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No. 104834 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017

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Ruling flawed (VAT Inclusive)

... AG lays out grounds for term limit appeal at CCJ

Page 3

‘No rain can stop we’

centre pages

–– thousands turn out to Mash in unity Despite the inclement weather, revellers came out in full numbers to Mash down town on Thursday (Adrian Narine photo)

Chinese Embassy threatens to sue KN Page 10

Veteran trade unionist passes on Page 12

Night Court wraps up today Page 15

Kenneth Joseph

Mash: a celebration of Guyanese identity

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

–President David Granger

EARLY morning heavy downpour did not stop revellers from pouring out in their numbers as they converged in unity to celebrate Guyana’s 47th Republic Anniversary at D’Urban Park. It was a colourful spectacle, and according to President David Granger, the beautifully decorated floats send a message which resonates with the population. “We’re very pleased about the floats; most of the floats are governmental but they have a message and that message resonates with our population. It’s a green message; it’s about production;

it’s about people coming together,” he said. While the celebrations was in full swing at the D’Urban Park, the other administrative regions also had their own celebrations, and the President said this is much in keeping with the Government’s policy to have capital towns in every region. Recently, Bartica, Lethem and Mabaruma were made towns, and the President announced that in years to come, it is the hope that every town will celebrate Mashramani as the single most significant festival for Guyanese. The Head of State was

accompanied by First Lady Sandra Granger. Several Government ministers joined with band revellers from their respective ministries, while others took in the spectacle along with the spectators, who braved the weather. President Granger said that even though Guyana gained Independence on May 26, 1966, becoming a Republic in 1970 represented the final break from Britain. He said this was an important part of the nation’s identity, as the country was able to elect its own President, established its own Appellate Court and its own system of honours.

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger greeting the float parade judging panel (Ministry of the Presidency photo) “Mashramani for many Guyanese is more important than Independence. This is a festival, which is appreciated by all Guyanese,” the Ministry of the Presidency in a release quoted him as saying. In a statement earlier, Mr Granger said the 47th anniversary of the Cooperative

Republic of Guyana is a happy occasion to celebrate the uniqueness of the country’s nationhood. “The achievement of Independence on 26th May, 1966, gave us the opportunity to remember that the majority of our fore-parents were brought to these shores,

either as enslaved workers or indentured labourers, to toil on the plantations. “Independence reminded us, also, that it was their struggles – their resistance, revolts and riots on the plantations – which helped to make their descendants a free people and to make this country a free state,” he said. Inclement weather also failed to put a damper on the flag-raising ceremony at the same venue Wednesday night. Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, in his republic day message said Guyana’s republican status has given the country an identity and a national personality. He said as Guyanese republicans, citizens became equal with all other national identities in the world, and today Guyanese of different ethnicities are proudly living side by side in a “stable democracy.” “We enjoy more than ever before, freedom of speech and the right to open dissent. We are not aliens or refugees or illegal migrants. We are free, independent and proud Guyanese citizens. We no longer owe allegiance to any monarch or foreign flags. Our country, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is our common home, our motherland,” the prime minister said. Looking ahead, Mr Nagamootoo said, “A bright new horizon lies ahead. So as we celebrate, we must not lose sight of our golden future as a united Guyanese people.”

Ruling flawed 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

... AG lays out grounds for term limit appeal at CCJ

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, has committed to taking the presidential term limit case to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), pointing out that the ruling by the outgoing Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, is deeply flawed. The Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld the ruling of the former Chief Justice, Ian Change, which had stated that the Constitutional amendment, Act No. 17 of 2001, which limits the number of times a person can be elected as President is unconstitutional. This has paved the way for a former President, even after having served two terms in office, to stand for elections on a list of representatives as the presidential candidate for an unlimited number of terms. The Court of Appeal Judges, Justice Carl Singh and Justice B.S. Roy voted to uphold the ruling of the High Court, while acting Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards was the only dissenting voice. Justice Singh in his ruling said that the decision to limit Presidential terms should have gone to the electorate by way of a referendum, and not be decided upon by the National Assembly. However, Justice Cummings-Edwards did not agree with Justice Chang’s ruling, and argued that such a referendum would mean that the electorate would be granted the power to make amendments to the Constitution. FLAWED RULING Minister Williams, in an invited comment, after the judgement was passed down, said that the Government will not accept the decision and will move to the region’s highest Court to ensure that Guyana’s Constitution is upheld. “We believe that the ruling was flawed in many areas

Attorney General, Basil Williams and, obviously, we believe that the entire issue must be settled by the Caribbean Court of Justice and so we will make the necessary approaches to that court, but the Chancellor erred on many grounds,” the minister said. Explaining the flaws in the ruling, the minister pointed out that the Chancellor held that Mr. Cedric Richardson, who brought the challenge to the term limit to the High Court, had a right under Article 177 of the Constitution to vote for a presidential candidate of his choice, when in fact Article 177 gives Parliament, within the ambits of the Constitution, the power to make provisions for the conduct of elections of the office of President. Article 177 of the Constitution states that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may make provision for giving effect to the provisions of this Title and, without prejudice to the generality thereof, may make provision –– (a) for the conduct of elections to the office of President; and (b) with respect to the persons by whom, the manner in which and the conditions upon which proceedings for the determination of any question such as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph may be instituted in the Court of Appeal and, subject to any provisions made under subparagraph (b), provision may be made with respect to the matters referred to therein by rules of court.”

The Attorney General explained that Guyana Constitution in Article 177 makes provisions for Guyanese to vote for a list of Candidates and “An elector voting as such an election in favour of a list shall be deemed to be also voting in favour of the presidential candidate named in the list.” “He hasn’t addressed my contention that there is no direct vote for President in this country and no voter in Guyana determines who would be a presidential candidate. All of that is for a political party and you vote for a political party and not for a presidential candidate. So the presidential candidate is tagged on to a party list and the electorate votes for the party list and when they are voting for the party list, Article 177 says that they are deemed to be voting for the presidential candidate... The presidential candidate cannot become president unless the party list is successful,” the Attorney General explained. Given Guyana’s electoral system, Minister Williams said that it is, therefore, a grave error for the acting Chancellor to state that under Article 177, Richardson has a right to vote for a presidential candidate of his choice. Further, Minister Williams said that Justice Singh erred when he failed to determine whether the altering by Act no. 17 of 2001 of Article 90, that is, by introducing term limits for presidential candidates, was ultra vires [or beyond one’s legal power or authority] in the Constitution and unlawful. Act no. 17 of 2001 of Article 90 (2) states that the “A person elected as President after the year 2000 is eligible for re-election only once. (3) A person who acceded to the Presidency after the year 2000 and served therein on a single occasion for not less than such period as may be determined by the National Assembly is eligible for election as President only once.” Refuting Richardson’s

contention that the term limit infringes on Articles 1 and 9 of the Constitution, Minister Williams argued that Article 164 (2) (b) allows for alternations for Article 90 as long as it is done in line with prescribed procedure. Article 66 states, “Subject to the special procedure set out in article 164, Parliament may alter this Constitution.” Elaborating on these provisions, Minister Williams said, “They were required to address the issue of whether the alteration of Article 90 was valid or not. It is clear that it is valid. They now had to go further to show whether it affected Articles 1 and 9… So we are saying that the court erred by not determining whether it was a lawful alteration of Article 90 by a two-thirds majority.” Richardson had made his application on the basis of Article 1 of the Constitution, which states, “Guyana is an indivisible, secular, democratic, sovereign state in the course of transition from capitalism to socialism and shall be known as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana” and Article 9, which states “Sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this Constitution.” Minister Williams said that Justice Singh erred when he ruled that Articles 1 and 9 gave Richardson a personal interest enough to qualify him to bring an originating summons. According to the Minister, those articles are of general application and they do not give any individual rights. NO LOCUS STANDI “He has no locus standi, [which is the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the law or action challenged to support that party’s participation in the case,] to bring this

originating summons. He had to show interest over and above other people and of course he could not show that interest so Chancellor Singh erred by holding that the interest he had was given to him by Articles 1 and 9, which are Articles of Statement of Principles,” the Attorney General said. Justice Singh’s ‘flawed ruling also compared judgements in other jurisdictions to the current case. According to Minister Williams, when Justice suggested that the

Outgoing Chancellor, Justice Carl Singh right of voters to vote for persons of their choice, candidates of their choice in other countries including America, he failed to take into account that Guyana’s Constitution and electoral system is not the same as those identified in his ruling. “There are two different systems and so that is an error by trying to apply the principles applicable to other countries to Guyana when Guyana has a peculiar system of Proportional Representation,” he said. Justice Singh continued to blunder, Minister Williams explained, when he suggested and ruled that the introduction of term limit is diluted democracy in Guyana. However, Minister Williams said that democracy was in fact enhanced by the term limit, since there have been three General Elections after the coming into effect of the al-

terations in Article 90. “They were three elections and everyone would agree that those three elections successfully were the most peaceful elections in the history since Independence of Guyana. So we saw dynamic changes in the way the results of elections operated. We have had a majority Opposition Parliament and a minority Government and now we have a majority Government with one vote… So everyone can see the dynamism that has resulted with the change and the introduction of a two term limit and another error that the Chancellor Singh made was that they never took into account the circumstances, the social and political that prevailed at the time and which caused Act 17 of 2000 to be passed,” the Attorney General said. Minister Williams said that the Government will be happy to have the matter finally resolved in the Highest Court, the Caribbean Court of Justice and is confident that its position will be vindicated. “We believe that we would be vindicated because the question of altering term limits could not dilute democracy and the sovereignty of the people of Guyana. It could not curtail freedoms because people are still voting as they did before the amendment. They are still voting for a party list under which presidential candidates are tacked on. They still don’t vote directly for a presidential candidate in Guyana. They still vote for party list. They did that before the amendment and they are still doing it after the amendment, so there is no fundamental alteration. What was altered was simply to ensure that we have a system that would make our political organisation and social organisation, sustainable and viable and peaceful and that’s all that the amendment wanted,” he said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Trump wants to make sure U.S. nuclear arsenal at ‘top of the pack’ President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to ensure the U.S. nuclear arsenal is at the “top of the pack,” saying the United States has fallen behind in its weapons capacity. In a Reuters interview, Trump also said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea “very easily if they want to,” ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to exert more influence to rein in Pyongyang’s increasingly bellicose actions. Trump also expressed support for the European Union as a governing body, saying “I’m totally in favour of it,” and for the first time as president expressed a preference for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but said he would

be satisfied with whatever makes the two sides happy. Trump also predicted his efforts to pressure NATO allies to pay more for their own defense and ease the burden on the U.S. budget would reap dividends. “They owe a lot of money,” he said. In his first comments about the U.S. nuclear arsenal since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump was asked about a December tweet in which he said the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capacity “until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.” Trump said in the interview he would like to see a world with no nuclear weapons but expressed concern that the United States has “fallen behind on nuclear

missile launchers and heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear weapons, and contains equal limits on other nuclear weapons. Analysts have questioned whether Trump wants to abrogate New START or would begin deploying other warheads. In the interview, Trump called New START “a one-sided deal.” “Just another bad deal that the country made, whether it’s START, whether it’s the Iran deal ... We’re going to start making good deals,” he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump is interviewed by Reuters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 23, 2017 (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

weapon capacity.” “I am the first one that would like to see ... nobody

have nukes, but we’re never going to fall behind any country even if it’s a friendly

Friday , February 24 th , 2017 - 14:30 hrs Saturday , February 25 th , 2017 - 14:30 hrs Sunday , February 26 th , 2017 - 03:00 - 05:00 hrs

country, we’re never going to fall behind on nuclear power. “It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be at the top of the pack,” Trump said. Russia has 7,000 warheads and the United States, 6,800, according to the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-nuclear group. “Russia and the United States have far more weapons than is necessary to deter nuclear attack by the other or by another nuclear-armed country,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the independent Arms Control Association non-profit group. The new strategic arms limitation treaty, known as New START, between the United States and Russia requires that by February 5, 2018, both countries must limit their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons to equal levels for 10 years. The treaty permits both countries to have no more than 800 deployed and non-deployed land-based intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic

“WE’RE VERY ANGRY” The United States is in the midst of a $1 trillion, 30-year modernization of its aging ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles. Trump also complained that the Russian deployment of a ground-based cruise missile is in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans landbased American and Russian intermediate-range missiles. “To me it’s a big deal,” said Trump, who has held out the possibility of warmer U.S. relations with Russia. Asked if he would raise the issue with Putin, Trump said he would do so “if and when we meet.” He said he had no meetings scheduled as of yet with Putin. Speaking from behind his desk in the Oval Office, Trump expressed concern about North Korea’s ballistic missile tests and said accelerating a missile defense system for U.S. allies Japan and South Korea was among many options available. “There’s talks of a lot more than that,” Trump said, when asked about the missile defense system. “We’ll see what happens. But it’s a very dangerous situation, and China can end it very quickly in my opinion.” (Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Mexico vents ‘irritation’ at Trump’s envoy

Mexico’s foreign minister has expressed “irritation” to President Donald Trump’s envoys a b o u t r e c e n t U S p o l icies towards its southern neighbour. Luis Videgaray said he had told visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Mexico was worried about respect for immigrants’ rights. Tillerson said in Mexico City that “two strong sovereign countries” would have differences from time to time. Relations between the neighbours are at their lowest point for decades. A US plan, unveiled

He urged all concerned to “overcome the grievances and hurt feelings” to create a relationship based on trust and friendship. “There’s a concern among Mexicans, there’s irritation [about] what has been perceived as policies that might be harmful for the Mexicans and for the Mexican industry,” he said. Secretary Tillerson spoke next, saying as a native Texan he had always considered Mexico a “very close neighbour”, and echoing his counterpart’s spirit of co-operation. “In a relationship filled

administration had been getting “really bad dudes” out of the United States before specifically stating that it was a “military operation”. Tillerson and Kelly later met Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto behind closed doors before returning to Washington. The Trump administration issued a new policy on Tuesday targeting millions of illegal immigrants for possible deportation, mirroring a previous executive order signed by the president. The new policy, which seeks to step up enforcement of existing US im-

Mexico’s foreign minister (R) did not hide his differences with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L)

this week, to expel to Mexico all illegal immigrants found crossing the US border regardless of nationality has angered Mexicans most. The body language at Thursday’s meeting between the American and Mexican officials certainly did not suggest that ties had miraculously warmed in the space of a meal and a meeting, but the tone from both sides was more conciliatory than in recent weeks, the BBC’s Will Grant reports from Mexico City. Speaking first, Foreign Minister Videgaray said rebuilding the relationship would be a long process and would not be easy.

with vibrant colours,” he said of the two nations, “there will always be differences”. Those differences were complicated further by the Trump administration’s new guidelines on deportation of undocumented immigrants, especially those with criminal records. It fell to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to reassure his hosts that there would be “no mass deportations” and no use of the US military in immigration enforcement. That appeared to directly contradict what President Trump had said earlier in the day when he told a meeting of manufacturing CEOs that his

migration laws, widens the net on deportation and speeds up their removal. It also calls for sending back to Mexico immigrants caught crossing the border illegally, irrespective of where they are from, and deporting anyone charged with, or convicted of, any crime. President Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay billions for a wall along the US border, which prompted Mr Nieto to cancel a planned Washington visit late last month. Both US and Mexican officials made no mention of Trump’s proposed wall at the news conference on Thursday.

Trump has also ordered a report, due on Friday, listing all foreign aid the US provides to Mexico. It is unclear why he requested the review, but its inclusion in Mr Trump’s executive order on constructing a wall along the southern border suggests he may use it for leverage in negotiations with

Mexico. Mexican officials are also concerned about Mr Trump’s pledge to renegotiate trade partnerships between the two countries. The president has proposed to levy a 20 per cent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a border wall. Democratic senators urged Mr Tillerson and Mr

Kelly to work through tensions with their Mexican counterparts on Thursday. “We urge you to use your visit to disavow vitriolic rhetoric and forge a strong partnership based on mutual respect with the government of Mexico,” the senators wrote in an open letter. (BBC)

Editorial

Venezuela aggression and the Geneva Agreement ON FEBRUARY 17, 2017 marked the 51st Anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Agreement. As with any anniversary this must become a moment for sober reflection and a time to take decisions about the future. By any stretch of the imagination Guyana, a small state in the international system, has carried out its obligations under this Agreement in an exemplary manner. Guyana has not violated its various clauses nor has it engaged in acts of aggression against its Western neighbour, even in the face of the most glaring provocation as was seen only recently. And this could only be because Guyana, from the advent of independence, has declared that it seeks peaceful and productive relations with all states and has refused to engage in policies which are likely to undermine the peaceful development and security of the region in which it finds itself. On February 17, as CARICOM Heads of Government were deliberating on the threats to the peace and security of the region, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, urged Venezuelans to strengthen their resolve to its claim of the Essequibo under the fake slogan ‘Venezuela’s sun rises in the Essequibo.’ The slogan is false because it is built on lies; on the distortion of history; on the renunciation of solemn treaties and on the abandonment of sacred principles of international law. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister used the occasion of a Foreign Ministry function to mark the 51st Anniversary of the Geneva Agreement, to peddle the outrageous falsity in Caracas “that the Geneva Agreement recognised the sovereignty that Venezuela had over the Essequibo and declared null, the Arbitral Award laid down in 1899”. The truth, it would appear, does not inhibit Venezuela in pursuit of its vulgar acquisitive ambitions. This is true, too, of media outlets that serve their unjust cause – like teleSUR, in its contrived article of February 17, 2017: Trump’s New

Weapon Against Venezuela: Oil-Rich Essequibo? The article is built around distortion. It alleges that recent oil discovery offshore Guyana is in the Essequibo region and so ‘in Venezuela’. Guyana has expressed its desire for this controversy to be settled juridical and through intense lobby, the United Nations late last year ruled that the Good Offices Process will be given one more year to work, failing which the matter will be sent to the International Court of Justice for a final decision. From Caracas’ actions last, we must press on with ensuring that our morally and legally sound case is submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a settlement. Both our President and our Foreign Minister have recognised that the Good Officer process allows Venezuela to prolong the Border controversy, while engaging in frequent acts of aggression. The President in particular, in addressing the issue of the fiftieth anniversary of the Geneva Agreement last year, is quoted as saying that he was “fed up with Venezuelan aggression and harassment.” This is an understandable statement, in view of the fact that the aggression has been going on from the time of our independence. We urge our Government to continue educating the citizenry on this issue so as a nation everyone is fully informed about its implications for the future development of the nation. An extended period of education might be in order, modeled on what transpired in the seventies and eighties. One lesson this nation has learnt over the years is that a united, informed and prepared nation is more than a match for an aggressive Caracas. A diplomacy founded on these factors is most likely to be successful. Even though it claims to be an adherent of the great Simon Bolivar and signed the Geneva Agreement, various Governments of Venezuela have engaged in naked aggression against Guyana, in violation of international norms and peaceful practices. It has seized Guyana’s territory even while the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Mixed Commission, established by the Geneva Agreement, met. Caracas has been the architect of several incidents on our border. And it has engaged in the exercise of economic aggression against a small state with the expressed purpose of frustrating and delaying its development. Only recently, in an act which is unprecedented in this region, the President of Venezuela issued decree claiming sovereignty over Guyana’s territorial waters. It is ironical that these acts of aggression are based on a perverse interpretation of the Geneva Agreement, which says that it is not an instrument for proving the Venezuelan contention to nullify but an opportunity to seize Guyana’s land and territorial waters. This is a perversion of international law and it must be added here that Venezuela is not only deliberately misinterpreting the Geneva Agreement but has also declared war on it, if the recent statement by the Foreign Minister of Venezuela is anything to go by. Ultimately, the Guyana Government and the Guyanese people have no quarrel with the people of Venezuela. This is the twenty first century. There is no place here for nineteenth century notions of grabbing the land and territorial waters of a small and neighbouring country. Guyana and Caracas over the years have cooperated successfully in many important areas such as medicine and trade. If Caracas can find it possible to abandon outmoded notions of power an era of cooperation can be opened up between our two countries. The Geneva Agreement makes provision for such a peaceful and enlightened development.

Welcome to the Regent Street highway restaurant Dear Editor I wish to take this opportunity to give the owner and visionary, who have come up with this idea to operate a classy restaurant directly on a busy street, homage. As you can see from the images attached, this venture is being patronised by the City Council constabulary officers. Also from the images, there is a carpet on the highway and the cook and sales-person are attired better than persons working in restaurants around the city. They are extremely polite and courteous, well-spoken and they are able to attract large numbers of customers as

the one little snackette nearby, suffers for business as it has to pay rent, staff salaries, NIS, the City and GRA taxes. This operator (who obviously has high standards) and others like him in the city virtually have no overheads. He has cooking utensils, gas bottles and equipment to give truly classy service to the country. I would not be surprised if I see members and councillors of the Mayor and City Council also patronising this classy, stylish eatery, prominently stationed on the highway along Regent Street, Bourda and maybe even Ministers of the Government, and Opposition members will start eating there.

It must be noted also that many such places operate around Georgetown, some extremely disgraceful and annoying to the public eye but are allowed to continuously operate. I was made to understand that since this operator can function anywhere that he wants to in the City and due to the fact the he pays no taxes, he plans to open 4-10 more spots around Georgetown. Obviously the restaurants, which are registered and operate legally, will lose financially and may even have to close down to make way for the new breed of shops which have no overhead expenses, no rent to pay and can work at any position and point that they choose.

As I observe the process, the shop at Regent Road, Bourda, will start to put chairs and tables on the highway which will affect parkers, shoppers and residents in the area. Further, I wish to state that many of these shops (many along Alexander Street, Kitty, Robb Street, King Street etc.) operate near to legitimate restaurants causing them to lose business due to the unlawful occupation of spaces of these shops at strategic locations and their ability to sell cheaper. It was brought to my attention that the operator is gearing towards opening a 24 hour fish shop along the highway in the same

fashion. The undersigned is not against any form of entrepreneurship but believes that one must have a fair platform. Otherwise, it can be suggested that businesses in Corriverton, Rose Hall, Anna Catherina, Leonora, Linden, and Charity etc. stop paying rent and move their restaurants to their parapets or the roadway in order to stop paying taxes and honouring statutory deductions. I recall not long ago, I had raised a point in the National Commission for Law and Order and I wrote articles in the media whereby on the Turkeyen Road along the University of Guyana going toward Sophia, a man had opened a bicycle repair

shop, then put up a tent and took up half of the highway creating havoc for motorists. It looked extremely shameful on the NDC and law enforcers who were not far away. However, eventually action was taken and it was removed. Recently in Indian, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched an investigation against persons who evaded taxes and circulated money in the black market. It was lauded a success when tens of millions of dollars was recovered; it was proven that the architect of the fraudulent investment scheme was never licensed Turn to page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Your children are not exact copies of who you are

Some years ago I watched a nature documentary which dumbfounded me to the point that I forgot to identify which channel it was on. There was a troop of monkeys perched on a branch; on a lower branch was a python. Neither animal interacted with the other, as though an agreement on territory was obvious. There was one monkey however that found its way from the troop, down to the serpent’s branch. The monkey then proceeded to provoke the python, pawing its head and jumping around it. Motionless, the troop of monkeys just looked on and before I knew it, after continued interference, the python was devouring the monkey. It made me wonder: what happened with this monkey’s genetic warning system that the troop had conformed to? The parental social bur-

den that is both right and wrong lies in the cultural creed that children are what their parents deliver and that their errors are moulded by the shortcomings of parents. If we pay slight observation to such precedents about us, it would be clear that there are parents who encourage and push children into crime and badness, and then there are children who drag parents into poverty and an early grave. I worked with a man in the media who was a Librarian. His son was a street hustler from the early-mid seventies; this man used every cent from his pension to invest in his son’s freedom. This was a good man with an active intellect, but after he retired he had no pension. The media house employed him on a month to month basis. As for the son who had ruined him, he ended up walking the street as an addict who had

lost his active consciousness to marijuana abuse. He died on the street in the oblivion of addiction, his father I am told, is still alive. Neither genes, nor bad or proper upbringing will be the final force that determines choice. Choices seem to come from a more complicated element that includes all things mentioned. Another good example is the intense drug impact on Guyana. Between the mid-1980s to the present, ordinary semi-literate drug dealers were able to own, lock-stock and barrel some of the lawyers from the high families of Guyana. The people who stood in defiance of that social onslaught were in many cases poor, working class people. Involvement by interaction was optional and in many cases citizens of simple means, were driven by principles, rather than the overwhelming force of its financial lure. With the

Welcome to the Regent... and his business was operating illegally. Ladies and gentlemen of Guyana, my point is that we need a level playing field for all businesses in Guyana. What would happen if all the restaurants (Chinese, German, Creole, Indian, African etc.) decided to shut their businesses down, and open a small road side shop on the highways in the different towns? It is unfair for a business to go through all the legal stipulations to open up a restaurant, and then have to face a shop which has no tax obligation and standard to upkeep. I believe that these shops should be required to go

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through the legal process and pay the overhead costs, rent, NIS, licensing fees and so forth so that there is no disadvantage for businesses who do this on a regular basis. Entrepreneurship and competition is a good thing but to work out of the law as if sanctioned by certain individuals of power where protectionism is given proves unfair to the law abiding citizens of this country. As a matter of fact, I had a chat with the gentlemen and I expressed my disagreement with his philosophy of business as he has no legal boundaries and can choose any spot in the city without approval from the City Government.

It is my opinion that operatives like these can set up their shops along the seawall area which has been demarcated for such purposes. My problem is when they choose to rest their structures on the main streets in the city next to businesses that have statutory payments to make and are working for an honest dollar. I am not against businesses taking initiative, but it must not hamper development and bypass the legal system of our beloved nation. Regards, Roshan Khan

former group, can this be a genetic surge for wealth cultivated in defiance of all else generations before, or the cultural choices of a timespace where status has to be sustained at all costs? The science of Genetics is recorded to have begun in its infancy around 1868 with a German pioneer named Miescher. But after a long line of pioneers, in 1966 Marshall Nirenberg and Gobind Khorana constructed the Genetic Code, also known as DNA. Genes are who we are physically; our physical looks and inherited traits and can indicate our physical health possibilities- good and bad. The construct of one’s genetic heritage is grouped into the developed traits of human variations (ethnicity) or ancestral traits. It can be argued that inherited genes span an endless record of passed on traits. Genetics is still a new break-

through in understanding physical life. But as a concept, it existed in our ancient past, very much confusing our ancestors when the son or daughter of an outstanding father or mother of merit turned out to be disappointing. Then the questions were raised about possible maternal infidelity or of spiritual sabotage by envious bodies. In fact the Genetic pool over the past 100 years might have consisted of an exact ancestral manifestation, from a veritable Akashic record, of which the family decided against preserving as a memory because of the doings of that shameful aunt or uncle. That is why we inherit a grandchild that is nothing like the stress inflicting mother or father. The grand child may have acquired genetic traits from a great grandparent as against that manifest in its parents. There is another force

that I referred to that is cultural and related to the influencing of Genes, and is pure science to its result. Homo Sapiens (modern man) emerged from a common African prototype, that migrated across new environments with different and specific foods and geography that produced over countless millennia of human variations that evolved diverse physiognomies, norms of cultural survival and supporting philosophical and mystical creeds. To conclude this column I’ll adjust the philosopher’s prose (Kahlil Gibran) “Our children do live in the future, but they stand on the foundations of a past, too myriad and elusive for they or us to grasp in this phase of our evolution, so is the future and the past so far apart? ”

Some questions about PPDI Dear Editor I have no intention of joining the two parliamentarians in the debate that is taking place about the successor company, Power Producer and Distribution, Inc.(PPDI) to the Wartsila Contract but now that we have been informed that the Shareholders of PPDI will be The Government of Guyana via a State entity I am wondering if it would

be asking too much for us ,the citizens, to be given some information about the Financial Plan for this entity r e f o r e x a m p l e : #1 How much will it cost the Treasury in 2017 to get this State Company into operation? # 2 W i l l t h i s c o m p a n y b e p r o f itable from 2017 or when will it become profitable ? #3. When will the company start to generate positive cash flows? and

#4. Will sales revenue come only from Guyana Power a n d L i g h t ( G P L ) ? I n g e n e r a l I wonder if any thought was given to offering to all those professional managers and efficient staff an opportunity to become shareholders or whether any consideration was given to inviting some portion of public ownership. Regards, Dunstan Barrow

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Mash 2017 pushes Guyana’s ‘green’ agenda By Vishani Ragobeer

Revellers from the RDC (Region Three) parading with their coconuts in hand

FORGING ahead with President David Granger’s vision of transforming Guyana into a ‘green’ state, Mashramani 2017 was indeed an exuberant spectacle, illustrating Guyana’s endeavors towards becoming an environmentally-friendly economy. Of the 23 floats that were a part of this year’s parade, 13 were designed under themes which envisioned ‘green’ Guyana. The first band to enter D’Urban Park on Thursday was the Ministry of Education, which was also the largest band of about 300 strong; it included the winners of the children’s Mash float parade and was designed under the theme: “Guyana: An emerging green state.” Most opportunely, the Ministry of the Presidency’s float was similarly designed under the theme: “Renewable Energy to achieve a Green

The Mash ‘King’ of the Ministry of Presidency’s float positing solar energy as one step towards making Guyana a ‘green’ economy 2017” and the 150- member band showcased the wonder fruit of Guyana- the coconut. The coconut, which is known for its many uses, is largely produced in this region. The float for the RDC of Region Six, “Clean Energy in a Green Economy”, depicted President Granger centered on the float and surrounded by vegetation, seafood and

fruits, underscoring the point that there are many ways to diversify Guyana’s economy, as envisioned by the Head of State. Despite the bleak start to this year’s Mashramani celebrations, due to rainy weather, it was a treat to see the advancement of these ideas which fostered Guyana as a ‘green’ state.

The Mash ‘King’ of the RDC (Region Six) band [Delano Williams photos] Economy.” Both bands underscored the need for safer, alternative energy sources, with solar energy being the focal point in both cases. The Ministry of Education band also highlighted the need to appreciate Guyana’s biodiversity, showcasing the Harpy Eagle at the forefront. Under the theme: “Housing solutions 2030: Greening for Modern Living”, the Ministry of Communities also showcased its commitment to using sustainable measures in the housing sector. Notably, this band encompassed a float which showed windmills providing power to a house, continuing the trend of promoting a green economy through alternative energy sources. The regional democratic councils were indeed not left out of the mix as they too strived to showcase each region’s input into achieving a holistic ‘green’ Guyana. The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Region Three was designed under the theme: “Going green in

The Mash ‘King’ for Ministry of Communities displays ‘greener’ housing solutions

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Wave of patriotism envelops D’urban Park By Shauna Jemmott

GUYANESE on Wednesday midnight stood mesmerised as they watched the 50-foot Golden Arrowhead sway overhead in all its glory, while the National Anthem played at D’urban Park, Georgetown. It was the ceremonial military parade and hoisting of the national flag to usher in Guyana’s 47th Republic Anniversary. Fireworks cascaded beneath the dark skies and loud, but pleasant applause resonated with every burst, and every superb move of the military men and women in the marching band. The moment would be an unforgettable one for the children and adults, who were born to sing and made up the specially ‘mixed choir’ performing five of Guyana’s songs – Song of Guyana’s Children, My Native Land, A Song of Hope,

Joseph’s High, St. Stanislaus College and Brickdam Secondary blended their voices with the veterans of Woodside and the Joint Services and released a united sound. The atmosphere was prepared for the night’s event as patrons relaxed and listened to the music of the National Steel Orchestra. “Music is one of the pillars of our culture, we sing to tell our stories, we sing to celebrate our history, we sing to inspire generations to come,” the ceremony’s Compere, Michela Abraham-Ali remarked. The unfolding of events was lovely and it was one of those occasional opportunities where all in attendance felt a deep sense of pride. DELIGHT That evident pride penetrated the atmosphere, even stronger with the arrival of Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and

shimmering gold. The President and Prime Minister each received salute of honour from the military, as is customary at such events, accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Youth, Sport and Culture, Nicolette Henry. Several Government ministers and international dignitaries were also in attendance. The fleet of uniformed military officers, whose uniforms were dominated by white, formed an awesome band and marched in beautiful fashion to the amusement of the home crowd. The classic parade of the Joint Services was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Raul Jerrick, who is the commanding officer of the Second Infantry Battalion within the GDF. The parade’s second-in-command was Major James Fraser, commanding

Fireworks lit up the sky at the stroke of midnight Wednesday detachment Sergeant Major being Warrant Officer, Troy Gaskin.

President David Granger flanked by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and junior Education Minister, Nicolette Henry, at the flag-raising ceremony at D’urban Park Wednesday night Hymn for Guyana’s children and Let us Cooperate – and conducted by Katusha Fraser, as the fingers of Andrea Mentore skillfully romanced the keyboard. Members of school choirs from Region Four, selected from Bladen Hall Secondary, Central High School, St.

his wife Sita Nagamootoo, followed promptly by Guyana’s first citizen, President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger. The crowd screamed in delight. President Granger was formally suited in all black, while First Lady wore black skirt and a jacket in black and

officer of the Agriculture Corps, and Captain Andre Williams, service officer of Base Camp Stephenson. The soldiers synchronised march was done through four taskforces, the first comprising ranks of Base Camp Stephenson commanded by Major Ron Caulder, with

The second band of the parade saw the Women’s Army Corps marching under the command of Major Christine Bradford-Porter with sergeant major being Warrant Officer, Carlyn Dover. The third featured ranks from the Guyana People’s Militia under the command

of Major Eon Murray. The sergeant major was Warrant Officer, Tyron Goodridge. The fourth group was the Coast Guard under the command of Lieutenant Coast Guard, Wayne Richmond with detachment sergeant major being Fleet Chief, Marlon Daniels. Lieutenant Orandi Francois and Warrant Officer, Andre Worrel (Colour Custodian) made up the colour party, with their escorts being Staff Sergeants, Eon Winter and Omawalie Sibdhannie. Warrant Officer for the parade was Force SergeantMajor, William Richmond. As the marching bands cleared the tarmac, it was time for calypso. Calypso and chutney are among the highlights of the Republic Anniversary celebrations, and this year, Diana Chapman walked away with the Senior Calypso Monarch crown with her song ‘Put your house in order’. BOLD Decked in her green and gold costume, in which she was dressed when she took the crown, Chapman maneuvered in fine fashion and boldly signaled President Granger to put his coalition Government

in order. Second place Junior Calypso winner in a cool manner sang his lyrics titled ‘The 2017 Budget’, which related favourably and unfavourably of the budget. While newly-crowned Chutney Monarch, Paramdai ‘Vanita’ Willie, looked beautiful in a purple design, she shouted in the midst of her performance “Where is my music. I cyan hear my music.” The audience had a clear sound of the rhythm, which was being played through the stereo sound, but it was somehow difficult for her to get the sound she was hoping for. However, the problem was fixed and she continued her performance of her winning song “Poowah”. A band from the Chinese Association in Guyana performed a cheerful dragon dance to the skillful beating of the Chinese tanggu drum. And just before the highlight of the ceremony, the National Dance Company performed a ‘mass dance’ called ‘glimpses’, awakening memories of ‘Mass Games’, one of the See page 10

Wave of patriotism ... From page 9

most beautiful of cultural celebrations ever held in Guyana. As dancers grouped and spaced to occupy a large part of the tarmac, some like angels dressed in white ceased not to wave flags in sweet choreography, in shades of red, black, gold, white or green. They danced to different songs reflective of social cohesion. At 15 minutes before the 12:00th hour (midnight), the Joint Services Band performed another amazing parade. It was time for the evening’s highlight, the historic hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead. “Our republican status has given us an identity, a national personality. As Guyanese republicans we became equal with all other nationalities in the world,” the Compere pointed out, as GDF Lieutenant, Kaya Dover hoisted the flag, assisted by Warrant Officer, Sherlock Rigby

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Chinese Embassy threatens to sue KN

THE Chinese Embassy in Guyana has rubbished an article in the Kaieteur News on Thursday under the caption “Chinese Embassy container

imports attract GRA’s attention”, saying the story is baseless and unsubstantiated. “The Chinese Embassy will further investigate this matter [and] hereby reserves the right to take legal actions,” the embassy said in a terse statement on Thursday. In its article, KN said

that tax authorities have started a probe into an alleged racket in which the Chinese Embassy was used to bring in containers of goods for its nationals who are operating businesses here. The newspaper said the matter was reportedly raised by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) with the Minis-

try of Foreign Affairs recently. Quoting wellplaced sources, the newspaper said Government officials and the GRA late last year stumbled on what seemed like “an abnormally large number of containers brought in by the Chinese Embassy.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Haslington accident victim still hospitalised By Shauna Jemmott

ACCIDENT victim Ebony Scott is still hospitalised with a broken leg and other injuries but an autopsy by Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh on the body of her 21-year-old boyfriend Christoff Spencer, revealed Monday that he died of multiple injuries. Scott was the pillon rider on Spencer’s motorcycle heading west along Haslington Public Road when a canter truck travelling east attempted a right turn into a street in the village and col-

Calwin Carl Wilson lided with them. The accident occurred two Wednesdays ago. Spencer, a disc jockey, leader of the Gold Rush youth group, and resident of Lot 99 Charles Street, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, died around 03:00 hrs last Sunday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corpora-

tion (GPHC) while receiving medical attention. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the two had been sweethearts since they attended Hope Secondary School some years ago, and were members of the popular ‘Gold Rush’ group. Spencer was also employed with the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) Reports are that Spencer sustained head injuries, injuries to his spinal cord and broken legs, while Scott also suffered a broken leg. When the Guyana Chronicle visited Spencer’s family Tuesday, his teenage sister Ashauna Profitt said she will miss him dearly. “He was always a peaceful person (and) even if you’re in a bad mood he just know how to make you laugh,” she told the Guyana Chronicle. She said her brother’s death came as a shock to her because he was never sick and she was unaware he had left home on the night of the accident. He was more than just a brother to her; one who helped her make important life decisions and one of her closest friends. He was protective and always encouraged her in her educational pursuits. Profitt, a former student of President’s College, took time off sixth form studies, but Spencer had decided with her that on her return she completes studies at that level. “He said the justice system in this country is messed up so he wanted me to study law,” she stated. Her brother’s decision will chart the course of her studies and in years to come she is hoping to complete her law degree to make his

dream for her life a reality.

DREAM TO FULFILL Profitt said on the morning of last Wednesday, Spencer woke her up and they played as usual before he left for work. He returned later and after

Dead: Christoff Spencer she went into her room, he entered and spoke to her. His last words were, “I love you,” she said, and added “but I didn’t get to tell him back.” Meanwhile, Spencer’s best friend Calwin Carl Wilson said the two of them along with a few others formed ‘Team Gold Rush’ youth group which carries the catch phrase “think it, believe it, achieve it” to promote education, joyfulness, respect, creativity, fashion and peace. The theme of Team Gold Rush is “displaying our elegant movements throughout the world wherever we are and promoting educated members.” Spencer, Wilson said, was the kind of person who was “always there for you” and though he is gone, his ideas for the group will blossom. The only sad thing, he said is that Spencer will not be around to see his ideas materialise.

Pedal cyclist dies in accident A 62-year-old pedal cyclist struck down on Dennis Street, Sophia on Sunday afternoon, was moments later pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Dead is Balwant Ramdin, a father of five and former security guard attached to the HBTV Channel Nine. The errant driver of the minibus BRR 5374 was charged and appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrates’

Court on Tuesday and was placed on $500,000 bail. Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination revealed that Ramdin, who was struck down from behind by the speeding minibus, suffered a broken neck and head injuries. The accident reportedly happened sometime after 16:00hrs as Ramdin was riding out of Sophia to visit one of his sisters living on East Coast Demerara. Police who visited the scene of the accident con-

firmed that the driver of the minibus BRR 5374 was indeed driving at a fast rate. Witnesses said the minibus ploughed into the pedal cyclist, bringing him down, but the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and it failed to come to an immediate stop. The body of Balwant Ramdin will be cremated at the Ruimzeigt Cremation Site, West Bank Demerara (tomorrow) Saturday February 25, 2017.

Wilson was featured yesterday in a photograph which appeared in the Guyana Chronicle Monday with the story of Spencer’s death. It was a mistaken identity as Wilson was mistakenly identified as Spencer in the photograph he took hugging

Scott, who was the girlfriend of his dead best friend. He told the Guyana Chronicle he was shocked to see himself in the photograph even after someone had telephoned early the morning informing him of the featured photograph. The

Guyana Chronicle apologises to Wilson and his family, and the family of Spencer for the mistake. Apart from Scott, Spencer leaves to mourn his parents and four siblings. Final arrangements for Spencer’s funeral are still to be made.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Veteran trade unionist passes on By Shauna Jemmott NATIONAL Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) General Secretary Kenneth Joseph died on Thursday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after suffering a stroke. Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Norris Witter said Joseph, 65, suffered an attack of stroke on February 1. Witter said doctors explained that Joseph was bleeding in his head and his attack had a rippling effect on his entire left side, crippling him in his foot and arm. Both his blood pressure and blood sugar were “very high” and doctors at the GPHC found it difficult to stabilise him. Apart from being the head of NAACIE, Joseph was an executive member of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) up to the time of his passing. The labour fraternity feels a deep sense of loss and is grateful for the contributions Joseph has made to the sector, Witter said. “His passing is really a blow for us at this time. Kenneth Joseph can be considered one of the veterans of the movement. He was a leader with extraordinary passion for the rights of the working people,” Witter told the Guyana Chronicle. He said Joseph held on to his passion for reconciliation of the labour movement in Guyana to his last breath. “In a most recent conversation before he fell ill, I sensed his determination in having the movement reconciled. There was this passion, there was this determination for decisive steps to be taken towards reconciliation of the

unions,” Witter said. Joseph, he explained, felt “passionately” that unless the union reconciled their differences, the workers and working people will not be effectively and fully represented and will not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour. “He said the movement unless reunited and have a common focus on vision

Kenneth Joseph will not be in a position to effectively pursue its mandate in representing the rights of workers.” Joseph was also described as a man who had a strong sense of nationhood and who dreamed of unity of the people. It is remarkable that he died as Guyana commemorates its 47th Republic Anniversary. “He has this burning desire to see Guyana achieving the nationhood in the real sense of the word nationhood,” Witter stated, adding by this he means the country’s motto: “One people, One nation, One destiny.” Joseph will be missed not only in the labour fraternity in Guyana, but also in the Caribbean and further afield. Witter extended condolences to the family of Joseph. The veteran trade unionist leaves to mourn his wife and six children.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Ethnic division began with colonisers

–– Alexander says education vital to achieving social cohesion By Shauna Jemmott

WITH Government placing special emphasis on achievement of social cohesion in Guyana, calls are being made for ethnic studies to be prominent among curriculums in schools throughout Guyana, from nursery to university, to ensure mass education and respect of the rights of individuals. Such a call was made by Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, and Chairman of the Forbes Burnham Foundation, Vincent Alexander, during a presentation titled ‘Restating and Extrapolating Burnham’s Approach to Social Cohesion. Alexander was at the time speaking at an event organised by the Burnham Foundation at St. Stanislaus College, Georgetown, to commemorate the 94th birth anniversary of late President Linden F.S. Burnham, Guyana’s first executive President. Alexander outlined in his presentation that what Guyana now calls social cohesion was birthed out of Burnham in his campaign for ‘national unity’ and listed education as a key avenue through which social cohesion can be accomplished. “At present, the school curriculum does not emphasise ethnic studies … ethnic studies should be seen as an essential element of a total package which should focus on cultural tolerance and ethnic co-existence.” He said the curriculum should also encourage extra-curricular interaction among students of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to ensure communication on non-academic matters which will eventually create avenues for developing mutual respect. “Ethnic studies should not be treated as just another academic subject. It should be regarded as a learning experience which would positively impact on the children’s view of each other as members of the same or different ethnic groups,” Alexander stated. HISTORICAL BEGINNING Guyanese must admit the fact that division exists, and while many Guyanese, even politicians and educators, blame the main political parties and their past and current leaders for ethnic division, Alexander points to its historical beginnings. He said during the period of colonialism through slavery and indentureship, divi-

sion was created, with slave masters in their attempts to win support from particular ethnic groups at their own convenient times, skillfully putting one group against the other. After Guyana became completely independent of British rule, the fight to end such deep-rooted divisions and insubordination began so that the country can operate truly as a “cooperative” society under a single national identity - Guyanese. Alexander explained that while some political leaders genuinely attempted national unity, there was a single one, former President Janet Jagan, who walked out on such talks. That was the only Guyanese political leader or President who was not born Guyanese, and she was widely accused of corrupting good practices. A Centre for Ethnic studies should be established within the University of Guyana (UG) as a point of research and mass studies on the topic with the hope of erasing hatred through education. Alexander said UG should take the step in occupying its rightful intellectual space in providing intellectual leadership. “In that regard, the university should establish a Centre for Ethnic Studies. That centre should be responsible for conducting research on the diverse ethnic groups of Guyana. The research should also be focused on identifying the objective existence of ethnic groups. It should highlight that there are no inherent antagonisms to each other in our ethnic beings. That identification and highlight should be the basis for mutual respect among the ethnic groups. The research should also be focused on debunking the stereotypes and prejudices and the resultant negative attitudes toward each other without undermining each group’s right to preserve its being,” he said. If the university considers the recommendation, research findings can be used in educating the masses, formulating policies and teaching of prescribed courses at UG and ‘the lower rungs’ of the education sector. SCHOOL CURRICULUM It also should be a source feeding information to NCERD, in executing its duty of curriculum preparation for the formal school system. “The curriculum, both in its content and its methodology of delivery, should

be fashioned in such a matter as to focus on ethnicity and related concepts and the desired attitudes and inter-ethnic relations… children should learn to respect each other’s right to an existence, irrespective of ethnicity, and consequently they should respect each other’s right to practice their own religion rather than demonise or disrespect each other’s religion and other attributes,” Alexan-

der explained. Students must also be made to understand “different ethnic groups have different collective psyches”, which are determined historically, and rather than misjudging attributes and attitudes as some inherent abnormality of a particular ethnic (collective) personality, they must know and respect them. “It should be noted that

the pedagogy of ethnic respect is not a stand-alone solution to the ethnic problem. It is but one of the essential elements to the resolution of the problem. However, it is argued that other elements of the package would not have the requisite impact if the pedagogical aspect is omitted. People’s respect for, the See page 15

Burnham Foundation Chairman, Vincent Alexander

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Rains did not stop Mash

EARLY morning rains on Thursday resulted in flooding in some areas of Georgetown but the water drained off quickly, allowing for persons to take to the streets for the traditional Mashramani celebrations. Some of the places that were affected include, Queenstown, Campbellville, Newtown Kitty, Ruimveldt and Alberttown. A few villages on East Coast Demerara were also affected. Speaking to Guyana Chronicle, residents mainly of South Ruimveldt explained that they have been affected by flooding over the years, noting that even with little rain, their yards flood. “We really need better drainage in this area be-

Cars navigating an inundated road at South Ruimveldt Meanwhile, the hycause whole year we does be affected when rain fall… dromet office has indicated sometimes we does suffer that yesterday’s level of huge losses and don’t even rainfall was recorded bebe compensated for what tween 15.0 mm and 40.0 we lost,” said one concerned mm and predicted more rain over the weekend. resident.

Broken main at Cemetery Road fixed GUYANA Water Incorporated (GWI) has fixed a broken transmission main at Cemetery Road, which caused a recent disruption in Georgetown. In a statement on its

day, February 23, 2017. “This is to facilitate repairs on a ruptured transmission main at Cemetery Road, Georgetown, which has also resulted in a disruption to traffic along Cemetery Road,” stated

The broken main at Cemetery Road Facebook page, GWI announced that the main was replaced last evening and services have been restored. It was previously reported that residents of Central Georgetown were experiencing a disruption of water services, which was expected to last until 06:00hrs on Thurs-

GWI. That problem was nevertheless resolved, but in a recent statement, GWI announced that customers from Eccles to Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara are expected to face a disruption of service due to urgent maintenance works.

GWI employees fixing the broken main at Cemetery Road

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

Night Court wraps up today

AFTER almost six months in operation, the Night Court which was put in place to ease the backlog of cases will sit for the final time today at the George-

Outgoing Chancellor, Justice Carl Singh town Magistrates’ Court. Outgoing Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, disclosed that the Night Court had served its purpose and no extension is on the agenda since the fund allocated for its operation has been exhausted without any additional funding. “In a significant way it has met its purpose and given the fact that they had a particular sum of money approved for the operation of the court,” the Chancellor added. The first sitting of the night court was held on October 10 last, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and five temporary magistrates presided over summary offences. The magistrates employed to tackle the backlog included: Beverly Bishop-Cheddie, Brendon

Glasford, Madan Kissoon, Leslie Benjamin and Liza Hanoman. Several matters being dealt with during the day courts were transferred to the night courts for hearing between 15:00hrs and 20:00hrs. The summary matters heard at the night court are assault, simple larceny, attempt to commit a felony, robbery with violence, fraudulent conversion, break and entry, unlawfully and maliciously wounding, threatening and abusive language and threatening language. On Mondays, new matters were heard in Courts 10 and 11 by Magistrate Kissoon; Magistrate Bishop-Cheddie on Tuesdays and Fridays in Court 6; Magistrate Glasford on Wednesdays in Court 12; and Magistrate Benjamin in Courts 8 and 9 on Thursdays. In December, Magistrate Brendon Glasford had dismissed the case against five police officers who were accused of robbing three gold miners of 16 pennyweight of gold. The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Another matter currently before Magistrate Glasford is the case of 52-year-old Narine Veersammy who is charged for the obstruction of justice. Narine Veersammy is accused of offering an officer attached to the Major Crime Unit of the Guyana Police Force the sum of G$400,000 as a reward or inducement for the officer to show favour to Dennis Veersammy in relation to his principal offers. A total of $25M was allocated by Government to finance the payment of salaries of the temporary magistrates and their staff.

Ethnic division began ... From page 13 understanding of and conscious co-existence with each other is an essential element of the approach to the creation of a successful multi-ethnic society,” Alexander said. Recently at a forum to encourage religious cohesion, United Nations Resident Representative, Mikiko Tanaka pointed out that though division might not be manifested here through racial and religious war and mass killings of any particular group, Guyana still cannot deny that such divisions exist. “Guyana enjoys a peaceful society where ethnic and religious diversity and co-existence is generally accepted… the diverse cultural origins of the peoples of Guyanese have blended into a unique Guyanese culture… However, as any human society around the world, there are still tensions and discrimination. And like any other society around the world, the tensions erupt into violence; discrimination lead to exclusion, disempowerment and poverty.” Mikiko reminded however that every individual is entitled to the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and should enjoy peaceful existence.

The move to have night court was aimed at easing overcrowding at the country’s prison facilities, as well as significantly reducing the huge backlog of cases which have kept several inmates on remand for years. Former President of the Guyana Bar Association, Christopher Ram, had said the association supports and will continue to support initiatives that will accelerate the judicial process.

Night Court at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court will sit for the final time today

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Scenes from

‘No rain ca

-- thousands turn ou President David Granger shares a light moment with Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, at D’Urban Park

The saying “Come rain or shine, nothing can stop Guyanese from ‘Mashin’” was evident Thursday as Guyanese turned out in the thousands to enjoy their Mashramani Costume and Float Parade, despite early morning showers. Early morning rain, thunder and lightning had some wondering of the fate of the annual procession, but the weather cleared up by the

time the parade was ready to get underway, and it also behaved for the rest of the day. Guyanese took full advantage of this to gyrate, fete and enjoy the day’s cultural displays to their hearts’ desires, as they reveled under this year’s Mashramani theme “Celebration with dignity, liberty and greater unity.” “At first you would feel a little down,” one spectator

said about the weather, adding: “but then the sun came pushing out and I say ok then, that’s the vibes that I want to step out.” The reveller from Lodge was truly into the celebration, and just could not find words to say just how much she was enjoying her day. The crowds lined the route, starting from along the Avenue of the Republic, picking up in numbers along

Two of the individual floats that were part of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Mash Band (Delano Williams photo) Junior Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, had a grand time leading her Ministry’s Mash band yesterday

A section of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Mash Band as they marched around the D’ Urban Park circuit

Even children braved yesterday’s inclement weather to be out and enjoy the Mashramani festivities

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Mashramani

an stop we’

ut to Mash in unity Brickdam and as the route got closer to D’ Urban Park, it swelled, filling the stands to capacity. However, some of the spectators agreed that this year was did not top last year’s Jubilee Parade, but many did not expect it to since last year was particularly big since it was the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. “Everything! Everything

was nice, but last year was much bigger,” said June Ann Solomon of D’ Urban Backlands. Yesterday’s celebrations saw a total of 33 bands participating in the parade, many of which promoted Guyana’s push towards a green economy. The Ministry of Education Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, was the first band out, followed by the

Ministry of Public Health. The Ministry of Natural Resources Band lead by soca songstress Vanilla, got the crowd pumped when it got into the Park. The Ministry of Social Protection, whose theme focused on birds, was also an eye catching number. The Trinity Party Truck presided over by Tamika Marshall and soca monarch Jumo also had the crowd going.

One of the masquerade bands that took part in the parade (Delano Williams photo)

A section of the spectator stands at the D’ Urban Park

Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes made sure she was not left out of the celebrations and also lead the way for her Ministry’s Mash Band

This spectator chose to represent the Golden Arrowhead in a major way when he stepped out in fine style to enjoy the Mashramani Costume and Float parade

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Rupununi Music and Arts Festival – Georgetown Connection for March

Music lovers who have not yet witnessed the magic of the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival will get the chance to do so on March 4 via the Georgetown Connection which will be held at Thirst Park, Georgetown. The event will feature artistes from Barbados, St. Vincent and the United Kingdom who will join forces with artistes from Guyana to bring the audience rich performances in the form of music, dance, spoken word and comedy. The promoters of the festival have said that ‘The Georgetown Connection’ promises to be an exciting entertainment event with food and fun for the entire family. The Mighty Gabby, Barbados’ youngest calypso Monarch, and nine time winner of the title, will headline the weekend. His international hits include “The List”, “Jack”, “Boots”, “West Indian Politician” and “Emmerton”. Gabby will be accompanied by international Barbadian writer, theatre director and spoken word artiste, Winston Farrell. The Caribbean spoken word team will also include the wellknown academic and spoken word artiste from St. Vincent, Phil Nanton. Guyana will also provide some of its Best in music, spoken word, comedy

and dance. Dave Martin and Friends will spearhead the local team. Dave is known across the Caribbean as the leader and songwriter of the popular Tradewinds band founded in 1966. He was awarded Guyana’s Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1981 for contribution to music. He will be supported by rock band, Feed The Flames along with other artistes such as Collage, Nachgana Academy of Dance, Chuckie & Gavin Mendonca, the Surama Cultural Group and many others. International Guyanese flautist Keith Waithe will also make a special appearance at the event. The event will make way for art and craft displays, book sales, games and inter-active activities. A special feature of the Georgetown Connection will be a “Talk Tent” where persons will get to interact with some of the artistes and learn about their artistic journey and process. “Including Georgetown in the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival has been integral to the festival’s strategic plan since inception,” Festival Director, Dr. Bob Ramdhanie said “So this is simply the first of many events to be staged annually in Georgetown. The Georgetown Connection will provide a slice of what you can expect in August this year in

the Rupununi.” The Rupununi Music and Arts Festival is a world-music, camping based festival which began in 2013 at Rock View, Annai and will this year, be held at the Manari Ranch, Region Nine from August 18-20. The long-term plans for the festival involves the creation of a vibrant Festival Village in the Rupununi, offering a range of educational, music and arts related training programmes. Local musician, Gavin Mendonca, who is an active participant in the festival, sees the huge potential that such an event can bring to Guyana. “The festival in the Rupununi is a real opportunity for Guyanese people to appreciate the beautiful country that Guyana is, and to do so while listening to great music is an added experience,” he said. The festival, including the Georgetown Connection event, is a collaborative effort among Government, the private sector and NGOs. Sponsors include Banks DIH Ltd, Rent-aTent, Giftland Mall, Republic Bank, Cara Lodge, Silverbait Design Inc., Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Air Services Ltd (ASL), NAMILCO Inc., Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) and others.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Natasha Harper nominated for Model of the Year Award

--2017 Caribbean Style and Culture Showcase Local model Natasha Harper has been nominated for the Caribbean Style and Culture, 2017 Model of the Year Award. The 23 year old model is among a list of several Caribbean designers and other participants who have been nominated for Awards in recognition of their contribution to the fashion industry in the Caribbean Region. The 2017 Caribbean Style and Culture Showcase which will be held on Saturday June 17 at the Silver Spring Civic Center in the heart of Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland,

United States. Natasha was born to Guyanese parents in England, on April 2, 1993, but was raised in Guyana. Natasha was always tall for her age, and at 14 years old, her height and unique look caught the attention of Michelle Cole and Trevor Rose of Cole Facts. After hitting the runway for the first time, Natasha was soon being called to walk for other local designers, the likes of Keisha Edwards, Sonia Noel, Ryan Berkley, Randy Madray and Mwanza Glenn. In 2013, Natasha was approached by Oronde

George and Junior Kennedy, Co-owners of Traits Model Management (Guyana) and it is this that she admits was a game changer for her career. Under Kennedy’s guidance, Natahsa was able to sharpen her technique in no time. In the years since then, she has become well known regionally and has walked in shows such as the Caribbean’s premier fashion and lifestyle event, Summer Sizzle in the British Virgin Islands in 2014 and 2016. In 2014, she was also granted the unique opportunity of attending the Mercedes Benz Fashion week

in New York where she walked for Cesar Galindo, Mauricio Alpizar, Kortomomolu and Edwin D’angelo. Natasha returned to the New York Fashion Week catwalk in 2015 and 2016 and walked for Guyana’s own Roger Gary as well as Laquan Smith who is known designing for the Kardashians, Rihanna and Beyoncé and several other A Class celebrities. Her exposure in the fashion industry has also led to her developing her creative skills in clothing design and interior decorating. She hopes to one day establish her

clothing line while still being known as one of Guyana’s premier models who is recognized worldwide. This goal, she says, will go hand in hand with

her aspiration to be an advocate for women empowerment as she works to ensure that women receive full encouragement in achieving their goals.

Miss Universe Guyana speaks out on fake news article Miss Universe Guyana 2016, Soyini Fraser, has broken her silence on a recent occurrence in which a website reported that she had been arrested in London for possession of cocaine. The article, published last Sunday on the website metro-uk.com, bore the headline “Miss Universe Guyana 2016 Arrested in London Heathrow Airport with 2kg of Cocaine” and alleged that she was arrested and would be prosecuted by the London District Attorney. In a statement, Soyini said that the article is one of many articles from that site which attaches the names of various personalities to a similar headline. She condemned the attempt to defame her character by unknown persons. “Not only am I currently in Guyana, having recently returned from the Philippines after participating in the Miss Universe Pageant, but I have also not visited London since 2011,” Soyini said. “Such acts can only stem from persons with malicious intent who seek to soil my reputation which I have worked arduously to upkeep over the years.” The emergence of the article led to hundreds of persons on Facebook sharing and discussing the possibility of the pageant queen’s guilt. While some offered support, many took the opportunity to make negative comments and expressed disappointment that Guyana’s reputation would be tarnished by the occurrence. “I wish to call on persons who seek to aid in the spread of these articles on social media to be knowledgeable about the prevalence of fake news and to carefully assess their sources for authenticity before sharing information,” Soyini said. She added that as she continues to hold the title of Miss Universe Guyana, she is focused on promoting positive aspects of Guyana and to help to curb any stigma that may be attached to the country. “I will also be working on the

Miss Universe Guyana, Soyini Fraser

charitable causes that the Miss Universe Guyana title holds dear, as well as my own,” she said. In September last year, Soyini was crowned Miss Universe Guyana, beating out tough competition, including

former Miss Guyana World, Rafieya Husain. Soyini is no stranger to pageantry, and holds several titles. Soyini represented Guyana at the Miss Universe Pageant in the Phillipines in January this year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

No Soca Monarch? No Problem

Jumo talks plans outside of Soca Monarch Competition Though somewhat disappointed, Guyana’s leading Soca man, Jumo “Rubberwaist” Primo was not too fazed by this year’s lack of a Carib Soca Monarch Competition, saying he understands that the organisers had their reasons. “It is a little disappointing that they don’t have it, but at the same time we have to be realistic and look at all the reasons why certain things don’t happen,” Jumo told The Buzz. “They didn’t have it last year and they didn’t have it this year, there are a lot of different reasons why there is not a Soca Monarch. Hopefully next year they’ll do it bigger and better.” Moreover with or without the competition, Jumo says his work will

go on, and he’ll continue making his hits and please the fans. The reigning Soca Monarch recently released a number of new Soca knockouts for the Mashramani season, including hits “Jiggle It”, “Stir the Pot” and “Harder”, all with accompanying

videos. He has also headlined performances on Palm Court’s “Trinity” Mash party truck yesterday, alongside Tamika Marshall during the Mashramani Float Parade. Jumo says that the ones who are more likely to feel the squeeze of the absence of the competition are the newcomers to Guyana’s Soca arena. He said artistes have become too dependent on the competition to stimulate them to bring out new music. He instead encouraged artistes to continue recording whether there’s a competition or not, and to do so even beyond the Mashramani season.“To me this competition it just part of the festival, and it only affects the seasonal

singers. For me, I keep recording whether it’s Soca Monarch or whatever. I keep building my repertoire, and that’s what all artistes should do, because Soca Monarch is just a stage,” he said. Earlier last month Soca fans found out that Ansa McAl had pulled out of sponsoring the Carib Soca Monarch Competition, and the Mashramani organising committee said they were not in a position to fund the event. However Soca competitors need not despair as a Soca Competition is still slated for later this year with the Guyana Music Festival. With no Soca Monarch held last year either Jumo remains the reigning Monarch, having won the 2015 Competition with his song “Unruly”.

Naomie Harris: ‘Daniel Craig could be back as Bond’ Oscar-nominated actress Naomie Harris has said there’s a “very good chance” Daniel Craig will return as 007, after speculation he may leave the role. The 40-year-old Moonlight star was speaking after she was awarded an OBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. “I really don’t think that they’ve moved on from Daniel,” she said. “I think there’s a very good chance that Daniel will come back. I think it’s way too early to be thinking about other people at this stage.” Harris, who received her OBE for services to drama, added: “I think the fact that the last two Bonds - Spectre and Skyfall - have been the highest-grossing Bond movies of all time shows that people love him as Bond, and they desperately want him to return. “And I don’t think Daniel is immune to that... I think he’s very aware, so I think that adds an extra level of pressure. But he has to ultimately do what feels right to him. “But I know that we, as a cast, collectively want him back. I know that Barbara and Michael - our produc-

ers - desperately want him back, so I think the only person that needs persuading is Daniel.” She said collecting her award from the Queen was “lovely”, adding that Her Majesty asked her what she was working on at the moment. In an earlier interview, Harris said that her OBE sent out “a very powerful statement” to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris was raised by a single parent in a north London council flat. “As a black actress from the background I came from... I think it’s incredibly important,” she told the BBC. “I’m absolutely thrilled to have my work recognised in this way.” Harris, who is up for a best supporting actress Oscar for playing a drug-addicted mother in Moonlight, was previously seen as Winnie Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. She is also known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the last two James Bond films. Film-maker Danny Boyle, who directed Harris in 28 Days Later and his stage version of Franken-

Harris has appeared opposite Daniel Craig in two Bond films to date as Miss Moneypenny

stein, turned down a knighthood when he was offered one in 2012. Yet Harris said she never contemplated spurning the OBE she was awarded in the New Year Honours list. “I know some people turn down honours for their own reasons,” said the actress. “But I was not going to turn down an OBE. “I’m always interested in spreading positive images and being a positive role model as much as I can.” Born in 1976, Harris was raised by her mother Car-

men, a former EastEnders scriptwriter who now works as a faith healer. Harris has no relationship with her father, who left her mother when she became pregnant at the age of 19. It’s been quite a year already for Harris, whose performance in Moonlight has seen her nominated for a whole heap of honours. The Golden Globe and the Bafta may have gone elsewhere, but there’s still an outside chance she could win an Oscar on Sunday for her role in Barry Jenkins’

indie drama about a young black gay man growing up in Miami. To do so, though, she will have to beat bookies’ favourite Viola Davis, whose performance in Fences has pipped hers in most of the awards ceremonies to date. Harris herself said after her investiture ceremony: “I don’t think I have a chance of winning at all,” adding that it is “incredible” to be nominated. Then again, there’s always a chance of an upset - as shown at the Baftas,

when Lion’s Dev Patel beat Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali to the supporting actor award. An Oscar would be a remarkable conclusion to Harris’ involvement in the film, given she shot her role in just three days and originally turned it down. She told The One Show last week: “I’ve always wanted to portray positive images of black women and playing an addict didn’t really fall into that.” Last month Harris was honoured at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards for a performance that also saw her in contention for a Screen Actors Guild prize. As far as she is concerned though, the honours, nominations and critical acclaim she and her colleagues have achieved have already done their job. “Moonlight is about communities and characters that have been generally ignored in film, largely because people said they weren’t profitable,” she said. “I hope people will look at the success of the film and realise there is an audience out there that is hungry to see these movies.” (BBC)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

It’s the after Mash weekend, so things are pretty quiet, probably giving everyone a chance to sleep off all that partying from Mashramani activities. All the same, there are still a few activities which you can check out if you’re not particular about staying at home. Today An Annual Satirical Review “Who Laff Last” begins tonight at the National Cultural Centre at 20:00hrs. The show continues until Monday. Directed by veteran Ron Robison, you can sit back and enjoy performances by the likes of Sean Thompson, Michael Ignatius, among others. Tomorrow Freedom Family presents a party called “Hookah and Bikini” at Toucan Pool, Dr. Haynes Mall Amelia’s Ward in Linden. You know where there’s hookah, there must be lots of fun, so if you’re anywhere near the Mining town, feel free to stop by. Everyone free before 19:00hrs Sunday Already anticipating the Phagwah celebrations? Pegasus Poolside presents for the first time ever a pre - Phagwah Event “Holi Mehfi”. The event will feature mind blowing performances by the ‘Naya Andaaz Performing Arts Group’ among other surprises. Don’t be afraid to throw your waist to the lively tassa band and have your henna done for low prices by a professional henna artist. Admission: Adults: $1000, Children 11-18: $500, and Children 10 and under absolutely FREE

Rihanna named Humanitarian of the Year

Rihanna has been named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year, and will come to campus to accept the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award at a ceremony next Tuesday (Feb. 28). “Rihanna has charitably built a state-of- the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados,” said S. Allen Counter, the Harvard Foundation’s director. “In 2012, she founded the nonprofit the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program [named for her grandparents] for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries, and supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, which provides children with access to education in over 60 developing countries, giving priority to girls, and those affected by lack of access to education in the world today. ” An international musical phenomenon, the Barbados-born singer, actress, and songwriter — whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty — has sold more than 200

million records. The Harvard Foundation recognizes prominent public-spirited leaders each year in honor of the late Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes. Past honorees include physician-statistician Hans Rosling; actor James Earl Jones; Nobel Peace Prize Committee chairman Thorbjørn Jagland; U.N. Secretaries General

Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and Javier Pérez de Cuéllar; gender rights advocate Malala Yousafzai; anti-child-labor spokesman Kailash Satyarthi; tennis player and activist Arthur Ashe; former Health and Human Services Director Louis W. Sullivan; and farmworker rights advocate Dolores Huerta.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 24, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Secure Innovations and Concepts Endurance Rental Cup

Gizmos & Gadgets; Monster Energy dominate round two By Stephan Sookram MONSTER Energy and the Gizmos and Gadgets teams were the dominant forces for the second round of the Secure Innovations and Concepts Endurance Rental Cup, held Wednesday evening at the GT Motor-sports facility in Thomas Lands. In the 600lb class, strategy and skill paid off for the Monster Energy team as they bided their time well to emerge eventual champions. A dog-fight between the Brava team’s Stephan Jeffrey and Monster ’s Carlos Rodrigues ensued for the lead, with the duo ‘dicing’ from their introduction in the final leg. The Monster team came out .4 of a second ahead of the Brava team but were unable to ex-

tend that gap, as Stefan closed them down almost instantly, before producing a quick ‘set up and pass’ gambit on the less-seasoned Rodrigues. Packing a decade of karting under his belt, Stefan, who resides in Canada, called on every bit of defensive technique to hold off the Monster team and while the duo diced, Stefan ultimately fell out of the race with less than five minutes remaining, leaving the Monster team unchallenged. Opening their leg, the Monster team saw Kian Jabour take on the early challenges of two-time Caribbean Group four champion Kristian Jeffrey of team Brava and while he was overtaken for the lead about three laps in; Jabour managed to stay consistent. On the first manda-

tory switch 20 minutes in, Brava, who had built up more than a half-lap lead brought in Shan Seejattan while Monster swapped for Antonio Da Silva, who had begun to slowly close the gap, retaking the lead just before the last mandatory switch. Kristian copped the fastest time award, a 40.4 second fast lap for the Karcher Sweeper award. The Speed team, (Kamal Seebaran, Clint Seebaran and Rameez Mohammed) picked up third. Earlier in the evening, the Gizmos and Gadgets team ran untouched in their 500lb class, leaving team ICool second and Dericks Auto Spares (Shane Haley, Michael Whitehead and Sachin Ramotar) third. Matthew Phang set down a blistering early

Three-day Florida Cup tournament Continued from Pg. 31 bowls off today ... team, it was reported in the Guyana Times newspaper that president of the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) Ramchand Ragbeer has expressed strong optimism that both the Open and Legends teams will exceed their expectations during the tournament. On the other hand, Guyana’s top softball teams, the Regal AllStars and Masters, are equally confident of clinching both titles. Both the Regal teams

are the defending champions in the New York Softball Cricket League Independence and Legends Cup, played last July. Speaking with Chronicle Sport after yesterday’s training, player/manager of the Regal Masters team, former Guyana and West Indies off-spinner Clyde Butts, highlighted that both teams are fit and ready for the challenge ahead. “We have a very confident bunch of players, and we are confident of winning both titles,”

Butts said. The Florida Cup, now in its 14th year, has developed as one of the most popular tournaments in the USA. It has created an opportunity for cricketers from any and all Softball leagues to participate in a world-class tournament, which has been held in the beautiful Sunrise State of Florida since its inception. The tournament, which has grown significantly over the years, is being held as part of Guyana’s 47th Republic Anniversary.

pace which amounted to a lap gap over the first 20 minutes before John Phang took over and extended that. Steven Nobrega closed off the evening in style. The second-place ICool team, consisting of Matthew Vieira, Elliot Vieira and Marcel Profitt had earlier trouble when they fell to third, but

fought their way back of to second on the grid. Wednesday’s event was sponsored by Monster Energy, Karcher, Auto Fashion as well as Secure Innovations and Concepts. All roads this evening lead right back to that facility where the second of the two-day event takes place. F i f t e e n r a c e s a re

carded for the evening in various classes, including the 60cc, 125cc junior and senior as well as the Shifter karts. Four foreign drivers are expected in the father daughter duo of Ravi and Bridget Singh of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbadian Orry Hunte, and former Canadian karting champion Darryl Timmers.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 18, 2017

Renshaw, Starc put Aussies beyond 250 on opening day … Umesh Yadav claimed four wickets on a pitch that offered big turn

By Sudipto Ganguly

PUNE, India (Reuters) Paceman Umesh Yadav claimed four wickets on a pitch that offered big turn to help India restrict Australia to 256 for nine after the touring side had made a solid start on the opening day of the four-match series yesterday. Paceman Mitchell Starc, who would be expected by Australia to play a role similar to that of Umesh with the

ball, smashed an unbeaten 57 to frustrate the hosts and take his team past 250. Earlier, David Warner made 38 and added 82 for the first wicket with Matt Renshaw after captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against a spin-heavy India. Smith said he expected turn from the very first ball on the dry pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in the Western Indian city of Pune, a venue

Matt Renshaw strikes his second half-century in Tests for Australia with a top score of 68.

making its debut as a Test centre. India captain Virat Kohli appeared to agree with his counterpart, bringing on spin spearhead Ravichandran Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler, in just the second over of the day. After four overs from paceman Ishant Sharma, Kohli opted to utilise spin from both ends when he brought on Jayant Yadav against the left-handed duo. The sparse crowd thought Jayant had bowled Warner around his legs for 20, but the off-spinner had overstepped the crease and it was called a no-ball. UMESH STRIKES Warner and Renshaw were able to put loose balls away before Kohli brought on his other paceman, Umesh, in the 28th over. Umesh needed just two deliveries to break the opening stand when Warner dragged the ball onto his stumps. Australia then took an

ultra-defensive approach against a side unbeaten in their last 19 Tests, but more chances eventually came India’s way. Smith and Shaun Marsh added 37 for their stand in almost 20 overs before the latter was caught down the leg side attempting to sweep Jayant. The hosts struck two quick blows when left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Peter Handscomb (22) leg-before after the right-handed batsman had added 30 runs with Smith. In the next over, Ashwin lured Smith into a drive taken by Kohli at midwicket, to dismiss the world’s topranked Test batsman for 27. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh did not last long either, out leg-before to Jadeja for four. Renshaw, who had to leave the field in the morning with an upset stomach, returned to the crease to hit 68 before he was caught out at slip off Ashwin. Umesh dismissed Mat-

Rooney to stay at Man United

(REUTERS) - Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney intends to stay at the club,

ending speculation that he could move to China. “Despite the interest which

has been shown from other clubs, for which I’m grateful, I want to end recent speculation

and say that I am staying at Manchester United,” Rooney said in a statement yesterday. British media had reported that Rooney’s agent, Paul Stretford, was in China to see if he could negotiate a deal for the England forward to leave United and join the fast-growing Chinese Super League. Rooney, 31, has been unable to command a regular starting place under manager Jose Mourinho and faces a race to be fit for a likely substitute’s role in the League Cup final against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday. He missed his club’s Europa League win at St Etienne on Wednesday with a hamstring injury and Mourinho said he could not guarantee that the player would still be at Old Trafford for the final year of his contract, which expires after the 2017-2018 season.In January Rooney broke Bobby Charlton’s club goal-scoring record but has fallen behind the likes of Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford in the competition for a first-team place. In the statement, on United’s website, he said: “I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success

Umesh Yadav celebrates after taking the wicket of Matthew Wade. The India pacer finished the first day with four for 32. thew Wade for eight before taking the wickets of Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon in successive deliveries. Australia were boosted by Starc late on, as the

left-hander smashed five fours and three sixes to add 51 for the unbroken final wicket with number 11 batsman Josh Hazlewood, not out on one.

SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA 1st innings M. Renshaw c Vijay b R. Ashwin 68 D. Warner b U. Yadav 38 S. Smith c Kohli b R. Ashwin 27 S. Marsh c Kohli b J. Yadav 16 P. Handscomb lbw b Jadeja 22 M. Marsh lbw b Jadeja 4 M. Wade lbw b U. Yadav 8 M. Starc not out 57 S. O’Keefe c Saha b U. Yadav 0 N. Lyon lbw b U. Yadav 0

J. Hazlewood not out 1 Extras: (lb-6, nb-9) 15 Total: (for 9 wickets, 94 overs) 256 Fall of wickets: 1-82, 2-119, 3-149, 4-149, 5-166, 6-190, 7-196, 8-205, 9-205. Bowling: I. Sharma 11-0-27-0 (nb-1), R. Ashwin 34-10- 59-2, J. Yadav 13-1-58-1 (nb-1), R. Jadeja 24-4-74-2 (nb-2) U. Yadav 12-332-4 (nb-1).

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney on four fronts.” R o o n e y, w h o j o i n e d United from Everton as an 18-year-old, began the season in the first team, scoring in their opening Premier League match -- a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth. Yet he has fallen down the pecking order under Mourinho, making only eight starts in 17 Premier League appearances this season, and scoring just two goals. Rooney, who joined United in 2004, broke Charlton’s Manchester United scoring record on January 21 when he scored their equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Stoke City -- his 250th goal for the club. He is also England’s top scorer, overtaking the same player when he scored

his 50th international goal, against Switzerland in September 2015. He hopes to add to his current tally of 53 -- and 119 caps -- but was dropped for the first time in his England career by manager Gareth Southgate for the World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in October, although he returned to captain his country against Scotland a month later. His hopes of beating Peter Shilton’s England appearance record of 125 internationals look doubtful, but if he had moved to China, where British media reported he could have more than doubled his current £300 000 ($376 230)-a-week wages, they would likely have been non-existent.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Hamilton hails ‘awesome’ new Mercedes By Alan Baldwin

SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton declared his new Mercedes “pretty awesome” yesterday after lapping a blustery Silverstone circuit in the car he hopes will secure him a fourth Formula One world championship. “It felt incredible,” added the Briton, who finished runner-up last season behind now-retired teammate Nico Rosberg despite winning more of the 21 races. “Yesterday was the first time seeing the car come together. It’s the most detailed piece of machinery I’ve seen so far in Formula One. “The car feels wider, which it is obvious. The front tyres obviously feel huge,” added the 32-year-old, who

Lewis Hamilton will get behind the wheel of the W08 next month as he looks to reclaim his title. won 10 races in 2016 and starts the season with a new teammate in Finland’s Valtteri Bottas. Formula One has under-

gone big rule changes over the winter, with wider front and rear tyres and different aerodynamics designed to make cars faster, more aggressive

and harder to handle. Lap times should be several seconds quicker than 2016 with cornering speeds putting more G-forces on the

drivers, who have had to bulk up and add muscle. Bottas, who has joined from Williams following Rosberg’s decision to retire only days after taking the title, has yet to win a grand prix. He has already said that he is not intending to play second fiddle to his teammate, however, and the pairing start on equal terms. “I think I have done the most amount of training of any winter so far. I have done some good training camps and feel in the best shape I’ve ever been, definitely ready for the season ahead,” said the Finn. The new car was first presented to fans online, with the drivers pulling the covers off the W08 behind closed garage doors before it was wheeled out to the media shivering on the Silverstone straight.

The team were then set to complete a limited 100km filming day in the afternoon with both drivers taking a turn. “The dominant feeling in the team right now is one of excitement - the factory is buzzing with anticipation,” said team boss Toto Wolff, whose team have won the last three driver’s and constructor’s titles. “It has been a really motivating challenge to develop a brand new car concept and I have never seen our determination to succeed higher than it is right now.” Testing will start in Barcelona on Monday, with Bottas doing the first stint before handing over to Hamilton for the afternoon. The season starts in Australia on March 26.

T&T CONCACAF Under-20 chances suffer another blow SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago’s chances at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship suffered yet another blow when they went down 1-0 to hosts Costa Rica in their second Group C game here Wednesday. Randall Leal’s second-half goal was enough to deny the Trinidadians the three points they des-

perately craved, especially after they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Bermuda in their opening game last Sunday. As a result of the defeat, T&T sit third in Group one with a single point. El Salvador, who thrashed Bermuda 3-1 in the other game on Wednesday, top with six points. Costa Rica are second

on three points with Bermuda bottom with a single point. Both T&T and Costa Rica failed to make any inroads in the first half, leaving the contest on even keel at the break. However, the hosts took the lead nine minutes following the resumption when Leal unleashed a superb long range volley to beat goal-

By Toby Davis

divisions without a league goal in 2017. “Leicester City Football Club has tonight (Thursday) parted company with its first team manager, Claudio Ranieri,” the club said in a statement. “Claudio, appointed City manager in July 2015, led the Foxes to the greatest triumph in the club’s 133-year history last season, as we were crowned champions of England for the first time. His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all-time is without question,” it added. “However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the club’s Premier League status under threat and the board reluctantly feels that a change of

leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the club’s greatest interest.” The decision came 24 hours after the team put in a spirited performance in a 2-1 Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat at Sevilla with former Leicester and England striker Gary Lineker leading a chorus of disapproval among the pundits. “After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad,” Lineker said on Twitter.

Randall Leal’s goal proves the decider against T&T.

keeper Denzil Smith. The goal proved decisive as Trinidad failed to find an equaliser for the remainder of the contest at the Estadio Nacional. Bermuda, meanwhile, proved no match for El Salvador and trailed 1-0 at half-time through a Roberto Dominguez 21st minute strike. After the break, Fernando Castillo (65th)

and Josue Rivera (67th) scored in the space of three minutes to put the game out of reach and Mazhye Burchall’s 75th minute stunner was only consolation for the Bermudans. Winless Antigua and Barbuda were scheduled to be in action in Group A yesterday against Canada in the first game of the double-header.

Leicester sacks Ranieri nine months after stunning triumph (REUTERS) - Leicester City Football Club sacked Italian manager Claudio Ranieri yesterday, nine months after he clinched one of soccer’s most remarkable triumphs but with the team now hovering above the relegation zone. Ranieri’s side stunned the sporting world when they secured a maiden English topflight title last May, having begun the season as 5000-1 outsiders, but have struggled to repeat those heroics in the current campaign. They are currently 17th in the table, a point and a place above the bottom three, having lost their past five league matches. They are the only side in the top four English

UNDER PRESSURE Ranieri had come under pressure following Leicester’s amazing title success, with the team battling relegation amid media reports

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri after the match (Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley Livepic) suggesting he had lost the dressing room. The club gave him “unwavering support” in a statement two weeks ago, but Leicester suffered another

low last weekend when they lost in the FA Cup fifth round at third-tier Millwall. Leicester’s disjointed performances have been a far cry from their relentless accumu-

lation of points last year. The Midlands club, who had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season, clinched the title by 10 points with a brand of fast-paced, counter-attacking football that played to the strengths of their inexpensively-assembled squad. Yet Ranieri, who had never previously won a league title in an itinerant career that included spells at Juventus, AS Roma, Inter Milan, Monaco and Chelsea, has struggled to get the best from his players this season. Having lost dynamic midfield enforcer N’Golo Kante to Chelsea, the likes of striker Jamie Vardy and playmaker Riyad Mahrez have misfired in a stuttering title defence.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Firecrackers expected this evening in Limacol semis THE best four teams in the Petra-organised Limacol/ GT Beer Round-Robin/ Knockout football tournament will be on show this evening at the GFC ground. In the first affair, an all-Georgetown battle, Western Tigers will have their hands full when they take on the unpredictable Santos FC. Following their run in this year’s tournament, the Tigers have shown time and time again that they are not just talking the talk, they are walking the walk. They boast a record-winning streak so far of four, and their ability to get in even behind the sturdiest of defences will be put to the test this evening. Their hopes of moving on hinge primar-

ily on players like Andrew Murray Jr. Devon Millington, Randolph Wagner, Jamal Pedro and Linden Picketts. Conversely, there is the obvious under-dog feeling that must be on Santos FC mind, considering the fact that they have been steadily improving throughout. Their star men include O’Kenie Fraser, Keith Caines, Job Caesar and Orin Yarde and their fans are hoping that they can overturn what many feel may be an easy game. Meanwhile, the two early games are no bench-warmers either with Police having to play Linden’s Winners Connection (WC). The leadership of Dwain Jacobs has proved to be sound so far for the boys in

blue and while the unit may take a while to get into their groove most teams would like to avoid them due to their ability to take it to another level. Persons cannot count out Quincy Holder as well, one of the better players in the side to secure game-changing results whenever the conditions are right. WC, on the other hand, are a known physical team who will no doubt let Police know early that they are in for a tough 90 minutes and after Sunday night’s performance, Rene Gibbons has shown that all he needs is half a chance to make that difference. Kick-off time is 18:30hrs.

Part of the action during the earlier rounds of the Limacol Round-Robin Knockout football tournament

Browne wants Powell’s high Selection policy change for Reggae Boyz: Burrell … More emphasis to be placed on home-based players level of maturity to be emulated BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Chief selector Courtney Browne has praised the form which has led to the return of Kieran Powell to West Indies colours and says he hopes the left-hander’s exemplary attitude can be an inspiration to other players across the region. Powell returned from a self-imposed two-year break to plunder 513 runs in the recently concluded Regional Super50, and force his way into the 15-man squad selected for England’s three-match OneDay International tour of the Caribbean. In particular, Browne pointed to Powell’s high level of maturity which he said had been long in coming but welcomed at this stage. “We had lots of opportunities for players to put up their hands and young Powell has displayed a level of maturity that was expected for a long, long time from him,” Browne said in an interview on CBC Radio’s Mid-Wicket show here. This is the Powell we were expecting to see and I’m sure people right across the Caribbean who know the young man were expecting to see this level of maturity a few years back. But he is here now, has really put up his hand, he’s said ‘look, I’m ready for international cricket again’. “He’s hungry and we’re very, very pleased. We hope that other players would see how Powell has set about pre-

senting himself for selection and take a leaf or two out of his book.” Identified as a long-term solution to the Windies opening woes, Powell had played 21 Tests and 28 One-Day Internationals when he abruptly quit international cricket in the 2014, without any real explanation. He then tried his hand at American baseball before finally returning to first class competition towards the end of last season, playing in a couple of games for Leeward Islands Hurricanes. The 26-year-old made a powerful statement during this year’s Super50, carving out three centuries and two half-centuries, to emerge as the leading batsman. Browne said while a decision was yet to be made where Powell would fit in at the top of the order, his ability, along with that of fellow young players like Evin Lewis and Kraigg Brathwaite, would be added value for the one-day squad. “We tried a few things in Zimbabwe … we have a new coach in now and we have a camp coming up and all of that (batting lineup) will be determined within that time frame,” the former Test wicketkeeper pointed out. “But it’s a good place to be in to have young Powell coming off some 500 runs, Evin who’s just coming off his (maiden) ODI hundred and Kraigg Brathwaite who consistently has performed at the

regional levelm so we’re in a good space here.” He added: “I think that is the good thing about our cricket – we’re now seeing signs that we have guys who are coming behind that will keep selection pressure on the guys who are in the team and I think that is a tremendous feat for us here in the Caribbean. “We are now seeing players who are hungry for cricket, who want to play cricket and enough can’t be said about how our young players are shaping up.” The ODI series against England runs from March 3 to 9.

Left-hander Kieran Powell is lauded for his maturity.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Football Federation president Captain Horace Burrell has pointed to a change of policy in selection for the national team, with more emphasis to be placed on home-based players in the future. The veteran administrator said with a new attitude emerging from many of the young players who played domestically, overseas-based professionals were no longer guaranteed of automatic places in the Reggae Boyz squad. “What we are seeing from the young players is a major difference right now in terms of attitude, in terms of really getting out there, doing it, and I think this is one area that we must concentrate on and so the days of players coming from overseas and walking into the national team, those days are behind us,” the Gleaner newspaper quoted Burrell as saying. He added: “In fact, when you look at the players on the field of play, you realise that there is something different, and speaking with my colleagues in CONCACAF, they, too, have noticed that there is a difference, and so we intend to continue along this line, and I am sure that everything will fall into place in the right order.” Foreign-based pros have become a feature of Reggae Boyz sides over nearly the last two decades, as Jamaica have become one of the most powerful nations in Caribbean football. Seven members of their historic World Cup squad in

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to undergo a change in selection policy 2002 were based in England and successive World Cup campaigns have seen increasing numbers of players who ply their trade outside of Jamaica. In fact, at the last CONCACAF Gold Cup two years ago when the Reggae Boyz were good enough to reach the final, only two of the 23-player squad were based at home. Jamaica’s failure to reach the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 World Cup may have influenced the new approach but Burrell reiterated it was time to change

course. “We have to be man enough to say it has not worked and, therefore, after meeting with all the stakeholders, the Jamaica Football Federation decided to embark on a new initiative by including the youngsters and the local-based players who are hungry and who really want to make an impression, and we’re getting the results,” Burrell said. Jamaica are currently preparing for two major tournaments – the Caribbean Cup finals June 22-25 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup July 7-26.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday February 24, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Shai Hope (Bar vs Jam) (2) Rovman Powell-7 (Jam) Today’s Quiz: (1) How many centuries were scored in the knock-out stage of CWI/Nagicor Super 50, 2017? (2) Who made the highest individual score in the knockout stage? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, February 24, 2017

Three-day Florida Cup tournament bowls off today … Five teams to represent Guyana By Rajiv Bisnauth, in Florida AFTER months of intense preparations, the 2017 edition of the Florida Cup Softball tournament bowls off today with ten preliminary games at the Brian Piccolo Park, Cooper City, Florida.

Clyde Butts The highly-anticipated three-day tournament has attracted a total of 14 teams, who will compete in the All-Stars and Masters categories. Six high-quality and competitive teams will

compete in the All-Stars Division, while eight welloiled units, comprising players over age 45, will do battle in the Masters segment. According to a schedule released by the South Florida Softball Cricket League (SFSCL), 27 matches will be played during the three days. Fourteen games will be played today, 11 on Saturday, including the four semi-finals. The finals for both categories will take place on Sunday at the Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida. According to the schedule, Guyana will be represented by five teams; Regal All-Stars and Masters, Floodlights Open and Legends, along with Demerara Speedboat. Floodlights Legends are the defending champions in that category, but they will be

National Beach Soccer team beat Belize 4-1 to register first win

Jahshawn Moore

THE National Beach Soccer team made history on Wednesday evening, with a 4-1 win over Belize in their third game at the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in the Bahamas. The team, who were already breaking new ground for Guyanese men’s football with their debut in a CONCACAF finals tournament, lost their opening two matches to hosts Bahamas (1-4) and Jamaica (3-6). But, in a sign of good things for the future, the squad dug deep and bounced back in their final group match. Deshawn Joseph netted twice, 4th and 29th minutes, Jahshawn Moore in the 24th and Jamal Haynes in the 25th. Haynes

also scored an own goal in the 5th to seal a comfortable win. Guyana finished third in Group A on three points, below Bahamas and Jamaica who will now progress to the knockout, quarter-final rounds. Guyana will now take part in the placement rounds, which decide the final standings between 9 and 16. The landmark win in Nassau could see Guyana enter beach soccer’s world rankings for the first time. Belize are ranked 89th out of 112, Jamaica stand at 70, with the Bahamas at 56. In February 2016, Guyana’s Women’s National Team secured a memorable 2-1 win against Guatemala in the 2016 CONCACAF finals tournament.

hard-pressed to retain that title, since from all indications, the tournament has attracted the best softball players from Guyana and North America. While Chronicle Sport was unable to make contact with connections of the Floodlights Legends Turn to Pg. 27

Flashback! Floodlights Masters … vow championship repeat at Florida Cup.

Three-day Florida Cup tournament bowls off today See 1 3 page

Secure Innovations and Concepts Endurance Rental Cup

Gizmos & Gadgets; Monster Energy dominate round two

See story on page 27

The winners of the 600lb class team Monster Energy and their 500lb counterparts Gizmos and Gadgets

FIFA promotes GFF’s youth development programme on social media

Part of the action in GFF’s youth football development programme Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax: 2 2 7- 5208

THE world governing body of football, FIFA, has showcased the Guyana Football Federation’s new, nationwide, youth football development programme on its popular social media platforms, sharing images from a GFF-Scotiabank Academy Training Centre (ATC) youth football session with millions of football fans worldwide. FIFA’s corporate Twitter account (www.twitter.com/ FIFAcom) has 10.3 million followers, while its corporate Facebook account (www. facebook.com/FIFA) has 3.25 million followers. It is the first time a GFF football development programme has been promoted on these platforms. “We are delighted to have this level of support from FIFA, as it increases public awareness of the progress we are making in football in Guyana,” said GFF president Wayne Forde. “It places Guyana, and its football, in a positive light on the international stage. “We also know the value

that sponsors place on the power and reach of social media, and we encourage more organisations and people to come on board as we build towards future success.” The images posted by FIFA show GFF Technical Development Officer Sampson Gilbert and GFF Youth Development coach Challus McKinnon leading a group of Under-17 boys through structured training in the first Georgetown Football Association area session on February 17. On Facebook, FIFA said: “(The) Guyana Football Federation is reforming football in Guyana and focusing on laying foundations for future success through youth/coach development.” The GFF-Scotiabank ATC, managed by GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood, and an expanded technical development team form a nationwide network designed to discover and more effectively develop talented boys and girls all over. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017