Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_11_19_2019

TUESDAY 19th November, 2019

’ No.105826

APNU agrees on post-election formula for coalition … ahead of meeting 03 with AFC following Monday’s postponement PAGE

Stabroek News received 171 gov’t ads in October

PAGE

02

… 23 placements on Sunday despite claims of being denied government advertisement

Partners and media operatives signing the banner to indicate their commitment to joining the campaign to bring awareness to road safety (Adrian Narine photo) Despite claiming a blackout of government advertisements Stabroek News received over 170 placements back in October and only this Sunday another 23 placements including full page ads

Demerara Bank records Ex-soldier gets 17 over $2B in profits 09 life sentence for PAGE

PAGE

–– makes highest dividend payment in the history of the bank

murder of uncle

Where is the 10 sugar money?

PAGE

… PNCR calls on PPP to account for $34.4 billion given by EU for GuySuco

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Stabroek News received 171 gov’t ads in October … 23 placements on Sunday despite claims of being denied government advertisement

DEBUNKING claims that the Government of Guyana is starving Stabroek News of state resources through the withholding of advertisements, the Department of Public Information (DPI), in presenting the facts, pointed out that for the month of October, Stabroek Newspaper received a total of 171 ads from the Government.

DPI, at the time, was responding to an identical editorial, which appeared in the Sunday, November 17, 2019 editions of Barbados’ Nation

Newspaper and the Trinidad Express – members of the One Caribbean Media group.

“The Government of Guyana is alarmed at the numerous inaccuracies contained in the editorial which forms part of an apparent Stabroek News campaign to resurrect, misrepresent and regionalise an issue which has no merit and which has been debunked and settled in Guyana,” DPI said ahead of presenting the facts of the matter.

According to the editorial, for more than three months, Stabroek News re-

ceived virtually zero advertising from government agencies in sharp contrast to other newspapers. But DPI said the contention is far from the truth. “This is wholly false. In the month of October, 2019 Stabroek News received a total of 171 advertisements from 23 government ministries, departments and agencies,” DPI said while presenting a list of 171 ads that were published in the privately owned newspaper. In support of its position, DPI also presented a sample of the clippings of

such government advertising.

“On the very day when the syndicated editorial appeared, a total of 23 government advertisements, including full page advertisements appeared in Stabroek News,” DPI further pointed out.

For the period January 1 to November 18, 2019, the Government, through DPI, remitted to Stabroek News the sum of GY$51,975,704 as payment for advertisements placed in that newspaper. That amount, DPI said, was in addition to advertisements placed directly with

A chart showing DPI’s payments for newspaper ads January 1-September 19, 2019 the newspaper by various of independent journalism government ministries, agen- is being tarnished under the cies and departments. “This editorship of Anand Persaud. amount is far in excess of the According to DPI, Persaud amounts for previous years,” has taken the newspaper DPI was keen on noting. down a politically partisan It reminded that there path. are two central elements for “Stabroek News, once which Stabroek News has the leading credible, indenot been forthright. Accord- pendent newspaper in Guying to DPI, it was Stabroek ana, has become nakedly News that “unnecessarily” partisan and anti-governprejudiced itself when, on ment. The evidence is plenMay 22, 2019, it instituted tiful. We provide a saman unprecedented blockade ple. Mr. Timothy Jonas, of government advertise- a leading member of the ments from the newspaper. newly formed A New and In the letter, which has long United Guyana (ANUG) made public by DPI, Guyana political party is a member Publication Inc, publishers of the Board of Directors of Stabroek News, informed of the publisher of Stathe government agency that broek News. Mr. Ralph due to little progress made Ramkarran SC, the ANUG in issuing payments of ads, a presidential candidate, is a decision was taken to cease prominent weekly columall ad placements effective nist in Stabroek News who June 1, 2019 until a substan- comments ad nauseam on tial payment was made. political matters and politAdded to that, DPI con- ical competitors,” DPI artended that Stabroek News’ gued. It further contended reputation as a well-respectSee page 3 ed newspaper for its record

A chart showing GINA/DPI Annual Payments to Stabroek News 2015-2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

APNU agrees on post-election formula for coalition

3

… ahead of meeting with AFC following Monday’s postponement

THE highly-anticipated meeting between the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) on the revised Cummingsburg Accord was postponed on Monday and instead, the APNU Executive Committee met and agreed on a post-election formula for the allocation of seats as it seeks to wrap up negotiation with the AFC on the revised Cummingsburg Accord–the agreement which brought them together ahead of the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

In a statement on Monday evening, APNU disclosed that the meeting, which was attended by the parties that make up the partnership – Guyana Action Party (GAP), the Justice For All Party (JFAP), the National Front Alliance (NFA),

the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) and the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA), was chaired

by His Excellency David Granger – Chairman of APNU and President of Guyana.

APNU’s negotiating team, led by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, briefed the partners on the progress made and challenges faced in revising the Cummingsburg Accord.

“Following the brief, the partners examined several proposals and agreed on a post-election formula for the allocation of seats and recommended an approach for the continuation of negotiations with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in accordance with the core principles already agreed,” the APNU disclosed.

The partners further agreed and recommended

that the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will guide all future discussions. “APNU remains committed to ending ‘winner-take-all’ politics in Guyana and to contesting the 2020 elections as a Coalition,” it said while iterating that the parties are better together.

The ratio was on the agenda for Monday’s meeting before the postponement. The new formula, once agreed upon, will guide the allocation of parliamentary, ministerial and regional positions. Though the AFC’s lead negotiator was not available to weigh in on the matter on Monday, its Executive Member Dominic Gaskin, last Friday, was almost certain that the two sides would have favourable agreement in place by Monday, November 18, 2019.

Under the old Cum-

mingsburg Accord, APNU was allocated 60 per cent of the seats won by the government in the National Assembly, while the remaining 40 per cent went to the AFC. However, as the accord goes under revision, a proposal is reportedly on the table for a 70:30 ratio based on the “perceived and real reduced electoral strength” of the AFC. While Gaskin said the party is not unmoving when it comes to the 60:40 allocation, should less be offered to the AFC, there must be something else put in its place that the AFC is willing to accept.

“We’re not looking to score points against our partners; we’re looking for an acceptable outcome, and we have a fairly good idea of what’s acceptable to the AFC,” he said.

In a prepared statement from the party, Gaskin also hit home the importance of

the Monday deadline, stating that it could “no longer be extended.” But from all indication, the deadline, having not being met, has been further extended to facilitate the next meeting, set for this week. Initially, the AFC had hoped to sign off on the revised Cummingsburg Accord by November 10.

On Friday, Lawrence reported that the negotiations have proceeded well, with present hopes for a conclusion “very soon”. “I will say to you that the negotiations are in place, and it is a negotiation, and at the end of that negotiation, both parties will be speaking on all the matters, I’m quite certain, with the full media,” the APNU lead negotiator said.

Negotiation between the two sides began in August after they had agreed on a number of core principles.

President of Guyana and Chairman of the APNU, David Granger

Stabroek News received ...

From page 2

that Stabroek News does not avail other political parties of similar space in its pages.

It added: “Dr. Henry Jeffrey, a senior executive of ANUG, is also a prominent weekly columnist in Stabroek News. He too comments ad nauseam on political matters and political competitors.”

It is DPI’s belief that Stabroek News has become the de facto mouth piece of the ANUG and is using this contrived matter of advertising placement to manufacture a controversy which does not exist.

“Stabroek News has now sunken to the level of misinforming its regional counterparts with a view of furthering this campaign against the government of Guyana. It is clear too, that Stabroek News has resorted to political blackmail, under the cover of its baseless complaint of getting no state advertisements,” DPI stated.

Returning to the editorial published in the regional newspapers, the information agency in rubbishing claims that the David Granger Ad-

ministration, subsequent to the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion, breached the Constitution, said contrary to the stories peddled by Stabroek News and the political opposition, President Granger has, at all times, acted in strict accordance with Guyana’s Constitution and the rulings of the court.

As was stated in the past, DPI said that it is the responsibility of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to facilitate elections and not the Government, emphasising that it was critical for the elections body to signal its readiness. It was only until September 19 that GECOM formally advised President Granger that it would be ready to hold elections by the end of February 2020. A day after, the President declared March 2, 2020 as elections day.

“Under the Granger Presidency, Guyana has been restored to the status of a full democracy, with respect for human rights, especially the right to a free press,” DPI said.

A table detailing the 171 government ads that were published in the Stabroek News

The letter which was sent by Guyana Publication Inc, publishers of Stabroek News, informing DPI to cease all ad placements effective June 1, 2019 until its debts were cleared.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

U.S. backs Israel on settlements, angering Palestinians and clouding peace process WASHINGTON (Reuters) The United States on Monday effectively backed Israel’s right to build Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by abandoning its fourdecade-old position that they were “inconsistent with international law,” a stance that may make Israeli-Palestinian peace even more elusive.

The announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was a victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is struggling to remain in power after two inconclusive Israeli elections this year, and a defeat for the Palestinians.

It appeared to deliver a new blow to Trump’s efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a peace plan that has been in the works for more than two years but has drawn widespread skepticism even before its release.

Pompeo said U.S. state-

ments about the settlements on the West Bank, which Israel captured in 1967, had been inconsistent, saying Democratic President Jimmy Carter found they were not consistent with international law and Republican President Ronald Reagan said he did not view them as inherently illegal. “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements is not, per se, inconsistent with international law,” Pompeo told reporters at the State Department, reversing a formal legal position taken by the United States under Carter in 1978.

His announcement drew praise from Netanyahu, who said it “rights a historical wrong,” and condemnation from Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who said Washington was threatening “to replace international law with the ‘law of the jungle.’”

Palestinians argued the U.S.

stance flouted international law. The international community views the transfer of any country’s civilians to occupied land as illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and U.N. Security Council resolutions. “The United States is neither qualified nor is authorized to negate international legitimacy resolutions and it has no right to give any legitimacy to Israeli settlement,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The United States said its stance could prompt violence, warning Americans in the region to exercise greater vigilance because those opposing the move “may target” U.S. government facilities, private interests and citizens. Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said the policy change would have “dangerous consequences” for the prospects of reviving peace talks and called settlements “a blatant violation of international law.”

A general view shows the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank September 11, 2018. Picture taken September 11, 2018. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma - RC14BC22BB50

Pompeo said the move was not meant to prejudge the status of the West Bank, which the Palestinians hope will become part of an eventual Palestinian state as part of a wider resolution of the conflict. “This is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to negotiate,” he said, saying the U.S. decision was not meant “to compel a particular outcome nor create any legal obstacle to a negotiated resolution.”

While Pompeo said the administration was adopting Reagan’s view that settlements were not intrinsically illegal, he dodged a question on whether he shared Reagan’s view that they were ill-advised and an obstacle to peace. Like many of the Trump administration’s pro-Israeli moves, the settlements announcement is likely to appeal to evangelical Christians, an important part of Trump’s political base that he is counting on to help him win re-election in 2020. The timing suggested the White House may believe it could help Netanyahu withstand a challenge from his leading domestic rival Benny Gantz two days before Gantz faces a deadline to form a government after an inconclusive election.

‘GRATUITOUS MOVE’ Analysts criticized the move, saying it would make it even harder to resolve the more than 70-year-old conflict. “He can declare that night is day, but it will not change the fact that Israeli settlements are not only illegal under international law, but are also a huge obstacle to peace and to the stability of our region,” said Hagit Ofran of the Israeli anti-settlements group Peace Now. The announcement marked the third major instance in which the Trump administration has sided with Israel and against Palestinians and Arab positions.

In 2017 Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and, in 2018, the United States formally opened an embassy there. U.S. policy had previously been that Jerusalem’s status was to be decided by the parties to the conflict.

And in March, Trump recog-

nized Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights from Syria in a boost for Netanyahu that prompted a sharp response from Damascus.

As of late Monday, no other nations appeared to have followed the United States by declaring they had ceased to view the settlements as inconsistent with international law. Trump’s move may aim to help Netanyahu as he tries to stay in power. After two inconclusive elections this year, Netanyahu and rival Gantz have both struggled to forge a ruling coalition.

Martin Indyk, a former U.S. peace negotiator, described the decision on Twitter as “a totally gratuitous move.”

“Why slap the Palestinians in the face again? Why boost the settlement/annexation movement at the very moment that Gantz is trying to form a government?” he asked.

TUES. November 19, 2019 - 09:30hrs ~11:00hrs

Saturday, NOV 16, 2019

4 5 7 20 27 28 23

G

1

7

17

20

24

4

2

8

1

6

3

1 3 12 14 15

NOV. 15, 2019 2

4 10 13 14

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Police fire teargas Dominica outlines a number of issues affecting the socio-economic development of region to disperse crowd as protest heats up in Dominica ROSEAU, Dominica, Nov 18, CMC – Police fired teargas to disperse people who had gathered outside the residence of President Charles Savarin demanding electoral reform ahead of the December 6 general election.

Police have erected barriers leading to the residence and some of the protesters including at least one opposition legislator, Danny Lugay, say they will not leave the area until they meet with President Savarin.

“We have to meet with our President. He was elected by both sides, “one protester shouted, while another said “we the people have decided we want electoral reform and electoral reform we will get”.

The protesters were descending on the residence of the President after attending a public meeting on the outskirts of the capital where the issue of electoral reform had been discussed.

Lugay said that it was important for there to be electoral reform before the next general election scheduled for December 6, saying that “even in Haiti, people have identification cards”. Nomination Day for the general elections will be on Tuesday. Earlier, Police Commissioner Daniel Carbon appealed for peace and calm as he reported that acts of violence had been reported to law enforcement authorities.

“General election day is on the sixth of December 2019, and tomorrow is Nomination Day. Dominica is a democracy and general elections must be conducted in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

“The general election campaign must be conducted in an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity, love, and mutual respect for each other regardless on which political side you are on. Since the start of the general election campaign there have been numerous threats of violence and it has to my mind…degenerating into actual acts of violence,” Carbon said.

The ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) headed by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is seeking a fifth consecutive term in office. It will be challenged by the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), led by Opposition leader Lennox Linton. The other opposition party, the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) has said it would not be contesting the polls, but would lend support to the UWP. In the 2014 general election, the DLP won 15 of the 21 seats in the Parliament with the remainder going to the UWP.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Nov 18, CMC –Dominica’s Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister, Francine Baron, Monday said a number of factors, including climate change, and the insistence of Europe to classify several Caribbean countries as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, were affecting the region’s ability to improve its socio-economic status.

Addressing the 49th meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and economic Development (COTED), Baron, who was deputising for her colleague trade minister, Ian Douglas, said that the Council was meeting at a time when the region is beset by many challenges.

She said these include the existential threat of climate change; rising sea levels, the warming of the oceans and the increased frequency of more powerful and damaging storms which pose a real and present danger, to the survival of region’s economies and population.

“While we have agreed as a region to take action to become climate resilient, the funding to achieve that, largely remains elusive and unavailable. Some of us have been graduated out of concessional development financing with no regard for our status as small, open and vulnerable economies and the de-risking policies of international banks threaten our commercial and trading viability, as well as the livelihood of many of our citizen who rely on remittances.

“Our attempts to diversify into areas such as financial services is under pressure from unfair and unjust blacklisting of some of our jurisdictions as non-cooperative tax

jurisdictions, despite having found to be compliant by the relevant global bodies. We have seen the recent challenges and threats to multilateralism.”

But even as she spoke of the threats to the region’s survival, Baron noted also that there were matters that have been on the agenda “for some time now, some of which can be said to be languishing there without resolution. “I want to encourage us to approach the deliberations over the next two days with a mind-set of compromise and a desire to push through and get some positive movement on some long outstanding matters.

To do less would be to let down the people of the region, whom we represent.”

She said was reminded of the objectives of COTED which include, to promote the development and oversee the operation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy(CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, services and labour across the 15-member grouping.

“In this regard I wish to highlight in particular the Implementation Plan for the CSME. While some progress has been made, much more needs to be done. I trust that our deliberations will lead to a redoubling of efforts by member states to ensure speedy implementation of the outstanding actions,” she said.

The Dominican minister said as is often the case, a major item on the meeting’s agenda will be consideration of issues pertaining to trade in goods.

She said under this rubric important policy decisions are expected to be taken with regard to the trade of animals and animal products, the issue

of the substitutability of plantation white sugar for refined sugar in manufactured goods produced in the region and consideration of proposals for the strengthening of the operation of Chapter Seven of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement.

She said the two day meeting will also consider issues, relating to the seeking of administrative and legislative comforts where the movement of persons, especially skilled persons are concerned, to the stated abilities of member states to satisfy regional demand for named products. Important issues such as access for honey from Grenada and milk from Jamaica and protection for soap from Dominica, among others demand our attention.

“The ability of our member states to produce in sufficient quantity to satisfy the consumption needs of fellow Members should be applauded and encouraged. We must pay particular note however of the number of requests being made for the suspension of the Common External Tariffs (CET) between meetings of the COTED and at the meeting of COTED itself.

“This should concern us,

as these requests are premised on the inability of the region to supply. There is need for a critical look at these requests and allow same to guide policy development, as relates to investment in regional productivity and manufacturing.”

Baron said it is also important for COTED to consider the development of the region as a whole and the necessary support to lesser developed countries (LDC).

She said the approval of the extension of Article 164 protection to LDC’s is of vital importance to the promotion of investment, and the approval of a supporting infrastructure both technical and financial of this initiative, is most welcome.

On the issue of external relations, Baron said that the region should be made fully aware of the ongoing discussions on World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform. “This is an important issue on which the region needs to keep engaged to ensure that our interests are put forward in the discussions. I expect that our deliberations on this matter will set the framework for the region’s engagement in that process,” she added.

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Public servants salary hike and the race card

T

HERE is a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth on the Opposition side over the recently-announced salary hike for public servants. It never stops. The PPP’s dislike for public servants is well documented.

That party never loses an opportunity to malign and marginalise these workers. It has played a central role in ensuring that public servants’ wages are stagnated, so it is not surprising that they have responded in such a negative way to the announcement of a salary hike.

Mr. Jagdeo has denied reports that he threatened that should the PPP be returned to power, workers who accept the increases would be sanctioned. But more dangerously, he is trying to scare the workers by announcing that government intends to fire thousands of them in exchange for the increases. This is a cowardly piece of cheap propaganda that is so reminiscent of a party that is in panic mode. There is absolutely no truth in this charge, and the PPP knows it.

That Jagdeo can only offer his “suspicions” as evidence of this charge speaks for itself.

But the PPP has not stopped there. The party and its cohorts have whipped out the race card. They charge the government with favouring public servants and discriminating against sugar workers. Why make such a charge? This is

yet another instance of nasty race politics by those who are bent on exploiting ethnic insecurity for political gain. That the PPP, when in government, has waged war against public servants is more than a minor tragedy. One goes back to the story of the 1957-64 PPP government’s callous treatment of these workers that triggered the infamous 80-day strike.

When the PPP returned to office in 1992, it resumed its crusade against the public servants. Again, the workers had to resort to industrial action in 1999. This time the matter went to arbitration, which was duly won by the workers. But true to form, the PPP government never fully honoured the agreement. The PPP’s disdain for public servants is rooted in that party’s narrow view of Guyana’s ethnic tapestry. They view public servants as their political enemies.

All Guyanese of goodwill, including PPP supporters, must condemn this attempt by the PPP to whip up racial tension. Pitting public servants against sugar workers would only serve the PPP’s narrow partisan interests. In the end, our country would be torn apart.

Notwithstanding the PPP’s antics, the government must be commended for making right by public servants. This is a category of the workforce that has had to struggle against successive governments for a living wage. It is well known

that their wages lag behind those of workers in other areas of the economy. There are those in the trade union fraternity who continue to be critical of the manner in which the government has gone about instituting the increases. That is a matter that must be ironed out between the two sides.

Collective bargaining is a sacred right which should always be heeded.

But there can be no doubt that the workers have good cause to be happy. Since coming to power, the government has raised the minimum wage from $39, 540 to $70, 000 or 77%. In the context of the wider Guyanese economy, that is a significant increase. When one takes into consideration that this was achieved in the four short years, the significance is enhanced. It reflects a concerned administration that cares about the plight of workers. Public servants would obviously see this development as a bright light as they press on.

Public servants are essential workers; they turn the wheels of government. They provide essential services to the society that we take for granted. Without them, the most vital institution in the country would collapse. So, like all workers, they deserve adequate compensation.

The government has recognised this truth and, in the process, it has honoured yet another of its promises.

Government-appointed GECOM commissioners should take a thorough look at the 2006 Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) report Dear Editor,

T

HE findings of the fingerprinting and cross matching scanning exercise that was conducted by the Electoral Office of Jamaica in 2006 found duplicate registration for 5374 entries on the Preliminary Voters List.

After conducting a finger-printing cross- matching exercise, the E.O.J said that 1858 duplicate fingerprints were found for 947 records, and 4515 duplicate fingerprints for 4427 registration records, with the former considered absolute duplicates and the latter absolute duplicates. The absolute duplicates were determined from 25%, or 181,030, of the prints that were of good quality, and the remaining 48% of the prints were of poor quality. However, only 423 were unusable.

Dr. Surujbally said that based on the findings, only 00.01% of the scanned registration cards were found to be duplicates, and of these, the E.O.J was absolutely certain of only 947, or 00.02%. However, the multiple registrations detected on the list have elicited concerns among parties. The Electoral Office of Jamaica report also noted that there were 26,239 names in the GECOM Database, for which there were no corresponding registration cards. The Electoral Office of Jamaica report warned that this could potentially result in persons being left off the voters list.

Findings revealed that 6,374 duplicates which were not investigated, which the Electoral Office of Jamaica said was needed to be investigated, 23,000 mismatches and thousands

of dislocated eligible voters. These varying discrepancies led to the resignation of the late commissioner Haslyn Parris, citing his inability to overlook the above-mentioned atrocities in the electoral process. Commissioner Parris on July 20 2006 told media operatives that he had chosen to formally disassociate himself from the Guyana Elections Commission.

Parris said that his resignation had become imperative, since he was incapable of accepting a decision made purportedly by the Commission to announce to President Jagdeo that the Revised Electoral list was ready for printing and publishing.

It is expected, after such actions are taken, that an election date would be set. With adequate technical application of the Electoral Office of Jamaica report to the revised list of electors during the Claims and objections period, Parris explained that each individual Commissioner is required by law to sign in agreement what the Chairman approves if Dr. Surujbally thinks that he is ready to print and publish the list.

I wish him to understand that is not a view I concur, Parris noted. Parris said that it was the view that the Commission would be misinforming and misleading the President, all other stakeholders, and all signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding that the Official List of Electors comprises an adequately checked, tested and confirmed list of persons eligible to vote in the 2006 Regional and General Elections.

He noted that such act of misrepresentation and apparent underhandedness would exceed the level previously achieved when inordinately delayed efforts were made to advise the President of GECOM’s inability to meet the constitutional

deadline of August 04, 2006 compounded with misleading information that August 31, 2006 is the date by which free and fair elections could be delivered by GECOM. In concluding, Commissioner Parris said that his attempts to function as a commissioner have, for some time now, been conflicting with his preference Re professionalism technical correctness, intellectual honesty, straightforwardness observance of the intention of the law and avoidance of misinforming and misleading officials and the general public on matters related to the electoral process. Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to effect corrective action on all these dimensions of my concerns. My continued association, particularly with recent decisions, would conflict with all these preferences cannot in good conscience continue. Parris said that it was only around Wednesday evening at around 7 o’clock that he was informed of the intent of the Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally, through an internal memorandum which required his response by 4pm the following day. With what transpired at the commission in 2006, the government-appointed commissioners must investigate all transaction with this present voters list.

The million-dollar question which is being asked by the electorate is whether the PPP/C did win a majority in 2006. The P.N.C, in 2006, failed to demand House-toHouse verification; this must not happen in 2020.

Regards, George Williams

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Land discrimination behaviour Dear Editor,

I

BEG your indulgence, as I can no longer sit idly and watch this extremely unfair campaign being waged against Guyanese where the acquisition of land in this country is concerned.

I take note, Sir, that there have been several claims, or should I say an ongoing effort by various persons and sections to assert illegality in the allocation of land, and unsurprisingly to persons predominantly of Afro-Guyanese descent. I kept watch as the “usual suspects” weighed in on the recently- launched Ghanaian oil and gas support company, Unicon Western Holding, as they tried to undeservingly discredit the company by claiming that it illegally received land in Guyana, when it was in fact the company’s local Guyanese partner who had acquired land for coconut growth several years after applying for same.

I kept watch as the “usual suspects” gladly jumped on the Kaieteur News hatchet job that was done to Guyanese remigrant Kirk Hollingsworth, who was accused of illegally acquiring 3200 acres of land, when the man was simply

regularising his 80 ft. x 40 ft. 3200 square ft. family home in North Ruimveldt. Editor, these are the most recent incidents where you see agencies such as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Private Sector Commission and other such organisations that have proven loyalty to a specific political party coming out with guns drawn to shoot down any instance of land power going to certain Guyanese.

President Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer of GCCI demanded transparency, and called on the authorities to publicise all lands given since their tenure and the policy used. Of course, these calls usually come when those on the receiving end are not the in-crowd of this specific political party. But I take offence, Mr. Editor, because Mr. Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer was apparently voiceless when his own father and business tycoon of National Hardware, Eddy Boyer, was given several properties with no “moral” and legal trace as to how large plots of land got into his hands, outside of the regular process and at irregular costs. For instance, that large plot of land he illegally received in the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara area. Editor, I clearly recall that when that story broke, Boyer Senior, who was at the time the Chairman of

the PSC, did not seek reelection and went virtually silent and under the radar. He never attempted to clear his name or offer an explanation as to how he got all that land under the last government.

Mr. Editor, there are several other cases like these, and worst scenarios that were brought to the fore by individuals, media houses, and other organisations, but these rich and powerful businessmen, who grew under the last government, were never this boisterous. As I understand it, even persons such as the DPP and other “big boys and girls” are quietly paying revised sums for the prime seafront properties that were stolen prepared with tax payers’ money and given to chosen members and supporters of the last government. Where was the GCCI president and others? I am not against transparency, Mr. Editor; I am against discriminatory and unfair behaviour that insinuates that only certain groups should have resources in this country.

end of their rifles in Poland; as he congratulated her on her partitioning of the country, he called her “a powerful and cunning aggressor.” While preparing for her encounter with the Ottoman Empire, Voltaire told her to teach Enlightenment at gunpoint to the Turks. During this war, he followed her military advance closely. He, at the time, regretted his immobility. “I wish I had at least been able to help you kill a few Turks.” In 1772, in his last letter, he prostrated himself to Catherine.

According to Goethe (German Writer and Statesman), Voltaire often expressed hatred of the canaille (the common people) “the ignoble masses who only respect force and don’t think.” He was quoted as saying we never claimed to enlighten shoemakers and servant girls.

In 1736, Voltaire published ‘Le Mondain’, an eloquent ode to the good life.

See how that fleet, with canvas wings, From Texel, Bordeau, London brings, By happy commerce to our shores, All Indus, all Ganges stores; Whilst France, that pierced the Turkish lines, Sultans made drunk from with rich French Wines.

Voltaire often confessed his love for the conspicuous consumption, and his dictum was “never to make people conscious of inequalities of wealth.”” For him, Parisian high society on the prime were the apogee of social and cultural refinement.

Voltaire made a life of luxury and comfort seem a legitimate, even necessary, political and economic goal.

One of Voltaire’s fiercest critics and enemies was John Jacques Rousseau; their battles were legendary. The gulf between them was intellectual, moral, temperamental and fundamentally political. Voltaire denounced Rousseau as “a tramp who would love to see the rich robbed by the poor.” He condemned articles

by Rousseau, using words like depraved, pitiful, abominable, and false. Rousseau (the gutter snipe of genius, so called by Isaiah Berlin) had already began to denounce modern commercial society (which Voltaire was a big part of) for its moral corruption.

Nietzsche (German philosopher and cultural critic) claimed that the battle between Voltaire and Rousseau was the unfinished problem of the civilisation. On the one side the representative of the victorious ruling classes and their valuations; on the other a vulgar plebeian overcome by his primordial resentment of a superior civilisation.

The Catholic monarchist, Joseph de Maistre disliked both.

Voltaire who undermined the political structure by corrupting morals. Voltaire, on the other hand, had already dismissed the Christian past as one long night of ignorance, prejudice and deprivation. For Rousseau, the feeling was that he was driven by a certain plebeian anger that excites him against every kind of superiority.

At the time of his death in 1778, Voltaire was one of the richest commoners in Europe. He began his enrichment in early 18th Century England. He was presented as a fine connoisseur or aristocrat. Surrounded with Gobelin Tapestries.

By being a member of the globally elite network, he was allowed to import grain from North Africa and re-export it to Italy and Spain.

Regards, Peter Joseph

The true VOLTAIRE Dear Editor,

A

FTER reading Mr. Ian Mc Donald’s article on Francois Marie Arouet, known by his nom-de-plume, Voltaire, in the Stabroek News of October 20, 2019, I wondered how we could have had so different views of one person. Voltaire, according to Mc Donald, was a poet, dramatist, philosopher, political activist. With all of that, I was surprised to see the absence of philanthropy. He was also described as a great civil rights leader of his era. That I find very interesting.

Voltaire’s targets were many, says Mc Donald: Fanaticism, persecution, injustice, cruelty, fossilised institutions, a rigged State authority, and corrupt highhandedness. But through all of this, Voltaire was the ultimate capitalist. He was never interested in social equality. His view was that of self-love. “It is as impossible for a society to be formed and be durable without self-interest, as it would be to produce children without carnal knowledge.”

It was said that he loathed the standard bearers of the status quo, yet he was one of the principal standard bearers of the status quo. During the Enlightenment era, he enjoyed the patronage of Frederick of Prussia and Catherine of Russia. In his biography of Peter the Great, Voltaire omitted various atrocities committed by Peter; instead, he recounted that Peter pushed his country forward from barbarism to civilization. It was common knowledge in Europe at the time that Catherine had attained power by deposing of her husband, PeterIII. None of this really mattered, because she immediately started posing as Peter the Great’s intellectual heir.

Voltaire, on the other hand, still seeking status even in his 70s, agreed with Catherine to become the patron saint of Russian aristocracy, introducing Voltarianism, signifying: Rationalism, skepticism, and reformism.

During the confrontation with the Ottoman Empire, Voltaire endorsed Catherine to use TOLERANCE with bayonets at the

Young people the greatest assets of Guyana Dear Editor,

I

T IS a delight to see, and a validation, that Guyana is a rich country. It is now for us to find a way to retain and harness the true potential of these young graduates.

Guyana continues to export between 20 000 to 25 000 of our educated persons every year. From Mr. Forbes Burnham’s time to date, no administration has done enough to stem the exodus. As reported by Dr. the Honourable Rupert Roopnaraine when he was Minister of Education, 93% of the people who leave our shores have a tertiary education. The young continue to be maligned, and remain unemployed for the most part.

The previous and current administrations have made scant effort to retain our qualified and eager nation builders, but are quick to ask for their votes. There has been no meaningful investment in research and development in any field that permits these young minds to venture. Our young people leave our shores to go and build other countries, and do a fantastic job at that, and there is little being done to stop the exodus or

even to invite the Diaspora back to participate in our economy and development.

On a GlobeSpan show broadcasted just over a month ago, an elder statesman stated, “I don’t know what this fetish is about young people!” It is these kinds of disconnect that has denied our young people the futures that they deserve. The Liberty and Justice Party reaffirms that it is the young people who are, and will shape, the future, and it is time that we took the responsibility of carving ourselves out of the old politically dogmatic system and into a new age that will cater to “everyone”, equally and equitably.

Successive governments have marginalised the youth for far too long. It is time we look deeper at what the future holds and our collective responsibilities, and grasp the reins to ensure there is a future for our future generations.

Welcome to the Liberty and Justice Party: A movement for the future! www.

Regards, The Liberty and Justice Part

Regards, Milton Bruce

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Caricom laments disregard for the decision-making process …as COTED opens confab in Guyana

TRADE MINISTERS across CARICOM are meeting in Guyana for the 49th summit of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), where matters such as trade in goods and services, climate change and the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) will be up for discussion.

The ministers all gathered at the Pegasus Hotel, on Monday, for the opening ceremony which saw remarks from Chair of COTED, Dominican Foreign Minister, Francine Baron, and CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Joseph Cox.

too many instances of prolonged non-observance of the basic tenets of Regional integration arrangements which, not only affected the sanctity of the Treaty, but suggested a serious disregard for the decision-making process within the Community.

He therefore called for the Members of the Community to comply with well-established rules and procedures and also urged them to proceed with the comprehensive review of the Common External Tariff (CET) and related instruments.

In his remarks, the Assistant Secretary General also lamented the “lethargic response” to opportunities for the Regional Private sector

ties for our private sector and I urge our producers to avail themselves of same bearing in mind that the need is not just to meet the quantities demanded but also to honour the specifications that are required.”

On a positive note, the Assistant Secretary-General, updated that important steps were being made towards the implementation of an effective regime for the operationalisation of the support measures for Chapter 7 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which include support for Article 164 industries.

conceptualization through to implementation, if we are to efficiently utilize the limited resources that are available throughout the Region in resolving the challenges being faced by the weakest among us.”

With regards to the topic of Trade in Goods, Guyana has requested a suspension to increase the Common External Tariff (CET) to 40 per cent on pine wood and pine wood products as well as the submission of a revised list of manufactured products.

Speaking on the sidelines to the media was Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge

the consolidation dealing with operational things… products, access and the arrangements between countries to make sure that they adhere to the commitments that have been made,” he said.

Cox, in his remarks, assured that a major part of the COTED agenda will be the deepening of the CSME with much of the focus on instruments that allow for the movement of CARICOM nationals for purposes of both business and pleasure.

Meanwhile, as Chair of the proceedings, Baron told the gathering that

states within CARICOM as failure to achieve such can cripple CARICOM. “I want to encourage us to approach the deliberations in the two days with a mindset of compromise and a desire to push through and get some positive movement on some long outstanding matters,” she said.

The leaders will also consider the recommendations from the meeting of CARICOM stakeholders on sugar and the independent study on the substitutability of plantation white sugar for refined sugar in manufactured goods produced in

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Joseph Cox and Chair of COTED, Dominican Foreign Minister, Francine Baron (Delano Williams photo)

In opening remarks, Cox said that, while COTED had done a good job over the years, in ensuring that the rules governing the regime were upheld, there were some instances in which difficulties, still to be resolved, had arisen. He raised the issue of non-compliance with the provisions of the Revised Treaty and the Decisions of the COTED as matters which continued to be problematic for the Region.

Cox said that there were

through the CET framework.

He said: “Between January and October 2019, the value of CET suspensions recorded stood at US$148.5 million.

The top six products for which suspensions had been granted for the period July to October 2019 were Refined Sugar (14,710 mt), Cinnamon (60,000 lbs), Palm Oil (25,700 mt), Soya bean oil (4,200 mt), Coconut oil (12,511 mt) and Vegetable Fats and Oils (11,894 mt).

These represent opportuni-

The attending Trade Ministers and other representatives of CARICOM (Delano Williams photo)

This, he explained, was being done by examining the priority needs of the disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors and by identifying the institutional delivery mechanisms.

Cox stated: “…a chain can only be as strong as its weakest link. We must, therefore, seek to ensure effective project design from

who is representing Guyana at the business meetings. He noted that COTED is at a serious juncture when it comes to the implementation of the CSME and trade relations.

“We are at an important point in the evolution of the CSME and, in relation to trade, as you know there are all sorts of queries being raised and so this is part of

their attendance to the 49th Meeting was testament to the importance they attach to COTED and CARICOM. She shone the spotlight on the threat climate change poses to the Region and the need for funds to tackle same which still largely remains elusive. Baron also lobbied for sustainable economic viability of member

the Region.

Reports are also expected on the strategies being developed for priority service sectors such as Tertiary Education, Sporting Services, Professional, Cultural and Entertainment Services, Health and Wellness Services, ICT Services and Tourism Services.

Jagdeo dished out large plots of land to close associates like Mr. Boyer Dear Editor,

I

READ with shock and disdain recent comments from Mr. Nicholas Boyer, President of the city Chamber of Commerce, regarding land allocation in Guyana by the current government.

Mr. Boyer and his colleagues at the Chamber appeared to be very upset that Unicon, a Guyanese-led company with previous stints in the agriculture sector right here in Guyana was able to get a lease for 700 acres at Wales. Implied in his comments to reporters also, were some very false facts pertaining to a Mr. Kirk Hollingsworth’s alleged award of several thousand acres in the Ruimveldt district, and areas south and east of Ruimveldt. As we all know, that story or allocation proved to be a massive falsehood, but it was the speed with which the Chamber was wont to call for transparency and fair play in land allocation that obviously

caught my attention.

To me, Mr. Editor, Mr. Boyer and his associates at that august body should be the last to speak about transparency in land allocation. Members of the Chamber and its sister organisations making up the Private Sector Commission were mum and had obviously gagged themselves into quietude when the Jagdeo and Ramotar administrations had dished out large acreages of prime seaside lands to people like former PSC President Eddy Boyer for peppercorn rates.

Ironically, in this instance, the person to complain about Unicon and Hollingsworth was none other than Mr. Boyer Jnr, son of Eddy. He said he was speaking for Chamber members. Neither the Chamber nor the PSC said anything when Jagdeo dished out large plots of land to close associates like Mr. Boyer. In my research on the topic, I came across a Kaieteur News piece dated January 27, 2016. In that article, top officials at GuySuCo complained bitterly

that the Corporation, in one instance, lost out on a whopping US$20M deal to sell off lands because top officials back then had intervened, blocked the sale of the land, and awarded them to close associates.

GuySuCo said that it could have been in a much better financial position, had it been allowed to freely dispose of its lands by public tender, but this was not to be, as the bigger boys in power back then moved it.

The rest is history, and Guyanese should remind the Chamber and its friends in no uncertain manner that the only people who had complained about land sales back then were the media and the Opposition; not the Chamber or the PSC. What a tangled web these folks weave today.

Regards, Winston Mars

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Demerara Bank records over $2B in profits –– makes highest dividend payment in the history of the bank

DEMERARA Bank Limited has recorded a profit of $2.177 billion for the financial year which ended in September, 2019.

The profit reflects an increase of 6.7 per cent when compared to the previous financial year. In addition, according to the bank’s audited financial results, the company recorded a gross profit of $3.3 billion, which reflected an increase of 5.4 per cent when compared to previous year.

Chairman of Demerara Bank Limited, Dr. Yesu Persaud, in his review of the company’s performance, said as a result of the profit, the bank’s board of directors has recommended a final payment of dividend of

$1.05 per share. The agreement payment brought the total dividend for the year to $1.40 per share.

“This is the highest dividend payment in the history of the bank,” said Dr. Persaud, adding that the bank foresees many more great experiences, expansions, growth and excitement in the years to come. He said the bank’s vision is to have a presence in Guyana’s various geographical areas and to tap into new markets, adapt new technologies and develop new product offerings, all while providing unique value through a comprehensive approach to customers’ banking experience.

“As we look back on the history of the bank, we are

proud of our progress over the last twenty- five years since it represents the banks continued contribution to Guyana’s development.

“It was very challenging to form a totally indigenous bank without the management, finance and technical collaboration from overseas institutions, but we have weathered the storm emerging among our peers in many aspects,” said Dr. Persaud.

The bank, through diligent efforts, boasts of contributing to the country’s economy in multiple ways, as one of Guyana’s leading financial institutions with an expanded network of seven branches and a team of over 200 employees.

Early this year, it was

reported that the bank had recorded a profit of $821 million after tax for the first quarter of 2019. Demerara Bank Limited was incorporated on January 20, 1992, as a private limited liability company under the provisions of the Companies Act, Chapter 89:01 and was licensed to carry on the business of Banking on October 31,1994.

The Bank obtained its Certificate of Continuance on April 2, 1997, in accordance with the Companies Act 1991. The Bank offers a complete range of banking and financial services and operates under the Provisions of the Financial Institution Act (Act 1 of 1995).

According to the com-

pany’s website, the bank remains committed to Dr. Yesu Persaud’s vision and takes pride in providing innovative and superior banking services, which include savings and term deposit accounts, loans, money transfer services, cambio services and Internet banking services.

Additionally, Demerara Bank offers a special loan scheme geared towards Guyana’s Go Green Initiative and is the first commercial institution to operate its corporate office solely on solar energy and has converted most of its locations to solar energy to reduce its carbon footprint.

Demerara Bank is the only principal member of

Chairman of Demerara Bank Limited, Dr. Yesu Persaud VISA in Guyana and offers VISA credit, and soon, VISA debit, cards.

Health and safety infractions cause IDB to suspend disbursements for Sheriff/Mandela road expansion project THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has suspended the disbursement of funds for the ongoing US$31 million Sheriff/ Mandela road expansion project owing to health

and safety violations by the contractor.

This is according to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson in a post on his Facebook page, on Monday. According to Patterson,

the IDB has suspended the disbursement of funds to the Chinese contractor, Sinohydro Corporation Limited because of serious health and safety infractions. “The IDB has suspended disbursement

Works being conducted on Mandela Avenue back in January 2019

to the project because of the numerous serious health and safety infractions as well as traffic management failures by the contractor,” said Patterson, adding that the contractor was warned on several occasions to rectify those issues but unfortunately, majority of failures identified have remained outstanding.

The road expansion contract is subject to performance audits by the IDB. And, Patterson said he has been on record, on several occasions, raising the issue about this contractor’s performance, so the suspension of disbursements by the IDB does not come as a surprise.

Despite the contractor’s failure to rectify the issue, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) has already commenced actions to address the defaulting issues, since some of the failures pose serious safety risks to the general public.

The issue was brought to light after Sinohydro Corporation Limited dismissed an employee and said it was because MoPI failed to pay

them (the contractor) for the last three months.

“While the dismissal of any employee is regrettable, the contractor should not seek to blame any other entity for the clear disregard of contractual obligations. A full statement will be provided by the MoPI tomorrow November 19, 2019 (today),” said Minister Patterson.

The IDB-funded Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue road expansion project was contracted to the company in December 2017 but work commenced in August 2018, following surveying work.

The project was intended to improve road safety; simplify traffic movements; provide adequate drainage for the road corridor and interdependent communities; and extend the design life of the pavement and all roadway structures to a minimum of 20 years from the expected end of construction.

This stretch of road will see the construction of a two-lane roadway with a concrete median portioning the two lanes along Sher-

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson iff Street, while Mandela Avenue will involve expansion of the roadway from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with a central concrete median and shared-use paths.

A roundabout will be constructed at the junction of Sheriff Street and David Street/Railway Embankment Road, while the completed roadway will also be outfitted with the requisite road safety amenities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes and adequate parking spaces. Bridges will also be upgraded; while in the vicinity of East Ruimveldt and North Ruimveldt Secondary schools, there will be a pedestrian overpass.

10

Gov’t calls on Kaieteur News to retract ludicrous fake news article

THE Government of Guyana is taken aback by an outrageous front page article which appeared in the Kaieteur News of Monday, November 11, 2019, under the headline “Govt. gives out land larger than G/town to a single individual” and has called on the entity to retract the erroneous story.

This article was quickly proven to be wholly and completely false. The government withheld comment in anticipation of a full and unequivocal apology and retraction of the article but with one week having elapsed,none has been forthcoming, the government said in a release on Monday.

“This article does not fall within the realm of journalism. It is pure, unadulterated fake news and unvarnished malicious propaganda. With Kaieteur News having refused to retract the article or apologise for its initial publication, it is evident that this planted article was intended to cause injury and harm to the image and reputation of the Coalition Government.”

The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana calls on Kaieteur News to withdraw the fake news article and issue an unequivocal public apology.

Further, the government calls on Kaieteur News to practise the basic tenets of responsible journalism, to fact check and to verify and validate before publishing what can only be described as a ludicrous article.

“With the growing phenomenon of fake news, the government calls on all media houses to ensure that their reportage is fact based and urges the Guyana Press Association to impress upon its membership their duty to provide credible and factual information to the public. The Coalition Government is proud of its record of promoting press freedom and the right to free access to information in Guyana during its term in office and is committed to ensuring that journalists are not in any way impeded from doing their work.

However, the members of the media must hold in equal esteem their responsibility to credible, unbiased and balanced journalism,” the statement added.

Appeal Court orders retrial in rape case against businessman APPEAL COURT Judges, Roxane George-Wiltshire (Chief Justice ag.), Franklin Holder and Rishi Persaud, on Monday, November 18, 2019, ordered a retrial in the case of businessman Kevin Jordan, who was, in 2015, found guilty and sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for sodomising a 7-year-old boy.

The judges set aside the conviction and Jordan, 60, will remain on $1M bail, pending his re-trial at the High Court.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Dexter Todd.

Todd argued that the conviction of Jordan was a nullity and the jury departed from the minimum of two hours before they delivered the majority verdict.

“The jury deliberated for one hour and 20 minutes and would have rushed their verdict. As such, the verdict of the jury was unlawful and the trial judge should have rejected it,” Todd contended.

The appeal court judges ordered that the matter be sent back to the High Court for retrial at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.

In October 2015, a 12-member mixed jury found Jordan guilty of raping the child on November 2, 2007. He was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment by High Court Judge Dawn Gregory.

It was alleged that Jordan, the owner of Jordan’s Spare Parts store, molested the victim at his business place.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Where is the sugar money? … PNCR calls on PPP to account for $34.4B given by EU for GuySuCo

THE People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) is still to give the nation an explanation for what actually became of the portion of the Euro166.67M ($34.4B) that was given to Guyana between 2006 and 2015, and was expected to go to programmes that mitigated the effects of the declining sugar industry.

This is according to the People’s National Congress Reform, which is contending that under the PPP government, unemployment grew from 32,931 in 2002 to 34,964 in 2012.

And with the PPPC and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo complaining about the lack of salary increases for sugar workers as was given to public servants, the PNCR is questioning whether that party ever had those workers’ interests at heart.

“The PPP was given [$34.4B] Billion by the European Union (EU) to protect sugar workers jobs and strengthen the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. Where did that money go? Inevitably those funds went missing; the money most likely ended up in the pockets of the PPP elite and never made it to the sugar workers or GuySuCo,” PNCR Chairman Volda Lawrence noted at a recent press conference.

Reading from a prepared statement, Lawrence said: “History shows clearly that at no point was protecting sugar workers’ jobs a priority for the dishonest PPP. If the PPP was concerned for the welfare of the sugar workers then the $348 Billion would have gone to those workers and to GuySuco. But instead of putting money in the sugar workers pockets.”

The government recently announced salary increases from 9 - 8.5 per cent for pub-

lic servants.

The increases will be retroactive to January 2019 and tax-free. Notwithstanding that from 2010 to 2015, under the PPP, public servants’ wages grew less than ten per cent, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has been repeatedly quoted as saying that public servants were better off back then.

But according to the statistics, under the PPP, unemployment grew from 32,931 in 2002 to 34,964 in 2012.

‘DON’T BE FOOLED’ “The PNCR calls on all Guyanese to be vigilant, and not be fooled by the ‘snake-oil salesmen’ of the dishonest PPP. For 23 years, the PPP and Irfaan Ali failed Guyanese, driving important industries to collapse, putting people’s livelihoods at risk and costing tens of thousands to lose their jobs,” Minister Lawrence said, adding: “It was the PPP, not the PNC, who forced the closure of Diamond, LBI and Wales Sugar Estates. It was the PPP, not the PNC, that silenced sugar workers with teargas when they protested. It was the PPP, not the PNC that squandered billions of dollars that should have gone to the sugar workers.”

She said the PPPC should explain to sugar workers what became of the billions of dollars that were supposed to be used to help build the sugar industry.

Noting that while the cash-strapped sugar industry floundered, GuySuCo’s former CEO, Rajendra Singh was living large, Minister Lawrence said: “Raj Singh was paid millions of dollars a month to run GuySuCo, and he did not even live in Guyana.

The PPP, instead of giving money to the sugar

workers, wasted it by flying Raj Singh back and forth from the USA to Guyana first-class. Now the PPP leadership, Irfaan Ali and the Party General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, sits in their multi-million-dollar water-front mansions, pretending to care, while sugar workers struggle to survive.”

ACCOMPANYING MEASURES As part of the Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol (AMSP), the EU doled out billions of dollars, in various tranches, to the PPPC government, as adjustment to the 2006 reform of the EU’s sugar regime, which saw the implementation of a phased 36 per cent price-cut for countries that sold sugar to the EU. The money represented a fraction of an entire EURO$1.25B that was dispersed across a number of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to promote the economic diversification of sugar-dependent areas.

In Guyana, however, the money was never directly handed over to GuySuCo and was instead paid into the National Treasury. Hence, there was no trail tracking what money that was plugged into the industry over the years came from the AMSP project, or how exactly the money was utilised. Or what impact the money had in improving the industry. It was not clear how much of an impact those funds had in terms of preparing the local sugar industry for the inevitable, and there are questions about the previous administration’s decision to plug $47B into the failed Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project.

In 2006, the PPPC government submitted a Guy-

PNCR Chairman Volda Lawrence ana National Plan of Action (GNPA) listing three pillars of intervention under the AMSP. The first pillar focused on the promotion, development and diversification of the industry, and had a budget of $114.884B; $6.678B of which was earmarked for the growth and development of specific non-traditional agriculture; while another $5.525B was to have gone towards infrastructural and human resource development.

However a 2016 follow-up assessment has concluded that these goals were poorly met. “There was little progress towards the goals contained in the National Adaption Strategy and AMSP surrounding industry competitiveness and output,” a “Study on Current and Forecast Market Development for ACP Sugar Suppliers to the EU Market” is quoted as saying.

The study, which was submitted in July 2016, has concluded that the problem was that not all the AMSP money went to GuySuCo. “Investment [fell] far below the planned level across the entire period… due to disbursal occurring via budget support… Not all AMSP funding reached GuySuCo.”

Teen being sought in beheading of Brazilian POLICE are hunting for a teenage suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Dico Davi Roberto Moreira, whose headless body was found on the Tabatinga Lethem road in Central Rupununi, Region Nine, on Sunday.

Police are looking for his 17-year-old cousin who is suspected to be the murderer; both men are from Bonfim, Brazil.

The Lethem Police and the Roraima Military Police have partnered to take steps to arrest the suspect.

Reports revealed that Moreira’s headless body was seen lying on the road, clad in long black pants and a blue jersey with multiple stab wounds to the upper back; both wrists were partly severed.

His sister made a positive identification of the

body based on a tattoo on the left hand. Reports indicate that Moreira and the suspect have had a long-standing dispute after the suspect was involved in an intimate relationship with the mother of Moreira’s child.

It is alleged that on November 11, the suspect stole a bicycle which belonged to Moreira’s mother and sold it in Lethem but Moreira retrieved the bicycle and

gave it back to his mother.

It is further alleged that on November 13, the suspect and some of his friends went to Moreira’s house and told his mother that they will kill him.

The head has not yet been found, although searches have been carried out in the region.

There is a possibility that it was thrown into the river by the killer.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Gov’t to invest $150M in Linden River Front Development

SHOULD it be returned to office, the Coalition Government has pledged to invest some $150 to $200M on the development of Linden’s River Front, which is part of the town’s Plan of Action for Tourism Development.

This is according to environmentalist and champion of Linden River Front Development, as well as Founder of the Linden River Front Festival, Samuel Wright.

He related that stakeholders close to the project, including the Region Ten Tourism Association, have engaged the government on the plans, and pledges were made to allocate up to $200M, which will fund the developmental project. “We have engaged the Guyana Government and we expect, over the next year, about $150 to $200M spent on the river front development. This is very exciting for us,” Wright said.

The plan entails detailed areas of development that will take place.

First of all, Wright said that a massive clean-up campaign will commence to facilitate the development, and this will occur on both sides of the river. Included in the development is the construction of a Marina, which will facilitate the influx of tourists, already noticed in the town, visiting to experience the beauty of the river front, particularly at night.

“We are looking to develop a marina, because more and more people are coming up

Linden’s environmentalist Samuel Wright the river, wanting to see the river, wanting to see Linden from the river side,” Wright said. A Marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.

In addition, a feasibility study will be completed to ascertain the possibility of a commercial wharf at Silvertown. Wright said this is needed, since Linden can be classified as a port, but all of the ports are industrial ones; hence, there is need to develop a commercial wharf, which will transform Silvertown as the commercial centre of the Wismar shore. This will see a boost in economic activities on the Wismar Shore.

The River Front Development Plan also entails the construction of fishing tiers, since fishing is still a common past time and economic activity, done on both sides

of the river. The fishing tier, Wright said, will enhance their access to the water.

A feasibility study will also be conducted, to develop the Christianburg Water Wheel; a historic land mark at Christianburg. “We come to the water wheel and we say yes, it is a nice water wheel. It is a nice historic site, but we say is more than that; we would like to develop the water wheel and record the history of the water wheel and the history of Christianburg,” Wright posited. The feasibility study will include the construction of a restaurant, a wharf, a park with beautiful landscaping and gardening, to really attract tourists to the destination.

The Christianburg Water Wheel is one of Guyana’s magnificent Industrial monuments. In 1803, John Dagleish Patterson, a Scottish engineer, operated a sawmill in the Christianburg area and the water wheel was used to help transport logs down the river.

Wright urged all Lindeners to be very excited about this tourism developmental project, since the boost in the tourism industry in Linden will be a big boost to its economy. “We should be excited, $150M or more, we have a plan coming along, we have a task force and I look forward to seeing this developed next year and we all can celebrate and use the river front,” he said.

The development of the

The Linden River Front river front is one of the most important aspects of developing tourism, since the river front can be deemed the cradle of the township. Wright explained that every aspect of tourism depend on the river front, since everything originate on the river front.

This include industrial tourism-- since Linden is a port; and historical tourism-- since several historical buildings from the colonial era are still standing on the river front, which can also be tied into architectural tourism. He also spoke of fishing as aqua tourism; entertainment tourism with the establishment of several bars and environmental tourism, since all of the

creeks in Linden are drained by the river.

At the Linden River Front 2019 launch, Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, said the Government of Guyana remains committed to the development of river fronts in the various administrative regions, as it forms part of plans to transform the country into a ‘green state’ within 30 years.

We are going to be transformed into a ‘green state’ and a ‘green economy’. What that means is that our behaviour and our attitude toward our environment have to change in keeping with that strategy; and so our at-

titude to rivers, our attitude to creeks, our attitude to the trees, our attitude to our environment, the air we breathe, has to undergo significant changes,” he said.

Strides to develop the river front commenced with the construction of a boardwalk on the Wismar Shore, by the Regional Democratic Council, to the tune of $10M. The spacious yellowand-blue boardwalk is located in the vicinity of the Wismar Municipal Market, the Wismar Police Station and the Linden Magistrate’s Court, and in close proximity to several private business entities as well.

12

‘Our record of bettering fortunes of workers, companies cannot be matched’ – Min. Jordan

AS public servants welcome the retroactive salary increases, Minister of Finance, Hon. Winston Jordan, said the pay increases were tied to the fact that more persons were paying their fair share of taxes.

Minister Jordan explained, in an exclusive interview, “Over the last

four years, we have been able to do what we have done because attention was paid to those who are paying taxes. Let it be known, that it is this government that has improved dramatically the personal allowance, and it is this government that has reduced the income tax for public corpora-

tions who are involved in manufacturing and small industries.”

The Finance Minister added that the Coalition Government’s achievements of doing more for workers and companies, in four short years, surpass the record of the previous 23-year administration.

His Excellency, Pres-

GUYANA CHRONICLE tuesDay, novembER 19, 2019

Minister of Finance, Hon. Winston Jordan ident David Granger, on November 13 announced a major tax-free retroactive salary increase for 2019. With the minimum wage climbing, public servants earning between $64,200 and $99,999 will, this year, see a 9 percent increase in their salaries.

All increases will be retroactive from January 1, 2019. This means that a public service employee who earns a monthly salary of $64,200, will take home $70,000 in December, and it will be tax-free.

In addition, they will get more than a month’s salary, given that the 9 percent increase is retroactive for 12 months.

Announcing the improved salary packages, the Head of State said, “The APNU+AFC Coalition is committed to creating a proficient, professional, highly-motivated and well-paid public service. Your government is committed to good governance and ensuring that all Guyanese can enjoy the good life.”

He noted that increases in salaries and wages have positively impacted the performance of public servants themselves, their households and on the national economy as a whole.(DPI)

Indian High Commissioner pays courtesy call on AG

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams last week received a courtesy call from the High Commissioner of India to Guyana, His Excellency Dr. K.J.Srinivasa at his Carmichael Office.

His Excellency Dr. Srinivasa presenting Minister Williams with a token of a book on the life of renowned, Mahatma Gandhi His Excellency Dr. Srinivasa was accompanied

by Counsellor, Mr. Vijayakumar K, the AG chambers said in a release. Minister Williams and His Excellency Dr. Srinivasa engaged in discussions on the history of India and Guyana relations and the strong and cordial bond between the two countries.

Additionally, the high commissioner stated this is exemplified by the Indian Government’s recent increase in the number of scholarship slots offered to Guyanese students pursuing technical and economic cooperation studies.

Venezuelan stabbed to death during scuffle with bandits POLICE are hunting two suspects in the murder of a Venezuelan in the wee hours of Monday morning, at Grove, Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Dead is William Floris, 22, of Post Office Street, Grove, EBD. Enquiries disclosed that the victim was sitting on the Western side of the Public Road, when he was approached by the suspects on bicycles.

One of the suspects brandished a knife while

Dead: William Floris demanding that the victim hand over his belongings.

A scuffle ensued between them and the victim was stabbed twice. The suspects then rode away and the victim gave chase but fell down in the process, in the vicinity of Bounty supermarket, EBD. He was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Residents in the area said that the suspect that stabbed the Venezuelan was identified as someone called ‘Blue’ who lives in Post Office Street.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Waramuri receives $12M electricity system ... 350 residents, public facilities to receive power

THE village of Waramuri in the Moruca sub-region on Saturday received a brand-new $12M electric-

ity distribution system.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the system, which

will provide power to 350 residents of the Moruca sub-district village, was officially handed over and

Residents cut the ribbon as the generating set was officially handed over to the village. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman (right) and MP, Michael Carrington (second left) look on

Child killed while crossing road

A Primary School pupil lost her life on Saturday after she attempted to cross the road to purchase chewing gums from a shop on the other side of the road on the Farm, East Bank Essequibo, Public Road.

Dead is six-year-old Kelissa Richards. She was struck down by motorcar PRR 7918.

Reports indicate that she

was picked up in an unconscious state by the driver of the motorcar and rushed to the Leonora Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her mother had told the child that she would purchase the chewing gum later in the evening, but the pupil ventured onto the roadway on her own, resulting in the fatal accident.

Dead: Kelissa Richards

commissioned on Saturday

by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.

The electricity system will supply power to the village’s school, health facility and police station, and will complement the LED streetlights the community has already received.

With provisions made in the 2019 budget for the system’s procurement and installation, Minister Trotman assured that this represents the government’s commitment to ensuring all Guyanese have access to an improved standard of living.

He said that Guyanese in every corner of the country are now better off than they were, citing development in education, infrastructure and public security.

Government Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington, who visited the community, reminded residents about the many successes of the Coalition Government. Speaking on the developments made, hinterland communities now benefit from an increasingly robust and honest police force, a welcome develop-

Minister Trotman as he addressed residents at the event (DPI photos) ment for the residents.

Waramuri is a small thriving indigenous village in the Barima-Waini Region boasting a population of 1,400, headed by Toshao Leamond Emanuel.

On Saturday, the residents raised concerns about their involvement in oil and gas and access to drugs from the health centre, all of which were addressed satisfactorily by Minister Trotman, the DPI said.

The minister also visited the health centre and inspected areas of interest highlighted by residents.

Minister Trotman’s meeting in the village came on the heels of several ministerial visits to communities across Guyana. Over the last few days, ministers of government have met with and listened to concerns of residents in various administrative regions across the country.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

ExxonMobil geoscientists hold workshop with UG students

EXXONMOBIL is hoping to spark the interest of university students in Guyana in South America Basin Analysis and Hydrocarbon Systems, with the holding of a two-day workshop to teach University of Guyana (UG) Geology students on the topic.

It was the third time such a workshop was held. It was led by Global Geoscience Recruiting Advisor, Orla McLaughlin, as well as Guyanese Geoscientist, Ashlika Persaud.

“This is something I’ve done in the UK, Australia and now that we are building an office in Guyana, we are trying to teach the students here about the type of work we do and to try and get them interested in the kind of work they might want to do when they graduate,” McLaughlin explained.

The second year Geology students were exposed

Participants of the workshop

to Hydrocarbon Systems, Sequence Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of South America, among other topics. Guyanese Geoscientist, Ashlika Persaud, in a release from ExxonMobil,

noted that it was a great experience.

“This is one of the things I’ve wanted to do when I pursued a career in geology and started working with ExxonMo-

bil. I really want to give back to the country and the students and hopefully inspire them,” Persaud, who was instrumental in the discovery and naming of Tilapia earlier this year, said.

Meanwhile, several of the students were enthused about

the opportunity, particularly because of the absence of a specific component on oil and gas in the existing curriculum.

“I was a bit nervous with the practical because it is something new we are doing, but I came with the expectation of learning and being

informed about oil and how everything works,” Rianna Cobis expressed.

Her colleague, Keith Da Silva indicated: “This is a very good initiative since our country is new to oil, so educating a lot of persons will be very beneficial in time to come.”

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

APNU appeals GECOM’s rejection of objections in Region 5

THE coalition’s objections to several names being on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) in Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) were thrown out by the Guyana Elections Commission, but the party representative in the area, Carol Joseph, said this was done in the absence of any representation by the APNU+AFC accredited scrutineer.

The Returning Officer of Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) office at

Mahaicony, on Saturday last, was reported to have rejected APNU/AFC objections to over 535 names being on the voters’ list in the Abary/Mahaica Sub Region of Region 5. A local newspaper reporting this development claimed that the rejection brought the total number of rejections to 13,000 due to “unsubstantiated objections” made by the APNU AFC in Region Five. Joseph said on Monday that she has formally appealed the dismissals of the

Cocaine seizures down

… as police step up efforts to tackle trafficking ACTING Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston, said a lot of work had been done by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to curb the prevalence of cocaine trafficking, both locally and internationally, in the past five years.

The Senior Superintendent was, at the time, speaking about the GPF’s security plan for the Christmas season, at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, on Friday.

Adding that the Police Narcotics Branch had recorded a significant decrease in cocaine seizures for the past few years, Kingston said that, in 2015, the police seized 153 kilograms of cocaine but only 10 kilograms were seized for 2019, thus far.

“I know for a fact that persons may wonder why there has been a rapid decline. But, our intelligence shows that the presence of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) here has brought about signifi- Acting Crime Chief, cant progress in the seizure Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston rate. This has resulted in the vast decrease of cocaine activities,” he said.

He underscored that at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), in 2015, law enforcement ranks of the GPF seized 145 kilograms of cocaine.

As of October, 31, 2019, he said there have only been 5.143 kilograms seized. “In 2015, there were 155 persons charged for cocaine-related offences, in 2016 there were 81 persons, and in 2017 there were 148 persons and at present we have 70 persons,” the Crime Chief added.

Further, Senior Superintendent Kingston said that, as it relates to eradication exercises, in 2015, 41 acres of ganja were destroyed while in 2018, a total of 24.5 acres were targeted and destroyed and for 2019 thus far, 82 acres of cannabis fields have been found and destroyed.

He added that in 2015 there were 851 kilograms 376 grams of cannabis seized by ranks attached to the GPF and that, in 2019, that figure had been greatly reduced to 551 kilograms 352 grams to date. “With our recent commissioning of the Drug Treatment Court, it is anticipated that this kind of behaviour will decrease as we go along,” he noted.

He said in 2015 there were 630 persons charged while for the year under review there were 388 charges.

APNU AFC objections by the GECOM Returning Officer at Mahaicony.

She said that Statutory Notice for the commencement of the public inquiry was not given in conformity with the requirements. “The statutory notice for the hearings on Saturday last was not given, delivered or received by herself as the objector.”

“Standard procedures and arrangements reasonably expected for the conduct of such

hearings were breached, not observed and/or were conducted in a manner which conveyed the impression of pre-determination bias or the lack of impartiality and fairness in the proceedings,” she said.

Ms. Joseph reiterated to Guyana Chronicle: “I was not informed. I was totally unaware of the decision of the RO to proceed with the public enquiries. He had the responsibility to inform

me about the imminence of these proceedings at least three days before. He did not.

He did not adhere to what is considered to be the proper procedure. He went ahead and held the enquiries and made decisions about the APNU/ AFC objections, completely and totally in my absence as the accredited scrutineer.”

The appeal is to be considered by the Chief Executive Officer of GECOM. Ms. Joseph said that The APNU/

AFC had objected to a total of 13,000- odd names being on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) in Region 5 namely 3,611 in Abary /Mahaica sub-region 1 and 1,044 in Abary Berbice in Sub Region 2 Ms Joseph said that she wants the appeal to be resolved as quickly as possible, since she can, and will, defend the APNU/AFC’s objections, once the legal procedures are re-established.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Union prepares to fight

…as ‘Troy’ lets go laid off employees –– accuses company of breaching stipulated one-month notice

By Tamica Garnett THE management of Australian-owned gold mining company, Troy Resources Guyana Inc. has taken a decision to terminate the services of all of its laid off employees, informing them via ‘memo’ to expect sever-

has however noted that it hopes to rehire employees as its operations picks up.

“This decision was made with reluctance, and will nevertheless assist employees by providing a termination pay-out. It is expected that ‘Troy’ will go back to rehiring employees, as needed, for

pany some US$40,000 per day to continue in its suspended state, which began since October 12. Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14 (1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks. A decision on the

‘Troy’ gold production plant at Karouni in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region (Tamica Garnett photo) ance pay no later than this Friday.

The company has some 512 employees, 83 per cent of whom are locals. The 137 employees still in its employ are not affected by the termination notice or the severance pay-out.

The Union for the employees, the People’s United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU), says it is alarmed at the company’s decision to terminate employees without giving it notice, despite there’s a law stipulating that they must be informed and given related information. The company

a start-up in the near future, and hopes most current employees will be available and willing to return to work,” the ‘memo’ read.

It then goes on to say, “In the meantime, ‘Troy’ continues with exploration work, repairs to the processing plant, and securing the assets.

The success after restart is heavily dependent on team work, open communication, and the understanding that we all need to pull together to make it work.”

During a media visit to the company’s Karouni sites last Thursday, management said it was costing the com-

way forward for the company had been expected following a meeting between the executives and their Australian principals last Sunday night.

Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard-hit since operations were suspended.

DOWNWARD PROJECTIONS During last Thursday’s visit, Company executives told the media that for the

past few months, ‘Troy’ has been experiencing downward projections but is banking on future forecasts.

“The lack of income over the last six weeks has clearly damaged the company,” the ‘memo’ said.

Following the October 8 death of Ryan Taylor, one of its geologists at its “Hick’s Extension” mine in Karouni, Troy Resources laid off all but 137 of its employees, on the pretext of complying with a directive from Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott.

Scott’s ‘cease-work order’ was rescinded by Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally on October 15, but the company chose to remain closed instead.

Following Taylor’s death also, investigations were launched by the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&SD) Department and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Despite all investigations and reports have been completed, none of them have been released.

NOT AT ALL HAPPY Some employees are not entirely happy with how the situation was handled by the company, but are relieved to have a decision made so they know where they stand.

“I mean, it’s life; it’s going to affect a lot of people who don’t have any other income. All like me, I done know what I can do. I have my business, or I can go back in the ‘bush’, because I was offered a job; just that I refuse it because I said I didn’t want to go, and they try calling me and can’t get on to me and so forth. I have other plans,” one employee

noted.

Monday’s ‘memo’, signed by Company Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ken Nilsson, notes that “the scheduling resources and reserves, as well as securing financial support has not been completed, and will require more time.”

It goes to say that given that “the timeline for stand down will expire this week, it has triggered some decisions about the way forward.”

UNION UPSET The Union, on the other hand, believes that in lieu of giving it one month’s notice, ‘Troy’ would have to pay employees one month’s salary, in addition to their severance pay-out.

“The Union wrote them earlier this month asking to meet for discussions. There’s nothing that is surprising to the Union; we were conscious that the next move that they would’ve come with would’ve been to pay severance,” GTUC’s Lincoln Lewis said, adding: “The termination of employment and severance pay law says that the Union has to be given one month’s notice, and the list of names and classification of the people that would be sent home.

None of that was done.”

The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act Section 15(1) stipulates a notice period of two weeks for employees for less than one year, and one month for employees employed one year and over when a contract of employment is being terminated.

Section 16(1) further mandates that “in lieu of giving notice of termination under Section 15 (1), the employer shall pay the employee a sum equal to

‘Troy’ Managing Director and CEO Ken Nilsson the remuneration and benefits due to the employee up to the expiry of any required period of notice.”

“Why we asked them to meet,” Lewis said, “it was our intention to discuss the issue of a better package.

Their response was that there is nobody in the country; all the senior managers were out, and nobody wasin the country to meet with the Union. But the next day, the same management met with Minister Ally.”

He said the Union will be writing both the company and the Department of Labour today, and is willing to take the matter as far as the courts if the need arises.

Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14(1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks. A decision on the way forward for the company had been expected following a meeting between the executives and their Australian principals last Sunday night.

Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining of a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard hit since operations were suspended.

LBI man freed of murder charge A MAN, who was on trial for the 2016 murder of cane harvester, Deokumar Basdeo, was, on Monday, acquitted

by High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow.

Deoram Persaud of La Bonne Intention (LBI),

East Coast Demerara, was charged for killing Basdeo between January 1 and January 2, 2016 at Cane Grove, ECD. The trial commenced on Monday before a mixed 12-member jury with the testimonies

of five witnesses after which State Prosecutor Shawnette Austin closed her case.

Persaud’s attorney, Latchmie Rahamat, made a no-case submission, calling for the charge to be dismissed, since the

prosecution failed to make a case against her client.

Justice Barlow ruled in favour of the no-case submission and directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. According to reports, on January 1, 2016, Basdeo was at-

tacked and beaten by a group of men.

They were all armed with pieces of wood.

Basdeo was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and died on January 2, 2016, while receiving treatment.

Deoram Persaud

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Ex-soldier gets life sentence for murder of uncle

By Clestine Juan

A FORMER Guyana Defence Force soldier, Dwayne Tappin, was, on Monday, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his uncle back in 2017.

High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon, in handing down the sentence, ordered that the convict serve 40 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. In October, Tappin was found guilty by a 12-member jury, at the Demerara High Court, before Justice Kissoon. Tappin, 29, was convicted for killing 51-year-old Randolph Seenauth on August 6, 2017, at Lot 125 South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara.

Evidence in the case was led by state prosecutors Mandel Moore and Abigail Gibbs, while Tappin was represented by attorney-at-law Gwendolyn Bristol. Bristol had asked the court to have

a probation report prepared on his client before sentence was passed.

On Monday, a probation report was read in court by probation officer Arianna Gibson who explained that Tappin’s relatives and persons in the South Better Hope community described him as pleasant and hardworking.

However, according to the villagers Tappin and his uncle Seenauth have had a bitter relationship and would often verbally abuse each other. Additionally, the villagers disclosed that a land dispute and alcohol played a role in the crime.

According to the probation officer, Tappin can be rehabilitated while behind bars if he is exposed to the correct programme.

The Judge, after sentencing Tappin, ordered that he benefits from programmes that will facilitate his rehabilitation.

According to reports, Seenauth and his nephew had lived in separate apartments on the plot of land. However, the family had a dispute over the plot of land which

Dwayne Tappin

the dead man’s mother had occupied before she died.

On August 6, 2017, around 04:30 hrs, neighbours heard a loud ‘commotion’ coming from one of the apartments, but then there was silence for a few minutes which led them to suspect something

was amiss.

Neighbours called out for Seenauth but got no response and later contacted the Sparendaam Police Station. Police ranks arrived shortly after, and, upon pushing the front door to Seenauth’s apartment, found his head lying in a passageway between the living room and kitchen.

Further checks were made in the apartment and the rest of the man’s body was discovered on a mattress in the bedroom. The murder weapon was not recovered despite searches in both apartments. Tappin, hours after the murder, turned himself over to ranks at the Sparendaam Police Station.

During the trial, Government Pathologist, Nehaul Singh had testified on carrying out the post-mortem examination on Seenauth in 2017.

According to the witness, Seenauth’s clothing had blood stains and his head was

wrapped in a piece of cloth.

Seenauth’s head was severed from his body and had a laceration under his ears. The back of his hands had cuts which Singh deemed defensive wounds. The pathologist explained that the cause of Seenauth’s death was decapitation, which was caused by a sharp weapon– a cutlass.

Police Detective Sergeant, Kevin Martin, had testified during the trial and gave a detailed account of what transpired between himself and Tappin at the Sparendaam Police Station, on August 6, 2017. On that day, about 09:55hours, the detective said that he put the murder allegation to Tappin and cautioned him in accordance with the judge’s rule.

After administering the caution, the witness said Tappin told him “Offisah, me guh tell yuh the truth of this story what happen.”

This response caused the Detective to enquire of Tap-

pin if he would like to give a statement and he (Tappin) said ‘yes’ and asked him (Martin) to write the statement.

Detective Martin said that, in the presence of his colleague and Tappin’s sister, the statement was taken. In reading the statement to the court, the witness said that the murder accused told him, “Sir, this is what happen. Me guh at me uncle at Lot 125 South Better Hope where me mother use to live, but me mother move out and I get a key for the house.

Every time I go there, he (Seenauth) always attacking me when I go there.

When I go there this morning he attack me with a cutlass after I open the door with me key. I suspect he was drunk so I tek way the cutlass from he and fire three chops. I then throw way the cutlass in the cane field at the back of Better Hope.”

Abrams Creek teachers benefit from tablet distribution TEACHERS of the Abrams Creek Primary School in Pomeroon-Supenaam Region 2 have received several electronic tablets from Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton. The presentation was made during a community engagement on November 17.

“This is only the start; we are awaiting the installation of the ICT hub so the youths here in Abrams Creek will have access to internet services to assist in their schoolwork. However, today we will start by equipping our teachers so they can better prepare their classwork,” Minister Norton said.

The residents of Abrams Creek village in the Pomeroon-Supenaam are now able to access e-government services via the recently installed high-powered satellite dish, a promise fulfilled by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Hon. Catherine Hughes earlier this year.

Pointing to the whopping $52.2Billion that was allocated to the education sector

in the 2019 Budget, the minister underscored the fact that the sum will address the disparities in the sector between the hinterland and the coastland. This, he said, was evidenced in the establishment of smart classrooms, distribution of tablets, the upgrade and construction of schools, availability of scholarships and the provision of free transportation, books and meals through the Five B’s programme.

These measures, the minister said, will help realise the government’s vision of an “educated nation.”

During the interactive session, residents requested a boat and engine to transport the community’s Secondary School students. It was disclosed that currently there is an arrangement with the neighbouring communities to assist. However, such was not a permanent solution.

Minister Norton committed to partnering with other stakeholders to ensure that the request will be met soon.

He also donated a quantity of sports gear and equipment to the village. (DPI)

Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton, presents an electronic tablet to one of the Abrams Creek Primary School teachers

Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton presents an electronic tablet to one of the Abrams Creek Primary School teachers

Some of the residents of Abrams Creek in Pomeroon-Supenaam during the community meeting

Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton, presents an electronic tablet to one of the Abrams Creek Primary School teachers

Sophia man gets 17 years for killing brother THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Orin Jules, formerly of ‘D’ Field Sophia, was, on Monday, sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for killing his younger brother, during a brawl in 2016.

Jules, earlier this month, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court, having been charged for murder, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Orin Jules

Orin Jules admitted, that, on June 18, 2016, at ‘D’ Field Sophia, he murdered his younger brother, 23-year-old Dexter Jules.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir while the state was represented by prosecutor Mandel Moore. On Monday, Justice Kissoon, after considering the evidence in the case and Jules’ plea, sentenced him to serve 17 years in prison.

Orin Jules was previously charged with other criminal offences, including break and enter and larceny. He also has a history of threatening to kill his family members and was convicted before the same court for threatening to murder his mother and his siblings.

According to reports, on June 18, 2016, Orin and his younger brother were involved in a heated argument at their Sophia home. It is alleged that

Orin picked up a knife and stabbed his brother several times in his chest. Dexter was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Orin was apprehended by public-spirited persons and was handed over to the police after they found him hiding in a clump of bushes nearby.

The Guyana Chronicle had earlier reported that Dexter Jules, who operated a shop

when he was not mining in the interior, was conducting his day-to-day duties at his Sophia shop when his brother attempted to take something without asking.

“Orin de want something from de shop, but when Dexter stop he from coming in, he pull out a knife and stab him three times to his heart,” a relative said. Dexter leaves to mourn his six other siblings, wife and two children.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Greene urges set up of paediatric mental health unit … says large number of children in state care come from abusive situations

By Tamica Garnett

WITH many of the children taken into state care coming from abused and or neglected situations, Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene, is advocating for the establishment of a Paediatric Mental Health Unit.

Greene explained that even though every child coming to the agency is screened, and some are provided with some form of continuous counselling, is it not enough.

Given the circumstances some deal with, she believes long term observation would greatly help them.

“We have some children that need to be admitted for some observation and get some good treatment. To get their behaviour observed, where you treat them, you look at their behaviour and we help programme them.

We don’t have a paediatric mental health unit but I am canvassing for one to help the children,” Greene shared in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Psychologist Wil Campbell believes that mental health of children, on the whole, is not given enough attention in Guyana.

“We have this notion that children shouldn’t have mental health problems; that it’s for adults who have issues, dealing with life and so on.

But the reality is that a lot of our children are suffering,

whether it’s from trauma, or from something biological, a lot of our children do have mental health issues. To have a unit that is dedicated to their mental health care is not just a great idea, it’s a necessity,” he opines.

When the situation requires it, the CPA must remove a child from a home and provide the necessary alternative accommodation.

The CPA currently has approximately 700 children in its care.

Campbell, who holds a Master’s Degree in psychology, emphasized that the need is particularly great for any child in the CPA system.

“We can assume that pretty much every child passing through the CPA has to deal with some kind of trauma. I know that the CPA does not have the kind of staffing, neither in terms of numbers nor in terms of training, to deal with some of the issues that pass through there. Hence, the need for a specialist,” he noted.

“Just being removed from what they are familiar with is traumatic for adults, much less children. And they have to deal with the trauma resulting from the need to have them removed in the first place. Most likely it had to be an issue of abuse or neglect and all of those are traumatic. Some of them are abused or neglected by their parents because they have a pre-existing psychological deficit. So that would just add

Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ann Greene another layer of need for the children,” he added.

In Guyana, approximately 4,000 cases of violence against children are reported every year, while, according to reports, in 2018, the CPA reported over 4900 cases of child abuse. This is even as it is believed that approximately 90 per cent of the cases of child abuse, in Guyana, go unreported to the authorities.

“A lot of them have pain issues, effecting them emotionally and mentally. We need to really do the research.

So it would be a type of metal health research unit to find out what is happening with these children. So we’re working towards having that, we’re talking with the professionals,” Greene said.

Currently, the CPA has a few psychologists on staff, and deals with the situation as

best they can.

“We have two psychologists on board. It’s not enough, but we make it do until more can come later on. Every child that has been abused needs to be screened for mental health issues, and that is what we’re doing currently,” Greene says.

The country, earlier this year, got its first Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Jenese October. October, who has a first degree specializing in Child Psychiatry-- the first local doctor to provide this specific service to Guyana--recently returned from studying in Cuba.

Greene notes that she has written October with the hope of having her work along with the agency.

It is the mandate, by law, of the CPA to look after children in need of care and protection, as well as the provision of “counselling and other services, including basic services such as shelter, food and education, for children in need of care and protection”.

“It’s challenging when we don’t really have the facilities, because there are times when we have one child who is acting up, displaying, and we might have to remove that child. We can’t let one child disruptive type of behavior affect the other children, we have to remove them for a little while out of that and seek help, because, yes, they do act up and things happen,’ Greene said.

Greene notes that at times even the staff are putting themselves in harm’s way just to look after such children.

“Many times we are victims, we are secondary victims. Our protection, too, is at risk. We go over and beyond the call of duty. We have to go more than what we should do, but we aren’t complaining, we like what we do. But then we get these unfair attacks that people don’t understand that have agendas and have their own cause that they want to promote without really coming and lend support,” she stated.

Greene feels encouraged about the Unit coming to fruition, with the news that the first batch of locally-trained psychiatrists in the University of Guyana Master’s in Psychiatry programme graduated in 2019. Another batch of students, who have pursued their Diplomas in Psychology, were also expected to be graduating. Both programmes were launched in 2017.

Mental health in Guyana has gained increased attention and focus over the years, particularly since 2014 when Guyana was declared to have the highest suicide rate in the world.

Earlier this year, Chairman of ChildLink, Kosi John, highlighted that the trauma experienced by children in Guyana is not yet understood and treated. John, at the time, was making a presen-

tation titled “Lessons learnt from trauma stories on child abuse”, at a ChildLink forum in March.

“Trauma is the most avoided, ignored and untreated cause of human suffering,” he said, adding that it is becoming common knowledge.

In serious cases where the child poses harm to themselves and others, help is solicited from the Ministry of Public Health Mental Health Unit; however, Greene believes the children need an environment specifically tailored for them.

“We have in-care children who go to regular clinics,” Greene noted.

There are also cases of children not in state care but who are regularly visited by the agency at home to lend assistance to their parents or guardians. The agency recently had a case of a teenage young man, who the agency monitors periodically, behaving erratically in the compound of the CPA offices.

Greene explained that the child lives with his mother, who would often seek the assistance of the agency when she cannot handle the situation alone. The teen was reported missing, before turning up at the agency.

He threatened the lives of the staff at the agency and was eventually taken to the hospital.

“This child, I was worried about him all weekend,” Greene shared.

Teen granted bail for unlawful wounding Man committed to stand trial for sexual assault ON Monday November 18, 2019, an 18-year-old miner was granted $70,000 bail

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for wounding a man.

Denzel Chance of Bartica appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and denied the charge, when it was read to him.

Particulars of the charge stated that, on November 12, 2019, at Quartz Stone Backdam, Cuyuni River, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Trevon Sample, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him actual bodily harm. “ I was sitting by a shop and I had a knife in my hand, when I see this man I ask he for my money and he say he in paying me, after he see the knife he scramble me and

during the scuffle the knife inserted in him,” Chance said.

Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield made no objection to bail being granted and told the court that Chance and Sample were known to each other. He added that Sample contacted Chance concerning building a shop and Sample had promised to pay at a later date.

The court heard that Chance contacted Sample concerning the money and Sample refused to pay. An argument ensued. Chance, at that time, had a knife in his possession and, during a scuffle, Sample received stab injuries. He was hospitalized and later discharged.

Mansfield also asked that the bail be substantial and conditions be attached.

Magistrate McLennan

32-year-old taxi driver of North Ruimveldt was, on Monday November 18, 2019, committed to stand trial, at the High Court,

by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, for sexual assault.

Neville Thomas was not required to plead to the charge which stated that, between April 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with a twelve-year-old child.

The Magistrate stated that she found sufficient evidence against Thomas, after all the

Denzel Chance granted Chance $70,000 bail and ordered him to report to the Bartica police station every Friday, until the completion of the matter. Chance was also ordered to stay 50ft from Sample and make no contact with him.

The matter was adjourned until November 29, 2019, at the Bartica Magistrate court.

evidence was presented.

According to information, the victim and Thomas were known to each other, since he picked her up every day from school. On the day in question, Thomas picked up the child from school, and, on their way home, he took her to a hotel in Diamond, where he had sexual intercourse with her. The matter was reported and Thomas was arrested and later charged.

Thomas is currently on remand for the offence.

Student struck down by car on pedestrian crossing at Grove AN 11-year-old girl was struck down on Monday afternoon by a speeding motorcar as she and others walked across a pedestrian crossing at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Reports are that minutes before 16:00hrs, the traffic halted to allow the student and several other students to cross the busy roadway.

While walking across the pedestrian

crossing, the driver of a white Toyota motorcar decided to cross the double lines and overtake the line of traffic.

The car slammed into the young lady; she was flung several feet away from the point of impact.

She was rushed to the Diamond Hospital for treatment while the driver was taken into police custody.

19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

1 in 5 Caribbean men will not reach age of 50 … New PAHO report says due to issues relating to toxic masculinity

A NEW report from Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) reveals that men in the Caribbean live almost six years less than women, and proposes nine recommendations to improve their health outcomes.

Life expectancy for men in the Region of the Americas is 5.8 years below that of women, partly because societal expectations contribute to risk-seeking behaviours, says the PAHO report. The report was launched on the eve of International Men’s Day (19 November).

The executive summary of the “Masculinities and Health in the Region of the Americas” report highlights that societal expectations of men to be providers, to engage in risk-seeking behaviours, to be sexually dominant, and to avoid discussing their emotions or seeking help – behaviours commonly referred to as “toxic masculinity” - are contributing to higher rates of suicide, homicide, addictions, and road traffic accidents, as well as chronic noncommunicable diseases among men.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that women bear differential risks associated with their status as women,” said Anna Coates, Chief of the Equity, Gender and Cultural Diversity office at PAHO. “But the socialisation of men also leads to a broad range of health problems that can only be addressed through responsive health policies, programs and services that focus on their particular needs.”

The report also highlights that one out of five men die before the age of 50 and many of the leading causes of death in the Americas, including heart disease, interpersonal violence and road accidents are directly related to socially constructed “macho” behaviours.

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS AROUND MASCULINITY According to the report, the gender roles, norms and practices socially imposed on men reinforce a lack of selfcare and neglect of their own physical and mental health.

This concept of masculinity, or “machismo” as it is known in the Americas, leads to three overarching risks: risk to women and children, in the form of violence, sexually transmitted infections, and lack of shared responsibility in the home; risk to other men, such as accidents, homicides and other violence; risk to self, such as suicide, accidents, alcoholism and other addictions.

Not only does this affect the health of men themselves, but it also leads to negative outcomes for women and children in terms of interpersonal violence, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, imposed pregnancy and absent paternity.

The report also highlights that discrimination around age, ethnicity, poverty, employment status and sexuality further compound these negative health outcomes for men.

DIFFERENCES IN MALE AND FEMALE MORTALITY Differences in male and female mortality in the Americas begin to emerge at around the age of 10, and rapidly increase from the age of 15 when violent causes of death, such as homicide, accidents and suicide, predominate.

As a result, the mortality rate of young men is around 4-7 times higher than that of young women. While global data for some causes of death, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory infections and diabetes, remain similar between men and women, three of the leading causes of death show significant variations between men and women: Homicides (7: 1 male/female ratio, meaning seven men are killed for each woman killed); road injuries (3:1); and cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol, which is twice as high among men than among women.

From the age of 50, chronic noncommunicable diseases begin to disproportionately affect men, who are less likely to engage in self-care or seek medical attention early.

As a result, while there are more boys than girls born in the world (105 boys for every 100 girls), this number starts to invert between the ages of 30 and 40, and by the age of 80, there are 190 women for every 100 men as men die at younger ages.

MOVING FORWARD To address issues around male socialization and achieve gender equality in health, women and men need

access to health services that take their particular needs into account. The report calls on countries to implement nine recommendations to help improve the health of men: -Improve, systematize and disseminate data on masculinities and health -Develop public policies and programs for health to prevent and address the main problems affecting men through the life course -Eliminate the barriers that prevent boys and men from accessing care Develop intersectoral initiatives that incorporate

health in all policies, particularly in education - Promote existing positive health practices that men already engage in - Ensure the participation of all communities (including men, women and LGBTI communities) - Promote capacity building on gender and masculinities for health sector workers Strengthen prevention and health promotion programmes directed at children and young people - Ensure that institutions, including the health sector, universities and civil society focus on preventing the impact and costs of rigid/toxic masculinities.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

23

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

25

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Corentyne dominate Cycling Championship at ‘Nationals’ ― Males win all three champion boy titles

By Faizool Deo A DOMINANT performance by the male cyclists from Corentyne, District Six, propelled them to an emphatic victory in the Cycling Championships, yesterday, at the Inner Circuit of the National Park on day two of the 59th National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships.

Although 15-year-old Corentyne Comprehensive High School student, Rosheka Crawford, was outstanding for the defending champions in the U-16 division, her male teammates carried the side to victory.

The trio of Joshon Campbell, Mario Washington and Ajay Gopilall finished as age division champions in the U-14,

the U-16 and the Open categories respectively, which pushed the winners to a 51-point victory over rivals, Upper Demerara-Kwakwani. Last year, only eight points had separated the sides.

This year, Corentyne amassed 288 points, while District 10 finished on 237 points. Third place went to District 15-- New Amsterdam (150 points), while Bartica finished just behind in fourth place on 147 points.

D i s t r i c t 11 , N o r t h Georgetown, and District 13, South Georgetown, were tied for fifth on 101 points, while West Demerara finished seventh on 70 points.

District Five-- West Coast Berbice, ended on 57 points; District 12-- East Georgetown on 50 points;

District 14-- East Bank Demerara on 39 points; District eight-- Potaro-Siparuni on 36 points, District 4-East Coast Demerara on 23 points and District Two-Essequibo Coast-Pomeroon on 21 points.

Neither North West nor the Rupununi managed to score a point at the event.

Manager of District Six Cycling team, Karl Vanier was “overjoyed, elated and ecstatic” with the win.

He credited the cycling programme in Berbice for the dominance of the side.

“There are regular races in Berbice and everybody wants to be champions.

They want to do well; The guys are pushing each other, so there are keen rivalry in the team.”

Vanier added that many of the girls do not have their

Brazil lift fourth U-17 World Cup title BRAZIL has clinched its fourth Under-17 World Cup trophy in thrilling and controversial circumstances against Mexico.

World Cup hosts Brazil triumphed 2-1 thanks to Lazaro Vinicius Marques’ 93rd-minute winner on Sunday at the Bezerrao.

Mexico – winners of the showpiece tournament in 2005 and 2011 – looked on track to add a third title to their collection when Bryan Alonso Gonzalez Olivan headed home the opener in the 66th minute.

But Brazil, playing in front of legends Ronaldo and Cafu, rallied courtesy of Kaio Jorge’s questionable penalty with six minutes of regulation time remaining.

Brazil then completed the comeback deep into stoppage time when Lazaro volleyed home a last-gasp winner.

The victory added to Brazil’s successes in 1997, 1999 and 2003 as they moved within one of Nigeria’s record of five championships.

The Selecao won all eight of their games at the tournament with Kaio Jorge the side’s top goal scorer with five strikes to his name.

Mexico meanwhile, who recently won the U-17 CONCACAF tournament, drew their opening match against Paraguay before ending the

American Racing Tips Finger Lakes Race 1 Miss Maserati Race 2 Fearless Diva Race 3 Escape To The Moon Race 4 Straw Hat Race 5 Base Jumper Race 6 Catch My Breath Race 7 Treatherlikeastar Race 8 Mini Sala Race 9 Smart Broad Race10 Wow Brown

group stages with an emphatic 8-0 win over Solomon Islands.

They then required penalties to dispatch Netherlands in the semi-finals and will be gutted to have let a lead slip so late against Brazil in the decider.

Dutch striker Sontje Hansen ended the World Cup with the golden boot for his six goals, while Selecao star Gabriel Veron was voted the best player of the tournament.

France claimed bronze in Brazil after beating Netherlands 3-1 in their third-place match with Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga netting a hat-trick for the victors.

England, who won the U-17 World Cup in 2017, failed to qualify for the tournament after being eliminated in the group stages of the U-17 European Championship earlier this year.

Peru, who last competed in the U-17 World Cup in 2007, are set to host the next tournament in two years time with 24 nations to compete across six cities.

While they now have a record fifth World Cup in their sights, Brazil will be focused on simply qualifying for the tournament with the past two winners failing to do so. (Goal.com) South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:20 hrs Youcanthurrylove 08:55 hrs Bien Venue 09:35 hrs Binky 10:15 hrs Russian Beat 10:55 hrs El ‘ Zara 11:35 hrs Rosalina Irish Racing Tips Fairyhouse 08:35 hrs Charlie Stout 09:05 hrs Wake Up Early 09:35 hrs Annamix 10:05 hrs Concertista

personal cycles, which had hinder their training leading up to the championships.

He also credited many of the shops and cycling enthusiasts, including former National cyclist, Wilbert Benjamin, of the Benjamin Sports Store, for their contribution to the youths in the sport.

Mary Lyken from District 10, finished with two wins in the U-14 division.

She won the 400M and the 800M. Also finishing with two victories in that division was District Seven’s T. McKenzie. The 13-yearold won the 1000M and the 2000M. Campbell finished with victories in the 1500M, the 2000M and the 3000M. Meanwhile, Crawford, who won the 400M, the 800M and the 1000M races, was adjudged champi-

on girl in the U-16 category. Washington, who was dominant in his U-16 divisions, won the 800M, the 1000M, and the 1500M, while his teammate, Jeremiah Joseph, won the 2000M and the 3000M. Gopilall won the 5000M, the 3000M and the 2000M, while his teammate, Jameel Ross, who had won the 40K on Sunday, won the 800M and the 1000M. District 13’s Alliea Alleyne, who finished on 36 points, managed to pip District 10’s Clivecia Spencer as champion girl in the open category. She finished first in the 1000M, first in 1500M and third in the 2000M and 3000M. Spencer won the 3000M and the 2000M while she finished third in the 1500M.

FROM North Georgetown’s PAGE 30 dominance continues ...

town, Tiffani Hinds, said that she was elated with the win, which is the 11th consecutive since she began coaching the side in 2009.

She said that the side claimed victory by thinking critically. This included changing up the age groups of certain athletes to maximise on their opportunities.

District 11 won both the 200M boys and the 200M girls’ freestyle relays, with District 12 finishing second and District 10 third in both races.

Several of the District 11’s swimmers also finished as age-division winners. Kyra Soares finished with two wins to top the 12-and-under girls division, while Aarav Singh also registered two wins to win the boys division of the same age group.

In the 14-and-under division, 13-year-old Paul Mahaica (District 11) and fellow national swimmer, Elliot Gonsalves (East Georgetown) finished tied for first place. In the 16-and-under Category, Giselle Crane and teammate, Maiya Francois-Ifill, were perfect for District 11 with three wins each.

Jonathan Sookram also claimed the top spot in the male 18-and-under division with 26 points for District 11, while in the Open 11:05 hrs Lovely Carrig English Racing Tips Lingfield 08:30 hrs Loughman 09:00 hrs Ruacana 09:30 hrs Yaa Salaam 10:00 hrs Ruby Yeats 10:30 hrs King D’Argent 11:00 hrs Cuban Pete 11:30 hrs Lily The Pink Kempton 09:20 hrs Casual Reply 09:50 hrs Book Review

Girls division, 13-year-old Monique Watson and her 18-year-old District 11 teammate, Amy Grant, were tied as champion girls with three gold medals each.

The individual winner in the Open category was District 11’ Shamal Bryan, teammate Telford George and District 10’ DeAndre Wilson who all finished on 26 points.

Nine-year-old Megan Scott from East Bank Demerara finished as the top 10-and-under swimmer, while Ricardo Spencer, who won the Boys 10-and-Under 50M freestyle and 50M backstroke, finished with two of District 10’s five gold medals at the event.

Despite not winning a lot of gold, the side managed to pick up valuable points with many second and third place finishes.

On the contrary, East Georgetown were able to win eight gold medals. National swimmers Raekwon Noel and Aleka Persaud (triple gold medallists at the 2019 Carifta Aquatics Championships) led that side. Noel, 14, won the Boys’ 16-and-Under 100M backstroke, the 100M freestyle and the 50M breaststroke, while Persaud won the Girls’ 14-and-under 50M free and the 50M backstroke.

10:20 hrs Montatham 10:50 hrs Kwela 11:20 hrs The Pinto Kid 11:50 hrs Pianissimo 12:25 hrs Ice Cave Chelmsford City 12:15 hrs Kuwait Direction 12:45 hrs Good Reason 13:15 hrs Bavardages 13:45 hrs Marcela De Vega 14:15 hrs Zefferino 14:45 hrs Captain Dion 15:15 hrs Homesick Boy 15:45 hrs Maximum Effect

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Lennox Lewis concerned for heavyweight division

LENNOX Lewis says the heavyweight division risks falling into a state of “insignificance”, and he expects no ‘undisputed’ bout in 2020.

Lewis, 54, won the WBC, WBA and IBF titles in November 1999 when he out-pointed Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas.

He remains the last heavyweight to claim the ‘undisputed’ tag.

“It shouldn’t be another 20 years before boxing has an undisputed heavyweight champion,” said Lewis in an Instagram post.

The rise in prominence of the WBO belt since Lewis reigned means that is now also required by anyone seeking the ‘undisputed’ tag.

Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr currently holds the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles, with Deontay Wilder in possession of the WBC belt.

Fighters in other weight divisions, such as Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford, have won all four but many fans were left frustrated when negotiations for an ‘undisputed’ bout

between former champion Anthony Joshua and Wilder fell through in recent years.

“British heavies have brought excitement back to the division, and just as I said before, just when the division has a pulse, we need the best fighting the best,” Lewis wrote on Wednesday, 20 years to the day since he beat Holyfield.

“If this division doesn’t get on that track it faces the same fate that it’s been fighting to shake off... insignificance.

“In a division where it’s very likely that on any given night any of the top fighters

can beat each other, it seems the only way to get to undisputed is if there is no other route fighters can take but to face each other.

just a dream in the minds of boxing fans around the world.”

Lewis first claimed a world heavyweight title in 1993, becoming the first

his WBC belt against Luis Ortiz on 23 November and has raised the prospect of facing Ruiz despite having allegedly already agreed to

Lennox Lewis (right) beat Holyfield by a unanimous decision 115-113 116-112 117-111 in November 1999

“In today’s climate, unless the current champs win out, I don’t see an undisputed fight happening, even for 2020.

“With rematch clauses, sanctioning body politics, and without just the shear will to make it happen by all involved, undisputed will remain

Briton to do so since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897.

Joshua looked set to be positioned for a future ‘undisputed’ bout until he fell to a shock loss to Ruiz in June, with the pair set to rematch on 7 December in Saudi Arabia.

American Wilder defends

fight Tyson Fury for a second time on 22 February.

Britain’s Fury claims to be the ‘lineal’ world heavyweight champion having never lost the belts he won from Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 in the ring.

(BBC Sport)

Hobart Hurricanes’ Emily Smith banned for season for Instagram post HOBART Hurricanes wicketkeeper Emily Smith has been banned, in effect for three months, under Cricket Australia’s anti-corruption code after posting team news on social media before a WBBL game.

Smith, 24, has been sanctioned for putting the Hurricanes’ team line-up on her Instagram account, in a video taken from within the restricted Player and Match Official Area (PMOA), approximately an hour before it was due to be released for the match against the Sydney Thunder on November 2 in Burnie.

The game was later abandoned because of the weather but that has not prevented a substantial punishment.

Her ban is for 12 months with nine months suspended, but that still means Smith, who had played all eight of the Hurricanes’ matches this season, will miss the rest of the WBBL and the Women’s National Cricket League, which resumes in January.

Cricket Tasmania said in a statement that they were reviewing their processes for players and officials inside the PMOA where mobile phones are prohibited. They added that Smith was being supported by the state and the Australian Cricketers Association.

Article 2.3.2 of CA’s anti-corruption code prohibits “Disclosing Inside Information to any person (with or without Reward) where the Participant knew or might reasonably have known that such disclosure might lead to the information being used in relation to Betting in relation to any Match or Event.”

Wicketkeeper Emily Smith in action (Getty Images)

In a related note, the code states: “Any potential offence under this Article will be considered on its own set of facts and the particular circumstances surrounding any relevant disclosure. For example, it may be an offence under this clause to disclose Inside Information: (a) to journalists or other members

of the media; and/or (b) on social networking websites where the Participant knew or should reasonably have known that such disclosure might lead to the information being used in relation to Betting.”Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia’s head of integrity and security, said: “Whilst Cricket Australia acknowledges that at the time of posting the team line-up there was no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code, CA’s rigorous anti-corruption player education program means that players are well aware of their obligations under the Anti-Corruption Code and there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed.

“Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program. We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made.

Unfortunately, in this instance Emily’s actions breached the Anti-Corruption Code. We hope this serves as reminder to all that the Anti-Corruption Code is critical to protecting the integrity of the game.” (ESPN Cricinfo)

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Chris Green signs longest Imran Khan backs deal in BBL history Sarfaraz Ahmed to make international return Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan believes Sarfaraz Ahmed’s axing does not necessarily spell the end of his international career.

Imran, who is currently Pakistan’s prime minister, has almost completely stayed away from any public comment on the nation’s cricket team since he took over the top job. But, taking a weekend off from political duties, he touched upon a number of recent developments in Pakistan cricket, also backing the embattled head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq to come good.

“I don’t think the performance and form of a player should be judged by T20 cricket but through Test and one-day cricket,” Imran told reporters. “He can come back to the national team, but right now he should focus on domestic cricket.”

Sarfaraz Ahmed was relieved of his duties as Pakistan captain last month

He also lost his place in the T20 and Test squads for Pakistan’s tour of Australia,

Imran Khan wants provincial teams to form the core of domestic cricket in Pakistan (Getty Images)

in all three formats after a sustained drop in both personal form and the team’s fortunes in all three formats.

and has spent the last three weeks captaining Sindh in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, where, with 92 runs in four

innings, his batting returns have been somewhat modest.

Imran threw his weight behind Misbah, praising both his integrity and ability. “It is a constructive move to appoint Misbah as he is an honest and unbiased person who has loads of experience behind him. I think Misbah will turn out to be a good choice and Pakistan will improve and do well in Test and ODI cricket under him.

He has this talent in him that he can groom the players and also improve their performance.”

Imran also expressed confidence in the revamped domestic structure - which he had himself heavily championed - backing it to produce long-term results that improve performances of the national side. “If our domestic cricket improves, then Pakistan cricket will also move forward.”

Ottley’s maiden ton puts Pride on verge of Super 50 semis BASSETERRE, St Kitts, (CMC )– Kjorn Ottley hit his maiden Super50 Cup century as Barbados Pride put one foot in the semi-finals with a comfortable four-wicket win over reigning champions CCC Marooners here Sunday.

The in-form Pride chased down an uncomplicated target of 208 at Warner Park, with the left-handed Ottley leading the way with an unbeaten 101 off 127 balls.

For Pride, it was their fifth win in six outings and it put them on 20 points, helping them to open up a significant eightpoint gap on second placed hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the top of Group A. The loss for Marooners, meanwhile, was the fourth in fifth matches and it virtually ruled them out of a place in the semi-finals.

They got half-centuries from Akshaya Persaud (55) and Sadique Henry (54) to reach 207 for nine off their 50 overs, after choosing to bat.

With the innings slumping

at 96 for six in the 28th over, Persaud and Henry came together in a 76-run, seventh wicket stand to rescue their side.

deliveries and counted five fours and a six.

Much of the damage was done by West Indies fast bowler Miguel Cummins

Kjorn Ottley celebrates reaching his maiden List A hundred on Sunday

Persaud, a 22-year-old left-hander in only his fifth List A match, struck four fours and a six in a 91-ball knock to complete his second half-century of the tournament, while Henry faced 69

who snatched three early wickets to finish with four for 29 while off-spinner Ashley Nurse supported with two for 32.

In reply, Pride were given a handy start by Ottley who

Greaves, Levy take ... over, and Thaker led the recovery in a 56-run partnership with Kumar and a couple of small stands with his captain Kanwarpal Tathgur and Shahid Ahmadzai.

Canada subsided to 212 for eight, after three wickets – two to rugged West Indies fast bowler Oshane Thomas – fell in the space of seven balls, but Movva and Kanwar Mann frustrated the Scorpions with a stand of 32 in the final five overs.

Group “A” games continue today, when hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes face last year’s champions Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners in a daytime contest, starting at 9 .00hrs. at Conaree. This game will be webcast “live” on the CWI website, www.windiescricket.com, and the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.

put on 74 for the first wicket with Leniko Boucher who made 25 from 44 balls with four boundaries.

Bouncer was looking set when he fished at a widish delivery from seamer and captain Carlos Brathwaite and was taken behind by wicketkeeper Gian Benjamin, diving to his right in the 15th over.

Nicholas Kirton (10) and captain Jonathan Carter (7) then fell cheaply as Pride stumbled, losing three wickets for 28 runs to be 102 for three in the 22nd over.

Ottley, however, stabilised the run chase, adding 33 for the fourth wicket with the inform Kyle Mayers (19) before putting on a further 45 for the fifth wicket with wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott who made a busy 25 from 28 balls with four fours.

All told, Ottley struck 10 fours and two sixes, reaching triple figures in the 45th over with a driven single to deep cover off Brathwaite.

FROM PAGE 31

Group “B” play also resumes today with Guyana Jaguars and Windward Islands Volcanoes in a day/night, feature game, starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Queen’s Park Oval in the Trinidad & Tobago capital of Port of Spain.

This game will be televised “live” on ESPN Caribbean in the region.

A few miles due south, the United States and group leaders West Indies Emerging Players lock horns in another day/night contest, starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

This game will also be webcast “live” on the CWI website, www.windiescricket.com and the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. (Sportsmax)

Sydney Thunder has signed Chris Green for a further six season

CHRIS GREEN has signed the longest deal in BBL history after Sydney Thunder signed the offspinner for a further six seasons.

Green, 26, is one of the very few Australian players who isn’t involved in the traditional domestic state pathway, instead opting to become a T20 globetrotter . But the Thunder have signed him on for six seasons not only for his value as a specialist T20 spinner with an ability bowl in the powerplay, as well as being a crafty lower-order batsman, but also for his loyalty to the Thunder and his standing as a leader and ambassador for the club.

Despite not currently being involved in four-day and 50-over cricket for New South Wales - he has never played a first-class game - Green has been encouraged by feedback from the Australian selectors about his international prospects.

He 1was not selected for Australia’s most recent two T20I series but was picked to play in the Prime Minister’s XI and the Cricket Australia XI T20 tour games against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and remains in contention for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.

Green said he was grateful for the Thunder’s backing after being the first franchise to give him a chance.

“Thunder was the first team that backed me when I was playing grade cricket, so to lock in my future with the club is really exciting,” Green said. “It’s not often you have security, so for me to get that with a club that I love, I’m really excited and very grateful for this opportunity to continue to represent Thunder into the future.”

Green’s performances for the Thunder in the powerplay have propelled him to opportunities in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) where he has starred for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. He has also played in Canada’s Global T20, the T20 Blast and the PSL. He is currently playing for the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. (ESPN Cricinfo)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)

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

(1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

3/29-Sheldon Cottrell 2/21-Naveen-ul-Haq

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Who are the WI that made their ODI debut during

the just-concluded WI/AFG ODI series?

(2) Who are the AFG players debuting in the series?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Woodpecker Products supports Guyana Sports Shooting Federation WOODPECKER Products, located at Lot 40, Fourth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, is undoubtedly an invaluable entity in the sporting world.

Owner and Managing Director, Luana Fernandes, was highly commended for once again generously donating to the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation.

At a recent meeting at the familiar sport store, Director of the Foundation, Andrew Phang, received from representative of Woodpecker products, Maria Samaroo, a cheque and expressed thanks for the support Woodpecker Products has given to local sport shooting.

Also present was Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, who thanked Fernandes and her supportive family members who have all excelled in various sporting disciplines and recognise what it takes for sports to move forward in Guyana.

Persaud-McKinnon commended the family

GSSF’s Secretary Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, Asst. Secretary/Treasurer, Andrew Phang and Woodpecker Products’ representative, Maria Samaroo

and spoke highly of the encouragement and support for sport Mrs. Fernandes

continuously gives and is hopeful that other businesses in Guyana will emu-

late Woodpecker Products by making similar contributions to sports.

Smith shrugs off Pooran’s light ball-tampering ban

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former Australia captain Steve Smith, who was banned for a year for ball-tampering, says he does not feel hard done by despite a much lighter sanction handed down to West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran for the same offence.

Pooran was given a fourgame ban during the third one-day international against Afghanistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said last week.

Smith was initially banned for a test by the ICC after admitting that Australia had tried to alter the condition of the ball during the Newlands test against South Africa in March 2018.

But governing body Cricket Australia subsequently banned him for 12 months along with team mate David Warner, and stripped both of their leadership roles.

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the third player involved at Cape Town, received a nine-month suspension.

“Everyone is different, every board is different, and the way they deal with certain issues,” Smith, who remains barred from leadership roles until March 2020, told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

“For me, I copped it on the chin ... it is what it is.

“I don’t feel hard done by.

It was a long time ago now.

I’ve moved past it and I’m focusing on the present.”

Smith’s ban from international and domestic cricket expired in March and he was rushed back into the Australia squad for the oneday World Cup in England.

He also played a starring role with the bat in Australia’s retention of the Ashes in England in September.

Nicholas Pooran

Smith played with 24-yearold Pooran at Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League last year while serving his ban, the terms of which allowed the Australian to play in non-international competitions overseas.

“I know Nicholas, I’ve played a bit of cricket with him and he’s a talented player and someone with a bright future,” Smith said of wicketkeeper-batsman Pooran, who has played 16 one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20 internationals.

“I think he’ll learn from his mistake and move past it ... I think he’s going to be an exceptional player in whiteball cricket.”

Smith was fined 25 percent of his match fee for a code of conduct violation after showing dissent with the umpire’s decision when he was given out caught behind when batting for New South

Wales against Western Australia last week in a Sheffield Shield game.

The master batsman subsequently apologised to his team mates for setting a poor example.

Ex-UEFA chief Platini slams VAR as ‘load of crap’

ROME (AFP) - Former UEFA president Michel Platini has slammed the use of VAR technology, the introduction of which he has always opposed, as a total nightmare, in an interview on Italian television.

“It would take half an hour to explain why it doesn’t solve problems,” the former France international told the “Che tempo che fa” late-night talk show on Rai on Sunday.

“It shifts them. I’m against VAR. I think it’s a load of crap and unfortunately we will not go back.”

The 64-year-old has always been against the use of VAR which he refused to consider after he became UEFA chief in 2007.

European football’s governing body has now also introduced the use of the video replay technology in this year’s Champions League.

Meanwhile, the former Juventus star believes he could still play a role in football after his four-year suspension from the sport

ended in October.

“At 64, I have the opportunity for one last adventure, but I have no room for error and I have to think about it,” he said.

A triple Ballon d’Or winner, Platini had been expected to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016 but fell spectacularly from grace a few months earlier.

The former France captain was suspended by world football’s governing body in 2015 over a controversial payment of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros, $2 million) that he received from Blatter.

Platini has always insisted he did nothing wrong.

“At FIFA, they did not want me as president,” he continued.

“I wanted to defend football and I was the only footballer who could become FIFA president.”

Platini added that he no longer had any contact with either Blatter or current FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Captain Paine says Australia’s home summer may be his last (REUTERS) - Australia’s Tim Paine has said the upcoming Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand may be the last time he captains the side at home as he enters the twilight of his career.

Paine, who turns 35 next month, was named captain after former skipper Steve Smith was handed a oneyear ban in March 2018 for ball tampering and the wicketkeeper became the first Australian captain after Steve Waugh to retain the Ashes.

Tim Paine

Smith’s explosive return to the Test side, where he scored 774 runs in the Ashes, triggered calls to restore him as captain and Paine said talk about who eventually takes over was bound to happen, especially considering his age.

“It might be (my last summer), I’m not too sure,” Paine told reporters.

“But... I’m enjoying doing it. I feel good physically (and) mentally. So while that continues, I’m scoring enough runs and keeping well enough then I’d like to

continue.

“I know when you get to my age that can change really quickly. I’m really looking forward to this summer, beyond that I haven’t looked too far.

I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve.

“I think when you’re the Australian captain and the Australian keeper, they’re two of the most critiqued roles in Australian sport and at the moment I have to hold them both. I know I’m going to be in the crosshairs for people all the time.”

Paine said Australia’s top priority now was to return to the top of the Test rankings and win the World Test Championship (WTC). Australia are ranked fifth in the world and trail leaders India by 244 points in the WTC standings.

“Our goal is to get back to that number one ranking and we want to win that Test Championship,” he added.

“To do that we’re going to have to be good enough to win in India and we’re going to have to be good enough to beat everyone, everywhere.

“It’s the only way we’re going to get to where we want to get to. It’s an exciting period and I’m looking forward to being part of the start of that and there is no end point at the moment.”

Australia play Pakistan in the first of two Tests that begins on Thursday in Brisbane.

North Georgetown’s dominance continues in ‘Nationals’ Swimming Championship ― Beat Upper Demerara-Kwakwani by 135 points

By Faizool Deo

D I S T R I C T 11 , N o r t h Georgetown, continued their reign as swimming champions by claiming a whopping 24 wins out of the 54 events in the pool, on day two of the 59th National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championship.

Both male and female swimmers from the winning team dominated to combine for a whopping 446 points.

Defending overall champion, Upper Demerara-Kwakwani, again finished second, but with 311 points, while District 12, East Georgetown, finished third with 250 points and District 13, South Georgetown, fourth on 152 points.

Essequibo Coast-Pomeroon placed fifth on 139

points, while Bartica ended in sixth position on 137 points. North West District were seventh on 129 points, while East Bank Demerara placed eighth on 85 points.

West Demerara and East Coast Demerara were tied for ninth on 67 points each, while the Rupununi, which placed sixth last year on 132 points, settled for 11th on 58 points.

West Coast Berbice were 12th on 34 points, while Potaro-Siparuni finished in 13th position after earning 20 points. New Amsterdam finished in the cellar with 17 points.

OVER A DECADE OF DOMINANCE UNDER HINDS

Coach of North George-

TURN TO PAGE 27

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Chaves, Rodrigues, Katchay excel at ISKF-Guyana 2019 National Tournament

Awardees of the International Shotokan Karate Federation –Guyana (ISKF-Guyana) – 2019 National Karate Tournament after the medal ceremony at the Head Quarters Studio (Dojo)

INTERNATIONAL Shotokan Karate Federation – Guyana (ISKF-Guyana) – concluded its 2019 National Karate Tournament with a grand medal ceremony at its Head Quarters Studio (Dojo) last Friday evening.

Scores of parents and participants eagerly anticipated the medal presentation done by Chief Instructor and Country Manager Christopher Chaves. Special Trophies for top performances this year went to the teenage trio - Kristalia Chaves, Alex Rodrigues and Tempest Katchay.

The awards ceremony followed the National Tournament that was held at the Marian Academy A u d i t o r i u m o n C a r i f e s t a Av e n u e , G e o rg e t o w n .

At the tournament, the opening speech and welcome was done by Sensei Marlon George who encouraged participants to compete to their best and, moreover, with camaraderie. Christopher Chand delivered the Competitor’s Oath before the tournament kicked off.

Seventy-five participants from the HQ dojo, National Park, Thomas Lands and the Georgetown International Academy Dojo competed at this year’s tournament.

Those who officiated were Sensei Christopher Chaves as Chief Judge and Neville Holder, Marvin Singh, Marlon George, Shermon Best and Christina Chaves as Judges.

The success of this year’s tournament accelerates ISKF-Guyana activities as they are in preparation mode to attend the ISKF 4th Shoto cup World Karate Tournament to be held in London in August 2020. To culminate the year, November 30th will be the final major activity.

The committee extends special thanks to the participants, parents, supporters, officials, Sister Marie Harper, and sponsors, especially the main sponsors of medals, the Alfro Alphonso & Sons Enterprises and Special trophies donated by Hand-in-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

Greaves, Levy take down Jaguars despite Foo fifty PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov 18, CMC – Guyana Jaguars became the latest side to fall at the hands of giant-killers West Indies Emerging Players when they crashed to dramatic one-run loss in a final-over finish here late Sunday night.

In pursuit of 180 after rain at Queen’s Park Oval turned the Group B contest into a 30-overs per side affair, Jaguars just missed out to fall to their second defeat in five games and slip to third place in the standings on 12 points.

their allotted overs with the in-form all-rounder Justin Greaves completing his third half-century of the campaign with 53.

Joshua DaSilva, already with a hundred in the tournament, chipped in with 39 and crucially added 86 for the third wicket with Greaves to pull the innings around from 16 for two in the fourth over.

Greaves struck four fours and a six of 62 balls while DaSilva faced the same number of deliveries and counted a single four.

Honduras finish strong at home to relegate Trinidad and Tobago SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras -- Honduras had already clinched a spot in the Nations League finals next summer heading into the final match of group play, but they didn’t let up in the closer against Trinidad and Tobago, putting up an impressive 4-0 win.

Jonathan Rubio got Los Catrachos off to a flying start, sending a powerful strike from 20 yards out past a diving Marvin Phillip in the 5th minute.

Honduras continued to dominate the early proceedings, culminating in a 20th minute goal from Brayan Moya to double the lead.

Moments before the halftime whistle, Rubio was brought down for a penalty, and Alberth Elis converted in the 45+2 minute.

The second half was more of the same story; Elis netted his second of the day in the 53rd minute to complete the scoreline.

Trinidad did have some shots on goal, but none got past Luis Lopez who ended the day with four saves.

The victory means Honduras finish the group stage with 10 points, and are likely to enter the knockout round as the #2 seed. On the other end, the defeat means Trinidad and Tobago have been relegated to League B and will enter the Gold Cup qualifiers in the second round. (CONCACAF)

Bonner’s patient 73 guides Scorpions to easy win over Canada JAMAICA Scorpions overcame Canada with steady bowling led by Dennis Bulli and purposeful batting led

by Nkrumah Bonner to clinch their third successive win in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup on Monday.

Entering the game needing a win to intensify their bid for a place in the Final Four in Trinidad at month-end, the Scorpions simply outlasted their opponents in a daytime, Group A game at the Conaree Cricket Centre.

Rovman Powell that changed the course of the innings and stayed until the end, which came with 13 balls remaining when Bulli lofted a delivery from Nitish Kumar to the deep cover boundary for four.

The result kept the Scorpions in third place, behind group leaders Barbados Pride and hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes, against whom they play in their final two matches this coming Wednesday and Sunday respectively, at Conaree.

Bulli had earlier ripped

Nkrumah Bonner’s 73 was made from just 79 balls

Jermaine Levy

Jonathan Foo

Jonathan Foo, who top-scored with 67 from 54 balls, threatened to take Jaguars over the line but once he was caught at the wicket off the second ball of the final over bowled by speedster Jermaine Levy with six runs required for victory, the advantage shifted.

Levy was the best bowler with three for 49 while left-arm spinner Camarie Boyce sent down a steady six-over spell which yielded two for 26, as Emerging Players starved the Jaguars top order.

The victory for Emerging Players, meanwhile, kept them top of Group B on 16 points, from four wins in five outings, and on course for a surprise semi-final spot.

Hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force are also on 16 points but lie second due to an inferior net run rate.

Sent in, Emerging Players managed 167 for eight from

Once the stand was broken, however, six wickets tumbled for 44 runs in the space of 32 balls as Jaguars, through left-arm spinner Chandrapaul Hemraj (3-18) and leg-spinner Ramaal Lewis (3-22) put a brake on the scoring.

Emerging Players hit back early in the run chase as openers Hemraj (5) and Kemol Savory (0) fell cheaply to leave the Jaguars tottering on five for two in the second over.

Captain Leon Johnson tried to stage a recovery in a 38-run third wicket stand with Chris Barnwell (24) but once he picked out deep mid-wicket with a Boyce full toss in the ninth over, Jagaurs lost four wickets for 45 runs to lose their way.

Foo, though, led a late assault by clubbing eight fours in an 86-run, seventh wicket partnership with Lewis (40), setting the game up for a dramatic finish.

In pursuit of 245 to win, Bonner showed his class in an organised, unbeaten 73 from 79 balls that included eight boundaries to lead a successful run chase for the Scorpions on another batting paradise at the ground adjacent to the Robert Bradshaw International Airport in the St. Kitts capital.

The Scorpions were 81 for three in the 20th over when Bonner arrived at the crease and anchored a succession of partnerships that got the Scorpions over the finish line to complete the tournament sweep of the Canadians, following a four-wicket win last Saturday in a day/night game at Warner Park.

Bonner shared 85 for the fifth wicket with his captain

out the Canada top-order batting with 4-40 from his allotted 10 overs and later earned the Player of the Match award.

But the Canadians, on the back of a half-century from Harsh Thaker, fought to reach 244 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs, after they chose to bat.

Thaker struck four fours and one six in 60 from 85 balls and led strong top-order batting. Kumar scored 42, Rayyankhan Pathan made 33, Jeet Metha got 32 before Shreyas Movva coming late in the order added 21.

Pathan and Metha shared an opening stand of 69 before Canada stumbled to 92 for three in the 20th TURN TO PAGE 29

Rosheka Crawford was the top female performer for Corentyne (Faizol Deo photos)

Four of the dominant male cyclists from District Six: (L-R) Joshon Campbell, Jeremiah Joseph, Ajay Gopilall and Mario Washington

PAGE

27

Corentyne dominate Cycling Championship at ‘Nationals’ ― Males win all three champion boy titles

PAGE

27

North Georgetown were unstoppable

National swimmers Raekwon Noel and Aleka Persaud combined for five of East Georgetown’s eight goal medals (Faizol Deo photos)

North Georgetown’s dominance continues in ‘Nationals’ Swimming Championship ― Beat Upper Demerara-Kwakwani by 135 points

A 93rd-minute goal secured moresecured Under-17 glory for the SeA 93rd-minute goal more Under-17 lecaoon onSunday.

Sunday.(Getty (GettyImages) Images) glory for the Selecao

Brazil lift fourth U-17 World Cup 27 title PAGE

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019