Guyana Chronicle E-paper 3-12-2019

TUESDAY 12th March, 2019

No.105574

SEE INSIDE FOR NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT MATHEMATICS AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE WORKED EXAMPLES

Commendable efforts Jagdeo cited for hate speech

…Gov't, AFC deplore actions, urge widespread condemnation …MP complains to Ethnic Relations Commission

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…IDB hails govt’s efforts at strengthening oil-and-gas sector –– praises President Granger, pledges continued support

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No disruption in budget spending …Finance Minister assures public servants they'll be paid PAGE

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Former AG of Grenada joins gov't legal team for confidence vote appeal

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From left: Ms. Sophie MacKonnen, Country Representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB, President David Granger and Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordan.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Commendable efforts

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…IDB hails govt’s efforts at strengthening oil-and-gas sector –– praises President Granger, pledges continued support

President David Granger on Monday met with President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno, who commended his leadership in ensuring that the necessary systems and policies are put in place to manage the impending oil and gas sector and the wealth which will be accrued.

At a meeting held at State House, Mr. Moreno said that the President’s leadership in this area particularly, cannot be understated and the benefits of it will be seen in the management of the sector when it comes on stream. “I think when people write the history of Guyana some years from now, they will look at this period in time and see how the Guyanese people and the Guyanese leadership thought about how they can deal with one of those things that can only happen in once in a lifetime. It is in this regard that we have been privileged to work with you President Granger, as you prepare things that are so timely like your Sovereign Wealth Fund and as you continue to push forward. Your leadership in this has been very central and we are very happy

to be side to side with you. I am convinced that the best days of Guyana are ahead of us and they would be materialised largely for all the work that you have been doing to cement that future for the Guyanese people,” he said.

President Granger said that he welcomes the support of the Bank and looks forward to working more closely with the institution in the coming months in other areas such as climate related financing, infrastructure development and support for migrants. “I want to express our appreciation to you for your concern towards Guyana. We are certainly very appreciative of your stewardship and we wouldn’t have gotten this far if you didn’t have Guyana at heart.

We have a long-standing relationship with the Bank and especially with your support in the oil and gas sector. The Bank has been at the forefront and has given significant support. We will continue to look forward to your support as we try to build very strong, sturdy and robust policies for the sector,” President Granger said.

To this end, Mr. Moreno assured that the Government can look forward to continued

and Mr. Moreno also used the opportunity to discuss the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy as well as support and possible areas of collaboration for climate financing and to advance dialogue on the ‘Guiana Shield.’

President David Granger (at right) makes a point to Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB as they walk the grounds of State House

support from the entity as it seeks to enable the country

to benefit in the best ways possible. President Granger

ENDURING FRIENDSHIP Meanwhile, at a special luncheon held at the Baridi Benab immediately after the meeting, Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordan in his remarks said that Mr. Moreno’s visit is the first under this administration and serves as a testimony of the long and enduring friendship between the Bank and Guyana. “It signals the Bank’s commitment to the development of Guyana and is also an indication of your deep interest in the development of Latin American and Caribbean countries. During your stewardship, much has been achieved including a major increase in the Bank’s capital and increased emphasis on climate related matters, which are dear to Guyana. As Guyana stands on the cusp of a transformative development, made possible by our growing oil resources, the Government will be looking

to its development partners such as the IDB to assist in strengthening institutions, policies, legislations and systems toward ensuring that the Guyanese populace from the country’s endowment,” Minister Jordan said.

Just last month, Minister Jordan signed two loans with the bank to the value of US$31M for the establishment of an Electronic Single Window for Trade and the Energy Matrix Diversification and Institutional Strengthening of the Department of Energy. In December 2018, an agreement was signed for a US$11.6 million loan, which will prepare Guyana for its transition towards becoming a major oil and gas producing State. The project is designed to support the strengthening and the sustainability of the energy sector in Guyana by contributing to the institutional development of oil and gas governance and the development of cleaner energy sources for electricity generation. Mr. Moreno was accompanied to the meeting by IDB’s Country Representative, Ms. Sophie Makonnen.

Gov't bolsters legal team for confidence vote appeal …Former AG of Grenada QC, Francis Alexis recruited Former Attorney General of Grenada and now Senior Lecture, University of the West Indies Cave Hill Barbados Dr. Francis Raphael Alexis has joined the government’s legal team ahead of today’s hearing of government’s appeal to chief justice’s ruling on the no confidence motion.

The case, The Attorney General v The Speaker, Opposition Leader and APNU Representatives comes up on today at the Court of Appeal.

The Chief Justice had upheld the decision of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr.

Barton Scotland, that the no confidence motion was validly passed but the Government, through the Attorney General, is seeking to have it overruled.

Dr Alexis’ petition to practice law here was presented by attorney Mayo Robertson before Justice, Brassington Reynolds in the High Court on Monday.

Robertson is also one of the lawyers representing the government in the case. Present at the ceremony were Attorney General, Basil Williams SC; Senior Counsel Rosalie Robertson and Queen’s

Counsel Kurt DE Freitas.

Mayo Robertson said Dr. Alexis is the holder of the Legal Education Certificate from The Hugh Wooding Law School of the Council of Legal Education. He is also a member in good standing of the Bar of The Supreme Court in Grenada.

I always consider it an honour and privilege to petition the Court for the admission of a colleague. In this case, the honour is even more special because of my friendship with Dr. Alexis TURN TO PAGE

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From left: Senior Counsel, Rosalie Robertson; Attorney General, Basil Williams SC; Queen’s Counsel, Dr Francis Alexis; Justice, Brassington Reynolds, Attorney, Mayo Robertson and Queen’s Counsel, Kurt DE Freitas.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

MP complains to ERC about Jagdeo’s ‘hate speech’ REGION Six A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, Barbara Pilgrim, has called on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to impose sanctions on Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, over what many deem to be a hate speech at Babu Jaan.

In a letter addressed to

the ERC Legal Investigations Officer, Lloyd Smith, Pilgrim said while at a meeting held at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, Berbice Sunday, Jagdeo uttered statements that incites fear, tension and confusion.

“We are going here in Berbice and right across Guyana, when the ministers or Granger or Nagamootoo come here after the 21st

March to say to them, walk behind them, chase them out.

They’re gonna be illegal,” Jagdeo was quoted as saying at Babu Jaan.

MP Pilgrim said Jagdeo’s statement runs counter to Guyana’s values of Ethnic Relations and Social Cohesion. “This statement will only serve to create ethnic tensions and confusion in Region Six where I reside, and can be interpreted to mean that government and other persons not connected to the People’s Progressive Party Civic PPP/C must not be allowed in this region,” she said.

(APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, Barbara Pilgrim

The Region Six APNU+AFC MP called on the

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acceptable, malicious and mischievous,” the government said.

It said Jagdeo has a history of wanton utterances and his most recent at Babu Jaan has serious implications on peace, race relations and national security, particularly in an election year.

The Alliance For Change (AFC), in another statement, condemned the opposition leader for what it considers a hate speech.

It said Jagdeo’s statements were irresponsible and reckless and can incite violence.

Dead porter in Linden accident identified

THE porter killed in an accident in Linden over the weekend has been identified as Jovon Jommol Anthony of 44 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

The police placed a name to the body after it was identified by his mother, Coral Isaacs and his sister, Taniesh Isaacs at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Monday.

The accident occurred last Saturday around 12:45 hrs on the Kara Kara Public Road, Mackenzie, Linden. The man was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC). According to a police report, motor lorry GSS 1407, owned by Frank Hugh, was at the time driven

by Floyd Rodney, 28, of Lot 121 Ogle Street, Triumph, East Coast Demerara.

The lorry with trailer, TMM 2242 attached to it, was proceeding east along the northern side of the said road when the porter jumped off. The report further noted that the porter jumped on the gas tank, which is situated on the left side front of the lorry, while it was still in motion. He seemed to have lost his grip, causing him to fall between the lorry and trailer, thus he was run over by the trailer.

As a result of the collision, the porter sustained injuries about the body. His body was taken to the Wismar Hospital mortuary. The driver was tested for alcohol consumption above the legal limit but the result proved negative.

According to post-mortem conducted on Monday, March 11, 2019, by Pathologist Nehaul Singh, Anthony died from multiple injuries.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019 05:00hrs. - 06:30hrs.

Saturday 9, March, 2019

ERC to apply the strongest possible sanctions available against the opposition leader for his statement.

The government, in a separate system, strongly condemned the inflammatory statements made by the opposition leader.

“The government deems as irresponsible the call by Mr. Jagdeo for citizens to “chase” President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo or any government official. Mr. Jagdeo’s inciting can result in a breach of the law and must be condemned as un-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

‘We don’t agree’ …Anglican, Presbyterian churches, GTUC, TIGI distance self from ‘civil society’ statement THE Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) the Anglican and Presbyterian Churches as well as the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc have all distanced themselves from a statement issued by the Civil Society Forum, which accused President David Granger of delegating his power to call elections to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

While only GTUC has issued a public statement condemning the Society’s release, Guyana Chronicle was told that the churches as well as TIGI expressed shock about the statement, saying that they never approved such.

Former Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, has also condemned the statement issued by body. Last week President Granger met with the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and GECOM in two separate meetings and committed to set a date for the holding of General and Regional Elections, once the elections commission is in a state of readiness to hold those elections. This decision however, does not sit well with the loosely-knitted Civil Society Forum, which is made up of several groups, some of which said they never agreed to the statement.

“Giving GECOM effective power to determine when elections will be held is a position for which no Constitutional support exists. Moreover, this maneuver revives the misgivings and insecurities generated by the controversial selection of the current chair of a polarised GECOM, who now has the casting vote on when elections will be held,” the Civil Society Forum stated on Monday.

However, GTUC, an original member of the Civil Society Forum, dissociated itself from the statement issued by the group, noting that the members did not arrive at a consensual position on the issues. The statement issued represents the views of the groups who signed it, GTUC. The statement was purportedly signed by the Anglican Church of Guyana, Movement against Parking Meter, Guyana Presbyterian Church, Transparency Institute of Guyana, Guyana Agriculture Workers Union, Red Thread and Rise Guyana. It was also signed by Guyana Human Rights Association, Inter-Re-

ligious Organisation, Roman Catholic Church, Guyana Rastafarian Community, the Private Sector Commission and the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana.

In an effort to set the record straight, GTUC said GECOM must advise President Granger on its state of readiness before any announcement is made. “It is on the advice of GECOM as to its readiness for an election that presents the President a ballpark to declare a date for election,” it said. It recalled that the leader of the opposition, while he was President in 2006, had alluded to this fact in response to public concern that the required constitutional five-year for General and Region Elections would not be held within the time frame.

GECOM’S MANDATE “The law says that GECOM shall define the form of verification of the List or may decide on verification and will decide on what form it will take. Not the PPP, not the PNC, not any party, GECOM. That’s a constitutional body, independent just like the courts,” Jagdeo had said in a televised interview while he was president. It noted that back then, the role of GECOM in advising President Jagdeo as to its readiness was respected.

GTUC noted too that Article 106 (6) and (7) set the time frame for which elections should be held - “within ninety days or such longer period.” “Whereas the former time frame does not need the opposition’s input and the latter needs by at least “twothirds” vote in the National Assembly, the complete article stands. The conjunction “or” is of equal importance.

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire SC, in her ruling on January 31, 2019 upheld the entire article,” GTUC posited.

It said in 2011, GECOM was able to hold an election in 123 days. In 2019, the history and context have their own uniqueness, including being the first of its kind and as such, both parties would need to work together. “This reality presents [an] opportunity to intensify advocacy for giving meaning to Article 13 which was enshrined in the Constitution in 2001,” it said.

Amid attacks on Chairman of GECOM, Retired Justice James Patterson, GTUC reminded that Justice Patterson was appointed consistent with the Constitution.

“The said appointment was challenged in the High Court and the Appeal Court. Both courts ruled the appointment was done in accordance with the Constitution. The matter is now before the Caribbean Court of Justice,” the trade union detailed.

It noted that the chairman’s casting vote has historically benefitted both the government and opposition.

Citing an example, GTUC pointed out that Patterson’s chairmanship saw a casting vote that allowed for the appointment of the opposition commissioners’ approved candidate for Legal Officer.

The union underscored the need for all commissioners to work together, noting that, when commissioners walk out of meetings, they hinder the opportunity to having a quorum and conducting the business of the commission.

Turning its attention to allegations of electoral malpractices, GTUC said it has an abiding interest in Guyanese having

the right to one man, one vote/universal adult suffrage, which the Labour Movement started the fight for. “We want a credible Voters’ List and an election which include every eligible voter allowed to register, cast his/her ballot in an atmosphere free from fear and hindrance; the vote counted and properly declared. We want an election not only free and fair, but also free from fear,” GTUC stated.

GTUC said while the organisations that signed on to the Civil Society Forum statement saw importance only in the elections of 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985, it must be noted that the 2006 elections saw the AFC’s Region 10 votes, and by extension parliamentary seat, wrongly declared for the PPP/C. It said too that in the 2011 elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander prevented another miscarriage of the vot-

ers’ will. GTUC said it awaits the court’s ruling on the 2015 elections based on a petition brought by the PPP/C, as it ruled on the 1997 elections based on a petition brought by the PNC. In looking ahead, GTUC, being cognisant of the internal and external dynamics of the country, does not want the political conflicts of Venezuela to become “ours.” It said Guyana must put a system in place to effectively and efficiently manage the economy and its affairs in peace and tranquility. It stressed that the citizens of Guyana deserve to live and work in an environment where their welfare is placed first.

WHAT METHOD WAS USED Meanwhile, in a letter to this newspaper, former Mayor, Hamilton Green, questioned the methodology used

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by the Civil Society Forum to arrive at a position that it could represent civil society.

“First, I do not know by what method these honourable ladies and gentlemen have arrogated themselves to represent civil society. It is about time that these persons who, without any form of consultation, presumptuously say they speak for civil society,” Green said on Monday.

He said on one hand the group is accusing President Granger and his government of not following the rules, and on the other hand is calling on the President to interfere in the operations of a constitutional body.

“GECOM is an autonomous body with a clear mandate and responsibility.

If the President attempted to impose his will on GECOM, that would be another story,” the former mayor said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Eco-tourism marches forward

ONE of the most important pieces of news which came out in the last week was that Guyana was named “Best Eco-Tourism destination of the world” at the ITB Global Travel Trade Fair held in Berlin, Germany. This news was unfortunately, but understandably, submerged by political news of the impending national elections.

This award is very prestigious, and opens the door to a very lucrative source of income from eco-tourism. One hundred of the top finest destinations were reviewed by the jury, which consisted of a panel of experts. Guyana had to compete against such wellknown destinations as Sierra Gorda in Mexico, Tmatboey in Cambodia and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.

The award was received

by Mr Brian Mullis, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA). Mr Mullis remarked on receiving the award: “It is a tremendous honour for us to be recognised globally alongside

our fellow leaders in ecoand sustainable tourism.”

He went on to speak of the efforts of the government and his GTA in promoting eco-tourism, saying: “Guyana has expended considerable effort in recent years, not only to develop new and innovative eco-friendly tourism products as part of the national Green State Development Strategy, but also to incorporate sustainable tourism best practices into all aspects of its Strategy, planning and programming, while educating the world about its deep commitment to maximising the positive socio-economic and conservation outcomes from tourism.”

Guyana’s tourism product is an attractive one, and the country is now positioning itself as the next must-see destination for travellers. There is the world-class Kaieteur Falls, which could enter the same league as the Taj Mahal or the Pyramids. As the only English-speaking country in South America, it has a great

asset. It is a country where travellers could experience vibrant Indigenous culture, rich history, and hospitable and friendly people who can communicate in a common language. And there is a bonus for those who are prepared to spend a few days on the Coast, where they could visit Hindu temples and Muslim mosques, and sample Indian food without going to Asia. There are other pluses for travellers: There are daily non-stop flights from New York, Miami and Toronto to Guyana, and direct routes from Europe through sister Caribbean countries. Also, Guyana became the first country to adopt the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s International Adventure Travel Guide Qualification and Performance Standards. The adoption of these Standards is an assurance to travellers that they would be dealing with an industry which practises the highest standards.

The jury which awarded Guyana the accolade of “Best Eco-Tourism des-

tination” reviewed Guyana’s Eco-Tourism profile, and the Surama and Rewa eco-lodges caught their attention. These two lodges have ambitious and admirable goals and successes, and they are community-owned and managed, and aim at preserving Guyana’s ecosystems and Indigenous traditions.

The Guyanese public has not so far fully grasped the importance and value of a tourist industry. If, however, they reflect on the economic conditions of the Caribbean islands, they would have a better understanding of the industry. When the sugar industries, on which the Caribbean had survived for two centuries collapsed, they found themselves on the precipice of social and economic disaster.

A case in point is Barbados, an island where numerous fortunes had been made from sugar. It faced calamitous disaster when the last sugar estate was closed.

Fortunately, the Barbadians were creative, and im-

mediately went into tourism, which became an even greater money-spinner than sugar. This was reflected in the exchange rate of the Barbadian dollar being two dollars for one US dollar, as compared with Guyana, where it was two hundred dollars to the US dollar.

Barbadian tourism, like that of other islands of the Caribbean, is primarily “sun-and-sand”, whereby tourists go to enjoy their lovely sunny beaches and well-appointed hotels and guest houses. Guyana’s tourism is different, in that it is eco-oriented, where tourists go into the interior to experience the pristine forests, the silence, the amazing rivers and falls, and to forage for strange orchids and other plants, to engage in bird-watching and catch a glimpse of the strange and exotic animals. Many also have an interest in the way of life of the Indigenous people. Such travellers prefer to camp or to live in lodges. It should be underlined that eco-tourism is far

more profitable than sun and sand, and that eco-tourists are generally more affluent than sun-and-sand seekers.

Guyana has been quietly building a base for its eco-tourism industry. A degree course in tourism was started at the University of Guyana several years ago, and some graduates are already practising locally or abroad. There is a strong and able Tourism Association, which has been helping to give the industry creative leadership, and the government has been making an increasing input, with the appointment of the Guyana Tourism Authority, and giving the industry ministerial status. The accolade of “The Best Eco-Tourism Destination in the world” has placed Guyana securely on the eco-tourism map, and should stimulate greater investment in the industry, and inspire in the government and people a greater interest and understanding of the value of the industry.

Ill-informed Stabroek News editorial

Dear Editor,

PLEASE permit me to respond to an editorial by the Stabroek News, titled, “Death of three children”.

The editorial was in response to the three unfortunate deaths at the Paediatric Oncology Ward. While I recognise that the Editor in Chief, Anand Persaud, is not medically trained, at a minimum, I would expect that he would seek the opinions of a medical professional who is trained at investigating Serious Untoward Incidence (SUI). Unfortunately, a fellowship specialist would not

cut it. As a result, I do wish to correct the multiple inaccuracies in that editorial.

Stabroek News had this to say, “It is noteworthy that it took the GPHC more than six weeks to deliver a report on the deaths. That is completely unacceptable, for what was a straightforward investigation.” Has Stabroek News ever investigated a SUI before? How do they know six weeks is too long?

How do they know it’s a straightforward investigation? Please permit me to highlight the folly in that statement.

When there is an inves-

tigation into an unexpected death, firstly, the Terms Of Reference (TOR) of the investigation needs to be formulated. The death did not occur in isolation.

A sequence of events occurred, which resulted in the deaths. That sequence of events needs to be identified, and the most appropriate process needs to be determined to investigate that sequence of events. Also, in formulating the TOR, appropriate witnesses need to be identified. This preliminary TOR is then shared with the parties involved for their comments, and the

comments and amendments of their representatives and lawyers.

This process can take up to two weeks, minimum.

The fact is that this is a legal process, and needs to be able to stand up to legal scrutiny.

Once that TOR hurdle is overcome, then statements are taken. Stabroek News may believe that statements are only taken from the two doctors involved. WRONG. The whole department should provide statements to give a complete picture of what happens on that ward daily. Was this unsupervised junior an isolated event?

Were there near misses that were never investigated?

This process may take up to six weeks for each death.

The reason being is that healthcare professionals are busy. They cannot leave the other patients to die so that they can provide a statement.

The investigators need to work around their schedules.

Then the post-mortem. In a previous letter, I explained why they were inconclusive.

So it was likely toxicology and body samples were taken. This can take up to eight weeks to be reported on. Don’t believe me! Just google how long it took to

confirm Whitney Houston’s, Bobby’s, Amy Winehouse’s, Prince’s and Michael Jackson’s causes of death.

These toxicology tests are not done in Guyana, hence samples are taken overseas. We can add another two weeks to that.

Then the investigators read the statements, read the post-mortem reports, and read the toxicology report before making a final report on the deaths. For each death, this can take a good week.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

The ethnic security dilemma –from a personal experience

Dear Editor I WOULD like to add a reference to the frequently mentioned ethnic security dilemma discussion so often ingrained on the parameters of political discussions here. I am not a politician, so my reference will not be tapered within the political language. The article on Monday, February 18, by Dr Baytoram Ramharack Stabroek News ‘Ethnic Security Dilemmas underline urgent need for Government of National Unity’.

I accept the concept of a State of national unity, as I do not think that Guyana has evolved into a system of managing all our human expertise as we should. But the effort towards such a State revolves around the simple consensus of ‘Honesty’ on our profound different world views, values and the inherited philosophies beneath the guarded language we use in public discussions.

There must be an exorcism of constituency-based slogans that cannot be sustained in the court of history, that are prevalent in that letter from Baytoram’s mind.

To clarify, in rebuttal, the only group that can seriously claim justified ‘ethnic security fears’ is the Afro-Guyanese community and Indo, Amerindian and all others not in agreement with the powers that be, under past and recent past PPP administrations, as I will clarify.

It cannot be disputed that it was the PPP that launched a racial civil war from 1961-64 for power, exploiting the most vicious religious racist philosophies to justify murder and

mutilations. More Afro-Guyanese died in that period than others. Dr Clem Seecharan quotes Dale Bisnauth “At the core of Indian attitudes to Afro-Guyanese were the malign vestiges of caste thinking”, thus a ready religious beliefbased platform for Political manipulation, especially at the provincial unexposed areas.” The PPP nor the others outside of the PPP devoted to cultivating racist victimhood, could not put together A ‘DOSSIER’ covering the extrajudicial deaths [unreal] linked to the [real] intensified campaign of sabotage carried out by the PPP in the Sugar Belt etc. during the years 1966 to 1992. To this I will add the burning of the Guyana Rice Board. I worked there, and was on leave in 1977. There were rumours before of that possibility. I could remember the anger of Davson when he approached a senior official to intensify security, and was told that GRB was a ‘working-class safety zone’. And the latter sounds familiar, doesn’t it?, They, nevertheless, burnt it down. And there were no arrests and disappearances of bodies from any of the West Coast Demerara villages identified as the origins of those suspected of that arson that threw thousands out of employment.

The idea of the 1973 Martyrs referred to by Baytoram has long been given clarity as the callous usage of youth in an illegal assault to seize guarded ballot boxes by senior political activists who would have anticipated the response from the GDF ranks guarding it. Former

Lieutenant and PPP activist Malcolm Harripaul and Mohamed Yusuf gave insights into that incident. Yusuf’s letter was allowed a response from Donald Ramotar that yielded obvious propaganda history, but did not dispute the gist of Yusuf’s letter, Stabroek News July 26, 2007.

In comparison to the 1961-64, then 1992 to 2010 period of PPP control, this country, from 1838 to 2019 has not experienced outside of the periods of PPP control, such levels of internal racial strife.

There is no alternative evidence for Dr Baytoram to challenge that information.

The reference to Dr Tarron Khemraj’s article in Stabroek News Feb,10 2019, with Khemraj he connected with the root cause of all ethnic strife. Khemraj states, “I have agreed that these two dilemmas are co-determined by economic security concerns” in reference the Afro-Indo Security Dilemmas, this I have explored in several articles on Guyana post-emancipation to the present.

However, other areas in defining the ethnic security dilemma are misrepresented in Khemraj’s column, chronicled outside of the experiences of the ‘other’, and I am surprised this escaped the editor, because Stabroek News was in the forefront of the struggle against extrajudicial killings. To say that the rogue elements of the Police Force trace their roots to the ‘kickdown-the-door bandits’ is erroneous and clueless. Many of those people who were kick-down-the-door bandits fled in the late 70s and 80s to places like French Guiana

By what method do you assume representation of civil society?

Dear Editor,

I READ with amazement the statement by purported civil society critising the President for referring the question of an Election Date to GECOM. First, I do not know by what method these honourable ladies and gentlemen have arrogated themselves to represent civil society.

It is about time that these persons who, without any form of consultation, presumptuously say they speak for civil society.

On the other hand, they criticise the Pres-

ident and Government for not following the rules. GECOM is an autonomous body with a clear mandate and responsibility. If the President attempted to impose his will on GECOM, that would be another story.

These representatives of civil society, and some are my friends, must say where they stand in Guyana’s political divide.

Really, an authentic civil society has no time for “sand dancing.”

Regards Hamilton Green

when the GPF hunted them down, killing many under the PNC. What manifested in the years leading up to 1992 were Drug and Backrack dealers who supported the PPP and, with monetary gifts, infiltrated the policing groups. After 1992, these people usurped the Police and recruited them, offering them political protection for drug cartel-political agendas to terrorise certain ethnic areas, and take out the opposition.

Many supporting criminals were even sworn in as rural constables. If you trace the firearm holders of that period, still active today, it would indeed be unexplainable. What has to be taken into serious consideration is the declaration by AC Steve Merai, at a top GPF administrative meeting, where he stated, ‘Black clothes police running drug blocks’ ( Kaieteur News, Aug 11, 2011). That timeline and its analogy of Dr Khemraj’s article are rooted in speculation, and ignore the published suggestive facts to derive a realistic balance, which includes the Chowtie incident with his Rasta wigs; Dougla Alfred; the alleged

PPP assassin, Patrick Gunraj; and others in the 1997 Anna Regina Bank Robbery where a policeman was killed; and further back to the ‘Baldeo tapes’; The ESD is a complex and not an armchair fact-finding undertaking. Analysis has to be rooted from within the ‘yard’; not from external postures, unless there are other agendas. However, reference to Aubrey Norton’s contribution that refers to economics is also grounded in sound reality. It is where the bottle to contain the relevant ESD Baccoo rests.

None of the political academics, some 80% of them, seeking to identify the root causes of socio-ethnic contentions and are committed to overthrowing a government that is not perfect, but has exceeded expectations in a comparative timeline with the past have ever referred to our constrained economics; just politics, venom and speculations dominate. Not one idea emerges to expand the ‘six sisters etc.’ The Copyright legislation proposal was thrown into the public arena. The Opposition Leader denounced it, Stabroek and Chronicle supported it. The

conversation ended there.

A wider grass-root economy with protective legal frameworks will address the Ethnic Security Dilemma.

Our problems lie in the need for honest assessments and realistic initiatives. What we have now is what we have experienced. It’s defined in simple language. The other comes in power; I lose my income, vice versa. Then there is the separate cultural platforms that define how we see things. The tainted ‘Fat fowl’ No-Confidence Vote and that one group is insisting we accept on its terms of normalcy.

Then the recent comparative utterances of the Leader of the Opposition, knowing and saying ‘this to be true’ at one time, and denouncing it little over a decade later, as demonstrated effectively by Imran Khan, televised and across social media. Such a perverse callous declaration of deceit, of falsifications and no cultural cringe of guilt?

This is beyond an Ethic Security Dilemma, isn’t it?

Regards Barrington Braithwaite

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Police need to use non-lethal force Dear Editor, IT was reported recently that police in Berbice shot and killed an intoxicated security guard who did not comply with their orders and approached them wielding a cutlass. One police officer, it was reported, fired five rounds in his direction, of which three hit him causing his death.

Three police officers are on close arrest as a result.

Editor, these three officers are going to get a pat on the wrist, and I predict

that none of them will be criminally charged, even with manslaughter, as they will claim self-defence. It has now become the norm for police officers to video residents who fail to comply with them. It should become mandatory for one of the officers in the group to video the actions of others when excessive force and lethal weapons are used, rather than having a mob mentality and covering up to save themselves.

Editor, my concern is whether or not this trage-

–instead of taking lives dy could have been avoided. Are our police officers trained to deal with intoxicated and differently–abled people? If so, are they practising what they were taught?

In many instances, it is more a case of over-zealous, trigger-happy officers showing who is in control.

Editor, there are non-lethal approaches that law enforcement officers can apply before they shoot and kill someone; excessive force

should be the last resort rather than the initial one.

Officers can use 1.

Pepper spray 2.

Rubber bullets 3.

Collapsible Batons 4.

Tasers 5.

Grenade Sting 6.

Grenade Flash 7.

Tactical communication Officers should be also trained in arm-to-arm combat Each non-lethal method has to be applied according

to the circumstance. For instance, tactical communication may not be effective with a drunken person who cannot reason with others. However, rubber bullets and pepper spray can be effective.

While some will argue that Guyana is a poor country and cannot afford these resources, such an argument supports us being backward and behind times. It also devalues human lives, especially that of the poor. We can afford new ATVs, pickup trucks

and cars for the police but cannot place a concomitant priority for state of the art non-lethal resources. If in fact these vehicles are donated, then we can lobby the donors for non-lethal equipment. Or, are we satisfied with the state of affairs, propagandising that crime is on the decrease?

I plead with the persons in authority to visit this issue and do what is right.

Regards Karan Chand Region Two resident FROM PAGE 6

Ill-informed Stabroek News...

So, in total, if done thoroughly, it can take up to 25 weeks. If some investigations are run concurrently, then this can be reduced.

But clearly not less than six weeks as Stabroek News is suggesting.

Secondly, Stabroek News is suggesting that investigations of these deaths were straightforward. WRONG. You have that silly position,and a below-average defence attorney will destroy you on the witness stand.

No death investigation is straightforward. It’s a legal process, hence it needs to be done thoroughly. Anand Persaud, this is not like editing papers. This is investigating a death.

Stabroek News then erroneously suggested that the problem is only at GPHC. That’s a simplistic approach.

The problem is systemic, but with GPHC being the main referral hospital, it is more evident there. When did this problem start? For years I’ve been arguing that the healthcare system in Guyana is a complete failure. This failure is long before this government. The PPP had 23 years to address it. Successive Ministers of Health have been complete failures.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Dr. Henry Jeffrey, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran et al were all complete failures. Dr. Ramsaran was the worse of the incompetent lot. He couldn’t even dress the part. Should have spent more time attacking the problems of the health service and not protestors.

Dr.Leslie Ramsammy was better off remaining in his

‘lab’ counting bacteria. Dr. Henry Jeffrey passed around from ministry to ministry like an unwanted stepchild who is the black sheep of his family. All complete failures.

All answerable to party and not the patients. This government should have shown leadership and courage in addressing the problems of the obviously failing health service. In my opinion, they were hesitant out of fear of the political fallout. I guess the political wounds inflicted by addressing the failing sugar industry were paramount on their minds.

In my opinion, that is no excuse. It should have been addressed. It needed to be addressed. So, Stabroek News, this problem is a reflection of a system failure that the PPP is responsible for. Twenty-three years were more than enough time to fix them.

Don’t get me wrong.

GPHC is not without blame. The present Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey is reported to have said the errors were down to human errors. The fact is that to err is human. Errors will occur, but processes should be put in place to mitigate this.

Regular risk assessment undertaken. Also. it is reported that there was a shortage of staff, hence the staff was spread thin. That in itself poses a series of questions.

Why provide a service if they do not have the expertise?

The exact point I made on multiple occasions about the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI).

Next question is: What reporting processes GPHC has in place for concerned health professionals to report when a service is not safe due to a lack of minimum numbers of staff? I cannot hold Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey responsible for this, since he took up his role after or around the time of these incidents. Dr. Madan Rambaran, a PPP square peg, should have addressed this. The main responsibility of the Director of Medical and Professional Services is patient safety. Dr. Madan Rambaran had that position for over a decade. Under his watch and scalpel, hundreds of patients died. He failed terribly. Another PPP square peg, Dr. Sheik Amir took over from him, and he, too, was an abysmal failure. The undertakers were happy with them both. Both these former medical directors should hold their heads in collective shame. Failing patients.

I trust Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey learns from their failings.

Thirdly, was the junior doctor ever given an induction into the hospital and the department? When I worked at GPHC, I was not. We were just dropped in at the deep end and left to find our way, unsupervised and unsupported. Many of us spent hours in tears.

Stabroek News further had this to say, “The sequence of events shows clearly that GPHC has major problems with the quality and supervision of its staff.” Let me share these experiences with the readers.

I had worked in Guyana for

a little under two years after medical school. Most times as a junior doctor, I was unsupervised. We were unsupervised. The senior doctors who should be supervising us were at their private practices or private hospitals despite being paid by GPHC. They were paid to be eight hours at GPHC, but if they spent two hours they spent a lot.

The fact is the evidence shows that most healthcare errors are down to system failures. That’s a fact. When a doctor makes an error, that is just the symptom of a failing healthcare system. A well-functioning system supports doctors, ensures doctors are adequately trained and supervised, ensure the credentials of doctors claiming to be specialists are scrutinised; ensure that a medical council is fit for the purpose etc. I know everyone would be calling for the head of the doctor who administered the drugs. I would suggest caution on this position.

The junior clearly made a series of errors. The fact that it was repeated three times would suggest that there was a knowledge gap. He or she clearly did not know an error was being made. Where was the senior supervising doctor? Dereliction of duty.

As consultants in the UK, when things go wrong, we as the attending consultants take ultimate responsibility. We face the coroner’s court to explain what went wrong. We face the patient’s relatives to explain what went wrong. It is irrelevant whether or not we were not present when the error oc-

curred. It is irrelevant if we had not known about the patient. We are the responsible consultants for those patients. The buck stops with us. I say this to highlight the fact that whoever was the senior doctor supervising that junior doctor has to take ultimate responsibility. The junior was undertaking a medical intervention on his or her behalf. It was his or her responsibility to ensure that the junior doctor was adequately trained and supervised. The junior doctor should be supported and not made a scapegoat.

I would hope that these deaths serve as a stimulus for a complete revamp of the healthcare system.

Their deaths should not be in vain. Rename that paediatric oncology department after them. Let their voices drive the ministers to make those changes. Revamp the Medical Council. Frankly, that’s a boys’ club dominated by PPP-aligned doctors and a lawyer. No diversity in either gender or race. Doctors investigating doctors is completely shocking to the rational mind. Who is there for the patients? Revamp GPHC. Get rid of those square pegs in one round hole. Scrutinise masqueraders who are calling themselves specialists.

Focus on the simple, and forget about the tertiary centre complex services. GPHC is not a tertiary centre. It lacks the medical skills, expertise and investigatory tools among other things, as evidenced by this tragedy. Revamp and focus on the health centres. Preventive medicine

is what Third World countries should focus on. The health centres need adequate staff. Nurses, pharmacists etc. No junior doctor should be working at a health centre unsupervised. Have systems in place where doctors and nurses are appraised regularly. Empower patients to provide feedback on the care doctors and nurses are providing. Make it simple for patients to make complaints. Support them during the complaint process. Let doctors and nurses know they are not gods.

Deficient doctors and nurses should be provided opportunities to develop their skills. Make medicine in Guyana patient-centred and not healthcare professional- centred. We doctors are there to serve and not to be served. Most importantly, learn from mistakes. Avoid the temptation to find a scapegoat.

And many other suggestions I have made in the past. For too long poor patients have been paying with their lives. That’s what gets me angry, since my mother also died when I was a child, which made me who I am today: An outspoken and rebel doctor. An advocate for the suffering patients.

Regards Dr. Mark Devonish MBBS MSc MRCP(UK) FRCP(Edin) Consultant Acute Medicine Nottingham University Hospital UK

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

‘Let’s build on this achievement’ …tourism minister says of top Eco-tourism Award

By Clestine Juan WITH Guyana being named the “Best Eco-tourism” destination in the world, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, is calling for continuous work to be done for the country to achieve greater heights in the tourism industry.

The minister made this call during his feature address at the Cara Lodge Hotel on Monday, March 11, 2019, when the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) received the Number One Eco-tourism Destination of the World Award by the Sustainable 100 Top Destinations of the Green Destinations Foundation and ITB Berlin.

“We need to build on this achievement. It is not the end of the road…It should inspire us to further work to achieve greater heights in the tourism industry,” Minster Gaskin told the gathering, with members of the tourism fraternity in attendance.

According to Minister Gaskin, the recognition received teaches Guyana that it is possible for the county to achieve even greater heights in the tourism industry by doing things better, smarter and with more confidence.

Meanwhile, Director General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair, during his address explained that being named the ‘top Eco-tourism Destina-

The Director General of Tourism Donald Sinclair

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock; Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis; the Director General of Tourism Donald Sinclair and Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin holding the awards (Photo by Samuel Maughn)

tion’ is a huge responsibility for Guyana.

Sinclair stressed that the award adds both value and appeal to Guyana and will generate a spike in tourists into the country. “Many committed eco-travellers, learning that the Number One eco-tourism destination is on the north-eastern shoulder on South America, will be moving to our websites, some will be making bookings to travel... It is not in our interest to disappoint them” he added.

The director general revealed that, in June 2020, Guyana will be hosting the Caribbean Studies Association Conference which will see over 500 attendees

interested in sampling the Geo-culture experience.

He urged that the minister responsible for tourism should now be in a position to meet with the finance minister to acquire the adequate funding to develop the eco-tourism of Guyana.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis, who also spoke at the event noted that the country has a lot of room for improvement to remain in the top spot. “We have to continue to markedly advance our efforts to remain one of the best of the best and we (GTA) recognise that we (Guyana) have a lot of room for improvement in areas like renewable en-

Boyfriend freed of manslaughter charge in killing of Sasia Adams THE 21-year-old boyfriend of the late Sasia Adams was on Monday freed by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan of the manslaughter charge which was put against him in June, 2018.

Rick Sewcharran of Lot 22 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was accused of pushing his 19-year-old girlfriend out a moving vehicle on June, 10, 2018, thereby causing her death. It was alleged that on the day in question, the vehicle was being driven by Sewcharran along Lamaha Street when the incident occurred,

after an argument which ensued between the two.

The matter was thrown out by the chief magistrate due to the prosecution’s lack of sufficient evidence against the accused to prove he committed the crime.

Sewcharran was represented

by Attorney-at-Law, Sanjeev Datadin.

Reports are that on the day of the incident, the defendant had rushed Adams to a private hospital and told the nurses that she fell while at home. However, the victim told investigators a different story about what took place.

The girl, who resided at East Street, Georgetown, was seeking treatment when she succumbed. The post-mortem results later revealed that she died due to trauma to her head.

Meanwhile, at court on Monday, the family of the late Sasia Adams broke down in tears following the verdict. Adams was an employee of the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel and was described by many as a jovial and polite young woman.

ergy and energy efficiency, waste management, managing wildlife trade, along with adopting alternative mining practices” Mullis remarked.

With the recent discovery of Guyana’s vast oil reserve, Mullis stressed that the country is at a critical point in its history, where it has an oppor-

Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis

tunity to shift its development path, modernise its economy and positively transform the lives of its citizens. However, he noted, the development path must support Guyana’s Green State Strategy and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Mullis explained that Guyana was awarded the Number One Eco-tourism Destination of the World Award because of its holistic approach to sustainable destination management and development from our now world-renowned tourism enterprise.

Govt bolsters legal team ... going back some 48 years. Dr. Alexis and I were class mates in the first batch of students in the L.L.B. programme at the University of the West Indies. He was more scholarly, I was the one who slid by. Another reason why this occasion is special to me is that Dr. Alexis and I were both Calypsonians at the 1972 Campus Carnival in Cave Hill Barbados. In 1972 the Campus Carnival was the biggest Carnival type event in Barbados.

Dr. Alexis holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in 1971, A Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honours in 1997 and Master of Laws Degree in 1997 from the University of the West Indies. He is also the holder of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Law from the University of Cambridge, England in 1980.

He was admitted to the bar in Grenada in 1980 and was called to the inner bar of the Eastern Caribbean as Queen’s Counsel in August 2008. From February to April 1987 and again from March 1990 to June 1995

Dr. Alexis was Attorney General of Grenada. From February 2010 to present he has been the Course Director in Advanced Administrative Law in the Master of Law and Public Law Programme at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Barbados.

Between 1973 and 1983 he was a Senior Lecturer in Law at the Cave Hill Campus at the University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. Over his years in private practice he has appeared in many cases which have been reported including: Lawrence v Attorney General (2008) 4 LRC 1000 Privy Council, Worme v Commissioner of Police (2004) 2 AC 430 and Attorney General v Davis (2008) 72 WIR 155 (Eastern Caribbean CA). He has been cited by our own court of Appeal in the case of Blake v Barker Civ Apps.

Nos. 60 and 61 of 1986 29 May 1991 (Guyana CA) Robertson said Dr Alexis is recognised as an outstanding professional in the field of legal drafting and has drafted without

From page 3

precedent the Constitutional Judicature Restoration Act 1991 Act No. 19 of 1991 of Grenada. The Act was upheld by the Privy Council in Coard V Attorney General 2007 69 WIR 295.

Dr. Alexis has also acted as Prime Minister of Grenada on many occasions between March 1990 and June 1995. He was a cabinet Minister in the Government of Grenada from December 1984 to April 1987 and again from March 1990 until June 1995. In 1993 he led the Grenada Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. Dr. Alexis is a member of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission of the Caribbean Court of Justice, having been appointed in November 2015.

In spite of his extraordinarily busy academic and professional life Dr. Alexis has had a very active civic life in Grenada. He led the People’s Labour Movement in the Grenada Elections in November 2003 and July 2008.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Jagdeo cited for breach of peace

…gov’t deplores actions, urges widespread condemnation THE Government of Guyana on Monday strongly condemned what it described as “belligerent, inciting, and inflammatory” statements made by Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Sunday during an address at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six).

Jagdeo was at the time addressing a poorly attended memorial for the late former President, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

The memorial was boycotted by top leaders of the PPP as they continue to protest Jagdeo’s handpicking of Irfaan Ali as the party’s presidential candidate for the next elections.

On Sunday, Jagdeo continued to ratchet up calls against the government, telling the Berbice gathering: “Here in Berbice and right across Guyana when the min-

isters or [President David] Granger or [Prime Minister Moses] Nagamootoo come here after the 21st of March, you say to them, chase them out.”

In a statement on Monday, government deemed the remarks as “irresponsible”, noting that Mr. Jagdeo’s “inciting can result in a breach of the law and must be condemned as unacceptable, malicious and mischievous.”

The statement went on to say that Jagdeo has a history of wanton utterances and his most recent at Babu Jaan “has serious implications on peace, race relations and national security, particularly in an election year.”

“The government notes that any call to violence or a breach of public order must be deplored. All Guyanese can be assured, that law enforce-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

ment agencies will take action against anyone who engages in unlawful behaviour and any attempts to “chase” the President, prime minister or minister of the government out of any region of Guyana.”

Back in February, amid concerns that his rhetoric can lead to serious instability, Jagdeo had threatened that

Guyanese man missing in Barbados (BARBADOS TODAY)-Police are seeking the public’s assistance to help locate a missing man.

He is 19-year-old Kadesh Kabeem Bowen of Lee’s Gap, Passage Road, St Michael.

His mother, Bernadette Wilson, reported that Bowen left home last Thursday, March 7 sometime between 9:00-11:30hrs.

Bowen is about six feet tall, has a dark complexion

and wears a low haircut.

He has full brown eyes and speaks with a Guyanese accent. He was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, a khaki cargo pants and red slippers. Police are asking anyone with information about Bowen’s whereabouts to contact emergency number 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, Black Rock Police Station at 417-7500 or 430-7246 or the nearest police station.

Kadesh Kabeem Bowen

Logger remanded for ganja possession A 31-year-old logger of Aroaima was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan to answer to a charge of trafficking in narcotics.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on March 2, 2018, at Landsville, Aroaima, Berbice River, Vibert Rodrigues had in his possession 2000 grammes of ganja for the purpose of trafficking.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was represented by Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson who told the court

that on the day in question it was revealed that someone was found with the drugs and indicated that they got it from his client.

Following the accusation, a search was then conducted at Rodrigues’ home but nothing was recovered. However, when a search was done in his environs, the narcotics were found. Rodrigues, along with his son, was taken into custody.

According to Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, police from the MacKenzie Police

Station went to the Aroaima Police Outpost where they arrested the defendant and he allegedly took them to a section of his yard where two plastic bags with the substance were retrieved.

A statement was then given to the police by the defendant, stating that he was the sole owner of the narcotics. Police opposed bail and Rodrigues was remanded to prison.

there would be no business as usual if his party’s demand for elections by March 19 this year was not met.

Jagdeo had made similar threats when President David Granger found his nominees for the post of chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission ‘not fit and proper.’ In the aftermath of the no-confi-

dence vote, civil society and the diplomatic community have been urging all parties to remain calm and not to provoke the peace. Back in 2018, following President Granger’s appointment of Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of GECOM, Jagdeo had threatened: “If they think they can rig the elections and have the kind of peace that we have now…they are wrong…they are very, very wrong.” He added then, “I hope they are not thinking that in their calculations and it is not coded language.” The former President has been criticised over the years for being intemperate. He had used similar language in March 2015 at a Babu Jaan rally when he told his successor, Donald Ramotar: “The past three years must have been a nightmare to Ramotar…Sometimes we need to administer some-

thing else, some kicks up the asses,” the former President had said.

In a release, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) rejects the Ministry of the Presidency’s misleading characterisation of comments made by the PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant on March 10, 2019, as “inflammatory”.

The PPP general secretary was clear in his call for peaceful protests by party members and supporters after March 21, 2019 – the constitutionally mandated deadline for General and Regional Elections, following the passage of the no-confidence motion. The PPP general secretary was clear in his message – after March 21, 2019, the APNU+AFC coalition government becomes illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional.

Lawmen set cocaine, marijuana afire A QUANTITY of marijuana, cocaine and heroin which were being stored by the Guyana Police Force and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit were on Saturday destroyed at Yarrowkabra, Soedsyke-Linden Highway.

The narcotics represented seizures which were done by both agencies and which were being used as evidence in a number of cases which were taken to the court by the respective agencies.

According to officials of the two agencies present yesterday morning and who provided the media with an update, the total street value of all the substances destroyed, carried a street value of approximately $G187,000,000 (One Hundred Eighty Seven Million) Guyana dollars.

The Head of the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch indicated that the destruction was done on the order of the subject ministry of the two agencies, the Ministry of Public Security.

The substances destroyed represented cases which were taken to the court and were concluded, either by the various accused being convicted, their matter thrown out or cases where some matters were appealed, but were later lost.

We were told that in some instances, there were substances destroyed on Saturday which dated back to cases from since the year 2013.

Yesterday’s exercise saw the substances being removed from a central point in Georgetown and transported to the East Bank of Demerara under heavy security with the eyes and lens of media personnel in tow.

Once at the location, the items were lined up for destruction, but not before random tests were done on most of the samples; this was to assure media operatives that it was indeed the real substances being destroyed.

The press was first briefed about the colour coding in change for the various substances and various media operatives were asked to make any random pick from the dozens of parcels and present those for testing.

The testing was done by representatives of the agencies who were equipped with the various utensils and testing kits and equipment to ensure that the operation on Saturday was above board.

The pit in which the items were to be destroyed was already prepared and the

substances were destroyed by fire, which was fuelled by old tyres and gasoline.

Armed personnel from the two agencies stood guard around the area maintaining a parameter as the cannabis and cocaine went up in flames. In addition to those named substances, there were also heroine and at least one substance which the agencies, even with the help of overseas counterparts, could not determine what they were. Those two were destroyed.

Usually, cocaine is dumped in the deep seas by the law-enforcement agencies and the cannabis is burnt, most times at the incinerator on Princess Street.

Yesterday the Guyana Chronicle questioned the shift from the norm and non-usage of the incinerator and we were advised that among the reasons the incinerator was not used was given the quantity of marijuana to be destroyed.

We were informed that had that amount gone up in flames, the smoke had the potential to affect those who were living nearby.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

$89.4B in investments last year

––Go-Invest says over 1000 jobs created

By Navendra Seoraj THE Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Investment) facilitated $89.4B in investments and $52.2B from executed investments across all platforms and sectors in 2018.

Chief Executive Officer of Go-Invest, Owen Verwey, said the figure was recorded at a time when the agency continues to build investors’ confidence and promote development opportunities that bring lasting benefits to all Guyanese According to the yearend performance indicators, based on investor figures, these investments were expected to create 1,644 jobs when the projects are fully operational. “These new jobs and associated training opportunities will amplify Guyana’s human resource capabilities across key sectors including agriculture, light manufacturing, tourism, services, forestry and energy,” said Verwey during a press conference on Monday.

The actual number of investments were 56, 38 of which were local, 15 Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and three joint ventures.

The FDI agreements were

predominantly within the agriculture, services and manufacturing sectors, along with one in the information and communications technology sector.

Among the FDI projects were the manufacturing of pre-cast concrete construction materials, coco peat from coconut shells, ventures in transshipment and aviation, as well as business process outsourcing services sector.

Verwey said the joint venture agreements executed were in the energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors.

According to investors’ projections, the value of FDI projects totalled $11.3B, while joint ventures totaled $2.3B. According to investors’ figures, the value of local investments in 2018 was $38.5B, primarily in the agriculture, energy and light manufacturing sector. These projects were projected to create at least 1,056 jobs when fully operational.

“Go-Invest also made substantial progress in promoting Guyana’s exports in international markets in 2018. The agency matched 56 local businesses with overseas clients,” said Verwey.

AFC condemns Jagdeo's Babu Jaan hate speech THE ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE has condemned Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, for his “irresponsible and reckless” comments at Babu Jaan on Sunday.

In a statement the AFC said Jagdeo used inflammatory language which can incite persons to violence. Further, the AFC roundly condemns Mr. Jagdeo for his hateful and divisive speech which defiled the occasion which ought to have been a sombre reflection of the life and work of former President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The party notes the public outcry and backlash which Mr. Jagdeo has rightly received in the aftermath of his now annual hate speech.

“The AFC hails Dr. Jagan as a national hero who dedicated his life towards the betterment of the Guyanese

people. Dr. Jagan was widely respected and embraced across political, ethnic, religious and other divides and the party is saddened that his legacy is betrayed by the current iteration of the PPP under Jagdeo.”

The AFC also notes that a large number of senior leaders of the PPP stayed away from the event, clearly signalling their displeasure with Jagdeo’s divisive and authoritarian leadership of the PPP. “The AFC makes an open call to all disaffected members of the PPP to join us as we work harmoniously towards moving Guyana forward after a dark period of division, corruption and victimization, particularly under the Jagdeo Presidency.”

CEO of Go-Invest, Owen Verwey (Adrian Narine photo)

The businesses were involved in the supply of gold, diamonds, coffee, coconut oil, heart-of-palm, pepper, fruit-pulp, dressed-lumber, noodles, beverages and clay brick among other products.

To complement those activities, Go-Invest completed a robust programme of inward and outward missions to explore naturally beneficial investment opportunities and implement trade-related activities aimed at obtaining new markets and increasing exports in 2018.

“This resulted in 36 Guyanese entrepreneurs in the agro-processing, mining and tourism sectors attaining di-

rect access to selected export markets offering the best sales opportunities for their products and services,” said Verwey.

He said the missions resulted in significant gains for both large and small enterprises, with new markets secured for ventures of all sizes, from rice and other food and beverages to scented candles.

Additionally, one mission resulted in the establishment of a joint venture agreement with a Brazilian company.

IMPROVED EXPORTERS Overall, the agency fa-

cilitated improvement of local exporters’ marketing, networking and monitoring tools and capabilities.

This, he said, involved the creation of synergistic business links, allowing local exporters to collaborate easily and securely with their international clients and build capacity in vital aspects of business, such as improving product design and quality and enhancing productivity.

Inward missions facilitated by Go-Invest in 2018 were from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Canada, Brazil, China, French Guiana and Aruba; these included privately organised missions.

There were also pivotal outward missions to the Caribbean, Latin America, China, Cuba, North America and others, especially to promote forestry, food products and large-scale agriculture.

“The success of the agency’s activities in 2018 was heavily based on a commitment to responsible management of funds in order to get maximum mileage from current and capital subventions amounting to $218.7M,” Verwey said.

He further added that strategic participation in trade and investment events in several nations and other key activities were based on best-value considerations.

11

Some of the events included the Trinidad Investment Convention, The China International Import Expo and the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.

The agency also conducted a strong promotion campaign for local food and beverages that included attendance at events like IMBIBE live 2018 in the UK; SIAL, a food and beverage show in Canada and LAC flavours in Chile, among others.

GO-Invest managed to secure 115 international leads and 56 export leads including significant leads for traditional exports like rum, as well as non-traditional exports like frozen fruit pulp.

Despite the many pluses, Verwey said there were shortfalls in the services sector which caused the agency to fall short of its $100 billion investment target.

“We expected a lot more services…we also had a slowing of due diligence process but we have to put in place the process of looking at realistic obligations,” he said.

Verwey also gave the assurance that a lot more is happening in the services sector, especially with the production of oil just a few months away.

East Bank man slapped with several charges SHERWIN Hamilton appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on Monday on four charges ranging from two counts of assault to threatening language and disorderly behaviour.

It is alleged that on

March 7, 2019, Hamilton used threatening language, behaved disorderly at a police station and assaulted Sharon Edward at Old Road, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara.

The 45-year-old, who hails from Sarah Johan-

na, East Bank Demerara, was granted bail in the sum of $100,000 each on the assault charges; $20,000 for the threatening language charge and $10,000 for behaving in a disorderly manner at a police station. When Magistrate Latchman

read the charges to the defendant, he expressed his disapproval in a very disorderly manner as he maintained his innocence.

Hamilton is expected to return to Court on March 18th 2019.

Businesswoman charged with assault THIRTY-three-year-old Canadice Edward of 16 Old Road, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara on Monday appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Providence Magistrate’s Court

charged with assaulting Patrina DeGroot, also of the same village.

Edward pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is alleged that on March 7 2019, Edward assaulted DeGroot at Land of Canaan Old

Road, East Bank Demerara.

Edward was placed on $20, 000 bail and will return to the Providence Magistrate’s Court on March 18, 2019. Meanwhile, Sharon Edward also pleaded not guilty to

assaulting Mary Hamilton of Lot 10, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. The businesswoman was placed on $40, 000 bail and will also return to the Providence Magistrate’s Court on March 18, 2019.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

No disruption to budget spending …finance minister assures public servants they'll be paid …says international community continues to recognise government

By Paul Mc Adam FINANCE MINISTER, Winston Jordan, has allayed the fears of public servants and other government employees in relation to payment of salaries. He rubbished claims by the opposition and other groups that the administration was illegal, pointing to the continued recognition by the international community and the series of high-profile engagements he had had with multinational partners.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday (Monday, March 11, 2019), Minister Jordan sought to assure the public

that, in keeping with the chief justice’s ruling, Cabinet has resigned but government continues to function. The minister explained that there was a budget which was passed by the National Assembly, “and it is for the government to execute that budget. That is what we have been doing and that is what we will continue to do,” Jordan stated.

On the issue of contracts, as allocated for in the 2019 budget, Minister Jordan said that those were part of the government’s responsibility to execute, as part of the budget. “There is nothing that we have done unlawfully and we will continue to observe all the laws of the country.” The opposition has argued that the

government could not sign any new contract.

RECOGNITION With regards to international financial partners and stakeholders, the finance minister said clarifications have been sought (as expected) but none has held back any loan or grant earmarked for this country. At his recent news conference, leader of the opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, had threatened to invite international sanctions on Guyana. However, Jordan pointed out that, as recent as Sunday, March 10, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development approved a technical assistance package for Guyana. This assistance

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

will be used to fund the study for the Belfield to Rosignol Road. The present scope of works for the road expansion project on the East Coast only addresses the widening of the road from Plaisance to Belfield, but the coalition government has proposed continuing the project to Rosignol, Berbice.

The funding for the next leg of the road project resulted from the finance minister’s recent visit to the Middle Eastern country, after he requested assistance from Kuwaiti officials. The approval was granted on Sunday, a normal working day for that country.

In addition, two loan

agreements with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) were signed

by Minister Jordan, earlier this year, and he was set to sign another agreement with the World Bank. The latter will be directed to the oil and gas sector. There was also a recently-concluded successful mission from the Islamic Development Bank, and the potential for Guyana to tap into a total of US$900M in loans and grants.

Minister Jordan’s latest comments come on the heels of his presentation at a recent Guyana Day Forum in Canada, which attracted a large audience. The minister added, “I was the featured

speaker and for the first time we had the room overflowing with people. We had to accommodate some of them in a side room. I had many meetings. I was even invited to a round table, closed door meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister.”

The minister made it clear that if the government was behaving unlawfully, the international community would have already ‘dismounted’. He reiterated, “There is no crisis in Guyana. There will not be a crisis in Guyana. The government is in place. The government is working for all the people. The government has a budget in place!” Minister Jordan is optimistic that Guyanese, including public servants and others, are much wiser than to listen to the “chest thumping and bleatings of the opposition”. He assured, “that come March 21st they will be paid.

Come April 21st they will be paid and come whenever, they will be paid, in accordance with the budget that has been passed,” Minister Jordan said.

Exporters being trained ahead of first oil THE Guyana Office for Investments (Go-Invest) has started to train exporters ahead of first oil which is expected to come on stream in 2020.

Go-Invest is training exporters to get them ready for international trading and translation through the distribution of brochures about investments and exports in relevant foreign languages, including Dutch and Mandarin.

Go-Invest first started its drive to help businesses, with a seminar on oil and gas last year. The seminar helped businesses to understand what they have to do in order to be prepared to contribute to the sector. “We want to ensure that Guyanese are part of the development,” said Chief Executive Officer of Go-Invest, Owen Verwey, during a press conference on Monday.

As part of its efforts, Go-Invest will also be partnering with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to send

participants to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which will run from May 6 to 9. Guyana is looking to have a booth at the prestigious event which will boost the capacity of local business people.

“We want to ensure that Guyanese have essential qualities to meet people and interact and understand the nature of offshore business,” said Verwey.

Go-Invest is also working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to support the new Public-Private Partnership unit and is liaising with the diaspora to promote Guyana as a preferred “Investment Destination.”

One of the most impactful ongoing activities of Go-Invest is participation in the National Quality Infrastructure Project. In 2019, Go-Invest will continue with the implementation of component three of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-financed National Quality In-

frastructure project. A central component of this project is a comprehensive review of the Agency’s current institutional and operational model with the objective of strengthening and improving its ability to promote exports and attract investments.

“A strategic plan will be developed to overhaul Go-Invest’s strategic and operational arrangements and refine its investment promotion and export promotion strategies in keeping with current best practices in trade and investment promotion models,” said Verwey. Negotiations are in the final stages for consultancies to review and re-design the Go-Invest framework, but proposals for the consultancy for developing the investment and export strategy had to be re-submitted. Contracts for both consultancies are expected to be finalised by July 2019.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Venezuelan women rescued in Waini mishap might have been trafficked––Sources UNCONFIRMED reports are that a group of Venezuelan women who were rescued after a boat caught afire off the Waini Coast in the North West District on Sunday may have been trafficked into Guyana by persons on the Essequibo Coast.

Sources at the Kumaka waterfront at Mabaruma told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that no sooner were the passengers rescued by the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and public spirited persons in the area than three Guyanese men believed to be from the Pomeroon, were heard desperately making inquiries about the women’s whereabouts.

The 10 Venezuelan women and three Guyanese women who were on the vessel when tragedy struck, were reportedly on their way to seek medical attention at the time at the Mabaruma Hospital.

The Guyanese women reportedly told persons at Mabaruma that the Venezuelan women related to them that they were coming to Guyana to meet a friend, while others in the group related that they were going to be collected by persons at Charity.

A source at Charity told the Guyana Chronicle that the Venezuelan women are oftentimes exploited and their passports taken away by persons who collect them at the port.

On Sunday, another Guyanese woman, 73-year-old Phylis Archer and her husband, Carlos Archer, were on board the vessel when tragedy struck.

The elderly woman was airdashed to the city for treatment late on Sunday while her husband, who was blind, is feared dead. The body of another man, Antonio Wells, washed up on the Shell Beach late on Sunday. The remaining male passengers were rescued but did not show up for medical

A group of Venezuelan women who were rescued following the accident on Sunday. They were taken to Mabaruma in the North West District for treatment.

attention at Mabaruma.

On Sunday morning, the Venezuelan passenger boat was reportedly heading to Charity with 22 persons on board when it caught fire and exploded off the Waini Coast around 0730hrs. Reports are that the boat departed the Bolivarian Republic around 04:30hrs on Sunday and was on the final leg of the trip, which started the day before at Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela.

Archer told the Guyana Chronicle from Mabaruma that after the fire started, the rough waters prevented her from grabbing her husband.

“We were going down and I tried to hold on to him,” she said. Archer, who lived in Venezuela some eight years, said after the boat caught fire, the engines exploded and she held on to the sinking vessel.

She said she saw others trying to swim to shore which was a far distance from where the incident occurred. The

elderly woman said she had already given up when she heard shouting and was taken into a rescue boat. She said she suffered severe burns about her body, including her hands, feet, torso and face. She was reportedly rescued by personnel working for the Protected Areas Commission who were stationed at Shell Beach. The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard also raced to the scene.

The boats are said to regularly make the trip between Guyana and Venezuela, and on most occasions, boat-loads of Venezuelans and persons of Guyanese heritage make the trip here.

Each passenger pays a sum of US$200 for a one-way ticket to make the journey.

The weekly trips have become a frequent occurrence ever since the economic woes in the Venezuela took a toll on that country’s population.

Skeldon Hospital to commission state-of-the-art digital lab THE Skeldon District Hospital is the first medical facility in Region Six, East Berbice Corentyne, to receive a state-of-the-art digital laboratory.

Administrator of the Skeldon Hospital, Shurla Scott, explained that the new digital laboratory, which is fully equipped and completely furnished, will soon be commissioned by the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence.

According to Scott, the laboratory will generate, store and process data (re-

cords and results) which will, in turn, allow the hospital to serve the residents of Upper Corentyne. The new digital lab will reduce the number of referrals to the New Amsterdam Hospi-

Inside the new digital laboratory at the Skeldon District Hospital

Taxi driver remanded after narcotics was found in vehicle A TAXI driver was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan on a charge of possession of narcotics.

It is alleged that on March 6, 2019, in the Upper Essequibo Region, Bertanand Schultz had in his possession 1923 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The 41-year-old is a resident of Middletown, Roraima, Berbice River and he is represented by Attorney-at–Law Damion Da Silva.

Da Silva told the court that on the day in question, his client was driving from Aroaima to Ituni to transport two packages when he was stopped by police officers who told him and the occupants of the vehicle to

exit. A search was then conducted which revealed a haversack behind the driver’s seat. He noted that the other passengers were not charged.

According to Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, one more person was in the vehicle along with Schultz when he was stopped at a road block. A search was then conducted and a grey haversack was recovered containing two compressed parcels in the back seat. When questioned, Schultz allegedly confirmed to the police that it was his substance. Bail was refused to the defendant based on the seriousness of the offence. He will appear in court again on April 5, 2019.

tal. Scott also disclosed that staff within the hospital’s various departments will be trained to use the digital devices. According to the Director of Regional Health Services, Jevaughn Ste-

phen, the goal is to streamline all the public hospitals in the region to be digitally equipped, a necessary step as the world continues to move forward technologically.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

‘Buxton Mash’ ignites East Coast

Young masqueraders performing as part of the ‘Buxton Mash’

Scores of persons feted as part of the ‘Buxton Mash’

Part of the mammoth crowd that filled the Buxton area

By Vishani Ragobeer THE Buxton/ Foulis ‘Mash’ ignited the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), on Sunday, as hundreds of revellers enjoyed the last of the Mashramani celebration in grand style.

Chairperson of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Region Four, Genevieve Allen, shared that this is an annual event that has been held for the last 15 years.

“It is an event that is organised mainly by the Buxton/Foulis area, but attracts persons from the whole East Coast and even farther,” Allen shared.

Furthermore, she underscored that the event is one which brings together the people of the area and allows them to celebrate Guyana’s national observance – Mashramani

-- in grand fashion.

The event was scheduled to start at 13:00hrs and then 14:00hrs, but the mobilisation really started at 15:00hrs. Perhaps, the ‘East Coasters’ needed the extra few minutes to recharge from the midnight J'ouvert that had ended only a few hours before that.

It started through a narrow street, right where 'Chicken King' grill is found. It was a sight to see the three large trucks- which were, by the way, filled with people ready to fete, squeeze through here.

The bands then proceeded to the 'linetop' where they headed towards the Buxton Ground, located just shy of the seawall.

There, hundreds of persons flocked the ground to enjoy the rest of the sunny Sunday afternoon and then feted into the night.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 12, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 12, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 12, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Press body, PM roast Jagdeo …warn him against attacks on media workers

PRIME Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and the Guyana Press Association have blasted former President and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, for his constant attacks on members of the media.

The GPA said it views these continued attacks as encouraging threats to the lives and livelihoods of its media professionals and media houses. His most recent attack on the profession came in the form of an attempt to deflect from answering questions, as he quipped the question posed by journalist Nazima Raghubir as “stupid”.

The opposition leader’s attacks over the months have been documented by the GPA, the association said, adding “these are consistent with attacks he made in the past as a sitting Head of State from political platforms. These were and are not limited to referring to journalists as ‘Carrion crows and vultures’ and ‘opposition media’ and singling out media houses.”

According to the GPA, over the months, Jagdeo has referred to private media outlets as “fake news”, “biased news”, or “government aligned news”. He is also on record saying that he will call on his supporters to boycott one newscast and its parent company. He has singled out the privately owned Kaieteur News and state-owned Guyana Chronicle and former GPA President, Gordon Moseley, accusing him of being “government aligned”.

“Jagdeo’s comments are complemented by equally vitriolic and dangerous statements carried on his personal and party social media pages. In two recent posts, a news entity was referred to as “fake news” and a journalist as a “propagandist”, both of which have attracted negative and threatening comments. “The GPA recognises that the hierarchy of the Jagdeo party supports these attacks as we note its continued silence on Jagdeo’s attacks on the free press and freedom of expression. We wish to remind this Jagdeo-led party that a free press, whose work is

news conference by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who scandalously labelled sections of the non-government media as ‘paid press’.

“That was the period when journalists were labelled as vultures and carrions; when a journalist was

Bharrat Jagdeo

done without hindrance and attacks, is among the basic tenets of democracy that the party preaches about.”

“We will hold Jagdeo accountable if any harm is brought to our colleagues in keeping with his attacks. If these attacks continue, we will not hesitate to call on our members to boycott press events involving the leader of the opposition. Additionally, we stand by editorial sanctions media houses see fit to take in response to any continued attacks on the press. At this time, the GPA would like to remind all political parties, politicians and personalities, that journalists have a right to conduct their duties without fear of intimidation.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Nagamootoo has also condemned the recent attack on Ragubir.

The prime minister, in an invited comment, stated: "I have noted the attack on the GPA President and other journalists by the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, and elements of his party junta. Journalists must be allowed to practise their profession without fear or harassment.”

“Calling the GPA President ‘stupid’ is not only gender persecution, but an attack on journalism and press freedom. This type of intolerance has led invariably to the assassination of journalists and economic sanctions against media houses, and should not be tolerated in Guyana,” the prime minister pointed out.

In his recent ‘My Turn’ Column dated March 3, 2019, in the Guyana Chronicle publication, Prime Minister Nagamootoo pointed out a recent

assassinated and another jailed for five years after being tried for treason. Then an out-spoken media critic was doused with fresh faeces at a time when no one thought that a journalist could be dismembered, a la Jamal Khashoggi,” prime minister

wrote. The Guyana Press Association (GPA), in a press statement dated March 11, 2019, condemned the continued attacks by Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, on media professionals.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who was the for-

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mer Vice-President of the International Organisation of Journalists (IOJ) and a founder of the now-defunct, Union of Guyanese Journalists, offered his solidarity to the GPA President and her colleagues, and expressed confidence that: "The coalition government will not allow the intemperate attacks to muzzle journalists."

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Region 9 Chair accused of abusing State resources

…REO says actions affecting region, operations of RDC REGION Nine’s Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock, is refusing to acknowledge the Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, who was reinstated by the government amid objections by the opposition-appointed councillors, on the grounds that he is disrespectful. But on the other hand, Parker is accusing the regional chairman of crippling the administration’s operation by withholding his signature, when finances are being sought from the Regional Economic Fund, and failing to hold statutory meetings bi-monthly as required.

Parker said the regional chairman has been abusing government’s resources to carry out political work on behalf of his party – the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

On Monday, Parker said since his return to Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) as the REO on January 7, 2019, the regional chairman has refused to engage him on critical issues concerning the development of the region.

Parker noted that since March 9, 2019, the council has not had its statutory

meeting. Instead of meeting with the council, Allicock has been out campaigning for the PPP/C. The action of the regional chairman, Parker said, is hurting the region. “The RDC has to meet and discuss issues so that the administration could take corrective measures, but as it is right now, my officers have to be going looking and meeting with residents. We have regional councillors across this region, there are supposed to be bringing these issues for discussion and resolution so that we at the administration can take corrective actions within the ambit of our budget,” Parker explained.

The REO said, added to that, the regional chairman has been withholding his signature. He explained that in the absence of an ‘Imprest,’ the Regional Economic Fund, which is under the control of the chairman, is used to facilitate trips and other operational activities, however, when advances are sought; the regional chairman withholds his signature.

NOT RECOGNISING REO The regional chairman, in

Region Nine REO Carl Parker

Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock

an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, confirmed that he is not recognising Parker as the REO. According to him, Parker is a disrespectful individual, who fails to put aside politics in the execution of his duties.

In an attempt to give greater insight into the internal problems facing the Regional Democratic Council, Allicock furnished the Guyana Chronicle with two letters – one addressed to him by the REO, and another, which entails his response.

In a memo dated February 4, 2019 addressed to the regional chairman, under the subject title – Misuse

of Government Resources, Parker expressed several concerns, including not being able to meet with the regional chairman.

“Your prolonged absence along with that of your vice-chairman’s has virtually crippled the work of the administration since advances applied for cannot be processed without either or both signatures. In addition to the absence of yourself and vice-chairman, I am aware that government’s resources, both material and finances, are being used by your office to promote your party’s programme and also to spread social disorder among com-

munities of the region,” the REO told the regional chairman in the memo.

In that memo, Parker urged that Allicock desists from the abuse of government resources, warning that failure to do such, would result in him (Parker) utilising his power to block any abuse.

“Consequently, I am requesting that systems [be] put in place to have the administration have access to the Economic Funds for routine administrative purposes,” Parker wrote.

In his response on February 8, 2019, the regional chairman told the REO that he had no authority to write him a memo, and accused him of failing to uphold the ethics of the profession. According to him, the REO was, and continues to be disrespectful. “As the Clerk of Council, you are supposed to report to me and not vice versa,” Allicock told Parker while reminding that he (Allicock) is the elected official and the head of this region.

He stated that Parker has no respect for his office, which appears to be his “routine practice.”

Meanwhile, in justifying his absence from office, Alli-

cock said he has been visiting villages cross the region in keeping with a plan he had since 2018. He said instead of carrying out the functions of the REO, Parker has been on the campaign trail ridiculing the Office of the Regional Chairman. He also accused the REO of stripping him of his vehicle but said such actions would not prevent him from executing his functions, noting that he now utilises his personal vehicle and that of his party – the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

However, it was explained that the regional chairman is still in possession of a Prado which was bought for him in 2016. What was taken from him was a second vehicle (a NISSAN) which he took from another regional official to complement the Prado.

On Monday, Allicock said he is not prepared to work with Parker and will not acknowledge him as the REO. While the day to day operation of the RDC is being affected, it has not reached the stage where multimillion dollar projects are being affected. Contracts for these projects are still at the tendering stage.

Mabaruma walkway proves beneficial to dozens at Silver Hill IN the past, the residents of the hill-top community of Silver Hill looked for short-cuts to reach the town of Mabaruma and the list included a swampy trek through the forested area on planks.

Today, the situation at the North West District community has changed and approximately 21 families of the community can walk in ease along a bridge which the town council started constructing in 2017. The 620 feet walkway is almost completed.

The bridge stretches over the swamp but a small waterway, called the Attabani Creek, made the trip difficult in the days prior to the bridge’s fruition, especially during the rainy season. Residents navigated on planks to get to Mabaruma.

Recently, the Guyana Chronicle spoke to Egbert Dubra, the Superintendent of Works at the town council, during a visit to the area, and he noted that the bridge was seen as a major link for the people of

Egbert Dubra, Superintendent of Works at the Mabaruma Town council

Silver Hill. He led this publication on a tour of the structure which lies between the two hilly communities.

Dubra said that the project’s conceptualisation started when the council came into fruition post2015 when discussions were held

between Wilfred Murray, the Community Development Council (CDC) official of Silver Hill, Mr Monty Broomes, the owner of the land, and also Town Clerk , Barrington Ward.

He said that the municipality’s proposed projects saw the bridge being put on the table in 2017. A sum of $1.5M was expended on the first part of the project which covered 320 feet and included construction as well as clearing of the pathway for the bridge. In 2018, another subvention to the council from the government saw a sum of $1M being expended on the project and an additional 300 feet was built.

“We are hoping that from the 2019 budget proposal, we can complete another 500 feet, which is the remaining length of the project,” he said. He said approximately 160 persons from Silver Hill are benefitting from the project and he added that there is a popular playground at the community which is usually

The walkway which links the town of Mabaruma with the nearby community of Silver Hill

filled with visitors during the holiday seasons and special events.

He said that the area where the bridge lies is ideal for tourists, given the scenes which one encounters along the route.”I think its serving its purpose, maybe one can do bird-watching here,” he said with a smile. Dubra pointed out too that the schoolchildren of Silver Hill are the most important beneficiaries of the project, since it saves them time to get to school. He expressed hope that the project will be completed this

year and he also noted that the erection of lamps along the route would add to the aesthetics of the facility. The town council, which was formed in 2016 when Local Government Elections (LGE) was held for the first time in more than two decades, has been working on several projects within the town. Among the lot is the construction of a farm-to-market road at the village of Koberimo Hill. That project will see vehicles entering the village for the very first time.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Fish processing facility at Smith Creek takes shape

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– residents rejoice at benefits in the making

By Alva Solomon

Residents of Smith Creek, Mabaruma Sub-district, Region One, are eagerly waiting the commissioning of the Fish and Crab Processing facility to begin benefitting from market opportunities.

According to a release from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe visited the facility last Thursday.

Augustine Lackan, a resident related that villagers never envisaged such an economic project could have been established in their village. The facility will be completed this month.

“We never think this could happen and we just one way all the time because you know plenty times when people catch crab to sell in Kumaka, the market is the problem, but now we gon bring our crab here and they gon buy it and the fish is the same so this is very good. It will be a benefit for us and even our children with their schooling,” he said.

Several of the village’s menfolk have already begun

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe greets young residents of Smith Creek

benefitting from the project which created job opportunities during the establishment phase. Villagers were paid to source lumber used on the facility and to transport sand and stones and other hardware. They also earned a daily income for working along with the skilled builder.

According to resident, Michael Williams, persons were also employed to construct a special dam around the facility to cater for the high tides since the water level would rise significantly during spring tide. “The creek …will pull out the water from the trench which we will control by this koker so the water

can’t lodge here and it will go so, and here always keep dry,” the resident said. He said the project will positively impact residents’ spending power since they do not have “real work” and often rely on crab-catching and fishing for a living.

Jerry Bunbury, another villager who was a member of the land clearing team, said he and his family are already benefitting from the project.

Reynold Santiago, another villager and the sole breadwinner for his home, noted that the project is beneficial for him and his family.

He said too that in the future, when the project ma-

Enough is Enough

Social Protection Minister Amna Ally (right) tells RUSAL executives, Vladimir Permyakov and BCGI Personnel Manager, Mikhail Krupenin (left) that government wants nothing less than the reinstatement of fired workers (Delano Williams photo)

THE Ministry of Social Protection’s Labour Department has stated that “enough is enough” regarding the RUSAL standoff and has once again invited representatives of the company for a conciliation meeting today.

In a release yesterday (Monday, March 11, 2019) the department said that the call for the meeting was in keeping with the Labour Act, as the impasse had dragged on for far too long. “The ministry would like to notify all and sundry that the differences subsisting among the work-

ers of the RUSAL, the management of RUSAL and the administration of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union have gone on for far too long and it is time that they be resolved in the interest of all stakeholders including the nation,” the release stated.

“It is time that normalcy be restored and, while all previous attempts have yielded very little, the Ministry feels that the time has come when all parties should realise that ‘enough is enough’, and approach all issues with magnanimity.”

The fallout began

mid-February when employees of Russia Aluminum (RUSAL), the major partner in the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BGCI), protested against the company’s imposition of a one per cent wage increase.

The employees also protested against other grievances such as unsafe working conditions at the company. Subsequent to the strike, BCGI issued an edict evicting a number of workers and their families from Maple Town, Aroaima, a residential community owned by the company, while some 90 workers

Houses near Smith Creek, Mabaruma Sub-district, Region One

terialises, he will be supplying crab for processing at the facility. Bernard Bowering, a father of eight, said the initiative will help him to better provide for his family in the long run. The crab season is approaching and during this time, they are usually in abundance. For decades selling fish and crab was the main economic earner for the close to 250 residents of Smith Creek, and today, they can boast about a facility which will ensure they add value to their catch.

This facility will be supported by neighbouring villages of Morawhanna and Imbotero and during the initial

stages of planning. Minister Garrido-Lowe said these economic projects of establishing small industries in villages as a source of income generation are in keeping with the ministry’s objectives and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Minister Garrido-Lowe, through the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, has been able to successfully accomplish the undertaking.

“The APNU+AFC Government is of the view that every Guyanese deserves to live a good life. President Granger has a 10-Point plan for the hinterland and one of them is the ‘Hinterland

Happy Household’ and with this project every family will be able to earn. They will then be able to build better homes, furnish their homes and generally support their families like never before.

The APNU+AFC Government is a Government for all our people, because we care,” she said.

Villagers said they are committed to seeing the project being fruitful and are looking forward to the support from all Guyanese once the product is available on the shelves of supermarkets across Guyana, similar to the Pakaraima Flavours and the Rupununi Essence.

…Govt summons RUSAL to conciliation meeting today were fired.

Social Protection Ministers, Amna Ally and Keith Scott; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman and others from the Labour Department previously met with the RUSAL executives but a resolution is yet to be arrived at. Much contention still exists.

“We had made four small demands of RUSAL and to date none seems to be successful; as a matter of fact what has been happening is that RUSAL is making demands of us,” said Minister Ally at a recent meeting.

“This is something we will not tolerate from RUSAL at all…I said in my first engagement with the company that they are very unreasonable and Government is not going to allow that.”

The company refuses to acknowledge the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) as the representative of the workers while the sacked employees have not only picketed this decision but have retaliated

by blocking the Berbice River to stymie the company’s shipment of bauxite.

On the other end, RUSAL has declared that it had not been making profits in recent years hence its insignificant wage increase. It also stated that the company was left with no other alternative but to terminate the workers who took part in strike action while additional workers were terminated due to the company’s closing of sections of its operations. Last Saturday, Minister Trotman visited workers at the site of the river blockage to receive a firsthand report on the matter.

“I am giving support as best as I can… But as the Minister of Natural Resources, I believe it is my duty to go and meet and to hear from them [workers on strike], as we have heard from the company,” he had said, later adding: “I don’t believe that we could continue as we have been for too much longer and in my personal view… if that relationship is so fractured, perhaps it is time we look elsewhere… we can’t have

workers crying out like this; they are Guyanese… I met fathers, I met mothers, I met persons who haven’t seen their families in over a month, and it is heart rending and I believe something has to be done soon.” His remarks came even as the Minister ordered the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to conduct a technical and legal assessment of all RUSAL operations following reports of malpractices.

Meanwhile, GB&GWU General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, has described the company’s actions as entirely disrespectful making clear his call for the Government to head to arbitration as provided for in the Labour Act. Although arbitration remains an option, the Government agreed from the very inception to examine all options with the hope that “good sense prevails”. The release stated: “The Ministry is hopeful that all Parties will accept its invitation and address the issues with the maturity [they] deserve.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Guyana Gold Board commences series of outreach …Puruni the first stop; other mining districts to be visited The Guyana Gold Board on Saturday March 9, 2019, held an outreach at Puruni Landing (Region seven Cuyuni-Mazaruni) targeting gold miners, traders and dealers in the mining district. It was the first in a series of outreaches for 2019 as the Board seeks to maximize gold declarations and foster greater compliance with laws and regulations, including those to do with anti-money laundering.

Making presentations at the outreach held at the Majestic Elegance Puruni Guest

House were General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board, Ms Eondrene Thompson, and a number of senior officers of the Government agency.

Among the key messages of the outreach were to enlighten persons about the benefits of selling their gold to the Guyana Gold Board, the documentation required for selling gold to the Guyana Gold Board and the role of the Gold Board in the national efforts against money laundering, especially where persons use gold trading for nefarious activities. It was explained that, while the

Gold Board had licensed a number of dealers to carry out the business of buying and selling gold, persons enjoyed a number of benefits when selling their gold to the Guyana Gold Board. The benefits included access to records for Guyana Revenue Authority or commercial bank purposes, just weights and a facility whereby the client could receive 10 percent of his or her payments in a US dollar account at any commercial bank.

Thompson stressed upon the persons gathered to sell their gold legally either to

one of the eight licensed dealers who act as agents of the Guyana Gold Board or to the Guyana Gold Board itself. She however acknowledged that many persons did not have the means to get from their location to either of the Guyana Gold Board offices at Bartica or Georgetown. She informed the miners that the Gold Board would return to the community to engage in mobile purchasing, where they would visit for two or three days and conduct transactions with the miners, assuring them of just weights and fair payment.

The Gold Board General Manager also sought to quell the fears of persons who may not have all of their documentation in order. “Some of you [might believe] that if you come to us and your documents are not up to date, we will seize your gold.

This is not true. We are obligated to purchase all gold that comes to us,” stressed

General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board Ms Eondrene Thompson making her presentation during the outreach as miners listen

Thompson.

It was clearly explained to the miners and other persons how payments for their gold was calculated and how taxes and royalties were deducted. Further, the formula for calculating the density of their gold was explained in detail, along with a conversion table that demystifies the conversion of grams, pennyweights and ounces.

Thompson urged the miners to pay their taxes since

“nothing is free” and their tax dollars help in the development of the country.

After the presentations from Thompson and her technical officers, the miners shared a number of their burning concerns, among them access to mining lands, landlordism and the alleged destruction of their property by agents of large claimholders, and the issuing of receipts without names for gold purchases.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

FROM BACK PAGE

Johnson rates season...

Their closest rival, the Hurricanes, moved to 131.2 points but technically, the Hurricanes must gather 23 points out of the maximum 24 if they are to have any chance of winning the title – a feat which is quite improbable.

However, if the results go the Jaguars way, the feat can be credited to the astute leadership of Captain Leon Johnson who has led the team in all five championship-winning seasons. The 31-year-old Johnson, while accepting that this season was one of the toughest, refused to take all the accolades for himself, but instead attributed the team’s success to the chemistry within the squad.

“Definitely it was one of the toughest seasons for us. We lost three games but I guess everything can’t be the same every year, but I am glad the guys put things together and came out victorious,” he said.

Johnson further mentioned that while the team did not live up to expectations during the latter part of the tournament, he lauded the team effort the Jaguars displayed through-

Veerasammy Permaul

out the season.

“This is a sign of a true championship side,” he declared. “When we were under pressure, we delivered the goods.” Wicket-keeper batsman Anthony Bramble was the leading run-scorer for the Jaguars with 580 runs with two hundreds and a fifty, while left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed 42 wickets.

However, Romario Shepherd has been the standout performer of the season, with 37 wickets and 315 runs.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul finished second with 542 runs at an average of 33.87, with one century and one half-century. Johnson was in third position with 480 runs scored at an average of 32, with four half-centuries. Vishaul Singh scored 366 with three half-centuries, while Chandrapaul Hemraj scored 350 runs with a hundred and one fifty. Christopher Barnwell (307), was the only other Jaguars’ batsman with over 300 runs.

Raymond Reifer (26), Clinton Pestano (22) and Keemo Paul (20) were among the wickets this season.

FROM PAGE 30

‘Raising the Standard’...

“Sports is the best avenue for social cohesion, sports is what can lay the foundation for future generations to come, so once again congratulations to the

GFF, congratulations to the BFA and I want all of you to be assured that you have your municipality support and we will continue to work with you to ensure that football moves from strength to strength.”

Before kicking the season off, President Forde, in delivering feature remarks to the gathering which included some parents, thanked GFF executive member Ms. Carmen Williams for the role she played in ensuring the administration of the sport was brought back to life.

Mayor Marshall also came in for high praise for

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the tremendous contributions he has been making so far along with his Council towards the development of young people and in this instance, football.

Forde, who informed the gathering that he is a son of Bartica, committed the Federation to fully support the BFA in all its endeavors on and off the field of play; reminiscing on the days when the community churned out a number of quality players including the late Neil Hernandez.

Speaking to empowerment of the BFA, Forde stated, “Every competition that

will be organised over the next year and beyond under my leadership by this association will receive significant funding from the Guyana Football Federation. This league is receiving one million dollars for its operation with balls and other materials; the under13, 15, 17 and very soon the under-20 will receive funding at various levels.”

Forde challenged the members to hold the BFA executive accountable as they do not have any reason not to be playing the game in the community. I will be sitting down with them later to-

day (yesterday) and I would be absolutely candid in how I feel about the present, my thoughts about the past and my expectations for the future. Bartica can restore itself to a progressive and productive football community within this country.

The raw talent that exists in this community is the envy of many other parts of Guyana. Bartica needs to stand up and be counted; it has been too long.”

Forde also noted that this new beginning can yield huge dividends as long as the body remains committed and focused on development, reminding the GFF is committed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Zidane returns as Real Madrid coach -10 months after leaving

By Rik Sharma

MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid have reappointed Zinedine Zidane as coach on a three-year deal following the sacking of Santiago Solari, the club said on Monday, after the European champions’ season collapsed inside a week.

“Real Madrid’s board met today and decided to end the contract linking Santiago Solari to the club as first team coach and, at the same time, have offered to keep him at the club,” Madrid said in a statement.

“The board have named Zinedine Zidane as the new coach to be incorporated immediately for the rest of the season and the next three, until June 30, 2022.”

Frenchman Zidane won an unprecedented three consecutive Champions League titles with the club before resigning in May last year, with his replacement Julen Lopetegui sacked in October and Solari lasting just over four months in charge.

Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League in the last 16 by Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday after

two Clasico defeats by Barcelona, knocking Real out of the Copa del Rey and leaving them 12 points adrift of the Catalan Liga leaders.

Solari, a former Real Madrid and Argentina midfielder who took over at the Bernabeu on Nov. 13, had replaced former Spain manager Lopetegui but failed to bring success to the Bernabeu.

Real had won the Champions League for three straight seasons under Zidane but lost 4-1 at home to Ajax to go out 5-3 on aggregate, their earliest exit since 2006.

TOP FOUR The 42-year-old Solari was in charge of Real for 22 games in all competitions, losing eight and drawing two, and helped the Spanish giants claim the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

Solari leaves Real third in the Liga standings, with Zidane’s job now to keep them in the top four.

Barca beat Real 1-0 in the league at the Bernabeu on March 2 just three days after winning 3-0 in Madrid to knock their arch-rivals out of the Copa del Rey in the

semi-finals.

Solari’s side thrashed Real Valladolid 4-1 on Sunday in his final stand as coach. Zidane, who won the World Cup with France as a player, is expected to take charge of training on Tuesday.

Zidane, who took over at Real in January 2016 after Rafa Benitez was dismissed, won the Champions League that season, before claiming a La Liga and European Cup double in 2017.

Five days after a third triumph in last season’s Champions League final over

Zinedine Zidane played for Real Madrid from 2001 to 2006 and originally managed them from 2016 to 2018.

Liverpool, the former Real Madrid midfielder decided to walk away, saying it was the right moment to depart.

The 46-year-old won nine trophies at Madrid and is considered a hero by supporters after managing Real in one of the club’s most successful eras.

Taylor surpasses Crowe with 200 IAAF maintains ban on Russian as New Zealand look to force win athletics over doping scandal

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Ross Taylor achieved a long-held ambition by surpassing mentor Martin Crowe on the all-time century list when he scored 200 as New Zealand remained on course to force a result in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh on Monday.

Henry Nicholls also stroked his way to 107 - his fifth test century - as the hosts declared at 432 for six for a 221-run first innings lead after tea on the fourth day.

Trent Boult and Matt Henry then reduced the visitors to 80 for three and Bangladesh still need another 141 runs to make New Zealand bat again at the Basin Reserve.

Mohammad Mithun was unbeaten on 25 and Soumya Sarkar 12 not out as New Zealand look to force a victory even after the first two days were completely washed out.

Taylor’s 18th test century, and third double ton, moved him ahead of former New Zealand captain Crowe, who retired with 17 test hundreds and had spent the last few

Ross Taylor scored his third double-century in Tests Getty Images

years of his life mentoring the right-hander. Crowe died from cancer in 2016.

“It has been a while since I made 17,” said Taylor, who moved level with Crowe with 107 against West Indies in late 2017. “17 was such a big number I think neglected 18. “I said to Hogan (Crowe) sorry it’s taken so long but I think he will be proud.”

The 35-year-old Taylor brought up his milestone with a six over wide long on against Taijul Islam and then his 200 with three runs off Abu Jayed. Jayed had earlier bowled a superb over to Taylor when the batsman was dropped twice, had an-

other catch fall agonisingly short and also almost played on. He was on 20 at the time.

After completing the double century, Taylor was dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman in the following over when he tried a big hit.

While Taylor managed to surpass Crowe and move into second on New Zealand’s all-time centuries list, he is still two behind current captain Kane Williamson, who scored 74 earlier in the day and suffered a left shoulder injury. Williamson went to hospital for scans and did not take the field in Bangladesh’s second innings. He will have further scans on Tuesday.

Taylor and Williamson had combined late on the third day with New Zealand struggling at 8-2. They showed aggressive mindset on Monday and combined for 172 runs for the third wicket before Nicholls and Taylor put on 216 in their stand.

New Zealand won the first Test in Hamilton by an innings and 52 runs, with the third match starting on Saturday in Christchurch.

GFSCA to play in Antigua this weekend THE Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association will travel to Antigua this weekend where they will play the Antigua &Barbuda Softball Association in four games before returning home.

According to the GFSCA, the squad reads: Anil Beharry (Captain), Anand

Persaud Vice/Captain, Pooran Singh, Rakesh Goverdhan Arjune, Ricky Deonarain, Kenrick Persaud, Roger Dobay, Patrick Khan, Vishnu Hardyal, Valmicky Dilchandr, Dennis De Andrade, Vicky Bharosay, Ramchand Ragbeer and Khemwantie Singh-Manager. The team departs tomorrow.

DOHA (Reuters) - World athletics governing body IAAF has decided not to lift a ban on Russia’s athletics federation over doping, saying on Monday it was still waiting to receive data collected from Moscow and financial compensation for its investigations.

Russia’s athletics federation (RUSAF) has been suspended since 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that found evidence of widespread doping in the sport. The IAAF’s governing council discussed the possibility of lifting the ban at a meeting in Doha on Sunday and Monday.

But Rune Andersen, chair of the IAAF’s Russia Taskforce, said Moscow had yet to meet two conditions.

“Logistical” issues had held up financial compensation, including for the taskforce’s costs and legal costs in cases Russia had brought to the courts, he said, adding that the IAAF had also not yet received analytical data and samples from a Moscow lab, which are still being assessed by WADA. “Those (issues) need to be resolved. As soon as we have everything we need... we will seriously reconsider and recommend to the IAAF council for reinstatement (of Russia),” Andersen said.

Should it fail to meet IAAF conditions, Russia could risk sending a team to September’s world athletics championships in Doha, Qatar. Individual Russian athletes would be allowed to compete as neutrals as they have since 2015 provided they meet certain criteria that showed they had operated in a dope-free environment.

SEEKING FUNDS Russian officials and IAAF president Sebastian Coe said Russia owes the governing body about $3 million and discussions were continuing. “Of course, we have worked and are working to finding sources of funding to pay the debt,” Dmitry Shlyakhtin, president of Russia’s athletics federation, said in a statement.

“This is quite an ample sum for the fed-

eration. Let’s not forget that the federation lost sponsors in connection with the doping scandal. You cannot call the federation’s financial situation simple. In parallel we are in talks with the IAAF regarding payments.”

Russia’s sports ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

Russian authorities have denied their doping programme was state-sponsored but have accepted that senior officials were involved in providing banned substances to athletes, interfering with anti-doping procedures or covering up positive tests. The IAAF also said the Taskforce had noted comments made to German television network ARD over the weekend that some coaches, with links to the doping affair, were involved again with coaching Russian national team athletes.

“This runs counter to assurances the Taskforce has previously received from RUSAF that it is disassociating itself from the old regime,” the IAAF said. “The Taskforce will be asking RUSAF for urgent clarification.” Coe said he believed progress had been made in Russia, “but I think it was sensible to maintain the suspension”. Russia’s reinstatement has been rejected several times by the IAAF over the past three years. The athletics body is the only other major sports organisation to keep Russia banned for at least the coming months.

Both WADA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have revoked their suspensions of Russia while the International Paralympic Committee has said it will reinstate Russia by March 15. Coe said there had been no inquiries from either the IAAF or WADA about reinstating the Russian federation. “We (the council) made the judgement ourselves that we would support the recommendation of the Taskforce and clearly the data that is still being examined at WADA and will come to the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) is still a large part of that criteria,” he said. Coe would not speculate on when the ban could be resolved.

“I don’t know the answer to that,” he said. “The criteria has to be met.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

‘Raising the Standard’ is the theme as Bartica FA kick off 2019 season GFF’s Forde and Mayor Marshall participate..

THE 2019 season of the Bartica Football Association (BFA) was launched on Saturday at the Bartica Secondary School ground with the start of the association’s Senior, Women and U-17 Leagues.

Sharing the moment with BFA President, Alden Marslowe and his executive, were President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde, Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall and President of the Bartica Basketball Association, Kenneth Williams.

Marslowe extended congratulations to the clubs, executives and, especially, the female members and players from Foul Mouth who organised themselves (equipping the field with lights) and approached the association to play.

“I want to say that our motto for this year is ‘raise the standard’. These leagues

that we are starting today-male seniors, under-15 and under-17; we are very thankful to the Pele Alumni for the national U-15 tournament, we are thankful to NAMILCO for the U-17 tournament and we are thankful to the GFF, Concacaf and FIFA for allowing us to have the senior tournament.”

Marslowe promised that the game will not stop playing now, referring to the years of dormancy that was experienced before his executive was voted in last year.

“Football is about to become the general lifestyle of Bartica, our facilities here are not perfect but we will start with what we have and we have promises from the mayor, his council that we will have the Bartica Community Centre ground with lights and an excellent surface where we can continue to raise the standard.”

The GFF president officially kicks off the BFA season in the presence of Mayor Gifford Marshall (2nd left), BFA president Alden Marslow and these female players.

Mayor Marshall commenced his remarks by complimenting the GFF for

overseeing the process and ensuring the restoration of the game in Bartica at the

administrative level. He noted that sports is the best avenue to eliminate some of

the ills being experienced in society.

TURN PAGE 28

Senior female cricketers Trophy Stall on board to begin training today with MUSC Day of Sports

THE National female senior cricket team will commence training today in preparation for the 2019 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Female Regional Tournaments which will be hosted this year in Guyana.

The squad and its reserve players were encamped yesterday afternoon at the Che-

tram Singh Centre of Excellence hostel at LBI. They will be engaged in a number of preparatory exercises ahead of the Regional tournaments which starts on Sunday with the one day version.

Guyana will be hunting their first ever Regional women’s title. Fourteen players have been selected

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday March 12, 2019) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & Cummings Electrical Company Ltd. 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to Tuesday’s quiz: (1) The Oval, London, 2007 (2) 10 players Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has the distinction of scoring the first ever T20 International hundred??

(2) How many WI/ENG T20 Internationals have been played at neutral venues to date?

Answer in tomorrow's issue

along with six standbys.

The team manager is Carol Nurse and the coach is Bharat Mangru.

The Guyanese will face their counterparts from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands in the three-week tournament. Barbados and Jamaica are the defending champions.

Guyana squad reads: Shemaine Campbelle (captain), Akaze Thompson (Vice Captain), Tremayne Smartt, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Plaffiana Millington, Lashuna Toussaint, Shebika Gajnabi, Cherry Ann Frazer, Mandy Mangru, Kaysia Schultz, Melanie Henry, Lafona Gilgeous, and Afruica Gentle. Standbys: Shemika Edward, Heema Singh, Subrina Munroe, Marian Samaroo, Lisa Charles, and Dian Prahalad.

RESPONSIBLE corporate citizen, Trophy Stall, has once again shown its commitment to the development of sports across the country by partnering with the Mahaicony United Sports Club for the club’s Day of Sports set for Sunday at the Mortice Play Ground.

The day’s events will include six-a-side softball cricket, dominoes competition and circle tennis. The entity, with branches in Bourda Market, City Mall, South Road, and Port Mourant, made a significant contribution towards the event.

At a simple presentation ceremony where Devi Sunich, wife of Managing Director Ramesh Sunich, indicated that they have always been supportive of the sport over the past years.

Andrew Persaud, who collected the trophies on behalf of the club, thanked the business entity for their

Andrew Persaud receives one of the trophies from Devi Sunich

support, adding that over the years Trophy Stall has continued to demonstrate their commitment towards the continued development within the sporting sector.

Meanwhile, interested teams can make contact with Inderjeet Persaud on 628-

3777 for further information.

According to the club, the first ten softball teams will be accepted. Interested teams will need to pay an entrance fee of six thousand dollars. Game time is 9:30hrs with BBQ set to be on sale from 13:00hrs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 12, 2019

Skerritt says conflict hurting CWI’s focus on cricket

CWI presidential hopeful Ricky Skerritt.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Cricket West Indies presidential hopeful, Ricky Skerritt, believes the current administration has immersed itself in unnecessary conflict to the detriment of cricket development across the region.

Skerritt, who is seeking to topple the incumbent Dave Cameron at elections in Jamaica later this month, said there were a number of key elements being overlooked by the current CWI administration because of the constant distractions.

“One of the things that jumps out is the fact that Cricket West Indies is fighting too many battles with

too many stakeholders,” said Skerritt, a former St Kitts and Nevis Cabinet minister.

“The only battles we should be fighting, with any sort of contention, should be on the field of play.”

He added: “The grassroots cricket, the development requirements, the coaching development, the high performance system – all the key ingredients that are necessary, that are essential for building what I would call a sustainable approach to cricket development – [is where the focus should be].

“So we are producing over the next several years and into the foreseeable future, all of the future young players and all of the future young West Indians who love cricket and are proud of cricket, whether they have become stars or not.”

Most notably, CWI has clashed with CARICOM in recent years over the contentious issue of governance reform, all the while rejecting any government inference in its affairs. This stemmed from the CARICOM-commissioned Governance Review Report which among other recommendations,

called for the “immediate dissolution” of the CWI board.

CWI subsequently lambasted the report’s chief recommendation as “impractical” and an “unnecessary and intrusive demand”.

Further, the regional governing body has had several stand-offs with players, leading to a strained relationship between several senior players and the board.

Skerritt said CWI was

no longer observing its most important mandate. “Unfortunately, Cricket West Indies has lost its focus on cricket,” he stressed.

CWI elections are set for March 24 and Skerritt will

have as his running mate, St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association president, Dr Kishore Shallow.

Vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan will again partner Cameron.

Johnson rates season one of the toughest

By Rajiv Bisnauth GUYANA’s senior men’s cricket team, the Guyana Jaguars, could create history by becoming the only team to win five consecutive outright Regional Four-Day titles, once the result of the final season

game between Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Barbados Pride goes in their favour.

Guyana ended the season with 154.2 points, a lead which will now depend on the result of the final game.

SEE PAGE 28

Leon Johnson

Romario Shepherd

Anthony Bramble

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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019