Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 23-11-2020

MONDAY 23 th November, 2020

’ No. 106192

Massive Hilton Hotel for McDoom –– Investors given ‘green light’ 03 to start construction PAGE

Palm Court denies 09 breaching COVID-19 measures PAGE

–– PSC considers withdrawing from task force

The Rahaman family held its annual Christmas Tree Light-up on Sunday night at Rahaman’s Park on the lower East Bank Demerara. Among government officials in attendance were Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Ms. Oneidge Walrond (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

New attorney wants to improve criminal justice system 02 PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

New attorney wants to improve criminal justice system

By Vishani Ragobeer GETTING into the legal field was not a childhood dream for 24-year-old Audreanna Thompson, but even so, it is one she developed a passion for and now, she intends helping to improve the criminal justice system in Guyana.

The young woman, one of Guyana’s newest attorneys-at-law, was admitted to the local bar to practise law in Guyana on November 20.

Her petition was presented by attorney-at-law Timothy Jonas to Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire.

After her admission, Thompson told the Guyana Chronicle that she felt ex-

Audreanna Thompson and her parents Adrian and Audrey Thompson, after she was admitted to the bar cited, blessed and humbled.

It is her view that law is a truly noble profession and one through which she would be able to help others in their pursuit of justice.

“My interest or my passion is in criminal law,” Thompson said. This was nurtured during the time she spent at the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad pursuing her Legal

Education Certificate (LEC).

Here, she said that all the attorneys in training were able to delve into criminal law, looking at cases from the start to end.

“I recognise that in the criminal justice system there are certain restrictions or limitations to justice for the average man because of the backlog of cases in our judicial system; some don’t nec-

essary [sic] have access to legal representation and only have legal aid; some aren’t aware that there is legal [aid] and go underrepresented [sic],” she lamented.

Thompson was struck that accused persons were underrepresented, or unrepresented entirely, resulting in their matters before the courts being prolonged and so they spend more time behind bars. She said this interferes with their access to justice.

Cognisant of these limitations, something “sparked” within her to contribute to this specific field within the legal system.

Thompson said she could envision herself working at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or even as a defence counsel.

“My passion in that regard is to see people get the legal representation they need and the advocacy that they need and contribute to reducing that backlog,” Thompson highlighted.

Additionally, as the eldest of six, her goal is also to set a positive example for her younger siblings.

She shared that she has a close-knit family, which has served as her support system through sometimes very trying times.

And in fact, it was her father, also an attorney-at-law, Adrian Thompson who ‘gently’ nudged her into this field a few years ago. Interestingly, he was admitted to the bar 24 years ago-- the same year she was born.

Attorney-at-law Audreanna Thompson The young Thompson recollected that after excelling at her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations at the St. Joseph High, she was unsure what her next move would be.

Thompson said she briefly considered pursuing a degree in Spanish at the University of Guyana (UG), but her father advised her to attend sixth form and do law, and suggested that thereafter she could decide whether she wanted to pursue it further or whether she would pursue another career path.

She found this to be solid reasoning and decided to attend the St. Rose’s High School sixth form and to write law as one of her subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

“In the first year, I got a Grade One and I think I was like the only person to get a straight ‘A’ profile and I thought ‘okay, I’m good at this and this is See page 8

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Massive Hilton Hotel for McDoom –– Investors given ‘green light’ to start construction

By Navendra Seoraj A MEGA Hilton Hotel will soon tower over the community of McDoom on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), where large businesses, particularly those related to the nascent oil-and-gas industry, have already started to ‘sprout.’

The over 200-room, multimillion-dollar hotel will add more life to the communities of McDoom and Houston, which are already home to businesses such as Gafoors, Guyana Shore Base Inc, Farm Supplies Limited and Pritipaul Singh Investments Inc., among others.

Guyana, with its newfound oil wealth, is on the cusp of economic transformation and has already received the title of “investment capital” of the Region and possibly the world. This title has served as a magnet for investors who are turning their attention to Guyana.

In the case of the Hilton Hotel, the investor bringing the brand to Guyana is said to be Guyanese. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that this investor’s Expression of Interest (EoI) was among the 29 others submitted by various companies to the Government of Guyana.

The government had put out an advertisement for expressions of interest and requests for proposals to build hotels in Guyana. The aim, as outlined by the President Dr. Irfaan Ali, is to provide at least 2,000

first-class rooms, making Guyana “a conventional destination.”

The Hilton Hotel is just one such facility that falls in line with the government’s vision. This newspaper understands that the construction of this hotel is expected to commence soon, as the investor has already received a construction permit.

An official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of this hotel will be signed today by the investor, the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) and the Ministry of Tourism, Indus-

try and Commerce.

The Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company, Hilton.

According to the company’s website, with more than 575 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts provides the foundation for exceptional travel experiences, and values every guest who walks through its doors.

This potential investment is seen as timely, because Guyana, which sits on the edge of South America and has a pop-

ulation of about 750,000 people, is expected to ‘boom’ with its newfound oil wealth, which is expected to drive infrastructural development and other sectoral advancements.

Only Saturday, it was reported too that owner of the Giftland Mall, Roy Beepat, plans to build a 12-storey, 400room, multibillion-dollar Radisson Blu Hotel next to the mall.

The Radisson Blu is one of seven distinctive hotel brands under the US-headquartered Radisson Hotel Group, one of the largest and most dynamic hotel

groups in the world, with over 1,100 hotels in destinations globally.

The investment, Beepat said, is expected to be somewhere in the vicinity of US$80-100 million, and the building is set to be situated on a section of the Giftland Mall’s current parking lot.

“We have three acres on the car park; that’s about 130,000 square feet. We’re only going to use 90,000 square feet of that, but we’re going up 12 floors, which would give us over one million square feet in space,” Beepat explained of the grand plans for the hotel.

“Four floors will be hotels with 100 rooms each. We’ll also have 200 apartments and rooms for things such as banqueting, conferencing, and business floors with business services. We’re hoping to bring five fast casual restaurants, such as Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Banana Breeze,” said Beepat.

President Ali had said that progress is expected on all fronts in 2021, which has since been designated as the Year of Investments and Development.

“What you will see next year is a flurry of development; there will be active work on the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, the new four-lane road, new hotels, and the creation of 50,000 homes,” said the President.

He said work will commence on the construction and rehabilitation of roads in hundreds of communities; new infrastructure will be created, and there will be major developments in every sector.

Additionally, private-sector investments are expected to increase, stretching from the construction of new shore bases to service the oiland-gas sector, to new office complexes and other private development projects.

The President anticipates that with increased construction, there will be an increased demand for quarry and construction materials and labour.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Parole Board reconstituted ―Minister Benn expects ‘urgent’ action from members

THE Guyana Prison Service, which has for months been without a sitting Parole Board, has finally gotten one, thanks to Cabinet’s approval of an 11-member team to serve for one year, after considering a memorandum from Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn.

The new Board, which was installed on November 5, is being chaired by Justice (Rtd) Oslen Small, who previously held the position up until June this year. The Board’s life will come to an end on November 4, 2021, and its members include Dr. Bhiro Harry; Ms. Sylvia Conway; and the Director of Prisons as an ex-officio

member.

Also, sitting on the Board are Chairman of the Timehri Visiting Committee, Mr. Deoram Timram; Chairman of the Georgetown Prison Visiting Committee, Mr. Rabindra K Chand; Chairman of the Lusignan Visiting Committee, Mr. Ayube Mohamed; Chairman of the Mazaruni Visiting Committee, Mr. Joseph Bharat; and Chairman of the New Amsterdam Visiting Committee, Mr. Indranauth Persaud, and Gordon Smith as secretary.

With visits to the prisons suspended due to COVID-19, many persons are optimistic that the installation of the Board could give them a chance

MON, 23 NOVEMBER, 2020 ‒ 00:30hrs - 02:00hrs

to see their relatives who are incarcerated.

Minister Benn, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, stated that although the Board has not yet met, the team will be moving with some level of urgency to ensure that he is advised on the matter of parole eligibility of the prisoners.

Further, Minister Benn made clear his optimism of the Board’s ability to carry out its functions, and provide him with sound advice on the parole applications at the Ministry.

According to the Parole Board Act cap. 11.08, it is the duty of the Board to advise the Minister with respect to the release on a licence of any person whose case has been referred to the Board by the Minister. Additionally, the Board has a duty to advise the Minister on the conditions of any such licence, and the variation or cancellation of same.

The Board also has the duty of advising the minister on any other matter,

referred to it by the Minister, which is connected with the release of any person on a licence, or the recall, under Section 7, of any person released on a licence or a condition of any licence.

According to the Parole Board Act, the Minister, with advice from the

Board, can recommend for parole a person serving imprisonment, other than imprisonment for life. Additionally, one is eligible for parole with detention imposed under Section 15 of the Juvenile Offenders Act, in respect of an offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous

Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Robeson Benn

bodily harm.

The Parole Act states that each person seeking to be recommended for parole by the Board to the minister is required to have served one-third of their sentence, or the specified period of the sentence, whichever expires the later.

Parole is one of the avenues the GPS uses to address overcrowding in the prisons.

Since the arrival of COVID -19 in Guyana, over 300 convicted non-violent offenders have been released from prisons as part of the Service’s efforts to reduce overcrowding.

Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, in a recent interview, had stated that this was accomplished by either reducing bail, which in turn allowed

more persons to be able to post bail, or reducing inmates’ jail sentences.

Prisons, he said, are generally considered to be amplifiers in the spread of infectious diseases, and pose a great challenge for those in authority who are working to prevent and contain COVID-19.

According to the Director, a sudden eruption of COVID-19 in prisons would put intense pressure on the public healthcare system in Guyana.

In October, more than 290 inmates at the Lusignan Prison tested positive for the disease, as did several prison officers. The affected inmates at the East Coast Demerara facility were isolated, while some were relocated to other facilities to ensure adequate spacing among prisoners to stem transmission of the disease.

Since then, the GPS has implemented several new strategies to ensure that prisoners are not exposed to the disease.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the GPS has received medical and sanitation supplies from the CARICOM security agency, IMPACS, to help protect prisoners from the virus.

IMPACS, he said, had responded to a request from prison authorities here for help to minimise and control the risk of the infection inside their prisons.

With support of the UK, IMPACS immediately provided urgent assistance. The donation included medical and sanitation supplies, and other COVID-19-related items. The donation is in accordance with guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the prevention and control of the pandemic in prisons.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

40 new COVID-19 cases THERE have been 40 new COVID-19 cases recorded from 330 tests, according to the Ministry of Health’s dashboard, which was released on Sunday afternoon.

These 40 new cases take the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana to 5,133. Of that number, there have been 4,019 recoveries, which means that there is a recovery rate of approximately 73.3 per cent.

There was one additional death recorded in Siparuta, Region Six (East

Berbice-Corentyne) on Sunday, taking the total number of lives lost to 144. But the Ministry of Health is yet to officially confirm the death, and so it was not reflected in Sunday’s dashboard.

Additionally, there are seven persons in COVID-ICU, two more than the day before. The new cases were recorded from 21 men and 19 women; they were recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), nine cases; Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), four cases; Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara),

five cases; Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 14 cases; Six, one case; Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), three cases; Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), one case; and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), three cases.

Currently, there are 78 persons in institutional isolation, 886 in home isolation, and 57 in institutional quarantine.

The updated COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No. Eight) will expire on November 30, 2020, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment

of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per these measures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important.

The curfew is now 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 2311166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Responsible and visionary leadership GOOD governance generates waves of citizen confidence across the land. That’s the hallowed hallmark of a Government that’s efficient, effective, and exuberant in its zeal to make a positive difference for the nation.

We could measure government progress with this simple gauge of confidence.

Today, Guyanese enjoy that peaceful feeling of immense confidence about the future of this nation. In this government’s proactive approach to governance since taking office, Guyanese see real hope for their future. Across the nation, people wake up every day feeling good, thankful that after the elections fiasco that depressed everybody for so many months and steered the country into stormy seas, Guyana is on track to achieve its immense potential, with definitive, decisive, determined leadership that guides the ship of state to the safe harbour of stability and rapid socio-economic growth.

Under the talented leadership team of President Irfaan Ali, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, Finance Minister Ashni Singh, and investment czar, Peter Ramsaroop, Guyana overnight became a golden star on the world stage for robust investment opportunities, making serious waves among investment experts around the world.

In fact, never in history has there been so much interest in Guyana as a global investment hub. In its few short months in government, this team of brilliant economic minds transformed the Guyana brand into one that generates global confidence. This is indisputable evidence that the government of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is the best option for governance at this stage

of Guyana’s development.

Considering the tremendous damage the Coalition made to the Guyana brand, both local and international, it’s stunning that the President Irfaan Ali-led Government has been able to turn the tide around so fast. Ali’s Government, from day one in Office, acted with a deep sense of urgency to rapidly turn the situation around – from one under the Coalition of vengeance and revenge and small-minded pettiness, to one of confidence, efficiency, professionalism, and dedicated commitment to the goals of the party – achieving its promises to the people.

Imagine how the nation rebounded from the depressing stormy Coalition days in Office, that today we see senior global investment experts visit these shores with starry-eyed confidence in this government’s ability to navigate the ship of state.

When a Government could gain the immense confidence of its citizens, and on top of that gain the investment confidence of top global investment experts around the world, it’s the definite sign that Guyana is on the cusp of tremendous socio-economic transformation; and in the right hands of leadership.

In fact, so amazing is the transformation that this government is generating, that across the media, local and overseas, even among folks who oppose the PPP/C, there’s an admiring lack of serious criticism against the government: indeed, it’s as if government overnight achieved social cohesion. Nobody can rock the boat anymore with outlandish criticisms, because governance has been good and decent and professional and sensible.

History records the PPP/C, throughout

its 50+ years in existence, as the pre-eminent movement for the socio-economic progress of Guyana. When the party gained democracy in 1992, it had to reverse 28 years of PNC damage. When it regained Office in 2020 after a terrible period of governance under the PNC-dominated Coalition, again it had to set about repairing terrible damage done to the socio-economic and democratic fabric of the nation.

And the nation owes a debt of gratitude for the leadership of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo for where it has arrived at today. His leadership at the helm has been a great source of hope. Throughout those threatening days when the Coalition trampled on the democratic process and damaged Guyana’s brand worldwide and shut down socio-economic progress from the pre-2015 period, Vice-President Jagdeo tirelessly worked to lead the response, to fight back, to make sure Guyana did not descend into the jaws of global shame.

With astute leadership and a knack for bringing the diverse sections of the nation together, he led the country through the threat, to see President Ali’s Government sworn in.

Since then, it’s been an amazing ride. Investment experts from around the world keep showing up on Guyana’s shores looking to tap into the opportunities that the government opens up. The team from the United Arab Emirates is just the latest to visit the shores of this country to propose investment projects.

Despite the global angst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana is emerging as the number one global destination for major investments.

From major international hotel brands, to ground-breaking new highways, and even

a railway system, and crucial transportation linkages to Brazil and Suriname, the quality and number of investment projects on the table is heartening, and historical.

On top of all that, the country is seeing positive growth in its traditional economic sectors. Sugar is back on the agenda, with Sasenarine Singh showing great passion and resolve as he leads the sugar rebound strategy.

Mining and gold, forestry, agriculture, the new oil and gas sector, rice, everywhere there’s confidence, robust, deep, motivating rock solid confidence in the government’s leadership.

The country does face crucial challenges to convert these investment opportunities to real possibilities for Guyanese, but even in this there’s rapid movement. President Ali brokered a deal with the University of West Indies to train 20,000 Guyanese over the next five years. That’s a giant step to resolve the brain-drain crisis that Guyana faced over the years, to prepare for the development journey ahead.

This focus on developing the country’s human capital is a further governance move in strengthening the foundation necessary to ramp up Guyana’s potential as one of the 21st century’s most promising investment hub; a country sailing in calm seas where anybody could invest and be assured of stability, democratic respect, and adherence to the rule of law.

Guyanese today feel great confidence in the direction, leadership, and governance of their country, and much of that confidence comes from the fact that the world is also now confident that Guyana is sailing in secure, safe and sound waters.

An odious culture at Bishops’ High Dear Editor, WITHIN the past week, my former school, Bishops’ High School, has made some headlines. Unfortunately, not for the usual positive news of the stellar performance of the students, but of allegations of abuse meted out to students by teachers. I follow these developments with disappointment and dismay, not because I find the accounts unbelievable, but because apparently little has changed since I’ve left Bishops’ all these years.

I have read these stories, bravely shared by current and former students; I have reflected on my own experiences and those

that I witnessed during my years at Bishops’. Too many persons across various years have shared their own stories of trauma, to make the allegations untrue. I can also attest to the fact that the culture at Bishops’ relies heavily on shaming and ridiculing students who are perceived as different, weak, or “stupid”, or “misbehaving children”. In 2020, with a wealth of modern teaching techniques, psychology and research that points to the need of a positive environment for learning and child development, we should not be accepting these behaviours as normal and acceptable.

I am further disappointed by the response of the teachers and school ad-

ministration. Striking and demanding silence simply points to the fact that bullying and asserting power over others are the school’s tried and true methods of punishing anyone that “steps out of line”.

If the school is so concerned about its reputation; the teachers, administration, PTA, governance board (every single adult involved in the institution) should demand an open and independent investigation into its organisational practices, and the conduct of teachers. Additionally, an investigation needs to be done in a way that does not cause any further harm, and prioritises the needs of victims and survivors. Such an investigation will reveal

that something needs to change urgently.

An investigation also needs to lay out recommendations for transformation, justice, and reparations (here I would recommend paying for counselling services for those affected. Yes, the trauma has been that deep). I also call on the Ministry of Education to step in. It is evident at this point, that the Bishops’ High School is incapable of holding itself to a higher standard as it demands of its students.

Yours sincerely, Salima A. Bacchus-Hinds Former Bishops’ student (1998-2003)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

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AG Nandlall is a man of the people Dear Editor,

FREEDOM House, at Annandale, is the mecca for the prayerful for help every Saturday morning; and they journey from near and far to meet the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.

Nandlall’s driver said he works 24 x 7, and one wonders when he finds time to rest.

It is mesmerising to witness the AG’s knowledge of national affairs that cuts across every sector, and his photographic memory that recalls pending cases he has worked on and addressed with relevant authorities over a period of time.

A seemingly never-ending stream of supplicants for his advice, help and/or intervention pours into the venue, all of whom are confident that

they would not be turned away, with justification, because no-one ever is.

Addressing the gathering, Nandlall reflected on the traditions of the PPP/PPP/C, established

by Founder-Leader and former President, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, a primary one being Cabinet outreaches, made even more popular by past President and current Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to take government to all the people of the land, in every community.

He recalled pre-election PPP/C Manifesto promises to maintain that tradition of charting development with a human face; a Cheddi Jagan mantra. During every election campaign, the PPP/C promises that ministers and government functionaries would not merely sit in offices and formulate macro-programmes and policies, but

Who is policing the police?

Dear Editor,

THE pendulum has swung back to a reality show. Guyanese are waking up to the revelation that there is a $150 million “missing fund” scandal, involving a number of “big wigs” in the Police Force.

What is so pathetic is that the hardworking officers were denied their earnings from their laboured sweat, and instead the money was diverted to slippery hands, greedy eyes, and bulging pockets.

The Police Force is supposed to be the gatekeeper of the law enforcement arm of the country, and police officers have pledged to uphold law and order by complying with Guyana’s rules and regulations. They are the protectors of the safety and security of Guyanese, and they should practise honesty, dignity and integrity.

The officers should defend right from wrong, promote righteousness over unrighteousness, be wary of any illegitimate activities, and instill the demand and need of adhering to all legal ramifications. Police officers are supposed to be role models in society, and create the precedence so that others will be able to follow willingly and obligingly.

Police officers are not supposed to be breakers of the law, or found wanting of any of the aforementioned. Their involvement includes fighting crime, and not “fiddling” with crime or forging by fraud. When police officers can perpetrate such heinous crimes for such a long time, involving senior officers also, the moral of the entire Force is shattered, and their values have become redundant. They have lost the respect of the nation, and Guyanese can no longer trust them.

Their presence will be frowned upon, and this can lead to chaos. Who will want to adhere to the law when the law-makers themselves are failing to practise what they preach?

Unfortunately, only one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.

How sad that the minority of criminal elements will represent a Force in its entirety.

The majority of law-abiding officers will have to suffer the indignity of that stain and disgrace.

The cruel world is judgmental, and that is the harsh reality. This investigation is continuing, and the public will fervently await its desirable outcome.

The Police Force has once again become the laughing stock of the nation in another embarrassing issue. Seems as if the number, ‘150’, is a favourite tool for the Devil’s advocate.

Guyanese are learning that to place any faith, trust and confidence in the police is taking a chance when they’re supposed to be advocates of the rules, and custodians of the law. There is no safe-keeping, even with the protectors of the law, and the safety and security of the Guyanese public’s wealth and assets are questionably insecure.

A recent audit has revealed that there are over 150 guns missing from the custody of the police. These guns were either seized from criminals, or lodged by citizens. Remember the case of the missing “AK-47s” from the Army? Where did these missing guns end up? Yes, in the hands of criminals to harass Guyanese and rob them of their earnings from their sweat.

Army personnel were involved then, and now we have police personnel involved. But, is anyone in Guyana surprised by the findings of these audits and investigations? Hardly, because a precedence was set by those in charge, and subversive motives played a crowning role!

The missing “AK-47s” caused fear and furor during the PPP/C Government, and speculations ran amok.

The misappropriation of funds and missing guns occurred under the reign of the APNU+AFC Government, when corruption and collusion was rampant. Who was minding the store? Why is it only now when the PPP/C took office that these revelations are surfacing?

Khemraj Ramjattan was the then Minister of Home Affairs when these activities happened right under his nose.

He was in charge of public security, but, where were his eyes? Definitely not on the ball!

Or, did he turn a blind eye?

When will all these scandalous transactions come to an end is an unenviable task for the State auditors from the Auditor-General’s

office. How can the APNU+AFC face the nation and look them eye to eye when they allowed all of these monstrosities to occur during their stint?

No wonder hunger, poverty and suffering was the order of the day, when the majority were denied and kept oppressed, and the minority were the chosen few to enjoy the richness and be the real man.

This situation is so damaging and disgusting that it makes you want to puke from a stomach turned upside down due to the temerity of the past APNU+AFC government. Oh, for sure, a number of the bigwigs in that party are ex-military men, and they will claim innocence of any knowledge. Granger sat quietly, and had no idea what was taking place in the country? Who was running the country? Why did he cherry-pick certain law enforcement officers for certain positions, both in the Police Force and the Army? Where was Harmon, with all his military experience?

Williams, the lawman, was too busy at sea? How can the Guyanese public ever trust them again to govern this nation, when all of their actions smelled of impudence, impertinence and doltishness? Police officers in particular, should know that crime does not pay, and they should be the last ones to dirty their hands, if any. The Commissioner of Police must be a disturbed and worried man to learn what is going on with his tried and trusted officers.

The Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Robeson Benn certainly has his hands full, and needs to weed out all the criminal elements in the Force and the Army. President Irfaan Ali must be in a state of shock and dismay to know that the men he entrusted with safety and security cannot be trusted with security.

As Head of State, he should be deeply concerned and not sleep on the job like his predecessor. Honesty is the best policy, and those police officers and soldiers who are honest should be commended and encouraged to not let the hands of President Irfaan Ali fall.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

would always avail themselves to the grassroots people, especially the voiceless, helpless and vulnerable. In this regard, the AG reminded his audience that President Irfaan Ali is leading this initiative from the front.

Anil Nandlall has, despite overwhelming duties mandated by his ministerial and parliamentary portfolio, resolutely created an avenue for the citizens of the land to gain personal access to a primary conduit to government, a minister who seems to be knowledgeable of every facet of every administrative sector.

However, he reminded his audience that, even as he spoke, ministers were fanning out countrywide to listen to residents and address their concerns.

And he requested, via telephone, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to facilitate ministers from every sector to make themselves available to the public, on a rotational basis, every Saturday at Freedom House in Georgetown.

He explained that his chosen location was a centralised one, easily accessible, spacious and comfortable. As the morning progressed, it was seen that persons from every divide, every ethnicity, from the far reaches of the country; residents of Kuru Kuru, Berbice, central Georgetown, the Essequibo Islands,

of every political and religious persuasion resided their faith and confidence that the AG would solve their problems, to the extent that a pensioner had no qualms about asking him for a taxi fare home.

What was especially heart-warming was his response to PNC-appointed public servants who had lost their jobs, whom he assured would be re-instated because it is not Government’s intention to penalise ordinary public servants, but to reduce the bloat by off-loading those who held sinecure positions, and were engaged in corrupt deals.

He was determined to access help and support to those who genuinely wanted to engage in above-board entrepreneurial activities, and mentioned the non-appearance of a group of aspiring businessmen, led by Aaron Prince, to whom he extended an open invitation to meet with him any Saturday at that venue.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan will never die; not as long as AG Anil Nandlall and other PPP leaders stay true to his commitment to be a Government for all the people of Guyana.

Yours sincerely, K. George

COVID Task Force’s letter to Palm Court reeks of bias, discrimination THE Private Sector Commission notes with concern the contents of the warning letter to Palm Court, which appeared in the Guyana Chronicle of November 22, 2020.

The Private Sector Commission is extremely disappointed that the COVID Task Force chose to discredit the oldest and most internationally-recognised restaurant in Guyana (1950), the PALM COURT, by issuing a final warning letter of closure, and leaking the said letter to the media, even before the alleged defaulter was notified.

The signatory of the letter, Col Nazrul Hussein, should explain. The Task Force must be aware, as it is public knowledge, that hundreds of businesses operate in a similar manner to that of Palm Court. Hence, this action would appear to be biased and discriminatory, and the letter should be withdrawn forthwith.

Moreover, the Task Force ought to operate in a fair and transparent manner, which evidently is not the current practice, and which is rather unfortunate. To these ends, the PSC is seriously and actively considering withdrawing from the National COVID Task Force, as its functioning leaves much to be desired.

The PSC is committed to the original mandate given to the Task Force by His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Yours sincerely, Nicholas Boyer, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Two suspected cases of COVID-19 re-infection –– severely ill patients who recovered still being monitored routinely

By Navendra Seoraj

SOLID evidence that persons could be re-infected by the dreaded novel coronavirus is yet to be recorded, but, here in Guyana, health authorities have observed two suspected cases of re-infection between March, 2020 and now.

In Guyana’s context, information related to this virus is just over six months old, so a full analysis is not possible at this time. But Head of the COVID-19 task force at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Mahendra Carpen, has said that two Guyanese, after being infected once and then recovering, have again showed symptoms of this disease.

For an infected person to be classified as ‘recovered,’ he/she would have to do two periodic Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, which would have to yield negative results.

Of the over 5,000 cases of COVID-19 recorded locally, over 4,000 persons have so far recovered. And, considering the preliminary information, the joys of walking out of a hospital or a house after a fierce or even mild battle with COVID-19 could possibly be ‘short-lived.’

“I do not believe we have confirmation [about re-infection], but we have suspected one or two cases of re-infection,” said Dr. Carpen during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

The first sign of re-in-

fection was observed in a person from Region One (Barima-Waini) and, most recently, it was seen again in an individual from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); both persons have underlying medical conditions.

A probable case is said to be an individual who has not had a confirmatory test performed, but has: a positive antigen test, clinical criteria of infection and is at high risk for COVID-19 infection.

This newspaper understands that the suspected cases of re-infection remain listed as undetermined, but are being closely monitored by medical professionals.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in April had cautioned world governments and patients, who have recovered from COVID-19, that there is no “hard evidence” to prove that re-infection with the virus cannot happen.

The WHO cautioned countries against operating as if those recovered can face no new threat and therefore pose no threat to others, as this could add to the spread of the virus.

And, according to a recent report from Reuters, people who’ve had COVID-19 are highly unlikely to contract it again for at least six months after their first infection. The report cited a British study of healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The results of this study suggest that cases of re-infection are likely to remain extreme-

ly rare.

Based on available information, most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.

But with the long-term effects of this virus still unknown, authorities in Guyana have been keeping tabs on patients who recovered after experiencing the severe forms of COVID-19.

“We have not really started seeing the long-term complications as yet, but our main concerns at this point would be the psychological impact and the impact it has on the various organ systems like the lungs and the kidneys,” said Dr. Carpen.

In further breaking down his explanation, Dr. Carpen said: “We do not know if the COVID-19 contributes to more kidney failure, which would lead to patients requiring dialysis and transplant, or if it causes lung damage to cause long-term shortness of breath.

“These things are still unknown because the pandemic is about a year old, so it is difficult to extrapolate what the long-term effects would be at this time.”

To ascertain the “longterm effects,” local authorities have established a system at the GPHC to allow for surveillance of patients who would have been medically cleared.

The “follow-up” sessions include assessing a patient’s lung function to determine

their respiratory status, since this is the primary organ which is targeted by coronavirus. Other mechanisms to assess a patient’s health are being established as the need arises.

Dr. Carpen said health authorities are monitoring every bit of research on COVID-19 produced by the WHO and other reputable organisations. The WHO had recently advised against the use of Remdesivir- a drug being used by Guyana and other countries to treat symptoms of COVID-19.

The organisation issued a conditional recommendation against the use of remdesivir in hospitalised patients, regardless of disease severity, as there is currently no evidence that remdesivir improves survival and other outcomes in these patients.

When asked about this, Dr. Carpen said: “The recommendations, so far, have not yet been examined by critical independent sources, and that is where we try to make decisions…so they vary from what is considered standard in any condition, not

just COVID-19.”

This recommendation, he said, will, however, be re-examined and vetted by other sources and independent arbitrators to determine whether this is the way to go.

There are several “unanswered questions” from the solidarity trials that were used to come to some level of conclusion, but those have not yet been resolved.

“So before we make dramatic changes that affect our patients, we need to be certain that these are accurate and reflect the best possible care for these patients,” said Dr. Carpen.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), remdesivir, a nucleotide analogue pro-drug that inhibits viral RNA polymerases, has shown in-vitro activity against SARSCoV-2 ( the virus that causes COVID-19).

While Guyana has been able to acquire and use hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir had been out of the country’s reach for quite some time, as the supplier has been producing only

Head of GPHC’s COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Mahendra Carpen limited amounts.

Most of the drugs were being consumed by the U.S., but Guyana was able to acquire 240 doses of a generic version of remdesivir from India.

So far, as Dr. Carpen said, there have been no adverse effects from the drug, but one patient who was critically ill could not be saved despite the drug’s responsiveness. Some of the patients are still under hospital supervision, but the doctor maintained that patients have been responding well.

116 persons arrested for breaching COVID-19 measures ONE hundred and sixteen persons were arrested and subsequently placed on bail as they await charges, following operation COVI-CURB in Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne.

Regional Commander, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, told the Guyana Chronicle that 90 per cent of those persons were arrested for not wearing a face mask, while the others breached the curfew.

Some of those arrested include owners of supermarkets and grocery shops. The operation was conducted between Friday, November 21 and Saturday 22, 2020, throughout the region.

According to the senior cop, the operation has been ongoing but this magnitude of arrest is as a result of constant warnings being ignored.

“We realised have been warning and warning and encouraging persons to wear the face mask, but persons are still not

adhering to guidelines,” Superintendent Ramlakhan told this newspaper.

Region Six has recorded 127 positive cases of COVID-19 as of November 21.

As such, the Commander is urging the residents to take the virus seriously and adhere to the guidelines so as to curb the spread.

He noted that the police in the region will be intensifying the enforcement of the measures.

“They must adhere to the guidelines or they will have to face the consequences, that is, basically being prosecuted. We will continue to enforce the emergency guidelines. We are the agency responsible for enforcing; if we can’t do that, we would be doing a disservice to the nation.”

A national curfew is in place between 4:00hrs to 22:30hrs until the end of the month. Bars, nightclubs and indoor dining are prohibited.

New attorney wants ...

From page 2

interesting’ and my potential career started there,” she recollected.

She graduated and applied to do her Bachelor of Laws (commonly referred to as LLB) at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Cave Hill, Barbados. Unfortunately, challenges prevented her from pursuing the degree there but that never deterred her.

She returned to Guyana and did her LLB at UG, before heading to the HWLS for her LEC.

For any person interested in pursuing law, Thompson emphasised, “Law isn’t hard, but it’s definitely challenging.”

She, however, related that once you possess that level of commitment to a particular goal, then success is concomitant. She also emphasised the need for a support system, which she found in God, her parents and close-knit family and her colleagues who were ‘roughing it out’ with her.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Palm Court denies breaching COVID-19 measures –– PSC considers withdrawing from task force

THE management of local entertainment spot, Palm Court, has denied breaching any of the COVID-19 emergency measures, after it brought to their attention that the National Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19) Task Force (NCTF) has issued it a “final warning” for being in non-compliance.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that a letter, dated November 21, 2020, was issued to Palm Court, stating that it is evident

that despite being warned on October 30, 2020, the entertainment spot continues to defy the COVID-19 measures. The letter did not state specifically what measure (s) the night spot had breached.

On Sunday, however,

a member of Palm Court’s management, who wishes to remain anonymous, denied that the entertainment spot was in breach of any of the gazetted COVID-19 measures.

“It was not true; it was totally wrong and very bi-

ased,” the person told this newspaper.

It was, however, emphasised that the business supports President Irfaan Ali’s mandate to the task force, and this publication was also assured that a concerted effort was being

made to remain in compliance.

In another letter seen by this newspaper, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Nicholas Boyer wrote NCTF Director, Colonel Nazrul Hussein, express-

Region 7 man dies from COVID-19 GUYANA on Sunday recorded its 145th COVID-19 death. The latest victim has been identified as a 27-year-old man from Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni).

The Ministry of Health in a statement said he died while receiving care at a medical facility. He would be the 19th person to die for the month so far.

The Ministry also officially announced the death of an 89-year-old man from Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne). The Guyana Chronicle reported that the elderly man, who resided in the indigenous community of Siparuta, suffered a stroke after he was swabbed for the virus in the village, but he died at the Skeldon hospital before the results came back positive on Sat-

urday.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which are in effect until November 30, 2020. This order emphasizes the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 IMMEDIATELY or visit www.health. gov.gy.

ing his disappointment in the agency’s actions.

“The Private Sector Commission is extremely disappointed that the COVID Task Force chose to discredit the oldest and most internationally-recognised restaurant in Guyana (1950), the PALM COURT, by issuing a final warning letter of closure, and leaking the said letter to the media even before the alleged defaulter was notified,” Boyer stated in his missive.

‘HUNDREDS IN BREACH’ “The Task Force must be aware, as it is public knowledge, that hundreds of businesses operate in a similar manner to that of Palm Court,” Boyer added, highlighting, too, that the action of the Task Force appears to be dis-

PSC Chairman, Mr. Nicholas Boyer criminatory.

Besides calling for the immediate withdrawal of the letter, Boyer said that the Task Force should operate in a “fair and transparent manner”.

Furthermore, Boyer said, “The PSC is seriously and actively considering withdrawing from the National COVID Task Force, as it’s functioning leaves much to be desired.”

According to health authorities, the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No.

8) will expire on November 30, 2020, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

Included in the gazetted measures is a national curfew, strict social distancing guidelines and restrictions on the operation of night clubs and other pubs/entertainment spots, particularly those which have indoor operations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Don’t give them money

THE next time you see a child begging on the street, before you put your hand in your pocket to give the child money, ask yourself this question: where are his parents?

You may be surprised to learn that most children begging on the streets are not orphans, neither are they homeless. There is no reason why children should be begging on the streets at all. But as long as people continue to give them money, they will continue to beg.

Psychologically, socially, emotionally and morally, begging offers children no hope for their future, and once they get into the mode, it could become their lifetime ambition, they will not seek an education.

Members of the public, who give money to begging children, are contributing to the problem; they have no idea of the broader issue.

They are encouraging children to be exploited by the grown-ups who send them on the streets

to beg; Some of whom are substance abusers, and others are alcoholics. So while passers-by give their dollars to children, believing they’re doing their part for humanity, they could be helping to feed an adult addiction or enabling the child to partake in a different vice.

For example, a nine-year-old boy was seen begging on the streets, and as per usual, no one took the time to ask him, ‘Boy, where’s your mother or your father?’ Or, no one even said, ‘Little boy, didn’t anyone tell you it’s bad manners to beg?’ Where are you living? I’m going to take you home, is what your mother name?’. No one showed that level of concern. What they did do, however, is give him money; and he used his money to play video games in the arcade every day.

Eventually, this became his lifestyle.

Because he had run away before, his father did not inform the police when he failed to return home. The boy was sleeping rough, right on the same premises as his

precious video games. He wasn’t washing, or attending school or even eating a proper meal. Every day he would beg for money and spend it on snacks and video games. The CPA eventually caught up with him and his neglectful father. The child is now in protective care and his father awaiting prosecution.

The Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) has been looking at the prevalence of children begging on the streets and has recently launched a campaign to pick them up and get to the heart of their problems. Most of the children interviewed had a mother, a father and somewhere to live. Each child had their story, but the majority seemed inclined to juvenile delinquency.

You may argue, ‘but what if the parents are not providing for the child? What if the parents can’t manage the child and they have other mouths to feed?’. If this is the case, then the parents need help, and there is always help available. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, through the CPA, will work with parents to help keep their children off the streets.

Parents who allow their children to beg on the streets must understand the severity of their actions. They are placing that child at risk and exposing the child to danger. Lecherous people come in all shapes and forms; they wouldn’t think twice about physically or sexually abusing a child, kidnapping, or raping and killing a child; this is the stark reality. Also, some worthless adults give the children money, alright. Yes, they will provide them with a few dollars, good; more money than the average person would offer, and in return, they expect the child to perform certain sexual favours. This is the kind of world that passers-by encourage every time they give money to begging children.

The Protection of Children’s Act (2009) states that parents can be prosecuted and imprisoned for allowing their child to beg on the streets. It is a parental duty to provide for children, not for children to provide for themselves, or their parents. If parents cannot fulfil their duty, they need to seek help. With a little co-operation from parents working along with the CPA, in their child’s best interest, the family can have a better future.

There are things the public can do to help when they see children begging on the streets.

If they choose, they can give food to the child: a piece of fruit, pholourie and channa, a drink and an egg ball or some fry cassava? Good nutritional food. Please do not give them money! Members of the public may not wish to get involved so far as finding out the child’s background and where his/her parents live etc., which is understandable.

However, since this article has highlighted the dangers and problems associated with children begging on the streets, the public must inform the CPA of the child’s whereabouts. Child Protection Officers will then have an opportunity to help the child, whose family situation will be investigated and assessed in his best interest. The CPA is working to build a better future for the children of Guyana. You can help in this particular matter. Don’t’ give them money, give a chance for a brighter future.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227-0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Only two prisoners escaped from Lusignan THE Guyana Prison Service has clarified that only two prisoners escaped from the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday and not three as they had previously indicated.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels in statement on Sunday apologised for misinforming the nation.

The two escapees have been identified as murder accused, 48-year-old Phillip Jhogroo of Goed Intent, Leguan, Region Three and Donald Baird, 40, of Hardina Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, who was imprisoned for murder.

The prisoners escaped

Wanted: Phillip Jhogroo using a rope made from bed sheets early Saturday from the Lusignan Prison holding bay. Samuels had said that the escape took place sometime between 01:28hrs and 01:48hrs on Saturday.

The Guyana Prison

Wanted: Donald Baird Service is urging all family members and members of the public not to offer any support to the escapees and to contact the nearest police station with any information pertaining to their whereabouts.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Contract for Hunter Street likely to be terminated

By Tamica Garnett WITH no significant work currently ongoing, and a number of extensions having been issued, the Ministry of Public Works is looking into the option of terminating the contract for the upgrade of Hunter Street, Albouystown.

In May 2019, Surrey Paving and Ideal Engineering was awarded the $86.6 million contract for the geometric improvement of the street, which included raising the level of the road above the drains to prevent flooding, as well as the upgrade of the sidewalks on Hunter Street.

The contract was not for the entire length of the street, however, and covered only the section running from West Ruimveldt Front Road to Mandela Avenue.

The contract was initially scheduled to conclude in December, 2019, but only 94 per cent of the work is said to have been completed and there is currently no work ongoing on the road.

The road has been expanded and sand filled, but it remains in a deplorable state, even as vehicles continue to traverse. When

contacted, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Public Works, Davina Bagot, told the Guyana Chronicle that a number of extensions had been issued to the company to complete the road works.

“Their contract has already expired and multiple extensions were granted. The last extension came to an end in August, 2020.

The work is being done at a very slow pace and it’s likely that the contract will be terminated,” said Bagot.

Drivers traversing the street, and residents say the state of the road is seriously affecting them.

“You have to really mind how you does be walking because it barely have street for you to walk on,” commented 49-year-old resident, Bevan Murle.

Murle has lived on Hunter Street all his life.

“On afternoons, if you see how the traffic does be; sometimes the cars reaching right up to the gate. And when the rain falls, all the water coming back into the yard and flooding out the yard,” Murle said.

The residents are yearning to see an end to the project.

A section of the incomplete works on Hunter Street, Albouystown

A resident points towards a utility pole that is leaning towards her house “They moving too slow and it going on too long. It’s going to be a year and change now, they need to get it looked after. That’s all we want, just for it to finish,” Murle pleaded.

Additionally, 38-year-old business owner, Sean Wray, told this newspaper that the situation has greatly affected his business.

Wray runs a vulcanising shop on the street.

“It really make a mess of the business.

The state of the road really cripple the business a lot,” Wray said.

Wray’s mother, on the other hand, who

lives at the property, said she is more concerned about a leaning utility pole, which is tilting towards her house. She said the pole began to tilt due to the works on the road.

“I really frighten this post because what will happen if it fall on my house,” she said.

The company could not be contacted for a comment on the situation. Aside from the Hunter Street contract, the company was also awarded a $74 million contract for the “Rehabilitation of Sansculotte Street, Bun Bush Dam, East Canje Berbice”.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

AG, Bar Association head agree on need for modern intellectual property legislation

–– but ramifications must first be considered, AG says

By Richard Bhainie WHILE agreeing that the country’s intellectual property rights legislation is outdated, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said the anticipated social and financial ramifications are largely to blame for the delayed attempt to modernise it.

During an interview with the Guyana Chronicle last Wednesday, Nandlall noted that intellectual property is an important issue to government, but it has to be treated with care, given the implications involved.

“Our legislative framework when it comes to intellectual property is archaic. It is impossible for one to say otherwise…copyright and intellectual property generally is [sic] a concept that we respect as a government,

the importance of it and the need to protect the intellectual premise and products of all citizens,” he noted.

However, he explained that certain legislation has social and economic ramifications, and the main reason that has caused the delay to move ahead with reforming the legislation is the social and financial implications that would arise from its implementation.

“A society must be careful in the type of laws that it promulgates. It cannot, it should not promulgate laws that will impose hardships on the majority of its citizens. It should not promote laws which do not meet the aspirations and the way of life of a majority of its citizens,” Nandlall explained.

“A DVD for example will have to be sold for approximately $20 USD which is above the [daily] minimum

wage in Guyana,” he said to further emphasise his point.

He noted that a law should not be imposed if the society by a majority will not comply with it. Enforcement becomes impossible and the law becomes futile.

“The rule of law as an institution so important for peace, order and good governance becomes undermined and the entire society becomes threatened,” Nandlall explained.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), “Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.”

Copyright is a form of intellectual property, primarily used by authors and artists. Copyright covers the

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

President of the Bar Association of Guyana, Teni Housty

expressions of ideas such as books, music, works of art and films. It is used to protect the creators of original works and to prevent unauthorised use of those works, particularly for commercial gain.

“Imagine taking a 2020 work and sticking it into what the law recognised in 1956 and that’s the problem, our creators’ works don’t fit into the traditional form that was recognised,” he said.

It is necessary to reform the copyright legislation for creators and their works to be recognised by the law, which will allow them to protect their rights and if they choose to generate incomes from their work, they may be able to do so.

“What copyright does, is it gives you the right to authorise the reproduction of your work and also stop [the] unauthorised reproduction of your work; so by reproducing somebody’s work they’re entitled to something for that. Each time a reproduction occurs, a financial royalty is payable to the rights holder,” Housty explained.

“Our idea of copyright is a Western approach: recognise the work and make money from it. However, creativity is around the world and people create for different reasons, but what people should be given is the opportunity to say whether or not they want to make money from it or not and feel comfortable in that process,” he said.

For Housty, the modern copyright legislation would “reflect an expansion of the category of works recognised, a lack of distinction in form, the challenges and opportunities that digital technology would provide, an easier mechanism to enforce breaches as they occur and it [would] recognise combinations of new forms of work.”

TIME FOR MODERN LAW Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Bar Association, Teni Housty, said there is need for modern legislation to ensure the protection of those in the creative industry.

In an interview last Monday, he informed this newspaper that the current legislation which governs copyright in Guyana is the United Kingdom’s Copyright Act 1956 that was incorporated into Guyana’s jurisprudence by the Copyright (‘British Guiana’) Order 1966.

Housty, a prominent attorney-at-law and lecturer on intellectual property rights at the University of Guyana, explained that Guyana is also a signatory to the Berne Convention, and a member of the World Trade Organization which places some obligations on Guyana to meet some minimum international standards.

“The Copyright Act 1956 would offer the type of copyright recognition and protection that existed in 1956, what that means is that the types of works that were recognised by the Copyright Act 1956 are the same types of works that are still recognised,” he said.

Accordingly, it was explained that for content to be recognised as having copyright protection, the test of originality must be satisfied, and it must be in a material form.

“Fortunately, the fundamental requirements of originality have not changed; it is just that the categories of works or the types of works have expanded,” he said.

Housty stressed that in Guyana’s case there is no modernity.

NO GUIDELINES Musician and recording artiste at Kross Kolor Records, Gavin Mendonca, told this publication last Thursday that after performing internationally one of the observations he made in relation to Guyana is that there is a “lackadaisical culture”

Local recording artiste, Gavin Mendonca towards creatives.

“We don’t follow any sort of guidelines in relation to copyrights, how content is published, how rights are assigned and how rights are licensed,” he explained.

Guyana is also not a copyright registration country, which makes it difficult for creators to assert their rights.

In the music industry, when a song is registered with a rights organisation, a code known as an International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is embedded into the music file, and once that file is distributed anywhere in the world the song count is recorded. Based on the amount of plays it would generate royalties.

Guyana’s regional neighbour Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has a rights organisation known as Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Togabo (COTT), a non-profit organisation that represents people in the music industry in T&T. It administers the public performance, broadcasting, communication to the public, mechanical reproduction and synchronisation rights granted by law to the creators and owners of original music.

Mendonca explained that “because of the lack of an organisation such as COTT to govern the enforcement of copyright laws, we don’t get to benefit from services such as Spotify, because those services are blocked here in Guyana due to our copyright laws.”

Several previous attempts by the Guyana Music Network to form such an organisation were not successful.

Apart from the lack of a rights-management committee, Guyana has developed a culture of piracy and the Guyanese society has failed to recognise the value of creators’ work.

As a consequence of this, creators are hesitant to produce content in Guyana.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

‘SMART’ upgrade of Diamond Hospital almost complete THE upgrade of the Diamond Hospital, on the East Bank of Demerara, to a SMART facility is nearing completion.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, visited the facility on Saturday to check on the works. During the visit, he spoke with contractors and received an update on the project from Region Four Regional Health Officer, Dr. Gavinash Persaud.

“We have seen the project come together. It has now better flow. We now know how things are going to be arranged in such a way as to improve the efficiency of the hospital and we’re very pleased with what we’ve seen,” Minister Anthony told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Along with the completed clinical section, recovery rooms, theatre and other areas, solar panels have also been installed to lower the hospital’s electricity cost.

“SMART hospitals--the terminology that we’re using--is also a methodology to make hospitals more climate resilient and make them more efficient by using alternative energy. This facility, we will be using solar panels to ensure that part of the electricity is covered with solar energy; and I am very pleased to see that the solar panels have been installed, the battery bank and everything else,” the Health Minister was quoted as saying by the DPI. Minister Anthony said the hospital, also known as the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, would only resort to using power from the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL Inc.) when necessary.

Additionally, a system to harvest rainwater is also being installed to reduce the amount of water sourced from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

“That’s another way of how we are making these facilities more sustainable.

So, in the long run, it’s going to save the Ministry monies that we would have

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony engages Region Four Regional Health Officer, Dr. Gavinash Persaud, during a tour of the facility

Work ongoing at the facility (DPI photos)

The Diamond Hospital, East Bank Demerara

otherwise had to spend on electricity and water.

“We are using these sustainable technologies. In addition to that, the renovations that we have done would prevent flooding and so forth,” Dr. Anthony said.

The ‘SMART Hospital’ concept refers to a facility that is both safe and ‘green’. The initiative comes under an

$835M (US$4.175 million) project, funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).

The Leonora Cottage Hospital is also being upgraded with work to follow on the Mabaruma and Lethem Regional Hospitals and the Paramakatoi Health Centre.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Siparuta Village mulls lockdown after COVID-19 outbreak

–– elderly man dies after testing positive

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur THE Village Council of the small indigenous village of Siparuta, located in the Corentyne River in East Berbice –Corentyne, is contemplating a lockdown after 16 persons tested positive

for the new coronavirus from 39 tests conducted last week.

With a population of about 400, the authorities are awaiting the results from 44 samples which were taken on Saturday. Health officials are struggling to curb the commu-

nity spread of the disease and are fearful that residents in the neighbouring village, Orealla, are also positive.

Toshao for both villages, Carl Peneux, told the Guyana Chronicle that 102 persons were tested in Orealla and the results are expected in the

A section of the indigenous community of Siparuta Village next two days.

The toshao said if the positive cases increase, then a lockdown of Siparuta is imminent. In the interim, the council has taken a decision to stop residents from traversing between the sister villages and are now mandat-

Toshao of Orealla/ Siparuta, Carl Peneux ing that anyone who seeks to travel to the villages from the coastland provide a negative PCR test.

Meanwhile, an 86-yearold man, reportedly from Siparuta, died on Saturday hours after he was transported to the Skeldon Hospital after suffering a stroke. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the elderly man suffered the stroke just after he was swabbed for the disease; he died before the results came back positive for COVID-19.

This newspaper also understands that a 76-year-old woman from the village was transferred to the capital city after she displayed serious complications of the virus.

Mass testing commenced in Siparuta after a female student from the village tested positive when she went to the coastland to return to school. She was staying at the students’ dorm in Crabwood Creek with other students at the time; these students have since been quarantined.

The toshao noted that while the regional task force has been very supportive in providing the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), he will be engaging the police commander to have more ranks stationed in the community to help enforce the COVID-19 guidelines.

He explained that despite the positive cases and the death of the elderly man, many residents are still not heeding the warnings and are refusing to wear face masks.

As of Sunday, Region Six has recorded 128 positive cases with five deaths.

Flooding at Suddie Market not a ‘normal occurrence’ –– Regional Vice-Chairman VENDORS at the Suddie Market in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Sunday morning were flooded out, which according to the region’s Vice-Chairman Humace Odit is not a normal occurrence.

Several of those affected took to social media to highlight the issue. They called on the authorities to provide better drainage systems, following what they called “consistent flooding at the market.”

It is unclear whether any of the vendors suffered significant loss due to the flood.

Odit in an invited comment told the Guyana Chronicle that the flooding at the market is not a normal occurrence. In response to the vendors’ calls for improved drainage systems, the regional official clarified that the flooding was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and a high tide, and not poor irrigation.

“The flood in the market actually was caused because the tide was high, so the operators were not able to open the sluice because the tide was high, and it just so happened that it was raining at the same time.

We couldn’t get to draw the water out, so that See page 17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

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Region Two Vice-Chairman urges community involvement during rainy season

Some of the volunteers who braved the rain to participate in the clean-up exercise CONSIDERING the recent continuous rainfall pattern in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Vice-Chairman Humace Odit said that community involvement is integral to ensuring that there is a smooth flow of water in trenches and canals to help mitigate flooding.

He made this comment during a voluntary cleanup exercise spearheaded by members of the Affiance Environmental Group.

The group, which comprises mostly men, gathered early Sunday morning and cleared all the garbage that was found floating in the trenches in the community. Almost one truckload of rubbish was removed.

The Regional Vice-Chairman who is a native of the Affiance community expressed ad-

miration for the villagers’ efforts in helping to clear the waterways.

Odit said that the region is currently experiencing heavy, high-intensity rainfall which has resulted in flash flooding in some areas. He therefore called on community leaders to come together and do similar clean-up exercises.

He urged residents to desist from dumping garbage in nearby canals and trenches.

Further, the regional official noted that the garbage usually clogs the drainage network, making it difficult for the smooth flow of water.

He also called on residents to report flooding immediately to his office.

Several pumps within the region are currently draining water from several residential areas.

Men at work in the Affiance area

Members of the Affiance Environmental Group cleaning a trench in the community

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Navigating diabetes during the pandemic

By Naomi Parris

WHILE it has been acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard for everyone, it is particularly difficult for persons who are living with a chronic disease, especially those who are diabetic.

Over the past few months, many calls have been made by health officials for persons who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness or an underlying con-

dition to take extra measures to safeguard themselves from contracting the coronavirus, given the fact that they are more at risk of dying.

Twenty-two-year old, Salome Do Santos has been living with Type One diabetes for the past seven years and while she has managed to keep her diabetes under control, navigating through the coronavirus pandemic has been a struggle for her and a strain on her mental health.

The young woman during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said: “I’ve been indoors and trying my best to take the necessary precautions to avoid contracting any symptoms of COVID-19, since I have an underlying condition. I’ve been testing more than usual now because of fear,” Do Santos said, adding, “honestly sometimes it’s overwhelming because of the fear of contracting the virus.”

Meanwhile, Shawn Stephens, who was recently di-

agnosed with diabetes, noted that he has been taking extra precautionary measures on a daily basis, especially on the days when he has to go to work.

The young man noted that he is always clad in his mask and armed with his hand sanitiser. Stephens has also made some changes to his diet and has been using the traditional ‘bush tea’ to limit his risk of contracting the coronavirus.

“I’ve been drinking fever

grass or what they call it now, ‘the COVID-19 bush.’

I’ve been using that like regularly every morning.

And in my food, I’ve been using a lot of ginger and a lot of garlic as well in order to fight off the bacteria,” he said adding, “I’m just trying to protect myself at all cost, taking all the precautionary measures, using my hand sanitiser and wearing my mask.”

The 24-year-old was diagnosed with diabetes three years ago. Stephens admitted that he was narrow-minded Salome Dosantos the country’s approach to the chronic disease.

“We also have to complement such a programme with a strong education component, so that everybody involved can be educated about diabetes and how to prevent it, and if you actually get it then what are the steps you need to take to avoid the effects of complication,” the Health Minister said.

Shawn Stephens about his illness, as he was of the belief that chronic illnesses such as diabetes affected only older folk.

In sharing advice to persons who may think like he once did, Stephens said: “Don’t take everything for granted in life because it can happen to anyone at any point of time, because sickness doesn’t tell you when it’s coming, it just appears.”

A NEW APPROACH TO DIABETES According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Guyana with a population of about 750,000, has an estimated diabetes prevalence of 11%, which is above the average of other South American countries and similar to the high levels in the Caribbean.

Cognisant of this, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony noted that Guyana is in need of a new approach to curb the disease.

“We have to put stronger programmes in place to ensure that [persons] are diagnosed earlier and that we can bring their diabetes under control,” Dr Anthony told this newspaper during a recent interview.

He explained that education will also need to play a critical role in revamping

DIABETES AND THE CORONAVIRUS Dr Anthony acknowledged that some of Guyana’s COVID-19 deaths included persons who were diabetic, noting the risk involved for persons with comorbidities.

He advised that vulnerable persons who may have chronic diseases such as diabetes, first need to control their condition by doing regular checkups with their doctors and taking their prescribed medications.

“Also controlling their underlining conditions, if they have diabetes they have to keep their diabetes under control and that is one of the best methods of guarding against COVID, because if you can control your underlying condition you will be able to reduce your risk.

“Secondly, these group of people need to take extra-precaution in terms of their social distancing. They should try as much as possible to isolate themselves and keep their distance away from people.”

Minister Anthony also advised that persons who are vulnerable to the coronavirus should remain confined to their homes and leave only if it is absolutely necessary.

“If you don’t have essential business, then stay home; if you are not working, stay home; if you need to go out, then take all the precautions you can take to prevent transition [sic].”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Neaz Subhan pens emotional account of personal battle with depression in new book

By Naomi Parris THE conversation about mental health is never an easy one, especially in a culture where someone who openly speaks of having a mental illness or a disorder is often ridiculed or shunned for something they have no control over.

The fear of having to worry about societal norms and the whispers of naysayers have forced many people, especially Guyanese, to live in silence, which, in some cases, end in a tragedy.

Finding strength in speaking up and seeking help, Commissioner of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Neaz Subhan, decided to pen his experience on paper and share his own survival story with Guyana and the rest of the world in his new book, ‘Coming Back, an escape from suicide’.

Subhan, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, disclosed that he was diagnosed with clinical depression some four and a half years ago, but he suffered in silence for many years; in seeking help, he was encouraged to document his journey to recovery.

“Basically, this is a journey which I went through during which depression was very part of that journey.

When I suffered from chronic depression for just about four and a half years ago, when I was about to gradually recovering [sic], I started writing and I was told writing can be very therapeutic,” said Subhan.

He added: “I wanted to know if what I experienced

be some form of inspiration, solace; whatever you want to call it, that they can read.”

In sharing a few words of encouragement, Subhan urged persons who may be suffering from a mental illness or having suicidal tendencies to seek professional help, since there is always a silver lining in a gloomy cloud.

“I would like them not

The cover of Neaz Subhan’s book, ‘Coming Back, an escape from suicide’ was just something that just happened or were their signs in my life that I would have ignored because of how hard the depressions hit me, so much so that it went to the point of me trying to take my own life and I just wanted to see if there was any connection at any point in my lifetime.”

In giving a synopsis of his book and the title, he said, “[It’s] coming back from a dark place, a place that I don’t want anyone to be, a place I can’t believe that I was and a place I don’t want anyone to go, so that explains the title.”

‘DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE’ With high hopes for

the book, Subhan is optimistic that in sharing his story, it will motivate other Guyanese to speak of their illnesses with a professional and to not live in silence or in fear of what others may say or think.

“I am hoping against everything else that this will be useful, I’m not saying that it will be, but I am hoping that because my story is different for many other people, but many aspects of my story can be common to many people who suffer in silence.”

He said the book can be a form of inspiration.

“I am hoping persons who are suffering in silence, who unfortunately like me, is denying what is going on [in] their lives. This book can

Flooding at Suddie Market ...

From page 14 actually caused the water to lodge there at the market. So, that’s why it didn’t recede and the market experienced some flooding,” Odit explained.

He further stated that as far as he is aware there are no drainage or irrigation issues at the market that could have

caused the flooding, or would cause a similar flooding incident in the future.

“There aren’t any irrigation or drainage issues there.

It was just a case where the koker could not be opened because it was high tide and the water would have rushed inwards and cause major flooding. That is how kokers

operate. Once it is high tide we cannot open them and it just so happened that the rain was falling at the same time, so the water could not run out,” said Odit.

He informed that the market was the only place in Suddie to have experienced flooding as a result of the heavy rainfall.

A section of the flooded market

to give up, not to lose hope, I would like them see that where they are is not the end, where they are it can be a new beginning…it is not the end, hold on to something,” he said.

Subhan disclosed that he is working to have his novel published in time for the Christmas holidays.

“I’m working to have the book online and phys-

Neaz Subhan ical availability in book stores, so I hoping that this will be done in time for the holidays, so that it will make a good gift if people are interested in that.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

St. Cuthbert’s residents ‘extra cautious’ with COVID-19 - As lockdown extended for another week

By Vishani Ragobeer RESIDENTS of St. Cuthbert’s Mission are taking all possible precautions to safeguard themselves from the COVID-19 virus, according to Toshao Beverly Clenkian, who confirmed that the Ministry of Health (MoH) has extended the community’s lockdown for another week.

On Sunday, via a telephone interview, Clenkian told the Guyana Chronicle that testing is conducted daily in the village benab, which is an open space that allows for persons to maintain the advisable distance from each other.

“They go and do testing even if they’re not showing symptoms,” the Toshao said. “Everybody wants to know their status, so they go to get tested all the time.”

According to the MoH, 247 persons from the only indigenous community located in Region Four tested positive for the virus, out of some 650 tests. According to recent reports, 117 persons have recovered, while 130 remain in isolation.

Once positive patients meet the 10-day asymptomatic deadline, they are discharged. Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said in a recent Toshao of St Cuthbert’s interview that many of the Mission, Beverly Clenkian cases are asymptomatic.

This community went into a 14-day lockdown from November 7, 2020, after several teachers and healthcare workers tested positive for the deadly virus. The community began testing residents on November 1, when one member who travelled out of the community was tested positive.

This lockdown was imposed to help curb the spread of the disease; similar lockdowns have been carried out in other communities where significant pockets of COVID-positive cases were recorded.

The lockdown at St. Cuthbert’s Mission was supposed to have been lifted on Friday last, but given that there is still a significant number of active cases, this has been extended for another week.

MANAGING COMPLAINTS Expectedly, the travel restrictions have disrupted the livelihoods of some residents in the community and the Toshao disclosed that she has been receiving numerous complaints daily.

“Basically, the workers are complaining...they have to return at a certain time but what I’m doing is that I make sure they are tested and once they are tested, they are allowed to work,” Clenkian explained.

These workers would usually travel to the interior communities for working, primarily in the mining sector.

Recently, it was reported that if persons were tested negatively for COVID-19, they will be allowed to leave. It is advisable, however, that they do not leave the community. The Joint Services are still in the community to enforce the lockdown along with two doctors and a nurse, who are monitoring COVID-19-positive patients.

For persons who are returning to the community after working in the interior for some time, they are required to produce a negative test result to the workers in the villages, according to the toshao.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

West Indies draw warm-up game against New Zealand

CMC – West Indies got an early sight of the depth of the batting that New Zealand may be able to call upon during their two-Test series next month, before they drew their warm-up match against the Blackcaps’ reserves on Sunday.

After they were bowled out for 366 to take a first innings lead of 58, the Windies bowlers met a roadblock, when Test hopefuls, Will Young and Devon Conway, carried New Zealand “A” to 124 for one in their second innings before stumps were drawn for the final time in the three-day match at John Davies Oval.

Shannon Gabriel bowled first innings century-maker, Rachin Ravindra, for 10 in the sixth over after lunch, but the Caribbean side could make no further inroads into the opposition batting, and ‘birthday boy’ Young, not out on 64, and left-hander Conway, not out on 41, indulged themselves to put on 97.

The visitors will take careful note of the two batsmen because Young could earn a Test debut during the forthcoming series, and the South Africa-born Conway, who qualified to play for New Zealand this past August, was picked to face Kieron Pollard’s team in the three Twenty20 Internationals at month end.

Earlier, West Indies extended their first innings, after they continued from their overnight total of 329 for six to give the remainder of their batsmen in the Test squad and reserves an opportunity to spend time in the middle.

But no one gave chief selector, Roger Harper, who is on the Tour of New Zealand, and head coach Phil Simmons, any reason to scratch their heads before the Windies were bowled out about 45 minutes before lunch.

Nkrumah Bonner made 24 and left-hander Shayne Moseley, typically an opener, but batting at eight in this line-up, was not out on 11, an obdurate innings spanning almost an hour-and-a-half.

Bonner and Moseley were the only two to reach dou-

ble figures, with pacer Jacob Duffy finishing with three for 49 from 19 overs to be the most successful New Zealand “A” bowler, and new-ball partner, Blair Tickner ending with two for 66 from 27 overs.

Test wicketkeeper/batsman, Shane Dowrich, was bowled for two by New Zealand “A” captain, Cole McConchie without addition to his overnight score, playing on the fifth ball of the day.

Bonner spent almost an hour at the crease and with Moseley, carried the Caribbean side past 350 before he was lbw to Tickner, playing across the line.

Joshua da Silva followed two overs later, lbw to Duffy for one, playing back and across to a well-pitched delivery that moved back sharply, and Rahkeem Cornwall was bowled by Duffy for a one-ball duck in similar fashion.

West Indies’ troops will be boosted by the arrival of Test captain and World-rated all-rounder, Jason Holder, when the two sides meet again for a four-day match, starting this coming Thursday at the same venue.

It is the same day that Holder and a group of players, including Pollard, T20I vice captain Nicholas Pooran, left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Keemo Paul, are scheduled to leave managed isolation under New Zealand’s COVID-19 protocols.

The group were placed in a managed-isolation facility in the north island city of Christchurch, after their arrival from the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates two Wednesdays ago.

Under New Zealand’s COVID-19 protocols, they are expected to have a third and final test on Monday.

Once they are cleared, they will be free to leave the managed isolation facility and join with the remainder of the squad – already on the ground – for the separate series against the Blackcaps.

Most of the group will head to Auckland, where they will face the Blackcaps in the first T20I the next day at Eden Park. The second T20I will be two days later at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, which also stages the third, the following day.

Holder will head to this southern island city and link up with the Test squad to prepare for the first Test, which starts on Thursday, December 3 at Seddon Park, in Hamilton, and the second Test, which begins on Friday, December 11 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Only two members of the Test squad – Hetmyer and Paul – will be unavailable for the four-day match at John Davies Oval because they are also part of the T20I squad.

In between the T20Is and Tests, the Windies will contest a second four-day match against New Zealand “A”, also starting on December 3 at Bay Oval, which will feature the Caribbean side’s Test reserves and a few members of the T20I squad.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

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Pepe sent off as Prime Minister Phillips Arsenal draw Leeds receives Dolphin Award of Excellence from RHTYSC ―Prime Minister makes donation towards Christmas programme

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) is well known across Guyana for honouring and recognizing its heroes and outstanding Guyanese, annually, and this year chose Prime Minister Mark Phillips as the recipient of their award.

Each year, the club holds the country’s largest award ceremony to honour its outstanding performers and also hosts award ceremonies like Tribute to Heroes, Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, Tribute to Retired Teachers, Region 6 Sports Awards, Ansa Mc Al Award of Excellence, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers and Tribute to Medical Workers. The highest of the awards is the Dolphin Award of Excellence, which is specially reserved for sixty outstanding Guyanese and five non-nationals.

On Thursday last, the Club presented the Award to Prime Minister Phillips during a simple ceremony

at the Office of the Prime Minister, located at Camp Street, Georgetown.

Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, along with Vice President, Mark Papannah; Asst Secretary/CEO, Simon Naidu; along with Youth Ambassador Marissa Foster handed over the award to the Prime Minister.

The Dolphin Award is given to outstanding friends of the club who have played a major role in the development of the RHTYSC and, most importantly, is a positive role model to members of the club as they resist the evil ways of Satan.

The first awardee was late General Manager of Guyana Beverage Company, Robert Selman. Others to receive the award includes former President, David Granger; former Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; former Regional Vice-Chairman, Dennis Deroop; Bakewell General Manager, Rajin

Ganga; Dr. Aaron Fraser, West Indies female captain, Stefanie Taylor; medical doctor, Dr.Tulsi Dyal Singh; Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira, Journalist Gregory Rambarran, Namilco Manager, Bert Sukhai and Regional Chairman, David Armogan.

The Prime Minister is the 50th person to receive the award. Foster noted the Prime Minister’s outstanding service to Guyana in the military sector, his role-model status to youths across the country and stated that over the years, Mr.Phillips had assisted the club on numerous occasions, especially as Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force.

Foster handed over the award which included a plaque, trophy and a Medal of Excellence. The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the club for honoring him and urged the members to uphold their high standards.

Stating that he felt humbled to be honoured, he committed to working along with the RHTYSC to continue making a positive difference in the lives of youths and to visit the club soon.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also handed over a significant financial contribution to the ten cricket teams of the club, towards their 2020 Christmas Charity Programme, which would be held during the month of December.

The donation would go a long way to assisting the teams to fulfil their objective of sharing out one thousand food hampers, five hundred special Christmas packages, five thousand Christmas toys and provide Christmas breakfast to hundreds of less fortunate senior citizens. Foster expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the timely contribution.

(BBC) - Arsenal forward, Nicolas Pepe, was sent off for a headbutt as Leeds’ wasteful finishing cost them a Premier League victory.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds squandered a host of chances, both before and after Pepe was dismissed, after video assistant referee consultation, for sticking his head into Ezgjan Alioski’s face.

Substitute Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford and Raphinha -- deep into injury time on his first Premier League start -- struck the woodwork.

The Gunners were poor, yet again, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 60th-minute effort was their first of two shots on target.

They have scored one Premier League goal, an Aubameyang penalty against Manchester United, in five games since 4 October.

Both sides came into the game out of form - with three defeats in their previous four league games.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa will be happy with his side’s performance, bar the finishing, with opposite number Mikel Arteta relieved to pick up a point.

Arsenal remain in the bottom half of the table, moving up to 11th, two points above Leeds in 14th.

Entertainers Leeds forget their finishing boots Leeds were the first promoted Premier League team to score 14 goals in their opening eight matches since Charlton in 2000.

They could have used some of those goals at Elland Road, with only four of their 25 shots on target.

Their three efforts against the woodwork all came from the 79th minute onwards.

Rodrigo’s 18-yard shot hit the angle of bar and post, Bamford headed off the post and Raphinha crashed a shot off the same post late on.

Bamford had scored seven goals this season but did not look on song this time, with two shots straight at Bernd Leno in the first half.

Winger Raphinha, the first Brazilian to start a Premier League game for Leeds since Roque Junior in 2003, was lively and went close from the edge of the box, with Stuart Dallas forcing a good save from Leno.

On another day Leeds could have scored five, but they only have a point to show for their efforts and have only won once in their past six Premier League games.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

Medvedev beats Thiem Dharry back in gym, in London ATP finals now leaning towards Marques fight GUYANA’s current highest ranked boxer, Elton Dharry, is now leaning towards a possible fight against fellow Guyanese, Dexter Marques.

Initially, Dharry saw the fight as a possibility, but was not committing due to other options. Now, the Leguan-born boxer said that he is ready to turn his attention back home.

“I had a few offers, but things didn’t work out. I might be going home to Guyana for a fight. I’m still waiting for confirmation.”

Marques sees the Dharry fight as a chance to redeem himself since the Brooklynbased pugilist had stopped him in the seventh round of a battle in 2011. In his 19 fights,

Marques has only lost twice.

His other defeat was at the hands of the now retired Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore in 2009.

Although he has not stepped into the ring since January of 2018, Marques is confident that within a few months he can be ring-ready to gain revenge on Dharry.

Promoter Sean Bristol, of Bris O Promotions, was contacted by Marques to make the fight a possibility.

Dharry is a renowned boxer at the international level. He has held his own against some of the best boxers in his division.

Although he is confident against Marques, he knows that the Guyana- based boxer is talented.

“I feel good; I get better with every fight. We are both waiting for this fight to get approved…if not, we’ll fight different opponents. We’re both fighters that represent all of Guyana and are ready to give the Guyanese boxing fans a good show regardless of who we fight.”

After going toe-to-toe against Australian Andrew Moloney for the interim WBA Super Flyweight title last November, the overseas-based Guyanese got the respect of a number of his peers. He was even offered an ESPN fight against Number one contender in the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), Joshua Greer Jr., in June. He

turned that down due to a lack of training because of the pandemic.

Dharry is now back in the gym and is excited to get into the ring. He said that if the Marques fight does not materalise, he is ready to take on the champions of his weight class.

“I have my eyes on all the champions-- WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. I’m willing to fight any of them. I’ll go to their country and fight any of them.”

Since 2014, Dharry has been in the top 15 globally.

His highest world ranking to date has been fifth in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super flyweight division.

West Indies could tour Bangladesh in 2021 (ESPNCRICINFO) Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt has given Bangladesh hope that they will be touring the country in January 2021 with the “best available” West Indies team, also hinting that the three-Test series might be reduced to two keeping the players’ requirements in mind.

According to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, the tour was slotted for January 2021 featuring three Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is, with the Tests part of the World Test Championship.

By the time this month ends, Bangladesh will be among the few Full Member teams to have not played international cricket since March.

“There has been an option to reduce from three to two Tests but it is not finalised yet,” Skerritt told the Dhaka-based Maasranga TV. “It will be finalised within the next few days. The problem is [that] we have to look at it from all perspectives,

that of Covid-19, scheduling and cost. These days, the pressures that Covid has brought to world cricket are significant in terms of revenue. We want to come to Bangladesh because we respect the relationship and the bilateral agreements that we have.

“I just want to assure you that we will always send the best available team to any tour that we undertake, including Bangladesh. We believe a tour to Bangladesh is always a challenging tour because it is an environment that’s very different to our own conditions. But we have always done well in Bangladesh. Our players enjoy playing against Bangladesh.

At the moment we are fairly evenly matched and it is always a good series between West Indies and Bangladesh.

We are doing everything we can to participate in tours abroad and at home. The Covid-19 pandemic is making it extremely difficult to implement our plans.”

On Wednesday, the BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said in a press briefing that CWI had requested one fewer Test due to the length of the bio-bubble in Bangladesh.

“It is not final yet. The West Indies cricket board has requested us, as staying inside bio-bubble for a long time is tough for players,” Chowdhury had said. “They requested to consider if it is possible to shorten the duration of the series. In that case, one of the options is to reduce one Test match. We are still discussing the issues, nothing is finalised yet.”

Skerritt also said they want to ensure that the BCB followed the recognised worldwide health protocols - that the West Indies team had experienced in England - after they became the first international cricket team to tour during the pandemic.

“We want to be sure that the protocols established in Bangladesh meet the requirement that we have

established so far in the various tours we have been on,” Skerritt said. “There are case studies to benchmark from. This is not going to be the first overseas tour. As you know, we did the first overseas tour to England.

“Certain standards were set, certain learnings were achieved, and I think once Bangladesh can meet those standards, I don’t think there’s going to be any major problem. We just have to verify in our own way that the situation will be safe for all concerned.”

The BCB has so far held one domestic tournament, the President’s Cup, in which they managed to keep three teams in a bio-bubble, allowing them only to commute between the hotel and the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

From Tuesday, they will be hosting the five-team Bangabandhu T20 Cup, which will also have a BCB-sponsored bio-bubble.

(BBC) - Daniil Medvedev fought back to beat US Open champion Dominic Thiem and win the biggest title of his career at the ATP Finals in London.

The Russian dug deep to claim a 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory over world number three Thiem at the O2 Arena.

Thiem led the second-set tie-break but Medvedev reeled off seven points in a row to force a decider and came through a tight final set to ensure victory.

The 24-year-old will finish the year fourth in the world rankings.

Medvedev is the only player to beat the three highest-ranked players at

the season-ending event, following his earlier victories over Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

He did not beat a single top-10 player from November 2019 to October 2020 but has now beaten seven in the space of four weeks.

With no crowd in the stadium because of coronavirus restrictions, Medvedev’s celebrations were muted before he and Thiem had a lengthy hug at the net.

Despite the loss, Thiem can still reflect on a solid year in which he has reached two Slam finals, losing to Djokovic at the Australian Open before claiming his maiden major title in New York.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Monday, November 23, 2020

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Evin Lewis-125 (vs IND, Kingston, 2017) (2) Brendon McCullum-123 (vs BANG, Pallekele, 2012)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) What are the best bowling figures by a WI player in a T20 Int’l game to date?

(2) What are the best bowling figures by a NZ player in T20 Int’l cricket to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 23, 2020

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Williams storms to victory in GCF Time Trial SEASONED cyclist, Marlon Williams, maintained a fast pace to emerge victorious in the Guyana Cycling Federation Time Trial, which was held in the capital city yesterday morning.

The Team Evolution rider finished the 5.07-mile race in 11:18:39, just ahead of Jamual John (11:26:04) and Briton John (11:38:70).

The event was the first of three time trials, which are being used to re-start the sport after a lengthy break due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Thirty-three cyclists took part in the early morning race, which had them starting every two minutes to maintain social distancing. The participants pedalled off from Sparendaam, headed west through Kitty then turned at the roundabout before finishing at the COVID-19 Hospital in Liliendaal.

The 33-year-old Williams,

who dedicated the win to his late father, who would have celebrated his birthday on Friday, told the Guyana Chronicle that his objective was to keep his pace up.

“It’s one constant effort, you can’t go easy, time lost is hard to regain.”

His average speed was 27.1 mph with a maximum speed of 30.3 mph.

The former Caribbean Senior Road Racing Champion noted that although he enjoyed the short time trial, he prefers a longer distance race.

Marcus Keiler finished fourth overall in 11:47:26, while Kwame Ridley, who was the first Group Two cyclist to cross the finish line, finished fifth overall in 12:06:92.

Ridley was followed by Alex Mendes, (12:09:61), Nigel London (12:30:92), Balram Narine (12:38:45) Paul

DeNobrega (12:40:70) and Raymond Newton (12:57:26).

Meanwhile, 2019 Time Trial Female Champion, Denise Jeffrey finished 19th overall in a time of 15:30:42, while Suzanne Hamilton placed 20th in 15:41:33.

Aaron Newton, who finished 22nd overall in 16:14:39, was the first junior across the finish line. Alex Leung (25th in 17:12:09) was the second junior and Mario Washington (27th in 17:44:24) the third.

The other events in the series are scheduled for November 29 in Berbice and December 6 in Linden.

According to information from the federation, in each time trial, the top three participants will be rewarded; and based on the overall accumulated time placements, the top six will be rewarded after the three events.

COVID-19 temperature checks were a must for every cyclist on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

Resaul defeats #1 seed Lewis in Bravo keen on maintaining solid semis of Safe Tennis Tournament record against Kiwis at home

HEIMRAJ Resaul upset the number one seed, Gavin Lewis, in the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA)-organised, ITF-sponsored Safe Tennis Tournament on Saturday evening at the Le Ressouvenir Tennis Court on the East Coast of Demerara.

The 19-year-old, who performed admirably throughout the entire tournament, won 6-2 6-7 (7-1) (10-2).

In the other semi-final, number two-seeded player, Benjaton Osbourne defeated Andre Lopes 7-5, 6-2.

Lopes, who had played well throughout the knockout competition, is an Over-45 player and has not played Men Singles for a number of years, so he was unseeded.

Resaul and Lewis were scheduled to play in the final on Sunday afternoon, but inclement weather forced the organisers of the competition to re-schedule the event to this afternoon.

Meanwhile, in the consolation semi-finals, Javed Khan defeated Wayne Baker 6-7 (7-2), 6-4 (107), while Ronald Murray got a walkover from David Rose. The consolation final is also scheduled for this afternoon.

The Safe Tennis Tournament is the first event by the GTA since it was given permission to re-start the sport by the Ministry of Health.

A total of 19 players competed in the Men’s Singles competition.

―Spending time in the middle key aspect to game

By Clifton Ross

Heimraj Resaul

IN-FORM West Indies batsman Darren Bravo said he fancies batting in New Zealand conditions, following his warm-up century recently as he prepares for official the start of the tour in a few days.

Bravo remained the Kiwis of his likeness for them during the practice 3-Day game, cracking an elegant 135 with 13 fours and 5 sixes; an innings which not only helped the Windies save the first match, but also helped the left-hander to gather some form ahead of the Test series.

Bravo told the media on Sunday, that it was his knowledge of the conditions in New Zealand, coupled with his personal goals of batting longer with more success, which has reflected in his recent knock.

“Basically it’s about spending time out there. It’s always good to have a look at the opposition because the wicket wasn’t a bouncy track so if you put the ball in the right areas you’ll get the results”. He said regarding his century.

New Zealand batting first and while the squad featured mostly the domestic batch of players, the Trinidadian never-

theless credited the Kiwis sides approach to the first warm-up. Bravo also credited his batting performance to his personal drive to keep himself challenged when batting out in the middle.

“I think they played pretty well, they weren’t rushing, so I was just waiting on the bad balls to put them away. Even in the nets I try not to get out, out there I try to challenge myself and do my best because I really wanted to spend as much time out in the middle and get acclimatized to the conditions”. He said.

With 54 Test matches, 8 tons and 15 fifties and a best of 218, the 31 year-old is among the most senior batsmen on tour, game and stats wise. Regarding his role as one of the young veterans in a side primarily filled with youngsters, Bravo said communication among players is a big thing.

“I try to give advice as much as possible, I even take advice from the youngest player. My goal and responsibility is to always play well for the West Indies, at times it doesn’t happen but I think when you give advice to the other members of the team, those same players might turn around and give you hold advice, so i think

communication is important”.Bravo pointed out.

With his first double century coming back in the 2013-14 tour of New Zealand where the Windies pulled off a draw, Bravo has since evolved into one of the key members of the Test team and admitted that he relishes the conditions in Kiwi land and plans to continue his good run in their backyard.

“I think the conditions and the wickets are very good for batting because you don’t get pitches like that back in the Caribbean. when you play in these conditions you get value for your shots.

So I do enjoy batting in New Zealand but as a test player it’s about defense and you have to trust your defense”.

He said.

With fans returning to the stands under very tight conditions and regulations as part of the ongoing Covid-19 battle, Bravo said the atmosphere with fans is one of the best parts of the game, adding that with or without the love support he plans to give the Kiwis his best brand of cricket.

“It’s always good to have fans, we definitely like fans but when I’m batting it makes no difference to me, but it’s a bit easier when there are no fans”.

He jokingly ended.

Cycling action returned with a time trial (Elvin Croker photos)

Williams storms to victory in GCF Time Trial SEE PAGE 27

Dharry back in gym, now leaning towards Marques fight

SEE PAGE 26

Prime Minister Phillips receives Dolphin Award of Excellence from RHTYSC

SEE PAGE 25

Elton Dharry said that he is ready to get back into the ring

West Indies batsman Darren Bravo

SEE PAGE 27

Bravo keen on maintaining solid record against Kiwis at home

Prime Minister Mark Phillips was the recipient of the Dolphin Award of Excellence from the RHTYSC and its CEO, Hilbert Foster

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020