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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

No. 104868

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Guyanese fully involved – Pres Granger stresses transparency in meeting with Exxon officials

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GDF gets new patrol boats

– President says gov’t will provide assets to suppress illegal activities Page 3

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Guyana, President David Granger ceremonially commissions the vessels at the Coast Guard Headquarters by pouring coconut water on one of them

Blame Nandlall – AG says “Nandlall’s iniquity” frustrated Justice Holder Pa9ge

29,000 to benefit Oil, a way out from rice, from US$15M agri sugar woes programme

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Guyanese fully involved – Pres Granger stresses transparency in meeting with Exxon officials PRESIDENT David Granger has informed ExxonMobil’s Executives of Government’s commitment to the development of Guyana’s oil and gas sector in an atmosphere of transparency and trust so that the Parliamentary Opposition and the people of Guyana are fully involved in the process and views the development of a petroleum industry as one of natural interest and involvement. The President made these comments Wednesday morning during a meeting with a visiting delegation of ExxonMobil Executives at State House to discuss matters related to the status of exploratory and appraisal work in the Stabroek Block, the Ministry of the Presidency

said in a release. The Head of State said that it is important that there are regular and accurate announcements on matters pertaining to the development of the sector. “We are committed to the norm of transparency… so that we can move forward at a domestic level, not only in an atmosphere of transparency but trust so that all Guyana would see this not as a short term bonanza; so that Guyanese will see this as a national industry….In this regard we are walking step by step as the developments take place offshore and the developments in terms of our legislations within our regulatory framework in terms of the passage of information to various stakeholders in Guyana and the diaspora,so that we can create an envi-

ronment which is stable and secure,” the President said. Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman, who also attended the meeting, echoed the President’s sentiments in an invited comment, stating that the engagement this morning is part of an ongoing dialogue that aims to strengthen the relationship between Guyana and ExxonMobil. “As we progress together we have to do so in an open and transparent way being mindful that we are in a parliamentary democracy. We have to ensure that the Opposition is made aware of what is happening and other stakeholders,” the minister said. President of the ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Mr. Stephen Greenlee,said that the discussions with President Granger were very fruitful and that they look forward to a strengthened,productive and

President Granger sits with Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman, Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal and another Government Official during the meeting

transparent relationship. “It was a very positive meeting. We are all very happy that we have such a cordial relationship with the Government; a very productive and transparent relationship,” he said. Other executives present at the meeting were

Mr. Mike Cousins, Executive Vice President ExxonMobil Exploration Company;ExxonMobil Development Company President, Mr. Liam Mallon;Vice President,Ms. Lisa Waters;Guyana Country Manager, Mr. Jeff Simons;Ms. Kimberly

Brasington, ExxonMobil’s Guyana Public and Government Affairs Manager and incoming Country Manager effective May 1, Project Executive, Mr. Rod Henson. Also Present at the meeting was Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal.

President David Granger and Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman,take a photo opportunity with ExxonMobil Officials. (From left) Mr. Mike Cousins, Executive Vice President ExxonMobil Exploration Company; Ms. Lisa Waters, Vice President ExxonMobil Development Company; Mr. Liam Mallon, President, ExxonMobil Development Company;Mr. Stephen Greenlee, President ExxonMobil Exploration Company;Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal;Mr. Jeff Simons, ExxonMobil Guyana Country Manager;Ms. Kimberly Brasington, ExxonMobil Guyana Public and Government Affairs Manager and Mr. Rod Henson, Project Executive (Guyana Country Manager effective May 1)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

GDF gets new patrol boats – President says gov’t will provide assets to suppress illegal activities By Zena Henry THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF), on Wednesday accepted two brand new patrol boats from the Government of Guyana to be used in the security of the country’s maritime space and assets. President David Granger, Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces, handed over the keys for the vessels to the GDF’s Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, at a simple commissioning ceremony held before Officers and ranks of the GDF and its Coast Guard, foreign dignitaries and representatives of maritime and safety related agencies, at the Coast Guard base. On the sidelines of the event, the Guyana Chronicle was told that the vessels are worth “approximately G$140million” each. The boats will compliment an existing fleet of five smaller Metal Shark patrol boats, increasing the Force’s vessels to seven. The new boats were said to be built to the specification of the GDF and is larger with longer

President David Granger, hands over the keys of the two boats to Chief-of-Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Patrick West (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

endurance than the other vessels. The new boats are 38feet long while the other boats are 28 feet. They are outfitted with three 300 horse power engines and are said to be “necessary for our (Guyana’s) level of threat”. The carrying capacity of the vessel is 18. President Granger, in remarks told the GDF that the government will provide the assets that will allow the force to stay ahead in suppressing illegal activities on the country’s waterways. Acknowledging this country’s vast maritime

space, the President said that the GDF will continue to receive the government’s support against illegal activities such as poaching, fuel smuggling, and piracy. “You will receive support to suppress and prevent narcotic trafficking and all other forms of maritime illegalities,” the President vowed. He said that the Coast Guard must be able to respond to criminal activities, but they must also be able to respond to emergencies such as search and rescue missions, and to enforce laws relating to navigational safe-

The two vessels test the waters (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

ty. The President highlighted that Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone, is the next new frontier of the country’s development. “Petroleum exploration is now taking pace in Guyana’s offshore waters. A number of foreign companies are engaged in that sector. Guyana’s maritime resources include our fisheries. The Coast Guard must be strengthened to provide greater security to investors in petroleum, fishing and other maritime activities.” The President said Guyana must continue to ensure the safety of its waters so that ships can enjoy safe passage since international trade and activities like petroleum explorations lead to economic development. Guyana is an export-oriented country and the shipping industry is being threatened by the abuse of nation’s waters, the President urged. He insisted that the transshipment of narcotics and the smuggling of contrabands help to deprive the country of revenue, while ruining the country’s reputation of being a safe destination for

foreign investments. “They will stall the economy and spawn violence and other forms of criminality,” the President charged. The President said that Guyana’s territorial waters are extensive. He said the Coast Guard needs a stronger and larger fleet of vessels. He said surveillance equipment along with faster vessels are needed and the government through the Defence Board will provide as much as financially possible. After receiving the keys for the brand new boats, COS Brigadier West, handed it over to the Coast Guard’s Commanding Officer, Orin Porter.

West said the boats are accompanied with accessories and spares. Given the performance of the other boats, the COS said the GDF’s interest remained with the specific brand, leading the government to purchase same. The boats which were said to be donations from international partners have performed well and were involved in law enforcement missions that yield tangible and intangible results, West said. He reported however that, “…the overall length, breadth, graph, carrying capacity, endurance and propulsion system, all make these vessels an ideal platform which the Force can engage in pursuits, interdiction and surveillance activities…”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Bandits terrorise ECD family

A FATHER and daughter were terrorised by two bandits at their Chateau Margot, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Tuesday night. Salome Lall, 24, explained to the Guyana Chronicle that at approximately

20:30hrs, she was at home with her father, Mohan Lall, and a toddler when the two men pounced on them. She said the gunmen gained entry through the open front door. “My mom and brother were at church and the front

door was open and we were chatting in the living room when a man ran in the house with a gun and demanded money,” said the distraught Salome. While the gunman was in the house,another man who was armed with a scissors entered and assaulted her father and demanded cash and other valuables. One of the men stabbed the elderly Lall in his

head with the scissors. “At that time I had $105,000 in my purse and that was what they got, along with two phones and a laptop...that was not enough for them because they said ‘let us go upstairs’.So I went up with them and they brought my dad… my dad had US$670 in his room so he gave them that and his wedding ring,” Salome told Guyana Chronicle.

Before escaping, the bandits locked the two victims in a room. Meanwhile, the family is not happy with the police response. They told this newspaper that when the police were contacted, the family was told that investigators will visit the scene the next day. But, after several calls, an officer arrived at their home “looked around the yard” and told the family to go to the Be-

terverwagting Police Station on Wednesday. The traumatised family said that this is the first such incident to have occurred to them, but noted that the area is prone to robberies. Mohan, who retired recently, said that he was slated to go on a vacation but due to the ordeal he has to now focus on his family’s safety.

Tailor charged with beating friend $13k in fake U.S. currency A TAILOR was released on $75,000 bail by City Magistrate, Fabayo Azore after he was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm. Lionel Douglas, 56, of Durban Street, Lodge, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on March 11, 2017, at his residence, he inflicted grievous bodily harm on his friend, Tendu Johnson. This newspaper understands that the victim was not present in court since he had undergone surgery for a broken arm. Police Prosecutor, Simone Payne strongly objected to Douglas being released on bail, based on the

seriousness of the charge. The court heard that Douglas and Johnson are friends and on the day in question Johnson went the man’s home and enquired about the $50,000 the defendant owned him. An argument ensued which escalated, resulting in a scuffle between the men and causing Johnson to receive injuries. However, in court Douglas denied owing the victim money and alleged that Johnson “tripped” and behaved bad. Magistrate Azore overruled the prose cution’s objection and granted bail to Douglas. He will return to court on April 26, 2017.

lands woman in court

CITY Magistrate, Fabayo Azore, on Wednesday released a 33-year-old Plaisance, East Coast Demerara resident on $75,000 bail after she was charged with uttering fake U.S. currency. Samantha DeSouza pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that between March 1 and March 25, 2017, in Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she uttered to Abby Manu $13,000 in U.S. currency knowing

same to be counterfeit. According to the prosecution, the woman knew that the money was counterfeit but still used it to purchase clothes in the store. She was arrested shortly after the store owner discovered that the money was indeed fake. Magistrate Azore, with no objection from the prosecution, released DeSouza on $75,000 bail and adjourned the matter until April 19, 2017.

…as fake gun Cops under investigation surfaces during trial SEVERAL police officers are currently under investigation after it was discovered that

a ‘toy gun’ was entered into evidence during a gun and ammunition trial before a City

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Magistrate. The fake gun was discovered on Tuesday before Magistrate Leron Daly during the trial of Carl Carter, who was busted with an illegal firearm and matching rounds at Palm Court, Georgetown last October. The gun was brought by a senior police officer to be tendered into evidence in the court, however during examination the gun was discovered to be fake. This newspaper was informed that the ballistic report does not match the said firearm which was listed. Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, confirmed on Wednesday that the matter is being investigated by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Carl Carter, 32 was busted with a .38 revolver and four matching rounds on October 8, 2016 at Palm Court, Main Street, which he had in his possession while he was not the holder of a firearm license. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was later released on bail after spending almost three months on remand.

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Berbicians see oil as way out from rice, sugar woes

By Nafeeza Yahya Rameshwar Singh, 23, sits in the cool breeze brought in from the Atlantic Coast. In his yard at Black Bush Polder, in the Berbice region, are giant machines called ‘Combines’ used for cutting rice. But these days he is left to wonder if the ‘Combines,’ together with the tractors and motorbikes used in the family business, will eventually rot into the earth that has been there bread and butter for decades. His grandfather, now 87, started cutting rice as a lad, and urged him to “carry on” the family business, and in fact, that’s how Rameshwar

was groomed since he was five-years-old. The erratic price on the world market, together with the loss of the major Venezuelan rice market, has been the source of a major headache for the rice industry. Latest data shows that as of last month, rice was trading at US$368 per metric tonne compared to US$547.48 in February of 2012. The price hit a low of US$354.35 in December 2015, but bounced back to as high as US$456.24 in July of 2016 and somewhat levelled off within the US$360-US2$370 range since. To compound matters, farmers say the cost of production is high. And what is

more, they have to contend with poor drainage and irrigation. The latter problem means farmers have to use mechanical pumps to drain and irrigate lands. To make ends meet, many farmers have now opted to do three crops instead of the traditional two that coincides with the rainy seasons. Usually, farmers prepare their lands and await the start of the rainy seasons to irrigate their lands. This natural form of irrigation not only cuts out the burdensome cost of fuel, but “the blessing from above“ makes the crop bloom better than the trench water they have to pump in. However, with the reduction in the price per bag

Workers drying seed paddy to replant the next crop at Black Bush Polder

Omar Shariff implicated in Westford’s fraud trial APPROXIMATELY ten payment vouchers and memorandums were approved by former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of the Presidency, Omar Shariff, in the multimillion dollar fraud scandal involving former PPP/C Public Service Minister, Dr Jennifer Westford and her former aid, Margaret Cummings. This was disclosed by Alwen Williams, an accountant at the Ministry of the Presidency, who testified at the trial on Wednesday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Wi l l i a m s w a s b e i n g

cross-examined by the women’s

A lucious Rice Field waiting to be harvested

of paddy, many farmers are now pushing for three crops a year and planting a 100 day genetically modified seed paddy to increase their yields and start the preparation for the next crop. The result is catastrophic since some farmers are hoarding water to flood their fields while others are releasing water in preparation for harvest. This not only affect the yield of lands as they are hurriedly prepared, but increases the cost of production since the land are less fertile and would require more fertilizers as well as fuel cost for irrigation and drainage of water from the fields. With the litany of problems facing the sector, Ber-

bice rice farmers, like Rameshwar, are hoping that the oil find by ExxonMobil, 200 miles offshore, will give them something to look forward to. “Things tough and I hope that with oil we can get fuel cheaper so we can save. Rice is in my blood; I will not give it up,” he says. Rice farmers are not the only ones looking to developments in the oil and gas sector. Rice has served as the twin to sugar when it comes to the agricultural sector in Guyana. In fact, Berbice is prized as the sugar belt in Guyana and the former PPP government moved to set up a world-class plant at Skeldon. Built at a cost of US$180 million and opened

in 2009, the Skeldon Modernization Plant was hailed as the boon to the survival of the sugar industry – in the face of falling prices and the loss of the lucrative European market. But sugar workers have bemoaned Skeldon’s “dead duck” status. The factory has failed to live up to expectations. It should have been producing 450, 000 tonnes annually, but is now producing below 50% of that capacity. Things took a turn for the worse early last month when the Skeldon Energy Inc. (SEI) informed the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc.

Attorney Senior Counsel, Neil Boston, when he made the revelation. According to Williams, the then Permanent Secretary of Ministry of the Presidency had to approve the payment vouchers and memorandums, which are later singed by an accounting officer. A total of 23 cheques and vouchers were admitted into evidence earlier this month, ten of which Shariff allegedly approved. The witness will be

cross-examined further on April 7, 2017. Approximately 50 more witnesses are expected to be called by the state in the trial of Dr. Westford and Cummings. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has assigned State Prosecutor Teshana Lake and Natasha Backer to the case. Westford and Cummings are accused of stealing $639,420,000 between August 2011 and April 2015, while being employed in

the Public Service of the Government of Guyana. They have denied the allegation and are currently out on $4.8M bail each. Westford of Victoria Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Cummings, a mother of three, of Section A Diamond, EBD are being represented by a team of attorneys – Rexford McKay, Neil Boston, Keisha Chase, Eusi Anderson, Bibi Shaddick, Brandon Glasford and Dexter Todd.

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Editorial

FROM the time Guyanese won the right to self-government, however partial, the leadership has sought, in various forms, to create opportunities for self-sufficiency. Though it could be argued who did what and to what extent have been the people’s involvement, there can be no denying the various efforts. The premiership of Cheddi Jagan (1953-1964) saw promotion of the building of the rice industry and intensification of agriculture production such as vegetables, meat, milk, etc. Forbes Burnham (1964-1985) built on this by adding new species of rice, increasing yield and storage, and moved the industry from one crop to two per year. The “Grow More Food” campaign was promoted, Guyanese canned fruits and vegetables, and the incumbent government intensified the indigenous focus of its predecessor. Both governments executed housing development programmes. And whereas there can be comparative analyses, which is not the focus of review, there can be no denying the fact. Those

programmes focused on building communities which comprised of turn-key houses, with potable water, electricity, proper access roads, schools, recreational and community facilities. Such construction was considered upward mobility for the working class. Guyanese can recall, where pride is taken in self-sufficiency and indigenous innovation, from the late 1960s we assembled (made) refrigerators, freezers, stoves, stereos, radios, vehicles (the Tapir which still ply East Berbice), improved the furniture industry, deepened the art and craft industry, built infrastructures and machineries. The completion of the 45-mile Linden/Soesdyke highway (1968) was a feat for a young nation. It still remains one of the country’s best constructed roads. The Demerara Harbour Bridge (1978) construction,(designer Capt. John Patrick Coghlan) and project management (Joe Holder) were the achievement of local talent. At completion it distinguished as the world’s longest floating bridge. In the rice industry,silos were built to improve storage. When

Bookers was nationalised and the Demerara Sugar Corporation was incorporated for the establishment of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, the Guyana Liquor Corporation was established as value added to the production of sugar. Guyana continues to win international recognition and prizes for its liquor products. Wooden barrels that stored run were converted to furniture in the form of chairs and tables. In 1976,bauxite workers built the world’s largest dragline at the time. Guyanese dreamt big, thought big, and did big things, including scientific innovation, health (e.g. sex transplant, open –heart surgery, pharmaceuticals), manufacturing, textile industry, to name some. The capacity still remains, though dormant. In the right environment, where will and commitment take their primacy of place, there exists no doubt of our ability to achieve and compete internationally. Differences in leadership strategy, and though at times progress is not realised in straight line, the zigzagging movements

are still necessary for continuity. Where 21st century world leaders are addressing the preservation of the planet as critical to man’s sustenance and survival and seeking new approaches to development, Guyana led the focus in the 20th century. In 1989 the Desmond Hoyte (1985-1992) administration committed the Iwokrama Rainforest to the world to study/research the environment in its natural habitat as a new approach to advancing a developmental model. His visionary leadership set in train the global fleshing out of a green economy policy, which at the time was not expansively understood, appreciated, or accepted. The pursuing of the REDD+ project during the Bharrat Jagdeo administration (1999-2011) that sees Guyana being paid for its carbon credit gives effect to the policy. Where the project sources international funding as a poverty alleviation strategy, it requires building on. It could augur well pursuing a bipartisan approach in the National Assembly to expanding this developmental strategy to equitably benefit

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

communities across the country consistent with the concentrated focus on social cohesion. The David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo administration has committed to the construction of a green state, expanding on their predecessors. The attention to alternative energy, cleaning up of the physical environment, building new communities and expanding the entrepreneurial base, effectively managed would create economic and employment opportunities across the board. The principal advantage of the green economy is its

clearly outlined policy. Where such transfers to programmes and laws the preservation of the environment, society and the people’s development can happen simultaneously. Irrespective of historical challenges, when we work together on common issues everyone stands to benefit. There is no denying the desire of all to improve their quality of lives and live in environment where they feel safe and secure. To this conviction lays the foundation for continuous nation-building which ought to be our ever guiding focus.

GECOM’s independence must be sacrosanct Dear Editor,

ALTHOUGH I have already begun to truly enjoy my retirement, and although I have, over many years, been preparing for this new phase of my life, not lastly by programming myself not to be embroiled in discussions on issues associated with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), it is imperative that, on occasion, some answers must be given to those who assail positions in which I deeply believe. This once-and-for-all, final statement - pertaining to the stance taken by some letter writers on the methodology used to arrive at the composition of the Guyana Elections Commission - serves to engage the public’s attention that there are other options relative to the issue of choosing Commission Members. THE RESPONSE WILL BE IN 2 PARTS: (1) Delineating the reasons for my position on changing the method of choosing Commissioners. (2) Offering opinions and options on the matter. PART 1 Those persons, who want the current methodology associated with the choice of GECOM Commissioners to remain the same, use the current

Constitution (the very one often denounced by non-Burnhamite political parties) as the base of their arguments. Such views maintain that the content of the constitution is virtually immutable, and that the electoral aspects of the constitution must not now be altered, especially not the methodology for selecting the Commissioners of GECOM. They maintain that the Commission is, by its inherent nature, by-partisan, and must so remain. They argue that the “Carter Formula” of 25 years ago, which is currently in use is the acceptable view of all stakeholders. Well, that is patently untrue. Firstly, allow me to remind that the “Carter Formula” was painstakingly worked out in an atmosphere of great distrust among the major political movements at the time, many of which were clamouring for change in the political culture of our country. The then ruling Party (not lastly advocating the Paramountcy of the Party over the Government) was not even prepared to accept the counting of the ballots at the place of poll. Such was the environment when the Carter Formula was introduced in 1992. This arrangement was never intended to last forever. After the experiences of the 1994, 1997 and the 2001 Elections, here is what, inter

alia, the Carter Center had to say in 2001: “The ‘Carter Formula’ which was critical to the success of the breakthrough transitional elections in 1992 has allowed, in subsequent elections, party interests to interfere with effective electoral administration”. The same Report advised that “as part of electoral reform efforts, Guyana should give careful consideration to alternative models, possibly reducing or eliminating political party representation (on the Commission) and increasing the role of independent members of civil society and professional experts”. Not only does the Carter Center recognise the need for consideration of “alternative models” relative to the establishment of our Elections Commission, but some practising political party leaders have consistently observed, not only the unfairness of the commission composition, (the AFC continuously laments that it never had one of its members on the commission to represent its views), but that the method used in 1992 to establish the commission was at best a transitional device and that the current laws attending to the Electoral Commission composition, (including that of a Chairman) have exhausted their usefulness. Moreover, it is important to point out that credible, ex-

perienced, tested and proven Elections Observers have documented - on the issue of the GECOM composition - the following:1. The Carter Center (after the 2001 Elections referred to above) documented that: “In advance of future elections, Guyana should consider reforms that would reduce the politicised composition of GECOM and move toward an Elections Management Body (EMB) with a structure, composition and operations that are more consistent with international good practice and obligations, thus ensuring the independence and impartiality of the EMB”. The Carter Center inflexibly advocated the same position after the 2006 and 2015 Elections. 2. The Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec) after the 2006 Elections, issued the following statement: “Strong consideration should be given to ending the practice of having political appointees as members of the Guyana Elections Commission. The present formula compromises the effectiveness and integrity of the Commission, which needs to be independent and above partisan politics at all levels”. Further, ComSec’s Elections Observer Report on the May, 2015 Elections stated

that “the process of allowing Political Parties to appoint Commissioners to the Elections Commission results in an overreliance on the neutrality and political independence of whoever is the Chairperson of the Commission”. 3.The Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB), after the 2006 General and Regional Elections, recommended that: “The Guyana Elections Commission must be comprised of technocrats and non-political persons, who should be chosen by an appropriate mechanism, so as to ensure broad support for and confidence in the appointees”. 4. The Organisations of American States (OAS), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the CARICOM Secretariat, at various relevant fora, have also consistently and adamantly suggested that, in order to improve the democratic process, improved methodologies should be constantly sought out and implemented, relative to the establishment of Commissions within their respective jurisdictions. [N.B.: Bold and underlined portions of quotes of the Reports mentioned above are from me, so as to emphasise the points being made.] It has been mentioned that I wish to undermine the Constitution by desiring to change the methodology associated with

the selection of Commissioners. I admit that I am a great protagonist for this change. The present circumstances must inexorably lead towards untameable fractiousness, conflict and challenges in managing the commission - especially when a General Secretary of a Party, nominating the Commissioners expects of them “to be strong and continue fighting for the Party’s cause at GECOM”. The raison d’être of GECOM’s existence is to administer free, fair and well-constructed electoral processes, and while I recognise that the commission has to be sensitive to political realities, its independence and impartiality must be sacrosanct and protected at all costs. Having party agents on the Commission does not ensure either independence or impartiality. In another letter (this one has already gone past the limits advocated by newspaper editors), I will present possible options (not diktats) to the current Constitutional texts as they relate to the selection of GECOM Commissioners. Regards STEVE SURUJBALLY A.A. Former Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

OP-ED

Norway remains committed to assist Guyana’s clean, renewable energy transition By Per Fredrik Pharo IN 2009, Guyana and Norway entered into a partnership on issues related to the fight against climate change, protection of biodiversity and enhancement of sustainable development. The partnership is a political agreement based on mutual trust, a shared vision for Guyana’s green development, and a balance between the commitments of our two countries. Norway stands by the spirit of this partnership. In The Sunday Chronicle January 22, retired Rear Admiral Gary Best presents a number of misleading arguments about the Guyana Norway Agreement. Even though we do not think that his arguments present the view of the Government of Guyana, we feel compelled to respond, less serious misunderstandings are allowed to fester and erode the very basis of our partnership. The essential point is this: Norway remains committed to our partnership, as long as the commitment is matched by the Government of Guyana. The cornerstone of our partnership is the original Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from 2009. The MoU establishes that results based funding from Norway is to be used to

Per Fredrik Pharo, Special Envoy and Director of the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative implement the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), the core of which was forest protection and a renewable energy transition with the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project at its heart. This is also reflected in our Joint Concept Notes (JCN) from 2012 and 2015. Reflecting Guyana’s priorities, at the heart of our partnership is Norway’s commitment to support Guyana in a) keeping its deforestation rate at a very low level, b) improving its forest governance, and c) making the transition to near 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources by 2025. We are encouraged that these goals are also reflected in Guyana’s Intended National Determined Contri-

butions (INDC), submitted to the UN Convention on Climate Change in 2015 by President Granger’s administration. Rear Admiral Best ignores our MOU, and argues that the legal agreement between Norway and the World Bank regarding the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) constitutes the core of our two countries’ partnership. This is not the case – and as the Rear Admiral points out, that would be absurd, given that Guyana is not a formal party to the GRIF agreement. Indeed, under the Guyana Norway partnership there are several legal agreements pertaining to the flow of funds, including the grant agreement with GRIF, an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on a holding account (more on that below), and smaller agreements with non-government organisations to help fast-track the partnership in specific areas. All of these are merely technical arrangements to allow finance to flow to Guyana’s green development, in line with and subordinated to our MOU. The Granger administration has now embarked on work to take the LCDS one step further, by developing the new Green State Development Strategy. This is a process Norway em-

braces, both for its ambition and because we strongly support a democratically elected government’s right to continuously ponder the future development path of its country. It is in this context relevant, however, that shortly after the change of government in May 2015, several public statements created doubts about whether the goals of the LCDS, especially regarding Guyana’s transition to near 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources within reasonable time, would be upheld by the Granger administration. This development made a closer consultation process and a pause in the implementation of our partnership necessary. We strongly defend the right of a government to set the development path of its country. But if that development path were to deviate from that which was the basis for our partnership, then it is not the right of a government to retain the benefits of a partnership based on commitments it no longer intends to fulfil. For this reason, while waiting for the Granger administration to clarify its position, Norway has not been in a position to make any new financial transfers or commitments to the partnership. The crucial point, however, is that neither have we taken any steps to terminate the partnership. On the contrary, we are working actively with the Government of Guyana to identify an agreed path forward. We are currently awaiting an announced plan for a concrete,

realistic and cost effective transition to clean and renewable energy in line with Guyana’s INDC and the spirit of our partnership. Once this plan has been finalised and the new Green State Development Strategy, (including the mentioned energy transition plan) has been adopted by Guyana’s Parliament, Norway will be in the position to both transfer the 40 million USD to GRIF for results that Guyana achieved in 2013, and to put the 80 million USD currently placed in a holding account in IDB to good use to reach Guyana’s energy transition goal. The Rear Admiral seems confused about the political processes of the disbursement of the latter: The 80 million USD were placed in a holding account at IDB to cover the Government of Guyana’s equity share in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, at the written request of the then Finance Minister, Ashni Singh, to Norway’s then Minister of Climate and Environment, Tine Sundtoft, on November 17, 2014. This is a public letter, available to anyone requesting it. In a political partnership decisions of this character are taken and agreed upon by ministers, not – as Rear Admiral Best seems to believe – a technical group at fund management level. From this it also follows that if and when the Granger administration delivers a concrete, realistic and cost effective plan for Guyana’s energy transition, it will have our unwavering support and

get access to the funds now held by Norway and the IDB. This is not about any particular project, but about a realistic and politically anchored plan to deliver on the Government’s own stated ambition. Whether the 80 million USD will remain with the IDB or is transferred to the GRIF is a practical question and relates to where the money can be put to best use in order to realise Guyana’s forthcoming concrete, realistic and cost effective plan for clean and renewable energy. It is not a matter of principle. Crucially it will, within this framework, be up to Guyana to decide on which particular projects that merit further development, and to choose the international partners that are best equipped to support Guyana in realising these projects, in line with internationally recognised safeguards. Based on the open and constructive conversations between President Granger, Finance Minister Jordan and Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Vidar Helgesen, in Marrakech in November, I rest assured that this planning exercise is taking place and that the President has a compelling vision of the green development of Guyana, which includes the energy transition called for in Guyana’s INDC. (Per Fredrik Pharo, Special Envoy and Director of the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Some Enmore workers objecting to work – says Hanoman; union claims GuySuCo intends to close the estate By Svetlana Marshall EVEN though there is a significant amount of cane to be harvested at the Enmore Estate, East Coast Demerara, some sugar workers there are objecting to work, GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Errol Hanoman said. “The rain had set us back but we are trying to harvest as much cane as possible… and there is a lot of cane to be harvested,” he told Guyana Chronicle when contacted on Wednesday. He added: “The more cane we harvest, the more sugar we produce, the more revenue we generate.” Hanoman emphasised that the main focus of the Corporation right now is to harvest as much canes as possible. He said both male and female workers were

The sugar workers meeting with officials at the GAWU head office in Kingston, Georgetown

encouraged to assist in the harvesting of cane but some objected. The women were also asked to weed but they objected to that too. Asked whether GuySuCo’s decision to stop fertilising canes at the East

Demerara Estate is an indication that the estate will be closed, Hanoman said the future of the industry is in the hands of the Government. “We are awaiting Government’s decision on the future of the industry.”

He spoke to this newspaper an hour after the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) contended that the decision to stop the fertilising of canes is paving the way for the closure of the estate. In a statement, the union

said it met with workers who are engaged in the applying of fertilisers to the canes at the East Demerara Estate (Enmore Estate and LBI Estate). During a meeting with GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, at

the union’s head office, the workers said the estate management informed them that they are no longer required to apply fertilisers. “Every day we see the signs of closure becoming clearer. The workers are opposed to closure and have pointed out that they would be unable to find jobs should the decision be fully pursued,” GAWU contended. “They want to close the industry but I am saying no to the closing of Enmore because if they close the industry, we will suffer and we children and will suffer,” one woman told reporters. According to her, any move to close the East Demerara Estate will give rise to crime and prostitution. Another woman, a single parent mother, said she “can’t mek the weeding wuk”. The sugar workers are asking Government to intervene.

Soldiers register for duplex 29,000 to benefit from housing programme US$15M agri programme By Navendra Seoraj

Soldiers at the meeting with Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valarie Adams-Patterson, at Base Camp Stephenson on Wednesday

SCORES of soldiers enrolled for the Ministry of Communities duplex housing unit programme when Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valarie Adams-Patterson, and team visited Base Camp Stephenson Wednesday. Speaking at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Lecture Hall at the Timehri, East Bank Demerara base, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Chief Executive Officer, Leon Saul, said the authority is working to provide housing for the working class citizens, including soldiers. He said the CH&PA has about 20,000 applications in its system and the drive is not to distribute house lots

but to provide housing units. Duplexes, town houses and condominiums, will be built for the soldiers to promote family-oriented life. Minister Adams-Patterson said state employees, low and middle income earners and youths will be captured in the Government’s housing programme. And soldiers will get an opportunity to own their own home, she said. Some 28,000 house lots across the country are unoccupied and the Government has made it clear that it would not be allocating lots to persons without putting down proper infrastructures such as water, light and roads. The lack of these, Min-

ister Adams-Patterson said, is one of the primary causes for persons not building on the lots allocated to them. This, she said has caused the Government to revise the housing programme so that beneficiaries will gain in a more practical way, and on that note, urged the soldiers to “come on board” to get their “portion of the pie”. Once the application form is filled, the soldiers will have to visit the Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown head office with relevant documents. There, they will be interviewed, issued a letter and placed on the priority list to benefit from the housing unit programme.

THE Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday launched a US$15 Million Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP), geared at increasing the productivity of the agricultural sector and maintaining sustainable climate-resilient use of natural resources in Guyana. SADP, which has been on the ministry’s agenda for quite some time was awaiting the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)’s approval of the funding. And on February 20, 2017, the government and the IDB entered into an agreement for the loan which will be used to boost the sector. Speaking at the launch of SADP, Project Coordinator of the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU), Khemlall Alvin said that the implementation of the project will be done over a six-year period. During the life of the programme, the Ministry is anticipating that there will be higher private sector investments in the agricultural sector; an agricultural census implemented; higher productivity at the farm level; higher value of products processed by pilot facilities and increase in the use of practices that reduce pressure on ecosystems. But, looking away from the macro benefits, Alvin said that the main beneficiaries of the programme will be farmers of Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and

Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). “29,000 households from those three regions will benefit extensively from the programme…There will be finance incentives aimed at facilitating technology adop-

ASDU Project Coordinator, Khemlall Alvin

tion and enhancing the profitability of selected farmers. Each farmer will receive up to US$500- a one-time incentive that will cover up 70 percent of the cost of the technology package financed by the programme,” said the project coordinator. This, however, is only a fraction of what the programme has in store for the beneficiaries. The programme is divided into three components. Alvin explained that Component One of the project will be based on generating infor-

mation for evidence-based policy making and natural resource management. Through this component the ASDU and other stakeholders will review and design an Appropriate Agricultural Information System (AIS); train Ministry and Bureau of Statistics (BoS) staff members; and prepare and implement an agricultural census. With the gathering of information boosted, Component Two will see to the strengthening of the agricultural, innovation and extension system. AGRICULTURAL CENTRES “In Component two there will be the construction and rehabilitation of agricultural centres in Regions Nine and 10…The centres will house research programmes to be implemented by NAREI, GLDA and the Hydro Meteorological Service. The agriculture centres will also have facilities for the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA),” said Alvin. It was further outlined that ASDU will also design and construct a water reservoir to harvest rainfall that will facilitate irrigation and livestock research in the agriculture centres. Five research programmes will be implemented at each agricultural centre. The final component (Component three) will be used to calibrate the sector. It will deal with the support Turn to page 9 ►

Blame Nandlall 9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

– AG says “Nandlall’s iniquity” frustrated Justice Holder ATTORNEY General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, has committed to resolving the issue with High Court Judge, Justice Franklin Holder, but blamed the entire episode on what he termed the “iniquity of Anil Nandlall.” “The Judge and I will resolve the issue,” the Attorney General told reporters at his Carmichael Street Office on Wednesday, while speaking briefly on the matter. In a letter to the Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards on March 24, 2017, Justice Holder called for a genuine and meaningful apology to be made by Williams in open court. The issue had come to the fore when Nandlall claimed that Williams had threatened to kill Justice Holder, causing the judge to walk off the bench–an allegation which has since been denied by the Attorney General. In the letter to Justice Cummings-Edwards, Justice

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, responding to reporters on Wednesday

Holder said he left the bench last week Thursday because of an alleged statement made by Williams, which is: “I could say what I want to say and however I want to say it, I have always been like that.” The judge said he found the statement to be egregious. “Immediately after hearing these words, I rose from the bench and went into my chambers. I did not adjourn

the matter, nor did I give any instructions to the parties,” Justice Holder mentioned in his letter of complaint. Justice Holder said he felt disrespected. In a statement issued Wednesday morning by the Attorney General’s Chambers, Minister Williams thanked Justice Holder for exposing what he described as the iniquity of Nandlall,

even as he empathised with the High Court Judge “for the unrelenting torture he was subjected to that morning by Nandlall.” The Attorney General is contending that he may have been a victim of “transferred frustration.” “The Attorney General believes that, after nearly three hours of ‘barracking’ by Nandlall any reasonable person could fall

Several more questioned – as police probe missing drugs at Suddie Hospital By Svetlana Marshall AS investigation continues into the missing drugs and medical supplies at the Suddie Public Hospital, several medical officers attached to the hospital were asked to give statements on Wednesday. On Tuesday, three persons, including an ambulance driver and an assistant pharmacist were taken into custody and placed on $20, 000 bails each. The police was called in to investigate a case of fraud at the Suddie Public Hospital, after drugs and medical supplies went missing one week after arriving there. In a statement on Tuesday, the Public Health Ministry explained that when a Ministerial Task Force visited the Suddie Public Hospital on Monday, authorities at the hospital could not account for several items sent only last week Tuesday by the Materials Management Unit (MMU). But this was just the tip

Several medical officers attached to the Suddie Hospital were asked to give statements on Wednesday

of the iceberg. The Task Force also unearthed several other irregularities at the district hospital in the Pomeroon/Supenaam region. “In one instance the pharmacist at the hospital could not have given account for several ampules of pethidine, codine and morphine,” the Health Ministry pointed out. Additionally, the Dangerous Drugs Register had not been updated since 2015.

“The team also found instances where the stock of narcotic drugs either could not be accounted for and the pharmacist had extra drugs that were still not recorded as prescribed under the law,” the Ministry further disclosed. A MMU staffer confirmed Tuesday that 10 items on the list of drugs destined for the Suddie Hospital “either never arrived” or significantly less was received than was sent.

“For example, all 100 boxes of the drugs simvastatin disappeared before arriving at the hospital. Each box contained 100 of the drugs,” the Public Health Ministry explained. Additionally, all of the 108 bottles of the paracetamol suspension have reportedly vanished, in addition to 20 of the 1,000 ampicillin 500Mg. Twenty thousand disposable gloves sent for the hospital were also stolen.

prey to ‘transferred frustration.’ Perhaps his detaining the Learned Judge again as he was preparing to leave the Bench, seeking clarity on whether the witness’ answer of ‘no’ was recorded, induced certain misapprehensions in the Judge’s mind in all the circumstances and the Attorney General became the victim of ‘transferred frustration,’” the statement said. However, it said that the Attorney General “is not unprepared to work with the Learned Judge to resolve what was a fleeting engagement after the business of the day was completed.” Minister Williams posited that the case ought to have been conducted in a Court Room with a ‘Voice Verbatim Digital Recording System’ given that it involved a challenge to the decisions

of the top two leaders of the country –the President and Prime Minister. “Millions of dollars were supposed to have been spent by the last Government (donor money) to acquire one,” he pointed out. It was noted that such a system would give a Court, a verbatim record of its proceedings and an immediate print out if required. “Nandlall would have been unable to have all the Judges gathered on his allegations, where a verbatim record existed,” he posited, contending that as a result, both he and Justice Holder were left exposed to the “Crassness” of Nandlall. The Attorney General is expected to respond based on the Letter of Complaint issued to the Chancellor (ag) from Justice Holder.

US$15M agri... for compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards. ASDU Project Coordinator said, “We will review and update the standards and codes related to products destined for export markets as well as local markets both current and potential.” With these on stream, the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, highlighted that the agricultural sector is expected to make a major contribution to our development of a green state by contributing to food and nutrition security, poverty eradication, adaptation to climate change, building resilience in the sector and increase in employment. Holder stressed that they are expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda, through inputs in the areas of livestock, fisheries, crops, irrigation and drainage, pesticide management and control and marketing. “The vision of the government for the agricultural sector is the provision of technical support for a robust, evidence-based and effective planning platform that will facilitate the development of a modernized, productive, efficient and competitive agriculture sector that contributes to sustainable economic growth,” said the Minister. FIRST CENSUS IN 65 YEARS It starts with the ability to produce “high-quality” data for the agricultural sector. Holder pointed out that through Component One of SADP the sector will see the first agricultural census in 65 years, “an event which is supposed to happen every 10 years.”

From page 8

The census will give planners and policymakers an understanding of the progress and future prospects of all agricultural industries and their products and of our farm practices. It will also help farmer, policymakers and others involved in the industry to determine strategies to ensure sustainable farming. Guyana’s agriculture sector must become “smarter, leaner and cleaner,” said Holder while noting that the country has fallen behind in its targets, and they (the ministry) have allowed agricultural research to have a lower priority. IDB Country Representative, Sophie Makonnen alluded to the same point as the Minister. She said that Guyana has the potential to begin the diversification of its economy. However, diversification has already begun. NAREI’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Oudho Homenauth, in a report last year stated that with the hinterland agriculture diversification programme, growth in the new and other crops sub sector is projected at 2.5 percent in 2017. In 2016, farms were established at Hosororo, Ebini and Cato to facilitate trials of new crops. The soil types in these areas have been identified as an excellent source of required nutrients for planting such crops as Soursop. With these facilities in place, major agricultural works will continue in 2017 at these hinterland stations where Watermelon, corn, tomato, turmeric, ginger and a number of other crops will be cultivated. Additional crops are also being explored to push the diversification process.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Johnny Rockets opens doors today AS GUYANA fast food industry continues to grow, Johnny Rockets has been added to the competition, and will be officially open to the public on Thursday following a launch on Monday night at its Hadfield Street location. Johnny Rockets is an international restaurant franchise that offers high quality, innovative menu items including fresh, never frozen 100 per cent beef, cooked-to-order hamburgers, Veggie Boca® burger, chicken sandwiches, crispy fries and rich, delicious hand-spun shakes and

malts. The restaurant has over 340 franchises in 30 countries across the globe. The local franchise of the all-American restaurant is co-owned by Preeta Mangar and her husband Ameir Ahmad, who on Thursday night hosted a gathering of their close family and friends to try out the restaurants wide array of options. And the invitees just could not get enough of the delicious treats. “The menu goes from the very basic to a lot of additives; these days’ persons like to add stuff to their burger depending on

their preference, so the menu has a lot of that. We also carry a veggie burger.

There’s the grilled chicken too for persons who are watching their weight,

and with the shakes you can add in M&M’s, peanut butter, or Reese’s. So the menu is very diverse; it has something for everybody,” Mangar shared as she told the media a little bit about what the restaurant will be bringing to the Guyana fast food market. Mangar said that despite being categorised as fast food the franchise is more than that. “They don’t see themselves as fast food, because the burgers are made to order. With Johnny Rockets their theme is a 1950s diner. It gives you that retro feel; it has a lot of character to it, it’s cheerful. They stand for a very clean and sparkling restaurant,” she said. The decision was made to bring a Johnny Rockets to Guyana because of the franchise’s hamburger and milkshake menu, which

caters to an area that has been somewhat lacking in Guyana. “So far in Guyana there’s a lot of chicken, a lot of pizza, and we know a lot of people like burgers, so we figured why not. Burgers are great Guyanese love them; it was perfect. We asked a lot of people what they thought and we had a lot of good review,” Mangar explained. The franchise starts off with the one location, which will be opened from 8am – 11pm daily from Monday – Saturday. Mangar said the hours may change as the business continues its market research and decides on the best hours for the business. The business has already begun giving back to the Guyanese community by already providing over 50 jobs.

Tailor charged with beating friend A TAILOR was released on $75,000 bail by City Magistrate, Fabayo Azore after he was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm. Lionel Douglas, 56, of Durban Street, Lodge, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on March 11, 2017, at his residence, he inflicted grievous bodily harm on his friend, Tendu Johnson. This newspaper understands that the victim was not present in court since he had undergone surgery for a broken arm. Police Prosecutor, Sim-

one Payne strongly objected to Douglas being released on bail, based on the seriousness of the charge. The court heard that Douglas and Johnson are friends and on the day in question Johnson went the man’s home and enquired about the $50,000 the defendant owned him. An argument ensued which escalated, resulting in a scuffle between the men and causing Johnson to receive injuries. However, in court Douglas denied owing the victim money and alleged that Johnson “tripped” and behaved bad. Magistrate Azore overruled the prosecution’s objection and granted bail to Douglas. He will return to court on April 26, 2017.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Poor turnout threatens sugar production By Navendra Seoraj

THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is battling to successfully achieve its first crop target of 74,172 tonnes of sugar as the industry is faced with only a 59 percent turnout of cane harvesters. Despite having ideal weather for harvesting, poor turnout of workers is diminishing GuySuCo’s chance of meeting its overall 2017 target of 198,000 tonnes. The Corporation’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Audreyanna Thomas told the Guyana Chronicle recently that thus far only 21,484

– workers ‘catching their hand’ elsewhere – GAWU President

GAWU’s President, Komal Chand

tonnes of sugar has been produced but the pace of production could be aug-

mented if they have a better turnout. This newspaper understands that some five of the six estates are functioning but the breakdown of workers showed that Albion Estate had a turnout of 68 percent, Rosehall 67 percent, East Demerara 58 percent, Blairmont 54 percent and Uitvlugt recorded the lowest of 48 percent. Low turnout coupled with Skeldon not having a first crop, has left the Corporation with no choice but to call on cane harvesters to return to work so that the target can be achieved.

With the second crop target set at 124,286 tonnes, GuySuCo will be looking to mobilize workers in order to improve its pace of production and boosting its chances of having a successful year. However, President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand believes that turnout will always be low because wages have been “frozen.” “Workers are trying to catch their hand somewhere else so without increased wages, harvesters might never turn back to cane harvesting,”

said Chand. According to Chand, sugar workers have complained of not being able to “make ends meet.” It was noted that the wages they receive from cane harvesting is “not enough” to manage a household so harvesters have been resorting to new methods of earning revenue. Although their plight is not to be overlooked, the sugar industry is faced with many challenges, one of those being the fact that the cost of production is US$36 cents per pound, while it is only sold at US$16 cents per pound.

Added to that, it was announced that the Corporation would need $18B in 2017 and a further $21B in 2018 but the Government and the management of GuySuCo have been exploring ways to innovate the industry so that it will remain a revenue earner in time to come.

Removal and relocation process commence – for squatters along East and West Front Roads, Ruimveldt MOVES are afoot to remove and relocate squatters along the East and West Ruimveldt, Front Roads, Georgetown, said Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valarie Adams-Patterson. According to the minister, the Ministry cannot regularise an area where three or four buildings are on one house lot. The Community Development Department of the Ministry is conducting a survey to determine how many

Housing Minister Valarie Adams-Patterson

buildings are in the mentioned area and to mark them off to prevent persons from erecting structures there. Once this is done, the removal and relocation will commence. Minister Adams-Patterson told reporters on Wednesday that residents, particularly leaders in West Front Road, have been engaged and were asked to be vigilant against construction of new buildings in the marked off area. Any new building, she said will be torn down,

Indian national shot in attempted robbery A 28-year-old Indian national Brianard Revival is in a stable condition at a City hospital after he was shot in his left arm by a bandit, who attempted to rob him in Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara on Tuesday night. According to police, the incident occurred at approximately 23:50hrs at First Street, Cummings Lodge. Investigations have so far revealed that the foreign student of Second Street, Cum-

mings Lodge,was in his motor car with some friends when he stopped at a junction and another car suddenly drove in front of him and stopped. A male suspect, brandishing a handgun exited the back seat of the car, approached the student and demanded cash and valuables. The victim immediately sped away during which the suspect discharged his firearm, injuring him in the upper left arm. No arrests have yet been made.

Businessman shot, friend robbed by bandits POLICE are hunting three suspects who robbed two persons of their jewellery in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown,on Tuesday night. According to an eyewitness, during the ordeal, one of the victims was shot and is now hospitalised in a stable condition. At about 19:30hrs, Liverpool Junior, 19, a welder

of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was standing in front of U Parker and Sons General Store when he was pounced upon by three suspects on bicycles and robbed of two gold chains. The owner of the establishment,Ulborne Parker, 35, went to his assistance, during which one of the suspects snatched his (Parker’s) gold chain and shot him

once in the upper right thigh, with a handgun.They subsequently fled on two bicycles. Parker was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was treated and admitted in a stable condition. Investigators are reviewing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from the crime scene.

pointing out that the Ministry wants a clean environment and squatting along canals and the embankments will not be tolerated. On Tuesday in addressing participants at the Cen-

tral Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), National Planning Forum, the minister said the situation at East and West Front Roads is unacceptable. “Right now the Ministry of Public Infrastructure cannot go in there

(East and West Front Roads) to do any cleaning of those canals. There is no space, not even for the equipment. Should we [not] regularise, then we are culpable … I do not want to be a part of that,” the minister said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Shame, anger, guilt, fear – rape victim recalls paying the price for ignoring initial warning signs – Red Thread says poor victims often left to suffer

By Rabindra Rooplall IT IS about exercise of power not of love, crushing the victims’ self-esteem and consigning them to an uncomfortable emotional state that is difficult to remove. Even though many cases are not reported, the offence of rape is not rare or strange in Guyana. For the first quarter of 2017, the majority of the 78 sexual abuse cases before the High Court pending trial involve rape. While many suffer in silence, some victims have been brave enough to come forward in bringing their perpetrators to justice. One such person is Sharon (not her real name), a resident of East Coast Demerara. On January, 15, 2004

Sharon (not her real name) was on a regular visit to a close friend when she encountered a 21-year-old man, who was a cousin of her friend. The now mother of two, who was 15 at the time,related that a conversation started with the man,whom she never met before,and centered around people, sports, cars and television shows. The conversation lasted for an hour and ended when her best friend returned home,but it later continued shortly after when he butted in the conversation between Sharon and her friend. “He started talking all sort of weird and sexual things, asking me if I had a boyfriend and if I ever had sex,” Sharon told Guyana Chronicle. Feeling uncomfortable,

the then 15-year-old decided to leave the conversation and entered the kitchen where her best friend’s mother was preparing a meal. She did not make a complaint against the man at that time as she did not want a confrontation. Sharon is from a traditional Indian family and her mother had warned her about underage sex and negative impact it has on the lives of young women. KEPT SECRET Two weeks passed and she did not tell her best friend about the unpleasant experience with her cousin. Notwithstanding the entire ordeal, the teen who was an aspiring doctor, once again visited her friend on a weekend. On this occasion, her

begged her best friend to go buy a large bottle of drink so that everyone could have, leaving her alone with him to watch television. In tears, the woman related that the 21-year-old man left the room, walked to the back of the house, and called out to her to help him remove a box.

Karen de Souza

best friend’s father was out and the mother was at the market. Only her best friend and the 21-year-old man were at home. “I just didn’t worry with him and just ignored him and was with my friend watching television and trying to get some school work done, and I caught him staring at me all the time. I should have left and just went home but I never thought anything else but staring could have happened,” she related. Sharon said the man

BECOMING A VICTIM “I didn’t think was anything else other than removing a box. He then pulled me into the room and locked the door behind me and raised up my skirt, pulling down my tights, bending me over and I don’t want to remember the rest,” she cried. Gasping, Sharon said at the time of the rape, she was frozen with fear and tried to scream but was too traumatised. “It was over in like three minutes but it felt like time stood still,” she said, recounting that soon after, the perpetrator told her “If I told anyone anything at all he

would say it’s a lie and he would come to my school and tell everyone I was a slut and I gave him sex without even a date.” Sharon continued: “When he walked out the door, he took with him my pride, my security and my dignity. I had so many thoughts going through my mind. What if I tell someone and they don’t believe me? Was it my fault? Not to mention the multiple feelings I had. Shame. Guilt. Anger. Fear. But most of all, disbelief. How could this happen to me? After that day, I never went to anybody’s home and my mother noticed I like to be alone a lot after that, she eventually knew after a long time what had happened.” Ten years after the incident, she related what had happened to her mother but never made a report to the police because she did not trust anyone with the matter. Now married and a mother of two, Sharon said she Turn to page 13 ►

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Shame, anger... trusts no one with her daughter. “I don’t allow nobody to tell me what is best for my children, because I know how cruel this world is and can be when you’re a woman,” she said. MOST VULNERABLE According to recent police statistics, 92 per cent of victims of sexual violence in cases examined were females; 43 per cent of girls in the 12-16 years age group are most vulnerable to sexual assaults; 26 per cent of girls between 1-12 years are the second most vulnerable group; and 69 per cent of victims of sexual violence cases are 16 years or below. Some 44 per cent of sexual violence crimes reviewed were committed on persons of Afro-Guyanese descent, followed by Indo-Guyanese (27 per cent), Mixed and Amerindian races (13 per cent each) and Portuguese (three per cent). The statistics also revealed that although cases of sexual violence are increasing, conviction rates have been undesirable. Women and young girls are the primary targets. In a trial in Georgetown last year before Justice Bovell-Drakes, an accused charged with the offence of carnal knowledge of a girl under 12 was freed. A formal verdict of not guilty was delivered by the jury upon the direction of the trial judge after the virtual complainant went into the witness box and stated that she did not wish to offer any evidence. In the final quarter of 2016,during the Essequibo Criminal Assizes,a man accused of rape was put on retrial following a hung jury. However, the man was granted bail in the sum of $300,000 on condition that he reports weekly to the Charity Police Station. During 2016, 63 cases that included sexual abuse and rape were nolle prosequi (a formal notice of abandonment by a plaintiff) after victims withdraw their testimonies. According to the Sexual Offences Act 2010, a sexual offence is any sexual violation on an individual that includes rape, and any other form of sexual assault, such as touching or causing the complainant to touch a third party in a sexual way.

From page 12

The act envisions a society where individuals, particularly women and children are free from sexual molestation and abuse, and outlines the rights of the victims of sexual violations. According to the “Sexual Trends amongst youths in Guyana”, a 2015 survey done by the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), one fifth of all sexually active youths surveyed reported being raped or coerced into their first sexual experience. Women/girls were more affected, with a quarter of all sexually active females reporting a coerced sexual debut, compared to 14 per cent of sexually active males surveyed. BOYS NOT EXCLUDED However, males composed a significant 39 per cent of all rape victims. Almost three quarters (71 per cent) of rape victims had been under age 16 when they were raped. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) had been age 12 or younger. Another survey titled: The good, the bad, and the ugly: A ‘snapshot’ of sexual knowledge, attitudes and practices among Guyanese youth aged 14-25, presents a valuable insight into Guyana’s youth population and provides a baseline for a comprehensive study to address sexual trends and behaviour of adolescents and to enable them to live a healthy lifestyle, realising their dreams and working to build a flourishing nation. According to the United States Department report on human rights for 2015, a large number of cases of rape and other forms of sexual assaults in Guyana are unreported to authorities, most likely due to fear of stigma, a lack of confidence in authorities, retribution, or further violence. Representative of Red Thread, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Karen de Souza said equal rights and justice in Guyana is a “thorny” issue. “If you can afford a good lawyer then you can enjoy the rights of justice as a citizen of this country; but if you are poor you are left to suffer; therefore, we must know our rights so as to help protect ourselves,” de Souza said. She noted that survivors of rape often suffer systemic violation of their rights since authorities fail to act or are slow to act when reports are made.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Berbicians see oil ... (GuySuCo) that the co-generation plant was unsafe to operate and advised that the First Crop 2017 should no longer take place as up to seven months were required to address the problem. Over the years, the co-generation plant has suffered serious deterioration. This was confirmed by a recent audit. The plant became progressively unreliable adversely affecting the operations of the sugar factory and resulting in reduced sugar production and less power for the national grid, GuySuCo stated. Apart from Skeldon, the three other sugar estateswhich provide employment for hundreds- has been the flame of the Berbice economy for years. With troubles in rice and sugar, Berbicians are seeing tough times. “There is no money. People don’t have spending power. Whatever little they have them spending on food only; business bad.” That’s the comment you get from most businesses in the Upper and Central Corentyne areas. The hire car and mini bus drivers have similar cries. “People are not travelling. We are not even getting school children, because the Granger (School buses) cleaning up the road,” said one driver. With many investing heavily in rice, sugar and the businesses that have thrived off of them for years, Berbicians are hoping to keep their doors open for the time when the oil begins to flow. ExxonMobil estimates that the oil wells it has discovered has as much as 1.4 billion barrels of oil, and has begun a US$5 billion investment to begin oil extraction in 2020. “I can’t wait for oil to start drilling because I know a lot of people from Suriname will come over to start business here; that means more passengers on the road for me,” one taxi driver said. “I know there will be plenty of money and people will build more and I will get work. But I will continue cutting cane for now,” said Joel Harper a mason/ carpenter who is also a cane harvester. David Chan of Warren Village, #19 Highway, has been a hire car driver for over fifteen years and he has heard conversations about the prospects for oil. He said his focus currently is educating his three children, ages 13 to 18, to pursue careers in the oil and gas sectors since he believes there would be immense job opportunities that will be available for

From page 5

Hire car driver, David Chand them. “I want to make sure that they get that chance because oil will pay good and they would be able to take care of me and their mother when we get old,” said Chan. With the announcement that consideration is being given to the setting up of a world class refinery at Crab Island in the Berbice River, many are looking at the potential business opportunities. Regional Chairman, David Armogan, who oversees the East Corentyne/Berbice region, has disclosed in an interview with this publication that there has been a recent spike in applications for development of significant portions of land at Crab Island. The chairman confirmed that the Lands and Survey department is currently processing the applications. He noted that many are for inland capacity to aid in the offshore drilling operations. But while most are eagerly awaiting the commencement of the operations to get a piece of the pie, there are worried about the negative effects, and some have even theorized this to the bizarre. “I don’t like this oil thing. When they start, all kinds of bad things will happen. When they start disturbing the sea bed we

might soon get earthquakes and so,” said Satesh. Others fear mismanagement of the funds that will come from oil. “If you look at Venezuela – they are producing oil but yet their people are starving.” But the current government is seeking to assure Berbicians, and the entire country, that the oil revenues would be well managed. “To avoid the pitfall of other countries who were surprised with the oil wealth and didn’t know what to do with it, we are being prepared to receive this wealth,” Basil Williams, the country’s Attorney General said last week at a meeting held with Berbicians at the village of Limlair. “All our international partners are assisting; the ABC countries, our neighbours and all around the world. We are getting assistance and we don’t want when we receive this wealth, we don’t want the Dutch Disease that has inflicted Trinidad and most other oil countries; that all our resources move into the oil industry and abandon agriculture and abandon other sectors and when the prices fall we are caught without our own food,” Williams. Will oil really prove to be the black gold for Berbice, and for Guyana?

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

‘Fresh from the West’ Business-savvy young farmer out to prove Linden can feed itself THE town of Linden, commonly known as the mining town or the bauxite town, has had an ailing ag-

riculture sector for several years which has resulted in approximately 70% of the food consumed there

being imported from other regions. With the decrease in bauxite production, regional

Lindeners getting their daily requirement of fresh, leafy vegetables from Ifill’s stall on Pine Street, Mackenzie

authorities have been trying various techniques to rejuvenate the agricultural sector,

but this has not reaped much success, and the town continues to be dependent on food coming from other regions. It’s a situation that

doesn’t sit well with Pearce Ifill, a Berbician who moved to Linden. Coming from an agricultural background, this Turn to page 21 ►

Pearce Ifill is immensely proud of his “green” fingers

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

– Mic James and Co. on quest to sell Linden through movies FILM producer and director, Michael James and his cast members are on a mission to sell Linden by showcasing its culture, beauty and potential to the world through the lens of a camera. The production team, well known as ‘Mic James Production and Drama Group’, has already successfully produced five movies since 2005, with a sixth to be soon released. Being one of the pioneers in Linden’s movie- making industry, Michael James has ambitions of not only producing movies to garner profits, but to sift out the talents of young Lindeners who may never get the chance of utilising it while simultaneously keeping them meaningfully occupied. The movies he’s already produced are “Coal-pot Saga”, “Ole House pun Ole House 1 and 2”, “Tantimerl And She Junky”, and the short film, “Three Cords”. Soon to be released is “Story Bridesmaid”. All of the actors are from Linden, and as James ex-

plained, they all have one common thread: The simple things of life. “The simple things that we take for granted; that we might pass every day. The coalpot, for example,” he said, “is something simple but it has value; it feeds the family. “So, the things that we see as unimportant can be very much important. And nearly all of my films kind of produced that.” Most of the films were dramatised on stage before being produced into movies. THE CHALLENGES While the Linden community has been lauded for their support over the years, James is of the opinion as of recent, there has been a decline in support with the advent of the Internet and free streaming sites where persons can watch foreign produced movies in the comfort of their homes and free of cost. This, coupled with movie piracy, has been a stumbling block to the local movie producing industry. “Persons would burn a

film and sell it on the road for $100! But you spend nearly $1M to produce a movie; you can’t sell it for $100! So, that is the challenge as it relates to persons buying in Linden,” James said. While his main focus is not on the profits, financing is needed if the industry should continue to flourish. He revealed that funding is currently his major challenge, as he has not been successful in recruiting large companies as sponsors. “How they see it is, they will not be interested in something that they won’t directly have a ‘kick-back’ on,” James said, adding: “If they have a colour party or an all-white party, you would find the companies supporting that, because they know the drinks selling; but if you get a play at the theatre, they won’t show much interest in that. We need help! Big film companies does get help, much less a small man.” ON A MISSION But despite these setbacks, James is on a mission

to have Mic James Production become more recognised in the Caribbean and in the Diaspora, so as to allow those Lindeners and other Guyanese living in these countries to purchase his movies in stores close to their homes and then share it with others. The overseas market is a specially targeted market for James, as the movies he makes not only act as a form of nostalgia for overseas-based Guyanese, but also help promote Linden as a potential tourist destination. “Persons will look and say, ‘Oh, I grew up next to that church! Oh, I went to that school.’ “So, we purposely showcase Linden: The river area, the market area, the scenic areas,” James said. To meet the goal of saturating the overseas market, James is currently working on improving the quality of his production, but is hoping to garner the support from the government and other stakeholders, since there is a lot of talent in Linden but these youths have no financing.

Serene Ituni APPROXIMATELY 35 miles from Linden, deep in the bosom of the Upper Demerara jungle lies a serene little paradise by the name of Ituni. Having its origin in bauxite mining, Ituni was transformed into a community with the formation of families whose patriarchs served in the several expatriate bauxite companies. Nestled neatly between the Demerara and Berbice Rivers, the sparsely populated mining community quickly blossomed, and to date, the community has approximately 2000 residents. While bauxite mining brought much prosperity to the small community, which was evident in the growing infrastructural development and standard of living, things slowly began to turn around with the downsizing of the bauxite company.

NEW PURSUITS Rather than throw in the towel and render Ituni uninhabited, residents quickly put on their thinking caps and, pretty soon, logging became popular, while other residents tended to gravitate more to farming, hunting and fishing. Optimism soon began to spiral in the community, and while basic necessities were lacking, it was the closeness; the trust; the ca-

A poster of the soon-to-be-released “Story Bridesmaid”, which was staged last year at the famous LICHAS Hall in Linden

He stressed that there is need for more support of the arts, since it meaning-

fully occupies the youths, while selling history and culture.

– where everyone is his brother’s keeper

maraderie that residents shared and the peace that prevailed that made Ituni the paradise it is today. “If you ain’t get food fuh feed yuh children, you bet by the end of the day, yuh pickney gon eat because we used to look out fuh each other; we were our brothers and sisters keepers, and that is what kept us together,” one octogenarian, who has been living in the community for over six decades, told this publication. In the past, the community was made up of mainly Amerindian residents, but as it continued to expand, Ituni can now be termed a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community. In terms of public facilities, the community was able, in time, to have its own nursery Pupils of Howell Wilson Primary and primary schools, namely on their way home after school the Howell Wilson Nursery and Primary Schools. It also established a health post, a police station, post office, playA DOWNTURN ground, churches, variety stores, marketplace Then, all of a sudden, things started going and many night spots and watering holes. downhill for Ituni: The internal roads began

to deteriorate despite calls for the relevant authorities to remedy the situation. Residents say that the roads, drains and canals were all kept up-to-standard by the various bauxite Turn to page 20 ►

Serene Ituni companies that mined the area, but since bauxite mining stopped in Ituni, all repairs also seemed to stop with it. Residents also say that most of the infrastructural works these days are being done by self-help, but are no match for the heavy-duty and lumber trucks constantly traversing the road, thereby taking a heavy toll on its surface. And while there are telephone, electricity and potable water services, residents believe that the latter needs significant improvements. They have also had cause in the past to block the main road in protest of its deplorable condition, and recently, parents of the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017 One of the secondary roads in the community From page 19

Howell Wilson Primary School launched a protest over the disgraceful conditions to which the children are subject. With the absence of a high school and tertiary institution, many of the young people who leave Ituni to further their studies rarely return, citing the lack of opportunities for one to elevate oneself. Those who do return most likely become loggers or farmers. NOT THE SAME Recently, the Guyana Chronicle had occasion to sit down with some of Ituni’s elderly men who complained bitterly of the turn of events in the community. Idle youths, burglars stealing from farms,

The Ituni play ground

‘Fresh from...

From page 18

young farmer said. “It has excellent soil for any crop, because it is clay mixed with a bit of loam. You can do pine, you can do any cash-crop on it,” he added.

Freshly harvested mustard ready for the market

young man was not accustomed to buying everything he eats and was not about to adapt to the dependency syndrome that Lindeners had webbed themselves into. Ifill was on a mission to not only do subsistence farming, but to feed the entire Linden. He knew he couldn’t satisfy the demand he alone, but at least he would have encouraged other Lindeners to follow his lead. In 2005, Ifill enrolled in

a Linden Advancement Economic Programme (LEAP) Agricultural Course where he garnered the requisite technical and marketing skills to not only farm, but to run a successful agricultural business as well. He then proceeded to acquire land in West Watooka, which is the farming hub of Linden because of its fertile soil. “Region 10 has one of the best soils in Guyana; West Watooka especially,” the

MAKING HIS NAME Recognising that the competition with outside vendors was going to be stiff, Ifill decided to use an aggressive marketing strategy to sensitise Lindeners about what could be had right on their doorstep, so to speak. And at a cheaper cost, to boot! “I created a name: ‘Fresh from the West’. And in the advertisement,” the business-savvy farmer said, “I let people know all that I have to offer. “And at the end, I make it known that for every dollar you spend at ‘Fresh from the West’, you are creating jobs in West Watooka and Linden, giving persons the idea that if you spend your dollar with the trucks that come from persons in Berbice, you create jobs in Berbice so persons start getting the idea of ‘Fresh from the West’.” Currently, ‘Fresh from the West’ has eight perma-

lack of meaningful activities for the youths to be involved in, and a drastic decline in the economy were just some of the issues brought to the fore. One of those men was Mr Samuel George, an 80-year-old who described the situation as unbecoming. He normally farms eddoes, dasheen, plantains, cassava and bananas but does not get to reap them as they are often stolen. “When you plant, people reaping; and that is bad,” he said. He posited that Ituni is not like it was back then, when everyone went about without fear of being robbed. “Ituni is not like the Ituni they had before; they got a lot of different people coming in the community and spoiling it,” Mr George said. When reports are made, the elderly men said, justice cannot be served as they cannot definitively say who the culprits are. “It is nent staff, but contracts extras come harvest time. “There are two farms, and we plant a wide variety of stuff,” Ifill said. “We plant mustard, bora, celery, tomatoes, cabbage, pakchoi, bolanger, parsley, thick-leaf calaloo, cucumbers, carilla and so much more.” The planting, he said, is done in stages to facilitate the huge demand on the retail market. The seeds, for instance, are given to someone else to plant, while he collects the seedlings, which helps expedite the production rate. HIGH IN DEMAND Ifill, who now goes by the alias ‘Fresh’, swears he’s Linden’s most prominent farmer, who makes the sacrifice to meet his customers’ demand for fresh produce cultivated under agricultural best practices. With the positive response he’s received so far from Lindeners, and the quality of soil in West Watooka, Ifill believes that all it would take is 10 more like-minded persons to make Linden hum. “Linden could feed itself, but the mindset of Linden has to be changed,” Ifill said, adding: “Farming is a business like any other business; it has to be managed. There are records to be kept, salaries to be paid; and there is marketing...

unfair to know an old, old man helping helping me’self and people doing these things to me.” Another elderly farmer, Mr Clifton Thom who lives alone said that he normally does subsistence farming in the backlands of Ituni, and his experience is the same as Mr George. ALL NOT LOST But despite the many challenges, residents yet believe that all is not lost in the little community of Ituni. They believe that the unity is still there, but sometimes out of frustration of the slow economy, this may result in a few burglaries and advantage being taken on a few in the community. “We will rise again,” said one resident, who urged all Guyanese to visit this little community to experience a little of their hospitality, and signature giant pholouries and hot mango sour.

“So, if they would take it from a business perspective and not just when-you-do-it, how-you-do-it... “You have to have a love for it; it has to be a part of you. I have a serious commitment to the farm; I love what I do.” Sharing with the Guyana Chronicle his daily regimen, Ifill said: “I get up at minutes to five, get my breakfast, and get ready. “I reach on the farm at 5:45, harvest from 6:00 to 9:00, reach out on the market for 9:30. “Remember, I am in managing, marketing and production. And remember, my time has to be shared in all three departments. “Around quarter to three, I would check off the stocks and return back to farm and work from 3:00 to 6:00. When I leave the farm, I go back to the market and balance off the workers.” Though it may sound tedious to many, Ifill said he loves what he does, and therefore it never seems like work to him. TEACH THEM YOUNG Ifill believes that if farming is introduced at the nursery school level, and the children’s minds are chanelled in this direction, then it will be easier for them to navigate into agriculture rather than “try to bend the branch when

it is hard”. He believes that Lindeners should realise that the mining sector has lost its glory days, and agriculture is the next gateway to economic success. The farmer posited that Lindeners should stop complaining that the government needs to do more for them, when they are not willing to do anything for themselves. “What are you doing for yourself?” he asked. All you do is go to work, go home, fold your hands, watch TV, go on the computer and complain, when you can farm, do a kitchen garden or rear some poultry.” In addition to persons changing their mindset, he believes that the commercial banks and other financial institutions should be more farming-friendly, since farmers are in dire need of financial assistance, but find it difficult to access loans. With a changed mindset, perfect soil, financial assistance and technical training, farmer Pearce Ifill believes that Linden will not only be called the mining town but the agricultural town, where every Lindener can be certain that they are eating what is produced right in their home town. But until then, ‘Fresh from the West’ will continue to be a testimony of Linden’s agricultural potential.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Young attorney receives Government of Guyana Prize NEWLY-MINTED attorney-at-law, Latoya Roberts on Wednesday received the Government of Guyana Prize for being the best graduating Guyanese Law Student at the Hugh Wooding Law School based in Trinidad. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, presented the prize to the young attorney during a ceremony at his office. Roberts was adjudged the best graduating student for 2016. Inspired by Direll Gittens, a youth leader in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, whom Roberts described as a father figure in her life, the young woman opted to study law in Sixth Form at President College, making a complete switch from the business stream, while attending the North Georgetown Secondary. She was not only well-spoken, but had a natural tendency for arguing and Gittens thought that that skill could have been best used in the field of Law. Her road to success, however, was a rough one but that did not stop her. “But all those experiences shaped her into who she is today,” the Attorney General said, noting that Roberts has truly lived up to her mother’s mantra that “Education is a means by which one can escape poverty.” In 2004, Roberts, who hails from Vreed-en-Rust on the West Bank of Demerara, graduated as the valedictorian of her class after excelling in nine subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. At President College, she was also the best graduating student. “In 2006, she then entered the University of Guyana to read for the LLB degree and in 2010 she graduated with the coveted LLB Degree from the University of Guyana. As she did not immediately have the finances to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School, Roberts opted to work and save to acquire the funds to continue her legal studies,”

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams presenting Latoya Roberts with the Guyana Government Prize – a collection of the Guyana Law Reports

the Attorney General stated. She gained employment at the Business School as a Programme Coordinator and subsequently at School of the Nations as a Language and Literature Teacher. In 2014, with support from her family and friends and even members of her church, the then 27-year-old, who was raised by her single-parent mother, commenced studies at the Hugh Wooding Law School reading for the Legal Education Certificate. She graduated in 2016 as the best Guyanese Law Student. According to the Attorney General, Roberts, who describes herself as a “country-girl” certainly made her mark academically through perseverance and unequivocal dedication to her religious belief. He added: “Latoya’s journey has certainly been filled with obstacles and trials, but in the end her dream became her reality,” Minister Williams noted. Roberts told reporters that she is now in private practice. “That affords me the opportunity to dabble in all of the areas of law. So I get to basically taste before I decide (on which area to specialise,” she said. Asked for her take on the establishment of a law school here, Roberts said it was something she dreamt of while studying. “Definitely cost wise it would be a lot cheaper for many students

like myself who see the cost as a major barrier to attending Law School,” she pointed out, noting too that a

law school here would allow for students to have greater support from their family and friends. There is no such thing as too many lawyers, Roberts posited as she dismissed critics who are of the opinion that establishment of a school here would saturate the system. She said “if guided correctly and in the right direction,” there will be always be a need for lawyers. Roberts also called for lawyers to specialize and in doing so make the field more diverse. The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of the Caribbean (UCC) and Law College of the Americas (LCA) for the establishment of a law school here.

Attorney-at-Law Latoya Roberts

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Dover comfortable ... From back page

can mean well for us. We showed desire and we’re going to continue working diligently to build this brand and build this team to be world beaters and not to be conceding goals and losing game after game.” “We were uncomfortable in the early stages and once the game wore on and we found our way, started to implement our way of playing and we had our chances; this is a result that we welcome and accept,” the Guyana team head coach said. The plan, according to

Dover, was to not concede as many as they did in their previous games played during the CFU Caribbean Cup. Guyana lost 3-2 to Suriname and 4-2 Jamaica, but Dover noted. “We (Guyana) came out not to concede a goal and not to lose the game and that’s what we’ve achieved. In the first half, they made the game a bit uncomfortable for us, because we thought that they were going to sit back and let us run at them. Meanwhile, Golden Jaguars skipper Samuel Cox believed that the condition of the MSC ground was not too conducive for International play, but, the England-based

defender is happy with the result. Much was said about the MSC ground when it was announced as the host venue for the game, returning international football to Linden for the first time since 2011. “The conditions out there were difficult and it was for both sides,” said Cox, adding, “I think it affected the quality from Martinique and from us as well. The ball striking is hard because there’s a lot of sand underneath and it’s hard for both teams … I think we put on a good display defensively and it could only be progress from here.”

Sinclair, bowlers engineer Berbice ... From back page

top-edge catch off Dwayne Dick, at 105-2. Sinclair hit five fours and a six. S i n c l a i r ’s d i s m i s s a l brought Anderson to the crease, and the third-wicket

opening spell of bowling in which he had opener Alphius Bookie (0) caught behind off the outside edge, at 3-1. Swammy was unlucky not to remove the other open-

Junior Sinclair partnership quickly gained some momentum before Anderson was caught and bowled off left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd for 15. Thereafter the hosts’ spinners to their credit had been good with their bowling, not allowing the visitors to score freely, and the remaining batsmen failed to build on the solid foundation, as they lost their last seven wickets for just 37 runs, including Benjamin. Nedd and off-spinner Pradesh Balkishun did much of the damage, claiming 3-22 each. Dick and Mootoo had 2-35 and 1-15 respectively. Medium pacer Swammy then set the tone for a tough run chase with a sensational

er Sachin Singh after wicketkeeper Sinclair floored a regulation catch when Singh was on six.. However, Singh and Stephon Wilson then added 45 runs for the second wicket before left-arm spinner Umroa made two timely inroads, removing both Wilson (31) and Singh (21). Things went from bad to worse for the hosts, with the last seven wickets falling for 30 runs. Only Balkishun (25) offered some resistance. To m o r r o w ’ s f i n a l is scheduled to start at 09:30hrs. Nigel Deodat (right) and Kelvin Umroa share five wickets.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

U.S. keep World Cup hopes alive, Mexico take control (REUTERS) - The United States remain in contention for a spot at next year’s World Cup after Bruce Arena’s side battled to a scrappy 1-1 away draw against Panama in CONCACAF qualifying on Tuesday. A loss would have left the U.S. anchored equal bottom in the six-team group known as the Hexagonal, but the draw sends them home

relieved and still in contention for one of the three automatic spots to Russia 2018. Mexico extended their lead to three points atop the group with a 1-0 away win over Trinidad and Tobago, a second-half goal by Diego Reyes in Port of Spain lifting El Tri to 10 points from four games. Costa Rica are second on seven points after a 1-1 away

draw at Honduras, followed by Panama on five points, the U.S. and the Hondurans on four, while Trinidad have three points. In Panama City, teenager Christian Pulisic set up striker Clint Dempsey for his 56th international goal as the U.S. took the lead in the 39th minute. But Panama were on equal terms four minutes later when the American

Clint Dempsey of the U.S. celebrates after scoring against Panama. (REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate) defence failed to deal with a long throw-in, the ball bobbling to Gabriel Gomez, who fired home from close range. After the match, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard considered the result as one point gained rather than two points lost. “We didn’t tie the game, we won a dogfight,” he said in a pitch-side interview. “It’s tough away from home in qualifying. We had to get a point.” As for the physical nature of the contest, Howard did not mince his words. “If you watch the game you would shake your head. It’s what we’ve come to expect away from home with all the elements. We’re always swimming upstream away from home.

“They’re a physical team. This is probably the most athletic team in CONCACAF so it’s hard to match them but I thought we did a good job.” Arena, who took over after the Americans lost the first two games of their qualifying campaign under Jurgen Klinsmann, was happy with the result, if not the officiating. “The referee didn’t blow his whistle too much,” he said wryly, while conceding Mexico were now likely to win the group. Mexico rode their luck against Trinidad and Tobago, who felt aggrieved after a slick first half effort by Joevin Jones was disallowed for offside, though replays appeared to show he had

timed his run to perfection. The visitors had the better of the second half, with Hector Herrera hitting the post with a curling 20-yard shot, before defender Reyes powered home a header from a corner in the 58th minute. “We knew it would be difficult ... but in the second half we found the spaces and I think we deserved the victory in the end,” defender Hector Moreno said. In San Pedro Sula, Honduras bounced back from a 6-0 drubbing against the U.S. last week by sharing the spoils with Costa Rica. Anthony Lozano bundled the ball home to give Honduras a first-half lead, before Costa Rica equalised in the second half with a Kendall Watson header.

Demerara U-17 Inter-Association

Georgetown thrash West Demerara, East Coast defeat East Bank GEORGETOWN and East Coast Demerara were both victorious after round one of the Demerara Inter-Association Under-17 one-day tournament last Tuesday. The City team thrashed West Demerara at Everest Cricket Club ground, while East Coast Demerara made light work of East Bank at Enmore Community Centre ground. Georgetown failed to field a team and as such reserve players from the other associations completed the final squad. Georgetown took first strike and were reduced to 115 in 28.4 overs. Sachin Singh held the innings,

with a composed 25, while Dwane Dick contributed 20. Elian Whyte had 5-25 from 6.2 overs, while Aftab Basir supported him well with 3-17. West Demerara were then bowled out for 62 in 29.2 overs. Ashmead Nedd was the chief destroyer, capturing 4-14 from eight overs. He got support from Dick and Qumar Torrington, with two wickets each. Batting first at Enmore, East Coast posted 149-6 off 36 overs. Rajendra Singh top-scored with 41 and Andrew Samaroo supported with 39. East Bank never threatened the target in their chase and ended on 102-9.

Andsuegga Rodrigues and Jamal Michael contributed 17 runs each. The destroyer with the ball was Hemant Dindyal, who snatched 4-15 from six overs. Andrew Samaroo complemented his good batting with two wickets for 16 runs. The competition continues this weekend. On Saturday, East Coast and West Demerara will battle at Ogle ground, while East Bank will take on Georgetown at Everest ground. On Sunday, East Bank Demerara will clash with West Demerara at Ogle ground and Georgetown will go up against East Coast at Enmore.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Neymar helps guarantee World Cup place for Brazil … Peru beat Uruguay 2-1

(REUTERS) - Neymar shrugged off some rough tackling and a missed penalty to score a brilliant solo goal as he led Brazil to a 3-0 win over Paraguay which booked their place at the 2018 World Cup finals on Tuesday. It was Brazil’s eighth consecutive win in qualifying and, combined with Peru’s 2-1 win over Uruguay in a later game, ensured they would finish the 10-nation group in the top four, guaranteeing them a berth at the Russia finals. Brazil lead the standings on 33 points with four matches to play, 11 points ahead of arch-rivals Argentina, who slipped back into fifth after a 2-0 defeat away to Bolivia without suspended captain Lionel Messi. The top four teams qualify automatically and the fifth play

Brazil’s Neymar celebrates his goal. (REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker)

off against a team from another confederation. Paraguay are in eighth spot on 18 points, behind Peru on goal difference. The early part of the match was marked by a string of fouls on Neymar but the first big chance was a breakaway by Paraguay’s Derlis Gonzalez, who hurried his shot and put

the ball wide. Midfielder Hernan Perez missed another chance for Paraguay before Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring for the hosts in the 34th minute at the Corinthians Arena. The Liverpool playmaker played a neat one-two with Paulinho before curling a low, left-foot shot past goalkeeper Anthony Silva and inside the far corner. Neymar was awarded a penalty after being brought down early in the second half but his stop-start run-up failed to deceive Silva and the keeper saved with a dive to his right then blocked his effort with the rebound. Stung by the miss, Neymar made up for it 10 minutes later, scampering down the left wing from inside his own half, skipping tackles and driving

Good Success Sports Club claim WCC Farmers Cup T20 title

Members of the victorious Good Success Sports Club team pose with representatives of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee and sponsors.

GOOD Success Sports Club produced a well all-round performance to claim the Wakenaam Cricket Committee (WCC) inaugural Farmers Cup T20 title when they whipped Sans Souci Sports Club by nine wickets in the final on Sunday. At the Wakenaam Community Centre ground, the victory was largely indebted to medium pacer Wazir Khan and a fine

half-century from Charles Benjamin. Batting first, Sans Souci Sports Club could put together only 88-9. Reon Venture was unbeaten on 29, while Omal Bacon (17) and Roopnarine Persaud (16) were the other two batsmen who offered any form of resistance. Khan claimed 3-16 while Imran Khan had 2-6 and Nazeer Mohamed 2-19.

In reply Benjamin hammered three fours and three sixes to remain unbeaten on 51, while Vickram Ramnarine, who hit two fours and a six, ended on 24 not out as Good Success Sports Club achieved 91-1 in 15 overs. Benjamin was named manof-the-match, while Cleon Venture took the best bowler prize, with 10 wickets. Khan was voted the tournament’s best batsman, with 160 runs.

Pakistan bowler Irfan suspended for a year over spot-fixing (REUTERS) - Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has been suspended for a year and fined 1 million rupees (£764 881) after failing to disclose two approaches made by bookmakers during this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday. The 34-year-old, who played for Islamabad United in the 2017 PSL, admitted the charges levelled against him by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit. The PCB will review the suspension after six months,

at which point Irfan’s contract may be restored. Over seven feet tall, he has played four Tests, 60 one-day internationals and 20 Twenty20 internationals. The PCB said last month it was investigating whether an international betting syndicate was trying to influence matches in the PSL. “You are aware that on March 14 the board called in and suspended me on the basis of two allegations, out of which I accept that it was my fault that I failed to let the board know when bookies approached me,” Irfan told

reporters yesterday. “I am formally asking the nation for their forgiveness and hope that I will be pardoned by them.” Pakistan were involved in spot-fixing case in 2010 when three players - Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt - were suspended and later jailed for their part in incidents during a Test match against England at Lord’s. All three are now playing competitively again, with Amir part of the Karachi Kings’ squad for this season’s PSL.

into the box before beating a wrong-footed Silva with a shot that took a deflection off a defender. Neymar, who thought he had a second goal when he picked up a rebound off a teammate in an offside position and put the ball in the net, came in for some more heavy treatment from Paraguay, who hardly troubled Brazil goalkeeper Alisson in the second

half. Left back Marcelo put the icing on the cake with another fine goal in the closing minutes for Brazil, who extended their South American qualifying record with the victory. Peru’s win pulled them within four points of Argentina and kept alive their own faint hopes of qualifying for a first World Cup since 1982.

Carlos Sanchez turned in Luis Suarez’s pass to give Uruguay the lead after half an hour but Paolo Guerrero levelled four minutes later and Edison Flores gave Peru a deserved win with an emphatic finish just after the hour. Uruguay’s unhappy evening ended with a red card for substitute Jonathan Urretaviscaya in the 75th minute.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

‘Bradman-like’ Smith to become great captain - Lehmann (REUTERS) - Australia coach Darren Lehmann has hailed ‘Bradman-like’ Steve Smith for his consistent form with the bat and believes the 27-year-old has the potential to become one of Australia’s great captains. Smith’s emerging side lost a tight four-match series to India 2-1 on Tuesday but he did lead them to a first Test match victory in the country since 2004 when they beat the world’s top-ranked side inside three days in the series opener in Pune. The unorthodox batsman was the top scorer in the series with 499 runs, which included

Steve Smith three hundreds, and Lehmann said his consistency was similar

to former great Donald Bradman, who retired with a career

Test batting average of 99.94. “He’s been brilliant,” Lehmann told reporters in Dharamsala. “He’s been unbelievable. He’s been Bradman-like with the bat but all the stuff behind the scenes has been exceptional. “Really pleased for him and what he’s brought to the team as a leader. The way they’ve gone about it has been impressive. “He’s led from the front, the captain. Three hundreds in four Test matches is pretty special.” Last year, Australia suffered a 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka before Smith’s men were beaten at home in the first two Tests of a three-match series by South

Africa. An overhauled side gained a consolation win against the Proteas in a day-nighter at Adelaide Oval and then hammered visiting Pakistan 3-0. Australia’s Pune win halted India’s unbeaten streak of 19 Tests, surprising many after the touring side arrived in the country on the back of nine straight losses in Asia. Lehmann was confident Smith, ranked number one among Test batsmen, could match the success achieved by Australia’s modern captains like Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor.

“Yeah, I think so. He’s a cricket nuffie (obsessed with the sport), loves the game,” Lehmann said. “He’s passionate about the game, loves the game, loves his players, helps support staff out. “Behind the scenes, he’s into it every day, making sure everyone is okay. I’ve been so proud of him as a leader. He’s a different leader to Michael, to Ricky, to Taylor, to Waugh. And he’s working out his own identity as a captain. “Everyone is proud of him. So pleased with where he is going. He’ll just get better and better.”

Windies face off against old coach in Afghanistan series ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - West Indies will renew acquaintances with old head coach Phil Simmons when they clash with minnows Afghanistan in three Twenty20 and OneDay Internationals in June. The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday released the fixtures for the six-match tour which will see the T20 series staged at Warner Park in St Kitts from June 2 to 5 and the ODI series hosted at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St Lucia from June 9 to 14. Simmons, abruptly sacked by the WICB last September on the eve of the Pakistan tour

in United Arab Emirates, was earlier this year named as Afghanistan head coach and has led them on a successful run. Last week, they completed a 3-2 one-day series win over Ireland in Greater Noida, to follow on from their clean sweep of the T20 series earlier this month. They also beat Zimbabwe 3-2 in a one-day series last month, in what was Simmons’ first series in charge. The upcoming series will take on special significance especially after the Afghans stunned West Indies in the preliminary round of last year’s T20 World Cup in

Afghanistan head coach Phil Simmons India, and WICB cricket operations manager Roland Holder said the hosts would be looking to make amends.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Afghans to the Caribbean for this short series,” said Holder.

Hinds to defend PowerAde 50-mile cycle title TEAM Evolution’s Orville Hinds will be hardpressed to make a successful defence of his PowerAde cycle road race title when he faces the starter at 08:00hrs on Sunday morning. The event which will wheel off from outside the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara, is expected to attract the country’s top wheelsmen, including the in-form Jamal John, Romello Crawford, Hamza Eastman and Paul DeNobrega. Hinds and his Team Evolution cycle mates have not made much impact since the 2017 season started and it might be a case of just what occurred last year when the team’s members started the year slowly, but as the season progressed, they doominated.

Hinds won the sixth edition of the Banks DIH-sponsored event last year in a time of one hour 21 minutes 22 seconds. However, last year’s event was not a 50-mile event as in previous years since the distance was reduced to 40 miles, due mainly to the rehabilitation of the West Coast Demerara roadway. Instead of travelling from Wales to Bushy

“The series promises to be compelling, considering the result of the match between the two sides at the last ICC World Twenty20 in India, and Afghanistan’s gradual improvement over the last few years. “It will also be an important series for our side, as they look to move up in the ICC World Rankings in the two formats, and continue their quest to qualify for the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and Wales.” West Indies are currently ranked number nine in ODIs - outside of the automatic qualification spots for the

World Cup - while Afghanistan lie 10th. ITINERARY Tour Match – Warner Park, May 30. 1st T20I – Warner Park, June 2. 2nd T20I – Warner Park, June 3. 3rd T20I – Warner Park, June 5. 1st ODI – Darren Sammy Cricket ground, June 9. 2nd ODI – Darren Sammy Cricket ground, June 11. 3rd ODI – Darren Sammy Cricket ground, June 14.

Park, East Bank Essequibo last year, the competitors left Wales and circled La Parfaite Harmonie before ending the journey at Schoonord, just by the Demerara Harbour Bridge. On Sunday, however, the participants will travel all the way to Bushy Park before returning to finish at Schoonord, a distance of 50 miles. The defending champion in the junior category is Deoraj Garbarran and he

is almost certain to make a successful defence of his title since he is in good nick at the moment, while Keon Thomas will be out to defend his mountain bike title. Eight prime prizes will be up for grabs during the course of the event in which the first six overall finishers will be rewarded for their efforts as well as the first three juniors, the first three veterans and the first three mountain bikers.

Finch, Christian all but bat Redbacks out of Shield final

Orville Hinds

A THIRD consecutive Sheffield Shield title for Victoria appears all but certain after the Bushrangers ground South Australia into the Alice Springs dust on the fourth day of the final. Needing only to draw to lift the Shield, Victoria batted without urgency throughout the day; they

started in the morning on 2 for 38 and added 216 over the course of the day, for the loss of a further four wickets. That meant that by stumps Victoria’s lead had swelled to 454 runs, and even the most diehard South Australia supporter would agree that to overhaul a target of at least that magnitude on the fi-

nal day will be essentially impossible. At the close of play Victoria were on 6 for 254, with Daniel Christian unbeaten on 53 from 178 deliveries and Seb Gotch on 29 from 115. Scores: Victoria 487 and 6 for 254 (Finch 83, Christian 53*) lead South Australia 287 by 454 runs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Quarter-finalists to be decided tonight in Petra Futsal Championship THE quarter-final teams will know their fate this evening when the final round-robin game of the Petra organisation’s Futsal Championship takes place at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue. In the Group A, where the last game of the evening will pit Sparta Boss against Tiger Bay, the latter only require a draw to progress to the elimination round with a loss being detrimental, considering the fact that four teams from the other groups might finish on four points. On the other hand, Sparta need a win to guarantee qualification. A draw or a loss could be detrimental to their chances especially a loss, given that Group B and Group C possess several teams that could each finish on either four or six points for the critical third-place qualifier. In the other Group A game which is the opening fixture, a win for Back Circle over Agricola seals their place in the next round. A draw could also prove enough, especially if there is a winner in the Tiger Bay and Sparta matchup.

Who will make it to the next round of the Petra-organised Futsal Championship?

A loss could be tricky especially if Sparta win, coupled with results from the other groups for that coveted third-place qualifier. Meanwhile, Agricola need several factors to go their way to progress. Firstly they need a heavy win against Back Circle. Secondly they need Tiger Bay to win by a large margin against Sparta Boss. Thirdly, they require Broad Street

and Albouystown to play to a draw or a marginal win for Albouystown, and fourthly for West Front Road to beat Tucville and West Back Road to defeat North East La Penitence. If all these criteria are met they would automatically qualify. In the Group B fixtures, West Front Road have practically sealed qualification and a loss against Tucville would not harm

their chances in any way with a worse-case scenario allowing them a third-place finish in the group and one of the two third-place teams to go through. On the other hand, a win would guarantee Tucville a place in the next round while a draw would also give them a good chance of securing a knockout berth as thirdranked, based on the results of the next round. A loss

could translate into an exit, given the results of the other groups. In the other Group B game of the evening, North East La Penitence are in a similar position as Tucville, with a win guaranteeing their place in the next round. A loss would more than likely result in their exit especially based on results from the other groups while a draw could prove enough for them to sneak their way into the next round as third-place qualifiers West Back Road need several results to go their way to clinch a berth to the next round. Firstly they need a sizeable win due to their poor goal differential, followed by West Front Road winning by a significant margin against Tucville, leaving the Group with three teams on three points. The Group runners-up would emerge via goal differential. To qualify as a third-ranked team, Back Circle and Tiger Bay would also need sizeable wins from Group A and either an Albouystown win or draw against Broad Street.

Group C will need a miracle for Albouystown to qualify in their game against Broad Street Ballerz, with their only hope being as third-place qualifiers. Their goal differential means they have to win by a very large margin and hope several outcomes fall their way, including West Front Road and West Back Road winning by large score lines. They also require Tiger Bay and Back Circle to defeat Sparta Boss and Agricola by significant margins in Group A. All these outcomes must fall their way in order to stand even a chance of qualifying as third-place qualifiers Sophia have practically sealed their place and can afford a loss, as the least they can finish in the Group is second, which gives them an automatic berth to the next round. Bent Street need a win to guarantee their place while a draw might be enough to seal their berth. However, they could still technically be eliminated if they suffer a significant loss, if Broad Street win handsomely and if results from the other groups go against them, especially Group B, which has the possibility of three teams finishing on six points. Matches start at 19:30hrs.

Heavy rain costs Australia $300 000 Golden Jaguars could face Panama in June A WASHED out final day of the third Test in Hamilton will see South Africa jump ahead of Australia in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings, earning the Proteas a bonus $300 000 windfall.

South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:40 hrs Storm Ruler 09:15 hrs Tokyo Drift 09:50 hrs Cidada 10:25 hrs Morpheus 11:00 hrs Fieldmarshal Fenix 11:35 hrs Grande Roche Irish Racing Tips Limerick 08:45 hrs Blast Of Koeman 09:15 hrs Kilfenora 09:45 hrs Adreamstillalive 10:15 hrs Karalee 10:50 hrs General Principle 11:25 hrs Three Wise Men 12:00 hrs Mortal English Racing Tips Warwick 08:50 hrs Hogan’s Height 09:20 hrs Celtic Tune 09:50 hrs Evening Hush 10:25 hrs Sun Cloud 11:00 hrs Another Frontier 11:35 hrs Whiskey In The Jar 13:10 hrs Mance Rayder

The tourists were set to resume at 5-80 on the fifth morning, still trailing New Zealand by 95 runs as the Black Caps pushed for a victory that would have levelled the series. But torrential and per-

Taunton 09:00 hrs Touch Kick 09:30 hrs Master Burbidge 10:00 hrs Innocent Girl 10:35 hrs Valhalla 11:10 hrs Timeforwest Wolverhampton 09:10 hrs Justice Rock 09:40 hrs Wishing Time 10:10 hrs Jaywalker 10:45 hrs Ms Gillard 11:20 hrs Secret Lightning 11:55 hrs Shamash 12:25 hrs King Julien American Racing Tips Gulfstream Park Race 1 Sweet Butterfly Race 2 My Sistersledge Race 3 Bluegrass Luck Race 4 Ecliptical My Way Race 5 Adagio Race 6 Moreno Mojo Race 7 Whipsnade Race 8 Songeur Race 9 Proper Princess Race10 Inside Out

sistent rain at Seddon Park meant no play was possible and the Proteas escaped with the draw they needed to move ahead of Australia and into second place in the ICC rankings. South Africa will earn a $500 000 bonus for being in second place by the April 1 cut-off date, while Australia’s drop to third means they will pick up just $200 000. India, who strengthened their grip on top spot with a 2-1 series win over Australia, will earn $1M for finishing No.1. Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis admitted his side were fortunate to escape the match with a draw. “New Zealand outplayed us in this game,” said du Plessis, who led his side to a famous series win in Australia earlier in the summer. “They can count themselves very unlucky. They outplayed us in every department.” The draw is also a cruel blow to New Zealand, who will now drop from fifth to sixth spot, behind Pakistan.

By Rawle Toney

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde told Chronicle Sport yesterday that the Golden Jaguars could face CONCACAF powerhouse Panama in the next FIFA International break in June (3-13). Forde had pledged to ensure that the Golden Jaguars - Guyana’s senior national football team - play on every FIFA international break. Guyana have already played Martinique in a goalless draw

last Tuesday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden. Speaking exclusively to Chronicle Sport, Forde pointed out that the GFF is in talks with several teams in CONCACAF, including Panama, Dominica and French Guiana, for possible games in June. According to Forde, “We’re talking with a few countries but I don’t want to give out much information at this time because, like I said, we’re still working on them. As soon as we (the GFF) have something confirmed and solid, we will

GFF president Wayne Forde greets the Golden Jaguars ahead of their clash against Martinique at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. (Samuel Maughn photo)

make that announcement.” Forde said that the move is in keeping with a promise made upon taking office to revive the Golden Jaguars brand, to market it to the point where they could attract some of the top teams within the region and further afield. In 2012, at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, a team captained by now Jaguars assistant coach Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, fell 2-0 to Panama. Guyana and Dominica have faced each other five times with the Golden Jaguars winning four of those encounters and drawing nil in their last meeting which was during the 2014 Caribbean Cup. Both French Guiana and Panama will feature in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, with the French Department falling in Group A alongside Costa Rica, Canada and Honduras. Panama will face Martinique, the USA and Nicaragua in Group B. Meanwhile, the GFF president did not state if those games will be played in Guyana or at home of the opposition.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Windies seeking to rediscover form in second T20 today PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - West Indies will be seeking to rediscover their once lethal batting prowess, as they go in search of an all-important series-levelling victory in the second Twenty20 International of the four-match series here today. The Caribbean side, who easily chased down an imposing 193 to reach the T20 World Cup final almost a year ago, have in recent times become almost unrecognisable and have looked a shadow of the unit that won the title in that tournament with awesome power-hitting, in a dramatic last over. Gone is the bluster, the brawn and the swagger that have come to characterise West Indies T20 teams, replaced now with timidity and uncertainty, reflected in scores of 115, 144, 103 and 111 in their last four outings. In last Sunday’s opener at Kensington Oval in Barbados, the Windies slumped from 35 for one to strife at 49 for six in the 11th over after being asked to bat, a scenario

Skipper Carlos Brathwaite and his players practise jumps at a training session at Queen’s Park Oval.

captain Carlos Brathwaite said yesterday needed to be rectified. “(Against) Pakistan (last year) we found ourselves 20 for three and 20 for four at the end of the first six (overs),”

he told reporters here ahead of the contest at Queen’s Park Oval. “We’ve progressed to (being) 34 for one (in the last game) which we were happy with at the end of the

six (overs) and now it’s just a matter of understanding what we did well in the first six, replicating that, but then taking it a step further and progressing between (overs) six and 14 as well, which has

always been a problem area for West Indies but one which we are addressing. “We are doing it in stages. Again, we’ve conquered the first six in our opinion and it’s just a matter of getting six to 14 right. If we can have the first six, the last six and then be a lot better between six and 14, we are sure we can put up 150-plus and that would give us a better fighting chance when we go to bowl.” West Indies were dominated by Pakistan last September, crashing to a 3-0 whitewash in the United Arab Emirates, but had banked on reversing the trend on home soil. Instead the poor results have continued on the current tour and not even the presence of the world-rated spin twin of Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree could have prevented Pakistan taking a 1-0 lead in the series with a six-wicket win. “I don’t think we put enough runs on the board and as a result of that, Pakistan’s batsmen were able to play (without pressure),”

Brathwaite said in reference to Sunday’s opening loss. “We played into their hands basically where they could have nudged the ones and the twos and not be under pressure to score and play the power shots. I think that negatively affected Badree and Sunil’s game plans which as we all know, they are a lot more difficult to score boundaries off of than just rotating (strike). “So once the batters can put a decent total on the board of 150 upwards, they will come into their own even more with batsmen having to be more attacking towards them.” All eyes will be on 18-year-old leg-spinner Shadab Khan who was sensational on debut, grabbing four wickets in four overs which cost a mere seven runs. Brathwaite said West Indies had formulated their plans on how to combat the young bowler, and were looking towards an improved performance. The remaining games in the series will be played on Saturday and Sunday here.

T&T still focused despite loss to Mexico, says skipper Jones PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - Captain Kenwyne Jones says Trinidad and Tobago will not allow their heads to drop, despite their most recent setback in the CONCACAF final round World Cup qualifying campaign. Seeking their second win in five days, T&T slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat to confederation giants Mexico at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Tuesday night. The defeat was their third in four outings and left them bottom of the six-nation group on three points but Jones said afterwards the World Cup dream was still alive in the squad. “I still have a hundred per cent belief in the squad. We have six games to go so we’re going to put our best foot forward,” the marquee striker said. “The guys that are going back (overseas), they are going to go play. The season

is going to be starting for some of the guys at home in probably a month or so. Everyone just needs to keep working hard and staying focused for when we meet up again. The squad is a great one. There are still people who can come in, people can go out - you never know what can happen. The group is doing well, the coaching staff is doing well and what we can look forward to is the next camp and the next game.” T&T opened their campaign last November with two defeats when they lost to Costa Rica at home and Honduras away, but picked themselves up last Friday with a 1-0 win over Panama here. The road ahead will be a tough one for them, however, as they go on the road to face a resurgent United States who are fourth in the standings on four points and Costa Rica who lie second

Trinidad and Tobago captain Kenwyne Jones on seven points. Jones, one of the survivors from T&T’s historic qualification for the 2006 World Cup, said one of the challenges of the CONCACAF final round was being able to win on the road. “Whether at home or away, in this round that’s what is necessary - to go away and take points from the teams that are at home,” he stressed. “We have two tough games coming up, USA

and Costa Rica, and we’re going to buckle down and focus on that when we get together, and try and get the points.” Despite having played only Panama at the weekend, T&T still looked the part against Mexico, especially in the first half when they put the visitors under pressure and even managed to score a goal through Joevin Jones, which was incorrectly ruled off-side.

Diego Reyes eventually produced a 58th minute header which settled the contest. And though the result was not the desired one, Jones said the squad had come through the two fixtures in good shape. “It is a bit difficult to play (two) games in (such a) short space of time without losing the solidity of your squad. Sometimes you have to rotate but then you don’t want to rotate as much based on the previous game,” he

explained. “It is a bit of a tough one for the coaches but at the same time I know that the squad is well equipped to weather any storm and for the guys that came out (last night) it was a bit tough but at the same time we did well in keeping up with the tempo of the game and working hard to try and close down the spaces. “But in the end we didn’t have a result so we’re still disappointed.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday March 30, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPAMY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Shadab Khan (PAK) (2) Shoaib Malik (PAK) Today’s Quiz: (1) Where and when was the first ever T20 International game played? (2) Who were the captains involved? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 30, 2017

Guyana, Martinique play to uninspiring goalless draw By Rawle Toney PLAYING in front of a capacity crowd at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Guyana and Martinique battled to a scoreless draw in their International Friendly on Tuesday evening. It was the second meeting between the two countries; their first game also ended in a draw (2-2) in 2012. With a vociferous crowd cheering on both teams, the Lindeners, enjoying international football for the first time since Guyana defeated Barbados 1-0 in 2011, got their money’s worth as the two teams valiantly attempted to outduel the other, but at the end of 90+ minutes, neither side found the back of the net. For Guyana, it was a result that was much welcomed by the Wayne Dover-coached team, while for Martinique, a side heading to this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, it meant another game where they failed to find the net and pick up a win. Prior to their encounter against Guyana on Tuesday,

SWARMED! The mammoth crowd at the MSC Ground overlooking Vurlon Mills being swarmed by the Martinique defenders (Samuel Maughn photo) Martinique fell 2-0 to Barbados on Sunday in Bridgetown, as the ‘Les Matinino’ fine-tune preparations for their fifth appearance at the CONCACAF spectacle. Truthfully, it was a game where both teams, simply because of the surface, could not have accurately put to-

gether a ‘proper’ six-passes. The MSC ground, despite remedial work done by staff and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), was simply not of proper standard for an International Friendly, and more so one that’s featuring a team heading off to play in a tournament for which Guyana

Jeffreys confirmed for April 2 South Dakota meet

Flashback! Kristian Jeffrey leads his father Kevin during a 2016 National Race of Champions. CARIBBEAN Champion Kristian Jeffrey and his father Kevin have confirmed their participation in the first National Race of Champions, this weekend at the South Dakota Circuit. Both cars, which compete under the Top Power Racing banner, are being prepped and fine-tuned, according to the senior Jeffrey, ahead of Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. Kristian, who spoke to Chronicle Sport before departing to compete at a U,S, Karting event, contended that he is looking for all the practice possible ahead of his debut with the Radical works team. “I’ll be trying to get in as

much work as I can in any car/kart ahead of the first race weekend in England. I leave mid-April to try and get acclimatised with the surroundings and to work with my mechanics,” he told Chronicle Sport earlier. Meanwhile, Kevin has confirmed both his readiness and his son’s for the event, saying that the mechanics are working overtime on the machines. Speaking on reigniting the battle between himself and his son, Kevin said, “It’s something that always is a race day thing. He’s fast and I’m fast, so it’s about seeing who comes out ahead on race day.” “He knows that I won’t go

easy on him and vice versa, because when we are on the track, we are competitors,” Jeffrey added While Kristian’s Mitsubishi Evolution VIII has been atop the Caribbean for two years successively, Kevin is no stranger in his Evolution VII to the winners’ circle and it will be battle royal come April 2. The event’s sponsors include Ansa McAl, through the STAG Beer brand, ExxonMobil, Fly Jamaica, Seaboard Marine, Tony’s Auto Spares, Japarts, Choke Gas Station, CARICOM Auto Sales, E Networks, S. Jagmohan Hardware supplies, Truck Masters and Jialing.

have never qualified. However, Dover turned to the experience San Juan Jabloteh keeper Andrew Durant and his teammate Vurlon Mills, Pernell Schultz, Trayon Bobb, Brandon Beresford, Philadelphia Union’s Warren Creavalle, captain Samuel Cox,

Adrian Butters, Christopher Bourne and Marcel Barrington as his starters, charged with setting the tone for the game. In the 17th minute, Martinique skipper Kevin Parsemain, after being fouled approximately 22 yards out from goal, curled his right-footed free-kick to perfection, forcing Durant to dive to his left to make the save. Parsemain continued to torment the Jaguars’ defence when, in the 31st minute, he sneaked into the six-yard area and collected a pass via a nice little flick from his teammate, but his shot went sailing over the crossbar at the ‘Police Station’ end of the pitch. At the other end, Mills, Bobb, Bourne and Barrington really didn’t do much to penetrate the visitors’ defence. In fact, Guyana did not make a proper attempt on goal in the entire first half. Mills’ header just before halftime that went wide of the goal was the only real chance the mammoth crowd had to cheer about for the home side. In the latter half, chants

of “Let’s go Guyana”, coupled with the loud sounds of horns coming from the ‘sea of yellow’ seemed to have motivated the Guyanese team and ten minutes in, Pernell Schultz came the closest to scoring. T h e f o r m e r M o rvant Caledonia United player’s shot was timed to perfection and hit hard but it went mere inches over the cross bar. The crowd rose to their feet in appreciation and cheered even louder when Lindener Clive Nobrega was introduced in the 65th minute. But Martinique skipper then saw his shot come off the post in the 69th minute, while Durant denied Djenhael Mainage’s effort in the 81st minute. Before being replaced by Akel Clarke due to injury, Durant also rescued Guyana by denying Stephane Abaul’s shot at close range. The game offered nothing more for the fans, who, despite not seeing a single goal scored, applauded the two sides for their efforts.

Guyana, Martinique play to uninspiring goalless draw See story on page 31

Dover comfortable with result against Martinique By Rawle Toney

Golden Jags skipper Sam Cox (#10), Marcel Barrington (#7) and Brandon Beresford battling a Martinique player during their clash at the MSC ground in Linden. (Samuel Maughn photo)

WAYNE Dover, head coach of the Golden Jaguars, said that he’s comfortable with scoreless result between Guyana and Martinique, after the two sides met on Tuesday evening in front of a packed Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground. Dover and his assistant Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard were tasked with kick-starting the rebuilding process of Guyana’s senior national men’s football team and their first opposition against a CONCACAF Gold Cup-bound Martinique, according to the team’s head coach was more than encouraging. Speaking at the game’s post-match press conference, Dover told reporters that “It’s a good result for us and in the process of rebuilding a result like this

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Sinclair, bowlers engineer Berbice Combined 90-run win … Essequibo, Berbice face off in final tomorrow

By Rajiv Bisnauth BERBICE bowlers ran through Georgetown-Mahaicony Combined line-up to post an easy 90-run win in the second semifinal in the Combined Phase of the National Secondary Schools cricket tournament yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground. The win means that Berbice Combined will face Essequibo Combined in the final tomorrow at the same venue. Berbice Combined leftarm spinners Nigel Deodat and Kelvin Umroa were the main architects in the run chase, as the hosts were

Nigel Deodat (right) and Kelvin Umroa share five wickets.

Ashmead Nedd is clean-bowled by Nigel Deodat (not in picture). (Adrian Narine photo) bowled out for 94 in 33.2 Seon Glasgow, Kelvon Anderson and Leon Swammy overs. Deodat finished with contributed a wicket each 3-18 while Umroa had 2-13. in the run chase of 184

made by Berbice Combined. Earlier, the visitors’ innings was built around opener Jason Sinclair’s 61 and Garfield Benjamin 46. The 16-year-old Sinclair shared in two meaningful partnerships as Berbice made 184

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all out in the final over of the innings. Put in to bat, the visitors got off to a relatively slow but steady start, as the new ball proved lively, prompting several close calls against openers Sinclair and Alex Algoo.

The pair brought up their 50-run stand off 69 balls, before it was broken by leftarm spinner Daniel Mootoo when he had Algoo stumped for 20. Sinclair was joined by Benjamin and the pair marched on comfortably. Sinclair began to blossom in a more attacking approach, reaching his half-century off 62 balls. The duo got Berbice Combined past the 100-run mark in the 25th over, but their fears of yet again wasting a strong foundation resurfaced when Sinclair’s 76-ball innings came to an end to a

Turn to page 25 THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017