Monday December 17, 2018
The Iranian government’s longstanding persecution of the Baha’is in Iran DEAR EDITOR, The US House of Representatives said on December 12 that it “condemns” the Iranian government’s longstanding persecution of the Baha’is in Iran – the country’s largest religious minority. It was the 18th time that the House has passed a resolution on the situation of Iran’s Baha’i community since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The House resolution also called on the president and the secretary of state to “immediately condemn” Iran’s treatment of the Baha’is and to impose new sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are “directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha’i community.” The resolution, which passed unanimously, was introduced by eight Members of Congress and cosponsored by 132 more, 54 of whom are Republicans and 78 of whom are Democrats. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who introduced the resolution, said that, “Iran’s Baha’i
community is a frequent target of the regime’s human rights abuses and are subject to arbitrary arrest and harassment, denial of employment and the destruction of cemeteries and holy places.” She called the resolution a “strong message of support” for the Baha’is and other persecuted groups in Iran. US legislators noted that more than 90 Baha’is are currently in jail – approximately 850 have been arbitrarily detained since 1979, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom – and they called on the Iranian government to release all Baha’is and others imprisoned “solely on account of their religion.” Other findings, drawn largely from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom as well as the reports of the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Iran and on freedom of religion or belief, statements by the UN Secretary General and by the Baha’i International Community, which represents
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the Baha’is at the United Nations, detail the litany of systematic abuses suffered by Iranian Baha’is. The resolution notes that Iran’s government sees the Baha’is as “heretics” and executed more than 200 of them in the years after the 1979 Revolution. Religious minorities, especially the Baha’is suffer “societal discrimination” and “personal harassment”; Baha’i blood may be “spilled with impunity”; universities are “required” to exclude or expel any Baha’i students; and in a wave of economic discrimination, and there are reports that even private businesses have been “pressured to refuse employment to Baha’is,” while the government routinely shutters Baha’iowned businesses. The US resolution also observed that, according to the Baha’i International Community, there has been a recent surge in “anti-Baha’i hate propaganda” in Iran’s state-run media. The years 2010 and 2011 saw about 22 anti-Baha’i articles appear in Continued on page 6
A LAWFUL OBLIGATION DEAR EDITOR, The fact that there were tens of billions of dollars granted to businesses and related types allied to the former PPP/C administration; the false accusation that the Coalition Government has burdened the nation with in excess of 200 new taxes – a figment of Bharat Jagdeo’s deceptive persona; and promising in its party Local Government Elections programme that there would be no new taxes in the city, explains fully Bharat Jagdeo’s position on paying one’s fair share of taxes. Since it is well known that his “200 new taxes’’ claim is as false as his persona, one can perhaps safely conclude that it was a crooked plan to get the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to either slow its aggressive posture against tax dodgers that became institutionalized in this country, or to bring about a cessation of some kind of its exercise. But neither has occurred, nor will ever be. Not by a GRA led by Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia! Taxes, a most important
form of revenue; it is the life blood of any country’s development programmes – it is one of the main funding sources. Jagdeo knows this only too well. Instead, it was about excusing his friends and cronies from their fair share of taxes, while the mass of state employees fulfilled
their obligation. All Guyanese, who are eligible, especially those with private enterprises have a lawful obligation to pay taxes in accordance with their holdings. This is lawful, as in any other country. Regards Dillon Goring
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Monday December 17, 2018
The M&CC COI was designed to cause political mischief From page 4 his down payment”. Surely, not the plight of a “nueve rich” you might think; or a person who has “misappropriated funds”! And this aborted purchase and forfeiture happened in 2017 – two years after he became Town Clerk. What is the reasonable inference? A greater scandal and incitement there cannot be. SECOND, I refer to paragraphs 338, 352 and again 375. All three deal with incitement of terminability, as if it were a fait accompli. I do re-quote here part of paragraph 375 viz “while it is the easiest of recommendations to make this officer should be terminated ……” Putting it colloquially – “mouth open story jump out” This is incredulous. How could one be so cavalier and intemperate as regards another person’s career? Even as SARA and GPF is invited to go fishing, termination is recommended. Is the Kangaroo court like proceedings at the CoI, a hearing on which basis a finding, and punishment of termination can justly be made? Or is it that Royston King is not entitled to due process of law, nor to the presumption of innocence? The Town Clerk holding that high statutory office is not dismissible or terminable at will or pleasure of the LGC – is there prescribed disciplinary offences (the cosmetic useless references at paragraphs 384-387 to hypothetical disciplinary procedures only aggravates the misdirection). The LGC has absolutely no power to charge any Common Law offence or
tort of “misfeasance” (see paragraph 376). Accordingly, I would describe the author’s recommendation at paragraph 376 about “misfeasance” as pure impressionistic rubbish, engendered by some seemingly reflexive, knee jerk evil disposition and dispensation to contrive and conjure up recommendations in their scheming for the Town Clerk’s removal. For the author that is the “easiest” to do! THIRD, I briefly revisit the matter of the N.I.C.I.L disputed claim to the Sussex Street Wharf facility. In my previous letter I wrongly concluded (on the evidence of it not having been highlighted in the KN and GC articles) that the Town Clerk had been absolved and vindicated. I now refer to paragraph 388 viz “The wharf facility rented to Quick Shipping Inc. is not owned by the Council…” That (presumably a CoI finding of mixed fact and law) is a no-brainer. The CoI has woefully misdirected itself. I have dealt with the CoIs utter jurisdictional disability to make Judgelike findings of mixed fact and law, in my previous letter. If a CoI be permitted to make findings of mixed fact and law on inadmissible hearsay evidence/material, there is no limit to which its recommendations, based on such findings, may be used to unjustly deprive officers of their offices/rights. That is a frightening monstrosity. How then, could the author not apprehend this elementary constitutional jurisdictional disability of the CoI to hear and decide disputed land
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION... From page 4 Human Rights body, exempting them from adhering to any of its obligations; Clement Rohee was the Foreign Minister at that time. On the 16th January 2001, the 1997 elections was nullified, on the grounds its procedures contravened the constitution, denying some 30,000 voters from casting their vote, this act rendered the existence of the controversial Janet Jagan term as President null and void. In 2002, they constructed the Procurement act, the tenets of this act was constructed to empower the manufactured PPP contractors once defined as fishermen turn contractor, while rendering the Afro Guyanese contractors and all others outside of subordination to ‘Freedom House’ to sub-contractors, the people at the Tender Board remained silent. As from 2015, the later contractors complained, the sinister construct of that act had to wait until the swearing in of the Procurement Commission in 2016 with Chairperson Carol Corbin to understand how
Ideological racism is inserted in the Laws. “The procuring entity shall establish no criterion, requirement or procedure with respect to the qualifications of the suppliers or contractors that discriminate against or against categories thereof on the basis of nationality’. The latter from discriminate should be considered harmful, but that the Procurement Act does not by Law itself provide for the accommodation of the 20% intended by the APNU-AFC government brings into question the philosophy of the PPPC in designing this Act. Fine man and his gang who conducted the Lusignan massacre are now dead or in prison. How does anyone tell the relatives of the Lindo Creek massacre, who from its inception sources from the Joint services had indirectly pointed to the guilty as persons assigned to them, and I had maintained in my letter to the media? The Home Affairs Minister and the Prime Minister of the PPP had presented themselves to lie to the head of that mining
The Iranian government’s...
From page 5 the media each month; in 2014, it was about 400 such articles a month; and by 2016, the number of anti-Baha’i pieces in the media had shot up to 1,500 a month. Congressman Ted Deutch, a key co-sponsor of the resolution, said that “the House is sending a strong and unified message that we condemn the Iranian regime’s religious persecution and human rights violations … We’re also calling on the administration to take serious action against those responsible.” Yours Rooplall Dudhnath
operation and the grieving families on this matter. How do you tell these families to forgive on some superficial pretext? Which would constitute a denial of justice, how do you tell the mothers of sons never allowed to bury their children to forgive the high official who George ‘Bumbalay’ Bacchus said on 28 TV had instructed them, meaning he, the informant, and his government death squad colleagues, not to throw the ‘bodies they murdered all over the place’. Many of the people killed, like the Baker brothers were not criminals but citizens with civil contentions with people who had money to pay the death squad members and their affiliates, to commit murder because the State had facilitated this platform. I can understand knowing all this, why Minister Volda Lawrence lost it and said what she should have done rather than said. As a citizen, I hold the APNU-AFC accountable especially when I hear the Leader of the PPP and Leslie Ramsammy, and those people who have damaged this country so much, pretending not to be the twisted demented people they are, masquerading a facade of normalcy, its tantamount to witnessing Adolf Eichmann as part of the Government of Israel or as an opinion maker of that state. Yes this nation needs to be cleansed but not through a Reconciliation Commission but through our courts and the Hague Court of crimes against Humanity. Barrington Braithwaite
ownership? Moreover, it was fully articulated in my 17 pages written closing submission served on the Secretary on 9th November as attested by his signature on the return duplicate copy. Makes me wonder, if it was even read and considered. Here is my deduction: come hell or high water, by this N.I.C.I.L matter, the Town Clerk must be embarrassed, vilified, and brought into public ridicule and odium, even if it means the author’s own self-induced and self-inflicted embarrassment of a no-brainer. The author must know that his vilification is pyrrhic only; the law and justice will ultimately absolve and vindicate the Town Clerk. And why does the author callously denies the existence of section 8A(g) of the M&DCA as inserted by the Municipal And District Councils (Amendment) Act 2013 (see paragraph 158); and why does the CoI, paradoxically, solicits an opinion from the Town Clerk (ag) to contradict the substantive Town Clerk’s interpretation of the M&DCA, and relies on her interpretation (see paragraph 155-157) that the Town Clerk has no power to lease the wharf, without the council’s approval first obtained. Until and unless a competent court of law (which the CoI is not) gives a contrary interpretation, the interpretation and opinion of the Town Clerk (under and by the force of the SIXTH SCHEDULE of the M&DCA) as to his functions and power under section 321 of the M&DCA, is binding and final on the Council; and surely the CoI, must abide his interpretation, whether it entertains a different view (see paragraphs 166 & 325). If it apprehends the Town Clerk’s statutory power to be dysfunctional; on the Town Clerk’s interpretation as to the scope of that power, it can only recommend amendment to the M&DCA (ironically, the M&DCA was amended in 2013 by the insertion of section 8A(g) to solidify the then PPP/C Town Clerk Sooba management vires over the Council’s affairs. FOURTH, I briefly mention the inflammatory matter of contracts. I refer to paragraph 336 viz “The documents also indicated that contracts were awarded to friends and associates of key officials of the Council …..” What rubbish! Does the author have Divine or/and psychic powers to know from a name on “the documents” who is friend of who! But moreover, here again, the author is in deniability and trivialization of the relevant provision of the M&DCA vis-a-vis section 70 (under the rubric “Interest in Contracts”) which clearly does not prohibit such contracts, but only requires disclosure and recusal from voting on them by the concerned councilor. If Councillors’ spouses are permitted under section 70 to have contracts with Council, then, a fortiori are “friends”. The authors’ lamentation and inflammatory remark is evidence of his bad faith. FIFTH, the no-confidence motion matter. Here too, I had in my previous letter wrongly concluded that the CoI had absolved and vindicated the Town Clerk. What naivete on my part. I refer to paragraph 175, which is periphrastically worded viz “I recommend that the advice of the Attorney-at-Law Edwards, if accepted that the motion be sent to the LGC for the necessary action to be taken against the Town Clerk for his alleged wrongdoings. Additionally, it is my considered opinion that Mr. Edwards was acting on behalf of the Town Clerk and not the Council, accordingly, the Mayor ought to have sought independent legal advice on the issue (motion). In any event, she did not deal with the motion as what was put to the Councillors was whether the advice of the Attorney-at-Law Edwards, should be accepted, which was totally wrong”. This is rubbish compounded with asinity. I have agonized about whether it deserves a joiner from me. This matter was comprehensively and impeccably dealt with
in my 17 pages closing address. Suffice it to say that the author’s misrepresentation of the events which have happened in this matter is dishonest; his conclusion is vacuous. His convoluted diatribe explains his feeble attempt to discredit. I repeat for emphasis, that the M&DCA (the Sixth Schedule) vests in the Town Clerk and the Town Clerk only, the exclusive power to give final and BINDING advice (legal) to the Mayor on such matter. Only a competent Court of Law in litigation before it, can find IN THE EXERCISE OF THE COURT’S INTERPRETATIVE POWER that the Town Clerk/Mayor acted wrongly on such legal advice, and misinterpreted and misapplied the M&DCA. The CoI is not such a Court; neither is it permitted to foist and substitute its understanding on the Town Clerk by usurping his function; again it is wholly irrelevant as regards the competence of the Town Clerk’s act, whether the author of the Report has a different view (including some vacuous supposition about “bias”; “independent legal advice”). If the M&DCA as it is unworkable, the remedy lies in its amendment by Parliament. Has any been recommended? None. The author’s obsession to vilify and criminalize is not compatible with such recommendation. SIXTH (finally) the pure outrage of the recommendation of some compensation payment to Carol Sooba (former Town Clerk) she not even having appeared before the CoI to testify under oath about anything (see paragraphs 388s, 277 to 278). What errant nonsense that on the basis only of Sooba’s “written statement” the author says “…. the only rational and logical conclusion I have arrived it is that she should have resumed duties as the Legal Officer… in the given circumstances one can only recommend that she be compensated for her wrongful removal from office”. I suspect that this recommendation, lacking as it does any basis in law, or fact, must be some considerable embarrassment to even the LGC. There was no such ToR. In a Court of Law, any such claim by Sooba would be summarily struck out, as bound to fail (In an action in 2013 – No 103 – M by Royston King challenging her appointment, Chang, CJ (ag) on April 10, 2014 ruled, quashing her appointment as being ultra vires the Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap 28:01). So her appointment was a nullity – ex nihilo nihil fit (out of nothing, can come nothing. En passant I mention a fact that must arouse in any right thinking person, acute suspicion. It is this: The CoI Secretary and Legal Officer (and presumed drafter of the Report) hails from the same village of Fyrish Corentyne as Carol Sooba. Pause and ponder on the recommended windfall compensation payment on the basis of an inadmissible “written statement” – bias most foul, as Shakespeare might have written. Such indulgence of (uncharitable) philanthropic generosity (not at the author’s expense) but at the expense of the rate payers of Georgetown, is impermissible. So, again I ask: what is the reasonable inference to be drawn? I end with this: bias is an insidious thing. It takes a judicial mind, temper and experience and wisdom to resist the human urge to be biased. If this Report was in fact drafted by the former Chancellor, most respectfully, I regret that the facilities of his judicial temper and spirit and experience must have abandoned him. On one possible view it was not. Guyana BREXIT must be thwarted – judicially if necessary. It is pernicious – a poisoned cocktail of gratification of ill-will, undisclosed surrogacy, and a desire to cleanse from the Council, officers known, or perceived to be Government supporters. Yours, Maxwell E. Edwards Attorney-at-Law
Monday December 17, 2018
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Port Georgetown to be modernized through partnership with private sector By Kiana Wilburg After taking into account the concerns by shippers and port handlers, with regard to wharf facilities and the dredging of the Demerara River, the government has committed to preparing for the modernization of Port Georgetown. This was recently revealed by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. The economist noted that the project will be done as a joint business development model between the private sector and Government. He noted however that in order to attract private sector financing, the government is required to conduct a feasibility study of the port modernization project. When completed, Jordan said that the government will offer a prospectus to invite the many investors who have expressed interest in a Public Private Partnership model for the development of the port. The Minister noted that Government’s holistic vision of creating and linking critical infrastructure to drive private sector growth, enhance competitiveness and power development cannot be completed without addressing the state of Port Georgetown. Hence, the commitment to the project is a most timely and pressing one. TRANSPARENT PROCESS The Government of Guyana has also made it clear that it is committed to a fully transparent process when it comes to Public Private Partnerships (PPP). The APNU+AFC administration made this known in its policy framework which was released by the Ministry of Finance. The document notes that the government intends to ensure that information about all Public Private Partnership projects and the performance of the Public Private Partnership programme, is publicly available. It said that this will enable independent auditing entities and the public to hold the Government accountable for its management of the programme. To this end, the Government said that it will disclose Public Private Partnership project and programme information in several regards. It said that information on each potential project and invitation for Expressions of Interest will be published as part of the tender process. The Government said that Public Private Partnership contracts will be published as soon as they become effective, along with a summary of the key project features and commercial terms. It said that
- Finance Minister
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan certain contractual details may be excluded to protect commercially sensitive information—but, considering the output-based characteristics of such contracts, commercially sensitive information will not generally be included, creating an expectation of full contract disclosure. The Government articulated that contract changes will also be published as soon as they become effective. With respect to performance data of each active Public Private Partnership project, the Government said that it will be publicly available. The APNU+AFC administration said that the projects and programme as a whole, may be periodically audited to assess whether the provisions of this policy have been followed, and whether the resultant projects are achieving the stated aims of the policy. It said, too, that external advisors may be contracted to provide appropriate expertise in assessing project quality. PPP POLICY Finance Minister, Winston Jordan recently explained that the framework provides a structured platform for the local and external private sector to meaningfully engage the Government in achieving its national development agenda. As Guyana rapidly approaches oil producer status, with the attendant massive inflow of new resources, Jordan said that the inclusiveness of all stakeholders in national development becomes
a pressing imperative. As such, Jordan noted that the document is a timely one. According to the document, it is Government’s intention to encourage innovation in as many areas as possible. The Government noted that traditionally, Public Private Partnerships have been applied to the infrastructure sector - in particular, in infrastructure, electricity, telecommunication, water, transport and solid waste sectors, and increasingly in the Social (Health and Education) and Information sectors. In the early stages of developing Public Private Partnerships, Government said it will focus on the following key areas of development: the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Linden-Lethem road link, the Deep Water Harbour and Container Port, the Mini and Maxi Hydro Plants and Energy Farms, Plantation Agriculture, the Modernization and Dredging of Port Georgetown, the Milk Plant for Guyana, the Information Technology farm; and Agro-industrial and Small Manufacturing arks. Further to this, the Government notes that the benefits and advantages of Public Private Partnerships can be significant when they are well designed and implemented in a balanced regulatory framework. It noted however that those positive outcomes have to be earned through projects that can catalyze development, are financially viable, will minimize impact on the national debt and can favourably affect Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. To achieve this, the Government said that creative, competitive and transparent procurement processes as well as clearly articulated policies and procedures followed by thorough due diligence, must be applied. It said that there are, therefore, certain key pre-conditions that need to be present in the policy
framework for Public Private Partnerships, as they are critical to delivering successful outcomes. It said that these preconditions have been identified as affordability, the legislative environment, institutional arrangements and capacity building. On the issue of affordability, the Government pointed out that this is a key requirement of all such projects. It said that the options must be affordable both to Government, and the public, given competing priorities and commitments. The Government said that the rationale for Public Private Partnerships is improved management of scarce resources, better risk allocation and more efficient and cost-effective delivery of services. The Government said however, it should be noted that while the private sector may be willing to finance and deliver infrastructure and services through the projects, only users or taxpayers can
pay for these goods and services. It stressed that affordability, therefore, acts as a real constraint, and public bodies will need to give considerable thought to the selection of potential Public Private Partnership projects, ensuring always that their choices are in line with Government’s policy priorities and objectives. With respect to the legislative environment, the Government said that Guyana already has many of the ingredients required for a successful Public Private Partnership programme: a stable administration; an independent judiciary; a robust Procurement Act and mechanism; and reasonably well-performing public institutions. “However, political and regulatory risks can be potential barriers to effective Public Private Partnership implementation. A new Public Private Partnership regulatory framework will be approved to provide further and concrete evidence of Government’s commitment to a Public Private Partnership policy and to establish the principles and rules with which all public bodies
will be required to comply.” As for institutional arrangements, the Government contended in its policy that international experience suggests that identifying and establishing clear and unambiguous institutional functions at the onset of a country’s Public Private Partnership programme, greatly assists in successful Public Private Partnership implementation. It said that while institutional roles and responsibilities may change over time, as Government’s experience with PPP’s grow, the following public institutions will have integral roles in the programme: the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Business. The Government said that strategic direction of the Government’s PPP programme will be the responsibility of a Steering Committee. A Public Private Partnership Core Team, within the Ministry of Finance will act as the Secretariat to the Steering Committee and as a focal point for the day-to-day management of the programme.
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Monday December 17, 2018
Guyana needs to urgently review legislative, policy framework for oil sector - Dr. Mangal By Kiana Wilburg Expressing concern again about Guyana’s lack of preparedness for the oil sector, former Petroleum Advisor to the Government, Dr. Jan Mangal yesterday called for an urgent review of the legislative and policy framework for the industry. His comments come on the heels of a Kaieteur News publication, which revealed that no policies have been completed, or legislation updated for the petroleum industry. In an invited comment, Dr. Mangal said that Guyana can only progress if it has the most important resource and that is the human resource. He bemoaned the fact that Guyana’s authorities have still not hired teams of experienced oil and gas professionals. Thus, Dr. Mangal said that Guyana does not have the appropriately qualified people to draft quality oil and gas legislation and develop the regulatory structures. “These teams of experienced oil and gas professionals are needed ASAP. The first draft of the Petroleum Commission Bill was unacceptable, and the second draft could be the same,” the former consultant said. “Also, it seems that the (Natural Resource Fund) legislation is being criticized for similar deficiencies witnessed in the Petroleum Commission Bill. “One of the main tasks in the proposal for the new Department of Energy, which I submitted in March was to review the whole legislative
…Says, “Guyana needs to get this right from the start”
Former Petroleum Advisor to Govt., Dr. Jan Mangal framework in a holistic manner. (An) extract from the proposal (says) : ‘Oil and Gas institutional framework: Existing institutional, legal and regulatory laws are outdated and likely not appropriate and/or do not exist. (There is an) urgent need to step back and look holistically at the issue. Guyana needs to get this right from the start.” UNDPMAKESAPPEAL In 2016, the Government of Guyana received a crucial report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which outlined the legislative and institutional weaknesses that would affect the success of the emerging oil sector. Two years later, there has been no movement from the government on the report that was written by Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant of the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists Ltd. The report notes that there are several laws and
regulations, which need updating. These include: the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Act; the Mining Act; the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, No. 3 of 1986; the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Regulations, 1986; the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, 1998, Chapter 65:10; the Environmental Protection Act; and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99:01. Paul in the report said that the legislative and institutional frameworks in Guyana are, not surprisingly, unprepared for managing the petroleum sector in its current phase of development. The Principal Consultant said that both the legislative and institutional frameworks and their component parts are critical for successful management of the resource. He opined that given the pace of change, Guyana is at risk of losing very significant value unless the gaps identified are closed rapidly. Paul said, “In order that Guyana maximizes the benefits available from oil and gas, while mitigating the possible negative impacts, a customized governance framework, including the legislative and institutional components, is a necessary ingredient for success. That said, the approach to designing them can follow an intuitive approach, which can stand the test of time, if properly designed, built and
maintained, while adhering to the key principles of good governance.” The Oil and Gas Consultant continued, “Experiences from other countries will influence the processes involved in developing an appropriate legislative framework and a world class regulator. These experiences tell us that a governance framework requires that the policies, legislation and institutions must be designed, set up, operated and overseen in a manner that is inclusive, transparent and accountable.” He added, “To be effective, these require that a monitoring, review, reporting and revision mechanism is built into the system and not left as an afterthought or to the whims and fancies of future governments or regulators. One danger in not implementing this mechanism is that, as things change and in the absence of new systems, decision making is ad hoc and the quality of decisions and outcomes are entirely dependent on the capacity and indepen-
dence of the regulators.” INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK A robust and proactive regulatory body is a central part of the institutional framework that Guyana would need for its petroleum sector. Paul and other international advocates of good governance have made this point time and again. In fact, Executive Director of Agency for Security, Energy and the Environment (ASEA) of Mexico, Carlos De Regules was keen to support this position as well. He told Kaieteur News that Guyana’s institutional framework, particularly its regulatory body for the sector must be independent. It must be free from any instance of political interference. The Executive Director of ASEA said, “So before achieving full scale development of the oil and gas resources, Guyana has the opportunity to create an institutional framework that make the sector stakeholders operate in a responsible manner…” The Mexican official added, “But I can’t stress enough that one of the ingredients of this institutional framework will be astute and honourable regulators. One of
Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant of the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists the characteristics of a good regulator is independence. You want regulators who are defining the rules for the long run, to be independent from the political cycle. They should also be financially independent so they can plan for the long term and have the resources to do so.” The Oil and Gas Expert said that the sooner Guyana can have strengthened systems for environmental regulation in place, then it would be better off in terms of managing the sector.
Monday December 17, 2018
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From power sharing to power swapping Now that the PNCR has lost comprehensively the 2018 local government elections, there is a resurgence of talk about the need for power sharing. The same voices who are now preaching about power sharing were not as insistent over the past three and half years on the need to bring the PPPC into the government But the possibility of a PPPC return to power in 2020, which now seems almost certain if free and fair elections are held – has seen renewed calls for shared governance. Why is it that these calls become so resounding when either the PPPC is in power
or, as if now the case, have a real chance of regaining office? The PNCR holds a oneseat majority in the National Assembly but from the way it has hogged political power and the way it has used that power suggests, would make those who never knew how slender is the PNCR’s hold on power, that the APNU+AFC has a commanding majority in the National Assembly. When the PPPC was minority government and the APNU and the AFC collectively held a one seat majority, there was no attempt at power sharing. The PPPC tried to engage the APNU
DEM BOYS SEH Is nuff motion when Jagdeo drink salts fuh Friday De coalition government got a lot of fighters. When de local government elections done is then dem start talk fat. Li’l Joe tell a meeting “No more nice guy.” Dat is wha Dirty Harry did tell a crook after he boss tek way he badge. At first, dem boys thought he was talking bout he face because it ain’t nice. Even Basil de Willie did tell dem people at Congress Place dat Li’l Joe ain’t a nice guy. But wha Li’l Joe did mean is dat he don’t intend to behave like a nice guy. But then again, dem boys know dat he never behave like a nice guy. He stand up and announce dat anybody who did tek de vehicles from de government didn’t have to worry once dem bring it back and park it. Jenny tek de will fuh de deed and she do dat yet Li’l Joe mek she get charge. To dis day, she still vex because he nearly mek she sleep in East La Penitence. Now dem got Amna. She is always a warrior. Dat is why Jagdeo don’t want nutten to do wid she. She did tell him dat she gon see him in jail and he believe she. He even tell de Chat-3 to prepare to defend him. Of course, de Chat-3 don’t have to get an invitation to defend any party member. He handle couple cases and he win. Dat was when he start to ask if Basil de Willie know anything bout law. He even talk hard how Basil de Willie lose a law school. But when Basil win de big cases against him was anodda story. Anyhow, dem boys talking bout Amna. Jagdeo file a noconfidence motion against de coalition. He wait till Soulja Bai was in Cuba to do dat because he believe de Parliament woulda be short pon de coalition side. But Moses never stop going to Parliament and Jagdeo get vex. Dat is how Amna watch he full in he face and tell him, “Bring it on.” And when she seh suh, she puff up she chest. Jagdeo seh he gon bring it on. Since then Amna training hard. Dem boys she, dem see she joggin pon de seawall. She and Soulja Bai gon lead de attack against de motion. Jagdeo and he team gon have to drink a lot of salts to mek de motion really powerful. Talk half and wait fuh Friday.
alone, preferring to isolate the AFC. The PPPC and the PNCR were on the brink of an agreement for the 2012 Budget when the APNU backpedaled in the face of Opposition from a section of their support base and the AFC. Despite this, the APNU+AFC went into the 2015 elections with a promise to bring the PPPC into the government regardless of the results of the elections. But no sooner did the Coalition attain a razor-slim one seat majority that the PNCR was back to its old ways of deception. Instead of power sharing, the PNCR preached a watered down substitute called social cohesion. The PNCR was in effect saying that they preferred to ensure that the two main racial groupings enjoy an amicable relationship rather than have power sharing between the parties, which represent these two major blocks. It is no surprise that attempts by Jimmy Carter, the former United States
President, to have talks between the two parties have not had much progress. Carter and his advisors see the writing on the wall for the Coalition government. They know what happens whenever the PNCR is that party resorts to fomenting violent instability in the streets. Carter no doubt feels that pre-election dialogue can help to prevent post-election violence. He is mistaken in that respect. The PNCR, if the elections are free and fair, will unleash the same type of response as it did from 1997 to 2006. From 2006 to 2011, the PNCR adopted a different approach and that approach actually worked. The PNCR weakened the PPPC by coming off the streets and lulling the PPPC in a false sense of security. The ensuring skullduggery of the PPPC government appalled some of the party’s supporters that there was sufficient enough swing vote, which when combined with demographic changes, led
eventually to a minority PPPC government in 2011 and then the loss of power in 2015. Now that the APNU+AFC has demonstrated its own superior record of mismanagement and skullduggery, it faces the real prospect of being a one-term government. And so the power sharing is now the talk of the town. However, the result of the 2015 elections ironically stands as the greatest obstacle to power sharing. The Coalition government won the elections by under 5,000 votes. It is quite plausible that once there are free and fair elections, for there to be regular changes in government via the ballot box in all future elections. All future elections, if free and fair, are likely to be so close that the Coalition or the PPPC can win. Guyanese therefore do not need power sharing. Future elections are likely to lead to the regular swapping
of political power between the PNCR and the PPPC. The PPPC is likely to prevail in 2020 but the PNCR/ AFC can easily rebound in 2023 and then lose it again to the PPPC. All indications are that the PNCR will be able to convince certain leaders of the AFC to merge the AFC into the PNCR. Guyanese therefore have to prepare themselves for regular changes in governments at elections. This is a much better option that power sharing. Given the testy relationship between the APNU and the AFC, it is perhaps best that no power sharing talks take place with the PPPC. If the PNCR cannot trust the AFC, then how is it going to involve the PPPC in government?
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Can Guyanese Youth Bridge the Racial Divide? Guyana’s racial climate gets quite tense at times. There’s no arguing with that. An often overlooked aspect when engaging in discourse about race is that there is a dynamic of power held by two majority groups, AfroGuyanese and IndoGuyanese, that is unparalleled. The absence of this consideration leads many to assume that minority groups and majority groups are all on equal footage and that racial micro-aggressions have similar weighting. Indo-Guyanese people account for 39 percent of the Guyanese Population, according to the 2012 Housing and Population Census; the largest demographic by ethnicity. Kaieteur News interviewed two Indo-Guyanese youth on how they perceive and navigate racial issues in Guyana. Anthony Rachpaul is a student at the University of Guyana. Faudia Ramjohn is a production supervisor, at 20, for Sterling Products Ltd. Asked how he perceives the current state of race relations in Guyana, University Student, Anthony Rachpaul said, “I think that we are way behind, and we’re not exactly doing our best. When you look at communities where the majority are Indian or Black, there’s always some sort of tension between them and the minority. It’s like we’re conditioned to believe that our race is better than the other by our rela-
Part Two: An Indo-Guyanese Perspective
Anthony Rachpaul, 19 tives.” Rachpaul has some interesting views on the current perception of racism. “When you look at it, racism is not [treated as] a big issue in Guyana. It’s not really mentioned. It’s an underlying issue. You’d notice it but it’s not really talked about. People always like to say “I’m not racist,” but when you look at their actions and the things they say, they clearly are.” Rachpaul believes that people experience a cognitive dissonance where they perpetuate racism, by even commonly making racist statements and micro-aggressions against fellow Guyanese, but still find a difficulty seeing themselves as racists because people know that racism is bad, and don’t see themselves identifying with that sort of stigma. Rachpaul said that an-
swering the question of whether someone is racist is not as absolute as “Yes” or “No”, but it is about identifying whether they actively judge persons based on common identifiers of their ethnicity. A person could not want to be racist but still perpetuate racist attitudes, according to Rachpaul. He said that, to solve racism, persons should try to explore different cultures and talk to different people; that it would help to deepen appreciation for other people, and the challenges they face as a race. He further said that persons are quick to make assumptions about persons based on what they look like, and shouldn’t do so because it is not constructive to assume who someone is from just the colour of their skin. Ramjohn recalled seeing comments regularly on social media from, typically, older Guyanese folks trading insults across the racial divide, on political news articles. She said, “[Politics] is definitely the main contributing factor. I remember Indo-Guyanese solely voting for the PPP/C in the last election because [the coalition] has an [AfroGuyanese] president. I remember Afro-Guyanese people condemning the PPP/ C, not for their policies and their questionable political
decisions, but because they perceive them as ‘coolie’…it’s solely based on race.” She said that, when any political party is in power, many people see that party as representative of the power of their ethnic group. So when the APNU/AFC Coalition won the last General Election, some Afro-Guyanese people were heard making remarks like “We run things now” to IndoGuyanese. She also recalled similar sentiments being expressed by Indo-Guyanese during the PPP/C’s time in power. “The government does a poor job of hiding their prejudice,” she said, recalling Minister Nicolette Henry’s controversial statement a year ago.
Referring to her personal issues with racial micro-aggressions, she said “I was once told that I dress too “coolie, coolie” and that I need to stop. It’s not that big of a deal compared to what other people face but, when it happens, I would say things like ‘And so what? What’s wrong with that? It shouldn’t bother you’ or I just wouldn’t answer. Ramjohn said, “I think the most important thing is to speak up when certain things happen. Tolerance [of racism] is the main reason discrimination and race-related issues still thrive.” She said that persons have a responsibility to not be bystanders because, then,
Faudia Ramjohn, 20 that makes them complicit in injustice. “People need to stop tolerating it, ignoring it or pretending it’s not there. Somebody’s being racist? Tell them. Let them know that it’s not okay. Don’t let it slide.”
UN calls for 'credible' probe into Khashoggi murder ALJAZEERA - UN Chief Antonio Guterres has called for a "credible" investigation into journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. "It is absolutely essential to have a credible investigation and to have the punishment of those that were guilty," Guterres said at the Doha Forum conference in Qatar on Sunday. The UN Chief said he had no information on the case except what had been reported in the media. Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to the Washington Post, was killed on October 2 shortly after entering the kingdom's consulate in what Riyadh called a "rogue" operation. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly rejected Turkish demands to extradite suspects connected to the murder of the journalist, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 'IGNORING MURDER' Turkey's foreign minister said on Saturday that his country would "not give up" on establishing the truth about the murder. "We haven't received any new information or outcome of the investigation from the Saudi side," Mevlut Cavusoglu said, also in Qatar, which has been the target of a Saudi-led boycott since June 2017. "Turkey will not give up on this; we will go to the end." Cavusoglu also said that many European countries are ignoring the murder, even as they promote freedom of expression and protection of journalists.
Guterres delivered a speech during the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on December 16 "Many European countries, who are promoting freedom of media, freedom of expression, are closing their eyes. These countries, and the politicians, are putting some sanctions on people who are already in prison, who will never be visiting those countries. At the same time, we haven't accepted any proposal to close this case," the foreign minister said at the Doha Forum. Earlier this month, the minister said Turkey was in talks over a possible United Nations investigation into the killing that has provoked global outrage. According to Turkey, a 15member Saudi team was sent to Istanbul to kill Khashoggi, a palace insider turned critic of the Saudi leadership. Riyadh has since detained 21 people over the murder. Despite speculation that the powerful crown prince ordered the hit, the kingdom has strongly denied that he was involved. The murder has damaged
Riyadh's international reputation and Western countries, including the United States, France and Canada, have placed sanctions on nearly 20 Saudi nationals. In addition, the US Senate voted on Thursday to approve a resolution calling for an end to US involvement in the Saudi-UAE-led military campaign in Yemen, setting the stage for a potential showdown next year between Congress and President Donald Trump over US military support for Saudi Arabia. The Senate also approved a resolution saying that Prince Mohammed is responsible for the murder of Khashoggi. US politicians have grown increasingly outraged as the number of civilians killed in Yemen by Saudi and UAE air attacks using US-made weapons has risen dramatically in the past two years. The Saudi-UAE Coalition launched an intervention in 2015 through a massive air campaign targeting Houthi rebels.
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Demerara Bank takes Santa to orphans FOR RENT
SERVICES
FOR SALE
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Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisement, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINE, FREEZER, SALE OFAC’S. TEL#629-4946,225-4822 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Royal’s Beauty Salon located @ Parika Highway 2nd floor, Grand Christmas Promotion. Call#697-2780 HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924 TO LET Furnished self-contained rooms & 1 bedroom apt (Herstelling Moca road) #660-0600/622-8166 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Tel#277-0578
table.
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Empty 20lbs Shell/Tex bottle also Acetylene & Oxygen 5 Leyland DAF Flatbed lorry, owner migrating, #228-5655/ 649-8449 Wholesale: Diesel Generators, Purple onions, Garlic, Bicycles, Baby Prams, Tiger Balm available @ GT Wholesale #655-4303 German Shepherd pups & husky pup for sale. Contact Devi #639-2828/225-3721 Going cheap, great Christmas gift. Black pudding, White pudding, Souse, Pastries, Black cake, Fruit cake. Place orders # 613-5062
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Salon for rental, New Market St, Georgetown, also hair/ nails/barber/massage. Makeup stations for rental #638-1106 1 Apt for rent- Bottom flat for rent, for business. Contact Radica Kassim #264-2639 Lot 7-8 Plantain Walk WBD Mini excavator $8,800 per hour, also Bobcat service available. Tel#623-0290 New 4 Storey Building at Parika (Guyana’s Gateway) near stelling. Willing to divide. Call: 699-4513. Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park $60,000 #641-3318
PROPERTY FOR SALE
1-3 bedroom house fully furnished $ 1-2 Bedroom. All modern conveniences. please call: 652-3678 Parking & Proper security available.
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Newly constructed 2 bedroom house and apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496/ 622-6512
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Demerara Bank yesterday brought smiles to several orphaned children from Sophia Care Home, A Sanctuary Children’s Home, and Saheed’s Boys and Girls Orphanages as they presented their inaugural Christmas cheer and fun day. WANTED The event was held at the Indian Monument Garden and Demerara Bakery Inc. is consisted of a number of activities for the children. looking for Distributors, The children made full use of a bouncy ‘castle’ and the Wholesalers & Retailers. Call trampoline, and engaged in face painting throughout the event. us on 266-5847 or email: The children were treated to tasty meals as Santa Claus, sales@demerarabakery.com Mrs. Claus and their helpers came out and presented them with several treats. We buy land in Eccles, When they completed their meal, there was more games Herstelling, Farm, Parfaite and thrills. Mrs. Claus took charge of the kids, especially those Harmonie, Uivlugt, Zeelugt, taking part in the balloon race. Providence & Dairy Tel# 611Despite his size, Santa found time to run around a bit with 7223/651-1969 the children. Although they were still filled with energy, Santa and his helpers managed to gather the children to receive Beautician, Nail Technician, their presents. must be qualified & have atleast 1 year in salon experience. Salary/ Commission. Contact#6266450 Wanted experienced taxi hire car driver at Ramada Princess hotel. Contact# 616-5419/2657075 One maid. #621-3080
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Monday December 17, 2018
Annandale hit-and run…
Lawyer, mystery woman offer $1.9M to dead teen’s parents - also offer to purchase medication for other victim still in coma - claim driver has ‘run away to Suriname’ Is your child’s life worth $1.9M with $300,000 thrown in for his burial? That’s what a Guyanese lawyer and a female Chinese national are offering the parents of 15-year-old Karcchan Khemraj, whose life was snuffed out by a hit-and run driver two Sundays ago, while his 15-year-old friend lies unconscious in hospital. Jaipaul Khemraj, the teen’s father, said that the attorney, accompanied by another lawyer and an unidentified woman, turned up at the family’s Annandale, East Coast Demerara home at around 15:00 hrs on Saturday. According to the father, the woman claimed to be a relative of the driver, but then claimed that she was “representing the Chinese.” “The lawyer (name given) asked me how much money we want to settle the matter, but I tell he, we really poor and my son is the breadwinner; he used to work and take care of we family,” the father told Kaieteur News. Mr. Khemraj said he is blind in one eye and also has a heart ailment. The father said that the attorney then suggested $1.6M to settle the matter and $300,000 for funeral expenses. In turn, the father said he proposed $10M in compensation, but the attorney said that the offer was too high. “He (the attorney) said that they can’t afford $10M and if the matter goes before the court it’s going to cost us $7,000 and we won’t get anything.” The attorney reportedly pressed the family to accept
the $1.6M, and allegedly told the grieving father that he should consult with his family about the cost of the funeral. “The lawyer said that I should talk with my family and see how much money, they want for the funeral, cause I explain to him that we very poor and it’s some cousins and people in the village that helping we with the funeral,” Mr. Khemraj said. This newspaper understands that when the family made inquiries about the whereabouts of the driver who caused their child’s death, they were told that he had run away to Suriname. The attorneys and the woman then left, but promised to call at 18:00 hrs, after visiting the family of 16year-old Reaz Shaw, who remains unconscious. Kaieteur News understands that the attorneys and the woman then visited the home of the survivor, but the family was out. A neighbour who said that she chided the visitors for trying to offer the family “money and food” while their child lay critically injured in hospital. At around 09:00 hrs yesterday, the lawyer contacted Mr. Khermraj by phone. This time, he allegedly offered $1.9M and $300,000 for funeral expenses. Later, the woman and the attorney visited the other family at the Georgetown Hospital, where they had gone to see their stillunconscious son, Reaz Shaw. The father stated that the Continued on page 27
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Failure to address deep racial division before oil, another huge mistake by Govt. - Ramson By Abena RockcliffeCampbell “Blacks are thieves and hardcore criminals; Indians are greedy, scamps. “Unfortunately, in this day and age, this is how we see each other. But one of the worst things that we can do to ourselves as a nation is to allow this sort of division to continue as we move closer to becoming an oil producing nation.” Attorney-at-law and politician, Charles Ramson Junior said this yesterday during an interview with this newspaper. He recalled his comments of Guyana’s state of ill preparedness for oil in face of the likelihood that production will begin next year. Ramson said, “Remember I spoke about the fact that the government has little in place to manage the sector? I highlighted the fact that we have absolutely no policy in place, no Sovereign Wealth Fund, no Local Content Policy and a very small budget for the Department of Energy. Well all of that is bad and tell us that we will struggle. But, just as bad is the fact that the government is doing little to nothing to address the deep racial division that exists in our country.” The former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/
Attorney-at-Law and former MP, Charles Ramson C) Member of Parliament said that oil often brings its own problems, “Literally too numerous to mention.” Ramson said that the government has been warned about how oil can destroy a country with ethnic rivalry. The lawyer recalled that the Carter Center had warned, in a report following the 2015 election, that the “anticipated influx of oil revenue has the potential to exacerbate ethnic and political conflicts.” Ramson said that the Carter Center spoke about that as it highlighted the need for Constitutional Reform. Ramson said that if Guyana continues on its current trajectory, the country
would never reach the “potential of which we, politicians, like to speak.” The lawyer said that one of the most dangerous things about deep division in an oil producing country is that “we risk being taken advantage by those who love the divide and conquer technique and if we create the division on our own, then we really making it easy for the outsiders.” “Only recently, I spoke extensively about the need to address division. This was at the forum hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.” He said that the topic then was, “a changing society from the controversial and often understudied perspective of race looking specifically at a way forward.” Ramson said that, during his presentation, he made reference to the many daily comments on Facebook that spew race hate. “But I also pointed out that things can get worse.” The lawyer said that he is convinced that Guyanese cannot continue to ignore the racial issues with the hope that somehow, time will heal all wounds and the problem will fix itself. “Why am I convinced of this? Well, it has been 180 years since the two main races
“We risk being taken advantage of by those who love the divide and conquer technique; and, if we perfect the division on our own, then we really making it easy for the outsiders.” have been here together and things vacillate from good to bad to good to bad in a perpetual cyclical way.” Ramson said that a read of the Report of the Wismar, Christianburg, Mackenzie Commission, termed the “Wismar Report” gives a good understanding into how bad things were and how bad it can get.
He said that the report was a result of the enquiry of a Commission appointed in 1964 by the Governor of British Guiana into what is famously called the Wismar Massacre. Ramson recalled that the Wismar Massacre was a race war when people were killed, homes were burned; buses and a boat were bombed;
women were raped and many were beaten and maimed. Ramson said, “This has left generational scarring. And if you think we are so far from that today, think again. As recent as May 2015, at the end of the election, we were on the precipice of something similar when the two main ethnic groups were arming and preparing themselves to come to Georgetown, which would have resulted in a lot of bloodshed. This was only averted when a call was made in my presence, having discovered what was taking place, for one of the two groups to stand down.” “On the bright side, I genuinely feel that the mood of the nation is that we are Continued on page 27
Fire threat forced design change for Mazaruni Prison after contract already signed - Ramjattan The initial design for the Mazaruni Prison upgrade.
GPF hosts annual “other ranks children Christmas party”
Young hearts were gleeful last Saturday when the Guyana Police Force hosted its annual Other Ranks Children Christmas Party, at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. The event which catered for children of ranks below that of Officers, saw attendance of approximately 200 children. Apart from meals and music, other attractions included bouncy castle, trampolines, face painting and several Santa Clauses. The mixture of music and children screaming as they played, created an exciting
atmosphere. The youngsters’ enthusiasm climaxed as they received their gifts from Santa. Coordinated by the Force Welfare Officer, Assistant Superintendant Jewel Sullivan and her team, the event was also graced with the presence of Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Paul Williams DSM; Deputy Commissioner ‘Operations’ Maxine Graham, DSM; Director of Music, Superintendent Charmine Stuart and a number of other ranks who accompanied the little ones.
Fearing the threat of fire, the Government has alerted the Mazaruni Prison expansion designs even after a signed contract was in place for its construction. Works have been progressing slowly on the new structure, which has been reduced to two storeys. Originally, the contract was signed for the construction of a four-storey wing, but according to Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, the new plan is for a two-storey structure. “That was changed by the National Security Committee and the President saying that we would not have water for a four-storey and that it would be a fire hazard, so we have to redesign for a two-storey and expand the area where we will have the two-storey building,” Ramjattan indicated. During Friday’s consideration of the budgetary allocation for the Guyana Prison Service, Ramjattan was questioned about the project being increased. The Minister disclosed that, “At this time, we can’t envisage saving, but it will be around the same ballpark figure as the original design.” The expansion of the prison has been budgeted to cost $709M in 2019 as well as a consultancy of $77M. In light of the events that the public security sector faced, in 2017, the Government budgeted $30.7M in 2018 to support capital and recurrent projects and programmes.
Unfortunately, Government indicated that construction works at the Mazaruni Prison were delayed, due to overtopping of the Mazaruni River, which affected timely mobilisation by the contractor. The contract was awarded late last year to Kee-Chanona Ltd of Trinidad and Tobago in joint venture with Guyanese firm, Nabi Construction Inc. The expansion of the Mazuruni Prison, located in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), has been on the table for some time. Initially, the joint venture contract should have realized a four-storey building, selfcontained cells, a recreational courtyard, dormitory style accommodation, classrooms and a library. The project was to cover a floor area of 68,500 square feet. Prison officials have been struggling to accommodate inmates over the years. The situation was compounded when over 1,000 inmates at Camp Street Prison in Central Georgetown were displaced when inmates razed the facility during a daring escape in July, last. Authorities rushed to set up temporary accommodations to house the displaced inmates. Some 450 prisoners were initially housed in a pasture at the Lusignan Prison before they were transferred to a new holding area, which was built to temporarily accommodate inmates from the Camp Street Prison.
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Nations agree global climate pact rules, but seen as weak KATOWICE, Poland (Reuters) - Nearly 200 countries overcame political divisions late on Saturday to agree on rules for implementing a landmark global climate deal, but critics say it is not ambitious enough to prevent the dangerous effects of global warming. After two weeks of talks in the Polish city of Katowice, nations finally reached consensus on a more detailed framework for the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to
limit a rise in average world temperatures to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. “It is not easy to find agreement on a deal so specific and technical. Through this package you have made a thousand little steps forward together. You can feel proud,” Polish president of the talks Michal Kurtyka told delegates. After he struck the gavel to signal agreement had been reached, ministers joined him
on the stage, hugging and laughing in signs of relief after the marathon talks. Before the talks started, many expected the deal would not be as robust as needed. The unity which underpinned the Paris talks has fragmented, and U.S. President Donald Trump intends to pull his country one of the world’s biggest emitters - out of the pact. At the 11th hour, ministers managed to break a deadlock between Brazil and other countries over the
Failure to address deep racial... From page 25 ready to move on but we just do not know how,” said Ramson. The politician said that the time to act, in order to minimize the risks of the bad that can happen, is yesterday. He said that while he feels that too much time has been wasted, government can still make efforts to address the division. He said that a simple but effective step would be to make the work force equal. According to Ramson, “A fierce battle to obtain and protect state jobs created a totally unbalanced and unfair state employment. Have a look at the public service and you will see domination by one ethnic group. When you add to that the security forces - the police, and the army – the distrust really starts to resonate. No society can be at ease with itself once there is distrust especially in the state institutions, which you depend on for your protection.” He said that there needs to be housing programmes that can foster integrated living. Ramson said, “Generally, as we moved out of Africa, we changed our pigmentation together. So the point is we are not only comfortable in our own skin but among our own skin –this comfort is instinctive. So that is the basis of our race instincts. It’s tribal. But, it should not mean that we cannot live together.” “The construct of how we live breeds racial conflict and tension leading to racism. We have black villages like Nabacalis, Buxton, Victoria. Then we have Indian villages like Enterprise and Annandale. Even within our
capital, we have pockets of areas where you find mostly Indians—Prasad Nagar and Campbellville on the Western Side of Sheriff and other areas where there are mostly blacks such as Tucville, Albouystown, and South Ruimveldt.” Ramson said that a serious effort now has to be made to focus on building social housing upwards within the city. He said that should be allocated to persons based on the principle of racial integration. “If we cannot literally live together, we really are just skirting around the issue.” Ramson said that schools must now look to teach racial integration. “Our education system is no longer fit for purpose in a modern world where the market dominates our way of life. Reading, writing and math are important yes, but we need more. Ramson said that each citizen also has his or her role to play. “We have bought into this notion that unless I look like you, I cannot represent you and there are politicians who, for selfish purposes, reinforce that destructive notion throughout the generations.” He said that it is time citizens put aside racial politics and vote for policies. The country needs young fresh leadership. “Our society will never be able to be at ease with itself and will never be able to develop and realize its full potential if we do not fix it. And what happens if we do not, well, we keep fighting ourselves and foreign agents enter our world and capitalize on our division taking the lion’s share of our natural resources.”
Lawyer, mystery woman offer $1.9M... From page 23 lawyer met him at the entrance to the ward. He also claimed that the Chinese woman said she was “a representative of the Chinese people,” and enquired about seeing his son. The same woman then later alleged that she was a relative of the driver and that “her family in China” told her to check the family and to see whether they could assist them with “some money and food products.” After visiting the injured child, the woman allegedly apologized and asked the father to grant forgiveness. Shaw’s father further stated that the lawyer gave his phone number and said that the father could contact him for financial assistance.
The attorney reportedly then said that they could discuss financial compensation after the son recovered. In a brief telephone conversation with Kaieteur News, the attorney confirmed that he had visited the injured teen. However, he terminated the call after Kaieteur News queried about the woman’s identity. The attorney had told Kaieteur News last week that he was representing a female Chinese national at whose property, the suspected hitand-run bus was found stashed. Two Sunday nights ago, Karcchan Khemraj and his friend Reaz Shaw were cycling in Annandale when a minibus struck them. The driver fled the scene.
F o u r d a y s l a t e r, a Kaieteur News reporter located the vehicle, which was stashed at the back of a bakery in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. The windscreen was shattered, the number plates were missing and the left side of the bus was damaged. The bakery is reportedly owned by a Chinese woman, while the hit-and-run bus which bears Registration number GWW 2140, is reportedly owned by Chinese national, C. Wen, who has a store at Lot 10 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara. The whereabouts of the owner of the bus are still unknown. However, Traffic Chief, Linden Isles told Kaieteur News that police are making diligent efforts to locate him.
Participants take part in plenary session, during the final day of the COP24 U.N. Climate Change Conference 2018 in Katowice. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel accounting rules for the monitoring of carbon credits, deferring the bulk of that discussion to next year, but missing an opportunity to send a signal to businesses to speed up their actions. Still, exhausted ministers managed to bridge a series of divides to produce a 156-page rulebook - which is broken
down into themes such as how countries will report and monitor their national pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions and update their emissions plans. Not everyone is happy with everything, but the process is still on track and it is something to build on, several ministers said.
“While some rulebook elements still need to be fleshed out, it is a foundation for strengthening the Paris Agreement and could help facilitate U.S. re-entry into the Paris Agreement by a future presidential administration,” said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Rowley not ready to act on LATT report
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley poses for a picture with little Ollivierre Guillen as his father Jeffrey takes the photo during his annual Christmas children’s party. ABRAHAM DIAZ Trinidad Guardian - Prime Min-is-ter Dr Kei-th Row-ley said he will not be rushed to de-cide on the Law As-so-ci-a-tion’s re-port on Chief Jus-tice Ivor Archie. This was made clear by Row-ley to me-dia on Sat-ur-day when asked if he had a re-sponse to the re-port sent by LATT last Thurs-day. “I have no com-ment to make on that is-sue. When I have a com-ment to make I’ll let you know. As soon as I have some-thing to say on the is-sue, I would let you know,” Row-ley said. His re-sponse came dur-ing his an-nu-al Christ-mas chil-dren’s cel-e-bra-tion held at the South Diego Mar-tin Recre-ation Grounds at Four Roads, Diego Mar-tin. The re-port, which re-lates to al-le-ga-tions of mis-con-duct against Archie, is now before Row-ley for him to de-cide whether there is suf-fi-cient ev-i-dence to trig-ger Sec-tion 137 of the Con-sti-tu-tion — im-peach-ment pro-ceed-ings to re-move Archie from of-fice. On De-cem-ber 10, 150 LATT mem-bers vot-ed to send the re-port to the PM while 32 vot-ed against. Though he avoid-ed the CJ is-sue, Rowley shared his per-son-al Christ-mas and New Year wish-es for T&T. When asked of his Christ-mas wish, he respond-ed, “That we im-prove our safe-ty and se-cu-ri-ty and the se-cu-ri-ty ser-vices bring a sense of com-fort. We look for-ward to achiev-ing an econ-o-my that can sat-is-fy the needs of our peo-ple and we’re look-ing forward to those im-prove-ments in 2019.”
Re-gard-ing the New Year, he added, “There are a num-ber of is-sues on the econom-ic front that we’re work-ing on.” He said mur-der toll, which has crossed 500 for the year, was an in-tractable prob-lem, which his Gov-ern-ment was very dis-appoint-ed about, be-cause of the “will-ing-ness with which el-e-ments of the so-ci-ety seem to see killing as the source and so-lu-tion to their prob-lem.” “As you would have seen the se-cu-ri-ty ser-vices have been very ac-tive and have had much more suc-cess than in re-cent times, yet the avail-abil-i-ty of firearms to com-mit vi-o-lent crimes, still re-mains a prob-lem,” Row-ley said. He said one has to won-der what the situ-a-tion would have been if “we hadn’t had the suc-cess-es, which we have had.” “Mur-ders are large-ly be-cause of the avail-abil-i-ty to some peo-ple of firearms, who seem to think that they could com-mit these offences and not be de-tect-ed,” Row-ley said. He con-tin-ued, “We are work-ing on improv-ing our de-tec-tion and in bring-ing people to jus-tice. But more im-por-tant-ly, we have too many peo-ple in this coun-try who be-lieve that vi-o-lence is an ac-cept-able way of life. Even when they don’t use firearms, it is oth-er as-pects of tak-ing life.” Row-ley said T&T was just a vi-o-lent soci-ety and the con-ver-sa-tion from the homes to the schools, to the church-es, to the streets, must fo-cus on tak-ing down the view, that vio-lence is an ac-cept-able way of life.
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Bruised Australia build vital lead in Perth
India’s captain Virat Kohli reacts after scoring his century on day three of the second test match between Australia and India at Perth Stadium in Perth, Australia, December 16, 2018. (AAP/Dave Hunt/via REUTERS) PERTH (Reuters) Australia battled through an onslaught from India’s fiery fast bowlers on the third day of the second test, building an ominous 175-run lead with six wickets in hand on a menacing Perth Stadium pitch that is expected to deteriorate further. The hosts reached stumps at 132 for four in their second innings yesterday with Usman Khawaja 41 not out and captain Tim Paine unbeaten on eight. Australia, desperate to level the series after narrowly losing the first test in Adelaide, could be without the services of opener Aaron Finch, who retired hurt on the stroke of tea after being hit on his right index finger. “I’m not sure if he’s going to bat but he’s been cleared of any serious damage,” spinner Nathan Lyon said of
Monday December 17, 2018
Kaieteur News
Finch’s injury. “I would rather be in Australia’s change rooms than India’s. We know we have the bowlers that can defend (the total).” India quick Jasprit Bumrah remained confident about his team’s position, but said the morning session on day four would be pivotal. “I think our team is capable of chasing any total,” he said. “We want to take early wickets to reduce the total.” Under overcast skies, Australia’s batsmen faced torrid bowling from India’s fired-up quicks with Finch, who was unbeaten on 25, forced off after being hit by a searing delivery from Mohammed Shami. Marcus Harris, Finch’s opening partner, had earlier been hit on the helmet attempting to evade a sharp
Nathan Lyon raises the ball aloft after claiming his seventh five-for against India, Australia v India, 2nd Test, Perth, 3rd day, December 16, 2018 © Getty Images
bouncer from Bumrah, who bowled superbly in favourable conditions. A bewildered Harris fell after the tea break, clean bowled by Bumrah for 20 after not offering a shot, and Shaun Marsh was caught behind for five while rashly attempting a pull shot off Shami. Australia’s inexperienced batting-order struggled under pressure with Peter Handscomb making an unconvincing 13 before being trapped leg before after shuffling across his stumps to Ishant Sharma, who bowled without luck initially. Travis Head was dismissed before the close for 19 after needlessly guiding a wide Shami delivery to deep third man, in a mirror-image of his first-innings dismissal. Khawaja, Australia’s most accomplished batsman, survived several nervejangling moments to compile his highest score in the series. Australia’s impulsive batting almost squandered their advantage after bowling out India for 283 to gain a handy first-innings lead of 43 runs, despite a brilliant century from India captain Virat Kohli. An enthralling morning session belonged to the peerless Kohli, whose 123 came to an end at the stroke of lunch when he edged Pat Cummins to a forward-diving Handscomb at second slip. Whether Handscomb got his fingers under the ball will be a matter of debate for days to come but the onfield official’s soft signal was out and the third umpire did not reverse the decision on review. Kohli had reached his 25th century in style with a flowing off-drive to the boundary and then placed his helmet on the ground, pointed to his bat and made a yapping gesture with his gloved hand. It was his sixth century in Australia, which matches the tally of the great Sachin Tendulkar, and ended a drought against Australia with just 83 runs in his past seven test innings against them. Kohli showed no lasting ill-effects from an earlier injury scare when he was struck on the forearm by a searing Mitchell Starc bouncer and required treatment. Lyon targeted the pitch’s expansive rough patches and cleaned up the tail to finish with 5-67. Scores: Australia 326 and 4 for 132 (Khawaja 41*, Shami 2-23) lead India 283 (Kohli 123, Lyon 5-67) by 175 runs.
Canelo Alvarez punishes Rocky Fielding for WBA super middleweight title
Fielding looked resigned to defeat with each knockdown but continued until round three. (Getty Images) Yahoo Sports - NEW YORK — Canelo Alvarez made what he says is a brief stay at super middleweight a profitable one. The unified middleweight champion, coming off a stirring victory over Gennady Golovkin in a memorable bout in September, had a much easier time of it Saturday before a sellout crowd of 20,112 at Madison Square Garden against Rocky Fielding, adding the WBA super middleweight championship to his growing trophy case. Alvarez ravaged the body, dropping the taller fighter three times with wicked hooks to the body, including the left that ended it at 2:38 of the third round. Referee Ricky Gonzalez wisely stopped it after the fourth knockdown. Alvarez also dropped Fielding, who tried but had no business being in the ring with a fighter of Alvarez’s caliber, with a short right in the third. It was hardly a surprise that Alvarez, at worst among the top 10 pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, rolled past the unheralded and little-known Fielding. Alvarez was a massive favorite, as high as 20-1 in some sportsbooks, and delivered the kind of performance one would expect of one of the game’s superstars. The shock was that Fielding offered so little resistance. He went down from lefts to the body in the first and second, though he fought back each time he got up. If this had been a fight in which fans had to pay — the vast majority who were watching were on a free trial subscription from DAZN — there would be outrage with the weak
caliber of opposition Alvarez faced. But given it was free and the star of the show came out on top in spectacular manner, few complaints were heard. The victory made Alvarez a three-division world champion, though his plans are to immediately return to middleweight, where fights against the likes of Daniel Jacobs and Golovkin await. The bout was the first of a long-term deal with the live-streaming service DAZN, which will pay him $365 million for 11 fights. Alvarez, along with IBF-WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, is the linchpin of DAZN’s strategy to make itself the major player in boxing broadcasting in the U.S., which it hopes will lead to inroads with other sports. Alvarez has the kind of star power to command attention, and was the subject of an intense advertising campaign pushing the notion that pay-per-view is dead and that the $9.99 monthly fee for its streaming service is the way of the future. It needed Alvarez to deliver in his first bout with the service and he came through the way he has so often in the past. He was poised and boxed smartly, landing the harder shots and not letting the five-inch height advantage cause him too much trouble. Fielding’s ribs were covered with welts by the second round, as Alvarez went body hunting early and often. It was clearly a wise strategy and allowed Alvarez to rack up another championship, a big payday and a lot of acclaim without too much danger.
A right hand to the jaw put Fielding down for the third time.
Monday December 17, 2018
Albion CC defeat Port Mourant to win annual Balram Shane cricket match Defending champions Albion Community Centre Cricket Club recently defeated arch rivals Port Mourant Cricket Club to win the annual Balram Shane Memorial 50 overs cricket match which is played annually between the two teams. The game which was played at the Albion Community Centre ground saw Port Mourant batting first and being bowled out for 124 in 36 overs. National left arm spinner Adrian Permaul picked up 6 wickets to slice through the Port Mourant batting line up. In their turn at the crease Albion replied with 126-6 with Adrian Sukwah scoring an unbeaten 60. The two teams then engaged each other in a 10/ 10 cricket match which Albion won. Albion batting first made 103 then restricting Port Mourant to 72. Albion received $120,000 and the beautiful Balram Shane trophy, while Port Mourant collected $110,000 all compliments of donor Mr. Deonarine Balram of the Balram Shane General Store. Permaul received an incentive for being the man of the match and the best bowler on show, while Sukwah got one for the best batsman all compliments of
Mr. Balram. The Balram Shane Memorial match is played annually between the two teams in memory of Mr. Balram father Balram Shane, a former cricketer and ardent cricket fan who hailed from the area. The rivalry started in 1998. At the presentation ceremony organizer Mr. Deonarine Balram of the Balram Shane General store at Rose Hall Corentyne, congratulated both clubs for their continued participation. He stated that apart from Cricket a volleyball competition is also played. He said that it is also their way of giving back to the community from which they garner their support. Balram thanked his family and other supporters both at home and overseas for their unstinted and continued support over the years. He plans to organise a T20 competition next year in observation of the 20th year of the competition. He was also loud in praise for President of the Berbice Cricket Board Hilbert Foster for his stewards and support. Over $500,000 was split between the two clubs and other organisations. (Samuel Whyte)
Liverpool beat Man Utd to go top as Chelsea keep up chase LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Liverpool regained top spot in the Premier League after an impressive 3-1 victory over old rivals Manchester United at Anfield yesterday put them a point ahead of title rivals Manchester City. After City’s 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday, Juergen Klopp’s side rose to the challenge with two second-half goals from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri. Earlier, Chelsea won 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion to consolidate their hold on fourth place ahead of Arsenal, who were surprisingly beaten 3-2 at Southampton to end a run of 22 games without defeat. Liverpool, the only unbeaten side left in the league, never looked in danger of letting that record slip in their home fortress and the only surprise was that it was not until the final 20 minutes that they made sure of the win. Sadio Mane had put Liverpool ahead in the 24th minute with a fine finish, bringing down a Fabinho pass on his chest before slipping the ball past David De Gea. United had been outclassed early on but, against the run of play, managed to get back on level terms when home keeper Alisson fumbled a low cross from Mane into the path of Jesse Lingard who accepted his early Christmas present gleefully. As the game wore on, Liverpool were increasingly forced into hopeful long-range efforts but the introduction in the 70th minute of Shaqiri, a summer signing from relegated Stoke City, turned the game. Both of the Swiss international’s efforts, in the 73rd and 80th minutes, were deflected but the good fortune had been earned by a enterprising Liverpool display that highlighted the 19-point gap between the two clubs — the biggest at this stage of a season in 46 years. “I’m over the moon about the performance. The way the boys played tonight was outstanding,” said Klopp. “The timing of Shaqiri’s introduction was not too bad. We Continued on page 29
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Kaieteur News
West is best in Smalta girls’ peewee final
Play between North Georgetown (defending) and West Ruimveldt yesterday at the MoE ground. West Ruimveldt Primary School comfortably defeated North Georgetown Primary 31 last evening at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground on Carifesta Avenue to emerge as the 2018 Smalta girls’ peewee football champions. Following a month of competition, defending Champions South Ruimveldt were rampant but finalist North had put a spoke in their wheel when they defeated them in the semifinal round. In yesterday’s final, North Georgetown were pegged as the favourites after dominating the 2017 champions and they
outplayed West for most of the game before Seona France scored the first of her two goals to swing the pendulum their way. France, who was on the s c o r e s h e e t i n We s t Ruimveldt’s win over St. Pius in their semifinal clash, broke the deadlock for the new champions in the 13th minute before doubling her team’s lead in the 21st minute. Martha France scored in the 27th minute to pull back a goal for the runners up but West’s Skipper Ashana Rajkumar gave her side some cushion with a goal one minute later to secure the
victory. Meanwhile, in the third place playoff, South Ruimveldt needled St. Pius via an extra time strike from captain, Fayon Harry, in the 43rd minute. Presenting the Championship trophy to West Ruimveldt was Ansa Mcal’s Marketing Assistant, Olivia Chin, who posited that she was thrilled with the competitive matches each match day. West’s coach, Jamal Pedro, was especially pleased after his boys’ side had lost to St. Pius in COURTS sponsored male peewee tournament this year.
Seona France West Ruimveldt
for five in pursuit of 270 for victory, Red Force crumbled to 193 all out, with 20-yearold Joshua Da Silva converting his overnight 27 into a top score of 41. He stretched his sixth wicket stand with Tion Webster (13) to 43 but once they were separated, the last five wickets fell for 47 runs. Shillingford, who took six in the first innings, snatched three of the wickets to fall to end with six for 73 while Test pacer Sherman Lewis finished with two for 38. With the win, Volcanoes are now fourth on 12 points, level on points with third placed Hurricanes, while Scorpions and Red Force – fifth and sixth respectively –
are without a point. The championship resumes with the third round starting January 4. Scores: WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES 206 (Kirk Edwards 55, Kavem Hodge 37, Taryck Gabriel 30, Shane Shillingford 25; Imran Khan 7-47) and 288 (Roland Cato 103, Taryck Gabriel 58, Alick Athanaze 32, Kirk Edwards 30; Bryan Charles 5-113, Imran Khan 4-79). T&T RED FORCE 225 (Jeremy Solozano 104, Odean Smith 29, Amir Jangoo 28; Shane Shillingford 6-74, Sherman Lewis 3-62) and 193 (Joshua Da Silva 41, Kyle Hope 28, Amir Jangoo 26; Shane Shillingford 6-73).
Volcanoes beat Red Force by 76 runs – 4th day, 2nd round Former Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – At the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, former Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford finished with
match figures of 12 for 147 as hosts Red Force plunged to a 76-run defeat to Volcanoes yesterday. Starting the day on 133
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 17, 2018
‘Jaguars dominated every session in Antigua’ says Griffith After Jaguars beat Hurricanes by 9 wickets
Griffith was also Assistant Coach for the Windies A.
Veerasammy Permaul to another five wicket haul in Antigua. By Sean Devers Assistant Coach and Manager of Guyana Jaguars Rayon Griffith said the Jaguars dominated every session of their second round Regional First-Class match against Leeward Hurricanes which they won by nine wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday with over two sessions remaining. “We played some good cricket and dominated the game. We won every session and every day of this match,” said 39-yearold Griffith, the Assistant Coach of Windies ‘A’ team. Yesterday, Leewards overnight 130-7, reached 138-9 innings closed after Guyanese Rajendra Chandrika could not bat due to broken finger. Alzarri Joseph ended unbeaten on 23 after Gudakesh Motie removed Jerimiah Louis (17) and Seno Berridge for a duck in quick succession to finish with 3-11. Veerasammy Permaul had 5-57 on the third day. Set 32 to win, Jaguars reached 32-1 after Tagenarine Chanderpaul (1) fell to Berridge. Trevon Griffith (13) and Skipper Leon Johnson, who hit three boundaries in his 15, were at the crease when the Jaguars roared to a second consecutive win after beating Volcanoes in St Lucia.
Scores: Hurricanes 182 & 138, Jaguars 289 & 32-1. Griffith, a former Guyana fast bowler with 54 wickets from 22 First-Class matches in his playing days which lasted from 1990 to 2007, was pleased with the bowling of his pair of Albion spinners Permaul and Motie. Permaul took 5-57, his 26th Five-wicket haul at this level to go into the Christmas break with 12 wickets, second only to Volcanoes’ Shane Shillingford’s 14 from two rounds. Motie supported his fellow Berbician with 311. “Permaul showed lots of improvement from the previous game in term of using different angles in his bowling, making him more successful, especially bowling out of Guyana. Motie also bowled well,” said Griffith who was also the assistant Coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL T20 tournament. “The fast bowlers bowled much better than they did in the first round in St Lucia and hit the right areas more. So there was overall improvement and the bowling unit stood up well during this game,” informed Griffith. But Griffith, also the Chairman of Selectors, was not as impressed by the batsman as he was with the bowlers although they stretched their unbeaten streak to 12 games with their emphatic win yesterday against a team which was the last team to beat the Jaguars in final game of the 2017 season. Vishaul Singh top-scored with 90, while Johnson and Pestano got fifties after Chanderpaul made 84 in St Lucia but Guyana batsmen have not converted to a three-figure score as yet. Griffith said there were moments in the batting department that the team did not manage well especially when they lost six quick wickets in the first innings. Griffith said he would like to see a bit more improvement mentally being more aware and batting more intelligently. “I thought if we had managed the batting better we could have made 400 plus. We just have to be a bit smarter in our approach and build on good starts. If we can do that we will make 400 in almost every innings, especially in the first innings. Our batting unit is very strong from top to bottom,” disclosed Griffith. “Most of the players have the ability to bat. Pestano showed that when he batted as night watchman in St Lucia and got a fifty and again here when as night watchman he batted for almost an hour which was vital for us not letting the opposition in,” Griffith added. Griffith said those are the things the
selectors were looking for; fight and guts, showing heart and be smart. “Being smart makes the cricket easy and give you edge of staying ahead of the opposition most of the times,” stated Griffith. Guyana next game is against Barbados Pride in Barbados from January 4-7 and while the players will be allowed to enjoy the Christmas festivities it will be work and enjoyment. “Well it’s Christmas so when that is finished we are back on track. We defiantly will throughout the holidays. We will let the guys enjoy the season but we don’t want them to lose their focus and we don’t want slip-ups so it will be a mixture of work and enjoyment for the season,” Griffith concluded. Scores: LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 182 (Devon Thomas 58, Montcin Hodge 50, Keacy Carty 28; Romario Shepherd 4-36, Gudakesh Motie 3-23) and 138 (Rahkeem Cornwall 27, Keacy Carty 23, Alzarri Joseph 23; Veerasammy Permaul 549, Gudakesh Motie 3-11). GUYANA JAGUARS 289 (Vishaul Singh 90, Chris Barnwell 46, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 29, Anthony Bramble 25, Clinton Pestano 25; Rahkeem Cornwall 448) and 32 for one.
Vishaul Singh followed his 74 in St Lucia with 90 in Antigua.
Trophy Stall Christmas Badminton Tournament 2018 concludes The Trophy Stall Christmas Singles Badminton Tournament 2018 concluded Saturday at the National Gymnasium with several exciting matches. The tournament started on Friday evening and saw a good showcase of both younger & older players all trying to win with play in the Open, Under-11, 15 & 19 divisions. At the end of the Finals the Presentation was made to the respective winners and the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) would like to thank Director of Sports Mr. Christopher Jones for assisting with the presentation, GBA Executive Ms. Ayanna Watson of SOL for presenting gifts to the winners and Banks DIH for the light refreshments provided. The Champions are: Priyanna Ramdhani & Jonathan Mangra (Open), Akili Haynes & Priyanna Ramdhani (U-19), Matthew Beharry & Lesha Singh (U-15), Leron Ramascindo & Mishka Beharry (U-11). Results - The Finals: Under-11 Boys Final: Leron Ramascindo defeated Aninash Ramnarine: 22-20, 20-22, 21-5 Under-11 Girls Final: Mishka Beharry defeated Gianna Ramnarine: 21-9, 21-8 Under-15 Boys Final: Matthew Beharry defeated Vikash Mootoo: 21-14, 21-19 Under-15 Girls Final: Lesha Singh defeated Elesa Sangster: 2114, 21-13 Under-19 Boys Singles Final: Akili Haynes defeated Tyrese Jeffrey: 2119, 21-18 Under-19 Girls Singles Final: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Ashley Escarraga: 21-6, 21-4 Open Men Singles Final: Jonathan Mangra defeated Aninash Odit: 21-8, 21-14 Open ladies Singles Final: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Pricilla Moore: 21-8, 21-8
Open Men Singles Consolation Final: Easa Sanichara defeated Hemraj Beharry: 30-28, 21-15 The other results are as follows: Under-11 Boys Semi-Finals: Avinash Ramnarine defeated Rahul Balram: 21-1, 21-5 Under-11 Girls Semi-Finals: Gianna Ramnarine defeated Kaleigh Todd: 21-5, 21-1 Under-15 Girls Quarter-Finals: Gabryel Fiedtkou defeated Anglique Blackman: 21-13, 21-16 Under-15 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Lesha Singh defeated Gabryel Fiedtkou: 21-9, 21-5 Elesa Sangster defeated Tashanna McGarrell: 21-10, 21-13 Third place went to Gabryel Fiedtkou who defeated Tashanna McGarrell: 21-8, 21-14 Under-19 Boys Singles Quarter-Finals: Matthew Beharry defeated Isaac Mallampati: 24-22, 22-24, 20-22 Under-19 Boys Singles Semi-Finals: Tyrese Jeffrey defeated Matthew Beharry: 21-8, 21-13 Akili Haynes defeated Hemraj Beharry: 217, 21-14 Third Place went to Hemraj Beharry who defeated Matthew Beharry: 21-14, 21-13 Under-19 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Jayde DaSilva: 21-4, 21-2 Ashley Escarraga defeated Stephine Sajar: 21-18, 21-19 Third Place Girls Under-19 went to Stephine Sajar who defeated Jayde DaSilva: 21-15, 17-21, 20-22 Third Place Men went to Akili Haynes who defeated Darrell Carpenay: 22-20, 16-21, 16-21 Third Place Ladies went to Christina Kumar who defeated Ayanna Watson:21-16, 16-21, 15-21 Open Men Singles Consolation SemiFinals: Easa Sanichara defeated Jamal Samsudeen: 22-20, 21-17