Guyana Chronicle Epaper 04 10 2019.pdf

WEDNESDAY 10th April, 2019

Upping the ‘narco’ fight No.105603

… U.S praises collaboration between Guyana, DEA

… pledges more help to build capacity at anti-drug agencies

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Motor cyclist dies in WBD accident 17 PAGE

Task Force formed to revamp Forestry Commission 13 PPP threats to GECOM 11 ‘a big joke’ PAGE

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In keeping with the spirit of Easter, children and teachers of the Lodge Nursery School, on Tuesday, showcased some spectacular Easter Bonnets with giant eggs and even one with a rabbit ear. (Samuel Maugn photo)

- Alexander

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

Upping the ‘narco’ fight …U.S praises collaboration between Guyana, DEA

…pledges more help to build capacity at anti-drug agencies

By Svetlana Marshall UNITED States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, said while Guyana has demonstrated the political will to combat the trafficking of narcotics, it currently lacks the capacity to effectively disrupt the illicit trade.

Cognisant of the challenges the country faces, she said the U.S stands resolute in its commitment to build the capacity of the Guyana Police Force, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and other crime-fighting agencies. In an interview with print journalists on Monday at the U.S Embassy, the ambassador said Guyana has demonstrated political will to combat the scourge throughout the country as was stated in the U.S Department of State 2019 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.

“When you look at Guyana, you see great commitment but lack of capacity.

You need to have both at a very high level,” Ambassador Lynch said, while noting that the U.S has been working with Guyana to build its capacity through training and the provision of equipment.

According to her, there is an excellent level of cooperation between the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Guyanese authorities, and thus far, “great gains” have been recorded.

“It is an excellent way to cooperate. A large focus is on capacity building,” she told the journalists present.

According to the U.S report, during the first nine months of 2018, authorities seized 164.9 kilograms (kg) of cocaine and 889 kg of cannabis. Added to that, the authorities initiated 358 prosecutions and convicted 24 individuals for drug trafficking.

It was noted that cocaine is concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled through commercial and pri-

vate air transport, maritime vessels, human couriers, “go-fast” boats, and various postal systems.

The U.S Ambassador said the drug trade is not unique to Guyana, and together with its neighbours and other partners, there could be a massive dent in the trade. “It is a regional issue and cooperation among the South American and Caribbean actors together with us, will help us to ensure a more stable and secure Region. We are in the same neighbourhood and have the same goals of security and stability,” the U.S Ambassador said.

According to the U.S State Department Report, to advance cooperation, Guyana should take steps to implement the 2001 counterdrug bilateral agreement with the United States to suppress illicit trafficking by sea and air. The U.S has urged Guyana to enhance its anti-corruption initiatives and fully pursue prosecu-

tions for drug trafficking in accordance with its laws.

Additionally, the report said the United States supports a wide range of efforts designed to address crime and violence affecting Guyanese citizens, primarily through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). CBSI is a security partnership between the United States and Caribbean countries that seek to substantially reduce illicit trafficking, advance public safety and citizen security, and promote justice. Efforts to increase law enforcement capabilities; protect borders, air and seaports; strengthen workforce development, and promote anti-money laundering effectiveness, directly address priority concerns shared by Guyana and the United States.

“The Government of Guyana cooperates very closely with all relevant U.S. agencies and departments, but is limited by resource constraints. The cur-

rent administration, which took office in May 2015, has expressed a strong willingness to cooperate with the United States on drug control, extradition, mutual legal assistance, and other international crime issues,” the US report stated.

CBSI-funded programmes support Guyana’s maritime operations by providing interdiction assets, relevant command and control systems, and associated logistical support and training. In 2018, the United States provided port and maritime training to Guyana’s Coast Guard.

U.S. assistance programs also promote law enforcement professionalisation and more effective drug investigations. By strengthening Guyana’s drug control capacities, the United States seeks to enhance inter-agency coordination within the Guyana Government, including gathering better information on drug trafficking routes.

U.S Ambassador Sarah Ann-Lynch

The Government of Guyana’s National Drug Abuse Control Unit trains public health officers, teachers, social workers, and civil society groups as part of the government’s supply reduction strategy.

The Guyanese government has a drug enforcement presence at its international airports, post offices, and, to a lesser extent, at seaport and land-border entry points. Drug control agencies reported several interdiction efforts and drug-related seizures and convictions during the first nine months of 2018.

‘Time to prosecute money launderers’ …AG promises stepped-up efforts to tackle scourge

GOVERNMENT will be intensifying its efforts to investigate and prosecute money launderers, Attorney General, Basil Williams has said.

He said there needs to be improvements in this regard as it will enable the country to succeed in the Fourth Round of Mutual Evaluations of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)/Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in relation to Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).

On Monday, Williams told reporters that there is need for improvement in agencies such as the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA); the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

He noted that the government is prepared to assist in ways it can to ensure that when the time of evaluation arrives in 2022, CFATF/ FATF would find Guyana’s systems to be AML/CFT compliant. “I’ve said it that the Fourth Round is going to be a round where they look for effectiveness and I am concerned that we haven’t had any convictions really in relation to anti-money laundering offences,” Williams told media operatives.

“We clearly have to look at the FIU, SOCU, SARA and we have to ensure that they are properly equipped and that they are functioning well and they have to deliver prosecutions, convictions and the like.”

He noted that the above entities are a part of the AML/CFT Coordinating Committee (CC) which he

met with just last week, when the entities each noted resources needed for their improvement.

The three main concerns were physical space, resources and staffing. “We need more prosecutors; FIU says they need more space and we’re trying to look for a building; and SOCU, they need specialist investigators and prosecutors [so that] when they bring charges, to [be able to] prosecute those charges,” the attorney general updated.

Regarding the strengthening of SOCU – the enforcement arm, the government is making efforts in securing a qualified prosecutor.

Even as Cabinet will need to look into the concerns highlighted, Williams said that, at the CFATF level, Guyana has been facilitating training for investigators,

law enforcement officials, financial analysts and other legal officials.

Added to this, SARA is expected to send 10 of its personnel for training in Barbados. “A lot of training has been going on and we expect to get results sooner than later,” Williams said.

Since taking up office in 2015, the government has taken steps to ensure that the country becomes fully compliant with AML/CFT regulations. In May 2014, CFATF had handed Guyana over to FATF due to the country’s failure, at the time, to meet the agreed timelines in its Action Plan.

However, beginning 2015, the country was able to make significant progress, resulting in it being removed from FATF’s watch list in October 2016. Currently, Guyana has an AML/CFT

Act in place, along with other related legislation governing supervisory bodies, financial institutions, law enforcement, and foreign affairs. In 2022, the country will undergo CFATF’s Fourth Round of Mutual Evaluation, while the Third Round had focused on the legal and regulatory framework of the country regarding the AML/CFT regime.

In its 2019 U.S International Narcotics Control Strategy Report Volume II: Money Laundering, the U.S Department of State noted that Guyana’s National Risk Assessment 2017 found that it has a medium-to-high money laundering risk. “Unregulated currency exchange houses and dealers in precious metals and stones pose a risk to Guyana’s AML/ CFT system. Other sectoral vulnerabilities include the banking industry and unregulated attorneys, real estate agents, used-car dealers, and

charities,” the U.S Department of State explained.

U.S State Department noted too that though SOCU launched investigations into reports of suspicious transactions, there have not been any convictions to date. “The authorities report non-cooperation by stakeholders with SOCU and lack of capacity within SOCU hinders its success at prosecutions.

Guyana has shown strong political will to combat money laundering and has made progress on the AML front,” it reiterated.

It said the government still needs to train the judiciary on matters pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes. A national strategic plan for combating money laundering should be developed and implemented and legislation enacted for the facilitation and regulation of secure electronic communications and transactions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

Israeli election exit polls give Netanyahu the advantage

JERUSALEM (Reuters) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on course to securing a record fifth term with another rightwing coalition, Israeli TV exit polls indicated after voting ended on Tuesday, as both he and his principal rival claimed victory.

Netanyahu, in power consecutively since 2009, is fighting for his political survival. He faces possible indictment in three corruption cases, in which the rightwing Likud party leader has denied any wrongdoing.

If he wins, Netanyahu,

69, will become the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s 71-year history this summer. Exit polls on two of Israel’s three main TV channels showed that main challenger Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party won slightly more seats that Likud in the 120-member parliament, while a third survey forecast a tie.

Though neither party captured a ruling majority in the Knesset, according to the exit polls, the surveys put Netanyahu in a stronger position to form a coalition government with the help of

right-wing factions.

Some political analysts, however, cautioned it was too early to determine the outcome, with many hours to go before a final tally is in. Channel 13 forecast Netanyahu could piece together a ruling bloc controlling 66 seats compared with 54 for a Blue and White-led coalition of center-left and left-wing parties.

Public TV Kan put the ratio at 64 to 56 in Likud’s favor, while Channel 12 predicted a tie, at 60 seats each. “The rightist bloc led by Likud has won a

clear victory,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “I will begin forming a right-wing government with our natural partner this very night.”

A spokesman for Gantz’s party declared: “We won.

The Israeli public has had their say.”

A combination picture shows Benny Gantz (left), leader of Blue and White party voting at a polling station in Rosh Ha’ayin and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting at a polling station in Jerusalem during Israel’s parliamentary election April 9, 2019.

REUTERS/Nir Elias, Ariel Schalit/Pool via REUTERS Ofer Zalzberg, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said Likud and Blue and White would have to learn the fate of smaller parties to know whether they had garnered enough support for a coalition.

“Netanyahu is more likely to establish another rightwing government, but we will have to wait and see,” he said.

During the campaign, the rival parties accused each other of corruption, fostering bigotry and being soft on security.

Netanyahu highlighted his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who delighted Israelis and angered Palestinians by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 and moving the American Embassy to the holy city last May. Advertisement In a rare turn during the race toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Netanyahu further alarmed Palestinians by promising to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank if re-elected. Palestinians seek a state there and in the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Commenting on the Israeli election, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told reporters in the West Bank: “We hope they choose the just path, in the right direction, to reach out for peace.”

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.

COALITION-BUILDING A close result in the

election would put smaller parties in a powerful position, even turning marginal political figures into kingmakers.

Once the votes are tallied, President Reuven Rivlin will ask parties that have won parliamentary seats who they support for prime minister. He will then pick a party leader to try to form a coalition, giving the candidate 28 days to do so, with a two-week extension if needed.

One factor may be the turnout of voters from Israel’s 21 percent Arab minority. Many were angered

by Israel’s nation-state law, passed in 2018, which declared that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. Netanyahu supported the legislation.

Netanyahu’s party sent monitors equipped with body cameras to a number of polling stations with Arab constituents on election day.

Arab politicians condemned the move as voter intimidation.

Voting in Tel Aviv, businessman Dedi Cohen, 44, said he supported Gantz. “I considered voting for Bibi (Netanyahu). Life isn’t bad: I’ve been around the world and seen that Israel is a good place in terms of the economy and security. “But still, a change is in order. After 13 years, it’s time for some ventilation up top,” added Cohen.

Backing Netanyahu, Avi Gur, 65, a lecturer at Ariel University in a settlement in the West Bank, said he was “very excited”.

“I hope that rightism will win,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

UNICEF urges regional countries to protect undocumented children fleeing Venezuela BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Apr 8, CMC – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is calling on regional governments to uphold the rights and protect unaccompanied, undocumented children fleeing the economic and political situation in Venezuela.

UNICEF said that it anticipates that an estimated 1.1 million children, returnees and people in-transit lacking protection and basic services will cross Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in 2019.

“UNICEF is encouraged by governments’ efforts to jointly seek regional solutions to the challenges posed by largescale migration that are in line with international standards and national laws, such as the protocol adopted by Ecuador to protect uprooted children,” said María Cristina Perceval, UNICEF’s Regional LAC Director.

However, she added, as the crisis inside Venezuela continues, migrants increase, and essential protection, healthcare and education services in host and transit countries, are suffering additional strain. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said

almost 3.4 million Venezuelans have left the country to seek safety or a better life abroad. Trinidad and Tobago is the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country most affected by the influx of undocumented Venezuelans, with the government now seeking to quantify the number of Venezuelans residing here amid media reports that the figure could be as high as 40,000.

UNICEF said that while more than 250,000 Venezuelans filed asylum claims last year, many remain in an irregular situation, lacking guarantees to basic rights and exposed to exploitation and abuse. Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, speaking in Parliament Monday, said that the government has had a policy in place to provide medical

Venezuelan Migrants

services to Venezuelans and other non-nationals. “As I have said publicly on several occasions, the policy of the government of Trinidad and Tobago for non-nationals has always been to provide primary health care services, public health in the area of vaccinations, and we continue to do that,” he said in response to a question from an opposition legislator as to whether or not the government is providing funds to the health sector to accommodate

the influx if Venezuelans.

He said in addition, the Venezuelans could receive free treatment at the Accident and Emergency health facilities and well as receiving treatment for non-communicable diseases. “That is the stated government policy to deal with the health concerns of Venezuelan migrants and all migrants,” Deyalsingh added. UNICEF said that uprooted children and families face challenges in regularizing their immigration status,

which can impact an array of services, as well as early childhood development.

It said moreover, host countries lacking clear migration policies, put children at higher risk of discrimination, family separation, xenophobia and violence – with unaccompanied and separated children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and indigenous people at even greater risk.”

Perceval said that human rights standards call for states

to allow children entry and registration as a precondition for carrying out initial protection assessment procedures. “Even when they are unaccompanied and without official documentation, they should be immediately directed to specialized personnel, who can assess their protection needs”.

In addition to providing states with valuable planning and budget information, UNICEF called registering children on the move “the first step in guaranteeing their rights”. The agency has appealed for US$69.5 million to meet the needs of migrants across the LAC region. The United States and its allies are supporting the removal of President Nicaolas Maduro, who was sworn into office for a second consecutive term earlier this year. They have publicly indicated support for Juan Guaido, the Opposition leader, who has since declared himself interim leader of the South American country.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

Medical checkups: Part of a healthy lifestyle EVERY year, worldwide, more than 50 million people die, and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), while about half of those deaths are entirely preventable, the number of preventable just keeps increasing with each and every passing year.

In addition to being about healthy lifestyle choices, having regular medical checkups can be regarded as one of the most powerful tools in the fight against unnecessary illness, particularly where the detection of disease in its early stages, when treatment would be most effective, may very well help reduce the likelihood of one dying when, in fact, one doesn’t even need to become ill in the first place.

The fact that the number of preventable deaths is on the rise is quite obvious from all available statistics.

For example, the WHO reports that of the 55 million

fatalities worldwide in 2011, some 75 per cent were due to unhealthy behaviours, and were therefore preventable.

What’s more, those 55 million fatalities were the equivalent of a 15 per cent increase on the figure for 2000.

According to the experts, unhealthy behaviours include smoking, substance abuse, living a sedentary lifestyle with no exercise, having poor dietary habits, and failing to take preventative measures such as getting regular and appropriate medical checkups. Doctors even say that including medical checkups in one’s fitness routine is an integral and indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. Simply put, neglecting to have regular medical checkups is just asking for unnecessary trouble.

Here in Guyana, the checkup is not popular; few Guyanese,even health-conscious ones,do it. The result is that many Guyanese

become ill, and may even die, even though they may otherwise be trying to live healthy lives. The checkup,what doctors call a general medical examination, is an important weapon in the arsenal of preventative medicine. In healthy young people, it is recommended that a check-up be done at least once a year. Such a checkup usually involves a doctor talking to the person about their medical history, and asking questions about how the person is feeling, and so on. The doctor will also conduct a physical examination to check for problems such as high blood pressure, skin ailments, including cancers, heart disorders, and symptoms of improper nutrition.

The doctor will then order routine laboratory tests to check for issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood problems. If any issues of concern are discovered

during any part of the examination, the doctor may order further investigations.

As a person ages, and health problems become increasingly likely, the doctor may pay greater attention to such matters as prostate examinations in men, or, cervical and breast issues in women. Additionally, the doctor may recommend that the person have more frequent checkups although the person might be healthy. The experts agree that preventative medical checkups are important for many reasons.

Of course, the major one is that any problems or potential problems may be discovered early, when treatment is most likely to be effective. Other reasons include the fact that check-ups can find signs of stress-related illnesses, such as problems caused by insufficient sleep, and mental health concerns, all of which may not be obvious to the

Go after errant members if you must – but don’t malign the entire business sector in the process

Dear Editor, THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) notes the recent public comments of His Worship The Mayor, Mr. Ubraj Narine, which it finds displeasing to the intended spirit of a recent meeting with him at which the Chamber extended an olive branch to discuss issues, not limited to but including those which may be hindering the City Council’s collection of taxes.

The GCCI would like to place on record that it continues to be open to discourse

and collaborative work with the Mayor, in the interest of the business community and maintenance of well-kept environs. At this juncture, the Chamber believes it is both useful and timely to mention that the GCCI has a Code of Conduct to which all members must subscribe upon joining the Chamber. This Code of Conduct includes the respect and adherence to the laws and regulations of the country, including the payment of taxes.

The GCCI has always stood on the side of the rule of law, and will continue to encourage all businesses

in Georgetown, both members and non-members of the GCCI, to be responsible in their civic duty of paying taxes.

While the Chamber is encouraged by the steps which His Worship is taking in the collection of outstanding receivables, it is extremely disappointed by the public and broad-brush attack on the integrity of the entire business sector, and looks forward to being duly apprised by the Mayor of the list of defaulters, and the M&CC’s plan for the City of Georgetown, as well as their financial position.

The GCCI would like

to take this opportunity to remind everyone that businesses are the lifeblood of the city, as they create employment and economic activity that benefits all citizens. The Chamber is of the view that partnerships between businesses and regulatory bodies are vital to the success of the country, as it allows both sides to express issues and concerns in an environment where a solution can be crafted collaboratively.

Regards, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry

seemingly-healthy person.

Such problems may escape the attention of the average individual, just because persons are increasingly busy in today’s fast-paced world. Coincidentally, it is primarily for that reason that stress-related health problems arise.

Another significant reason to have checkups is financial cost; a preventative medical examination saves money in the long-run. This is the case because regular health checkups, which cost little money at a private doctor, or can even be free at a public hospital,reduces the risk of potential health ailments that can turn out to be costly to treat, and life threatening.

Also, if a disease develops because of lack of a checkup, in addition to the cost of treatment of the disease, the individual may be unable to work and earn money, thereby placing a financial burden on spouses and other family

members. And the emotional costs, of course, cannot be quantified.

Clearly, medical checkups make sense any way you look at it. There is, therefore, every reason for Guyanese to adopt the practice of seeing a doctor regularly, and asking for a medical checkup, even if they are healthy, because that habit will help to keep us healthy.

It must be noted, too, that unlike the situation in other countries such as the United States, where every visit to a doctor necessarily costs money, Guyanese are fortunate to have universally free healthcare. A person can walk into a public hospital or one of the many community health centres throughout all of Guyana’s regions, ask for a check-up, and be examined by a doctor at no cost to the person. Is there is reason, then, not to do so?

Just for the record, Stabroek News Dear Editor, I WRITE to correct a misrepresentation contained in an article published in the Tuesday, April 9, 2019 edition of the Stabroek News captioned, ‘Dual citizen MPs still to resign’ Your article states, “The Speaker’s office yesterday confirmed that the parliamentarians:Carl Greenidge, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, and Public Service Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine from the government have not submitted resignations.”

I wish to challenge the accuracy of the statement as

it refers to Dr Roopnaraine.

Dr Roopnaraine submitted his letter of resignation to the Speaker’s Office, to be precise, in his absence from office at the time of submission, to his Secretary, on Friday, April 5, 2019, at approximately 2:30 pm. I use this opportunity to also advise that Roopnaraine’s resignation was copied and delivered to the representative of the APNU/AFC list, Dr Harold Lutchman, on the same afternoon.

As a WPA Executive member who is aware of Dr Roopnaraine’s action, I unhesitatingly testify to these facts.

Regards Tacuma Ogunseye

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

OAI deems Kaieteur News article ‘absolute rubbish’ Dear Editor, THE Kaieteur News front page headline “Guyana loses out big-time in Ogle Airport deal with ExxonMobil” (Sunday, April 7, 2019), and the report which follows is absolute rubbish.

The fact that Exxon Mobil is building their office headquarters at the EF Correia International Airport significantly adds to the prestige and reputation of the airport’s operations, and provides an important source of revenue for the airport’s operations and development.

It is absolute rubbish for your newspaper to report that an aircraft operator is being denied land in favour of Exxon.

The Exxon headquarters are being built on non-airside land leased commercially

in accordance with the Airport’s Lease Agreement with the government for the Management and Development of the Airport, as distinct from airside land leased for aircraft operations, that is, land subject to restricted access for aircraft operations.

There are no existing aircraft operator land use applications which in any way compete with Exxon Mobil’s access to land for the construction of its office headquarters. Of the roughly 408 acres of land leased to Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI) for the development of an International Airport, in fact, only 38%, that is, some 150 acres, is suitable for actual development, 60 acres of which is dedicated to airside development.

The Airport has recently written to all current and potential airside operators in-

viting qualified Expressions of Interest for airside property. On receipt of Expressions of Interest, interested operators will be required to complete a formal application to be processed in accordance with the Airport’s Land Use Policy, and will be treated on a “first come first serve basis” on the date of completion of the application, submission of designed plans and projected start-up construction date.

Ogle Airport Inc. wishes to point out that prospective users of airside land must be able to meet internationally established standards and best practices demanded of operators at all international airports and which are compliant with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Ogle Airport Inc. has observed that the unfounded allegations being published in Kaieteur News replicate much of those already the subject of lawsuits before the Courts. Ogle Airport Inc. is proud of the fact that it is, today, since its development over the past decade, already successfully serving the movement of just under 100,000 generally satisfied passengers per year, including over 40,000 international passengers, and moving roughly 17 million lbs of cargo to domestic and international destinations.

Regards Kit Nascimento Public Relations Consultant

It’s time we honour the ‘Sage of Buxton’ Dear Editor,

AT this time, we join in celebrating the 94th Birth Anniversary of a great Guyanese gentleman, an icon in his own right, Eusi Kwayana.

A letter published in Sunday’s Kaieteur News and written by Dr. David Hinds is a fitting tribute to Mr. Kwayana. I urge the other national newspapers to publish that letter by Dr. Hinds for the benefit of all. Many

of us share the sentiments expressed in that tribute, and there is no need for any embellishments.

In 1953, under the Waddington Constitution, which, for the first time, gave ordinary people the franchise to vote, the PPP swept the polls and secured 18 of the 24 seats. This was in spite of the propaganda by the ultra-right.

The 18 members, all immaculately dressed in white, were led by Forbes Burnham, Chairman, and Dr. Cheddi

Jagan and the other four new Ministers, Dr. J.P Latchmansingh, Jainarine Singh, Sydney King (Eusi Kwayana) and Ashton Chase.

The other MPs were Fred Bowman, C.R. Wong, F.O. Van Sertima, Ramkarran, C.S. Persaud, S. Latchmansingh, Adjoha Singh, R.S. Hanomansingh and Mohamed Khan.

The group, as they marched triumphantly to take their seats in the new Parliament, was proceeded

by the three famous Js: Jane Phillips-Gay, Janet Jagan and Jessie Burnham, the first females ever to be Members of Parliament.

Of that group, the only survivors are Eusi Kwayana and Ashton Chase. I remember Kwayana, slim and stately, marching with purpose and elegance. I also recall his alleged five words spoken upon learning that the Governor, Sir Alfred Savage had intruded the Minister’s jurisdiction by giving orders

related to the control of the Demerara River waterfront.

What we did not know then, it was in preparation for the landing of British Troops ahead of the suspension of our Constitution in 1953.

As my mother quipped at the time: “Savage is savaging us.” When Dr. Hinds is next in Guyana, I hope he can, with others, initiate the naming of some school or institution or a monument to honour the ‘Sage of Buxton’. He deserves

such an honour. Judging from his recent writings, Kwayana’s memory and mind is manifestly magnificent. On behalf of my wife, Dr. Jennifer Basdeo-Green, family and friends, we wish Kwayana well on his birth anniversary. Keep on batting, Eusi! Just make singles, and you will meet your target, but keep your eyes on the Umpire.

Regards, Hamilton Green

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday April 10, 2019

U.S open to discussion on financial aid for fleeing Venezuelans WITH the number of Venezuelan migrants in Guyana increasing as a direct result of the growing socioeconomic and political crisis in Caracas, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch said Monday that her country is open to having discussion on financial aid for the migrants.

Ambassador Lynch was responding to a question during a joint interview on whether the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would be offering financial support to Guyana to assist Venezuelan migrants as was recently done in Trinidad and Tobago. USAID has made available US$1.6M to the people of Trinidad and Tobago to assist Venezuelans fleeing

their homeland.

During the interview on Monday at the U.S Embassy, Ambassador Lynch said the U.S has been providing assistance through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The American Ambassador said the Guyanese Government has not approached the U.S for financial assistance, but it is an area the Embassy is willing to explore, given the increasing number of Venezuelans here. She said that in her interactions with officials here, the Government has expressed concern.

“What I have offered is that I am happy to have the embassy explore this issue, and have additional conversations if they would like

assistance,” Ambassador Lynch said, adding that assistance in the area of health may very well be a good starting point, given the current strain on the country’s health sector. It was noted that the majority Venezuelans coming here have not had decent healthcare in recent years.

The U.S Ambassador said that like the Government, the U.S is taking stock of the increasing number of Venezuelans here. “The Government estimates the numbers right now to be about 5800; that is almost 6000 and that number is almost double what it was six months ago. So I think there is concern that this may continue, and the numbers may continue to increase,” she noted.

Ambassador Lynch observed that while in the past, Venezuelans settled in villages close to the border, they are now moving further inland along the coast and other parts of the country.

“A few weeks ago, there was a vessel with about 140 Venezuelans that came right into Georgetown, she said.

“So that is an indicator that maybe things are worsening a little bit.”

During a visit to Corriverton, the American Ambassador met a Venezuelan who was working in a restaurant.

For her, it was “an interesting” observation.

The US$1.6M provided to the Trinidadian Government will focus on strengthening community resilience and capacity to address the recent influx of Venezuelan

refugees and migrants to the Twin Island Republic. Funds will not be distributed directly to persons in need, but will be used to assist the people of Trinidad as they assist the people of Venezuela who have migrated in an attempt to escape the hardship facing their homeland.

More than three million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2015, according to the United Nations.

Over the past two years, the United States has given, or allocated, more than US$150M in assistance to help countries in the region manage the impacts of the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, the U.S Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago states.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lynch said the U.S is worried

about the political and economic turmoil in Venezuela.

“It has been a declining situation for years,” she noted.

The Ambassador made it clear that her country will not recognise Nicolas Maduro as the President of Venezuela. She said the “so-called” 2018 Presidential Election, in which Maduro was declared winner, was fraudulent. Maduro was declared the winner after major opposition parties were banned from participating. “The U.S as well as other countries does not recognise the Maduro regime as legitimate. We recognise Juan Guaido as the interim leader,” the U.S Ambassador stated. She said Maduro should step aside and allow his country to be rebuilt.

Educators get training to respond to special needs children EDUCATORS from across Guyana have been made aware of how they can better cater to needs of children with learning disabilities, at a Learning and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) seminar hosted on Tuesday.

The training was held at the Pegasus Hotel by the G. Halley Marville Trust, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the CARICOM Secretariat.

Those attending included senior education officers, welfare officers, cadet officers, mainstream teachers and those attached to special schools in the country. The seminar came about through the initiative of the G. Halley Marville Trust, a registered charity in Barbados, founded in 2018, to address mental health issues and OCD in the Caribbean.

It was birthed out of the personal experience of Marville and her husband who raised their own child who was faced with learning difficulties and OCD but is now able to live an independent life.

Vice-Chairperson Janis Marville said that the Trust is aimed at supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people faced with difficulties such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Meanwhile, OCD is a

mental disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations or obsessions and behaviors which drive them to do something over and over compulsively.

Also present to facilitate the seminar were Psychologist, Dr. Ysanne Marville and Integrative Therapist and OCD Specialist, Craig Shirley.

In her feature address

only means that an individual may learn at a slower rate or pace than the average person.

She said that to be inclusive of persons with OCD and learning disorders means that educators must be understanding, prepared and have the required resources to ensure that the learning experience is tailored to a particular need.

“All of us should be

support is not provided they may face problems in gaining independence or a home of their own, in accessing leisure and recreation activities, and/or in developing friendships and relationships,” Dr. Henry said, adding: “Whether learning disability or obsessive compulsive disorder, the Ministry of Education is mandated to provide learning opportuni-

Numerous educators from across the country attend the Learning and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) seminar hosted on Tuesday at the Pegasus hotel (Samuel Maughn photo)

Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, urged the gathering not to confuse the term ‘disability’ with ‘inability’. She made it clear that having a learning disability

patient, kind and willing to acknowledge persons with learning disability. With the right support these persons can live full and meaningful lives. However, if this

ties for all.”

She said that one of the ministry’s initiatives is providing learning and teaching through inclusive classrooms whereby students both with

and without disabilities learn together. She explained that it is important to the Ministry as it positively impacts the way staff and students work together and it teaches that all are entitled to the opportunity to learn.

Also delivering remarks at the opening ceremony was Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development at CARICOM, Dr. Douglas Slater who spotlighted the importance CARICOM places on “education excellence for every category of learner.”

Referencing the CARICOM Human Resource Development Strategy 2030, he said that it recognises the need to design education systems that are competent in the 21st century and enable optimal learning through student learning support systems.

“This seminar on learning disabilities has been designed with educators and students in mind. It recognises the significant impact well-trained teachers can have on the outcome of students, particularly those with special education needs,” Dr. Slater said.

“Through this collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Guyana and the G. Halley Marville Trust, the CARICOM Secretariat is able to continue to support the advancement of the Regional agenda of ensuring education for our learners.”

Meanwhile, Marville

Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry

stated that if the organisation were to quantify its contribution to the day’s seminar it would stand at some G$3M. “We pray that the participants today become more aware, compassionate and empathetic to children with learning difficulties; further that this seminar will signal hope and bring into sharp focus those children who are intelligent, perceptive and extremely creative and are just waiting on us to find ways to unleash their potential and creativity so that they can find purpose and meaning in their lives,” she said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Mahaicony Diagnostic Minister Cathy Hughes Centre offering range statement on contract award to VideoMega of free medical tests WITH 14 medical technologists on hand, persons can undergo medical tests free of cost at the Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre and Fort Wellington Hospital.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), more than 77,000 medical laboratory tests are done each year at the facilities in the Mahaica-Berbice region, when compared to only 12,000 tests in 2011, when just two technologists were on staff.

“We are offering at Mahaicony Hospital 24-hout ‘lab’ services every day, whether holiday or weekend. At Fort Wellington, we are aiming to do the same. With the additional staff

(those in training) to come on board, we can actually put a 24-hour system in place there as well,” Medical Laboratories Manager, Muniram Balgobin said.

Balgobin, who worked in the region for eight years, said that the progress in this particular area is not without its challenges, but the commitment of the staff has resulted in progress. “We used to offer five types of tests in the region, and now we offer more than 100 types of tests. In terms of the ‘labs’, we have been progressing; we are trying to move away, however, from manual methods, and we are trying to be more automated,” he said.

Balgobin shared his concerns with Minister of Public Health, Volda Law-

rence and Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, who visited health facilities in the region recently. Balgobin envisions the service delivery being maximised to ensure every person obtaining the service in the region has full access to laboratory services. At the moment, five additional staff members are being trained, and of that number, four will be placed at the Fort Wellington Hospital, while one will remain at Mahaicony.

The DPI said that requests have been made of the ministry to ensure that with the expansion in services, there is the provision of the requisite machines and equipment to have tests done.

MoTP slams PPP for ‘malicious’ statement on VideoMega contract THE Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) has rejected what it described as malicious allegations in relation to a multimillion dollar contract issued to Videomega Productions being peddled by Opposition Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira.

Ms. Teixeira, in a video statement on the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Facebook page, Tuesday evening, accused the Department of Energy of singlehandedly contracting Videomega Productions to produce brochures, television and radio advertisements for the Department.

“The ministry wishes to make it

pellucid that the Department of Energy contracted Videomega Productions to develop three sixty second television and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) at a cost of eight hundred and thirty-two thousand (G$832,000), as part of its public awareness and sensitization campaign with regards to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector.”

According to the ministry it should be emphasised that the Department of Energy worked closely with the Ministry’s Procurement Unit in finalising this contract. “The Ministry of the Presidency wishes to make it clear

that the Department of Energy is not engaged in any “incestuous relationship” as indicated by Ms. Teixeira and has from its inception, worked in compliance with all rules and regulations relative to the procurement of goods and services. That one would speculate that the contract relates to campaign material for the APNU+AFC Coalition for elections is outrageous and completely baseless.

The material being developed is solely in keeping with the furtherance of the mandate of the Department of Energy.” (Ministry of the Presidency)

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Productions

AMID accusations of nepotism regarding the award of a contract by the Department of Energy for the production of brochures as well as radio and television Public Service Announcements, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes as cleared the air on the matter.

Full statement as follows M y attention was drawn late this afternoon Minister of Public to a press release by Ed- Telecommunications, ward Layne and a subseCatherine Hughes quent press statement the Opposition member Gail Teixeira in which reference is made to the award of “a multimillion dollar contract” to Videomega Productions “to produce brochures, as well as Radio and TV PSA’s for the Department of Energy”.

Prior to the two press releases I was completely unaware of the award of any contract to Videomega Productions. In May 2015 upon my assumption of the role of Minister of Tourism I relinquished any involvement in the day to day running of Videomega Productions. Russel Lancaster was appointed Manager and is responsible for the operations of the company. I have since been informed that the contract was for the production of three sixty second television Public Service Announcements. The value of the contract is $ 832,200.

The award of this contract was never brought to my attention neither would I have been aware of it in the normal conduct of the Company’s business.

City Council launches campaign to recover much-needed revenue THE Georgetown City Council is preparing to launch a campaign in an effort to recover some $8.4 billion from defaulting taxpayers with the aim to improve the council’s financial position.

During an interview with this publication, City Treasurer John Douglas said that the City Council made it clear that the council intends to launch a campaign in an effort to recover the much-needed funds to put the council in a strong financial position.

The council has over the years had issues with ensuring that its staffers and

contract workers are paid adequately and promptly.

Thus, Douglas made the point that the council will be moblising a team from the City Treasurer’s Department, the City Constabulary Department and the City Engineer’s Department who will target specific areas to execute collection of revenues.

The city treasurer also pointed out that the campaign is geared to sensitise and give information to the taxpayers as it relates to the payment system set out by the council.

Mr Douglas gave the assurance that the Mayor of

Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, has been in touch with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) along with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to assist the council in garnering funds through the establishment of agreements.

The treasurer also indicated that the Council wants to work with the credit bureau to ensure that taxpayers are in compliance with the urgent payment of their taxes to the council.

While the council continues to urge that ratepayers up their taxes, the treasurer made it clear that defaulters

will be dealt the full force of the law.

In view of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the City Council, the city treasurer says that the council will put new measures in place to properly account for financial statements to ensure that accountability, transparency and integrity are achieved in exchange for payment of taxes and provision of services by the City Council.

With the Establishment of a Tender Committee, the Georgetown City Council intends to come clean with its new accounting mechanisms and procedures.

During a recent press conference, Mayor Ubraj Narine announced that there are over 140 “high end” businesses in the city that owe billions in taxes to the municipality. He said the non-payment of the taxes is hurting the council and affecting its work.

The GCCI said it must remind the mayor that businesses are the life blood of the city as they create employment and economic activity and there is a need for more partnerships.

For several years, the Georgetown City Council and a number of mayors have complained about the

City Treasurer John Douglas business community failing to meet its tax obligations to the city.

Despite efforts to ease the payments through various initiatives, the number of defaulters and the money owed continue to climb.

The campaign will commence shortly.

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U.S. ready to support voter education programme

UNITED States Embassy here is pleased with the political commitment given by the Government and the Opposition to respect the decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) when it rules on the legitimacy of the December 21 Vote of No-Confidence against the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government.

On May 10 the CCJ

will hear arguments from both sides on the validity or the illegitimacy of the motion before handing down its decision. In a joint interview with journalists on Monday, U.S Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch said she is pleased with the political commitment given by both sides.

“I have been heartened in my short amount of time here that the political leaders that I have discussed this issue with both in the government,

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

… pleased with political commitment to respect CCJ’s ruling

the opposition, (and in) other political parties also, have indicated that they would respect this ruling and there would be a peaceful reaction to it,” the U.S Ambassador told the print journalists.

She said the U.S Embassy stands firm in its respect for democratic institutions and democratic processes, and

would encourage respect for the decision. “I would encourage all political parties and citizens to react in a peaceful way even if they disagree with the outcome,” Ambassador Lynch further added.

The CCJ’s decision will determine whether or not there will be early elections. Thus far, the

Court of Appeal, by a 2-1 margin, has overturned the decision of the High Court, and has ruled that the Vote of No-Confidence against the Coalition Government was invalid on the basis that the Opposition did not secure an absolute majority. That ruling has put a hold on early elections which was triggered by the December 21, 2018 Vote of No-Confidence.

However, the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, through his attorneys, have turned to the CCJ to reverse the Appellate Court’s decision.

President David Granger has long indicated that his Government will abide with the ruling of the Courts. Pending the decision of the CCJ, President Granger, in a recent interview, said his Government will use its majority in the National Assembly to make the $3.5B available to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the preparations for General and Regional Elections.

“So, regardless of what happened at the Supreme Court, regardless of what happened at the Court of Appeal, regardless of what’s happening at the CCJ, we are going to ensure that we satisfy GECOM’s requests,” President Granger told journalists.

Before the Court of Appeal handed down its decision on March 22, GECOM Chairman, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, had informed the President that approximately $3.5B was needed to facilitate early General and Regional Elections.

President Granger had asked the Commission, on two occasions, to present its plans, programmes and financial needs for the hosting of credible elections, in the shortest possible time.

A November, 2019 timeframe was given

by GECOM. However, with the Appellate

Court ruling that the No-Confidence Motion was invalidly passed, at this stage, Government is not mandated to hold early elections this year.

ELECTIONS Weighing in on the topic of elections, Ambassador Lynch underscored the importance of civic education in the preparation for elections.

The Ambassador said while the U.S Embassy is not yet engaged in any civic education programme here in Guyana as in the case of 2015 ‘Vote Like A Boss’ campaign, it is opened to discussion, noting that civic education is key.

“We would be happy to have such discussions with the government if they are interested,” Ambassador Lynch said while adding the U.S is involved in elections observation, civic education and even political debates on issues of national interest.

“We are more than ready to support and assist, pending funding being available as always, yes we are happy to enter into those discussions,” she told the journalists When she presented her Letters of Credence to President Granger last month, Ambassador Lynch said the US will continue to encourage “genuinely free and fair elections” in Guyana.

“Moving forward, we will continue to encourage genuinely free and fair elections; freedom of speech and assembly; multiparty representation and a constitutional judiciary process,” she said.

The American Ambassador said Guyana and the U.S have witnessed significant progress, and will work towards strengthening the democratic process and political institutions along with broader political participation and citizen representation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

PPP threats to GECOM ‘a big joke’ – Alexander

GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, stated that, not only will the most recent litigation attempt against the Commission result in a waste of resource, but such baseless allegations were “making a joke of the Constitution”.

Tu e s d a y, M a r c h 9 , 2019, marked the end of the seven-day deadline set

by Opposition Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, through his firm A. Nandlall & Associates, for the Commission to cease preparations for house-tohouse registration or face litigation.

Nandlall had stipulated the deadline in a letter to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield on April 2, 2019, on behalf of Opposition-nominated Commissioner Robeson Benn.

The letter, carbon copied to GECOM Chairman Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, hinged the ultimatum on the ‘position’ that the exercise would be a “violation of the constitu-

tion” by excluding persons who will be absent from Guyana during the period of its conduct.

“It’s a joke! I think we’re reducing our politics to jokes now,” Alexander said coming out of Tuesday’s statutory meeting.

He reminded: “We’ve had house-to-house registration on a number of occasions in this country, including 2008, when those who are now saying that it’s unconstitutional provided the funding to carry out the exercise. We are now with our 2019 programme which was approved by a budget in parliament in 2018 that we would do house-tohouse registration. None of these people said then that it was unconstitutional.

We can see that people are operating basically from the standpoint that there is no principle informing people’s behavior now. It’s a matter of convenience and we’re making a joke of the constitution.”

The Opposition-nominated Commissioners walked out of Tuesday’s meeting once again because

Commissioner Robeson Benn an agenda item would have seen a continuation of last Tuesday’s suspended meeting on the topic of houseto-house registration.

Alexander stated that Commissioner Bibi Shadick stated that she would only remain at the meeting if matters pertaining to elections which do not include the topic of houseto-house registration were being discussed.

Such was not the case and Shadick, along with Benn and Commissioner Sase Genraj, left the building.

As such, the letter sent

by Nandlall to the CEO was not discussed nor was the matter regarding legal arrangement to represent the Commission in this regard.

Alexander added: “What I know is that he [Nandlall] is causing tremendous waste of resources because the case is nothing but a joke and to have to recourse upon GECOM to hire a lawyer to defend the joke, it’s not too much dissimilar from the other case brought by Marcel Gaskin where the Magistrate unequivocally said ‘this is an abuse of the court’.”

On March 15, 2019, private criminal charges filed against Governmentnominated Commissioners

by Gaskin were dismissed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan who deemed the charges as having no legal basis or merit.

While the latest legal effort against the Commission states that houseto-house registration is an “unlawful and unconstitutional exercise” and would “disenfranchise thousands of persons” outside Guyana at the time of its conduct, Alexander rebutted that provisions have long been made for such cases.

“If house-to-house [registration] is happening and someone is away from Guyana at the time, at the end of that exercise, com-

ing on to the elections there would be Claims and Objections and that provides an opportunity for anyone who would have come or returned to do a claim to get on to the list through Claims and Objections,” he stated.

He said that despite the present efforts, training in preparation for house-tohouse registration continues and more of such is expected in Georgetown and elsewhere in the coming weeks.

However, the Commissioner did note that, while the lack of a quorum at the statutory meetings of the Commission is not preventing the house-to-house registration preparations aspect of the 2019 work programme, it is preventing the Commission from hiring senior staff.

“The Commission is getting on with house-tohouse registration so that the major activity is not being impeded by the lack of a quorum,” he said. “[However] there may be matters pertaining to procurement and certainly the matter pertaining to senior staff.

We still don’t have a logistics manager; we still don’t have a Voter and Civic Education person

Commissioner Vincent Alexander (Samuel Maughn photo) and we still don’t have an Assistant Chief Elections Officer and all those officers. Their appointments are being held up due to the non-co-operation of the Opposition Leader’s nominees.”

The Commissioner said that the positions had already been advertised and individuals were shortlisted but the next stage catering for interviews had not yet occurred.

The walkout of Opposition-nominated Commissioners from G E C O M ’s s t a t u t o ry meetings has been staged consecutively since February 28, 2019.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Defects in Prithima Kissoon application delay libel case against AG, GNNL … judge imposes substantial costs

DEFECTS in the libel case brought against the Attorney General, Basil Williams, and the Guyana National Newspapers Ltd (GNNL) by former Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon, have resulted in further delays.

In December 2017, Kissoon sued Williams and

GNNL for $25M for libel over what she considered false and malicious reports published in the Guyana Chronicle. However, Kissoon’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes, erred when he failed to name Williams as a defendant in his official capacity as Attorney General and Minister of Legal

Affairs in the legal proceedings filed.

Outside the courtroom on Tuesday, Barbadian Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne, who is representing the attorney general, said Kissoon and her attorneys have been engaged in maladministration.

The Queen’s Counsel

Former Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon

told the Guyana Chronicle that when he appeared before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln in the High Court on Tuesday for the pre-trial, he made an application to strike out the claim filed by Kissoon on the basis that she sued the attorney general in his personal capacity.

“We were asking the court to invalidate the proceedings that had been filed on the basis that they did not give the Office of the Attorney General the opportunity to properly defend itself,” Thorne told this newspaper. Upon realising that the application was defective, Justice Corbin-Lincoln offered guidance to Kissoon and team.

“The court offered them the opportunity to correct the defective nature of the proceedings and they accepted that guidance from the court and they undertook to file amended proceedings,” the Barbadian Queen’s Counsel explained.

He said as a result of the defective application, Kissoon is now expected to file “fresh proceedings,” and the defendants in the matter – the Attorney General and GNNL, will have the opportunity to respond to the corrected proceedings.

“There will be the usual exchange of documents,” he said, while adding that, “we are going over what we did before because what was done was incorrectly done.

So it is as if we are starting over.”

According to Thorne, the maladministration on the part of Kissoon and her legal team is not only embarrassing, but also frustrating. He said it would appear that the claimant’s legal team was ill prepared.

“What it tells me is that the other side came to this litigation with a certain confused mind because they sued him (Williams) in his personal capacity, yet they were trying to convince the court that they were suing him in both capacities but the documents did not reflect that,” Thorne told this newspaper. He reiterated that the comments made by Williams were made while he sat in his official capacity as Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister. It was noted by Thorne that failure to address Williams in his official capacity deprived him of an opportunity to properly reply. Thorne also contended that the maladministration has resulted in further delays which would result in additional costs for the attorney general.

“It adds to the time, and it certainly adds to

B a r b a d i a n Q u e e n ’s Counsel Ralph Thorne the expense because if this had not occurred, I would have expected that this matter would have come on for trial certainly before August, but as a result of the defective nature of the claimant’s proceedings, it means that the judge has had to extend the trial date to late October. So this has slowed down the proceedings, and as you know, we always say that justice delayed is justice denied,” Thorne told this newspaper.

NO SHOW He said to further compound the situation, Kissoon’s legal team has been a no-show, and when a lawyer appeared on her behalf, it was not Hughes, whose name is affixed on the legal documents.

“What is particularly disturbing to me is that on the last occasion when we went to court, the other side did not even turn up and I seized the opportunity to tell the judge that it was discourteous and it was respectful for a matter to be called up in court; you are the claimant, you are the person suing and you do not show the court the common courtesy nor respect of actually presenting yourself in court, and that was particularly frustrating,” Thorne detailed.

He further added that last December, the claimant appeared alone and subsequently a different lawyer appeared. You had notice and you chose not to be present. According to Thorne, the court penalised Kissoon in cost on occasions – the first, when she failed to appear, and the second time, when they filed a defective application.

In the legal documents filed, Hughes stated that Guyana Chronicle on January 19, 2017, January 30, 2017 and February 4, 2017, published false reports on Kissoon. In this libel case, GNNL is being represented

by Attorney-at-law Sharon Small.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Task Force established to Remanded for restructure the Forestry Commission dangerous driving THE Government has established a Task Force to look into the reorganising and restructuring of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) in light of Guyana’s national objective of moving towards a ‘green’ economy.

The Task Force was jointly established by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Board of Directors of the GFC and approved

by Cabinet.

According to a release from the Ministry, the Task Force will include the technical and administrative talent and personnel of the ministry; the Board and the Commission which will examine the structure and functioning of the GFC to make recommendations to the Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman.

Trotman, in turn, is mandated to present a report to Cabinet.

“The Task Force’s mandate shall include, but will not be limited to, an examination and evaluation of current job descriptions and performance standards, personnel procedures, conditions of employment and appointment, wages and salary structures and payroll administration,” the release says, and that “it will further aim at improving the efficient performance and effective management of the commission by identifying training and development opportunities for staff.”

No later than July 2019, the Task Force is expected to submit to the Minister of Natural Resources a work schedule with timelines and a preliminary report that would complete this assignment.

The Convener of the Task Force is the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Project Coordinator (FCPF), Mr. Clayton Hall.

SHANNON Singh, of Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Principal Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on Monday, April 8, 2019, charged with dangerous driving.

Singh initially pleaded not guilty, but subsequently changed his plea.

According to the particulars of the offence, Singh, on January 30,

2019, at Pearl, East Bank Demerara, drove his motor vehicle in a manner considered dangerous to the public.

Counsel for Singh, based on his perceived weakness in the prosecution’s case, made a no-case submission. This was however overruled by the court and Singh was called upon to lead his defence.

He was remanded to prison until May 7th 2019.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Go plastic! … Min Ramjattan urges less use of cash to stem tide of crime MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has reiterated that citizens and businesses should limit their use of cash and make greater use of debit, credit cards and cheques for their transactions.

The minister was at the time speaking on radio programme, Jumpstart, with

Gordon Moseley, on 94.1 Boom FM, when he stated that limiting cash transactions can result in a significant decrease in certain crimes.

A dding that he has pleaded with society to make commercial transactions more plastic, Ramjattan said that path is not being taken because many

businessmen don’t want anyone tracing their transactions.

“Many people try to avoid plastic because of paying taxes and tracing transactions. We have that culture problem here in Guyana and so it is something we have to change, and many people have been robbed because of our cash-based society,”

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan Ramjattan explained.

Ramjattan had called for the business community to assist government to implement plans that would see less cash-based transactions.

Meanwhile, the Public Security Minister, focusing on other aspects of crime, said that the geopolitical statistics show that the region has the highest rates of interpersonal violence, drug abuse and illegal gun ‘runnings’.

He said an IDB study revealed that the rate of violence in the hemisphere is even higher than wartorn countries. He said that Guyana’s Murder rate is 15 deaths for every 100,000 persons. Ramjattan added that it all starts from the family unit which should always be a point of focus.

“Families that are dysfunctional have a higher rate of violence in the home. Getting the youths to understand so many things like education, reading and

not being idle is not necessarily a law enforcement thing. Law enforcement alone cannot stop crime, it requires leadership, it requires a cultural change and violence management,” he explained.

He said government started many educational programmes within the Community Policing Groups (CPG) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and social youth programmes that resulted in less crimes.

“People laugh and say that is statistics and it is not true and we are manufacturing it and all of that. One of the things that emboldens it, is when it appears on the front pages of newspapers… notwithstanding that, it is important to pay attention to the root causes and confront them,” he explained.

Ramjattan said that his Ministry is working on the smart city programme where CCTV cameras will be placed around Georgetown with a command center to monitor all the feeds.

“There were some problems because the firm that won the contract was Huawei and the IDB had to lend the monies and there was some difficulty,” he said.

He said government is working to enable financing to ensure that the smart city project is eventually implemented. Further, he said the video analyses of the GPF has resulted in many arrests, even if such arrests take days or weeks.

Adding that unemployment rates of youths have resulted in negative activities, he encouraged investors

and entrepreneurs to invest in Guyana and contribute to the creation of jobs. Underscoring that trust-building in the Guyana Police Force starts with education and training, Ramjattan said the recruitment stage of entry into the Force is now more stringent.

“The ethical training is now a component in the six- month period; we also feel that the community generally must be transformed into an honest community,” he said. He explained that more teachings in the Force are making the law enforcement arms of the state more responsible.

“Let the police be seen not as bullies but as heroes and that is going to cultivate new respect,” he said, with reference to the leadership of the police force.

He reminded the public that, eventually, police will be wearing body cameras while executing their duties in the correct manner, in order to promote transparency with all parties involved.

Acknowledging that certain conditions for officers and police ranks can be enhanced, Ramjattan said many police stations countrywide have been rehabilitated. The environment of 18 stations has been improved.

He said that the Brickdam Police Station is expected to be refurbished and it calls for resources since all the buildings in the compound cannot be built simultaneously.

He explained that bad designs and ventilation of the Brickdam prison lockups were rectified.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Lodge Nursery children, teachers show off Easter Bonnets

IN observance of Easter celebrations, children of the Lodge Nursery School paraded in their large school compound, showing off their hats to each other, and to parents who were present on Tuesday.

At the school’s Joseph Pollydore and Chapel Streets, Lodge, Georgetown location, the children showcased some spectacular Easter Bonnets with giant eggs and even one with a rabbit ear.

An Easter bonnet is any new or fancy hat worn as a Christian head-covering at Easter, by tradition.

It represents the tail-end of a tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter, in harmony with the renewal of the year and the promise of spiritual renewal and redemption.

The hats must have taken a long time to create and were a real showcase of creativity.

Head teacher of Lodge Nursery School,

Donna Edghilo, said the hat show was within the Nursery School curriculum which allows for all national holidays and events to be ‘acknowledged’ in schools.

Adding that at the Nursery level the relevant observations are done to educate the children, the Head Mistress said in celebrating the activities the hat show was done on Tuesday and teachers and parents contributed to making the event significant.

Other than the religious significance, the Head Teacher said the children participated in hats that were made or purchased along with baskets of treats and other things supplied by teachers and parents.

“The snacks and other items given to the children mostly came from the teachers themselves. The support from parents was also appreciated,” she stated.

The headteacher was pleased to inform the reporter that many of the hats were made by the teachers.

‘G’ Division ranks benefit from Cyber Crime lecture AS part of the plan to reform the Guyana Police Force, 27 ranks in ‘G’ Division (Essequibo Coast, Essequibo Islands) on Monday, April 8, 2019, benefited from a Cyber Crime lecture which was conducted at the Zara Computer School, Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

The lecture was done by Nardeo Singh, a member of the Zara Company.

The cybercrime legislation was crafted to make illegal, certain activities using a computer and over the internet, such as child pornography, cyber bullying, theft of data, and revenge porn, among others.

The law sets out that a person commits an offence if he/she intentionally, without authorization or in excess of authorization,

Some of the ‘G’ Division ranks that were a part of the training.

The lecture which aimed at assisting the police to provide a more efficient Cyber Crime service, covered the following topics: Educating the public on Cyber Crime, Ethics of Technology, Hacking and Electronic Protection, Protocol on Computer Network, Description of Cyber Crime, Coded Messages, Choosing a password, Importance of changing your password regularly, Software Piracy and Preventing Cybre crimes.

At the conclusion of the informative lecture, Mr Singh reminded the class that his presentation was another form of service that he had offered society.

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or by infringing any security measure, accesses a computer system or any part of a computer system of another person.

Cybercrime also deals with child pornography and child luring. It says that a person who produces child pornography for the purpose of distribution through a computer system, or offers or makes available, distributes or transmits child pornography through a computer system, commits an offence.

The law was made effective on August 13, 2018, after President David Granger assented to the provisions outlined in the cybercrime bill.

Some Lodge Nursery School children in all their Easter finery on Tuesday.

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China-Europe ties to be further promoted

China has attracted businesses from different countries around the world; the EU wants to develop even strong ties with China, and vice versa. The EU plays the role of an indispensable trade partner and technological cooperation stakeholder of China. As a result of their friendly cooperation, China and the EU have experienced increasingly closer economic and trade ties over the past few years.

Generally speaking, China and Europe welcome each other; though there are some technical problems for them to solve together. However, rumors such as “high level of mistrust China is facing in Europe” is substantially based on wrong assumptions. Nowadays a growing number of people in both China and Europe are optimistic about the future of EU-China relations, due to their high potential of economic and cultural cooperation and minimal strategic-security

conflicts.

Last month, Italy signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China to jointly advance the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to deepen the bilateral cooperation in ports, logistics, marine transportation, and other areas. Moreover, France who regards China as an important strategic cooperation partner has also pledged to strengthen strategic communication and collaboration with China further.

Following the broad trends in China-Europe relations, some issues need to be addressed. The cooperation under the BRI framework should be a key focus.

Some Europeans perceive the initiative as a way for Chinese contractors to make money from other countries.

Many European companies often ask, “What can China as an economic world power offer?”

China moves to boost SME growth

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- China has unveiled a guideline to facilitate the sound development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

As a major impetus for economic and social development, SMEs make contributions to increasing employment, improving people’s livelihood and promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, said the guideline jointly released by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council.

Therefore, the guideline called for more attention to the problems impeding further growth of SMEs, such as rising costs, financing difficulties and inadequate innovation capability.

To solve such problems, the country will improve the business environment for SMEs by further broadening

market access, simplifying administrative procedures and strengthening market supervision and regulation, according to the guideline.

Meanwhile, more measures will be launched to relieve SMEs’ financing difficulties, including cutting targeted reserve requirement ratio for inclusive financing, creating more financing channels and encouraging SMEs to receive financing on the “new third board.”

While readjusting tax policies to support the financing of SMEs and reducing their tax burdens, the country will increase financial support for innovation and entrepreneurship and consolidate the protection of intellectual property.

In addition, the guideline urged related institutions to enhance public services and accelerate the establishment of credit information sharing platforms for SMEs.

China’s answer is clear and inspiring: China is happy to share its economic opportunities with the world through the BRI cooperation. Notably, the principle of “business is business” equally applies to the BRI, which means only qualified contractors can win the contract. Therefore, the duty of the Chinese government and its affiliated organizations, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), is to create a fair arena for all companies in the world to compete for the lucrative BRI contracts and economic opportunities.

China continues to reform its legal system. Recently, China adopted the new Foreign Investment Law and is modifying existing regulations to adapt to the current situation and meet the demands of both domestic citizens and global markets. Undoubtedly, these reforms will offer new opportunities for all foreign companies, investors, and tourists.

China holds job fair for students returning from overseas

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- A job fair for Chinese students returning from overseas was held in Beijing Monday to facilitate employment of students by Chinese institutions.

The event, held by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education, attracted 169 well-known domestic institutions, many of which take part in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Organizers provided consulting services for students visiting the fair, including on certification of overseas academic degrees, and procedures concerning employment and settlement.

The fair has been held 13 times since 2012, attracting over 2,000 enterprises and institutions, as well as nearly 40,000 students, and providing over 10,000 job positions.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

ADIOS AMIGO!

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mrs Sita Nagamootoo attended a Farewell Dinner for Mexican Ambassador, H.E. Ivan Roberto Sierra Medel, who left Guyana on Friday last after concluding his tour of duty.

Ambassador Medel, during his tenure here, promoted stronger relations between Mexico and Guyana, and played a great role in opening the Mexican market for Guyana’s paddy and rice.

The Dinner was hosted at the Chinese Embassy by Ambassador Cui Jianchun and Mrs Huili Liang, with other guests of honour being Indian High Commissioner, H.E. Venkatachalam Mahalingam and Mrs Mahalingam; and Russian Federation Ambassador H.E. Alexander Kurmaz and Mrs Kurmaz

Motor cyclist dies in WBD accident

By Clestine Juan THE police are investigating an accident which occurred along the Canal No 2 Public Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD), and which claimed the life of 47-year-old motorist Neil Nunes and left his pillion rider hospitalised .

Police enquiries disclosed that on Monday, April 8, 2019 around 18:45hrs, there was an accident involving motorcar PVV1097, driven by a 30 year-old resident of Belle West Canal No 2, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and motorcycle CJ 8132; the motorcycle was being ridden by Nunes with Nichola Garnette, 35, his pillion rider.

According to reports, the motor car was being driven west along the southern carriageway of

Motor car PVV 1097

The mangled motorcycle CJ 8132 the Canal No 2 Public Road, when the driver lost control resulting in the vehicle colliding with motor cycle CJ 8132, which was proceeding in the opposite direction.

Both Nunes and Garnette sustained multiple injuries about their bodies and were rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where they were treated and transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Nunes succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, around 02:00hrs, while Garnette’s condition is listed as stable.

Nunes’ body is presently at the GPHC mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

The driver of the car passed a breathalyser test and is in police custody assisting with the investigation.

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Special team to help settle land issues at Santa Rosa

A SPECIAL team will be set up soon to settle longstanding land issues in the village of Santa Rosa and its ten satellite communities at Moruca.

The proposal came from Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock, who led a 12-member team to the Region on Sunday.

According to a release from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Allicock made the proposal during a public meeting hosted at the Santa Rosa Secondary School, after hearing several concerns relating to village lands raised by residents. The Council has promised to meet with residents in two

weeks for discussions, and should there be disagreement on the proposed team, then alternative solutions must be made.

Should there be agreement on the proposal, they will also have to discuss its composition so that the investigations can commence, and closure on these matters can be realised.

Minister Allicock said he believes that the proposed team, once properly balanced, will see immediate action in resolving these issues, which are causing tension and distress, and bringing division among residents. “We need a team; persons within the community who have a history, and would be able

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock (second right), addressing the gathering on Sunday. Village leader , Whanita Phillips is at the minister’s right.(MOIPA photo) to bring a balance. Some situations might be extra serious, and you have to make some serious decisions to get the answer to fix things here. I would like to see that team also look at all previous issues; look at the previous agreement with previous Toshaos, revisit them.

Part of the gathering at the meeting (MOIPA photo)

After all, the Council is the authority of the village, and as you see, things have been agreed upon and documents have been submitted… So we need to find the best possible way of managing our land,” he said.

The minister said it is his desire for village councils to address issues within the village, but should this prove futile, he must then resort to Section 45 (7) of the Amerindian Act, which provides him with the ability to address such issues.

Santa Rosa has a population of more than ten thousand residents, and among the concerns raised were several relatives in dispute over communal lands, boundaries not properly identified and persons occupying lands that were known to be

reserved for village/public use. The minister assured residents at the meeting, “We would be happy to be a part of it and as we move on we can seek technical support, most of all we need to have the buy-in of everyone in the community to fix this problem, you out there will have to give that support.”

He said it can be challenging since the ability to make provision for the construction of houses and acquiring lands for agricultural purposes are being hindered due to these issues.

“It is painful to know that you want to do something, and you’re being held back. It’s painful to know that you can do something and you are not given the opportunity, because of these red tapes. It is painful to know that you

worked to get the council in place and then when you come for rescue you feel rejected, you feel that you are not important so it is everyone’s part to look for solutions,” the Minister said. Minister Allicock said it is clear that the current council has inherited a number of “baggage, missing links and disrespectful situations.”

He called on residents to support the Council so that development can continue. Santa Rosa has the largest Indigenous population in Guyana, and with two major village economy projects on the way in the sub-district: the Santa Rosa Ground Coffee and the Kwebanna Cassava Flour projects, the land issues are expected to be addressed in a timely manner.

Adventists open major confab today SEVENTH-DAY Adventists (SDA) leaders from across Guyana are meeting today for the Fifth Quadrennial Session of the local conference during which, the church will elect new executives for the next four years.

In a release, the SDA Conference said it represents some 65,000 members in Guyana who continue to impact the lives of citizens through charitable work, education and the Christian Faith.

The opening ceremony of the Quadrennial Session will take place at the Central

President of the Inter-American Division Dr. Elie Henry SDA Church on Church and

Oronoque Streets, with the feature address to come from Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton.

The official business meeting of administra tive-level members will also see the election of new administrators and directors, the presentation of reports from officers at the headquarters, and decisions on strategic direction for the next four years.

The theme for the session which is expected to run from April10-13, 2019 is ‘Transformed into His Likeness’. Some SDA Executives expected to speak at the ses-

Inter-American Division Youth Director Pastor Al Powell sion include President of the

Inter-American Division, Dr. Elie Henry and Inter-American Representative, Pastor Al Powell.

In its media release, the local conference provided a brief history of the SDA church and the Quadrennial Sessions. It stated that the name “Seventh-day Adventist” was adopted in1860 to represent the conviction in the nearness of the soon [‘advent’] return of Jesus and the keeping of the ‘seventh-day’ biblical Sabbath.

The church, it noted, is a large and growing consisting of 14 Divisions composed of churches grouped into unions, conferences,

fields, missions or regions.

“A major drive to engage every church member in Total Member Involvement has helped propel the Seventh-day Adventist Church past 20 million members for the first time in its history,” the release said.

On January 13, 1976, the Guyana Mission gained Conference status with Pastor Roy Mc Garrell becoming the first President of the Guyana Conference of SDA. Meanwhile, the First Quadrennial Session of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was held in 2003.

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‘Pretty Boy’ remanded for robbery under arms EDWARD Skeete, also called ‘Pretty Boy,’ was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Magistrate Dylan Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for armed robbery.

It was alleged that the 32-yearold, on March 31, 2019, at Lombard Street, Georgetown, while in the company of others, and armed with a gun,

robbed Zane Henderson of $900,000 in cash. Skeete pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is being represented by Attorney-at-Law George Thomas, who requested bail, stating that the case against Skeete was weak.

However, facts presented to the court indicated that, on the day in question, Henderson was sitting in a Route 42 mini-

bus at Lombard Street, when the accused approached him armed with a gun and relieved him of the cash. During the attack, Henderson resisted, and, as a result, Skeete shot him to the leg and then escaped.

Prosecutor Tracy May-Gittens objected to bail being granted to the defendant due to the serious nature of the offence and the fact that the accused was pre-

viously involved in similar matters that were serious. Skeete was previously charged for the murder of Rayon Clementson on July 14, 2015 and later, robbery.

After looking at the facts presented to the court, the magistrate ruled that Skeete be remanded to prison and make his next appearance on April 18, 2019.

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Dharmic Sabha turns sod for construction of new schools

THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) on Monday ceremonially turned the sod signalling the commencement of the construction of two new schools at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

The organisation will be

building its Dharmic Rama Krishna Primary and Secondary School to the tune of $260 million. The school will be located just next door to the Giftland Mall parking lot. The venture marks an expansion to the organisation’s already-existing pri-

mary school, located in Barr Street Kitty, which has been in operation for almost 20 years. “We have come to the point where we want to expand because we are strapped for space. And the students’ performance is excellent. We have students who come in

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Executives celebrate the sod turning at the site of the organisation’s Dharmic Rama Krishna Primary and Secondary School (Adrian Narine photo) the top 10 at the Grade Six examinations, so we don’t want to deny any child the opportunity of having access to the kind of education we provide. Also we’re moving into a new venture – our secondary school,” explained GHDS President, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.

Once completed, the schools are expected to accommodate some 400 – 500 students each. Aside from focusing on academics, the school will be placing particular emphasis on the cultural arts. “I believe young people need to come out, not just for the academics, but for the extra-curricular activities. So when someone leaves the Dharmic Rama Krishna Primary and Secondary Schools, they will be a well-rounded child; we want to develop young people who will contribute positively to Guyana,” Persaud said.

“We believe that some emphasis needs to be placed on the arts, I’m very passionate about that. We will be having additional features

that will complement the national curriculum, adding things like yoga, Hindi, dance, drama, and public speaking. So it will be a full national curriculum along with all the other complementary subjects. We will have a block that will be a performance venue. It will be an indoor-outdoor type of arena. We’re looking at a very beautiful design, nothing Guyana has seen before.

They can also do indoor sports. There will also be a play field behind the school.”

Persaud said the construction is scheduled to be completed late 2019 or early 2020, with the school scheduled to be opened September 2020.

While the school will be a religious one, Persaud shared that it will be opened to all.

Being a private school, parents will be required to pay tuition; however, Persaud noted that the fee will be nominal compared to what obtains at other institutions.

Mechanic jailed for assaulting, threatening fiancée ROOPNARINE Persaud, 50, of 87 East Mittelholzer Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was on Tuesday jailed by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for 18 months and 12 months respectively, for assault and using threatening language.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Persaud, a mechanic, pleaded guilty to the charges which stated that on April 5, 2019 at Barama Line, Baramita, he used threatening language to Brahanna Charles.It was also alleged that the mechanic on April 5, 2019, at Barama Line,Baramita, North West District, unlawfully assaulted Charles.

Facts presented to the court stated that Persaud and Charles have children together and due to his constant physical abuse of the woman, she left the home nine months ago and went back to live with her mother.

The accused was also convicted in 2018 for assault causing actual bodily harm to the woman.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Pregnant women, children most affected by poor diets – nutritionist

WHILE Guyana has adequate supply of healthy foods, local studies show that many citizens are not adhering to healthy lifestyle diets and those who are primarily affected by poor nutrition are pregnant women and their children.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, April 7, 2019, Nutritionist at Ministry of Public Health, Abigail Caleb, stated that Guyana, like other countries in the world, is affected by malnutrition.

However, unlike some parts of the world, she noted that Guyanese have the opportunity and ability to choose to live much healthier lives. Malnutrition, Caleb explained, results from a diet too little or too much of one or more nutrients which cause health problems such as obesity, overweight, underweight, stunting and more.

Examining the challenge locally, the nutritionist stated that some of these deficiencies are as a result of Guyana’s imitation of Western cultures with high reliance on fast food and restaurants and a lessening desire for traditional, home-prepared foods high in fiber; fruits and vegetables and grains. These, she said, are being exchanged for foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

“What we’re seeing in Guyana is a double burden of malnutrition where we have increasing levels of overweight and obesity --- and from a younger age--- backed together with micronutrient deficiencies like anemia, especially in pregnant women and young children. We’re also seeing levels of stunting in some children as well,” she said.

Regarding their prevalence in specific areas, the nutritionist said that overweight and obesity are common countrywide but somewhat more prevalent in urban areas. Stunting is more prevalent in hinterland regions while micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, vitamin A, and iodine are widespread but more prevalent in pregnant women.

Caleb told the newspaper that just under a quarter of children in Guyana are affected by stunting; over 40 per cent of the adult population is overweight; about 42 per cent of pregnant women are affected by micronutrient deficiencies and 51 per cent of these women are under the age of 20.

“So, we have a challenge with teenage pregnancy, as we know, and there is the further challenge of them not having sufficient iron in their bodies to make hemoglobin which leads to anemia,” she explained.

As a result, this increases

the chance of maternal deaths while pregnant women, especially those with severe anemia, are at an increased risk of hemorrhaging during pregnancy.

Their infants, in turn, can be born with lower iron stores; less protection from diseases and infection; premature; underweight and other developmental issues.

“One challenge we have is that a lot of mothers don’t go to clinic early. Testing is done and treatment is given in the form of supplementation and dietary advice but if you don’t go early and you don’t receive those services and you turn up in your last trimester or when you’re about to give birth then 1) there’s little history on you [of your nutritional intake] and 2) there’s not much that can be done at that late stage,” Caleb cautioned.

She advised that a woman’s first or second missed [menstrual] period is an indication that she should pay a visit to the clinic.

Telling of one reason why this is important, she added: “There is folic acid which is a B vitamin that is necessary for the closure of the spinal cord of the infant within the first weeks of pregnancy. That’s one of the supplements that are given to pregnant woman. So, if you go late and your diet is deficient of [lacking] this vitamin which you get from green vegetables, then that increases your child’s risk of getting spina bifida where he/she may have a bit of a protrusion in the back or may have anencephaly which is parts of the brain being missing.”

While some mothers often purchase prenatal vitamins and minerals, Caleb challenges mothers to visit the clinics nonetheless as these prenatal vitamins often fall short of the right supplemental iron and folic acid content.

Meanwhile, regarding Guyana’s overall state when it comes to nutrition, she stated that data from the last micronutrient survey conducted in 2013 shows that, while Guyanese may consume healthy foods, the manner in which they do so is ineffectual.

“We have a culture of having [for example] iron-rich foods together with foods that prevent our bodies from absorbing them. For instance, having a cup of tea --- whether it’s milk tea, bush tea, black tea or cocoa --- with a healthy plate of food prevents your body from absorbing that iron.

With increasing consumption of caffeinated beverages and carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola, there are substances in those that prevent your body from absorbing some nutrients,” she revealed.

However, the nutritionist

said that Guyana is making progress towards changing the poor nutrition culture with the launch, last year, of the revised Food- Based Dietary Guidelines for Guyana.

It is aimed at developing a healthy population and came about through collaborative efforts involving the Ministry of Public Health, other government agencies and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). Caleb said that the information is currently being vigorously promoted

in schools through school and adolescent health programmes and to the general public.

Meanwhile, a population study was conducted to identify challenges which lead to malnutrition, over-nutrition and under-nutrition and resulted in the development of guidelines specific to the Guyanese population and aiding the prevention of all forms of malnutrition.

Meanwhile, the Government continues to work closely with other local agencies as well as its international part-

ners at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); FAO and elsewhere. Caleb stated that one of the local challenges that must also be addressed is the low number of senior technical persons within the nutrition arm of the Ministry of Public Health.

She advised: “There is a lot of support out there in terms of getting us the technical capacity but policies still have to be developed and then implemented and, with implementation, human resource is needed.”

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Nutritionist at Ministry of Public Health, Abigail Caleb

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April 28 date set for New Amsterdam synthetic GMR&SC Endurance Round 2 track - on track

Works ongoing for the construction of a synthetic track at the Burnham Park

By Colin Bynoe Jr THE much-anticipated construction of an International standard eight–lane 400-metre synthetic track at Burnham Park in New Amsterdam, Region 6 has hit phase three of a four-phase project.

Berbicians are buzzing and happy to see the start of such a project. Besides boasting some of the country’s naturally talented athletes, this initiative, when completed, will add spice to track and field in Berbice and by extension Guyana.

Construction Company BK International was awarded the contract of this historic

facility at a cost of G$141M. Chronicle Sport on a recent visit to the construction site witnessed workers on the go with several ground works, which included constructing drainage systems (laying draining pipes), inner and outer track works and asphalting.

Adequate drainage is crucial to maintaining the integrity and longevity of a synthetic track surface and its sub-base materials.

The drainage system will be built in such a way that it captures and drains rain water. It can also perform as a water collection system for the athletic field, all of which will most likely to be

completed in four months.

It is understood that the final phase will be the laying of the actual synthetic track and when completed sometime in December the track will be outfitted with 8 lanes and will be 400m in dimension.

In addition it will have all the facilities to host international track and field meets.

Football enthusiasts will be elated also, as provision is being made for the construction of a full-size football field within the track.

The project is being funded by the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Culture Youth and Sport.

CSK win by seven wickets to displace KKR from atop IPL standings CHENNAI Super Kings (CSK) displaced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from the top of the VIVO IPL 2019 standings after they defeated them by seven wickets in Match 23.

After opting to bowl on a dry-looking surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Super Kings bowled brilliantly to restrict the visitors to 108-9 and then chased down the runs in the 18th over.

S h a n e Wa t s o n a n d Suresh Raina took toll of the hard new ball and made things easy for the batsmen who followed. Watson struck two fours and a six in his 9-ball 17, while Raina hit a four and a six in his 13-ball 14.

Faf du Plessis, who opened the innings, and Ambati Rayudu (21 from 31 balls) then added 46 runs for the third wicket to put the CSK firmly in control. After Rayudu was dismissed, du Plessis (43 not out) completed the job in the company of Kedar Jadhav (8 not out).

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders, put in to bat, committed hara-kiri very early

in the match. Their batsmen paid the price for playing aggressive aerial strokes without judging the pace of the pitch.

Andre Russell’s unbeaten 50 for KKR was in vain.

The opener Chris Lynn was trapped lbw by an inswinger but most of the other batsmen failed to adjust to the slowness of the surface and either holed out to strategically placed fielders or were stumped by a mile.

The visitors slipped to 47 for 6 when Shubman Gill was dismissed at the start of the eleventh over.

It took a mature innings from Andre Russell – who rode his luck, but applied himself well thereafter – to guide KKR to 108-9.

The biggest partnership in the KKR innings was worth 29 runs; Russell and Piyush Chawla added 29 for the seventh wicket, and then the last wicket pair of Russell and Harry Gurney were involved in an unbeaten 29-run stand.

For the CSK, Deepak Chahar picked up three wickets, while the spin trio combined well for returns of 5 for 53 from their 12 overs.

Scott Kuggeleijn was the only CSK bowler to return wicket-less.

Brief Scores: CSK: 111-3 in 17.2 overs (Faf du Plessis 43*, Sunil Narine 2-24) defeated KKR: 109-9 (Andre Russell 50*, Deepak Chahar 3-20, Harbhajan Singh 2-15, Imran Tahir 2-21) by 7 wickets.

Flashback! Endurance action earlier this year THE second round of En- overall title. the start of the race so he had durance racing under the 2018 overall champion to race at a decelerated pace Guyana Motor Racing and Fernandes narrowly defeat- throughout the race.

Sports Club (GMR&SC) ed Bacchus who finished Mohamed Ali (33 laps) will take place on April 28.

77 laps, both in 1600cc and was the best driver in the The GMR&SC executive overall brackets in the two- 2000cc class while Roshan committee made the disclo- hour long drive.

Ali (20 laps) finished second sure following a meeting and During round one action, followed by Rafeek Khan in the move will allow for com- the unlimited class was won third with 19 laps. petitors to get their cars in by Romeo Singh (72 laps) but In the 1500cc class, Naorder for the two-hour endur- Motilall Deodass (59 laps) rendra Mangar (73 laps) ance event. surprisingly finished second won, followed by Richard During round one, Team ahead of Seejatan. Deodass’ Hamid (70) in second place Wreckers’ Adrian Fernandes Motor Trend-sponsored Star- and Mark Wong (69) in inched Sean Bacchus for the let encountered problems from third.

Guyana’s Gold Cup campaign

GFF to hire international management company to handle commercial aspect

By Rawle Toney GUYANA’S senior Men’s football team – Golden Jaguars – will know their 2019 Gold Cup opponents today when the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) hosts the draw for the 15th edition of the Confederation’s tournament in Los Angeles, USA. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF general secretary Philippe Moggio, head coaches of the participating Gold Cup nations and other executives and legends of the game will all gather in the ‘City of Angels’ as the 16 competing countries hear which of the 13 US cities will host their games.

This will also be the first time that the Gold Cup will be held in Costa Rica and Jamaica. All previous matches had taken place in the United States, Mexico or Canada.

Guyana booked their place in the expanded version of the tournament when they finished 7th out of 34 teams who competed in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifiers, which also served as a qualification process for the Gold Cup.

It was the first time that Golden Jaguars had qualified for a major CONCACAF event, and Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde pointed out that the country will be entering “into unchartered water”.

“The GFF doesn’t have the capacity at the moment to manage what we’re going into at the Gold Cup,” Forde candidly divulged in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport, while noting that the GFF is currently “actively talking to companies (overseas).

We’re trying to find a management company to handle the commercial aspect of our national team and other specific aspects of our national programme. The coaching staff remains the coaching staff, the federation remains at the helm of directing what we do, but we need expert input.”

Forde said the move to source the commercial facet of Guyana’s Gold Cup participation is to make sure that every possible opportunity that exists for the GFF to generate revenue and maximise return is exploited to its fullest.

“We cannot go fumbling around in the dark pretending that we know what we’re doing, This is a

totally different ballgame that we’re in and we have to be willing to procure and secure the necessary professionals to come and serve; so from that aspect, I think we’re being smart as to how we do it,” said Forde.

According to Forde, Golden Jaguars are in a position to make some meaningful revenue for the first time and with over US$600 000 spent on the team’s Nations League campaign – a big gamble on the part of the executive committee – this is no time for his federation to be guessing about the way forward; only looking to advancement, networking and expanding their partnership.

Meanwhile, looking ahead, Forde pointed out that the aim of GFF is not only to play the fixtures on the international calendar, but “we want to play friendlies as well and it will require a tremendous amount of revenue, and the commercial opportunities that we’re pursuing, will bring in hopefully the revenue that will not only fund the international activities we want to engage in, but will also be invested into our elite league and other youth development programmes that we’ve been doing in Guyana.”

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Lara says consistency key for dangerous Windies at ICC World Cup

West Indies batting great Brian Lara

By Sudipto Ganguly MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - West Indies are replete with match-winners but consistency will be key to their success in English conditions at this year’s World Cup, batting great Brian Lara has said.

Teeming with tear-away fast bowlers and aggressive batsmen, West Indies were once considered invincible and won the opening two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979.

Their glory days, however, are long over and the twice winners had to go through a qualifying tournament to book their spot in the 10-team tournament in England and Wales.

The last bilateral series win for West Indies, who are ranked ninth in one-day internationals, came in 2014 but they showed signs of improvement against England.

Jason Holder’s men drew a five-match ODI series against top-ranked England 2-2 at home recently, in a timely boost before the May 30-July 14 showpiece event.

The likes of opening batsman Chris Gayle, all-rounder Andre Russell and spinner Sunil Narine are also much in demand in Twenty20 leagues across the globe.

“Look at the Indian Premier League (IPL), look at the leagues around the world, we have got players that are the most wanted in the world,” Lara, 49, told reporters in Mumbai at a promotional event last week.

“We have got match-winners, but we are going to need a little more than match-winners in English conditions to win the World Cup. We need a team that can create consistency.

“If we can get to the knock-out stages, we can knock out any team. We have seen that in the past. But consistency is going to take us right through to the finals.”

Former West Indies captain Lara, considered one of the very best the Caribbean islands have ever produced, retired after the 2007 World Cup at home with over 10 000 runs in ODIs. He also scored close to 12 000 runs in Tests.

Lara credited franchise leagues like the IPL for creating interest among kids in the West Indies and giving young players a platform to showcase their talent before they graduate to international cricket.

West Indies suffered 2-0 losses both in India and Bangladesh late last year but staged a spectacular turnaround in a 2-1 series win against England earlier this year.

The Test success augurs well for the side, who are now graduating to a level where they can be competitive against top sides at least at home, said Lara.

“We had a tremendous series against England. We are laying the foundation, the confidence is there,” Lara added.

“India may have to worry when they come there in July to play against the West Indies because they have a team now that understand the conditions, spirits are high, let’s see what we can do against India.

“But, four months ago in October-November we were terrible. So, I’m happy that we have made that little progress in our cricket.”

Hamilton Green 9-a-side Inter-Ward Cup football continues … Round of 16 action starts Sunday

THE Hamilton Green Cup Inter-Ward/Village 9-a-side knockout football tournament resumes this Sunday, April 14 and will conclude on April 28 with the semifinal and final at the Den Amstel ground - venue for all the matches.

Action starts at 15:00hrs and coordinator Lennox Arthur, the former National football player and coach, is asking all teams to be at the venue by 14:00hrs to ensure that there is a prompt start to the day’s proceedings.

The opening salvo of round of 16 action will see Timehri vs Bourda Blues, Soesdyke vs Sophia, Mahaica vs Liliendaal, Charlestown vs Mocha, Goed Fortuin vs Bagotville, Pouderoyen vs Sara Lodge, Uitvlugt vs Zeelugt and Den Amstel Back Street vs De Kinderen.

The teams will be battling for a chance to claim the John Fernandes $300 000 first prize and Prime Minister Trophy, along with hampers from Ricks and Sari. The second-placed team will take away the Courtney Benn-sponsored $100 000, third-placers $60 000 put up by

Techno Mills and fourth-placers $40 000 donated by Ready Mix along with the respective trophies. All the trophies have been sponsored by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

Trayon Bobb

Also at stake are the individual rewards for the Most Goals/MVP who will take home a dinette chair from China Trading and a Lazy Boy chair from AH&L Kissoon. The Best Goalkeeper

will claim the Minister of Natural Resources rrophy.

Among the sponsors so far are: Techno Mills, Ready Mix, Sataur Gafoor, EC Vieira, BEV Enterprises, BK International, IPA, New Thriving, Ricks and Sari, E-Networks, Star Computers, NAMILCO, Cummings Electrical, National Sports Commission, Star Entertainment, Alfro Alphonso, Guyana Police Force, Ministry of State, Prime Minister and Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Arthur has expressed gratitude to these businesses and entities and also thanked those who have promised and are expected to come forward officially in the coming week.

He has been staging tournaments in recognition of former Mayor of Georgetown and Prime Minister of Guyana, Hamilton Green, for a number of years now.

The defending champions of this tournament are Charlestown, who beat Uitvlugt to claim the $400 000 prize and Ministry of Citizenship trophy last time around. Uitvlugt took the John Fernandes trophy and $200 000 for their efforts back

then.

With the involvement of the leading players emerging from the various areas and villages/wards, the event is playing its part in aiding Social Cohesion among the citizenry.

Among some of the players on show are Deon Alfred, Trayon Bobb, Tyrone Khan, Jamal Harvey, Sheldon Toney, Ruel Charter, Leroy Halley and Kenroy D’Aguiar.

Soesdyke’s Khan leads the goalscoring column with two, while Alfred, Bobb and Harvey, have one.

Teams are reminded to be at the venue for 15:00hrs next Sunday. Four substitutions are permitted in this format which will see the games last 30 minutes broken into halves.

The tournament will be played in the knockout format, with winners advancing to the next round.

Sudden-death penalties will be used to separate the sides in the event of a draw at the end of full-time.

The no-offside rule is also in effect. All other rules will come under the dictates of FIFA.

Champions League

Son’s late winner gives Tottenham edge over Man City

By Martyn Herman LONDON, England (Reuters) - Son Heung-min once again proved there is more to Tottenham Hotspur than Harry Kane, as the South Korean’s late goal sealed a 1-0 home win over Manchester City in an absorbing Champions League quarter-final first leg yesterday.

With Spurs talisman Kane having hobbled off injured and favourites City beginning to turn the screw, Son sent the home fans inside the London club’s majestic new stadium into delirium,, as he fired past Ederson in the 78th minute.

It gave Tottenham a slender but precious advantage to take to City’s Etihad Stadium next week when they will attempt to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time.

Quadruple-chasing City were not at their best as Spurs chased and harried Pep Guardiola’s side for 90 minutes and they will rue Sergio Aguero’s first-half penalty miss.

The Argentine was hand-

ed the chance to put City ahead when Danny Rose was adjudged by VAR to have handled, but his 13th minute spot kick was brilliantly saved by Hugo Lloris.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their first goal.

The French keeper’s heroics produced a deafening roar not heard along the Tottenham High Road since Spurs moved out of their old stadium two years ago, but it was nothing compared to the sounds that greeted Son’s 78th minute winner.

“As a team we never give up, we fight until 90 minutes. I think we deserved to win, we were more

clinical than they,” said Son, who last week scored the first Premier League goal in the 62,000-seat arena, and now owns the first European strike there.

“I like this stadium; it is amazing to play here, I am grateful for the opportunity to play at this stadium.”

Tottenham fans in the 17 500 capacity South Stand displayed placards before kickoff spelling out the club’s motto ‘To Dare is To Do’ and their team obliged, going toe-to-toe with a side who had won 21 of their last 23 games in all competitions.

SUPERB STOP Dele Alli volleyed Moussa Sissoko’s cross over early on but Tottenham were then stopped in their tracks.

Raheem Sterling cut in and fired goalwards and Rose, diving to block, was penalised for handball, courtesy of VAR, despite no City players even appealing for a penalty.

Lloris, who has come in for criticism this season, guessed right and made a

superb stop.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said on the eve of the game that his side would need to match the intensity of a City outfit oozing quality, both on the pitch and on a bench containing Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane.

Tottenham worked their socks off to deny City time but after England forward Kane hobbled off just before the hour mark with a worrying-looking ankle injury, they appeared to be flagging.

City, for whom Sterling was a constant menace, were hunting an away goal but then Son, who has a knack of scoring goals for the team Guardiola once described as the “Harry Kane team” when their talisman has been sidelined, struck the decisive blow.

At first his control from Christian Eriksen’s measured pass was sloppy, but Son retrieved the ball, then cut in from the byline and lashed a shot past Ederson, sparking delirium.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

OMSCC confirms staging of Toronto Cup III … seeks to introduce white ball for Division One teams

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada — The third edition of Toronto Cup, organised by the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) will be staged on August 30, 31 and September 1 this year.

During his report at the league’s Annual General Meeting, held at the Scarborough Civic Centre last Sunday, president Azeem Khan disclosed that the two previous tournaments were resounding successes and it’s anticipated that this year’s staging will be even bigger and better.

Apart from teams in Ontario, others are also expected from Guyana, New York and Florida. Khan was full of praise for all those who were instrumental in the successful staging of the previous tournaments, including the sponsors, organising committee and volunteers among others.

According to the Guyanese-born Khan, last year was quite a successful one for the league with new champions emerging in all three divisions: Skeldon Sports Club in the Over-50, Ramblers in Division

Two and Warriors in Division One. He extended special congratulations to the championship winners and runners-up, all the participating teams and also to the Inter-County winners. Khan highlighted three teams – Caribbean Sensation (51), Ramblers (54) and Our Own (51) who past 50 points during the 2018 season.

Special ‘thank you’ was also

extended to the several sponsors, spouses of players, umpires and all those who assisted in any way. Khan, however, called on members to do more in the area of sponsorship. “I am asking every team to make a special effort to bring a sponsor(s) to us. Looking at sponsorship at home and abroad, it seems that your league is at the bottom; we challenge you to change that.”

Khan also had special ku-

dos for his board members, expressing sincere thanks for their hard work, dedication and advice. “It’s not only about your playing but the backend work on uploading stats, registrations, getting umpires, league communication, and interruption to their work and family.

The president reiterated that captains and every player have a role, not only to win games

OMSCC executive members: From left are Over-50 coordinator Paul Jaman, president Azeem Khan, secretary Jas Mathura, treasurer Khem Singh, player management/statistician Indira Singh, vice-president Feizal Bacchus and umpires coordinator Dickey Singh.

Keita, Firmino give Liverpool 2-0 win over Porto

By Simon Evans

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino earned Liverpool a 2-0 win over Porto yesterday as Juergen Klopp’s side took the upper hand in their Champions League quarter-final tie without killing off their Portuguese opponents.

There remains plenty of work to do for the Premier League leaders, who will be disappointed they were unable to gain a bigger advantage for next week’s second leg.

On a bitterly cold night at Anfield, Liverpool were well below their best and Porto deserve credit for a determined performance after going two goals down in 26 minutes.

The visitors fired an early warning shot with Moussa Marega blasting narrowly wide in the second minute but the home side took the lead three minutes later through a Keita shot which deflected off Porto midfielder Oliver Torres and beat the helpless Iker Casillas.

Mohamed Salah then forced Casillas into a low save with a sharp shot on the turn, but the Egyptian should have done better in the 22nd minute when he placed the ball wide when through on goal, after being played in by a sloppy Porto pass.

Liverpool had their second four minutes later - Jordan Henderson split the Porto defence with a superb pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose low cross was tapped in from close range by Firmino.

The Brazilian should have added to his tally, but blasted over after a good cross from Henderson.

The dangerous Marega then had a low drive well saved by the legs of Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker as Porto showed they were not about to roll over.

Sadio Mane had an effort ruled out for offside three minutes after the interval, but apart from another Marega effort in the 69th minute there were few clear-cut chances in the second half.

The Portuguese side fought well to stay in the game in a scrappy second half to give themselves a chance of a comeback at home in next week’s second leg.

History-makers Uprising headline Friday’s opening of Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’

Part of the action in the East Coast Z one of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition

TITLE-holders Uprising, who became the first team in the tournament’s history to win a zone as a qualifier, will headline Day one action in the East Coast Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition which kicks off on Friday, at the Haslington Market tarmac, commencing at 19:00hrs. They face Non Pareil in the final of eight games scheduled to be played on the evening.

Hosts Haslington Hypers are also set to appear in the penultimate game, while top teams such as Buxton Diamond, Melanie A and B, Victoria Church Yard, Plaisance A and Beterverwagting A and B will make their appearance in the competition as well.

The tournament, which has grown both in terms of quality and crowd support, is expected to continue in that vein while many are already touting that the turnout this year could exceed previous years.

The organisers have already indicated that fans and the community will be the real winners of this year’s competition with giveaways planned for each night’s activity.

and control of players’ conduct but to continue working on strict compliance with permit rules. “It’s been 15 or 16 years since we have reached out to you on full permit compliance; now we ask that you challenge yourself and your teammates to be fully compliant. I met with a Toronto City councillor recently and working on meeting with a schoolboard trustee, the discussion is all about softball cricket and grounds.

Meanwhile, OMSCC, which is celebrating 20 years this year, is exploring the possibility of introducing white balls for teams in Division One. Towards this end, the league sent out a survey earlier this year, seeking the players’ approval. According to OMSCC, “over the years, just about every aspect of our games has changed except for the type of ball used, the pinky and the red supreme ball. Based on requests from our own players and others in the US and Guyana, we think the time has come to introduce the white ball.”

Among the reasons listed were: Numerous players from OMSCC and several others

who play in the other leagues in Guyana, USA and Canada and participate in International tournaments have voiced their request and support for OMSCC moving from the red to the white balls.

OMSCC pointed out that it will recommend the use of a variety of protective gear such as body cups, shin pads, batting gloves and even the use of helmets if necessary; wicket-keeping gloves are mandatory.

At Sunday’s meeting, OMSCC recognised the contributions of Littles Sports Club which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. An official of the club was presented with a bat, compliments of Black Hash Sports.

Apart from Khan, whose post wasn’t up for grabs this year, the other executive members are vice-president Feizal Bacchus who retained his post, Khem Singh, Paul Jaman and Dickey Singh who were also retained as treasurer, Over50 coordinator and umpires coordinator respectively. The new secretary is Jas Mathura while Indira Singh who held the post of web content administrator is now player management statistician.

Williams wants more youngsters to play PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – New Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Ricky Skerritt’s plan to chart a new relationship with the organisers of the Caribbean Professional League (CPL) has received the backing of former West Indies wicketkeeper David Williams.

Former T&T and West Indies wicketkeeper David Williams

In an interview with the website Cricbuzz recently, Skerritt said he wants to have a discussion with CPL officials to discuss the way the tournament is organised and the impact it is having on the development of the game in the region.

Williams told the Trinidad & Tobago Newsday newspaper that it should be mandatory for CPL franchises to have at least one player in their teams that take the field, as a means of fast-tracking young players.

He observed that a number of top T20 players from the Caribbean are now in the second half or in the twilight of their careers and there is an urgent need to find new, young talent to take their place.

“The Chris Gayles and others are doing extremely well,” said Williams. “But those guys are going down in age, so we need to start to put structures in place just like the High Performance Centre to get these guys ready for when we throw them in the hot water. It does not make sense you pick them and they are on the bench and they never get the opportunity.”

Since the CPL started six years ago, the six franchises have always included a number of regional youth players, but they have hardly played and last year, each team was allowed to field five international players in the starting line-up and many spent the time warming the bench.

Williams said he understands teams want to field their strongest line-ups in a competitive CPL tournament, but it should be mandatory that young players are given an opportunity.

“The tournament is good, the CPL is good,” said Williams. “(If) you look at the crowds most of the games are sold out and with the foreign players it is good.

“What I would like to see, though, is some of our younger players getting more opportunities just like how (Indian Premier League) does it. We should have a format where the younger guys should be able to at least play. You should at least play two of our Under-19s or Under-23s to get their level of cricket up.”

The CPL is in its seventh year and is scheduled to start in September.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Pele back in Brazil, healthy but undergoing tests

Guyana drawn in ‘Group D’ in Beach Soccer World Cup qualifiers FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Deshawn Joseph (left) in a battle with a Belizean player during Guyana’s 4-1 win over Belize at the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship at the Malcolm Beach Soccer Facility in Bahamas.

GUYANA will play in Group D of the (CONCACAF) Beach Soccer Championship, which will take place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, May 13–19, following yesterday’s draw at the Calle Independencia, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The 2019 edition of the biannual CONCACAF tournament, which will be held with the support of the Municipal Government of Puerto Vallarta, will have the participation of the 16 best national beach soccer teams in the region – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Bonaire, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States and the US Virgin Islands.

The two best-ranked teams in the competition will ensure qualification for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019.

In Group A, Mexico, the home side, will face Costa Rica, Jamaica and Guatemala. Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and the US Virgin Islands are in Group B, while in Group C, United States will face opposition from Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and Bonaire.

After round-robin play, the first- and second- place fin-

ishers of each group will advance to the quarter-finals, whose winners will advance to the semi-finals. Semi-final winners will automatically qualify for the tournament’s final, as well as the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019.

Guyana will open their campaign against El Salvador on May 14, followed by a clash with Guadeloupe on May 15 and will close their Group D round of matches against Belize on May 16.

In the last edition of the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in The Bahamas, Panama overcame Mexico in the final, to win their first Beach Soccer title.

In 2017, Guyana’s Jamal Haynes walked away with the Scotiabank Young Player Award, as the 21-year-old Haynes impressed fans, players and officials with a dazzling array of skills and goals.

Guyana defeated Belize 4-1 in the group stage and Antigua & Barbuda 6-4 in the placement stage to end 12th out of 16 teams.

Playing up front for most of the tournament, Haynes scored a hat-trick in the win against Antigua & Barbuda, including one of the goals of the tournament – a spectacular overhead kick that soared into the top corner.

PM Browne hails Joseph’s IPL debut performance ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has hailed the remarkable debut of West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Joseph bagged an IPL record best spell of six for 12 from 3.4 overs to mark his debut and fire Mumbai Indians to a 40-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad last Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India.

The 22-year-old Antiguan got a late call to be part of the tournament as injury replacement for New Zealand pacer Adam Milne and surpassed the previous best of six for 14 by Pakistani left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir 11 years ago. He also became only the fourth bowler to take six wickets in an IPL match.

“Phenomenal,” said PM Browne. “A phenomenal performance from one of An-

Alzarri Joseph bagged an IPL record of six for 12 from 3.4 overs to mark his IPL debut.

tigua & Barbuda’s brightest, young stars.

“Congratulations to Alzarri Joseph on his historic and astonishing debut in the IPL series. Alzarri has proved that he has the talent and exceptional determination to succeed in the game of cricket.”

Browne added: “He has made all Antiguans and Barbudans proud and has set his sights on emulating the exploits of the greats like Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Curtly Ambrose.

“We are indeed very proud of his performance and anticipate greatness from him as the series progresses.”

Both Sir Andy and Sir Curtly are legends of West Indies and the world game, and hail from Antigua & Barbuda.

Joseph is expected to be in the Mumbai side today, when they face King’s XI Punjab, whose line-up includes talismanic West Indies left-handed opener Chris Gayle.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele is seen in Paris, April 2, 2019. (REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File [hoto)

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer legend Pele arrived home in Brazil yesterday after a spell in a French hospital and was immediately taken to a Sao Paulo clinic for further urinary tests, doctors said.

“At the moment, he is undergoing admission examinations and his health is good,” doctors at the Israelite Albert Einstein Hospital said in a brief statement.

Considered by many as the game’s finest player and the only man to have won three World Cups, Pele was hospitalised in France last Wednesday after suffering

a fever following an event in the city with French World Cup-winner Kylian Mbappe.

The 78-year-old former Santos player was diagnosed as suffering from a urinary infection and was treated with antibiotics and released on Monday.

He arrived back in his home state yesterday morning.

Doctors said the urinary infection had been cured but did not give more details about what were believed to be routine tests at the hospital where he has been treated on several occasions previously.

Jamaica U-15s aiming high for 2019 CWI tourney JAMAICA will be hoping for a better finish in the CWI Regional U-15 Tournament when they compete in this year’s competition, set for April 11-21 in Antigua and Barbuda.

The team departs the island tomorrow.

Jamaica hosted the competition in 2018 and finished in third place with Jordan Johnson earning honours as the top bowler with nine wickets.

His performance, along with that of then captain Sanjay Williams, earned them a selection to the CWI U-15 team, who toured the United Kingdom that summer.

Jamaica last won the Regional U-15 tournament in 2011 under captain Ramaal Lewis, who now plies his trade as a contracted member of Senior Men’s Regional champions – Guyana Jaguars.

This year’s squad features 12 new players who have replaced members of last year’s squad who have matriculated to the U-17 level.

Now captain, Jordan Johnson, and Adrian Weir are the only two members of the 2018 squad who have returned.

Coach Phillip Service said the new talent excites him.

“It’s great that as a nation we are able to consistently produce good young talent.

Continuity and succession

planning are key to our future competitiveness across the region,” he said.

“These young men are eager to grow, develop and excel. Last year’s third-place finish serves as an inspiration to them; in fact, they are intent on surpassing that achievement.

“We just want to see them play smart cricket and stick to the plan for each game. There are some key performance targets that we will use to measure our success. On our return, we can carefully plot the next phase of the way forward.”

Jamaica will join Barbados, Guyana, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and the Windward Islands in a round-robin format, where each team will face the other once. The team to accumulate the most points at the end of the five rounds will be crowned champions.

Coach Philip Service and manager Laurence Garriques are in charge of the 16-member delegation that includes squad members Jordan Johnson, Adrian Weir, Steven Wedderburn, Michael Clarke, Julani Sinclair, Kenardo Cameron, Odel Samuels, Xavi Williams, Kev’Aundre Virgo, Damar Freeburn, Lindale Anderson, Tamarie Redwood, Marlon Williams and Reon Edwards.

GBA president, Steve Ninvalle

Allicock disqualified in controversial decision at Pan Am Qualifiers

Keevin Allicock

… GBA confident of successful appeal with AIBA GUYANA and Caribbean bantamweight boxing champion Keevin Allicock was on Monday evening controversially denied a chance of reaching the semi-final of the Pan Am Qualifiers in Nicaragua, after his quarter-final bout resulted in a loss by walkover.

The talented Allicock was set to fight Alexy De Cruz of Dominican Republic but was prevented by Technical Delegate (Fight Supervisor) Raphael Vega who claimed that the Guyanese was wearing an inappropriate coloured vest.

The decision of the Costa Rican Vega is now the centre piece of a protest filed by Guyana Boxing Association president Steve Ninvalle.

According to a release from the GBA, Vega deemed the colour of Allicock’s vest inappropriate even though the International Technical Officer (ITO) and referee found nothing wrong with the garment.

Allicock, who was scheduled to box out of the red corner, entered the ring one hour after being cleared by the ITO, but was then challenged by the Technical Delegate and later given one minute to change the red and black vest.

A determined Allicock managed to change but upon his return to the ring lost by walkover. The Guyana camp in Nicaragua immediately filed a protest but was unsuccessful in getting the ruling overturned.

Team coach Terrence Poole soon after contacted Ninvalle who filed another protest with both the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) and world governing body AIBA. Ninvalle pointed out that the new rules of AIBA (48.3.4) dictate that a boxer can compete in either those of the corner’s or in his national colours, Red and Black are colours of Guyana’s national flag.

Ninvalle, a recently elected vice-president of AMBC described the Technical Delegate’s decision as unjust, unreasonable, unsportsmanlike, excessive, unwarranted and which goes against the grain of what the new AIBA is promoting.

“In my personal capacity as president of the GBA and chairman of the Caribbean Steering Committee I have dispatched protests to both the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) and AIBA for this ruling to be overturned and I expect a favorable response”.

Up to press time when contacted for a comment, Ninvalle was still optimistic, stating; “I think it is highly likely that it will be ruled in our favour. The supervisor has shown flagrant disregard for the rules.” (Michelangelo Jacobus)

Guyana’s Gold Cup campaign

GFF to hire international management company to handle commercial aspect

GFF president Wayne Forde

Guyana’s senior men’s team – the Golden Jaguars – prior to their 2–1 win over Belize on March 23 in their final Nations League Qualifiers game. (Photo compliments – CONCACAF) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019