Guyana Chronicle E-paper 12-16-2018

16th December, 2018

No.105490

National Youth 12 Policy to return to Cabinet PAGE

Courts,not Commission PAGE

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... cultural activist urges full probe into Jagdeo-era killings

... says the era of extra-judicial killings commenced with a severe bias

Toddler 02 crushed to death PAGE

300 jobs 07 for Lindeners PAGE

–– as gov’t moves to resuscitate Kara Kara Call Centre

First Lady Sandra Granger embraced this child as she spread Christmas cheer along the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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Toddler crushed to death

A TODDLER was crushed to death after a truck selling cooking gas and kerosene rolled over his head in front of his Lot 7 Plantation Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo home on Saturday.

Dead is 15-month-old Terrence Antonio Wilson. He was pronounced dead at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was rushed after the accident.

The driver, a 27-year-old North Zeelugt Housing Scheme resident, is in custody assisting with the investigation.

Police said the accident occurred around 06.30hrs at Access Road, Zeelugt (GuySuCo Scheme) and has so far revealed that the truck, GVV 363 was stopped by the child’s grandfather who sought to make a purchase.

During the transaction, the child reportedly ventured out of the yard and went under the vehicle, unknown to anyone.

His skull was subsequently crushed by one of the rear wheels of the truck after the vehicle drove off.

The grandmother of the toddler said the child followed his grandfather outside and was standing at the rear of the truck.

“People saying that the child crept under the wheel but the truck had a barrier and I don’t believe he creep under the wheel. The baby was standing next to the wheel, he (the driver) had two porters, before you pull

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

Dead: Terrence Antonio Wilson

off you are supposed to look around,” the traumatised grandmother said.

She said the driver of the truck is known to be reckless.

“We are not saying the child was right to be there but as a driver with two porters, he could have looks around before pulling off, he is supposed to be focusing,” she explained The grandmother lamented that the man began to become hostile “saying if yal want money, is only on phone call away”.

“I just wish his license get taken away, he is careless, everyone in the community can tell you how reckless this man is drive,” the mother of the child said.

She continued: “When the porter said hold on driver is what you knock there, then the porter said it’s a baby and the driver was hustling to drive off. If my brother didn’t run and snatch the keys from the truck he would have driven away.”

Wilson is the third child to have died recently.

The first reported incident occurred on December 11, when an 11- month-old baby drowned at Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and the second occurred the same day when a five-month-old baby boy was electrocuted after he placed a live electrical cord in his mouth.

Mother of nine remanded for theft A 40-year-old woman who was allegedly arrested for wearing a pair of stolen slippers was remanded to prison by Senior Magistrate Alex Moore when she appeared in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on a charge of break and enter and larceny.

Shonette Gonsalves Sabola of Lot 82 Savannah Park Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, is accused of breaking into the dwelling house of Daphney Pitt-Joseph and stealing

one gold ring, a gold chain, a bag containing several documents, a five-pound tin of milk, a box of biscuits, a pair of slippers and cash totalling $280,000.

The incident was allegedly committed on December 10 at Pitt’s Lot 43 Stanleytown home. Pitt, a United Kingdom-based nurse, had returned home to bury her younger son, policeman Cardis Joseph, who died after he lost control of motor car (PPP 4196), which crashed into the side of the road at Aroaima

trail, Region 10. It is alleged that after the funeral service and while the bereaved family was resting, Sabola reportedly broke and entered the family’s home and stole the articles.

Meanwhile, during her court appearance, the woman, a domestic worker and a parttime cook, claimed that she is a hard-working mother who works around the clock to maintain her children.

She vehemently denied statements by Police Prosecutor Bernard Brown, who told

the court that the woman was caught wearing a pair of stolen slippers.

“I have me children. Me have three small sons. Me nah do dem things tha,” the mother said.

The magistrate upheld the prosecutor’s request to deny bail. Sabola was remanded to the New Amsterdam Prison where she will spend the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, before returning to court on January 14.

'D' Division fetes over 200 children COMMANDER of “D” Division, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper? and team hosted a Christmas party for over

200 children from across the division on Saturday. The children were treated to goodies and gifts from Santa Claus

Commander Edmond Cooper (seated at centre) flanked by children and participants of the special Christmas gathering

Courts,not Commission 3

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

... cultural activist urges full probe into Jagdeo-era killings ... says the era of extra-judicial killings commenced with a severe bias

IT may have worked in post-Apartheid South Africa and elsewhere, especially where promoting healing in racially divided societies and conflict situations are concerned.

But the unbridled truth is, says cultural activist Barrington Braithwaite, there can be no truth and reconciliation unless there is atonement. He was speaking about calls to probe the Jagdeo-era killings with some persons suggesting a truth and reconciliation commission. Only last week, a New York-based group urged the government to move swiftly to launch an investigation into these killings. Various persons have estimated that over 400 persons-- mainly men-- were hunted down and killed by a death squad nick-named Phantom Squad by former Head of the Presidential Secretariat under the PPP, Dr Roger Luncheon.

“Atonement and reconciliation is a process in reference to populations, and not to the sinister architects who, with cold, calculative intentions, facilitated mass murder and marginalisation along racial lines, creating an atmosphere that some lives are to be sacrificed on some political cultic altar...,” he said.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Braithwaite said:

Delving into the genealogy of the words themselves, Braithwaite said: “Atonement is the ancient prototype of the truth and reconciliation idea; it constitutes the

MEMORY LANE Taking the Guyana Chronicle down memory lane to a time that preceded ‘The Troubles’, Braithwaite said, “The first victim of this racist innate

Bharrat Jagdeo “I cannot, from where I stand and from what I have experienced, support any suggestion of a reconciliation commission.

One must first embrace an era in totality, regardless of how uncomfortable that process is, and not in selective, self-serving extracts.”

THE TROUBLES Speaking specifically to what obtained in the wake of the 2002 jailbreak, an era that President David Granger has taken to calling ‘The Troubles’, Braithwaite said: “The emergence of the ‘Fine Man’ gang is late in the events that envelop what has to be taken into full analysis in the context of our recent history of the Roger Khan-Jagdeo tragedy. “‘Fine-Man’ and his gang are a consequence; not the genesis.”

marginalise, cultivate hatred, and, as correctly defined by Freddie Kissoon, to practise ideological racism and damage the values of a nation, traumatising a perceived opposition constituency for their own political existence.”

Barrington Braithwaite ritual sacrifice of animals over a period. Yes, it revolves around a blood sacrifice, perceived by the ancients as a cleansing rite.

“The 20th Century translation of atonement evolved with the trials at Nuremberg post-1945, and is today further modified in the Hague at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Reconciliation, on the other hand, exists between populations; in our situation, the constituencies of the major political parties, but is not extended to the political architects who conspired to murder,

of Desmond Hoyte and insisted that he come to Albouystown.

“Leon Fraser and Steve Merai-- Merai especially-- would emerge in the forefront of these killings, to lead the abovethe-law ‘Death Squad’.

“The era of extra-judicial killings and the criminalisation of the GPF had commenced, with a severe bias.”

Speaking specifically to the schools of thought back then, Braithwaite said: “The existing attitude with the ‘Black Clothes’... was a political conclusion that grassroot Afro-Guyanese constituted the thug elements of Georgetown protests.

“Thus, they would be eliminated under any suspicion of wrongdoing, without any recourse to the laws of the Land.

“This was proven true

Roger Khan practice was a coconut vendor on Mandela Avenue, who was randomly shot by newly appointed PPP ministerial guards early in 1993.

“His only crime was his ethnicity. By 1996, we were protesting by the multitudes against the murder of Jermaine Wilkinson. During that period, I visited the office

Rondell 'fineman' Rawlins when, in 1997, the GNCB Bank at Anna Regina was

robbed, and a young policeman named Richard Faikall fought them off single-handedly and lost his life.

“The ‘Black Clothes’ were told to stand down, because at the head of the bank-robbing gang was the known PPP assassin, ‘Dougla Alfred’ Tulsi Persaud, something that the GPF is still to acknowledge to this day.”

Turning his attention to more recent developments, Braithwaite said in closing: “I can understand, knowing all this, why Minister Volda Lawrence lost it and said what she should have done rather than said. “As a citizen, I hold the APNU+AFC accountable, especially when I hear the leader of the PPP and Leslie Ramsammy, and those people who have damaged this country so much, pretending not to be the twisted demented people they are, masquerading [behind] a facade of normalcy.

“It’s tantamount to witnessing Adolf Eichmann as part of the Government of Israel, or as an opinion maker of that state. “Yes, this nation needs to be cleansed, but not through a Reconciliation Commission, but through our courts, and the Hague court of crimes against humanity.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Climate change talks agree details to implement Paris deal Nearly 200 nations have agreed rules on implementing the 2015 Paris agreement.

(BBC) After marathon talks in the Polish city of Katowice the rulebook was approved unanimously on Saturday evening.

The agreement aims to deliver the Paris goals of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2C. The final session was delayed by more than 30 hours amid an ongoing standoff over carbon markets to reduce emissions. Some accused the hosts of not shepherding the agreement through.

“Putting together the Paris agreement work programme is a big responsi-

bility,” said the chairman of the talks, known as COP24, Michal Kurtyka.

“It has been a long road.

We did our best to leave noone behind.”

Rich nations often reduce emissions by paying for carbon-cutting projects in other countries. But these programmes are very difficult to police.

Fraud and double accounting have rendered many of them worthless - they are often dubbed hot air schemes.

The common rulebook envisages flexibility for poorer nations.

Developing countries seek recognition and compensation for the impact of rising temperatures.

The idea of being legally liable for causing climate change has long been rejected by richer nations, who fear huge bills well into the future.

Last weekend, scientists and delegates were shocked when the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected to the meeting “welcoming” a recent UN report on keep-

ing global temperature rise to within the 1.5C limit.

The report said the world is now completely off track, heading more towards 3C this century.

Keeping to the preferred goal would need “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”.

Rajapaksa: Sri Lanka’s disputed PM resigns amid crisis (BBC) Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned as Sri Lanka’s prime minister, seven weeks after he was appointed in a surprise move that sparked a political crisis.

Mr Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former president, signed his resignation letter in a ceremony at his house.

Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to return to office on Sunday.

Sunday, December 16, 2018 - 12:00 hrs

The resignation could bring to an end a nearly twomonth-long power struggle that has dented confidence in Sri Lanka’s stability.

“Since I have no intention of remaining as prime minister without a general election being held, and in order to not hamper the president in any way, I will resign from the position of prime minister and make way for

the president to form a new government,” Mr Rajapaksa said in his resignation statement.

In October, President Maithripala Sirisena sacked then prime minister Mr Wickremesinghe, replacing him with Mr Rajapaksa.

Harin Fernando, a spokesman for Mr Wickremesinghe’s party, told the BBC: “The president has agreed to swear in Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister tomorrow at 10am.”

He said this would end the political deadlock, remarking that the country and its economy had suffered “huge damage” since the crisis began 50 days ago.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court said Mr Sirisena had acted illegally in November by dissolving parliament and calling snap polls with nearly two years to go until elections were due.

Throughout the crisis, Mr Wickremesinghe has always maintained he is the rightful prime minister.

The crisis, which has provoked brawls in parliament and sparked large protests, has been closely watched by regional power India, as well as the US, China and the European Union.

Mr Rajapaksa, who dominated Sri Lankan politics for a decade until 2015, has an uneasy relationship with the West over the bloody end to the country’s civil war in 2009, when thousands of civilians were killed. Both

government forces and the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels are accused of grave human rights abuses and crimes.

On Wednesday, parliament passed a vote of confidence in Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

His party and its allies have a simple majority in parliament - and have argued from the beginning that President Sirisena’s actions were unconstitutional.

What are the roots of the saga?

Mr Sirisena was once a party ally of Mr Rajapaksa, and served in his government.

But in 2015, he teamed up with Ranil Wickremesinghe to defeat him in an election and the pair went on to form a coalition government.

However the relationship between president and prime minister turned sour and Mr Sirisena in October turned on Mr Wickremesinghe, sacking him in favour of Mr Rajapaksa, his old ally-turned-rivalturned-ally.

He called Mr Wickremesinghe arrogant and linked him to a controversial central bank bond sale, which is alleged to have led to the loss of 11bn Sri Lankan rupees ($65m; £50m). The president also alleged that a cabinet minister was involved in a plot to kill him and that police had obstructed an investigation.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

AG: TT leader in terrorism fight (Trinidad Newsday) TT has emerged as a regional leader in the fight against terrorism with its laws being used a model for other Caribbean countries.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi stated this as Government successfully obtained orders from the High Court freezing the assets of 135 people and five organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This brings to 506, the number of people and entities, locally and abroad, whose assets have been frozen under the act since November 2015.

In a media release on Friday, the Office of the Attorney General & Legal Affairs stated it had successfully obtained orders against 135 individuals and five entities listed on the United Nations Security Council 1988 Sanctions List (UN’s 1988 Sanctions List).

Al-Rawi, in an interview, said this is a continuation of applying the necessary

laws as TT was preparing for another assessment of its Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compliance due on January 4, 2019.

“So we are continuing to maintain our compliance, we are continuing to lead the way in anti-terrorism, our international partners have so recognised what we are doing, they have adopted this AG’s strategy and these laws are the model laws and the model methods,” Al-Rawi told Newsday.

“This order we have done, orders against the 506 entities around the world, and including local Trinidad and Tobago people, like Shane Crawford, like Kareem Ibrahim.”

“Today’s scope was a continuation of applying the laws, the Income Tax Amendment Bill, it’s not only income tax they are looking at, its anti-terrorism, money laundering, FIU, all of these things we have been pushing as a government, we are coming up for reviews

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi addresses the media at last Thursday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. PHOTO BY AZLAN MOHAMMED

and ratings.”

Al-Rawi said TT is “absolutely” ready for next month’s assessment.

“We have made good advancement so far, the as-

sessment teams have given warm congratulations to TT for what it has done,” he said.

“Trinidad and Tobago has become the regional leader in this fight and our

laws are the model of success and the rest of the world takes us seriously.”

In the release, the ministry also stated the order requires that the FIU be immediately notified if a listed entity or individual has funds with any financial institutions or businesses in TT. “The financial institution or listed business is also obliged not to proceed with such transaction or continue such relationship. These and other measures implemented through such orders thus have the effect of restricting the access of listed entities and individuals to our domestic financial market, thereby protecting the integrity and enhancing the transparency of Trinidad and Tobago’s financial system in the fight against terrorism and terrorism financing.”

Al-Rawi said this was the preferred method of closing down the financing of global terrorism.

“You follow the money in terrorism by making sure

the international banking world, through the international FIU, are aware that you have taken a step against these institutions so if somebody has a transit account passing through TT, New York, it’s known to block that transaction, so this is how you close down terrorism financing, you make sure that it’s impossible for them to transact business, because we have court orders against people saying no business for you,” he said.

“Trinidad and Tobago also continues to fulfil its obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1988 (2011), ensuring that all entities and individuals currently listed under the UN’s 1988 Sanctions List have been declared listed entities and their funds and property have been frozen.”

T&T: School cleaners face bleak Christmas with no pay

(Trinidad Newsday) HUNDREDS of primary school cleaners are facing a bleak Christmas as the Ministry of Education has failed to release the quarterly grant for their payment.

Association of Denominational Boards of Education chairman Sharon Mangroo confirmed on Friday that schools have not received the grant for October, November, December or January, which amounts to millions of dollars.

She said funds are normally released late after the budget has been passed.

“But this is very late.

Knowing the financial situation in the country, we have not protested publicly. Over the past months we have been scrambling to find funds to pay people. But we can’t cover three months.”

She said some boards are desperate.

“The thing is, when you borrow you pay back with interest, but we don’t get money with interest from the government. We get the same amount.”

Cleaners, who are usually paid around the same time as public servants, are expecting their salaries to be in their accounts by Monday, as Decem-

ber salaries are paid earlier.

But Mangroo said even if the money is deposited directly into the accounts of the boards on Monday, there is no guarantee cleaners will be paid before Christmas as it would take several days for deposits to clear.

She said Education Minister Anthony Garcia expressed surprise that the money had not been released when she spoke to him about the matter. She said investigations showed someone in the ministry decided to verify that the number of cleaners was compatible with the size of the schools, and in the process, funds were withheld.

“I know the minister is a man of action, and he assured they are working on it,” said Mangroo, who is a member of the Catholic board.

“People tend to jump to the conclusion, ‘Oh, it is the board schools.’ Yes, they are our schools. Seventy-one per cent of the primary schools are owned by the denominational boards. But we don’t have the responsibility to provide schooling. It is the duty of the ministry to provide schools for school-aged children.

“We facilitate by making the school buildings available

to the Ministry of Education.

So the Ministry of Education pays the teachers, assists with the maintenance and upkeep, and they assist with the cleaning by giving a grant to the board.”

Referring to the policy paper the ministry has put out for discussion, Mangroo said the association wants further discussions with the ministry on the way it engages them.

Students play a game of skip during lunch time at Arima Girls Government Primary School on December 12.

Schools have closed but cleaning staff at some schools are facing a bleak Christmas as they are yet to be paid for the past three months, says the Association of Denominational School Boards. PHOTO BY ANGELO MARCELLE

“We are not just any stakeholder. We own the majority of the schools,” she said. “There has to be a better way, a more courteous way of engaging with the owners of the schools.

You cannot go three months without paying people with no word to them, and only when we call and start to fuss we get any action.

That’s very discourteous.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Taking the politics out of national development ONE would agree that there are some areas of national development that ought not to be subject to Harold Lasswell’s definition of politics, which is ‘Who gets what, when and how.’

Key among those areas are those having to do with projects associated with education, infrastructure and cheap and reliable energy. The rule of thumb should be that once a project is critical to a nation’s long-term development and it follows the law, it should not be subject to the caprices of an incoming government.

And this is where the courts can have a key role to play in terms of providing the necessary guidance and protection against this vagary.

Here in Guyana, the time is ripe for there to be legislative protection for national projects, given that one

cannot effectively advance the longterm development of a nation while being restricted by five-year electoral cycles. This consideration intensely comes to bear in relation to developing countries such as Guyana.

Scholarship has established that policy uncertainty and reduced investments occur close to electoral cycles (Canes-Wrone and Park 2012; Julio and Yook 2012).

Added to this is the sister risk: good, productive and efficient national advancement programmes that are part of a sitting government’s vision, being cancelled while on a trajectory to benefit the country and people.

Regrettably, upon the ascension to office of a new government, these programmes could be shelved in one fell swoop.

For example, why should the

people be denied cheap and reliable energy that is enshrined in a government project, which is part of the vision of a government that goes beyond the electoral cycle?

In the case of Guyana, the current administration is rapidly moving towards the implementation of a ‘Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), which is primarily about renewable energy. This vision, once realised, will definitely benefit the nation.

In democratic societies with intense competition rooted in tribal and ethnic considerations, it is difficult to see the level of political maturity that is required to ensure the national interest is put first.

Be that as it may, there are countries that have found success by enshrining development goals in their

The ERC must first work with politicians, political parties Dear Editor THE constitutionally enshrined Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) should direct its work as a matter of high priority at the political leaders, ministers of government, members of the National Assembly, public servants, politicians and political groups of the PPP and PNC. Woking first with these categories can impact positively on race relations and social cohesion. They are the influential ones who, by private and public statements, conduct and practise in their public duties set the national tone for the politics of race and lust for power in Guyana. These groups should be the primary targets to promote peace, justice, and reconciliation for the good of the national community.

The ERC will be wasting its time and resources and will achieve nothing; that is, unless it engages the political players and public officials identified above in a determined effort to promote reconciliation for improved race relations for the building of national unity. The ERC should simultaneously engage

and thoroughly investigate public employment practices to determine fairness, discrimination based on ethnicity, political affiliation or political opinions, with reference to our constitution and labour laws.

There are widespread observations and concern by the national community about employment practices in the public service and in public agencies. The ERC should undertake a comprehensive human resource audit on the ethnic composition of senior persons in the public sector for the challenge to those in public life: government, the National Assembly, and public officials to take the appropriate corrective action and measures in the national interest.

The ERC can only justify its existence with integrity by actively pursuing the recommended actions above.

With thanks.

Joshua Singh

constitutions. A case in point is Costa Rica, whose constitution stipulates that at least six per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) must be spent on education; another is that of Bhutan, which states: “The Government shall ensure that, in order to conserve the country’s natural resources and to prevent degradation of the ecosystem, a minimum of 60 per cent of Bhutan’s total land shall be maintained under forest cover for all time.”

Those nations at reference stand as model global exemplars for rapid ‘green’ development. And there is a direct correlation between their developmental gains and the rule of law.

It therefore follows that national goals connected to cheap and reliable energy should be aided by the rule of law. Put another way, it means that

in the case of Guyana, projects that are critical to national development should not be subject to the rigours of Guyanese politics.

There are several caveats in this regard, in that those projects should meet a minimum fiduciary standard to receive judicial protection; and there should be clearly defined guidelines for what constitutes national projects that are crucial to national development.

The word ‘development’ should be banned from the Guyanese lexicon; that is, if successive governments come and go, and the party outside of power waits anxiously to chop a plan that teems with incontrovertible benefits for the nation’s long-term growth.

But one would rather suspect that in the zero-sum game of politics, this is high idealism.

US House of Representatives “condemns” the Iranian government’s longstanding persecution of the Baha’is in Iran Dear Editor, The US House of Representatives said on December 12 that it “condemns” the Iranian government’s longstanding persecution of the Baha’is in Iran – the country’s largest religious minority. It was the 18th time that the House has passed a resolution on the situation of Iran’s Baha’i community since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The House resolution also called on the president and the secretary of state to “immediately condemn” Iran’s treatment of the Baha’is and to impose new sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are “directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha’i community.”

The resolution, which passed unanimously, was introduced by eight Members of Congress and co-sponsored by 132 more, 54 of whom are Republicans and 78 of whom are Democrats.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who introduced the resolution, said that “Iran’s Baha’i community is a frequent target of the regime’s human rights abuses and are subject to arbitrary arrest and harassment, denial of employment and the destruction of cemeteries and holy places.” She called the resolution a “strong message of support” for the Baha’is and other persecuted groups in Iran.

US legislators noted that more than 90 Baha’is are currently in jail – approximately 850 have been arbitrarily detained since 1979, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom – and they called on the Iranian government to release all Baha’is and others imprisoned “solely on account of their religion.”

Other findings, drawn largely from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom as well as the

reports of the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Iran and on freedom of religion or belief, statements by the UN Secretary General and by the Baha’i International Community, which represents the Baha’is at the United Nations, detail the litany of systematic abuses suffered by Iranian Baha’is.

The resolution notes that Iran’s government sees the Baha’is as “heretics” and executed more than 200 of them in the years after the 1979 Revolution. Religious minorities, especially the Baha’is suffer “societal discrimination” and “personal harassment”; Baha’i blood may be “spilled with impunity”; universities are “required” to exclude or expel any Baha’i students; and in a wave of economic discrimination, and there are reports that even private businesses have been “pressured to refuse employment to Baha’is,” while the government routinely shutters Baha’i-owned businesses.

The US resolution also observed that, according to the Baha’i International Community, there has been a recent surge in “anti-Baha’i hate propaganda” in Iran’s state-run media. The years 2010 and 2011 saw about 22 anti-Baha’i articles appear in the media each month; in 2014, it was about 400 such articles a month; and by 2016, the number of anti-Baha’i pieces in the media had shot up to 1,500 a month.

Congressman Ted Deutch, a key co-sponsor of the resolution, said that “the House is sending a strong and unified message that we condemn the Iranian regime’s religious persecution and human rights violations … We’re also calling on the administration to take serious action against those responsible.”

Regards, Rooplall Dudhnath

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

More funds for LEN Former Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj passes on

By Navendra Seoraj

RESIDENTS of the mining town of Linden, Region 10, (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) will benefit from financial assistance under the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), which has received an increase in funding from the Ministry of Finance.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said the ministry recognised the importance of the fund and bumped it from $160 million to $218.8 million for 2019.

Jordan had to defend the increase after he was questioned about its significance by opposition Member of Parliament Juan Edghill during the final day of consideration of the 2019 budgetary estimates on Friday.

“There is a huge demand for assistance in the housing sector, so the additional funds will go towards assisting those persons,” said Minister Jordan, adding that some 417 persons benefited from LEN in 2018.

The minister said persons would also be able to access funds of no more than $1 million for investment purposes.

Government had allocated $155 million to relaunch the LEN programme in 2015 and Jordan had said that the fund would be used

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

to provide institutional and capacity-building support to persons in Region 10.

The LEN programme is a successor to the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) which was launched in 2002. It was reinforced by the Linden Economic Advancement Fund (LEAF), which was designed to finance projects geared towards economic development.

The LEN had been dormant since 2010, but a new board of directors was inaugurated in 2014 by the former administration.

That development had some degree of controversy, as representatives of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 claimed that they had not been consulted during the selection process.

A lawful obligation

Dear Editor,

The fact that there were tens of billions of dollars granted to businesses and related types allied to the former PPP/C administration; the false accusation that the coalition government has burdened the nation with in excess of 200 new taxes – a figment of Bharat Jagdeo’s deceptive persona; and promising in its party Local Government Elections programme that there would be no new taxes in the city, explains fully Bharat Jagdeo’s position on paying one’s fair share of taxes.

Since it is well known that his “200 new taxes’’ claim is as false as his persona, one can perhaps safely conclude that it was a crooked plan to get the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to either slow its aggressive posture against tax dodgers that

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became institutionalised in this country, or to bring about a cessation of some kind of its exercise. But neither has occurred, nor will ever be. Not by a GRA led by Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia!

Taxes, a most important form of revenue, are the life blood of any country’s development programmes.

It is one of the main funding sources. Jagdeo knows this only too well. Instead, it was about excusing his friends and cronies from their fair share of taxes, while the mass of state employees fulfilled their obligation.

All Guyanese, who are eligible, especially those with private enterprises have a lawful obligation to pay taxes in accordance with their holdings. This is lawful, as in any other Country.

Regards, Dillon Goring

FORMER Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj passed away on Saturday afternoon at the Woodlands Hospital, Georgetown.

Gajraj, an attorney who served as Minister of Home Affairs from January 1999 to May 2005 under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, died of a heart attack on Saturday morning, relatives confirmed.

In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said Gajraj will best be remembered for the “pivotal role he played as Home Affairs Minister in the fight against crime at a very challenging time of this nation’s history.”

The party said he was also a very loyal and dedicated supporter of the PPP and extended sympathy to his immediate family and relatives.

The former minister served as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India under the PPP administration and was also appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

He resigned from the dip-

Former Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj

lomatic posts and returned to Guyana in May 2015 from New Delhi when the APNU+AFC administration assumed office.

Prior to taking up his post in India, the former minister had resigned from the PPP Cabinet after reports had surfaced, linking him to the “Phantom” death squads led by convicted drug kingpin Shaheed “Roger” Khan.

During the crime wave which occurred after the 2002

Mash Day, Camp Street jailbreak and which spanned the years when Gajraj served as Home Affairs Minister, a number of unexplained deaths had occurred. Several young men remain missing today.

The existence of the death squad was first mentioned by former Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon during his weekly press briefings at the time. Later, information in the form of telephone records surfaced linking Gajraj to former hit man, the late Axel Williams.

Williams’ firearm upgrade on Gajraj’s recommendation raised several eyebrows at the time when men were being killed almost wantonly at the hands of the death squad, which was made up of mostly former policemen.

Gajraj was then made the subject of a presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) setup by Jagdeo to investigate the minister’s ties to the death squad. Former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang chaired the three- member body. Retired Major- General and former chairman of the Police Ser-

vice Commission Norman McLean also sat on the body which later exonerated Gajraj from links to the death squad.

One victim of the death squad was Kwesi Williams, who was shot and killed by a group of men in full view of the public on the National Cultural Centre tarmac. The men had abducted Williams earlier and attempted to take him into the forested area aback the Botanical Gardens. It was in that area that the skeletal remains of the victims of the crime wave were dumped, allegedly at the hands of the death squad.

Eyebrows were also raised when it was discovered that wanted man, prison escapee Dale Moore and another man were shot dead a few doors away from the home of Gajraj in Lamaha Gardens at the height of the crime wave. This and a string of other mysterious occurrences during his term as Home Affairs Minister remain unsolved.

300 jobs for Lindeners –– as gov’t moves to resuscitate Kara Kara Call Centre

By Navendra Seoraj SOME 300 jobs will soon be created as the Public Telecommunications Ministry moves to resuscitate the old Toucan Connection Call Centre in Kara Kara which lies on the outskirts of Linden.

The ministry has made provisions of $60 million for the project in its $4.4 billion 2019 budget which was approved by the Committee of Supply last Wednesday.

The project, which was under the ministry’s capital provisions, was scrutinised by members of the parliamentary opposition who enquired how soon the project will be completed.

Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes said the building needs extreme repairs but should be completed by the end of 2019.

According to a past report, the Guyana Stores building, which housed the

Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes

Toucan Connection Call Centre in Linden in which scores of young Lindeners were employed before closure in 2015, remained empty and while many investors have expressed interest in setting up shop in the building, Region 10 officials had blamed the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) for holding up progress.

Lindeners were calling for Qualfon to establish a branch in Linden since the recent announcement of the building’s expansion and aggressive recruitment campaign.

Regional Chairman, Renis Morian had said that while Qualfon has not expressed interest, several other investors had done so and have put forward their busi-

ness plans, but to date, nothing has materialised while the business centre continues to be dormant.

A top Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) official, who asked not to be named, said a section of the building had been handed over to LEN. The official told Guyana Chronicle that several investors have seriously engaged LEN in renting the other sections and have presented extensive business proposals.

“Nothing has been realised; however, NICIL is holding the building hostage while awaiting payment from the Ministry of Finance for extensive repairs that were done.

“The roof needs changing, there are computers in there, furniture in there that is left to wet every day and you know what I am hurt about; people in Linden need jobs, even if it is minimum wage,” the official said.

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COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS THE countdown to Christmas has started early this year and, as everyone knows, the shopping spree is underway. Downtown Georgetown, streets decorated with fairy lights are already congested, and there are traffic jams at major intersections.

This is Guyana at Christmas time. No one can take away the festive season from our kids and our elderly.

Not even the fabled, mean Mr. Grinch, described in a Christmas carol as “stink, stank, stunk”.

I re-looked at the headline news at this time last year, and noticed that our Mr. Grinch was hard at work then to spread “gloom and doom”. I again saw a similar story in yesterday’s Chronicle, captioned, “Harmon slams Jagdeo’s gloom and doom”.

TRIPLE WHAMMY But this time around “Dr. Gloom” is facing a triple whammy that could spell his own political doom.

Firstly, he failed to stop the Coalition’s $300-billion Budget, which was approved by the National Assembly on Friday last. I should imagine that the 54,000 senior citizens who have been voted over $13 billion in old age pensions are all laughing with disapproval at him.

Secondly, his bid to unseat the elected Prime Minister from the National Assembly in order to undermine the Coalition’s majority in the House was rejected by the Speaker.

And, thirdly, his motion of no confidence in the government, which will be debated on

December 21, will be defeated by an unshakeable, iron-clad, majority Coalition vote.

The triple-quasi-tragedy was conjured up as a bizarre, macabre, political tactic to undermine confidence in the APNU+AFC Coalition, which is now just past its third year as a government. The young coalition had to clean up the corrupt mess inherited from the one-party rule of the previous administration which had spent some four trillion dollars but left a bundle of bungled projects, still-born schemes, and incomplete works.

The Coalition went to work, and Guyana is now seeing the edifice of new infrastructures all over Guyana.

GOOD GOVERNMENT If nothing else, the Coalition has succeeded in these months to maintain standards of living by putting bread on the table of public servants and senior citizens, guarantee to our children quality education and free public health care to all citizens.

It has worked to remove the constant, present danger to our national sovereignty, and succeeded in placing our territorial integrity, which was questioned by Venezuela, before a United Nations court. At a minimum, these essential ingredients on a score-sheet of achievements, testify to a good government at work for its citizens.

So, no gloom and doom shadow would envelope the Guyanese people as Christmas approaches. On Christmas-eve last year, I wrote in my column, “IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!”, that Christmas is a state of mind. In this state, we wish for the ideals in life – love

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

of humankind, peace and goodwill, and joy to the world.

For some of us, it is when we become children again. We re-live simple pleasures, remembering what has been, when we were swirling in the sweet smell and smiles of our caring parents, and bonding without inhibitions with our siblings.

As a village-boy, I enjoyed being in a bare-footed, rag-tag juvenile band. We used a discarded cooking pot as a drum, as we walked towards the big houses, singing carols on Christmas-eve at their doorsteps.

We also wore cardboard masks and did an improvised jig as un-tutored masqueraders. Either of those would earn us a cupful of pennies, chunks of cakes, and enormous joy at Christmas time.

PAPER BULLETS We didn’t know real toy guns then unless we went to the yards of a couple of rich folks in the nearby village.

There, kids were dressed as cowboys.

They wore gun-belts strapped to their waist and sported Zorro’s masks. They “fired” at each other, hiding behind trees and posts, with a staccato of paper bullets.

We also made noises of our own by placing chunks of carbons into an empty Ovaltine cup, with a single nail-hole at the bottom. We spat heavily into the cup, closed the lid and gave it a robust shake. With cup anchored firmly under the bare foot, a lighted match was put against the hole and, boom! - our improvised bombs would go off. Simultaneously and triumphantly, our unrestrained happiness

would explode!

Yes, our Christmas time was flavoured with both black and white cakes, the key ingredients for which were bought from teacher Nathoo’s shop – mostly raisins, prunes and currants. Those would be delivered to the village baker who would mash the dough in an elongated, open wooden trough. The dough would be parcelled out and laid on silver trays, which were pushed deep into a huge, clay oven.

We went home with the warm trays of cake on our head and in clothes saturated with the aromatic scent of essence and burnt sugar.

MAGICAL MOMENTS Christmas then and now brings not only sweet nostalgia but magical moments in an unreal world of twinkling lights and bright hopes.

It the hope that a toy is hidden away somewhere that would bring sparkling smiles on the faces of grateful children. For the elders, our soul is intoxicated with the joy of giving back to them the kindness and hospitality that we once enjoyed during our childhood.

The Guyanese character of charity and compassion underlines all of the other major festive seasons - Phagwah, Easter and Eid. In spite of the unrelenting drive by an opportunistic opposition to take the nation down to the wire, on the eve of Christmas, on a murky wave of divisive politics, the intrepid Guyanese spirit of embracing joy See page 9

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

Understanding Energy

Seismic Exploration

THE past few months have seen announcement after announcement of new oil reserves offshore. The remarkable run of 10 discoveries in the Stabroek Block since 2015 is the product of ExxonMobil’s largest ever seismic survey campaign. The results have been enough proof of Guyana’s potential that the company is continuing to gather data and explore new prospects.

Exploration for oil and gas all starts with seismic surveys. Marine seismic surveys, like those conducted offshore Guyana, are some of the most technically complex practices in the petroleum industry. They rely on a fleet of specialized vessels and highly trained geophysicists, technicians and engineers to create 2and 3-dimensional maps of the layers of rock under the sea floor.

The process of conducting a seismic survey is similar to how certain whales and bats emit sound and receive back vibrations to help them navigate their surroundings. In this case, special de-

vices emit a sound underwater in short pulses, and by measuring when that sound bounces back and how the sound waves change shape, scientists can get a picture of what layers of rock look like underneath the sea floor.

According to the International Association of Geophysical Contractors, the process starts with a fleet of research ships that tow an array of underwater chambers behind them that are filled with either water or air under pressure. These chambers release bursts of high-pressure energy into the water to create acoustic pulses that pass through water and rock.

An array of hypersensitive underwater microphones, called hydrophones, are towed further behind these vessels and record the sound when it bounces back off the underlying bedrock. The sensors are towed behind the exploration ship like a huge floating net, and they measure the characteristics of that sound and how long it takes to bounce back in the same way that an ultrasound maps a human body.

Scientists can then analyze that data using advanced computers and software and create a map of what exists thousands of metres below the ocean floor.

Finally, geophysicists analyze these maps and rock formations to determine where organic material that is thousands of years old might be trapped between two layers of rock. When they find such a formation, they analyze it further to determine if it might contain oil or gas.

Although it is an expensive process, seismic surveying cuts down on overall costs by improving the accuracy of drilling site selection and minimizing the number of exploration wells that need to be drilled to find energy resources. This not only saves money but also minimizes the impact of exploration on the marine environment.

Exxon contracted a fleet of vessels to conduct a massive seismic campaign after the Liza 1 discovery, the largest 3-D campaign in the company’s history. That effort covered more than 20,000 square km and included two research vessels to

gather data, two support ships, and two supply ships.

This kind of exploration, which can also be conducted on land using a convoy of specialized trucks, is a vital part of exploring for oil and gas. Thanks to seismic data, oil and gas drilling is a much more precise and targeted effort today than it was a few decades ago.

That precision comes at a cost, though. Large seismic studies, like that conducted by Exxon, routinely cost hundreds of millions of dollars. But that search led to the discovery of billions of barrels of oil equivalent, mostly in the southern and eastern portion of the Stabroek block.

The success rate of prior seismic campaigns has certainly fueled an appetite for further surveying activity, and ExxonMobil and its partners seem optimistic that there is much more to discover. Future seismic campaigns,

by Exxon and other companies, are the first step in learning how large our energy bounty will grow in the future.

COUNTDOWN ... Fisherman drowns at sea From page 8

and hope would triumph.

Yesterday, Sita and I welcomed the first group of masqueraders at the official Residence of the Prime Minister.

The troupe was trained and organized and danced their ritual in harmony with flutes and drums. And they gyrated best at the sight of notes, not coins!

They too have a reason to celebrate and to spread the Christmas feeling.

EL DORADO Next year, hopefully, Guyana will strike first oil. The Guyana El Dorado will be born. It will be Guyana’s blessings, not a curse. Guyana will need all hands – all clean hands – on board to ensure that real benefits flow to our people.

The discredited ousted post-Jagan, PPP regime has gambled with our past and has given our people little trust that they could ever take us into the future. Its recent failed attempts in Parliament to create a crisis was intended as a smokescreen to cover its obscene premature grab for power in order to get its sticky hands on the oillaced Treasury.

The Guyanese people must not, and cannot, allow this to happen. Rally around your government! Defeat the mischievous motion! Then, let’s have a Merry Christmas!

A SEAMAN attached to Pritipaul Singh Investments drowned recently during a three-week stint at sea and police have since held surviving members as they launch an investigation into the incident Dead is Navishwar Karamdatt, 33, called “Sharma” of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. It is alleged that he drowned on December 8.

Reports indicate that the fishing vessel “MV Snook” was out at sea when the captain reported that one of the crew members was missing from the vessel and instructed a return to the Houston Wharf.

On Saturday morning, the vessel arrived at the

At extreme left shows the fisherman being tossed through the barrier while his colleague struggled to hold this ground in the rough sea Houston Wharf and its crew were taken into custody for further investigation into the alleged disappearance of their missing colleague.

The 24-year-old captain claimed that he left the Pritipaul Wharf on December 3 for a three-week fishing trip. He had a crew of four men and on December

12, was piloting the vessel when he heard shouts of “man overboard, man overboard” and eventually saw Sharma overboard.

The boat captain claimed he immediately turned around the vessel but he was unable to get to “Sharma” in time and despite efforts by other mem-

bers of the crew, Sharma went under the water and did not resurface.

According to the boat captain, the crew was over 100 miles out at sea and after making a call to his superior, he returned with the vessel to the wharf and they were taken into police custody.

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Major developments for Masakenari in 2019

RESIDENTS of Masakenari, Deep South, in the Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo region will see major developments in their community in 2019, including an upgrade to the Parabara to Kassaikaytu trail.

During a community meeting with residents, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Alfred King, explained that the upgraded trail will significantly reduce travel time and enable smooth transport of supplies to the community.

King further explained that monies were also provided to strengthen and

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

The beautiful village of Masakenari, deep South, Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region (DPI photo)

Ministerial Adviser, Mervyn Williams during his interaction with residents (DPI photo) continue the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youths (HEYS) programme. He noted that specialists/professionals will be recruited into the community to provide students with a variety of skills and business ideas.

The four most improved businesses will receive an additional grant of $50,000 in 2019.

“We will not stop there, we will continue to work through the presidential grants to how best we can improve your livelihood.

In the area of governance, we are working with your Toshao on a Village Improvement Plan to also im-

prove your education and health,” King explained.

Though the Indigenous Affairs Ministry is not responsible for education, it will work along with the Minister of Education to see there are adequate teachers in the community. The ministry will also work along with the Ministry of Public Health to ensure there is a timely supply of drugs.

Additionally, the sum of $20M was provided to extend the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown to accommodate approximately 200 persons who come from the hinterland

with medical issues.

The permanent secretary urged the toshao to submit the community’s 2019 proposal.

Meanwhile, Ministerial Adviser, Mervyn Williams commended the community for its upstanding leadership which led to it becoming the first hinterland community to become a protected area.

Williams stated that the community has demonstrated its capacity to make the best decisions for the community.

“The trend of waiting to receive instructions is being reversed and this village has led the pace.

Therefore, this land is

Residents during the community meeting (DPI photo)

yours and will remain yours; no one will take it from you.”

The ministerial adviser also revealed some major plans for 2019. This includes the completion of a dormitory facility for students pursuing tertiary education.

At the community meeting, the residents used the opportunity to raise some concerns which were addressed. HEYS students also received their stipends.

Also present at the meeting was Deputy Commissioner, Guyana Protected Areas Commission, Denise Fraser. (DPI)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

Masqueraders usher in holiday season at Prime Minister’s Residence

USHERING the Christmas Season, a masquerade band this morning danced its way onto the lawns of the Official Residence of the Prime Minister in Main Street, Georgetown.

The Prime Minister and Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo joined the merry revellers in a jig before sharing with them ginger beer and Chinese cake.

The group from Ann’s Grove on the East Coast of Demerara delightedly posed with their happy hosts for photographs, the first they ever had at the Residence and, in this case, on an impromptu visit.

(DPI)

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and wife Sita Nagamootoo give the young masqueraders a treat (DPI photo)

110 hampers delivered to migrants in Region Seven

AS the influx of Venezuelans continues into Guyana’s border regions, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) sent in 110 food

hampers into Kaikan in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

This is according to CDC acting Director-General Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, who told the Department of Public Information

that 52 hampers were flown in on Friday and another 52 Saturday morning.

The hampers weigh 43lbs each and contain basic food items such as canned beans, milk and biscuits.

The CDC has been

Some of the hampers that were handed over to the migrant families (DPI photo)

The hampers being handed over to migrant families (DPI photo)

working closely with the IOM for the past several months to provide relief to migrants in the border regions. Over the last few months, Guyana has seen an increase in the number of Venezuelans crossing into Guyana to escape political and socio-economic crises in their homeland.

The government has been working to ensure that these migrants are registered

and vaccinated upon entry.

In July 2018, the CDC along with the Ministry of Citizenship and other organisations began distributing relief hampers to migrant families in several communities in the Barima-Waini region.

Since then, the distribution exercises have continued in various other border communities.

(DPI)

Boat captain feared dead THE police are investigating a suspected drowning in the Pomeroon River at the Charity waterfront, Essequibo Coast.

Reports indicate that Linden Williams, a boat captain of Moruka, Region One, (Barima-Waini), reportedly fell overboard into the Pomeroon River on Thursday night and is feared dead.

It is alleged that Williams, who is in his 40s, was the captain of a cargo boat which usually visits Charity to transport goods for his employer, a businessman of Moruka.

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National Youth Policy to return to Cabinet –– to reflect changes made and chart way forward, Min. Norton says

THE National Youth Policy will be returning to Cabinet so that it can be updated to reflect changes that have occurred and for a general review, according to Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton.

This policy was passed by the National Assembly in 2016 with the intention of improving the social, emotional and cultural skills of young people, producing a productive and enterprising youth workforce, developing quality education and market-oriented skills, encouraging leadership, participation and representation and promoting good health, security and safety.

According to Minister Norton, “There are some things that we would need to change, [so] that document that was presented to Parliament is going to go back to Cabinet.”

Recently, the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) raised several concerns over the little to no apparent progress made on implementing this policy, particularly through the 2016-2020 National Youth

Empowerment Action Plan (NYEAP) which requires a review at the end of the five-year period.

The council also made known that the policy was last attributed to Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, but the portfolio of youth has since shifted to Minister Norton, whose Ministry falls under the overarching Ministry of the Presidency.

Since the shift of ownership has not been reflected in the policy, the council noted that it becomes difficult for young people to enforce accountability and a statement from the council reads: “Accountability occurs when there is clearly-defined ownership of public documents, decisions, policies, strategies, actions, etc.”

Interim Chairman of the GYNC, Derwayne Wills, also contended: “By virtue of ownership, young people are better positioned to know who owns the implementation of the National Youth Policy through the NYEAP; who owns the review process of the National Youth Policy, which expires in 2020, and by extension,

who activates the review process?, [and] when will either the NYEAP or the review process come into being.”

To this end, Minister Norton said: “It is no doubt that the Department of Youth now falls under the Ministry of the Presidency, particularly the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport and I’m in charge of that ministry, so

Interim Chairman of the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), Derwayne Wills

[the policy] would obviously be with me.”

This is not reflected in the current policy, however, and as such, the minister said: “We are in the process of taking back the policy to Cabinet to make some adjustments and to have Cabinet’s input.”

Additionally, the minister posited: “The fact that we’re going to take the whole policy back to Cabinet tells us that nothing there is written in stone and we might need to change what’s there.”

According to the policy itself, “... The National Youth Policy will be periodically reviewed and updated within five years, or earlier if it becomes necessary.”

And Minister Norton has said that it has definitely become necessary for an earlier review of that policy, and related, “We don’t necessarily have to wait till [2020] if we think that there is need for us to do some changes before, which I want to support; we’ll go ahead and do so.”

Weighing in also was Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes who said, “We want the young

people to know that it is not a case where the youth policy is not in action; we have had some delays.”

She shared that the policy is “actionised” by the Department of Youth and is used as a guide for the work done by the department.

The director also said while the policy has not been published on the department’s website or made available online, it can be found in the Parliamentary Library. Carmichael-Haynes said this in response to another contention raised by the GNYC- that the policy has not been made public and easily accessible by young people whom it is for.

When questioned if he has engaged the GNYC on reviewing the policy and addressing the concerns raised, Minister Norton said that a meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 19 at 10:00 hours. He also highlighted that Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, will also be present at this meeting.

The GNYC’s interim chairman has confirmed this meeting.

The council, in a statement online, also noted:

Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton “GNYC is in the process of drafting a number of recommendations to be submitted to the Department of Youth which will ideally assist in the advancement of the National Youth Policy in the best interest of Guyanese youth. GNYC commits to working along with the Department of Youth to ensure this policy is brought to life and will publish these recommendations for public commentary.”

Over two dozen arrested in major police divisional raids OVER two dozen persons have been arrested during separate Guyana Police Force (GPF) operations in three divisions on Friday.

Police in ‘B’ Division (Berbice) during a five-hour cordon and search operation in the numbers one, two and three sub-divisions arrested a total of 16 males.

Reports indicate that charges for the men range from robbery under arms, rape, possession of cannabis and cocaine, break-and-enter, larceny and unlawful possession of an outboard engine, an Acer laptop, three music boxes, and an assortment of tools.

Police in ‘C’ Division,

acting on information received, went to a house at Area G Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and conducted a search and found 14 live ammunition, a pair of metal handcuffs, two police metal cap badges, four cellphones, six small ziplock bags with cannabis and a cannabis plant.

Police said the owner of the property, who claimed knowledge of the items, is in custody assisting with the investigation.

Further, in ‘D’ Division, police conducted a threehour cordon and search operation at Pouderoyen, Samaroo Dam and Vreeden-Hoop.

The items seized in Industry, ECD. Eight persons were detained for narcotics possession, being found on premises where narcotics are sold,

and for break and enter and larceny respectively.

They are being processed for court.

The music boxthat were seized in Berbice

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First Lady, ministers spread Christmas cheer FIRST Lady Sandra Granger, along with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams, SC and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally on Saturday spread Christmas cheer to children of Buxton and Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Toys were distributed to the children who were more than elated to not only receive them, but to also meet the officials. The distribution of some 500 toys was held at the Buxton Gas Station and the Lusignan – Good Hope Learning Centre respectively.

“On behalf of my husband and myself, I want to wish everyone a very happy, loving,

giving and peaceful Christmas,” Granger said to hundreds of children gathered at the Buxton Gas Station.

At the Lusignan – Good Hope Learning Centre, the First Lady expressed similar sentiments, while thanking the administrators of the centre for their hard work.

Every year, government officials distribute toys in Lusignan, while overseas-based couple Morris Wilson and Jocelyn Wilson donate toys to the community of Buxton.

Jocelyn Wilson said she and her husband See page 18

From left to right: First Lady Sandra Granger; Jocelyn Wilson, Administrator of Women Across Differences; Clonel Samuels – Boston; Morris Wilson; Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC; and Administrative Assistant of the Ministry of Social Protection, Coleen Roberts interact with the children of Buxton

From left to right: Morris Wilson; First Lady, Sandra Granger; Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, SC; Jocelyn Wilson, Administrative Assistant of the Ministry of Social Protection; Coleen Roberts; and administrator of Women Across Differences, Clonel Samuels-Boston with a few children who benefited from the toy distribution exercise

First Lady Sandra Granger gives brief remarks to children at the Lusignan – Good Hope Learning Centre

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

Copa Airlines, Banks DIH support Christmas cheer A PARTNERSHIP between Copa Airlines and Banks DIH will bring Christmas cheer to 250 senior citizens living in the East Coast communities of Ogle, Cummings Lodge and Industry.

The two companies donated 21 cases of 24-oz ginger beer to the Ogle-Industry-Cummings Lodge Senior Citizens Group as a timely and welcome gift for invitees to the group’s 65th annual social event for less fortunate persons 65 years of age or older.

The companies presented their donation to the group at a brief handing-over ceremony attended by Brand Manager of Non-Alcoholic Malts at Banks DIH, Clayton McKenzie, Copa Airlines staff and group representative Marlon McKellar.

Copa Airlines and Banks DIH representatives said they were pleased to give meaningful support to this positive and active group

Representative of the Ogle-Industry-Cummings Lodge Senior Citizens Group, Marlon McKellar (second from right), receives a donation of soft drinks from Copa Airlines’ Sales Manager, Nadine Oudkerk (second from left), and her team

as they brighten the lives of less fortunate senior citizens during the Christmas season.

While accepting the companies’ donation, Marlon McKellar said, “We would like to express our gratitude to your organisations for assisting us in making this 65th event for our anniversary a success. Thank you very much for your assistance.”

On behalf of the donors, Copa Airlines’ Sales Manager, Nadine Oudkerk said the company is pleased to support a cause that would benefit the elderly and less fortunate in society.

“Copa Airlines gives back to society in ways that are meaningful. We are pleased to help in whatever way we can to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

“We are also heartened that the group has been doing its bit to assist the elderly members of the communities it represents. Keep up the good work and we hope that

the senior citizens enjoy what has been planned for them.”

The senior citizens’ social activity will be held at the Cummings Lodge Secondary School on December 16 at noon.

Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, is a leading passenger and cargo airline in Latin America. It currently serves 80 destinations in 32 countries across North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Operating continuously for 70 years, it has established the hub of the Americas in Panama City as the continent’s leading hub.

It has one of the industry’s newest and most modern fleets, with 104 aircraft— 82 Boeing Next-Generation 737s and 19 Embraer-190s, 3 Boeing 737 MAX9 —and on-time performance of around 90 per cent, among the best in the industry.

MARAD mulls clearing Demerara River – to make room for anchorage when oil & gas kicks in THE Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking to remove whatever wreckage there is in the country’s many waterways, particularly the Demerara River, its main seaport.

According to Director-General Claudette Rogers, pressure is now mounting on the local maritime industry, since it is expected that there will be an increase in maritime traffic, given the imminent emergence of an oil-and-gas sector here.

“It becomes of importance that we seek to have [the wreckages] removed in the not-too-distant future.”

In the Demerara River, the main waterway for commercial maritime traffic, there are wreckages that need to be removed urgently, Rogers said: “The area where those wrecks are, I’m

advised, can be areas that we may be able to use for anchorage.”

The one problem, however, is what it would cost to do such a job, and whether the company assigned to do it has the capacity to handle it.

Recently, Secretary of the Private Sector Commission, Komal Singh, highlighted that these wreckages are a bugbear within the maritime sector.

Singh, who is also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAICO Construction and General Services Incorporated; this company has the capacity to salvage wrecks and tow vessels in the river and Singh is contending that while attention might be on how to safeguard from oil spills from the offshore drilling of oil, focus should be placed on oil spillages that

threaten Guyana’s waterways because of accidents that may occur due to the presence of these wrecks.

Singh explained that presently, fuel and heavy oils used by sea-going vessels are being transported in single-hull vessels, and that should they collide with one of the wrecks, that could pose a real threat.

“Imagine if, one day, one of those vessels loses power, runs into one of those wrecks and we have a thousand barrels of fuel oil spill in our waterway,” he said.

And, given the speed at which the river flows, and the tide that may be present, Singh hinted somewhat darkly that it could very well result in a total shutdown of Port Georgetown, which will significantly hamper commercial activities.

MARAD Director-General Claudette Rogers [Photo courtesy DemWaves] As he went on to explain, single-hull vessels have only one outer, water-tight layer which runs throughout the structure of the ship. As such, these types of vessels are more prone to marine pollution during collision, ground-

GAICO Construction’s Komal Singh ing, and any other form of the ship’s hull damage.

In light of the foregoing concerns he shared with the Guyana Chronicle, Singh said: “We have already started with MARAD and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have a system in place to get rid of

single-hull vessels to transport fuel in waterways.”

According to MARAD’s Ms Rogers, regulations would have to be amended to prohibit the use of single-hull vessels, but this would not be done without first sensitising shipowners.

Another point of focus, according to Singh, is that shipowners need to ensure that they have adequate insurance coverage for their vessels.

“We have a lot of wreckage in our waterways,” he said. “And because of poor insurance coverage, those wreckages are being left in our waterways for MARAD and the Government of Guyana to take taxpayers’ hard-earned money to go and salvage those vessels. And I don’t think it is fair.”

He further noted that in the event of a mishap, the insurance company would at least be able to assist in salvaging the wreckages.

Intel-cop stabbed, disarmed while on duty at night club AN intelligence rank attached to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Guyana Police Force, was on Saturday morning stabbed and disarmed of a service weapon by a known character while

performing duties at the Aces Night Club in Alberttown.

According to what was communicated to the Guyana Chronicle, the assailant is known to the policeman who is now hospitalised.

We were informed that there were instances in the past where the very rank arrested the man for offences and after spotting the cop at the club on Saturday morning, the man advanced and attacked the member of

the Force.

He however, was not aware that the rank was there with colleagues who were all in plain clothes and after a scuffle ensued between him and the rank he allegedly stabbed the officer, disarmed

him and then fled the scene.

A police familiar with the investigation told this publication that the weapon, which the cop had in his possession at the time, was a 9mm pistol with matching rounds. Up to press time, there was no

confirmation of the number of rounds which were taken along with the weapon.

One man has since been arrested and he is said to be assisting the police with their investigation.

18

Ammo, narcotics, GPF paraphernalia land family in custody A FAMILY of four was on Friday night taken into police custody after a number of prohibited items including paraphernalia belonging to the Guyana Police Force were found in their home at Patawah, Area ‘G’ Industry.

Arrested on Friday and still in police custody up to press time on Saturday were, 40-year-old housewife Nanda Ramkhelawan and her 16-year-old daughter along with labourer Raymond Ramkhelawan and a 14-year-old school child of Plaisance, who also lives in the house and is a member of the family.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

According to what this publication was told, the police received information about the items’ presence and they swooped down on the location and conducted the search.

Among the items removed from the home are eleven 0mm ammunition, two .38 ammunition and one 12 gauge round for a shotgun.

The police also removed a pair of police handcuffs, two police badges, four cellphones, a quantity of leaves and stems and one marijuana plant which was also inside the home.

The home in which the prohibited items were found

The items seized by police

At the police station the woman told the cops that the items all belonged to her husband. The man was not at home when the police made their initial search and arrests but he was subsequently taken into custody.

He reportedly confirmed to the police that the items were indeed his and indicated that with respect to the Guyana Police Force items, the 36-year-old man said he found them at a location where he was working.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the community on Saturday, the house where the family lived was shut tight and neighbours said that they observed the police operation on Friday but were

not aware of what items were removed from the home.

They also confirmed that they, at no point, saw any of the occupants of the home exiting the building or entering the building wearing any of the police items.

The house from where the items were removed is situated in a yard which accommodates two houses but the house of interest to the police is located at the back.

Persons in the community said that the police did not search the other house which is located in the yard and occupied by another relative of the family.

First Lady, ministers spread ...

From page 16

have been giving back to the community of Buxton for several years.

“We have been doing this for the past 10 years… we give out chits through the schools and share chits to children who may turn up without,” Wilson said.

Meanwhile, Mekiba Emptage of Lusignan

thanked the government for distributing toys to children in her community.

“It is a very good initiative because it’s very exciting for the children and it brings smiles to everybody’s faces; not only my children, but also other children in the community as well,” Emptage said.

A young girl collects her toy at the Lusignan – Good Hope Learning Centre

19

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 16, 2018

448 youths benefit from skills training

OVER 448 youths in Regions Three and Five recently graduated under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), a competency-based vocational training for employment.

In addition, through a collaborative effort with the Office of the First Lady, another 43 young people graduated from the First Lady’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) workshop last week.

The Region Three graduation was held at the Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre and a total of 271 youths received certificates in various fields.

These include carpentry, motor vehicle servicing, electrical installation, metal work engineering, welding, plumbing, garment construction, information technology, data operation and general office administration.

The graduates in Region Five received certificates in the fields of motor vehicle servicing, electrical installation, welding, plumbing, data operation and general office administration.

This graduation was held at the Mahaicony Technical & Vocational Training Centre.

At the Leonora graduation, Regional Executive Officer Dennis Jaikarran delivered the main address and urged the graduating class to put their skills to good use.

“The training programmes offered by BIT would have enabled you to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes, and as such, you should use those attributes to develop a

disciplined lifestyle. There is a need for a process of introspection before and after this programme; the progress you have made and how these skills would benefit you in the future,” he said.

Vice-chairman of the region, Sheik Ayube, echoed Jaikarran’s sentiments while Regional Educational Officer Anessta Douglas encouraged the former students to love their country.

“Guyana is ours, you need to embrace our rich culture and diversity, embrace each other so that we can push Guyana forward,” he said.

Over at Region Five, secretary of the regional executive officer Teressa Samuels-Jordan told the graduands to continue elevating themselves.

“Don’t let your newly acquired skills be the end of your walk to higher learning, but let it be the pathway to a higher degree of learning,” she said.

Regional Education Officer of Region Five, Deon Lyn Lewis-Clarke also expressed similar sentiments while Chief Executive Officer/Secretary to the Board of Industrial Training Richard Maughn encouraged the graduands to become engaged in positive economic activities.

“Use your skill in ICT to further develop yourself by making use of online educational opportunities; use the media-age platform to obtain employment, embrace self-employment opportunities and where ever you are employed; endeavour to be an effective worker,” Maughn urged.

23-year-old calls for justice after beating by brothers A 23-year-old young man who alleged that he was beaten by two brothers on Monday as he sought to complain to an older relative of theirs about a previous assault, is being processed for court by investigatng ranks.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Ezra DenHearte, who is originally from Region 10, (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) indicated that for some time now he has been staying in the community of Kuru Kururu with his older brother.

The young man stated that on Sunday, December 9, he was at a liming spot with one of the brothers and another friend when the smaller of the brothers, whom he described as a ‘hot head,’ began enquiring about a cigarette lighter.

DenHearte said that based on the manner in which the young man was behaving, his older brother cautioned him and also advised him to go home.

At that point the young man reportedly began hitting DenHearte to the chest as he asked for the lighter, but DenHearte claimed to

have no knowledge of it and also expressed concern to the young man about being hit.

It is alleged that the young man armed himself with a piece of wood and reportedly charged towards DenHearte, who decided to run but was lashed to the back by the assailant.

Feeling violated, DenHearte went to get his older brother and returned to the location, but by then, the assailant and his older brother were gone.

The young man explained that the Monday morning he took a decision to go at the home of the brothers, where he sought to complain to an older relative of theirs about the incident, but it turned out that the decision was an unfortunate one for him.

The older relative indicated that he was not interested in hearing about the story and asked the 23-yearold to get off his property.

At that point the young man indicated that he was therefore going to the make a formal complaint to the police.

The two brothers then emerged from the home, one armed with a hammer

Ezra DenHearte and the other a steel rod, stated DenHearte.

He said he decided to run but he fell in the process.

“When I fell down they started lashing me all over my body and even break up my phone in the process, because it was in my pocket,” stated DenHearte.

He said he managed to flee from the two and ran into his cousin’s house, but by then the brothers were joined by other relatives of theirs and they began bricking down and lashing the house ordering him to get out lest they break down the house.

The young man was observed with several marks of violence about his body, including his head, face, hands and feet.

He also carried several stitches for the injuries he received. The young man stated that he was provided with a medical from the Diamond Hospital for the injuries.

Board of Industrial Training CEO (ag) Richard Maughn presenting a certificate to a graduate of the Office of the First Lady ICT Workshop

20

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Kohli’s defiance leaves second Test finely poised

By Tristan Lavalette

Scoreboard

PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Captain Virat Kohli determinedly led India’s fightback on an engrossing day two yesterday, blunting Australia’s bowling attack to leave the second Test hanging in the balance.

In reply to Australia’s first innings of 326, India fought back on the greentinged Perth Stadium pitch to reach stumps at 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 51.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings) o/n 277 for 6 Marcus Harris c Ajinkya Rahane b Hanuma Vihari

70

Aaron Finch lbw Jasprit Bumrah

50

Usman Khawaja c Rishabh Pant b Umesh Yadav

5

Shaun Marsh c Ajinkya Rahane b Hanuma Vihari

45

Peter Handscomb c Virat Kohli b Ishant Sharma

7

Travis Head c Mohammed Shami b Ishant Sharma

58

Tim Paine lbw Jasprit Bumrah

38

Pat Cummins b Umesh Yadav

19

Mitchell Starc c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma

6

Nathan Lyon not out

9

Josh Hazlewood c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma

0

Extras: (b-4, lb-7, nb-1, w-7)

19

Total: (all out, 108.3 overs)

326

Fall of wickets: 1-112, 2-130, 3-134, 4-148, 5-232, 6-251, 7-310, 8-310, 9-326.

Bowling: Ishant Sharma 20.3-7- 41-4 (nb-1), Jasprit Bumrah 26-8-53-2, Umesh Yadav

23-3-78-2 (w-1), Mohammed

Shami 24-3-80-0 (w-2), Hanuma Vihari 14-1-53-2.

INDIA 1st innings Lokesh Rahul b Josh Hazlewood Murali Vijay b Mitchell Starc Cheteshwar Pujara c Tim Paine b Mitchell Starc

Virat Kohli pulls in time-honoured fashion, during his unbeaten 82. (Getty Images)

“We feel confident when he is batting,” said India quick Ishant Sharma of Kohli. “We finished the day in a strong position. Hopefully, tomorrow we will win the first session.”

The home side bowled accurately but the much-hyped pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day.

A fired-up Mitchell Starc (2-42) rebounded after coming in for some criticism for his bowling during Australia’s 31-run defeat in the first Test in Adelaide.

Batsman Usman Khawaja believed Australia’s bowlers could still exploit the pitch, opening up India’s fragile lower-order.

“I think there is still enough in it,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get a couple of wickets early and break this partnership. It isn’t an easy wicket to start on.”

After losing two wickets in their first six overs, Kohli rescued India through half-century partnerships with the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane.

Kohli started confidently by smashing four drives to the boundary in his first 10 deliveries faced, before playing watchfully against some tight Australian bowling.

Kohli and Pujara initially rebuilt India’s innings with a 74-run partnership after a shaky start saw them lose openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul cheaply either side of lunch.

Pujara, who was India’s hero in the first Test with scores of 123 and 71, fell tamely

English Racing Tips Carlisle 08:20 hrs Earlofthecotswolds 08:50 hrs XPO Universal 09:20 hrs One For Rosie 09:55 hrs Luckofthedraw 10:25 hrs Not Many Left 11:00 hrs Lowanbehold Southwell 08:40 hrs Ulis De Vassy

2 0 24

Virat Kohli not out

82

Ajinkya Rahane not out

51

Extras: (lb-6, nb-2, w-5) Total: (three wkts, 69.0 overs)

13 172

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-8, 3-82.

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 14-4-42-2 (nb-2), Josh Hazlewood 16-7-50-1, Pat Cummins 17-3-40-0 (w-1), Nathan Lyon 224-34-0.

for a hard-fought 24 when he was caught behind feathering a Starc delivery down the leg side.

An aggressive Rahane counter-attacked to break the shackles, as Kohli reached his first-half century against Australia in almost four years with a powerful cut shot to the boundary.

The India talisman had scored just 83 runs in his past seven Test innings against Australia, but his 181-ball knock has given his team hope of reeling in Australia’s competitive first-innings total.

Australia, desperate for a victory to level up the series, batted doggedly through the morning under overcast skies to add 49 vital runs to their overnight score.

Tim Paine (38) and Pat Cummins (19) combined for a crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 59.

09:10 hrs Umbrigado 09:45 hrs Seemingly 10:50 hrs Monbeg Zena 11:20 hrs Trigger Nichol South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:30 hrs Genereight 09:00 hrs Noble Duke 09:30 hrs The Grey Crusader 10:05 hrs Cape Bluebell

10:40 hrs Twice As Smart 11:20 hrs Hashtaggthemost Irish Racing Tips Navan 08:30 hrs Easy Game 09:00 hrs Rooster Byron 09:30 hrs Diamond Turf 10:05 hrs Sir Carno 10:35 hrs Allee Bleue 11:10 hrs Envoi Allen

Noel strikes gold for Dorado in Trinidad swimming competition RAEKWON Noel registered the Dorado Speed Swim Club’s first gold medal in the ASATT Invitational Club Meet when he competed in the 800m freestyle race yesterday morning in Trinidad.

The 12-year-old, who swam in the 11-12 years division, clocked 9:48.60s, which was over 40 seconds faster than second place finisher Stachys Harley.

Up to yesterday afternoon, the ace Guyanese club, which is being represented by 14 swimmers at the T&T FINA-accredited meet, had won seven medals. Noel is leading the charge with four.

On the opening evening, last Thursday, Noel won silver in the 1500m freestyle, while 14-year-old Donna Carter won bronze in the Girls’ 13-14 years division 50-metre backstroke event.

On Friday, Ethan and Elliott Gonsalves medalled in the Boys’ 11-12 200m breaststroke race. Ethan,

the older of the two, finished second in a time of 3:08.85, while 11-year-old Elliott just reached in for third place in a time of 3:17.15s, 0.6s faster than the fourth-place finisher.

The Boys’ 11-12 400m relay team then stormed to a second-place finish with Noel, the Gonsalves and Vladimir Woodroffe leading the charge in 4:30.34.

Earlier, the Girls’ 1112 400m freestyle team (Monique Watson, Brittany Quamina, Athalcy Hunte and Maiya Ifill) finished fourth in a time of 5:28.71s.

Jasmin Allen also just missed out on a medal swimming in the Girls’ 8-and-under 100m freestyle event.

The eight-year-old finished fourth in a time of 1:23.31.

Along with the gold yesterday, Noel also copped a bronze yesterday in the 400m IM in a time of 5:33.83s.

The four-day competition is scheduled to conclude today.

Smalta Girls’ Under-11 Pee Wee football

West Ruimveldt to clash with North Georgetown in final today NEW champions will be unveiled today when the final of the 2018 Smalta Girls’ Under-11 Pee Wee football tournament concludes at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground.

After a month of competition, North Ruimveldt Primary School will match skills with West Ruimveldt Primary in the final which is scheduled to kick off at 15:45hrs.

In their semifinal last Saturday, North held on to a one-goal lead and snuffed out all attacking threats from South Ruimveldt skipper and leading goalscorer Fayon Henry, who was isolated at the top.

With that result, it means that a new champion will be crowned today.

The other finalists, West Ruimveldt, didn’t have it easy against St Pius girls in their semifinal and the losers ensured that the match had to be decided via kicks from the penalty mark.

Seona France had given the finalists an early lead with a successful strike in the 5th minute but Christal Archer levelled up just before halftime.

However, West held their nerve to win the shootout 3-2.

24

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Dickwella gives Sri Lanka late boost after Southee picks up five for 67 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) - Tim Southee’s prophecy before the start of the first Test against Sri Lanka came true on the opening day of the match as he took his eighth five-wicket haul at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

Sri Lanka reached stumps at 275 for nine, after a stubborn fightback from opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who made 79, and former captain Angelo Mathews (83) rescued the touring side from early trouble.

The duo combined for a fourth-wicket stand of 133 after seamer Southee had reduced the visitors to nine for three inside the first four overs.

Niroshan Dickwella remained unbeaten on 73 to further thwart New Zealand’s attack in the final session.

The 30-year-old Southee had spoken on Thursday of liking the look of a green pitch in Wellington after low, slow and spin-friendly pitches in the United Arab Emirates in his team’s 2-1 series victory against Pakistan.

He had also mentioned, however, that looks could be deceiving and while a green pitch might help initially, the Basin Reserve wicket tends to flatten out and become easier for batsmen to score later on.

After Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl, Southee wasted no time in proving his worth on a humid, but fine day.

He trapped Danushka Gunathilaka in front for one on the final ball of his first over, had Dhananjaya de Silva caught by wicketkeeper BJ Watling for one before Kusal Mendis (two) flicked a delivery to Ajaz Patel at

midwicket.

Scoreboard

Karunaratne, who was

SRI LANKA 1st innings

caught off a no-ball from

Danushka Gunathilaka lbw Tim Southee 1

Colin de Grandhomme on 33,

Dimuth Karunaratne c BJ Watling b Neil Wagner

defied the initial onslaught

79

Dhananjaya de Silva c BJ Watling

and went on to bring up his

b Tim Southee

21st Test half-century, while

Tim Southee

1

Kusal Mendis c Ajaz Patel b 2

Mathews scored his 33rd to

Angelo Mathews c BJ Watling

resurrect their innings.

Dinesh Chandimal c Ajaz Patel

b Tim Southee

83

b Tim Southee

Wicketkeeper Dick-

6

Niroshan Dickwella not out

wella then attacked New

73

Dilruwan Perera c BJ Watling b Colin de Grandhomme

Zealand’s bowlers, whose

16

Suranga Lakmal c Henry Nicholls

lengths shortened as the

b Neil Wagner

day progressed, with in-

Kasun Rajitha c BJ Watling b Trent Boult

2

Extras: (lb-7, nb-2)

9

3

ventive scoops, flicks and

Total: (nine wkts, 87.0 overs)

aggressive shots behind

6-187, 7-223, 8-240, 9-275.

Bowling:

square to produce an entertaining 10th Test half-century.

275

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-7, 3-9, 4-142, 5-167, Trent

Boul

26-6-77-1,

Tim

Southee 25-6-67-5, Colin de Grandhomme

Tim Southee dismisses Angelo Matthews to complete his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.

13-2-35-1 (nb-1), Neil Wagner 20-2-75-2, Ajaz Patel 3-0-14-0.

Jesus sends Man City top as Spurs leave it late

By Neil Robinson LONDON, England (Reuters) - Gabriel Jesus scored twice in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Everton at the Etihad Stadium yesterday as the champions took full advantage of Liverpool’s inactivity to return to the top of the Premier League.

The home victory was sealed by a strike from substitute Raheem Sterling as City quickly banished memories of last week’s defeat at Chelsea to move two points clear of Juergen Klopp’s unbeaten side who entertain Manchester United today.

Tottenham Hotspur were the only other team in the top five to play, edging Burnley 1-0 with an injury-time strike from substitute Christian Eriksen, while Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Watford all won too.

There was further good news for the new leaders Man City in the return from a knee injury of Kevin De Bruyne, who played 15 minutes as a second-half substitute in his first game for six weeks.

Sergio Aguero was also back on the bench after his thigh problem although Jesus proved the perfect deputy

he is a young player and has to improve many things. It is good for his confidence,” said the Spaniard.

side, inspired by goalkeeper Joe Hart, thought they had secured a point with an impressively resilient performance

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus scores their second goal. (REUTERS/Andrew Yates)

with a sharp left-footed finish in the 22nd minute and a 50th-minute header to register his first Premier League goals since August.

City manager Pep Guardiola was delighted with the Brazilian’s performance. “He showed fight and personality,

Guardiola, whose team have 44 points from 17 games while Liverpool have 42 from 16, added that he was looking forward to tuning in to today’s clash at Anfield. “Yes it is a nice game to watch,” he said.

At Wembley, a Burnley

that frustrated Spurs.

Yet Eriksen, who came off the bench in the 65th minute, finally found a way past the former England keeper in the dying seconds to secure the three points.

“Every time you come on you want to make an impact.

To score in extra time was extra nice,” said Eriksen.

Wo l v e s b e a t B o u r nemouth 2-0 with goals from Raul Jimenez and Ivan Cavaleiro to win a third successive top-flight game for the first time since 1980 and move into seventh place.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted by the way his side braved the elements on a bitterly cold day across England.

“In this weather, with the wind, cold and rain and against Bournemouth - I’m very proud. We did a fantastic job,” he said.

The two sides had never met at this level before but the result was seldom in doubt and Bournemouth continued to drop down the table after losing a sixth game out of seven.

Below them, Cardiff City remain in the thick of the relegation fight after losing 3-2 at Watford, a game graced by a stunning opener from the home side’s Gerard Deulofeu, who slipped past two defenders in the box before drilling a fine finish past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Watford’s Portuguese youngster, Domingos Quina, 19, scored his first Premier League goal before Cardiff fought back with two goals in the last 10 minutes but were unable to stop the home side winning their first league match in seven.

Crystal Palace finally broke their curse of not being able to win without their talismanic winger Wilfried Zaha in the side as they beat Leicester City 1-0.

The Londoners, who last won without the suspended Zaha in September 2016, had Luka Milivojevic to thank for a win that moves them clear of the relegation zone.

Newcastle also boosted their survival chances with an opportunistic 1-0 victory at strugglers Huddersfield Town. Salomon Rondon scored the only goal from a visiting counter-attack in the second half.

“Against a team so close to us in the table, and to get three points, it was a good achievement,” said Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez.

25

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Permaul’s five-wicket haul puts Guyana on brink of victory against Hurricanes LEFT-ARM spinner Veerasammy Permaul spun his way to five wickets and the Guyana Jaguars to the brink of victory against nemeses, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, at the close of play on day three in their second round clash of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Four-Day Championship.

When play continues today, the final day, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Guyana will need to take three wickets and chase what is expected to be a low target, given that Hurricanes only have a 23-run lead in the second innings with seven batsmen already back in the pavilion.

Scores in the match: Hurricanes 182 all out in 62.3 overs and 130-7 in 56 overs; Jaguars 289 all out in 115.5

overs.

Although rain restricted play yesterday, weather forecast predicts a mostly sunny Sunday over Antigua.

Continuing from an overnight score of 215-5, defending champions Guyana batted for an additional 32 overs and added a further 74 runs, with experienced batsman Vishaul Singh scoring 90.

Singh, who struck nine fours in 209 balls at the crease, added 49 runs with wicketkeeper batsman Anthony Bramble for the sixth wicket, before the latter fell for 25 runs (2x4).

Although Singh added 32 runs to his overnight score, it was Leewards, led by offbreak bowler Rahkeem Cornwall, who controlled the opening session.

Romario Shepherd,

Veerasammy Permaul picks up 5-49 to put Guyana in a commanding position going into the final day.

played his part with 18 runs from 77 balls (2x4), but Permaul (1) who was run-out, Rajendra Chandrika, Gudakesh Motie (0) and Keon Joseph (0) fell cheaply.

Powell concedes Thomas’ omission was a mistake SYLHET, Bangladesh (CMC) – Interim West Indies one-day captain Rovman Powell conceded on Friday that leaving out speedster Oshane Thomas had been a mistake in the Caribbean side’s selection for the decisive third One-Day International.

Following the comprehensive eight-wicket loss, Powell said they had misjudged the conditions and opted for the extra spin option in the form of left-armer Fabian Allen.

The 21-year-old Thomas featured in the opening two matches, taking three for 54 in the second match which the Windies won by four wickets to level the series 1-1.

“We did (misread the pitch). If we hadn’t misread the wicket we wouldn’t have dropped Oshane Thomas,” Powell lamented.

“He is our fastest bowler and I think we needed him on that wicket. It’s just one of those things. We thought the wicket (would) spin a little bit more and it didn’t spin.

“We honestly thought the conditions would have spun a little bit more.

We didn’t know about so much dew at this ground; it had even more dew than what was in Dhaka. We are just reading conditions wrong and that is just a part of human nature.”

Not Allen, or frontline leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo or off-spinner Roston Chase, who was handed the new ball, proved effective, as Bangladesh overhauled a paltry target of 199 with over 11 overs to spare.

Yet again, the Windies batsmen were at fault, failing to post a challenging total after being asked to bat.

Only opener Shai Hope with an

unbeaten 108 showed any enterprise, as only two other specialist batsmen reached double figures, though neither passed 20.

For the 25-year-old Hope, the hundred was his second straight, following his magnificent unbeaten 146 in the second ODI last Tuesday, when the Windies chased down 256.

Hope, voted Man-of-the-Series, drew praise from his skipper.

“Shai Hope batted beautifully throughout the series. We can take a lot of courage from him,” said Powell, whose form remained under the microscope with a mere 16 runs from three innings in the series.

“In both games, he stood up and batted 50 overs. He showed that on the wickets here in Bangladesh you can do well. It’s just about applying ourselves.

“We have to say congratulations to him but through the entire series, the batting unit didn’t stand. It has been a problem for us over the last few series and, to be honest, we aren’t improving.”

West Indies will now turn their attention to the three-match Twenty20 series starting tomorrow, in an effort to salvage something from a tour which saw them whitewashed in the two-Test series.

“West Indies are T20 champions.

We have a very good T20 team,” Powell pointed out.

“We just have to get familiar with conditions. We know that there is a lot of dew and it is a good wicket and (we need to) come out and play the brand of cricket that West Indies want to play.”

Cornwall finished with four wickets, including that of Singh.

FIVE WICKET HAUL Test cricketer Permaul

bowled for almost half of the Leewards innings and he delivered. The 29-year-old finished with five wickets for 49 runs from 24 overs (six of which were maidens).

He took the early wickets of openers Montcin Hodge (15) and Keacy Carty (23) and skipper Devon Thomas (1) before fellow left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie bowled Akeem Saunders for 17.

Permaul then captured the wickets of Orlando Peters (8) and Cornwall (27), while Shepherd dismissed Damion Jacobs (0).

At the crease this morning is number three batsman, Jeremiah Louis (17 from 47 balls) and number nine batsman, Alzarri Joseph, on 15.

Meanwhile, in another match being played at the Brian Lara Stadium

in Trinidad and Tobago, Red Force require a further 137 runs for victory with five wickets remaining.

Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 206 (Kirk Edwards 55, Kavem Hodge 37, Taryck Gabriel 30, Shane Shillingford 25; Imran Khan 7-47) and 288 (Roland Cato 103, Taryck Gabriel 58, Alick Athanaze 32, Kirk Edwards 30; Bryan Charles 5-113, Imran Khan 4-79) T&T Red Force 225 (Jeremy Solozano 104, Odean Smith 29, Amir Jangoo 28; Shane Shillingford 6-74, Sherman Lewis 3-62) and 133 for five (Kyle Hope 28, Joshua Da Silva 27 not out, Amir Jangoo 26; Shane Shillingford 3-50).

Warrican, Cummins help Pride crush Scorpions by 41 runs

Jomel Warrican

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – A shocking batting collapse, inspired by Test left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, sent Jamaica Scorpions to a stunning 41-run defeat inside three days, in their opening match of the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.

Set a paltry 107 for victory after bowling Barbados Pride out for 187 in their second innings at lunch, Scorpions were bundled out spectacularly for 65 off just 18 overs at 3W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill Campus.

They were tottering on 54 for four at tea before losing their last six wickets for 11 runs.

Warrican claimed four for 27 to end the match with 12 for 116 while Test fast bowler Miguel

Cummins captured four for 19.

Opener John Campbell with 11 and Andre McCarthy, 14, were the only two batsmen to reach double figures.

Veteran Nikita Miller had earlier picked up six for 76 to finish with match figures of 10 for 129, while fellow left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli supported with three for 41, as the hosts lost their last seven wickets for 94 runs.

Resuming on 93 for three, Pride lost opener Shayne Moseley after the left-hander had added just two to his overnight 46. Hayden Walsh Jr struck a breezy 36 down the order while Aaron Jones, yet to score at the start, chipped in with 31.

Moseley perished in the morning’s second over, caught at short leg off Miller, triggering a slide that

saw three wickets tumble for 18 runs.

Walsh, who struck four fours and a brace of sixes in a 57-ball knock, then propped up the innings in a 47-run, seventh-wicket stand with Jones who faced 69 balls and counted two fours and a six.

Once Jones holed out to deep square, off Bulli, Pride lost their last four wickets for 26 runs.

Beginning their run chase after lunch, Scorpions looked in control with Campbell hitting four fours in putting on 24 for the first wicket with Chadwick Walton (9).

Even when Campbell fell to Cummins off a catch by wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott running around and Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood holed out to long-off off seamer Keon Harding for six, there was no sign of the collapse to come as Scorpions reached 46 for two.

But Warrican introduced the panic when he had Walton caught at second slip and in his next over, got captain Paul Palmer (1) to drive a low full toss to his opposite number Shamarh Brooks at cover, on the stroke of tea.

The innings never recovered following the resumption as Warrican and Cummins scythed through the innings.

26

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

Caribbean Boxing Championship had several firsts - Ninvalle THE recently held Caribbean Boxing Championship held at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall has realised several firsts for Guyana.

Organised by the Steve Ninvalle-led Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), the Caribbean Championship was held from December 6 to 9 and attracted participation from 10 countries.

“It is the first time in the history of this competition that every single bout had a neutral referee. It is also the first time that we had it streamed live and the first time that we had 10 foreign referees officiating,” Ninvalle informed this newspaper yesterday.

The Caribbean Championship attracted participation from 130 athletes and officials and concluded with Guyana regaining the Cham-

pion Country title it lost last year in St Lucia, after financial constraints resulted in only four boxers being able to represent this country.

“We had referees from Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, Guadeloupe and Trinidad and Tobago. They joined our own local brigade to ensure that we had officiating of a very high quality.

In fact the region’s highest-ranked official James Beckles of Trinidad and Tobago arrived in Guyana on December 1 and held seminars the following day, so that every referee, both local and foreign, was brought up-to-date on the new rules and regulations of AIBA,” Ninvalle added.

According to the GBA head, the decision to have the championship streamed live was welcomed by the

entire Caribbean and Guyanese in the Diaspora.

“Persons from the Cayman Islands, USA, Canada, Jamaica, St Lucia, Barbados, US Virgin Islands, England and several other countries logged on to view the fights. With adequate support we will have our three statutory competitions also streamed live,” the GBA boss declared.

Guyana won 10 gold, three silver and two bronze medals, to be crowned Caribbean Champs. Ninvalle confirmed that he had expected gold medals from middleweight `Dynamite’ Desmond Amsterdam and bantamweight `Lightning’ Keevin Allicock. He was overwhelmed with the performance of light heavyweight Markember `Violence’ Pierrie, lightweight

GBA president Steve Ninvalle

Jamaal `The Beast from Berbice’ Eastman and sisters Abiola and Alesha Jackman.

“Violence is 38 years old and many in the boxing circle had written him off.

He fought three gruelling

battles over the four nights and deservedly won a gold medal. He can now boast of being a Caribbean champion.

Eastman stopped the person who defeated Trinidadian Michael Alexander. It was a clinical display by a reticent fighter who easily filled the void left by Joel Williamson, who turned pro earlier this year without having the courtesy to inform the GBA.” “The Jackman sisters can only get better. I have personally followed their development and will promise that once they stick to the plan created by their coach, their names would be household in the world,” Ninvalle claimed.

Guyana stepped up to host the 2018 Championship after original host Grenada dropped out because of “jus-

tifiable” reasons.

Ninvalle explained that preservation of the Caribbean Championship was and is paramount. “I could not have allowed the regional treasure to be lost or destroyed.

“The Caribbean has worked relentlessly to have this event back on track and to see it fail, even for one year would have spelt disaster. So, I must extend gratitude to the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) and its president Osvaldo Bisbal, Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), the Government of Guyana and Director of Sport Christopher Jones, COURTS, Trophy Stall, Bounty Farm, Maggie’s and all others who supported this cause.

“You have assisted in making Guyana and the Caribbean proud.”

EBFA/Ralph Green U-11 League

Timehri storm back to hand Agricola first loss; Grove top with one game to go TIMEHRI Panthers showed some resolve to erase a twogoal deficit and storm to victory over Agricola Red Triangle - their first loss of the league - when day 8 action was contested yesterday at the Diamond Community Centre ground, East Bank Demerara.

On a day which saw three walkovers recorded, Grove Hi Tech won the other match that was played by a 3-0 margin over Diamond United, a win which has now taken them to 26 points with one game in hand.

The two sides decided to play after both won via

From left: Jamal Cordis, Jevon Pluck and Joshua Fredericks

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday December 16, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) &CUMMINGS

ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 10 West Indians (2) 7 Bangladeshis Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first player to lead Bangladesh in an ODI game?

(2) Who is the first player to captain the WI in an ODI match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Keron Williams (left) and Omar Sam (Timehri Panthers FC)

walkover earlier in the day.

Herstelling Raiders and Kuru Kururu Warriors did not show up to face them. The other team winning via walkover were Diamond Upsetters from Mocha Champs.

With just four minutes to go in the 30-minute (15 minutes per half) clash, Timehri Panthers were in a spot of bother and facing their second loss of the league, as Agricola were intent on maintaining their unbeaten run.

But that was not to be.

Omar Sam, now the league’s leading goalscorer with 19

in eight matches, blasted a double in quick time to secure a memorable win. Agricola captain Jonathan Andries (11 goals) had handed his team the lead in the 11th minute and it was doubled by teammate Jermaine Taylor in the 19th minute.

Agricola lads were looking set to record yet another win but the determination of Timehri Panthers brought them over the line, Agricola suffering their first loss.

Keron Williams it was who initially reduced the lead with a long-range missile that beat

the Agricola custodian in the 26th minute.

It was exactly what the doctor had ordered and it brought the lads to life. Captain Omar Sam then took matters into his own hands and delivered the equaliser, another long-range shot that caught the goalkeeper again in the 28th minute.

With two minutes to go, Timehri were now taking the attack to the Agricola lads who did not have any

answer and with one minute to go, Sam stood large and in charge as he rocketed in the winning goal to the delight of his teammates and coach, but to the dismay of the Agricola counterparts.

Grove notched their eighth win in 10 matches thanks to goals from Joshua Fredericks in the 1st minute, Jevon Pluck (9 goals) in the 16th minute and Jamal Cordis (13 goals) in the 17th.

Matches will continue on Tuesday at the same venue. Following is the latest Points Standings. # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Team Grove Hi Tech Timehri Panthers Agricola Red Triangle Swan FC Diamond Upsetters Samatta Point/KV Diamond United Mocha Champs Herstelling Raiders Friendship All Stars Kuru Kururu Warriors Hauraruni Eagles

P 10 8 8 7 8 7 9 8 8 8 8 7

W 8 7 6 6 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1

L 0 1 1 0 3 3 5 6 6 5 7 6

D 2 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 2 0 0

GF GA GD 31 6 +25 40 9 +31 32 6 +26 23 5 +18 12 10 +2 6 24 -18 11 19 -8 14 13 +1 8 34 -26 9 22 -13 3 23 -20 4 23 -19

Points 26 21 19 19 13 10 8 6 6 5 3 3

27

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 16, 2018

GFF’s Disciplinary Committee receives new FIFA-approved Code THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF), through its president Wayne Forde, has formally presented the FIFA-approved Disciplinary Code to the Chairman and Members of the GFF’s Disciplinary Committee last Friday, paving the way for key matters to be adjudicated.

According to a release from the GFF, this presentation was made in the Federation’s Boardroom to Chairman and Attorney-at-Law, Roger Yearwood, in the presence of some committee members.

In an invited comment following the presentation, Yearwood said that the Disciplinary Code will enable the effective delivery of the type of conduct demanded by the football administrators and the public, since he believes, “going forward, all the necessary elements can work together to improve the delivery and the type of conduct expected of football

administrators and demanded by the public from persons involved in the sport including players, referees, coaches and others.”

The Chairman is also hopeful that this Revised Code will serve as a guide to the expectation of conduct for international representation, adding that one day “we can get our players more aligned to what is expected of them at the international level so that if they are hoping to take their careers to greater heights, they would be in a position of knowledge and adequately represent Guyana without instances of misconduct, which will reflect badly on the country and the GFF. We’re hopeful with this Code much can be achieved and much can be attained”.

In expressing gratitude to the Chairman and members to serve on the committee, Forde said the revised Disciplinary Code is a major step forward and bodes well for the sport.

GFF president Wayne Forde (second from right) presents the new FIFA-approved Disciplinary Code to the Chairman of the GFF’s Disciplinary Committee, Roger Yearwood.

According to the GFF boss, “We believe that the revised Code, approved by FIFA, provides the instruments and tools to administer discipline in a swift, transparent and thorough manner.

We expect every stakeholder – fans, clubs and officials – will now see a greater need

to align themselves with the level of conduct that we think should reflect the beautiful game of football.”

Among the priority issues to be adjudicated by the Disciplinary Committee are: violent conduct involving players during the GFA Revival Cup, the matter in-

volving sexual harassment of female referees by match officials and administrators and allegations of inappropriate behaviour by an executive committee member.

While the GFF’s Disciplinary Code was approved by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association

(FIFA) in June 2018, GFF’s Regulations Committee was tasked with revising the fines, as it was the opinion of FIFA, that the fines stated in the original draft “seem too lenient given their low value”.

The GFF’s Disciplinary Code is the framework which informs the work of the GFF’s Disciplinary Committee. This is stipulated in the GFF Constitution under Article 61: “Disciplinary Committee; 2”: “The responsibilities and functions of the Disciplinary Committee shall be stipulated in the Disciplinary Code of the Federation, which shall be issued by the Executive Committee and comply with the Disciplinary Code of the FIFA and CONCACAF.” Other members of GFF’s Disciplinary Committee are Whittington Braithwaite, Dr Clement McEwan, Ashley King and Everton Singh-Lammy.

KFC Mega Cup Round 2

Daley, Ming, the Jeffreys set the stage for epic showdown IN what many are calling the battle of the ages, Guyana’s premier drivers will put aside their differences as they strive to defend home soil against a host of foreign invaders.

The second round of the KFC mega cup karting event takes place today at the GT Motorsports headquarters in Georgetown.

Featuring the North American-style competition in Qualifying, pre-final and final, the event begins at 14:00hrs.

SHIFTER IS ANYONE’S GAME With less than twenty-four hours to go before the Shifter karts battle, the drivers are playing mind games with one another. A visit to the GT Motorsports track yesterday found several of them preparing for the later free practice.

Friday’s unofficial session had the four drivers Jamaica’s Collin Daley and the Guyanese trio of Kristian Jeffrey, Stefan Jeffrey and Calvin Ming - each separated by just over five-tenths of

muster up the pace to get by Jeffrey. He is sure to string together a pass if he does.

a second unofficially.

And they were all modest of their times and the gap to their opponents.

Additionally, their race is going to be a firecracker with all four having competed at the North American level.

LARGEST FIELD IN THE SENIOR CLASS With the inclusion of the Trinidad duo of Kristian Boodoosingh and Zachary Boodram, this is easily set to be the largest group of competitors to line up on race day.

Mix in Daley, Kristian Jeffrey and Ming in this class as well and this is sure to be a warm-up to the shifter kart finale that everyone will be talking about.

Then there are the locals; Steven Nobrega who will be joined by the juniors in John Phang, Mikhail Persaud, Elan Rahaman, Gianai Carpenter and Faraud Mohamed, who will surely add spice to a battle that will require concentration.

JUNIORS TO BE CLOSE With Rahaman, Mikhail, Faraud and Gianai joining Rayden Persaud, there is sure to be some left over adrenaline in the system.

All the drivers have dealt with one another more than a few times this year and it’s no doubt by now they have the requisite knowledge of one another’s driving abilities.

Passing will also be of utmost importance here, considering that several

last-minute passes earlier this year have not worked out, to the detriment of earlier races.

It will be interesting to see how last round’s winner Mohamed prepares for the battle that lies ahead.

EASY CUP; ANYTHING BUT EASY Last time out, JeanClaude Jeffrey had an easy time in roping to the Easy Cup title but things will be different this time around.

Competitors have been

priming for the battle that awaits them and newcomers have been exploring new grounds for producing the passing needed in this class.

In the weeks leading up to the event, several competitors have been seen putting in the extra hours with the aim of beating the young Jean-Claude.

Who has been phenomenal in the opening round is Brian Woolford who has stormed the competition with some clinical passing. It is interesting to see if he can

THE RAHAMAN-TEN-POW BATTLE RENEWED The defensive masterclass that is Nathan Rahaman went old school the last time out. He took the lead early and defended with the most sober of lines and this worked well.

Jeremy Ten-Pow had stomped the competition during round one’s earlier qualifying and pre-final, but Nathan made one move stick and it was 13 laps of pure concentration.

Don’t be fooled, however, the slightest of mistakes could be disastrous for them both, as Paige Mendonca was right in Ten-Pow’s exhaust for three-quarters of the race last time out, showing that she has the pace to match the frontrunners.

Also in that class is Jeremy Ten Pow, Nicolas Sawh and Benjamin Phang.

Tickets for the event cost $1 000 dollars and can be purchased at the gate.

Noel strikes gold for Dorado in Trinidad swimming competition

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23

The Boys’ 11-12 400m relay team claimed silver yesterday. Noel Raekwon (left) has so far won four medals, including one gold.

Caribbean Boxing Championship had several firsts - Ninvalle 26 PAGE

GFF’s Disciplinary Committee receives new FIFA-approved Code

PAGE

27

2018 Smalta Girls’ Under-11 Pee Wee football tournament concludes with the final between West Ruimveldt and North Georgetown today.

Smalta Girls’ Under-11 Pee Wee football

West Ruimveldt to clash with North Georgetown in final today 23 PAGE

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018