SEE INSIDE
See inside:
Meet the inventor of the Aubrapan
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No bounds for ► Page XIX Courtney Noel’s talents Heading back to school after a hearty vacation ► Page
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Sapphire Rose
Criminous ► Page
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At 9 years' old, ready to show the world her talent
No. 104787
SUNDAY JANUARY 8, 2017
Price: $140
(VAT Inclusive)
– unauthorised occupation of Red House was illegal – Jagdeo had refused to approve lease Page 3 – lease did not include building
Buxton waterlogged Page 9
A resident of Buxton wades through floodwaters at his gate on Saturday. The area has been waterlogged for several days. [Delano Williams photo]
Jagdeo new PPP Son torches house General-Secretary after fight with father – Rohee dissatisfied
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7 NCN parts Page ways with Ron Robinson
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Jagdeo new PPP General-Secretary – Rohee expresses dissatisfaction By Navendra Seoraj IN a not-so-surprising move, members of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) have elected Opposi-
tion Leader Bharrat Jagdeo as the new General-Secretary, replacing Clement Rohee, who had held the post for the past five ears. At the last PPP Congress held on December 19, 2016
at Cotton Field Secondary School, Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Jagdeo received the most votes with 718, followed closely by Dr Frank Anthony, who got 620 votes. Rohee managed to rake in
Former PPP General-Secretary Clement Rohee speaking to members of the media in front of Freedom House on Saturday
522 votes and was placed at number seven. During the meeting on Saturday at Freedom House, Rohee was not too pleased with Jagdeo’s election and told reporters that he is disappointed that Dr Anthony was not elected General-Secretary. He said he preferred a younger candidate for the post, hence, he withdrew from the elections to give Dr Anthony the opportunity. “I am disappointed that Frank did not get the post, but he nevertheless has a personality that the public will indeed appreciate,” said the party’s former General-Secretary. During the internal elections which involved the 35-member Central Committee of the party, Dr Anthony managed to cop 11 votes, while Jagdeo gained 24 votes. Asked what are his expectations of Jagdeo, Rohee said that the party has a “history of struggle” and would expect this tradition to be maintained. Meanwhile, the new PPP General-Secretary said he will be working towards promoting the youths of the party by
New PPP General-Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo
delegating responsibilities to them, especially at a regional level. According to Jagdeo, the 31st Congress was, by any standard, the largest and most successful held in recent times. Significantly, there was a commendably large presence of comrades from the hinterland regions. A new Central Committee was elected at the Congress. This Central Committee, he said, reflects a mixture of youth, experience, gender, and ethnicity and for the first time, boasts a high presence from the hinterland and riverine communities. “This represents a national party and it is not just about members and supporters… as for our Central Committee, it is balanced, because it has a lot of experience and new faces, particularly youths,” Jagdeo said. He said the party will give opportunities to young people and create young leaders, as it has high hopes of winning the
next elections. “We are a working-class party which supports the growth in the country and we intend to work strongly in support areas and even work in APNU strongholds,” Jagdeo declared. As such, Freedom House, he said, will welcome anyone who has concerns and suggestions as to how they can make amends to better develop their party and work in the interest of the public. The former president sees his position as General-Secretary as a “light job” and stressed that he will work to grow his party by giving opportunities to youths and persons who deserve to be part of a strong team. Those elected to the Executive Committee are Anil Nandlall, Clement Rohee, Irfaan Ali, Roger Luncheon, Gail Teixeira, Zulfikar Mustapha, Donald Ramotar, Frank Anthony, Neil Kumar, Shyam Nokta, Clinton Collymore, Collin Croal, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Pauline Sukhai and Bheri Ramsarran. The Central Committee also elected the following Secretaries: Zulfikar Mustapha, Executive Secretary; Irfaan Ali, Finance Secretary; Anil Nandlall, Public Relations; Hydar Ally, Education; Bheri Ramsarran, International Relations; Gail Teixeira, Mass Organisations; Rick
PPP Executive Member, Dr Frank Anthony
Ramraj, Organising Secretary; and Nigel Dharamlall, Trade Unionism. Meanwhile, Vickram Bharat, Nigel Dharamlall and Fizal Jaffarally were elected to the Executive Committee as candidate members.
Criminous 3
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
– occupation of Red House was illegal – Jagdeo had refused to approve lease – lease did not include building
By Ravin Singh CONTRARY to the law, no sanction and or approval was given by then Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar for the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI) to lease lots 65-67 High Street, which houses the famous Red House. This was according to Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams who, at a Saturday afternoon press conference, detailed the series of events which led to a recent presidential revocation of the lease. Having its genesis in late 2000, custody of the famous Red House was handed to the National Trust and became a heritage site and National Monument. Since then, efforts were made by CJRCI in 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2011 to have then President Bharrat Jagdeo and his successor Donald Ramotar give their approval for the lease. According to Section 10 of the Land Department Act Chapter 59:01: “Government lands shall only be rented or sold with the sanction of the President and on the terms and conditions determined by him.”
And with the plots of land in question being Government lands, approval or sanction by the then President was needed. However, the Attorney General revealed that no such sanction or approval was ever given during the years spanning both presidencies. “In January 2011, then President Jagdeo withheld his approval because he did not want the shadow of the late President Cheddi Jagan like an albatross around his neck during his tenure. When he left office, his successor President Ramotar also did not sign it either. So there was no Presidential signature as is required by the section,” the Legal Affairs Minister said. He further explained that State lands are converted into Government lands when the President issues a grant to the Commissioner of lands. All Government lands rest with the commissioner of lands and survey. As such, Minister Williams said that since the commissioner is the custodian, he can make a lease with anybody, but no one would necessarily know he had authority to do that. As a result, the Section made the provision that he (the commissioner) could not execute any lease without the sanction and or
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams (R) explains that no President under the former PPP administration granted approval for lease of the controversial Red House as is stipulated by law. To his left is Ministry of the Presidency’s Communications Director, Mark Archer
approval of the President. And with the lease not having authorisation by the President, the Attorney General contended that this is an offense which is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. He explained too that the land subject to that lease did not include the building on the property which was also utilised by the CJRCI. NOT INCLUDED “The building itself was not included in the lease. If you’re going to include building with lands, you have to say lot 65, 66, 67, with
the building and erection thereon. It wasn’t included because they knew they couldn’t lease or sell a National Heritage Monument,” Williams said, adding that the actual building is property of the National Trust and that the building could not be sold, leased, or otherwise disposed of without the sanction of the minister/President. The minister pointed out that it was discovered by the Government that there was a draft lease between the National Trust, the then Government and the CJRCI for the building to be leased, but that it was never signed.
On the other hand, the 99 year lease for the plots of land, was to be governed by the Deeds Registry Act which deals with lease for 21 or more years. Such lease, the Act states, must be executed in the manner of a transport. And according to Minister Williams, what this means is that a transparent process of publishing the transaction in the Gazette takes effect. Additionally, the transaction is to be advertised in a national newspaper of wide circulation. The reason for this, he explained, is that if any individual wants to make an objection to the transfer of the land, they could file a notice of opposition having seen the advertisement. He said that after that, if no notice of opposition is filed, the transaction is passed before the court. “So it is a transparent process, but that process was never undertaken by the persons who dealt with that lease. In other words, it was a deliberate attempt to hide that transaction from the eyes of the Guyanese people because they knew such a transaction was unlawful and illegal under the laws,” he contended. Additionally, he noted that the Deeds Registry Act require such lease be filed as a matter of record, and it
must be annotated. However, these were not done in this case since documents in his possession show that the last annotation was done in 1925. “So the important thing about being filed and annotated is that if these weren’t done, then you couldn’t plea it in any court of law; you couldn’t assert it in any court of law” he said, adding that this matter which is before the court will not last very long. However, former AG Anil Nandlall believes that Williams’ contention that the lease is invalid because the President “did not ‘sanction’ it, is flawed and manifestly wrong. Nandlall argued that any person knowledgeable of the law should know that in the State Lands Act, the Land Department Act and similar types of legislation, the power to lease, sell or grant licenses resides with the President.He (the President) is empowered to delegate such authority to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, the Commissioner of Forestry or the Commissioner of Geology and Mines or the Manager of the MMA/DA. These, he said, would depend on the nature of the land and the purpose for which it is to be used.
City Constable chopped in head A CITY Constable identified as Satesh Boodho was chopped in his head, allegedly by three young men on Water Street, Georgetown,in front of the old Guyana Stores storage bond at around 15:30hrs. While details remain sketchy, eyewitnesses told the Guyana Chronicle that the Constable was being chased by three young men, when one of them, wearing a “white polo shirt and black pants” dealt Boodho two chops to his head. Eyewitnesses also recounted that both Boodho and his attacker fell on the
pavement while a struggle seemingly ensued for the firearm being carried by Boodho. The three men reportedly made their escape shortly after and the firearm was recovered. One vendor, who prefers to remain anonymous said, “All I see is them man come running down and all of we had to run helter-skelter.” However, more details could not be given since all vendors and passers-by who were at the scene scampered away to avoid being injured also. The Guyana Chronicle was at the scene of the crime
but could not ascertain from the police as to what weapon was used to inflict the wound.Investigations are still ongoing. While at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Guyana Chronicle was informed that
Boodho was chopped to the middle, top of his head and at the right side of his head, just above his ear. Also at the hospital was Superintendent of the City Constabulary, Gordon Langevine, who said, “Al
I know, is that a member of the city constabulary was injured while execut-
ing his duties and we are investigating the matter.” [Vishani Ragobeer]
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 8, 2017
Trump blasts anti-Russain ‘fools’ [BBC] - US President-elect Donald Trump has posted a series of tweets condemning those who oppose good relations with Russia as “’stupid’ people, or fools”. Mr Trump vowed to work with Russia “to solve some of the many... pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!” His comments came after an intelligence report said Russia’s president had tried to aid a Trump elec-
tion victory. Mr Trump said Democrats were to blame for “gross negligence” in allowing their servers to be hacked. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump said that having a good relationship with Russia was “no bad thing” and that “only ‘stupid’ people, or fools, would think that it is bad!” He added that Russia would respect the US more when he was president. Mr Trump said frequently during his election campaign that he wanted to improve ties with Russia. He has also repeatedly questioned US intelligence claims of Russian hacking in the election campaign. Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday: “Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed
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Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!” He was referring to the Democratic National Committee, whose email accounts were hacked during the election campaign. After being briefed by intelligence chiefs on the report on Friday, the president-elect declined to mention Russia, but did say he had “tremendous respect for the work and service
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done” by those in the US intelligence community. He also insisted the election outcome was not affected. In the wake of the report, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that voting machines and other election databases would be classified as “critical infrastructure” and given more protection from cyber-attacks. The unclassified part of the report says that the
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Kremlin developed a “clear preference” for Mr Trump. Russia’s goals, the document added, were to “undermine public faith” in the US democratic process and “denigrate” his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton, harming her electability and potential presidency. “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election,” it said. It gives no detailed evidence of Mr Putin’s alleged role. The report says Mr Putin liked Mr Trump because he had vowed to work with Moscow and the Russian leader had had “many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed
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to deal with Russia, such as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder”. Mr Putin has called Mr Trump “a clever man” who should “quickly understand” his role. Russia has not commented on the report but has previously denied the claims about influencing the election. Last week, President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the US over the alleged hacking. Russia has said it will not reciprocate. On Saturday, Mr Trump confirmed that Dan Coats, a previously vocal critic of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, would be his new national intelligence director.
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Six die in Mexico protests over petrol price hike [BBC] - At least six people have died and 1,500 have been arrested during days of protests in Mexico against a rise in the price of petrol. One of those killed was a serving police officer who had tried to halt robberies at a petrol station. The government announced last month that it would stop subsidising petrol and prices would gradually increase through 2017. An increase of 20% came into force on 1 January. It brought the price of a litre of petrol to 18 pesos ($0.85; £0.70). T h a t m a k e s t h e a v e rage price of a gallon of petrol around the same as the daily minimum wage - 80 pesos ($3.77, £3.07) - and the raise has caused outrage among people dependent on petrol for their jobs. President Enrique Pena Nieto has called for calm, saying the price hike is necessary after a rise in global oil prices. In a televised address to the nation, he
Most of the looting happened on Wednesday and Thursday said keeping the subsidy would have put the country’s whole economy at risk. He said raising the petrol price was a “difficult and unpopular but necessary decision”. Tr a ff i c g r o u n d t o a halt in Mexico City as transport workers and lorry drivers set
up blockades. Protesters called for the president to stand down. In the central town of Ixmiquilpan, two protesters died during clashes with police who were trying to clear a major road between Mexico City and Laredo. In Veracruz, one person died after being hit by a lorry
in which alleged looters were trying to escape the authorities, police sources said. Hundreds of shops were looted, with some emptied of clothing, TVs and other consumer goods. Some skirmishes h a v e b ro k e n o u t b e tween rioters and people who have armed themselves with planks, machetes and rocks in an attempt to prevent looting. In Monterrey in northern Mexico, at least six protest marches convened on the state government’s palace in the centre of town. Gunfire erupted and some of the 10,000 protesters threw stones and broke stained glass windows.
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Editor-In-Chief
Nigel Williams Editor
Godfrey Wray
Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com
Editorial
IT’S now almost 22 years since the West Indies was dethroned as the champions of world cricket. An entire generation has grown up knowing and thinking of the West Indies as world beaters in a sport that holds pride of place in the cultural psyche of our society. This is in stark contrast to the previous generation, which was socialised in a Caribbean which dominated the sport for almost two decades -- the longest any team has dominated a team sport. Here was the Caribbean, the smallest region in terms of land-space and the poorest in terms of economic indicators, beating the world and controlling the content of a game which was originally intended to subjugate its peoples. The West Indies cricket team of that time showed the world that when the playing field is even, our people could compete and win, despite our structural socio-economic challenges. But this very society that produced cricketers who were able to combine physical skills with nationalist consciousness has for the last two decades failed to reproduce that brilliance. Our team has fallen from grace so badly, that we now languish at the bottom of the heap in the longer formats of the game and “blow hot and cold” in the shortest version. This past year we began with a rare triple-triumph—our male Under-19 team won the World One-Day championship; our male senior team won the World T20 Championship; and our female team matched their male counterparts by winning their own world title. The Caribbean society was on a high-- justifiably so. But in a matter of weeks, it all came tumbling down. The T20 captain was fired for using his victory speech to draw attention to the dire state of West Indies cricket. He has since been banished from the team. The coach was also summarily fired. Many fans agreed with the skipper’s stance, but the rulers of the game in the region thought that he had embarrassed the region. In the end, it is they who have the final say while the rest of the society helplessly looks on. The lesson here is that despite our climb to the top of the cricketing world, that success was not translated into a change in the authoritarian structures and relations which govern our cricket and other institutions. Here in Guyana, we have a board which is unrepresentative of the country, nor is it accountable to anybody outside of itself. We have the tragedy of a small clique of governors which has been entrenched in power because there have not been any proper elections since 2009. Neither the West
SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 8, 2017
Sase Singh supports Amaila project Dear Editor, ON December 28, the Ministry of the Presidency issued a statement asserting that it “proposes to utilise a mix of energy options, starting with less risky options such as solar and wind, as outlined in Budget 2017.” The reason given for this position by the Granger administration, was that The Report from the Norwegian consultants “provides supporting evidence that the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) would not be optimal in its current model and presents an unbalanced risk to the Government and People of Guyana.” So was this the final conclusion of the consultants? After examining the report, I found on Page 37 the following statement attributed to these same consultants: “From a financial and economic point of view, development of Amaila Falls seems to be the optimal solution for meeting the electricity demand in Guyana. The project should be financially restructured in order to make it more attractive for GoG and potential investors.” On that same page, we also find more telling advice from the expert energy consultants: “The financing challenge as a result of the perceived risk of investing in Guyana would be the same for all projects of a similar size, and substituting AFHP with another hydropower project of a similar size would not make any difference.” But to re-emphasise why
AFHP is the best option for Guyana’s green-energy needs, the consultants said on Page 35 of the report that, “From a system point of view, solar power is not sufficiently stable and can therefore not be recommended as the main source of power in the main grid. Solar may be used in off-grid areas with battery back-up and or in the main grid for generation during day-time, but it cannot function as a source for base-load power.” After reading this report, I personally feel vindicated, because when I opposed this project, my reasons were arrived at purely on financial grounds -- my forte -- and not on the engineering reasons for which I am no expert. So I will leave the engineering side to the Charles Sohans of the world. I said then that the US$858 million project was too expensive and that the cost of equity for the sponsor was too high and the distribution of risks was misaligned. But the then PPP government would have none of it and pressed on with the flawed financial model to the nation’s detriment. The financial analysis that I personally constructed with some colleagues proved that the Jagdeo option was over- priced. However, I have always maintained that AFHP was important to Guyana. Therefore, I am deeply saddened by the actions today of Minister Patterson, since he is not driving an agenda that can mold this nation on the energy front. Guyana is about to lose even more now, because of the Granger cabinet.
Indies Cricket Board nor successive Guyanese governments have mustered the courage to settle the impasse. In the meantime, Guyana’s cricket, as is the case with West Indies cricket as whole, continues to decline. Not even charges of financial improprieties during the 2007 World Cup have caused any shift in the status-quo. The crisis in the governance of cricket in the region has been a major factor in the decline in the fortunes of our team. Relations between the board and the players on the one hand and between the board and the support staff on the other hand, have deteriorated to the point where the public is frequently treated to public quarrels among the various sides. Clearly, the present leadership has failed the region and should be removed. But as we have seen in the past, a mere change of personnel has done nothing to stop the rot. But the crisis has also been exacerbated by the attitude of the top players who often place money before service to the
The Norwegians suggested some financial and engineering restructuring of the project -- not abandonment-as Minister Patterson is pushing. What is now absolutely clear is that Minister Patterson does not understand this project and it would be advisable to assemble a tripartite team of the Government/Opposition/Civil Society to advance the recommendations of these experts. What is clear is that Minister Patterson is not seeing that the “the annual payments from GPL may be reduced by 20% compared to the original proposal,” as calculated by the consultants. But the bigger picture remains that having AFHP in place can significantly lower the current operating costs of GPL compared to this company using those gas-guzzling generators. These savings can directly feed through to the ordinary people by reducing their light bills. It is now a clearly established fact as documented by this report, that AFHP is the most feasible and bankable alternative green options to bring reliable and low-cost green energy to Guyana; not solar or any other form of energy. While all sorts of green energy -- especially that from the Hope Beach Wind Farm -- must be welcomed and are necessary, none of them can provide 164 MW of energy for 10 months in every year for 100 years at US$0.11 per Kwh in a reliable and dependable manner.
I am shocked therefore by this position attributed as the recommendations of Minister Patterson to the cabinet that the AFHP presents an “unbalanced risk to the people of Guyana.” I am convinced that this position is patently erroneous and weak. I cannot stand by and allow people who clearly are putting the future of the children of Guyana at risk because of their petty vindictiveness, inability to think big and ignorance at molding such a big deal. Minister Patterson’s action reveals that he clearly cannot feel the pulse of the nation. People are fed up with blackouts and even if we successfully implement all the solar-energy initiatives in the 2017 Budget, it will only sort out the energy needs of Mabaruma, Bartica, Mahdia and Lethem and a few other hinterland areas. That is less than 2% of the population. Who in their right minds would develop an energy agenda to progress the energy needs of 2% of the people and leave 98% of the nation in abeyance? Please permit me now to invite the minister to examine more closely the accuracy of his position and take the necessary action to address the needs of the people and stop playing political games with such an important matter as the nation’s energy security. Regards SASE SINGH
region. In an era of boundless individualism, our cricketers have not been shy of openly showing preference for playing in the financially lucrative private leagues, rather than for the West Indies. Often the unreasonable demand for more money coupled with the desire to play for the region only when they are off-duty from the private tournaments have been the major reasons for the clash with the board. So, we have to agree with Professor Hilary Beckles, that responsibility for our cricket problems lies with both players and administrators. The inability of both sides to acknowledge that truth is a major stumbling block. We are never going to improve if our senior players do not participate in the local and regional competitions—such participation is critical to lifting the standard of our domestic cricket. Similarly, if we do not make our boards more accountable to the people of the region by democratising their structures and practices, there will always be tension which in turn impedes progress.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 8, 2017
NCN parts ways with Ron Robinson
- Robinson says decision was influenced by CEO Cornette By Ravin Singh THE Board of Directors of the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) has relieved veteran broadcaster Rob Robinson of his duties, following the expiration of his second round of probation which ended December 31, 2016.
Veteran Broadcaster Ron Robinson Robinson has described the move as “personal.” “I believe it is something personal [done] by the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), since the board can only act on his advice,” Robinson told the Guyana Chronicle last evening. The veteran broadcaster who has more than 40 years of experience was told on Thursday that Friday would be his last day acting in the capacity of programme manager, since his probation had expired on December 31, and he was not found to be successful in his bid. However, he strongly believes this has nothing to do with incompetence, but represents a personal attack on him by the CEO, Lennox Cornette. Robinson said the fact that he was given no reason as to why he was not confirmed in the position, is an indication that there were no solid grounds for him to be relieved of the post. He said that he is of the strong belief that his knowledge and years of experience pose a threat to Cornette, coupled with the fact that he shared a personal relationship with most of the staff – a possible envy of Cornette. “I helped to build staff morale. I was referred to
as Uncle Ron, because I didn’t just share a professional relationship with staff, I guided them morally and offered advice to them about their personal life which they would often share with me,” an aggrieved Robinson related. Suggesting that this may have also posed a threat to Cornette, Robinson said that he was also sidelined on a number of occasions by the CEO. “We had a staff meeting before Christmas and every manager was given a chance to address the staff and offer wishes to them and I was completely ignored by the CEO until someone made mention of me to him. It was deliberate, because it has happened at management meetings where he would ask others to offer suggestions and opinions and he would just ignore me,” the veteran broadcaster said. Robinson shared too that Cornette might have held feelings against him for several stances taken on issues at the state-owned entity. One of these, he said, was the recent removal of a pregnant news
NCN CEO Lennox Cornette anchor by Cornette because she “did not look good” on television. Interestingly, he also accused Cornette of micromanaging NCN and acting in a “dictatorial manner.” Robinson alleged that the CEO would tell junior staff how to do their work, “and if it went wrong, he would blame them for it.” Cornette on the other hand, when contacted,
said he found this claim “laughable.” Though he attempted not to respond to the claims made by Robinson, the CEO said that “there is nothing personal.” Shifting blame entirely to the board for making the decision to relieve the programme manager, Cornette refused to say if he had made recommendations to the board for the veteran broadcaster to be dismissed. He offered rather that it is his duty to make NCN the number one broadcaster in the country and he executes his functions with diligence and professionalism. He also dismissed Robinson’s claim that he (Cornette) felt threatened by the former ’s experience and knowledge. The CEO rhetorically questioned how is it he could feel threatened by a broadcaster, when his experience and knowledge is in print journalism. Cornette indicated too that the board has considered hiring Robinson as a training consultant – an offer the latter said will yield the same treatment by Cornette towards him. Reiterating that he will not comment on the claims made by the veteran broadcaster, Cornette said “anybody who knows me know that I am the fairest guy in the world.” Following the confirmation of Cornette’s appointment as CEO last year, then Board Director Imran Khan tendered his resignation. This was reported to have been linked to accusations of Cornette forging the signature of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GTT) Deputy General Manager Terry Holder, in 1999. Since then, the CEO has found himself in the hot seat, having temporarily removed the News Anchor due to her pregnancy, and suspending a Sports Editor for comments made on her personal social media account.
New Highway Co-op responds to Andrew Chance Dear Editor,
THE New Highway Producers Co-operative Society Ltd does not have a policy that one must acquire a houselot first before being eligible for a five-acre plot of farmland. In 2009, enrolment fees into the Society were: Relative to his proposal, we do have in our files copies of the two proposals and complaints he made to the committee contrary to his
House lot Entrance Fee Share Capital Survey fees Subscription TOTAL
that he used two names interchangeably: Andrew Chance and Andrew Prescott. It appeared as though Mr. Chance either did not know what his name was, or which one of his names to use. The committee was not comfortable with this. His second proposal was submitted during the time of an Interim Com-
500 2,500 10,000 23,000 36,000
claim that these documents were stolen. Both proposals came from Mr. Chance and not from a group of individuals. No formal applications for membership were ever submitted by Mr. Chance to the Co-op Society. One of the problems with his first proposal was
Farmland 500 2,500 40,000 23,000 66,000
mittee of Management. It is important to note that between the years 2010 and 2015, the Co-op Society and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission agreed that no new applications for leases were to be submitted to the commission until some
outstanding matters were resolved. Mr. Chance was fully aware of this situation. As a result of this situation, the elected Committee of Management did not issue any new allocations nor enrol any new members into the Co-op Society during this period of time. However, transfers of members wishing to move on were p r o c e s s e d . We h a v e i n our files scores of new applications that could not be processed. A partial resolution of these matters was reached in the middle of 2016. An updated list of those transfers has been submitted to the committee for processing. M r. C h a n c e h a s drawn and made some libellous conclusions which will be addressed at another forum. Regards GEORGE BRITTLEBANK
CPA concerned 8
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
– says publication of children’s plight, raising donations inappropriate By Shauna Jemmott IN the light of a social media post of six children left abandoned by their parents in a house made of zinc and newspaper, the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) has warned that persons be sensitive to protecting the rights of children. Photographs of the six children and information of their plight surfaced on social media under Guyanese Ting’zz on Wednesday, attracting the attention of the media, several local and overseas-based organisations and concerned citizens. One of the messages of Guyanese Ting’zz noted: “These children, ages 8 months – 14 years live in a 12by-12 shack that leaks all over and sleep on the ground made of mud and cow dung. They have nothing to eat or drink. Both parents are alcoholics. “The kids don’t have birth certificates, nor do they attend school and the 14- year- old ran away from home. Someone visited the house and the 10-year-old boy was putting the baby to sleep with one hand and the other hand with a bowl catching rain drops,” the message further stated. The message was accompanied by photographs of the children -- ages six months to 14 years old – who were
removed from the custody of their alcoholic parents with whom they shared the small shabby shack. The woman, in whose care the children have been placed, said the posts on social media have resulted in positive responses from several individuals and organisations and assistance is streaming in for the family. “People bringing clothing and foodstuff,” she told the Guyana Chronicle, and said individuals and organisations from as far as Canada and the U.S. have pledged their support in various ways. Someone in the USA has already created an account and has raised US$5,500 for the children. An overseas organisation has also indicated its willingness to buy a houselot and build a house for the family. “Somebody said if I can get a land for them they are willing to build a house. We will counsel them. My husband is a doctor, a mental health therapist,” the woman said. She has since made contact with the Ministry of Communities, but was told that lands are not being distributed. DON’T WANT MONEY “A lot of people now believe and they keep calling me. And they make that com-
Inside the humble home where the children were residing when they were removed
mitment to help to maintain them. I tell them I don’t want money, let them bring stuff,” the woman said. Meanwhile, she said the children seem happy, but are still getting accustomed to living at her home. They also have new friends. “They are well-behaved children,” she said, and added that she and husband have started teaching and preparing them for the new school term. The Guyana Chronicle was told that the aunt of the children’s mother, who lives on the West Demerara, has agreed to provide housing for the woman and the three younger children, but they will still be under her care, since she has signed as their foster parent for six months. The family is trying to locate the eldest child, a 14-year-old, who ran away from home. INAPPROPRIATE CPA Director Ann Greene has however expressed concern that the foster family is seeking donations for the children outside of the CPA, in
whose care they actually are, without consulting the agency. Green said the CPA had asked the family to remove posts which expose the children and especially those with their photographs, since it is a violation of the children’s rights to protection. According to the UNICEF convention on the Rights of the Child, under the Right to Protection section - Articles 39 (Rehabilitation of child victims) and 36 (other forms of exploitation) – “Children who have been neglected, abused or exploited should receive special help to physically and psychologically recover and reintegrate into society. Particular attention should be paid to restoring the health, self-respect and dignity of the child… Children should be protected from any activity that takes advantage of them or could harm their welfare and development.” Green said though the couple may be unaware of implications of doing such, the agency will meet them on Friday to further discuss the issue and if they refuse to co-
operate, then the children will be removed from their care. “We have given her a caregivers agreement… we are on her [to remove the posts], because if she doesn’t agree to that we are going to remove the children and put them somewhere else,” she stated. According to Greene, in posting pictures and seeking
help, “You expose the children… schoolchildren can trouble the children and say ‘you were the one living in that paper house’.” She explained too that to solicit help for children in the care of the CPA can be deemed as exploitative and against the law. “If they wanted to help, they’ve got to come through us. We don’t want anybody to use [the situation] to go about looking for anybody’s help for [the children]. They can’t contact her. The children are now in Child Protection Care and she can’t put out any article,” Greene said. She said the media must also be responsible in reporting such stories, since some parents may not understand how they have erred until they are informed. Such parents are victims also and need help. “Childcare is looking after the best interest of these children and also to see how best we can help to look after the parents,” she said.
Zika testing being done at Reference Lab
AS the Ministry of Public Health moves to improve the services offered to Guyanese, a new feature has recently been added to the reference laboratory, which allows persons to be tested for the Zika virus. Speaking at the ministry’s end-of-year press conference, Former Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, said that “the lab [is] in a position to carry out testing for the Zika virus, which commenced some over two weeks ago.” With the number of recorded cases of Zika being 35 at the end of 2015, the ministry hopes to reduce that number this year and ensure that persons who show symptoms of the virus are tested as soon as possible. Testing for the virus will be done by locals who were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for training. “They were sent to train and we received the equipment for testing, but we had to calibrate those equipment and we waited on the experts to come down and have those equipment calibrated. Then we went into some difficulties of getting the reagents.
Finally, [we] were able to have the equipment calibrated and acquire the reagents,” said Dr Norton. In the past, the laboratory did not have the capacity to carry out testing for Zika and other mosquito-related viruses; the samples were sent to CARPHA, after which Guyana had to wait over a week to receive the results. Zika is a vector-borne disease transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Signs and symptoms of the illness include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, rashes, and sometimes swelling of the limbs. Some persons may also experience vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. There has been no direct treatment developed for the illness, but patients are treated with basic painkillers. Precautionary measures such as the use of insect repellents, insecticide- treated nets, and wearing longsleeved clothing are recommended. Household insecticidal sprays, coils, candles, screening of windows, doors and other openings can also aid in reducing mosquitoes in the home.
Buxton waterlogged 9
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
– residents cite negligence of koker attendant By Alva Solomon WHILE the rains have eased over coastal Guyana in recent days, the East Coast Demarara community of Buxton was inundated on Saturday and residents have laid blame on the lax operation of a koker at the Crown Dam aback the community. While water has drained off from surrounding communities, the unique basin-like situation in which Buxton is positioned has resulted in water accumulating in the area over the past week. This publication visited Buxton on Saturday and residents reported that their yards have been flooded over the past several days; most of the flooded yards were located south of the Railway Line Embankment along Company Road, Middle Walk and Clyde Roopchand Road. Along Company Road, persons were mopping their homes while others washed carpets and sofas at the higher parts of their yards. A man drained water from a hose connected to the water network into a five-gallon container, while a woman and her daughter pointed to the high level of the water in their yard.
A man cleans the canal which leads to the seawall at Buxton. Flood- waters have covered several yards in the area over the past several days
A man and his family stand at the steps of their home along Company Road, Buxton, as a suite receives much-needed sunlight on the roadside in the foreground
Most persons reported that the water was receding slowly on Saturday. A resident reported that twice since the week leading up to Christmas, the area was flooded out, noting that last week the waters seemed unusually high. “Rain didn’t really falling so much, but this water coming down from the sideline dam,” he said. The man noted that the water in the area is drained –off by several pumps at the seawall area at Buxton/Friendship, another outlet at the village at Strathspey and also at Lusignan. It was noted that depending on the tide, the
kokers at those locations can be opened only at certain times . According to residents, on Old Year’s Night many yards were flooded and the water receded slowly the following morning. However, as the days progressed, the rains persisted and the level rose and accumulated in several yards. Buxton residents expected the waters would have receded by Saturday. Over at the Buxton Sideline Dam, a koker which was expected to drain water out of the area was itself covered by water as a family nearby washed their clothing at a high spot in the yard. Accord-
A man with child in hand treks along a narrow bridge over a canal towards his home at the Buxton Sideline Damn
This canal aback Buxton was almost levelled with the road when this publication visited
ing to a cane-cutter nearby, the area is usually plagued by flooding after water accumulates in the highlands aback the community and would usually flood the area. However, he said that the accumulation appeared strange. “Is only last night we told them [the authorities] and somebody said only then they realise the door at the Crown Dam was open all the time,” he said. He explained that the water which accumulates near the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) would flow down to the lower grounds at Buxton, but the flow of water is usually controlled by a koker at the
Crown Dam. Reports are that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco) once controlled the koker at the Crown Dam; however, it is now under the control of the regional authorities and a ranger overlooks its operation. Residents were told that the ranger who is responsible for manning the koker was negligent in his duties. “They need to change that person,” a Middle Walk resident said. According to the man, the situation is difficult to cope with, noting that many persons have had no choice but to walk through the kneehigh waters. When this publication visited the seawall area at Buxton/Friendship, the engines of three pumps were running and draining water out of canals into a reservoir. The dam at the periphery of the reservoir was
being raised by an excavator as persons there feared the water level would have risen beyond the sides of the water containment area. “They need to study this area over,” a vendor at Company Road told this publication. The Weather Watch Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture last week predicted continuous rain for several days as an upper- level trough and the sub-tropical jet affect Guyana. Weather conditions were likely to deteriorate as the jet entrance migrates over Guyana from time to time. A special bulletin from the ministry noted that as the Hydrometeorological Service has been forecasting for several days after Christmas Day, all regions were likely to experience cloudy to overcast skies.
This koker at the Buxton Sideline Dam was expected to assist in draining the flooded areas at the East Coast Demerara community; however, residents noted on Saturday that the waters were too much for it to function
The engines of three pumps were running on Saturday at the seawall at Buxton/ Friendship when this publication visited flood-affected sections of the area [Photos by Delano Williams]
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
National Trust plays vital role in promoting Guyana’s national patrimony CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of The National Trust of Guyana, Ms. Nirvana Persaud, has noted that the Trust plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the country’s national patrimony is preserved and in fostering an appreciation for the nation’s heritage. “We really feel that monuments are a symbol of your identity, who you are… they are a part of us, as a people, and, therefore, you should be proud to really care for them,” she was quoted as saying in a release from the Ministry of the Presidency. Ms. Persaud has worked at the Trust in various capacities since 2003 and has been serving as CEO since 2010. According to the release, the National Trust is a state agency established by law, under The National Trust Act of 1972 “to make provision for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and
objects of historic interest or national importance.” Its main responsibility is the preservation of all monuments of Guyana, which under the Act includes “any building, structure or object or other work of man…” Its mandate also includes research and documentation, public awareness and heritage education, administration and conducting works under the routine government capital projects. While this agency aims to undertake maintenance and preservation work on as many historical sites as possible, Ms. Persaud noted that it is not practicable for the agency alone [to] complete this all at the same time, as over 400 sites and “things of national interest” have been documented on the Monuments Register and there are still more that are yet to be discovered. Last year, under its cap-
ital work programme, the Trust completed major works on the Damon Monument located at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast; the Enmore Martyrs Monument, located in Enmore village, East Coast Demerara; Hogg Island, the largest island in the Essequibo River and Fort Zeelandia, located on Fort Island, Essequibo River. The Trust also maintains the forts, which are gazetted properties, the Hogg Island Windmill, which is Dutch in origin and is the only type of structure of this nature that can be found in Guyana, along with many of the commemorative monuments such as the 1763 Monument and the Non-Aligned Monument. The Trust also contributes to the preservation of other historical and cultural structures such as the St. George’s Cathedral. St. Peter’s Anglican Church, located on Leguan island, also falls under the purview of the Trust
Currently, the Trust collaborates closely with municipal, local and regional authorities across the country to support the maintenance of some sites, such as The Damon Monument. It also liaises with them to obtain more information on undocumented historical sites or artefacts, which are then added to the Monument Register. The agency also plans to decentralise some of its services in order to fulfil its national mandate. “Our agency can only do so much, so we are trying to ensure that we strengthen partnerships and even foster new networks and linkages with local authorities across the board; municipalities, NDCs, RDCs… community organisations, because they are really the real custodians of our heritage and within their respective jurisdictions, though we have the national mandate to ensure that it is cared for in a particular way and to ensure that it’s there for long-term survival, that is our primary role,” Ms. Persaud said. Ms. Persaud also noted that the national monuments are protected by law and any person found defacing them and/or removing any part of them could be charged. To this end, advisories have been mounted at several monument sites informing the public of how to care for and/or appreciate monuments. PUBLIC SERVICES The Trust also offers a number of research services, and has embarked on several programmes to better promote its work. Several of these programmes target schoolchildren as it views them as the segment of the population that is best poised to advance its mandate. “If they really understand,
Ms. Nirvana Persaud, Chief Executive Officer of The National Trust of Guyana, displays one of the certificates that her agency won in 2016
care, value [national heritage] and they can impart that to even their peers or the adults… the same way that you would care for your property, your home, your items, your valuables, is the same way you should exercise care for our monuments…,” Ms. Persaud said. In this vein, the Trust has partnered with schools, from the primary to the tertiary level, hosted exhibitions, community outreach exercises, lectures, interviews, radio programmes, created a website and produced and disseminated several publications, many free of cost. Every year, since July 2011, the Trust has partnered with the Mangrove Association, the Botanical Gardens and the Protected Areas Commission to host a two-week programme for children ages eight to 11 years. During the session, the children are exposed to various aspects of heritage, both cultural and natural; they are taken on tours of heritage sites in the city and are encouraged to make suggestions, and create artwork,
depicting how the environs of the monuments can be enhanced to foster more interest from the public and attract more visitors. These works of art are mounted in the gallery of the Trust, which is located in its head office and they are displayed in important exhibitions that it hosts. Ms. Persaud also said that the programme started with 30 children and due to the overwhelming response from the public, it has gradually increased its target. In 2016, it targeted 40 children, yet many more turned up to register for the programme, which presented a major challenge because of limited office space. Meanwhile, she said the Trust is also exploring the possibility of hosting this same programme in Berbice and Linden this year. Another aim of this programme, she said, is to inspire children and young people to consider careers in the heritage sector, particularly in areas such as craftsmanship, producing fretwork and other architectural features.
Man arrested with illegal gun …after threatening to kill mother THE police have arrested a 22-year-old self-employed male at his Vigilance East Coast Demerara home, for unlawful possession of a .32 pistol and threatening behaviour.
According to a police report, at bout 12:20hrs on Friday, ranks responded to a report of threats made by the suspect’s mother who alleged that he threatened to kill her with a gun. The suspect, who was
at home, was told of the allegation and arrested. A search of the house revealed the unlicensed weapon concealed in a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) casing. He has since admitted ownership of the firearm, and is being processed for court.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Ailing Canawaima ferry service to – Suriname says issue arose be addressed soon out of miscommunication THE SURINAME and Guyanese authorities will this month-end address the ailing MV Canawaima ferry service and officials of the Dutch-speaking South American nation said on Friday that the issue arose out of miscommunication. At the same time, amid fits of blame, the South Drain Canal operators have accused their counterparts at Moleson Creek of not lending a “sympathetic ear” to the issue. According to a report in Suriname’s De Ware Tijd online on Friday, Director at the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism, Joyce Blokland, stated that there is need for reorganisation where the service is concerned. According to the report, Blokland said that Suriname has the money to address the vessel’s engine problems, but accused officials at Moleson Creek of displaying disinterest whenever Suriname wanted to consult on the issue, noting
Persons prepare to disembark the Canawaima ferry
that Suriname on several occasions insisted in vain for consultations. Moleson Creek Terminal Manager Danny Harry and his superior Ronald Charles have stated that the engine of the vessel has failed and should have been replaced a long time ago. However, the Surinamese authorities have not indicated whether
funds were available. Both countries hold 50 percent shareholder rights in the ferry company and both must contribute to the maintenance costs. Blokland said that the ferry has been sailing more than once per day, which is beyond its ability, admitting that indeed the engine of the ferry is unserviceable. There-
fore, a tug has been towing the ferry between the two terminals on opposite sides of the Corentyne River over the past two weeks. Engineers had told this publication recently that the ferry is experiencing numerous mechanical challenges, among them being burnt engine heads, broken propellers, damage to pistons
and rings, broken drive shaft and gears, damaged gear box, starboard engine was completely overhauled, and electrical malfunction resulting in loss of steering. As a result of the combination of problems during 2016, the ferry is in dire need of a new engine (DAF engine, to be sourced in Suriname) which experts have estimated will cost approximately GYD$15M. The Guyana Chronicle reported that the situation at hand could shut down completely at any point, thereby leaving an estimated 330 passengers daily, stranded. Harry told the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday that the ferry has been down for approximately two weeks but had been experiencing problems long before. “The ferry has broken down, if not for the tug that is being used, there would be no service,” the visibly frustrated Harry said. By virtue of a Memo-
randum of Understanding between the Governments of Guyana and Suriname on the formation and operation of the joint ferry service, along with a management agreement which dates back to 1997, the two countries are to jointly provide funds for the maintenance of the ferry. The MV Canawaima ferry , a roll-on/roll-off vessel , travels daily between Moleson Creek on the Corentyne and the South Drain Canal in Nickerie, daily with hundreds of passengers and dozens of vehicles making the trip across the river each week. Several businesses also make use of the service, as their trucks, laden with goods, would make the trip over to Suriname each week. Farther upstream, persons make use of the “backtrack” river crossing between the two countries, a route which has lost its sting in recent years, mainly as a result of economic dips in the Dutch republic.
Mahdia-Konawaruk small miners cry bullyism By Vishani Ragobeer THE Mahdia-Konawaruk Small Miners Forest and Agricultural Producers Association members are complaining that bullyism and lack of representation are taking a toll on small operators. According to President of the Association, Garfield Wintz, small miners were recently granted an area of land by the Government to carry out their mining activities, but when they visited the area, a large-scale operation was occupying the land. Wintz noted that they were unable to carry out examination of the land as they were scared off by men with firearms. “When we went to see our land, we saw equipment there and men working,” another member of the association, William Joseph, claimed. “When we went in, the men there chased us off the land and fired like about 40 rounds in the air.” Having commenced mining activities on this land allocated to the small miners,
the “big miner” bargained with some of the small miners to give a “percentage” of the gold mined, even though the small miners have not started to mine the land. On December 21, contracts for mining concessions for small and medium miners were renewed and were signed between the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the Ministries of Finance and Natural resources. Wintz said these concessions will not benefit the small and medium-scale miners, but the larger miners who are a part of the GGDMA or otherwise associated. “What we want is a levelled playing field, where the small miners and the bigger miners are treated the same,” Wintz said, but added: “We will not benefit from these concessions, because I don’t see how the concessions will trickle through the big miners and come to us.” Wintz highlighted that there are some 150 small miners in the area who are often bullied by the larger
From left to right: Members of the Mahdia-Konawaruk Small Miners Forest and Agricultural Producers Association, Lyndon Fordyce; Pauline Ernest, William Joseph, Garfield Wintz and Abiola Calder. At centre is Olga Fredericks
miners, because of the influence of money and nepotism. Despite their woes, the members of the delegation from the association expressed gratitude to the Gov-
ernment for allocating lands to small miners. They singled out Natural Resources Ministers Simona Broomes and Raphael Trotman for their commitment to the small miners and hoped
that they would fix their plight. The Mahdia-Konawaruk Small Miners Forest and Agricultural Producers Association was formed in August 2016 to allow for the
adequate representation of the small miners in the area. Wintz also explained that the association has received approval to begin its operations and is currently awaiting certification.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Reece cried after Bartica Stelling executions – Bartica Massacre trial hears
CLEBERT Reece, called “Chi-Chi”, the State’s star witness in the Bartica Massacre trial on Friday said he cried when Rondell “Fine Man” Rollins executed five civilians at the Bartica Stelling before going on a rampage in the mining town. Reece informed the court how he felt when he continued his testimony in the High Court before Justice Roxane George SC and a 12-member jury, as he was led by Prosecutor Diana Kaulesar. He told the court that he met “Fine Man,” also known as “Saddist”, for the first time when he went to Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara, to pick him up. Reece added that he knew Dennis Williams,
called “Anaconda,” for 14 years since they were friends, and both lived at “Globe Yard” and would go out and ‘sport’. He said “Small Man” is Mark Royden Williams, whom he identified in court on Thursday along with Dennis Williams, as part of the group of men which consisted of nine that went to Bartica on a rampage on February 17, 2008. According to him, he did not know Mark Royden Williams before the Bartica incident and met him too for the first time when he drove the light blue and white boat which was 25-feet long and about 8-10 feet wide and which was outfitted with a 25-horsepower Yamaha engine. The witness said he was
familiar with boats and engines for most of his life and he knew the boat-builder, whom he and others went to Parika to get a boat which he drove to transport “Fine Man” and his gang to and from Bartica. Reece told the court that he used to leave his own boat with the man prior to the Bartica incident and the group he picked up consisted of “Sad Man”, “Chung Boy”, “Magic”, “Mud Up”, “Kussum called Small Frame”, Michael Caesar called “Capone”, Dennis Williams, “White Boy” and “Small Man.” CUT OFF His boat drive took 45 minutes from Ann’s Grove
to the city near Eve Leary, when the engine cut off for the first time and he went with “White Boy” and Dennis Williams to buy gas on Hadfield Street, just behind the Brickdam Police Station. The witness told the court that “White Boy” brought a bag from the trunk of his car which contained guns, bulletproof vests and camouflage clothing, among other things, and placed them in the boat at the Tiger Bay old wharf. S o o n a f t e r, h e s a i d “White Boy” began taking out the contents of the bag. Reece also related that they spent a night near the soldiers’ base, at a place called “Makouria,” when the boat engine stopped for the second time while they were on their way to Bartica. He recalled that while there, an Indian guy came to uplift ‘raw’ gasoline from them and left and it took him about 45 minutes to reach Bartica, where he moored the boat south of the stelling. Reece stated that “Small Man” was dressed in a long camouflage pants and a matching long-sleeved top with a tope with three clips of rounds around his waist and was armed with an AK-47. He (Reece) was dressed in a blue three-quarter pants and a blue shirt but was not armed. He said “Mud Up” was dressed in camouflage clothing as well, while “Kussum” had on ordinary clothes and they too were armed with
AK-47s. The witness noted that the stelling had lights and he knew it was the police vehicle when the group returned to the stelling and he was told to take things from that land rover and place it into the boat. CRIED He recalled that when the five men were placed to lie face down on the stelling, he was about five feet away on the boat’s bow when the men were killed and he said he was crying when it happened. Reece told the court that Dennis Williams was about two feet from “Small Man” when he passed a handgun to “Sad Man,” who shot and killed the five men on the stelling. He added that they were camping out for three months before he escaped from the group and during that time, some of them used to go home and visit their families. Reece said he was friends with Dennis Williams and his cousin Michael Caesar before the Bartica incident and added that he was not forced to tell his story in the court, because when he was in prison, he was in one place all the time where he urinated and defecated in that one place. He was asked when he left to go Bartica, if he had expected anyone to get injured and he responded in the affirmative.
On trial are Mark Royden Williams called “Smallie”, Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” and Roger Simon called “Goat Man,” each indicted on 12 counts for the murder of nine civilians and three policemen at Bartica on February 17, 2008. However, two of the five accused, Michael Caesar and Clebert Reece, have since pleaded guilty to manslaughter separately and have been sentenced. Mark Royden Williams is being represented by Roger Yearwood, Dennis Williams’ lawyer is Saphier Hussain and Roger Simon’s attorney is Peter Hugh. During the February 17, 2008 rampage, nine civilians and three cops were gunned down by a group of heavily armed men, who had descended on Bartica at nightfall. Those who lost their lives were Bartica residents Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian and Irving Ferreira; policemen stationed at the Bartica Police Station, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam; Ronald Gomes of Kuru Kururu; Ashraf Khan of Middlesex, Essequibo Coast; Abdool Yasseen and Errol Thomas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo; and Baldeo Singh of Montrose, East Coast Demerara. Rondell “Fine Man” Rawlins, according to the police, led the gang on the rampage in Bartica as well as the one that converged on Lusignan on January 26, 2008. Rawlins was killed during a Joint Services operation on August 28, 2008. With his death and the arrest and prosecution of the five suspects, it appeared as though the police had closed their investigation. The state is being represented by Diana Kaulesar and Stacy Goodings, while the defence attorneys are Roger Yearwood, Saphier Husain and Peter Hugh.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Sophia fire leaves four homeless A FAMILY of four lost their home on Friday night after their wooden house, located at the squatting area of ‘B’ Field, Sophia, went up in flames. Residing there were Alicia -- only name given -- and her three children. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, the grieving mother said that she was not at home when the fire occurred; she was at her stall in the Stabroek Market along with her three children. While the cause of the fire remains unknown, Alicia dis-
What remains of the Sophia house
closed that she suspects it was caused by her ex-lover. She also claimed that the fire began from “in the middle of the house” and said the backdoor
was left opened; her ex-lover has a spare key,she said. The fire started sometime around 19:00hrs She highlighted that she
and her ex-lover have been having domestic problems for some time now and she decided to “move-away” and “squat in Sophia.” She moved to this location in , 2016. Alicia said too, “He [her ex-lover] asked to come and stay with me for a lil while… until he could make some money and get back on his
feet.” However, Alicia noted that their domestic problems continued and she “put him out on Christmas Day.” A family friend, who identified herself as Shavon, said that the fire service responded promptly, but the entire interior of the house was lost to the fire. Alicia mentioned that a number of electrical
appliances and furniture were lost, including a brand new flat screen television bought as a late Christmas present for the children. Alicia lamented, “I have nothing now… I am staying by a friend, but I have nothing.” The mother of three is pleading for any assistance. (Vishani Ragobeer)
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
House approves increase in airport tax She further questioned why a 1.5 per cent commission must be paid to an external body, when there are less than 10 staffers who collect over $2M in travel tax at both the Cheddi Ja-
By Ravin Singh THE National Assembly passed the Tax (Amendment) Bill 2016, which will now see the increase in airport travel tax from $2,500 to $3,500. The Bill was passed on Friday after intense deliberations. Travellers leaving Guyana pay what is commonly referred to as an ‘airport tax’ of $4,000. Of this amount, $2,500 accounts for travel tax while the remaining $1,500 is a security tax. However, the successful passage of the amended bill will now see the travel tax increasing by $1,000.
The Bill was presented by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who noted that the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is now able to appoint agents for collection of the travel tax and for the remission of the tax to the commissioner. He also revealed to the House that the current GRA Commissioner-General is in talks with a body that will be paid a commission of 1.5 per cent to collect the increased travel tax. He said too that the tax will be included in the cost of the airline ticket, after which it will be remitted to GRA.
The explanatory note of the Bill states that, “A carrier or a collection agency who fails to remit the travel tax to the commissioner, or a carrier who fails to remit travel tax to an agent or the commissioner, shall be liable to the prescribed penalty.” Minister Jordan also suggested that the inclusion of this tax in the price of an airline ticket will now result in one less line at the airport. But it was immediately rejected by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, who reasoned that travellers will still need to line up to pay the $1,500 security tax.
gan International Airport (CJIA) and the Eugene F. Correia Airport. Teixeira, who spoke to an almost empty House, also rhetorically questioned how the external
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
body will collect this increased travel tax when the Tax (Amendment) Bill 2016 allows that body to collect only monies from tickets sold in Guyana. She pointed out that in this technologically driven age, airline tickets are sold online from any country. “I believe the minister should pause, go back and consider and come back to the House with something that makes greater sense,” she said, adding that the PPP is willing to work with government to develop a better Bill. But it was Jordan who would have the final say, positing that the Tax (Amendment) Bill 2016 only changes the way in which the increased travel tax is collected. “We are just changing a method of how we collect a tax,” he informed the western side of the House. But despite the Opposition’s objections to the Bill, which its Chief Whip described as having “nonsensical aspects,” it was passed in the National Assembly by a government majority vote.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Gov’t adds $4B in disposable income
A TOTAL of $4B will be added annually to disposable income due to the reduced income tax threshold as government seeks to put money into workers’ pockets, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said Friday night in the National Assembly. “This is money that can either be saved, purchase a car, help with a house or go on a vacation,” he said. Jordan said government has decided to release the pressure on low and middle- income families. While noting that it is a win for workers, Jordan said government will try to reduce rates progressively to make things competitive. “We proposed to reduce the tax rate from 30 per cent to 28 per cent on the first $180,000 and 40 per cent for anything thereafter, mean effectively that at the highest level, no one will pay more than 26.7 per cent of their total income taxes,” he said Underscoring that only a quarter of income will be taxable, Minister Jordan said in 2017 both the threshold and the new marginal rates will kick in. Noting that there will be strategies to address the groups that are hard to tax, Minister Jordan said one such group are contractors who receive large sums of money to undertake projects, but are not in full compliance with their tax obligations. “By failing to disclose incomes from all sources, these persons do not pay their fair share of taxes, and there will be measures to extend the tax net,” the Finance Minister said. “It is time that we all pay our fair share of taxes and share the burden of taxes which are a necessary evil.” Meanwhile, he said there will now be a fee attached to the issuance of TIN certificates and its copies. Jordan said of the 21,000 certificates issued each year, 60 per cent are replacements. He said businesses and non-resident companies that fail to keep accounting records make it hard for the revenue authority to be able to assess incomes and taxes will attract a fine of $1M. He said the Income Tax Act will also increase the penalty of filing after the due date, in addition to not filing a return even if there was a loss. A taxpayer will now
have to file a NIL return, or face the penalty of paying $50,000.
Opposition Parliamentarian Bishop Juan Edghill questioned whether taxpay-
ers will actually be taking home more money, or will they actually be paying out
more money in taxes. He said the new measure for the Income Tax
Act should have simplified the refund process for Guyanese.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 8, 2017
Son torches house after fight with father A TWO-STOREY house in Number 59 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, was on Friday destroyed after it was set ablaze by a young man who had a fight with his father. The reason for the fight is not known, but according to reports, the son is in the habit of being abusive towards his parents and others.
Vekanand Dhanraj, called “Rishie boy”, 21, was reportedly intoxicated when he set ablaze the car his mother had purchased for him six months ago; the car was parked at the bottom of the house. The fire from the blazing car quickly engulfed the lower-flat of the home and spread to the entire house within minutes.
The Fire Service was informed of the blaze, but by the time they arrived, the house was already destroyed. According to information, “Rishie boy” had before threatened to destroy the home he shares with his mother and father. The Dhanraj family less than a year ago re-migrated to Guyana.
A neighbor, Kamini Bahadur, said she was doing some chores when someone called out to her shouting Fire! “Them say come see what this waste man do, come see so I go see the car on fire under the house so I call out for everybody who did start gather out on the street to bring out their bucket and come to help out the fire, but it was already catching on the downstairs part.” Villagers say “Rishie boy” would always drink and “perform and verbally abuse passersby and would also abuse his parents”. Another neighbour said on Christmas Eve, he was heavily intoxicated and used a cutlass to chop the house and at the same time threw out several pieces of furniture. “He was on the dam cussing up saying nobody nah deh home to beat so me gon beat up the house so me see he around the house with the cutlass and he just deh ah lash
The two-storey house in Number 59 Village, East Berbice/ Corentyne, that was set ablaze by Vekanand Dhanraj on Friday
it up.” Meanwhile, on Friday, it is reported that the young man and his father were involved in a fight when he reportedly set the car ablaze. “They were both drunk and when the fire started, the father was laying on the bridge and some persons had to lift him to safety.... I think he beat his father up but after-
wards they were ok. He (Rishie) would treat his parents bad all the time; sometimes his mother have to leave home when he start behave like that.” The family estimates their losses in the millions. Vekanand Dhanraj was subsequently arrested and remains in police custody, pending investigations.
CARICOM’s delegation (left): Executive Director, Human Resource Management at the CARICOM Secretariat, Ms. Charmaine Atkinson-Jordan; CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and Advisor to the Secretary-General, Mr. Neville Bissember. On the right is Head of the CARICOM Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Charlene Phoenix, President David Granger and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge
President meets with CARICOM SG
…ahead of inter-sessional meeting CUURENT Chair of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM), President David Granger, on Friday
met with Secretary-General of the body, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and a delegation from the secretariat, which included Advisor to the Secretary-General, Mr. Neville Bissember and Executive Director, Human Resource Management at the CARICOM Secretariat, Ms. Charmaine Atkinson-Jordan. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge and Head of the CARICOM Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Charlene Phoenix, were present at the meeting, which took place at State House. President Granger assumed the Chairmanship on January 1, 2017, as per the Rotation Schedule for The Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government. As such, Guyana will host the 28th Inter-sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government, which is slated for February 16-17. (Ministry of the Presidency)
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 8, 2017
Treat tributors as regular employees - Ram urges GGDMA By Svetlana Marshall CHARTERED Accountant Christopher Ram has advised the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) to treat tributors as regular employees or independent contractors, so as to avoid the 20 per cent tributors’ tax imposed by Government. Miners on Friday, during a specially convened meeting organised by the GGDMA during which Ram made a special appearance, called for tributors to be provided with risk allowances as they
say for example $70,000, that employee would pay tax on the difference, in this case, on the remaining $10, 000. However, the chartered accountant noted that Finance Minister Winston Jordan has inserted a proviso into the Income Tax measures paving the way for tributors to benefit from a personal allowance of 720, 0000 per annum. In this case, Ram opined that many tributors would have to be refunded by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), because many of them would not have benefited from their $720, 000 annual person-
earning $180, 000 or less per month. However, if a person earns more than $180, 000, he or she will be required to pay 40 per cent on the remainder. Additionally, Ram suggested that tributors can be considered independent contractors. In this case, he said, they will be required to pay a contractors’ tax of two per cent. “Treat them as independent contractors, pay them (GRA) two per cent. Two per cent of $70, 000 is $1, 400,” he said. According to Ram, if there is nothing stopping miners from treating tributors as independent contractors, then they can radically change the intention of the
Miners at the meeting that was addressed by Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram on Friday
bemoaned the increase in the tributors’ tax from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. In his presentation, Ram, from the initial stage, pointed out that there is absolutely no definition of who is a tributor. “Are these people genuinely tributors, or are they seasonal workers? It may very well be that’s what they are,” he said. Ram said based on his understanding from discussions with the GGDMA, many of the tributors have a fixed level of remuneration and may very well be considered to be employees. “Instead of treating them as tributors, treat them as employed persons, they will get their (personal) allowances like everybody else does and pay tax on the difference,” he opined. Ram explained that if a tributor is defined and determined to be an employee earning $60, 000 a month, under the Income Tax Act, that person will now be required to pay Income Tax or Pay As You Earn (PAYE), given that the threshold is now fixed at $60, 000 or one-third of the gross salary, whichever is greater. However, if that person is classified as a tributor, he or she will then have to pay 20 per cent on the $60, 000 or $12, 000. If an employee earns more than $60, 000,
al allowances. In updating the miners on the new personal income tax rate, the chartered accountant pointed out that it has been reduced to 28 per cent from a high of 30 per cent for persons
Revenue Authority and by extension, Government. The issues surrounding the Tributors Tax are among key issues that must be raised when GGDMA meets with the Revenue Authority.
Describing tributors as the backbone of the mining industry, Glynis Beaton, who was there representing a mining company, contended that tributors should be given a risk allowance. “This is a high-risk job,” she emphasised, noting that the proposal should be up for discussion when the GDDMA meets with the GRA. “And whenever you talk with GRA it must be documented, when the officers change the interpretation of the laws changes,’ she added. Beaton’s contribution was met with loud rounds of applause.
Glynis Beaton making her point during the GGDMA meeting
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
‘Wrongfully’ arrested teacher mulls legal action
By Alva Solomon A SENIOR teacher attached to the Tapakuma Primary School is mulling legal action against the
Region Two village leader, after he was “wrongfully” arrested by Essequibo police over a poster. According to Fenton Williams, on Saturday, he was
told that a poster was placed at the village office and the persons responsible wrote several “allegations “against the village captain.” He said that he took a
picture of the poster for his own record. Later in the day he said he was at the primary school preparing for the new school term on Monday, when he
overheard a woman nearby mention that a councillor from the village was at the Anna Regina Police Station. He said he spoke to the woman and was informed
that the councillor was arrested in connection with the poster, which alleged that the toshao was involved in illicit activities. Williams said three police ranks visited the area and spoke to several residents soon after. He later left for his home. Minutes later, in full view of his little son, the three ranks arrived at his home and informed him that he was under arrest. Williams said he questioned the ranks as to what offence he was being arrested in connection with and he was told that it was connected to an allegation he had made against the village’s toshao. He said he asked the ranks if they possessed a warrant and soon after, one of the uniformed ranks grabbed him by his shoulder and told him to enter the police vehicle. He said he felt humiliated, since the incident occurred in full view of his son and other residents. According to Williams, he decided to accompany the ranks to the police station and after sometime, he was told by an officer there that the matter was relative to the Village Council and should be dealt with accordingly. “This is a village issue, and I don’t have any clue or information relative to the poster,” he said, pointing out that the toshao acted outside his authority. The village councillor arrested earlier was also released. Williams said while at the Anna Regina Police Station, he asked the village leader to pay his passage, lunch and for the time “wasted”; but the man was unresponsive. Williams said he plans to take action by approaching the courts, citing the village leader’s use of “excessive force.” Calls by this publication to the number provided for Toshao James Schaad were unsuccessful. The Guyana Chronicle was told that the village council at Tapakuma was not functioning as residents expected and persons were upset at the manner in which it is being run. At the moment, the council is headed by the toshao and three councillors; several councillors have resigned, residents said. A call was made on Saturday for the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs to investigate the council’s operations.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
There is no Middle Ground, we see with the eyes of our biases LAST week’s column sought to make sense of the contending arguments over the President’s decision to make a presidential order to recover the Red House from the PPP. As one who is appalled by the extent to which the PPP used its authority to transfer state assets to private use, I viewed and still view the president’s move in that light. As a student of ethnicity and ethnic politics, I recognised that despite the correctness of the president’s order, there were ethnic sensitivities involved; that given Dr. Jagan’s standing in that community, Indian-Guyanese were bound to respond to such a move in a hostile manner. Finally, considering the above, I would not have advised the government to move in that direction. As I wrote the column, I was certain that supporters of the PPP and Indian- Guyanese partisans were only going to see the first point and completely ignore the latter two. I also, was confident that government supporters would only see the last point and completely ignore the first two. This is exactly what happened. It is as if political elites are incapable of dealing with complex arguments; we are always looking to see where the attack is coming from. And this instinct flourishes amidst the most complex politics you will find anywhere in the world. Recently, I was sitting with a few friends at a public place in Buxton, when a man came up to us and said words to the effect that he wanted to thank me for helping to keep the government in the right direction. Then he quickly followed up with an even stronger warning to me that he does not want Jagdeo and the PPP to return to power. He rounded off his remarks with an even stronger critique of African-Guyanese, who he condemned for messing up power when it’s given to them. When the brother left, I turned to my friends and said that, that is the complexity I try to make sense of every day. Here is someone who starts off by lifting me up for what he sees as a necessary role, but immediately cautions me about the possible danger and then pivots back to what he sees as the larger sociological problem the government confronts. I remarked that had a government minister been present, he or she would have invariably missed or ignored the man’s first and last points and would have latched on to the second one. At that point, I arrived at a better understanding of my own situation. Over the last couple of months, I have been approached by many persons close to the government leaders with messages of how disappointed and angry the latter are with what they see as my “constant attacks” on the government. I have been accused, sometimes publicly, as working for the PPP and wanting to bring them back to office. I, of course, dismissed these charges as nothing more than the usual government response to any criticism from any quarter. After all, I am a government supporter whose every comment on government is aimed at ensuring that it does better than the previous discredited ones. Like the man I referenced above, I do not want the PPP to come back to power on its own. My fear is grounded in the viciousness that party unleashed on Guyana while in office between 1992 and 2015. I have tried to balance my general support, though, with caution against going down the discredited road. I point out mistakes with the aim of helping to get them corrected. But alas, I have concluded that such nuanced politics is foreign to the politicians’ minds. Sadly, we have not learned as a political culture to deal with dissent, especially when it comes from “within.” When it comes to power one is either for or against—there is no grey area. The irony is that while I am seen as an enemy by the gods who demand blind loyalty, the gods on the other side see me as a dangerous racist who looks out only for African-Guyanese interests and those of the government. I have been called government apologist, propagandist, loyalist, partisan and all the other bad words associated with blind loyalty. This was in full force this past week. One letter writer went as far as to suggest that I do not want to see Jagan’s papers housed in free space and that I am in collusion with the PNC to disrespect
him. My friend, Ravi Dev, was much more thoughtful in his response to me. But I think he also gave the impression that I am unmindful of Indian-Guyanese sensitivities. Ravi raises the important point of mobilising “within,” but outside of the orbit of the anointed party and how that is seen as betraying the group’s cause. I am conscious of that dilemma, but I am not prepared to go against my conscience just to avoid being called a traitor. I am an African-Guyanese who feels that part of my energies must be expended on the security of that group, but that does not lead me in the direction of denying other groups their rightful places and just reward in Guyana. Africanists and other nationalists must draw the line
somewhere. I draw the line when it comes to fairness and justice, even when it offends my political friends. That was my attitude to the PNC government of the past, to the immediate past PPP government and to the current government. Although theoretically the present government is less harmful to the security of African- Guyanese, my attitude to them does not begin with ethno-racial considerations. I have seen the pitfall of that approach. More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Towards a Good Life in a Green Economy
The Norconsult Report: a review for options (Part 1)
…a pathway to resuscitate the Amaila Falls Hydro Project? IN this four-part series, we will examine the Norconsult Report on the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP). In Part I, we will look at Resuscitation of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. In Part 2, we will examine Alternative Options for the AFHP. In Part 3, we will discuss Who Really Owns the USD 80m equity. Finally, in Part 4, we will look at the possibility of an independent power producer (IPP) and explore options for utilising the USD 80m equity. THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND OUTCOMES At the outset, it seems that the principal recommendation by the Norconsult Report on its ‘Review of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project in Guyana’, that the “AFHP [Amaila Falls Hydropower Project] should be maintained as the first major step towards Guyana’s transition to an environmentally sustainable electricity system” was in fact a fait accompli, given that one of the terms of reference (ToR) of Norconsult provided that “The outputs of this assessment will primarily benefit the Government of Guyana by confirming the feasibility of the AFHP project.” That, to our minds, was a set determination to save the AFHP. From this perspective, it is reasonable to conclude that Norconsult has determined that the AFHP was feasible, but subject to technical upgrades necessary for complete acceptance. And, secondly, there was no ToR mandate for Norconsult to determine what the best available energy option for Guyana was. That decision, we respectively submit, rests with the Government of Guyana. I will return to the matter of technical upgrades a little later in the series. The second important ToR is the expression that “As Norway has committed funds to the Project
Mr. Gary A. R. Best is a retired Rear Admiral and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force. He is an Attorney at Law and is the Presidential Advisor on the Environment. He is a PhD. candidate at the University of the West Indies. He holds a BSc in Nautical Science (Brazil) and Masters Degrees from the University of the West Indies and the University of London. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence University and the Harvard Kennedy School. His research areas include climate change governance, climate change finance, international relations and environmental law.
and the assessment, the assessment outcome will also inform the Government of Norway as well as any potential sponsors.” Again, this is a clear indication to salvage the AFHP, since they were financial and political implications for the Governments of Norway and Guyana. But, did the Government of Norway really commit funds, meaning the USD 80 million? Or isn’t it more accurate to say that the government of Guyana (GoG) committed the USD 80 million to the AFHP from accumulated payments beginning in 2009? In fact, page 2 of the LCDS 2013, states that the “The Government [of Guyana] is investing US$80 million as equity in the project – sourced from payments accumulated since 2009 under the Guyana-Norway partnership.” Is it possible that both Governments can lay claim to this USD 80 million dollars? However, there is no doubt that the USD 80 million was assigned to the AFHP as equity. To whom this USD 80m belongs? And how and by what means it was assigned as equity are questions we will attempt to answer in this series. THE ‘WITHOUT PREJUDICE’ CONCEPT Given the fact that the GoG has
pronounced significant doubt on the feasibility of the AFHP, in its current configuration, at the level of its Parliament must be seen as a statement of national parliamentary expression. We therefore suggest that any and all actions relating to the AFHP outside of the GoG parliamentary structure ought to be viewed as being done “without prejudice” to the GoG determining the future of the AFHP. No doubt, the findings of the report are meant to enable the GoG in its decision on the way forward. The key point is that the GoG will have to decide on the way forward and this decision is completely disconnected from what happens to the USD 80m equity. Secondly, the Norconsult Report is set within the context of the LCDS. Since then, meaning May 2015 and a new government, a green economy pathway (building on the LCDS) and leading to a Green State has been adumbrated as the new Guyana development model. To this fact, the Norconsult Report could, understandably, not speak, but it remains a critical omission in the context of consolidating the LCDS by expanding towards a green economy, which is a low emissions and multi-sectoral approach. I would certainly agree that Norconsult could not take into consideration Guyana’s new course. However, the GoG will more than likely use this opportunity to ensure that future actions mirror its Green State direction. In that context, a clean and alternative low-emissions energy mix has been decided on as a pathway, while discussions on larger emissions-free
energy solutions, such as hydropower development, will continue. THE 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMITMENT The 100% renewable energy commitment by 2025, referred to by the Norconsult Report, has since been clarified by the GoG to mean that ‘as far as possible, the GoG will plan on achieving a 100% renewable energy footprint by 2025’ [paraphrasing mine]. However, what is missing from the Norconsult Report is the conditional statement contained in Guyana’s iNDC submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which stated that “we [GoG] believe that with adequate and timely financial support, Guyana can develop a 100% renewable power supply by 2025.” There should be no doubt that Guyana did not receive adequate and timely finance and financial support included international obligatory finance. Further, the iNDC commitment to the UNFCCC is reviewable by Guyana. The GoG commitment to 100% renewable energy remains. The question is, how? The 100% renewable-energy commitment by 2025, contained in the Guyana Power Generation System Expansion Study 2016, has to be taken into context. Firstly, its contents do not reflect the green economy pathway. Secondly, the reference to the AFHP in the Generation System Expansion Study has to seen as, an option, among options for clean and renewable energy. It is also apposite to note
that there was no consensus among the review group for the Generation System Expansion Study 2016 that the AFHP was to be the GoG recommended option. What some members of the review group also recommended, was that the 2016 Generation Expansion Study should form the basis of a new study that would incorporate the green economy pathway that Guyana has since chosen. Further, the 2014 and 2016 Generation System Expansion Study reports are already outdated in the context of solar power costs. The evidence suggests that solar power is the cheapest form of energy for developing countries, out-competing wind, natural gas, coal and others. This is reinforced by many reports, including those supported by Bloomberg and publications such as Science Alert. We would disagree that a commitment to go 100% renewable should not be based only on a single hydro project, such as the AFHP, and rather suggest an energy mix that takes into consideration Guyana’s physical and demographic peculiarities. In other words, a single hydro project is no silver bullet to Guyana’s energy solution! We have island communities that are independent of the main grid. We have coastal communities that do not benefit from our current inter-connected system. These communities can, however, benefit from energy solutions such as solar farms. Finally, at this juncture, one may quite rightly ask this likely question. How independent, objective and facts-based was the Norconsult Report, given that it was a Norwegian consultant group, hired and paid by the Government of Norway in a matter in which the Government of Norway also has an interest? In the next article, we will examine some alternative options to the AFHP.
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To compromise standards is to compromise governance and life STANDARDS are important in every society and every effort must be made to maintain and improve them. Where effort is being made by this government to do so, is commendable. Equally, any effort to continue treating standards with contempt must be condemned and eschewed. When we compromise or accept the compromising of standards, we adversely impact our system of governance and quality of life. Over the years, people have contributed in various forms to the erosion of standards, yet at the same time questions are being raised as to why the decline. A culture has developed whereby the Constitution and laws have come
to mean different things to different persons. Persons who ought to know better are still rebelling against an instrument because those responsible for its authorship are despised, yet this remains the only blueprint to guide this nation and inform the relationship of its people. The Constitution addresses every element of our existence, from conception to demise; sovereignty; environment; natural resources; branches (Executive, Legislature and Judicature) and tiers (national, regional and local) of government and how these ought to function; economic sectors (cooperative, private and public); and fundamental rights and freedoms of Turn to page 22 â–ş
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To compromise standards is to...
the citizens. Though this instrument is not a perfect document, the upholding of it will see a halt to the slide in governance, and by extension our quality of life, that has been occurring over the years. In every sphere of Guy-
anese life standards have been eroded. There is little or no regard for our fellow man, open contempt for the rule of law, and institutions of government are treated as personal property. This is a crisis within the rank and file and leadership and
has to be arrested with urgency as a matter of policy and in a holistic manner. Among the privileged and those in public office the constitution is often cherry-picked to justify when and how they will deny citizens their rights,
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
From page 21
abrogate their responsibilities under the law, and disregard structures of government. There are constitutional bodies that have not been established and appointments not made as far back as more than a decade, as in the instance
of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal and the Chancellor of the Judiciary. Though this government has inherited the problem it has a responsibility to move with alacrity to correct it, and in this instance, the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, which was more than a decade overdue, is noted. In the government’s organisational structure, no Ministry of Social Cohesion has been gazetted, which means that none exists in law. It follows that where no such ministry exists, there can be no Minister of Social Cohesion, yet the nation hears and sees such ascription in the media and on letterheads. What we have in law is a Ministry of the Presidency with departments, one of which is Social Cohesion and a minister assigned responsibility for this department. This makes the title “Minister with responsibility for Social Cohesion.” Treating with matters of such nature as insignificant, is to treat our laws with contempt. In this rainy season, persons are being adversely affected by floods as their possessions and sources of income are either destroyed or threatened. This situation in large part has to do with poor management of the infrastructural aspect of our environment. Our sea defence structures, drainage and irrigation system, and desilting of rivers and canals serve important functions. Decisions taken by government to ignore these through poor maintenance and blocking them up without finding alternative channels for drainage have compromised the movement of water from the surface of the land and by extension, our quality of life. At the same time, it ought to be noted the improvement in the management of the recent floods. Another area that is deserving of urgent attention is showing respect for the name of this coun-
try as stipulated in the Constitution, which is the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Citizens would note the absence of the name “Cooperative” on their passports, which is an official document of international importance, and where this country is so internationally known and recorded. Somebody or group decided that the name is not appropriate or important and took it upon themselves to change it when the passports were being produced. The dropping of “Cooperative” commenced during the Cheddi Jagan administration in the production of official portraits of the President and ministers. Later, the “Cooperative” was dropped in the production of the passports. The Guyana Constitution expressly stipulates that the country’s name can only be changed through a referendum, where the people have the expressed to will to so do. Under the APNU+AFC administration, official portraits of the President and ministers carry the name the “Cooperative Republic of Guyana.” The instances cited are mere examples of the many constitutional violations we suffer today. There may be the temptation to treat such matters as semantics or as unimportant, but when such is done, it contributes to and feeds other aspects of disregarding standard and decline in values and by extension of our quality of life. The constitution is the law that lays out the foundational premise on which the society is formed and established to function. Within, are clear guidelines (articles) to regulate our conduct and how we treat with others and our institutions and others treat with us and these, internally and externally. We must therefore not take this foundational tenet for our existence for granted or treat it with contempt.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Inclement weather hampering Downes, Cristy start of GRFU Calendar are tennis ... –– Guinness VII’s set for January 21st
FLASHBACK! The victorious Guyana team celebrate after ‘frying’ Barbados 48-17 at the National Park THE Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU)will in the coming days complete several key tournaments as they rush to close off their 2016 sporting calender. Due to the inclement weather, the 2016 VII’s season will continue on January 21st with the inaugural Guinness Sevens championships to be followed by the GRFU Sevens on January 28th, Beharry Sevens on February
5th and Trophy Stall sevens on February 12th. Those will be followed by the commencement of the 2017 XV Championship season. The dates for the annual Saturday Rugby Programme, July Summer camp, as well as the Schools’ championships, GIR Festivals, women’s sevens and tens, U/19 Competitions, coaching and referee training programs will be announced by the end of the month. On the international scene, the Senior National Men’s VII team is currently in training for their Hong Kong engagement in April which will provide valuable match exposure in anticipation of this year’s Qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup as well as the Commonwealth Games. Only the winners of these tournaments will gain automatic qualification with Canada being the main obstacle in the tournament. The body is planning a ‘friendly’ against Columbia,
Brazil or Argentina to assist preparations,in March and/ or September. On the 15’s front, they will play the winner of the Barbados/Curacao/Martinique clashes in an away game on May 13th,before hosting nemesis Trinidad and Tobago in the South Zone finals on June 10th. The winner plays the winner of the North Zone with North zone and overall champion Mexico facing the likes of USA South, Jamaica and Cayman Islands. The ladies and to a lesser extent the U/19 have tentative engagements coming up in Trinidad and French Guiana,prior to participation at the annual RAN Championships. Their engagements are tentative given the fact that they will not be receiving a subsidy as in years past by the governing body. The Union nevertheless will be working to ensure the teams receive competition and funding towards growth.
Giroud strikes late winner as Arsenal sneak by Preston (REUTERS)-Olivier Giroud’s scoring streak continued as he struck late to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory at Championship side Preston North End in the FA Cup third round yesterday. Giroud’s deflected finish in the 89th minute was rough on Preston who had dominated the opening period after Callum Robinson had given them an early lead. Arsenal were a different proposition after the break and equalised a minute after the restart when Ramsey fired home from the edge of the area after Alex Iwobi’s lay-off. The hosts looked capable of holding out for a replay but Giroud struck for the fourth match in a row when he capitalised on a clever back heel by Lucas Perez. Preston were left to rue missed chances before the break, the best of which saw Jordan Hugill somehow fail to connect with a Robinson cross with the goal gaping. Robinson also had a goal ruled out for an infringement.
From page 31 doubles. Gentle and Campbell took trophies for the ladies open doubles. Mother/daughter pair of Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan and Nicola Ramdyhan took away the ladies doubles runners-up trophy. For the men’s over 35 doubles the winners were Leyland Leacock and Ronald Murray, and the runners-up were Alexander Almeida and Sandeep Chand. Jones received resounding applause during his address with his announcement of a signed MoU between the National Sports Commission and the GTA, which will see lights being installed at the National Racquet Centre before the Inter Guiana Games in October. In his remarks,Goodluck noted that the ceremony was a moment of reflection on the hard work done during 2016 to build the organisation as an institution that provides development opportunities for the children and nation. Goodluck also thanked the sponsors who have been tangibly supporting the sport of tennis over the years. Special mention was made of Trophy Stall, GBTI, Bakewell, parents, players and the media. Coming in for high praises was overseas-based Dr. Arthur Ingram Hazlewood, who once again sponsored the awards, and has been financially supporting the GLTA for the past 6 years. Additionally,Professor Duke made her annual donation to the GLTA for 2016.
Haiti keeps Gold Cup hopes alive ... From back page Caribbean side took the lead in the 25th minute through Herold beore Kisoor’s 42nd minute blunder helped them double their advantage. Three minutes after the resumption from half-time, 19-year-old Desire extended Haiti’s lead and Faeber’s mistake in the 80th put the result out of question for the
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Haitians. Apai netted three minutes from the end and Eduard added a second in injury time but the goals rescued only pride for the Surinamese. A win over T&T tonight will see Haiti advance to the playoff against the fifth placed side from Central America which will determine the final spot at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Fixtures for WICB Super50 2017 Tournament released ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday announced the match schedule for the upcoming 2017 WICB Regional Super50 tournament, which runs from Tuesday, January 24 to Saturday, February 18. The renovated Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG)will stage all the day/night matches in Group A, in addition to the semi-finals and the Grand Final on Saturday, February 18 – and will be the prime ground from which televised matches will be
shown on ESPN. The CCG, formerly known as Stanford Cricket Ground, will be one of five match venues used during the three-week event which also features matches in Barbados. The others are: the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, along with Kensington Oval, Windward Cricket Club and the 3Ws Oval in Barbados. Zone A comprises Leeward Islands Hurricanes, defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, as well as Windward
MATCH SCHEDULE Tuesday, January 24 Scorpions vs Marooners – 3Ws Oval, Barbados Pride vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval, Barbados Wednesday, January 25 Volcanoes vs West Indies Under-19s – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (9 am) Hurricanes vs Spitfire – Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua (1:30 pm) Thursday, January 26 Marooners vs ICC Americas – Windward, Barbados Jaguars vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Friday, January 27 Hurricanes vs West Indies Under-19s – SVRCG Red Force vs Volcanoes – CCG Saturday, January 28 Pride vs ICC Americas – 3Ws Oval Marooners vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval Sunday, January 29 Red Force vs Spitfire – SVRCG Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – CCG Monday, January 30 Jaguars vs ICC Americas – Windward Pride vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Tuesday, January 31 Red Force vs West Indies Under-19 – SVRCG Volcanoes vs Spitfire – CCG Wednesday, February 1 ICC Americas vs Scorpions – 3Ws Oval Pride vs Marooners – Kensington Oval Thursday, February 2 West Indies Under-19s vs Spitfire – SVRCG Hurricanes vs Red Force – CCG Friday, February 3 Pride vs ICC Americas – Windward Marooners vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval Saturday, February 4 Volcanoes vs West Indies Under-19s – SVRCG Hurricanes vs Spitfire – CCG Sunday, February 5 Pride vs Jaguars – 3Ws Oval Marooners vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Monday, February 6 Hurricanes vs West Indies Under-19s – SVRCG Red Force vs Volcanoes – CCG Tuesday, February 7 Marooners vs ICC Americas – Windward Jaguars vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Wednesday, February 8 Red Force vs Spitfire – SVRCG Hurricane vs Volcanoes – CCG Thursday, February 9 Jaguars vs ICC Americas – 3Ws Oval Pride vs Scorpions – Kensington Oval Friday, February 10 Red Force vs West Indies Under-19s – SVRCG Volcanoes vs Spitfire – CCG Saturday, February 11 Scorpions vs ICC Americas – Windward Pride vs Marooners – Kensington Oval Sunday, February 12 Spitfire vs West Indies Under-19s – SVRCG Hurricanes vs Red Force – CCG FINAL FOUR Semi-finals Wednesday, February 15 Zone A winners vs Zone B runners-up – CCG Thursday, February 16 Zone B winners vs Zone A runners-up – CCG GRAND FINAL Saturday, February 18 Semi-final 1 winners vs Semi-final 2 winners – CCG
Islands Volcanoes, West Indies Under-19s and English county side, Kent Spitfires. Zone B consists of last year’s runners-up Barbados Pride, along with Jamaica Scorpions, Guyana Jaguars, Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners and a com-
posite ICC Americas team. The West Indies Under-19s, Spitfires, Marooners and Americas are all specially invited teams which will join the six WICB Professional Cricket League franchises for the tournament.
The West Indies Under-19s, the 2016 International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup champions, are using the tournament as part of their preparations for the next ICC Under-19 World Cup to be played in January, 2018 in New Zealand.
The Americas are also a development side, drawing players from non-WICB territories, North, Central and South America. The winners of the RS50 will be awarded the Clive Lloyd Trophy.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
RHTY&SC ends another successful year
GUYANA’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), M.S, has enjoyed another record-breaking year during 2016 and for the first time in its remarkable history since being founded in 1990 has successfully completed over 400 programmes/activities during a calendar year. The previous record was 305 in 2015 and the club was able to surpass its initial target of 300 by late September and its revised target of 400 on November 29. The club, during the month of December, was able to round off the year with an unbelievable 353 activities, the most in its 26-year history. Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, described 2016 as the best ever in the history of the organisation and noted that every year the activities of the club keeps expanding in an effort to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate. The major highlights for the club during the year were:the induction of President David Granger as its fifth Honorary Patron; receiving a National Award – The Medal of Service; hosting the 46th anniversary celebration of Rose Hall Town; opening of a Family Recreational Playpark;the hosting of the annual awards ceremony; and the massive Say NO/ Say YES campaign. On the cricket field,the club cricketers continue to excel and during 2016 won the Tenelec Under-15 title (2015), Tenelec First Division 50-over (2015), Busta Champion of Champions (2015) and BCB/New York Business Group Under-19 Tournament (2016). The Under-19 team is also awaiting the playing of the Memorex Under-19 final versus Tucber Park. The RHTY&SC during 2016 hosted a total of 16 cricket tournaments, including the Smartt/King Memorial Female 20/20, Farouk Kudrath Memorial Under-17, Nasir Memorial 5/5, Hand in Hand Insurance 5/5, Food for the Poor 5/5 and Beharry Say No/Say Yes Tournament, while the Busta Champion of Champions 2016 and the Ministry of Health Say NO to Suicide Under-19 would be played off by the end of
the year. The club also hosted its annual TCL Cricket Academy for over 100 young cricketers and its 26th annual awards ceremony in April when over $2.5 million worth of prizes were shared out to club members. The cricket section also benefitted from a new concrete pitch compliments of Republic Bank, $500,000 worth of investment in new cricket gears,and the visit
and Royston Crandon. Hooper made his FirstClass debut after claiming the most wickets in the GCB Three-day tournament, while Fudadin (West Indies A), Erva Giddings and Shemaine Campbell played for the West Indies. To date, the RHTY&SC, M.S, remains the only club in Guyana to have a female cricket team and Foster expressed disappointment that neither the GCB nor
tired Head Teachers, Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, Lower Corentyne Outstanding Students Award Ceremony, Ansa Macal Award of Excellence, Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award, Republic Bank, Educational Camp for Grade 6 students, DTV-8 Mother and Father of the Year, Annual Youth Review Magazine, Dolphin Award of Excellence, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Feed-
RHTY&SC- Berbice Under-15 and First Division champions of several members of the West Indies female cricket team.Guyanese Shemaine Campbell was also a member of the winning West Indies female 20/20 World Cup team and was duly rewarded, along with Tremayne Smartt. C h a n d e r p a u l G o v i ndan represented Berbice at the Under-15 level, while Kevin Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson and Keith Simpson played at the Under-17 level. Brandon Prashad and Sylus Tyndall played for the Berbice Under-19 team, while the following10 club members played for the different league teams in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Three-day cricket tournament:Collis Butts, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Rajiv Ivan, Eon Hooper, Clinton Pestano, Shawn Perriera, Keon Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson and Jason Sinclair. At the national level, 17 RHTY&SC, M.S, members represented Guyana at the different levels and they are Kevlon Anderson, Sheneeta Grimmond, Deborah Vanderstoop, Dian Prahalad, Plaffina Millington, Aleema Arokuim, Shabika Gajnabi, Roshana Lynch, Erva Giddings, Shemaine Campbelle, Melanie Henry, Eon Hooper, Assad Fudadin
the WICB has seen it fit to assist in the development of the girls by offering coaches. The RHTY&SC, M.S, in 2016 was quite active off the cricket field as it strived to make a positive impact on the lives of others. The off-the-cricket-field activities were held under the sub-headings of sports, culture, charity, anti-crime, anti-drugs, anti-suicide, educational, youth development, social development, religious, community development, jobs for youths, anniversary celebrations, awards/ honours and economic development among others. The hosting of the Edward B Beharry Company Limited’s Say NO/YES campaign was the largest of the programme with the distribution of thousands of youth information booklets, posters and banners to schools drawn from across Berbice. The club also hosted the Guyana Oil Company’s Traffic Education Campaign, which included posters, brochures, information booklets, car stickers and television commercials and targeted all Primary and Secondary schools students in Region Six. Among the numerous programmes hosted by the club were the Tribute to Re-
ing of the Poor, Hampers for Single parents, Youth Inspiration Forum, Day of Sports, GBTI Inter Secondary School Tape-ball Competition, Inter Primary school softball tournament, Scotia Bank Anti-Suicide Children Mash Parade, Tribute to Head Teachers, Tribute to Heroes, donation of $1M worth of school bags to less fortunate students, restoration of Club Office, educational scholarships for 60 needy students and the erecting of three Say No/Say Yes billboards. The RHTY&SC also donated $600,000 worth of trophies to schools, clubs, churches and NGO’s, $2 million worth of sport equipment/gear to clubs, schools and over $8 million in clothing, footwear and food items to less fortunate families during the year. The club also co-sponsored a total of 29 sporting competition across Berbice in the fields of cricket, softball, domino, football, volleyball, basketball, athletics, chess and scrabble. The club also sponsored 10 educational competitions – debates, essay writing, public speaking and spelling bee for students. The RHTY&SC was also mandated by the Rose Hall Town Council to spearhead the 46th anniversary celebration of the small township.
The club and its eight cricket teams in response organised Guyana’s largest Town Week celebration which lasted from September 14-25. The programme, which included the Opening Ceremony and March Past, Pubic Exhibition, Medical Outreach, Educational Competitions, Curry Yard Fowl Competition, Public Concert, Feeding of the Poor, Honouring of Senior Citizens, Business Fair, Launching of Tourist Poster and a 40-page booklet on Rose Hall Town, Day of Sports, Steel-band Concert, Dancing Competition, Launching of Television Documentary, while the physical appearance of the entire township was upgraded. The construction and opening of the H.D. Hoyte Memorial Family Play Park was a special gift to the township from the club. The year was completed in grand fashion with the hosting of the second annual Christmas Village for youths, annual Children Christmas Party, Senior Citizens Get Together, Feeding of the Poor, distribution of toys to less fortunate children, hampers for senior citizens and assisting the ST. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club in hosting several programmes for the church,including its Sunday School party, Christmas Concert, Hampers and gifts for Church Members and Toys for Children. Executives of the RHTY&SC, M.S, are currently working on a packed schedule for 2017 with an ambitious target of 450 programmes/activities. Special emphasis would be placed on expanding the club’s charity, Say Yes and No Campaign and also its cricket development programme. The RHTY&SC, M.S, has Guyana’s largest cricket nursery with over 200 registered junior cricketers and the club is currently working on a plan to host an annual six-month cricket academy every year. The club would also be hosting a month-long celebration in August/September 2017 to mark the 175thAnniversary of the purchase of Rose Hall Village by 57 freed slaves in 1842 from European planter, John Baird. The RHTY&SC, M.S,
would like to express gratitude to every donor and members of the media who contributed to the success of the club during 2016. The list of donors is very long,however,special mention must be made of donors like Bakewell, Farfan and Mendes, Metro, DDL, Gizmos and Gadgets, Ansa McAl, GUYOIL, Edward B. Beharry Co. Ltd, Starr Computers, Goodwood Racing Servicing, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, Sterling Products, Namilco, Republic Bank, Scotia Bank, GBTI, Demerara Bank, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Protection, New GPC INC, Busta, DeSinco Trading, Sueria Manufacturing, Food for the Poor, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Tourism Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Len’s Craft, John Lewis Style, HA Snacks Co. Ltd, A. Ally and Sons, Najab’s Trading, Factory Price, The Gift Centre, Sentinel Security, Ricks and Sari, Digicel, John Fernandes, P+P Insurance, F+H Printery, National Sports Commission, Toucan Industries, Hand in Hand, Fly Jamaica, Wood Pecker Sports, Fitness Express, TCL, Kings Jewellery World, Impressions, Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, GCB, Ministry of Education, Caribbean Container INC, Ming’s, Dr. Karis Munroe, Sonia Leow, Caribbean Airlines, Roraima Airways, Travel Span, Mohammed Raffik, NPG, Poonai Pharmacy, Anamayah Memorial, Region 6 RDC, GWI, Vijai Ramoo, Artie Ricknauth, Toronto PNC/R Group, NBS, Central Corentyne Champers of Commerce, BCCBA, Big ‘B’ Restaurant, DTV-8, LRTVS CH10, Anil Ramnarine among numerous others. Special thanks are also extended to DTV-8, NCN, LRTVS CH10, TVG, News Room, The Guyana Chronicle, The Guyana Times, Kaieteur News, News Update, Frankie Wilson, Gregory Rambarran, Rajiv Bisnauth, Avinash Ramzan, Sean Devers, Tracey Kahn, Claude David, Stephan Sookram, Akeem Greene, John Ramsingh, Reaz Mohammed, Tanuja Raikha, Travis Seymour, Micheal Khan and Stacy Ramcharran for assisting the club to promote its work throughout 2016.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Aussies complete Pakistan series sweep By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY,(Reuters)-Australia ended Pakistan’s resistance before the scheduled tea break on the final day of the third test to claim an emphatic victory by 220 runs and a 3-0 series sweep yes-
of the series but, handed a test record victory target of 465 to chase, wilted in the Sydney Cricket Ground sunshine and lost their final nine wickets for 189 runs. Paceman Josh Hazlewood led the way with three for 29, striking
Player of the Series. “We want to score big runs, bowl well, we’ve held our catches. It’s been a great turnaround and I’ve been very proud of the last few weeks.” Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six
Aussie players pose with the trophy after they beat Pakistan 3-0 in the series on the 5th day in Sydney. terday. Two months after being plunged into crisis and overhauling their side in the wake of a series humiliation at the hands of South Africa, Australia reasserted their dominance of home tracks in some style. The tourists had shown great fight at various points
with two early wickets and again to remove final batsman Imran Khan with the new ball as Pakistan were dismissed for 244. “These last three matches, that’s what we’re about, that’s sort of cricket we want to play,” said Australia captain Steve Smith, who was named
straight tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia. It was also a 12th straight defeat over four series in Australia in the last two decades. “It was a tough series, full credit to Australia, they obviously outplayed us in every department,”
skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said. “They bowled well, they caught well and they batted well. They utilised the conditions very well.” The tourists had been on the back foot from the first day in Sydney, when Man of the Match David Warner knocked off a century before lunch, and only some disruptive wet weather allowed them to stave off defeat until the fifth. They managed 315 between showers in response to Australia’s first innings 538-8 declared but the writing was on the wall when the hosts reeled off 241 in less than three hours in their second dig on day four. Hazlewood struck in the first over of the final day, removing the dangerous Azhar Ali, caught and bowled for 11, and soon trapped Babar Azam leg before for nine. MISTIMING MISBAH Younus Khan, who hit an unbeaten 175 in the first innings, made 13 before he was caught playing a false shot off Nathan Lyon, leaving him 23 runs short of becoming the 13th batsman, and first from Pakistan, to record 10,000 runs in
Test cricket. Nightwatchman Yasir Shah also perished with 13 runs to his name when he edged behind off spinner Steve O’Keefe (3-53) to send Pakistan into lunch on 128-5. Paceman Mitchell Starc removed Asad Shafiq for 30 in the fifth over after the break and O’Keefe sent back Misbah for 38 and Wahab Riaz in the 40 minutes before tea, the latter clubbing three successive fours off Lyon for his 12. Should the 42-yearold Misbah decide to retire, he will not want to be reminded of his final stroke in test cricket, a mistimed heave which looped into the waiting
hands of Lyon at mid-off. Wahab was less to blame for his exit, given out caught behind when a review revealed a tiny spike in the Snickometer waveform. Mohammad Amir, who is carrying a rib injury, then ran himself out for four before Hazlewood performed the coup de grace by having Imran caught in the cordon. Sarfraz Ahmed fired his 11th Test half century to frustrate the Australians and finished unbeaten after a 70-ball 72. The hosts had won the day-night opening test in Brisbane by 39 runs and the second Test in Melbourne by an innings and 18 runs.
SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA 1st innings 538 for 8 decl (M. Renshaw 184, D. Warner 113, P. Handscomb 110) Pakistan 1st innings 315 (Y. Khan 175no, A. Ali 71; J. Hazlewood 4-55) Australia 2nd innings 241 for 2 decl (U. Khawaja 79no, S. Smith 59, D. Warner 55) Pakistan 2nd innings (Overnight: 55-1; Target: 465 runs) Az. Ali c&b Hazlewood 11 Sh. Khan c Warner b Lyon 40 Y. Shah c sub b O’Keefe 13 B. Azam lbw b Hazlewood 9 Y. Khan c Hazlewood b Lyon 13 Misbah-ul-Haq c Lyon b O’Keefe 38 A. Shafiq b Starc 30 S. Ahmed not out 72 W. Riaz c Wade b O’Keefe 12 M. Amir run out (O’Keefe, Wade) 5 I. Khan c sub b Hazlewood 0 Extras (nb-1) 1 Total (all out, 80.2 overs) 244 Fall of wickets: 1-51 Sh. Khan,2-55 Az. Ali,3-67 B. Azam,4-82 Y. Khan,5-96 Y. Shah,6-136 A. Shafiq,7-188 Misbah-ul-Haq,8-202 W. Riaz,9-224 M. Amir,10-244 I. Khan Bowling: M. Starc 17 - 2 - 57 - 1(nb-1),J. Hazlewood 18.2 - 7 - 29 – 3, N. Lyon 27 - 6 - 100 – 2, S. O’Keefe 17 - 4 - 53 – 3, S. Smith 1 - 0 - 5 – 0.
RHTYSC, Food for the Poor (Guy) make donation THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and Food for the Poor (Guy) Inc. on Friday last assisted three cricket clubs with cricket gears, while the Rose Hall Town Primary School along with two young club members also received assistance. Of the three clubs – Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club and Young and Restless Cricket Club received two cricket bats, two pairs of batting pads and gloves along with a complete set of stumps, while the Mount Sinai Cricket Club collected a cricket bat, a pair of batting pads and gloves and a set of stumps. The Rose Hall Town Primary School received a collection of trophies, certificate frames, cleaning
detergents, sports equipment, school bags among other things, while two young cricketers of the RHTYSC, Simon Naidu and David Prahalad,received a complete cricket kit for their hard work over the last year. At the simple presentation ceremony, Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that this year will be a historic one for the RHTYSC as they aim to complete a total of 500 programmes/ activities for the first time in its history. With Berbice cricket in a crisis due to a court injunction against the Berbice Cricket Board, Foster said the club will seek to play a greater role by hosting more cricket tournaments at the junior, female and second division levels.
RHTY&SC, M.S Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster poses with the different representatives after the ceremony.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Lynn, Stanlake named in Australia ODI squad By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY,(Reuters)-Uncapped middle-order batsman Chris Lynn was rewarded for his Big Bash League (BBL) pyrotechnics with a place in the Australia squad for the five match one-day international series against Pakistan yesterday. The 26-year-old has been in impressive form in the domestic Twenty20 competition and hit a stunning 11 sixes in an unbeaten 49-ball 98 for the Brisbane Heat against the Perth Scorchers earlier this week. Pace bowler Billy Stanlake, who stands 2.04 metres tall and has been in fine form in the BBL for the Adelaide Strikers, also earned a callup to the one-day squad for the first time. Opener Aaron Finch and former skipper George Bailey have been dropped from the squad that beat New Zealand 3-0 at the back end of last year, along with all-rounder
Hilton Cartwright, who made his test debut against Pakistan this week. Test top-order bats-
ball-striking ability to ODIs,” head selector Trevor Hohns said. “Usman Khawaja has
CHRIS LYNN
man Usman Khawaja is the third addition to the 14-man squad and could open with David Warner when the series opens in Brisbane on Friday. “Chris Lynn is in superb form for the Brisbane Heat and although that is a different form of the game, we believe it is right that we give him the chance to show whether he can convert his wonderful
been in excellent touch throughout this Test summer, is able to bat anywhere in the top order and deserves another chance to demonstrate his ODI credentials. “Billy Stanlake is an exciting prospect who bowls with genuine pace and is a player who has made a terrific return to action for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League after a lengthy time
out through injury.” Stanlake looks to have a good chance of winning a first cap with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who played all six tests in the home summer, set to be rested for some of the matches as they start preparations for four tests in India. “I guess we’ll probably pick our times to have a rest here or there, whether it’s one game or two in the series,” Hazlewood said on Friday. “Depending on how we’re feeling and how much we’ve bowled.” After Brisbane, the series continues with matches in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide. Squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, James Faulkner, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake.
Djokovic beats Murray to win Doha final (REUTERS) Novak Djokovic made an immense statement in his bid to rule men’s tennis again when he defeated Andy Murray, the man who deposed him as world number one, 6-3 5-7 6-4 in an epic Qatar Open final in Doha yesterday. Looking back to near his peerless best at times in a game of searing quality, the Serbian missed out on three match points and had to repel a roaring Murray comeback before ending the Briton’s 28-match, five-tournament winning streak. In their first meeting since Murray won their season-ending climax at the ATP World Tour finals, the Briton ran into a rejuvenated Djokovic who, despite having problems with his racket hand and receiving two warnings for his behaviour, prevailed thrillingly in their 36th contest. The world number two said it was “the dream start” to 2017 in his build-up to the defence of the Australian Open title later this month and defeat provided food for thought for Murray, who lost for the 25th time against his old rival.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
“It was close, a very physical battle. All the way to the last shot, you never know with Andy. It’s no strange occurrence for us to play three sets for three hours,” Djokovic told Eurosport. “It means a lot. For the last three months of 2016, I haven’t felt that confident on court and didn’t play that consistent. But to start 2017 with a win over the world number one and my biggest rival was a dream start so I’m hoping I can get the best out of it.” Djokovic had looked
out of sorts as he struggled to tame Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in Friday’s semi-final and he started inconsistently again, also requiring treatment to a bleeding right thumb in the third game. Yet Djokovic began playing with an authority that he had not displayed all week and was so frustrated after losing one 29-shot rally that he was warned for hitting the ball away petulantly towards his box. Still, he pressurised Murray, making his breakthrough in the eighth game as the Scot
surrendered the crucial break with a mis-hit forehand. When Djokovic cashed in on a sloppy service game, in which Murray delivered two double faults, to take a crucial 4-3 lead in the second set, he looked unstoppable. He seemed certain to wrap up the victory serving at 5-4 but a couple of missed backhands and courageous aggression from Murray led to him missing out on his three match points. The Briton pounced to break serve -a feat he has now achieved in an impressive 112 successive matches. Djokovic received a point penalty for smashing his racket which handed the 11th game to Murray and the Scot rammed home his ascendancy by breaking again to take the second set. Yet just when Murray seemed to be taking control physically, with Djokovic looking increasingly weary, the Serbian produced an inspirational game to break to love at 3-3. When he served for the match again, he made no mistake, crashing a forehand winner to seal victory.
Red Force name strong Super50 squad DESPITE the absence of some of its biggest stars, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board has named a strong 14-member squad for the West Indies Cricket Board Super50 tournament set to begin at the end of the month. The defending champions will be without Dwayne Bravo, who is recovering from hamstring surgery, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Samuel Badree, Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo but will still field a pretty solid unit that will still include former West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin, Kyle Hope and Evin Lewis. Also included are Jason Mohammed, ShelDenesh Ramdin don Cottrell, Rayad Emrit, Shannon Gabriel and Ravi Rampaul. Kjorn Ottley, Nicholas Alexis Roshon Primus, Khary Pierre, Jon Russ Jaggesar and Imran Khan complete the squad. According to Suruj Ragoonath, CEO of the TTCB, Darren Bravo’s availability will depend on the outcome of his upcoming meeting with the West Indies Cricket Board(WICB). TT Super50 squad: Denesh Ramdin (captain), Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Kjorn Ottley, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Alexis, Roshon Primus, Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel, Khary Pierre, Jon Russ Jagessar, Imran Khan, Sheldon Cottrell, Rayad Emrit.
RHTY&SC invites cricket teams to register for 2017 tournaments
AS part of its cricket development programme, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S, will be arranging a minimum of fifteen cricket tournaments during the year at the Under-15,U- 17 and U-19 levels, as well at the female and second division levels. As such, the club is inviting cricket clubs in Berbice to officially register their respective teams if they wish to participate in the cricket tournaments. Club Secretary/CEO,Hilbert Foster, stated that the RHTY&SC is very disappointed with the current situation, whereby the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is unable to fulfil its mandate due to a court injunction. Foster also expressed concerns about the state of Berbice Cricket and the lack of investment in the development of new talents. Foster noted that 16 teams will be involved in the Under-15,U17 and U- 19 tournaments, with the RHTY&SC expected to field three of the 16 teams. With 13 teams available, clubs have until February 10 to register. The Under-15 players have to be born on or after the 1st September, 2002; Under-17 players on or after the 1st September 2002, and Under-19 players on or after the 1st September, 1998. Twelve teams will be involved in several second division tournaments, with two coming from the RHTY&SC. Only two first division players who have played more than a combined four first division matches (3 days, 50 overs or 20/20) in 2016/2017 shall be allowed to play per team, while Under 19 players born after the 1st September 1998 shall not be considered as first Division players. All junior team applications must have the names of the players, dateS of birth, telephone numbers and schools attended. The RHTY&SC will debar any club which provides misleading information. Contact can be made at the club’s office via telephone number 337-4562;email or visit the office during working hours: 8:30hrs -18:00hrs Monday to Saturday. Interested clubs can also send emails to fosterhilbert@ yahoo.com.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
Crandon gives Super50 squad vote of confidence By Rajiv Bisnauth GUYANA Jaguars Head Coach Esaun Crandon said he is happy with the 14man squad selected and is optimistic about the players giving a good account of themselves during the 2017 NAGICO Regional Super 50 tournament. The senior selection panel announced the 14-man squad yesterday, with no real surprises, but Crandon is of the opinion that the squad is one of the most well-balanced units comprising the maximum number of match-winners, and feels it is the best chance for the Guyanese to bag their tenth coveted title at this level. “I think we have a good all-round and balanced squad. Obviously we have a lot of players who are frequently in the one day squad, so the experience is there. “I think we have a decent mix of players which I’m satisfied and prepared to work along with,” said Crandon during an exclusive interview yesterday with Chronicle
sport. The left-handed Leon Johnson is once again at the helm, and he will have a bunch of experienced players to call on, among them is middle-order batting stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The squad includes seven players who have represented the regional side in Tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20s, and Crandon believes the team’s flexibility provided by the presence of batting and bowling all-rounders will be a major asset in the tournament. “ We s t a n d a g o o d chance of bettering last year’s performance. I am confident of us doing well and I feel it is our best chance of winning our 10th title at this level,” said the 35-year-old former national all-rounder. The squad this year is further strengthened with the inclusion of West Indies Test opener Rajendra Chandrika and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo. The squad also includes West Indies A team pacer Ronsford Beaton,
–– No new caps, Beaton named in 14-man squad former West Indies youth captain Shimron Hetmyer and hard-hitting batsman Jonathan Foo. The five players were not part of the squad last year. However, they replaced recent West Indies A team players, middle-order batsman Vishaul Singh and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, fast bowler Romario Shepherd, opening batsman Kevon Boodie and all-rounder Royston Crandon who were all part of last year’s squad. Further,when questioned about Beaton’s selection to the squad, chairman of selectors Rayon Griffith said Beaton was named among the 28 players selected for training, and was eligible for selection. Earlier in the week it was reported that Beaton will turn out for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes during the upcoming tournament, with the Leeward Islands Cricket Board chief and op-
SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL erations officer, Vernon Springer, confirming to the Observer newspaper that Beaton, West Indies right-hander Marlon Samuels and Trinidadian Daron Cruickshank will be making their appearance for Leeward Islands Hurricanes. However, Griffith point-
Downes, Cristy are tennis senior year end winners By Tamica Garnett SIX times GBTI Open men’s singles winner Anthony Downes, and Cristy Campbell were the Senior Male and Female Year End winners, while Heimraj Resaul and Afruica Gentle won the junior awards Friday night when the Guyana Tennis Association held its 3rd Annual Awards ceremony at the Le Resouvenir Tennis Club on the East Coast of Demerara. With 5200 points and a number of wins last year, Downes was an easy pick for the award. Campbell had
3200 points to take the top spot. With 7550 points Resaul took the Junior Male Year End winner, and Gentle was in with 6775 points. Mark McDonald took an award for being the “Most Improved Junior”. The ceremony was one of the ways the Association seeks to recognise players and individuals who continuously give of themselves with the expectation of elevating tennis in Guyana. Present at the ceremony was GTA president Jamal Goodluck, and Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, and junior tennis scholar,
Gavin Lewis, who is home on holiday. On accepting her award,Campbell thanked her mom, Misty ,and coaches Dexter and Rebecca for their support in helping her to get where she is. She wished all players an injury free year for 2017 and charged them to execute good sportsmanship throughout the year. Gentle also made remarks as she accepted her award, and spoke of how honoured she was to finally achieve the top spot in junior tennis, an aspiration she has had for the last three years. She also thanked
her family, coaches and friends for their support. Also collecting some hardware on Friday night were the winners of the recently concluded Trophy Stall Doubles tournament. Downes was once again at the receiving end as he shared the men’s open doubles title with Jason Andrews, and the mixed open doubles with Afruica Gentle. Resual and Jordan Beaton were runners-up in the men’s open, while Resaul and Kalyca Fraser were runner-ups in the mixed Turn to page 26
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (left) and GLTA President, Jamal Goodluck (right) flank last Friday night’s winners (Delano Williams photo)
JONATHAN FOO
RONSFORD BEATON
ed out that the Leeward Islands Cricket Board did not inform the selection panel regrading Beaton’s position. Griffith also mentioned that Beaton himself did not inform the selection panel on any such move. The Guyana Jaguars will do battle in Group B of the Super50 which runs from January 24 to February 18 in Antigua and Barbados. Group B comprises last year losing finalists Barbados Pride, Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, Jamaica Scorpions,Guyana Jaguars and ICC Americas. Meanwhile, title-holders Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Windward Islands Volcanoes, the West Indies U-19s, and visiting English County Kent Spitfires have been installed in Group A. When the action bowls, the Guyanese will be aiming
for a 10th regional 50-over title, the last of which was achieved in 2005 when they defeated Barbados in near darkness in the final of the KFC Cup at the GCC ground, Bourda. Prior to that, Guyana reigned supreme in 1980, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2003. The Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice-Captain), Anthony Bramble (Wkp), Shimron Hetmyer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Rajendra Chandrika, Steven Jacobs, Assad Fudadin, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz and Jonathan Foo. Management Staff: Esaun Crandon (Headcoach), Rayon Griffith (Assistant-Coach) and Ernesto Gonzalez (Physiotherapist).
Crandon gives Super50 squad vote of confidence See story on page 31
Guyana may be out of CONCACAF’s 2017 Club championship By Ras Wadada
THE current buzz circling the ‘Beautiful Game’ here in Guyana is that the country will not be represented at this year’s CONCACAF Club championship in what appears to be non-participation due to not being in good standing with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). National Club Champions, Slingerz FC and runners-up, Alpha United along with Pele FC and GFC have all had their GFF’s membership status withdrawn after they decided not to participate in the second season of the GFFSTAG Elite League which belatedly got underway last November. Their decision to pullout of the nation’s top football competition, despite
From L to R) Faizal Khan (GFC), Colin Aaron (Slingerz), Robbie Rambarran (Pele FC) and Odinga Lumumba (Alpha United) CONCACAF’s intervention on their grievances and guidance in the matter, is now proving to be a costly one, not only to the club and players, but also to the
country. The term, ’not in good standing with the GFF’ is unhealthy for the clubs and in essence means that their inclusion in this
year’s CONCACAF Club Championship has been revoked. From all indications, the four Clubs will have to start all over again by reintegrat-
GBA, Bristol, McDonald to stage International competition THE Guyana Boxing Association will kick off its year of activities for 2017 with a planned international competition on February 18. The GBA will collaborate with overseas-based Guyanese Seon Bristol and Alford McDonald to stage the first of three international events for the year. The February competition was long in the making and already St Maarten has signaled its intention of sending a team. GBA president,Steve Ninvalle,said discussions are being held with Suriname,Trinidad and St. Lucia to add more international flavour. According to Ninvalle the collaboration is part of his association’s stratergised effort to provide adequate and quality competition for Guyanese boxers and comes at a time when the GBA is preparing for major overseas engagements.
ing with their former Member Association’s (MAs) League before returning to the Elite League. The feeder competition or format for promotion to the Elite League is yet to be announced by the GFF, though it is certain that the team ending at the bottom of the Elite League season-two will be automatically relegated while the second to last side will enter a play-off with qualifiers from the nine MAs of the GFF. It means that there will be room for five teams to be elevated to season-three of the Elite League ‘2017-18’ which now creates greater interest and competitiveness in the various Leagues of the MAs. The Georgetown FA will surely be highly competitive with the likes of Pele, GFC and Alpha along
with Western Tigers, Riddim Squad, Police and Santos. More importantly, clubs should get organised to register as a FIFA/ CONCACAF Licensed Club which is a main criterion for entering the Elite League. What is of greater interest is what will transpire during this first month of the year in the transfer window of the GFF. Already there have been speculations on the directions of a number of players destined for the second half of the Elite League, though there has been no official transfer after the first week. The office of the GFF will become busy with transfers as soon as the official word from CONCACAF on Slingerz and Alpha’s participation or non-participation is released
Haiti keeps Gold Cup hopes alive with opening win over Suriname
Nineteen-year-old forward Jonel Desire.
GBA president Steve Ninvalle He noted that both McDonald and Bristol are former boxers who have seen it as their duty to give back to the sport. “Mr. McDonald has been relentless in making sure that the planned event becomes a reality and Seon Bristol has had a long relationship with the GBA. Our collective hope is that this will become an annual event,” Ninvalle
Alford McDonald
Seon Bristol
declared. When contacted, Bristol who resides in the USA, said that both him and McDonald are happy to give back to the sport. “We understand that the GBA, as most of the other associations in Guyana, has been struggling financially. We have seen it fit to talk the talk and also walk the walk and this is just another way of us repaying
the sport we love,” Bristol said. February’s event would be the first since Guyana took the Caribbean Development Tournament by the scruff of its neck. A local team of 11 boxers returned from Barbados in early December 2016 with 10 gold medals and one silver. Christopher Moore was named Best Boxer.
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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Haiti set up a massive final game of the Caribbean Football Union(CFU) qualifying series tonight against Trinidad and Tobago, when they beat Suriname 4-2 here Friday night. Playing at the Ato Boldon Stadium in the second game of the series, Charles Herold and Jonel Desire scored in either half while own goals from Mitchell Kisoor and Gillermo Faeber – also com-
ing in either half – deepened Suriname’s misery. Dimitrie Apai and Serginio Eduard scored late on but the goals came too late to save Suriname. Ahead of tonight’s final game, Haiti and Suriname both have one win while Trinidad will be hoping for their first after losing to Suriname on Wednesday. Searching for an opening victory, the French Turn to page 26 SUNDAY JANUARY 8, 2017