Guyana Chronicle E-paper 12-18-2018

TUESDAY 18th DECEMBER, 2018

No.105492

Hope for Konashen …new protected area receives major UK accreditation

NO DELAY

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…PM rebuffs Jagdeo's call to push back confidence motion

…says no point “taking this deadweight motion into new year”

Gov't to release 6,000 acres of land in Demerara PAGE

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Capoey man killed by drinking partner

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Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Alfred King and Ministerial Adviser at the said ministry, Mervyn Williams, distributing Christmas toys to children of the deep-south Rupununi community of Masakenari (Kennyann Bacchus photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Hope for Konashen …new protected area receives major UK accreditation …Prince Andrew may visit Guyana once project advances

By Alva Solomon THE Konashen Protected Area in the Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu Region is expected to benefit from major funding following accreditation by the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) project.

The QCC was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2015 in Malta and while it marks the service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the Commonwealth in the form of a network of conservation projects, its aim is to also conserve indigenous forest for future generations. Following the creation of the Konashen Protected Area in 2017 under the National Protected Areas System in tandem with President David Granger’s vision for each administrative region to have a protected area, the Department of Environment contacted the village council of Masakenari through its leader, Paul Chekema. Masakenari is the central village which lies within the Konashen district.

The correspondence was in the form of a proposal to nominate Konashen, Guyana’s first Indigenous protected area, to benefit from the QCC project. In a letter seen by the Guyana Chronicle, Chekema said the village council was happy to and agreed to be nominated to

vide for the realisation of tangible benefits for communities and the environment and will also ensure much value is accorded though member states working towards a common goal.

FREE PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC) Over the weekend, Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams, Permanent Secretary Alfred King

prior and informed consent.

Williams told the Guyana Chronicle that the trip was made after it was brought to the ministry’s attention that there was misinformation being peddled by persons outside of the Wai Wai community. Such information suggested to villagers that if Konashen participates in the QCC project, the village was giving up its lands to the government. This was refuted during the engagement.

Williams said the minis-

Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams

benefit from the initiative.

The village also expressed its willingness to continue working with the authorities on the sustainable management of the environment.

After submitting a proposal identifying Konashen to be a beneficiary of the project, in February this year the Department of Environment was informed by the Royal Commonwealth Society that Konashen has been QCC accredited. According to a correspondence penned to the Department of Environment from the Royal Commonwealth Society , Guyana’s participation in the initiative is seen as “significant” .It was noted that the move will pro-

A section of the village of Masakenari in the Konashen Protected Area (DPI photo)

and the Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission, Denise Fraser travelled to the Konashen district to interact with the villagers on the process. The visit was the continuation of the process of free

try also received information from the ground that suggested that if the village signed onto the project, the village council will compromise their rights to the lands in the area.

He said this information was

meant to cause conflict within the village and cause it to lose an opportunity to be part of a massive project which is seeing participation from 40 of 53 Commonwealth nations.

Williams said at the meeting last week, the Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission outlined the goals and objectives of the QCC. HISTORICAL FACTS Following the creation of the Amerindian Lands Commissioner in the 1970s, 74 villages and four districts were accorded village status by law, Konashen was one such district. Masakenari, the central village within the area, received its land title in 2015 and two years later the protected area was established. It is the only community-owned conservation area in Guyana and the only rainforest area in the Rupununi Region. “This is significant project enhancement for the village in terms of leveraging resources that could enhance its capacity for training, development and creation of employment,” Williams said, noting that it is especially beneficial for the residents in the area of conservation.

It was noted that the project will provide funding for training, including in the area of management of the protected area and topic areas such as finance, mapping and forest carbon inventory as

well as managing the various species within the protected area. Konashen is home to a number of rare species in Guyana. The list includes the Harpy Eagle, the jaguar, the Giant River Otter, the Cock of the Rock, the Blue Poison Frog, the Emerald Boa among several others. “So they stand to benefit and the financial resources will lift the level of the village economy and overall quality of life of the people who live there,” Williams said.

FEEDBACK Being armed with a better understanding of the reality and the value of Konashen’s participation in the QCC, the village council agreed to meet and discuss the matter and determine its next step as a village regarding the project. Forest rangers under the employ of the village also noted that the project presents an opportunity for them. The residents welcomed the opportunity to expand their development and Williams said it was made clear during the recent meeting that the village title is not in jeopardy nor is it compromised. It is now up to the village to either offer or withhold its consent to being an active participant and beneficiary of the QCC.

Gov’t to release 6,000 acres of land in Demerara …targeting residential, commercial purposes

By Lisa Hamilton GOVERNMENT will soon make available some 6000 acres of residential and commercial lands in the Demerara-Mahaica Region, Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, Trevor Benn has said.

The total land allocation will represent some 51 per cent of Georgetown’s landmass. Benn said it is for modern development for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes.

Benn made the announcement on Monday during the commission’s year-end meeting. He revealed that

the project comes under the commission’s Land Policy, Planning and Projects Division. “We’ve just completed a concept for the potential opening up of approximately 6,000 acres of land for development for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes. We want to make sure that we do not replicate what we call at Lands and Surveys ‘the house lot schemes’ but to have real forward looking land development schemes,” Benn said.

He went on to explain that these would be unlike the schemes now observed in the capital city and elsewhere as they would take on modern designs catering for the

needs of both residents and businesses.

“It will capture better roads, sidewalks and greenspaces and a mix of business and commercial and residential lots so that we can really move into the 21st century in the way we design our facilities,” the commissioner said.

Though opting against stating the exact location to guard against squatting, Benn told the media that a procurement process will take place for the area’s development and further details will be revealed in due time. “The most I will say to you now is that we have identified 6,000 acres, it’s in the Region Four area and allow us some time,” he urged.

Members of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) at the commission’s head office on Monday (Adrian Narine photo)

“We will advertise for bidders using a particular design that we have developed.

They will have to meet those designs because they cannot have any more roads where only one car can pass. It has to be an upgrade of Georgetown. This area when completed will be about 51 per cent of the Georgetown land mass, a little more than half of what Georgetown is when

its designed and developed but at this time we don’t want to mention where that is until we are ready to do the work.”

For 2018, the commissioner noted that Guyana experienced many Expressions of Interests (EoIs) for land.

The highest demand for land is concentrated in Demerara-Mahaica followed by areas such as Upper Takutu-Upper Es-

sequibo (Region Nine); Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) and East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six).

Most of the applications are for agriculture-industrial purposes. In 2018 a total of 625 applications for title to public lands were filed with the commission; 293 new titles were issued and 141 transfers of title completed.

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No delay

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

…PM rebuffs Jagdeo’s call to push back confidence motion …says no point “taking this deadweight motion into new year”

By Tamica Garnett Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo believes that a call

by Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, for a delay in the debating of the no-confidence motion against the government shows how aware the opposition is that they will not succeed Notwithstanding a previous call by the opposition for their no-confidence motion before the National Assembly to be treated as an urgent matter and debated even before the budget was presented, Jagdeo on Monday, in an about-face move, appealed

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for the debate of the motion to be pushed back to next year January. “Jagdeo had been calling for the motion to be debated before the Budget.

Now with the motion being imminent, he is seeking to delay. It can mean only one thing - that Jagdeo knows there is absolutely no chance of success. Let it be heard and let it be defeated. There is no point in taking this deadweight motion into the new year,” Nagamootoo declared.

“Jagdeo is acutely aware that the motion has no prospect of success, and it is an abuse of parliamentary time and waste of taxpayers’ money to convene a sitting of the National Assembly only to be told that he (Jagdeo) is not ready or prepared. As the mover of the motion, he would be better advised to withdraw the motion, not to defer its rejection.”

Debate on the no-confidence motion is scheduled to begin this Friday, December 21. Speaking at his weekly press briefing on Monday, Jagdeo used the Christmas season as the excuse as to why the opposition is eager to see the motion delayed.

However, some observers believe that there is a more sinister plot afoot.

Jagdeo’s pronouncement comes just days after the

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Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, announced that he was leaving it up to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform to come to a decision on the Opposition’s request that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo vacate his seat in the National Assembly whenever he performs the functions of President. “We were hoping to have the no-confidence vote early.

They brought it smack directly into the Christmas season when most of our people are focused on everything else and it could be disruptive and divisive in this period. So if this government wants to shift the no-confidence motion to the 3 January, we are willing to accept that, to push it past the Christmas,” Jagdeo said.

However, the Prime Minister noted that since May 2015, the Coalition Government has been working tirelessly to get rid of all “the mountain of literal and figurative garbage that we inherited from the Jagdeo-Ramotar era.” He said Jagdeo is now seeking “to lump this motion - which amounts to nothing more than a political bluff onto the pile. Now that the real motive of this desperate act is being exposed, Jagdeo is seeking to back away but as we had called for before

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- BRING IT ON! We in the Coalition Government are ready and willing to defend our record.”

The Prime Minister added:”We know too that the Jagdeo-led opposition has caused the Guyanese people some distress and hurt by unconscionably attempting to exploit the illness of President David Granger to unseat me as Prime Minister. They then resisted the pro-people $300.7 Billion 2019 Budget.

Both gambits failed to derail the parliament and government. The resort to a confidence motion, is the third in a tripod of destabilisation, and it is also doomed to failure.

The correct and honourable thing for Jagdeo is not to postpone his defeat but to withdraw the motion.”

EXPLOITING Shortly after saying that, Jagdeo registered his angst with Mr Scotland for not dealing with the issue of the PM vacating his seat. Despite the fact that the PM has been attending Parliament since 2015, in several instances even when the President has been abroad, the opposition only recently decided to begin pushing for the PM to be excluded from the National Assembly whenever performing duties of President, which

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Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

is delegated to him whenever President David Granger is overseas.

It was on December 10 that Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira officially wrote the Speaker about the PM being in the National Assembly while acting as president. This letter came just a few weeks after Jagdeo announced that a motion of no-confidence in the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Coalition Government had been filed with the National Assembly.

Moreover, the motion itself was suspiciously announced just days after it was announced that President Granger was suffering from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of cancer, and would require constant treatments abroad. The government enjoys a one-seat majority in the House, moreover, the Prime Minister is considered to be vital on the government’s side in the debate of the no-confidence motion.

Observers believe that the occurrence of all of these events in succession is no coincidence, and is all a part of a conscious plot by the opposition to heartlessly put pressure on the President during a most vulnerable time in his life. The Presiden, who only recently completed his second round of chemotherapy, is scheduled to make several other trips to Cuba between now and next year May for

treatment. “We know too that the Jagdeo-led opposition has caused the Guyanese people some distress and hurt by unconscionably attempting to exploit the illness of President David Granger to unseat me as Prime Minister,” the PM noted.

In their argument against Nagamootoo not vacating his seat while performing the duties of President, Teixeira notes that in the 8th, 9th and 10th Parliaments in accordance with Articles 96 (1) and 178 (1) and (4) of the Constitution of Guyana, when then Prime Minister Samuel Hinds was carrying out “the functions of office of the President” who was overseas, he was not allowed to attend a sitting or a committee meeting of the National Assembly.

However, there is no record showing that he ever officially vacated his seat in the National Assembly during those periods, but rather simply did not attend Parliament which is not the same thing they are demanding of Mr Nagamootoo. Jagdeo said the opposition had not yet finalized on a proposed plan to take the issue before the courts. They were expected to deliberate on the issue Monday afternoon. As it pertains to the no-confidence motion, Jagdeo said the opposition is not yet certain how many speakers it would be putting forth to argue the motion.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Lands commission to re-map country …will start with Region One

THE Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) will next year begin the mapping of the Barima-Waini Region, and it is billed as the initial step towards re-mapping of the entire country, an exercise which has not been undertaken since the 1960’s.

This first phase will cost over $200M, while remapping the entire country will cost around USD$79M or €20M based on the supplier, Commissioner of the GLSC, Trevor Benn told a news conference on Monday.

It is an important aspect in the management of all lands in Guyana as it would enable the generation of accurate and important land-related statistics; facilitate data-driven development decisions and increase the efficiency in land management, Benn said. “If we are to effectively and efficiently carry out our mandate the cost associated in doing so is

really enormous, and we are trying our best to limit the impact on our staff and our clients generally,” Benn said.

REVENUE TARGET Meanwhile, thus far Benn says the commission has achieved 97 per cent of its $850M target revenue for 2019 but, with many financial challenges still looming, citizens may soon have to pay more for the sale or lease of lands. Since 2001 the rates have not been increased and the commission is putting a hold on the decision, for now, until the public is sensitised on why such a change is necessary.

On Monday, at its annual year-end press conference, the GLSC chief executive officer and commissioner said that there has been no final decision on the percentage of increase or when such would occur.

“We have not decided on the new rates. We have writ-

ten and asked for approval to increase our rates. We are waiting on those decisions but in the meanwhile, what has been happening is that companies and individuals are coming to us and saying ‘listen, I’ve seen a portion of land, I want to offer you this amount for it’. And some of those offers are too good to refuse, so we’ve gone ahead with those offers and that’s what’s keeping our doors open,” Benn said.

He added: “We’ve opted in the short term for those who can afford to pay for the lands at a competitive price we encourage them to so do, and, or those who just can’t afford it we maintain the 2001 rates for them. So, this is work in process until we can sensitise the public sufficiently of why they need to support the implementation of additional rates. We do not intend to spring it on people, but since last year we’ve begun to sensitise the public in

this regard.”

The commissioner said that when he took up the job the commission was almost $200M in the red, but that since then it has not regressed.

The Government’s 2019 budget has allocated an increase of some $163M for capital works for the commission and $150M for supplement for salaries, while the agency must work to secure its own additional finances. Looking towards 2019, Benn noted that several projects are set to increase the commission’s ability to serve citizens, and have been slated to continue or begin in the coming year.

DIGITISATION Additionally, Benn said the transition of the commission from a highly dependent paper-based operation to a digital system will continue into the New Year, with the completion of the Wide Area Network (WAN). In 2019 the commission will also seek to facilitate Guyana’s

Lawyer fails to swing bail SENIOR Magistrate Faith McGusty on Monday remanded a 38-year-old taxi driver to prison for trafficking 10 pounds of cannabis after he was busted by police at a roadblock.

Ben Cumberbatch, of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleges that on December 13, 2018 at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, he had 10 pounds of cannabis, valued some $2.2M, in his

Ben Cumberbatch

possession for the purpose of trafficking.

His attorney, Melville Duke during an application for bail argued that the drug was not found in his client’s possession. Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman, however, countered that since the drug was found in his motorcar, Cumberbatch was not eligible for bail.

According to reports, ranks on patrol on the day in question intercepted Cumberbatch’s motorcar at Little

membership to several key international organisations, such as the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

These can provide technical assistance, capacity building and provide access to a variety of resources and expertise important to the work of the commission in mapping, hydrographic surveying and other areas. In the first quarter of 2019, Guyana will host the 10th Conference

of the Joint Border Commission, as well as, the 17th Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC17) in January 2019.

Benn added that the Land Surveyors Act is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2019, same as the Commission’s Annual Reports for the year 2017 and 2018. The time period will also mark the rolling out of the National Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Policy, once the document, still in its draft form, is approved by Cabinet. The commission also intends to review all laws relevant to land administration in Guyana, inclusive of the State Lands Act; the Land Surveyors Bill and others.

Meanwhile, the construction of a new sub-office building in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) will commence in the New Year along with the completion of another in town of New Amsterdam (Region Six)

–for client busted $2.2M worth of ‘ganja’ Diamond, and when a search was made of the trunk, what looked like cannabis was found in a spare tyre.

The magistrate, having ruled in the prosecution’s

favour remanded Cumberbatch to prison until January 7, 2019, and transferred the matter to the matter Providence Magistrates’ Court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Guyana’s continuing recovery WHILE many politicians occupying the opposition benches may understandably wish to emphasise and exaggerate every perceived misstep by the government, all patriotic citizens have a duty to wish for and work towards national success and general development.

This is so because if any government fails, the masses invariably suffer; children go to bed hungry; elderly citizens are usually neglected; everyone feels insecure as law enforcement becomes ineffective and the standard of living falls to unacceptable lows as economic arrangements deteriorate.

While the political and business elite may be less affected than the ordinary man or woman, no one is spared the negative effects of government failures because

investments dry up and intellectuals leave. As such, all Guyanese, regardless of political allegiance, should, in their own interests, do everything possible to ensure the success of government’s programmes and initiatives.

Guyana is in the process of recovery from the slide into the status of a completely failed state. That recovery began when Guyanese elected a visionary government into office in 2015. A failed state is defined as a political body which has deteriorated to a point where basic living conditions have declined to an unacceptably inhumane standard as a result of the failure of its sovereign government to fulfil fundamentally vital responsibilities and functions.

Political theorist, sociologist, philosopher, economist, author, and jurist Max Weber, wrote that [paraphrasing] a

fundamental characteristic of a state is defined as maintaining a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within its borders. When this condition is no longer met (for example, when druglords, armed gangs, and criminals overwhelm a country’s legitimate law enforcement apparatus, that state becomes a failed state. This is so, according to the learned scientist, because at that point a state has become ineffective, rendered impotent, and administratively ineffectual. It should be noted that one of Max Weber’s books, “The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism” is taught and explored in almost every university. The man, therefore, was an expert.

A failed state has defining characteristics. The Fund for Peace says that a failed state displays:

1. Loss of control of its territory, or the monopoly of the use of physical force therein.

2. Erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions.

3. Inability to provide public services, such as healthcare and education.

4. Inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community. CARICOM comes to mind.

Each of those expertly studied criteria has been met under the last PPP regime; let us examine them one by one.

1. Loss of government control of communities such as Buxton, Agricola, Linden, and others.

2. No elected authority to make decisions based on law, including constitutional law.

3. No ability to provide basic services to all citizens.

4. Priya Manickchand’s tirade at the home of the Ambassador of the United States to Guyana is but one example of this phenomenon.

Regarding the major issue of the failure of the security of the country, we recall the undeniable facts.

Shaheed Roger Khan, a convicted drug-felon, born on the 13th January 1972, testified under oath in the United States that he worked for the PPP government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has concluded that his phantom squad killed over 200 persons between 2002 and 2006 with the tacit or explicit approval of the PPP government. It is widely alleged that Roger Khan was closely in contact with Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo had denied that this was true.

There is evidence that a PPP minister may have

helped him to acquire electronic equipment. The minister has denied the allegation.

On December 4, 2009, K h a n ’s l a w y e r, R o b e r t Simels, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the US for instructing a hit-man to kill a witness against Roger Khan.

Roger Khan was sentenced to a lengthy term of incarceration following a plea-deal in the US. The charges included drug-trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, assassinations, witness tampering, murder, and illegal firearm possession.

While the allegations are too numerous to even mention in a single article, as patriotic Guyanese we should be most careful that the conditions that produced a criminal state, and the people that facilitated such a state, must never return.

Dr. David Hinds on a roll Dear Editor, DR. David Hinds has penned an article in another newspaper captioned, “Dropping the ball: Can the coalition recapture its 2015 voting blocks,” (KN, December 16)? The piece was a puzzling, misleading, alarmist, doom-laden, inaccurate, and often an offensive misrepresentation of Guyana’s political landscape. Considering Dr. Hinds’ acknowledged intellectual acumen, one is forced to wonder whether or not he actually, honestly believes what he wrote.

W h a t e v e r m a y b e D r.

Hinds’ motivation for writ-

ing the erroneous commentary, his assertions must be refuted by highlighting the facts that Dr. Hinds appears to currently ignore, in favour of a fantastic political universe of his own creation.

D r. H i n d s ’ p r i m a r y contention is that the APNU+AFC coalition government has “dropped the ball” as relates to retaining its supporters. He bases that opinion almost exclusively on the results of the last local government election (LGE), which, as we all know by now, was poorly attended generally, and disappointingly lacking in support for APNU+AFC candidates.

Dr. Hinds wrote, “This

past week I have been asked by a few people for my view on the prospects of the coalition at the next [general] election. They were all supporters who voted for the coalition of parties, but the results of the recently concluded LGE have caused them to ask some serious questions about the ability of the coalition to rally a majority of the electorate again.” He said, “There is anxiety about the leader’s health and the implications for intra-coalition stability.”

He continued, “[Supporters] all agreed that the LGE results have sent a chilling message that has implications for who wins in 2020.”

And, then he ventured into his favourite area: race

politics. He wrote that “Amerindians” who voted for the coalition need to be convinced to stay, because, “any political entity perceived as African Guyanese (one assumes he means the APNU) would always have the hardest time holding the political loyalty of that section of the electorate.”

Dr. Hinds’ lengthy and often confusing article mentioned many topics amid an ocean of mixed metaphors, perplexing arguments and bewildering conclusions. He wrote of the government’s incapacity to craft messages, the disappointment of Guyanese with the coalition, President Granger’s rockstar status and inter-coalition

finger-pointing, among the variety of subjects covered.

Arguably, it is not an easy article to read or understand since logic was apparently overlooked by Dr. Hinds when he crafted this particular piece.

However, it may be possible to identify a few of the most noticeable assertions and address those.

While one may overlook the unbelievable statement that all of the people who asked for Dr. Hinds’ opinion had voted for the coalition, not to mention the unanimity of their supposed alarm, it must be noted that LGEs and general elections are very different entities and are perceived by Guyanese as such.

For two decades the PPP denied Guyanese the right to choose their local representatives. And many Guyanese survived those years. Is it surprising, then, that many citizens view local government as less than important?

Further, the PPP, by concentration power at the centre, have instilled a culture and mindset of centralised decision-making in people. That reality is obvious when one considers the fact that people still make appointments to see ministers in order to complain about potholes, when in fact, they should be consulting their elected local councillors.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Important for media houses to understand their role is to serve the public interest Dear Editor, DURING ministerial discussions on Budget 2019 on the National Communications Network (NCN), a pattern of media behaviour was highlighted, as it relates to how some sections of the media report on issues which carry political overtones.

It is an observation with which I have had cause to express my views on; for what I have long ago discerned as sections of this most critical fourth estate of society, becoming a part of the national problem rather than the solution.

Let me be very clear, that the respective cabinet officers referred to media reportage with specific reference to matters related to their respective ministries.

In my view, and I am sure that they may be of the same opinion, though not publicly mentioned – such a line as mostly taken by sections of the media, since 2015, is part of a larger right-wing plot against the government, in which the media, in bed with vested interests, and political alignment, have set out to discredit the government at every step. One only has to recall the manner of reporting on the GuySuCo tragedy to understand this particular contention.

First of all, the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan referred to the ridiculous allegation by Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo, unsubstantiated in every way, that the coalition government has since 2015 burdened the nation with in ex-

cess of 200 new taxes. This scurrilous claim, as was expected, was also mouthed

by Donald Ramotar in his frequent fulminations in the media.

It is the legitimate expectation of the public that any media house which will want to publish such a statement should, first of all, verify its claim; particularly, as in this case, seeking verification from the Ministry of Finance, which is the repository of all such relevant information. This was the minister’s position when he clearly debunked such rubbish, obviously designed to create disaffection among the business sector and on citizens in general.

As to the Private Sector, the nation’s umbrella business organization, it was dumb and deafeningly silent on exposing such a lie. And there is a reason for their pathetic posture that supported and lend toward such an ugly and dishonest claim by Jagdeo: he was once their benefactor, because many of them would have secured concessions, and other preferences from his government. No wonder they were dumber still in the face of the criminal state and its gradual burgeoning into a fat greedy monster.

Of course, many of them were willing participants in the feast on the nation’s resources.

If my memory serves me correct, none of the two print journals, including the once respected Stabroek News which has now become a willing hovel and sanctuary for the nation’s

most discredited politicians, and it’s most dangerous and deceptive liars, never questioned Jagdeo’s concocted claim of “200 new taxes”.

Instead, this newspaper attempted to take cheap shots at Minister Jordan via an editorial. Of course, the minister responded very appropriately.

The Honourable Minister of Public Security is the other cabinet officer, to whom it referred. It was about crime and the statistics which he presented to prove that serious crimes in this country have been reduced; and it has, when one takes an analytical look at the figures given.

Editor, crime is an issue in Guyana, as it is in virtually every other country. It explains why, immediately, after the coalition government came to office that President David Granger requested the British government to reinstate the offer of the Security Sector Reform Programme (SSRP) which the former PPP/C administration had rejected on nebulous grounds. It is this same initiative that is being gradually implemented under a new leadership of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and that has commenced changes for a better equipped and professional police force.

Of course, the results are there in the form of better community-law enforcement relations that have resulted in very quick apprehension of suspects, the dismantling of gangs, and the success in a number of cold cases, among other

notable improvements. The latter, are the success stories which are deliberately being ignored by sections of the media. And, this is very unfortunate, given the number of police – led projects into communities which have been known as crime hot spots and that have had satisfactory impact on lowering the incidences of crime.

It would seem a very great contradiction that when statistics were given about the crime situation during the PPP/C’s tenure, that it was accepted as gospel by all those who are now claiming that the same statistical methodology, prepared by the same department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), does not correspond to the actuality of the incidences of crime. However, aligned with this dishonest contention, is the fact that crime only becomes crime when it is committed by one segment of our society.

This is, quite frankly, the dangerous imputation of the race factor into a subcultural behaviour that cuts across all lines of ethnicity and race; and every day, the evidence stares those persons who continue to peddle this nasty ethnic stereotype which the anti-government media give support. It is a grave deception that flies in the face of our social reality.

There were two separate incidents months ago, of the very young men involved in acts of very serious crimes, ironically in each, were equal numbers of suspects from Guyana’s two main ethnic groups. Yes, there is

a crime situation; but subtly suggesting that the police return to the illegal method of extra judicial killings will not solve the incidents of crime, or offer solutions of any sort. So many young men were murdered extrajudicially, during the PPP/C’s reign. However, the problems that would have given rise to whatever crimes they would have committed, still remain; totally ignored and unfixed by the very former PPP/C that now finds it deceptively convenient to criticise, now that it is an item on the other side of the House. Since 2015, there have been initiatives undertaken by the government to fashion a new pathway to life, for at risk youths.

These are the successes which Minister Khemraj Ramjattan expounded, that are not being highlighted by the media.

Of course, the reason is not difficult to understand – the perpetuation of a situation orchestrated by Bharrat Jagdeo who proclaimed some time ago “That crime has never been so bad”. It is a natural Jagdeo reaction of grudge to the coalition successes of not only reorganising the GPF in every department for enlightened modernisation, but which have been retooling its skills and training capabilities that have enabled it to offer a better service to society.

Editor, I will always support a media that is investigative, objective, balanced, and is prepared to publish/ broadcast the truth. It is of vital importance for any media house to understand

their vital role is to serve the public interest, rather than being a party to dangerous stereotypes, misconceptions, and other attributes of yellow journalism that do not bring any new and worthwhile thought towards a solution to the particular problems with which we as a nation continue to be confronted.

Every day, we bear witness to a type of media that has sold its publishing soul on the altar of dishonest convenience, and dangerous hypocrisy, as they continue to give succor to a host of monsters who are being assisted to re-emerge from the swamp. Such a media has not brought any good to daily truth, with a view of fair and balanced reporting.

Does it realise just how much it is being used to give legitimacy once again to a bunch of the worse criminal crop of politicians ever seen in this country, a criminal gang which has done so much harm to its moral fabric? And to foment a movement to discredit this government despite its many solid achievements since 2015, in addition to the many ills which the PPP/C would have ignored for its 23-years in office?

The disrespectful cartoon published in last Sunday’s edition of the Kaieteur News, supports my case just how pathetic, and mob-pandering, segments of the media have become.

It has become worse than muckraking.

Regards, Earl Hamilton

FROM PAGE 6

Evidently, any comparison of voter mobilisation between a LGE and a general election has no validity. In fact, everyone knew that the turnout would be less than impressive. So, Dr. Hinds is either being disingenuous, or he misunderstands basic facts.

He mentioned anxiety about President Granger ’s health.

While all Guyanese wish the President a speedy recovery, is

it really appropriate for someone of Dr. Hinds’ stature to, apparently, attempt to frighten Guyanese by directly linking the president’s health to coalition-stability, when no such link exists?

While one may take issue with many of the points, Dr. Hinds’ statement about “Amerindians” is frankly offensive.

Dr. Hinds has generalised and stereotyped the behavioural ten-

dencies of an entire ethnic group – nine ethnic groups in fact – by saying that, “any political entity perceived as African Guyanese would always have the hardest time holding the political loyalty of [Indigenous Guyanese].” Dr. Hinds owes Indigenous Guyanese an immediate and unequivocal apology.

While Dr. Hinds may be right in pointing out many Guyanese were sending a message

of dissatisfaction to the government, he should have been fair and balanced by mentioning that the damage done to Guyana by the PPP cannot be fixed quickly or easily; administrative systems have to be changed, ministries have to be streamlined, corrupt officials have to be removed, and, most importantly, our mindset has to transform to accept the vision of a decentralised system of democratic governance.

Therefore, an appeal for patience would have been in order.

While Dr. Hinds continues to enjoy the respect of Guyanese, one expects that he would be responsible in his pronouncements, because respect is difficult to earn, but may be easily lost.

Regards, Mark Da Costa

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Police Force hosts annual Children Christmas Party THE Guyana Police Force hosted its annual Officers’ children Christmas party at the Police Officers’ Mess Annex Eve-Leary on Friday.

The party commenced at 15:00hrs with a thrilling entrance

by Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and their friends which included; Spider Man, Dora, Mickey Mouse and Minion.

The group of characters wasted no time and quickly got the children involved in a host of amusing activities, from musical chairs, to 1 2 3 red light statue and dance-offs which had the entire party in full excitement.

It was surely a lot of fun and entertainment for the young children as they were in very cheerful spirits all evening.

In an effort to continue putting

smiles on the young ones faces and to uphold the season of giving, the Guyana Police Force distributed Christmas gifts to every child who attended the party.

Later in the evening, the children were fortunate to be graced with the presence of Commissioner of Police Leslie James, Deputy Commissioner—Administration Paul Williams, Police Public Relations and Press Officer Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, Traffic Chief Superintendent, Linden Isles and other officers of the Force.

The commissioner and his officers were seen engaging with the children and their parents by sharing cheerful moments and taking photographs, he also used the opportunity to wish them a merry Christmas and a joyous new year.

Commissioner of Police Leslie James interacts with one of the many families that attend the Children’s Christmas party.

Give Sergeant Keith Conway a nice car or motorbike Dear Editor,

FRONT page news in the Kaieteur News on Saturday December 15th reads “Detective Sergeant Keith Conway is “A” Division’s “Best Cop”, and displays some of the “gifts” and “incentives” the Best Cop received.

Among the “incentives” received is a measly bicycle, for the honourable services

rendered by this outstanding Police Sergeant. Is this the best the Police Force can do for this brave policeman, who “solved many crimes, including murders,...apprehension of many wanted persons, and dismantling of criminal gangs...”, putting his life at risk every day to serve and protect the citizens of this country?

The Ministry of Public Security is given “billions”

of dollars every year, more this year than ever before, and they cannot afford anything better than a bicycle as an ”incentive”, while the government and City Council waste millions of hardearned tax payers’ money on “Celebrations” and other wasteful ventures, like payment for years for a bottom house “bond” to store drugs, which were never there, by the way. We don’t even know

if that “bicycle” was given by a “stakeholder” and not even the Police Force or the government. No wonder the policemen and women on the streets have to harass persons daily for a “raise”, in order to survive and feed their families. Salaries of the Police should be one of the highest for public officers, in order to discourage the taking of bribes, which is probably the only way of

survival for those who put their lives on the line for us.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t condone taking bribes in any way, and would refuse to pay policemen when confronted for a “raise”. The point I want to make is they should never be placed in a position to ask or demand a raise from the citizens.

A car would have been a fitting incentive for this brave sergeant, or at least,

a nice motorbike. That would make others vie for that TOP COP position in every Division every year. Give Sergeant Keith Conway a nice car or motorbike. He deserves it, and even the runner-up also should get more than trophies. You can’t feed your family with trophies.

Regards, Shameer Ali

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Defaulting lessees, squatting major challenges to GLSC Non-performing leases; squatting and informal occupation and transfers of public lands are among the top issues which continue to pose major challenges to the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC).

At its year-end press conference on Monday, the commission revealed that added to these listed is informal subletting; a highly-dependent paper based operation system and insufficient resources.

GLSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Commissioner Trevor Benn told media operatives on Monday that while the commission continues to make notable strides, certain groups of consumers are still hampering the possibility for greater progress.

On the matter of non-performing leases, which refers to the non-payment of land rent and non-beneficial occupation of public lands, Benn said that over 60 per cent of current lessees are in arrears and in breach of the beneficial occupation provision of their lease/s.

“In many instances we have persons coming and making demands for lands and producing really good business plans to us…and

when you do give it to them it sits inactive, nothing is done with it and they also don’t pay the land rent. So, we’re left with no choice but to repossess some of those lands. It’s causing us a lot of money do the repossession and it’s very tedious and time consuming,” he said.

Benn added that the commission in 2018 published a list of clients who owe in excess of 100,000 in land rent with only 12 per cent of the defaulters responding to date. “We are cautioning people unless you’re quite ready for land; please don’t come at this time. We’re under pressure to deliver on the demands that we have and we would prefer only to give to those people who are really ready,” Benn said.

Meanwhile, many others are engaging in informal subletting and transfers of public lands which the commissioner stated will be met with stern action. He said: “A lot of people have taken the land and then they lease it out other people without our consent which is illegal.

We’re finding a number of these cases happening and wherever we find them we’re trying to intervene.”

Benn also addressed the issue of squatting which,

Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Commissioner Trevor L. Benn (Adrian Narine photo)

for years, has been a major problem for GLSC and is now not only rampant in central parts of the capital city but along some parts of the 45-mile-long Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The commissioner believes that with no functioning body to manage the on goings on the highway, things have taken a turn for the worst.

“We closed the office that used to be able to monitor what was going on the highway…and so today we have wide spread squatting on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway,” he said.

Benn took an understanding stance to the situation but noted that the act is none-

theless obstructive and must eventually come to a halt.

“There are people in authority who are giving others approval to squat and in other occasions there are people who are really desperate who are waiting for a long time and they can’t afford to wait anymore, they have to find somewhere to live and so they go and squat,” he said.

“Either way it’s an issue for us and we’ve not been able to deal with this problem in the manner that we should and this will have to be dealt with at a higher level because it is going to affect ordinary people.”

Over the year the commission has executed 1,129

monitoring inspections to address issues related to informal occupation of public lands. Apart from this, Benn also drew attention to sand miners whose activities near the highway contribute to the decay of the over 40-year-old infrastructure.

“Another problem we have there is the unadulterated—if I many use that term–abuse of mining on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

If you travel along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway you will see the undulations on the road now and I am very fearful that one of these days we will be in our beds and hear we can’t go to Linden anymore because the whole highway is washed away,” Benn said.

“They are mining so close to the buffer zone and they have removed all of the internal roadways which were intended for farmers and other residents to access…I know this is a contentious issue because what we will hear is that the cost of sand mining will have to go up.

But, look at the cost of rebuilding the Soesdyke-Linden Highway because of how they are using the sandpits at the moment as against the cost of paying a little bit more for sand.”

He added that there has been no objection to mining on the Highway mining since he entered office but the commission will continue to work on the best approaches to address the issue.

In addition, the GLSC is challenged with inadequate human and financial resources at certain levels even with the 2019 budget allocating an increase of some $163M for capital works and $150M for supplement for salaries.

“The commission has to find all of the rest of the $1.5B to cover the cost associated with the work of the Commission,” he explained. “It’s just a ‘drop in the bucket’ but we are very thankful for what we’ve gotten and we’re trying to make it work.”

Also mentioned was the commission’s high dependence on paper-based operations which is why it is now charging ahead in its transition towards a digital system. It will see the commission linking regional offices to the head office through a Wide Area Network (WAN) which is an ongoing project with improvements already completed in Regions Two, Three, Six, Nine and 10.

Capoey man killed by drinking partner Alleged child rapist remanded to prison THE Meville family living at Capoey, an Amerindian community in Region Two, is in a state of shock after one of their relatives was discovered dead on Monday morning with a knife stuck in his neck.

Dead is 23-year-old Sherwin Meville of Capoey Lake Top, Region Two. He was allegedly murdered early Monday morning by a total stranger. The suspect has since fled the scene and police are on the hunt for him.

According to the deceased’s wife, Joyce Meville, her husband was imbibing earlier with relatives. She said that he then left to purchase cigarettes when he met up with a male—a total stranger at a community shop. She said they started to imbibe and he later took him home to sleep at their house. The wife said she was uncomfortable with her husband’s decision to invite a stranger in their home and as such she told him she was going to sleep with their two-month-old baby Shenille by a relative across the street.

She then left her husband and the stranger in the house. In the morning around 05:00hrs

The deceased Sherwin Meville

she went over and discovered the door opened and her husband lying motionless with his throat slashed. She said his pockets were also flapping out indicating he was robbed.

The woman started to scream and her relatives rushed over. The dead man’s mother, Maria Fredericks said her son was a loving person and usually works in the interior. She said he was in the process of constructing a house which is incomplete.

A woman who is living in the village approximately one year now, claimed the killer is her brother. She however

said she did not see him and claimed he is from North West. She also claimed the suspect works on a ship on the Island of Wakenaam. The police were called in and are currently investigating.

In a statement, police said they are investigating the murder of Melville, an operator of Capoey Lake, Essequibo Coast which occurred sometime between 23:50hrs Sunday to 05:30hrs Monday at Capoey Lake Essequibo Coast.

A 19-year-old labourer of Swan, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, who goes by the alias ‘Ralph ‘ with whom the deceased had a misunderstanding whilst imbibing , is being sought. At about 05.30hrs on Monday the deceased was discovered by an in-law motionless with a knife struck in his neck and abrasions on his right arm and left-side upper chest. The body is at the Suddie Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination.

SENIOR Magistrate Faith McGusty on Monday remanded a 36-year-old Bartica miner to prison for allegedly raping a nineyear-old girl.

It is alleged that Shawn Cornelius, during September 2018, engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16.

Cornelius was not required to plea to the indictable charge when it was read to him, and was remanded to prison until January 7,

Shawn Cornelius

2019 when the matter will be heard at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

According to reports, the child was staying with Cornelius at his Bartica home during September, when one night while under the influence of alcohol he raped her.

When the child went back home, she told other relatives what had occurred and they reported the matter to the police.

Holidaying behind bars ––for alleged drug trafficker A 28-year-old boat captain will be spending the holidays behind bars after being remanded to prison on Monday by Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty on a drug trafficking charge.

Orlando Pollard, of Itaballi Landing, Mazaruni River appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to prison until January 3, 2019.

It is alleged that on December 13, 2018 at his Itaballi Landing home he had 45.5 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The unrepresented man denied the charge, telling the court that he shares the kingsize bed under which the cannabis was found with his one-year-old son, his wife, and his 17-year-old niece.

However, Prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to his being granted bail, as it was on a tip-off that ranks knew where to find the stuff.

Blackman noted that the alleged narcotics was found in a black bag under Pollard’s bed in his bedroom.

Magistrate McGusty, after listening to the prosecutor, remanded Pollard to prison and transferred the matter to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

U.S restates support for Guyana’s sovereignty

…urges prudent management of oil resources CHARGE D' Affaires of the United States Embassy here, Terry Steers-Gonzalez, has again pledged his country’s support for Guyana’s territorial sovereignty and has urged Venezuela to respect the Arbitral Award of 1899.

He also said that Guyana has the potential to become a rich oil state with the recent discovery of oil but warned that if the industry is not properly monitored then it can very well end up being a failure. Terry Steers-Gonzalez was at the time delivering the feature address at the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Annual Dinner and Dance held at the Anna Regina Town Hall on Saturday evening.

During his address to those in attendance, the US diplomat called for neighbouring Venezuela to respect the 1899 Arbitral Award on the ongoing border controversy between the two nations.

Early this year, the US had called for a timely resolution to the controversy.

Steers-Gonzalez said outgoing US Ambassador Perry Holloway had motivated the US to adopt its current position.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has already described the US’s position on the border controversy as significant. “It is an extremely strong and significant statement,” said the minister, adding that it was the Treaty of Washington in 1897 which led to the 1899 Arbitral Award.

The border controver-

sy arose after Venezuela contended that the Arbitral Award of 1899, which settled the countrys’ border, was null and void. In an effort to bring an end to this age-old controversy, on January 30, 2018, United Nations (UN)

ain over the location of the border between its colony of British Guiana and the Spanish-speaking country. This continued until an Arbitral Tribunal was empanelled in 1897 to determine the borders and issued an Arbitral

Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Esteban

zerland, signed an agreement by which a bilateral commission was appointed to seek “satisfactory solutions for the practical settlement of the controversy between Venezuela and the United

come an oil rich state which can transform and develop the country. Attending the dinner also was Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt who wished every one

Charge D' Affaires Terry Steers-Gonzalez with President of ECCI Suean Sewnarayan and Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt

United States of America Charge D' Affaires to Guyana Terry Steers-Gonzalez addressing the gathering at ECCI’s Annual dinner and dance held in Region Two

Secretary-General António Guterres, in keeping with the 1966 Geneva Agreement, announced that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would be the next means to be used for resolution of the controversy. On March 29, 2018, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge filed Guyana’s application with the ICJ but Venezuela has declined to participate in the court action filed by Guyana.

The Guyana/Venezuela Border controversy started during the second half of the 19th century between Venezuela and Great Brit-

Award on October 3, 1899.

Following this, a joint commission with representatives from both countries delineated the borders in 1905.

For half a century Venezuela honoured this agreement in word and deed. In 1931, a boundary commission made up of representatives from Great Britain, Venezuela and Brazil agreed on the specific point on Mount Roraima where the boundaries of British Guiana, Venezuela and Brazil meet. A concrete marker was erected soon after. The matter was permanently settled.

Gil Borges in 1941 agreed that the frontier with British Guiana was well defined and was a closed issue. However, in 1962, Venezuela unilaterally and without any basis or evidence announced that it regarded the Award of 1899 as null and void.

By November 1965 a meeting in London between Venezuelan and British representatives and a representative from British Guiana was held. A joint Communique stating that both sides should work to “find satisfactory solutions for a practical settlement of the controversy which has arisen as a result of the Venezuelan contention,” was issued.

In February of 1966, the governments of British Guiana, Great Britain and Venezuela, in Geneva, Swit-

Kingdom, which has arisen as the result of Venezuela’s contention that the arbitral award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela is null and void.”

TRANSPARENCY Meanwhile, also during his address at the Essequibo event, Steers-Gonzalez said too that the proposed Natural Resource Fund to manage the wealth of the oil industry should be transparent, viable and non-partisan. He also said that the Fund should be managed by an independent board of directors for greater accountability. With that in mind he said that there will be an imaginary amount of money coming into Guyana and with prudent financial management Guyana can be-

well for the Christmas season. He said the Region was promised heightened security by the armed forces for the holidays. He also assured residents that the Guyana Power and Light Company has assured of a stable flow of electricity.

President of the Essequibo Coast Chambers of Commerce Suean Seewnarayan thanked everyone for supporting the dinner. She informed the gathering that the Chambers now has its own office and a full time staff located at Municipality Building in Anna Regina. She wishes the business community well for the season and asked for continued support in 2019.

More work on sanitary landfills planned for 2019 A SANITARY landfill facility, along with an access road to it, is slated to be constructed during 2019 at Bel Vue, East Berbice-Corentyne to allow for the closure of the Esplanade dumpsite, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan announced recently.

Speaking during a budget presentation in the National Assembly lately, the minister pointed out that the closure of the said site is important to protect citizens from the potentially harmful health impact that results from sporadic fires and other public health hazards.

The 2019 programme also includes the tabling of a Solid Waste Management Bill and the promulgation of

an integrated waste management strategy, Bulkan said.

The Bill, first developed in 2014, featured a centralised model to sanitation management. “This is not in keeping with the local empowerment and service decentralisation agenda. In collaboration with UNDP, the revision of the Bill and strategy was advanced to have in place a model which takes account of the responsibility of LDOs in the delivery of this service in the communities,” Bulkan explained.

He said sanitation in 2019 will continue to feature a robust programme of awareness and sensitisation on sustainable sanitation practices which will be designed and developed in consultation

with the various communities.

“The Sanitation work programme aims to build capacity and strengthen institutions related to sustainable environmental management practices at the local level. The programme includes but is not limited to work on a number of landfills in our new capital towns, improving the facilities at Haags Bosch, construction and upgrade of site facilities and municipal sanitary landfills, and developing wastewater management capacities,” Bulkan stated.

According to him, the 2018 work programme for sanitation management included promoting effective

management of solid waste across communities and facilitating a public education campaign on sanitation management.

In this regard, he said the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site was upgraded to include a leachate treatment facility and a demonstration site for sanitation management. “This site now bears no resemblance to the one we inherited in mid-2015. The perennial complaints of residents in adjoining communities of foul odours are a thing of the past, another piece of evidence of the transformation that this Budget speaks of,” Bulkan stated.

To date, he said there have been five tours by schools, along with tours

by media houses and other groups. “I would urge… the opposition to pay a visit to this site and see for yourselves if this is hype or reality.”

Meanwhile, Bulkan said the access road at Rose Hall to the landfill facility has made satisfactory progress in its upgrade.

Designs for sanitary landfill sites in Bartica, Lethem and Mahdia will shortly be completed, he informed, which will provide for improved management of solid waste in these municipalities.

The Ministry of Communities had signed three contracts totalling $125M in 2017 as part of an effort to bolster the solid waste dis-

posal programme in outlying regions.

The signed contracts cover the designing of sanitary landfills at Bartica, Linden and Mahdia, which includes waste-profile studies of the three towns and recommendations for resource recovery and recycling programmes.

The landfill design incorporates topographic surveys of the sites, access to the site, site security, waste disposal and fill management, leachate management, landfill gas management, operations and maintenance manuals, environmental audits and environmental monitoring and management systems.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

IDB lends further support to CDB’s investments in regional energy security THE Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has mobilised more than US$85M to increase the Region’s energy security through geothermal energy development.

Last Thursday, CDB’s Board of Directors approved acceptance of further financing under the Sustainable Energy Facility (SEF) for the Eastern Caribbean from IDB, with resources coming from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Government of the Republic of Italy.

SEF is part of the CDB’s GeoSmart Initiative, which aims to reduce the financial, technical and institutional barriers to geothermal energy development in five Eastern Caribbean states – Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The programme also helps governments build capacity and strengthen institutions so they can be better equipped to implement and manage geothermal energy initiatives.

USD85.6 million will expand the pool of existing resources under SEF programme with USD$80M coming from GCF and US$5.6M from the Government of the Republic of Italy.

It will go towards financing the often cost-intensive stages of development from the pre-feasibility studies to exploration drilling, and eventually field and plant development such as developing wells and building power plants, sub-stations and transmission lines.

Monica La Bennett, Vice-President (Operations) welcomed the new financing, saying it would help to advance the energy transformation and economic development of the beneficiary countries. “The reality for these countries is that they have small and isolated electricity markets which lack scale, and are heavily dependent on diesel fuel for power generation. This has made the cost of electricity higher than the global average,” she said.

The Vice-President noted that some of the countries, given their volcanic origins, have large potential for geothermal energy, which could provide lower-cost constant power. However, the risks that form barriers to exploration and development are often high. The approved package of funding consists of investment and technical grant, contingent grant, as well as concessional loan resources, and will help the countries overcome the barriers to geothermal energy development. “CDB, by collaborating with partners such as the IDB, is focused on removing these barriers, and creating a low-carbon diversified energy matrix based on more affordability and indigenous renewable energy options, thereby increasing energy security.

This is critical for these tourism-dependent economies if they are to improve their competitiveness and fiscal and macroeconomic stability,” added La Bennett.

The GeoSmart Initiative contributes to achieving the objectives of CDB’s 2015-2019 strategic plan, in which energy security is a cross-cutting theme.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Gov’t gives greenlight for mass property valuations GOVERNMENT’s decision to approve a $320M contract for mass property valuations will allow for the various councils to expand their revenue base.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan told the Guyana Chronicle recently that the contract will allow for the revenue base of local democratic organs to be greatly enhanced countrywide, given that rates on properties are the principal revenue tool for local authorities.

“It is government’s wish to have our councils liberated of such central political control, to be guided by established norms and good governance practice; to be accountable to relevant institutions and principally, their constituents,” Minister Bulkan said during his recent budget presentation in the National Assembly.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has over the years complained that because property valuations have not been done in the longest while, the municipality cannot receive what is rightly due to it from ratepayers.

“Though not a silver bullet for our council’s revenue woes, the transformation and modernisation of the property assessment framework remains a priority. It is a Constitutional prescription that local government areas

be economically viable and have an adequate resource base for the management and development of their area as per Article 72,” the minister said.

He noted that an updated property register is therefore key to council’s empowerment to be effective in the discharge of its functions and to its financial autonomy and viability.

Most councils, by the end of 2019, should have an updated register enabling them to make equitable decisions on the rate percentages on priorities they want to utilise.

“The choice of rates will invariably determine the quantum of resources available to the council, the quality and delivery of services and level of investment in the community. However, the choice of rates will ultimately be a decision of each Council, individually, not a Central Government one,” he said.

Bulkan pointed out that this is not an exercise in taxation, as is “erroneously” labelled by the opposition.

“This is an exercise in empowering local democratic organs; this is an exercise in making important resource options available to the various councils and communities, thereby insulating them from the whims and fancies of politicians and agencies fixated with control.”

Police round up several youths over NA robbery

The Dong Fang Trading Store on Strand Road New Amsterdam which was robbed over the weekend

SEVERAL youths have been detained as the investigations continue into the multi-million dollar robbery committed at the Dong Fang Trading store at Lot 12 Strand, New Amsterdam, Berbice on Friday last.

On Friday night, just before 20:00hrs after the store was closed for business, Lin Jee went to the back of the store to close a door when he was suddenly confronted by three bandits whose faces were covered with handkerchiefs, and caps.

The intruders armed with two small guns, took their young victim to the upper flat through an inner staircase. But as they did so, they, were confronted by an older

Chinese national whom they overpowered. That 46- year– old was tied and gagged, before the bandits demanded that the younger Jee hand over money. The thieves were taken to a bedroom, where two million dollars were handed over to them, as they were leaving they removed three I phones valued US$3600 from a nearby table, before escaping through a hole in the back fence. An alarm was raised but, the bandits escaped. However, following investigations several youth were arrested. The victims are expected to attend an identification parade this week.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

ECD-EBD road link will not affect drainage systems –– other environmental impacts being considered, property owners being consulted THE proposed 15.350km four-lane road, which will directly link Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), will not affect drainage systems.

RITES Limited, the company which was contracted by the Government of Guyana to design the road, has assured the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) that the project will not disturb drainage systems since there are provisions to avoid the disruption of those systems.

The EPA had urged RITES and the government that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed, given the magnitude and proposed components of the

project.

In light of this, the EPA started its scoping exercise to interact with stakeholders and field questions which would be included in the terms of reference of the impending study.

Representative of the Ministry of Agriculture George Jarvis, during the scoping exercise, enquired

A mapped out view of where the road and its connections will be

if there are plans in place to protect the Lamaha Canal from unnatural contamination, since the canal is the main source of consumable water in Georgetown.

An Engineer of RITES Limited, Rajendra Sowthal in response said a massive fence will be constructed on both sides of the bridge which will connect the road which will lead to the main alignment.

Executive Director of the EPA, Vincent Adams, however, questioned the effectiveness of the fence, noting that during the construction phase the bitumen could run off into the conservancy. He instead advised the RITES to consider ways to trap the

sediments.

The company has already conducted a site reconnaissance; completed a preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment for the transportation related project; and considered a community development plan for Ogle and Diamond.

According to RITES, they are in the process of evaluating legal and regulatory framework; evaluating baseline conditions relevant to the environmental parameters.

Activities in process include stakeholder point of contact; stakeholder identification; stakeholder outreach; public consultation meetings; communication plan and identifying priority issues for community members.

Sowthal said among some of the highlights of the consultation, would be the movement of several properties to cater for the construction of the road.

Information from RITES shows that 51 properties including two commercial properties will have to be moved. According to a breakdown of the information, two residential properties at Goedeverwagting will be moved; 18 at Ogle; nine at Aubrey Barker; 14 residential and two commercial at Mocha Arcadia; and six in Diamond.

Despite the imminent changes, Sowthal believes that the project is necessary because the existing roadway has exceeded its capacity and would need to be upgraded to a six lane road if the new road is not constructed. “The new road needs to double up and ease the congestion… approximately 24,000 vehicles will be directed to the new road,” he said.

RITES has so far con-

sidered the road safety provisions which include the installation of metal beam crash barriers; concrete cash barrier; highway lighting; traffic signs; pavement marking; impact attenuators; road studs; U-turn facilities; pedestrian footpath; cycle track and shrub plantation in raised median to cut headlight glare.

The project is estimated to cost US$104,000,000 and will be funded through a loan provided by the Government of India.

The proposed design for the main alignment comprises three sections. Between the Rupert Craig Highway and the Railway Embankment will have four lanes with a cycle lane on each side and covered concrete drain which will be used as a sidewalk; between the Railway Embankment and the GuySuCo compound will have a similar but expanded design, along with the cane field area which will have four lanes with a 40m reserve to separate the direction of traffic. All other deliverables will be submitted in 2019.

It will also allow for integration with the existing road network via a number of connector roads, measuring a total length of 9.62 km, at the following roadways: at Aubrey Barker, Haags Bosch, and Mocha-Arcadia Road and at Diamond Access Road.

According to the ministry, the consultant is expected to submit the Draft Detailed Project Report in February, 2019, the Final Detailed Project Report in April, 2019 and the bid documents in May, 2019.

Stage Two is expected to commence in July, 2019 with the construction and supervision of the road project.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Felix lauds migrant-support efforts of international partners THE National Multi-Sectorial Coordinating Committee on Monday convened its last meeting for 2018, as the government, with the support of its international partners, continues to manage the influx of Venezuelan migrants and make provisions accordingly.

Speaking at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office, Minister of Citizenship, Mr. Winston Felix said that “Once the Venezuelans are arriving, we will continue to work… hadn’t it been for a forum like this the information we

received would have been isolated. When it is brought here, we are better able to make decisions on how best to address the issues…this committee is central to coordinating and monitoring the activities of the Venezuelan migrants. As long as they (migrants) are coming, this committee has a job to do.”

Over the past several months, against many challenges, particularly as it relates to the country’s porous borders, this national body has worked assiduously to streamline the arrival of mi-

grants; ensuring that they are properly documented and immunised in keeping with the legal requirements. This feat, according to the Ministry of Public Health, has placed an additional financial burden on an already taxed health sector to provide additional services at the level of primary health care delivery as well as in hospital settings.

The ministry is now calling for the development of policy guidelines to address the migrant population and a longterm strategy to transition the current response into routine

service delivery.

Meanwhile, data collected by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) revealed that employment opportunities and/or income generating activities top the list of needs of migrants at this time. This is followed by assistance for documentation.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the other hand, is working closely with the Immigration Department to improve efficiency in terms of regis-

tration. To this end, the UNHCR has procured a number of equipment including biometric scanning devices, scanners and laptops to aid immigration officers at the various ports. Similarly, organisations such as Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) continue to lend technical and financial support to enhance

capacities of various public agencies to deal with issues pertaining to migrants.

Minister Felix, in expressing his gratitude, noted that the efforts and progress that have been made as a country and as a government is due largely to the support of these international bodies.

The committee will resume its fortnightly meetings on January 7, 2019. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Grove man to cool off in jail –– over robbery at knife-point charge SENIOR Magistrate Faith McGusty, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday, remanded a 24-year-old to prison for allegedly robbing a miner at knife-point.

Tajnaught Ramkissoon, of Grove, East Bank Demerara, on December 15, 2018 at Jimbo Bridge, in his neighbourhood, is alleged to have robbed Ramesh Seunarine of a cell-phone valued $32,000 and $57,000 in cash while being armed with a knife.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Ceon Blackman opposed to Ramkissoon being granted pre-trial liberty on the grounds that a weapon was used in the commission of the crime.

According to the facts

presented in court, on the day in question, Ramkissoon, after helping Seunarine with directions, asked him for $200.

It was while Seunarine was reaching into his pocket for the money that Ramkissoon reportedly pulled out a knife and, placing it at the victim’s head, relieved him of the articles mentioned in the charge.

Blackman said that Ramkissoon was positively identified by the victim during an identification parade.

Ramkissoon was remanded until January 7, 2019, and the matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrates’ Court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Guyana Pegasus rating upgraded –– to reflect ‘strong macroeconomic prospects’ (BOAC), now known as British Airways (BA), to house its staff operating on flights into Guyana.

Badal purchased the property in 2009 through his holding company, Sahara Investment Incorporated.

The holding company owns 97 per cent of Pegasus while

The Pegasus Hotel

AGAINST the backdrop of strong macroeconomic prospects here, the Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services Limited (CariCRIS) has raised the national scale rating of the Guyana Pegasus to gyAA+.

According to a release from the regional credit rating agency , the macroeconomic prospects for Guyana is expected to drive the demand for ‘Class A’ office space and accommodation that is to be provided by the new Pegasus Suites and Corporate Center, which is under construction by Chinese firm , China Harbour and Engineering Company (CHEC).

The body said that the Guyana national scale rating indicates that the level of creditworthiness of this obli-

gation adjudged in relation to other obligations in Guyana is high. “The uplift of the regional foreign currency rating is based on our internal assessment of improved creditworthiness of Guyana’s sovereign risk over the last 12 months,” the agency said.

It was noted that the hotel’s strong brand equity and stable occupancy rates at its Kingston location, as well as its good financial performance with stable revenues and increasing operating cash flows, also support the ratings. “These rating strengths are tempered by the high reliance on the promoter to drive the success of the new project,” the agency said.

In March this year , CEO of the Pegasus , Robert Badal stated at the launch of the US$100M expansion proj-

ect that the feat entails the construction of two high rise structures which will house first world quality office, living spaces and all the services of a first class hotel.

CariCRIS said in its release that the moderate project risk that characterises this new project, together with the existence of room for improvement in internal management reporting and governance arrangements, also temper the ratings.

“CariCRIS maintained a stable outlook on the ratings.

The stable outlook is based on our expectation of continued revenue and profitability growth in the hotel’s operations over the next 12 to 15 months,” the agency stated.

The hotel was established in 1969 by British Overseas Airways Corporation

Sophia man learns the hard way –– women not always easy pickings SENIOR Magistrate Leron Daly on Monday remanded to prison a 27-year-old Sophia resident on two attempted robbery charges.

It is alleged that Myles Hinds, called Dereck, on December 11, 2018 at Church and Light Streets assaulted Cuban national, Catherine Fernandez and attempted to rob her of a $1,200 purse and $90,000 in cash.

It is further alleged that on the same day and location, Hinds assaulted Mitsloris Vasquez, a Venezuelan national, and

attempted to rob her of a makeup set, purse and other items amounting to $155,000.

Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh told the court that on the day in question, the two women were walking along Church and Light Streets when they were accosted by two men on a motorbike.

Hinds, who was the pillion rider, reportedly attempted to relieve both women of their handbags, and when they put up a fight, he punched them in their faces.

The women were rescued by public spirited persons who rushed to their aid and apprehended Hinds, while the other suspect escaped.

The prosecutor objected to Hinds being released on bail, on the grounds that he already has a breakand-enter and larceny matter pending, and a violent past, having been put away for two years back in 2008 for wounding.

As such, he now has until January 21, 2019 to contemplate the error of his ways behind bars.

3% is owned by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) of Guyana.

Badal then embarked on substantial renovation and upgrade to the property over the ensuing years.

Pegasus is now considered a premier hotel in Guyana and a market leader with a

strong brand both regionally and internationally.

The hotel consists of 130 rooms comprising of three suites, 33 luxury rooms and 94 standard rooms, as well as three restaurants. With three conference rooms and a ballroom, Pegasus is used extensively for conferences, business meetings, corporate retreats, weddings and Christmas parties.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

2,606 pounds of cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea THE United States Coast Guard says it seized an estimated 2,606 pounds of cocaine and nabbed three smugglers during an exercise in the Caribbean Sea earlier last week.

The US Coast Guard said that the three suspected smugglers have been handed over to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agents here, and that it had collaborated with the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) law enforcement authorities in seizing the US$30 million cocaine shipment on Tuesday last.

“This interdiction is the result of ongoing multi-agency law enforcement efforts

in support of Operations Full Court Press, Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group,” the US Coast Guard said.

Lieutenant Commander Mario Gil, commanding officer of the Coast Guard cutter, Joseph Tezanos, said this case was a team effort and perfect example of Caribbean Border Interagency Group partners working in coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force – East to protect the people of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

“This case involved a high-speed chase of over 10 hours in challenging weather conditions. That was possible thanks to the tenacity

and persistence of the Tezano’s crew and of our partners, who are proud to have completed the mission and prevented a large quantity of drugs from reaching the streets,” he added.

The US Coast Guard said the crew of two Customs and Border Protection Caribbean Air and Marine Branch maritime patrol aircraft also responded and supported the interdiction by maintaining aerial surveillance of the gofast vessel.

“Throughout the multihour pursuit, the Coast Guard and CBP aircrews vectored-in the cutter Joseph Tezanos to the gofast’s position,” it said.

The US Coast Guard

Over 500 GDF ranks receive incentives FIVE hundred and one soldiers have been rewarded with monetary incentives for their outstanding performance for the year 2018.

Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West presented the incentives to some of the soldiers recently at the Force’s Annual Incentive Ceremony, which was held at the auditorium, Base Camp Ayanganna.

This is the largest batch of soldiers to receive incentives and Brigadier West challenged the ranks to remain on the list of recipients, telling them, “do not allow any other soldier to displace you. Keep working hard.”

The incentive ceremony is a way in which the Force rewards outstanding ranks, a system which Brigadier West has pledged to continue. “You are being rewarded because you have given exemplary service during

Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West presenting monetary incentive to one of the many female ranks who were rewarded

the year and your superiors have found you worthy of recognition,” the chief of staff asserted.

Brigadier West also reminded ranks that as the

Christmas season unfolds, it is incumbent upon them to remain diligent, watchful and accountable for the assets placed under their charge.

Labourer killed on One Mile Public Road, taxi driver arrested A TAXI driver is in police custody after he allegedly drove over a 25-year-old labourer, killing him on One Mile Public Road Wismar, Linden in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Dead is Imtiaz Muhammad, a labourer of Tuschen West Coast of Demerara (WCD).

Reports indicate that the hire car HC 8814 was proceeding west along the southern side of One Mile Public Road when it is alleged that the driver was blinded by the bright light of an oncoming vehicle in the opposite direction.

As such, the driver drove over Muhammad who was lying on the Southern side of the road. The driver stopped for a while and then drove away.

Imtiaz Muhammad was taken the Linden Hospital by an ambulance where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Dead: Imtiaz Muhammad

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

FROM BACK PAGE

KFC Mega Cup comes to...

And she put on a fantastic drive in the pre-final to hold off Jeremy up until the last corner of the last lap where he won by 1/16th of a kart length.

In the final, Jeremy came under intense pressure in the opening fixture but dealt with it well to come home ahead of Paige and Justin.

Mikhail Persaud dominates junior class The Junior class was all Mikhail Persaud. A 31.561 in qualifying nudged out Rayden Persaud for pole position with Zachary Persaud’s 31.737 being good enough for third. Further back was Elan Rahaman, Jeremy Ten-Pow, who stepped up to this class for the event and Faraud Mohamed, all separated by four-tenths of a second to the pole sitter.

The pre-final was a master-class of defensive driving from Mikhail who held off a charging Rayden Persaud and Zachary Persaud with the final ending the same way.

Jeffrey, Daley set seniors alight From the qualifying session for the 125cc Seniors, it was a battle between Ja-

maica’s Colin Daley and Kristian Jeffrey. And with the class being the largest with 11 competitors, they had to do qualifying in two batches, with Daley setting the bar high with 31.316 and Jeffrey, who came out in the second session posting a 31.312 on the first lap, bettering that the next lap with a 31.138.

In the pre-final, Jeffrey got the jump on Daley and was absolutely blistering. Daley had to make up ground but was no match for the Guyanese, finishing second with Steven Nobrega third.

In the final, team work between Jeffrey and Nobrega helped them pull away from Daley and the duo never looked back; Daley and Nobrega swapping podium places for the final Anticlimactic shifter end The much-touted shifter kart event had an anticlimactic end to an otherwise interesting battle. A four wide pileup of drivers in the hairpin corner of the track left one kart out and the other in serious need of repair.

A show of sportsmanship from the Guyanese trio

FROM BACK PAGE

BCB elections...

Those in favour of the motion were the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Kildonan Cricket Club, Port Mourant Cricket Club, Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club, the Mental Hospital Cricket Club, Mt. Sinai Cricket Club, Guymine Sports Club and the delegate from Albion.

PREVIOUS MOTIONS A few weeks ago, the BCB passed two other motions to include the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and the Young Warriors Cricket Club to its membership by a 25 to 0 vote, while a 22 to 8 vote was obtained for vacancies on the Berbice Cricket Board executives to be filled at special general meetings.

MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT Foster updated the members on the massive

development taking place in the county. He said that the BCB in 2018 hosted a record-breaking 30 tournaments at the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, female, primary school, secondary school, double- wicket, internal zone, second division and first division levels.

The Foster-led administration also hosted dozens of developmental programmes, while at the same time the BCB raised over $10M in cash and kind via an aggressive marketing drive.

The BCB president urged the delegates to cooperate with each other and reminded the clubs that the main objective should be the support for youths to fulfil their dreams.

“The duty of a cricket administrator is to create pathways for the next generation of players,” Foster stated.

of Calvin Ming, Kristian Jeffrey and Stefan Jeffrey allowed a 15-minute break for mechanics to fix Colin Daley’s kart. On the restart, however, the Jeffrey cousins would depart before they

gave any meaningful competition; Stefan flying off into the tyres after contact and Kristian retiring with mechanical damage, leaving Calvin Ming to win ahead of Daley. The duo did put on an

entertaining exchange, however, with at least half of the 15 lap-race.

In the earlier pre-final, Daley got the better of Jeffrey from the line and never looked back, with Ming fin-

ishing ahead of Jeffrey.

Daley got revenge in the earlier qualifying session when he beat Kristian Jeffrey by one-tenth of a second, while Stefan placed third and Ming fourth

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Lyon, Hazlewood leave India five SCOREBOARD down and in agony

AUSTRALIA 1st innnigs 326, India 1st innings 283 Australia 2nd innings o/n 123-4 Marcus Harris b Jasprit Bumrah 20 Aaron Finch c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 25 Usman Khawaja c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 72 Shaun Marsh c Rishabh Pant b Mohammed Shami 5 Peter Handscomb lbw Ishant Sharma 13 Travis Head c Ishant Sharma b Mohammed Shami 19 Tim Paine c Virat Kohli b Mohammed Shami 37 Pat Cummins b Jasprit Bumrah 1 Mitchell Starc b Jasprit Bumrah 14 Nathan Lyon c Hanuma Vihari b Mohammed Shami 5 Josh Hazlewood Not Out 17 Extras: 8b 3lb 0nb 0pen 4w 15 Total: (93.2 overs) 243 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-59 Harris, 2-64 Marsh, 3-85 Handscomb, 4-120 Head, 5-192 Paine, 6-192 Finch, 7-198 Khawaja, 8-198 Cummins, 9-207 Lyon, 10-243 Starc Bowling: Ishant Sharma 16-1-45- 1, Jasprit Bumrah 25.2-10-39-3, Mohammed Shami 24-8-56-6 (2w), Umesh Yadav 14-0-61-0 ( 2w) Hanuma Vihari 14-4-31-0.

By Tristan Lavalette

PERTH (Reuters) Australia need five wickets in the second Test to secure a series-levelling victory as India teetered in their daunting chase on a menacing pitch on Monday.

Chasing 287 runs after closing out Australia’s second innings for 243, India finished day four on 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine.

Struggling on the Perth Stadium pitch marked by widening cracks, India made a poor start losing the key wickets of Lokesh Rahul for a fourth-ball duck and Cheteshwar Pujara, their first test hero in Adelaide, for four.

India’s faint hopes rested on captain Virat Kohli who counter-attacked with several flowing drives in reminiscent fashion to his masterful first innings of 123.

Kohli combined with opener Murali Vijay to stabilise India before he edged a straight Nathan Lyon delivery to Usman Khawaja at slip for 17, sparking scenes of jubilation from the Australian players.

The off-spinner claimed the India talisman for a record seventh time, the most by a bowler, and in his next over bowled Vijay for 20 off an inside edge.

Mitchell Starc removed KL Rahul in the first over of India’s chase... ©Getty Images

Ajinkya Rahane played his strokes and combined well with Vihari before the India vice-captain fell just before stumps, slashing a Josh Hazlewood delivery straight to point for 30.

“We are excited to come back tomorrow, but there is a little bit of work to be done,” Hazlewood told reporters. “We just have to stay disciplined and patient.

There is enough there in the wicket, we just need to hit the right areas.”

Emotions were frayed at times on the pivotal day four with Australia captain Tim Paine and his counterpart Kohli involved in a heated exchange in the first session forcing umpire Chris

Gaffaney to step in.

“Without the banter on field, there is no fun in cricket,” India quick Mohammed Shami said.

The bowling onslaught has Australia on the cusp of snapping a barren sixtest run without a win and providing Paine with his first triumph as skipper.

Australia’s bowlers regained firm control of the match after their batsmen had crumbled against Shami in the middle session.

After a wicketless morning session, India came alive through blistering short-pitched bowling from Shami, who made the ball steeple off the deteriorating wicket to finish with a

career-best 6-56.

Australia spectacularly lost four wickets for six runs starting with Paine (37) falling to a vicious short ball from Shami, which spat off the pitch hitting the glove and ballooned to slip.

Shami was on a hat-trick when he had Aaron Finch caught behind down the legside in a fleeting resumption for the opener.

Finch retired hurt on day three on 25 after being struck on the glove by a searing short ball from Shami but X-Rays cleared him of serious injury to his right index finger.

Shami was denied the hat-trick but soon claimed his fifth wicket with another

SCOREBOARD INDIA 2nd innings Lokesh Rahul b Mitchell Starc 0 Murali Vijay b Nathan Lyon 20 Cheteshwar Pujara c Tim Paine b Josh Hazlewood 4 Virat Kohli c Usman Khawaja b Nathan Lyon 17 Ajinkya Rahane c Travis Head b Josh Hazlewood 30 Hanuma Vihari Not Out 24 Rishabh Pant Not Out 9 Extras: 6b 0lb 0nb 0pen 2w 8 Total:(41.0 overs) 112-5 Fall of Wickets : 1-0 Rahul, 2-13 Pujara, 3-48 Kohli, 4-55 Vijay, 5-98 Rahane To Bat : Sharma, Shami, Yadav, Bumrah Bowling: Mitchell Starc 10- 2-28-1 (1w), Josh Hazlewood 11-3-24-2, Pat Cummins 8-0-24-0 (1w), Nathan Lyon 12-2-30-2.

menacing bouncer that caught Khawaja’s glove to be caught behind for 72.

Australia’s lead was 250 before Hazlewood (17 not out) and Mitchell Starc (14) added an invaluable 36 runs for the last wicket.

The pyrotechnics contrasted a sedate morning session dominated

by Australia, who grabbed control of a fluctuating match with Khawaja and Paine batting through to lunch.

Latham double ton puts New Zealand in control against Sri Lanka WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Tom Latham put any questions about his future in the New Zealand cricket team to bed with a maiden double century as he effectively batted Sri Lanka out of the first test on the third day at the Basin Reserve on Monday.

Latham finished 264 not out — a world’s best for an opener carrying their bat through a completed innings — as New Zealand

were bowled out for 578, and holding a 296-run first innings lead, about an hour before stumps on the third day.

Tom Southee and Trent Boult then reduced the visitors to 20 for three at stumps, with Kusal Mendis, who is on five, and Angelo Mathews (two) to return on Tuesday to see if they can avoid an innings loss inside four days.

Despite the pace bowling

fireworks towards the end of play, the third day belonged to the 26-year-old Latham.

The left-hander was concentration personified as he built on the century he completed on the Sunday and brought up his double with a controlled push into the leg side for a single.

He immediately broke into a grin as he trotted through to complete the run and become the 15th New Zealand batsman to score a

test double century and first since Ross Taylor scored 290 against Australia in Perth in November, 2015.

His score is the sixthhighest for New Zealand, with Brendon McCullum’s 302, on the same ground against India in 2014, still the benchmark.

It was a welcome return for Latham, whose place in the side while probably not under serious threat, had begun to be questioned after

a lean run of form.

Since his last century of 177 against Bangladesh in early 2017 he has scored a total of 488 runs in 19 innings at an average of 27.11, almost 10 runs lower than his career average.

In that period he passed 50 just four times. Latham played the anchor role to a fluent Kane Williamson on Sunday and continued to accumulate on Monday as the rest of the lineup took a

more aggressive approach.

Only BJ Watling from the top seven failed to get going on a placid pitch, with Taylor and Henry Nicholls both scoring 50, while Colin de Grandhomme hit three fours and three sixes in his 49.

Jeet Raval (43) and Williamson (91) were both dismissed on Sunday.

Tom Latham stayed unbeaten on 264 as New Zealand were all out for 578.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

BBC Sports Personality of the Year:

Billie Jean King given lifetime achievement award LEGENDARY tennis player Billie Jean King has been honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year show.

The 75-year-old American, one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, won 39 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles competitions.

King is an advocate for gender equality and in 1973

won the Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs.

She is also the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

“We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and we all have an opportunity to share our lives, our experiences and our vision for the future,” King said.

“Each of us is an influencer, and to all the athletes

who truly have a platform, let’s continue to use the power of our voices and our actions to inspire others.”

King turned professional in 1959 and gained global recognition two years later when she and Karen Hantze Susman became the youngest pair to win the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon.

In 1966, she won her first major singles title, again at Wimbledon, and was

crowned world number one for the first time - a ranking she held for five further years (1967-1968, 1971-1972 and 1974).

She retained her Wimbledon titles in both 1967 and 1968 - the years in which she also won her first US Open and Australian Open singles titles respectively.

In total, King won a record 20 Wimbledon titles as well as 13 US Open, four

Champions League round of sixteen..

Bayern Munich to face Liverpool, PSG meet Man Utd

By Brian Homewood NYON, Switzerland (Reuters) Bayern Munich and Liverpool, both five-times European champions, will meet in one of three England-Germany clashes in the Champions League round of sixteen following the draw made at UEFA headquarters on Monday.

English champions Manchester City will take on Schalke 04 and Tottenham Hotspur will face Borussia Dortmund in the other clashes between the Premier League and the Bundesliga.

Holders Real Madrid will face four-times winners Ajax Amsterdam, who have reached the knockout stages for the first since 2005-06.

In other ties, Manchester United take on Paris St Germain for the first time while Serie A champions Juventus face Europa League winners Atletico Madrid, Barcelona meet Olympique Lyonnais and AS Roma tackle Porto.

Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp has the chance to renew a fierce rivalry with Bayern which dates back to his days in charge of Borussia Dortmund where he won two successive Bundesliga titles.

Overall, however, Klopp’s record against Bayern is not the greatest with eight wins, five draws and 16 defeats.

Liverpool, who finished

Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane

second in their group behind Paris St Germain, will play the first leg at home.

Recent form would appear to favour Manchester City against Schalke as Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last seven matches against German clubs, winning six of those.

Tottenham forward Harry Kane will also be looking forward to facing Dortmund, having scored three times in two matches against them.

Real Madrid are firm

favourites against Ajax, having won their last six games against the Dutch side, scoring 20 goals in those fixtures and conceding only two.

They were 4-1 victors both in the Netherlands and Spain in the most recent contests, in the 201213 group stage.

History is also in Barcelona’s favour against Lyon as the Catalans have won five and drawn one of six previous meetings.

Juventus and Atletico Madrid have met only twice before, in the Champions League group stage in 2014-15.

Those games produced one goal between them and with the same coaches still in charge — Massimiliano Allegri at Juve and Diego Simeone at Atletico — another cagey encounter is likely.

“We have a very strong team so we are confident,” said Juventus director Pavel Nedved.

“Atletico are a very balanced team, difficult to face.

“They can defend deep and always create trouble with Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann.

I see two hard-fought games, maybe with not many goals.”

However, Atletico are also one of Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s favourite opponents — the former Real Madrid player has scored 22 goals against them, a total he has bettered only against Getafe (23) and Sevilla (27).

Billie Jean King receives her Life Time Achievement Award from Sue Barker during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018 at Birmingham Genting Arena. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)

French Open and two Australian Open crowns between 1961 and 1979. She collected three Grand Slam titles in one year in 1972.

She won 129 singles titles in all, 78 of which were

WTA titles. In addition, she won seven Fed Cups as a player and four as the US team’s captain.

King retired from professional tennis in 1983.

(BBC Sport)

Captains Kohli and Paine clash in second Test in Perth

Virat Kohli (left) and Tim Paine exchanged verbal volleys on Day 3 of the second Test between India and Australia.

AUSTRALIA captain Tim Paine and India counterpart Virat Kohli clashed on day four of the second Test in Perth as the hosts closed in on victory.

Umpire Chris Gaffaney had to step in at one point when the two exchanged words while Paine was batting.

During India’s second innings, keeper Paine, speaking to Murali Vijay, said: “I know he’s your captain but you can’t seriously like him as a bloke.”

Australia look set to level the series with India 112-5 chasing 287 to win. Paine had said before the series that “gaining the respect of our country and fans is as high priority as winning” in Australia’s first home Test series since March’s ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

However, he and Kohli clashed late on day three after a caughtbehind appeal against Australia’s captain was turned down.

Walking past Paine, Kohli said

to his team-mates “If he messes it up, it’s 2-0”, to which Paine replied: “You’ve got to bat first, big head.”

The sledging continued during the fourth day after the pair collided when Paine was taking a quick single. The stump microphone picked up the conversation.

Kohli to Paine: “I’m not saying a word to you, why are you getting riled up?”

Paine to Kohli: “I’m fine. You’re the one that lost it yesterday, why are you trying to be cool today?”

Chris Gaffaney: “Oi, that’s enough, that’s enough.”

Paine: “We’re allowed to talk.”

Gaffaney: “Nah, nah, come on, play the game. You guys are the captains.”

Paine: “We can have a conversation... there’s no swearing, no...”

Gaffaney: “Tim you’re the captain.”

Paine: “Keep your cool, Virat!”

Kohli responded with a wry smile.(BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Lusignan A cart off Banks Beer 100-balls title LUSIGNAN A won the Banks Beer 100-ball title after they defeated host Enmore in the final on Sunday last.

Enmore made 108-6 from their quota before Lusignan A reached 109-2 with 14 balls to spare.

Enmore skipper, Bhemraj Ramkelawan and Imran Hassan put on 38 for the first wicket with scores of 26 and 17 respectively, while Amir Khan chipped in with 14. Vishwanauth Ramlakan top scored with 27. He was supported by Yurav Dyal with 10.

Rajpaul Gopaul took 2-8 while Jason Heyliger (2-21) and Kumar Bishundial (2-15) bowled well In reply, player- of-the-final, Robin Williams (29) and Gavin Boodwah (24) added 44 in six overs.

Krishna Deosaran and Vishnu Ramjeetand then took their side comfortably home.

Meanwhile, in the third-place playoff, Lusignan B defeated Fairfield by seven wickets.

Fairfield batted first and posted 1167 with Ramnarine Chatura top-scoring with 38. He shared in a 56-run opening stand with Leon Targoonchandrue (16).

Wazim Mustapha and Richard Chatura chipped in with 13 and 15 respectively.

Navin Persaud was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-13 while Farron Kadir took 2-26.

In reply, Shazam Ali hammered an unbeaten 61, consisting of six fours and a lone six after facing 45 balls to power his team to victory.

The victorious Lusignan A team with some of their supporters.

Corporate Guyana contributes to Bermuda Cricket Board RHTYSC Christmas Programme seeks new part-time national coach

RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster receives a donation from a representative of KSM Investment.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday December 18, 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 Tuesday’s quiz: (1) Bill Lawry & Ray Illingworth (AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1971) (2) Clive Lioyd & Asif Iqbal (WI vs PAK, Albion, 1977) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has led his team in most ODIs to date?

(2) Who has captained the WI in most ODIs to date?

Answer in tomorrow's issue

HUNDREDS of children and less fortunate families in the County of Berbice will be having a brighter Christmas when the management and cricketers of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, Guyana’s leading youth and sports organization, host their annual multimillion dollar Christmas Charity Programme from December 20 to 24.

The club’s ten cricket teams, which consist of over two hundred members, are forging ahead with plans for the two programmes under the direction of club secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster and his deputy, Simon Naidu.

To this end, the Christmas Village received several financial donations last Friday. Peter Lewis, KSM Investment; A.M. Khan of LBT; Farfan & Mendes; Alistair Parris of Len’s Craft; the Hardware Depot; John Lewis of John Lewis Styles; the Gift Centre; Bissoondyal Sing of Bissan Trading and the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce have all contributed to the venture.

The ten cricket teams also received a large donation of toys and food items from several of the RHTYSC corporate supporters. They include Big ‘B’ Restaurant, Bounty Farm, Fairfield Rice Mill, Bakewell, V Net Communications, H.A Snacks Ltd, F & H Printery, Toucan Industries, Starr Computers, W/R Enterprise, Factory Price, Regal Enterprise, Sueria Manufacturing, K. Sarwan, Anil Beharry, Rana Persaud, Cirkel Distributors, Ryan Tillack, Poonai Pharmacy, the Office of the First Lady, S. Tulsi-Mahadeo and Sterling Products Ltd. Foster stated that at the completion of 2018, the ten cricket teams would have distributed over $5M worth of hampers, toys, clothing, and educational materials to less fortunate children, single- parent households, NGOs, churches and the elderly.

Under-17 captain and national junior cricketer, Jonathan Rampersaud, who is one of the chief organisers of the programme, expressed gratitude to all of the donors.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – The Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) is seeking a new national cricket coach “to create a winning culture” following the departure of Clay Smith.

Bermuda cricket has been in the doldrums since the national team reached the World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, coached by former West Indies Test batsman Gus Logie.

Reflecting the country’s fall in the international rankings, the post will be a part-time one only.

The BCB, hit by a series of resignations in recent months, said in a release that it is “seeking a visionary with a proven and progressive approach to modern day cricket”.

Applications close on December 28.

The BCB said the new coach would be required to report to the chairman of its high performance committee, the successful candidate being able to “deliver sustained success in all conditions and formats while creating a winning culture and team capable of playing competitive cricket on the world stage”.

Smith, who took over from Arnold Manders in December 2015, stood down in October, three months after his contract expired on July 7. Bermuda dropped to the lowest rung of international cricket in Malaysia last spring

Head coach Clay Smith … stood down in October.

when they were relegated – along with Vanuatu – to the World Cricket League Division Five.

Smith’s departure was followed by the resignation of the BCB’s chief executive Neil Speight after 13 years in the post.

Vice-president Nyon Steede also handed in his resignation, while treasurer Gershon Gibbons stepped down earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, having left the national team set-up, 47-yearold Smith has agreed to coach club side Flatts, newly promoted to the Premier Division, next season.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Hope, Cottrell career-bests flatten Tigers SYLHET, Bangladesh, (CMC) – Shai Hope struck the third-fastest half-century in Twenty20 Internationals to extend an extraordinary run of form, as West Indies romped to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the opening game of the three-match series here Monday.

Chasing a meagre 130 after left-arm speedster Sheldon Cottrell’s career-best four-wicket haul had left the hosts’ innings in ruins at 129 all out off 19 overs, the Windies sped to their target in the 11th over, with the right-handed Hope top-scoring with an explosive 55 from 23 deliveries.

Coming off unbeaten one-day centuries in his last two outings over the past week, Hope once again looked in fine touch, stroking three fours and half-dozen sixes in a scintillating innings. The 25-year-old required just 16 balls to reach his maiden T20 half-century.

Only India’s Yuvraj Singh (12 balls) and New Zealander Colin Munro (14) have gone faster.

Keemo Paul, afforded a promotion in the order, slammed an unbeaten 28 from 14 balls while lefthander Nicholas Pooran finished on 23 not out off 17

West Indies batsman Shai Hope goes on the attack during his career-best half-century in the opening Twenty20 International on Monday.

deliveries.

The victory was only the Caribbean side’s second on tour, following their 2-0 whitewash in the Test series and 2-1 defeat in the one-day series. Bangladesh had earlier struggled after choosing to bat and only captain Shakibal-Hasan, with 61 off 43 balls, showed any enterprise.

West Indies quicks utilised the short ball with telling effect, and this accounted for both openers cheaply with only 19 on the board in the third over.

Tamim Iqbal top-edged a pull at Man-of-the-Match

Cottrell (4-28) and was taken at mid-off by captain Carlos Brathwaite for five in the second over while Liton Das fell in identical fashion to speedster Oshane Thomas for six. Soumya Sarkar holed out to deep mid-wicket off another short ball from Cottrell for five in the fourth over and when Mushfiqur Rahim (5) was brilliantly run out at the non-striker’s end

by Rovman Powell’s direct hit from mid-wicket, Bangladesh were tottering on 48 for four in the sixth over.

Shakib shepherded the innings well, a combination

GFF Super 16 tournament

Sheldon Cotrell claimed 4 for 28 in Windies’s win. © AFP

of straight hits and delightful off-side drives accounting for his eight fours and two sixes. He put on 25 for the fifth wicket with Mahmudullah (12) and a further 30 for the sixth wicket with Ariful Haque (17).

Once Ariful picked out Pooran at deep square off left-arm spinner Fabian Allen in the 16th over, the Bangladesh innings declined as the last five wickets fell for 26 runs off 21 deliveries.

Shakib was eighth out, skying a short ball to be caught and bowled by Cottrell running around to a shortish square leg.

Paul helped to engineer the late slide, finishing with two for

23 from four overs of medium pace.

The result was never really in doubt once Hope and Evin Lewis (18) put on a pulsating 51 off 20 balls for the opening stand.

Hope served notice of intentions from as early as the second over when he struck dangerous off-spinner Mehidy Hasan for three sixes in four balls – the first a slogsweep over mid-wicket, the second a pull over square leg and the third another pull over the mid-wicket ropes – as the over leaked 23 runs.

Hope cleared the ropes at extra cover in the next over with left-arm seamer Abu Hider and reached his maiden T20 half-century in the

sixth over when he smashed Mehidy over long on for his second six of the over which cost 18 runs.

Lewis had holed out in the deep in the fourth over off speedster Mohammad Saifuddin but Hope dominated a 47-run second wicket stand off 26 balls with Pooran before finally departing in the eighth over, caught on the ropes at extra cover off off-spinner Mahmudullah.

Hope’s demise came at no expense to the run rate as Paul lashed a four and three lovely straight sixes to see West Indies home easily. The second match is scheduled for Thursday in Dhaka.

Garnett’s hat-trick sinks Berbice –Schultz’ lone strike denies Police

Domini Garnett

DOMINI Garnett scored the first hat-trick of the GFF’s ‘Super 16’ tournament, to help Fruta Conquerors demolish Berbice 6 – 0, while Pernell Schultz’ lone strike was enough to hand Western Tigers three points against Police when the competition continued on Sunday evening at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.

The Berbice unit seemed hapless against the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League champions, and in fact, had it not been for some selfish plays, the scoreline would’ve easily

been more than ten goals.

Garnett was sensational to watch, impacting the game with his timely passes and altruistic plays. The Fruta Conquerors marksman opened his account seven minutes into the game and doubled the lead ten minutes later.

Eon Alleyne made it 3 – 0 in the 20th minute, while Garnett completed his hattrick in the 30th minute as the Tucville-based team closed the first half 4 – 0.

Louisiana State University of Eunice defender, Jeremy Garrett, was sturdy in the defence, but in the second half, along

with his national U-20 teammates Ryan Hackett and Nicholas McArthur, he joined Simeon Moore and Leon Sealy-Yaw as the players being replaced on the pitch.

Coach Samson Gilbert brought in Jermain Junor, King Solomon Austin, Rushaun Ritch, Quincy Adams and Akel Clarke.

However, those changes only resulted in two more goals that came off the shoes of Junor (64th) and Ritch (87th).

Meanwhile, in the second game, Coach Calvin Allen and his West Ruimveldtbased squad had to dig deep

to avoid being arrested by a stubborn Guyana Police Force football club.

Schultz’ 58th minute strike was the only ‘hooray’ for the Elite League fourthplace finishers against the lawmen, in a game that could’ve gone either way, given the chances both teams created.

The tournament will now move to the East Coast of Demerara village of Golden Grove on Friday, December 21, when Ann’s Grove tackle Soesdyke Falcons from 18:00hrs, and derby clash featuring Victoria Kings and Buxton Stars.

KFC Mega Cup comes to successful close

–Ten-Pow, Persauds, Nobrega are champion drivers

THE KFC Mega Cup closed off on Sunday evening following an eventful karting which featured high- intensity action.

After two rounds of gruelling competition using the SKUSA (Super Karts USA) format, the event crowned its various champions.

Jeremy Ten-Pow won the 60cc Champion driver award while Mikhail Persaud won the Junior Category, Steven Nobrega took the 125cc Senior class and Zachary Persaud won the Easy Cup division.

On the night, however, the battles were hot and steamy Baby cup shows bright future The future of karting was on show last night and it was all Nicholas Sawh who picked up the final win over

The winners of the KFC Mega Cup

Benjamin Phang and Caleb Paul.

In the only event of the night to rely on lap timing, it was Sawh’s 36.8 that gave him the best time in the qualifier over Phang and

Paul, but Phang responded strongly in the pre-final, demoting Sawh to second and Paul third.

In the final, however, Sawh came out blazing, posting a 36.8 to win the tro-

phy.

Zachary Persaud shows his worth in Easy Cup Some close battles in the Easy Cup division ended with Zachary Persaud lifting the title in a class where dra-

Mohan pilots Marian Academy to Titan Bowl title –GTI upstage LTI to lift trophy

The victorious Government Technical Institute (GTI) team

AN MVP-performance from Jada Mohan was all it took for Marian Academy to sink Kwakwani Secondary 58 – 19 to take home the female Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Titan Bowl, when the curtain came down on the tournament on Sunday

last at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

In the male category, the Government Technical Institute (GTI) had the better of the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) in a ten-point thriller (83 – 73), to keep the trophy in Georgetown.

Mohan was sensational

in her performance as she completely dominated the floor during her 27 points performance. The standout point guard also had four assists, five rebounds and six steals to, along with her showing, earn the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

For the school from the Berbice River in Region 10, Shania Sears scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in the loss to Marian Academy.

Meanwhile, Anton Fileen had a game-high 29 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, while dishing out five assists in an impressive win for GTI. Jared Sears’ 20 points and eight rebounds also punctuated the night for GTI, who had to hold off the sharp-shooting Daniel Lee and Jamal Gilkes in order to win the title. Lee was good enough for 28 points and six rebounds, and Gilkes netted 25 points and 11 ‘boards’ but that was not enough for the Lindeners to hold on for the win.

The tournament, which was sponsored by Edward B. Beharry and Company Ltd, Banks DIH LTD and the National Sports Commission (NSC), is the final tournament of the year on the school’s basketball calendar.

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ma was a must. Zach took pole in qualifying with a last lap effort off Brian Woolford and Naresh Alves.

During the pre-final however, disaster struck and a first lap pileup saw Zach

fall back to seventh, after which he battled his way back to fifth with Sachin Narine finishing first, Shahab Ghanie second and Brian Woolford third.

IN the final, however, he worked his way back up to the top step of the podium, while Woolford finished third and Ghanie finished second.

Kids cup goes down to the wire. Jeremy Ten-Pow won the overall title and the final of the night but not without Paige Mendonca, who was a constant thorn in his side.

Paige out-qualified both Ten-Pow brothers, Justin and Jeremy in that order, in the five-lap shootout opening session which landed her kart on pole for the 10-lap pre-final.

SEE PAGE 23

BCB elections now every two years –after clubs vote for extension THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) election of office bearers will now be held every two years after clubs voted 17-12 in favour of the extension at a recent meeting in the Ancient County.

Not only will the executive members elected have more time to carry out their mandate, but there will also be more structure.

Current BCB president, Hilbert Foster, who is favourite to retain his position at the next election, and his executives engineered the amendment from one year and the motion of having the life of the executives run from January 1 to December 31.

ALBION SPLIT The Albion Cricket Club’s two votes went in

BCB president Hilbert Foster

different directions as one voter was in favour of the change, while the other lobbied with the Chesney Cricket Club, Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club, the Berbice River Cricket Association and the West Berbice Cricket Association in opposing the move.

SEE PAGE 23 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018