwide survey/re-mapping exercise on the prevalence of lymphatic filariasis in keeping with the national plan for the elimination of the disease.

MAPPING EXCERCISE As a result, from October 1, the mapping exercise began in Regions One, Two, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine. In the 2001 survey, Regions Three, Four, Five and 10 have been identified as having the highest prevalence of filariasis.

As such, the second round of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign has begun on Monday in some of those regions.

Clarence Charles, a public health inspector who is also part of the mapping

team in Region Six, explained that the mapping exercise targets children between the ages of 6-14 and requires taking a sample of blood to determine if and how many children are infected with the disease.

In addition to testing for filaria, screening will also be done for malaria.

The results are usually ready in approximately 10 minutes and persons tested positive are referred to a healthcare facility. The data compiled also helps to map out the prevalence and concentration of the disease so that mass drug distribution and treatment can be strategically done.

Charles said it is expected that 10 teams of four will fan out across the length and breadth of Region Six over the next six weeks to try to complete the exercise on students whose parents have given consent for the samples to be taken.

H o w e v e r, w o r k o n this project began since the beginning of the year with awareness/education drive in schools and training.

Police working to bolster cold-case unit

By Leroy Smith

W

ith a number of high-profile murders still to be solved, new Crime Chief, Lyndon Alves has assured that steps are being taken to bolster this department with adequate staff and equipment to go after the many cold cases.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle during an exclusive interview on Wednesday Alves said the Cold Case Unit is still in its infancy stages and work is being done to ensure the effective staffing of the department and to also ensure that it receives the necessary resources, both human and equipment.

Contrary to comments in some section of the society, Alves said the Cold Case Unit is not being flooded with retirees. He said that the Unit once fully up and working would be staffed by members of the Guyana Police Force. The unit is tasked with reviewing case jackets for files which have not yet been prosecuted or where prosecution might have been stalled. They are expected to examine the

files and make recommendations as to what other elements needed to be added or worked on to ensure that those cases are closed.

Asked about two high-profile cases, Monica Reece and Ronald Waddell, the Crime Chief indicated that there has been no new information which the police received in those matters. He however assured that nevertheless the work on those files is ongoing and every new bit of information is checked out and investigated. Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine while acting as Top Cop had indicated that during the initial stages of the Monica Reece Investigation, “there was an unprofessional course of action that was taken” he however never divulged what exactly that “unprofessional course of action” was.

PROSECUTION Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle asked the Crime Chief about the specific steps being taken to address poor prosecution cases to which he responded that the force is looking at a number of areas where losses in cases are being recorded. “First

we are looking at training of all ranks from general constables to senior investigators and to also do more crime scene investigations.”

One of the main areas which the police Investigative arm is also looking to build capacity is its practice of conducting recorded of interviews/confession statements as against just going ahead with the written statements. This, Alves says does help in successful prosecution as it in many cases eliminates the instances of technicalities which is often responsible for cases being lost by the prosecution. There have been cases in the past where the police announced that they would have secured confession statements but when the accused appears in court; the contention is always made by them or their legal representatives to the magistrate that they were beaten and or tortured into providing the confession statements.

Touching on the Major Crimes Investigation Unit, Alves said it was never meant to be a department which “takes over” the probes of serious matters which take place in the various divisions, but rather

complement the work of other sleuths, new Crime Chief, Deputy Commissioner of Police Lyndon Alves has said. Alves during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle was asked about the functions of that unit and the Special Cases Unit and how they operate as against the work which is done in the respective divisions. There have been cases in the past where detectives in various divisions complained about making headways in their probes but were forced to hand these over to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit which operates out of the Force Headquarters under the direct command of the Crime Chief. On Wednesday, Alves indicated that based on the nature of the matter at hand, which in many instances are serious crimes, the judgment call is made by the Commissioner of Police or the Crime Chief to have the specialised investigators from the Major Crimes Unit move into the division and support the investigations on the specific matter. “That unit is here to look into and conduct probes into high profile matters. The divisions also

Crime Chief Lyndon Alves

have their own responsibilities and based on the nature of the crime, the CoP or the Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement will decide if the Major Crimes will be sent into the division,” Alves pointed out.

He continued: “It is not a case where we take away any investigations from any particular division, we work in conjunction with the local detectives and it becomes a two-fold one as they

would start the investigations and we would join in to ensure that the matter is completed so that we are able to have a successful prosecution in the end.” Addressing the issue of a spike in crime, Alves said that according to the Force’s statistics there is an overall -8 percent decrease in crime.

He said the force through the CID would continue to work make citizens safer.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

‘The Public Service should be run like a business’ –– Alexander calls for Betram Collins College to focus more on service delivery

TECHNICAL Adviser to the Minister of Public Service, Mr. Vincent Alexander, said there is need for the Public Service to be run as a business.

Mr. Alexander was at the time addressing members of the Bertram Collins College

but rather be a tool geared at increasing the efficiency of the administrative arm of government.

“Every so often we hear about making the public service business-like, so people take that to mean that the public service must now

vice should be business-like,” the Technical Adviser declared. In keeping with this view, Mr. Alexander noted that the Bertram Collins College must examine the changing demands of the public service.

“The college is chal-

in which those needs can be met,” Mr. Alexander stated.

Further, he said the college can only be effective if there is a clear understanding of the ideology intended to guide the public service. The institution, he said, should be utilisied to attract the best

Mr. Vincent Alexander, Technical Adviser to the Minister of the Public Service, addresses staff of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service

Vincent Alexander, Technical Adviser to Minister of the Public Service-- Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, joins with other top officials of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service and staff for a photo of the Public Service during the opening of a three-day work retreat being held at Splashmin’s Resort. He said the ideology of the public service ‘being run like a business’ does not mean it should be used to make a profit,

make a profit…the public service is service oriented and not profit oriented, but business-like speaks about the manner in which you run the public service and not the purpose…,” Mr. Alexander said. “So yes, the public ser-

lenged not only to deliver a curriculum, but to also be very responsive to the changing requirements of service delivery. The college must be able [to]do research and determine what are the new needs and the manner

minds to the public sector, thereby becoming a model of the ideal public service. Staff of the college will be meeting over the next three days to assess the success of the institution and craft strategies for the future.

Mr. Calvin Benn, Director of Training for the institution, said based on the training of the students who have graduated and have been placed at ministries, the institution is getting positive feedback about the quality of their work. “Ministries are especially happy about the attitudes they are seeing in these persons, when compared to persons who would have been in the public service for years, who would have joined without any preparatory training,”

said Mr. Benn.

He explained that the Bertram Collins College is focussed on training public servants through phases of management and middle management level training, as well as staff outside of the managerial setting and those who are now entering the institution.

Since its operation, 58 students have graduated while another batch of 60 is to graduate in December, 2018. (Ministry of the Presidency)

PPP/C withdraws participation from LGE at Wakenaam – Jagdeo

“WE withdrew, we didn’t even go through, I saw it and I believe that something went wrong there and we withdrew as promised.”

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who noted at a press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Thursday, that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) will not be contesting the Local Government Elections on the island of Wakenaam following allegations of padding of the party’s list of supporters.

The decision by the party comes as a result of

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo as he addressed members of the media on Thursday October 4, 2018 (Adrian Narine photo)

several allegations which surfaced after Nomination Day last month. It is alleged that candidates of the PPP/C forged the signatures of persons in an effort to show that they had a valid list of supporters.

The PPP/C was accused of padding its list of supporters with names of persons who are either deceased, living abroad or did not give their consent to be on the list which was submitted on Nomination Day. Local Government Elections (LGEs) are set for November 12, 2018.

On Thursday, Jagdeo also called on supporters of the party not to engage in any “nasty language” or any form of racism.

“We must respect, we have enough information and a track record to defend our policies and to speak to all Guyanese about our vision than to resort to nasty language, racism. Anything of that sort we will openly condemn,” Jagdeo told members of the media.

He said that that sometimes “I have seen some people get angry” and he noted that they would engage in language which the party does not sanction. He said such persons are not members of the party “but they claim to be supporters of our party.”

He said if such persons are supporters of the party, they should “stay away from that.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Ministry pushing for continuation of Amerindian Development Fund

A section of the participants at yesterday’s meeting

THE Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) project will come to an end on December 31 this year. In this regard, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is seeking ways through which the project, which started in 2014, could be continued.

On Thursday the ministry commenced a threeday interactive session with stakeholders at Cara Lodge.

Subject Minister, Sydney

Allicock, said his ministry is looking for partnerships to extend the life of the project.

“In our planning, let us look at all the connectivity, all the areas and who will be the ones to help us to get the things that we need to make the second phase and the continuation a success.”

The minister said the economic advancement of Indigenous communities hinges on the collective ability to make wise decisions

UNDP Representative, Mikiko Tanaka on the management of the natural resources. He pointed out that ADF allows communities to identify their most valuable resources. It also allows the communities to explore how these can be utilised to yield positive outcomes.

United Nation Development Project’s (UNDP) country representative, Mikiko Tanaka, said the businesses created out of the ADF should form part of the foundation of the village economies. It is also important,

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock Tanaka noted, that villages receive all level of support.

The Amerindian Development Fund was established to provide support for the socio-economic development and environmental enhancement of Indigenous communities through the implementation of Community Development Plans. Each of the 186 communities, who qualified for the project were eligible for Micro-capital grants of $5Million each under the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIFF).

The ADF provides access to funding for community ventures aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial capacity of Indigenous villages, diversify their economy, create job opportunities and to reduce poverty.

These community business ventures cover agricultural production, agro-processing, village infrastructure, tourism, manufacturing, village business enterprise and transportation. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Three new passport offices next year –– Minister Felix

MINISTER of Citizenship Winston Felix on Thursday disclosed that his department is working to establish passport offices in the Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two), Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo ( Region Nine) regions by the end of the 2019 fiscal

year.

This is in keeping with the administration’s vision of decentralising vital public services in capital towns. The minister on Thursday visited the Essequibo Coast to get a first-hand look at the plot of land that has been identified by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission

(GLSC) in the town of Anna Regina where the region’s passport office will be located.

“Last year, at an outreach conducted by the Minister of State, the issue of passports and the challenge to travel to Georgetown was raised by many residents and I made a commitment that all efforts will be made to remedy this situation in keeping with [the] President’s

Minister of Citizenship, Mr. Winston Felix interacts with Region Two’s Regional Chairman, Mr. Davanand Ramdatt and Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Rupert Hopkinson at the Regional Democratic office

Minister of Citizenship, Mr. Winston Felix discusses the construction of the building and parking facility for the passport office, with engineers and technical officers wish to have government services easily accessible in capital towns,” said Minister Felix.

The identified plot is centrally located; with the Anna Regina Police Station, the GLSC Office and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Office within proximity. “Since Capital Regina is a capital town, we will bring the service to Anna Regina. This will cut out the unnecessary travelling to Georgetown; it will bring

the service to Essequibians, thereby reducing the time they have to wait as well as the cost involved in travelling,” Minister Felix stated.

Meanwhile, the new passport offices at Linden and New Amsterdam are serving residents well and have significantly reduced the hassle and crowds at the Georgetown office. The minister recalled that only a few years ago, the lines at the central location would extend all the way to Bar-

rack Street, Kingston. He said that upon entering office, President David Granger created the Department of Citizenship and directed that one of its first tasks must be to eliminate this unnecessary everyday struggle.

Since then, more equipment was procured for the Immigration Office to improve efficiency and the decentralisation programme was commenced. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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Organise for action

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

… AG tells Afro-Guyanese don’t succumb to trap of hopelessness

ATTORNEY General, Basil Williams, told Afro Guyanese over the weekend that they should not succumb to the trap of hopelessness, pointing out that every community has its problems and that they are not without resources but must organise for action.

Williams was at the time representing President David Granger at the Annual General Meeting of the Guyana Assembly of International Decade for People of African Descent, held on Sunday at the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, Woolford Avenue. Williams reminded the Assembly that it is their duty to help improve the lot of the African Guyanese community through eco-

Attorney General, Basil Williams interacts with members of the Guyana Assembly of International Decade for People of African Descent nomic empowerment and education.

The conference was attended by a large number of affiliate African organisations, representatives, alternates and observers from around the country, a release from IDPADA said. Williams, in his address, stressed that the work of the Assembly is to accelerate local awareness of the International Decade and to take action in ensuring programmes that could uplift the Assembly’s constituents are advanced and implemented. The UN Decade was declared by the UN’s General Assembly in 2015 and is scheduled to run until 2024.

Williams said that programmes should not be achieved at the expense of de-recognising others, noting that justice for African Guyanese should not be at the price of injustice. “Development of African-Guyanese should not result in the underdevelopment of others.

The Assembly’s programme is one aimed at ensuring African-Guyanese recognition, justice and development. It is a struggle ‘for’ rather than a struggle ‘against’ any other group,” Williams asserted.

He argued that every community in Guyana has its problems so the community “must not therefore succumb to the trap of hopelessness. The African community is not without resources to overcome its present difficulties. The African Guyanese community can find answers to its problems from within its bosom.

The community has cultural resources, traditions and values passed on through the generations. If the challenges facing this community are to be overcome, if the problems that afflict persons

of African descent are to be addressed, this has to be done through the efforts of the African-Guyanese community. African-Guyanese should therefore organise for action.”

He stressed that the community must rekindle “the kinship with land” as ancestors had a strong tradition in agriculture. “Africans need to return to the land. African Guyanese have a strong tradition in agriculture. We should reignite that tradition as a means of fostering African-Guyanese economic empowerment,” he said.

At the meeting, IDPADA-G Chief Executive Officer, Olive Sampson, presented the 2019 draft plan of action for the consideration of its member organisations.

The plan will be further discussed and revised with input from the subcommittees and its coordinating council.

Forty-one African Guyanese organisations are currently members of IDPADA-G, representing communities nationwide. The broad-based draft plan, while seeking to strengthen its member organisations’ institutional capacity, also addresses the needs of small business owners, farmers, and policy issues such as the inclusion of history in the school curriculum, the release stated.

The conference was also addressed by US-based Guyanese Professor Dr. Kimani Nehusi. Dr. Nehusi gave an in-depth presentation on the European trade in enslaved Africans, the deliberate efforts of the British to divide and rule the different races in Guyana and privileges given to the Portuguese and Indo Guyanese communities at the expense of Africans. He called on authorities to establish financial institutions which could empower people engaged in small, micro and medium scaled enterprises as Africans are still being discriminated against by lending agencies as they attempt to access loans and other forms of credit. Dr. Nehusi is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Africology and African American Studies at Temple University, Pennsylvania. Before leaving Guyana in the 1980s, Dr. Nehusi was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Guyana and also had worked in England as the Founder and Director of the African Studies Center at the University of East London.

He occupies the Walter Rodney Chair at the University of Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Dia Logistics now plying Mabaruma route

–– increased air fares to North West worries travellers

A NEW air service has embarked on providing passengers at Mabaruma, North West District, with another option to travel.

The move by Dia Logistics and Transportation Services Inc. comes days after one-way tickets to the area by other domestic air carriers, which have been plying the route over the years, climbed to the $20,000 mark recently.

Dia Logistics and Transportation Services Inc. has partnered with Wings Aviation Services, the parent company of Fly Jamaica Airways, to introduce a scheduled service on Wednesdays between the Eugene F Correia International Airport (EFCIA) and Mabaruma using a Cessna Caravan aircraft.

The fare offered by the company stands at $17,100 one way and $33,060 return and the flights depart the EFCIA at Ogle at 14:30hrs every Wednesday. The flights also depart Mabaruma at 16:00hrs.

Deon Haynes of Dia Logistics, which is located on Albert Street, Georgetown, told the Guyana Chronicle that the decision to introduce the service is aimed at providing customers with an option to travel in the afternoons.

Many persons travel to and from the area on weekends and Haynes said if the travelling public request that option , the company will work towards satisfying customer demands.

An aerial view of Mabaruma, North West District “We will have to check with the people of Mabaruma and maybe build a better schedule at their request,” Haynes said.

The airfare currently offered by Dia Logistics is the fare residents paid prior to an increase which was made by the two domestic carriers effective October 1 this year.

Recently, residents of Mabaruma have voiced complaints that the domestic carriers, which have been plying the route for years, increased their air fares without announcement.

The one-way fare, which stood between $14,000 and $17,000, increased to $20,500.

“The fare increased without a notice and we are upset at that,” a resident told this publication. An official at Sky West Travel Service, which offers flight to and from Mabaruma, confirmed the increase.

Reports are that the carriers also increased the airfares between EFCIA at Ogle and Port Kaituma, another area in the North West District where they operate almost daily flights.

“It’s very costly. It would most likely see people have to use the ferry to get to Georgetown, since to go and come on the plane is already three quarters of a public servant salary. Even though the plane is a fast way of transportation, I will have to use the ferry,” a Mabaruma resident told this publication on Wednesday.

The Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) ferries MV Northcote and MV Barima, travel to Mabaruma and Port Kaituma fortnightly. The one-way fare stands at $2000 per adults and $1000 for children.

Residents there said they are looking forward to the introduction of a new ferry which would ply the Georgetown–Mabaruma route when commissioned.

Recently, government announced that a US$15.6 million contract has been awarded to an Indian firm to construct the new ferry.

The award of the contract, which is being funded by the government of India, was announced by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at a recent post-Cabinet news briefing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

‘DemMutual’ cuts back on carbon footprint –– with eco-friendly approach to doing business

By Clestine Juan

IN a bid to reduce their carbon footprint, Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society on Thursday launched its new Online website with a number of new and efficient electronic options to assist current and potential policyholders when doing business.

The event was held at the Marriott Hotel, where Marketing Manager, Clarence Perry explained that his company has embarked on a path to go ‘green’ by applying eco-friendly business principles to the way they do business on a daily basis.

“Demerara Mutual, with the launch of this revamped website, client portal and

document management system, has taken a significant leap in reducing its use of paper as an organisation,” Perry said.

“Our contribution is to reduce the demand for paper, thus leading to the reduction of the cutting of trees for paper production, which obviously helps retaining forest cover for the sustenance of

life on the planet,” he added.

Doing so, he said, will significantly reduce Demerara Mutual’s environmental footprint, as document management systems are an automated way of managing files that would allow them to create, track, index, review, store, manage and share documents digitally while reducing the dependence on paper.

This new feature of theirs, he said, will also enhance transaction time and the security of documents within the company, as the new interactive website, www.demeraramutual. com, allows policyholders

Demerara Mutual Marketing Manager, Clarence Perry

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes to download forms either to make claims or request policy loans, or for a change of beneficiary.

“Persons can request quotes, have their queries done Online as an alternative function when interfacing with the company, other than calling or visiting our offic-

es,” Perry said, adding that policyholders can also make payment requests for withdrawals, coverage, address changes or make queries Online.

“Together,” he said, “these initiatives facilitate easy and faster transactions with the company through the provision of self- service

options for policyholders.

“They also facilitate easier access for persons who wish to do business with the company for the first time, providing them with timely access to information and essential financial services that cater for the needs of individuals, families and corporate clients.”

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes commended Demerara Mutual for embracing and preparing for these changes in technology.

“You are now again blazing the trial as the oldest member of Guyana’s insurance industry, guaranteeing that your policyholders have easier and faster access to information in this digital world,” the Minster said.

“My wish is that this paperless initiative serves as a tradewind trailblazer for the rest of the industry, and for all of us in Guyana,” she added.

A Demerara Mutual ‘rep’ showing persons how to access the website (Photos

by Samuel Maughn)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Catholic Standard burglarised POLICE are investigating a burglary at the building which houses the Catholic Standard as well as the Diocesan Youth Office and the Catholic Media at the corner of South Road and Wellington Streets, Georgetown.

Reports indicate the incident occurred on Thursday morning. The thieves reportedly gained entry to the building by prying open a door at the bottom flat of the building along South Road.

One of the ransacked rooms at the building following the break-in (Catholic Media photo) The intruders ransacked the youth office and stole a projector, two laptop computers, audio equipment and a number of smaller items, Catholic Media reported.

They also raided other sections of the building where they took a microwave oven, a percolator and a number of plastic chairs.

The intruders were apparently in no hurry as they also cleared a refrigerator and a number of opened, unfinished drinks were left scattered around the room. Youth Co-coordinator, Roxanne Douglas, said the computers contained all of the information she works with, Catholic Media reported.

Anyone who may have information on the incident is asked to contact the Catholic Media Office on telephone number 226-2192.

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Courtesy call

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FIRST Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger on Thursday received a courtesy call from Honorary Consul of Guyana to the State of Georgia, USA, Ms. Marva Jacobs at her

State House office.

Ms. Jacobs, in an invited comment, said that like the First Lady, she too has worked among adolescents, with the view of reducing the incidence of HIV and pregnancy and that she hoped to partner with the First Lady to find ways of reducing homelessness among men in Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger and Honorary Consul of Guyana to the State of Georgia, Ms. Marva Jacobs, today at State House

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

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President, PSC promise to work together

OFFICIALS of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) expressed their commitment to working closely with government for the greater good of the nation.

This was noted by the PSC in a release after its executive met with President David Granger at State House on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.

According to the PSC, the President responded with similar sentiments saying that he would seek to encourage this collaboration among the members of Cabinet and government agencies. “The Private Sector Commission pointed to its good relationships with the Ministers of Finance, Business and Foreign Affairs, in particular, and said that it looked forward to similar cooperation with the rest of the Cabinet,” the PSC said.

It noted that other matters discussed

during the meeting included the participation of the Private Sector Commission in the development of the Green State Development Strategy where it has representatives on all seven thematic groups and the inclusion of PSC representatives on government boards and bodies across the country.

The body also expressed the view that, in keeping with the Government’s thrust for localised development, members of private sector organisations in the communities should be part of the governance and regulatory systems in their communities. “This idea found favour with the President,” the PSC said.

According to the PSC , both sides expressed the view that their encounter augured well for the forging of links between government and the private sector.

President David Granger (fourth from left) alongside officials of the Private Sector Commission (PSC photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Curl Fete 2018 set for Sunday

C

OME Sunday, Guyana’s biggest (and only) natural hair event, Curl Fete, will once again grace the lawns of the Promenade Gardens from 10:00hrs-21:00hrs, and promises to be its best iteration yet! With fabulous prizes, workshops, activities and its signature Hair Show, Curl Fete continues to be a unique event geared at promoting the beauty of natural hair while providing worthwhile entertainment for Guyanese.

Co-founder of Curl Fete, Tamika Henry, in an interview with The Buzz, explained that Curl Fete 2018 will see its Hair Show transformed into a compe-

tition where prizes will be awarded. “We wanted a way to reward the salons for their hard work and creativity, including by gifting $100,000 to the salon with the highest score in the showcase. Moreover, the number of ways for patrons to be rewarded has increased exponentially with countless sponsored giveaways and Curl Fete Rewards,” Henry said. This year, their Kinky Talk Celebrity Panel will see an all-male line up of popular

Bring on the ‘Royalty’!

personalities who will have discussions on various topics within the natural hair community. Henry added that through a partnership with Digicel, Curl Fete is also more social media focused.

This year, the event will be hosted under the theme ‘Royalty’, an idea that came from the organisers’ need to recognise their history and the fact that their descendants came from royalty. “We hope that the added emphasis on women

so, has been known to attract over 3,000 patrons annually. “The local natural hair movement is certainly a dynamic one! As more of us embrace our natural selves, and by extension love ourselves unconditionally, we exude confidence that is contagious,” she said. As a result, she admitted that the event has grown year after year, beyond what the founding partners (Henry and Denisha Victor) imagined.

“But more importantly,

being queens will underscore how valuable women are, especially at a time of rising levels of abuse in Guyana,” Henry said.

Since its inception in 2016, the event has established itself as a fun, family-friendly space packed with engaging and educational activities in fashion, beauty and craft, but more

more and more persons are changing their previously held negative perception of curly and kinky hair textures, finally recognising the beauty in them.”

And as it continues to grow, the event also creates immense opportunities and exposure for small businesses, which Henry said is part of Curl Fete’s

purpose. “Curl Fete is so special in that it serves both the purpose of philanthropy and of providing a platform for small businesses to be on show affordably, to [over 3,000] people,” she said. “This year we have also had to increase the number of vendors who are participating in Curl Fete, given the growing demand from small businesses to be involved in the expo, especially from in the hair, cosmetics, fashion and craft industries. We help

small businesses to connect with a massive audience, therefore being the perfect launch-pad for start-ups.”

Leading up to the event, focus is placed heavily on branding and marketing and this includes hosting a workshop for vendors to ensure that they learn more about these aspects of business while teaching them how to make the event financially lucrative.

Henry said that the team anticipates a bigger event for Curl Fete 2018, but stated that while it is a natural hair expo, persons of all skin tones and textures are encouraged to get involved and that attendance is open to everyone. She also expressed gratitude to major event sponsors: Ansa McAL, Digicel, Massy Distribution, Star Rental, etc., and the vendors and salons who add the energy and excitement to Curl Fete.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Void of any vision, politicians and would-be politicians want power

N

O cultural columnist can or should ignore the world of politics; it began with an argument over the teachers’ strike. My argument was that whatever the Government gives to the teachers it must be prepared to give to every public servant. That reality will force the private sector to do the same and they will raise commodities and services, and it’s obvious how that will work out in the end. My political friend on D’Urban Street had not extended his rhetoric that far. So I shifted and asked why only extend the political activism on social bandwagons, when there were other pressing economic issues in the small business area that needed lobbyists, though these would not be on the TV news or on the front page of any daily papers. I got no encouraging answer, so I physically moved on.

outs and semi-literates and crooks that become politicians and are now making decisions on all of us”. The world that Vic ended up in is another place of rumours, speculations and secrets.

We have the first step to shared governance with the current coalition. It will take time to erase the fixations of custom practices that place choices of politics versus the better thing to do-and the current American political ‘Civil war’ is an excellent case study.

The world has also changed while we slept; we have not succeeded in tapping into areas of the national expertise pool that exists. While the technological world is impeding on us, not as partners, but reducing our capacity to become proprietors, while blindsiding us with a false sense of sophistication in becoming enthralled by its tools, which to its minute component we have no control.

meditations that should inhabit any citizen contemplating a career in politics, unless that individual is a plain low life decked in appropriate costume, whose sum of life is acquiring a substantial bribe to build an impressive Chateau, impersonal to the squalor of the untimely deaths of the masses that dwell in misery beyond the moat enveloping his/her existence.

We’re a small country, already drifting during the past administration towards gated communities, though the monsters have impregnated some. The hard fact is that we need fewer politicians and more people in positions who possess an understanding of how to recognise, engage and embrace the creative and innovative substance that we have, the global crunch is not going to disappear. Technology is not going to pause from transforming and dictating how we must do things.

Some months ago, my youngest brought a brutal statement to my awareness from a source unknown to me; Gordon Lewis a Puerto Rican political analyst of the 50s had concluded that “In the Caribbean Politics was the means to an end”. But even more profound was what the late lawyer Vic Puran had said to me in the 90s, while I was engaged in a protest in front of Brickdam Police Station. While there, a diminutive police inspector pulled his weapon, pointed it at a female protestor about 10 yards away from me and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed, saving her life, we moved towards him but he disappeared in the police cordon that enveloped him back to the station. Someone later told me that his name was Chase. Vic Puran was across the road by the jewellery shop and stepped across. We spoke for a few moments, and I retained the aspects of our conversation.

He asked me what I did for a living, I responded and he concluded with the following: “You don’t get into politics, but here you have school drop-

The driving force behind innovation is necessity, and the platforms to encourage that necessity has to be encouraged, developed and understood. We are losing jobs through the evolution of minds and systems that are proactive while we are burdened with installed procrastination. The most recent area of employment to lose its validity is the Advertising Agencies, to digital, social media Ads. Options, even government institutions think that rather than pay a professional to create an original image for its mandate, it’s best to use a Google image. Is it laziness or a scant value and casualness of self? A professional world-rated artiste told me that he made more money on IPR violations of his property by pirates than on selling records. Trademarks, Patents, Copyright and the imagery, technology and themes that inhabit that world are the substance of trade unless you have millions of disposable citizens who can be worked to death to produce marketable products. These are the possibilities and substance of

I’m going to close this article by relating a recent experience. We have a historical memory vacuum so I designed a product that is geared to get children to colour and encourage parents to participate in the research of the local characters coloured, that it should stimulate interest in the national self. I wrote a minister, the minister pointed me in the direction of the department that handles projects like this. I met the managers of the department, they indicated it was a catch-up project, meaning that many of their field staff would sadly not themselves be knowledgeable of the content of the project; they proposed that at the next meeting with the head of their parent department that it would be discussed and I would be written to. Several months have passed and nothing has happened. This is where the problem lies. A new politician can’t change that. Attitudes like salvation can only come from resolutions within the soul.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

a i d n I s s i M s t s i l a n i F a n a y Gu

d e l a e rev

A

FTER weeks of deliberations and going through an initial 35 applicants, the Miss India Guyana Organisation has finally narrowed the Miss India Guyana 2018 delegates down to the top 10 finalists, which they revealed on social media earlier this week.

They are expected to be officially introduced at a sashing ceremony next Sunday, October 14.

The finalists were selected based on the information presented on the registration form which included criteria such as exposure in entertainment/ pageantry, talent, intelligence, body-mass and beauty.

“The selection process was surely not an easy one.

From a pool of 35 successful applications, the judging panel had their jobs cut out for them narrowing that down to 14 semifinalists which later were narrowed to the final 10. All applications brought their own uniqueness and exceptional relations to their rich culture and to humanity,” said Franchise holder, Hashim Alli.

The 10 young ladies will now be spending the next few weeks going through the rounds with pageant coach, Alicia Bess, to prepare for pageant night on October 27.

“The ladies will be trained in modelling, ques-

tion and answer, pageant knowledge, etiquette, public speaking, self-image et cetera. They will also be involved in cultural training where they will be trained in yoga, kathak dancing, Indian cooking and sari draping by the Indian Culture Centre,” Hashim explained.

According to Alli, he’s very pleased with the lineup that will be vying for the crown this year and believes that no matter who wins, Guyana will be furnished with a very capable queen to represent at the international Miss India Worldwide pageant slated for December 9 – 14 in the US. “I believe that the judges have done an amazing job of selecting 10 talented, intelligent and mesmerising finalists for a chance to represent us at the 27th Miss India Worldwide pageant in December. I am confident that with their many unique attributes, hard work and dedication they will excel at their quest,” Alli shared.

But no matter who prevails, the young lady will have a tall task in keeping the bar high for Guyana’s participation at the international pageant.

Guyana has seen incremental improvement at this international pageant over the years. The reigning queen, Sangeeta Bahadur, finished as second runner-up last year, while in 2016 Guyana finished in the Top 10 at the pageant.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Natya Veda was a success!

O

RGANISERS of Natya Veda, the first cultural show put on by the local Indian Dance Group,Jewan Ka Nritya (JKN), was a success! With a responsive turnout, beautiful costumes, dreamy backdrop and sets, expressive drama and dance pieces, the organisers declared that their audience certainly enjoyed every aspect of the show. “There were moments when [the audience] cried and other times there was intense suspense and thrills. The entertainment started from before patrons

entered the doorways. They Feel The Beat Tassa Troupe engaged patrons, some even danced to some beats,” lead Director Roshini Persaud Nee Boodhoo said.

Persaud explained that the show, which depicted the Hindu story of Ramayana, targeted various relationships between parents and children, husband and wife and siblings. “It teaches duties before emotions, loyalty, compassion and humility. The audience was intrigued by the fighting scenes... The most emotional scene was that which evoked feelings of love, devotion and

commitment; when Sita and Ram expressed love for each other,” she said.

The most commendable feedback they received, she said, was about the flow of the show. “The music never stopped. The lights we’re cued and used as transitions to take stage props on and off. The backdrops were switching and flowing as the bridge music played. It was as if a movie was happening in real time; nonstop film rolling. Sincerest gratitude is extended to the National Cultural Centre Technical Staff for working on their toes all night to ensure the production

flowed as was envisioned,” Persaud said.

She stated that the team worked hard to ensure the show was well organised and executed. She added that the dance pieces also included diversity in the form of contemporary and African dance styles.

Persaud said that the African piece was requested for an encore and that it was fulfilling to see an Indian dance group execute African tribal moves with technique and skills. Diversity is always the bigger picture, she explained. “The JKN Dancers and I always promote diversity; this is how we set ourselves apart. We try to express qualities that can be emulated when it comes to the arts and diversity. The JKN dancers are an irreplaceable family of dancers. They are never afraid to try new things or take on a challenge. They

are committed, passionate and humble in their overall disposition. They are taught to be kind, respectful, humble and disciplined in all they set out to do,” she said.

Persaud expressed thanks to the sponsors and partners of the event, including Little India Jairam and Sons, GO, Impressions, John Lewis Styles, Sissons Paint, Dell Ice, Crystal Ice House Co., Rainbow Signs, Lotus Mall Parika and Roshini’s Rocking Recipes.

If all works well, Persaud said that she aims to make the event an annual one.

I

T’S time for the weekend again, people! There are quite a few big events going off this weekend and of course leading the way is the Curl Fete this Sunday. The Circus continues tonight and throughout the weekend, UGSS P.OE.T.S event also returns this weekend.

And Miss World Guyana is having a dinner and fashion show as they prepare for the Miss World event. So don’t stay cooped up at home.

TODAY The World Famous Suarez Brothers Circus continues at the D’Urban Park. Ticket prices are $1,500 per child and $2,300 per adult for the bleachers, $2,000 per child and $3,500 per adult for the middle section, and $2,500 per child and $4,700 per adult for the VIP zone.

The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents “Latin Night” Get two Desperados Tequila Beers for $1,000.

University of Guyana Student Society in collaboration with Music, Art Culture Foundation and The Pergola Smokehouse and Lounge presents “Talent off Campus, P.O.E.T.S: Push Off Early Tomorrow’s Sunday” at the Courtyard Mall.

You will surely leave inspired by the Vibes, Art, & Food. What else could you ask for to end your week? Admission: $1,000 TOMORROW

In support of Miss World Guyana 2018’s journey to Sanya and her Beauty with a Purpose, the Miss World Guyana Organisation is hosting a Meet & Greet Dinner and Fashion Show. It’s “Runway to Sanya 2018” at Parc Rayne. Come out and view gorgeous designs by some of our talented local designers, enjoy a scrumptious meal and some lovely chit chat - all in the warm ambience Parc Rayne provides. Tickets: $5000 This Saturday, step out in your PINK as we “LINK IN PINK” for Breast Cancer Awareness Month Inside the District Ultra Lounge. Featuring DJ Ana from Trinidad and DJ Country Boy. Buy four shots of tequila and get one free. Ladies in Pink FREE before 21:00hrs 704 Sports Bar is showing the UFC 229 Khabib vs McGregor World Lightweight Championships, with Build Your Bucket beer specials all night. Come out and see McGregor and Khabib finally have the chance to settle their differences within the confines of a 750-square-foot cage.

SUNDAY

Naturalistas you’ve been waiting all year and now it’s finally ‘hair’. Curl Fete 2018: Guyana Natural Hair and Beauty Expo” at the Promenade Gardens.

Featuring The BIG CHOP, Curl Fete Signature Cocktails, an all-male celebrity kinky talk panel, Fashion Market, interlocking tent and so much more Sundays were meant for 70s & 80s! The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant & Lounge presents “Dinner and 70s and 80s music” 704 Sports Bar presents “Pizza and Beer” buy one pitcher of draft beer and one 10” pizza and another pitcher of beer free and a serving of chicken tenders at half price.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Suarez brings it on!

T

HOUGH they did not come with many of the exotic animals and death-defying stunts that some had expected, many persons still had a fun time at the Suarez Brothers Circus which opened last Friday at the D’Urban Park.

Junior the resident clown kept the audience in gales of laughter with his stunts which were spread out in different periods throughout the show.

“It was just alright, I guess I was expecting more animals than that, but otherwise than that it was just ok,” said one patron who took her young daughter to see the event.

The Circus was drastically

The Ukranian skateboarding dogs that performed at the Circus

There were many acts that amazed and enthralled the audience including the bicycle stunts, aerial dancer and skateboarding dogs, while Peluzin

curtailed after they were unable to bring in many of their animals due to transportation and customs restrictions. “Yes, it’s really complicated with

the big animals,” commented Katherine Suarez, one of the Circus Managers.

This was the third time that the Suarez Brothers Circus has come to Guyana, having been here in 2003 and 2005, and many remembered the circus for the thrilling motorcycle cage and most importantly the many striking animals including white horses, and tigers.

“It was alright, people said it was ok, I thought the same. I guess people would say that it was ok because it was different [and] we don’t have a lot of variety so it was fine,” commented Joel Hunte who went to the Circus with his friends.

However, there were still those events that amazed the eyes. The “quick change” really had the crowd in astonishment as they pondered how the young woman continued to change her outfits so quickly with such limited space.

Another pretty interesting act was when the performer sawed off the head of his assistant and placed it on another table.

But it was the skateboard-

ing dogs that were the cutest act of the night and had all gushing as the small dogs performed their acts, which aside from skateboarding also included jumping through hoops and ladder climbing and skydiving.

There was also a series of interactive acts that got the audience involved, even one that allows a young child to be part of the action. Peluzin got the crowd really worked up when, with the assistance of four persons from the audience, he put on a silent skit that had the audience in constant laughter.

The most suspenseful act of the night was a young lady

One of the bicycle stuntmen

performing aerial acts from an elevated swing, it left the crowd at the edge of their seats as she swung her body about, at times with just the rope attached to her legs to stop her from plummeting to the ground.

Following a 15-minute intermission, it was on to the bicycle stuntmen who also dazzled with their aerial stunts.

The night ended with another aerial dance performance, this time involving a spaceship.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

Friday, October 05, 2018 –– 01:00hrs –– 02:30hrs Friday, October 05, 2018 –– 14:30hrs –– 16:00hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 5, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday October 5, 2018

Police, Pouderoyen to battle for Limacol title IN a battle to the finish tonight, Police FC will take on Pouderoyen in the final of the third Limacol-sponsored tournament at the Ministry of Education ground.

The two teams were the standout performers after the round-robin phase of the competition as they set up a mouth-watering feature event later this evening.

Police will call on their experience in the side to ensure their trophy cabinet gets one more piece of silverware at the end of the night.

Pouderoyen, on the other hand, will have to rely on their youth and talent was they chase the 2018 trophy.

During the semi-final stage, it was Santos FC who were favourites against the West Demerara unit.

The game got off to a tense start and the tension grew as time moved on.

At the end of the first half, there was nothing to sep-

arate the two teams which made the resumption of the second half even more eagerly anticipated.

Amaniki Buntin’s 81st minute strike was enough to finally settle those tense nerves on one side of the field and send the other into a desperate drive to find the equaliser.

However, that was not to be, as the West Demerara side emerged victorious.

The second game of the evening was almost a carbon copy with Police going up against Riddim Squad but the result being a 1-0 in favour of the Georgetown side.

Both sides played through the first half of the game without scoring before Anthio Wallace scored ten minutes into the second half.

Meanwhile tonight’s third-place playoff will feature Santos FC and Riddim Squad from 19:00hrs.

Republican Gym looking to challenge GDF as Intermediate Championships box off tonight THE Republican Gym will be going all out this weekend as they seek to challenge their arch-rivals the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), at the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) National Intermediate Championships from tonight at the National Gymnasium, the actions will culminate on Sunday evening.

The championships was rebranded and named after former Commonwealth and National Champion Lennox Blackmoore in 2015. It will see the participation of the defending champions, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) along with their arch-rivals Republican Gym (Prisons) and other newcomers.

President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, had revealed that fighters from Regions 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are expected to exhibit their skills nightly from 19:30hrs.

He told Chronicle Sport; “This will lead into our National Open Championships

in mid-November and from that tournament we will shortlist our national team for the Caribbean Championships, which will be held in Guyana from December 6 to 9.”

At last year’s GBA/ Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Championships, Kevin McKenzie (GDF) was adjudged Best Boxer in the Elite Class, while Forgotten Youth Foundation’s (FYF) Keevin Allicock was voted Best Boxer in the Youth category.

Of the eight Elite Class titles the GDF won, seven of them were all-GDF finals, while one of their boxers won against a member of debutant gym, Savannah Boxing Gym (SBG) of Lethem.

Blackmoore was 27 years old when he won Guyana’s first Commonwealth title, defeating Nigerian Johnathan Dele on points in Lagos in October 1977 to lift the lightweight title.

The skilful orthodox fighter made his professional debut at age 23 in 1974 and hung up his gloves 12 years later, with a record of 25 wins, 14 of which came via knockouts.

He suffered five losses.

Today, Blackmoore is now a trainer in the USA where he resides.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday October 5, 2018

Sarwan, DDL in BCB’s corner again AFTER the successful staging of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)-sponsored Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 cricket tournament, the board was able to convince the former West Indies captain for another year of sponsorship.

President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, met with Sarwan yesterday at his Fitness 53 Gym, and the alliance between the two was further enhanced.

As part of the board’s early preparation for the 2019 inter-county Under-17 tour-

nament, the BCB is expected to stage the tournament in early November.

The cut-off date of birth for players participating is September 1, 2002. The president and members of the BCB will like to express gratitude to Ramnaresh Sarwan,

a veteran of 87 Test matches for the West Indies.

Meanwhile, the BCB has joined hands with beverage giant Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) to launch the Pepsi 50-overs cricket tournament for first division teams in the Ancient County.

Former West Indies captain hands over the sponsorship cheque to BCB president Hilbert Foster.

The launching took place at the company’s office in Georgetown yesterday.

Foster hailed the tournament as another remarkable achievement of the BCB. Marketing Manager of DDL, Larry Wills, stated that the company along with Pepsi was pleased to be associated with the BCB and by extension Berbice Cricket.

He stated that Pepsi is known around the world for its support of sports, and expressed confidence that the tournament will be a great success.

DDL, Wills stated, invests heavily in sports as it views support as an investment into the development of youths. Both finalists will receive attractive financial prizes and trophies.

Teams are reminded that only one non-Berbician will be permitted to play for the entire tournament for a club and teams are expected to be properly attired.

The tournament will be contested by eleven clubs including the recently reformed Young Warriors

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Cricket Club.

The clubs will be divided into two Zones. West Berbice, Blairmont Community Centre, Police Sports Club.

Young Warriors, Rose Hall Canje and Tucber Park will complete in Zone A while Zone B will consist of Albion Community Centre, Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets, Port Mourant Cricket Club, Skeldon Cricket Club and Upper Corentyne. Two teams from each Zone will advance to the semifinals.

The tournament bowls off tomorrow with matches across Berbice with Police playing Young Warriors Cricket Club at Cumberland; Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club hosting Tucber Park Cricket Club; Albion Cricket Club opposing Upper Corentyne Cricket Association at No. 69 Ground and Skeldon facing Port Mourant Cricket Club.

The Blairmont and West Berbice match will be played at another date due to Blairmont’s involvement in today’s Under-21 final.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday October 5, 2018

Scorpions’ Powell, McCarthy too much for Marooners B R I D G E TO W N , B a r b a d o s (CMC) – Rovman Powell and Andre McCarthy both stroked unbeaten half-centuries as the Jamaica Scorpions easily defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) Marooners by seven wickets in their Group B encounter of the Regional Super50 at the Three W’s Oval here yesterday.

Powell, who scored 79 not out and McCarthy who made 72, shared an unbroken partnership of 136 for the fourth wicket, as the Scorpions easily overhauled CCC’s total of 219 for eight in their 50 overs, finishing on 220 for three off 34.5 overs.

Both batsmen scored better than a run-a-ball as they dispatched CCC’s bowlers to all parts of the ground with exceptional ease.

Powell’s knock came off just 64 balls and contained two boundaries and six sixes, while McCarthy counted four fours and three sixes during his 69-ball innings.

They came together with the score on 85-3, following the dis-

Rovman Powell

missals of Chadwick Walton (5), Chris Gayle (21) and Jermaine Blackwood, who made 36.

The duo took a particular liking to Marooners’ captain Carlos Brathwaite, whose four overs went for 46 runs.

Earlier, Scorpions captain Nikita Miller grabbed three wickets

BCB/NBS 40-overs tournament bowls off on Sunday AFTER an absence of two years the popular New Building Society (NBS) second division 40 overs cricket tournament will be making a return to Berbice Cricket calendar with matches scheduled across the Ancient County on Sunday.

A total of 80 teams have registered for the tournament, which will be played on a round-robin basis, in seventeen zones. The top teams in each zone will advance to the playoff stages.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president Hilbert Foster, has expressed delight that the tournament will once again be played as it will involve almost all the villages and townships in the county with a mixture of youths and experiencde players, and at the same time will serve as a nursery for the county’s first division teams.

The BCB, under its Cricket Developmental Programme, has put into place a series of measures to make sure that a high level of discipline is maintained.

All teams are expected

to be at venues by 10:45hrs.

Walkover should be granted half-hour after the scheduled start of play.

Teams, who fail to be present at 10:45hrs to spin the toss, should forfeit their right to the toss. All players should be attired in whites and failure to do so will result in their team losing the match. Teams who grant walkovers will be banned from playing for the rest of the year.

Teams should be allowed a maximum of three first division players, who have played three or more 50 overs matches. Under-19 players must not be considered first division players. No non-Berbician shall be allowed to play in the tournament.

The BCB will be paying close attention to the competition as it seeks to unearth new talents for the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) junior cricket tournaments in early 2019.

The tournament is being sponsored at a cost of over $700 000.

as the Marooners batsmen struggled to get going.

After Kjorn Mottley fell with the score on two, Kyle Corbin and Amir Jangoo added 52 runs for the second wicket to help lead a fightback.

But Miller had Jangoo trapped leg-before-wicket for 30 and

Christopher Lamont caught and bowled Corbin to leave the Marooners on 66-3.

Miller also accounted for the wickets of Brathwaite (26) and Nicholas Kirton (18), with Nicholas Sookdeosingh who made 13 - all getting starts but failing to push on, as the Marooners slipped further into trouble at 121-6 in the 30th over.

However, a 72-run partnership between topscorer Khesan Mottley and Keron Cottoy, ensured the home side got up to a respectable total.

Unfortunately, though, the pair took up 18 overs during their stand, which meant that there was no late flurry at the end for the Marooners.

Ottley was eventually dismissed by Oshane Thomas for 43, his knock coming from 62 balls and containing two sixes.

Cottoy batted through the innings to end unbeaten on 40 from 61 balls. His innings contained a solitary boundary.

Miller was the top bowler for the Scorpions taking 3-35 from

Scoreboard MAROONERS innings K. Corbin c & b Lamont 28 K. Ottley c Blackwood b Bryan 0 A. Jangoo lbw Miller 30 N. Sookdeosingh lbw b McCarthy 13 Carlos Brathwaite b Miller 26 N. Kirton b Miller 18 KH Ottley c Blackwood b Thomas 43 K. Cottoy not out 40 A. Jordan c Lamont b Thomas 9 J. Jagessar not out 1 Extras: (lb-3, nb-1, w-7) 11 Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 219 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-54, 3-66, 4-91, 5-112, 6-121, 7-193, 8-215.

Bowling: Bryan 4-0-20-1, Thomas 7-041-2, Lamont 10-1-31-1, Miller 9-0-35-3, McCarthy 7-0-21-1, Bonner 2-0-14-0, Allen 9-1-31-0, Powell 2-0-23-0.

SCORPIONS innings C. Walton lbw Jordan 5 C. Brathwaite c Brathwaite b Jagessar 21 J. Blackwood c Brathwaite b Cottoy 36 A. McCarthy not out 72 R. Powell not out 79 Extras: (lb-2, w-5) 7 Total: (3 wkts, 34.5 overs) 220 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-31, 3-85.

Bowling: Jordan 6-0-41-1, Jagessar 9-130-1, Cottoy 6-0-45-1, Buchanan 6.5-0-380, KH Ottley 3-0-18-0, Brathwaite 4-0-46-0.

his nine overs and he received good support from Thomas who snared 2-41 from his eight overs.

Baksh, Madison Fernandes among opening night winners

Mohryan Baksh is about to return a serve in his match with Lajuan Munroe.

WHILE the night may be considered a damp squib with not many of the top names taking to the court, it gave ample playing time to the budding breed of stars.

As the night wore on, national players Mohryan Baksh and Madison Fernandes emerged as the standouts.

The duo unearthed silky smooth dominance in their matches when the Lucozade Handicap Squash tournament commenced on Wednesday evening at the Georgetown Club Courts.

Baksh, who had a twopoint handicap as compared to Lajuan Munroe’s nine, still won 15-8, 15-8. Fer-

nandes, on the other hand, was asked to dig deep after losing the first set 12-15.

However, it proved to be the jolt she needed, coming back to win the next two sets 15-12.

Teija Edwards was also in winners’ row, topping Aishani Persaud 15-6, 12-15, 15-11, while Jason Gomes shut out Beau Fernandes 15-6, 15-10.

Joshua Verwey was on the losing end to Kamir Khan 6-15, 9-15.

Young Brenno DaSilva had an enterprising match against Dhiren Persaud, but still went down 5-15, 7-15.

There were also wins for Jason Gomes, who defeated

Beau Fernandes in straight sets 15-6, 15-10, and Dhiren Persaud, who downed Brenno DaSilva 15-5, 15-7. Additionally, the pair of Zachary Persaud and Louis DaSilva produced an exciting tussle.

The rallies were present, the serves were close to perfection and the elongated dives to retrieve were evident.

In the end, there was only one winner and it was Persaud: 15-6, 11-15, 15-14.

Shilon Asregado played a sublime hand to top Grant Fernandes 15-10, 15-10.

Matches continue nightly with the finals set for Sunday.

NBS second division final on tomorrow at DCC

HOSTS Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will clash with powerhouse Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) tomorrow in the final of the Georgetown Cricket Association-sponsored New Building Society second division 40-over tournament.

A keenly-contested game is anticipated with both teams boasting a number of quality players.

Play is expected to commence at 10:15hrs with the presentation ceremony following immediately after the conclusion of the match.

Meanwhile, play in the Noble House Seafoods second division two-day tournament will continue. Police will play GDF at Eve Leary while Malteenoes oppose Sophia at Bourda. Play on both days starts at 10:30hrs.

Two games are also billed for the GCA/ Friends of Cricket Under-17 (100-Overs) cricket competition.

For tomorrow’s fixture, Everest will host Bel Air RUBiS while MYO will host GCC on Sunday.

Both games will commence at 09:30hrs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday October 5, 2018

What is the GCF doing?

Survival, Premier Auto on board for GMR&SC Ignite

… Asks Michelangelo Jacobus BEFORE I get to the crux of the story; let me put you the reader into perspective.

We are just eight days away from the Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships which will be held in the Dominican Republic from October 13 to 14. Bermuda and other Caribbean countries have already named their respective cyclists who will be gunning for top honours two weeks prior to the said Championships.

Now, let me paint the Guyanese picture for you. Cycling is one of the most active sport disciplines, in Guyana. Almost every weekend, sometimes twice, there are competitive meets in the National Park, road races and individual time trials throughout the length and breadth of this beautiful country of ours.

The main aim of our young, upcoming and incredibly talented cyclists is to represent the ‘Golden Arrowhead’ on the international stage; this is not easily realised. Even though the talent is there, cycling is an incredibly expensive sport’ a proper racing bike is easily US$10,000US$13,000 - the price of a car

in Guyana.

The bike aside, travelling, accommodation and other equipment relative to cycling are always needed. This is where the problem comes in as the cyclists often have to seek sponsorship to get to Regional or International meets if and when selected by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF).

Here enters the issue at hand, eleven of Guyana’s most promising cyclists have qualified for the Elite Championships. The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), in a correspondence back in August, had revealed that they would be selecting five of the eleven cyclists based on performances from then to a few weeks prior to the Championships.

Here we are, just a week away from the Championships, not a single murmur from the GCF about the fiveman team and who have been selected, much less the details of travel arrangements and other key logistics.

Why the secrecy, why the indolence? What is going on in the hierarchy of this federation? Where are we heading in respect to the sport?

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday October 05, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Deryck Murray-1993 runs (2) Chetan Chauan-2084 runs Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI has taken most Test wickets to date?

(2) Which Indian has captured most Test wickets to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

These are all questions that require answers from the GCF which is led by the president Horace Burrowes.

He is overseas-based and when contacted, there has never been a response to a text or a call in this age of technology where two persons can communicate with the touch of a finger on a device.

Chronicle Sport keeps in constant communication with cyclists and many of these individuals have said that this is supposed to be the highlight of the year for them. However a cloud of uncertainty now hangs over the Championships.

Back in August, Jamual John, one of Guyana’s most consistent and successful cyclists over the last two years, also one of the eleven qualified persons; had told this publication that it was his hope that the GCF would be timely in their selection process as they would have to go about getting sponsorship.

Now, John is overseas racing on the international circuit where he can be better

compensated and appreciated for his talent. Were I in his shoes, I would have surely done the same.

Is it fair to our athletes that these eleven cyclists who train and work tirelessly to be treated like this by a federation that is supposed to have nothing but the best at heart for them?

These eleven cyclists; Andrew Hicks, Christopher Griffith, Curtis Dey, Deeraj Garbarran, Jamual John, Romello Crawford, Silvio Innis, Hamzah Eastman, Paul DeNobrega, Briton John and Alonzo Ambrose have become household names in Guyana and put their all into a sport that they love.

They deserve far better than the GCF is currently doing; Chronicle Sport calls on the GCF to provide answers to the questions asked.

I will be repetitive for the sake of driving the gist of this article home; WHAT IS THE GUYANA CYCLE FEDERATION DOING?

Shaw becomes youngest Indian to hit debut Test century PRITHVI Shaw made history yesterday by becoming the youngest Indian to score a Test century on debut.

Shaw, at 18 years and 329 days, reached the historic three-figure mark off just 99 balls against the Windies on Day 1 of the opening Test at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.

The previous record for the youngest half-centurion for India on debut was held

by Abbas Ali Baig, who at the age of 20 years 131 days, scored a half-century against England in Manchester in 1959.

Meanwhile, Prithvi is also the third-fastest centurion on Test debut. India’s southpaw Shikhar Dhawan remains the fastest in this club with an 85ball hundred against Australia in 2013 at the IS Bindra Stadi-

um, Mohali. And West Indian cricketer Dwayne Smith (93 deliveries) pulled off the same feat against South Africa in Cape Town in 2004.

Prithvi, however, has also become the seventh-youngest Test centurion. Back in 2001, Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful (17 years, 61 days) became the youngest ever to achieve this feat against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Next on the list is Pakistan’s Mushtaq Mohammad (17 years, 78 days), who pulled this off back in 1961 against India in Delhi.

Sachin Tendulkar (17 years, 78 days), Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza (17 years, 352 days), Pakistan’s Imran Nazir (18 years, 154 days) and Saleem Malik (18 years, 323 days) are the rest of the batsmen in this elite club.

Premier Auto’s Mark Morgan (right) hands over sponsorship to Fleur Blanckaert.

SURVIVAL Supermarket and Premier Auto Sales are the two latest entities to sign onto the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC) Ignite racemeet on November 10 and 11.

Premier, through Mark Morgan, contended that they are happy to support such an event adding that the company is happy to be associated with the sport.

Survival, sponsoring through the Travel Agency and the Supermarket, confirmed through a comment that they too were eager for the new partnership with the GMR&SC.

Meanwhile the final leg of the CMRC is expected to see competition from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, the United States and Canada as well as Europe.

Apart from the regular groups 1 through 4 and Superstock championship, the first-ever Radical Caribbean Championship featuring the SR3s is expected to culminate at the South Dakota Circuit as well.

The club is expected to launch the event within days with just over a month remaining. Ticket prices are confirmed at $2 500 for adults and $1 000 for children.

Southgate signs new contract until 2022 World Cup

By Simon Evans MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - England national team manager Gareth Southgate has signed a new deal which will keep him under contract until the end of the 2022 World Cup. Southgate and Football Association (FA) chief executive Martin Glenn announced the agreement, which also includes Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland, at a news conference yesterday.

The former national team defender was widely praised after England reached the semi-finals at the World Cup in Russia before losing to Croatia in the last four.

Southgate, who had two years left on his deal, will now lead England into the Euro 2020 tournament and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the national team through the next two major tournaments,” said Southgate, 48, after signing his new deal.

“The job remains an incred-

ible privilege and a true honour.

Experiencing at firsthand how the nation united behind the team this summer was something special and it will be great to see how far this young squad can go in the years to come,” he added.

Southgate initially took over as caretaker manager following the departure of Sam Allardyce in September 2016 before being confirmed in the role.

The FA lost their technical director Dan Ashworth last week after he opted to move to Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion, and clearly did not want to risk Southgate departing before the next World Cup. However, several England managers, including Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, have left their positions before the end of their contracts.

Glenn said: “Securing Gareth on a longer-term contract was always a priority for us. He has performed remarkably well and has given everyone the belief that England can compete on a world stage again,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday October 5, 2018

Windies put to the sword by teenager Shaw as India dominate RAJKOT, India (CMC) – West Indies suffered at the hands of teenager Prithvi Shaw who struck the third fastest hundred on debut as India dominated the opening day of the first Test here yesterday.

Opting to bat first at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, India marched to 364 for four at the close, with the 18-year-old Shaw belting a superb 134 and captain Virat Kohli ominously poised on an unbeaten 72.

Cheteshwar Pujara had earlier missed out on a hundred when he stroked 86 while Ajinkya Rahane chipped in with 41, as India recovered from the loss of opener KL Rahul in the first over without scoring, to collar the visitors’ bowling attack.

Already set back by the loss of seasoned new-ball bowler Kemar Roach who returned to Barbados last week due to the death of his

grandmother, West Indies suffered yet another blow when captain Jason Holder was ruled out of the match with an ankle injury.

It meant a Test debut for the inexperienced 22-yearold Sherman Lewis and also saw Keemo Paul, at age 20 and with a single Test to his name, having to share the new ball with speedster Shannon Gabriel.

India cashed in on the weakened attack by scoring quickly and already, the Windies face a long road back into the match, heading into today’s day two.

However, there was some early celebration for the Windies when Gabriel struck Rahul in front with the sixth ball of the match with just three runs on the board. The right-hander reviewed in desperation but replays showed the ball hitting middle stump.

Any hopes West Indies had of finding further im-

Sherman Lewis, the West Indies debutant, then grabbed his maiden wicket, when he removed Pujara.

mediate breakthroughs were then dashed as Shaw and Pujara combined in a 206run second-wicket stand to consolidate the innings.

The right-handed Shaw struck 19 fours off 154 deliveries while Pujara, also right-handed, faced 130 balls and counted 14 fours in chalking up his 19th half-century in his 63rd Test.

Shaw gathered his runs on both sides of the wicket, taking 12 from Paul’s second over of the morning, courtesy of three boundaries, before driving the same bowler for fours through the off and leg side to move into the 40s.

He reached his half-century off 56 deliveries and was unbeaten on 75 off 74 deliveries at lunch as India reached 133 for one, with Pujara on 56.

Shaw wasted little time in picking up where he had left off in the first session, twice drilling leg-spinner

Devendra Bishoo to the leg side boundary in the first over after the interval.

He raced into the 90s with another pulled boundary off the ineffective Bishoo before raising three figures off just 99 balls nearly three-quarters of an hour after the interval, punching Paul to cover for a couple.

With the achievement, Shaw became the fourth youngest player to score a hundred on debut and the youngest ever Indian.

With tea beckoning, West Indies struck twice to temporarily stall India’s progress. Pujara flirted with a wide one and feathered a catch behind to give Lewis his maiden Test wicket, about 40 minutes before tea.

And Shaw finally departed in the final over before the break when he tamely chipped a return catch to Bishoo.

On 232 for three at tea, India subdued the Windies in the final session, thanks to a 105-run, fourth-wicket stand between the enterprising Kohli and Rahane.

Unbeaten on four at the interval, Kohli signalled his intentions immediately

Scoreboard INDIA 1st innings Prithvi Shaw c & b Devendra Bishoo 134 Lokesh Rahul lbw Shannon Gabriel 0 Cheteshwar Pujara c Shane Dowrich b Sherman Lewis 86 Virat Kohli not out 72 Ajinkya Rahane c Shane Dowrich b Roston Chase 41 Rishabh Pant not put 17 Extras: (b-9, lb-1, nb-4) 14 Total: (four wkts, 89.0 overs) 364 Fall of Wickets: 1-3, 2-209, 3-232, 4-337.

Bowling: Shannon Gabriel 181-66-1 (nb-2), Keemo Paul 101-41-0 (nb-2), Sherman Lewis 12-0-56-1, Devendra Bishoo 301-113-1, Roston Chase 16-0-67-1, Kraigg Brathwaite 3-0-11-0.

following the resumption, imperiously driving Lewis to the straight boundary.

He reached his 20th half-century in Tests off 100 balls and all told, has so far counted four fours in a 137ball innings.

Rahane, meanwhile, had faced 92 balls and struck five fours and looked a safe bet for a half-century before edging a cut at part-time off-spinner Roston Chase to be caught at the wicket, with the close in sight.

Manager Griffith says Guyana Jaguars Super50 ready ... to clash with T&T Red Force today

By Brij Parasnath MANAGER Rayon Griffith feels confident that Guyana Jaguars will do well and are Super50 ready for their big clash against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their CWI Group A day-night encounter at the famous Queen’s Park Oval today from 14:00hrs.

The Jaguars will be without the services of two of their brightest prospects in Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul who are currently away on West Indies team Test duties against the Indian team. But their absence provides the opportunities of other rising stars to prove their worth and advance their cause and chances of selection on future West Indies teams in the limited-overs format.

Griffith revealed that the rain hampered their training on Wednesday but they had two good days of workout at the Queen’s Park Oval and the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva on Monday and Tuesday since their arrival in Trinidad over the

weekend.

The successful manager stressed the need for the players to “adapt quickly to the conditions and execute the team’s game plan.

I am confident that they will give a good account of themselves. They were all involved in playing in the Guyana 50-overs franchise competition and that should serve them well here in the Super50 competition.

“Many of the players had good performances and they know that at this level they will have to reproduce and even do better to come out victorious. In the past couple years, the team performed well and got to the semi-final and final but just did not get that extra to win the competition.

“Hopefully, this year, we will get it all together and reach the final. There are other strong teams in the competition but we are aiming to win the title this year.”

“We will be playing with the aim to win against every team regardless of how

strong they are or how many top players they have within their team.”

Commenting on their readiness, Griffith said: “Our players play cricket year round now. And they are always involved in fitness training. So they should be fit and ready to play tough hard cricket and push themselves more than before. We will play fearless cricket but not reckless and will take one step at a time.”

Guyana set a regional first-class record by winning the CWI Professional Cricket League 4Day competition for the past four consecutive seasons. They have always won at the youth level competitions but the Super50 title has eluded them since 2005.

Former West Indies player Leon Johnson will once again captain the team that was eliminated by eventual champions Windwards Volcanoes at the semi-final stage in the last competition at the Coolidge Cicket ground, Antigua and Barbuda.

Among the other mem-

Guyana Jaguars captain Leon Johnson

bers of the team are West Indies A team player Chandrapaul Hemraj, West Indies B team T20 captain Anthony Bramble and former Test players Raymon Reifer and Veerasammy Permaul. There are exciting all-rounders Christopher Barnwell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd plus former West Indies youth players Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Gudakesh Motie and Ramaal Lewis.

Griffith did not reveal the starting line-up and stated that they will make the

decision today when they complete warm-up activities. He intimated that they would wish to analyse all the players in their final training session yesterday plus their warm-up activities to make sure everyone is fully fit to compete intensely, in what would be the toughest Group A encounter.

Attacking opener Trevon Griffith returns to the Guyana Jaguars team and has been in good form with a century in the local Franchise 50-Overs tourney. He will most likely get the nod to partner Hemraj at the top of the order while

skipper Johnson, who got a hundred plus three fifties, Reifer and Barnwell, who seemed to have regained some encouraging form with both bat and bat, will strengthen the middle-order.

However, they will have to produce their best overall performance to topple the star-studded T&T Red Force, which made light work of reigning champs Windwards Volcanoes, whom they crushed by 75 runs in their opening round battle on Wednesday at the same Port of Spain venue.

Shaw becomes youngest Indian to hit debut Test century Prithvi Shaw took 99 balls to reach his century on Day 1 of the first Test against West Indies, becoming the second youngest Test centurion from India after Sachin Tendulkar. (Pic: IANS)

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Republican Gym looking to challenge GDF as Intermediate Championships box off tonight

Police, Pouderoyen to battle for Limacol title

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27

GDF will begin their title defence tonight at the National Gymnasium.

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Part of the semi-final action in the Limacol football tournament

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018