Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 31-05-2023

Advancing regional cooperation

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali and other Heads of State of South America participated in the Summit of South American Leaders at Itamaraty Palace, head-

quarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.

The summit was organised by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva. The other Heads of

— President Ali, other Heads of State participate in Summit of South American Leaders

State who attended the Summit are the President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Petro; the President of the Republic of Argentina Alberto Fernán-

dez; the President of Bolivia Luis Arce; the President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric; the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolás Mad-

uro; President of the Republic of Paraguay Mario Abdo Benítez; President of the Republic of Suriname Chan Santokhi; President of the Republic of Ecuador

Guillermo Lasso; and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Peru Alberto Otárola Peñarand. (Office of the President photos)

Human rights, equal opportunities a top priority

— Minister Walrond affirms at Permanent Forum of People of African Descent

Apart from safeguarding the rights of people of African descent within the legal realm, the assurance that they are granted equal access to social and economic programmes such as free education, quality healthcare and access to housing and water is a top priority for the Government.

This is, according to Oneidge Walrond, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, during her address at the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, which is being held in New York.

The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent,

which is being held under the theme “Realizing the dream: A UN Declaration on the Promotion, Protection, and Full Respect of the Human Rights of People of African Descent,” opened on May 31 and concludes on June 2.

The Minister applauded the work done by the forum while also reaffirming the Government of Guyana's commitment to maintaining the dignity of individuals of African origin by defending their human rights under our legal system.

According to a press release: “In similar vein, she spoke of the commitment to ensuring equitable access to the social and economic programmes of the govern-

ment such as free education, healthcare and access to housing and water, which collectively represent more than one third of our national budget.”

She further highlighted the several instruments in place to protect people from discrimination and prevent any infringements on their human rights.

The release read: “In terms of the legal and institutional framework she underscored the guarantees provided in the Constitution to the right to protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, and religion amongst other characteristics;

the Racial Hostility Act; and the establishment and work of the Ethnic Relations Commission.”

While pointing out that Guyana is a member of the CARICOM Reparations Commission and has also established a National Reparations Committee of Afro-Guyanese leaders, Minister Walrond also expressed Guyana's strong support for reparations for the historical atrocities associated with slavery and the slave trade.

She concluded by indicating that “Guyana is a multi-ethnic society striving to forge unity and harmony amongst our diverse peoples.

We will, therefore, continue to support the work of this Forum, including the elaboration of a Political Declaration on People of African Descent.”

Minister Walrond leads Guyana’s delegation and includes two members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Mr. Sheikh Moeenul-Hack (Chair of the ERC) and Mr. Deon Earl Dick (Ras Khafra), and Dr. Erica Forte. The delegation is joined by Permanent Representative, H.E Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Ms. Abosede Hazlewood, Second Secretary.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond at the UN Forum

St. Cuthbert's Mission main road now accessible as

Public Works Ministry completes temporary repairs

IN an effort to provide relief to the public, especially the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission, and clear the road for easy access, the Ministry of Public Works has completed the temporary repairs to the breached main road which leads into the community from the Soesdyke Linden Highway.

To prevent the community from being entirely cut off from Regions Four and 10 linkages, and reduce inconve-

nience to commuters, workers repaired three damaged parts of the road, according to a press release on Tuesday.

Additionally, the Ministry is working diligently towards a more permanent solution to this issue.

“The Ministry is thankful that no one was injured or lives lost during this ordeal, and urges persons traversing the area to do so with much care and caution,” the release read.

It then went on to state:

“In the meantime, the Ministry is pleased to report that work is progressing well in the design for the rehabilitation of those critical sections of the main road. Simultaneously, the cost, or engineer’s estimate, is also being prepared for this upcoming project.”

Only recently, 18 community participation contracts were signed for the commencement of infrastructural works in the community.

The contracts, totalling

nearly $90M were signed between the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission and the Ministry of Public Works.

The works involve the construction of approximately 900 metres of reinforced concrete internal community roads.

This is a follow-up to a commitment made by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a visit to the community in March.

The Head of State announced during his visit that

Police issues wanted bulletin for pilot

the government will collaborate with the community and its residents to provide training, and utilise their skills and labour to build concrete roads in the area.

Consistent with the twomonth deadline attached to this commitment, residents will soon benefit from enhancement works on a number of the roads.

President Ali had said: “Whether you’re on the highway, whether you’re in the hinterland, the riverine com-

munity, you’re in an urban centre, we are going to go there, we are going to meet you. Every single community we are trying to visit, every single community we’re trying to get into, because we want to hear from the people themselves.”

This also forms part of the government’s drive to involve communities in the larger development agenda, while supporting local economies.

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Tuesday issued a wanted bulletin for Orlando Charles, a 45-year-old pilot and businessman.

The man’s last known address is listed as Lot 45 Main Street, Georgetown.

Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Charles are asked to contact the police on 2160251, 216-0254, 444-3429, 225-6978, 225-8196 or the nearest police station.

Charles is to be charged by ranks of the Guyana Police Force’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Unit, with 16 counts of Trafficking in Persons, Contrary to Section 3(1) (i) of the Combatting of TIP Act, No. 2 of 2005.

According to information from the GPF, Charles, between November 1, 2022 and May 18, 2023, trafficked

16 Venezuelans between the Mazaruni River in Region Seven and Georgetown.

The victims reported the matter to the Guyana Police Force and members of the TIP Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters immediately conducted an investigation.

Subsequent to the investigation, legal advice was given by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for Charles to be charged with 16 counts of TIP.

“The Guyana Police Force’s TIP Unit, in efforts to combat trafficking in persons, will continue to work with other stakeholders to conduct intelligence-led operations, spot inspections, awareness, and training in every region of Guyana,” the GPF said.

Some of the works done by the Public Works Ministry

New USAID programme tackles violence prevention in Guyana

— aims to create safer communities, empower at-risk youths

By Cassandra Khan

THE Youth Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment (Y-RIE) programme, a fiveyear project funded by the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), was on Tuesday launched by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Marriott Hotel.

The Y-RIE is a youth-centred, systems-strengthening initiative that employs a public health approach to violence prevention. It supports effective youth development techniques and focuses on atrisk individuals between the ages of 10 and 29 years.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Guyana, Adrienne Galanek, in her remarks at the launch, said that the programme grew out of months of conversations between USAID and Guyanese, as they collectively sought to learn from previous programmes and devised strategies to improve their work with youths.

“In the development of Y-RIE, we have spoken with stakeholders across the country to identify a number of issues impacting young people. We have heard the challenges some youths face as they mature into adults,” Galanek said.

She said that they discussed how young people are influenced by peers as well as the way that it impacts youths’ involvement in disruptive groups, and related that USAID is working with partners to address these challenges by actively engaging with the youth population, their families, and communities.

“USAID will partner with the government to improve

social services provided to youths who are at a higher risk of involvement in crime and violence and in doing so, will prioritise psychosocial support,” Galanek related.

Additionally, she said through Y-RIE, they will also work with families and residents in communities to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for youths, and their access to employment which will help to create safer, more resilient communities.

This programme comes at an opportune time when Guyana is at crossroads in its developmental path, and, according to Galanek, Y-RIE is designed to answer the clear calls of youths to be heard, valued, and guided as they strive to achieve their dreams.

According to the United Nations population estimates, more than half of Guyana's population is under the age of 35 years, and while most children attend primary school, learning outcomes are uneven, and many adolescents do not finish secondary school.

Galanek said that Y-RIE seeks to help youths discover

and uncover their talents, and use their passions and skills to advance their ambitions and goals.

“Young people are an integral and essential part of not only the current transformation of this incredibly dynamic country, but they are indeed the future of Guyana,” she said.

Galanek said that Y-RIE will be effective, only in collaboration with the government, the justice and security sectors, communities, families, and most importantly, the young people themselves.

“Through collaborative partnerships, we can empower youth, build safer communities and promote a more secure, resilient and prosper-

ous Guyana and Caribbean region,” she said.

Further, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, related that the government is enthusiastic to partner with USAID and to be one of the countries in the Caribbean, including Grenada, and St. Lucia to be part of a programme that supplements many of Guyana’s programmes and many of the broader strategic interventions.

“The government is deeply committed to the young people of this country and we have collectively spared no effort in developing programmes in ensuring that there are policies… and even looking at the legislative arm,

ensuring that there are strong pieces of legislation that protect young people in this country,” Minister Persaud said.

She further highlighted that while the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) has an overarching responsibility for young people, this duty is also shared by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health; this shows the cross-cutting nature of what it takes to raise a child and to keep that child safe.

“We are all committed to a process where young people will be given an opportunity in every sense of the word and also through strategies that counter any escalation of violence and crime,” Dr. Persaud related.

She said that she does not doubt that the Y-RIE programme will strengthen what they are trying to do as a government.

The first set of all of the programmes that will be

rolled out, will focus on the MHSSS.

The officers who are responsible for juveniles will be trained to deal with and recognise trauma, and also receive shock responsiveness training.

They will also be taught how to engage better with young people to prevent and intervene in cases where youths are at risk of getting into a life of crime and violence, and also those who are already in a life of crime, to get them out of it and integrated into society.

“I have no doubt that with the level of training that will be provided to our senior officers and to officers in several regions, we will be able to achieve what is our common goal, to ensure that these youth have multiple opportunities, along with their families where there can be stability within the family construct, which by extension will impact on the wider community,” the Human Services Minister related.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton; Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Chief of Party Y-RIE programme, Phelps Feeley; Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy in Guyana, Adrienne Galanek, and others. (Delano Williams photo)

South-South Cooperation

PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali is currently in Brazil where he will meet with other leaders of the South American continent, including host country’s President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva.

The President is being accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd

The summit is aimed at deepening bilateral and multilateral relations with countries of the South American continent Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and, therefore, holds strategic value as a gateway to the Caribbean and North America

The engagement by President with his South American counterparts comes at a time when Guyana is poised to become a significant player on the international stage by virtue of its huge carbon resources and rich agricultural lands This unique position

of Guyana is of strategic value, especially from the standpoint of energy and food security, not only in the Caribbean Community, but also in the hemisphere as a whole Guyana shares much in common with its South American neighbours The country forms an integral part of the Amazon rainforest, described as the lungs of the earth It also shares strong cultural ties with these countries as a result of shared European colonisation spanning several decades All of the countries are now free sovereign states pursuing their own paths of economic development

During an address at the 15th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) President Ali urged greater South-South Cooperation as a way out of the hindrances of multilateralism, which he said must be identified and fixed He was of the view that developing countries needed to

come together with common objectives and goals in order to address issues of underdevelopment, such as poverty and inequality

The meeting of South American leaders in Brazil is another manifestation of greater South-South Cooperation The President is expected to have bilateral discussions with President ‘Lula’da Silva on a number of areas such as energy and food security, telecommunications, infrastructure and trade

Guyana and Brazil have a long history of friendship and cooperation spanning a period of over 50 years when diplomatic relations were established in 1968 As the largest economy in South America and among the largest in the world, Brazil has much to offer in terms of trade and commerce, especially in the context of the country ’ s growing oil-and-gas resources As pointed out by President Ali, due to their geographical locations, the two countries ‘must make strong

statements in linking their territories.’ Cooperation with Brazil, however, has gone beyond oil and gas In fact, Brazil has already recognised the potential of Guyana’s agricultural sector and has already indicated an interest in partnering with Guyanese in the area of cattle rearing in the Rupununi Savannahs

Discussions are already underway for the establishment of an energy corridor in collaboration with Brazil , Suriname and possibly French Guyana, which could see the energy resources satisfying domestic and regional needs

The scope for further economic cooperation with Brazil and other nations of South America is enormous

President Ali will no doubt seek to further promote the interests of Guyana to a wider hemispheric community at the Brazil Summit of South American Leaders

For someone to fight for justice, he himself should practise fairness

Dear Editor,

I believe that for someone to fight for justice, they themselves should practice fairness. A hypocrite of injustice refers to someone who claims to stand against injustice or unfairness but engages in hypocritical behaviour themselves.

This person may espouse the values of equality, justice, and fairness publicly but fail to apply those principles in their own actions or behaviour. Kian Jabour is fighting for justice, while being the epitome of those qualities of a hypocrite

Three years ago , Jabour sued me for defamation after I publicly spoke about my experiences with him

In the Facebook post I was sued for, I called him an abuser, liar, bully, and robber amongst many other things I was sued after I was threatened many times by Jabour to remove my post Today, I received a winning verdict

At trial, Jabour was questioned about the verbal abuse that was seen in many screenshot conversations between him and myself

In the screenshots he said to me, “I will eff your life up until you have to leave this country”, “you are a stupid little girl”, “I will teach you a lesson.” When asked in Court if he thought those statements were abusive, he said that he did not think they were abusive

The libel case is worthy of mention in some detail It was characterised by astonishing evidence Jabour under cross-examination by my lawyer, Mr Sanjeev Datadin, could not recall when he graduated high school.

He could not recall what exactly he studied at university and where is his degree nor the years he went to university He could not

recall any teacher/ professor or any fellow student He alleged he was hired by a company to work in Guyana called Global Elite and as a result of what I posted on Facebook, he was fired

He claimed to be paid US$1,100.00 per week, yet could not produce no tax returns, no bank payment, no registration of the company in Guyana It was clear that it was a lie constructed, once again, to defend himself It did not take much for the judge to see through the untruths and dismiss the case against me

At the trial , he could not produce an employment contract from Global Elite, a letter of termination, or any payment receipt Instead, he claimed that it was a verbal agreement and the “owner”, Mr Tim Shaw, paid him whenever he would come to visit Guyana from Canada He was also questioned about his role in this company, which he claimed to be a consultant who would find people locally to work for other companies owned by Mr Shaw

When asked to produce the number of people he hired and/or one name of someone he recruited, he could not do so Jabour said,” I would discover them through social networking, it was just word of mouth”. When asked about what kind of jobs these people would have to do, he could not say

Mr Shaw was also questioned in Court on these matters and could not produce any paper record of employment, letter of termination, payment slips, or bank transaction Shaw also claimed that “Global Elite” is incorporated in Trinidad where he is a shareholder

He could not produce a Shareholder Certificate, instead, he said that he did a lot of handshake deals Shaw and Jabour did not

file any Tax return in Guyana or Trinidad nor pay NIS There was no declaration in accordance with Canadian law, no taxes paid, no employee declaration; nothing!

His most recent allegation of abuse was also brought before the Court, where Jabour was seen in a video circulated on social media verbally and physically abusing his girlfriend by trying to forcefully take her phone, which he later broke

She also made a public post where she expressed the physical and verbal abuse she faced from Jabour Regardless of their current understanding, it does not take away from the fact of what was said about him by her and what he was alleged to have done

Jabour also broke into my family ’ s property by bringing a court order that never suggested that he can enter our property and remove restaurant equipment He was accompanied by two police officers who served a document to my father, in my absence

They alleged it gave them the right to enter our property The document never gave them permission to remove things from our property This is not the first time Jabour broke into our property by breaking padlocks when we were not there and removed things that did not belong to him

Other than the defamation lawsuit, Jabour also sued me for equity to my family’s property He thought he somehow had rights and ownership to it This was the first thing acting Chief Justice Roxane George dismissed as she too wondered why he would claim something like that

Jabour also filed an ex-parte injunction, while I was out of the country, to prevent me from entering my own home. I only recently found out about this during our court case

It was ex-parte so I did not have to appear in court However, it was immediately dismissed, which he later appealed, and was again immediately dismissed

It was found by the judge that what I said in my post is not defamatory and Jabour must pay $250,000 as it says in the court order

My father, who has helped him in many ways, has also faced torment and bullying from Jabour before he passed I will not let what he has done silently pass by He made it public when he sued me so I believe the results should be too

He is merely someone who is trying to gain power and publicity so that he could perpetuate his actions

A leader should be a person of high moral character, someone who leads by example and upholds ethical principles Unfortunately, Jabour has shown utter disregard for honesty in the pursuit of his goals

How can someone who has a history of breaking the law and trying to claim your property, break into your home, try to prevent you from entering your own home, make multiple false police claims , and abuses (amongst many other things), try to lecture about justice? It’s comical and he bears no trait to be a leader

If he is claiming that he didn’t lose, he can appeal the decision to dismiss his libel case It’s simple and I would look forward to it

Lastly, I would like to thank my lawyer, Sanjeev Datadin, who has immensely helped me through this process.

Yours sincerely, Saleema Haniff

Editor Navendra Seoraj

Henry Jeffrey’s litany of errors must not stand

Dear Editor,

PLEASE permit me to respond to Dr Henry Jeffrey’ s letter titled, “ Randolph Persaud exposes the PPP” (KN 5/29/2023).

Rather than dealing with the genuine issues I raised in my critique of Dr Jeffrey’s missive , the former PPP /C cabinet member turned sour, offered only the most predictable of unsubstantiated innuendos, combined with a litany of elementary errors These errors cannot stand without a response.

The careful reader would no doubt have already seen the misleading title of Jeffrey’s letter (above) because the only things I “exposed” were his inflammatory rhetoric Letters like the one under consideration here are increasingly being fomented in what I see as a form of racial populism

Regrettably , instead of the informed and progressive ‘Black Nationalism’ of Walter Rodney, today we have the regressive, conflict-provoking, anti-democratic, and anti - patriotic deposits of those bent on disruption , disturbance, and destruction

How sad it is that a former PPP/C cabinet minister has become a disciple of those who advocate authoritarianism in the name of freedom

Editor , allow me to respond to some specific errors, distortions, and wilful provocations informed by racial populism evident in the letter under review here

Firstly, Jeffrey states that “even the colonialists sought to hide their buying of votes, but today , the PPP is attempting to make of a virtue of purchasing political allegiance and votes.”

This bit was in Jeffrey’s original piece but was repeated in his reply to me My response is to ask Jeffrey if he recognizes any of the names below, and if so, which ones he thinks is a PPP / C candidate due to “ purchasing political allegiance.”

Here is only a short list

Sir - Odayson Audwin Ashby, Jeremy Garrett, Quincy Anderson , Patricia ChaseGreen , Wilburn Lashley , Alana Persaud, Terry Albert Marques , Caeron Andrew

Harte , Andre Dmitri Jackman, Arsenio Javon Beaton, Coleen A Sampson, Alfonso

Fidel De Armas-Archbold, Stephen Anthony Jacobs , Asha Wallace, Jewula Angela Cesar , Dion Yonge , Faye Andrea Matthews , Ronetta A Small, Delroy N Williams, Malcom Ferreira, Trichria Richards, (George-

town ) Forbes Moore , Ava

Smith, Paul Tyndell, Rawlin

Teitch , Shurdon Murray , Dwayne Charles , Oneika Williams , Ryan Richards , Audwin Rutherford , Erol

Roethof, Melinda Fredericks, Renna Fredericks, Sharmella

Solomon, Candacy Allicock, Keith Ferrier, Nathoya Benn, Reycia Nedd Sherry FyffeJames, Sancha Halley, Kenisha Dey - Venture , Nikita

Roberts , Rufina Allicock , Akeba Richmond , Tanella

Croal, Trevon Yaw, Warren

Wintz, and Lorna Hall

Jeffrey makes the following wild claim: “The PPP’s intention is to impoverish and degrade African individuals and institutions to force them into its ranks…”

I challenge Dr Henry Jeffrey to provide even the most minimum evidence that any former APNU (or Afro-Guyanese) supporter of the PPP/C has been “forced” into switching Jeffrey, and others within the racial populist mindset , quarrel that Afro - Guyanese do not get contracts

Yet, the ones who do, are accused either of becoming house slaves, or subjected to some form of coercion

Dr Jeffrey holds a doctorate in political science , and he should , therefore , be quite familiar with the work of Stuart Hall I would especially like to commend Hall’s brilliant lecture titled “Race- the Floating Signifier,” in which Hall calls for a politics without guarantees This means you cannot, and should not, derive people’s politics from the appearance, or based on generic allusions to the past Moreover , as a social scientist , Jeffrey already knows , or should know, that ‘intention’ is the methodological graveyard of scholars who generalize about the social and the political

Jeffrey sought refuge in the overused ‘chant’ “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.’ I agree, and this is why we should not forget the 2020 attempt at Electoral Grand Theft by the APNU+AFC, and those attached to authoritarian social forces in this country

We should not forget party paramountcy of the PNC ; we should not forget the Ministry of National Development which was an instrument for policing the public service to the last detail; we should not forget the staggering incompetence in the management of Guyana’s economy, so much so that Guyana was the only country in the world with a lower per capita GDP at the

end of the 1980s, compared to the beginning of that decade ; we should not forget maximum coercion exerted on young men and especially women to go to the bush to do National Service in order to get into UG; we should not forget senior officials having to do gardening chores at Hope Estate; we should not

forget Walter Rodney, Father Darke, Vincent Teekah; and we should certainly not forget the rice-roti days of near starvation Yes, Dr Jeffrey, we won’t forget Dr Jeffrey has every right to factor slavery into his analysis In fact, not doing so would constitute historical and epistemological negli -

gence All Guyanese should look carefully at our historical structures configured through conquest, colonization, and foreign interference

These developments should inform a politics of solidarity, rather than one of using the past as a “political alibi” for violent rhetoric Political differences

should be just that – differences based on ideology and policy preferences . What we should not do is to make emotional appeals that give succour to ethno-racial divisions , disturbance , and violence

Yours sincerely, Dr Randolph Persaud

Why the rush to blame the PPP/C administration for the Mahdia tragedy?

Dear Editor,

THE news of the fire at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory that took the lives of 19(at the time of writing) students was flashed on the TV screens of international media giants such as CNN and CBS

At the same time Guyanese learnt from their local (Guyana) media of the devastation created by one of the deadliest fires to have occurred in the nation

The inferno, together with the subsequent deaths and injuries, struck the nation and the Guyanese psyche more than a ton of bricks

Shocked and numb by this heart-wrenching tragedy, the diaspora in New York quickly joined the national show of solidarity for the victims and their families by holding more than four vigils in honour of the victims

What has also been significant about these vigils is that religious and community leaders categorically denounced any attempt at this point to politicise this tragedy Instead, their passionate call has been for prayers and the expression of solidarity with victims ’

families

Some victims’ families have aptly called for justice It has been reported that the student who allegedly set off the inferno would be charged with 19 counts of murder. While this course of justice is moving in one direction, other paths of justice are being pursued

President, Dr Irfaan Ali has, for example, announced his intention to compensate victims and provide counselling to students and parents More importantly though is the swift, effective, and compassionate response of the President and his team of ministers and support personnel

Their exceptional caring, empathy, and humane action for the injured, the deceased, and those who have lost loved ones , are evident and second to none The President’s message is lucid: “Whatever it takes to bring comfort and justice to these victims and their respective communities, will be done.”

Sadly, despite the President’s as well as community and religious leaders’ call not to politicise the tragedy, the PNCR party and other operatives have begun to unleash their

uncontrollable salvo of criticisms without having a proper understanding of the situation

This is not to suggest that politicians and other operatives should not render criticisms, but they should wait until the murky water is clear

As usual, I have conducted some research and can now report on the following: the windows at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory were indeed grilled; the doors were not grilled; the Ministry of Education does not administer any school dormitory in the country, except in Georgetown; The Ministry of Education is responsible for education policy and schools’ curriculum, and The Mahdia dormitory falls under the authority of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and students never drank water from a pond as alleged by the opposition

The grills on the windows were installed by the PNCR-led administration (at a time when both the REO and Regional Chair were PNCR members) and not by the PPP/C government

There must be compelling reason(s) that caused the PNCR-led government to grill the windows? They should provide an explanation to the Guyanese people

I do not mean to be cynical, but while we rightfully focus on building design/code and fire-safety measures, we must not forget that even with these in place, if an arsonist decides to strike, these measures will not stop him/her

It is conceivable however that under such a situation, a proper building code and safety measures could make evacuation/rescue operations easier

The point is that a proper building code and safety measures must be accompanied by the development among people/students of greater awareness of safety measures and the readiness to observe relevant rules

Finally, while other facts would emerge out of the proposed Mahdia Commission of Inquiry, it is noted that Guyanese community and religious leaders in New York have expressed their deep appreciation

See page 9

From page 8

Why the rush to blame the PPP/C administration ....

for the leadership of President, Dr Irfaan Ali in this extremely difficult situation.

Major credit goes out to Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Education Minister Priya Manickchand; Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn; Minister of Human Services, Dr Vindhya Persaud, the Joint Services, the medical team, counsellors, the pilots, and NGOs

The leaders also applaud the assistance rendered by Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Mt Sinai Hospital in New York, Northwell Health Systems in New York, among others

To the victims and their families, our expression of condolence to them is unconditional. While we would never know the magnitude of their pain, we do know that “every cloud has a silver lining.”

Yours sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

Leonora Police Station Management Committee raffle results

Dear Editor,

THE Leonora Police Station Management Committee held the drawing of a fund-raising raffle last Friday at the Leonora Police Station.

Funds generated will be deployed towards the enhancement of police stations in Region Three.

The committee was privileged to have a former Commander of Police for Region Three, Mr Lakeraj and Lake Persaud, popular announcer/owner of a NY Radio station, present to witness the drawing

Winners can collect their prizes this Sunday, June 4, at 10:00hrs from Wolf’s Furniture Store, Leonora

The lucky winners must present their stubs in order to claim their prizes

The winning numbers are: 1174, 0003, 1170, 1172, 0616, 1850, 0842, 0461, 1854, 0150 (consolation prizes), 1171 – sixth prize; 1511, fifth prize; 1544, fourth prize; 0629, third prize; 0895, second prize, and 0281, first prize.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall.

Indigenous girls take active lead in implementing Guyana’s LCDS 2030

A PRIORITY focus of the Low Carbon Development Strategy ( LCDS ) 2030 is the leadership of women and girls in climate action

One such example is seen in action through veteran Environmentalist An -

nette Arjoon - Martins , who is currently working in one of Guyana ’ s most pristine mangrove ecosystems located within the Barima Mora Passage

Mrs Arjoon-Martins explained that under the work

programme implemented through the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS), several indigenous girls were given the opportunity to learn how to use drones as part of an innovative monitoring programme

for mangroves in this area

She added that “the girls are part of providing a service to this valuable ecosystem, which essentially involves monitoring the natural resources of the Barima Mora Passage.”

The girls are not only monitoring the mangrove ecosystem, but they are also conducting applied marine research near shore

According to Mrs Martins, young women are a big part of contributing to several environmental actions that are aiding in the fight against climate change through innovation and technological

applications Martins said that the girls are equipped with drones that allow them to explore the use of new technology in environmental management

Protected Areas Commission as part of implementing the Strategic Plan for the Protected Areas System

Mrs Martins continued by saying that “ We have been earning from our forest since the Norway Agreement in 2009, so this is not new for us, but the difference is that with the Hess cooperation [sic], it is a substantial amount of money , and we are able to have access to our own money from the carbon credits

It is encouraging to see that the resources from the carbon credits are fasttracked to the communities

By the end of the year, the girls anticipate that they will be gathering soil samples and mangrove litter to evaluate the carbon stored in the remote coastal environments that have previously been inaccessible to scientists

A total of 47,000 hectares (116,000 acres), including 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres ) of mangroves , are inspected by the girls every three months, using drones This work feeds into the implementation of LCDS 2030 , which builds on the national - scale Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) system implemented by the Guyana Forestry Commission

This programme also provides valuable input to the work programme of the

Annette Arjoon-Martins (left) shared words of inspiration with some of the girls from the Barima Mora Passage

Some of the indigenous girls with their drones in Region One

Project Administrator and Communications Officer for GMCS Sarah Singh and some of the girls in the forest

See page 11

Indigenous girls take active lead ...

by the Government of Guyana, as these communities have their village-sustainability plans developed , outlining the development needs of the village with a strong focus on maintaining the integrity of the forest ecosystems.”

She continued : “ I understand that the National Toshaos’ Council working with the government has been supporting villages in developing village-sustainability plans to advance this process This programme will showcase how villages can use carbon - credit

payments to develop their respective communities , which will be a good thing for them.”

Further , MrsMartins added, “I am a big admirer of Dr Jagdeo and him championing environmental causes globally, putting Guyana on the world map with his LCDS in 2009, getting the Norway agreement , and in 2020 expanding on the LCDS 2030 , which provides an expanded vision to the original LCDS in 2009 That is obviously very remarkable, and I want to acknowledge Dr Jagdeo

for prioritising this area and in bringing community-led action within national programmes LCDS 2030 has provided an opportunity for us to have the girls engage in work beyond what they are doing for the GMCS I have seen both President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo deliver on their promises of support to this and other initiatives on community development, especially in the area of women’s empowerment, and in very tangible ways. “President Ali right now has pledged and supported training 15 young indigenous girls in Region One in beekeeping, so they will also set up their own little bee enterprise And of course , we know that the mangroves provide the best honey in the country.”

Additionally , she explained, “I want to say clearly that our organization , which is just under 25 years old, could not have achieved all that it did without the invaluable support of the Government of Guyana, as well as the government agencies that we have worked with I want to give thanks for that and say that I am looking forward to working with them even closer going forward “ With the girls and the drone - monitoring of the mangroves, they could provide the information to a lot of the government agencies that would need it in the different regions For example , the RDC from Region One has asked us in times of flooding, when the farms were destroyed or roads were washed

away, if they could have had access to this information, which will help them to manage those natural disasters more efficiently This proves that the LCDS 2030 is applicable at all levels – nationally and community level too.”

Mrs Martins said that this innovative application being piloted has many broad applications; according to her , the regional authorities have already networked with the girls , and she sees that they have already made use of the technology

It is also her hope that other agencies, such as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, can utilize the services of the National Agricultural Research Extension Institute , to monitor

gold mining and enhance agricultural development as well This, Mrs Martins said, would also give them the resources to train more girls, which will provide them with more opportunities to become ambassadors of the environment and aim in the fight against climate change Finally , Martins said that even though there is a lot more to be done, she is very optimistic that under the competent and genuine leadership of President Ali and Dr Jagdeo , they will implement the necessary measures so that Guyana’s forests and its people will continue to benefit

(This is part of a weekly series on LCDS .) The author can be contacted at cparkinson0206 @ gmail . com).

Education Ministry: Guyana Teachers’ Union is being disingenuous and opportunistic

The following is a full press statement from the Ministry of Education:

ON Monday, the Guyana Teachers ’ Union ( GTU ) pursuant to a continuous engagement between the Government of Guyana and the union, was invited to a follow - up meeting with the Office of the President scheduled for 09:00hrs Tuesday The union accepted the invitation. The last such meeting was held last week on the 22nd of May, 2023

Later in the afternoon, the GTU asked if the meeting could be postponed to 15:00hrs as 09:00hrs “is too early for the union .” The government, ever interested in continuing the engagement, agreed

Opportunistically and disingenuously , the GTU mounted protest action at 10:00hrs on Tuesday morning about matters that are currently under examination at the aforesaid engagement meetings

The union is aware that only this week two of the matters raised ( Clothing allowance and Whitley Council entitlements ) in the previous engagements were resolved , and only yesterday they were copied on correspondence to that effect

From all accounts, the protest action is grandstanding to give Coretta McDonald and her crew over at the APNU + AFC content for their talk shows All of the matters protested about are matters inherited from the APNU+AFC All of them are being addressed by this government in the best way possible and the union is aware of this

We remind all that it is the PPP / C government under the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency that engaged the union continuously , resulting in the first and other multi-year agreements being signed by successive PPP/C administrations

Currently , under discussion between the union and the government is another multi - year agreement, the last one having expired under APNU and its provisions which include inter alia duty - free concessions for teachers , scholarships for post-graduate programmes , the housing revolving fund ,

salary increases, better remote area incentives for teachers in the hinterland, more clerical support at schools , resolution of the 2016 fiasco where salary scales for new teachers were changed , increments for additional qualifications and less academic workload on Headteachers and Deputy Headteachers, etc

Many of these initiatives were proposed by govern-

ment because the government has every interest in making sure teachers are comfortable

There was therefore absolutely no reason for this morning’s protest except to grandstand and claim credit amongst teachers for matters that are well on their way to being realized The GTU must consider whether it wishes to continuously be used by a failing opposition

member Coretta Mc Donald, or if it wants to work to bring benefits to teachers

Teachers are assured that while the government prefers to work with the union , if that becomes impossible the interest of teachers will still be paramount and prioritised in the government’s considerations and that will ensure benefits for each and every teacher.

Cousins who died in Mahdia fire laid to rest

BIBI Jeffrey, Belnisa Evans and Loreen Evans were on Tuesday flown to their hometown of Karisparu, Region Eight, where they were laid to rest.

The three cousins tragically lost their lives in the devastating fire at the Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory on May 21, 2023.

The heart-wrenching incident claimed the lives of a total of 20 children, comprising 19 girls and one boy.

The entire Mahdia community has been deeply affected by the loss, and the funerals serve as an opportunity for friends, family, and neighbours to pay their final respects to these young souls taken away too soon.

Sherana Daniels succumbs to injuries

SHERANA Daniels, a 14-year-old girl who sustained severe injuries in the fire that ravaged the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School, passed away on Tuesday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Despite valiant efforts by doctors to save her life, Daniels succumbed shortly before 10:00 hrs to the effects of carbon monoxide inhala-

tion, in spite of having been resuscitated twice.

With the teen’s heartbreaking demise, the toll from the devastating blaze now stands at 19 young girls and a five-year-old boy.

According to a release from the Ministry of Health, she was the victim who was air-dashed to Georgetown on the morning of May 22.

She was listed as critical before being air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital

— takes death toll to 20

Corporation (GPHC), where her condition remained the same until her passing.

The Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and management of GPHC extended condolences to the family of Daniels.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health provided an update on the condition of another child, a 13-year-old who was a victim of the Mahdia fire

tragedy.

The child was air-dashed to the Northwell Burn Center at the University Hospital in Staten Island, New York, on Sunday, May 28.

“Her condition remains stable and improving. The young girl had the first of multiple surgeries on Monday (May 29) afternoon. She is doing well, and we expect a positive outcome. Her mom is with her and her dad will be flown into NY this week to also be with them,” the release stated.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali, via a Facebook post, sent his heartfelt condolences to

the parents, relatives, and students of Mahdia Secondary School on the passing of Daniels.

“We pray that her loved ones are granted strength and courage during this difficult period. My government and all of Guyana continue to keep you in our prayers. Rest in peace, and rise in glory, Sherana!" President Ali said in a post.

Additionally, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud also expressed condolences to the family of Sherana.

“My heart goes out to the parents and her sister because it has been a very challenging period for them to see her there in the ICU,” Dr. Persaud said.

Thirteen-year-old Sherana Daniels

Race and class suicide in Guyana in 2023

IN my series on the relentless , unmitigated hounding down of the PPP government by the Mulatto / Creole Class ( MCC ) since March 2020, I stopped last Sunday at the point where there was a discussion on the nature of the MCC.

I am yet to reach the stage of March 2020 and subsequent events from there on I will ask readers to be tolerant and patient because what I am doing here is an attempt to bring all the dimensions together about the MCC through a historical perspective

Today, I will explain the rupture between the MCC and Forbes Burnham with some sympathy by me for Burnham In subsequent columns , I will discuss the MCC ’ s invention of the WPS and AFC and conclude the series with the almost daily attacks on the PPP government through the use of different forums by the MCC, especially a letter every fortnight by the usual suspects in the Stabroek News, a media house owned by members of the MCC

As stated in one of the previous columns in the series, the MCC feels a natural affinity towards African people since many MCC personalities have African genes But at the psychic level, the MCC is culturally and mentally uncomfortable with an enduring closeness with the darker complexion of the African Guyanese proletariat and the African peasantry

Darker African Guyanese are tolerated and on many levels welcomed into the world of the MCC if they come from a wealthy background or have immense middle class status In last Sunday analysis, I cited the names of two very dark middle class persons.

One is Andaiye of the WPA whose father was a

top name in medicine and Huge Cholmondeley , at the time the leading radio personality in the country

A strange exception was the lawyer , Llewellyn John in the 1950s The League of Coloured People accepted him even though he was very dark Perhaps the factor that explains this was the wealth of the John family

I also mentioned in one of the articles in the series that the MCC will inevitably bond with African-led parties and trade unions because those entities have the numbers to fight off the Indian pursuit of political power The MCC then from the 1930s right up to 2023 is a powerful combination of racial superiority and class hegemony.

A caveat is in order before we continue Sir Karl Popper achieved worldwide fame for his two-volume book, “The Open Society and Its Enemies,” the reason being his attack on Karl Marx

I do not subscribe to Popper’s treatment of Marx but I think Popper was on to something when he cited the dialectical role of intra-class antagonism that Marx ignored

Popper was keen to dismiss the perfect movement of the dialectic because he used historical examples to show that class struggle does not always produce perfect class warfare He argued that dominant classes that opposed the peasantry and proletariat also ended up confronting each other thus weakening each other There is a fantastic book in which a political scientist used Chile in South America in the 19th century to highlight Popper’s theory of intra-class rivalry

A strange almost inexplicable trait has emerged within the MCC since March 2020 The MCC at present looks like it has abandoned its strategic habit from the 1950s and

has shown no interest in class and race alliance since the March 2020 election fiasco In 2023, it appears that the MCC is committing class and race suicide But more of that in another column.

Back to the MCC ’ s marriage to Burnham in the 1950s The National Democratic Party of the MCC merged with Burnham to confront the Jagan administration With sup-

port from the Portuguese party , United Force led by the Portuguese petty bourgeoisie , the Jagan government was defeated in 1964 and the African dominated PNC and the MCC came in power.

But it was a troubled partnership for two reasons One was the Freudian mind of both parties Deep down, they distrusted each other because of race and class feelings

Secondly , the PNC felt that the MCC was arrogant to assume power beyond its physical numbers

The theory of why the MCC split with Burnham has withstood questioning onto this day It goes like this Burnham hid his power obsession and obfuscated it with his initial pro - West stance But as he settled down to permanent power, he showed his

true colour by becoming a dictator and ousting his partner, the MCC I accept that theory but what is not put into that kind of theorising is the situation where MCC personalities based on their houseslave superior mentality sought to dictate the shape of Burnham ’ s government so a natural clash was bound to happen. To be continued.

Frederick Kissoon

Chinese FM Qin meets Musk

–– in latest sign of China’s openness to global investors increasingly upbeat on Chinese market

CHINESE State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Tesla

Founder Elon Musk met in Beijing on Tuesday, as a stream of foreign CEOs had visited China

This is happening as the world’s second largest economy strives toward high-level opening-up and enhance its attractiveness to foreign investment

Qin Gang said China will continue to steadfastly promote high - level opening-up and is committed to creating a better market-oriented , legal , and international business environment for enterprises from various countries, including Tesla

“ China ’ s development is an opportunity for the world A healthy, stable and constructive China-US relation is beneficial not only for China and the US, but also for the whole world,”

Qin said

Qin also used Tesla cars as a metaphor to describe the relations between China and the US, saying the two countries should “ hit the brake” in a timely manner to avoid “ dangerous driving” and push win-win co-operation

Musk said Tesla objects to “decoupling” and is willing to further expand business in China, according to a statement published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday

Chinese experts said along with a series of achievements China has made in attracting and stabilising Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), more and more foreign CEOs chose to be “physically in China” to ink deals This shows the indisputable attractiveness of the Chinese market and the Chinese economy, despite the noises made by some Western media suggesting

otherwise

Musk flew in a private jet to China on Tuesday

The CEO of Tesla, which has the Chinese market contributing nearly 21 percent of its overall revenue in the first quarter of 2023 , commissioned the Shanghai Gigafactory with a dance in the rain in Shanghai in 2019

Musk has visited China many times. In 2018 and 2019 , he was spotted by Chinese netizens eating pancake with crispy fried dough sheet, steamed buns with filling and hot pot in different Chinese cities (Global Times)

China Space Station sees heavenly reunion of six taikonauts

THE China Space Station staged its first “heavenly reunion” of six taikonauts on Tuesday evening after it entered the application and development phase at the end of 2022. Led by mission commander and veteran taikonaut Jing Haipeng, the incoming Shenzhou-16 trio entered the space station at 6:22 pm on Tuesday where they received warm embraces from their Shenzhou-15 brothers

The historic moment marked the beginning of China’s second in-orbit direct handover between two Shenzhou crews , follow -

ing the first one between the Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-14 crew in November 2022.

Shenzhou - 15 mission commander Fei Junlong and his fellow crew members Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, who are famous for their great skills and passion for Chinese calligraphy, decorated the Tianhe core module with red and joyful couplets for the welcome party The six taikonauts exchanged hugs and firm handshakes before they had a group picture taken to celebrate the reunion in space

Next, the crew of the two

missions will carry out an in- orbit handover and will live together in the space station for about five days before the Shenzhou-15 returns to earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Currently, a total of 17 astronauts are in orbit: Six taikonauts from China, five NASA astronauts from the US, three cosmonauts from Russia, two from Saudi Arabia and one from the UAE

Marking the first manned space mission after China’s space station entered its application and development phase , the Shenzhou - 16

spacecraft carrying three taikonauts was successfully launched onboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket at 9:31 am on Tuesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre located in Northwest China

After a flight of around

10 minutes, the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle and entered its preset orbit, with the crew members in good condition , according to a statement the CMSA sent to the Global Times , announcing the success of

the launch mission At 4:29 pm on Tuesday , some six and a half hours after launch , the Shenzhou - 16 spacecraft docked with the Tianhe core module’s radial port, announced the CMSA . (Global Times)

China’s rapid economic recovery brings ‘big opportunities’ to Uruguay: Uruguayan Agriculture Minister

URUGUAY’S Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Fernando Mattos just finished his 19-day-long trip in China on Friday , achieving fruitful results of bilateral agricultural co-operation including signed agreements between their agricultural ministries as well as other related institutions.

Mattos said that China’s rapid economic recovery has brought many and constantly growing opportunities to Uruguay, adding that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has reduced the geographical distance between the two far friends and partners

The Embassy of Uruguay in Beijing told a press conference held on Thursday that Fernando Mattos’ visit took place at the invitation of Tang Renjian, China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

During Mattos’ 19-day visit in China, he completed an intense agenda with approximately 100 meetings including conferences with General Administration of Customs of China (GAC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MOA).

IMPORTANT

PARTNERS

In addition, Mattos visited Hong Kong , Macao , Guangdong, Henan, Shanghai , Jilin , Shandong and Beijing , and he also met with the highest authorities of some international organisations in China such as the president of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the top representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in China.

According to the Embassy of Uruguay, Mattos signed the Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) between the Ministry of Livestock , Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay and China’s MOA on co-operation in fisheries and aquaculture

The minister also witnessed the signing of important co - operation documents between institutions in Uruguay and China During the visit, the National Agricultural Research Institute of Uruguay signed a co-operation agreement with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration of China , and the Uruguayan Horse Breeders Association signed a co-operation agreement with the China Horse Industry Association

Mattos’ visit came after Uruguayan Foreign Minister

Francisco Bustillo Bonasso ’ s five - day visit to China starting from April 16 , during which Bustillo said that Uruguay attaches great importance to nurturing good Uruguay-China relations and is expected to further work closely with China to ramp up co-operation in economic and other fields

According to the data released by GAC , bilateral trade reached $7.44 billion in 2022, up 14.9 percent on a yearly basis China’s imports from Uruguay jumped 23 percent to hit $4.46 billion last year

“We ended a visit of such details with an extensive

China’s C919 jetliner goes into commercial operation

THE C919, China’s self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.

The flight, operated by China Eastern Airlines, took off as MU9191 at 10:32 a m from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport with 128 passengers on board

The plane was greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport at 12:31 p m on Sunday

The C919 is China’s first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international

airworthiness standards and owns independent intellectual property rights

The C919 project was launched in 2007

Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai in November 2015 In 2017, the plane accomplished its maiden flight

“The first commercial flight is a coming-of-age ceremony of the new aircraft, and C919 will get better and better if it stands the test of the market,” said Zhang Xiaoguang, Director of the Marketing and Sales Department of COMAC. (Xinhua)

agenda due to the fact that it has been four years that we could not make trips to China and we had some of bilateral pending issues, so this trip is necessary to generate more closer diplomatic, commercial and personal relationship, bring more opportunities to consolidate the fact that Uruguay is a great strategic supplier of food and fiber for China,” Mattos said during the press conference

During an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Thursday , Mattos said China’s rapid economic recovery has brought “big opportunities” for Uruguay and benefits the people

“ We have seen everyone is optimistic about the recovery with increasing demand and sales More trade, more movements and more purchase This is very good for us because we depend on this to increase the economic output and I will bring the good news when I return to my country,” Mattos said.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Uruguay is the first Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR in Spanish) country to sign an MOU with China on co - operation under the framework of the BRI . Mattos noted that the BRI has reduced the geographical distance between the two far friends and partners, which means more connectivity with more shipping lines and airlines that can bring Uruguayan fresh agricultural products to the Chinese consumers’ baskets Mattos told the Global Times that during his visit to the NDB, he talked with the president about the variation of currencies He said that in the future, as China will have more economic activities in the global financial market, the yuan may transform and progress as a global reference

currency

During these visits to different Chinese cities , Mattos said that he and his delegation have found enormous future possibilities of complementarity, and great opportunities to expand the commercial and technical co-operation to improve their productive processes within a shared spirit of sustainability

In addition , they have also seen the country’s rapid modern economic development. “Western countries lack knowledge of China’s reality, and we will talk more about the true living conditions that we have seen , as well as the marked progress that the world’s huge market has made, including getting tens of millions of people from extreme poverty to relative prosperity in such a short time, which is really impressive and admirable,” Mattos said during the press conference “ Looking ahead , regarding the results that our two countries can obtain from the trade consolidation, we hope that our confidence will keep growing to obtain more investment, rising sales and a booming tourism, with higher level of good relationship that goes beyond commercial exchange,” he said. (Global Times)

High Court rebuffs attempt by APNU to delay LGEs —

By Clestine Juan

CHIEF Justice (CJ) Rox-

ane George on Tuesday dismissed the challenge filed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) regarding the process used to compile the List of Electors (or voters' list) for the upcoming

Local Government Elections (LGEs).

In her ruling, the Chief Justice determined that Carol Smith-Joseph's application lacked merit as she failed to provide evidence to support her claims or the declarations she was seeking from the court.

The Chief Justice criticised Smith-Joseph's affidavit and supplementary submissions for being of poor quality and lacking evidence of their source or how they supported her claim that the list was flawed.

According to the CJ, the documents were “ex-

tremely poor and poorly reproduced.

“The applicant must have known that what she was producing to the court is unreliable evidence… There is no credible evidence before this court of ineligible persons being listed in the RoV [Register of Voters],” she said.

The Chief Justice found that GECOM acted lawfully in compiling the List of Voters and that it has a constitutional duty to ensure that the registration of electors is conducted in accordance with the law.

“In my view that has turned out to be the most unmeritorious application that has taken up a lot of judicial time… The only positive thing that can be gained from this case is that it allows the court to urge that Parliament must endeavour to harmonize elections laws and to resist piecemeal amendments that hang over many pieces of legislation,” she said while dismissing the application.

Smith-Joseph has been ordered to pay GECOM costs amounting to $250,000 before, or on

June 30, 2023.

She was seeking a series of declarations from the court, including that GECOM acted unlawfully in compiling the List of Voters and that it had a constitutional duty to ensure that the registration of electors is conducted in accordance with the law.

Joseph had asked the court to set aside GECOM’s order to extract a List of Electors for Local Government Elections, and for an order to be granted compelling the Elections Commission to comply with the relevant sections of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act Cap 28:03.

The legal challenge outlines several grounds, including that the process used to prepare the Register of Voters deprived voters of the opportunity to object to persons on the list, and that the process was not in accordance with the Local Authorities (Elections) Act.

“The process employed by the commission to prepare a Register of Voters for use at the next Local Government Elections has

not been in accordance with the Local Authorities (Elections) Act,” she had argued

The applicant had asked the court to grant orders setting aside GECOM’s order to extract a List of Electors “… on the ground and for the reason that the said Order No. 55 of 2022, is ultra vires and unlawful.”

The court found that all of her contentions were meritless.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall wrote the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh appointing June 12, 2023, as the date for conduct of the elections.

GECOM has already approved the work plan, which paved the way for the secretariat to proceed with the implementation of the relevant statutory and administrative activities for the elections in the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) countrywide.

The LGEs were legally due in 2021 and the funds were budgeted to facilitate this. However, several issues facing GECOM at the time prevented the holding of the elections, including the non-appointment of a Chief Election Officer (CEO).

APNU is contesting in only 45 per cent of the 610 constituencies and 24 Local Authority Areas (LAAs), while the PPP/C is contesting in all 610 constituencies in the 80 LAAs.

The

It was alleged that during the periods mentioned in the charges,

child

DANE Thomas was on Tuesday freed of two rape charges by the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court after a jury returned ‘not guilty’ verdicts.

Thomas was on trial before Justice Navindra Singh for allegedly engaging in sexual penetration with an eight-year-old boy between December 2018 and December 2019. It was further alleged that Thomas committed the act again sometime before December 2020 when the victim was nine.

jury after deliberating for almost two hours, found Thomas not guilty on both counts.

the

was left in Thomas’ care. He allegedly committed the act while the child’s mother was out. The child’s mother reported the matter to the police after the child related what had allegedly transpired.

says the most ‘unmeritorious’ application was filed to challenge voters’ list

Chief Justice Roxane George Carol Smith-Joseph

Man found not guilty of raping boy twice

GWI celebrates two decades of transforming water landscape

Minister Anthony, following the CEO's address, emphasised that government investments over the past two decades have transformed GWI and positively impacted the health sector. Notably, the prevalence of infectious water-borne diseases in Guyana has significantly decreased compared to 21 years ago. Health officials have also reported extremely favorable results from quality tests conducted on water provided

by GWI.

The Health Minister seized the opportunity to discuss common health issues and underscored the importance of healthy eating, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Dharamkumar Seeraj, GWI Board Vice-Chair, highlighted that water is the most important medicine for a healthy lifestyle and that the government is actively working to

make it readily available to every Guyanese at the lowest possible cost.

In addition to the health fair held at Shelterbelt, GWI offices in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Ten also hosted similar events on Monday, offering a range of services including dental checks, HIV/AIDS counselling and testing, vaginal swabs, glucose and blood pressure testing.

THE Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), on Monday, celebrated its 21st anniversary of service to the nation with a health fair held at the company's headquarters in Shelterbelt, Vlissengen Road.

The event brought together key stakeholders, including Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, board members, and senior company officials.

Reflecting on GWI's achievements, Chief Executive Officer, Shaik Baksh, highlighted the significant progress made in improving access to and the quality of water despite the geographical challenges faced in Guyana.

Baksh, who signed the vesting order establishing GWI 21 years ago during his tenure as Housing and Water Minister, acknowledged that there is still much work to be done. He emphasised GWI's commitment to aggressively enhance the level and quality of service provided to customers.

Over the next two to three years, GWI aims to ensure widely available access to treated water. The government has already invested $14.5B this year to enhance and expand water services. Guyana is actively working towards providing 90 per cent of its population with access to potable water by 2025. As part of this effort, 13 new treatment plants will be constructed across the country, and an additional 12 existing plants will be

upgraded.

"We kindly request the understanding of the population as we actively strive to meet their need for clean, safe water," Baksh stated, emphasising the focus on improving water quality and service in both coastal and hinterland regions. The hinterland regions are served through the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project, which provides residents with access to safe water and hygiene facilities.

GWI's commitment to enhancing access to water and delivering quality customer service has been reinforced over the years through collaboration with local and international partners.

In addition to improving water access and quality for customers, GWI is also prioritising the improvement of working conditions for its employees, recognising their vital role in the organisation's advancement. Efforts are underway to secure further funding for professional development, and, recently, new buildings have been constructed for staffers in Regions Five and Nine, with offices in Regions Two, Ten, and on the East Bank of Demerara being refurbished and equipped.

As part of the 21st-anniversary celebrations, GWI will honour retired employees and recognise the achievements of 20 craftsmen who successfully completed an upskilling programme.

Persons who donated blood at the health fair

Georgetown residents blast City Hall for neglect

WITH Local Government Elections nearing, citizens of the once-revered Garden City are urging their fellow Guyanese to vote for improved management at City Hall.

Over the past few weeks, a handful of videos have surfaced of Guyanese expressing their utmost disappoint-

ment with how City Hall has been managed under the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) regime for the past three decades.

Under the tagline, “A New Beginning for Georgetown,” residents of all ages and from different walks

— complain of poor drainage, littering, inadequate garbage collection disposal

of life have not only pointed out the incompetence of City Hall, but also how the mismanagement negatively affects their community.

Concerned citizens in these videos highlighted common themes such as land pollution, poor drainage, irregular garbage collection, and the deplorable conditions

in markets. Overall, they emphasised the neglect of Georgetown.

People have also complained that although they are paying their dues to City Hall, they still have to take money out of their own pockets to maintain their communities.

In one of the most recent

videos, a citizen who has been living in Albouystown for the past 25 years highlighted the large piles of garbage in the area, which are an eyesore not only for the residents, but also for passersby.

According to the man: “This is one thing we can’t take,” referring to the land pollution evident at the mouth of the community.

He further noted that while initially the garbage trucks used to regularly visit the community, this has stopped, and now they hardly come to do their duties.

He then went on to say: “Nothing [is] going on in the city for Albouystown people,” adding that the absolute mistreatment by City Hall is now unbearable.

The man then stated that he and his wife come to the corner of Sussex and Saffon Streets every morning, to catch the bus, but owing to the repulsive stench emerging from the massive heaps of garbage in the area, it deters them.

Moreover, he said that the duty is now imposed upon the local shopkeepers to remove the litter and maintain the area when the eyesore becomes too much.

“We need a change” the man asserted.

From another video, a woman from East Ruimveldt, who has been living in the area for 43 years, expressed much dissatisfaction with the drainage system in the community.

She stated that effective administration at City Hall is essential for the community to thrive, mentioning that problems such as flooding should not happen when rain falls.

“On the 12th of June, let us come out and make the

change,” the woman said.

Another resident of Georgetown pointed out several problems within his community ranging from poor drainage to inadequate garbage collection, among other issues.

“From the time it rain[s], [it] floods” he said in a frustrated manner.

He then went on to emphasise that City Hall has even neglected the playground in the area and thus, the children cannot even utilize it.

The man further urged residents to give the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) a chance at the upcoming LGEs because the current administration has failed the city.

Local Government Elections are scheduled for June 12. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will be contesting all Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and hopes to increase its representation in Georgetown at the level of the City Council, which is currently controlled by the PNC-led APNU+AFC.

Reports are at the last Local Government Elections in 2018, APNU won 21 seats, while the PPP/C gained seven seats and the Alliance For Change (AFC) was allotted two.

After serving some five years as Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine has decided against contesting the upcoming Local Government Elections, noting that he has already given the job his “best shot.”

Narine was elected to the post of mayor in 2018 and, throughout his tenure, faced immense backlash over a wide array of issues surrounding management of the capital city.

Garbage in Georgetown

Mechanic fatally stabbed in feud with fiancée's uncle suspect arrested

Shivram Mohabir, called “Vickash”, 23, a mechanic of Lot 40 Triumph Side Line Dam, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was killed Monday evening by his fiancée's uncle after a feud between the two resulted in Mohabir being stabbed in the chest.

Police confirmed that the stabbing occurred at about 19:00 hours on Monday at a house located at 5th Street, Martyr's Ville, ECD. The 49-year-old suspect is presently in custody.

Enquiries disclosed that Mohabir and the suspect had an ongoing problem, and Mohabir's fiancée, a 22-yearold from 5th Street Martyr's Ville, ECD, is the suspect's

niece.

On Saturday last, the suspect made a report at

‘Tavi Badiee’ shot dead in Atlanta

the Beterverwagting Police Station against Mohabir. The matter is under investigation.

Police said that, on Monday evening, Mohabir was at his fiancée's residence when the suspect visited to check on his family and learned that Mohabir was there. The suspect rushed to where Mohabir was and a scuffle started

between them.

As a result, the suspect armed himself with a knife and dealt Mohabir a stab around the chest area. Mohabir's fiancée rescued him, after which the suspect made good his escape. Mohabir was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was admit-

ted. A report was also made to the police.

At around 20:15 hours on Monday, the doctor updated relatives that Mohabir had a stab wound to the left-side chest area, and his condition was deemed critical. He later succumbed at about 21:55 hours to his injuries. The body is at the GPHC's mor-

tuary.

Meanwhile, police made checks in the area for the suspect, and he was contacted at his home at Mon Repos and escorted to Beterverwagting Police Station, where he was placed into custody as investigations continue.

GUYANAESE artiste and influencer Teisha Doris, known as ‘Tavi Badiee’ was found dead in the back of an Uber SUV following an early morning shooting in northeast Altanta, USA.

The incident occurred at approximately 04:30 hours on Lindbergh Drive in the affluent Buckhead neighbourhood.

According to reports from Fox News, authorities discovered the lifeless body of Doris, in the rear seat of a black Cadillac Escalade Uber vehicle. The SUV was tragically riddled with bullet holes, suggesting a targeted attack.

As the investigation continues, law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

It remains unclear at this time whether Doris was the sole occupant of the vehicle or if there were other passengers present.

Authorities believe that multiple shooters were involved in the incident, adding further complexity to the ongoing investigation.

In response to the tragedy, Atlanta police cordoned off the area encompassing Piedmont Road and Adina Drive, to gather evidence and interview potential witnesses.

Additionally, they are examining potential connections between the shooting location and two other sites: Cheshire Bridge Road, situated between I-85 and Buford Highway, and Lenox Road at Buford Highway.

Dead: Shivram Mohabir, called “Vickash”

Teisha Doris called ‘Tavi Badiee’

12:20 hrs Breguet Boy Cartmel 12:50 hrs Elham Valley 13:20 hrs Idealdes Villerets

13:50 hrs Hey Bob

14:20 hrs Sword Of Fate 14:50 hrs Time Leader 15:50 hrs Our Laura B

IRISH

12:30 hrs Cask Mate

AMERICAN RACING TIPS

Delware Race 1 Blame Catalaya Race 2 Three Spot Coats

Race 3 Forever Saucy Race 4 Alvy

Race 5 Shanghai Superfly

Race 6 Conspiracy Fact Race 7 Mr Shades Of Grey Race 8 Aferdita

SOUTH

Proposed ICC revenue model threatens growth of game, say Associate Members

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Many Associate member boards fear the proposed new international revenue - distribution model, which heavily favours the game’s superpowers, could potentially stall the growth of the game. The ICC has proposed a new revenue-sharing model for the 2024-27 cycle to be voted on at its July board meeting in Durban.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier

who have earned ODI status need more money to sustain their high-performance programmes, while the others need cash to bridge the gap Citing the rapid rise of Nepal in men’s cricket and Thailand in the women’s game, Damodar said more countries would step up if they were given the required financial support

Vanuatu Cricket Association chief executive Tim Cutler said the proposed

“One of the biggest risks for global cricket is its over-dependence on one country - India - for a major part of the revenues generated,” the former PCB chairman told Reuters. “Countries like the USA and the Middle East and, in longer term, China would bring enormous benefits to the ICC, its members and the global game World cricket would be stronger and richer for it.”

For Mani, India grabbing the lion’s share of ICC revenues “makes no sense”, and he advocated equal shares for all Full

Members

“World cricket needs a strong West Indies , South Africa , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh and Pakistan,” he further said “Cricket in Zimbabwe has suffered due to lack of funds, as have Ireland and Afghanistan

Lack of investment in some of these countries will make the game unsustainable , and world cricket will be poorer for it.”

this month , BCCI would alone claim 38.5% of the annual earnings in the new finance model, primarily in recognition of its contribution to the commercial revenue pot The 12 Full Members of the ICC would collectively take 88.81% , with the rest distributed among 94 Associate members.

The ICC has not commented on the figures yet , though general manager Wasim Khan said on Monday all members would get more money under the proposed model than in the past The PCB has already made clear its opposition to the model in its current shape, and resentment is rumbling among other, less-developed cricketing nations

Sumod Damodar, vice-chairman of Botswana’s board and one of the three Associate member representatives on the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee, said the proposal would not meet the needs of Associate members

“If what is being proposed and discussed is likely to be the outcome then, as an Associate member representative, I would be [ disappointed ],” he told Reuters. “There are numerous practical reasons why it would be inadequate for Associate members.”

Damodar said Associate members

model would only accentuate the inequality between cricket ’ s haves and have-nots

“The new model is now even more heavily weighted towards the bigger cricketing nations, and there is a risk that the proposed changes will exacerbate this imbalance, putting the future of the game at further risk,” Cutler told Reuters. “The sad reality is cricket will not grow beyond its current corners of the world if the allocation of the game ’ s global funds aren’t more equally allocated with a view to actually growing the game.”

With Full Members having 12 of the 17 total votes on the ICC board, Cutler said diverting funds away from themselves - or making independent decisions for the good of the game - would be like “turkeys voting for Christmas”.

The ICC did not respond to a request for comment when asked about the concerns of the Associate members

Over-dependence on India a big risk

- former PCB chairman

Former ICC president Ehsan Mani said there was a lack of vision at the governing body in its approach to developing cricketing nations, despite the huge commercial potential of some of them

The 12 Full Members of the ICC will collectively take 88.81% in the new model, with the rest distributed among 94 Associates (Steve Bardens/ICC/ Getty Images)

Sheltez Tennis Club completes another successful tournament

The Sheltez Tennis Club’s eighth edition of the Independence Junior tournament concluded on Saturday with another successful event this year.

Tennis coach, Shelly Daly, said the road to success was not always a smooth one.

“Despite some challenges, sponsors pulling out at the last minute among other things, the event still had all the categories and full attendance,” Coach Daly disclosed.

There were a total of five categories and players as young as five years old competed.

“We were extremely pleased to see the level of play and the passion shown by all the players, especially in the U-10s. A total of 60 players entered, 111 matches were played at three different facili -

ties,” the coach informed.

The U-12 category wrapped up the event, with the Girls winner being

Kimora Erskine and with runner-up Niomi Erskine, third place went to Khole Sears and Samara Siland

placed 4th.

In the Boys category, Jonathan Jordan was the winner, ahead of runner-up Alexander Parkinson, third place went to Mukang Yi and fourth Matthew Kristyanto.

“We would like to say a special thank you to all our parents, coaches, and co-ordinators as well as the Le Ressouvenir Tennis Club, Rebel Tennis Club and GBTI Tennis Club for making their facilities available.

To our generous sponsors, thank you for your contributions, it certainly made this event possible” Coach Daly added.

Trophy Stall, Total Air Cargo Sales & Handling Agents Inc.

Mouth Meltzer, Rohit Lumber Yard and Hardware were the sponsors of the tournament. (Sean Devers)

AP Invitational shifts to July 22

The 2023 AP Invitational, the first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour event in Guyana, will now be held on July 22, organiser Aliann Pompey announced on Monday.

After a four-year hiatus, the AP Invitational track and field championship was scheduled to return on Saturday, June 24, at the National Track and Field Centre in Edinburgh.

Pompey, Guyana’s Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, saw her fifth edition of the AP Invitational, like most sports events in 2020, cancelled because of COVID-19.

According to Pompey, “The decision was made to change the date to ensure we can have a high-level competition that meets all the international standards and expectations. The new date gives us a better

Bent Street receives One Guyana Futsal spoils

chance to execute all of our objectives and should be seen as a great thingour athletes will be better prepared as it's in the latter part of the season.”

“The financial backing of the Minister responsible for Sport, Honourable Minister Charles Ramson, the new Guyana Olympic Association head (GOA) Godfrey Munroe, and his executives make it possible to add some new features to this year's competition that will make it a must-see event,” Pompey said.

Pompey's decision to change the date of the AP Invitational places the event within the qualification window for the 2026 Olympics. The event, which ran its inaugural competition in 2016, saw 11 athletes move on to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio.

"I'm extremely excited about this year's competition - the hiatus because of COVID and other factors made us all see the tremendous value of having something like this here in Guyana. I don't think we've missed a beat. I believe this will be the best one yet," Pompey said.

The Olympian pointed out that “the financial backing of the Minister responsible for Sport, Honourable Minister Charles Ramson, and the new Guyana Olympic Association head (GOA) Godfrey Munroe and his executives makes it possible to add some new features to this year's competition that will make it a must-see event."

This year's AP Invitational will be headlined by National 400m Record Holder Aliyah Abrams, who is having a sensational season.

Abrams recently reset Guyana's 400m record with a remarkable time of 50.20s at the NACAC New Life Invitational in The Bahamas. Her time places her in the top five in the world this year, with only Britton Wilson, Gabrielle Thomas, Rhasidat Adeleke, and Stacy-Ann Williams running faster than Abrams in the 400m.

Already qualifying for the World Athletics 2023 World Championships in Track and Field, Abrams said one of her goals this season is to be a finalist at the event set for August 19 – 27 in Budapest, Hungary, while also "dipping under 50s."

Pompey said that along with Abrams, the AP Invitational will feature a roster of high-level athletes from around the world.

Bent Street Futsal players were all smiles as they walked out of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport boardroom yesterday, $1M richer. The team had just received their spoils for their remarkable performance in the One Guyana Futsal Championship finals.

The inaugural championship saw 32 of the country's best futsal teams compete for the coveted first-place prize, compliments of KFC Guyana.

On May 21, in front of a mammoth crowd at the National Park, Bent Street defeated Sparta Boss 6-3 to clinch the top prize.

Colin Nelson was the star of the show for Bent Street, scoring a hattrick, backed by a brace from Job Caesar and a single strike from Cecil Jackman. Despite a valiant effort, Sparta Boss had to settle for the $500,000 runner-up prize.

Back Circle pocketed $200,000 for their 9-4 drubbing of California Square in the third-place match.

The tournament saw a total of 331 goals scored,

with Adrian Aaron's 12 goals being the most scored by any player.

At yesterday's simple presentation, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, congratulated the players for their sterling performances. He praised the tournament as a hallmark event that showcased the best of Guyana's futsal talent. Minister Ramson also took the opportunity to update the players on several projects currently underway by his Ministry in communities across Georgetown that are specifically developed to cater to futsal.

Daniel Wilson, who is currently with the Golden Jaguars team preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). The award was a fitting recognition of Wilson's outstanding contribution to Bent Street's success in the tournament.

The One Guyana Futsal Championship, according to the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, was a resounding success, with Bent Street emerging as worthy champions.

The winners display their trophies

Bent Street captain, Adrian Aaron receives his team’s One Guyana Futsal spoils from Minister Charles Ramson Jr. and members of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation

‘Women’s team should qualify for Pan Am Games’ says Coach Chan-a-Sue

By Sean Devers

THE Guyana squash unit leaves on Friday for the Pan Am qualifiers in Columbia with USA-based coach, Ramon Chan-a-Sue quietly confident that the Nicolette Fernandes-led Women’s team will qualify for the Pan Games.

“I think we have a great opportunity especially on the women’s side. For the men’s it could be a challenge but I think the guys are up for it.

We have a nice blend of experience and youth on the team.

Alex (Arjoon) and Jason (Khalil) are seasoned campaigners now and Sam and Daniel (Ince cousins) provide that youthful energy that will be required to compete with some of the elite players in the world

The women are an experienced group now, led by Nicolette (Fernandes) and Ashley (Khalil). “We are a much more

experienced and improved group from the four that qualified four years ago for the Peru Games,” disclosed Coach Ramon.

“We did a prep camp a week ago, to get everyone focused and to help everyone to start to peak for the event. It was a good

three days of training and I think everyone came out energized” informed Ramon who has been Guyana’s senior team coach for the last nine years.

“These qualifiers bring out some of the Pan Am Region’s best players, including current

World #1 Diego Elias of Peru and Miguel Rodriquez of Colombia (WR #12), Olivia Clyne (WR #13) and Sabrina Sobhy (#15) of the USA.

These are just a few of the great players taking part. It will be a battle for a top eight

West Indies A vs Bangladesh A Chanderpaul; Da Silva notch half centuries

CMC – Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Test counterpart Joshua Da Silva both squandered golden opportunities to notch their first hundreds of the tour, as West Indies A dominated Tuesday’s day one of the final four-day “Test” against Bangladesh A.

The left-handed Chanderpaul top-scored with 83 at the top of the order while captain Da Silva chipped in with a fine 82, two of four half-centuries which helped the Caribbean side to 320 for six at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Alick Athanaze also struck 59 and fellow lefthander Raymon Reifer an unbeaten 56, to further underline the touring side’s dominance after they won the toss and chose to bat.

Nasum Ahmed, a 28-year-old left-arm spinner who has played 40 white-ball internationals, finished with three for 92 while 20-yearold rookie seamer Mushfik Hasan claimed two for 50.

Entering the contest with a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after winning the last “Test”, West Indies A endured a nightmare start when they lost in-form opener Kirk McKenzie without scoring

positions on both sides,” Coach Ramon added.

“I think we will have a great opportunity to win a medal if we qualify for the Games, especially in doubles, we came close the last time and I think we are more experienced this time around.

Since Squash was introduced at the Pan Am Games in 1995, Nicolette has won Guyana’s only medal (Bronze) in the individuals and won the only gold medal for Guyana at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia before suffering a knee injury the following year which kept her out of action for 23 months.

But the ageless Nicolette, who turns 40 on June 19, has returned to Court in the second chapter of her illustrious career and last year won the Senior Pan American Squash Championships in Guatemala in April before becoming the first Female Guyanese to win Gold at the

World Master's Championship in Poland in August.

“I think she is playing as good as I have ever seen her play and I was there when she started her competitive career as a junior. She is as fit as usual and has made adjustments to her game to conserve her body now,” said Coach Ramon, who played for Guyana from 1990 to 2015.

“It’s going to have to be a team effort, they are all going to have to be drivers on this trip, we can’t have passengers, everyone has to contribute, and if we can do that, we have a great chance of qualifying.

I would like to thank the GOA for their support and we look forward to making Guyana proud again,” stated Coach Ramon.

The Pan Games is set from October 20 to November 5 in Chile.

Chanderpaul thankful despite missing century SCOREBOARD

dozen fours and a brace of sixes in a 94-ball knock.

He failed to add to his tea time score with West Indies A on 215 for three, however, yorked by the very first delivery after the resumption from Nasum, leading to a slide which saw three wickets tumble for 45 runs.

CMC – Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul said he was ‘thankful’ for his form despite twice missing out on hundreds in the ongoing three-match “Test” tour of Bangladesh.

TOTAL (6 wkts, 82 overs) 320

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-83, 4-215, 5-241, 6-260

To bat: A Jordan, V Permaul, A Phillip.

Bowling: Mushfik Hasan 13-4-50-2, Shoriful Islam 13-1-58-1, Tanzim Hasan 15-1-53-0, Saif Hasan 12-2-49-0, Nasum Ahmed 26-5-92-3, Mominul Haque 2-1-11-0, Mahmudul Hasan 1-0-2-0.

and number three Zachary McCaskie for one, with only two runs on the board in the three over of the morning.

McKenzie feathered a defensive shot behind off one from left-arm seamer, Shoriful Islam, which held its line while McCaskie, on his West Indies A debut, got turned inside out by a Mushfik leg-cutter and also edged behind.

Any hopes of running through the West Indies A top order were then quickly squashed, however, as Chanderpaul put on 81 for the third wicket with Athanaze before adding a further 132 for the fourth with Da Silva, to stage a recovery.

Chanderpaul struck nine fours and a six in a patient 160-ball stay while Athanaze faced 66 deliveries and counted seven fours and two sixes in a fluent knock before perishing half-hour before lunch, brilliantly caught at slip by Mahmudul Hasan off Nasum, to leave West Indies A 98 for three at the interval.

There was no further erosion following the resumption, Da Silva combining well with Chanderpaul to keep the Bangladesh A bowlers wicket-less in the second session.

Da Silva easily outscored Chanderpaul, transferring the pressure back on Bangladesh A’s bowlers as he punched a

Chanderpaul, unbeaten at tea on 71, was caught at the wicket off Nasum and Tevin Imlach missed a straight one from Nasum and was lbw for 10.

Stumbling on 260 for six, West Indies A once again showed their resilience, Reifer provided the rearguard action in a 90-ball innings which has so far featured half-dozen fours and a six.

More importantly, he inspired a 60-run, unbroken seventh wicket stand with Kevin Sinclair (22 not out), which frustrated the hosts’ attempts at further inroads in the final session.

BANGLADESH A –

*Saif Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nasum Ahmed, Mahmudul Hasan, +Nurul Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Mominul Haque, Tanzim Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Mushfik Hasan.

The 26-year-old, who has played six Tests since making his debut Down Under late last year, made 83 on Tuesday’s opening day of the final four-day “Test”, as West Indies A reached 320 for six at the close at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

For Chanderpaul, the knock marked the second time he had flirted with a century in the series, following his 83 in the drawn opener a fortnight ago.

“Most definitely I would like to hit the three figures. It’s my second score of 83 again but I’m thankful. I will hopefully try and get past it the next time,” Chanderpaul said following the day’s play.

Chanderpaul’s initiative was required after West Indies A, choosing to bat first, slumped to two for one in the morning’s third over after Kirk McKenzie (0) and debutant Zachary McCaskie (1) fell cheaply.

The left-hander then combined with Alick

Athanaze (59) in an 81run, third wicket stand before partnering with captain Joshua Da Silva (82) in a 132-run partnership for the fourth wicket, the latter keeping Bangladesh A wicket-less in the second session.

Chanderpaul struck nine fours and a six in a patient 160-ball stay before finally departing in the final session.

“Obviously the pitch has got a bit of grass on it so I tried to get through the new ball and after that, I started scoring a bit easier,” said the Guyanese, the son of Test legend Shiv Chanderpaul.

“The weather was hot today so I had to dig deep and try and go as far as possible.”

West Indies A ended the day on 320 for six after Raymon Reifer struck an unbeaten 56, in a 60-run, unbroken seventh wicket stand with Kevin Sinclair (22 not out), and Chanderpaul said the visitors would look to build further on Wednesday’s day two.

“With the position we’re in right now, we’ll just look to bat as long as possible and try and see if we can bat out another session.”

(From left) Nicolette and Taylor Fernandez, Ashley Khalil and Mary forms a strong team for Pan Am qualifiers Guyana’s head coach, Ramon Chan-A-Sue

Chanderpaul; Da Silva notch half

Left-handed opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Story on page 31

Story on page 30

Bent Street captain, Adrian Aaron receives his team’s One Guyana Futsal spoils from Minister Charles Ramson Jr. and members of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation