Kaieteur News
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Sunday December 30, 2018
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
OUR POST-CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
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hristmas Day came and went and so did Boxing Day. It seems that most Guyanese, with a few noteworthy exceptions, had an enjoyable time. Christmas is a sacred time and the true meaning and essence of this time should not be forgotten. The financial pinch due to job losses, especially in the sugar industry, and the declining prospects for new graduates coming into the job market, has resulted in a bleak outlook for many who are struggling to put food on the table. Even though it would have taken a miracle to ensure that everyone in need gets a helping hand at Christmas, the private and public sectors also did their best to make Christmas an enjoyable experience for many. It is said that poverty often hides in plain sight. And too often, it has been overlooked by many of us who assume that those who do not seek help are not in need. This is where government agencies, communities and neighbours can make a big difference if they have their ears to the ground and are connected to the lives of the people around them. Unfortunately, communities have increasingly become casualties of modern life, as crime and economic inequity have driven the rich and powerful into enclaves with gated communities. Alongside them are the poor and downtrodden in ghettoes. But, it is not only the economically deprived who need our special attention. As the country’s leading newspaper, Kaieteur News has documented the life of the nation for over two decades and it is acutely aware of the large number of people whose lives have been overwhelmed by the unexpected pain of the loss of loved ones. There is a lot of sadness in our land, especially during and in the post-Christmas season. Therefore, we must continue to help the hundreds of children whose parents’ lives have been senselessly cut down by crime; recognize the pain of families whose mothers, daughters or a female relative have been killed by domestic violence and those loved ones who have been suddenly taken away by traffic accidents. Then there are those whose lives have been affected by the brutal touch of banditry, even though their lives were not lost. Apart from the aforementioned, there is abundant suffering from mental illness, substance abuse and the unending scourge of homeless, which no one seems to have an answer to. Over the years, the publisher of this newspaper has made it an annual ritual at Christmas time to reach out in expressions of caring and sharing to bring cheer and joy to hundreds of children and adults. The residents of nearby communities can attest to what this has meant to them. On the brighter side of things, holiday spending seems to have surged this Christmas. Although data is not yet available, retail experts have predicted that spending has increased substantially this year compared to last year Christmas. This could boost the economy and possibly enhance the prospects for future investment. Let us not close our minds to the pain behind the smiles of the many for whom just putting one foot forward has become a difficult task. Our salvation as a people rests not in our success or our individual capacity to look after ourselves and our relatives and friends, but in our strength, empathy and willingness to help the less fortunate during Christmas and in the post-Christmas spirit as well.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Charrandass reasons for ‘crossing the floor’ are contrary to his contribution in the Budget Speech DEAR EDITOR, Billions of dollars worth of oil is on the horizon for Guyana, but as exploration is in progress by the giant company Exxon, Venezuela has renewed its claim to a large portion of the country’s territory which includes the oil rich portion. In fact, the Maduro administration has intensified its claim and went further to intercept a ship exploring for oil in Guyanese waters. What is even more worrying, Russia is backing the leftist government by adding some greatly increased military muscle in Venezuela. It is not certain whether the United States will support Guyana in the dispute in the light of President Donald Trump interaction with Russia President Putin. At home, a no confidence motion was passed in the National Assembly after a government back bencher, a member of the small coalition AFC party. Charrandas Persaud, supported the PPPC sponsored motion, thus
tipping the scales 33-32 in favour of the opposition. Persaud was deemed a hero by those against the Granger administration, but the government supporters call him a “traitor” Judas , and all sort of names for jumping ship. What is very interesting is that in a televised interview after the last Friday vote, he outlined several gripes he said he had with the governing party including the domination by the PNC , the senior partner of the coalition, and contended that he made to vote against his conscience. He said that the Hamilton Green pension Bill should never have passed. He criticized Minister Volda Lawrence for stating that she will only give jobs to PNC supporters and for the failure of the AFC leader Raphael Trotman to criticize Lawrence despite his request. Moreover, he said that the coalition government did very little, if anything, to help the dismissed sugar workers. However, what is disturbing is that Charrandass’ criticisms and reasons for
crossing the floor are contrary to his contribution in the Budget Speech, just days before he voted “Yes” for the no confidence motion. In his presentation, he spoke in glowing terms for the administration, which he said did its best for the sugar workers, but the workers wasted their compensation. He praised the government for doing a fantastic job since assuming office. It seems as if he made a somersault within days and as such his latter utterances might be suspect. There is another aspect which has to be examined. That issue is if a 33/32 count can topple the government. There might be a good argument in what attorney Nigel Hughes put forward. He cited two cases: one in Vanuatu and the other in Anguilla. Although the facts of the Vanuata case are similar to this issue, the Anguilla case is important because the presiding judge in that case was Adrian Saunders who is now (Continued on page 7)
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The nation is being held hostage
Journalists, do your research, then grill Charrandas Persaud about his ‘no confidence’ vote
DEAR EDITOR, Now that the no-confidence motion has been passed in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018, some, especially members from the ruling parties are questioning what constitutes a majority as prescribed by Article 106 of the Constitution and what is the meaning of “absolute majority.” As we seek to expose this 34 votes “arithmetic amorality” or what the satirical column in Kaieteur News “Dem Boys Seh characterized as “jumbie arithmetic,” we are puzzled by the fact that the government is supporting such sentiments instead of accepting defeat and move on in order to savor our democracy. In the constitutional context, the term majority acquires its precise meaning in Article 106 (6) which states “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the votes of the majority of all elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” So the questions to ask are – Were all 65 elected members present and voted? (YES). Is the word SHALL equal to MUST in this context (YES)? Did the persons who voted were whole individuals (Yes) or were they half of a person (No). So if that is the case, did a vote of the majority take place to command the APNU+AFC Government to resign forthwith? This question then begs another question - what constitutes this majority? The Collins Dictionary defines a majority as “more than half”, “the greater part of”. The etymology of the word “majority” corroborates that it was first used in 1550 by the French when they try to message a condition of “being greater than” when comparing things. The
French further explained themselves with the phrase “la majorité des électeurs” which means the majority is absolute. To shed light on this concept of absolute we reflect on how the largest democracy in the world conduct themselves with respect to what is a majority. In the Indian Parliament, they define this absolute majority as more than 50% of the total membership of their house. Their house has 545 voting members. The methodology they use in certifying an absolute majority is that they rounded up the total amount of 545 to 546 and then took 50% of that to derive the absolute majority, which we submit as the mathematical accurate position. Under no circumstances should the rounding up take place at the halfway mark.In Guyana’s case, an absolute majority is 50% of the total voting members rounded up from 65 to 66. Basic arithmetic will reveal that 50% of 66 is 33. So it is clear that Mr. Nigel Hughes has bungled his interpretation of the arithmetic and while that is unfortunate, it is also understandable; because his forte is not mathematics. Then there is the concept of “greater than”. Is 33 greater than 32? Clearly, 33 and 32 are not equal. Elementary arithmetic teaches us that 33 is a larger quantity than 32 and therefore is a majority. But to guide us on this concept let us reflect on scriptures. In the King James Bible in 1 Chronicle 12:29 it says, “And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul,
three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.” That same verse was interpreted in the Christian Standard Bible as “From the Benjaminites, the relatives of Saul: 3,000 (up to that time the majority of the Benjaminites maintained their allegiance to the house of Saul).” It is clear that the majority is the greater part of the many parts and that, 33 is the greater part of and is an absolute majority of 65. All this voodoo arithmetic gibberish of a half man and rounding up at the 32.5 mark is nothing else but subjective fiction of dreamers who are neither idealists or realists; but theorists. And most theorists are not objective on facts. On that note, we end with Matthew 7:15 which states “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. However you twist it or turn it, the absolute majority of 65 is 33. Therefore, we call upon the responsible leaders in the government to end this shenanigan and conduct the affairs of the country accordingly. The stakes are very high and this should be taken seriously by those in authority. And while time is of the essence, the acting president certainly does have the power or authority to deal with this issue. The nation is being held hostage and this should not happen. Dr. Asquith Rose, Sasenarine Singh, Charles Sugrim, Mike Persaud.
DEAR EDITOR, William Shakespeare once said that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” And now it seems that a similar stench pervades the State of Guyana, and that rotten thing is the saga surrounding former AFC parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud’s ‘No Confidence’ vote.And how can we cleanse our nation of this stench?One way, Editor, is for the media to do some investigative work in digging up Mr. Persaud’s true motive.Our local journalists must grill this former MP. They must ask him: a) Was he was coerced in any way, financially or otherwise, to vote the way he did? b) Would he be willing to take a lie detec-
tor test? c) Where was his ‘conscience’ just a few days ago, when he jumped to the defence of Minister Volda Lawrence, while blaming PPP leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and the PPP for the state of the sugar industry and the plight of its workers?I believe that the media will find some very interesting and revealing information if they sift through all of Mr. Persaud’s interviews and speeches. And if this gentleman that some are labeling a ‘hero’ as nothing to hide, he would willingly make himself available to answer any questions that are put to him. Yours Faithfully, Truth-seeking Guyanese
Do authorities really want to control the bird trade, e.g. fourth time I personally saw wildlife trade? uncontrolled the Towa Towas. On Dec large numbers of birds being
DEAR EDITOR, The SN Dec 27/2018, article titled “Finches’ smuggler flies under cops’ radar” caught my attention. On Dec 8, 2018 US Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists busted a Guyanese man trying to smuggle 70 LIVE FINCHES inside hair rollers in his duffle bag into the USA at the Queens airport. The smuggler was refused entry into the USA and was deported to Guyana where his whereabouts are unknown because he gave two different addresses to local officials. I’ve never received training in police work but I’m pretty good at catching domestic and wild animals. If I really wanted to catch the lost bird-smuggler I would request his passport information (with contact information) from US officials and go from there. I would like to share with your readers what is happening on a regular basis in the
13th/2018, I went to a bus service to send a parcel to someone in the Rupununi. I overheard a bus driver saying that he brought birds for a customer. I then asked what kind of birds and how many, he said 25 Towa Towas. He showed me the birds, the cage was covered and in a real mess; inside 24 Towa Towas were packed like sardines for their 12-hour journey. I asked how much he got for their transport and he said $5000.Editor, that was the
sent in from the Rupununi by bus and by plane. If I really wanted to control the inhumane treatment of Guyana’s beautiful bird population, I would start by requiring special permits for their shipment by plane or ground vehicle. As the New Year approaches please keep your pets safe from the fireworks. I can find God in nature, in animals, in birds and the environment – Pat Buckley. Yours faithfully, SyeadaManbodh
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How can we forget this period of absolute State- sponsored lawlessness? DEAR EDITOR, On Wednesday 4th December 2002, a Guyana Defence Force patrol in the area of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, intercepted and searched a vehicle which contained an arsenal of weapons. The three-man party consisted of Shaheed Roger Khan, Haroon Yahya and Sean Belfield, a then serving member of the Guyana Police Force. The cache included M-16 assault rifles with night vision devices, Uzi sub-machine gun with silencer, Glock 9mm pis-
tols, 12-gauge shotgun, other small calibre weapons, bulletproof vests, helmets, a computer ( capable of intercepting cellular phone calls) and other electronic gadgetry with digitized electronic maps of Georgetown and certain targeted East Coast villages. Escaped Convict and drug Kingpin, Shaheed Roger Khan ( will now be referred to as Khan), was based in Georgetown and was the head of The “Phantom Squad” a murder-for-hire-killing-squad allegedly aligned with the PPP.
From at least 2001 until his arrest in 2006 Khan was responsible for the deaths of over hundreds of Guyanese men, including Political Activist Ronald Waddell. The United States Government compared Khan to Pablo Escobar and stated that he was one of the most notorious drug dealers, gun runners, money launderers, and narcotic traffickers in the history of Guyana Mr. Ronald Gajraj, former member of the Guyana Defence Force was court martialled, and dishonorably discharged for misappropriation of funds. However, he was subsequently promoted to the then Minister of Home Affairs by the PPP Administration. Gajraj recruited the services of the Drug King pin Khan and other drug lords, along with renegade members of the Tactical Services Squad (TSS) to carry out the genocidal assault on hundreds of Guyanese Citizens. The US State Department International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2005 which was released in March 2006 named Khan and stated “Drug traffickers appear to be gaining a significant foothold in Guyana’s timber industry. In 2005, the Guyana Forestry Commission granted a State Forest Exploratory Permit for a large tract of land in Guyana’s interior to Aurelius Inc., a company controlled by known drug trafficker Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan. Such concessions in the remote interior may allow drug traffickers to establish autonomous outposts beyond the reach of
Guyanese law enforcement.” Suriname’s former Chief of Police Chandrikapersad Santokhi deemed Khan a threat to the national security of Guyana and Suriname and other countries and linked him to plots to assassinate government and judicial officials in Suriname. According to Santokhi, international agencies, including those in the USA, had been looking for Khan. On the other hand, Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Chairman of the Central Intelligence Committee Dr. Roger Luncheon stated that the Guyana Government could find “no compelling evidence” for Khan to be investigated. The Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh ( a Canadian Citizen), who allegedly denied Shaheed Roger Khan the right to transport lumber from Guyana was assassinated in his own home April 22nd, 2006, along with his sister (Phulmattie Persaud), brother (Rajpat Rai Sawh), and security guard (Curtis Robertson). The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was ready and willing to assist Guyana with its investigations in the murders and even though they sent official correspondences to the Jagdeo-led government, the government did not accept their assistance. Journalist and APNU Political Activist Ronald Waddell who was outspoken against the Jagdeo-led Government was also assassinated January 2006. An in-
formant for the US government confessed that Khan ordered the said execution. Leaked telephone records revealed that Khan frequently communicated with the late Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Ronald Gajraj particularly before and after most killings. As stated in the first paragraph, Khan was allowed to acquire intercept equipment which enabled him to listen to the conversations and determine the locations of his intended victims. Peter Myers, Co-director of the UK firm Smith Myers, testified in court ( during Khan’s trial in the US ) that the cellular intercept equipment used by Khan had been sold to the Guyana Government. It was further stated that Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had purchased the equipment on behalf of the Guyana Government and that Carl Chapman, a representative of Smith Myers Communications, had travelled to Guyana to train Khan in its use. In 2006, police issued an arrest warrant for Khan after coming under international pressure. Khan then placed a whole page advertisement in the newspapers 12th May 2006 boasting that “During the crime spree in 2002, I worked closely with the crime-fighting sections of the Guyana Police Force and provided them with assistance and information at my own expense”. Khan who then fled to Suriname, was arrested in Paramaribo and subsequently handed over to the US authorities while in transit in Trinidad, to face charges for guns and ammunition crimes which he committed since 1992. Subsequently, President Bharrat Jagdeo appointed a commission to investigate Former Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj, who was suspended from duties following local and international pressure about his involvement with Khan and the Phantom Killing Squad. The commission reported it could find no direct link of Gajraj’s involvement in extrajudicial killings, and he subs e q u e n t l y r e s u m e d his post. The U.S. State Department protested this action by the Jagdeo Government stating “We believe significant questions remain unanswered regarding his involvement in serious criminal activi-
ties.” Gajraj was then removed from his Ministerial Post and was appointed Ambassador to India. At this time, Ronald Gajraj and Floyd McDonald who was the Commissioner of Police, both had their United States visas suspended. Special Agent Cassandra Jackson of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration said in her affidavit to support the charges against Khan, “Khan was ultimately able to control the cocaine industry in Guyana, in large part, because he was backed by a paramilitary squad that would murder, threaten, and intimidate others at Khan’s directive. Khan’s enforcers committed violent acts and murders on Khan’s orders that were directly in furtherance of Khan’s drug trafficking conspiracy.” Information from leaked US Embassy cables revealed that Roland Bullen, Former United States Ambassador to Guyana for the period August 14, 2003 to August 26, 2006, advised his government that Khan enjoyed the protection of the PPP government through Former Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj and former Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon. Ambassador Bullen met with Minister of Home Affairs Gajraj’s Successor and Chief Whip of the PPP Government Comrade Gail Texeira and concluded that the PPP government was comfortable with Khan because “he was on their side(SIC)”. In a July 13, 2009, cable, the then Charge d’Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Karen Williams, advised the U.S. State Department that the then Minister of health Leslie Ramsammy had strong links to Khan and as a consequence, the embassy was reviewing its relationship with the Ministry of Health. Political Activist Courtney Crum-Ewing who was constantly seen peacefully protesting in front of the Attorney General’s Chambers was assassinated a few nights before the 2015 general and regional elections. It is estimated that there were 1,701 murders during the tenure of Bharrat Jagdeo. Between the period of 2002 and 2006, 784 Guyanese were murdered, an average of 157 murders per year. I challenge anyone to double check these facts. How can we forget this period of absolute StateSponsored Lawlessness, terrorism and Extra Judicial Killings that took place under the PPP? I have concluded that the PPP is a Mafia parading a Political party. Joseph Singh (PH.DBA)
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DESPITE ADMISSION THAT GOVT. HAS FALLEN, WE’RE NOW TOLD CABINET IS LOOKING AT LEGAL IMPLICATIONS DEAR EDITOR, Each time there is a sitting of the National Assembly, I would habitually take a walk to Demico House across the street, and to parts of Stabroek Market to interact with vendors and laborers during the lunch-break. I do this because I need to know how decisions we make in Parliament affect the lives of ordinary Guyanese. Very often they would comment that ministers of government are so aloof, they would never do what I’m doing until they’re campaigning for votes. This was evident when the entire Cabinet descended upon the Stabroek Market square, inviting vendors to “meet and greet your minister” on Christmas Eve after they were earlier declared persona non grata. But they were scared from before. On the day of the Noconfidence Motion, they were expecting thousands of supporters to amass in front of Parliament building, but only managed to scrape the barrel down to a disappoint-
ing hardcore few. Now that this elitist group of APNU+AFC Ministers needs people, they’re now shamelessly asking them to come out in defense of the government, the same government that neglected them for three and a half years. The point has already been made by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, other prominent lawyers and the Guyana Bar Association on the validity of the No-confidence Motion as it relates to Nigel Hughes’ fuzzy maths. I will only ask if those who now question the passage of this Motion would have objected and demanded that government needed 34 votes to defeat the Motion had all 33 members of government voted against it. I guarantee, this would never have happened, and Nigel Hughes would not have come up with his jumbie equation to stir-up trouble. Immediately following the fall of the Coalition Government, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo held a Press
Conference in which he admits that the Opposition’s Motion “was approved by a majority of all the elected members of the House.” This admission of defeat was echoed by President Granger and several Cabinet Ministers. Editor, you may recall that in 2014 Carl Greenidge, until recent, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview, that “because a no-confidence vote in the government is a major issue over the performance of the government, the behaviour of the government and the breaking of the law by the government, it needs to be followed by the resignation of the government and the calling of national elections.” But I wonder if he shares the same view now. Despite previous admission that the government has fallen, we’re now being told that Cabinet is looking at the legal implications, and is likely to go to court to seek a reversal of the no-confidence vote taken in favor of the Parliamentary Opposition. The
All ah we a one family (revised.) DEAR EDITOR, My mother’s relatives from her mother’s side were a strange people, from the town of Rose Hall, Region Six. They are the Bates, Hicks, Harrys, Moores, and few others .My grandmother was called ‘Dougla Evlin,’ and this was because she was a mixture of African and Indian. On her African side, where the Bates and Harrys, who came from Suriname, while the Hicks clan came from India. This tapestry of humanity is very much a part of who I am , therefore when I make calls for one Guyana, it is because, I believe in the saying that “the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes,” and as a result every Guyanese must be respected for who they are. My Bates and Harry an-
cestors were a people known for their spiritual connection to the marine spirits at the Rosehall water side . I have been told that they would take sacrifices to the sea, and return speaking in strange languages and dancing on their heads. One relative related to me that the gifted children were sometimes taken back to the village in Suriname and made to ‘walk on ccaiman’s back.’ I am giving this information that some might understand that I respect all men ,in spite of race or religion. However, I must admit that it does not rest well with me when I see political figures putting the people of my homeland against each other, based on these issues. Those who have over and
over been guilty of using race and religion as a trump card to divide our people must stop and apologize before we go into another elections in Guyana , or take responsibility for any racial incidents that end in bloodshed or loss of property. Enough blood is crying out from Guyana’s soil, and the appointed race relations committee must not wait until something happens ,as in the case of Crum-Ewing to put something in place to prevent a repeat of the same. The people that killed that young man for sharing his views are still out there, and may be thinking that they can do it again. The Ethnic Relations Committee must work for its money. Apostle Adrian Wade.
Charrandass reasons for ‘crossing the floor’ are contrary to his... From page 4 President of the CCJ. Opposition leader Bharat Jagdeo called on the government to resign while the government announced that it will move to the Courts. The latest allegation by PNC strongman, Aubrey Norton is that Charrandass was bribed by the opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo. Norton however did not
provide evidence to support his allegation. If the issue reaches the Court, the process will take quite some time because there will be a hearing by a single judge and then there might be an appeal to the Guyana Court of Appeal before it reaches the CCJ, which might be p r e s i ded by Justice Saunders, the Court’s President who most likely will not change his views with the
judgment he issued in 2000 in Anguilla, while he was a first instant Judge. It will be a long haul and the country will be in limbo until the issues are cleared. Venezuela’s renewed and hostile claim is another worrying issue, but that was an ongoing problem, but with Russia assisting Maduro, it becomes more problematic. Yours Respectfully, Oscar Ramjeet
audacity of this government still having Cabinet meetings, flies in the face of Article 106 (6) of our Constitution which explicitly directs the entire Cabinet to resign. Article 106 (6) of our Constitution is unambiguous. It clearly states that “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” This government has fallen, the President, the Cabinet and rest of Ministers must resign now! And since the APNU+AFC are so convinced that they have done great things for Guyana and
its people, they should have problem calling new elections now.Editor, I have listened carefully to the venomous statements made by PNCR Central Executive Member, Aubrey Norton who chaired a low-level press conference a few days ago. Clutching at straws, he accused former AFC Parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud of taking bribe from Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP for voting his conscience. This is so ludicrous, I challenge anyone to produce hard evidence. From his interview with the press Charrandass was asked if he was paid by the PPP to which he replied that he was paid by Parliament Office for traveling
expense as other MPs are entitled to. This lie was is now being parroted by the PNC/APNU to maliciously spread false rumors, as I’m convinced that the PNC will not allow this care-taker government to resign. It is this very arrogance behavior and bullism that caused Charrandas to vote his conscience on December 21st. The judiciary has an obligation to uphold the Constituency of Guyana at all times. I expect it will continue to do so. Yours Respectfully Harry Gill PPP/C Member of Parliament
PUT GOD FIRST IN 2019 DEAR EDITOR, In just a few days we will enter into the New Year. Many of us are contemplating our future in the New Year and the years ahead. Our politicians are cogitating about a quick fix and premature elections. Many are afraid who will win the next elections, many are thinking to flee Guyana never to return and many of our politicians crave political power and to get rich quick. We think monotonously about all the material gains we can acquire from this life but forget God, the giver of life in this world. Many people miss out on receiving the blessings God has planned for them simply because they do not put Him first. How about you? What – or who – is first in your life? As I contemplate our corrupt society and many big nations of the world, materialism is the order of the day. We crave to own the best cars, best jobs, best girlfriends, best houses, millions of dollars etc.; but anything that takes the place of our God becomes our God. “Firsts” are important to God. Remember, in the First Commandment, God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Clearly, He wants to be ahead of everything else in your life. He wants you to put Him before your job, your money, your “things,” even your spouse and children. He wants to be your number one priority. He wants you and I to praise and worship Him until we see him Face to Face. As you put God first, everything else in your life will begin to line up as well. God has a wonderful benefit package prepared for all those who will put Him first. It is designed to cover all of your daily needs and keep you free from anxiety, as
Jesus described in Matthew 6:25-33:“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Jesus isn’t saying that it is wrong to work for food, shelter and clothing; He just wants us to keep our priorities straight. He wants our hearts to be set on the spiritual (eternal) rather than on the physical (temporary).
When we put His kingdom and eternal things first, God assures us that we will have the other things we need. It’s important for each of us to evaluate our priorities from time to time to avoid being distracted from putting God first. If you are not seeing God’s blessing in action, then it is especially important to consider what you are doing with your time, treasure and talents. If you are already putting God first, then continue to do the things God has called and assigned you to do. As I look around here in Guyana a lot of people put their faith and trust in politicians but we are betrayed constantly by men and women who often lie to us to gain political power. It’s time we put our trust and confidence in God and pray for a God fearing government. As we usher in the New Year 2019 we must have this in mind:‘’Lord, give me the strength to put you first in my life and others second always strive to meet the needs of others ahead of my own.’’ Regards, Rev.Dr.Gideon Cecil
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World Bank to assess Central Bank’s preparedness for managing oil fund By Kiana Wilburg Central Bank is practically finished with preparing its systems and training the relevant staff members needed for the effective management of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) due to come on stream. The only outstanding task is for the World Bank to
conduct an assessment to ensure that the systems in place are indeed robust. This was made known to Kaieteur News yesterday by Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga. The official said that the World Bank has been offering its assistance since Janu-
ary but the final assessment is still critical to ensuring that it did not overlook any issue. Dr. Ganga stated that Central Bank is ready for the review. It is only left for both parties to agree on a date for the World Bank visit. He assured that all recommendations from the World Bank
would be promptly implemented. With Guyana being new to all aspects of the oil and gas industry, several international agencies have said that it would be wise for the government to hire a custodian bank to help Bank of Guyana in the day-to-day managerial opera-
Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga tions of the Natural Resource Fund. Specifically making this point were oil and gas experts Andrew Bauer, David Mihalyi and Fernando Patzy. All are attached to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The experts said that Governments can establish NRFs as special accounts within the Central Bank or Treasury or even as separate institutions. They said that custodian banks however are usually employed to help inexperienced Central Banks with accounting, tax issues and reporting on NRFs. They said, “What matters more than the physical location of the money is the Fund’s institutional structure. However, many Funds have chosen to use external custodians in countries with stable banking systems in order to safeguard the money and provide administrative support. “For example, the Libyan Investment Authority uses the ABC Bank in Bahrain. Chile’s Fund uses JP Morgan Chase Bank in the U.S. Azerbaijan’s Fund uses Bank of New York Mellon as a custodian.” Considering the aforementioned, the experts said that Guyana’s Fund could employ the services of a custodian bank which would support the day-to-day operational management of Bank of Guyana. TRIPLE CHALLENGE The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has also said that Guyana faces these and other issues as it prepares to establish a NRF. In fact, the IDB said that Guyana faces a triple challenge in attempting to establish its Natural Resource Fund since it has to decipher how to rapidly build stronger institutions; how to save for future generations and smooth consumption; and how to assure that the oil rev-
enue spent in the short term, is planned and spent well to boost productivity and improve living standards. Given the nation’s weak institutions and poor capacity to execute projects well, the IDB said it would be recommended that Guyana save as much as possible until the quality and capacity of institutions improve. The IDB sought to highlight that simply establishing a Natural Resource Fund is not a guarantee for fiscal stability. The Bank said, “In the first instance, the appropriate mechanisms to manage the Fund, clear and simple rules for withdrawals and deposits, and issues related to governance and transparency, will be important to ensure that the Fund achieves its objectives.” The Santiago Principles, a list of 24 generally accepted principles and practices voluntarily endorsed by the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds, provides some general guidance for countries, the IDB noted. More substantially, the Fund needs to be supported by a strong fiscal framework. SET STRICT STANDARDS The IDB is not the only international body which has cautioned Guyana’s authorities on the importance of having a robust Natural Resource Fund. The Natural Resource Governance Institute, for example, believes that there are several key factors emerging oil producers like Guyana must consider as they move to establish a Natural Resource Fund. According to the Fund, the Government of Guyana must set clear fund objective(s) (e.g., saving for future generations; stabilizing the budget; earmarking natural resource revenue for development priorities). It said that the (Continued on page 55)
Sunday December 30, 2018
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After years, Gold Board clears deficit
The Guyana Gold Board (GGB) is boasting of being in a better state, financially. According to the most recent financials tabled in the National Assembly, prudent fiscal management evidences itself in the reduction of the board’s deficit at the Bank of Guyana by 75.1%. According to the Board’s 2017 report, the bank deficit went from January 1, 2017 balance of $18.9M to a closing balance of $4.7M on December 31, 2017. The board has been working to clear the deficit incurred during 2012 and 2013 when the Gold Board borrowed large sums from the national treasury to trade in gold, leading to massive losses.Further proof of the board’s improved financial status indicated that during the period under review, the GGB went from an operating deficit of $194,184,802 on January 1, 2017 to an operating surplus of $648,370,179 on December 31, 2017. “Moving from a five-year deficit position to a surplus is undoubtedly an achievement,” said GGB’s General Manager, Eondrene Thompson, who has been credited by the Board of Directors for the financial turnaround. The GM indicated that
revenue earned in 2017 exceeded the amount earned in 2016 by approximately US$14 million, despite a decrease in gold purchases by 30%. Foreign sales for 2017 were 9,000 ounces higher than that for 2016. According to Thompson, for 2017, six of the nine licensed dealers exported their gold overseas; therefore, GGB did not suffer from the usual off-loading when gold price plummeted. According to the financials, dealers’ exports increased by 15,710 ounces in 2017 or 6.40% over 2016. The report noted that Aurora Gold Mines Inc. also increased their exports in 2017 over 2016 by 7,745 ounces and Troy Resources experienced a shortfall in 2017 by 3,433 ounces compared with 2016. Overall, the GGB exported 32,472 ounces or 16.07% less in 2017 than what was exported in 2016. The year was considered a mixed year for gold where the first half may be considered as excellent with respect to price. Gold purchases for 2017 decreased by 65,543 ounces or 30.56% compared with that of 2016. According to the board, the decrease was primarily due to more licensed gold dealers exporting their gold
‘Fake oil’ claim heats up House Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley being named as a beneficiary in the “fake oil” scandal was perhaps the most heated controversy to shake the Parliament this year. The Prime Minister immediately refuted the allegations made by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in October and initiated legal action against him as well as United National Congress (UNC) alderman Marisa Ramlogan for sharing the allegation on Facebook. Identifying a Miami bank account number, Moonilal named the Prime Minister as a beneficiary, along with Vidya Deokiesingh, (the Petrotrin employee implicated in the $100 million “fake oil” scandal), to a financial transaction.
rather than sell to GGB. In fact, one of the licensed gold dealers who sold large quantities, approximately 79% of GGB’s purchases for the first quarter of 2017, to GGB is under investigation by the Special Organized Crime Unit, as such the dealership licensed had to be suspended. There were other factors that included the miners’ reaction to Government’s newly imposed taxes. According to the GGB, miners decry the increase tributors’ tax to 20% and as such withheld selling their gold to the board. “It is unclear whether they mined and dispose of the gold by other means or whether they ceased work. Based on reports some miners exited the industry,” the GGB stated. According to the GGB, the major factors that have impacted gold prices include the weaker US dollar, geopolitical uncertainties, higher interest rates and expectations regarding President Trump’s ability to push through his campaign agenda. For the first half of 2017, gold price rose by 8% and GGB said it took advantage of the gold prices during those months. Subsequent to June 2017, gold prices faced headwinds based on market expectations that the Fed will raise rates. This expectation has caused dramatic market movements, including stronger dollar and weaker gold prices. Towards the end of December 2017 there was a gradual increase in gold price. Gold prices for 2017 ranged from a low of US1,146 per ounce to a high of US$1,350 per ounce, compared with 2016, prices ranged from a low of US1,072.70 to a high of US1,378.
Dem boys seh...
Stop de BS and get on wid de election Don’t waste time. Get on wid de elections. If de coalition think it was doing so good then it will have no fear. Call de elections early, beat de opposition and get on wid life. That is wha dem boys seh. Stop wid all de excuses. Dem have a saying that a drowning man clutches at anything, including a straw. That is de boat de govt appears to find itself in. Some Ministahs talking all kind of dotishness. All of a sudden dem talking about half man and half vote. Indeed some of dem in parliament is half man. When dem stand up you can’t see dem. And even if dem stand pun a chair or a table you can’t see dem. Some of dem starting to forget. Dem don’t remember 33 is bigger than 32, and that 33 is de majority of 65. When dem boys watch how some of dem MPs forget simple addition and subtraction, dem remember de 75 year-old man who married de 16-year-old. Both of dem end up crying whole night pun dem honeymoon. Dem young girl didn’t
know what to do and de 75 year-old forget wha he had to do. De coalition is just like that old man. Before dem go into govt dem promise de moon and de stars. Dem promise constitutional reform—nutten ain’t happen. Dem promise to train all MPs. Instead dem only train Charranrass, but dem didn’t use de right questions. ‘Can I borrow a MP? ‘ “No” Yuh got any spare MP? “No.” Can you lend me one MP? “No.” That is what de coalition should have been using to train Charranrass. He would have said ‘No’ instead of de resounding ‘Yes. Yes. Yes’ in that no confidence vote. Today is de day before Old Year’s and dem boys just want to let everybody know that all your problems stick up between Mind and Matter. If yuh don’t mind it doesn’t matter. And please don’t let de behavior of others, especially dem MP destroy your inner peace. Talk half and enjoy this beautiful Sunday.
Gold Board’s Chairman, Gabriel ‘GHK’ Lall; GM, Eondrene Thompson and Stacy Weever, the entity’s Legal Officer.
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Sunday December 30, 2018
Auditing deadline, cost recoverable items for review- Energy Dept. Head In pursuit of a model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), issues such as auditing deadlines and recoverable costs by oil firms would be
reviewed in an effort to ensure that they are in keeping with international best practices. This was confirmed, yesterday, by head of the Energy
Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe. He was at the time responding to queries on whether these issues would be considered, given con-
cerns raised by international and local anticorruption activists. Dr. Bynoe said, “What we are seeking to do with the
Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe model PSA is not to present an instrument which would necessarily be used as a onestop shop. What we are seeking to do is to develop a best practice map... “We are looking to take from global best practices, what is best suited and we negotiate that. What the model PSA would do is to have the best practices incorporated …and provide scope for negotiations going forward.” Pressed on the issue of the auditing deadline and the cost recoverable items, Dr. Bynoe said, “The Department will look at all global best practices in every respect. So whether it be recoverable costs, whether it be in terms of profit oil and sharing, all of those elements would be looked at.” AUDITING DEADLINE In the Production Sharing Agreement signed with oil giant, ExxonMobil, Guyana only has a two-year deadline within which to do cost audits. But given the nation’s capacity deficiencies, international transparency bodies contend that this timeline should be extended. Specifically making this point is Oxfam America. The entity is a confederation of 20 independent charitable organizations, which seek to fight some of the factors that lead to poverty, one of them being the poor governance of extractive wealth. Oxfam America noted that the expiration periods for audit rights are set out in petroleum contracts and tax laws. It stressed, however, that these deadlines differ from one country to the next. It noted that in Ghana and Kenya for example, the authorities there retain the right to complete audit companies within seven years. In Peru, the limit for audits is four years. Even in the USA, the transparency body highlighted that audits are completed within three years. Oxfam warned, however, that even a three-year deadline is not advisable for developing countries such as Guyana, given the limited financial and human resources that are likely to delay the audit process.
The organization said that it is equally important to keep an eye on record-keeping provisions in the petroleum contracts and tax laws. It said, “Oil companies should be required to keep all their records in country for easy access by the auditors during the audit period. But once that period expires, it becomes very costly to access records and therefore practically impossible to audit them…” COST RECOVERABLE ITEMS Oxfam America has also called for Guyana to urgently modify those costs which oil companies are allowed to deduct. The transparency body emphasized that there are certain costs which present a greater risk to government revenue, and their eligibility may merit review. In this regard, it sought to warn Guyana’s authorities that the payment of interest on a loan an oil company takes from a related party is one such cost. The company explained, “Oil and gas projects require significant capital outlays over their life, including the costs of drilling the well and constructing infrastructure to pump and refine the oil. Often, a related party will provide an oil operator with a loan for its project. But the interest rate on that loan is often highly unreasonable…” Oxfam then cited a case involving Chevron Australia which highlights how companies may use such loan arrangements as a means of shifting profits offshore. Oxfam noted that in 2017, the Federal Court of Australia upheld a US$340 million tax adjustment levied on Chevron Australia by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). This decision came about after the ATO discovered that a Chevron affiliate in the U.S. state of Delaware set an unreasonable interest rate for a loan to Chevron’s Australian arm. And that was not the worse part. The court found that the loan was not even a genuine transaction. It was simply used by Chevron Australia to artificially reduce its (Continued on page 57)
Sunday December 30, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Preparation for retirement Retirement is known to be the time found to sit back and relax while finally reaping the benefits of one’s hard work. Many persons choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public benefits, however some are forced into retirement when bodily conditions no longer allows them to work. Despite the age of someone it is highly advised that they begin to prepare for retirement whether by choice or not. The following are some factors a person is advised to put in place when preparing for pre-retirement or retirement. MONITOR YOUR INVESTMENTS Money needed 5-10 years into retirement is most vulnerable, so avoid overspending. If that money is lost, it is harder to recover over time. Look for investments with predictable income sources, but remember the more predictable the income, the lower the return. Be open with your spouse or other dependants about spending. It is always a good habit to talk through financial matters to be able to make better decisions. PLAN FOR INFLATION AND EXPECT TO SPEND MORE Inflation and rising prices can eat away at the buying power of retirement funds. When planning for retirement, just assume prices will go up and be ready for surprise expenses; as well as costs like property taxes and household maintenance costs that may go up dramatically during retirement. FOCUS ON PHYSICALHEALTH Given the high costs of health care, focusing on physical fitness today is essential to staying fiscally fit in retirement. Health care costs are often overlooked by retirees, despite the fact that it’s constantly in the news and is still spinning out of control. Health care expenses could really burden your finances when you consider the projections. CREATEA BUDGETAND FOLLOW IT The best way to plan a budget is to know how much you can spend. However, most people don’t bother to calculate how much they can safely spend in retirement. If you need help starting out, meet with an investment professional. An investment professional can provide additional insight and tools to help you stay on track with your plan. If the need arises, ask friends for recommendations, since referrals are often the best way to locate a good investment professional. WATCH TRAVELEXPENSES IN RETIREMENT Travel is cheaper and easier when you’re mobile, so take big trips when you are younger. Don’t save all of your vacations for retirement as this will be more costly. Also, don’t take overly expensive vacations. As you are smart about spending when at home, keep the same habits while traveling. PAY OFFYOUR MORTGAGE Your home is more than just shelter; it also comprises a significant contribution to your fixed expenses. By paying off your mortgage you can finally tap into your home’s wealth by living there “rent-free” eliminating a significant monthly expense. WORK LONGER One of the best ways to ensure you have sufficient money well into retirement is to work a few additional years, beyond what you originally had planned. It may not be what you want to do, but it will add more cushion to your nest egg in the long run. Even just a couple more years of work income can add significantly to your retirement funds. The overall good news is that making a few small changes, maybe working a few years longer, saving a bit more each month and adopting some healthy lifestyle habits, can add up to a much more comfortable retirement. Talk to an investment professional about how you can save for retirement and be prepared. (Trishan Craig)
Sunday December 30, 2018
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My line in the sand This is the last column of the year. I want to wish all readers a happy new year and urge you to continue reading. The objective of this column is to offer a perspective on Guyanese politics and society that veers away from party orthodoxy and dictates. It is first and foremost an independent column, aimed at getting readers to consider another perspective than the ones that offer partisan comfort. I write and advocate not for the clueless and the blind disciples who have little capacity to see beyond the narrow confines of ignorance. Rather, I seek to converse with the reasonable, the salt of the earth, the sufferers and the enlightened. My year-end column last year was published in the Guyana Chronicle, but two months later, along with Lincoln Lewis’ column, it was removed by the powers that be from that newspaper, which they have treated as their personal property. They removed those columns because they could not stand the independent critique of their stewardship, but more importantly, they did so because they had the power to do so. It was the second time since they took power that the government removed me from a government agency for my independence. Less than a year later, that power was taken away from them, courtesy of a no-confidence motion filed by the opposition PPP. Under normal circumstances, I should, therefore, be rejoicing at their fall. But Guyana’s circumstances are not normal. So, I am not rejoicing. Instead I am trying to grapple with the further mess that the fall of the government has brought on Guyana. The country is now pushed into uncharted waters—it’s the first time that we have had to deal with a successful no-confidence motion. Consequently, there is lots of speculation about where this will end. The PPP wants early elections—after all, they won the no-confi-
dence vote. But the government and, perhaps, its constituent parties, seem to be looking at legal loopholes as a route to overturning the vote. Both sides are on solid ground, it seems. But there are larger sociological implications. Any move to the courts by the governing parties would be framed by the PPP as yet another attempt by the PNC to derail the will of the people— read “the people” to mean Indian Guyanese. And we have already seen how the words “traitor” and “Judas” and “betrayal” have gained currency among African Guyanese at both the level of party and government and among the masses—read that to mean “those Indian Guyanese traitors.” As a fierce defender of African Guyanese dignity, I must urge some toning down of that rhetoric. Quite apart from its ethnic viciousness, it masks the ineptitude and collusion of the government in its own demise. If Charrandass betrayed his colleagues in the AFC and the Coalition, then it must be said that the government betrayed the trust of its own supporters, who cannot point to any benefits for them beyond a few hand-outs here and there. The complaints from the supporters are many, and by now should be well known to the leaders. But have they heard—do they have the capacity to hear? So, I urge government supporters to look beyond Charrandass’ action, and ask what the factors are that led to that fateful vote. At some point we have to go to the polls, and the PNC would have to team up with potential “traitors” if it will win. The question then is this—how do you keep partners from becoming “traitors?” I am afraid that the senior partners in the Coalition are ignoring that question, because if they were to address it, they would have to admit to poor management of intra-coalition dynamics. People are claiming that Charrandass took PPP money.
If that is so, then there are questions of bribery as a means of governmental change, which falls outside the rule of law and the democratic process. And that is a matter for the police and the courts. Those who have evidence in that regard should take it to the police. Until such time, I urge that we focus on the political causes of what happened and vow to correct them. The Coalition has control over that; it doesn’t have control over who gives and takes bribes. So, what’s next for us? I do not shed a single tear for those who are today the interim government—they have turned out to be the most arrogant government in our post-colonial history. It is not that there aren’t outstanding individuals in the government—there are many. But as a collective, they leave a lot to be desired. Never have I seen a group of rulers so in love with the trappings of power and so deaf to their own vulnerability. Never have I seen a group so unprepared for government. Never have I seen a government so ungrateful to those who put them in power—the workers, the teachers, the vendors, the unemployed youth, the downpressed, the villagers, the “trouble makers” like Lincoln Lewis, Mark Benschop and Freddie Kissoon, who risked their lives and liberty to create the conditions for this government to rise to power. I belong to one of the parties in the Coalition and would respect our collective decisions. But for this coalition to win my individual support at the next election, I have to see, in word and deed, a qualitative change of attitude and shift in orientation. For me, the current top leadership ranks need an immediate overhaul, for those who now occupy those ranks are incapable of meeting the demands of the time. That leadership has failed its supporters and Guyana. I have already called for Carl Greenidge to be brought into the centre of the Coali-
The Baccoo Speaks TThe last few months of this year have been traumatic for many. There were the murders, the robberies and of course, the senseless road accidents. The road accidents will continue for a while as more senseless people take to the streets. One crash will occur on the last day of the year. The driver will collide with a motorcyclist who will be hurrying to get to his destination. ** For some reason, fires
always rear their ugly heads at this time. This weekend will see another fire. Once more arson would be blamed, because a disgruntled neighbour would not take kindly to some actions.
The police would get the information but they would not be in a position to make any arrest until the dawn of the New Year. ** Battle lines are drawn on the political front. Recent actions in the National Assembly will spark some sharp confrontations, all of which would be promoted in the media. Meanwhile, word out of a foreign country is that there is a move to deport another Guyanese.
tion. There are others like Vincent Alexander, Robert Corbin and Aubrey Norton on the PNC side who can make a big difference to the leadership of a future Coalition government. Nigel Hughes of the AFC is sorely needed. In the end, my support would be for the security of the poor and the powerless who wail to people like me every day because their leaders have betrayed them. They walk the bad roads every day. They endure poverty every day. After three years of their government in office, “no sun will shine in their day today”
because in the concrete jungle “the living is hardest.” If the Coalition does not apologize to their supporters for failing them, broaden the leadership to include others, and pledge to do better if given another chance, they will not get my support… and for what it’s worth, I would not encourage others to do so. That’s my line in the sand. More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news.
Dr. David Hinds Send comments dhinds6106@aol.com
to
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Sunday December 30, 2018
The ‘House of Horror’ murders
By Michael Jordan Many years ago when you took a trek up the West Bank Demerara Public Road to Goed Intent, you would have seen a large, empty lot, overgrown with weeds and with a solitary mango tree on the western side. That empty lot had a gruesome history. Blood was spilled on that land, and to this day, no one knows for sure who did it or
why. Back in 1997, there was a two-bedroom house on that property. In it lived 67-yearold Alice Persaud, her mentally handicapped son, 35year-old Joseph Allen, and a daughter, Rita. The elderly woman eked out a living by begging in the community. She would often share a bottle of high-wine with her few female friends
and cook for them on her firewood stove. Two of those close friends were 45-year-old Caroline Moore and Joyce Walker, a neighbour who operated a roadside stall. From all accounts, Mrs. Persaud was last seen alive on Saturday, March 1, 1997, when she told her friend, Joyce Walker, that she was going out to raise some money. The next day, Mrs.
Walker observed that the door of the property was closed and that there was no sign of the occupants. The following day, at around three o’clock in the afternoon, Joyce Walker again observed that her friend’s door was still shut and that the occupants were nowhere in sight. This time, Mrs. Walker became certain that something was amiss and decided to check on her friend. She instructed her 13year-old daughter to peep through a crease by the front door to see if the family was alright. Standing nearby, Joyce Walker saw her daughter peep into the silent house and then recoil in horror. The teen then burst into tears and ran from the yard without telling her mother what had upset her. A perplexed Mrs. Walker then decided to look in the house. She too was shocked by what she saw. Lying on the hallway floor was the naked and bloated body of Alice Persaud. Her son, Joseph Allen, lay on his side by the door. He too, was clearly dead. Mrs. Persaud’s friend Caroline Moore, also lay
naked, bloated and dead by one of the doorways. Mrs. Walker immediately called the police. It didn’t take the detectives long to conclude that someone had bashed in the skulls of the three victims. Two bloodstained lengths of wood near Allen’s body appeared to be the murder weapons. Police believe that the killer sexually assaulted the two women before clubbing them to death. Rita, the daughter who had lived on the premises, had escaped a similar fate, because she had been away from the premises for a few days. From the state of the bodies, it was estimated that the victims had been dead for about three days. None of the neighbours could recall hearing any unusual sounds coming from Persaud’s house or noticing any strangers entering the property. Robbery did not appear to be a motive. For one thing, the occupants were poor. Secondly, according to another daughter, the killers had left $5,000 untouched in the house. Detectives now had to find a theory and a suspect. After questioning some neighbours, they arrested a canecutter and his son. According to Joyce Walker, the canecutter would occasionally visit Persaud’s home to see the woman’s daughter, Rita. He was married. He was a quiet person who would “take his little drinks”. Rosaline Bagot, another daughter, confirmed that her mother and the suitor were not on good terms. From all reports, the boyfriend had a habit of dropping in when the daughter was not at home. When he did, the elderly woman would sometimes chase him from the property.
On the morning of Thursday, February 27, 1997, the canecutter allegedly went to Alice Persaud’s house. He reportedly left after Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Persaud “cussed him out”. According to Mrs. Walker, the labourer then went to a nearby shop where he pawned his cutlass for a bottle of liquor. It is believed that he then returned to Mrs. Persaud’s house, since an empty liquor bottle, similar to the one that the suspect had purchased, was found near the bodies. Mrs. Walker is convinced that the suspect bludgeoned the three victims. Persaud’s daughter, though, thinks otherwise. ”I don’t think any one man could kill three people at one time,” she told me. However, some villagers surmised that the killings might have been the work of drug addicts who lived in the neighbourhood. But the investigators were unable to link the canecutter and his son to the triple murder and had no option but to release them. Twenty-one years have passed since Alice Persaud, Joseph Allen and Caroline Moore were bludgeoned to death. To this day, it is still the most brutal crime to have occurred in the community. To this day, also, the ‘House of Horror’ murders remain unsolved. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 22-58458, 2258465, 22-58482 and 2258491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: mjdragon@hotmail.com
Sunday December 30, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Conscience is the fulcrum on which civilization stands This is one human on Planet Earth that don’t give a damn what people say and think of him. This is a law of human society. You fall by the wayside when you become preoccupied with what people say about you. Life is about obligation and conscience. They are priceless values that hold civilization together. You have an obligation to the people who love, protect and provide for you. It begins and ends there. What I am about to say here in relation to someone very close to me is the truth. Whoever thinks it is a fictional account, then that is their business, not mine. This article is about the role of conscience in humans. It is motivated by the Charrandass Persaud situation. He said conscience was the factor in him voting against his government so it can fall. I accept conscience as the fulcrum of which civilization stands. My wife worked as a state employee for fourteen years at GO-Invest, where she was an investment officer. During her time there, the government was led by the PPP. My wife never, even for one moment, discussed the nature of her work with me. Some humans are like that. Many humans are like that. My wife saw herself as serving her country, not her husband’s politics. She never discussed politics with me. She never
discussed her professional work with me. I never sought political dialogue with her. I never enquired what she was doing at GO-Invest. If you cannot believe that, then you do not know a damn thing about the nature of humans. Mental thinking comes in countless forms. Had I ever ask my wife to tell me what was going on at GO-Invest, I think our marriage would have broken down. She would have seen me as a hypocrite. She would have said that the very values I was fighting for, I was asking her to violate. I hate to be personal, but the publication of the personal factor here is to underscore the role of conscience in life. The conscience my wife carried led her to serve her country without being influenced by her husband’s politics. People are denying Charrandass’ motive of conscience. He is being derogated for citing conscience. They are attributing conspiratorial and financial motives to him. But could it not be conscience? Was it conscience when Daniel Ellsberg as a civil servant violated the security laws of the US Government and released secret files that revealed the US government’s illegal role in the Vietnam War? Today most people in the world have a level of respect for Ellsberg. Was it conscience when the deputy head of the FBI,
Mark Felt, was secretly feeding the Washington Post classified information on President Nixon’s illegal involvement in the cover-up of Watergate? Was it conscience that led Chelsea Manning to violate US espionage laws by giving the world’s top newspapers details of American atrocities in the occupation of Iraq? Manning was charged and sentenced, but pardoned by President Obama. Was it conscience that led Edward Snowden to publicly reveal that US security agencies were collecting data on the personal lives of a majority of Americans? The priceless value of
conscience was on display for the entire world to see at the Nuremberg Trial. The judges did not accept the reasons given by dozens and dozens of accused for why Nazi underlings murdered countless persons. They simply said they had to follow orders. In what situation does an order conflict with conscience? This is where Charrandass Persaud’s action comes in. Charrandass’ explanation of conscience should be considered. If it can be proven that Persaud was conspiratorial and devious, then, the evidence will make him permanently infamous. But until allega-
tions of bribery become evidential, the conscience polemic cannot easily be dismissed This is how Persaud exonerates himself using conscience. He said he was the Region 6 representative in Parliament, but was a rubber stamp, in that he was given no political authority to serve the interests of Region 6. He argued that when one of the most historical decisions in Guyanese history – the closure of the sugar estates - was made, he read about it in the press. For two years as a close friend, Charrandass told me he wanted to leave politics because APNU+AFC’s gover-
Frederick Kissoon nance was not essentially different from the PPP’s lust for power. At a birthnight party on David Street, Kitty, he told me only his safety concern would deter him from voting for a no-confidence vote. When the vote did come, he confided in me. I kept it secret because my conscience and obligation were to my country and not unaccountable politicians.
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Sunday December 30, 2018
APNU+AFC Coalition has restored Guyana’s World Standing & Credibility Above all the political blustering, the rank opportunism, defection, and the opposition’s endless
efforts to try to shift all of their sins onto the Government, the Coalition of APNU+AFC is re-affirming its patriotic
commitment to the people of Guyana. We have been able to stay above the rankness, and as we begin another
calendar year, we urge you to do the same – Go high! Within the three and a half years that the Coalition has been steering the ship of state, we have cleaned up administrative messes of unbelievable proportions all over the government structure; and we have faced down many, many challenges. The Coalition has indeed made a few missteps, but the numerous and impressive successes that Guyanese at home and in the diaspora are benefitting from in just three years cannot be downplayed. Our most neutral watchers have put together this compendium: The Coalition Government has restored Guyana’s credibility in the whole world - The Government is leaving nothing to chance to protect our national sovereignty and territorial integrity against Venezuela, plus the right of every Guyanese to benefit from the many resources that are theirs - forest products, gold, diamonds, manganese, bauxite, oil and other minerals - This Government has ensured that the judiciary remains independent - The Speaker of the House of Parliament takes no guff from any side as he ensures that Parliament functions autonomously - GECOM and other constitutional agencies are all guaranteed full financial independence - Two Local Government Elections have been held in 3 years, compared to none for more than two decades, between 1994 and 2015, when the PPP administered the nation’s business - Guyana today enjoys a plural, free media with full protection for practitioners - Nationwide security takes very high priority. The careful handling of law enforcement has resulted in a reduction in serious crimes, especially piracy, which had reached epidemic proportions before 2016. Guyana has lost many skilled young lives on the high seas and this Government continues to solicit assistance from every quarter to end it altogether. Our Coalition Government
has promoted social security from Day 1. One success story is the improvement of public perception of our indigenous peoples. Today, these Guyanese citizens enjoy equal rights and opportunities, and their integration remains a work in progress as the Government works towards a truly multicultural state. REMEMBER WHEN … In three and a half years, the Coalition has eradicated acts of torture, extra-judicial killings, summary executions of citizens and many of the ills that had been associated with our police force for over 15 years. We have terminated for good, the death squads and drug gangs that used to stalk this land, our people and their possessions including their homes, vehicles, boats and other property, especially in Berbice! The Coalition Government continues to fight institutionalized corruption in public agencies. We have restored the Integrity Commission, especially for officers/ ministers in public service, and the Public Procurement Commission, to handle state procurement. The various programmes implemented by the Education Ministry, NCERD and other institutes have improved access to education, better attendance and higher pass rates. College and university education is more affordable, and UG’s administration is relentless in its efforts to transform the University of Guyana into one with world class rating with no political interference. High quality highways and roadways remain a priority and so far, the West Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara and East Coast Demerara highways are complete, along with five pedestrian overpasses and a major roundabout in Kitty. Factor in the upgrade of more than 10 Hinterland aerodromes and airstrips. We have delivered 132 Community ICT Hubs that give people all over Guyana free access to the Internet, and almost every Primary and Secondary school in 8 out of
10 Regions are connected to the national network. Guyana can now boast of having a truly national public information network that links the Coastland with the hinterland. To date, there are six new Regional Radio Stations in Mabaruma, Bartica, Mahdia, Orealla, Lethem and Aishalton. Working people who still carry the burden of past neglect through starvation wages are much better off under this Government. VAT has been reduced, public servant salaries increased by 63%, the tax threshold lifted to $780,000 annually, and personal income tax lowered. Everyone, from teachers, nurses, doctors, soldiers and police officers to pensioners, young people, single parents and public servants, now have greater hope for a life of fulfillment in the very near future. GUYSUCO SAVED FROM TOTAL COLLAPSE The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was in its death throes in 2015 and a plan had to be devised fast to save it from total collapse. The Government knew that the decisions from then onward would be hard, but the tough things had to be done to save the Corporation that so many thousands depended on for their sustenance. We had to close four estates which put the jobs of 10,000 sugar workers in flux, but it had to be done to stop the bleeding. Between 2015 and 2017, more than $32 Billion had been injected into the industry, but it did nothing to stop the hemorrhage of the nation’s revenue. GuySuCo’s debts were not paid and more debts were added. But all was not lost. Towards the end of 2018, production at the three sugar estates in operation had surpassed 105,000 tonnes. Many of the displaced sugar workers were rehired and many others have since been re-trained for other employment. Every worker was paid the balance of their severance pay with interest. Guyanese have every reason to believe that the fortunes of this country are finally moving in the right direction – Upward. These are real, compelling reasons to rally around your government. The AFC takes this opportunity to assure every Guyanese that your future in this growing nation is assured under the APNU+AFC Coalition.
Sunday December 30, 2018
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My column
My greatest wish for 2019 The older I get, the more I seem to attract the dislike of some people who do not even know me. Of course this is nothing new, dating back to the days when I was the editor of New Nation, the organ of the People’s National Congress. I used my skills as a reporter to bring the stories to the world. Some of these stories did not find favour with the political opposition, largely because the reporting was factual. More often than not, people do not like to hear about their shortcomings. They feel exposed. As the years went by, I simply faded into my little world. I kept reporting, but the dislike kept following me. There were people who described me as a dyed-in-thewool PNC, as though being such was a plague. Even the Opposition Leader took time off at a recent press conference to target me, not that it bothered me. I am what I am. I like people regardless of their political affiliation, and those who met
me would attest to that. I remember when I became a member of the Kaieteur News staff. There were people who tried to pressure Glenn Lall to part company with me. Just a few days ago I was invited to a home, but I never took up that invitation because of a misunderstanding. Perhaps it was good that I did not go, because I was a topic for discussion. There was this man accusing me of all manner of things under the sun. He had to be corrected in no small measure. But the dislike is still there. Some things simply do not disappear. Stuck in my mind was a chat on computer. It was 2011 and the country was awaiting the results of the elections. I told the woman with whom I was chatting that there would be a minority government. So said, so done. Nearly four years later there was a similar conversation with the same woman. She asked about the 2015 elections results and I told her that I could not offer a prediction. She told the world on
Facebook that I was spot on in 2011 and got the response from a young man I never met that he did not like Adam Harris. When I joined Evening News in 1993 the outlet was housed below Guyenterprise. I remember Tony Vieira, the head of Evening News, saying to me that we had to move. He said that Vic Insanally told him that he was uncomfortable having me around. The closest brush I had with Vic was when he taught French at Queen’s College shortly after he left school. Then in 1992 he brokered my departure from the Guyana Chronicle. He promised that I would get all my benefits, a promise that he couldn’t and never kept. Fact of the matter is, I care not. I don’t walk with a begging bowl. Ever since 1992 I never received a token from any government. Life has been good to me, though. So here I am after all these years, away from the political circle but still being disliked by people who support the po-
litical opposition. I must be doing something good. Meanwhile, I sit here awaiting the dawn of the New Year, noting the same things that came to my mind last year and some years before that. As sure as night follows day, many people will welcome the New Year, but will not live to see the end of it. Strange though it may seem, for the most part, there are often no road fatalities until after the first week of the year. People soon forget their promises and lapse into old ways. There will be the murders as tempers flare. No longer are people able to reason, so they kill. Some are brave to end their lives while others flee to live like beasts, constantly looking over their shoulders. The dawn of the New Year always something exciting. I remember the times when I went to those Old Year’s Night parties. Everyone counted the minutes to the dawn of the New Year. Love bloomed or was rekindled. Alcohol flowed and tongues were relaxed. There were the resolu-
tions. Resolutions are good things. They force people to look at their shortcomings and promise to correct them. Sadly, man is a creature of habit. He does not easily relinquish those things to which he has grown accustomed. After a few days he would simply lapse into his old habits. I remember people promising to stop doing things like smoking. Some do. Others after a few days, simply lapse into the habit. There is another habit that comes to the surface whenever there are elections. All through the years people would live in peace with neighbours. There is a lot of tolerance and even camaraderie. Elections change these. The recently departed American Ambassador, Perry Holloway, at his last press conference in Guyana, said that at first glance no one would detect any hint of racism. He talked about the relationships he saw in the market place and even on the streets.
Adam Harris A. A. The elections come and things change radically. 2019 will be no different. People will drift apart like iron filings reacting to a magnet. Battle lines would be drawn. I saw those battle lines repeatedly in the past. In the 1960s they resulted in the death of more than a hundred people. Sometimes they led to the destruction of property. Fear became a constant companion. We should all make a resolution to let racial tolerance take precedence over whatever seeks to prevail. That would be my greatest wish for 2019.
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Sunday December 30, 2018
We are better together In light of the events of Friday December 21, 2018, in the National Assembly of Guyana, A Partnership for National Unity’s column that was published on the occasion our 7th anniversary earlier this year is republished. The Peoples Progressive Party is once again attempting to foist ‘one-party rule’ on the citizens of Guyana; it will not be successful. The
days of one-party rule is long gone, the way forward is partnership and coalition. “The winner-take-all political culture has become dangerously dysfunctional.… the tide of ideas in Guyanese politics has turned. Today, the 15th of July, marks the birthday of the new politics, a birth begotten by A Partnership for National Unity. We are more than a
party, we are a movement,” - David Granger at the Launch of -A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). Seven years ago, His Excellency David Granger accurately described the ‘old’ politics in Guyana when he said, “confrontation characterized the ‘old politics.’ Calculations of ethnic support determined election tactics. The ‘winner-take-all’ jackpot became the prize of every election. The political landscape became a battlefield, not always of ideas, but of racial rivalry. Communal conflict hampered human development. That system has now become dangerously dysfunctional. Our society, under the PPP’s 19-year, one-party regime, has become more deeply divided than it has ever been at any time for 100 years.” Seven years ago, on the 15th July 2011 A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was launched with great fanfare at the Ocean View International Hotel. Four months later the Partnership contested the November 28, 2011 General and Regional elections and garnered 139,645 votes and 26 seats in the National Assembly. APNU along with the Alliance for Change (AFC) 7 seats, would command a one seat majority in the 10th Parliament of Guyana. On May 11, 2015, APNU in coalition with the AFC defeated the Peoples Progressive Party at General and Regional elections. There have always been political partnerships in Guyanese politics, but most have been purely symbolic and, in some instances, strategic. What happened in 2011 was something much more transformative, because this was not your garden variety, cosmetic coalition like the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) teaming up with Civic. In this partnership for national unity, a major mass-based party, the Peoples National Congress Reform - PNCR partnered with several other political parties and civic groups. The PNCR also sacrificed its trademark electoral symbol the Palm Tree (56 years of branding), something never done by any major political party. The partnership established a new name, a new symbol, and campaigned as a team with a single manifesto. Any political party that loses an election goes through a period of reflection and selfexamination. The PNCR having lost four consecutive contests emerged as a truly liberal democratic force. This evolution started when the party merged with the Reform wing and accelerated after the death of party leader Desmond Hoyte. There were constant insurgencies that openly contested the leadership of the
party. Young leaders brought new ideas, new thinking and flaunted their spurs and political resumes, challenging the establishment and the party’s old ways of doing business. Political pundits were quick to criticize and many predicted that the insurgency was fatal to party unity. Others saw it as a power grab by factions with political ambitions, but this was a metamorphosis and the sometimes-messy dynamics of a truly democratic organism that culminated with the historic 2011 primary process where five candidates contested to become the party’s Presidential candidate. This also marked the first time in Guyana, where a sitting Party Leader was not the Presidential Candidate. It was clear to the Joint Opposition Political Parties that would eventually comprise APNU, that the paramountcy of the PPP had to be challenged by a united force that looked like Guyana and was representative of all the stakeholders, labour, the clergy, youth and students, women’s organisations, business and politics. It was apparent to all the partners that the people of Guyana were tired of one-party rule and wanted more from their leaders. It was clear that the race-based politics and policies of the past had no place in the future, and Guyana with all of its resources would not reach its true potential and embrace modernity if the old ways of doing business were allowed to continue. This partnership (APNU) gave the nation a chance to hit the reset button, and the leaders a new pallet on which to promote policies and programmes designed to advance the interest of all the people of Guyana. In a multi-racial society, a party must appeal to other groups, and by the nature and construct of this partnership for national unity, their intent was clear. Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine the leader of the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) was prophetic on that July day, seven years ago when he pronounced, “We are today a wider, more diverse partnership than we were last week. We are not yet nearly as diverse and as wide as we need to be. We know this, APNU is a dynamic, expanding partnership; together we must and will create a genuinely inclusive partnership where all constituencies can enter and represent themselves”. We held those truths then and we still believe today- We are better together.
Sunday December 30, 2018
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Blood Clots: Are you at risk of getting one? By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine A blood clot is a clump of blood that has changed from a liquid to a gel-like or semisolid state. Clotting is important to prevent excessive bleeding if you are injured or cut. However, when a blood clot blocks blood flow to important areas of your body, it can be harmful or deadly. Blood clots can occur in your arms and legs, abdomen, heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys. There are two different types of blood clots. These include clots that stay in place and don’t move (thrombosis) and those that break away from the spot where they developed and move to different areas inside your body (embolism). Depending on what the clot blocks or where it moves to, a blood clot can be deadly. Today we will shed some light on blood clots and their potential dangers. WHATARE SYMPTOMS OF BLOOD CLOTS? Symptoms are different depending on where the blood clot is located. If the clot is in your arms or legs, you can experience pain, cramping, swelling, and tenderness. Your skin may be red and warm to the touch where the clot is located. If the blood clot is in your abdomen, you may experience severe stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Blood clots that travel to your heart cause a heavy feeling or pain in your chest, pain in your upper body, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and lightheadedness. If the clot moves to your lungs, you could experience sharp chest pain, a racing heart, shortness of
breath, sweating, and fever. You may cough up blood. A blood clot in the brain may cause weakness in your face, arms, or legs, speech and vision difficulties, headache, and dizziness. Many of these symptoms are the symptoms associated with other conditions, such as heart attacks and stroke. WHAT CAUSES BLOOD CLOTS? Your body reacts to an injury or cut by clotting your blood just the way it should. These types of clots are not a problem. Sometimes a blood clot will form without a trigger; such as an injury or cut. This is more likely to happen with certain risk factors or conditions. Risk factors include: · Prolonged sitting. This is often the case with travel where you are forced to sit for long periods. · Prolonged bed rest. This is often the case with surgery or illness. · Pregnancy. · Smoking. · Obesity. · Birth control pills/hormone replacement therapy/ breast cancer medicines. · Certain cancer types (pancreatic, lung, multiple myeloma, or blood-related cancers). · Trauma causing serious injury. · Some types of major surgery. · Age, especially over the age of 60. · A family history of blood clots. · Diseases related to chronic inflammation. · Infections such as HIV/ AIDS or hepatitis C. HOW ARE BLOOD CLOTS DIAGNOSED? Whether you go to your doctor’s office or an emer-
gency room, the doctor will examine your symptoms. The doctor also will ask you about your medical history, your family’s medical history, and the medicines you are taking. The doctor may order a blood test to send to the lab. There are several lab tests than can check for abnormal clotting and for the presence of antibodies that interfere with clotting. CAN BLOOD CLOTS BE PREVENTED OR AVOIDED? Blood clots are highly preventable. To prevent or avoid a blood clot, know your personal risk factors and control the risks you can. For ex-
ample, if you smoke, stop. If you are obese, lose weight. If you take birth control pills, talk to your doctor about an effective alternative. If you are inactive, get moving. If you have a family history of blood clots, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may determine whether you should be taking blood-thinning medicine to prevent clots. HOW ARE BLOOD CLOTS TREATED? A blood clot is treated based on where it is located. Blood thinner medicines are the most common treatments for blood clots. They are mostly given orally,
but some medicines can be given through a catheter (a long, thin tube) inserted into the area of the clot. Some clots can be surgically removed. Do not hesitate to let your doctor know if you are pregnant, as medicines may involve risks to your unborn child. If your blood clot is due to an infection, your doctor may be able to treat the infection and reduce the risk of a clot. If detected early, a blood clot can usually be treated successfully. If it was not treated early, your quality of life depends on the seriousness of the damage. For example, a blood
Dr. Zulfikar Bux clot can cause a stroke, heart attack or even death. Your best bet lies in minimizing your risk of getting a blood clot by taking preventative measures.
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Kaieteur News
SUNDAY Why I voted the way I did – Charrandass Persaud A Member of Parliament backbencher, (MP), Charrandass Persaud, was largely quiet in the national front over the past few months. On Friday evening, after 20:00 hours, that all changed. Within hours, on the coastlands, and in the diaspora, his name was on the lips of hundreds of thousands. Persaud during what, for the Coalition Government, should have been a routine vote, kicked over the apple cart and caused the dam to break, by voting with the Opposition on a critical no-confidence motion. To the shouts and disbelief of his colleagues MPs, he remained defiant, and the motion was carried 33-32 in favour of the Opposition. His one vote has caused the Coalition Government, in just the fourth year of its fiveyear reign, to fall. That one vote will now see early elections within three months. It has never happened before in Guyana. With a one-seat minority, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) after being booted from office in 2015, during an early election due to a prorogued Parliament, stand a real chance of regaining power after a good showing at the recent Local Government Elections. Charrandass Persaud, surrounded by MPs and others of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which forms Opposition, shortly after the vote on Friday night, insisted that he voted with his conscience, for the first time in three and a half years as an MP. The rest of the time he voted along party lines.
He was given protection to head out of the Parliament Building and police were supposed to give him more security until he left Guyana for Canada Saturday. Speaking with reporters, Charrandass did not hold back. He appeared to have planned the vote. He had prepared a letter, which he gave to his secretary of his law office in Berbice, detailing his reasons for his vote. The letter was to have been released in case he did not make it from the Parliament chambers. He had also made plans to fly out Saturday. He wrote to his son, urging him to be happy and to be a good father. With regards to his decision, Persaud complained that the Government MP, Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, was sitting in the cafeteria in the Parliament Buildings when she allegedly threatened to kill and to throw anyone who crossed the floor, over the rail. Govt. has itself to blame; it was drunk on power – Dr. Hinds …Says WPA to discuss breaking ranks for 2019 elections “I was hoping the decision would have been different. But I am not surprised by the outcome of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) NoConfidence Motion… The Coalition was already deteriorating from within…” Those sentiments were expressed by Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds, just moments after the successful passage of the Opposition’s No-Confidence Motion against the APNU+AFC Administration. The success of the PPP motion was due to the sup-
Charrandass Persaud
Sunday December 30, 2018
porting vote of Alliance For Change (AFC), Member, Charrandass Persaud. Dr. Hinds said the fact that one can vote against his own, exposed the weakness of the Coalition. “I always said that the intra-coalition relations were destroyed.” ”The government has to take full responsibility for what happened. With such a slim majority, they governed as though they had a super majority. All of the coalition members did not feel a sense of ownership of the government. Therefore, the entire management of the coalition was just filled with mistakes. ”I have always said that when different parties come together, you have to be delicate. And with such a slim majority in the House, you need to be cautious about your policies…” Dr. Hinds said that there were those in Government who recognized that the coalition was crumbling, “but those in charge were so drunk and seduced by power hence they couldn’t see this motion coming or its success.” The political commentator said that the WPA will have to make a decision on whether it will go to the 2019 elections with the coalition or not. He said that his party has not been active with the APNU, nor has the APNU tried to be active with the WPA. “We have a divergence meeting and will take a decision if we are going to leave or stay,” said Dr. Hinds. Venezuelan incursion halts ExxonMobil operations USA oil giant, ExxonMobil, was forced to pause its 3-D seismic operations on the Stabroek Block last week Saturday following an incursion by the Venezuelan military. ExxonMobil’s Head of Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe, said that the operations were halted to ensure the safety of crew members. The official said, “The 3D seismic data acquisition of the western portion of the Stabroek Block began this month. At this time, seismic operations on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana have been paused until they can be safely continued. ”PGS was contracted to conduct the 3-D seismic data acquisition. Our main concern right now is for the safety of crew members and others in the area.” Moe added that ExxonMobil is in communication with the necessary authorities on the matter. A ship hired by ExxonMobil was approached by a Venezuelan naval vessel off the coast of Guyana, one
Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services ship. the Ramform Tethys, working for ExxonMobil which was approached by a Venezuela naval vessel of the most serious incidents yet in oil-rich waters that Venezuela has long claimed as its own. The Venezuelans did not board the ship and have since left the area, according to a statement issued by Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services, which was performing a seismic survey on behalf of Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil. Bard Stenberg, PSG’s senior vice president for communications, declined to provide further details about the incident, but said the vessel, Ramform Tethys, had not resumed operations and was now heading eastward. He said the ship was working under Guyanese authority and had all required permits.
ExxonMobil in a statement said that it was working to ensure the safety of all crew members. Exxon drilled its first successful well off the coast of Guyana in 2015 and since then has made nine more discoveries, including one this month that boosted to 5 billion oil-equivalent barrels the company’s estimate of reserves in the deep-water area. The recent discoveries mean the tiny country of 750,000 people is on track to surpass Venezuela and Mexico to become Latin America’s second-biggest oil producer within the next decade, behind only Brazil, energy research firm Wood MacKenzie wrote in a report this month. But Venezuelan President
Nicolas Maduro has called the oil drilling by the U.S. company illegal, and many fear that as his socialist-run country teeters on the edge of chaos he could seek to provoke his neighbor. Venezuela has claimed the mineral-rich region west of the Essequibo river in Guyana as its own since the 19th Century, a view shared even by some of Maduro’s fiercest opponents. An international tribunal ruled in 1899 that the area formed part of Guyana, which at the time was a British colony. The swath of disputed land makes up 40 percent of Guyana. Earlier this year, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres sent the case to the International Court (Continued on page 29)
Sunday December 30, 2018
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The smaller terminal building, one-storeyed, could only hold the Arrivals section, and even then, it is too small. From page 28 of Justice following a failed UN-sponsored attempt to broker a settlement. Venezuela’s navy actually seized a U.S.-chartered oil research ship working in the area in 2013 and held it for more than a week before releasing the vessel and its 36 crewmembers from the U.S., Russia, Indonesia and Ukraine. MONDAY Pres. Granger failed to deliver leadership required, allowed his ministers to ‘run wild’ – Ram The passage of the historic No-Confidence Motion against the APNU+AFC administration does not come as a surprise to many local analysts. On Saturday for example, Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds opined that the Motion’s success exposed the deteriorating relations within the coalition party. But Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram, who agrees implicitly with that
point, took it a little further. For him, it was President David Granger’s failure to deliver the leadership needed by the country and his Party which should be blamed. Ram said, “The Head of State offered very little leadership and he allowed some of his ministers to run uncontrolled. He also failed to deliver on some of the commitments he made (such as fixing Campaign Financing Laws, ensuring Constitutional Reform and establishing an Investigative Commission on Corruption). And he swore to uphold the Constitution and I can’t say that he has an extremely positive track record in this regard…” The Chartered Accountant stressed that at some point, Granger and the rest of the APNU+AFC leadership have to take responsibility. He added, too, that whatever one might think of the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, it is undeniable that the timing of his move for a No-Confidence Motion showed some political cunning if not genius. Since former AFC Mem-
Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram
ber, Charandass Persaud gave his support to the Opposition’s No-Confidence Motion on Friday; the debate has been unending about what his move means for coalition politics in Guyana, among other things. Ram insists however that a vote of No-Confidence is part of the democratic process and the nation should be celebrating this. He said, “We should be celebrating the fact that as a country, we are mature enough to have a government removed by a vote of no confidence and it has been accepted. Despite all the fears which have been expressed, I think that is a highly positive development.” He added, “Now the nation will be looking to them (the government) to carry through their announcement of abiding by the decision of the National Assembly and holding elections in 90 days time. I think the fact that it has accepted the decision without demurring in any way is positive…” Just like PPP, APNU +AFC paid the price for its arrogance – Former Speaker Ralph Ramkarran Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran said that he always saw the safe passage of a no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC Government as a distinct possibility. In a weekly column published on his blog—Conversation Tree—Ramkarran, noted “Election results mean something. In 2011, the electorate told the PPP/C that it wants that party to join in a coalition to manage the affairs of the nation. The PPP/C ignored the message. The electorate removed it from office in 2015. Then it proceeded to give the APNU+AFC coalition a mere one seat major-
ity. This conveyed another message – that the APNU + AFC coalition government should proceed cautiously and engage with the Opposition.” Ramkarran noted that the APNU+AFC coalition likewise ignored the message, overreached and governed as if it had a sweeping mandate. “Now, like the PPP, it has paid the price. Arrogance, meaning the ignoring of the message of the electorate, rather than humility, that is, frequent consultation with, and listening to, the concerns of supporters and backbenchers, such as Mr. Charrandas Persaud, appears to be an ingrained habit of the main political parties.” Ramkarran recalled that an interview was given by Persaud after the vote in the National Assembly. He said that whether or not Persaud had given prior indication to the Opposition that he would support a no confidence motion, “his answers were unrehearsed and rational.” Ramkarran noted Persaud’s mention of two occasions on which he disagreed with his party’s leadership. “But he painfully expressed the loss of any influence over what he alleged was the unilateral direction that the leadership of the AFC was taking the party, and the plight of sugar workers, who the AFC had vowed to protect, but 7,000 of whom ended up losing their jobs.” Ramkarran said that Persaud’s disappointment with his party is shared by many former supporters as their widespread abandonment of the AFC at the local government elections demonstrated. He said that the AFC had a golden opportunity to keep its promise to the Guyanese people of holding APNU to the high standards that it said it was committed to. “But it failed to do so, to the disappointment of many,
including Mr. Persaud.” Ramkarran noted that because of Persaud’s vote, Guyana has now had two governments of the main parties whose terms lasted for only three years. He said that this reality suggests that a degree of instability has crept into the political landscape. Auditors question Natural Resources Ministry’s $15M admin cost to Guyana Gold Board Auditors reviewing the expenditure of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) have questioned a $15M expenditure to meet administrative cost to the Ministry of Natural Resources. This was pointed out in the audit report of Maurice Solomon & Co. Chartered Accountants which examined the Board’s operations for the year 2017. ”We draw attention to note seven of the financial statements which shows a total amount of $15,247,945 under Administrative expenses – NRE. This amount relates to employment costs paid by the Board on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources,” the audit report states. Further, the report points out that auditors were unable to verify whether there is a share agreement between the Guyana Gold Board and Ministry of Natural Resources and what constitutes expenditure and limits to be borne by the Board. In 2016, the board under the Admin Exp-NRE line item spent $16.5M. Auditors also continue to question the position of the GGB management that the entity is exempt from Corporation and Property Taxes. ”We were unable to ascertain the relevant authority that gives legal effect to this exemption,” the audit report states.
According to the report, the Guyana Gold Board has not paid any Corporation or Property taxes since its formation and no provision for such taxes has been made in the financial statements. The Guyana Gold Board succeeded in recording a turnaround year in 2017 despite a number of challenging circumstances. These ranged from the inherited to the existential, and tested the dedication and resolve of management, staff, and the incoming board of directors. Still, some positives were achieved. Chairman of the Board of Directors for the GGB, Gabriel ‘GHK’ Lall noted that the agency achieved a 75.1% reduction of its longstanding overdraft at the Bank of Guyana, which went from a January 1, 2017 balance of $18.9B to a closing balance of $4.7B on December 31, 2017. ”The then acting and now new General Manager, Miss Eondrene Thompson, is due full credit for this sterling achievement,” Lall stated. He pointed out that another financial milestone was attained when the GGB went from an operating deficit of $194.1M on January 1, 2017 to an Operating Surplus of $648.3M on December 31, 2017. He explained that the agency was confronted by significant matters. Among them, money laundering, worker misconduct, overdraft overhang, gold shipments to foreign partners, negative media coverage, and information security. ”In fact, gold shipments from the GGB to the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM), its longstanding overseas refiner, were halted briefly due to conflict-free gold apprehensions…the GGB was able to surmount this devastating setback through (Continued on page 36)
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From page 29 a combination of firm unambiguous commitments, follow-up operational reexaminations and overhaul, and other agreed-upon curative actions,” Lall noted. TUESDAY The No-confidence vote… I rejected Ramjattan’s offer of police protection – Charandass Persaud Charrandass Persaud trusted no one in the immediate aftermath of his bold vote in favour of the no-confidence motion on Friday. Kaieteur News has been speaking to Persaud since his decision, requesting that he properly explain to Guyanese his decision that essentially cut short the life of the Coalition Government of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). Persaud said he refused offers made by Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, to ensure his safety. Persaud described Ramjattan’s claim that he provided security for him to get out of Parliament as ‘a sick praise-hustling lie’. ”I did not speak to any police on my way out of Parliament. Khemraj spoke to me while in Parliament and offered to give me security to get to my car. I refused to take him up on that offer because I could not trust anyone after the barbaric behaviour was displayed by the Honourable members for the world to see,” Persaud pointed out. According to Persaud, he also refused to go in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) camp, which had tabled the motion against the Government. Persaud indicated that he did not want anyone to say he ran over to the PPP side. He feels that he shouldn’t have to defend any accusation about his vote because
Kaieteur News
what he did was to set his conscience at ease. ”I worked to put the APNU+AFC in office, I did nothing for the people in my Region while I was an MP, and the AFC almost totally ignored the people of Region 6, except to put many on the breadline, and so I had to fix that,” Persaud noted. NO MILLIONS Persaud also sought to put to rest assertions that he was given thousands or millions to vote for the PPP. He said persons making such claims are ‘blowing hot air and it really won’t change anything’. Persaud noted that he had made up his mind to move against the Government, but did not do it to stop the Tobacco Bill or the Juvenile Justice Bill, which are both severely flawed. Persaud claimed to have waited on a more opportune time. Had he declared that he was uncomfortable with the direction of the Government, Persaud said he would have been removed from Parliament. Persaud noted that it took every ounce of guts and sanity to vote the way he did. He noted that his relationship with the Government MPs was that of a “yes man”. According to Persaud, the one time he voted against the Government, he was no longer one of them. ”The world saw the beautiful Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence throwing a tantrum, and she was heard swearing at me. Jermaine Figueira drove his elbow into my left rib cage so often that I am still in pain. His blows were coupled with expletives. Jennifer Wade in no un-certain terms said, ‘Charrandass, you gon dead tonight’,” Persaud claims. He noted that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has to be sanctioned for stopping the voting process after he said ‘yes’.
Gold Board’s chairman, Gabriel ‘GHK’ Lall
Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson ”I am hoping that my actions will encourage more MPs to so vote, as long as such act can be justified. They must do so without fear. That will give Ministers and legislators a greater concern for the citizens, and they will have to do more to benefit the populace.” Persaud claims that he did not just ‘run off’. He said that his flight was booked because he wanted to visit his grandchildren for the Christmas holidays. CJIA’s US$150M and counting… Not yet commissioned, Arrivals terminal inadequate A modified terminal building at the Timehri airport is already facing constraints, and it is not even commissioned as yet. Passengers disclosed that the brand new Arrivals terminal, located at southern side of the old terminal building, can barely accommodate three plane loads of passengers. In fact, lines are curling into those corridors that lead to the air bridges when there are just three planes. Should there be four or five planes landing, of the Boeing 737 size, the problems would be multiplied, a number of stakeholders complained. This would not be what was envisaged when the fixed price, Design and Building contract was signed in late 2011, at the end of the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. In the “Background” of the agreement that the then government signed justifying the US$150M project, it was explained that the Government of Guyana has identified tourism as a priority in the country’s economic development plan and recognizes that improvement of Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is of paramount importance in
order to promote a sustainable tourism industry. It was specific on the space issue. In fact, this is what the contract says on the justification, “The existing airport terminal building is not currently capable of meeting peak traffic demand, or of expanding to meet the desired growth in passenger volume. It also cannot accommodate state-of-the-art airport terminal systems for passenger comfort, convenience and efficiency.” The agreement with the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), further said that onestorey terminal building cannot accommodate aircraft boarding bridges forcing passengers to walk to and from the aircraft along the apron. ”The ability to generate revenue from concessions, airline office space and ticket counter usage is also limited. Expansion capabilities of the existing terminal are compromised due to the current terminal configurations.” However, several things have gone wrong with this project with three administrations unable to explain how one contractor, a Chinese company, could have held Guyana at ransom like this without any known sanctions. A project that was supposed to see a brand new, two-storey terminal building, to house the Arrival and Departure section, and more concession space, has been significantly modified. Jagdeo rules out Ramson – “I would not vote any newbie to be presidential candidate” Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C), Bharrat Jagdeo is not in favour of Charles Ramson being the party’s presidential candidate in the upcoming elections. He said that he will
Sunday December 30, 2018
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo not vote for any “newbie” as presidential candidate. The PPP/C has long been putting off choosing its presidential candidate. The last timeline given by Jagdeo was “before the end of the year.” That was even before Guyanese knew they were going to be heading to the polls within three months. But now, with elections just around the corner, Jagdeo is saying that the end-of-year timeline might not be met. He said this at a press conference that he hosted Monday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. There, Jagdeo indicated that the PPP is gearing for elections, but will put off the campaign until “after the season.” He said that the party’s leaders in the Executive Committee will be meeting on Thursday to discuss the way forward, which will include the method of choosing its presidential candidate. Unofficially, names of persons interested in the candidacy are former Ministers Frank Anthony, Irfaan Ali, Anil Nandlall and Gail Teixeira. Former Member of Parliament, Charles Ramson Jr. is the only one who has publicly declared interest in being the presidential candidate. It has long been hinted that Jagdeo is not in favour of Ramson’s candidacy. But Monday is the first time Jagdeo was so blatant in his remarks. At one point, he even referred to Ramson as a “weak candidate.” Further, he said, “If you have newbies, then it’s much harder if you don’t have some Cabinet experience. I benefitted enormously by being a member of the Cabinet for a while, so I had experience as to what the issues were being debated; so we have a great pool of people who have had this experience and are still young,” he said. Ramson is the only one in the lineup that has never been
in Cabinet. The Presidential Candidate of the PPP is elected by the Central Committee consisting of 35 members. Nominations are made, and then each member of the committee votes based on his or her personal preference. This newspaper understands that while there are a few of the 35 who are in favour of Ramson as a candidate because he is “without baggage,” Jagdeo is the most powerful force in the party and the majority are likely to support his choice. The CCJ ruling on the two-term presidency is the only thing stopping Jagdeo from running as presidential candidate. Many, including party members, believe that since Jagdeo cannot be President, he prefers someone who will be his “puppet.” Jagdeo addressed this concern at his presser Monday. He said, “Anyone we choose, they will call my puppet. They used to call me Janet’s puppet. So that is okay. Jagdeo also made it clear that he is going to be a part of government. In June last, Ramson declared his interest in running for president. He was quoted as saying that Guyana needs high-quality leadership. FRIDAY The stage is set for elections (Front Page comment) On Friday December 21, 2018, the National Assembly, comprising 65 elected members, debated a motion of noconfidence initiated by the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo. When the vote was taken, those in favour numbered 33 and those against, 32. The Speaker ruled that the motion had been passed.The (Continued on page 37)
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GuyOil’s profits and sale of gasoline went down last year, according to the 2017 annual report. From page 36 government side of the House, though reeling from shock that one of its members had voted in favour of the motion, accepted its outcome. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was reported as saying that while the outcome was unanticipated, it had to be accepted. President David Granger subsequently issued a statement indicating that the government will abide by the stipulations which have been imposed on it following the passing of the motion. Those stipulations require the resignation of the Cabinet, including the President, but with the government remaining remain in office until new elections, to be held within three months. The stage is therefore set for general and regional elections within three months, unless an agreement is reached for it to be extended. The President, in his statement, has noted that the government will do everything necessary to facilitate the smooth functioning of those elections and for normal governmental functions to continue uninterrupted. No-confidence motions are part of the democratic tradition. A government stays in office only to the extent that it can demonstrate that it enjoys the support of the majority of elected members of the National Assembly in a vote of no-confidence. This is a time for good sense to prevail and for all concerned to demonstrate that Guyana subscribes to democratic tenets. Such a demonstration will erase the fears of investors and ensure peace and good order.
Leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman No major decisions on early polls until January 8 – GECOM With focus on the holding of early general elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has not advanced a timeline for crucial meetings of its Commissioners who will decide critical issues relating to the conduct of the polls. Earlier this month, GECOM Chairman Justice James Patterson (ret’d) indicated to the Commissioners a planned meeting on January 8, 2019. This was before the passage of the historic Noconfidence motion a week ago in Parliament that forced General Elections within three months. Despite the many issues relating to the conduct of early elections, it appears that there is no shift in the date for the Commissioners to meet. The next meeting of Commissioners has been scheduled for January 8, 2019 according to GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda
Warde. Asked about Houseto-House registration which was included in the Commission’s work plan for 2019, Warde said‘ that the Commissioners will have to decide on this matter. ”These are decisions for the Commission. I do not want to say what is likely or unlikely, but with the dynamic that has happened on Friday. I am not sure that some things will progress, but again it comes back to what happens at the level of the Commission. ”It is for the Commission to decide how the work programme will go in light of the new developments,” Warde explained. Addressing GECOM’s preparedness, Warde said that regardless if elections are within the five-year or 90-day timeframe, the agency has to deliver because it is constitutionally mandated to do so. Warde explained that there are Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) which are activated; however, only when there is a specific timeline will GECOM move
into full operation mode. ”It is too soon to give specificity in terms of the actual roll out of the plan because there may be some things at the executive level that are still being examined. ”We have had some amount of discussion operationally, but not too extensive on that front. Decisions have to be taken at the level of the Commission. We are really still to work out quite a bit. ”From the policy level, much of what needs to happen and filter down has to happen at the level of the Commission,” Warde stated. Smuggled fuel dents GuyOil sales in 2017 The state-owned Guyana Oil Company Limited (GuyOil) last year lost ground in its gasoline, thanks to among other things, smuggling. In its 2017 Annual Report, it was reported that net profit has decreased almost 29 percent. GuyOil competes mainly with SOL and Rubis. The company’s business involves the importation, storage, distribution and marketing of motor gasoline, gasoil, kerosene, fuel oil, and Castrol lubricants. The products are distributed through the large network in the petroleum business in Guyana, comprising 52 dealer-owned, dealer operated, and eight companyowned, company-operated service stations. Its three terminals are at Adventure, Region Two; Providence, East Bank Demerara and Heathburn, Berbice. Since the loss of the Ven-
ezuela supplies in 2015, Guyana had turned to the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobabo (PetroTrin) refinery in Trinidad which is the main supplier of Mogas, Gasoil, Kerosene, and Jet A1; and Staatsolie Maatschappij, Suriname. Lubricant products are being supplied by BP with the company the sole distributor of Castrol lubricants in Guyana. According to the chairman, Mark Bender’s report, “Despite the increasing manifestation of smuggled/illegal fuel and the increased number of licensed private importers, GuyOil maintained its dominant position in the Guyana market and continued to be the leader in stabilizing fuel prices, to the benefit of the Guyanese consuming public and industries.” According to the sales revenues, in 2017 sales were $35.259B, compared to $31.939B in 2016, an increase of $3.32B or 10.39%. Cost of sales was $30.465B compared to $25.889B in 2016, an increase of $4.576B or 17.68 percent. SATURDAY Int’l firms shortlisted for audit of Exxon’s US$900M pre-contract cost – Energy Dept Head The Energy Department has received several Expressions Of Interest (EOI) from international firms for the ExxonMobil cost recovery audit. This was confirmed on Friday by Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe. During an interview with Kaieteur News, the official
said, “We did receive quite a few Expressions Of Interest. As I indicated, you know how these things go. The procurement process takes quite a while, because you have the EOI then the RST (Request for Proposal), in terms of persons being asked to submit a financial proposal…We are going through that. But there is no issue of us being held on the line. What the contract requires us to do is to write to Exxon indicating that we intend to start this process, which we did within the requisite time, and we are now going through the process of getting a firm to help us complete that…” Dr. Bynoe refrained from stating how many companies sent in proposals, as well as how many were shortlisted. The official said he does not want to compromise the process in any way. All he would divulge at this time is, “…I am aware they have already shortlisted (some companies).” The Department of Energy had tendered in November last for an international firm to assist Guyana in completing cost recovery audit covering the hefty pre-contract cost that ExxonMobil handed to the government. Dr. Bynoe said that the plan is to apply a collaborative institutional and capacitybuilding approach during the conduct of this audit. Grieving mom present as… Five committed to High Court trial for British teen’s killing The five accused who were charged for the murder of British teenager Dominic (Continued on page 38)
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From page 37 Bernard were yesterday committed to stand trial in the Berbice High Court. After the preliminary inquiry was conducted at the 51 Magistrate Court against the five accused, Magistrate Charlyn Artiga ruled that a prima facie case was made out against Aaron Hing and Stayman George for murder, while for the other three accused, Jamal Sinclair, Krystal Thomas and Symphony Henry, a prima facie case was made out against them for accessory after the fact. Sinclair, Henry and Thomas were granted bail by the High Court in sum of $300,000 each in 2016 after their Attorney, Nigel Hughes, was successful in securing their pretrial liberty. The five persons were initially charged for murder, hence based on the evidence presented by the prosecution, led by special prosecutor Attorney-at-law Laxmi Rahamat, the magistrate would have arrived at her conclusion for the respective committals after Rahamat would have made her submissions. Upon the conclusion of the ruling, there was a look of relief on the face of Bernard’s mother, while one of the accused (Symphony Henry), when asked if she desired to lead her defence or reserve it for the High Court, broke down in tears and told the court that “I don’t know anything about any murder”. The other four also chose not to lead their defence and reserved same for the high court. Their matters will be heard at the high court at a date to be determined. Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, in a brief comment to the media, Bernard’s mother Linda Bernard, told reporters that she was pleased with the outcome to date. She said, while fighting back tears, in a very sombre tone, “I am relieved… this is a big step forward for justice for my son… and it’s massive. I don’t know what else to say. I am just so pleased, and pleased is such a pathetic word, but I am just really, really relieved… and we will all breathe a sigh of relief that it is going to the High Court and you know something, God is in control”.
Murdered teen’s Mom, Linda Bernard
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Kaieteur News
UG alumnus gets Congressional Recognition in US for excellence in health care A son of the soil, Dr. Keith Cummings, has been recognized for an outstanding award in New York, United States of America. Dr. Cummings, a graduate of the University of Guyana [UG], was recognized for excellence in Health Care in the Brooklyn Hospital Center, and for outstanding and invaluable service to the East New York Community. He was, moreover, recently the recipient of a certificate of special congressional recognition from Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries is an American lawyer and Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, representing New York’s 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens. The Congressman has been among those who have recognized Dr. Cummings for providing high quality health care to the patients and the community he serves. He has also been singled out for providing free health coaching for chronic diseases to the underserved in the East New York Community. Although he has been living abroad for many years, Dr. Cummings has remained a strong supporter of the local national university’s School of Medicine and Library, through generous book and journal donations over the past three years. It all started back in 2016 when he handed over some US$30,000 in up-to-date medical journals and books to the university’s Learning Resource Centre. The university had announced, through its Director of the School of Medicine, Dr. Ronald Aaron, that the ‘highly reputable’ items were donated for the sole purpose of boosting the resources in the Faculty of
Dr. Keith D. Cummings with his Congressional Recognition certificate. Health Sciences. He’d revealed that the journals contain research from 2013 to 2016, and that they will be of use to students as well as lecturers. Dr. Cummings had revealed then too that it was a herculean task to secure the most recent journals, so that the Guyanese students and lecturers could be able to have access to the same updated information that is used by any US physician. He noted that he endeavoured to achieve this, since he is of the view that it should be a priority to have high quality, evidence-based information available in such publications. The UG alumnus was also instrumental in sourcing an up-to-date software system for the Health Sciences Faculty that allows users to access the latest possible medical research online.
Through this avenue, he said, the university will have the ability to access any information that top schools in the US have. Dr. Cummings had also committed to paying a sum of US$7,000 for the service for the next five year [2016-2018] which represented another crucial contribution to the university. The UG alumnus had also committed to providing a shipment of books in 2016 towards the further development of the university’s Research Centre valued at some US$15,000. In addition to his support to the university, Dr. Cummings has also been a regular provider of Continuous Medical Education [CME] to many doctors in Linden, Georgetown and Berbice over the years.
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Delivery method, infant diet could impact long-term health The gut microbiome of 6week-old infants appears to be affected by both delivery method at birth and the way they are fed afterward, says research published online in JAMA Pediatrics. “Gut microbiome” refers to the diversity of bacterial life that colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract. It develops after birth and after the start of feeding, and it has been increasingly linked with health outcomes in adults. Meanwhile, cesarean delivery has been linked with obesity,asthma, celiac disease and type 1 diabetes later in life, and breastfeeding has been related to a lower risk of asthma, obesity, infection, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, compared with formula feeding. It is thought that exposure to microflora present during vaginal delivery could be related to the microbiome patterns in infants, but how this happens is unclear. Previous small studies have indicated a link between the intestinal microbiome of infants, delivery mode and whether or not they were breastfed. Less is known, however, about how early life exposures shape the gut microbiome and its long-term effects on health. In addition, there is evidence that human milk primes and matures the infant gastrointestinal system, potentially promoting a unique microbial colonization profile that could lead to healthy outcomes. In the current study, researchers hypothesized that
exposure to maternal vaginal microflora and/or to breast milk could cause specific microbes to be acquired in a particular order during the establishment of the core microbiome. This could represent a key mechanism underlying differences in immune development that influence lifelong disease risk. Anne G. Hoen, PhD, of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, and coauthors examined associations between delivery mode and feeding method with the composition of the gut microbiomes of 102 infants. The team collected information about the delivery mode from medical records, details on feeding from questionnaires and data about microbiome composition from stool samples. The infants were born at an average gestational age of nearly 40 weeks; 70 were delivered vaginally and 32 by cesarean section(C-section). In the first 6 weeks of life, 70 were breastfed, 26 received a combination of breast milk and formula, and six of them consumed only formula. Results showed a link between the composition of the gut microbiome and the delivery mode. Differences in microbiome composition between infants delivered vaginally and infants delivered by C-section were equivalent or greater than the differences in composition by feeding method. The microbiome of infants who were breastfed exclu-
sively was different from those who consumed formula milk or a combination. Those who were exclusively fed formula and those who were fed the combination shared a similar microbiome composition. There have been no longterm longitudinal studies of the effects of early feeding method on the microbiome, but it appears that early feeding methods could have lasting effects on microbial community structure. These findings could provide one explanation for how breastfeeding benefits health both in childhood and in the long term. The authors conclude: “Understanding the patterns of microbial colonization of the intestinal tract of healthy infants is critical for determining the health effects of specific alterable early-life risk factors and exposures. To this end, we have identified measurable differences in microbial communities in the intestinal tracts of infants according to their delivery mode and diet, with possible consequences for both shortand long-term health.” Limitations of the study include its small sample size and the population being from a single group in the US. Future studies could also take into account the exact proportion of the infants’ diets and timing. Medical News Today recently reported on research suggesting that people with anorexia have a unique gut microbiotacomposition. http:/ / www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Drinking more water reduces sugar, sodium and saturated fat intake Based on the fact that about two thirds of our bodies are comprised of water, it may seem obvious that consuming water is important for our health. But a new study finds that by increasing plain water consumption, we can control our weight and reduce intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat. The study, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, is led by Prof. Ruopeng An, from the University of Illinois. Though most people meet their body’s fluid requirements by drinking plain water and other beverages, we also get some fluids through certain foods, such as soup broths, celery, tomatoes and melons.
To further investigate how increasing water intake can affect parameters of health, the researchers used a nationally representative sample of more than 18,300 adults in the US from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2012. The researchers asked participants to recall all foods and drinks they consumed on 2 days that were between 310 days apart.Prof. An then calculated the amount of plain water that each participant consumed as a percentage of daily dietary water intake from both foods and drinks. Although drinks such as black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not assessed as sources of plain water, Prof. An did include their water content in the calculations of
total water consumption. On a daily basis, the participants consumed an average of about 4.2 cups of plain water, which accounts for just over 30% of their total water consumption.The average calorie intake for each participant was 2,157 calories, which included 125 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages and 432 calories from “discretionary foods” - desserts, pastries, snack mixes and other foods that are not essential. The results of the study revealed that people who increased their consumption of plain water by one to three cups daily lowered total energy intake by 68-205 calories each day and their sodium intake by 78-235 g each day.
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Cancer risk falls with higher levels of vitamin D
Researchers suggest improving people’s blood level of vitamin D could be an important tool for preventing cancer, after their study found that the risk of developing the disease rises as vitamin D levels fall. In the journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of CaliforniaSan Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine report how they analyzed the link between vitamin D and cancer to determine what blood level of vitamin D was required to effectively reduce cancer risk. The study included all invasive cancers, excluding skin cancer. One of the authors, Cedric Garland, adjunct professor in the UCSD School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, says their study is the first to put numbers on this relationship, as he explains: “We have quantitated the ability of adequate amounts of vitamin D to prevent all types of invasive cancer combined, which had been terra incognita until publication of this paper.” Vitamin D, which is produced by the body through exposure to sunshine, helps the body control calcium and phosphate levels. It was Prof. Garland and his late brother Frank who first linked low vitamin D with cancer in the 1980s. They found people who lived at higher latitudes and thus had less access to sunlight had lower levels of vitamin D and were more likely to develop bowel cancer. Since then, further studies by the Garland brothers
and others have found links between low vitamin D and other cancers, including cancers of the breast, lung and bladder. The only accurate way to measure vitamin D in the body is to measure the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. The kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the active form that helps control calcium and phosphate levels. There has been much debate in recent years about what the recommended blood levels of vitamin D should be. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a target of 20 ng/ml for bone health, which could be met in most healthy adults (aged 19-70), with the equivalent of 600 IU of vitamin D each day. Since then, other groups have argued that the target level should be higher, at 50 ng/ml or more. In the new study, Prof. Garland and colleagues wanted to find out what blood level of vitamin D effectively reduces cancer risk. They took an approach that is not normally used. They used the results from two different types of study: one a clinical trial of 1,169 women and the other a prospective study of 1,135 women. For some of their analysis, they kept the two data sets separate and compared them, and in another part, they pooled the data to create a larger sample. The median blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the participants in the clinical trial was 30 ng/ml, and in the participants in the prospective study, it was 48 ng/ml.
The researchers found that the rate of cancer incidence in the clinical study group (that had the lower median vitamin D level) was higher than in the prospective study group. The figures were 1,020 cases per 100,000 person-years and 722 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. They also found that cancer rates went down as 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels rose; women whose vitamin D level was 40 ng/ ml or higher had a 67% lower risk of developing cancer than women whose vitamin D level was 20 ng/ ml or lower. The researchers did not say what the optimum intake level of vitamin D should be - or how it should be generated, whether by greater exposure to sunlight, dietary changes or supplements. Prof. Garland says their findings simply show that it is possible to see reduced cancer risk when blood levels of vitamin D reach 40 ng/ml, and that higher than this, the risk drops even further. He and his colleagues conclude: “Primary prevention of cancer, rather than expanding early detection or improving treatment, will be essential to reversing the current upward trend of cancer incidence worldwide. This analysis suggests that improving vitamin D status is a key prevention tool.” Last month, Medical News Today also learned of a study that found a link between low vitamin D and aggressiveness of prostate c a n c e r. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
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Palm Court to host Grand Bollywood Netflix Reveals What’s Coming Masquerade Party for Old Year’s Night and Going in January 2019
The Original Palm Court is proud to present to you this year, its Grand Old Year’s Party under the theme, Bollywood Masquerade” with exquisite Indian décor set to tickle your fancy.
The event will feature spectacular performances from the Karma Band and the Pritivi Tassa Boys. There will also be spectacular musical entertainment by Guyana’s finest DJs such as: Selector
Carl, DJ Energy, DJ Shizzle, Selector Diamond, Gully Rass and Mix Master Tony. VIPAdmission is set at $25,000. It includes entry to the KOKOMO Room, drinks, diner and breakfast. See you there.
Oprah Winfrey’s Final Conversations With Her Mom Just Gave Us Aha Moments Oprah Winfrey is providing more teachable moments as she grieves the death of her mom. More than two weeks after news broke of Vernita Lee’s passing, her daughter is opening up about the final conversations she shared before the “sacred” passing. In a candid interview, Oprah recalls the moment she sat with her mother and realized the end may be near. “I said, ‘I don’t know if you’re going to make it. Do you think you’re going to make it?’ She said, ‘I don’t think I am.’ I had a conversation with her about what that felt like, what it felt like to be near the end,” the talk-show host shared with People. “I started telling all the people who cared about her that, ‘She knows it’s the end, so, if you want to say goodbye, you should come and say goodbye.’” As you likely could have guessed, people didn’t hesitate to come and see Vernita. While tears were shed, Oprah realized the interactions were a special gift. “I said to her, ‘What a wonderful thing to be able to say goodbye,’ because she’s completely coherent and perfectly understanding everything,” Oprah shared. When the future became more and more uncertain, Oprah recalls a voice that told her to play some music. Soon
after, Mahalia Jackson popped up on iTunes. The businesswoman also called gospel singer Wintley Phipps who got on FaceTime and sing “Precious Lord” live. “I played another one of her favorite artists, Joshua Nelson, singing ‘How I Got Over.’ I could see that it opened her a little bit, because my mother’s been a very closed down person,” Oprah recalled. “I could see that the music gave me an opening to say what I needed to say.” So what was Oprah able to share with her mother before she passed away on Thanksgiving? Prepare yourselves for more than a few aha moments.
“What I said was, ‘Thank you. Thank you, because I know it’s been hard for you. It was hard for you as a young girl having a baby, in Mississippi. No education. No training. No skills. Seventeen, you get pregnant with this baby. Lots of people would have told you to give that baby away. Lots of people would’ve told you to abort that baby. You didn’t do that,” Oprah recalled. “I know that was hard. I want you to know that no matter what, I know that you always did the best you knew how to do. And look how it turned out.’” She continued, “Then I told her, ‘You should be able to...you should go in peace.’”
Netflix is starting the year off right, as it’s got quite the lineup for January 2019. Hit movies including AntMan and the Wasp, the Indiana Jones series and Solo: A Star Wars Storyare being added to its library, as are popular horror films like I Know What You Did Last Summerand The Strangers. Families will love the additions of Incredibles 2, It Takes Two (starring Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen) and Season 3 of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Of course, dozens of hit movies— Armageddon, Finding Neverland, Friday Night Lights, The Godfather, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Interview With the Vampire, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Million Dollar Baby and the Sharkando series—will be leaving, too. Original TV series including Grace and Frankie and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt return with more episodes, while a slew of new shows— like Carmen San Diego—are making their debuts. All title and dates are subject to change. Here’s the list of what’s coming and going in January: (https:// www.eonline.com/news/ 995716/netflix-reveals-whats-coming-and-going-injanuary-2019) Available 1/1/19 Across the Universe The Addams Family Babel Black Hawk Down The Boy in the Striped Pajamas City of God Comedians of the World The Dark Knight Definitely, Maybe The Departed Godzilla Happy Feet Hell or High Water I Know What You Did Last Summer Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom It Takes Two Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Jersey Boys Mona Lisa Smile Mr. Bean’s Holiday The Mummy The Mummy Returns Pan’s Labyrinth Pinky Malinky Pulp Fiction A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3
The Strangers Swingers Tears of the Sun Tidying Up With Marie Kondo Watchmen xXx XXX: State of the Union Available 1/2/19 Monty Python and the Holy Grail Available 1/4/19 And Breathe Normally Call My Agent!: Season 3 El Potro: Unstoppable Lionheart Available 1/9/19 Godzilla: The Planet Eater Solo: A Star Wars Story Available 1/10/19 When Heroes Fly Available 1/11/19 Friends from College: Season 2 ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium Sex Education Solo The Last Laugh Available 1/15/19 Revenger Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry Available 1/16/19 American Gangster Available 1/17/19 American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace Available 1/18/19 Carmen Sandiego Close FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened GIRL Grace and Frankie: Season 5 IO Soni The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2, Part B Trigger Warning With Killer Mike Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5 Available 1/21/19 Justice Available 1/24/19 Conversations With a Killer:
The Ted Bundy Tapes Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation Available 1/25/19 Animas Black Earth Rising Club de Cuervos: Season 4 Kingdom Medici: The Magnificent Polar Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4, Part 2 Available 1/27/19 Z Nation: Season 5 Available 1/29/19 Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp Available 1/30/19 Disney-Pixar ’s The Incredibles 2 Coming Soon Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 Leaving 1/1/19 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure Blade Blade II Bram Stoker’s Dracula Catwoman Face/Off Finding Neverland Friday Night Lights The Godfather The Godfather: Part II The Godfather: Part III The Green Mile How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days I Am Ali Interview With the Vampire Into the Wild The Iron Giant Journey to the Center of the Earth Kung Fu Panda Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Fifteenth Year Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Seventeenth Year Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Sixteenth Year Like Water for Chocolate Love Actually Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Marie Antoinette
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Thunder's New Year's Resolution some outrageous sound. “Hey now, I think I will join Thunder and just enjoy the evening.” Sassy the mare said hoping to stop an all-out war of words. Written by Sybil Shearin12-2014 As was the custom in the southern United States of America, folks in every household would make a resolution about something they wanted to do better in the next New Year. It could be one of many things such as stop smoking cigarettes, go on a diet, or stop shopping all the time. Most people however do not realize God's little creatures also make New Year's resolutions. Let's take a peek outside our houses and just see what others are doing. “Mackie are you going to do anything new this year?” Gloria the pig asked timidly. “Oh I expect I will lose some weight. If I lose some weight and become very thin I don't think they will choose me to kill this year. Maybe I can live a few more years here on the farm if I lose some weight.” Silas the pig snorted. “I think I'll try and lay the most eggs.” The red hen added.“I suppose I'll clean up the barnyard by eating up all the cans.” Billy Goat said. “Clean up the yard?” Minerva the cat asked. “This yard has never been clean since you came here.”You are a filthy animal and you stick on top of it.” She scolded. “Well if you would stop playing around with that Percy the Tom cat you just might not have so darn many kittens.” Nikki the horse bellowed from behind the fence. “I know what I will do.”
Pillow said softly. “I will gather only the leftover cotton to make me a bed. Last year I picked an entire row of the prettiest cotton in the field and my conscious bothered me for weeks.” Pillow the sheep said lowering her head. “I guess I will stop playing in the rain.” The white duck
quacked. “I will limit myself when it comes to making noise.” The Prissy the white cow mooed. “Ok I get the picture here. Yo u a l l w a n t t o d o something but everything you have said is a bunch of hog wash. You sit here all pious saying this and that when you all know darn well you are not going to do it.” Cleo the owl hooted as loud a s h e c o u l d . “All you are doing is lying like a dog. Excuse me Rocky no pun intended.” Cleo ranted making note to Rocky the dog he didn't mean to use him for an example. “All I plan to do is get a few twigs of mistletoe and hang high over my stall. If anyone wants to kiss and snuggle then I am ready to rumble.” Thunder the stallion neighed. “Shut up Prissy you lazy heifer!” Popcorn the old goat bleated. “You can't go five minutes without making
Envy Defeated
FUN WITH POETRY
“It is nice to think of good things we need to improve on each year but you can get carried away with all those resolutions. Just do the best you can.” Sassy smiled showing her shiny teeth. “I'm going to be underneath the mistletoe and I will not be watching to see what all of you are doing.” She winked to Thunder. So it was on the farm on New Year's Day. The dogs barked, the cats meowed, the roosters crowed, the sheep bleated, the owl hooted, the duck quacked, the pig snorted, the hen cackled, the cows mooed and the Billy Goat bleated. The New Year had come and everyone was as happy as could be. Nothing had changed except one thing. Sassy would be a new mother and Thunder would be a proud father. “It's that flipping mistletoe!” The donkey exclaimed. “It will do it every time. You would think animals could get the idea after a decade wouldn't you?” He snorted showing his dislike for small critters of all kinds. The sun warmed the day and all was well on the farm once more. Sometimes all God's creatures need to just be thankful for the good things they have.
Hello, New Year!
by Uncle Roy
Another fresh New Year is here, Another year to live! To do new exciting things, To love and laugh and give! This bright New Year is given to me To live each day to my best, To daily grow and try to reach In everything my highest! I have a whole year once more To try not to do any wrongs, To be at peace with everyone, And sing more joyful songs!
Sunday December 30, 2018
Junior page Confetti Popper Toilet Paper Tubes Materials: Empty toilet paper tubes; standard size latex balloons Scissors or rotary cutter and mat; Duct tape or other strong tape Elmer's Painters® Paint Markers; Construction paper or colorful scrapbook paper; Hole punch First, knot the open end of each balloon like you would if you had blown it up with air and then cut each balloon in half using a pair of scissors or a rotary cutter and mat. Then take the knotted half of the balloon and stretch it over one end of a toilet paper tube. Secure the balloon with a piece of duct tape. N o w, t h e f u n p a r t ! Decorate the toilet paper tube using the paint markers and your creativity. We used Elmer's Painters® paint markers.
They are permanent though so be careful. Next, punch holes in the construction paper with the paper punch and fill the ConfettiPoppers with the paper circles. Then, holding the Confetti Poppers upright, pull down on the knotted end of the balloon and let go. Thespringing action will send the papercircles flying!I
Kaieteur News
Sunday November 25, 2018
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Start the New Year with full confidence
that you have what it takes to succeed
W
hen you think positively that you have what you need to be successful in the year ahead, you will develop that faith in yourself to achieve that success. Understanding your full potential as a human being will demonstrate that you have what it takes to eventually achieve whatever you set your mind to. When you realise your true nature – that you are a unique human being with so many natural talents and endowments – then you will find it easy and just as natural to develop confidence in yourself, and use these to your best advantage. First of all, you need to realise that all of us human beings have four assets which are our birthright – body, mind, heart and soul – which enable us to fulfil our basic needs to live, to learn, to love, and to contribute.
By these assets we can survive, grow and develop, foster good relationships with others, and add to whatever brings good to the world for the benefit of ourselves and others. Apart from these, you will also need to consider the unique human qualities which you possess, and try
to make the best use of these so as to get the maximum benefit from what you will be doing. Each of us human beings has a combination of talents and skills that is unique among all others, and making full use of these will make you most successful as an individual and as a member of your organisation. First try to determine what are your own unique talents, and then make the
continuous effort to utilise these to make the most of any efforts in which you are involved. You can do so by identifying the things that you find come naturally to you, those that you feel confident that you can do and, moreover, those that you excel in. These talents are gifted to you for the specific purpose of magnifying them and using them for the betterment of yourself and your environment. Make full use of these natural endowments and you will be fulfilling all you need in the New Year to develop your life to the point that is satisfactory to both yourself and the world around you. Happy New Year and a profound wish for your happiness and fulfillment of your ambitions by the time it comes to a close!
I ask, New Year, for your smile New Year, I look straight in your eyes Our ways and our interests blend; You may be a foe in disguise, But I shall believe you a friend. We get what we give in our measure, We cannot give pain and get pleasure; I give you good will and good cheer, And you must return it, New Year. We get what we give in this life, Though often the giver indeed Waits long upon doubting and strife Before proving the truth of my creed. But somewhere, some way, and forever, Reward comes from earnest endeavour; And if I am really worth while, New Year, you will give me your smile.
True success is built on a foundation of belief in yourself and in the people with whom you interact.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Solutions to last week’s
Christmas Tree Sudoku
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Kaieteur News
Country Profile Once the centre of the Ottoman Empire, the modern secular republic was established in the 1920s by nationalist leader Kemal Ataturk. Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey's strategically important location has given it major influence in the region - and control over the entrance to the Black Sea. Progress towards democracy and a market economy was halting after Ataturk's death in 1938, and the army seeing itself as guarantor of the constitution - repeatedly ousted governments seen as challenging secular values. Joining the European Union has been a longstanding ambition. Membership talks were launched in 2005, but have stalled over serious misgivings about Turkey's human rights record. Kurds make up about a fifth of the population. Kurdish separatists who accuse the
Tu r k i s h s t a t e o f seeking to destroy their cultural identity have been waging a guerrilla war since the 1980s. LEADERS
Sunday December 30, 2018
Turkey
President: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a new term in elections in June 2018 and also gained substantial new powers under a new system approved the previous year by voters.He first came to power in 2003 in the wake of a sweeping electoral victory by the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), of which he was a founding member. He spent 11 years as Turkey's prime minister before becoming the country's first directlyelected president in August 2014 - a supposedly ceremonial role. To his supporters Mr Erdogan has brought Turkey years of economic growth, but to his critics he is an autocratic leader intolerant of dissent who harshly
silences anyone who opposes him. In July 2016, the AKP government survived an attempted coup which saw clashes on the streets of Istanbul and Ankara that left 256 people dead. The authorities subsequently detained thousands of soldiers and judges on suspicion of involvement in the attempt that President Erdogan said was inspired by his exiled opponent Fethullah Gulen. A referendum in April 2017 narrowly backed switching to a presidential system of government, which would significantly increase Mr Erdogan's powers. Critics say the move could usher in authoritarian rule, and amounts to a power grab. MEDIA Turkey's airwaves are lively, with hundreds of private TV and radio stations competing with the state broadcaster, TRT. Television is by far the most influential news medium; both press and broadcasting outlets are operating by powerful business operators. For journalists, the military, Kurds and political Islam are highly-sensitive topics, coverage of which can lead to arrest and prosecution. Some of the most repressive restrictions have been lifted on the path to EU entry, but it
remains a crime to insult the Turkish nation and president, and a wave of prosecutions of journalists under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has prompted new concern for press freedom. TIMELINE Some key dates in Turkey's history: 1453 - Sultan Mehmed II captures Constantinople, ending Byzantine Empire and consolidating Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor and Balkans. 15th-16th centuries Expansion into Asia and Africa. 1683 - Ottoman advance into Europe halted at Battle of Vi e n n a . L o n g d e c l i n e begins. 1 9 0 8 - Yo u n g T u r k Revolution establishes
constitutional rule, but degenerates into military dictatorship during First World War, where Ottoman Empire fights in alliance with Germany and AustriaHungary. 1918-22 - Partition of defeated Ottoman Empire leads to eventual triumph of Turkish National Movement in war of independence against foreign occupation and rule of Sultan. 1923 - Turkey declared a republic with Kemal Ataturk as president. Soon afterwards it becomes secular. 1952 - Turkey abandons Ataturk's neutralist policy
and joins Nato. 1960 - Army coup against ruling Democratic Party. 1974 - Turkish troops occupy northern Cyprus, partitioning the island. 1984 - Kurdish PKK group launches separatists guerrilla campaign which develops into a major civil war that simmers on for decades. 2011 - Syrian civil war breaks out, resulting in tension along the countries' border and a huge influx of refugees into Turkey. 2016 - Attempted coup fails. 2017 - Referendum approves switch to presidential system.
Sunday December 30, 2018
natural remedies for a sore throat
1. Lemon balm Lemon balm, a member of the mint family, may help reduce the redness and swelling associated with a blister. However, symptoms such as pain and scabbing did not improve with lemon balm. Most research suggests using a lip balm with at least one percent lemon balm. As an alternative, a compress made of a lemon balm infusion (tea) may provide similar benefits. Lemon balm may also help protect against future outbreaks. 2. Over-the-counter antiviral medications Products containing docosanol or benzyl alcohol can be helpful in reducing the duration of the cold sore. 3. Ice Ice may not reduce the duration of a breakout, but it can ease the discomfort and inflammation of cold sores. Apply a cold pack directly to the sores for temporary relief. 4. Aloe vera Aloe vera gel is widely available and can be grown as a houseplant. While research connecting the plant to cold sores is limited, studies have found that applying it topically can aid in soothing the skin when a cold sore breaks out. It has antiinflammatory properties that can be helpful. 5. Sunscreen Sunscreen not only protects your lips while the cold sore is healing, but it can also reduce future outbreaks when worn daily on the lips. Look for at least SPF 30, and apply it whenever you expect to be in the sun. Get ready for the sun with these sunscreens from Amazon. 6. Stress reduction Because stress can cause the herpes virus to come out of dormancy, reducing the amount of stress in your life is one way to prevent cold sores. Meditation, regular exercise, and avoiding the causes of stress in your life may help. 10 Simple ways to reduce stress Âť 7. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen Both of these medications can help ease the pain associated with a cold sore.
SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH
Kaieteur News
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1.What do you call Santa's little helpers? Subordinate clauses. 2.How do Spanish sheep say 'Happy Christmas'? Fleece Navidad. 3.The Three Wise Men sound very generous but you've got to remember those gifts were joint Christmas and birthday presents. 4.How does Darth Vader like his Christmas turkey? On the dark side. 5.Mary and Joseph – now they had a stable relationship. 6.I bought my son a fridge for Christmas. I can't wait to see his face light up when he opens it. 7.The worst thing about Santa is his habit of copying you in on irrelevant group emails late at night. He CCs you when you're sleeping. 8.I've got my girlfriend a wooden leg for Christmas. It's not her main present – it's just a stocking filler. 9.Mary: Why won't you put the rubbish out? Joseph: It's Christmas – there's no room in the bin. 10.What did Adam say to his wife on the day before Christmas? It's Christmas, Eve! 11.What did Cinderella say when her photos didn't arrive on time? One day my prints will come. 12.We were so poor when I was a child that at Christmas we exchanged glances. 13.What do you call a naughty child who doesn't believe in Santa? A rebel without a Claus. 14.Why is Santa's sack so full? He only comes once a year. 15.What's a skunk's favourite Christmas song? Jingle Smells. 16.Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. But the very next day, your body rejected the transplant and you died. 17.What's a lion's favourite carol? Jungle Bells. 18.How can you tell when Santa's close by? You can sense his presents. 19.What's the best Xmas present? A broken drum – you just can't beat it. 20.I've bought my kids a pack of batteries for Christmas with a note saying: 'Toys not included'. 21.The one thing a woman doesn't want to find in her stockings on Xmas morning is her husband. 22.The worst thing about the office Christmas party is looking for a new job the next day. 23.Why did Santa's little helpers choose the outside table at the restaurant? They wanted to eat elfresco. 24.What do you call a lobster who won't share any of his Xmas presents? Shellfish. 25.What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective? Santa Clues. 26.What's the difference between snow men and snow women? Snowballs. 27.We couldn't afford a turkey for Christmas so we gave the budgie chest expanders. 28.We've invited the mother-in-law round for Christmas for the last eight years. This year, we might even let her in. 29.Why was Santa's little helper depressed? He had low elf esteem. 30.Ant puts up Christmas decorations in the living room. Dec, the halls. 31.Marks & Spencer say it wouldn't be Christmas without M&S. They're right – it'd be Chrita. 32.'We had grandma for Christmas dinner.' 'Oh really? We had turkey.' 33.A Jehovah's Witness gave me an advent calendar. The first door I opened there were two of them standing behind it. 34.Did you hear about the dyslexic devil worshipper? He sold his soul to Santa. 35.Be careful drinking this Christmas. I got so drunk one year, I found myself dancing in a cheesy bar. Or, as you like to call it, a delicatessen.
Kaieteur News
Sunday December 30, 2018
Sunday December 30, 2018
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Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
AS WE APPROACH CHRISTMAS By PAT DIAL We are celebrating Christmas, the oldest festival which has been celebrated in Guyana. It dates from the time of the first European settlement and the advent of plantation slavery. Christmas was the one day of the year that the slaves were allowed to celebrate and to publicly play their African drums and visit each other. These celebrations of the 17th and 18th centuries had little or no religion in them but nevertheless were always suffused with joyfulness, relaxation and goodwill. After Emancipation, the Christian element in the celebration became more prominent since most of the freedmen had become Christians and had established churches throughout the Coast. The Planter Class had generally become Victorian-style Christians as St George's Cathedral evidences. In the post Emancipation period when the country began to be peopled with indentured immigrants from Madeira who were Portuguese Catholics, Africans from the Caribbean islands, Chinese and East Indians who were Hindus and Muslims, they all became enveloped in the celebration. Each group gradually began to make its peculiar contribution to the Christmas festival. By the beginning of the 20th century, Christmas had evolved to the form we know it today. It became a peculiarly Guyanese festival which synthesized the secular and religious. The entire population of Guyana, no matter whatever their racial or religious or cultural or class background may be, they all became ardent Christmas celebrants. In the high days of Christmas which started from about the 1920's, a nervous energy began to vibrate through the population from November when serious preparations began to be made for the fes-
tival. The commercial houses imported large quantities of Christmas goods which included various types of exotic foods such as Dutch cheeses, temperate zone fruits such as cherries, plums, pears, apples, grapes, figs and dates from the Middle East as well as various meats especially hams and turkeys. Toys of every kind of ingenuity were found as well as the staples like snakes and ladders, monopoly and Chinese checkers. Colourful Christmas cards were everywhere, some of which were genuine works of art and which many older folk have kept in albums. All shops and homes were decorated with fairy lights and Christmas trees and snow and snowmen, not to forget the ubiquitous Father Christmas. The decorations were meant to create a fantasy; the few critics of today who criticize the decorations as not being "tropical" enough don't realize that the decorations were meant to awaken a fantasy, a dream. Every family baked cakes, especially black cakes which needed to be prepared weeks before. The middle classes used imported Dover stoves which always had a chimney above the roof to let out smoke while ordinary folk used box ovens which were zinc boxes with a chamber for wood and these were usually in the open spaces to do their baking. Most of the baking was done on 23rd and 24th of December. Georgetown and the villages of the countryside were pervaded with the pleasant odour of baking cake. As an essential part of the Christmas fare, people made jamoon wine, rice wine, ginger beer and sorrel which drinks were an expected offering to visitors. Christmas also had many sounds, among these being the masquerade bands with their special drum-beat. These masquerade bands performed throughout Christmas week
and were followed by hundreds of people of all ages who danced or "flounced" behind them. Christmas carols, later spiced with secular songs like Rudolph the red nose reindeer, were heard everywhere, in homes, on the streets, in the public transport and on the radio. The Christmas Eve church services were well attended. Most churches were decorated with cribs showing the manger as well as other colourful decorations. The Christmas week was a time when all houses were thoroughly cleaned, from the humblest huts to the large houses of the rich. Walls were repainted or sometimes repapered with artistic wallpapers. All furniture was repaired or renewed and were given new coats of varnish or French polish. The smells of varnish and French polish were among the ubiquitous smells of Christmas week. New curtains and window and door blinds were hung and the surroundings of the house were cleaned. The happenings of the Christmas Season were a great catharsis since it cleared the mind and shed the burdens of the past and brought about a renewal which prepared everyone to enter the New Year with morale, optimism and a new determination to overcome all problems. It also reminded of a number of lessons which would allow one to live positively and happily through the New Year, once one adheres to them. Among the most important were firstly, one's belief in God would have been strengthened; secondly, the effectiveness of the message of goodwill and friendliness to all and lastly, the joy which comes from helping the poor, the underprivileged and the disabled. Though Christmas of recent years has lost some its glamour and its very strong
outward celebratory manifestations, it has unmistakably maintained its essence: It still remains a time of joy, of feast-
ing, of colourful decorations, of goodwill to all and of national cohesion, of remembering the poor and differently
abled and above all, as a catharsis preparing people to meet the New Year with strength, morale and success.
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Sunday December 30, 2018
Kaieteur News
Convicted men in Williamsburg Mandir murder file appeal
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Used imported glass showcase L72" x H39" x W24" 40,000 each. Tel 625-1514
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VACANCY For Porters, Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda. Gasoline and Light Diesel mechanic needed. Contact Brian Ten Pow at #592-6230318 1 Office Assistant. Send application to Pacific Development Inc. Lot 3 Church Street, G/Town or pacific.developmentinc @yahoo.com Vacancy for Domestic maid. Call: 231-0734 One General Domestic, must be able to ccok vegetarian food. Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb St Bourda One experienced female accounts clerk, Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda Driver/Salesman, Accounts clerk with CXC Accounts, Gas Plant Trainee. Applicants preferred from East Bank Demerara. Tel#2664427
The two men who were found guilty of murdering a watchman in a Mandir back in 2013 and sentenced to life in jail. have appealed their convictions. The men are Shivnarine Jainarine, called ‘Sammy’, or Samuel, 24, of Train Line Dam, Port Mourant Corentyne; and Ryan Persaud, called ‘K.K’, 23, of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice. They were accused of murdering security guard, Jagdat Ramcharran, called “Ronald”, 61, a father of two of Bloomfield, Corentyne, Berbice, between January 6, and January 7, 2013. The man’s body was found bound and gagged at the Iskcon Hari Krishna Mandir at Block 6 Williamsburg, Corentyne, Berbice. They were found guilty of murder before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a mixed jury in the Berbice High Court. They are to serve 45 years before being eligible for payroll. Attorney Mursalene Bacchus represented Jainarine while attorney at Law Arudranauth Gossai appeared for Persaud. The Prosecutor was Attorney at Law Mandel Moore. Another man, Kevin Hintzen, called ‘Ratty’, 23, of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne; Berbice had earlier this year pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 20 years in jail on the lesser count of
Manslaughter. The two attorneys have put forward a number of grounds of appeal including. They contend that the Trial Judge erred in law when she admitted the statement dated the 16th May, 2013 purportedly given by the Appellants into evidence. The Judge further erred in law when she ruled that the said statement properly formed part of the evidence and was thus admissible and when there was no positive finding by the Magistrate as to voluntariness, the lawyers are contending. They are also contending that the Judge erred in law when she rejected the “no case” submissions both at the end of the prosecution’s case and at the end of the evidence. They stated that the Judge erred in law when she failed to record the evidence in her own handwriting. Another point of contention was that the summing up was un-balanced in favour of the prosecution. They attorneys are also stating that the Judge erred in law in ruling that the felonymurder rule apply when the alleged felony was not intrinsically associated with violence- the prosecution’s case being of that there was a break-in of a temple and burglary of a dwelling house. No dwelling house was burglarised.
Teen critically wounded at Boxing Day Gymkhana remains in hospital Perpetrator released on $300,000 bail Even as a 17-year-old teen remains in a critical condition in the New Amsterdam Hospital the perpetrator has been granted bail. Injured is Uvil Shane Sandy of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara and 693 Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme, East Canje. The assailant, Jason Mohabir, 23, of Belvedere, Corentyne, Berbice, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He appeared on Friday before Magistrate Renita Singh in the Albion Magistrate’s Court and was granted bail the sum of $300,000. His passport has been ordered lodged and he will have to return to court on January 16, next, at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court. According to reports, the teen and other relatives had travelled to Berbice to spend the Christmas holidays. On Wednesday he and others attended a Gymkhana that was being held at Reliance, East Canje, Berbice. According to his brother, Julian Rose, he was with some friends when he was alerted that his younger brother was being beaten. He hurried to the scene to see his brother in blood. He was bleeding from injuries to his neck, belly, head and arms. Some friends intervened and got the perpetrator away. At the same time the police intervened and arrested the assailant whilst the critically injured was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He remains a patient in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the medical institution. He has been reported to have a punctured lung, injuries to his neck, belly and head. His mother, Onica Sandy, is calling for justice for her son and is questioning why the perpetrator was granted bail less than 72 hours after the incident. She said that this occurred even as her son remains in a critical condition in the hospital. Investigation is continuing.
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Bulkan pays homage to Harry Juveniles accused of Ramsaroop at Dharm killing drug-addict Shala luncheon -Murder PI to be held in Children’s Court
The gathering at the Dharm Shala Christmas event Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, was among those who spend Christmas Day with the residents of Dharm Shala Complex at Albouystown, Georgetown. At the event, a luncheon hosted by the Home for the Less Fortunate, Bulkan paid homage to the Late Harry Ramsaroop. He spoke of how Ramsaroop committed to the construction of 11 Dharm Shala buildings between 1952 and 1960. Pandit Ramsaroop, according to Bulkan, was also able to resurrect and rebuild a modern Dharm Shala “which probably would have disappeared from the Guyana landscape on the death of the founder in 1950.
Bulkan said that Harry Ramsaroop served the poor and less fortunate until he died in 2013. The Minister revered Ramsaroop as a man who will always be remembered with appreciation and gratitude for “his commitment to the betterment of life for the unfortunates of Guyanese society.” Ramsaroop’s eldest daughter, Kella, is now the managing director of the Dharm Shala. ‘Dharm Shala’ is Hindi for “Spiritual Dwelling” or, more loosely, “sanctuary”. The Dharm Shalas are regarded as the home of benevolence for all races. The charitable institution has been serving the needy for nearly 100 years.
Minister Bulkan, serving an elderly woman
World Bank to assess Central Bank’s... From page 8 government must establish fiscal rules—for deposit and withdrawal—that align with the objective(s); establish investment rules (e.g., a maximum of 20 percent can be invested in equities) that align with the objective(s); clarify a division of responsibilities between the ultimate authority over the fund, the fund manager, the day-to-day operational manager, and the different offices within the operational manager, and set and enforce strict ethical and conflict of interest standards. It said that the oversight bodies for the Fund must require regular and extensive disclosures of key information (e.g., a list of specific investments; names of fund managers) and audits. It said, too, that oversight bodies must be allowed to do their work without a shred of po-
litical interference. The Fund said, “We wish to stress that the government should establish these and other rules and institutions governing natural resource funds through a process that generates broad political consensus. Governments may not comply with even the best rules unless key stakeholders and the broader citizenry have bought into the need for government savings and constantly apply pressure to follow the rules.” It continued, “This has become apparent not just in natural resource-rich economies, but also in places like Europe where, from time to time, most member states breached the fiscal rules outlined in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact even prior to the 2007-08 global financial crisis. We would also call on inter-
national institutions and advisers to carefully consider the implications of recommending the establishment of funds where public financial management systems are opaque and poorly functioning.” In this regard, NRGI said that international advisors should recognize that the establishment of a Fund by itself will not improve resource governance. The Governance Institute stressed that Natural Resource Funds ought to be products of fiscal rules or macroeconomic frameworks that call for savings of oil, gas or mineral revenues. It said that the minimum conditions, such as clear objectives, operational rules, investment risk limitations, effective oversight, and transparency, must be present in order to improve natural resource governance.
Inside of the newly-commissioned Children’s Court
T
wo of the three teenagers, who are accused of killing a drug addict for refusing to purchase drugs from them, had their cases held in the recently commissioned Children’s Courts at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. John McKenzie, 19, an attendant attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and two 15-year-olds, are charged with the murder of ‘Buckman’ (only name given) on November 17, last, at Lombard Street. They were not required to plead to the indictable charge after it was read to them by
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on November 23, last. According to information, on the day in question, the teenagers saw ‘Buckman’ purchasing drugs from someone else and they dealt him several stabs about his body. Recently, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) made a decision to charge McKenzie separately, for the offence and charge the juveniles jointly. This move by the DPP, will see two separate preliminary Inquiries (PI) being conducted for the murder of ‘Buckman’.
The trial of the 15-yearolds will be one of the first to be conducted in the Children’s Courts. Just recently, the Children’s Court was commissioned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Magistrates Dylon Bess and Annette Singh are the two Magistrates that were chosen to preside over matters in the Children’s Court. The Magistrates underwent months of intensive training in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States (US) to be able to preside in the Children’s Courts.
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Appeal Court reduces 17 Slow delivery of funds delays sentences, orders 7 retrials renewable energy projects
Continuing its mandate to ensure the dispensation of justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appeared in 57 matters at the Court of Appeal this year. Of the lot, the Court of Appeal ordered retrials for seven of the accused, while 17 others had their sentences and convictions varied or commuted. According to information from the DPP, 13 persons were denied bail pending appeal, while four others were granted same. In another matter, a fine was imposed and three applications for extension of time to file and serve Notice of Appeal were granted. Six persons withdrew their applications to appeal. Only one matter was struck out. In another matter, the Court did not convene because of the death of the appellant. Another person who
appealed his life sentence had his appeal allowed in so far as the stipulation of calendar years. In another case, the State a ppealed the decision of the Chief Justice that the Sexual Offences Act is unconstitutional as it does not permit cross examination of prosecution witness, including complainants. The Court ruled that the committal was valid and awarded cost in the sum of $75,000 to the State. Two matters are still pending. In 2018, the Demerara Full Court sat 19 times and during that time a matter was dismissed after the Court ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear it. The Full Court allowed seven persons to appeal their conviction and sentence, while five other matters were dismissed. Also, at the Demerara Full
Court, three persons withdrew their appeal, while two others had their application to appeal conviction and sentence granted in part. One had his sentence reduced to 30 hours of community service and the other had his conviction affirmed but sentence varied. Appearing in these matters were the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, Deputy DPP (ag) Sonia Joseph, Assistant DPP Dionne McCammon, Assistant DPP Teshana Lake, Assistant DPP Diana O’Brien, Senior State Counsel Stacy Goodings, Senior State Counsel Natasha Backer, Senior State Counsel Mercedes Glasford, State Counsel Narissa Leander, State Counsel Tuana Hardy, State Counsel Shawnette Austin, State Counsel Tameika Clarke and State Counsel Seeta Bishundial.
Auditing deadline, cost recoverable... From page 10 profits and tax payments in Australia, thereby shifting billions in revenue to its affiliate in Delaware. Because of the scrutiny meted out by the Australian Tax Office, taxes were adjusted for 2004 to 2008, and the additional revenue of US$340M was recovered from Chevron. With this as its premise, Oxfam warned that Guyana should not hesitate to review the costs which are eligible for recovery by oil operators. IMF MAKES CASE Given the missteps made with the Guyana-ExxonMobil Production Sharing Agreement, several international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), believe that the government must now put together a model PSA with the minimum fiscal terms or package to be accepted for future contracts. It does not believe that the fiscal terms should be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The Fund noted that the fiscal package would include the maximum cost recovery
ceiling, Government’s share of the profit oil, the tax obligations of the contractor, tax benefits or concessions for the contractor and sub contractors. The IMF said it is crucial that Guyana decides what is going to be its fiscal package for future contracts. It also highlighted that the laws framing Guyana’s petroleum fiscal regime would have to be amended, since they date back to the 1980s. According to the IMF, the legislative framework is highly discretionary, leaving key fiscal terms to be defined in PSAs, and lacks provisions for activities other than explo-
ration and production. The IMF also noted that the fiscal regime was designed at a time when there was little information about the geological prospects in the country, and the authorities were probably interested in attracting investment in exploration activities. However, given the de-risking of the basin following recent discoveries and the growing interest of international oil companies in Guyana’s petroleum sector, the IMF stressed that the authorities should consider reforming and modernizing the legal and fiscal framework for new investments in the sector.
The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has encountered problems in delivering renewable energy projects on schedule for Government and related entities. This issue surfaced in 2017 and was flagged by auditors. The GEA had entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Government agencies for executing projects on their behalf. GEA indicated that on signing of the MoUs, the Agencies are required to transfer the budgetary allocations to the GEA account. “The timeliness with which this is done accounts for the delay in implementation of the projects and could result in the expiration of the MoUs even before the projects are completed. However, it must be noted that once the funds are in GEA’s account, the projects must be completed even if the MOU expires. “GEA is currently addressing this issue by renewing those MOUs that fall into this category,” the GEA stated. It was pointed out that the MoUs have a termination clause which contemplates the expiry date for each MOU. At the date of expiration, there were unspent funds remaining at the Agency’s disposal. It was unclear from the contract whether the Agency can continue to spend the funds to complete the projects where
the MOU has expired. In cases where the MoUs have expired, and the projects completed but funds remain on the account, the GEA indicated to have preparing the necessary documentation to hand over those projects and any outstanding balances to the concerned Agencies. Highlighting the problem, it was noted that on October 5, 2017, the GEA and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority entered a six-month MOU where the Agency is responsible for the procurement, oversight and installation of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems identified by the Authority. By December 31, 2017, no funds were received from the Authority and the amount expended represents advertisement costs incurred by the GEA. On June 27, 2017, the GEA and the Ministry of Public Health entered a 12-month MoU where the Agency is responsible for the procurement, oversight and installation of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems identified by the Ministry. As at December 31, 2017, no funds were received from the Ministry and the amount expended represents advertisement costs incurred by the Guyana Energy Agency.
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Australian Open tweaks extreme heat policy
The heat stress tracker is pictured during the match between Alize Cornet of France and Elise Mertens of Belgium on, January 19, 2018. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
Sunday December 30, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Some of you still let individuals from other Zodiac Signs do all the creating for you. The planetary configuration today pushes you to free yourself from the ties that bind you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You probably need society's or other people's approval in order to feel good about yourself. But your original personality and way of thinking are often hard for others to accept.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You are very interested in all kinds of professions that concern humans, Taurus medicine, psychology, or any kind of spiritual therapy.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The events of the day depend on your ability to put things into question today. In general, you're good at analyzing situations when things aren't going well in your relationships.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may surprise the people around you over the next few days, Gemini. You're a responsible person and others can count on you. But just like anybody else, you're sensitive to your desires. CANCER(June21–July22) You may have to stand by certain difficult, worrisome decisions today, Cancer. You may feel a kind of urgent need for stability in your personal life. What is really behind this feeling? LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Do you help the world evolve, Leo? You may ask yourself this kind of delicate question today. Even if you're a person of action who knows how to react to situations, you should be careful not to be too impulsive. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may have a tendency to be overprotective of the people closest to you, especially children. You may feel you live in a dangerous world in which people don't care about responsibility to one another.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The planetary aspects are going to have a big impact on you today, Sagittarius. This isn't the time to fear the future. Rather, it's a time to make it happen. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) People are more alike than we think, especially on days like today that mean virtually the same thing to everyone. Some incredible changes have taken place in the world and its economic and social systems. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today is an inspirational day for you, fast-thinking Aquarius. Let those visions come to you, process them, and try to verbalize them. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're usually good at bringing people together. Your greatest strength is giving identity to those people who seek it. In fact, you're so aware of the differences between people that you resist the changes that come about as people evolve.
M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) - Players in the men’s draw at the Australian Open will be allowed 10-minute breaks during matches as part of an updated extreme heat policy at the year’s first Grand Slam. Melbourne Park regularly sees days of scorching weather and organizers have come under fire from players who have complained of health and safety risks under the previous heat regime. Tennis Australia said it would introduce a new “Heat Stress Scale” at the Jan. 14-27 tournament after conducting research with thermal experts at the University of Sydney. The scale ranges from
one to five, with one denoting “temperate playing conditions” and five triggering the suspension of play, the governing body said in a statement yesterday. Men will now join women in being permitted 10-minute breaks during extreme heat conditions, tournament director Craig Tiley said. “In the men’s singles a 10minute break will be allowed after the third set when a four (4.0) is recorded on the AO HSS (heat stress scale) prior to or during the first three sets of the match,” TA said. When the scale reaches five, the tournament referee can suspend matches on outside courts and decide to close the roof on the
three show-courts, Rod L a v e r A r e n a , M a rg a r e t Court Arena and Melbourne Arena, which was formerly known as Hisense Arena. The updated policy also introduces 15-minute breaks for wheelchair players.
NBA roundup... From page 62 this season between the Los Angeles rivals. Danilo Gallinari added 19 points for the Clippers. After a slow start, Montrezl Harrell had 12 points. Gallinari and Tobias Harris each added 10 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Lonzo Ball added 19 for the Lakers, who were playing without LeBron James (groin injury) and Rajon Rondo (finger injury). James is listed as day-to-day, while Rondo is expected to miss at least a month. Heat 118, Cavaliers 94 Justise Winslow led a balanced offense for host Miami, whose defense wore down short-handed Cleveland. Winslow finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He has had only eight 20-point games in his career, six of them in December. Bam Adebayo added 18 points on 8-for-8 shooting, plus nine boards and five assists. Because of injuries, Cleveland had only nine players available. Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points and Alec Burks added 17. Miami has won six of seven while Cleveland has lost five straight. Magic 116, Raptors 87 Nikola Vucevic recorded 30 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists to help host Orlando thrash Toronto. D.J. Augustin added 17 points as Orlando halted a four-game slide.Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points for the Raptors, who saw their NBA-best record fall to 26-11. Serge Ibaka added 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, while Fred VanVleet tallied 11 points for Toronto, which played without point guard Kyle Lowry (back). Vucevic connected on 12 of 17 shots while posting a 30-point, 20-rebound performance for the third time in his career. It also was his eighth career 20-rebound contest. In other scores: Pacers 125, Pistons 87 Hornets 100, Nets 87 Bulls 101, Wizards 92 Hawks 123, Timberwolves 120 (OT) (Field Level Media)
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From page 61 of the West Indies) invitational and we are looking forward to having as much playing time on the artificial turf so we will also train between the competition days”, Fernandes noted. The national development squad reads: Omar Hopkinson, Warren Williams, Nandallal Persaud, Paul D’Andrade, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Samuel Woodroffe, Tiversarid Garnett, Shomere Garnett, Nikel Ashby, Shakeem Fausette and Jamarj Assanah (skipper). ATKINSON BROTHERS FOOTBALL.... ATKINSON BROS. (SNR & U17), RISING SONS VIPERS (U15), SILVER SAND (FEMALE)ARE CHAMPS The curtains came down on the 8th Annual Atkinson Brothers Floodlight Football Competition on Boxing Night last at the Kumaka Recreation Ground, Moruca with Sliver Sand Female team retaining their title after turning back the challenge of their counterparts from Atkinson Brothers. Annalisa Vincent was once again the star for the sixtime champions scoring all three goals in the 3-0 triumph to follow up her double in their semi final win over Kairie Flames 2-1. Atkinson Brothers had earned their spot in the final after coming from behind to defeat Universal Jags by a similar margin in their semi. Raising Sons copped the
Sunday December 30, 2018
Kaieteur News
Under-15 title via a penalty shootout (2-1) over Kamawatta following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time. Under-17 Best Goalkeeper Henry Phillips Jnr. who also stood between the uprights, pulled off two brilliant saves to wrest the U-17 championship from Jungle Boys. Phillips was also brilliant for the senior team standing between the uprights. In the final, Atkinson Brothers took the lead on account of a Dason Marques long range shot but Jungle Boys soon equalised. It took kicks from the penalty mark to decide the champs, Atkinson Brothers prevailing 2-1. In a veterans match, Kumaka took care of business against Huridiah, Floyd La Rose scoring both goals. And, in the senior male final, Marzo Mark Harris aka ‘Killa’ fired in the golden shot of the match in the 8th minute and that was all that was needed for Atkinson Brothers to defeat Jungle Boys to claim their second title in eight (8) years. In advancing to the final, Jungle Boys upset West Rockers 3-2 on kicks from the penalty mark 3-2 after a 0-0 regulation time score line, while Atkinson Brothers got past needled Rincon United, thanks to Captain Brendon Phillips’ 23rd minute strike. The organisers, Atkinson Brothers have expressed gratitude to all who have contributed towards the success of this year’s competitions including the many sponsors and is looking forward to continuous support in 2019.
According to a release from the hosts of the championship, the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF), the event was open to racers aged 11 to 15 selected by their home country’s motorsport governing bodies and will be sponsored by Bushy Park Circuit Inc. (BPCI), Chefette, Sol and Terra Caribbean. The Trophy will take the format off the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, the first step in the process to single-seater racing where Guyanese Calvin Ming competes. ENDURANCE SERIES TO KICK START GMRSC CALENDAR - GUYANA TO HAVE FIRST RALLY RACING EVENT IN JUNE Atkinson Brothers F.C Senior Captain, Brendon Phillips receives the winning trophy and cash from Chairperson, Ms. Ingrid Chappelle. They {Atkinson Brothers} further stated that they are committed to promoting youth football development and helping youths in reaching the next level, locally and internationally. CARIBBEAN’S FIRST CIK-FIA CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR BARBADOS - SEVEN LOCALS TO COMPETE Seven of Guyana’s best young racers have been named as representatives for the Inaugural International Karting Commission (CIKFIA) Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy which has been tentatively
set for the third week in January 2019. The seven are Jeremy Ten Pow, Paige Mendonca, Nathan Rahaman, Elan Rahaman, Rayden Persaud, Zachary Persaud and Faraud Mohamed. Ten-Pow, Mendonca and Nathan Rahaman are known contenders in the GT Motorsports Championship where they compete in the Sunburst 60cc Kids Cup. Elan, Rayden and Faraud compete the 125cc (X30) Junior class, while Zachary Persaud entered through the Easy Cup Rookie but joined the 125cc (X30) Senior class for the third round of the GT Motorsports Calendar.
The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMRSC) in a correspondence to Kaieteur Sports has indicated that round one of the Endurance Series will speed off on Sunday February 3rd 2019 to kick start Guyana’s racing calendar. Reigning open champions, Team Wreckers’ Adrian Fernandes and Annand Ramchand will be relishing the opportunity to get on the track, while former champion Motilall Deodass will surely have a point to prove on the endurance outer circuit. April 28th and October 15th will host round two and three respectively. The third Sunday in February 2019 is when the drag series will begin at the South Dakota Circuit’s recently refurbished drag strip where the local dragsters will attempt to
Nathan Rahaman (71), Jeremy Ten Pow (61) and Paige Mendonca (15) will help bring championship honours to Guyana in the Inaugural CIK-FIA Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy.
overthrow the undisputed King, Team Mohamed’s Enterprise and their pair of Nissan GTRs. It may be possible that fans may get an opportunity to witness a new and rumored faster motor car that sources close to the champions have shared with the publication. The other drag racing dates are April 7th, July 6th, August 25th (International) and October 6th. March 3rd will see the commencement of the national race of champions which will be used to help select Guyana’s team for the first round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) which is scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of March at Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Wallerfield International Raceway. Round two of the race of champions is set for July 14th. The dates for the other CMRC rounds will see round two in Jamaica on May 26th, Barbados on September 1st, while the final leg in Guyana will be competed on two days, November 16th and 17th. Meanwhile, a source close to the club has confirmed that Guyana will have its first Rally racing event on June 23rd. Rally is a form of motorsport that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars. However, the details surrounding the venue or proposed route is yet to be confirmed but members of the motor racing community are relishing this new venture of the GMRSC.
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We take a look back at the key events that took place and made the news in the local sporting arena over the past week SHIVA BOYS’ CREATE KFC GOODWILL CUP HISTORY Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Shiva’s boys’ Hindu College edged Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) 2-1 to clinch the inaugural KFC Goodwill Cup with a perfect record after three rounds of play at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground on Carifesta Avenue. This tournament, the first of its kind in Guyana during recent years, was the brainchild of the Petra Organisation (football Promotions Company) and it saw Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers league champions; Annandale Secondary along with CWSS and Region nine’s Annai Secondary locked in a four-way round-robin battle with T&T’s 2016 league champions; Shiva’s boys for the KFC Cup. Heading into the final night’s play, Annai had a chance at the title but they needed to beat Annandale by at least two goals and hope CWSS could have found their swagger to defeat the T&T school team in the feature game. The first part of the mission was completed when Annai thrashed Annandale 60 in the opening contest with the first two strikes being own goals, while Niazz Mohammed (the tournament leading goal scorer) added a brace in the 28th and 55th minutes before Junior Rodrigues (68th) and Naidison Daniels (80th) padded the final score. In the final game of the event, Stevon Thomas found
the back of the net in 31st minute to ensure that CWSS would’ve had to score at least two goals to see them lose their grip of the title and 15 minutes into the second half, Tyrese Lewis equalised for the lads from the ‘mining town’. Nine minutes from stoppage time, the game could’ve gone in any direction after being deadlocked for 21 minutes but Shiva’s boys’ Gesiah Bishop put all doubts to rest and banged in the winning goal for the visitors. The event which kicked off on the 15th of this month saw Shiva’s boys’ college beating Annai 3-0 on the opening round before squeezing past both East Coast’s Annandale and Linden’s CWSS 2-1. Reigning school league champions, Annandale finished the tournament in a disappointing last place after failing to win each of their three matches, while South Rupununi will be proud of Annai that finished second, while CWSS were third after picking up two points from an extra-time win against Annandale. Annai’s Leston Smith was adjudged best goal keeper, while Nikel Rawlings, Captain of the champions, was awarded MVP of the competition. BISHUNDIAL MAGICAL SPELL HANDS LUSIGNAN A ECCC/SPR 40-OVER TITLE An incisive spell of offspin bowling from Kumar Bishundial handed Lusignan A the East Coast Cricket Com-
From left, KFC’s Greg DeCannes, Wendy Fernandes who hands over the KFC trophy to Nikel Rawlings of Shiva boy’s and GFF’s Wayne Forde pose with the winning team for a photo-op on Saturday night. mittee/SPR 40-over title at the Enmore Community Centre ground. Bishundial proved almost unplayable as he picked up six wickets for six runs off 6.3 overs, four of which were maidens, to bowl his team to a 49-run win over Enterprise A in the final. Set 169 for victory, Bishundial who was named man-of-the-match, trapped opener Raja Pooran lbw for one and uprooted the stumps of Pradesh Balkishun (00) to reduced Enterprise A to 5-2. Bhaskar Yadram struck three fours before he was bowled by Bishundial for 13, while Kamesh Yadram was dismissed for 17 off 38 balls, leaving the score at 45-4. Bishundial continued to maintain a steady line and along with the other bowlers,
continued to make life difficult for the batsmen on a slow track. Parmamand Dindyal faced 42 balls and scored 26 before he was bowled by Vishnu Ramjeet, while Dave Persaud hit one four and a six before he departed for 25 off 28 balls. Rohan Mangal made 13 as Steve Ramdass supported Bishundial with 2-34; Enterprise A were bowled out for 119 in 36.2 overs. Earlier, Lusignan A loss nine wickets off their allotted 40-over after they were inserted. Gavin Boodwah and Ramdass added 36 for the opening stand before Boodwah was removed by Dave Persaud for 17. Persaud then accounted for Ramdass (14) before teenager Robin Williams and Krishna Deosarran put on 52 for the third wicket to steady the in-
The victorious Lusignan A team with their trophy.
nings somewhat. Deosarran made 23 off 37 balls, while Williams struck 35 with one six off 63 balls before they were both removed by Pradesh Balkishun. Vishnu Ramjeet hit two fours and one six in a top score of 37 while Shazam Ali contributed 11 as Dave Persaud finished with 217 and Balkishun 2-18. GUYANATO PLAY IN T&T AND CANADIAN INDOOR COMPETITIONS EARLY 2019 Guyana’s male and female hockey teams are scheduled to visit Canada in March 2019, a move which will ensure the continuity of the sport’s development in Guyana. This disclosure was made by President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), Philip
Fernandes. “This is our last event (Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Festival) for 2018 and going into next year, we’ve been invited by Canada to bring a men’s and women’s senior indoor hockey national teams to compete against Canada and Belarus on the women’s side and on the men’s side, it’s against Canada and Russia in tri-nation tournament so the focus now is on that to see if we can get it done,” Fernandes explained. His comments came on the heels of Guyana’s strong showing in this year’s indoor hockey festival where eventual Champions Pepsi Hikers dethroned Trinidad’s Queens Park to take their eighth title in the event. However, the hockey calendar gets underway as early as this week with Old Fort Hockey Club (OFHC) set to field a Veteran and a female side in next month’s Ventures Hockey Club invitational in the twin island republic of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) from January 3rd to 6th. Joining OFHC will be a National development team that is being prepared under the watchful eyes of National Men’s coach, Robert Fernandes, who is currently in the process of developing the next batch of players to succeed at the senior level. Fernandes noted to Kaieteur Sport that his 12man team consists of under19 players with the exception of Jamarj Assanah who will serve as the captain during their extended tour which will end on the 16th. “After Ventures’ senior indoor tournament, we will play in the UWI (University (Continued on page 60)
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Kaieteur News
UDFA GT Beer football final decided Eagles United will face the might of arch rivals Net Rockers for championship honours after they came away with pulsating victories in the semifinal encounters against Botafago and Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection respectively in this year’s Upper Demerara Football Association’s GT Beer year end football championship played Friday night at the Mackenzie sports Club ground. The two top ranked clubs are now set to confront each other on New Year’s Night as the tournament concludes at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. Playing in the first semifinal match Net Rockers, who were nudged out of being the champions of Upper Demerara via a goal difference tie breaker after both teams ended on 22 points in the Senior League championship, can now show their mettle in what will be a deciding game be-
Omar Brewley of Eagles United
Denzil Pryce of Net Rockers
Colwyn Drakes of Eagles
tween the league’s two unbeaten teams in the last Senior League. The Rockers began well with some nice buildups against Winners Connection before Winners responded with some of their own just after ten minutes had gone. Winners Connection got a shot to goal and began taking the ball wide before sending crosses into the box. But Rockers would take the attack to the Winners side and the exchanges would be
fairly even as both goalkeepers were called upon to intercept crosses inside. By the 40th minute Rockers goalkeeper Compton Burnett was brought into the action with a good save and he was against put into the task of keeping the Winners Connection forwards at bay. The first half would end with the scores nil all and four minutes after play resumed Burnett was again pressured into making a save as the Rockers defenders were
asked to work overtime. When a chance came the Winners way in the 56th minute it was wasted by poor shooting technique. However, Net Rockers showed their resolve and would mount challenges of their own causing the Winners Connection goalkeeper Shaquille Frank to clear some shots at the goal. But the game would end in regulation play in a 0-0 stalemate and extra time was ordered. The first period of overtime still did not see any change in the scores but in the 106th minute the defining moment came in favour of Rockers. The ball would reach Denzil Fordyce and he would tap home the winner for Net Rockers. That score did not change as the extra period ended and Rockers moving on to play for the championship. Game two of the night was more promising as both teams asserted themselves early
NBA roundup: Davis pours in 48 as Pelicans edge Mavs
Sunday December 30, 2018
- Eagles United shootout champions, Net Rockers disconnect Winners Connection 1-0 with some positive play. Botafago looked early the more assertive of the two and would get in the first shots to the Eagles United goal. One such was cleared by the goalkeeper in the 14th minute and when Eagles won a free kick just outside the 18 yards box, their youthful player Omar Brewley playing a defensive role took the spot kick. It breached the wall and caught the Botafago goalkeeper Darius Frank by surprise as he failed to hold the powerful drive which went through his legs to score much to the amazement of his teammates in the 18thminute. That shock goal by the Eagles was welcomed by their large following. But ten minute later Botafago would against regain their composure with their running game as Eagles were more tactical as against their fast paced Botafago opponents. Eagles goalkeeper Yannick Simon was called upon at times to stall the progress of the aggressive Botafago players up front and five minutes before the first half ended he was again called into play and was successful in grabbing the ball in threatening circumstances as play in the first session ended in the Christianburg team’s favour 1-0. When play resumed Botafago got a real chance to even things but that header soared over the cross bar. Pressing for the equaliser,
Botafago would gain a free kick on the right side and Donovan Francis took it and sent the ball past the flailing hands of the Eagles goalkeeper guarding his near post as it flew into the far post corner to knot the game 1-1 in the 60th minute. The battle was truly on but there would be no change and the teams were ordered to go into extra period of play to decide the winner. When the first period of overtime got underway both teams were forcing play but it would be Eagles United who went close to scoring when a cross connected in to the cross bar and in a quick turnaround Botafago would also see their shot hit the cross bar to the amazement of the fans in attendance. Colwyn Drakes would give his team Eagles United the lead in the 100th minute but Botafago would be equal to the task when they were rewarded with another free kick on the left, deep into the Eagles half. This time, the shot taken by Jashwan Moore, would again head straight into the back of the net in the 118th minute. That 2-2 tie would result in penalty kicks being ordered by the referee. Both sides scored the mandatory kicks but when sudden death was ordered Eagles scored their first and Botafago saw their shot saved, the game enduing 6-5 in favour of the Eagles United side.
Entries begin to roll in for Nand Persaud Sky Plus one day Sprint Classic Meet New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) in the second half at the Smoothie King Center. (Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports) Anthony Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the host New Orleans Pelicans ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Dallas Mavericks 114-112 on Friday night. Julius Randle added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 18 for the Pelicans. Rookie Luka Doncic scored 34 points, Harrison Barnes added 21, Dennis Smith Jr. had 14, Dirk Nowitzki 11 and Dwight Powell 10 for the Mavericks, who ended a six-game losing streak by beating the Pelicans 122-119 on Wednesday in Dallas. It was Smith’s first game back after missing six games
because of a sprained right wrist. Nuggets 102, Spurs 99 Jamal Murray scored 31 points and Nikola Jokic had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as host Denver held on to beat San Antonio. Malik Beasley scored 21 before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury for Denver, which snapped a two-game losing streak. LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points, DeMar DeRozan had 15 and Bryn Forbes scored 13 for the Spurs. Thunder 118, Suns 102 Russell Westbrook recorded 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead Oklahoma City past host Phoenix. Dennis Schroder scored
14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder prevailed without star forward Paul George (quadriceps). It marked the first game George has missed this season. Abdel Nader scored a career-best 18 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which halted a two-game slide. Devin Booker contributed 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Suns, who had won five of their previous seven games. Clippers 118, Lakers 107 Lou Williams scored a season-high 36 points off the bench for the Clippers, who took over with a 22-0 run that started late in the third quarter in winning the first meeting (Continued on page 59)
As preparations continue for the Nand Persaud Group of Companies, Sky Plus Incorporated one day Sprint Classic horserace Meet, a number of entries have been coming in. The event, which is slated for Sunday 6th January 2019 at the Company’s racing facilit i e s , N o 3 6 Vi l l a g e , Macedonia Estate, Corentyne, Berbice has so far attracted over 20 entries. The seven-race card which is dubbed the “Nand Persaud Karibee Sprint Classic” has over $4M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for the taking. With its unique racing facilities where the horses run in a straight line from start to finish, it is the only one of its kind in Guyana. The distances for the races will be 880 and 660 yards or four and three fur-
longs respectively. The feature event will be for horses classified H and lower over 880yards or 4 furlongs for a winning purse of $240,000 and trophy. There is an event for 3 year old animals for a winning take of $200,000 and trophy also over 880 yards. There is an event for 3 year old animals for a winning take of $200,000 and trophy also over 3 furlongs. The event for animals classified J and lower is for a take home prize of $180,000 and trophy over 880 yards. The K class and lower animals will be competing for a first prize of $140,000 and trophy over 660 yards or 3 furlongs. There are three L class races. One for male horses over 4 furlongs, while the female animals will be galloping over 3 furlongs both for a pole position taking of $100,000 and trophy.
The other L class event will see the non-earners from the other two L class races competing for a winner’s money of $100,000 and trophy over 3furlongs. The Champion jockey, trainer and stable will all be rewarded with trophies and other incentives compliments of the Trophy Stall and the organisers. Horserace fans can once again expect a day of outstanding racing that is synonymous with events organised by the Nand Persaud Group of Companies through its Sky Plus Promotion Group. There will also be added attractions, family entertainment and games for the kids. Interested persons can make contact with Mohini on 600-4728 or Amanda on 6185966 for information. The Coordinator is Mohendra “Mohin” Persaud. (Samuel Whyte)
Kaieteur News
Sunday December 30, 2018
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GFF/Stag Super 16 – Did someone say 2-1? Tale of the tape: Buxton Utd, Den Amstel slay Western Tigers and Fruta Conquerors By Franklin Wilson
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uxton United and Den Amstel have earned the right to battle in the final of the Guyana Football Federation / Stag Super 16 2018/2019 Championship following identical 2-1 wins over p o w e r h o u s e s , We s t e r n Tigers and 2018 Elite League Champions, Fruta Conquerors on Friday night last at the Buxton Community Center ground. It was a night when the well known bible story of David vs Goliath was replayed for all to see, some enjoying whilst those on the receiving end were fuming at the sound of the final whistle. Buxton United accounting for their second big wig, turning back the challenge of Western Tigers after having already beating the GDF 3-2. Friday night’s opening match saw West Demerara’s Den Amstel beating Fruta Conquerors 2-1 to set the tone for the night. On a night when winds were blowing across the ground from a north/easterly direction and consistently so for both matches, the teams who scored first ended up winning, both coming with the winds behind their backs in the opening 45 minutes. Buxton continued where they left off in the GDF game by taking the lead in the 37th minute, Dillon Wright finishing a well taken corner when he slotted past custodian Omar Jones at the far post. But that advantage did not last for long as
Shemar Fraser – Buxton United FC incoherent work in the Buxton defensive third allowed the nippy Kelsey Benjamin to tap in the equalizer in the 41st minute to ensure that the Tigers were on even keel with the young Buxton side heading into the half time break. T h e We s t e r n t e a m , coming with the wind behind them in the second half would have fancied their chances given what they would have seen the ball doing when Buxton enjoyed that advantage. However, that was not going to be the case as Buxton United used the conditions on their home ground to full advantage, mapping their passage to the championship match that would be contested on New Year’s Night at the GFC Ground. Just like the GDF encounter, Buxton took the lead then allowed their opponent to draw level but fired in the winning goal with just about a minute left on the clock. Again, it was 16 year-old Annandale Secondary School Captain Jamar Harrigon who took the charge to Western Tigers defence and was brought
The gloomy look on the face of Fruta Conquerors Solomon Austin tells the story following the final whistle in their match against Den Amstel.
down in the area. Shemar Fraser buried the ensuing penalty in the 89th minute to tame the Tigers. Den Amstel seized control of their clash with Conquerors from the first half of play and were comfortably ahead 2-0. Their star of the match, Jamal Harvey was flawless in banging in both goals past young goalie Leon SealeyYaw who started ahead of the more experienced Akel Clarke who replaced him in the 25th minute after both goals were already scored. The first of Harvey’s double came via a
beautifully executed free kick about 21 yards from the goal. The four man Conquerors wall and SealeyYaw could not deny Harvey whose shot was curled around the wall, the ball fell into the hands of the goalkeeper who eventually spilled it and watched it roll into the back of the nets, agonizingly so in the 14th minute. Eight minutes later, the match was virtually sealed by Den Amstel when Harvey rounded the Conquerors defenders to score again in the 22nd minute, underlining
Defending champs Blazers 7 hammer Wolf PAC 5-0 It was goals galore at Oronoque Tarmac, Port Kaituma as defending champions Blazers 7 hammered Wolf PAC 5-0 and booked themselves a spot in the semifinals on January 01, 2019 when the Matarkai Sports Committee/ New Image Barber Shop/Platinum General Store annual football tournament continued Friday night in Region One. Joshua Williams banged the first hat-trick of the tournament while his brother Elijah Spencer backed up with a double as Blazers 7
dominated the contest from the onset. Joshua Williams opened the account for his team in the 5th minute and doubled the lead one minute later to give their fans much to cheer about. Elijah Spencer stretched the advantage when he found the back of the net in the 20th minute and netted his second in the 24th as his team looked on course to retain their title. Wolf PAC had no answer for their opponents and Williams completed his hat-trick in the 27th minute. Despite several efforts by Wolf PAC, they
Joshua Williams (left) and his brother Elijah Spencer. just couldn’t pierce Blazers 7 defence which stood firm throughout the game. The competition continues on Tuesday at the said venue. Fixtures for the semifinals -
Semi final 1 - Blazers 7 vs Talons FC; Semifinal 2 - Citrus Grove Young Gunners FC vs Razor FC. Female final - Pk United vs Invincible Talons FC.
the West Demerara side’s dominance of proceedings. They used the windy conditions smartly and would not have been total strangers to such conditions as their home ground is also a stone’s throw away from the Demerara River. Conquerors’ leading scoring duo of Eon Alleyne and Domini Garnett were kept at bay by the Den Amstel back four which was led by Kevin Dundas with the midfield falling under the astute guidance of Kester Jacobs and Gideon Payne. And even though Conquerors were able to pull
one back in the 85th minute thanks to Eon Alleyne, the writing was already on the wall for the Tucville based side which will now have to battle in the third place match against Western Tigers, the winner collecting $500,000. But the big shindig will be between Buxton United and Den Amstel where the winning team will walk away with Two Million Dollars and bragging rights for the next year, while the loser would earn One Million Dollars. Trophies and equipment will also be at stake.
Kaieteur News
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Sunday December 30, 2018
Champion school cyclists reward by Region 6 Regional Administration A
number of school cyclists from Region six who performed outstandingly in the National School track and field, athletics, swimming and cycling championships which were held at Leonora, West Coast Demerara and at the National Park Circuit in Georgetown, were rewarded. The young riders who are all members of the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC) were rewarded by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 6, East Berbice Corentyne when the RDC held its monthly statutory meeting in its boardroom at Vryman’s Erven New Amsterdam, Berbice. Jeremiah Joseph who participated in the U16 division won two gold medals in the 2000M and the 1500M events. Jason Campbell
From left Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop, Regional Chairman David Armogan, Regional Executive Officer Kim Stephens, Coach Randolph Roberts, Jeremiah Joseph, Jason Campbell and Marcia Carrington at the function.
dominated the U14 category where he won three golds breaking two records in the process. He broke the 3000M and the 1500M records and also won the
800M event. Female rider Marcia Carrington won gold in the 3000M race. While Joseph and Campbell represented District 6, Corentyne,
Carrington represented District 15, New Amsterdam, and Canje. Defending champion District 6 was able to retain the cycling championship.
Accompanying the cyclists was Coach Randolph Roberts. Roberts and the cyclists expressed thanks to the members of the RDC for
their kind gesture and promised to continue to do their best to not only make the district and region, but Guyana proud. (Samuel Whyte)
India march to brink of victory in Melbourne
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ELBOURNE (Reuters) India moved within two wickets of an emphatic victory in the third test after reducing Australia to 258 for eight at the close of day four yesterday as the home side’s batsmen suffered a familiar spate of failures. Having set a daunting victory target of 399 shortly before lunch, Virat Kohli’s team attacked with precision and intensity to leave Australia on life support at the end of a muggy and overcast day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The lion-hearted Pat Cummins thwarted India’s hopes of closing out the win with a day to spare, anchoring some stubborn tail-end resistance after the
top order crumbled. The seamer was 61 not out, a personal best, with Nathan Lyon on six, and Australia still 141 runs short of victory. Some rain is forecast on day five, but after dominating with bat and ball, the tourists will almost certainly head to the Sydney finale with a 2-1 series lead and a genuine belief they can become the first Indian team to win a series Down Under. “Obviously we wanted to finish it today but our bowlers will get enough breaks and hopefully finish it off tomorrow in the first hour,” said India number three Cheteshwar Pujara, whose 106 in the first innings was his second century of the series. “We have a very good
chance of winning the series and the last test match will be crucial for us. But first things first, we will look to finish the job early tomorrow.” On a grim day for Australian cricket, Cummins was the only shining light, impressing with the bat after registering career-best figures of 6-27 before Kohli declared India’s second innings at 106-8 in the morning. However, the paceman’s heroics will likely be consigned to a foot-note, squandered as they were by the specialist batsmen that came before him. LYON’S PRIDE Where straight bats were required to provide a platform of resistance, Aaron Finch got his team off to the worst possible start by
Jasprit Bumrah then struck in his first over to have Aaron Finch caught in the slips ©Getty Images
Pat Cummins hung on with some dogged batting... ©Getty Images
throwing away his wicket for three with an unsightly cut shot off Jasprit Bumrah that was gobbled in the slips. Recalled all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was similarly wasteful, slogging spinner Ravindra Jadeja straight to Kohli at short cover to be out for 10. Having done the hard work to get set in his innings, Travis Head (34) fell on his sword after tea by dragging Ishant Sharma onto his stumps with a dubious drive away from his body. Despite assistance from A u s t r a l i a ’s p o o r s h o t selection, India produced
moments of brilliance to remove their more assured batsmen. Mohammed Shami dismissed Usman Khawaja lbw for 33 shortly after lunch with a peach of a delivery, before Bumrah trapped Shaun Marsh for 44 with a searing ball. The wily Jadeja proved a constant menace, and induced an edge off Marcus Harris (13) that lodged in Mayank Agarwal’s mid-riff. The left-arm spinner later returned to dismiss wicketkeeper-captain Tim Paine for 26, leaving Australia to rely on their tail
and a miracle to stave off defeat. “Now our backs are up against the wall, and Pat and I and Josh (Hazlewood) are going to come out tomorrow and we’re going to have to fight,” Lyon added. “We’ve got to show a lot of pride and go out there and fight our backsides off and show how much it means to wear the baggy green cap.” Scores: Australia 151 and 8 for 258 (Cummins 61*, Jadeja 3-82, Bumrah 2-53) need 141 more to beat India 7 for 443 dec. and 8 for 106 dec. (Agarwal 42, Cummins 6-27).
Kaieteur News
Sunday December 30, 2018
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Trophy Stall supports UDFA Georgetown steamroll Linden GT Beer Year End Football GFF/ExxonMobil Futsal Festival
during night two action
T&T’s Caledonia subjected Suriname’s ZV All-Stars to their second consecutive defeat on Friday night.
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ll the round one w i n n e r s doubled their tally on Friday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/ExxonMobil International Futsal Festival where Georgetown All-Stars achieved a stylish 7-0 win over their rivals Linden in one of the more anticipated round-robin games. Among the winners on the night were Roraima Galaticos, Caledonia United and Guyana Allstars who had all won Thursday. Georgetown All-Star 70 Linden All Stars Linden’s Travis Bess did not start the game as goalkeeper but Linden AllStars still managed to concede seven goals during their second consecutive defeat in Guyana’s first International futsal festival. Ryan ‘Bam Bam’ Hackett was the star once again and he lead the team to their second consecutive win
with a hat-trick, while Hubert Pedro, Kelvin Moore, Stephan Mclean and Adrian Aaron each netted one goal each. Galacticos de Roraima 6-3 East Coast All-Stars It was business as usual for the Brazilians with Romailson DeJesus leading the way with a hat-trick while Lucas Martins, Maxivon Carvalho and Raphael Lopes found the back of the net once each. Alzaliel Davis, Dwain Jacobs and Steven Dolphin netted the consolations for the losers in the match that had seven different goal scorers. Guyana All-Stars 5-2 West Demerara All-Stars Eusi Phillips, Delroy Deen, Sheldon Sheppard, Andrew Murray and Solomon Austin all got on the scoresheet once for Guyana during a seven goal t h r i l l e r a g a i n s t We s t Demerara’s best. One goal each from Dion Terrence and Trayon Bobb (a 2-2 equaliser in the second half) gave the West side
some hope before Guyana All-Stars showed their depth and ran away with the game to give West Dem their second loss. Morvant Caledonia 5-0 ZV All-Stars The Surinamese torrid run continued on Friday after suffering their second defeat during round two p l a y t o Tr i n i d a d a n d Tobago’s (T&T) Morvant Caledonia. Kareem Perry banged in a hat-trick with much flair for the ballers from the twin island republic, while Rondell Elexie and Jameel Williams netted one each. ZV All-stars had no answer for the skill and technique for the Trinidadians. T h e f o u r d a y tournament concludes tonight at the Homestretch Avenue venue where the winning team will pocket $1.2 million, while the losing finalist will receive half that amount, third will get $300,000 and fourth $100,000. (Calvin Chapman story and photos)
Paradise and Monedderlust secure wins in Candy Boss and GT BEER 8-side football
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aradise Invaders and fellow West Berbice team Monedderlust scored contrasting victories when play in the Candy Boss GT BEER 8-side football tournament continued with a double header. The games which were played at the All saints Scott Church Ground, Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, saw Paradise squeezing past Rosignol United of West bank Berbice 1-0, in the first encounter. Aubrey Joseph 19th minute strike was the sealer. In game two Monedderlust FC hammered neighbours No5 FC 7-0 in a one sided affair. Travis Henry goals in the 9th and
36th minutes, Kevin Layne in the 10th minute and Akemo Watts in the 23rd minute made it 4-0 at lemon time. It was more aging in the second half as Sceon Watts with double in the 45th and 48th minutes and Teron McDonald 49th minute strike helped with the 7-0 demolition. Six teams remain in the competition and are divided into two groups in a round robin play off. Group A: defending champions Police FC, Paradise and No 5 with group B consisting of Golden Stars, Monedderlust and Rosignol United. Police had defeated Paradise 3-2 in an earlier game. (Samuel Whyte)
Mr. Ramesh Sunich, Proprietor of the ‘Trophy Stall’ presented the first place trophy to Mr. Terrence Mitchell, the President of the Upper Demerara Football Association recently as the business house indicated their commitment to being on board as a sponsor of the 6th Edition of the UDFA GT Beer Year End Football Tournament. The tournament commenced on the 9th of December at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden and is currently at its final stage will be contested on New Year’s Day at the MSC Ground. Action then starts at 7:30pm with the Third place game between Winners Connection and Botofago for $400,000, while the fourth place walk away with $200,000. The main event is the final with League champions Eagles FC face off against the league’s runners up Net Rockers for the top prize of
Ramesh Sunich (left) of the Trophy Stall presents the first place trophy to Mr. Terrence Mitchell, President of the UDFA. 1,200,000. The loser or second place team will receive $600,000.
The UDFA expressed thanks to the Trophy Stall for its support.
Caribbean Cargo and Survival backs futsal festival
Caribbean Cargo’s Daphne Forde presents K&S representative Earl Paul with the sponsorship cheque.
Ahead of tonight’s final round of matches in the Guyana Football Federation/Exxonmobil International Futsal Festival, Caribbean Cargo shipping company and Survival Supermarket have joined the list of sponsors for this historic event. Daphne Forde of Caribbean Cargo based in Washington D.C. made the presentation to a representative of the
organisers, Earl Paul in Maryland. According to a release, the organisers expressed thanks to the entities who have kept faith in their venture which is turning out to be a huge success thus far. Survival Supermarket has been giving away two hampers each night to two lucky females who are successful in a skill challenge. The fustal festival, which
is a collaboration between the GFF and the Kashif and Shanghai football promotions group, will see over $2million in cash prizes being doled out tonight when the final concludes at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). The winner will pocket $1.2million, second $600,000, third $300,000 and fourth place $100,000. Admission to the venue is $1000.
t r o Sp
GFF/Stag Super 16 – Did someone say 2-1? Tale of the tape: Buxton Utd, Den Amstel slay Western Tigers and Fruta Conquerors
Buxton’s Shemar Fraser clears the ball in the first half in face of the challenge that was going to be posed by Western Tigers’ Kelsey Benjamin.
Buxton United’s Ronaldo Fredericks (right) about to take on Western Tigers’ Cleon Forrester.
GFF/ExxonMobil Futsal Festival
Georgetown steamroll Linden during night two action
GT All-stars Hubert Pedro fires home into an open goal during the team’s 7-0 win over Linden. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.