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Lethem airstrip for major upgrade Page 3

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A Trans Guyana Airways aircraft lands at the Lethem airstrip in October (Delano Williams photo)

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

‘Don’t beat women’ -PM urges multi-faceted approach to tackle gender-based violence

AS the Ministry of Social Protection observes its 16 days of Activism Campaign against Gender-based Violence, Prime Minister and First Vice- President, Moses Nagamootoo has called for young men everywhere to desist from abusing women and children.

Speaking at a forum hosted for members of the disciplined forces and other young men at the Police Officers’ Training Centre on Wednesday evening, the prime minister acknowledged the scourge of violence against women and girls, in Guyana. Cognisant of this, he said that a multi-faceted approach geared at tackling gender-based violence (GBV) is being rolled out by the government. “Guyana cannot and must not be counted among those countries where there is pervasive abuse of women and mindless violence inflicted on them,” he told the forum.

“Among the men are the good the bad and the ugly… but I would hope that the bad men make the effort to change. If we could do so, then there will be hope to eliminate the scourge of violence against women and girls.”

Speaking to the men gathered, the prime minister urged them to support the culture of equality in all spheres of life and to put an end to the “eye-pass” against women because of misperceptions about their economic and social status.

The prime minister noted that gender equality has been foremost in the 20-30 Sustainable Development Goals and that the Ministry of Social Protection has

involved all stakeholders in the call to action. “I stand here today as prime minister, as a man as a husband, father and grandfather and appeal to all men to respect our women,” he emphasised.

In his presentation, Prime Minister Nagamootoo referred to the laws that protect victims of gender-based violence and the laws that protect victims and punish perpetrators. The Sexual Offences Act provides for the operationalisation of a national task force for the prevention of sexual violence, which came to fruition in 2016. In this year too, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit was established. In 2017, the Sexual Offences Court was only launched earlier in November.

Adding to these efforts, the prime minister related that plans are in train for a dedicated domestic violence court, while the Domestic Violence Policy is being revised and the National Action Plan for Sexual Domestic Violence is being “concretised.”

Speaking more on this National Action Plan, he related that it will be implemented in all regions and will foster governmental and non-governmental stakeholder engagements.

In addition, through this plan, training will be provided to all stakeholders dealing with this matter and the general public. According to the prime minister, “Guyana is therefore rolling out the multi-faceted approach to combat gender-based violence, mainly violence against women.”

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addressing police recruits at a men’s forum held as part of the Ministry of Social Protection’s 16 days of Activism Campaign against Gender-based Violence (Adrian Narine photo)

The Director of the University of Guyana (UG) Office of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Fitzgerald Yaw, posited that everyone has a role to play in the matter of GBV. He took a step further than the prime minister and acknowledged that while GBV is more prevalent among women and children, men are also affected. He noted, “What makes it [GBV] a bigger challenge is that we are socialised to accommodate a culture of violence.”

A Senior Gender Specialist at the Ministry of Social Protection echoed similar sentiments and related that the ministry is trying to stamp out this issue, but it begins with acknowledging that GBV does take place.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

Lethem airstrip for major upgrade

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…gov’t seeks US$15M to boost hinterland Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017 Chronicle New Yorkaerodromes Guyana

THE Lethem airstrip will soon be upgraded to a regional hub and international aerodrome as government continues negotiation with a multilateral donor to secure a US$15M loan to finance a project for the further development of airstrips and aerodromes across the hinterland.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Monday during his 2018 budget presentation, said the upgrade of the Lethem airstrip will allow for flights originating from Brazil and other Latin American neighbours to land there. Jordan disclosed that $35B has been allocated for infrastructural development next year, while 1, 2017 noting that some $250M has been set aside to improve airstrips and aerodromes across the country.

He said Guyana will enter into a new phase in its aviation history with the completion of the US$138M expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). A sum of $5B has been allocated to complete works, which include the extension of the runway, rehabilitation of the building to house the arrival terminal, and the construction of the departure terminal. The upgraded Airport will be able to accommodate larger aircraft and handle an increased number of passengers, Jordan

noted.

Meanwhile, work on the development of an aviation master plan will begin next year while $140M of the $250M allocated for the improvement of airstrips and aerodromes across the country will be used to begin the rehabilitation of airstrips at Bemichi and Kamana. Another twelve airstrips across the hinterland regions will be rehabilitated at a cost of $110.3M, said Jordan. $2B for Sheriff St-Mandela Avenue He told the House also that $14.3B has been set aside for the construction, rehabilitation, upgrading, and maintenance of the country’s road network 3 and according to the finance minister, works on the Sheriff Street -Mandela Avenue will begin. Some $2B has been budgeted for that exercise. He explained that the existing carriageway will be upgraded and resurfaced from the northern end of Sheriff Street through to Homestretch Avenue. From that point to the Mandela Avenue-Hunter Street junction, the road would be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic.

Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, pedestrian overpasses, and a roundabout at the Sheriff Street-David Street junction will all form part of the identified project, in an effort

A bus manoeuvres the Linden to Lethem trail recently (Delano Williams photo)

to improve road safety. That aside, some $2.7B has been allocated for the widening of the East Coast Demerara Highway to four lanes, stretching from Better Hope to Annandale; while the two-lane road between Annandale and Belfield, will be upgraded. A further $1.2 billion has been budgeted to complete the West Coast Demerara Highway. Additionally, the four pedestrian overpasses will be equipped with elevators to facilitate the aged and differently-abled pedestrians.

Linden to Lethem road Several feasibility studies and detailed designs for the first phase of the Linden-Lethem road, covering the Linden to Mabura Hill, will be launched next year and will aid in improving access to hinterland communities and northern Brazil.

Jordan told the National Assembly in his almost four-hour presentation that the development of the Georgetown to Lethem gateway requires careful assessment and due diligence. He said once completed, the roadway will also open new economic opportunities along the corridor. He disclosed that external funding is available to scope out and develop key social and economic opportunities for residents along the corridor.

The finance minister said the use of the

available funds is aimed at establishing the groundwork to map out and implement complementary social and economic development initiatives around the project, and to assist in financing the implementation of selected strategic, small-scale economic activities.

He disclosed too that development partners have already approved the terms of reference for the design and feasibility of the Linden-Mabura Road Upgrade.

Similar studies, Jordan said, will be conducted on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and the Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani corridor.

“These will provide significant access to the Intermediate Savannahs and create access to the upper reaches of the Berbice River, thereby enhancing the agricultural potential of Kwakwani, Ebini and Kimbia,” he explained.

Additionally, several key roadways in the hinterland, aimed at providing easy travel and transportation access between and among hinterland communities, as well as facilitating our gold miners and loggers, will be upgraded next year.

Among them are the Port KaitumaMatthew’s Ridge-Baramita Corridor, internal roads in Mahdia, and the Bartica-Potaro stretch of road. $1.5B has been allocated for these works.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

New Bagotville Bridge to open December 10 4

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

--residents excited at the prospect

Pedestrians were not left out when the new bridge was being conceptualised (Photos by Adrian Narine)

TRAVERSING the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) road will be easier than it was two months ago when the Bagotville Bridge fell apart, now that the new bridge is almost done and scheduled to be opened to traffic on December 10.

GAICO Construction Inc. was awarded a $97M contract to build a new bridge in the community after the main access bridge in the area started to sink.

The support beams of the bridge were damaged due to erosion and heavy rains; heavy-duty vehicles also helped add to

the deterioration.

GAICO Managing Director, Komal Singh told the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday that the company has already poured the concrete, but that the mixture has to go through a 21-day curing period, which is expected to end on December 7.

“This week, we are going to asphalt it because it has to be overlaid, but we are on track and will finish before December 10,” Singh said.

Work on the bridge began on September 21 with the intention of having

Get the bees out A swarm of bees, believed to be of Africanised origin, has taken up residence at Aurora Secondary School, Region Two, for some time now, causing an alarm among students and teachers who are clamouring for their urgent

Workers adding the finishing touches to the new Bagotville Bridge

removal.

The Africanised bee, also known as the Africanised honey bee and colloquially as “killer bee”, is a hybrid of the Western honey bee species produced originally by cross-breeding of the Afri-

it completed on or before November 30.

The contractor said that while they did not encounter any difficulties over the past two months, they gave the project maximum attention so that the work would be done properly.

Singh believes that it was only a matter of time before the old bridge sank, because it was a wooden structure that was encased in concrete.

The new bridge, however, is made of steel and concrete, so it is expected to last a very long time.

It will also cater for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, since two walkways have been installed on either side of the bridge.

Prior to the construction of the new bridge, a temporary one was constructed nearby so as to help ease the traffic.

But residents had said the temporary bridge was not enough to handle the level of traffic that traversed the area on a daily basis, so they were excited to hear that the new bridge will be opened soon.

-- Aurora Secondary disrupted on several occasions can honey bees, with various European honey bees such as the Italian bee and the Iberian bee.

A concerned teacher of the school, who requested anonymity, said the bees have been present at the school for over

a year, even though reports have been made to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

“We even went as far as to call the regional office in Region two, requesting that they get rid of the hives, but no one is doing anything about it,” said the teacher.

Children, teachers and residents of the area have been stung on many occasions, the teacher complained, adding that in addition to neighbouring houses, there is a nearby dormitory where children are housed.

“Having those nests in the area is a serious threat to everyone in the community, especially the children who live in the dormitory… whenever the bees raise up, we have to move the children from the school but we can’t always be there for those in the dormitory,” the educator lamented.

For this term alone, the school has been forced to dismiss school twice because the bees were swarming in the community.

“I desperately hope that someone does something with regards to this issue as soon as possible, for the lives of our students and teachers are at great risk,” said the concerned teacher.

Guyana Chronicle was unable to make contact with

the GLDA for a response to the matter, but the Authority had recently advised the public to beware of Africanised bees after an elderly man was recently killed by a swarm.

GLDA advised the public that there are ways to be one step ahead of the bees.

One way in particular is to remove potential nesting sites so as to reduce the chances of the bees forming a colony on or around homes.

According to the GLDA, most Africanised bees do not live in boxes managed by bee-keepers, but rather in structures or other man-made cavities.

“If by some chance you encounter a colony of bees, it is advised that you run for at least 100 yards (300ft).

“In the event of an attack, cover your head and face as these bees tend to target these areas. Use a blanket, sheet or your shirt to cover your head and face.

“If you do not have anything to cover your head and face with, use your hands to cover your face, making sure not to cover your eyes so that you can still see,” the GLDA recommended.

For more information on how to deal with Africanised bees, persons were asked to contact the Bee Unit at the GLDA on 220-6557.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

The Handel Andrews Column

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T TH HE E H HI IS ST TO ORY RY PA PAG GE E

Happy 51 Birthday Barbados st

“The planter class took shape initially and most decisively in Barbados. This island was not the first to be occupied by the English, but the Barbadians were the first Englishmen to take up sugar making in a big PLANTOCRACY IN BARBADOS way.”

Dunn also states that: DURING BRITISH RULE “As soon as Barbados sugar came on At first, the main crops planted in Barbados were coffee, cotton and indigo, the the London market in the 1640s, it fetched a slaves who worked the plantations were far higher and steadier profit than any other Irish. The Proclamation of 1625 by James II American commodity.”

As the cost of indentured labourers rose, made it official policy that all Irish political prisoners be transported to the West Indies planters began importing large amounts of and sold to English planters. Indentured African slaves, whose cost was far lower.

The main groups came from what is now labourers were brought from Portugal.

Ghana and Nigeria. By the mid-1600's, there were over 56,000 in Barbados and by the early 1800s, over 385,000, While landowners grew rich off the sweat of slaves, they were indifferent to the inhuman conditions of work, living conditions and diet of their “things”. In 1649, slaves and European indentured laborers, especially Irish, revolted on two plantations. It was quickly subdued.

In 1675, a plan for an island-wide revolt, which took three years to plan, was uncovered when one of the slaves named Fortuna leaked the information. More than 100 slaves were arrested and THE INDEPENDENCE OR BUSSA STATUE tortured and approximately 40 executed. Some commitBy 1642, planters switched to planting ted suicide, while others were beheaded or the more profitable sugar cane. Richard burnt alive.

Another insurrection plan was uncovDunn says:

oh blime me, if ah doan wish Bimshire, De Rock, Barbados ‘A Happy Birthday’. After all, I am Guyanese and we an them are one family, because most African Guyanese have Barbadian heritage.

I am a good example. My maternal grandparents migrated from Barbados to Guyana in their 30s and lived there until they passed on. There is another reason why I should be proud of Barbados’ 51st anniversary of Independence celebration. I was made an honorary Bajan by Michael Ashby Sr. and Noel Browne, persons of great repute in the Bajan society.

Which brings me to the point about Barbados. When I was a young laddy and Barbados was “Little England”, we used to eat many bajans with Dutchman head cheese and small tin of carnation milk. The myth was that it boosted masculine prowess. Don’t be offended. I am not talking about Bajan persons; but of a bun that resembles hot cross buns without the cross.

Enough of this. Let’s talk about the island and some of the great fighters for the country’s independence from Great Britain.

Barbados is the easternmost island of the Lesser Antilles, located 13°10' north of the equator, 59°32' west of the Prime Meridian and 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea. It is about 168 kilometres (104 miles) east of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 400 kilometres (250 miles) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. It is 34 kilometres (21.1 miles) long and 24 kilometres (14.9 miles) wide. Its nickname is “Little England”, because British culture is more pronounced here than any other Caribbean island.

EARLIEST INHABITANTS Early pottery fragments found on the island suggest that its first inhabitants were Saladoid aborigines, who migrated from the lowlands of the Orinoco river in Venezuela.

They might have arrived from Trinidad around 350 ACE. Within 50 years, they were followed by the Barrancoid, who also came from the Orinoco and settled via Trinidad. These groups co-existed peacefully and were so similar that they are referred to as Saladoid/Barrancoid EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT In the 1400s, the Portuguese, on their journey to find Brazil, spotted Barbados and landed on it. They were not interested in colonising the island. However, one of the sailors, Pedro a Campus, named the island Los Barbados after the ficus trees whose striking aerial roots looked like beards. The term is Portuguese meaning “bearded ones.”

FIRST LASTING EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT The first lasting European settlement on the island was established in 1627 by the British. Sir William Courtein (or Curteen) was a wealthy Anglo-Dutch merchant and shipbuilder operating from London and known for his expeditions to the East Indies and the Americas. In 1624, one of his ships, returning to England from Brazil, encountered a terrible storm near Barbados. After anchoring, the crew went on shore. They found it uninhabited. The ship’s Captain, John Powell, claimed it in the name of King James of England.

ered in 1692 and an estimated 200 to 300 slaves were killed. In April 1816, the largest revolt in Barbados’ history occurred. It took several months of planning at many sugar estates. Bussa was its leader and its co-leaders were Washington Franklin and John and Nanny Grigg.

Bussa commanded about 400 men and women against the troops, which included the West India Regiment, an all-Black branch of the British Army. He was killed during battle; but his troops continued fighting until they were eventually subdued. More than 800 slaves were killed in battle, another 100 executed and 132 sent to another island.

The rebellion was an attempt by the slaves to change the society in Barbados. It could be argued that it was inspired by the Haitian revolution and wanted to make Barbados like Haiti. More importantly, it was an attempt to gain freedom from the plantation owners.

Barbadians have not forgotten Bussa. In 1985 (169 years after the revolt) a large bronze statue, the 'Emancipation Statue', was erected on a roundabout situated in Haggatt Hall, St Michael. In 1999, he was named as one of the national heroes of Barbados.

Largely due to Bussa’s Rebellion, British policy towards Barbados changed for the better. In 1825 the 'Amelioration Policy' was changed to 'the Consolidated Slave Law' legislation (The Emancipation Act) which consisted of three (3) Rights for Slaves — The right to own property / The right to testify in all court cases / Reduction of fees charged for Manumission (a fee charged to slaveowners for emancipating their slaves).

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire on 24 August, 1833. At first, the system on Barbados plantations remained the same as it had been before. The free African

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Editorial

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Editorial Removal of VAT from education services REMOVAL of the Value Added Tax (VAT) as announced in the 2018 National Budget exemplifies the possibilities of a nation when the voices of the people are heard by their government.

To pretend that the charge of 14 percent VAT to access private education was not of concern to the affected students, their families, providers and wider society is to ignore the premium this society has historically placed on education. From the days when education was seen as a major means out of poverty,an opportunity to ascend the socio-economic ladder, to attracting the maxim “education makes a nation,” it is also deemed a fundamental right according to the United Nations and Guyana constitution.

Ours is a society, where once only the so-called brightest child was allowed by the parents to pursue education, girls were kept back and the poor either never saw education as a necessity or just couldn’t afford it. In that same era not many had the benefit of primary and post-primary education, thereby nurturing a sense of elitism or privilege for those who had access, which was discriminatory in thinking and practice.

Knowledge is power and when so empowered, the sky is the limit. And though the earlier days of private education was only for those who could afford or where religious organisations ran schools and being a student necessitated being a member of that community, the advent of universal public education in 1976 propelled the nation’s people as to their limitless possibilities. The universality in this approach set in train co-education and co-mingling of persons, irrespective of class, gender, race, creed or location.

Education not only became the great equaliser, it set in train the nurturing of minds to respect and appreciate diversity, learning from each other, and valuing the importance of education to the people and nation’s development. As government was pursuing the path of self-sufficiency and investing in its citizens’ education, making it free from nursery to university, at technical institutions, colleges and

Guyana Chronicle New New York York Edition Week-ending September 29,1,2017 Guyana Chronicle Edition week ending December 2017

Guyana not first country with stringent penalties within petroleum regulations Dear Editor, IN response to the November 22, 2017 article in the Kaieteur News titled ‘Petroleum Commission Bill prescribes imprisonment for sharing of info’, the Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to advise as follows: The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is committed to transparency and accountability, not only within the oil and gas sector, but also in all sectors. This commitment for transparency and accountability has been demonstrated through efforts made by the government to implement

EITI which is a global standard that promotes transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Guyana’s application for candidacy has been accepted and Guyana is now an implementing country of EITI. EITI brings together Civil Society, Industry and Government, each having an equal stake in monitoring how natural resources-derived moneys are generated and expended.

• Guyana is not the first country to insert stringent penalties within the petroleum sector’s regulatory framework for breach of a duty not to disclose information. Tanzania’s Petro-

leum Act 2015, Section 106, stipulates a fine or jail time for disclosing confidential information. So do the laws of Uganda (Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act 2013 Section 32, and Trinidad and Tobago's (Petroleum Act, Section 35). The section is aimed at deterring those who hope to benefit from the improper disclosure; thereby providing another means of fighting corruption. It is one of many anti-corruption strategies which have to be employed in the proper management of the petroleum sector and is very consistent with international norms.

• The Petroleum Commis-

sion Bill 2017 is the subject of widespread consultation, the aim of which is to take on board input from numerous stakeholders so that the finalised Bill reflects a collective effort to create a nationally applicable and internationally relevant law. We continue to thank all stakeholders for their vigilance, as together we strive to bring Guyana to preparedness, not only for oil production in 2020, but also for the continued exploration and growth of the sector.

Regards N. Johann Earle Public Affairs and Communications Officer Ministry of Natural Resources

It’s another aspect of the criminal state being dismantled

Dear Editor,

LOOK who is talking about “Let them pay”–Bharrat Jagdeo, leader of the PPP/C opposition party and the number one national hypocrite. His comment forms part of a response to the coalition government’s 2018 budgetary plan of granting amnesty to defaulting companies and individuals between January 01, 2018 to September 01, 2018, provided that they pay their principal taxes. Proposed in two parts, it will grant waivers to penalties and interests at 100% and 50%, respectively.

As I understand the erudite Minister of Finance, this is about offering defaulters an opportunity to make right with the Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA). It is no “deal”, as Jagdeo would want to mislead the people. Further, it is definite that

these are indeed very large tax debts that have been accruing to these persons and companies for years, especially during the PPP/C period of governance.

It is not about excusing the right of tax obligation on the part of these defaulters, either. In fact, the Jagdeo policy was one of granting waivers and concessions to party supporters, friends and cronies, from among many in the private sector. In this way, billions have been lost to revenue. We are now experiencing the hurt from such gross maladministration.

I recall the shocking revelation of $60B being granted as waivers and concessions, between 2010 – 2014, to the friends of the PPP/C government. In the name of heavens, how could a poor, struggling nation as ours afford such a bounty? What was even more revealing,

as reported by the GRA, was that visits to many of these defaulters, found them not to have used the waiver/concession for the purpose granted. They were caught cheating the tax coffers with a known dishonesty.

Since when Jagdeo has become so much concerned about defaulters paying their fair share of taxes. I do not recall any concern of his government about this category being publicly admonished to pay their taxes. The many programmes that have been implemented since 2015, with the aim of plugging the escape route of tax dodgers, point to the field day that these unpatriotic Guyanese had enjoyed. It is another aspect of the criminal state that is now being dismantled.

Regards Earl Hamiliton

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies and views of the management of the New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle. trade schools, to deny that the country was on a cusp to greater At the same time government may find it of importance to heights is to deny our sense of being and capabilities. ensure private schools adhere to some regulatory framework to School buses/transportation, meals, uniforms, accom- ensure the national thrust, including the values of nationhood modation, and exercise and text books, the cost of which and appropriate skills set are incorporated into the curriculum. was borne by the Government toppled barriers to entry and A nation’s education has to be designed for its people’s delearning. That the economy, like all economies, experienced velopment. Another issue of concern is that of the educators. a down turn, aided in part by natural economic cycle, in- Where the State provides free tuition through the Cyril Potter ternational factors such as oil price and scarcity of foreign College of Education, this is at a cost borne by taxpayers exchange, and some would say management deficiencies and and Government shoulders a responsibility to ensure that the probably biting off more than we could chew at the time, such public school has the most benefits. do not deny the fact of the boldness of our ambition and the Where some can attribute teachers serving a contract audacity to create an educated nation. staying in the public school, or paying to exit the contract Where efforts were made and are being made by gov- in order to teach at the private school, a balance has to be ernment to remove hindrances to acquiring an education, found to ensure that public education is not under-served. particularly the basic by the re-institution of some, if not all There is no intent to propose what should be done, but of these, stated services are steps in the right direction. That merely to point out that where the moulders of minds (i.e. for one reason or the other, when university education was educators) are the nuclei for the viability and effectiveness no longer free and private education was returned, to deny of the public school system, their inputs and support are The views and opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are that this direct cost to students was not felt is to ignore the needed. Their importance cannot be ignored or taken for economic of most, notwithstanding the felt granted. According to Minister of Finance Winstonand Jordan, thosereality of the authors and doimportance not necessarily reflect the policies to make the needed sacrifice to have the service. Bottom line the withdrawal of VAT on education services would see govis, education, it private or public, should not be ernmentYork lose $342Edition million. However, there Guyana is no doubt that views ofbe the management ofprohibithe New of the tive. This also suggests that providers of this service, be they government is convinced that the price for ignorance and not-for-profit or for-profit, should seek not to be exploitative deprivation is qualitatively and quantifiably greater given Chronicle. and or create a new class where only the wealthy can access. the consequences to citizens and the nation’s development.

Disclaimer:

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

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Barack The Successful: robertsconsulting@gmx.com * (347) 279-6668

Don’t Touch My President!

J

ust before President Barack Obama left office, and in response to the torrent of criticisms, racist memes, and the spinelessness of his fellow Democrats, the Mighty Sparrow sang a calypso in defense of Obama saying: “Don’t touch my President.” As the 44th President of the United States enjoys life after the presidency, the Republicans and their myopic supporters can’t seem to get him out off their collective craws. He’s being blamed for just about everything an incompetent Congress and Executive Branch keep messing up as they bumble their way about. Leading this antiObama charge is President Donald Trump, and his gutless minions, their obsession with the former President, who has ignored him, only drives the mercurial sitting President to literally go nuts.

Trump’s photo-opportunity Executive Orders overturning many of President Obama’s work is just one example of the infantile attitude of a man monumentally insecure, needing a daily dose of ego massage, blind allegiance, and an addiction to nit-picking on Twitter for every childish thing and real or perceived slight. And too, I’m tired of the unrelenting, sustained, and illogical attacks against “my President.” So, I’ve decided to set the records straight and embark on an admittedly losing task of trying to inform and educate those whose intellect and ability precludes them from reason, to be objective, or to just face the unvarnished facts, is as illusive as a ‘Dodo Bird.’

To my Republican friends and sympathizers I’ll say this: Not because you support the Good Ole Party (GOP) means that you should embrace blind fanaticism and the spurious, often racist “party line.” And especially to my Black Republican friends, I know its sexy to say “I’m a Republican” in a party that has no room for you at its table, and has relegated you to “hewers of wood and bringers of water,” might sound nice in Black company but you’re only fooling yourself.

So sit back, grab a cold one, and listenup. This is about my defense of President Barack Obama and a lesson in reason and objectivity.

FACT ONE: When Obama won the Presidency in 2008 I worried about his experience or lack thereof and the fact that seasoned Republicans may “eat him alive.” And yes, he entered office a little naïve. From the get go Republicans never gave him a chance.

Turtle-faced Mitch McConnell, the unprincipled and opportunistic leader of the Senate, publicly stated that his mission in life was to make Obama a oneterm President. Mission Impossible!

Obama, a good and decent man, took years to finally call Republican’s polit-

ical bluff. In the process of trying to appease and find common ground with a group of people who hated his guts, he almost did irreparable damage to Social Security and Medicare — two of the very programs that a vast majority of White, Republican supporters depend on every day to get by.

FACT TWO: From any HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE — love him or hate him — Barack Hussein Obama CANNOT be ignored. That too is what gets under Republicans thin skins. And, Oh yes, he’s going to go down in history as one of America’s most successful presidents. True, his health care reform was and is imperfect, flawed and in need of work. But he accomplished what United States Presi-

dents tried and failed to do for over 60 years. And like EVERY major United States social issue reform, the imperfect bill needs bipartisan support and common sense collaboration to make it work. But Republican’s can’t stand the fact that it was the nation’s first BLACK President who will be remembered in history as having passed healthcare reform. So? Repeal and Replace — even at the expense of it’s own base. But lo and behold! Obamacare is working better than anyone expected

and predicted!

FACT THREE: Obama faced unprecedented Republican obstructionism at every turn, as he tried to grow the American economy, devastated and plunged into chronic stress by an incompetent Republican Administration. But Obama was able to keep the country on an even keel and when he left office the economic situation was better. And because Republicans could not find ANYTHING to impinge his sterling character

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

(continued on page 20)

EMPHASIS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM

8

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

VICTORIANS GRATEFUL FOR NEW ROAD ...But speeding is now an issue

By Marinella Glasgow IT has been almost two months since the residents of Victoria Village have received a new road. The protest that was held in September coerced the relevant authorities into urgent action. Subsequently, after a visit from Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, contractors began the reconstruction of the road. Due to their work, the deplorable state of the road was redeemed to one that was smooth and well done.

Many villagers expressed their joy and gratitude to the members of the government.

One villager Ms. Wilson joyfully said: “I am so happy that we have not been forgotten. We were frustrated but I’m very happy that our cries met the relevant authorities and so today we have a new, smooth road. Plus we road lookin official with reflectors and nice paint an suh.”

One taxi driver, Mr. Jefferally, stated, “As taxi men, I’m sure that we appreciate the actions that were taken.

Now we don’t have to spend a whole set of money on repairing our cars and tires.

I’m just happy that they re-

membered us. It was about time they did it.”

Many other workers and even school children showcased their happiness by expressing how they can go to school on time and don’t have to be wet by the passing cars when the rain fell.

SIDE EFFECTS On the contrary, a few villagers, despite being pleased about the new development are displeased with the way some villagers especially the motorists use their blessing.

One villager stated, “They quarrelling that the road ain’t doing but when they get it they going on like they ain’t know about nothing. They quarrelling about too much humps but if we didn’t get the humps a stranger would think this village is a race track. Imagine this is the main road and they blazing down. They ain’t even looking for the children that might run out from the streets.”

Another villager alluded that the misuse of the road has even caused an accident.

“The other day, one of them knock down the little child.

He was speeding down the road and knock down the

Morivian Street being worked on little child on he bike. The thing about it is that de child went in de corner.”

It has been reported that the child is still recovering from broken legs and severe injuries.

Despite the appreciation for the new road, some villagers still need to be cognizant of the way they use the road and be aware of the other users of the road. Nevertheless, villagers praise the authorities for a well-done road and promise to do their best to take care of it.

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9

PIONEERING TECHNIQUE SAVES JAMAICAN FARMER'S LIFE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS Health City Cayman Islands debuts lung machine to treat complications associated with leptospirosis CAYMAN ISLANDS (November 27, 2017) - A Jamaican farmer who had a life-threatening case of leptospirosis is thankful for healing, following a pioneering intervention by doctors at Health City Cayman Islands.

Clester Christie came to Grand Cayman for work but fell seriously ill a few days after his arrival. Fortunately for the 31-year old, Dr. Nelson Iheonunekwu, an Internal Medicine and Nephrology Specialist at the Health Services Authority (HSA), recognized Christie's vitals were falling fast and quickly referred him to the East End, Grand Cayman facility.

At Health City, doctors confirmed the HSA's diagnosis that Christie was suffering from a complication of the zoonotic bacterial infection Leptospirosis, called Leptospirosis Pulmonary Hemorrhagic Syndrome, which is a rare bacterial disease that forms blood clots in the lungs of the afflicted.

Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Senior Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at Health City, accepted the emergency case from Dr. Iheonunekwu.

"He came here [and at] that time he was in a very critical stage. I would say his oxygen level, his saturation level was in the

Intensive Care, further explained that the venovenous ECMO support gives the lungs a rest.

"When the lungs [have] failed to do what [they are] supposed to do, we can rest the lungs by bringing the blood out from the body into the [machine and wash] out the carbon dioxide, [add] more oxygen to it and [bring] it back into the heart. So, this machine [helps] the lungs start to function normally," he said.

Dr. Chattuparambil said their bronchoscopy examination revealed that "both lungs were packed with blood clots, both sides ... the lung ... was ...choked - so no blood was going inside."

With this new information, Dr. Dhruva, as patients call him, performed several complicated bronchoscopies to remove multiple blood clots.

"He had a lot of clots in his lungs so we had to clear them all ... at the same time we don't want fresh bleeding to happen. He slowly improved ... but again he started deteriorating when we tried taking this ma-

seen such a severe form of leptospirosis."

Dr. Patil also noted that the mortality rate for patients in Christie's condition is "extremely high, I would say as high as 70 percent ... despite all support and if you don't have a facility to do multi-organ support, I would say he had no chance to survive."

Grateful for the care received at Health City, Christie, a father of two young children, said: "If I never came here, I would have died. If I was in Jamaica, I would have died ... they don't have the same equipment like they do [at] Health City to help me."

The HSA's Dr. Iheonunekwu was deeply moved when he saw his former patient after his recovery: "I was amazed. In fact some of the nurses in critical care who were taking care of him, who knew how gravely sick he was, were in tears when he actually came to pay us a visit ... so we were really, really moved and we were very grateful to God that he made it. It was a very amazing story. If only people knew what Health City does, they would appreciate what was done for him. Any other place - if it was in areas where ECMO was

Jamaican patient Clester Christie. not available - he would have died ... there is no doubt about that."

Dr. Binoy, as he is commonly known, noted the severity of Christie's condition when he arrived at Health City. "We knew that if we didn't extend help, he was going to die," he said, adding that the facility got its reward in seeing Christie reunited with his wife and children.

For further information, visit www.healthcitycaymanislands.com.

— WANTED — ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle, Inc.) is looking for motivated sales representatives to join our team, selling print and online advertising to an established account list.

From left: Dr. Dhruva Kumar Krishnan, Health City Cayman Islands Senior Consultant in Cardiac Anesthesiology and Intensive Care; Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Health City Cayman Islands Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Senior Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon; and Dr. Nelson Iheonunekwu, Internal Medicine and Nephrology Specialist at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA)

50s, so if he stayed like that a few more hours he would have arrested ... within half an hour we took him to the operating room," Dr. Chattuparambil said.

The Health City team hooked Christie up to an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine via the venovenous route to support his lungs, marking the first time Health City doctors had used ECMO in this manner. For previous patients, ECMO had been used to support both the heart and lungs.

Dr. Dhruva Kumar Krishnan, Senior Consultant in Cardiac Anesthesiology and

chine off after a couple of days ... we had to do repeated bronchoscopy procedures to remove the remaining clots ... before he could get better," Dr. Dhruva explained.

Seeing the patient on the road to recovery was doubly rewarding for the doctors who treated him. "We are very happy for this man, who is doing well now," said Dr. Dhruva.

Dr. Mahantesh Patil, Medical Intensivist at Health City, said: "Mr. Clester, I would say he is very lucky to [have been] on the island at the right time ... in my last 15 years of clinical experience I have not

The New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle is a weekly newspaper, carrying news, views and comments from the Diaspora, Guyana and the Caribbean. It is circulated every Friday in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, as well as on our webpage (www.guyanachronicle.com).

Do you have experience meeting and exceeding sales goals, anticipating challenges and continually seeking new customers. If you are goal-driven, we want to talk to you.

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10

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

THE SPIRITUAL BLANKET "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." — Jude 20-21 t the funeral of a dear friend three weeks ago, the comfort. An electric blanket is designed to induce coziness on a cold wintry night. homily was focused on the importance of prayer. A fire blanket is a large blanket-like piece My understanding of the Anglican pastor's message of fire-resistant material to protect one was that he was reminding us of the importance of prayer from impending disaster. A space blanket is a plastic insulating body wrapping to to continually communicate with God on every aspect of protect climbers and mountaineers, for our lives and to stay at the center of God’s love on our example, from exposure or exhaustion. A journey to eternal life. He was speaking to a mixed audi- wet blanket is used to describe a person who discourages enjoyment or enthusience and certainly for me his message had an unusual asm. A spiritual blanket contrasts with a positive impact and was very well received. wet blanket in that it is a virtual creation In particular, he stated that when we pray to God, foremost in our minds should be "Your will be done" and described this as the purpose of prayer. He added that anyone who is not on this wavelength, now is the time to change the channel. This was a reminder to us that we are to pray for God’s plan in our lives and the world rather than to become too obsessed with our own plans.

As in any good communication process we need an efficient feedback loop. We must pray, yes, but we must also listen to what God is saying to us to condition our minds to facilitate the all-embracing effectiveness of "Your will be done".

This reminded me of a piece I had written in this series almost six years ago entitled "The Spiritual Blanket". Here is an extract from that column.

"In order for our leaders to avoid crisis and to move along a renewed path towards the creation of a Caribbean Empire, I suggest that they should position themselves to become spiritually attuned, seek refuge on a spiritual blanket and receive the whispers from God. "There are several different types of blankets. A security blanket is carried by a child to reduce anxiety and to increase

A

Dr. Basil Springer’s Column

which exudes a tranquil, serene and idyllic environment and allows one who is spiritually attuned to receive the whispers from God ,who has overcome the world and brings peace to all mankind. What a wonderful gift, how many of us are tuned in?"

Let us continue to communicate with God through prayer and nestle in the comfort of our spiritual blanket to listen to His whispers. This feedback conditions our mind and helps us with the ups and downs of life.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Consultant. His address is basilgf57 email @gmail.com. His columns may be found at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com and on www.facebook .com/basilgf)

MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE GAINS ARTS DEGREE PROGRAM (Brooklyn, N.Y., November 28, 2017) — Medgar Evers College won approval from Governor Andrew Cuomo this month to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree.

The first arts degree program ever offered by the College will explore the evolving relationship between media, the arts, and technology.

The College can now help prepare students for careers as artistic directors, film and video directors, post production editors, digital set designers and more.

“This will give our students interested in fields where media and technology connect a competitive edge in a global market,” said Rudolph F. Crew, the president of the College.

Medgar Evers College is a senior college of the City University of New York located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Brooklyn has undergone its own cultural and economic renaissance in recent years.

“The BFA is a major milestone for the College,” said Senior Vice President & Provost Augustine Okereke. “It will give our students a rich integrative curricula and strong experiential learning to be applied toward existing and emerging fields in the arts,” Students in the BFA Program will be able to take advantage of learning opportunities through the College’s affiliations with such institutions as Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

11

Ease The Tension — Enjoy A Laugh Ingredients: 1 ⁄2 cup diced pumpkin 1 ⁄2 cup chopped bora 1 ⁄2 cup shredded cabbage 1 cup cooked macaroni 1 lb. grated cheese salt, pepper 1 ⁄2 oz. margarine 1 ⁄2 oz. flour 1 ⁄4 pint milk 2 tomatoes 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced Method: 1. Cook vegetables separately by the conservative method. Put all together with macaroni in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Keep hot.

2. Make a white sauce with margarine, flour and milk blended together and cook for about 5 minutes.

and macaroni with half of the cheese. Turn into a greased pyrex dish.Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. If possible, cook under a grill for about three minutes or bake in a hot oven.

VEGETABLE AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

4. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and eggs

3. Add sauce to vegetables

THE BUMBLING IDIOT A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the Branch and wrote this: “Put all your muny in this bag.”

While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller’s window.

So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to the Wells Fargo Bank.

After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller.

She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn’t the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip, and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America.

Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, “OK” and left. He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America.

IT’S A FACT

by JAMES SYDNEY

FAIRMAIDS OF THE CARIBBEAN I

leave off her combing, splash into the koker water and head toward the river.

t is not surprising that in the Caribbean there are versions of the legendary mermaid — with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish. Such legends are found all over the world.

A pretty young woman in search of a mate is a powerfully tantalizing prospect for many men. Such a woman excites enough curiosity to make the world of the unknown and the probably hidden dangers of establishing a relationship with her seem worthy of exploration. Some mermaids of men’s imagination sing sweetly to lure men into their arms; some even take men to live in their underwater homes. Some are tender, others are deadly.

In the Caribbean, a mermaid is known as a fairmaid. Men who claim to have made contact with one are not easy to find these days. But those who claim to know about such matters say a fairmaid is generally shy. At night, she would sit by the koker for hours combing her long black hair in the moonlight.

The koker, in Guyana the sluice gate which controls the movement of channeled water towards and away from the land, is a favorite meeting place for many people of the village.

The fairmaid would sit there alone, when hardly anyone else is around, with her face toward the water and her back towards the world.

The most that anybody could see of the fairmaid would be her profile.

Try to see more and she would abruptly

FAIRMAIDS

The shy Guyanese fairmaid does however take a “walk” sometimes. It is not clear how she does this with only a tail where there should be legs. Those who report on an encounter seem to have been so fixated by trying to get a proper view of a beautiful face, that they forgot to check.

The young men would at first think she was a new girl in the village. They would approach the fairmaid, “fall in step” with her, and try to strike up a conversation. Coyly, she would not answer.

If a young man were now to conclude that her silence was an indication that she was going to be compliant and try to get closer, the fairmaid might have a better-than-kungfu response in readiness for him. She might swiftly

PATIENTS IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him.

She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out. When the Head Nurse/Director became aware of Edna’s heroic act, she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, “Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you’re being discharged; since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of another patient, I have concluded that your act displays sound-mindedness.

The bad news is, Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him.

I am so sorry, but he’s dead.”

Edna replied, “He didn’t hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go

home?”

jump into the water, grab him by his heels and throw him off balance. That is if she didn’t much like him.

It appears however that often the fairmaid gets thrown off balance by some young man – she falls in love with him. Then she takes him down under the water.

Now, she may become very possessive. And although, they say, it is possible, with the use of white rum, drums and a number of other inducements to retrieve the hijacked lover from his underwater prison, if proper protocol is not observed and anything goes amiss, the next thing that happens is that the body of the young man is thrown up, neck broken.

Normally, however, the Guyanese fairmaid is not nasty. She is a quiet person, content to sit combing her hair in the peace of a moonlight night and would retreat at the slightest intrusion.

Not so the fairmaid of Tobago. She is a virago. Often she is seen bathing her baby in the water. Leave her alone.

For if she finds your presence unwelcome, the “fairy-maid” (as she is called

by Tobagonians) would drop her baby with a splash and come tearing after you to do you some kind of harm.

There would be only one thing to do now. Get beyond the nearest turn in the road – fast. The furious fairymaids of Tobago cannot round a turn in the road.

12 12

Guyana Chronicle Edition week ending December 1, 2017 Guyana Chronicle NewNew YorkYork Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

PNCR North American Region Biennial Conference T

he PNCR North America Region (NAR) elected a new executive board on Saturday 4th November, at its 5th Biennial Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference which was held from November 3rd – 5th 2017, was graced with the presence of Party Leader, President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger. Also attending the conference were General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection, Hon. Amna Ally and Ms. Jennifer Ferreira-Dugall, member of the Central

Executive of the PNCR and Immediate Past Secretary of NAR.

Delegates & observers from New York, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Canada and Guyana attended the two-day conference and in addition to electing new officers for the coming two years, made plans for strengthening the membership in the Diaspora and keeping the North American groups up-to-date with the future plans of the party.

The new executive elected to serve for the next two years are: Chairman — Errol J. Lewis Vice Chairman — George Maynard

Secretary — Beni Rahman Treasurer — Joycelyn Wilson CEC Representative — Morris Wilson Committee members: Dawn Simmons Valda Forsythe Trevor Waterman and Beryl James who was appointed Assistant Secretary.

Below is a picture of the new executive board with Guyana’s President and Party Leader, His Excellency David Granger, and General Secretary of the PNCR Hon. Amna Ally.

(from left) George Maynard, (Vice Chairman); Jennifer Ferreira-Dugall (member of the Central Executive (CEC) of the PNCR and Immediate Past Secretary of NAR); Hon. Amna Ally, PNCR General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection of Guyana; Joycelyn Wilson, Treasurer; His Excellency David Granger President of the Republic of Guyana; Beni Rahman, Secretary; Chairman Errol Lewis; Beryl James, Assistant Secretary; Trevor Waterman, Committee Member and Dawn Simmons, Committee Member.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

13

Top Cop was asked to enjoy his vacation leave Pres. Granger POLICE Commissioner Seelall Persaud was not sent on administrative leave, but instead asked to enjoy his vacation leave, says President David Granger.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday at State House, the President made it clear that “all we did was insisted that the leave due to Seelall Persaud be enjoyed rather than having it piecemeal.”

“We said, let him take his leave and at the end of that leave, we will decide how we go forward but right now, there is nothing abnormal or irregular about Mr Persaud going on leave. The leave is due to him; he is not being sent on administrative leave…he is enjoying vacation leave to which he is entitled,” the President continued.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, will continue acting in Persaud’s absence.

Last Friday, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan told Guyana Chronicle that Persaud was instructed to proceed on the continuation of his leave which ends in January, 2018.

The Top Cop was scheduled to resume duty on Friday, but Ramjattan instructed him to take the remaining 56 days of his leave. The Top Cop’s accumulated leave commenced in July last.

“He will be taking that [56 days leave] and coming out now sometime on the 18th January,” the Public Security Minister told the Guyana Chronicle.

In his letter to Persaud dated November 23, Ramjattan said, “I am advised to inform you that in the public interest, and to allow for continuing initiatives and innovations being pursued by the Guyana Police Force’s temporary administration to be completed before your resumption of duty, it is considered opinion of the Administration that you should be and you are hereby directed to proceed on special leave with effect from November 24, 2017 until further notice.”

Additionally, President Granger reminded that since taking office, his administration has made it clear that it was not in support of the past practice where public officers accumulated “huge amounts of leave” and then sometimes request payment in lieu of leave. “…in the case of the acting commissioner of police and in the

case of every other public servant, we said public servants must enjoy their leave when it is due,” the President stated, while noting that such move allows for the development of a “good career system where the subordinates are allowed to act.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Member and former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, believes that the government is up to something sinister. He told reporters that leave is requested while noting that when a person is sent on leave, it usually forms part of disciplinary action. “Even if you have annual leave and you did not request it and you are ordered to go on leave, it is something to be looked at,” said Rohee, who found the reasons for the Top Cop being sent on leave strange.

“The commissioner of police and the deputy are appointed by the President based on recommendations made to him. What he (President Granger) did was to use the Ministry of Public Security to execute what he should have been doing. We have to wait and see whether the substantial commissioner will react,” said the former Home Affairs Minister.

The recent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President Granger had recommended that Persaud be made to resign or proceedings should be initiated in accordance with Article 225 of the Constitution to have him removed from office for misbehaviour.

The CoI was conducted by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, and the report handed over to the President.

Among other things, the report stated that Persaud had improperly inserted himself into the investigation into the alleged plot, although he was on leave. At that time Ramnarine was acting in the capacity of police commissioner. He is the second most senior rank in the Force.

The Commission submitted that the Police Commissioner’s insertion of himself into the matter (investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate the President) “adversely influenced the conduct of the investigations.” Persaud, who is the country’s 31st Police Commissioner, is officially set to retire in April, 2018 and will complete 33 years as a member

of the Guyana Police Force then. He served most of the time in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) but also headed the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit (Drug Squad) for 10 years and served as the country’s lead detective (Crime Chief) for another seven years.

President David Granger

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan

Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud

14 XXIV

Guyana Chronicle New YorkChronicle Edition week endingNovember December26, 1, 2017 Pepperpot 2017

Oil and gas…

Something new with endless possibilities A simple look at oil-rich nations around the world would show that despite the possible negative impacts, a strong, well-managed oil and gas sector can transform the socio-economic landscape of a country. This is precisely why Guyanese, by and large, are optimistic for 2019/2020 when oil giant, Exxon Mobil will commence production of oil in Guyana; thereby realising a dream that is shared by generations of Guyanese. With a booming natural resources sector, it is incumbent on Government to ensure that tenets of transparency, good governance and accountability are steadfastly adhered to.

President David Granger is on record, committing his Government to the development of the sector in a manner would allow for all of Guyana’s people to benefit equally and in an environment of complete transparency and trust. Moreover, he assured of full involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Opposition, in the process.

a shroud of secrecy when it comes to its engagements with any company that is looking to invest in Guyana’s extractive industry or any industry for that matter. However, there is a number of extenuating and external issues, which must be addressed before certain information can be released. Failing to adhere to certain contractual clauses can have serious legal repercussions, a fact that is well-known in the legal fraternity and others who are au fait with certain contractual procedures.

“Some of them have foreign affairs implications, some of them have sovereignty implications, some have national security implications and Government has been advised by external advisors and lawyers that at this point in time, that we should not bare all. It is perhaps not palatable to everyone to accept that and sometimes advice is not always what you want to hear,” the Minister said.

He noted that while this legitimate constraint might be less than desirable, it is necessary for the Government to heed the advice of experts and abide by certain safeguards that have been out in place protect national interests. Minister Trotman assured that in due course, Cabinet will be able to remove this temporary injunction and make a full disclosure to the Guyanese public.

“There is nothing in there that could sink anyone or sink a Government. As a matter of fact, I have said that often times, it is really a continuation of a 1999 contract and it was tweaked in just a few places and so there is nothing to hide as such… We have been advised that at this juncture, as a country, we ought not to lay our contracts bare and one has to understand as well that there is a contract with ExxonMobil but there are a number of other contracts with other operators that this Government inherited and so it is not a matter of just releasing one contract,” he explained.

TRANSPARENCY During a meeting with top executives of Exxon Mobil, President Granger said that, “We are committed to the norm of transparency…so that we can move forward at a domestic level, not only in an atmosphere of transparency but trust so that all Guyana would see this not as a short-term bonanza; so that Guyanese will see this as a national industry… In this regard, we are walking step by step as the developments take place offshore, and the developments in terms of our legislations within Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr. David Patterson our regulatory framework in terms of the passage of information to various stakeholders in Guyana and the diaspora so that we can create an environment, which is stable and secure.”

Thus far, the Government has taken all the necessary steps to ensure that sector is propWHAT’S IN IT FOR US? erly managed. These efforts were recognised Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr. David by the international community and as a Patterson, in a special interview with Government result, Guyana’s application to the Extractive in Action, said that people in other parts of the Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for world are somewhat startled at the lack of enthucandidateship was approved. The country, siasm displayed by some sections of Guyanese sothrough the Ministry of Natural Resources, ciety over this major development. He explained has been working with the Inter-American that this is simply because citizens, particularly Development Bank, the World Bank and the those of a certain age, have been hearing about International Monetary Fund to develop a the country’s oil potential for years but nothing framework to ensure that this new industry is ever came of those talks until now. “We’ve never properly managed. experienced that before so to us it’s a myth. But Moreover, the Ministry has also been enit is coming, it’s proven and when something is gaged with the Commonwealth Secretariat to declared proven in this industry, it means that it’s craft a strong regulatory and legal architecture sure and it’s guaranteed… It’s like a pay cheque for the management of the oil and gas sector. at the end of the month if you are working,” he In this regard, Minister of Natural Resources, explained.

Mr. Raphael Trotman has tabled the PetroOne of the reasons Guyanese may not be leum Commission Bill of 2017, which is showing the level of interest one would expect currently being reviewed at the level of a Paris because many of them are not sure how they liamentary Select Committee. That Bill seeks stand to benefit from this new stream of revenue to provide for the establishment and functions that will begin flowing into the country. of the Petroleum Commission of Guyana and Making reference to the Local Content Law, ExxonMobil’s oil rig, the Deepwater Champion, in the Stabroek block, 120 miles for related matters.

Minister Patterson reminded that Guyanese are an offshore Guyana The provisions of that Bill, however, has equal partner in this new venture, which means come in for some criticism, particularly as it that the ancillary services required as production relates to the powers it proposes to confer on commences, must and will have an impact on the in the Bill.” the Minister. One particular provision of the Bill that has come local economy.

This means that Guyanese businesses must be More recently, there have been calls on the Government to under scrutiny is the Minister’s authority to select and appoint release details in relation to a US $20M signing bonus agree- given first preference, so for example, if there is a need for transboth members of the Petroleum Commission as well as the Pe- ment between the country and Exxon Mobil, as well as the full portation or catering services explained that local companies troleum Board. In this regard, Minister Trotman said that “we details of the contract. Supporting those calls, Dr. Mangal said will be the first option. are looking for objective criticisms and objective critiques as to that the people need to have confidence in their representative “You have to hire a Guyanese company. The only way you how to make this Bill better and so we are hoping to re-engage and this can only happen through transparency, which they can hire a foreign company is if there’s no Guyanese company the Commonwealth Secretariat later in November to sit again should demand. available. If you’re going to get food for your ships, the first and to do further work… We want a nationally accepted Bill.

Government remains committed to transparency and the na- call should be Guyanese companies. So, in every little facet of We have been listening to the comments and criticisms and I can tional interest and Minister Trotman clarified that the Adminisassure the Guyanese people that they are going to be changes tration of which he is a part, has no intention of operating under Turn to page XXV ►►► Turn to page 15

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

15 Chronicle Pepperpot November 26, 2017 XXV modate that we will obviously be promoting gridlock so that without people. Nothing will get done without appropriately ◄◄◄ Frompage page 14 XXIV From is something that we are looking at,” Minister Patterson said.

Additionally, the Government has long spoken about linking the hinterland to the coast and with oil revenues coming on stream this initiative has become more possible than ever before.

In terms of job creation, Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal explained that Guyana is basically starting at ground zero as it relates to developing an oil and gas sector and, therefore, at this stage,

qualified people,” he said. Nevertheless, Dr. Mangal reminded that quite apart from the areas requiring a high-level of technical expertise, a wide variety of other jobs will open up for Guyanese as an offshoot of the development of the oil and gas sector and as such citizens must hone their skills in preparation for those opportunities that will be made available as the date draws close to actual production.

To this end, Minister Patterson informed that his Ministry has embarked on a process of training and retraining civil, structural engineers and other technical officers for when oil and gas come on stream. They have been attending various seminars and granted scholarship programmes. He explained, however, that with any technical experts that may be brought into the country, there will have to be a system in place to allow for technology transfer.

“This means if you come, you must Speaking of infrastructure, Minister partner with a local agency so that in a very Patterson informed that with oil reveshort time our locals have all the capacity nue, one of the areas that will receive needed to service the oil and gas industry. urgent attention is the country’s power Over time, I think we will be there, we supply system. have three years to prepare for before first He explained that the use of natural oil production and we’re going to use that gasses to power generators on the coast beneficially,” he said. will be much more cost-effective than This Minister also issued a call to the harnessing hydropower and as such, private sector to also develop their capacthe Government will be moving in this ities so that they will be a position to seize direction to explore its options. Addiopportunities that the new sector will bring. tionally, road networks and bridges are “You could have started your career as a on the cards. lawyer and you can do a training course to “If you live on the East Bank or if become a lawyer that could serve in the oil you live over on the West Coast, you and gas industry. The same with the engiwould know that traversing there in neers, you don’t have to start all over again the mornings is an act of patience and to become an engineer that could work in sometimes frustration and there are the oil and gas sector. So what the private just so many cars on the road and our sector has to do is to see which market that network is just simply stretched to the President David Granger, Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman and Minister of State, they would tap into and train their workers limit… If one bridge in the City goes and invest in their people. We have some Mr. Joseph Harmon on board ExxonMobil’s oil drilling ship, the Deepwater Champion in 2015 down or there is an accident, it backs up of the brightest youths and the best in the traffic in the entire city. So obviously Caribbean. The Government cannot do it we have to improve our infrastructure all but jointly, we can overcome all of the and do it quickly. It is anticipated within the next three to five hurdles we have at this moment,” the Minister said. years, the amount of persons and the amount of commerce that capacity-building across all sectors is key.

Next week, we will continue our discussions on this im“The most important resource is not the oil resource; it’s portant sector by examining its prospects and risks in so far will be operating in Guyana will be increased by three or four fold and if we don’t have the infrastructure in place to accom- the human resource, the human capacity. Nothing will get done as it relates to a green development trajectory. our lives, there’s going to a change. We have to prepare for it…

Take food for example, while the Local Content Law may direct you to a local food producer, international regulations dictate that companies must be certified. So not because you’re local it will guarantee you the job unless you’re certified,” Minister Patterson explained.

In this regard, Minister Patterson is urging citizens to make all the necessary preparations by mid2019, at which time several vessels will be offshore Guyana and work will commence in full swing. Moreover, he reminded that with an unprecedented increase in revenue, the Government will be able to much more for citizens in terms of investment in healthcare, social services, education and infrastructure.

From left: Exxon Mobil’s Country Manager, Mr. Rod Henson, President David Granger, Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil, Mr. Darren Woods, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge and Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman during a meeting in August this year

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

Harmon interacts with Barticians

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

INISTER of State Joseph Harmon, accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, on Saturday conducted a walkabout in the streets of Bartica and the Bartica Municipal Market.

The aim of the exercise was to hear from residents and listen to their concerns and suggestions for the betterment of the community and Guyana as a whole.

Minister Harmon walked the First Avenue of Bartica and through the market, individually greeting individually every vendor and resident he saw.

Many of them were surprised but pleased to see Minister Harmon in the town, as he turned up unannounced.

During his interactions with the residents, Minister Harmon said the Government is serious about making Bartica the first ‘green’ town in the country and the Caribbean region.

He noted that already, changes are being seen and felt in the town and there is more to come.

The minister of state further noted, that the Government remains committed to providing a ‘good’ life for all Guyanese and will continue to work to ensure that economic, social, security and other issues are addressed to make this vision a reality.

Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall and Deputy Mayor, Kamal Persaud also accompanied the ministers on the walkabout. (Ministry of the Presidency) Minister of State, Joseph Harmon interacts with a vendor at the Bartica Municipal Market (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon interacts with a vendor at the Bartica Municipal Market

Minister of State Joseph Harmon examines a beverage at the Bartica Municipal Market as junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Brooomes and others look on.

Canadian killed in Lethem crash An 87-year-old Canadian succumbed on Sunday morning after the motor pickup PKK6060 he was travelling in crashed into a creek in Lethem, while crossing a bridge there.

Dead is Brandis Kennedy. The driver of the vehicle Anthony Pillew, 32, of Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara suffered injuries and has been admitted at the Lethem Regional Hospital.

Investigation revealed The vehicle that crashed that the vehicle was pro- into the creek while atceeding east along the trail tempting to cross the and was crossing the Manari Manari Bridge Bridge when the driver lost control and ended up about Lethem Hospital. Kennedy was pronounced dead on 30 feet below.

Both men were re- arrival and his body is at moved from the vehicle by17) the hospital's mortuary (continued on page passersby and taken to the awaiting a post-mortem.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

17 3

US$20M to upgrade housing schemes

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 29, 2017

…250 core houses, 200 single units to be built

By Svetlana Marshall IN 2018 the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will invest US$20M to develop infrastructure in several housing schemes while another US$10M has been set aside to build 250 core houses as it seeks to meet the needs of the poor and working class.

Citizens are also expected to benefit

Saul explained as he addressed reporters at CH&PA’s headquarters.

It was pointed out that in the Sophia-Cummings Lodge Area, 17 kilometres of road will be upgraded to asphaltic concrete. Infrastructural development is part of the second component of the CH&PA plan of action for 2018. In the second component, the CEO disclosed that a total of 250 core houses will be constructed in the housing schemes that span Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara to Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and La Partfaite Harmonie in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). From that lot, 100 families from the Sophia-Cummings Lodge Community are in line to receive core houses.

“Each of these units cost approximately $4M, and those houses basically will be given free to deserving residents. Of course, there will be criteria that must be met,” Saul posited.

It was made clear, however, that though these core houses are intended

One of the single-flat duplexes that were built earlier this year. for the poor and working class, they will not be given to squatters. “Those who are squatting in Sophia would not benefit from core houses… here we are speaking about people who are living on regula-

CH&PA CEO Lelon Saul from millions of dollars in home-improvement subsidies. CH&PA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lelon Saul made the disclosure on Tuesday while detailing how the housing authority would utilise the US$30M loan that it is expected to receive from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The US$30M is expected to complement the $1.6B CH&PA currently has in its coffers. “The larger portion of that loan would go towards infrastructure development and this will result in infrastructure improvement in several CH&PA schemes that are located between Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara, then along the East Bank to Golden Grove and across the river to Parfaite Harmonie,”

Infrastructural development: construction of roads in progress at Perseverance, East Bank of Demerara

Three-bedroom houses that were under construction in September at Perseverance, East Bank of Demerara (File photo from September 2017)

rised lots, and those people who have legitimate house lots, but they are living in shacks. Those are the people who would benefit from the intervention,” the CEO further explained.

Also under the second component, the CH&PA will be disbursing millions of dollars in home-improvement subsidies.

Though Saul was unable to disclose the total number of subsidies that would be handed out in 2018, in the medium term, close to 2,000 persons would benefit from these subsidies. The criteria and guidelines for these subsidies will be published in the local newspapers. In 2018, CH&PA’s focus would also be on the construction of single units. The CEO explained that data coming out of a recently concluded survey, has shown a strong preference by applicants for single

units when compared to duplexes and condominiums.

“The preference is for single units. Of course, we would want our work here at CH&PA and our plans to be driven by data, it should be evidence-based. The preference for duplex, the preference for condominiums is very low among applicants,” the CEO explained.

As such, in an effort to meet the demands of the people, CH&PA is hoping to complete an additional 100 single units at Perseverance on the East Bank of Demerara in 2018. In Linden, Region 10, approximately 40 single units will be constructed while 20 will be erected on the West Coast of Berbice, 10 in Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast and 20 in Onderneeming on the West Bank of Demerara. Currently, 80 units are available in Perseverance and interested citizens are invited to apply, Saul said.

In addition to the US$30M, 164 full house-replacement subsidies and 38 roof replacement subsidies are anticipated to be disbursed under the Hinterland Sustainable Housing Programme which has been allocated $240M in 2018.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, in presenting the $267.1B National Budget for 2018, told the National Assembly that though faced with several challenges, CH&PA formulated and made available a number of housing solutions such as single houses, duplexes, and condominiums to the public. For 2017 CHPA piloted 6 duplexes, 2 elevated single-family houses; issued 2,116 land titles; regularised 322 squatters; and allotted 381 house lots.

With one month left before 2017 comes to an end, the housing authority is hoping to distribute in excess of 400 house lots that are currently available. However, preference is being given to applicants whose applications have been in the system since in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Currently, there are approximately 50, 000 applications in the system.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

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Emphasis on Real Estate, Taxes and Business The Edgar Henry Column

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ost of us have a tendency to think that owning a second home is only for affluent people. People should erase this from their minds and start thinking in a more positive progressive and focused manner.

Did you know that more than nine million dwellings in the United States are second or third homes, accounting for about six percent of residential sales?

Three-quarters are considered vacation homes and the rest are investment properties according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors.

It is not necessary to have a large amount of cash on hand to buy a vacation house. You can use the equity in your primary residence to help pay for a second or third home. You must explain in detail to your lender what you are planning. Outline your acquisition objective and direct the lender either to a primary residence or investment purchase.

In addition you might also want to consult with a tax consultant, to steer you in the right direction.

DIFFERENT ANGLES There are several angles and approaches towards acquisition. You need to see how much equity you have in your existing home and what are the benefits of pulling out equity in your existing home versus borrowing. This is all about using the principle of OPM (Other People’s Money), and the cheapest cost of borrowing.

It's not easy to identify the cheapest cost of borrowing, and that explains why

communication is of paramount importance. It is imperative that the lender knows which house will be your primary residence and which will be secondary.

In most cases, you will find that the interest rate on an owner-occupied home will be lower than a non owner-occupied

Indeed it is the objective of every homeowner to build equity in his or her primary residence. Regardless, equity is equity. So if you have a lot of equity in your primary residence and you want to buy a vacation home, it might make sense to refinance the mortgage on the primary home for more than the current loan balance.

house. For example, with today's low interest rates, it means you might be able to get a loan for say five percent on your primary residence and have to pay 5.875 percent on the loan for the second home.

To real estate professionals this is con-

Should you use home equity to buy a second home? sidered a normal and accepted principle.

If we look at this closely, this principle gives you more motivation to get as large of a loan as possible on your primary residence because it is the cheapest cost of borrowed money.

EQUITY Indeed it is the objective of every homeowner to build equity in his or her primary residence. Regardless, equity is equity. So if you have a lot of equity in your primary residence and you want to buy a vacation home, it might make sense to refinance the mortgage on the primary home for more than the current loan balance. In real estate parlance this is called a "cash-out refinance" because you borrow more than the current balance, pay off the current loan and get the remainder in cash. You can use the cash extracted from your primary home's equity to make a down payment on your second home, or even to buy it outright, depending on the available equity.

For some homeowners, the cheapest cost of borrowing isn't only about borrowing as much as possible at the lowest interest rate. It's also about taking advantage of tax deductibility.

Here is a perfect example. Here is a newly-married couple where both spouses come into the marriage owning their own separate homes. They may choose to keep both houses — rent them out — and buy a third house as their primary residence to live and start a new life as husband and wife.

TAX DEDUCTION PROBLEMS However, the problem this couple will run into is that a third home is not tax deductible. Why? This is now considered as an investment property. In fact, in the above example, the spouses' original two homes are transformed into investment properties, which mean that the owners must contact their lenders to let them know that the use of the property has changed. That lender would make the judgment call whether they may have to change the documentation surrounding their loan or refinance it for taxation purposes.

If the owners must refinance, they move into a somewhat complex territory.

They want to maximize the size of the mortgage on their primary residence to take advantage of a lower rate and tax deductibility, while refinancing the loans on the other two houses. This can require delicate timing, to ensure that they qualify for all the loans.

THE CASH-OUT REFINANCE SHUFFLE There is also the sensitive matter of staying within the tax law, by simply engaging in creative timing. In some cases, it might be possible to do a cash-out refinance while the house is still considered the primary residence, wait a year, and then rent out the home, without having to refinance again at a higher investment-property rate.

A WORD OF CAUTION Not every lender will accept the above scenarios. At the time of the original application, you must be as honest as possible with the loan officer in terms of exactly how the property will be used, failing which you may be sadly disillusioned in the event of an audit examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

Different lenders have different criteria and some are restrictive or prohibitive of you rent a house that was originally intended to be a primary residence.

A cash-out refinance is not the only way to extract equity to buy a second house. You also can use money from a home equity loan or equity line of credit.

Rates on lines of credit usually are below rates on fixed-rate mortgages. The downside is that the rate on the line of credit is tied to the prime rate and can fluctuate depending on the market trend.

“It is always better to have information and not need it than to need it and not have it”

To have all your real estate questions answered — FREE CONSULTATION — call: Edgar Henry @ (718) 930-9526

Guyana Chronicle New New York York Edition weekWeek-ending ending December 1, 2017 Guyana Chronicle Edition December 1, 2017

19 19

Happy Birthday Barbados (from page 5)

laborer’s could stay in their cottages and keep small parcels of land to grow crops.

However, these were only rented to them in return for either payment or work. They worked the land of the plantation owner in return for a salary, which was typically 20% to 30% lower than market wages.

Within 60 years after the abolition of slavery, many Barbadians left to seek fortunes overseas, particularly in Panama. By 1909, about 20,000 Barbadian men had immigrated to Panama to work on the building of the Panama Canal. They sent substantial sums of money back home and some returned with substantial savings.

In the 1800s, Barbados was the main Government for the British colonies of the Windward Islands, with the Governor of Barbados being the Colonial head. Barbados later withdrew from the Windward Island union in 1885, leaving Grenada as the Colonial head. The union was later dissolved.

After Barbados left the union, it examined the possibility of Tobago joining its political union; but attempts proved futile. Tobago was awarded to Trinidad by the British Government.

In 1645, the island was divided into the present 11 parishes with each parish having two (2) representatives in the House of Assembly. During 1652, Col. Thomas Modyford was elected as the first Speaker of the House of Assembly. After this, two Houses of Parliament sat separately as the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly.

Eventually the meetings of the Councils were held for several years at the official residence of the Governor.

POLITICAL AND LABOUR GROUPS The beginning of the twentieth century saw the emergence of political and labour groups in Barbados. In 1919, the Barbados Labour Union (BLU) was formed. The same year, the Barbados Herald, a weekly newspaper, representing the African working class, was launched by Clement Inniss. In October 1924, Dr. Charles Duncan O'Neale, medical doctor and Fabian socialist, founded the Democratic League (DL).

The DL fought for franchise reform, end of child labour, old age pension, compulsory education, organisation of trade unions and unemployment insurance.

In view of the failure to secure representation in a number of disputes, O’Neale then formed the Workingmen's Association. The object of the Association was to promote the cause of organised labour and generally to improve the living and working conditions of the less privileged section of the community In 1937, the Workingmen’s Association led a country-wide strike for higher wages.

Although it was put down, the people were not to be stopped.

On 31 March, 1938, the Barbados Progressive League (BPL, which became the Barbados Labour Party in 1944) was founded at the home of James Martineau. At its first meeting, Chrissie Brathwaite and Grantley Adams were elected Chairman and ViceChairman respectively. The objectives of the party included adult suffrage, right of wo men to vote, free education and better housing and health care.

SIR GRANTLEY ADAMS Sir Grantley Adams is, arguably, Barbados’s first great politician. He was born on

23 April 1898 at Colliston, Briton Hill, St. Michael, Barbados, the 3rd of seven children of Fitzherbert Adams and Rosa Frances Turney.

After studying law in England, he returned to Barbados in 1925 and in 1929 married Grace Thorne. The union produced 1 child, Tom, who was also a Barbados scholar, a lawyer and was elected second Prime Minister of Barbados.

In 1938, he was elected to the House of Assembly for St. Joseph and was returned in the following two elections. In 1940, the BPL won five seats in the House of Assembly. The following year, The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) was formed and Adams was its President until 1954.

When adult suffrage was introduced in 1951, the BLP, which had been renamed Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won the elections.

His party dominated political life in Barbados until 1961, when it was defeated by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), a group which had split from the BLP in 1955. Its leader was Errol Barrow.

RT. HONOURABLE ERROL BARROW Errol Walton “Dipper” Barrow was born in Nesfield, St. Lucy, Barbados, on 21 January, 1920. His father was Rev. Reginald Grant Barrow, an Anglican priest, who was removed from his posting on St. Croix for his controversial sermons against racism and social stratification. His mother was the late Ruth Barrow (née O'Neal), sister of Dr. Charles Duncan O'Neal, founder of the DL. His sister, Dame Nita Ruth Barrow, served as Governor-General of Barbados from 6 June, 1990 until her death on 19 December,1995.

When Dipper returned to Barbados in 1951, he was elected to the legislature for St. George as a member of the BLP. However, he left that party and helped form the DLP on 27th April, 1955, at “Glenhurst”, Lands’ End, St. Michael, Barbados. In 1959, Barrow became chairman.

Barbados was granted full internal selfgovernment in 1961 and Barrow’s DLP won the elections that ye.ar. He became Premier.

When the country became an Independent nation 30 November, 1966, he became its Prime Minister. The country remained within the British Commonwealth with the Queen as nominal Head of State. It joined the United Nations the following year.

DOMESTIC POLICY As Prime Minister, he put forward ambitious development programs for the island, diversifying an economy whose mainstays were sugar cane and tourism. He was also a vigorous supporter of Pan-Caribbean movements, advocating that Barbados look toward neighbours in the hemisphere rather than toward Europe.

In May 1972, Barbados formed its own Central Bank, breaking off from the East Caribbean Currency Authority (ECCA). By 1975 the Barbadian dollar was changed to a new fixed / constant rate of exchange with the US dollar. It was changed to present day US$1 = BDS$1.98 (BDS$1.00 = ~US$0.50).

Within Barbados’ African hierarchy, Errol Barrow was an aristocrat. However, this did not make him aloof from the grass roots. He was a man of the people. However, as an aristocrat, he believed in achieving independence by evolution, not revolution.

As I see it, Barrow chose the path of evolution rather than revolution, even though he knew it would be a far more gradual

The late Rt. Hon. ERROL BARROW

process than many wished it to be. And he made that path attractive by paving it with education and making it smoother to travel on. Across the Atlantic, in Africa, other leaders in newly independent countries chose differently.

FOREIGN RELATIONS Sir Grantley Adams had been Prime Minister of the short-lived West Indies Federation (3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962).

After Jamaica left the federation, Errol Barrow tried unsuccessfully to persuade Trinidad and Tobago’s Premier Eric Williams to remain with the other nine countries. The last session collapsed in April 1955. However, Barrow did not abandon his belief in regional unity and lobbied for the establishment of Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) as a means of encouraging regional economic activity. His dream was achieved with the advent of CARICOM

(Caribbean Community and Common Market). It comprises 15 Caribbean nations to promote economic integration among members.

Barrow also established relations with Cuba, as did Forbes Burnham and Michael Manley. He argued that he did not have to clear this with the United States or any other country.

At the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1966, he said, “We have devised the kind of foreign policy which is consistent with the current realities of international politics. We have no quarrels to pursue, and we particularly, insist that we do not regard any member state as our natural opponent. We shall not involve ourselves in sterile ideological wrangling, because, we are exponents, not of the diplomacy of power, but of the diplomacy of peace and prosperity. We are friends of all. Satellites of none.”

In 1968, Barbados sought admission to, and was admitted into, the Organization of American States (OAS).

Barrow was an ardent advocate of Caribbean sovereignty and an outspoken opponent of outside interference in the region’s affairs. As Opposition Leader, he opposed the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada. He also attacked Caribbean leaders — including Prime Minister Adams — who openly supported it or ignored it all together.

Errol Barrow also introduced National Insurance and Social Security schemes and improved health services in Barbados.

Barbados has been blessed with leaders of great vision. This will continue and the country will remain as great as it is.

HAPPY 51st BIRTHDAY BARBADOS.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

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Barack The Successful: Don’t Touch My President! (from page 7)

they resorted to very silly and idiotic attacks and name-calling, throwing red meat to a gullible, racist base. That continues unabated today.

FACT FOUR: Then there’s the silly Republican-led belittling of Obama by the folks on Fox News and other cable news stations. But Obama is pure Teflon —not tissue paper, with a wafer-thin ego like the present office holder —so today he’s laughing at the silly season. But consider the FACTS: 1. Obama took office during a Great Recession when the nation was hemorrhaging job loss at the rate of over 100,000 a day. 2. He inherited two wars started by his Republican predecessor.

3. He faced the worst housing meltdown and crisis in United States history and 4. A fractured, rudderless Congress and a Democratic Party without a clear path forward. For this young President the expectations beyond the novelty and symbolism of his presidency, the odds at success were slim to none. He’s confounded ALL of the pundits.

FACT FIVE: National security is supposed to be a Republican strong point. Not under President Obama.

From taking out Osama Bin Laden and crippling Al-Qaeda, sending the Taliban in Afghanistan into retreat, and ramping

up drone strikes (that I disagree with on principle) Obama was the quintessential national security hawk often taking the advice of the war-hawk Hillary Rodham Clinton. But his ill-thought out military adventure into Libya created the conditions for a failed state not in the throes of sectarian violence. Again, Obama did what George Bush could not do in two terms – eight years – locate and kill Obama Bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind.

FACT SIX: Yes, I thought that those who orchestrated the Great Recession because of corporate greed should have gone to jail. And too, I was dismayed that Obama did not fight for the single payer plan in his Affordable Care Act. But I also understood the limitations that he faced, that his was a Presidency alone — hated and bullied by the Republicans, the Democrats did very little to push his agenda, except Nancy Pelosi. Democrats also failed miserably to explain and educate the masses about the President’s signature healthcare plan, seeding the national narrative to Republicans, only too happy to confuse the issue.

I’ll just mention my thoughts on Obama ‘s economic record and policies that many Republicans, like President Trump, like to use against him today.

The simple fact is, that President

Obama's economic polices did help the staggering US economy and stabilized the volatile situation. However, the enormous economic and human damage that the Great Recession wrought, took place under his watch and so he gets to own that too. Again, while all this is so, the United States under Obama coped with the negative effects of the financial/economic and social crisis far better than most countries of the world facing relative and similar crises. Could he have done more? I believe so. But to say that he failed to turn around the economy and stabilize the THE 44th PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA United States is plain hogAnd when it comes to President wash and patently untrue.

Ronald Reagan, the Saint of the RepubWhen everything is taken into lican Party, for all his anti-government consideration, analyzed objectively, rhetoric, he left the core institutions of and partisan, subjective politics removed, there is absolutely no doubt that the New Deal and the Great Society inPresident Barack Obama was a suc- tact. So you can criticize President cessful President. No US President will Obama all you want and take partisan accomplish all that his supporters ex- snipes at him. I really could not give a pect of him. For example, President s**t. If your limited intellect allows you Franklyn Delano Roosevelt left behind to see the facts — not your jaundiced, an arguably reformed nation, but one in biased opinions that you’re still entitled which the wealthy retained more power to — then examine them and you’ll come away thinking, “Damn, this guy and privilege than ever. was good!”

Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' on court TV THE HAGUE — A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a U.N. war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in a hospital in the Hague after he was seen drinking from a flask or glass as a U.N. judge read out the ruling against him and five other suspects, state TV reported, citing unnamed sources.

The apparent courtroom suicide, which was broadcast on a video feed, came in the final minutes of the last judgment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which closes next month.

"I just drank poison," he said. "I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction."

After gulping down the drink, Praljak sat back down and slumped in his chair, a lawyer who was in the courtroom at the time said. U.N. court representatives and Dutch hospital officials declined to comment on his condition.

Croatian General Marinko Kresic, speaking earlier on Croatian TV, said he had spoken to the wife of another defen-

dant, Milivoje Petkovic, who was in The Hague.

"She confirmed that he drank the poison and that he is in a very grave health condition," he said.

Presiding Judge Carmel Agius suspended the hearings and paramedics raced to the courtroom, which was declared a crime scene by Dutch authorities.

As forensic investigation got underway, the courtroom was sealed off, and the public was instructed to leave.

"Don't take away the glass," Agius said, instructing the guards to lower blinds and block a glass-partition separating the court from the public.

In the chaotic moments that followed, guards and paramedics raced in and out of the courtroom. Ambulances were seen leaving the tribunal, but there was no official confirmation of Praljak's condition.

A reading of the judgment, which was also deciding on charges against five other suspects, resumed more than two hours after Praljak said he had poisoned himself.

"The Dutch authorities have already commenced an investigation into what happened this morning,” he said.

The incident upstaged the appeals ruling, which was important for Croatia,

where parliament was suspended so lawmakers could follow the reading of the verdict.

'NOT A WAR CRIMINAL' The court upheld convictions of Praljak and five other Bosnian Croats: Jadranko Prlic, the political leader of the Croatian province of Bosnia, along with military and police figures Bruno Stojic, Milivoj Petrovic, Valentin Coric and Berislav Pusic. Judges upheld findings that there was a criminal conspiracy that included the regime of neighboring Croatia under then-President Franjo Tudjman with the goal of "ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population" of parts of Bosnia to ensure Croatian domination.

The defendants on Wednesday received sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years. The decision cannot be appealed.

The chairman of Bosnia’s inter-ethnic presidency, Dragan Covic, a Croat, said: “He showed before the whole world what kind of sacrifice he is ready to make to prove that he is not a war criminal.”

The ICTY, established in 1993 by the U.N. Security Council, indicted 161 war crimes suspects from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Of the 83 convicted, more than 60 of them were ethnic Serbs.

General Slobodan Praljak — drinking the poison in court.

The court's lead suspect, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, died of a heart attack in March 2006 months before a ruling in his genocide case. Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic was found guilty of genocide by the U.N. war crimes tribunal last week and sentenced to life in prison for his role in massacres and ethnic cleansing during Bosnia's war.

Two defendants awaiting trial committed suicide by hanging themselves in their U.N. cells, according to court documents. Slavko Dogmanovic died in 1998 and Milan Babić was found dead in his locked cell in 2006.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

New York Chronicle Horoscope

21

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD

ISSUE 77 CROSSWORD ANSWER

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Involvement in groups will be favorable and lead to valuable information.

Don’t let others bait you into arguments. You will be in the mood to socialize. There are ways of making extra cash if you put your mind to it.

Your luckiest event next week will occur on Thursday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You could have a tendency to spend too much on your home or entertainment. Much knowledge can be obtained through the experiences you have. Large organizations may try to talk you out of your hardearned cash.

Family get-togethers will be interesting. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Thursday.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Children may be demanding, and entertainment could cost a lot more than you can really afford. You can make it up to them later. You can convince anyone of anything. Situations in your personal life are moving a too fast lately. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Sunday.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Travel will promote new romantic en counters. A lack of support and negativity have been the main problems. Changes in your home will be positive. Hassles with female colleagues may lead to problems with your boss. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Wednesday.

LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) Don’t deny yourself this month. Hide your cards and learn to say no. Deception and doubts may surround your involvement with friends and relatives. Don’t be taken advantage of by any fast talking salesperson trying to part you from your cash. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Wednesday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23) Educational pursuits can bring interesting, helpful people. You may find that depression is causing you to feel lonely and insecure. Deception and doubts may surround your involvement with friends and relatives. Raise your self esteem and your confidence if you want to get back into the mainstream again. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Monday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) Trips, educational pursuits, or projects that could lead to new outlooks should be on your agenda. Relatives may not be telling you the whole truth about a family situation. Advancement can be yours if you are assertive in your approach. Don’t let your emotions interfere with your professional integrity.

Your luckiest event next week will occur on Saturday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Get busy doing all those things at home that you have been putting off for so long. You mustn’t take on other people’s responsibilities or you may find yourself irritable and exhausted. Minor health problems will cause setbacks if you haven’t taken proper care of yourself. Don’t let others put unreasonable demands on you. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Sunday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) Romance and social activity will be a promising combination. Communication will be your strong point and you should be able to persuade others to see things your way. Red tape could be impossible to clear up this month. Don’t let your partner goad you into wearing your heart on your sleeve. Your luckiest event next weerk will occur on Monday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You may want to take a trip; however, before you do, make sure that your car is serviced properly. Extravagance will be a problem. Your partner will blow situations out of proportion. Maybe it’s time to look into ways you can improve your health. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) Enlist the aid of family members and consider the feelings of your mate.

You will inspire confidence in others. You will find that friends or relatives may not understand your needs. Sit back and observe regardless of how hard that might be. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) You might just as well let others do their own thing. Time spent with family, children, or good friends will be regenerating and positive. Go out with close friends who understand your situation and your needs. You are best not to discuss your personal life with others. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Thursday.

6. Have a birthday 7. One of Columbus’s ships 8. Billie’s “Oz” role 9. Mates for bucks 10. Cook’s directions 12. Fire-___ (sideshow performer) 36. Marksman’s expertise 15. Told a fib 37. Prudes 18. Liquid measures (abbr.)

39. Bullring cry 21. Crunchy 41. Hits the slopes 22. Marksmen, familiarly 43. One billion years 25. What a bar bouncer checks 44. Gelatin shaper 27. Guess at a price (abbr.)

45. Male singers 29. Remy Martin, for one 47. Rouse 30. Broken bone need 49. Dig 31. Trudged 50. Photographic equip- 32. Marshall Mathers’s more ment famous name 51. Nearly all 33. Life story, for short 52. Actor Cooper 34. Observer 35. Detective Queen DOWN 38. Readjust 1. Chaotic 40.

Author Ferber 2. Affix 42. Concert feature 3. Soccer player’s 44. Papa’s partner objective 46. Campers’ vehicles (abbr.)

4. Tan source 48. Joker 5. Dipping spoon

ACROSS 1. Crones 5. “Auld ___ Syne” 9. Roundabout way 11. Limber 13. Gasoline additive 14. Refusal to accept blame 16. List ender (2 wds.)

17. Pvt.’s superior 19. Freeze start 20. “Attack, Fido!”

21. Quotes 23. “Fiddle-de-___!”

24. Twitters 26. Listened 28. Gambling cube 29. Businesses (abbr.)

30. Checkmate game 33. Wine container

W O R D F I N D

T H E P O T T I N G

APRON BAGS BOOTS BOTTLE BOXES BUCKET BUG SPRAY CART FLOWERPOTS GLOVES HAT HOE HOSE KNEEPADS MULCH PITCHFORK

B E N C H PLANTS PRUNER RAKE SEEDS SHED SHOVEL SPOON SUNBLOCK TROWEL TUBS TWINE VINE WATERING CAN WHEELBARROW WORKBENCH YARD WORK

ISSUE 77 WORDFIND ANSWER

22

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

No law broken in repainting State House -- Pres. Granger DESPITE concerns raised by the National Trust of Guyana last week about the repainting of State House, a heritage building, and the official residence of the President, without consultations, President David Granger on Wednesday said he has broken no law.

“I am not aware that a law has been broken, I am not aware of that … National Trust needs to worry about the President’s decision to ensure that State House is in good repair,” said President Granger.

“It doesn’t leak…we have heritage buildings all around the country. Some of them are collapsing – I weep when I see the condition of City Hall, St George’s Cathedral and I am very concerned about preserving heritage; that’s why I am repairing State House ,” the President told reporters Wednesday.

The head-of-state said he is yet to receive correspondence from the National Trust on the issue. The entity’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nirvana Persaud, told the Guyana Chronicle that it was in the process of communicating with the Ministry of the Presidency on the matter. In fact, Persaud said the repainting of State House is a breach of protocol, in that the procedure for the undertaking of rehabilitation works on national monuments was not adhered to.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle briefly last Friday, the CEO explained that there must be consultation with the National Trust and an outline be provided to the entity before any modification is done to national or heritage monuments.

“If there are proposed changes, whether it is material, windows or colour, there must be consultation. And that was not done,” she said.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the National Trust only became aware of this development early last week, although it is situated immediately next to State House. On Friday Persaud said, “The National Trust is dealing with that; we are trying to communicate with the Ministry of the Presidency on the matter.” The white wooden colonial structure which was established in 1854 is now being repainted green and when quizzed about it last week, the President said, “Guyana is going green.”

“I have not seen such a letter…as you know this building was constructed in 1854, there is a lot of rot. Some of the windows are falling off and a decision was taken to repair the rotten portions and to repaint it,” President Granger told reporters while stressing that he has broken no law.

Workmen were indeed repainting the southern section of the property from the original white to shades of green.

A painter hard at work yesterday painting in green the southern section of State House, the official residence of the President. Several pieces of wood have also been replaced on the building (Delano Williams photo)

Meanwhile, Persaud had explained that the organisation, which was established following the passage of the National Trust Act, No. 7 of 1972, is responsible for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and objects of historic interest or of national importance. And according to the National Trust’s website, its main responsibility is the preservation of all monuments in Guyana.

Under the National Trust Act, the term ‘monuments’ includes any building, structure, object or other work of Man or of nature, whether above or below the surface of the land or the floor of the sea within territorial waters of Guyana and any site, cave or excavation.

“National Monuments are the vested responsibility of the National Trust, and are gazetted as such after approval

by Parliament. At present, there are nine gazetted National Monuments,” the website states.

In keeping with its mission to conserve, preserve and promote the nation’s patrimony, so that the present and future generations will access and enjoy the richness of Guyana’s heritage, Persaud said her entity is responsible for the preservation of buildings and or places of national, architectural, historic, artistic or natural interest or importance, and the protection and development of the amenities of such buildings and places and their surroundings.

She said, too, that the preservation of furniture, pictures and chattels of any description having national, historic or artistic interest; the access to and enjoyment of such buildings, places and chattels by the public also fall within the ambit of the entity. President Granger moved into State House shortly after he took office in 2015, and shortly thereafter rehabilitation works began as several sections of the premises were deteriorating.

Potential homeowners tour move-in ready duplexes ANOTHER batch of applicants is closer to realising their dreams of owning their own homes, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) said on Wednesday, hours after a facilitated-tour of the first batch of move-in ready duplexes constructed at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara.

The housing units which are at varying stages of construction, were toured by applicants who were prequalified by financial institutions and representatives of two commercial banks: Republic Bank and Citizen’s Bank.

Project Engineer Randolph Hunte, who led the potential beneficiaries on a guided tour, said the new construction is a modified version of what was showcased at the Housing Solutions 2017 and

Potential homeowners, bankers and representatives from CH&PA standing in front of one of the duplexes that will soon be made available

Beyond Exhibition held in May. “To increase the level of comfort for the homeowners, we have tiled the houses and installed a water tank. The installation of the tank

will be cost-saving for beneficiaries.

Also, each unit will have its own septic tank,” Hunte explained.

All the houses under construction will be the same, but the fin-

ishes will be different, such as the internal paint colours and tiles.

“Everything selected will be satisfactory to the beneficiary.

Beneficiaries basically just have to move in, bring their furnishings and live,” he added.

In the coming days, the agency will be making contact with the applicants to begin the process of preparing agreements of sale to be taken to their financial institution of choice. The units are expected to be completed by the end of December. CH&PA said the duplexes are just one of a range of solutions being offered by the agency.

Already for 2017, the CH&PA have piloted six duplexes, two elevated single family houses; issued 2,116 land titles; regularised 322 squatters; and allotted 381 house

lots.

With one month left before 2017 comes to an end, the housing authority is hoping to distribute in excess of 400 houselots that are currently available.

However, preference is being given to applicants whose applications have been in the system since in the 1990s and early 2000s. Currently, there are approximately 50, 000 applications in the system.

In 2018, the housing authority would be utilising a US$30M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to facilitate infrastructural development, the construction of 250 core houses and the disbursement of home improvement subsidies, as it seeks to meet the needs of the poor and working class.

23

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

CANDIDATES TAKE ON ISSUES AT NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK SPEAKER FORUM NEW YORK, NY: Wednesday night, all eight candidates for City Council Speaker were in attendance at the House of Justice in Harlem for a forum. Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (DBrooklyn) and the other members addressed issues of race, housing, policing, and more at the forum hosted by the National Action Network.

ON THE ROLE OF THE SPEAKER: "The job of the Speaker is to be a steward of the body. To provide leadership for the body. To be that voice that helps to guide the body and shape it. To do that you have to help empower the members. You have to take what they're saying and move it toward what we've agreed are the priorities. Some people say I'm too much of an activist . . . and to that I say thank you very much . . . We need an activist now . . . but you've got to have someone that can come back and deliver. I've passed more legislation that anyone in the Council besides the speaker . . . I've had very tough discussions, we're going to be in a tough time.

What we need is a Speaker who can lead those discussions."

ON THE RIGHT TO KNOW ACT: "It's not about reforming the system.

The system is operating how it was designed to operate . . . we have to change the entire system, lift it up, and put a new one in . . . I'm on that bill, I'm ready, willing, and able to vote for that bill. When it

came to the Community Safety Act, we actually had to discharge it out, and I did what we had to do. I have confidence that the leadership here is going to keep their commitment."

ON ACTIVISM, LEGISLATION, AND LEADERSHIP: "I often ask 'What is it that my activism has produced that you think isn't good, and that's where they get quiet. And that's because on so many issues where we've had positive results, I have demonstrably had a large voice in this... we need someone who can get consensus around difficult issues, not pull back."

On his record, his production, and fighting for what's right: "We can all talk about stuff. It is harder than you think to get there. I have the battle scars on my back and on my shoulders to prove it. My first time —my first term — they were stopping more young Black men than live in the city of New York . . . We talk about leadership.

You have to understand how hard it is to have these discussions when the mass of

people are not agreeing with you . . . So I don't want to sit here and act like we're here and that came easy. That took leadership . . . That's leadership in the first term. I just want to be clear on the type of leadership that's needed in this time of Trump. Because it's easy to talk about it.

But I am battle-tested, with the scars all over. As people talked about me then, talk about me now, talk about my activism.

But I am not going to change, I've shown a different way to be an elected official.

And I am proud to have done that." said Williams, adding that in recounting his accomplishments "I haven't gotten to my second term yet, because it's just too much. Maybe we can talk about that a little later."

ON THE CALLS FOR RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THE SPEAKERSHIP: "I want to make sure I talk about this descriptively and substantively . . . We shouldn't just put anybody up there because of the color of their skin, we want to make sure there's somebody who can reach what we need. But there are five of us . . . one of us probably has the qualifications we need. And if that's the case, all of us should check our privilege and encourage the leadership that's needed to reflect this city . . . We should no longer be ashamed to push our issues forward, we

should no longer be ashamed to say that we want our leadership to reflect what this city looks like."

The forum comes amid increasing calls for the next City Council Speaker to be a person of color, with many leadership positions in the city and state currently being filled by White men. Speaker Mark-Viverito was the first Latino Speaker, and there has not to date been a Black Speaker of the City Council.

UPCOMING FORUMS FOR CANDIDATES INCLUDE: 12/1 — 7:00pm* at CUNY TV Studios at 365 5th Avenue and live on NY1 Hosted by: Spectrum News NY1 *The forum will be re-broadcast at 10:00pm 12/1, 10:00 am 12/2, and 8:30 pm on 12/4.

JUMAANE WILLIAMS

IDC Congratulates New Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay

T

he Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC) joins with its global membership and affiliates in congratulating Ms. Audrey Azoulay, the newly elected Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 39th session of UNESCO’s General Conference elected Audrey Azoulay as Director-General of UNESCO for a four-year term beginning 15th November, 2017. Audrey Azoulay succeeds Irina Bokova, the previous Director General of UNESCO.

In 2014, as an advisor on culture to the President of the French Republic, Audrey Azoulay notably initiated the development of a protection plan for heritage in danger, which she was able to implement in 2016 as Minister of Culture and Communication. She has also prioritized improving children’s access to culture with the launch of artistic and cultural education school

programs “Création en cours” and created innovative cultural outreach programs for people in remote and vulnerable areas “Microfolies”.

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Paris, France. UNESCO encourages international peace and universal respect for human rights by promoting collaboration among nations. UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication.

UNESCO promotes protection of heritage and fosters creativity. “In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its diverse manifestations – from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms – enrich our everyday lives in countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source of identity and cohesion for communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Creativity contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Both heritage and creativity

lay the foundations for vibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge societies”.

According to Audrey Azoulay, “none of the major challenges facing the world today can be met by any one country on its own without relying on the fundamental pillars of science, education and culture. Thus, UNESCO can and must fully participate in a world order based on multilateralism and humanist values.”

Indian Arrival memorial Apravasi Ghat in Mauritius is designated a World Heritage site. Dr. Arnold Thomas, IDC Coordinator in St. Vincent and Grenadines is a member of UNESCO’s Caribbean team. IDC president Ashook Ramsaran states: “We look forward to closer collaboration with UNESCO to promote and preserve Girmitya historic sites, culture, history, works of art and records. We are appointing a Parisbased IDC Coordinator to work closely with UNECSO for preservation and promotion of Indian Diaspora history and culture”.

For more information contact:

Ashook Ramsaran at AshookRamsaran@gmail.com.

Mobile (USA) +1 917 519 5783 Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC), established in 1997, is an international non-profit organization with global affiliates and membership in 21 countries with the objective to embrace, engage and enhance the shared heritage, aspirations and interests of persons of Indian origin with optimum inclusivity.

Indian Diaspora Council® name and logo are Registered Trademarks of Indian Diaspora Council.

Ms. AUDREY AZOULAY

24

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED! HONORING SHIRLEY CHISHOLM, A WEST INDIAN/AMERICAN ICON “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "You must be the change you want to see in the world." — Mahatma Gandhi.

“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” — John F. Kennedy.

"I was made, by the law, a criminal, not because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience.” (Statement during trial, 1962) — Nelson Mandela “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”- Abraham Lincoln

Guyanese, and all West Indians, can proudly lay claim to a great American — Shirley Chisholm. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 30, 1924, Chisholm was the oldest of four daughters to immigrant parents Charles St. Hill, a factory worker from Guyana, and Ruby Seale St. Hill, a seamstress from Barbados. She was one of America’s greatest catalysts of

change, decades ahead of her time.

There is a little bit of Shirley in all of us, some more than others. In 2006, I got more involved in the struggle to change the system, include the voices of the oppressed and exploited, confronting treachery and evil in America, and striking at the root of evil — with my blood, sweat and tears! Serphin Maltese, a 30-year entrenched incum-

The ALBERT BALDEO Column

to the U.S. Congress. In her seven terms as Representative from New York, she fought for education and social justice, was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first major-party Black candidate to run for U.S. President.

As a trailblazer, Shirley Chisholm paved the way for so many of us today, whether we are running for office or advocating at the grassroots level. She made this famous statementd: “I don’t measure America by its achievement but by its potential.”

‘Unbossed and Unbought’, the title of How we embrace Rosa Parks’ and Shirley Chisholm’s call to civic her autobiography, exduty will ultimately define each of us as a person, and our chil- emplified her outspodren’s future in the USA. These icons share a moment together. ken advocacy for sembly members, who were also so-called women and minorities during her seven political brokers in Queens. terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, These opportunists put their narrow, overcoming what she aptly termed the selfish interests above disenfranchised mi- “double handicap” for being both Black norities to protect and advance their own and female. Her ideas were uplifting, her efself-interests at their constituents’ expense forts were iconic, and she dared to buck and and peril. This bill was going to put us back change the system for others. America has to the Jim Crow era in NY State, and evis- become a much better place because of the cerate the civil rights and liberties previous blood, sweat and tears of people like her. generations fought so hard to forge.

In 1964, Chisholm became the second I realized that although I was a lawyer, African American in the New York State I could not make the necessary changes. I Legislature. In 1968, after court-ordered rewould be bound to follow the law, like all districting created a new, heavily Demoothers in both law enforcement and the ju- cratic district in her neighborhood, dicial system. Our hands would be tied, and Chisholm won a seat in Congress, where generations would be trapped by a racist, she introduced more than 50 pieces of legbigoted law that was going to put social, islation and championed racial and gender economic and political development hun- equality, the plight of the poor, and ending dreds of years back to the pre-civil rights the Vietnam War. She was a co-founder of era. Inspired by the doctrine of the great the National Women's Political Caucus in martyrs and leaders, I had to launch a cam- 1971, and in 1977 became the first Black paign to defeat institutional injustice, raise woman and second woman ever to serve on awareness about the putrid issues they the powerful House Rules Committee. stood for, and ensure that, win or lose, our Inevitably, discrimination hampered children were not going to be officially rel- Chisholm’s quest for the 1972 Democratic egated to and stereotyped as official second Party Presidential nomination. She was class citizens. Only political courage and blocked from participating in televised prichange could bring about a solution. mary debates, and after taking legal action, Consequently, I embarked on a politi- was permitted to make just one speech. cal pilgrimage. Although I was the only Still, her impact was substantial. She enDemocratic candidate, I sought, but did not tered 12 primaries and garnered 152 of the get the backing of the Queens Democratic delegates’ votes (10% of the total), despite Organization. In fact, other Democratic of- an under-financed campaign and conficials hypocritically crossed party lines to tentiousness from the predominantly male support Maltese. I was treated like a pariah, Congressional Black Caucus. and shunned from institutional politicians, When she left Washington in 1983, she but embraced by regular folks. I always put said she did not want to go down in history people above politics, and progress over as "the nation's first Black congresswoman" dysfunction. I championed bread and butter or, as she put it, "the first Black woman conissues like better education, health care, gressman . . . I'd like them to say that Shirley housing, public safety, jobs, wages, govern- Chisholm had guts," she said. "That's how ment services, civil rights and became a I'd like to be remembered." loud voice for change. Thankfully, that law Those of us who have fought the syswas never passed. tem to make changes to uplift our fellow My inspiration came from Shirley beings and bring progress for generations Chisholm. to come, can take counsel from and relate This phenomenal leader broke barriers to this extraordinary and courageous by becoming the first Black woman elected woman. bent, who was the powerful Chairman of his Party and cronies introduced a bill to legalize racial profiling in New York State, to make minorities official second class citizens. He got the required support from hypocritical Democrats for the perverse idea to become law — even beholden minority As-

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending December 1, 2017

Budget set at $267.1B

25

…economy projected to grow 3.8 per cent

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan on Monday unveiled a $267.1B budget for 2018 and projected that the economy will grow at 3.8 per cent next year. He anticipated that growth will be realised across all sectors, with the exception of the sugar industry.

Presenting his fourth budget themed “The Journey to the Good Life Continues”, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan said minus the weight of the sugar industry, the non-sugar growth rate is expected to be 4.6 per cent.

The overall real growth rate for 2017 was projected at 3.8 per cent but at midyear, an economic growth rate of 2.2 per cent was achieved, up from two per cent for the same period the previous year.

In the Mid-Year Report, laid in the National Assembly, on August 4, the projection for 2017 was revised downwards to 3.1 per cent, on account of expected weak performance in the mining and quarrying sector, and the sugar and forestry industries.

The projected outturn for real growth of the economy, in 2017, is 2.9 per cent.

According to Jordon, the global economic growth is expected to improve through 2017 as markets benefit from increased investment, trade and industrial production, as well as reinvigorated business and consumer confidence.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its most recent World Economic Outlook (WEO), has projected global growth to reach 3.6 per cent in 2017, 0.4 percentage points higher than the level recorded in 2016, and 0.1 percentage points above its

previous forecast.

In 2018, the global growth is projected to rise marginally to 3.7 per cent.

see declining growth as the effects of Brexit continue to take a toll on the economy, with a dampening of consumption growth due

Finance Minister Winston Jordan presenting his budget “Mr. Speaker, advanced economies are projected to grow by 2.2 per cent in 2017 as a result of various factors, including an increase in global demand, stronger exports, and supportive fiscal and monetary policy.

In 2018, growth in this area is anticipated to decline to 2 per cent on account of a lower expected growth in all major economies, apart from the United States and France. The United Kingdom expects to

to a weakening of the pound,” the finance minister said.

In addition, Jordan told the House that economic expansion in emerging markets and developing economies is anticipated to improve from earlier projections, with 4.6 per cent growth expected for 2017, 0.3 percentage points above the growth recorded in 2016.

The Chinese economy was sustained

by buoyant external demand, which is anticipated to support further expansion in growth, in 2018, to 4.9 per cent.

The economies of Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to finally recover, in 2017. Following significant declines over the past few years, growth of 1.2 per cent and 1.9 per cent is expected in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The anticipated recovery in the region will be supported by improved demand from external trading partners and accommodative financial conditions, on account of a less volatile international financial market and resilient capital inflows.

In the Caribbean, overall growth projections for 2018 show an improvement to 1.9 per cent from 0.3 per cent the previous year. However, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname are projected to contract by 3.2 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, as the downturn in the previous years extend into 2017.

In 2018, however, these economies are expected to recover and, as a group, both tourism-dependent and commodity exporters are projected to record over 2 per cent respectively, with Trinidad and Tobago projected to expand by 1.9 per cent, and Suriname by 1.2 per cent as prices are anticipated to rebound.

“Despite the improved outlook, the region still faces a number of risks, including climate-related catastrophes, which are expected to increase in frequency; capital flow reversals; tightening financial conditions; and volatile commodity prices,” Jordon said.

Key suspect in teacher’s killing held …DNA sample to be sent overseas for analysis

POLICE are currently questioning another suspect in relation to the death of Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher, Kescia Branche, Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine has said.

According to Ramnarine, the suspect was overseas when the investigation began. “…The good news is that a suspect who had gone overseas has returned and we are doing some further investigative work,” said Ramnarine. The unidentified suspect had reportedly left the country the day Branche was found battered in the City. The mother of one, who resided in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was last seen on November 4, when she left for a night out with her friends.

However, her unconscious body was found in the vicinity of Princes Street and Louisa Row, Georgetown, the following day.

Her left leg was broken and there was evidence that she’d sustained multiple head injuries. Meanwhile,

Ramnarine disclosed that samples will soon be sent overseas for DNA testing. “The sample has not been sent as yet but will be sent soon,” the acting Police Commissioner stated.

Earlier this month, three suspects who were being questioned regarding the death of Branche, were released. The father of Branche’s three-year-old son was released on November 14 and placed on station bail, along with two police constables. The two policemen were placed under open arrest and will be working out of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU).

At the time of the trio’s release, police were seeking to contact a taxi driver whose cell phone number appeared repeatedly on Branche’s mobile device. The taxi driver’s car was impounded at the Brickdam Police Station and he had reportedly left the country after Branche was found with a broken leg and in an unconscious state on November 5.

Kescia Branche

Investigators are of the opinion that the driver may have been the last person to see the teacher alive.

It is unclear whether the taxi driver is the same person currently being questioned by law enforcement officers. The Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher died at the

Georgetown Public Hospital two days after being found battered in the City. A post-mortem indicated that she died as a result of brain haemorrhage.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, told reporters Wednesday that efforts are being made to have the country’s DNA testing facility up and running sometime next year.

According to Ramjattan, with the new budgetary allocation for the venting system and the Citizens Security project, the capacity for DNA testing will become a reality.

Noting that the United States Embassy is assisting government in this regard, the minister said it is critical that the requisite physical infrastructure be put in place to ensure that the integrity of the samples is protected. “…You don’t want DNA to be mixed up and of course the training of these people who are going to do the testing [is important],” said Ramjattan, who noted that in the interim, overseas

options have to be utilised. “I really felt that by this time we would have been completed, but as I have said, democracy is a lot of bureaucracy and sometimes you don’t get your way because of other important players that indicate that these are the things you have to get,” he stated while stressing that he really wanted DNA testing to be available here by year end.

This he said would not happen because the air ventilation and Air Conditioning are critical to ensuring the proper preservation of samples.

Though the National Forensic Laboratory is working, it is not yet fully staffed, but Ramjattan noted that there is going to be place for more persons, while noting that as equipment is procured and the infrastructural work completed, DNA specialists will be recruited.

At the moment, forged documents, counterfeiting and the testing of narcotics, among other areas, are areas covered by the Laboratory.

26

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

Ingrid Griffith – honored for telling her story a one woman play — ‘Demerara Gold’

A

ctress, playwright and awarding performer, Ingrid Griffith continues to enthrall audiences across America, Guyana and the Caribbean, with her brilliant impassioned One Woman play — ‘Demerara Gold, a coming-of-age story of a spirited seven-year-old girl left to survive in her two grandmother’s worlds in Guyana, after her parents leave for the United States.

Griffith, an accomplished starlet, was just recently honored at the 2017 Caribbean Life Impact Awards gala in Brooklyn, for her outstanding work, and right after that, with an award at the 45th Annual AUDELCOAWARDS for Excellence in Black Theater.

This incredible leading lady, was also recognized by the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Guyana Cultural Association, the New York State Assembly, the

Guyana Tri-State Alliance, and received many other accolades, for this moving play, that evokes the voices and actions of the characters she portrays, and garners rousing applauses, every time.

“The play started as an idea, and

By TANGERINE CLARKE

then grew into an imperative,” noted Griffith, who added. “I felt an overwhelming need to tell my story. I wanted our voices heard. Then, when I realized the story resonated powerfully with all kinds of people, there was a deep satisfaction that I had gotten something so important, so right, ” added the actress.

When she gets on state at the Bernie Wohl Theater in New York city on December 8, it would be the 76th time Griffith will reminisce about those long gone days where she cherished a gold ring given to her as a token of her parents’ promise they’ll soon be to-

gether with their children again.

The New York Daily News called the play “immaculately produced”, while The Huffington Post declared “The new immigrant comes with no loss, a determined heart and soul”, and the New York Amsterdam News called it — “an ode to taking back your own worth”.

Ingrid, the second of three children who grew up on Hadfield Street in Georgetown with their grandma Adda, said both her parents are alive, and that her mother has seen Demerara Gold twice, however, her estranged father is yet to see the drama of her life growing up, as it unfolds on stage.

“The material in my show is highly personal which led me to be con-

— will perform at the New Jersey Theater Center, February 16 & 17, and in

Ingrid Griffith performing her skit.

Ingrid Griffith being congratulated by Justice Ingrid Joseph and Consul General Hon. Mrs. Barbara Atherly

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: JOHN CALLENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (347) 564-0678 LEAR MATTHEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 216-4505 DALE/ LORRAINE EDINBORO . . . . . . . (347) 701-9293 WILTON/ PAMELA GRANNUM . . . . . . (718) 735-9186 BARBARA SAMPSON . . . . . . . . . . . . (908) 403-0474 KEITH CADOGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (917) 836-8203 INGRID ALLEYNE-GREEN . . . . . . . . . (718) 245-3970 IMELDA SARGEANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . (646) 644-8360 DESIREE BRITTON-PRYCE . . . . . . . . . (646 522-9063 PAULINE C. WEBSTER . . . . . . . . . . . . (347) 425-5053 JOYCE JERVIS-HENRY . . . . . . . . . . . (917) 693-5415

cerned about my mother’s reaction. I don’t believe my Mom knew either how she was going to feel watching what we went through. But she has told me repeatedly how proud she is of my work.”

Griffith, a teacher in the Theater Arts Department of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, recalls her parents being young with three small children. “They (parents) had dreams and were willing to search elsewhere to find them, even if it meant leaving their children behind,” were the words of the thespian who has dreams herself of becoming a published novelist.

Recognized for her popular, awarding-winning play, ‘Demerara Gold’ that is in great demand, Ingrid Griffith — fresh off a performance at the Queen’s College Alumni Association of New York event, at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, in Harlem New York

Barbados, March 2018.

To buy tickets for the December 8, show at the Bernie Wohl Theater in New York City go to www.DemGold Dec8.eventbrite.com or log on to www.DemeraraGoldTheShow.com — for more information.

Ingrid Griffith with Kevin Michael Williams, associate editor of Caribbean Life.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending December 1, 2017

27

Henry gets selection nod for Black Caps T

he pace bowler Matt Henry has got the nod over Lockie Ferguson for New Zealand's first cricket Test against the West Indies.

The match starts in Wellington on Friday and there was speculation the express pace of Ferguson would earn him a test debut.

However, skipper Kane Williamson has confirmed Henry will start his ninth tenth, repalcing Tim Southee, whose partner is expecting a baby.Ferguson was named in the squad after taking seven West Indies wickets in their

warm up match and had been bowling with good pace, making it a tough decision, Williamson said.

But he added Henry had been playing well for a long time and probably hadn't been getting the opportunities he deserved.

"He is a different bowler to Lockie, but has been bowling with good pace, does tend to move the ball well, so it's exciting for Matt," Williamson said.

"When he has had the opportunity he's performed really well.

In our last Test match against South Africa he was outstanding."

(Caribbeannews.net)

Matt Henry celebrates taking a wicket against South Africa in March.

Photo: Photosport

Blundell set for Test debut, NZ call Ferguson to cover for Southee W

icketkeeper Tom Blundell is set to make his debut in the first Test against West Indies on December 1. With BJ Watling unavailable due to a hip injury, Blundell will be drafted into New Zealand's XI to play in front of his hometown fans at the Basin Reserve. Pace bowler Lockie Ferguson, too, joined the squad as cover for Tim Southee, who is expecting the birth of his child.

Selector Gavin Larsen said Blundell's improvement with the gloves over the past year has earned him a promotion. Less than two weeks ago, he picked up 10 catches in Wellington's victory over Canterbury in the Plunket Shield

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (subject to availability), Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Blundell (wk) NEW ZEALAND SQUAD

Out: BJ Watling In: Tom Blundell, Lockie Ferguson

"Tom's worked hard on his game and we've seen his wicketkeeping in particular really de-

of view, he's got quite a unique style, but he knows his own game well and he's certainly been consistent, in terms of putting performances together."

Hesson further added that even though Blundell carries a relatively reserved demeanour for a wicketkeeper, he is confident the 27-year old's prior acquaintance with the New Zealand players will help him communicate effectively from behind the stumps.

"He's confident, but he's quite quiet and just goes about his work.

He certainly knows this week his job is to lead the fielding unit as well in terms of standards."

Southee, however, is not ruled out of the opening Test, and Larsen said that Ferguson, who TOM BLUNDELL picked up 12 wickets despite a velop over the past 12 months," "He's showed over the end of thumb fracture earlier this month, Larsen said. "The chance to play last year and the start of this year was drafted into the squad only as his first Test at his home ground is that he's probably the most consis- a back-up. going to be really special for him. tent gloveman behind BJ in the "With Tim awaiting the birth BJ is still working his way back to country at the moment. Going into of his child, his availability is still full fitness and hopefully he gets a Test match, that's the priority," uncertain at this point, so Lockie some time with the gloves for Hesson told stuff.co.nz. "He's helps keep our bases covered," equally comfortable standing back, Larsen said. "Lockie's been in Northern Districts soon."

New Zealand coach Mike as he is up [by the stumps]. He's good form domestically and Hesson lauded Blundell's consis- becoming experienced and knows showed good signs for New tency - both with the gloves and his own game. He's scored tough Zealand A as well. His extra pace the bat - over the past two seasons runs and he's scored runs when his brings a slightly different dimenin the Plunket Shield, and backed side [Wellington] has been under sion to the attack." him to chip in with significant per- pressure, which is always a good (Caribbennews.net) ESPNsign as well. From a batting point formances on his Test debut.

CricInfo

Meet t h e st a rs of t h e West Indi e s t e am T ROSTON CHASE

hype when he scored hundreds in both innings of the West Indies' win at Headingley in August. It was the first time it had happened at the Leeds ground in 534 first-class matches. His youth and relative inexperience at the Test level mean he's not as damaged as some in the set-up and his ability to score 147 in the first innings and 118 n.o. in a successful run chase in the second against a strong English bowling line-up proves he could be a thorn in the Black Caps' sides.

He seems to like Kiwi conditions too, scoring 110 in his team's sole warm-up match against New Zealand A.

SHAI HOPE: Middle order bat.

Tests: 15. Runs: 921. Average: 35.42 This headline writer's dream was given his first Test cap as a 21-year-old and though he struggled at the top level initially, he was backed and talked up by plenty in the Caribbean.

He delivered on that potential and

SHANNON GABRIEL: Pace bowler. Wickets: 76. Average: 34.00 The leader of the West Indies pace attack doesn't cause quite the fear of some of his predecessors with the same title, but he's not to be ignored. He took 2-250 in his last tour to Aotearoa, but is a better bowler now. He's led the attack this season ahead of the more experienced Kemar Roach.

He took 25 wickets in six home and away tests against Pakistan in October last year and in April this year. He's unlikely to scare any of the Black Caps for pace, but can do a bit with it and will relish the more friendly conditions than home.

The genuine tailender has a highest first-class score of 20no. To put that in perspective, Chris Martin's was 25. * Matt Richens has been a sports journalist for 12 years. He's still in love with Richie Richardson and wore a floppy hat in his own unspectacular playing career to be like Richardson rather than protect his bald head from the sun.

he Black Caps are taking on the West Indies in their first Test match in Wellington tomorrow, but who are they actually facing? Matt Richens profiles some of the stars of the West Indies squad.

Sobers, Lara, Richards, Ambrose, Walsh, Greenidge, Haynes, Worrell, Walcott, Weekes, Roberts, Marshall, Holding, Lloyd, Gibbs, Headley… the list of great West Indian cricketers is a long and impressive one.

The names slide off the tongue like a ridiculously talented roll-call of runs and wickets.

The current squad don't feature anything as impressive, so RNZ thought we'd help introduce you to some of the West Indies tourists here to play the Black Caps in their two-Test series, starting today (Friday, December 1).

plication to bat higher. He's hardly a world beater by himself, but appears to be the glue holding this side together and is improving.

KRAIGG BRAITHWAITE: Opening bat, part time offspinner. Tests: 42, Runs:

4,719. Average: 36.74. Wickets: 14. Average 52.85 He will be off to a much better start to the tour than last time he was in New Zealand, where a visa stuff-up meant he missed the first two Tests in the three match-series.

The 24-year-old is the side's equal most capped player with 42 and someone the Windies rely on at the top of the innings.

A big hundred helped his side win a Test against England in August — one of only seven away Tests ,they've won since 2000. He can bowl a bit too as a back-up spinner. On New Zealand's greener decks, however, his job will be to bat at the top of the innings and to protect a vastly inexperienced middle order.

ROSTON CHASE: Middle order bat and offspinner. Tests: 15. Runs: 966.

Average: 40.25. Wickets: 27. Average: 48.85 He batted the entire fifth day in just his second Test against a strong Indian spin attack to score an unbeaten 137 and save an improbable draw. Wasn't much of a bowler initially in First-class cricket, but the tall right-arm offspinner now has

KRAIGG BRAITHWAITE

JASON HOLDER

JASON HOLDER: Bowling allrounder and captain.Tests: 28. Runs: 1,211. Average: 30.27. Wickets: 52, Average: 37.30 He has played 20 of his 28 Tests as skipper since the WICB added the Test captaincy to the ODI role they'd given him at the ripe old age of 23.

He's 2.01m —1cm shorter than Sam Whitelock — and is a hard-working allrounder. He's not overly quick with the ball, but can be a handful and has 52 wickets at an average of 37.

He didn't do a lot in the domestic scene with the bat, but has grown in the Test arena and scored one of his two hundreds in the side's last Test, against Zimbabwe, earlier this month in Bulawayo.

He was batting at numebr nine on that occasion, though he has the ticker and ap-

claims to be a genuine allrounder.

He also took five wickets in India's only innings in that second game to earn player of the match. He comfortably has the best average in the Windies' batting lineup and, like so many before him, has been seen as a future star. Didn't do overly well in the Tests in England, but scored heavily in the warm-up matches showing he can score in the greener conditions.

He did score 49 in the warm-up match against New Zealand A and took a couple of wickets, too, including New Zealand A's top scorer, Todd Astle.

SHAI HOPE

SHAI HOPE