Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_08_19_2019

MONDAY 19th AUGUST, 2019

No.105734

‘Carpetbaggers’ comment anti-national

-- Harmon takes aim at Opposition’s posture on TT investors

Govt offers full scholarships to law students PAGE

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National Steel Orchestra ‘vibes up’ CARIFESTA PAGE

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Government mulls expanding 09 agriculture inland PAGE

-- to avoid threat of sea level rise

Youth Action Plan in the making

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Members of the National Steel Orchestra in action at the CARIFESTA Grand Market at the Queen's Park Savannah, Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday (Photo by Vishani Ragobeer)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Govt offers full scholarships to law students

By Svetlana Marshall AT a time when many law students find it difficult to finance their studies, the Government of Guyana has stepped in, offering scholarships to a number of students to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Government, through the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Public Service, made the announcement on Sunday via a notice published in local newspapers. “The Government of Guyana is offering a limited number of Scholarships for Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago for the 2019/2020 academic year,” the ministry announced.

A Bachelor of Law Degree is a prerequisite, the ministry said, while adding that applicants must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.3. While a Bachelor of Law Degree is a requirement, it must have been obtained within the last five years by person 35 years old or under. Applicants are also required to have an offer of acceptance from the Hugh Wooding Law School for the 2019/2020 academic year.

“Present students at the Hugh Wooding Law School must have passes for the first year of studies with at least three courses passed with grade A,” the ministry further detailed.

Application forms can be obtained from the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Public Service, Scholarships Division.

This is the third major intervention the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government has made for law students since taking office in May, 2015.

The APNU+AFC had entered office at a time when law students desirous of at-

tending the Hugh Wooding Law School were faced with many uncertainties. Their acceptance into the Trinidad-based law school to read for their Legal Education Certificate was not a certainty.

Under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, an agreement between the University of Guyana (UG), University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Council of Legal Education (CLE) in 2009 allowed for 25 University of Guyana Law Graduates to gain automatic entry into the TT-based law school but when it expired in November, 2012, hundreds of law students were left out in the cold. Between 2012 and 2015, UG graduates with LLB were admitted to the Hugh Wooding Law School on an ad hoc basis.

NEW AGREEMENT It was in September 2016, under the stewardship of Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, that a fresh agreement was reached with the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Council of Legal Education (CLE), paving the way for the top 25 Guyanese graduates to be allotted automatic entry into the Hugh Wooding Law School on a yearly basis. The government, at the time of the agreement, also resumed payments, in form of contributions, to the maintenance of the Trinidad-based Law School.

Cognisant of the financial challenges faced by students, the Government, in 2016, granted approval for the payment of 25 per cent of the economic costs for Guyanese students at the Hugh Wooding Law School in an attempt to reduce their financial burdens. Guyanese law students are required to pay approximately $98,000TT

Public Law and Legal theory. Though this was a major accomplishment, the young woman said that she still cannot practise because she is not in receipt of her LEC. “I want to be a Parliamentary Counsel because I want to play a role in drafting of legislations. I think they can do so much better in that area, and I want my input to be recognised. I’d need my LEC for that,” Kingston told Guyana Chronicle.

Attorney-General, Basil Williams

or GUY$3M per year in tuition fees to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School.

But while these financial mechanisms have proven to be helpful, financially, it is still difficult for many students to attend the law school when the tuition, accommodation, transportation and other cost factors are taken into consideration.

For those reasons, the offering of scholarships for persons to read for their

LEC is most welcomed.

For Akeeta Kingston, 2019 may very well be her lucky year. Kingston completed her LLB at UG in 2016, and placed seventh in the top 25.

However, she was unable to muster up enough money to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School. So Kingston worked for two years, then the opportunity came in the form of a scholarship, for her to go to India to read for a Master of Law (LLM) in

STUMBLING BLOCKS To ease the financial burdens and to provide another avenue for legal education, the Attorney- General, since taking office, has proposed the establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School but that has been met with stumbling blocks. The Council of Legal Education has indicated that the feasibility study submitted on the school is not in compliance with the treaty that established the CLE. In 2018, it said the CLE does not provide for third parties, and the model proposed by the Guyanese Government was by way of a Public Private Partnership with Law School of the Americas (LCA) and the University College of the Caribbean (UCC).

However, the February 2018 Final Report on the Survey of Legal Education in CARICOM Member States, which was conducted by the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) and funded by the Canadian Government, underscored the need for Guyana to have its own law school.

In that report, it was recommended that law schools should be established as part of Utech in Jamaica, UG in Guyana and possibly in Antigua and Barbuda.

According to the report, the establishment of additional regional law schools in the three jurisdictions under the CLE would provide an easy

mechanism for addressing the unsatisfied demand for access to practise law by the many persons who are holders of non-University of the West Indies (UWI) LLB degrees.

The Attorney-General, in support of his vision of having a law school here, had reminded the CLE that there are legal provisions that allow for the establishment of additional law schools to complement the Hugh Wooding Law School and the Norman Manley Law School.

“By virtue of Article 1 Paragraph 3 (B) of the Agreement establishing the CLE, it is inter alia empowered to establish, equip and maintain law schools, one in Jamaica, one in Trinidad and Tobago and in such other territories as the Council may from time to time determine, for the purpose of providing postgraduate professional legal training,” Minister Williams had pointed out.

He said with Guyana on the verge of becoming a major oil and gas producing nation, it is even more important now than ever that a law school be established here.

“We obviously have to be able to train lawyers in this area. We have to get ownership of the industry, of the sector. We have gas also, and we also have a green state strategy dealing with the environment, and these are all new areas [in which] we have to train lawyers,” the minister had explained. On the basis that approval was granted for the school to be established, the Attorney-General in 2017 announced the launch of the project for establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School, a move which was welcomed by both practising and aspiring lawyers but the project has been stalled since September 2018.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AuGUST 19, 2019

Opposition’s ‘carpetbaggers’ comment anti-national -- Harmon takes aim at Opposition’s posture on TT investors

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE basis of patriotism and being an advocate for the socio-economic development of one's country should not be on whether someone is in opposition or in government, but should solely be on being Guyanese.

It is on this reasoning that Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, rubbished the anti-national behaviour of executive members of the PPP, who, during a recent investment forum in Trinidad, where about 225 leading investors were present, urged that they do not invest in Guyana.

Harmon was at the time addressing residents at Richmond Hill on Saturday. Residents there, along with many others across Guyana, have taken the initiative to enhance their communities to

attract tourists and investors.

The director-general urged the residents and all Guyanese to reject anti-national behaviour, contending that it does not augur well for Guyana's economic growth.

Harmon was part of a wider delegation of politicians, including Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and several ministers of government who, a few weeks ago, attended the forum hosted by the Guyana High Commissioner to Trinidad, Cammie Ramsaroop.

"People who we call the captains of industry were all there because they wanted to understand what was happening in Guyana, and they wanted to be part of that investment opportunity in Guyana," Harmon related.

While the team made efforts to highlight Guyana's investment opportunities and Guyana's Green State Development Policy, which

Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, addressing Richmond Hill residents on Saturday

all foreign investors are expected to implement in their projects, an Opposition team, led by former Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, was encouraging the investors to not invest in Guyana.

"Irrespective of who is in

government, you would want to know that people want to come to Guyana to invest in it, but there you had people, while we were promoting Guyana, you had people from the opposition going there to tell the people do

not invest in Guyana. What kind of people are these?"

Harmon questioned, adding, "I say that it is anti-national behaviour."

Edghill, he alleged, will do all the 'dirty work' he is asked to do, as he tries to compete for the prime ministerial candidacy for the PPP. After the investors paid no attention to Edghill and team, Edghill took it upon himself to, reportedly, describe the investors, many of whom expressed interest in setting up shop in Guyana, as carpetbaggers.

The investors had expressed profound confidence in Guyana's economy and the prospects for exponential growth and development in the coming years. Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Energy, Franklin Khan, at the forum, praised the coalition government for the heavy emphasis on human development, particularly invest-

ment in educating young people. Khan also noted the impressive oil finds in Guyana's deep waters and the phenomenal rate of discoveries. He said Guyana has the highest per capita reserves in the world, higher than even Saudi Arabia.

The director-general said anyone is welcomed to invest in Guyana as long as they are willing to operate within the framework implemented by the government.

"As far as we are concerned, I believe that people are free to come to Guyana to invest, as long as they understand one thing, that in our promotion of the investment climate in Guyana. We make this very clear, that our first priority is our people, so whatever investor may come, they must understand this, that our priority is the people of Guyana," he said.

Youth Action Plan in the making -- to complement National Youth Policy

By Navendra Seoraj YOUTH participation and development should be at the top of any government’s agenda since it has been touted and said on many occasions that youths are the future.

Guyana, with a large youth population, has been growing and will grow even more with the advent of oil and gas industry.

In order to capitalise on the benefits and growth of the country, government has taken the National Youth Policy back to Cabinet to make adjustments for the oil and gas sector.

While work on the policy continues, the Department of Youth and the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) has collaborated to finalise the National Strategic Youth Development Action Plan 2019-2024.

President of the GNYC,

Quacy Grant, said the action plan will supplement the policy to ensure that implementers are held accountable.

“Government, specifically the Ministry of Social Cohesion, decided to do a five- year action plan to measure how they are coming with project and programmes… the plan will align itself with the policy document,” said Grant.

The National Youth Policy was passed by the National Assembly in 2016 with the intention of improving the social, emotional and cultural skills of young people, producing a productive and enterprising youth workforce, developing quality education and market-oriented skills, encouraging leadership, participation and representation and promoting good health, security and safety.

The action plan will be aligned with those objectives and will state concretely what

the government will do to enhance the lives of the young people.

“This action plan will just state the concrete action that government will do to address the key issues which the young people highlighted when they drafted the policy,” said Grant.

He said the action plan was drafted by an international youth development specialist who had visited Guyana and met with stakeholders.

The specialist drafted the document which is being reviewed by stakeholders who will make additional input.

Grant said the GNYC was privileged to be one of the stakeholders responsible for improving the document.

The first discussion on the action plan was held last month and the second one was held on Friday with 22 partner organisations.

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr. George Norton

BETTER DOCUMENT “We are having consultancy sessions so that we can sensitise partners and individual youth members about the action plan and get the action plan where we want it to be…. What they want to see is change, and to better and improve the document,” said the GNYC president.

After the document is finalised, Grant said it will be handed to the ministry and taken to Cabinet for approval. The GNYC’s hope is for the plan to get funding and be in the next budget. Since it is slated to start this year, the Council hopes that Government will start rolling out the plan from the end of the year.

GNYC had raised several concerns over the little to no apparent progress made on implementing this policy, particularly through the 2016-2020 National Youth Empowerment Action Plan (NYEAP) which requires a review at the end of the five-year period.

Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton, had said his ministry is in the process of taking back the policy to Cabinet to make some adjustments and to have Cabinet’s input.

“The fact that we’re going to take the whole policy back to Cabinet tells us that nothing there is written in stone and we might need to change what’s

there,” he said.

According to the policy, “… The National Youth Policy will be periodically reviewed and updated within five years, or earlier if it becomes necessary.”

Minister Norton said it had definitely become necessary for an earlier review of that policy.

“We don’t necessarily have to wait till [2020], if we think that there is need for us to do some changes before, which I want to support; we’ll go ahead and do so.”

Weighing-in also was Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes, who had said: “we want the young people to know that it is not a case where the youth policy is not in action; we have had some delays.”

She shared that the policy is “actionised” by the Department of Youth and is used as a guide for the work being done by the department.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Iran tanker row: Gibraltar rejects US request to detain ship (BBC) Gibraltar has rejected a request by the US to again seize an Iranian tanker that it has been holding since July on suspicion of transporting oil to Syria.

The US made the last-minute request on Friday, a day after Gibraltar lifted its detention order against Grace 1.

Gibraltar said it could not comply with Washington's request to issue a new detention order because US sanctions against Iran did not apply in the EU. The tanker is due to leave Gibraltar later on Sunday, Iran's UK envoy says.

Tehran said it was ready to dispatch its navy to escort the ship, which has had its named changed from Grace

1 to Adrian Darya 1.

The ship with its crew of 29 - from India, Russia, Latvia and the Philippines - was seized with the help of British marines on 4 July, after the government of Gibraltar - a British territory - suggested it was heading for Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

The move sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran, which has escalated over recent weeks and saw Iran seize a British-flagged and Swedish-owned oil tanker, Stena Impero, in the Gulf.

The Gibraltar authorities freed the vessel on Thursday after receiving assurances from Iran that it would not discharge its cargo in Syria.

The US justice depart-

The Gibraltar authorities freed the vessel on Thursday after receiving assurances from Iran that it would not discharge its cargo in Syria.

ment then filed a request to detain the ship on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which it has designated a terrorist group.

Gibraltar, in a statement

on Sunday, said it could not comply with the request because the Revolutionary Guard is not viewed as a terrorist organisation by the EU, which the British territory is currently part of.

It also said that American sanctions preventing oil exports from Iran cannot be enforced by the EU, reflecting what it said were "the very different positions and legal regimes in the US and the EU".

There has been no response yet from Washington.

Iran's ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, tweeted on Sunday that two specialist engineering teams were on their way to Gibraltar and said: "The ship is expected to depart tonight."

The Stena Impero, which was seized by the Revolutionary Guard on 19 July, remains in Iranian hands.

The UK has since announced it would join a USled taskforce to protect mer-

chant ships travelling through the key shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tensions between Iran and the West can be traced to the resurgence of another crisis - that over Iran's nuclear programme.

Last year, Washington withdrew from a 2015 deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities amid suspicion that Tehran was still trying to develop nuclear weapons, something Iran has always denied.

Since then, US-Iran tensions have grown after Washington imposed - and latterly tightened - its sanctions against the country.

The UK and other European countries have said they remain committed to the deal.

Afghanistan: Bomb kills 63 at wedding in Kabul (BBC) Burials are taking place in the Afghan capital, Kabul after a bomb exploded at a wedding hall killing 63 people and wounding more than 180.

The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.

The blast happened on Saturday during a wedding ceremony at around 22:40 local time (18.10 GMT).

President Ashraf Ghani has condemned the attack, describing it as "barbaric".

He blamed the Taliban for "providing a platform to terrorists."

The Taliban has denied involvement and condemned the attack.

What happened?

An IS statement said that one of its fighters blew himself up at a "large gathering" while others "detonated a parked explosives-laden vehicle" when emergency services arrived.

The Afghan interior ministry confirmed the death toll hours later. Pictures on social media showed bodies strewn

across the wedding hall amid overturned chairs and tables.

Afghan weddings often include hundreds of guests who gather in large halls where the men are usually segregated from the women and children.

What could peace in Afghanistan look like?

The groom who gave his name as Mirwais told local TV: "My family, my bride are in shock, they cannot even speak. My bride keeps fainting.

"I lost my brother, I lost my friends, I lost my relatives.

I will never see happiness in my life again."

"I can't go to the funerals, I feel very weak ... I know that this won't be the last suffering for Afghans, the suffering will continue," he said.

The bride's father told local media that 14 members of his family were killed in the attack.

Wedding guest Mohammad Farhag said he had been in the women's section when he heard a huge explosion in the men's area.

"Everyone ran outside shouting and crying," he told AFP news agency.

"For about 20 minutes the hall was full of smoke. Almost everyone in the men's section is either dead or wounded."

A waiter at the hall, Sayed Agha Shah, said "everybody was running" after the blast.

"Several of our waiters were killed or wounded," he added.

Writing on Twitter, president Ashraf Ghani said he had called a security meeting to "review and prevent such security lapses." he explosion took place in the west of the city, mostly populated by Shia Muslims.

Sunni Muslim militants, including the Taliban and the Islamic State group, have repeatedly targeted Shia Hazara minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

A Taliban spokesman said the group "strongly condemned" the attack.

"There is no justification for such deliberate and brutal killings and targeting of women and children," Zabiullah

Mujaheed said in a text message to the media.

What's the background?

The latest blast comes just 10 days after a huge bomb outside a Kabul police station killed at least 14 people and injured nearly 150.

The Taliban said they carried out that attack.

On Friday a brother of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was killed by a bomb planted in a mosque near the Pakistani city of Quetta.

No group has so far claimed that attack.

A source in Afghan intelligence told the BBC that Hibatullah Akhundzada had been due to attend prayers at the mosque and was probably the intended target.

Tensions in the country have been high even though the Taliban and the US, which has thousands of troops stationed in Afghanistan, are reportedly getting closer to announcing a peace deal.

The explosion took place in the west of the city, mostly populated by Shia Muslims.

Sunni Muslim militants, including the Taliban and the Islamic State group, have repeatedly targeted Shia Hazara minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

A Taliban spokesman said the group "strongly condemned" the attack.

"There is no justification for such deliberate and brutal killings and targeting of women and children," Zabiullah Mujaheed said in a text message to the media.

What's the background?

The latest blast comes just 10 days after a huge bomb outside a Kabul police station killed at least 14 people and injured nearly 150.

The Taliban said they carried out that attack.

On Friday a brother of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was killed by a bomb planted in a mosque near the Pakistani city of Quetta.

No group has so far claimed that attack.

A source in Afghan intelligence told the BBC that Hibatullah Akhundzada had

been due to attend prayers at the mosque and was probably the intended target.

Tensions in the country have been high even though the Taliban and the US, which has thousands of troops stationed in Afghanistan, are reportedly getting closer to announcing a peace deal.

The deal would include a phased US troop pullout in exchange for Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used by extremist groups to attack US targets.

The Taliban would also begin negotiations with an Afghan delegation on a framework for peace including an eventual ceasefire. The militants have been refusing to negotiate with the Afghan government until a timetable for the US withdrawal is agreed upon.

The Taliban now control more territory than at any point since they were forced from power in 2001.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Argentina's economy minister resigns as peso sheds value (BBC) Argentina's economy minister Nicolas Dujovne has resigned amid a financial crisis exacerbated by the president's defeat in a primary poll.

The country's peso shed 20% of its value against the US dollar after President Mauricio Macri suffered the resounding loss last Sunday.

In a letter to the president, Mr Dujovne said he had given his all.

Mr Macri was beaten in the primary elections by his left-wing rival Alberto Fernández.

Mr Fernández's running mate is former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner who presided over an administration remembered for a high

degree of protectionism and heavy-handed state intervention in the economy.

He won the primary with 47.7% of the votes with Mr Macri receiving 32.1%.

Following the primary result, credit-rating agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's debt rating amid concerns about a possible future default.

Days after the defeat, Mr Macri announced a series of measures including income tax cuts and increases in welfare subsidies. Petrol prices will also be frozen for 90 days.

Mr Dujovne said that the government's economic team needed "significant renewal".

"I believe my resignation is in keeping with my place in a

government that listens to the people and acts accordingly," he wrote.

He will be replaced by Hernan Lacunza, the current economy minister for Buenos Aires province.

A cabinet shuffle has been rumoured for several days.

Mr Macri was elected in 2015 on promises to boost Argentina's economy with a sweep of liberal economic reforms.

After taking power, he sought to restore international trust in the economy with budget cuts and the elimination of subsidies.

In May 2018, he announced the country would be asking for a "preventative credit line" of $50bn (£41bn)

Rowley: Central, give PNM a chance (TRINIDAD NEWSDAY) THE People’s National Movement (PNM) made a bid to solidify its position in the Opposition stronghold of central Trinidad, yesterday, when it formally opened Balisier House, Chaguanas, and called on voters to give the party a chance.

PNM political leader and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also sent a message to the Opposition which has been able to hold on to power in this region, “every single seat in TT is targeted by the PNM.” He said not only Chaguanas East – where the party has named Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat as its general election candidate – is being pursued, “but we are equally eager in Couva South, Couva North, Caroni Central, Caroni East and all constituencies in central TT. There will be a formidable PNM standard-bearer.”

Calling on eligible voters to give his party a chance, Rowley made an appeal.

“You have tried the rest, now try the best – the PNM.” The incumbent MP is Fazal Karim of the United National Congress (UNC).

Rowley said Central has some of the “staunchest PNM supporters” but because of their location, it is difficult to openly show this support.

He said the opening of the office was not by accident but by design, “based on our fundamental principle that we are a national party for

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the opening of PNM's central regional office in Chaguanas yesterday. (PHOTOS BY MARVIN HAMILTON)

all the people of TT, cutting across race, colour, creed, class or location.”

“We of the PNM have come here to Central, not in a strange place as some might think, not in a place unknown to us because we have always maintained a presence in this part of the country. Some of the staunchest PNM supporters are in areas where it is difficult to be PNM and Central has those members.

“It is easier to be PNM in Diego Martin and Laventille, because there is a view those are PNM strongholds, but when you are PNM in Chaguanas East, when you are PNM in Chaguanas West and your are PNM in Couva South and areas where the PNM has not been your representative in the Parliament for a number of years, there are those who believe you

don’t belong.

“People who support our party in this area where it is difficult for the PNM to win, we are saying to you, you are not alone, and you are not forgotten. PNM chairman Colm Imbert said the building will serve as the central regional office as well as the campaign office for Rambharat.

“It is the first time the PNM has established a regional office of this stature in this part of TT. It proves that the PNM is a movement for all, cutting across all races, religion, classes. It also underscores the value it places on the people of the area.”

Rambharat said people who have been opposed to the PNM in the past have already signalled their intention to join him in what he sees as a “battle” in Central.

He said the PNM is the only national party contesting every single seat, in every single election, since 1956, be it in the local, general, county council or Tobago House of Assembly.He said there was no comparison to other parties which fielded candidates dubbing them “parties of convenience.”

In some cases, he said, their opponents have fought either local or general elections, in one seat or a few seats, “but the PNM has fought for the people of TT when it is convenient and when it is not convenient.”

Nicolas Dujovne resigned on Saturday after a week of economic turmoil

from the International Monetary Fund. The deal was negotiated by Mr Dujovne.

Argentina is currently in recession and posted 22% inflation for the first half of the year, one of the highest rates globally.

More than a third of the country's population is currently living in poverty, according to official figures.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Returning GuySuCo to economic viability

THERE’S no denying that GuySuCo is an indelible part of Guyana’s socio-political economic history. Its historical development would have originated out of the iniquitous plantation system that prospered off the broken bones of the tens of thousands of weary souls, whose contribution towards the enrichment of the few colonialists and their companies played no small part in laying the foundation for many Western European societies and the affluence which they now enjoy.

In the Guyana context, GuySuCo’s contribution to the socio-economic growth and development of the nation, on a sustainable basis, accords it pride of place on the list of national major economic entities, alongside those of the once-thriving bauxite industry, and of course, the rice, gold and diamond industries.

For thousands, irrespective of ethnicity, it afforded many opportunities for self-development and the building of families, in the process of which many material worth were acquired. Call it a sustainer of communities, this ‘sweet thing’ called sugar, for indisputably, it was the proverbial ‘Goose’ that once laid the ‘Golden egg’, as so many

benefitted.

It was as a result of this realisation of what sugar meant to so many, in terms of their livelihoods, that alarm bells started to ring, when, on the first day of office of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance(APNU+AFC) for Change Government, the unbelievable cry of “GuySuCo is broke” reverberated around the nation.

The rest is now history, as the government responded to grapple with the country’s worst industrial crises. It was a challenge to which it rose, without any assistance from those quarters responsible for the shameful decline and collapse of a national earner.

We have always contended that this crisis defined what Guyana, as a nation, is in terms of political morality: Societal truth, particularly with regards to those responsible for what had been Guyana’s industrial debacle, seeking to dispose of their reckless and political opportunistic manner of managing a key economic contributor elsewhere.

That GuySuCo collapsed under its crushing burden of financial debt was no overnight or sudden event, as those who had optimum control for two decades of its mismanage-

ment would want sections of this nation to believe. Instead, the sugar harvesters of this once industrial gem were mercilessly used to further the political agenda of those former political rulers for patently selfish political ends, without due regard to the accumulative toll such reckless actions, of incessant strikes particularly, coupled with bad weather and the equal debacle of the ‘White Elephant’ that is the Skeldon Estate that was to have been the new flagship of the Corporation’s survival, would have eventually caused.

It was inevitable that sugar, its production costs, would eventually not been able to compete with international market prices.

It was a most unspeakable act of administrative incompetency that spoke of an industry that had meant so much to so many thousands over the decades, and which human capacity could have only been seen in terms of dishonest political usage, rather than as genuine contributors to a very important industry and country. How could sugar not have been observed to be becoming gradually ‘bitter’, when its technological infrastructure began descending to a state of disrepair, such as the Wales Estate, the closure of which

the World Bank had recommended since 2008? To have continued to expend taxpayers dollars on an industry just for the political purposes of constituency support could not have been more perverse than not effecting any critical overhaul of the system of sugar production.

Therefore, to have expected the current administration to continue with GuySuCo and its management practices unchanged, which would have meant subsidisation without end, and an equally unchanged workforce number was akin to throwing water in a barrel without bottom.

GuySuCo, at this time, is in the process of re-structuring, which has become an absolute necessity, if it is going to be salvaged, made to be competitive, and be able to continue to be an employer for the many thousands who are still in its employ, while contributing to the national coffers. No one should expect an overnight miracle, given the severe contraction of revenue earnings. And although this rebuilding has been slowed somewhat, because of the extant political situation, implicit of opposition threats to review terms of divestment of its identified parts, if elected to government,

there are still those who are seeking wage increases for sugar workers.

Let it be known that there is no ‘state of emergency’, as far as the current state of affairs at GuySuCo is concerned, as prefaced a point of view in a media report. The fact is that the Special Purposes Unit (SPU) must be allowed to continue its vital mission of removing the corporation from its archaic culture of administration into the light of modern best practices. This should not be a battle for management of control of GuySuCo, or a preservation of privileges which the corporation definably can no longer sustain.

Nor is the SPU a ‘squatter’, as derisively described. We can only implore a working together for the national good, first for retrieving a wrecked industry from the criminal mismanagement it has suffered, and second, for making sugar sweet again.

Government has commenced sugar’s modernisation process PLEASE accommodate a response to Jamil Changlee’s “With the coming of oil, the sugar industry could be saved”, Guyana Chronicle of August 13, 2019.

Though Changlee, as is his democratic right, seems to have referred to Dr Leslie Ramsammy’s letter as his base for his own missive, it is my unhesitant conclusion that neither Ramsammy nor any of his political party colleagues, has any moral authority to ever pronounce on the socio-economic effects of the decision to close some of the sugar estates for the purpose of re-positioning the once mighty industrial economic giant. Their clear responsibility of reckless management, and refusal to acknowledge same, in addition to seeking to transpose the blame for the industry’s demise, has defined their understanding of truth and honesty.

I hasten to say that perhaps, without informing the thousands of workers then, the PPP/C government had begun downsizing the

industry with the closure of the LBI and Diamond Sugar Estates. One wonders where were the voices of protest at that time? What about Changlee’s?

Of course, Changlee, as a concerned Guyanese, is not recalled as ever having publicly stated his concern at that material time, or thereafter.

Maybe it is apt that there be a reminder to all those who have sought to ridicule and even crucify the government for its decision of downsizing the industry’s operations, that the World Bank, in 2008 had recommended that the Wales Sugar Estate be closed, because its operations were no longer sustainable for economic viability.

Editor, I stand corrected by stating that such a recommendation was never publicized; at least not in the media, nor implemented for reasons which were political, given the severe fallout that such a decision would have caused the then PPP/C regime. Though it may seem to be

rehashing past events, it is useful, as a reminder to those like Changlee who from the sentiments of his letter, still hold the view that the entire GuySuCo operations ought to have continued as is, with taxpayers’ money still being poured down its unproductive chimneys. How could such have been fair to the taxpayers of this nation? One further wonders whether Changlee, in his wisdom, would have continued a business that had become debt- ridden and financially unsustainable.

Yes, one must agree that since sugar is part of the nation’s historical socio-economic political DNA (beginning with the unrewarded contributions of the thousands who laboured beneath the rays of the burning sun, enduring daily lashes, and who died under the cruel whip), an industry that would have contributed so much to the national coffers, and would have made so many thousands of Guyanese, who they are today, that it deserves to be revived.

Changlee should be aware that this is what government is currently doing; and from all accounts, it is no simple task, as it is about an industry that had been allowed to dissipate to the point of disrepair; no return. Although there will be oil money, as Changlee has envisaged, quite rightly, it has to be invested in every social sphere there is, bringing about even development to all of its people. It is about wisely developing every sector in an entire nation.

Having said this, has Changlee ever given thought to the fact that the heartland of the sugar industry, East Berbice-Corentyne, should have ever since metamorphosed from a mainly mono-industrial community environment to one that should have been better industrialised, given its vast potential for agro-processing and other industries? This County is much too rich in economic potential for it to have been kept in the ‘one -crop’ category of communities. This could

have been significantly changed during the long sojourn of PPP/C governance, given the billions at its disposal.

Wisdom should dictate that revenues from oil production not only be channeled into reviving the sugar industry, but also modernise its entire productive capacity into other products areas interlinked with the modernisation process of the region. This, one wagers, should remove the possibility of any such economic debacle such as what has befallen many sugar workers from the region, especially. Gone should be the days when most of a region’s workforce are kept confined to a single industry for the purposes of political control. Mr Changlee, I think, you can think on this!

Regards, Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Former Georgetown deputy mayor says not joining PPP

By Vanessa Braithwaite FORMER Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Akeem Peters, has rubbished rumours being spread by the People's Progressive Party (PPP) that he will cut ties with the coalition government and join the Opposition.

On Saturday, Peters said the rumours are untrue and he will never leave the coalition.

"There are a lot of rumours going about, not only about myself, but about key young figures, not only in the government but also in the coalition.... and today I would like to take the opportunity to say to the naysayers and to the gossipers that no way am I leaving the government, nor am I leaving the coalition," Peters said.

Peters said he believes

coming forth and shutting down the rumours is a stance other youths need to take to show they are proud supporters of the coalition.

"I chose to believe in the coalition government and its leader David Granger and also the mentorship of Director-General, Joseph Harmon... so long live the coalition and long live President David Authur Granger," he said.

The young councillor urged the youths in the audience to believe in the coalition since it is a caring government that has the interest of youths at heart.

Director-General, Joseph Harmon, who was also at the forum, urged the residents to shun the Opposition-generated fake news.

Rumours of other young people of political parties making up the coalition be-

Former Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Akeem Peters

gan to surface after former PNC member, Dave Danny Jr, recently announced on social media that he will be leaving the party.

Danny and his father, Dave Danny Snr, were seen in an Opposition-led protest last week.

At a PNCR press con-

Another attempt at distorting the facts Dear Editor, YOUR media report, “Parking meter group now agitating for early elections”, August 16, 2019, confirms my belief of just what I have always contended, that this group is political in nature. This has been my contention from the very day that they came out to protest against City Hall in droves.

This is not to say that they may not have had a legitimate reason to protest against the issue of the Parking Meters; but, simply put, the Parking Meter controversy provided their numbers with the perfect veneer for protesting against the government.

In positing this, one must not forget that this group is comprised mainly of people from the Private Sector that is part and parcel of the PPP/C-led political movement against the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), and it would seem that they have a vendetta against the government. Thus, its modus operandi on those Thursdays outside of City Hall have now come into question about their true motive.

For all their protests, one wonders how many of the larger num-

bers have been honouring their civic duty, like paying their rates and taxes; for according to recent ‘stats’ there is still the matter of multi-billion of dollars owed the City, meaning that the defaulters would be many from the Private Sector.

Reading the comments by one of their members, it is of the same dip from the dishonest pool of misinformation and disgusting lies that originated from the PPP/C. To state, emphatically, that Government should “have honoured and respected the Constitution which is the law of the land”, and that “having lost the no- confidence motion, the government has not yet abided by the Constitution” speaks of a woeful, pathetic misunderstanding of the events that have subsequently followed the NCM, and a disgusting regurgitation of the Jagdeo line of party propaganda. In essence, they are all singing from the same song book. Except that one would have thought that with all the explanations given by the government, there would have been a clear understanding of the events.

Granted that there was no parking meter controversy in 2014, but there was the proroguing of Parliament by President

Donald Ramotar. Did any of these “constitutional watchdogs” protest against Ramotar’s action, which did stifle parliamentary democracy, as his actions thwarted debate on the NCM that had been brought against the then regime?

As a matter of fact, one must add the disrespect shown to the APNU and AFC opposition parties, who only became aware of the parliamentary status quo ante when they arrived at the House’s chamber.

And one can add the more than deafening silence of these so-called “Guardians of the City”, who may have also been living in another dimension as the capital city gradually sunk and stifled under the garbage piles and their putridity.

This is just plain political rabble-rousing and expediency, shamelessly deliberate in seeking to sustain political spin and political mileage. One wonders just what do these representatives of the parking meter group hope to achieve?

Regards, Mark Dacosta

ference on Friday, executive member Aubrey Norton, described the Dannys as weak targets who were lured into the illegal wealth of the PPP.

"They are a party out of power, but they are a party with a lot of illegal wealth at their disposal, they are a party that was linked to a criminal state in which they accessed drug resources, back-tracking resources, so while they might not be in government, they have filthy lucre that they can share out and give out, that they can cause the weak, cause the vacillated to move. To us it is not a surprise," Norton posited. "If two people opted out of a good life because of immediate self-gratification, then we can't do anything about that. Two might have left, but we don't advertise how many came, including from the PPP, but many came," Norton said.

Cases of legal arrogance and dishonesty that failed Dear Editor, FOR all of the PPP/C’s attempts to raise the barometer on the continuing impasse that is as a result of the NCM, where its tactic, disingenuous in every way, has been to distort and mislead, engaging traditional- style propaganda to be repeated often for the end-result of an apparent truth – the High Court ruling on both the constitutionality of the house-to-house registration, and the demands for elections to be held in September, have finally been exposed and shot down.

Their attempts at high political spin, mixed with the traditional brand of bullyism, have now been held high for public scrutiny.

Editor, one may recall this party’s lead counsel, Anil Nandlall, making what had been a demand of the Chief Justice that she did what he said that the CCJ failed to do, and ought to have done: Make coercive orders. It was the strangest request that could have ever be made of a lower court, asking that it overturn the decision of a higher court.

It was a clear case of procedural heresy for any such demand, for such is what Nandlall’s submission

had been. Apart from the fact that it was procedurally perverse, it was also a glaring disrespect for the CCJ’S decision, particularly understanding clearly well that such orders that Nandlall et al wanted would have meant entering the political domain of Guyanese politics, thus breaching the lines of the Separation of Powers. Besides, this matter would have already been settled by the nation’s highest court.

Further, it was not to be expected that a reasonable court would have ruled otherwise on the constitutionality of the house-to-house registration exercise, now at an advanced stage. Any Guyanese au fait with the Registration Act would have known that it gives legal effect to this very important prerequisite for national and regional elections, therefore it was most unreasonable for any such application to render it unconstitutional. Obviously, Lenox Shuman’s party, now being apprised of this judgement, should now decide to withdraw its case.

One is left to wonder that there were so many PPP “constitutional experts’’ on these matters!

Regards, Carla Mendonca

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

We have to protect children

THE Headquarters of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) is situated on the corner of Broad and Charles Streets in Charlestown, Georgetown. It falls under the Ministry of Social Protection.

Every Monday, a feature is published on this page by the CPA as part of our public awareness campaign, the objective of which is to educate and inform the public about the law as it relates to children, their rights and child

abuse. This column also aims to change the negative views and attitudes that some people have towards children, and to highlight positive parenting skills.

It is called 4 minutes 4 change because it should take

about four minutes to read, and we hope the information we share promotes change in the lives of children who suffer every day at the hands of uncaring or thoughtless adults.

Many children live in vulnerable and deplorable situations, but they carry on day after day, because they cannot speak up for themselves. Children simply live the lives they are given, having not yet acquired the intellect to complain or question their dilemma. They need caring adults to look out for them and to speak on their behalf. Each week, we appeal to you, members of the public, to get involved.

We need you to be our eyes and ears. If you know of, or even if you suspect that a child is being physically or sexually abused, neglected, or has been abandoned, you must make a report to the Childcare and Protection Agency, the hotline number

of which is: 227-0979.

The hotline is manned 24 hours per day, and not only are calls held in the strictest confidence, but the caller can also remain anonymous, should he or she wish to do so. Children are also brought to the attention of the Agency through vigilant Teachers and Childcare and Nursery workers, neighbours and family members. Every time a case is reported to the CPA, an investigation has to be carried out and followed through

by CPA officers.

Some members of the public believe that the sole purpose of the CPA is to separate children from their families, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Children are only removed from their families if they are in danger, or the law states that it is not suitable for them to remain in the same house as their abuser.

Some children who are brought to the Agency are

allowed to stay temporarily with family members, such as an aunt, an estranged father, or a grandmother, while an investigation is carried out, while others are placed in residential care for their own safety. Younger children are placed with foster parents, if possible.

Foster care provides oneon-one interaction between younger children and their carers, which helps with their transition. It is a traumatic experience for children to be separated from familiar surroundings and the people they know; therefore, foster parents can soften the blow by providing a ‘home away from home’ environment.

Children are taken into care for various reasons, some of which are dire, and can take years to resolve (if at all). This could be due to uncooperative and elusive parents, or because there are Turn to page 9 ►

Kwakwani flood waters recede by about two feet RESIDENTS of the flood-affected areas of the Upper Berbice community of Kwakwani reported on Sunday that the water has receded by about two feet.

But the roads in the Lamp Island area are still impassable, and the barge used to transport vehicles over the river is still unable to work.

Councillor of the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Cort Simeon, told the Guyana Chronicle that if there is no heavy rain by today, the barge will be able to function. He said he hopes that that happens, since the trucks transporting food and other supplies would need to cross the river to restock retail shops.

The access roads will also dry up nicely within two days, if there is no heavy rainfall, he said.

Presently, about 300 residences in the Kwakwani and Lamp Island areas are inundated. Regional Vice-Chairman Elroy Adolph said that the water began to rise since last week.

And while flooding is a yearly occurrence in Kwak-

A section of Lamp Island that is still under water

wani during the rainy season, this year, however, the rains came later than expected.

Heavy rainfall is also occurring in most parts of the country during this time of year, even though August is normally regarded as a dry month.

During last week, those areas closer to the river were under about six feet of water, while most of the other locations were under about three.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) was notified on Thursday about the situation, and on Friday, Region Ten

(Upper Demerara-Berbice) health officials visited Kwakwani to assess the impact the flood is having on residents.

Due to the annual inundation at this time of year, some Kwakwani residents have sought refuge in an unregulated area close to the Upper Berbice River, and while several efforts were made to relocate them, many explained that it would be challenging to do so, because they would have already built a life there.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Government mulls expanding agriculture inland -- to avoid threat of sea-level rise

By Navendra Seoraj AS sea level continues to rise because of climate change, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder believes that Guyanese have to expand the agricultural base to higher ground inland.

“We have to look at climate adaptation which is long term…we have to expand the agricultural base inland, to higher ground so that we no longer have to be threatened by sea level rise,” said Holder during an interview on Voice of Guyana.

Climate change adaptation is a response to global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation as “The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.”

In Guyana, with the impacts of climate change being heavy on the agriculture sector, the minister believes that farmers need to consider investing inland instead of keeping their focus on the coast.

There are, however, many things to consider when moving into the hinterland area since 80 per cent of Guyana is forested and the country is a signatory to conventions which require government to protect the forest.

“We are discouraged from clearing the forest to plant crops which means that expansion in agriculture is limited to the savannah areas…that is where agricultural thrust will be,” said Holder, adding that Guyanese need to look carefully at agriculture since it will be changing radically over the next 10-15 years.

Guyana revolves around rice, sugar, coconut and fisheries, but with rising sea levels and climate change, the agricultural potential is being threatened.

From page 8 ►

We have to protect... no parents or family members to care for a child.

Some parents become upset when CPA officers try to explain the law to them with regards to child rights, and why they are in violation of the Protection of Children Act (2009). They believe that they have the right to treat their child any way they choose, because it is their child. But when it comes to child abuse, the law supersedes the rights of parents.

There was a case not so long ago, where a couple had their three children sleeping on a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor in a squalid area, which the family also used for cooking, bathing, and eating. The children were removed from the ‘home’, while the parents did their best to reconstruct the area and make it more habitable for themselves and their children. The Ministry of Social Protection helped with mattresses, and the children returned home after an inspection was carried out and approved by senior CPA officers.

In another case, a father was caught molesting his teenage daughter by her younger sibling. The mother, when told, did nothing, and upon investigation, the CPA immediately removed the

children from the house to a safe place, while the matter was investigated. Apparently, the father absconded before the police arrived, never to be seen or heard from again. That is the mother’s story. But neighbours and family members are convinced that the man is still seeing his wife on the sly, and staying somewhere in the neighbourhood where she lives.

Sad to say, the teenager remains in care for her safety, while her mother and her tenuous father seem to be getting on covertly with their lives. If this sounds unfair, that’s because it is: The child should be cared for at home by loving parents. These are just two examples of cases handled by the CPA. There are many more incidents where perpetrators are in our midst, or where children are at risk. As a society, we must recognise our duty to protect our children.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

Normally, the tidal situation permits the authorities to drain the land 12 hours every 24 hours, but according to Holder, because of the rising sea levels, Guyana now drains 10 hours every 24 hours. The country has already lost two hours of draining time.

The phenomenon has led the authorities to increase the drainage coefficient from just over one inch

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder

to three and a half inches in 24 hours. This, the minister

said, would provide security for the coastland.

“What this means is that our cost of drainage is going up and we are paying more to maintain current production,” said Minister Holder, adding that there are many more pumps which are operating now.

He said the rising cost of drainage is not sustainable so two things need to be done and those are installing more pumps and, in the short term, expanding cultivation on the coast.

In order to increase pro-

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ductivity, the minister said the ministry will have to take another 5,000 acres from places like Aurora and another 10,000 acres from Somerset. Over in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) the ministry will also be looking to extend farming land by another 10,000 acres.

There will also be expansions in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Some regional officials accused of putting politics before development

SOME chairpersons and overseers of the National Democratic Councils (NDC) across the country are putting political affiliation ahead of development of their respective communities by refusing to cooperate with the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) of their region.

Mahaica-Berbice REO, Ovid Morrison, in a recent interview with Guyana Chronicle noted that while the re-instatement of the local government system and the return of NDCs have made it easier for issues in respective communities to be reported, he has come across cases where NDC leaders would deliberately withhold reporting on issues in some communities.

He said the reasons for this are usually due to the

political bias of the NDC heads, who are putting politics ahead of their own community development. This problem, he said, is not widespread.

“You have that but it’s not a challenge that you can say is general,” Morrison related, adding “That exists because in some of the NDCs, heads allow their political persuasion to control their responsibility to the community. So in as much as the residents may bring it to the NDC leadership, that leadership, because of its persuasion, may not communicate that to me. But I would still have a line of communication because sometimes the residents would bring it to my attention directly, but that delays the timeframe.”

There are 10 NDCs across Mahaica-Berbice.

Pomeroon-Supenaam REO, Denis Jaikaran

Morrison said in his capacity as REO he always tries to ensure that development is taking place across all the NDCs, regardless of political affiliation.

A talk with other REOs reveal that the problem is not one affecting only Morrison.

In Pomeroon-Supenaam,

Essequibo Islands-West Demerara REO, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall

Mahaica-Berbice REO, Ovid Morrison

REO Denis Jaikarran said when he comes across such cases, he impresses upon the antagonists to put the interests of their fellow residents first.

“We try to speak to them, we never rule them, we always have them in mind, we always cooperate with them and we try to engage them at all times, we don’t rule them out at any time,” he told Guyana Chronicle.

“Regardless of our circumstances, we put the people first so we can have them cooperate with us; it is up to them to do what they have to do. We try as much as possible to engage them and move forward in a democratic way. Quietly, we speak to them or when they are at the meeting we say to them look there’s this togetherness and we need to work, we have the same objectives we are dealing with the people and we must develop.”

PROUD Overall, he said he is proud of the cooperation between the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the NDCs in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region, which has some eight NDCs. Jaikaran keeps updated on the issues in the respective NDCs through bi-monthly meetings with the heads.

Last month, President David Granger spoke on the need to put partisanship

aside when it comes to the welfare of citizens. He was at the time speaking at the opening ceremony of the second National Conference of Local Democratic Organs (NCLDO) The conference is a platform to bring together the leadership of all three layers of government with the particular aim of empowering local democratic organs, including the RDCs, NDCs and municipalities, with a focus on capacity building.

However, the second year, a few of the Opposition-controlled NDC and RDC chairpersons chose to boycott the conference.

“We have to work together, across the divides of class, geography, politics and race to bring improvements to our people. It is regrettable that for the second time, that this forum… has become a victim of a partisan boycott. Who gains?

The people lose when their officials boycott, whether it is the National Assembly or a forum organised by the minister of communities,” the President had said.

In Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) REO, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall said while the issue exists in her region, she has been managing to unsure progress is made.

NO SMOOTH SAILING “I don’t bring my party

affiliation to my work and that’s what I have asked of the NDCs, don’t bring your party affiliation to the work. In my region, the only NDC chairperson who thinks he’s the REO is the one at Hydronie Good Hope, but I can deal with them,” Ferreira-Dougall affirmed, who took over the reigns as the region’s REO just last year December.

“That’s the only NDC that I have slight problems with but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. They tend to want to do their own thing but that doesn’t stop us from doing what we have to do in the region because I am here to serve the people of Region Three.”

In the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region (Region Nine), REO Carl Parker said resistance against getting projects done in the region comes more from the regional chairman, vice chairman, and mayor than the lone NDC. “We don’t have any problem with the NDC here, our biggest problem is with the town council, and even at the RDC level the regional vice-chairman doesn’t relate at all to the administration.

He has adopted a posture of non-cooperation with the administration. So we have our little problems here,” Parker informed the Guyana Chronicle.

“In the town, the elected officials of the town would do things to make us look bad. For example, they have the responsibility of taking care of the roads in the township and those roads are in a deplorable situation. But local government is relatively new in the Rupununi and historically people look to the RDC for everything.

So the roads are going bad and they are still blaming the RDC even though it is the town council that is in charge of the town.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Student excels at CSEC with sponsorship from Game Xpress WHEN St Rose’s High student Garfield Dover wrote 14 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination earlier this year, he knew he had to make that extra effort because a lot had been invested in him over the years.

Dover went above and beyond his expectations, passing all of his subjects, achieving eight grade ones, three grade twos and two grade threes.

Since he wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) at the end of his primary school education, Dover has been the benefactor of much generosity of Game Xpress and its owner, Audie Henriques.

Henriques, over the years, has provided Dover with support from transportation to text books, every year without fail for the past five years, and went on to assist in paying Dover’s CSEC fees. His only request of Dover is that he performs well at his exams.

“I think it’s right up there with the best investment I’ve ever made. I was very, very pleased with the results,” said the businessman.

Henriques has now promised to even further sponsor Dover’s university education. It was through social activist, Mark Benschop and his work with his Mark Benschop Foundation, that Henriques was told the story of Dover and his mother, Maria Henry. He was so moved that he pledged the multi-year donations.

A single mother of three children, Henry resides in a squatting area in Durban Backlands. Notwithstanding the many socioeconomic

“It really took a lot of strain off my mother made it much easier financial wise through my schooling,” Dover said.

Henry, who did not complete school, said she feels motivated to always push her children to focus on their education.

“I didn’t get to further

St Rose’s High student, Garfield Dover (right) receiving a laptop from Brandon Henrique, the son of Game Xpress owner, Audie Henrique

hardships, Dover was able to rise above it and put his focus on his education.

Dover topped his primary school at the National Grade Six Assessments (NGSA) and earned a place at St Rose’s High.

“At that time, Mark Benschop came in the area and he interviewed my family and ask my children about school and that’s how he came about to know my son topped the school, and he was amazed to know that my son is living in conditions like this, and got such a school and the marks that he got,” Henry explained.

MOST WILLING Benschop called up Henriques and enquired of him doing something to help the family, and as Benschop puts it, “without any hesitation” Henriques jumped

at the opportunity to pledge support.

Henry said Henriques stayed true to his word over the years without delay.

“He called me and we had a discussion, congratulating me and telling me that it’s touching to know the area and the conditions and I still raise up such a brilliant son; so he wanted to sponsor him throughout his schooling, and he held to his word.

I can’t complain, everything that my son needed he provided without any problem.

The most he ask of him is to make him proud at the end of the CSEC, and I’m so proud of him that he passed his 14 subjects,” Henry said.

Dover too could not stop showering his praises on Henriques and the entire team at Game Xpress for the kind of support he has been able to receive.

Moruca man beaten to death

POLICE are investigating the murder of Oswald Henry who was beaten to death, following an argument at the Kumaka Water Front on Saturday.

According to information from the Guyana Police Force, Henry, who resided in Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini), was imbibing with the 20-year-old suspect at a shop when an argument of unknown nature broke out between them around 21:00hrs.

Police said the suspect armed himself

with a piece of wood and dealt several lashes to the victim’s head. Henry fell unconscious after receiving the lashes and the suspect fled the scene.

Persons picked up the victim and took him to the Kumaka District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is at the mortuary awaiting post-mortem. Police have launched a man hunt to find the suspect.

my studies, which in I was very bright in school but it didn’t happen. I always told my kids I didn’t make it, my mom died when I was like two and I didn’t have anyone to bring me up except my father and he didn’t really know much about raising two girl children. So I told my kids

while they’re growing up that what I didn’t achieve I will make sure that they achieve and I always encouraged them to put their heads to their books and they must like doing it. I must not have to be the one pushing them; they must love doing it,” Henry said.

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National Steel Orchestra

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

'vibes up' CARIFESTA Grand Market Story and photos by Vishani Ragobeer GUYANA'S National Steel Orchestra excited the crowd of Caribbean people at the Grand Market in the Queen's Park Savannah with their well-executed performance.

The team came on stage after a spirited performance

by Soca artistes out of St. Kitts and Nevis, Haitian dancers and drummers, and even a Trinidadian Youth band.

The orchestra performed four melodies: 'Happiness', composed by Administrator of the National School of Music, Andrew Tyndall; 'Obeah Wedding' by the Mighty Sparrow; 'Don't Stop' by Michael Jackson; and ended with the beloved Soca piece by Guyana's Brandon Harding, 'Alive'.

While the patrons in Trinidad's Queen's Park Savannah were moving to the groovy and later energetic songs, it was the pannists themselves who were thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage.

Guyana's Queen of Pan,

Jovanka Williams confidently stood in the first row, among locally-renowned pan players Tirese Thomas, Detroy

Orchestra to perform throughout the CARIFESTA XIV period as one unified Guyana Steelpan team.

The National Steel Orchestra in action at CARIFESTA on Sunday

Soca artistes from St. Kitts and Nevis made patrons at the Grand Market feel as though they were in a fete

Dey and Don Johnson. These four, lining the front of the stage, brought their varying personalities to spruce up the performance. By the time the group eased into MJ's ‘Don't Stop’, it was clear that neither they nor the patrons wanted the performance to come to an end.

The National Steel Orchestra will be joined by members of the Parkside Steel

CARIFESTA XIV began on August 16 and will go until August 25. Here, some of the Caribbean region's best creative talents have assembled to showcase the rich and diverse culture of the region. Guyana, by itself, has sent a 100-strong delegation to present the Guyanese culture, drawn from the country's six ethnic groups.

Haitian dancers wowed the crowd at the Grand Market at the Queen’s Park Savannah

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Georgetown American University delivering high quality education –– looking to expand to cover more than just medicine PROFESSIONS in the medical field are always in demand because the health and well-being of people are of utmost importance in the development of a country and, generally, in the preservation of human existence.

While we are in the season of celebrating the successes of our children at the recently concluded Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), we deem it fitting to highlight possible careers and institutions that Guyana’s youth can give consideration to and thus prepare themselves to give quality service to the country.

Georgetown American University (GAU) - School of Medicine - is an institution that has recently been making significant strides in the quality of education provided and the quality of students it produces.

So impressive is the institution that it has received several forms of accreditation of programmes offered, including one from the American Heart Association, to be the facilitator of the Heart Association's courses in Guyana.

In an interview with this newspaper, Chief Executive Officer of the University, Dr. Melissa Varswyk, shared the evolution of her passion, and the many pathways being explored in expanding what is being offered at the institution.

Although Varswyk is a Medical Doctor, her passion is not to practise, but rather to train and help others to be qualified to practise.

As such, she said that the school was founded in November 2013, but opened its doors in June 2014, and started off with 12 students.

Last November, the cohort graduated with excellent performances.

Though it may seem like quite a young and small school, it works in favour of the students, since they have all been performing well, notwithstanding the academic demands of the institution.

Giving a synopsis on how the programme is run there, Varswyk explained that there is a programme tailored for the students who would have

just left school, and for those who've never had prior experience in the medical field.

This programme is called

ences that you’ve learned and you will be putting it into the practical aspect of it using the basic science knowledge

The Georgetown American University Lab activities facilitated at GAU

Students engaged in class session

the Pre-medical Science programme and it runs for 16 months, equivalent to the first two years of college where basic college level science is addressed.

"After which you matriculate into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme.

This is a 4-year programme, and we follow the US system.

The new US system follows a system-based approach to teaching medicine, so it is not subject-based anymore; we look at the systems. We start with the foundation in medicine, cardiovascular system, and all that goes wrong with the other systems," Varswyk explained.

The MD programme however, consists of two years of clinical sciences, and the final two years entails students going into the hospital setting or medical center setting, where they shadow physicians.

"They are taught everything, from bedside manners and how to ‘work up’ patients to making a diagnosis and everything they should basically know. So, you will be taking your clinical knowledge, which is the basic sci-

to make a diagnosis and to treat patients etc, under the supervision of a Physician," she said.

She noted, however, that, for the final two years of the MD programme, students travel to different countries to complete the practical aspect.

GAU has affiliate institutions in different states in the US, and also in Guyana, for students to complete the final two years. Students have the option of choosing institutions within the two territories, to complete the programme. The difference is usually the cost factor.

Varswyk noted that they are currently working out agreements with institutions in places like Kentucky.

"Kentucky is much more affordable for Guyanese students. They would be able to go and do some of the clinical rotations that are not readily accessible in Guyana. These include Oncology, Radiology Neurology which are requirements for our clinical sciences. While some areas are optional, some are requirements so we will make sure that students have access to doing those rotations in

Some of the students having a good time at a recent weekend trip to Linden

Kentucky," she pointed out.

As it relates to assessment, Varswyk said it is another important element, "to make sure that our students are on par with medical students in other parts of the world. One of the transparent examinations boards, the National Board of Medical Exams (NBME) addresses assessment of our students.

The University purchases tickets for students to go online and submit those tickets and write the exams online and they receive their grades right away."

This exam assesses how well they will do in the MD programme.

GAU is well equipped with functioning laboratory facilities and it also incorporates a lot of technology in its programmes. Varswyk said that in the new semester, they will be getting their first set of smartboards, which will allow them to use 3D applications and thus enhance interaction.

She also highlighted that

the institution is currently working with its ISO consultant to ensure that it has ISO audit to receive ISO accreditation. This will allow the institution to easily secure its CAAM HP accreditation.

“CAAM HP is the governing body for the Caribbean region. It accredits all health sciences programs, nursing, dentistry and medicine and that’s out of Jamaica… and so every institution has until 2023 to be accredited. Before we go for that accreditation, we want to make sure our quality management system that we have is close to the best, and a functioning system that we can use. And that’s why we’re trying to do ISO before we go for CAAM HP,” she explained.

EXPANSION Because the institution is a ‘University’, Varswyk said that they want to expand and include programmes outside of medicine.

“A university usually has multiple programs, so now we are looking at other pro-

grammes. We like to be innovative, so we like to look at areas that bring transformative changes and we’re looking for things like technology, we’re also looking into business and allied health sciences.

Those are the areas we want to focus more on. So, in the near future, we will have a School of Medicine, School of Technology and School of Business, so we will be adding schools as we expand.

That’s the good thing about having a university,” she said.

And they are also exploring the oil and gas industry, to also offer related programmes.

To balance it all off, the students engage in extra-curricular activities so as to keep them well rounded and so maintain high performance.

At a convenient location to many, the University is located on Croal Street, Georgetown. Varswyk said they are opened for applications, as the new academic semester commences on August 26, 2019. .

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Essequibo villages hit by floods RESIDENTS of Sparta, Lima and La Belle Alliance in the extreme north of Region Two, were surprised when they woke up Sunday morning to flood waters in their homes. There lower flats were inundated with approximately three inches of floodwaters.

When Guyana Chronicle visited the area, residents in Sparta were bailing water from their kitchens. Many of them had to move their chair

sets and electrical appliances to higher grounds to secure them. Many kitchen gardens and poultry were inundated with water.

"We bailing water since morning, this never happened before; not sure, but rain fell all night. For years we have not experienced such levels of water," Arjun Singh said.

For other residents, they believed that the Hampton Court sluice doors were

locked, resulting in the high build-up of water in the nearby communities.

They have said, however, that around 09:00 hours, the water was quickly receding, suggesting that the sluice doors were opened.

They are, therefore, calling on workers attached to the drainage and irrigation department and sluice attendant to take their work seriously and to monitor the tides and rainfall.

A resident’s home in La Belle Alliance under water

A yard in Sparta under water

Houston elevators to be operational for new school term THE elevators at the pedestrian overpass at Houston, East Bank Demerara, in the vicinity of the Muneshwer Wharf and the entrance to the old Gafoor’s Complex, is to become operational in time for the opening of the new school term, starting September 2, 2019.

This is according to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying “One of them that I know will be opened and up and running; that will be in Houston, in time for the new school term.”

The minister spoke at the commissioning of similar facilities sited at both ends of the overpass at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, in close proximity to the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB). With him was Minister within the Ministry Of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma.

The elevators at Houston, when they become operational, will greatly benefit

new and continuing students of the Houston Secondary School, East Dank Demerara, employees of the Muneshwer facility and other businesses and residents.

That overpass has been in use for some time and is utilised by the schoolchildren and adults. However, some elderly persons had complained about the difficulty they encountered in climbing the stairways. They were forced to risk life and limb as they attempted to cross the busy thoroughfare.

According to Minister Patterson, the Coalition Government also plans to build other overpasses in the busy corners of the country, “We are working on one in the middle of Agricola, right in front of the school… The preliminary designs are already out. That is the number one priority in my 2020 budget.”

Noting that the overpass at Agricola will be one of five more to be built, Minister Patterson added, “we will be

installing overpasses on the East Coast. I know four areas are already identified.”

“Use it! It saves lives”, the minister urged, saying that they are the safer option, rather than attempting to cross on the roadway.

Minister Sharma commenting on the increased safety the overpasses provide, and the employment opportunities said, “We are giving back to the community. The workers here [at Peter’s Hall] are from the community and from each area that we have an overpass, the young people from the community will be given an opportunity to work at the facilities.”

He noted too that the elevators are secure, safe and comfortable, as they are outfitted with an emergency response system should there be a power outage.

The elevators which have the maximum capacity of 400kg will be operated by employees working a shift system..

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Tullow Oil donates to back-to-school drive OIL exploration company, Tullow Oil and Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence were among a number of donors that partnered with local charity, EPIC Guyana, for their 16th annual Back-to-School Drive, where some 300 children received school shoes, backpacks, stationery and other school supplies last Sunday.

The supplies were distributed in Meadowbrook, with Tullow Country Representative Joachim Vogt, and stakeholder Laison Adviser, Eon Stephens, on hand to help with distribution.

Stephens explained that Tullow takes its corporate social responsibility serious and is always looking for opportunities to give back to society.

“One of the things we look for is opportunities when it comes to our corporate social responsibility, and when we got the invitation to assist EPIC, based on their track record over the years with doing the backto-school drive, we thought it was a good idea to support the initiative with assisting to send children back to school with the basic things that they need,” Stephens commented.

Recipients of the supplies included children from as far

as Mocha on the East Bank, and Ann's Grove on the East Coast, in addition to children from the Meadowbrook surrounding area.

Other corporate donors who contributed to the drive included Strategic Services, KAIROS Inc, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Steve’s Jewel-

Executive Director of EPIC, Brian Backer, was happy how large the backto-school drive has grown since its inception in 2003, all thanks to support that it continues to get from donors.

“We started in 2003 with 11 children and this year met the needs of 300.

Some of the children show off the school supplies they received (Samuel Maughn photo)

Tullow Country Representative, Joachim Vogt (Left) handing over supplies to EPIC Executive Director, Brian Backer

lery, Dyna’s Embroidery and Screen Prints, Ricks & Sari, Howard’s Restaurant, SIMCON Engineering Company, Ross Rubis, and Sonic Business Solutions.

Nothing really compares to the feeling of satisfaction and achievement when you are able to be of service and help others, even in the smallest of ways.

West Watooka man battling for life at GPHC --after found beaten, unconscious in Linden A RESIDENT of West Watooka, Linden is reportedly battling for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after being discovered beaten and unconscious on the Washer Pond Road, in Mackenzie, by E' Division ranks.

According to a police report, the victim has been identified as 38-years-old Samuel Porter.

Porter, the police say, was first rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) by public-spirited persons at around 05:50 hours on Saturday, but was later transferred to GPHC, due to the critical state he was in.

His sister, Deesa Bethune, said she last saw Porter, who is self-employed and into construction, in good health on Friday at around 17:30hours at their mother's residence in West

Samuel Porter at the hospital

Watooka.

She said he later left to purchase something, though he didn’t say what, but never returned.

The police say they’ve noted several injuries on parts of Porter's body, including his head, both hands, knees and feet.

They’re now apparently treating the Washer Pond Road area where he was found as the crime scene,

as ranks reportedly revisited it on the said day of the discovery, and observed blood stains on the western side of the road, next to the pavement.

They’ve since questioned persons in the said area, the police say, but have obtained no useful information.

Investigations are ongoing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, AUGUST 19, 2019

Dominion Enterprise distributes bursaries to West Ruimveldt youths FORMER national table tennis player and managing director of Dominion Enterprise, Dwayne Munroe, has distributed bursaries to youths of West Ruimveldt geared at assisting in their educational development.

Hundreds of youths in the West Ruimveldt and Sophia community have, over the years, benefitted from the generosity of Dominion Enterprise.

In an invited comment, Monroe said he believes

that to confront challenges youths face in their communities, greater investment in education is needed.

The good gesture is also part of Dominion Enterprise’s social corporate responsibility.

“Dominion Enterprise will continue to invest in the education of the youths of Guyana because we firmly believe there is no greater investment in Guyana that yields the greatest return, than an investment in the education of our youths.”

Munroe, in a simple ceremony, told the youths that education is the most powerful weapon they can use to make positive changes in today’s society and encouraged them to develop a passion for learning.

This year, recipients included youths who would have written the National Grade Six Examinations, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and attending the University of Guyana. The recipients would have re-

Dwayne Munroe and some of the students whom he supported in West Ruimveldt

ceived electronic tablets and backpacks, along with the necessary school supplies

to equip them for the new school year.

The University of Guy-

ana students received monetary assistance toward their university tuition.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 19, 2019

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Karunaratne leads Sri Lanka to win

(REUTERS) - SKIPPER Dimuth Karunaratne led by example, hitting a sparkling 122 to help secure Sri Lanka’s six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening test at Galle on Sunday.

Chasing 268 to go 1-0 up in the two-test series, Karunaratne’s 161-run opening stand with Lahiru Thirimanne (64) set the tone for a successful chase at the Galle International Stadium.

The New Zealand spinners claimed two wickets in successive overs to try to prevent it from being a cakewalk but Karunaratne’s ninth test century effectively killed off the contest.

Karunaratne stroked six fours and hit one six before the right-hander perished when he was caught behind chasing a wide Tim Southee delivery.

The second and final test in Colombo begins on Thursday. “It’s not easy chasing in the fourth innings. We needed a good partnership, and that’s what Thirimanne and I discussed,” Karunaratne, the man-of-the-match, said.

“On the fifth day, we started well and wanted to keep at it. Once you’re set, you have to make a big one.

Dimuth Karunaratne swipes over midwicket© AFP

We are thinking of keeping the basics right for the next test too.”

Resuming the final day on 133 for no loss, the opening pair continued their good work until Will Somerville trapped Thirimanne lbw on review after the initial appeal was rejected.

Kusal Mendis (10) looked in a hurry to seal the match as he hit Somerville for a six and a four before his attempted sweep off Ajaz Patel found Jeet Raval at mid-wicket.

Karunaratne brought up his 100 with his fifth boundary, raising his hands aloft to celebrate the mark.

Kusal Perera made a quick 23 including five fours and Angelo Mathews (28 not out) hit the winning run as Sri Lanka romped home in

Smith battling...

“I started to feel a little bit of a headache coming on last night, probably as the adrenaline got out of my system,” Smith said. “I was able to get a good sleep in, which is somewhat rare for me. But woke up feeling a little bit groggy and with a headache again, so had some tests done and upon some further assessments deemed to be a mild concussion unfortunately.

“We did a test this morning here at the ground, did one last night and results changed slightly and unfortunately that and how I’m feeling have contributed to me being ruled out for the rest of the Test match.

Yesterday when I came off the ground the results were normal. I passed all the tests and felt fine, felt normal. I was allowed to go back out and bat, upon discussions with the team doctor and the coach as well. They were both happy and I was com-

fortable as well, so we were all happy and I was able to go out and continue batting.

“I didn’t have any real pain in my neck yesterday when I touched it or when anyone else touched it. Today I do have a bit of pain there, whether that’s some swelling or what I’m not sure. Perhaps that’s leading to me having a headache and feeling a bit groggy. In regards to the arm, the arm feels pretty good today. It’s quite a good bruise I have on it and it’s feeling a lot better.

The movement I have in it is far greater than I had yesterday and that feels really good.”

In explaining why he did not use a stem guard to protect the back of his neck, Smith said that he would now have to consider adopting the extra protection in the wake of his injury. “I along with a few other players in the team find it a little bit different, uncomfortable

an extended morning session and clinched 60 points in the newly created test championship.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson felt 268 would have been a daunting target had the Galle pitch behaved traditionally.

“I think we’d have definitely taken 268 sort of under the understanding that the surface would wear and tear considerably which we have seen in the past which certainly wasn’t the case,” he said.

“It probably just slowed down throughout the test match but it was a good surface and I guess a number of learnings for us to take away from this game. Not far off but we need to be better collectively for a longer period.”

FROM PAGE 24 to what we’re used to,” he said. “For me I feel a little bit claustrophobic when its on, I feel like I’m enclosed and not overly comfortable.

But it’s certainly something I need to probably have a look at and perhaps try in the nets and see if I can find a way to get comfortable with it.

“Australia’s the leader in bringing the concussion subs and rules around concussion in the domestic competition back home.

We’re very thorough in the way we deal with knocks to the head and neck to ensure that the safety and health of a player is of paramount importance. The doc’s had a pretty close eye on me since I came off the field yesterday and I’ve been assessed and asked a lot of questions over the last 20 hours or thereabouts, and unfortunately I’ve declined in the way I’ve felt over that time.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 19, 2019

Wounded Australia draw second test

(REUTERS) - THE second Ashes test was drawn as Australia, chasing 267 to beat England, ended on 154 for six after an absorbing final day at Lord’s on Sunday.

Ben Stokes made a brilliant century and England declared on 258 for five before Jofra Archer claimed two early wickets to give the hosts the sniff of an unlikely victory.

But Marnus Labuschagne, replacing Steve Smith

as test cricket’s first substitute, made 59 and Travis Head an unbeaten 42 to lead the Australians to safety and keep them 1-0 up in the series.

Smith was ruled out of the final day suffering from concussion symptoms after being struck on the neck by an Archer bouncer on Saturday and Labuschagne was hit on the helmet by the second ball he faced from the Barbados-born fast bowler.

The 25-year-old right-

hander was able to continue batting, however, showing courage and composure under intense pressure to reach his second test fifty in his sixth match.

Stokes scored 115 not out, hitting three sixes and 11 fours, as the hosts added 162 runs to their overnight score to give themselves a chance of levelling the series.

“It was important we bounced back strong and we have done that. We have proved we are massively in

this series,” England captain Joe Root said.

“We had to get to a score that we felt we were in control. We managed to do that.

Ben played exceptionally well and then we threw everything we could at them.

Fair play to Australia.”

After resuming on 96-4 following another rain delay, Stokes and Jos Buttler dug in to take England to 157-4 at lunch.

STOKES ATTACK Buttler fell for 31 but Stokes went on the attack and brought up his seventh test century, adding a quickfire 97 with Jonny Bairstow who finished unbeaten on 30.

Archer removed David Warner and Usman Khawaja to continue his fine test debut as England reduced Australia to 46 for two at tea.

Warner was caught at third slip by Rory Burns for five and Khawaja nicked the ball to wicketkeeper Bairstow to leave Australia reeling at 19-2.

When spinner Jack Leach trapped Cameron Bancroft lbw for 16 England sensed the chance of pressing for victory but with Archer tiring they struggled to cause problems for the batsmen.

Jason Roy dropped Head at second slip off Stokes and the hosts’ realistic hopes

Marnus Labuschagne goes down after being hit © Getty Images

of winning the match were over.

Labuschagne fell to Leach, Root diving forward to clutch the ball before a lengthy video review to confirm it had not touched the ground.

Matthew Wade tamely prodded the first ball of Leach’s next over to Buttler at short leg but captain Tim Paine survived the hattrick delivery. Paine pulled Archer towards square leg and Joe Denly produced an astonishing catch, leaping to his left and clutching the ball one-handed, to leave England needing four wickets in seven overs.

Although Archer steamed in, he could not make another breakthrough

and in fading light the players shook hands at the end of a match heavily disrupted by rain which washed out the first day and most of the third.

Slideshow (22 Images) After only the second draw in the last 35 tests in England, Australia head to Leeds for the third match starting on Thursday on course to win the Ashes on English soil for the first time since 2001, but Smith’s fitness will be a matter of serious concern.

“We were probably a fair way off our best in this test match,” Paine said.

“Part of becoming a good team is finding a way to come through the last halfhour like today.”

Smith battling concussion ahead of third test (ESPNCRICINFO) - STEVEN Smith will need to bat against top pace within the next three days and show no further signs of concussion in order to be passed fit for the third Test at Headingley on Thursday, admitting he did not want to return unless he was “100% fit” to play in the next chapter of this Ashes series.

While expressing hope that he will be able to play at Leeds, Smith conceded that the “quick turnaround” between the second and third Tests would provide an obstacle for his return from what he described as a “mild concussion” resulting from a blow to the neck from Jofra Archer on day four at Lord’s - a diagnosis

that lead to him becoming the first concussion substitution in international cricket.

“It’s obviously a quick turnaround between Test matches,” Smith said. “I’m going to be assessed over the next five or six days, each day a couple times a day to see how I’m feeling and progressing and I’m hopeful I will be available for that Test match, but it’s certainly up to the medical staff and we’ll have conversations. It’s certainly an area of concern concussion and I want to be 100% fit.

“I’ve got to be able to train probably a couple of days out and face fast bowling to make sure my reaction time and all that kind of stuff is in place. There’s a few tests I’ll have to tick

off and I guess time will tell.

“I’d love to be out there trying to keep performing and try help Australia win another Test match but I think the right decision’s been made and I’ll obviously be monitored very closely over the next few days with a pretty quick turnaround in between Test matches and I’m hopeful I can make a recovery and be okay for that.”

Speaking about how he felt on the fifth morning, Smith said his condition had deteriorated relative to what it had been in the hour after he was hit by Archer, at the time passing the concussion tests he needed to in order to resume his innings.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 19, 2019

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Bravo falls cheaply, Hodge hits fifty as India dominate CMC –Left-hander Darren Bravo’s form remained a worry after he failed against India here Sunday, as West Indies A suffered a batting collapse on the penultimate day of their three-day match at Coolidge Cricket Ground.

In desperate need of confidence ahead of next week’s start of the opening Test against India, Bravo lasted 45 minutes and 21 balls for his 11 before edging a drive at seamer Umesh Yadav to second slip.

The 30-year-old has been named in the Test squad but is in the middle of a wretched run of

form. He scraped 36 runs from five innings in the Ireland Tri-Nations Series back in May before scoring 19 and 0 in his only two innings at the ICC World Cup. In his first Test series in 28 months following a public falling out with Cricket West Indies, Bravo managed only 59 runs from five innings against England earlier this year.

While Bravo failed, opener Kavem Hodge stepped up to top-score with 51 as West Indies A,

Motor Trend Service Centre joins 1320 sponsorship team

THE Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has secured sponsorship from Motor Trend Service Centre for the upcoming International Drag race event dubbed 1320 heat.

In a release to the media, GMR&SC acknowledged their gratitude for the support given and explained that running off a motor racing event is very costly, so every dollar earned is appreciated.

The correspondence further noted that “The Company has long been supporters of Motor Sport in Guyana.”

Additional documentation explained that “The GMR&SC is constantly looking to upgrade the South Dakota Circuit. This year, the club made a target of completing the Launch Pad and extending the strip to a full quarter-mile. Both objectives were reached due to the generous contributions of sponsors, support by the fans and, very importantly, the competitors.”

President of the GMR&SC, Rameez Mohamed, confirmed via correspondence to the media earlier in the month that Team Mohamed’s newly-acquired white Nissan GT-R is set to finally make its competitive debut at the event after missing out in March due to transmission issues.

Over 100 competitors are expected to register for the event which will see the driver with the fastest reaction win $200,000.

More importantly, DEL Ice Co has sponsored cash prizes for the fastest 11 and 12 seconds ($100,000) each.

Admission stands at $1000 for children and $2000 for adults. Action begins at 10:00hrs.

Other sponsors include DEL CO ICE, R.kission Contracting, Deryckv Jaisingh Trucking Service and Machinery Rentals, Mohamed’s Enterprise, BM Soat, Prem’s Electrical, E-Networks, Trans-Pacific Auto Sales, Cyril’s Taxi, Blue Spring Water, Choke Gas Station, Miracle Optical, Tropical shipping and Hand-in-Hand.

Darren Bravo

responding to India’s 297 for six declared overnight, were dismissed for 181 in their first innings.

Captain Jahmar Hamilton struck 33 while veteran lefthander Jonathan Carter chipped in with 26, but the remainder of the Windies A line up struggled.

The hosts failed to muster any significant partnerships and the best was a 26-run stand for the fourth wicket between Hodge and Jason Mohammed (6).

All told, Hodge faced 100 balls in 141 minutes, hitting eight fours before he was fifth out with the score on 94, lbw to

seamer Ishant Sharma in the fifth over after lunch, playing around a full length delivery.

Hamilton got a start, striking four fours in a 72-ball knock before he was last out while Carter also got in, lashing two fours and a six in a 35-ball innings before falling to a catch at silly point off left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

Umesh Yadav (3-19), fellow fast bowler Ishant (3-21) and leftarm spinner Kuldeep (3-35) all picked up three wickets each.

Batting a second time, India got an unbeaten 48 from Hanuma Vihari as they reached 84 for one at the close.

Tucber Park CC hits 50 in first Cricket Camp

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CWI Level 2 Coach and Camp Coordinator, Anthony D Andrade, demonstrate a batting drill to attentive participants.

By Colin Bynoe Jr. THE inaugural Tucber Park Cricket Club 2019 Cricket Camp came to an end last Saturday with a simple Certificate of Participation/Medal ceremony at the Berbice High School Auditorium.

The first event of its kind for the Tucber Park CC attracted 50 participants ages 10-19 that included five females, all from the New Amsterdam/Canje area.

The much-talked about cricket camp, which commenced on the 13th August, was held at the Berbice High School ground.

The session was coordinated by former National Youth Player Anthony D Andrade who had full support from an elite group of CWI coaches, including Julian Moore, CWI

Level 3 Coach and Tremayne Smartt, CWI Level 2 Coach.

Special sessions were done by Coach Michael Hyles and Territorial Development Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart.

The five-day cricket camp served to impart the basic of the game (batting, bowling,fielding) with many hands on demonstration done while mini lectures were carried out to reinforce what was displayed.

In addition, the 50 young minds were schooled on various social and psychological issues which are prevalent in our society today.

At the conclusion of the camp, medals and certificates were presented to 50 energetic participants. The coordinators selected top performers throughout the five-day camp which includes: Daniel Narsiah- Best Bats-

man Under 18 Jevaugn Conway- Best Bowler Under 18 Kevin Kisten- Best Batsman Under 15 Delon Hendore- Best Bowler Under 15 Justin Meghu- Best Fielder Abdulla Ibn- Most Promising Male Shenia Simon- Most Promising Female Ismael Ramsammy- Most Discipline The Tucber Park Cricket Club expressed gratitude to its many sponsors such as Jumbo Jet, Sweet Lips Disco, Fitness 53, Caribbean Nations Group, Trophy Stall, 10th Street, Fordy’s Snackette, Spready’s Snackette, De People Pawn shop, Big B Resturant, RHTY&SC, the Berbice Cricket Board, among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 19, 2019

Guyana dominates day two of Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Boxing Tournament -Locals best boxers from Dominica, Cayman Islands and T&T

GUYANA made a clean sweep on day two (Saturday) of the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Tournament, which was scheduled to conclude last night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

After their dominant performance on Saturday night, the home team looked set to retain the overall title.

Guyana (with the largest team) had won four gold and a silver medal in the international bouts of the first two nights, while Trinidad and Tobago were in second place with a gold and a silver.

Head coach of the local side, Sebert Blake, called the second night’s bouts “superb” and credited all the boxers for their outstanding performances in the ring.

The night had seven fights: three international

bouts, an exhibition clash and three with local boxers.

In the international bouts, Guyanese boxers, Alex Butcher, in the 64kg youth division, and Ryan Benjamin in the 63Kg Junior division, were able to deliver technical knockouts against their opponents, Enoch Phillips from Dominica and Charlie Nixon from the Cayman Islands.

Blake said that the local boxers “stepped up their games”. He, however, felt that the fight of the night was between one of Guyana’s best young amateur boxers in Isaiah Moore and formidable Trinidadian boxer, Abdul Taylor, in the 52kg youth final.

Captain of the local side, Moore was able to weather the storm of Taylor, who has medalled before at the event.

The southpaw from Trinidad

Dominica boxer Enoch Phillips (in photo) did not recover from a good combination from Guyanese boxer Alex Butcher in their 64 kg youth bout.

was superb with his jabs and he kept the Guyanese at bay for much of the first round.

Later in the round, Moore worked his way closer to the body of Taylor several times and delivered some good

shots.

By round two, the Guyanese had taken control of the fight. During one of his combinations, he delivered a left cross, which staggered the Trinidadian and swung

the pendulum in his favour.

Both boxers exchanged shots in the third, but Moore was the aggressor. Taylor was hurt and it showed as he dropped to the ground and struggled to get up after the fight ended.

The international bouts started with an aggressive first round from Phillips against Butcher. The Dominica boxer connected a few times in the opening round and had pressured his opponent, but the Guyanese boxer kept his composure and began throwing a few punches of his own.

In the second round, Butcher connected with a hard body shot that hurt his challenger, this led to two standing eight counts which left the visiting boxer dazed.

Soon after that, Butcher connected with combinations again which forced another

standing count. Phillips did not recover.

Cayman Islands boxer, Nixon, also looked solid in the opening round; he used his left jab well and forced Benjamin to follow him around the ring.

In the second round, the local boxer was able to work his way close to Nixon’s body and deliver a crushing blow, which forced the Trinidadian referee to deliver a standing eight count. A short while after another body shot was delivered and the referee decided to stop the fight.

In the local bouts, Jaquan Milo continued his dominance with his second win in as many days after defeating Kevin Issacs, while Fitz Haywood knocked out Sheldon McKenzie and A. Bess claimed a victory against Wezton Harry.

Demerara Bank renews sponsorship for RHTYSC, Spelling Bee Competition.

LONG time sponsor of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTYSC), Demerara Bank, on Friday last renewed its sponsorship of the Club’s annual Spelling Bee Competition.

The annual competition is organised by the ten teams of the Club under their highly successful Say No/Say Yes Campaign, which is directed to over 70,000 youths in Berbice.

Under this Campaign, the ten teams encourage youths to stay away from drugs, crime, suicide, alcohol, pre-marital sex, tobacco and to embrace education, sports, life, religion, culture.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, who launched the Campaign over twenty-five years ago, stated that Demerara Bank has been sponsoring the competition for the last five years and that the 2019 edition would involve the Rose Hall Town, Port Mourant, Tain, Cropper and

Belvedere Primary Schools.

One of the main objectives of hosting the Spelling Bee is to encourage students to develop the habit of research and spelling correctly.

In today’s modern world, students depend on the computer to spell and research for them and this results in them struggling when they are away from the computer.

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and its ten cricket teams, the veteran official stated, is very passionate about the promotion of education as the Key to Success and urged all other youth/ sports organisation to do the same.

Thousands of youths across Berbice have benefitted from the work of the Club under this Campaign.

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club on an annual basis organises dozens of events and assists thousands of students with

Demerara Bank Manager, Mandrekar Khemraj, hands over sponsorship to RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster

school bags, uniforms, educational materials, bicycles among others.

The Campaign includes Inspiration Forum, Essay Competitions, Posters, Billboard, TV Programmes and Commercials, Booklet, Magazine, Youth Parades, Summer Camps, Awards Ceremonies and donations to Schools among others.

The Club over the last two months have shared out close to $2M worth of school bags, bicycles, educational materials, launched another edition of its popular youth information booklet, hosted the 13th edition of the Grade 6 Summer Camp and would shortly launch a countywide Say No to

Suicide Poster Campaign.

Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu who overlooks the Say No/Say Yes Campaign expressed gratitude to the Management and Staff of the Rose Hall Town Demerara Bank for their continued sponsorship.

He reassured the sponsors, that the Spelling Bee Competition would be well organised and that all of the objectives would be met.

Branch Manager of the Demerara Bank, Mandrekar Khemraj, stated that the Bank was pleased to be associated with the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, to promote the importance of education.

Khemraj hailed the work of the Club and urged them to uphold its high standard and Demerara Bank, he stated, was dedicated to the development of Guyana and as such, invests heavily into fields such as sports, education and youth development.

The ten cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club are Poonai Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Female Metro, Namilco Thunderbolt Under-21 and First Division.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 19, 2019

27

John wins Urban Benjamin Memorial Road Race -Niles, Gopilall category winners

Team Cocos Jamual John collects his Ounce of Gold from Urban Benjamin‘s widow.

Junior Niles copped the U-45 Category title.

By Michelangelo Jacobus DESPITE torrential rainfall and storm-like weather conditions, a field of over 30 of Guyana‘s top cyclists showed their immense talent and endurance to complete the 74-mile route

of the 3rd Annual Urban Benjamin Memorial Cycling Road Race in Essequibo.

At the end of it all, Team Coco‘s wheelsman, Jamual John, stood tall and claimed an Ounce of Gold as his winner‘s prize; however, it

Ajay Gopilall was the top Junior cyclist.

was not without the sternest of challenges from Team Evolution‘s Paul DeNobrega, Michael Anthony and United We Stand cyclist, Horace Burrowes.

The race, which began at Charity, saw the cyclists pedal off under gloomy con-

ditions but, with just about two miles gone, the heavens opened and the rains came pelting down.

In the initial breakaway, the peloton included last year‘s winner, Christopher ‚Chicken Legs‘ Griffith, along with Curtis Dey, An-

thony, Andre Green, Andrew Hicks, Briton John, DeNobrega and eventual winner, John.

The leading pack held together to reach the turnback point at Supenaam and on the return leg to Charity, John led a breakaway with Anthony, DeNobrega, Dey and Burrowes in tow.

The quartet would maintain that lead until the finish which saw a four-man sprint to the finish line.

John exploded with about 50 metres to go and beat DeNobrega to cross the finish line in a time of 3 Hours 3 minutes 15 seconds.

Coming in third place was Anthony while Burrowes settled for fourth.

Briton John came in fifth and Andre Green was sixth.

Junior Niles was the top Veteran‘s U-45 cyclist and claimed an Ounce of Gold while Alex Menez was second and Stephen Fernandes third. In the Over-45 category, Paul Cho Wee Naam claimed the top spot ahead of Ian Jackson and Horace Burrowes who were second and third respectively.

The race was sponsored by the Gomes Family and organised by Team Evolution Cycling Club.

Guyanese swimmers win 11 medals on day two at Goodwill Meet GUYANA’s young swimmers surged their way to 11 medals, including three gold, on day two (Saturday) of the 25th Goodwill Swim Meet in Paramaribo, Suriname.

During the first two

days, the Guyanese swimmers tallied 18 medals, including six gold, given that they won seven medals on the opening night.

On Saturday, Jaleel Anderson stormed his way to his third gold medal. He

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday August 19, 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 Roberts (Birmingham, 1979) 2. 42 matches Today’s Quiz: 1. How many players have now captained India in ODI cricket?

2. How many players have now led the WI in ODI cricket?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

followed his 100M freestyle win on Friday evening with a gold in the 50M free in the 11-12 year-old boys’ category and a gold with Vladimir Woodroffe (who had won gold in the 100M backstroke on the opening night), Stephen Ramkelawan and Elliott Gonsalves in the 4X100M medley relay.

The 11-12 boys also won silver in the 4X100M freestyle relay.

Along with Anderson and Woodroffe, Gonsalves also has more than one gold medal, given that he also won the 200M IM. Monique Watson followed up her silver medal on Friday evening in the 11-12 girls 100M backstroke with a silver in the 200M IM. Guyana also registered six bronze medals on Saturday. Andica Vieira, Kyra Soares, Shareefah Lewis

Gold medal performance: Guyana’s 4X100M medley relay team on the podium: (l-r) Vladimir Woodroffe, Jaleel Anderson, Stephen Ramkelawan and Elliott Gonsalves.

and Jasmine Allen finished third in the girls’ 4X100M medley relay in the 9-10 age division.

Vladimir Woodroffe won a bronze in the 11-12 200M IM, while Ethan Gonsalves finished with a bronze in the 13-14 200M IM.

Watson finished third in the girls’ 100M breaststroke, while Athalcy Hunte copped a bronze in the 50M fly, also in the 11-12 age category.

Meanwhile, Daniel Claxton finished with a bronze in the 50M fly of the

13-14 age division.

The competition, which also includes swimmers from Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, French Guiana and Curacao, was scheduled to conclude last evening.

Guyana dominates day two of Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Boxing Tournament See Page 26

Bravo falls cheaply, Hodge hits fifty as India dominate

Isaiah Moore (right) was aggressive in his bout against Abdul Taylor from T&T.

SCOREBOARD INDIA 1st Innings 297 for six decl.

WEST INDIES “A” 1st Innings J Solozano c Rahul b Ishant Sharma 9 K Hodge lbw b Ishant Sharma 51 B King c wkpr Pant b Ishant Sharma 4 DM Bravo c Rahul b Umesh Yadav 11 J Mohammed run out 6 J Carter c Agarwal b Kuldeep Yadav 26 *+J Hamilton c Umesh Yadav b Kuldeep Yadav 33 R Powell c Pujara b Umesh Yadav 16 R Shepherd c Rahane b Umesh Yadav 1 K Pierre b Kuldeep Yadav 17 K Harding not out 4 Extras (w1, nb2) 3 TOTAL (all out, 56.1 overs) 181 Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-30, 3-51, 4-77, 5-94, 6-115, 7-136, 8-140, 9-164, 10-181.

Bowling: Ishant Sharma 8-1-21-3 (w1), Bumrah 11-0-45-0 (nb2); Umesh Yadav 10-4-19-3; Saini 6-0-20-0; Jadeja 12-241-0; Kuldeep Yadav 9.1-1-35-3

See Page 25

Kavem Hodge top-scored with 51.

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INDIA 2nd Innings M Agarwal c wkpr Hamilton b Shepherd 13 *A Rahane not out 20 H Vihari not out 48 Extras (lb2, nb1) 3 TOTAL (1 wkt, 35 overs) 84 Fall of wickets: 1-22 Bowling: Mindley 4-2-8-0, Harding 5-0-15-0 (nb1), Shepherd 9-6-22-0, Carter 5-2-3-1, Pierre 7-1-26-0, Hodge 4-1-7-0, Mohammed 1-0-1-0.

Position: India lead by 200 runs with nine second innings wickets standing

MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2019