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SENIOR MAGISTRATE MOORE CHALLENG ES NOTICE OF APPLICATI ON FILED BY DPP
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GPHC ISSUES WARNING TO PROTESTING NURSES Pg2 Pg3
Man stabbed to death after card game
Four people died of COVID-19 over the weekend Pg3
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S E N I O R M AG I S T R AT E M O O R E CHALLENGES NOTICE OF A P P L I C AT I O N F I L E D B Y D P P
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enior Magistrate Alex Moore who is suing the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack for in excess of $50M for defamation in the High Courts of Guyana, has responded to a Notice of Application filed by the DPP to strike out the claims made by Magistrate Moore. The Magistrate has filed a response asking the court to dismiss the DPP contentions with a cost. Magistrate Moore is a sitting Magistrate in the Corentyne Magisterial District. He is being represented by Attorneys at Law, Mayo Robertson,
DPP Shalimar Ali- Hack
Senior Magistrate Alex Moore
and Mr. Arudranauth Gossai. The Magistrate’s main contention in his lawsuit is based on a letter sent by the DPP on December 5, 2019, to the acting Chancellor of Guyana, Justice Yonette
Cummings-Edwards and the Acting Chief Justice Roxanne George. The DPP in her claim which was filed on August 18, 2020, asked the court to dismiss the Magistrate claims. However, Moore in
are because they have moved from risk allowance to increase in salary; it’s changing.” The nurses are protesting the allocation of $150 million to only pay allowances to COVID-19 frontline workers. One of the nurses on the picket line outside the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday said the protests would continue until they were paid the COVID-19 risk allowance. They also said that many of them are not eligible for pensions and gratuities based on their employment status. The nurses also spoke against the claims that Guyana’s economy was not
in a position where those payments could be made but noted the funds which are currently being put towards the reopening of the abandoned sugar estates across the country. President Irfaan Ali, on Saturday, questioned the absence of similar solidarity when the Skeldon, Rose HallCanje, Wales and Enmore Estates were closed. “Where was the solidarity when more than 7,000 sugar workers were sent home? What was the situation then? Where was the solidarity when 1,000 bauxite workers lost their jobs? There was no socio-economic analysis of the impact of the closure of the estimates. We are forgetting that. We are
his response raised a number of issues through his lawyers. They are contending that their notice raises questions of fact which can only be determined after the taking of evidence in the matter.
Moore is further advised by his attorneys that striking out a claim is used sparingly and is limited in scope to plain and obvious cases where there is no point in having a trial. This is not so in this case, he contended. The magistrate is further contending that in striking out an application only the Statement of Claim (which they filed) can be considered. Another contention is that the DPP through her claim is seeking a mini-trial of the issues. Such a practice is wholly improper as the case cannot be determined by Affidavit, Moore argued. The lawyer representing
Moore further contends that the DPP is not entitled to the protection of the Justice Protection Act. Moore argued that even if that were so, a determination of whether the DPP acted lawfully at the time is a question of fact to be determined by the Court after the taking of evidence. Moore wants the Notice of Application to be thrown out since it is being used as a disguise and is an abuse of the process of the court. Moore has been an attorney for more than 14 years and a Magistrate for the past nine years.
GPHC ISSUES WARNING TO PROTESTING NURSES
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ublic Service Minister, Sonia Parag, has said that the industrial unrest at State-run hospitals across the country to demand allowances and other benefits is illegal. Speaking to the Department of Public Information, Parag said that no notice of industrial action was given. “Specifically, with the health sector, (they are also known as essential workers) there are certain steps that are to be taken before you jump into a protest. As far as I am aware, those steps were not taken in accordance with the laws. The Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Health, are unclear as to what the grievances
Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag
missing that. We don’t want to answer that question anymore.” A statement made by the GPHC on Saturday said the protest was instigated and coordinated by the Guyana Public Service Union and was done without proper industrial relations practices. The GPHC also issued a warning to the health workers about illegal protest action
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and the potential consequences. “While, we remain committed to timely and constructive engagements to consider the requests of our health care workers we strongly advise them to refrain from accepting inappropriate advice and abandoning their duties to support further illegal protest action until every avenue
provided for in the relevant legislation is exhausted. Until such time, further protest action(s) remain illegal and may attract punitive action.” Other demands being made by the nurses include requests for more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-taxable allowances, land for public servants and increased salaries.
Six-year-old hospitalised after being hit by car
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A six-year-old child was struck down by a vehicle on the Non-Pareil Access Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred at around 05:30 p.m. The car was being driven by a 38-yearold resident of La Bonne Intention, ECD.
The car was heading east along the road when, according to the police, the child ran into the path of the vehicle. The left front of the vehicle collided with the child who then fell onto the roadway receiving injuries. The child was picked up in an unconscious state and was taken to
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the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where they were admitted in a stable condition. The driver fled the scene but was later arrested and is currently assisting police with the investigation. A breathalyzer test conducted on the driver found no blood alcohol.
Tel: 592-623-9971 or 641-2501
Man stabbed to death after card game
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e v i n Baynes, 34, of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara, was stabbed to death on Saturday after a card game at Big Creek Backdam, North West District. According to the police, Baynes was playing cards with the two suspects at
around 18:30 hrs. He got into an argument with one of them. Baynes then took a cellphone belonging to one of the suspects and refused to return it. He left the area and was approached by one of the suspects who proceeded to stab him in the body and head.
Baynes received three stab wounds; one to the left rib, one to the chin and one to the head. He was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. Police arrested two suspects, a 25-year old and a 16-yearold.
Four people died of COVID-19 over the weekend
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he Ministry of Heath recorded 47 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday September 27. One case was
recorded in Region One, four in Region Three, 32 in Region Four, six in Region Six, two in Region Seven, two in Region Nine.
The total number of recorded cases is now at 2,772. The death toll rose to 78 on Sunday with the deaths of two women, both from
Region Four. Two deaths were also recorded on Saturday– a 36-yearold man from Region Six and a 45-year-old man from Region
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Four. There have been 39 COVID-19 related deaths recorded in September As of September 27, there have been
13,589 persons tested for the virus. The number of recovered cases has grown to 1,564 leaving the number of active cases in the country at 1,130.
By Sir Ronald Sanders
Letters Caribbean wouldn’t tolerate external interference on Republics
(The writer is Antigua and B a r b u d a ’ s Ambassador to the U.S. and the OAS. He is also a senior fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The view expressed are entirely his own) Of all the fanciful reasons imputed to the decision of the government to make Barbados a Republic, shedding its monarchical status with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State, the most surprising has come from the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons, Tom Tugendhat. The Foreign Affairs Committee, comprised of parliamentarians from all political parties in the House, is a serious body. It has produced important and influential reports in the past. Therefore, when its Chairman makes a statement, it would be imprudent just to dismiss it. The Times’ newspaper quoted him as saying on September 23, eight days after the Barbados G o v e r n m e n t ’s decision was declared: “China has been using infrastructure investment and debt
diplomacy as a means of control for a while and it’s coming closer to home for us. “British partners have long faced challenges from rivals seeking to undermine our alliance. Today we’re seeing it in the Caribbean. Some islands seem to be close to swapping a symbolic Queen in Windsor for a real and demanding emperor in Beijing.” As head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Tugendhat should have been better informed. The Barbados government was no more influenced by China to change its status to a Republic, than it was under pressure by the British government to continue to share Queen Elizabeth as the Head of the two separate realms. It is unfortunate that some in the international community regard small states as inexpert, seeing them as ready objects of manipulation by big powers through either coercion or enticements. Thus, the presence of China in the Caribbean, where it has made investments that have aided economic development, is characterised as “a means of control”, as Mr. Tugendhat puts it. Discounted altogether is that,
in many Caribbean countries, China has given much needed loans and grants when others have been significant by their absence, or where, by their presence, they institute unhelpful policies of ‘black listing’ countries without consultation, or blocking much needed loans from international financial institutions on criteria that takes no account of the vulnerability of small states. Do loans translate into coercive influence over small Caribbean states? The answer is unreservedly no. Loans must be repaid, including Chinese ones whose main attraction is their longer repayment periods and lower interest rates. If their rivals met their terms, competition would win out. In any event, amid the COVID-19 crisis, China has shown no desire to forgive debt or to defer interest payments to give developing countries more breathing space. However, unlike the members of the Paris Club of official creditors (mostly G7 countries), China has deferred principal payments on loans. If anything, it is other powerful states that provide space for China in the Caribbean by not offering money on competitive terms
and by refusing to support issues that are vitally important to Caribbean States. Among those issues are curbing Climate Change, promoting debt forgiveness in the epoch of COVID-19, and removing the skewed criteria of per capita income that prohibits many Caribbean countries from access to concessionary loans. Whether large and powerful nations accept it or not, governments of small states are not vassals; in making foreign policy and domestic decisions, they make them in the context of what is in their best interest. That choice may result in upsetting one or other of powerful rival states, but it would be wrong for them to believe that Caribbean governments are incapable of making reasoned decisions in their country’s interests. On other comments made about the Barbados’ wish to proceed to Republican status, should it do so it will not cease to be a member of the Commonwealth of Nations which stopped being “British” in 1949 on the independence of India and Pakistan and their becoming Republics. At that time, it was accepted that the British Crown would
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be the “Head of the Commonwealth” and, as such, “the symbol of the voluntary association” of its members. Of the 54 member states of the Commonwealth, 31 are Republics. There also appears to be a perception that, in swearing allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II in Barbados and other Caribbean countries, fealty is being sworn to the Queen of the United Kingdom. This is not so. The Queen is head of state of each of her realms separately. So, in each country when the oath of allegiance is made, it is to the sovereign as head of that state only. Another point worth making is that if, in becoming a Republic, the choice is made for a non-Executive President (as was recommended by a Constitutional Commission headed by Sir Henry Forde in 1998), no change in the system of government will occur in Barbados or any other county that follows that pattern. The decision of the Barbados government, which has been in contemplation for 17 years, resides in one overarching consideration. It is this: the people of Barbados have a right to decide that their Head of State should be a symbol of their nation – someone
who is from, and of the country, who lives within it, who shares its challenges and its benefits and who encompasses their common identity. That decision has not one jot to do with external influences. It is simply a national conclusion whose time has come, logically, emotionally, and intellectually. WillotherCaribbean monarchical states do the same? Highly likely they will, for the same important reason that motivates Barbados. But because their constitutions, unlike Barbados’, requires them to hold a referendum in which the majority of the electorate vote in favour (and they have to obtain a two-thirds majority vote in the elected House), the political parties – in government and opposition – have to agree to proceed. More importantly, they will have to jointly explain the implications to the people, or political rivalry and distrust of politicians will defer the change. Unless they do so, “God Save the Queen/King” may still be sung alongside the national anthems of remaining Caribbean realms for another decade.
Patrol attacked along Guyana/Venezuela border
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joint patrol being done yesterday by ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force came under fire from the Venezuelan shore while patrolling the Cuyuni River.
A release from the GDF said it is believed that the gunfire came from Syndicato gang members. The ranks returned fire and none of them were injured. The GDF said that “aggressive” joint patrols by the Guyanese security forces have since been
intensified in the Cuyuni River area. The Guyana/ Venezuela border is more than 1,000 kilometres long and patrols are conducted on a routine basis. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred and several new measures are being Guyana’s Border Patrol explored by the GDF.
47 new case of COVID-19 over the weekend FOLLOW US ON https://www.facebook.com/Guyana-Post
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HOROSCOPE
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Ganesha says your uniqueness will be the focus of attention and praise today. Your undertaking of various tough tasks and completing them today will showcase your business acumen. You will show your inclination to the finer arts like music and dance. Those of you who may have thoughts about doing varied things maybe able to put those thoughts into actions today. Ganesha wishes you success in all your endeavors
Ganesha predicts you will possibly plan to launch a new product today. But put off the launch if you want to supersede certain unscrupulous elements. But after a waiting game, you may go ahead with your plan with much fanfare, says Ganesha
Today might be a day of untying and getting out of the tangles, says Ganesha. You may take the blame for the actions of another. Things may get frustrating around the afternoon and your confidence levels may stoop. Work on your strength and work out your weaknesses, advises Ganesha.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You are likely to be concerned about your finances, jointly held assets and property, says Ganesha. Also, you will be a little edgy today. Even the most insignificant problems will dampen your mood. You will probably take chances in money matters. Ganesha advises you to keep your cool and return to your charismatic self.
The sage within you will take the lead today. You are likely to prescribe yourself to your own medication for peace of mind. Wise and content that you are today, you will spread the message of love around you. All in all, a peaceful day is in store for you today.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
For you everything is fair in love and war, and you utilise every possible means to achieve your targets. You have a strong sixth sense and it will direct you while making the right decisions, feels Ganesha. You are a soft hearted person and it makes you sad to see others in sadness and trouble. Instinctively, you will help those in need.
People will surround you. You will entertain them with your hilarity. Social contacts will benefit you. Students will excel and concentrate on their work. It will be a good day, says Ganesha.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Decisions taken in haste will prove to be harmful. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of every decision that you take today, considering all the possible alternative thoroughly. You need to be extremely industrious on the work-front as well. You will feel very energetic and raring to go. However, you will run out of energy at the end of the day, says Ganesha.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You are good with words and with the art of eloquence you manage to get through any situation. Today, thanks to your communication skills, you will be able to crack important deals and make people follow your vision. You, however, need to respects opinions of others’ as well, advises Ganesha.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You will delay taking important decisions in the office or regarding business. You will take you time to come to a conclusion and put in all the required thought and this will grant you clarity on all the issues at hand. While this will be great for you, Ganesha advises you not to make hasty decisions regarding your personal life.
Today, you will be aspire to be a master of your own destiny. You have the ability to see through the façade that people put up to shield their true self. You will choose your company wisely and plan for success. Polish your presentation skills and you may need to work an extra bit to get your ideas approved, says Ganesha
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AROUND THE CARIBBEAN & SOUTH AMERICA
The Rum Versus Chaser Debate
Milton Wisdom pours ginger ale to rock glasses Dominican Republicbased Cane Spirits Specialist Pavol Kazimir once said, “Best ideas come while sipping rum.” With that in mind, since rum lovers have resorted to assuming their new roles as home bartenders, the question swirling in their minds is, which of the two hit the glass in a mix first? The rum or the chaser? This seems to have an
easy answer: the rum, of course! But is it? Many have never given any real thought to that mixing motion and instead rely solely on tradition and belief systems. Rum first, anything else after. They call drinking time happy hour for a reason. But what is the real reason for this rum rubric? According to professional mixologist, Milton Wisdom, it all depends
on the mix, how well you know your flavours, what you have to use and what you’re trying to achieve. “Certain spirits aren’t paired with chasers. They’re ideally consumed neat or on the rock. And those that become a duo are executed based on the marrying of flavours. When I was learning how to mix, we were taught to add
the cheapest ingredients first, so that way if you miss, or didn’t remember to add something, you can easily toss out. So that’s recommended,” he shared. Growing up, Wisdom highlighted, what we know of corner bars is that they throw the spirit first. “It does sound weird pouring the chaser first,” the experienced mixologist remarked, but it is not wrong to do, especially if you’re a rookie. Some persons might like their spirit floating on top, which would explain why they would pour the chaser first and the spirits after, he pointed out. “If you’re going to do a Johnnie Walker and ginger ale, for instance, and you want the Johnnie to be consumed in a lighter amount, then you can go ahead and pour the ginger ale first and add the Johnnie Walker after.”
But for others who prefer the robust or smooth flavour profiles of the rum, or may not necessarily be a fan of the chaser, the reverse of rum first will definitely work for you. Wisdom explained that he isn’t really fond of cranberry juice, it’s too sour for his palate, so if he is mixing a vodka cranberry mix, he would opt to start out with the spirit and end with the chaser, which provides a softer note without being overbearing and overpowering for him while he drinks. If you do have a home bar, absolutely nothing is set in stone. And with the advancement of technology, all these mixing recipes are very specific with portions and instructions. Note, however, that you can let your spirit imagination run wild, experiment and get innovative. Anything that you’re
mixing, whether simple or complex by nature, Wisdom recommends that you taste the raw ingredients you have at home and see what you like, before putting them together. You will be more cognisant of your master mix. “Sometimes you pour too much chaser or too little spirit. So I have one rule; always taste before, during and after. When I am mixing, if I am uncertain of what the end result will be, once I put everything in that shaking or mixing glass, I taste it. Once I shake or stir it, I taste it. And once I pour it out over fresh ice, I taste it. It shows the consistency or difference when other elements come into play.” He also recommends that you have fun mixing, and not because you’re home, please drink responsibly. Which do you prefer to pour first, rum or chaser? krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com
Rowley: Don’t use race to push personal or political agenda The Gleaner News Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is calling on influence makers in Trinidad and Tobago to stop attempting to use race to advance their personal or political agenda. Rowley made the call while speaking during a PNM meeting in Barataria on Thursday night. “You see this issue of race, it is the one issue that can derail us and ensure that we do not realize our fullest potential. Tonight I want to caution the influence makers in Trinidad and Tobago to stop trying to use race to advance
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
their personal or political agenda,” he said. Commenting on the government’s decision not to support, the selection process of Deodat Dulalchan, the Prime Minister reiterated
that there was no race in the matter. The Prime Minister slammed the Opposition MPs who walked out of parliament, saying that they were attempting to create racial strife in
T&T by playing the race case. “The singular statement that came out from the UNC today came out of the mouth of somebody called Anita Haynes is that we
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the PNM government contrive last night to remove the Indian nominee and didn’t do anything about the African nominee, so Dulalchan was blocked but Phillip was not,” the Prime Minister said. Rowley also weighed in on the gun finds at a mosque in Central Trinidad on Thursday. He said Government received flack when it searched mosques earlier this year. However, Rowley noted that illegal firearms are now being found at places of worship. “Today one of the very mosques that we had to raid at Carnival time on credible information that
the security services had, we have found within that place of worship lethal weapons. I want to ask you tonight, given what we found today in a place of worship what do you say to and think of those persons who at Carnival time carried a conversation in this country that the government of Trinidad and Tobago was antiMuslim and was in fact desecrating Muslim places of worship. What are they saying to us now?” he asked. He assured that the Muslim community that government is not anti-Muslim.
SPOT The difference They are 5 differences
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Amerindian & Foods GUYANA’S AMERINDIAN Guyana’s Amerindian population consists of several tribes, including the Caribs, Wapisianas, Arawaks, and Warraus. Anthropologists believe that Amerindian tribes were Guyana’s first inhabitants, arriving around 11,000 years ago. They settled lowlying coastal regions of the country, where they fished, hunted, and used a variety of plant species to produce fibers, oils, dyes, and a variety of different dishes. Over the centuries, Guyana’s Amerindian population migrated inland, penetrating the dense jungle via the country’s extensive river system, constructing temporary and permanent settlements. While Amerindians dwelling in coastal regions lived on turtles, fish, crabs, and snails, those inhabiting the savannahs hunted various types of mammal, including deer, monkey, and sloth, as well as various types of waterfowl. Guyana’s indigenous eetay palm is an important source of flour in Amerindian cuisine, while the country’s interior is also rich in cashews and wild honey.
CASSAVA BREAD
Amerindian cuisine remains incredibly popular in Guyana, both within traditional indigenous villages and in towns and cities. In 2014 Tuma Sálâ opened in Georgetown, establishing itself as the country’s first Amerindian restaurant.
PEPPERPOT – TASTY TRADITIONAL GUYANESE DISH
Image courtesy International Institute of Tropical Agriculture | Flick Next, the fully dried cassava root, resembling off-white flour, is poured into circular forms to cook over a fire. It is hung to dry and is soon ready to eat. While cassava bread is one of Guyana’s best known and loved foods, its preparation can require days of travel to obtain the right ingredients.
Made from just cassava and salt, farine can be mixed with sugar and milk, creating a nutritious drink. It can safely be stored over long periods, and it is an effective thickening agent for stews and soups. Farine can also be used as a stuffing for chicken or fish, and it forms a key component in several sweet dishes, such as white pudding, coconut rock buns, and black cake. PEPPERPOT – TASTY TRADITIONAL GUYANESE DISH G u y a n e s e Pepperpot is an Amerindian dish popular in Guyana and sometimes called pepper pot stew by the locals. It is traditionally served at Christmas and other special events; it is also Guyana’s national dish. Pepper pot is typically a stewed meat dish, strongly flavored with cinnamon, hot peppers, and Cassareep – a special sauce made from the Cassava root. Beef, mutton, and pork are the most popular meats used, though some have been known to use chicken. Pepperpot is popularly served with dense bread and butter, though it is equally as good with rice or roti
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