Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_10_16_2020

FRIDAY 16th October, 2020

' No.106154

GuySuCo employees ambushed, robbed

–– during tense stand-off between squatters and police

SEE PAGE 05

Rift in PNCR widens PAGE

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–– Central Executive member, Basil Blackman, resigns, cites dictatorial tendencies

This is how you do it! A farmer prepares a coconut for visitors at his farm at Hope Estate, East Coast Demerara

2020 to end on high note

Mining tunnels destroyed in South Rupununi

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–– Guyana expected to end year 03 with US$200M in oil revenue –– fourth lift expected early December PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Rift in PNCR widens

–– Central executive member Basil Blackman resigns over dictatorial tendencies Long-standing People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Basil Blackman on Wednesday parted ways with the party over what he called dictatorial decision-making without consultation of the full executive.

Blackman, a former officer of the Guyana Defence Force is a close colleague of former President Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger.

In a letter dispatched to the party’s General-Secretary Amna Ally, Blackman stated: “I have made this decision with a heavy heart but for the good of my conscience, it is for the best. Several key decisions do not sit well with me, and as such, I feel as though the executive no longer serves its mandated purpose since decisions are made without consultation.”

He noted that he will continue to serve the Guyanese people, but not as part of the party’s machinery.

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and the Justice For All Party (JFAP) recently had also cut ties with the PNCR-dominated A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

The WPA wrote to former President Granger on August 19, 2020, telling him that it was withdrawing as a member of APNU due to repeated “violations of the principles governing coalition politics” by the PNCR. “Decisions affecting the APNU have been made and continue to be made in the name of the constituent parties without consultations… we have had to live with [the] PNC’s decisions being imposed on the rest of the APNU,” WPA Executive, Tacuma Ogunseye had said, noting that the PNCR has acted unilaterally since the coalition victory in 2015.

The JFAP had complained of being ignored in the selection of APNU+AFC MPs for the new Parliament. No seat was allocated to the JFAP. A JFAP letter to PNCR Leader David Granger dated September 1 and signed by its General Secretary Savitree Singh Sharma did not give any specific reason for the decision to leave, but said that “… Guyana’s political landscape is changing significantly and it demands a re-examination of roles and relationships.”

“We feel that we have been used… and at this point we can see no reason for sticking with them, but we will consider our options before

Former President David Granger and Basil Blackman

acting,” she had said.

APNU, which comprised five parties with the PNCR being the largest, has been embroiled in internal dissension following defeat at the March 2 General and Regional Elections and particularly after the swearing-in of the new PPP/C government on August 2.

Last month, former Public Infrastructure Minister and AFC General-Secretary David Patterson resigned from his post after the PNCR hogged the top positions in two Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) by reneging on a promise it had made to the AFC. The Coalition won three of the 10 electoral districts in the March 2020 elections. These were Regions Four, Seven and 10.

It was understood that APNU members would assume the chairmanship of these organs, while AFC members would take the vice-chair (VC) positions. However, the APNU did not support the AFC when it came to voting to preserve that agreement, except for Region Seven, where the party was given the VC post.

Also last month, Chairman of the PNCR Volda Lawrence stepped in and quelled a destructive protest in Region Five that was instigated by two of her very senior party colleagues.

Former PNC/R member Allan Arthur Fenty back in May 2020 had also criticised the party for following a disgraceful path “of electoral thievery.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

2020 to end on high note

–– Guyana expected to end year with US$200M in oil revenue –– fourth lift expected early December

By Navendra Seoraj GUYANA is on course to ending 2020 with close to US$200 million (roughly G$42 billion) in its Natural Resource Fund (NRF), which has remained “untouched” since its creation in January this year.

These funds, banked in an account at the US Federal Reserve Bank, are generated from the sale of crude oil, which is being produced by ExxonMobil’s Liza phase one development, offshore Guyana, in the Stabroek Block.

Guyana, new to the oiland-gas sector, sold its first one million barrels of crude on February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55 million. In its second million-barrel sale, the country received US$35 million and US$46 million as proceeds from the sale of its third million-barrel of crude.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat

Along with these deposits and the US$4.9 million

in royalties received from first-quarter gross production

and interest, Guyana has over US$140 million in its NRF. The country had agreed to sell its first three cargoes to a trading arm of Shell on a dated ‘Brent’ basis. The oil market is volatile, but Brent price was listed as US$42.94 per barrel of oil on Thursday.

Guyana’s fourth shipment of crude is expected early December and Government is working to secure a suitable firm to market Guyana’s crude.

The country is entitled to five crude cargoes for this year, as part of its profit share with ExxonMobil and its Joint-Venture (JV) partners.

This means that with Shell having received its three cargoes, the country can market its crude to another company or location.

“We have a special evaluation team of local and foreign experts, who are looking at

those tenders to ensure we have the best suited company to market our oil,” said Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, during an exclusive interview with Guyana Chronicle on Thursday.

Recently, the Government decided to re-tender the Request for Proposal (RFP) for companies to market Guyana’s crude, with the aim of correcting bids made under the former APNU+AFC administration. Previously, 34 large oil traders had submitted proposals and 19 were shortlisted. It is likely that many of these companies or more will re-submit proposals.

“Once this is over, by the end of 2020, we should have in our fund, close to US$200 million… and we have not used a dollar from that,” said Minister Bharrat.

Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo had said no money from the fund will be used until Government amends or repeals the existing NRF Act. The Government had committed to addressing im-

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portant issues of transparency and ensuring systems and institutions are in place before those funds are utilised.

Sections of the media also reported President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, as saying Guyana’s oil revenue will remain untouched until a series of reforms are enacted to strengthen the Government’s regulatory infrastructure for the oil and gas sector.

“My Government is focused heavily on transparency and accountability. As you know, we have demonstrated this after the negotiations of the licence for the Payara.

Not only did we make the agreement public, but we also made the environmental permit public, so nothing is done in secrecy.

“I’ve said before, there’ll be an arm’s length relationship with the politicians. We had international experts, leading those negotiations and discussions,” said the Head of State.

US$250M for construction of 15,000 housing units

By Navendra Seoraj CREATING adequate housing for Guyanese is high on the agenda of the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, which is seeking US$250 million (approximately G$52.5 billion) in financing to support its housing development plans for the next five years.

Access to adequate housing is viewed as a basic human right and is considered to be an integral factor for the enjoyment of other economic, social and cultural rights.

And, with Guyana’s economy poised to quadruple in the coming years, Government will be moving to ensure that its people, especially from the low and middle income brackets, have access to adequate housing.

It is for this reason that Government is looking to acquire US$250 million in financing for its housing drive and is already seeking

expressions of interest.

“These funds will go directly to our housing drive… we are raising more money, but that specific amount is related to housing,” said Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, in an invited comment on Wednesday.

The PPP/C, while in opposition, had committed to distributing 50,000 house lots, a promise which they reiterated after being elected to office in August.

“We committed to 50,000 house lots, and roughly about 30 per cent (15,000) of that we would like to build homes… so we are looking for funding for the infrastructural works, land clearing, construction of access bridges and roads to those areas… as well as public/ private partnerships for the construction of homes for all income brackets,” said Minister Rodrigues.

Housing units will eventually be constructed across

all administrative regions, said the minister, adding that authorities are in the process of identifying and acquiring land.

Specific areas cannot be identified at this time because the Ministry of Housing and Water is still engaging the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on the acquisition of land.

Government has allocated $1.7 billion for infrastructural development to make serviced lots available, and this allocation includes funds for the acquisition of lands from the NICIL, GuySuCo and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC).

Additionally, $292.8 million has been budgeted for the preparation of land for residential lots. This allocation will be used for the construction of roads and bridges to access lands for preparatory work in Recht-

Door-Zee, Block AI Annandale, Cummings Lodge, Industry, Vigilance, Lethem and Kwakwani, among many other locations.

Work will also be completed on the upgrading of 4km of main access roads, and bridges to industrial and commercial areas in Prospect, Perseverance, Little and Great Diamond; $150 million is allocated for these projects.

The upgrading of the main access road and bridges for private developers in Prospect and Perseverance will allow for access and commencement of work on approximately 500 house lots, while the upgrading of the main access road for industrial and commercial purposes in Little and Great Diamond will allow for access and commencement of work on a further 300 house lots.

“So, Guyanese can look forward to an aggressive and fair allocation exercise as these lots become available,”

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues

Minister Rodrigues said.

The Ministry of Housing will be hosting a two-day housing drive on Friday and Saturday at the National Stadium at Providence to assist persons with land applications and queries persons

may have about the process.

In addition to housing services, the event will also have representatives from the Guyana Water Inc, the commercial banks, insurance companies and a number of internet providers.

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‘Cayenne’ takes 60-year sentence ‘like a man’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Used tyre importers to follow GNBS standards

―after found guilty of murdering ‘child-mother’ JUSTICE Navindra Singh, on Thursday, sentenced former taxi driver, Allan Sim, to serve 60 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving 40 years for killing his ‘child-mother’ in 2015.

for killing Melissa Skeete, called Lisa, a staff member of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), on November 23, 2015.

He was represented by Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson, while holding

Allan Sim, called ‘Cayenne’

Sim, called “Cayenne”, of Paradise Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found guilty of the capital offence by a 12-member jury at the Demerara High Court on Thursday afternoon,

for the State was Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy.

Justice Singh, before passing sentence, described Sim as “a very cold-blooded man”, since throughout the trial, he showed no remorse

FRIDAY, October 16, 2020 ― 04:00hrs ~ 05:30hrs

for his actions.

The judge, in arriving at his decision, took into account the nature of the offence and the fact that a life was lost. He also ordered that the prison authorities deduct the time Sim spent on remand

ting the offence. His car was found five days later, with the passenger seat already refurbished.

To his credit, he’d turned himself in to the police at the Alberttown Police Station two days after committing

Melissa Skeete, called ‘Lisa’

from his sentence.

According to the State, Sim and Skeete, who worked as a dispatcher at the GPHC, shared two kids, and, on the day in question, at about 15:00 hours, he picked her up from work in his motorcar, but some 30 minutes later, she was found on downtown Carmichael Street, bleeding profusely from several stab wounds about her body. But although she was immediately rushed to the GPHC, she died while receiving treatment.

During the course of an investigation, Sim was arrested, and, under caution, reportedly admitted commit-

the act, on November 25, 2015, after news surfaced that he had killed Skeete.

He is alleged to have stabbed her no less than eight times about the body, before pushing her out of his car on Carmichael Street.

The post-mortem revealed that it was a single stab wound to her stomach that was largely responsible for her death.

Skeete’s relatives alleged that the two had shared an “on-and-off” relationship for more than 10 years, although he was married, and that not only was Sim controlling but was also abusive.

THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) announced, on Thursday, that all importers of tyres must comply with the requirements of the Guyana Standard Specification for pneumatic passenger car tyres.

This is in the aftermath of a reversal of the ban on the importation of used passenger car tyres, effective from October 01, 2020.

According to the GNBS, all new and used tyres imported must comply with the requirements of the tyres GYS 67:2017 (second edition).

The bureau noted that tyres imported must be subjected to examination by the GNBS at the time of importation to determine compliance with the requirements of the national standard.

“Non-complying tyres will be seized and/or destroyed by the GNBS. Importers should familiarise themselves with the requirements stipulated in the aforementioned standard, which can be purchased from the GNBS,” the GNBS noted.

For further information, persons can contact the Product Compliance Services Department of the GNBS on 219-0066 EXT 237 or WhatsApp 692 GNBS (4627).

31 new COVID-19 cases recorded

SOME 31 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the number of active cases to 991.

Health authorities have so far tested 16,451 persons, with 12,719 being negative and 3,620 positive.

Of the total positive cases, 2,522 persons have recovered and 107 have lost their lives. The remaining cases include 115 persons in institutional isolation, 860 in home isolation and 16 in the COVID-19 ICU. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms, and recover without special treatment.

The WHO had said that 81 per cent of the persons who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms

while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms, and five per cent will need intensive care.

But the COVID-19 disease has proven to be “a real killer”, especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension among other ailments.

Persons were encouraged to take extra precaution because there is no approved cure or specific treatment for the disease. Guyanese were also reminded to observe the protocols established in the COVID-19 emergency measures.

Anyone who displays any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, can contact the COVID-19 Emergency numbers: 231 1166, 226 7480 or 624 6674 immediately, or visit the ministry’s website at www. health.gov.gy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

GuySuCo employees ambushed, robbed

–– during tense standoff between squatters and police TWO suspects are in custody, including an ex-prison officer, for reportedly relieving a GuySuCo Supernumerary Constable of his firearm, ammunition, cellphone and $25,000, during efforts by GuySuCo on Thursday, to reclaim lands from squatters at Success by flooding it for cultivation of sugarcane.

Pump attendant, Sabastian Rajeet, was also attacked and robbed of his cellphone.

The incident occurred around 16: 15 hours, police say.

According to a police report, Supernumerary Constable, Mohamed Karim Haniff, 50, and pump attendant, Sabastian Rajeet, were in a make shift tent when they were confronted by the suspects who were armed with cutlasses.

Police say the suspects reportedly ambushed the men, placed the cutlasses at their necks and relieved them of their possessions before making good their escape on a red and black XR motor cycle.

Another GuySuCo Supernumerary Constable, Frank Lawrence, who was armed with a 12-guage shotgun and

The fields which have been flooded ahead of GuySuCo’s cultivation of sugarcane

police ranks, who were conducting a dismantling operation about 100 meters away, gave chase and discharged several rounds in the “general direction” of the suspects but it is unclear if anyone was injured in the process, the police report indicated.

The report also pointed out that police checked the area but no blood was seen and based on information received, the suspects were arrested.

At around 16:00 hours, on Thursday, the Guyana Chronicle received reports

that police had gone into the squatting area and were instructing the squatters to leave the lands which belong to GuySuCo. The squatters refused to leave and a commotion ensued, causing the police to discharge a few rounds of rubber pellets to bring the situation under control.

A young man, who is nursing a wound on his back, related that when the officers told him to leave, he refused to leave and instead began reciting Guyana’s National Anthem. He said many other

squatters joined him in reciting this anthem.

When this newspaper arrived at Success, squatters were congregated at the side of the canal which separates the GuySuCo lands from the rest of Success where residents live. Many of the squatters there showed their wounds and complained that they were forced to leave the structures they erected on the fields.

Amanda Jordan, a pregnant mother of two, recounted that she hurriedly left her home when she heard the

commotion. She related that she previously paid $35,000 monthly in rent, but when the COVID-19 pandemic caused her to lose her job in March, she was left with nowhere else to stay.

While she is horrified at what happened on Thursday, she said she cannot leave because she has nowhere else to go. Similarly, Jamaica, a mother of four young children, said that she cannot leave either, because she has nowhere else to go.

On Wednesday, the flooding of the Success fields to prepare the lands of cultivation of the sugarcane crop intensified. Many of the squatters fled their homes as the flood water rose. But, these squatters fled to the higher dams on the Success field.

One squatter, who wished to remain unnamed, said that squatters who were still there even after they had been flooded out were the persons who were in dire need. She said that a large number of persons had left, and that those persons who left were not in such dire need.

These lands at Success are being released by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the parent or hold-

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ing company of GuySuCo as part of plans to restart sugar production on the ECD. President Irfaan Ali, during a recent press conference, related that a sum of money would be used to start preparation for the reopening of the Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore estates. And in order for the Enmore estate to be operationalised, Head of the Agriculture Research Centre at GuySuCo, Gavin Ramnarain, explained that massive amounts of the sugarcane crop will be required.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, NICIL’s Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Radha Krishna Sharma, highlighted, “At this point in time, GuySuCo has started their pre-cultivation period and you gotta see what’s happening in the context of GuySuCo’s preparation of the land for cultivation.”

Sharma explained that both NICIL and the housing authorities have engaged these squatters for quite some time, and attempted to provide whatever support it could. Now, however, he emphasised that GuySuCo has to take control of their lands.

Comfort Sleep launches new line of mattress throughout Guyana and the Caribbean, to the extent that it has won two international awards, one in Geneva, Switzerland and the other in

Comfort Sleep CEO, Mr. Dennis Charran (centre); his wife, Sabita (right); and local radio personality, Seegobin (left) during his address to attendees at the launch on Tuesday

COMFORT Sleep, local manufacturer of foam and spring-filled mattresses, on Tuesday, in full compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, launched the latest in its line of products.

Appropriately tagged “Comfort-pedic Memory Foam Mattresses”, the new line comes in Standard, King and Queen sizes, and boasts of being the first of its kind on the Guyanese market, providing users “with a built-in touch of elegance and absolute comfort, as it is manufactured to adjust to the

shape/form of the body while resting.”

Managing Director, Mr. Dennis Charran, who is also the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, said during the launch that he cannot help but be ecstatic about the company’s evolution over the years, and that particularly after the fire in 2013, which almost put them out of business, Comfort Sleep has been growing from strength to strength, while working on improving their products as a means of providing customers with the absolute best in foam and

spring mattresses.

Reportedly new to the Guyanese market, ‘Comfort Pedic Memory Foam Mattresses’ are reputedly made of a high-quality, 1.5 high-density foam, topped with four inches of memory foam, and are expected to be durable, soft and comfortable.

Also on display during the launch was an adjustable bed manufactured locally by Comfort Sleep.

According to Charran, in its more than 25 years in business, Comfort Sleep has become a household name

the US. The company is also noted for giving back to the less fortunate, through School Feeding Programmes, and

regular contributions to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre and the Ruimveldt Children’s Home.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

The rule of law and political protagonists THE law is taking its course in dealing with GECOM and PNC officials who have been witnessed by the world through social media trying to rig the Guyana elections of March 2020; and world leaders across the spectrum of global leadership have stood solidly with the defenders of democracy in Guyana in demanding that the rule of law and democratic practices prevail in Guyana. This eventuated in the PPP/C being declared the winner of the March 2020 elections.

In every country, electoral fraud is a crime punishable by the law, and those who openly, in full view of the international community, tried to steal the elections are being called into account for their crimes by the guardians of the law.

However, the alleged fraudsters are rallying their supporters into disruptive, even threatening actions, which bodes no good for anyone, even those who are convinced that their leaders, who are constantly carping gloom and doom under a PPP/C Government, are being unjustly persecuted by their political opponents.

But President Irfaan Ali has taken no

heed of the detractors and the opportunistic elements who relentlessly shoot down every project and programme that the government initiates that is aimed at developing the people and the country, even during formative stages – all in pursuit of selfish and self-serving agendas; and they have not succeeded in stymieing the impetus of the Irfaan Ali-led developmental drive.

The President seemingly does not care what the chronic pessimists and doomsayers say about him and his administration; but he needs to care, because the consequences of ignoring accusatory allegations have oftentimes proven detrimental to the people and country as ignoring contentions based on lies and misrepresentation of facts allows them to gain traction and create distrust.

There was absolute devastation of the country inherited by the PPP/C post both PNC-led governments - in Oct 1992 and March 2020, and the PNC is on record for twice leaving government with a bankrupted economy and crippling debt burdens that are greatly inhibiting factors to stability and/ or growth in the economy, indexed twice as poorest in the world, even below Haiti,

Crime does not pay Dear Editor,

EARLY in August the Jamaica Star reported, “Me talk to him. If you cyah hear you must feel.” Those were the words of 39-year old Shodia Blair, the mother of Fabian Fuller, 18, one of the six men shot and killed during a police-military operation in Buzzrock, Effortville, Clarendon, last Saturday. The crime rate in Jamaica is perhaps almost 10 times that of Guyana’s for this year. Blair told THE STAR that Fuller was her only child, and that she had tried relentlessly to steer him down a productive path, but he had different plans.

A familiarity that is congruent in Guyana, many of the youths choose the assumed easy path, fast and furious, not curious about the good, old and straightforward way of making a decent living. “Me and him always have issues because of him stubbornness; sometimes a him grandmother him turn to. Sometimes if him want any little thing him come and say ‘Mommy, you cyah buy me this or that, but that’s it,” said the mother, Blair. Grandparents’ job is not to spoil the grandchild but to encourage and promote a goodliness and godliness within that personality. She said that their relationship was not the best as

their personalities clashed. So many sociological and psychological elements are factored into this problematic issue that the home and society are bombarded with challenges, trying to formulate answers to resolve this dangerous situation. “I see him move with everybody, so I can’t tell if it is good or bad company. Him get along with one and all,” she said. “Growing up he was an OK child, but since him mature now, I don’t really know. He was a brilliant child but him just nah hear. If you see the fire and say ‘Fabian, don’t go over that fire’, by you turn you back him in a the fire.”

In Guyana, ole people say, “show me yuh company and I’ll tell yu who yu are.” The influence of organised gangs is contagious and the unemployed and uneducated youth is quickly led astray. The working (single) parent struggles to make ends meet in Guyana and cannot “watchman” the child, 24/ seven. The past five years, an uncaring APNU+AFC government greatly contributed to many broken homes and allowed the criminal disease to ferment and spread without paying much care and attention and failed to address this disastrous issue.

The mother, though saddened, said that she wasn’t shocked when she received a call from a friend about her son’s demise. All

before the discovery of oil.

In 2015, Guyana was ranked as a middle-income country on global graphs, with growth trends pointing skywards, and with the needs of every community and every sector being addressed to optimize performance and productivity, which would have ultimately redounded to further – even cataclysmic socio-economic progress in the nation.

Of course, pockets of poverty still existed, and sometimes the systems did not work effectively and some people fell through the cracks but, by and large, Guyana was a country poised on the brink of great prosperity pre-2015 elections. Sadly, there was a reversal in Guyana’s developmental landscape post-2015 elections.

But President Irfaan Ali is not fazed: Together with a power-packed Cabinet, the people’s needs and concerns are being addressed – in every community.

Yet, the disingenuous predictors of doom and gloom continue to spill a deluge of spurious, unfounded allegations against government ministers and other officials, hoping to influence the unwary and the uninformed

“good” things come to a sudden end and crime never pays. “These people here are menace to the society, they hold the community at ransom.” Only the conscientious Guyanese who are adept to integrity and abide with moral upbringing would confess with such a declaration. One officer on the scene told THE STAR that he believes the community feels relieved as the gang’s headquarters was vanquished. How many fearful and fearless Guyanese would conclude and applaud this consensus? Would there be feelings of remorse and sorrow in a Guyanese context, or would there be political capitalisation with racial insinuations?

Yesterday, a 19-year-old youth had finished working, making an honest living, was riding home when he was attacked and robbed by other young men, one of them presumed to be an ex- police officer.

Tuesday night, four masked and armed men attacked and robbed a supermarket owner. The 21-year-old security guard was arrested and is being questioned by the police. On Monday morning, a 16-yearold lad, trying to make a decent living, was stabbed at his workplace by other youths of his age group; perhaps a gang-related incident. One of the suspects was arrested and is assisting the police with the investigation.

On Sunday, a well- known 36-year-old bandit, branded as a high-profile convict, was finally arrested for multiple armed robberies and larcenies. During a scuffle with the police, he was shot in the alter-

or ill-informed, enough to inflame them into anti-social actions and consequently stymie progress under an Irfaan Ali administration, and one of their strategies is to send their rambunctious supporters to squat on state lands earmarked for developmental purposes.

The housing ministers have promised to speedily address the troubling issue of housing homeless people; and the previous PPP/C housing sector has proven that a ministry or a government under Irfaan Ali’s watch delivers on promises.

The housing ministry under the former PPP/C administration, which fell under then Minister Irfaan Ali’s portfolio, provided hundreds of thousands of families with houselots, simultaneously creating for those families’ shelter and wealth, and the momentum in the development trajectory under the current government is gaining speed, much to the discomfiture of political protagonists.

However, within the next five years, government is determined to inexorably generate enough fiscal space and create of Guyana a homeland of plenty for all.

cation. The streets and neighbourhoods are riddled with criminal elements and only waiting on the least opportunity to pounce on the hard-working and innocent Guyanese. Many young people are making an impressive attempt to live by honest means and should be commended. The new PPP/C government has established many programmes to incorporate the youths of today. There is much more to be done, especially in sensitive areas. COVID-19’s prevalence is not harmonious for complete implementation and accessibility due to its practical constraints. But this should not deter the determined youths to comply with the wrong side of the law. There is an urgent need to provide more community services in establishing employment training facilities, along with recreational facilities in all villages. Social workers are desperately needed to assist; the government, the police and the respective churches to work along with youths in order to provide some relief measures and some semblance of order. But, “Charity begins at home,” and society’s leaders have to set the right example to shoulder this responsibility. It starts from the top and President Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali are doing exactly as required. Guyanese wish they can make the same claim for the APNU+AFC. What a pity!

Respectfully, Jai Lall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Reminiscing about peasant cultivation of rice Dear Editor,

I GREW up in rural Guyana in the 1960s and 70s in Port Mourant, once the most populous village (20K) in Guyana and the most profitable sugar estate of the British Empire. During that era and for decades earlier, my ancestors and almost every family were involved in some kind of cultivation as peasant or small farmers, especially on the Corentyne. As I aged in an urban environment, an educator for some 40 years, I often reminisce about being in the rice fields during cultivation and harvesting. Farming is seen as menial, hard work to be avoided.

But it made me who I am, and I am very proud of that history and also of the contributions made in farming by my forebears and others. I thank them for the discipline, work ethic, honesty, and other positive values they instilled in me while on the fields that I used in my studies and career.

In Port Mourant and it is probably true of other villages, some families had several acres of rice land (and cane) in what was called the “backdam,” as well as small plots (a quarter to an acre of rice land) closer to the coast. These lands were given on longterm lease (for an annual fee) or purchased.

They were not given for free, and they were not open, cultivable or arable lands.

They were densely forested when leased and the ancestors had to clear the land of the trees, plimpa, baboories, moko moko, khirda bush, chi chi ley ley, other bush, other thick vegetation, and wood had to be cleared to make the land cultivable and arable. The same was true of housing plots assigned (in exchange for labour) or sold to the indentured labourers. Anyone who harboured any thought that Indians were given free land was mistaken. It was very hard, back-breaking work to prepare the land. Nothing was free. My family had some 24 acres of rice spread out in three spots of eight acres located deep in the backdam; we also had cane. Other farmers possessed more land than my family. Imagine how much labour was needed to clear that land.

We also had two small plots of some half acres on the coastline. The small plots were cultivated (ploughed) and harvested by hand (sickle or grass knife) while in the larger plots tractors and combines were used. Of course, in the early days prior to the 1960s, virtually all cultivation and harvesting were done by hand. People took pride in growing rice. It was an unforgettable experience growing up in rice or cane or in a farming community.

It helped to discipline one for studies and a career that youngsters tend to lack today. On the rice fields and in the villages as well, one gets immersed into usage of a lot of Hindi and Bhojpuri words from the older folks who also sang folk songs they created or brought from the villages of India.

Growing rice is completely different than cane cultivation or harvesting. Whereas in cane work, a person is assigned one tass (task) per day and got paid say a shilling or so, in rice one was paid by the day if payments were to be made. Because farmers had virtually no savings, living day to day, there was hardly any paid labour. In the 1960s, a rice or cane labourer earned $5 a day. Since rice

was a family enterprise, no money exchanged hands. And even if outside labour was used, it was borrowed labour to be repaid in labour.

Villagers would help each other in cultivation, spraying, and harvesting. A few villagers formed volunteer gangs and worked on each other’s rice land. For example, if my father or mother volunteered four days on your land, you would owe my family eight days of labour to be provided by yourself or spouse or adult sibling. People never robbed each other in labour and the farmers got a full day’s work with volunteers labouring as though the land was theirs. And so the whole production of rice became a community affair and people lived well as a large family, not like today when they are at each other’s throat and seek to bring down each other. Mama, papa, nani, nana, aji, aja, pickney, cha-cha, cha chi, pupa, poa, mousie, mousa, mamu, mami, bhoujie, dabit, dad, didi, and other kins, and neighbours all chipped in to ready the land for rice cultivation. The same principle of togetherness applied when one had a shaadi or Jhandi or Koran Sharief or a birth or nine-day or a scrape-head ritual or any public festival -- and religious background was no bar.

Everyone worked together, Muslims and Hindus. The community came together to assist each other in the villages. (Don’t know if same tradition was practised in urban communities).

The small plots were prepared with hand forks or bull or ox utilising wooden plows or other primitive measures such as fastening many cutlasses on holes of planga (wood board) to serve as a plow that was called haranga to prepare the field. One person holds the wooden plow and another pulls it with a rope around the field. The ox or bull replaced one person on the operation or directs ox where to move. And in later years the tractor and iron plows replaced the animal and wooden plows. After ploughing, the land is flooded with trench water. There is a skill involved moving water from the trench into the plot. A bhangee (hand sluice) was built (two pieces of wood and a piece of zinc – creative primitive set up brought from India. Plots of land were separated by banks or mares to store the water and at the right time the farmer bruk bandin (the soil bank). The banks were often used to grow vegetables, chowrai bhajee, and peppers or to store cow dung used to fertilise the fields. The Bhangee was used to regulate water flow or irrigate the land. Near the trench were fruit trees.

The dhan was shai (scattered in the pungent, smelly water). Good seeds sank while wind seeds (jharanda) floated and were collected and discarded. Some seeds that sunk could be bad or are also wind seeds or paiya – a farmer knows because it grows tallest and very quickly way above the good stalks of rice. Wind seed stalks are nuisance-producing rice pods that are empty. They are pulled out and destroyed. After germination, the seedlings or sikka, after growing to about a foot in height, are carefully pulled out of the muddy soil and put into bundles (or atiyas) or about 100 stalks together and ready for the ropaiyee or ropani (transfer of the rice stalks that were popularly known as beeyah).

Replanting beeyah involved an art – an up-and-down motion of the body. The beey-

hah bundled were in a bag or rumaal on the back and transferred by hands in the water at about six inches apart. It was a tedious, but scientific approach to planting the rice decades ago, but still used in Trinidad, India, and Southeast Asia in peasant farming. At the

appropriate time, weedicide was sprayed to kill grass or weeds. Manure was applied in the water. The estate used to give three pounds of manure to household

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

GTT super service deals at CH&PA distribution exercise ― offers also available at Corriverton Market on Saturday

GTT’s Field and Tele Sales Lead, Kester Abrams

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) will be offering special service deals at the upcoming Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) two-day distribution exercise.

According to GTT’s Field and Tele Sales Lead, Kester Abrams, the special deals will include free SIM cards, double the top up amount, smartphone deals from as low as $14,000, which comes with a free Bluetooth speaker and portable charger and a chance to sign up for Blaze, DSL and mmg+ services, among others.

He said: “As we work to take our services and customer offers to the next level, we are also trying to meet our customers, the Guyanese public, where they are. Let’s complete your applications for you - all you need to do is walk with your Identification card (ID).”

Abrams added that persons should not miss this most convenient opportunity to visit the booth to take advantage of everything GTT has to offer. He issued a widespread invitation to customer to “...come out, walk with your ID Card and let our team do the work for you”.

Additionally, Abrams explained that the

GTT teams will be offering similar deals at the Corriverton Market on Saturday, October 17, 2020 from 7AM-11AM. Abrams said, “... we have recently extended the Blaze service to Corriverton, so we are encouraging residents to come out and register for the service. We’re making it even easier to apply –by coming to you.”

The CH&PA’s two-day distribution exercise will be on October 16 and 17 at the National Stadium, Providence from 9AM-3PM daily. “GTT looks forward to serving you directly on these occasions,” Abrams stated.

Guyanese were fooled with the illusion of living ‘the good life’ Dear editor,

THERE is a popular saying, “To each his own” or, “You’re on your own.” Guyanese would say, “You try de” or “Yuh de pon yuh own.” Perhaps this paradigm replicates Karl Marx’s economic slogan, “From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.” It’s good to remember, “He who robs Peter to pay Paul, can count on the support of Paul.” The phrase “according to his folly,” in short, in negligible issues we should just ignore some people, but in issues that matter, they must be dealt with so that credence will not be given to what they say. Another popular gossip goes, “The more people hear about something, the more corrosive it becomes.”

This and many more of the rum shop gaffs and controversies continue to build up a crescendo until tempers flare and the

friendship breaks, all because of words being a bad “chaser” for drinks. Picking sense out of nonsense is senseless, so don’t worry to sensitise anything sensible from suppositions and prepositions. Guyana is already contaminated with enough sick, slick and sticky issues that toil their way from land to the sea, from ground to the sky and eventually end up from above to below! Oil is a messy business.

The table has turned and it’s amazing to see how America is quickly adapting to Guyana’s craziness. The tirades of politicians created havoc and mayhem in societies in both parts of the world. From Guyana’s legitimate cause for the passing of a no-confidence motion that created chaos and confusion, this led to APNU+AFC’s scrambling for consoling their foundation.

We can reflect on the Republican President Trump and the House impeachment by

A very strange number Dear Editor, I HAVE been deeply disheartened by a trend that seems to infect more of our journalists by the day. Our politics has always been hamstrung by sensational and tabloid media. But even by those low standards I was stunned to see the piece in Kaieteur News “The Oil Giveaway Graveyard” and its claim that “In excess of one hundred billion American dollars of our oil wealth were given away by PPP leaders, with the Coalition and civil society silently consenting. THIS WAS ON THE CANJE OIL BLOCK ALONE.” It is one thing to exaggerate a number or posit a hypothetical one, but this number was transparently pulled from thin air.

There has not been one discovery on the Canje Block; exploration has barely even begun. No wells have been drilled.

How could Kaieteur News and its anonymous reporters possibly know what it’s worth or what might have been “given away”?

No established government entity, international organisation, company or analyst have even attempted to put a specific value on such an unknowable quantity as an unexplored 6,000 square km stretch

of ocean. The Stabroek Block has had 18 real, confirmed discoveries and still its full value may not be known for years.

Yet this journalist appears willing to fabricate a number in order to have a salacious opening line. And all for a two-paragraph story, liberally salted with screaming capital letters and innuendos that do nothing to actually educate the reader.

There has never been a more critical time in Guyana for real, solid, fact-based reporting.

Guyana is on the cusp of massive change. Unimaginable wealth and corrosive corruption are both real possibilities.

The wall between them is built from transparency, ethics and smart policies. None of those is possible without a responsible media. Guyanese should form their own opinions, but those opinions must be grounded in a shared universe of neutral, verifiable facts.

Stories such as this do the opposite.

They substitute wild accusations for reasoned debate and sow division and distrust at the time when the truth is most critical.

Yours sincerely, Donald Singh

the Democrats. The absurd refusal by the APNU+AFC to accept CARICOM’s initial recount result of the elections, showed how biased the party was. Again, aspersions can be cast upon Trump when he openly declared uncertainty of accepting the result if defeated in the upcoming election. Trump’s controversies accounted for many protesters taking to the streets. Misguided by his tongue-twisters, his protagonists have also demonstrated their support in dangerous forms. Granger’s lies and deceits rallied many marchers taking to the streets also. Trump’s racial innuendoes proved damaging and destructive. Granger and Harmon’s fabrications and racial aspersions created ethnic upheavals that proved deadly. Granger’s illegitimate appointment of James Patterson as GECOM’s chairman was another abuse of power and protocol.

Trump is currently engaged in the imbroglio of the appointment of a replacement in the Supreme Court. Granger encouraged the spreading of COVID-19 from the inception and failed to acknowledge its presence. He did not recognise the urgency and importance of COVID-19 and its implica-

tions, therefore, the application of remedial solutions went into abeyance, much to the detriment of the nation. Trump was in “La La Land,” downplaying the deadliness of the pandemic and America paid the penalty with some 210,000 lives and still counting.

Guyana continues to lose the battle daily.

The hapless man in the street tries to go about his business if there is some business and minds his own business. But Guyana’s business is every man’s business. What does the ordinary man know about what goes on behind closed doors? Guyanese were once promised a dream where “the small man will become a real man.” That dream was shattered! Then, Guyanese were fooled with the illusion of living “the good life.” That was a mirage, short- lived and left flabbergasted! Guyanese again are pinning their hopes on promises. It is not 100 days as yet, but, there is a dim light that reflects prosperity for posterity. Let’s hope that the light does not diminish with austerity.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Reminiscing about peasant ...

at one time and then completely stopped the grant.

When rice pods developed, if locusts or other insects and parasites pose a threat, the rice was sprayed with a light does of malathon (as farmers called it) a chemical poisonous to the body, but harmless to the rice plants.

For endless miles, one would see emerald-green paddy fields. The plants need a lot of water for development of the pods and dhan inside of them. The farmers would say the “rice draw milk,” meaning the pods soaking up the water to grow in size.

With time, the stalks and the pods gradually change colour, becoming yellow (from light to dark), signalling the beginning of the harvest season.

Harvesting also involved manual voluntary labour and a family effort similar to the cultivation effort. The

farmers “bruk banding” to drain remaining water. Fish and jumper shrimps abound during the harvesting period.

Water hens were also plentiful on the fields feasting on dhan and laying their eggs.

They were virtually caught by the hand and prepared for a delicious meal or sold alive in the market.

The paddy stalks were cut by hand with sickles and khutthi or short piece remained above the soil. A kharion is created to store the cultivated stalks. The dhan was removed from the stalks through stomping of animals and or hammering the stalks that are placed on large tarpaulin, so that the dhan fall on it for easy recovery. Sometimes, a danda was used to beat the stalks resulting in pitna or separation of dhan from stalks. The dhan was separated from the chaff or stalks

TURN

(stubble or FROM puwaal) by PAGE 7 hand siftas.

After processing on a jhatta, a hand machine used to remove the outer covering or husk or chilka (that becomes busey), a process called dhan kootna, one gets the chaoor or rice that is shared or sold or kept for use for half a year, or the whole year. When cooked it is bhat that goes well with dhal and curry.

Rice production is very hard work but fulfilling, and it provides a basic food for the family. The work ethic on a private rice or any other farm is unmatched when it comes to productivity that one would not experience in urban dwelling.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Canada to assist Guyana with reforming electoral statutes

Attorney-General Anil Nandlall and Canada’s High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee and her assistant during the meeting at the Ministry of Legal Affairs

CANADA’S High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee, has said that her country is willing to assist the Guyana Government with relevant support to develop the legislative sector which also includes reforming electoral statutes.

During a recent meeting with Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, the high commissioner also congratulated the new government and disclosed that she was impressed with their performance thus far.

The Attorney General (AG) began the meeting by thanking the ambassador for the role she personally played, that of her staff and the Canadian Government’s tremendous support to the people of Guyana with respect to the March 2, 2020 National and Regional Elections.

The AG indicated that because of the international community, democracy has prevailed and the will of the people was not stolen by po-

litical fraudsters.

The high commissioner expressed her government’s willingness to continue to partner with Guyana in pursuing its development agenda.

She explained that they are several current projects from which the Legal Affairs Ministry can continue to benefit, including the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean in Guyana, Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening in the Caribbean in Guyana and Access to Justice for the Indigenous Peoples in Guyana.

These projects fund and assist in multiple initiatives in the justice sector, including provision of funding for training, law books and a host of equipment, as well as assistance in the legislative sector.

The attorney general outlined that some of his immediate as well as long-term plans for the legal sector include updating of the Guyana law reports; law revision; law reform; promulgation of a series of legislation;

reviewing and reforming the electoral statutes; constitutional reform and various other initiatives.

An officer of the Legal Affairs Ministry will be appointed to liaise with the High Commission as the two agencies continue to collaborate on the various initiatives, which will be pursued.

Meanwhile, on a recent programme of “Issues in the News,” on his weekly live Facebook programme, Nandlall said “the government has committed to looking at the Representation of the People Act (RPA) and other pieces of legislation to reform them to cover all the loopholes that have been exploited by the political fraudsters after the elections.”

Among the proposed reforms, the AG said, is ensuring that Statements of Poll (SoPs) are published by the respective political parties on a website and made public within hours of receipt.

Efforts will also be made to ensure that oversight mechanisms are in place

to scrutinise the work of Returning Officers (RO), thereby guarding against the declaration of false results by rogue officers.

The proposals also include a system where employment procedures and practices are used to ensure that the best candidates are selected to work at elections and to also have fixed qualifications, character references and testimonials for those officials.

It is also seeking to ensure that there is a severe penalties for electoral offences that will deter any official from wrongdoing during the elections.

“All these matters are under review by my ministry and I need as much technical assistance that I can get and Canada has rendered significant support to our electoral process over the past few years. The high commissioner indicated her government’s commitment to assist us in that regard,” AG Nandlall said.

Canada was very vocal during Guyana’s electoral dispute, joining with other western countries in condemning the former APNU+AFC administration for attempting to derail the country’s democracy.

The former government was accused of holding on to power when it was clear that it had lost the elections.

Several high-level Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials have since been charged.

Mining tunnels destroyed in South Rupununi

A MASSIVE tunnel mining operation in the New River Basin some 50 miles east of Masakanari (Guns Village), South Rupununi, was discovered by the Joint Service, in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), earlier this week.

According to the GDF, the team located the camp and discovered three tunnels, one of which was abandoned while two were deemed active.

The team also discovered several pieces of equipment, including a satellite dish,

but no one was found at the camp.

Due to the remoteness of the location, seizure of the equipment was not feasible, so they were subsequently destroyed.

Investigators believe that the persons who were conducting mining operations might have been utilising an illegal airstrip in Brazil, located some two miles south of the Guyana/Brazil border.

The New River Basin is designated a Rare Earth Mineral Reserve, and, as such, mining is strictly prohibited in the area.

A soldier stands at the entrance to one of the tunnels

Dharmic Sabha urges worshipping at home during Navratri

Mother Durga who is worshipped on the first three days of the Navratri festival

THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) is encouraging Hindus throughout Guyana to offer prayers at their homes during the Navratri period due to the rising cases of COVID-19.

Navratri begins on Saturday, October 17, 2020.

GHDS President Dr. Vindhya Persaud is also encouraging pandits to conduct online or virtual satsangh so that persons can view and still observe the festival.

During the nine nights, the GHDS will be bringing the mandir to homes through chants, bhajans, kirtan, and online Satsangh on its Facebook page.

“We know that the Hindu community looks forward to this sacred period for collective worship or Satsangh, but COVID-19 threatens health and life; it is important for everyone to do everything possible to reduce their risk of exposure to this dreaded disease,” Dr. Persaud said.

She is, however, advising mandirs to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines as the Sabha is

deeply concerned about the increase in the number of positive cases in the country.

The Sabha is therefore recommending that persons wear masks at all times when entering mandirs; must have handwashing facilities or sanitisers available; persons should stay six feet apart; bhojan (food) to be served in boxes and avoid congregation and eating on premises.

The Sabha members are also encouraging the elder persons, especially those suffering from chronic illnesses and immunosuppression states to observe the period at home.

Mandirs should also consider remaining open for longer periods each day to allow individual worship in a phased manner.

Navratri is the period when the feminine aspect of Goddess Lakshmi, Swarswattie, and Durga Mata is worshipped. Durga Mata removes all negativity and darkness, while Lakshmi Mata replenishes light and Swarswattie bestows wisdom and knowledge.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

New rapid antigen tests could transform COVID-19 response in Americas THE new affordable, reliable antigen diagnostic tests recently approved by WHO that can be performed anywhere are set to transform the Region’s COVID-19 response by allowing health workers to carry out accurate, rapid testing, even in remote communities, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Carissa F Etienne, said on Thursday.

Unlike previous rapid antibody tests, which can show when someone has had COVID-19 but often give a negative result during the early stages of infection, the new rapid antigen tests are much more accurate in determining if someone is currently infected.

“By providing results quickly, the new test empowers frontline health workers to better manage cases by isolating patients to prevent further spread and to begin treatment immediately,” Etienne said in a press briefing.

“If distributed widely, this new test will transform our COVID-19 response.”

Etienne said the diagnostic tests will be particularly useful in hard-to-reach areas without easy access to a laboratory, which have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.

“Today, PAHO can provide access to hundreds of thousands of these tests via PAHO’s Strategic Fund, with millions more expected in the coming weeks,” said Etienne.

The Strategic Fund is a regional technical cooperation mechanism for pooled procurement of essential medicines and supplies and is a central component of PAHO’s strategy to move towards Universal Health.

A pilot study is also currently being conducted

by PAHO in Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Suriname. “With support from WHO, we will be providing these diagnostic tests free of cost as we keep a close eye on how they’re used. The data collected via this study will help countries within and outside of our Region make the most of these new diagnostics,” Etienne said.

In the meantime, PAHO has also begun helping coun-

PAHO Director, Carissa F Etienne

tries implement new testing protocols so that health workers know how to use the new diagnostics and report their results.

TAKE TO HOSPITALS, CLINICS The PAHO director urged countries to “bring these new tests to the hospitals and health clinics on the frontlines of our fight against the virus. But it’s important to remember that no single innovation is a panacea,” she said.

More than 18 million COVID-19 cases and more than 590,000 deaths have been reported and “the state of the pandemic in the Americas remains complex,” Etienne said.

Canada is facing a second wave, cases in Argentina continue to accelerate, the Caribbean is seeing a high number of cases, and in many countries, the pandemic has also moved to less populated areas, she noted.

“Since the pandemic began more than nine months ago, we have known that to beat this virus, we must transform our public health response. We need public health measures to prevent community transmission; fast, accurate and affordable diagnostic tests to determine when someone has been infected with COVID-19; new medicines to help COVID-19 patients get better and, ultimately, a safe and effective vaccine,” Etienne said.

PCR diagnostic tests, which are highly accurate and must be conducted in

lab settings remain the gold standard for testing, but delays in getting results mean that people run the risk of infecting others while they await results, she noted.

“The new tests will enable primary healthcare workers, whether they’re working in the middle of the Amazon, or in an urban centre, to diagnose and care for patients immediately, stopping further infections in their tracks. And that is the gamechanger,” Etienne said.

She added that, “it remains critical to stay the course in every aspect of our COVID-19 response.

We must continue to adhere to public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus. We must continue to test and isolate cases and trace their contacts to prevent new infections. And we must continue to let data underpin our actions to prevent any new cases from spreading out of control.”

Innovations must reach the people who need them most, and “To capitalise on the power of this new diagnostic, countries must make them available and accessible to everyone – regardless of who they are or where they live – to bring us closer to our promise for health for all,” Etienne said. The tests form part of the WHO Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to develop, procure and distribute critical new tools to fight the pandemic.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Use your knowledge to serve humanity –– Minister Manickchand urges Texila graduates

EDUCATION Minister, Priya Manickchand, on Tuesday, told graduates of the Texila American University that their roles are critical in advancing the healthcare system in Guyana and the rest of the world, at a time when faced with unprecedented challenges.

Minister Manickchand was the Chief Guest in the virtual event and delivered the Commencement Address.

She issued to the local and international graduates a call to serve. She said the world has clear needs for the skills and knowledge that they have acquired and will benefit immensely from their respective contributions.

Recognising that 94 per cent of the graduates today completed programmes in the medical field, Minister Manickchand said they have chosen a career path in an area with tremendous inherent value and one which is intricately tied to the development locally and abroad.

The graduates were told that they have an implicit duty to share their talents freely and widely for the benefit of Guyana and, by extension, all humanity.

“In your respective practices, our nation and the rest

of the world will be looking to you to execute your duties with a true sense of civic duty and conscientiousness.

In essence, your work, your service, your impact has deep patriotic significance.

I, therefore, extend to you the challenge of taking up your responsibilities with confidence and commitment to changing lives for the better,” the education minister remarked.

Moreover, Minister Manickchand said Guyana is on a significant developmental trajectory. She said to the graduates that if they can appreciate the Guyana that will unfold over the next decade, they will be highly motivated to take their rightful place within its structures.

According to the education minister, the graduates will be the persons that will be charged with innovating and transforming the global landscape and enabling the realisation of Guyana’s longstanding potential.

“As such, your futures are bright and will be highly rewarding on a number of levels. As I look out at you, I do so highly optimistic, encouraged and prideful,” she said.

Despite the university being relatively new to the ed-

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

ucational landscape in Guyana, Minister Manickchand noted that it continues to expand its scope and advance its agenda which she said should be applauded.

She said that the Government of Guyana is committed to supporting all efforts aimed at expanding the range and quality of educational experiences accessible in Guyana.

Further, Minister Man-

ickchand said that all stakeholders are encouraged to recognise the tremendous potential existing within various education-based areas and to take full advantage of the opportunities that continue to emerge.

She said that as Guyana develops, it is expected that its institutional arrangements will progress at an equal pace. Minister Manickchand noted that the Ministry of

Education is committed to creating and supporting the enabling environment for the transformation of the sector.

A total of 47 students graduated from the College of Medicine; three students from the College of Nursing; 21 students graduated with a Bachelor’s of Nursing in Science; 10 students graduated with a Bachelor’s of Public Health and six students graduated with a Master’s in

Business Administration.

At her office today, Minister Manickchand was presented with a plaque and a token of appreciation for being this year’s Chief Guest and delivering the Commencement Address.

This presentation was done

by Sreebalakumar, Director for Recruitment and Public Relations at the Texila American University.

Guyana, Suriname to launch ‘strategic dialogue and cooperation platform’ in November

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd and Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation Minister of the Republic of Suriname, Albert Ramdin

GUYANA and Suriname will be launching a Strategic Dialogue and Co-operation Platform in November, which is aimed at strengthening relations between the neighbours in tangible ways.

This was disclosed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, as he welcomed Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation of the Republic of Suriname, Albert Ramdin and his delegation to Guyana.

Minister Todd said the meeting with Ramdin was focused “on reviewing the various initiatives under the cooperation programmes and proposals for the implementation of these and other initiatives under the new strategic dialogue and cooperation platform which we will launch in Suriname next month”.

Minister Todd highlighted that Guyana is pleased there is already significant movements on the placement of the bridge across the Corentyne River. With the landing sites for the bridge already located, Minister Todd said Presidents Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Chandrikapersad Santokhi will sign the agreement soon.

“I hope we can sustain momentum not only on this project but on all other agreed areas of cooperation,” he stated.

He added: “A new chapter has developed between Guyana and Suriname and I am eager to work with you to advance the goal which we both share to develop greater synergies in the relationship and to strengthen the cooperation of a lasting friendship.”

Meanwhile, Minister Ramdin said the sentiments are long overdue for working

together as there is no other option in fostering a peaceful relationship between neighbouring countries.

He added that the government of Suriname was “committed to strengthening the ties and seek for common goals to pursue mutually in the regional and global forum and I believe there is much to be done in that scope”.

During the Surinamese President’s August visit, President Ali had said they discussed co-operation on the management of the natural resources sector, local content policy in the oil and gas sector, the sharing of information on issues of security, use of technology, and joint radar surveillance of the border shared by the two countries and other matters. (DPI)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

COVID-19 cash grant taken to Region 8

By Naomi Parris RESIDENTS of the Potaro-Siparuni region are the latest beneficiaries of the Government of Guyana’s $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant initiative.

Some 127 households in Micobie, Lower Potaro River, and 210 households in Kurukabaru, a remote village located in Pakaraima Mountain, received their cash grants over the weekend.

The Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, who also has parliamentary responsibility for Region Eight, was a part of the team conducting the distribution exercise in the areas.

The minister, in her address to the residents who gathered to uplift their cash grants, said that the initiative, which was announced

by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali last month, is aimed at providing much-needed assistance to ease the woes and financial constraints many have been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister Sukhai clarified that while many are of the opinion that the grant is not sufficient, persons must understand that the

Minister Sukhai interacting with the agents conducting the distribution exercise in Micobie

Minister Sukhai officially hands over the grant to a resident of Micobie

A resident of Micobie who received his cash grant during the exercise

Minister Sukhai engaging the residents of Kurukabaru

Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is merely two months old and was still able to provide both financial and other assistance to residents.

“The cash grant is one per household because as you know we have the entire country to look after. We know that some families are big and in some cases, more

than one family is living in a household; however, where this situation exists we will make note of it so that it can be taken into consideration in the future,” Minister Sukhai said.

She noted that the Government has been working tirelessly over the last two months to ensure the citizens, especially those

residing in the hinterland regions, have access to resources that will limit their movements to other villages and neighbouring countries.

When the administration took office in August, it immediately distributed food hampers to all the families in Kurukabaru and surrounding villages, Kanapang and Itabac, and Paramakatoi.

The minister also took the opportunity to provide some tips on how the residents can protect themselves and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“The Government’s message is for all of the people to be safe. We are asking the village councils and the villagers to adhere to the protocols and guidelines. COVID-19 is real and it kills,” she said.

Credit unions’ assets stand at $8.4B –– $5.5B in shares; $4.8 B in loans and $1.4 M in reserves PRAISING credit unions for exemplifying the values of thrift, self-sufficiency, and volunteer leadership, Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, has underscored the important role of credit unions to Guyana, in a message to mark International Credit Union Day on Thursday.

Celebrated annually on the third Thursday of October, International Credit Union Day has been observed since 1948. This year the event is being celebrated under the theme “Inspiring Hope for a Global Community”.

“Credit unions proudly stand as solid global financial institutions aimed at improving the lives of its members by providing prudent savings and loan facilities, awards to members’ children and donations to the vulnera-

ble,” the minister said.

In commemoration of the day, credit union members throughout the world are called on to take the opportunity to reflect on the movement’s history, celebrate and promote its achievements; honour those who have dedicated their lives in service to the growth and development of the movement; and recognise the hard work of its many workers and volunteers.

“Many people would not have been able to afford their own homes, vehicles, start new businesses or attend school without the help of their credit unions. In some areas of the world, people would have no access to financial services without being a member of a credit union. Looking beyond our local community helps us to recognise credit unions for

the important role they play in many distressed urban and rural areas worldwide,” Minister Hamilton shared.

Credit unions were established in the 1860s, as not-for-profit financial co-operatives, providing members with an effective and viable alternative to for-profit financial institutions, whereby members are able to save and qualify for attractive loan offers, with little to no interest.

Globally, over 85, 000 credit unions exist, accounting for more than 274 million members across 118 countries, and providing a plethora of financial services for their members. They are recognised as a force for positive economic and social change.

In Guyana, credit unions membership have grown to over 33,000 members cur-

rently with assets standing at $8.4 billion, of which $5.5 billion are in shares; $4.8 billion are in loans and $1.4 million in reserves.

Guyana credit union membership is drawn from organisations and communities.

Guyana is a member of the Caribbean and International level of Credit Unions Assembly.

“Today, Guyana joins with the world to extend warmest and heartfelt wishes on this International Credit Union Day 2020; as we reflect on the work and positive contribution of Credit Unions throughout the world, in the Caribbean and here in Guyana. In the spirit of this day, looking beyond our local community helps us to recognise credit unions for the important role they play in many distressed ur-

Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton

ban and rural areas worldwide,” Hamilton said.

Minister Hamilton highlighted that with 2020 seeing the world being ravaged by economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the credit unions played an even more significant role remaining resilient against the commercial banks and other

lending institutions, which made it hard for persons to access loans at reasonable interest rates. “[They] generously [provide] a high-level of service to their members and demonstrated generosity to their local communities throughout this year's COVID-19 crisis; it has set them apart from other financial institutions.

Hence, credit unions are truly inspiring hope for a global credit union community,” the minister said.

“Today is a celebration of the impact credit unions have made and continue to make for their members.

It is also a chance to be thankful for the lives and communities that have been improved by the movement.

As Guyanese, we are happy to be a part of the celebration for the contribution made by the movement.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Guyana’s ‘Safe Lodges Equal Safe Guests’ proposal gets IDB greenlight THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is pleased to announce that eight proposals were selected for project design under the Beyond Tourism Challenge.

The applications were from Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guyana, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Beyond Tourism Challenge was launched last June and closed for applicants on July 31st, seeking to stimulate reimagining the sector post-COVID, while embracing digital transformation. The challenge looked to identify innovations in two categories: development of the tourism workforce, in need of acquiring new digital skills for the recovery phase post-COVID-19; and environmental sustainability, to implement clean technologies and circular economy models, climate-smart agricultural practices, and protection of natural habitats.

The challenge attracted public and private sector

candidates from around the world to implement projects in the 15 target countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Two hundred fourteen applications were submitted from organisations in 28 countries, with proposals ranging from waste management and safety protocols to preservation of natural capital and eco-tourism. Evaluation criteria included the degree of innovation, the degree of social and environmental impact, its scalability potential, financial sustainability, and viability of execution. An internal due diligence process to evaluate the capacity of the applicant entities was conducted by IDB Group specialists, and the UNWTO also provided its technical expertise during the evaluation process.

Selected applicants will initiate project design towards being considered for IDB Lab financing to pilot their innovative models in the eight mentioned countries. These selected appli-

cants will become part of IDB Group’s network of global innovators working in the region to reinvent the tourism industry and support its recovery efforts.

The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the Region.

IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, the leading source of development finance and know-how for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The purpose of IDB Lab is to drive innovation for inclusion in the Region, by mobilising financing, knowledge, and connections to co-create solutions capable of transforming the lives of vulnerable populations affected by economic, social or environmental factors.

Below are brief descriptions of the selected proposals: Barbados – “Better Batteries” an energy-as-a-service model to accelerate the hotel

industry´s access to renewable energy, utilising a battery storage solution with an IoT framework enabling external control and data analytics.

Applicant: Aceleron

Belize – “Belizing Tourism Innovation Lab” a virtual marketplace to enhance workforce development with an artificial intelligence-driven recommendation engine.

Applicant: Lets Go Belizing Ltd.

Costa Rica – “INTO Experiential Camps & Lodges” a platform to bring together

social ecotourism with land and marine conservation towards regenerative interaction with nature and oneself.

Applicant: INTO Hospitality S.A.

Dominican Republic – “Green Fins Hub - Digital scaling for sustainable marine tourism” the first-of-its-kind online platform to empower marine tourism businesses to measurably improve compliance with internationally recognised environmental standards, safeguard biodiversity, and stimulate green tourism.

Applicants: The Reef-World Foundation and Reef Check Dominican Republic

Guyana - “Safe Lodges Equal Safe Guests” supports the design and roll out of health

and safety protocols for visitors and host communities, a mobile tracing and tracking system, and upskilling of tourism operators to allow for a safe reopening of ecotourism in Guyana’s magnificent Northern Rupununi Region.

Applicants: DAI Global LLC, Guyana Tourism Authority and Wilderness Explorers

Haiti – “Caribbean Tourism Career Accelerator” a virtual program using automation,

artificial intelligence, and connectivity tools to fast-track tourism workforce career development with targeted training, coaching, and remote internship placement.

Applicants: Global Startup Foundation and Cocread

Panama – “Digital Transformation of Indigenous-Led Ecotourism and Conserva-

tion” a model to foster a safe and sustainable return to eco-tourism operations by local communities employing cutting-edge technologies to bridge access to global travellers.

Applicants: Keteka, Global Brigades and Native Future

Trinidad and Tobago – “Creating a community-driven, sustainable cluster

and brand to transform ecotourism in Nariva Swamp,” will employ a community-led conservation model using participatory Geographic Information Systems and citizen science to develop Nariva as an eco-tourism attraction serviced by local entrepreneurs and benefitting local communities.

Applicant: Caribbean Natural Resources Institute

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Frontline workers first to get COVID-19 vaccine HEALTH Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said the government will ensure its frontline workers are first to benefit from the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

Currently, the ministry is in discussion with several countries which are actively pursuing a vaccine.

“We have had initial discussions with the Government of India. Through those discussions we know that India will be working to produce at least one billion doses of vaccines for some

time early next year. Once the trial goes through to the phase three trial, that shows it is working, then they [India] will produce one billion doses of vaccines,” Minister Anthony said during Thursday’s COVID-19 update.

Discussions were also held with Argentina. That country is working on producing 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, some of which will be made available to countries in South America.

In early September, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

and Argentina’s President, Alberto Fernandez, had discussed regional collaboration and support in the fight against COVID-19.

Since then, Minister Anthony has held follow-up meetings with both the Argentine Health Minister and that country’s Ambassador to Guyana.

“So we will see how those discussions progress. We have also had discussions with the Ambassador here from Russia and as you know, they have one vaccine that right now is in clinical trials in Russia. So,

we will see what comes out of the clinical trials and whether we can be able to utilise such vaccines here,” the minister said.

Additionally, Minister Anthony said Guyana can utilise the COVAX Facility for payment. The facility is a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure eventual COVID-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need.

“They realise that many countries around the world might not be able to pay for these vaccines, so they have

created a financial mechanism where they will work with researchers trying to discover these vaccines, take it through the phase three trial and then work with manufacturers.

We have been assured that whatever the cost of the vaccines, through COVAX, that GAVI will cover a substantial portion of those cost for Guyana,” the minister said.

GAVI is a global vaccine alliance which brings together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for

children living in the world's poorest countries. GAVI’s support usually goes to the world's poorest countries, based on national income.

In 2011, Guyana was among four countries in the Americas which began the process of graduating out of GAVI when its gross national income surpassed US$1,500 per capita, the threshold for GAVI eligibility. However, support for immunisation programmes continued as the country remained eligible for GAVI support. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

COVID-19 massively impacts local poultry production

–– poultry association president PRESIDENT of the Guyana Poultry Association, Patrick DeGroot, has reported that the current COVID-19 epidemic has had a devastating impact on the industry.

“With regard to COVID-19, the pandemic has made things very difficult for the industry this year.

On March 11, when the first person died and the country was put on lock down, we saw an almost 60 per cent reduction in the demand for chicken and that put a severe burden on the producers. A lot of small farmers who had no alterative option for storage of the finished product and had to keep the birds on the ground for as long as 14 weeks. I think a lot of farmers who had bills to pay at the banks and IPED were really affected. The pandemic also affected the laying industry.

As a result, the industry had to cut production significant-

association.

“I know that the pandemic has not only affected the poultry association, but the entire industry and economy. Apart from that, over the years, the economy has been contracting steadily due to some of the harsh measures that were put in place by the previous administration. That is why with the last budget

President of the Guyana Poultry Association, Patrick DeGroot

ly, as much as 50 per cent,” DeGroot said to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha in a virtual meeting.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha stated that the issues raised can be resolved through collaboration between the ministry and the

Deputy CANU head sent on leave DEPUTY Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Lesley Ramlall, was, on Wednesday, sent on his outstanding leave which will carry him up to the expiration of his contract which may not be renewed, CANU sources confirmed.

Ramlall was instrumental in the expansion of CANU which now affords the unit a presence across the coastline as well as interior locations.

During his tenure, Guyana has seen significant reduction in the flow of narcotics in and out of Guyana.

CANU was also able to develop greater relations with regional and international partners which also led to the arrest of a major trafficker from Guyana.

More than three years after he was removed from office, James Singh has returned as the Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

In June 2017, Singh was officially notified of his removal from the post which had resulted from recommendations made by former President David Granger as well as a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) conducted into the unit’s role in the interception and subsequent release of a cocaine-laden vessel.

On February 16, 2017, four Guyanese men were intercepted by members of the US and Trinidad and

CANU Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall

Tobago coastguards in a boat in international waters, about 70 nautical miles north of Suriname, with over four tonnes of cocaine, estimated to be worth a street value of over US$71.7M aboard the vessel.

Singh was subsequently asked to proceed on accumulated leave and on March 31, 2017, a CoI was set up to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of the territory of Guyana.

However, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn has defended the rehiring of Singh whom he found to be “very professional”.

government has ensured that we reverse some of those measures so that those burdens can be eased. I think we can work together and rest assured that better is in store for the association and the sector. Critical industries are reopening, so sectors like the poultry production sector will once again be able to increase their production.

The health of the population remains a top priority for government, but we have to ensure that the productive sectors are able to operate,”

Minister Mustapha said.

Another issues raised was that of the smuggling of chicken from Suriname.

The subject minister stated that in the last few years, there has been a noticeable increase in such activities.

“I am optimistic that we can deal with this issue. I will be having discussions with the Guyana Revenue Authority shortly, and I will also engage the new commander in Berbice. I am confident that he will be able to increase the security in that area, espe-

cially the ‘back-track’ route used to smuggle these items.

Hopefully, we can minimise it and, eventually, stop it,” the minister said.

Minister Mustapha also disclosed that he will be writing the association shortly to have representatives sit on the Board of Directors for the Guyana Livestock Development Authority. This, he added, will assist with the crafting of decisions and policies of the board.

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Land-grabbing at Queenstown Trio finds 80-year sentence ‘too harsh’, even for murder a great concern –– moves to court to have ruling overturned –– Region Two administration launches investigation

LAND-GRABBING at Queenstown, Region Two, is a great concern for the Regional Democratic Council and an investigation will be launched into the illegal practice.

The concern was raised

by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor, Mark McLean, who said that persons were building fences on private lands at Han-andAurick.

Regional Vice-Chairman, Humace Odit, said the land at Han-an-Aurick was purchased from an attorney-at- law and the lands that are being fenced are private lands.

However, as it relates to persons occupying lands at Queenstown back lands, the Regional Vice- Chairman said he checked with Guyana Lands and Survey Department but was unable to reach the Lands and Survey officer in the region.

Odit said persons are clearing and occupying a portion of lands in the back

THREE men, who are currently serving 80 years each for the 2012 murder of gold miner Glen Xavier, have now moved to the Appeal Court to have their conviction and sentence overturned.

Back in 2017, a 12-member jury had unanimously found Fizal Moore, called ‘Hard Mouth’; Stephan Campbell, called ‘Burnham’; and Roy Yokum, called ‘Ray Ray’, guilty of murdering Xavier, while he and a ‘buddy’ of his, Orin John, were

having a few drinks at the popular Cornbread Minimart, on D’Urban Street, Werk-enRust on May 8, 2012.

Their motive was robbery, and the modus operandi was to ride up to Xavier and John on their CG motorcycles, and at gunpoint, demand that they hand over both money and jewellery.

And so as to ensure that they complied and did not put up a fight, the trio shot their quarry before making good their escape.

The sentences were hand-

ed down by Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court, but now the trio is contending that he had erred in law, and as such, neither sentencing nor conviction can stand.

While Xavier, 32 at the time, was shot in the abdomen and subsequently lost his life, his ‘pardner’, John, then 48, survived the bullet he took in the shoulder after spending a few weeks in the hospital.

Regional Vice Chairman, Humace Odit

lands of Queenstown and some had already paid money and are saying that it is their ancestral lands.

However, the Regional Democratic Council has no knowledge about such

practice and will be engaging the region’s Lands and Survey office to acquire relevant information. Efforts to contact the lands of survey officer in Region Two proved futile.

Stephan Campbell, called ‘Burnham’

Fizal Moore, called ‘Hard Mouth’

Roy Yokum, called ‘Ray-Ray’

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‘Villagers must be allowed to mine in their village’ – Minister Sukhai

By Naomi Parris FOR far too long indigenous peoples have been in battles to claim lands that are rightfully theirs, and it is now time for that war to come to an end so villagers can utilise what is theirs.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, said Amerindians must be allowed to mine on their village lands.

The minister echoed these comments at a recent meeting held with several residents and officers from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in the Campbelltown Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight),

where they have been battling for their right to utilise their own lands to carry out works and mining activity to provide for their families.

“For too long, poor Amerindian livelihood has been put at risk by unscrupulous people in and around the country, and we are not, under the PPP/C Government going to tolerate it,” she said.

She further stated that the permission to mine on those lands comes from the people of the communities themselves; as such, no one is authorised to remove them from said lands.

“In an Amerindian village, only the villagers approve mining, and the

Village Councils take that approval, formulate it into an agreement and then enact the agreement.”

The minister added that the Village Council makes the agreement on behalf of the people and such is facilitated by the GGMC. However, according to the residents, the toshao had made the decision unilaterally.

The villagers had several complaints against the toshao with the most pressing being her decision to stop them from “hustling”.

“Unilaterally she is making decisions and she is putting out all her villagers from earning… this matter has to be done correctly so… the suggestion and the recommendation coming from

Minister Sukhai meeting with residents of Campbelltown, Region Eight

me as a minister, who is not the minister of mining but the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, in the interest of the villagers, GGMC must put a hold on mining now,” Minister Sukhai said in response to the villagers’ complaints.

She noted that the mining activities will not be put on hold indefinitely; just until the villagers and their leader resolve the issue in the best interest of the people. Minister Sukhai added that GGMC’s role would be to facilitate the process for external miners and dredge owners applying for permits to mine.

Minister Sukhai also urged the GGMC officers to acquaint themselves with the Amerindian Act. “GGMC is overseeing a situation which

Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai

is totally flawed and they are taking instructions from the leader and the toshao, based on a flawed system which they themselves have not been party to and this is what we got to guard against,” the minister stated.

Meanwhile, the minister

noted too that the reputation of the mining officers in the region was the “least to be desired”.

The minister said she will have discussions with the Natural Resources Minister about the issue.

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guyana CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Stephen lights her way to Miss Caricom title

By Vishani Ragobeer

E

derle Kimberly Stephen put in the legwork and was duly rewarded by capturing the Miss Caricom title last Saturday.

The 21-year-old told the Buzz that the virtual organisation of this year’s pageant was certainly different from what was the ‘norm’.

There was no live audience to gauge how much you were favoured and no judges were scrutinising your every action. Instead, she said, it was “uncomfortable” just speaking to her phone.

Well, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for the unorthodox engagement. But, for the Guyanese girl, she was focused on the universal stage mantra: “The show must go on!”

She relied on the feedback she received throughout the various segments of the competition, to improve herself as she progressed. In the end, she was able to edge past her sisters from the other Caribbean nations.

“I know it sounds cheesy and it may seem a little boastful… but the only reason that Ederle Kimberly Stephen once you prepare adequateI stood out is because I felt like I gave it ly, a great outcome can be 110 percent, I gave it more expected, she contended. than what it required,” she Her acceptance that she placed her best foot forposited.

That is also what she ward is part of her journey encourages anyone to do; with self-appreciation and self-love.

Ederle is not oblivious to the massive support she received, which propelled her through the competition and kept her grounded. Her pageant-renowned local designer Randy Madray, photographer Anthony Indar (who she says defines efficiency) and choreographer of her talent piece, Kelton Jennings were all instrumental. Her family’s support was also key.

The final segment of the pageant was held on Saturday. Afterwards, while Ederle had her Livestream setup ready, she was joined by the man who had initially encouraged her to take part in the pageant.

“Then when my name was called (announcing that she had won) and he started to pull out the stuff from his suit bag, I was like OH MY GOD,” she recalled, smiling through her words.

It was known beforehand that she would have won, and he was there to crown and adorn her with the “Miss Caricom 2020” sash.

She reflected, “It was a nice experience even though it was online, you could see that the organisation put a

Miss Caricom 2020, Ederle Stephen

See page 25

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Singing at the House of Pearson Fashion show earlier this year

Tiffani Bonner set to release first Reggae song

By Telesha Ramnarine LOCAL singer/songwriter Tiffani Bonner will soon be releasing her first Reggae song with a title that she is

still to decide on.

The lyrics were drawn from inspiration she received during a four-year relationship that ended recently.

The 22-year-old, who is also a model, entrepreneur

and painter, said the breakup has been hard on her, but that she has learnt to embrace all of the feelings associated with it and is pressing on.

“You have to accept the feelings and emotions that come with love, whether it’s good or bad, happy or sad, because it’s a roller coaster and you have to go with the vibe and try your best.”

In the song, Bonner said she chose to focus on the good times in the relationship. “The song expresses that sometimes love, we really don’t know what can happen; we go all in without knowing what to expect.

And sometimes your heart gets broken and that’s ok but you just gotta keep going and keep your head up high; just continue to be you and have faith in God that it’s going to work out.”

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Bonner has managed to cop two pageant titles so far.

She especially loves the entertainment field because it allows her to express her thoughts and feelings.

“I find this is the most expressive field of work.

You can be yourself withSee page 25

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guyana CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Saint Jhn performs onstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on Oct. 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

SAINt JHN ignites 2020 Billboard Music Awards

SAINt JHN owned the stage on Wednesday evening with the performance of his hit single ‘Roses’ at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

The 34-year-old, Guyanese-bred singer, cranked up the intensity, removed his jacket and began hopping around on stage to the beat of his song.

The animated hyphenate proved why he ruled the EDM charts all summer with an electric rendition of his smash hit.

The rapper initially produced the song in July of 2016, before later including it in his 2018 album Collection One. It was then remixed by Kazakh producer Imanbek and released as a single on September 18, 2019. The remix of the song is higher pitched and helped the song gain international recognition after it was featured on a Snapchat filter and on video-sharing app TikTok where it received over 4.5 billion plays in the month of April 2020.

"I didn't know that it was going to be the biggest song in the world," Jhn told Billboard in May. "I thought [the original] 'Roses' was the biggest song in the world in 2015. I still believe that. I didn't know this was the mechanism or catalyst for this to be exactly what I thought it was going to be."

After an impressive run with "Roses" on the Hot 100, JHN is looking to catch fire with his latest single, "Gorgeous." Released last week, "Gorgeous" serves as a celebratory tune for the Brooklyn star's triumphant run in 2020. (Experts from Billboard.com)

Saint Jhn at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards

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guyana CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Health Ministry launches jingle competition for mental health awareness IN an effort to equip adolescents with much-needed information on mental health issues, the Ministry of Health has announced the launch of a jingle competition.

The Adolescent Health Unit teamed up with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to organise the event and the agencies are inviting youths from all parts of the country to enter.

The competition is a part of the ‘Rise Up Challenge’ which is geared towards ensuring that young people across Guyana are equipped with the information needed to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

The jingle must have as its topic mental health, and it is opened to adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19.

According to the entry guidelines, the jingle must be an original composition, must include the phrase “Rise up to the Challenge,” and must be between 30 to 60 seconds long.

Those entering are required to record the jingle in MP3 format, submit a copy along with the lyrics to adolescenthealth.moph@gmail. com or on the ministry’s

Facebook messenger AdolescentHealthProgramme. The entrant’s profile must also be submitted.

The deadline for submission is October 30, 2020.

out sometimes people actually knowing that that’s what you’re doing. Writing music, for example, you can write a song and people would never know if it’s about you or not. I think that’s the beauty of this industry.”

Bonner has been singing and modelling for as long as she can remember and has videos from since she was seven. “I absolutely love music. Music is my dream,

music is my goal. Anything in the arts basically; that’s me!”

She has won the titles of the ‘Miss Summer Blaze 2012’ and ‘Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageants. “The first one boosted my confidence and made me enter the second competition. I copped both titles, and I was a quarter finalist for the Miss World 2020, which was postponed due to COVID-19. That was a lovely experience and I

would do it all over again if I can. I hope the world gets better soon and we can heal from this.”

Bonner has observed that Guyana has lots of talent and that Guyanese should be more supportive. “I hope people will come around and be more appreciative of what we have right here in our country and just push our own people.”

She plans to pursue studies in Social Psychology

See page 22 lot of thought into it.”

Ederle is hoping to use her Miss Caricom title to catapult herself into more local and international pageants. The opportunity to express herself and inspire others has been a humbling one, and well, the feedback

she has received thus far has encouraged her all the more. Aside from pageantry, the ‘Queen’ emphasised that she will focus on finishing her medical studies.

According to her, “School comes first.”

“She is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the pageant arena and I think

this is her first step towards making an impact within the industry for Guyana,” Ederle’s Coach and Designer Randy Madray opined.

He also made special note of her patriotism and humility, qualities which helped her to stand out in the competition.

Tiffani Bonner set...

See page 22

Stephen lights her ...

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Portugal as impressive as ever, with or without Ronaldo

By Brian Homewood (REUTERS) - With or without Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal remain one of the most impressive teams in Europe as they showed once again with their 3-0 Nations League win over Sweden on Wednesday.

Sweden have made a habit of knocking teams such as Portugal out of their stride with their aggressive, physical style but the European champions refused to be bullied, even without their talismanic all-time record scorer.

The 35-year-old was ruled out of the match on Tuesday after testing pos-

Portugal’s Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates (Reuters) itive for COVID-19 and flew back to Italy, where he plays for Juventus, before Wednesday’s game to sit out at least 10 days in quarantine.

Ronaldo also missed the match at home to Croatia last month due to a toe infection -- but Portugal also won that one 4-1.

In fact, there have often been murmurs that Portugal look a better, more coherent side without Ronaldo, whose presence can be overbearing for younger players.

Two years ago, he sat out of the Nations League qualifying stage altogeth-

er to concentrate on his club football and Portugal cruised through their group without losing.

When he returned for the Final Four last year, Portugal won that as well, with Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick in their 3-1 semi-final win over Switzerland.

With a seemingly endless production line churning out talented players and a wily, down-to-earth coach in Fernando Santos, Portugal are always going to be a threat.

“Portugal have played well (without Ronaldo) plenty of times already,” said Santos who, has lost

only three competitive games since taking over six years ago.

“We are certainly not better without him, but the team still have the capability, quality and strategy to face any opponents.”

On Wednesday, it was Diogo Jota’s turn to shine.

Selected as Ronaldo’s replacement, the 23-year-old set up the first goal for Bernardo Silva and scored the other goals himself.

But Portugal were impressive all-round. Rui Patricio was unflappable in goal and the central defensive pairing of Pepe and Ruben Dias also looked solid.

Best of all, maybe, was the midfield pairing of Danilo and the remarkably dependable William Carvalho, who is back in the team after a series of nagging injuries.

“We managed to make things easier for ourselves,” said Angola-born Carvalho.

“It wasn’t in response to Ronaldo’s absence - he’s the best player in the world and his absence is always felt. But we performed well without Cristiano and that was our aim.”

London Marathon 2017 winner Wanjiru banned for doping until 2023 KENYA’s Daniel Wanjiru, winner of the 2017 London Marathon, has been banned from athletics until 2023 for doping.

Wanjiru was provisionally suspended in April but denied taking a prohibited substance and requested a tribunal.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has now confirmed the 28-year-old’s ban, in place until 8 December 2023.

Details published by the AIU state Wanjiru returned a sample showing levels of red blood cells which had no “physiological explanation”.

He was tested 16 times between April 2017 and 2019. In his 14th test - on 9 March 2019 - he showed elevated levels of haemoglobin concentration.

JFF expresses sorrow at the death of ABFA Technical Director Ralston Williams THE Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has expressed its condolences to the players, administrators of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) at the passing of Technical Director Ralston ‘Debu’ Williams.

Williams, 55, was the Technical Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) since 2015.

“We have maintained a great relationship with this particular Federation over the years,” said President Michael Ricketts.

“These are tough times indeed and we pray that everybody who was touched by Mr Williams will stay strong. May his soul Rest in Peace.”

Williams died on Wednesday morning after going into hospital on Friday to undergo tests and await results, said ABFA President Everton Gonsalves, who hailed the late technical director for his contribution to the national football programme.

Debu, as he was called, had been ailing for some time but he never stopped working, Gonsalves said. He immersed himself in work, developing coaching education, women’s football and school football programmes in keeping with the strategic plans of the association that had just moved into its brand new offices.

The president said Williams complained of not feeling well on Friday last and went into hospital where things took a turn for the worse.

Williams was coach of the Antigua and Barbuda national football team in 2004 and was also head coach of the Parham FC. He also worked with Antigua and Barbuda women’s national football team as well as the U20 and U17 teams.

In November 2012, he again became of the head coach of the Antigua and Barbuda team.

He is survived by his wife and three children. (Sportsmax)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday October 16, 2020) Daniel Wanjiru won the London Marathon in 2017(Photo Matthew Childs (Reuters) It was concluded that the change in levels between tests could not “be explained by any other cause than blood manipulation”.

The panel said it was “highly likely” a banned substance or method had

been used.

Wanjiru won the 2016 Amsterdam Marathon and finished eighth and 11th at the London Marathon in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (BBC Sport).

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Murali Vijay-127 (CSK) Doug Bollinger-4/13 (CSK)

Today’s Quiz: Who struck the first century in IPL 2010?

How many centuries were recorded in IPL 2010?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Australia coach Langer opposed to Test and T20 schedule clash MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia coach Justin Langer says he is opposed to the prospect of playing a test series and Twenty20 series concurrently in early 2021.

Australia are scheduled to play five T20s in New Zealand from Feb 22 March 7, which would clash with the proposed Test tour of South Africa.

Langer said he had raised his concerns with governing body Cricket

Australia Head Coach Justin Langer Australia.

“The chairman knows this, the CEO knows this really clearly - my personal opinion is I don’t like it at all,” Langer told local radio station SEN. “I don’t ever want to have two Australian teams in one place. That’s my personal opinion. In this year, with what’s happening with COVID, I understand there’s complexities to it.

“We’re one country, aren’t we? We’re not two countries. And we’re one sport.”

While the schedule clash could deplete the quality of both test and T20 squads, Langer said he was also concerned about the domestic Sheffield Shield.

“Let’s say we’ve got to take 18 players to New Zealand, we’ve got to take 18 players to South Africa, that’s 36 players out of the backend of the Sheffield Shield competition,” he said.

“And that’s before any injuries that will inevitably

happen every year.

“They’re the sort of things that worry me with this.”

As for all international sport, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge schedule disruptions and forced cricket boards to make compromises to organise competitions.

Cricket Australia interim Chief Executive Nick Hockley said last month all playing nations needed to “play (their) part in helping international cricket back to a healthy position.”

“This is a unique set of circumstances brought on by the pandemic and is not something we envisage replicating regularly in future,” he said of the schedule.

Richmond Hill Liberty CC into final of New York National Cricket League RICHMOND Hill Liberty Cricket Club is into the final of the New York National Cricket League 30-overs, Sunday Competition.

The side, which is predominantly made up of overseas based Guyanese, will now battle Everest/ACS in the championship clash this weekend.

In the semi-final against Galaxy Cricket Club on Sunday last, former national U19 cricketer Trevor Henry blasted a half century, while fellow Guyanese Dion Chooweenam added 50 to lead the eventual winners to 198-8 from their allotted overs.

Another former national U19 cricketer, Azeemuddin Khan had opened the batting with Chooweenam and the pair had fired their team to a solid start. Khan who was more watchful, scored 20 from 35 balls, while Chooweenam added 50 from 38 balls.

Henry, who batted at four then added a quick-fire 58 (43 balls, five sixes and two fours), which helped the team to their respectable total.

In reply, Galaxy CC had several batsmen with starts, it was however not until the introduction of Ryan Girghary that

Former Guyana U19 cricketer Trevor Henry scored 58 runs to lead Richmond Hill Liberty CC. the side looked set to chase down the needed total.

The number seven batsman struck 58 off 40 balls after belting five sixes and three fours.

Although Girghary remained unbeaten, his partners at the crease were not as dominant so the side was left on 186-7 when the overs expired.

Gayle plays his part as Kings XI topple Royal Challengers again CHRIS Gayle made an impact and KL Rahul continued his impressive form as Kings XI Punjab once again come out on top against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Kings XI have found wins hard to come by in 2020 but have now triumphed in both games with Bangalore, albeit only after surviving a late wobble on Thursday.

Gayle made 53 from 45 balls but was run out from the penultimate delivery with the scores level. That left Nicholas Pooran to come out and face one ball, which he proceeded to launch down the ground for six.

The eight-wicket victory gives Kings XI renewed hope for the season, though they remain bottom of the table.

Rahul – who made 132 not out in the pre-

vious meeting of the two franchises – finished up unbeaten on 61, in the process extending his lead at the top of the run-scoring table.

Opening partner Mayank Agarwal weighed in with 45 as Bangalore’s total of 171-6 was not quite enough, despite the unexpected final-over drama.

Virat Kohli had topscored with 48 but the Royal Challengers struggled to pick up the runrate, making the decision to leave AB de Villiers down at six in the order even more surprising.

The South African made just two but compatriot Chris Morris was far more successful in the closing stages, an eight-ball cameo seeing him make 25 not out.

DE VILLIERS MADE TO WAIT

KL Rahul (left) and Chris Gayle both registered half-centuries in Kings Xi victory.

De Villiers was at his explosive best against Kolkata Knight Riders last time out, smashing an unbeaten 73 from 33 balls.

Despite that explosive display of hitting, Bangalore sent both Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube in ahead of him, before he

eventually came out with four overs to go.

THE UNIVERSE BOSS IS BACK! Gayle’s involvement in the tournament was delayed by food poisoning, leading to a spell in hospital. He batted in the unfamiliar position of

three for Kings XI, coming in after the opening duo had put on 78.

After a cautious start, the left-hander cut loose with a solitary four and five sixes. Even his demise added a little drama, but Pooran finished the job in style with a maximum off Yuzvendra Chahal.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

RHTYSC, V-Net assist young Mining Town cricketers –– 10 players to benefit as part of Basil Butcher Trust Fund

V-Net Communications in partnership with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) handed over a number of cricket gear to players in Linden, compliments of the Basil Butcher Trust Fund.

Along with the gear which included pads among other pieces, two bicycles were part of the donation package received by Mr. Bradley Fredericks, who is associated with the promotion of cricket in the Region Ten area.

“He lived most of his life in the township of Linden, he was totally committed to the development of the game there and as such, it is only right that we remember Linden as we pay tribute to the Legacy of the late great Basil Fitzherbert Butcher”, said RHTYSC, Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu regarding the donations.

The cricket gear is expected to be distributed to 10 youth players while two less fortunate players are set to receive the bicycles as means of transportation to and from school.

The full list of gear included helmets, batting gloves, wicket keeping gloves and wicket

keeping pads and Club Secretary/CEOHilbert Foster stated that under the first ever Basil Butcher Trust Fund, over one hundred youth cricketers benefitted from donations of cricket gears, bicycles and educational materials.

The main goal of the Trust Fund, said the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president, is to encourage youths to Say Yes to Education and Sports, to assist young players to fulfill their dreams of playing cricket at the highest level and to promote the legacy of the late Basil Butcher.

Foster also urged Frederick’s to ensure that the most suitable players receive the donated items based on their talent, income status, discipline and personal attitude. Special thanks was expressed to Chief Executive Officer of V-Net Communications Sarfraz Sheriffudeen.

He lauded V-Net Communications for being a great partner of the RHTYSC, having assisted the club over the years by co-sponsoring its Christmas Village, Cricket development programme, annual award ceremony, annual youth review magazine among others.

The V-Net Chief Executive Officer stated that as a honorary member of the RHTYSC, he was happy to assist in any way possible while pledging to continue doing so in the future.

Butcher, a Berbice Cricket Board Hall of Fame Cricketer played 44 Test matches for the West Indies until his retirement in 1969. He scored 3000 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven test centuries and sixteen half-centuries.

The RHTYSC with support from the BCB under the Trust Fund has shared millions of dollars’ worth of items across Berbice.

They include 3000 food hampers, bicycles, school bags, clocks, medical items, educational materials, cleaning detergents, face masks among others.

The presentation was the final one for the 2020 leg of the fund, which was held as part of Butcher 87th birthday celebration by the ten cricket teams of the club- Poonai Pharmacy Under 12 and Under 13, Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17and Second Division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermediate, Metro Female, Namil-

Ms.Whitney Brocks (left) hands over cricket gear on behalf of RHTYSC cricket teams to Mr. Bradley Fredericks co Thunder Flour Under 21 and First Division.

BCB hails successful meeting Minister Ramson, LGC executives with Attorney General discuss fruitful plans for sport THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) said their meeting with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandalall recently at his Carmichael Street, Georgetown Office, was a success.

According to information shared by the BCB, the Minister brought the delegation up to date on the current status of the Cricket Administration bill and advised them on the steps

mean the forward thrust of cricket, adding that he is most interested in the ancient county’s role.

Tabled back in 2014 by the-then Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, the Act sought to firstly make it legal for GCB to be established as a corporate body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice cricket boards, all of which

Minister of Sport Charles Ramson Jr. (center) and company during his visit to the Lusignan Golf club last Saturday Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandalal flanked by members of the Berbice Cricket Board following their meeting on October 13. (Photo Compliments: BCB) to be taken to have four passed motions at the last AGM incorporated into the bill.

The BCB said the Attorney General also accepted an invitation from President Hilbert Foster to visit the county for a meeting with Clubs, while also committing to assist the BCB by opening doors to avenues of developments.

Foster and the BCB had been with loggerheads with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) over the years and has always supported the Cricket Administration Act. When the Court of Appeal in September had restored the Act which was unanimously support by both sides of the National Assembly in 2014, Foster had stated that this can only

will also be made corporate entities.

A section of the Act also addressed the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time will give limited power to the Minister of Sport.

The role of the minister under the legislation will be only to appoint the Ombudsman and his/her role ceases.

The Act also provides for better financial accountability with the cricket board being required to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission. (Rawle Toney)

THE Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) executives were graced by the presence of Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport Charles Ramson Jr, as parties held talks on major ways to further expand sport.

LGC has been one of the more successful yet dark-horse associations in Guyana and last weekend’s visit by Minister Ramson, who continues his diligence with regard to meeting with the respective sports associations since coming into office.

Key aspects of the discussions touched on a number of ideas and means of integrating golf and tourism as one.

Accompanied by Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana President Mitra Ramkumar and Kashif Muham-

mad, future plans outlined could turn the already highly-successfull LGC into a sports/tourism Hotspot.

With utter support from the government of Guyana and the ministry of tourism, the LGC’s future seems to be in good hands. The LGC were already engaged in Covid-19 related activities during the initial stages of the pandemic, supporting the residents of Lusignan through various means.

It will be let to see if short terms plans between the LGC and Government will help to further make the club and course an internationally recognised and playable golf venue, with hopefully a greater influx of overseas guests in the near future, post pandemic.

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, October 16, 2020

Fitness issues delay naming of T20 squad for New Zealand BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Player fitness has created headaches for West Indies selectors and have forced a delay in the announcement of the Twenty20 squad for the tour of New Zealand.

Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis both failed fitness tests, and were excluded for the tour of Sri Lanka in February.

Hetmyer was subsequently re-tested and included for the T20 phase while Trinidadian Lewis

West Indies are expected to depart month end for the tour of New Zealand which comprises three Twenty20 Internationals and two Tests While remaining coy on the matter, convenor of selectors, Roger Harper, confirmed the development, noting that authorities were in the process of attempting to resolve the issues before naming the squad.

West Indies are expected to depart month end for the tour of New Zealand which comprises three Twenty20 Internationals and two Tests and runs from November 27 to December 15.

“As far as the Test squad is concerned, the players are fit,” Harper said in an interview on StarCom Radio’s Mason and Guest cricket show here Tuesday.

“There are some issues that we’re looking at in relation to fitness and a couple other things.

There are some issues that we’re trying to sort out so that’s why the squad hasn’t been announced yet.”

Fitness issues in the one-day squad emerged earlier this year when marquee left-handers

remained sidelined.

Cricket West Indies’ director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, at the time stressed that fitness for selection was “non-negotiable”, contending it was just as important as the performance element.

“It is non-negotiable, it goes hand in hand. One of the examples I use is that the whole issue of a player being fit is to reduce injuries and this is one of the areas we have struggled with in the past,” said the former West Indies captain.

Fitness apart, selectors may have to do without the services of champion off-spinner Sunil Narine who was last week reported by umpires in the IPL for having a suspect action.

He has not played for Kolkata Knight Riders since.

Narine last represented West Indies last year August, marking the first time he had appeared for the regional side in two years.

The upcoming tour of New Zealand will see the Test squad accom-

panied by members of the T20 unit plus reserves departing first,

with any players currently competing in the Indian Premier League

expected to follow after fulfilling their franchise commitments.

Batting has to stand up for us, warns Convenor of selectors Harper

Shai Hope averaged 17 on the recent tour of England.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Convenor of selectors, Roger Harper, has pointed to West Indies’ erratic batting as the key to any hopes the Caribbean side harbour of winning their first Test series in New Zealand for quarter of a century.

West Indies batsmen have struggled in recent series to

get significant runs on the board, and the deficiency led to their 2-1 defeat to England last July and the surrender of the Wisden Trophy just over a year after they recaptured it in the Caribbean.

Not a single Windies batsman managed triple figures in that three-Test series, with Jermaine Blackwood’s 95 in the visitors’

four-wicket at Southampton proving the highest individual score.

Further key batsmen like Shai Hope averaged 17 and left-handed opener John Campbell averaged 16, while experienced opener Kraigg Brathwaite, all-rounders Roston Chase and Jason Holder, along with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, all averaged

CWI salutes Campbelle on her 28th birthday … Unique record with bat, ball and glove Shemaine Campbelle has played in 83 ODIs and 107 T20Is. CRICKET West Indies (CWI) has sent special birthday greetings to Shemaine Campbelle. The West Indies women’s team all-rounder and Guyana women’s team captain turned 28 on Wednesday.

Campbelle is one of the most versatile cricketers to ever play at the international level. She is the ultimate all-rounder as a middle-order batter, spin bowler and also wicket-keeper – a unique accomplishment as the only player in West Indies history to make over 1000 runs, take over 50 wickets

and then take over 50 dismissals behind the stumps.

Throughout the history of the sport not many wicket-keepers have bowled, and very few bowlers consider themselves to be good enough to transition to keep wicket. Therefore, Campbelle’s performance record is unlikely to be matched anytime soon.

At this stage she has played 83 ODIs and 107 T20Is. She has scored 1,921 runs and captured 55 wickets. She has also effected 79

under 30.

“New Zealand is not going to be an easy tour,” warned Harper, who is expected to announce the squads for both the Test and Twenty20 International series shortly.

“New Zealand are very competitive and in their own backyard especially. They play very well as a team and

they execute their plans well and they execute well so we’ll have to be at the top of our game.

“A lot of questions are going to be asked of our batting and that’s the department that really has to stand up for us in order for us to be competitive and have a real chance of getting a positive result in the series.”

West Indies surpassed 300 just once on the England tour, the total coming in the first innings of the Southampton Test, but the batting declined significantly thereafter.

In fact, in their next four innings, West Indies passed 200 only once, while also suffering several shocking batting collapses when seemingly poised for competitive totals.

In the Manchester second Test, West Indies were well placed on 199 for three in their first innings on the penultimate day, after the entire third day was wiped out by rain.

However, they lost seven wickets for 88 runs to buckle quickly and when left with the task of surviving twoand-a-half sessions on the final day in an academic run chase of 312, they folded meekly for 198.

Harper, a former Test off-spinner, underscored the importance of large totals if West Indies were to put pressure on a strong New Zealand unit.

“Certainly we have the

dismissals – 59 catches and 20 stumpings.

Slimy-built and soft-spoken, she started her career as a leg-break/googly bowler and batted in the lower-order. She improved her skills and moved up the order – and scored a century in an ODI against Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium – 105 off 138 balls with eight fours and four sixes. Her best bowling figures came on debut against South Africa in debut in Paarl. On the recent tour of England she was a stand-out with some dynamic displays behind the stumps.

As her game progressed, she developed more skills and is now the first choice wicket-keeper in One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals. She was also a member of the squad which won the ICC T20 World Cup in India back in 2016, the same night when the men’s team also captured the title with a dramatic victory over England.

“I’m just passionate about cricket, it’s a passion I’ve had from the time I was a little girl and learned how to play the game in Berbice. Playing for the West Indies is ev-

erything! I love it … I enjoy every moment of it! My passion for cricket will stay with me.

“You see, I know I have the ability to perform all the skills and I work hard on all three.

I like to be involved in the game. When I bat in the nets, I then go and do some bowling and they work on my keeping. It keeps me going… it’s keeps me busy… it gets me involved… I love what I do,” she said.

“I’ve had some great moments as a player.

The first one which comes to mind is when I took three wickets for just seven runs against South Africa. That was my first match for West Indies, and it felt really great to also get the Player of the Match award.

“Another memorable moment was when I made the century batting down the order against Sri Lanka. We were in deep trouble, about 70-odd for six wickets so someone had to bat through to the end and give us something to bowl at. It was my day. It was the best innings of my career so far. I have dreams of much more.” she said. (CWI Media)

JFF expresses sorrow at the death of ABFA Technical Director Ralston Williams

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

ability [to win the series] but we really have to apply ourselves and execute well,” he told StarCom Radio’s Mason and Guest cricket show.

“Batting is the key. We have to put big scores on the board. I think if we can score a total in excess of 600 runs in a Test match, we give ourselves a good chance.”

Harper said while winning away series was always difficult, he hoped West Indies were able to make improvements on the positive things achieved during the England series.

“I’m looking for the team to build on the performance in England. Winning away Test matches hasn’t been something we’ve done consistently,” Harper explained.

“We won one in England and we were in a position to really draw that series comfortably if not win it so I’m looking for us to build on that in New Zealand.”

West Indies face New Zealand in the first Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton bowling off December 3 and in the second Test at the historic Basic Reserve in Wellington beginning eight days later.

The series will be preceded by three T20 Internationals, the first of which is carded for November 27 in Auckland, with the last two scheduled for November 29 and 30 in Mount Maunganui.

See story on page 28

Ralston Williams has been Technical Director of the ABFA since 2015 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020