Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 15-05-2022

15th May, 2022

free Inside No.106723

Massive ease in East Bank traffic woes 03 PAGE

–– with opening of Eccles to Mandela Road

Ketley Primary School successfully defends ‘Literacy Bee’ title

PAGE

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The finalists in the MoE Literacy Bee competition (from left): Purnella Luke and Hannah Mahadeo of Auchlyne Primary School; Angelina Deonarine and Antwon Henry of Ketley Primary and Aiden George and Makayla Harding of Patentia Primary School, along with their teachers (Elvin Croker photo)

Guyanese is best graduating student at Jacksonville University’s DBA programme 02 PAGE

Motor manslaughter 14 charge, increased jail time PAGE

–– part of the government’s proposed plans to reduce road accidents

Over 30,000 new 02 applicants in GECOM registration exercise PAGE

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Guyanese is best graduating student at Jacksonville University's DBA programme

By Tamica Garnett

TREASURER of the Guyana Cricket Board and General Manager of Skeldon Energy Dr. Brian Sukhai has been named Best Graduating Student of Jacksonville University’s Doctor of Business Administration Class of 2022, after successfully defending his doctoral research in February 2022.

His dissertation entitled, “Participation In Corrupt Deals: Impact On Firm Value, Corporate Liquidity And Earnings Management”, examined the impact financial misconduct has on firm value, liquidity and earnings management, and has been selected for presentation in July 2022 at the 2022 FMA European Conference in Lyon, France. The conference will bring together academics and practitioners with interests in financial decision-making, and provides a forum for presenting new research, and discussing current issues in financial management and related topics.

“I have always been interested in investigating the impact financial misconduct has on firm health, so, via the dissertation, I was provided with an avenue to investigate,” Sukhai said in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

“By God’s grace, I am delighted to have completed a most rigorous DBA programme at Jacksonville University, and the intention, from my side now, is to augment my contribution towards the development of my country, which is at a very exciting stage in its expansion trajectory.”

Jacksonville University is a premier private institution in northeast Florida.

Founded in 1934, JU offers more than 100 majors, minors and programmes, including degrees in business, marine science, engineering, physics, and nursing, as well as those in the more contemporary and specialised fields of aviation, communication sciences and disorders, film, animation and sport.

Sukhai’s award as the Best Graduating Student was announced at Jack-

Brian Sukhai (right) with his wife, Sheldyne (left), and their two daughters sonville University’s commencement ceremony that was held on April 30 in Jacksonville, North Florida.

Though Sukhai, a former student of the Bishop’s High School, initially envi-

sioned pursuing a career in engineering, his life took a turn in the direction of a career in finance after being offered a job at a local bank.

“That posting spawned an interest in Accounting

and Finance, and led me to commence the ACCA qualification. So I believe, looking back, when I clerked at GBTI, that really was the turning point in my career pathway,” he shared.

That was in 1997, since then, Sukhai has developed a career in finance that has spread across the past 25 years, which includes postings in commercial banking, microfinance and project management, and included being a Project Accountant at the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname.

Prior to his current post as the General Manager of Skeldon Energy, Sukhai was the Chief Financial Officer of Power Producers and Distributors Inc. (PPDI), which is responsible for Guyana’s power production. Sukhai would have also worked with the Privatisation Unit, and at the Development Finance Limited South America Inc. as a Senior Business Analyst.

After finishing his secondary school education at Bishop’s High, Sukhai

completed his “A” Levels at Queen’s College. He is a 1996 Guyana Scholar, and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and read for his Master’s Degree at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom.

But when he is not busy with his academic studies, Sukhai is an active member of the People’s Assembly of God Church in Industry, on the East Coast Demerara, and a husband, and father to his 11-year-old and four-year-old daughters.

Sukhai currently lives in Ogle, also on the East Coast, where he grew up, with his wife, Sheldyne, and his daughters. Sukhai credits the support of his family during his studies as being among the reasons for his success.

“Without the support of my family, especially my loving wife, Sheldyne, and our daughters, Samara and Skai, I would not have been able to complete this doctoral degree so successfully,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Over 30,000 new applicants in GECOM registration exercise OVER 30,000 new applicants have submitted applications, thus far, in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ongoing registration exercise, which began on March 7 and is set to conclude on May 29.

This is according to Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud, who shared that the exercise has been coming along fairly well.

“The exercise is flowing smoothly. We would have crossed the 30,000 mark in terms of numbers

in the A and B categories [which covers] the 18 and over and 14 – 17 years old applicants. We have crossed 30,000 up to two days ago and it’s climbing,” Persaud said, while speaking to the media on the sideline of an event at the Marriott Hotel on Friday.

Persaud noted that the daily rate of applications has reduced somewhat; however, with just two weeks remaining for the registration exercise, GECOM is anticipating an increase due to last

minute rush, but Persaud said that GECOM is sufficiently prepared to deal with such an occurrence if it happens.

“It is expected that there would be a surge going to the end of the exercise which we are prepared for. Outside of that, we have been doing well in terms of treating with the number of persons who have been coming forward to be registered,” Persaud said.

Following a verification process where the fingerprints of the new

applicants will be sent overseas and cross referenced with those already existing in the system, the new applicants would then be part of a list submitted by the Secretariat to the Commission for approval to be added to the National Register of Registrants, which is the national database of registrants used to create the Official List of Electors.

Persaud noted, however, that any matches found in the fingerprint would be investigated.

“If it comes back with

matches, then we have to investigate them. We would remove those that are confirmed to be doubles before we go to the commission for approval to commit the approved applications to the National Register of Registrants so that they can become bona fide registrants. That is followed by the production and issuance of ID cards,” Persaud explained.

Persaud said he could not say when the new ID cards would be ready, as GECOM has to wait for the overseas con-

Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud tractor to conclude the fingerprint verification process. However, he estimates that within a month after the closure of registration that the entire process could be wrapped up.

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Massive ease in East Bank traffic woes – with opening of Eccles to Mandela Road

By Tamica Garnett

IN just one month since the opening of the $2.6 billion Eccles to Mandela Highway, traffic on the East Bank and West Bank of Demerara has already seen a massive decline in the length of time for commute to and from the city during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

And the commuters could not be happier to see the ease in anxiety and frustration that was the daily task of facing the traffic, which would, in some instances, extend the

Bus Driver Devon Manning commute by over an hour.

“Right now, if I leave home about 07:30am, by 0800am I’m in town; before the [Eccles to Mandela] road opened, it would take me about an hourand-a-half to two hours.

Sometimes I had to leave home really early to try to beat the traffic,” shared Julian Nedd, an engineer attached to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Nedd, who works in Georgetown, commutes

One of the entrances to the Eccles to Mandela Road (Elvin Croker photo) daily from Grove on the East Bank Demerara. Like many other commuters, Nedd remembers all too vividly the hassle that was getting to work in the morning and home in the afternoons.

“It was very frustrating, because you have to deal with the bus drivers cutting in front of you and all of that. By the time you reach to work, you’re frustrated, and you’re tired.

In the afternoon, it was even worse; by the time you reach home, it’s about 0700pm, and you’re so tired. It was very stressful on your body, but now it’s better,” he shared.

Prior to the completion of the Eccles to Mandela Road, there was only one route into the city from the ‘Harbour Bridge’; this caused a convergence of all motorists coming from the East Bank, West Bank and West Coast of Demerara, causing severe congestion during the rush hours in the morning and afternoons. Traffic would be backed up for miles in all directions, at times at a standstill, other times

barely crawling.

The situation was compounded by the massive housing schemes that were developed in the West and East Demerara, which vastly increased the population in these areas over the years, exponentially increasing traffic congestion.

Fareeza Haniff, who travels daily from MetenMeer-Zorg on the West Coast, described the situation back then as a mental, emotional and physical strain.

“Sometimes it used to take me two-and-a- half hours to get to the office; sometimes an hour-anda-half. It was a situation that a lot of people were not happy with, but now with the new road, it’s a lot less draining. More roads are still needed, but that will come shortly, for sure. Everything can’t happen at once,” said the West Demerarian.

COST AND STRAIN The issue was also a particular strain on those involved in the

transportation business.

For bus driver Devon Manning, it meant more hours of work to make ends meet, and more gas to burn.

“It used to affect my business a lot, because the traffic is so slow, the gas that you burning it’s like two trip of gas you’re burning in one, because it’s harder for you to maneuver between the traffic. And then you end up working extra late to make a day pay,” Manning said.

Manning, who lives at Goed Intent, on the West Bank Demerara, and has been a driver for the past nine years, services the Wales to Georgetown Number 31 bus route. Already a long commute, it was made all the longer with the traffic.

“If you were supposed to work eight or ten hours, sometimes you end up working 16. You working double the time to make the same money. But right now, you could work a li’l 12 hours, because it ease li’l; yuh could work maybe from six to six,” he said.

Officer-In-Charge of Traffic for Division 4 B, Inspector Maniram Jagnanan Officer-In-Charge of Traffic for Division 4 B, Inspector Maniram Jagnanan, concurred that his job has also been made much easier with the coming on stream of the Ec-

cles to Mandela Road.

“I have been seeing a significant increase in traffic from Mandela to Eccles, but in terms of traffic congestion along the East Bank, that buildup we used to get during the afternoon time and during the day and so forth, you’re not getting that anymore. A flow to the Mandela is helping that traffic situation,” the inspector said.

Jagnanan shared that the Traffic Department is still utilising other strategic methods such as creating a third lane on the East Bank in the morning and afternoon, as well as doing a “double lane” on the DHB during peak hours.

All of these strategies, along with the new Eccles to Mandela Road, he said, are working in tandem to make it all easier on the commuters.

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Stay away from drugs, alcohol –– Top Cop tells Mosquito Hall residents

ACTING Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken, along with Commander of Regional Division 4 ‘C,’ Senior Superintendent Khali Pareshram, were at the forefront of a highly successful community engagement at Mosquito Hall, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara on Saturday.

The team led by the Top Cop was warmly welcomed by the scores of residents, many of whom were eagerly looking forward to the op-

portunity to highlight their myriad concerns and issues affecting them in the community.

Among the issues raised by the residents were drugs and alcohol use by school students, loud music/noise nuisance, drinking and disrespectful attitudes, especially by the young men in the area.

Hicken, who sat and listened attentively to the residents, addressed the numerous concerns raised and which were within the ambit

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of his direct scope of operations. The Top Cop, as a show of his commitment to helping the community, even ventured out of his realm of operations and reached out to Government Minister Deodat Indar, via a cellphone call to address issues such as the potholes-filled roads and the constant flooding of the community.

Minister Indar, who had no objection to Hicken’s see page 5

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Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken with a group of children and youths from the community. He referred to them as the “catalyst for change” (Guyana Police Force/ Troy Vanrossum photo)

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request to be put on ‘speaker’ for the benefit of the residents hearing what he had to say, gave a status update on the various issues raised and the efforts being made to address them.

Taking a brief pause in the meeting, the acting Commissioner singled out several children who were present at the meeting to come forward in a group.

He spoke directly to them as he encouraged them to take their education and be the best that they can be, while urging them to stay away from drugs.

“I want you to promise me from today there will be no more drug-smoking and if anybody encourages you to smoke drugs, tell them the commissioner said not to do that as it is wrong and it is not healthy,” Hicken pleaded with the youths whom he labelled as the ‘catalyst for change.’

ON-THE-SPOT DECISIONS As he continued the meeting, the Top Cop took several on-the-spot decisions, one of which is to form a Scouts Group in the community.

“Let me make this clear and I’m telling you now… we are going to bring Scouts to Mahaica. This means that the children will be a part of the Scouts Group and that’s a national activity. So starting from Saturday [next week], you are going to see the police coming in here in numbers and they are going to interact with the parents of the children,” the Top Cop said.

He said once the parents/guardians sign the Scouts Group consent form, he will get someone from the Scouts Association to visit the community to ensure that the children are provided with their scouts uniforms/kits and are ready to take part in the scouts’ movement/activity on weekends.

Commissioner Hicken went further, stating: “The scouts programme will entail the children moving from this community to Georgetown in a centralised way and they’re

going to be exposed to other children from communities, so they can share ideas, they can share views and they can understand each other’s cultures. That itself will bring attitudinal changes to the community.”

In addressing the need for enhanced police presence in the community, Hicken highlighted that prevention is an important aspect of the force’s strategic plan, stating: “We are going to have police assigned to this community and we would like to have at least two or three pairs of police [officers] and they’re going to be walking this community as a prevention.”

He added: “We are going to be focusing heavily on crime prevention and so I took note of the need for an outpost to be here and as a Police Force that’s modernising and one that practises contemporary policing, we’re going to look at the possibility of you

having that outpost in a short period.”

On conclusion of the engagement, several hampers were also distributed to the residents by Commissioner Hicken and his team.

Today’s initiative is not an isolated one, as it is an ongoing effort being led by the acting Commissioner himself, with tremendous support from his Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and the ‘Corporate Sector,’ and is in keeping with the force’s five-point strategic plan, one of which focuses heavily on building partnerships with communities and civil society to create safer environments countrywide.

Residents who turned out were very vocal in their commendation of the GPF for its committed efforts to fight crime and to foster a better relationship with the community.

(Report/photos by CCU’s Avindra Rajballi and Troy Vanrossum)

A section of the gathering at the meeting on Saturday (Guyana Police Force/ Troy Vanrossum photo)

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

A Welcome Development

PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton met for the first time in their official capacities on Friday last.

This is the first such meeting since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was elected to office following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional elections.

This is indeed a welcome development, especially in the context of an earlier position taken by the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition not to recognise the legitimacy of the PPP/C administration. The fact that the Opposition Leader has responded favourably to an invitation by President Ali for consultation on a number of statutory appointments as required by the Constitution of Guyana is indicative, presumably, of an implied acceptance of a fundamental governance reality, namely, that the business of governance transcended the boundaries of partisan interests.

The fact is that regardless of the posturings of Mr Norton and the APNU+AFC regarding the ‘legitimacy’ of the PPP/C administration, the reality

is that President Ali was legally and constitutionally sworn in as the duly elected Executive President of Guyana in verified free and fair elections. Whatever ‘flaws’ there may be in the electoral processes emanated entirely from the attempts by the APNU+AFC operatives in collaboration with rogue elements within the GECOM Secretariat to manipulate the results of the elections, which thankfully were thwarted by the interventions of the judiciary and the vigilance of the PPP/C and the other contesting parties, along with the observer groups.

Regardless of how one may wish to look at it, the transparent attempt by the APNU+AFC to rig the last General and Regional Elections has left a permanent stain on the country’s electoral landscape, comparable only to that dark period of the 1968-1985 wholesale rigging of national elections which has brought shame on an entire nation, not to mention the stigma of that of a ‘pariah’ state.

The rupture of the democratic process by the PNC regime had inflicted enormous pain on the economic and social life of the Guyanese people. Indeed, it is a period that many felt that as a society

we have left behind only to see the ugly head of the undemocratic ‘monster’ once again rising to the surface.

The way in which the political opposition was treated by the then PNC regime was beyond disgusting. Despite the fact that the PPP was the largest political party in the country with a mass political following, the PNC rigged its way to power for nearly three decades. The Constitution was amended to redesignate the political opposition as ‘minority’ party and the Leader of the Opposition as ‘Minority Leader.’ All manner of derogatory epithets were given to the political opposition such as the ‘Mensheviks’ as opposed to the ‘Bolsheviks,’ which the PNC arrogated to itself. Unashamedly, Forbes Burnham, the mastermind of electoral fraud, went to ridiculous limits to boast that the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks cannot hold talks on equal terms because of the supposedly superior status of the ‘Bolsheviks.’

Thankfully, we have moved past that sordid past and full credit must be given to President Ali for agreeing to meet with the Opposition Leader despite the continuing false narrative of being cheated out of power in the last General and

Regional Elections.

Nothing could be further from the truth and the sooner the APNU+AFC Coalition come to terms with the reality of its defeat, the better will it be not only for the Coalition and its credibility as a serious political opposition, but also for its standing with the Guyanese people and for that matter, the international community as a whole.

The harsh reality is that the APNU+AFC Coalition has been defeated in a free and fair electoral contest and nothing can change that reality. Whether it recognises it or not, the less it speaks of being ‘cheated’ out of office and the PPP/C as an ‘installed’ regime, the better will it be for its image as a serious opposition party.

Mr Norton now has an opportunity to change the narrative and embrace a new approach to governance, especially within the framework of the Constitution.

The meeting with President Ali could very well set the stage for a broader range of consultations on the way forward for Guyana, especially at this exciting stage of the country’s development.

Peace and decency must take precedence and prevail in defining the livelihoods of Guyanese citizens along with our democracy Dear Editor, THE die-hard and convenient followers of Aubrey Norton as Opposition and PNCR Leader must in retrospect question their commitments, given the divorced strategies from reality being publicly rolled out under his leadership.

Certainly, the ‘blind-following’ is a thing of the past in Guyana’s political environment and his public rants are tantamount to failed diplomacy from the outset. One, therefore, must be curious about the voluminous silence of the partners in the APNU+AFC. Aubrey Norton seemingly sadly holds on to a foolhardy belief in the Keith Lowenfield infamously concocted numbers which disenfranchised thousands of Guyanese voters at the March 2020

elections; that he could use ransom threats of civil unrest through blind followers to challenge rulings of the Judiciary (including the CCJ); that there are desired image and attention gains by challenging Vice- President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to a public debate on related issues in the heart of an auspicious European Union (EU) -Guyana recognition event. Otherwise, he could not rationally use these numbers as a basis for challenging Dr Jagdeo. In essence, Norton is defiantly demonstrating that the PNCR under his leadership will boldly hold on to the use of un-contextual clauses, meanings in language, and irrational hypotheses in Math.

As the European Union (EU) celebrates 70 plus years of “Peace’ and unity” in Europe, “along with the 50 years of peaceful Guyana-EU relations, it was indeed a timely and opportune occasion

for the Opposition Leader to advance a Guyanese sense of oneness on at least one front.

His Excellency, President Dr Irfaan Ali recently called on the UK for apologies and reparations regarding the sordid history of slavery that largely impacted particularly, our Afro and other Guyanese citizens for decades.

Rather, the occasion of the high-profile prestigious cocktail reception which was attended by an audience of eminent personalities and diplomatic representatives was missed by the Opposition Leader for want of the right reasons. This is perhaps because the timely hosting of the event by Mr Fernando Ponz Canto, EU Ambassador to Guyana, and all the other diplomats in Guyana who stood with this nation during those unforgettable five months in 2020, stood out as a witness to

the democratic demagoguery acted out by the PNC/R as the main party in the APNU+AFC Coalition.

Mr Norton must not forget that he made a passionate defence of the skulduggery in various media and when interviewed by Trinidadian Journalist Fazeer Mohammed. He must also contextually understand and remember that the activity was premised on ‘Peace among mutual recognition of States,’ so let us cherish our success and forever live in unity.

On the contrary, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo delivered an impressive speech, highlighting our country’s high appreciation of the EU and other states’ significant contributions to our country during the five months when the PNC/R had their knees on the see page 7

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

USA reaches one million COVID deaths; Guyanese must learn lessons and get vaccinated now

Dear Editor,

THIS week the USA reached one million deaths due to COVID-19.

That is more than the population of Guyana and Barbados combined. In the state of North Carolina, USA, there were 17,000 new cases one day this week. People of Guyana, COVID is not over as yet. We cannot be reckless in our behaviour. We must still wear our masks, practise social distancing, and use utmost commonsense as we move about. Especially in minibuses and cars, masks must be worn in those closed places. As you noticed, the numbers

of daily infections are going back up and the ICU at the Infectious Diseases Hospital is getting patients again. In Guyana, about 1,228 persons have died so far. Some of these deaths could have been avoided if folks had been vaccinated.

The government must be commended for acquiring enough vaccines for everyone. Minister of Health Frank Anthony recently said the ministry was expecting some special vaccines to immunise children aged five to 11 years old against the novel and changing coronavirus; parents must take advantage of those vaccines for their children. The minis-

ter has been making desperate appeals for people to get their booster shots, and for the unvaccinated to get their first shots.

They say you can take the horse to the water but you can’t make it drink. But we must listen to the minister and the smart health personnel and do what is in the best interest of our own health.

It would be nice if the government releases the latest figures on vaccination rates. What percentages of teachers and students are now vaccinated in schools, and across all government agencies?

Was the Education Ministry’s ultimatum to get vaccinated or show neg-

Peace and decency must take precedence and prevail in defining the livelihoods ... from page 6 necks of our people. VP Jagdeo said: “The struggle for free and fair elections must be a must.”

Further, he noted and pointed out that the European Union team after the debacle at GECOM, and the blatant attempt to steal the elections, stayed on in a very industrious way.

Vice-President Jagdeo surmised that ‘they were there every single day trying to ferret out information about what was happening’ and it was through their unflinching support among others, which enabled Guyana to survive peacefully as a democracy prevailed.

The message from the EU through Ambassador Fernando Ponz Canto was indeed heartening, as he lauded President Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ initiative and pledged Europe’s continuous support for our country. Disappointingly, the activity’s tone and meaning were somewhat

marred by the Opposition Leader’s abhorrent behaviour and lack of suave.

Mr Norton obviously was unable to respect and appreciate the environment that he was in and while being exposed to what he truly represents, resorted to the usually unacceptable street outbursts.

Norton’s challenge to the Vice-President for a public debate is impotent and indecent. Equally laughable is his statement that he has the winning SoPs for the 2nd March, 2020 National and Regional Elections. Even though many people accepted that he had the privilege to consume as much alcohol as he wanted, perhaps he should not have overconsumed as his behaviour was uncalled for. One must, therefore ask the question as to why take the evidence to the public when the court matter is already tried, appealed, and ruled

on. The legal authorities and luminaries (if any) on the APNU+AFC side, must plea for the socalled ‘fifth amendment’ in the out-of-character situation.

In this civilised environment, Mr Norton is advised to change his lifestyle and not take this ‘Rum-Shop’ drinking habits and temperament to prestigious cocktail receptions. If this continues, Guyana will certainly need a better Opposition Leader as the world is looking at Guyana and we are expected to up the ante to a position of respectability as a nation.

The Statements of Poll are a testimony of the elections results and Norton should let peace and decency prevail, not open his mouth and talk about ‘winning SoPs.’ He should bring them on.

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

ative tests enforced for teachers? How about the nurses? What percentage of staff in the hospitals and clinics are now vaccinated? What quantities of those expensive vaccines are at risk of expiring?

It would be a shame for vaccines that cost a lot of money to go to waste through expiration

because our people refuse to get initial vaccination or to get their booster doses. Are the unions doing more to encourage workers to be vaccinated? Are the churches and NGOs doing anything more?

How about the Opposition? Are they encouraging their party members to be vaccinated?

For its part, the government must avoid assembling large groups of people that can become “super spreader” events.

People, let’s listen to Minister Anthony and complete our vaccinations now.

Yours sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Transforming education requires decolonisation Dear Editor, PRESIDENT Ali’s government declared policy is to use oil-and-gas proceeds to transform education, health, infrastructure, and the non-oil sectors (Guyana Chronicle, April 26, 2022). This policy is admirable and will divest the windfall from oil and gas into conventional sectors.

In transforming education, the government (the people’s representative) must address a fundamental question: what is (are) the outcome(s) from this transformation? Is it for more job opportunities? This is not transformational. Is it more access to education, building more schools, free education from cradle to grave, more computers, more digital whiteboards, tinkering with the current curriculum or adding more subjects? This is also not transformational?

Or is it the creation of a holistic education system within which creativity and innovation flourish with opportunities for an individual to understand who she/he is, her/his intrinsic connections to each other and nature, and to craft her/his own quality lifestyle for the 21st century? The answer is crucial for any meaningful transformation.

This article is not intended to provide an answer, but it is a narrative to provoke public discourse to inform the government’s transformational policy on education.

Guyana inherited a system of education created by our colonial masters (CMs) to produce factory workers for the industrial era, programmers, analysts, and so on for the current information technology era.

This servitude system was about educating students to conform, to gather external data (imposed by teachers following strict, preset curriculum and content) and to regurgitate some of the data in standardized tests. It is a “one-size-fits-all” system.

Many countries including Guyana have tried to modernise this system. But the tendency is to copycat changes made or suggested by the CM and/or other World powers (WP), particularly the USA. For example, let us consider the evolution of the call to emphasise Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in schools. In the 1990s the US government, with staunch support from US businesses, created a programme called SMET, an acronym for Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. It did not get much attention. In 2001, after US students performed poorly in Mathematics and Science among the industrialised nations as measured by an international test called the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA, the name was changed

to STEM because it was alleged that SMET was not sounding good for marketing purposes. Since then, it has become a wildfire.

This is the true genius of Americans for which no PISA test can measure.

Countries, with the notable exception of Scandinavia, assumed the US problem as their own and began emphasizing (in many cases, overemphasizing or obsessing) with STEM, which garner devoted attention within their existing curriculum or with some minor changes. This became a bonanza for the US. Many of the best graduates from these countries cannot find suitable jobs in their home countries and this creates a ready supply pipeline of students to US universities and colleges, and employees for corporate America. What a waste of scare resources and a brain drain for the lower and middle-income countries (LMIC)? Make no mistake, I am an ardent supporter of STEM, but not how it is taught and its overemphasis. In addition, living requires moral discipline, social and natural harmony, and security.

Despite billions of dollars spent on STEM by the US Government, state governments and businesses, US students continue to do poorly according to PISA scores, and this is an embarrassment for the most powerful country on earth. In 2010, US corporations, realising that STEM was not producing workers that can think and innovate and work as teams, strongly supported the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers to develop Common Core State Standards Initiative called Common Core that stressed critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving. Parents, teachers, and unions fought against its introduction and this initiative died,allegedly when the then President Obama supported it.

A key debacle in Common Core is the triple objectives of critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving that are now incorporated in STEM. These are competing objectives and require different approaches in a “one-size-fits-all” system.

Critical thinking and creativity come from unfettered individuals, while teaming is best for problem-solving. History showed that no magnificent work of art or great scientific invention resulted from a team of people.

How do countries such as Guyana start with transforming education? It must start with decolonization – decoupling from the CM and WP and developing an education system (see last question in the first paragraph) for the hopes, aspirations, and well-being of Guyanese. Stop “copycatting”,

do not think that the CM and the WP are better than you and they know best.

The transformation of the current education system must allow our children to fashion their paths early in life and prepare them for living a quality life in this 21st century.

No one can predict what life will be like as the 21st century advances, but there are certain trends that provide clues. For example, rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, 3D printing, self-driving (autonomous) vehicles, quantum computing, Internet of Things, pervasiveness of social media, globalisation, climate change and social and health problems (increasing obesity, increasing loneliness and depression, increasing rate of suicide, diminishing intellect, and so on) will impact our children’s lives. To prepare them to tackle these and other issues and live pleasant lives require a break from the past, bold thinking from a “one-size-fits-all”, and teacher-knows-best attitude. We must coach, facilitate and provide opportunities for our children to develop their individual creativity, be critical thinkers, be decision makers, be job creators rather than job seekers, while at the same time valuing, and understanding their connectedness to all things in the cosmos.

Decolonisation does not negate adopting educational innovations in other countries, including the CM and the WP, but must be studied carefully and modified, if necessary, for our educational outcomes.

Here is a potential example: Sanskrit (Samskritam), an ancient Indian language, and mother of the Indo-European family of languages which include English, has been demonised by the British in their rule of India. Sanskrit, however, is taught in British schools (e.g., St James Junior School) and universities (e.g., Oxford University), European and American universities. Many linguists rated Sanskrit as the “perfect language.” However, the teaching of it in schools and universities is not to resurrect it as a spoken language, rather it is what it offers for 21st century living. It helps students grasp math, science, and other languages better (it uses all parts of mouth and tongue), improve pronunciation and diction, and is the best language for computer programming, AI, and robotics (Rick Briggs, NASA scientist, AI Magazine, Volume 6 Number 1, 1985).

In addition, it helps to alleviate social and health problems through spirituality (this is not religion) and Ayurveda. Perhaps, Guyana should consider teaching Sanskrit, as one of a family of languages, in a Foreign Language institute.

Teachers should be coaches and facili-

tators rather than purveyors of an existing knowledge base. With our mobile devices, we can access all human knowledge anytime and at any place. No teacher can compete with this readily available, updated knowledge. Parents have a vital role to play in this transformation. Too often parents think of their children as extensions of themselves and not as individual human beings, who should chart their own courses in life. They want their children to be successful at things they themselves failed at or think that their children are inexperienced and prone to failure. Mistakes and failures should not be regarded as taboo, but as means to creativity. In any case, failure is relative and a construct of the brain. Many parents want their children to go to colleges and universities as a source of pride and accomplishments in child-rearing, but some of these children do not desire to be at these higher institutions of learning. Rather, they prefer doing other things in life such as being a carpenter, a plumber, a farmer and so on. However, this is often unsatisfactory for parents who think that their children are making mistakes or are on a path to failure in life. Consequently, these children miss creating a life of their own, underscored by their own passions, drives and goals.

Guyana with a new source of wealth, a small population, and a non-entrenched education system is in a unique position to lead education transformation for the 21st century. It should begin this transformation on an experimental basis, which can then be progressively enhanced, before embarking on nationwide adoption. Any implementation of such a grand, nationwide education narrative requires political will and stability, boldness and leadership, public involvement and acceptance, and decades of sustainable execution and adjustments.

Some readers may conclude that this narrative is utopian and cannot be accomplished by Guyanese (perhaps, a legacy of colonial thinking). Indeed, it is utopian, and I make no apology. It is bold, far-reaching, fresh thinking, self-confidence, unwillingness to accept conventional paradigms and a willingness to take risks that are the hallmarks for transformation.

Transformation is suspicious, threatening, arduous, and uncertain, but it provides the opportunity for creativity and high rewards. “Every child is a genius only to be converted into an idiot in school.” (Attributed to Nobel Laureate Alexis Carrel).

Dr Muniram Budhu Professor Emeritus

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Making sense of world news today is a full-time job!

IT’S not easy following world news these Days, and trying to make sense of it all.

‘COVID’ and the Ukraine war have created conditions no government would have wished for, as a result of which, politicians in office are doing extraordinary things to stay in power.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is dogged by the worst UK inflation since 1992, with the Bank of England predicting that 2022 will be “a disaster year”, and Barclays Bank warning that the shortage of Russian gas will drive the Euro’s value below that of the US dollar.

But Johnson is busier being Ukraine’s bright knight in shining armour, while social action groups at home are calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to “do more to stop citizens becoming accustomed to cold showers...”

In Northern Ireland, the ‘nationalist’ Sinn Fein has won a majority in the parliamentary elections for the first time, but the opposition ‘unionists’ are sucking sour grapes, and stoutly refusing to share power with the winners, unless the UK changes Brexit laws the way they (the unionists) want.

Sri Lanka is under curfew, and on a possible fasttrack to army rule, after opposition protesters burnt the Prime Minister’s home, and forced him to demit office and seek refuge at a faraway army base, while his brother, the President, known to have a much heavier hand, is insisting that his elected government won’t give up; and the main opposition is refusing to join a national unity government led by the new prime minister (who’s held the position five times before), until and unless the reluctant president resigns.

Same in Iraq, where there are also daily protests against food price rises.

After a heatwave hit wheat production, India, the world’s second largest producer, Delhi was forced to backtrack on an earlier pledge to make up for Ukraine’s inability to export, the government deciding to cut all exports to control domestic price rises, and ensure enough local

stocks, particularly for the 80 million Indians living below the poverty line.

In the USA, President Joe Biden has been all week riding the wave of Republican unpopularity, from the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft ‘Roe v Wade’ overturn decision, with 66 per cent of Americans against the plan to reverse it, and over 200 protests planned across all 50 mainland US states this weekend. But while President Biden is getting more than $40 Billion for the Ukraine, and the Democrats lack the numbers to make abortions legal through Congress, Americans are also facing the highest inflation levels in decades, plus one million ‘COVID’ deaths now registered.

And, as Presidents Biden and Trump gear up to run again in 2024 as rival octogenarians, veteran political analyst David Gergen (who advised Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton) feels both should step down and aside, citing their ages, and the demands of the presidency as “a full-ime job”.

Norway and Sweden have abandoned their traditional neutrality to join NATO, but the US and Turkey are saying, ‘Not so fast!’ And Russia is warning of “a military technical response”, should the two Nordic states sharing a 1,300-mile border with Europe’s largest country do what Moscow went to war with Ukraine for trying.

The European Union (EU) has also had to walk back on its call on member-states to ban Russian oil imports, with Hungary promising to veto what it calls an unfair call, Russia closing the tap on politically-hostile neighbours not paying up fast enough, forcing most countries that refused to pay in rubles (Russian currency) to now do so, and Moscow warning it will also cut electricity to Finland.

A prominent Palestinian journalist was shot dead while covering an Israeli operation and wearing a ‘Press’ ID Jacket and bullet-proof vest, but the Israelis say she might have been hit by Palestinian bullets, and her funeral was also attacked by Israeli troops, claiming they were stoned by the mourners.

Cambodia is trying to recover artifacts stolen from one of its holiest shrines now on display in British and American museums, but while admitting they have the stolen property, the museums are inviting Cambodia to ‘negotiate’ for a return of its stolen items.

While trying to maintain cohesion in their bid to boycott the June 6 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles if Washington excludes Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, CARICOM leaders are also preparing to do battle at the upcoming midJune Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda, where two Caribbean candidates will fight for the position of Secretary-General.

Unconfirmed press reports on Friday claimed that Jamaica and Rwanda may be talking a possible deal that can see Jamaica agreeing to take some of the unwanted refugees to be sent by Britain to Rwanda, in exchange for Kigali’s support for Jamaica’s candidate.

But even though CARICOM is fighting to preserve unity in Los Angeles if the host doesn’t invite all nations, and Jamaica may be counting on host Rwanda to gather more African support against the preferred CARICOM candidate, my kicker story was out of India, where a mother and dad sued their son last week for causing them “emotional stress’ by failing to give them a grandchild.

Mum and Dad claim they spent more than a fortune sending son to the USA to train to become a pilot, chose his wife, and arranged an expensive wedding at a five-star hotel, gave the newly-weds

a US $80,000 car as a gift, and sent them on an overseas honeymoon, but after six years of marriage, son hasn’t brought them a grandchild.

But the kicker for me was not the story, but the

comments of Christian Caribbean islanders in columns below the published report: Many blaming the married couple for “not trying hard enough”, some suggesting one of the two “may be barren”, and one actually

recommending they “seek outside help…”

Believe me, following world news everywhere today and making sense of it all is indeed a fulltime job, and no laughing matter!

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Remittances in dollars and jewellery from indentured Indians in British Guiana

I EXPLORE here the savings indentured Indians sent back to India and whether the amount of savings sent back revealed another side of indenture that complemented the views of the colonial administration that Indians benefitted from indenture.

I would like readers also to take into consideration that indentured Indians were contributing financially to two colonies (a) India via remittances, and (b) British Guiana via labour service and taxes. This was indeed a remarkable

contribution unmatched at that time so much so that colonial officials argued for the settlement of Indians in British Guiana. They wanted Indians to focus on the development of British Guiana rather than India, a motive that gained little traction as Indians continued to contribute to both colonies.

One main reason why Indians signed or fingerprinted indentured contracts to British Guiana (BG) was to work, save and return home.

The report of the Im-

Politics & Society Forum

By Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine

migration Agent-General (IAG) of British Guiana for the years 1905 to 1936 out of Guyana National Archives shows the following.

see page 11

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Remittances in dollars and jewellery ...

from page 10

From the table, the average figures for remittances ranged from 41 to 130 dollars. While these figures represent an average achievement, they do not reveal the actual amount

some individuals took with them to India.

Some returnees were dependents who did not work in British Guiana, while some returnees concealed their savings and jewellery by stashing

them in their cloth and body.

The table below, compiled from IGA (1905-1906), shows the highest sums of money individual Indians remitted to India on Ship Ems

The record from return ships from British Guiana to India suggests that an estimated 10-15 per cent of the total returnees were women.

This was a small percentage. However, return migration mirrored somewhat the small percentage of Indian women that arrived in British Guiana. To recall, women constituted an average of 25 per cent of indentured Indians brought to British Guiana. Their accumulated savings from indenture must have allowed them to live a different and better life from the constrained experience before departing India and from the constricted female indentured experience in British Guiana. Their sav-

The reason for the higher remittance in this table was that these indentured Indians were exposed to more job opportunities outside the plantation system, which allowed them to earn more wages.

However, the aforesaid tables reveal two different sides of the British Guiana Indian indenture.

The first side is the large amount of savings remitted which the planter class often

pointed to support and sustain the indenture system, in that, in an overall sense, indentured Indians, as well as their relatives in India, benefitted from the indenture system.

Many Indians came to British Guiana with nothing but their cloth on them and were able to acquire savings, which improved their overall individual and family economic status. Even Indians who stayed in British Guiana after their contracts were over “ac-

ings might have also assisted them to reassert their socio-economic relationship within marriage and extended family.

The other side of remittances is that most indentured servants did not benefit from the indenture system.

The reality proved harsher. Most of them realised indenture was no easy path to fabulous wealth as promised. They were not able to remit money in the first three years of indentured service. Others were never able to remit money back to India. The earned wages were barely enough to sustain themselves, especially by the 1870s, when the planters began to shift the financial responsibility on administering

the indenture system to indentured Indians. Returning Indian males were required to contribute one-half of the cost of their return passage while women contributed one-third toward their return passage. Some indentured Indians went back to India, old and penniless. On average, many took with them to India about $300-$500, after working in British Guiana for five to fifteen years. Moreover, on every returning ship from British Guiana, there were paupers, lepers, infirm and insane.

The table below from the report of the IGA from 1924 to 1939 shows the numbers of paupers sent back from British Guiana to India.

quired land”, an achievement that was elusive to them in their villages in India because of the rigid caste structure.

From the remitted savings, one is struck by the fact that Indian indentured women also benefitted from indenture, something that was not expected since the indenture system was predominantly patriarchal.

The following table from IGA 1905-1906 punctuates this point.

(lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu).

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Release the SoPs or sit down and shut up!

ON Monday last, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton declared that he had the 2020 statement of polls of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (AP-

NU+AFC) Coalition that proved it won the recent election.

He continued in his verbal exchange with Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo to agree to his request

Crossfire

sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

By michael younge

for a public debate, and to set certain pre-conditions if the debate was going to take place.

Mr. Norton, who seemingly did not manage to convince Jagdeo to agree to

his request for the debate, was adamant that the Coalition won the election.

Mr. Jagdeo, a shrewd politician and consummate strategist, knew Mr. Norton was seeking to get his five

minutes of fame and attention by engaging him in political banter as there was no credible SoPs that proved the APNU+AFC Coalition won the 2020 election.

But Mr. Jagdeo had gotten Mr. Norton to make the foolish declaration again, thereby proving that Norton is not ready for the big-league politics in the country.

Firstly, it is disappointing that Mr. Norton would say that he has the SoPs of the APNU+AFC and not be willing to share them with the public unconditionally and immediately.

Mr. Norton is not being honest and is indeed playing politics with the minds of his gullible supporters.

One would assume that Mr. Norton and the Coalition would be happy to show their SoPs to the public even at this late stage if something prevented the disclosure earlier.

Also, one would like to think that Norton would be securing his future as a candidate for the presidency by showing the Coalition was robbed at the polls based on the SoPs. If Mr. Norton is not prepared to show his SoPs, then he should desist from making the statement of electoral fraud and admit his Coalition’s failure to secure re-elections in 2020.

He should state clearly that the Coalition was untruthful, supported the attempts to rig the elections and condemn all the actors that were responsible.

Only then can Mr. Norton begin to chart a new course and change the rigging attitude of the members who believe in that philosophy.

He can’t expect the public to support his allegations against PPP/C as the Opposition Leader if he does not show that he has the testicular ability, thereby showing the SoPs. Secondly, to continue the big lie that the elections were manipulated by the PPP, when it was not, speaks to the character, political astuteness, and system of beliefs of Mr. Norton.

Sadly, Mr. Norton is

proving that he has no creditability and is being disingenuous, to say the least.

It is no longer funny or a subject of light-hearted banter. It is serious.

Guyanese deserve a better quality of politics from Mr. Norton following the shaky foundations left by Joseph Harmon in the post of Opposition Leader. Mr. Norton should know that this is serious business and he has to step up his game.

Additionally, Guyanese deserve an Opposition Leader who does not tell us about intelligence but shows us by making the types of commentary, political assessment and dialogue that fits the bill. As such, Mr. Norton is not fit and proper.

As a direct consequence, supporters of Mr. Norton’s election to the Opposition Leader post should be up in arms over the comments.

He should be asked to resign if he does not prove that the APNU+AFC won the elections by SoPs or in court.

After all, Mr. David Granger, who is the party’s ex-leader and presidential candidate in the 2020 elections, said he never saw the SoPs but believed an infamous spreadsheet instead.

Finally, democracy requires Mr. Norton to speak the truth, and the country compels it.

To waste more time debating a dishonest man when everyone knows the truth, is to further distract from the issues that concern the people and development. Let Mr. Norton sit down in a corner and reflect on his approach to governance matters.

Therefore, President Irfaan Ali nor Vice-President will not anger the public with their continued stance on talks, debates and dialogue with Norton outside of what is constitutionally required or mandated.

They must insist that they remain open.

When the Opposition Leader has an epiphany to have dialogue, there must be an atmosphere of integrity and honesty mixed with a healthy dose of honesty and facts.

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sunday CHRONICLE may 15, 2022

Understanding Energy

Guyana’s EIA Community Meetings

AS a new producer, Guyana has seen steady growth from its oil and gas sector as the country begins its rapid industrialisation.

The government and ExxonMobil Guyana have launched a series of gas to energy disclosure meetings to offer Guyanese a chance to hear and comment on the findings of the latest studies on the project. These meetings are not a regulatory requirement, but they help to provide an in-person forum for people who want to be involved in the ongoing approval process for one of the most talked about projects in Guyana.

These sessions are part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and are designed to allow independent third-party consultants who conducted the EIA to present their findings in an easy-to-understand format. These disclosure meetings are not intended to sway people to support the project, but only to present the facts and help the consultants hear feedback and comments from the public, which they can incorporate during the 60-day comment period established by law.

EIAs are an opportunity for communities to learn more about what project impacts were considered, what the findings were, and ask more questions in a safe and transparent space.

The gas to energy project is a partnership between ExxonMobil Guyana and the government, which will help the country transition to cleaner energy sources and cut the cost of power by 50 per cent. The government is currently reviewing surveys and data gathered about possible routes for the pipeline to bring the gas to shore.

As Guyana’s appeal as a regional hub of the oil and gas industry continues to grow, investments for major new infrastructure are likely to continue flowing

in. That makes a transparent and consistent regulatory process even more important. EIA disclosure meetings can be a great opportunity for citizens and interested parties to receive facts about the project in a setting where open communication is welcomed, and community engagement encouraged. The assessment is also available on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website and at Regional Democratic Council offices.

The EIA process is modelled after the United States and other countries that require environmental impact assessments for projects and offer public comment opportunities to give citizens more power over decisions that will impact them. In the US, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) allows for a transparent analysis of the consequences of environmental decision-making, including public comment opportunities like the EIA consultations.

EIAs in Guyana are carried out in accordance with international best practices and allow for a transparent analysis of the environmental consequences in decision-making. Generally, the critical stages of an EIA include screening to decide whether a proposed project should be subject to EIA, scoping to identify important impacts and issues that need to be addressed for the study, the actual EIA study and preparation of the report, and finally the presentation of findings to the public.

The government, in recent years, has committed to use oil revenues flowing into the economy to finance projects crucial for development. The gas to energy project, including the pipeline and power generation plant, should help reduce costs for households sharply while delivering a range of other benefits for the economy and health. Nat-

ural gas is widely used for power generation across the world, since it burns with less than half the pollution of the heavy fuel oil that Guyana currently uses, and

produces electricity reliably at very low cost. The project should also help Guyana reduce imports and bring down costs for products like cooking gas.

Ongoing community engagements like these are critical for all Guyanese and interested parties to engage in the development process.

The disclosure sessions

allow for important questions to be asked and ultimately mold the EIA process to focus on the issues that are most important to Guyanese.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Motor manslaughter charge, increased jail time

- part of the government’s proposed plans to reduce road accidents - public consultations to start soon on potential legislative measures THE government, in a bid to reduce the number of road accidents caused by drunk driving, has signalled its intention to institute more punitive measures, according to the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. Nandlall said, Cabinet, on Thursday, approved two draft bills, the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2022 and Intoxicating Liquor

Licensing (Amendment) Bill 2022, which both aim to strengthen and expand existing legislation and impose more disciplinary measures against persons found in breach of these laws.

A release from the Ministry of Legal Affairs noted that if amended, the law could see drunk drivers being charged with “motor manslaughter,” being subjected to the permanent revocation of their driver’s

licence and increased jail time, among other things.

The major changes to the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2022 seek to amend the Principal Act by inserting a new section, 35A, to provide for the offenses of motor manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm when driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drink or a drug, which would carry a term of imprisonment of no less than

10 years.

The penalty where a driver under the influence has caused grievous bodily harm to another person will now carry a term of imprisonment of not less than five years.

Clause four of the Bill seeks to amend the Principal Act by inserting a new section, 38A, in the Act to provide for the temporary suspension of a licence, pending the determination of a charge.

If a person is charged for a second time, the court may order the suspension of the licence of that person. Where the person is charged a third time with the aforementioned offenses, the court shall order the suspension of their licence pending the determination of the charge.

Persons refusing to surrender their licence would be fined $100,000 or face imprisonment for three months.

Currently, the penalty is a fine ranging from $30,000 to $60,000 or imprisonment for 12 months, and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, there is a fine ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 and imprisonment. The penalties are amended to reflect for a first conviction a fine not less than $200,000 and no less than $300,000 for a second or subsequent conviction.

Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall, S.C. BAR OWNERS Under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill 2022, the government is looking to expand the duties placed on owners of bars and clubs by mandating to not sell, give or barter intoxicating liquor to a person he knows is likely to leave the premises by driving a motor vehicle unless a designated driver is identified.

Breach of these proposed amendments could see the licence holder being fined $100,000 for a first offense, and from $200,000-$500,000 for a second offense.

Further, where the licence holder knows that a drunken person is attempting to drive or is in charge of a motor vehicle, he shall inform the nearest police station and request their immediate assistance.

Moreover, a licence

holder is also now required to conspicuously post signs and ensure that announcements are made, on the premises that discourage drinking and driving.

The amendments also places the duties of “not permitting” drunkenness on the premises of the establishment.

“The new subsection provides that a licence holder shall not permit any drunkenness on his premises nor sell, give or barter or allow another person to sell, give or barter intoxicating liquor to a drunken person within the premises,” the release stated.

The government intends to host public consultations with important national stakeholder organisations and interested members of the public on those proposed legislative measures.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

APNU+AFC Parliamentarian Sherod Duncan launches verbal attack on media worker

DAYS after the country acknowledged the role of journalists and media workers on World Press Freedom Day, Opposition Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan, has criticised a local communications officer (CO) attached to the Department of Public Information (DPI) for executing his role.

Duncan’s criticism of the media worker, Courdel Jones, was broadcast live on the Parliamentarian’s Facebook page during a show called “In The Ring”.

The Member of Parliament claimed that the CO acted outside of his role when he questioned Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, on the whereabouts of Statements of Poll (SoPs) from the March 2 General and Regional Elections, that purportedly show that the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had won the elections.

A careful examination of the issue would reveal that the media worker was merely executing his normal duties, since it was Norton who, during a recent engagement with VicePresident, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said that he is in possession of the winning SoPs. The APNU+AFC has repeatedly claimed that it won the elections, based on its SoPs, but has never presented them to the public, or in court during the fivemonth impasse in 2020 in which it tried every conceivable means to hold on to power.

At the end of the protracted process, a national recount of all votes cast showed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

Communications Officer at DPI, Courdel Jones

(PPP/C) received 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC Coalition got 217,920 votes.

Norton, however, told Dr. Jagdeo that he is willing to submit those SoPs, but only at the end of a debate between them.

On Friday, however, the Opposition Leader in a haste to dodge re-

porters’ questions on his ‘winning’ SoPs, apparently got confused and entered the wrong vehicle.

Norton was seen exiting the vehicle he first entered and quickly making his way into another, all the while maintaining stony silence to questions from reporters.

Jones seized the opportunity to ask pointed questions on his purported winning SoPs. This, however, did not sit well with Duncan, since it was his belief that the media worker does not understand his role.

“What he did not understand is you report the news without becoming it… it was like a malignant sore,” the Member of Parliament said.

Duncan’s actions are contrary to the position

media plays in society, particularly in Guyana, given the important development juncture that the country is at, with its burgeoning oil and gas sector.

“I believe in the full freedom of the press. I am open to constructive criticism. Freedom and press freedom… to understand what

Opposition Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan

of Government of Guyana, which believes in the preservation of press freedom, especially once there is responsible reporting, decency and accountability.

Calling press freedom “our way of life” in any democratic society, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, highlighted the critical role that the

it is, is understanding our way of life, it is a culture. All of us have to have it in us to accept it as a way of life, of culture,” President Ali said during address to persons at the inaugural World Press Freedom Day Conference held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Ketley Primary School successfully defends ‘Literacy Bee’ title

Antwon Henry (left) and Angelina Deonarine successfully defended Ketley Primary school’s title as champions in the MoE Literacy Bee competition (Elvin Croker photo) Angelina Deonarine and Antwon Henry did their school proud when their hard work lead Ketley Primary School to successfully defend its title as the champion in the finals of the Ministry of Educa-

tion (MoE) 2nd ‘Literacy Bee’ Competition, which concluded on Saturday at the National Cultural Centre.

The Literacy Bee Competition was last held in 2020, when it was won by Ketley Primary School. The competition was opened to students at the Grade Five level.

Deonarine, 10, and Henry, also the same age, amassed 86 points for Ketley Primary School to prevail over second place finisher Patentia Primary School from the West Bank Demerara, which finished with 53 points, while Auchlyne Primary from Corentyne Berbice finished with 43 points.

Patentia Primary was represented by 10-year-olds Aiden George and Makayla Harding, while the representing Auchlyne students were Purnell Luke and Hannah Mahadeo. The students were the top performers, having completed a preliminary round and semi-finals in the competition.

A total of six schools had participated in the competition. Aside from the finalists, there were St. Cuthbert’s Primary from Region Four, Christianburg Primary from Region 10 and Seventy Two Miles Primary from Region Seven.

The schools were each allowed two pupils per team.

Taking a format similar to the well-known “Spelling Bee”, the “Literacy

Bee” however incorporated a wider cross section of literacy topics outside of just the rudimentary spelling. In addition to spelling, the competition saw the students also being quizzed on vocabulary and comprehension areas such as synonyms, abbreviations and forming anagrams.

Assistant Chief Education Officer (Literacy), Samantha Williams shared that the competition supports the MoE’s mandate by providing a platform for learners to showcase their talents.

“The National Literacy Bee Competition is a great initiative that provides a platform for pupils to showcase how they acquire and master literacy skills.

Through the competition, the pupils can connect to the curriculum in meaningful ways and reinforce concepts that have been taught across the curriculum,” she noted.

“It is the first integrative competition that allows pupils to demonstrate how they are learning and mastering concepts at the Grade Five level. The pupils who participate in this competition get an opportunity to practice their skills and it’s also a chance for teachers to engage in reflective practice as they observe the errors made by their pupils. These errors they can later correct through various strategies in the classroom,” said Williams.

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New media must be embraced and not shunned by traditional media –– Min. McCoy

By Isaiah Braithwaite

THE new forms of media and journalism in the information age must be embraced and not shunned by traditional media. This is the view expressed by Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy. The minister was at the time delivering remarks at a reception held on Saturday in observance of ‘World Press Freedom Day’ at the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner.

The minister said the advent of social media creates a reality whereby traditional media faces competition and challenges. The minister noted that for societies to grow, dialogue-change and evolution must be embraced.

Minister McCoy said the existence and growth of the traditional media and new media need not be treated as mutually exclusive, as it will no doubt see one advancing and expanding, while the other suffers the fate of extinction.

The minister reminded attendees that the ‘One Guyana’ that government is building includes everyone and not a specific group of people.

“We in the government believe in the universality of freedom of the press as was so passionately stated

by His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during his remarks at the National Press Freedom Conference. We cannot and will not support the oppression of any section of media,” the minister said.

“There has to be the emergence of a middle ground that guarantees equal space for equal effort. While we will not dispute the narrow definitions of journalism being applied to this line in the sand, we are cognisant of the indisputable fact that many if not all citizen reporters and social media influencers practise some modicum of the tenets of journalism,” he said.

It was highlighted by the minister that government is playing its role in providing training for persons in the media beyond facilitation dialogue, as was done at the recently concluded national conference and symposium.

He said this is why government is investing in the Guyana Media and Communication Academy. Through partnership with the world’s

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, (fourth from right) along with High Commissioner of Canada, Mark Berman; United States Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch; Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó; Deputy British High Commissioner, Ray Davidson; UN Resident Coordinator, Dr Gillian Smith; Journalist Denis Chabrol and President of the Guyana Press Association, Nazima Raghubir leading learning virtual platform – Coursera, government will provide high-level training and reportable credence for journalists here, and in the diaspora.

“This is another opportunity for another level of practitioners in the media…

I am absolutely willing to work with every single person, every journalist, every person in the media, every agency that sees a need for us to work together to better what we have to enhance,” the minister stated.

It was stressed by Minister McCoy that as it relates to media, it is not the state versus private media, but rather all practitioners being able to serve, to be protected, to be independent and to be able to produce their best work.

Members of the media were also assured by the minister that they are not under surveillance by the government and that there will not be state-sponsored attacks on any journalist in the country.

The feature address for the event was delivered by journalist Denis Chabrol, along with brief remarks from President of the Guyana Press Association, Nazima Raghubir.

Greetings were also delivered by High Commissioner of Canada, Mark Berman; United States Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch; Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó; Deputy British High Commissioner, Ray Davidson and UN Resident Coordinator, Dr Gillian Smith.

World Press Freedom Day was observed on May 3 under the theme, “Journalism under digital siege.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Modern hospital for De Kinderen

The West Demerara Regional Hospital, Region Three (DPI photo)

GOVERNMENT is planning to construct a modern hospital at De Kinderen, Region Three to facilitate citizens living in and around the area. Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony made the disclosure during the recent commissioning of a $30 million blood bank at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

“We have to also move with the demographics because if you have a lot of people clustering in that area then we need to provide a facility that is closer to where this concentration of people is located.

“So, one of the things that we’ll be doing is we’ll be building a new hospital at De Kinderen; the region has already identified the land and, this year, in another few months, we should start the construction of that hospital,” Minister Anthony said.

The hospital will be equipped with approximately 75 inpatient beds, two operating theatres, one minor theatre, imaging suite (digital x-rays, ultrasound, CT scans), modern accident and emergency and outpatient departments, Department of Public Information (DPI) report said.

The minister said government is also working on having “electronic health systems”; that would allow healthcare facilities to move information at a faster rate and improve efficiency.

Additionally, $104 million was allocated to upgrade health centres in the region. While speaking about that project, Dr. Anthony said, “if we can’t change the culture then we have to make sure we can facilitate people when they come early, so if we don’t have an outside waiting area then we have to build that; if we don’t have sanitation facilities while people are waiting then we should build that.”

Another US$1 million was expended to reengineer and upgrade the Leonora Hospital; that was part of the “Smart Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean” project that is being funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development.

The minister assured health workers that the government will continue investing in the sector, while urging them to care for the facilities and work towards improving the quality of health services in the region, DPI noted in a release.

Meanwhile, the construction of a new hospital in the compound of the West Demerara Regional hospital is part of the government’s manifesto promise to provide improved infrastructure and improve the quality of healthcare services in all administrative regions across Guyana.

“The intention is that because a lot of this is very old… we can’t utilise it as effectively as we would like to and therefore what we want to do is to build a completely new hospital that would be modern, and it would have a lot of equipment, but the negotiations for that are still ongoing and we haven’t finalised that as yet, so once we do that you would have a new hospital being built in this compound.”

Dr. Anthony said the project was currently in the design phase; however, monies have also been expended to upgrade other sections of the hospital.

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James Foster confirmed as new GBTI CEO SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

- Shawn Gurcharran is second in command

ONE of Guyana’s premier financial institutions, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), has announced the appointments of James Foster as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Shawn Gurcharran as Deputy CEO. According to information from the bank, Foster, a Guyanese, has extensive experience in the banking industry, having worked at various financial institutions in the US, the Caribbean and Canada.

“This covers private, retail, corporate banking, mortgage insurance and successful mergers and his seminal involvement in projects in many of the major world financial centres. His experience and expertise have already redounded to further enhance the image of the bank in the two years since his return to Guyana to serve as CEO (ag),” GBTI said in a post on its Facebook page.

Offering immediate support to Foster is Gurcharran who, according to the bank, has held a number of senior positions including Chief Financial Officer of GBTI. The Deputy CEO holds a Master’s Degree in Finance and is a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA).

“His experience in the local banking sector spans some fifteen years. He is well respected among his peers in the banking and financial sector in Guyana, and he mentors other young practitioners in finance and accounting,” GBTI related.

His talent and active network make him ideally suited to help tailor GBTI’s response to the rapidly changing banking environment, primarily due to the plethora of oil and gas-related

Mutual Funds, which, in less than three years of existence, recorded a profit growth of $207 million. GBTI Mutual Funds offers investors a suite of alternative investment opportunities.

“Working as a team is

Deputy CEO of GBTI, Shawn Gurcharran entities now operating in Guyana.

“The Chairman and the Board of Directors repose utmost confidence in the new holders of these two executive positions,” the bank said.

The new executives have oversight for the b a n k ’s 1 2 b r a n c h e s across the country and its over 600 employees.

“We are empowered by an experienced and vibrant management team, a stable and prestigious work environment, a healthy income, dignified and high work ethics and standards and a bright future of innovative banking,” GBTI said on its website.

It was reported in April that despite the effects of COVID-19 in 2021, GBTI continued as a leader in the financial industry, recording a $1.7 billion profit after tax.

“There was a significant increase in the asset quality of the bank, much of which is attributed to the dedication and diligence of our team members,” Foster had said.

The bank’s profits grew by 28 per cent, while there was an increase of 12 per cent in deposit growth.

Foster also related the success of the GBTI

key to GBTI’s successes. We seek to grow our customers’ businesses, improve the lives of our team members and make meaningful contributions to our communities,” the CEO said.

The bank, being cog-

nisant of the effects of COVID-19, said that it supported communities and clients with reduced or eliminated fees, granted loan moratoriums, and reduced interest rates.

GBTI’s CEO James Foster

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Digicel Guyana singled out for best mobile network - best mobile coverage and fastest mobile network

DIGICEL offers customers in Guyana the best mobile network, as well as the best coverage and the best speeds – that’s according to Ookla, the global leaders in Internet testing and analysis.

Ookla’s Speedtest testing data for the period July to December 2021 showed Digicel’s mobile network averaging download speeds of an impres-

Digicel is in the business of delivering powerful digital experiences 1440 minutes of each day to customers – that’s every minute, all day, every day.

Through its worldclass LTE and fibre networks, together with its suite of eight apps spanning sports (SportsMax), music (D’Music), news (Loop), local radio and podcasts (GoLoud), TV

sive 40 Mbps and fast upload speeds of 10 Mbps with the Digital Operator also winning on coverage and quality – more than four times faster than the competitor network.

Digicel Guyana Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gregory Dean, commented: “Our promise to customers is to give them the best network with the best speeds and the best coverage across the length and breadth of Guyana.

Keeping that promise is what gets us up and at it every day.”

He continued: “Ookla’s recognition of our speed, quality and coverage is a testament to the hard work of all of our staff and proof of our commitment to ensuring that our customers can live and enjoy their digital lives to the fullest thanks to Digicel’s superfast connectivity everywhere in Guyana.”

As a Digital Operator,

streaming (PlayGo), enhanced messaging and marketplaces (BiP), cloud storage (Billo) and selfcare (MyDigicel app), Digicel is the only operator in its markets that can deliver that.

Serving consumer and business customers in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Pacific, its investments of over US$7 billion and a commitment to its communities through its Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad & Tobago have contributed to positive outcomes for over three million people to date.

With its Better Together brand, Digicel is making a promise of simply more to customers and communities and its 7,000 employees worldwide work together to make that a powerful reality day in, day out.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Liverpool beat Chelsea to win FA Cup penalty shootout

(BBC) - Liverpool remain in the hunt for a historic quadruple after winning the FA Cup following another Wembley penalty shootout against Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp's side repeated their Carabao Cup final victory in February, the decisive moment coming when Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson saved Mason Mount's spot-kick, leaving Kostas Tsimikas to secure Liverpool's second trophy of the season.

The Reds are still in the Premier League title race and have the Champions League final to come against Real Madrid.

Liverpool had the better of an eventful final, with the outstanding Luis Diaz and Andrew Robertson hitting the woodwork, although it may come at a price with Mohamed Salah going off injured in the first half and Virgil van Dijk going off after 90 minutes.

It is a devastating blow for Chelsea and manager Thomas Tuchel to lose in this manner yet again as they had chances - with Marcos Alonso hitting the post and also being denied by Alisson - but become the first side to lose three successive FA Cup finals.

LIVERPOOL COME THROUGH AGAIN

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When Edouard Mendy saved Senegal team-mate Sadio Mane's penalty in the shootout, when the Liverpool forward only needed to score to win the FA Cup, it just seemed for one moment that the Reds' assault on four trophies might just be interrupted.

Alisson put Liverpool back on course when he saved from Mount, who was inconsolable as Tsimikas sent Liverpool fans wild by converting the final penalty.

Once again Liverpool had prevailed against fiercely disciplined and determined opponents, even though they lost Salah to what looked like a muscle injury before halftime and van Dijk did not emerge for extra time.

It remains to be seen how serious those problems are but at present it looks like Liverpool can overcome most obstacles put in front of them, even though it once again took penalties to claim their first FA Cup since 2006.

Diaz was the game's outstanding player, running Chelsea ragged and peppering Mendy's goal with efforts until he was substituted, exhausted, to a standing ovation.

Klopp refers to his players as "mentality monsters" and this illustrates why. Players from both sides gave so

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Liverpool lifted the FA Cup for the eighth time in the club’s history much that they were almost out on their feet at the final whistle.

Manchester City remain favourites in the Premier League, three points ahead and with a superior goal difference, and this was a strength-sapping occasion that will have taken much out of Liverpool before they face Southampton at St Mary's on Tuesday.

W h a t w e d o k n o w, though, is that Liverpool possess remarkable powers of resilience and recovery as they continue their march on history.

CHELSEA SUFFER MORE WEMBLEY AGONY Chelsea manager Tuchel thought redemption was at hand when Mendy saved from Mane, bringing the shootout scoreline back level after Cesar Azplicueta had hit the post earlier.

It was not to be though and the German understandably looked utterly disconsolate as he walked up to collect another Wembley losers' medal.

This was a chance to set the record straight after losing the EFL Cup final on penalties in February, instead it was only more agony for Tuchel and his players after they gave everything in search of victory.

It will be of no consolation whatsoever that Chelsea have now matched Liverpool in two Wembley finals - and drawn both Premier League games - only to end empty-handed when it came to the four main trophies on offer this season.

Chelsea have won the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup but they will not be factored into what has ultimately been a disappointing season.

They had their chances once again but could not cash in, with both Mount and Alonso denied crucially

by Alisson.

Tuchel gave Romelu Lukaku a start but once again the £97.5M striker could not deliver. There was no lack of effort but no spark and he was eventually substituted.

There will now be a period of rebuilding, with Antonio Rudiger off to Real Madrid and captain Azpilicueta also expected to leave as the club embarks on a new era under new ownership once Roman Abramovich's sale of the club has been completed.

Chelsea will have a place in next season's Champions League as reward for their efforts this term but, make no mistake, this will have been a very bitter pill for Tuchel and his players to swallow.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Sunday May 15, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 6 (2) 4 Today’s Quiz: (1) What is the highest partnership for any wicket in IPL 2011?

(2) Which wicketkeeper effected most dismissals in IPL 2011?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue …………………………………………………

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

KKR keep IPL campaign alive through Russell

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their campaign alive and pushed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s to the brink with a 54-run win, which gave them a decent netrun-rate boost.

It took a responsible innings from Andre Russell to take Knight Riders to a challenging total after they decided to bat first. Rus-

sell’s 49 off 28 was among his slowest innings of this length or more, but he waited for the spinner’s over, which Sunrisers held back because of his presence at the crease. Then, in the final over, bowled by Washington Sundar, he took 20 runs.

Sunrisers’ batting woes continued in the chase; with Kane Williamson adding to arguably the worst IPL

season for a batter and a captain. Only Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram pushed Knight Riders but not for long enough to threaten a win.

BAT FIRST, START SLOW This is now the tenth match out of 13 in Pune that the side batting first won.

And yet this was only the second time a team chose

Andre Russell followed up an unbeaten 49 off 28 with three wickets (BCCI) to bat first. Even Sunrisers would have done the same, which suggests they expected the pitch to slow down.

Before that came a slow start in which Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen gave the KKR openers nothing. Just two boundaries came in the first four overs, which brought 20 runs for the loss of Venkatesh Iyer.

THE TRANSFORMATION All of a sudden, a slow innings went into overdrive. Runs came quickly, wickets fell too. Before the wickets fell, though, Nitish Rana transformed the slow start with 26 off 16. He took 17 out of the 18 conceded in the fifth over

by T. Natarajan, who was returning from an injury layoff, and then ramped Jansen for a six to end the powerplay.

Ajinkya Rahane, though, appeared to do his hamstring, and decided to take higher risks. Then came the high pace of Umran Malik, who took out Rana, Rahane and Shreyas Iyer in his first two overs. And when Natarajan trapped Rinku Singh with a yorker, Russell walked in as early as the 12th over, with Knight Riders 94 for 5.

THE GAMBIT Keeping an off-spinner back for the death overs is not the smartest idea on paper but Knight Riders were five down and Williamson perhaps hoped to get Russell out before needing to bring Washington back.

His quicks were nearly at their best against Russell.

Malik, Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan collectively kept Russell and Sam Billings quiet. Russell was 10 off 11 and 30 off 23 at two points in his innings, which is usually a win for the bowling side. Billings eventually went past a run-a-ball but couldn’t manage major damage before falling to a slower ball from Bhuvneshwar in the 19th over.

In the process of looking for Russell’s wicket, though, Sunrisers pushed their spinner’s over right to the end. To his credit, Russell played percentage cricket, not taking extravagant risks when he didn’t get the boundary balls from the quicks.

Washington began the last over well with a yorker and then conceded just a single to the new batter Sunil Narine, but a whole over is too long a time for a spinner against these two hitters.

Washington missed the blockhole three times out of four in the rest of the over, and Russell hit all three for maximums.

ABHISHEK THE LONE WARRIOR In an interview at halftime, Russell said 170 would have been a good score, and that Knight Riders had bonus runs. That would suggest Sunrisers would need everything to go their way in the chase.

However, Williamson’s wretched run continued with yet another innings under a run a ball. When he finally attempted a ramp, Russell bowled him in the

fifth over.

At the other end, though, Abhishek took down a second legend this IPL season.

After scoring 47 off 23 Rashid Khan balls, he consigned Narine to his costliest over this IPL - 17 runs.

At the other end, though, runs hardly arrived. Rahul Tripathi tried as usual but kept finding the fielders, none more frustratingly than the full-blooded drive that ended up as a return catch for Tim Southee. Having faced only 27 balls out of 70, Abhishek eventually took one risk too many and skied Varun Chakravarthy.

Hardly anyone has taken Narine on in this IPL, choosing instead to play him out, which showed in just the eight wickets for him, coming into this match, but also an economy rate of well under six. He went for 30 in his first three but made up for it with his ninth wicket of the season, that of Nicholas Pooran, in the fourth.

With Sunrisers now needing 102 off 45, Markram had to go for everything. He managed to hit three sixes before playing Umesh Yadav on.

THE NET RUN-RATE BOOST It was now all about the margin of defeat because net run-rate can come in handy in the final equation. Shashank Singh and Washington batted normally until the end of the 17th but then Russell and Southee took quick wickets to restrict Sunrisers to 123 for 8.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Andrew Symonds dies in car crash

Andrew Symonds has died in a car accident, aged 46 (Cricket Australia) - In another tragic blow to Australian cricket, Andrew Symonds has died in a car accident, aged 46.

Senior cricket journalist Robert Craddock reports that the former all-rounder was killed about 50kms outside Townsville last night.

A Queensland police statement says Symonds was in a single-car crash about 22.30hrs.

Symonds was driving on Hervey Range Road near the Alice River Bridge when his car left the road and rolled, police say.

Paramedics arrived at the

scene but couldn’t revive the former Australian fan favourite, who was the only person in the car.

Symonds is the third Australian cricket legend to suddenly pass away this year following the tragic deaths of Shane Warne and Rod Marsh in March.

Symonds played 26 Tests for Australia, and was an integral part of Australia’s white ball sides that dominated the world between 1999 and 2007.

In retirement, both Warne and Symonds were valued members of Fox Cricket’s commentary team.

GSW reach Western Conference playoff final

(BBC) - Golden State Warriors reached the NBA Western Conference play-off final with a 11096 victory over Memphis Grizzlies. Klay Thompson’s 30-point haul and 29 from Stephen Curry helped the home side to a 4-2 series win.

They next face Phoenix Suns or Dallas Mavericks, who play today.

In the Eastern Conference, Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 to level their series at 3-3 and send it to a game seven decider today.

The Warriors had taken a hammering in Memphis in game five but game six was a much tighter affair, with each side trading the lead three times in the final quarter before Warriors managed to pull clear.

It means they have reached their sixth Western Conference final in eight years.

“This obviously stings,”

Klay Thompson (left) top-scored for the Warriors with 40 points Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.

“Such a special season with a special group, and I want them to cherish that, remember that, despite this loss.”

Bucks, defending NBA champions, also had a chance to progress, going into a home game with a 3-2

series lead.

Star man Giannis Antetokounmpo played his part, scoring 44 points 20 rebounds - the first 40-point, 20-rebound game since Shaquille O’Neal in 2001.

But Celtics’ Jayson Tatum outshone even Antetokounmpo with 46 points to see the visitors keep their

semi-final series alive.

“Our season was on the line. I knew that and we knew that. We had to give it all we’ve got,” Tatum said.

The winners of the Bucks-Celtics series will meet Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference final.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Grenada’s Peters wins men’s javelin at Doha Diamond League

Grenadian Anderson Peters celebrates his win at the Doha Diamond League on yesterday (CMC) - World champion Anderson Peters of Grenada produced the fifth best throw of all-time to win the men’s javelin at the curtain-raising Doha

Diamond League meet.

The 24-year-old measured a remarkable 93.07 metres on his final throw to break into the privileged 90m clique, beating the

Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch (90.88) into second place while German Julian Weber finished third in 86.09.

Peters’ throw was also the best in the world this year and eclipsed his previous personal best of 87.31, while shattering the North, Central American and Caribbean record.

He had also set a new personal best in the fifth round when he tossed the javelin 90.19, as he engaged in a thrilling battle with Vadlejch in windy conditions at the Qatar Sports Club.

With the performance, Peters joined a prestigious club occupied by world

Djokovic joins the 1000 club with victory over Rudd

Novak Djokovic is chasing a sixth title in Rome (BBC) - Novak Djokovic became the fifth man to win 1 000 Tour-level matches by beating Casper Ruud in the semi-final of the Italian Open in Rome.

He joins record-holder Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal in passing the landmark.

The 34-year-old Serb, who won his first ATP Tour match in 2004, was presented with a cake topped with the number 1000 by organisers afterwards.

“I am blessed and privileged to have that many victories,” Djokovic said.

“Seeing Roger and Rafa celebrate these milestones in the last couple years, I was looking forward to getting to that milestone myself.

“It is a long time since I won my first match on Tour.

Hopefully I can keep going and there are many more victories to come.”

As the players shook hands, Ruud congratulated the 20-time Grand Slam

champion on his landmark win.

The world number one has reached 1 000 wins more quickly than rival Federer but has taken two more matches than Nadal and was also slower than Connors and Lendl.

Djokovic had to battle at times against Norwegian Ruud, 23, but impressively came through 6-4, 6-3.

He will play Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in today’s final as he chases a first title of the season.

record-holder Jan Zelezny (98.48) of the Czech Republic, Germans Johannes Vetter (97.76) and Thomas Röhler (93.90) and Finland’s Aki Parviainen (93.09), all of whom have surpassed the 90m mark.

Doha holds precious memories for Peters who claimed his World title here three years ago with a throw of 86.89.

“I came here twice,” he said. “I love to be here in Doha trying to get better and to be more in shape.”

Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts added to the Caribbean’s success with victory in the women’s triple jump, leaping 14.82m on her third attempt.

Dominican Thea Lafond measured 14.46 for third while Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk finished second with 14.73.

In the women’s 400 metres, Jamaican Stephenie-Ann McPherson clocked a season-best 51.69 seconds as she finished second behind Marileidy Paulino (51.20), with two-time reigning Olympic champion, Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo third in 51.84.

Barbadian Sada Williams was fourth in 52.09 while Jamaican Candice McLeod trailed in fifth in 52.37.

“I’m disappointed with myself but it is a good start,” said McPherson.

“I hope to improve as the

season progresses and I hope to perform well in the World Championships in Eugene.”

Jamaican Shericka Jackson clocked a season-best 22.07 in the women’s 200 metres to finish second behind American Gabrielle Thomas (21.98), Bahamian Anthonique Strachan finishing fifth in 22.78.

In the men’s equivalent, Trinidadian Jereem Richards finished third in 20.15 as American Noah Lyles crossed the line first in 19.72.

Jamaican Britany Anderson tied for second with Nigerian Tobi Amusan in 12.44 as American Kendra Harrison won the women’s sprint hurdles in 12.43.

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia claims pole in France

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia (REUTERS) - Duca- of team-mate Jack Miller as ti’s Francesco Bagnaia Ducati dominated the last claimed pole position for qualifying session. the French Grand Prix It was a second straight after finishing on top in pole position for Bagnaia, yesterday’s qualifying ses- who also earned top spot in sion, while world cham- qualifying for the Spanish pion Fabio Quartararo GP in Jerez before bagging of Yamaha could manage his first victory of the seaonly fourth place on the son. grid in front of his home Aprilia’s Aleix Espargafans. ro will start third for today’s Italian Bagnaia posted a race after finishing 0.159 new lap record at Le Mans seconds behind Miller. of one minute 30.450 secHome favourite Quaronds, 0.069 seconds ahead tararo got fans excited when

he set the pace in FP4, but the Frenchman could not keep it up in Q2 and had to settle for the second row on the grid.

“I am not disappointed, we are not in P20, so it’s okay and I feel our pace is great so I have no reason to be disappointed,” Quartararo said.

“I feel really confident that even though Pecco (Bagnaia) will start first, we can fight for the victory.”

Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini completed the top five.

Johann Zarco, the other local favourite, finished sixth on his Pramac Ducati but was later handed a three-place grid penalty for riding slowly and “disturbing another rider at the exit of Turn 4” after he got in Pol Espargaro’s way.

Six-time MotoGP world champion, Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda, was left frustrated after he made a mistake on his final lap and could finish only 10th.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

Taylor fails but Tornadoes beat Barmy Army

(CMC) – Stafanie Taylor suffered a failure but her Tornadoes still did enough to beat Barmy Army by four wickets, dealing her West Indies teammates Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle heartbreak in the second semi-final of the FairBreak Invitational Tournament.

Chasing 142 at Dubai International Stadium, Tornadoes were carried by openers Sophie Devine (37) and Sterre Kalis (34) in an opening stand of 73, while Sune Luus chipped in with a vital 26.

West Indies captain Tay-

lor, who was also leading Tornadoes, made only 12 after being run-out by wicketkeeper Campbelle.

Barmy Army had earlier posted 141 for six with Campbelle scoring 31 from 30 balls, captain Heather Knight also getting 31 and Rumana Ahmed top-scoring with an unbeaten 35 batting at number seven.

In the final, Tornadoes will now take on Falcons who beat Spirit by 25 runs in yesterday’s first semi-final.

Sent in, Barmy Army found themselves three down for 30 runs in the sixth over, Dottin the first to fall

when she holed out to deep mid-wicket for seven in the third over from Pakistan pacer Diana Baig (2-32).

But Campbelle combined with Knight in a 46run, fourth-wicket stand to revive the innings, the Guyanese stroke-maker lashing two fours and two sixes and the English star punching four fours in a 25-ball knock.

They fell within 17 balls of each other with ten runs added, Knight losing her middle stump to seamer Chanida Sutthiruang and Campbelle beaten in flight by left-armer Sita Rana Magar and stumped in the

John wins second stage of Independence cycle road race

Captain Stafanie Taylor (File photo) 16th over.

Rumana arrived to lash four fours and two sixes in a 15-ball cameo, adding 46 for the sixth wicket with Fatima Sana (21), to give Barmy Army a rousing end to their innings.

In reply, Devine and Kalis all but killed off Barmy Army’s hopes of a win with

their dominant opening stand - the New Zealander hitting four fours and two sixes and the Dutch righthander stroking five fours in a patient 41-ball knock.

Both fell in a spell that saw three wickets go down for 26 runs, Taylor also perishing when she advanced too far out of her crease in

search of a sharp single and failed to beat Campbelle’s throw.

South African Luus put the game to bed, however, blasting three fours and a six in a 19-ball knock while posting 34 with Aliya Riaz (14), as Tornadoes romped into the final.

GFF supplies football equipment to Rupununi FAs

Jamaul John (right) won the second stage JAMAUL John was the winner of the second stage of the Independence three-stage cycle road race, yesterday.

The cyclists pedalled off from Rosignol to Georgetown for the finish at Carifesta Avenue, with John as the top rider.

Earlier in the day, the first stage was won by team-mates Raynauth Jeffrey and Akil Campbell (Foundation).

Commencing at Corriverton to New Amsterdam, the duo finished four minutes clear of the chasing pack.

Deeraj Garbaran finished third ahead of Walter Grant-Stuart, Kemuel Moses, Jason Cameron and Arjoon Sookhai in that order.

Stage three is set for today, commencing at Kara Kara, Linden to Homestretch Avenue.

IN line with its long-term strategy to accelerate the development of male and female football in hinterland regions, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has supplied football equipment to teams across the Rupununi, in preparation for the national relaunch of regional association league football this weekend.

The GFF provided 52 footballs and 300 training bibs to 26 clubs, including men’s and women’s teams, affiliated to the Rupununi Football Association, which operates four district-based leagues across Region 9.

“This is a historic weekend for football in Guyana – the first time that all nine regional association senior leagues have kicked off in unison across the nation,” said GFF [resident Wayne

Forde.

“As we all know, the Rupununi has an unrivalled passion for the beautiful game, among both male and female players, and it is vital that we provide the support needed to ensure they can perform to their best as we return to play after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The recent provision of equipment has been made possible through the GFF’s Members Financial Assistance Programme (M-FAP), which democratises and redistributes FIFA Forward and other funding received by the GFF among its membership under strict accountability criteria to give members the resources they need to drive the development of football nationwide.

“We look forward to following the progress of these teams across Region

9 as they compete in the national playoffs later in the year,” Forde added. “The GFF is committed to continue providing the necessary technical and logistical support to our members and community through our ground-breaking M-FAP development strategy.”

Regional competitive football kicks off across Guyana today, May 15, under the auspices of Bartica Football Association, Berbice Football Association, East Coast Demerara Football Association, East Bank Demerara Football Association, Essequibo/ Pomeroon Football Association, Georgetown Football Association, Rupununi Football Association, Upper Demerara Football Association and West Demerara Football Association.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 15, 2022

KRR keep IPL campaign alive through Russell

Andre Russell followed up an unbeaten 49 off 28 with three wickets (BCCI)

SEE PAGE

28

John wins second stage of Independence cycle road race SEE PAGE

31

Jamaul John (right) won the second stage

Andrew Symonds dies in car crash SEE PAGE

29

Andrew Symonds has died in a car accident, aged 46

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| SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2022