Guyana Chronicle E-paper 11-19-2018

MONDAY 19th November, 2018

Pay hike is sure No.105463

Aranaputa LGE winners 11 ready to serve PAGE

Lusignan prison 05 escapee nabbed at Tuschen PAGE

PAGE

03

–– Min Jordan promises three-year salary increases for public servants – Old Age Pension to go up

Police confirm Dookie and Todd interdicted from duty 05 PAGE

A group of public-spirited persons on Sunday gathered in front of State House with their lit candles to pray for the speedy recovery of President David Granger who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Cuba last week (Samuel Maughn photo)

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Vendors begin building stalls at Stabroek Market Square

SOME vendors who have been relocated from the Stabroek Market wharf on Sunday began construction of their stalls at the new location, the Stabroek Market Square.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle at the site, the vendors estimate that the construction is expected to take between three to four days to complete.

On November 7, the first set of vendors began signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Mayor and City Council (MCC) outlining the terms that cleared the way for them to build.

Those on site noted their relief to finally be able to begin construction and start the process of relocating. Though the

Stabroek Market wharf has been closed to vendors for some time now, some vendors who sell perishable items have remained vending there.

“It’s a relief to be out here finally,” said 57-yearold Raymond Alphonso, who vends a variety of products including fruits and vegetables. He is looking forward to closing up shop at the wharf.

“After persons heard that the wharf was so dangerous they stop coming, so it’s been hard,” he noted.

The Stabroek Market wharf has been in a severely dilapidated condition for some years now and was labelled a danger zone, both for the vendors and other citizens. In September the MCC issued a disclaimer noting that they

had instructed the vendors to remove and ordered others not to venture on to the wharf.

Realising that they could not simply remove the vendors from the wharf without providing an alternative for them, the MCC earlier this year agreed to develop a section of the Stabroek Market Square to relocate the vendors. However, after expending some $23 million to upgrade the area, the project was stalled, with City Hall claiming that it did not have anymore money.

The vendors then asked to build the stalls themselves.

At an extraordinary meeting in September, the council voted to permit the vendors to construct their own stalls and the MCC would charge the vendors rent for the spaces they occupy.

The MoU indicated that their stalls at the market square are temporary ones and they will have to dismantle them and return to the wharf, once the

Construction begins at the Stabroek Market Square for vendors being relocated from the Stabroek Market wharf (Samuel Maughn photo) wharf has been repaired and is fit and proper for business.

At the extraordinary meeting, it was noted that while the vendors would build their own stalls, they would be expected to adhere to building the stalls to a standard dimension of

8 feet x 10 feet and a maximum height of 13 feet.

However, vendors on Sunday noted that they were allocated spots of 8 feet x 5 feet, which is inadequate for some of them.

“It feels good moving but to me the spot is too small. The original thing

was supposed to be 10 feet x 8 feet, but even if they cut it down, it should’ve been like a 6 feet x 8 feet because this is too small.

I wish if they could’ve give me a double, I would’ve feel comfortable,” commented fruit vendor Nandranie Budram.

Pay hike is sure

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

… Min Jordan promises three-year salary increases for public servants … Old Age Pension to go up

ALL public sector workers can expect salary increases especially in the next three years, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said on Sunday.

He also announced that Old Age Pension which now stands at $19,500 per month will be further increased when the national budget is presented later this month.

Jordan made the announcement in a letter to the editor in which he responded to an article by trade union leader Lincoln Lewis in the Kaieteur News on Sunday.

Under the caption “Local Government Elections, though disappointing to some, were not unexpected”, Lewis’ article touched on a number of issues including increase in salaries for cabinet ministers, as well as Members of Parliament and the payment of year-end bonuses to members of the disciplined services.

HIKE IN OLD AGE PENSION In his article, Lewis claimed that government taking away the subsidies on water and electricity from pensioners “remains heartless.”

However, Jordan clarified that on entering office

in May 2015, the administration found that only 30 per cent and 62 per cent of 42,397 pensioners were benefiting from the electricity and water subsidies, respectively. This, he said, was because the pensioner had to have both electricity and water metres in his/her name–which was a problem for many, especially those in indigenous, hinterland and rural areas. “After 23 years of encountering discrimination of all kinds under the previous government, the coalition government decided to bring a swift end to this policy. The decision was that all pensioners must benefit from the subsidies.

So, the subsidies were incorporated (not removed) into the pension, which was increased by 30 percent, from $13,125 to $17,000.

Today, old age pension stands at $19,500 and will be increased again, in the upcoming budget,” Jordan asserted.

Further, in addressing the issue of the bonus to members of the disciplined forces, Jordan said for many years the previous administration had adopted the practice of paying less to public sector workers, so as to retain an amount to pay year-end bonuses to

workers in the disciplined services, only. “Recall that the standard wage increase was five per cent per annum, resulting in the paltry minimum wage of $39,570, in 2015. But a higher percentage has been budgeted to pay increases to all workers across-the-board.

The difference in the two percentages was used to finance the one-month bonus to the disciplined services.

Even in cases where funds remained after paying the bonus, the previous administration refused to use them to pay the other public sector workers, preferring to return them to the treasury,” Jordan, who worked as the finance ministry’s budget director for several years when the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) was in power, said.

“I do not recall Mr. Lewis condemning this practice.

In fact, I do not recall any labour leader vociferously and consistently voicing their objection to this naked attempt to divide the workers. Instead of being condemned in the strongest possible terms by Mr. Lewis, yet another discriminatory practice of the previous administration is being heralded by him,” the finance minister said.

He noted that the coalition government “has clearly enunciated that all workers must benefit, if there are excess resources that can be shared. Hence, in 2015 and 2016, all workers benefited from the payment of bonuses of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively.”

FINANCIAL CHALLENGES Jordan acknowledged that since 2017, the government has had to grapple with financial challenges that have precluded the payment of bonuses.

“However, we have paid salary increases beyond the “five per cent”, such that the minimum wage has rapidly increased by nearly 52 percent in two years, from $39,570, in 2015, to $60,000, in 2017. It took the PPP/C administration nine years to move the minimum wage by a similar percentage, or from $26,070, in 2006 to $39,570, in 2015.

All workers can expect salary increases going forward, especially in 2018, 2019 and 2020.”

The finance minister said he found particularly nauseating, Mr. Lewis’ attempt to connect the lower voter turnout by the disciplined services to the ending

of the one-month bonus. “I firmly believe that our hardfought right to vote cannot be so easily and callously sacrificed for the proverbial “40 pieces of silver.”

Workers need to know that robbing them of their rightful increase in wages, in order to pay them a bonus, robs them of a higher pension and gratuity, since those are calculated based on your gross salary, which does not include a bonus.”

CABINET SALARY Jordan also set the record straight on the issue of salary increases for cabinet members.

Noting that there has been a lot of misinformation on this subject, Jordan made it clear that President David Arthur Granger has not benefited from any salary increase since coming to office. He said the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo benefited from a one-time, “very small five per cent increase in salary in 2015.”

Jordan explained that when the coalition government acceded to office, it found that the salary of the attorney general (AG) was not only tax-free, but it was also higher than the prime minister’s salary. To

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan correct this anomaly, the prime minister’s salary was adjusted slightly above the AG’s salary. “Please note however, that unlike the AG, the PM pays income tax.”

Jordan further explained that salaries of Cabinet ministers, Speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the opposition were increased by 50 percent; those of junior ministers by a lesser percentage; and those of the other parliamentarians by an even lesser percentage. “I wish to reiterate that the increases granted in 2015 were oneoff increases.

No further increase in the salaries of parliamentarians is contemplated for this term of office of the coalition government,” the finance minister stated.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Driver in custody following death of pedestrian THE police are investigating an accident which occurred about 20:35hrs on Saturday night, resulting in the death of pedestrian Imran Khan, 36, of Droom Street Annandale North,

East Coast Demerara.

According to the police, mini bus BHH 8465 was proceeding west along the southern carriageway of the Good Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara, when

it was alleged by the driver that the pedestrian suddenly ran across the road from south to north and collided with the left side of his minibus and fell onto the roadway.

Khan was picked up by the said driver in an unconscious condition and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the

minibus, a 65 year-old resident of Cherry Lane, Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, passed a breathalyser test and is in police custody assisting with the investigation.

Cops on the hunt for driver of 212 car ‌after vehicle found laden with ganja THE police are currently on the hunt for the driver of a motor car, which on Saturday evening was intercepted along the Number Six Public Road on the West Coast of Berbice, with over 47 pounds of compressed cannabis.

According to the police, the driver of a 212 motor car abandoned his vehicle after

Monday, Nov. 19, 2018

he allegedly crashed into the rear of another vehicle which resulted in extensive damage to both.

A search of the vehicle revealed several parcels of compressed cannabis which weighed in excess of 21,770 grams. Both the vehicle and cannabis are lodged as an investigation is ongoing.

The drugs found in the 212 motorcar

Man in custody for discharging firearm

02:30hrs. - 04:00hrs.

14:30hrs. - 16:00hrs.

A MAN is currently in police custody after he allegedly discharged a firearm in the air at Vryheid's Lust South, East Coast Demerara early Sunday morning.

According to a release, about 01:50hrs on the day in question the police patrol responded to a report of a male discharging a firearm in Vryheid's Lust South area.

When the ranks arrived in the area the suspect spotted the cops and fled.

However he was shortly after apprehended on the Better Hope Public Road, also on the ECD, and a search of his person revealed two live rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The release said the investigation continues but that the suspect is not cooperating.

Saturday 17, November, 2018

03 05 12 22 23 27 20

16, November, 2018

D

03 04 07 08 20

04, 07, 09, 20, 22

6, 8, 4

4, 9, 7

01, 02, 04, 05, 09

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Police confirm Dookie and Todd interdicted from duty THE administration of the Guyana Police Force has confirmed that Deputy Superintendent of Police Motie Dookie and Superintendent of Police Patrick Todd have been interdicted from duty.

Dookie is the former head of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit and is under investigation after being busted last December with a large amount of smuggled whisky in a minibus which was stopped at a police road block at Whim Public Road, Corentyne.

It was reported that he told a party of policemen at the roadblock that the alcohol was being taken to

Georgetown for the Guyana Police Force Old Year’s Night ball, something the force publicly denied.

He had neglected his duties at Police Headquarters in Georgetown when he was held on the Corentyne.

The driver of the vehicle subsequently cleared Dookie of having knowledge of the items which were in the bus at the time. The Guyana Revenue Authority was also involved in the matter as the beverage was considered uncustomed goods. On the night in question, Dookie was confined to a police station in Berbice but vanished and then returned by sunrise the following day.

The developments led to Dookie requesting his annualised leave which was granted to him by the force.

Upon his return, he was sent to head a police sub-division, but that move was reversed after concerns were raised.

Dookie was then sent on leave in the public’s interest.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission Paul Slowe via a letter, had informed that Dookie was charged with two disciplinary offences, “Neglect of duty,” and “Conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline,” under the Police (Discipline) Act. Additionally, Dookie is receiving only half of his

salary until the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings initiated against him.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Patrick Todd is currently before the court for causing the death of a 64-year-old pedal cyclist Conrad Alleyne, following an accident on the Boerasirie Bridge on the West Coast of Demerara in September, 2018. He was also charged with driving until the influence of alcohol.

Todd is on $250,000 bail and is scheduled to stand trial next year. Reports are that the accident occurred around 19:20hrs on the bridge and that Todd’s vehicle was proceeding east

Deputy Superintendent of Police Motie Dookie

Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Todd

along the northern side of the bridge.

Todd had told the police that he suddenly felt an impact and upon investigating, saw Alleyne lying injured on the bridge.

The man was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital in a semi-conscious state, was treated and referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital,

but died on his way there. A breathalyser test was administered to Todd and he was found to be above the legal alcohol consumption limit Todd, who is currently on leave and was expected to resume duty from January 2019, is now interdicted and will therefore receive only half of his salary.

Mother defends young Drug addict stabbed to death murder accused

THE mother of a teenager who was arrested in connection with the murder of a 29-year-old labourer of Whim, Berbice said her son is unaware of what happened.

The teen, who was under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred, related to his mother that he and the victim had an argument over clothing.

The clothing was given to the teen by the victim, identified as Desmond Sewdat called “Bull” of 6th Street, Whim.

During the argument, Sewdat received one stab wound to the chest and died soon after. The incident occurred at First Street, Auchlyne Village, Corentyne, Berbice at around 15:30hrs on Saturday afternoon.

Sewdat’s sister, Shaneza Sewdat, 35, noted that about 30 minutes prior to the inci-

Desmond Sewdat

dent, her brother visited her home and spoke briefly with her father and played with his nieces and nephews.

“He was here playing with the kids then he collected a shirt from my father and left to walk go up the road. He did drink too and a little while after I see an uncle come and say something

wrong with Bull. Right away I got a bad feeling and my feet get weak so I called my daughter and my sister and they went to the scene and see his dead body on the street.”

The woman related that after family members visited the scene, the police were called and the body was transported to the Port Mourant Hospital, where Sewdat was confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, mother of the accused teen, Eulette Welch, a part-time vendor related that her son said that during the argument, Sewdat attempted to stab him but fell on the knife.

H o w e v e r, f a m i l y members of Sewdat have claimed that the incident was witnessed by at least five persons, who said that the teen inflicted the deadly wound.

THE police are currently on the hunt for four men, who are fingered in the murder of an alleged drug addict, known only as ‘Buckman’, and who was stabbed and killed late on Saturday night.

According to a police

report, the victim about age 45, of no fixed place of abode, succumbed to his injuries whilst receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The incident occurred about 23:00h at Leopold and Lom-

bard Streets, Georgetown.

It is alleged that the victim was stabbed multiple times by the four suspects because he and others reportedly stopped buying drugs from them.

The police investigation continues.

Lusignan Prison escapee nabbed at Tuschen

LUSIGNAN Prison escapee Sudesh Dyal was on Sunday morning recaptured at Tuschen Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo, by a party of policemen led by Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper.

According to a release, the police acting on information swooped down on the area about 03:00hrs and apprehended the fugitive without any incident.

Last month, murder accused Travis Evans, age 23 of ‘C’ Field Sophia, Georgetown; Sudesh Dyal, 23, who was remanded for Break and Enter and Larceny and escaping lawful custody; and Dextroy Pollard, 29, of Wales Village for Break and Enter and

Larceny, escaped from the Lusignan Prison.

Evans was later recaptured at Soesdyke, while Pollard earlier this month was apprehended at Free and Easy Village, West Bank Demerara by a civic-minded citizen.

Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels said at the time that the prison warders who were on duty have been placed under close arrest and it was likely that the police took the same action for its officers who were on duty.

Paul Goriah, who escaped from the Lusignan Prison and Cobena Stephens called “OJ,” who escaped from the Georgetown Prison during the destructive prison riot on July 9, 2017, are also on the run.

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Embarrassing in every way

THE recent crash-landing of a Fly Jamaica Airways plane after only a departure time frame of about 15 minutes, resulted in the tragic loss of an octogenarian, who died as a result of a fractured skull sustained in the process while using the emergency chute for passenger exit.

To her family, sincere condolences are extended at this difficult time.

To the other passengers who sustained injuries best wishes are given for speedy recoveries. Of course, there was damage to the aircraft, which has since been released for whatever procedural analyses in determining cause(s) of the crash, and repairs for further ser-

vice to travellers.

One must therefore be thankful to providence and to the skills of the aircraft pilot and crew for navigating such a difficult landing without further tragedy.

But arising out of this incident has been an act that can only be branded as shocking ; it is not expected to occur in such circumstances, or in any other for that matter, in which a section of the nation’s disciplined services is required.

The term disciplined forces refers to the collective of components that are each responsible for specific operational functions that have to do with the safekeeping and protection of

the nation’s security and its citizens. It is a daily undertaking, where each branch has to be on the ready for any relevant contingency.

It goes without saying that anyone who aspires to become a serving member of any of its arms, is expected to adhere to the strict code of disciplinary conduct; this is an absolute necessity, since it is non-negotiable in the daily functions of a security agency of the state, in terms of its personnel being required to respond to orders and the carrying out of such in an efficient manner. And in state security organisations, whether military or para-military, its members are expected to reflect that

level of disciplinary conduct in the execution of their duties, and even when in civilian mode.

Except that this salient fact was deliberately forgotten by the reported dozen firemen who, during the post-crash operations carried out at the Cheddi Jagan Airport, allegedly pilfered items of some of the affected passengers and flight crew.

This is an act that can only be described as most shameful and unbelievable; it is the last thing that persons who have experienced such a trauma, such as a crash-landing of their flight would expect; particularly from such a department of state security that is respon-

sible for specific rescue operations, apart from the main one of fighting fires.

C e r t a i n l y, o n e m u s t agree with the government’s statement, condemning the act as “reprehensible.’ Of course, there was a similarly, equally strong statement from the chief fire officer.

There are two important reminders which members of the disciplined services must always have uppermost in their understanding as servicemen: First, is that once they have taken the oath of service, that it means unswerving loyalty to the mission of their organisation’s function; secondly, and as a natural condition of the first realisation, is that any act com-

mitted during the course of any operation that is not in keeping with the standard operating procedures, and is illegal in nature, immediately infracts the disciplinary code that governs the conduct of all ranks.

This is exactly what those accused firemen have done in the course of their duties.

There can be no explanation of any type from these ranks that can be offered as an excuse for such dishonest behaviour, that has served only to embarrass all firemen, thus bringing the service into disrepute. We expect due process; but justice must serve as a deterrent to others who may harbour similar intentions.

President has not benefitted from any pay increase Dear Editor, I REFER to an article by Lincoln Lewis which appeared in the Kaieteur News, Sunday, November 18, 2018, under the caption “Local Government Elections, though disappointing to some, were not unexpected.” Ordinarily, I would have read the article and moved on – this being a very busy time in the calendar of the Ministry of Finance. But Mr. Lewis’ article contained a number of assertions that warrant an immediate response.

Mr Lewis claimed, “ The administration should not forget that the 50 percent and other increases paid to the President, his ministers and all the parliamentarians, in less than six months coming to office, …”

This claim has been made before on several occasions, and has been refuted by the government, repeatedly. That it continues to be said by none other than a seasoned labour leader, convinces me of the triumph of propaganda and ‘fake news’ over truth.

Here are some simple facts: Fact 1: President David Arthur Granger

has not benefited from any salary increase since coming to office.

Fact 2: The prime minister (PM) benefited from a one-time, very small (5%) increase in salary in 2015. When the coalition government acceded to office, it found that the salary of the attorney general (AG) was not only tax-free, but it was also higher than the prime minister’s salary. To correct this anomaly, the prime minister’s salary was adjusted slightly above the AG’s salary.

Please note however, that unlike the AG, the PM pays income tax.

Fact 3: The salaries of Cabinet Ministers, Speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the opposition were increased by 50 percent; those of junior ministers by a lesser percentage; and those of the other parliamentarians by an even lesser percentage.

I wish to reiterate that the increases granted in 2015 were one-off increases. No further increase in the salaries of parliamentarians is contemplated for this term of office of the coalition government.

The second erroneous assertion of Mr.

Lewis is the following: “Taking away the subsidies in water and electricity from this vulnerable constituent, that lives on significant [sic] reduced income (pension), remains heartless.”

Fact: On entering office in May 2015, we found the following discriminatory situation: only 30 percent and 62 percent of 42,397 pensioners were benefiting from the electricity and water subsidies, respectively. This is because the pensioner had to have both electricity and water metres in his/her name – a problem for many, especially those in indigenous, hinterland and rural areas. After 23 years of encountering discrimination of all kinds under the previous government, the coalition government decided to bring a swift end to this policy.

The decision was that all pensioners must benefit from the subsidies. So, the subsidies were incorporated (not removed) into the pension, which was increased by 30 percent, from $13,125 to $17,000. Today, old age pension stands at $19,500 and will be increased again, in the upcoming budget.

The next assertion of Mr. Lewis that

caught my attention was the following: “I note the date designated for the disciplined services to vote recorded low turnout. I have written before about the error on the part of the coalition in removing the yearend bonus (i.e. one-month salary) this category of workers enjoyed for several years.”

Fact: For many years, the previous administration had adopted the practice of paying less to public sector workers, so as to retain an amount to pay year-end bonus to workers of the disciplined services, only.

Recall that the standard wage increase was five per cent per annum, resulting in the paltry minimum wage of $39,570, in 2015; but a higher percentage would be budgeted to pay increases to all workers across-theboard. The difference in the two percentages was used to finance the one-month bonus to the disciplined services. Even in cases where funds remained after paying the bonus, the previous administration refused to use them to pay the other public sector workers, preferring to return it to the treasury.

TURN TO PAGE 7

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Remembering Jim Jones Dear Editor, FOUR decades ago this Sunday (yesterday), the Rev Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of an American cult in the Guyanese jungle, ordered his followers to murder a United Sates congressman and several journalists, then commit mass suicide by drinking cyanide-laced fruit punch. The Jonestown Massacre was, before 9/11, the largest single incident of intentional civilian death in American history. More than 900 people died, many children. It was also a devastating cultural trauma: the end of the last strains of a certain kind of 1960s idealism and 1970s radicalism.

Jonestown’s legacy lives on in the ironic phrase, “drink the Kool-Aid.” Although he would later become a symbol of the darker side of counterculture, Jim Jones was born to a poor family in Indiana. Described as an intelligent and strange child, Jones was instinctively attracted to religion, especially charismatic Christian traditions such as Pentecostalism. He cut his teeth as a street preacher, and was, unusually for the time and place, a passionate advocate for racial equality. Jones’s idiosyncratic blend of evangelical Christianity, New Age spirituality and radical social justice attracted an enthusiastic following. He called his burgeoning church

the People’s Temple.

The People’s Temple advocated socialism and communitarian living and was racially integrated to an exceptional standard rarely matched since. In 1965, when Jones was in his mid30s, he ordered the People’s Temple moved to California.

He drifted away from traditional Christian teachings, describing himself in messianic terms and claiming he was the reincarnation of figures such as Christ and Buddha. He also claimed that his goal all along was communism, and, in a twist on the famous dictum that religion is the “opiate of the masses,” that religion was merely his way of making Marxism more palatable.

By the 1970s, the People’s Temple, now based in San Francisco, had gained significant political influence. Jones’s fierce advocacy for the downtrodden earned him the admiration of leftwing icons such as Angela Davis and Harvey Milk and the support of groups like the Black Panthers – a tragically misguided political affinity, given that more than two-thirds of Jonestown’s eventual victims were African-Americans.

The People’s Temple was, successful in part because it was politically useful: Jones could be counted on to deliver busloads of obedient, well-dressed disciples to demonstrations, campaign rallies, and polit-

ical precincts.

There were already signs, however, of a sinister undercurrent to the People’s Temple. Followers were expected to devote themselves completely to the church’s utopian project: they turned over their personal wealth, worked long hours of unpaid labour for the church and often broke contact with their families; they were expected to raise their children within the commune. As a show of commitment, People’s Temple members were asked to sign false testimonials that they had molested their children, which the church kept for potential blackmail.

In his 1980 study of Jonestown, the writer Shiva Naipaul, younger brother of VS Naipaul, argued that the People’s Temple was at heart a fundamentalist religious project – “obsessed with sin and images of apocalyptic destruction, authoritarian in its innermost impulses, instinctively thinking in terms of the saved and the damned.”

The result, Naipaul wrote, “was neither racial justice nor socialism, but a messianic parody of both.”

Jones, who had long believed the US was in danger of imminent nuclear holocaust, had been searching for a place where his church would be “safe” during an apocalyptic event. A magazine article alleging abuse in the People’s Temple spurred Jones’s desire to relocate.

He chose Guyana, whose socialist regime at that time was politically sympathetic.

In 1977, the People’s Temple moved its headquarters to a remote area of Guyanese wilderness.

Here, Jones declared, they could build a utopian society without government or media meddling. Battling an oppressive tropical climate and limited resources, the people of Jonestown began to convert the dense jungle into a working agricultural commune, soon known as “Jonestown.” The church delivered Jones’s rambling monologues to Jonestown’s inhabitants by megaphone as they worked. In the evenings they attended mandatory propaganda classes; Jones’s writ was enforced by armed guards called the “Red Brigade.”

Jonestown had little reason to expect interference from the then Guyana authorities, whose government happily ignored signs of the cult’s authoritarian and paranoid bent. Back in the US, however, parents of Jonestown inhabitants , concerned by the strange letters, or lack of letters, they received or did not receive from their children, had been lobbying the government to investigate.

After a family in the United States won a custody order for a child in Jonestown, paranoia escalated. The commune became an armed camp ringed by

President has not ...

I do not recall Mr. Lewis condemning this practice. In fact, I do not recall any labour leader vociferously and consistently voicing their objections to this naked attempt to divide the workers. Instead of being condemned in the strongest possible terms by Mr. Lewis, yet another discriminatory practice of the previous administration is being heralded by him.

The coalition government has clearly enunciated that all workers must benefit, if there are excess resources that can be shared. Hence, in 2015 and 2016, all workers benefited from the payment of bonuses of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively.

Since 2017, we have had to grapple with financial challenges that have precluded the payment of bonuses.

However, we have paid salary increases beyond the “five per cent”, such that the minimum wage has rapidly increased by nearly 52 percent in two years, from $39,570, in 2015, to $60,000, in 2017. It took the PPP/C administration nine years to move the minimum wage by a similar percentage, or from $26,070, in 2006 to $39,570, in 2015. All workers can expect salary increases going forward, especially in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Editor, I found particularly nauseating Mr. Lewis’ attempt to connect the lower voter turnout

FROM PAGE 6

by the disciplined services to the ending of the one-month bonus.

I firmly believe that our hardfought right to vote cannot be so easily and callously sacrificed for the proverbial “40 pieces of silver.” Workers need to know that robbing them of their rightful increase in wages, in order to pay them a bonus, robs them of a higher pension and gratuity, since those are calculated on the basis of your gross salary, which does not include a bonus.

Yours faithfully, Hon. Winston Jordan, MP Minister of Finance

volunteers with guns and machetes, threatening to fight outsiders to the death.

At the behest of concerned family members in the US, the California congressman Leo Ryan organised a delegation of journalists and others to make a fact-finding mission to Jonestown. The delegation arrived at Jonestown on 17th November 1978 and received a civil audience from Jones, but the visit was hastily called short on 18 November after a member of the commune tried to stab Ryan. The delegation headed back to the airstrip accompanied by a dozen Jonestown inhabitants, who had asked to leave the commune, and escorted by Jones’s watchful deputies.

The delegates never made it off the ground. As they boarded the planes, their escorts drew guns and opened fire. They shot Ryan dead, combing his body with bullets to make certain, and killed four others, includ-

ing two photographers who captured footage of the attack before dying. Wounded survivors ran or dragged themselves, bleeding, into the forest.

Back at Jonestown, Jones announced that it was time to undertake the final “white night.” To quell disagreement, he told inhabitants that Congressman Ryan had already been murdered, sealing the commune’s fate and making revolutionary suicide the only possible outcome.

The people of Jonestown, some acceptant and serene, others probably coerced, queued to receive cups of cyanide-laced punch and syringes. The children were poisoned first. When Guyanese troops reached Jonestown the next morning, they discovered an eerie, silent vista, frozen in time and littered with bodies.

Regards Rooplall Dudhnath

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Ensuring value for taxpayers’ money Dear Editor RECENTLY, the media aired the story of a very senior regional official, Pauline Lucas, who reportedly stood her ground demanding that a company contracted by her region to build a health centre, carried out remedial works in the form of affixing a specified quality of roofing as per contract, and having the works verified before any further payment could be made. This was to replace what was an in-

ferior quality type that the contracting firm had initially used.

It is interesting to note that the contracting firm had insisted on receiving additional funds, before it proceeded on remedial works as requested.

This particular incident as reported, facilitated an open window into the numerous questionable practices that have been perennially plaguing administrative regions with regard to important projects: use of inferior quality of material, that cost the same as the

requisite quality; contractors demanding disbursements for works that have not been certified as being done in accordance with contract specifications, and completed; contrary building executions despite prior advice, and a host of other issues that paint quite a perceptive picture of illegalities.

There was even the disturbing issue of the engineer who had been initially responsible for the particular works, not being employed at this region anymore, but taking away

the relevant documents that apparently had to do with a project. How can this be, when such documents are the property of the particular region, forming part of its reference archive? This type of action leads one to ask so many questions, particularly those surrounding impropriety.

If this particular case mirrors similar incidents in other regions, then it says a lot about the quality of their management, especially the regional executive officers (REOs).

This, undoubtedly, is one

of the burdensome legacies of the over two decades of PPP/C’s governance.

Of course, one will recall the REO who was wanted some years ago for a reported theft of millions of dollars.

But REO Lucas has clearly shown what following the rules to the letter can bring in terms of letting contracting parties understand their contractual obligations. She stood her ground, did not budge, although further payment demands were made and even reminded the contracting

party that the requested replacements of zinc sheets will have to be examined before he receives further payment.

I commend her, for she has set the bar for ensuring that taxpayers’ money is properly spent, in terms of value for money; as well as whatever project is executed, in this instance a health centre at Eccles, is proper for its services to community citizens.

Regards Troy Garraway

The people spoke in LGEs 2018 and it’s up to all parties to deliver Dear Editor, AMIDST the celebration by respective parties after the local government elections, it is important to note that every party or group can smile, but still find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

The single most important positive coming out of LGEs 2018 was “Local Democracy,” which is now back as a staple fixture in Guyana. On the other hand, voter apathy served as a stark reminder that the electorate overall disapproved of services at the local level.

Upon examination of each contender, one would see that they all had their positives and negatives, which will serve as a wakeup call to those who feel they have things covered.

The APNU and the AFC both suffered for abandoning their LGE coalition, with the AFC hitting the rock while APNU finds itself in a seemingly hard place. The PPP is celebrating this break-up because it gives them a chance to claim votes in certain areas where the AFC captured supporters from the APNU or in areas where dirty campaigning discouraged their supporters from heading to the polls. The PPP/C and

APNU both claim bragging rights, but truth be told, all parties can celebrate beyond the return of local democracy including the AFC, URP and the independents.

APNU was expected to be obliterated at the polls as they faced the brunt of the election blows which came from the AFC, PPP/C, URP, independents and their own supporters who unwittingly joined the efforts of their opposition to spread negativities; infighting among comrades also had a negative effect on their campaign. APNU also appeared to have struggled with a low budget for their campaign, while the PPP and the AFC seemed to be loaded with the “Grangers.” However, the APNU utilised its ‘foot soldiers’ and touted their accomplishments, which were comparatively substantial when compared to the previous administration, to keep their loyalists on board. APNU’s formidable showing in their strongholds and in places dominated by the PPP despite many supporters absenting themselves, is a plus for the party-- along with the return of LGEs. It proves that if their supporters were energised to take to the polls, better results would be had.

However, their LGEs 2018 results will spur the par-

ty and its supporters to not take things for granted heading into 2020.

The PPP/C on the other hand capitalised on the LGE split of the coalition and voter apathy to ensure their supporters turned out to vote as their opponents’ supporters stayed away in Georgetown, Linden, Lethem, and in Mabaruma to a lesser extent, leaving APNU and the AFC with the need to kiss and make up after the LGE storm.

The PPP/C also campaigned cunningly in several areas with allegations of vote buying, trickery, intimidation, voter suppression and ‘insider underhandedness” surfacing. Their unsavoury attacks on the prime minister and minister of public security because they left the PPP/C also played a role in denting the AFC’s hopes, but continue to stain Guyana with polarising politics. To hold on to the majority in their strongholds and their results in other areas however, gave the PPP/C some talking points as their LGEs showing remains constant, but there is nothing much new to talk about. The PPP/C is also between a rock and a hard place, because they have reached their limit in current support in the communities which were dimin-

ished after the last general elections. The PPP/C does not have the same excuse as the APNU with their base not showing up to the polls. I forecast therefore that the PPP will remain in the opposition come 2020 because of the unforgettable actions of their leaders during their 23 years. Several of their supporters are seeing a better opportunity for growth outside of the Jagdeo circle. Also, what is being undermentioned is the fact that several PPP/C-controlled NDCs and municipalities are facing the same disgruntlement from their representatives as the lack of cooperation with regional and central government for local development has backfired. Moreover, the newly elected leaders are now signalling their interest in cooperation in order to have something to show come 2020.

The AFC ran the most aggressive and visible LGE campaign and should give itself a pat on the back for standing alone and notching a few seats. However, the inroads they made seem like a “roundabout,” since it bit a chunk out of the APNU’s base. Their overt and covert aggressions also had a negative effect on the coalition base and gave ground to the PPP. Their non-impact

in PPP strongholds was also a greater setback than their failed attempt to wrest control in coalition strongholds. A positive take-away from the AFC’s LGE campaign is their level of organisation and their confident approach to their mission.

Looking forward to 2020 however, the AFC has to assert itself as a voice of reason, not as an independent voice, but one in which the people can have confidence as their balancing partner.

The URP can celebrate getting some votes, but the independent candidates have more to celebrate as democratic renewal gave them an opportunity to be the people’s choice. This is something even the President encouraged as he believes the people must have their best representation.

The question will now be asked how their election promises will be delivered.

Come 2020, all local organs will be in the spotlight with their leaders and the electorate holding them accountable, while large parties will expect their constituencies to deliver for them. It will also be interesting to see if the PPP will urge its local leaders to be non-cooperative with regional and central governments over the next two years and spin it in

their favour. The URP and independent representatives will also have to determine what their next move will be, since their contributions to community development will also face scrutiny.

Finally, the coalition will have to hit the reset button and have one fixed agenda and message in the lead-up to 2020. When an APNU or AFC minister makes a statement it should be a coalition statement and not of their individual party.

They also cannot allow politics of fear, racial incitement and untruths to be the order of the PPP/C without a strong objection or counter. Momentum is important, but mood remains a game changer in any election.

“When truth is blurred by lies and misinformation, perception becomes reality and all is lost.”

The people spoke in LGEs 2018 and it’s up to all parties to deliver.

Guyanese are more aware of their rights as citizens and along with the diaspora, know what is at stake; having democracy and a trajectory of a good life for all against a dictatorship and a good life for a few.

Carwyn Holland Former Mayor of Linden

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

No gallows for Camp Street Prison – Ramjattan

By Lisa Hamilton

MINISTER of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan says that he has no intention of rebuilding the former Camp Street Prison gallows -- unused for over 20 years—at the new Georgetown prison holding facility.

The revelation comes as a group of experts, organised by the European Union (EU) and the British High Commission (BHC) visited Guyana last week, to examine the use of capital punishment and its possible abolition locally.

At a public lecture at the National Library last Wednesday, Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, who spoke on the history of the death penalty in Guyana, had questioned whether the gallows would be rebuilt.

The question came on the premise that Guyana is

the only country in South America to retain the death penalty, while 142 countries or approximately 75 per cent of the world’s nations have abolished the death penalty.

Meanwhile, although there are currently 17 people on death row locally and individuals continue to be sentenced to death, no one has been executed in Guyana in over 20 years.

On July 9, 2017 prisoners started a fire at the Camp Street Prison. The result was the almost complete obliteration of the structure; the death of one prison warden and the escape of several prisoners.

Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels had stated that the construction of new holding facilities at the Camp Street prison, is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Ram-

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan

jattan provided his personal view on capital punishment and stated, too, that the blue

prints of the new holding facility reserves no room for a prison gallows.

“My view is that it should be abolished, totally. I am against the death penalty and that is why I have been an advocate that we must not hang anybody in Guyana and the moratorium has been since a long, long time ago, and we have not hanged anybody for about 20 years now,” Ramajattan said.

Addressing the question of whether this means that the government would be moving in the direction of abolition and how soon this could happen, he stated: “We would like to convert that ---and that’s personally I’m speaking---because there are members of my Cabinet who think otherwise, so it is not something that we have unanimity on but I personally would like to see [it be abolished] because hanging persons does not deter criminality.”

His view was shared by

the Co-Executive Director of The Death Penalty Project (UK), Saul Lehrfreund and Deputy Director of Equal Justice Initiative (USA), Randy Susskind.

During their time in Guyana, they presented research which show that no evidence proves that the death penalty reduces crime or deters criminals; that capital punishment is closely related to the era of chattel slavery and that public opinion should not lead the debate on human rights commitments. Offences which carry the death penalty in Guyana include: murder, treason, various military offences and terrorism-related offences resulting in death.

When questioned directly on whether the new holding facilities would see the rebuilding of the gallows, Ramjattan said: “I would not have any space for that.”

Garbage contractors give City Hall ultimatum – to strike if part payment not made by November 26 THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has been given an ultimatum by its two major garbage contractors to pay up some outstanding balances by November 26, or they will both pull their services from Georgetown.

Both contractors – Puran Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management Inc. – wrote to the M&CC last week stating that it is not that they want to stop working, but their current financial positions cannot permit them to continue working without pay.

The contractors have not been paid since last June and even though the M&CC announced that it was going to make a part payment some time back, none has since been forthcoming.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday Director at Cevons, Morse Archer, said even though the M&CC might not be able to cover all of the outstanding balances, his company is looking for a substantial payment before it considers if to continue working from November 26.

He added that his company belongs to a highly specialised industry and hence his trucks can only be used for one purpose -- garbage collection.

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry

“We also sent a letter to them some time last week.

It’s not that we want to stop, but we do not have the money to continue working. We are struggling as it is. We told them we would pull off the same day as Puran’s have said they would,” Archer informed.

Kalesh Puran, manager at Puran’s, told the Chronicle on Sunday that the company had a meeting with the M&CC two weeks ago and that another was promised

on November 23.

“Our current financial position doesn’t warrant us to continue. It is very, very tough to work without payment. Can you imagine working without pay for six months? Our letter said we would be forced to come off if no payment is made by the 26th. It’s not that we want to, but the company is seriously constrained,” Puran said.

The M&CC told this publication last week that while it was not ruling out

Manager at Puran’s Kalesh Puran

a strike by the contractors for the Christmas season, the time of year when their services are most needed, emergency plans are in place in the event this materialises.

IN DISCUSSION “We have not made any payments, but I’ve been in discussions with both of them and we have a temporary agreement, whereby they are awaiting payments.

This period at council is a little tenuous with the CoI

and everything else. Finances are very hard to come by right now, so it is agreed that they will facilitate us some time until we can actually make payments,” acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry had stated.

She said any manager would be concerned at this critical time of the year. “At Christmas time is when they are most needed and the impact [of a strike] of course would be very consequential to residents; but it would be

remiss of me not to have contingency plans in place just in the event something like this should happen.”

Representatives of both companies said last month that they are frustrated by the M&CC’s inability to make timely payments to them.

“We are at a close breaking point… we had a meeting with the City Council and they promised to meet again to discuss payments; but it is annoying and frustrating, it is a consistent cycle,” Morse Archer had said.

The contractors had opted to pull their services in August 2017 when the City Council had racked up more than $400M in debts to the two companies. Although the companies had agreed to wait for payments for the years 2015 and 2016, the municipality was not even keeping up with its current balances for 2017.

Government stepped in and paid the contractors all of the outstanding balances and even went further to create a special arrangement to cover services up to the end of that year.

During that time, the contractors had anticipated that the City Council would make some effort to contact them on a new system beginning 2018.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Foster care and mentorship: Can you lend a helping hand?

FOSTER care month is commemorated in Guyana during the month of November.

This month was chosen with the hope that some children in need would find suitable families to care for them, in time for the festive season and New Year. The theme this year is ‘Parenthood is more than DNA: mentor or foster a child in need of care today’. The theme highlights the fact that adults do not have to be biologically attached to a child in order to foster or mentor a child.

However they do require these attributes: love, understanding and compassion, some reasonable parenting skills and patience. There are many children who have been separated from their families, through one set of circumstances or another.

A foster home offers them a ‘home away from home’ with one-to-one attention from foster parents who understand and care.

The sense of loyalty that vulnerable children feel towards their family members is immense. Even if they come from an abusive, dysfunctional, squalid setting, they would still rather stay with their ‘family’ than be taken into care. This is one reason why foster homes are so important. Being taken to a foster home lessens the trauma that children endure

when they are separated from their families. A foster home may seem like a small thing to offer a child from an adult prospective, but to a child it can have a transformative and permanent impact on his/ her life: for life.

Foster care is a temporary arrangement, where a vulnerable child is placed with a foster family while the CPA works assiduously to make it possible for the child to return to his/her family.

Returning children to their

families is always the first priority. Therefore, one of the first things foster parents must realise is that the children who will come into their care will only be with them for a short time.

Foster parents need to have patience and be flexible enough to do their best for their foster child, without becoming too attached to the child or overly concerned or involved in the child’s ‘case’.

Sometimes foster parents may have to liaise with CPA officers, visit court sessions and attend meetings. Every case is different, so it is hard to know from the outset how each foster care experience will unfold.

That is why it takes special people to become foster parents: people, who can open their homes and hearts to a child in need, yet work along with others (if need be) to re-unite that child with his/her family. It is indeed a

unique person who can form a connection with a child, offering protection, nurturing and love and then release that child in good faith, at the appointed time.

Mentorship is another service that falls under the foster care team at the CPA. Children, who are teenagers and soon will be aging out of the system, need guidance from people who can steer them in the right direction.

A mentor is someone who befriends a teenager to teach them skills that will enable them in different aspects of their lives. A mentor can be a man or woman, but must be someone who understands the needs of children, especially adolescents. Mentoring or fostering a teenager can be challenging because of the changes that are occurring in their hormonal and cognitive development.

This along with a background of abuse or neglect means that many teenagers may seem reserved or distrustful towards new people, when in fact they may simply need more time to adjust: a little coaxing and encouragement, some patience and attention. Whether mentoring or fostering, in order to help children in care, adults must be adaptable and accommodating, reliable and genuine in their approach and everything else should eventually fall into place.

To become a foster parent or mentor, apply at the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA). You will also need to have a police clearance, a ‘medical’ and a home assessment. Most importantly, you will need to possess a basic understanding about what fostering/mentoring a child entails, and have a clear and genuine reason why you want to become a foster parent/ mentor.

The Foster Care Unit is situated at the CPA, on the corner of Broad and Charles Street, Charlestown. It falls under the Ministry of Social Protection. You can call the Foster Care Unit on 231 8423.

If you are concerned

about the welfare of a child call the Childcare and Protection Agency Hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A Message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection

US issues over 100,000 visas to Guyanese –– in past three years, says Deputy Chief of Mission

THE US has issued some 104,133 immigrant and non-immigrant visas to Guyanese over the past three years.

In a breakdown, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy Terry Steers-Gonzalez said the US issued about 86,133 non-immigrant visas and over 18,000 immigrant visas.

“It is over half of the non-immigrant visas issued by the embassy here so far in the 21st century,” said Steers-Gonzalez during his remarks at a farewell reception for the outgoing US Ambassador, Perry Holloway.

In 2017, it was reported that the US Embassy processed more than 72,000 non-immigrant and 7000 immigrant visas.

To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, immediate relative(s), or a prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa.

The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

“You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Programme,” the embassy said.

Cop dies in accident

THE Guyana Police Force is mourning the death of Police Corporal Cordia Joseph who died as a result of an accident on Sunday morning.

The cop, who was stationed in ‘E’ Division, was at the time driving motor vehicle PPP 4196 along the Ituni Road at the time of the accident.

Information on the accident is sketchy, but the Guyana Chronicle was told Dead: Corporal that the policeman lost conCordia Joseph trol of the vehicle and it toppled.

Joseph died on the spot, according to sources.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Aranaputa LGE winners ready to serve

By Lisa Hamilton

WITH a clean sweep for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) First-PastThe-Post candidates in the Aranaputa/Upper Burro Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), the winners are eager to get down to work in their constituencies.

The Aranaputa/Upper Burro area is nested in the North Rupununi District of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), home to mostly indigenous Guyanese.

Winning at the recently conducted Local Government Elections (LGE) in Constituency One, Two and Three respectively, were Leona Bremner-Da Silva; Adon Jacobus; and Virgil Harding.

Jacobus told the Guyana Chronicle that the campaign

is over and service to the people comes first.

“Everybody is trying to pull themselves back together now, despite whatever political party we all supported.

We’re trying to bring everybody together for us to all work together for the development of our community.”

Jacobus has been the chairman for the village for the last three years, he plans to focus on sport to keep young people away from drugs and alcohol.

coming to the sports ground to be involved in different activities,” he said.

Apart from these, he wants to enhance water distribution in the region and see the construction of better farm-to-market roads.

Jacobus provided statistics which show that over 70 per cent of the eligible voters in the Aranaputa/Upper Burro area exercised their right to vote during the elections.

“We are proud of the turnout we had. Every-

received.

“I’m happy because it’s the first time in our community that we have experienced such an election, and it was not too strange to me because in my constituency, I was sure of my people.

They were very supportive and even though I had other work to do too and could not reach out to them from time to time, they were the ones reaching out to me and giving me that support,” she said.

Works have commenced on fencing of the sports ground in Aranaputa through Government funding (DPI photos)

Adon Jacobus

“Sport is a form of bringing people together, it’s a form of uniting people. Presently our sports ground is fenced so one of my plans is to [secure] flood lights for the sports ground, so that at nights we can get the youths

body showed their interest in voting in the first ever Local Government Elections (LGEs) the community would have been voting in,” he said.

Bremner-Da Silva was thankful for the support she

PLANS Her plans for her constituency include building shelters for families; improving water distribution; conducting regular cleanup ventures; and construct-

Virgil Harding ing a play park for children and an opportunity centre for youths.

Bremner-Da Silva, 39, previously served as the village secretary at age 18. She now works as a teacher at the Aranaputa Nursery School, and decided to participate in the elections after some urging from fellow residents.

“The people in the community as a whole saw me as a person of standards, of substance and someone that helps at every beck and call.

So, I felt that if they have that confidence in me, then I should say yes to their call.”

Also giving a ‘yes’ to the call was Virgil Harding of Constituency Three, who has been serving his community as the coordinator at Radio PAIWOMAK 97.1 FM, the first community radio in Guyana, for the last three decades years.

PAIWOMAK is an acronym made up from the names of the different mountain ranges found in the North Rupununi: Pakaraima; Iwokrama and Makarapan.

“I feel very much elated to be chosen to serve the people of my community, since serving people is one of the things I believe that I’ve been doing for some time.

I’ve been doing community development work for about 30 years of my life,” he said.

His plans are to create day care centres where children can be nurtured, secure floodlights for the community sports ground, improve water distribution and facilitate land demarcation as well as the implementation of street lights.

A dream of his is to also see Aranaputa/Upper Burro become food secured as it often faces challenges in this regard.

“We’re always facing this dilemma at either the dry season or rainy season of running out of our staple food, cassava. I’ve been dreaming for the past 10 years of creating what I call a processing cassava shed,” Harding said.

He explained that the shed would hold the necessary materials needed for cassava production.

Harding added that these tools would be made available to the villagers and would encourage cassava production and eventually greater food security in the region.

March raising awareness for emotional intelligence garners support

SCORES of persons on Sunday morning joined with the Give Another Chance Foundation and marched around Georgetown, to raise awareness for emotional intelligence (EI) of children to

Founder of Give Another Chance Foundation, Miranda Thakur-Deen

Patrons actively engaged in the march

A child proudly marching with her placard

allow them to better express their feelings to aid in their development.

Held under the theme “With mindfulness we can change children’s lives” the walk commenced in front of the Parliament Building and ended with a Pop-up Festival at the Parade Ground.

Armed with placards, the patrons comprising children and young adults quoted in-

spirations and the rights of the child.

Also participating in the walk was Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green with a placard saying “Life- A good life lived to its full potential is the right of every child.”

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle was the founder of the charitable organisation, Miranda Thakur-Deen, who explained that the event sought

to sensitise Guyanese about emotional intelligence in children and young adults.

“Our foundation is about youth, children and young adults,” Thakur-Deen stressed, as she explained that emotional intelligence starts from the time a person is conceived until the end of their life.

“We want the children to be conscious that we can help them in empathy, and how to

Mayor of Georgetown Patricia Chase-Green deal with bullying in school and mental health issues because when you are emotionally capable you will be able to deal with anything,” she added.

Thakur-Deen explained that her non-governmental foundation will be campaigning at schools nationwide to

get emotional intelligence into the school curriculum.

The organisation provides access to education, offers scholarships and provides school supplies and computers as part of their outreach.

She stated that the foundation would also reach out to children during the Christmas season and distribute over 2,000 toys, while spreading the holiday cheer.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

13

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Jonestown: Rebuilding my life after surviving the massacre

By Georgina Rannard & Kelly-Leigh Cooper BBC News

SUNDAY, 18 November is the 40th anniversary of the notorious Jonestown massacre where more than 900 people died at a settlement run by Christian cult leader Jim Jones.

Ahead of the anniversary, one survivor - Laura Johnston Kohl - spoke to the BBC about how she narrowly escaped death, and how she and others have rebuilt their lives in the decades since.

Growing up in Washington D.C. in the 1950s and 1960s, Laura Johnson was no stranger to activism.

By 1970, when she joined the Peoples Temple in California aged 22, she had already been tear-gassed protesting against the Vietnam War, worked with the Black Panthers and attended the famous 1969 Woodstock festival.

“My life was in turmoil, I had a failed marriage and I was looking for a place to be political, in a safer environment after a series of bad decisions,” she recalls.

She attended a few meetings at the group’s headquarters in Redwood Valley in Northern California and was soon won over by their ideals of benevolence and racial equality.

Jim Jones, a charismatic Christian preacher, had set up the Peoples Temple as a racial-

ly-integrated church group in Indianapolis in 1956, before relocating to California a decade later.

Jones spoke of an impending nuclear apocalypse, and believed his separatist “apostolic socialist” community could thrive in the aftermath.

The group, although religious, was founded on socialist ideals - providing healthcare and other social services for its diverse members.

“It was the community I was looking for - I was looking for equality and justice, and there were people of all backgrounds and races,” Laura says.

“In 1974, the cult leader Jim Jones said he wanted us to find a place away from all the drugs and alcohol in America,” she recalls.

“We found Guyana, in South America, which was the perfect country for us to move to. It was a beautiful country with remote areas that we could populate.”

In 1977, Laura and hundreds of others uprooted their lives to re-settle at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project - informally known as Jonestown, after its leaders’ name.

“I had no concerns about moving there.

I was adventurous and I was delighted about the opportunity to live in the rainforest,” she says.

The “socialist paradise” abroad would allow Jones and his group to practise their way of life away from the intense media

Laura (left) photographed with fellow-survivor Claire Janaro (BBC) scrutiny that was beginning to amass back in California Congressman Leo Ryan.

California.

“Jim Jones looked at zealots [like Laura But it wasn’t the complete paradise they - people who would speak positively about were promised.

Peoples Temple] and stacked the deck in The settlement, in the north of the Guy- Georgetown for Congressman Ryan’s visit,” ana, was extraordinarily remote but became she says. plagued by agricultural deficiencies that preThe politician was heading up an invesvented the group from being self-sufficient. tigatory expedition to the compound after Members lived together in small commu- family members in the U.S. expressed connal houses, and reported working long days cern their loved ones were being held against in sweltering heat during their increasingly their will. politicised daily lives.

In one high-profile case, the defector Laura lived at the main Jonestown site parents of a child called John Victor Stoen until October 1978. who Jones claimed he had fathered - publicly “My work there was meaningful and ful- battled for custody. filling,” she recalls. “The people of Peoples And meanwhile, Laura recalls, “Jim Temple were who I wanted to live my whole Jones’s state of mind was deteriorating and life with. the Jonestown experiment was beginning “They were wonderful people. Other to fail. survivors might say differently, but for me, “People were accusing Jim Jones of abI was delighted. It was not an unhappy part ducting their children, and his secretaries had of my life.” run away with scandalous information about At the end of October, Laura was asked what was going on.”

by Jones to move to Georgetown - the GuyIn May, 1978 an aide close to Jones, Debanese capital a 24-hour boat ride away - to orah Layton Blakey, escaped to Georgetown work at the church headquarters. to seek refuge at the American embassy.

She believes her relocation was a calcuShe submitted an affidavit which spoke lated move by Jones, brought on because of See page 15 growing scrutiny and an impending visit by

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

Jonestown: Rebuilding my life after...

From page 14

about the “tyrannical hold” of the Messianic Jones who she said would broadcast ranting sermons on loudspeakers for hours at a time - consumed by conspiracy theories about the U.S. government, defectors and concerned relatives.

She also reported that compound residents suffered food shortages and were at times plagued by illnesses like diarrhoea.

“Jonestown wasn’t set up for so many people - we were 1,000 - and we were not self-sufficient. So Jim Jones was feeling the pressure,” Laura recalls.

“His drug addiction and his personality disorders were getting worse. He was less and less able to function.”

Survivors recalled “white night” events, sometimes weekly, where Jones would declare a crisis about the compound’s safety.

Sometimes these involved mock mass-suicides where followers, including children, lined up and drank liquid they were told was laced with poison, only to be told it was a test of loyalty.

When Congressman Ryan visited with a delegation in November, he brought along concerned relatives of Temple members and journalists to document the trip.

After initial resistance, the group were permitted access and given tours which presented a largely pleasant depiction of everyday life.

Charles Krause, a Washington Post reporter on the trip, would recall: “Contrary to what the ‘Concerned Relatives’ had told us, nobody seemed to be starving... everyone seemed quite healthy.”

The group stayed outside of the compound overnight and returned the next day. During their time there, the group were approached by at least a dozen followers asking to return to the U.S. with them.

As the delegation waited for their returning flight, a cohort of Temple gunmen ambushed the group and opened fire, killing five people, including Congressman Ryan.

Back at the compound, Jones simultaneously urged his more than 900 followers to take their own lives, warning that the Guyanese military would invade and take their children because of the airstrip shooting.

Vats of fruit punch laced with cyanide were mixed and distributed around, as in the rehearsals.

“Jim Jones was a con artist - he made everyone feel he was their father,” Laura says of the leader.

“He would say to them: ‘you can’t go back, you have no money’, which was true. They had put it all in the church.”

“They feared repercussions of the death of the congressman,” she says. “He lied to them every day - he fed them paranoia.

They had no recourse.”

‘EVERYBODY IS DEAD’ Back at the Guyana headquarters 150 miles (240km) away, members were alerted to the order.

“Jim Jones’s secretary, Sharon Amos, received a message on the radio sent to Georgetown, San Francisco and Redwood Valley,” Laura recalls.

“It said: ‘Everybody in Jonestown is dying or dead. Everybody else needs to commit revolutionary suicide right now. We are all doing right now.’”

Laura says two of Jones’ children, who were visiting the capital as part of the Temple’s basketball team, refused to follow the instructions and told other branches to disregard them.

She had been out of the building when the message arrived, and returned to find Guyanese national defence forces bringing out the body-bags for the secretary and her children.

“It’s hard to know what would have happened if I and the others in Georgetown had received those instructions,” she says. “We had options there - you could walk down the street and see people, get in a car, or get in an embassy.”

“I think if I were in Jonestown and I saw

900 people who I loved make a choice, I can’t imagine wanting to survive that.”

Laura says back at the headquarters, they began to hear reports about the death toll at Jonestown: first saying 300 dead, then 600.

“We were just all devastated. We were crying, like I still cry now. I was a mess. Many of us were inconsolable,” she says.

“Some people went out to try to identify some of the people.

“Their bodies were left out in the open, in the middle of the rainforest, in a foreign country. Every possible thing that could be botched, was botched. There is no real way to know exactly who died how. It was just horrific.”

The final death toll, including the airstrip killings and Jones himself, totalled 918 people.

Krause, who survived the ambush and was the first journalist allowed on the scene of the massacre, said that even dogs and the Jonestown pet chimpanzee died alongside the residents.

“I realised that Jones had meant to leave nothing, not even the animals, to bear witness to the final horror. There were to be no survivors,” he wrote in the Washington Post shortly after.

Before the events of 11 September 2001, Jonestown was the largest single incident of intentional civilian death in American history.

Laura returned to the US at the end of November 1978 and moved back into the Peoples Temple community in California - a decision that she says she had no qualms about.

“They were my family. I had lived with them for eight years, I knew them so intimately,” she says. “I never had any fears. Jim Jones was the only one who was invested in the deaths.”

“We had gone through this collective trauma together. And it made sense to go through the healing together.

“My mother and sister could not understand how I had gotten into the Temple, how I stayed over there... they couldn’t get it. They couldn’t grasp the loss.”

After a year back at the Peoples Temple, Laura joined another community where she met her husband and lived for a decade where they had a son together.

“Then I said, ‘I’m done, I want to be an adult now’.

I went back to school, and I started teaching in 1995,” Laura says.

‘NO CLOSURE’ Having avoided talking about the traumatic experience for almost two decades, Laura eventually met up with Temple survivors for the first time in 1998.

“There had been no forum to have negative discussions until then,” she says. “Twenty years later, we could finally sit down in a circle and have a conversation about what happened.”

The trauma of working out the minority who had lived became traumatising and overwhelming, so on meet-ups she found herself surprised to encounter people she did not know had made it out.

The anniversary - 18 November - has become a day for her and others to honour the more than 900 lives that were lost.

“Meeting these other people for these anniversaries has helped me rebuild my life - the reality is that I am not just Laura Kohl, I am the Laura Kohl who went to Peoples Temple, who survived Peoples Temple and who continues to kick ass,” she says.

“It’s so much a part of me. I am who I am because I survived Peoples Temple. It drives me every day.”

“There’s no closure for Jonestown - it’s not fixable,” she says.

“I could hate Jim Jones but then so what?

He already died. There’s no point in living with hatred.

“Instead, I educate people about cults. I talk a lot about making your own decisions.”

‘One big dysfunctional family’ Decades on, this Sunday’s memorial will

bring some survivors and their relatives together for the first time.

“We are one big dysfunctional family. It doesn’t matter if you were somebody who had a lawsuit against Jim Jones or somebody there the last day, we were survivors and we made it through,” she says.

“We are here 40 years later and that’s something to celebrate.”

“Sometimes when we gather, people speak or we sing songs. It’s a sacred time and space.

We forget that there is another world,” Laura says.

“All of us survivors show we can do it without Jim Jones, and he is not missed.

“Now I have sadness that I lost good

friends: I’m sad that some of the best people I ever knew in my life, people who were committed so much that they then lost their lives.

“I saw an absolutely fantastic community of all races, all backgrounds, all socio-economic levels and we did a masterful job creating this community for 1,000 people,” she says.

“That kind of community can exist: it did not depend on Jim Jones, it depended on really committed people.

“That gives me a lot of hope, it instills confidence that wonderful people can do wonderful things.

I am still an activist now. I know we can make a difference, I saw it, and I don’t give up.”

Laura Johnson Kohl (pictured on Guyana driving licence) was one of only dozens from the group to survive (BBC)

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2018

17

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

DCC retain GISE/Star Party Rentals/Trophy with innings victory over Police

By Faizool Deo A CENTURY from skipper Christopher Barnwell and quality bowling by his spinners propelled the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) to an innings and 66-run victory over Police in the final of the GISE/Star Party Rentals/Trophy Stall First Division Two-Day Cricket Competition over the weekend.

DCC built on their day-one lead yesterday at the Eve Leary ground and then punished the Police batsmen in their second innings.

Scores in the game Police 170 and 115, DCC 351 in their first innings.

The first hour belonged to the DCC skipper. The 31-year-old carried his overnight score of 64 past the three-figure mark, before rain interrupted play. Barnwell, who had struck eight fours and three sixes in his 103, could not add to his total when play recommenced. Kelvin Leitch’s off-spin bowling was on target as he trapped the centurion LBW in his second ball.

The end of Barnwell trigger a batting collapse as DCC moved from 305-5 to 351 before they were bowled out just before 13:00h. Leg-spinner Vishal Jaigobin, who took over from Leitch and off-spinner Jason Heyliger cleaned up the tail.

Jaigobin finished with 4-50 from 13.5 overs, while Heyliger nabbed 2-87 from 28 overs and pacer Raun Johnson 2-85 from

24 overs.

Despite the ascendency by the lawmen, victory was still out of sight. It became near impossible to envision when the home team returned to the middle in their second innings and DCC introduced spin.

Leg spinner Steven Sankar got the wickets of both openers to trigger the side. He took a hard return catch to dismiss Chemroy Kendell (9), before he struck Paul Tyndell (21) LBW. As the first innings, Kemol Savory (13) again looked good.

He struck fast bowler Qumar Torrington for back-to-back exquisite straight fours, before losing his leg -stump the next ball.

Andrew Lyght (Jnr) also looked solid at the crease, he played a few expansive looking shots, and evaded the effect that the spinners, including Ashmead Nedd, were having on the home team’s batsmen—that was until hero of the first innings Totaram Bishun came into the attack.

The left-arm spinner who had taken six wickets on Saturday added another to his match haul in his first over as he got the set batsman to top edge a shot that he caught.

Bishun and his counterpart Nedd took over the game, with the latter grabbing 4-23 from 7.2 overs and Bishun 3-5 from three overs, which restricted Police to 115 in 25.2 overs.

For his match haul of 9-40 from 16.2 overs, Bishun was named man-of-the-match.

Dottin, Campbelle star as West Indies seal last-over win

WEST Indies women squeezed out England in a thrilling finish at the Daren Sammy Stadium to claim top spot in Group A and a semi-final against Australia - replaying their encounter in the final of the last tournament two years ago in Kolkata.

England will take on India, winners of Group B, knowing that they must make rapid improvements with the bat and in the field despite scrapping to keep the possibility of victory alive until the final over.

On a surface that made life difficult for fluent scoring, West Indies were indebted to innings of 46 from Deandra Dottin and 45 from Shemaine Campbelle - the latter dismissed with just three runs needed - as the reigning champions showed their composure to claim a fourth win from four in the group stage.

Defeat was hard on Anya Shrubsole, who picked up 3 for 10 with the ball after playing a vital part with the bat, her innings of 29 from 26 helping to resurrect England in a seventh-wicket partnership with Sophia Dunkley.

Dottin, who was named Player of the Match, claimed two more scalps to become the tournament’s leading wicket-taker but England fought back impressively to ensure a game that was effectively a dead rubber, with both sides having qualified, gave the packed crowd a worthy finish in St Lucia’s penultimate game.

The biggest difference between the two sides was the fielding, as demonstrated during a frantic finale. With West Indies needing 18 from 13 balls, substitute fielder Fran Wilson dropped Campbelle at long-on, with the chance going straight through her hands and away for four. Dunkley then failed to get near a skied slog from Campbelle in the penultimate over, before Amy Jones dropped Britney Cooper from the final ball (Lauren Winfield then ran out Cooper with a direct hit to partially atone).

That left five runs required from the last six balls and although Shrubsole had Campbelle taken brilliantly at deep square leg

by Danni Wyatt from her second delivery, Kycia Knight thrashed the next through point to seal a win raucously celebrated by the home supporters. (ESPN Cricinfo)

19

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

Spinners help England end 17-year wait in Sri Lanka

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Spin duo Moeen Ali and Jack Leach combined to end England’s 17year wait for a Test series victory in Sri Lanka after bowling the tourists to a 57run victory in the second test on Sunday.

Moeen struck twice in three deliveries and Leach completed his maiden five-wicket haul as the tourists took a little over 30 minutes on the final morning to seal victory and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-test series.

Sri Lanka resumed on 226 for seven, needing 75 to keep the series alive after their opening loss in Galle, but were all out for 243 as England completed their first away series win in tests since beating South Africa at the beginning of 2016.

The England side led by Nasser Hussain were the last to register a series victory in Sri Lanka in 2001 and Joe Root’s men arrived in the country winless in their last 13 tests away from home.

Their last series victory in Asia was in India six

years ago and not many would have bet on England to win with a match to spare against Sri Lanka, who defeated South Africa 2-0 at home in July.

“We said we are going to come out here and play bold cricket, we were quite courageous at times and everyone’s really bought into that. We are seeing the rewards now,” Root said at the post-match presentation.

“We have to keep looking to improve. We have seen this team grow in the last six-eight months. We are not the finished article, we want to get to number one at some point.

“We have to be consistent to do that, in all parts of the world and on different surfaces.”

For the first time in a test match, spinners claimed 38 wickets with Leach and Moeen sharing 14 between them on a turning track at Pallekele.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Lakmal was the only quick to pick up a wicket while the other was a run out.

MOEEN STRIKES When play resumed on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s hopes of squaring the series rested entirely on wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, who was unbeaten on 27 overnight.

The hosts managed to keep the England spinners at bay for 15 minutes while picking up singles to advance towards their target but Moeen broke their resistance by dismissing Dickwella, who was caught at slip by Stokes for 35.

The off-spinner then sent

back Lakmal for a duck two deliveries later before Malinda Pushpakumara spooned a catch straight back to left-arm spinner Leach.

“It was a brilliant test match,” said Root, who was named player of the match for his brilliant 124 in the second innings.

“We were very good for the whole game. At times we were under pressure and we responded really well to that.

(I) couldn’t be more proud of the guys.”

Sri Lanka batted well

Jack Leach bagged eight wickets in Pallekele © (Getty Images)

in both innings but Sam Curran’s counter-attacking 64 in the first innings and Root’s century under pressure in the second made the difference for England.

“Sri Lanka played brilliantly in both innings,” added Root, after registering his first away series victory as captain.

It was also the first time

since 1973 in Karachi that no seamer took a wicket in a Test for England.

“At times we lost clusters of wickets but we stayed very calm and managed to find ways to get back in the game and get the control back in our favour.”

The third and final Test of the series will start on Friday in Colombo.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings 292, Sri Lanka 1st innings 336, England 2nd innings 246 Sri Lanka 2nd innings o/n 226 for 7 Dimuth Karunaratne c Ben Foakes b Adil Rashid 57 Kaushal Silva st Ben Foakes b Jack Leach

4 Dhananjaya de Silva c Keaton Jennings b Jack Leach 1 Kusal Mendis lbw Jack Leach

1 Angelo Mathews lbw Moeen Ali

88 Roshen Silva c Joe Root b Moeen Ali

37 Niroshan Dickwella c Ben Stokes b Moeen Ali 35 Dilruwan Perera lbw Jack Leach

2 Akila Dananjaya Not Out

8 Suranga Lakmal b Moeen Ali

0 Malinda Pushpakumara c&b Jack Leach 1 Extras: 5b 4lb 0nb 0pen 0w

9 Total: (74.0 overs)

243 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-14 Silva, 2-16 de Silva, 3-26 Mendis, 4-103 Karunaratne, 5-176 Silva, 6-221 Mathews, 7-226 Perera, 8-240 Dickwella, 9-240 Lakmal, 10-243 Pushpakumara Bowling: James Anderson 5-2-12-0, Jack Leach 28-2-83-5, Moeen Ali 19-2-72-4, Adil Rashid 17-1-52-1.

Yasir, Hasan 5-Fors put Pakistan on course in first Test

YASIR Shah and Hasan Ali’s five-wicket hauls in the third innings ensured a workable target of 176 runs for Pakistan in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

Imam-ul-Haq, unbeaten on 25 off 23 balls, came out all guns blazing in the chase to ensure Pakistan don’t wilt during the short eight-over period towards the end of day’s play. The hosts, with all ten wickets intact, need a further 139 runs on Day 4 for a onenil lead in the series.

New Zealand threatened setting a much bigger target, mainly thanks to a 112-run partnership for the fifth wicket that saw Pakistan endure a wicketless afternoon session.

Henry Nicholls brought up his sixth half-century in Tests, and BJ Watling his

American Racing Tips Finger Lakes Race 1 Grady Race 2 Frost Race 3 Beat Yesterday Race 4 Banker’s Island Race 5 Puffin Patty Race 6 Eyes On You Race 7 Persian Cat Race 8 Invaluable Will Race 9 Limerick Lightning South Africa Racing Tips Fairview 08:15 hrs Kazuri 08:50 hrs Searching 09:25 hrs The Gown 10:05 hrs Love Talk 10:40 hrs Landela 11:15 hrs Popinjay English Racing Tips Plumpton

15th in a defiant partnership that was themed around cautious recovery; only 66 runs were scored in 30 overs after lunch and all Pakistan could count for chances were a couple of close shaves at short leg off Yasir.

Despite a lively pitch on offer, things went dormant for Pakistan with the old ball in the second session, which was quite opposite to the first, when spin and reverse swing called the shots.

Yasir Shah’s dream dismissal of Kane Williamson, when he was bowled trying to defend, set things in motion early. Ross Taylor’s counterattacking innings, which saw him hit Yasir for three boundaries in an over, was put to an end by Hasan Ali, who picked Jeet Raval’s wicket in

the same over in an attractive display of reverse swing.

While Taylor was pinned LBW by Hasan Ali, Raval’s dismissal -- edging behind off a fast bowler from round the wicket in an unwanted throwback to the first innings, when he was taken down by Mohammad Abbas -- tended to mask how improved he was with his footwork against spin, and against Yasir Shah in particular.

It was Yasir again who produced the breakthrough in the third session, when Pakistan looked in danger of chasing something above 200.

Henry Nicholls was superbly

caught behind by Sarfraz Ahmed, who held onto a dying under-edge coming off a miscued sweep shot, and that opened the floodgates for New Zealand.

Yasir went on to pick four wickets in three overs and registered his 14th five-wicket haul. Ish Sodhi puffed up the target with a 27-ball 18 but Hasan Ali put an end to that en route to his career-best figures of 5 for 45.

Pakistan are historically renowned to botch run-chases, and this pitch might merit one, but at the end of Day 3, the hosts look well on course for a win.

(Cricbuzz)

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND1st innings 153, Pakistan 1st innings 227 New Zealand 2nd innings o/n 56-1 Jeet Raval c Sarfraz Ahmed b Hasan Ali

46 Tom Latham b Hasan Ali

0 Kane Williamson b Yasir Shah

37 Ross Taylor lbw Hasan Ali

19 Henry Nicholls c Sarfraz Ahmed b Yasir Shah

55 BJ Watling lbw Yasir Shah

59 Colin de Grandhomme lbw Yasir Shah

3 Ish Sodhi b Hasan Ali

18 Neil Wagner b Yasir Shah

0 Ajaz Patel Not Out

6 Trent Boult c Mohammad Hafeez b Hasan Ali

0 Extras: 4b 0lb 1nb 0pen 1w

6 Total: (100.4 overs)

249 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-0 Latham, 2-86 Williamson, 3-105 Taylor, 4-108 Raval, 5-220 Nicholls, 6-224 de Grandhomme, 7-227 Watling, 8-227 Wagner, 9-249 Sodhi, 10-249 Boult Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 22-10-31-0, Hasan Ali 17.4-3-455 (1w 1nb), Yasir Shah 37-6-110-5, Haris Sohail 7-1-12-0, Bilal Asif 14-3-43-0, Mohammad Hafeez 3-1-4-0.

08:30 hrs Commanche Red 09:30 hrs Kristal Hart 10:00 hrs Sackett 10:30 hrs Boy In Bentley 11:05 hrs Bermeo 11:35 hrs Welluptoscratch Hereford 08:45 hrs Thomas Blossom 09:15 hrs Giving Glances 10:15 hrs Renwick 10:45 hrs Admiral’s Sunset 11:20 hrs Love The Leader 11:50 hrs Etamine Du Cochet Kempton 12:00 hrs Local History 12:30 hrs Quicksand 13:00 hrs Fakhoor 13:30 hrs Manton Grange 14:00 hrs Buzz 14:30 hrs Darksideoftarnside 15:00 hrs Mayyasah

Hasan Ali struck twice in an over to account for an attacking Ross Taylor and a well-set Jeet Rawal with reverse swing.

Yasir Shah produced the breakthrough again, when he got Henry Nicholls to under-edge a sweep to the keeper for a stunning low catch. He went on to pick up four wickets in three overs and dismantled New Zealand’s fightback.

PAKISTAN 2nd innings Imam ul-Haq Not Out

25 Mohammad Hafeez Not Out

8 Extras: 4b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w 4 Total: (8.0 overs)

37-0 Bowling: Trent Boult 3-0-16-0, Colin de Grandhomme 3-0-150, Ajaz Patel 1-1-0-0.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

Captain Kane fires resilient England to Nations League finals

By Tom Hayward LONDON (Reuters) - England fought back to qualify for the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League as Jesse Lingard and Harry Kane scored late goals in a pulsating 2-1 victory over Croatia, who were relegated from Group A4 after defeat at Wembley on Sunday.

England were themselves facing the drop when Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric scored after 57 minutes but substitute Lingard and Kane netted in the 77th and 85th minutes at a vociferous Wembley to turn the group on its head.

Gareth Southgate’s side, who were knocked out in the semi-finals of the World Cup

by Croatia in July, had dominated for large periods but fell behind when Kramaric twisted and turned before firing in via a deflection off Eric Dier.

Yet Lingard poked home and Kane converted Ben Chilwell’s free kick to ensure England finished top of a group where all three teams — including Spain who started the day top but finished second — could have qualified.

England, who progress to the finals in Portugal in June, finished with seven points, one ahead of Spain and three clear of Croatia, who were relegated to the second tier.

England made eight changes from the side that beat the United States in a friendly on Thursday with no place in the starting lineup for Lingard, Trent Alexander-Ar-

England’s Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Joe Gomez and Kyle Walker celebrate after the match REUTERS/David Klein

“Today was another big occasion with lots of pressure,” Southgate told reporters.

“But I thought we coped with it very well and in the first half we played so well.

We had good chances and should have been ahead in the game. But then we had to show another side: our resilience and character.”

nold and Callum Wilson.

Croatia, meanwhile, were without influential midfielder Ivan Rakitic, and in his absence the visitors missed a golden opportunity when Ante Rebic fired over with England keeper Jordan Pickford horribly exposed after only two minutes.

As England started to dominate, a fine Kane ball sent

Raheem Sterling free, only for the Manchester City winger to shoot directly at Croatia keeper Lovre Kalinic while Kane spooned the resulting corner over the crossbar.

There was very vocal contingent of Croatia fans in the 78,000-strong crowd, but they were lucky not to see their side concede as Kane was brilliantly denied first by defender Tin Jedvaj and then Kalinic with the visitors struggling to contain England’s pacy attack.

Ross Barkley volleyed into the side netting shortly before halftime, yet after the break it was Kramaric who kept his composure brilliantly before converting Croatia’s first shot on target.

England introduced Dele Alli, Jadon Sancho and Lingard after the goal and their energy proved decisive with Lingard, poking home in the 77th minute.

Both sides looked dangerous in a frantic, full-blooded final 15 minutes but with Wembley roaring them on, it was man-of-thematch Kane who was on hand to slide in Chilwell’s free kick and seal England’s progress.

Joyce twins, Cecelia and Isobel, call time on international cricket

Clare Shillington, Isobel Joyce, Cecelia Joyce and Ciara Metcalfe bowed out of international cricket after the WT20 game against NZ © Getty

TWIN sisters, Isobel and Cecelia Joyce, called time on their respective careers after Ireland slid to an eight-wicket loss against New Zealand in Women’s World T20 2018.

After the game, the sisters announced their decision to the rest of the players during the team huddle. Isobel, the all rounder, made her ODI debut way back in 1999 against India.

She went on to play 79 ODIs, accumulating 995 runs and picking up 66 wickets.

In 55 T20Is, the all rounder took 33 wickets and scored 944 runs. She also appeared in the only Test match that Ireland has played so far - versus Pakistan in 2000. Meanwhile, Cecelia, the opener, represented Ireland in 57 ODIs, aggregating 1172 runs. She also played 43 T20Is, finishing with 659 runs.

Ireland have an uphill task of rebuilding the national setup, as in August this year, Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe had also announced that they would retire from international cricket after the World T20.

“I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for us. The next 10-12 months will be about transitioning the team as we don’t have any international fixtures coming up,” Laura Delany, the Ireland captain, said.

Incidentally, all five Joyce siblings - Ed, Dom, Gus, Isobel and Cecelia - have played for Ireland. (Cricbuzz)

Zverev stuns Djokovic to claim ATP Finals title

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - Twenty four hours after being booed for having the audacity to take down a tennis great, Alexander Zverev returned to topple another one as he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals title on Sunday.

Zverev, billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets, took full advantage of an offkey Serb to win 6-4 6-3.

Hamburg-born Zverev had been shamefully booed and heckled on Saturday by a Federer-worshipping crowd having beaten the six-time champion after a controversial second-set tiebreak.

Against world number one Djokovic, however, the 18,000 fans wedged into the cavernous O2 arena were roaring their support as he produced a level of tennis his opponent could not match.

He struck 20 winners to Djokovic’s seven — the last of which was a backhand to end a one hour and 19 minute duel.

“I really can’t describe

it. It is the biggest title I have ever won,” Zverev said on court after becoming the first German to win the ATP’s most prestigious title — often referred to as ‘the fifth slam’ — since Boris Becker in Frankfurt in 1995.

Zverev sent out a clear message that he is ready to spend a considerable amount of time at tennis’ top table and start accumulating the game’s biggest prizes.

D j o k o v i c , w h o s e e rror-strewn display was a shock

Zverev, sportingly walked around the net to congratulate his conqueror after match point — the German still laying on his back in a state of disbelief.

Later, Djokovic told reporters: “There’s a lot of similarities in terms of trajectory

Germany’s Alexander Zverev celebrates with the trophy after winning the final against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

In becoming the youngest ATP Finals champion since Djokovic, also 21, in 2008,

after a dominant week in south east London which included an easy round-robin win over

of professional tennis, in our careers. Hopefully he can surpass me.

“There’s a lot of time ahead of him. (I) Wish him to stay healthy and obviously win a lot of titles.”

Zverev, younger brother of Tour pro Mischa and now coached by eight-times major champion Ivan Lendl, is yet to go past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

NATURAL FLAIR That is still the test next year but on Sunday he displayed an added sense of maturity, to go with the natural flair and easy power that have marked him out as a future number one.

His forehand, often regarded as a weakness, was armour-plated and he showed a refreshing willingness to attack the net — a skill he perhaps has learned from his brother.

Most impressive was that he often prevailed in the long, attritional baseline rallies in which Djokovic has used as the foundation for 14 Grand Slam titles.

The opening eight games resembled a boxing match with both players probing for weaknesses — although it was evident that Zverev’s packed the more powerful punches.

Djokovic, winner of 35 of his last 37 matches during a dominant second half of the year which propelled him back to world number one, had not dropped serve all week and had faced only two break points in his four previous matches.

But at 4-4 he wavered as he yanked an edgy forehand halfway up the net to give Zverev the chance to serve for the set.

Zverev took his opportunity in emphatic fashion — blasting down three consecutive aces then winning the set when another Djokovic forehand flew long.

An increasingly-ragged Djokovic then dropped his opening two service games of the second set, either side of breaking Zverev for the first time as the German played a rare loose game.

The crowd still expected a Djokovic fight back but it never materialised and at 3-5 the 31-year-old crumbled, serving a double-fault to help Zverev earn two match points.

He saved the first but was left standing as Zverev conjured a stunning backhand to cap a brilliant display.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

Hope, Powell warm up for Grove Hi Tech hand Timehri first loss; KK first Test with half-centuries Warriors, Samatta Point earn first points EBFA/Ralph Green U-11 League - Day 4

Kuru Kururu Warriors (white & green) during their match against Herstelling Raiders yesterday.

GROVE Hi Tech handed Timehri Panthers their first loss of the East Bank Football Association (EBFA)/Ralph Green Under-11 League which continued yesterday at the Diamond Community Centre ground with six matches.

On Day 4 of the league, Grove secured a 2-0 win over Timehri who also conceded their first goals of the league.

Jamal Cordis led his team by scoring both goals, in the 3rd and 25th minutes. With the win, Grove maintained their unbeaten run in five matches.

Agricola Red Triangle, the only other undefeated team posted a comfortable 4-0 win over Hauraruni Eagles on account of goals from Mikel Morris, captain Jonathan Andries, Seon Grant and Trevor Gordon.

Diamond Upsetters edged Friendship All Stars 2-1 with goals coming from their captain Joshua Dias in the 20th minute, a ripping free kick from just over the halfway line that slid into the back of the net.

Safraz Russell supported his captain with a goal of his own in the 27th minute which turned out to be the winning goal after Friendship had equalised in the 25th minute

through a Tyrece Thuesdee effort.

Kuru Kururu (KK) Warriors earned their first points of the league in emphatic fashion, waltzing past Herstelling Raiders 3-0. The goals were scored by Alex Marques who netted a double in the 12th and 26th minutes; Nehemiah St Claire netted the other in the 28th minute.

Swan posted their third win in four matches when they dominated Diamond United to take full points, 3-1.

The score-line could have been more if Swan did not miss two penalty chances, the first going wide of the upright and the second saved by goalkeeper Rick Ramoutar.

Swan got their goals from Valentino Andrews (6th), Ezekiel Reid (24th) and Anderson Webber in the 27th minute.

Diamond United’s consolation goal came off the boot of Iouson Da Silva in the 22nd minute.

Samatta Point/Kaneville also notched their first points of the league and this was without breaking a sweat, as Mocha Champs failed to turn up on time for the match. They were well over an hour late.

Matches will continue this Saturday.

GCC whip Transport to stay unbeaten in U-17 cricket THE Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) registered an easy eight-wicket win against the Transport Sports Club at home on Saturday to stay unbeaten in the GCA/Friends of Cricket Hundred Overs U-17 tournament.

The visitors won the toss and batted first, but were undone by the left-arm spin of the home team’s captain, Zachary Jodah and the offspin of Darrius Andrews.

The pair combined for seven wickets to restrict Transport to 60 runs in 34.3 overs.

Tr a n s p o r t o p e n e r Shamar Yearwood scored the lone boundary of his team’s innings. The national U-15 player finished with 15 runs, which was the only double-digit score for the visiting team.

Thirteen-year-old GCC skipper, Jodah, took the wicket of Yearwood and three other wickets at different stages of the innings

to finish with figures of 4-11 from nine overs, while Andrews did his damage in the middle to finish with 3-14 from 10 overs.

GCC lost two wickets in their chase. Openers

Rahul Singh and West Indies U-16 player Mavindra Dindyal were dismissed for six and one respectively by right-arm fast bowler Jeffrey Blair.

Ravaldo Phillips and

Jodah then contributed an unbeaten 44-run third-wicket partnership to carry their team to victory in 12 overs.

Phillips struck three fours in his top score of 32, while Jodah made 11.

Shai Hope

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, (CMC) – Shai Hope and Kieran Powell struck half-centuries on the opening day of the two-day tour match here Sunday as West Indies geared up for next week’s first Test against Bangladesh.

Opting to bat first against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, West Indies ended the day at the MA Aziz Stadium on 303 for six, with Hope top-scoring with 88 and Powell getting 72.

Roston Chase chipped in with 35 while both Shane Dowrich and Shimron Hetmyer got 24.

Playing in their only warm-up match before the opening Test, the tourists lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite cheaply for six with the score on 11 in the seventh over of the day.

However, Hope and

Powell then came together in a 163-run, second wicket stand to lead the Windies recovery.

Hope faced 112 balls and struck 10 fours and three sixes while the left-handed Powell was more circumspect, counting six fours and a six in a 142ball knock.

Hope retired hurt and Powell fell to a catch at the wicket off left-arm spinner Fazle Mahmud, paving the way for Chase, Hetmyer and Dowrich to spend valuable time at the crease.

West Indies will face Bangladesh in two Tests starting next Thursday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here in Chittagong.

The tour also includes three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday, November 19, 2018)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Darrius Andrews (left) and Zachary Jodah combined for seven wickets.

(1) (2)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Australia & New Zealand Australia, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand & India

(1)

(2)

Today’s Quiz: Who was voted Man of the Match in WI first game in the current ICC Women’s T20 World Cup? How many ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2018 matches were slated for Providence?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

GBA’s Terrence Ali National Open Championships

GDF, HE, FYF, VBG share honours on second night

By Michael DaSilva

THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Harpy Eagles (HE), Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) and Vergenoegen (VBG) boxing gyms shared the honours when the Guyana Boxing Association’s Terrence Ali National Open Championships continued on Saturday night at the National Gymnasium.

Defending champions, GDF, chalked up two wins in the five-fight Elite category, while HE, FYF and VBG all secured one win each.

The two victories by the soldiers brought their total amount of wins to three at the conclusion of two nights of the three-night tournament. They won one of four encounters on the opening night (Friday). Harpy Eagles secured their second win from as many fights, while FYF and VBG have so far registered two wins each.

Winning for the soldiers on Saturday were Colin `Superman’ Lewis and Desmond Amsterdam.

Lewis secured a points’

decision win against VBG’s Aubrey Moore in their junior welterweight contest, while Amsterdam knocked out FYF’s Alex Murray at two minutes of the third round in their middleweight bout.

Junior Commonwealth Games’ bantamweight silver medalist, Keevin Allicock (FYF) won his bantamweight fight against GDF’s Clinton Clarke after he caused the referee to stop the contest at two minutes 21 seconds of the second round after outclassing his opponent in all departments.

Allicock put on a masterful display of boxing and aggression for the almost six minutes that the fight lasted.

Emmanuel Sancho secured a win for Harpy Eagles with a split decision verdict over GDF’s Aluko Bess in their welterweight contest, while Christopher Moore (VBG) won by a split decision over Police’s Diwani Lampkin in their junior welterweight bout.

Both Christopher Moore and Sancho’s fights were very entertaining throughout and

at the end of both contests, the decision could have gone either way.

other out, but Moore connected with a few one-two combinations to Lampkin’s

connected to his opponents’ body and head, again with combinations. From the start

GDF’s Colin `Superman’ Lewis (right) storms forward with a flurry of combinations to the body and head of VBG’s Aubrey Moore in their junior welterweight contest on Saturday night (Photo by Delano Williams).

In the Christopher Moore versus Lampkin contest, both boxers used the first round to feel each

body and head, giving him (Moore) the edge.

Round two saw Moore being a bit more aggressive and

of round three, sensing he was behind, Lampkin upped the tempo and moved in to Moore with combinations from `Ber-

bice to Georgetown’, but Moore did well to weather the storm, keeping his opponent at bay with crisp jabs and during the final 30 seconds, the two fighters started to mix it up.

In the Bess versus Sancho affair, Bess started throwing punches from a distance, while Sancho was stepping close to his opponent with his punches, landing quite a few to Bess’ body and head.

Bess upped the ante in the second round, going forward to Sancho who fought back but, unluckily for him (Sancho), he got tagged and was given a standing eight count.

From then on, Sancho started to counter-punch and this tactic paid off for him.

From the start of the third round, Bess took the fight to Sancho who started to pick his punches and connected with one-two combinations as Bess continued to step close to his opponent who continued to counter and finished the round very strong.

Meanwhile, the finals in all weight divisions were scheduled for last night.

Guyana finish behind USA Brian Tiwari 60th birth anniversary football at Americas Curling Challenge tournament kicks off tomorrow

HE is recognised as a very successful businessman, focussing mainly on the infrastructural and aviation sectors, but Brian Tiwari of BK International Inc. fame, who will celebrate his 60th birth anniversary on November 23, has a similar reputation for his support for sports.

To this end, former national player/coach Lennox Arthur has organised a tournament to honour the significant achievement of Tiwari with the staging of the Brian Tiwari Inter-Ward / Village Knockout Cup, scheduled to kickoff tomorrow at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground, West Coast Demerara.

According to Arthur, teams from West Demerara, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown and East Bank Demerara have been invited to participate in the two-day competition.

Arthur added that Tiwari, over the years, has been one of the most consistent sponsors of football and sports in general and, as a result of his unwavering support for tournaments such as the Mayor’s Cup and the Annual Hamilton Green Birthday KO Cup, he thinks that it is only fitting for him to organise a special event in his honour.

Among the teams listed to participate in the tournament are: Sophia, Wales, Plaisance, Lima Dam, Crane, Timehri, Zeelugt, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke, Den

Amstel and Bagotsville.

The organisers have scheduled six matches for opening with hosts, Den Amstel, slated to appear in the feature clash against Bagotsville.

The other fixtures are: Sophia versus Wales from 16:00hrs; Plaisance vs. Lima Dam at 16:30hrs; Crane vs.

Timehri from 17:00hrs; Kuru

Kururu vs. Zeelugt at 17:30hrs and Den Amstel (Back Street} vs. Soesdyke at 18:00hrs.

Prize money totaling in excess of $150,000 and trophies will be up for grabs with the winning team set to receive $100,000 and the runner-up $50,000. The final will be played on December 2, at the same venue.

Brian Tiwari’s grandson, Bradley Gabriel, presenting the winner’s trophy to organiser Lennox Arthur for the Brian Tiwari 60th birth anniversary football tournament.

- to compete at World Qualification Event in New Zealand

GUYANA won two of four games at the Americas (Curling) Challenge to finish behind host USA, who gained an automatic berth to the 2019 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship.

Competing at the Chaska Curling Center in Chaska, Minnesota, Guyana opened with a 2-13 defeat against the USA, but bounced back to beat Brazil 10-9.

The Guyanese team, which is led by Rayad Husain, and also features Jason Perreira, Daniel Toolsie and Baul Persaud, went down again to the USA (3-9) but in their final game, they came from behind to pick up a 8-7 win over Brazil.

As a result of the finish, Guyana will compete at the World Qualification Event, which will be played in January in New

Zealand.

According to the Guyana Curling Federation, the team, due to geographic location and financial considerations, had only trained together for two days, and participated in the Americas Challenge to gain experience and evaluate for future years, and as such, there is no minimum goal that has been identified.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 19, 2018

Niles rolls back the years to cop 19th Diamond Mineral Water 46-Miler TEAM Coco wheelsman and veteran cyclist, Junior Niles, rolled back the years to cop the 19th edition of the Diamond Mineral Water 46mile road race over at West Demerara yesterday.

In his impressive victory, Niles trimmed 33 minutes off last year’s winning time (2 hours 14 minutes set by Jamaul John) clocking a blis-

tering one hour, 41 minutes and 25.47 seconds to cross the finish line ahead of second placed Akeem Wilkinson.

Deoraj Garbarran claimed third spot while fourth to sixth were occupied by Paul DeNobrega, Michael Anthony and Warren McKay, in that order.

Of the eight primes (sprint prizes) up for grabs, Wilkin-

Respective category winners of the 19th Diamond Mineral Water 46-Miler pose with their trophies and representatives of DDL.

Team Coco cyclist Junior Niles collects his trophy and prize from a DDL representative after winning the overall event and the Veteran category. (Samuel Maughn photo)

Jamaica’s Reggae Warriors make historic qualification for 2021 World Cup

son, Garbarran, Kemuel Moses and Niles shared them at two apiece.

In addition to being the overall winner, Niles was also the top Veteran rider, while McKay was second and Alexis Mendes third.

In the Mountain Bike category, Ozia McAulay made it two in a row, copping first prize while Jamal

Cappel and Talim Shaw settled for second and third respectively.

Adealie Hodge was the top junior cyclist, ahead of second placed Emmanuel Gayral and Briton John in third.

At the presentation ceremony, a representative of DDL was on hand to present trophies and cash prizes.

Zimbabwe series perfect preparation for Windies challenge - Rhodes STEVE Rhodes, the Bangladesh coach, acknowledged the Zimbabwe series has helped them prepare well for the upcoming home series against Windies. The hosts were humbled in the first Test but came back to level the series with a win in Dhaka.

said, we wanted more than 1-1. Once we lost that first one, we had to make sure we drew the series.”

The last time these two sides met, Windies managed to win the first two Tests with handsome margins before Bangladesh bounced back to end the series 2-1.

Reggae Warriors celebrate World Cup berth

JAMAICA will be at the Rugby League World Cup for the first time in their history after they beat the United States 16-10 on Saturday.

The Reggae Warriors will make their inaugural bow in the World Cup thanks to JyMel Coleman’s two first-half penalty goals as well as tries from Joel Farrell and Keenen Tomlinson.

The efforts gave the Reggae Warriors a 16-0 lead but the USA Hawks would come roaring back before the break.

Tries from halfback Conor

Donehue and Ryan Burroughs meant the half would end 16-10.

The Reggae Warriors then showed their defensive prowess in the second half, to keep the period scoreless and become the 11th country to qualify for the 2021 showpiece.

“This team was built on defence. For us to hold them out after they threw everything at us including the kitchen sink and we held on, I’m really proud of the boys,” said Reggae Warriors assistant coach

Roy Calvert.

The victory also meant the Warriors claimed the 2018 Americas Championship.

“This is a long time coming. There’ve been a lot of sacrifices, a lot of hard work.

I’m so happy,” said Calvert.

“I’m so proud of this group of boys. We’ve kept this team playing together for the last two years.

There’ve been a lot of financial sacrifices,” he said.

“This is history, it can’t be taken away from us.”

(Sportsmax)

The race began at Schoonord, West Bank Demerara, proceeded to Bushy Park and then returned to the point of origin for the finish. The event, now in its 19th year, was organised by national cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed, and sponsored by DDL through its Diamond Mineral Water brand.

Bangladesh drew the two-match series against Zimbabwe after losing the first Test © AFP)

“I think in Sylhet and Mirpur, Zimbabwe made us fight all the way. Some people might be a little bit surprised at the 1-1 result and the hardfought series.

I think it will do us a lot of good going into a contest against Windies who are obviously tough opposition.

We needed to go there with some tough games under our belt. Zimbabwe proved to be a tough opposition,” he said.

“I was very pleased with the Mirpur result but as you

Rhodes felt the absence of Jason Holder hurts Windies just a touch. “To be perfectly honest, we don’t have many concerns. We are looking forward to the series against Windies,” he stressed.

“They are excellent opposition, as we saw in July. Conditions are a little bit different in Bangladesh, so hopefully, we will have good games against them. They have got some injury problems with Jason Holder going home. We are without Tamim Iqbal; we

wish him all the best to get back as quick as he could. It will be a good contest.”

Bangladesh will also be buoyed by the return of Shakib Al Hasan from injury. However, they will be forced to change their opening combination with Tamim Iqbal out injured and Liton Das dropped from the side.

“It is great to have him back. Shakib is a master tactician. Riyad did a good job as captain in the Mirpur Test, but somebody of Shakib’s stature, cleverness and tactical awareness is a really important cog to a successful Bangladesh team. We welcome him back with open arms. His finger seems fine at the moment. He had a long 45-minute bat in the nets today. So things are looking good,” Rhodes said.

“You’ve seen Imrul part of the squad here. It could be very well Imrul, but there are other spots as well. Let’s just wait and see. Our top order hasn’t fired as we’d have liked. It happens sometimes.

You can’t keep scoring runs all the time.

“Imrul is a great example. He had great form in the ODIs and at the moment, he hasn’t converted it into the red-ball Test matches. We are hopeful of all our batters, and we will probably let you know at 9.30 when we toss the coin.”

(Cricbuzz)

An elated DCC team celebrate with their spoils.

Vishal Jaigobin is stumped by stand-in-keep Joshua Persaud (middle). Also in pic is a jubilant Christopher Barnwell (right).

DCC retain GISE/Star Party Rentals/Trophy with innings victory over Police

KFC Mega cup Round 1

Mohamed; Rahaman register wins

See Page 18

Dottin, Campbelle star as West Indies seal last-over win

...to play Australia in the first Women’s World Cup T20 first semi-final See Page 18

Part of the action at the KFC Mega Grand Prix yesterday (Samuel Maughn photo) ON a night when racing broke new grounds with the use of the SKUSA (Super Karts United States) rules, there were big winners as the first-ever KFC Mega Grand Prix got unaderway at the GMR&SC Headquarters, Thomas Lands.

There were wins for Nathan Rahaman in the 60cc cup and Faraud Mohamed in the 125cc junior class.

Senior class was won by John Phang with Easy Cup being won by Jean Claude Jeffrey.

(Details in tomorrow’s edition) 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

Deandra Dottin hits out during her top score of 46 against England in West Indies’ final preliminary match.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018