Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_12_13_2019

FRIDAY 13th December, 2019

' No.105850

TOP PRIORITY SEE STORY ON PAGE 08

-- for Amerindian land titling, ancestral lands next year

UK Conservatives on course to win majority PAGE

16

GWI drilled 48 wells over last four years ‌22 in 2019 alone; almost 100 percent of the water safe for consumption

PAGE

03

Guyana to lead regional growth next year 10 PAGE

‌ECLAC predicts 85.5% growth on the back of oil production Students of West Demerara Secondary School indulging in a sumptuous meal at their Christmas luncheon on Wednesday. The luncheon was in keeping with the Ministry of Education's new policy to ensure sober Christmas celebrations at all public schools

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

GWI drilled 48 wells over last four years …22 in 2019 alone; almost 100 per cent of the water safe for consumption

By Svetlana Marshall WITH 96 per cent of the 747,000 people living in Guyana currently having access to improved drinking-water resources, Guyana Water Incorporation (GWI), in 2020, will move to acquire two rigs, as it aims to achieve 100 per cent coverage in the not-so-distant future.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in its 2019 Human Development Report, on Monday, revealed that Guyana has made significant progress in providing greater access to potable water. According to the report, 96.0 per cent of the country’s population has access to improved drinking-water resources while 86 per cent of the population is using improved sanitation facilities.

Additionally, 88.8 per cent of the rural population has access to electricity.

GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, during a recent interview, said the massive achievements made in the water sector are as a result of President David Granger’s vision to provide Guyanese with equitable access to potable water, and the ability of GWI to fulfill its mandate.

Speaking in the presence of GWI’s Executive Director of Hinterland Services, Ramchand Jailal; Head of Water Quality, Dr. Deon Anderson; and Sanitation Consultant, Dr. Darren Shako, Dr. VanWest Charles disclosed that within a period of four years (2015-2019) GWI drilled a total of 48 wells thereby extending its reach, and providing potable water to far-flung villages and even

From L-R: GWI’s Executive Director of Hinterland Services, Ramchand Jailal; GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles; Head of Water Quality, Dr. Deon Anderson; and Sanitation Consultant, Dr. Darren Shako.

communities along the coast, which had little or no access to safe drinking water. In 2019 alone, 22 of the wells

in January 2020, to facilitate the maintenance of wells.

Weighing in on the matter, GWI’s Executive Direc-

communities in Region Nine, we found that communities were suffering, residents, at the time, had to walk to other

Flashback: In March 2019, these young residents took a drink at one of 29 stand pipes that were commissioned by the Guyana Water Incorporated at Durban Backlands Squatting Area. The community received potable water for the first time in more than 50 years.

(Delano Williams photo)

were drilled.

In 2020, GWI will acquire two rigs – one for the coastland and the other for the Hinterland-- as it strives to increase water access. A number of new equipment will also arrive in the country

tor of Hinterland Services said that, in the past, the water company focused on providing the coastland with water. Today, he said attention is being given to Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. “When we visited the

communities to access water.

There was an extended dry period, and the hand-dug wells were depleted, some of the water was contaminated, some of the wells were dry,” Jailal explained.

He said the Department of

Hinterland Services has been meeting with Toshaos at the level of their villages and at the level of the National Toshaos Council with the aim of ensuring that their water needs are met. Of the 22 wells drilled this year, 18 are located in the Hinterland.

He said in the first quarter of 2020, persons can expect the drilling of additional wells.

Dr. Van-West Charles said while emphasis has been placed on access, even greater attention is placed on quality. “It is not only about access, but the quality of access,” he said while noting that since the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government took office in 2015, emphasis has been placed on water quality. At GWI, a Water Quality Department was established.

In villages across the Hinterland, GWI will be conducting monthly tests to monitor the wells and the quality of water. “It is an aggressive programme linked to our strategic plan,” Dr. Van-West Charles said while adding “with the support of the government, you are going to see even more action in 2020.”

Dr. Anderson, who heads

Water Quality Department, pointed out that in August 2018, GWI’s Water Quality laboratory achieved national certification for the first time, after conforming to the Guyana Standard GYS 170 "General requirements for the operation of a laboratory."

According to him, GWI’s water quality is on par with international guidelines inclusive of those established by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“All the water that we produce, based on the WHO guidelines, is safe for consumption. For this year we have tested in excess of 80,000 samples and between 95 to 100 per cent of those samples have been microbiologically safe, that is to say, free of harmful bacteria, and micro-organisms and safe for human consumption,” Dr. Anderson explained. He noted too that GWI, in 2020, will be optimizing treatment processes at various locations.

Between 2015 and March, 2019, 75,000 Guyanese gained access to potable water. The number has since increased by the thousands. Just days ago, residents of Sand Creek in the South Central District of Region 9 witnessed the commissioning of the village’s first Water Supply System. The water system now provides first-time access to potable water in the homes of more than 1000 residents. GWI is aiming to attain Sustainable Development goal number 6, which speaks to “Clean Water for all” by 2025, long ahead of the deadline.

Couple who wounded man to spend Christmas in prison MAGISTRATE Ann McLennan, on Thursday December 12, 2019, remanded a couple to prison, on a wounding charge.

Kenese Bobb, 24, a sales girl, and Kemo Harlequin, 28, both of Durban Backlands, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court and were not required to plead to the charge, when it was read to them.

Particulars of the charge

(left) Kenese Bobb, Kemo Harlequin

stated that, on December

10, 2019, at Durban Back-

lands, they wounded Jermaine Sampson, with intent to maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm.

Attorney-at-law, Paul Fung-a-Fat, who represented the couple, asked the court for his clients to be released on reasonable bail.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that, the defendants and the virtual complainant were known to each other, since they ac-

cessed their homes through the same yard.

Mansfield stated that, on the day in question, Sampson and Harlequin had a misunderstanding and Bobb intervened, after which the couple went to Sampson’s house and threw bottles. Sampson then exited his house and the couple pulled him down the stairway. The couple, who were armed with kitchen knives, dealt Sampson several stabs

about his body.

Sampson was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, an investigation was launched and the couple were arrested and later charged.

Magistrate McLennan, after listening to the prosecutor, remanded the couple to prison and adjourned the matter until January 2, 2020.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, December 13, 2019

US House panel set to back Trump impeachment case A US House of Representatives panel is expected to approve impeachment charges against President Donald Trump later in a marathon session of rancorous debate.

US President, Donald Trump

The judiciary committee is debating two articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

A full vote by the Dem-

ocratic-run House next week will likely make him the third US president ever impeached.

But the Senate, controlled

by Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans, is not expected to remove him from office.

“No crime!” the US president said on Twitter early on Thursday.

Mr Trump is accused of trying to force Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his political rival Joe Biden, a leading Democratic contender for the White House next year; and obstruction of Congress for stonewalling the House investigation.

The Democrats who run the committee have agreed the language of the nine pages detailing the charges, saying that Mr Trump “betrayed the nation” by acting “corruptly”.

There are 41 members on the panel, which is expected to

vote along party lines on Thursday afternoon local time.

Republicans are trying to introduce amendments, but unified Democrats on the panel are rebuffing such proposed changes.

The judiciary committee launched the two-day session on Wednesday evening at the Capitol.

Republicans decried the impeachment case as “hot garbage”, while one Democrat accused the president of a “constitutional crime spree”.

Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said Democrats were only impeaching Mr Trump because “they don’t like the 63 million people who voted for this president, all of us in flyover country, all of us common folk”.

But Democrats rebuked Republicans for their loyalty to Trump.

“Wake up!” said Represen-

tative David Cicilline, accusing the other party of “wilfully ignoring the facts to protect a corrupt and dangerous president”.

A handful of Democrats in swing districts remain unsure how they will vote on impeachment when it comes to next week’s debate.

But Democrats have a 36seat lead over Republicans in the House so passage is still expected to go ahead.

Democrats stepped back from including in the impeachment charges findings by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that Mr Trump may have obstructed the justice department’s inquiry into alleged Russian election meddling.

The party’s lawmakers from more conservative districts have argued the focus should be limited to Ukraine.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday they

would not whip the historic vote, allowing members to make their own personal choice.

The Senate is expected to hold a trial next month on the charges and acquit the president.

Republicans who hold sway in the chamber appear to favour a quick vote, limiting political fanfare.

Mr Trump has indicated he would like to see witnesses called such as Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian gas firm that the US president wanted investigated.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said on Wednesday no decision had yet been made over how to conduct the trial.

Analysts say the 100-seat chamber does not have the 67 votes needed to remove Mr Trump from office. (BBC)

Patients die as lawyers ransack Pakistan hospital

13 December, 2019 - 05:00hrs ~ 06:30hrs

Three patients died when hundreds of lawyers attacked a hospital in Lahore during a furious dispute with doctors.

Video showed the lawyers ransacking wards at the cardiac hospital, beating up staff and smashing equipment.

As panic spread, doctors and paramedics hid, leaving patients unattended, including those in a critical state.

Riot police fired tear gas to disperse the lawyers and more than 20 arrests were made. It

took more than two hours to restore order, officials said.

The lawyers had been protesting over the alleged mistreatment of some of their colleagues by hospital staff last month. But the final trigger for the violence appears to have been a video posted on social media by a doctor on Tuesday night in which he poked fun at the lawyers. According to hospital administrators, more than 200 lawyers wielding sticks stormed Lahore’s Punjab

Police clashed with lawyers who marched on the hospital to confront doctors (BBC photo)

Institute of Cardiology (PIC) at midday on Wednesday.

Hospital officials said the lawyers forced their way past security and split into groups, attacking various departments and wards.

Video footage shared on social media showed lawyers - in suits and ties - smashing medical equipment and windows, and beating up staff and officials including Punjab information minister Fayazul Hasan Chauhan who had arrived on the scene to try to restore calm.

They also stormed the nurses’ hostel, breaking furniture and beating some of the staff, an official complaint from the hospital says. Lawyers also damaged several cars parked

outside the hospital and set at least one police van on fire.

Some of the protesters allegedly fired gunshots in the air when riot police intervened.

Hospital sources said at least three patients - a woman and two men - died because doctors could not attend to them during the violence. It is believed that the woman had been in the intensive care unit.

Police reinforcements were eventually deployed, leading to more scuffles in which several lawyers were injured.

Officers said later they had arrested more than 20 lawyers and filed complaints against about 250 on charges of violence and assault. (BBC)

Wednesday December 11, 2019

04 12 16 17 25 27 15

December 6 2019

J 04, 19, 26, 05, 01

0, 4, 1

6

3, 2, 7 1, 4, 6, 8, 16

12 13 14

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, December 13, 2019

5

No survivor in Chilean plane crash Rescue workers in Chile have found human remains after an air force plane with 38 people on board went missing on Monday.

There were no survivors, said Chilean Air Force head Arturo Merino.

Magallanes Governor José Fernández said relatives of those missing had been informed of the find.

Earlier, Chile’s air force said that wreckage had been found floating in the area where the C-130 Hercules cargo plane had last made contact.

It was en route to a military base in the Antarctic.

Mr Merino said the human remains “are most likely to be body parts of those travelling on the C-130”.

“The condition of the remains we discovered make it practically impossible that anyone could have survived the

The C-130 is used to transport people and goods to the base in Antarctica (BBC photo)

plane accident,” he added.

Earlier, Governor Fernández said a wheel from the plane, part of the landing gear and the fuselage had been recovered, and that more pieces were floating in the sea.

The wreckage was located 30km from the plane’s lastknown position.

Air Force Commander Eduardo Mosqueira said the air force would carry out “corresponding checks” to determine whether the wreckage was from the missing plane. He also said that personal items suspected to have come from those on board the plane had been found.

A Brazilian navy ship sent

to aid with the search efforts also located some debris. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted that “polar ship Almirante Maximiano of the Brazilian navy collected, at about 15:45, personal items and wreckage matching that of the Hercules C-130 of the Chilean air force”.

The plane was en route from Chile’s southern city of Punta Arenas to the country’s Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva base in the Antarctic.

Contact with the plane was lost at 18:13 local time (21:13 GMT) on Monday, shortly after the C-130 took off from Punta Arenas.

The Chilean air force released a map of the plane’s flight path and a timeline showing it had been due to land at 19:17 on Monday at Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva. A massive air and sea search was

launched soon after the plane went missing. Argentina, Brazil, the UK and Uruguay have sent planes to help with the search in the icy waters, while the US and Israel have been providing satellite images.

Three of the passengers were Chilean soldiers, two were civilians employed by engineering and construction firm Inproser, one was a student and the remaining 15 passengers were members of the air force, an official said.

Ignacio Parada had been studying civil chemical engineering at Magallanes University and was heading to the Antarctic base for an internship.

His professors described the 24-year-old as “an excellent student”. He was particularly interested in renewable energy, he had said recently.

Inproser employees Leonel Cabrera and Jacob Pizarro were

going to carry out work on the military base.

The three soldiers who boarded the Hercules plane on Monday were Col Christian Astorquiza, Lt Col Oscar Saavedra and Maj Gen Daniel Ortiz.

There was only one woman on board: 37-year-old geographer Claudia Manzo joined the air force in 2008 and was passionate about remote sensing - obtaining information about areas from a distance by aircraft or satellites.

Also among those travelling to the base were two brothers, Luis and Jeremías Mancilla. Jeremías, 27, had been hired by the air force to carry out work on the electrical circuits on the base. His older brother Luis was sergeant in the air force. (BBC)

France expels Argentine ex-officer in torture case France is preparing to deport an Argentine former policeman, Mario Sandoval, accused of torture and crimes against humanity during Argentina’s military dictatorship in 1976-1983.

Argentine prosecutors based their extradition request on one case - that of student Hernán Abriata, who disappeared in detention in 1976.

Mr Sandoval, 66, denies the charges, but a top French court has given a final ruling, rejecting his appeal.

He is accused in some 500 cases. Those cases relate to murder, torture and kidnapping.

Court documents in Argentina note that he was nicknamed “Churrasco” (Spanish for steak) - the term used for a metal bed

The mother of Hernán Abriata (C) - Beatriz - has long campaigned to get Mario Sandoval extradited (BBC photo)

frame on which detainees were electrocuted.

The Argentine dictatorship “disappeared” about 30,000 people during the “Dirty War” against suspected leftists and

political dissidents.

In some cases victims’ infant children were stolen and given to couples loyal to the regime. French police arrested Mr Sandoval on Wednesday at

his home near Paris. Earlier the Council of State - France’s top administrative court - rejected his appeal, after years of legal wrangling. He will be sent back to Argentina within a week, police say.

Mr Sandoval fled to France after the fall of the military junta and he obtained French citizenship in 1997. He can be extradited because the alleged crimes were committed before he became French.

He taught as a professor

at the Sorbonne’s Institute of Latin American Studies in Paris (IHEAL) and the University of Marne-La-Vallée.

Hernán Abriata was arrested in 1976 and held at a notorious torture centre - the Navy Higher School of Mechanics (ESMA).

Mario Sandoval’s lawyer Jérôme Rousseau has now appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, alleging that his client will not get a fair trial in Argentina. Mr Sandoval’s col-

leagues at the two prestigious institutes called for him to be arrested when they recognised him from a photo during the investigation.

IHEAL academics wrote in 2017: “Judicial action is essential to establish the truth and ensure that someone guilty of crimes against humanity cannot teach in a public institution, which is incompatible with the university’s ethics.” (BBC)

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Phasing out the use of mercury

REFERENCE is being made to the announcement by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Wednesday that subject minister Raphael Trotman and executive members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) met on Tuesday and discussed an initiative to phase out the use of mercury in gold recovery.

According to the ministry, the meeting was held with newly-elected GGDMA Chairman Mr. Andron Alphonso and members of the body to discuss areas of collaboration, one of which is a proposal from the newly-elected GGDMA president for a pilot project that will support Guyana’s efforts towards the phasing out of the use of mercury in keeping with the country’s commitments to the Minamata Convention.

The project will integrate international recommendations for the reduction of mercury in the sector to test their viability in conditions resembling those encountered by small and medium-scale miners at interior locations. Once completed, the findings of the pilot will be made public and used as a basis for further work towards the reduction of mercury use, the ministry said in a statement. Minister Trotman is quoted as expressing appreciation for the initiative taken to address mercury use in the sector, and noted that the proposed project can potentially transform the sector, by helping miners to better understand and embrace improved techniques that support the use

of alternatives to mercury in mining.

The issue of the phasing out of the use of mercury has been a long-running one, since October 2013, under the previous administration when Guyana signed the Minamata Convention, an international treaty intended to protect our health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury. That Treaty committed the country to gradually reduce the use of mercury. After the change of government, President David Granger, in October 2017, went one step further, saying that the administration’s goal is the total elimination of the use of mercury by 2027. The universal agreement that mercury is harmful and should be eliminated is well founded.

Mercury is one of the most poisonous substances on earth, and its effects on human health are horrific.

Mercury is a liquid metal used primarily in gold mining, whereby it is mixed with ore containing gold to form an amalgam, following which unwanted material is washed away, the amalgam is then heated to burn off the mercury, and the gold is left behind. The process is simple and cheap. Given that gold mining is a major cash-earner in Guyana, there is widespread use of large quantities of mercury. The problem is that the mercury vapour released when the amalgam is heated is highly poisonous, and can cause serious health problems, if it is inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Mercury can also enter the body when it goes into

streams or creeks, and the water is used for drinking or cooking, or contaminated fish from polluted streams are eaten.

The effects of mercury poisoning depend on how much is absorbed by the body, and how long a person is exposed.

Moderate mercury poisoning can cause weakness, numbness about the body, skin rashes or peeling, itching, body pain, sweating, sleeplessness, and other symptoms.

Larger doses of the poison can cause memory problems, psychiatric disorders, difficulty hearing, speaking, and seeing, mental retardation, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and brain. Such damage may be permanent, even when the person is removed from exposure to the poison.

Children are at particular risk, because their fragile bodies are still developing.

Worse still, the effects of mercury are cumulative; in other words, the poison builds up in the body and the effects get worse as time passes.

Eventually, if the victim is not removed from the source of the poison, death occurs when the body absorbs about one gram of mercury. Last year June, staff of the Guyana Gold Board were relocated after concerns were raised that their workplace, at which amalgam was burned, was contaminated by mercury. In July last year, the Guyana Water Inc. announced that unsafe levels of mercury were found in the Kaituma River in Region One, and alternate sources of potable water had to be sourced,

at great cost, for use by villagers.

Evidently, although miners prefer to use mercury, because the process is cheap and easy, the cost to the country’s taxpayers who must foot the bills to treat those affected by the poison far outweigh any benefits. Further, potential loss of health, threat to life, and contamination of the environment may be unquantifiable. The GGDMA must be commended for conceding that mercury is a threat. However, the representative body is, so far, opposed to a total ban on mercury, claiming that there is no alternative. This claim, though, is false, as there are several processes which can be used for gold extraction that do not involve the use of mercury.

Alternatives to mercury-based extraction include concentration methods, chemical leaching, sluicing, magnetic separation, flotation separation, shaking tables, centrifuges, spiral concentrators, vortex concentrators, and direct smelting, among others. Although those methods and devices are more complex and may be somewhat more expensive, the long-term benefits more than compensate for any short-term inconvenience to miners.

Government is therefore to be commended for taking a strong position on this issue by declaring, through actions, that the wellbeing of its citizens, wildlife, and environment are of paramount importance. And all Guyanese, including miners, are urged to support the objective of mercury elimination.

‘The Ties Versus the Lies’

Dear Editor,

WHEN I looked at the photo of Irfaan Ali, in suit and tie, (page 7, Guyana Times 11.12.19), I quickly read back what he was saying, “I remember long ago, the boys in my village were afraid to go to the bank for a loan.

You know why? They say when they turned up to the bank, they saw all these fancy people with ties and they get afraid.”

Now, looking back at his photo with the tie, I said to myself, ‘Ah afraid Ali’! I would rename his speech “The ties versus the lies”.

The first big, fat lie is that APNU+AFC Government officials were going to the people in “choppers”. Ali was careful to choose Moraikobai, a hinterland place, to spread this falsehood. It is common knowledge

that ministers of the Coalition Government have been in and out of all communities, from the coast to the interior, in the riverine settlements, and in the hillside and savannah villages. They have fanned out by road, trail, river, and by plane. I have not seen ministers going around in helicopters!

The results of the work of this government are there for all to see, and people have more recently gained easier access to information via the Internet, radio and television. This APNU+AFC Government is being connected to the people. No other government has expanded Internet services to the remote corners of our land, or set up regional radio stations in hinterland communities! The PPP’s billion-dollar fibre optic cable from Brazil disappeared, and the only radio frequencies handed out were to friends

on the coast. It is not true that Ali’s party or government had accepted constructive criticisms. I would have ignored any such claim from another person, but not from the one seeking to become the next president of Guyana.

Has he forgotten the denial of government ‘ads’ to punish the private media? Has he forgotten that journalists were referred to as “carrions” and “vultures”? Surely he would remember that a journalist was thrown out from presidential news conferences, and a young Amerindian teacher in Aishalton was beaten up for being critical and threatened, “If President Jagdeo was here he woudda slap you!”

Under the PPP regime, CNS TV was taken off the air when criticisms were expressed against officials, and that TV station was

never given a licence to broadcast outside Georgetown. The PPP controlled the public media, and turned them into propaganda broadsheets and voices of the ruling party.

Opposition criticisms were blacked out. The PPP government was largely inaccessible.

State contracts with investors were hidden, and the government spent monies unlawfully, without the authorisation of the National Assembly.

Ali has to tell our people those truths, and hope that they will forgive his party for its many years of corruption and authoritarian rule. Otherwise, he will remain unelectable, and an object of fright in his tie!

Regards, Earl Hamilton

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

No foreign influence, period!

– Guyanese have a right to decide their own fate

Dear Editor, IT IS with deep concern that I pen this letter to express my dismay at comments made by US Embassy staff, Professor Ellis, as reported in the local media. Ellis’s comments are political in nature, and strike at the heart of Guyana’s democracy. These comments appear to be an unwarranted intrusion into Guyana’s electoral independence.

This recent news report could not have come at a worst time, a time of heightened political tensions in Guyana, when the country is heading to National Elections in a few months. His comments seem to have indicated that he has effectively put his thumb on the elections scales in Guyana, declaring that one opponent will win as opposed to another. The APNU, one of the leading political parties to contest the upcoming elections, has already responded and expressed its dismay at Ellis’s comments. Had Ellis not been a current employee of the US government, his comments could have been viewed with less suspicion and potential interference in Guyana’s elections. His comments can be seen as an attempt, whether knowingly or unknowingly, to influence Guyanese voters.

The US Embassy’s response, though with some degree of swiftness, to this matter was

inadequate. It matters not that Professor Ellis’s comments were made at a time when he was not employed with the US government.

What matters is that he is a current employee of the US Embassy, located in the country his elections predictions were centered on. I read the Embassy’s statement on the matter, and wondered if Ellis’s comments were only now discovered, after they were published on the Online media! Was there no due diligence done to ensure that any potential US Embassy staffer was clear of any conflicting political position, whether explicitly stated or implied by conduct. It should be no surprise that a partisan political commentary by a US Embassy staffer would draw the ire of local politicians, political parties and the Guyanese people.

The Embassy should have foreseen that a stated bias political position by one of its staff, on the domestic politics of a foreign nation could be construed as political interference in that country’s politics. In any democracy or any country that believes in free and transparent elections, this comment could be a serious concern to the people. According to the US Embassy in its statement, Professor Ellis’s comments were made in April last year, less than two years ago. Therefore, the Embassy ought to have known that the professor’s fairly recent partisan comments could follow him

into his new role. His comments could also be used by a political opponent, and branded or interpreted as a US government position.

One would think that given the present political realities in the USA, where the sitting president is presently facing impeachment charges for allegedly asking a foreign government, Ukraine, to interfere in the US’s upcoming elections, would be of good guidance to the US Embassy in Guyana. Like Americans, Guyanese would not want any external interference in their elections, especially from government officials of a country they admire and hold out as a beacon of true democracy, the USA. Sadly, Professor Ellis’s comments have awoken a deep sense of suspicion. It is unfortunate that prior to him being employed by the US Embassy, an official disclaimer or a nullification of his comments were not done. My belief is that if this kind of full disclosure/disclaimer was done, Guyanese would have had no reason to be suspicious of this Embassy staff, and questions of potential election meddling would not have surfaced.

Further, the Guyana government would have had no reason to issue a statement of concern.

Guyana, regardless of administrations, has had a good relationship with the USA. However, any attempt, which suggest

that any agent of the US is putting its thumb on Guyana’s elections scale have the potential to injure that relationship. I believe it would be in the interest of the US Embassy to issue a more fulsome statement, and encourage Professor Ellis to clarify or withdraw his comments. These I believe will serve well to put to rest any idea that the US Embassy in Guyana, and by extension the US government, has openly injected itself in Guyanese politics and have picked a winner for the next election. The Guyanese people must not go to an election with a feeling that they have not been the sole decision makers in deciding who their government will be. Guyanese people must go to the next elections knowing that their elections were void of any interference of a foreign power, whether by a US Embassy staffer or any other means.

Professor Ellis’s statement cannot just be wished away or slightly brushed aside.

His pronouncement can form part of a political campaign that is likely to result in some very serious charges and issues. Guyanese value their right to decide their own fate, as regards who becomes their government. This right should be respected!

Sincerely, Lurlene Nestor

Guyana’s Human Development on the rise is highly commendable Dear Editor, ACCORDING to the report, the country’s literacy rate among persons 15 years and older is 85.6 per cent. The dropout rate for the primary school cohort is 7.8 per cent. According to statistics, 70 per cent of teachers within the primary education system are trained.

This is according to a Guyana Chronicle story in the newspaper of December 11, 2019.

This also shows that the country is marching forward towards the elimination of school dropouts in our society, whether at the primary school level or secondary level.

I take my hat off and salute the Coalition Administration for their valiant effort in ensuring that our children remain in school and get their education, so that we as a nation can be well represented with distinction on the world stage, whether it be in international law, international relations or in the Foreign Service.

During the tenure of the previous administration, much emphasis was not placed on the acquisition of quality education, particularly among our young people.

This, to my mind, has impeded the quality of people who work in the public sector and represent us on the international stage.

Guyana is becoming an oil-producing nation, and the onus is on us to produce persons of reputable character and a sound, quality education.

I believe that the time is now, when Guy-

ana should regain its position at the top of the education ladder in the Caribbean.

This effort should involve all and sundry, parents training their children through creating an environment where reading is encouraged in the home, churches, mosques, and temples.

As the saying goes, “Education is the way that leads out of poverty”.

Regards, George Goring

Republic Bank reaffirms its promise Dear Editor, REPUBLIC Bank is reaffirming its commitment to fully resolve all new banking system related issues by mid-December as earlier indicated.

With ongoing emphasis to improve transaction efficiency, customers can access their accounts via the Bank’s Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) where a higher single transaction limit of $100,000 is now available.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of our Point of Sale Terminals are now operable, facilitating customers’ payments at merchants, while we continue to address those outstanding for earliest availability. In-branch resources have been redirected to ensure maximum support, while our new Swipe Card feature will greatly reduce the need for completion of vouchers for some withdrawals and deposits.

Payrolls received to date have been processed, and we are utilising currently four (4)

payroll processing options to ensure that our valued customers have on-time access to their salaries and bonus payments. Wire Transfers are also being processed.

Our customer education efforts and Call Centre support are ongoing, even as we note the steady reduction in the demand for these services.

More importantly, at the Bank’s Annual General Meeting on December 9, 2019, Chairman Nigel Baptiste announced that the

Bank is working on measures to compensate customers for the inconvenience experienced as a result of the conversion to the new banking platform.

Customer focus remains our priority, and we are committed to ensuring that any inconvenience experienced by our customers and stakeholders is resolved soonest.

Regards, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited

Top priority

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

–– for Amerindian land titling, ancestral lands next year

MINISTER of State Dawn Hastings-Williams on Thursday urged the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to make Amerindian Land Titling, ancestral lands and customer service issues their top priorities in the New Year, even as she

ward to for the development and tenure of their land. It causes developmental stagnation; it is my knowledge [that] this is a highly complex issue, but we need to serve our people diligently. Secondly, Ancestral lands; our Afro-Guyanese, who have claims for the

work the Commission has done in 2019, more must be done in the new year. She said the government has already set the tone by clarifying the roles and functions of the GLSC, and the Commission must now do its best to serve the Guyanese people.

GLSC staffers at their end-of-year meeting commended them for a job well done in 2019.

The minister was at the time addressing staff and Members of the Board of Directors of the Commission at the end-of-year staff meeting, which was held at its Durban Backlands headquarters.

“I wish to highlight the three things I want us to strengthen in the New Year: First, the Amerindian Land Titling Project. This is a long-pending project that many of our Indigenous brothers and sisters are looking for-

lands of their fore parents, are very much eager, too, to find solutions to their case. The ‘good life’ which President David Granger speaks [of] includes land tenure for each Guyanese and their families, and thirdly, customer service.

I have received observations on the time GLSC takes to respond to applications. We must do better to inform the citizens, and to process applications,” she said.

Minister Hastings-Williams also noted that while she is proud of the level of

BETTER POSITION “As the national surveying authority, on many occasions, functions of the GLSC have overlapped with other entities or completed by other institutions. By clarifying this, the Government of Guyana is in a better position to serve its people. During this season, institutions, companies and agencies [across] the world take this occasion to find areas to be strengthened in order to become better social

stewards, and more productive, efficient and diligent,” she said.

Minister Hastings-Williams also congratulated staff members who pursued and completed their academic studies during the year. She urged them to use their newly acquired skills and knowledge to enhance the functions of the Commission.

“I want to congratulate those who achieved academic goals. Achieving academic goals is one thing; putting it into practice, into action, being creative, innovative and implementing efficiently is one other thing. I want to encourage you to use your academic achievements in developing this beautiful land of ours,” Minister Hastings-Williams said.

Meanwhile, Paulette Henry, Head of the GLSC Board of Directors said she is proud of the achievements of the Commission for the year. She also pledged the Board’s continued support to the Commission to ensure it achieves the vision outlined by the President.

FOOT SOLDIERS “We have worked at the Board level to make sure that the policies are in place to facilitate those kinds of arrangements. Everything

Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams addressing the GLSC end-of-year staff meeting isn’t perfect; we have challenges, but what we have seen are clear requests for guidance on policy matters that need to be addressed, and we have sought to address them to the best of our abilities. We will do all we can to support the work of the Commission, but we need you, the foot soldiers, to do the remainder,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer Trevor Benn echoed similar sentiments, in that he, too, is proud of what the Commission has achieved for the year. He recalled that when he took over the reins of the Commission in 2016, the agency was making between $300 to $400M annually, which was barely enough to cover salaries for staff.

Today, some three years later, he said the Commission has reached its $1.2B target, and has been able to offer scholarships to staff to pursue studies both here at home and abroad, and to also invest

heavily in training and equipment to increase its efficiency.

“People have no idea how much work we have to do behind the scenes,” Benn said, adding: “We want a workforce here that is second to none, and we have invested in our staff. We want to ensure we have the best trained staff in all areas, and we have been debating how to reward academic achievements. Unless we educate our workforce, we will not be able to sustain the work we have to do.”

Benn also reported that Guyana has had a number of successes internationally, with the country being one of two in the world to have implemented the Integrated Geo-spatial Information Framework.

Guyana is also set to co-chair the upcoming United Nations Expert Group on United Nations Global Geo-spatial Information Management: Private Sector Network (UNGGIM).

(Ministry of the Presidency)

Exxon ensuring safety ahead of first oil

EXXONMOBIL and its partners are conducting the final testing of systems and equipment onboard the Liza Destiny Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in preparation for ‘first oil’ still possible in December 2019.

“The risers have been hooked to the Liza Destiny so we’re now in the commissioning phase which includes testing the equipment – pressure testing – and ensuring that everything is working smoothly,” Public and Government Affairs Adviser, Janelle Persaud, told reporters on Thursday.

Risers are pipes which connects an offshore FPSO

or a Drilling Rig to a subsea system for production purposes. They connect the flowlines to the surface facility and transport fluids.

ExxonMobil and its partners are meticulous when it comes to safety and the go-ahead for oil production will not be given until they are sure all that are needed are in place.

Sources say that this could take days or even weeks depending on the acceptable performance of all systems.

“The idea is to ensure that we do all of these things safely and in protection of the environment,” Persaud said.

‘First oil’ will be determined when a formal decision is given for the go-ahead

and oil flows through the choke up to the surface which could take a matter of hours.

For the first few weeks, there will be initial startup flaring – authorised by the Environmental Protection Agency – which occurs during the commissioning and initial start-up phases of the FPSO when gas and liquids are introduced into new facilities and equipment.

This flaring will not continue as routine and will only take place again in the case of an emergency whereby flaring will be used to immediately de-pressure the facility as part of a shut-down process to reduce risk.

When production begins, Guyana’s crude will be sold

– more or less – at a million barrels per lift. By the time the country is producing at a peak of 120 barrels of oil per day, a new lift would be anticipated every eight to 10

The Liza Destiny FPSO days.

Should ‘first oil’ be possible in December, Guyana would not lift its first volume of crude until one month after as the first en-

titlement of crude will go to ExxonMobil being that the first lift often comes with a fair amount of impurities and Exxon has the ability to refine the same.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

9

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Guyana to lead regional growth next year …ECLAC predicts 85.5% growth on the back of oil production

THE Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has forecasted a staggeringly high growth rate for Guyana for next year, while modest growth in other Caribbean economies.

In its Preliminary economic Overview of the Caribbean released on Thursday, ECLAC noted that Guyana’s growth rate is pegged at 4.5 per cent for this year, while next year it will be 85.5 per

cent. This prediction was also made earlier this year by the International Monetary Fund and is premised on the country entering to oil production which will commence this month. The commission said too that the Guyana Government will receive approximately 14.5 per cent of all oil revenue in 2020.

Meanwhile, Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC Executive Secretary, in presenting the overview, said the economic

overview for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019 is occurring in a particularly complex context. The Region, she said, is exhibiting an economic deceleration that is widespread and synchronised among countries and sectors, topping off six consecutive years of low growth.

The United Nations regional organisation indicates that the deceleration in domestic demand is being accompanied by low external

Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC Executive Secretary

aggregate demand and more fragile international financial markets. This context is compounded by growing social demands and pressure to reduce inequality and increase social inclusion. In this way, the macroeconomic situation in recent years shows a deceleration trend in economic activity, with a reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, a decline in investment, lower consumption per capita, fewer exports, and a sustained deterioration in the quality of employment.

All of this will lead to the Region growing just 0.1 per cent on average in 2019, and growth projections for 2020 will remain low at around 1.3 per cent for the Region as a whole. As a result, the 2014-2020 period will mark the lowest growth in the last seven decades for the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Given this scenario, the Region cannot withstand adjustment policies and needs policies to stimulate growth and reduce inequality. The current conditions require that fiscal policy be centered on the reactivation of growth and on responding to growing social demands,” stated Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), at the presentation of the document.

The report emphasises that an active fiscal policy requires in the medium-to-long term a strategy to ensure its sustainability over time. This implies that it must be linked to growth capacity and productivity dynamics, and to strengthening the State’s capacity for revenue collection (improving the progressive nature of the tax structure through an increase in direct taxes; reducing tax evasion, which represents around 6.3 per cent of regional GDP; re-evaluating tax expenditures, which represent 3.7 per cent of GDP in the Region; and implementing a new generation of taxes related to the digital economy, the environment and public health).

In terms of growth projections, according to the report, 23 of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries (and 18 out of 20 in Latin America) will see their growth decelerate during 2019, while 14 nations will record an expansion of one per cent or less by year’s end.

Furthermore, the report verifies that the Region’s GDP per capita will have contracted four per cent between 2014 and 2019. Meanwhile, national unemployment will rise from eight per cent in 2018 to 8.2 per cent in 2019, which amounts to an increase of one million people, reach-

ing a new maximum of 25.2 million. This situation is compounded by a deterioration in job quality due to growth in self-employment (which exceeded salaried employment) and in labor informality.

GREATEST EXPANSION The Preliminary Overview forecasts that in 2019 the country with the greatest expansion will be Dominica (nine per cent), followed by Antigua and Barbuda (6.2 per cent), the Dominican Republic (4.8 per cent) and Guyana (4.5 per cent). In contrast, Venezuela will experience the greatest setback, with a contraction of -25.5 per cent, followed by Nicaragua (-5.3 per cent), Argentina (-3.0 per cent) and Haiti (-0.7 per cent).

Central America will grow 2.4 per cent, the Caribbean 1.4 per cent and South America will contract -0.1 per cent.

For 2020, ECLAC’s projections indicate that Caribbean nations will continue leading regional growth (with a sub-regional average of 5.6 per cent), led by Guyana (85.6 per cent, due to oil production starting in 2020), Antigua and Barbuda (6.5 per cent), Dominica (4.9 per cent) and the Dominican Republic (4.7 per cent). On the low end of the spectrum, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Argentina will have more moderate economic contraction rates (with -14 per cent, -1.4 per cent and -1.3 per cent, respectively).

Meanwhile, Central America will expand 2.6 per cent and South America 1.2 per cent.

According to the report, despite the difficulties and limitations that policy spaces currently face, in contrast to prior periods, the majority of the Region’s countries find themselves today in situations of historically low inflation levels (a 2.6 per cent regional average, without taking into account Venezuela, Argentina and Haiti), relatively high international reserves, the economies generally preserve access to international financial markets, and international interest rates are at low levels. These conditions favor the capacity to implement macroeconomic policies that would tend to reverse the current low-growth scenario. To that end, it is critical to reactivate economic activity through greater public spending on investment and social policies, ECLAC indicates. In addition, to address social demands, shortterm redistributive efforts must be complemented with an increase in the provision and quality of public goods and services, the commission underscored.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

11

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Mayor says mistreated by Constabulary Department

EVER since taking office in January 2019, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine said he has been asking Chief Constable Andrew Foo for a security plan for the City, but, to date, none has been submitted.

The mayor said it was shameful how the Constabulary Department and all other outposts under its control were being managed.

He was speaking last Monday when councillors met for their fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall.

of Mike’s pharmacy, said he was almost sure if he asked the Bourda outpost what plans they had for the area, that they would not be able to provide an answer. The situation outside Mike’s pharmacy is made worse at nights, he informed the meeting.

Narine said just recently, he spent about four hours in the said area and could not see a single constable on the ground during that time.

When he called the Constabulary office, he said he was mistreated. “This is the

officers on leave at the same time. This did not go down well with several councillors.

Officer Peter Livingstone had sought to explain that while the officers’ absence will affect the job negatively, they were entitled to their leave. He said they would have indicated, since Jan-

the fact that the Christmas period was imminent and that the administration ought to look into the matter. Some of the officers were to proceed on 21 days leave, while some went for 14 days, and other amounts of time.

In a previous interview, Foo had told Guyana Chron-

powers and privileges of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

It also has the authority to prosecute persons for offences such as assault, disorderly behaviour, urinating in public places, using indecent language, encumbering the pavements and so forth.

The department also

Mayor Ubraj Narine last Monday

Councillors at the statutory meeting last Monday

The City Constabulary Department of the Mayor and City Council

The mayor, in relating the unsightly condition at Bourda Market, just outside

conduct of the constabulary department,” he said.

Recently, the Constabu-

lary Department, with strength of just 173 staff members, took a decision to send 25

uary, in which month they preferred to go on leave.

But Councillor Patricia Chase-Green observed that while all staff members fill out the roster, it was dependent on the department’s head to say if he could allow 25 persons to go all at once.

She also called attention to

icle that the department was short of 138 staff members, and that it was difficult to recruit new employees because of several factors, including low salaries.

The Constabulary has responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime in Georgetown and has similar

provides security for municipal markets, day-care centres, koker pumps and City Hall buildings, among others. The Enforcement Unit, which deals with itinerant vending and other breaches of the laws, is also very small and short of its full complement of staff.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

First Lady launches foundation to empower vulnerable youths

By Tamica Garnett FIRST Lady, Sandra Granger, on Thursday, officially launched the ANIRA Foundation, a not-forprofit organisation geared at empowering vulnerable groups with a special focus on teenage mothers, young boys and men.

The launch was held at Cara Lodge. Though officially launched last Thursday, the organisation has been operating since 2017 and is engaged in a number of ongoing projects, including remedial education for primary school children on the East Coast; education assistance for teen mothers; ICT workshops for adolescents and out-of-school youth; small business workshops; a hinterland school shoes donation initiative; and partnerships with STEMGuyana.

The First Lady was motivated to create the Foundation given her passion for empowering youth and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of vulnerable women, areas she has used her platform as First Lady to advocate for over the past few years.

“I recognise that my role as First Lady is finite, I wanted to continue the work that I had begun to educate and empower vulnerable sectors of the population, women, girls, particularly teen moms and young people,” Mrs. Granger shared.

First Lady, Sandra Granger (fourth from left) with some members of the board of directors of the Anira Foundation

She added: “ANIRA goes beyond my work as First Lady to fulfil my lifelong dream of a Guyana where our young people have the knowledge to make healthy choices and can utilise their innate talents and skills to provide for their families. The aim is educating and empowering people. If we don’t educate people we would be giving them hand outs and they would remain in the same boat they’re in. So that’s where empowerment comes in.”

Granger heads the foundation’s 14-member board of directors which also includes founder of STEMGuyana, Karen Abrams; Sister of Mercy, Julie Andrews; revered educator, Ingrid Fung; Ministry of Education Chief Planning Officer, Evelyn Hamilton; and founder of the Lusig-

nan-Good Hope Learning Centre, Sandra Shivdat, among others.

For its next project, “Pilots of the Caribbean”, which is scheduled to commence in early 2020, the Foundation will roll out a three-year venture focused on sexual reproductive health of young people, with an aim of reducing HIV and AIDS. The project is being funded by Gilead Science at a cost of US$251,000.

The project is under the umbrella of the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN), for which Granger is the vice-chair.

The initiative is anticipated to target a projected 500 adolescents – 100 males and 400 females – between the ages of 12 and 24, and will entail HIV and syphilis testing; and social interventions

Prisoner found dead in Essequibo lock-ups TWENTY-THREEyear-old Steffon Smith of Vryman’s Erving, New Scheme, New Amsterdam, was, on Thursday, found dead in the Suddie Police Station Lock-ups.

Guyana Chronicle was told that Smith was charged and placed before the court for attempted murder and wounding with intent. He was also ordered by a judge to have a mental evaluation, which was scheduled for today (Friday), to determine whether he was fit to stand trial for the offences. According to reports, the man, who was in a cell with two other prisoners, tied a sheet

around the grill window and hanged himself.

One police source indicated that, based on how the lockups at the Station was built, there is one main door that leads to two separate lockups. The two lockups are without individual doors and a prisoner can move from one cell to the other and be away from the eyes of others within either cell.

Earlier on Thursday, one of the three prisoners was taken out to attend court, leaving Smith, and a 19year-old Sophia resident, in the lockups. When a police approached the lockups to remove the 19- year-old, the

rank observed that Smith was not in sight and enquired where he was. At that point the 19- year-old indicated that Smith was over in the other cell.

It turned out that when the police went to that section of the cell, Smith was found hanging. He then quickly raised an alarm.

Smith reportedly worked as a miner. Guyana Chronicle also learnt that Smith was taken to the lock-ups to facilitate his appearance in court for the offences which were committed, back in 2016, in the Potaro/ Siparuni Region 8.

to keep young girls in school as well as linking men and boys to services to help end gender-based violence.

MORE INTERVENTION Granger stressed the need for more interventions focused on addressing the issues faced by men as a basis of curbing gender-based violence.

“We’ve had preliminary discussions with Minister [of Social Protection

Amna] Ally on understanding the male perspective and how we deal with that. Our board met and one of the things we recognise [is that] we cannot focus only on women. We have to address the men and the issues that they face, so one of our discussions focused on how we address the issue of our men folk and our boys,” Mrs. Granger noted.

The project will be done in three phases commencing in Sophia, which has been identified as having a high incidence of teenage pregnancies. It will continue in the Barima-Waini and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Regions. The foundation will be collaborating with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP) on this project.

With many of its projects being community-based, the foundation also works along with the Ministry of Communities (MoC). Present at the launch was Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, who noted that his ministry looks

forward to working along with the foundation, in developing communities.

“The aim is to help persons to help themselves and from time to time we will be called upon to play a facilitative role and the ministry is pleased and honoured to partner with the ANIRA Foundation in the realisation of its noble and lofty goals,” Bulkan noted.

The Foundation will be funded primarily through donations with Mrs. Granger emphasising transparency of the organisation.

“We are really striving to be open and transparent in all that we do,” she said.

Through donations from the Guyana United Youth Development Association of New York, the foundation earlier this year help fund the robot and kit for the STEMGuyana Team that participated at the FIRST Global Robotics Olympics.

The team went on to place in the top 25 per cent of the 190 countries that participated and won the competition’s Albert Einstein Gold Medal.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 13, 2019

GNBA proposes redefining broadcast zones

By Svetlana Marshall COGNISANT of the fact that some broadcasters lack the capacity to provide maximum coverage within their zones, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is proposing the redefining of zones to allow for sub-zones at a lower cost.

In floating the idea at GNBA’s 5th Stakeholder Engagement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Wednesday, GNBA Chairman, Leslie Sobers said such a move would require further amendments to the Broadcasting Act. The Broadcasting Act, amended in 2017, now includes three classes of broadcasting services: commercial, non-commercial and community classes; and three types of broadcasting zones – primary, secondary and tertiary.

More than two years after the amendments came into law, Sobers said it is evident that some broadcasters lack the capacity to fully cover their zones. “It is a reasonable and legitimate expectation that a broadcaster, having secured a licence to broadcast in a particular zone and having satisfied the requirements that he or she is capable of transmitting within that particular zone, would ensure that his or her operations span the length and breadth of that zone,” the GNBA chair told the broadcasters present while alluding

to Section 32 (h) of the Act. That section states: “In the granting of licences and in the setting of conditions, the Authority shall ensure that all equipment for transmission, dissemination or distribution of programmes by wired, wireless, cable or any other means should meet a technical standard which ensures that listeners and viewers within the prescribed coverage area are able to receive signals with reasonable ease, minimum difficulty and maximum clarity.”

Based on the reality on the ground, Sobers said sub-zoning is likely the next best option. “Given the fact that some broadcasters are not covering the length and breadth of their zones for which they have received broadcasting licence, we can issue licences for sub-zones, which would simply mean proposing to the National Assembly that there should be a review of the Broadcasting Act,” Sobers recommended.

He posited that dividing the zones into sub-zones can also result in the lowering of fees, and increased broadcasters within the three zones.

He added, too, that further amendment to the Act should expand the reach of community radios.

“Amend the law to allow community radio to operate in the primary zone to fill the gap of the inability of broadcasters to reach the full length and breadth of the Primary Zone. In that case, we could

see community radios existing in places like Timehri, Vergenoegen, Mahaicony, and so on,” Sobers explained while putting his proposals on the table.

Under the existing law, the primary zone comprises the municipality of Georgetown, Region Three up to the Essequibo River, all of Region Four and Region Five, east of Region Four to the Abary River. Additionally, there are four secondary zones with zone one covering all of Regions One and Two and the Essequibo Islands being part of Region Three.

Secondary zone two includes all of Bartica, while Secondary zone Three covers all of Region Six, including New Amsterdam and part of Region Five, west of New Amsterdam to the Abary River. The fourth and final Secondary zone includes all of Region 10.

Meanwhile, the Tertiary zones are all of Region Nine, including Lethem; all of Region Eight, including Mahdia and Region Seven, excluding Bartica. In the Primary zone, the base fee has been set at $1.2M for TV and cable operators while radio operators pay $2.5M. In the Secondary zone, the fee is $600, 000 or 3.5 per cent of gross revenue of the preceding year, whichever is greater for TV and cable operators, while radio operators pay $1.25M. In the Tertiary zone, the fee has been set at $300, 000

GNBA Chairman, Leslie Sobers

for TV and cable providers and $625,000 for radio operators. Radio and TV stations providing community broadcasting services are charged a fee of $150,000.

If sub-zones are developed, the fees would be reduced. The amendment also provided for public service programmes, the prohibition of programmes

containing hate speech, while simultaneously addressing an international agreement for broadcasting any channel or programme as part of the local service.

Second religious party seeks votes of churchgoers YET another religious-based party has been launched in Guyana, calling itself the Kingdom Liberal Movement (KLM), with the primary motivation to “return a high level of moral discipline to Guyana”.

The party held a small launching on November 16, 2019 at Moray House which was unfortunately unattended by the media. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, KLM Campaign Strategist, Apostle Y. Abernaty Jeune, said that the party is made up of mainly pastors, from different independent churches.

However, although the party’s logo depicts a golden crown, synonymous to the Christian religion, it says that it is open to members from the Muslim, Hindu and Rastafarian community. It is not associated with the recently- launched People’s Republic Party (PRP) dubbed ‘the pastors party’; in fact, when the KLM approached the PRP for a possible coalition, it was shot down.

“Even though I said it’s made up of mainly pastors, this is just at the forefront. In no way we want to characterize our brand, the movement, as a party who endeavors to Christianize Guyana,” Jeune said.

“We’re not focusing on our geology or our doctrinal emphasis. We believe that put us all together as religious bodies and there is a lot we have in common.” He stressed that the party is not “taking the church to government” but

KLM Campaign Strategist, Apostle Y. Abernaty Jeune

KLM Presidential Candidate, Bishop Linden Hercules

would nonetheless work as individual churches to preach against the lifestyle of the LGBTQ community and all other forms of immorality.

SEEKING THE CHURCH’S VOTE KLM is confidently contesting all regions in Guyana and claims to have completed its List of Candidates for Nomination Day some 80 per cent. Jeune said that while a large number of the supporters within the churches are “strong” APNU supporters, he is hoping to sway their vote. “We have enough supporters, even though they are mainly from the churches. Our objective is to reach out to the churches, firstly, because that’s where most of our support we’re hoping to come from,” he said.

Although the KLM is relatively silent, the Apostle doubts that the other new parties recently formed have their act together when it comes to their list of candidates. This week the party plans to write all churches in Guyana, explaining its interest in government, with the hope that more will put their trust in the KLM. Its presidential candidate is Bishop Linden Hercules who has pastored in Guyana and Suriname. Meanwhile, the party is being supported financially by the pastors while other business persons have pledged support.

“We have already planned to go into our own pockets and at the same time to see how best we can to utilize the means [to campaign] that are not necessarily costly,” Juene said.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Wisroc, Amelia's Ward new schemes to be regularised THE Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) is presently in the process of regularising housing schemes in Linden, in an effort to garner rates and taxes, since these will now be deemed part of the municipality.

While it was determined that 60 per cent of Linden's residential areas were not paying rates and taxes, the communities that will be regularised soon include the new schemes of Amelia's Ward Phase 1-3 and Wisroc.

LMTC is working in collaboration with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) to expedite this process, so that the Council can benefit from revenue collection, as early as possible. "We are working along right now with the Central Housing and Planning Authority and they are going to hand over to us those schemes that we do not yet have under us, it is about 60 per cent of Linden that is not under the Council. Those should be handed over in the new year, to allow us to be able to increase our revenue base," Arrindell said.

The newly re-elected mayor said that Council is identifying every means of increasing its revenue collection to deal with its financial crises. Presently, the Council is indebted to several agencies to the tune of over $200M and is

ment, increase in wages as well as monthly payments on their NIS contributions.

Arrindell said that the Council is looking at

Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell

unable to pay workers the minimum wage, outstanding retroactive payments and current NIS contributions amongst other things.

Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, Lawrence Simon, endorsed the move as a positive one to rake in more funds, something that the Council needs to develop the municipality and to build in-house capacity and better serve its administrative arm. "With this initiative, I think it is a boost for the Council in getting the needed revenue at this time," Simon said.

Simon said that these communities were already benefiting from municipality services, such as garbage collection, and once they are regularised, these services will be more efficient.

He also related that the Council is in the process of implementing the building

by-laws and when passed, will also rake in more revenue.

Up for consideration as well is the raising of the rates and taxes, as the present scale has not been upgraded since the 1970's. Lindeners pay as low as $1,000 to $1,200 per year. Despite this low rate, about 60% of Lindeners, under both residential and commercial classes, have rates and taxes owed to the Council. Arrindell said that the Council will also enact its rate recovery drive to ensure those funds are paid.

Meanwhile, the LTMC workers who were on strike from the Environmental, Solid Waste and Constabulary Departments, have called off the strike and are back to work, despite not being given a definitive answer from the Council on their 2019 retroactive pay-

DJ accused of fracturing man’s jaw remanded MAGISTRATE Ann McLennan, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, remanded a 22-year-old disc jockey (dj) to prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Kenal Jennings of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the charge.

Particulars of the charge stated that, on December 8, 2019, at Four Corner Wismar, Linden, he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Devon Anthony Williams.

According to information, on the day in question, Williams was at the Four Corner consuming alcohol with his friends, when he

Kenal Jennings

(Williams) and Jennings had an exchange of words. Jennings then pulled out a gun from his waist and dealt Williams several lashes to his face.

Williams was picked up and rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex and was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The matter was reported to the police and Jennings was arrested and charged. Medical reports showed that Williams received fractures to his left jaw and he had some missing teeth.

The court heard that the gun that was used to inflict the injuries could not be found.

Magistrate McLennan, after listening to the reports, remanded Jennings to prison, until December 30, 2019.

all avenues to ensure the workers are being paid something substantial before the end of the year and is hoping to get a

positive feedback from the government on its petition for a bailout. The matter was expected to be raised at cabinet on Tuesday.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

UK Conservatives on course to win majority -- exit poll

The Tories have taken former Labour strongholds in Wales and the north of England, as an exit poll suggests they are on course to win the election.

Blyth Valley, Workington and Vale of Clwyd - all areas that voted Leave in the EU referendum - now have Tory MPs. The results point to the BBC/ITV/Sky exit poll suggesting a Tory majority of 86 as being broadly accurate, although most seats have yet to declare.

Labour is on course to lose 71 seats, the exit poll suggests.

The Scottish National Party have made their first gains of the night, taking Rutherglen and Hamilton West from Labour and Angus from the Conservatives.

But Labour took Putney,

in south-west London, from the Tories.

Labour's vote is predicted to be about 8% down on the 2017 general election, with the Conservatives up slightly and the smaller parties having a better night.

The exit poll taken at 144 polling stations, with 22,790 interviews suggests the Tories will get 368 MPs - 50 more than at the 2017 election - when all the results have been counted.

Labour would get 191, the SNP 55, the Lib Dems 13, Plaid Cymru three, the Greens one, the Brexit Party none and the SNP 55.

It would be the biggest Conservative victory since 1987 and Labour's worst result since 1935, the poll suggests.

The pound surged against the dollar after the exit poll figures were announced as polls closed at

Incumbent UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson

22:00 GMT, with sterling gaining 3% to $1.35 - its highest level since May last year.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government will move quickly to "get Brexit done" before Christmas by introducing legislation in Parliament, if it is returned to power.

A row has already broken out at the top of the Labour Party over who is to blame for what is expected to be the party's worst election result in decades.

Leave-supporting Labour chairman Ian Lavery, who held his seat with a reduced majority, said he was "desperately disappointed",

adding that voters in Labour's "heartlands" were "aggrieved" at the party's Brexit stance.

Shadow chancellor, John McDonnell told the BBC the exit poll was "extremely disappointing" for Labour if it was correct.

"I thought it would be closer," he said, and he blamed what he called a "Brexit election," when Labour had been hoping "other issues could cut through".

He told the BBC's Andrew Neil decisions would be made about party leader Jeremy Corbyn's future when the actual results were in.

Some Labour candidates have criticised Mr Corbyn's leadership.

Phil Wilson, who is standing in Sedgefield - a Tory target - tweeted: "To blame Brexit for the result is mendacious nonsense.

Jeremy Corbyn's leadership was a bigger problem. To say otherwise is delusional.

"The party's leadership went down like a lead balloon on the doorstep."

Gareth Snell, who said he expected to lose Leave-voting Stoke Central to the Conservatives, called for Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell to go but also blamed anti-Brexit members of Labour's top team for pushing the party towards a Remain message.

If the exit poll is correct, and Boris Johnson has secured a majority, then he will have the backing of MPs on the green benches behind him to take us out of the European Union next month.

A huge junction in our history - a moment that will redraw our place in the world.

But not just that - if correct, these numbers could mean five more years of a Conservative government - tipping across a decade.

After the fourth defeat for Labour in a row - after several years when they have moved further to the left - this is a serious and historic loss.

The SNP have increased their dominance in Scotland, clearing out Conservatives there in a way that leaves most of the country yellow, rather than blue.

And it is a failure for the Lib Dems to break through after a campaign that started with high hopes.

Downing Street said in a statement that if the exit poll is correct, there will be a minor cabinet reshuffle on Monday.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill, paving the way for Brexit on 31 January, would have its second Commons reading on Friday, 20 December.

A major reshuffle would take place in February, after the UK has left the EU, No 10 added, with a Budget statement in March.

This is the UK's third general election in less than five years - and the first one to take place in December in nearly 100 years - and has been dominated by Britain's 2016 vote to leave the European Union.

Mr Johnson focused relentlessly on a single message - "get Brexit done" - promising to take the UK out of the EU by 31 January 2020 if he got a majority.

Labour primarily campaigned on a promise to end austerity by increasing spending on public services and the National Health Service.

The Liberal Democrats promised to cancel Brexit if leader Jo Swinson became prime minister, but opinion polls suggested their vote was squeezed during the course of the campaign.

Plaid Cymru are predicted to get three MPs, one less than they had before the election was called.

The Scottish National Party said a strong vote for them would effectively be a mandate for a second independence referendum.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that while the exit poll "suggests a good night" for the SNP, she added that "what it indicates UK-wide though is grim".

Caroline Lucas, who the exit poll suggests is set to remain the Green Party's only MP, tweeted: "If this exit poll is right, it's a devastating blow for our climate, for future generations and for our democracy."

A decisive moment came early on in the campaign when Nigel Farage announced his Brexit Party would not be standing in seats won by a Conservative at the 2017 general election to avoid splitting the Leave vote.

Mr Farage said his party had taken votes from Labour in Tory target seats, although he himself had spoiled his ballot paper "as I could not bring myself to vote Conservative". (BBC)

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Caribbean countries taking stock on climate change

By Naomi Parris

DESPITE the many differences among Caribbean nations, climate change poses a serious threat to them all, and, as such, the Caribbean Development Bank, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI), on Thursday, hosted a ‘Climate SMART’ initiative to urge Caribbean countries to become aware of the effects of this phenomenon.

The workshop was held at the Pegasus Hotel where personnel from the finance, health, tourism and education sectors of the Caribbean were in attendance.

Professor Michael Taylor, Director of Climate Studies Group and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), UWI, Mona, told reporters that climate change in the Caribbean Region has manifested itself over the past years.

According to Taylor, there has been significant change in the rainfall patterns in the Caribbean.

“Our whole rainfall routine is changing… couple

of years we don’t get it and suddenly it re-appears or even the nature of how rain falls; sometimes we have these long dry spells and we don’t get rain and sometimes we get a lot of rain so the rainfall

Dr. Yves Personna, the programme manager, ACP-EU-CDB NDRM programme, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)

patterns are becoming more variable”.

Professor Taylor added that the sea levels are rising across the entire Caribbean Region and that almost every Caribbean country has an area which was land that is now covered by the sea. This he noted leads to wind and storm events.

He noted that climate change has manifested by

more extreme hurricanes, droughts, floods and other natural disasters such as the recent hurricanes – Dorian

tries in the Region.

“There is a significant, immediate and devastating effect of something like hur-

The workshop sought to enlighten and involve every sector of the Caribbean. The State of the Caribbean Cli-

Several persons gathered at the Climate SMART Workshop on Thursday morning at the Pegasus Hotel

and Jose – which occurred in the Caribbean Region.

Professor Taylor further explained that there is a significant and devastating impact that is attached to climate change in relation to the aftermath of disasters such as hurricanes and flood.

After such events, there is usually a significant damage to infrastructure, including health and electricity infrastructure. There is also a halt in the tourism sectors which cost the economies of coun-

ricane or flood and that has its effects right across our society … you can put those effects in any sector. In the health sector, there is a demand for those services in those kinds of devastating impact; the education sector, the disruption of schools, teachers and students suffer greatly; agriculture, the destruction of crops… and it cost their economy quite a lot because now they have to spend money to recover from all of that,” the academic explained.

mate (SOCC) report has been prepared, which provides critical analysis and discussion on Caribbean climate, including, observed variability and trends, recent extreme events, projections for key variables, observed and potential impacts for climate sensitive sectors as well as an overview of climate information and services within the Region.

Additionally, Dr. Yves Personna, Programme Manager, ACP-EU-CDB NDRM programme, Caribbean De-

velopment Bank (CDB) stated that the CDB has a commitment to help its Caribbean member countries to reduce inequality and poverty by 2025.

In this light, the CDB has

Professor Michael Taylor, Director of Climate Studies Group, Mona and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), UWI, Mona

constructed a climate resilience strategic plan which raised some $85.5 billion (US$410 M) to support disaster risk management and climate resilience interventions in the Caribbean Region.

The two-day workshop was the first of three planned climate-resilient events by the organisers.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 13, 2019

New Visionaries for the Public Service as 56 graduate from the Bertram Collins College

THE Bertram Collins College of the Public Service hosted its third annual graduation ceremony on December 12, 2019, at the College’s auditorium, Ogle Estate. The ceremony saw 56 persons, who will transition into the Public Service, graduating from the institution.

The training programme lasted for one year, which featured six months of academic work, two months of study tour, and four months of work attachment.

The students of the institution hailed from nine of the ten administrative regions, excluding Region Nine.

The College of the Public Service is the brainchild of H.E. President David Arthur Granger.

In outlining his vision for the College on May 21, 2015 to Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and all heads of Units in the Public Service, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the President stated that the College would undertake the training of “everyone entering the Public Service”, and stressed that a properly functioning public service is vital to the smooth running of any country.

The staff College is therefore meant to transform the public service into a professional institution that will serve the citizenry of Guyana with integrity, impartiality and objectivity; allowing for a trained, efficient and “unbribable” Public Service.

Minister of Public Service,

Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo- Halley, along with valedictorian Reavon Schultz

Hon. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley delivered the charge at Thursday’s graduation urging the graduates to be the change agents they were meant to be. She further encouraged them to make the best of the opportunity they were given, to ensure that they play a pivotal role in shaping the way the Public Service in Guyana operates in the future.

“When this government took office one of its intention was to revamp and improve efficiency in the Public Sector. Against this backdrop, the Bertram Collins College was birthed to train young people desirous of joining the Public Service. This vision

was materialized not only because there were young people yearning for the opportunity but largely due to the brilliant minds of staff who willingly came on board to support the vision of His Excellency, President David Granger,” Halley stated.

Minister Halley also related that although the school was doing an excellent job in its third year of existence, the vision of President Granger and her was to have the institution continually advanced and adapting to the changes that would be required to ensure the Public Sector functions at the highest possible level.

“This institution even as it expands will provide welltrained cadets, initially, and later managers, specialists, research

administrators who will lead direct and execute economic transformation funded by resource revenues but they will be focused also on renewable energy and other technological dynamic industries which will bring about a diversified economy.

“It is the vision of the president as well as mine that the Bertram Collins College would be the premier training institution for all levels of the public service in this country,” Halley said.

Further she told the graduates that, as they move into the world of work, they must make the relevant decisions to ensure that they are effective as they serve in their varying capacities within their organizations.

The valedictorian, Reavon

The Graduates at Thursday’s ceremony

Schultz, spoke about her experience, “It was a sacrifice, many days I wanted to quit. There were days when I felt like going home and never returning, but, as we have been told many times, perseverance brings success and I knew that the completion of this programme would prove extremely beneficial to me in the future.”

She also praised the members of staff attached to the college, explaining that they were very welcoming and warm to them, “A lot of us were away from our families and the staff members looked out for us like we were their family members, they made us comfortable and made sure we were taken care of.”

She lauded the work attachment that she and fellow graduates were exposed to, which allowed them to see how the theories they had been learning for the past year would be applicable in ensuring the public service was run efficiently and effectively.

Some of the areas of study the students were exposed to included:- Economics, public accounting, politics and international relations, communication studies, Spanish, information technology, customer service and ethical considerations, leadership for the public service, and several other programmes that relate directly to the public service industry.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday December 13, 2019

US assistance on Venezuela crisis to continue

THE United States, which has provided almost US$4 million in humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan refugees in Guyana since 2017, has recommitted itself to the cause during a recent visit by a US State Department official.

A release from the US Embassy, on Thursday, noted that on December 9-10, Program Officer, Rebecca Alvarado from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the US Department of State, visited Guyana where she met with the local stakeholders involved.

These included government officials from the Department of Citizenship, the United Nations (UN) and other international program partners.

According to the release: “The visit underscores the US commitment to assist vulnerable Venezuelans and host communities complementing Guyana’s generous efforts to manage the impacts of the crisis in Venezuela by providing critical social services and protection.”

The funding provided includes increasing Venezuelans’ access to legal status, promoting social integration in host communities and improving support and access

Field Coordinator, HIAS, Millo Yiftach and Program Officer, Rebecca Alvarado

to social services. As of June 2019, it was recorded that Guyana hosted approximately 36,400 Venezuelan migrants.

At the same time, the United States Agency for

International Development (USAID) reported that a survey of 1100 Venezuelan migrants in Guyana indicates that 17 per cent of that population, which is school-aged, is attending school here.

Almost $250M spent on SLED programme – Min. Ally THE Coalition Government has spent almost $250M this year to increase employment opportunities at the community level through the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) initiative.

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, told DPI on Thursday that Guyanese of all ages have benefitted from the project. More than 150 co-operatives comprising women and youths were among the beneficiaries. “I can proudly tell you that these people who have benefitted from this project, are loud in praise for this government for what they have achieved in this short time of training,” Minister Ally said.

The minister noted that it was under the SLED initiative that some residents in Region Nine were able to start small businesses in the agriculture sector. Scores of women in that region also received home economics training under SLED. “We hope that consideration will be given in 2020 for this ministry to receive more monies for the programme, to widen and bridge the gap between the coast and hinterland, and to empower additional citizens,” Minister Ally said.

She added that there were also significant investments in the ministry’s Difficult Cir-

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally

cumstances Unit which allowed “thousands of individuals” to earn and provide for their families.

“With this department, even students were helped to pay their school fees. We can’t pay all the students’ fees, but we examine the situation then make a decision,” she disclosed. The SLED programme was set up in 2015 after the coalition took office.

(DPI)

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

100 mining blocks for Mahdia residents Port Kaituma and Bartica.

Speaking with the Department of Public Information, (DPI), Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said though the task in identifying mining lands was challenging, he applauded the GGMC for working to ensure today’s event was possible. “We were here last in August and the residents were very boisterous about the need for land; we talking about people who are accused of raiding other people’s lands and who were

crying out literally for me to hear them that they needed some lands. So I went back to town and pressed GGMC to find some lands; of course, lands are not easily and readily available.” Minister Trotman relayed.

However, after some effort, the minister said he was happy government was able to locate 100 mining blocks.

“Just looking at the faces of the residents today, they were quite happy and quite elated that they have their own. We wish that we could give as

many as need them, we just can’t but I am happy at least we were able to brighten up the lives of 100 residents of Mahdia,” he stated.

The lotteries, Minister Trotman reiterated, will allow small miners who have applied for mining lands to now have a chance to access available mining properties. He encouraged those who acquired a mining land to utilize it in a safe, sustainable and responsible manner.

Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Raphael Trotman addresses residents of Mahdia during Wednesday's mining Lottery. Looking on is Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Newell Dennison.

OVER 100 blocks of mining lands were up for grabs when the Ministry of Natural Resources, through the

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, (GGMC) held a mining lottery on Wednesday at Mahdia.

The mining lottery was held at the Mahdia Townhall.

Previous mining lotteries were held in Georgetown,

Residents of Mahdia gathered for the first ever Mining Lottery in the region.

Man accused of raping a minor remanded MAGISTRATE Ann McLennan, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, remanded a 20-year-old farmer to prison for raping an 11-year-old girl.

Vladimir Lawrence of Yupukari Village, Rupununi, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

It is alleged that, between December 4, 2019, and December 6, 2019, at Yupukari Village, Rupununi, he

engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of sixteen.

According to information provided, the virtual complainant and Lawrence were known to each other since they both lived in the same village. The virtual complainant was riding her bicycle, on her way home from school, when Lawrence stopped her and asked for sex. She refused. Lawrence then pulled her off her bicycle, dragged her into nearby

bush, ripped off her clothes and raped her.

Lawrence later placed her on her bicycle. While on the way home her father saw them and questioned her and she said Lawrence raped her.

The matter was reported to the Lethem Police Station and Lawrence was arrested and charged.

Lawrence was remanded to prison. The matter was adjourned until December 17, 2019, at the Lethem Magistrates’ Court.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Mocha man found guilty on four counts of rape

A FORTY-EIGHT-yearold Mocha, East Bank Demerara, resident was, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, sentenced to a total of 85 years imprisonment, after being convicted on four counts of rape.

Jegede Hodge stood expressionless, in the prisoner docks, as Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, at the Georgetown High Court, delivered her sentence.

The first indictment stated that between May 1, 2014 and May 31, 2014, in the county of Demerara, Hodge engaged in sexual penetration with a 13-year-old girl, a child who lived in the same house as he. He was sentenced to 18 years on that charge.

The second indictment stated that between September 1, 2014 and September 31, 2014, in the county of Demerara, Hodge engaged in sexual penetration with the same teen again. He was sentenced to 20 years on that charge.

The third indictment stated that between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2015, in the county of Demerara,

who took her to different locations and raped her.

The victim stressed that at one time her brother saw what Hodge was doing to her, and he became traumatized.

Persons in the village also knew what Hodge was doing and would harass her.

Nevertheless, according to the victim, what hurt the

Jegede Hodge

Hodge engaged in sexual penetration with the victim, when she was 14 years old.

He was sentenced to 22 years on that charge.

Lastly, the fourth indictment stated that, between September 1, 2017, and September 31, 2017, in the county on Demerara, Hodge engaged in sexual penetration with the child, when she was 16 years old. He was sentenced to 25 years on that charge.

Attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir represented Hodge, while the state was repre-

sented by prosecutors Teriq Mohammed, Tuanna Hardy, and Nafeeza Baig.

The victim’s impact statement was read in court by a social worker.

The victim explained that the first time she was raped

by Hodge, she wanted to commit suicide and began cutting herself.

However, on the second occasion when she was raped

by Hodge she told her friends and begged them not to tell anybody.

She recalled being picked up from school by Hodge

2013 murder accused found guilty, sentenced to life imprisonment SIX years after the murder of security guard, John Friday, who died during a robbery committed on the Lethem Post Office, his killers were, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 32 years behind bars, for the gruesome crime.

Alvin Kissoon, formerly of Caneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara, and Calvin King, formerly of Savage Street, North East La Penitence, were found guilty of the indictment which read that, on January 18, 2013, at Lethem, they murdered Christopher John Friday in the course of, or, in the furtherance of, a robbery.

The state was represented by prosecutors Abigail Gibbs and Mandel Moore while the two defendants were represented by attorneys-at-law Adrian Thompson and Lyndon Amsterdam.

The two attorneys, during a plea of mitigation, contended that their clients would be rehabilitated and be productive members of society.

State prosecutor Gibbs urged the court to send a strong message to the public to deter potential offenders and offenders of such crimes.

Calvin King

Alvin Kissoon

The two convicts, Gibbs contended, concocted a plan and travelled from Georgetown to Lethem to rob the area post office. Friday, who was a security guard at the Lethem Post office was tied up, gagged and died during the ordeal.

The prosecutor also placed weight on the nature and circumstance in which the two convicts committed the offence on John Friday, who was at the place of employment trying to make an honest living.

Kissoon and King maintained their innocence and told the court that they were not guilty of the crime.

Justice Kissoon, after considering the background of the case, while also placing weight on the nature of the charge and a life was lost,

sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 32 years behind bars.

According to reports, the two accused committed the crime at the Lethem Post Office where they torched several safes and stole $9.8M on January 18, 2013. The men tied up Friday, who was a security guard, beat him and, as a result, he died.

During the investigation, the two accused were intercepted at a police stop point with some of the money, a number of Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) phone cards, and two pay slips.

most was her mother taking Hodge’s side and not her own daughter’s. The mother still shares a close bond with Hodge.

Hodge, during his address to the court, begged for leniency and apologised for the hurt he caused.

However, in his statement to the probation officer,

Hodge stressed the victim fabricated the story and was forced by her father to do so.

Justice Morris-Ramlall ordered that Hodge sentences run concurrently, which mean he will only serve 25 years behind bars.

Hodge was also ordered to undergo counselling.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 13, 2019

Training for media ahead of elections

–– Facilitated through Collaboration of GPA, AmCham (Guyana) & GECOM THE Guyana Press Association (GPA), the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be teaming up to facilitate the training of media operatives ahead of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

President of the GPA, Nazima Raghubir, told the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday that a grant has been provided for the training, by the United States Embassy through AmCham.

The training will take place in late January and the association met with the commission yesterday where it was discussed that GPA will put together the list of experts to conduct the training; AmCham will support with project management and GECOM will provide technical support.

“We will be partially providing technical assistance in terms of specific content as it relates to elections law, how seats are calculated, what is the protocol we would use for the dissemination of results and so on. It’s a collaborative

approach where we would provide presentations on specific thematic areas,” GECOM Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward stated.

Meanwhile, GECOM will collaborate with the GPA for a Luncheon Lecture on January 7, 2020 which will prepare journalists for reporting on Nominations Day set for January 10. A presentation will come from Ward.

Added to this, GECOM has confirmed that it will be reviewing the 2015 Media Code of Conduct to determine whether any updates will be necessary to cater for the 2020 elections.

Explaining the purpose of the Media Code of Conduct (MCC), Raghubir said: “The Code actually speaks to how you report. Whether or not we provide balance; we have to ensure that our reports do not incite violence; that our reports are accurate. That’s generally what the code is. It’s our commitment to provide balanced and accurate coverage.”

President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Nazima Raghubir

While a timeline has not been set, it is hoped that it will be completed in time for the general election training planned for late January.

The GPA said that while signing on to the code is a voluntary exercise, all media entities are encouraged to do so when the time comes.

“Once you’re a legitimate media house…it is very important if we are going to commit to providing credible information to the public. We have our duties and if we’re serious about it, signing the code is very important.”

The media can significantly influence information and the atmosphere of the coming elections and therefore an MCC was established in 2001— and recently revised in 2015 — as the standard of media performance expected, especially during the election period.

Minister Ally warns private companies about underpaying staff THE Ministry of Social Protection has launched an investigation into the payment practices of some private businesses following reports of several security companies underpaying their employees.

Subject minister, Amna Ally, made the disclosure in a DPI interview on Thursday, stating that the government will not allow employees to punish at the hands of their employers. “My Ministry has always and will continue to take this matter very seriously. As a matter of fact, at the moment a few of the companies are being investigated, and they have to pay the staff their monies or we will take them to court, and we will blacklist them, so they will not be given contracts for those purposes,” the Social Protection Minister disclosed.

She explained that in many instances, the government would deliver payments to these agencies and by law the employees should receive the hourly stipulated wage of $255. “There is a minimum wage, and some local companies do not pay them, this does not occur. The monies are not trickled down to the hard-working workers,” she said. Minister Ally said her ministry hosted seminars, conducted onsite visits, inspected company records, and investigated complaints, all in an effort to end the unlawful practices. “Some adhere, while some give a deaf ear to it, but we have had improvements in that respect,” she concluded.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday December 13, 2019

Gov’t to help ‘ramp-up’ honey production in Reg. 10

REGION 10 is expected to soar in honey production, as local farmers, with the support of the government, are now gravitating towards apiculture.

On Thursday, 22 of these bee keepers were presented with bee hives, in West Watooka, by Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Valarie Yearwood.

This initiative of pushing apiculture in Region 10 commenced in June, with a training, which benefitted 30 Lindeners, many of whom were youths. The training was facilitated by the Lin-

den Enterprise Network (LEN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Region 10, Department of Agriculture.

These agencies did not let the participants go with just knowledge but continued to provide tangible support and this was reflected in the donation of hives on Thursday. Minister Yearwood said that the aim is to push Region 10 as the leading bee-keeping and honey-producing region.

“We came and we thought that it was necessary that we do this training to enhance

Minister Valarie Yearwood handing over a beehive to a bee farmer, Myrtle Gentle

‘Attempted murder’ accused remanded MAGISTRATE Ann McLennan, on Thursday December 12, 2019, remanded a 47-year-old conductor to prison on an attempted murder charge.

Rawle Thomas of North Ruimveldt appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the charge.

It is alleged that, on December 8, 2019, at North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, with intent to commit murder, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Akela Roger.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers objected to bail being granted to Thomas and told the court that, on the day in question, Thomas went home about 22:30 hours and started to accuse his wife of having another man.

Jeffers stated that, they had an argument and Thomas took a pot of boiling water and threw it on Roger and

Rawle Thomas

choked her. Thomas then stabbed her with a knife.

Roger ran outside and neighbours went to her rescue. She was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, an investigation was launched and Thomas was arrested and later charged.

Magistrate McLennan remanded Thomas to prison until January 3, 2020.

apiculture in Region 10.

All the participants of the programme, they are well set and ready to go and are excited to receive their hives today…I am excited about putting it in the hands of the people so that they can earn from it and Region 10 can be the region with the highest honey production,” the Minister posited.

National Agricultural Research Extension Institution (NAREI) Officer, Sherry Ann Perry, related

that honey is a very lucrative market at this time and urged the farmers to continue pushing forward in the business of bee-keeping – one requiring patience and dedication.

Bee farmer, Myrtle Gentle, in expressing appreciation, said she is really grateful for the provisions made possible by the Ministry of Agriculture. “I learnt a lot through the workshop that was done so that I was able to better bee-keeping so I

would really want to say thank you to [the] minister and to the Government of Guyana,” she said. Gentle is one of the more progressive female farmers in West Watooka, who takes up the task of cultivating challenging crops such as cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, so as to meet the demands of these niche markets.

The officials toured the bee farm in West Watooka, where they were able to get a firsthand view on

23

the progress the participants would have made, since the completion of the training. The participants were taught beekeeping, apiary planning principles and going into value-added production. The programme consisted of both theory and practical exercises. In addition, LEN committed to assisting the participants with start-up loans to purchase other hives and other necessities needed for their business.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday December 13, 2019

AmCham Guyana exceeds expectations -- membership grows six-fold in one year THE American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana) must be able to represent locally what is best about America and has already begun to exceed expectations with a membership increase some six-fold in just one year This was the observation of US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who made remarks at a well-attended opening ceremony of the Chamber’s Black Tie Recognition Gala hosted at the Marriott Hotel on Thursday.

There, Lynch said the US has recognised the important work of the chamber which has moved its membership from 16 to just fewer than 100 as it continues to make enormous strides in giving assistance to new businesses.

She thanked AmCham President, Zulfikar Ali, for leading the organisation through its first stage of development as she hailed the chamber as a “leader in the Guyanese business community”.

Some of the chamber’s accomplishments she listed were its strong vision for growth; the diversity amongst its board, membership and events which are highly inclusive of all groups in Guyana and its impact on business,

AmCham President, Zulfikar Ali

politics and the international community.

Speaking to the latter, the US ambassador noted that AmCham, most recently, took part in important meetings in Washington with the Department of State and the National Security Council where members discussed the important role the chamber plays in Guyana.

“To have the name ‘Amer-

ica’ in your title has certain advantages but it also comes with certain responsibilities.

You need to represent what is best about America in both how you do business and also how you live in your community. American values, like Guyanese values, include the power of giving to make communities better,” Lynch advised.

She acknowledged the

chamber’s efforts in this regard, the recent sponsoring of a Thanksgiving Luncheon where over 100 senior citizens were treated to a memorable time.

Lynch added: “The Embassy continues to be highly committed to the growth of US business in Guyana and the trade between our two countries.”

In brief remarks, AmCham President, Zulfikar Ali, thanked supporters and members of the chamber for their contributions over the year – which have added to the chamber’s success.

He noted that without international and local support, many of the advocacy, networking and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives would not have been possible.

Ali said AmCham will also continue to work along with private sector organisations, international partners and members of the diplomatic community to promote fair elections and respect for the rule of law.

At the event, several members of AmCham received awards. These included Optique Vision Care, El Dorado Trading, SOL Guyana, Republic Bank Ltd., Macorp, Fix it Hardware, Black and Decker, JHI Associates Inc. and the Wine Vault.

US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch

Minister Yearwood spreads Christmas cheer at Moblissa

2016 murder accused sentenced to 28 years in prison

THREE years after Hafeeza Rohoman was beaten and left to drown in a canal at Helena, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), her 36-year-old boyfriend was, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment, after he confessed to the gruesome crime.

Lakeram Harinarine called ‘Ricky,’ formerly of Helena Mahaica, ECD, was charged with the capital offence. However, he opted to plead guilty to manslaughter, before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, at the Demerara High Court.

Harinarine admitted that, between January 7, 2016, and January 10, 2016, at Helena, Mahaica, ECD, he unlawfully killed Rohoman.

According to reports, Rohoman was frequently abused by her boyfriend Harinarine, whom she lived with.

On January 7, 2016, it is alleged that Rohoman had opted to exit the relationship and was going back to live with her reputed husband and child.

Minister Valarie Yearwood presenting this pupil of Moblissa with a gift

By Vanessa Braithwaite

DEAD Hafeeza Rohoman

Consequently, Harinarine became angry and armed himself with a bicycle bar with which he allegedly struck Rohoman to the head; as a result, Rohoman fell into the canal and drowned. Her body was later fished out of the canal, on January 10, 2016.

A post-mortem revealed that the woman died of drowning and trauma to the head.

The Judge sentenced Harinarine to 28 years’ imprisonment, which is to be reduced by one third, due to his guilty plea.

Lakeram Harinarine called ‘Ricky’

For the time he spent in pre-trial custody, 3 years 10 months and 24 days were deducted from his sentence.

The Judge ordered that Harinarine be exposed to counselling while in prison.

IT was only faces of smiles and a spirit of jollification at the Moblissa Primary School on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, on Thursday, as Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Valarie Yearwood, ushered in the spirit of Christmas as she played Santa Claus, and presented over 100 children with gifts.

The gift sharing was only a part of the party, as the children were also treated to food, beverages and good music, along with Christmas carol singing, all in an effort to make them feel loved and appreciated during this season of giving.

The event was a collaborative effort between Minister Yearwood and the Region 10 National Congress of Women, who ensured that the students do not feel left out or neglected, given their remote residence.

The minister and the women represented at the school shared in Carol singing and merry-making as the party got into action.

Minister Yearwood, giving brief remarks, said when she was told about the initiative, she immediately came on board, as she loved children and wanted the children of Moblissa to feel special.

Headteacher of Moblissa Primary, Winette Amsterdam, in expressing appreciation, said the community, though demarcated in Region Four, receives overwhelming assistance from the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council and stakeholders, which was reflected once again in yet another Christmas party sponsorship. She alluded to many other occasions where Region 10 would come on board and said that words are not enough to thank the officials for always coming to the school’s assistance.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, December 13, 2019

Guyana advances to Top 40 in Miss World!

Miss World Guyana Joylyn Conway is a step closer to winning the Miss World 2019 crown and title. The Guyanese beauty queen emerged as the winner in her group for the first round of the Head To Head Competition, beating representatives from Albania, Peru, England, Korea, and Honduras.

After a great interview, where she eloquently spoke about her advocacy, Joylyn was paired with Miss Mongolia for the second round, where she emerged as the winner, securing her spot into the Top 40 for the finals.

One of the Miss World fast-track events, the 2019 Head to Head Challenge received more than a billion views on the Miss World Website, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MobStar accounts. This year, presented by reigning Miss World Vanessa Ponce de Leon and 2016 Miss World Stephanie Del Valle, the Head to Head Challenge

provides an exclusive and in-depth look at every single Miss World national representative. The global audience then had the power to choose their favourite, who would advance to the second level of the Head to Head Challenge.

In Stage Two, the winners from each group faced off against another contestant to earn their place in the Miss World Final 40. In this section, the contestants showed

their skills as an advocate for their ‘Beauty With A Purpose” project.

The 10 head-to-head winners who have advanced to the Top 40 are: Miss Guyana, Joylyn Conway; Miss India, Suman Rao; Miss Mexico, Ashley Alvidrez; Miss Moldova, Elizaveta Kuznitova: Miss Nepal, Anushka Shrestha; Miss Nigeria, Nyekachi Douglas; Miss Paraguay, Araceli Bobadilla; Miss Philippines, Michelle Dee; Miss Trinidad & Tobago, Tya Jane Ramey; and Miss Venezuela, Isabella Rodriguez.

Miss Guyana’s project is centred on empowering girls in STEM. Conway is a proud Berbician, and a Natural Science enthusiast, having majored in Chemistry and minored in Biology at the University of Guyana.

She’s currently a Lecturer and Lab Instructor at the University of Guyana and the New Amsterdam Technical Institute. A strong believer in her faith, and a communicant Methodist, her

mantra, “Aspire to inspire before you expire” encompasses many of her hobbies, namely teaching, dancing, volunteering, coaching young women and children on personal development and also enjoy travelling, trying new foods, and putting smiles on frowning faces.

Conway lives by the adage, “It costs nothing to light another candle”, hence her mission is to inspire girls in STEM to embrace their dreams with confidence via her ‘Beauty with a Purpose’

project, “Stem Girls Glow”.

The 2019 Miss World Pageant has been underway in London for three weeks, putting its 100+ contestants through a rigorous series of competitions, including Sports & Fitness, Top Model, Talent, Multimedia, Interview and challenges on the way to naming the Top 40 quarterfinalists who will compete in the main event tomorrow at London’s ExCeL Event Centre.

Guyana has been representing, and representing

well. You can follow her journey on MobStar [Joylyn Conway], Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Alana Binning Couture takes over Linden tomorrow evening One of Binning’s Male African suits

Alana Binning, designer and owner of Alana Binning Couture

THE Lawns of the Watooka Complex in Linden is set to come alive tomorrow with hordes of models

showcasing the latest designs of Alana Binning’s Couture.

Binning, designer and owner of Alana Binning Couture, will be hosting her second fashion show while launching her five new clothing lines, as in African, Bridal, Swimwear, Casual, and Evening Gown.

The 37-year-old will be dedicating the clothing lines

An Alana Binning creation

Designed and sewn by Alana Binning

to her late mother who she said played a huge role in her becoming a designer.

Binning, who was born in Linden, grew up watching her mother sew, and would notice the enormous amount of clothes her mother would have to make. As such, she sewed her first

school uniform when she was just 13, in an attempt to help her mother.

“I started sewing my own uniforms, and then stuff for my friends after they realised that I can sew stuff and they actually look nice. So they wanted stuff too,” she recalled.

From then on, Binning would assist her mother with sewing clothes until 2006, when she decided to branch out on her own.

Since then, Binning has made a name for herself with her designs, taken part in New York Fashion Week, and built a local market.

Although she describes being a seamstress and a designer at the same time as challenging, she notes that it is also liberating.

The mother of three em-

phasised the importance of customer satisfaction while stating, “I like giving customers what they want.

Customer service is very important to me; I take it very personally. Satisfying customers is like a big plus to me.”

In the future, Binning hopes to open other boutiques in and out of Guyana.

Tomorrow’s event, which starts 20:00 hrs, will consist of entertainment by local artistes.

Tickets cost $1,000 and $2,000 for VIP. Persons interested in being a part of the extravaganza can purchase tickets from House of Braids in Linden.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, December 13, 2019

27

Young teacher to host ‘MOOD’ party school, there was never a case of violence on school-party day, and to take away the party from the students was a punishment they didn’t deserve.

“And that was one of the things that triggered me. All through the year, multiple things happen, and nothing is being done. But this is the reason they are going to pull this party… I remember one time we had a terrible incident where they had weapons and all sorts of things in a school fight at our school.

And the next day, the ministry came to check records…

I believe that it was an unnecessary course of action,” she told ‘The Buzz’.

She noted further that the Ministry seemed to have failed to realise that other parties still happen around Georgetown, where the same things are more likely to happen. These parties, she said, are the lessons parties that the children go to after school.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the young teacher made it clear that her party is in no way in retaliation to the Ministry’s order.

--for students, teachers and parents WHILE the Ministry of Education has sent out an order banning school parties for Secondary Schools in Georgetown, some teachers, parents and students were not in agreement with the order.

Twenty-two-year-old Gabréllé Cummings, who’s attached to the East Ruimveldt Secondary School said on Live Buzz on Guyana Chronicle’s Facebook Page that she felt it was an unnecessary course of action.

The young teacher complied with the order at her school, but is hosting the ‘party the students didn’t have’, theming it ‘MOOD’, tomorrow at the YWCA on Brickdam.

In the interview, Cummings explained that the students of her class were disappointed, since they were anticipating their party. In fact, Cummings said when the ‘memo’ came, they compiled as a class, a list of songs

East Ruimveldt Secondary teacher, Gabréllé Cummings

they will play at their party.

“We were sitting there going through the list, and we were throwing out the songs with the curse words, and picking the songs. And the ‘memo’ came, and I didn’t know how I was going to tell them. But I thought to myself, if you’re going to have school parties, all of the things that were in the memo, you’re supposed to

do as a teacher,” Cummings said. “It’s mandated that you supervise your children. You are supposed to be looking at them. If all these things are happening in the schools, this means that the teachers aren’t supervising them. That means that when the party is happening in the east wing or west wing or wherever, the teachers are elsewhere.”

She said that at her

In fact, she explained that it started out as a small party in her yard for students of her class, since they petitioned her to keep one for them to get to wear the clothes they had already bought and so forth.

However, Cummings said after word started to spread about her party for her class, teachers from across the country started reaching out to her to collaborate to host one big party for all the students.

So these teachers came together, and the party is set for tomorrow from 15:00 21:00hrs with tickets costing $1,000.

Cummings said since she had to expand the event, they had to implement a fee, because she wants to ensure that the children are in a safe environment.

“We would usually have many parties going on around Georgetown, apart from the school parties they have in school. All these lessons parties they have on the day after school. But one thing I noticed about these events that happen on that day, there

is no security. You would hear children come back in school January saying this happened to them and that happened to them,” she said.

“I kept a lot of those things in mind while planning. At our event, we’re having security.

A private security service is going to ensure that the children are in there safe; no knives and weapons in the party. They’ll be searched.

Teachers enter the party free, and they are not there to party but to supervise. When it comes to drugs and alcohol, that will be prohibited. The main concern for me is that they are there, and they are safe, and will have a good time. That’s why we are trying to appeal to parents who are sending their children that they will be in a safe zone.

We also have parents who will be attending.”

In addition to that, she said that they also have transportation that will be taking the children home.

There will be a bus that departs the venue hourly to take children home for the duration of the party.

Linden Bridge set to transform Wismar Shore Sunday night --as annual bridge light-up, boat parade turns three

THE Linden Bridge is set to come alive on Sunday night as the Linden Youth Leaders group hosts its third Annual Bridge Lightup and Boat Parade.

The event, which will kick off at 18:00hrs, promises to be one of clean fun and excitement for the thousands of people that will be there. The crowd will be entertained by local talent before the bridge sparkles with lights.

The activities will be taking place on the Wismar shore of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge, and admission is absolutely free.

According to President of the Linden Youth Leaders, Naomi Marshall, the group is aiming to promote cohesion within the mining town of Linden through the activity.

“We are trying to create cohesiveness amongst the people of Linden by having

The bridge after it was lit during a previous year’s event

A night of ‘Krazy Komedy’ --as Learie Joseph headlines ‘Uncensored 11’ IT’S promising to be a night of “Krazy Komedy” when Trinidadian comedic dramatist Learie Joseph and De Drunken Saint touch down at the National Cultural Centre on December 28 and 29 for the Trinidad vs Guyana clash at Signature Entertainment’s annual standup comedy show, “Uncensored 11”.

With Joseph considered to be one of the top comedians of the Caribbean region, Uncensored Producer Maria Benschop shared with The

Buzz that they decided to add the comedian to the mix to shake things up. This will be the first time that an overseas comedian will be performing at an Uncensored show.

Benschop and Co-producer, Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones recently got to see Joseph in action at another Trinidad vs Guyana show in Trinidad, where he performed to rave reviews, and they knew he would bring something good to the Uncensored lineup.

“I was backstage, so I didn’t see the piece. But I could hear

the crowd response to his performance, and it was tremendous. And we wanted to add something more to the lineup, so we decided to go for the Trinidad vs Guyana vibe,” Maria related. “He’s one of the most popular comedians in the Caribbean, and we find him to be extremely talented. He has a different style. He has a piece that he’s bringing that’s extremely hilarious. It’s a different flavour coming from a different country and a different culture.”

Joseph’s and De Saint’s performances will come up

2018 Uncensored Champion, Mark Luke-Edwards to perform at Uncensored II

against the likes of some of Guyana’s top jokesters, in-

persons of all ages, races, genders, beliefs and religion in one area that will be filled with good energy. We want persons to forget about differences and live in unity,” Marshall told the Buzz.

Additionally, the organisation is aiming to give toys to over 3,000 children, and hampers to about 100 elderly persons.

The Linden Youth Leaders is a non-governmental

organisation that was formed in 2016 to show the positive developments taking place in the mining town of Linden.

Over the years, the organisation has tremendously impacted the Linden community, and is seen as one of the most active youth groups in all of Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

cluding Uncensored 10 champion Mark Luke-Edwards; Mark “Chiney Man” Kazim; 2016 Uncensored Champion Chris Gopaul; Michael Ignatius; Jermaine Grimmond; Kirt “Chubby” Williams; Randolph Critchlow; Paul Burnette; and of course, Kerwin Mars, better known as ‘Sir Mars’.

‘Jumbie’ himself will also be performing, while representing the ladies will be Leza “Radika” Singh and Miranda Austin. This year will see some ‘fresh meat’ in the lineup with the debut performance of Kiven Pierre. Kunchi TV’s Miss Pepper will also be returning for an appearance this year.

As opposed to last year, where two standup comedy competitions were held, this year the show returns to having

one competition night, and one night with the standup show.

Joseph and De Saint will be performing both nights.

However, this year the competition will take the form of stand-up clashes, with eliminations at each round. All of the comedians will be paired off and made to battle it out against an opponent. The losing opponents will continue to be eliminated, while those remaining will then be paired off until there’s the last man (or woman) standing.

Mark Luke-Edwards shared that he is looking forward to coming out for another year, and delivering for the fans.

“You can expect the same brand of witty, satirical comedy I am I known for,” he said.

Guyana ready for ‘Carnivoil’ 2020

28

GUYANA Carnival 2020 was on Sunday launched at the MovieTowne Parking Lot, building an excitement in patrons for what is in store next year.

Given that Guyana is expecting an oil boom in 2020, the team has named the event ‘Carnivoil’.

Patrons showed much support as they came out in their numbers to get a preview of the Carnival 2020 experience.

The bands for next year are themed after several

oil-producing countries, including India, Dubai, Egypt and Iceland, and the costumes represent features that are unique to the individual countries.

The models showcased

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, December 13, 2019

the costumes in full Carnival style, gyrating their bodies across the stage with the heavi-

ly beaded, rich jewels, fully feathered costumes and wings. The reception from the audience

proved that the people are excited, and loved what was being showcased to them.

Speaking at the event was Minister of Cohesion Dr. George Norton,

who gave h i s Ministry’s full endorsement of the activity. He highlighted how the Guyana Carnival opened a Tourism Avenue for Guyana, and given that next year is a big year for the country, it is anticipated that the Carnival will be bigger than previous years.

The Guyana Carnival experience grew to be one that is a major tourist attraction, and also one that many Guy-

anese look forward to as well. The team has already been keeping the people updated, via social media, about what awaits them for Carnival 2020. During the

costume displays, the crowd was entertained by local Soca sensations Brandon Harding, Lil Colwin, Kardiac, and more. Headlining were Patrice Roberts and Nadia

Batson out of Trinidad.

The Carnival week of activities next year, will incorporate several shows in addition to the road parade.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

29

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Eagles pull out of UDFA GT Beer football tournament … Tourney starts tonight with double-header WITH time running out, the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) is going ahead boldly with its GT Beer tag for its year-end football championship at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

On Wednesday UDFA sent out the schedule of matches following a meeting with their affiliates. The opening games are set for tonight when Botofago and Topp XX clash in the first game from 19.00hrs and the second game brings together Net Rockers and Coomacka at 21.00hrs.

With no confirmation from the beverage giants Banks DIH when they met on Wednesday, the total prize package for the tournament is still to be decided.

Apparently Eagles United, the defending champions, are uncomfortable with certain conditions and have withdrawn ahead of the tournament.

There are ten teams competing in groups of three and in Group A are Net Rockers, Coomacka and Silver Shattas, Group B has Winners Connection, Capital FC and Hi Stars and Group C comprises Botofago, Aroiama, Amelia’s

Ward and Topp XX. The playing dates are December 13, 15, 18, 20, 23, 26 with the semi-finals on 29th and the final on January 1, New Year’s Day. (Joe Chapman)

Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Giovanna Ponti Race 2 Walkabout Creek Race 3 Serengeti Cat American Racing Tips Aqueduct Race 1 Dancing Slippers Race 2 Langdarma Race 3 Gunboat Diplomacy Race 4 Evan’s Nice Now Race 5 Funderella Race 6 Wisconsin Night Race 7 Playthatfunnymusic Race 8 Super Wicked Charm English Racing Tips Doncaster 08:35 hrs Another Tuco 09:10 hrs Knight In Dubai 09:45 hrs Mr Scrumpy 10:20 hrs Horatio Hornblower 10:55 hrs El Kaldoun 11:30 hrs Ziggy Rose Cheltenham 08:45 hrs Imperial Sura 09:20 hrs Caswell Bay 09:55 hrs Chequered View 10:30 hrs West Approach 11:05 hrs Easysland 11:40 hrs Ask Ben Chelmsford City 12:00 hrs Notforalongtime 12:30 hrs In The Night 13:00 hrs Swansdown 13:30 hrs Bo Samraan 14:00 hrs Split Down South 14:30 hrs Kerrera 15:00 hrs Griggy 15:30 hrs Savalas Irish Racing Tips Dundalk 13:15 hrs Santorini Sun 13:45 hrs Assurance 14;15 hrs No Trouble 14:45 hrs Slade Runner 15:15 hrs Whoareyouanyway 15:45 hrs Annie B 16:15 hrs War Hero 16:45 hrs Tribal Path South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 11:10 hrs Imperial Seal 12:20 hrs Holy Land 12:55 hrs Sea Sponge 13:35 hrs Chatty Cathy 14:10 hrs Born To Perform 14:45 hrs Purple Persuasion 15:20 hrs Spring Burst

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Labuschagne’s third straight Test ton keeps valiant Kiwis at bay

By Tristan Lavalette PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Batsman Marnus Labuschagne stroked his third straight majestic century, as Australia took advantage of a weakened New Zealand attack in fierce heat on the opening day of the first Test yesterday.

Australia, who won the toss and batted in the day-nighter, reached 248 for four at stumps with Labuschagne 110 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 20.

Labuschagne batted through the final two sessions on a Perth Stadium pitch which was unresponsive before coming alive under the lights.

“It’s great to make big contributions for Australia and get us in a position where we can kick off tomorrow,” Labuschagne told reporters.

“There were patches where scoring really dried up and you had to be pa-

tient.”

South Africa-born Labuschagne became just the ninth Australian batsman to notch three consecutive tons when he clubbed a six - just his second of his 12-Test career - down the ground off spinner Mitchell Santner to add to his centuries posted against Pakistan in Brisbane and Adelaide.

He shared a 132-run third-wicket partnership with Steve Smith (43) to grab control of the contest when conditions were at their most oppressive.

Stifled by disciplined New Zealand bowling and astute field placements from captain Kane Williamson, Smith was unable to find fluency and fell when he miscued a short delivery from Neil Wagner to leg gully.

While the hosts were unchanged, New Zealand were dealt a major blow when spearhead Trent Boult failed to overcome a side strain and were further weakened when debutant quick Lockie Fergu-

de Silva steadies Sri Lanka on weather-hit second day LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten after completing his half-century as Sri Lanka reached 263 for six on the weather-hit second day of the opening Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi yesterday.

After bad light wiped out almost 22 overs of play on Wednesday when Test cricket returned to Pakistan for the first time since a militant attack in 2009, it was the turn of rain to play spoilsport yesterday.

A little over 18 overs of play were possible during the entire second day during which Sri Lanka lost Niroshan Dickwella for 33 to paceman Shaheen Afridi after resuming on 202 for five.

de Silva hit 11 fours to remain unbeaten on 72 with Dilruwan Perera not out on two when the umpires called off play for the day. de Silva, who added 67 for the sixth wicket with Dickwella, survived a scare on 48 when Mohammad Rizwan leapt forward to claim a catch off Naseem Shah but replays confirmed the ball had bounced before reaching the wicketkeeper.

The right-hander brought up his fifty on the next delivery when he clipped Naseem for two runs to the leg side.

The two-match series marks Pakistan’s first Tests on home soil since the attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore a decade ago.

SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA 1st innings o/n 202 for 5 Dimuth Karunaratne lbw Shaheen Afridi 59 Oshada Fernando c Haris Sohail b Naseem Shah 40 Kusal Mendis c Mohammad Rizwan b Usman Shinwari 10 Angelo Mathews c Asad Shafiq b Naseem Shah 31 Dinesh Chandimal b Mohammad Abbas

2 Dhananjaya de Silva not out

72 Niroshan Dickwella c Babar Azam b Shaheen Afridi 33 Dilruwan Perera not out

2 EXTRAS: (b-5, lb-6, nb-3)

14 TOTAL: (six wkts, 86.3 overs)

263 Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-109, 3-120, 4-127, 5-189, 6-256.

Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 24 -9 -56-1, Shaheen Afridi 19.3-7-47-2 (nb-3), Usman Shinwari 15-4-54-1, Naseem Shah 22-4-75-2.

son was forced off the field after injuring his right calf in the second session.

Yet New Zealand battled manfully and clawed their way back with the pink ball under lights, highlighted by a Tim Southee pearler to dismiss Matthew Wade for 12 shortly before the close.

An unruffled Labuschagne, however, survived through to stumps after impressively rebuilding Australia’s innings following the dismissals of their openers in the first session.

Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand’s workhorse all-rounder, returned to the lineup after overcoming an abdominal injury and made an immediate impact with the wicket of Joe Burns for nine.

David Warner, fresh off his unbeaten 335 against Pakistan in Adelaide, fell in spectacular fashion just before the tea break for 43.

He had threatened to bat through the first session but was brilliantly

dismissed by the tireless Wagner, who plucked a sharp return catch in his follow-through.

Wagner said New Zealand’s bowlers showed resilience in adversity. “The wicket was a little bit slower than we anticipated and we had to stick at it for long periods,” he said.

“I thought we stuck to our guns well and got the ball to move around at times.”

Both teams wore black armbands as a tribute to the victims of New Zealand’s White Island volcano eruption.

Most of the 19 081 spectators at the 60 000-seat stadium spent much of day one seeking refuge under the shelter of the stands with the temperature hitting 39 degrees Celsius.

New Zealand have won only one Test in Australia since their sole series triumph across the Tasman Sea in 1985-86.

Marnus Labuschagne

SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA 1st innings David Warner c & b Neil Wagner 43 Joe Burns lbw Colin de Grandhomme

9 Marnus Labuschagne not out

110 Steven Smith c Tim Southee b Neil Wagner 43 Matthew Wade b Tim Southee 12 Travis Head not out 20 EXTRAS: (b-2, nb-2, w-7)

11 TOTAL: (four wkts, 90.0 overs) 248 Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-75, 3-207, 4-225 Bowling: Tim Southee 20-4 -53-1 (w-1), Lockie Ferguson 11-1-47-0 (w-1), Neil Wagner 22-4-52-2 (w-1), Colin de Grandhomme 16-6-24-1 (nb-2)). Mitchell Santner 20- 3-65.

India teen’s brilliant ton too good for Australia-A A STUNNING century from 15-year-old rising star Shafali Verma has guided India-A to a 16-run win over Australia A in the opening match of their one-day series in Brisbane.

Verma’s 78-ball 124 led the tourists to an imposing 312-9 in the first of three 50-over games at Allan Border Field, before the hosts were restricted to 296-9 in reply, despite Tahlia McGrath’s impressive 97.

The teenager is almost certain to be part of the senior India squad for the T20 World Cup next February and March, and there’s no doubt the Australian brains trust will be paying close attention to her performances across these 50- and 20-over ‘A’ encounters.

Veda Krishnamurthy and Shafali Verma scored twin tons. (Getty)

Belinda Vakarewa made the early breakthrough for Australia-A, removing opener Priya Punia (8) and following up with a second as she castled Dayalan Hemalatha for a duck.

The Australia-A attack, however, had no answers for batting prodigy Verma and experienced international Veda Krishnamurthy - another set to be part of India’s World Cup squad - as they put on 119 runs for the third wicket.

Verma, who last month became the youngest Indian to score an international half-century, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record, when she smashed 73 from 49 in a T20I against West Indies, put the hosts to the sword in a stunning display, hammering 19 fours

and four sixes as she reached triple figures.

Incredibly, when she was dismissed for 124 from just 78 balls in the 22nd over, she had scored 124 of her team’s 167 runs at that point.

Following her dismissal, Krishnamurthy picked up where Verma left off, bringing up a half-century of her own before being bowled by Tahlia McGrath in the 48th over, out for a 99-ball 113.

Off-spinner Molly Strano was the shining light for the Australians with the ball, picking up the wicket of Verma in her 1-29 from seven overs, while McGrath (3-48 off eight) and Heather Graham (2-55 from 10) were also economical.

Tahlia McGrath fell just short of a century.

(Getty)

Australia-A openers McGrath and Georgia Redmayne started solidly in reply before the latter was dismissed for 30, followed shortly after by Bridget Patterson (6).

McGrath’s hopes of a century were dashed when Devika Vaidya took a catch off her own bowling, removing the Australian all-rounder for a 90-ball 97.

Annabel Sutherland produced a run-a-ball 52, but Australia’s next highest contribution came from No.9 Molly Strano (32 n.o.) as they finished their fifty overs on 296-9.

The teams will meet in the second of three one-day matches at the same venue on Saturday. (Cricket.com.au)

33

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

New Amsterdam Masjid record three straight wins in latest Inter-Jamaat cricket NEW Amsterdam Masjid recorded three consecutive victories when action in the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) of Guyana/ Trophy Stall Inter-Jamaat 10-over Softball Cricket competition continued last Sunday at the MYO ground in Woolford Avenue, Thomas Lands.

The visiting team registered wins against LBI-B team and LBI-A team before they gained a walkover victory against defending champions Diamond New Scheme Masjid.

Against LBI-B, NA lost the toss and were asked to bat. They were struggling at 12-3 in two overs, before Zahir Moakan and Raymond Mohamed were able to put on 60 runs by the seventh over.

New Amsterdam eventually ended at 95-8 with Mohamed hitting 27 runs and Moakan 23. Bowling for LBI-B, Gary Singh finished with two wickets.

Needing to score above 9.5 runs per over, LBI-B succumbed for

Tiger Rentals joins KFC Goodwill football series LOCALLY based Tiger Rentals is the latest company to join the 2019 edition of the KFC Goodwill Football series set to commence this weekend.

The company, with roots in Trinidad under the Tiger Tanks brand, will support the Trinidad-based Shiva Boys Hindu College that will participate in the tournament.

Operations manager of the local arm, Shane Singh, told the media yesterday, “We want to express our heartfelt gratitude. We are pleased to be on board and we love being implicated in the nurturing of young talent.”

Singh continued, “Tournaments like the KFC goodwill tournament have enabled the company to understand the importance of team work.”

New Amsterdam Masjid were outstanding in the latest round of Inter-Jamaat cricket 87. No significant conMohamed Ali (16) was straight victory in the comtributions came off the the only batsman to reach petition. bat from LBI-B. Safraz double figures. Bashir KelPlaying against LBI-B Kassim picked up 3-18, lawan, Safraz Kassim and team, home team MYO, while Bashir Kellawan and Martin Singh picked up batting first, led by RichRicky Edoo ended with two wickets each, bowling ard Latif with 38 (2x4, two wickets each for NA. for NA. 3x6) and openers Safraz Against LBI-A, NA regLed by an unbeaten 27 Esau (22) and Timore Moistered a win with four overs (4x6) from Jerome, NA hamed (19), reached 102-4 to spare. raced to the target in six from their allotted overs.

The A-team batted first overs. Mohamed Ali picked In reply, Latif grabbed after winning the toss, but up two wickets for the los- three wickets to help recould muster only 59 runs ing LBI-A team. strict the visiting team before they were bowled out The day started with for 79-7 off their allotted in 9.1 overs.

MYO claiming their fourth overs.

Premier League confirms Masters as new chief executive

By Martyn Herman LONDON, England (Reuters) - The Premier League’s long search for a new chief executive ended yesterday when Richard Masters, the man who has filled the role on an interim basis, was appointed.

Masters, who joined the Premier League’s sales and marketing department in 2006, has been holding the fort since Richard Scudamore stood down after 20 years in charge.

It comes a fortnight after David Pemsel informed the Premier League he would not be taking up the role next year following allegations in the media about his private life.

Pemsel, CEO of Guardian Media Group (GMG), had been set to succeed Richard Scudamore in February after his appointment was approved at a shareholders’ meeting in October.

Masters’ appointment was approved at a special meeting of Premier League clubs yesterday.

“Richard took on the role of Interim Chief Executive a year ago,” Bruce Buck, Chelsea Chairman and Chairman

of the Premier League Nominations Committee, said in a statement.

“Since then, the clubs have seen Richard rise to the occasion, dealing with our various stakeholders and partners with aplomb and skill. As interim chief executive, he has faced challenges head-on and has proved himself.

“The clubs believe that this is the right appointment now in the long-term interests of the Premier League.”

Masters, formerly the Premier League’s managing director, said he was excited to be taking on “one of the most incredible jobs in the world of sport.”

His appointment ends a protracted search for Scudamore’s successor.

Susanna Dinnage was originally chosen but later declined the role to remain at media organisation Discovery.

Tim Davie, a senior BBC executive, also turned down the job.

Masters takes over at a challenging time for the Premier League with the ongoing Brexit uncertainty, the introduction of VAR suffering a bumpy start and domestic TV rights deals showing

Premier League new chief executive Richard Masters signs of shrinking after years of spiralling value.

The rights to show Premier League games from 2019 to 2022 were sold for a combined 5 billion pounds compared to the record-breaking 5.4 billion for the 2016-19 deal.

Overseas rights values have continued to grow.

PETRA’S Troy Mendonca collects a sponsorship cheque from Tiger Tanks Operations Manager, Shane Singh. (Adrian Narine photo) In a message to the team, he expressed the company’s best wishes to all participating, adding that the support that is behind the tournament is community-rooted.

Petra co-Director Troy Mendonca in opening remarks said, “The Petra organisation is very ambitious with this tournament.

The tournament is in its embryonic stages and in a few years from now, we want to see a plethora of teams from across the region participating.”

USL MONTJOLY PULL OUT Meanwhile, the French Guiana team, who had previously been scheduled to participate in the tournament, indicated their inability to do so.

According to an email from the organisers Petra Organisation, the “USL Montjoly have withdrawn from the competition due to the unavailability of managerial personnel.”

They will be replaced by the TradeWind Tankers GUYOIL third place team Marian Academy Mendonca said, “We understand that there was difficulty in getting a manager and we were going to facilitate them but there are parents who aren’t willing to send their children without a manager.”

Meanwhile, the inclement weather has forced a change in venue for the first four days of matches from the Ministry of Education ground on CARIFESTA Avenue to the Guyana Football Federation’s Training Centre at Providence.

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Wiltshire among top performers in 2019 Canadian Junior Squash Open JUNIOR 2019 Caribbean Under-17 champion Shomari Wiltshire was among the top performers in the recently concluded 2019 Canadian Junior Squash Open.

Wiltshire was a part of a 4-man team which included Caribbean Under-15 runner-up Nicholas Verwey along with 2019 Junior Caribbean Under-13 runner-up Mohryan Baksh, Nicholas and Joshua Verwey.

The team though small gave a good account of themselves with spectacular performances, as Wiltshire who ended sixth in the U-13 division in 2015 and ninth in the U-15 in 2017, went even further this year as he made it to the final before losing to Canadian Gabriel Yun in 3 sets; 11-4, 4-11, 9-11, 8-11.

Wiltshire, who was seeded 13/16, defeated Canadian Max Shewchenko in the first round 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 before whipping Caribbean counterpart Caymanian Jace Jervis 11-9, 12-10, 11-5.

In the round of 16 he found himself matched up against the number 2 seed in the tournament, New Zealand’s Jack Conder. He

Guyanese Shomari Wiltshire (3rd from right) and other top participants pose with their medals upset his more seasoned opponent winning 4-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10.

In the quarter-finals Wiltshire battled 9/12 seed Canadian Griffin Manley and defeated him in straight games 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, before tackling seeded Canadian Amin Khan.

In 2015 while playing in the U-13 division Wiltshire beat Khan, fast-forward two years later in 2017 when Amin Khan was the number one seed in the U-15 category when the Guyanese lost 3-2.

This year, Wiltshire

won the first game 13-11 but dropped the second game 9-11, before winning the crucial third game 1210. He then closed out the match 11-8 to reach his first Canadian Open final.

The final saw him clinch the first game 11-4 but then Gabriel regrouped to win the second game 11-4.

The Guyanese then went up 9-7, two points away from taking this game, but it was not to be. He lost the game 9-11 and the fourth 8-11 to finish as runner-up a fantastic achievement.

Meanwhile, in the U-13

category, Baksh finished a creditable ninth place while in the U-15 Verwey, who was unseeded, faced Canadian Danny Leigh, an unseeded opponent in the first round where he thrashed the home guy; 11-2, 11-2, 11-4.

The four players now move on to the 2019 US Junior Squash Open in Massachusetts from December 14 to 17, in Allston, Massachusetts. U-13 division Baksh is seeded 49/64 and Nicholas 65/96, Joshua is seeded 33/48 in the Boys’ U-15 with Wiltshire in U-17 seeded 49/64.

Aussie Brabazon takes up CWI coaching role ST JOHN ’S, Antigua , (CMC) – Cricket West Indies has appointed Australian Chris Brabazon as its first-ever coach education manager, a move aimed at “producing world-class players” for the international sides.

Brabazon, formerly the Western Australian Cricket Association’s coach development manager, has signed a three-year deal and will immediately oversee a Level 2 coaching course which gets underway in Kingston on Thursday.

“His appointment is a critical feature of our strategic plan to produce world-class players and

winning teams through the development of West Indian coaches,” said director of cricket, Jimmy Adams.

“Chris brings a wealth of experience having held a similar role of coach development manager in Western Australia for the past six years.

“He has worked at every level of the Cricket Australia coaching development pathway, from grassroots to international level, and is well-placed to drive CWI’s objective of developing our coach education programs.

“I have no doubt that Chris will play a significant role in advancing our regional game and am very

Australian Chris Brabazon excited to be working with him on improving coaching standards throughout the Caribbean.”

Brabazon played grade cricket for Collingwood Park in his late teens before also representing North Albany in league football.

He holds a postgraduate certificate in Business Administration with a focus in cricket, and has also worked with in coaching, talent development, and cricket management in Australia.

“I am looking forward to meeting and working with the coaches and coach developers throughout the Caribbean to ensure that all local players have access to inspirational learning environments that fosters their love of cricket,” said Brabazon.

Dragon Stout ‘Community Cup’ tournament kicks off December 17 THE highly anticipated and inaugural Dragon Stout ‘Community Cup’ Streetball championship will officially be launched today at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

This was revealed by Dragon Stout Brand Coordinator, Jamal Baird, via an official media statement. According to the statement, “The event was initially rescheduled from its November start due to logistical reasons but will now commence with even more anticipation, excitement and vigour.

“The complete tournament details inclusive of the tournament fixtures and rules will be revealed at the launch, which is expected to feature team representatives and the Director of Sport, who has given his blessing to the championship.

“The teams have been selected from various environs and several regions, which provide a national flavour and true representation of the growing streetball culture. It is the start of an exciting project which has the capacity to become a staple of the local streetball and community landscape and attract a mass following.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for the brand to establish and foster a relationship with the respective communities through the common denominator of sport.”

Baird stated, “Presently, systems and structures are being fine-tuned to ensure a memorable event that will leave a lasting impression in the minds of the spectators and more importantly the players.

“There is a buzz within the respective communities about the tournament which bodes well for its success as players are excited to compete. I am excited for the tournament and the festivities to commence.”

The three-day knockout event will kick off on December 17, at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, the venue for the tournament’s duration. The other playing dates are December 19 and 28, with the latter night fixed to stage both the semi-final and grand finale.

Confirmed teams are notable giants and perennial contenders Gold is Money, Back Circle, Sparta Boss, Bent Street, North East La Penitence, Rio All-Stars, Albouystown, Leopold Street, Broad Street, Sophia, Alexander Village, Future Stars, Festival City, Ansa McAl All-Stars, Showstoppers and Mocha.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday December 13, 2019) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Charles Bannerman-165 retired hurt (AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1876-77) (2) Billy Midwinter-5/78 (AUST vs ENG, Mel bourne, 1876-77)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who is the first player to carve out a double century in an ODI game?

(2) Who struck the first double-century in Tests?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 13, 2019

Incidents of theft reported at Linden synthetic track ... Lindeners asked to respect synthetic track site AS construction works progress on the eight-lane synthetic track at Wismar, Linden, Region 10, contractors have reported multiple incidents of theft occurring at the Bayroc Community Centre ground site, according to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency.

The disappointing reports started since activation of construction in January 2019.

The project, which is in the third of its four phases, has been minimally hindered by the loss of a quantity of building materials. These include drainage pipes, sand, security fencing, crusher-run, stone, steel rods, fuel, truck batteries and even security lights.

The Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport remains disappointed by the actions of some residents, as these reflect

poorly on the Bayroc community, Linden and Guyana as a whole.

The Ministry wishes to remind Lindeners that the synthetic track project is a massive multi-million-dollar investment geared at enhancing the community’s athletes.

Once operational, the state-of-the-art facility will undoubtedly attract multiple developments for Linden and its people. As a result, the Ministry expects residents to respect and treasure the facility.

The matter has been reported to the police and security reinforcements have been installed.

Regrettably, as a precautionary measure, residents of Linden are asked to desist traversing the site. This restriction is being implemented as a means of maintaining the integrity of ongoing works.

Ongoing works on the Linden synthetic track are currently in its third phase. The fourth and final phase of the project will commence within the next few weeks.

(Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Six medals, including three gold, on opening night for Dorado swimmers in T&T DORADO Speed Swim Club splashed off with six medals, including three gold ones on the opening night of the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago Invitational Meet, which is being held at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva.

According to information from head coach Nicholas Fraser, one objective of the club’s participation in the FINA-recognised championship is to attain the ‘A’ Time Standards, as set by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), to qualify for the UANA and CARIFTA Games in 2020.

Thirteen swimmers from Dorado, four other Guyanese swimming as a ‘Guyana-Combined’ team and one swimmer from the Dolphin Speed Swim Club are in the Twin Island Republic.

On Wednesday night, five of the Dorado swimmers reached the podium with Vladimir Woodroffe leading the charge with a gold and silver.

In the first event, the 1500m freestyle, Dorado Speed Swim Club started off on a high note with Woodroffe and Stephen Ramkhelawan making personal-best performances and placing first and second respectively in the male 11-12 years category.

However, they both were unable to attain the CARIFTA ‘A’ Time Standard in this event.

Fourth GAICO Chess grand prix set for Guyana National Stadium CHESS players are invited to the fourth GAICO Construction Grand Prix chess tournament at the Guyana National Stadium tomorrow from 14:30hrs.

Registration begins at 12:30hrs in the tournament hall at the venue for the seven-round event.

Medal winners from left: Monique Watson, Stephen Ramkhelawan, Elliott Gonsalves, Vladimir Woodroffe and Athalcy Hunte ‘A’ TIME STANDARD Meanwhile, Raekwon Noel competed in the 1500m Freestyle male 13-14 years category and placed fourth with a personal-best time of 18:05.14 eclipsing the ‘A’ Time Standard of 18”:48.25.

Continuing with another great performance was Monique Watson who competed in the second event of the day, the 400m IM. Monique won this event in the 11-12 years category and made the ‘A’ Time with 6:01.01.

In the third event of the day, the 50m Backstroke, Kyra Soares placed 8th in the female 9-10 category with a time of 39.56s. Athalcy Hunte placed 3rd while also

attaining an ‘A’ Time Standard with a time of 34.59 seconds. Watson placed 9th and Brittany Quamina placed 21st in the female 11-12 years category.

Woodroffe won a silver medal in the Boys 11-12 category with 33.10, which was also good enough to better the ‘A’ Time standard for that event. Elliott Gonsalves, Alex Bentham and Tyler Allicock placed 4th, 13th and 22nd respectively in the same event. In the Girls 13-14 category, Maiya Ifill placed 11th by clocking a personal best of 36.43s.

Meanwhile, Leon Seaton, competing under ‘Guyana-Combined’ placed 8th with a time of 29.86 seconds (an ‘A’ Time standard). Safi-

ya Foster placed 20th in the Girls 15-and-over 50m Backstroke event. Fitzroy Thom (Guyana-Combined) placed 13th in the male 15 and over 50 Backstroke event.

In the final event of the day, the 200m Butterfly, Elliott Gonsalves won gold in the 11-12 years category also with an ‘A’ Time standard, clocking 2:31.55. Ethan Gonsalves clocked 2:40.33, which was good enough for 10th place in the 13-14 years category.

Four hundred and twenty-four swimmers attached to 13 swim clubs from six countries - Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and home team Trinidad & Tobago - are competing at the meet.

The fourth GAICO Construction Grand Prix chess tournament is on this weekend at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence Junior players are free while seniors are required to pay $500 each.

The time control per player for each round is 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment after every move.

The intense battles over the chess board will resume once again as seasoned chess players compete to accumulate Grand Prix points to make the Guyana team for the 2020 Chess Olympiad in Russia.

The accumulated scores from the four GAICO tournaments would be tallied with the scores of two remaining tournaments, the Senior Championship Qualifier and the National Senior Chess Championship scheduled for the first quarter of 2020.

Players with the best scores at the climax of the six rigorous tournaments will then be selected for the Guyana team.

CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifier

FLASHBACK! Trayon Bobb (#20) being swarmed by his ‘Golden Jaguars teammates after scoring the opening goal of the Guyana vs Barbados encounter during the CONCACAF Nations League. (Samuel Maughn photo) THE Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Football team, will face Barbados in March (2020), in a home and away fixture, in the CONCACAF 2021 Gold Cup Qualifier, following Wednesday’s draw in Miami.

The gala event in Miami, Florida, was attended by CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF general secretary Philippe Moggio and the presidents of all 41 CONCACAF Member Associations.

The draw was conducted by CONCACAF Development Director Jason Roberts and CONCACAF Director of Competitions Carlos Fernandez.

Golden Jaguars to face Barbados in March 2020

As announced in March of 2018, the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League kicked off the road to 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. After group stage play, the top two finishers in each of the League A groups and the top finisher in each of the League B groups secured their participation in the 16th edition of the Confederation’s premier tournament for men’s national teams.

The road to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup will continue next year with a two-round qualifier, to be played in a direct elimination format. Beginning in March of 2020, the second-place finishers of League B will face the first-place finishers of League C.

The four matchups were drawn as follows: Matchup 1: Guadeloupe vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Matchup 2: Barbados vs Guyana Matchup 3: Bahamas vs French Guiana Matchup 4: Guatemala vs Montserrat After home-and-away play, the four round one matchup winners will advance to the second round, where they will face the third-place finishers of League A. The second round will take place during the FIFA window of June 2020.

The four round-two matchups were drawn as follows: \Matchup 5: Winner Matchup 1 vs Haiti

Matchup 6: Winner Matchup 2 vs Trinidad & Tobago Matchup 7: Winner Matchup 3 vs Bermuda Matchup 8: Winner Matchup 4 vs Cuba After home-and-away play, the four matchup winners will qualify for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, joining Canada, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Suriname and the United States.

The complete schedule, including dates, kick-off times and host venues for the qualifying matches will be announced at a later date.

Leon Spinks’ wife asks for prayers for husband

Lodge Secondary are winners of the TWT/GUYOIL schools football tournament

Lodge Secondary crowned champions of TWT/GUYOIL football league AFTER a nail-biting final yesterday evening at GFF’s training ground at Providence, Lodge Secondary were confirmed champions of the 2019 Tradewind Takers GUYOIL school football league.

The eventual champions were led

by Rasheed Evans, whose 15th minute goal stood the test until the final whistle.

Try as they might, Annandale could not find an equaliser during regulation time.

Both teams, however, move into the KFC Goodwill football tournament set to commence this weekend.

The game that determined third place was a goal-less draw.

Bishops’ High played President’s

College for the spot but by virtue of it being a draw, Marian Academy finished third in the tournament, thereby securing the final spot in the KFC tournament.

The winners pocketed $200 000 towards a project for their school with second place getting $100 000, third $50 000 and fourth place $25 000.

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

Leon Spinks’ star status in the sports world skyrocketed in 1978 when he went on to win the heavyweight championship by beating the late and great Muhammad Ali on a 15-round split decision in Sin City.

(REUTERS) - The wife of former world heavyweight bo x i ng c ha m pi o n L e o n Spinks has asked for prayers for her husband amid a media report that he is in a Las Vegas hospital in a serious condition.

“It’s been a tough year for us,” Brenda Spinks wrote in a Facebook post.

“Leon has endured a lot of medical problems. I’m reaching out to ask you to kindly pray for my beautiful husband Leon, so that he may overcome the obstacles that have crossed his path.”

Celebrity website TMZ says Spinks is “fighting for his life” with an undisclosed condition. Reuters could not immediately confirm the accuracy of the report.

The 66-year-old will forever be known for beating Muhammad Ali in one of boxing’s greatest upsets in their 1978 world heavyweight title fight.

Missouri-born Spinks had previously won gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

He has endured several health problems in recent years, and in 2014 underwent abdominal surgery.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019