Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_02_22_2020

SATURDAY 22nd February, 2020

' No.105918

‘Voter turnout high’ …as Joint Services ranks cast ballots in early elections …President, GECOM chair, commissioners pleased with process …Irfaan Ali complains that PPP agent ‘missed’ flight into Mazaruni

SEE PAGES 02, 03, 13, 18 & 24

GECOM defends decision to reduce private residences as polling stations

President David Granger and Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, walk past ranks of the Guyana Defence Force during their visit to Camp Ayanganna on Friday to observe the voting process (Adrian Narine photo)

SEE PAGE 27

Over 100 US companies waiting to invest in Guyana

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House lots cost down by 50% for Jubilee celebrations

Killing of fishermen in Suriname linked to turf war 12 PAGE

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…CoI report points to well organised piracy attack

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

City-based lawmen cast their ballots …Chief-of-staff, Top Cop hail process as smooth

By Svetlana Marshall UNDER the close watch of international, regional and local observers, members of the Disciplined Services across the country cast their ballots on Friday- one week before the civilian population takes to the polls.

In excess of 10,000 mem-

Ayanganna in excess of 500 ranks were listed to cast their ballots, and, in total, approximately 3,000 soldiers were expected to vote at various locations across the country.

Adding that 95 per cent of the ranks were scheduled to vote on Friday, the Chief-of-Staff noted that the remaining 5 per cent, who were unable to vote will cast their ballots on

the Disciplined Services for their support. In respond-

"Anybody can appeal to any citizen. At the end of the

will do for Guyana. People will have to judge based upon the history of their own lives, the desires of themselves and families for a better nation and then make those correct decisions," Brigadier West told journalists.

ernment would be responsible for the transformational development of the country as an oil producing nation.

But the Chief-of-Staff said for him, all elections are critical.

“Every election is critical.

Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West, casting his ballot at Base Camp Ayanganna

ing to a question posed on whether it was ethical for the political leaders to appeal to

day, we are all citizens of Guyana and we will all have those choices to make now

Commissioner of Police Leslie James

All elections critical With Guyana now a Pe-

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels

bers of the Disciplined Services were expected to vote at 86 locations across the 10 Administrative Regions. The Disciplined Services include members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guy-

Monday, March 2, 2020, the official elections day with the general population.

“Each soldier is required to vote for the candidate of his or her choice,” Brigadier West told journalists. In total,

This female police officer was among the thousands of police ranks that voted on Friday

ana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).

At the GDF Headquarters Base Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown, voting commenced promptly at 06:00hrs at three locations – at the all ranks mess, in the auditorium and at the Base Office.

Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West was among the first set of soldiers, who voted at Base Camp Ayanganna.

Moments after exercising his political franchise, the Chief-of-Staff told journalists that the electoral process was being smoothly executed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He noted that at Base Camp

there are 11 political parties contesting the General and Regional Elections. Those parties include the ruling party – A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic – the main opposition political party, A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Change Guyana, The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), The New Movement (TNM) and Liberty and Justice Party (LJP).

In the lead up to Friday’s Elections, President David Granger – the Presidential Candidate of the APNU+AFC and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo both pleaded with

President David Granger observing the electoral process at Base Camp Ayanganna.

Other local, regional and international observers are also captured in the photo.

the members of the Security Forces in the lead up to the elections, the Chief-of-Staff

Every stage of the development of Guyana is critical, and I don’t believe that any one election should be rated above the other because in the process of development there are stages that would have to be conducted in any nation or acquired to, assumed to...elections are those stages where people do retrospections or reflections and then they make choices as to how they will go forward. So I wouldn’t say that any one is more critical than the other,” he said.

While media operatives were allowed to photograph and video soldiers during the electoral process, they were not allowed to engage those ranks by orders of the Chief-of-Staff. Noting that all statements would be issued by the G5 Branch, Brigadier West said the decision was

and in the future, and I don't see anything wrong with political leaders sharing from

Coast Guards waiting their turn to vote at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Ruimveldt

International Observers from Carter Center greeting the Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West

said he saw nothing wrong with the move.

their own platforms their own intentions about what they

troleum State, local and international observers have dubbed the General and Regional Elections, the “mother of all elections,” on the basis that the party elected to Gov-

taken to safeguard the integrity of soldiers and the Defence Force. Ahead of the elections, party paraphernalia TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

‘I’M VERY SATISFIED’ …President pleased with Joint Services voting …Irfaan complains that PPP agent ‘missed’ flight into Mazaruni was left behind. “Things here seem to be going smoothly. However, we have one challenge that is reported to the party. One of our polling agents was supposed to join the flight at Ogle with the GECOM team to go into Upper Mazaruni. When she turned up to join the team to go on that flight, she was told that there was no space

on the flight for her,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate explained.

According to him, PPP/C is deeply concerned that voting took place in the Upper Mazaruni in the absence of its polling agent.

He said GECOM failed to make the necessary accommodation for the PPP/C polling agent. The main

opposition political party has since written GECOM on the matter. “Outside of that though, other locations I went things seem to be going smoothly, there is no built up of voters in line,” Ali told journalist as he stood in the compound of the Brickdam Police Station.

President David Granger responding to questions being posed by media operatives during his visit to GDF’s Base Camp Ayanganna on Friday. He was accompanied by Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon

C O M M A N D ER-IN-CHIEF of the Armed Forces, President David Granger, expressed deep satisfaction with the conduct of elections, on Friday, when members of the Disciplined Services cast their ballots, ahead of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

In his capacity as a Supernumerary Agent accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), President Granger observed the electoral process at Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Base Camp Ayanganna, the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Mess at Eve Leary, the Brickdam Police Station and at the Coast Guard Headquarters, Ramp Road, Ruimveldt.

He was accompanied by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon. In total there were 86 polling stations spread across the country, observed by local, regional and international observers.

At Base Camp Ayanganna, the Head of State said he was pleased to be informed that the polling stations were opened at 06:00hrs, as mandated, and voting commenced hassle-free. “There were no hitches,” the President told journalists while noting that he spoke with observers, and was pleased that the electoral process had progressed smoothly.

Over at the Officers’ Mess at Eve Leary, President Granger expressed similar sentiments, even as he acknowledged GECOM for

effectively and efficiently carrying out its functions.

“It is proceeding without interruption and I’m very happy, and I’m very satisfied with the turnout. I think the people of Guyana could be assured that the Disciplined Forces are performing their civic duty, and they are not being obstructed by the Administration in any way,” the

cuted by the Elections Commission Secretariat.

Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Irfaan Ali was also seen observing the elections at the Brickdam Police Station in the company of the party’s Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha. Ali, though noting that the elections were pro-

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali

Head of State said.

It is the hope of the President that the March 2 General and Regional Elections would also be smoothly exe-

gressing smoothly, said the PPP/C was dissatisfied that one of its polling agents, who was assigned to the Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven,

Ranks of the Guyana Defence Force displaying their inkstained fingers moments after they had cast their ballots at Base Camp Ayanganna (Samuel Maughn Photo)

President David Granger observing the electoral process at the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt. He was accompanied by Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon; Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Force, Patrick West; and Commander of the Coast Guards, Sean Harmon

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Coronavirus: 'Narrowing window' to contain outbreak, WHO says (BBC) The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern at the number of coronavirus cases with no clear link to China or other confirmed cases.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's comments follow Iran's announcement of two more deaths, bringing the total there to four.

The window of opportunity to contain the virus was "narrowing", he said.

Iranian health officials said the virus may already be in "all Iran's cities".

Outside China 1,152 cases of the virus have been confirmed in 26 countries and there have been eight deaths.

They include two deaths in South Korea, which has

the biggest cluster of confirmed cases apart from China and a cruise ship quarantined in Japan.

Italy on Friday announced 16 more cases and its health minister said schools and offices would be closed and sports events cancelled in the affected regions.

China has reported 75,567 cases including 2,239 deaths. The new virus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

What did the WHO chief say?

Dr Tedros said the number of coronavirus cases outside China was "relatively small" but the pattern of infection was worrying.

Saturday, February, 22

Lebanon has confirmed its first case - a woman returning from the Iranian city of Qom

"We are concerned about the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link, such as travel history to or contact with a confirmed case," he said.

The new deaths and infections in Iran were "very

04:30 to 14:30

concerning", he said.

But he insisted that the measures China and other countries had put in place meant there was still a "fighting chance" of stopping further spread and called on countries to put

more resources into preparing for possible outbreaks.

What about the Iran cases?

In Iran the outbreak is centred on the holy city of Qom, south of the capital Tehran, which is a popular destination for Shia Muslims in the region.

Iran reported two more deaths in Qom on Friday, adding to the two deaths it reported on Thursday. A total of 18 cases have been confirmed in the country.

Lebanon has reported its first confirmed case - a 45-year-old woman who was detected as she arrived in Beirut from Qom. The UAE, Israel and Egypt have also reported cases.

Meanwhile Canadian officials said one of the nine cases there was a woman who had recently returned from Iran.

WHO officials said both Iran and Lebanon had the basic capacity to detect the virus and the WHO was contacting them to offer further assistance.

But Dr Tedros said the organisation was concerned about the virus's possible spread in countries with weaker health systems.

What is happening in Italy?

On Friday officials announced 14 confirmed cases of the virus in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of northern Italy. They included five

health workers.

None of the new cases are thought to have visited China but the first infected patient, who is now in intensive care, is believed to have caught the virus after meeting a friend who had recently come back from China, AFP reported.

The first patient's pregnant wife and one of his friends reportedly then caught the virus.

Three earlier cases in Italy involved two Chinese tourists from Wuhan - the Chinese city where the virus emerged - and an Italian repatriated from Wuhan.

What is the latest in South Korea?

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said it was now an emergency as 100 new cases and the country's second death were confirmed. The country now has 204 cases.

The southern cities of Daegu and Cheongdo have been declared "special care zones". The streets of Daegu are now largely abandoned.

All military bases are in lockdown after three soldiers tested positive.

About 9,000 members of a religious group were told to self quarantine, after the sect was identified as a coronavirus hotbed.

The authorities suspect the current outbreak in South Korea originated in Cheongdo, pointing out that a large number of sect followers attended the funeral of the founder's brother from 31 January to 2 February.

The sect - known as Shincheonji - which has been accused of being a cult, said it had now shut down its Daegu branch and that services in other regions would be held online or individually at home.

As of Friday, more than 400 members of the church were showing symptoms of the disease, though tests were still ongoing, the city mayor said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

East Coast, East Bank commanders report smooth voting process

HUNDREDS of military personnel on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara voted early in the morning in a smooth and rapid process on Friday.

Members of the Disciplined Services usually vote ahead of the national

He said many persons may be new voters in the Joint Services, and in the military, discipline is essential in all aspects of its operations.

The deputy commissioner said approximately 2,400 persons would have voted at Police Headquar-

East Coast Commander, Assistant Commissioner, Royston Andries-Junor, and GECOM Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh shares a light moment after he voted at the Cove and John Police Station elections, as civilians are schedule to vote on March 2.

According to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), 10,226 military personnel from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) cast their ballots at 86 polling stations countrywide.

The military personnel were restricted from speaking to the media after casting their ballots.

Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, said everything went smoothly as ranks came out early and voted.

Deputy Commissioner, Paul Williams, said after ranks met for muster at 05:00hrs, they were briefed to walk with their ID cards and move to the polling places early.

ters, Eve Leary, as 6,700 policemen and women were expected to cast their votes countrywide.

At the Timehri Police Station, PPP Prime Ministerial candidate, Mark Phillips, who was visiting polling stations, met with divisional commander, Kurleigh Simon, to observe the process.

The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has affirmed itself as the best party from which there is a fit

commander-in-chief to manage the security of the country and the wellbeing of the Disciplined Services.

While the opposition has promised a return of the annual one-month bonus, APNU had said that such would rob the law enforcement officials of a larger pension when one considers the government’s strategic move to raise their salaries.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security and APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan, urged the Joint Services to vote for the David Granger-led coalition which is the only party equipped to take care of the country’s national interest and sovereignty.

He said the Disciplined Services has every good reason to vote the government back into office as they now have increased access to training, the advancement of gender equality and the removal of officers compromised by corruption.

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Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, voted at the Police Officers’ Mess Annex, Eve Leary, Georgetown (Delano William photo) The minister said over the past four and a half years, the current administration has also worked to incorporate the use of technology in fighting crime; collaborated with international organisations for improved management; increased salaries by 20 per cent for the police force and army; and rehabilitated police stations.

East Bank Demerara Divisional Commander, Kurleigh Simon, met with PPP Prime Ministerial Candidate, Mark Phillips during his visits to polling stations

One of the main plans of the government moving forward is to ensure that each member of the Disciplined Services can own their own home.

Meanwhile, Ramjattan said he has pushed for the Marine Unit of the Police Force to get the additional boats they require in the 2020 budget.

Similar plans are being put in place for the GDF’s Aviation Unit.

“With all that has been done over the years that we have been in government, you make the comparison, you make the contrast. Our administration has been far superior,” he said, adding

that “colleagues, cadet officers, members of the Disciplined Force, this is what we have done over the four years; this is what we’ll continue to do.”

GECOM had informed members of the Disciplined Services that at an appointed day before March 2, 2020, all Disciplined Services’ ballots will be sorted accordingly in the presence of party agents.

In order to protect the secrecy of the votes cast, the ballot papers will not be stamped with the official six-digit stamp until Election Day and intermixed with the votes of others for counting.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

The dream of the republic is still alive

WHEN Guyana became a Republic on February 23, 1970, it marked the final stride in the long journey to formal independence.

It was a journey that began with emancipation in 1838 when our foreparents overthrew the most inhumane system in the history of humanity.

Emancipation was then undermined by the imposition of colonialism, which in many regards was slavery by another name. Undaunted, the colonised peoples continued their search for freedom, which eventually came with independence in 1966. But that independence, liberating though it was, required some finishing touches. We were still saddled with qualifications to our right to self-determination. The Queen of England was still our Head-of-State and the Privy Council was still our court of last resort. In other words, in some respects, we were still tied to the former mother-country in formal ways. This condition was

deemed to be an affront to our sovereignty.

In an era of progressive politics in the so-called Third World, the debate over the meaning of independence raged. In the wider Caribbean, this issue was taken up by our artists, intellectuals and politicians, who in varying degrees favoured a radical transformation of the society in ways that would distinguish it from colonialism. In Guyana, where the major political parties and Civil Society organisations were left of centre on the ideological spectrum, the debate was more advanced than in many of our sister countries.

In other words, there was a high degree of consensus that we should deepen our independence to include real self-determination.

It was against that background that Guyana moved to republican status in 1970. But we went one step forward. We indigenised our republic by grounding it in one of our local institutions—the cooper-

atives. So, we were signalling that the transition from a monarchy to a system of “rule by the people” was not isolated from the country’s political economy. The spirit of the cooperative, replete with its culture of collectivism and steeped in the creative energies of our country, was the driving influence of the new republic. Republicanism, then, was meant to be more than just a slogan.

That the republic was born in the month of February was another element of indigenisation. February was the month of the 1763 Berbice Rebellion, which continues to be a most important signpost of resistance and liberation for Guyanese.

In many respects, that rebellion really marked the formal birth of our republican instinct. Here were men and women refusing to be bonded and declaring to the world the collective desire to be truly free humans. If ever our republic needed an awesome inspiration, it found and still finds it right there in the

Berbice Rebellion.

Since February 1970, our country has had both its moments of glory and tragedy. We have tried with our limited resources to improve the social conditions of the majority of our people. The institutions of state, despite challenges, have survived. We have withstood challenges to the very sovereignty of the country from external forces.

We have led the way in regional strides towards joint-CARICOM republicanism. Now, 50 years later, it is time to renew the republic. The world has changed and so have we as a country. We must learn both the sweet and bitter lessons of half a century as a republic. Guyana is on the verge of becoming a wealthier nation from a macro-economic standpoint. The new challenge of the republic is how to translate that potential wealth to the wider citizenry—how to use the cooperative spirit to distribute the country’s common blessings.

Those who enslaved and colonised us thought we could not govern ourselves; that we could not exist in a state of freedom.

But here we are, imperfect in some ways, but totally committed to the republican ideals. From Burnham, Jagan and Kwayana, who breathed early ideological life into the republic; to those who kept the faith along the way; to those who are now tasked with moving the country into the new era, we give thanks. But above all, the republic survives because the dream lives and burns brightly in the minds of the masses of people who have believed in Guyana and what it stands for and who refuse to give up on the freedom quest.

Celebrate we must and should in our Mashramani bands—we have earned the right to do so. The dream of the republic is still alive.

The critical role of small and medium-sized enterprises in an oil economy Dear Editor AS an oil and gas-producing nation, Guyana may face challenges that other oil and gas- producing countries encountered in the early stages of development. Mitigating these risks is critical for the future prosperity of Guyana and presents fertile ground for discourse.

Nigeria is a relevant case study in this area. Before the discovery of oil, Nigeria's economic mainstay was the exportation of agricultural produce such as palm oil, cocoa, groundnuts, cotton, and other crops.

However, as activities in the oil and gas industry expanded with the discovery of more hydrocarbon reserves, the economic concentration of the country gradually shifted to crude-oil exportation. In many ways, Nigeria's economy was similar to Guyana's "six sisters" economy today.

Although Nigeria attained the status of a major oil-producing country by 1970 and was rated the seventh largest producer of crude oil in the world, millions of Nigerians still live in poverty today. Nigeria neglected SMEs to focus on oil exportation and paid a stiff price.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the engine of

growth that promote equitable development and the incubators of entrepreneurship, individual creativity, and innovation.

SMEs drive economic growth and development; neglecting SMEs is a critical mistake.

According to the World Bank (2019), SMEs provide significant economic activity in the private sector in high-income and emerging economies and account for two-thirds of employment, with small firms contributing more to work in low-income countries than high-income countries.

In Guyana, more than 70 percent of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) failed during the past five years, with the most significant number of closures occurring in 2015.

In 1994, SMEs in Guyana represented 45% of the private sector manufacturing and there were several problems that impeded performance and productivity, including the lack of finance for capital improvement, the irregular power supply that hampered production, the lack of modern machinery, skills training, high taxation and marketing deficiencies.

In 2019, the World Bank identified similar constraints that impede sustained growth and prosperity in Guyana. These include taxes, burdensome regulations, an inadequately

educated labour force, and corruption are some problematic areas. These problematic factors have had a negative impact on Guyana’s competitiveness in the global market space.

In a Global Competitiveness report (2015-2016), Guyana ranked 121 out of 140 countries. Meanwhile, Singapore was ranked number one in global competitiveness in the 2019 GCI report. Inefficient government bureaucracy, lack of innovation, and corruption are the most significant problematic factors affecting Guyana's competitiveness. These factors contribute to Guyana's rank of 134 out of 190 countries in the Ease of Doing Business ratings. An oil bonanza will not make Guyana more competitive globally or improve its rankings in global indexes without a strategic plan and the allocation of human and financial capital to find and implement sustained solutions to the problems.

Improving Guyana's competitiveness as a country is a significant area of concern. Renowned Harvard professor Michael Porter's concept of competitiveness focuses on the prosperity "created" from the economic activities rather than "inherited" prosperity, i.e., the exploitation of national resources. Depending on inherited success often becomes a powerful

barrier against upgrading real underlining competitiveness. Guyana has been slow to develop the institutions and laws needed to govern the new oil industry, and a recent political crisis has further delayed that process.

There is a paucity of data in the area of business discontinuance, closure, and factors that determine small and medium enterprise (SME) success in Guyana. Although the definition of small business differs from country to country and from region to region, small and medium companies are significant contributors to employment and growth in the Caribbean and Latin America. Dr. Minto-Coy, a professor at the Mona School of Business and Management, at The University of the West Indies noted that scholarly and practitioner communities pay insufficient attention to small businesses in the Caribbean. Minto-Coy emphasised that five decades of scholarship in the Caribbean focused on socio-economic issues with inadequate attention to challenges that small businesses and entrepreneurship encounter in various categories.

These categories include financial support, government policies, programmes, education and training, research and development, commercial infrastructure, market openness,

physical infrastructure, and cultural and social norms that are entrepreneurial factors that impact small businesses, according to the Global Economic Monitor (GEM). There is no data for Guyana in these categories for (SMEs).

It will take prudent management of the oil revenues and the will to confront challenges, crafting the appropriate policies, and a serious effort to attract the human capital, including the diaspora necessary to fill gaps and transform institutions, organisational culture, and behaviour in Guyana.

For Guyana to bring about transformational change to improve SMEs success, competitiveness and innovation, there must be an efficient collection of data that provides useful information to inform policy. It is essential to establish a robust agency for mining SME data if Guyana is to be competitive globally. Guyana needs to craft a National Value Proposition (NPV) and a comprehensive small business development strategy to create a competitive advantage. With oil revenue funding there should not be any constraints.

Regards Wayne Forde

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Jagdeo is a failed economist, President and LOO Dear Editor, INTROSPECTION is a mental tool that serves as an invaluable medium for me gaining a better understanding of myself, recognising my limitations and ultimately serving to inform the process in me making myself twice a better person today, than I was yesterday and hopefully not half the person I can be tomorrow. Maslow defined this as self-actualisation. It is this self-directed internal personal audit, for want of a better term, that guides the inner and outward growth.

This is so critical if we are to effectuate betterment in self, betterment in homes, betterment in communities, and ultimately betterment in the country we call home.

The People’s Progressive Party had been in power for 23 painful and unproductive years. After being rejected by the electorate in two consecutive elections, if I were in the shoes of the de facto leader Bharrat Jagdeo, I would have undertaken careful introspection. My first definitive step after introspection would be to resign, followed by succession in the party, which would have been guided by younger blood with new ideas. But even before those ideas were ventilated, it would have been of paramount importance for the party to have a collective introspection to gain an understanding as to what were the factors that contributed to the electorate rejecting them in two successive elections.

This clearly has not been undertaken, or if it ha, the recommendations not enacted since it is evident to the electorate that the PPP as a political party has not collectively improved. This is evident by the selection of a presidential candidate who has 19 criminal charges, who has serious questions about his academic qualifications, who is a university dropout

and who is persona non grata in Canada.

To provide the reader a better understanding of the PPP’s political downhill slide, one only needs to examine the arrogance and incompetence of Bharrat Jagdeo, the Russia- trained strongman of the party. It is his arrogance, lack of introspection and not recognising his limitations that brought the economic fortunes of Guyana spiralling downwards, while the economic fortunes of his friends and associates followed the opposite direction. As a result, the electorate that voted them out in 2015 would have no other choice but to give them another five years out of government to hopefully get their house in order. The reasons underpinning the electorate informed conclusion were not only the aforementioned factors, but also concerningly other factors, namely, a collective lack of contrition on the part of the party and the litany of failed and controversial projects undertaken, from which lessons were not learnt.

These failed projects were the brainchild of Bharrat Jagdeo for which he should take total responsibility. His arrogance would have him going around making economic forecast, assessments and all things economic. His arrogance would make us want to believe that he is the best economist to have graced this earth since Adam Smith.

But I can tell you this, Adam Smith, if he were alive to witness Jagdeo’s failed record, would have been ashamed to be referred to as an economist. Let’s examine Bharrat Jagdeo’s record. Let’s review his failed projects.

FAILURE #1: Bharrat Jagdeo promised to fix the Skeldon sugar estate project, which cost US$200 million at the time, before he demitted office. When one considers interest and in net present value terms this cost would

be in excess of US$300 million. Jagdeo demitted office in 2011 and the Skeldon Sugar Estate has remained the most expensive white elephant and his biggest “hydro-seed,” thus far. The fact is that the project was bound to fail from the start, as it was based on a set of false assumptions, inclusive of more private cane farmers returning to the land, when it is unclear why a region that is known for cattle-ranching and rice-farming (as well as illicit trading) would want to return to the back-breaking task of planting sugarcane.

Now the failed economist and failed President wants to regain the presidency through the backdoor, trying to deceive the electorate with another of his three- card tricks that he will be re-opening estates. This is rich coming from a man who closed Ogle and Diamond estates.

FAILURE #2: The world’s worst economist was not satisfied with his Skeldon catastrophe, he soon conjured up a new devious project.

This time he awarded US$15 million to “Fip” Motilall to build the road to the Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Project.

Mind you, “Fip” Motilall was just as incompetent as him with his only experience in construction was building a dog pen which unfortunately collapsed on the occupants, a few minutes after completion.

But that was just a minute pixel of the comprehensive picture of a poorly thought out project. For starters, the Amalia Fall Hydroelectricity Project went from an initial cost of US$435 million to over US$900 million, by the time this government pulled the plug on it. The hard truth is that Jagdeo’s own Minister of Works at the time had indicated that the project would require at least US$1 million yearly for maintenance. Another waste of taxpayers’ money. What an economist Jagdeo is!!

FAILURE #3: The failed

economist and President continued to give to his friends, family and comrades. He awarded a fibre-optic cable project contract to his first puppet’s son at a cost of US$80 million. Not sure if the younger Ramotar knew exactly what he was about but the project in keeping with previous projects, was a complete failure that never brought a single email to anyone. When the APNU+AFC government came into power in 2015, they tried to resuscitate it, but were advised to get the Catholic priest to read the last rites. Another waste of taxpayers’ money.

FAILURE 4: And the useless economist and president, rather than doing some introspection, continued with his foolery. This time the project was a specialty hospital. Not sure why a specialty hospital is required to treat “hydro-seed,” since the GPHC is quite capable of doing just that. Anyway, he went along his foolish ways by awarding the contract to a shell company out of India. The people of Guyana advanced this company over US$4 million and have only a few piles to show. “Hydro-seeds” and piles, where do we go from here? The last thing I heard is that the company was under one of Houdini’s magic spells and just disappeared into thin air.

Once again, the taxpayers counting their losses.

FAILURE #5: It would be remiss of me not to remind the electorate about his devious role in strong-arming the NIS to be used as a slush fund for construction of the Berbice bridge. The fact is that the Berbice bridge is owned by his friends and his friends only, with his very close friend Dr Bobby Ramroop having the biggest share of 40% despite the bulk of the money invested coming from the NIS. That must be some kind of Russian economics unknown to us. And that is not all: all the investors in

the bridge have links with Bharrat Jagdeo. Doubt me then have a read.

As mentioned earlier, Dr Bobby Ramroop, a very close friend of the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, is the largest shareholder. NICIL has 10 percent shares in the bridge, NIS has 20.2 percent, Hand In Hand Fire Insurance has 10, New GPC has 20 percent, Queens Atlantic Investment Inc. has 20 percent and Secure International Finance Co. Limited owns 20 percent.

Winston Brassington’s brother, Michael, is the largest shareholder in Hand in Hand.

The Ramroop/Brassington combination therefore puts ownership of the bridge into the hands of Jagdeo’s close friends. It should be noted that Dr Bobby Ramroop owns two of the companies that each has 20 percent shares. We should not forget that it was this same Dr Bobby Ramroop that he give the multi-billion pharmaceutical contracts. Talking of conflict of interest. It was the same Dr Bobby Ramroop who flew him out to America when he was afflicted with the benign acute diarrhoeal disease. It was the same Dr Bobby Ramroop who nursed him back to life. So when your poor grandparents cannot get their pensions, they know who to blame-- Bharrat Jagdeo.

Despite that sordid history he may wish to make you believe that he cares about the aged.

It is obvious that his words are not consistent with his action of stealing" their pensions. Added to that, he once wanted to increase the pensionable age above the life-expectancy age! Most Guyanese would have been long dead before they had a chance to receive a pension.

And we should not forget the liquidating and losses incurred by the failure of CLICO, not to mention the associated job losses. So, when Jagdeo wants to talk about taxpayers’ money, let

him account for those funds first. Those are just some of the bigger ones that we know about.

Further, the great masquerader speaks about caring for youths and have people trying to find out what youths want, when it was his party that abolished the Guyana National Service, took away a constitutional right of free education from nursery to university, murdered more that 400 young people including Yohance Douglas, a UG student, and locked up a child for showing his motorcade his middle finger. Let's stop and think for a second.

Most of the crimes were committed by persons who were born in the 23 years of his party's rule or grew up in them, hence they were a product of his and his party’s failed policies for youths. If things were so good for 23 years as he and his underlings have been running around spewing, then where were the opportunities for these young people? Why did they have to turn to crime? To get more information on the state of play in Guyana under his rule and the rule of the PPP, then one can read the full report of the 2001, The Doing Business Index in Guyana and the Transparency Index for his years. Young people should not be fooled by Bharrat Jagdeo and his frontman, they are expendable as a baby diaper.

I know there is a price I will pay for educating you about the dark past of the Champion of lies. The result is me being inevitably banished to his black book.

I don’t mind. I don’t care.

That is a price I’m prepared to pay. I rather live in his black book than have you dead in the streets.

Regards Dr Mark Devonish

FITUG calls for elections day to be a national holiday

Dear Editor

THE Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), which speaks on behalf of thousands of our nation’s workers, has seen a statement from the Private Sector Commission calling on the government to declare Elections Day – March 02 – as a national holiday. Several workers have also asked us whether elections day would be deemed a national

holiday.

FITUG recalls that the last few elections were declared national holidays by the then government. Such decision obviously took into account the inalienable right of Guyanese to exercise their franchise and to ensure maximum participation in this important democratic process in our country. While we are aware that employees, lawfully, ought to be given adequate time off to be allowed to vote, we cannot discount the reality that there

are employers who may not comply and thus deny such persons their right to vote. In cases where workers are required to work, such workers must be given sufficient time off to cast their votes.

We believe that with the merger of several polling stations across Guyana, we cannot discount that the voting process may be protracted. We believe that a national holiday will allow our workers to be able to exercise their franchise without

worry or fear of reprimand should the process take an extended time. We, therefore, reiterate our sincere call for March 02, 2020 to be declared a national holiday in the interest of upholding our nation’s democracy.

Regards NAACIE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Kwakwani residents receive land titles from Lands & Surveys SOME 24 residents of Kwakwani Upper Demerara- Berbice region ten, on Friday, received leases from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, according to a press release from the Commission.

The leases were presented by Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture Hon. Valarie Yearwood and Manager of the Commission’s Secretariat, Mr. Durwin Humphrey who represented Commissioner Mr. Trevor L. Benn at the handing over ceremony.

According to the Commission’s release, the process began in October 2017, when the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council sent a letter to the Commission raising several concerns which residents brought to its attention as it related to the

security of their lands.

Commissioner Trevor Benn later responded and led a team to the area on a fact-finding mission. At that time, Mr. Benn had assured the residents that he would ensure that their matters were resolved once all the groundwork was completed.

Minister within the Min-

istry of Agriculture, Hon. Valarie Yearwood, was also involved in the process as the residents had reached out to her when she served as Minister responsible for the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

“You are deserving of your leases, and I am happy with the work the Guy-

ana Lands and Surveys has done,” The Minister told the residents.

“The Commission had several engagements with you and it was not easy and it was not cheap. These leases

Hon. Valarie Yearwood delivering remarks to the new leaseholders

Manager of the Commission’s Secretariat, Mr. Durwin Humphrey

Some of the awardees with their certificates

Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture Hon. Valarie Yearwood, to her left are: GLSC’S Managers Mr. Durwin Humphrey, Mr. Cyphil Swan and Mrs. Jewel Cheong. To her right are Mr. Julian Benons, Senior Land Administration Officer for region 10 and Ms. Elsie McPherson, pose with the new leaseholders.

cost the Commission, but I am happy that finally this part is over and I want to say that this is another promise delivered. I am urging you to kindly make the land work for you. Now that you have the security for your land you can finally start or expand your business or your homes,” the Minister urged.

Also in brief remarks, Manager of the Commission’s Secretariat, Mr. Durwin Humphrey, urged the residents to make good use of their titles.

“These hardworking families are well- deserving of these leases, these families

previously had no title, no security of tenure, for their land which they well deserve and we are happy that we can provide them with these titles.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen especially those who will be receiving their titles today, we encourage you to take advantage of these titles, make the best use of them, invest in homes and businesses. You can now go to the bank with your titles and obtain a loan” Mr. Humphrey encouraged.

Mr. Humphrey said the Commission is pleased to bring the process to a close and look forward to continue working with the community.

On Thursday the Commission delivered some 36 leases to the residents of Nurney/kildonan in region six.

93% voter turnout in Region Five IN Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), members of the disciplined services voted at two locations, namely the Mahaicony Police Station for officers and ranks stationed there and the Fort Wellington Police Station for officers and ranks stationed at Fort Wellington, Weldaad and Blairmont Police stations.

Members started voting early and by 08:45hrs some 75% of all those eligible had cast their ballots. Voting continued throughout the day up to the close of polls at 18:00hrs. At the end of the polling a reliable source said some 93% of all eligible members of the discipline services in the Region had successfully cast their votes.

Of those who had not voted, some had resigned, others were facing disciplinary action, and one rank was reportedly seriously ill.

The source disclosed that those who had not voted for one reason or another will get the opportunity to do so during polling on March 2, 2020.

All sources and observations by the Guyana Chronicle reporter indicated that the process of balloting by members of the disciplined services in Region 5 for the 2020 National and Regional elections proceeded smoothly without any hiccups or hindrances.

GECOM has been executing its mandate in accordance with the constitution

Dear Editor

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is a constitutional body which functions in a sovereign state, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. It is guided by a set of procedures which is its bible for administrative functioning in the holding of national and regional elections. Its abiding responsibility is therefore to ensure that the democratic will of citizens is upheld, through the exercise of free, fair and credible elections that are in accordance with its constitutional mandate of constitutional independence.

There is no doubt, therefore, that this seminal electoral body understands its functions; knows how to execute same, and has been doing so in accordance with its laid-down mandate.

It would seem that the visiting Carter Center is not aware of GECOM’S above-board perfor-

mance, particularly since 2015, under the executive administration of President David Granger, whose unswerving commitment that GECOM adheres to its constitutional ideals stands as a monument to his government’s commitment that free, fair and credible elections be held.

As examples, the Local Government Elections(LGEs) of 2016 and 2018 stand as testimony to the national electoral body’s unquestioned competence in the discharge of its sacred duty towards the nation.

Thus, for the Carter Center to be calling on GECOM to clarify vote tabulation procedures, allow party scrutineers and observers….”, suggest the following: Firstly, that GECOM does not know its functions.

Secondly, that there is some mischief afoot within the administrative body to conduct elections/arrive at its intended results by acts of subterfuge,

that will not reflect the will of the people.

This statement, which reads like a demand, is an intrusion/ interference into the affairs of a sovereign nation and amounts to interference. Further, it has to be seen as exceeding their mandate and status as observers, notwithstanding the historical role the centre played in past national polls, especially that of 1992.

It is even more surprising that such insult of a statement, rather a demand, is made to GECOM, given the fact that the body has among its electoral advisers two very eminent and renowned experts from the Commonwealth, reportedly there to advise the distinguished chairperson of GECOM, Retd Justice Claudette Singh on the national electoral process.

Editor, if this is also an instance of genuine concern by the centre, because of the Mc Carthyite syndrome that has afflicted the leader of the politi-

cal opposition and his party, the PPP/C, then it is misplaced as well as it is misguided. It would seem that since the Jagdeo cabal is not in power, it does not feel confident about its electoral security, as when Gocool Boodoo, as the chief elections officer in 2011, had been caught red-handed RIGGING the 2011 ELECTIONS in favour of the PPP/C. Such an act should have meant Boodoo immediately resigning his position, or a unanimous vote from the two major political parties’ six commissioners, ending the dishonest and fraudulent chief elections officer’s tenure.

Of course, the PPP/C upheld Boodoo’s criminal act- nothing new- until the then chairperson cast his deciding vote.

Let the Carter Centre be reminded that GECOM has been assiduous in its numerous actions, in the furtherance of its mandate of its remit of transparency of its electoral administrative machinery. To

this end, none can question its openness with regard to its procedures. And this extends to even the well-known political quarters that had chosen to boycott the election’s body legitimate house-to-house registration exercise, thus refusing to have its scrutineers be part of such an important process.

So, rather than seek to cast aspersions on the credibility of GECOM/ be inveigled by the very political forces whose interference into the previous functions of the electoral body is well known, the Carter Centre should be concerned about an opposition presidential candidate whose criminal charges before the court and questions surrounding his fake university of attendance and airy-fairy qualifications are a matter of very grave concern, as these are very serious credibility issues that highlight integrity and honesty of character.

This is where the Carter

Centre’s collective should be directing its attention, since any such candidate, particularly also given his manner of selection, stands not only as an insult to the people of this or any nation, but also to the very democratic principles which this centre has been strutting around the globe preaching and promoting for almost four decades. One need not remind the Carter Centre’s visiting members that true democracy is just more than the holding of national elections – it is also inclusive about electing to the highest office of the land, a person of the highest degree of probity, unquestionable character, and impeccable moral standing.

Regards Mark Da Costa

PSC calls on gov’t to declare March 2 a national holiday Dear Editor THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has given serious consideration to

the absolute need for the maintenance of law and order and the free and unhindered access to and from the polling place for

every citizen qualified to vote on election day.

The PSC is of the view, therefore, that, as has been the case in previous General

and Regional Elections, that election day be declared a holiday, thereby ensuring that every voter is free to cast their vote and return directly

and safely to their homes.

The Private Sector Commission calls upon the government to declare 2nd March, 2020, a national

holiday.

Regards Private Sector Commission of Guyana Ltd

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Children ‘Mash’ down New Amsterdam

HUNDREDS of children dressed in colourful apparel took to the streets of New Amsterdam where, under bright sunshine, they celebrated their annual Children’s Costume and Float Parade and Rally in the East Berbice/Corentyne Region.

The procession commenced at Main and Trinity Streets and concluded at Esplanade Park. During the journey, parents and teachers kept a close eye on the nursery school children, who were prancing to music blaring from oversized boxes mounted on canter trucks which headed the parade on the main thoroughfare.

The St Mary’s Nursery and Trinity Street Nursery Schools’ focus was on the emerging oil industry which is expected to transform Guyana.

Their float, “Lisa Destiny”, was greeted with loud applause from the scores

of on lookers who lined the street.

The Trinity Street children depicted the varying careers within the oil industry, while St Mary’s recognised Guyana as an oil-producing nation.

That aside, the kaleidoscope of colours reflected on the mood of the participants who were afforded the opportunity to ‘Mash’, prior to February 23, and, it reflected on the theme “Education, the future is now. Transforming the sector through a decade of development.”

Over 20 schools were represented, including the privately-owned Grace Pre School, Nurney Nursery, Savannah Park Nursery, Mount Sinai Nursery, Alness Primary, Sheet Anchor Primary, Gangaram Primary, New Market Primary, Vryman's Erven Secondary, Tutorial Academy and the Berbice Education Institute, among others.

The performance of a dramatic poetry piece, “50 years”, by a child of St Mary’s was well received by the audience which had gathered on the bleachers of the Esplanade Park. Similar excellent performances were executed by calypsonians from Vryman’s Erven Secondary School and Sheet Anchor Primary, along with a dramatic poem, “I ain’t taking no side,” by Gangaram Primary and “Jubilee Victory” dance by Tutorial Academy.

In his address, New Amsterdam, Mayor (ag) Wainwright Mc Intosh, applauded the significant contribution of the government to the education sector.

“For this reason, let us celebrate,” he said.

While acknowledging the efforts of Guyana’s founding fathers, Mc Intosh, also an education officer, urged the gathering to be proud of their history as

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A scene from the children’s ‘Mash’ Parade in New Amsterdam on Friday

Guyana celebrates 50 years as a Republican.

“Our republican status did not happen by chance, but there were leaders who championed our cause... we need to be proud. We need to reflect on our theme for this year’s republic celebration, ‘Guyana together,

let us reflect, celebrate and transform.”

Meanwhile, Regional Education Officer, Bhagmatie La Cruz, welcomed the participants and noted that the parade culminated the series of activities held by the Department of Education, while Assistant

Regional Executive Officer, Vanetta Thomas, highlighted the history of Mashramani through the art forms.

The programme was chaired by Neville Bourne, graduate headmaster of Number 56 Primary School.

Pensioner tied up, domestic worker beaten during robbery A 73-year-old man and his domestic worker were tied up and robbed of cash, jewellery and other articles, including a licensed shotgun and several live ammunition between 08:00hrs and 10:00hrs on Friday.

The incident occurred at William Venkatasammi’s Plot Eight Co-op Scheme, Tain Settlement home.

According to information received, a man arrived at the home of the elderly man and asked to weed his yard. The pensioner agreed and while being directed, the man brandished a cutlass and moments

after he was joined by another man, who was armed with a handgun.

The duo then proceeded to demand cash and valuables while pointing the gun at the elderly man.

Venkatasammi, along with his maid identified as Janet Hasnoo, 38, was taken to the upper flat of the house where they were tied up and placed in the living room as the duo ransacked the house.

During the ordeal, Hasnoo was beaten about her body by the bandits, as they demanded cash and jewellery. The men es-

The house where the robbery occurred

City-based lawmen cast ...

and political campaigning were totally restricted across GDF’s Base Camps.

Police vote early Meanwhile over at the Guyana Police Force’s Officers’ Mess at Eve Leary, the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James said voting was taking place as planned. “I was briefed by the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Maxine Graham, and according to her everything is going smoothly,” he told journalists while noting that voting commenced at 6:00hrs as statutorily required.

In total, 6,700 ranks attached to the Guyana Police Force were expected to cast their ballots at the various polling stations established throughout the country.

Over at the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ramp Road

FROM PAGE

Ranks of the Guyana Defence Force in line to cast their ballots at Base Camp Ayanganna

Ruimveldt, Georgetown, coast guards were seen casting their ballots with ease as the number expected to vote there was less than 300. “Voting would have started [and] that started at 6:00hrs. We have 266 persons [who] are expected to vote at this site here,” Commanding

caped with GYD$200,000 cash,US$300,TT$100, a cellular phone, one flat screen TV, one electric grinder and the licensed 12-gauge shotgun, along with over 80 live ammunition.

After gathering the items, the robbers made their escape via the back door of the house. Contact was made with police who arrived promptly and launched an investigation.

Up to press time, no arrest has been made.

Officer for the Coast Guards, Sean Harmon told Guyana Chronicle. Voting for Coast Guards took place at three other locations. In total, more than 300 were expected to vote on Friday.

“If they cannot vote today, they will vote on March 2nd

because the names that are on the military voters’ list would have been extracted from the OLE [Official List of Electors], and so therefore, based on that, if they cannot vote today, then on elections’ day March 2nd, they will vote,” the Lieutenant Commander explained.

02

In the Guyana Prison Service, a total of 488 officers were listed to vote. At the Georgetown Prison Conference Room, 115 officers were expected to vote while at the Lusignan Prison Officer’s Sports Club, 128 were listed to vote. Meanwhile, at the Mazaruni Prison Officer’s Sports Club, 92 prison officers were scheduled to vote and in New Amsterdam at the Prison Officer’s Sports Club another 113. The smallest batch of prison officers (40) voted at the Timehri Prison Officer’s Sports Club. Fifty-nine new recruits will vote March 2.

The Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels voted just after 09:00hrs at the Georgetown Prison Conference Room. He told journalists that the GECOM officers reminded him of the voting process.

“The ballot paper was clear, so in terms of recognizing who it is you wanted to vote for that was easy as was explained in the various ads that were running over and over,” Samuels said.

At Base Camp Ayanganna, Police Officers’ Mess, and at the Coast Guard Headquarters, President David Granger, who was accredited as an agent, was seen observing the electoral process in the company of Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon. The Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers; GECOM Commissioners Robeson Benn, Desmond Trotman and Sase Gunraj; and representatives from the Carter Center and European Union were also seen observing the process.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Over 100 US companies waiting to invest in Guyana OVER 100 American companies are eagerly awaiting approval to invest in Guyana, Political and Economic Counsellor at the United States Embassy here Alexandra King-Pile has said.

The companies have already expressed their interest and are awaiting the go-ahead from various regulatory bodies. Speaking on Thursday at the official opening of the international company, First Bauxite LLC and its local subsidiary Guyana Industrial Mineral Incorporated (GINMIN), King-Pile noted, with great interest, Guyana’s pronouncement that it was open for business. “We know Guyana is open for business and the United States plans to take you up on it,” King-Pile stated.

Adding that one of the highest priorities of the US Mission is to promote responsible economic growth by expanding and deepening commercial partnership, Pile said the United States is in support of the Government of Guyana in creating an environment where business, including international investment, can thrive. “I can

assure you that the number is staggering, we have over 100 inquiries pending right now

tance to grow rapidly, improving institutions, remained, not only to increase prosperity but

Political and Economic Counsellor at the United Stated Embassy in Georgetown, Alexandra King-Pile.

for US companies, various sizes, across various sectors which say “we want to get into Guyana,” King-Pile announced.

Speaking later to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Pile disclosed that expressions of interest were shown in construction, logistics, food service, hospitality and transportation, among others. She said Commercial Diplomacy remained an important aspect of the work at the embassy; and that its focus on providing technical assis-

also to ensure that all Guyanese benefit as well.

Earlier in the week, at a sod-turning exercise at the proposed site for the construction of Guyana’s first Hilton Hotel, Minister of Finance, Hon. Winston Jordan, noted that the government had created a regime attractive enough to both local and foreign investors which resulted in continuous investments.

The Minister assured the audience that the administration will continue to create an environment that ensures

businesses make profits, establish regulations to protect the environment and workers, and grow the economy.

Thus far, First Bauxite LLC has injected $80.7 Billion (US $387.3M) in the Guyana economy.

Oil giant, ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers has invested approximately $37.5 Billion (US $180M) into Guyana.

More recently, the sod was turned for a Hilton Hotel at Ogle. That investment is worth $20.9Billion (US$100M). Similarly, the sod was turned for a 150room second Marriot Hotel at an investment figure of $15.6Billion (US$75M).

Even the country’s commercial airlines have more competition with American Airlines, one of the largest airlines in the world, starting its non-stop flight from New York to Georgetown last December. In the meantime, Guyana’s economy has been projected to grow by 86 percent this year according to the IMF. (DPI)

Stabroek Market vendor charged for cannabis trafficking

AUBREY McFarlane, a Stabroek Market vendor, was, on Friday, February 21, 2020, released on $40,000 bail by Magistrate Leron Daly, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

McFarlane denied the charge which alleged that, on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, he had 49 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The attorney of the defendant requested that McFarlane be granted reasonable bail due to the fact that investigations were on-going. Magistrate Daly, granted the request of the lawyer for his client to be given leniency in bail.

The allegation stated that, on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, between 08:00hours and 10:15hours, a cordon and search exercise was executed at the Stabroek Market area by police ranks from the Police Narcotics Branch.

The defendant was standing at a stall obliquely opposite Digicel outlet, when a search was conducted on his person and nothing of evidential value was found. He was questioned about his ownership of the stall and he confirmed ownership.

Upon his confirmation of him being the owner of the stall, the stall was searched and a black bag was found. The black bag contained two plastic bags in which seeds, leaves and stems were found and were suspected to be cannabis.

McFarlane made an attempt to defend himself by saying “I does catch fits and the weed does help with it” The defendant was arrested and charged. The matter was adjourned until Friday, March 3, 2020.

ICT Hubs moving through every part of Guyana THE APNU+AFC Coalition acceded to government in May 2015, and

by July 2016, Guyana’s long-awaited Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill was passed into law. This piece of legislation indeed liberated the telecommunication system throughout Guyana.

Since then, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT) continues to work assiduously to maintain the given mandate, which is “…to develop an enabling environment for the increased use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across all sectors within Guyana.”

So far, over 100 ICT Hubs connected in all of the 10 administrative regions countrywide are in place.

The MoPT reported that this is helping residents, including school and university students within the various communities, to have free access to the Internet to do research, conduct business and surf the Internet for a variety of reasons.

ICT OF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September last year by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications and Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP), paved the way for persons to access free technical online training. Training began in early November 2019 after it was launched at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Fifty participants were able to take full advantage of courses in repair and maintenance of heavy duty machinery. These courses were facilitated by MACORP under its Caterpillar ‘Technicians for the Caribbean’ programme, while the ministry provided support through access to computer systems and the Internet.

GIRLS IN ICT DAY The Ministry of Public Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) in 2017, offered girls from several schools from across Georgetown,

the opportunity to explore the various fields related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This was in observance of “Girls in ICT Day,” which was held at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School on Mandela Avenue.

CAPTIONS: ICT Hubs moving through every part of Guyana 1. Bygeval Secondary School students a young listener about their project.

Supriya Jagdeo, one of the students from the school said that their soil moisture sensor could greatly assist farmers 2. A student of the North Ruimveldt Secondary School explaining to Minister Cathy Hughes how her game works Code! Create! Conquer!

Code! Create! Conquer!

Girls in ICT Day Mini Expo 2018 held at the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen.

Minister Hughes commended and encouraged the young girls saying, “You have created some deliverables that traditionally are being created in developed countries, where students have so many more oppor-

tunities so I’m glad that we were able to bring a new vision of technology.”

Minister Hughes commended and encouraged the young girls saying, “You have created some deliverables that traditionally are being created in developed countries, where students have so many more opportunities so I’m glad that we were able to bring a new vision of technology.”

3. Alicia Layne, lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Guyana. Her hope is that with this project diabetic patients will be able to save their health charts, medical history, daily medication reminders and be in contact with their doctors.

For her project, Layne conducted a study on 45 persons and now planning to broaden her research, with the hope of having it implemented in hospitals across Guyana 4. Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes addressing residents at the commissioning of the Leguan ICT Hub Centre in April, 2018 5. Here Minister Hughes

demonstrates to a resident of the Leguan community how to use the system 6. Some of the residents of the Sophia community, along with Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes at the commissioning of the Sophia ITC Centre in May 2018 7. Some of the Sophia residents are being introduced to the new systems at the ICT Centre 8. The Bamia ICT Hub is housed within this multi-purpose centre. This is located on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway 9. A few of the children in Bamia actively engaged with their computers. At the same time two other ITC Hubs were commissioned in Region 10 in November 2017. One at Victory Valley and the other at One Mile Wismar.

10. Young residents of the Crabwood Creek ICT Hub actively involved in what they are doing 11. Agricola residents having interactive sessions at their ICT Centre within the community

12. Young residents of Albouystown community sitting before the computers in practice session 13. Children within the Melanie Damishana demonstrating much enthusiasm as they ustilise their ICT Hub Centre 14. Minister Cathy Hughes is having a very interactive session with the young residents of the West Ruimveldt community working out of the ICT Hub Centre there 15. A child cuts the ribbon at the commission of the ICT Hub Centre for the Black Bush community, while Minister Cathy Hughes and other officials look on 16. Eduation Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry and Head of Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit, Mr. Yoganand Indarsingh at the commissioning of two new $12M ITC laboratories at the Eccles and Tucville Primary Schools. These were opened in October, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

House lots cost down by 50% for Jubilee celebrations IN an effort to improve the occupancy rate of house lots and to make housing more affordable, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has announced a “50 per cent off” Republic promotion, which also commemorates Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary.

The initiative is synonymous to the one which was conducted during 2016, when Guyana celebrated its 50th Independence Anniversary.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson, said the promotion is in keeping with the authority’s effort to make housing affordable for a wider cross section of Guyanese.

“Offer is applicable to applications for the period October 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020…the offer applies only to those who were allocated land for residential purposes in housing schemes that were established or regularised by CH&PA,” said Minister Ferguson during a press briefing, on Friday.

The duration of the pro-

motion is three months, starting from March 1, 2020 and ending on May 26, 2020. It applies to successful applicants inclusive of those allocated a plot of land, between October 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020, costing $2.5M or less. In order to qualify for the promotion, allottees would have already had to pay at least 50 per cent of the cost of the land between October 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020.

Having reflected on its achievements throughout the years and following consideration and extensive consultation with the board of CH&PA, the authority agreed to celebrate those achievements with the launching of this initiative.

For a number of years, the agency has been trying to address the issue of low occupancy rate in housing schemes throughout the country, but despite its “best efforts,” there have been “very low” returns.

In that regard, Minister Ferguson said the initiative is another attempt at “opening the door” for applicants to

eventually build their “dream house,” in a short space of time.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson

“This means that we will absolve the burden, thus allowing you to finally realise your life’s dream…the money you will save from this discount can be used in commencing the construction process,” said the minister, noting that about 1,000 homeowners will benefit from this initiative.

Contrary to the notion that this exercise will result in increased revenue for the authority, the minister said

‘Strong turnout’ …Harmon on voting by members of the Disciplined Services WHILE expressing appreciation to members of the Disciplined Services for their dedication to serving the country, Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency has noted that figures suggest that the turnout of voters was high.

At a brief press conference called at the coalition’s campaign headquarters on Lamaha Street in the city, Harmon said that the figures, as recorded at midday on Friday, suggested that there was a 65 per cent turnout of the 10,226, as he appealed for those remaining to cast their votes.

He said that President David Granger visited polling places in the city and he noted that the Head of State expressed satisfaction with arrangements made with by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He said the arrangements augurs well for elections day on March 2, when the number of polling stations will be much more than 82, which were put in place by GECOM on Friday for voting by the Disciplined Services.

GECOM had informed

members of the Disciplined Services that at an appointed day before March 2, 2020, all disciplined services ballots will be sorted accordingly in the

He said there are a number of activities planned by the coalition and these include a major band which will join the Mashramani parade on Febru-

Campaign managers for the APNU+AFC Coalition, Joseph Harmon and Raphael Trotman

presence of party agents. In order to protect the secrecy of the votes cast, the ballot papers will not be stamped with the official six-digit stamp until elections day and intermixed with the votes of others for counting.

On Friday, Harmon said that as the coalition’s campaign continues, the multi-party group is seeing “unprecedented support” across the country, noting that voters are seeing progress made in the development of the country.

the authority has structured the promotion to allow allottees to complete payment

ary 23 as part of the Republic anniversary celebrations.

A women’s rally will be held next Thursday and this will be headlined by First Lady, Sandra Granger, while the closing rally will be held next Saturday at D’Urban Park. Harmon said the final rally is expected to be epic as he noted that the venue may not be able to accommodate the large number of supporters expected to throng the venue.

in a timely manner, enabling them to quickly lay claim to ownership of land by securing their certificate of title.

“I wish to urge our valued partners to take full advantage of this generous offer… we know that previously persons were unable to occupy those lands as a result of the lack of basic infrastructure being in place, but with infrastructure we anticipate persons will take full responsibility in commencing

construction,” said Minister Ferguson.

CEO of CH&PA, Lelon Saul, said the promotion will cost the authority $90 million in subsidies, and it was already subsidising the cost of house lots by about 90 per cent. He said it costs the authority about $3.5 million to develop house lots and they are sold for as low as $100,000, in some cases.

“We are fulfilling our mandate to provide housing for this country…we are putting people in communities and with this promotion we will have greater occupancy and we will build sustainable communities,” said Saul.

Over the past few months, lands were distributed in Prospect, Mon Repos, LBI, Annandale, Lusignan, Bladen Hall and Experiment, among other places.

It was recently reported that, the CH&PA, in its quest to meet the high housing demand in the country, will be providing approximately 1,600 housing solutions to Guyanese for 2020.

Of that number, approximately 400 house lots, total-

ling 70 acres, will be allocated to the Joint Services – the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service.

Saul had said an additional 1,200 housing solutions, comprising both house lots and built units, will be developed, and allocated to applicants during 2020. It was noted that between 2015 and 2019, a total of 6,541 house lots were allocated to citizens across the country, in addition to 444 built units in Regions Three, Four, Five and 10 – amounting to approximately 7,000 in total. The built units included duplexes, upper elevated two-bedroom houses, single flat two and three-bedroom houses.

Back in 2017, some $43M was allocated by the CH&PA to have a total of 72 houses erected for the squatters. The 20 houses, valued at $36M, form part of Phase One of a two-phase project.

GTT’s Giftland Mall Kiosk no longer accepting cash payments for bills

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), on Friday, announced that the company’s kiosk in the Giftland Mall has started solely cashless bill payments at the location.

According to GTT, the move to go cashless with all bill payments followed the recent robbery at the GTT kiosk in the mall. However, the telephone company explained that customers can still pay their bills using

their credit/debit cards at this kiosk.

“We will still be accepting small cash payments for items sold at the kiosk, but no bill payments. We want to ensure that our staff and customers are safe,” Public Relations Manager at GTT, Jasmin Harris is quoted in a release as saying.

Harris noted that customers will still be able to make cash bill payments at the GTT retail loca-

tion upstairs in the mall.

“Customers are also encouraged to use our MMG service where they can pay their own bills at their convenience,” Harris said.

On February 10, at about 20:00hrs, two men robbed the GTT kiosk of an undisclosed quantity of money while customers were in line waiting to pay their bills. Three suspects were arrested and investigations are ongoing.

Vryheid’s Lust man accused of several offences released on bail PATRICK Dundas, of South, Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, on Friday, February 21, 2020, appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on three criminal charges.

The first charge alleged that, on February 10, 2020 at Durban Backlands, Georgetown, Dundas assaulted Melanie Martin to cause actual bodily harm.

The second charge alleged that, on February 17, 2020, at Nelson Street, Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, Dundas made a

threat to Tricia Harris saying he was going to shoot her.

The third charge alleged that, on February 17, 2020, at Nelson Street, Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, Dundas used abusive language to Tricia Harris.

Patrick Dundas denied all charges, pleading not guilty.

Magistrate Leron Daly, placed Dundas on a total of $45,000 bail and transferred the matters to Court, 8 and 9 for Thursday, March 5, 2020.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Killing of fishermen in Suriname linked to turf war …CoI report points to well organised piracy attack -transformation of Inter-Agency Piracy Task Force to permanent statutory body among recommendations

By Navendra Seoraj ALMOST two years after a deadly pirate attack, off the coast of Suriname, left some sixteen fishermen- inclusive of Guyanese- missing and feared dead, it has been determined, on the basis of “extensive findings,” that the attack was organised, planned and systematic in its execution, and it was an open confrontation that has its origin in turf war over fishing grounds.

This was among the findings listed in a report, from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the attacks, which was submitted to Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams by Commissioner of the COI, Dr. Rishee Thakur, on Friday.

A commission, headed by Dr. Thakur, was constituted on June 28, 2019 by President David Granger, to inquire into the circumstances surrounding piracy attacks, which included violent criminal acts, hijacking of Guyanese-owned vessels and the resultant deaths of Guyanese nationals on or about April 27, 2018 of the Atlantic Coast of Republic of Suriname.

Dr. Thakur, in presenting a summary of the report, said the records show that there were two attacks, April 27-28 and May 1, 2018, at a popular fishing area called Double High Bush, just off the north coast of Suriname involving five boats and twenty five fishermen.

On November 22, 2019, seven of twelve suspects of the first case against pirates in Suriname were handed

sentences of 35 years each, two were handed sentences of ten and five years each while three were acquitted.

In Guyana, two of the three cases were sent to the High Court while a third is awaiting preliminary hearings.

While those matters are engaging the courts, Dr. Thakur said there are many grey areas in the fishing industry which need to be addressed.

“It is estimated that there are now some 350 Cabin Cruisers (artisanal fishing boats) along the Corentyne coast, New Amsterdam to Crabwood Creek, not a single one with a trained/licensed captain or a verified crew list, while each a potential pirate,” said the commissioner, noting that it shows the need for the public sector agencies to be improved, especially those related to the fishing industry.

He said justification of the need for improvement was also “the fact” that the organisation of the fishing industry reflects a ‘loose’ and ‘carefree’ style of a ‘precariat’ with ‘little’ commitment to its institutional base or its own long term future of secure and stable employment.

“And, while the share system of payment is attractive for the sum that it brings in, it is also severely constrained by the varied commitments it must meet, including a drug problem. It is estimated that between 60-70 per cent of the fishermen at the No. 66 Fish Co-Op are regular users of hard drugs,” said Dr. Thakur.

Moreover, responsibility for a “first cut” and a waiting family adds to the ‘anxiety’

of an incoming cabin cruiser with a “poor catch.”

Not a little of this is compounded by the fact that the border with Suriname begins a third of a mile from the mooring site of the No. 66 fish port

tion of the excessive number of fishing boats at the No. 66 Fish port as well as the number that traffics the Corentyne area. Both are seen as sources of significant friction among fishermen.

institutions to comply with our recommendations,” said Dr. Thakur, noting that the commission still believes that recommendations should be treated with urgency.

Minister of State, Dawn

Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams hands over the COI report to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, in the presence of Commissioner of the COI, Rishee Thakur

that some 150 cabin cruisers call home.

Speaking more about this, he said: “the only thing we can say here, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautions, is to implore the two administrations to do all in their power to resolve the difficulties of the fishermen.”

RECOMMENDATIONS The report, as such, recommended that the present language, which defines the relationship between Guyana and Suriname border, needs to be upgraded to say what is happening on the ground.

It was also stated that the Chief Co-Op Officer also needs to address the conges-

The report also recommended that there should be an institution of fishing standards at the No. 66 Fish port that obtains in other parts of the country- basically registered fish crews and training and licensing of captains.

According to Dr. Thakur, the report also recommends that the Inter-Agency Piracy Task Force should be transformed into a permanent statutory body. And a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), as recommended by the Fisheries act (71: 03), should be instituted.

“We are, however, unable to say what costs are involved and how this will affect the capacity of specific

Hastings-Williams in her remarks said: “I am principally looking forward to us (government) executing the plan of action as recommended in the report, to guide initiatives to prevent and counter piracy and its related activities.

“I know that many of us have waited anxiously for this day and I am glad that we are finally concluding this exercise so that we can move forward, address the important issues and tasks that are required, bring an end to this scourge that has plagued mainly Region Six and bring closure to a very tragic incident.”

In expressing the sadness surrounding the issue, Minis-

ter Hastings-Williams made reference to President Granger’s remarks at the opening ceremony for the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s (CFATF’s) workshop for judges and prosecutors, in May, 2018.

The president had said: “We are deeply grieved by the tragedy that occurred at sea, involving some of our citizens. It is a great massacre, a great tragedy.”

Minister Williams further extended her sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims and noted that the coalition government has been “very successful” over the last couple of years, in curbing piracy and it intends to continue this fight “when” it return to government after March 2, 2020.

The Government of Guyana, in June 2018, made a one-off payment to relatives of five fishermen who suffered from the deadly pirate attack.

Among those who each received the sum of $100,000, were Mary Rodrigues – the mother of Sherwin Lovell – and Chandroutie Dwarka, who is the wife of Deonarine Gobherdan.

Lovell and Gobherdan were the two men who survived the brutal attack.

The other beneficiaries were the relatives of Glenroy Jones, Sunil Ramotar and Vickey Persaud, who at that time, were still missing.

No major hiccup in Disciplined Services voting in Region Six MEMBERS of the Disciplined Services stationed within the New Amsterdam/ Canje and Lower Corentyne districts, converged, just after dawn, at Central Police Station where 340 of them were expected to cast their ballots, ahead of the National and

Regional elections.

Regionally, an additional 446 police, prison and Guyana Defence Force ranks were expected to cast their ballots at New Amsterdam Prison Hall and Whim and Springlands Police Stations, respectively.

Apart from a few

ranks who indicated that their names were not on the official list, the majority of voters told reporters that the process was without hiccups.

Berbice Police Divisional Commander, Calvin Brutus, was among the first group of persons to cast their ballots at the Central Station training

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force waiting to vote at the Central Police Station

room.

In brief remarks, Commander Brutus said those ranks whose names were not seen on the list at Central Station were listed on other lists posted at Whim and Springlands Stations.

"As a result, ranks will be afforded the opportunity to

cast their ballots. It is not that they are not listed, they are on the list but find themselves at different areas. They will be transported to the different areas to cast their ballots, then to proceed to do regular duties."

In an invited comment on the readiness of the lo-

cal police for Election Day, Brutus assured that his ranks were quite prepared, having been exposed to much training. He added that security arrangements were in place to ensure safety at the New Amsterdam Prisons, riverain areas and the coastline.

Members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) enter the Central Police Station to cast their ballot on Friday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Police, soldiers on Corentyne Coast vote early MEMBERS of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force stationed on the Corentyne Coast, before 06:00hrs made a line and awaited their turn to cast their ballot at the general and regional elections 2020, on Friday.

Since the members of the Disciplined Forces are expected to maintain law and order on Elections Day, March 02, they would usually vote several days ahead of civilians.

At the Whim Police Station, a number of officers who had just completed their night duty made their way to the polling place located in the station’s compound to cast their ballots, rounding off a long days’ at work.

The next set of officers in the line were the traffic ranks who were assigned to schools and busy inter-sections, so that immediately after exercising their franchises, they could get into the fields and perform their duties.

The process was smooth and swift as the officers seemed knowledgeable of the process.

A first-time voter, who requested anonymity, said he was both nervous and excited about the opportunity to have a say in who governs the country.

The junior rank explained that while he knew what the process entailed, he did not expect it to be so easy.

“I spent less than two minutes in there, it was so quick and easy, the thing that took the longest was for them to find my name and verify

my ID number with what they had on file. After that they gave me the ballot paper and explained the process once more and I went in the little box thing and put my X and fold the paper as they showed me, ink and drop in the box and that was it, it is easy and simple. I even had to ask if duh was it, cause to me like it done too fast,” the rank said.

Young police officer, Ezekiel Branco, proudly displays his inked finger

At the Whim Police Station, a total of 206 voters were on the list when this publication visited for the second time. Some 46 were still to exercise their franchise.

Meanwhile, at the Springlands Police Station, 128 ranks, including police and immigration ranks as well as officers from the Guyana Defence Force at the Number 63 base were expected to cast their ballots.

By mid-afternoon, 98 per cent of the registered voters

Rape accused to face new trial RAPE accused Stephen McCurdy called ‘Jaganie’ will have to stand a new trial after a 12-member jury failed to reach a verdict on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

McCurdy, also known as Shermon Jackson, was on trial before Justice JoAnn Barlow at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court, Georgetown, accused of raping a woman on November 19, 2017.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict for the indictment which resulted in McCurdy having to be retried at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes. He will remain on bail.

According to reports,

the victim was known to McCurdy and, during the period in question, she was staying with his family.

It is alleged that, on the day in question, McCurdy came home drunk and was banging on the door of the woman’s room since his wardrobe was inside the same room.

The victim finally opened the room door and McCurdy changed his clothes and left. He later returned and begged the victim to have sex with him.

The woman refused and McCurdy raped her.

The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested.

had voted.

Another first-time voter also expressed excitement after casting his ballot.

“I felt good due to the fact that I am making my contribution towards helping someone to move this country forward with the plans that I believe will benefit the state and its people at large,” he said.

At New Amsterdam, a total of 298 ranks, including prison officers and soldiers, were on the voters list. Divisional Commander, Calvin Brutus, led from the front and was among the first group of officers to vote.

He did so before 08:00hrs. In a brief interview, he told reporters that there were no hiccups for the most part; however, he explained that some officers found themselves on a different list even though were stationed at specific location.

He further noted that all security measures are in place for Elections Day, March 2.

Adding that the ranks are prepared and have benefitted from training exercises, Brutus noted that leading up to the big day, refresher training will be done.

He also noted that additional security for the prison will be in place for that period as well as for the riverine and coastal areas.

A fully-equipped public order unit is also on standby to provide additional support. At the end of the day, the entire process was said to be smooth and simple with no hiccups.

36-year-old housewife charged for breach of peace A 36-year-old housewife of River View Ruimveldt, was, on Friday, February 21, 2020, brought before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, charged for the breach of peace.

Cheryl Marques denied that, on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at River View Ruimveldt, she made use of abusive language to Daimee Allicock, thus causing a breach of the peace.

Magistrate Daly, placed Marques on $5,000 bail and adjourned the matter until March 20, 2020.

Officers at the Whim Police Station awaiting their turn to cast their ballot

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Coalition youth activist attacked by Opposition ‘thugs’ ...President Granger says report to be lodged with ERC ...police arrest prime suspect, accomplices on the run A YOUNG advocate for the APNU+AFC coalition, who was brutally assaulted by a group of thugs on Tuesday night at Charity, believes the incident was politically motivated.

Young Vivian Henry, who hosts a television programme on behalf of the coalition on the Essequibo Coast, entered a restaurant at Charity, around 23:00hrs, on Tuesday, and three men, including an ex-police officer began taunting him about his choice of support for this year's elections. Following an exchange with the men, the trio followed him to a car he was about to enter and, while armed with beer bottles, the trio launched a physical attack, lasting about 10 minutes, on the youngster.

President David Granger told reporters at Base Camp Ayanganna, on Friday, that the APNU+AFC was concerned about the incident. He said he received “disturbing reports” that someone was badly beaten by thugs. He

said those reports were being investigated. He said a report will be made to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) on the issue.

Campaign manager for the APNU+AFC, Joseph Harmon, told reporters, on Friday, that the police were investigating the matter.

Harmon said Henry has been very vocal about the coalition's campaign, noting that he had been progressive in promoting the coalition.

He expressed the hope that the perpetrators face the full

coalition with the ERC and it had been abiding with the document.

He said the party is sending complaints to the ERC, the Guyana Elections Commission(GECOM) and elections observers so that they can understand the situation on the ground. "But we just want to say that, we will not sit idly by and see our workers, our supporters being brutalised by anyone," he said.

Henry told the Guyana Chronicle that, on Tuesday night, he entered the restau-

One of several injuries which the young man sustained.

brunt of the law.

He said a code of conduct had been signed by the

rant and, immediately, he was verbally attacked by the three men. He said the

APNU+AFC youth advocate Vivian Henry

main aggressor, whom he identified as the ex-policeman, told him that he (the ex-policeman) believed that the Opposition was better equipped to lead the country.

He said the man was hurling expletives in derogatory tones about the government to him. ”They keep on verbally abusing me but I didn’t bother with them and I went into my private transport vehicle which was waiting on me and that’s when they all attacked me in the vehicle,” he said.

He sustained injuries to various parts of his body by the men who ripped off his clothing while attacking him with beer bottles. He said the men attacked him twice.

“I went and made a report and also had a medical done because I was punctured all over my skin, my head was swollen as I was hit with bottles; they ripped my clothes off and my nose was also bleeding from the impact,” he said. He said the man also took away his phone and tablet.

Henry said, a while now, after he decided to campaign on behalf of the coalition, he became the target of persons, on social media and in the streets, noting that he had been campaigning at outlying areas in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region in the lead up to next month’s polls.

He said his attackers might have felt threatened by his social and political ambitions, adding that the attack will not deter his efforts.

“I'm fearful security wise but am even more motivated to continue working harder and be a voice in helping to prevent these occurrences from happening to others, especially my fellow Amerindians,” the young man noted.

Reports are that police at Charity arrested the main suspect, the former police rank, who is said to be a taxi-driver who lives in a back street at Charity.

The man's accomplices remain in hiding.

PSC gives kudos to GECOM on voting by Disciplined Services

THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of Friday’s voting process for members of the Disciplined Services by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as the body noted that the entity was progressing satisfactorily towards the conduct of the elections on March 2,2020.

In a release issued on Friday, the body, which was accredited observer status by GECOM, expressed some concern regarding what it terms, the “obvious lack of transparency and integrity“ with regard to the transmission of Statements of Poll (SoPs) from the Polling Stations to the Returning Officers of the respective 10 electoral Districts.

The PSC said it wrote Chairman of GECOM, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh on February 13, 2020, on its concern with regard to the delivery of the SoPs by the Presiding

Officers to the Returning Officers and the timing of the announcement of the vote results by Returning Officers.

The PSC said, after having seriously examined the methodology introduced by GECOM for the delivery of the SoPs to the Returning Officers in the respective electoral districts, it has concluded that there are several possible security risks which could result in compromising the integrity of the SoPs. The body said it was further concerned over the fact that, though the law gives unambiguous authority to the respective Returning Officers to declare the results of the elections for their respective districts immediately on the completion of the collation and certification of the votes, it has been the practice of the Chief Elections Officer to have the Returning Officers delay the declaration until instructed to do so by him. These instructions, the PSC said, have

the undesirable effect of delaying the official declaration of the results by the respective Returning Officers.

The PSC said it developed a procedure of checks and balances aimed at ensuring that the entire post-poll procedures are carried out in the strictest compliance with the pertinent laws and has shared this procedure with the Chairman of GECOM. The PSC is convinced that the institutionalization and implementation of the checks and balances will provide greater transparency relative to the post-poll activities leading up to the declaration of the results of the elections by the Returning Officers and will also generate confidence among the contesting Political Parties and their respective constituencies that GECOM is committed to the delivery of credible elections.

It said it will also bring common acceptance by all stakeholders that the elections were con-

ducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

The PSC also expressed concern regarding the decision by GECOM to revise the number and location of polling places which it noted can leave many voters disenfranchised. Like the PSC, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo had also expressed concerns about the move by GECOM. However, on Friday Justice Claudette Singh, said the reduction came as a result of comments made by elections observer missions in the past and she made reference to a 2015 Carter Center report in that regard.

The PSC, on Friday, congratulated the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) on its introduction of a Code of Conduct and the commitment of all of the contesting political parties to observe the Code. The body also expressed concerns regarding reportage of elections in a balanced and fair manner.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Region Two servicemen vote early … say process was smooth, no hiccups

THE atmosphere at polling stations in G Division (Essequibo Coast-Essequibo Islands) was one of calmness with no reports of any hiccups as members of the disciplined forces cast their ballots on Friday.

A policeman from the Anna Regina Police Station The three polling stations were Anna Regina, Suddie and Charity and approximately 360 servicemen and servicewomen voted. Divisional Commander, Crystal Robinson said the policemen were given adequate time to exercise their democratic rights and stated that the balloting exer-

cise within the region was successful.

Polls were opened promptly at 06:00 hrs at the three polling stations.

A visit to the Suddie Police Station revealed that policemen from Aurora and those attending the Richard Faikal Police See page 19

Two policemen from the Suddie Police Station who voted

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Region Two servicemen vote ...

From page 18

Training College voted early.

When this newspaper arrived, many of the officers had already voted and when asked about the process, the responses were positive.

A policeman attached to the Suddie Police Station described the process as “easy� with no rush. He proudly displayed his inked index figure saying he was a proud voter.

Over 80 policemen were listed to vote at the Suddie Police Station.

Traffic officers who were seen on the road related that they had to carry out their duties but would vote before the day was out.

At the Anna Regina Police station, the lines

were long, especially between 06:00hrs10:00hrs. Many of the policemen were standing for hours to cast their votes.

A soldier, who was in the line, said he was at the polling station since the polls opened. He also said over 150 soldiers were listed to vote within the division. At Anna Regina, female officers were more visible in the lines as compared to male officers. It was observed that agents from the various political parties were present at the polling stations.

The voting happened in an organised manner. The Joint Service votes will be added to the rest of the ballot on March, 2.

Members of the Joint Services waiting to vote at the Anna Regina Police Station

A solider checking for his name on the list

Members of the Defence Force waiting to vote

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GAWU demands retroactive pay hike for sugar workers

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) continues to press the Guyana Sugar Corporation for retroactive pay increase for workers when discussions between the two sides continued on Friday, regarding the Corporation’s proposal for pay rise.

The Union at the previous meeting held on February 12, 2020, put to the sugar company that no worker receives less than a five per cent rise in pay and that the new rates of pay be implemented with effect from January 01, 2019.

The union in a release said that, at Friday’s meeting, the Corporation informed the Union, after consideration, it had amended its offer regarding the time-rated employees. The sugar company put on the table a $20 increase at the Bands One to Five levels.

Previously, the Corporation had proposed to increase the Band One by $20 and the Bands Two to Five by $18. Apart from that it had agreed to increase the foremen’s pay by $4,100. Initially, the Corporation had offered to increase the foremen’s salaries by $4,000 per month. The Union, after deliberations by its delegation, found favour with the sugar company’s newest proposal.

Turning to the period of retroactivity, the Union reiterated that the discussions regarded 2019 and thus any improvement ought to be retroactive to the beginning of that year. The Corporation, in response, informed the Union that it required the support of the “stakeholder” to address this issue. The GAWU when asked about the “stakeholder” was advised that that was meant to be Government of Guyana. The company did say that it had previously sought the Administration’s support on the issue, though it did not communicate what was the Government’s position.

The union reiterated that an agreement hinged on an acceptable period of retroactivity. According to GAWU before the meeting ended, the Corporation, it appeared, sought to dismiss “our concerns regarding the period of retroactivity. This upset very much the Union’s delegation which pointed out to the Corporation that the implementation date of the pay rise is a fundamental and critical issue and the sugar company and its officials should not seek to downplay or minimise it to trivialness,” the release added.

GAWU said the meeting, at times, became very contentious as the Corporation also used the engagement to express its views on the Union’s recent statement regarding its 2020 production. The Union said it found the GuySuCo’s demeanor and language to be, at times, unbecoming and clearly out-of-place for the meeting. “While the Corporation may be upset, unfoundedly we believe, the GAWU pointed out that it used information it had at hand to complete its analysis and reach its conclusions. At no time, did the company, in its response, demonstrate that we utilised incorrect data. In seeking to express criticism, the Corporation went as far as accusing the Union of failing to acknowledge its strategic plan. The GAWU had to tell GuySuCo that though we received a presentation on the contours of the plan, we have yet to see the living document. We reminded GuySuCo that we asked for the plan and subsequently put our request in writing but, so far, we remain unaware about what specifically is said in the document.”

GAWU also reported that the Corporation also sought to pull down the recent protest by workers of the Blairmont Estate as they reiterated their demand for an acceptable agreement.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

GTA, Guyana Georgia Tourism and Business Authority sign cooperation MoU

DEEMED the number one hotspot in the Caribbean for eco-tourism, the Guyana Tourism Authority, along with the Ministry of Business, on Thursday morning, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Guyana Georgia Tourism and Business Authority.

The inaugural ceremony which also saw the launch of the hotspot 2020 tourism magazine was held at the Cara Lodge Hotel where the Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar, in his feature address, expressed immense pleasure with the newest achievement of tourism and business sector.

“As minister I would wish to applaud this achievement, on behalf of the government of Guyana. I would wish to express our full appreciation to the efforts made by the parties on both sides to make this signing a reality,” he stated.

The minister further stated that the signing of the memorandum will set the stage for tourism-related business across the country, “this morning [we] will be laying a solid foundation, for outcomes and initiatives in tourism and business that will add value to the tourism sector in Guyana, as well as lift business opportunities among ranks of the diaspora and investors from the State of Georgia.”

Minister Rajkumar noted

Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar, watches on as Stacey Mollison of the Guyana Georgia Tourism and Business Authority and Donald Sinclair of the Department of Tourism sign the Memorandum of Understanding that the Ministry of Business and the Department of Tourism were committed to doing work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Citizenship and the Regional Tourism entities, to generate a complete and reliable data about diasporic organizations and communities, so as to enhance the tourism and business relationship.

Additionally, the President the Guyana Georgia Tourism and Business Authority (GGBTA), Stacey Mollison, an overseas-based Guyanese, during brief remarks at the ceremony, noted that the GGTBA will not only underscore leisure tourism but also medical and business tourism, where med-

ical personnel will visit the country to assist local doctors and medical practitioners to improve the country’s health sector.

Noting that Guyana is a country of many beautiful creatures, waters and forestry, Ms. Mollison stated that GGTBA will also promote tourism in fishing, as the country is known for its magnificent beast in the waters.

Meanwhile, Director General of Tourism, Mr. Donald Sinclair, related that the signing of the MOU and the launching of the tourism ‘hotspot’ magazine marked a significant milestone as Guyana continued to grow in relation to tourism and business.

The magazine, which he added

highlights the various hotspots in all ten of the administrative regions, saw representatives from each region composing a project which highlighted a tourist attraction in their respective regions.

Mr. Sinclair, during the simple ceremony, related to the ambassadors of the various regions in attendance that the aim was to get Guyana on the international market in terms of business and tourism.

He added that Guyana was our product and we must promote, sell and share our product to the rest of the world, so foreigners can see the beautiful fauna and flora Guyana has to offer.

Nations donates computers to Prison Service NATIONS INC has donated 15 computers, monitors

and keyboards to the Guyana Prison Service, as part

of a 20-month Inter-American Development Bank

Nations Inc Chief Executive Officer, Dr Dexter Phillips, hands over one of the systems to an official from the Guyana Prison Service

(IDB) contract to assist with the rehabilitation of the Guyana prisons.

Nations, which has been awarded the contract, has undertaken a series of training programmes for the prison staff and inmates at all of the prisons in Guyana. This includes training in technology, computing, literacy, counselling, art, music and entrepreneurship.

A team of local and overseas consultants are facilitating the programme.

The overseas consultants include an internationally-known psychologist from the UK, a 20-year prison warden veteran from Ireland, a prominent rap artist from Canada, an expert in robotics and a widely exhibited artist from London, Ontario. -

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

GMSTC launches pilot training for first-time miners …Trotman tells young miners ministry will continue to invest in the mining sector

THE Guyana Mining School and Training Centre has launched its pilot training programme for first-time miners, where miners who were in attendance, were educated on topics of dealer expiration, mining excavation and occupation safety and health.

During the opening ceremony of the programme on Monday at the Girl’s Guide Association, Minister of Natural Resources, Rapheal Trotman, praised the first-time miners and also the women who were present among the men for their interest in the mining sector.

“I happy to see many first-time miners and more importantly, I’m happy to see the group of women who are here, I think it is a tribute not only to you for the strength and the limits you are taking to get into what is known to be a male preserved, but it also tells us that the industry as we know it is transforming and evolving so welcome to you all,” he told the young miners.

Mining is a noble profession that exposes everyone who wishes to enter into a range of experiences, as such Minister Trotman related that the Ministry of Natural Resources has recognised the need to not only make lands available to small miners, but to also to provide training and support investment, time and money

to foresee the best yields.

He added that it is also critical that the ministry ensures that miners are mining in a safe and sustainable environment. “Mining is apart of who we are it is as a generic as the air we breathe so we don’t need any [manifesto] to make specific detail recommendations for it, what we want to focus on in this new era of development of making mining safer and more interest being placed on the best practices,” he noted.

The minister related that, too many times in the past, he would have received late night calls and text of instances where a pit has caved in with a young person and such this training is critical as it will not only focus on the technicalities of mining, but also the safety and wellbeing of miners.

Since 2015, the Ministry of Natural Resources has declared 3.6M ounces of gold in Guyana, which brought in about US$3.8B in revenue hence, Minister Trotman stated what we ought to do is make it healthier, more robust, to protect the people in the environment Minister Trotman further stated that lands have been approved for over 90 new applicants, over 550 blocks of land were allotted to last year, this he added will allow for Guyanese, particularly

Minister Trotman addressing the young miners at the launch of the pilot programme on Wednesday

first-time miners, to ply their trade in the mining sector.

The ministry stated that this will continue to provide more access to lands for small miners, in keeping with its commitment to the mining sector as such he urged those present to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“I encourage you to take advantage of this training opportunity and to make every effort to implement the skills and the techniques that you will learn post training.”

In closing, Minister Trotman noted that, “you can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg,” meaning that you can’t mine without disturbing the land, however, the training programme will see a course which will educate the young miners on precautionary measures to leave a minimum impact on the environment.

“You should leave the minimum of foot print as possible, so we want to teach you how we can do that, it is

Honorable Minister of Natural Resources, Rapheal Trotman not impossible, it is not very difficult we can do that, it can be done at the minimum expense,” Minister Trotman told the young miners.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Be vigilant during elections period – GNBA urges broadcasters

THE Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is urging broadcasters to be vigilant during the current high political atmosphere.

At a press conference on Thursday, Chairman of GNBA, Leslie Sobers said the authority is cognisant of the reality, that, during elections period, tensions and emotions are elevated. Thus, it is the responsibility of broadcasters to ensure that the content they broadcast is reflective of the principles and core tenets outlined in the Broadcasting Act of 2011.

“March 2nd will mark the culminating point of elections campaigning for all political parties contesting the general and regional elections. In the run-up political parties are vigorously explaining their policies, while urging the electorate to vote for them.

Political parties contesting the elections are broadcasting their ideologies aimed at the country’s development from their points of view. This has been an exciting run-up to the elections and in some cases, the political enthusiasm resulted in certain unsavoury remarks and expostulations,” Sobers said.

He noted that it was expected that political candidates will express themselves and the public must also freely receive these ideas in order to make informed choices.

However, his concern was not what the politicians say, but what the broadcasters choose to air.

Sobers said broadcasters should refrain

to make informed choices; all paid or free broadcasts in support of political parties or candidates shall be clearly identified before and after the programme; the coverage of political activities shall be objective and impartial; political discussion or debates involving partisan speakers or on behalf of political parties should be clearly labelled as such; race, ethnicity and/or religious beliefs on a basis for denigration of a person’s political affiliation shall not be permitted; controversial or offensive references to opponents shall be avoided; and no political party or affiliate shall

be allowed to sponsor any programme other than a political broadcast. Such sponsorship must be in alignment with any other national stipulation/policy on advertisement and sponsorship including GECOM’s.

Notwithstanding the warning to broadcasters, Sobers noted that there were not many recorded cases of infractions during this period. In fact, the few thus far were minor cases.

However, GNBA still wishes to ensure broadcasters remain vigilant as March 2nd is fast approaching.

Hindus observe Shivratri Chairman of GNBA, Leslie Sobers from transmitting messages or aspects of messages that contain inflammatory speech; imbalanced and/or inaccurate voter and other information; information designed to mislead or deceive the electorate; language that promotes discrimination or violence on any grounds, including race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, political or other opinions or on any other premise; slanderous and/or libelous statements; and malicious misrepresentation.

Outlining a few guidelines extracted from the Broadcasting Act of 2011, he said that political broadcasts should provide information that would enable the electorate

HINDUS throughout the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region, on Friday, observed the auspicious day of Shivratri with chanting of sacred hymns and performing pujas.

Temples throughout the coast were flocked as early at 08:00hrs as persons give reverence to the Hindu God, Lord Shiva.

Services were conducted at Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir, Affiance Vishnu, Adventure, Spring Garden, Anna Regina, Charity/New Road, Annandale, Perseverance and Johanna Cecilia, among other mandirs.

Persons performed rituals by offering to the Lingam-symbol of Lord Shiva flower and milk with honey and ghee along with Bael Patra leaves.

Officiating at the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir Mandir was pandit Avinash Sharma, who explained that “Maha Shivratri” literally means “A great night for Lord Shiva”. A symbol of Lord Shiva adorned with According to Pandit Sharma, a devotee who flowers performs puja/ritual on the day is cleansed believed that Lord Shiva appeared in front of sins and attains a step closer to liberation. of the hunter and blessed him with wisdom.

The day falls on the 14th Day of the dark From that day onwards, the hunter stopped fortnight in the Hindu month of Phalgun. eating meat. Another legend has it that after the Earth was faced with imminent destrucHindus consider the festival auspicious.

According to a popular legend, when a tion, Goddess Parvati pledged with Lord hunter could not find anything to kill for his Shiva to save the world.

Pleased with her prayers, Lord Shiva food in a forest, he waited on the branch of a Woodapple (Bailpatra) tree. In order to agreed to save the world on the pretext attract deer, he started throwing the leaves that the people of the Earth would have to of the tree on the ground, unaware that there worship him with dedication and passion. was a Shiva Lingam (symbol of Lord Shiva) From that day onwards, the night came to be known as Maha Shivratri and peobeneath the tree.

Pleased with the Woodapple (bael patra) ple began worshipping Shiva with great leaves and the patience of the hunter, it is enthusiasm.

Persons from the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir Mandir performing Shivratri puja

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

CARICOM Heads throwing their support behind Guyana in Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy

HEADS of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are throw their support behind Guyana as the country prepares to go to the International Court of Justice for a hearing of their case involving the resolution to controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

This was disclosed at the thirty first Inter-sessional meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government which took place in Barbados from February 18-19, 2020.

The hearing is scheduled for the week of March 23, 2020, at which Guyana will submit its oral pleadings as to why the court was properly vested with jurisdiction by the United Nations Secretary General for a final resolution to the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

The Heads of Government further reiterated their full support for the judicial process that is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end to the long-standing controversy between the two countries.

The Heads of Government further committed their firm and unswerving support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

Guyana will, at that time, submit its oral pleadings as to why the court was properly vested with jurisdiction by the United Nations Secretary-General. It will be for the court to determine its own jurisdiction in accordance with established principles of international law.

Pursuant to the decision of the United Nations Secretary-General, undertaken in accordance with his authority under the Geneva Agreement of February 17, 1966, the matter is now before

the court for a final and binding resolution.

Venezuela has so far taken the position that the court has no jurisdiction and that it will not participate in the proceedings.

On November 29, 2019, it sent the court a Memorandum and issued a public Communique in support of its argument that the court has no jurisdiction.

Guyana rejected them both and maintains the position that it is for the court itself to determine whether it has jurisdiction and that neither party can unilaterally determine this question.

Guyana explained in its Memorandum on Jurisdiction, which it submitted to the court on November 19, 2018, that the boundary was established by the Arbitral Tribunal acting pursuant to a treaty concluded by Venezuela and Great Britain in 1897.

Venezuela celebrated the unanimous Arbitral Award, which was rendered by five eminent jurists; participated in a Joint Commission to demarcate the boundary on the ground; and insisted on the award’s strict implementation. Only decades later did Venezuela, in anticipation of Guyana’s independence, ceased recognising the award’s validity and binding nature.

To ensure a final resolution to the controversy through peaceful means, the Governments of British Guiana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom, concluded the Geneva Agreement, Article IV of which authorises the Secretary-General of the United Nations to decide which of the means listed in Article 33 of the United Nations Charter – which includes binding adjudication by the International Court of Justice – shall be used to resolve the controversy. In agreeing to Article IV, Venezuela

consented to the court’s jurisdiction in the event that the Secretary-General decided that the controversy should be resolved by the court.

On 30 January 2018, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, acting under the authority bestowed on him by the Geneva Agree-

ment, chose adjudication by the court as the means for resolving the controversy with finality.

Guyana commenced proceedings before the

court on March 29, 2018 in accordance with the Secretary-General’s decision. Guyana has no doubt that the court has jurisdiction.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

High voter turnout in Region 10 … as Joint Service functionaries cast their ballots

By Vanessa Braithwaite

EARLY voting in this year’s general and regional elections by members of the disciplined services was conducted without hiccups in the Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice Region, as the hundreds of ranks turned up at the

various polling stations very early in the morning to cast their ballots.

There were, in total, 680 ranks registered to vote in Region Ten. At the end of poll, almost all of the ranks registered to vote did so. It was only at the Mackenzie Police Station ranks were trickling in a little before

18:00, but at the other polling stations, across Region Ten, all of the ranks who registered to vote, were able to exercise their franchise without incident.

Commander of Region Ten, Hugh Winter, related that at the Ituni Police Station, all eight ranks registered to vote, voted; at the

A queue of ranks waiting to cast their ballot at the Mackenzie Police Station Aroaima Police Station all 33 ranks voted, at the Kwakwani Police Station all 14 ranks voted. At the Mabura Police Station, five of the six ranks voted. The other rank is a pregnant constable who will be able to do so on March 2nd. At the Wismar Police Station all 51 ranks voted while almost all of the 166 ranks registered to vote at the Mackenzie Police Station were able to do so. Most of these exercised their franchise before 10:00 hrs. The ranks attached to the Linden Fire Station, also cast their votes on Friday, while ranks of the Guyana Defence Force assigned in the region, cast their ballots at Base Camp Seweyo on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.

Commander Winter was on the ground at the opening of poll, visiting the polling stations in Linden, ensuring the ranks were able to exercise their franchise unhindered. He also set the example, being one of the first ranks to cast his vote. Winter also related that the process was smooth and there were no reports of hiccups. Only ranks who chose not to vote because of religious and other reasons did not vote. “The process was smooth in Region Ten, there was no problem, no reported incidence.”

The commander also commended the GECOM officials for being professional and efficient in their duties, which also resulted in the day being a smooth and incident-free one. Observer of the APNU-AFC Coalition Coretta Braithwaite, who was stationed at the Mackenzie Police Station said that at the end of poll there were no complaints and the process was smooth. “Everything was smooth, no hiccups.

I was impressed with the

GECOM staff. They were efficient,” Braithwaite said.

Observer of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Andrew Forsythe shared similar sentiments that the process was smooth and impressive. “Very smooth, no hiccups so far, I am leaving

Commander Hugh Winter after casting his ballot at the Mackenzie Police Station Mackenzie now going to Wismar and all the reports are favourable. I got reports from all the outlying communities and everything is ok,” he said.

Winter said that all systems are in place to provide the needed security on elections day.

“March 2nd we are on top of our game, we are ready,” the Commander said. While there are 65 polling stations across Region Ten, there are 122 ballot boxes to be secured and ranks have already been assigned to these boxes while others will perform general duties to ensure the Elections Day atmosphere in Region Ten remains peaceful.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

GECOM chair, commissioners hail voting process by Disciplined Forces CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and several of her commissioners have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the joint services voting on Friday.

Justice Singh told journalists that she visited a number of polling stations at the Ruimveldt Police Station, Base Camp Seweyo, Police Officers’ Mess at Eve Leary, and the Guyana Police Force Training Centre, and voting by the Joint Services members were being done in a peaceful and orderly manner.

“No concerns were raised. Everything is going very smoothly. We are not aware of any concerns so far,” the GECOM Chair said.

Justice Singh noted that at some polling stations, the voters’ turnout was relatively high compared to others but explained that such is due to the fact that members of the Disciplined Services were working at different periods of the day.

For his part Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, who was also present at the Brickdam Police Station, said that electors were slowly trickling in at that location. “I

think it is relatively slow at this station,” he said. Lowenfield had visited a number of polling places within Georgetown. He said based on all indications, there were little or no hiccups. “I was advised that at each of the [polling]

Cards, but that was admirably sorted out because as you are aware, there is a process to treat with that,” the CEO reported.

Government-nominated Elections Commissioner, Desmond Trotman, who was

satisfaction. He said not only did voting commence on time, but also members of the Joint Services had turned out in their numbers to cast their ballots. “In my own estimation, it is going well so far.

In some places, where there

there and voting. Here, where there is a small number 126, already 45 persons have voted,” Trotman told the Guyana Times during the early hours of the elections.

Another Elections Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, who was also present at the Georgetown Prison

ed day before March 2, 2020, all Disciplined Ser-

GECOM Commissioner, Desmond Trotman

GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj

Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, proceeding to a polling station within the Brickdam Police Station. (Photos by Adrian Narine)

stations visited, there were instances where persons did not have their Identification

seen observing the polling at the Georgetown Prison Conference Room, also expressed

are massive numbers, there is a massive turn out, and so a lot of people are actually

Conference Room, made similar observations. “So far it seems to be going pretty smoothly,” Gunraj said, while noting that there were no reported incidents.

GECOM had informed members of the Disciplined Services that at an appoint-

vices’ ballots will be sorted accordingly in the presence of party agents. In order to protect the secrecy of the votes cast, the ballot papers will not be stamped with the official six-digit stamp until Election Day and intermixed with the votes of others for counting. In addition to the 10,226 members of the Disciplined Services who were expected to vote on Friday, 83 non-resident electors were scheduled to cast their votes.

CHW training programme launched in Region Two

MINISTER of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, has called on trainees of the newly-launched Community Health Worker (CHW) programmer, to make a difference with the toolbox of knowledge that they will gather from the CHW training.

She was, at the time, delivering the feature address at the launch of the Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Programme in Region Two on Monday at the Anna Regina Health Centre.

Declaring the six-month programme open, Minister Lawrence said the delivery of healthcare in Region Two will experience a boost now that 36 young people will undergo training in the healthcare system and they will be expected to return to their community to serve.

She, therefore, reminded the participants of the programme that they represent the healthcare system, and as such, should display professional behaviour at all times.

“You are all unique, you have the opportunity to better

throughout the years.

Meanwhile, Region Two Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikarran, said he was pleased to host the training programme in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region.

one, and it was launched at an opportune time.

Giving an overview of the programme was the acting Regional Health Officer, Dr Afarah Khan. She said that in 2017, 42 persons were trained

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawerence, delivering the feature address

yourself and your community, you are lucky in Region Two to have all the lecturers right here, don’t waste it,” Minister Lawrence said.

The minister emphasised that the Community Health Worker (CHW) will be the “bridge” that will fill the gap in their respective communities and told them to approach the classes with seriousness and commitment. The minister of public health reminded the audience that the Government of Guyana’s focus, under the Ministry of Public Health, is

to ensure that every citizen, despite their geographical location, are provided with “good health” and that maximum services are provided, especially to the far-flung regions.

She, therefore, urged the trainees upon completion of the programme, to raise the bar of the healthcare system and to practice the various techniques that they will be taught. She also commended the efforts of Region Two healthcare providers for the excellent service they have been providing to the residents of the region

The gathering at the launch

He said for the very first time, the programme has been introduced in the region, more and more young people are given the opportunity for further career enhancement. He further stated that the CHW programme is a much-needed

as CHW with those workers dispersing in Regions Six and Nine to offer their services.

During the six-month programme, trainees will be taught anatomy and physiology, environmental health, personal hygiene, English

Language, the healthcare system, common illnesses, vector control, communication, first aid, substance abuse, mental health, elderly health, clinical procedure, pharmacology, maternal child health, clinical procedure, surveillance, integrated management childhood illness and basic nutrition.

In the sixth month, the trainees will be placed at the various health centres on attachment within their respective communities. They will also undergo a final examination. Dr Khan, therefore, urged them to use the opportunity to serve their communities.

Several of the participants, especially those who hailed from the Riverain communities such as Wakapoa, Akawini and Kabakaburi, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Public Health and the Region Two Administration for affording them the opportunity. Many of them said they chose the programme because they want to be ambassadors of the healthcare system and they have a passion to serve.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Republic Arch rededicated for 50th Anniversary

AS Guyana prepares to celebrate its 50th Anniversary of attaining the status as a Republican nation, the Republic Arch that was built and commissioned on February 21, 1970 to commemorate the occasion, was recommissioned yesterday, February 21, 2020.

On February 23, 1970 Guyana etched its name in history as the first Caribbean country to become a Republic, and to date remains as the only Cooperative Republic.

The historic piece of architecture with mounted commemorative plaque representing Guyana’s 50 Years as a Republic is strategically sited at the intersection of Avenue of the Republic and Church Street, in the capital city of Georgetown. It is made of aluminum and was built by Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron Foundry which has its headquarters in West Ruimveldt, one of the city’s wards.

Guyana National Flag`The Golden Arrowhead’ mounted at the recommissioned Republic Arch at the intersection of the Avenue of the Republic and Church Street. The arch was initially built and commissioned on February 21, 1970 to commemorate Guyana’s attaining Republic status.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addresses the gathering at the recommissioning ceremony of the Republic Arch Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who, along with Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton, did the honours, said the arch was “a symbol of our new pride and our status as Guyanese republicans.”

He said too that Guyana was being transformed from the backyard it used to be and into a modern country with the window to our new world being our capital city Georgetown.

Ministers of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karen Cummings; Minister of Business, Hemraj Rajkumar; Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine and former Mayor Hamilton Green; and Second Secretary of the Indian High Commission Virendra Gupta, were among the gathering witnessing the event.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister drew attention to the location of the arch, noting that it was a magnificent edifice that represents the symbol of our financial autonomy, citing its proximity to the Bank of Guyana and to the old Bookers store renamed Guyana Stores Limited.

According to him, Guyanese’ love of arches dates back to 1966 when on the occasion of this country receiving its independence, an Independence Arch was erected on Brickdan. That structure still stands proudly in the vicinity of the Square of the Revolution, with the Flag of Guyana fluttering at the nearby D’Urban Park.

The Prime Minster stated that the ovalshaped structure on Church and Avenue of the Republic, overlooks one of the few remaining canals of Georgetown which separate the east and west wings of the Avenue of the Republic.

The Avenue, previously a part of High Street, was renamed 15 years ago, on February 21, 1970 to commemorate the birth of the Republic of Guyana. The exercise then, was all part of a number of activities and events to usher in Republic status. The renaming of the street was officiated by then Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship Mr John Ford, in the presence of the then Mayor of Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Hamilton Holder, among other dignitaries, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister further remarked that over the years the Republic Arch has enhanced the beauty of Republic Avenue and its environs and is yet another symbol of our growing national pride.

He reminded of other arches that have been erected at the entry points of the capital city, at Agricola on the East Bank of Demer-

ara (EBD) and Industry on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Noting that much has changed over the years, the Prime Minister spoke of the citizens becoming more attuned to orderliness, the reduction of floods as was experienced in 2015 and the reduction of garbage, along with the installation of garbage receptacles at strategic locations in the city.

Also, the country’s highways have been enhanced, overhead pedestrian passes have been built and there has been improved visibility with the installation of road and street lights in several communities..

The Prime Minister also endorsed a public appeal for the restoration of the iconic City Hall, noting that a similar exercise is ongoing at the St George’s Cathedral. He, therefore, reminded that the arch is located in the midst of history and in the midst of cultural symbols and heritage buildings of the world.

It is with pride that the Government of Guyana has enhanced and recommissioned such an incredible piece of history and architecture, in commemoration of the country’s 50th Republic Anniversary. Also, it restored the capital city to its original name of `The Garden City’, having rescued it from the` Garbage City’ state it was in prior to 2015.

On this note, the Prime Minister publicly recommended the work of Mayor Narine for “taking forward the mantle of sterling leadership, to ensure that the city is to what it once used to be.”

The commemorative plaque that is mounted at the enhanced and recommissioned Republic Arch at the Avenue of the Republic and Church Street intersection Lancaster in his earlier historical brief stated, that the date chosen for the Republic Anniversary was the date that was struck by national hero `Cuffy’, in his fight for freedom in 1763.

The reciting of the Universal Prayer, a rendition of a national song and a musical selection by steelpan by two members of the National School of Music, spiced up the event.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

‘There were a lot of abuse’ … GECOM defends decision to reduce private residences as polling stations

… President points to allege abuse in the past … PPP up in arms against decision that was recommended by Carter Center

By Svetlana Marshall CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, said the decision to reduce the number of private residences as polling places is in keeping with rec-

tions, the Carter Center, in an Elections Observer Mission Report, urged GECOM to make a deliberate effort to reduce the number of private residences being used as polling places.

Despite this recommendation, the People’s Progressive Party Civic

advocates and many persons, not associated with the administration at that time were disenfranchised. I am very confident that it will not happen now. I am confident that the elections commission, which is in charge of elections, will make the right decision,” the Head of State told reporters.

PPP UPSET “We consider this latest development as yet another attempt by GECOM to frustrate voters, suppress and hinder voting and create possible confusion on Elections Day,” the PPP/C said in a latenight statement on Thursday.

While acknowledging that the number of polling stations has increased from 2,299 in 2015 to 2,339 in 2020, PPP/C contended that the increase was not sufficient to accommodate the increase of almost 90,000 electors in 2020. It alleged that the situation is further compounded by the reduction of private-residence polling places.

voters’ suppression, while reiterating that the reduction in the use of private residences as polling stations is in keeping with the Carter Center’s recommendation.

“I am not aware of that, I am not aware of that at all. I am aware that they are using the public buildings,” she iterated while responding to claims of voters’ suppression.

Responding to a series of questions posed by journalists on Friday, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, detailed that 2,339 polling stations would be in place for General and Regional Elections. Of that number, approximately 92 are housed in private residences, and according to him, the elections commission had little or no other choice than to use the private residences. “The circumstances have dictated, there are absolutely no public building, public or other building that could have been used in these instances, and therefore we had no choice. The residents of those particular divisions, sub-division have to vote,” he said.

Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, observing the electoral process at the Brickdam Police Station ommendations from the Carter Center, shutting down allegations of voter suppression by the opposition.

Justice Singh also made it clear that while the number of private residences has been reduced, the use of public buildings has increased. “Those [private residences] have been reduced because they are using public buildings. It is not that the polling

(PPP/C) is up in arms against GECOM’s decision to reduce the number of private residences as polling places for the March 2 General and Regional Elections, noting that the reduction had taken place in its stronghold.

GECOM RESPONSIBLE Weighing in on the issue, President

Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh engages a polling agent at the Brickdam Police Station stations are removed from the area, it is just the private residences; they are moving away from those,” Justice Singh explained to journalists on Friday. At the time, the GECOM Chair was observing voting by ranks of the Guyana Police Force at the Brickdam Police Station. Days after the May, 2015 General and Regional Elec-

David Granger said the elections commission is responsible for the identification of polling places and polling stations. He said, in the past, the use of private residences had proven to be a challenge.

“Some of them were obscure, some of them were the houses of active political

“In areas such as: -1) Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, with almost 7,000 electorates, GECOM has reduced the number of polling places from 10 to two, eliminating completely all private residences, while cramping all the polling stations into two schools situated at the same location – this will definitely result in confusion, frustration and will keep voters in lines for several hours,” the PPP/C contended.

Its Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, and Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, made similar allegations on Friday, as they too observed the electoral process.

In Chesney Village, Region Six, Ali contended that eligible voters would be required to walk approximately two miles to access a polling place. “The system must be built in such a way that makes it easy for the electorate to exercise their franchise, that is part of having the democratic will exercise,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate said.

FARFETCHED But Justice Singh said the PPP/ C’s contentions are farfetched. The GECOM Chair also rejected claims of

The CEO said in some cases, electors would be required to use various medium of transportation to access polling places.

Using Mon Repos as an example, he said the East Coast Demerara village has a total of 18 polling stations. He made it clear that once public buildings are available, they will be used as polling stations. “Generally, public places are used for elections, and if public places are available, then public places will be used. It is simple as that. There is no magic in this,” the CEO made clear.

In May 2015, following the close of polls, civil unrest flared up in ‘C’ Field, Sophia with the burning of vehicles outside the home of Pastor Narine Khublall – a staunch PPP/C supporter – when reports were spread that he was storing ballot boxes on his premises.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) were called to the scene to calm the high emotions of electors who felt that their democratic right was being violated. It is hoped that the increase use of public buildings would prevent such recurrence.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

83% turn out for Joint Services in Region Three

By Tamica Garnett

THREE hundred and forty six officers in the Essequibo Islands West Demerara Region turned out to vote on Friday, marking an overall 83 percent turnout rate for that Region, where Guyana Police Force officers voted across three polling places stationed at the La Grange Police Station, Leonora Police Station, and the Leguan Police Station.

With the smallest number of voters of the three, the Leguan polling station had the highest turn out rate where 90 percent of the 31 voters exercised their franchise in casting votes for the General and Regional Elections. The station covered officers from the Leguan Island and Wakenaam Island Police Stations.

Both the Leonora and La Grange stations each recorded 82 percent turnout rate.

The Leonora Polling Station had the highest number of voters, with 242 electors on that station’s list, which covered officers from the Leonora, Den Amstel, Parika Police Stations as well as the Tuschen and Bonasika outposts. When polls closed at 18:00hrs, 199 of the voters had cast their ballots.

At the La Grange polling station 145 voters were scheduled to mark their ballots, covering officers at police stations across sub-region 2, which included the La Grange, Vreed-en-Hoop, Parfait Harmonie, and Wales Police Stations. Of that number 119 came out. Armed with their identification cards, many of the officers queued up as early as 05:00hrs to

exercise their franchise and ensure their vote was counted in Guyana’s General and Regional Elections. The officers did not need their identification cards to vote, but felt all the more secure having it.

Regional Commander, Simon McBean explained that: “We gave them the opportunity to vote early because we still have the normal police work to carry out during the day. We brought them in very early so that those that are coming in can have the opportunity to vote

McBean himself voted around 09:00hrs and noted his joy to be a part of the process, and to see his officers follow suit. “As a member of the joint services and a member of the public I am proud and happy to participate in this most important process. Based on the feedback I’m seeing they [officers] are pleased to be here and pleased to be part of the process,” McBean shared.

McBean said that the elections season had been a calm one so far for the Re-

tivity and that was thoroughly investigated.

of the morning coordinating and speaking with the offi-

Regional Commander, Simon McBean, (left) took to the polling station around 09:00 hrs on Friday to cast his ballot for the country's General and Regional Elections (Elvin Croker photo)

Police ranks in line at the La Grange (below) and Leonora Police Stations (Elvin Croker photo)

and then relieve the others to come and exercise their franchise.”

93% voter turnout in Region Five

IN Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), members of the disciplined services voted at two locations, namely the Mahaicony Police Station for officers and ranks stationed there and the Fort Wellington Police Station for officers and ranks stationed at Fort Wellington, Weldaad and Blairmont Police stations.

Members started voting early and by 08:45hrs some 75% of all those eligible had cast their ballots. Voting continued throughout the day up to the close of polls at 18:00hrs. At the end of the polling a reliable source said some 93% of all eligible members of the discipline services in the Region had successfully cast their votes.

Of those who had not voted, some had resigned, others were facing disciplinary action, and one rank was reportedly seriously ill. The source disclosed that those who had not voted for one reason or another will get the opportunity to do so during polling on March 2, 2020.

All sources and observations by the Guyana Chronicle reporter indicated that the process of balloting by members of the disciplined services in Region 5 for the 2020 National and Regional elections proceeded smoothly without any hiccups or hindrances.

gion, with only one report in the region pertaining to politically-motivated criminal ac-

Regional Crime Chief Troy Whittaker also commended the process, as he exited the polling station having cast his vote, also at Leonora.

“It’s a process and a right, and so far no hiccup, everything smooth. As the day progresses I will be on the ground checking on staff because we don’t want anyone saying we disenfranchised anyone,” Whittaker said.

At the La Grange Police Station, the easy, and smooth voting was under the watchful eye of Officer in charge of the Station, Superintendent Raphael Rose, who led by example, ensuring that he was first in line to stain his finger when the doors officially opened at 06:00hrs.

“We have a few traffic ranks who have to go to the [Demerara Harbour] Bridge, so they went up and cast their votes first,” Rose noted.

Rose spent the early part

cers, about those who will vote early and those who would come later in the day.

Second in line to vote at the La Grange Police Station was Dolcie Abrams who was very excited and passionate about ensuring that her vote was counted. “I’m finished, all done, it was very good, smooth process!” were Abrams comments after she walked out the polling station.

Despite being stationed at the Parika Police Station, Abrams explained that she was only recently transferred from the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station so she was scheduled to vote at La Grange instead of Leonora. A third time voter, she encouraged others to ensure they exercised their right. “I feel good about casting my vote for the third time. I think that we all need to come out and put our hands together and vote. I

also encouraged my family to come out and vote elections day,” Abrams said.

Other police officers at that station commended how comfortable the process was.

Attached to the Wales Police Station, young mother Lavette Clementson came early to vote as she wanted to have enough time to return home and prepare her two children for school before going to work for 08:00hrs.

Also from the Wales Police Station, 26-year-old Kevin Causeway who was voting for the second time at a General and Regional Elections, commended the efforts made to ensure ranks were encouraged to come out and mark their ballots. “Great efforts were made this time around as compared to the last time to ensure that police officers are out to cast their vote,” Causeway said.

Fifty-year-old Dhanraj Ramkissoon, who voted at Leonora, was among the more experienced voters, but nonetheless still happy about the process. “I vote steady.

Since meh join this work, since 1995, I does vote early.

Me vote got to count because that’s my right,” Ramkissoon affirmed.

First time voter, 21-year-old Budhram Rampertab was encouraged by the confidentiality of the process. “It’s secure, there’s nobody there to see when you cast your vote, so it’s straightforward, and personal to yourself. So when you fold your thing [ballot paper], nobody knows whatsoever [party] you voted for,” said Budhram, who is from Berbice.

Man before court for murder of brother-in-law TWENTY-NINE-year-old Anthony King was, on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, committed to stand trial at the High Court for murder of his brother-inlaw, whom he allegedly beheaded in 2018.

King, was committed by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Demerara High Court, on Thursday, when the Preliminary Inquiry concluded.

He is currently on remand for allegedly killing Justin Peterkin, 39, on November 5, 2018, at Section ‘C’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The Magistrate ruled that a sufficient case was made out against King and committed him to be tried at the High Court for the

Cassandra King, who is the defendant’s sister. Shortly after Cassandra King and her father David King left for work, an eyewitness reportedly saw King chopping his in-law in the yard.

An alarm was raised

and the defendant allegedly left the scene, but was promptly arrested by the police, who were summoned. Peterkin’s body reportedly bore multiple wounds to the neck, head, and shoulder.

Justin Peterkin

offence.

According to a police report, Peterkin is an electrician and father of one, who resides at Paradise Village, East Coast Demerara and King visited the Golden Grove property. Peterkin was at home with his wife,

Anthony King

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Pearson stuns in Couture show A DRAMATIC slow stride down the runway by the towering Natasha Alder in a stunning floor-length, strapless dress, with a dramatic tulle train left a lasting impression with patrons when it brought a close to the House of Pearson Couture Show last Saturday at the Ramada Princess Hotel.

The just over two and a half-hour show featured the latest collections of young local designer 28-year-old Quinton Pearson, and included a spicy “swimwear”, chic “resort wear”, and subtle “evening wear” and a distinctive “men’s evening wear”.

The collections all preceded the grand finale couture line which saw Pearson leaving the best for last. It was a women’s clothing line that included floor-length dresses, cute little cocktail dress, and leotards.

Pearson played around with some velvet, and sheer, while being big on floral applique and handmade flowers.

In the women’s evening wear, Pearson was big on fishtail skirts on the gowns, much like Pierpaolo Piccioli premiered at Valentino’s Haute Couture last month; while it also contained a lot of all whites that perhaps had some women in the audience thinking of wedding bells.

House of Pearson Designer, Quinton Pearson more Guyanese events than it should be. Scheduled to start at 20:00hrs, the show started at 20:45hrs, but of course attune to the culture some of the attendees were unsurprisingly still trickling in at 21:00hrs.

Bonner’s first performance of the with a male partner.

Bonner came out on the floor sans partner and apologized before rushing back to find him. There was also Jackie Jaxx’s performance, where she was left wondering if the DJ knew she was on stage and had to prompt him to start her track.

Quinton noted that he was pleased with the show and the reception and thanked everyone who supported. The show was held in collaboration with makeup company Bromeliad. rnc who was the official makeup sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included Perfect U Salon. Agie’s Dominican Salon and De Sinco Trading who also had a booth at the event.

Ticket bearing patrons of the show were offered various discounts at a pop-up shop that Pearson subsequently held.

A piece from the swimwear collection

Miss Earth Guyana, Fahdeya King (left) and Miss India Guyana, Rashena Haniff (Elvin Croker photo)

The night started with the steaming swimwear where featured a lot of metallic stretch polyester, in mostly two-piece bikinis.

“The swimwear really popped for me,” commented Alana Lall.

Lall was accompanied by her friend Tiffany DeSantos who was more smitten with the couture line, gushing over a long-sleeved, sheer sequined piece in particular.

Forty-one-year-old Nicola Foo more favoured the women’s evening wear, saying that: “I loved the variety, I loved the uniqueness especially the wedding dresses.”

The night’s audience included the reigning Miss Earth Guyana Faydeha King, and Miss India Guyana, Rashena Haniff, as well as renowned pageant coordinator, Negla Brandis.

Throughout the night the fashion lines were interjected with performances by former Miss Guyana Talented Teen, Tiffani Bonner and Jackie Jaxx, who did a rendition of her famed, spine-tingling original piece “Guyana”. Both Bonner and Jaxx did their performances donning pieces from Pearson’s collections.

The show’s décor was definitely well put together, and the music that accompanied each line was just what it needed to be setting an ambiance for a night of elegance.

Notwithstanding the glitz and glamour the show was not without its fair share of multiple and continuous technical difficulties and glitches that Guyanese still need to iron out if we really are to raise the standard of fashion shows in Guyana.

There were a few “nip slips”, and the night was plagued with mic issues. Naturally, the show started with the customary “we’re sorry for the late start” that seems a staple at

A piece from the House of Pearson’s Menswear collection (Elvin Croker photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Ready for Mash!

Several Ministries launch Mash bands this week

By Alisa Lashley SEVERAL Government Ministries in a vivid display of colours, officially launched their Mashramani this past week.

The Ministry of Agriculture launched its band on Wednesday in the Ministry compound. The costumes was designed

by Olympia Small, with the notion of placing emphasis on making kitchen gardens more prominent in today’s society.

This year, the band comprises at least 100 or more revellers drawn from the ministry.

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, in his address, stated, “I urge you to reflect on the sacrifices that you have overcome in the past 50 years, celebrate our achievements as a people and as a country and celebrate with a Republican spirit by

The Ministry of Infrastructure’s Mashramani costume being displayed (DPI photo)

tor-General, Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Claudette Rogers noted that it was a privilege to participate in the celebrations since the maritime sector is critical to the development of any country. “When we think in terms of what is taking place in the oil and gas sector, it is a way to ensure people are informed of the role of the MARAD,” Rogers stated.

The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is also expected to have a special section in the band that will display the country’s renewable resources.

Joining the parade was the Ministry of Natural Resources whose band was designed with the concept of Guyana potentially dabbling in the eco- friendly mining arena. This year, the band comprises at least 200 and more revellers drawn from the three sections of the ministry: the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the

Minister Henry making her remarks (Delano Williams photo)

Minister Noel holder and Junior Minister, Valerie Yearwood pose with the revellers displaying the ministry’s costume (DPI photo) minister within the Ministry of Public Minister of Education Dr. Nicolette Henry and other officials of the ministry being responsible citizens, as we stand as Infrastructure Hon. Jaipaul Sharma in of Education pose with revellers (Delano Williams photo) one people, one nation, with one destiny.” congratulating staff of the Ministry for the government’s plan to promote sus Junior Minister within the Ministry of the successfully executing their duties Guyana Geology & Mines Commission tainability across the country. The MinAgriculture, Valerie Yearwood, also noted over the past year. He further noted this (GGMC) and the ministry itself. istry of Natural Resources, in this case, that the Promotion of kitchen gardens is year’s Republic Jubilee Celebrations will Public Affairs Officer of the Ministry, sustainable forest and mining practices. in keeping with Guyana’s Green State be centred on a theme showcasing the Stephon Gabriel, The band was launched at the National development strategy (GSDS) which aims maritime sector. detailed that the theme goes hand Exhibition Centre in Sophia under the to promote the re-establishing of kitchen In an interview with the Buzz Direc- in hand with the Ministry and more so theme “Promoting sustainability and degardens in households around the country. velopment “and was designed by Neilson The Ministry’s Queen costume is exNurse. pected to depict a bountiful kitchen garMeanwhile, the Ministry of Edden, which will be decorated with baskets ucation’s band was launched at the filled with varying fruits and vegetables National sport’s complex, under the aimed at encouraging citizens to incorpotheme “ Promoting education through rate fruits into their daily meals. technology “.This year, the band comThe Ministry of Infrastructure’s band prises at least 300 and more revellers was launched at the Ministry’s headquarfrom the various sectors of the ministry ters, under the theme “Showcasing the and also designed by Neilson Nurse, Maritime sector”. This year, the band who noted that he was keeping it simple will be participating in the medium secwhile keeping it playful with the design tion while hosting over 200 revellers, this year. with the heads of the various agencies The Minister of Education, Nicolette within the ministry leading their respecHenry, in her brief remarks expressed tive sections in the band. that, the Band is even bigger than it was Minister of Public Infrastructure, last year, “We usually David Patterson, in his remarks said host small bands on the road but confidently, “I am launching the winning this year we have a medium-sized band… I would like to say to the band. I am happy to be celebrating the Ministries, to all the other participants, 50th jubilee, as it’s not only Guyana’s ‘thank you for partaking. You’ve done a Republic Anniversary but this season great job, but when you come up against marks my 50th year of life also. We are the best, you do expect that you come not only looking forward to participatDesigner of the MNR’s customes, Neilson Nurse and revellers (Delano Williams ing in the Mash parade but also to win second.’”

The Minister also joined with Junior photo) in our category,” the Minister said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Republic Golden Jubilee exhibition launched

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By Alisa Lashley THE National Museum was on Tuesday, transformed into a cultural extravaganza as the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, launched its Republican Golden Jubilee Exhibition, which is was launched under the theme “Guyana together, reflect, celebrate, transform”.

Former Prime Minister and Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Greene, in his feature address at the launch held, emphasized the importance of Reflecting and gaining further knowledge on Guyana’s history before we gained republican status while reminding attendees about the dark days our people suffered, struggled and made sacrifices to get Guyana to where she is today while urging Attendees to mirror the importance of our diverse country dwelling as one, in the pursuit of building a prosperous nation. ”The gaining of Independence and our Republic Anniversary can be placed into three segments. The first, the struggle years that led to the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead in the morning of May 26, 1966, and the second period, when we were cloaked with indepen-

Former Mayor Hamilton Greene, interacting with an official during the exhibition viewing

Cultural dance choreographed by Quacy Grant

A masquerade performance during the exhibition

dence and the constitutional right, we sought to improve our economy and to put in place, plans to ensure that, the major beneficiaries, of our God-given resources, our water, mineral resources and now our new found oil, main beneficiaries were the people of Guyana,” Greene in his closing remarks asserted.

This event is hosted in commemoration with our 50th Jubilee anniversary list of events, which is organised by the Ministry of Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion and is expected to further edify the public on Guyana’s pre and post republican history.

The event was serenaded with a cultural dance, which was choreographed by Quacy Grant, a steel pan rendition of ‘O’ Beautiful Guyana’ and concluded with a calypso performance by Neheeryah Newland.

School children and teacher viewing the exhibition during their school tour

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Guyana, 50 years a Cooperative Republic!

–– What does that mean to the people?

Councillor Denroy Tudor On Sunday Guyana will commemorate another milestone in its development.

On this day, it will be 50 Golden years since Guyana became a Cooperative Republic, wherein it took the bold step to solidify its independence, and pursue a developmental trajectory through the ethos of ‘working together’.

Today, are Guyanese who understand the significance of this guiding philosophy and its importance in nation-building.

“The meaning of the Cooperative Republic means persons are united towards one common goal, that is the basis of (Guyana’s National motto) ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” highlighted Councillor of the Georgetown City Council, Denroy Tudor The vision of the Cooperative Republic was articulated by Former President Linden Forbes Burnham, after Guyana gained its Independence from colonial rule in 1966. According to the Former President, this shift from monarchical rule, to Independence, to becoming a Cooperative Republic was one that must be the bedrock of Guyana’s evolution.

Cognisant of this, Tudor said that by being a Cooperative Republic, Guyana has a foundation on which it has been able to, and must also continue to, build upon.

Illustrating the value that can be garnered from working together, the Councillor reflected upon the villages along the East Coast corridor, which were created through what has been termed the “village

ERC Commissioner Deodat Persaud movement”. After Emancipation, beginning in the 19th century, the formerly enslaved Africans came together in groups, pooled the money they would have been able to amass, and bought plantations from the European owners.

This movement, according to him, illustrates the very essence of ‘cooperation’. The Africans were able to work together and establish villages and communities, and subsequently worked to make their livelihoods and develop the communities.

Through being a “Republic”, Guyana’s governance system is one which power lies in the hand of the people and their elected representatives, including an Executive President. When you factor in the “Cooperative”, you have a more egalitarian society where both the work necessary and the power held is shared by the people.

Through this system, Commissioner of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Pandit Deodat Persaud explained that there is a certain degree of autonomy afforded to citizens, to manage the affairs of the country.

The benefits of this, he said too, is that Guyanese have the ability to forge a “stronger identity of self”.

But 50 years later, Persaud affirmed that there are still areas where Guyanese have to continue working to relearn or correct the ideas of culture that may have been mired by colonisation.

Local Musician Gavin Mendonca “The Cooperative Republic is an ideal philosophy,” Persaud said, positing, “Whether or not we have been able to achieve, it is there and it is a working progress but we must not lose sight of it.”

Furthermore, he stressed that all Guyanese should be very conscious of how significant of an accomplishment being a Cooperative Republic is for Guyana and that they should use this Jubilee commemoration as a springboard for further development.

“This is important especially at a time when we are moving into a different time... the next 50 years are going to be much greater,” Persaud emphasised.

Similarly, local folk musician Gavin Mendonca emphasised that Guyanese, particularly Guyanese youth, must position themselves to work to continue Guyana’s development.

“Right now in our 50th year of the Republic, in this new decade, at the dawn of a new era with oil and everything, it is a critical time to be a young Guyanese to make a difference,” he posited.

And, for General Manager (ag) of the Guyana Chronicle newspapers, Donna Todd, the significance of being a Cooperative Republic is that it advocates for Guyana to be a more self-sufficient society.

“When we became a Republic, [President Burnham] went on his drive to feed, clothe and house the nation,” Todd reflected, “With this drive, he brought

General Manager (ag) of the Guyana Chronicle, Donna Todd into consideration he brought into consideration that every household in Guyana must be planting some crop to assist in feeding the family.”

Now, decades later, she contended that there is much merit in such a system. For her, Guyanese should capitalise on the opportunities available by joining cooperatives, and pooling resources and energies to create a much larger output.

Providing a simple example for this, she explained that citizens are given more land to cultivate on if they have joined a cooperative and are working together, as opposed to then working on an individual basis.

Beyond this thrust for economic development, the General Manager also highlighted that through this system, emphasis is placed on developing a national identity by propagating the local multitude of cultures.

For Todd, however, one major hindrance to the development of the national identity and spirit of cooperation envisaged is that even today, or rather, particularly today when the country is days away from its Regional and General elections, racism still manifests in truly “ugly” ways.

“You have to appreciate who you are, and who people are. And if our motto is One People, One Nation, One Destiny, then the only way we can go forward is as One -

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Tapping in local culture to propel development

By Vishani Ragobeer AS Guyana commemorates 50 years since it made the institutional shift towards being a Cooperative Republic, there is much leeway to focus on culture and how this sector propagates the development of any nation.

“Culture has a very integral role in development,” the Director of Culture Tamika Boatswain told this newspaper recently. For her, culture is that intrinsic sense of community that gives people that thrust to work to-

wards something ‘bigger than themselves’.

More importantly, perhaps, she related that a nation’s development is inherently bound to the culture of its people.

According to the Head of the Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Heritage Centre, at UNESCO, César Moreno-Triana, “The role of culture at all levels in favour of economic growth, poverty eradication, sustainable development.”

Speaking on the contribution of the 1972 Heritage Convention to local development, Morena-Triana further elaborated that in

addition to the benefits of spiritual well-being, heritage generates benefits that may contribute to the reduction of poverty and inequality of a nation. Thus, she concluded, culture and heritage is a powerful asset for economic development. She, however, outlined that these benefits that can be augured are not automatic.

Elucidating just how important culture is to Guyana’s development, Boatswain related that the creative sector is just one sector that comes out of culture and the creative sector is probably one of the largest sectors

that Guyana has, because of the litany of sub-sectors it encompasses.

The Director of Culture, however, contended that Guyana is yet to fully tap into this sector, unlike other countries, like Trinidad and Tobago for example. In this context, she related that the Department of Culture will be using the grand celebrations that will be had during the string of activities organised for the Republic Jubilee to begin placing more emphasis on Guyana’s diverse and unique culture.

“The jubilee presents one of several great platforms where we can practise our traditions and art forms,” Boatswain explained.

Through this Jubilee, the ‘Mash village’ held at the D’Urban park aimed to provide a space where local creatives- whether in the culinary arts, craft, music, design, inter alia- could both showcase and market their products.

Opening this Mash village last week, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo related, “Where the exhibits are located, you’ll see local goods, beverages, craft, arts and artifacts on display, which would make us become even more proud of what we have become, and give us an indication of who and what we can be when we fully utilise our talents and resources to make things in Guyana and to use things that are Guyanese.”

But there’s not only this Mash village.

In fact, every single event encompassed in the Jubilee celebrations- from the Soca and Calypso monarch competitions to the educational fora- has a functional role in promoting and preserving Guyana’s culture.

In this vein, Boatswain indicated that beyond the Jubilee, the Department will use the momentum generated to push for more focus to be placed on culture, and the creative sector. The key, according to her, is highlighting the nexus between culture and socio-economic development.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Gavin Mendonca: Bringing Folk Music back

LISTEN closely… can you hear it?

Hear Aunty Bess, hear Aunty Bess ah holla!

Aunty Bess and the tale of what caused her to holler is part of one of those seemingly timeless folk songs any Guyanese would just know. It was never taught formally, but one would just be among older persons and learn it by hearing them sing it. That’s how oral traditions have long been passed down.

However, as most things go, the semblance of culture encapsulated in Guyanese folk songs has been suscep-

as he and his band participated in the well-known Rupununi Music and Arts festival. During the first night of the three-night festival, Gavin and company performed all foreign songs amidst a host of performers that infused their culture with their own performances.

Following that opening night, Gavin found the answer to his question of how he would be able to portray his culture while still pursuing the kind of music he did. That was the genesis of “Creole Rock”, a completely new genre that Gavin pioneered by fusing those very same creole songs he grew

Gavin and Chucky ‘folking up’ the place tible to varying influences that would have caused it to begin dissipating.

But, local rock musician Gavin Mendonca has been on a mission to ensure that the authentic Guyanese culture is preserved.

As a young creative professional in Guyana, Mendonca related that a few years ago he began struggling with what identity he was portraying through his musical presentations. This was exacerbated by his exposure to foreign musicians who would present music that was easily identifiable to where they came from, whereas his music was not distinctively ‘Guyanese’.

Indeed that was the conundrum that Gavin found himself in.

“I didn’t want to just be a rock musician, I wanted to be a Guyanese rock musician,” Mendonca said. “So I started to think of ways of how can I represent myself through my music, which happened to be rock music- which is a very ‘non-Guyanese’ form of music.”

His ‘eureka’ moment came in 2015,

to be as authentic as possible.

“Folk songs [are] all about music by the folk, for the folk... it is about who we are as a people in a song,” the creole rock musician explained.

Noteworthy as well, was that this album was produced in 2016 when Guyana was observing its Independence Jubilee, wherein persons were being reintroduced to Guyanese culture, grandly, due to the nature of the celebrations.

Gavin and Chucky performed at a few gigs where they presented creole rock, and before long, patrons were enveloped in the sweet nostalgia of those ‘small days’, pun intended. As the duo continued to develop the brand and the sound, Gavin ventured outside of Guyana to regional and international music festivals where he found his niche market. This creole rock is distinctive, and as such, he was now positioned to draw attention to this bit of Guyanese culture.

Around the same time all this was happening, the young musician related that he and Chucky began their lifelong plan to record guyanese folk songs, even those in indigenous languages.

“Here we are creating a product that is more than a product just to sell, but is something that can truly transform the way we think about cultural preservation and identity in Guyana,” he said.

And ‘Folk it Up’ for him, is more than just a means of generating income; it is an attempt to reintroduce folk culture into a society saturated by foreign culture, Gavin said.

FOLK IT UP: VOLUME TWO Currently, they are recording Folk it up: Volume Two in com-

memoration of the Republic Jubilee, but this album will be launched in August.

In the meantime, when he’s not across the globe spreading Guyanese music, you can find Gavin and Chucky at the Courtyard Mall on Robb street just jamming out to these songs during the lunch hour. These aren’t ticketed performances, and it doesn’t draw the large crowds, but the intention is to have the music permeate the landscape.

“If somebody passes by and they just hear 10 seconds of bamboo fire, it leaves an impression on them,” Mendonca affirmed.

Aside from these efforts however, Mendonca did concede that culture is dynamic and, nevertheless, susceptible to changes. While it is imminent that any part of a culture will be influenced by some external culture, particularly those influences that accompany ‘modernisation’, Gavin posited that this folk music can similarly adapt with the time.

“We can modernise some of the folk songs, to be more reflective of society without changing the intrinsic meaning or essence of the song,” he said. Giving an ad hoc rendition of ‘This time nah long time’, he showed how the lyrics “...long time had donkey cart, now we got bicycle” could be changed to “now we got motorcar”. In so doing, he illustrated that the intrinsic meaning of the song is still there.

Nevertheless, he shared his belief that both he and Chucky are working towards contributing to the preservation, and perhaps the propagation of folk culture in Guyana. It’s a noble feat, really and underscores the importance of Guyanese taking the bold step, individually, to ensure that their culture is salvaged.

up hearing and singing, with the edgy tunes of rock n roll.

He took a few of the popular folk songs- Not a blass ah grass, small days and bamboo fire- and sat down with the rest of his team around their tents and learnt these.

He reflected upon the pleasant surprise the festival goers had written all over their faces, but the real magic came with he paired up with Afro-drummer ‘Chucky’ from Buxton fusion. The duo shared the stage and just ‘vibed’ to folk songs. Chunky eventually joined Gavin in his efforts to promote local folk songs, and they have been working together since then.

Since then, it has been the mission of Gavin and Chucky to contribute to cultural preservation- by preserving Guyana’s folk songs, recording these while maintaining their authenticity.

The first bit of formal work was the production of the album: “Folk it Up: Gavin performing a fine selection of Guyanese folk songs for Guyanese stuVolume One”, which consisted of 11 dents attending the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad and Tobago songs. The emphasis, Gavin said, was (Vishani Ragobeer photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday February 22, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel-683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: (1) ENG 2; SA 1 (2) Eoin Morgan (ENG) TODAY’S QUIZ: (1) How many WI have played 100 tests to date?

(2) How many NZ have played 100 Tests to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

AMERICAN RACING TIPS Aqueduct Race 1 Sneads

Race 2 Rally Cap Race 3 Honey Money Race 4 Camorra Race 5 No More Miracles Race 6 Farragut Race 7 Playwright SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Turffontein 08:15 hrs Intothemystic 08:50 hrs Mombela 09:25 hrs Stage Dance 10:00 hrs Wild Date 10:35 hrs Theravada 11:10 hrs Ideal Man ENGLISH RACING TIPS Kempton 08:40 hrs Marlborough Sounds 09:15 hrs Commanche Red 09:50 hrs Solo 10:25 hrs Song For Someone 11:02 hrs Buzz 11:35 hrs Adrien Du Pont 12:10 hrs Ibleo 12:45 hrs Bothwell Bridge LINGFIELD 09:30 hrs Toro Dorado 10:05 hrs Good Effort 10:40 hrs Bombshell 11:15 hrs Bangkok 11:50 hrs Almufti 12:25 hrs Pirate King 12:55 hrs Behind The Wall IRISH RACING TIPS Fairyhouse 09:45 hrs Behind The Curtain 10:17 hrs Gamin Original 10:52 hrs Halsafari 11:27 hrs Lagenod 12:02 hrs Acapella Bourgeois 13;12 HRS Ferny Hollow

48

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Jamieson, Southee bowl out India (REUTERS) - New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson was probably not even in the running to make his Test debut against India before Neil Wagner withdrew from the squad but the towering pace bowler’s superb display yesterday suggests it will now be difficult to overlook him.

Jamieson, a good basketball player at secondary school, took 3-38 from 14 overs at the Basin Reserve as India limped to 122-5 at tea before heavy rain washed out the final session.

New Zealand had looked set to reunite their experienced pace trio of Trent Boult, who returned from a broken hand, Tim Southee and Wagner against Virat Kohli’s side in the first match of the two-Test series.

But with Wagner a late withdrawal as he awaited the birth of his first child, the 2.03m-tall Jamieson was told on Thursday he would make his Test debut.

While not of express pace - Jamieson rarely reaches 140 kph - his height creates issues for batsmen with the angle of delivery.

He also moves the ball in the air and off the pitch.

It took just 15 deliveries for him to make

an impact as the ball jumped up off a length and seamed away from Cheteshwar Pujara, who got an edge through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.

Even better was to come.

Jamieson enticed Kohli into a drive but the world’s top-ranked Test batsman got a thick edge to Ross Taylor, who snapped up the catch in his 100th Test.

“It has been a pretty surreal last couple of weeks,” said Jamieson, who also made his one-day debut earlier this month.

“For me Test cricket has always been the pinnacle and there were a few emotions when we did the cap presentation last night (Thursday).”

Despite making his Test debut, Jamieson said he did not really have any nerves, especially since he was given the opportunity to bowl downwind.

His dismissal of Kohli saw him leap high in the air in celebration.

“He’s a pretty good batter and such a key to their batting lineup,” Jamieson said.

“To get him early was a massive thing for us as a group ... and it was pretty special.”

Trent Boult and Tom Latham celebrate Mayank Agarwal’s dismissal. (Getty Images)

Australia thrash New Zealand

Ashton Agar celebrates his dismissal of Dale Steyn. (Associated Press) (REUTERS) - AUSTRALIA off-spinner Ashton Agar took a career-best 5-24, including a hat-trick, as they thrashed hosts South Africa by a massive 107 runs in the first Twenty20 International at The

Wanderers yesterday.

After being sent in to bat, Australia amassed 196 for six in their 20 overs as South Africa struggled with their line and length and missed a number of catches in

the field in what was a sloppy display.

The home side were in early trouble in their reply when they lost mainstay Quinton de Kock in the first over and it became a precession after that as Agar helped bowl the hosts out for 89, a record low for South Africa.

The second fixture in the three-game series will be played in Port Elizabeth tomorrow, before the finale in Cape Town on Wednesday.

“We set the tone in the field, took a couple of sharp chances and Ashton bowled really well. It was an all-round good performance,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said at the post-match presentation.

“The way we attacked the crease and bowled a good aggressive length was really impressive.”

It was a record loss for South Africa in the shortest format and comes eight months before the World Cup which will be staged in Australia starting in October.

Steve Smith top-scored for the tourists with 45 from 32 balls on his return to South Africa for the first time since the ‘Sand-

papergate’ scandal of March 2018, after which he was banned for a year by Cricket Australia along with David Warner.

Opener Warner’s return was not as triumphant as he was out second ball for four, but Smith and Finch (42 from 27 balls) put on 80 for the second wicket in only eight overs to lay the platform for the impressive score.

South Africa were in early trouble when an excellent swinging delivery from Mitchell Starc uprooted the middle stump of de Kock, before Agar ripped through the home batting.

He had top-scorer Faf du Plessis (24 from 22) caught on the boundary, before trapping Andile Phehlukwayo leg-before-wicket with the next delivery.

The hat-trick was complete when Dale Steyn edged his first ball to Aaron Finch at slip.

It is the 12th hat-trick in Twenty20 internationals and the second by an Australian after Brett Lee against Bangladesh in 2007.

“I’m not too sure what happened there.

The energy was there but the skills weren’t good enough tonight,” de Kock said.

Poonam leads India to shock win

(REUTERS) - LEG-SPINNER Poonam Yadav bamboozled Australia as India opened the seventh edition of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, with a stunning upset of the reigning champions and tournament hosts, by 17 runs at Sydney Showground yesterday.

Australia restricted India to 132 for four and looked on course to run down their victory target when a half-century from Alyssa Healy got them nearly halfway there.

But Yadav (4-19) removed the opener right after she reached the milestone and then, roared on by a crowd of 13 432 overwhelmingly backing the visitors, wreaked havoc with a string of “wrong’un” deliveries that the Australians were unable to pick.

Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry were sent back in successive deliveries and Yadav was

only denied a hat-trick when wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia was unable to take a difficult chance off the bat of Jess Jonassen.

Bhatia made no mistake off yet another Yadav “wrong’un” to remove Jonassen cheaply two overs later, and Australia were reeling at 82-6.

The four-time World Cup winners were unable to recover despite a dogged 34 from Ash Gardner, the right-hander avoiding becoming Yadav’s fifth victim only after the umpires ruled the Indian’s looping delivery had bounced twice.

Seamer Shikha Pandey (3-13) dismissed Gardner caught-and-bowled in the final over and Molly Strano was run-out on the penultimate ball to end the innings on 110 all out.

“It’s a great feeling, I’m really happy for

our girls,” said India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

“We were just looking for 140 and then let our bowlers win the game and that’s what happened. Our team is looking very nice and if we do well in this tournament we will definitely win this World Cup.” Australia had started the night by winning the toss, but made a nervous start and their Group A rivals took full advantage, racing to 40 without loss in the first five overs.

Teenager Shafali Verma was the main driving force and the 16-year-old opener smashed five fours, including one sublime cover drive, and a booming six in a 15-ball 29.

Smriti Mandhana also started brightly but had only 10 runs on the board when she was trapped lbw by Jonassen and the onslaught stalled when the left-arm spinner dismissed

Verma and skipper Kaur was stumped for two.

Deepti Sharma (49 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (26) put on 53 for the fourth wicket but India never regained the early momentum and Australia would have been confident of reaching their target and taking charge of the group.

“We didn’t quite execute with the bat unfortunately,” said captain Meg Lanning.

“India bowled really well tonight and thoroughly deserved their victory. It’s not ideal, but if we win our remaining games in the pool we’ll still go through.”

The top two teams in each of the two groups go through to the semi-finals on March 5, three days before the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

49

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sentinel Security provides funds for the BCB ‘special projects fund’ SECURITY giant Sentinel Security continues to provide support for the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB). This time the company has made a significant contribution towards the Board’s ‘Special Projects Fund’.

This is the second time that the Board has embarked on such an initiative, following the ‘Balls for Second Division Teams in Berbice Project’ in 2018 which was also supported by the security company.

Managing Director Noreen Seubaran-Gaskin said her company is pleased to be part of this initiative and will continue to help cricket development in the Ancient County, whenever possible.

The first project was very successful.

It raised $830 000.

Every cricket club in the county received cricket balls while young and promising cricketers such as West Indies Under-15 pacer Isiah Thorne, National Under-19 opener Alex Algoo benefitted.

This edition has now raised $325 000 from Tyler and Mia, Kalvin Somrah, Renick Beharry, Raj Mathura, Ian Bhagwandin, Tageram and family and Sentinel Security. They all contributed towards the first project.

Funds from this project will assist cricket clubs with balls, assist young promising cricketers and help the BCB to acquire cricket pitch covers so that key matches, including semifinals and finals, can be played without any rain interruptions, as the board strives to spread the game across the length and breadth of the Ancient County.

In addition, the board will consider other requests as it sees fit. Former Minister Leslie Ramsammy assisted the board with US$2 000 worth of cricket balls to supplement this project.

Anyone who wishes to contribute towards this project can contact Angela Haniff on 333-2375 and Hilbèrt Foster, 337-4443 or 337-4562.

Left, BCB PRO Simon Naidu receives cheque from Berbice manager.

Committee formed to manage Linden’s Agnes Blair basketball court A NEW body was elected to run the affairs of the newly renamed Agnes Blair Basketball Court located in Amelia’s Ward.

Former Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) administrator Robert Archer is the president with Allister Webster as vice-president.

Cheryl Waithe is secretary, Kevin Joseph treasurer, Numez Browne assistant secretary/treasurer and committee members are Shawn Kitt, Shauna Chester and Wilfred Younge.

President Archer said that the decision to rename the court after senior

From left, Shawn Kitt, Floyd Martindale, Robert Archer,, Cheryl Waithe, Wilfred Younge, Kevin Joseph and Numez Browne. Missing is Alister Webster. resident Mrs Agnes Blair was mainly because the

member of the Amelia’s Ward community was

instrumental in obtaining that piece of land for the

construction of the basketball court in the 1990s and

as such they agreed that it be renamed in honour of her efforts to procure a recreational facility.

Several members of the committee are past or present players of the Amelia’s Ward Jets basketball club.

The Brusches Basketball Foundation and Byron Freso have donated a pair of new backboards and two stanchions for the court.

He said that soon they will engage the relevant authority to finalise this decision by the residents in that community and seek to improve on the regulations concerning use of the court and how it will be managed.

Six more matches on this weekend SIX more matches are carded for this weekend as the Milo Schools U-18 Football tournament continues at the Ministry of Education ground.

In the first day of matches, Charlestown Secondary will go up against New Central High at 12:00hrs.

From 13:45hrs St John’s College go toe-totoe with Uitvlugt, while Annandale Secondary meet Christchurch Secondary at 15:30hrs.

Matches continue tomorrow with Friendship Secondary facing Carmel Secondary from12:00hrs.

Following that game, Canje Secondatry will do battle against South Ruimveldt and Vergenoegen will challenge Tucville in the last game of the day.

The tournament is being supported by the Ministry of Public Health under its ‘Stop Gender-Based Violence’ campaign.

50

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sterling Products Inaugural Golf Tourney

Golfing action this weekend to be sponsored by Sterling Products

THE company, through CEO Ramsey Ali, in the presence of Sterling’s Merchandising & Promotions Supervisor, Dellon Lynch, and LGC PRO Guy Griffith, handed over to LGC treasurer Aasrodeen Shaw a sponsorship cheque.

The handing-over took place at a simple ceremony at the company’s East Bank office.

Ali expressed his delight for the company’s involvement with the Lusignan Golf Club, noting that although this is its first

intervention, plans have already being made for more involvement in tournaments during this year.

The Sterling Products’ involvement was initiated by LGC Member, Ramesh Dookhoo, and followed up by its president Aleem Hussain to fruitful action.

Ali also noted that the company was pleased that the LGC has been taking steps to have schools involved in golfing and looks forward to continued support of the LGC.

From left: Guy Griffith and Aasrodeen Shaw of LGC and Ramsey Ali and Mr Dellon Lynch of Sterling Products Ltd.

WJ Enterprise supports Petra organisation

WJ’s representative Savita Sukhu (right) hands over the printer and paper to Petra’s Jacqueline Boodie, in the presence of Lawrence Griffith.

LOCAL distributor WJ Enterprise has joined the support team of the Petra Organisation, by donating a quantity of items.

Among the donation to the organisation were stacks of Croxley paper, a printer and filing cabinet.

Commenting on the donation, Petra’s Jacquline Boodie said, “We at the Petra Organisation are happy to receive this donation from WJ Enterprise. We know this will ensure the smooth running of many of our tournaments so we want to say thank you.”

Meanwhile, WJ’s representative

Savita Sukhu who handed over the items commented that the company is more than willing to support organsations such as Petra.

She added that the company has seen what the Petra Organisation has done and is looking to ensure that their efforts are rewarded.

According to the WJ rep, this isn’t the first time the duo have been involved as they are regular sponsors of tournaments hosted by the Petra Organisation.

Currently, the organisation is running off its annual Milo football tournament.

New Magnum champs to be crowned tonight NEW champions will be crowned this evening in the 3rd annual Magnum Mash Cup Futsal Championship, as former champions Bent Street tackle Rio AllStars at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

This match pits traditional giants Bent Street against emerging upstarts Rio AllStars of Queenstown.

The match pits the tournament’s leading attack in Bent against Rio All-Stars, owners of the best rearguard.

Packed with mercurial talents such as Daniel Wilson, Colin Nelson, Akel Clarke, Sheldon Holder, Jermaine Beckles and Adrian Aaron, Bent Street have recorded a whopping 23 goals.

This resulted from wins against Mocha (round of 16 stage), Sophia (quarterfinal) and Kingston (semifinal). In terms of their defensive quality, Bent Street have allowed six conversions.

On the other side, Rio All-Stars, despite all their attacking quality, have dominated the opposition with staunch defending. The result of such an approach has only allowed four goals, with Cecil Jackman and Solomon Austin pivotal in this area.

However, they have only been breached once in the knockout round, following clean sheets against giants Back Circle (quarter-final) and Future Stars (round of 16) as well as 3-1 win over Leopold Street (semi-final).

Offensively, 10 goals have been recorded by the likes of Jermin Junor, Kelsey Benjamin, Lennox Cort and Job Caesar.

Troy Lambert, manager of Rio AllStars encouraged everyone to come out and witness the finale, adding, “I expect a very competitive final between the two teams. I expect this to be one of the best finals in the history of the event. We know the quality of Bent Street and that they are the favourites, but we are not going to lie down easily and

we are coming to win.”

Prior to the commencement of the final, the third place matchup between Kingston and Leopold Street will take place. Nigel Denny, captain of Kingston, urged all the supporters of the team and members of the community to show up at the venue and show their support for the side.

He further added that the players are confident of finishing the tournament on a positive note. Also, two exhibition matches will be staged to kick off the evening’s festivities.

Meanwhile, established sporting brand Woodpecker Trophies and Sports, officially presented the trophies yesterday to the organisers of the event at their Alberttown location.

Speaking at the simple presentation, Esan Griffith, San Sports Director and Coordinator of the tournament, thanked the company for its contribution, adding, “This

is the grand finale of the event and I expect keen competition and rivalry between Rio All-Stars and Bent Street.”

He added that while Bent Street are an established force nationally, “Rio have proved themselves a force in the shorter format of the game.”

He further stated that the tournament is geared towards improving the fabric of social cohesion amongst the communities and that the match will be a grand showdown and exhibition of talent.

Winner of the event will pocket $600 000 and the championship trophy, while the second-placed side will collect $400 000 and the respective accolade.

On the other hand, the third- and fourth-placed units will receive $200 000 and $100 000 respectively with the corresponding trophy. Among the other sponsors of the event are National Sports Commission and MVP Sports.

51

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 22, 2020

EDFA, Victoria Scorpions launch Easter Cup EAST Demerara Football Association (EDFA) in collaboration with Victoria Scorpions Football Club launched the EDFA Easter Cup on Thursday, The competition was launched at Victoria Community Centre.

The tournament will be played on a knockout basis and will feature 9 teams from the East Coast Demerara corridor.

The teams are: Plaisance United, Paradise FC, BV/Triumph United, Buxton Stars,

Melanie FC, Dynamics FC, Golden Stars and Mahaica Determinators and co-organisers Victoria Scorpions. The competition starts on March 26, and concludes on April 12, 2020.

Some of the sponsors for the tournament are: Lester Mining, GUYOIL, Farfan and Mendes Group of Companies, Cuffy’s Metal Works and Fabrication, Healthy Choice Ital Bar, Kojo Huntley, Shawn Douglas, Banks DIH, and HGPTV.

The trophies which are up for grabs

Some of the members of the organising committee

New Magnum champs Six more matches to be crowned tonight

on this weekend

See story on page 50

See story on page 49

Action in the Milo schools football tournament resumes at 12:00hrs today.

Maria Samaroo, representative of the Woodpecker Trophies and Sport, poses alongside tournament chief Esan Griffith (left), Kingston captain Nigel Denny (2nd left) and Rio All-Stars manager Troy Lambert (right) at the official trophy presentation ceremony.

Golden Republic T20 Bash …

Rutherford Renegades beat Hetmyer Hurricanes

Rutherford Renegades pose with Minister George Norton following their win over the Hetymer Hurricanes in last night’s Golden Republic T20 Bash SHERFANE Rutherfords Renegades got the better of Shimron Hetmyer’s Hurricanes in last evening’s

Golden Republic T20 Bash.

Played at the National Stadium Providence, the

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Renegades pocketed $1M dollars in cash Details in tomorrow’s edition SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020