Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_16_07_2022

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Attorney Chase elected to chair Procurement Commission

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‘Be mindful, smile more’ –– Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi Shankar tells hundreds gathered at the NCC

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Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi Shankar was hosted on Friday by President Dr. Irfaan Ali at State House, on Main Street. Members of government, heads of State institutions, and representatives in the diplomatic corps were all present for the meeting with the global icon for peace (Office of the President photo)

Another Guyanese becomes judge in Dominica’s High Court 11 PAGE

US$130M 10 approved by IDB for Guyana’s ‘COVID’ response PAGE

Eight Opposition MPs likely 03 to be suspended PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

‘Together We Win’ launches three-day small business conference and expo

TO provide a strong professional network that promotes collaboration and contributes to economic development, Together We Win Business Network (TWWBN), on Friday, launched its Small Business Conference and Expo.

The three-day event is being held at MovieTowne Guyana, where several small businesses are exhibiting their products or services.

President and Founder of TWWBN, Marlon Joseph, said that their network is not just for anyone, but those passionate about business development.

“We work towards ensuring that businesses within our network grow and it must be noted that our network is not for everybody, it is for persons who are passionate for business development,” Joseph said.

Some small business owners and other attendees at the conference He related that in September 2021, the business network would have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Entrepreneurship Network which allows them to tap into resources in 100 countries and connect with entrepreneurs around the world.

Additionally, there is a programme whereby founders can pitch busi-

ness ideas and can receive constructive criticism as well as find potential investors.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Small Business Bureau, Simon Pollard, used the opportunity to commended TWWBN. “I believe the venture that we are embarking on is very timely. It is one that is absolutely necessary for small businesses in the var-

ious sectors in which they work. The Small Business Bureau is very happy to partner with this network,” Pollard said.

He related that the bureau assists small businesses in various areas and noted that it is a semi-autonomous agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce.

“The bureau has been in existence since 2013

and we are guided by the Small Business Act of 2004 along with the Small Business Amendment Act of 2021,” he said.

Pollard explained to the attendees that to be considered a small business, three criteria must be filled.

“Your total revenue must be $60 million or less annually, your total business assets $20 million or less, and you must employ not more than 25 persons in the business,” he said.

Pollard related that they offer access to financing, business training as well as incubator services to incubator centres in Regions Six and Nine and they are also responsible for the government’s 20 per cent programme for small businesses.

Concerning access to finance, Pollard said, there are grants offered as well as collateral guarantees.

“The collateral guarantee

programme, we have an arrangement with two financial institutions – the Republic Bank and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.

Small Business Bureau does not offer loans, the Small Business Bureau recommends [persons] to these two institutions,” he said.

Pollard added that if the institution accepts a small business after being referred, they are given a preferential interest rate of six per cent.

As for the incubator centres, Pollard said that agro-processing equipment is made available.

Pollard said that because of the overwhelming number of applications for the small business development grants, applications have been put on hold.

He related that the bureau’s responsibility is to see the small business sector grow and develop.

‘Be mindful, smile more’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

–– Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi Shankar tells hundreds gathered at NCC

By Shari Simon

HERALDED across the world as a ‘master of peace, compassion and love’, humanitarian as well as spiritual leader, Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi Shankar hosted the “IStandforPeace” event at the National Culture Centre (NCC).

The event saw hundreds of Guyanese in attendance, including the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud; High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr. K J Srinivasa; members of the Indian High Commission; members of the diplomatic core; and other yoga enthusiasts as well as spiritual enthusiasts.

The IStandforPeace campaign was original-

ly launched by Gurudev during the ‘Unity and Post Collaboration in a Post-Pandemic World’ seminar that was held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in Geneva in April.

Ever since its launch, Gurudev has travelled to a number of countries across the globe to promote the message of peace and living in togetherness, which continues to positively impact millions of people to join the peace campaign.

Amid the rich vibrant melodies of traditional rhythms of India that came from the bands performing, Gurudev encouraged each attendee to join him in a 28-minute meditation session that focused on becoming attuned to one’s mind, body and soul and striving to become free of

any held self-limitations.

The sounds reverberated throughout the NCC and punctuated the atmosphere with a shared sense of serenity, tranquillity and cultural pride among the diverse group.

“Meditation is about transcending… focusing is a type of meditation,” shared Gurudev, who then revealed that art of living is primarily based on making life more joyful and being happy, despite circumstances that we may face daily.

“Being angry doesn’t do anything for you, nor being anxious about the future. This just brings toxicity to your system.

Keep your mind in the present moment. Smile more and frown less,” he encouraged event goers.

In sharing the message

of peace, Gurudev underscored the importance of learning to constantly enlighten oneself about not becoming attached to money or power, disclosing that these factors are instrumental in many of the world’s problems today.

During the wellness and peace panel discussion, in responding to the challenges that women and girls face in today’s society, Minister Persaud related that every woman and girl is a formidable force.

She said now is an opportune time to educate and empower women and girls. The Human Services Minister shared that oftentimes, “they tend to look after everyone and everything and put themselves last.”

In addition, she stressed that women are the primary caregivers who are not appreciated as they ought to be. Minister Persaud also stressed that the level of violence that is meted out to women today is unacceptable.

“I believe it is not only them appreciating themselves, it is everyone around them giving them that level of love and appreciation.

“And maybe, if we can do that in large bursts, we will be able to eradicate the social ills that all women face,” said Minister Persaud, who further added that education is important in supporting women and girls in realising their inherent potential and expressing it in different spaces.

Moreover, Gurudev

disclosed that stress is the root cause of violence, and there is capacity to teach people how best they can manage their minds and ultimately stress.

He underscored Dr Persaud’s point that women and girls need to be treated with respect, adding that oftentimes when situations are examined, both women and men experience violence. “We need to do better,” he urged.

By spreading the message of peace, Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi Shankar is a testimony of humanity and he continues to touch lives by fostering universal harmony and wellness with meditation teachings through the Art of Living Foundation, and its dedicated global community.

er of the House, Manzoor Nadir, then responded to say that he prefers listening to the arguments on both sides, before determining whether or not the bill should be sent to a select committee.

Minister Singh then took to the podium, but his pre-

sentation was interrupted by members of the APNU+AFC Opposition, who kept banging on their desks and chanting demeaning words about the bill.

The uproar continued for several minutes even as Minister Singh pressed ahead with his presentation.

The protest from the Opposition grew, as the Opposition MPs, armed with placards, converged at the centre floor of the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the National Assembly is being held.

Ferguson went a step further to steal the Speaker’s Mace; she was immediately joined by some of her other colleagues.

This unprecedented act was foiled by a clerk of the House, who managed to secure the instrument, to which he held on tightly as he laid on the floor of the conference centre.

The entire ordeal was caught on video.

The Privileges Committee report must now be tabled in the National Assembly.

Eight Opposition MPs likely to be suspended

FOR their involvement in desecrating the Speaker’s Mace in December 2021, eight members of parliament from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) are likely to face suspension, according to a media report referencing the Privileges Committee’s investigation.

During the debate on the Natural Resources Fund Bill in December 2021, chaos broke out at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal where the National Assembly was sitting.

The MPs include Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones and the coalition’s MPs, Sherod Duncan, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Annette Ferguson, Vinceroy Jordan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Ganesh Mahipaul and Maureen Philadelphia.

On December 29, in a bid to defend the landmark Natural Resources Fund (NRF) Bill, which has since been passed and assented to

by President Dr Irfaan Ali,

The APNU+AFC MPs Senior Minister for finance, Dr Ashni Singh, stood his ground in face of what was described as ‘unparliamentary’ behaviour from members of the political opposition as they attempted to stop the passage of the Bill.

Human walls had to be formed around the Mace,

and Minister Singh.

Following the mayhem in December, a motion, tabled by Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, was passed in the National Assembly in January for the eight elected officials to be referred to the Privileges

Committee for their actions which were caught on camera and live streamed across multiple social media channels.

The second reading of the bill was objected to by Jones, who asked that the bill be sent to a Special Select Committee. But Speak-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Murder accused freed after more than nine years on remand –– judge says extended incarceration was a ‘grave tragedy’

By Clestine Juan

FIFTY-EIGHT-YEAROLD Micobie Village, North Rupununi Savannah resident, Jones Raymond, has been freed of a murder charge which was instituted more than nine years ago.

He had filed legal proceedings over breaches of his constitutional rights caused by the state’s delay in prosecuting him for the crime.

Delivering a judgement against the state on Friday, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon quashed the longstanding murder indictment against Jones, who was represented by attorney-at-law Teriq Mohammed.

“To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice”, Justice Kissoon said as he quoted the charter of Magna Carter.

He added that the “unthinkable” occurred against Jones without compassion, conscience and without judicial discretion.

According to the judge, the accused had been an inmate on remand at the Camp Street Prison and other penal institutions for the offence of

murder since December 28, 2012, a period of nine years, six months and 18 days.

The judge noted that this period is equivalent to almost 15 prison years. He added that under Article 144 of the Constitution, every citizen is guaranteed a free trial within a reasonable time by an impartial tribunal.

“This is the grave tragedy that has occurred in the circumstances of this accused.

The grave injustice that befalls Raymond Jones is not a singular cause of concern for this court. It is the gross dereliction that this accused, voiceless, incommunicado, without the support and unrepresented has been and continues to be subjected to, notwithstanding previous orders and directions made by this court on jail delivery in excess of one year ago,” Justice Kissoon said.

The accused was charged with the murder of Gary Joseph, who was killed on December 26, 2012.

On the day in question, Joseph and several friends were drinking at a shop when the accused asked him about what he had done to his son.

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The accused, armed with an arrow and bow, then allegedly shot Joseph. The injured man was rushed to the Mahdia Hospital, from where he was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

He later succumbed to his injuries.

Jones was committed to stand trial on October 15, 2014, after his preliminary inquiry (PI) was completed in a” timely manner”, that is in less than two years.

The depositions, according to the record of the State, were received by the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, on March 23, 2015, one year after the order of committal.

Justice Kissoon said that the matter was remitted by the DPP acting pursuant to Section 77(1) of the Criminal Law Procedure Act, Chapter 10:01 to the magistrate who presided over the PI to “correct what has been described as several material irregularities and omissions on the part of that officer.”

However, the judge said that after examining those directives, it raised the ques-

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tion as to the validity of the committal by the magistrate of the accused.

“Despite the passage of some seven years, that judicial officer has yet to comply with the directives of the DPP, notwithstanding orders made by this court in 2021 whilst this accused continues to languish in prison,” he underscored.

The circumstances of the accused were brought to the court’s attention by the Superintendent of Prisons, initially on jail delivery between 2020 and 2021.

Despite the inordinate delay, the matter was not being brought up for trial.

Thereafter, Jones, in an attempt to end his agony, requested to enter a plea of guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter as he was of the view that this was the only path out of prison.

Justice Kissoon gave directions in 2021, that Reymond be taken before the Essequibo Assizes, where the offence had originated, for the presiding judge to take the plea and impose sentence.

However, one year later, the accused appeared in the jail delivery again due to him being unable to have a trial or unable to enter a plea before any court to bring the night-

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mare and anguish to an end.

“This is in summary, the atrocity and the audacity that confronts this court in relation to the accused before it.

By December of 2022, the time spent on remand by this accused will equate to a prison sentence of 15 years based on the specific formula utilised by the Guyana Prison Service on the admission of an inmate in determining the manner and time that an accused spends in custody.

They do not utilise a system of 12 months per year, they have a different system,” Justice Kissoon said while delivering his ruling.

He added that this is notwithstanding that the accused has yet to have a valid preliminary inquiry and that the presumption of innocence which he is guaranteed under the Constitution, continues to apply in his favour.

“I’m unable to contemplate how did we in the criminal justice system arrive at this juncture, where in 2022 a citizen can serve the equivalent of a few months short of a 15-year prison sentence on remand and this is somehow acceptable in the context of

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the system that prevails,” he said.

In quoting Indian Supreme Court’s Justice Bhagwati, Justice Kissoon said: “What faith can these lost souls have in the judicial system, which denies them a fair trial for so many years, and keeps them behind bars, not because they are guilty, but because the courts have no time to try them.”

As such, the judge found that the man’s constitutional rights had been violated and infringed upon in the circumstances of the inordinate period of delay and his pretrial incarceration for a period of time that accords with a prison sentence of almost 15 years.

“I believe it is high time for judges of the land to take a firmer stand as soon as possible in a matter of this sort where the principle is of infinitely more importance than the case,” he said.

The judge ordered that all pending criminal proceedings against the accused be halted permanently and that he be immediately released.

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Consultation on Hicken for ‘Top Cop’ on hold pending CJ’s ruling on Norton’s case

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

CONSULTATION between President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, for the appointment of Clifton Hicken as Commissioner of Police, has been put on hold.

This will be until Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George, S.C., rules on Norton’s legal challenge to the appointment of Patrick Findlay as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as well as the appointment of the members of the Integrity Commission.

On Friday, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, S.C., gave his undertaking that the process of meaningful consultation will be put on hold and said that Norton would have to “hold off” on his reply.

Norton had moved to the High Court seeking to quash the appointment of the PSC commissioners claiming that it was “illegal, null, void and of no legal effect.”

In his legal challenge, Norton is contending that the President did not afford him “a reasonable opportunity to express a considered opinion on the subject of the consultation.” He maintains that this is a breach of the Integrity Commission Act. As such, Norton is arguing that any consultation between the President and Findlay on the subject of the appointment of a Commissioner of Police

of Guyana, is unconstitutional, null, void, and of no legal effect.

Norton had also filed a Notice of Application (NoA), requesting a conservatory order to halt the consultation process between him and the President until the substantive matter has been completed.

During Friday’s hearing of the substantive case, the order was granted by Justice George but it was later withdrawn due to the Attorney-General’s undertaking.

The matter was adjourned until August 8 for arguments.

The President, after consultation with Findlay, officially nominated Hicken for the position.

In a letter dated June 29, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, outlined to Norton, the reasons why Hicken was appointed back in March.

The letter also invited Norton to give his opinion on the subject.

According to the letter, former Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie proceeded on pre-retirement leave on March 30, and at the time, there were no constituted Police Service Commission, nor was there a person holding the post of Leader of the Opposition.

It further stated that having regard to a number of factors, including “the preservation of law and order, the preserva-

tion of peace, and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations within Guyana, in the nation’s best interest and in the interest of national security,” President Ali opted to make the appointment rather than leave a vacuum in command and superintendence of the force.

Following consultations with Findlay, the President sought to engage Norton in “meaningful consultation”, Teixeira added in her letter.

Norton was given up to July 19, to give his opinion on the matter in writing.

However, his response is now on hold pending the outcome of the challenge.

Additionally, Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones, had filed a constitutional challenge

against Hicken’s appointment as acting ‘Top Cop’.

In his Fixed Date Application (FDA), Jones is seeking to overturn Hicken’s appointment which he claims is “unreasonable, ultra vires the Constitution, common law and is illegal, null, void and of no legal effect.”

He is also seeking a declaration that the President’s decision to appoint Hicken violates Articles 211 (1) and 211 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana.

Jones is also claiming that there were no consultations between the President and the Leader of the Opposition as required by the Constitution prior to Hicken’s appointment.

The matter is also before the Chief Justice.

Arguments will be heard on July 20.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Painful losses IT is a comment usually heard following the death of a child or young person – ‘Parents should not have to bury their children’. Many will concur with this sentiment since it is a heart- wrenching task for parents planning for the funeral of a child who passed away.

Recently, in the US, a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, claimed the lives of 11 children. Statistics show that gunshots are the leading cause of death among children in the US. The procession of coffins after the Uvalde massacre was a sad indictment of a society that fails to keep its children safe, while parents are left to grieve the sudden death of their offspring.

In Guyana, we do not have the phenomenon of mass shootings but children die from illnesses and road accidents, among other causes.

No matter the manner of their death, whenever children pass away parents are never prepared. Though sudden death is particularly hard to cope with, the feeling of distress is just as great

if the child succumbed to a prolonged illness.

Triggers are everywhere, from the sight of children playing or heading home from school, to hearing the child’s name or perhaps hearing the sound of laughter from a group of young people.

Experts tell us that, “the loss of a child may be the worst trama a human being can experience” and point out that the simple question, ‘How many children do you have?’ can spark intense emotional responses.

According to Deborah Carr, PH.D., Chair of the Sociology Department at Boston University, “The death of child is considered the single worst stressor a person can go through”.

She refers to the fact that parents, and especially fathers, feel responsible for a child’s well-being, so that when they lose a child, “they’re not just losing a person they loved.

They’re also losing the years of promise they had looked forward to.”

Parents mourning the loss of a child face some unique challenges along with

what may be termed the usual psychological, biological and social issues.

The mourning process is longer and parents never get over the loss of a child though they may learn to live with it. In addition, simple household tasks may prove difficult and the parents’ health may decline.

As with major grief responses, the loss of a child may lead to physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches and muscle cramps. However, another strange symptom has been referred to as the ‘broken heart syndrome’.

This condition, which closely resembles a heart attack and includes crushing chest pains, is caused when the body releases stress hormones as a reaction to emotional or physical stress and these can temporarily stun the heart muscle.

To cope with these conditions, expert help is required.

Gail Saltz, M.D., a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital says, “The first year after losing a younger child, a parent is at an increased risk for suicide and everything from major

depression to complicated grief.”

She explained that ‘complicated grief’ is different from normal grief in that the symptoms are more intense and alternate with seemingly no symptoms when a kind of numbness takes over and impairs the parents’ ability to function.

Mothers, as the primary care givers, are seen as more wrapped up in their children and hence tend to show stronger emotional responses to the loss of a child.

And in the paper, ‘Bereavement Experiences after the loss of a child’, the writers had this to say: “The death of a child of any age is a profound, difficult and painful experience.

While bereavement is stressful whenever it occurs, studies continue to provide evidence that the greatest stress, and often the most enduring one, occurs for parents who experience the death of a child”.

In these cases, it is always important for parents to seek professional help to get over their grief.

Guyana earns US$108M from latest oil sale –– over US$100M could be earned from next sale

GUYANA has raked in over US$108 million (approximately G$22B) from the latest sale of its share of crude oil, which is produced offshore by ExxonMobil.

The country was able to rake in this amount because of the soaring prices of oil on the world market caused by chain supply issues created by COVID-19 and, more recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With the latest returns, the country’s total revenue in its Natural Resource Fund (NRF) moved to US$753,254,499, according to statistics from the Bank of Guyana.

The fund is expected to get another significant boost very soon, as the country is set to earn over US$100 million from its next sale of oil given the current Brent price – the benchmark Guyana uses to sell its crude.

Under the Production

Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives two per cent royalty and 50 per cent profit oil, which is what remains after the producer recovers its production cost.

It was reported, recently, that the government made its first withdrawal from the NRF. The government, pursuant to Section 16 of the NRF Act 2021, has since transferred US$200 million (G$41.7 billion) from the NRF to the Consolidated Fund to finance national development priorities.

This transfer, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, was made in accordance with the strengthened legal architecture of the NRF Act 2021 and follows the publication in the Official Gazette of all petroleum revenues paid into the fund during the period January 1 to March 31 2022.

The NRF Act 2021

which came into operation on January 1, 2022, represents a significant improvement in transparency and accountability and the overall management of the natural resource wealth of Guyana for present and future generations.

It would be recalled, that as part of the Budget 2022 process, parliamentary approval was granted for a total of US$607.6 million to be transferred during the fiscal year 2022.

Oil and gas revenues are being generated from the ExxonMobil operations, offshore Guyana.

As it is now, the company has four sanctioned projects offshore Guyana.

Of those, Liza Phase One is producing approximately 130,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, while the Liza Phase Two, which started production in

(Photo courtesy of goldprice.org) February, is steadily ramping up to its capacity of 220,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Unity FPSO vessel.

The third project, Payara, is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day; construction of its production vessel, the Prosperity FPSO, is running approx-

imately five months ahead of schedule, with start-up likely before year-end 2023.

The fourth project, Yellowtail, is expected to produce 250,000 barrels per day when the One Guyana FPSO comes on stream in 2025.

ExxonMobil is also moving ahead with plans for

its fifth development project in the Stabroek Block, Uaru, which is expected to produce up to 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

“These projects will bring huge benefits to Guyana,” President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, had said recently.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

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Wrong can never be right!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Part 2: Sri Lanka anarchy an active invitation for military intervention

By Earl Bousquet THE collapse of governance in Sri Lanka has led to the inevitable hard-fisted response by the threatened state: A State of Emergency has been declared and a curfew imposed after protesters occupied the Presidential compound Prime Minister’s Office and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called on the security forces to take ‘whatever actions are necessary’ to restore ‘peace’ and ‘order’.

After the presidential compound was occupied by a multitudinous mob, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee and flew to the Maldives, from where he appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as acting president.

The president was reported by the Speaker of the parliament as having promised to resign on Wednesday (July 13) and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe gave a similar undertaking, but protesters still marched on the prime minister’s private residence and set it alight.

On Wednesday, the situation took a turn for the worse after the mob marched on and took-over the Prime Minister’s Office.

The justifiably-enraged masses took to the streets, but were unfortunately misled down the road of anarchy, attacking the two usually-fortified (presidential and prime ministerial) complexes – and burning the prime minister’s private residence.

Indeed, weeks earlier, then Prime Minister Mahindra Rajapaksa’s private home was also attacked and set alight forcing him to flee Colombo and leave office, while his brother held on to the presidency.

Throughout the unfolding of this sorry episode, it’s always been clear the crisis could not be solved or resolved overnight or soon enough, as it was long in the making.

The Rajapaksa government was in a serious bind and had to choose between the proverbial Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, as the effects of the unfolding crises were worsening by the day, creating institutional chain reactions that benefitted only the political opposition.

Unfortunately, the opposition opportunistically fed on and fuelled the fire caused by the successive COVID-19, Climate Change, Supply Chain, Ukraine War and related sanctions crises, to hasten

the downfall of the Rajapaksa government.

The security forces, overcome by a hostile crowd (as had been the case of The Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021) tactically and wisely retreated without firing a single shot, but as soon as it became clear the anarchy was moving from the streets to targetted government buildings the police and army started responding with teargas and water cannons.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has called on the Speaker of Parliament to engage the mechanism to ‘appoint a Prime Minister acceptable to the Government and Opposition’, a tall order in this chaotic situation where the

opposition and the protesters are asking for the government to resign and be replaced.

By every sign on Wednesday (July 13), Sri Lanka was a coup-in-the-making that was as clear as daylight even on the darkest night, thanks in large part to the political opportunism of the opposition.

Before the protests brokeout, the country had run out of foreign exchange and the government was accused of favouring Chinese investment over Western capital.

The government argued that loans from China were more favourable and less onerous on the national treasury than loans and assistance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Rajapaksa-led government was accused of leading the country and economy into a ‘Chinese Debt Trap’, but it responded by pointing out that the total value of all Chinese

loans amounted to only eight percent (8%) of GDP, compared to other nations at over 60%.

After the treasury ran out of cash, the government started talking about reaching out to Russia for a possible emergency loan to overcome the fuel crisis that had crippled the nation’s transport system and affected everything from schools to hospitals.

But the protests erupted and the government did like most would: responded in kind with a State of Emergency and curfew and gave the security forces limitless permission to decide how to restore order.

It was always clear throughout the days of protests that this is not a crisis that will be overcome overnight, as food and fuel would not become available soon and prices for whatever food is available will not be reduced.

Any government – existing or interim – will need time

to make new bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements for emergency financial and economic support, which will also automatically increase the national debt burden.

Like everywhere else, Sri Lanka needs to find ways to produce more of its own food in a world where fertilisers are more costly and food imports are affected by the Ukraine war ’s trade and economic sanctions.

Sri Lanka is a basket-case example of how the accumulated effects from COVID and Climate Change, Supply Chain and Ukraine War sanctions collude and collide in ways that no country anywhere can escape.

While people poured into the streets in Colombo, the USA and Europe were facing their own hard times from inflation, with the Euro sliding

Continued on page 9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Remembering the Ballot Box Martyrs…

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Let us be united and inspired

By Neil Kumar

JULY 16, we will be commemorating the brutal murder of our two exemplary Comrades, Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar. These two young men were ruthlessly and brutally gunned down as they were among their villagers who were struggling for free and fair elections in Guyana.

On that fatal day July 16, 1973, forty-nine years ago, Bholanauth Permanand and Jagan Ramessar were shot and killed by a Guyana Defence Force Officer. Guyanese were fully aware of the People’s National Congress’ wicked approach to National Elections, specifically, their heinous intentions to rig the elections.

Investigations by the Justice Dhanessar Jhappan Commission of Inquiry revealed the high likelihood of a PPP victory if the Elections were run in a free and fair manner. The Commission cited the massive public meetings held by the People’s Progressive Party and the overwhelming public display of support for Dr. Cheddi Jagan as evidence of this. The PNC, in order to ensure their victory by any means necessary, deployed the security forces, both army and police, to all parts of the country.

In addition to the regular strength at the Police Stations in Berbice, a battalion was deployed from the Guyana Defence Force under Captain Johnson.

Captain Johnson had his headquarters in the Compound of the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam. Captain Johnson’s men were further broken up into smaller groups and a platoon under the command of Lieutenant Henry was sent to the Upper Corentyne on the 7th June, 1973. The section consisted of two Sergeants, three Corporals, five Lance Corporals and nine Privates, that is twenty men in all, in-

cluding Lieutenant Henry. The platoon pitched camp at No. 51 Backdam and remained there until the 19th June, 1973. From there they went to Plantation Skeldon, remaining there until the 27th June, 1973 when they moved on to No. 63 and bivouacked on the beach. On the 14th June, 1973, they left No. 63 Beach and set up camp in the compound of the No. 51 Police Station. They had with them self-loading rifles, submachine guns, tear smoke grenades and steel helmets.

‘Bholanauth Parmanand and 17-year-old Jagan Ramessar were shot by armed agents of the PNC dictatorship at No. 63 Village, Corentyne during the 1973 Elections while peacefully protesting the illegal removal of the ballot boxes from the place of poll at the end of voting’ Yours truly worked on that polling day in Pouderoyen, and as we were coming out at 5:30 a.m. I recalled seeing GDF soldiers crawling on the roadside with their guns.

A physical manifestation of the PNC’s heinous intention to terrorize the population was unleashed in the form of thugs, police and the Army.

It is not by chance that Private London of the Guyana Defence Force was later known to Guyanese as “Blackie”! He was one of the masterminds among the criminal gangs that terrorized the Guyanese people. “Blackie” was killed in a shootout with the police and the PNC draped his coffin with the National Flag and gave him a PNC farewell funeral.

The 16th of July 1973, with Corporal Collins, Privates Mc Kenzie, Layne and London (Blackie) of the Guyana Defence Force, Sergeant Ross and Police Constable Seecharran of the Police Force, Lieutenant Henry took along with him tear smoke grenades, respirators, steel helmets, two submachine guns, rifles and bayonets. He himself was armed with one of

Wrong can...

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below the value of the US dollar for the first time, inflation in the USA jumped to 9.1% (the highest year-on-year rate since 1981) and food and fuel costs and shortages haunting Europeans and Americans like everybody else, everywhere.

Sri Lank is a red flag signal for the rest of the world that the unfolding global crisis will leave no country untouched and it’s just a matter of time before the next popular eruption, which can and will be anywhere.

In 1789, the French Revo-

lution followed poor people’s protests for bread; and today, all of 233 years later, people in poor countries can’t afford bread due to wheat shortages, while mothers in rich nations can’t get formula for babies and more children depend on school meals than ever before.

Meanwhile, with the security forces now given the all-clear to save the nation from the unfolding anarchy, it’s clear a military coup is also likely on the table, if not already well under way in Colombo – if not already as you read this last paragraph.

the submachine guns. Corporal Collins had the other.

The PNC thugs with all their armed might descended on the Corentyne with the clear intention to take full control of the ballot boxes and remove the representatives of other three political parties from around the ballot boxes.

Bholanauth Parmanand was killed and his dear wife and four children had to endure the death of the breadwinner of their home as their loving husband and father was ripped from them in the most brutal manner possible.

Young Jagan Ramessar was shot and killed and the Army threw him in their vehicle and drove him around as he was kicked and stamped upon. He was paraded to send a message to the people in Berbice.

Approximately five hours later, after his corpse was un-

speakably desecrated, he was taken to New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Jagan Ramessar, only eighteen-years-old, was brutally murdered and his parents and other relatives are today still crying.

Parmanand’s immediate family and his comrades, forty-nine years later, still vividly recall the unbelievably brutal and monstrous debacle that was the 1973 elections.

My Dear Comrade Rishi Ram Motie and his friends tearfully recounted for me what they witnessed on that fatal day.

Motie suffered a broken nose.

His body was black and blue as he was cuffed and kicked.

Scores of persons were badly beaten and threatened. Families were humiliated and separated.

Rishi Ram Mote was a genuine activist with the PPP. During the campaign be-

fore July 16th it was clear that the People’s Progressive Party meetings attracted massive support while the PNC had a sprinkling of people. Motie, as he sobbed, told me that when the election results were announced and the PNC was the winning Party, nobody accepted the results. The PNC terrorists continued to terrorize the Berbicians as hundreds of people fled their homes and went across to Suriname, while others went into hiding for weeks and months. As a result, thousands of Berbicians and other Guyanese were forced to leave Guyana.

Guyanese must never forget that many eminent persons such as Dr. Walter Rodney were assassinated and murdered during the dark days of the PNC rule.

Today, we must draw strength, unite and work together for the maintenance and further devel-

opment of the democracy we now enjoy.

We must ensure that the memories of Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar live on in us and let their sacrifice inspire us to rally with Comrade Cheddi Jagan’s People’s Progressive Party.

We must never forget that the Guyana Elections Commission was fully under Burnham PNC control. It was the then Chairman of GECOM who allowed the staff to Rig the Elections. However, in 2020 it was the astute leadership of Dr. Bharat Jagdeo and his powerful guidance that were able to unite this country and, with the help of the International Observers, Democracy triumphed in 2020.

As we are preparing for Local Government Elections let us work resolutely to ensure free and fair Elections.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

IDB approves US$130M to bolster Guyana’s response to COVID

GUYANA will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its public policy and fiscal management response

to the COVID-19 pandemic with a US$130 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank

(IDB).

According to a release, the operation, the second of a two programmatic-based

loan series, will support Guyana’s government efforts to promote macroeconomic stability and withdraw emergency tax measures as part of a strategy to adapt its public policy and fiscal response to the new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first phase of this operation previously approved in December 2020 was disbursed in January 2021.

This new phase of IDB financing will also support measures to increase the efficiency and transparen-

cy of government procurement processes, as well as measures to promote greater fiscal sustainability, address climate change and accelerate economic recovery with greater gender equality, the release said.

These include the approval of a medium-term fiscal framework, the implementation of recovery measures included in the Guyana COVID-19 National Action Plan and the approval of a new institutional framework for public investment

management, among other measures.

The IDB loan has a maturity period of 20 years and a grace period of 5.5 years and an interest rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), the release said.

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

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Guyanese replaces Guyanese as New High Court Judge for Dominica

GUYANESE Jacqueline Graham will be the new High Court Judge for Dominica effective September 1, 2022, replacing her sister and country mate, Guyanese Bernie Stephenson.

Justice Bernie Stephenson will be performing duties in St. Vincent, after being in Dominica for over 10 years as High Court Judge.

Jacqueline Louella Graham, a citizen of Guyana, is the Registrar and Marshal of the Caribbean Court of Justice and was appointed on July 1, 2014.

Before her service in the area of law, Mrs. Graham’s professional career started in the business field. She attained the degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Management Studies from the

journey for the Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from the University of Guyana.

While there, she was awarded the Chancellor’s Medals for the Best Third Year Student and Best Graduating Law Student.

Mrs. Graham, who also attended the Hugh Wooding Law School, also received top honours for her Legal

New High Court Judge for Dominica, Jacqueline Graham (natureisle.news photo)

University of Guyana in 1992 and then the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in the area of Finance from the University of Manchester, UK in 2004. This academic success served well in her tenure in the finance and

banking sector of Guyana where she gained significant experience in management and finance. She was also an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Guyana.

Her transition to the law was initiated in the year 2004 when she began the academic

Education Certificate and her performance in the areas of Legal Drafting and Civil Procedure and Practice.

In Guyana, she worked in private practice with the firm, Interlaw Consultants and then as a lawyer with the Guyana Revenue Authority before moving to the Judiciary of Guyana. At the Judiciary, she held the positions of Legal

Assistant to the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Registrar of the Court of Appeal of Guyana.

As Registrar and Marshal of the CCJ, Mrs. Graham assumes the role of the chief administrator of operations and holds primary responsibility for the Court’s financial management. (natureisle.news)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Banking sector to help bolster small business development PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali said the Government was examining ways to work with the local banking sector to create more opportunities for Guyana’s ever-evolving economy, particularly for small businesses.

He noted that creating “innovative ways” was essential for micro-enterprises, which do not possess the type of collateral or cash outlay to benefit from the opportunities available.

“We have to have a discussion on the apportionment of that risk and how we can minimise or remove the collateral requirement and take the contract at face value, and then work out a mechanism through which a contract at face value is used to support

those business operations.”

The Head of State, who has often spoken about the importance of the banking sector in the development of Guyana, made the statement during the ‘turning of the sod’ ceremony for Demerara Bank’s new branch in Leonora, on the West Coast of Demerara, on Thursday.

He called the location and level of investment essential to the development of Region Three.

“I have no doubt that this investment will be successful, that this investment, with everything else that is happening around here, will create a modern economic hub that will generate thousands of jobs. We have no doubt that development like these will support the oth-

er massive transformative developments that will take place along the coastline.”

The bank, which will be constructed at just over $150M at Groenveldt, Leonora, is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.

IN SYNC WITH DEVELOPMENT AGENDA The President reminded the gathering at Leonora that only a few weeks before the bank launched a special initiative that was collateral free to help small farmers.

That, he added, was another example of Demerara Bank creating a ‘vehicle’ to support the development agenda.

“Moving here also shows that you are actively working

in sync with the development agenda of the country and the Government…. In this location here alone, we’re not only talking about a bank, we’re talking about a new mall, and we’re talking about the new hospital. You’re talking about a private housing development that will see 40 to 50 executive style homes, that construction has already started, and 100 condos geared towards international market in this one location.”

The major development projects earmarked for the region include Wales’s Gasto-Shore project, the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge and the new four-lane highway from Schoonord to Crane.

The President said that

President, Dr Irfaan Ali

those and other transformative projects across the country were undoubtedly affecting the demand for materials and services, a challenge faced globally. As such, he urged that businesses “work a bit harder and be more creative” in finding more localised solutions to combat the global crisis.

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“Understand what this means for demand. Understand the trickledown effect.

Already we are feeling the effect of this in not a positive way… all of this is happening under very difficult global circumstances, not only in terms of food prices but in terms of material prices.

Forget about the prices let’s not even go to the prices; the supply. There is no supply; huge deficit in global demand and supply.”

To this end, the President lauded the efforts of those who continue to innovate despite the difficulties.

“I am very pleased with the proactive and innovative work of Demerara Bank and to say to the leadership and the staff that your work, you may not see it now but years from now, you will reflect and you will happily say you are part of this transformation.” (Office of the President)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Attorney Chase elected Chairperson of Public Procurement Commission Attorney-at-law and Chairman of the Guyana Bar Association, Pauline Chase, was, on Friday, unanimously elected Chairperson of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

According to a release, Chase was voted in as Chairman when the commissioners convened their first meeting since the constitution of the commission last Friday.

“In accordance with Article 212(Y) (3) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the commissioners unanimously elected Ms. Pauline Chase as Chairperson of the Commission and Mr. Berkley Wickham as Deputy Chairperson,” the release said.

Attorney-at-law, Pauline Chase

Another man charged for alleged involvement in Facebook ‘romance’ scam

John Patrick Lewis

A 56-year-old man, John Patrick Lewis, was, on Friday, granted $50,000 bail after being charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with conspiracy to defraud.

The Corentyne, Berbice resident appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Leron Daly and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Euclin Gomes, while SOCU was represented by its in-house attorney, Tuanna Hardy.

According to a press release, reports received by SOCU stated that Lewis, who is a carpenter, received $146,500 from a woman with the understanding that she will receive a money laundering certificate to clear the expensive package that was sent by her Facebook boyfriend.

It is being alleged that the accused acted as a third party for the person who befriended the victim via the Facebook connection.

Lewis is said to be one of four persons the victim sent money to. SOCU is currently looking for the other three.

The victim claimed that she sent the money to Lewis after she was instructed to do so by her Facebook boyfriend, who provided her with all of Lewis’ personal information.

She sent the money using the Western Union money transfer and has never received any package and her Facebook boyfriend has disappeared.

After the matter was investigated by SOCU, Lewis was arrested and charged.

On Tuesday last, SOCU instituted similar charges against Jaffon Hinds of Grove, East Bank Demerara. The Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner Fizal Karimbaksh, is calling on all Guyanese to be vigilant against the package delivery and romance scams.

The case will be heard again on September 2, 2022.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Minister Benn wants more Amerindian youths in the joint services MINISTER of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Thursday, urged indigenous leaders to encourage the youths within their respective

a significant role to play in securing their communities and supporting the national interest in terms of security.

Minister Benn in-

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn

communities to join the joint services.

He issued this call during his address at the National Toshao’s Conference, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where he also emphasised the need for a wider representation of Amerindians in the armed forces.

Benn said that he wanted young indigenous people and others who are sometimes underrepresented, to join the forces.

“It is our belief, even while we talk about increasing the peace in Guyana, a fundamental plank of that is to have a balancing of our forces,” he said.

He added that Amerindian leaders also have

dicated that he would like to see a “rush” for these persons to join the forces, whether it be the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, or the Guyana Prison Service.

“We want representative participation in those forces,” Benn stressed.

To this end, he remarked that if Guyana was going to be more wholesome as a country and if we are to be able to protect each other, Guyanese must move to a position of empathy, have respect for each other, and be embedded in each other’s culture.

He said: “We want to move the ball forward in respect of this issue. We want to encourage you to join up, we want you not

to be intimated in respect of this matter, we want you to find a welcoming environment in those forces.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e

Home Affairs Minister stated that since entering office, there has been an increase in Community Policing Groups (CPG) which had gone dormant

for quite some time.

These groups, he said were being renewed as there was ongoing training in various areas across the

country, which he said he hoped would serve as a vehicle for upward movement in the disciplined services.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Two arrested after dumping marijuana A 38-year-old man who dumped 46.36 grams of cannabis while trying to evade police ranks in a motorcar in Georgetown was arrested on Thursday about 13:20 hours, along with a male passenger who was in the said vehicle.

According to Police Headquarters, two police ranks attached to the Brickdam Police Station were on motorcycle patrol in the vicinity of Cummings Street and South Road, when they observed the driver of the motorcar smoking what appeared to be a cannabis joint.

The ranks signalled the 38-year-old driver of D’Urban Street to stop and he refused to do so while con-

The motorcar the men were in and the cannabis that was discarded (GPF photo)

tinuing to drive South on Cummings Street.

The motorcar was pursued by the ranks and while in the vicinity of Camp and Croal Streets, the driver discarded a transparent plastic bag out of the driver’s side window and continued driving.

One of the ranks picked up the said bag and found a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The car was subsequently intercepted at Hadfield and Cross Street, Georgetown.

The driver and occupant, a 58-year-old male were arrested and escorted to the Brickdam Police Station where the suspected

cannabis was weighed and amounted to 46.36 grams.

Taxi driver gets 16 years for raping girl

HIGH Court Judge, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, on Friday, sentenced 35-year-old taxi driver, Feroz Shakeer, to 16 years behind bars for raping a 12-year-old girl back in 2015.

Last month, Shakeer was found guilty by a 12-member jury at the Demerara Sexual Offences Court. He had denied engaging in sexual activity with the teenager on December 3, 2015.

He was represented by attorneys-at-law George Thomas and Madan Kissoon, while prosecutor Cicelia Corbin presented the state’s case.

Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, during her sentencing remarks underscored the physical and psychological trauma the victim has had to face, and continues to face.

Among other things, the judge said that Shakeer lacked genuine remorse and had maintained his innocence.

The judge, after taking into consideration the nature and prevalence of the offence, sentenced Shakeer to 16 years in prison.

According to the case facts, in 2015, Shakeer operated a taxi.

On the day in question, instead of dropping the victim and her cousin at their requested destination, he drove to a shop and locked them in his car.

After purchasing “beers” from the shop, Shakeer drove to a remote location in Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

He then gave the victim and her cousin the alcohol to drink but they refused. Shakeer held down the victim and forced her to drink the “beer.” The teen passed out and Shakeer raped her.

The teen’s cousin rushed to her aid after seeing Shakeer

Feroz Shakeer

committing the act. Shakeer threatened them before dropping them off at their intended destination.

The child subsequently confided in her relatives, and the matter was reported to the police. Shakeer was later arrested and charged.

The victim in her impact statement said that she was left to live with the stigma associated with sex crimes and was taunted by her peers while at school.

The young girl said she is suffering from the trauma of the incident and when the trial commenced it reopened old wounds.

“I would like to see him go to jail for a lifetime because he raped me when I was a child, only 12 years old. He robbed me of my childhood…He ruined my entire life. He took my joy away and I want him to pay. He raped me and came to court lying to his lawyers that he did not do so when he did all those things to me,” she added.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

12 women now certified sterilisation technicians

TWELVE women, on Friday, became the first batch of healthcare professionals to graduate from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Central Sterile Supply Unit (CSSU) Technician training programme.

The women, most of whom are Patient Care Assistants (PCA), received their certificates after completing the oneyear programme. During the programme, they received training in the area of sterilisation of critical medical and surgical equipment.

According to the CSSU training programme coordinator, Gail Gill, the graduands are now certified as sterilisation unit technicians and will work in the hospital’s CSSU. Other nursing staff

GPHC CEO (ag) Robbie Rambarran (Carl Croker photo)

will be assigned to the department to work alongside them.

Delivering remarks at the graduation ceremony was the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the GPHC, Robbie Rambarran, who highlighted the importance of this specialised field within the healthcare sector.

Rambarran further said

that when the programme began, some 22 persons were enrolled. He congratulated those who completed the course, and took the step towards continuous learning.

The 12 sterilisation technicians are Merna Agard, Dionne Britton, Rosetta D’Ornellas, Ingrid Emanuel, Juanita Garnett, Mary Jackman,

The 12 new sterilisation technicians (Carl Croker photo)

Lisa Jones, Lisa Major, Lashanna Semple, Aleta Singh, Melissa Sturge and Janella Tappin.

The CEO while underscoring the importance of the field which focuses on the safety of patients and sterility, urged the grad-

uands to value the responsibility they now hold and to take it seriously.

While noting that old equipment was once used, Rambarran said that the hospital and unit have come a far way. With that, he revealed that the

hospital will be procuring a number of instruments and even a new state-ofthe-art steriliser this year.

This, he said is part of the hospital’s significant investment towards improving its services.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

GuySuCo: Some 2,000 bags of sugar produced at Uitvlugt Estate

THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has reported that the Uitvlugt Estate commenced bagging operations on Thursday and has already accumulated close to 2,000 bags of sugar.

According to a release, the estate is progressing swiftly to maintain its bagging operations throughout the weekend and the following weeks.

“The estate’s management continues to work diligently to ensure grinding operations remain steady and encourage all workers to strive towards achieving set weekly sugar production targets. The executive management wishes to congratulate the

Uitvlugt Team on their progress and express gratitude for the continued efforts towards the estate’s success despite the challenges, the release said.

In a separate release, GuySuCo noted that, in accordance with the extant Grievance Procedure between the Corporation and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), a meeting was requested with the union to address the issue pertaining to workers’ Holiday with Pay (HWP) for the First Crop 2022, at the Uitvlugt Estate.

The release noted that, after a discussion held on July 12, 2022, at the Uitvlugt Estate between the Corporation’s Central/

Local Management and the union’s representatives attached to the Estate (Uitvlugt), the union agreed to a request from the Corporation to meet on the matter.

The meeting was set for Friday, July 15, 2022 at the Uitvlugt Estate’s Staff Club at 09:00h; however, at approximately 07:34hrs, the union contacted the Corporation requesting that the meeting be postponed because of the unavailability of one of its key personnel.

“GuySuCo remains fully committed to have this issue resolved and now awaits the union to provide a new date for the meeting,” the release said.

Bagging of 50kg/110lb genuine Demerara cane sugar at the Uitvlugt Estate

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RACING TIPS English Racing Tips Newbury 08:15 hrs Alpha Capture 08:50 hrs Cadillac 09:21 hrs Going Gone 09:56 hrs Chil 10:30 hrs Maria Branwell 11:05 hrs Julia Augusta Newmarket 08:42 hrs American Belle

American Racing Tips

12:00 hrs Nebuchadnezzar

Saratoga

South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:25 hrs Sovereign Spirit 09:00 hrs Coming In Hot 09:35 hrs Constable 10:10 hrs Anfields Rocket 10:45 hrs Wind Sock

Race 2 Chloe Rose Race 3 Robyn And Eli Race 4 Higher Quality Race 5 Marinara Sauced Race 6 Alcools Race 7 Reinvestment Risk Race 8 Bleecker Street

09:16 hrs Kodias Sangarius

Irish Racing Tips

09:51 hrs Koy Koy

Curragh

10:22 hrs Mukaddamah

08:30 hrs Hans Anderson

10:47 hrs Charging Thunder

09:03 hrs Little Big Bear

Canadian Racing Tips Wodbine Race 1 Bittersweetbizness Race 2 Ice Floe

11:31 hrs Royal Parade

09:35 hrs Andreas Vesalius

12:07 hrs Natural Path

10:10 hrs Castle Star

Market Rasen

10:45 hrs Emily Upjohn

09:06 hrs Ask Paddington

11:20 hrs Kazakdaria

09:41 hrs Cirque Royal

11:50 hrs Holdonfordearlife

10:14 hrs Manofthemountain

Race 1 Never Change

Race 3 Gizmo’s B F F Race 4 Grey Society Race 5 Hell n Wild Race 6 Fedaline Race 7 Cardio Princess

12:25 hrs Livin Celeste

10:50 hrs Hang In There

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday July 16, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Gudakesh Motie (2) Nasum Ahmed Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the first ODI of the current WI/BANG series?

(2) Who was voted Man of the Match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Stirling; Tector fall one run short of beating New Zealand

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Barnstorming centuries from Paul Stirling and Harry Tector gave New Zealand an almighty scare but they survived it to defend 360 in a 719-run slugfest on a true Malahide track. With Ireland needing 10 off the last over, Blair Tickner, New Zealand’s least experienced seamer and their most expensive bowler on tour, closed out a one-run victory as New Zealand broke Irish hearts once again.

Tickner hid the first two deliveries away from the reach of debutant Graham Hume, conceding just one run. Then, Glenn Phillips, who is among New Zealand’s best fielders, dropped Craig Young next ball at the midwicket boundary and ended up parrying the ball past the rope for four. Although it was a tough chance, it was Phillips’ third drop of the day, and New Zealand might have felt the game slipping from their grasp as well.

Young, however, panicked under pressure and ran himself out while trying to scramble a second run next ball, leaving Ireland with four to get off the last two balls, with No.11 Josh Little on strike. He could manage only a single off the penultimate ball and Hume a bye off the last as New Zealand squeezed their way to a 3-0 whitewash and maintained their perfect record in the World Cup Super League.

At one stage, Ireland were well on track to hunting down 361 and pulling off the joint third-highest successful chase in men’s ODIs. Stirling and Tector struck up a 179-run partnership - Ireland’s highest for the third wicket and sixth highest overall - but Stirling’s exit in the 35th over threatened to turn the game once more.

It became a full-blown collapse when Martin Guptill, who had torched New Zealand’s innings with a hundred of his own, completed a spectacular one-handed grab at extra-cover to dismiss Gareth Delany for 22 off 16 balls. From 271 for 3, Ireland lost 6 for 86 and eventually the game.

After taking a bit of a tap from Stirling and Tector, Mitchell Santner darted the old ball into the pitch and tricked the Ireland batters with his subtle variations. He was responsible for the wickets of Delany, Tector and Lorcan Tucker. After hitting a hard

length to draw a return catch from Curtis Campher, Tickner then smartly kept the ball away from the swinging arcs of Ireland’s lower order in the last over.

During the ongoing home summer, Ireland had run India close during the two-match

to unleash similar mayhem on New Zealand. Much like Stirling, Tector was fluent on either side of the wicket and often manufactured his own lengths by slinking around or out of his crease. New Zealand could have dismissed him on 44 when Ferguson’s slower

Josh Little and Graham Hume walk back after Ireland’s heartbreaking one-run defeat • Sportsfile/Getty Images

T20I series and then New Zealand during the first two ODIs, but they couldn’t close out any of those games. Yesterday proved to be the same old story for Ireland.

Stirling and Tector, however, had dominated the chase after Matt Henry had struck twice in the first power-play to have Ireland 62 for 2 in the tenth over. Stirling was already set on 30 off 33 balls by this stage. He turned up the tempo two overs later when he dashed out of the crease and mowed Michael Bracewell over the long-on boundary for the first of his five sixes. Stirling went on to explore every part of the ground, against every bowler, to thrill an expectant crowd at The Village.

He laced Lockie Ferguson through the covers, clubbed Santner across the line and against the intended turn over wide long-on, reverse-swept Bracewell past short third man, muscled Tickner over square leg, and flat-batted Phillips over cover-point. Stirling brought up his 13th ODI ton and his 150-run stand with Tector via a carved four off Bracewell.

On his ODI debut in 2008, Stirling watched Brendon McCullum and James Marshall pound Ireland as New Zealand ran up a total of 402 in Aberdeen. Fourteen years later, Stirling combined with Tector

yorker kissed the outside of his off stump, but the bails didn’t budge. Tector pressed on to bring up his second ton in three games, but his ill-fated reverse-sweep off Santner left the tail with too much to do.

A breezy century from Guptill and an even breezier 79 from Henry Nicholls formed the centre-piece of New Zealand’s innings, which also featured cameos from Finn Allen (33), Tom Latham (30), Phillips (47) and Bracewell (21*).

Guptill’s driving down the ground and through the covers was supreme, as is the case with most of his big knocks.

He reached his fifty off 43 balls and then slowed down once spinners Andy McBrine and Delany found some grip with the old ball. He slowed down further in the nineties, needing 18 balls to move from 90 to triple figures.

Guptill reached his 18th ODI ton - only his old mate Ross Taylor has more centuries for New Zealand in the format - with a six off a free-hit. After Guptill fell for 115 off 126 balls, Nicholls took over and found some overdue form.

Since his 57 against Netherlands at home in March, Nicholls had managed just 104 runs in eight innings across formats at an average of 13.00, until yesterday. Along the way, he had had to deal with a bout of COVID-19 and a calf injury.

And once he came back into the ODI scheme of things, he had to contend with dropping down to the middle order to accommodate Allen at the top.

Nicholls regularly jumped across to off to freely access the leg side, through which

he scored 54 of his 79 runs.

Ireland tried to match up McBrine’s off-spin against the left-hander, but it didn’t work, as Nicholls took 24 off 16 balls from him. Nicholls brought up his fifty off 38 balls and looked good for more, but Young

cut his innings short with an off-cutter.

Phillips and Bracewell then bashed 45 together off a mere 23 balls to help take New Zealand to 360. In the end, it proved to be just enough.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Transport SC elated with Mohabir’s selection as national U17 skipper

THE Transport Sports Club executive members and cricketers are elated that their long-standing cricketer, Alvin Mohabir, has been selected skipper of the Guyana team for the upcoming Regional U17 tournament, to be played in Trinidad and Tobago from July 17 to 28.

Coach and senior captain of the club, Shaun Massiah, in an invited comment, noted that the teenager has grown up in the club.

“He started at the age of eight and has blossomed into a genuine all-rounder.”

Massiah said that the youngster had shown the requisite temperament at an early age. His discipline on and off the field, according to the veteran cricketer/administrator, has allowed him to blossom into a cricketer who can progress to the highest level.

Alvin Mohabir is set to lead Guyana’s U17 team in T&T

“I can vividly remember he won a game at the Under-13 level for us. It came down to getting four runs from the last ball and he pulled the ball for four through midwicket to give Transport the victory. From then, you could have seen the ability in Alvin.”

Massiah and the other seniors at the club, as they have done in the past, looked to build on the success and introduced Mohabir at the tender age of 12 to second-division cricket with grown men.

“He did well; he took 13 wickets against UG in a twoday match being played at GNIC ground.”

As Mohabir acclimatised himself to the rigours of second-division, he was pushed further by Massiah, who introduced the youngster to first-division cricket at the age of 13.

Since then he has been a regular on the team. The exposure against some of the better cricketers in the city has not only developed his batting and bowling but his overall confidence.

This enabled him to play and excel at the U15 level in Demerara, before he captained the national side in the regional tournament.

“From then to now, Alvin has been moving from one level to the next with his performance. We’re even looking forward for him to be somewhere along the line in

Shaun Massiah (left) has been instrumental in the development of young Mohabir

the Guyana U19 setup.”

The 16-year-old was a part of the 2021 Cricket West Indies U19 camp last year with a few other promising Guyanese young cricketers.

He was able to build on what he learnt and excelled upon returning home.

In the recently concluded Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U17 tournament, Mohabir finished as the leading wicket-taker and the second-highest run-scorer.

Massiah said that although Transport has played

an integral part in his development, Alvin also got help from the likes of his uncle, talented MYO batter Kemraj Ramdeen. In addition, he practses with his brother Dave Mohabir, who “is coming up sharply”.

“I’m just hoping that he can project and get into the Guyana senior setup sometime shortly - that is what we are working towards: getting Alvin to that level, which is his dream.”

MILO Schools football tournament …

Quarterfinals action on this weekend

THE quarter-final of the highly anticipated MILO Schools Football tournament takes place this weekend at the Ministry of Education ground.

In the first of today’s double-header, Cummings Lodge Secondary take on Linden’s Christianburg Wismar Secondary School from 14:00hrs.

From 16:00hrs, it’s a battle of the Ruimveldts with West taking on North.

On Sunday, Golden Grove play Friendship from 14:00hrs.

According to the organisers, a decision was made to replay the round of 16 match between Annandale and Golden Grove on Wednesday, 2022-07-13 due to complicated circumstances. The Golden Grove team prevailed on penalty kicks 4-2 after being deadlocked at 1-1 at full time.

The last quarter-final match will pit President’s College against Dolphin Secondary

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Rupununi FA male and female Senior Leagues

More clubs clinch quarter-final spots as group stage nears completion

AS the group stage of the 2022 Rupununi Football Association (RFA) Senior League comes to an end, more clubs have clinched quarter-final berths.

In Central Rupununi, Guyana Rush Saints FC female team leapfrogged Gladiators FC in the points standings with a comprehensive 7-1 victory over Far East United in their final group stage match.

Glauciane Ines Gomes De Assis was again in domineering form with five goals.

A double from Nina Cabral completed the thrashing. Ursuline Primus responded with the solitary goal for Far East United in the 37th minute.

Guyana Rush Saints and Gladiators, with 19 points and 17 points respectively, have qualified for the quarterfinals.

Guyana Rush Saints male team are also into the quarterfinals after a comfortable 4-1 victory over Far East United.

Stephen McDonald with a hat-trick in the 4th, 28th, and 30th minutes and an Eric Atkinson goal in the 71st minute sealed the victory. Ravin Naughton responded with the consolation goal in the 23rd minute for Far East United.

Tabatinga FC have also booked their spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over Gladiators FC. Goals from Carlos Isaacs and Romel Bhola in the 6th and 38th minutes were enough to secure victory, with Erik Veras responding in the 28th minute for Gladiators, who are third in the points standings and still have a chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

However, they will have to first defeat the winners of the North Rupununi South Pakaraimas playoff in a match scheduled for Saturday, July 23.

Over in North Rupununi, in Group A, Paiwomak FC female team joined their male counterparts in the quarterfinals after Challengers FC were held to a goalless draw in their final group match against Surama FC. The draw allowed Paiwomak to advance due to their superior goal difference over Challengers who will now have to face Basin FC in their one-leg playoff scheduled for tomorrow at the Basin Sports Ground.

In the male match, Challengers advanced to the North Rupununi playoffs after defeating Surama 3-1, courtesy

Tabatinga FC goalscorers Carlos Isaacs (left) and Romel Bhola

of goals from Marcos Rodolfo in the 2nd minute, and a double from Deroy Augustine in the 50th and 55th minutes.

Niaaz Mohammed responded with Surama’s lone goal in the 57th minute.

In Group B action, Falcons, and F.C Basin played to a thrilling 3-3 draw which

resulted in Falcons qualifying for the North Rupununi playoff; they will now face Challengers.

Kelvin John opened the scoring for FC Basin in the 70th minute but Alex Mendonca equalised in the 74th minute for Falcons. A quick-fire double from Kevin

Hamilton in the 82nd and 84th minutes saw FC Basin gain what seemed like an insurmountable 3-1 lead but a penalty from Floyd Peters in the 86th minute and an Almir Moses strike in the 89th minute saw a spirited comeback from Falcons.

In East Central Rupununi, Group A action, the match between Jaguars FC and Kanuku Harpies FC female teams ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Mary Lawrence opened the scoring for Jaguars in the 13th minute, but Carolita Stephen equalised in the 81st minute for Kanuku Harpies.

With one round left to play, Flash FC lead the points standings with 11 but can be overtaken if they lose their final match and Jaguars FC win their final match. In the male match, Jaguars FC secured a quarter-final berth with a 3-1 victory over Kanuku Harpies FC. Goals from Nimrod Park in the 36th and 89th minutes and one from Lu Lawrence in the 71st minute ensured qualification for the quarterfinals was achieved with a game in hand. Jason Marco notched the lone goal for Kanuku Harpies in the 56th minute.

Over in Group B, Ka-

nuku Warriors FC were in commanding form, thrashing Terminators FC by a 9-0 margin to maintain their unbeaten record and book a place in the quarterfinals. A hat-trick in the 2nd, 11th, and 23rd minutes for Josepha Leonard, a brace each for Christalene Alfred and Phyllis Lorentino along with single strikes for Simone Alfred and Marlitha Alfred ensured the lopsided win for the dominant home team.

The male match between Terminators FC and Kanuku Warriors FC ended 2-2 with Kanuku Warriors already eliminated and playing just for pride in front of a boisterous home crowd. But it was Terminators who took a 2-0 lead in the first half courtesy of strikes from Nathaniel Peters and Aldie George in the 12th and 36th minutes, respectively.

But Simion Artes responded with strikes in the 62nd and 78th minutes to level the score. The draw severely dented the hopes of Terminators’ quest to qualify for the quarterfinals and they must now hope other results go their way in order to secure qualification.

Jasmine Abrams in women’s 100m action today at ‘Worlds’ … Archibald wins 100m Prelims JASMINE Abrams, the fastest Guyanese over the distance of 100 metres, will take to the track in Oregon, USA this evening, in the women’s ‘blue ribbon’ event of the World Athletics Championships.

Guyana is being represented by the Abrams siblings, Jasmine and Aliyah, along with Emanuel Archibald at the July 15-24 event.

The women’s 100m in Eugene is said to be the

most anticipated event, with some of the fastest women in the track and field, all hoping to lay claim to the moniker of ‘World Champion’.

Jasmine, last year’s senior South American Championship bronze medallist, will line up alongside former Commonwealth Champion Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago in Heat six.

Alia Hobbs of the USA and Sweden’s Ajla Del Pon-

te will also feature in the race.

Only Hobbs (10.81s), Ahye (10.82s) and Del Ponte (10.90s) ran faster than Jasmine (11.07s) over the distance in their career.

The Guyana National record-holder in the women’s 100m, Jasmine, will be hoping to replicate or better her time which she clocked in June when she competed at the Trinidad and Tobago National Championships.

Meanwhile, Archibald

handed Guyana the perfect start at ‘Worlds’ yesterday, when he flashed across the line in a time of 10.31s to win his preliminary round race ahead of refugee athlete Dorian Keletela and Honduras’ Melique Garcia.

The win meant that Archibald booked a place last evening in the men’s 100m Heats, where he faced the likes of American Fred Kerley.

Kerley, a Tokyo 100m silver medallist, just last

month ran 9.76s, which was the sixth-fastest time in the history of the men’s 100m.

Archibald holds a personal-best (PB) time of 10.18s in the 100m and is the country’s fastest athlete over the distance. He won silver at the South American Championships, clocking 10.23s in Ecuador.

Archibald, who hails from Linden, represented Guyana at the Tokyo Olympics in the 100m, where he made it out of the prelim-

inary stage of the competition. He’s also the country’s National record-holder in the Men’s long jump (8.12m).

Looking ahead, Aliyah Abrams will be in action tomorrow from 15:00hrs in the women’s 400m.

Abrams has a ‘PB’ of 51.13s. At the Indoor World Championships, Aliyah reached the finals of the women’s 400m where she finished in 5th place.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 16, 2022

Jasmine Abrams in women’s 100m … Archibald wins 100m Prelims action today at ‘Worlds’ Story on page 35

Emanuel Archibald powering his way to win his Men’s 100m Prelims race at the World Athletics Championships (Photo compliments: (World Athletics)

FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Jasmine Abrams (right) battling Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye in the women’s 100m at the World Indoor Championships. The two will meet at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon

MILO Schools football tournament …

Quarterfinals action on this weekend Story on page 34

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SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022