Guyana Chronicle E-paper 6-26-2019

WEDNESDAY 26th June, 2019

No.105680

GECOM CHAIR … GTUC calls on political leaders RESIGNS to ‘arrive at a consensus’ … President Granger, Jagdeo could meet this week

SEE STORY ON PAGES 10,13&15 ►

Former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson

Gold price climbs past U.S.$1400 per ounce 12 PAGE

Private Sector needs to eschew bias in oversight of NRF 03 PAGE

… US Ambassador tells GMSA luncheon

ISA lauds Guyana’s 08 advancements in solar energy PAGE

Minister with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson and other officials of the Central Housing and Planning Authority on Tuesday inspected construction works on several of the houses being built in the Perseverance East Bank, Demerara Housing Scheme (Adrian Narine photo) (see story on page 9)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Private Sector needs to eschew … US Ambassador bias in oversight of NRF tells GMSA luncheon

By Lisa Hamilton

GUYANA’S private sector, in its oversight of the implementation of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF), must be able to eliminate political biases from its contribution for the success of the Fund.

This was the advice of United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch at the Annual Business Luncheon of the Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association Limited (GMSA) hosted at the Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday.

Present too at the function were members of the diplomatic corps and members of the political and business community.

Apart from being non-partisan, the US Ambassador stated that the Fund must also be transparent, independent and inviolable which, together, make up four critical areas which can guarantee successful management.

Before expounding on these areas, Lynch explained that Guyana’s NRF, recently established, is a government-owned fund set up for the investment of the country’s natural resources to protect and boost the economy.

“I must congratulate the people of Guyana for taking this important step before first oil production and before oil profits begin rolling in next year,” Lynch said.

However, she reminded that the ongoing phase of the implementation of the Fund will require hard work from both the international and local communities.

As such, she urged: “You, the private sector, have an important role to play in ensuring that the fund achieves its purpose to transform transient natural resources into stable and sustainable future income. Even though management of wealth funds is primarily a public-sector responsibility, their operation and success is heavily dependent on a proactive private sector participating in administration and oversight of the plan.”

Speaking to the principle of the Fund being non-partisan, Lynch told the attendees that the NRF must not be tied to any part of the “political machinery”.

She explained that this means that despite political leanings, stakeholders involved must make contributions to the implementation of the Fund in the interest of the Fund rather than their own political swaying.

“The Fund must be non-partisan. It is for the good of all Guyanese, regardless of

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch addresses the audience at the Pegasus Hotel on Guyana’s Natural Resources Fund (NRF) (Adrian Narine photo) political persuasion, hometown or ethnicity,” Lynch stressed.

“This not about politics; it is about economics. You, as a representative of the private sector, must do your part to ensure that the decisions your organisations make are impartial, objective and free from political bias so that they remain focused on economics rather than politics.”

She reminded the GMSA and other private sector groups that they have the opportunity to advocate for the NRF to be properly implemented from the very start before the profits of “first oi” begin.

The Ambassador also reminded the attendees that they represent a diverse array of Guyanese citizens, voters and taxpayers who expect the very best from the implementation of Fund.

Speaking also to need for the independence of the Fund, the US Ambassador stated that the NRF’s Public Accountability and Oversight Committee will have representation from private sector bodies which must make their inputs known.

Some of these whom she listed as having most potential to be useful in the implementation of the NRF are the Bar Association, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC).

Addressing the GMSA, she stated: “I urge you to continue taking a leading

Members of the audience at the GMSA’s Business Luncheon on Tuesday (Adrian Narine photo)

role in working with the PSC, as well as educating the populace to ensure the NRF is implemented in a way that can make all Guyanese proud.”

Meanwhile, regarding transparency, the Ambassador stated that such was not only important to fight possible corruption but to the publication of “high quality” information on how the government receives, spends and manages its public resource.

She advised the GMSA to push to ensure transparency at all levels of the NRF’s implementation through means such as a competitive and open procurement process and advice on fund investments and NRF-related matters.

Ambassador Lynch also stated that crucial to the success of the Fund is ensuring that it remains “sacrosanct” meaning that it is inviolable for the benefit of future generations.

“You should discuss this need with legislators, policy makers, community leaders and across society as a whole. Everyone may have different opinions to the fund and its implementation but the baseline framework needs to remain to ensure that fund achieves its purpose of bringing prosperity to Guyana well after the resources are extracted,” she said.

She also reminded that the benefits of the NRF can allow for the fostering of entrepreneurship, youth employment and a reduction in emigration away from Guyana.

At the luncheon, the Ambassador also congratulated the GMSA Board of Directors for their leadership at various intervals over the years; its commitment to the development of the manufacturing sector and its overall contribution to the development of the economy.

Also addressing the audience was GMSA President, Clinton Williams who noted that Guyana values its partnership with the US over the years and the advice of Lynch who was happy to assist.

He stated that the recent increased scrutiny on the management of Guyana’s oil resources proves that transparency is

Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association Limited (GMSA) President, Clinton Williams (Adrian Narine photo) needed to protect Guyana’s non-renewable resources from exploitation.

Williams said that the GMSA has sponsored a past consultation on the establishment and management the NRF which was well received by the Government and some of the proposals made were introduced in the legislation.

“Hopefully, coming out of this session, we can have another view on how best we can optimize utilization and management of this fund,” he said.

Furthermore, the GMSA Head recommitted the support of the Association to contributing to the realization of a solution to the current political impasse in Guyana for the benefit of Guyana and its future in oil and gas.

“The organisation’s previous intervention in matters of these types has been well received by all political players.

We stand ready, again, on this occasion, to do our best to ensure that we can get over this as soon as possible,” he stated.

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AFC proposes two weeks for appointment of GECOM chair The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Tuesday said it respects and accepts the recent rulings by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the matters relating to the appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the passage of the December 21st 2018 no-confidence motion against the Government of Guyana.

In a release the AFC said it is committed to the rule of law and to adherence to the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana and is of the view that the resignation of Justice Patterson as Chairman of GECOM subsequent to the Court’s ruling was correct and proper. “The

Wed., June 26, 2019

party now believes that the process of appointing a new Chairman should be undertaken with the utmost urgency and concluded within two weeks.”

Further, the AFC said it holds the view that this process is critical to public confidence in the outcome of the next General and Regional Elections and that there is no shortage of fit and proper Guyanese persons acceptable across the political divide to fill this position.

“The party therefore urges that early consultations be held in good faith between the President and the Leader of the Opposition so that a new Chairman can be appointed without delay.”

Regarding the no-confi-

dence motion, the Alliance For Change believes that, following the final determination of the courts, elections should now be held in keeping with the Article 106 (7) of the Constitution and that GECOM, under a new Chairman, should advise on the earliest date for such an election.

The Alliance For Change said it will therefore support the holding of elections within the shortest possible time frame advised by GECOM, and urges the Parliamentary opposition to support any reasonable extension of the Constitutionally required period for the holding of elections within such a time frame.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Shopowner gets 19 years for rape JUSTICE Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court, on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, sentenced 66-year-old pensioner to serve 19 years’ imprisonment for raping a 16-yearold girl.

George Robin, a shop owner of #30 Village, West Coast Berbice, was, earlier this month, convicted by a 12-member mixed jury and was found guilty of engaging in sexual penetration with a 16-year-old girl in 2017.

On Tuesday, a probation report was read in court by Probation Officer and Social Worker, Meesha Grenville.

The probation officer told the court that Robin had previously served in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and lived all his life in the #30 Village.

Based on an assessment

12:00hrs.-13:30hrs.

George Robin

done at Robin’s home, the probation officer said that the accused was described as a jovial individual who worked hard to sustain his family.

Robin was involved in three past relationships and was the father of 12.

The probation officer told the court that villagers in Robin’s community said that he was known for his perverted behaviour towards young girls in the village.

It was revealed that Robin was involved in a relationship with an underaged girl in the village and she later gave birth to a child for him.

However, the matter was never reported to the police.

The probation officer explained that Robin also had operated a shop at a nearby primary school in the village.

However, based on reports, Robin would request kisses from the school girls.

The probation officer reported that Robin committed the acts on a Grade three schoolgirl and when a teacher confronted him he said that he was showing the girl his dentures.

“Vain and vulgar” were just two simple words that described Robin the probation officer in her report said

as he asked the judge for justice and physical healing to commence for the victim.

The victim’s impact statement was read in court

by Counsellor and Court Support Officer, Celeste Mullin. The victim, in her statement, said that she was saddened by what Robin had done to her since it caused her to be depressed.

“I would like to forget about it, but I don’t know if I ever can” the victim said in her impact statement.

Robin was represented by attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay. The attorney in mitigation told the court that the probation report describes Robin as a “kind and supportive elder, who genuinely contributed to his community.”

The Judge before sentencing Robin, said onto him “I will send you to a structured environment where you will benefit from medical attention and religious intervention.”

While reflecting on the probation report, Justice Reynolds told the defendant “You seem to have two sides, a community leader on one side and another man on the other hand” The Judge sentenced Robin to 19 years behind bars.

The state’s case was presented by Prosecutors Lisa Cave and Seeta Bishundial.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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Still more to be done to address Caribbean housing

– in Guyana, five other CARICOM countries WASHINGTON, CMC – A study examining the state of social housing in six Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries has found that while regional countries have made great strides in the housing sector, there’s still much work to be done to bring these initiatives to scale given the region’s growing housing deficit and urbanization rate.

The study, titled “The State of Social Housing in Six Caribbean Countries”, reviews the implementation of social housing programmes from 2000 to 2015 in The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said that the period studied encompasses the emergence of neighbourhood upgrading programmes, increasing urbanization, and the integration of environmental sustainability into housing programmes, especially those in vulnerable coastal areas.

The report underscores the importance of housing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the larger agenda in poverty alleviation, economic development, and climate resilience.

According to the 117page report, written by Mi-

chael G. Donovan and Pauline McHardy, Caribbean countries have made great strides in the housing sector, and have experimented with new models of social housing policy.

It says that regional governments have pursued new programmes to encourage private sector involvement and investment in social housing through a number of incentives, including revolving low-income housing funds for the construction of new housing units, and the granting of blocks of land to private developers to build social housing.

“In addition, many Caribbean countries have adopted the concept of incremental housing, and have developed programmes to respond to

5 ‘Trinis’, Cuban, V’zuelan, Nigerian held with buckets of bullets MEMBERS of the Central Division seized buckets of ammunition in Caroni on Monday morning and arrested five Trinidadians, a Venezuelan, a Cuban and a Nigerian.

Police said members of the Central Operations Unit went to a sanitation company at around 08:00hrs and found a quantity of live ammunition along with 15 buckets containing spent shells.

Live ammunition is bullets which are yet to be used.

Police said eight employees were arrested, and when

questioned about the ammunition, one of the Trinidadians said they got it from a shooting range in Chaguaramas, where the owner supposedly gave them the permission to take it. Police said the possession of ammunition, which includes spent shells, without a firearm users licence is still illegal.

The eight are expected to be charged, and the police were waiting for an interpreter to translate the charges for the Venezuelan and the Cuban. (T&TNewsday)

the qualitative as well as the quantitative housing deficit,” the authors of the report wrote, adding that the information collected in the study has offered guidance in creating, implementing, and monitoring future social housing policies.

But they’ve noted that “despite these efforts, work remains to be done to bring these initiatives to scale given the region’s growing housing deficit and urbanisation rate.” The report illustrates that the challenge of social housing provision is

compounded by other issues in the Caribbean, including the increasing cost and limited availability of land, which underscores the need for more efficient urban land markets, as well as limited access to secondary mortgage markets.

It also makes references to the insecurity of tenure, and complexities surrounding regularisation; vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change; and insufficient efforts to induce the private sector to serve a much larger segment of the market.

“A Caribbean social housing research agenda in the future would need to respond to additional questions that this report does not fully answer,” the authors noted, saying that such an agenda should include who is benefiting from social housing policy in the Caribbean?

“Many housing evaluations in the Caribbean lack a control group, and provide scant quantitative evidence of how social housing programmes increase beneficiaries’ welfare. More research is needed to identify the benefits of housing programmes and to monitor housing spending and deficits.”

They said indicators to be tracked could include the proportion of the national government budget devoted to housing, the housing budget as a percentage of qualitative and quantitative need, the housing-to-income ratio,as well as the availability of secondary mortgage markets and microcredit for housing.

They said that new research is needed to better understand social housing policy performance and efficiency across the Caribbean.

“Very few studies attempt to compare housing and urban development pro-

grammes across the Caribbean,” the report notes, adding that “the housing policies reviewed in this policy paper illustrate that social housing challenges cannot be addressed in isolation.

“This report strongly encourages governments at all levels to integrate housing policies with broader policies in urban planning, including population, environmental, land and infrastructure policies. At the neighbourhood level, these efforts can materialise in comprehensive multi-sector slum upgrading programmes that include attention to social housing, disaster risk reduction, public space, citizen security, infrastructure, land tenure, and educational facilities.

“As Caribbean countries design the ‘New Urban Agenda’, it is essential that social housing remain at the core of these efforts.

Reinvigorating the housing debate in the region is necessary in order to “address the unfinished business of the Habitat Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals and, looking forward, serve as a vital plan of action for the post-2015 United Nations development agenda,” the report warns.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The US report on human trafficking THE recent US State Department report, which underscored that Guyana remains among countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom whose governments fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)’s minimum standards, has been welcomed again by many after years of being condemned to lower tiers.

It is the third year since the Coalition Government took office that it has been able to escape the wrath of the report, owing to the significant improvements that have been made in the fight against human trafficking, and the administration’s efforts at suppressing it. Only last week a businesswoman was jailed for human trafficking, and many others, in recent times, have been either convicted or prosecuted for such crimes.

Hardly would anyone forget this country’s experiences over the years prior to the Coalition Government coming into office, from being on the Tier 2 watch list to the then administration lashing out at the United States for its yearly assessments. Fighting human trafficking, like any other crime, requires, among other things, political will, which is often measured by the resources made available to tackle the scourge and the deployment of those resources, both human and material, to address the issue.

Reacting to being placed on Tier 1,

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan was quoted as saying he believes that the ranking is testament to the work of the Task Force, Guyana’s anti-trafficking units, non-governmental organisations, the general public through increased reporting, and significant contributions made by partners beyond the shores of this Cooperative Republic, including the United States Department of State itself. He said, “The Government of Guyana intends to heed these as it has done for recommendations in past reports. Recommendations in the 2018 US TIP Report focused on victim services outside the capital, and for males and children; increased investigations and prosecutions; finalisation of victim identification procedures; more training on anti-trafficking for stakeholders, including diplomats; additional victim protection; and case monitoring.”

According to the report, the APNU+AFC government maintained law enforcement efforts during the reporting period, and to this end, the report reminded that the Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 criminalized sex trafficking and labour trafficking, and prescribed penalties of three years to life imprisonment. It was noted that such penalties were sufficiently stringent during the reporting period, and with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes such as rape. It said that the

Ministry of Social Protection was the lead agency responsible for coordinating trafficking efforts, overseeing the Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU), and participating in the government’s Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (the Task Force).

It was noted that in 2018, the government reported 30 new investigations; prosecuted 11 suspected traffickers, two of whom were initiated in prior periods. It noted, too, that the authorities convicted one trafficker for sex trafficking compared with four investigations and 17 prosecutions, 12 of which were initiated in prior periods, and two convictions in 2017.

In terms of the prevention of trafficking, the report said that government increased its efforts in this regard. Over the years, many TIP victims were discovered by the authorities in mining areas in the hinterland, and the report made mention of the establishment of an anti-trafficking unit with three trained staff within the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to register and categorise workers in the interior, and conduct spontaneous checks. It was pointed out, too, that the government approved a new national action plan for 2019, but did not report on activities under the plan by the end of the reporting period and it was noted that the These achievements have clearly shown that government has not only talked the talk,

PPP playing a dangerous game Dear Editor,

GUYANA is a Sovereign State and Republic. The fundamental governance principle in our Constitution is the separation of powers doctrine that regulates the operation of the three branches of government. Each branch, the executive, legislative and judicial, is separate but equal, and cannot intrude on each other’s functions and responsibilities as provided for in the Constitution. The judicial branch, including the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), cannot violate the separation of powers doctrine of the Constitution, as the PPP has petitioned the CCJ to do by asking it to mandate elections in three months. The PPP has

always shown a willingness to give away Guyana’s sovereignty, as it has done on the Venezuela border matter. Should the CCJ enter such consequential order, it will be a flagrant violation of the laws of Guyana, as well as an overeach that would be nugatory. It will also be a severe deterrent to other CARICOM States joining the Court. Indeed, a majority of CARICOM countries have not joined the CCJ in the appellate jurisdiction.

Guyana must not submit its sovereignty, governance and electoral processes to the temptations and predispositions of Caribbean judges who appear bereft of the import and uniqueness of our constitutional provisions and ar-

rangements. The judgements and pronouncements of the honourable justices of the CCJ seem tinged with disregard for, and protestations of, the powers of the presidency, which appear to be rooted in obsolescent misconceptions of our political system, democracy and form of government. Might I posit that it is within the purview and judgement of the government and citizenry of Guyana to determine the benefits of the CCJ to our nation, were any unconstitutional overreach attempted by the court.

Regards, Rickford Burke President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

but has delivered Guyana from the depths of ignominy to one where its leaders and citizens can indeed celebrate the achievement. It now has to maintain this ranking and take steps towards correcting the deficiencies that remain, which include vigorously investigating, prosecuting, and convicting traffickers, including complicit officials and those responsible for domestic servitude and child-sex trafficking, as well as prioritising the implementation of a national anti-trafficking action plan with allocated resources, and increasing long-term funding for trafficking victim assistance.

Some of these recommendations have been made over the years by various persons and groups, including TIP hero, Simona Broomes, Minister of Youth Affairs.

Significantly, too, the report also states, “Guyana continues to be seen as a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex-trafficking and forced labour. Women and children from Guyana, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Venezuela are subjected to sex-trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas.”

This is certainly a label Guyana would not want to carry for much longer, and we can only hope that these recommendations would be seriously taken on board, even as we work to totally eradicate the scourge of human trafficking.

Reckless and dangerous fantasy Dear Editor, IT IS well known that the lust for power begets the worst kind of human, one who becomes void of any semblance of logical thought, as only the acquisition of this ultimate goal pervades the mind. In fact, it is always a case where reason is readily abandoned, and all rational thinking is forgotten, since the latter process often should serve as a check to headlong madness.

Without these mental stop signs, the intemperate is often displayed, with recklessness becoming the only guide.

It is obvious, that with the ruling of the CCJ, the above scenario will re-commence its expected appearances in our political milieu. But since our election environment is often

branded “the silly season”, whatever that is, it is tradition to listen to some outrageous statements; statments that range from the unthinkable to the downright bizarre.

Exactly one of these statements, clearly absurd, for its undoubted asinine impracticality has already been issued by a certain professional with an undisguised political affiliation.

Asked about his view on the CCJ’S ruling, he opined that elections could be held within 28 days! This drew a response from another wellknown and learned professional who said that it was impractical, given the number of things that have to be done. I do believe that he may have been referring to GECOM’s preparatory measures that must be comTURN TO PAGE 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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Independent hospital monitoring long overdue Dear Editor,

I HAVE written multiple letters to the media advocating the empowerment of patients, and the need for the independent monitoring of all healthcare facilities in Guyana. Events over the weekend, where a patient advocate was arrested and incarcerated for publishing anonymous patients’ complaints on her social media ‘wall’ has brought this into sharp focus.

I would not comment further on it, because, for reasons beyond me, it is a criminal matter, and any comments would be sub judice. Apparently, the city hospital under the microscope threatened the Guyana Chronicle with a $100M lawsuit if they were to publish any of those anonymous complaints or letters. I have placed the very complaints on my Facebook ‘wall’, and I am awaiting the clowns to either sue me or send their buffoons to arrest me, let me handcuff them to my gates for an indefinite period.

Mr. Editor, it did not have to come to this if my suggestions were taken seriously. Now we have a situation where the tail is wagging the dog, while the poor patients suffer. In the UK, patient care and experience are taken seriously. All hospital by laws must have an independent department that patients can

lodge their complaints. It is called PALS, which stands for Patient Advice and Liaison Service. All complaints are investigated by an independent consultant who was not involved in the case. All complaints are investigated, regardless of how frivolous it may appear.

There is a strict timeline for a written response to the complaints, and the response must always begin with an apology, lessons learnt from the incident, and steps that would be taken to minimise the chance of the incident arising again.

To complement that, patients are given the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on their experience. Patients can also provide anonymous feedback on the care the doctor provided. And it goes further; even family and friends provide anonymous feedback. Also, staff provide feedback as to whether they would choose to use that hospital’s service if ever they were to become unwell.

This now takes me to the independent monitor. In the UK, they are called the CQC, which means Care Quality Commission.

This inspector body is made up of medical and non-medical personnel. Their role is to inspect hospitals, both announced and unannounced. They do a physical inspection, looking at simple things like if a patient’s records are left open on the wards for all to

read, hence breaching data protection laws.

In essence, they do a thorough inspection, interviewing patients and staff. Those patient feedbacks and complaints I alluded to earlier are very important. They look at those via a microscope. They also examine the hospital’s adjusted mortality rates and serious untoward incidences, e.g. patient being vincristine in their spine. After a thorough inspection, they classify a hospital as excellent, good, satisfactory, very poor or unsafe. They have the power to close down hospitals which are deemed unsafe, and they have done so in the past. The CEO of the hospital is answerable to the CQC. Mr. Editor, if you check your archives, you would see I suggested this on multiple occasions. If a hospital does not provide a medium for patients to make a complaint, what should the patient do? If patients think that they were financially exploited, e.g. the doctor ordering tests that they do not need and that hospital does not have an independent unit to investigate it, then what should the patient do?

They would do exactly what that young lady was arrested for doing this weekend. Post it on social media.

In Guyana, hospitals monitor themselves; hospitals regulate themselves. Private hospitals see patients as cash cows. Multiple

useless scans would be done, and if that is not enough, they would be prescribed a cocktail of useless multivitamins. No evidence-based medicine; just financial-based medicine.

It is time the government starts empowering patients. We as doctors took an oath to serve our patients. We should see it as a privilege when a patient entrusts us with his or her ailing body. For the patient and their loved ones, that is quite distressing and a frightening experience. The least we can do, as healthcare professionals, is to put them at ease. Be kind.

A smile. A hug. Show love. To try to exploit a vulnerable patient is inhumane. I am a doctor, but my allegiance is to the patients. I do this for my mom, who died due to a doctor’s negligence when I was eight years old. We were poor and powerless.

I stand here today with tears in my eyes, hoping that the day would come in Guyana when doctors see themselves as servants and not Gods; when patients are empowered, and doctors are held accountable.

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

Open letter to the President, Leader of the Opposition Dear Sirs,

I HAVE the honour of writing Your Excellencies as Leader of the National Independent Party.

My Party is aware of the present Constitutional crisis, and looks forward to an immediate resolution. The National Independent Party requests/demands that Major-General (Retd) Joe Singh or Dr. Steve Surujbally or Mr. Rudy Collins be recalled and be appointed Temporary Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission for the purpose of the holding of the imminent General and Regional Elections.

This consensus is to be submitted to the CCJ, which would be required to make

an order, ‘by consent’, in respect to the appointment of a Temporary Chairman as per Article 151 (7) of the Constitution. Secondly, the no-confidence motion has been passed in accordance with the Constitution, pursuant to Article 106 (6) on December 21, 2018 required the Government to hold Elections on or before March 2109 (Article 106 {7)).

There is no extension of time as per 106 (7) by resolution of two-third majority; all acts and things done become illegal and unconstitutional. The CCJ, by order of court, must validate all acts and things done after March 21, 2019 and set a date for election as was done FROM PAGE 6

Reckless...

pleted before an election date can be announced. I make no apology when I state that such a statement that falls outside of the mainstream of human reasonableness can only be derived from an irrational type of human; one of the many that aided the frenetic attempt to remove

the government, indulges in the realm of deepest unrealism, and both reckless and dangerous fantasy.

One wonders on which side of daily reality this professional resides.

Regards, Earl Hamilton

in the decision of Esther Pereira paragraph 3, which reads as follows: - “That fresh National and Regional

Elections shall be held in the Republic of Guyana on or before the 31st day of March, 2001.”

Accordingly, a date must be now set for Election by the CCJ. Expecting a favourable response

Regards, Saphier Husain Subedar Attorney-at-Law

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

ISA lauds Guyana’s advancements in solar energy

By Svetlana Marshall

THE International Solar Alliance (ISA), on Tuesday, applauded Guyana for the significant strides made in generating solar power in its quest of becoming a ‘Green State’.

Seven years after installing its first eight kilowatts demonstration solar power system, Guyana now has photovoltaic systems totalling five megawatts of solar power. It is currently preparing to commission its first solar farm, and according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr. Mahender Sharma, approximately six more solar farms are in the pipeline.

ISA Director of Governance, Resources and Innovation, Fiona Bourne, said it has been amazing to follow the journey of Guyana in adopting solar energy. According to her,

GEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mahender Sharma (centre) making his presentation during a panel discussion at the Green Economy ‘confab’ in Brazil.

With him from left are CAF Development Bank of Latin America’s Fernando Branger, and ISA’s Fiona Bourne Guyana’s progress is “very impressive and commendable.”

On Tuesday, during day two of the 2019 Americas Regional Ministerial Con-

ference on Green Economy in Fortaleza, Brazil, Dr. Sharma outlined Guyana’s progress in transitioning to solar energy, and its nearterm developmental plans.

In his discourse, the GEA Chief Executive Officer said Guyana has made “huge accomplishments” since its first pilot project in 2012. He explained that

the photovoltaic systems, totaling almost five megawatts, have been installed on government buildings.

Notwithstanding some delay, the country will, this year, commission its first 400KW Solar Farm in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini). The solar farm takes the form of a hybrid system, switching to batteries and then a generator in the absence of the sun. The country is now aiming to produce 80 megawatts of solar power. Dr. Sharma explained that shortly after Guyana became a member of the International Solar Alliance in January 2018, ISA and the Government of India assisted in drafting a Solar Roadmap.

According to him, the Solar Roadmap outlines how the country will generate a total of 80 megawatts of solar energy. Putting it into context, the GEA CEO explained that with a population of approximately 750,000 people, the peak demand on the national grid is approximately 115 megawatts of electricity.

“So 80 megawatts of solar is huge in that context,” he told leaders of Latin America and Caribbean, while addressing the topic of ‘Solar Investment: Transition to a Green Economy.’

“The 80 megawatts are broken down by solar panels that are connected to the grid and solar panels that are off grid. So the 80 megawatts comprise of 30 megawatts of on-grid solar and 50 megawatts of off-grid,” he further explained. It was also explained that the off-grid demand is higher due to the fact that a number of communities are located far from the national grid, making it uneconomical to connect via transmission lines.

In the case of these farflung communities, Dr. Sharma said it is more feasible to set up “isolated home systems or mini grids.”

The Solar Roadmap has been transformed into a proposal, and has since been submitted to ISA. Government, Dr. Sharma noted, is also pursuing a Line of Credit with the Government of India for the conduct of a feasibility study, and the possible financing of some of its solar energy projects.

ISA provides a global platform for cooperation among countries to help achieve the common goal

of increasing the use of solar energy in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable matter.

The GEA CEO believes that Guyana can benefit significantly from ISA’s Demand Aggregation and Pipeline Programme.

Through this programme, ISA intends to significantly drive down prices by aggregating 1000MW demand for mini-grids and rooftop solar across member countries.

Already, Guyana, Dr. Sharma, reported has received financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the development of three solar farms – 1.5 megawatts, 1 megawatt and .6 megawatts.

“By mid-2020, towards the end of 2020, we should have installations commencing on the ground,” he said while adding the farms should be operational by 2021.

In January 2019, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), through the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), approved a US$8M loan for Guyana to install 5.2 megawatts grid-connected solar PV systems. These systems, Dr. Sharma explained, will spread across three solar farms in the hinterland regions of Guyana. This initiative is intended to reduce residents’ dependency on fossil fuel and increase the reliability of electricity supply in the hinterland. “So it is likely that we will sign a future agreement to finance an additional three solar farms, largely for our mini grids in the hinterland and remote areas of the country,” he said.

The GEA is also hoping to tap into the US$80M that has been made available by the Government of Norway through the REDD+ Financial Scheme. It is hoping to use a percentage of the US$80M to set up its ongrid solar system.

It was noted that the country’s shift towards solar power is aligned with its ‘Green State Development Strategy (GSDS):Vision2040’ and its ‘Green Economy Plan’.

Dr. Sharma had formed part of a panel during the discussion on ‘Solar Investment: Transition to a Green Economy.’

The other panelist was CAF Development Bank of Latin America, Senior Executive (Energy Projects), Fernando Branger.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Errant housing contractors put on notice … Minister Ferguson calls for stern action

MINISTER with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson, was passionate in her stance that if contractors building houses for the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) in the Perseverance Housing Development cannot get their acts together, their contracts should be discontinued Accompanied by CH&PA Chief Executive Officer, Lelon Saul, and Director of Projects, Omar Narine, the minister conducted a walk about in the Perseverance East Bank, Demerara housing scheme on Tuesday, where she met with a number of residents who voiced their concerns about certain aspects in the construction of their homes. “If the contractor is failing let us move to another contractor,” the minister suggested, noting that: “It is unfair to the beneficiaries to pay a mortgage and on top to pay rent too. My words will have weight. Because at the end of the day it is the poor people that are suffering so I’m saying let’s get this matter addressed.”

One of the residents lead the Minister to her home, which was one of five being constructed by a single contractor. The homes were not completed, while several of the yards were overrun with bushes.

“What I am seeing here is that no work is moving. All

these houses have bushes, nobody working on these properties,” Ferguson commented.

The resident noted that works on the home had been moving apace up to her inspection of the home in December, 2018, when most of the work had already been completed with just a few minor details remaining. However since then, she says, hardly any efforts have been made to complete the homes.

“It started back in January at snail’s pace and five months down the line still nothing isn’t finished. The lights for the outside are not in, the cupboards are not in, they haven’t finished ‘neating’ up certain parts of the house and the septic tank is not done,” she informed the minister and CH&PA officials.

The contractor was immediately contacted and promised to visit the minister to discuss the situation which is causing the delay in the completion of those homes.

The minister was invited into the homes of several of the residents to view the flaws.

She was also accompanied by an engineer from the CH&PA. “The beneficiaries would’ve identified a number of defects on the houses. We got some issues with the flooring, issues with septic tank, issues with leaking roofs, issues with leaking in the toilet facilities. I have given commitment that once the defects

are within the liability period we will have them addressed.

The engineer has assured me that some works will commence before the end of this week,” the minister noted.

“At least within a month’s time we have to look at these issues. I have to hold my officers accountable because some persons are reluctant of occupying the homes unless these defects are addressed.

Some of them have commenced paying mortgages and it’s very heartrending when you are paying mortgage and you cannot move in to start enjoying your home.”

Residents also highlighted their concerns over the unkempt state of the some of the yards of some of the unoccupied homes which are overgrown with weeds.

The minister’s visit follows another visit to the housing development by the President, David Granger, and other ministers earlier this month.

At that event the President noted his hope to see homelessness abolished under his government.

“As his Excellency President David Granger would’ve said over a month ago, he believes in ensuring that our people are properly housed.

He wants to see the abolishment of homelessness in the country. That’s why parts of Perseverance and Prospect were identified to construct reasonable houses so that we

Minister with responsibility for housing, Annette Ferguson (front row, third from right) was accompanied by CH&PA Director of Projects, Omar Narine (front row, second from right) on a visit to the Perseverance Housing Development last Tuesday (Adrian Narine photo) can address these housing problems here in Guyana,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson noted that the government is still working towards solutions toward addressing the mass demand in Guyana. “I want to make it clear this government inherited this huge backlog so this is not an issue that was created by this government,

but now we are in the driving seat so we must find ways and means to address the housing problems here in Guyana. So I am just asking my Guyanese brothers and sisters be patient and work with your government, stand up for your government.

Let’s work together to address these major issues that your government is confront-

ed with,” she said.

Ferguson said her Tuesday visit is in keeping with the government’s commitment to bring affordable housing to all.

Perseverance and the Prospect Housing Scheme, also on the East Bank, were dedicated to providing housing to low and middle-income earners.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Jagdeo open to daily meetings … to appoint chairman of GECOM

OPPOSITION Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said he will make himself available to meet with President David Granger “at any time” and “on a daily basis if needs be” with regards to the selection of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This was detailed in a letter dispatched to Director General of the Minis-

try of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira.

President Granger had invited Jagdeo to a meeting “to discuss the current political situation in Guyana resulting from the decisions of the Caribbean Court of Justice [CCC], made on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

The need for the meeting comes fol-

President David Granger greets Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo at a previous engagement lowing the June 18 CCJ ruling that the December 2018 motion of no-confidence against the government was successfully passed and that the process of appointing Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM was flawed.

The court then postponed its June 24, 2019 expected issuance of consequential orders until July 12 to facilitate submissions from parties involved on the factors they believe should influence the court’s decision.

The CCJ also expects the two political leaders and the legal officials who represented them in the cases before the court, to meet to determine whether a compromise can be met prior to the next court session.

The two political leaders must not only decide on the appointment of a new chairman, but also on a timeframe for credible elections.

However, in the letter dispatched to Harmon, Teixeira only indicated the opposition leader’s interest in the appointment of a new GECOM Chair.

She also stated that the decision to meet comes following the court’s ruling and the resignation of Patterson which was announced earlier on Tuesday to have taken effect the previous day.

“With regards to the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling on June 18 [2019] CCJ 9 (AJ), and, following the announcement today that the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson has resigned, l wish, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo, M.P., to inform you that Mr. Jagdeo is prepared to meet with the President at any time, and, on a daily basis if needs be, to address the appointment of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission consistent with the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice on June 18, 2019,” the

letter stated.

The government has outlined, in its proposal that the registration of persons for the purpose of ascertaining who is qualified to be an elector is by ‘house-to- house visits’, as provided for under Section 3(1) of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act of 2000. “General and Regional Elections shall be held on the National Register of Registrants/ Central Register under the National Registration Act, which Register is to be prepared by ‘house-to-house visits’ pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 of the National Registration Act as amended by the National Registration (Amendment) Act No. 31 of 2007,” the government asserted.

On the issue of the chairman of the Elections Commission, the government has asserted that account must be taken of the de facto doctrine that all acts done by the chairman while he purported to perform the duties of chairman shall be declared valid.

Additionally, it has proposed that “before the list is formally handed over to the President in order to facilitate the appointment of a chairman of the Elections Commission, the President and the leader of the opposition shall communicate with each other, in good faith, not excluding meeting face-toface, with a view to agreeing to a list of six persons who meet the eligibility criteria, not unacceptable to the President, from which the President shall select a Chairman of the GECOM in accordance with the Constitution as expeditiously as possible.”

The President, since the court’s ruling, has expressed his respect for the decisions made and his openness to engage with the leader of the opposition as it relates to developments within the country.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Gold price climbs past U.S.$1400 per ounce THE price per ounce of gold on Tuesday climbed to U.S.$1431, the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has reported, the highest it has reached over the past six years.

Figures posted on the GGB’s Facebook page indicate that this week there has been a sudden increase in the price, which has been hovering between U.S.$1200 and U.S.$1300 over the past several months.

The rise in prices globally has been attributed to several factors, including geopolitical tensions on the world scene among other factors.

According to a Reuters report, gold

looks set for further gains after rising bets on lower interest rates, a weaker dollar and confrontations between the United States and other countries including China and Iran, catapulted prices to the six-year highs.

The report on Tuesday stated that gold has leapt 10% in four weeks, breaking above technical resistance which has thwarted every rally for half a decade to rise above U.S.$1,400 an ounce for the first time since 2013.

The U.S. Federal Reserve forecasts that the price can climb past the US$1500 mark

by year-end.

According to MarketWatch.com, the U.S. and Iran have been involved in tense exchanges recently and this too have impacted prices. “Further tensions in the Middle East could bid gold prices higher through haven demand in the short term,” said Maxwell Gold, director of investment strategy at Aberdeen Standard Investments, though “key factors in control of gold right now are rates and recession fears.”

The demand for the metal as well as the emergence of new markets, have also impacted the price.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

GECOM chair resigns JUSTICE (ret’d) James Patterson has tendered his resignation from the post of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that his appointment was “flawed” and thereby unconstitutional.

His resignation took effect on Monday June 24, 2019.

On Tuesday, Justice (ret’d) Patterson met with President David Granger who thanked him for his service over the past 20 months.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Presidency, in a release, has since listed the post as “vacant”.

Justice Patterson was appointed as GECOM Chair in October 2017 by President Granger who believed Patterson to be someone with no political affiliation and who possessed the general characteristics of honesty, integrity, faithfulness and diligence.

While Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo had sent to President Granger three lists, a total of 18 names for selection for the post, the Head of State found those to be unacceptable.

As such, on October 19, 2017, President Granger activated the proviso in Article 161 (2) and appointed Patter-

son as GECOM’s Chair.

Such was in keeping with Article 161(2) which says the Commission’s Chairman “shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”

In objection, Executive Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Zulfikar Mustapha, moved to the High Court, in October 2017, to declare that the appointment of Patterson as unconstitutional.

The case was brought against Attorney General, Basil Williams by Mustapha who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall.

The applicant argued that the retired judge could not be politically impartial and independent in the discharge of his functions.

He had asked the Court

to grant an order “setting aside the appointment” of Patterson and to choose a person from the 18 nominees submitted.

However, the decision of the High Court and later the Court of Appeal validated the process of appointing Justice (Ret’d) Patterson.

Taking the matter further, to Guyana’s highest court of appeal, it was later ruled by the Trinidad-based CCJ that Patterson’s appointment was unconstitutional on the basis that the process was flawed.

The CCJ ruled that the President and the Opposition Leader ought to have met prior to the submission of the list and consulted on names.

CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders explained that consultation between the President and the opposition leader would have allowed for consensus and submission of a list of six persons who would have reached the eligibility requirements.

“Nothing in this judgment is intended, in the slightest degree, to cast aspersions on the competence and suitability of Justice Patterson for the position of Chairman of GECOM. Nor is there anything to suggest that His Excellency acted otherwise than in good faith,” Justice Saunders stated.

Since the decision on

Action sheet to monitor City Officers AN ‘action sheet’ has been added to the agenda of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) in an effort to help the officers keep track of progress being made on decisions taken by the council.

Mayor Ubraj Narine asked that the action sheet be approved and councillors voted in favour of the request after Councillor Heston Bostwick moved a motion to the effect and

Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore second it.

The mayor observed that decisions are often taken by the M&CC, but no follow up is done on them. He noted that the council tends to only deal with decisions taken at previous statutory meetings.

The new action sheet will feature all decisions taken by the council as of last January.

City Councillors on Monday took a decision to add an action sheet to their agenda

June 18, 2019, President Granger has indicated his intention of re-initiating the process of appointing a new Chairman and also made known the government’s respect for the court’s ruling.

“The Government of Guyana reiterates its acceptance of the CCJ ruling in the case of Zulfikar Mustafa and the Attorney General of Guyana and the Chairman of the Guyana

Elections Commission,” the Ministry of the Presidency reminded in a release on Tuesday.

The CCJ has since requested that GECOM’s Senior Counsel, Stanley Marcus, as well as other parties involved in the no-confidence vote against the government, come to a consensus on a possible way forward on these matters prior to July 12, 2019.

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Former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

GTUC calls on political leaders to ‘arrive at a consensus’

THE Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has expressed its disappointment in the lack of constructive engagement between the country’s main political leaders on matters relating to the holding of elections.

In a release on Monday, it stated that such engagements are the epitome of “inclusionary democracy” and should be had despite the existence of differing views.

GTUC’s message in the media comes even as President David Granger has invited Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, to meet but, even before the meeting, Jagdeo has crossed off the option of compromise.

Earlier on Monday, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), postponing its issuance of consequential orders in relation to the no-confidence vote and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman appointment, had urged the two sides to come to a compromise.

Only hours later, Jagdeo invited media operatives to a press conference where he stated: “We will insist on elections being held within three months consistent with our Constitution and when I meet with President Granger that is a non-negotiable. What is also non-negotiable is us going back to Parliament to extend the life of this government.”

The stance taken on

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo behalf of his opposition party may very well make futile the urges of the CCJ, as the body acknowledged both the need for elections to be held by the shortest possible time and the need for credible elections.

The coalition government believes that no such “credible” elections can be held in Guyana without the conduct of house-to-house registration which would add thousands of now-eligible youths to the List and remove a greater number of dead and non-resident persons.

However, the opposition is in favor of snap elections and believes that GECOM is capable of utilising the now-expired April 30, 2019 Voter’s List patched up through a claims and objections period.

This expired list has

not been thoroughly cleansed through houseto-house registration since 2008.

During the court session on Monday, CCJ Judge, Justice Winston Anderson questioned the consideration of a fixed three-month period for the holding of “credible elections” as Guyana’s Law mandates.

Challenged to give his definition for “credible elections” he stated: “elections in which the people of Guyana have confidence that their will is accurately expressed”.

Despite the protests of scores of Guyanese across the country for the holding of houseto-house registration on Friday, the opposition leader has referred to the concern that the youth,

especially, will be disenfranchised as “a total lie”.

The GTUC stated in its release: “It is only through constructive engagement we can resolve differences. The reluctance of either or both to heed the advice to engage in this process can only be seen as contributing to a disastrous situation in the future. Their individual and collective actions and inactions are failing Guyana.

“Regardless of how differently they interpret the law, CCJ rulings reinforces [that] our political leaders are required to engage and give meaning that would bring resolution. This is consistent with the spirit and intent of Article 106(7) and Article 13 of the Guy-

ana Constitution. Both require engagement, cooperation and inclusion.”

The body added that the meetings ought not to be “cosmetic” but mechanisms should be put in place for continuous engagements.

“We must move from the lowest level of political engagement to a level of maturity. Our political leaders must demonstrate they have the capacity and wherewithal to arrive at a consensus that will bring this nation together as one and move us forward.

They must set the tone for civil engagement. Failing to satisfy this minimum of requirement may bring into question their ability to rise above partisanship and put Guy-

President David Granger ana first…this must be consistent with the spirit and intent of the Constitution which they have sworn to uphold,” the GTUC

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

51 public servants recognised for outstanding service FIFTY-one public servants, representing various ministries, departments and agencies were recognised for their years of service to the government and country.

For their dedicated efforts, the government hosted an awards ceremony at the Baridi Benab, State House Monday morning.

During her remarks, Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley expressed appreciation for the commitment shown by the public servants over the years. “We thought it fitting to recognise those persons who stuck the course.

Many of you have worked through several administrations, this act of service shows a love for the people of Guyana and a recognition by yourself of the integral role played by public servants in the development process of your country.”

The Public Service Minister particularly acknowledged the employees who had reached the age of retirement but continued to dedicate their time and efforts to the nation. She appealed to them to use their knowledge a teachable tool to guide the younger public servants. Minister Sarabo-Halley reminded that public service must be more than executing a job efficiently and honestly; it must be a complete dedication to the people and the nation. As such, the Public Service Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to the development of the public service sector.

“I promise that as your minister, and in keeping with the commitment of the Government of Guyana, we will together move the public service from where it is currently to a position of respect and eminence… a Public Service you will continue to be proud to be part of; delivering high quality, efficient and responsive service worthy of respect and deserving of reward,” she declared.

Echoing similar sentiments was Public Service Commission member, Mortimer Livan who called on the public servants to “function to the best of their ability” and to ensure that there is accountability in everything they do. The list of awardees comprised of employees who gave their time and efforts to the development of Guyana – with some stalwarts serving for almost five decades.

Present at the event was Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams. The United Nations declared June 23 as Public Service Day to celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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Minister of State, Hon. Dawn Hastings-Williams (5th from left) and Minister of Public Service, Hon. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley (6th from left) take a photo with the awardees

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

China’s agriculture vice minister elected new head of UN food agency FAO ROME, June 23 (Xinhua) - Chinese vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Qu Dongyu was elected as new head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) here on Sunday.

He is the first Chinese official to be chosen as the head of the FAO, in the over 70-year-long history of the UN food agency.

which is the highest governing body of the organization.

The ongoing 41st session of the Conference opened on June 22, and would last through June 29.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in 1945, and it comprises of 194 member states, plus one member organization (the European Union) and two associate members (the Faroe Islands and SINGLE-ROUND VOTING Tokelau).

His election took place during the China has joined the organization since Indeed, in guiding the agency towards the Sustainable ongoing 41 session of the FAO Conferits inception, and has long been a major conence, which has gathered representatives from all of the Development Goals (SDGs) related to agriculture, food tributor to the agency’s activities and especially to FAO’s agency’s 194 member states at the headquarters in the security, and nutrition -- as set by the UN Agenda 2030 -- South-South Cooperation Program. the new FAO Director-General would have to increasingly Italian capital.

According to the agency, FAO specific activities in Qu received 108 votes out of 191 totally cast, obtaining deal with the results of climate change and geopolitical China focus on five priorities, including strengthening the majority in one single round of voting. He won over instability at global level. capacity for quality and safety management of agricultural Both factors heavily affect the resilience to natural products, boosting capacity to respond to diseases, climate other two candidates, namely French agronomist Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, a former executive director of change and natural disasters, and promoting sustainthe European Food Safety Authority, and Georgia’s able agro-ecological development. ex-minister of Agriculture Davit Kirvalidze.

IMF’s Lagarde says trade tensions will benefit Two of the original five candidates -- one from none India and one from Cameron -- had pulled out from KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Trade the run in the days before the vote. tensions between the United States and China will Qu, 56-year-old, pledged to work at the best of his not benefit any party over the long term, Managing efforts “for the people and the farmers” in his fourDirector of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) year mandate.

Christine Lagarde said here on Monday.

“As FAO’s new Director-General, I will be Speaking at a press conference at the Bank committed to the original inspirations, mandate, and Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery here, mission of the organization,” Qu told the assembly Lagarde said the climate of trade tension was not immediately after being elected. conducive to global trade, and countries such as “(I will) Take my responsibility at the supervision Malaysia, which were deeply involved in the supply of conferences... in a rule-based approach, and I will chain, could see sluggish growth. uphold the principles of fairness, openness, justice, “We don’t take a political view, but what we and transparency, remaining impartial and neutral.” observe and have been observing is that trade tenHe added that he was very grateful to his mothsions, trade wars are beneficial to none,” she said. erland. “Without (China’s) forty years of successful Specifically on the Malaysian economy, reforms and opened-up policy, I would not have been Lagarde said the IMF had forecast a growth of 4.5 who I am,” he said. percent, lower than the predictions of the MalayThe new DG will start serving his term on Aug. 1, sian authorities and this was attributed to the trade replacing Brazilian Jose Graziano Da Silva, who has tensions. Lagarde said the IMF was concerned that led the agency for two consecutive terms since he was trade tensions would slow the global economy next elected in 2011. year, pointing to the 25-percent tariffs on certain Qu’s mandate will last until July 31, 2023.

Chinese goods by the United States.

“We are concerned that trade tensions could FOOD SECURITY actually have a significant impact on global growth In congratulating him for the victory, outgoing and the work that we want done at the IMF indichief Graziano da Silva wished his successor “to lead cates that we could fear a reduction of 0.5 percent the organization on the construction of a zero-hunger of global growth in 2020” as a result of the tariffs, world and on the promotion of sustainable food sysshe said.

Chinese vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Qu Dongyu tems healthy for all”.

She added that short-term diversions of the “We hope and believe that under the leadership of supply chain to other countries may seem to Mr. Qu, the FAO can make new and bigger achievement. disasters and to food and resource shortages of vulner- present opportunities, but these would not necessarily China will fully cooperate with the FAO in all aspects for able people -- and especially of rural communities -- in develop into a longer-term development resulting in world food security and the development of agriculture developing countries, concretely feeding hunger around capital expenditure and foreign direct investment to and rural areas,” Chinese Agriculture and Rural Affairs the world. contribute to the real development of those affected.

The election of the new Director-General took place “So nobody wins a trade war. That’s for sure,” she Minister Han Changfu told Xinhua on the sidelines of the during the second day of the biennial FAO Conference, said. conference.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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Insanitary Sheriff Street restaurant temporarily closed

A POPULAR restaurant on Sheriff Street, whose specialties include roti, was asked to close its doors for a few days after the facility was inspected by officers of the Mayor and City Council’s Public Health Department.

Acting Chief Meat and Food Inspector, Onika Alleyne, told the City Council on Monday that the restaurant was asked to immediately close its doors and do some clean-up works. It was found to be in an unsanitary state, she said.

According to her, the owners of the restaurant complied and hence, permission was granted for it to reopen to the public.

“Food handlers need to… take the time and the care to provide safe food to persons.

If caught doing otherwise, they will have to face some kind of consequence,” Alleyne had said previously, even as the M&CC noted that there is an “acute” shortage of public health staff, both at the level of the food hygiene inspectorate and the environmental health officers.

“We have to look at upgrading their remuneration so that we can attract them and keep them,” the M&CC had further observed.

Alleyne, too, agreed that the municipality’s capacity to conduct inspections is not at an excellent level and that more inspectors are needed on the team.

With regards to fruits being sold on the streets, especially those already cut into portions, Alleyne questioned where vendors obtain water to wash their fruits; and noted the contamination that comes from selling in high-traffic areas. “So this is a serious issue. Possibly, persons who are ill and their immune system is compromised would be eating these fruits,” she had explained.

Then there are those coconut water vendors who are using no standard process to sterlise their bottles. “We would like to urge coconut

vendors to desist from selling in the bottles and allow persons to come with their own containers,” she said.

Alleyne said school vendors should be properly clothed and items such as egg balls and phoulouri should be

Acting Chief Meat and Food Inspector, Onika Alleyne stored at the correct temperatures. She noted that children are vulnerable and hence vendors should use best practices when dealing with them. Furthermore, for those who sell fruit juices, these should be properly bottled and labelled to establish traceability.

“Street vendors serve a good purpose, but food vendors need to provide hot and cold holdings in the form of warmers and coolers for their foods. They should also improvise a method to have water available for washing their hands,” Alleyne recommended.

The M&CC had said that some of the troubling concerns of the municipality relate to poor storage of foods and beverages, unlabelled packages and bottles with things for human consumption, insanitary preparation areas, kitchens, close proximity of washrooms to preparation areas, violation of dress code by food handlers and the general physical condition of some eating houses and provision shops.

“You would never believe some of the things our public health inspectors see in the course of their duties,” M&CC said.

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90 bags of flour seized

THE Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has seized almost 90 bags of flour from several shops as part of an ongoing campaign against repackaging of the staple under unhealthy conditions.

According to a GAFDD statement, its inspectors

scrutinised several retail firms in Georgetown and on the lower East Coast corridor, where the repackaging practice is prevalent.

The GAFFD release also noted that smaller quantities of the repackaged food item are offered for sale to the public, in unlabelled plastic bags.

The Food and Drug Department said the prevalent practice violates the country’s Food and Drug Act (Chapter 34:03) and the Food and Drug Regulations Section (18) (1) and Part (6) (2) of the 1971 Food and Drug Act. “Importers and distributors who persist in

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

A parcel of the ‘improperly packaged’ flour that was seized repackaging under insanitary conditions will leave the department with no other alternative than to rescind their licences/permits to repackage and/or import wheaten flour in 45Kg bags,” the release warned.

The GAFDD promised that similar exercises will be conducted nationwide

by enforcers of the National Food and Safety Control Committee, who will be authorised to carry out the implement action against wrongdoers, in their respective regions.

The department advised the public to purchase flour in properly-labelled bags, to help protect their health and safety.

Caribbean, Alaska airlines sign interline agreement CARIBBEAN Airlines Cargo has entered into an agreement with Alaska Airlines, with the aim of expanding its cargo network by a further 16 destinations.

According to a press statement from Caribbean Airlines, the arrangement enables the movement of cargo to several popular locations such as Anchorage, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon and Nevada.

The airline continues to execute its mandate to facilitate cargo shipments to all corners of the globe.

Caribbean Airlines also has interline agreements with British Airways, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic and many others, making easy the movement of cargo to all continents at special rates. Urgent shipments can be expedited by using Caribbean Airlines cargo priority shipping.

Chief Executive Officer, Garvin Medera said Caribbean Airlines Cargo provides solutions to meet customers’ cargo needs.

“We work with our airline partners to provide a wide range of options which enable us to serve far-reaching destinations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South America,” he said.

The airline also offers direct service to 80 per cent of Caribbean islands, through its network of frequent passenger flights and multiple all-cargo freighter services.

Caribbean Airlines Cargo caters to the special needs of the oil and gas industry through the transportation of large and oversized time-sensitive pieces.

The airline is also well known for its professional handling and experience in shipping general cargo, live animals, perishables, human remains, dangerous goods, valuable cargo and diplomatic documents.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

CSSP skills training benefitted over 800 youths

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–– beneficiaries calling on others to make the most of opportunity

“IT has given me the opportunity to learn what I missed in secondary school,” young Ricquan Adams exclaimed.

Adams is one of 838 youths who have thus far benefitted from skills training under the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP). The programme, which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) at the cost of US$15M, comprises three components. The first component seeks to reduce crime and violence at the community among young people with 12,000 young people slated to receive technical and vocational training. Twenty communities in Regions One, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 are expected to benefit.

The competency-based training will lead to the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Level One certification or its equivalent. Additionally, they are offered a monthly stipend coupled with continuous psychological and mentorship support. Adams is calling on youths like himself to take advantage of the opportunity being provided.

“The stipend helps me out by providing transportation fees to get me to classes; to get footwear, [and] clothes.

I want the youths out there to follow my steps and do what I [am] doing. I want them to follow me and stop the hanging out on the corner and smoking.”

Kinana Baker is another beneficiary of the CSSP skills training and a graduate of the Carnegie School of Home Economics. Baker completed the first semester in dressmaking and is currently pursuing her second year. She urged youths to grasp at the second chance being provided to become a productive citizen. “I would just like them to come out and support and encourage the youths to take this step forward and realise that it is a good chance and a good opportunity and see what it has to offer,” the young lady urged.

Upon completion of the training, young people will benefit from job readiness and placement services. The aim is to help them foster the appropriate skills to function in the work environment effectively.

Training institutions include New Amster-

dam Technical Institute (NATI), Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Carnegie School of Home Economics, Sophia Special School, and Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC).

(DPI)

Graduates from the Sophia Training Centre along with IDB and Ministry of Public Security officials

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Summer camp to prepare Guyanese for digital industry

By Vishani Ragobeer

THE Guyana Animation Network (GAN) will feature training in animation, specifically targeting Guyanese youth, at its fourth annual summer camp.

President of the Guyana Animation Network (GAN), Francine Leitch, told the Guyana Chronicle

that animation is a growing industry in the Caribbean and worldwide and it is imperative Guyanese ready themselves for available opportunities.

GAN, she explained, is focused on fostering an environment where digital media and specifically animation, can be learnt and promoted.

Over the past few years, the body has been promoting the development of skills in the creative sector.

“What we realised when we were preparing to do our first summer camp (four years ago) was that persons were not aware of what animation entails, the scope of animation and all that it entails,” Leitch explained.

FLashback! The launch of the Guyana Animation Network (GAN)’s Summer Camp last year, at the University of Guyana (UG) Resultantly, Leitch noted that the network decided that it needed to develop a foundation in the creative field as a prerequisite to developing animation in Guyana. This foundation encompassed creating awareness on what animation is and entails, and the scope it could have as an industry.

Moreover, it becomes pertinent for persons to learn the “building blocks”, according to Leitch, who explained that it was for this reason that the three camps held in the years prior featured: traditional art, digital illustrating and then, last year, comic art.

“This year, when we thought that we had done enough of the foundation, especially for the persons coming through from the previous years, we thought it was time to introduce animation,” she said.

GAN would usually conduct an online poll to determine what persons wanted the summer camp to focus on, and coincidentally, animation was favoured.

This is being offered to participants from as young as five years old, all the

way to persons 35 years old. It is the aim of the network to train the local participants in animation by fusing traditional and digital technologies to create simulated environments and products that reflect a ‘digital Guyana’.

The training will run from July 15 to 20, 2019 from 10:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs daily, at the University of Guyana (UG), Turkeyen Campus.

As part of the summer camp, several experts will be coming to Guyana to train Guyanese youth for the one-week period.

Moving forward, GAN would like to focus on game design, a buildup from animation.

“We have regional counterparts that are experts in game design and that is one area we want to explore, but the animation [component] needed to be there first,” the President related, adding: “This summer camp is a mixture of things; there is animation, a little bit of [computer] coding and it touched on game design, which will lead up to the future.”

West Bank man guilty of dangerous driving … fined $150,000, licence revoked

LEON David, who was charged with dangerous driving, was on Tuesday found guilty in absentia by Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Providence Magistrate’s Court and was fined $150,000.

David, of 445 Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme, also had his driver’s licence revoked.

It was alleged that on March 2, 2019, David drove his motor vehicle PWW6964 in a manner dangerous to the public along the Diamond Access Road, East Bank Demerara. It was also alleged that David was also involved in another accident the same day, with motor vehicle PJJ 9539.

The driver of PJJ 9539, Jatardra Ramlachan, appeared in court, but David was a no-show.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Beyoncé’s publicist to headline local women’s conference

By Vishani Ragobeer

YVETTE Noel Schure, publicist of internationally-acclaimed artiste Beyoncé, will headline a local Women’s Business and Leadership conference which aims to empower scores of women in Guyana and in the Caribbean.

The conference, organised by WeLead Caribbean, and held under the title ‘PowHERful: Transition from Inspiration to Action’, will be held on September 18 and 19 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“At this year’s conference, we are aiming for more

Yvette Noel Schure, publicist of internationally-acclaimed artiste Beyoncé inclusive women across Guyana and the Caribbean,” local entrepreneur and President of WeLead Caribbean, Abbigale Loncke said.

She added: “Our hope is to cater to not just women in business, but women in leadership roles and those desiring to take care of their lives.”

At the September edition of the conference, which is the third to date of the PowHERful series, women are expected to benefit from two full days of motivational presentations in various areas, including leadership, finances, networking and branding.

“My inspiration behind creating this conference is to empower women to take the lead; to get up and out of their comfort zone and take appropriate actions to create changes in our society,” Loncke said.

She also explained that Schure was chosen because she has a passion for women’s development in the Caribbean.

“I’m so excited to have Yvette as the keynote speaker, because, as a Caribbean woman, she can relate to all of our successes and struggles. And the fact that she helped to mold one of the biggest superstars in the world – Beyoncé – means that she knows how to bring out the best in women,” Loncke said, adding that the woman’s experience and her work in entrepreneurship ties in perfectly with this year’s theme.

First Lady Sandra Granger and US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, are also expected to give the feature addresses. There will also be presentations from the First Lady of Jamaica, Patricia Allen, and other local, regional and international speakers.

Tickets for the event cost $15,000 (US$75.00), and can be purchased in Guyana from Eco For Life, 7 North Rd; 592 Tees Courtyard Mall, Robb St; Beaton’s Boutique, at Reliance, Essequibo; and Online via eventbrite page via key phrase, Powherful Womens Leadership Conference.

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Guyana looking to close Gold Cup campaign today with win

By Rawle Toney in Kansas City (Compliments of Let’s Bet Sports)

TODAY, Guyana will play their final game in the 2019 Gold Cup against rivals Trinidad and Tobago at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

That game, according to head coach Michael Johnson, will bear no consequence on Guyana’s showing at the confederation’s marquee tournament, but rather will provide opportunities for more members of the senior men’s national team to be seen.

After two games (against USA and Panama), Golden Jaguars conceded four goals, while scoring two, while their opposition, Soca Warriors, had eight goals scored against them, while failing to find the back of the net.

“It’s easy for me, we’re enjoying this moment, and a number of the players have done themselves some justice. We’re talking about Neil Danns, we’re talking about Terence Vancooten. The team will change drastically for our last game,” Johnson said following his side’s heartbreaking 4-2 defeat to Panama at the FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on June 22.

Johnson spoke about what the Gold Cup means to a number of the players on the national side, telling reporters “there are a number of opportunities and that’s one of the things this tournament brings - an opportunity for a number players to put themselves on a global map for clubs who may be interested in many of them.

“I would like to also think that we have done a lot of people proud. It was great to walk around the stadium and hear the cheers,” said the former Jamaican International.

IT’S BIGGER THAN FOOTBALL “We’ve had the opportunity to put Guyana on the global map and that has been great, but now it’s time for the Government to step up,” Johnson proclaimed, while answering a question about the impact about Guyana’s representation at the Confederation’s top tournament.

Being his usual candid self, the country’s head coach for their senior men’s national side said, “It’s time for investment into sport, it’s time for the opportunity for youngsters now,

who hopefully will be galvanised by the Gold Cup, seeing players that they know, players that they associate with, and hopefully this will help so many issues … there are so many interesting stories that are bigger than just this moment.”

Johnson continued, “… and this is what the emphasis really needs to be on … how do we sustain being a regular at the Gold Cup going forward; because we don’t want to just be a one-hit wonder. We want to be back here and (to be) improving over time.

“We’re realistic. It’s great to be here, we knew it was going to be tough, but now there is serious investment that needs to be going into sports and there will be some conversation between the powers-that be, to ensure that this is not just a one-off.”

EXPECT DRAMATIC CHANGES In the game against Panama, 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 was good enough to outplay Panama for the entire first half.

Looking ahead to the game against Trinidad and Tobago, Johnson posited, “I can tell you that our team will change dramatically for our final game … so there are a number of opportunities still to come, and that’s what a tournament like this one brings - opportunities for players to really put themselves on the global map.”

The team held their first training session in Kansas City on Monday at the Swope Soccer Village, where they worked on more tactical awareness for the Trinidadians.

Yesterday, at the Children’s Park Stadium in Kansas City, the side went through a light session in anticipation of their game against Trinidad tonight.

It is expected, based on Johnson’s reasoning, the likes of Pernell Schutlz, Ronayne Marsh-Brown, Kadell Daniel, Daniel Wilson, and goalkeeper Alex Murray will see some playing time.

FROM Lara recovering Destroyer Starc ... BACK PAGE following health scare arguably the tournament’s me, but it was just pleasing to get

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Iconic former West Indies batsman Brian Lara says he has been cleared of anything serious after being admitted to a hospital in Mumbai with chest pains yesterday.

In a message to fans and well-wishers, 50-year-old Lara said several of the tests completed by doctors at Mumbai’s Global Hospital in Parel had so far revealed “nothing major” and anticipated leaving hospital by today.

“I know everyone is very concerned about what is happening. I think I just extended myself too much in the gym this morning and was feeling a little bit of pain in my chest.

I just felt it was best to see a doctor and I was taken to the hospital,” said Lara, a former captain and the Windies record-holder for the most runs in Tests.

“The pain continued so obviously a lot of tests have been done. I’m just chilling in my hospital bed watching England versus Australia … but I’m going to be alright. Just letting everyone know I’m fine, recovering and I’ll be back in my hotel room tomorrow.

“Couple of the tests that came back already… the doctors were quite happy there was nothing major.”

Trinidadian Lara is currently in India performing duties as a media analyst for the ongoing World Cup in England. He is one of the renowned personalities in the game, having scored 11 953 runs in from 131 matches with 34 hundreds and 10 405 runs from 299 One-Day Internationals.

He still holds the records for the highest individual score in Tests – 400 not out – and in first class cricket – an unbeaten 501.

Lara quit international cricket in 2007 following the historic Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.

He assured fans he would be back on his feet shortly and returning to his normal schedule.

“I’ll be back in Trinidad and I’ll be back in full health very soon,” he said.

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most telling blow.

With the valiant Ben Stokes leading an England fightback that threatened to take the game away from Australia, Starc produced a near-unplayable 145-kph yorker that tailed back into the left-hander and hit the base of his off-stump.

Stokes, knowing he’d been felled in the tragic final act of his side’s chase, theatrically dropped his bat on the pitch and kicked it across the crease.

Incidentally, the last time the pair faced off at Lord’s in a one-dayer, they kicked off controversy when Stokes was given out obstructing the field after blocking a throw from Starc with his hand.

“We had a bit of a laugh. The last time we played one another at this ground was that one that came back at him,” said Starc, who also admitted they’d been wary of Stokes after his unbeaten 89 in their defeat to Sri Lanka.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’s one of their key batters.

“We knew while he was batting that we couldn’t just rest up, we couldn’t cruise. We had to try and take that wicket.

“Fortunately I got one through the gate but he was batting fantastically well today ... To execute that ball exactly how I wanted to was pleasing for

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the result.”

Australia have been crying out for a bowler to take the wicket-taking load off Starc and fellow speedster Pat Cummins, and Behrendorff showed he’s capable in producing the best performance of his international career.

The WA quick removed James Vince with the second ball of the innings, as well as fellow opener Jonny Bairstow, before cleaning up the tail.

The Aussies hadn’t opened the bowling with two left-armers since Starc and Johnson shared the new ball briefly during the 2015 World Cup. And while Australia have flipped and switched their bowling and batting combinations during the tournament, Starc believes fielding two southpaw quicks could be an effective tactic.

“I’ve bowled a fair bit with Mitch Johnson in the past and it showed again today there’s no reason why you can’t play two left-armers, especially when conditions suit and when the match-ups suit as well,” said Starc.

“He bowled us a fantastic starting over to set the tone. It was awesome. For someone in their second World Cup game, he bowled beautifully for his five (wickets) today.” (Cricket .com.au)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Copa America organisers ‘satisfied’ with use of VAR despite lengthy delays

By Richard Martin RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Copa America organisers CONMEBOL defended the use of video technology at the tournament after revealing VAR stoppages

had averaged two minutes 26 seconds per intervention, nearly double the time taken at the 2018 World Cup. The lengthy delays to play owing to VAR has led to whistling from disgruntled supporters and being criticised by

figures including Colombia coach Carlos Queiroz, just as the technology has become a huge topic of debate at the Women’s World Cup. CONMEBOL referees’ chief Wilson Seneme gave a news conference yesterday

after the conclusion of the group stage to discuss the use of VAR at the tournament and said there had been 17 interventions in the 18 games, with 11 on-screen reviews.

The average time per intervention easily eclipses the 80-second delays for VAR at the 2018 World Cup, the first major tournament where the technology was used.

The longest amount of stoppage time added on in the Copa was nine minutes in Brazil’s goalless draw with Venezuela, during which three goals were ruled out - two by VAR. The extra time for stoppages added in that game was dwarfed, however, by the 18 minutes added in England’s 3-0 win over Cameroon in the Women’s World Cup. “There have been no scandals and this gives us peace of mind. We are very satisfied with the result,” Seneme said, adding that 15 decisions were changed as a result of the technology’s use and two were upheld.

“We have been working on this since 2017 and the positive and negative results have allowed us to manage it well in 2019. The referee is still the

Japan’s Takefusa Kubo scores a goal that is later disallowed following a VAR review at Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez)

one who decides, VAR is there to help the decisions.”

Venezuela have had a total of four goals scored against them ruled out by VAR, and after they scraped a goalless draw with hosts Brazil after two late goals were chalked off, coach Rafael Dudamel delightedly declared “Long live VAR”.

Argentina meanwhile were losing to Paraguay when they were awarded a penalty which no-one had appealed for after VAR spotted that a shot from Lautaro Martinez had taken the slightest of deflections off the hand of Paraguay’s Ivan Piris.

Lionel Messi scored from the spot to salvage a 1-1 draw which proved crucial in his side’s progress to the last eight,

where they will face Venezuela.

Colombia coach Queiroz has been VAR’s fiercest critic at the tournament, saying it desperately needed to be reviewed after it denied his side a goal and overturned a penalty that had been awarded to them in a 1-0 win over Paraguay.

“Something has to change, because the fans are left confused and the players and coaches too. VAR was supposed to make football clearer and more objective but it’s doing the opposite,” he said.

“We need to have a rethink for the good of football because the fans are not happy about it and neither are we.”

Haiti top Group B, Bermuda bow out with win Bermuda striker Nahki Wells NEW JERSEY, USA (CMC) – Haiti won their third straight match to top Group B but Bermuda made the headlines as they won their first-ever match at the CONCACAF Gold Cup when they blanked hapless Nicaragua 2-0 here Monday.

Playing at Red Bull Arena, the Bermudans got second half goals from Lejaun Simmons and Nahki Wells to cap off a dominant display in their final match of the campaign.

Following defeats to Haiti and Costa Rica, Bermuda were desperate to take something from their historic outing in the continental competition, but again spurned several chances to take the lead in a goalless

first-half.

However, their fortune changed in the second half when Simmons gave them the lead in the 60th minute, latching on to a brilliant through ball out of the back, beating defender Josue Quijano with blistering pace before producing a superb low finish past goalkeeper Henry Maradiaga.

Bermuda continued to press and were rewarded in the 71st minute through the persistent England-based Nahki Wells who nodded in from close range following Simmons’ cross from the left flank.

In the headline game, Duckens Nazon and Djimy-Ben Alexis both netted in the second half as Haiti rebounded from a 0-1

deficit at half-time to beat Costa Rica 2-1.

Alvario Saborio had put Costa Rica in front in the 14th minute from close range after the Haitian defence failed to clear a loose ball.

However, Nazon led the revival when he equalised from the spot in the 57th minute and Alexis completed the turnaround for the French Caribbean side nine minutes from the end, blasting home a ferocious right-footed volley from a tight angle.

Haiti finished on nine points with Costa Rica on six, while Bermuda ended third with three points and Nicaragua last without a point or goal.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Mixed results on opening night of Noble House Indoor Hockey Championships THE first night of the 2019 Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey Championships saw mixed results with several clubs tasting victory in the men’s and women’s divisions.

The big winners of the night, however, were the GBTI GCC Spice who started on zero and rained in 16 unanswered goals to dominate their opponents YMCA OFHC Bellatrix.

The Bingo Spartans were the other female team to secure a win while GCC Vintage, SHC Splinters and YMCA OFHC Pacesetters were all victorious in the men’s division.

In the opening match on Monday night, the Bingo Spartans, beginning with a 5-goal handicap to the GBTI GCC Tigers 3, needed to defend tough, as their name suggested, and work the clock to hold off their senior opponents. It took the Tigers 13 minutes to finally break Spartans’ defence through a penalty stroke converted by national midfielder and former sportswoman-of-the-year Marzana Fiedtkou.

After a halftime which saw the scores at 5-4 for Spartans, striker Sandy Roopnarine capitalised on a first-minute defence error

by Spartans to squeeze in a second goal for Tigers. With scores even at 5-5, young Spartans striker Abosaide Cadogan became the heroine of her team as she sent a penalty corner flick high into the roof of Tigers’ net in the 27th minute.

Cadogan used her speed to outpace Tigers’ defence and she finished her second just two minutes later.

With Tigers down two, pressure was set once again on Spartans and captain Makeda Harding who had been solid in defence. Fiedtkou pulled her team within one, through a penalty corner late in the second half but the Tigers ran out of time and conceded the 7-6 victory to Spartans.

With the relatively new YMCA OFHC Bellatrix enjoying a 9-goal handicap, GBTI GCC Spice launched a full attack from the opening whistle. In the end, 16 unanswered goals, scored

by Spice, signalled that they are the team to beat in the female division. Ashley DeGroot led the scorer’s table with 5 goals while Macaela Harding scored 4, Gabriella Xavier finished with 3 and the Woodroffe sisters, Trisha and Dacia, each added two more.

In the men’s division,

defending champions GCC Vintage cruised to a comfortable 15-13 win over youthful YMCA OFHC Champs. With the Champs starting the match with 12 goals to Vintage 5, Vintage striker Dwayne Scott took on the challenge and secured a hat-trick in the opening 10 minutes. Patrick Edghill added a fourth Vintage goal just before the half, to leave the scores at 12-9 to YMCA. In the second half it was more Vintage as Scott equalled his first-half tally with three more goals in the second half while John Phang, Alan Fernandes and Jason Gomes each added singles.

The goal that brought the most noise from the crowd, however, was the final of the match and first for YMCA, when Daniel Woolford finished off a counterattack to score two minutes from full time. This goal was not be enough as GCC Vintage carted off the victory, 15-13.

SHC Splinters held off an onslaught by Bounty GCC who almost made up the sixgoal handicap deficit. With GCC beginning with 3 goals to Splinters’ 9, they scored four by halftime through brothers, Mark and Meshach Sargeant, and a double from Kevin Spencer.

Kwesi Lewis of the Splinters, however, scored a vital goal just before the half that would become the goal to separate the scores in the end. The Bounty boys mustered a pair of Kareem McKenzie goals in the second half after twice hitting the uprights but fell short by one, giving the SHC Splinters a 10-9 victory.

The final match of the night saw YMCA Old Fort Pacesetters hold off a strong challenge from SHC Slick Sticks by 12-11. After beginning the match with a 3-goal handicap deficit, Slick Sticks pulled themselves within one goal of drawing even with 10 minutes remaining. It was not until the penultimate minute however that the Pacesetters scored their lone goal of the evening through Steffon Simmons to go back up by two.

Shakeem Fausette scored in the final minute for Slick Sticks and gave their supporters some hope but the final buzzer went off too soon leaving Pacesetters to celebrate the 12-11 victory.

Games continue all week in the evenings from 17:00hrs and conclude on the weekend beginning at 14:00hrs on those days.

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Bushani Kaladeen of Bellatrix races against Vanessa Pires of Spice

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Martens sends NATI win Berbice YBG Netherlands through to National Schools Basketball maiden quarter-finals Festival Regionals final

Netherlands’ Lieke Martens scores their second goal from the penalty spot at Roazhon Park, Rennes, France.

The New Amsterdam Technical Institute registered a four-point win in the Berbice final

KADEEM Dover proved why he is rated as one of Guyana’s best U17 players when he shot the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) to a four-point win over the Berbice High School in the final of the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) National School Basketball Festival, which was played on Sunday in the Ancient County.

The combo guard, who finished as the competition’s most valuable player, scored 21 points in the 34-30 win.

Jeremy Williams finished with 12 points for NATI.

Timothy Harris with eight points and Charles Williamson with seven points were the main scorers for Berbice High.

Both schools have gained an automatic entry to the School Festival, which is scheduled to start this Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The tournament is sponsored by Edward B. Beharry & Company Ltd, Banks DIH LTD, Exxon Mobil and National Sports Commission.

Cameroon begin defence of Africa Cup of Nations crown with victory CAMEROON began the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations crown with victory over Guinea-Bissau in Group F. Yaya Banana opened the scoring for the Indomitable Lions, heading low into the net from Karl Toko Ekambi’s cross.

Stephane Bahoken capitalised on a defensive mix-up three minutes later to seal the points for Clarence Seedorf’s side.

Cameroon’s tournament preparations were disrupted by a row over bonuses, with the Indomitable Lions squad staging a sit-in protest before departing for Egypt.

The five-time winners started slowly in Ismailia but grew into the game, as the first half progressed, spurning several good opportunities to break the deadlock before the interval.

Christian Bassogog twice failed to hit the tar-

get from good positions, while Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa side-footed wide from Bassogog’s pass.

Full-back Joyskim Dawa Tchakonte and captain Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting both

forced fine saves out of Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Jonas Mendes, before quick-fire goals from Banana and Bahoken secured the win.

Piqueti went closest for Guinea-Bissau, heading against the post from Nad-

jack’s delivery.

Cameroon are next in action against fellow tournament favourites Ghana on Saturday (18:00hrs BST), while Guinea-Bissau take on Benin later that day (21:00hrs BST). (BBC Sport)

(REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson) RENNES, France (Reuters) to be more clinical,” said Ja- The Netherlands reached pan coach Asako Takakura. the women’s World Cup “Towards the end of the quarter-finals for the first match, in the second half, we time when Lieke Martens’ created chances and it was last-gasp penalty earned unfortunate that we could them a 2-1 victory against not convert them. I’m really Japan yesterday. frustrated for the girls.”

Martens put the Dutch in The Oranje dominated front after 17 minutes, only early on with Vivianne Miefor Yui Hasegawa to level on dema’s shot hitting the post the stroke of halftime, but the and they were rewarded in forward sent the European the 17th minute when Martens champions through with a back-heeled a corner into the spot kick in the last minute. net to open the scoring.

Japan, who hit the woodJapan, however, had work twice, dominated the their chances with Yuika second half but lacked the Sugasawa racing through finishing touch. only to see her curled shot The Netherlands, taking crash against the post. part in only their second They deservedly equalwomen’s World Cup, will ised two minutes before the play Italy in Valenciennes interval, as Hasegawa scored on Saturday after the Az- with a cool finish after being zurre beat China 2-0 earlier superbly played through by yesterday.

Mana Iwabuchi.

“We were standing in the The pace dropped after circle after the match and the break, with the Netherwe were so happy, yelling at lands controlling the match each other,” said Netherlands without putting Japan under coach Sarina Wiegman. the cosh.

“We were saying ‘let’s Japan only mustered continue writing history!’ half-chances until the 79th For the first time we got to minute, when Hina Sugita’s this stage at the World Cup. rising shot hit the crossbar just All the players then used this before Sari van Veenendaal mantra. was forced to save at full“We will enjoy this vic- stretch to deny Yuka Momiki. tory and only tomorrow we The game eventually will start thinking about went Netherlands’ way Italy.” when Saki Kumagai hanIt was a major setback for dled the ball in the area Japan, who had won the 2011 and Martens converted the World Cup and reached the resulting penalty. final of the previous edition.

The Netherlands’ victory “We knew it was going ensured that seven of the to be difficult. We played eight quarter-finalists were really calmly but we needed European.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday June 26, 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) 1992 & 1999 (2) Tilakaratne Dilshan & Upal Tharanga (SL vs ZIM, Kandy, 2011) (1) (2)

Cameroon, captained by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, made a winning start to their title defence yesterday

TODAY’S QUIZ: Who was named Man of the Match when the WI contested their first match in the current World Cup? Which team played in the first World Cup but not in the second?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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Clinical Aussies outclass England to reach World Cup semis

By Ed Osmond LONDON, England (Reuters) - Australia ruthlessly demolished England by 64 runs at Lord’s yesterday to march into the Cricket World Cup semi-finals and put the hosts in serious danger of failing to make the last four.

Captain Aaron Finch continued his fine form with a knock of 100 to lead Australia to 285 for seven after being put in to bat on a murky morning at the home of cricket.

England quickly collapsed to 26 for three and although Ben Stokes defied a calf injury to score a brave 89, England never seriously threatened to reach their target as Jason Behrendorff took five wickets and they were bowled out for 221 in the 45th over.

Australia’s sixth win in

seven games took the defending champions into the semi-finals while England, pre-tournament favourites, have now lost three matches and may need to beat India and New Zealand to

make the knockout stages.

“You don’t win the tournament if you don’t reach the semis. That’s the first bit ticked off,” said man-of-the-match Finch.

Aaron Finch’s century came from 115 balls. (Getty Images)

Left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff salutes his five-wicket haul. (Getty Images)

“England are a standout side, they are a team that can take you apart at stages. We found ways to keep getting wickets. Behrendorff bowled beautifully.”

England made a shocking start to their chase when James Vince was comprehensively bowled second ball for nought

by Behrendorff.

Mitchell Starc trapped Joe Root lbw for eight and captain Eoin Morgan, on four, hooked Starc to Pat Cummins at fine leg.

Stokes and Jonny Bairstow tried to engineer a recovery but Bairstow, on 27, played a wild heave off Behrendorff and gave Cummins another comfortable catch on the boundary.

PATIENT FIFTY Stokes reached a patient fifty off 75 balls and he and Jos Buttler added 71 before Buttler (25) tried to pull Marcus Stoinis for six and picked out Usman Khawaja running round the square leg boundary.

Stokes, struggling to run and requiring on-field treatment, launched Glenn Maxwell for two sixes and England had the faintest sniff of an unlikely win until Starc returned to the attack and bowled Stokes with a fierce yorker.

Moeen Ali was caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Behrendorff for six, Chris Woakes fell for 26 and Jofra Archer (one) became Behrendorff’s fifth victim before Adil Rashid was last man out for 25.

“I thought for a lot of today we were outplayed,” Morgan said.

“Losing early wickets was

not ideal and we were not able to contribute to a substantial partnership to win the game.

Given the circumstances it is not hugely disappointing. Our fate is in our own hands.”

Australia openers Finch and David Warner survived a testing opening burst by the England pace attack before sharing a fluent partnership of 123, their fifth 50-stand in a row.

Warner, on 53, spooned a catch to Root at backward point off Moeen and after Stokes had bowled Khawaja for 23, Finch reached three

figures for the second time in the tournament.

He skied Archer’s next delivery straight into the hands of Woakes at fine leg, however, and Australia lost momentum as Maxwell was out for 12 and Stoinis was run-out for eight following a comical mix-up with Steve Smith.

The former Australia captain made 38 before chipping Woakes to Archer at mid-on, and he left the field to a smattering of boos in reference to his role in last year’s ball-tampering scandal.

SCORECARD

AUSTRALIA innings (50 overs maximum) A. Finch c Woakes b Archer

100 D. Warner c Root b Ali

53 U. Khawaja b Stokes

23 S. Smith c Archer b Woakes 38 G. Maxwell c Buttler b Wood

12 M. Stoinis run-out

8 A. Carey not out

38 P. Cummins c Buttler b Woakes

1 M. Starc not out

4 Extras: (lb 4, w 4)

8 Total: (seven wkts, 50 over)

285 Bowling: C. Woakes 10-0-46-2, J. Archer 9-0-56-1, M. Wood 9-0-59-1, B. Stokes 6-0-29-1, M. Ali 6-0-42-1, A. Rashid 10-049-0 ENGLAND innings J. Vince b Behrendorff

0 J. Bairstow c Cummins b Behrendorff

27 J. Root lbw b Starc

8 E. Morgan c Cummins b Starc

4 B. Stokes b Starc 89 J. Buttler c Khawaja b Stoinis

25 C. Woakes c Finch b Behrendorff 26 M. Ali c Carey b Behrendorff 6 A. Rashid c Stoinis b Starc

25 J. Archer c Warner b Behrendorff

1 M. Wood not out 1 Extras: (b-1, lb-5, w-3) 9 Total: (all out, 44.4 overs 221 Bowling: J.. Behrendorff 10-0-44-5, M. Starc 8.4-1-43-4, P. Cummins 8-1-41-0, N. Lyon 9-0-43-0, M. Stoinis 7-0-29-1, G. Maxwell 2-0-15-0.

Lloyd to Brathwaite: Turn potential into reality LONDON, England (CMC) – Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd believes Carlos Brathwaite can be among the best all-rounders in the world but needs to show the consistency required to get to the highest level.

Brathwaite smashed an amazing 101 off 82 deliveries last Saturday as West Indies went down by five runs to New Zealand in a nerve-jangling World Cup encounter in Manchester.

The hundred was his first in international cricket and Lloyd said it spoke volumes about Brathwaite’s potential.

“I’m hoping that after his hundred against New Zealand, Carlos Brathwaite realises that he can be as good as any all-rounder in the world,” Lloyd wrote in his tournament column.

“He hits the ball so well and is a top-class cricketer; he’s not a T20 player alone, as his performance at Old Trafford demonstrated.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Carlos can make big scores and win games for the West Indies, but now he needs to turn his potential into reality.”

West Indies’ batting

has been generally under par for the tournament and Brathwaite’s century was the first of the campaign for the Caribbean side.

Asked to chase attainable

totals of under 300 against Australia and New Zealand, West Indies’ batting came up short on both occasions resulting in two of their four defeats in the tournament

Windies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite

to date.

Lloyd, who presided over West Indies’ World Cup successes in 1975 and 1979, said the Caribbean side’s batsmen needed to follow the example set by New Zealand Kane Williamson in terms of constructing innings in oneday cricket.

Williamson stroked a magnificent 148 against West Indies to lift his team out of trouble at seven for two in the first over. The knock followed up his unbeaten 106 against South Africa three days earlier.

“Everyone in this tour-

nament is making hundreds, but it says a lot that Carlos is the only West Indies player so far to do so,” Lloyd pointed out.

“We have the talent it’s just a case of pushing on and batting long. In that regard, they need to look at the example set by Kane Williamson. The New Zealand captain didn’t break sweat at all and just knocked it around on his way to a match-winning 148.”

West Indies lie eighth in the 10-nation standings on three points, and face India tomorrow in their next match at Old Trafford.

T

Guyana looking to close Gold Cup campaign today with win

lls for a c n o s n h o …J ent in m t s e v n i e r mo me the local ga

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History! Neil Danns, joined by captain Samuel Cox celebrate the country’s goal at the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama, at the FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio (Samuel Maughn photo)

Lara recovering Destroyer Starc egged on by breakfast sledge following health scare

By Louis Cameron at Lord’s

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Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara

ONCE the Tories decide who their next prime minister is, the new appointee’s first task may be to call for a royal commission to uncover the identity of the man who sledged Mitchell Starc just hours before the Australian quick destroyed England at Lord’s.

Starc’s wife Alyssa Healy spilled the beans (pardon the pun) on the strange run-in at the breakfast buffet yesterday morning that “fired up” the left-arm quick just hours before he was set to open the bowling at the home of cricket.

After polishing off three poached eggs that the unknown English gentleman deemed to be too much on the morning of a big match, Starc then polished off the top-order of the world’s best one-day team, claiming 4-43 in Australia’s 64-run win.

“Someone was having a go at my strapping tape and having a go at my bowling,” the 29-year-old revealed of the encounter at their team hotel. “I was just hungry.

“He just had a bit of a clip at me. It was all good fun ... I was

A crestfallen Ben Stokes at Lord’s, after receiving a near-unplayable 145-kph yorker from Michell Starc.

(Getty Images)

still half-asleep I think. I still had two hours before we were starting warm-ups.

“It’s all been good fun throughout the tour around the crowds and at the hotel. It’s just part and parcel of a World Cup.”

Starc’s eating habits seem to be doing the trick, with the paceman collecting the key scalps of Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes at Lord’s to surge to the top of the tournament’s leading wicket-taking charts with 19 victims at 18.26.

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While fellow left-armer Jason Behrendorff outshone him on the scorecard with a maiden five-wicket haul, it was Starc who delivered the game’s, and

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