Guyana Chronicle Epaper 07 06 2019

SATURDAY 6th July, 2019

No.105690

PNCR says...

‘PPP scared of a clean list’ … house-to-house will result in credible elections SEE STORY ON PAGE 03 ►

… ups calls for new round of registration

Bill to amend marijuana laws with Security 02 Minister PAGE

Aurora Gold Mines’ workers 09 end strike Gov’t reintegrated 800 teen mothers 13 back into school PAGE

PAGE

Co-founder of STEM Guyana, Karen Abrams, underscores the importance of providing equitable access to all Guyanese in the ICT sector as Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, presents Programme Coordinator of Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities, Ganesh Singh, with a robotic set on

–Minister Henry

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Bill to amend marijuana laws with Security Minister

THE Bill intended to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act to prevent persons from being incarcerated if found with up to 30 grams of cannabis, is now with the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

This is according to the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams.

Williams, on Friday, told the Guyana Chronicle that his Chambers has completed the review of the proposed legislation, and the Bill is now with the Minister of Public Security. It is expected that Minister Ramjattan would soon present the Bill to the National Assembly for its approval.

Amid distortion in the public domain on the intention of the Bill, the Attorney General clarified that it is not intended to decriminalise the use of marijuana but rather prevent persons from being jailed for having up to 30 grams of cannabis in their possession.

The overall intention is to reduce the prison population, the Attorney General explained.

“The only thing we did was to remove the custodial sentences. It is still an offence; we have not decriminalised (it). It would still be unlawful to have 30 grams (of marijuana)… and if you are caught with it, you will be fined only, you wouldn’t be imprisoned,” Minister Williams explained. “The whole intention is to reduce the prison population,” the Attorney General emphasised.

Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, on Thursday, said the proposed amendment will allow for alternative sentencing. “It removes incarceration as a penalty. In the present system under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act, the magistrates do not have a discretion. Once you are found guilty, they have to sentence you and so this is why many of our prisons are piling up with young men who could have been doing something more beneficial to this society, but they are piled up in there because of this,” Harmon explained.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams At the time, he was addressing reporters during a press conference at the Ministry of the Presidency. The Director-General said government is hopeful that the Bill can be placed before the National Assembly soon.

“So we are hoping to have this matter dealt with in the National Assembly as quickly as possible but in the interim, since it is clear what government’s position is on this matter, I believe that there is some ruling, a High Court ruling, which says, a magistrate can take notice of situations like this and so exercise that discretion even now before the law is put in place,” he said.

Harmon added: “I believe it is something which the Judiciary can, in fact, take notice of. We are not saying they have to do it, but we are saying they can take notice of it…”

In September 2018, the High Court freed Carl Mangal who was sentenced to prison for a period of three years by Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman, in May that year. A city magistrate had jailed him for allegedly having in his possession of 8.6 grams of marijuana. The penalty imposed upon the young man had caused outrage and recommitment from the Alliance For Change (AFC) – a partner within the Coalition Government, to have custodial sentences for small amounts of marijuana removed from the law books.

On Tuesday, Cabinet approved the proposal for the removal of custodial sentences for persons found with up to 30 grams of marijuana in their possession.

The decision to approve the proposal was arrived at after extensive discussions and reviews, the Ministry of the Presidency said, while noting that while possession remains an offence, persons will not be sentenced to terms of imprisonment as obtained in the past.

“This is the first of several steps that government intends to take as it considers the recently submitted Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Report on the usages of marijuana, and in particular, usages by our Rastafarian brothers and sisters who require it for use in their worship and sacrament,” the Ministry of the Presidency said.

Over the years, several persons have been placed behind bars for having small amounts of marijuana in their possession, as was in the case of Mangal. Imprisonment of persons found with small amounts of cannabis, is among contributing factors to the overcrowding of the country’s prisons. Once found in possession of more than five grams of cannabis, a person can be sentenced to three years in jail, the current law states.

AFC Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington, in 2015 had tabled a bill in the National Assembly to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act but it was never debated. The new Bill,

currently with the Ministry of Public Security, is likely to replace the Bill tabled by Carrington. According to the proposed bill seen by the Guyana Chronicle, Section Four (A) (i) and Section Four (B) (ii) of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Control Act 1988 are being amended to remove the requirements for imprisonment for anyone found in possession of cannabis. Section Five (2) (e), which addresses the issue of quantity, is being amended to increase the quantity of cannabis that attracts jail time.

In the Explanatory Memorandum signed

by MP Carrington, it was explained that the bill is in direct response to the experience faced by many young Guyanese who have been incarcerated for small quantities of cannabis resin.

“This experience has further revealed that many of the young persons who have been remanded and incarcerated as a result of being charged with offences which involved relatively small quantities of cannabis or cannabis resin, have been exposed to persons who have been accused of and have been involved in much more serious violent offences. The social intercourse afforded by the incarceration has resulted in regrettable contamination and education of many young persons in criminal behavior and anti-social tendencies,” MP Carrington explained.

He noted that as a result of the current statutory provision, persons found with 15 or more grams of marijuana for personal or medical use, have been jailed for three or more years. “The proposed amendments will remove the mandatory imprisonment of persons who have been accused of having in their possession relatively small amounts of cannabis and cannabis resin.

The amendment will also increase the quantity which will constitute a trafficking in cannabis or cannabis resin to one thousand grams,” the Member of Parliament noted.

Nursing Annex II opens at CLC

AS the Ministry of Public Health continues to address the shortages of nurses in Guyana’s Health Sector, the Georgetown School of Nursing Annex II officially opened on Friday at the Critchlow Labour College.

The move is intended to increase the intake ability of nursing schools across the country.

In her address, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence said the opening of the facility was “critical milestone” in the development of the health care system in Guyana.

“Our nurses constitute the pillars upon which our health care system is founded. Without enough of them to deliver the health services, our best efforts at improvement in the provision of care

are compromised, hence this accommodation to train and further develop our nurses,” the Minister said.

“The opening of yet another school of Nursing Annex underscores the fact that we at the Ministry recognise that in order to address the challenges… we need to expand our corps of nurses to provide quality care that is accessible to everyone everywhere,” she added.

The Annex II facilities include three classrooms, a clinical laboratory, a library and a staff room.

The Nursing Annex II adds to the three existing nursing schools across the country, namely the Charles Rosa School of Nursing in Region 10, the New Amsterdam School of Nursing in Region Six and the New

Georgetown School Nursing Annex I. The first batch of 90 trainees took the Nightingale Pledge, shortly after the Minister officially declared the facility opened. Of the 90 students entering the school, 30 signed up for the Registered Nurse Programme while the other 60 trainees are doing the Nursing Assistant Programme.

Minister Lawrence noted that in this initial batch, there is at least one student from each of the ten administrative regions. Once their programmes are completed, the nurses are expected to return to their respective regions.

The Public Health Minister said Annex II will help government fulfill its mandate of ensuring adequate See page 3

The only two male nursing students cut the symbolic ribbon declaring the Georgetown School of Nursing Annex II officially opened as Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, (third from left) and others look on. (Delano Williams photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

PNCR says...

‘PPP scared of a clean list’ … house-to-house will result in credible elections

… ups calls for new round of registration “IN the current political climate, it would be fair to ask - why is the PPP so afraid of having a clean voters’ list and credible elections?” People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Chairperson Volda Lawrence questioned as she insisted that there must be houseto-house registration in order to guarantee free and fair polls.

Lawrence was at the time speaking at the party’s press conference, hosted at Congress Place, Sophia on Friday. The PNC/R Chairperson said it was under former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s presidency that the National Registration Act was amended by the “National Registration (Amendment) Act 2007” to ensure house-to-house

registration. That amendment, Lawrence stated, amended the principal Act and inserted the following: “every registration officer shall, either by himself or an authorised officer, by house to house visits within the registration division or sub-division assigned to him, obtain as far as practicable the application for registration of every person, who is on the appointed date of the age of fourteen years or above for the purpose of ascertaining every person qualified for registration to have his name included in the National Register of Registrants.”

Lawrence further stated that the Act stated, “(1) The Commission shall establish a central register which shall consist of a computerised database

of the information of the originals of the registration records and the originals of all persons registered under the house to house registration process mentioned in section 6, and the data so generated shall be utilised to effect the continuous registration process.”

The foregoing, she said, establishes clearly that for elections to be credible in Guyana, there is need for house-to-house registration. “There are facts about the current voters’ list that cannot be disputed. It is true that the names of dead people are on the list. It is true that the names of missing or non-existent people are on the list. It is true that the list does not have the names of thousands of young people who recent-

ly became 18,” Lawrence said.

In two exercises conducted by GECOM, she said in excess of 150,000 entries on the list were found to be incorrect. “In the same field exercises GECOM could not locate approximately 30,000 persons that National Identification Cards, GECOM has in its possession.”

As far as the PNCR is concerned, the Chairperson said Jagdeo’s rantings are futile attempts to brow-beat the Guyanese so that elections would be held with the corrupt list. “The APNU+AFC is confident that once the bloated and corrupted voters’ list is replaced by a credible list, the Granger-led administration will be returned to power,” she said. “It is understandable

that the PPP would argue to keep this corrupt list. It is their bread and butter.”

However, she said one cannot but wonder as to why new political parties, the private sector commission, and some members of civil society champion this list, and by extension, support the perpetuation of a corrupt and undemocratic act against the Guyanese people.

“We must not forget that during its 23 years in office, the PPP Government established an unenviable record of criminality, corruption, human rights abuse, abuse of power, obstruction of justice and incompetence.

Jagdeo would now like for all of us to pretend that none of this happened.

The PPP is banking that Guyanese; especially

PNC/R Chairperson Volda Lawrence our young people will forget the lessons of the recent past and judge them by their new posturing and self-righteous rhetoric.

That will not happen,” the PNC/R Chairperson said.

Nursing Annex II opens ...

From page 2

healthcare is provided across all regions of the country.

“We at the MoPH are mandated to provide quality, affordable health care from the coastland to the hinterland leaving no one behind, so it behooves us to extend our human resources, our nurses, to provide a fillip to our initiatives to address shortcomings and reach our people even in the most remote location. We have to minimise our citizens travelling long distances to come to Georgetown for healthcare. So as a result of that, we have to ensure in those health facilities in the regions have adequate staffing,” the Minister explained.

Minister Lawrence also used the opportunity to highlight the need for inter-ministerial collaboration in the provision of universal healthcare. The Ministries of Communities and Social Protection

were represented at the ceremony.

“The two Ministries represented here this afternoon are pivotal to the MoPH making significant and impactful inroads on the lives, and health of our residents in our communities. This emphasises that the MoPH cannot progress unilaterally, and that it is incumbent on the Ministries in question to work in tandem, in close concert to identify gaps and to ensure that working conditions are optimised. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we collaborate, as we collectively pool our efforts and resources to reach everyone everywhere,” Minister Lawrence said.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, Minister Annette Ferguson said the provision of effective and efficient healthcare services across the country, ties in with the govern-

Some of the nurses enrolled at the Georgetown School of Nursing Annex II during Friday’s opening ceremony (Delano Williams photo) ment’s wider plan of decentralising of all essential services.

“The establishment of this [school] is indicative of the government’s vision and unwavering commitment to deliver

adequate health services to the people of Guyana; consistent with local government renewal that will ensure equity in delivery of services in all regions here in Guyana,” Minister Ferguson said

“As articulated by President David Granger this admin has resolutely and strategically embraced a deep decentralised approach to delivery. The objective is to unlock the potential and innovative

capacity of our communities to provide locally derived solutions and chart a course of development.

This entails residents having access to services within local areas,” she added.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE SATURDAY July 6, 2019

Iran threatens British shipping in retaliation for tanker seizure LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander threatened on Friday to seize a British ship in retaliation for the capture of an Iranian supertanker

by Royal Marines in Gibraltar.

“If Britain does not release the Iranian oil tanker, it is the authorities’ duty to seize a British oil tanker,” Mohsen Rezai said on

Twitter. The Gibraltar government said the crew on board the supertanker Grace 1 were being interviewed as witnesses, not criminal suspects, in an effort to establish the nature of the cargo and its ultimate destination.

U.S. President Donald Trump, while not specifically mentioning the supertanker incident, repeated a warning to Tehran: “We’ll see what happens with Iran.

Iran has to be very, very careful,” he told reporters at the White House. British Royal Marines boarded the ship off the coast of the British territory on Thursday and seized it over accusations it was breaking sanctions by taking oil to Syria. They landed a helicopter on the moving vessel in pitch darkness.

The move escalates a confrontation between Iran and the West just weeks after the United States called off air strikes on Iran minutes before impact, and draws Washington’s close ally into a crisis in which European powers had striven to appear neutral. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said, “We welcome international partners’ resolve in upholding and enforcing these sanctions.”

Tehran summoned the British ambassador on Thursday to voice “its very strong objection to the illegal and unacceptable seizure” of its ship, a move that also eliminated doubt about the ownership of the vessel.

THIN LINE Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the crude oil cargo was from Iran. The ship’s paperwork had said the oil was from neighboring Iraq, but tracking data reviewed

by Reuters suggested it had loaded at an Iranian port.

European countries have walked a thin line since last year when the United States ignored their pleas and pulled out of a pact between Iran and world powers that gave Tehran

Saturday, July 6, 2019 - 05:30hrs - 07:00hrs

access to global trade in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Advertisement Over the past two months, Washington has sharply tightened sanctions against Tehran with the aim of halting its oil exports altogether. The moves have largely driven Iran from mainstream markets and forced it to find unconventional ways to sell crude.

The confrontation has taken on a military dimension in recent weeks, with Washington accusing Iran of attacking ships in the Gulf and Iran shooting down a U.S. drone. Trump ordered, then canceled, retaliatory strikes.

With nuclear diplomacy at the heart of the crisis, Iran announced this week it had amassed more fissile material than allowed under its deal, and said it would purify uranium to a higher degree than permitted from July 7. The Grace 1 was impounded in the British territory on the southern tip of Spain after sailing the long way around Africa from the Middle East to the mouth of the Mediterranean, a route that demonstrates the unusual steps Iran appears to be taking to try to keep some exports flowing.

“WARNING THE IRANIANS” The Gibraltar spokesman said the 28-member crew, who have remained on board the supertanker,

were mainly Indians with some Pakistanis and Ukrainians. Police and customs officials remained on board the vessel to carry out their investigation, but the Royal Marines were no longer present. While the European Union has not followed the United States in imposing broad sanctions against Iran, it has had measures in place since 2011 that prohibit sales of oil to Syria.

Gibraltar said on Friday it had obtained an order extending the detention of the supertanker by 14 days because there were grounds to believe it was breaking sanctions by taking crude oil to Syria. Shipping experts say it may have been avoiding the more direct route through the Suez Canal, where a big tanker would typically be required to unload part of its cargo into a pipeline to cross, potentially exposing it to seizure. Olivier Dorgans, an economic sanctions expert at Hughes Hubbard & Reed law firm in Paris, said the British move appeared intended to send a warning to the Iranians that if they pushed on with their nuclear breaches, European countries would act: “This was done for political effect. The British are warning the Iranians.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE SATURDAY July 6, 2019

CARICOM leaders at odds over capitalisation of CDF CARICOM SUMMIT

The capitalisation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Development Fund (CDF) has merged as a contentious issue as Caribbean leaders enter the final day of their annual summit here on Friday.

The CDF is an institution of the CARICOM with a mandate to provide financial or technical assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors in the Community.

According to the CARICOM website, in this capacity, the CDF is central to addressing the disparities among the member states of CARICOM, which may result from the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of

skills, good, services and labour across the 15-member grouping.

CARICOM sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that Jamaica had stormed out of the caucus meeting last night as the issue was being discussed with Prime Minister Andrew Holness apparently disagreeing with his regional colleagues on the position adopted on the contributions to be made by the so-called more developed countries of CARICOM. Holness did not speak to reporters when he arrived at the venue for the summit on Friday, but informed sources said that Kingston is questioning the accuracy of the report of previous meetings on the matter.

They said Jamaica is

claiming their position is to opt out at this point of time of making a contribution to the CDF, while some Caribbean countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago , Antigua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis contend that they cannot opt out and that it is an obligation of each member by way of Treaty. Further the sources said that the other Caribbean countries argue that if Jamaica cannot pay at this point in time, they should acknowledge that they owe and make it a debt payable. Jamaica responded that it would be “unfortunate” and any attempt to blame Kingston for any failure of this meeting will be “resisted”.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell told CMC that while he would not want

to comment on the situation, the CDF is a fund “meant to help the less developed countries …to deal with the problem of the unbalance in trade issues. “Jamaica indicated that it has some financial problems that it has to deal with and I think a decision was made years ago for the second tranche. So there was an issue concerning this and I think Jamaica is in the best position to answer for themselves on that,” Mitchell told CMC. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley told CMC that “virtually all Caribbean territories have resource issues.

What we have confirmed is that as part of the treaty by way of treaty clauses, as we operationalize the CSME there is a requirement to look

after the needs of the LDCS through the clause that says we have to set up this CDF which gives them a benefit.

“So the MDCs, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, who will be the major beneficiaries of the CSME accessing the markets of the smaller countries that do not have the same capacity to benefit from the CSME. So the treaty makes provision for those countries in the MDCs to fund this CDF” But he said as had been discussed when regional leaders held a special summit on CSME in Trinidad last December, “to operationalize the CSME, the requirement to fund the CDF is now upon us at a time when all of us have financial constraints.

“So what we are saying is that we should not allow our

financial constraints prevent us from operationalizing the CSME, but having said and done that, we must now to the best of our ability accept that responsibility to fund the CDF and find in in an agreed arrangement.”

Rowley said he believes “we have an understanding what we discussed yesterday and discussed going forward is encouraging everybody to pay up. “You live in the Caribbean, you know how it is, whether it is UWI (University of the West Indies) …we usually have to encourage people to make their payments<’ Rowley told CMC.

CARICOM integration journey a standard bearer: SG (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) In setting the tone for CARICOM Heads of Government Summit which opened in Saint Lucia on Wednesday 3 July, CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said that CARICOM’s integration journey is recognised as the standard bearer by other developing countries seeking to build their own regional integration arrangements.

“From across the globe, they have come to study our systems, our institutions, and our integration movement as a model for improving theirs. They understand that what we have been doing has endured,” the Secretary-General told the gathering of CARICOM Heads of States and delegations, and special invitees which included the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway.

“We have earned the

respect of the international community. We have shown that a group of small states acting in concert and with purpose can achieve much. That must be the guiding light as we deliberate over the next two days,” the Secretary-General stated. He told host Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia that he will be “standard bearer for CARICOM” over the next six months as he leads the Community’s efforts to advance the integration movement.

The Secretary-General commended Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis for guiding CARICOM during the past six months. Through a challenging period, Ambassador LaRocque said Mr Harris ensured that the momentum of the reinvigorated international and regional agendas were maintained. As he welcomed Norway’s Prime Minister to the Summit as the Special Guest of the Conference, he said

her presence underlines Norway’s commitment to strengthen relations with the Community. Lauding Norway’s support, he told Ms Solberg, “You are also a prominent advocate on issues related to climate change, the environment and the sustainable ocean economy, matters which are of critical importance to our Member States.”

Secretary-General LaRocque extended CARICOM’s appreciation to the UN Secretary-General for his continued commitment and support to Region. He stated: “Secretary-General Guterres, you have shown an abiding interest in the welfare of our Region.” He recalled the UNSG’s visit to affected CARICOM countries following the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and Mr. Guterres’ ready acceptance of an invitation to personally participate in the CARICOM-UN High-Level Pledging Conference which was hosted by the UN. The Secretary-General also lauded the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) for working with the CARICOM Secretar-

iat and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)

to realise goals of climate and disaster resilience in the Region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE SATURDAY July 6, 2019

The marijuana debate IT augurs well for a society when its citizens can have open, frank and honest discourse on matters of importance to them. It is the essence of democracy, for, in giving expression to views, and in sharing ideas and knowledge, we, humankind, engage in exercising one of the most basic, yet taken-for-granted functions of our social existence and growth.

Whether one is a supporter or user of marijuana (‘ganja’ or ‘pot’) and/or hemp is not the focus of the discussion here; our focus is that, in the exercise of respect to our fellow Man, tolerance will be brought to bear on a discussion that has been ongoing for years, but has been brought to the fore in fits and starts. It has emerged yet again, and in this instance with more intensity, focus and militancy.

What the society knows is that marijuana is a criminalised product. The society is aware of police raids and captures. Persons caught using or possessing this substance, or planting it, are liable for prosecution and incarceration. What is also known is that penalty seems to be at the discretion of the presiding magistrate.

There has been public condemnation of the penalty attached to the possession and/or use of this substance; the absence of universality in convictions in regard to cases involving this substance; comparison of penalty attached to convictions in regard to this substance with other substances that are considered hard drugs; and calls for a review of its criminalisation.

Society has also seen users of the product ‘getting high’ and displaying pleasant and not-so-pleasant reactions and conduct. At a cultural level, marijuana is seen by our Rastafarian brothers and sisters as a “wisdom weed”, the usage of which forms part of their religious beliefs and praxis.

Musicians, the most notable of whom was Robert “Bob” Marley, have celebrated its usage in songs, and have openly used it on stage. Its usage has also been seen in movies, including its paraphernalia, with the gathering of users in communal interaction. The open smoking of marijuana was, moreover, seen as an act of resistance to sections of society and the political system that saw Rastafarians as fringe elements.

In short, marijuana use is

part of our culture, and has been revered by some, celebrated by others, and shunned by most. Unlike marijuana, hemp (a type of marijuana plant) is not known to the society, and conversations on this will also be useful in helping to bring about knowledge, and create awareness and understanding. Additionally, there are other sides to these products that the society is deserving of knowing, because they would lend to society being more informed, and would guide actions and reactions going forward.

The academic community has weighed in on the matter.

Our Caribbean sociologist, Dr. Barry Chevannes has proposed the possibility of expanding the use of the product in pharmacology and in industry, along with government playing a role through an intensive education drive, particularly among young people, to reduce the demand for the drug.

It is said that in the 1970s, two University of the West Indies (UWI) researchers developed from marijuana a drug called Canasol for the treatment of glaucoma. Hemp has also been found to have several industrial applications, **including in the manufacture of rope, cloth,

and other products. And while recreational use of marijuana remains controversial, medical practitioners have advanced its utility as a drug in dealing with illnesses such as cancer and glaucoma.

The USA National Eye Institute reported thus: “Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma” and may slow the progression of the disease, preventing blindness. In the USA, 20 states have decriminalised marijuana for medical use. Jamaica has amended its drug law which partially decriminalises small amounts to allow for lawful medical use, a reform that has been described by Minister of Justice Mark Golding as “long overdue.”

This is not to say that there is no adverse side effect in the use of marijuana. For it has been found that overuse can lead to dependency and alter memory and emotions. There is also a business (economic) side to the production and sale of the product and its by-products. In addition to creating income opportunities, states also stand to benefit through taxation.

For instance, Colorado, one of the first two USA states to legalise marijuana in 2012, garnered tax revenue of US$44 million in 2014, which has moved to US$73.5 million in the first seven months of this year; and if kept apace, is projected to reached US$125 million. We are encouraged that government has adopted a policy, which will address one of the bigger problems in our society- the overcrowding of the prison. The proposed amendment of the law for the removal of custodial sentences for persons found with up to 30 grams of marijuana in their possession is in keeping with a commitment made by President David Granger.

According to the Ministry of the Presidency, the decision to approve the proposal was arrived at after extensive discussions and reviews. It stated that while possession remains an offence, persons will not be sentenced to terms of imprisonment as obtained in the past.

“This is the first of several steps that government intends to take as it considers the recently submitted Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Report on the usages of marijuana, and in particular, usages by our Rastafarian brothers and

sisters who require it for use in their worship and sacrament,” the Ministry of the Presidency said on Tuesday.

Over the years, several persons have been placed behind bars for having small amounts of marijuana in their possession– a move which has been frowned upon, given the overcrowding of the country’s prisons.

Once found in possession of more than five grams of cannabis, a person can be sentenced to three years in jail.

Now that Cabinet has granted its approval, it is likely that Government will fast track its efforts at amending the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act, in the National Assembly, to remove custodial sentences for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana. The debate and conversations will continue around this and this is good as it would no doubt also lead to the sharing of knowledge and understanding of the usage, policies and laws governing the product.

Grades are important and so is mental health Dear Editor,

COMMON Entrance results were released recently. We are once again in the periodical summer whereby an eleven or twelve-year-old may be ecstatic and zealous or unhappy and depressed.

I recently found out that for Common Entrance Examinations, only 130 seats are available for Queen’s College. That means that out of 14,000 students, only 130 students will get QC. That’s

only 0.929 per cent. Let that sink in for a moment. Less than one per cent of students who wrote Common Entrance will get into QC. Harvard University does not have those odds. Neither does Oxford nor Cambridge.

When I was 11 years old my parents worked with me throughout for one year in order to prepare me for Common Entrance Examinations.

My father and I, every night during the weekdays, would study mathematics and En-

glish and my mother and I on the weekends would do the other subjects. I had all the resources: the past papers, the textbooks, etc... I even went to one of the best private primary schools and I worked really hard. Despite all of that I did not get QC. I have done CXC, A levels and written law exams and I have never been nervous for any of those exams as I was for Common Entrance. I did not want to disappoint my parents nor family because I felt every-

one wanted and expected that I would get QC. That’s a lot of pressure on any boy or girl.

I, as an 11-year-old, felt that if I didn’t get QC it was the end of the world. My life was over! I thought that if I didn’t get QC, I wouldn’t be a good lawyer because my father went to QC, and to be a good lawyer you need to go to QC. That’s the deductive reasoning of an eleven-year-old. Parents need to remind their children that if they don’t get QC it’s not the end of the world. If

they continue to work hard and stay disciplined they will achieve great things. A vast number of professionals who are leaders in their respective fields did not get QC. I cannot list everyone because the number is so vast but I shall list a few. The former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, did not get QC. The former Chief Justice, Ian Chang, SC, did not get QC. Guyana’s only neurosurgeon, Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, did not get QC. Business tycoon, Dr.

Yesu Persaud, did not get QC. In light of what I mentioned, I wish to congratulate all of those students who wrote the Common Entrance Examinations and worked hard, and to encourage them to continue to work hard and if you didn’t get QC, it’s not the end of the world! Continue to work hard and be disciplined and you will do great in life!

Regards Mikel Puran

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GUYANA CHRONICLE SATURDAY July 6, 2019

We should teach only Maths and Language at primary schools Dear Editor, EINSTEIN once said that the true definition of crazy is when we do the same thing over and over expecting different results.

Therefore, we should not be shocked that, yet again, half the country's children who wrote common entrance failed miserably in Mathematics and English. We should be appalled. Imagine how each failed student this year will struggle throughout secondary school if they even attend one, with no real knowledge of the bigger concepts being taught there.

Imagine how many will eventually drop out after having had enough of confusion.

We especially should not be shocked though, that, in the other subject areas like science and social studies, way more than half failed.

As we all know, without knowledge of language and Maths, little or nothing else can be learned.

Or do we not know this?

How come we have not done things differently to ensure that all our children can, at the very least, read and write, instead of only half of them,

as is the present situation? In the first place, why on earth are they being taught all those extra subjects at the common entrance level? Why are most of them fetching around what seems like entire libraries in their backpacks and taking extra lessons? Just to fail and barely pass?

Our young children’s training should first and foremost be focused only on the two main things in which they need solid foundations -- Maths and language. We teach Mathematics from an early age because it provides opportunities for developing important intellectual skills in problem-solving, deductive and inductive reasoning, creative thinking and communication. We teach language from an early age so that children can have a means of seeking new information of all types with their new ability to read and do research. Most employers will not hire persons who have no real command of Maths and English.

Without Maths and language, a child is stuck. All other subjects are incomprehensible without them. I don't think any other country

focuses on more than just Maths and language at the common entrance age. Why should we? We can’t continue to tolerate half of our children failing Maths and English just so that we can ensure that way less than half of them could learn social studies and other subjects.

It’s not worth it. Why teach unnecessary subjects they are obviously failing miserably in, while firstly, neglecting to focus on the subjects they truly need to learn and then secondly, watching half of them fail in those important subjects year after year? We are truly crazy.

All the effort, energy, expertise and resources put into teaching those extra subjects, in vain, could be very well and rightly put into teaching Maths and English, both properly and sufficiently. These two subject areas must never ever be neglected at that age. How can we learn science if we don’t understand Maths? How can we understand social studies if we can’t read? Science and social studies are subjects that can and must be taught only to students who are already proficient in Maths

and language. If half of the students are not proficient in Maths and English then what’s the point in teaching those extra subjects to them?

Don’t their grades in those extra subjects speak volumes? Why are we allowing this massively failing educational process to continue unchecked?

With a good English and Maths foundation, children can learn social studies and even rocket science, with ease, later on in any secondary school where those subjects should rightly be taught. And their eventual overall CXC pass rate will also increase tremendously across the country because they would all know how to read and understand the books they need to read and understand. I have met way too many grown people in Guyana who don't know Maths or English even after having gone through primary and secondary school here.

Something is wrong.

Unlike, for example, Barbados, English is not our first language. We cannot assume that children in Guyana already know English when they start school. They don’t.

They don’t speak English at home. Our native tongue is Creolese. And, with its Hindi, Dutch, and Amerindian influences, it is very different from English, which Africans adopted almost wholly. Unlike Barbados, we have way too many historical and present day language influences to think we can afford to treat the teaching of English at the primary level as a casual affair. We can't. English is the official language of Guyana and it makes no sense testing our children in English if they don’t know it. Even Barbadians, with their historically limited cultural diversity, completely avoid teaching anything but English and Maths at the primary level.

This, in turn, accounts for their extremely high literacy levels and super professional population.

While our Creolese is a beautiful language, English has to, and must be focused on. Otherwise, what has been happening will continue to happen -- we will continue to fail our children and our nation. The most successful students at the common entrance level are bilingual.

They speak fluently in both

English and Creolese. All of our children should be, at the very least, bilingual. Maths and English (and perhaps Spanish for obvious reasons) should be all that is taught in our primary schools. As a society, we fit Einstein’s definition of crazy almost exactly. I implore us as a nation to grab some sense. We have way too many illiterate people in our country to not want to take immediate action. Illiteracy is the biggest contributor to our poverty and crime issues. This is not just a matter for our governments to look into. This is our issue. And we must collectively call for a change, regardless which government is in place. We must want that change before we can convince any government to provide it. And no, it’s not enough to ask parents to work more closely with the children. The parents themselves do not know Maths and English. Our education system failed them too. And we certainly don't want children being beaten to study harder.

Regards John M. Fraser LL.B.

PPP used state lands to fortify its rich associates Dear Editor AMONG the revelations

by Charles Ceres in his illustration of Bharat Jagdeo’s PPP/C, had been reference to acreages given to Demerara Investment Limited, a company owned by Eddie Boyer, a well-known city businessman.

As was brought to the public’s attention by way of the media, this citizen, a well-known supporter of the PPP/C, whose open political line had been called into question during his tenure of chairman of the Private

Sector Commission, was a recipient of land for housing development purposes. Others in this category would have included PPP/C MP Odinga Lumumba, and Bai Shan Lin. One is certain, that given the depth of the morass that has been the criminal state in Guyana, that there are other scandalous PPP/C land deals that surround many instances of leases being granted to friends and cronies.

I stand corrected, by referring to a media report a while ago, which highlighted that many of these recipients, even after the

coalition came to office, were not in fulfilment of the conditions that attended their lease agreement. In other words, the lands were still idle. This is in contrast to Ceres, who has ever since executed his stated plan for use of his acreages, allotted – the construction of his engineering firm, Ground Structures Engineering Company (GSEC), which is contributing to the development and training of young Guyanese engineers for national development.

Surely, this is a citizen who clearly understands his obligations to legal require-

ments, extending same to practical realisations.

Editor, I am referring to this issue is against the background of reports from the CH&PA of there being no more vacant land for housing construction in Region Four. This has to be true, since lands that should have been allotted to ‘would-be’ home builders, have been given to friends of the former PPP/C administration. Surely, this could not have been tending to the needs of the working class.

One would have thought that the first responsibility of any government in such

a key social development initiative is land for the less privileged to build homes; is ensuring that this seminal need is fulfilled – that the needs of the less possessed are given priority.

In fact, the overwhelming citizens’ concern at each of the “Bringing the Government to you” exercises has been housing.

This would have illuminated the reasons as to the over 25,000 unanswered applications, most existing since the 1990s, apart from the newly-made thousands after 2015.

It is a given as to those

friends of the PPP/C, their intention to build homes, and perhaps, gated communities, not for the poor, but for the super-rich.

These would have been at prices far beyond the reach of the financially incapable. No surprise, as this is yet another example of the PPP/C’s grand design of every citizen having a home of their own – fortifying its rich associates.

Regards Aditya Panday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Regma, One Mile Primary share top NGSA spot for Region Ten

REGION Ten top performers at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) were on Wednesday celebrated by their relatives, schools and communities as they landed themselves places at some of the country’s leading high schools.

Jointly tied at the top position are: Jasmine Simpson of the One Mile Primary School and Ravi Raymon of the Regma Primary Schoolboth scoring 523 marks. For the future brain surgeon Raymon, his jolly personality was evident as he expressed how happy he is, to be part of the cream of the crop. The news of success came with toppings on the cake, as he was at his graduation exercise when he received it. “I had extra lesson until 8 pm, when I reached home I was very tired but I kept on revising every day and kept doing my work and that is how I was able to do good,” he said.

The good news was received by Simpson with tears of joy. While she was overjoyed at the news, she said it did not come as quite a shocker. Her toiling she described as, “stressful days and almost sleepless nights” and while she felt like giving up many times, she had her parents, teachers and friends who supported her and saw her through to the end.

Regma Primary pupil, Ravi Raymon Copping the third position for the Region is little Miss Taniya Spencer of the Watooka Day Primary School.

Taniya scored 520 marks and also attained a place at Queen’s College. Though she said she expected to do well, she was also naturally elated that she not only made her school proud but her parents as well and that her hard work paid off. “It was really challenging, I had to work really hard. I was part of the gifted programme, plus I had lessons in schools and Saturday lessons.” Her advice to upcoming students is, “you need to study hard, you need to sacrifice, separate yourself from distractions and those

Jasmine Simpson of One Mile Primary

Taniya Spencer of Watooka Day

who wouldn’t want you to achieve your goal,” she said.

Jarem Fraser also of One Mile Primary is in at fourth position with 519 marks.

He described his journey to success as hard, exhausting and challenging, but it was a journey worth the while. “I actually feel very excited, it was very hard, very challenging, very long and exhausting but I am very happy right now,” he said.

The other students who made it to the top 1% for the region are: Erykah Roberts of Watooka Day with 518, Janae Bristol of Regma Primary with 515, Ashanti Balgobin of Amelia’s Ward Primary with 514, Shaquon Ross of the Christianburg

Primary with 513 and Yaneil Easton of Royal Halls of Learning with 513.

They all were awarded places at the Bishops’ High.

IT’S A COLLABORATIVE ROLE A student’s success at the NGSA exams can only be made possible if the child, parents and teachers put their hands to the wheel and work together.

While the student is expected to put in the work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice also have to be demonstrated by teachers and parents as well. Sir Rawle Forde of One Mile Primary, said that a teacher should

not take up the mantle of handling a Grade Six class, if they are not prepared to go the extra mile. “You have to go the extra mile because there are always so many questions and answers, you don’t know exactly what is coming on the paper so you have to prepare for a wide range. It’s about being committed and dedicated, knowing that the long road will soon come to an end,” he related. Teaching a Grade Six class, he said, is not an easy walk in the park since it entails a lot of research on the teachers’ part as well.

In expressing his joy that his student copped the top position in the region, he said he always possessed the confidence in her, as she too remained confident and focused. “She kept focused throughout the time, we had our ups and downs but when i commended her just now, she said she realised what i was doing. I just wanted the best to come out of her and I always felt that she would do exceptionally well.”

Watooka Day teacher Rhonda Rose whose student copped the third position also shared similar sentiments and advised students to stay focused and have a positive mind set. She said she was elated that her student was so successful.

You don’t have to know

to help Quacy Spencer, mother of Taniya Spencer said she played an integral role in her child’s success by just being there. Her emotional and moral support superseded that of knowing all the concepts her daughter was studying and overtime, her daughter naturally gravitated to her mother’s support and even when she mastered her work, she just wanted her mom there. “I am always encouraging her, I am always there with her and even though she is a high flyer, she would say mommy just sit with me and so I would encourage parents to just be there, even if you don’t know it, just be there,” she said. She also encouraged parents to keep a close relationship with their child’s teacher and keep up to date and show interest in their schedule of curricular activities.

This year, 849 students wrote NGSA for 2019 compared to 779 in 2018. Mathematics saw 58.8% students passing, which represents a 4.8% increase from 2018.

English saw a 74.5% pass rate which is a 3.6% decrease from 2018. Science saw a 60% pass rate with a 3.1% decrease and Social Studies saw a 56.5% pass rate with a 9.5% decrease compared to 2018.

Brother who brutally chopped sisters at Moruca arrested — police detective injured while making arrest THE brother of two sisters, one of whom succumbed to severe chop wounds she sustained at the hands of the deranged man on Wednesday, was arrested by the police at Waramuri Mission, Moruca on Thursday night.

Police said during efforts to arrest the man, he attacked the ranks with a cutlass and one of the officers sustained chop wounds to his hand. He is currently seeking medical attention.

Reports are that Cynthia Cozier, age 28, died while receiving treatment at the Suddie Hospital on Thursday morning while her sister, Beverly France, age 40, remains hospitalised and is in a stable condition.

Cynthia’s eight-month-old baby was also injured during the attack and according to the police, his condition is also stable.

Cynthia is said to be the

Cynthia Cozier

twin sister of her attacker.

She was a mother of two and reports are that she was holding her baby when her brother launched the brutal attack at their home at Mariabo Creek at Waramuri on Wednesday afternoon.

Police reported that the assailant is of unsound mind and following an argument with his siblings, he launched the brutal attack.

Village Captain, Learland

Emmanuel, confirmed the passing of Cynthia and on Thursday he noted that she was a gifted athlete who was very active in the community. He said too that the woman’s brother was suffering from mental health issues for some time and according to him, there are other cases of persons suffering from mental health issues at Waramuri.

Emmanuel said such cases may be related to the abuse of illicit substances and according to him, it is an issue which the health authorities, as well as the police, should address in order to prevent similar occurrences of what obtained on Wednesday at the Coziers.

The village leader said there was a similar case in which a mentally ill man hacked another man to death at Waramuri. “I think it’s a problem that needs attention,” he said.

Police are investigating the incident.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

‘Aurora’ workers back at work

WORKERS of the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM), owned

by Canadian company Guyana Goldfields Inc, are said to have returned to work beginning Friday, following a meeting on Thursday between representatives from the company, representatives for the workers, and officials from the Department of Labour.

Officials from the Department of Labour are scheduled to visit the mines on Monday, while Minister with Responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, says a union poll will be held to determine if the National Mine Workers Union of Guyana (NMWUG), headed by Sherwayne Downer, can represent the workers.

“We were able to get the parties around the table and all matters that are giving them trouble, we were able to show them how to go about dealing with them. We were able to help them,” explained Scott

“They [the employees] were concerned about their future, because enough communication was not done between the workers and the employer; hence, they had this feeling that their work might have been threatened and they were hearing things.”

The company issued a statement on Friday, noting that the stoppage is not expected to affect production.

“The work stoppage at its Aurora mine that began on July 2 has ended. Employees are starting to return to work in a phased approach to ensure orderliness and full production is anticipated to resume shortly. As a result of the three operational days lost, the company estimates that approximately 22,500 tonnes were not processed.

However, full-year production guidance remains unaffected at 145,000-160,000 ounces of gold,” the statement said.

“Personnel are being

re-mobilised and the site is ramping back up to normal operations in a phased and safe manner. The company has agreed to a dialogue with employee representatives and government authorities to resolve any outstanding issues in full compliance with Guyanese labour law.”

After reportedly downing tools since Tuesday over a dispute on severance pay, which aggravated an already strained situation between the employees and the company, the workers agreed to return to work, even as the issues are being addressed.

It was in March that the Guyana Goldfields signed a mining agreement with Peruvian company, STRACON, a move that would see mining employees being transferred from being employees of Guyana Goldfields Inc to being employees of STRACON. The employees are contending that since they are leaving Guyana Goldfields

Inc, and starting as new employees of STRACON, they are entitled to severance pay from Guyana Goldfields. The changeover was expected to take effect from July 1, so when that date passed and the employees were still told nothing about their severance payments, despite queries, they became frustrated.

One worker, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that this exacerbated an already tense atmosphere at the mines, where employees are accusing the company of victimisation, among other things.

“They have to pay off the workers and they haven’t done such and they want to move over the workers, so that is one of the things that contributed to the situation.

The mine workers want their severance,” he remarked.

He said the employees were told that they have to speak with the mines manager; however, they feel they’re being given a royal

run-around as they remain unsure as to who exactly the portfolio is assigned.

“They put them on to a lady, but the lady deny that she’s the mines manager, so really and truly they’ve been lying to the workers, so that’s what caused the heated conversation and the situation.

The workers want answers; they want to know who’s in charge of getting them their severance money,” the person noted.

They said the severance is just one of many issues the employees have been facing at the location over the years, and the employees are calling for a union.

“The workers from time to time have been threatened and intimidated by the supervisors, and the company has made a lot of promises to us that haven’t really come through. They would have you doing a lot of unsafe activity and unsafe work and if you don’t want to do it, they would threaten you to

give you a dismissal letter or a warning letter, and they would like call you names and stuff like that, so it’s getting really overbearing. It’s time that we get the company unionised,” he said.

The Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB) requires that a union garner at least 40 per cent of the workers’ votes to be eligible to represent the workers at a particular company or in a particular category. Minister Scott says a poll will be held among the workers and if the NMWUG prevails, that union will have to be recognised by the company.

“They had applied to us at the Trade Union Recognition Board for recognition, after which we will do a poll. If they win that poll by more than 40 per cent, they will be the recognised union for the workers,” Scott said.

By Jared Liddell

School; the David Rose Special Needs School; the Diamond Special Needs School; and the Resource Unit for the Blind in Georgetown.

The gadgets will also be used for PLWDs attending

time,” were the sentiments expressed by Ganesh Singh.

Ms Beverly Pile, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to express pride in the initiative, saying, “We could say no one left

between the average person and PLWDs. Minister Hughes spokes of her delight at being able to be a part of the launching of such a promising programme. She also talked

“Our persons with disabilities must have the same opportunities; the same tools for learning and personal growth as any other Guyanese citizen,” Minister Hughes said.

would be useful to persons with disabilities. Also about to be implemented is access to duty-free concessions to persons with disabilities, who would need to import special customised vehicles.

Ms Abrams, who was the last to speak, talked about the experience she had working with some members of the disabled community through her STEM Guyana programme. She described the programme as being “wildly successful”, in that the experience prompted her to want to be a part of this initiative. “Talent is equally distributed whether in poor or rich communities, abled or disabled communities,” she said, adding: “We just know that opportunity is not equally distributed.”

She further stated that we have a mandate to ensure that everybody is offered the opportunity to participate in the development of Guyana.

In her closing remarks, Minister Hughes made reference to, starting sometime in the near future, utilising social media as well as fliers to disseminate information on how persons could go about accessing the new opportunities being brought through these new initiatives for PLWDs.

Gov’t gifts tablets, robotic kits to PLWDs

THE Ministry of Public Telecommunications on Friday hosted a handing-over ceremony where representatives of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons With Disabilities (GCOPD) were presented with 59 tablets and one robotic set, the latter courtesy of STEM Guyana.

In attendance were Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; Mr Ganesh Singh, GCOPD Programme coordinator; Ms Beverly Pile, Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disability; and Ms Karen Abrams, Co-Founder of STEM Guyana.

The programme began with Mr. Singh, who, beaming with pride, expressed appreciation that the proposal he’d just a few months prior brought to Minister Hughes was now a reality.

Mr Singh spoke on how beneficial to the disabled community the initiative is, not only in the daily lives of Persons Living with Disabilities PLWDs), but as it also relates to their educational pursuits, in that it would aid in the establishment of STEM clubs at four special-needs schools: St Barnabas Special

Minister Catherine Hughes with representatives of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons With Disabilities (GCOPD) (Delano Williams photo) the University of Guyana to allow them to access information.

“These are the things the disability community really wants to see; holistic changes, and not just token gestures that we’ve been accustomed to for a very long

behind. And I think we mean, at this point, no one left behind, because persons with disabilities would be able to move on in the world of technology.” She further stated that this is the first step of many by way of levelling the playing field

about the important impact technology has on the way education is disseminated and received by each individual, and expressed satisfaction that the disabled community will now have the ability to share in the technological progression.

The minister also highlighted that the Ministry of Public Telecommunications along with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Commission on Disability are just about ready to implement tax exemptions on smart-phone imports that

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Ceres to press on with libel charge against Jagdeo, others

IT appears as if the legal representatives of wellknown Geotechnical Engineer, Charles Ceres and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo will go neck-to-neck in court as a result of recent “land-grabbing” claims made by the former president.

At a June 27 press conference, the Opposition Leader accused Ceres of being one of several involved in a massive “land-grabbing” scheme facilitated by the government following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion.

Ceres, along with others like

Deputy Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer and Head of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Trevor Benn have debunked the claims of Jagdeo with documented proof.

On Thursday, Ceres told the media that he was mere moments away from following through with plans to file a court action against Jagdeo; Opposition Member of Parliament, Harry Gill who peddled the same; the Guyana Times Newspaper and possibly the Kaieteur

News if these parties do not issue a public retraction of “false” statements made in the public.

However, later that same day, at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo challenged Ceres to do his worst. “He could sue me because what I state is factual,” Jagdeo said.

“I am awaiting the lawsuit and the police investigation…I’m daring him to do this.” In his accusations, Jagdeo has brought forward documents which he stated showed Ceres, as of recent, received 4.5 acres at Liliendaal, Region Four (De-

Charles Ceres’ office (Delano Williams)

passed. The office that you’re sitting in right now is built on that land that he claims I was granted after that no-confidence motion was passed. So, I must be better than Houdini [ a famous illusionist] since I got land sometime this year and there’s this [large] building on that land.”

His office opened in March 2018 and marks the only leased land he has; all others owned by him are his personal property.

Geotechnical Engineer and Groundwater Hydrologist, Charles Ceres (Delano Williams) merara-Mahaica) and 112 acres in Bohemia in Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).

While Ceres has stated that he does indeed have 4.5 acres of land in Liliendaal, this was received since 2017 for which he paid G$4M per acre and is paying $200,000 per acre yearly for the lease.

Meanwhile, he has rejected Jagdeo’s remarks once again that he owns or leases any lad in Bohemia. It is on the 4.5 acres of land in Liliendaal, where his office is located, that Ceres invited to media to see that it would also be incredulous for the large building which is there to be constructed in such a short period.

This is after he would have had to clear the land of its previous ’swampy’ state, a condition which is still visible in the areas on other lands unoccupied. Outlining to the media the Opposition Leader’s misdirection, he stated: “Bharrat Jagdeo claimed in his comments to you that I was granted land after the no-confidence motion was

NO GOVERNMENT TIES The Groundwater Hydrologist also slammed the Opposition Leader and some media agencies for stating or suggesting that he is a member of the coalition government.

Seeking to make it crystal clear that he is in no way affiliated with or has been propelled by the coalition, he laid out several areas he believes are shortcomings of the current government.

He also indicated that the “false” statements of the Opposition Leader can prove damaging to his company and, in extension, the livelihood of his children which is something he takes very seriously.

Ceres also used the occasion to denounce claims coming for those he now seeks to take to court that his wife, Director of the Department of Environment at the Ministry of the Presidency, Ndibi Schwiers, is involved.

“My wife is Head of the Department of Environment, I want that to be clear, I have never, since she’s been there, submitted any bids to her department,” he stated.

“We have never submit-

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo (Adrian Narine photo) ted a bid to the Department of Energy for any work because I don’t want anyone to see my relationship with my wife as being fueled by nepotism.” For this year, he estimated that he has spent some $120M on development and people while only $6M of this figure came from the government-funded project for works at a Georgetown high school.

Ceres stated that all of his contracts are with foreign-owned companies, apart from Banks DIH for the construction of a parking garage.

He believes that Jagdeo is fueled by three R’s: race, resentment and retribution while the country is in need of leaders who are absent of these. “The Leader of the Opposition and Mr. Harry Gill will be given the opportunity and the privilege in court of presenting the lease for the land in Bohemia they claim I have,” he said.

“My life is a public book. I know that I’m free of corruption and the people who know me will never associate corruption with me.”

Swampy area much like what was the previous state of the land acquired by Ceres. (Delano Williams)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

11

Offshore drilling operations THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), in a notice published in the media, has warned all mariners of drilling operations that commenced on July 04, 2019 at the Lisa field, within the Stabroek Block.

Development of the Liza prospect will be done in phases. The operation, expected to last until August 21, 2019, will be conducted at four drill sites, of which the closest is approximately 97.8 nautical miles from the Guyana coast, and covers an area of one square kilometre and bound by 16 coordinates in the WGS84, Zone 21.

The process, involves the Noble Tom Madden Drill Ship supporting Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), and incorporating the use of a number of vessels. namely Cat Island, C. Installer, Paradise Island, Sanibel Island, Horn Island, Oryx, Emily Day McCall, Jack Edwards, Robert Adams, Clarence Triche, Eland, John G. McCall and Michael Crombie.

All the vessels will display the international signal for crafts that are engaged in such drilling activities.

MARAD is therefore urging mariners to stay clear of the vessels, and navigate with caution when in the vicinity. Communication can be made on VHF Channel16 via the Georgetown Lighthouse, the notice added.

U.S. oil giant, ExxonMobil has made 13 oil discoveries to date offshore Guyana in the Stabroek Block.

With well over 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels in the Stabroek Block, production is expected to commence in March, 2020. The developments in Guyana’s budding oil-and-gas sector augurs well for the country with a population of approximately 750,000 people, observers have said.

Esso Exploration owns 45 per cent interest in the block, Hess Guyana Exploration – 30 per cent and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana owns the remaining 25 per cent.

Man remanded for robbing UG student at gunpoint PRINCIPAL Magistrate, Sherdel Isccas-Marcus, on Friday July 5,2019, remanded 23-year-old maintenance worker to prison for allegedly robbing a University of Guyana (UG) student at gunpoint.

Tavel Jones of East La Penitence was arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Tavel Jones and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on June 19, 2019 at Baramita Street ,South Ruimveldt Gardens, while being in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Stefon Dass of two cellphones valued $145,000 along with US$115.

The court heard that Jones was positively identified

by Dass during an identification parade held by the police.

Jones was remanded to prison until July 18, 2019, and the matter was transferred to Magistrate Dylon Bess.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that Dass was walking home when he was allegedly confronted by Jones and two other males on bicycles.

Dass was held at gunpoint while the men relieved him of the articles mentioned in the charge. The matter was reported to the police and an investigation was launched.

Based on information received, Jones was arrested and charged.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

‘House-to-House registration is going to happen’ … WPA tells supporters to get ready

IN preparation for House- to- House registration, members of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) have urged supporters to ensure that their source documents are in order, so that they can be registered and become eligible to vote.

The house-to-house registration is expected to start later this month, following the completion of training for enumerators and other staff. “House-to-house registration is going to happen and we need to prepare for it,” Minister of Public Service and Chairperson of the WPA, Tabitha Sarabo Halley told a gathering at Buxton on Thursday night. According to the minister, the process of registration is imminent and in order to ensure that they are eligible to vote, all persons should ensure that their source documents are valid and in order.

For the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the source documents required are: an original Birth Certificate, issued by the General Register Office or a valid Guyana Passport. These must be provided in support of an application for registration.

Additionally, other source documents

Minister of Public Service and Chairperson of the WPA, Tabitha Sarabo Halley addressing the gathering at Buxton [Adrian Narine photos] which will have to be provided in support of applications for registration include an original Marriage Certificate and original Birth Certificate, in the case of a name change by way of marriage; an original Deed Poll and original Birth Certificate, in the case of any change of name by Deed

Poll; an original Naturalization Certificate and original Birth Certificate/Valid Passport, in the case of naturalization; and an adoption certificate.

Addressing the gathering as well, WPA member and Immediate Past Chairman of the Buxton/ Foulis NDC, Deon Abrams highlighted that the house-tohouse registration is important to allow all supporters to vote at the upcoming elections.

Sharing his personal experience from the 2015 elections, he highlighted that scores of persons turned up to the polling stations to vote only to discover that their names were not on the voters’ list because they did not register. Exacerbating that, he said that many of those persons do not possess a National Identification (ID) WPA member and Immediate Past Chairman of the Buxton/ Foulis NDC, Card.

Deon Abrams “We have too many people out there who are not registered,” Abrams said. And both the rule of law and the need for free as such, he said it is the task of the WPA and fair elections, in which all citizens are and other constituents of the incumbent guaranteed the right to participate,” the APNU+AFC coalition government to WPA said in a statement, adding its belief meet with every person, especially the that GECOM is not able to guarantee credyounger electorates, and edify them on the ible elections with the current voters’ list.

In that statement, the WPA advocated importance of registering and casting their for this registration, voicing its concern that vote on election day.

He said: “Local government elections rushing to an election with a tainted list, are not national elections. The importance and the possible disenfranchisement of new of national elections is that it allows us to voters would be unconstitutional, and could dictate the direction this country will take aggravate tensions in the society. “Further, such a course of action could activate a new over the next five, ten or fifteen years.”

The CCJ recently ruled that the round of court actions that would ultimately no-confidence motion against the gov- cause more delays. We should not sacrifice ernment was validly passed, and that the one sacred principle in the undue haste to appointment of the chairman of the Guy- satisfy another one; what is needed is a ana Elections Commission (GECOM) was formula that satisfies both. This calls for flawed. With this, there is a constitutional political will and maturity on the part of the timeline for elections to be held within 90 leaders,” said the WPA. But, in light of the stipulated condays, but the WPA had said that this timeline should be married to the practicality stitutional timeline, the WPA is urging of holding credible elections within that that this exercise be done in the shortest time frame. “What is at stake is respect for possible time.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Gov’t reintegrated 800 teenage mothers back into school –Minister Henry

GOVERNMENT has reintegrated over 800 teenage mothers back into learning institutions throughout the 10 administrative regions.

Of this amount, 500 have been placed in the technical and vocational studies and the others chose to attend secondary schools.

This is according to Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, who made the disclosure during a news conference hosted by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) at its Congress Place, Sophia headquarters on Friday.

Minister Henry said amenities such as daycare facilities were also provided for the teenage mothers.

“In some instances, some mothers went back to the secondary schools where they initially started, while in other instances, some opted not to go to the same secondary school,” Minister Henry noted.

This move, she noted is in keeping with the policy of reintegration of adolescent mothers into the education system, as this is seen as paramount to the development of women and girls in Guyana.

Minister Henry stressed that by sending girls back to school, they will be better equipped with life and other skills.

She believes that investing in girls’ education is investing in the development of a nation.

The APNU+AFC Government, she said, remains steadfast in its commitment to the socio-economic development of women and girls through transformative approaches.

Meanwhile, Minister Henry noted that currently, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is in talks

with government and when negotiations are completed, additional measures will be added to existing benefits for teachers. “Some of the measures that are likely to take effect will certainly be in the line of salaries; we continue to look at expanding the number of subject areas whereby teachers can be graduate teachers if they had undertaken particular courses at the University of Guyana. We are also looking at providing additional support to teachers who are in the field of special education needs,” Minister Henry stated.

Additionally, Minister Henry said there will be curricular reform that is being geared towards students in nursery, primary and secondary schools.

“In order to respond to what will become of Guyana if it becomes an oil and gas economy, you have to have persons with the right skillset and the human resource to manage that, so it’s not specific to oil and gas, but in all areas there will be stepping up,” Minister Henry said.

This will, she said, be achieved by implementing a phased revision of the curriculum, defined not only as the content students are expected to learn in each subject and grade level, but also the way in which that content is taught.

Emphasis, the minister said, will also be placed on interactive, student-centered pedagogies, social inclusion and gender-informed approaches.

It was explained that the pilot schools will represent different regions of Guyana, including schools in hinterland region and riverine areas; different levels of

Minister of Education Nicolette Henry student preparation and academic performance; different sizes and mixes of grade levels, and schools with students with disabilities.

Additionally, the pilot schools will be randomly assigned from a sampling frame in selected regions to enable an impact evaluation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Students awarded in GEA art competition

UNDER the theme ‘Powering a Green Guyana,’ secondary school students were awarded for their participation in the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) 2018 Art Competition.

The event was held recently at the Queen’s College auditorium. The 2018 competition was partly sponsored

by Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).

The Chief Judge was Ivor Thom, the Administrator of E.R Burrowes School of Art. Seventeen entries were judged.

Grabbing the first place was Bhamini Singh of Queen’s College, second place went to Alleana Parks of Hope Secondary and Alicia Lall Hiralall of Queen’s College came in third.

The first place winner

received a plaque, laptop, printer and desk along with accessories, while the second and third place winners each received a plaque and notebooks with accessories.

Several other students were also honoured with trophies.

Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) Secondary (ag) June-Ann Gonsalves, in her feature address, said the

The awardees flanked by Head of GEA Energy Division, Shevon Wood; Administrator of Burrowes School of Art, Ivor Thom and acting ACEO Secondary, June-Ann Gonsalves annual competition serves to promote and develop youth involvement in art and craft in Guyana.

Underscoring that it is important for students to be systematically engaged so their creative skills are not destroyed, Gonsalves said being an artist is a worthwhile profession.

“In every aspect of our lives there has been someone who was behind the graphics that would have caused style and fashion, commercials and advertisement. Guess where they would have started? By the simple task of people drawing and putting their creative ideas into pictures. Students, you have commenced on this path,” she told the gathering.

Reflecting on the theme of the 2018 competition, the acting ACEO said it was aligned with President David Granger’s goal of a ‘green’ Guyana.

“With the advent of oil found in our country, the timing is right for your pieces to now be publicly advertised,

so that the nation can benefit from your creative ideas. It is therefore inevitable that you would have channelled your creative ideas into the pieces that were done. We as a people need to be cognisant of the environment in which we live and work. You as the budding artist, I call on you to continue to let your creative pieces speak to that goal,” Gonsalves said.

She noted that one picture takes the place of a thousand words and urged students to continue to let their creative and artistic skills be the tool that encourage positive changes.

“Teachers your continuous support cannot be understated. Remember you are the ones who mould the nation and set these students on a career pathway. To the parents, I wish that you continue nurturing and being the parent that you are. The most productive students are the ones whose parents were there always,” she said.

Meanwhile, the acting ACEO said the Art Competi-

tion for 2019 is now launched under the theme ‘Sustainable Energy and Guyana’s Biodiversity.’

“I wish once again to bring to the fore the need for us all to care the environment in which we operate. Guyana is the most beautiful country in the world – don’t let anyone fool you otherwise.

We have the most beautiful flora and fauna – the harpy eagle, the ocelot, the majestic Kaieteur Falls, just to name a few. But we can only preserve its natural beauty if every citizen plays his or her part. You the students can help in sending the message across all spectrum of Guyana,” Gonsalves said.

Meanwhile, at the event, the 2019 competition was also launched and the deadline for submission is on or before Friday, October 04, 2019 at 15:30hrs.

Entries should be submitted to Shevon Wood or Taiwo Williams at GEA’s Energy and Statistics Division, 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown.

(From right) First place winner, Bhamini Singh, followed by second place winner, Alleana Parks, and Alicia Lall Hiralall who copped third place

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Man tells court he stole motorcycle to purchase a horse A 20-year-old horse cart operator, who told the court that he stole a man’s motorcycle to purchase a new horse, was on Friday, July 5, 2019, sentenced to one year imprisonment.

Ken Dass of Broad Street, Charlestown appeared before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to a simple larceny charge and two armed robbery charges.

Particulars of the simple larceny charge read that between July 1, 2019 and July 2, 2019 at Ketley Street, Georgetown, he stole motorcycle bearing registration CJ 8934 valued $180,000, property of Andre Heywood.

The unrepresented youth told the court that he stole the motorcycle

Ken Dass so he could have sold it to purchase a new horse.

Dass further told the court that he is the sole breadwinner of his younger sibling since his mother passed away recently.

Police Prosecutor, Adduni Innis, told the court that on July 1, 2019, Heywood parked his motorcycle in the compound of

the Ketley Primary School for safe keeping, however, upon his return the school’s security guard informed him that the bike was stolen.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation was launched.

Hours later, Dass was arrested by police after being involved in an accident the along the East Bank Demerara on the stolen motorcycle.

The magistrate sentenced him to one year imprisonment on that charge.

Meanwhile, Dass pleaded guilty to the two robbery charges.

Particulars of the first charge alleged that on June 27, 2019 at Lombard Street, Charlestown, Dass, while being in the company of others and armed with a cutlass, robbed Tracy Greaves of an $18,000

cellphone.

The second charge alleged that on the same day and at the same location, Dass, while being in the company of others and armed with a cutlass, robbed Tandy Whittaker of a handbag containing a cell phone, some documents and other items amounting to $104,500.

According to Inniss, Dass was committed to stand trial at the High Court for attempted murder and was released on $300,000 bail pending his hearing.

It is alleged that Dass committed these crimes while out on bail.

The magistrate remanded Dass on those charges until August 2, 2019, when he would make an appearance to answer to the robbery charges.

Senior Supt.

Michael Kingston acting crime chief SENIOR Superintendent Michael Kingston has been appointed acting Crime Chief while the substantive officer and Deputy Commissioner, Lyndon Alves, remains on administrative leave to allow for an investigation into alleged wrongdoing according to the Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon.

Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, said that once the final statement on the investigation concludes, it will be handed over the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who will then present the findings to Cabinet for an ultimate decision.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, assured that all is well with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) following allegations against Alves. “We have everything in control and that even he who is at the very highest, when they misbehave, we are going to conduct an investigation to find out whether it is the truth. A good administration gets to the truth. We are not going to have a perfect police force just like any police force in the world,” the Public Security Minister remarked recently at a commissioning ceremony at the Forensic Lab at Sophia, Greater Georgetown on Wednesday.

Alves was suspended from Monday, June 24, days after the police force stated that reports of alleged corruption in the Berbice division were being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Inherited debt applying pressure on government –– High Court dismisses AG’s appeal for Finance Minister JUSTICES Diana Inshanally and Simone Morris-Ramlall blocked the attempt of the State, to safeguard Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, from being arrested for criminal contempt of court.

In a full-court hearing at the High Court on Friday, the judges said that they were not satisfied with the grounds of appeal listed by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams SC (AG), and it was not proven that Minister Jordan is not in contempt.

This matter stemmed from an inherited State debt of US$2,228,400.67 to Trinidad construction company, Dipcon, who after not receiving their payment for contracts completed for the former administration, ran to the court and judgement was granted in their favour on two occasions.

However, the AG has since appealed the decisions at the Appellate Court, and had requested for a stay in judg-

ment until the appeal is heard.

Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry rejected the stay, and passed a court order that the money is to be paid on or before July 8, 2019. Failing to do so, Minister will be liable to imprisonment for 21 days for criminal contempt of court by deliberately subverting the previous court order. Additionally, the order stipulates that a court cost of three million dollars be paid.

The AG again, filed for a stay in the execution of judgment, the one of Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, until the matter before the Court of Appeal is heard.

When the AG appeared to present oral submissions of the grounds of his application, he was told by the judges that he could not represent Minister Jordan as the AG, but rather as attorney Basil Williams S.C. This is due to the fact that minister is listed on the court order, but not in his ministerial capacity.

AG elaborated on several sections in the Contempt of Court Act. He argued profusely that the court committed a specific illegality when ruling that the matter was criminal contempt. He said the Act protects the minister from being charged as a private person for something that the state is responsible for.

A contempt motion, AG said, should be premised on prior order that was breeched.

The contempt order however, was premised on Justice Rishi Persaud’s order that was not complied with. However, this order was against the minister and not in his personal capacity.

The AG further argued that in sections of the State Liability and Proceedings Act, there is a body of law that protects persons in public office, such as judges and ministers.

He posited to the presiding judges that if the judiciary is in debt, judges will not be directly charged to pay the cost. This, he said, is because

provisions were made in the law to protect them from being directly responsible for issues regarding the office.

Ordering the minister as a private person to pay a state debt should not be permitted because that will be in clear breach of the provisions made in the law.

As such, AG said, “the entire proceedings ought to be set aside as void abnitio.”

Justice Ramlall stopped the AG during his presentation of arguments, saying that he ought to not refer to the substantive matter, but should satisfy the court that the grounds in existing matter at the Appeal Court bears merit and provide proper reasoning as to why the High Court should grant a stay in execution of Justice Beharry’s decision.

DIPCON’s attorney, Timothy Jonas, argued that the minister has subverted three rulings of the court. He said that contempt was proven because the action is willful interference with the administration of justice, since it has been four years since the first order and nothing is being done to clear the debt.

Jonas cited quotes and extracts which alluded that no man is bigger than the law, even those in high positions.

He said that the Act being referred to by the AG does not exempt Jordan from contempt, but rather refers to the remedy in which the contempt is to be dealt with.

After a five minute adjournment, the court returned with the decision that no merit was found in the appeal, and no chances of success was evident in the existing matter at the Appeal Court. As such, the stay was dismissed.

AG remains firm on his grounds that the court erred in passing its order, and another application will be filed immediately.

He told this newspaper that the judges denied him the opportunity to present his full case, and went back on their word on not referring to the substantive matter and the order of the Chief Justice.

He said that the initial application was filed against the Attorney General and Minister of Finance, but they both were stripped of their functioning capacities in the hearing of the matter and the order of the court, and that should not be permitted.

In relation to the payment of the debt, the State had

previously filed an Affidavit in Defence on February 27, 2018, arguing that the payment of the judgment requires the approval of Cabinet; that no funds are available in the Consolidated Fund to pay the judgment; that the judgment was fraudulently obtained, and that ‘the matter’ is under investigation by the Guyana Police Force.

However, Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, had ruled that the Affidavit of Defence has no merit, and she issued an Order of Mandamus directing the Minister to pay the said amount.

Minister Jordan had previously lamented on the fact that the Coalition Government inherited billions in court judgment from the previous government.

This, he said, will continue to have a negative impact on cash flows, particularly those earmarked for developmental areas. The minister also explained that once judgment is awarded, interest payments amount to six per cent from the time the case is lodged in the court, to the time of the award, and four per cent between the time of the award to the time of payment.

No update on when the payment will be made was given by the State.

Driver in Essequibo hit and run, surrenders

AFTER hiding for more than a week, the prime suspect in a hit and run accident on the Essequibo Coast surrendered to the police.

The accused surrendered to the police in the presence of his Attorney Latchmin Dindyal.

It is alleged that the suspect, on June 26, collided with Errol Richardson, a 44-year-old pedestrian, while driving on the Queenstown Public Road.

Richardson, a resident of Queenstown, was rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital with head injuries. He was sub-

sequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Information reaching the Guyana Chronicle suggests that the driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.

Three days later, the motorcar, PMM 7554, which was driven by the accused at the time of the accident, was discovered in Lima Sands. The car was retrieved but the accused was nowhere in sight.

The victim was recently discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The driver is presently in police custody assisting with investigation.

Man shot dead at Middle Road POLICE are investigating the death of a man who was shot dead at Middle Road, La Penitence on Friday night.

Dead is Leon Hescott called ‘Dudu’; the man was said to be in his mid-30s.He was shot sometime after 20:00 hours.

When this publication visited the scene, residents offered no comment on the man’s passing. However, persons spoke of the man’s affectionate character on social media posts. Police are investigating the

incident.

The Hescott’s are no stranger to the law. Reports are that at least three of the man’s brothers were all killed by the bullet, dating as far back as 1996. In 2006 and in 2007, two Hescott brothers died in separate homicides. In 2009 one of the brothers, Ryan Hescott, was shot by the police during a raid.

The family was in constant run-in with the police during those years.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

PPP protests for elections despite no GECOM chairman

ONE day after its leader met with the President to set in motion a process to hammer out nominees to be considered for the post of chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, supporters of the opposition – People’s Progressive Party – was on the street braving heavy showers calling for President David Granger to set a date for early elections.

President Granger has insisted that he will be guided by the advice of GECOM before naming a date for elections.

The demand comes at a time when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is without a Chairman, and has indicated that it is unable to hold elections before December 25, 2019. It is also being made at a time when the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is preparing to make a series of consequential orders as a follow-up to its decision that the December 21 no-confidence motion was validly passed. Ahead of those orders, GECOM’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus, on June 24, told the court that the compilation of the new Voters’ List would be completed by December 25 after which, the Elections Commission would be in a position to facilitate free, fair and credible elections.

Notwithstanding the facts surrounding the matter, droves of PPP supporters, led by the party’s Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, demanded early elections.

A number of children were part of the PPP/C protest on Friday (Adrian Narine Photo) Ali told reporters now that the CCJ has validated the no-confidence motion, the President should name a date within the three month period stipulated by the Constitution in Article 106 (7).

“Let me be very clear, a valid no-confidence motion was passed in December, the constitution requires that elections must be held within three months after that passage. The PPP has been patient, the PPP has been responsible, the PPP has been discipline, and the PPP has operated in a nationalist way. We said allow the court issue, and allow all the filings of the government in the court to be concluded and we did that. The CCJ ruled that the no-confidence motion was validly passed, and the

Constitution kicks in (and) that requires elections within three months,” Ali said.

Ali also contended that the Constitution stipulates that government must resign immediately following the motion, and on that basis, argued that the government is illegal in office.

However, according to Article 106 (7): “Notwithstanding its defeat, the government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall, by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly, determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.” He insisted that

President Granger must name a date for elections, and that Cabinet and the government must resign. “The Cabinet cannot continue to function as if nothing happened,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate maintained. Article 106 (6) states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

On the grounds that GECOM is unable to facilitate credible elections at present due to the lack of a valid Voters’ List, the government has invited the PPP/C – the parliamentary opposition, to return to the National Assembly to extend the period for which elections must be

held in accordance with the Constitution.

Former President and Prime Minister under the PPP/C regime, Samuel Hinds, was among the protestors. According to him, GECOM must always be in a state of readiness to hold elections, and there is no room for excuses. “GECOM is always supposed to be in a position to call an election within 90 days. GECOM is always required to be able to call an election within 90 days,” he insisted.

But it was under the PPP/C regime that elections were delayed twice. At the time of those delays, Hinds was the Prime Minister, and Bharrat Jadgeo – the President.

In 2001, General and Re-

gional Elections were due on January 17 in accordance with the Herdmanston Accord, however, the then President (Bharrat Jagdeo) had cause to delay the elections based on the advice of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Records show that during a November 13, 2000 statutory meeting of the Elections Commission, a decision was taken to advise the then President and leaders of the political parties in the National Assembly that it could not complete arrangements by January 17, 2001. At the time of the decision, 378,223 or 71.66 per cent of the estimated registrants were photographed for their new Identification (ID) cards, and more time was needed to complete the process. The then GECOM Chairman, Major General Jose Singh, had also indicated that more time was needed to train polling day staff.

On Friday, November 17, 2000 GECOM had made public its inability to hold elections by January 17, 2001, and the international donor community, which was helping to fund the electoral process, had made it clear that the “date of the forthcoming election is a matter solely for the Guyana Elections Commission to recommend.”

Again in 2006 under Jagdeo’s presidency, elections were delayed. The constitutional deadline was August 4, 2006 but GECOM was unable to meet it.

Money changer was shot thrice, daughter once in chest – autopsies AUTOPSIES on the bodies of businessman, Aaron Latchman, and his daughter, Ariana Latchman, revealed that he was shot twice to the right shoulder and once to the left while his 18-year-old daughter was shot once to the chest resulting in haemorrhage which led to their deaths.

The autopsies were performed on Friday.

Police in ‘C’ Division

are hunting two suspects who shot and killed the businessman and his daughter on Thursday afternoon, as they were entering their property at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. The two had just returned from the city when the robbers pounced on them.

Eyewitnesses say the bandits approached the money changer and demanded cash and valuables but he refused and a

Dead: Aaron Latchman and his daughter Ariana

fight started between him and them.

A number of shots were fired and both Aaron and Ariana Latchman were shot multiple times before falling to the ground. The bandits then secured their loot and made good their escape.

During the escape, money reportedly fell out of the bag containing the bandits’ loot and was picked up by a nearby vendor.

The father and daugh-

ter were picked up and rushed to a city hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

Police are working on the theory that the two might have been trailed from the city to their address by the two bandits who killed them.

Residents described the now deceased as quiet and decent people and are calling on the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

GDF commences senior, junior leadership courses

INSPECTOR General Colonel Trevor Bowman, on Friday, declared open the Junior Command and Staff Course (JCSC) 28 and the Senior Leaders Course (SLC) 8 at the Jaguar Lecture Hall, Base Camp Stephenson Timehri.

The JCSC, which is of 12 weeks duration, is currently in its fifth week of training and is intended to train officers to function as Junior Commanders and Junior Staff Officers across the full spectrum of military operations.

According to the GDF, it also enables the young officers to perform as second-in-command of a company or equivalent in the in the contemporary operating environment. Subject areas covered on this course include minor staff duties/operational staff work, information technology, communication skills studies, military history and environmental studies. Sixteen young officers are undergoing training on the JCSC.

The SLC is the highest level of training for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and is designed to prepare them for the appointment of Department Sergeant Majors for the various units, with administrative and welfare responsibility for ranks of the Force.

Fifteen Senior Non-Commissioned Officers are undergoing training on this course.

In his address to the students of both courses, the Inspector General urged that they have an eye for detail, a prerequisite for service at the senior level. Colonel Bowman also told the students that they are the custodians of rich military history, formats and practices, and they must consider this as an honour.

Further, he said that the GDF is set to see major changes administratively and that they were the future leaders of this transformation. He encouraged them to be dedicated to the task ahead and to graduate successfully.

Senior and Junior GDF ranks being addressed at the Jaguar Lecture Hall, Base Camp Stephenson Timehri

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Several Rupununi cattle rustlers arrested – villagers of Achiwib fear gang members

FOLLOWING another recent attack, police on Thursday night arrested three members of a suspected cattle-rustling gang at the village of

animals’ bodies.

Toshao of Achiwib, Vanessa Richards, told the Guyana Chronicle that she received a report around 15:00hrs on Thursday of

Police Station and several police ranks immediately travelled the one-and-ahalf-hour trip to Achiwib by road.

The police and villagers

Achiwib in the South Rupununi, but residents fear that other members of the gang may harm them for exposing their illegal acts.

Over the past several months, the village heard has been depleting, mainly at the hands of rustlers and reports are that the gang’s activities were exposed on Thursday when two residents discovered the severed heads of nine cows, minus other parts of the

the discovery, which was made near a creek along the roadway to the village.

“Some were fresh and others seemed like they killed these animals days earlier,” she said.

Richards said the villagers suspected it was the work of several known individuals, mainly young men in their early 20s, who reside at Achiwib.

She said she telephoned the sergeant at the Aishalton

surrounded the men’s hideout shortly after nightfall on Thursday and three men were arrested. Richards said they were taken to Aishalton and she also travelled to the police station to give a statement.

She said she was told that other members of the gang went to the home of the gang’s leader and made threats to her life as well as other residents.

“We believe that these men

Elderly man busted with gun, ‘ammo’ at Mabaruma Police Station CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan on July 5, 2019 imposed a four-year suspended sentence, along with a fine of $100, 000, on a 64-year-old boat captain for gun and ammunition possession.

Joseph Allen of Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Particulars of the two charges state that on July 2, 2019, at Mabaruma Police Station, North West District, Allen had a 9MM pistol along with 11 matching rounds in his possession when he was not a licensed firearm holder.

According to the prosecution, on July 2, 2019, Allen was arrested by police and taken to the Mabaruma Police Station on a charge of simple larceny.

Joseph Allen

As per protocol, a search was conducted on Allen and a blue bag he had in his possession.

Nothing was found on Allen, but when the bag was searched the firearm and ammunition was found inside.

In court, Allen begged the magistrate to be lenient and to consider that he is an

elderly man who suffers from diabetes.

According to Allen, he worked on a tanker and the gun belonged to his boss and was onboard.

However, Allen explained that he was not being paid and was leaving the job when his boss asked him to take the gun to the city to be legalised.

The elderly man stressed that he did not know that it was a crime to transport someone else’s firearm.

The Chief Magistrate, after considering Allen explanation to the court, imposed a two-year suspended sentence on each charge along with a fine of $100,000.

The sentencing will run concurrently and Allen was warned to keep out of trouble since anytime he is arrested and charged by the police he will have to serve his sentence.

usually hide out during the day because they have these motorbikes they use and commit the acts at nighttime,” she said.

Richards expressed fear, noting that sometime last week, one of the men was observed by a resident

circling her home on a motorcycle. She said the men were arrested in the past for the same offence but would often be released on bail.

“When they get release hey go back and do the same thing,” she said.

“I believe something

has to be done,” Richards said, noting that she plans to inform the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the higher authorities of the Guyana Police Force of the residents’ position on the issue.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday, July 05, 2019)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL- Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: (1) Andy Flower (ZIM vs SL, New Plymouth, 1992) (2) Brett Lee (35), Imran Khan (34), Shane Warne (32), Anil Kumble (31) Today’s Quiz: (1) When were the Pakistanis World Cup finalists?

(2) Name the teams against which the WI have played World Cup finals at Lord’s?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Eight Oaks Race 2 Awesome Adversary Race 3 Lookbothways Race 4 It’s a Chance Race 5 Invader Race 6 Code Of Honor Race 7 Olendon Race 8 Pronises Fulfilled Race 9 Master Fencer Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Sam’s Cross Race 2 Cherubic Race 3 Sea Sparkle Race 4 Dun Drum Race 5 Wake Up Maggie Race 6 Alacriyous Race 7 Biddy Early

Race 8 Fast Scene Race 9 Court Return South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:25 hrs Gabor 09:10 hrs Aqua Delta 10:20 hrs Do It Again 11:30 hrs Silver Maple 12:10 hrs Oh Susanna 12:50 hrs Kaydens Pride 13:30 hrs Mighty High 14:10 hrs Duke Of Spin Irish Racing Tips Naas 08:35 hrs Year Of The Tiger 09:10 hrs Laurel Grove 09:45 hrs Little Clarinet 10:20 hrs Arabeska 10:55 hrs Julia’s Magic 11:30 hrs Finding Nero 12:05 hrs Millford Sound English Racing Tips Sandown 08:50 hrs Garrus 09:25 hrs Via Serendipity 10:00 hrs Encapsulation 10:35 hrs Magical 11:10 hrs Moraawed 11:45 hrs Falcon Eight 12:20 hrs Sashenka Haydock 09:05 hrs Sor Ron Priestley 09:40 hrs Enbihaar 10:15 hrs Aquarium 10:50 hrs Keep Busy 11:25 hrs Summerghand 12:00 hrs Equiano Springs 12:35 HRS Beat Le Bon

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Skerritt ‘hurt’ by West Indies world cup performance (CMC) - Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, says he was hurt by the Caribbean side’s performance at the ICC World Cup in England but has contended it was “unrealistic” to expect them to win the showpiece, especially since very little strategic planning had been undertaken

in the years preceding.

Pointing to an erratic selection policy that saw a constant turnover of players, a losing culture which left the squad without a series win in five years and a world-ranking of number nine, Skerritt said while he had hoped for an “above par performance”, it would have always been difficult

for West Indies to suddenly catapult themselves into the top tier of a global tournament.

However, the former St Kitts and Nevis cabinet minister, who toppled three-term incumbent Dave Cameron for the top CWI post only three months ago, said the cricket body would waste little time in rolling

out a strategic plan aimed at building a quality side to compete for the 2023 World Cup scheduled for India.

“The good work by Dr (Kishore) Shallow (CWI vice-president) and myself and others has begun – it began just on the cusp of the World Cup but none of it was geared towards realistically expecting West Indies to win the World Cup,” Skerritt told i95.5FM sports programme here Thursday.

“We expect to win the 2023 World Cup and that’s the work that we’ve started now. I think the team did the best under the circumstances. They had some difficulties and there were at least three games that they could have won and maybe if the South Africa one hadn’t been rained out, anything was possible but this was not a team that had been in the business of winning and had been prepared for winning a World Cup. “This was a team that was strung together by so many mixes and matches, and so many changes and tops and turns, and ups and downs over the last five, six years. It was just not possible for that team to go to England and win a World Cup. “We were hoping as West Indians … and we’re tired of losing – that goes without any further discussion – but we will continue to lose unless we have a plan and implement a plan that has us better prepared for winning.”

There were high hopes for West Indies especially after they trounced Pakistan in their opening match at Nottingham but they quickly faded with six defeats in their next seven matches.

Thursday’s 23-run victory over Afghanistan at Leeds saw them finish the tournament with just two

wins and five points, good enough for ninth in the 10-team standings and representing their worst-ever performance at a World Cup. “Any loss for a West Indies team is a heartfelt loss for me … and thousands of fans but the reality is that West Indies cricket team has been at the bottom of the barrel for some time and we went into this tournament ranked at number nine in the ODI rankings, so anything that bordered on winning a significant amount of games would’ve been hopeful and perhaps not realistic,” Skerritt argued.

“I expected, at the very least, a par performance based on our rankings and based on what the team had been achieving over several years. However, I was really hoping for an above par performance and I think we generally did give an above-par performance and could’ve done much better if we had been able to get over the hump on a few occasions when we were very close (to winning).

“As you know, we beat Pakistan – ranked number six in the world – whom we haven’t beaten for many years and we threatened Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, all of whom rank above us. That indicated hopeful above-par performances and we showed that we’re close. We have a lot of work to do but we’re moving upwards.”

He added: “I’m not accepting mediocrity – that’s why I’m in this job. That’s why I campaigned and competed against the status quo but you have to understand you reap what you sow.

And you don’t suddenly go from number nine ranking to a number three or four ranking in the space of a

few weeks of an international global high-quality tournament like that. It just does not happen.

“You get upsets – you have competitions where you have lower-ranked participants upset higher-ranked and we did it with Pakistan.”

Skerritt pointed out that the high-performing teams in the World Cup were those who had been planning strategically since the end of the last tournament in 2015, and stressed the Windies needed to follow suit.

“We’ve not developed players to create a safety net of alternatives of the highest quality, we’ve not prepared for tournaments like World Cups well in advance; we’ve been chopping and changing and turning and twisting,” he contended.

“And just getting two or three new players into a squad weeks before you go on a tour doesn’t suddenly make you the best team in the world. You have to get that team together, playing together for over a period of two years or more.

“If you look at how India built their team, if you were following how the rest of the world does it, you would understand what we say when we say that we’re going to do it different.

“Within the next few weeks, a whole programme will start towards the next World Cup in 2023 and if things go according to plan, by 2021 you will begin to see the team shaping and you will have a pretty good idea.”

He added: “So the whole building of a team and making a team ready to perform at the highest standard is something that takes a little more science and a little more time than just changing selectors.”

Rio Olympics: Ex-governor ...From page 27 tigations into alleged bribery - led by prosecutors in Brazil and France - have already implicated Mr Nuzman, Mr Diack and his son, and thenIOC executive board member, Frank Fredericks.

However, no leading officials have admitted involvement until now.

Cabral, who served two

terms as Rio state governor from 2007 to 2014, spoke out during a hearing requested by his new defence team as he seeks a plea deal.

He hopes the information might reduce his lengthy sentences faced by him.

He was convicted of passive corruption, money-laundering and embezzlement –

linked to various cases from an exposé known as Operation Carwash. His wife, Adriana Ancelmo, was also jailed after a period under house arrest.

Several high-powered Brazilian executives and politicians have recently secured reduced sentences through plea bargains and giving evidence against others.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Shaheen’s record-breaking performance not enough for Pakistan (ESPNCricinfo) - THIS win was an excellent Pakistan performance, as they subdued Bangladesh, a side whom most would have fancied to crush them three weeks ago.

It means they become the first team to bow out at a World Cup with four consecutive wins, also ending a streak of four successive Bangladesh victories over them.

Pakistan needed to win by a record margin, of the kind Uganda women handed out to Mali women - posting 314 and then skittling them for 10.

To give you a sense of how desperately flimsy the strand by which Pakistan’s hopes hung, that would not have been enough.

They batted first and put on 315; they needed to restrict Bangladesh to below 8.

While that was never on anyone’s mind, what Pakistan did find was a gem in Shaheen Afridi, who eclipsed Shahid Afridi to pick the best figures for Pakistan in World Cup - 6 for 35 - as Pakistan bowed out in front of a sea of green - both set of fans included - with a 94-run win at Lord’s.

The win was set up by Imam Ul Haq, who got himself on the famous Lord’s board with a sixth ODI century.

Babar Azam missed joining him, but made a sublime 96 as Pakistan posted 315 for 9. With the ball, there was nothing ordinary about Shaheen Afridi, the youngest man to take a five-for at a World Cup, his six wickets cleaning up Bangladesh inside 45 overs.

Only Shakib Al Hasan, who finished the World Cup with

606 runs, offered any sort of steel with an industrious 64.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat - batting second would have eliminated them straightaway - but any ideas of galloping to a 400-plus evaporated quickly.

Bangladesh intelligently opened up with off-spin-

threat expertly.

It also helped that Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s captain with a wonky knee and in his last lap, was inaccurate with his lines, thereby allowing them to target him.

Being hit out of the attack meant Saifudin and Mustafizur Rahman were brought back

Shaheen Afridi with his signature celebration

(Getty Images)

ner Mehidy Hasan to counter Fakhar Zaman’s threat.

He conceded only six runs in the four overs he bowled while the opener was at the crease, and when he holed out at point to Mohammad Saifuddin, he had scored 13 off 31.

HARDLY THE STUFF OF 400-EXCEEDING TOTALS, THAT To their credit, Imam and Babar decided to play for a morale-boosting win, rather than aiming for the impossible, negotiating Shakib’s spin

somewhat earlier than had been planned.

During the course of his innings, Babar became the most prolific run-scorer at a World Cup for Pakistan, surpassing Javed Miandad’s 437 runs at the 1992 World Cup. He fell four runs shy of what would have been a richly deserved hundred, but by then, Pakistan were well on their way to a potentially match-winning score.

Imam, at the other end, completed his, but trod on his stumps the very next ball, trig-

Rio Olympics: Ex-governor says he paid $2M bribe (BBC) - A FORMER governor of Rio de Janeiro says he helped pay a $2M (£1.6M) bribe to secure the Olympic Games for the Brazilian city in 2016.

In 2017, Mr Nuzman was arrested amid an investigation into the alleged vote-buying scheme. He denies wrongdoing.

Cabral is currently serving

Sérgio Cabral celebrated Rio’s successful bid with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2009

Sérgio Cabral told a judge the payment was made to secure votes in the decision-making meeting in 2009.

He said that Carlos Nuzman, then the chairman of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, handled the negotiations.

gering a collapse which meant they couldn’t quite launch out at the end.

Imad Wasim was left to the usual cameo-playing role, one that he has begun to perfect with impressive consistency.

It took Pakistan past 300; they posted the fifth-highest score at Lord’s in ODI his-

time for several corruption cases.

On Thursday, he said thethen president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Senegal’s Lamine Diack, also served as intermediary in the alleged

deal.

2016 Mr Diack is to stand trial in France, having been arrested there in 2015. He has been accused of taking payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats. He has previously denied wrongdoing, but has not yet responded to the latest allegations.

Both Mr Diack and Mr Nuzman were suspended from their roles, and they later resigned.

Cabral also said Brazil’s then-president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, had been informed after the money had allegedly changed hands.

Lula’s lawyers have said this is untrue. He has been jailed in a separate corruption case.

WHY HAS THIS COME OUT NOW? Ongoing criminal invesTurn to page 26

tory, and it always looked a touch too much for a Bangladesh side so heavily reliant on Shakib.

The man himself wouldn’t disappoint, notching up yet another half-century, his seventh this World Cup, and going past 600 runs at the tournament, a feat bettered only by Sachin Tendulkar and Mathew

Hayden.

But with Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal departing early, and Mushfiqur Rahim cleaned up by a vicious Wa-

hab Riaz in-swinger, there was always the sense this game would cease to be competitive from the moment Shakib was dismissed.

SCORECARD PAKISTAN innings Fakhar Zaman c Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Mohammad Saifuddin 13 Imam-ul-Haq hit wicket b Mustafizur Rahman 100 Babar Azam lbw b Mohammad Saifuddin 96 Mohammad Hafeez c Shakib Al Hasan b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 27 Haris Sohail c Soumya Sarkar b Mustafizur Rahman 6 Imad Wasim c Mahmudullah b Mustafizur Rahman 43 Sarfaraz Ahmed not out 3 Wahab Riaz b Mohammad Saifuddin 2 Shadab Khan c & b Mustafizur Rahman 1 Mohammad Amir c Mushfiqur Rahim b Mustafizur Rahman 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 0 Extras: (lb-3, nb-1, w-12) 16 Total: (9 wickets, 50 overs) 315 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-180, 3-246, 4-248, 5-255, 5-267*, 6-288, 7-289, 8-314, 9-314.

Bowling: Mehidy Hasan Miraz 10-0-30-1, Mohammad Saifuddin 9-0-77-3, Mustafizur Rahman 10-0-75-5, Mashrafe Mortaza 7-046-0, Shakib Al Hasan 10-0-57-0, Mosaddek Hossain 4-0-27-0.

BANGLADESH innings Tamim Iqbal b Shaheen Shah Afridi 8 Soumya Sarkar c Fakhar Zaman b Mohammad Amir 22 Shakib Al Hasan c Sarfaraz Ahmed b Shaheen Shah Afridi 64 Mushfiqur Rahim b Wahab Riaz 16 Liton Das c Haris Sohail b Shaheen Shah Afridi 32 Mahmudullah b Shaheen Shah Afridi 29 Mosaddek Hossain c Babar Azam b Shadab Khan 16 Mohammad Saifuddin c Mohammad Amir b Shaheen Shah Afridi 0 Mehidy Hasan Miraz not out 7 Mashrafe Mortaza stp. Sarfaraz Ahmed b Shadab Khan 15 Mustafizur Rahman b Shaheen Shah Afridi 1 Extras: (lb-5, w-6) 11 Total: (all out, 44.1 overs) 221 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-48, 3-78, 4-136, 5-154, 6-197, 7-197, 8-198, 9-219.

Bowling: Mohammad Hafeez 6-1-32-0, Mohammad Amir 7-0-311, Shaheen Shah Afridi 9.1-0-35-6, Wahab Riaz 7-0-33-1, Imad Wasim 6-0-26-0, Shadab Khan 9-0-59-2.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Use World Cup disappointment as a learning curve - Hope (CMC) – STROKE-MAKER Shai Hope says West Indies must use the disappointment of the ICC World Cup as a learning curve if they are to improve in coming years.

Speaking following the Caribbean side’s 23-run victory over Afghanistan in their final match of the tournament on Thursday, Hope said he and the side’s younger players stood to benefit from the experience despite the failed campaign.

“It was definitely a learning experience, something that I will never forget,” Hope told media here.

“Playing each team in this format, obviously you have to be the better team on the day to progress in the tournament. But having said that it’s a learning experience, I definitely gained something from it.

Hopefully myself and the younger guys can use this and take it forward into their career.”

He continued: “If you don’t improve and learn from this experience, then we’re not going anywhere, we’re not learning anything. I’m sure we’re going to use this as basically a platform for the next four years.

“And hopefully we can have something stronger

2019 National School Basketball Festival

and build more momentum early in the tournament and take it on to the semis and the final.”

West Indies won their opening match on May 31 when they beat Pakistan by seven wickets at Nottingham but then lost six of their next seven matches – the South Africa fixture was rained off – to suffer elimination from the tournament.

They came close to beating Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka but Hope was at a loss to explain why West Indies were unable to convert.

“It’s just one of those things. As I said, we didn’t play the better cricket on the day, and in a tournament like this you have to basically play your best game each game,” he pointed out.

“As you muck up you’re basically out of the tournament, if you have a couple of bad games.

“The better team won, the better team won in the particular situations of the game. Because I think we lost some of those games in some crucial situations, but that’s basically it.”

One of the main regrets for the Windies was their defeat to Australia at Trent Bridge in their second match. They reduced the reigning world champions to 38 for four in the eighth over but then watched as

the Aussies hit back to post 288.

West Indies looked in control at 190 for four in reply before losing five wickets for 83 runs in quick time, as their run chase unravelled.

“We had them in a very good position and basically allowed them to get that total,” Hope recalled.

“And I still think that we had a decent batting platform to chase runs. As I say, we didn’t play these situations as well as we could have. I thought that we let the game get away from us sometimes and that cost us.”

He added: “It’s just that in a situation like that, if you have a team down and out, you have to really grind them to the end.”

Hope scored 274 runs from eight innings at an average of 34 with three half-centuries.

West Indies stroke-maker Shai Hope

Marian Academy edge Kwakwani Secondary in double overtime thriller A THRILLING double over-time win propelled Marian Academy over Kwakwani Secondary when action in the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG)-organised National Schools Basketball Festival Girls Developmental competition continued on Thursday at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

Kwakwani Secondary will meet Queen’s College in the other semi-final.

In the earlier round, both Marian Academy and Kwakwani registered victories against their opponents (Marian had whipped Saints by an incredible 31-2 margin, while Kwakwani had defeated QC 29-19).

In the highly anticipat-

The Girls Developmental league has unearthed some talented players

The 33-32 point victory carried the Georgetown school atop the group and placed them against the weaker St Stanislaus side in the semi-finals, scheduled for this afternoon (16:30hrs) at CASH.

ed clash on Thursday Jada Mohan led Marian Academy with 13 points six rebounds while Kelliann Sauers added 10 points and Jahrier Young six points six rebounds.

Shania Sears was on fire for the Berbice River school.

She dropped 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Support came from J. Trim, who scored six points to go with four boards.

QC finished the preliminary rounds in third place after whipping Saints by a score of 23-6.

Naiomi Barkoye powered her way to a whopping 16 points and 19 rebounds for the winners. Sharay Johnson led Saints with four points.

BOYS’ DIVISION In the U-14 Boys’ Division, Saints, Kwakwani and President’s College all claimed victories and have booked semi-final spots.

The semi-finals are scheduled for this evening, from 18:30hrs. President’s College will meet St Stanislaus before Kwakwani Secondary battle Bishops’ High an hour later.

The U-18 men’s final is set for tomorrow at CASH with President’s College set to battle Berbice High from 17:30hrs, before Kwakwani Secondary face New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) from 18:30hrs.

All three finals (Girls, Boys U-14 and Boys U-18) will take place next Saturday (July 13).

The Festival is sponsored by Edward B. Beharry and Company Ltd, the National Sports Commission, Banks DIH, Exxon Mobil and Bounty Ltd.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Enterprise Busta Sports Club cricket camp aims at identifying talents

Flashback! The Enterprise Busta Sports Club’s Yadram Coaching Programme cricket camp always attracts a large turnout

A NUMBER of aspiring cricketers from in and around the village of Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara are expected to be a part of the Enterprise Busta Sports Club and Yadram Coaching Programme cricket camp, which will commence on July 13, at Enterprise Community Centre.

The main aim at the camp is to identify young talented cricketers and at the same time provide these young cricketers with the opportunity to empower themselves more about the fundamentals of the game.

In an invited comment yesterday, Yadram pointed out that apart from the on-field sessions, a number of class-

room-style lectures are in the pipeline to be undertaken by a variety of expert presenters. The camp, according to Yadram will be on Saturdays from 09:00hrs to 12:00hrs for ten consecutive weeks.

Registration starts today from 13:00hrs, at Enterprise Community Centre. For more information contact can be made to Yogeeta Balkishun on 622-7397.

The Enterprise Busta Sports Club over the years has produced a number of players at the national level, with Rajendra Chandrika being the first person from that village and the 49th from Guyana to play Test cricket.

(Rajiv Bisnauth)

Four to represent Guyana at JITIC tournament

Twenty teachers benefit from three-day TT training course in Linden

The JITIC Under-14 players, from left, are: Vadeanand Resaul, Devine Kalekyezi, Saskia Persaud, Sekai Jones; and coach Leyland Leacock

The course had both practical and theoretical sessions

FOUR of Guyana’s most promising lawn tennis players, Vadeanand Resaul, Devine Kalekyezi, Sekai Jones and Saskia Persaud, will have the opportunity to gain experience and exposure when they compete at the regional level in the 2019 JITIC Regional Under-14 Competition, to be staged from July 6 to 11 in the Republic of Trinidad &Tobago.

These players, all members of the Sheltez Tennis Club, will be accompanied by their coach Leyland Leacock, and the five are due to depart Guyana today in order to give themselves enough time to prepare for the competition and to acquaint themselves well with the playing styles of each other.

The Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) has

expressed gratitude to a long list of sponsors who have continued to offer assistance over the years, as the GLTA seeks to create opportunities for young children through the great sport of tennis.

Among those sponsors are John Fernandes Limited, Toolsie Persaud Limited, Republic Bank Limited, P & P Insurance Brokers & Consultants, Rohan Auto Spares, and Gafoors.

ExxonMobil U-14 Schools Football tournament

Boys’ round of 16 commences today THE Boys’ round-robin phase of the 2019 ExxonMobil Schools U-14 Football tournament gets going today at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

From 12:50hrs Marian Academy will clash with East Ruimveldt while Cummings Lodge play Ann’s Grove.

At 13:40hrs, St John’s College meet President’s

College while on pitch two, Carmel Secondary School challenge Golden Grove.

Dolphin Secondary and Tutorial go toe-totoe from 14:30hrs while St

TWENTY teachers from schools in Linden benefitted from a three-day Developmental Table Tennis Coaching Course this week.

The National Sports Commission (NSC), Ministry of Education and Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) event, which concluded on Thursday, was conducted by national table tennis coach Linden Johnson.

It followed the path of similar coaching pro-

grammes held in other parts of the country.

The programme, which involved both theoretical and practical sessions, was geared towards enabling the participants to become self-supportive by developing an infrastructure of administration, coaching and officiating with clear development plans in place, according to facilitator Johnson.

Both primary and sec-

Mary’s and New Campbellville do battle on pitch two.

North Ruimveldt Multi and Queenstown Secondary are the last two teams to occupy pitch one at 15:20hrs with Lodge Secondary taking on Charlestown Secondary on pitch two.

Ladies’ action also continues this weekend with matches from 10:00hrs.

Uitvlugt play Lodge Secondary and New Campbellville take on Tucville.

From 10:50hrs, East Ruimveldt will oppose St Mary’s while Charlestown

ondary school teachers were a part of the activities, which took place at the Mackenzie High School (MHS).

Teachers from Harmony Secondary, Wisburg Secondary, Christiansburg Multilateral, New Silvercity Secondary, Mackenzie High, Linden Foundation Secondary, Mackenzie Primary, One Mile Primary and St Aidan’s Primary attended the event.

Secondary lock horns with St Stanislaus College.

A n n ’s G r o v e f a c e Annandale in an all-East Coast clash from 11:40hrs with Dolphin competing with Richard Ishmael.

The tournament is also sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health and PEPSI.

30

GCB extends heartfelt sympathy on the passing of Latchman

THE executives and staff of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), learnt with great sadness of the passing of former national youth player, Aaron Latchman.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, clients and friends. Latchman was always a pleasant individual, and from our understanding, was always ready to assist anyone in whatever way he could. His demise is a great loss to the members of the entire cricket fraternity.

As a cricketer, Latchman was known for his dedicated service to the game and for his inclination to promote team-work ethics. His contribution to the growth of Guyana’s cricket has been highly appreciated and has definitely left an exemplary player development trait that can be adopted by budding cricketers.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time as we share their pain and grief. May his soul rest in eternal peace!

Valvoline continues Nathan Rahaman sponsorship … Georgetown Grand Prix on today

POPULAR Lubricant brand Valvoline has continued its backing of Nathan Rahaman for today’s GT Motorsports Grand Prix round two.

At a presentation earlier this week, Rahaman received sponsorship from the brand’s local supplier, Sankar’s Auto Works.

Rahaman said, “(I am) very appreciative. Valvoline has been a sponsor for three generations in the family and I am happy to be driving with tts name alongside,” he stated.

E-Networks, Altitude Bar and Grill, and Atlantic Marine Supplies are his other sponsors.

Nathan will be joined by Jeremy Ten-Pow, Rayden Persaud, Paige Mendonca and Zachary Persaud.

Meanwhile, the top X30 junior overall winner this year will get a fully sponsored drive during the 1st weekend of January at the AMR Motorplex Karting Challenge in Homestead, Florida.

The package will include

kart, airfare and hotel for the competitor at the Motul-sponsored event.

After the first round, Nathan Rahaman (61 points) holds a slim lead over Zachary Persaud (60) with Rayden Persaud (50) in third.

Meanwhile July 6 has been confirmed as the date for the second round of the GT Motorsports Championships.

The X30 senior class is being led by Stephen Nobrega with 50 points, ahead of Zachary Boodram (30) and Elan Rahaman (18).

The 60cc Kids Cup has Justin Ten-Pow (77 points) leading Nicholas Sawh (54) and Ben Phang (45).

Kristian Jeffrey leads the Easy Cup super with 70 points ahead of Stefan Jeffrey (61).

At the rookie end of the Easy Cup, Naresh Alves leads with 75, Ackeem Thomas has 48 and Luis Kumar has 45.

Action gets going from 16:00hrs with qualifying and admission is free.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Kennard’s Memorial Emancipation horse race meet set for August 4

THE Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) Grand Emancipation meet is scheduled to be run off on August 4 at the club’s track at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

The annual event has been one of the country’s traditions over the years and this year’s meet is being deemed one of the biggest

in recent times.

In excess of $4M in prizes will be up for grabs on the seven-race card with the feature C and Lower one-mile event having a $700 000 prize for the winner.

In the co-feature H and Lower race, West Indies-bred non-winner and Guyana-bred Open, the win-

ning steed will take home $240 000 for its owner.

Other races carded on the provisional programme are the L class non-winners ($120 000), J and K Lower ($180 000), the L non-winner for 2018-2019 ($140 000), the Two-year-old Guyana-bred ($200 000), and L Open ($160 000).

The races will be run un-

der the Rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Entries close on July 28 and no late entries will be allowed.

To enter contact Cecil Kennard on 623-7609, Nikita Ross on 662-4668, Ivan Dipnarine on 3310316, Fazal Habibulla on 657-7010, Dennis Deroop on 640-6396 or Campton Sancho on 691-1174.

National Mini and Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championships set for this weekend -Junior and Cadet TT Championships serve off on Monday FUTURE table tennis stars and recognized teens will battle in a sting of competitions over the next three days as the Guyana Table Tennis Association hosts their national mini, pre-cadet, cadet and junior table tennis competitions at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Over the weekend, the younger players will be in action when they battle in the National Mini and Pre-Cadet TT Championships.

The Mini Cadet (U11) and Pre Cadet (U13) were previously scheduled for last month, but were postponed to this weekend, due to exams.

Along with the two cadet divisions, novice players, both males and females will also be in action.

The championships serves off this morning with the Novice Boys and Girls singles from 09:00h to 12:00h and the Boys’ and

Girls’ 11-and-under singles from 10:00h to 12:00h, before the opening ceremony takes place at 13:00h.

Games will continue this afternoon and tomorrow morning, before the finals take

place tomorrow afternoon.

On Monday, the older age group will battle in the Junior and Cadet TT Championships.

The event serves off from 10:00h with the Boys’ and

Girls’ 18-years-and-under singles group and the Boys and Girls 15-years-and-under singles group.

The games continued after lunch, before the finals are played from 16:00h.

Seasoned player Jonathan Van Lange is expected to compete in more than one age divisions over the next three days

Brathwaite urges rebuilding for 2023 World Cup

(CMC) – ALL-ROUNDER Carlos Brathwaite believes West Indies must immediately embark on a rebuilding effort in the wake of their disastrous showing at the ICC World Cup. The Caribbean side entered the tournament with high hopes but finished ninth with a mere two wins, only above minnows Afghanistan who were last and without a point.

Brathwaite, one of only two Windies players to score a hundred, said in coming years it is also critical that the side develop the winning habit.

“Hopefully we can take that winning mentality into the next World Cup,” said the 30-year-old, who skippers the Twenty20 side.

“If you look at 2015 and what England did after the World Cup, they have built straight up to the 2019 World Cup and it’s paying dividends.

“I don’t know off the field what the plans are for the 2023 World Cup but I think it’s something we need to look at and build towards that.”

West Indies signed off on a wretched World Cup campaign on Thursday by beating winless Afghanistan by 23 runs at Headingley.

The victory ended a nightmare run which saw them lose six of their last seven matches to be eliminated from contention for the final four.

West Indies had opened the tour with a dominant seven-wicket victory over Pakistan at Nottingham before their form slumped dramatically.

Brathwaite said while disappointment was rife, there had also been bright spots throughout the tournament which were reasons for hope.

“There is disappointment in the changing rooms at not making the final four but we’re thankful for the good performances,” Brathwaite said.

“Sheldon Cottrell had a fantastic tournament and at times like these it’s easy to let those things go missing. But as a team we came together, we highlighted the guys that we thought had good performances and the guys that didn’t will take the lessons and come back from it, so we can start to win bilateral series leading up to the next World Cup. “As a team, we need to regroup. We have some time off, some aching bodies will get time to recuperate and then it’s about finding ways and combinations to compete and win series.”

Brathwaite also praised veteran Chris Gayle who played his final World Cup match, and is expected to retire from international cricket shortly.

“I don’t think I really understood the magnitude of what Chris Gayle had done for West Indies cricket when I came into the team,” he noted.

“It’s one of my regrets over the course of my short West Indies career but being with him a lot more and sharing a dressing room with him in franchise cricket as well, you get to see the aura he has on and off the field.

“I now really understand what Chris Gayle means, not only for West Indies cricket but for world cricket as well.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 6, 2019

Athletes excited ahead of today’s AP Invitational

Joseph Amoah

ATHLETES from over 20 countries, some coming from as far as Ghana and India, will face-off against their Guyanese counterparts today at the National Track and Field Centre when the 4th Aliann Pompey Invitational gets going from 15:00hrs.

Ghana’s top sprinter, Joseph Amoah will make his debut at the AP Invitational after an outstanding 2019 season with a season’s best time at the 100 metres of 10.01s posted on June 5 in Texas.

In addition, Amoah also produced another season’s best, at the 200 metres with a time of 20.08s.

Guyana’s national records in the men’s 100 is 10.12s (Adam Harris) and for the 200 metres 20.14s (James Wren-Gilkes).

Emmanuel Archibald and Winston George recent-

ly clocked 10.26s and 10.36s respectively at the National Senior Championships on June 29 and will be the Guyanese athletes who are expected to challenge Amoah.

India’s national record holder at the 110m hurdles Siddhanth Thingalaya will also compete, the Mumbai-based setting his country’s 110m hurdles record at 13.48s that he broke in 2017.

Thingalaya has represented his nation at the Commonwealth Games twice (2010, 2014) and has participated at the World Championships once in 2017.

The 28-year-old is also an Asian junior silver medallist (2010) in the 110m hurdles event and also competed at the World Junior Championships.

Current Jamaican national 400m hurdles cham-

pion Rushell Clayton said that she’s looking forward to retaining her AP Invitational crown today. Clayton recently won the 400m hurdles at the Jamaican National trials in 54.73s.

With Guyana now developing 400m hurdles acumen, having the Jamaican national champion in attendance is definitely going to be a big boost to the Invitational.

Further, Clayton is also ranked number 29 in the world and improving as she competes. A big win could mean rising in the world ranking for Clayton.

Nevertheless, Guyanese athletes will be able to compete against a class performer and the ability to pick the brain of Clayton will foster development for that particular event. “ We h a v e A l i y a h Abrams, Travis Collins, Em-

manuel Archibald, Winston George and a few others that are ranked in the top 50 in the world so it would be remiss if I don’t mention that we have a lot of Guyanese competing this year and that’s because we are that good,” Pompey said recently about the quality of Guyanese athletes competing at her event.

“The Guyanese athletes have come a long way; for years I’ve been at the Olympic Games where it was just me, but that’s not the case now. We have a great group of athletes,” the 2002 Commonwealth Games 400m gold medallist explained.

Pompey is encouraging everyone to come out early, since the first race starts promptly at 15:00hrs.

Tickets will be sold at $1 000 at the gate for regular seating and $5 000 for VIP.

‘Green Machine’ rev into action today McKinnon & Phang win at GSSF/DIG Inc. shoot with Tokyo 2020 Games in sight

GUYANA’S Sevens Rugby side, Green Machine, will embark on a familiar journey when they get into action today in the Rugby Americas North 7s 2020 Olympic Qualifier in the Cayman Islands at Bodden National Sports Complex.

Green Machine, led by player/coach Claudius Butts, are placed in ‘Pool B’ with defending champions Jamaica, hosts Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. Over in ‘Pool A’, Mexico will face Bermuda, Barbados and Canada in the preliminary rounds.

Butts will have the services of Richard Staglon Peabo Hamilton, Dominic Lespierre, Vallon Adams, Patrick King, Jamal Angus, Ryan Gonsalves, Godfrey Broomes, Avery Corbin, Dwayne Schroeder, and Ozie McKenzie.

Sherlock Sam (technical director) and Akeem Fraser

(physiotherapist) are the other members of Guyana’s travelling contingent.

Guyana will open their campaign against Trinidad and Tobago at 12:00hrs followed by a clash with Cayman Islands at 14:45hrs.

Green Machine will then close day one against Jamaica, the two that defeated them two consecutive finals (2017 & 2018), at 17:20hrs.

With the Canadian Men failing to qualify for the Olympics directly through the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, they will be attending with hopes of being successful through the regional qualification tournament.

They will be without the services of Connor Braid, Justin Douglas, Lucas Hammond, Admir Cejvanovic and Luke McCloskey due to injury.

Canada have not attended the RAN Sevens since they

Guyana’s Avery Corbin (left) is about to tackle his Jamaican counterpart in the final of the 2018 RAN 7s Championship

won in 2016, when Trinidad and Tobago were the hosts.

The top team in the Men’s category will qualify for the Olympics directly and the second- and third-placed teams will have another opportunity to qualify through the Repechage tournament in 2020.

Jamaica, champions over the last two years are expecting to be finalists against Canada. However, Guyana have come close twice with narrow defeats in recent finals.

If there is a surprise in either group it could cause problems for the favourites Canada. Jamaica or Guyana are the teams to watch but keep one eye on Mexico who could cause an upset.

Mexico Women and Jamaica Men were both repeat winners at the RAN Sevens held at the Bellevue Polo Grounds in Barbados last year.

Prize winners of the 2019 DIG-sponsored Practical shooting match, Ryan McKinnon (yellow shirt) and Andrew Phang (red shirt) surrounded by other prize winners, Dr. Pravesh Harry, Mrs Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon and Dallas Thomas. Missing is John Phang

LOCAL practical shooters were for the second year given an opportunity to participate in a Sport Shooting competition, which was exclusively sponsored by Dental Imports Guyana Inc. (DIG Inc.) and hosted by the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF).

When the dust settled, first place in the Limited division went to Ryan McKinnon (345.3381 points), followed by John Phang (331.0934 points) and Pravesh Harry (287.3179 points).

In the Production division, first place was won by Andrew Phang (347.6693 points) followed by Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon (307.1555 points) and Dallas Thomas (235.1131 points).

Match Director Mr David Dharry in declaring the match open, welcomed participants to what promised to be an exciting afternoon with five dynamic fun stages.

Everyone converged on the ‘Peekaboo’ stage as one squad that began with shooters standing in a relaxed position, heels touching rear

fault lines of the stage.

A magazine was inserted in the handgun but chamber was empty. Upon start signal, shooters had to engage the 4 paper targets as they became visible and run a few feet forward to finally peek around a barricade to engage the 3 remaining poppers.

After warming up by completing the first stage, shooters proceeded to a starkly different stage called ‘No Rush’ which comprised 4 paper targets but 6 no-shoot targets surrounding them, which caused participants to take their time after turning to face downrange when the start-signal was given.

Things then turned a little lively after that particularly tense stage, as everyone proceeded to the ‘Bolero’ stage, which started with the participants all standing in Zone A, facing up range, with all their magazines placed on a barrel.

Upon start signal, shooters had to retrieve unloaded handgun placed on a table behind them or choose to retrieve the magazines first then engage all targets which

were 7 paper targets and 2 plates.

This stage saw shooters engage targets as if dramatically and technically dancing the Spanish bolero with different techniques/moves executed.

The fun did not end there, as shooters then proceeded to what was declared a fun stage: Afternoon Jog. In this stage as shooters started out with a loaded and holstered handgun, upon start signal they had to move/ jog to various locations to engage 6 paper targets, 2 poppers and 2 plates.

The afternoon’s competition ended on the ‘Fiesta’ which was a very colourful stage, which saw shooters on starting position stand with a sombrero on his/her head, face uprange with hands touching marks on the wall.

Holstered handgun was loaded and chamber empty.

Upon start signal, shooters had to engage targets with the provided sombrero on shooter when engaging targets. This stage comprised 11 paper targets, 2 no-shoot and 2 poppers.

Athletes excited ahead of today’s AP Invitational Page

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ExxonMobil U-14 Schools Football tournament

Boys’ round of 16 commences today 29

ExxonMobil U-14 football action continues tomorrow

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Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton competing at last year’s AP Invitational (Track Alerts photo)

Valvoline continues Nathan Rahaman sponsorship Page

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Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt

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Skerritt ‘hurt’

Nathan Rahaman is all smiles as he collects sponsorship from Sankar’s Auto Works representative Keon Joseph in the presence of Navin Sankar

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SATURDAY, JULY 6, 2019