Guyana Chronicle E-paper 6-23-2019

23rd June, 2019

No.105677

‘Don’t rush to the polls’

… Eusi Kwayana, Vincent Alexander warn against rushed polls

… remind of consequences following 2001 elections

… Alexander says 03&19 list used for LGE was not nationwide PAGES

President, 13 Exxon’s first oil Opposition Leader vessel Liza Destiny for Monday meeting commissioned 12 PAGE

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‘Jagdeo laughed off ’ reports of 11 phantom killings PAGE

… Ramjattan details PPP reaction to George Bacchus’ whistleblowing on death squad

DV victims can approach court directly instead 05 of police – magistrate PAGE

First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger (third from left: front row) and Director of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe (immediately behind her) were on hand on Saturday for the commissioning of the Liza Destiny- ExxonMobil’s first oil production vessel to be placed in Guyana.

Mrs Granger was joined by ExxonMobil’s Upstream President, Liam Mallon, and other officials at a ceremony at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore

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14 secondary schools receive robotic kits

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

(Seated from left) President of R3CCI Halim Khan; Co-Founder of STEM Guyana, Karen Abrams: Regional Education Officer, Anesta Douglas, and General Secretary of R3CCI, Dennis Mayers, flanked by school teachers and representatives who received STEM robotic kits ROBOTIC Kits were donated to 14 secondary schools in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) to facilitate practical learning and application of cross-cutting concepts helping to develop higher level learning and problem-solving skills.

The event was held recently at the Region Three Department of Education boardroom.

This was as a result of the collaboration between the Region Three Chambers of Commerce and Industry (R3CCI), the Region Three Department of Education and STEM Guyana. The robotic kits were sponsored by ExxonMobil.

In May 2019, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) clubs were launched in Region Three recently, enabling 28 schools to participate in the exciting and educational robotics projects.

According to President of R3CCI, Halim Khan, robotics is often used in clubs, after-school activities, and competitions to expose students to technology, engineering, maths, and science.

Khan explained that by

exposing students to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field.

“In the 21st Century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalisation and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM,” Khan noted.

Further, he explained that STEM education helps to bridge the ethnic and gender gaps sometimes found in maths and science fields.

“Initiatives have been established to increase the roles of women in STEM-related fields. STEM education breaks the traditional gender roles.

In order to compete in a global economy, STEM education and careers must be a national priority. Each and every decision made uses an aspect of STEM to understand the implications,” the businessman said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

‘No compromise regarding clean list’ …GECOM Alexander says list used for LGE was not nationwide

…urges all parties to support house-to-house registration

By Lisa Hamilton “WITH Guyana’s known history in accusations of rigged elections and calls for the recounting of votes, it is unsettling that some would prefer that the country head into what has been described as ‘the mother of all elections’ without the most credible voter’s list.”

This is the position of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, who has served in the capacity since 2007 and has a clear understanding of the country’s struggle for “clean” elections.

He stands as one among

and Regional Elections on the basis of distrust that the elections were conducted “free and fair.”

When the 2015 Elections showed victory for the coalition, then President Donald Ramotar was emphatic in stating that the process was “rigged” in favour of the then political opposition. He not only questioned the actions of the commission, but also that of polling day staff and called for a recount of the votes previously tallied. “We should have a total recount of votes; it won’t take a long time… to recount the whole election process to give this election credibility and integrity, we

ment also approved $75M for the upgrade of the Multiple Identity Document Issuing System which will produce better-quality ID cards. As far back as 2009, one can find media reports of numerous citizens complaining about the quality of their ID cards questioning their ability to be properly recognised.

The house-to-house registration exercise--budgeted for prior to the no-confidence motion—is another attempt of the David Granger-led administration to secure an election result which is untainted by the accusation of being “rigged.”

Such is important, as re-

Residents of Lethem on Friday picketed the GECOM office calling for new registration many others in favour of a new round of house-to-house registration, which was last conducted in 2008 –- over 10 years ago.

However, following the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ’s) recent ruling that the motion of no-confidence against the government was successfully passed, the crucial exercise, conducted several times in the past, is now in limbo. On Monday, June 24, 2019, the CCJ will make a number of consequential orders intended to guide Guyana as it prepares for early elections.

These could also determine how soon Guyana heads into new elections and whether the national registration process is considered.

“Elections cannot be run on trust. It has to be run on facts,” Alexander stated last Wednesday, during Mark Benschop’s radio programme – Straight Up. At the time he was speaking on the topic of past illegitimate practices of the commission, which have caused many to question the results of previous elections.

Both major political parties in Guyana have a history of requesting recounts of national votes taken at General

think that it is essential to have a total recount of the votes,” Ramotar had said.

Both parties have decades-long patterns of accusing each other of rigging elections, whether through the counting of votes, the tampering of ballot boxes; the use of falsified Identification Cards (ID) or illegal, substitute voting.

President David Granger has made it clear that his administration is sorely against these acts and will do all in its power to institute preventative measures to combat such destructive possibilities. Apart from ensuring GECOM received $5.54B in the 2019 Budget--- for which $3.36B was allocated for house-to-house registration --- another $3.4B was sought by the government in May, 2019 as a supplementary provision to facilitate the holding of elections. The move was in keeping with the President’s commitment that his administration will ensure that GECOM is ready to facilitate early elections in the event the CCJ –- as it did--- rule that the ‘Vote of No-Confidence’ against his government was validly passed.

Added to this, the govern-

ports indicate that there are approximately hundreds of thousands of improper entries on the April 30, 2019 expired Official Voter’s List.

FREE AND FAIR “I want to outline a clear path. It is essential that we hold fair, free and credible elections.

We cannot proceed on the current list of voters. It is outdated and corrupted. It may hold as many as 200,000 incorrect entries. What’s more, those who have reached the age of 18 years since the last election are not on it,” President Granger stated on Tuesday after acknowledging his acceptance of the CCJ’s

decision.

Earlier in the year, while the no-confidence motion made its way through the courts and during the tug of war between GECOM Commissioners on whether house-to-house registration should be held, reporters were informed that, long before the motion, it was agreed that fresh registration ought to be held every seven years.

Alexander had told reporters back in January: “I am an advocate for house-tohouse registration. I am not only an advocate, but one who is aware of the institutional decision taken years ago that we should have registration every seven years; and, that we haven’t, means that we do not have what is considered to be the ‘best list’.”

Former GECOM Chair, Dr. Steve Surujbally gave the Kaieteur News a similar account in January, 2019 when he stated: “After lots of deliberations, GECOM had decided a long time ago that the list would be sanitised or renewed every seven years.

But this is an expensive process, it takes six months. The last one we did started in January 2008 and ended June of that year.”

GECOM approximates that the registration exercise could be wrapped up and the commission could be ready for elections by the end of November, 2019. At the moment, enumerators and assistant registration officers (AROs) country-wide are on standby for commencement which, to date, is expected this month.

Meanwhile, materials required for the exercise are being procured. On the other hand, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, since the CCJ ruling, has been pushing for new elections to be held within an already commenced three-month period, come hell or high water.

While Article 106 (7) of

the Constitution stipulates that elections should be held within a three-month period following the successful passage of a no-confidence motion, it also provides for an extension of this period granted by no less than twothirds of the votes of all elected members of the National Assembly.

However, Jagdeo’s position is: “We are reasonable, but we are not giving into anything that will run counter to the Constitution and the law… the people who are not on the list [those 18 years of age] is a total lie. It is beneath the President to so flagrantly lie to the people of our country.”

Yet, while rehashing his calls for an audit to be done on the General Registrar’s Offices (GRO) records back in March, Jagdeo had acknowledged that there have been major issues with the list. “We in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) are paying careful attention to this, given what has happened historically — that the heavy padding of the voters list with fictitious names was a norm under previous governments sometime back in our history,” he is quoted according to the Guyana Times.

A ‘man-on-the-street’ interview conducted by this newspaper in March showed that many see the pending elections as “the mother of all elections” which will determine which political party guides Guyana on its first steps into ‘first oil’.

EXTENSION TO HOLD ELECTIONS One citizen, Michael Small, told the newspaper: “The court should grant an extension [to the holding of elections]. If the opposition doesn’t want to support an extension in the Parliament, then the court should grant it, because the three months is every short. GECOM cannot

GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander mobilise its resources within three months for General Elections.”

Small’s observation is on track, as Alexander said on the radio programme that even if GECOM neglects house-to-house registration and proceeds on a Claims-and-Objections exercise, the three-month period would not suffice for the holding of elections.

NOT A NATIONWIDE LIST Alexander also stated that those who are pushing for the list which was used at the 2018 Local Government Elections, are pushing for a flawed electoral process.

“There those who are saying, now that you have a no-confidence drop everything and just have an election with the list that was used at Local Government [Elections].

The list that was used at Local Government was not a nationwide list. What we had was 70 elections in 70 Local Areas, so it isn’t one list and that list excluded areas that were not covered

by Local Government…so to tell people that you had See page 9

More West Berbice residents who came out to join the peaceful protest for fresh house-to-house registration

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

US-Iran: Trump announces 'major' sanctions amid tensions (BBC) The US will impose "major" additional sanctions on Iran in a bid to prevent the country obtaining nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump says.

He said economic pressure would be maintained unless the leadership in Tehran changed course.

"We're putting additional sanctions on," he told reporters. "In [some] cases we are moving rapidly."

It comes after Iran announced it would exceed internationally agreed limits on its nuclear programme.

The limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium was set under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. In return, relevant sanctions were lifted, allowing Iran to resume oil exports - the government's main source of revenue.

But the US pulled out of

the deal last year and reinstated sanctions. This triggered an economic meltdown in Iran, pushing the value of its currency to record lows and driving away foreign investors.

Iran has responded by scaling back its commitments under the nuclear deal.

"If Iran wants to become a prosperous nation... it's OK with me," Mr Trump said.

"But they're never going to do it if they think in five or six years they're going to have nuclear weapons."

"Let's make Iran great again," he added, echoing his campaign slogan from the 2016 presidential election.

In a later tweet, Mr Trump said the "major additional sanctions" would come into force on Monday.

How have US sanctions hit Iran?

The reinstatement of US sanctions last year - particularly those imposed on the

firms or countries that are dealing with Iran.

This has led to shortages

US President Donald Trump announced the sanctions outside the White House

energy, shipping and financial sectors - caused foreign investment to dry up and hit oil exports.

The sanctions bar US companies from trading with Iran, but also with foreign

of imported goods and products that are made with raw materials from abroad, most notably babies' nappies.

The plunging value of the rial has also affected the cost of locally produced staples

such as meat and eggs, which have soared in price.

Iran has responded to the economic pressure by violating some of the nuclear deal's commitments. It has also accused European countries of failing to live up to their promises of protecting Iran's economy from US sanctions.

What is the bigger picture?

President Trump's announcement that additional sanctions will be imposed on Iran comes at a time of escalating tensions between the two countries.

On Thursday, an unmanned US drone was shot down by Iranian forces in the Gulf.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the drone's downing was a "clear message" to the US that Iran's borders were "our

red line".

But US military officials maintain the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at the time.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a high-ranking officer in the IRGC, said another military aircraft, carrying 35 passengers, had been flying close to the drone. "We could have shot down that one too, but we did not," he said.

The shooting down of the drone followed accusations by the US that Iran had attacked two oil tankers with mines just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump has said he does not want war with Iran, but warned it it would face "obliteration" if conflict broke out.

Palestinians reject Kushner 'economy first' approach to Mideast peace GAZA CITY (Reuters) - Palestinian officials on Saturday dismissed proposals unveiled by President Donald Trump’s sonin-law Jared Kushner for big money projects to form the first economic portion of the Trump administration’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan.

Senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official Hanan Ashrawi said Kushner’s plans were “all abstract promises” and said only a political solution would solve the conflict. Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, was more blunt, saying: “Palestine isn’t for sale”.

An Israeli cabinet minister welcomed the plan.

The Trump administration’s $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, according to U.S. officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. One

proposal is for the construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza.

The “peace to prosperity” plan is set to be presented at an international conference in Bahrain next week by Kushner, who told Reuters that Palestinian leaders should consider the initiative.

“This is going to be the ‘Opportunity of the Century’ if they have the courage to pursue it,” he said.

However Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian negotiator and member of the executive committee of the PLO, said only a political solution that ended Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories would solve the conflict.

Speaking to Reuters by phone from the West Bank city of Ramallah, she said: “If they really care about the Palestinian economy they should start by lifting the siege of Gaza, stopping Israel stealing our money and our resources and our land and opening up our territorial

waters, our air space and our borders so we can freely export and import.”

She said the Trump administration’s stance was an “entirely wrong approach”, adding: “They can end the occupation, which is the most basic requirement for prosperity.

There can be no prosperity under occupation.”

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said the plan looked promising.

ADVERTISEMENT “What’s been published until now looks good and even very good. We are always in favor of developing the Palestinian economy, ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, ensuring economic prosperity in the Palestinian communities,” he told Israeli Reshet TV. “The entire world wants to help the Palestinians except for the Palestinians themselves.”

MANAMA MEETING No Palestinian officials belonging to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ PLO and Palestinian Authority will attend the conference in Bahrain. The White House said it decided against inviting the Israeli government because the PA would not be there.

Several Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, will participate in the June 25-26 U.S.led gathering in Manama. Their presence, some U.S. officials say privately, appears intended in part to curry favor with Trump as he takes a hard line against Iran, those countries’ regional arch-foe.

The economic revival plan would take place only if a political solution to the region’s long-running problems is reached. More than half of the $50 billion would be spent in the economically troubled Palestinian territories over 10 years while the rest would be split between Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.

Some of the projects would be in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, where investments could benefit Palestinians living in adjacent Gaza, a crowded and impoverished coastal enclave.

In Gaza, Hamas official Ismail Rudwan also rejected Kushner’s proposals.

The armed Islamist group is the main internal rival to Abbas, whose power base is in the West Bank. But both are in rare agreement over the Trump administration. “We reject the ‘deal of the century’ and all its dimensions, the economic, the political and the security dimensions,” Rudwan told Reuters.

“The issue of our Palestinian people is a nationalistic issue, it is the issue of a people who are seeking to be free from occupation.

Palestine isn’t for sale, and it is not an issue for bargaining. Palestine is a sacred land and there is no option for the occupation except to leave,” he said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Domestic violence victims can approach court directly instead of police – Magistrate

By Rabindra Rooplall PERSONS affected by domestic violence or abuse who are not receiving professional services from members of the Guyana Police Force can approach the Magistrate’s Court directly, and a charge can be filed there against the perpetrator.

This is according to Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus during a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) media sensitisation forum on the coverage of domestic abuse and sexual offences.

The event was held on Friday at Parc Rayne, Rahaman’s Park, Houston, East Bank Demerara.

A domestic violence protection order is a court order limiting the behaviour of the person who is being violent (the respondent).

“Persons can apply for protection orders by going to any of the Magistrates’ Court, the applicant provides the clerk of court with the information as it relates to

the conduct or words of the abuser. In the alternative, persons can approach Legal Aid office or an attorney-at-law who can file for a protection order with the court registry, with an affidavit in support,” the magistrate said.

The magistrate explained that the clerk at the registry will prepare the documents based on the information that the victim provided and the accused will be placed before a magistrate on the same day or subsequently.

“Once the magistrate is satisfied, having listened to the applicant or the affidavit used, the magistrate can grant an interim order in the absence of the abuser.

The abuser must be served personally with the document; the applicant usually accompanies the policeman to serve the document on the respondent,” Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus said.

During the second hearing in court, Mrs. Isaacs-Marcus said a magistrate can proceed in the absence of the abuser or issue an arrest warrant.

Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus

“Once the court is satisfied on a balance of probabilities that the respondent would have engaged in conduct mentioned and the court will consider the need to secure the health and wellbeing of the applicant, health and wellbeing of any children or relevant child, accommodation needs of the applicant, any hardship that may be caused to the respondent,

income assets and financial obligations of the respondent and other circumstances,” the magistrate underscored.

As such, the magistrate said a probation officer will be assigned and a report will be submitted to the court.

Based on this report, the magistrate said court orders can be made to restrain the respondent from verbally, and or physically abusing and

or threatening the applicant or from maliciously damaging property.

Further, the magistrate said that the court can restrain the respondent from persistently following the applicant from place to place or making persistent unwelcome communications with a person via phone calls, text message, phone, and social media or through agents.

Additionally, the court, she said, can also prohibit abuser from using fear of physical violence or emotional injury, prohibit the respondent from coming within specified distance of the applicant, place of residence, place of work, place of education; prohibit from engaging in harassing or psychologically abusing the applicant, prohibit the respondent from sending unwelcomed messages, or from posting messages/pictures on social media.

In further explaining the legal options available, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus said the court can also make an order for maintenance, prohibit the

respondent from taking possession of specified personal property, order the respondent to return the property and provide that respondent seek appropriate counselling.

She underscored that the court can also make an occupation order for a specified period; the court can also put out the abuser and give the victim and children, if any, permission to stay in the house.

At the end of the case, Mrs. Isaacs-Marcus said that the magistrate must explain the orders that were made and explain to the parties the contents of the order, how long it lasts for, what can happen if there is a breach and how the order can be changed.

“Once the order is granted by the magistrate and it is breached, the applicant can go to the nearest police station and make a complaint and the police will charge the abuser in breach of the Domestic Violence order which attracts a fine or imprisonment,” the magistrate noted.

Social media activist arrested for FB posts on Balwant Singh Hospital …Guyana Chronicle issued ‘cease and desist’ letter

By Tamica Garnett SOCIAL media activist, Melissa Atwell, was on Friday arrested by the police and charged with “defamatory libel” against the Balwant Singh Hospital, while the hospital, through its lawyer, Devindra Kissoon, of London House Chambers, on Thursday issued a “cease and desist” letter to the Guyana Chronicle demanding that it not publish any story on complaints about the hospital being shared on social media.

For the past few weeks, Atwell has been gaining much attention for sharing anonymous posts on her page making damning allegations against the hospital, which she claims are messages she received from patients. The Guyana Chronicle approached the Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, on the issue, where she called on complaining persons to make official reports and not just anonymous statements, so that the matter could be properly investigated. Following a telephone conversation on Thursday with Dr. Madhu Singh, who was cited in many of the complaints, the Guyana Chronicle Editor and Reporter, Tamica Garnett, were moments later issued the “cease and desist”

letter from London Chambers, threatening the newspaper that it would be sued for no less than $100 million.

“We… write to request that you immediately cease and desist from making any publication failing which we shall have no choice but to commence suit against you for the significant injury that the Hospital and Dr. Madhu Singh will suffer, in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less that G$100,000,000,” the letter read.

The letter said the contents of the posts being shared was “untrue and have caused the hospital significant financial harm”. “These defamatory posts impugn the goodwill and basic integrity of our client, and constitute actionable libel per se,” the letter warned.

Atwell was subsequently arrested early Friday morning, and detained for approximately 12 hours. She says the arrest will not dampen her spirit to being a voice for others. “To be honest I feel violated, I feel as if my freedom of speech has been ripped away, and thrown to the dogs but this vile act of oppression will not dampen my rage, this will not silence me. This experience has provided me with just the right amount of exposure to show how easy it

Social media activist, Melissa Atwell was arrested last Friday

is for these giant corporations to abuse their power and reach to silence the average man,” she commented.

“Even though I felt violated, I'm happy that it has gained the attention of the public. A voice was given to the voiceless. I will continue my work as an advocate for injustice and my focus is now shifted towards another issue faced by so many women as it relates to women health.”

Many of the posts against the hospital were allegedly from women, some claiming to have been former employees of the institution. Atwell was initially denied bail. She said she was told that it was on the instructions of the Crime Chief, Lyndon Alves, that she be detained without

bail for the offence.

“An officer contacted me via Facebook since Monday and said a complaint was made by Balwant Singh Hospital and I need to come into the station. I explained that I wasn’t in the country at the moment but as soon as I get in I will contact my lawyer and come in and deal with the matter. I got in late Thursday night, I was asleep Friday morning when three officers showed up at my home. I said I only got in last night y’all didn’t even give me a chance to come in to the station.

I asked am I under arrest?

They said no. I said am I being charged? They said no,” Atwell said.

She noted it wasn’t until sometime later while at the Criminal Investigation Unit (CID) Headquarters that she was told that she was being arrested and charged, then the investigating officer demanded her cell phone and all electronic devices at her home.

“No warrant, or nothing they didn’t have. He just said it’s either you bring the computer or we seize everything. They wanted access to all my private messages on Facebook, they wanted to download all my messages from the past 10 years. I deal with a lot of abused women I couldn’t give them access to my phone.

I said I will go through the messages and give you the ones that are related to the Balwant Singh story,” Atwell explained of the ordeal.

After being taken to the East La Penitence lock ups, Atwell eventually posted $200,000 bail late Friday evening. Atwell said it the

experience is disheartening.

“It clearly shows how these big corporations could use their influence. We’re at a point where you can’t even voice a complaint about service you were dissatisfied with,” she posited.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Did the President act outside the Constitution?

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t is not the right of this editorial to assume or usurp the position of the court, especially pronouncing on important legal matters of a constitutional nature that are clearly the proper preserve of the acknowledged learned experts.

This can only serve to create unnecessary controversy, leading to confusion. However, even though it is an unwritten understanding that judicial decisions are generally not publicly criticised, or called into question, it is contended that these should not prejudice the giving of a layman’s view.

The question of the opposition-submitted lists for the President to choose a chairperson for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) featured in the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) Judges’ discussions. In fact, it was the subject of one of the appeals, which featured at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) last week and the subsequently rendered verdict, deciding that the President’s appointment of a chairman to the electoral body had been ‘’flawed and unconstitutional.’’

The President has reacted to this ruling, rightfully so, as it not only called into question his action as head of state but also attacked his credibility, which has been impeccable thus far as leader of this nation.

If one were to follow the statements made by the learned Judges on this aspect of our constitution, there is the unmistakable understanding in their arguments that such a matter should not have reached the Court’s level. In fact, we stand corrected by saying that one of the judges did opine that he did not want to dwell too much on this specific issue of the appointment of the GECOM chairperson, lest it seems to be “intrusive”.

The entire episode of the opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo-submitted lists was meant to bring about a certain situation. This was the particular intended outcome that Jagdeo deviously plotted, thus paving the way for the political brand of “authoritarian’’ and unfair accusations of “planned rigging of elections” to be ascribed to the President and his coalition government.

It was a standard Jagdeo deception that was one of the set pieces of his party’s grand plan to create an environment of social tension– the “constitutional crises”, as they were

also shouting after the No-Confidence Vote of December 21.

It does not take a political analyst to conclude that the lists were all meant to be provocative. One must be reminded that each of the names submitted must be seen to be above partisan politics. In fact, it had been a requirement and responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition to submit a list of names to the President that were not objectionable.

On both factors, most would have failed, since virtually all of the submitted names were known to have political allegiances.

This is posited, in light of Dr. James Rose and Ryhan Shaw names on the submitted lists as qualified/suitable for the GECOM top job. Guyanese in general would have an extremely different view since everyone knows on which side of the political fence Dr Rose sits; Ms. Shaw, on the other hand, is a wellknown Indian supremacist. Of course, it was the constitutional right of the Leader of the Parliamentary opposition to have submitted such a name, among others. But the fact is the list was a grave insult to the person of the President. ontinuing, there was also the expressed view by the judges that there should have been further consultations between the President and Leader of the Opposition as a means of resolution to a very critical constitutional issue, in terms of finalising a list of six names which the Leader of the Opposition would present for final choice of chairperson.

Most naturally, one may probably want to agree with such a line of reasoning, given its centrality in arriving at a choice that was fully acceptable to both parties. Notably, this would have been the given decision by their Lordships. However, this is a somewhat parallel line of consultation that is not seen in our constitution.

In fact, the President is on public record as outlining the qualities that had to be established, but even after this, the list of unacceptable names continued. But this deliberate act of stonewalling on the part of the opposition leader did not deter the President’s efforts for a common ground on the choice for chairperson. He was seeking consensus, provided that it was in the realm of the Constitution; and he was consistent in this regard. No other time in

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our country’s history in the search for a chairperson of GECOM did a president exercise so much patience in arriving at a suitable choice and even sought to assist the Leader of the Opposition by giving him a list of the criteria to be found in the nominees.

Of course, there was the argument that the President ought to have provided reasons for his rejection of the 18 persons who were submitted by the Leader of the Opposition, with the judges in the local courts as well as at the CCJ saying that this was good for governance; again, this is not expressed in our constitution. But there is also a consideration that as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the President would have been privy to intelligence on all of the nominees that would have guided him in deliberations and reasons for his rejection of the candidates on the lists submitted. Additionally, one could not have had a list that did not afford the President enough scope for deliberation of choice – and this was what Jagdeo set out to do, in his orchestrated plan of continuing to create a perception of a President who wanted to subvert the constitution for sinister motives.

Interestingly, in the High Court ruling that vindicated the President’s decision, the learned Chief Justice did state that the latter ought to have given his reasons for rejection of the other nominees. One should agree with such an opinion, if only in the cause of natural justice. But how does one balance this with the constitutional understanding that the President is not obliged to give reasons for such an action? Besides, had he done so, would those rejected names, in addition to the many vested interests, be prepared to accept the reasons for their rejection? hat must be clearly understood and appreciated, in the context of this situation, is of the President having the responsibility of ensuring that the constitutional processes of Guyana are adhered to, and not breached in any way. And this is inclusive of the process of the choice of chairperson of GECOM. It is evident that the President exercised great patience, in a situation when other leaders in that very position would have balked. Since he had the constitutional right to make his appointment, after rejecting the first list; and a statesman’s maturity, in the face of a

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high level of disrespect and irresponsibility, because the nation looked to him for a solution to an unfair creation of an impasse, on which he had been expected to act.

In doing so, he activated the Proviso in Article 161(2); and this is in accordance with the Constitution. And here, the question to the CCJ’s verdict of the ‘’flawed” decision of the President is placed under the layman’s microscope – How can this be? And this is fairly engaged, taking into consideration the fact that the President departed from the custom of a single list, in seeking to arrive at a consensus ad idem with the leader of the opposition, who had no such intention. How could he have continued to countenance a situation of continued deception, from an opposition leader who is indeed the guilty party that submitted the “flawed” lists? No constitution must be bended to accommodate a dishonest contrivance, as many seemed to have wanted in the circumstance of the GECOM case.

Of course, one accepts, and therefore respects the decision of the CCJ, since it is our final court of resort. However, one is forced to ask, whether its decision that both the President and the Leader of the Opposition must decide on a list of names, is not a case of judicial overreach on a matter, which ought to be decided by the Guyanese people?

Finally, what if also, the President, in his deliberate judgement, deems the new names to be unacceptable, and decide to give reasons, as seem to be judicially ruled – would his reasons be accepted by the contending parties, and the general public, especially those with particular vested interests? Of course, given the President’s known penchant for fair play, he will support his reasons.

We, therefore, in the circumstances must support the President’s reaction to the verdict, in reminding the press last week that he “…always operated within the ambit of the Constitution.” And that his appointment of a Chairman of the Elections Commission would only be a “fit and proper” person in accordance with the definition laid out in the Constitution. We restate his words here: “I have never gone outside of the Constitution. If they felt that the process was flawed, they must let me know what the flaw is.”

A Pandora’s box has been opened Dear Editor NOTWITHSTANDING the verdict of the Caribbean Court of Appeal(CCJ), which would have decided that the opposition-sponsored No Confidence Motion (NCM) against the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government has been properly carried in the National Assembly; and also the fact that, that judicial verdict has been accepted by President Granger and his government, because it is Guyana’s final court of judicial authority, there remains very troubling issues from the judges’ decisions, and the implications

that this verdict may hold for future administrations and governance of Guyana.

As have been illustrated so many times in your letter columns and opinion pages, there is no doubt that the December 21 NCM was hatched on the dark bed of treachery, and promulgated in the nation’s National Assembly in the equally deceptive guise of democratic action.

One did not have to be a political science graduate to comprehend the fact that the NCM was not about the coalition’s performance record as a government, as deviously paraded by the leader of the political opposition, but a naked attempt by the criminal politicians and their equally stained vested

interests to grab power, because of the imminent flow of oil, and of course – the aspect of ethnic bias.

Editor, there is no argument, or even doubt, that Guyana, up to December 21, and present time has been enjoying social peace, because of the coalition government’s successful execution of the numerous socio-economic projects that have been transforming lives and communities throughout the administrative regions, as well as a jurisdiction that had been restored to the pantheon of international respect. This is even continuous, as evidenced by the many praises and commendations that are paid to the government for its proper governance, in which respect for TURN TO PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

OP-ED

By Maxwell .E. Edwards

In 1979 in a landmark constitutional case in our Court of Appeal, this was said: “a constitution is not to be interpreted as if we are living in a classic void, or on some idealistic Utopian plane …” The CCJ has done just that, in its majority invalidation of the appointment of Justice (Retired) James Patterson as GECOM chairman. Some are impressed; the “judicial guidance” to the elected President, and Leader of the Opposition posited by the CCJ is said to be “Solomonic.” I emphatically disagree. For me, it is nothing but a naked encroachment by that majority into the separate and forbidden territory of our local politics. Yes, the ruling is authoritative; it is final. But given its generalities which portend difficulty of compliance, is there finality of its ramifications?

And, I will show, its bizzare consequences.

As we await the written reported judgments of the majority (Saunders, P, Anderson, Rajnauth – Lee, JJ.) in the Law Reports for clarity (as to what is ratio decidendi, what is obiter dicta) the judgment is that our Constitution anticipates consensus between the President, and Leader of the Opposition (“LOO”) in the GECOM chairman appointment process. So the President MUST select a nominee as chairman.

The constitution does not permit “unilateralism” in appointment by the President. I submit that such “consensualism” is judge-made law in the sphere of constitutional interpretation. Respectfully, it is classic judicial overreach. It renders the proviso (in article 161(2)) which the President invoked in the appointment of James Patterson unnecessary, nugatory and useless. It is tantamount to a repeal in part, which the Judiciary

Respectfully this is classic judicial overreach

(i.e. High Court, Court of Appeal, CCJ) has no constitutional jurisdiction/power to do. Only our Parliament by an absolute majority of the National Assembly has such repeal power. The CCJ’s invalidation of “unilateralism” is nothing but fanciful deniability.

Carter and Price (the purveyors of the so called Carter – Price formula which the CCJ used for its “consensualism” finding) did not (I repeat for emphasis) DID NOT draft our article 161 (2) (as it presently is with the overarching words “not unacceptable to the President”) nor, was it drafted at Westminster in England. And the local draftsman, with local knowledge of our adversarial politics, must have materially anticipated a LOO of the likes of Jagdeo, when the proviso was drafted to cure the mischief of the real likelihood, perhaps virtual certainty, in an appointment, hiatus.

And, I also draw particular attention to article 111(1) which entitles and requires the President in the performance of such functions as the appointment of a GECOM chairman, to “act in HIS OWN DELIBERATE JUDGMENT” in deciding who, if any, of the nominees submitted by the LOO is acceptable to him.

Because the framers of our constitution invested article 111 with the deepest level of entrenchment (in layman’s terms the framers made it into one of the eleven (11) most sacrosanct, important and valuable articles in our constitution) it cannot be right for any Court to trivialize or undermine the purpose, significance and importance of the words “his own deliberate judgment”. The President’s judgment is not substitutionable, wholly, or partly, by any other person’s or authority’s judgment (not even the Judges of the CCJ). It is not, and cannot be, some shared judgment.

The private law of contract notion of consensus (i.e. consensus ad

idem) has absolutely no place or relevance in this aspect of our public law. It impairs, subverts, dilute, waters down the whole beneficial constitutional purpose of article 111(1) seminally rendering it otiose and mere surplusage.

That is wrong.

Mr. Editor, there is something bizzare and inexplicable in the notion (given legal effect by the CCJ) that the LOO who has not the Constitution’s permission to “act in his own deliberate Judgment” does not have to give the elected President reasons for his choice of nominees (the presumptively biased likes of, inter alia, Ryhana Shaw, Gerry Gouviea, James Rose); but the elected President who has the Constitution’s permission to make the decision in “his own deliberate judgment” has to give the unelected LOO reasons for rejecting his nominees!!. Surely, clarity is needed here.

I turn now briefly to GHK Lall’s commendation of that majority ruling as “Solomonic” (“The CCJ’s decision is Solomonic” Kaieteur News, Wednesday June 19, 2019). He commends it for its “judicial guidance”. Now, in biblical parlance, King Solomon was wise. The story is told of how he, with deceptive cunning, discovered who the biological mother was by threatening to cut the baby in half. But I would suggest to GHK Lall that his analogy is a most imperfect one. There is no question as to who, extantly, is the true mother/custodian/guardian of this Republic. In May 2015 the Guyanese people entrusted that custodianship/guardianship for the next five (5) years to David Arthur Granger, as the presidential Candidate, of the APNU+AFC. A President must be permitted to be, the President. And no President is expected to, nor permitted, to yield to the whims, fancies, arbitrariness or political vicissitudes

of any LOO. So I argue that if there is any “Solomonic” decision in this matter, it is not that of the CCJ; what is wise, is the telescopic, drafting mastery of the draftsman in his decision to have the proviso to article 161 (2).

En passant, I note a pathetic letter written, with an accustomed degree of comedy of errors, by Charles S. Ramson (“If the President truly respects the constitution elections must be held within three months” – Stabroek News Wednesday June 19, 2019).

I argue that the President is well advised, if he has taken as a matter of interpretation, one possible view that a “sensible approach” (to use the phrase of Saunders, P. in the GECOM Chairman appointment ruling), given the constitutional non-justiciable power of GECOM to POSTPONE the elections beyond any date proclaimed by the President, to be guided by GECOM’s authoritative disclosure, or information, as to its (UN) READINESS to conduct general elections.

This you might think is sheer, unmitigatable common sense.

(I would suggest Ramson read my letter under caption “If the APNU+AFC Government will be “illegal” who then will be the legal government”-Guyana Chronicle Tuesday March19, 2019.) Yet a few extracts from that letter suffices. “… to ensure the impartiality and independence of GECOM the constitution itself (article 226 (1) 8(7) has prohibited GECOM from being directed or controlled directly by any authority (including the President)” And, “If GECOM by a majority decides its incapacity, it is settled law that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain any question as to the validity of that decision (article 226 (6)” I submit that GECOM’s decision to hold

House to House registration is a decision that cannot be questioned in/by any court. And how pious, and feeble his criticism of the President’s preference for “credible elections” rather than “free and fair” elections.

Surely, as a lawyer Ramson must know that credibility goes to acceptability of the results of the general elections. The President attracts no constitutional opprobrium if being a true constitutionalist he prefers the legal nomenclature of “credible elections” to the over used politician’s jargon of “free and fair.”

I end with this: general elections have consequences; an elected president is one (arguably the most profound) consequence.

Those, not elected has no right to some pretense of constitutional parity with the President. The Constitution does not in this matter require the LOO’s agreement/ consensus (unlike as with the appointment of a chancellor, and Chief Justice – article 127 (1).

If agreement/consensus was intended the draftsman as he did in article 127(1) would have so drafted article 161(2) He did not. And how is “consensus” to be achieved in the workings of the appointment process, if the President is not permitted to indicate to the LOO, “criteria” for the qualification of nominees if they are to be acceptable to him? Constitutional workability will be tested.

I am intrigued by the CCJ’s veiled threat to issue coercive orders (the “consequential orders”) against the Government/ Attorney General, given the clear prohibitions against such orders in our State Liability and Proceedings, Act, Cap 6:05 Laws of Guyana.

A cycle of claims and objections will not sanitise list of electors

DEAR EDITOR,

IN the current situation of our country where the opposition is calling for elections now and where the government wants elections, but with a credible list of electors, I have noticed that some sections of our society are advancing the position that a cycle of claims and objections will produce a clean list. I disagree with the notion that a cycle of claims and objections will sanitise the list of electors.

It is my understanding that in order for one to object to a name

on the list of electors, authentic documents must be produced; for example, in the case of a death, the person objecting must show the death certificate of the name to which the objection is made.

Editor, it is no secret that not all deaths in our lovely country are registered with the General Registrar’s Office and given the geography of our land, some deaths have never been registered. Permit me to present a hypothetical situation which should make it easier for persons to understand.

Jim has lived his entire life at Sand Creek in Region Nine. Jim is

on the list of electors. Jim passed away in January of 2019 due to a prolonged illness and the family of Jim buried him. Jim’s funeral was ritualistic and followed the cultural practice of his tribe. The entire community was pleased by the ceremony and Jim is no longer with us. Remember Jim’s death is known to the community, but was never registered. At the time of Jim’s death, access to the community was cut off due to heavy rainfall, etc., and no person that is certified to pronounce the death of someone is from the community of Sand Creek.

After Jim’s funeral, the community

returned to normalcy.

Editor, there are pragmatic situations such as the one I created above and the only way to remove Jim’s name from the list of electors is not by a cycle of claims and objections, but by holding houseto-house registration.

I am of the strongest view that an election is necessary and is a must, but a credible election is more important to me than just an election. For me, elections begin with ensuring that the list is credible and to convince me that the list is credible, house-to-house registration is the only mechanism that can

do so.

Some sections of society are also saying that Local Government Elections in 2018 had the same list, but I disagree. LGEs had several lists and in a nutshell, I have heard of many stories where ‘jiggery poggeries’ occurred in areas like where Jim is from; so with that in mind, I support the call for house-to-house registration. As a Guyanese, I am proud of the democracy I enjoy.

Regards Ganesh Mahipaul

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

It is unfortunate that persons who are not supporters of this government are finding faults with everything Dear Editor, PLEASE permit me space in your newspaper to respond to letters published in the three dailies, namely: Kaieteur News captioned, “Urgent appeal for MOPI to fix key Berbice roads”; Guyana Times, “MoPI must fix Black Bush Polder Road immediately” ; and Stabroek News, “Ministry neglecting major road problems in Berbice,” all written by one Zamal Hussain, lamenting the state of the Black Bush Polder

roads and blaming the APNU+AFC coalition for the state of these roads and lack of street lights in some areas in Berbice.

I would like to state categorically, that Hussein’s rank politicking is convenient, since on the very MoPI website, there is the government’s record of rehabilitating and constructing roads and bridges across the country and not only in government’s supporters’ communities.

Since the APNU+AFC came into office, it has seen

this country’s crumbling infrastructure as a main priority. For example, the East Bank Berbice Road, a 25mile stretch of road from New Amsterdam to Lightown village. From as far back as 2009, residents have been staging protests against the deplorable condition of the road. In 2012, the frustrated residents blocked the road amidst a heavy downpour of rain, even refusing calls by the police to clear the roadway. There was deafening silence from the then PPP/C government. Following many

CHANGE came, let us embrace it Dear Editor, In 2015, Guyanese voted for CHANGE and over the past four years, the lives of Guyanese have changed for the better. Thousands of young people now own homes, many areas now have access to potable water, radio and electricity, new towns were established, ICT Centres and hubs constructed and the successful training of youth in Information and Communication Technology across Guyana. Children from vulnerable communities today have better access to education, thanks to the 5Bs Programme.

Change was voted for and CHANGE came.

The anticipated changes did not happen quickly for some, and the quality of services could have been much better. We acknowledge that mistakes were made and in some critical areas, progress may have been stalled. However, this is as a result of the past policies and structures set up by the previous administration. Therefore, in our attempt to propel our agenda we needed to adapt, modify and decentralise government systems for the better. This took some time.

Changes in immigration services, judicial services, sports facilities (such as the synthetic tracks for our athletes), police stations with the necessary crime-fighting tools, all help to provide pro-

fessional services to citizens.

Additionally, the massive infrastructural development, improved health services, increases in salaries for public servants and the training they receive, and the enormous increase in old age pension speak to the various changes made over the last four years. We have experienced development across the 10 administrative regions. Yes, today we may not be where we all want to be, but nationally we are better off than we were in 2015. And while there are some who will only see what does not work, I choose to see what is working and I am encouraged that better will continue under this government. CHANGE is ongoing.

Our country’s future is now in the hands of those who believe in it the most. It is in the hands of YOU! Yes, YOU the voters.

The Granger-led administration has definitely improved the lives of Guyanese, because our leader has encouraged nation building, social cohesion and today we proudly celebrate our diversity and sovereignty as a nation. Let us not take things for granted, we have a responsibility to ensure that we keep building our beautiful country. We must continue to CHANGE the mindset of ALL Guyanese.

We definitely go to the polls in a few months.

MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT. Guyana needs you.

They need you to work together to CHANGE the unemployment rate, CHANGE the poverty index and build a better life for all. Only by working together can we strengthen our democracy and effect CHANGE. In Region #10 we have seen and felt the CHANGE. Roads have been built, government services have been brought to us, the ”Plan of Action For Regional Development ” was initiated to strengthen and complement the role of the RDC in coordinating local initiatives and there is scope for job openings.

CHANGE is constant, not backward in its thinking. Look back only to inform your future. Vote from your heart; vote intelligently.

Your joy, your peace and prosperity depend on it.

The opportunity you have to re-elect President Granger’s APNU+AFC administration will make a difference. Don't say you are just one vote. One Vote makes a massive difference, as was evident on December 21, 2018.

I encourage you, Let's Vote like a Boss” to keep the APNU+AFC Government. CHANGE came, let us embrace it.

Regards Deron Adams Hopeful citizen

protests over the years from angry, fed up residents, in 2013 protesting residents decided that enough was enough and again blocked the thoroughfare, yet their cries fell on the deaf ears of the uncaring PPP/C government.

Fast forward to 2019, the East Bank Berbice residents are currently enjoying the $1.2Billion asphalted road with attendant culverts, guard rails, signage and street lights; a total of 120 LED lights and lighting fixtures were installed between Stanleytown and Everton Village.

So, for Hussain to cry about roads and street lights in Berbice, he must know that government has already allocated and Cabinet has approved in excess of $578 million in contracts to be awarded for the rehabilitation and construction of roads across the country. It’s my belief, due to all of the mess the government inherited from the PPP/C administration, it is now working across the country to improve roads in all communities, and surely Black Bush Polder will be included.

It is unfortunate that persons who are not supporters of this government are finding faults with everything, but if you are looking for faults and faults only, that is what you will surely find. It is amazing how some people would not recognise development, even when it is hitting them in the head.

Regards Ceion Rollox

Let every Guyanese over 18 be allowed to vote Dear Editor, “WISDOM is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; but with all of your getting, get understanding,” Proverbs 4:7 The time has come for rational, reasonable and measured action for the good of Guyana, by all the leaders of Guyana. We in the PPP/C have demonstrated patience, tolerance and great restraint in the face of unwarranted provocation. Our leaders and our supporters have not merely “mouthed” social cohesion, we practise it.

December 21st, 2018 – the successful passage of the no-confidence motion against the Granger administration has come and gone: January 31, 2019 – the

chief justice’s ruling has long passed: March 22, 2019 – the rulings of the Guyana Court of Appeal have come and gone: June 18, 2019 – rulings by the Caribbean Court of Justice have come and gone; but these historic rulings are still fresh in our minds. It is the final determination of all these legal matters that have besieged us over the preceding six months This charade by the APNU+AFC Government, which should have been over since March 21, 2019, according to Articles 106 (6) and (7) of our Constitution, seems to be an unending episode that must be immediately brought to an end.

What is needed is for full constitutional compliance, adherence to the rule of law, and

A Pandora’s box... the Rule of Law; its continuous fight against corruption and money laundering; trafficking in persons, and a growth-driven economy, are among the significant highlights of national governance.

Therefore, every good government, that is progressive in its vision of wanting a society that is equal and just for all citizens, must have every legitimate opportunity to govern, without becoming the object of nefarious plotters, anti-national crooks, and political judases, as has been the extant situation in Guyana.

No government that has brought genuine social change and peace to a country, or even in the absence of such a situation, should be threatened by acts of political mercenaries and political freebooters, bent on stealing the reins of government by devious means. This is not only unfair

to the edict of good governance and the society, but also will give rise to the unnecessary disruption to the continuation of governance, thus threatening the stability of the nation.

Without appearing to disrespect the edict of the CCJ, one is compelled to express surprise at the court’s ruling on what constitutes an absolute majority, as against a simple majority, or the fraction of votes necessary to unseat a duly elected government, in such the circumstance of an NCM. Such number should be more than a mere single vote, since it would discourage political gamblers and political crooks, as what occurred in the Guyana situation.

In setting out this position, the court should not have to be reminded that every stable society is the mirror of equally stable government, and that

statesmanship that put Guyana first.

Mr. President, name the date for general and regional elections now!!!

Since you are the one constitutionally empowered to name the date, then fill in the blank: Elections will be held on AA….. August 2019; no later than Monday, September 16, 2019.

Stop denying the citizens of their constitutional right to elect a government of their choice. Let every Guyanese – 18 years and over -- be allowed to exercise their franchise in an environment that is free from fear at free-and-fair elections.

God is watching us.

Regards Bishop Juan A Edghill FROM PAGE 6

the former can only continue to be socio-economically progressive, if it is governed by the latter. Therefore, it is strongly contended that there must be legislative/constitutional safeguards recognised by the courts, that must protect the legitimate longevity of government against the wicked and capricious acts of those whose only interests are inimical to the best interests of state and people.

Governments, particularly those that continue to uphold the tenets of good governance, must not be subjected to raids on its ability to govern. The CCJ, by its decision on the NCM, has now opened that Pandora’s box in Guyana.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

THE COOL CAT AND THE LOUSY LOT

“ONE Cool Cat” – that is how the versatile Sammy Davis Jr was described in a recent documentary of his live shows and movie appearances. I recall, during the prime of their careers, the “master-blaster” Viv Richards and Guyana’s own cricket hero, Clive Lloyd, were celebrated as super cool cats.

In my book, the iconic cool cat was Bob Marley who sang: “…That until the basic human rights Are equally guaranteed to all, Without regard to race – Dis a war.”

I have been singing and dancing to this tune since the mid-1970s, proclaiming then with comrade Gail and many others in the PPP’s ranks, “war in the east, war in the west, war up north, war down south…”

I remember Brother Bob, when one of the coolest cats in our Coalition Cabinet, Winston Da Costa Jordan, told a spontaneous mini-rally at the end of the recent Bartica outreach, that our people must be on the ready to picket for house-tohouse registration of voters.

NO INCITEMENT “No registration, no election”, the Finance Minister said, as he added, “from today, war break” as he insisted on a clean voters list since this government is committed to free, fair and “proppa elections”.

There was loud and sustained applause.

As he said that, I could hear

Brother Bob mesmerising my ears with his poetic words, “dis a war…”

There was no agitation, no incitement, no calls for uprising by and in what Minister Jordan said.

He was merely underlining how critical is a clean voters list for the holding of credible elections.

At that meeting, remembering the lyrics of Roberta Flack, “killing me softly with his song,” I decided to answer the lousy lot, who have been warring with our government, with a song. They were vulgarly celebrating in a certain propaganda broadsheet that I have been “shafted” and given “larwah,” the signature cuss-word of the obscene publishers who have been the biggest beneficiaries of the corrupt policy of cronyism under the Jagdeo regimes.

So, I belted out the Barbadian gospel song “Never get weary yet,” which I first heard during 1976 in St. Vincent during the election campaign there. I joined the chorus in Kingstown market square as I had thrown my support for the party of the aged political warrior, Ebenezer Joshua.

FAKE NEWS The lousy lot are in full cussdown mode. Yesterday, they reported wild, baseless and defamatory statements that the President of the Republic is lying when he referred to the voters list being bloated, and that it excludes names of young voters. The lousy lot, it is believed, are also behind fake news being circulated on social media that the U.S. Government would invade Guyana

to force early elections.

But we should not allow that lousy lot to ruffle us. As for me, I am determined to be around, as I said at the meeting, to remind them that if they want to keep our young people off the voters list, they are asking for trouble in this country.

I mean every word that I have said. That was no threat. That was a fundamental political statement that defends the constitutional right of all persons, 18 years and above, to be on the voters list and to play their part in electing their government.

But opposition elements are fearful of their own dirty design to lock out young people from the electoral process. They are afraid of young, new voters who cannot be manipulated to enlist in racist agendas. Young people are liberal and are more prone to integrate than to be victims of the practices of ethnic preferences that have polarised our politics.

PEACEFUL PROTESTS I am elated that young people, throughout Guyana, have responded yesterday with peaceful public protests at offices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to demand fresh house-to-house registration of electors, especially those persons who have turned 18 since the last election in 2015.

My call was for registration of ALL persons who qualify to vote, not just coalition supporters. They include prospective supporters of the PPP and other parties.

The response of the Guyanese

people to the call for new voter registration fully accords with the promise made by President Granger that he is prepared to do his part to ensure credible elections. Long before the ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice, His Excellency was quoted in the international edition of the Guyana Chronicle (March 16, 2019), as saying, “I rely on the Commission’s readiness, the provision of funds and the expansion of time to conduct credible elections by the National Assembly.”

At the time, President Granger had met with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo who, shortly afterwards, broke his words that he would cooperate, but instead declared “war” against the government when he called on his supporters to ‘chase out’ the President and his ministers from office. That was an appeal for rebellion, for treason.

PARTNERSHIP At that time he was calling on the President to hold new elections, knowing that the laws do NOT allow this to happen. I pointed out then, in My Turn:“Jagdeo knows that the Constitution entrusts GECOM, not the President, with the power of holding elections, and that a key component of credible electors is a new voters list. The present list is padded with phantom names. At the same time, it excludes the names of youths who have now attained the age of 18 and could vote in any upcoming elections. His inexplicable obses-

sion with disenfranchising young people makes his demand for early elections suspicious.”

While serving as President back in 2006, Jagdeo is on record as saying: “The law says that GECOM shall define the form of verification and will decide on what form it will take. Not the PPP, not the PNC, not any party – GECOM. That’s a constitutional body -- independent, just like the courts.”

The position of the Guyana Government is that it would work with GECOM as well as our allies, to ensure clean elections. The assurance of partnership for this goal was conveyed by newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch, at her accreditation ceremony, when she declared: “During our long relationship with Guyana we have witnessed significant progress. We have seen a strengthening of the democratic process and political institutions, along with broader political participation and citizen representation…

Moving forward, we will continue to encourage genuinely free and fair elections; freedom of speech and assembly; multi-party representation and a constitutional judiciary process.”

This is a critical time. It requires our leaders and our media to be vigilant and responsible.

We should all be cool cats, calmly watching the dark holes from which the next attacks on our democracy would emerge.

‘No compromise ... this perfect list for Local Government is not to say the truth,” he explained.

The country’s most recent Official List of Electors (OLE) or Voters’ List expired on April 30, 2019. While GECOM aims to always have a Voters’ List ready, its plans to conduct a Claims-and-Objections exercise in January 2019 to facilitate such, ahead of the April expiration date, were curtailed when the GECOM Chair Justice (ret’d) James Patterson fell ill.

With months lost and house-to-house registration already scheduled for the same year, the commission continued with its plan to create a new List, which would be the cleanest list, as the exercise goes door-to-door to gather information.

CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION Meanwhile, Jagdeo believes that there have been several cycles of contin-

uous registration since the 2015 general elections, which can see all persons aged 14 and over on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) up to October 31, 2018, being included on the OLE. Nonetheless, this option would still exclude individuals who were not registered or included on this NRR at age 14.

Speaking to another suggestion by the opposition, Alexander agreed that the National Registration Act provides for the chief elections officer (CEO) to exclude persons from the list who have been absent from the country for three months, following advice from the chief immigration officer.

However, the commissioner said that this has never been followed through. He posited that house-to-house registration is therefore necessary as, without it, the strong possibility remains for “fraudulent

elections.”

He added that it is incomprehensible as to why a process which would result in fair, credible and unquestionable results would be so vehemently rejected by the opposition. “House-to-house registration has never been rejected to[sic]. We had it in the 1991-1992 period and they had it subsequently. It’s a part of the standard operation procedures of GECOM. But we now have a ridiculous situation where the people who conducted house-to-house registration; the people who voted for house-to-house registration [to be held in 2019] are now the ones who have gone to court to say this is unconstitutional,” Alexander said, adding: “It is the only mechanism we have for truly producing a clean list.”

Recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, also called for the country to embark on “genuinely

From page 3

free and fair elections.” However, further controversy looms as the CCJ, on June 18, 2019, also ruled that the process of appointing Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, Chairman of GECOM, was flawed.

GECOM CAN’T OPERATE WITHOUT A CHAIRMAN Should the CCJ order that the GECOM Chair be immediately removed, this could pose more complications. Questioned whether GECOM can operate without a chairman, Alexander responded: “We cannot. In GECOM, a quorum includes a chairman…the administration can continue to work, but the commissioners will not be able to meet. Things to be decided that requires the commission will be unable to come into being.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

The now and future of Guyanese politics lie in the centre THERE was once a time when electoral outcomes in Guyana were easily predicted. All the People’s Progressive Party had to do was submit a list, present candidates and campaign, victory was assured. Now follow this.

This occurred between 1994 to 2006 and it resulted in senior leaders of that party boasting grandiloquently: ‘we have the numbers’. The 2011 Guyana election results ended this guarantee, the PPP won 32 of 65 seats and the combined parliamentary opposition comprising the APNU and the AFC commanded 33 seats. Stay with me. This mode of a political transformation in Guyana’s political landscape was consolidated in 2015 which resulted in the defeat of the incumbent and the ascension to power of Guyana’s second coalition government.

At the heart of this development, there is the beautiful story of the rise of the silent centre.

The centre or middle ground in Guyanese politics first significantly raised its head on October 5th, 1960 when Peter D’Aguiar, the Manpower Citizens’ Association (MPCA) and some Portu-

guese businessmen formed The United Force (TUF). The Manpower Citizens’ Association represented the interest of dissatisfied Indian leaders and was even attractive enough to lure Stephen Campbell, Guyana’s first indigenous Member of Parliament. The idea of being in the centre of the battle between Guyana’s largest political parties was consolidated in this party which represented the rise of the centre in Guyanese politics. This small party gained prominence when it became part of Guyana’s first coalition government in 1964.

Ten years later, third force politics came back in force with the formation of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA).

This time around, it was serious business under the leadership of academic par excellence, Dr. Walter Rodney. The WPA was a genuine urban middle-class outfit with a resistance philosophy guided by the Afro-Guyanese intelligentsia. This political party was a thorn in the side in the Forbes Burnham regime and an annoyance for the PPP. The WPA remains the most notable emergence of a genuine third force prior to the birth of the Alli-

ance for Change, founded in 2005.

The political consequences of PPP domination and internal party disagreements on both sides of the political divide produced Guyana’s modern centre which resulted in the PPP being defeated in 2015.

Here is the thing, there has always been a debate on whether there are genuine independent thinkers who go to the polls to vote strictly on principles, values and issues connected to the manifestos of political parties. There are those who posit, pessimistically so, this does not exist and Guyanese are doomed to continue the metaphysical battle of the Afro-Guyanese dominated PNC versus Indo-Guyanese PPP. I have been part of numerous political discussions where I was dared to show that Guyanese can vote without ethnic and tribal considerations.

I gladly oblige to consistently submit there is a silent centre since 1964 with the formation of the TUF. If it never existed, we may have had the luxury to make these literal and historical references. Secondly, the 2011 and 2015

elections will forever remain etched in the annals of our history as the stark and immovable example of the existence of people who think of country first.

Political parties must know when hardened battle lines are drawn, the centre is deterred.

The now and future of Guyanese politics is the centre and political parties who attract and retain the most national leaders who put the country first will always have the biggest advantage.

Understanding Energy

Frontier Exploration Companies

LAST week, Understanding Energy discussed frontier exploration and the role it plays in the global petroleum industry, serving as the tip of the spear for risky or unproven areas.

The companies involved in frontier exploration vary greatly in size and business model. Some major integrated energy companies – like Shell, ExxonMobil and BP – conduct frontier exploration, but there are also many smaller, risk-oriented exploration companies active in these areas. This week, we take a closer look at the strategy of these smaller companies.

Small exploration companies don’t have access to a lot of money, so they typically operate on narrow margins and have limited overhead, meaning they spend little on offices, equipment or personnel. They keep a small staff and are usually built on the experience of a few individuals with years of industry knowledge and experience. These individuals

are usually the driving force behind the creation of the company.

Their business strategy is to leverage the knowledge and professional networks of these industry veterans to identify opportunities. The leaders typically come from larger, more established oil and gas companies and often bring a wealth of information from their prior jobs. In fact, it is not uncommon for that knowledge to be centred on specific regions or potential reserves.

These small companies are not built to compete directly with large operators when it comes to sustained development or production activities, and they do not have the resources necessary to conduct such operations. Instead, they focus on identifying high-quality exploration opportunities which, for one reason or another, have been ignored by larger companies.

This means that the exploration conducted by these smaller firms is often

higher risk and in more frontier areas because larger companies tend to buy up the rights to lower risk exploration targets.

The high-risk regions are often overlooked or ignored by larger companies because of their frontier status, potential operational complications, or perceived political risks. In short, anything which pushes the risk profile beyond what a large company is comfortable with.

Small exploration companies try to obtain exploration rights to explore certain areas and work to add value to the potential asset. This often takes the form of initial exploration activities, like conducting seismic surveys, to identify exploration drilling prospects.

By taking on risky exploration costs, they go where other companies are unwilling to go. If their initial exploration activities are successful, they have added significant value to a potential production area. The hope is that this process draws the interest of larger investors.

Just as quickly as they get in, small exploration companies often try to quickly exit part or all of their investment.

They often cannot produce oil or gas profitably themselves, which means they need to bring other companies in.

This usually takes the form of a “farm-in” agreement, in which the current owner of the exploration leases enters into an agreement with another company to hand over some of the ownership of that lease. The new company will be expected to add value by providing cash, technology and expertise to the operations, helping to speed up the oil and gas field development and assist in production.

In this way, small exploration companies play a unique but important role in the global energy industry. By de-risking and building the profile of assets, they help connect larger production companies with opportunities that they might have missed otherwise.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

‘Jagdeo laughed off’ reports of phantom killings … Ramjattan details PPP reaction to George Bacchus’ whistleblowing on death squad

By Vanessa Braithwaite

MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who was expelled from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in 2004 after giving years of service in various capacities, said that his expulsion resulted from him speaking out against the corrupt practices of the upper echelons of the party, particularly that of former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Former Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj.

These alleged corrupt acts were relative to extra-judicial killings, the phantom squad and the then PPP government’s involvement with drug dealers such as Roger Khan. Ramjattan, the leader of the Alliance For Change, recently made these comments on Straight Talk, a radio programme hosted by Social Activist, Mark Benschop. Ramjattan related that he became aware of the al-

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

Former Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo leged criminality and ‘rascalities’ by Jagdeo and his other senior government functionaries from deceased whistle-blower, George Bacchus.

Bacchus was gunned down by members of a death squad that was set up by Gajraj.

“George Bacchus came to my home, informed me about the killings at that time, I carried the information to the President Jagdeo and the President laughed it off,” Ramjattan told Benschop in response to a question.

RASCALITY Ramjattan said after he and Bacchus engaged former President Jagdeo on the allegations, one week later, Bacchus was murdered in his home.

Ramjattan said he then engaged Jagdeo again on the

ernment had sought to distance itself from Khan, the drug-trafficker had stated publicly in an advertisement in local newspapers that he had been fighting crime on

situation, since at the time, the crime spree was intense and threatened, that if something was not done, he will take the information public, which he started doing via the press. “We had inside information as to the rascality the administration of Jagdeo was carrying on and especially with his then Home Affairs Minister and so on, and that is why I had to make some articles at the time, condemning the corruption and of course that is what got me into trou-

ble, talking about all these things,” he related.

According to the Public Security Minister, Jagdeo realised that there were two lions in the den and did not appreciate this, hence Ramjattan was kicked out.

Despite being expelled from a party he served, under the tutelage of former President Cheddi Jagan, Ramjattan said he had preferred to be expelled with clean hands since as for him, politics was not about looking good, sitting in an office and making public appearances, but about speaking out about what was wrong.

UNDEMOCRATIC He believed that at that time, the PPP had entered the realm of being an undemocratic government by utilising outside criminal elements to undertake extra-judicial killings.

The entire country was in danger from this behaviour and scores had already lost their lives. He alluded to the same situation occurring in Colombia and other countries where drug cartels are used to enforce law and order. “That was totally undemocratic, that was totally criminal and that administration became crim-

inalised…” Ramjattan said.

Though he never met Roger Khan, Ramjattan said he knew that the drug convict played a major role in this regard. Ramjattan added that the process of recruiting criminals as the country’s law and order was extremely flawed, thinking that was of serious detriment to the nation. “This is totally outrageous, it was becoming the worst thing and we had to do something about it,” he said.

Subsequently, a Commission of Inquiry was held concerning the involvement of Minister Gajraj of which its findings were also damning.

President David Granger has referred to this period in the country’s history as the “Troubles”, noting that it was the descent of this country, describing it as the “darkest hour” that was characterised by drug-driven chaos and bloodshed. Jagdeo was President of Guyana from August 11, 1999 to December 3, 2011 during which there were three massacres: Lusignan where 11 people were killed; Bartica where another 12 were killed and Lindo Creek where seven miners were slaughtered. Besides, there were countless extra-judicial killings – with some activists estimating that around 400 Afro Guyanese males were gunned down.

Back in 2003-2006, convicted drug-trafficker, Shaheed Roger Khan, had set up a criminal network here including active policemen and a number of former ranks, ostensibly to go after criminals, but at the same time protecting his ‘narco’-trafficking interests. He was nabbed in neighbouring Suriname in 2006 while fleeing local police, and was later handed over to U.S. authorities.

Although the PPP Gov-

behalf of the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government.

Khan had also implicated former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in his escapades, and documents

bearing the then minister’s signature authorising the purchase of a sophisticated wire-tapping device were produced in U.S. courts during Khan’s trial.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

First Lady commissions Exxon’s –– vessel ready to FPSO vessel, Liza Destiny set sail to Guyana THE first oil production vessel to be placed in Guyana, Liza Destiny, has been officially dedicated by First Lady, Sandra Granger and the floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) is preparing to set sail to these shores.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), on Saturday, at a ceremony at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, the First Lady, in her remarks, recognised the importance of this project and industry to Guyana.

“I think it is a fitting name (Liza Destiny) … because we are talking about destiny, we are talking about the long-term and we are talking about vision – not only the production, but also the process and what comes behind it. It is my hope that this ship will bring to us – the people of Guyana, not

only physical prosperity, but greater cohesion, greater development and of course the sustainability of our country, and its people and culture,” the First Lady said.

According to the tradition and naming protocols, the dedication of the vessel is usually performed by a woman, who is termed the “godmother of the vessel”, to bestow good luck and divine protection over the ship and all who sail aboard.

Also accompanying the First Lady was Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe.

The Liza Destiny is expected to arrive in Guyana in September for the start of oil production for the Liza Phase One project in the Stabroek Block in early 2020.

ExxonMobil’s Upstream President, Liam Mallon, acknowledged the correlation

First Lady, Sandra Granger, along with ExxonMobil officials on board the Liza Destiny following the dedication ceremony at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore (MoTP photo) between the name of the vessel, the “Liza Destiny” floating, production, stor- and ExxonMobil’s intent to age and offloading (FPSO) partner with the country on a long-term basis.

Mallon said, “it will provide value to Guyana and ExxonMobil for the long term. Our destinies, therefore, have been and will continue to be linked to Guyana in the future.”

It was highlighted that Liza Phase One is an international project with significant local participation with more than 1000 Guyanese involved. This venture involves completion of the FPSO and four subsea drill centres with 17 wells.

The Liza Destiny FPSO was transformed from the oil tanker, “Tina”, a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) built by Hyundai Heavy First Lady Sandra Granger takes a tour of the Liza Destiny (MoTP photo) Industries in South Korea.

The contract for its conversion was awarded to SBM Offshore in July 2017.

Quoting an OilNow report, the DPI also noted that the dedication ceremony marks the final stage for the Liza Destiny as it prepares to sail to Guyana next month.

Final work is being completed and several checks will be performed over the next few weeks.

The Liza Destiny has a production capacity of up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day and an overall storage volume of 1.6 million barrels. During normal operations, there will be at least 80 persons living and working onboard

the vessel. Twenty-four operations and maintenance technicians, who are currently being trained in Canada, will return in 2020 to support work on the Liza Destiny.

The vessel is designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day and will have an associated gas treatment capacity of approximately 170 million cubic feet per day and water injection capacity of around 200,000 barrels per day.

The converted VLCC FPSO will be moored in water with a depth of 1,525 metres and will be able to store 1.6 million barrels of crude oil.

Guyana attends EITI conference in Paris A delegation, led by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, recently represented Guyana at the EITI 2019 Global Conference in Paris, France.

The conference, held under the theme “Open Data, Build Trust” aimed to reinforce the importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue and openness in addressing challenges, provide an opportunity to discuss emerging trends and best practices in the good governance of natural resources, and examine the role of the EITI in the good management of the extractive sector, among others.

At the conference, Guyana was lauded for its success and steady progress made since 2016 and invited to be a member of a global network on contract transparency that is being spearheaded by Mexico, a release from the Natural Resources Ministry said.

While at the conference, the delegation showcased Guyana’s progress towards EITI implementation at a Guyana country booth and during a country pitch session where members shared highlights from Guyana’s first EITI report and fielded questions from the audience.

The delegation also made good use of the opportunity to network with representatives from countries in the region as well as internationally.

Trotman was also one of the main speakers at an executive session themed “Opening Contracts 2021- Ensuring a Good Deal” along with Doto Biteko, Minister of Mines, Tanzania and representatives from Indonesia and the Philippines as well as Total and Publish What You Pay (PWYP).

During his remarks, Minister Trotman noted some of the underlying challenges of contract disclosure and candidly

shared Guyana’s experience in this regard.

The minister went on to state that though government was initially resistant to public disclosure of petroleum contracts, particularly due to security and sovereignty concerns, in hindsight, the decision to do so was in the overall best interest of both the State and populace.

He further emphasised the strong commitment of President David Granger and the government to open and better governance and the government’s continued quest to ensure that the tenets and principles of the EITI are firmly rooted in Guyana before ‘first oil’ in 2020.

Guyana’s objective of pursuing an accelerated procedure for acceding to the EITI standard was affirmed by the Cabinet in November 2016 following on the discovery of petroleum and has progressed steadily with the formation of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), the submission of an application for formal membership, the acceptance of that application, and most recently, the completion of the first country report for fiscal year 2017.

The Government of Guyana remains committed to promoting transparency in the natural resources sector for the benefit of all Guyanese and to supporting initiatives that build the capacity of stakeholders.

The other members of Minister Trotman’s delegations were Natural Resources Ministry staff, Shondell France; Dr. Rudy Jadoopat and Diane Barker, National Director and Deputy Director of Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI); Government representative of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), Gillian Pollard and Civil Society representative, Gomin Camacho.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

President David Granger invites opposition leader for meeting

PRESIDENT David Granger has extended an invitation to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, for a meeting to he held after Monday, June 24, 2019 at the Ministry of the Presidency, to discuss the current political situation in Guyana.

According to the Ministry of the Presidency, in a letter dated June 20, 2019, the President, through Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, said the meeting will examine the political situation in light of the re-

real change is neither quick nor easy to come by. There is still a lot more to do.”

He said he would devote his time serve all citizens.

“I will devote all my energies until the forthcoming election to serve our people and our country and deliver good governance. Guyanese can confidently expect to live in a country that is moving forward; with communities that are safer; in a society that is more cohesive; with better infrastructure, greater access to quality education and an economy that is more resilient – providing better

President David Granger during a previous meeting with the opposition leader cent rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and Monday’s consequential orders.

A no-confidence motion, brought against the government last December, was properly passed as was declared by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, the CCJ said in a landmark ruling on Tuesday last.

Following the ruling, President Granger has urged Guyanese to support him and the APNU+AFC Coalition at the next elections, even as he declared his respect for Tuesday’s CCJ rulings on the no-confidence motion against his government and his earlier appointment of Justice James Patterson as the chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.

In a televised address to the nation, President Granger said, “Guyana, since my election in 2015, has been moving in the right direction after 23 years of stagnation under successive PPP administrations. Significant progress has been made. But

jobs.”

Noting that his administration is on the right path, the Guyanese leader said, “when the election comes, I urge all our people, of whatever background, to support me and the APNU+AFC coalition to give us the opportunity to secure the best future for Guyana. I call on all Guyanese to remain calm and I assure you that the government will abide by the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.”

He said it is now clear that the Guyanese people need certainty about the future and a way forward. “I want to outline a clear path.

It is essential that we hold fair, free and credible elections. We cannot proceed on the current list of voters. It is outdated and corrupted.

It may hold as many as 200,000 incorrect entries.

What’s more, those who have reached the age of 18 years since the last elections are not on it.”

ALL MUST VOTE According to the Presi-

dent, the Constitution entitles all citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote.

“It is a democratic imperative that house-to-house registration be completed swiftly so we can have an election at the earliest op-

portunity. The Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Patterson, has previously informed me that the commission will be ready to hold elections in November 2019. This will be after the completion of

house-to-house registration.

I now await a recommendation for a specific date from GECOM and I will then issue a proclamation.”

He noted that the country will be heading to the polls and there is going to

be a crucial choice for our citizens.

There have been nationwide protests as persons called on GCEOM to commence the process of house-to-house registration in the lead up to the polls.

St Georges High through to JOF Haynes debating finals THREE students of the St Georges High School have created history recently when the trio carried the school’s debating team through to the regional finals of the JOF Haynes Debating competition for the first time.

It is also the first time the school is participating in the competition and according to school teacher, Latoya Rodrigues, the team managed to overcome stiff competition along the way to the finals where they will meet the Christ Church Secondary School this week.

The Fourth Form students, Ezra Gibson, the first speaker; Leah De Arella, the second speaker; and Amberly Amernauth, the third speaker, have been impressive thus far, Rodrigues said.

The victorious St Georges High debating team The schools have been placed in different categories according to the grade of the schools and thus far, St Georges managed to overcome teams from St Winifreds, Caramel Secondary, Houston Secondary and the Cummings Lodge Secondary school.

The dedicated and disciplined team from St Georges High has been commended for their performances thus far and according to the teachers of the school, their success so far has lifted the spirit of the student population of the city school.

Rodrigues said that the

fact that the team made it to the finals speaks about the changing fortunes of the school.

She expressed hope that the school maintains the performance in the competition in the future and also in other areas of learning.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

‘Economy under better management’ … Economist Raw Lucas posits

By Lisa Hamilton and Vishani Ragobeer

IN recent years, Guyana’s economy has matured in its management and it is highly likely to continue this upward trend in keeping with the most recent predictions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This is according to local Economist Rawle Lucas, who took time out to analyse the IMF’s statement on Guyana, which was issued last week.

His analysis however, contrasts with that of the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, himself an economist who on Thursday last at his weekly press conference, referred to the report as ‘whitewashed,’ stating that it covers up the true damage to the economy.

“He knows how an economy grows and he is fully aware that the economy has grown,” Lucas told the Guyana Chronicle.

The recent report shows a 4.1 per cent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in

Economist, Rawle Lucas 2018 and a projected 4.4 per cent growth for the same in 2019.

“I don’t think the IMF would make a statement that they didn’t believe was true.

So, obviously based on its own assessment, would recognise that the economy did grow by 4.1 per cent in real terms in 2018

… urges adherence to IMF caution on scaling up public spending

and was likely to continue that growth into 2019,” Lucas said on Saturday. “Persons and investors have been pursuing various initiatives to position themselves to support the industry; and it’s not only local investors who have been doing that, it’s also foreign investors.”

In Guyana, United States (U.S.) oil giant ExxonMobil is preparing for firstoil early in 2020, with Liza Phase 1 development expected to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Liza Phase 2 is expected to start up by mid2022 and, already, there have been 13 oil strikes offshore Guyana for the company.

Meanwhile, the Stena Forth drillship to be utilised to drill two wells in the Orinduik Block is now en route to Guyana for a June 24, 2019 arrival.

The companies involved in the block, Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd.; Total and Tullow Oil, which have stated that they have enough capital for a “multi well-drilling campaign” in the near future.

With investors looking on, Lucas said that the IMF statement indicates to them that Guyana has been on an upward growth trend for several years and, bolstered by a new industry, its economy will continue to grow. Lucas stated that some of the most recent remarks of Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo which sought to discredit the IMF’s statement are misconceived.

“There’s no cause to [doubt what the IMF has stated]. The numbers are there and anyone can see,” Lucas added.

The opposition leader said he had told the IMF team about the rapid growth in recurrent expenditure under this government.

He said he also spoke about the issues affecting the sugar industry and shared his strategies with the IMF for reopening closed estates in a cost-effective way. According to him, he also complained about government’s record on transparency and accountability.

However, reacting to a report on the Bank of Guyana’s Annual 2018 Report, Lucas stated that Guyana’s GDP table showed that from 2009 to 2018, Guyana’s production has increased every year. “That is the evidence that you have. So, I really don’t know what it is that the leader of the opposition might be referring to when he says that they’re ‘whitewashing’ their report. Until he produces the evidence I can’t make a comment on that,” Lucas said.

Meanwhile, in 2019, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) through its own survey stated that there was a drop in commercial activities due to “political uncertainty.” However, Lucas stated that while the bank’s report shows that here has been a decline in spending in households, private investment has increased.

“It is true that household spending did decline and some amount of government investment did decline --- there’s a slowing down of expenditure by those two groups---but private investment and public consumption did good,” he said.

Lucas added that there are various reasons as to why public spending would decline: persons choosing to invest more of their money, which he highly believes is the case based on the number of new small businesses he has observed; he also noted another possible reason as persons being unable to find the type of goods which they were interested in purchasing. Even with Guyana’s current political climate, the economist stated that he doubts this will slow the IMF’s positive projections for 2019.

“The only thing that will damage that prospect is if there was some kind of instability and I think that Guyana is mature to the point where they understand how much they could hurt themselves by destroying what they have worked so hard to build,” he said.

REMAIN FOCUSED However, he observed the IMF’s cautionary note to Guyana advising that it pace the scaling-up public spending gradually to avoid challenges such as the ‘Dutch Disease’.

“A substantial amount of money will go into the public coffers, which means therefore that the government will probably have money flowing in faster than normal, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that is has to spend it as fast as it gets it. The government has to ensure it controls the speed with which such money enters the economy, because, if it does enter faster, then you will have an inflationary effect,” the economist explained.

Lucas added that the government also has to ensure that local investors in particular are encouraged to expand their businesses and discouraged from leaving low-paying industries to head to higher-paying ones. “We’ve actually had that experience before, but we never really saw it the same way as we’re expressing concerns about the oil industry,” he said in relation to when gold boomed for Guyana around 2009.

“When gold took off in 2009 and prices started to soar, people left the sugar industry and other industries and were heading straight into gold; and that’s part of the problem that the sugar industry experienced. So, that was an example of the ‘Dutch disease,’ but we never paid attention to it because it’s not oil.”

In its report, the IMF mission welcomed the passage of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) legislation to be used for managing the country’s natural resource wealth, saying that it underscores the commitment of local authorities to fiscal responsibility.

Speaking to the NRF, Lucas said: “That’s another way in which it will control the flow circulating in the economy and, in that way, we should be able to keep inflation within reasonable rates.”

Altogether, the economist believes that the Bank of Guyana and the IMF’s report show an economy that has been gradually increasing, which he believes is due to better management. The IMF also highlighted Guyana’s first Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report in 2019, which will work to enhance transparency in the extractive industry and the re-establishment of the Integrity Commission which encourages declarations. “I think the data that I see suggests that the economy is being managed very well,” Lucas said.

He said that greater efforts have more recently been given by agencies such as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) towards ensuring that citizens abide by the law.

“You’re seeing a more disciplined and a more professional approach to dealing with a number of issues that trouble people in the economy. So, you wouldn’t find, for example, as many people being able to beat the system where taxes are concerned,” he said.

The IMF report came on June 17, while its Executive Board is expected to discuss Guyana’s Article IV consultation in August 2019.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

GTA director bats for preservation of Indigenous culture

By Vishani Ragobeer DIRECTOR of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Brian Mullis, said the local Indigenous culture is a tourist attraction and its preservation is key to building Guyana’s image as a tourist destination.

“The relationship that we have been fostering or building with the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MoIPA) is arguably the most important relationship we have because more and more travellers are seeking out authentic nature, culture and adventure experiences and they are predominantly interested in meeting Indigenous people and learning their ways of life,” Mullis said at a recent forum.

According to Mullis, everyone, from the United Nations (UN), which declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, to travellers, has recognised the beauty of the Indigenous cultures. And Guyana, he said, is blessed with much of this culture.

“The interest in Guyana is growing,” he said, reminding that Guyana was awarded the #1 Ecotourism destination in the world, as well as a Top 10 Sustainable Destination.

But he explained also “With sustainability, we’re basically talking about protecting our natural and cultural heritage and benefitting local people through local enterprise and that’s something Indigenous people have been doing for millennia.”

And as such, even as the

GTA Director, Brian Mullis country would like to tap into the Indigenous culture and promote it greatly for tourism purposes, it is pertinent for efforts to also focus on preserving this culture to ensure its sustenance.

“It is important for the GTA to help Indigenous communities alongside the MoIPA to determine what’s sacred; that is what they don’t want to share and what do they want to share with outsiders and on what terms,” he said.

This past week, Guyana was featured in the Thrillist, another internationally recognised media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment.

In an article titled “This Gorgeous Jungle Nation is South America’s Best-Kept Secret” written by Andrew Evans, Guyana’s diverse culture and natural patrimony was put in the spotlight.

Importantly, Evans underscored the rich Indigenous culture found in the hinterlands regions of the ‘must-see’ country.

“Get to know local traditions and history” was one of the sub-headings in his article, which focused on the nine indigenous nations which comprised Guyana’s original population and still contribute to a “proud and visible” place in the country.

The Thrillist contributor wrote: “All nine languages and cultures are thriving, and each nation manages their own lands, allowing for unique conservation partnerships that encourage outside visitors and a chance to experience Indigenous culture first hand.”

Evans article showed just how enthralled tourists are with the local Indigenous culture and all of what Guyana has to offer.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

Polls delay may be good … Kwayana warns against rushed elections

… reminds parties of the aftermath of the 2001 polls FORMER Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) executive, Eusi Kwayana, has urged the two main parties to sit down and work out a realistic schedule for elections even as he frowned on the opposition’s demand for the country to go to polls within two to three months.

President David Granger is already on record stating that he will be guided by the advice from the Guyana Elections Commission and also warned about going into elections with a corrupted voters’ list and an ill-prepared GECOM. Writing in a letter which appeared in the Stabroek News on Saturday, Kwayana reasoned that the first indications from the government and the opposition in Guyana, after the CCJ’s ruling, suggest that they need to have a serious conversation in the interest of the population. He noted the opposition’s call for elections within three months and government’s insistence that valid elections cannot be held before November. “This shows a gap of about two months in their respective expectations.

One Justice on the CCJ panel had spoken of “a happy marriage between principle and practicality.” It is almost six months since the no-confidence motion was passed.

Another two months after the three demanded by the opposition – if the delay will avoid the episodes after the 2001 General Elections – may not be fatal to the general good,” Kwayana advised.

BRAZENLY DISRESPECTFUL Speaking directly to the reaction of the opposition, Kwayana said the Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP is attempting to present itself as the champion of early elections and democracy, however he said that party has to admit, the historical fact that in 2015, when the present government in opposition tabled a no-confidence vote against it, the PPP government of the day brazenly disrespected a standard parliamentary convention and refused to have the motion debated.

“Instead, without explanation, it suspended or prorogued the National Assembly, thus depriving its parliamentary partner of the use of a standard facility, that is, a debate on its no-confidence motion. As the country waited for the motion to be debated, the PPP used a convenient provision of the Constitution to dissolve Parliament and call a new election.”

Kwayana reminded that Members of Parliament take an oath to uphold the Constitution and this can only mean even when it favours the other side. “I have referred elsewhere to a time in 1961 when a PPP Government refused – for an entire term – to hold a by-election to fill a vacancy caused when the High Court unseated one of its members in an election petition.

These are not arguments against the findings of the CCJ, but an attempt to bring before the public, matters that could not be relevant during the recent hearings. At this stage, these are political arguments touch-

for a specific date from GECOM and I will then issue a proclamation.”

He noted that the country will be heading to the polls and there is going to be a crucial choice for our citizens.

Guyana’s Elder Statesman, Eusi Kwayana ing on our political culture,” the Guyanese politician asserted.

Kwayana said too that, “strangely, the government’s recent description of the readiness of the Elections Commission, with alleged thousands of invalid names on the electoral lists, reminds us of the Hon. Mr. Rohee’s explanation of the failure of the PPP to hold the Houston by-election.” To this end, he said the best option at present will be an agreement between government and opposition on the timing of the due elections, so that the episodes following the 2001 General Elections are not replayed. “These incidents had taken the Guyanese population into a time of danger and insecurity worse than the 1960s,” Kwayana warned.

Last week, in a televised address to the nation following the CCJ’s ruling, President Granger had assured Guyanese that his government respects the legal process and the decision of Caribbean Court of Justice as well as the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. He said it is now clear that the Guyanese people need certainty about the future and a way forward. “I want to outline a clear path.

It is essential that we hold fair, free and credible elections. We cannot proceed on the current list of voters. It is outdated and corrupted. It may hold as many as 200,000 incorrect entries. What’s more, those who have reached the age of 18 years since the last election are not on it.”

According to the President, the Constitution entitles all citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote. “It is a democratic imperative that house-to-house registration be completed swiftly so we can have an election at the earliest opportunity. The Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Patterson, has previously informed me that the Commission will be ready to hold elections in November 2019. This will be after the completion of house-to-house registration. I now await a recommendation

“A choice to decide the future of our country and, most importantly, the future with regard to jobs, living standards, and education for our children,” President Granger said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

Place focus on identifying anxiety, depression –– UK- based psychologist urges Guyana

By Vishani Ragobeer IN order to provide more effective mental health services in Guyana, United Kingdom (UK)-based Psychologist, Dr. Krish Nauth, believes more focus should be given to identifying

and subsequently treating anxiety and depression.

Mental health is one aspect of overall health, in addition to social and physical health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which

every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

According to Dr. Nauth, an overseas-based Guyanese, mental illnesses are prevalent in Guyana and there needs to be more concerted efforts geared towards fostering a healthier population in this regard.

“You need to focus on anxiety and depression. It is the most common across-the- board[mental] illnesses,” he said, adding “Serious and enduring mental health illnesses, things like schizophrenia, you are going to have those but you have one broad area [i.e. anxiety and depression] to work on initially.”

Dr. Nauth is currently in Guyana to bolster the capacity of professionals in the mental health sector. “In response to the suicide rate in Guyana, I’ve been trying to do something to help the country,” he said.

He is conducting a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and treat anxiety and depression, with or without suicidal tendencies. So far, he has trained persons in Regions Two and Three and will be training people in Berbice.

He shared that he and his team from the UK are in Guyana to train “frontline people”, those who actually interact with and treat patients, so that they can adopt better practices to provide better healthcare to affected persons.

“We don’t need people coming in for half a day, or one day, standing up and telling us what to do,” Dr. Nauth said.

Instead, he posited, “We need people who will come and show us what it is that needs to be done.”

It is this model of teaching that he employs in his four-day training activities.

THEORY IN PRACTICE “We incorporate theory into active learning processes… We teach how to observe somebody for depression and then we demonstrate how to do it,” he explained further.

Subsequent to this four-day training, the professionals are left for about five months, during which time they are required to set clinical goals and a framework for how they can measure progress. Dr. Nauth and his team would then return to measure the progress made.

From his recent visits to Guyana, he is of the opinion that the country has a myriad of resources to provide assistance to persons with mental illnesses.

The challenge, however, he said, is that there is little coordination in the

UK- based Psychologist, Dr. Krish Nauth way these services are offered. If this coordination improves, he believes that Guyana will be able to offer better health services, and importantly, could be able to reduce its high suicide rate.

In a 2014 report by the World Health Organisation, Guyana was cited as the country with the highest suicide rate in the world — 44.2 suicides per 100,000 deaths, four times the global average.

Mental Health Unit Director at the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Util Richmond-Thomas, recently shared with Guyana Chronicle that through much work and effort and collaboration with agencies, that number has been reduced to 24 suicides per 100,000 deaths, recently.

Nevertheless, Dr. Nauth highlighted that these figures are still worrisome since every life is of equal and utmost importance.

During his stay in Guyana, Dr. Nauth made a presentation on mental health at a recent forum organised by the University of Guyana (UG).

In addition to this, he also donated a collection of psychology journals to the university’s library, which was a gift from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), where he is clinical advisor.

The BABCP is a British-based multi-disciplinary interest group for people involved in the practice and theory of cognitive behaviour therapy.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

First Lady exploring ways of advancing youth development

First lady Sandra Granger interacts with a member of the Science Centre Singapore

– Hopes to learn from Singapore, possibly establish partnerships FIRST LADY, Sandra Granger, has been exploring ways of advancing local youth development through her visit to Singapore, where she hopes to learn from the country’s institutions and possibly establish partnerships with those.

The First Lady was initially invited to Singapore for the naming ceremony of the Liza Destiny Floating, Pro-

institution was particularly appealing to the First Lady, who is the patron of local robotics organisation, STEMGuyana, and has travelled to numerous communities across Guyana to host STEM and robotics workshops.

“If we can get our kids started very early, because they (Singapore) start encouraging kids to be excited about Science, Technology,

First Lady, Sandra Granger with dance students of the SHINE Children and Youth Services Centre, Singapore duction, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is the first oil production vessel to be placed in Guyana. In a video interview, she shared that she decided to use the opportunity to visit two youth-oriented institutions in the country: the Science Centre Singapore (SCS) and the SHINE Children and Youth Services Centre.

The SCS is a scientific institution in Jurong East, Singapore, which specialises in the promotion of scientific and technological education for youth. The work of this

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from an early age… if we can start that in Guyana, I see no reason our young people cannot develop and grow and become active participants in the future job market or the present job market as it evolves,” the First Lady said.

She however noted that her visit here was only an initial one, but she is hoping that Guyana would be able to learn from the SCS. Of particular interest to her See page 23

Chief Executive Officer of the Science Centre Singapore and Assistant Professor, Lim Tit Meng, interacts with First Lady, Sandra Granger, during her visit to the institution [Ministry of the Presidency photos]

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

What youths say about house-to-house registration FOR many young persons across Guyana, house-to-house registration is a prerequisite for ‘free and fair’ elections and they underscored that this registration must be conducted ahead of Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.

“The importance of house-to-house registration can never be over emphasised, especially in a state which recognises the democratic process; more particularly, as it relates to the election of a government,” Christopher Belfield told the Guyana Chronicle.

Belfield, who is an LLB Student and Paralegal Assistant, reminded that being registered is a right and legal requirement, and failing to do so may attract a penalty as stipulated by the National Registration Act s.(6).

The Official List of Electors expired on April 30, and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is in the process of preparing for house-to-house registration. However, in light of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)’s ruling that the no-confidence motion (NCM) against the government is valid, the opposition is now demanding that the registration process be halted, and elections held in three months.

However, this young man opined that this “need for earlier elections” only makes it more pertinent for those who are eligible to be registered, and more importantly, those who are eligible to vote, be afforded the registration opportunity.

This, he reasoned, eliminates any possible disenfranchisement and provides for the removal of those persons who no longer belong on the list.

“I think with the discovery of oil, Guyanese intend to use this right to elect a government who will sustainably manage this and other resources, and has the welfare of Guyana at heart,” Belfield said, adding: “Registration ensures democracy, and democracy ensures that our interests are protected and catered to.”

In the context of the NCM and the CCJ’s ruling, 19-year-old Sasha Cox related that the registration is necessary to prevent young people from being disenfranchised.

However, she reasoned that the houseto-house registration may be “a lengthy process” and was unsure if this will be made possible given the opposition towards is. Nevertheless, she said that she remains hopeful that it will be done before elections are held.

“Overall, I think that they should perform the exercise so as to cleanse the list and have free and fair elections,” she said nevertheless.

The matter of timeliness was also a concern for another 19-year-old, R. Persaud (name provided). “Constitutionally, it is correct to have house-to-house registration done in order to have a list of electors for the specified date of elections [and] from what I understand, it is implied that this list be prepared for that cycle of elections,” Persaud stated, noting that this is just simply the law.

However, she opined that the current registration system is one that could be improved. “I believe it (the house-to-house registration) is a time-consuming and a dated method... and it’s about time we had modern, reliable strategies in place to take account for the general population that can vote,” the young woman said.

Upgrading this system too, according to her, would allow for there to be more reliability and so that accountability can be reinforced. She suggested the creation of an established database that is continuously updated with population changes.

Roshinie (only name given), a vendor in the Stabroek Market, expressed that she thinks ‘house-to-house’ is just “better for all people”. Her colleague, Nadira (only name given) shared this view, and added that conducting the registration would reflect a more “accurate” representation of the population.

“It’s a good thing for them to do…

I really think that house-to-house [registration] should be done,” said Roma, a 22-year-old cook inside the Stabroek Market. She opined that this is necessary so that the young people who have come of age can be allowed to vote in order to elect a government of their choice.

The Elections Commission has in place a central register of all residents of Guyana entitled to vote, in addition to persons age 14 and above. A preliminary list of electors is extracted from the central register taking into account all persons 18 years and older. While registered persons can be added to the voters’ list upon attaining the age of 18, some young people have never been registered.

Student of the University of Guyana (UG), Sarah David-Longe related that she has never been registered and does not possess an identification (ID) card, due to a variety of reasons, but this registration would not only afford her the opportunity of having a national ID card, but also make her capable of voting.

“If we're talking free and fair elections then house-to-house is a must,” the 19-year-old said.

Similarly, Selena (only name given), a resident of Bartica, shared that she became 18 years old in January, which should mean that she can vote, but she was not registered before.

“I firmly believe that house-tohouse should be done to cleanse the list… my neighbour, she passed away but she is on the list, and I am not the list,” Selena said. “I also need to be on the list to be eligible to vote and so should new registration be done, we would definitely love that,” she related.

She also related that many of her colleagues in Bartica have also not been registered, and if elections are held without this registration, they will all be “deprived” of voting.

Lakasie Vieira, a sixth-form law student at Queen’s College, stressed that there is universal adult suffrage in Guyana, which means that it is enshrined in the constitution that each Guyanese, once 18 years or older, is eligible to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

However, she also acknowledged that it is similarly constitutional that elections be held within that set time period because of the NCM. What should be taken into consideration, according to her, is that people remain enfranchised.

“I believe the list should be updated, [otherwise] the elected party would only

represent a portion of the electorate’s view and it would be biased,” Vieira reasoned.

Lending his voice to the conversation was Brian Peters, another sixth-form student, who said that the list should be updated to “clear-up” the unnecessary listing of persons, i.e., persons who have passed away or who have migrated.

Additionally, he opined that houseto-house registration could be a mechanism of educating persons – particularly

Lakasie Vieira

Brian Peters

Sarah David-Longe

22-year-old Roma [Delano Williams photos]

younger persons like himself – on the electoral process and the need for their participation in same.

Christopher Belfield

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

Venezuelan woman seeks justice after man hacks off her hand She said following the incident, she gave two statements to the police, including a report at the mining site as well as police officials in the city. She said she remains hopeful that the man would be caught and placed before the courts.

The young woman’s mother, Karina Montoya, said that although it is very expensive to travel here, she came to Guyana last week after hearing of the attack and according to her, her daughter’s life would change forever. She said life is already difficult in the neighbouring country and according to her, her daughter does not wish to go back home, citing the need for adequate medical attention for the injury. At the moment, the family is seeking help with food and paying the rent at the apartment which they

By Alva Solomon

AN argument between the general manager of a mining camp and a miner, over a quantity of gold, grew heated two Saturdays ago, leading one of the men to attacking viciously, the other and in the process a woman’s hand was hacked-off.

The 21-year-old Venezuelan victim, Tiffany Daniels, a mother of two, told this newspaper last week that the injury has changed her life completely and she is at wits end regarding her recovery from the brutal ordeal.

The incident occurred at Arrangay Landing in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni two Sundays ago and the young mother told this newspaper that the perpetrator, who is well-known to persons in the area as ‘Devon Hamilton’ or ‘Lesy Hamilton’, may be hiding out at the mining district.

Recounting the ordeal, the woman, who hails from Caracas and who only speaks Spanish, said that she has been living in Guyana for several months, noting that she came here to seek employment as the economic situation in Venezuela spirals downwards.

She said she was at Arrangay Landing with her boyfriend on Friday, June 7, 2019 when her boyfriend had an argument with the assailant. She noted that the man was intoxicated when he argued with her partner over a missing quantity of gold. “He did not steal anything, neither did I,” she said vehemently as she recalled the allegations the man levelled at the couple.

Daniels said that her partner works at another mining site at Arrangay and previously worked with the assailant’s company.

She said while at the shop, people gathered and while her partner was at the shop, the assailant hurled expletives at him and this led to the fight.

Following the melee, she said she her partner left for their camp.

AWAKENED BY MAN WITH A CUTLASS She said the following morning, on Saturday June 8 at around 05:00hrs, the couple was awakened by the perpetrator who entered their camp with a cutlass and started firing chops at the sleeping duo.

Daniels said the man attacked her first and she tried to prevent him from hitting her and in the process she raised her right hand to ward-off the chops but he continued firing the blade at her. He then hacked off her right hand menacingly.

The injured woman, Tiffany Daniels, ponders her future as she sat at an apartment in the city where she is recovering from her injury.

She said the man attacked her boyfriend and in the process she ran out of the camp while the perpetrator escaped in the bushes.

While running up the road she recalled the place becoming dark and she fainted. She said she lost a lot of blood and she thought she was not going to make it.

Later that day she was taken to a large mining operation in the area for treatment and a flight was arranged for her to travel to the city. Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) then performed emergency surgery as the pain of the attack sunk in.

The young mother said that she managed to contact her sister and mother in Venezuela and they later travelled to Guyana to attend to her. She said her boyfriend also sustained chop wounds about his body but his injuries are not life-threatening.

ADJUSTING TO LIFE Daniels said she is finding it difficult to adjust to life following the attack since she has to seek help to do basic things, even as the trauma of the vicious attack continues to haunt her mind while the hand pains daily.

First Lady exploring ...

From page 21

was that the organisation works with the Singapore Ministry of Education, has private sector support and support from international organisations.

Mrs. Granger indicated too that she was pleased with the work being done – particularly in encouraging youth to think of innovative solutions, through the use of technology, to global issues and it is her hope that some partnership can eventually be formed.

The SHINE Centre, on the other hand, caters to at-risk youths as well as those suffering from mental health, welfare and disciplinary challenges.

And the First Lady said that it was a “golden opportunity” to see how the social

services are tailored specifically for young people at risk, by integrating innovative techniques to help youth lead what may be deemed as a “normal existence”.

“A takeaway is that the centre, in and of itself, is a place where children immerse themselves in science and to be guided by older folks, talented folks, and also visitors from around the world to learn about science and technology and showing how important and how viable these things are not only in our young people, but also in future careers,” she said.

And in a similar vein to the SCS, she expressed her belief that this model of work is one which would augur well for Guyana if adopted.

managed to secure while her daughter is being treated for the injury.

The young victim told this newspaper that she wishes to visit the Ptolmey Reid Rehabilitation Centre to find out if staff there can assist her with her injury.

The incident has led to calls from Venezuelans here issuing a call on the authorities for more protection from the law enforcement agencies, since many noted that instances of abuse are often reported but no action is taken by the authorities.

They also noted that many injustices occur in the mining areas where the foreign nationals, both males and females, are often exploited by persons with whom they sought employment.

Anyone who wishes to assist the victim can call the number 669-9012.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 23, 2019

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Brathwaite heroics in vain as Kiwis beat Windies in classic MANCHESTER, England (CMC) – A stunning maiden international hundred by Carlos Brathwaite just narrowly failed to get West Indies over the line as they suffered an agonising five-run defeat to New Zealand in a tantalising finish here yesterday, to all but end their hopes of progressing any further in the ICC World Cup. In an innings which revived memories of his six-hitting feat which won West Indies the T20 World Cup in India three years ago, the broad-shouldered all-rounder smashed 101 off 82 deliveries to haul his side off the ropes at 167 for seven in the 27th over, and make them believe again in their pursuit of 292 for victory.

Opener Chris Gayle had earlier smashed 87 off 84 balls while fellow left-hander Shimron Hetmyer stroked 54 from 45 deliveries, before both fell in a devastating period for West Indies which saw five wickets tumble for 22 runs in the space of 29 balls.

Brathwaite, composed and determined from the first ball, then stepped up heroically, punching nine fours and five sixes, as he put on 47 for the eighth wicket with Kemar Roach (14), a further 34 for the ninth wicket with Sheldon Cottrell (15) and 41 for the final wicket with Oshane Thomas who failed to score.

The pivotal moment of the late stages came, however, with West Indies needing 33 runs from the last three overs. Brathwaite pummelled 25 runs from the 48th over from seamer Matt Henry – including three sixes – which left the Caribbean side with just eight runs to get from the final two overs.

At that point, a Windies victory appeared straightforward once Brathwaite remained on strike but seamer Jimmy Neesham produced a superb penultimate over which saw Brathwaite manage to scrape just two runs – off the fourth delivery – which carried him to three figures.

With six needed for victory, Brathwaite attempted to clear long-on with the final ball of the over but managed only to find Trent Boult on the ropes instead, crushing West Indies’ hopes of a much needed win.

Left-arm seamer Boult was the best bowler with four for 30 while Ferguson finished with three for 59.

The defeat left West Indies still languishing in seventh place in the standings on three points with one win and four defeats in six outings.

With three games remaining, West Indies’ hopes of a semi-final spot now lie in as much complicated maths as it does in empty optimism.

They can only end on a maximum nine points, and will now need help from unbeaten India who lie third on nine points, and tournament favourites England, who are fourth on eight points, in order to get into the top four.

In contrast, New Zealand moved back to the summit of the standings on 11 points, and have all but made certain of their spot in the semi-finals.

Left-arm speedster Sheldon Cottrell had earlier claimed a terrific four-wicket haul but was outdone by a magnificent hundred from captain Kane Williamson as New Zealand recovered from a rocky start to post a respectable 291 for eight off their 50 overs, after being asked to bat at Old Trafford.

Cottrell, who finished with four for 56 from his 10 overs, knocked over openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro both without scoring in the day’s first over, to leave the Black Caps stunned on seven for two.

But Williamson struck 148 off 154 balls to post his 13th One-Day International hundred while veteran Ross Taylor hit 69 off 95 deliveries, to ensure their side’s revival.

Cottrell gave the Windies a wonderful start when he produced a fulllength ball to claim Guptill lbw courtesy of DRS off the first ball of the day, and then yorked Munro spectacularly with the fifth ball to put the Caribbean side on top.

Williamson and Taylor rebuilt the innings through a 160-run, third-wicket stand as the unbeaten Black Caps regained their composure and took control of the contest.

While Williamson struck 14 fours and a six, Taylor counted seven fours before failing to clear Jason Holder at mid-off and falling in the 35th over to Gayle’s part-time off-spin.

Williamson then anchored a fourth-wicket stand of 43 with Tom Latham (12) and a 41-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Jimmy Neesham whose 28 came from 23 deliveries, to keep the innings together.

Cottrell returned to claim Latham in the 42nd over before getting the prized wicket of Williamson in the 47th over, top-edging a skyer to wicketkeeper Shai Hope running around.

Tasked with a challenging but attainable run chase, West Indies had a

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND innings M. Guptill lbw b Cottrell 0 C. Munro b Cottrell 0 K. Williamson c wkp. Hope b Cottrell 148 R. Taylor c Holder b Gayle 69 T. Latham c & b Cottrell 12 J. Neesham c Cottrell b Brathwaite 28 C. De Grandhomme run-out 16 M. Santner c Cottrell b Brathwaite 10 M. Henry not out 0 Extras: (lb-4, w-3, nb-1) 8 Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 291 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-7, 3-167, 4-210, 5-251, 6-270, 7-291, 8-291.

Bowling: Cottrell 10-1-56-4 (w-1), Roach 10-2-38-0, Holder 7-0-42-0 (nb-1), Thomas 6-0-30-0, Brathwaite 6-0-58-2 (w-1), Nurse 9-0-55-0, Gayle 2-0-8-1 (w-1).

WEST INDIES innings C. Gayle c Boult b de Grandhomme 87 S. Hope b Boult 1 N. Pooran c wkp. Latham b Boult 1 S. Hetmyer b Ferguson 54 J. Holder c wkp. Latham b Ferguson 0 C. Brathwaite c Boult b Neesham 101 A. Nurse c wkp. Latham b Boult 1 E. Lewis c Neesham b Boult 0 K. Roach c wkp. Latham b Henry 14 S. Cottrell b Ferguson 15 O. Thomas not out 0 Extras: (lb-3, w-9) 12 Total: (all out, 49 overs) 286 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-20, 3-142, 4-142, 5-152, 6-163, 7-164, 8-211, 9-245.

Bowling: Boult 10-1-30-4 (w-1), Henry 9-0-76-1 (w-2), Ferguson 10-0-59-3 (w-2), Neesham 6-0-35-1, Santner 10-1-61-0, Grandhomme 4-0-22-1.

Points: New Zealand 2, West Indies 0.

nightmare start when Hope played on to Boult in the third over for one and Nicholas Pooran (1) top-edged an ill-advised hook at the same bowler, and was taken by wicketkeeper Latham in the seventh over.

Gayle belted eight fours and half-dozen sixes and Hetmyer, eight fours and a six, as they put on 122 for the third wicket to pull West Indies out of trouble at 20 for two.

Cruising towards victory on 142 without further loss, West Indies suffered a massive setback when Hetmyer was bowled by fast bowler Lockie Ferguson at the start of the 23rd over missing a pull at a slower ball, and Holder feathered a tentative push and was caught at the wicket off the very next delivery.

In sight of a 26th ODI hundred, Gayle then needlessly holed out in the deep off seamer Colin de Grandhomme at the end of the 24th over, as the wheels came off the innings.

Danns nets ...

a comfortable possession with the ball,” Johnson told reporters after the game.

Johnson admitted that the team “could have passed the ball better but I think first half we showed what we can do.

But it is just disappointing, because we gave away goals and we are not good enough to give the team three, four goals

head-start. We are not good enough and until we start tightening up, this will happen.”

Guyana will now travel to Kansas City where they will take on Trinidad and Tobago on June 26. For Panama, their win against Guyana, coupled with the fact that the USA defeated the ‘Soca Warriors’ 4-0 last evening, sets up a

mouthwatering encounter with the ‘Stars and Stripes’.

Starting X1: 1. Akel Clarke, 4. Elliot Bonds, 5.

Jordan Dover, 8. Samuel Cox (c), 10. Emery Welshman, 11.

Callum Harriot, 13. Liam Gordon, 15. Terrence Vancooten, 16. Neil Danns, 17. Torell Ondann, 20. Matthew Briggs.

Substitutions: 18. Alex

FROM BACK PAGE

Murray, 22. Quillan Roberts, 2. Kevin Layne, 3. Daniel Wilson, 6. Ronyane MarshBrown, 7. Keanu MarshBrown, 9. Sheldon Holder, 12. Pernel Schultz, 14.

Daniel Wilson, 19. Stephen Duke-McKenna, 21. Brandon Beresford, 23. Anthony Jeffrey.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Shami final-over hat-trick steals India win over Afghanistan

By Amlan Chakraborty SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - India strike bowler Mohammed Shami claimed a sensational final-over hat-trick as Afghanistan just missed out on major World Cup upset yesterday.

A day after Sri Lanka stunned England in Leeds, a second upset looked on the cards only for India to sneak home by 11 runs after Shami’s last-gasp heroics.

Afghanistan made the most of a slow wicket to restrict India to 224-8, their lowest total of the tournament, but then struggled themselves. Needing 16 to win off the last six balls, they were all out for 213, slumping to their sixth successive defeat.

Shami dismissed Mohammad Nabi, who topscored for the Afghans with 52, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb

Ur Rahman to complete his hat-trick.

Having bled 397 in their previous outing against England, the spin-heavy Afghan attack had earlier redeemed themselves against India’s vaunted batting lineup.

Off-spinner Mujeeb drew first blood in the fifth over when he bowled the in-form Rohit Sharma for one after India opted to bat.

India, known for preserving wickets and accelerating later, managed only 41 runs in the first 10 overs.

Virat Kohli batted with trademark fluency, though, making up for a lack of boundaries with smart running between the wickets during his breezy 67.

He forged two half-century partnerships, first with KL Rahul then with Vijay Shankar, to steady the innings.

USA advance to CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals with 6-0 rout of T&T DEFENDING champions the United States advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals after routing Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in Group D on Saturday.

USA infamously lost to Trinidad and Tobago in 2017 as they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but Gregg Berhalter's men exacted some revenge against the Soca Warriors in Cleveland.

Aaron Long headed home a 41st-minute opener before a five-goal second half, with Gyasi Zardes' quick-fire brace, and Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola and the former leading to the USA to backto-back wins following their 4-0 demolition of Guyana.

USA started the match with pace and purpose, but they were unable to create any real clear-cut chances in the first 30 minutes.

But after Khaleem Hyland's warning shot for Trinidad and Tobago on the counter, Zardes' header across the six-yard box almost picked out Arriola.

In control for much of an end-to-end opening half, New York Red Bulls defender Long did break the dead-

lock four minutes prior to the interval after being picked out by Pulisic's teasing cross.

USA pushed forward and peppered the Trinidad and Tobago goal without success, while their opponents managed to keep Zack Steffen relatively busy in a high-octane second half.

After Marvin Phillip produced a stunning save to thwart Arriola from pointblank range, Zardes popped up to all but extinguish Trinidad and Tobago's hopes in the 66th minute when he finished a simple tap in from Nick Lima's cushioned header.

Zardes was at it again three minutes later after curling home his second thanks to Pulisic, who drifted past two defenders and slid in his team-mates, and the Columbus Crew forward nearly had his hat-trick but was denied by the woodwork and Philipp.

Trinidad and Tobago capitulated during the closing stages as Morris teed up Pulisic and Arriola to put an exclamation mark on the result, while Long added a sixth at the death.

India’s Mohammad Shami took a final-over hat-trick to seal a tense win over Afghanistan.

Replacing the injured Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, Rahul made 30 before attempting an unnecessary reverse sweep and gifting his wicket. Shankar did not convert his start either and made 29 before falling leg-before to Rahmat Shah.

Nabi then struck the biggest blow in the 31st over when he had Kohli caught

at point.

India still had enough firepower in their batting line-up but the unerring Afghan spinners straight-jacketed them. MS Dhoni made a laboured 28 and Hardik Pandya could not reproduce his trademark power-hitting.

Kedar Jadhav (52) hit the only six in the India innings but the expected late burst

did not materialise.

Rashid Khan, whose figures of 9-0-110-0 against England were the worst in World Cup history, bounced back with 1-38 in 10 tidy overs.

Afghanistan wobbled early in their chase, losing Hazratullah Zazai in the seventh over but they made slow, steady progress even after Gulbadin Naib fell for 27.

Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Rahmat Shah (36) and Hashmatulla Shahidhi (21) during a two-wicket maiden to drag India back into the contest.

Shami conceded a boundary off the first ball of the final over, but struck with his third, fourth and fifth deliveries to finish with 4-40.

Centurion Popp leads Germany into World Cup quarter-finals GRENOBLE, France (Reuters) - Double champions Germany, inspired by skipper Alexandra Popp, continued their unbeaten run at the women’s World Cup by beating Nigeria 3-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Popp, winning her 100th cap, and Sara Daebritz netted in quick succession in the first half with Lea Schueller wrapping it up late on to set up a meeting with Sweden or Canada.

Popp headed home after 20 minutes and Daebritz doubled the tally with a penalty seven minutes later, with VAR being used for both goals. Schueller added the third on 86 minutes as the African champions ran out of gas.

The only team, along with the U.S., not to concede a goal in the tournament, Germany have now reached the last eight at every women’s World Cup. “That first goal gave us some safety, but then we allowed Nigeria to get back into the game a little bit. After the break, we were very dominant,” said player-of-the-match Popp.

Dzsenifer Marozsan, recovering from a foot injury, started on the bench but the Olympique Lyonnais player was confident she would soon be ready to play.

Germany’s Alexandra Popp celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates at Grenoble, France. (REUTERS/ Emmanuel FoudrotReuters)

“Now I might even be able to come back. It will remain painful for weeks, but I am not scared,” she said.

“I probably cannot play an entire match but I was happy I was not needed today.”

Germany controlled the midfield against the Nigerians and were quickly rewarded.

Popp broke the deadlock from Lina Magull’s corner, the goal being awarded after a VAR review ruled there was no offside.

Magull was then brought down by Evelyn Nwabuoku and VAR confirmed the penalty call before Daebritz coolly converted.

Nigeria offered more of a challenge after conceding the second goal and came close to reducing the arrears early in

the second half when substitute teenager Rasheedat Ajibade burst down the left flank in impressive fashion only for Desire Oparanozie to just fail to connect with the cross.

Forward Popp dropped down to midfield as Germany protected their lead and Schueller intercepted a poor back-pass to make it 3-0 with a clinical finish eight minutes from time.

“I think we showed the whole world that Nigeria have a team that has improved a lot,” said Nigeria coach Thomas Dennerby.

“Of course you’re not satisfied to go out but you also have to recognise where we came from – and we’re just not ready yet.”

SCOREBOARD INDIA innings K. Rahul c Hazratullah Zazai b Mohammad Nabi 30 R. Sharma b Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1 V. Kohli (c) c Rahmat Shah b Mohammad Nabi 67 V. Shankar lbw b Rahmat Shah 29 MS Dhoni stp. Ikram Alikhil b Rashid Khan 28 K. Jadhav c sub. (Noor Ali Zadran) b Gulbadin Naib 52 H. Pandya c Ikram Alikhil b Aftab Alam 7 Mohammed Shami b Gulbadin Naib 1 Kuldeep Yadav not out 1 J. Bumrah not out 1 Extras:: (w-7) 7 Total: (8 wickets, 50 overs) 224 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-64, 3-122, 4-135, 5-192, 6-217, 7-222, 8-223.

Bowling: Mujeeb Ur Rahman 10-0-26-1, Aftab Alam 7-1-54-1, Gulbadin Naib 9-0-51-2, Mohammad Nabi 9-0-33-2, Rashid Khan 10-0-38-1, Rahmat Shah 5-0-22-1.

AFGHANISTAN innings (target: 225 runs from 50 overs) Hazratullah Zazai b Mohammed Shami 10 Gulbadin Naib c Shankar b Pandya 27 Rahmat Shah c Chahal b Bumrah 36 Hashmatullah Shahidi c & b Bumrah 21 Asghar Afghan b Chahal 8 Mohammad Nabi c Pandya b Mohammed Shami 52 Najibullah Zadran c Chahal b Pandya 21 Rashid Khan stp. Dhoni b Chahal 14 Ikram Alikhil not out 7 Aftab Alam b Mohammed Shami 0 Mujeeb Ur Rahman b Mohammed Shami 0 Extras: (b-4, lb-4, w-9) 17 Total: (all out; 49.5 overs) 213 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-64, 3-106, 4-106, 5-130, 6-166, 7-190, 8-213, 9-213.

Bowling: Mohammed Shami 9.5-1-40-4, J. Bumrah 10-1-39-2, Y. Chahal 10-0-36-2, H. Pandya 10-1-51-2, Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-39-0.

Nigeria’s Ighalo late goal breaks down debutants Burundi ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Nigeria needed a late goal from substitute Odion Ighalo to claim a 1-0 win over a brave Burundi side playing their first-ever match at the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday.

Ighalo was set free by Ola Aina’s clever flicked pass and side-footed the ball past Burundi goalkeeper Jonathan Nahimana in the 77th minute, four minutes after coming on in the opening Group B match.

It was tough on Burundi who refused to be overawed and enjoyed slightly the better of the first half, with Frederic Nsabiyumva heading against the crossbar from a set-piece.

Nigeria took control after halftime but were struggling to create chances until Aina’s moment of inspiration finally unlocked the Burundi defence.

Madagascar, also making their debut at the tournament, were facing Guinea in the second half of a double bill later yesterday at the same stadium.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Botofago FC, Dynamic FC book KFC U-20 Independence Cup semi-final spots TWO of four quarter-final clashes in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/KFC U-20 Independence Cup National Playoffs yesterday saw Upper Demerara FA champions Botofago FC and East Coast Demerara outfit, Dynamic FC, book semi-final spots with wins in their respective fixtures.

Playing in the first match of the day at the GFF National Training Centre (NTC), Providence, East Bank Demerara, Dynamic took on New Amsterdam United and came out on top in a relatively one-sided affair with three second-half goals ensuring they will feature in the semi-finals next weekend.

While the first half went by goalless, Abguyi Aewery opened Dynamic’s account

in the 78th minute before Shamar Dublin in the 86th and Keon Williams in the 90th minutes put their side firmly into the semis.

Meanwhile, in the second and final quarter-final fixture of the day, Botofago needed a goal in the closing stages of their match against Timehri Panthers to go through.

It was an action-packed game with Botofago taking the lead in the first half as Andree Mayers struck in the 42nd minute to put his team 1-0 up at halftime. However, the Panthers levelled in the 66th minute through the boot of Ernest McLean and just six minutes later (72nd minute) they went 2-1 up when Shanon Samnauth scored.

Botofago had other ideas though and Jamiane Kings-

Action in the KFC U-20 Independence Cup at the GFF National Training Centre, Providence

ton drew his team level in the 77th minute before Leon Jones netted in the final minute (90+1) to break the

Timehri Panthers’ hearts and seal a semi-final berth for his side.

Matches continue today

Sri Lanka have opened up World Cup, can make semis - Jayawardene

By Amlan Chakraborty SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - Sri Lanka may have done the World Cup a favour with Friday’s shock victory over hosts England by opening up the race to the semi-finals, former captain Mahela Jayawardene believes.

The 10-team competition had just begun to look a little

Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga celebrates taking the wicket of England’s Jos Buttler...

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday June 23, 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)

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Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first South African to lead the team in a World Cup match?

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predictable halfway through the group stage, with champions Australia joining the top three ranked ODI teams seemingly with a foot in the knockout stages.

Sri Lanka’s old warhorse Lasith Malinga then conjured up a four-wicket masterclass as the 1996 champions stunned the hosts in a low-scoring thriller to shake up the tournament, jeopardising England’s semi-final prospects in the process.

The hosts are still third with eight points from six games but face Australia, India and New Zealand - teams England have not beaten in the World Cup since 1992 - in their last three group matches.

“It’s a great win for Sri Lanka, but also for the World Cup and it opens things up a

little,” Jayawardene wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“The top four so far have a lot of matches against each other coming up, so they will inevitably drop some points.

“You look at New Zealand, Australia and England who all have to play each other which (scenario) does make it interesting.”

The upset should reinvigorate not only Sri Lanka but also Bangladesh and West Indies in their bid to finish among the top four for a place in the semi-finals, the former Test batsman added.

Sri Lanka have looked rather inconsistent in the tournament with only two wins from six matches, even if two of their matches were washed out.

Jayawardene is optimistic, however, that the former champions, who also reached the final in 2007 and 2011, could progress.

“I’ve always been convinced that Sri Lanka step up their game at World Cups,” he wrote. “They have the ability and they have the skill. This game should give them the confidence.”

at the same venue when Georgetown Association runners-up Santos FC clash with Strikers FC at 13:00hrs.

Georgetown Association champions Fruta Conquerors will tackle Buxton United in what is set to be one of the tournament’s most exciting clashes at 15:30hrs.

Winners of the tournament will pocket $500 000 plus a trophy and medals while second-placers will collect $300 000, a trophy and medals.

For their efforts, thirdplace finishers will receive $200 000, a trophy and medals while fourth place will collect a prize, a trophy and medals.

The semi-finals are set for next Saturday with the third-place and final on July 1. (Michelangelo Jacobus)

Brazil crush Peru 5-0 to reach Copa America last eight

Brazil’s Roberto Firmino, Willian and Gabriel Jesus after the match. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)

By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil overwhelmed Peru with three goals in a superb first half to set up a crushing 5-0 victory yesterday and cruise into the Copa America quarter-finals.

Looking like their imperious old selves, the host nation went ahead after 12 minutes when Casemiro was on hand to nod home after a goalmouth scramble and Roberto Firmino made it two, seven minutes later after keeper Pedro Gallese made a hash of his kick.

Winger Everton’s low shot sneaked inside Gallese’s near post to make it 3-0 on 32 minutes and Dani Alves made it 4-0 when he finished off a nice team goal eight minutes into the second period.

Substitute Willian made it five with a strike from outside the box in the 90th minute.

The result, combined with Venezuela’s 3-1 win over Bolivia, means the hosts top Group A and will play one of the two third-placed teams at the Gremio arena on Thursday.

Second-placed Venezuela will face the second team in Group B on Friday at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, while Peru must wait to see if their four points is enough to earn them a place as one of the two best third-placed sides.

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 23, 2019

Stage set for second GMRSC drag race today

GMR&SC has promised a show for the second round of Drag racing action tomorrow. (GTRidez photo)

THE stage is set for the second round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s drag race meet.

During yesterday’s final practice, several competitors braved the inclement morning weather to have final practice before today’s event.

Some fans also came out to get a glimpse of the Team Mohameds/Magnus GTR, who managed just one pull due to a cold track.

Much like the GTRs, the higher powered vehicles were unable to put down their full potential.

Still GMR&SC president Rameez Mohamed contended that there will be a show for

fans tomorrow.

“Today (yesterday) we had some bad weather but we checked and we expect a fantastic day of racing tomorrow (today).”

“We have more than 50 registered competitors so far and guys were still registering their cars. We expect to start with about 70 tomorrow.”

Admission to today’s event stands at $500 for children and $1 000 for adults with action beginning at 10:00hrs.

Other sponsors are Platinum Car Show, Supreme Bets, R. Kissoon Contracting Services, Deryck Jaisingh Trucking Service and Machinery Rentals, Del Ice

Trophy Stall on board Brian Ramphal BCB Awards Ceremony

Ramesh Sunich hands over trophies to BCB president Hilbert Foster.

ALL plans are in place for the successful hosting of the 2nd Annual Brian Ramphal Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Awards Ceremony today at the Port Mourant Cricket Club from 13:00hrs.

A total of 32 major awards would be shared out with Shimron Hetmyer and Erva Giddings carrying home the male and female Cricketer-of-the-Year Awards respectively.

The Ceremony last Thursday was given a major

boost when Managing Director of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich, handed over two trophies for the two two prizes.

BCB president Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to Sunich for his assistance.

The BCB, with the support from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS would also donate cricket balls to twelve clubs while 10 officials, sponsors and media personnel would also be honoured.

Co., Mohamed’s Enterprise, B.M. SOAT Auto Sales, Prem’s Electrical, E-Networks, Motor Trend, Nexus Machine Shop, Power Line, WindJammer Hotel, Cyril’s Taxi, A&R Jiwanram Printery, Blue Spring Water, Choke Gas Station, Special Auto, First Class Auto Spares and Sales, GT Tuners, Tropical Shipping and Jumbo Jet Auto Sales West Coast Customs Washbay and Imran Autoworks.

A section of the Guyanese fans who turned up in their numbers to support the Golden Jaguars against Panama.

Danns nets ‘historic double’ … Golden Jaguars humbled by Panama 4-2 in spirited performance

By Rawle Toney (compliments of Let’s Bet Sports) THE story of the game, Guyana versus Panama; Neil Danns netted a double, but Guyana went down 4-2 to Panama at the FirstEnergy Stadium, in Cleveland, Ohio, last evening in match number 15 of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. As promised, coach Michael Johnson made some changes to the line-up from the USA game in Minnesota, going with Dutch League import Torrell Ondaan, while Samuel Peter Cox wore the captain's armband.

Out from the previous game were Brandon Beresford and Keanu Marsh-Brown.

Though some pundits questioned why the former Jamaican International didn’t make some changes in the defence as well; changing Jordan Dover, his starting 11 played good enough to out-do Panama for the entire first half.

Guyana’s continuous pressure on a ‘suspect’ Panamanian defensive line paid off in the 33rd minute when Ondaan - who had a superb game playing on the wing - after a build up with Dover, collected a ball in the 18-yard and slipped it back to the right-back (Dover), who was brought down in the penalty area.

The referee wasted little time in pointing to the penalty spot. Johnson ensured that his most senior and seasoned player, Danns, was the one responsible for bringing Guyana level.

Danns, with entire stadium more so the Guyanese supporters who travelled to the Cleveland Browns home stadium to cheer him on, was composed, calm and didn’t show

any nervousness, as he stroked home the country’s first-ever goal at a major CONCACAF men’s tournament.

However, Guyana’s celebration was short-lived, as Terence Vancooten, probably the team’s best defender, in an attempt to clear the ball, scored in his own goal in the 40th minute.

Guyana, though having several chances from Emery Welshman, Ondaan and Callum Harriott, headed back into the dressing room down one goal (2-1).

After a rather eventful first half, Guyana came out in the second stanza with the same energy but Panama showed why they had qualified for the last FIFA World Cup. They mounted the pressure on Golden Jaguars’ defence, but, Akel Clarke’s exceptional goalkeeping kept the Guyanese in the game.

GAME-CHANGING MOMENT All was well in the game. Panama continued their relentless hunt, while Guyana’s defence, marshalled by Matthew Briggs and Vancooten, stood firm; that’s until the 51st minute when Liam Gordon brought down one of Panama’s forwards in the ‘18’.

At the blast of the referee’s whistle, Clarke made a dive to his right and pulled off a beautiful save. However, the assistant referee’s flag was raised, pointing out to the Jamaican referee, Daneon Parchmant, that the ‘GT’ keeper moved a little too soon from his goal line. However, when the replay was shown in the stadium, the result was otherwise.

Panama’s Eric Davis, on the re-take, found the net, much to the Guyanese play-

USA advance to CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals with 6-0 rout of T&T SEE STORY ON PAGE 29 ►

Guyana's Neil Danns impersonates Cristiano Ronaldo in his celebration after scoring the country's first-ever goal at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Danns finished with a double in Guyana's 4 - 2 loss to Panama in Cleveland. (Samuel Maughn photos)

ers and their supporters’ displeasure, as the South Americans went up 3 - 1. Johnson, at the post-game press conference, chastised the officials for the decision, and also questioned why VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was not used in the competition.

Guyana didn’t offer much in the second half, though Johnson, making the right tactical substitution, brought in Stephen Duke McKenna for Elliot Bonds, Anthony Jeffrey for Ondaan and Keanu Marsh-Brown for Harriot.

Substitute Gabriel Torres put the icing on the cake in the match in the 86th minute, netting a neatly timed header.

“If I’m looking at effort and commitment, the performance of the team was of a different class; again they gave everything. What I was disappointed with was the way we utilised the ball. We weren’t efficient with it, we weren’t careful with it and the final goal started with a bad pass from us when in TURN TO PAGE 28 ►

Brathwaite heroics in vain as Kiwis beat Windies in classic

SEE STORY ON PAGE 28 ► Carlos Brathwaite is consoled by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor after getting caught on the boundary. (Getty Images)

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SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2019