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Sunday January 06, 2019
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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
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
EDITORIAL
FALLING ON ITS OWN SWORD
W
hat is happening in Guyana since the pas sage of the no-confidence motion is ridicu lous, to say the least. It is very clear that the majority of the 65 seats in Parliament is 33, but for some bizarre reason, someone put forward the proposition that 34 and not 33 votes are required by Members of Parliament (MPs) for the motion to pass. This was made two days after the votes were certified by the Clerk of the Assembly, and both the President and the Prime Minister accepted the outcome and the speaker’s decision that the motion was carried. No one in the government had objected to the 33 vote majority that formed the basis of the Speaker’s decision, not even the Prime Minister or the Attorney General who claimed that prior to the vote, he knew that 34 votes were required to pass the motion, but kept it secret. While some are stunned by the sudden defeat of the government, others, especially supporters of the PPP welcome it. The fact is the government participated in the process with the belief that 33 votes constitutes a majority of 65. Suddenly, the government latched on to the notion proffered by one of the country’s prominent lawyers that 34 votes and not 33 were required to pass the motion. Having failed to get the Speaker to reverse his decision in what is known as a belated objection, the government has turned to the High Court to resolve the issue. However, the government was so confident of victory that before the vote was taken, its chief whip and Minister of Social Affairs goaded the opposition in Parliament about its chances of success of the no-confidence motion, using the 32/33 composition of Parliament as the basis. Likewise, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, who is the leader of government business in Parliament, stated in a video that 33 votes are required to win the no-confidence motion and the opposition only has 32 MPs. Clearly, the government had vouched for the integrity of all its MPs. But they could not have envisioned what was about to happen in Parliament. Their hopes were dashed when APNU+AFC MP Charrandass Persaud sided with the opposition and voted in favour of the motion. Political Scientists have contended that it would be problematic for the government to prove its case in court because it had agreed to participate in the parliamentary process with a clear under-standing of the established rules and conditions. But after an unfavorable outcome of the results, the government has decided to challenge the result by rejecting the same rules and conditions it has accepted prior to the vote. They claimed that the government had consented to the rules as interpreted by the Speaker of the House. The essence of that interpretation is that 33 votes by either side constitute an absolute majority of all 65 elected members of Parliament. But after the Speaker ruled that the motion was carried, the government threw a temper tantrum. After all, it was the government that selected Charrandass Persaud as an elected Member of Parliament. And for almost four years, the government had relied on his vote to pass the budget and several other legislations in Parliament. If the government had suspected him or anyone of its other MPs were compromised as it stated after the vote, then it was foolhardy for the government to allow the no-Confidence motion to proceed.
I HA VE A DREAM THA T GUY AN A WILL HAVE THAT GUYAN ANA RISE UP AS A UNIFIED N ATION NA DEAR EDITOR, I have a dream. A dream that someday in the not too distant future that the people of Guyana will be voting for the People’s Progressive National Congress (PPNC) and that election campaign meetings will feature on the same platform names like Greenidge, Anthony, Texeira and Harmon. Yes I have that dream. And I have a dream that out of the realization of my first dream, the people of Guyana will be judged henceforth not by the texture of their hair but by the goodness of their hearts. Yes I have a dream that in
the not too distant future, Guyana will rise up as a unified nation with a booming economy and a happy and contented population enjoying the good life. Yes I have a dream that one day, and I may not live to see it come true, Guyana will be a country that makes the machines that make the machines. Yes I have a dream that successive leaders of the PPNC with names such as Ramson Jnr., Jones, Nkota, Solomon and Gouveia Jnr. will eventually pilot this nation to the status of a major power in this hemisphere. Yes the majority of your
readers will say dream on, Kirton. But I have another dream and that is on January 9, 2019, when President Granger and Opposition Leader Jagdeo meet, there will emerge consensus that some formula must be crafted that will see the two major political parties working more closely together thereby setting the foundation for a future PPNC Government. And unlike the naysayers who feel that a PPNC will unify, not the nation, but a band of crooks who will collaborate to rob the people of the nation’s oil wealth, I have a dream that corruption and lawlessness will be reduced
to a minimum and our people will live in harmony and peace. Finally, I am told that somewhere in the world at a railway crossing there is a sign that reads: “When two trains approach this crossing from opposite directions both shall stop and neither shall proceed until the other has passed.” I have a dream that should none of my dreams come true the sign at that railway crossing will represent the “modus operandi” of our two major political parties and “modus vivendi” of our two major ethnic groups. Sincerely Wesley Kirton
Sunday January 06, 2019
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WHAT WAS JAGDEO’S TRUE MOTIVE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR HOTEL? DEAR EDITOR, In 2008, the Jagdeo-led government proceeded with a decision of its own to build the Marriot Hotel without the involvement of the National Assembly. Atlantic Hotels Inc. was incorporated on 3 September 2009 with the objective of building and operating a minimum of 150-rooms (revised in 2010 to 197 rooms) and an entertainment complex (including a casino, nightclub and restaurant. Atlantic Hotels Inc. comprised two board members for six consecutive years. They were Mr. Winston Brassington, the sole Director and Chairman and Ms. Marcia Nadir-Sharma, the Incorporator and Secretary. Mr. Brassington remained the sole Director until May 2015. In addition, during this period, only two Board meetings were held involving the two officials, namely, Mr. Brassington and Ms. NadirSharma. Three additional board members were later appointed, namely Mr. Ramesh Ghir (Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport), Mr.
Dhaneshwar Deonarine (Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism) and Mr. Clinton Urling (businessman). During the period JuneJuly 2010, requests for Expressions of Interest from qualified contractors were publicly advertised for the construction of the Georgetown Marriott Hotel, including the Entertainment Complex. A total of 23 firms expressed an interest of which seven firms were shortlisted. The contract which cost the Guyana Government US$98,000,000.00 ( NinetyEight Million United States Dollars or GY$20,286,000,000.00 Twenty- Billion, Two hundred and Eighty-Six Million Guyana Dollars) was awarded to SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd., a subsidiary of Shanghai Construction Group, on 16 November, 2011. The contractor for the construction of the hotel, SCG International, was selected at a time when the company was facing charges for alleged corruption in Trinidad and
Tobago. The Engineering Supervision Consultant, M A Angeliades Inc., had also faced criminal charges in a New York court and was disqualified from participating in the projects of the School Construction Authority until July 2015. By court order, the Head of the said company was relieved of his position at the time he signed the contract with the Marriot hotel in August 2012.
Although the gargantuan sum spent on the Marriot Hotel required parliamentary approval, as required by Article 216 & 217 of the constitution, in usual Jagdeo style, no approval was sought but instead the entire project was highly secretive. Former head of the Privatization Unit of NICIL, Winston Brassington, nor the Government disclosed any information to the Public or the National Assembly regarding the construc-
tion of the hotel. Since the Jagdeo-led Government did not involve the National Assembly in the decision, the project was not reflected in the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and therefore the related expenditure would not have been captured in the Public Accounts of Guyana. This resulted in a significant under-reporting of expenditure during the construction phase of the project. Although, the construc-
tion of the Marriot Brand Hotel Cost this nation US$98,000,000.00 (Ninetyeight million United States Dollars when converted by 207x1 (GY$20,286,000,000.00 – Twenty Billion, two hundred and eighty-six million Guyanese Dollars), it is important to note that absolutely no feasibility study was completed to determine the project’s economic and longterm ability to gain returns on (Continued on page 6 )
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Sunday January 06, 2019
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I remember Julius Caesar
WHAT WAS JAGDEO’S TRUE...
DEAR EDITOR, The newborn baby (2019) has arrived and already the critical diaper change is needed. As I read the recent article in your newspaper about top promotions (not police) in Guyana, I am once more convinced that I should accept the challenge thrown out by my government (post 2015 elections) to hold their political feet to the fire whenever the time should arise. Being now retired, I have the time to do so as a concerned Guyanese citizen. Throughout my working life, I have regarded promotion as a reward for work well done. I have however, noticed some people being rewarded in Guyana generally for inconsistent behaviour as it relates to the use of one’s office. Now, sadly, once again the same thing has risen like a “political phoenix from the ashes” in my beloved country and I was blindsided after reading the list of names thrice.I am aware that there are “advisors” to the President and Ministers and therein lies my problem. As a consequence, two questions have arisen. 1, Are these “advisors” to the President and Ministers of my government qualified enough to give reasonable and appropriate advice? 2. Is there any “political” adult at the table when the decisions are made for onward transmission to the President and his Ministers?It
appears to me that memory loss is alive and well now in the corridors of power in Guyana. I can vividly remember when one of the newly promoted had (pre 2015) demanded the sacking of an employee at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport because he, during the course of his duty, checked the bags of the newly promoted person’s family member who was an outgoing passenger.It was a clear case of misuse of authority and that is only one of several instances, but we sometimes only read the large print of these issues. The large print would however indicate the consequences of such action. The employee would have been placed on the breadline, his family affected and he would have had a torrid time getting employment in the country (pre 2015).These kinds of behaviour should never be condoned, much less rewarded with promotion. What kind of message is being sent to young aspirants of the public service? As I sit here with a darkening political cloud hovering over me, I remember Julius Caesar, who, being mortally wounded by his surrogate Brutus, his lifeblood seeping into the sands of Rome, which he so dearly loved, looking Brutus in the eye and asking “you too Brutus?”.The barbarians are at the gate and it needs urgent reinforcing. Those who have ears to hear let them hear... Orin Major.
Six weeks later, I am still to have surgery to my broken leg DEAR EDITOR, Having been involved in a motorcycle accident on 28th of November 2018, it was evident that my right leg was broken. I was taken to the Georgetown hospital. Immediately a blood sample was taken and I was sent for an xray. When the result came back, the doctor informed me that she would be placing my foot in a cast and I would be sent home. After a trip to the orthopedic department where my leg was placed in plaster of paris, it was back to the xray department. After the second x-ray was completed, I asked the technician if everything was okay. He said yes, and I went back to the doctor
who said I was required to attend the orthopedic clinic on 12th of December. On the day of the clinic, I almost had a heart attack when the doctor showed me the result of the x-ray that was done after my leg was placed in the cast. He then said to me, Sir I cannot leave your foot like this, you would have to do a surgery to fix it. When he saw the expression on my face, he then asked if I hadn’t been informed about this. I was sent to another doctor to get a date for the surgery. After checking the schedule log, he said the 9th of January is the next available date.That I can understand but then the doctor said
the hospital requires that they leave openings in case of emergency. Maybe my wife saw the expression on my face and knowing that I was about to explode, she came over to me and continue to say repeatedly, don’t worry we’re going to get through this together. After a while, I said to him doc on the 28th of November when I came to the hospital with my leg dangling, wasn’t that an emergency? He never responded. I requested a transfer to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. At that hospital, the doctor explained that because I didn’t visit the hospital within the first 48 hours of the accident, I can no longer be considered an emergency so I would have to join the waiting list. It’s been almost six weeks since the accident, my foot is healing in a crooked position. I’m still to have the surgery done all because of a doctor at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Georgetown Hospital who failed to inform me that I needed surgery. May God help us. Charles Flavius
From page 5 the equity invested. When the public became aware of the project, there were several objections from various stakeholders, but this did not deter Jagdeo with his plan to build the hotel. He nonchalantly stated that the hotel’s proposed Five Star Status would attract Tourists. State revenues from the proceeds of dividends from public corporations and the sale of public assets were diverted from the Treasury and used mainly to fund the construction of the Marriott Hotel, in clear violation of Articles 216 and 217 of the Constitution as well as the corresponding sections of the Financial Management Accounting Act (FMA). Of this USD98,000,000.00, which was invested in the Marriot Hotel , USD 15.25 million was borrowed from Republic Bank Trinidad Limited by NICIL to finance the project, the rest were funds from NICIL (money which was diverted from the consolidated fund). Other costs not included in the US$98,000,000.00 was the cost of re-routing the Georgetown Sewerage System, and the dismantling and removal of the building, which housed the Food and Drugs Department and the office of the Guyana Water Authority. ACE Square (a mystery company) had the option of acquiring NICIL’s equity interest. It therefore meant that for an estimated US$98 million (GY$20,286,000,000.00), the total cost of the project, ACE Square would contribute only US$12 million or 12% and would have secured 100% ownership rights. The whole arrangement involving the financing of construction of the hotel appeared to be deliberately cast to enable ACE Square to become the ultimate beneficiary of the project, with no financial contribution during the construction phase of the hotel. This plan did not materialize due to litigation proceedings initiated by members of the then opposition. The Majority Opposition (the current coalition) also initiated and passed a resolution on 17 December 2012 to cease funding the project
without Parliamentary approval. The Jagdeo led government completely ignored this resolution even though it was passed in the highest law – making office of the land. Mr. Brassington consistently argued that no State Resources were being used to finance the project and that financing used to develop the Project came from the bank accounts of NICIL derived from revenue earned as dividends and proceeds from the sale of assets. I think it is obvious that NICIL is a stateowned company, and therefore its resources belong to the State. For eleven years prior to 2002, NICIL collected such dividends and privatization proceeds and paid them over to the Consolidated Fund. With effect from 2002, Mr. Brassington became the Executive Director of NICIL. Since then, such funds ceased to flow to the Treasury, and were illegally retained by NICIL and treated as NICIL’s revenue. What was Jagdeo’s true motive for the construction of this multibillion-dollar hotel? From then to present the occupancy rates for hotels currently operating in Georgetown and its environs did not justify the gargantuan investment. When will Guyana receive its R.O.E (Return on Equity/ Investment)? From the inception, there was a risk that, once built and becomes operational, the Guyana Marriot would never be a success story. Even if there was justification for the construction of such a facility, the Government had other priorities such as the construction of a new Demerara Harbour Bridge, and the cleaning up of the city of Georgetown, Improved Health Care Facilities, etc. We are all aware that prior to 2015, the City of Georgetown was desperately in need of cleaning and maintenance. If the latter was undertaken, more tourists and investors were likely to be attracted to the country rather than building a fancy hotel. Such an undertaking should have been private sector driven and financed. The Jagdeo-led government disregarded the constitution and clearly wasted tax payers’ hard earned money to invest in a hotel which was in dire need of repairs eight years later. It is important to note that the contract to build the Marriot, included an element which ensured that Guyanese workers regardless of area of specialization, would not be given employment. Let that resonate within our minds, over Twenty Billion Guyana Dollars was spent by the
Jagdeo led Government and not a single Guyanese benefitted during the construction phase. A direct quote from the forensic audit report submitted to the Ministry of Finance, “There is a serious risk of default in the repayment of principal and interest on the Republic Bank loan should the hotel continue to make losses due to the less-than desirable occupancy rate”. There was therefore no economically sound basis for Cabinet’s decision at the time to invest this amount of money on a hotel, as no feasibility study was done by the then government of Guyana for this project. There is no sensible justification of building a twenty- billion-dollar hotel in a country where Tourism is not among the main economic activities. One might ask, was Jagdeo trying to sink the Pegasus Hotel? It is known that Pegasus Hotelier Mr. Robert Badal, a former friend of Jagdeo, became a supporter of the Alliance For Change political party. Isn’t the owner 100% Guyanese? Why place the Marriot in such proximity to the Pegasus Hotel? This was a very unpatriotic act. On the pretext of seeking to promote Tourism, while the real reason to put Pegasus Hotel out of Business and thus seeking to take away the jobs of the Guyanese employed at the Pegasus Hotel. Nothing about the Marriot project makes sense. Jagdeo who was known for using the Treasury as his personal wallet, must be held accountable for wasting Twenty-Billion Guyana Dollars. Please note that the Government of Guyana is still repaying the Fifteen Million United States Dollars loan to Republic Bank Trinidad. If Jagdeo wanted to upgrade the level of hotel services offered and possibly promote tourism, there was absolutely no need to waste G$20,286,000,000.00 ( TwentyBillion, Two Hundred and Eighty-six million ) on the Marriot Hotel. The former president could have invested in the local tourism and hotel industry by giving at least one billion in low interest loans to the hotels in the city and its environs. It’s also important to note that while Jagdeo was pretending to promote Tourism by building the 197 Room Marriot hotel, the City of Georgetown and its environs were filled with garbage everywhere. A classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Yours truly Joseph Singh (PH:DBA) Non- Military
Sunday January 06, 2019
Kaieteur M@ilbox A NOT-SO INVISIBLE HAND IS ALWAYS AT WORK IN GUYANESE POLITICS DEAR EDITOR, There is a not-so-invisible hand that has been intimately involved in Guyanese politics for decades. One is hard pressed to look at a national election and not recognize the handiwork or tacit approval or silent blessing of what has been thumbprint, palm-print, and footprint of an undeniable and distinctive character. In terms of footprint, and from the Guyana experience, it has been as unnerving and lifealtering as that of the fabled Bigfoot. Whether looked at closely or casually, the record of history speaks for itself; it is not too quiet. They got rid of Cheddi Jagan in a very crude and violent manner (the Red Menace); they empowered LFS Burnham and then he was slowly strangled and gutted in his presence, and his programmes (socialism); the return of Dr. Jagan and the earlier ascension of Desmond Hoyte were cut short by time, circumstance and, on these two specific occasions, by natural causes brought about by the arrival of the Grim Reaper. They were the fortunate ones. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and the same foreign movers and shakers begged, pleaded, warned, and even threatened to no avail: change your evil ways. Nobody deigned to listen. Then came May 2015. It was a repeat of the same story from across the decades here in torn, trying-to-find-itsfooting Guyana. This time around there was no hard ideology involved. This time around, it was the new imperialism: drugs and money laundering. Do not do it. For good measure and to close the circle, countering of the financing of terrorism was kneaded into the overripe dough. Well, the result was that the hapless Donald Ramotar and his cohorts went down into the dustbin. They did not want to learn. They refused to listen. They paid the price: the political wilderness. That is, until the time is right, the omens are favourable, and the word is given. Guess by whom? I forget which Act or Scene it is, and I am too lazy to go and check. But there is that one that all the schoolboys and whippersnappers know. There is a tide in the affairs of men, which when taken at the flood leads to… And now, there are these circumstances in the post noconfidence shakeout and the beginning of the pre-something era. Well, the pre-something what? According to the pundits, panjandrums, political paparazzi, and assorted
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local powers of persuasion, it could be the courts, early elections, and anything else other than continuity in government. Do I hear applause? Somehow, I am not hearing something else. It is that something-not-so-invisible, certainly influential and potent and pragmatic and utterly implacable-that every local authority and mastermind has found convenient, if not clever, to ignore and minimize to the point of dismissal. They do so at great peril to their positions. Perhaps, it does not align with the flighty trajectory of arguments; or the clinical arc of calculations and projections. That may be so, and well and good. But there are some formidable sinister realities on the ground in this here. Guyana which are not going away in any material form or anytime soon. First, there is the embedded narcotocracy and its even more insidious sorority house of money launderers. As houses go, this one possesses the scale and sweep of empire and the entrenched roots and tentacles of the dynastic. The problem that compounds all those election calls and the aftermath is that the drugs and dirty powers have a known and notorious political lineage, as well as continuing political brotherhood. The hand that influenced the final outcome of the last election does not want a return of those who stonewalled and sabotaged its interdiction and general curative efforts. Given the circumstances of local politics it is, I think, prepared to accept a shared arrangement with the group that enjoys some limited trust. So while men speak of elections (which will occur at some time and in some incarnation), I am already beyond that point in the calendar, and projecting the configuration of any new government. Necessity, demography, ethnicity, and continuity are all key components of what will be made to stand (or totter) in some for m of governance structure. I see this, in short, as an arrangement where everybody gets a piece of the action, the outsiders are satisfied, and the mechanism allows for regrouping and some degree of stability. All the rest of the talking and jockeying are moot. Look carefully, all the clamour and chatter are in perpetuation of what has happened over each election cycle and the long decades. That cannot come into play again. As a practical matter, I ask, after not quite four years,
which successor government of another stripe will be permitted to strive or get off its knees? More phantom squads, anyone? The opposite is also true, in that the incumbents cannot retain hold on power as is currently, and so have to clear the way for a process to occur or table options. In addition to those volatile domestic elements, I now introduce oil and Exxon. There are the economics involved, and the crude that takes on increasing significance beyond the discoveries. There are matters that go beyond pure profit. With Russia now inseparable from OPEC and virtually controlling that body, the whole Western military apparatus is in the middle of an unprecedented scenario and scrambling for fallback options and Plan Bs. Shale oil and oil shocks aside, for the first time since the dawn of the Oil Age, the West is neither monopoly power nor final determinant in the world of oil. Now, Guyana’s oil is beginning to resemble more of a strategic reserve. To compound matters, Russian bombers recently made an appearance over there, and there is hazy talk of a base. Such a development would be considered an incursion (unacceptable, to be sure) and one that cannot be tolerated in the backyard and hemispheric lake. As if all of that is not enough, there has to be anxieties over Russian boldness, watchfulness about socialist Venezuela, and keen concern regarding the fellow-travellers around these parts. Together, these furnish added impetus for Guyana’s elections to result in a particular construction, and be bereft of certain ideological inclinations and economic bloodlines. The latter will prompt settling for dilution, instead of elimination. This is what the territory will absorb, and I suspect already mapped out with some wrinkles to be smoothed over. The going is sure to be intriguing as the days lengthen. Sincerely, G H K Lall
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Legal proceedings filed by government may open a can of worms
DEAR EDITOR, The government through Compton Herbert Reid has moved to the Courts to nullify the no confidence motion passed in the National Assembly on December 21 last because the Speaker refused to accede to their request to reverse his no confidence decision. In the Motion, the government is seeking a conservatory order, preserving its status quo that it remains in office until the determination of the r e l i e f s sought.Interestingly, it is not contending that more than 33 votes are required to pass the motion as argued by Attorney General Basil Williams, and Nigel Hughes, another attorney in private practice, who is the husband of a government minister. The Motion is however challenging the vote cast by Charrandass Persaud who is purportedly the holder of a Canadian passport and ultimately has dual citizenship. In this light, the court is asked to declare that Charrandass was not qualified for election as a Member of the National Assembly because he is a Canadian citizen. Therefore, his vote in support of the opposition motion is null and void and of no legal effect. This move will open a can of worms because Charrandass voted in support of several motions, which are now law and will pose a problem for the government. More so, it is believed that there are several members on the government side who have dual citizenship and who had voted in the past. The opposition PPPC is contending that Persaud was named as a parliamentarian by the government and they should have ascertained whether he
was fit and proper to be a lawmaker. Moreover, his vote was used and was vital to pass many Bills. Therefore the government is now putting the entire nation into chaos by invalidating everything done and every law passed in Parliament since 2015. In a statement, the PPP said “we maintain that the No Confidence Motion was validly passed and the Speaker’s ruling that it was so passed, accompanied by the Clerk’s affirmation, cannot be enquired into or interfered with, by the Judiciary. Moreover, the Judiciary has no jurisdiction to violate or extend any time frame prescribed by the Constitution, since the Constitution is supreme and the Judiciary is subject to the Constitution, not vice versa” Senior Counsel Rex Mc Kay is leading a battery of lawyers on behalf of government including Stanley Moore, Robert Corbin, two former ministers in the PNC administration, plus Neil Bos-
ton another senior counsel and Bretina Glasford. Up to the time of writing, it is not known who will represent the PPP, but the party in a statement said that the Judiciary has no power to extend the 90 day deadline for holding elections and added that “we will join the proceedings and we ask other interested parties who wish to take an active part in the protection of our Constitution and democracy to do likewise.”In the light of the importance, this issue will reach to the highest court of the land, the Caribbean Court of Justice... first a judge at first instance (most likely the Chief Justice) then the Guyana Court of Appeal before it reaches the CCJ. It is expected that the Courts will use their initiative and schedule early dates. However, the PPP lawyers should take the initiative to request speedy hearings in all the courts. Yours respectfully, Oscar Ramjeet
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Natural Resource Fund Bill riddled with loopholes for risky investment In the absence of the political opposition on Thursday, the Government passed several Bills. One of them was the highly criticized Natural Resource Fund Bill. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan noted that it had minor amendments. Nonetheless, international and local transparency advocates had highlighted several flaws contained in the Bill allowing for risky investments. But no changes in these regard were made. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI),
for example, had advised that Guyana should be clear in law, how the oil money will be used to invest in certain assets. NRGI said that while the draft legislation states what assets are eligible for the government to invest in, “it is not explicit about which assets the Fund may not (be used to) purchase.” NRGI said that from an oversight and governance perspective, the decision of which assets are eligible and prohibited requires careful consideration of whether the Fund has the systems in place
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to adopt complex or risky investment practices.
In a comprehensive report, economists Andrew Bauer,
David Mihalyi and Fernando Patzy said that if risky investment practices are “well understood” and monitored, then careful instruments and strategies, such as hedging, can help mitigate risks and enhance returns. They noted that very often, when governments push ahead with risky investments, they often introduce significant operational and default risk, incur high management fees and become tools for excessive speculation. Specifically, Bauer had expressed the firm belief that the Government must be made via the law, to disclose all the assets that were financed by the NRF. But this loophole was not closed in the Bill. Bauer said, “One of the things I am hoping the Ministry of Finance does is put into legislation that every single asset it invests in, be made public. Meaning, everything that the government owns, every share it buys into, must be disclosed. “That is how you are going to tell where the money is going; if it is going into their friend’s company or being invested properly. So, for me, this is more important than simply reporting monthly or quarterly. Bauer said, too, that for any Natural Resource Fund to be successful there must be a degree of consensus. Without it, countries risk being trapped in a cycle where rules governing the use of the Fund are constantly thrown out, or altered to suit the liking of any party in power. The economist said, “You need consensus because what is going to end up happening is that you can put together the nicest laws with the most beautiful rules and if the new party comes into power (and they aren’t in agreement with it), they can throw it out. So it is not particularly useful to have something that can be thrown out every few years.” Further to this, Bauer had also warned that consensus building is critical to the success of any Natural Resource Fund as politicians and oversight bodies are unlikely to enforce rules unless they have a feeling of ownership over them. PREVENTINGMALFEASANCE When the Natural Resource Fund comes on stream, external managers will be hired to manage what assets Guyana’s oil savings will be used to invest in. But if left to their devices, these external managers can steer Guyana into risky asset investments that could leave the fund losing more than it invested. It is with this understanding in mind that international energy experts like Bauer had
stressed for Guyana to put in place, an External Management Policy. But to date, Government has made no moves to have such a policy drafted much less implemented. Bauer had stressed that such a policy will be essential in Guyana’s quest to prevent malfeasance and protect the integrity of the Natural Resource Fund, which will be established soon. Bauer and other consultants who are attached to the Natural Resource Governance Institute noted that the Policy is one that would provide an overarching menu of guidelines on how external managers of the fund are to be selected, monitored and managed. It will set out strict rules on how external managers are to manage risks, and what are they allowed to do and what they are not. There would also be accompanying penalties for any breach that is found. He and the other economists stressed that excessive risk-taking by external investment managers can create challenges if they have no policy that guides their actions. They said, “Since much of their compensation comes from management fees and they can charge higher fees for trading more complex, higher-risk financial products, external managers have an incentive to push Natural resource Funds to invest in risky assets.” “While high-risk/high return investments may have a place within even a very conservative private institutional investor’s overall portfolio, as custodians of public funds, Natural Resource Fund managers have a responsibility to safeguard assets and prevent waste or excessive risk taking. Therefore, detailed investment rules such as those limiting purchases of high-risk assets can help address excessive risk taking. It is in this in vein that the External Management Policy is essential.” Further to this, the NRGI consultants said that Guyana’s legislation on the NRF should go a step further than the policy and include elements on the types of assets it will manage internally versus externally, the maximum size or percentage of portfolio to be managed by a single asset manager and the qualifications fund managers must have. The NRGI officials that these are internationally accepted best practices, which are found in places like TimorLeste for example. In addition to this, the consultants said that it would be in Guyana’s interest to arm itself with model contracts for external asset managers, compensation framework for these persons, a reporting framework they must follow and termination criteria.
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Charrandass requested, received Canadian govt. protection to airport
D
etails are emerging now of how Charrandass Persaud, a parliamentarian who rocked Guyana’s politics after voting ‘yes’ in a no-confidence motion that toppled his government, made it to the Ogle Airport on the morning of December 22, last. Hours after that vote, an officer of the Canadian High Commission accompanied him to the airport, stayed with him through Immigration and ensured that he entered the plane. The plane later left for Barbados where the former Member of Parliament (MP) took a connecting flight to Canada. Persaud, who has dual Guyana and Canada citizenship, reportedly reached out to the Canadian High Commission shortly after the vote, asking for protection. He was told to go to the consulate at High and Young Streets. He left via the back gate of the Parliament Building, with his security and advisor to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Peter Ramsaroop, and went straight there. From there, around 3am, he was taken in the High Commission vehicle, in the company of a diplomat to the Ogle Airport.
He was followed by another vehicle that included his security personnel. At the airport, the diplomat accompanied him to the Immigration, and even ensured that he boarded the plane. The former MP had earlier refused police protection offered by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, saying later he could not trust anyone. He had claimed that after the first vote, he was “threatened” by Government MP, Jennifer Wade, who allegedly told him he was going to die. During the second vote, a defiant Persaud said ‘yes’ three times, leaving no doubt about what he intended to do with his vote. The former MP, who was expelled by the Alliance For Change (AFC) following that vote, was contacted yesterday to comment on his request for protection from the High Commission. He would only disclose that on the night of the vote, shortly after he came out of the Chambers, he made contract with the High Commission for protection. Government has gone to court challenging the validity of the no-confidence vote
given Charrandass Persaud’s dual citizenship.. Government is contesting he could not have legally voted as the Constitution bars locals who pledge allegiance to a foreign power from being MPs. The police are said to be investigating matters of “national security” involving Persaud, a lawyer from Berbice. There are allegations that he was paid for the vote. There are a number of things leading up to the vote that the Government, which faces a shortened term, says are coming out now. For example, the MP gave up his law office in Berbice, and then sold his Toyota Prado vehicle. The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the biggest party in the APNU faction, said it is investigating links that a Trinidad businessman may have paid off the MP, whose one vote in favour of the motion has seen its passage. Under the Constitution of Guyana, the passage of the motion means that Government has to resign and hold elections within three months, unless there is an agreement with the Opposition to shift
Dem boys seh ...
Guyana gat 2 Charranrass One vote mek de whole of Guyana and even people who live in farrin know de name Charranrass. He is de man who got big educated people trying to change de Maths wha people was doing fuh centuries. Dem same educated people try dat Maths wid de Speaker and de man tell dem, he learn one Maths from de British and he sticking wid dat. He seh de British teach him dat 33 is de majority of 65 and he sticking wid dat. From de time he announce ee decision, he name change; he become Charranrass Two. Dis is wha confuse dem boys and de nation. Dem jumbie mathematics got everybody calling de poor Speaker Charranrass Two. Dis now causing some confusion around de place. Dis gat dem boys worried. Dem boys did honestly believe dat dis coalition Govt dat Guyana get woulda been one dat everybody woulda been proud of. Sadly, it tun out to be an exchange of what use to exist. Everyday some of de things dem do resemble wha de PPP govt did. Tek de drug contracts and de rental of the Albouystown bottom house as a drug bond. Dem pay over $200M in rent fuh a building dat any idiot coulda buy fuh $25 million. Dem copy dat wholesale from Jagdeo and when dem get ketch, dem had no shame. All dem do is smile. Dem copy de fuel licence scheme. Under Jagdeo, nuff of he friends and family get licence to import fuel. De coalition copy dat too.Dem give Burnham son-in-law, Van West, a licence fuh bring in fuel. Dis is a man who come back from the dead and get bigger than Guyoil and Esso put together. Dem boys hear every week he bringing in
7 to 10 boat loads of fuel. De documents prove he paying half of what he should be paying as duty because of under-invoicing de fuel. De country losing hundreds of millions every week while dem got some poor families who can’t get a better salary to afford three meals a day. De country getting a new shit house fuh an international airport, thanks to de Chinese and thank both govts. De PPP sign a US$150M deal and de coalition wind it up to US$180m. Well de Chinese can tell de world any nonsense but please, don’t try to convince dem boys dat Guyana getting an international airport.Because dem know plenty contractors who can build three modernised airport, one fuh each county in Guyana wid dat US$180M. Dis same coalition had people who promise de people how it gon hold every party accountable. De KFC tell de nation if any one party in de coalition decide to go off track dem would refuse to vote wid de rest of de govt and mek it collapse. It tun out dat the KFC party didn’t like what was going on in the govt suh dem talk about holding the PNC party accountable. Dem seh dem woulda use de 2019 budget fuh blackmail de PNC. Is not dem boys seh suh, de e-mail dat Trotman send to de KFC members spell dat out clear.Dat is one of the reasons Charranrass seh force him to seh yes, yes, yes, to dem in parliament. He seh all de time everybody was ‘yes ‘men and he couldn’t change. Talk half and observe de change in Guyana we see everyday.
Former MP, Charrandass Persaud (r) being escorted by PPP advisor Peter Ramsaroop via the back entrance on the evening of December 21st. (Keno George photo) to a later date. Speaking from the US, Persaud last week insisted that he was not offered any money or any inducements by anybody, inside or outside of Guyana, to vote in the National Assembly, N o B r i b i n g ”Nobody offered me money and I always say that I am not the man that you can buy because my salary if you add it
up, how much can they give me? One report said I received US$60M. Another one said I left Parliament the week before to go to Trinidad to meet some oil tycoon and I was paid US$15M.” According to Persaud, from December 3, last, he could not leave Guyana, as the budget debate had started, right through to the December 14. The former AFC official, who
has harsh words for the AFC, a party he said he sacrificed to put into office, challenged Government to check his bank records.With regards to the debate on his dual citizenship, which the government is challenging, Persaud disclosed that indeed that he travelled on his Canadian passport. He dismissed criticisms of Government and noted that (Continued on page 56)
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More pay needed to stave off bribery from oil sector-EPA Head
H
ead of the Environ mental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, has said that he will petition the Government for more funds in an effort to boost the paltry pay of his officers. His reason for doing so is premised on concerns from local and international transparency advocates that the poor salaries of EPA officers make them more susceptible to the influence of corrupt oil companies. Dr. Adams noted, yesterday, that this is a serious concern of his. He said, too, that he notes the importance of the issue especially since the EPA will be one of the key regulators of the oil and gas sector. The hydrologist said, “I have not brought this particular issue to the government as yet but our Board is aware of it, the need to have the salaries increased. When compared to the other ministries, the salaries are low. I want to
change that. It must be priority for the EPA to work on retaining its workers…I have some employees who are on one year contracts and one can’t really feel secure in such circumstances.” “Let me reiterate that I do agree with the concerns expressed. Bear in mind, too, that bribery is something you can never get rid of 100 percent but given our circumstances, improving the salaries can help to make a difference. And I will be asking the government for more funds in this regard…” Poor salaries and the absence of a pension plan are just two of the major factors deterring much needed qualified personnel from joining the Environmental Protection Agency. This was noted by Chartered Accountant and former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. In his forensic audit report on the agency, Goolsarran said the EPA needs about 160 professionals to be effective
EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams but the emoluments are not adequate to attract suitably qualified and trained personnel as salary scales are similar to those of the traditional public service. The Chartered Accountant said that the position of a legal officer attracts a salary of $262,107 per month while the Finance Officer who is professionally qualified earns $226,362 per month. The auditor also expressed concern about the fact that Ministry of Natural Resources is overly involved in the recruitment process. Goolsarran said, “Although the agency is semiautonomous with its own legislation and a board, there is an over involvement by the Ministry of Natural Resources in the operations of the EPA,
especially in the area of recruitment. “The agency responded by stating, too, that the Ministry of Finance requires that the Public Service Ministry facilitate the final approval stages of recruitment which was previously handled by the Office of the President.” In terms of retirement benefits, the former Auditor General said that the EPA does not have a pension plan. “As a result, staff members are recruited on a contractual basis at the same public service salary scales, and obtain a gratuity every six months. However, this can hardly be a substitute for a dedicated pension plan, whether contributory or noncontributory. “Such a plan is likely to
provide for a more settled organization in terms of staff recruitment and retention.” Further to this, Goolsarran said that while most of the officers are required to be in the field, they do not benefit from duty free concessions to assist them to acquire their own vehicles. What is also worse in Goolsarran’s view is the fact that the agency has a limited number of vehicles that can be used to undertake field trips. Given the age of these vehicles, operating and maintenance costs are high, said Goolsarran. UNDERBUDGETTED The auditor also pointed out that for years; the Environmental Protection Agency was unable to fulfill its very mandate due to severe budget constraints. Expounding further, he said that for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Agency requested amounts totaling $933.036 million by way of subventions to meet operating expenditure. “However, amounts approved totaled $569.393 million, representing 61 percent of EPA’s requirements. As a result, Goolsarran said that the Agency had no alternative than to reduce its programmes of activities to bring them in line with the amounts approved.” The Chartered Accountant said, “The Agency is constrained in its ability to effectively deliver on its mandate mainly because of budgetary constraints. In a recent brief to the Minister, the EPA stated that basic operations such as site visits required for the pro-
cessing of applications for environmental permits have been delayed… “The EPA also stated that as a result, there is a backlog in processing of applications, which has implications, particularly if developers proceed with their plans without the EPA’s approval. There is a similar situation with conducting audits and renewals.” To compound the aforementioned issues, Goolsarran highlighted that the EPA is housed in a building in Sophia that has limited office space, and the physical environment is unsuited for the Agency’s operations. Goolsarran said that the Agency does not have laboratory facilities for the testing of samples. He noted that the EPA has also not been able to have a dedicated regional presence so vitally necessary for a countrywide execution of its mandate, especially in the interior locations.Considering these and other issues, Goolsarran strongly recommended that the Ministry of Finance provide the EPA with adequate resources with effect from the next budget cycle, to enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate of monitoring the natural environment and assisting in its protection. He said that this includes funds not only for the construction of a new building estimated at $200 million but also for securing facilities to ensure regional presence at least in Regions Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten.
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I hear the Black fear and the PNC anger, but it’s bigger than Party and Race Guyana is once again at the political crossroads. How many times have we been here in the last seven decades? Is it that we are incapable of moving beyond our limitations—the limitations of post-plantationhood? From the high of May 2015, we have in three years plunged to the brink again. Why is it that we keep doing this to ourselves? And yes, we do it to ourselves, because the colonial masters have long departed. Courtesy of a successful no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, we are now in “no man’s land”—trying to figure out what to do. Many on one side of our dreaded ethno-political divide have blamed one man— Charrandass Persaud—for our dilemma. Those on the other side have predictably blamed their competitors for the state of affairs. Still others like this writer have tried to locate the developments in something larger than the political actors—our elite political culture. Maybe it’s a combination of all three factors. After much anticipation, the Speaker of the House declined to reverse his original ruling, thus throwing the matter to the Judicial branch—the courts. But therein lies the problem. For the PPP, the matter was settled on that eventful night of December 21, when one backbencher from the APNU+ AFC coalition defected. But the governing coa-
lition has invoked its right to review—first in the legislature and now in the courts. There are legal and constitutional justifications for both positions. But, in the end, it is the politics which would determine the outcome. The eventual ruling of the court would be rejected by the losing side. As I hinted above, the very move to the court is rejected by one side. So, there is a gathering storm—an ethno-political storm. Already new narratives are being crafted that would have long-term consequences for all Guyanese, including the unborn. Readers may ask where I am going with this. You see, some of us have, maybe arrogantly, chosen to worry about the country. All of the country— its present and its future. We belong to parties and partnerships, but our praxis goes beyond the boundaries of those institutions. Our loyalties are to something larger than the political party. I hold tightly to that praxis and often face the worse vilification for it. We try to get others to see the breadth of our stances and to assure partners and comrades that we are not necessarily oppositional. For example, I have been told that my criticisms of the tenure of the Coalition Government are hurting the Coalition and Black People. Some PNC members have taken to Facebook and other social media to express their anger
at me—the attacks have been grand and nasty. I was initially tempted to quote from one of my favourite Martin Carter poems of resistance—Letter 1—to respond to them. But I checked myself, because in a real deep sense, I understand the origins of their pain and anger, and sympathize with the limitations which the political culture imposes on them. Many of the criticisms of the government which I have been voicing in public have been voiced by many of those PNC members in private— some of them directly to me. Further, these very criticisms are voiced openly by Black People every day—many went further by using their boycott of the recent Local Government Elections to express those criticisms. But I understand that it has now sunk in that the risk of losing the government permanently is real. So, it is only human that they have shelved their criticisms and are reaching for unconditional solidarity. And the fact that I don’t appear to be doing so angers some of them—so they “lash you in you head and done the story.” I understand that if you are a PNC member, the thought of losing the government hits home at two levels—at the personal-party level and at the ethno-racial level. If you are African Guyanese, you are responding to the historical mistrust of Indian Guyanese leaders and the clear and present danger of Jagdeoism.
The Baccoo Speaks Things are quiet on the political front because the two leaders of the major political parties are to meet. Until then, supporters would be going about their business with one eye on the elections. Yet in every group there is one irresponsible person, and such a person would surface during a drinking session. The result would be a fight that would send one of the combatants to the hospital with severe
injuries. A friendship would end. ** Try as one might, the roads remain dangerous. There are too many vehicles
and even more impatient people. A pedestrian would be the country’s next road fatality for the year. ** The country would come alive with news that a group of tricksters is milking motorists, halting traffic in the process. Amazingly, the traffic police are allowing this to happen during peak hour traffic. At the same time there is no investigation when there should be one. Such is the life in Guyana.
Yes, I get all of that—I feel it. I understand that some PNC people grudgingly admit in private that some Black People listen to some of us non-PNC people. Hence, they would not want us to criticize the Coalition in public—I get that too. I understand that if you are African Guyanese and you think about the coming oil-wealth in the absence of Black representatives in government, you are tempted to go down the road with even a discredited Black leadership—Lord knows, I get it. But there is a but. As I said above, my praxis does not confine me to the party and the race. I understand the Black Solidarity argument, but I can’t move that way in the face of the recent past and the gathering storm. I have to let Black People know the truth about our “missteps”, to quote the government. The aim is not to embarrass the leaders, but to pressure them to make a qualitative turn in the right direction. Just as African Guyanese have fears, so do Indian and Amerindian Guyanese. Indian Guyanese, especially, have deep
fears of any government that includes the PNC. I get that. And I know that for the Coalition to win the next election, it needs some Indian Guyanese votes. And I want to assure those Indian Guyanese who are not automatically inclined to the PPP that there are some African Guyanese who should not be feared, who can be trusted to call out our government if it goes down the wrong road. And there are some African Guyanese, especially the youth who are so alienated from us that they are likely to vote PPP or any new party or simply don’t vote at all. I don’t see how we can convince them to vote for us with a message of “fear the PPP.” They are less likely than other demographics to be swayed by that alone. Maybe I am too arrogant to think that I can help to sway them. But I am trying. So, while others are busy moping and cussing me out, I have begun what I see as an independent campaign to try to win back our original coalition. My campaign is grounded in truth, independence and self-criticism. It’s
Dr. David Hinds a campaign that eschews “follow the leader”, “solidarity at all cost” and fear-mongering. I am not trafficking in “fear the PPP”—that will not put food on the table, provide jobs and contracts, and close the gap between the rich and the poor. More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’GuyanaCaribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Silent killer, pair of scissors By Michael Jordan The detectives smelled the stench of fresh blood almost as soon as they entered the three-bedroom house that was Lot 522 Kuru Kururu, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, on the morning of Tuesday, December 11, 2018. That smell, emanating from a blood-soaked rug by the entrance of one bedroom, hinted to what lay inside that room. The cops entered. A man, shirtless, bloody and wearing rolled-up denim pants, lay on his side on a large bed. His legs were on the body of a half-nude woman, who lay at the other side of the bed, with her legs dangling over the edge. The detectives counted about 30 tiny stab wounds; mainly to the face, neck and chest of the female victim. The same number of tiny punctures dotted the man’s stomach. Some of those wounds, they would later learn, had pierced his heart and lungs. The victims were Alvin Blucher, a 48-year-old farmer, and his 34-year-old reputed wife, Naco Malika Hale, a cook. There was no sign of forced entry to the three-bedroom, wooden property, and
Naco Malika Hale The slain couple’s home no sign that intruders had ransacked the home looking for valuables. This led some of the ranks to form a shocking conclusion: Killers and victim were one and the same. Blucher and Hale had inflicted the mortal wounds on each other. The couple had four children, and had lived together for some 14 years.
Neighbours reportedly often heard them arguing, however, one of Naco Hale’s relatives said that Hale had never complained of Blucher being physically abusive. But Blucher did seem to have had a temper. In August 2018, he was charged for allegedly wounding his 13year-old son. It is alleged that the
couple had argued about the case the night before the tragedy, since Blucher was due to return to court. The family had then retired to bed on the night of December 10, 2018. The following day, one of the couple’s sons allegedly found his parents’ mutilated bodies in their bedroom. His screams reportedly alerted neighbours. That report seemed to fit with the theory that Hale and Blucher had killed each other. But a few days later, a post mortem indicated that one sharp instrument had caused the fatal injuries. That ‘weapon’ appeared to be a pair of scissors that was found in the bedroom. Investigators also concluded that it was virtually impossible for one mortally wounded partner to have had the strength to wrest the weapon away and stab the attacker multiple times. The crime scene also baffled detectives. There were bloody footprints in the bedroom, and a bloodstained rug at the entrance to the door. However, there was no sign of a blood trail leading to either the front or back door to indicate that an attacker had fled the scene. Hoping for some clarity, I contacted a relative of Naco Malika Hale. I ended up even more baffled than before. I was told that while three of the couple’s four children, aged 13, 12, 10 and six, had
their own bedrooms, the sixyear-old son had reportedly slept with his parents that night. It was he, the relative said, who had awoken and seen the bodies. Like his siblings, the sixyear-old had apparently slept soundly through the vicious attack. And so, apparently, had the couple’s closest neighbours, who reportedly said they had heard nothing unusual. “The house is a wooden one and heavily ventilated,” the relative told me. “You would have heard screams coming from that house.” The relative also said she questioned the children, who all refuted reports that their parents had argued the previous night. They did confirm that they had heard Blucher apparently coaching Hale on what she should say in his defence when he returned to court for allegedly wounding his eldest son. They had reportedly not heard their mother ’s responses. And what about motive? I was told that Blucher had disputes with a number of people, including two individuals over some land he had sold. I was also told that he appeared to be extremely possessive, and would sometimes ‘stalk’ his spouse. “People in the area knew there were issues (between the couple).They were not living happy. I learnt that
neighbours would often hear them rowing.” I was told that it was possible for someone to have entered the house through an unsecured window in the eldest son’s bedroom. As to the ‘murder weapon’, the relative said that one of the children had found the pair of scissors, sometime ago. The family had kept it. That bit of information ruled out any notion that someone had sneaked into the house, armed only with a pair of scissors, and murdered Alvin Blucher and Naco Malika Hale. Hale’s relative said the suggestion that Blucher might have planned to kill his spouse, and somehow ended up dead, also does not add up. She told me that Blucher had given his spouse money to purchase items for some of the children to take to school for a Christmas party, that was to have been held on December 12. “If he had planned to kill her, why would he have gone ahead and given her money to buy those things?” the relative asked, adding that she is anxiously seeking closure. So, as strange as it may seem, is it possible that Blucher and Hale had somehow gotten into an argument that had escalated; that one had stabbed the other some 20 or more times, and the wounded partner had somehow wrested the scissors from the attacker and inflicted similar injuries of their own? Did someone somehow sneak into the house, apparently unarmed, find the pair of scissors, and kill Hale and Blucher? But how would the killer have known exactly which bedroom the couple occupied? Or…did someone, at present unknown, intervene while one partner was attacking the other, wrest the pair of scissors from the attacker, and inflict the deadly wounds on that violent partner? That seems a possible theory, but it leads to a conclusion that I find too terrible to contemplate. If you have any information about this case, you can also contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or 225-8473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : kamarangnight@gmail.com
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I too have my line in the no-confidence sand David Hinds in his final Kaieteur News column for 2018, titled it, “My line in the sand.” I too have a line in the sand. In that piece, Hinds’ essential argument is that when you come to power, you have a debt to history (my use of words). I have read many commentators, political pundits, general observers and prominent names express pyrotechnical condemnation of Charrandass Persaud’s support for the no-confidence motion. Some of the castigations are both dangerous and sad. Dangerous because such thinking can influence the countless young minds of this country. If taken to heart, these commentaries can elevate pragmatism over sacred principles. Young people should not be taught that lesson. It has no place in a poor, developing country, where the morally-shaped mind is indispensable to the future. It is sad, because it shows how crass and opportunistic some Guyanese can be at a time when one thought that the “we versus them” sermon was no longer being preached since 2015. There is a one-dimensional thought expressed by those alongside the ruling politicians, who have so much to lose by fresh elections in the analysis of Persaud’s action. It goes like this – you cannot go against your party, it is not the principled thing to do. But exactly who is unprincipled and who is morally
sound in this country? Those who assert Persaud was wrong to go against his party and government are downplaying the immense value of conscience that guides the psyche of Homo sapiens. It is crude understanding of philosophy and is misleading people in Guyana and beyond, who accept it. There is nothing in philosophy that can condemn a conscience-driven action whether it is in sports, politics, war etc. Charrandass Persaud is one of countless humans in history that have put sacred values above mundane dictates. There is nothing wrong philosophically with that, but everything right, philosophically, when action is driven by conscience. If it can be proven that Persaud was offered financial reward for his decision, then his decision was the opposite to conscience. If it can be proven that he was bribed, he becomes another sordid, common denominator that we see so often in this country and the world. Someone has to show me and my fellow Guyanese that this man voted in Parliament not on beliefs and values, but for money. If there is no such proof, then, theoretically, the role of conscience remains a philosophical guide in society. Again I use the word “nonsense”, to argue that one must always be motivated by loyalty to friends, party, country. I will not sit in
the Parliament of my country and vote for my government’s invasion of another land to get that country’s oil, or gold or wealth. I will go to the police if on a holiday binge my friend rapes the hotel maid. Conscience overrides friendship. We return to David Hinds’ “line in the sand” emotion. Hinds made some caustic comments of the depraved disrespect shown to patriotic Guyanese by this government, that was helped to power by those people who Hinds said risked their lives so change could have come in 2015. I too have my line in the sand. I say unapologetically, many who criticize Persaud never suffered a scratch; never had what Lincoln Lewis referred to as “testicular fortitude” to even stand in a picket line or put their real name to a letter in the newspaper, condemnatory of the demonic rule of the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabals. These people are now lecturing Charrandass and others who supported his action in parliament on what obligation is. Yes, I too have my line in the sand, and I will end with two demarcations of it. I believe this government had an obligation to consult those who fought for decades to make UG a better place before they appointed a new administration after 2015. That is obligation. The government didn’t do that, so
in the eyes of those who vilify Charrandass Persaud, their government is no different from Charrandass Persaud. In every corner of this country, the expectation is that there will be a future, because Guyana is now an oilproducing country. The world has a voracious appetite for oil importation. But did President Granger manifest his obligation to the nation
when he chose his own appointment to run this industry when he should have consulted far and wide? Let me end on a rude note. If there is anyone out there that thinks an elected government by virtue of being elected can do what it wants without consulting what the ancient Greeks called the “demos”, that person then, is yet to learn the lessons of life.
Frederick Kissoon
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Sunday January 06, 2019
By the doctrine of necessity, a Government has to be in place to run the country Regardless of the desperate shouting by the PPP in recent days, the Government of Guyana is still girded by the Constitution, and will continue to manage the affairs of this state until the next round of national elections. We are still responsible for the nation’s administration, for implementing its policies and programmes, and for the general welfare of all citizens. The Eleventh Parliament has not been dissolved and its life has not expired. Therefore, the Government will not be swayed or strayed away from its mandates by any argument designed to interfere with the authority of the National Assembly, or disrupt the economy and the peace of living. We are studiously adhering to the tenets of the Constitution of Guyana, Clause 7, which states: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or
such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution, supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly, determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election”. We wish to make it clear to the nation that the Government is still in control of the country’s affairs, and will remain responsible for its economy and People. According to our Constitution, there are only two means by which a Session of Parliament is brought to an end, either by prorogation or dissolution. Either can be done at any time by Presidential proclamation. However, the Parliament is automatically dissolved five years after it first meets following an election. On May 11th 2015, the people of this nation had had enough of the PPP’s corruption and its iron grip of con-
trol of their simplest needs. Recall that during the PPP’s 23 years in office, citizens had to go a-begging at Freedom House for house lots, and many times to get the neighbouring farmer to remove his cattle from their land. These are just two examples of Freedom House’s usurpation of the functions of the NDC’s and the citizen’s right to resol v e h i s i s s u e s t o everyone’s benefit. We all lived through 23 consecutive years of misery and embarrassment knowing that international agencies and other Governments spoke openly about Guyana’s support for the narcotics trade, and labeled us as a drug transshipment point. Then there were allegations of the PPP Government’s creation of a parallel police force, with men who stalked the streets in full battle gear driving fear into man, woman and child. Recall how former Minis-
ters became rich overnight; the Pradoville scandals; the dismantling of the radio broadcast antenna at Sparendaam to make way for the president’s sprawling mansion; and the untamed power that the Ministers’ lesser men had that so corrupted every single state institution. These are just a glimpse into the mess that this Government faced down in 2015, and began the tedious task of cleaning up the entire governmental machinery while implementing new programmes that actually benefitted the citizens, and doing a good job of it. The entire nation is paying close attention to the seepage of information coming out of the investigation into former Parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud’s ‘yes’ vote for the no confidence motion brought against this 3-anda-half-year-old Government by a desperate Opposition. It is actually easy to see the deep desperation underlying all of the recent developments. Knowing the PPP’s recent history, the thought of having no
control whatsoever over the country’s oil wealth from next year must be hurti n g v e r y b a d l y. But Guyanese can rest fairly easy knowing that an investigation has been launched into the events leading up to Mr. Persaud’s ‘Yes’ vote. A huge microscope is trained on it, and the truth will come out. In the meantime, the Coalition Government is not going to shirk our responsibilities to this nation; we will not abandon the policies and programmes that were carefully laid out in Budget 2019, which has already been approved. These programmes are designed to ensure that the tranquility and good living that Guyanese have been yearning for will come to be. They are to ensure that Guyanese from all walks of life are taken care of now and in the future, with or without the oil bonanza. The PPP is playing from their playbook, the one written in the style of Adolf Hitler – “Scream and Holler the loudest to drown out every other voice”. That has always been
the PPP’s modus operandi, and now they are in an unholy haste to de-recognize the constitutional authority of the Eleventh Parliament. Perhaps they are afraid that their schemes and plots would be exposed and undone for their supporters to see. The Government therefore urges all Guyanese to ignore the Opposition’s loud ranting and raving. They cannot bully the Government out of office, but it is unfortunate that they are apparently able to lead their supporters astray by giving them false hope. We can’t hold the economy back for certain events to unfold. By the doctrine of necessity, a Government has to be in place to run the country. Until there are new elections and a new President has been sworn in, the Government of the day remains the Government of the day. There are a number of important considerations that must precede dissolution of Parliament, and it is foolish and irresponsible for anybody or group to suggest that Parliament be immediately dissolved after the no-confidence vote.
Sunday January 06, 2019
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My column
The issue of dual citizenship and the National Assembly The question of a majority for the no-confidence motion would have been laughable if so many people were not taking the issue so seriously. For many people, the idea of a simple majority is clear, but no sooner had the government side acknowledged the loss of the no-confidence motion, the issue took a change. I found out that this issue first surfaced when APNU and the AFC, while in opposition, tabled a no-confidence motion against the Donald Ramotar-led government. A lawyer compiled the argument and gave it to Attorney General Anil Nandlall for transmission to Mr. Ramotar. Mr. Ramotar admitted that the arguments were forwarded to him, but both he and Nandlall decided that the arguments would not hold water. But they never told anyone about it, so the lawmakers never had an opportunity to examine the arguments. Then came this no-confidence motion, and once more the arguments surfaced. Attorney Nigel Hughes was the first person I heard propose the argument. Before long, it had taken root, and there was talk about heading to court with this argument. There were people who argued convincingly that the first thing that should have happened was that the Speaker should have determined the half of the number of seats in the assembly. The argument continues that a majority would have been half plus one. However, in Guyana over
the years, a majority merely means more than half. Then I heard that the lawyer who initially proffered the argument for the half plus one to the previous government, offered his argument to the current government for $7 million. That would have been an easy way to make a lot of money for something that had been produced in 2014. Indeed the government has gone to court, but it is refusing to challenge the vote in the National Assembly from the point of view of the numbers. This suggests that the decision-makers also have a problem with the argument. But there is another problem, and this has to do with dual citizenship. This is novel territory, given that it has never been challenged. One could argue that the late President Janet Jagan was an American by birth and a Guyanese by naturalization. There was talk that she renounced her American citizenship, so the issue of dual citizenship did not arise. Her children, on the other hand, easily became American citizens. Mrs. Jagan’s renunciation seemed to have no effect. Back in Guyana, the National Assembly had, and still has others who enjoy dual citizenship. They have all voted in the National Assembly. But the constitution is clear. This then provides the reason for the challenge in the courts over the right of Charrandass Persaud to vote. A layman like me would argue that we allow the law to be ignored until something hap-
pens. Why has there not been a challenge to the other people in the House who hold dual citizenship? This could have posed immense problems for laws passed in the past. Fortunately a decision should not affect what preceded. Lawyers are however pointing to a clause in the constitution that states once a vote is taken the decision stands. Whether the decision by the court will affect the noconfidence motion is left to be seen. In any case, the formula introduced by President Jimmy Carter places the conduct of the elections in the hands of the Guyana Elections Commission. If the commission is ready then it can proceed with elections. Yet there are blocks to the holding of early elections. A member of the elections commission has said that the commission was provided with money for house to house registration. That alone could take some time, unless the commission votes to avoid such registration for the upcoming elections. From my vantage point, I cannot see elections being held within the three months stipulated by the constitution. President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo are to meet on Wednesday. The outcome of those talks will be interesting. I cannot prejudge the issue, but I am certain wiser counsel will prevail. I expect Mr. Jagdeo to hold out that the government should only perform caretaker
functions. Yet the very constitution stipulates that governments cannot exist in a vacuum. There must be one in place and a government must do the things it is expected to do. Meanwhile there is the question of the presidential candidate. The People’s Progressive Party has modified its rules along the way. From naming its presidential candidate by the end of last year, such a decision would now be taken at the end of this month. Some of the frontrunners from the point of view of the watchers are Anil Nandlall, Gail Teixeira, Dr Frank Anthony, Dr Vindhya Persaud and Irfaan Ali. The sharp divisions in our country could affect Irfaan Ali from being the presidential candidate and the PPP is aware of this. That party is predominantly Hindu. The voters, therefore, may not readily support a Muslim leader.
And indeed, there have not been too many Muslims in the hierarchy of that party. But the word is that Jagdeo favours Irfaan Ali. Whether he will push the members to tempt fate is another matter. On the side of the coalition, Minister Joseph Harmon has already said that David Granger is the presidential candidate. For stability sake, that may be a good thing, except some are worried about Granger being fit and ready to campaign. The announcement of President Granger as the leader of the party slate essentially avoids a scramble to find a replacement. Guyana is accustomed to charismatic leaders and I do not see too many around. Granger is charismatic, as is Jagdeo. However, Jagdeo is excluded from running. At least he could be the king behind the throne in his party, because he has dominated his party’s landscape. Whoever is his candidate would be dictated to by him.
Adam Harris A. A. It was Finance Minister Winston Jordan who said that the elections will be the mother of all elections. He is right. Come what may, people would be asked to rally around whoever is put up as leader. Of course, the race voting is high on the agenda. I remember a PPP executive saying to me that if the People’s National Congress were to put up a crab, the people would vote for it. In the PPP camp, while that may be largely true, it may not be so straightforward.
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Sunday January 06, 2019
Safe water supply - and the good life A Partnership for National Unity - APNU- and our coalition partner the Alliance for Change – AFC - campaigned on delivering a good life for all Guyanese. The ‘good life’ entails providing every citizen with opportunities to be the best he or she can be. The ‘good life’ is about securing sustained economic prosperity, ensuring citizens’ access to quality public services and promoting social cohesion. The ‘good life’ involves eliminating extreme poverty and removing social, ethnic and geographic inequalities. The ultimate indicators of the good life are happy communities, happy households and
happy people. On entering office in May 2015, we immediately recognised that the Peoples Progressive Party – PPP – had severely neglected all public utilities. On careful examination, it became evident that large swaths of the country had no access to safe water supply and in communities that had water, the quality was questionable. It was clear that people in these communities could not enjoy a good standard of life if a basic necessity like safe water supply was not readily available. Water is a fundamental human need. Each person on Earth requires at least 20 to
50 litres of clean, safe water a day for drinking, cooking, and simply keeping themselves clean. Over the past three years the coalition government has successfully delivered safe drinking water to thousands of Guyanese, many of them for the very first time. In 2015 several areas in the Demerara Mahaica and East Berbice-Corentyne regions were targeted for the delivery of safe water supply. Over 2000 residents in Sophia, Ann’s Grove, (Demerara Mahaica) Tucber, Savannah Park and Number 68 village (East Berbice Corentyne) received access to potable wa-
ter for the very first time. In 2016 39,830 residents across seven regions received access to potable water for the very first time. In Georgetown more than 3,000 residents of Sophia and surrounding areas benefited from improved water supply, with the completion of the ground storage tank at Sophia. Residents of Georgetown receive 24-hour supply of water for the first time. A mini laboratory to monitor water quality was established and service connections upgrades were done in Fyrish, Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster, Number 43 to 51 villages in the East Berbice-
Corentyne Region, at a cost of over $2.5 million. In the hinterland, 750 residents of Monkey Mountain gained access to potable water for the first time due to the installation of 2800 metres of pipe, catchment areas, water trestles and stand pipes. In Kuma, Rupartee, Wowetta, Aranaputa and Shulinab in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region approximately 5000 residents got first time access to water due to the drilling of wells. In 2017, 15,377 residents across nine regions gained access to potable water for the very first time. In New Amsterdam, over 7,000 residents gained first time access to 24-hour supply of water due to an upgrade of the water supply system. In Silver Hill, Waiakabra and Hillfoot on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, more than 2,000 residents gained first time access due to new water systems that were constructed. At Lima Sands in the PomeroonSupenaam region, 2,600 residents gained first time access to safe water due to the drilling of wells and the installation of a new water supply system. Your government’s programme in the water sector, for 2018, was aimed at increasing access to safe water and reducing the disparity in service between the coastland and hinterland communities. An estimated 7,903 households (more than 31,600 persons) benefitted from access to potable water for the first time. Work was advanced on the construction of three new water treatment plants at Uitvlugt, Diamond and Sheet Anchor to provide improved access to potable water for more than 50,000 persons – a project that will be completed this year. A cooperation agreement with the Federative Republic
of Brazil witnessed the installation of eight new wells to provide potable water to more than 4,800 persons in eight indigenous communities in Shea, Maruranau, Awarewaunau, Bashaidrun, Achawib, Karaudarnau, Aishalton and Chirkidnau. The Ministry of Natural Resources, in collaboration with the residents of Nappi, Haiowa and Parishara Villages, Rupununi, and a local contractor – JR Ranch Inc – constructed one of the first water catchment areas planned for that Region. The catchment area is approximately three kilometres in length and the dam is eight hundred (800) metres and is estimated to hold approximately three million cubic metres of water at full capacity. This Water Catchment Area will serve as a model to demonstrate how employing long-term solutions to water management can help communities to become more resilient to the effects of prolonged drought and El Niño spells and climate change. In his address to the National Assembly on November 2, 2017 Chairman of APNU and President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana His Excellency David Granger iterated “A ‘good life’ is about making people happy. People will be happy when they know that they have a government which cares for them; when they can be assured of life’s basic needs - food, clothes, shelter, safe water, safe streets, a sound education, and high standard of health care. Our vision is for every Guyanese to be able to enjoy ‘a good life’- one that is based on the acceptance that people existence is characterised by three key freedoms- freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom to live in dignity”.
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Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A life-threatening emergency By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency in diabetics that has a very high death rate if left untreated. It occurs when their body starts to run out of insulin. This causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the body, which can be life-threatening if not spotted and treated quickly. DKA mainly affects people with type 1 diabetes, but can sometimes occur in people with type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, it’s important to be aware of the risk and know what to do if DKA occurs. WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DKA? DKA is a very serious condition. If you have diabetes and think you may have DKA, contact your doctor or get to a hospital right away. The first symptoms to appear are usually: · excessive thirst · dry mouth · frequent urination. The next stage of DKA symptoms include: · vomiting · abdominal pain · diarrhea · trouble breathing · confusion or trouble concentrating · loss of appetite · weakness and fatigue · a fruity odour on the breath. WHAT CAUSES DKA?
The main cause of DKA is not enough insulin. A lack of insulin means sugar can’t get into your cells. Your cells need sugar for energy. This causes your body’s glucose levels to rise. To get energy, the body starts to burn fat. This process causes ketones to build up. Ketones can poison the body. High blood glucose levels can also cause you to urinate often. This leads to a lack of fluids in the body (dehydration). DKA can be caused by missing an insulin dose, eating poorly, or feeling stressed. An infection or other illness can also lead to DKA. If you have signs of infection (fever, cough, or sore throat), contact your doctor. You will want to make sure you are getting the right treatment. For some people, DKA may be the first sign that they have diabetes. HOW IS DKA DIAGNOSED? If you think you may have diabetic ketoacidosis, contact your doctor immediately. He or she will want to run some blood tests before giving you an official diagnosis. These tests include checking your blood sugar and ketone level. Your doctor may also order a urinalysis and chest X-ray. CAN DKA BE PREVENTED OR AVOIDED? When you are sick, you need to watch your blood sugar level very closely so that it doesn’t get too high or too low. Ask your doctor what your critical blood sugar level
is. Most patients should watch their glucose levels closely when they are more than 250 mg per dL. When you’re sick or stressed, you should check your blood sugar level more often than normal (sometimes every 3 to 4 hours). If your blood sugar reaches a critical level, check it every 1 to 2 hours. Ask your doctor if you should test your blood sugar level during the night. You should talk to your doctor to develop a plan if your blood sugar level gets too high. Make sure that you know how to reach your doctor in an emergency. HOW IS DKA TREATED? DKA causes excessive
urination. This means you will urinate more than usual. You can become dehydrated and your body can lose electrolytes (minerals in your blood that help your body function). If you are diagnosed with DKA, your doctor will most likely treat you with fluids or saline. These fluids will contain electrolytes and insulin. Fluids can help rehydrate you and dilute some of the sugar in your blood. Electrolytes will help your body function normally. Insulin will help lower your blood sugar level. ARE THERE STEPS I CAN TAKE TO DECREASE MY RISK?
Keeping the balance between blood sugar and insulin is the key to controlling diabetic ketoacidosis. In most cases, this means sticking to your insulin schedule . But you may need to adjust the amount of insulin you are taking. You should also try to recognize when you feel stressed or sick. Small adjustments to your eating or drinking can make a big difference. When you’re sick, drink lots of sugar-free, caffeinefree liquids. Sip small amounts every few minutes if you are feeling sick to your stomach. If your blood sugar level is more than 250 mg per dL,
Dr. Zulfikar Bux avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates. These little adjustments can mean the difference between life and death.
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SUNDAY Venezuela orders naval force to protect ‘its waters’ Venezuela, on Friday December 28, authorised its naval force to protect its waters with the presidential decree expected to impact oil activities in Guyana. The decree, signed by President Nicolas Maduro, would be more evidence of a growing aggression by that neighbouring, Spanish-speaking country, and comes days after two exploration ships working for ExxonMobil were stopped from carrying out its work in Guyana waters. Venezuela claimed that the area is theirs. The Government of Guyana, ExxonMobil and the US government have all denied that the two exploration vessels were in Venezuela waters. ExxonMobil, working to develop Guyana’s first set of producing oil wells, over 100 miles from shore, is set to begin operations as early as late 2019, the first commercial oil for this country. The US Company said the recent incident has not stopped its exploration work. Venezuela has revived claims on a large part of Essequibo following the 2015 announcement by ExxonMobil that it struck oil in large quantities, in Guyana’s waters. Guyana has since asked the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, in The Hague, to make a decision on the claims, once and for all. Venezuela, on the other hand, has already says it will not recognize the decision of the ICJ and prefers to continue talks with Guyana via what is known as the UN’s Good Office process – a process that crawled painfully on for 25 years without much progress. The decree two Fridays ago would come after Venezuela, earlier this month, collected two nuke bombers
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Kaieteur News
planes from Russia. With Russia also reportedly thinking of building a base in the region, Venezuela’s aggression towards Guyana and ExxonMobil would not be surprising. According to a Telesur report Saturday, Maduro signed a decree Friday to protect the sovereignty of the Orinoco Delta region. The decision follows the recent “incursion” of two vessels hired by ExxonMobil. According to the report, during the Council of Ministers of the Venezuelan cabinet, held at the Miraflores Palace, President Maduro made the document that supports the defense on the continental shelf of the area official. Exxon’s 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, last week Saturday, 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 concerns raised by international and local anticorruption activists. Dr. Bynoe said, “What we are seeking to do with the 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 for-
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan
President Nicolas Maduro (L) speaks with Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo during a ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28,2018. / Photo: Reuters ward.” 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.” 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.
World Bank to assess Central Bank’s preparedness for managing oil fund 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 last Saturday by Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga. The official said that the World Bank has been offering its assistance since January 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 operations 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. MONDAY Govt. mounts challenge to No-Confidence Motion …Ramjattan says it needs 34 votes to be valid A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) administration has announced its decision to challenge the passing of the no-confidence vote against it, citing that 33 votes do not constitute a Parliamentary majority. In an interview with the National Communications Network, Sunday, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that 34 votes are needed in the National Assembly for the no-confidence motion to be carried. ”We feel, not withstanding what happened on the 21st [of December], that the numbers of persons who will constitute that threshold of elected parliamentarians is 34, and not 33,” Ramjattan stated. This is a departure from the government’s initial decision, which was to accept the outcome of the vote. The Public Security Min-
ister said that the government has adjusted its position on the matter because cabinet “sought some legal advice”. He said that they also went back to the text of the constitution: “We also got a number of authorities that compute this special arrangement that can bring down a democracy; a no-confidence motion.” “There initially was a sentiment that it was 33, but after we were blindsided by the immoral act of Mr. Charrandass, we all got betrayed by him when he voted yes. In view of what happened on the 21st, when the Speaker of the House indicated that he is going to adjourn Parliament to deal with the consequences, we have decided that we are going to argue the case that it has not been a threshold figure that was arrived at,” Ramjattan stated. ”Therein, we found that it was indeed the calculation, mathematical and juridical, is that it must be half the number of elected members plus one. And if it leads to a fraction, that fraction must be upended toward another whole figure.” Explaining his mathematical interpretation of the vote, Ramjattan said half of 65, it is 32.5. That plus one is 33.5. Due to the 0.5, that must go into the next whole number, which brings it to 34. Fugitive from Canada gunned down outside Adventure Suites – brutal killing recorded on camera In what may be the first execution-style killing for the year, a 38-year-old man who is suspected to be wanted in Canada for murder was gunned down at around 04:00 hours Sunday in Forshaw Street, near the Adventure Suites. Sean Allister O’Brien Greene, 37, of of Queenstown, (Continued on page 29)
Sunday January 06, 2019
From page 28 Georgetown, and Number 78 Village, Springlands, Corentyne, was riddled in full view of several onlookers. CCTV footage showed the gunman shooting at his victim before escaping on foot. Greene is believed to be wanted in Canada for his role in the killing of a Canadian citizen. Police said that Greene was standing in front of the hotel with others when person(s) unknown approached and discharged several rounds at him and fled the scene. The victim was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead on arrival. In the CCTV footage seen by Kaieteur News, a number of persons could be seen under a tent in front of the Forshaw Street hotel that is just a few doors away from the Rio night club. An individual then walked to the tent and bright flashes, believed to be gunshots could be seen. The persons under the tent scattered, after which the assailant ran in the direction of Albert Street. When persons eventually ventured back to the scene, Greene lay wounded and clinging to life. He appeared to have been shot multiple times in the legs, arms, face and stomach. Onlookers appeared to be confused on whether to take the wounded man to a hospital. Reports out of Canada indicate that Greene was wanted for the killing of 42year-old Chad Day, a resident of Toronto. The story stated that, “Canadian police had released security camera photos of a man wanted in connection with a murder in Parkdale. It went on to say that around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2018 police were called to a building on West Lodge Avenue near Lansdowne Av-
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Dead: Sean Allister O’Brian Greene enue and Queen Street West, where they found a man lying in the front driveway with serious injuries, and he was pronounced dead. Investigators believe the man had fallen from a balcony after a fight. The victim was identified as Chad Day. GECOM has money for house-to-house registration, but not for elections – Commissioner Desmond Trotman Should the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) plan to conduct house-tohouse registration in 2019 be abandoned now? This question was posed by Government-nominated Commissioner, Desmond Trotman in response to assertions made by People’s Progressive Commissioner, Bibi Shadick who reportedly stated that GECOM is ready to hold General and Regional Elections in 2019. Those elections were initially scheduled for 2020, but the recent passage of a noconfidence motion against the Government in the National Assembly will see elections being held in March, 2019. ”As far as I am aware, there has been no allocation of funds to hold elections in Guyana in 2019,” Trotman has indicated. He added, “I am therefore concerned how and where the funds will come from and am therefore looking forward to a resolution to this issue.
The location where Sean Allister O’Brien Greene met his demise. Presumably, this will be one of the issues, which will engage President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo when they meet to discuss the way forward.” Trotman expressed the view that it is important to ensure that GECOM holds the elections with a voters list that is cleansed of all of its impurities. In this regard, he stated that the Commission deliberated on and approved the plan to conduct House to House Registration in 2019, to ensure the production of a new and more credible list prior to the holding of the next General and Regional Elections. He said the Secretariat prepared and presented its budgetary estimates for the approval of the Commission accordingly. These Commission approved estimates were later submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly. The Committee of Supply of the National Assembly approved
Crime scene investigators work the scene
GECOM’s budget request with the funds allocated to GECOM for the conduct of this House-to-house Registration exercise in 2019. ”Should this exercise be abandoned now?” Trotman asked. GECOM has budgeted $3B for the house-to-house exercise. TUESDAY Passage of no confidence motion… Govt. threatens court action if Speaker’s ruling unfavourable The government has assembled a group of legal advisors in preparation to fight the results of the no confidence motion all the way to Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams Monday said Government has sent a legal memorandum to House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland. The brief maps Government’s arguments for consideration on the passage of the motion which was passed based on a 33-32 vote count in the 65-member National Assembly on December 21. The House is expected to meet on Thursday at which time the Speaker is expected to pronounce on the Government’s submissions. Williams stated that should the Speaker return an unfavourable response, the Government will move to the court. ”The Judiciary which is one of the three arms of the State will intervene where the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, is abridged. Therefore, the Court can nullify the Speaker’s decision if it is found to be unconstitutional,” Williams told reporters.
A screen shot of the article from a Canadian media outlet, “City News”, which shows someone with similar features to Greene. Williams disclosed that the AG chambers is being supported by the incoming Attorney General of Belize; Queens Counsel Hal Gallop and Ralph Thorne of Barbados which assisted in Government’s triumph of the infamous third term challenge at the CCJ and prominent local attorneys, Stephen Fraser, and Senior Council, Rex McKay. Williams said that the government is concerned with the determination on 33 votes in favour of the motion of no-confidence amounted to a majority of all elected members in accordance with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution. ”This Government was not defeated by a majority as required under Article 106(6) of the Constitution. In order for the Government to be defeated on a vote of confidence, 34 or more votes of all the elected members in favour of the motion were required instead of 33,” Williams outlined. He said that the Government’s view is grounded in established Parliamentary precedent and practice and case law in the Commonwealth. Granger opens door for political cooperation with PPP President David Granger has assured the nation that the government remains committed to working with the
Opposition in 2019. In fact, he indicated in his New Year’s address to the nation that recent developments in the National Assembly have created more opportunities for the two sides to work together. ”Recent developments in the National Assembly have created opportunities for enhanced political cooperation. Meetings between the Government and Opposition will take place in the New Year to discuss and determine the way forward for our country. ”Your government is prepared to work with the opposition to ensure that our national objectives are achieved and that 2019 can be a satisfactory year for all,” Granger stated. On December 21, the National Assembly passed a motion of no confidence against the President and his Government. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, while calling on the Government to resign with immediate effect as a result of the Motion has indicated his willingness to meet with the President to discuss the way forward. While the Government is open to the discussion, it has challenged the validity of the no confidence vote in the National Assembly. The president indicated that the National Assembly and the Judiciary are the bedrock of the democracy.”Your (Continued on page 36)
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Kaieteur News
Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland (inset), delivering his remarks in the Opposition’s absence From page 29 government remains committed to upholding the Constitution, preserving the rule of law and guaranteeing a safe, stable, orderly and peaceful country. We respect the courts which protect our institutions and system of democracy,” the President affirmed. Granger said that he is confident that life for all Guyanese will continue to improve in 2019. ”Guyanese can expect, by the end of the new year, to live in a state with more secure borders; communities that are safer; an economy that is more resilient; a society that is more cohesive and public services that are more easily accessible,” Granger noted.“Your government starts the year by recommitting to consolidating Guyana as a safe society with a stable economy and strong parliamentary democracy. The Constitution is supreme,” Granger noted.The President departed Guyana on Christmas Day for Cuba to undergo another round of chemotherapy. DPP among five elevated to Senior Counsel Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar AliHack is among five longstanding and outstanding jurists who have been conferred with the honour of Senior Counsel by President David Granger. The others are Mr. Stephen Fraser, Mrs. Carole James-Boston, Mr. Robert Ramcharran and Mr. Rajendra Poonai. A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency stated that they have displayed a high quality of service in the legal profession and in their knowledge of the law. The conferrals take effect today.
The five will be presented with their instruments of commission, elevating them to Senior Counsel at a ceremony to be announced later. According to information, Mrs. Ali-Hack was confirmed as the substantive DPP by the Judicial Service Commission in 2008. Ali-Hack had been acting in the capacity since 2004, after Chief Justice Roxanne George vacated the post and took up appointment as a High Court judge Mr. Fraser who has a wealth of knowledge and experience is a managing partner in the Fraser, Housty and Yearwood law firm. He has been practising for a number of years and specializes in civil and commercial law. Mrs. James-Boston is one of the founding members of the Guyana Association of Women’s Lawyers (GAWL) which was founded in 1987 with the primary aim of giving legal advice and assistance to women in the society.Meanwhile, Mr. Ramcharran who attended the University of the West Indies was admitted to the Guyana bar in 1979. He specializes in corporate and criminal law among others. Mr. Poonai has decades of practicing experience. He was elected as a committee member of the Guyana Bar Association in 2017. THURSDAY I can’t be bought; nobody offered me money for my vote- Charrandass “I swear to God I thought I was gonna die right then”…Charrandass after the first vote In a few hours, the Na-
tional Assembly is set to meet with a major issue on the agenda. Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, is set to rule on the consequences of the historic December 21 no-confidence vote which saw a government Member of Parliament, Charrandass Persaud, voting in favor. The 33-32 passage has seen the coalition government, contesting whether it was properly carried. The police are said to be investigating matters of “national security” involving Persaud, from Berbice, a lawyer who has since been expelled from the AFC after that shock vote. Persaud exited the Parliament Building that evening in the company of advisor to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Peter Ramsaroop. He flew out of the Ogle airport to Canada. Back, in Guyana, there are accusations against the former MP. There are allegations that he was paid for the vote. There are a number of things leading up to the vote that the Government, which faces a shortened term, says are coming out now. For example, the MP gave up his law office in Berbice, and then sold his Toyota Prado vehicle. The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the biggest party in the APNU faction, said it is investigating links that a Trinidad businessman may have paid off the MP, whose one vote in favour of the motion has seen its passage. Under the Constitution of Guyana, the passage of the motion means that Govern-
ment has to resign and hold elections within three months, unless there is an agreement with the Opposition to shift to a later date. Kaieteur News tracked down the lawyer who was questioned about events leading up to the vote. I can’t be bought Speaking from the US, Persaud insisted that he has not been offered any monies or any inducements by anybody, inside of Guyana, or outside of Guyana, to vote in the National Assembly, Trotman’s e-mail shows AFC contemplated blackmailing the government An email from Alliance for Change (AFC) frontliner and Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, has confirmed Charrandass Persaud’s claim that the AFC has become a YES-man party, to the A Partnership for National Unity’s leadership in the coalition. The email, written prior to Local Government Elections, was sent to AFC members. It describes Trotman’s disgruntlement with the nature of the party’s relationship with APNU. Because of this disgruntlement, Trotman wrote about his suggestion that the AFC should take control of the coalition because, as he put it, “our coalition partner is in a weakened state”. It reads, “My dear colleagues, I have chosen to write you directly about the matter of the 2019 Budget and its implications for the AFC, 2020, and well beyond. I have been thinking about this for some time and
have shared aspects with some of you, but thought it best to hold off until LGE was dealt with” ”Even though the elections are tomorrow, in many respects, they are finished and I believe that we urgently need to turn our attention to the 2019 Budget as grave decisions will be made during the week. Without sounding dramatic, these decisions will very likely affect the entire coalition and the AFC is now positioned to lead this process.” He wrote that the coalition, in its endeavors, has failed “to operate as a single cohesive unit”. He further wrote that though the coalition is diverse, it has not wielded that diversity well. “Attempting to govern in an orthodox manner has hindered [the government] from making bold and transformative steps,” and that nothing about the 2015 campaign was meant to function in an orthodox manner. He urged the AFC members to switch gears and take advantage of 2019 because he believed that time is on their side, since 2020 is the year when petroleum production is slated to begin. Not knowing that the AFC would face such a devastating loss at LGE, Trotman wrote that that he believed the AFC “has u n d o u btedly received a “bounce” from this campaign, and the initiative is with us and must be acted on at once. I need not underscore that our coalition partner is in a weakened state and so whether deliberately or by default, the ball is in our court and has to be played.”
WPA ramps up conditions for continuing with Coalition The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) will be heading to the polls with the coalition but on several conditions. This is according to WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds. During an interview with Kaieteur News, Dr. Hinds was asked about the outcome of the meeting that was supposed to be h e l d b y t h e WPA o n whether it would be going to the General and Regional Elections with its coalition partners. Dr. Hinds said that a meeting was held with the People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) and they were briefed on what was done regarding the Government’s response to the No-Confidence Motion. He said that a more substantive meeting is expected to be held with President, David Granger. “In relation to the WPA and the coalition, we would be part of the coalition but with some conditions. We are in the process of discussing those conditions and once confirmed, we will discuss it with them. ”We will go with them in principle. But we don’t want some of the errors being made in 2015 and post 2015 being made again. Our concern is strengthening the coalition and learning from our mistakes.” Going forward, Dr. Hinds said that he believes the coalition needs to apologize to its support base and the country at large for not living up to the promises enshrined (Continued on page 37)
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From page 36 in its manifesto of 2015. He added that there needs to be broadened leadership within the coalition. ”I would argue that one such person to take more of a leadership role in the Party is Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice President, Carl Greenidge..,” expressed the WPA Member. Dr. Hinds has also lamented the fact that the Working People’s Alliance was taken for granted by its other coalition partners, particularly the People’s National Congress. He even bemoaned the fact that the WPA’s role in government is minimal. He said, “We have one Minister, one Presidential Advisor and Chairs of Boards of two state institutions, NICIL and GuySuCo. In addition, Dr. Clive Thomas heads the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU). FRIDAY No reversal… No-Confidence motion stands – Speaker tells National Assembly minus Opposition The Motion of No-Confidence against the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government remains valid, and the government has been urged by the Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland to work diligently with the Opposition to execute the mandate of the constitution, in this regard. The Speaker of the House said that the Attorney General, Basil Williams, asked him to reverse the Motion, and it caused him to consider the arguments placed before him. Knowing that the focus of this parliamentary sitting was for the govern-
ment to attempt a review of the No-Confidence Motion, no opposition members of Parliament were present at Thursday’s proceedings. However, scores of government supporters demonstrated outside of Parliament, decked in green, bearing banners of the APNU+AFC Coalition. Dr. Scotland told government MPs that since the motion was carried, he received solicited and unsolicited information “from diverse sources” of case and practice law, concerning similar situations playing out in other Commonwealth countries. The information received, Scotland added, caused him to have doubts whether the motion was carried, even though he declared it as such on December 21, last. The first argument was that the vote of No-Confidence requires an absolute majority of 34 members, instead of 33 to be declared as carried, or as he explained, half of 65 plus one, rounded to the nearest whole number. Scotland said though this contention could be viewed as having the support of article 168 of the Constitution, which provides that “…all questions proposed for decision in the National Assembly shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting,” it does not. He explained further that this is because the NoConfidence Motion is governed by a separate article; Article 106(6), which 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
I CAN’T BE BOUGHT: Charrandass Persaud confidence.” T he second argument was that Charrandass Persaud, who voted in support of the Motion of No-Confidence against the government, is unqualified to be a member of the National Assembly by virtue of his conduct. The conduct in question is that Persaud, by becoming a citizen of Canada, swore allegiance to that country and, in doing so, breached the Constitution of Guyana. The Attorney General, Basil Williams, had raised the contention, days before, that Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution, states: “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power or State”. Govt. moves to fight no-confidence motion in court
AFC frontrunner and Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman
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Attorney General Basil Williams said that the government has already moved to the High Court to file their cases in relation to the noconfidence motion. He told this to members of the media shortly after Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, declined to reverse the motion of No-Confidence against the government, and advised that the matter be taken to the Court for a final solution. Williams said that the government is willing to take the matter as far as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)’s judicial institution.
When asked how soon the government would be moving to the court, Williams said, “I’m talking to the people who are filing right now.” He said that the details of the case should be completed shortly and would be publicly available today. ”We’ve got to file several actions. The first one is the Charrandass’ disqualification,” referring to the contention raised by the government that Charrandass Persaud is not qualified to serve in the National Assembly by virtue of two separate constitutional provisions. The first is that he should not retain his MP status if he supports a list other than the one on which he is placed. In this case, Persaud supported the motion of No-Confidence placed by the People’s Progressive Party, instead of the government. The second ground for disqualification is that Persaud, by virtue of his Canadian citizenship, has sworn his allegiance to that country, thereby, ridding himself of the eligibility to serve in the Parliament of Guyana. The second action, he said, is that the constitution was breached by the carrying of a motion, which according to the government, does not have the sufficient number of votes to be considered an absolute m a j o r i t y. The government’s argument is that the vote of no-confidence requires 34 votes, instead of 33. The Attorney General, commenting on the limited amount of time remaining
WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds for the election deadline, said that the status quo would have to be retained until the court sorts out the matter, even if that means overstepping the 90-day deadline, mandated by the Constitution. The status quo he referred to is that of the APNU+AFC Coalition as the Government of Guyana. From US ambassador to gold mining executive… Perry Holloway joins Guyana Goldfields as Senior VP Former US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, has been hired to help manage Guyana’s biggest gold mine. According to the Canadian-owned Guyana Goldfields Inc., Holloway has been appointed as the c o m p a n y ’s S e n i o r Vi c e President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, effective January 1, 2019. The company has its core operations in Cuyuni, Region Seven, and is the largest single gold producer in Guyana. According to Guyana Goldfields, which had been planning to introduce the first underground mining operation in Guyana, Holloway is a career diplomat with more than 30 years of international experience in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on government relations, business advocacy, program management, development, and security. Most r e c e n t l y, Holloway was the United St a t e s A m b a s s a d o r t o Guyana and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He also has served in Colombia, El Salvador, Ecua-
dor, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Afghanistan. Holloway holds a Masters in International Business Sciences (MIBS) from the University of South Carolina and a Masters in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF). He had told local media that he was retiring from the US diplomatic services, but was considering posts in the private sector. ”We are very pleased that Perry will be joining our team,” stated Scott Caldwell, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guyana Goldfields. ”He brings to the table an intimate working knowledge of Guyana, the government and its people from his time as the U.S. Ambassador. This experience will complement the excellent platform the company has already established in the areas of government relations, corporate social responsibility and program management.” According to Holloway, he is excited to be joining the Guyana Goldfields team at this time. ”In my role as U.S. Ambassador in Guyana, I saw firsthand how the work of Guyana Goldfields has contributed positively to the Guyanese economy and its people, with gold currently being the primary driver of economic growth. I look forward to now being directly involved with this work and further strengthening the company’s incountry relationships to (Continued on page 38)
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From page 37 the benefit of both the company and the people of Guyana.” As a member of the executive leadership team, Holloway will be focused on all activities involving the government of Guyana, as well as matters relating to in-country management and corporate social responsibility. SATURDAY Minister Ramjattan says…Government will not resign “The country cannot be left without any government at all.” This was the assertion made by Second Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, as he delivered remarks during a televised interview shared by the state owned Department of Public Security on Friday evening. Ramjattan asserted that the possibility of the president or the government, for that matter, resigning is nonexistent. Ramjattan’s remarks come
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in wake of the recent no confidence motion which has caused many questions to be raised about the legality of the government. But Ramjattan sought to put all concerns to rest when he insisted that “a governance vacuum is never permitted” even in the face of a no confidence motion. According to the Public Security Minister, who also holds the portfolio of Chairman of the Alliance for Change [AFC] Party which together with A Partnership for National Unity [APNU] makes up the government, the passage of the no confidence motion does not mean government is without power. He insisted, “Government retains its full panoply of legal powers whether that be statutory, prerogative or common law and is with jurisdiction to exercise its legal authority.” Ramjattan preceded his disclosure by referencing the decision of Speaker of the House, Barton Scotland, on Thursday to not review the no confidence motion as was requested by government. The Speaker instead ruled that the court should decide
President, David Granger on the way forward. But according to Ramjattan, “I think that in the Speaker’s view, his uncertainty as to the number of members which constitute a vote of the majority of all elected members of the National Assembly namely whether it is 34 or 33, has caused his moving towards a judicial interpretation.”
Ramjattan went on to add, during his televised deliberations, “Now there are some benefits about that…Such a judicial interpretation will bring finality to the matter for all and sundry. What is clear is that in the meantime from what the Speaker ruled, Article 106 (7) must apply because there has not been a resignation of the president nor the government, and neither will there be a resignation of the president nor the government.” He continued by pointing out that “It is pellucid that the government of the day must remain in office for three months or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution, supported by not less than two thirds of the votes, of all of the elected members of the National Assembly and shall resign only after the new president takes the oath on the following elections.” No confidence challenge… Govt. files writ against Speaker, Attorney General and Charrandass Persaud An application filed in the High Court by Compton Reid is asking that the No-Confidence motion against the Government to be quashed on the ground that expelled Alliance for Change (AFC) parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud, who sided with the Opposition, has been a Canadian citizen for almost 20 years. The court action was filed on Friday by Senior Counsel Rex McKay, Neil Boston and Attorneys-at-Law Stanley
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Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan Moore, Robert Corbin and Bettina Glasford. The Respondents have been listed as Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland; Mr. Charrandass Persaud of Betsy Ground, Canje, Berbice; and 12 Brambo, Markhan Avenue, Ontario L354K9, Canada; and the Attorney General’s Chambers. Among other things, the applicant is asking the court for an order setting aside the order of the Speaker that the No Confidence Motion, Resolution No. 101 was passed by the National Assembly on December 21, 2018. And further, “An order staying the enforcement of Resolution No. 101 declared by the Clerk of the National Assembly on December 21, 2018.” The applicant is also seeking a conservatory order, preserving the status quo ante that the Government remains in office until the hearing and determination of the matter. The applicant has asked the court to make a declaration that Persaud is not qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly by virtue of his own act and acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience and adherence to a foreign power– that is the Sovereign State of Canada, in contravention with Article 155 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana. Further, the applicant is asking for a declaration that Persaud is the holder of a valid Canadian passport No. AC773625 issued by the Government of Canada on October 25, 2017, which will expire
on October 25, 2022 and was a replacement of the previous passport No. JX818124, which was issued to him on January 29, 2013 and expired on January 29, 2018. The vote cast by Persaud is null, void and of no legal effect and by reason the unlawful “yes” vote cast by Persaud, the No Confidence Motion was not passed, is another declaration being asked for by the court. In the grounds of application, the applicant has argued that Persaud was not qualified for elections as a member of Parliament as required by Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Guyana which states, “No person shall be qualified for elections as a member of the National Assembly who, (a) is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” According to the court documents, Article 156 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Guyana provides as follow, “A member of the National Assembly shall vacate his or her seat therein– if he or she ceases to be a citizen of Guyana.” Contending that Persaud conspired with persons known and unknown to and voted in favour of the No Confidence Motion, the applicant is arguing that there were only 32 valid votes of “Yes” in favour of the No Confidence Motion and 32 against same. “Which did not amount to a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly as provided for in Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana. In the premises the motion of No Confidence is null, void and of no legal effect to defeat the Government on a vote of confidence in accordance with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution.”
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Politics dominated Caribbean life in 2018 (From page 20) Prime Minister Browne called the general elections nearly two years ahead of schedule and bettered the 2014 results of 14-3 by a 15-2 margin, again wiping out the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP). “This victory is your victory and as they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God,” Browne said. But the victory was soured a bit after Asot Michael who had returned to the Cabinet after being removed late 2017 over his arrest in London in relation to a bribery allegation, was forced to resign soon afterwards after his name came up in transcripts of telephone conversations between British billionaire Peter Virdee and his business partner, Dieter Trutschler, in a court in the United Kingdom. In the recordings made by German authorities, Virdee said Michael had asked him for a car for his mother, two million US dollars and a watch. Michael insisted that he was neither a party to the court proceedings nor charged with any wrongdoing, but said he would resign “to allow the government to fulfil its obligations to the people, without any distraction”. But Michael was not the only politician to be shown the door in Cabinet. Less than 24 hours after he was demoted as a Cabinet minister, the newly appointed Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Trinidad and Tobago, Darryl Smith, was fired. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley in April had earlier removed Smith as the Sports and Youth Minister, after the Sunday Express newspaper in an exclusive story exposed his alleged unwanted sexual advances on his personal secretary Carrie-Ann Moreau, which she detailed in her witness statement in support of her claim for wrongful dismissal at the Industrial Court. It’s alleged Smith’s unwanted advances to the former staffer resulting in a TT$150,000 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) settlement by the Ministry using taxpayers’ money. In September, Haiti unveiled a new government, two months after Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, who faced a motion of no confidence, resigned following days of deadly violent protests against fuel price rises. But by yearend, President Jovenel Moise and his new Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant, were appealing for calm after opposition parties staged violent street demonstrations calling for their removal after accusing them of not investigating allegations of corruption in the previous
Jamaican PM Andrew Holness government over PetroCaribe, an oil alliance of many Caribbean states with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment. Several people have died as a result of the protests and western countries, including the United States and Canada have appealed for calm and a return to normalcy on the French-speaking CARICOM country. Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has had a change of mind after earlier indicating to members of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) that he would have stepped down before the 2020 general elections. Not so however in the case of Premier Dr. Orlando Smith in the British Virgin Islands, who in June announced that he would not be seeking re-election as leader of his National Democratic Party (NDP) and that his decision came after ‘much thought and prayer’ with family and colleagues. “And so, when the NDP comes together in its upcoming Convention, I will not seek nor accept the nomination to lead the party into the next election,” the premier said. Lennox Linton was reelected un-opposed as the leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) in Dominica, and even as he urged citizens to give “change a try to rev up the engine” he and several other opposition legislators will return to court early next year on charges ranging from obstruction of justice and incitement, in relation to public disturbances that occurred in the capital, on February 7, last year. At yearend, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) was staging street demonstrations that the police described as unlawful in support of electoral reform in Dominica. Trade unions throughout the Caribbean flexed their muscles in 2018 over a host of issues, with teachers, medical practitioners, public servants, law enforcement officials, media workers among those workers demanding better working conditions and in-
creased wages. In Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, government policies led to thousands of workers being sent home as the authorities moved to stop the bleeding occurring at various state agencies. The Rowley administration shut down the stateowned oil company, PETROTRIN and replaced it with three new entities after complaining that the oil company was losing billions of dollars annually. It said the compensation package for workers could amount to more than one billion dollars (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents). The powerful Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) had vowed to “vigorously oppose” the shutdown of PETROTRIN with the union’s president general, Ancel Roget, saying at one stage “the proposal they have for PETROTRIN is madness and we have rejected that outright”. In Jamaica, the government said it would move to recover the mis-use of funds at the state-owned oil company, Petrojam, following the damning report of the Auditor General. The report, titled ‘A Review of Aspects of Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) and a Comprehensive Audit of Petrojam Limited’, by the Auditor General has catalogued a series of lavish parties and unapproved sponsorships as well as glaring human resources breaches costing millions of dollars (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents). “Where it is clear in the report that there was a case of the mis-use of public funds then I am going to direct the board to take such civil actions as are necessary to recover those funds,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a news conference. But while Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were experiencing difficulties with their oil industry, the United States oil giant ExxonMobil announced another major discovery offshore Guyana, increasing the estimated recoverable resource for the
Trinidad and Tobago PM Dr. Keith Rowley Stabroek Block to more than five billion oil-equivalent barrels.. “Guyana is well poised to truly forge ahead in the 21st century. As a petro-development state we will, however, need to strategically invest in a people-centered and balanced manner, where we utilise our non-renewable resources for structural transformation and improving people’s lives in the shortterm, while concomitantly providing the foundation to allow us to transition in the mediumand long-term to a post carbon economy,” said Dr. Mark Bynoe, the Director at Exxon Mobil’s Department of Energy. The impact of climate change on Caribbean economies was highlighted in 2018 when Prime Minister Holness, who is the chairman of the 15member CARICOM grouping, addressed an International Monetary Fund (IMF) event in Washington that brought together key stakeholders, including senior policymakers, multilateral development partners, and the private sector to “explore incentives to shift the focus of policies towards building resilience and innovative disaster risk financing policies and instruments that would help in the region”. Holness said that the region is facing rapid urbanisation in coastal zones with corresponding falling populations in rural areas and out islands. “Some more than others are facing the pending loss of limited land mass due to sea level rise,” he said, noting that one common theme is that the cost of repeated natural disasters has been underestimated “and this is making sustainable development and prosperity much harder to achieve, especially as we are confronted with many development challenges which affect our economic growth”.
The IMF would later call on Caribbean countries to do “even more” as they seek to become resilient to natural disasters with its managing director, Christine Lagarde, noting that while Caribbean countries have, for sure, made some good progress, “they can do even more, especially with regard to improving the resilience of public infrastructure and key economic sectors to natural disasters and climate change” The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is predicting that Caribbean economies will grow 2.1 percent in 2019 even as it acknowledged an international scenario marked by what it describes as “greater uncertainty”. ECLAC also projected that the region will end 2018 with average growth of 1.2 per cent. Caribbean countries continued to be labelled as tax havens by the European Union and even though some had been removed after strongly objecting to the label, by yearend, Trinidad and Tobago remained on the list. Caribbean governments sought to consolidate their policies with regards to economic growth, staging a special summit in Trinidad and Tobago that examined the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods skills, labour and services across the region. “The whole idea of a CARICOM Single Market and Economy had to be confronted and not just kicked down the road,” said host Prime Minister Dr. Rowley, adding “we were brutally frank. There were hurdles we refused to accept”. Prime Minister Holness, who chaired the two-day meeting, described the deliberations as being “intense frank and decisive” noting
that the leaders had all re-committed to ensuring its successful implementation. “We have fashioned a path on the way forward for advancing its implementation in a manner that can be measured and for which we can be held accountable,” he said, noting that the dialogue with representatives of the private sector and labour “was of immense value and we were quite pleased to hear their strong commitment to integration and to making the CSME work” But even as the regional leaders were patting themselves on the backs regarding creating an environment for regional businesses to grow, the move by the Trinidadbased Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) to acquire the operations of Scotiabank in Guyana, St. Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was not sitting well with Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda. Prime Minister Browne has said that his administration will not provide a vesting order to facilitate the sale, while Georgetown is worried about future competition in the industry. RFHL said that the purchase price is US$123 million, which represents US$25 million consideration for total shareholding of Scotiabank Anguilla Limited; and a premium of US$98 million over net asset value for operations in the remaining eight countries. The Suriname-based CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) has already indicated that it would assess any impact the proposed acquisition would have, in accordance with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) that governs the regional integration movement.
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Toni Braxton Is Having Major Money Problems Amid Birdman Split, Court Records Show It’s not an easy time for Toni Braxton. First, she and Birdman signaled just after New Year’s that they had called off their engagement and split. On Friday, it was reported that Braxton owes nearly half a million dollars in back taxes. Court records obtained by E! News show that last month, the Internal Revenue Service filed a lien against her, for more than $340,200 in back taxes for 2017, and that the State of California Franchise Tax Board also filed a tax lien against her for over $116,100. The total is more than $456,400. Braxton has not commented. In 2017, she completed her The Hits Tour and continued starring on the WE tv reality show Braxton Family Values. The Blast, which first reported the debt news, also said that both the IRS and the State of California had also filed back tax liens against the singer last year for more than
$780,800, citing court records. Braxton filed for bankruptcy in 1998 and 2010, according to court records obtained by E! News. That latter year, she reported $1.6 million in assets and $18.3 million in debts, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2011. The
newspaper said Braxton later won an order discharging her from certain debts in her 2010 bankruptcy case. (https:// www.eonline.com/news/ 1001772/toni-braxton-is-having-major-money-problemsamid-birdman-split-courtrecords-show)
Baby Fever! Meghan Trainor Is Ready to Be “Totally Preggo” After Her Tour First comes love, then comes marriage, and it looks like Meghan Trainor wants that baby carriage. The “All About That Bass” singer told People she and her husband Daryl Sabaraare hoping to start a family after she finishes touring for her new album Treat Myself, which is set to debut this year. “If we could do it how we want to, we’d be, like, totally preggo right now!” she said. Trainor joked the two stars are “ready to rumble” and “want some children.” She also said they regularly watch parenting videos on YouTube to get ready for this next chapter. “We’re just getting prepared every single day,” she told the magazine. “But I’m gonna tour this album, then start thinking about doing it.” This wasn’t the first time Trainor had opened up about wanting children. The recording artist also talked about wanting to be healthy for her future children in January while promoting The Four: Battle for Stardom. “I work out and I eat much better food for myself just ‘cause one day we’ll have kids, too—in like five years, ma. Don’t worry. And I want to be the healthiest I can be for those kids.” The Grammy winner and the Spy Kids star tied the knot in an intimate backyard ceremony at their Los Angeles home in December—on her 25th birthday, to be exact. The bride walked down the aisle in a
stunning Berta gown, long veil and crystal-covered cape. She later changed into a lace suit by Rita Vinieris for the reception. Dec. 22 will certainly mark a memorable day for the couple. Not only is it Trainor’s birthday and wedding anniversary, but
it also marks the day she got engaged. Sabara proposed to his leading lady under a tunnel of Christmas lights on her 24th birthday. Her friends and family were also there as she accepted the giant diamond sparkler.
Sunday January 06, 2019
Who Will Be the Big TV Winners at the 2019 Golden Globes? One of Hollywood’s biggest parties is almost here. And at this party, awards are handed out. We’re talking the Golden Globes. The 2019 ceremony airs Sunday, Jan. 6 with Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg and Killing Eve’s Sandra Oh serving as hosts after the two stole the show at the 2018 Emmys while presenting an award. They’ll oversee a show where anything can—and does—happen. Historically, the Golden Globes are nutty in who they nominate and ultimately hand out awards to. Nutty in a good way. They’re unpredictable, which makes our job predicting who will be the night’s big winners harder…and fun. Below, we’ve broken down the TV categories. We’re telling you who we think should win and who we think will take home the Golden Globe at the end of the night. BEST TELEVISION SERIES—DRAMA This category could go in any number of directions. Last y e a r ’s w i n n e r T h e Handmaid’s Tale isn’t in the running. International hit Bodyguard made a splashy debut, The Americans ended its run with much fanfare and Homecoming, Pose and Killing Eve all debuted with critical acclaim. Who should win: Pose The FX drama had not one bad single episode. The Golden Globes love honoring diversity and you don’t get much more diverse than this 1980s-set series about LGBTQ characters. Who will win: Killing Eve And we won’t be mad about this either. The BBC America drama was really, really, really good. BEST ACTRESS—DRAMA Elisabeth Moss is back to defend the award she won last year for The Handmaid’s Tale against Caitriona Balfe for Outlander, Sandra Oh for Killing Eve, Homecoming’s Julia Roberts and The Americans star Keri Russell. Who should win: Sandra Oh, Killing Eve The Golden Globes host was absolutely stellar in Killing Eve. Who will win: Julia Roberts, Homecoming Roberts is great in Homecoming, not that anybody doubted she would be. BEST ACTOR—DRAMA Ozark’s Jason Bateman is the only returning nominee from last year, 2018 winner
This Is Us’ Sterling K. Brownwas snubbed, which means the race is wide open. Homecoming’s Stephan James is up for the award, as is Bodyguard star Richard Madden, Pose’s Billy Porter and The Americans star Matthew Rhys. Who should win: Billy Porter, Pose As Pray Tell on the FX series, Porter is doing heartbreaking—and hilarious— work. Who will win: Matthew Rhys, The Americans He took home the Emmy for the final season and will likely get another award for the shelf. BEST TELEVISION SERIES—MUSICAL OR COMEDY The single nominee from broadcast here is The Good Place, and that should tell you something about its quality. It remains one of the smartest and funniest shows on TV. Last year’s winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is (rightfully) in the running again, and the Golden Globes loves star power, Kidding, The Kominsky Method and Barry round out the category Who should win: The Good Place NBC’s afterlife comedy is just so forkin’ delightful! Who will win: The Kominsky Method Never underestimate the power of the Golden Globes’ love of veteran actors, in this case Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. BEST ACTRESS—MUSICAL OR COMEDY Last year’s winner Rachel Brosnahan is back for her work in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, defending her title against The Good Place’s Kristen Bell, Candice Bergen for her return to Murphy Brown, Will & Grace star Debra Messing and GLOW’s Alison Brie. Who should and who will win: Kristen Bell, The Good Place For close to the last 10 years, this category has always changed it up and honored deserving performers like Brosnahan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez. Bell is a first-time nominee and does excellent work in The Good Place. This should (and hopefully will) be her award. BESTACTOR–MUSICAL OR COMEDY Bill Hader won an Emmy for his work in Barry and is in this category with Kidding’s Jim Carrey, Donald Gloverfor Atlanta, Michael Douglas for
The Kominsky Method and Sacha Baron Cohen for Who Is America. Who should win: Jim Carrey, Kidding He’s fantastic in the showtime series. Who will win: Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Again, HFPA loves veteran actors doing good work. BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION This category is hard to predict. Nominees are all over the place, including The Alienist, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Escape at Dannemora, Sharp Objects and A Very English Scandal. Who should and who will win: The Assassination of Gianni Versace FX’s miniseries has everything The Hollywood Foreign Press Association loves: big stars, a glittering locale and actors playing against type. BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION This category is a who’s who of famous faces. There’s Patricia Arquette for Escape at Dannemora, Connie Brittonfor Dirty John, Laura Dern for The Tale, Regina King for Seven Seconds and Amy Adams for Sharp Objects. Who should win: Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora Have you seen what she did week to week?! Who will win: Amy Adams, Sharp Objects It’s this year’s Big Little Lies…but it didn’t create nearly as much buzz. BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION It’s almost new vs. old guard here with A Very English Scandal’s Hugh Grant, Patrick Melrose star Benedict Cumberbatch, Antonio Banderas for Genius: Picasso, The Alienist star Daniel Bruhl and Darren Criss for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Who should win: Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story He got the Emmy and for a good reason. Who will win: Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal Golden Globes love a good streaming series, especially one with an international flair.
Kaieteur News
Sunday January 06, 2019
territory profile The former British colony became a special administrative region of China in 1997, when Britain's 99-year lease of the New Territories, north of Hong Kong island, expired. Hong Kong is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover. But Beijing can veto changes to the political system, and pro-democracy forces have been frustrated by what they see as the slow pace of political reform. LEADERS
Chief executive: Carrie Lam
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Hong Kong
Carrie Lam was sworn in as Hong Kong's first female chief executive on 1 July 2017 on the 20th
official. She is said to have been student activist and has been described as the "Iron Lady" and "the fighter". MEDIA Hong Kong is home to many of Asia's biggest media players. It has a major film industry and is a centre for broadcasting and publishing. The territory has kept its editorially-dynamic media, in contrast to the rest of
China. But media watchdogs have flagged up concerns about g r o w i n g m a i n l a n d influence. There are no indications of widespread o n l i n e censorship. Local news websites are an important source of independent information.
TIMELINE Some key dates in Hong Kong's history: 1842 - China cedes Hong
Hong Kong has grown rapidly since this waterfront scene was captured in this photograph from the 1950s
anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China. Widely seen as Beijing's preferred candidate, Lam secured 777 votes from the 1,194-member Election Committee which picks the city's next chief and is believed to be dominated by Beijing loyalists. This was Hong Kong's first leadership election since the 2014 prodemocracy protests. Lam served as the city's secretary for development before being appointed the chief secretary for administration in 2012, Hong Kong's number two
Kong island to Britain after the First Opium War. 1898 - China leases the New Territories together with 235 islands to Britain for 99 years. 1941-45 - Japan occupies Hong Kong during Second World War. 1970s - Hong Kong is established as an "Asian Tiger" - one of the region's economic powerhouses with a thriving economy based on high-technology industries. 1997 - Hong Kong is handed back to the Chinese authorities after more than 150 years of British control. 2014 - Pro-democracy demonstrators occupy the city centre for weeks in protest at the Chinese government's decision to limit voters' choices in the 2017 Hong Kong leadership election. More than 100,000 people took to the streets at the height of the Occupy Central protests.
Kaieteur News
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Little White Robin Hood
by Marion Mallette Thornton n the New Year box from Aunt Jo there was an unusually lovely present for Leslie. It was really two presents: a beautiful warm white coat and a black velvet hood, both trimmed with soft, white fur around the edges. Leslie was very happy, and hurried to put them on. "Oh, mother," she cried, looking at herself in the mirror, "I'm a Little White Riding-Hood instead of a red one!" "So you are!" said mother laughing. "I hope Granny Wolf will not eat you up." Leslie laughed, too, and clapped her hands. "Oh, I'll go and see Granny Graham and play she is the wolf, only she is ever so much too kind to eat anybody. I ought to have something nice to take her, mother, you know Red Riding Hood did." "Oh, I'll go and see Granny
I
Graham and play she is the wolf." Mother gladly packed a basket with doughnuts and red apples, but Leslie was not satisfied. "I can take doughnuts any time, I'd like to take some of the oranges from Aunt Jo's box." Mother looked a little surprised. "Are you quite sure you can spare them, dear? You do not have oranges very often." "I'd like to," Leslie insisted earnestly. "I don't believe Red Riding Hood was selfish, and I'm sure White Riding Hood doesn't want to be." So mother put in three big yellow oranges, and Leslie ran down the hill with her basket. Granny Graham was a tiny, sweet old lady who lived in a tiny cottage at the foot of the hill. Leslie knocked at the door and a pleasant voice called, "Come in." Leslie opened the door and stood inside in her pretty furry things, feeling quite nice and shivery over even playing that Granny was a wolf. "Good morning, Granny," she said, "I'm Little White Riding Hood." "Good morning, my dear," said Granny, smiling, "how nice you look." "Oh, Granny," cried Leslie, "'what bright eyes you've got!'"
Envy Defeated
Granny's bright eyes twinkled with fun as she answered, "'The better to see you with'." Leslie giggled; that was just the way it went in the story. "'Oh. Granny,'" she went on playing, "'what long ears you have!'" "'The better to hear you with,'" answered Granny; which was all very funny because the ears peeping out from under Granny's cap were tiny like the rest of her, and did not hear any too well at best. After that, Leslie held her basket a bit tighter and said, "'Oh, Granny, what sharp teeth you've got!'" "'The better to eat you with,'" laughed Granny, "I'm sure you look quite sweet enough." Leslie ran over and put the basket in her lap. "The oranges are sweeter," she said, "please eat those instead." "All right," Granny agreed, "if you will give me a kiss with them, that will be next best to eating you." In her heart, Leslie thought it was much better, and while Granny Graham ate one of the oranges they both decided that the story of Little White Riding Hood had a much pleasanter ending than the old one in Leslie's book.
Sunday January 06, 2019
Junior page
Art-Supplies Organizer MATERIALS · Felt · Typing sheet · Pencil · Cutting mat · Ruler · Craft knife · Tape · Grommet · Fabric scissors · Ribbon
STEPS 1.Cut out a template as shown below on a normal typing sheet. Use dimensions suitable for your pencil, crayons pens, etc. 2.Trace rectangular template onto felt and cut out. 3.With a ruler and knife, make slits in felt, following template . (Tip: For larger tools, measure tool width and cut accordingly.) 4.Set a grommet, centering it on a short end, 1 inch in from left edge. 5.Thread ribbon through grommet. 6.Insert your tools — and you're ready to take your projects on the go.
Secret Multiplication Word Puzzle Back To School INSTRUCTIONS: Multiply each number. Then match the answer to the letter in the Secret Message alphabet key. Write the letter on the blank above the problem number.
FUN WITH POETRY by Uncle Roy
I want to be good
I think it is only right That I must always try to be good, To say and do the correct thing, And behave as well as I could. I will always try to be honest, In whatever I have to do, Not to take what belongs to others, And always speak what is true. I will try to be always fair, Whenever I work or play, Always make sure I do not cheat, And do what is right in every way. Above all, I will not be selfish, Especially with those who have less them me; This will make me feel so good, As they become grateful to me.
Kaieteur News
Sunday January 06, 2019
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Self Esteem is crucial to your personal development A Cry for Peace I expect that all our readers have already made their New Year resolutions, and are now determined to maintain these so as to make the best of the coming twelve months so that, by the end of this period, they have started to see the fruits of their efforts. One of the factors that would help in this endeavour is to make sure that your self-esteem, that is, how you view yourself, is healthy. Some of the qualities a person must have if he/she is to possess this self esteem to move forward are:1. A realistic view of self, with the ability to identify one's strengths and weaknesses, with the intention of reinforcing the strengths and working to remove the weaknesses. 2. Sensitivity to one's environment, how one relates to it, how one's existence and behaviour affect it, and how it affects oneself, and the things one can do towards its improvement. 3. A personal philosophy, i.e. the
ideas one has about oneself and the people and things around, and a clear sense of the principles which direct one's actions. 4. A healthy attitude about the results one achieves in everyday living as well as any special endeavours – looking at success with humility and satisfaction, and facing failure with the determination
to try harder. 5. Willingness to explore for ways to profit and learn from one's mistakes. 6. Maintenance of one's expressions and behaviour within socially acceptable standards and not merely for one's own benefit 7. Willingness to persevere, even in the face of hardship and frustration. 8. Readiness to accept that others have the right to their own opinions, and to act for their benefit, even though they conflict with one's own. These are the qualities we all need so as to have a proper perspective of ourselves, which will give us the power and the selfconfidence to deal with all our problems and achieve our goals. We shall be dealing with each of these characteristics in the weeks ahead. We shall also be treating with the characteristics which are displayed by those who lack selfesteem, so that you take effective measures to deal with these..
by Melissa Gordon. The cries for peace echo in the air, While chaos continues here, there and everywhere; Why this turmoil, oh, nation once of peace and unity, After we toiled for years in love and harmony? We worked together through the years to build Guyana, Don't let discord bring destruction to one another. Oh, our beautiful nation, hear our cries for peace. The cries continue to echo in the air, Let us join hands and stop the madness everywhere; Oh, people, don't let racism destroy our reputation, Every Guyanese, take a stand, let's build our
Start the New Year right – making sincere efforts towards self-improvement and a positive attitude that these will succeed.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Solutions to last week’s
Happy new Years
Crossword Puzzle Answer Key
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Nate: Why was school easier for cave people? Kate: Why? Nate: Because there was no history to study! David: Why did the broom get a poor grade in school? Dan: I don't know. Why? David: Because it was always sweeping during class! Luke: Why did the M&M go to school? Stan: I'm stumped. Luke: Because he really wanted to be a Smartie! Chad: Why do magicians do so well in school? Josh: I don't know. Why? Chad: They're good at trick questions. Jacob: Why was the teacher wearing sunglasses to school? Leonard: Why? Jacob: She had bright students! Joe: What's the king of all school supplies? Moe: I don't know. What? Joe: The ruler. Teacher: Class, we will have only half a day of school this morning. Class: Hooray! Teacher: We will have the other half this afternoon. Stevie: Hey, Mom, I got a hundred in school today! Mom: That's great. What in? Stevie: A 40 in Reading and a 60 in Spelling. Hunter: What has given Mr. Bubbles nightmares since elementary school? Josh: Beats me. Hunter: Pop quizzes! What kind of school do you go to if you're… …an ice cream man? Sundae school. …a giant? High school. …a surfer? Boarding school. …King Arthur? Knight school. Mom: What did you do at school today? Mark: We did a guessing game. Mom: But I thought you were having a math exam. Mark: That's right! Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? Donald: H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O. Teacher: What are you talking about? Donald: Yesterday you said it was H to O. Teacher: Daniel, I've had to send you to the principal every day this week. What do you have to say for yourself? Daniel: I'm glad it's Friday! Phil: What makes a Cyclops such an effective teacher? Cheryl: I don't know. Phil: He has only one pupil. Teacher: Where are the Great Plains located? Tommy: At the great airports! Teacher: If you had 13 apples, 12 grapes, 3 pineapples and 3 strawberries, what would you have? Billy: A delicious fruit salad. Math teacher: A man from Los Angeles drove toward New York at 250 miles per hour and a man from New York drove toward Los Angeles at 150 m.p.h. Where did they meet? Johnny: In jail! Teacher: Tommy, can you tell us where the Declaration of Independence was signed? Tommy: Yes, ma'am. At the bottom.
Kaieteur News
Sunday January 06, 2019
Sunday January 06, 2019
Amazing Tips to Prevent Hair Loss in Women 1.Avoid hairstyles that pull on the hairline Tight ponytails, cornrows, braids, and anything else that pulls on the small hairs that make up your hairline can cause hair loss. The stress caused by these tight hairstyles pulls too strongly on the delicate hairs of your hairline and hair loss/thinning can occur. If you do need to put your hair up in a ponytail, use an elastic that doesn't have metal like the Goody's Ouchless line of hair products. It helps ensure your hair won't get tangled in the elastic and pull out your hair when removing your ponytail. 2.Ditch hair tools that use high heat Heat is always hard on hair. It causes bonds within the hair strands to fracture, causing brittle hair that breaks and falls out. If you decide to use a hair straightener or curling iron, make sure not to leave it on one area of your hair for too long and move it every ten seconds or so. Also keep in mind that if you hear sizzling or burn your fingers, the heat setting is too high and you are also burning your hair. Try to let your hair dry naturally as often as possible and when you do use styling tools, make sure to use a heatprotecting spray that will lessen the damage the tools are inflicting on your hair. 3.Be wary of chemical processing Just as heat is very harmful to the hair, so are a variety of chemical processing treatments offered by salons. Chemically straightening your hair, bleaching, and lightening your hair can all cause damage to the hair shaft, weakening the hair and causing hair loss. Always try to stick to your natural style and color as closely as possible if you are experiencing hair loss or thinning or the problem will just get worse. If you regularly use chemical processing, make sure you treat your hair to a deepconditioning treatment at least once a week for optimal results. 4. Peruse your pantry Foods high in vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 can all help revitalize thinning strands. Make sure your diet includes plenty of leafy greens, nuts, beans, fish, and lean meats. If you're having a hard time getting enough nutrients in your daily diet, a good dietary supplement can help cover whatever your diet is lacking. 5. Use hair products targeted to restore hair growth Because thinning hair and hair loss is a huge cosmetic concern for women, many companies are now creating products specifically aimed at restoring hair growth. This list of hair loss shampoos offers a variety of products that contain numerous oils and minerals that may aid in hair growth, destroy bacteria that can cause hair breakage and loss, increase blood circulation to the scalp, and more.
SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH
Kaieteur News
CATCH THE BOAT
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Sunday January 06, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Hike in salaries must support Nurses and Midwives legislation – Health Officials Guyana on Thursday moved to have its 65-year-old colonial Nurses and Midwives law be replaced with new rules to better protect patients and professionals and to introduce compulsory Continuing Medical Education [CME] as part of the process to renew their licences annually. The colonial laws were modified in 1966 and 1976 but efforts in the 2000s failed, Public Health Minister, Ms. Volda Lawrence, said Friday. Unlike the decades-old measure, which guided the local nursing and midwifery practice, the new rules cater for enhanced protection of patients and professionals in the critical sector, Chief Nursing Officer [CNO] Linda Johnson-McIntyre said in an interview Friday. CNO Johnson-McIntyre who lauded the novel CME measure in the new law, firmly believes it will nevertheless create new pathways for more speciality in the nursing and midwifery and will help boost the country’s health sector in the future. Currently, nurses comprise the bulk of the health sector workforce, some 70 percent, and are key to helping achieve the country’s universal health coverage ambitions. Guyana’s health sector consists of registered nurses, registered nursing assistants, midwives and specialist nurses in paediatrics, psychiatry and anaesthesiology. Referring to the introduction of compulsory CMEs, the CNO noted that, “nurses will have to remain current and know the trends because technology is changing and generally healthcare is changing. “So, what we will have will be a more empowered nursing
fraternity because nurses will be more learned and will be able to have more competencies to better deliver to the public.” Unlike its predecessor, the new laws seek to develop better-behaved nurses and midwives and stress enforcement of penalties for transgressors, JohnsonMcIntyre said. She said that the fresh laws empower the General Nursing Council [GNC] to execute their mandate, including powers to execute penalties for any form of misconduct. “We are responsible for the nurses’ examination process; ensuring that nurses are eligible for registration; ensuring that persons are licensed to practice and also we are responsible for ensuring that professional conduct is upheld and there is a disciplinary committee that deals with that.” The CNO heads the Disciplinary Committee, which was established on May 9, 2018 and has powers to suspend, revoke and cancel licences. The Committee can also withhold a licence for as long as two years for any person found guilty of grave professional misconduct. Johnson said the new rules are more detailed and specific and more relevant to deal with fresh developments in the sector including litigation by nurses and midwives. These, the CNO observed, exploited weaknesses under the colonial system. “Let’s be factual. People know that they have rights. For example, if you say there is a fine to this and a fine to that, people can challenge you and so you have to have something that you can refer to, or something to protect
you. That way, we wouldn’t be afraid to do what you need to do as a Council,” JohnsonMcIntyre said. She said the new measures will help restore some pride in the field. “We can bring back nursing where professionals will begin to respect the profession and respect each other and more so, respect their patients,” added Johnson-McIntyre. Dr. Mandy La Fleur, Nursing and Midwifery Consultant, explained that the new law will help transform and improve the standard of practice, specifically maintenance of ethics, registration, and continued improvement in the quality of nursing and midwifery education. “Raising the standard in the nursing sector is one of the fundamental factors towards improvement,” Dr. La Fleur said.She identified personnel availability, monitoring in the various areas, and funding to be “some of the challenges” that may arise following the implementation of the new measures. The new measure succeeded because of the continued interest of Minister Lawrence and the nursing Council’s leadership. Guyana was ranked as one of the leading nursing bodies in the Caribbean in the 1990s because its standards were on par with those set by the International Council of Nurses and the International Confederation of Midwives. “Guyana has adopted these standards which guide the development of our local standard,” La Fleur explained. Nevertheless, both Lawrence and Deputy Chief Medical Officer [DCMO], Dr. Karen Gordon- Campbell, believe that a hike in salaries for nurses and midwives must
Chief Nursing Officer, Linda Johnson-McIntyre. support the news measures. Both categories of health workers have been pursuing higher learning but are not financially rewarded by the Public Service. Consequently, many have opted for careers in the private sector or bolted for jobs overseas. This has left only one psychiatric nurse remaining in the local health sector, Dr. Gordon-Campbell pointed out. Migration has accounted
Dr. Mandy La Fleur
for the 10 others who once offered their services here. “The new measures are long overdue and will help retain specialised nurses in the Guyanese health sector,” she reasoned. Dr. Gordon-Campbell also said too that, “the rules will solve a lot of the problems, currently hurting the sector.” Nurses and midwives must now familiarise themselves with the Act so
that they are aware of new expectations of them and additional rights enshrined in the Act for them. “Nurses need to know there is something that protects them, if you got to go by certain rules, you have to know what is governing the rules. You have to know what is expected of you and what is not expected of you,” asserted CNO JohnsonMcIntyre.
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Kaieteur News
STANDARDS IN FOCUS The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) as the National Metrology Institute (NMI) has made considerable strides in 2018 to ensure the accuracy of measurements in trade. A
significant majority of the measuring instruments were verified during the last year to provide consumer confidence in the local measurement system. Through verification and
Sunday January 06, 2019
Legal mandate of the NMI fulfilled in 2018 monitoring, businesses also were assured that the instruments they used are reliable, and that they are also trading in a fair market place where no one company has an unfair competitive
advantage. Mandated under the 1981 Weights & Measures Act, the GNBS for 2018 verified a quantity of new measuring instruments, which included 503 scales, 1,317 masses and
1,600 electricity meters. Also 27,397 electricity meters were approved for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) based on verification carried out on samples acquired from the lot. For devices already in use, a total of 6,683 scales, 14,030 masses, four measures and 444 electricity meters were verified for accuracy. In addition, at filling stations and bulk terminals countrywide a total of 1,819 petrol pumps, 226 bulk flow meters, 137 tanker wagons and 18 storage tanks were verified. Meanwhile, routine surveillance exercises were conducted to ensure that approved and verified measuring instruments are in use at markets and other retail outlets. As a result, Inspectors and Weights and Measures Officers visited a total of 5,094 stalls/premises countrywide, and seized and removed 380 scales, 280 masses and 10 measures, which were found to be unapproved, defective, inaccurate or unverified. Verification and surveillance activities fall under the Legal Metrology Programme of the GNBS. These activities are fundamental to the conduct and sustenance of trade, and commerce cannot exist without them. It is essential for manufacturers, suppliers and customers of goods and services to have mutual confidence in the accuracy, precision and reliability of the
measurements used at every level. The accuracy of measurements made in commerce, for example, the weight of one kg of potatoes or onions determined by a scale in the local market is ultimately traceable to physical standards used by the GNBS, which are traceable to International Standards. Verification of measuring instruments is usually conducted by Metrology Inspectors of the GNBS twice yearly at shops, markets, supermarkets, rice and sugar factories, fisheries, manufacturing companies, hospitals and health centers, airlines and shipping companies, post offices, petrol stations and bulk terminals. Users of measuring instruments can commence the submission of their instruments for verification for the first half of 2019. Submission can be made to the GNBS Head Office, Suboffices or Weights and Measures Offices located in the various administrative regions. Sub-offices are located in New Amsterdam, Anna Regina, Vreed-en-Hoop and Lethem. Meanwhile, mobile stamping will commence shortly at usual locations, which will be published in the media. For further information please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org
Second accident victim paralysed after Annandale... (From page 49) minibus. The number plates were missing, the windscreen was shattered and the front of the vehicle was damaged. The vehicle was processed by police crime scene photographers and lodged at the Vigilance Police Station. The woman who had earlier abandoned the premises later turned up at the Vigilance Station with a lawyer. She told investigators that a friend had left the vehicle at her premises while she was out. An employee allegedly told her that the bus owner
said that he would return for the vehicle in a few days. The woman also stated that she believed that the driver had gone to Suriname. Kaieteur News understands that she also alleged that she later learned that the vehicle was involved in an accident. Shaw whose survival has become a nightmare for his family, lies on a bed unable to speak, hear, see or move his limbs. He is being fed through a tube placed into his nostrils. He has to wear diapers since he has no control of his body at this time.
Sunday January 06, 2019
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Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
CONSUMERS REJECT SCOTIA (GUYANA) SALE TO RFHL By PAT DIAL Towards the end of November, the Head Office of Scotia Bank in Canada and Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), the parent company of the Republic Bank branch in Guyana, issued statements announcing that RFHL had entered into an agreement to purchase Scotia’s operations in Guyana, St. Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The acquisition price is touted to be US$123 million. This purchase was to be subject to all regulatory and customary approvals and conditions. This announcement of the purchase of the Scotia branches came as a surprise to the business community and the rest of the Guyanese public. Even at the Republic Bank branch’s Annual General , which was held in Georgetown on Monday December 10, it was disclosed that the local branch had no part in the negotiations to purchase Scotia’s Guyana branch. The main stakeholders, vis-à-vis this transaction, are the Bank of Nova Scotia, Republic Financial Holdings Limited, the Banking Industry of Guyana, the Consumers and the Public at large, and the Government of Guyana. So far, there has been little public debate on the sale and statements have been made only by Bank of Nova Scotia, Republic Financial Holdings Ltd and the Ministry of Finance but very little from the Banking Industry or the Consumers. Nova Scotia’s statement was largely concerned with their sale to RFHL. It had little to say on the individual branches. RFHL’s main statement was made by its Chairman, Mr. Ronald Harford. He said in his statement, “We purposefully seek out opportunities where we know our Group’s unique approach to financial services will make a substantial difference. Our interest, however, is not just in the financial wellbeing of our clients and employees, but also in the overall success of the societies in which we operate and on which we depend for our livelihood. “Our focus in seeking expansion opportunities in the Caribbean is a testament to our Group’s confidence
and commitment to the Caribbean Region. We acknowledge the concerns expressed by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana and we intend to fully comply with our regulatory requirements in fulfilling this vision. “We are optimistic that when the facts are fully articulated to the relevant authorities, the merits associated with the Group’s presence in the various territories will become evident”. The Banking Industry has not so far expressed any public reaction and members of the Consumer Community have spoken in one or two letters to the editor. Hon. Winston Jordan, Minister of Finance, has however made the most important and impacting statement on the issue. Mr. Jordan pointed that it will lead to a number of issues for the Banking Sector in Guyana and for the public, which the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Guyana and the Government of Guyana will need to carefully consider. He showed where the acquisition of Scotia will give Republic Bank 51% of the banking assets and deposits of the country. Mr. Jordan went on to say, “The Scotia Bank’s decision is made when Guyana’s economy is on the cusp of transformation with the massive new oil and gas sector raises concerns and is regretted. Among the concerns is the effect on competition and the potential for Republic Bank to have too much influence on the pricing of banking products and rates, issues related to correspondent banking options and loss of jobs as a result of Republic consolidating branches were other concerns.” The Consumer Community has three basic concerns in addition to those outlined by Minister Jordan. The first is that the Banks operating in Guyana, especially the indigenous banks, would be miniaturized by the over-arching presence of Republic Bank. Such would be unhealthy for the Banking Sector of Guyana, the Private Sector and the consumers. The second concern is that if a foreign bank controls the Banking Sector especially now that Guyana is becoming an “oil state”, there could not be any guarantee that governmental or other confidential financial
information will not be leaked to other countries or persons to the detriment of Guyana. In the national interest, we do not feel that the Banking Sector should ever be dominated by foreign interests. The third concern is that
if any one bank is allowed to control or dominate the Banking Sector, consumers could be placed in a position where bank charges and rates could be invidious and services offered could be poor or mediocre and there would be little or no redress
for the consumer. The consumer community firmly supports Minister Jordan’s statement and emphatically rejects the sale of the Scotia Guyana branch to RFHL. Other options should be explored, as for example, selling the bank to a
local consortium. The consumer community welcomes the assurance that the Ministry of Finance will continue to stay abreast with the matter and will act in the best interest of the citizenry and issue updates as necessary.
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FOR RENT
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisement, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Eagle’s re-gas AC, Fridge, Washing machine & computer repairs, Gas stove, Plasma flatscreen, Electrical installation & more. Call: 6972969/646-0966 Need a Land surveyor, we do surveys for: Boundaries, Leases, Engineering, Cadastral topo etc. Call: 6622677
FOR SALE 1 Double Steel Wheel Roller, 1-9 Wheel Pneumatic roller, 2 Bitumen Kettle, 1- 3304 Di CAT engine. Tel#275-0367/ 683-7225 1-CAT 215 Excavator, 1 CAT 428 Backhoe, 1 Mack concrete mixer 8 Cu yds, 1 450 Honda Atv. Call: 275-0367/683-7225 Black German Shepherd pups, Riumzeight Gardens WCD. #269-0671/688-1656 1 (250KVA) generator power by NT55 Cummings. Contact #269-0603/609-2350/644-1190
1 Double Bunk, 10 Speed Bicycle, 1 LG Refrigerator, 1 Set chairs. #222-0618/6442634
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Leyland Daf 60, working condition. 658-4655, 618-4457 One Nissan Juke, PWW series. Tel#697-8269
Toyota Rav4 white 2.5M. Toyota carina wagon 700 thousand. Telephone 683Post your property for free on 2721 the World Wide Web when s e l l i n g . TO LET www.paintingsron.com 3 bedroom bottom flat apartment WBD. Call: 6893699/267-1446 NEW HOUSE- unfurnished in Diamond, 4 bedrooms ( 2 selfcontained) 3 1/2 bathrooms. Call: 696-3915,668-9166,6669426 EDUCATIONAL
One bedroom apartment for rent in Soesdyke. Phone #6047022 1 Bedroom for Rent $25,000. Contact #222-0618/644-2634 1 bedroom self-contained apartment for rent @ 12 Sussex St. Charlestown G/ town $35,000. Tel#689-8757/ 227-7353
TAXI SERVICE
GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: American Pool table. Tel#277- 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2250578 7878 (24HRS)
WANTED We buy land in Eccles, Herstelling, Farm, Parfaite Harmonie, Uivlugt, Zeelugt, Providence & Dairy Tel# 6117223/651-1969 1) Experienced front end loader operator 2) Bulldozer operator. Contact #2235273,223-5274
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/6560087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM LAND FOR SALE Farm (East Bank) $3.5M Eccles $7M Herstelling $4M & $5M Schnoord $3M Dairy $2M & $3M Tel#656-0701/648-1635 Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109
1 Office Assistant. Send application to Pacific Development Inc. Lot 3 Church Street, G/Town or pacific.developmentinc @yahoo.com
One female domestic worker to work in Trinidad. Age 2535 yrs. Tel# 1868-386-5302 (1) Motor Grader Operator to work on road project in interior, must have experience. Contact #680-2702/682-8251
General Domestic with cooking experience for East Bank. #614-4358
1 Live-in Nanny/Domestic , must know to cook various foods, Age 38-50 #682-8251
Driver for taxi, driver for route 42 Minibus #664-0802
Cook wanted, 25-45 years old. Call: 231-8737 from Monday to Saturday
1 mature secretary, 1 male workshop cleaner, 2 trainees send applications to 1990 Festival City. Tel#218-0663
Cooks, Apply @ Shanta’s- 225 Camp St
CAR RENTAL
VACANCY
Driver/Salesman, Accounts clerk with CXC Accounts, Gas Plant Trainee. Applicants preferred from East Bank Demerara. Tel#2664427
Waitress to work in Bar. #6924649
Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Hotel. Contact #616-5419/2657075 1 experienced cook wanted. Call: 623-8654 One Mechanic to work in the interior must know about Cummins engine. Contact #699-4718 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665/6493750 skidder operator and service man/welder. Contact #2183399 1 Handyboy/man must be honest- 1 live-in Nanny/Maid living accomodation & meals provided free. #228-5655/6498449 One domestic worker between the age of 40-50 years old. Location E.B.D. Please call 641-7586
1) Doosan Mechanic must specialize in Doosan Parts 2) Receptionist to work @ Hotel 3) Land surveyor, must know to use GPS. Contact# 2235273/223-5274 Trainee mechanic needed. Call: 623-0318 Live-in Housekeeper for East Bank, must be able to cook indian dishes & have a clean police record. Call: 685-9668 General Cleaner & Bond Clerk, must have police clearance, for more info call: 223-0090 Chef, Assistant, Cook and night supervisor. Preferably carnegie trained. Call: 2257933/ visit 173 Sheriff Street Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 600-8457/683-8765 1 experienced male sales attendant, stocktaking knowledge. 1 General domestic (3 days work) Apply @ Keyfood McDoom with recommendation.
Parfaite Harmonie 1.3M 2M, Farm, Providence 4M 3.5M, Tuschen,Herstelling. Call 6662326
Wanted Land. Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Herstelling, Providence, Tuschen, Farm. Call 666-2326
Post your land for free on the World Wide Web when s e l l i n g . www.paintingsron.com
Waitress for East Coast 18-25 yrs live in or out. $20,000 weekly. Tel No: 610-3974
Experienced accounts clerk. Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda
1 Gardener/handyman between 21-30 years. Call 6751430 between 8:00am - 15:00 pm. $20,000 weekly. Police clearance required.
HEAVY DUTY MECHANICS & ELECTRICIANS, SMALL TOOLS SERVICE PERSONS, FIVE YEARS’ EXPERIENCE. HEALTH CONTACT# 226-0573/648HERBAL REMEDIES: 1249/659-0963 Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual One general domestic/cook. disorders, Enlarged prostate, Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis Robb Street Bourda etc. Call Sparman #676-5924
LEARN TO DRIVE
FIRST AID/CPR COURSE. ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE TO COMMENCE LATER IN JANUARY, 2019. TEL# 225-9082 FOR SALE/RENT
1 bedroom apt for working couple/single person $40,000 monthly. Light and Water included. Lodge. Call: 6230076
Short base super custom bus without engine & gearbox being sold for parts. #646-8748
House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc. Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909
Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
German Shepherd pups for sale. Contact Devi# 639-2828/ 225-3721
PROPERTY FOR SALE
One Building (4) Apartment for sale, First Street, Mon Repos ECD. Call # 203-8505235/602-4105
Sunday January 06, 2019
Kaieteur News
Ultraviolet Driving School is offering a New Years' discount of $10,000 for 6 (1) hour classes. Call#676-8783 N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561
PEN PAL Male seeking one single mature female for friendship or marriage. Ages 25-35. Whatsapp #692-6133
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Sunday January 06, 2019
Kaieteur News
Charrandass requested, received ... From page 9 the Constitution only warned about loyalty to another country, which would prevent someone to be sitting here in the National Assembly as a lawmaker. The lawyer said he came back to Guyana in 19981999, applying successfully for a remigrant status. He received a duty-free vehicle as part of benefits. He then “established himself as a law student, then as a lawyer and as a businessman ‘running things’ in Guyana. And again, I was dedicated to Guyana.” According to the former MP, he had confided in the PPP advisor, Peter Ramsaroop, about his decision to vote yes…because of the man’s military background. Berbice Law Firm With regards to his law office in Berbice, the former MP said that he has not sold it. “First of all, Magistrate (Charlyn) Artiga, now a lawyer, had decided to not continue practising as a magis-
trate. So I saw an opportunity to start a law firm in Berbice. I spoke to her and she agreed to join me on a partnership, we would participate equally in benefits and expenses.” However, since the vote and fallouts, Artiga has changed her mind about the law firm.“As of today, my law office has no lawyer. We were supposed to change the signs. I did not sell the law office. We are paying a rent. The Prado is not sold. The duty-free is up in February. I have put it up for sale. I asked to buy another- a 2018-2019 model. I’m still paying the bank for that.” The Prado was advertised for sale months now. He says Artiga could confirm details of the law firm venture. On the night of the vote, Persaud stressed, he did not even have clothes. Clothes had to be brought to the Ogle airport the next morning. None of his friends and family knew his plans.
With regards to his thoughts on the voting, Persaud said that after the vote, he was scared. He was seen on video reaching for a glass of water, gulping it. On the second vote, the MP was a clear “Yes…yes…yes”, a shocker for Guyana who was watching “After the first vote, the Clerk (of the National Assembly) suspended the voting and the government side in Parliament had me scared to death. I swear to God I thought that I was gonna die right then. I was also trying to catch my breath and calm myself down. That was nerve wracking. These people, I know them; I know the nature of the people.” “In fact, Derick Basdeo, a member of the audience, came up and was seen on camera whispering. He leaned against me in view of the camera… ‘What the f#&k are you doing…? You know what you doing?’ “These were some of the things I had to face before the second count.”
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Kaieteur News
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South Africa need 41 runs to beat Pakistan
Babar Azam showed his class during a half-century, as Pakistan edged into a lead ©Associated Press
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) South Africa will need to knock off just 41 runs today to beat Pakistan in the second test and take a winning 2-0 lead in the three-test series despite Pakistan providing gallant resistance on the third day at Newlands. Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam all scored half centuries yesterday as Pakistan produced their best day of batting in the series but were eventually out for 294, setting their hosts a modest target to win. They fought back to overhaul South Africa’s 254-run first innings lead but eventually succumbed as Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada both claimed four-wicket hauls.
Sunday January 06, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) For the past several weeks you've felt like you've been dragging your heels, Aries. Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud, Taurus. People might be getting down on you for not contributing, but tell them to be patient. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Things are moving your way, Gemini. As the day progresses, you will find that the energy intensifies. Conflicts may arise near sundown, but don't worry about it too much. CANCER(June21–July22) You should enjoy the intense energy of today. The mud is finally beginning to clear away. Expose the truth in every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unEarthed. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today marks the beginning of a new cycle for you. Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly. The time is right for you to act. Improve your surroundings and adjust your bed so that it faces east/west. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Ta k e a c o l d s h o w e r t o jump-start yourself today, Virgo. It's fine if you laze around a bit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity. You will be called into action whether you want to be or not.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today may start out sluggish for you, Libra, but by the end of the day the energy will move fast and furious. Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees around a hive. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Enjoy the calm morning, because things are going to get crazier and more energetic as the day goes on. Emotions will run high, and people will be more opinionated than usual. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You will experience an intense amount of energy today. Your dream state will be more active than usual, and you will find that people are drawn to you like moths to light. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) It's time to get up and get moving. You have tremendous ideas and vision for the future. You have all the information you need. Now all you have to do is act. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) The early part of the day might find you sluggish and indecisive, Aquarius, but later you should be psyched up and ready to go. Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideas in motion. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today's energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on. In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, but you will be itching to take action by nightfall.
Asad scored 88 runs, Babar 72 and Masood 61 to allow Pakistan to take some positives from the game after failing to get past 200 runs in their previous innings. Masood had been promoted up the order in a bid to shore up a brittle batting lineup but saw his first two partners depart cheaply as Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, who both scored six runs each, and scored only 27 runs before lunch. Home hopes of rattling through the rest of the batsmen after lunch were stymied as Asad proved aggressive and Babar took on the home bowlers. Mohammad Amir took three wickets in a lively start to Saturday’s play as South Africa resumed on 382-6 and added 49 more runs before being bowled out. He removed Quinton de Kock for 59 and then took the wickets of Vernon Philander and Rabada for figures of 488. South Africa won the first test in Pretoria last week by six wickets inside three days but must come back in the morning to finish off another win. Scores: Pakistan 177 and 294 (Shafiq 88, Babar 72, Masood 61) lead South Africa 431 (du Plessis 103, Bavuma 75, de Kock 59) by 40 runs.
Affording financial... From page 65 for administrators to bargain and bridge the gap with corporate Guyana. With such a policy in place business persons supporting sports get some certified tangible returns for them lending support.” Apart from wishing all athletes and fans a productive 2019, Marks is encouraging all members and fans to attend next month’s AGM and toss their hats into the ring by becoming part of the process to take the sport to another level.
GVF kicks off 2019 season with male and female beach volleyball competition The Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF), led by volleyball stalwart Levi Nedd will be making a jump start on the other national sports bodies when it serves off its 2019 season today with a one day beach volleyball competition. The competition, which will be played at the Marriott Beach Front, will be for both male and female players. Over 20 teams from all over Guyana including those from Berbice,
Demerara and Essequibo are expected to participate. The Demerara Distilleries Limited has decided to come on board for its inaugural sponsorship under its Diamond Mineral Water brand. The top teams and outstanding individual players will be presented with trophies, medal and other incentives. First serve is expected to be at 08:00hrs.
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Colwyn Drakes on his new motorcycle after being named Most Valuable Player. From page 61 2015, including two in the Pride’s backyard and have not suffered a loss in their last 12 games. Scores: At Kensington Oval: Jaguars batted all day. GUYANA JAGUARS 319 for five (Chandrapaul Hemraj 144, Raymon Reifer 53 not out, Anthony Bramble 51 not, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 37; Ashley Nurse 2-77) vs BARBADOS PRIDE. TABLE TENNIS CONTINGENT RETURNS FROM CHINA TRAINING PROGRAMME Guyana’s four-player contingent that benefited from a Table Tennis training programme at the World renowned Hebei Zhengding
Table Tennis in China arrived back home and has described the experience as nothing short of remarkable according to a press release from the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA). The four players in Natalie Cummings, Joel Alleyne, Nigel Bryan and Elishaba Johnson spent one month in China and they noted that like the training, the Chinese hospitality was exceptional and expressed gratitude for the opportunity. The training was facilitated through the support of Government of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China Embassy Guyana, and based on current technical and diplomatic engagements between our two nations.
Sunday January 06, 2019
New GT Beer football champions Eagles United in celebration mode. The Guyana Table Tennis Association would like to express its gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Republic of China Embassy Guyana through His Excellency Ambassador Cui Jianchun and Charge de Affaires Mr. Chen Xillai and Mrs. Wang Quiyi for their input and support in the provision of critical high level table tennis training and other key initiatives and support programmes being offered to Guyana. GCB CONGRATULATES ALVIN KALLICHARRAN ON RECEIVING BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL The entire membership and Executive Committee of
the Guyana Cricket Board has joined the cricketing fraternity in extending warmest congratulations to Guyanese batting legend, Alvin Kallicharran, on being awarded the prestigious British Empire Medal in the Queen’s 2019 honors list. The Medal of the Order of the British Empire was first established in 1917, along with the Order of the British Empire. The medal was part of the Order and could be awarded for either meritorious service or for gallantry. It was awarded to 2,015 people, 800 of whom were from foreign countries. In 1922, the original medal was discontinued and split into two separate honors, which still formed part of the Order of the British Empire. These two hon-
ors were known as the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service (usually referred to as British Empire Medal, BEM) and the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (usually referred to as Empire Gallantry Medal, EGM). Alvin Kallicharran was born on March 21st 1949 and hails from the small village of Port Mourant in Berbice, debuted for Guyana at the tender age of 17 against the Windwards in Grenada and in 1972 against New Zealand at Bourda. Alvin has had a very long and distinguished career that produced close to 50,000 runs in Test, ODI, First Class and List A cricket during his career. He has represented Guyana, West Indies, Warwickshire, Transvaal, Orange Free State and
Queensland during his career. His test career spanned the period 1972 to 1981 where he represented the West Indies during the transformation period in the late 70s when they indisputably became the best team in the world. He was part of us winning the 2 very first World Cups played in London. Played in 66 test matches and scored 4,399 test runs with 12 centuries and 21 fifties. For 8 of those fifties, he got out in the 90s and could so easily have made 20 centuries in that space of time. Alvin is well remembered for his onslaught against the great Dennis Lillee in the 11th match of the inaugural World Cup in England 1975 where he literally decimated him for 35 runs off just 10 deliveries.
Perera fireworks light up Sri Lanka as Kiwis seal series (Reuters) - Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera’s blistering century ended up in vain as New Zealand sealed a 21run victory in the second one-day international yesterday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Opting to bat after winning the toss, New Zealand built on fine half-centuries by Colin Munro (87), Ross Taylor (90) and James Neesham (64) to post a commanding 319 for seven total in 50 overs at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claimed three wickets for 55 runs as the hosts reduced Sri Lanka to 128-7,
before Perera took matters into his own hands with a flurry of big hitting en route to his maiden ton that ensured a thrilling end to the contest. The 29-year-old gave New Zealand an almighty scare, smashing 13 sixes and eight boundaries in a 74-ball 140, before he became the final wicket to fall, dismissed by pace bowler Matt Henry. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka was the only other Sri Lankan batsman to make a notable contribution, scoring 71. New Zealand won the first match of the series at the same venue by 45 runs on Thursday, with the third and final contest taking place at Nelson on Tuesday. Scores: New Zealand 3 1 9 f o r 7 ( Ta y l o r 9 0 , Munro 87, Neesham 64, Malinga 2-45) beat Sri Lanka 298 (Thisara 140, Gunathilaka 71, Sodhi 355) by 21 runs.
Thisara Perera then took charge to smash the bowlers to all parts of the ground ©AFP
Chanderpaul Hemraj registered his maiden ton yesterday at the Mecca.
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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 DENAMSTELSILENCE HOME SIDE BUXTON UNITED TO EMERGE CHAMPS GFF/STAGE SUPER 16 West Demerara’s Den Amstel started the year on the perfect note when they silenced home side Buxton and its hundreds of supporters on New Year’s Night last to lift the Guyana Football Federation/Stag Super 16 2018/19 championship trophy. A solid display by the winners saw them frustrating the home team and in the process negated any hope of them utilising home advantage to any positive effect. Instead, it was the visiting team that left the Buxton Community Centre Ground Two Million Dollars richer thanks to Jamal Harvey’s 47th minute goal and an own goal from Jamar Harrigon in the 85th minute. The 3rd place playoff between Fruta Conquerors and fellow City side Western Tigers ended with the former claiming a 2-0 win through goals form Nicholas McArthur in the 61st minute and an own goal off the boot of Raphael Edwards in the 75th minute which sunk the Tigers to defeat whilst securing the $500,000 third place prize for the Fruta Boys. It will be a memorable night in more ways than one for all the stakeholders involved. It was the largest crowd seen at a football game for many years with the grand finale featuring non
city teams. Den Amstel, the more experienced of the two gladiators on center pitch also had the height advantage which they used it to excellent effect especially for set pieces and corners. But despite giving up those advantages, Buxton were able to be the teasing and nagging side they have established themselves as having downed the GDF and Western Tigers on their way to the final. But it was always going to be tough to topple three big wigs along the journey and the Buxtonians stumbled at the final hurdle in their quest for the title. Den Amstel on the other hand, fancied their chances of winning the championship and cut a positive unit from the start as the Technical staff and players somehow sensed that the night was going to be special and historical for them. In a ceremonial presentation, GFF President Wayne Forde and Ansa McAl’s Nigel Worrell handed over the winner’s trophy to Den Amstel Captain Kester Jacobs after the team had completed a victory lap to thank their fans and supporters. Meanwhile, meeting the teams prior to the final and performing the traditional kick-off of the ball ahead of the final was the Honourable Basil Williams - Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. He was accompanied by Dr Karen Cummings - Minister within the Ministry of
GFF President Wayne Forde (right) and Ansa McAl’s Nigel Worrell jointly hands over the championship trophy to Den Amstel Captain Kester Jacobs with his ecstatic teammates savouring the moment. Public Health and GFF President Forde among others. The official presentation of prizes would be done shortly. EAGLES UNITED LAND FIRST GT BEER C/SHIP WITH 2-1 O/T WIN OVER ARCH RIVALS NET ROCKERS It was a fitting finale and one that confirmed Eagles United of Christianburg as the top Linden club as they turned back Net Rockers by a 2-1 score line to add the Upper Demerara Football Association’s GT Beer football championship to their UDFA league title for 2018 as
Den Amstel Coach O’Neil Heywood performing the honours of popping the champagne in celebration of their GFF/Stag Super 16, 2018/19 championship triumph.
a huge crowd witnessed the final of the year ending championship New Year’s night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. Urged on by a strong Christianburg following Eagles United landed their first year end championship since copping the Kashif and Shanghai title in 1991/92 as their eventual final’s Most Valuable Player Colwyn Drakes carted off the motorcycle prize after again piloting them to their first GT Beer crown in six tries. It gave them $1.2M as opposed to the $600,000 won by Net Rockers and laid to rest which was the best club in the region. Both had played unbeaten in the GTT League championship and drew their game against each other. This then set the stage for a deciding final’s game and Eagles prevailed in overtime. They were led by defender Benny Neblette and with the decision taken to have the experienced mid field player Clive DeNobrega appear on the pitch, despite some concerns about an injury, Eagles United showed their eagerness to win this game. Both sides battled valiantly and were unable to score in regulation play. It took extra time after a 00 deadlock to separate the two clubs and Drakes started the process when he was there to pounce on a chance as Net Rockers defenders were caught napping and Drakes latched on to slap home a crisp drive for a 1-0 advantage in the 103rd minute. Then Drakes in tandem with the busy Deon Charter put the Christianburg unit up 2-0 as
he slipped a pass to Charter who finished the play in the 116thminute. And as time seemed to be against them Net Rockers fought back and were rewarded two minutes later. Deshawn Joseph would cannon a free kick outside the box and it cut the lead 2-1 but time would not allow them a chance to level and when the final whistle came Eagles United were holding the championship trophy donated by Trophy Stall. Captain Benny Neblette received it from Secretary of the UDFA Mrs. Dawn Barker, while the brand new motorcycle was taken by Drakes. In the third place playoff game for $400,000, Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection won 3-2 against the defending champions Botofago in overtime. The scores were level after regulation play with Shaquille France and Stanford Bovell scoring for the Winners Connection in the 4th and 65thminutes of play which the Haynes brothers Shane and Jamal netted in the 47th and 54th minutes of play respectively. Botofago had to settle for the fourth place prize of $200,000. The winning goal would then be scored by Cedric Hunte in the 106th minute of play and the final score was 3-2 for Winners Connection. The presentation will be done by the main sponsors Banks DIH Limited at a date to be announced according to the UDFA. HEMRAJ HIT MAIDEN CENTURYAS JAGUARS REACH 319-5 A brilliant maiden century
from Chanderpaul Hemraj and an unfinished 105-run sixth wicket stand between Anthony Bramble and Raymon Reifer put four-times defending Champions Guyana Jaguars in the ascendancy against Barbados Pride when the opening day of their third round PCL Regional FirstClass contest ended Friday at the Kensington Oval. Hemraj, a 25-year-old from the Village of Strathavon in Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, in his 20th game at this level, joined an elite few Guyanese batsmen to score at century at the Mecca when he made a delightful 144 decorated with 20 fours and four sixes from 172 balls, 241 minutes. The Everest left-hander, who made his First-Class debut against Trinidad as an 18year-old in 2012, shared in a responsible 134-run opening stand with Tagenarine Chanderpaul who contributed a carefully constructed 37 from 150 balls with six boundaries in 181 minutes. Bramble hammered 51 from just 53 balls in 85 minutes with 10 fours and a six, while Bajan Reifer has 53 from 76 balls, 103 minutes with nine fours in a stand already worth 105 runs as Jaguars reached 319-5 when bails were lifted. Off-spinner Ashley Nurse took 2-77 for the Bajans who captured four wickets for 15 runs to trigger a middle order collapse as the Jaguars slumped from 199-1 to 214-5 before Bramble and Reifer joined forces in ‘operation rebuild’. The Jaguars have won three of the eight matches between the two sides since (Continued on page 60)
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Australia stumble in reply to India’s colossal tally SYDNEY (Reuters) Australia’s batting woes returned on the third day of the fourth test yesterday with the home side slumping to 236 for six when bad light and rain brought an early end to their response to India’s mammoth first-innings tally. The tourists, who declared on 622-7 late on Friday, only need a draw to claim a first series win Down Under and Australia’s hopes of salvaging anything from the match faded with the loss of five wickets after lunch. Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Shaun Marsh and Travis Head were all dismissed in the second session, before captain Tim Paine followed shortly after the tea break. Peter Handscomb, unbeaten on 28, and fast bowler Pat Cummins, who had made 25, were at the crease when bad light stopped play at a Sydney Cricket Ground swathed in pink for the McGrath Foundation breast cancer support charity day. A storm lashed the venue for the final hour of scheduled play and proceedings will resume 30 minutes early at 10 a.m. local time (2300
India’s Ravindra Jadeja (L) celebrates with his captain Virat Kohli after taking the wicket of Australia’s Marcus Harris on day three of the fourth test match between Australia and India at the SCG in Sydney, Australia, January 5, 2019. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts/via REUTERS) GMT) today. Most of the Australian batsmen made starts but only opener Harris was able to get past the half-century mark, his 79 the highest score by the home side in a four-match series in which India have pillaged five centuries.
The left-hander showed plenty of intent but just when it seemed he could be heading for a maiden test ton, he played the ball onto his own stumps off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja. “I was disappointed not to get a hundred but it was
good to spend some time in the middle,” Harris told reporters. “I’d been playing positively against the spinners and got out with a halfarsed shot so probably a bit disappointed with myself more than anything.” India’s pace attack played
the leading role in victories in Adelaide and Melbourne that gave the tourists a 2-1 series lead but it was the spinners who did most of the damage yesterday. Jadeja (2-62) also accounted for the experienced Marsh (8), who must surely have exhausted his supply of test recalls after leaving his bat hanging to gift Ajinkya Rahane the simplest of catches at first slip. BRILLIANT CATCH Rahane had to work considerably harder for the catch that dismissed Labuschagne for 38 off the bowling of Mohammed Shami, diving low to his left to grab the ball with both hands. “I feel we are the best in the world when it comes to fielding,” left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav said. “We are still learning and hopefully we can improve further.” Kuldeep dismissed Head caught and bowled shortly before tea, his second victim of a day when he ended up with 3-71. Paine became the spinner’s third victim when a peach of a delivery clean bowled the Australia captain through his gaping gate for
five. The 24-year-old’s best delivery, though, was probably the “wrongun” that deceived Usman Khawaja into miscuing a slog in the first session and sent Australia’s top batsman packing for 27. “...I knew he was going to come at me so I was very lucky that wrong one landed perfectly,” Kuldeep said. “I was very happy.” The surface that India’s batsmen had feasted on for two days was still offering little for the bowlers and the hosts will be cursing themselves for some soft dismissals after a 72-run opening stand. “I got a start, a few of us got a start but none of us went on to make a big score, so it’s pretty simple to work out what went wrong,” Harris added. “We’re a young group and we’re trying to work it out and we’re playing against the number one side in the world, so it’s not an easy thing to do.“We’ve definitely had opportunities to make hundreds in the series, it’s been execution or a few other funny ways that people have got out, so that’s it really.”
Spartons claim Thirsty Fox dominoes tourney Spartons chalked up 80 games to win the final of the Thirsty Fox dominoes tournament which concluded yesterday at Thirst Fox sports bar, Durban and Vlissingen Road. Phantom took the runner
up spot with 80 games, while Turning Point finished third on 77. Martin Permaul made the maximum 18 games for Spartons who drew the bye to the final, while Gordon Stephen contributed 16. Rawl
Cameron scored the maximum 18 for Phantom, while John Chance supported with 17. Turning Point leading players were June Watts and Sandra Welch with 16 and 15 games respectively.
Phantom won the semi final encounter with 71 games ahead of Turning Point 67 and NDIA 57. Rawl Cameron and Rawle Peters made 16 each for Phantom, while Loraine Reid scored 17 and Colin Mc Ewan 16 for Turning Point. Ian Benjamin and Clifton Michel made 17 and 15 games respectively for NDIA. Meanwhile, Senior
Organising secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Association Mark Wiltshire will be hosting a tournament in honour of his birth anniversary starting on January 13 at Turning Point Sports bar. Entrance fee is $15,000 and the first place team will take home a trophy and $175,000, runner up a trophy and $75,000, third place a trophy and $35,000 and fourth place a trophy and $20,000.
The MVP in the final will take home $10,000, while the best female player in the tournament will pocket $10,000. Action gets underway at 14:00hrs. Among the sponsors are All Season’s Racing Service, Stag Beer, Big Boss Trucking Service, Spartans, Mr. Mac Beth of The USA/Dynasty Sports bar, Trophy Stall and Tony Jewellery. All GNDA rules will be in effect.
Mark Wiltshire accepts the trophy from Shenella Webster of All Season’s Racing Service.
Sunday January 06, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Jaguars on track for 1st Gold Cup appearance - Fruta finally conquerors of elite league The Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s national men’s football team, are poised to qualify for the first time to play in the region’s biggest stage, Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Gold Cup. The Concacaf Gold Cup is scheduled to be hosted at 17 venues across 16 cities in the United States of America (USA) from June 15th to July 7th, this year, and will feature a total of 16 teams; an expansion from the usual 12. Concacaf Nations League The six teams that reached the final round of the Concacaf 2018 World Cup qualifiers have gained automatic qualification to the Gold Cup, while the top 10 teams from the region’s inaugural Nations League will fill the remaining places. With the home team’s fourth and final round set for
Sampson Gilbert, Fruta Conquerors head coach.
Ryan Hackett -Fruta Conquerors, was one of the better players in the league.
March 23 at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), Leonora, against Belize, a win for the Golden Jaguars who are currently ranked eighth out of the 34 teams, will almost certainly secure qualification for the Guyanese that have a good goal difference of +10. Guyana have 6 points
from three games played, including two wins and a loss. The Golden Arrowhead’s opening clash against Barbados had finished 2-2 but a ruling from FIFA saw the Bajans forfeiting the match 3-0 after their striker Hallam Hope, who plies his trade with England’s league two side Carlisle United, was found ineligible.
From left, Delon Lanferman, Jamal Pereira and Gideon Payne’s performances were vital for Den Amstel’s surprise 3rd place finish.
Fruta Conquerors Jermin Junor (left) created many chances on the left flank during his team’s championship season. Hope had scored both goals during the 2-2 draw. A statement on Concacaf’s website read, “After due examination of the evidence, the committee determined that the Barbados Football Association infringed the applicable articles of the tournament regulations and the regulations governing the application of the FIFA Statutes in relation to the eligibility of players to play for representative teams by fielding ineligible players Hallam Hope and Krystian Pearce.” The statement also said: “In accordance with Articles 55 and 31 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the Barbados Football Association is considered to have lost the match against Guyana by a score of 3-0.” The Jaguars second fixture which was away to Turks & Caicos produced an emphatic 8-0 victory with Sheldon Holder and Emery
Welshman both netting hattricks, while Trayon Bobb bagged a brace and Kadell Daniel scoring the eighth. However, the penultimate round saw Guyana losing 2-1 to French Guiana but the men in yellow & green are still in with a good chance to qualify for the Gold Cup but a win against Belize in March is the prerequisite. Elite league After three seasons, Fruta Conquerors Football Club (FC FC) that has been perennially competitive in recent years, placing major emphasis on developing young players, won the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite league for the first time. Under the stewardship of new coach Sampson Gilbert, the Tucville based club won the competition with a game to spare, booking its place in the reformatted 2019 Concacaf club champions’ competition. Dethroned champions,
GDF managed a second place finish, while Den Amstel finished third with much help from Delon Lanferman, who emerged as the league’s top goals scorer with 18 successful strikes. Western Tigers, who were leading the league at the January transfer break in 2018, lost their form but were able to finished fourth. According to Chairman of the GFF competitions committee, Ian Alves, Cougars Football Club (CFC) that finished last in the league will be relegated while ninth place New Amsterdam United will enter a play off with the respective winners of member associations’ (MA) competitions. Ten teams contested season III of the elite league with $5million being received by the champions, $2million for the runners up, $1million for Den Amstel and $500,000 for the fourth place finishers. The commencement date for season four is yet to be determined.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 06, 2019
Regional First-Class Cricket
Jaguars maul Hapless Bajans to score massive 548 - B’dos reach 33-1 in reply It was murder at the Mecca yesterday as Guyana Jaguars ended the second day of their third round Regional First-Class encounter against Barbados Pride in a commanding position after Anthony Bramble became the second batsman to score a ton in the innings, to power the visitors to their 10th 500 total in Regional cricket. The 28-year-old Bramble reached the boundary 17 times and cleared it once in a brilliant unbeaten 130 from 208 balls and 331 minutes and added 157 for the sixth wicket with the 27-year-old Raymon Reifer who hit 13 fours in 75 from 121 balls and 187 minutes in his 13th fifty at this level. A pugnacious 54 from just 43 balls and 48 minutes with five fours and three sixes from 20-year-old Sherfane Rutherford added to the Bajan’s misery on a hard Kensington track as he put together 73 with Bramble for the seventh wicket. Clinton Pestano made 32 with four fours and two sixes from 31 balls and 32 minutes and added 47 for the ninth wicket with Bramble before the Jaguars Keeper shared in a 55-run stand with last man Veerasammy Permaul (32) as the Jaguars roared to 548 all out just after Tea. Their 548 was just four short of Guyana’s highest total at the Mecca, 552-7 declared in 1975 when Roy
Fredericks (250) and Alvin Kallicharran (110) scored centuries. This was Guyana’s fourth highest total since the Shell Shield was inaugurated in 1966 with their highest of 641 coming in 1967 against Barbados at Bourda. Off-spinner Ashley Nurse had 4-122 from 38 overs for Barbados who ended the day on 33-1, still 316 runs away from avoiding the follow-on. Shayne Mosley is unbeaten on 15. The Pride, without their best batsman Shai Hope, began with Mosely and Kraigg Braithwaite who played cautiously before Mosely broke the shackles by stroking Shepherd for two fours. Braithwaite, short of runs for the Windies in recent times, was removed by leftarm pacer Reifer in the 15th over at 33-1 after struggling for 43 balls for his 11 and with his demise rain stopped play for the day just before the scheduled close. Earlier, on a day blessed with glorious sunshine, Jaguars resumed on their overnight 319-5 with Bramble on 53 and Reifer on 51 and together they continued to bat sensibly, picking the balls to hit. Reifer got going with a boundary off Miguel Cummins, while Bramble stroked Kemar Roach for four before Reifer smashed Windies Test and ODI Cap-
Ashley Nurse tain Jason Holder for four more to post the 350. After a couple of tight overs from Holder, Bramble launched into off-spinner Royston Chase and smashed him for consecutive boundaries. But with score on 371, Chase induced Reifer to hit a catch to Skipper Shamarh Brooks to break the century stand and leave the lefthander 25 short of a second First-Class ton. Rutherford, in only his second game at this level, joined the set Bramble and launched a murderous attack on the Bajans. Rutherford, who played a single T20 for the Windies, began in T20 fashion; powering Cummins for four and lofting Chase into the stands before another six off Chase’s next over brought up the Jaguars’ 400 as Rutherford galloped to 25 from just 15 balls. At the other end Bramble
was in sight of his second century after being left stranded four short of joining Junior Murray as the only Wicketkeeper to score a Regional double century, when he made 196 not out in his only First-Class ton. Rutherford continued to entertain the fair size crowd which included many Guyanese, with explosive batting; clobbering Jomal Warrican for three fours including consecutive boundaries in an expensive over which cost 13 runs. At Lunch the Jaguars were large and in charge in the Pride’s backyard on 426-6 with Bramble on 85 and Rutherford unbeaten on 46 from 30 balls. After the interval, Rutherford reached his maiden FirstClass fifty with two blistering fours off Jonathon Carter, while Bramble played the supporting role. Rutherford’s entertaining knock ended when he was stumped off Nurse at 444-7 with the partnership 28 away from Guyana’s seventh wicket record at Kensington Oval; 101 between Alvin Kallicharran and Rex Ramnaresh in 1971. The Jaguars quickly lost Romario Shepherd (1) who was run out at 446-8 but Bramble reached his ton with a boundary off Carter from 151 balls with 15 fours and a six. Pestano, who made 68 in St Lucia as night watchman, got going with three boundaries, two off successive balls from Carter before hammering
Federer in fine fettle as Switzerland win Hopman Cup (Reuters) - Roger Federer geared up for his Australian Open title defense in convincing fashion, guiding Switzerland to a 2-1 triumph over Germany yesterday for their fourth Hopman Cup crown. Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-0 1-4 4-3(4) in the mixed doubles decider to win the trophy at the Perth Arena in a repeat of the 2018 final. The world number three had earlier shown why he is a firm favorite for the season’s first major, firing 24 winners and nine aces in a flawless 64 6-2 victory over ATP Finals champion Zverev. Kerber too maintained her 100 percent singles record with a 6-4 7-6(6) victory over Bencic to level the tie at 1-1, but the Germans failed to make the most of their opportunities as they went down in the tight mixed doubles rubber.
“I’m happy I’m feeling this good and playing as well as I am,” said Federer, who has won the last two Australian Open titles after taking part in the mixed-team event. Federer has beaten Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie and Zverev in straight sets and will be full of confidence heading into Melbourne Park later this month. “It’s good to finish on a singles performance like this. I’m a bit surprised the matches have gone as well as they have,” the 37-year-old added. It was Federer’s third title success in the Hopman Cup, more than any other player, following victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis and last year’s win with Bencic. Federer and Bencic are also the first pair in the event’s 31-year history to retain their
Raymond Reifer drives for four during the third round match between Barbados Pride and Guyana Jaguars in the CWI Professional Cricket League Four Day match yesterday © CWI Media/ Kerrie Eversley of Brooks LaTouche Photography Nurse for a four and two sixes to race into the 30s. Pestano’s cameo ended when he was removed by Nurse for 32 at 493-9 before Permaul stroked Nurse for four to post the 500. The last pair kept going against bowlers who were beginning to tire after spending five sessions on field and by Tea the Jaguars were 5449 with Bramble on 130 and Permaul on 28 and last wicket stand already 51. After the break Permaul was removed by Carter to leave the Bajans to score 349 to avoid the follow-on. Today is the penultimate day and play is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs. Scores: GUYANA JAGUARS 548 (Chandrapaul
Hemraj 144, Anthony Bramble 130 not out, Raymon Reifer 75, Sherfane Rutherford 54, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 37; Ashley Nurse 4-122) BARBADOS PRIDE 33 for one. Meanwhile, over at the At Brian Lara Stadium: Red Force trail Hurricanes by 276 runs with six first innings wickets intact. LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 425 (Montcin Hodge 158, Rahkeem Cornwall 65, Jeremiah Louis 51 not out, Akeem Saunders 41; Shannon Gabriel 3-54, Daniel St Clair 3-61) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE 149 for four (Jeremy Solozano 78 not out, Denesh Ramdin 31; Jeremiah Louis 2-31, Rahkeem Cornwall 2-36).
MARCH 23 next can... Switzerland’s Roger Federer gestures after losing his semi final match against Germany’s Alexander Zverev last year. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge) title. “I’m very happy about these records, but I didn’t come here for that,” 20-times major champion Federer said. “What a thrill it was – not just the match point but also the whole match and the whole week. It’s great fun.
“I’m happy, I’m proud to represent my country. It’s been a super pleasure teaming with Belinda.” Switzerland’s first win in the competition was secured by Manuela MaleevaFragniere and Jakob Hlasek in 1992.
From back page all of Guyana.” In Week 2 play, October 13 the Golden Jaguars trouncing home team Turks and Caicos Islands 8-0 but Guyana’s Week 3 match against host French Guiana produced a lackluster performance from the Guyanese which allowed the home team to win 1-2. It’s now on to Saturday March 23 when another sea of yellow fans (12th man) will this time take over the Leonora Track and Field Facility to urge
Wayne Forde the Golden Jaguars on to another chapter in the nations continuing history.
Kaieteur News
Sunday January 06, 2019
PAGE 65
‘Hard work over the years is paying off’ says Esuan Crandon on Windies appointment
G
uyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon, who celebrated his 37th birthday on December 17 was given a belated birthday and Christmas gift when his appointment was officially made public yesterday with the Berbician from Rose Hall Town was busy with the Jaguars team in Barbados. “It’s a great feeling. I was very excited and elated when I got the news. It came as a surprise to me, but I guess all the hard work over the years have paid off,” said Crandon who is the most successful Coach in Regional First Class cricket. “I’m happy to be involved in the development of West Indies cricket and I will play my role and hopefully impact the performances of the team positively,” added Crandon
who has helped Guyana to four consecutive First Class titles and an unbeaten 12 match streak, Crandon is a former Guyana fast bowler who took 90 wickets from 38 First-Class games between 2000 - 2011. His best bowling figures is 7-125 against the Brian Lara led T&T side in South Trinidad. Crandon, who also represented Guyana in List A and T20 matches, said that he was not hoping to be a Windies Coach after his playing days. “Definitely not what I hoped for when I start coaching. When I was first division captain of Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club I took the responsibility of running the practice sessions. We didn’t have a club coach at that time so it was the responsibilities of
the senior players to organize the net sessions,” Crandon explained. “To be honest I wasn’t thinking at that point of time of my playing career about being a coach after cricket. All I wanted to do then was to play cricket at the highest level, but my ability to lead and manage players were early signs I displayed. Mr. Hilbert Foster saw that in me as a player and hence, handed me with the responsibilities of captaining the team,” the right arm bowler who bats left-handed continued. ‘When I first started with the Guyana team as a young and inexperienced coach, it was obviously challenging and a great learning experience for me. I grew and developed year after year,” said the Guyana Head Coach. Crandon, who was first
Coach Crandon conducting ‘throw downs’ with Jaguars’ all-rounder Clinton Pestano.
New Windies Asst Coach Esuan Crandon. appointed Guyana Coach in 2012, said that he would assume that the reason for this appointment would be the success he would have gained over the years with the Guyana team as Head Coach. “My success over the years would not have been possible without the grace,
love and favour of the Almighty. I must say thanks to Guyana Cricket Board for entrusting me with the responsibility of coaching Guyana senior men’s team and the support over the years. It is an opportunity that I would be forever g r a t e f u l f o r, ” a d d e d Crandon.
“I would like to thank my biggest supporters, my wife and kids, for being there for me especially my wife who have been prayerful regardless of the situation,” Crandon added. Crandon thanked all the players and back room staff for the support over the years. (Sean Devers)
Affording financial support for athletes travel overseas a plus for GABBFF in 2018 – President Marks T h e s p o r t o f bodybuilding might not have been as attractive as Mr. Guyana 2018 Kerwyn C l a r k e b u t t h e administration, led by President Coel Marks would have done enough exercise to maneuver its way into 2019. Marks, is hopeful that there would be some level of real investment and visionary leadership from the powers that be that would fuel the growth of athletes and encourage corporate Guyana to invest more in human development. Due to financial challenges, the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) was not able to
Coel Marks GABBFF President bring off the second in its three tier competition scale for the year, Intermediates. T h e b e g i n n e r ’s l e v e l , Novices and the Senior National Championships were held, nonetheless. Marks commented: “Last year (2018) surely was
Ms. Bikini winner, Chandani Khan being rewarded by PS, Min. of the Presidency Department of Social Cohesion, Culture Youth and Sport, Melissa Tucker-Grimes.
a tougher year for the federation. Nevertheless, we were able to successfully host our novice competition, fully funded from the proceeds of previous shows and one sponsor, and seniors which proved challenging due to limitation of sponsors.” Apart from not being able to host the Intermediate competition, Marks stated that a number of planned outreach visits had to be aborted also due to the lack of finances. ”We also had some administrative discrepancies where we didn’t meet some deadlines, and I as president, accept responsibility for.” Marks, who informed that the Annual General Meeting and elections of the federation would be held early next month, mentioned some of the positives that were accomplished in 2018. ”Our proudest moment is our ability to continue financially supporting our athletes’ at all overseas performances for the year. Guyana was also able to secure a Pro Card through athlete Mr. Bruce Whatley in addition to hardware from Whatley and Mr. Emmerson Campbell. Furthermore, we were able to host a Judges seminar hosted by the Vice President of CAC Judges Committee, Mr. Errol Williams. What
Kerwyn Clarke, Mr. Guyana 2018 receiving a hamper from long time sponsor, Jamie Mc Donald of Fitness Express. this did is boost our Judges capacity and certified new Judges which will benefit all stakeholders in the sport.” It was the 45th CAC Championships held in Mexico City last year that Whatley snapped up his Pro Card after snaring respective gold medals in the Masters and Middleweight classes. Campbell collected a bronze medal in the Under-174cm Men’s Physique class. Campbell however won the Open Men’s physique title at last year’s GABBFF Senior Championships with Kerwyn Clarke rebounding from an injury to claim the Mr. Guyana Title. Clarke, who was unable
to attend CAC due to unforeseen circumstances made the trip to the annual Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic, Bikini & Figure Championships held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados and placed 3rd overall. The female segment of the sport continues to hold its own but is still struggling to make that huge breakthrough that is needed for the sport. This is despite the fact that females outnumber males by a long stretch when it comes to attendance at gyms throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. One of the bright
Bruce Whatley on stage in Mexico in 2018 prospects, Ms. Chandani Khan won the Miss Bikini contest at the Senior championships from Angela Barroncas and Diciula De Souza in that order. Looking ahead to this year, Marks is hopeful that the federation would be able to continue its support of athletes while being able to foster more cohesive relations with them in order to be of better help. ”In terms of what I’d like to see, is the establishment of a Sports Policy that has a component that truly incentivizes corporate Guyana to get on-board behind sport making it easier (Continued on page 59)
t r o Sp Regional FirstClass Cricket
Sherfane Rutherford pulls for six on Day 2 of the third round match between Barbados Pride and Guyana Jaguars at Kensington Oval © CWI Media/ Kerrie Eversley of Brooks LaTouche Photography.
Jaguars maul Hapless Bajans to score massive - B’dos reach 548 33-1 in reply
Anthony Bramble cuts for four during his century on Day 2 of the third round match between Barbados Pride and Guyana Jaguars at Kensington Oval © CWI Media/ Kerrie Eversley of Brooks LaTouche Photography.
MARCH 23 next can be another defining moment in Football history
By Franklin Wilson Guyana’s football is set to record another chapter in history come March 23 next when Guyana hosts Belize in their final round match of Caribbean Nations League Qualifying (CNLQ) from 18:00hrs at the Leonora Track and Field Facility. This new additional tournament forms part of Concacaf’s vision to offer more competitive matches to its Member Associations and with three of the four qualifying rounds complete, many of the 34 teams in action still have a shot at earning a top 10 finish and a spot in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. We l l , G u y a n a ( 6 points/2wins/1 loss) is 8th in the standings (behind Curacao, Haiti, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Martinique and Bermuda) and eying a place at the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time in its history. Under new Technical and Tactical guidance led by former Jamaica International and UEFA Pro Licence holder Michael Johnson, Guyana is 90 minutes away from its biggest moment yet, in history. Qualification would surpass Guyana’s win over Trinidad and Tobago on 11.11.11 at the Providence Stadium when goals from Ricky Shakes in the 10th minute and Leon Cort (81st) led the Golden Jaguars to a 2-1 win over
the Soca Warriors and qualification for the first time ever to the third stage of Concacaf World Cup qualifying; Kenwyne Jones had scored T&T’s consolation goal in the 90+3’ minute. That match had had also seen the Guyanese create another record as it was its 5th successive World Cup Qualifying (Concacaf zone) win under then Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz. The rest of the team then was Ronson Williams (goalkeeper), Charles ‘Lilly’ Pollard, Walter Moore, Jake Newton, Chris Nurse, Kayode McKinnon, Dwain Jacobs, Gregory Richardson and Carl Cort. Substitutes for that match were Vurlon Mills who replaced Richardson, Chris Bourne who came in for Jacobs and Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant who came in for McKinnon. March’ date with Belize, 13th in the CNLQ table and also on 6 points from three matches (2 wins 1 loss) will need the support of all and sundry to propel the home team to victory. Guyana were held to a 2-2 draw by Barbados in their first CNLQ match here on September 6, 2018 but by virtue of the fact that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) subsequently appealed against the Barbados Football Association (BFA) infringement of the Tournament Regulations and the
GFF TD Ian Greenwood (center) is flanked by Head Coach Michael Johnson (left) and Assistant Coach Taffazul Islam Rehman.
Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes in relation to the eligibility of players to play for representative teams by fielding ineligible players Hallam Hope and Krystian Pearce, Guyana were awarded the game and 3 goals which added life to its quest for
Gold Cup qualification. GFF President Wayne Forde had commented on the Concacaf r u l i n g : “ We a c k n o w l e d g e Concacaf ruling with mixed feelings – this is clearly not the preferred manner to advance in any competition but the GFF must also
play by the rules. We all remember the famous or infamous hand of God goal that brought Argentina a FIFA World Cup – Luck is sometimes on the side of the brave. It is now up to us to grasp this opportunity and create history for (Continued on page 64)
‘Hard work over the years is paying off’ says Esuan Crandon on Windies appointment 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.