Guyana Chronicle E-paper 5-5-2019

5th May, 2019

Happy

Arrival Day

To all Guyanese No.105628

‘Getting to the root’ PAGE

03

… Min. Ramjattan calls for region-wide research on crime … says most murders in Guyana fuelled by domestic violence

One dead, others 10 missing PAGE

… as fishing vessel, speedboat collide

Guyana a gem for cultural 02 preservation PAGE

Dancers thrilled the audience at the National Cultural Centre Friday night at the Nrityageet dance show. After 40 years of continued success, Nrityageet, Guyana’s longest running dance show, hosted its final production on May 2-3 at the NCC. “Nrityageet” -which means “pure song and dance” in Hindi is a Dance Production by the Shaw family which has been gracing the stage since 1979.

(Carl Croker photo)

–– visiting ICCR director-general

Gov’t had designated Kadir a terrorist in 2017 17 PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Guyana, a gem for cultural preservation –– visiting ICCR director-general ahead of Arrival Monument commissioning today

By Tajeram Mohabir COUNCIL for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Director-General, Akhilesh Mishra, who is here for the grand opening of the Indian Arrival Monument in Berbice today, has praised Guyana for preserving its diverse cultures.

Contending that India has a lot to learn from Guyana as much as it can share, Mishra noted that his country is looking to deepen intellectual dialogue between the two nations to generate new ideas for cooperation and development.

Guyana and India established diplomatic relations in 1966 and ever since, the two nations have shared cordial and fruitful relations. However, India’s connection with Guyana dates back to May 5, 1838 with the arrival of the first batch of indentured Indian servants here to work on the sugar plantations.

ICCR Director-General, Akhilesh Mishra Between 1838, and 1917, when the Indentureship System ended, some 240,000 Indians drawn from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madras (now Tamil Nadu), came to these shores The monument at T junction, Palmyra Village, Corentyne, Region Six, built through funding from the Government of India, honours their arrival to Guyana.

It features a mounted

bronze memorial that consists of artistic sculpted metal, depicting the lives of Indians in their daily routines.

Each of the figures carry something of importance – their jahaji bhandal (ship bundle) loaded with food, spices, herbs, clothing, jewellery, their gods, religious texts, drum, karaahi (cooking pan), taawa (flat circular metal for cooking roti), grass knives (scythe), cutlass and rice plants.

The figures are presented in a straightforward realism with the human factor ever present.

Guyanese sculptors, Philbert Gajadhar and Winslow Craig, designed the statues, which were then sent to India where a world-renowned artist was employed to cast the figures.

SPECIAL IN INDIA’S HEART Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle at the

The iconic Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra Village, Corentyne, Region Six, will be officially commissioned today (Ministry of Public Infrastructure photo) Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre (SVCC), Bel Air, Georgetown, Mish-

ra, who is on his first visit here, describes the commission today as historic.

He said Guyana is dear to the ICCR, the cultural relations arm of India.

He supported his point by pointing out that the SVCC, formerly the Indian Culture Centre, was the first of its kind to be established outside of India.

The centre focusses on strengthening cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and Guyana and their peoples. The

centre runs regular classes in yoga and dance (kathak).

Cultural events on festivals, mythology and works of eminent scholars and authors are also hosted at the centre.

Mishra, who noted the warmth and hospitality of the Guyanese people, said Guyana and India, in some respects, share a common history, both being former colonies of Great Britain, and culturally, there is much they can

See page 3

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‘Getting to the root’

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

… Min. Ramjattan calls for region-wide research on crime … says most murders in Guyana fueled by domestic violence

By Wendella Davidson MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, is plugging for universities in CARICOM, including our own University of Guyana, to consider researching the root causes of crime and its determinants.

According to Minister Ramjattan, “sometimes when we do not get to the root causes, we are left with the police force not having that `clinical edge’ as to how to prevent and also how to catch the criminals after a crime.

He told reporters here on Friday, that he made the suggestion at a recent meeting of Home Affairs Ministers of the Region; that meeting was held in Grenada. “I was at the CARICOM Public Security Ministers of Home Affairs meeting in Grenada, chaired by Prime Minister Mitchell, and I indicated that our universities must start looking into the root causes and the determinants. You have the University of the West Indies, several branches in Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and Bahamas and so on, and so we must utilise that.

We also have the University of Guyana,” he told the media.

The minister, who was engaging the local media on a range of issues, including the crime situation in the country, debunked the view that the crime situation in the country is in a bad state. “It is not really true. In view of a number of people writing me letters with similar questions, I had to get back to the statistics, and not to defend the fact that yes, crimes are not happening, of course crimes are happening.

But, we have to appreciate that we live in a geo-political space – Latin America/Caribbean, where inter-personal violence is the highest in the world.

We have the highest homicide rate in countries in and around the geo-political space. Countries like Honduras and El Salvador have murder rates that reach over 50 per 100, 000, Jamaica 52 per 100, 000…St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Trinidad and so on, at 32 and 42 per 100, 000; and I am talking about CARICOM countries here,” the minister said.

He added: “We are

probably one of the lowest 15 per 100, 000 and of course that is 15 more than we want happening, if we would want anything happening in relation to homicides. This 15 per 100, 000 and Barbados is lower than us by 11. A lot of people don’t appreciate that every day in some of the other CARICOM countries we have murders and very brutal ones.”

Ramjattan said what we have sometimes is domestic and largely domestic kind of murders.

The minister acknowledged that the Guyana Police Force has been constantly doing patrols all across the country, noting that at certain periods there will be spikes in robberies and murders. “But I want to say this, that sometimes this thing is emblazoned against the front pages on newspapers, giving the impression that we are in such a bad state,” Ramjattan reasoned.

On this note, he alluded to some of the successes and headway law-enforcement officers have been achieving in catching some of the criminals, both in the city and in the hinterland. Touching on a recent

murder that occurred at Plantation Hope Estate, the minister said it might appear that it was done by a family member, adding that the victim, a lady, had 700 acres of transported rice land, and there must have been something about a family arrangement whereby they might have murdered and tried to cremate her. “It was very brutal, we have brutal members in our community, but how do we stop this, when let’s say it is domestic-type violence and so on; it is a very difficult thing,” he explained.

Of the GPF, Ramjattan spoke of a recently established Strategic Management Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department touching base with universities, and collaborating with experts from the JES the JES (Justice Education Society group from Canada). In addition, efforts are being made to increase the capacity and capability of each and every detective. “We are also going to enhance the police force by getting at root causes when the recruits are also made out of better stock, if you can

get eight , nine or 10 subjects, we can bring them in as cadet officers ….,” he added.

Noting that the salary sometimes causes many people to not want to join the GPF, the minister said better will have to be done in that respect, and expressed the hope for a better revenue stream with oil and gas, so as to enhance the salaries,.

As he reiterated the need for attracting better recruits, the minister, who has overall responsibility for the GPF said, that the training is ongoing, and that an excellent job is being done.

“With the training, that has been helping, but the root causes will have to come from academia; it will not generally come from the professional policeman, but in professionalising the police force we are trying as best as possible to get more university graduates, whether it be first degrees or masters degrees into the police force. If you start building that academic background of your leadership, in the police force, you are going to get a more professional police force, it will be fast-

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan er in its ability to recognise the determinants of crimes, he added.

On this note, the minister hinted at adjusting the entrance requirement in the police force, increasing the academic qualifications and also the background checks on the individuals.

He said that while he prefers more CXCs, we have to live with what we have, adding that a number of people have said that persons with a higher amount of CXCs do not want to join the force because of the salary scales.

Guyana, a gem for cultural ...

From page 2 learn from each other.

The resilience of the Guyanese people, be it Indian, African, Chinese, Amerindian or Portuguese, and their efforts to preserve their culture here, the ICCR director said, is quite remarkable by any standard.

Strikingly, he pointed out, more than 180 years since the arrival of Indians in Guyana, the

descendants of the immigrants have kept their culture intact.

REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT This, he said, is a remarkable achievement when compared to other nations where Indians were taken during the Indentureship period.

Here, he said, there are valuable lessons his country can learn from Guyana

as much as it can share in the areas of cultural preservation, literature and other art forms.

“I am inspired at the way Guyana has revived and preserved her culture. The devotion of the students to learn kathak (dance) and yoga at the swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre is touching and remarkable. As a parent, I want to learn from Guyana how it has man-

aged to preserve its culture. Guyana is an inspiration!” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

During his visit, which ends on May 6, the ICCR director said he looks forward to meeting other ethnic cultural groups to lean more from them on how the arts and culture between the two nations can be deepened in contemporary society.

The ICCR issues 4,000

scholarships annually to students in the diaspora to pursue studies at the Bachelor’s, Master and PhD levels in a wide variety of areas.

At any one time, some 7,500 students from countries around the world are studying in India on ICCR scholarships. The organisation also hosts cultural seminars, conferences and festivals in India and abroad, as well as facilitate cultural exchanges

between India and nations around the world. This has seen many cultural delegations from around the world visiting India to share their culture and experiences.

India has also sent out many cultural delegations to different parts of the world to share its culture and experiences to build a unified world, where all exists in peace and harmony.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, May 5, 2019

North Korea 'test fires short-range missiles' (BBC) North Korea has tested several short-range missiles, according to reports from South Korea.

They were fired from the Hodo peninsula in the east of the country, said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

If confirmed, it will be the first missile launch since Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.

Last month Pyongyang

said it had tested what it described as a new "tactical guided weapon".

That was the first test since the Vietnam summit between the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump, which ended without agreement.

President Trump walked away from what he described as a bad deal offered by Kim Jong-un in Hanoi in Febru-

Kim Jong-un held talks with the US president in February

ary.

On Saturday, the US president tweeted that he believed the North Korean leader would not do anything that could jeopardise his country's path towards better relations and economic normalisation.

"He also knows that I am with him and does not want

to break his promise to me," President Trump wrote in the social media post.

Firing a short range missile would not violate North Korea's promise not to test long range or nuclear missiles.

But Pyongyang appears to be growing impatient with Washington's insistence

Sunday, May 5, 2019 - 5:30 hrs

that full economic sanctions remain until Mr Kim takes serious steps to dismantle his nuclear weapons programme, says the BBC's Laura Bicker.

"We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. "We will continue to monitor as necessary."

Nuclear test pledge North Korea "fired a number of short-range missiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the north-eastern direction from 09:06 (00:06 GMT) to 09:27," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The missiles flew for between 70km and 200km (45125 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, they added.

Hodo has been used in the past for launching cruise missiles and long-range artillery testing.

According to the North Korea news agency (KCNA), April's test of a new "tactical guided weapon" was over-

seen by Mr Kim himself. It said the test was "conducted in various modes of firing at different targets", which analysts believe means the weapon could be launched from land, sea or air.

It is unclear if that weapon was a missile, but most observers agree that it was probably a short-range weapon.

Last year, Mr Kim said he would stop nuclear testing and would no longer launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Nuclear activity appears to be continuing, however, and satellite images of North Korea's main nuclear site last month showed movement, suggesting the country could be reprocessing radioactive material into bomb fuel.

The country claims it has developed a nuclear bomb small enough to fit on a long-range missile, as well as ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the mainland US.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, May 5, 2019

Guyanese have found a way to foster Brazil's President Bolsonaro cancels trip to New York togetherness - Ethnic Relations Commission The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) extends best wishes to all Guyanese on the observance of Arrival Day. This Day, May 5, commemorates the profound historical period of indentureship which began in 1838. We celebrate the enrichment of diversity that Arrival Day embodies in the shaping of modern Guyana.

Arrival Day is most significant for what it represents in the context of the multi-faceted mosaic it created and for which our country is known.

Our hodgepodge of multiculturalism was as a result of the untold sacrifices, desires and steadfastness of our ancestors, to practice and preserve their rich and colourful cultural traditions, having come to this land from different parts of the world at different times in our history.

In doing so individually through the various ethnic groups, sharing and participation in each other’s, forged our dear nation to become multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural. Over time, this rich, beautiful and vibrant diversity has become our strength and the common bond in the process of becoming one people in this our nation working towards a common destiny.

While there have been challenges along the way, our Guyanese brothers and sisters have always found ways to foster togetherness through tolerance and respect. This is evident as all participate meaningfully in each oth-

er’s festivities which have transcended religious and ethnic boundaries to become truly national in observances. Herein lies the desire of all of our people for harmony and unity to be strengthened and for it to continue to prevail across this land that is home to all.

The ERC therefore wishes to take the opportunity on this occasion to reiterate the need for all to build together upon our gains and to continue robustly the process of fostering unity and harmony.

This is imperative in the interest of our nation and all of its people so that our diversity must never be made a tool for division but one that will continue to reflect our strength and bonds of togetherness.

May 5 also marks the anniversary of the arrival of our East Indian ancestors who reached these shores on that day in 1838 while two days ago on May 3, Portuguese Arrival Day was observed.

The colourful commemorative events across the country will once again serve to bring our people together, allowing opportunities to not only participate, but for the continuation of that important process of educating for a better understanding and appreciation of our cultural traditions. This builds tolerance which is the bedrock of harmony and unity as we strive for one people out of many cultures. Once again happy Arrival Day to all Guyanese here and in the Diaspora.

(BBC) Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has cancelled a planned trip to the United States after protests from gay rights and environmental campaigners.

Mr Bolsonaro was due to attend a ceremony in his honour in New York later in May organised by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce.

Several venues in the city have decided not to host the event.

His spokesman blamed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the "pressure of interest groups".

The American Museum of Natural History had originally agreed to hold a gala dinner for the Brazilian president, But it drew heavy criticism for agreeing to host a ceremony at which Mr Bolsonaro, who has advocated relaxing environmental policies, was scheduled to receive a person of the year award.

Other sponsors, including Delta Airlines, the Financial Times newspaper and management consultancy Bain & Co, have pulled out of the event.

"We have decided to withdraw our sponsorship of the ... 2019 Person of the Year Awards Gala Dinner,"

President Jair Bolsonaro

Bain said. "Encouraging and celebrating diversity is a core Bain principle."

President Bolsonaro would no longer attend the dinner, said his spokesman General Otavio Rego Barros, because of "the resistance and deliberate attacks by the mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups" on the organisers of the event.

HOW DID THIS ROW ERUPT? The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit non-governmental organisation that promotes trade, investment and cultural ties between the two countries, planned to honour the Brazilian president at a gala dinner.

At the annual event, the chamber gives out its person of the year awards. This year one of those prizes is due to go to Mr Bolsonaro, who was sworn in as Brazil's president on 1 January.

On its website, the organisation said it had chosen the far-right leader in recognition of "his strongly stated intention of fostering closer commercial and diplomatic ties between Brazil and the United States and his firm commitment to building a strong and durable partnership between the two nations".

Previous recipients of the award have included former US President Bill Clinton and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

What were the objec-

tions?

Climate activists and environmental organisations such as Greenpeace have denounced Mr Bolsonaro as "a threat to Brazil's ecosystem".

Most of those opposed to having the museum host the event pointed to the president's plans to open up parts of the Amazon rainforest for development, which they argued was not in keeping with the museum's mission.

In a radio interview on 8 April, President Bolsonaro said he wanted the US to join in a development plan for the Amazon region. He also said that demarcations of indigenous reserves hampered development of the region and that he would abolish them if he could find a way to legally do so.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said President Bolsonaro was a "very dangerous human being".

Mr de Blasio told radio station WNYC last month: "He's dangerous not just because of his overt racism and homophobia, but because he is unfortunately the person with the most ability to be able to impact what happens in the Amazon going forward."

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, May 5, 2019

The people who came

ARRIVAL Day is often associated with the arrival of East Indians to these shores on May 5, 1838, but it is really a celebration of all the ethnic groups who came, and over time, in one way or the other, contributed to Guyana’s development.

The Portuguese came in 1835 and the Chinese in 1853. Both of these ethnic groups have contributed tremendously to Guyana’s rich cultural tapestry and have given her some of the best in business and other spheres of national life.

Notably, Guyana’s first president, Arthur Chung, was of Chinese descent, while industry captain and politician, Peter D’Aguiar, was of Portuguese origin. These are just two of many other prominent Guyanese of these two ethnic groups who have provided outstanding service to this country we call home. Their

foreparents came as indentured labourers, but persevered and, today, enjoy reputable standing in society.

The Chinese today are owners of restaurants, supermarkets and are involved in the import/export business.

The descendants of the Portuguese who came from Madeira on May 3, 1835, apart from being wealthy property owners and businesspersons, have also enjoyed a vibrant presence in the arts, sport and politics. The East Indians, the other group which came in May, have also enjoyed a dominant presence in practically every aspect of national life. Quite naturally, being the larger and more dominant of the two other groups, greater attention has been paid to the East Indians who, through sacrifice, thrift and industry, have been able to transform their lives.

East Indians are still largely involved in rice and sugar cultivation today, and are among the most wealthy and established business people in Guyana. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which is largely Indo-Guyanese based, has attained the seat of power more than once and has given Guyana several outstanding leaders; Dr Cheddi Jagan being foremost among them.

Arrival Day is, therefore, an occasion, not for one, but for all the groups that came to these shores to celebrate their cultures and contributions to making this land called Guyana, a better place. It is a time for all to unite and to celebrate the struggles of our foreparents, who laid down their lives for our freedoms -- freedoms they never had.

It is also a time that we take positive inspiration from our

history. Oftentimes, we tend to hark back to the past to justify our actions or positions or beliefs we hold or want to perpetuate, but not often our history is used to unite and inspire us that we should be one people.

If this is done more often, Guyana will become more united as a nation with less animosity among our ethnic groups, especially Africans and East Indians. How many know that under the leadership of renowned trade unionist, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, that East Indians and Africans were allies in the fight for better wages and an eight-hour working day. And in 1839, there was a significant test of national unity when ex-slaves testified in court that the Indian indentured labourers were treated precisely the same way as Africans under slavery.

Dr. Ivelaw Griffith’s vision, energy, integrity make him the right leader for UG Dear Editor WE the under-signed hereby write this letter of support for Vice Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith as he deals with personal, misleading and scurrilous attacks of his stewardship of the University of Guyana.

First, we should state that each of us has spent many decades in the academy in faculty and many senior academic administrative positions at some major universities in the United States. We are personal and professional colleagues of Dr. Griffith, and we have followed his professional career over the years and his assumption of the leadership of the University of Guyana, his beloved alma mater. We have worked directly with Dr. Griffith during his tenure to assist him in the transformation of UG. Any objective observer would be honest in describing the changes that have taken place at UG under his leadership as being outstanding, if not phenomenal.

Dr Griffith is embarking

on a bold, ambitious and gigantic task of rebuilding and repositioning the University of Guyana. He is focusing his energies on ensuring that UG plays its rightful role as a major resource and force for social and economic change in Guyana. The establishment of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) is an example of this strategic direction. Two of us have had first-hand involvement in this project. He was able to restore accreditation for the School of Medicine which lapsed for several years. He has launched several initiatives to enhance the intellectual climate and culture of the University through efforts such as the Turkeyen and Tain Talks; creation of the Undergraduate Research Program; launching of the UG press; promotion of the Arts; restoration of the Walter Rodney Chair. Concomitant with these initiatives is an effort to upgrade and strengthen the institution’s infrastructure which was in dire need of rehabilitation. This is reflected in the completion of

the Agriculture and Forestry expansion; opening of the Tain Library and the SEBI complex; and breaking ground for a Math and Science building at Turkeyen.

He has provided salary increases to UG staff, totalling more than G$117 million.

Additionally, he has introduced the practice of external fund raising to support the University’s operations and programmes. For example, he received US$250,000 for the Nand Persaud Soil Testing Lab at Tain; US$500,000 to support Engineering and Technology; US$500,000 in cash and kind support from Huawei, among other significant contributions. These are just a sample of his many accomplishments.

It is disconcerting that the criticisms of Dr. Griffith fail to acknowledge these accomplishments. Dr. Aubrey Bonnett co-authored an article on “Leading Large Systems” in which he addressed the issue of change and the inherent and natural tendency to resist change

efforts. What is echoed in the criticisms of Dr. Griffith is the fear of change. While the status quo is comfortable, we believe that for UG to evolve and grow and become the top notch institution it is capable of becoming, transformational leadership is imperative. It is our contention that Dr. Ivelaw Griffith’s vision, energy, integrity and love for his institution and country make him the right leader at the right time to effectuate a renaissance for the University of Guyana.

Regards Dr. Aubrey Bonnett, Professor Emeritus and Former Provost State University of New York, Westbury Dr. Edward Davis, Professor & Christine McEachern Smith Chair and Former Dean of Business, Clark Atlanta University Dr. Patrick R. Liverpool, Retired Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Africans also challenged the anti-education principles of the 1876 law that provided limited education to the Indians. They demanded that Indian languages be introduced in schools and the Court of Policy, comprising members of many ethnic groups, made Crown lands available to both Indians and Africans. So, as we celebrate Arrival Day 2019, let us celebrate our common struggles for a better life and resolve to work together to solve the differences among ourselves. It is the duty of all, but more importantly, the duty of our politicians to lead this process, as we prepare to celebrate 53 years as an Independent nation.

GTT restates commitment to liberalisation Dear Editor, AS Liberalisation continues to be a topic of discussion, we want the community and our customers to know the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company’s stance on the matter. GTT is committed to liberalisation and will continue to invest and grow as we move Guyana into a new era. We are very proud of Guyana's growth and the part we've played in it and we take this responsibility very seriously. GTT will continue to improve and modernise.

In the last decade alone, we are proud to have deployed 700% more internet connections to homes and businesses – moving from 10,000 in 2010 to more than 70,000 today. Over the last 10 years alone, GTT has invested more than US$200M to build telecommunications infrastructure.

We are dedicated to keeping hundreds of thousands of Guyanese connected. Today, more than ever, people rely on the internet and since January 2018, we have seen almost a 500 per cent increase in internet traffic. We are committed to our employees and customers. We are one of Guyana’s largest and strongest employers, providing direct employment for more than 800 people and have consistently employed and trained more than 600 over the last 28 years. At GTT, we want our children across Guyana to be empowered to do their assignments and school based assessments (SBAs) using our connectivity.

Regards Justin Nedd Chief Executive Officer GTT

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, May 5, 2019

The Portuguese presence

By David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana PORTUGUESE indentured immigration began on 3rd May, 1835, when the first forty migrants arrived in British Guiana aboard the ship “Louisa Baille” after a 78-day voyage via London, England.

Four decades of migration – from 1841 to 1882 – brought 30,645 more migrants, not only from Madeira, but also from the Azores, Cape Verde and even some came from Brazil. A century after the first arrivals, the Portuguese population in British Guiana peaked at about 8,000.

I proclaimed 3rd May ‘Portuguese Arrival Day’ by public ‘notice’ on the 27th February, 2017. I didn’t do this to separate or segregate but, more importantly, to integrate the nation more fully by creating greater awareness of each other’s cultures and by engendering respect through knowledge. Portuguese Arrival Day, therefore, celebrates the contributions of the original Portuguese immigrants – called Madeirenses in earlier times. Their contributions to the nation’s economy, its multicultural character and political evolution have benefitted all of us.

Portuguese culture has permeated and enriched our diverse social tapestry. The original Madeirenses and their descendants have left a lasting legacy on our nation’s economic, intellectual, political and social development.

Portuguese immigration was phenomenal when measured by the relatively larger numbers who settled here, compared with the Caribbean islands. Their emergence as a propertied,

professional and commercial class and the money which they were able to repatriate to their homeland as a result of their exertions were evidence of their success in what they called Demerara.

Portuguese indentured immigration, starting in 1835, three years before African Emancipation in 1838, was intended to provide labour on the plantations in anticipation of an expected labour shortage as a consequence of the Emancipation of enslaved Africans. This did not happen. There was no shortage.

There was no great exodus from the plantations. Most Africans continued to work and, by 1838, were to be supplemented by East Indian indentured immigrants on the plantations and today, 5th of May, we celebrate Indian Arrival Day and National arrival day at Palmyra, on the Corentyne.

The Portuguese made the most of their assured employment on the plantations.

Madeira itself had been a leading sugar producer and the immigrants, despite the high mortality in the early years, eventually adapted to the ardours of tropical plantation work; Madeira itself being a sub-tropical island. They were described by contemporary sources as industrious and thrifty. They garnered their earnings which they used to finance ventures into huckstering and to establish retail shops.

African Emancipation created conditions propitious for Portuguese enterprise.

The village movement, the enlarged liberated population, the introduction of wage labour, the introduction of coinage, the opening of banks and the diversification of the economy expanded opportu-

President David Granger

nities for the supply of goods for household and personal use.

Enterprising Portuguese filled this demand by venturing into huckstering and by establishing retail shops in rural and urban areas.

Seven years after their arrival, one in every three new shops established in Georgetown was owned by Portuguese who, through shrewd business practices, began to compete with their other European counterparts in certain aspects of the retail trade, and most prominently spirit shops.

Portuguese, within the first decade of their arrival, had owned almost eight out of every ten of the colony’s spirit shops.

Portuguese made the most of the opportunities to expand and diversify their businesses. They became bakers, cobblers, brick-makers, cattle-ranchers, charcoal-dealers, coach-builders,

fishers, importers, merchants, photographers, pork-knockers, saddlers, shoemakers, spirit shop owners and timber merchants.

The Portuguese promotion of kinship and social responsibility contributed to their success. Newly-arrived immigrants from Madeira were supported by those who were already resident in the colony and a strong trade developed between Madeira and Demerara. The strong communal bonds were reinforced by the transplanting of their conventions, culture, customs, cuisine, language and, of course, the Catholic religious faith.

The earliest immigrants were almost exclusively Roman Catholic. The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church was built in 1861 to allow Portuguese to practice their Catholicism. They built schools for the education of their children, produced their own newspapers and estab-

lished social organisations and sports clubs.

The Portuguese founded benevolent societies, some of which are still in existence to assist the destitute, widows and orphans. They left a rich legacy in the creative arts through the founding of musical bands, the hosting of musical concerts and recitals and dramatic productions.

The Portuguese resented the way in which they were treated as second-class, and not as Europeans, by the British elite in the colony.

The Portuguese nevertheless strove to add political influence to their already formidable economic power by seeking election to the Court of Policy, as the legislature was called in the early years of the 20th century.

Francis Dias and JP Santos were two of the first to be so elected with support from African voters. Peter D’ Aguiar founded the United Force party which was able to win 16.3 per cent of the vote in the general elections in 1961, again with significant Portuguese support.

Persons of Portuguese origin have excelled in all areas of national life. They produced outstanding individuals such as academics Elsa Gouveia and Sister Mary Noel Menezes; architect-- Albert Rodrigues; aviators-- Roland da Silva and Gerald Gouveia; businessmen-- John and Christopher Fernandes and Peter D’ Aguiar; attorneys-- Bernard De Santos and David de Caires; legislators-- Eugene Correia and Francis Dias; optician-- Jose da Silva; priests-- Fr. Malcolm Rodrigues and Louis da Silva; broadcaster-- Olga Lopes-Seale; sports personalities-- Eddie Caetano and Stephen Comacho and cane

farmer-- Joseph Vieira; and I did not forget you Kit [Nascimento], distinguished journalist and public relations consultant; and many more too numerous to mention.

Their numbers have diminished over time owing to migration and miscegenation.

Persons who identified themselves as Portuguese from 2012 only numbered 1,910 or 0.26 per cent of the population. The Portuguese, though a demographic minority, and by making the most of the opportunities with which they were provided, ensured that their contributions remain indelible up to this day.

Guyana’s economy has been made stronger and its culture richer for their contributions.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Portuguese presence in Guyana has provided many useful lessons for the present and future generations. The experience of indigent, indentured immigrants, making the most of their opportunities, is instructive as we aim now to create a more sustainable management of our economic resources and to provide a good life for everyone.

I support Portuguese Arrival Day 2019. I have also declared Chinese Arrival Day in January, Indian Arrival Day because we have to learn more of each other. As I said earlier, it is not meant to separate but to integrate through intelligent understanding of the culture of other people. The ‘Day’ [Portuguese Arrival Day] is a reminder, most particularly, of the struggle which all migrants faced and a recognition of their role in the whole nation without which Guyana would be a very different place. Happy Portuguese Arrival Day. Congratulations.

Let’s value the sacrifices of our ancestors-PPP/C

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to extend greetings to all Guyanese, home and abroad, on the occasion of Arrival Day. May 5th, the designated day, is of much significance in commemorating the arrival of our ancestors who came to these shores from various

parts of the world.

They braved the dark seas during their grueling journey here, at different points of our history, and laboured to make this land their home.

Despite the hardships faced, they were resolute in their endeavours to preserve their cultural traditions and values which have shaped our lives.

Their selfless sacrifices in that regard led to the creation of the rich and colourful mosaic which encompasses our multifaceted nation. This diversity has become our strength as we share and participatein the various festivals that have come to identify us as a people.

May 5th also marks the

arrival of our Indo-Guyanese ancestors beginning in 1838. Across our country there will be many activities to commemorate this event and others that have come to signify Arrival Day. Our Party also takes this opportunity to commend all those who have worked steadfastly over the years

and who continue to do so in the promotion of activities designed to foster and preserve our history, values and cultural traditions which have become shared; demonstrative of the strength in our diversity.

As we participate, our Party urges reflection on the valiant efforts of all of

our fore-parents so that we can continue to be inspired and to better contextualize the value of our gains.

This will ensure that we remain determined to build upon our gains and that our country remains a place for all of it sons and daughters.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

TRIBUTE TO OUR ANCESTORS

TODAY, May 5, the Indian Arrival Monument will be commissioned by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the High Commission of India. The monument is situated in what used to be the lushgreen, scenic sugarcane fields at Palmyra, on the eastern approach to the Berbice River Bridge.

The commissioning coincides today with observance of the 181st anniversary of the first batch of East Indians who landed in then British Guiana, on the East Bank of the Berbice River, for attachment to sugar plantations as labourers.

RAM AND KHAN Conceived at first as the 5th May Monument, the designs for it were done by two Guyanese artists, Winslow Craig and Philbert Gajadhar. It shows six persons, led by two figures that represent Ram and Khan, the first two East Indians to set foot in the colony after their landing.

Each of the six figures is carrying something of significance to the Indian presence and contribution to our nation’s social and economic development – a baby cradled in the arms of its mother, cutlass and grassknife, karaahi and tawa cooking utensils, a jahaji bundle and, for sure, a drum (dholak).

According to Gajadhar, the “bhandal” contains paddy seeds, spices, herbs, jewels, and religious texts -- the latter reminding us that the Indian indentured workers planted also in Guyana two of our three main religions: Hinduism and Islam.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT The monument project is itself a collaborative effort between successive administrations, having been started under the previous government.

I give credit to then Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, for kick-starting the preparatory landscaping work during 2013, in what was clay and bagasse swamp-lands.

During my travels in India after I had met with the eminent sculptor Ram Sutar, I assured Minister of State, retired General Vijay Kumar Singh, that our new coalition government would complete the Arrival Monument. The next year, during March 2017, Indian High Commissioner Venkatachalam Mahalingam and I unveiled a signboard with depiction of the artist’s impression of the monument for the construction of the base for the 17-ton bronze structure, which is a gift from India.

Some $97 million had been allocated for the ground work, but disaster soon struck when the base collapsed, and crumbled. At that point, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, intervened and assumed oversight of the project.

I focus on the Monument this week in view of the sustained but wholly false opposition claims being peddled, that our coalition government is anti-Indian. The opposition is stoking feelings of ethnic insecurity, and has been exploiting the unavoidable closure of four crippled sugar estates by a corporation that was bankrupted by the former corrupt regime, and even reports of isolated but controlled bug infestations of paddy fields in Berbice and Essequibo.

I would not be surprised that rather than attending the commissioning ceremony today in a show of joint collaboration in tribute to our Indian ancestors, the opposition would again indulge in picketing in its futile campaign to chase the government’s leaders out of Berbice.

Today is important to applaud the labour, sacrifices and struggles of hitherto bonded East Indian labourers and their Guyanese descendants who have helped to build the base of our nationhood, became a staunch pillar of our cohesive society and a symbol of our Guyanese personality.

PORTUGUESE ARRIVAL DAY Our common Guyanese-ness is recognised by other ethnic groupings, so

much so, that I was pleased at Friday’s observance of Portuguese Arrival Day when Michael Correia, aviation magnate and Honorary Consul for Portugal, proclaimed: “I am Guyanese!” He also referred to Portuguese Guyanese as “our Madeiran Portuguese”.

In an interesting article that I read some years ago, Sister Mary Noel Menezes referred to a situation where the British refused to acknowledge Portuguese immigrants in the colony as Europeans. President Granger in a scholarly presentation on Friday, explained how that omission by the European ruling class accounted for Guyana being referred to as a country with six instead of five races!

Even the opposition-aligned Guyana Times, whether grudgingly or not, acknowledged the observance of Portuguese Arrival Day. It noted, “(I)t may not be a public holiday, but President David Granger so designed this day in 2017…”

A Peeping Tom from Kaieteur News, conceded: “(T)he observance is a plus for government and shows that it is far more responsive than the PPP to the sensitivities of minority ethnic groups”.

ETHNICITIES RECOGNISED Bravo, Peeper; but the truth be said, all post-independence governments have made efforts at recognising the contributions of our ethnic groupings, even in the name, shape and form of their political leaders.

This is evident when the bauxite capital town, Mackenzie, was renamed “Linden” after the national leader of African ethnicity, Forbes Burnham. The Timehri airport was renamed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport after the national leader with Indian parentage, Cheddi Jagan.

In more recent times, the Convention

Centre was renamed the Arthur Chung Conference Centre after a former Guyanese President of Chinese origin, Arthur Chung.

The Ogle airport was renamed Eugene F. Correia international airport after a famous businessman of Portuguese origin, Eugene Correia; and the building housing the Department of Citizenship was named after Stephen Esterban Campbell, the first Amerindian parliamentarian and a national hero who fought for the land rights of indigenous peoples.

All of our peoples now observe a special occasion – Chinese Arrival Day and, in the case of our first nation, an Indigenous Peoples’ Month. As recognition of Africans, we observe Emancipation Day on August 1.

HARD WORK AND THRIFT All of our peoples, from the various ethnicities, have peculiarities fashioned by our common history, geography and nationality.

No doubt we are inside the salad bowl, a mixture of several influences. But as we celebrate today, we should recognise that our Guyanese Indians have imbibed much from their ancestral culture, which is still dominant in our total way of life.

But the virtue to which I am attracted most, and to which I have referred every year at this time, is that of the Indian culture of hard work and thrift. I end by sharing a passage from the special moving tribute of George Lamming, our renowned Caribbean writer: “…those Indian hands –whether in British Guiana or Trinidad – have fed all of us.

They are, perhaps, our only jewel of a true native thrift and industry. They have taught us by example the value of money; for they respect money as only people with a high sense of communal responsibility can.” Happy Indian Arrival Day!

NIS staff up in arms against general manager

… call for review of appointments, union representation Dear Editor, WE need your assistance in letting the powers that be know of our plight at the National Insurance Scheme.

The current employment practices at the institution need intervention and assistance from the present administration that is doing so much to ensure that everyone is satisfied.

The staff welfare is not being looked at and we do not have a functioning Union to represent us, so all advantages are being taken of us. Even the Board is not assisting us, more so the Trade Unionist

on the Board who say he is championing for workers’ rights.

Recently, there were appointments for Customer Service Officers of which only persons closely associated with the current General Manager have been promoted. Her friends and cronies are the ones who were given the positions. Persons had known of their appointments before the interviews and could have been heard boasting of their appointments and friendship with the General Manager. She is making all the decisions arbitrarily since the Assistant Gen-

eral Manager (Administration) has no say in the employment practices. He has clearly stated that when we approached him on our dissatisfaction. At the interviews, we were almost dejected to the point that we wanted to walk out but(due to) fear of discrimination we could not have done that.

We know this Administration is pushing for persons to be qualified but this General Manager is acting against that.

Persons are not qualified and still appointed to positions.

You don’t have to be qualified for promotion and acting, you have to be aligned with her,

the General Manager. All the appointments and acting, including transfers, were done arbitrarily.

The President and the Opposition Leader have to assist us, it is not about politics anymore. This is about a financial institution which is of utmost importance in this country.

There are square pegs in round holes, that is why they take a lot of false information on persons and she believes it. We wish for the Ministers to intervene also. If a COI is to be held at NIS, you would hear of the wrong things that occur on a daily basis. This is

too much, we need assistance.

We are demotivated.

We would like for you, Mr. President, to look at all the appointments and acting, since the General Manager took over and the damning revelations will prove that all the people are her friends and associates without qualifications from Head Clerk to Assistant General Manager.

Request a review and you will see. We call on the Opposition to intervene also as well as the Ethnic Relations Commission. Transfers are currently being done to facilitate the promotion of her friends. In all Offices and Sections of the Scheme, almost 95% per cent of the staff is demotivated due to this fact and serious

breaches in employment. How can we produce with this situation at hand that is affecting us psychologically? We are pleading for help and review on all the appointments since her tenure. This is too much that we cannot bear. Because of her behaviour, look at the staff turnover of qualified and experienced persons that are leaving the organisation.

It is time we get representation by a union and this administration. We call on all unions to represent us since their representative on the Board is condoning and adding to the frustration we go through daily.

Regards Member of Staff

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Timothy Jonas remains at helm of ANUG –– elected chairman of the newly-formed party

ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, Ti m o t h y J o n a s , w a s elected chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) when the recently formed political party held its first members’ meeting to elect the Executive Committee.

At the meeting, held on April 28, 2019, Attorney-at-Law, Ralph Ramkarran, was elected General Secretary of the party while businessman, Kian Jabour, was elected Assistant Secretary. Jonathan Yearwood is ANUG’s Finance Secretary.

The election of the Executive Committee brings an end to the steering committee which was in place upon the formation of party in January 2019.

In a statement on Saturday, ANUG said its Constitution was also adopted during the meeting.

ANUG’s General Sec-

retary said while ANUG intends to win the next Regional and General Elections, the party will be deemed a success once enough votes are obtained for it to have the influence required to meaningfully contribute to in the political process. Ramkarran is hoping that ANUG secures enough seats in the Parliament of Guyana to prevent a single party from having an absolute majority in House. “Now is a good time to be an independent third party, since the AFC can no longer be seen as a viable and independent third party having joined with the APNU,” he said, while emphasising that ANUG will never make that mistake.

He believes that ANUG has the potential to influence policy and the political process is

Attorney-at-law, Timothy Jonas through the National Assembly.

Political Scientist, Dr. Henry Jeffrey laid out ANUG’s vision of an inclusive government. “A shared governance arrangement in which all political parties are in-

cluded is the only way forward for Guyana. Such an arrangement will bring an end to the ‘blame game’ where Indo-Guyanese blame Afro-Guyanese and Afro–Guyanese blame Indo-Guyanese for what the government of the day is doing,” Dr. Jeffrey opined.

Dr. Jeffrey expressed optimism that, over time, “a united public opinion would hold both of the major parties accountable.”

Jabour, the Assistant Secretary, in his presentations, underscored the importance of youth involvement in activities that embrace the elimination of discrimination in all forms.

E x e c u t i v e M e m b e r, Akanni Blair, placed several issues facing Linden, Region 10 on the table.

Blair told those present that

Linden, due to its strategic geographical location, is a key access point to the country’s interior locations.

Despite this fact, he said, Linden has never been a priority area for infrastructural and other developmental advancements on any national agenda.

According to him, ANUG, as a matter of priority, will address the needs of Linden. This, he said, will be in keeping with ANUG’s aim of addressing economic and employment opportunities as well as improved living conditions under shared governance. “Linden must be seen as part of a broader vision for our beloved Guyana, and unless Linden develops, Guyana will never advance the way it should,” he posited.

At the meeting, reports and updates were presented to the members on activities by ANUG on outreaches,

Albouystown resident arrested for businesswoman’s murder A 44-year-old Albouystown, Georgetown resident has been arrested for the murder of a woman in the community last week.

Bandits killed popular Albouystown businesswom-

an Nalinie Persaud at her James Street residence on Thursday. Police said that the suspect had previous brushes with the law. An autopsy conducted on the body of the businesswoman on Friday revealed that she

died due to compression to the neck and blunt trauma to the head.

Police said that two of the bandits, who were armed with handguns, had attacked the woman and when they escaped, the businesswom-

IAC hails East Indians contributions to Guyana

THE Indian Action Committee (IAC) wishes all Guyanese a Happy Arrival Day, and, especially, calls upon all citizens to remember the 181st Anniversary of the Arrival of East Indians to Guyana.

The IAC, an organization which promotes and preserves Indian culture and deals with the issues and concerns of persons of Indo-Guyanese origin, over the years has provided Guyanese with historical information regarding the arrival of just over 239,000 Indian immigrants who came to this country aboard 245 Coolie Ships which made a total of 534 voyages across the Kaalaa Paanii between 1838 and 1917.

The IAC also has clarified and corrected statistical errors pertaining to the arrival of the first two Coolie Ships, the WHITBY and the HESPERUS which, between them landed a total of 423 persons including 382 indentured males, 14 indentured females, 21 children and 6 Christian Anglo- Indian interpreter/ superintendents.

The IAC, as the organisation has done over the years continues to recognise the endeavours by these Indian immigrants and their descendants, the persons of IndoGuyanese origin, to develop this country.

The IAC, which has recognised important contributions by giving awards to persons from Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo, is aware that tens of thousands of East Indians have made valuable efforts in all fields of human activity in this country including business and commerce; banking and finance; the sugar and rice industries; coconuts and other crops; fishery and livestock; mining and quarrying; forestry and sawmilling; education and academia; medicine and law; journalism and communications; accounting and insurance; private and national security; the hospitality and aviation sectors; the alcohol and beverage industries; sport and entertainment; culture and religion; and politics and governance.

an’s lifeless body was discovered with a rope, which was used to strangle her, tied around the neck.

Police confirmed that cash and jewellery were carted off by the bandits who ransacked the premises. They gained entry by removing a board from the

northern wall of the lower flat of the house.

The victim’s husband was assaulted and taken out of the bedroom into the lower flat of the premises, which housed a grocery shop, where he was bound to a chair and duct-taped.

social media activities and meetings with organisations which would have been undertaken over the past months.

Kelvin Henry freed of rape charge KELVIN Henry on Friday walked out of the Sexual Offences Court, a free man, after the 12-member jury was directed by the judge to return a notguilty verdict.

The 24-year-old man was being tried for the offence of raping a child under 16.

The indictment reads that on April 8, 2011, Henry sexually penetrated a 10-year-old girl in Port Kaituma; he was 16 years old at the time The trial started early this week, with state prosecutors Lisa Cave and Seeta Bishundial presenting the case before the jury.

However, after the close of the prosecution’s case on Friday, defence attorney Ravindra Mohabir made a no-case submission to Justice Brassington Reynolds. Justice Reynolds upheld Mohabir’s submission, agreeing that the state did not establish a prima facie case.

The judge then directed the jury to return a non-guilty verdict, as a result of which Henry walked free.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

‘Stand up for a noble profession’

PRIME Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, a veteran journalist and advocate for press freedom in Guyana and the world at large, has challenged journalists to stand up for the noble profession.

The prime minister was at the time addressing the gathering at a reception held on May 3, at the British High Commissioner’s residence in honour of World Press Freedom Day. In his remarks, Prime Minister Nagamootoo urged media practitioners to practise fair and balanced journalism. He explained that in this profession, possessing ethics is mandatory and journalists must not “distort or misrepresent information. You must be

– PM Nagamootoo tells journalists

committed to the part of the narrative to tell the true story.”

He noted that the current administration has a healthy media freedom record. He also said the Coalition Government continues to assiduously work towards achieving the goal of advancing this freedom within a fully democratic state. According to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, Guyana has always fought for media freedom and while today we can boast of how far we have come, there is still a lot more work that has to be done to remove all obstacles in our path.

He stressed that “we have a plural, free and open media in Guyana,” and for this, we should commend ourselves.

British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, explained that media freedom is at the forefront of the commission’s agenda. “The United Kingdom is committed to the freedom of media. People must be allowed to discuss freely and challenge their government,” the High Commissioner stressed. “Guyana you are all lucky that the media is free,” he commended.

Explaining further, High Commissioner of Canada, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee, stat-

ed that the media plays a very important role in the present democracy and promoting media freedom is one of Canada’s objectives.

Vice-President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Zoisa Fraser, echoed similar sentiments. “The GPA salutes all journalists and thanked them for their contributions both past and present,” she explained, while highlighting that the GPA also recognises the editors, videographers, video editors, cameramen and women among others. They are all part of the delivery of news for public consumption, she

stated.

Also delivering remarks at the reception was the UN Resident Coordinator, Mikkiko Tanaka, who explained that the mandate of the UN is to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of the press. “The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and respect and protect all media practitioners.

At this time of fake news and disinformation, we have a duty to defend the responsible media and uphold the right to freedom

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Tanaka stated. (DPI)

One dead, others missing … as fishing vessel, speedboat collide

By Nafeeza Yahya AT least one person is confirmed dead, one is hospitalised, and several are nursing minor injuries and an unknown number are missing, following a boat collision in the Atlantic Ocean around midnight last Thursday.

The accident, which occurred in Suriname waters in an area known as ‘Long Pole’, involved a fishing vessel with Guyanese fishermen onboard and a speed boat that was heading towards Guyana’s shores.

According to Ravindra

Persaud, 23, one of the five crew members aboard the Rosanna One, they were awaken at around midnight by a loud crashing sound and came out with their flashlights but did not see anything.

However, moments later, they realised the fishing vessel was sinking.

They decided to cut their sein and started the engine to try to reach the shore but the damage was too much and the boat began to go down.

In another bid to make it to shore, the survivors related that they took out one of the engines and affixed it to the “ice box” and tried to use it

as a lifeboat but given the weight of the five men in such a small space, the box capsized, throwing everyone overboard.

“After the boat start go down, we empty the ice box and put on one engine on it but just as we try to drive off the whole ice box topple and everybody fall out,” another crew member identified as Sukhpaul Kaiso, related.

The men, unable to swim to shore, clung on to the capsized icebox for over three hours until they heard another boat passing. Being in the water and having to stay afloat along with heavy downpour

took a toll on the tired men but they mustered the energy to shout and get the attention of the passing vessel.

However as they were about to board the rescue vessel, their captain and father of Ravindra, Rudra Persaud, 51, took his last breath. The men related he was getting cramps and was slipping in an out of consciousness. Eventually the men got on to the rescue vessel and managed to pull the lifeless body of their captain onboard.

As the men were about to depart from the crash site, they assisted to pull up the seine from the rescue vessel which had to be cut earlier

to save the men. While doing this, they saw a piece of the front of a wooden speedboat in the seine which they believed to be the boat that crashed into them. The men checked but found no signs of anyone else in the waters or other parts of the boat due to poor visibility. They eventually managed to contact the owner of the Rosanna One and made arrangements for another boat to retrieve them.

Those rescued were Sukhpaul Kaiso, 26, of Number 77 Housing Scheme; Shazad Ali, 17; Ravindra Persaud, 23; and Premdat Sohan of Number 55 Village.

Deceased: Rudra Persaud, 51, Captain of the sunken fishing vessel Sohan remains hospitalised nursing a broken rib.

The men left shore on Thursday last and were expected to be back home for the Mother’s Day weekend.

Another boat has since been sent back to the crash site to comb the area for possible survivors from the crashed speedboat.

Fly Jamaica to refund passengers by July EMBATTLED air carrier, Fly Jamaica, has made a commitment to refund passengers by July 1, 2019, who had made previous bookings with the airline before it crashed here last year.

According to a release from the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC), the airline has made a commitment to work with the body to ensure consumers are refunded.

The two parties met on May 2, at the CCAC’s office at Sophia. The CCAC’s Director, Mrs. Dawn Cush; the Consumer Affairs officer, Mrs. Feyona Austin-Paul;

and Senior Investigator, Mr. David Kaladin of the Consumer Affairs Unit and Fly Jamaica’s representatives, Chairman and CEO, Paul Reece, and Operations Manager, Carl Bowen, attended the meeting.

The CCAC said it received 46 complaints from consumers with an estimated value of GYD$8,316,504.

According to the CCAC, Reece expressed his regret at the situation and looks forward to bringing closure to the matter, stating that, “refunds to consumers is at the top of the company’s agenda.”

The CCAC said it re-

mains committed to ensuring the consumers are kept abreast with the developments as it relates to their refunds. Consumers requesting further information can contact the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission on 219-4410-13.

Fly Jamaica’s fortunes fell on hard times following last November’s accident, in which one of the company’s aircraft sustained substantial damage after skidding off of the main runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timerhi.

Some Fly Jamaica passengers, who had booked flights prior with the airline,

have been gradually receiving refunds. Fly Jamaica has been a source of fresh air since they brought some amount of stability to the extremely lucrative Georgetown/New York route, in particular. At the time, Guy-

anese were experiencing grave difficulties which included exorbitant prices and bad service from foreign-based airlines and flyby-night charter companies when airlift was limited.

US carrier, American

Airlines, has since announced plans to operate on the lucrative Georgetown/New York route and another carrier, JetBlue, is making preparations to operate on the route come 2020.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Understanding Energy

Turning Guyana’s Oil into Revenue AS the ExxonMobil-led offshore consortium edges closer to first oil, Guyana’s private and public sectors are positioning themselves to capture the economic benefits created by the industry. The most significant of these will be the revenues the government takes from its production sharing agreement (PSA) with the consortium.

The process of turning crude oil into revenue is not a simple one. The oil that is produced must be split amongst the parties according to a form of contractual agreement and then marketed and sold on the global market. This process can occur in several ways and is often determined by the type of contract that a

country enters with an oil industry operator. Potential arrangements include, but are not limited to, production sharing agreements (PSAs), national oil company (NOC) concessions, joint ventures, or in-kind royalty and tax payments.

Each of these arrangements changes how a government receives its share of production or revenue.

Often, governments will set up designated regulators or authorities to oversee oil and gas activities and handle this process. Governments typically receive their share “in-kind” (meaning they receive the crude oil itself) and the government markets its own crude oil, or “in cash” if the sale of the government’s share of the crude oil has

been conducted by another party.

As many will know, Guyana entered into a PSA with the offshore consortium operating the Stabroek Block. In a PSA, the government awards licences to operators, who then explore the block, develop economically viable projects, and bear the financial and operational risks of those activities. The operator retains a share of oil production to cover its costs (“cost oil”) and then the remaining profits (“profit oil”) is split between the consortium led by the operator and the government, depending on the contract terms.

Our agreement creates a flat 50/50 split of profit oil between Guyana and the consortium, plus an addition-

al government royalty rate of 2 per cent of gross sales. The royalty will be paid to the government in cash.

The government elected to receive Guyana’s 50 per cent share of the profit oil in-kind, meaning that the government will be responsible for the actual sale of the oil. This can be a complex process, as it entails determining the right price, marketing, identifying buyers on a recurring basis, finalising sales conditions and then executing the logistical operations to support the sale, which can also be complicated by the higher and higher volume of resources the country will be marketing as more oil developments in the Stabroek and surrounding blocks begin producing.

The Department of Energy will likely be responsible for this process. These operations require significant staffing and preparation, a major step for a new oil producing country. Recent announcements by the Department of Energy indicate that preparations for marketing and selling Guyana’s profit oil are already underway and will be supported by capacity-building loans such as the recent $20 million loan from the World Bank.

Under the terms of the PSA, Guyana has the option to request that the consortium make “reasonable efforts to market abroad on competitive terms” for all or some of the government’s oil. This simply means that Guyana can transition from

receiving in-kind payments to instead receiving cash payments by giving the operator six months’ notice in order to do so.

It is good that Guyana’s contract includes this flexibility. If Guyana at any point no longer wants to market its own share of the oil, it can simply ask the operator, Exxon, to handle this activity.

Either way, once oil starts to flow, Guyana will be in a strong cash position and able to spend its revenue to build critical infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads, and broaden its economic development outside of the energy industry such as the manufacturing, technology and finance sectors.

GUYANA will be ready for first oil–Dr Bynoe CAPACITY building as well as the strengthening of its legal framework and having a commercial division in place are among the key issues which the Department of Energy is fine-tuning as Guyana anticipates oil production in 2020.

This is according to Dr Mark Bynoe who on Friday noted during a press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency, that the department is working to boost its capacity and to ensure all systems are in place for the sectors’ initial commercial take-off.

He said that staffing is one of the key issues being addressed as he noted that the department has advertised for a number of vacant positions to be filled. He said though, that the process of hiring took longer and this hinged on the large number of applicants.

According to Dr Bynoe, the commercial section of the department and the major elements of the legal framework will be in place in the near future. He said too that the Department of Energy has been working with the petroleum division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it prepares for first oil. “The bits and

pieces are coming together,” he said.

He said that the Department will be working towards preventing value leakage and optimise the returns from the petroleum sector.

Dr Bynoe also made clarifications regarding the hiring of local content specialist Michal Warner. He clarified that Warner is not an ExxonMobil specialist, as was asserted by the Kaieteur News, but rather a local content specialist whose expertise has been used by multiple entities.

Dr Bynoe said Warner was hired based on a competitive process where he had the opportunity submit his curriculum vitae. He said Warner’s CV was sent to the World Bank, the financial institution which is financing the local content project.

Regarding the local content policy, he said after the document is finalised sometime in June this year, consultations will be held with the private sector and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, a point person to lead Guyana in discussions with Trinidad and Tobago on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation which was signed last year will have to be named following the resignation of former Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

Dr Bynoe noted that Guyana is still awaiting its first meeting with the Trinidadians. He said however, that members of a working group have been identified.

President David Granger

and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, signed the MOU last September at State House.

The signing of the MoU creates greater avenues for

cooperation in energy between the two CARICOM Member States.

It was noted at the time that the MoU sets the platform on which Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago can

develop and promote joint projects throughout the hydrocarbon value chain, in accordance with identified provisions and without prejudice to their respective national legal systems.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Extra-judicial killings have completely vanished THE proverbial choice of life or death will be on the Guyana elections 2020 ballot.

Those who ran the state apparatus based on the Stalinist philosophy of ‘no man, no problem,’ are still around and will be able to control the levers of power if they are successful at these critical elections. This is a frightening prospect for human rights activists who

fought vehemently to rid this nation of mass executions without explanations or consequences. Be that as it may, it is an opportune time to gleefully reflect on the fact that since ascension to the highest office by the APNU+AFC government, extra-legal killings have completely vanished.

The aforementioned fact should not be taken for granted, the horror stories are end-

less and it is the duty of those with a voice to constantly remind all and sundry about the dark days. On a placid Sunday night in 2003, ‘Brenda’ was setting up her drinks stall to serve the partying patrons who normally flock to the seawall. While packing her makeshift half refrigerator with various alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages for the small hustle, her phone rang. She happily answered,

assuming it was her son calling to confirm that he had safely reached home from a hard day of work.

To the deadly contrary, this was a call from a neighbour to report that ‘Mikey’ was picked by some ‘fair skin’ men and placed in an F-51 SUV. After several searches and contact with the police, she gave up and accepted her family’s fate. There was no investigation and his body was never found. Numerous mothers suffered this same trauma between 1992-2015.

This was the modus vivendi throughout this period of circumstances which suggested there was the occurrence of extra-judicial killings which were carried out through various mechanisms; the Phantom Force, the Death Squads and the rogue police squads. The explicit and tacit support from the political directorate was key to these activities. When the Guyanese people expressed their will at the ballots box on May 11th, 2015, their votes literally allowed for the complete disappearance of extra-judicial killings.

How did we go from 400 killings over a period of 28 years to zero cases of extra-judicial killings? It is really not rocket science, it is very simple: a change in political leadership occurred in Guyana in May 2015. John F. Kennedy in his effortless excellence and wisdom, once opined; ‘The ignorance of one voter in a democracy, impairs the security of all.’ Though he spoke in an American context of years gone by, his words certainly resonate in the modern Guyana circumstance. The consistent voting along the lines of ethnic loyalties over the past decades undoubtedly threatened the security of other citizens of Guyana.

In any normal society, any

government that is proven to be complicit with the wanton execution of the people they have sworn to protect, would be out of power once you have free and fair elections. This did not happen for decades in this country and it had devastating consequences for this nation and its citizens.

Lest we forget, a status quo free of lawlessness does not fall from the sky; the character and mindsets of those who hold power determine what society we will see manifesting before our eyes.

Extra-judicial killings did not vanish by a fluke or by chance, how you vote in the next elections will decide life or death.

Ramjattan defends Minister Hughes against conflict-of-interest charges CHAIRMAN of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan is fully backing his ministerial colleagues and AFC executive member Cathy Hughes against conflict-of-interest accusations levelled at her.

Included among the accusations by critics is that she has breached the Code of Conduct contained in the Integrity Commission Act, claiming that she is still the owner of Videomega Productions.

The accusation of conflict of interest and incestuous relationships surfaced after opposition People’s Progressive Party’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira claimed that Hughes’s company benefitted from a multi-million dollar contract to produce radio, television and other media materials for the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Energy.

But Hughes in a reply stated, “In my declarations to the Integrity Commission made in July 2018, prior to the declarations of most members of the National Assembly, including the leader of the opposition, I fully disclosed my interest in Videomega Productions Ltd,” she said in a statement.

She categorically stated that she has not engaged in any conflict of interest in her ministerial capacity. “I have taken no decision in my capacity as Minister of Public Telecommunications or in my personal capacity, which has been the subject of a conflict of interest,” the minister added.

Asked at a news conference on Friday, whether the party (AFC) has engaged Hughes on the issue, Ramjattan remarked, “ We do not engage our ministers like that, when there is something egregious, we will certainly do; we have not found anything egregious at all, and so why should we

go engaging her, and that’s the end of the matter quite frankly.”

Earlier, Ramjattan had noted that while the minister made several statements in relation to the matter, and had indicated that while the company was one that benefitted from certain contracts, Minister Ramjattan said his understanding is that it is just a commission. In addition, the company is largely handled by one Russel Lancaster.

“She has nothing to do with the company at the time, and if indeed that was done, … we all know she didn’t have to declare that she was a member of that company, we all know she has disassociated active participation from that company and I do not see where the conflict of interest is.

“That’s my opinion, she’s made the declaration, she has disassociated from the management of it , Russel Lancaster runs it ,and if indeed the company has done contracts , why not, the company should be awarded those contracts and that is what has happened. “ The minister reiterated his understanding that the commission from these contracts from which the company benefitted is very minimal as compared to the overall amount.

On this note, he spoke of the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo “is going making mountains out of molehills,” adding that that’s the nature of the territory that we `wuk’ as politicians, “but quite frankly I don’t see anything deleterious about it , I don’t see anything damaging about it.

In the circumstances of Cathy Hughes , Minister Of Public Telecommunications making the declarations and coming very transparent,” he added.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Calls made for stronger media monitoring … at GPA panel discussion on World Press Freedom Day

AT a panel discussion hosted by the Guyana Press Association (GPA) on the media and disinformation during the elections period, it was highlighted that greater efforts ought to be chanelled towards local

social division. So it actually doesn’t help us to harmonise, to be cohesive, to be united because it emphasises divisions…in a worse-case scenario, you can actually have violence happening,” he said.

He observed the well-

stated dominated the 60s in Guyana.

D r. S u r u j b a l l y a l s o lamented that social media do not have enough laws to meaningfully govern its platform which, for Guyana and many other countries,

Members of the media at the ‘Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in a time of Disinformation’ discussion on Thursday (Samuel Maughn photo) media monitoring.

The panel discussion took place on Thursday at Moray House and was attended by media operatives from a range of agencies as well as members of the private sector. The event came ahead of World Press Freedom Day celebrated on Friday and zeroed in on the topic ‘Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in a time of Disinformation’.

Present on the panel were Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh; former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally and former Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) President, Wesley Gibbings.

In his introductery remarks to the attendees, Lachmansingh first reminded that the role of the journalist is to convert information into digestible content for the public to understand.

While many journalists understand this, he stated that several negative factors such as the ill-use of social media; sensationalism and political bias continue to pose massive roadblocks to the proper functioning of the press.

He explained that many newspapers struggle with the will to provide the public with the information they need and with the provision of sensationalism which often times keeps the paper afloat through sales.

Meanwhile, he highlighted that the promoting of “hate speech” through the media, as has occurred in Guyana, is perhaps the worst form of bias. “Bias tends to reinforce

known state of Guyana whereby the country is largely influenced by “two poles of gravity” --- meaning two largely followed political parties--- which tend to influence the media in one direction or the other. However, he stated that over the years the media have begun to develop an eye for existing bias. “Over the last 20 or 30 years there seems to have been a maturing of the media in Guyana in terms of bias.

We’re obviously not 100 per cent there and with social media, we have to be extra vigilant but the challenge of bias seems to increasingly recognised and very well dealt with,” he said.

Lachmansingh listed GPA training; effort to verify and balance sources; encouragement of the right of reply; the strengthening of the GPA Code of Conduct and the gradual growth of the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU).

Meanwhile, he listed the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC); the Broadcasting Act and the Racial Hostility Act as mechanisms that can be strengthened to better address and monitor media reports.

“All of these institutions that exist on paper need strengthening,” he stated.

In his remarks, Dr. Surujbally, who holds almost 16 years’ experience in the Elections Commission, lauded the GPA for seeing the need for the important discussion as the nation approaches a significant time in its history. He stressed that media entities, despite the many challenges, cannot allow themselves to frolic at the brink of “political insanity”, a period which he

has become “fertile ground” for the expression of hatred.

However, he made it clear that it is the duty of the media to choose what should be given an even louder voice through their reportage even as they hold leaders accountable for inciting remarks. “People must be held responsible. If you come out with a statement that leads to turbulence, death, bloodletting and you are wrong, then you must be held accountable because that is the definition for treason,” he said.

In this regard, he lobbied that now is the time for stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to put together a workable proposals and a structural See page 14

Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh speaks at Moray House.

Seated nearby from left are former Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) President, Wesley Gibbings and former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally (Samuel Maughn photo)

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Over 300 Moblissa residents to be empowered through HEYS

OVER 300 young people from Moblissa, a community on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, will soon be exposed to the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme, as the

government continues to address the issue of unemployment among youths.

Minister within Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe made the announcement

during government’s recent fan out exercise in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) where they sought to address the concerns of the residents.

In making the announce-

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

ment, Minister Garrido-Lowe explained that HEYS is an initiative of President David Granger that forms part of his ten-point programme.

The minister said while several communities from

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe Region 10 have benefitted significantly through two cohorts, given the concerns of the residents of Moblissa, some 300 young men and women from that community will be allowed to be a part of the programme.

Her commitment was greeted with loud rounds of applause from residents and the visiting team which included Minister of the Citizenship, Winston Felix; Region 10 Regional Chairman, Renis Morian; Regional Vice-Chairman of Region 10, Elroy Adolph; and Regional Vice-Chairman of Region Four, Earl Lambert among others.

Minister Garrido-Lowe noted that since the implementation of the programme, hundreds of young people have gained employment while others have become

self-employed, thereby aiding in the reduction of unemployment collectively.

Minister Garrido-Lowe said during the first six months of the 12-month programme, participants undergo theoretical training in several areas such as entrepreneurship, business and agriculture. Thereafter, they are engaged in field activities that equip them with the requisite skills needed for employment. Participants who successfully craft their business proposals receive a grant of $50,000 each. That aside, every participant receives a stipend of $30,000 to assist them with their transportation and other expenses.

Minister Garrido-Lowe said the government remains committed to enhancing the lives of young people.

Calls made for stronger ...

From page 13

approach to deal with such problems as they emerge.

Dr. Surujbally also gave the opinion that GECOM ought to have, as a part of its budget, provisions for the proper functioning of the MMU. “The broadcast spectrum is a limited public resource and it must be used for the public good and public convenience. Regulation is therefore mandatory to avoid chaos,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the political tension heightens, believe to be partially motivated by Guyana’s ‘first oil’ expected in 2020, Lachmansingh remains positive that much can be done before then to turn back the negative tides influencing reporting. “Maybe there’s time still for one last effort to come together, identify a joint agenda for some change for something to happen – political will for example—for a few key items,” he suggested.

Following the discussions, GPA President, Nazima Raghubir, stated that the discussions had were very valuable and encourages the GPA to push for improvement in the areas highlighted.

“We’ve not only noted some of the things you said, we actually want to take these things and put them into some form of working mechanism so that we can work with our media people and bring them up to par,” she said.

At the event, she also announced the launching of the oil, gas and energy training for media workers beginning May 4, 2019, aimed at improving the literacy skills of journalists in the area for better reportage or related events.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Used-vehicle standard can be enforced soon for auto dealers

FOR years, consumers have complained about the quality of the reconditioned vehicles which they purchase from importers, but citizens may soon get some help in this regard when a “Used-Vehicle standard” is adopted by the authorities.

The second most reported issue lodged with the Competition and Consumers Affairs Commission (CCAC) in 2018 centered on the auto industry, in which 56 complaints were filed. The CCAC, in its 2018 report, said that 40 of the total reported cases were solved and this translated to a value of $70M. It said that while a marginal reduction of seven per cent was seen as compared to 2017, the auto industry accounted for 77 per cent of the cumulative value of complaints.

The CCAC said the high figure continues to be an issue of grave concern as 61 per cent of the 56 reported complaints was due to the infringement of the Consumer Affairs Act regarding the return of goods. It was noted that 28 per cent of the 56 complaints regarding the auto industry were due to the contravention of the Consumer Affairs regarding misleading or deceptive conduct.

The CCAC said that in order to mitigate the issues regarding the auto industry, the commission collaborated with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) and accepted a request from International Consultant and Director of Excellence in Automobile Assessment (EAA) in Japan, Mr. Lee Sayer.

It was noted that a visit was made to Guyana to conduct a meeting with various stakeholders involved in the importation of vehicles – the purpose of the meeting being to facilitate the discussion of a pre-shipment inspection programme for used vehicles being imported

from Japan.

The CCAC said that its Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) continues to engage in research as it relates to the execution of such a programme in Guyana. Additionally, the CAU will work along with the GNBS to regularise the sector with the development of a “Used-Vehicle Standard.”

In 2018, the CCAC received a total number of 289 complaints which spanned several areas of business including the electronics industry, appliances, clothing, construction, furniture and shipping, among others.

The highest numbers of complaints (119) were about electronic goods with a majority of such reports being about defective mobile phones.

According to the CCAC, the electronics industry dominated the full list of complaints for last year, accounting for 41 per cent of 289 complaints received by the unit in 2018. The unit stated in its report that the high rate of reports can be linked to the growing ease of accessibility to these products which consequently leads to them being more susceptible to fraudulent and misleading practices.

It said that reports for cellular phones were most dominant within electronic category, accounting for 42 per cent of electronic complaints. In an effort to minimise these complaints, the CCAC will continue to collaborate with the GNBS. Last year, the CCAC said that it managed to solve 229 of the total 289 complaints the body received.

The value of the solved cases represented a sum of $59M. The body said that recommendation for the development of regulations will be pursued to tackle defiance through a fining penalty structure.

It said that the interest of the consumer will be the driving force and this will be done

objectively at all times ensuring that a level playing field is always maintained for all parties.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Westminster, Good Hope Secondary Schools to cater for 1,800 students –– construction scheduled to be completed by January 2020 THE Westminster and Good Hope Secondary Schools that are currently under construction will accommodate 1,800 students upon completion in January 2020.

at a cost of $1B and, upon completion, will accommodate 1,000 students. Meanwhile, the Good Hope Secondary School on the East Coast of Demerara, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica)

Hope and neighbouring communities.

Dr Henry explained that the site visits were necessary so that, as Minister of Education, she gets a clear understanding of the current

Education Minister Dr Nicolette Henry speaking with the engineers overseeing construction work at the site for the Westminster Secondary School (Ministry of Education photo) her concerns to both the technical officers and engineers at the sites. According to her, she was assured that all concerns would be addressed. She is expected to revisit the construction sites within three weeks.

Addressing the operationalisation of the schools when they are completed, the Education Minister said that

plans are currently apace to have the necessary teaching, administrative and other staff to occupy the schools.

Due to the construction of the two institutions, young people in the communities have benefited from employment opportunities.

Both schools will be outfitted with Technical Vocational Education and

Training Departments, Science blocks, Information Communication Technology Departments, Allied Arts Sections and all the amenities that are associated with a modern school.

It was noted that the departments will allow for testing of international specifications to ensure that standards are met.

An artist’s impression of the Westminster Secondary School that is being constructed (Ministry of Education photo) On Saturday, Education Minister Dr Nicolette Henry conducted site visits at the two secondary schools that are being built as part of the Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project (GSEIP).

The Westminster Secondary School, located in La Parfaite Harmonie, Region Three (Essequibo Islands –West Demerara), is being constructed by R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company

is expected to accommodate 800 students and is pegged at $857M. The two schools will cater to the educational needs of the new housing schemes and neighbouring communities.

The Education Minister said that the two projects are being funded by the World Bank, and are intended to improve the quality of education offered to the residents of Westminster and Good

Man gets 9 months for escaping police custody A 48-year-old unemployed man with no fixed place of abode was jailed for nine months for escaping from the Alberttown Police Station.

The man, Roy Abrams, was sentenced to prison by Principal Magistrate, Leron Daly, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, after confessing to the crime.

According to the particulars of the case, Abrams escaped from the Alberttown Police Station on April 24, 2019 while he was in custody for a robbery he allegedly committed.

The police reported to the court that Abrams was arrested at around 11:30hrs on April 24, 2019 and taken to the Alberttown Police Station for a robbery he was accused of committing. He was handcuffed and placed in the inquiry department.

While awaiting interrogation from the police, Abrams picked the handcuffs and jumped over the counter to make good his escape. He then went into hiding and was found two days prior to his appearance in court.

As such, the magistrate sentenced him to nine months in prison.

He is also expected to answer to a charge of robbery on May 22, 2019.

status of the projects.

Further, the Education Minister said that from a technical perspective, she was advised that the quality of the work is at the required standard. In relation to the implementation of the projects and meeting the expected completion timeline, Dr Henry said that she would have wanted the projects to be further along the curb.

Notwithstanding, Minister Henry said she expressed

Construction work at the site for the Westminster Secondary School (Ministry of Education photo)

Region Three Chamber praises gov’t outreach

PRESIDENT of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan, has praised the recent government outreach in the region, saying it was impacting.

Noting that the event took place at the Leonora Track and Field Centre and saw persons receiving support in the areas of agriculture, housing, community issues, and more, Khan said one of the many initiatives that will benefit persons in the region is new LED highway lights that will be rolled out from Wales to Parika.

He said many persons complained too about poor lighting on the public

roadways and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, related that new lights will be installed by government in collaboration with the Regional Democratic Council and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. The Chamber President said many persons also made requests for upgrades to farm-to-market roads in the agricultural region.

Further, he said residents will benefit from major infrastructural works that were long overdue at the Leonora and West Demerara Hospitals. He said that the hospitals are expected to be furnished with equipment for the laboratory and

gynaecology departments.

“The Ministry of Public Health has also invested heavily in training courses for junior and senior employees, which will help in them providing a better quality service to residents on the West Coast of Demerara,” Khan said.

Further, Khan said the Central Housing and Planning Authority has assisted hundreds of residents in sorting out many issues they had with applications for house lots.

“There is a huge demand for house lots; persons who showed up were advised that if they are a new applicant, they will

President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan be allowed to make the application, and there is a commitment that within approximately 10 weeks, they will receive a formal response.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

Gov’t had designated Kadir a terrorist in 2017 … notified him of assets forfeiture under Terrorism Act

AMID the furor over the sympathy motion for convicted terrorist Abdul Kadir the Coalition Government under the new Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (Cap.10:11) had already designated him a terrorist.

Kadir was one of two persons who this government had designated a terrorist under the law. The order to designate Kadir and one of his accused Abdel Nur was signed by Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma acting at the time for the subject minister, Winston Jordan.

The order was published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday August 30, 2017 but was was signed by Sharma on August 29, 2017.

Kadir was also written to

by Minister Jordan on September 12, 2017 while in US prison informing him of the move by government. The letter to him was captioned ‘TARGETED FINANCIAL SANCTIONS (SPECIFIED PERSONS) No. 19 of 2017’ The letter read” Pursuant to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Chapter 10:11 of the Laws of Guyana and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Regulation No. 4 of 2015, you are notified as follows: 1.

That you have been declared a “Specified Person” in accordance with section 2(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Cap. 10:11 of the Laws of Guyana. This declaration was made by

Convicted Terrorist, Abdel Nur Order: Targeted Financial Sanctions (Specified Persons) Order No. 19 of 2017” published in the Official Gazette in Guyana on August 30, 2017. Attached is a copy of the Order; 2. That the making of the said declaration is based on, applicable legal principles, including the existence of reasonable grounds to believe that (a) there a valid decision including a court Order of a foreign State, recognizable by the Laws of Guyana, declaring you as a “listed entity” and freezing your funds; and (b) you have been convicted for criminal charges related to terrorist activities for which you are currently incarcerated in a foreign jurisdiction.

3. The Implications of being declared a “specified Person” are as follows: (a)All Reporting Entities in Guyana are prohibited from allowing a specified person access to any funds or other assets in their possession; and (b)A Order (Freeze Order) will be

granted by the Court to freeze funds or other assets, owned by you or in the possession of all relevant authorities.

Additionally, the letter read: As a “specified person” you have the right to apply, in writing, to the Minister responsible for Finance within sixty (60) days of the date of the publication of the Specified Order for a revocation thereof.

5. That the Freeze Order may be revoked pursuant to an application by the Director of Public Prosecution, based on advice from the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, where there is evidence to the satisfaction of the court, that you no longer met the criteria for designation; 6. You may, on your accord, apply directly to the Court for a revocation of the order.

7. That the Order which designated you as a specified person will be reviewed every six (6) months to determine whether reasonable grounds for the Order still exist for your continued designation; if no grounds exist, upon review, a recommendation shall be made by the Director, Financial Intelligence Unit for the Order to be revoked, by the Minister of Finance.

8. That you may make an application in writing to the Minister of Legal Affairs for personal access to frozen funds or other assets for basic expenses, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicine and medical treatment, axes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges, or

M&CC, GCCI collaborate to execute development in city THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Friday in the council’s chambers.

This agreement will ensure that the two parties maintain close contact and collaborate on municipal and corporate developments within city boundaries.

At the signing, Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine noted that the collaboration

has created history and it is through collaboration that the council can successfully fulfil its mandate.

GCCI President, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, said that the GCCI has a vested interest in seeing the city do well. He commended the new energy of M&CC and commited to supporting them.

The parties will meet once every two months, and will focus on seven thematic areas.

General rates, public security within the city, building

codes, infrastructural development, environment (including garbage collection and public health), public education, and capacity building are the areas that will be addressed.

Prior to the signing, the mayor disclosed that the contracts with Cevons Waste Management Service and Puran Brothers have been restored.

As such, the companies will re-commence garbage collection in the city from May 6, 2019.

Convicted Terrorist, Abdul Kadir exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services, or fees or service charges for routing holding or maintenance of frozen funds or other financial assets or economic resources, or for extraordinary expenses.

9. That the name and address of Contact Person to address any questions regarding the Designation is Matthew Langevine, Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit at Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or on telephone number 592231-6781 STATEMENTS Last week there were flurry of statements condemning the National Assembly’s decision to sympathise with the relatives of the former Member of Parliament through a motion. The Government of Guyana has maintained that the motion was not one to honour Kadir.

At the National Park on the sideline of the Labour Day Rally last week, Minister of Social Protection, and Government’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly, Amna Ally, told reporters that there was nothing sinister about the motion, but said given the concerns that have arisen the Government may review the policy of paying sympathy to relatives of deceased MPs. “We will have to re-examine and look at it. I am not saying, well it is a done deal but now that this has surfaced, maybe we can look (it),” Minister Ally told reporters.

However, the Chief Whip maintained that the April 26 motion was intended to express sympathy to the sorrowing wife, children and relatives of the late Kadir.

This, she emphasised was in keeping with parliamentary practice. “It has no link to any terrorism, corruption or anything else,” she assured reporters. According to her, the U.S is fully aware of Guyana’s position on Terrorism.

“It is a situation which has arisen and we have dealt with it because the U.S is aware that we do not support terrorism, we will not support terrorism, ” the Chief Whip said.

Minister Ally said while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has condemned the move to acknowledge Kadir’s contributions as a MP, it was only recently that the said National Assembly paid tribute to former minister and ambassador of the PPP administration, Ronald Gajraj.

“Ronald Gajraj was fingered in so many things, killings and massacres…we did not use that against them,” she posited while noting that because he had served in the National Assembly, a motion was passed to express sympathy to his sorrowing relatives.

Minister Ally also made reference to Isahak Bashir, who was also honoured on April 27, although he was expelled from the National Assembly for hurling a glass bottle at the then Speaker, Sase Narine.

Also on Tuesday last Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, disclosed that it was he who drafted the motion of sympathy following the passing of Kadir, in keeping with local parliamentary practice.

Isaacs explained that local parliamentary practice dictates that, whenever a former or sitting Member of Parliament dies, the Clerk of the National Assembly is to draft a motion of sympathy.

The Clerk also clarified that the debate on sympathy motions is intended to acknowledge the contributions of the late Members to the Parliament and to the people of Guyana. “It is done with no other intent. It should be further noted that the motion on the death of the late Mr. Kadir was innocently drafted by the Clerk, as has been the convention in circumstances of death of former or sitting Members,” the Clerk stated.

He expressed profound regret for any unintentional offense the course of action may have caused.

Body of missing toddler found floating in Pomeroon River THE body of a toddler, who went missing on Thursday, was found on Saturday evening in the Pomeroon River.

Residents were passing by when they made the discovery and raised an alarm. Dead is Zevarah France, who reportedly fell into the river, unnoticed, on Thursday. According to information received, two-year-old France was last seen downstairs playing. According to the child’s mother, Samantha Payne, she was downstairs sweeping while the toddler was with her. She

said that about 10 minutes later, she observed that the child was missing. At the time, she said, her husband was not home. The mother immediately raised an alarm and neighbours responded. Payne said a six-year-old child later told her that she saw when France fell into the nearby canal which is approximately 50 feet from his parents’ home.

Several persons from the neighbourhood began to search by diving in the waters but they did not find the child.

Zevarah France

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

United Nations concerned about migrants’ vulnerability –– UNFPA making efforts to address their needs

AS the crisis continues in Venezuela and more migrants continue to pour into Guyana to find a safe space, several agencies under the United Nations (UN) arm, are working diligently to address their needs.

However, efforts to curb

the issue of vulnerability, has been a challenge due to Guyana’s irregular migration system.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Liaison Officer for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Alder

Bynoe, said that Guyana’s limited capacity to absorb a large inflow of migrants and refugees creates challenges for the government to manage arrivals in a safe and orderly manner and provide adequate services.

This, Bynoe said, in-

creases the risk of migrants, refugee women and adolescents falling victim to gender-based violence, as well as other protection risks such as labour exploitation, child labour, and other violations of their rights.

“An insufficient number

of implementing partners on the ground to address gender-based violence, in particular, survival sex, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, is a significant challenge. A large number of Venezuelan girls and women are trafficked and sexually exploited. Others have to exchange sex for money or food and medicine. That is known as ‘survival sex’,” Bynoe said.

He also shared that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has, through their protection monitoring, assessed that the majority of Venezuelans arriving are women between the ages of 18 and 35, and they are traveling alone. Around 50 per cent of the women entering through Barima Waini, he said, were identified as women at risk for gender-based violence and other violations.

“We (UNFPA) are providing translation services, legal advice and temporary accommodation for identified victims. There should be systems in place in which a Venezuelan who is being exploited can report to the authorities and be sure that measures will be taken to address and rectify the issue.

We believe that providing persons with work permits, for example, will not only go towards minimising exploitation, it will also protect Guyanese workers. Because if employers have to treat a Guyanese worker in the same way as a Venezuelan worker, they may not be so quick to hire a Venezuelan, thinking that they can pay him/her less money,” Bynoe posited.

Through a Skype conversation, Public information and Communications Officer with UNHCR in Washington Regional Office, Sibylla Brodzinskyin, shared with this newspaper, the efforts being made to regularise the presence of the migrants in Guyana.

Brodzinskyin said that UNHCR is working with the government of Guyana to digitise the registration system, which will make the process quicker.

“Right now the process is sort of manual, so we are currently working on digitising the process, so as people arrive, they can be registered, and also the people who are already in the country. We

Liaison Officer for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Alder Bynoe are going to use a system that is used all over the world to register refugees,” she said.

Brodzinskyin explained that everyone who is registered on the system, will obtain an ID or document that will have their name, age, photograph and other identification information, and will serve as an official identification to be in Guyana.

This, Bynoe said, will aid in reducing the migrants and refugees’ risks to violations.

UN joint Gender-Based Violence Mission During the period of March and April, Bynoe shared that a UN joint gender-based violence mission was conducted in Regions One and Seven, with the goal of carrying out an inter-agency rapid assessment.

This assessment was done to help them understand gender violence risks in locations visited, vulnerable population groups facing gender-based violence, and linked root causes.

The rapid assessment also captured the level of availability and access to services such as health, food, housing; legal status, and gender -based violence protection risks faced (sexual abuse, survival sex and other forms of sexual violence), among others.

“The assessment findings will assist the concerned stakeholders in enhancing coordination, intervention planning and programming, ensuring a well-functioning gender-based violence inter-agency coordination mechanism, that promotes the highest standards of its prevention and response, in line with global standards,” Bynoe said.

Though all UN agencies are carrying out individual projects, it was highlighted in the interview, that it is a collaborative effort between agencies, to ensure the fulfillment of the UN’s mandate to harmonise nations and protect the rights of people.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

STARR Computer, APC offer greater energy management solutions INTEGRATED energy management solutions for the oil and gas industry, hospitals, infrastructure and buildings, government ministries, companies and businesses will be provided by APC by Schneider Electric.

This was disclosed by APC Regional Director, Franklin Guerrero, during his visit to Guyana to meet President of STARR Computer, Mike Mohan, and staff of the company’s Brickdam, Georgetown office on Friday.

STARR Computer has partnered with ACP for the past 25 years in business. APC by Schneider Electric is a manufacturer of uninterruptible power supplies, electronics peripherals and data centre products.

Guerrero explained that Business Development Manager, Jeneive Simmons, will be in Guyana for prolonged periods to train staff of STARR Computer to ensure exceptional service of the brand with new and emerging sectors.

(From Left) Business Development Manager, Jeneive Simmons; President of STARR Computer, Mike Mohan; and APC Regional Director, Franklin Guerrero, discussing the benefits of APC products He said everyone, including the end user who is buying certain APC equipment’s and installing those, needs to be trained.

“Everybody who is a stakeholder in the process of the business needs to be trained, even the guy doing the finances for the products has to be trained on the cost of ownership, and this is equally important for the persons involved in information technology, since there are tremendous benefits and energy savings from using the product,” the APC regional director said.

He said APC by Schneider Electric is a unique project management approach which ensures that consumers get a well-thought-out global solution that is totally customised, taking into consideration the specific constraints of their business and operating environment.

“Availability also involves one of the most extensive worldwide service networks to support you where and when you need it,” he said.

He explained that APC equation of peak performance and efficiency depends on the capability to offer a perfectly tailored response to the very specific needs of each industry, infrastructure and building.

The initial design and planning consultation, he said, is a key stage to make sure of a successful outcome: – a global Secure Power System which offers long-term optimised performance with significant energy and cost savings.

Meanwhile, President of STARR Computer, Mike Mohan, explained that with decades of experience of providing Secure Power Systems, APC by Schneider Electric has proved the unmatched consistency of its adapted and customised global solutions in energy management, power and cooling infrastructure, and energy efficiency.

Noting that APC has the best secure power solution anywhere in the world, Mohan said the products are known for their standard of robust systems designed to meet most industry, infrastructure, and building critical applications and processes. He said all APC products sold

by STARR Computer are under international warranty and can be replaced with a new product if it is proven to be defective.

The APC products, Mohan said, ensures an optimised return on consumers’ investment through longevity, peak performance, efficiency and cost savings.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

PNCR salutes valuable contributions East Indians made to Guyana ON the occasion of the 181st Anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana, the PNCR salutes all Guyanese of East Indian descent and those in the Diaspora who are celebrating this milestone in the nation’s historical calendar.

The Party recognises the valuable contribution that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country and the shaping of the cultural tapestry of this nation. The PNCR, therefore, salutes all our East Indian brothers and sisters on this special commemorative day.

When the PNCR in the 1980’s inaugurated the concept of celebrating the arrival of the respective ethnic groups of this nation the intention was to deepen an understanding of the culture of these groups and so promote greater understanding and racial harmony as tools for nation building. The Party held at all times that such a course of action was absolutely necessary for welding the nation into a single whole out of the various groups which emigrated here from the various continents of the world.

As we reflect on this historical milestone it is the wish of the PNCR that the occasion would be used to indulge ourselves in activities designed at forging and moulding a destiny of racial and cultural cohesion so necessary for building an economically strong and vibrant nation.

GAWU: Let’s reflect on how far as a people we have come THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) joins to express to all Guyanese best wishes on the occasion of Arrival Day 2019.

The day’s observances are yet another reminder of our rich diversity and the unique multi-cultural composition of our nation. Indeed, it adds to the vibrant tapestry of Guyana where people of different backgrounds can co-exist in harmony and unity as they all seek to improve their lives a goal linked to building our country which will surely augur well for the future generations.

The day is generally associated with the arrival of East Indian indentured servants to our country. At this time too, we also recall those other nationalities who toiled to develop our nation and advance its progress under the indentureship scheme as well. History has recorded that over 240,000 East Indians arrived on our shores and nearly 31,000 Portuguese, mainly from the island of Madeira, came to our then colony as well. We also recognize that some 13,000 Chinese made the long journey to then British Guiana as well and we are aware too that the colonialists brought labourers from Malta, Ireland, Germany and England.

Arrival Day also reminds us of the reasons for the indentureship system. The then immigrants who replaced the emancipated slaves were made to toil in the fields of the sugar plantations to enrich the foreign owners of the plantations. Indentured labourers and their families were forced to exist in inhumane and atrocious conditions.

And, like their compatriots, they were forced to engage in several struggles, which gave us several martyrs, in order to bring about small improvements and meagre benefits in their lives and work conditions.

As we celebrate Arrival Day, the GAWU urges all Guyanese to spare a moment to reflect on how far as a people we have come, the challenges we overcame, and the successes we have recorded. At this time, when we ought to be looking to reach new and higher plateaus we see concerted efforts that will very likely reverse much of the progress we have made and rightly can take pride in. Let us resist such efforts and get back on the development track.

GAWU joins with all Guyana to celebrate Arrival Day.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 5, 2019

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Holder: ‘We want to win Tri-series’ DUBLIN, Ireland (CMC) – West Indies skipper Jason Holder has made it clear that they will be going all out to win the Tri-Nation series against Ireland and Bangladesh which bowls off today.

Although only eight of the 15-man squad named for the ICC World Cup are available for today’s opening game against Ireland, Holder said he still expects the regional unit to give a strong showing.

Bangladesh are ranked eighth, one place higher than

the ninth-ranked Windies, while Ireland are ranked 12th out of the 15 ODI sides.

“Ireland and Bangladesh are two very good sides.

We’ve been to Bangladesh in the recent past where we didn’t get the overall results we were looking for, but definitely conditions have changed and the dynamics of the team have also changed, so we’re looking to start this tournament really well,” Holder said.

“I think once we hit our three departments in terms of batting, bowling and fielding,

1E will continue to support Guyanese athletes

BEST known across the tech industry for helping some of the biggest organisations in the world manage extremely complex IT estates, British Digital Software Company 1E continues to extend its corporate responsibility arm way beyond the shores of Great Britain.

Across its 20-year history, however, the company has consistently maintained a strong and outstanding commitment to what is now referred to as ‘corporate social responsibility’ – but what was once simply called ‘goodness’.

According to Founder and CEO, Sumir Karayi, “We are committed to providing those tools to people in need,” adding that during its history, the company has supported many charities, such as the Fair Chance Foundation - an organisation dedicated to improving the future livelihoods of disadvantaged children and young adults through education - including an orphanage in New Delhi, India.

The company has also teamed up with the University of Warwick to conduct a research project to discover what is limiting girls’ chances of taking advantage of

educational opportunities in Haryana, India.

The entity has been offering its support to sports entities and athletes in Guyana over the years through employee and former middle-distance track star, Waveney Benn, who makes the annual sojourn to give back to her country of birth.

Recently, Benn returned and donated a quantity of balls, bags, boots and other items to organisations such as Three Peat Promotions, Demerara Cricket Club(DCC) among others.

Karayi promised that 1E will continue to support Benn in her quest to equip and empower Guyanese athletes and sports organisations.

Benn, in her remarks, thanked all those employees, who, after hearing about her endeavor, offered their respective support to the cause.

She identified staffers such as Nichola Williams, Both Three Peat Promotions and the DCC thanked her for the goodwill, promising to ensure that the items are properly utilised to the benefit of the athletes.

we’ll definitely be in good stead at the end of it. We see this as an opportunity to get into some match practice and start our preparations into the World Cup.” With the likes of Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Oshane Thomas, Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer still participating in the IPL, several players not named in the World Cup squad will get an opportunity to prove their worth.

Holder said he expects those players to grab the opportunity with both hands.

“Guys must see it as an opportunity to showcase what they can do at the international level. I guess many of them have not played ODI cricket and it’s just a case where it is another opportunity for them to be seen on this circuit.

When given the opportunity I expect everyone to give of his best,” he said.

The Windies captain also comes in the tournament in a rich vein of form.

He spent a month playing county cricket with Northamptonshire in the Royal London Cup and

County Championships.

In the Cup he scored 284 runs in five matches at an average of 71.

He said the time spent in England served as good preparation for the series.

“It was a solid month for me in terms of having some match practice. I got a few overs under my belt and I also spent some time in the middle, so it was a well spent month and I’m in a really good frame of mind coming into this tournament here,” Holder said.

Country House wins Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security disqualified LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby, the winner of the race did not finish first.

Maximum Security, sent off as the tepid top choice at 9-2, bolted to the early lead and held it all the way to the wire, seemingly winning the 145th run for the roses, finishing a few lengths ahead of longshot Country House.

However, an objection was immediately filed after the race, claiming Maximum Security impeded the run of another horse. Replay shows Maximum Security does step out from his line near the rail, veering in front of War of Will (who finished eighth).

The scene at Churchill Downs was surreal as the three stewards examined footage for more than 15 minutes, with jockeys, horses and their connections standing on the muddied track waiting for an official result.

During the wait, Country House trainer Bill Mott acknowledged that his horse’s race was not impeded, but said that if this were a normal race on a Thursday, Maximum Security’s win would be vacated and, as Mott noted, it shouldn’t matter if it’s a Thursday race or the Kentucky Derby, they should all be judged the same.

“If this was a $10 000 race on a Thursday, it’s a

no-brainer,” Mott said.

In the century-plus long history of the race, no horse that finished first has ever had the run overturned until yesterday, when the stewards came back with a stunning decision: Maximum Security’s win was overturned.

With Maximum Security disqualified, the victory went to the horse that finished second - Country House, going off at 65-1, the second-largest longshot in the history of the race. Only Donerail at 91-1 in the 1913 Derby had longer odds.

Code of Honor wound up second, followed by Tacitus.(Yahoo Sport)

Ninvalle for Colombia EC meeting PRESIDENT of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, will later this month attend his first Executive Committee meeting of the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC).

Ninvalle will travel to Cartagena, Colombia for the meeting to be held on May 25.

The assembly of AMBC EC members will be the first since the local administrator was elected Vice-President of the body in March in

Panama.

Ninvalle said that since receiving word of the upcoming meeting he has informed the Caribbean and recommended that they channel any grouses and/or proposals through him for them to be discussed at the EC meeting.

The AMBC governs amateur boxing in the Caribbean, North, South and Central America and is one of five Confederations affiliated to the world governing body AIBA. It consists of 43

countries and is one of five confederations affiliated to the 203-nation AIBA. In January, Ninvalle was elected chairman of the Caribbean Steering Committee, a body referred to as the ‘glue’ that holds English-speaking Caribbean together. One month later AIBA appointed him chairman of its Youth Commission.

The GBA president is scheduled to leave on May 24 for Colombia.

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Leg-spinner Rajindra Ramballi spins webs around batsmen

By Elroy Stephney IT’S always a wonderful sight to witness someone naturally spinning a cricket ball as the versatile Rajindra Ramballi does. The talented 12-year-old from Affiance on the Essequibo Coast is a genuine leg-spinner whose flight, spin and accuracy are his probing arsenals of destruction.

The slimly-built bowler, whose style of bowling mirrors that of the legendary Shane Warne, has the potential to mesmerise batsmen during his era with his own inimitable style of giving the ball a serious rip.

He is technically sound and has a balanced approach to the crease in delivering.

Ramballi, who currently attends Anna Regina Secondary School, began his cricketing career as a 10-yearold, representing Taymouth Manor Primary in Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Kiddies Cricket Programme for schools.

His passion, level-headed approach and a genuine desire to succeed have cer-

tainly plummeted him above his peers. He was therefore an automatic choice for the recently concluded Inter-Secondary school Under-17 tournament where he excelled by claiming the most wickets and enabling his school to win the championship. He was to be later recognised at the school’s annual prize-giving exercise with a coveted medal for his outstanding performance in cricket.

Ramballi in blazing the trail also represented North Essequibo and has since been making an upward trajectory. While he continues to thrive for excellence, the wily leg-spinner remains quite a disciplined, focussed and astute individual, who can be seen practising with other team mates at the Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance on a daily basis.

He is indeed a match-winner too, by creating a magical performance against the touring Wakanaam Under-15 team in March when he collected a 5-wicket haul to steer his side to victory.

In another memorable display he manufactured

Rajindra Ramballi receives his prize after an outstanding performance

a hat-trick against Cotton Field Secondary which again demonstrated his uncanny ability to deliver in any circumstance. It is those special moments that have caught the eyes of many who have acknowledged that he is a bright prospect for the future.

It was no coincidence, therefore, when he was se-

Late Origi header keeps Liverpool's hopes alive

By Simon Evans NEWCASTLE, England, (Reuters) - In a gripping Premier League title race, Liverpool showed they are ready to push Manchester City right until the final seconds of this season with their spirited 3-2 win at Newcastle United.

An 86th minute header from substitute Divock Origi secured the victory but in many ways it was also the willpower and guts of Juergen Klopp’s side that made sure of the three vital points.

The result leaves Liverpool with a two-point advantage over Manchester City but Pep Guardiola’s team have two games remaining, including Monday’s home match with Leicester City, while Liverpool have just one — their final game at home to Wolves.

No Premier League table

has ever looked like this with a eight days of the season remaining — Liverpool have 94 points and City 92 — third place Tottenham are more than 20 points behind.

A Liverpool draw would have given City a margin for error in their final two games - and it is hard to imagine they would have let it slip with a trip to lowly Brighton on the final day.

But Liverpool were not going to let this season, during which they have been beaten just once in the league, end at St. James’ Park against the club’s former manager Rafa Benitez.

“What the boys did is unbelievable,” said Klopp, who appeared moved by what he had witnessed.

Enough had gone against Liverpool this week that a little deflation could have been forgiven.

Liverpool started without

injured Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino and then in the second half lost their talismanic Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who was carried off on a stretcher after an aerial clash with Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka.

All this coming after the 3-0 loss to Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final, first-leg on Wednesday.

THUNDERING HEADER But instead of doubts, in place of surrender, came an eighth Premier League win in a row that keeps Klopp’s side right in the race and puts the pressure back on City.

The night began in relatively routine fashion — Virgil Van Dijk headed Liverpool in front in the 13th minute, after losing his marker and meeting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner with a thundering header.

lected to represent Essequibo in the recently concluded Under-15 Inter-County tournament. While he had moderate success his all-round game would have been enhanced with added confidence and exposure.

The sky is the limit for the soft-spoken cricketer, whose willingness to learn

and practise new concepts of his art are his strong attributes. While his bowling is his strength, Ramballi is also a competent batsman.

The left-hander has a solid defence and relies on his timing and deft touches.

He is nicely developing into a genuine all-rounder whose temperament is un-

shakable. Cricket is a rhythm game and an athlete has to constantly practise with consummate precision.

This seems to be the motto of the diminutive sportsman as he thrives to perfect his art with absorbing hours of repetitive practice and concentration. Ramballi continues to seamlessly unleash the skill of undoubtedly quite a difficult art; yet he relishes spinning webs around batsmen with a variety of unplayable deliveries.

He is a member of the Bacchus Bulls Sports Club, which has a rich history of producing a number of former national youth players, including Yogeshwar Lall, Latchman Rohit, Yudhanlall Sukhlall, Ian Gonsalves, Parmesh Parsotam, Wayne Osbourne and Nathan Persaud.

The little maestro is poised to emulate his clubmates in the near future on his way to becoming one of Essequibo’s finest since the emergence of Jaimini Singh, the county’s highly rated leg-spinner, almost thirty-five years ago.

Timehri Panthers ...FROM PAGE 31 League will kick off with one match between Grove Hi Tech and Kuru Kururu Warriors.

The EBFA Senior League is being sponsored by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) fulfilling a commitment made by President Wayne Forde. The official march pass of the 11 contesting clubs would also take place with the best dressed team set to be rewarded with a trophy.

Yesterday’s U-20 KFC action saw a total of 20 goals being scored in the two matches played as the teams battle for the lone available spot in the national playoffs.

Timehri Panthers got their goals from Burnette who scored in the 4th and 49th minute; Pulsuram was on target in the 17th and 73rd minute while there was one apiece for Shawn Stelle in the 24th and Tyrone David in the 37th minute.

Diamond United ran away 3-0 leaders by the 17th minute

in their clash against Samatta Point/Kaneville which saw two helmet-tricks and one hat-trick being recorded.

Tariq Pryce blasted the first of his four goals for Diamond in the 5th minute and followed up with strikes in the 73rd, 84th and 89th minute.

Runaldo Grant in the 10th and Corvin Griffith in the 17th had put Diamond 3-0 up after which Tyreece came into the mix with his four goals, the first coming in the 27th minute. He followed up with similarly in the 39th, 67th and 79th minute.

Samatta Point/Kaneville’s Jadon Forthe battled the best he could have for his team by netting an hat-trick but it was never going to be enough to saved them against the rampaging lads from Diamond United.

Forthe rocked the back of the nets in the 20th, 78th and 87th minute. The other goal came off the boot of Kenyan Moe in the 82nd minute.

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Manchester City clinch domestic double Chris Gayle returns to Jamaica Tallawahs in CPL with FA Cup triumph over West Ham

By Christian Radnedge LONDON, England (Reuters) - Manchester City completed a domestic double by comfortably beating West Ham United 3-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium yesterday, following on from their League Cup triumph in February.

City, who missed out on winning the Super League which was clinched by Arsenal last week, made up for that disappointment with a commanding performance and three-second half goals against a valiant West Ham side playing in their first final.

In the fifth Women’s FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, the attendance total of 43 264 was not quite enough to surpass last season’s record crowd of 45 423 for a domestic-competition female soccer match.

Nick Cushing’s City side started the brighter of the two teams, with England forward Nikita Parris stretching the West Ham backline with her darting runs, though without finding a clear-cut chance.

However, West Ham, playing their maiden season

Chris Gayle (left) and Andre Russell

Manchester City players celebrate winning the Women’s FA Cup, with the trophy.

(Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)

as a professional team and very much the underdogs given the gulf in resources, grew into the contest and even could have taken the lead at the half-hour mark.

A flowing move ended with a deep cross into the box and Jane Ross was perfectly placed to head the ball in, but she was denied by England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley who dived across and pushed it wide.

City took the warning sign and came out more fired- up

in the second half. They broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when Keira Walsh let fly from long range, with a wicked movement on the ball wrong-footing Anna Moorhouse in the West Ham goal.

The effort was City’s first shot on target but it proved enough to unsettle Matt Beard’s side.

West Ham regained some composure but were breached again in the 81st minute when young forward Georgia Stanway dribbled into the box and

Afridi reveals his real age – sort of PAKISTAN legend Shahid Afridi has finally weighed in on the debate over his age, saying he was born in 1975, not 1980 as previously thought.

Afridi famously made his international debut in 1996, scoring a record-breaking 37ball century against Sri Lanka, a feat made even more remarkable by the claim at the time that he was just 16 years old.

In an excerpt from his recently-released autobiography Game Changer that has been quoted widely in the subcontinental media, Afridi says officials lied about his age.

However, he added further confusion by saying he was 19 at the time of his debut, even though being born

Shahid Afridi made his international debut in 1996. (Getty)

in 1975 would have made him 20 or 21 in 1996.

“Also, for the record, I was just nineteen, and not sixteen like they claim,” he writes.

“I was born in 1975. So, yes, the authorities stated my

age incorrectly.”

Afridi did not reveal exactly why officials lied about his age. However, it’s worth noting he had represented Pakistan’s Under-19 side in the Caribbean just weeks before his debut (if he was born in 1975 as he claims, Afridi would have been too old to play for the Under-19s in 1996).

Afridi’s revelation that he was born in 1975 makes the length of his decorated career even more impressive.

It means he would have been 40 or 41 by the time he retired from international cricket in 2016, not 36 as previously believed, and he would have been 43 or 44 during this year’s Pakistan Super League.

unleashed a right-footed shot at goal. The ball trickled past Moorhouse following a slight deflection off a defender.

With little more than a minute of normal time remaining, Lauren Hemp ran onto a long ball and expertly lifted the ball over the on-rushing Moorhouse from outside the area to seal the win and give City their second FA Cup in three years.

CHRIS Gayle will return to Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL after a gap of two seasons. Tallawahs announced Gayle as their marquee player yesterday for the upcoming season in September-October, with the draft scheduled to take place on May 22.

“We are delighted to have Chris playing for his home team for the 2019 season,” Tallawahs COO Jefferson Miller said in a release.

“There is no bigger name in Twenty20 cricket, and we can’t wait for him to arrive and make the Jamaican fans proud. We are looking forward to Chris being a big part of our push for a third CPL title.”

Gayle previously led Tallawahs to their two titles in 2013 and 2016, and also topscored in both those finals against Guyana Amazon War-

riors. He left them after the 2016 season to join St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and led them to the final in 2017 and the playoffs in 2018. Returning to his home team now, he will be one of the captaincy options for Tallawahs.

Gayle is the leading run-scorer in CPL with a tally of 2 111 and has three centuries in the league, all for Tallawahs. They will be playing five home games at Sabina Park this time, once the tournament starts on September 4.

Gayle will be playing the World Cup - after which he is expected to retire from ODIs - having ended the IPL in good form this year. He scored 462 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 158.76 and average of 42, with four half-centuries, for Kings XI Punjab. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Taylor, Matthews and Selman ... son will be a catalyst to have an actual women’s IPL,” she said.

Selman, who will be steaming into the pace attack for the Trailblazers, alongside Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami, is relishing the opportunity to play alongside her West Indies captain and the other international players.

“I’m grateful to be afforded the opportunity to take part in the Women’s T20 challenge, as it’s another chance to showcase my talent alongside some of the best female cricketers in the game. And I am hopeful that this challenge will be used to develop a women’s IPL.” Meanwhile, Matthews who will be challenging her West Indies Women’s teammates echoed similar sentiments saying, “It’s an honour to be able to participate in such a huge initiative in women’s cricket. I’m really

looking forward to playing alongside some of the best players in the world and being able to play my role in helping to grow women’s cricket.”

Jimmy Adams, Cricket West Indies Director of Cricket, congratulated the three West Indies women players on their selection.

However, he said it was unfortunate that Deandra Dottin could not play due to an injury.

“We’re delighted that Stafanie, Shakera and Hayley have the chance to experience this tournament and showcase West Indies women’s cricket talent at the same time. It’s unfortunate that Deandra Dottin was not able to participate due to injury. We’ll be watching out for the performances and welcome this initiative from the BCCI,” he said.

Women’s T20 Cricket Challenge Squads:

FROM PAGE 30

SUPERNOVAS: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Anuja Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Chamari Athapaththu, Jemimah Rodrigues, Lea Tahuhu, Mansi Joshi, Natalie Sciver, Poonam Yadav, Priya Punia, Radha P Yadav, Sophie Devine, Taniya Bhatia, W V Raman (coach) TRAILBLAZERS: Smriti Mandhana (c), Bharti Fulmali, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Jasia Akhtar, Jhulan Goswami, R Kalpana, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shakera Selman, Sophie Ecclestone, Stafanie Taylor, Suzie Bates, Biju George (coach) VELOCITY: Mithali Raj (c), Amelia Kerr, Danielle Wyatt, Devika Vaidya, Ekta Bisht, Hayley Matthews, Jahanara Alam, Komal Zhanzad, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sushma Verma, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mamta Maben (coach)

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Hetmyer’s brutal 74 off 47 balls helps RCB rock Sunrisers’ play-off hopes SUNRISERS Hyderabad are in danger of missing out on the final Indian Premier League (IPL) play-off place after Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann blasted half-centuries in a four-wicket win for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Victory in their last match of the regular season at M Chinnaswamy Stadium yesterday would have all but secured fourth spot for Sunrisers, but RCB did Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a huge favour and gave themselves hope of avoiding the wooden spoon.

Kane Williamson topscored with an unbeaten 70 off 43 balls after Washington Sundar (3-24) had done damage as Sunrisers posted 175-7.

Williamson had been dropped on 20 and it looked

set to be Sunrisers’ day when they reduced RCB to 20-3, Bhuvneshwar Kumar striking twice and Khaleel Ahmed dismissing Virat Kohli.

Hetmyer and Gurkeerat had other ideas, putting on 144 for the fourth wicket with some big hitting to knock the stuffing out of Williamson’s side.

West Indies batsman Hetmyer (75 off 47) was dropped twice in as many balls after bringing up his maiden IPL half-century, while Gurkeerat (65 from 48) played his shots at the other end before they both fell with victory in sight.

Umesh Yadav struck the first and second balls of the final over through the offside for four to win it, leaving Sunrisers needing Mumbai Indians to beat KKR today to make the last four.

captain Williamson finished with a flourish to give them the momentum after being dropped by Kulwant Khejroliya on 20.

The skipper struck Umesh for two sixes and as many fours in a final over of the innings that cost 28 runs.

Gurkeerat Mann looks on as Shimron Hetmyer celebrates his half-century. (BCCI)

WILLIAMSON CUTS LOOSE AFTER SUNDAR STRIKES An opening stand of 46 from only 4.3 overs between Wriddhiman Saha (20) and

Martin Guptill (30) got the Sunrisers off to a strong start after Kohli put them in.

Sundar removed Guptill, the in-form Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar as the Sunrisers lost their way, but

Who will be $300 000 richer today at Hamilton Green 9-a-side Inter-ward Cup? DESPITE threatening inclement weather, organisers of this year’s Hamilton Green Cup Inter-ward/ village 9-a-side knockout football tournament have confirmed that today’s final showdown in the competition will go ahead as planned.

Coordinator Lennox Arthur said they are busy preparing to ensure that spectators have a great time throughout the day with action set to

kick off at 16:00hrs with round-of-16 play before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

The opening salvo of round-of-16 action will see Timehri tackle Mahaicony, who will be spearheaded

by Delbert Wilson, Sheldon Toney and Bertie Shepherd.

Tyrone Khan’s Soesdyke then take on Liliendaal in what is anticipated to be an exciting affair.

The Mocha versus

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday May 05, 2019) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Rajasthan Royals

(2)

Shane Watson (CSK)

Today’s Quiz: (1)

Which two teams contested the 2009 IPL final?

(2)

Who was voted Man of the Match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Charlestown encounter is a virtual final, with the Stewart brothers, Orville and Dorville, and Kevin Gordon expected to lead the former in pursuit of a win, while Keiron Solomon, Jamal Cozier, Jermin Junor and Devon Charles are the key players for the latter.

Pouderoyen clash with Bagotville, while Goed Fortuin face De Kinderen.

The Sophia vs Bourda Blues game is expected to be a thrilling encounter with Den Amstel Back Street facing Zeelugt.

National player Trayon Bobb, Jamaal Harvey and Seon Bobb will represent Uitvlugt in their encounter against Vreed-en-Hoop, who will be spearheaded by Curtis Garraway, Trevon Abrams and Jamal Mounter.

Teams will be battling for a chance to claim the John Fernandes $300 000 first prize and Prime Minister Trophy along with hampers from Ricks and Sari. The second-placed team will take away the Courtney Benn sponsored $100 000, third $60 000 put up by Techno Mills and fourth $40 000

donated by Ready Mix along with the respective trophies.

All the trophies have been sponsored by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

Also at stake are the individual rewards for Most Goals, who will take home a Dinette Chair from China Trading, while runner-up will be presented with a Lazy Boy chair from AH&L Kissoon, along with the Best Goalkeeper who will claim the Minister of Natural Resources Trophy.

Among the sponsors so far are: Techno Mills, Ready Mix, Sataur Gafoor, E.C Vieira, BEV Enterprises, BK International, IPA, New Thriving, Ricks and Sari, E-Networks, Star Computers, NAMILCO, Cummings Electrical, National Sports Commission, Star Entertainment, Alfro Alphonso, Guyana Police Force, GuyOil, Minister of State, Prime Minister and Ministry of Legal Affairs.

All teams are being asked to be at the venue by 15:00hrs to ensure that there is a prompt start to the day’s proceedings.

BHUVNESHWAR BURST ROCKS RCB Bhuvneshwar and Khaleel Ahmed had RCB in all sorts of trouble at 20-3 inside three overs.

Parthiv Patel fell without scoring when he top-edged Bhuvneshwar to Pandey at backward point and Kohli edged Khaleel behind for 16 before AB de Villiers departed for only one.

HETMYER AND GURKEERAT TO THE RESCUE Hetmyer came to the

crease having scored only 15 runs in four innings for RCB, but it was a case of better late than never for the left-hander from Guyana.

He attacked Rashid Khan and struck six sixes in a brutal knock with Gurkeerat clearing the ropes once and hitting another eight boundaries.

Pandey and Yusuf Pathan failed to hang on to catches in consecutive balls as Hetmyer offered chances and when he did depart it came too late in the day.

The nerves jangled when RCB lost three wickets for four runs, but they only needed six off the last over and Umesh made amends for his poor final over by hitting the winning runs.

Taylor, Matthews and Selman off to India to play in a T20 cricket challenge

Hayley Matthews is one of three West Indian women who have been selected to play in India.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Three West Indies women cricketers have been selected to play in a T20 cricket challenge, which will feature some of the world’s best players.

Stafanie Taylor and Shakera Selman have been invited to play for the Trailblazers, while Hayley Matthews will turn out for Velocity.

The other outfit is Supernovas.

The four-match tri-series is being hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in In-

dia (BCCI) and will run from May 6 to 11 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Taylor said she hoped that the series would pave the way for the introduction of a Women’s IPL tournament.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in India but this will be a new experience for me.

I’m looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere that I’ve seen in the IPL on TV and I’m hoping that this sea TURN TO PAGE 29 ►

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, May 5, 2019

HIH U-19 3-Day Inter-County

Ramraj’s 5 for 34 helps Select U-17s restrict Demerara to 169

By Michelangelo Jacobus THE Select U-17 team continued their good showing so far in the Hand-inHand (HIH) U-19 3-day Inter-County tournament when round two began yesterday at the GCC ground, Bourda.

They put themselves in a strong position thanks to leftarm leg-spinner Chandrapaul Ramraj’s five for 34 which helped restrict Demerara to 169 despite Robin Williams’ half-century. At stumps they were on 17 for the loss of one wicket trailing by 152 runs.

Under overcast conditions, the U-17s won the toss and sent Demerara in to bat.

The latter received a solid start from their openers with the belligerent Sachin Singh making 23 before he became Ramraj’s first victim.

However, his partner Robin Williams held his end and went on to stroke 54 (107 de-

Berbice close rain-shortened day on 107-6

By Rajiv Bisnauth BERBICE closed the shortened opening day of their second round Hand-inHand Under-19 Inter-county three-day encounter against Essequibo on 107-6 yesterday, at the Lusignan Community Centre

That shower had left the bowlers’ run-ups somewhat soft, and after two additional inspections by the umpires, play eventually commenced at 15:00hrs.

Winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, Essequibo opening bowlers, Ellian Whyte and Adrian

Select U-17’s Chandrapaul Ramraj in full flight during his first-innings haul of 5 for 34. (Michelangelo Jacobus photo)

liveries) which included four boundaries and a maximum before he was dismissed by Matthew Nandu.

None of the other Demerara batsmen managed to string together partnerships despite getting starts. Round one hero with the ball, Joel Spooner, managed 27 while Pradesh Balkissoon made 21 to help Demerara to a

respectable total.

Ramraj was well supported by Nandu; the former cleaned up Demerara’s tailend and ended with figures of 5 for 34 from 15 overs (four maidens) while Nandu snared 3 for 49 from 19 overs (four maidens). Niran Bissu and Andre Seepersaud took a wicket apiece.

Taking strike, Select

U-17 lost opener Rampertaub Ramnauth early for just one run. However Zeynul Ramsammy played some attractive shots to end the day unbeaten on 10 while Nandu was on six.

The lone wicket was taken

by Demerara’s Dequan Bamfield.

Action will resume today at 10:00hrs.

GFF/KFC U20 Independence Cup..

Timehri Panthers and Grove Hi Tech advance to semis; Diamond United into round 2

Timehri Panthers U20 team

TIMEHRI Panthers behind doubles each from Tyrone Burnette and Ishmael Pulsuram eased to a solid 6-0 win over Herstelling Raiders to ease into the semi- finals of the inaugural GFF/ KFC U20 Independence Cup, East Bank Football

Hand-in-Hand U-19 Inter-county cricket

Association leg which continued yesterday at the GFF National Training Facility yesterday.

Also easing into the semi-finals was Grove Hi Tech which did so without breaking a sweat as their opponent, Diamond Upset-

ters did not show up for the match. Yesterday’s other match which was a first round clash between Diamond United and Samatta Point/ Kaneville saw the former hammering the latter 10-4 in a goal feast.

Diamond with the win

has earned a second round date with Soesdyke Falcons tomorrow from 14:00hrs at the same venue. This match would be the feature of a double header as the East Bank Football Association Senior TURN TO PAGE 28 ►

Alex Algoo drives Ellian Whyte during his knock.

ground.

Essequibo, deciding to bowl first, utilised the conditions well with off-spinners Amit Persaud (3-53) and Lance Roberts (3-14), claiming three wickets apiece.

Junior Sinclair struck an even 50 off 104 balls with one four and a six.

The 18-year-old Alex Algoo, who struck 175 in round one, made 22 off 50 balls with one four and a six. Garfield Benjamin and Nigel Deodat were left unbeaten on 13 and 10 respectively when play ended after 43 overs.

The start of play was delayed by a number of soft patches on the pitch, but ground staff did their best in rectifying the issue. After four inspections by the umpires, the start of play was given the green light.

However, grey skies prevailed and a sharp shower just after 13:00hrs further delayed the start of play.

Rankirpaul, bowled well but Berbice openers Algoo and Sinclair were solid.

Despite the gloomy conditions, the right-handed pair added 42 runs for the first wicket.

However, a double bowling change worked for the Essequibians. Persaud broke the promising opening stand when he dismissed Algoo.

Thereafter, Berbice lost Jeetendra Outar (2), Kelvon Anderson (5), Seon Glasgow (3), Shamar Angel (0) and Sinclair in quick succession.

Benjamin and Deodat then survived some testing moments to the close. Play is scheduled to start at 09:30hrs today.

Berbice, the defending champions, drew their first round game against the Select Under-17 team while Essequibo suffered a humiliating nine-wicket defeat against leaders, Demerara, in their first-round encounter.

Holder: ‘We want to win Tri-series’

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27

Captains William Porterfield, left, of Ireland and Jason Holder of thew West Indies, centre, and Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh) with the trophy at the official unveiling. Photo credits: CWI Media/Philip Spooner

1E will continue to support Guyanese athletes

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27

Assistant to the CEO Nichola Williams (3rd left) hands over some of the items to Waveney Benn in the presence of fellow staffers recently.

Country House wins Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security disqualified

Ninvalle for Colombia EC meeting PAGE

27

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27

Flavien Prat rides Country House to victory during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, yesterday, in Louisville, Ky. Luis Saez on Maximum Security finished first but was disqualified.

GBA president Steve Ninvalle

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SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019