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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 17, 2019
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
‘GO BACK!’
No matter how couched, no matter how diluted or hedged or explained away, those two piercing words: ‘Go back’ are the gall and guts and gore of the immigrant experience. Let there be no forgetting of the embedded venoms, too. They are an ever-present reality of the honest, hardworking, committed, patriotic immigrant. There is a whole world of meaning, of anger, of endless anguish incorporated into the curse of ‘Go back!’ It is that no matter how much is achieved, regardless of how much respected and recognised, there is always that frightening, fateful spectre hanging over the heads of not the rapists and murderers and money launderers, who have betrayed opportunity and host. Rather, it is usually aimed at those poor and wretched who come and who lift up both themselves and environment. The slaves and Chinese-built plantocracy and railroad baronetcy respectively, the colour of their skins readily trumped the colour of capitalist toil and money. Go back. To a lesser degree dismissed Slavs, Irish, Wops, and Polish evaded the colour coding. Like all the other perceived dirty unwashed, the hateful phrase was ‘Go back’. They form part of the crowd screaming today. Appalachian primitiveness soaring up to the Executive Mansion, and then launched with unbridled, savaging ferocity. The Indians got started with HB-1 visas; it was then used to keep them out. The challenge is how to make those insisting on residing for the dream to ‘Go back.’ The nativist nightmare that forms part of an unmoving paradox, from where to get the scientists, engineers, mathematicians? Especially, when, to a disturbing extent, the homegrown shudder at the mere thought, the prospect of minutiae and algorithms and profound complexities of the still unknowable. Those rockets need systems (NASA); those programs and visions need skills and talents (Silicon Valley) that are in short supply, very short supply. Military adversaries and commercial competitors unrelenting, imaginative warriors all-have the armies of men and women, who thrive on the challenges and harsh demands of equations, logic, and properties that would diminish many a lesser soul. Go back leaves vulnerable. Go back renders inadequate to retain the hegemony that has prevailed for an extended period now. The brigades of lawyers and arts students and philosophical sages-in-waiting will not present with the keen, competitive leadership advantage, that decisive gap, which translates to unchallengeable supremacy, and so informs the whole, awed world. The West Indians and Hispanics and Asians and Africans - are now the detested of the times. Always lurking fears probed, pushed, and powered towards hysteria and spiraling, circling rage. Nordic and Eurocentric - are the ideal. That is part of the problem. The many Guyanese who move from the mean streets of Brooklyn, the increasingly crowded precincts of Queens to the enclaves of arrival in Long Island, ought to be sensible enough to know that ‘Go back’ is stamped invisibly on passport and a very observable mark on the forehead. Real estate and civic standing do not give legitimacy. The Jewish people of long ago know that demeaning mark and fate; that is why they identify with causes liberal, why they are always inquiring into the unknown. For they, too, know of an unsettled, unwelcomed existence among rancorous strangers, even when success is lauded. Guyanese should know that moving by the bootstraps from being a deli worker and domestic helper and down-inthe-basement presence to the classrooms of selfimprovement, the corridors of higher endeavour, and the pinnacles of achievement reduce to the inevitability of one day or any one time of the jarring reminder patented and perfected in: ‘Go back.’ Credentials and advancement count for nothing across a wide cross-section. Now a different kind of threat: populating the job centres, shoving out the native unlearning and undeserving. Hence, required is this spiritual indentureship of what should be seasonal, temporary, averting the gaze presences. Know your place! It is over there, right where you started from with nothing. Go back!
Damage done on one day of hasty action can take generations to repair DEAR EDITOR, Over the coming weeks, the international community will be subjected to numerous Guyanese voices pleading for swift and decisive actions to ensure Guyana remains a democratic state. It is now clear that left to his own devices, President Granger will not act in ‘good faith’; only pressure will bring about a change in approach, so, why are so many of us asking for international interventions? Surely, this is an internal affair for the people of the nation to resolve. Make no mistake, the people will not abdicate their struggle to others, we will use every legal right enshrined in
our Constitution to fight for our democracy; no avenue will be left unexplored, however, as righteous a struggle as it may be, there are other possible consequences that I (and others) would hope can be avoided. Guyanese are well aware of the measures dictators employ to hold onto ‘power’. On Saturday, 13th July, the Minister of Public Security appeared on Channel 8 (Berbice) to remind viewers that government has “what it takes” to ensure the stability and security if faced with protest and/or strike action. Guyana’s early history
has been one of racial violence. During the years immediately, prior to independence and for over two decades afterwards, Guyanese were constantly separated by a Machiavellian Forbes Burnham. Divide and rule was a mantra for his government. As his control grew, the need for violence subsided and Burnham ruled by fear and then there were the occasional suspicious deaths and/or murders. Guyana has emerged from these racial confrontations and is in a period close to harmony. Younger people cannot fathom the animosities of the past returning, but the constant
reminders from political actors, who seek to stir dying embers, persist. The fear of those bursting into flames is the main reason we seek international assistance in our national affairs. We know all too well, damage done on one day of hasty action, takes generations to repair. There are no more excuses for inaction from nations, entities and persons that care about democracy, about Guyana and her people. We will be looking at those who lend aid to our struggle and those who are willing to just stand there and watch us burn. Respectfully Robin Singh
Exploitation of the judicial system should not go unsanctioned DEAR EDITOR, By now, it should have drawn on the judicial system that the meritless challenge of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) by APNUAFC’s attorneys who are also Members of Parliament was an abuse of the process. That such misuse was intended to insult and impinge the integrity and the independence of the judges, and courts and here is why. APNU-AFC more so AFC, conceded to the NCM on December 21, 2018, concurred later with CCJ ruling that NCM was validly adopted. Despite its confirmation of NCM, yet it decided to test the fairness of the courts by bringing a false claim. Unless some kind of penalty is imposed against ANPU-AFC for this judicial fraud then it will send a clear message that such corruption is an entitlement of government officials. APNU-AFC knowingly made the court a public nuisance to promote political
and/or private agenda by engaging the court in a blatant abuse, which should not be taken lightly. Absence of any punishment will show scant respect for the judges and make a mockery of the judicial system. This intentionally and maliciously act to defraud justice was a candid attack on the judges’ qualifications and their oath of office. It was also a direct attack on the judges’ sovereignty and the judicial machine. Appropriate admonishment must be taken to reduce the public negative perception that the judicial system is a political tool that violates their rights of equality justice guaranteed by the constitution. This kind of perversion undermined the trust and confidence between civil society and the judiciary. The judicial exploitation itself speaks volume of the judges’ characters and their impartiality. The behaviour of APNU-
AFC attested to gross contempt for the courts and a genuine disrespect for the judges’ ethical standard. The judges must find this embarrassment and very distasteful since it gave the impression that they were distracters and/ or errors to justice. APNUAFC definitely impaired public confidence in the administration of justice and put the judges’ fairness in a dubious situation. If the courts allowed this kind of fraud to stand, then it is adopting its own resistant to be impartial which vitiates the entire judicial machinery and voids its purpose. APNU-AFC knowingly used this frivolous claim to corrupt the system and to show the incompetence of the judges which failed to meet minimum standards of judicial ethical integrity. This again necessitates sanction, unless this unethical behavior sits well with the courts.
The courts and its officers should not be used for improper purposes if people should have faith and trust in the system. To demonstrate that the courts owed no allegiance to any government/ party or person but to the rule of law proper action must be taken against APNU-AFC’s attorneys, if not, the independence of the court is threatened and in jeopardy and the judges’ morality and integrity are diminished. The absence of disciplinary action will set no boundaries between corruption and independence on the ethical integrity of the judiciary. This will prevent the courts to function effectively and fairly and the judges will be considered unfit for the office. The sanction will send a clear, convincing, and compelling message that the judiciary will not tolerate the seduction of judges, by public or private parties. Respectfully, Bobby Gossai, PhD, J.D Professor and Attorney
Nelson Mandela’s Day is tomorrow DEAR EDITOR, Scores of organisations throughout the world have issued statements in honour of Nelson Mandela Day, which is observed on Thursday July 18. Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on July 18, Mandela’s birthday. The United Nations unanimously decided to name July 18 Nelson Mandela Day. Like Mahatma Gandhi
who devoted his life to his country, India, NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA made tremendous sacrifice to end apartheid in South Africa. He was imprisoned for 27 years and was released by the white minority President F.W. de Klerk, in 1990 because of international and local pressure, which resulted in a multiracial general election four years later in which Mandela led his ANC party to victory. Mandela would have been 101 on July 18, 2019 but
died in December 2013, at the age of 95. He was the first black President and his government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid. He was a controversial figure and was branded a communist but be was an icon of democracy and social justice and received more than 250 local and international awards including the Nobel Peace Prize. After he refused a second presidential term in 1999, he became an elderly statesman
and focused on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS. He was an exceptionally intelligent, shrewd and loyal leader, a great orator with charm and humor. He was fond of Indian cuisine. Married three times, fathered six children and had 17 grandchildren, and at least 17 great grandchildren. He refused to smoke or drink, but his biographer said he was “easily tempted by women”. He married his third wife on his 80th birthday... Oscar Ramjeet
Wednesday July 17, 2019
An open letter to CARICOM DEAR MR. SECRETARY GENERAL, Greetings, If there were any doubt the Government of Guyana fell on December 21, 2018, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling on June 18th, layered with consequential orders issued on July 12th, 2019, now affirms the Guyana Government was defeated in a No-Confidence Motion on that day. The facts are unambiguous, pellucid and unequivocally affirmed by the CCJ. The Constitution of Guyana requires the President and the Cabinet resign with immediate effect, the President and his government transitioned into a caretaker role, the elections be held within 90 days, by September 18th, in a new timeline which began on June 18th, the day of the CCJ ruling. In addition, the CCJ ruled that a new GECOM chair be appointed urgently in accordance with the Constitution. These realities are not the imposition of a rogue court. These realities are in accordance with the laws of Guyana, its Constitution, with the CCJ merely pointing out the cold, hard facts. As a Caribbean citizen with deep commitment to the success and effectiveness of CARICOM, given the CCJ’s unequivocal judgment, CARICOM’s position is of critical importance. CARICOM has been totally silent so far, nearly nine months after the NCM in Guyana’s Parliament, insisting its commitment is towards democracy in every CARICOM country and, in fact, everywhere in the Commonwealth and in the world. I stood proud as a Caribbean citizen every time,
and there many such instances, when CARICOM firmly and bravely stood on the side of democracy, whenever and wherever democracy was threatened. In view of the CCJ ruling on the NCM in Guyana, where does CARICOM stand? Mr. Secretary General, democracy is threatened in Guyana as the Guyana government refuses to adhere to the constitution and the will of Parliament. When a government deliberately sabotages its own Constitution and disrespects the legal system, as the APNU+AFC government is presently doing in Guyana, democracy is threatened. Will CARICOM maintain silence as Guyana plunges into a dictatorship? CARICOM itself, in the midst of the clumsy government’s challenge of the NCM and its validity, insisted the legal avenues must be honoured and, therefore, it will not voice any position on the political dispute in Guyana, one of its founding members. It took this position even though the parliamentary outcome was clear on December 21, 2018. Whatever doubt the Government attempted to stir has now been dismissed by the CCJ. The CCJ left nothing for interpretation - the Guyana Government is a caretaker government and it must follow the constitution, holding of elections within three months. What is CARICOM waiting on now? CARICOM’s silence on what is happening in Guyana brings disrepute to this body and will forever impact on its future position on various matters. First, CARICOM’s future positions on any threat to democracy anywhere will
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seem hollow and hypocritical. How could an organization which turned a blind eye to the sabotaging of the Constitution by one of its own members challenge undemocratic behavior in other countries or even in another of its member states? CARICOM’s silence as the constitution of Guyana is being railroaded potentially disqualifies CARICOM from ever again being a legitimate voice against undemocratic actions anywhere. Second, the CCJ’s own future is in jeopardy and CARICOM’s silence is contributing to a perilous future for the CCJ. The CCJ is one of the most important institutions in CARICOM. The strength and integrity of CARICOM is dependent on a strong and respected CCJ. If the CCJ’s rulings and orders are allowed to be ignored by a government, as is happening in Guyana right now, then the CCJ is rendered a toothless poodle. We must not allow this to happen. At the very least, CARICOM must take a stance that the CCJ ruling is sacrosanct, with no room to disrespect the institution. In accordance with Guyana’s constitution, which the CCJ affirms, the Guyana Government is a caretaker government and will become an illegal government after September 18th. CARICOM must end its silence and forcefully call on the government of Guyana to enforce the CCJ rulings, following faithfully the Continued on page 6
At least one leader is obedient to the constitution and respects the judiciary DEAR EDITOR, It should not be surprising that most Guyanese are confused by the clear statements of Article 106(6) that “the Cabinet including the President shall resign … on a vote of confidence,” and Article 106(7) that “the Government shall remain in office … and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.” The CCJ has sought to explain these seemingly contradictory positions (resign / remain in office) by asserting that the government remains in office, but in an altered or “caretaker” form which is, supposedly, envisaged by the constitution and convention and suggests that the government would operate in a manner consistent with its status as an interim administration. I am no lawyer but I would disagree with the CCJ as to both the constitutional and conventional basis for this characterisation. Any sixthgrader can clearly see that the word “caretaker” is nowhere to be found in Articles 106(6) and 106(7), specifically, or throughout the whole of the constitution, generally, and therefore has no constitutional relevance or meaning. As to convention, it is clearly misapplied to our situation. In most parliamentary democracies where a government is defeated by a no confidence motion this
usually signifies that the government has lost its majority in the parliament thereby affecting its normal functioning, i.e. the ability to introduce legislation, pass bills and budgets, sign or ratify major agreements, etc., and is clearly the result of political reality and not convention. This, as I have explained on numerous occasions in these pages, is not the case here as the government has not lost its legislative majority, or its ability to govern, and to impose on itself any limitations or restrictions would constitute a breach of its oath of office and abdication of its responsibilities to the citizens of Guyana. I cannot imagine a single community, or citizen, of this country that would not be terribly disappointed and angered at any unnecessary disruption of public services and planned development as well as failure to adequately respond to natural or national disasters or threats occasioned by a shackled and ineffective government. The concept of artificially constructed, self-imposed or court-ordered restrictions on government is bizarre and irresponsible; it is neither convention or law. Fortunately, the CCJ has limited itself to expressing its opinion and wisely refrained from issuing any such orders. As such, the Cabinet should continue to meet and function as should the National Assembly and the
President should take all necessary actions to ensure that general and regional elections are called at the earliest opportunity. The CCJ also refrained from acceding to the Opposition Leader ’s demands that the court make an order that the President dissolve the National Assembly and proclaim a date for elections by September 18, 2019. In fact, the CCJ observed that it was for the President, Leader of the Opposition, Parliament and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), not the courts, to decide on the issue. This establishes a fundamental principle that an election date cannot be arbitrarily and dogmatically defined; it requires a consultative and deliberative process. The constitution provides for the President to proclaim a date for elections following the advice of GECOM and for the National Assembly to establish a date for elections following the passage of a no-confidence motion. I can find no evidence for a role for the Opposition Leader, outside of the National Assembly, in this process and he has chosen to abdicate his constitutional Continued on page 6
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Wednesday July 17, 2019
Will the ‘interim’ government’s control have reasonable prospect of permanency? DEAR EDITOR, The defenders and apologists of government are conveniently overlooking the crux of the matter viz: “The cabinet including the President, shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of no confidence.” Full stop! Rumination of all hues and shades, obfuscations of the weirdest types as well as quasi-legal explanations and elucidations, the sum total of which, have one sole objective, to shield and discourage the government from the adhering to the CCJ’s consequential orders and to keep the government on life support for as long as possible. With every passing day, mass deceptiveness fueled by confusion mongers gets worse. The situation closely resembles a race to the bottom. At first blush, it is interesting to observe how
the ‘constitutional experts’ in the APNU+AFC who, had earlier rejected the notion and applicability of caretaker government within the meaning of Article 106(6) of Guyana’s Constitution are now studiously dodging the CCJ’s characterisation of the Coalition Administration. The embarrassment was perhaps so overwhelming that the coalition government could not come to grips with deeming themselves a caretaker government. That would have meant yielding ground to those who had earlier exhorted government to accept the suggested status with effect from December 21, 2018. The problem was that since President Granger himself had debunked the call for his government to be designated an interim government, it would have been too bitter a pill to swallow. And so with pride more than with prejudice, the ruling coalition meekly agreed to don the mantle of ‘interim
At least one leader is... From page 5 responsibility in favour of demagogic posturing. His demand that elections must be held within three months deliberately ignores the advice of GECOM, tendered to the President, and he has said that he would not support any parliamentary sittings, including any meetings to vote on this issue. It is indeed fortunate that Guyana has, at least, one leader who is devoted to duty, honours his oath of office, is obedient to the constitution and respects the judiciary, in President D. A. Granger. Sincerely, Oscar Dolphin
government in an interim period’ as a face saving device. True, there is no mention of ‘caretaker government’ in the letter of the Constitution. President Granger himself admitted he did seek but could not find and so, true to his stubborn style, he threw the concept like a boomerang as far as he could. But lo and behold, as was the case with the debate over the number that was needed to pass the no confidence motion the boomerang returned striking down his rejection of caretaker government. Ralph Ramkarran put it this way: “The CCJ ... placed a basic and well known principle above and beyond our intractable disputes where President Granger, couldn’t find it (caretaker government) in our Constitution, (he) could now easily locate it.” The CCJ has determined that we now have a ‘caretaker government’ functioning in an ‘interim period.’ The CCJ could not have been clearer with respect to its definition of caretaker government: “By convention, the government is expected to behave during this interim period as a caretaker and to restrain the exercise of its legal authority” To reinforce its judgment, the CCJ made it clear that... after its defeat following the no confidence motion, the government is “on a different
footing from that which existed prior to the vote of no confidence.” Notwithstanding, the CCJ’s definition of caretaker government, the nation is now being treated to a slew of outlandish definitions of caretaker government meaning; “operating in an interim mode” That “There is no such thing as half government - there is either a fully empowered government or none at all.” And instead of “restraining the exercise of its legal authority” as the CCJ has ordered, we now hear that “government retains its full panoply of legal powers.” Further, we are informed that “government continues as usual.” And as though this is not sufficient, spin doctors sympathetic to government have invoked the concept of “vagueness” in the CCJ’s orders suggesting for example that budget 2020 preparations and house to house voter registration must continue irrespective of the CCJ’s orders that elections be held in three months with effect from June 18, 2019. In all this, the nation is being subjected to mass deception and unadulterated political bullyism on the part of the APNU+AFC. Frantic efforts are being made to kerfuffle the Guyanese people. The strategic objective remains the same, to wriggle out of the CCJ’s orders with a view to extending the tenure of the
government. July 12, 2019 has come and gone but the statements by government are reflective of a particular mindset. Resistance by the Coalition Administration is likely to be on the following fronts: First: Resignation of the Cabinet including the President; Second: Designation of government a Caretaker government; Third: Restraining the exercise of its legal authority; Fourth: Refusal to select a Chairman for GECOM unless it’s one of the President’s nominees; Fifthly: Insistence that House-to-House registration
be the basis for a new voters’ list; Sixthly: Fixing dates for the dissolution of parliament and for holding elections. By throwing a spanner in the works regarding the number four issue, government will claim it is the opposition who has torpedoed consensus and good faith in the process of selecting a new chairman of GECOM. It will hold to the view that it is the Opposition that is blocking progress not government. As regards good faith President Granger appears to Continued on page 27
An open letter to CARICOM From page 5 provisions of the Constitution of Guyana. The CCJ has spoken and CARICOM has no reason to equivocate. If CARICOM does not support its own institution and stand by it, why should anyone want to continue with the CCJ? The deliberate and contemptuous disregard being demonstrated by the Guyana Government in regards to the CCJ ruling is a fatal threat to the CCJ. Why should any of the countries that presently subscribe to the CCJ continue to honor this onerous burden for an institution that is merely a paper tiger, a toothless poodle? Why would any country that presently includes the CCJ as its final court continue to honor this obligation if the court is a paper tiger only? Why should any country which presently is thinking of using the CCJ as its final court do so if the CCJ is nothing but a talk shop? This is CARICOM’s dilemma. While you equivocate, refusing to comment and refusing to urge the Guyana Government to adhere to its constitution, while you continue to behave as if it is business as usual in Guyana, the credibility of CARICOM, the legitimacy of your institutions, are being eroded by the your silence, your very thunderous silence. Your silence has caused, if not more than 50%, at least 50%, of the Guyanese people, to lose faith in CARICOM. The time has come for CARICOM to stand by the principles of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and the 2001 Nassau Declaration, and speak out against the erosion of democracy in Guyana, against the deliberate perversions of the Constitution of Guyana. This is not an option for CARICOM, it is a duty-bound to stand up on behalf of democracy in Guyana. Yours sincerely, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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We will not bill Guyana for Corporate Social Responsibility – ExxonMobil ExxonMobil has indicated that it will not recover any of the money it has spent on donations, sponsorships and other contributions to various local organisations, in fulfillment of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). According to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block, that Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, signed with ExxonMobil, on government’s behalf, the
company’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), was granted the privilege of recovering funds that it has channeled into donations. That controversial PSA was signed the year after Esso made its first discovery in May 2015. The list of things that the government has preapproved for Esso to include in cost recovery is quite long. On that list, there is a small list of items ExxonMobil may
want to include in cost recovery; that is subject to the approval of Minister Trotman. This list can be found in Annex C of the contract. It reads, “Cost recoverable only with approval of the minister: Commissions paid to intermediaries by the contractor; donations and contributions to organisations in Guyana and expenditure on research into and development of new
equipment, material and techniques for use in searching for developing and producing petroleum which will be of benefit to petroleum operations.” In an interview with Kaieteur News, ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud was asked whether the company will recover the donations made in the fulfillment of its CSR, Persaud said “ExxonMobil Guyana considers these strategic
ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud investments in the community and does not intend to recover such costs.” Many businesses place importance on CSR as a way to self-regulate social accountability to their stakeholders. And since 2015, Exxon has made a series of donations to local organizations. Just last Monday, it announced that a contribution was made to the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Guyana for the completion of its Gasifier project. Asked just how much the company has contributed,
Persaud said, “Since 2015, we have contributed about US$3.6 M, approximately $732M Guyanese dollars to various projects.” Speaking about its CSR, Persaud said, “ExxonMobil Guyana continually seeks to contribute to the social and economic progress of communities in which we operate and has made contributions to various programmes under STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education, women, youth and community empowerment as well as environmental sustainability.”
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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The WPA is in an abusive relationship The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) is in an abusive relationship. And it seems to be enjoying its illtreatment at the hands of APNU+AFC. The party has admitted to being abused. It has conceded that its voice was stifled within the government. But it always seems to be ready to raise its voice in defence of its abuser. One of its leaders has confessed that the party was bypassed and its advice was not even sought in relation to the oil and gas sector. The
party expressed disappointment that it was not at the table during the negotiations with ExxonMobil. However, despite being sidelined, the party is not coming out definitively and calling for a renegotiation of the oil contract. The party has also acknowledged that it has had no input into constitutional reform. In an interview with another section of the media, the party contends that this process would have gone further had the WPA been at
the table. The WPA should be ashamed of presenting itself as an advocate of constitutional reform. After the positions it has taken in relation to the violations of the Constitution under APNU+AFC, the WPA has become a deformer rather than a reformer of the Constitution. The WPA was given initially one ministerial seat and even that appointment was done, according to the WPA, without consultation. The PNCR is so contemptuous of the WPA
DEM BOYS SEH
De airport losing money like a bucket wid no bottom De public don’t know dat sometimes de political leaders does mek decisions dat don’t mek sense. Ever since 2006, de auditors keep reporting dat de airport losing money. By 2016, de airport lose more than $1 billion. Things get so bad dat de auditors come to de conclusion dat de airport would never be profitable. But Jagdeo run and tek money to expand de airport and de airstrip. He didn’t tell people, but de plan was to bring flights from Africa to Guyana and Brazil. De thing is dat no plane can get more than five people flying directly from Africa to Guyana and South America. Now de airport owe China nuff money dat in de end China might tek de whole airport. Dem boys seh dis is wha dem frighten, but all de politicians doing is puffing when people talk. And when de place quiet and nobody ain’t looking, dem huffing anything dat move. Dem boys seh one man build two houses wid cement and zinc sheets from de airport. Dem boys want see de plan and to dis day dem can’t even see a line. Patto seh he
give de plan to parliament and to Ten Edghill. When dem boys ask Edghill, and he tell dem is not he place to give dem. Obviously is something dat somebody hiding and de opposition supporting de plan. And dat is only part of de problem at de airport. Dem got de problem wid de women who claim dat de men try wid dem, and although dem complain, nobody ain’t tekking dem serious. De DPP office seh it waiting pon de police and de police seh dem waiting pon de airport people fuh sign dem statement. Is everybody waiting pon somebody. Patto waiting pon de Chinee contractor to finish de airport suh dem can hand it over. And de auditors waiting to get de final cost. Is a waiting game. In fact, de whole country waiting. Some waiting fuh elections, some waiting fuh a GECOM chairman and some waiting fuh see when oil gon come and people gon get real money. Talk half and wait fuh de next auditor report.
that after the 2015 elections, it selected a WPA Minister without even discussing the matter with the party. The WPA was treated with scant respect by APNU. The partnership has not been meeting frequently, if at all, and the WPA has had little input into APNU and into the government. One of its leaders was given a second level Ministry after he got ill, and the WPA did not voice any stern objection. In fact, it sought to have him resign as a Minister. When he was reassigned, the party again was slighted. If this is not political abuse then what is? The WPA is being pushed-around within the government. It has become a hanger-on, doing the government’s bidding without any real input at the decision-making level. It is being abused. And just like your typical victim of abuse, the WPA still continues in this abusive relationship. It has become like a political parasite, attaching itself on the government and feeding on it for sustenance. And, as a result, the abuse, its abuse, has become more
obnoxious. The party has begun to pimp for the ruling coalition, urging persons to vote for the coalition, despite its illtreatment at the hands of the government. It has not yet received the apology, which one of its leaders said was a condition for its future support of the coalition government. Nevertheless, it is already campaigning for its abuser. The PPPC has long seen the WPA as a spent force. The PPPC totally ignored the WPA after its ignominious performance at the 1992 elections. The PPPC, realising that the WPA could not even win a seat in any election, opted for an alliance with the United Force, rather than with the party of Walter Rodney. The WPA is a paper party. It has no real support in the population. It is for this reason that it unconditionally supported the PNCR at the last local government elections, after the Alliance for Change and the PNCR could not reach agreement on contesting the elections jointly. The AFC was forced to prove that it had support. The
PNCR kicked it to the side of the road. The AFC floundered at those elections, pulling in less than 10% of the votes in the areas it contested. The WPA would never take that risk. It knows that anytime it has to prove its electoral strength, it would be found wanting. Even in Buxton, where the WPA deludes itself into believing that it has support, it will be rejected. Given its weakness, the survival of the WPA depends on its becoming a political pimp of the PNCR. And so despite its ill-treatment at the hands of the government, the party will continue to be part of an abusive relationship. It may be hoping to get another seat following the forthcoming elections, but it may have to settle for half a seat. And you can bet that the party will find some justification for accepting that half-seat. After all, it did not seem to have difficulties with the half-man theory, which was rejected by the Caribbean Court of Justice.
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
GECOM cannot keep the presidency in power Sanjeev Datadin told the media that his team which argued for the legitimacy of the no confidence motion (NCM) won the battle but lost the war. This was his reasoning, because the CCJ did not stipulate when elections should be held. But there is a huge but. But why should the judges order an election date when the constitution does just that? The CCJ jurists were acting according to the constitution. The decision to uphold the NCM was their only judgment. They could not go beyond that. They have no legal jurisdiction to go beyond that line of demarcation of their jurisprudence. I cannot understand Datadin’s distinction, because I don’t believe there is a distinction. Under the
constitution, the general election has to be arranged and conducted by GECOM three months after the NCM. It becomes a matter of democracy or dictatorship if there is no election after three months. The CCJ has no authority to issue an edict for a specific date. GECOM announced that it could not hold elections within three months. What is the bearing of that on the continuation of APNU+AFC in office? As a layman, I could only read the constitution and laws of Guyana like every other lay person and form my opinion. The difficulty I have is, if GECOM cannot arrange a general election in three months, then by what constitutional article or specific law, can the incumbent stay in power until
GECOM is ready? From my understanding of the legal parameters then, if GECOM is unable to process the election physiology, then the ruling party can say; GECOM cannot hold elections and until they do, we will remain in office. I don’t think there is a legal argument for that. There seems to be an obfuscation plot taking place. The ruling party and the head of government have to stay in office after a successful NCM. To argue against that is like pushing an open door. The opposition and their supporters are exaggerating the words “Cabinet must resign.” The Cabinet and the president remain in place. But here is where the APNU+AFC leaders have become both insidious and invidious. The
government can only stay in place for the three months after the NCM. The APNU+AFC regime is functioning seven months after the NCM. That is not legal. Three months after the NCM, there should have been an election. APNU+AFC was in its right to contest the NCM in court. It did that and lost on June 18. From that date, GECOM should have initiated the process of an election. It says it cannot do that. But what has that to do with the APNU+AFC regime being in office? Which part of the constitution or which specific law can one point to, to justify a ruling party staying in office because the election body hasn’t got the arrangement mechanism in place to conduct a general poll? To my mind, this is a constitutional vacuum that has to be fixed, but the ruling party cannot arrogate to itself the privilege of asserting that until GECOM is ready then it will demit office if it loses the
upcoming poll. The CCJ President pointed to omissions, which are disturbing and only a mind that puts party above country would ignore the chairman’s warnings. First, he said once the NCM was triggered, GECOM should have done what it is mandated to do. We in Guyana know that the President and Prime Minister conceded after the NCM was passed, but GECOM remained totally inactive. Secondly, he repeated the first statement in the same form with a different timeframe. He went this time to June 18 and notified the litigants that after June 18, the natural consequences of the NCM should have been manifested, meaning if you care to understand the law, then an election should be on its way. In December, a NCM was successful. Since then, the GECOM Chairman was deemed to be out of legal order and had to step down and, there is no GECOM
Frederick Kissoon Chairman to proceed with the business of GECOM. Here now is where my lack of knowledge comes in and I am resorting to my simple understanding of the law. If after June 18 there wasn’t preparation for an election, how can the months go by, no election is on the horizon, and the ruling party continues to run the government? Isn’t there a time period when the implications of no election have to be faced and those implications are that the government cannot continue in office and if it can, by what legal procedure can it? What is the connection between GECOM and the APNU+AFC Coalition remaining in office?
Wednesday July 17, 2019
Kaieteur News
PAGE 11
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 17, 2019
$1.2B deficit signalled doom for airport – 2016 audit report
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) has had issues being profitable for a number of years. That has resulted in a deficit which could spell its demise. This is according to the audited financial statements of the corporation for the year 2016. The contracted auditors, Chartered Accountants PKF Barcellos Narine & Company, have audited the financial statements, comprising the corporation’s financial position as at December 31, 2016, the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and the statement of cash flows for the year then ended, a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory
information. In the firm’s opinion, the statements presented fairly, and its financial performance and cash flows for the year ended in accordance with International Financial
Reporting Standards. However, attention was drawn by the firm to a Material Uncertainty Related to Going Concern; a key audit matter. The corporation’s total
operating income had amounted to $1,427,904,021 and its operating expenses amounted to $1,464,753,207, which resulted in an operating loss of $36,849,186. There were also non-
operating expenses of $70,471,305. That took the total net comprehensive loss in that year to $107,320,491. Added to the accumulated deficit brought forward from the previous year, the corporation’s accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2016 became $1,217,698,664. In its address of this deficit, the auditors stated, “We draw attention to Note 29 in the financial statements, which indicates that the corporation has an accumulated deficit of
G$1,217,698,664.” It continued, “As stated in Note 29, these conditions, along with other matters, indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the corporation’s ability to continue as going concern.” That was repeated by the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma. The audited financial statements for that year were the last statements to be laid in the National Assembly, so it is unclear what developments could be made. Continued on page 30
Four names shortlisted... (From page 3) the President said that they had the authority to examine the list and conduct what was described as a hammering our process in order to produce a shortlist. He expressed satisfaction at the work. “It is not complete. We still have possibilities of other names.” The President also declined to give reasons why he rejected a number of names. According to Harmon, there will be continued engagements until a list of six names can be arrived at. “Both the President and Opposition Leader committed to selection of a chair of GECOM in the fastest possible time,” Harmon said.
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Millions spent on non-performing Law Reform Commission June 2018, but has done no visible work whatsoever. “As I indicated, there is no Commissioner appointed, therefore, the Law Reform Commission cannot be functioning without Commissioners. So for the past two years we have been paying persons, which include legal clerks, typist and a driver, millions and millions of taxpayers’ monies to do absolutely nothing. This is wanton wastage,” Nandlall had declared. Nandlall had pointed out that a written agreement of tenancy dated 14th November 2017, revealed that the Ministry of Legal Affairs rented the 2nd and 3rd flats (not the 1st flat, which is normally the high rent yielding flat) of a building located at 59 Robb Street, Bourda for the whopping sum of $850,000 per month.
The building (upper two flats) which is being rented for close to $1M per month to house the non-performing Law Reform Commission. Millions of dollars have being expended to pay secretarial staff, rent a building, and other facilities for a Law Reform Commission (LRC), which is virtually non-performing. The LRC is a statutory body mandated by the Law Reform Act of 2016. According to the law, the LRC shall consist of three to seven members including a Chairperson, who is appointed by the President,
following consultation with the Minister of Legal Affairs. The appointment of the members is vital to the function of the Commission which is mandated to review, simplify, modify and systematically develop the law. Several million dollars have been expended in the past two years towards setting up the LRC, yet it is without members. The expenditure has come under intense criticism from
former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall. According to Nandlall, the Government is expending close to a million dollars every month to rent the top flat of a building located at Robb Street. He said that based on disclosures made in the National Assembly, the institution cost taxpayers a total of $12,495,000 in salaries and $5,950,000 in rent, totalling $18,445,000 up to
Attorney General Basil Williams had previously disclosed that the agreement was signed between the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Michael and Michelle Wharton. The rental is from December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018. He revealed that staff hired so far includes a Legal Officer, with a salary of $700,000; two Legal Clerks, $150,000 each; three typists at $130,000 each; two office assistants, $100,000 each; a cleaner, $75,000 and one driver, $120,000. As part of the agreement, the government has to pay its own electricity while the landlord pays the water. Additionally, the agreement stipulates a security deposit of $1.7M. Government also agreed to pay the first two months of the tenancy before
occupation of the building. According to Williams, the Commission is in its final stages of readiness. He outlined that persons have been interviewed for the position of Commissioners while staff have been hired. Kaieteur News visited the office of the Commission yesterday; two staffers were present in an almost empty office space located at the top flat of the building. The staffers said that they could not divulge any information. Any questions, they said, must be directed to the Legal Affairs Minister. The bottom flat of the building is occupied by a copying and printing business. This publication reached out to Minister Williams for further explanation. He declined to comment, stating only that he was heading to a meeting.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday July 17, 2019
Police corporal threatens to take my life Trinidad-based Ravello Martinao Tyndall is alleging that a female police corporal in Guyana is spearheading an extensive campaign geared at ending his life. “She called me and said that I will die in the very same vehicle I am driving, and after that all hell broke loose on me.” Tyndall told this publication that his trouble all began for him since in 2017. He said he would normally visit Guyana regularly for business, and during one such trip began a relationship with a female police corporal. He said when he later found out that the
corporal was the half-sister of his reputed wife of nine years, he broke off the relationship. He said in 2017 while on a visit to Guyana, he visited the corporal at her mother’s home as they were having a birthday celebration. He said while in conversation with the woman at the back door, the woman enquired if he wanted to traffic in cocaine. “We were chatting then suddenly she asked if I want to fetch a few blocks for her. I was confused and asked her to explain. Then she said that she was talking about fetching
- says TT based businessman cocaine to Trinidad and I was very shocked and I refused. She said she have a CANU friend who she would introduce to me (name provided), and explained that he would put the drugs in somebody suitcase because he was a bag handler and the drugs would be collected in Trinidad by an associate working at the airport there.” Tyndall said that when he flew back to Trinidad shortly after he told his reputed wife about the issue and also informed that he was going to the police with the matter. He added that he also informed the police corporal that he was going to report the matter. He said on May 15 of this year, in a conversation with the corporal, she told him that they would find his body in his vehicle. He said the woman was furious because he had reported the matter to the Police Complaints Authority and an investigation was launched. He provided proof of conversations with high-ranking police officials and said statements were already taken from him by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Guyana and investigations have begun on the matter. The man said he had also taken out a restraining order on the female police rank to ensure his safety (same was provided as proof of his story). He said that earlier this year, he was summoned by the corporal, who instructed that he report to the Major Crime Unit in Georgetown, and there he met her and a male colleague who took
Trinidad-based Ravello Martinao Tyndall, who says he fears for his life after threats made by police. away his passport. He said while it has been over two months now, his passport has not been returned to him. The man said that the female corporal and her colleague took away his two cell phones and spent time deleting messages and voicemails exchanged between him and the woman. The man said he was placed on $50,000 bail and released the same day. He said strangely he was not charged, and that the charge was only written up by a rank yesterday, and he was called and informed that he had to go to court as well yesterday. Continued on page 15
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Psychiatric patient gets Police corporal threatens to... 20 years for killing son, 8 Sonia King, who admitted about a month ago to killing her eight-year-old son, by suffocating him with a bed sheet, was yesterday sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for the crime. The custodial sentence was handed down by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara. King, who said she was sorry, when asked to explain by the Judge what might have caused her to kill her own child responded, “It’s hurting me.” In turn, Justice Singh told her, “I’m hurting too,” as he tried to probe her for an answer. Formerly of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, King was initially indicted for the murder of her eight-year-old son, Emanuel King, which occurred on February 21, 2016 at their home. State Prosecutor Teriq Mohamed had previously told the court that Sonia King said in caution statement, “I just holding him down. (He) was kicking up with he foot. I hold the sheet there until he stop moving and then I go and call Robert (Emanuel’s
Sonia King
DEAD: Emanuel King
father) and tell he I kill Emanuel.” While her lawyer Mark Conway asked the court to show mercy, Prosecutor Mohamed asked the court to impose a sentence that would reflect the serious nature of the offence. The prosecutor disclosed that the child’s death has left his father traumatised. During her address to the court, Sonia King continuously said that she was sorry. But Justice Singh responded, “You could say sorry all you want. This was
your son, you needed to protect him,” before handing down the j a i l s e n t e n c e . Sonia King is presently undergoing psychiatric treatment. While in jail, she has been pursuing classes in hairdressing. According to reports, King, who was pregnant at the time, had first told the police that her son succumbed after falling from a tree earlier that day. But she later gave a formal statement to investigators where she confessed to strangling the child with a bed sheet.
From page 14 He said that on June 15 of this year, neighbours in New Amsterdam, Berbice (where he has two properties) informed him that three strange men in a white pickup were asking about him. He said neighbours said they could see the guns the men were carrying from their windows. He said he was in a shop close by and as he stepped out, the men pulled up, asking about his whereabouts. He said he tried to pretend that he was a stranger to the area, but his Trinidadian accent was a dead giveaway. He said the men had what looked like an AK-47 and a shotgun in the vehicle and they began to shout at him until he threatened to call the Police Commissioner. He said as he attempted to get on his phone the men “boiled down” and begged him not to say that they were sent by the police corporal to rough him up. He said he trailed the vehicle after they left and was shocked to see it drive into the compound of a Berbice police station. The businessman provided the vehicle number and name of the alleged driver, with a contact number as well. When this individual was contacted yesterday, he
refused bluntly to comment on the issue. Yesterday, this newspaper spoke to relatives of the man who said they are afraid to let him come around them, because of the manner in which he had allegedly become a police target. A female cousin who he had asked to drop him to Kaieteur News, related that she refused because she is scared. The man said that earlier this year he was conducting business at the Guyana Revenue Authority, when a police vehicle suddenly arrived and men with guns surrounded him. He said the men informed him that they had received a 911 call that dictated he was threatening security guards at the area. The man said minutes after the female police corporal appeared on the scene and supported the armed police ranks in their
claims, until he demanded that the GRA guards be questioned. The businessman said this was done with much reluctance on her part and the guards indicated that they never made the call. The businessman is demanding the return of his passport. He said that if police in Guyana cannot look into the matter, he will be seeking the attention of international authorities. Yesterday, CID sources indicated that the matter is being investigated and that “everything is under control”. They informed that such matters required thorough investigation. When the female police corporal was contacted yesterday, she refuted the claims of the man, saying it was he who had threatened her instead. She said the man was simply trying to destroy her image.
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Wednesday July 17, 2019
Kaieteur News
Mechanic shoots girlfriend twice, later kills self A 23-year-old mechanic of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara is now dead after he injured his 20-yearold girlfriend by shooting her with a gun and later turning the weapon on himself yesterday. The young lady has been identified as Faith Thompson, a Qualfon employee, and of Lot 39 Norton Street, Lodge,
Georgetown. The deceased has been identified as Daniel Hinckson. Reports indicate that the incident took place around 10:45hrs. A neighbour said that she heard when shots were fired. “I was inside when I hear two sounds like shots. Lil bit after that I hear another one and I peep outside.” According to the
neighbour, Thompson was seen running out of the yard covered in blood. The police were called and Thompson’s uncle picked her up and rushed her to the Georgetown Public Hospital. At the hospital, the young lady’s father indicated that she recently moved to Norton Street to live with her grandmother and uncle.
He indicated that the doctors told him that his daughter was shot to the neck and right thigh. “They said that she was in a stable condition; however, they don’t know where the bullet is and they will have to do some scans and x-ray to find it.” According to information, the couple was on visiting terms, which is known to family members. The dead man’s sister, Felicia Hinckson, related that the two had recently been having relationship issues. “I got a call around 11 this morning from my mother
saying that Daniel get shoot, but we didn’t know what happen. Is when she call back the second time, then I know he died. I know that they have been having problems, but I don’t know what the cause of it was.” Hinckson’s sister mentioned that she has no idea where her brother got the gun from and never knew him to be in possession of any weapon. “We last saw him yesterday [Monday], but I don’t know where he got the gun from. He is just a mechanic and wouldn’t have access to that.”
INJURED: Faith Thompson
Mystery vessel shows up at E’bo seawall
The Norton Street, Lodge premises in which the incident took place.
The vessel that was discovered at the Hampton Court seawall. A fishing vessel bearing a Spanish name has mysteriously surfaced at the Hampton Court sea wall, on the Essequibo Coast. According to sources within the area, the boat which measures at least 30ft. in length, was recently discovered submerged, by a fisherman who lives within the area. Fishermen who spoke to this publication
said that a fishing net came into contact with a large object. Upon inquiring, the fisherman discovered the vessel, which was submerged entirely. Based on additional reports, the vessel was still equipped with its engine and fishing gear. There are a number of questions now surrounding the discovery of the vessel, and the fate of its crew.
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Judge upholds legality Regional insurance heads of fraud charges meet to discuss social security against Irfaan Ali
PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali Apart from ruling that the High Court has jurisdiction to hear People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential candidate Irfaan Ali’s challenge to the legality of 19 fraud charges against him, Justice Franklin Holder on Monday ruled that the charges are correct in law. Justice Holder noted that the court saw nothing unconstitutional and capricious about the charge brought against Ali by the State, while noting that he had failed to establish that the institution of the charges breached his constitutional rights. Justice Holder’s ruling now paves the way for Ali to be tried in the Magistrates’ Courts. Earlier this year, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the police force, filed charges against Ali alleging that he defrauded government of over $174M by selling plots of 19 plots of lands at Sparendaam and Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, known as the Pradoville Two Scheme, below the market value. Ali, through his lawyers, Anil Nandlall and Associates, then moved to the High Court where they mounted a challenge as to the legality of the charges. As Justice Holder heard arguments in the matter, he granted an interim stay of the proceedings in the Magistrates’ Courts pending the hearing and determination of the challenge. Ali has since been released on self-bail by the lower court. He was, however, not required to plead to the charges since they were indictable. At the High Court, Ali, among other things, had requested an order of Certiorari quashing the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge him with the offence of conspiracy to defraud
contrary to common law. His basis was that the charges were irrational, biased, and influenced by improper considerations and motives. He had also asked the court for an order of Certiorari quashing the information of oath of Munilall Persaud, Corporal of Police at SOCU, on the 19 charges. Further, he had asked the court for declaration that the particulars of the charges do not constitute an offence known to law, and contravenes Section 144 (4) of the Constitution. He had contended that there is no statutory or common-law duty to obtain a valuation prior to the sale of the property. He had also asked the court for a declaration that the charges are vague and constitute an abuse of process. Ali, a former minister had also sought general, punitive, exemplary and aggravated damages not less than $100,000. He had also asked the court to award him costs and any further order or directions, which the court deems fit and warranted in all the circumstances. The charges against Ali stated that between the period 2011 and 2015, he conspired with persons unknown to defraud the Government, when he acted recklessly by selling 19 plots of state lands at Plantations Sparendaam and Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. The lands, which were sold for $39.8M, are valued at $212.4M, according to SOCU. According to SOCU, Ali is accused of ‘grossly underselling’ the 19 plots of state lands to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, former Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon; Luncheon’s wife, Floreen Ramnaught; and former ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Clement Rohee, DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack; former army chief-of-staff Gary Best, and Fortune Developers Inc. Guyana. Ali is also accused of selling lands to former General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Lisaveta Ramotar; former President of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo and the son of former Labour Minister Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Dr. Ghansham Singh; former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Continued on page 30
Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, delivering the feature address. Today is the second day of a regional social security conference being held here at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown. The Heads of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Social Security Organisations have convened for their 30th meeting, organised by the National Insurance Scheme (Guyana) in conjunction with the CARICOM secretariat. During the opening ceremony yesterday, General Manager of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Mrs. Holly Greaves, welcomed the delegations representing several countries across the region, and urged cooperation throughout the four days of the conference to develop
their organisations collectively, and work on the CARICOM agreement on social security, which was signed in Georgetown on March 1, 1996. That agreement was made with the intention of harmonising the social security legislation of the community’s member states. Also addressing the gathering was Chairman of the NIS Board, John Seeram. He advocated for continued integration of the regional insurance bodies, making special mention of the need for research in this regard, on the needs of populations. Delivering the feature address was Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry. She said that since the
signing of the agreement on social security, there has been the technological revolution with fast digitisation and dematerialisation, moving towards the paperless and electronic transfer of texts, sound and image, which has “triggered a paradigm shift” in performance. “In particular, professional activity as a whole, whatever the sector, has changed profoundly with the increase in the number of manufacturing robots, the widespread use of IT support in various creative design and management tasks, the complete computerisation of enterprises’ accounting, administrative and financial management, and the use of websites for communication, orders and contact,” she said.
Minister Henry stressed that there is a strong rationale for all stakeholders to step up to the challenge and close the gaps, and that investing in sustainable social security strategies is good for the people, the planet and prosperity as a region. Other addresses during the opening ceremony of the conference were made by Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque; Marcelo Caetano, Secretary-General of the International Social Security Association (ISSA); Mr. Reginald Thomas, Director of the Inter-American Centre for Social Security Studies; and Mr. Michael B. Joseph, Finance Secretary at the Ministry of Finance.
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Wednesday July 17, 2019
Kaieteur News
Man who allegedly stole groceries remanded
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Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown. Tel#227-8748/622-4970 1 experienced driver, must have license for car/van/ minibus & motorbus, residing in G/town between ages 24-50 yrs old. #225-1429/ 641-5075 (1) Cashier to work @ Innovations America, must be between ages of 30-45. Send applications/CV’s to: innovationsamericamng @gmail.com Cashier, Ark Enterprise/The Container House. Bring application and police clearance to 17 Lombard Street. Security needed for the interior and Georgetown. Call: 223-7165 One procurement personnel needed. Call: 223-7165 Experienced Male Porters & Salesgirls with 2 yrs experience. CXC maths & english. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529 Vacancy for experienced mason. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Bourda Vacancy for 1 massage therapist, 1 hairdresser & 2 nail technician at Natural Beauty Salon & Spa. #652-5800 Needed 1 experienced grade 6 teacher, 1 multigrade experience teacher for grades 2 & 3 for Summer School. #690-9378 DemBake @ Land of Canaan is seeking experienced Motor Lorry drivers & Sales agent. Email CV: admin@demerarabakery.com / call: 266-5848 Annabel’s Bistro located @ 36 Public road, La Grange WBD is seeking cooks with baking skills. Tel#675-7313/ 500-1500 One experienced legal computer clerk. Call: 624-7087/ 226-4283/258-0213/ email :husainsaphier@yahoo.com General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook. Apply with 2 references. KeyFood McDoom village
“I pleaded guilty because Mr. Bristol tell me to plead guilty... Is dem constable breaking the stalls and then dem blaming people like me.” This was the utterance of 46-year-old porter Dexter Burnham, when he appeared yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, to answer to a breaking and entering charge. The charge stated that on July 7, 2019, he broke and entered the stall of Nandranie Sookwah and stole four bags containing groceries valued at $116,000 – property of Sookwah. Prosecutor Goodman objected to bail being granted to the defendant based on the penalty and nature of the offence, and the possibility that the defendant would not return to court if granted bail. The facts of the charge read that Sookwah had secured her stall and left for home about 22:55 hrs on July 6. The next morning someone saw Burnham breaking and entering the woman’s stall. The matter was then reported to the Bourda Police Outpost. Burnham was later positively identified, told of the allegation, arrested and cautioned. The police ranks then took the suspect to the Police Outpost where a confrontation was held and Burnham was charged for the offence. Prosecutor Goodman also mentioned that Burnham doesn’t have a fixed place of abode, and was previously convicted for twelve months on a previous break and enter charge and six months on two charges of simple larceny in relation to receiving stolen articles. Burnham then told the court that “Dem city constable does be breaking dem vendors stall and get we fetching out the goods, but I didn’t went in nobody stall, and they always bringing drugs and test it on we.” Based on the explanation given by Burnham, Chief Magistrate McLennan entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. She also mentioned that it was a serious allegation, with the defendant saying that he was threatened. Burnham was then remanded to prison until July 19, when he is expected to make his next court appearance. VACANCY Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 5024002/600-8457
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Has President Granger paved the way for Jagdeo’s third term? DEAR EDITOR, I believe it would be fair to say that the nation’s interest and involvement in the debates and discussions over the last few months have reached an unprecedented height, something not experienced in Guyana during our constitutional reform process at the turn of this century. Since December 21, 2018, the populace seemed to have been captivated by the legal battles and have eagerly
followed the no-confidence expedition through the court system, which ended July 12 with the CCJ consequential orders. During this time, they have been exposed to a host of interpretations, reinterpretations and misinterpretations of various constitutional provisions. In fact, some of the most outrageous interpretations emerged from some members of both, the bar and the bench. The President and his
cabal, in turn, have used these deviations to hang on to political control. While the CCJ’s ultimate Orders may not have surprised the legal minds, some sections of the general populace were left bewildered as they had anticipated Orders forcing the government to call elections before September 18. Informal discussions, meanwhile, continue. Over the weekend, a common theme took shape/birth at
Building and maintaining social cohesion require strategies at fundamental levels DEAR EDITOR, Our schools are likely the greatest social cohesion-building force in Guyana. They are likely more potent than other significant forces such as residential proximity (how close together people of different groups live) and shared beliefs (for example, a common religion). It therefore caught my attention, when attending recently the passing-out ceremony at the BV-Quamina Primary School, that there were only a few Indo-Guyanese pupils in the graduating Grade 6 class. Looking at the names on the class list, I counted 5 or 6 students of Indian parentage out of a class size of 45. I compared these numbers to my own passing-out class in the mid-1970s at the old BV Primary school and, from memory and class photos, confirmed that Indo-Guyanese students were then in the majority. Most of them lived in Triumph, immediately east of BV. I have no idea of the enrolment catchment area for the now BV-Quamina Primary School. In the early 2000’s, the school was established through the merger of the old BV Primary School and the Quamina Primary School, the latter having an almost 100% Afro-Guyanese student population. While the merging of the two schools may explain a decline in Indian students in relative terms, it would not explain their decline in absolute terms. Adding to the puzzle, there is no primary school in Triumph to pull IndoGuyanese students away from the BV school. Whatever the explanation, there seems to be a marked increase in segregation by race at the BV primary school, judging by the racial breakdown of its 2019 graduating class (13%
of Indo-Guyanese students), especially when viewed against the background that the 2012 national census puts the Indo-Guyanese population in Triumph at 46.5%. If this case serves as a representative sample, then, on a national scale, several questions arise for the Ministry of Education and the several regional education departments. First, do education officials in these agencies recognise the importance of lower schools as spaces for the fostering of interracial contact and building social cohesion? While true that the higher up our school system one goes, the more racially mixed are the schools, promoting healthy inter-racial relations is proven to best start when children are very young. Second, how are school zones and districts drawn up, bearing in mind that Guyanese still live in racial enclaves? BV and LBI, for example, are respectively about 70% Black and Indian. Is nearness to home the main factor? Is mixing of student populations considered? Third, are there deliberate teaching strategies to promote inter-racial cooperation and understanding among kids? Teaching strategies could include, for example, cooperative learning, where students are placed in mixed groups and given small assignments to work on collectively. Or, could also, include the light-handed supervision of children’s play time by teachers to foster more interaction across our social divides (by gender, race, religion, etc). Building and maintaining social cohesion in Guyana require strategies at such fundamental levels. Sherwood Lowe
Will the ‘interim’ government’s... From page 6 have cast his predicament in the context of the Machiavellian view that; “Even those who regularly broke their own promises were quite capable of assuming that others would honour their undertakings towards them even when circumstances should have led them to doubt it.” The President’s dilemma is made even more painful considering Machiavelli’s advice to the Prince: “Since men would not keep their word to you, you do not have to keep yours to them ... when keeping it is to his (the Prince’s) disadvantage, and when the reasons that made him promise no longer exist.”
So much for good faith Granger style. This brings us to an important question. Will the donor community grow more assertive knowing that they are now dealing with a caretaker government? Will their assertiveness be consistent with the CCJ’s judgments of June 18 and its consequential orders of July 12 or, will it be influenced by political expediency and economic interests or both? The question the donor community must address is whether the interim government’s control of the affairs of state has a reasonable prospect of permanency. In the circumstances, the donor community must
determine whether its recognition of the interim government is not mistaken for approval of its actions contrary to the consequential orders of the CCJ. It will therefore be of interest to observe whether the donor community’s approval is left to be inferred from the nature of its dealings with the APNU+AFC Coalition whose administration is now on a different footing. Where uncertainty about good faith remains, this makes diplomacy more critical since only diplomats are in a position to probe the intentions of the powers that be. Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee
one gathering: Mr. Ganger may have paved the road for Jagdeo’s third term presidential bid. The reinterpretation/ misinterpretation sage continues with the President and GECOM moving along with their plans in contravention of the CCJ and our constitution. GECOM has embarked on plans to have elections early next year, despite CCJ’s urging for it to be held by September 18. Meanwhile, the President has submitted a list of his choice as Chair of GECOM. The President’s submission not only contravenes the letter of the constitution and law, but also the spirit – the very essence and intent of the framers to take such unilateral control/ decision away from the President. Given that the President’s list of names is constitutionally barred, unless the Opposition Leader includes one or more of them in his submission, I see no need to write about their potency in terms of established ‘fit and proper’ criteria.
However, in light of the President and his cabal’s continued defiance of the CCJ and our constitutional provisions, could Dr. Jagdeo and the PPP push for a third term? While two wrongs may never equate to what is right, the idea flows from the defiance/breach, and in the vein of David Hinds illogical logic and the President’s obstinacy and use of double negatives in the colloquial sense. In the Hinds-view, APNU+AFC administration have many faults but the populace should still vote them into government again. The President’s double negatives in a speech at Vreed-en-Hoop were meant to reflect his negative position. His “I ain’t going nowhere,” which correctly translates to the affirmative, ‘I am going somewhere’ was used in the ordinary everyday sense to convey the message that he was not going anywhere – he was not leaving office despite the carried no-confidence vote on December 21. In the context of the President and
his administration’s constitutional defiance posture, some people have opined that Jagdeo and the PPP should advocate for the third term in defiance of the CCJ and our constitution by mirroring the defiant acts of Mr. Granger and his administration and putting his name back on the board. In a nutshell, the President’s blatant constitutional breaches, and defiance of the CCJ ruling with impunity give much food for thought. While I would not support any such breach, an argument can be made that President Granger is setting the example for others to follow. Clearly, such behaviour leaves much to be desired and certainly does not bode well for Guyana. Guyanese must therefore, consider carefully those facts and prepare to actively and collectively engage local and foreign influences for the removal of the President and his APNU + AFC government as quickly as possible. Yours sincerely, Ronald Singh (Barrister & Solicitor)
Separations of powers DEAR EDITOR, According to the authorities, and I quote the Canadian one, “Caretaker governments may be put in place when a government in a parliamentary system is defeated in a motion of no confidence, or in the case when the House [Parliament] to which the government is responsible is dissolved, such governments should be in place for an interim period until an election is held and a new government is formed. In this sense, in some countries, which use a Westminster system of government, the caretaker government is simply the incumbent government, which continues to operate in the interim period between the normal dissolution of parliament for the purpose of holding an election and the formation of a new government after the election results are known. Unlike in ordinary times, the caretaker government’s activities are limited by custom and convention. Uniformly they are made to the code of not making decisions in government which are not for the purpose of the daily running of the state apparatus.” Of course as I have been saying in these letters, our permanent secretaries are the ones who should be doing that. And to make my point again, I am going to have to get a little brutal now, and it
is again just an example, but one which I know personally which is why I am using it. In September 1992, Mr. Harry Persaud was at the gate of the Houston Estate, Friday afternoons selling the Mirror Newspaper to the workers, which we were paying to grow sugar cane. The next month, in October 1992, Harry Persaud was the Minister in charge of Works and Transport, running it and making executive decisions! And in this country after the Burnham regime, the public service was subverted to be a political rather than a professionally state run organisation, since at that time the party was paramount to the state. So Harry Persaud did not create this nonsense, he was just caught up in it, just as Dr. Jagan was, the problem was that they were in opposition for 28 years so had no idea what they had to do and that uncertainty went on for a very long time, years. The very clear conclusion, in the present case, would be that any new decisions, which were not on the table prior to the proroguing of parliament should now be off the table. Unlike some writers, but as a former chairman of the Economics Services Committee of the Guyana Parliament, I believe that the objective of a budget is to charter the course of a country, and commit funds therefore by what is
fundamentally a document, which contains the philosophy of the thinking of the government at the time of its presentation, clearly such an action cannot possibly be regarded as routine caretaking. And one has to remember that the main ruling of the CCJ is that the parliament was dissolved since December 2019 on the day that the NCM was passed. Editor, in a Parliamentary Westminster system such as ours, to keep the separation of power between the Executive and the Legislative branch is not easy, and it is a construct, which has to be understood by all Guyanese. In America, the President begins his term several months after an election, because he is taking with him a completely new set of secretaries or as we know them, Ministers, to head the various departments of government: the secretaries of War, of State, of the Treasury, of agriculture, etc. These people are not chosen for their political accomplishments and activism but for their outstanding professional performances in their respective fields of endeavour. They are not and usually have never been, senators or political functionaries of any kind. So to keep the separation of powers in the Continued on page 30
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Bartica to get Special Needs School
The town of Bartica is looking forward to the construction of a Special Needs School to cater for those who have disabilities so that they may be included in the education system. This comes after bids for the said project were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). It attracted an engineer’s estimate of $25,993,383. Other notable projects were for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure - Rehabilitation of Lethem Aerodrome, Region 9, which attracted an estimate of 183,000,000 - the Ministry of the Presidency, Supply and Delivery of Building Materials - Den Amstel Training Centre, as well as the Supply and Delivery of Building Materials for the Coldingen Training Centre among others. Regional Democratic Council Region 7 Construction of Special Needs School at Bartica
Ministry of Public Infrastructure - Rehabilitation of Lethem Aerodrome, Region 9
Ministry of Finance - Procurement of Network Recabling
Ministry of Education - Supply and Delivery of Dietary Supplies Lot 1- Dry Goods
Ministry of Agriculture-GLDA Supply, Delivery and testing of Two Drones with High Tech Accessories
Guyana Water Incorporated - Supply and Delivery of Filter Media Lots 1&2
Ministry of the Presidency Supply and Delivery of Building Materials - Den Amstel Training Centre
Supply and Delivery of Building Materials Coldingen Training Centre Maritime Administration Department Acquisition, Supply and Installation of a Met Ocean Buoy
Ministry of Communities Upgrade of Internal Access Road to Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site Phase 2
Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Supply and Commissioning of Medical Equipment
National Parks Commission - Supply, Installation and Commission of Integrated StandAlone Solar Powered 80W LED Streetlights for the Botanical Gardens
Ministry of Public Infrastructure Consultancy Services for Road Safety Diagnostic and Action Plan for Guyana
>>>> Continued on page 29 <<<<
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Kaieteur News
Bartica to get Special... From page 28 Ministry of Public Security - Procurement of Prison Cell Beds Guyana Prison Service
Rehabilitation of Port Kaituma Secondary School
Rehabilitation of Port Kaituma Primary School
Procurement of Office Equipment and Furniture
Procurement of IT Equipment
Procurement of Desktop Computers
Regional Democratic Council, Region 7 - Construction of Road at Caribese Hill
Regional Democratic Council Region 1 Construction of Road at Hosororo Hill
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CJIA sexual assault allegation… No bail for man who allegedly stole $1.1M in jewellery, cash Police probe stalled as witness A labourer who resides in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was charged and appeared before the courts on Monday for allegedly breaking and entering a house and stealing articles and cash at a total value of $1.1M. Twenty-six-year-old Seon Isaacs, a father of two, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. He denied the charge, which read that on July 12, 2019, at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Sandra Adams, and stole
articles valued at $700,000 and $400,000 cash, property of the said victim. Police prosecutor Shellon Daniels told the court that on the day in question while Adams was on her way home, she noticed Isaacs putting the stolen articles in the trunk of a car, which was parked on the road some 50ft away from her home. Adams then shouted at the man, which caused him to panic and run. Public-spirited persons in the area helped chase and catch the suspect. Some of the articles were recovered and he was arrested and charged. After listening to the
fails to sign statement
Seon Isaacs facts, Magistrate Marcus remanded Isaacs until July 29, when he will make his next court appearance.
$1.2B deficit signalled... From page 12 The airport’s management has been advised to evaluate its operations with the view of addressing and reducing the deficit. Attempts to contact the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Ghir, were unsuccessful. Over the past eight years, US$150M was committed and expended to facilitate a renovation of the corporation’s port, so business would improve. The former People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
administration had marketed the plan as one that would make the airport a hub for Africa. Even then, there were issues. When the current administration took over in 2015, it claimed that major issues were found, and that changes needed to be made. Further, it claimed that the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) had claimed for US$90M with only seven percent of the work completed. A significant portion of that money was
Judge upholds legality... From page 25 Executive Officer, Rajendra Singh; and former president of the Caribbean Development Bank, Dr. Compton Bourne. He is also accused of selling lands to Former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission Safraaz Khan; former CEO of Guyana Water Inc, Shaik Baksh; along with George Halla and Dave Narine. Ali was arrested and charged after a probe of the financial operations of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae, and forwarded to SOCU for investigation.
paid out. The contract was supposed to be completed in 32 months after being signed in 2011, but has dragged on to 2019. The plan that was passed from the PPP to the Coalition Government in 2015 included a brand new terminal and eight air bridges, among other things. Now, instead of a brand new terminal building for the Arrivals and Departures along with a longer runway, there was renovation of the old terminal buildings and a smaller structure for the Arrivals. The number of passenger bridges has been reduced from eight to four. The public is yet to see the modified design. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that he believes that about US$30M is unaccounted for. Patterson told reporters last week that the airport should have been completed and handed over on June 30, 2019. That date has passed. The public waits.
The police probe into the sexual assault allegations involving an official of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) appears to be at a standstill, with a key witness involved in the matter refusing to sign a statement. Kaieteur News understands that the file has been with police at the Brickdam Station for the past weeks. However, a source close to the investigation revealed that the police were unable to get the witness to sign the statement. “That‘s the trouble with this case, if the statement is not signed, then it is no use taking the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) for advice,” the source added. Meanwhile, the victim in the matter has expressed frustration at the pace in which the investigation is taking to wrap up. She is fearful that her efforts to secure justice would have been in vain.
Last month, the female employee of a duty-free business operated by a concessionaire at the CJIA complained of a sexual assault cover-up. She claimed that she made a complaint that a very senior airport official forcefully kissed her twice and inappropriately touched her while she was in his office. The incident allegedly took place last year July. The woman claimed that she complained to CJIA’s chief, Ramesh Ghir, who promised to get to the bottom of the matter. When contacted by Kaieteur News, Ghir claimed that it had been investigated, but the airport could not confirm that anything happened. The woman had said that she never heard from the CJIA’s management about the matter again, until she decided to inquire about it. The alleged victim has since filed a report at the Timehri Police Station. Since the start of the investigation, police had run
into trouble getting witnesses to supply statements. The airport CEO was identified as one of those who were hesitant to produce information. He later complied. In addition to the case under police investigation, Kaieteur News has reported that four women walked off the job in 2012 after what they claimed was systematic pressure for them to have sexual relations with another high-ranking official. The incident had affected the women, leaving them traumatised. At present, the airport official implicated in the case before the police is back to work at the facility. He had proceeded on leave to make way for an ongoing probe of the complaint of sexual misconduct. The airport’s management also withdrew the airport security credentials of the woman who made the complaint. Her security pass has not been restored.
Separations of powers From page 27 USA is very easy, since the heads of the Government Departments are not political appointees and are completely separate from the senate and the congress and are not members thereof. Mind you, the citizens of the US are kept informed by the media at all times looking for any one of the three arms of the government trying to influence the other. In our Westminster system, the Ministers who will become the Executive branch of government, except the President, MUST be Members of Parliament i.e. they have to be members of the legislative branch and continue to be members of the legislative branch of government, before they can become the members of the executive branch of government, and so they continue at all times to be both members of the legislature, as well as members of the executive branch of government i.e. the Ministers and the Cabinet of the nation. In many countries with our system, this blurs the line between the legislative and the executive arms of government, but in our winner takes all system, I can very easily say that as we see it in operation daily, this division between the legislative arm and the executive arm does not exist at all, and for us it has been a recipe for disaster since they have put in place measures to exert control on the judicial arm of government. So if this construct is legal, if there is no parliament, how can there be Ministers? However, the law abhors a vacuum, and so the law or the judiciary likes to see something, and sometimes anything, instead of nothing. So they have told us let the government now in power function as a caretaker government, we don’t know exactly what the CCJ judges view of a caretaker Government was, but we do not need to know, there are numerous authorities of what caretaker conventions and practices are from numerous countries around
the world, Canada, Australia, India etc. to guide us. That is don’t do anything NEW just keep what has been the policies of the government prior to the NCM, ticking over until a new government is elected. If there can be consultations between the government and the opposition as to what EXACTLY are the GUYANA conventions of a caretaker, so much the better. Running back to the CCJ is just another practice of what has become usual practice in this country, an act of utter stupidity. Systems, which are as politically corrupt as ours have become unworkable, owing to the misunderstanding of the successive governments we have had since independence, and I don’t mean corrupt in terms of dishonest, I mean corrupt in terms of the way it has evolved over time, giving far too many powers to the Ministers who are not well prepared to manage anything, and not enough power to the real accounting officers of the Ministries i.e. the Permanent Secretaries. It is clear that the situation has become a morass of corruption and stupidity. Moreover, our failure or lack of oversight as a nation exacerbates the situation considerably, but we allowed it. We the citizens of this country allowed it and we have to take back control of it! This is our country we own it, all of us, not Mr. Granger or Mr. Jagdeo. They must do what we want, not the other way around. They are haemorrhaging us too badly as a nation with the sort of unbridled skullduggery we see unfolding in the media daily, and so I want to salute the Kaieteur and Stabroek News’ especially for keeping it in our face daily, to force us to do something. Editor, we must always remember that evil triumphs when good men do nothing. And on behalf of all Guyanese, I thank you. Tony Vieira
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Lively CAF congress expected amid corruption scandal Dominoes action set for CAIRO (Reuters) - A corruption scandal and a decision to cede control of the body to FIFA are likely to provoke lively debate when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) holds its congress in Cairo tomorrow. It is the first meeting of C A F ’s 54-member associations since allegations of fraud and sexual harassment were levelled against CAF president Ahmad Ahmad in April. Ahmad, a former cabinet minister in his homeland Madagascar, was
reported in March to FIFA’s ethics committee by CAF general secretary Amr Fahmy, who was then fired. Further allegations of fraud have recently been made against Ahmad, who was detained and questioned by French authorities in June as part of a corruption investigation. Ahmad has denied wrongdoing in several media interviews but has not responded to repeated requests by Reuters for comment on the specific allegations against him. F I FA t o o k o v e r t h e
running of CAF in the wake of the corruption allegations following an unprecedented decision by the African b o d y ’s executive committee to cede control. That decision was seen by some of Ahmad’s critics as a bid for him to try and stay in power, even if it opens him up to further scrutiny when FIFA audits CAF’s finances. The handover of power has proven unpopular with some member associations. They dislike the idea of African football being run by outsiders even though
Wednesday July 17, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Money worries might have you more on edge than usual, Aries. While you may be doing well, you could still be insecure enough to think that your funds might not stretch far enough.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Confusion over money matters might arise, Libra. You may need to check your records to shed light on past transactions. Don't worry. All should be well once you ascertain the facts.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) More than usual, you're probably craving solitude today, Taurus. Although you may have committed to attending a party or gettogether, now the idea may seem irritating.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Someone close to you might seem more preoccupied than usual, and perhaps a bit difficult to deal with. Don't take this personally. It has little, if anything, to do with you.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Although you're normally a sociable person who feels most comfortable in the company of others, today you may prefer to be alone. You could feel a little under the weather, or you could be stressed from job-related worries. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You tend to enjoy solitude, Cancer, but today you might feel more reclusive than usual. Friends could invite you out, but you aren't likely to accept the offer. You might even feel a little irritated.
SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You might feel a bit tense, and you probably won't understand why. The reason? The planets. You might jump at unexpected noises or take offense where none is intended. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You probably aren't going to feel like socializing even though friends want you to go out with them. Your patience could be worn a bit thin, and you may get annoyed at incidents that normally wouldn't bother you.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) There might be tension in the air for no discernible reason today. Family members might seem preoccupied with problems they can't d e f i n e . Yo u r n a t u r a l inclination could be to try to cheer them up
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Uptight is the mood for today. You might be the center of attention at some point. While you normally wouldn't mind, Aquarius, today it might make you nervous. When everyone looks at you and expects you to say something, say it.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Some mysterious telephone calls might come your way wrong numbers or hang-ups. Other people might seem less communicative than usual, Virgo, and you may be preoccupied.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today you may want to be left al o n e w i t h y o u r thoughts. Relaxing with a good book could be at the top of your agenda, Pisces, and you aren't likely to want to be interrupted. .
F I FA i s s e n d i n g i t s Senegalese secretary general Fatma Samoura on a ninth-month secondment from August to overhaul the organisation. Traditionally CAF congresses are docile affairs where decisions sought by the president are then approved by members, but Thursday’s meeting is expected to be a break from the norm. “This week will define African football. All this nonsense must stop,” one football association president, who did not want to be named, told Reuters. Opposition to Ahmad remains largely tempered and from anonymous sources and there is no expectation of any challenge to his leadership. Much attention will be on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is scheduled to attend. F I FA h a s c o n f i r m e d there is an ethics investigation into Ahmad, who is also, by virtue of his role at CAF, a FIFA vice president.
Losing slump continues... From page 36 of the final quarter, Barbados were out-played down the stretch as Jani kept Zimbabwe well out front with a 16-from18 shooting performance. Barbados started the tournament with a win over Singapore but subsequently lost to Malawi, Australia and New Zealand. They were the only Caribbean nation in action yesterday but today, powerhouses Jamaica take on Scotland, while Trinidad and Tobago clash with England.
Romalho wins back... From page 32 from the ranges, the day was hot with the wind factor being high strength to still switching from left to right with equal strength. The mirage was running and if attention wasn’t paid to same, it would have resulted in the shooter losing the shot. As it turned out, the shooter who held his nerves came out victor. And two possible were recorded on the day, veteran Ransford Goodluck was first to do so at the 300 Yards Range (50.5), he also ended with the most Vbulls for the day, 9. The other was recorded by Sherwin Felicien at the 500 Yards Range, 35.0.
Sunday in Tuschen Lyall Gittens in collaboration with Next Level and West Vybz Sports bar will be hosting a dominoes competition on Sunday at the above named sports bar located at Tuschen Public Road, East Bank Essequibo. Entrance fee is $12,000 and the winning team will take home a trophy and
$150,000, runner up a trophy and $100,000 and third place a trophy and $50,000. The Most Valuable Player in the competition will receive $10,000, while the player who shared the first love in the final will be given $5,000. Double-six time is 12:00hrs. Teams can contact Gittens on 697-2929 for registration.
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Woods defends his lack of golf ahead of British Open PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Tiger Woods has shrugged off concerns about his lack of golf heading into this week’s British Open, saying he needs to carefully manage the remaining years of his career. Woods has played only 10 competitive rounds since winning the Masters in April and his last tournament start was at the U.S Open. By the time the 43-yearold tees up on Thursday he will have gone 32 days without playing competitively. “Last year, I played too much. I played 17 events,” Woods told a news conference on Tuesday. “And a lot of it was trying to qualify for certain events. “So this year I made a conscious effort to cut back on my schedule to make sure that I don’t play too much. I want to play here as long as I possibly can. And you have to understand, if I play a lot, I won’t be out here that long,” the American former world number one said. “So it’s understanding how much I can play, prepping how much I do at home and getting ready. And that’s the tricky part is trying to determine how much tournament play I need to get the feel for the shots and also understanding where my body is,” Woods added. “I’m trying to figure it out and trying to play enough golf to where that I can compete and win events.” Woods said his Masters victory took a lot out of him
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Kaieteur News
Tiger Woods on the practice range during a practice round of the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club. (Steve Flynn-USA Today Sports) and he went on a two-week family vacation in Thailand after finishing tied for 21st at the U.S Open last month. “It’s not quite as sharp as I’d like to have it right now,” he said. “My touch around the greens is right where I need to have it. I still need to get the ball — the shape of the golf ball a little bit better than I am right now, especially with the weather coming in and the winds are going to be changing. “I’m going to have to be able to cut the ball, draw the ball, hit at different heights and move it all around. Today it was a good range session. I need another one tomorrow. And hopefully that will be enough to be ready,” he said. Woods, who has 15 major
titles to his name, reiterated his view that the British Open offers one of the best chances of adding to that tally. “It allows the players that don’t hit the ball very far or carry the ball as far to run the golf ball out there,” he said. “And plus, there is an art to playing links golf. It’s not — okay, I have 152 yards, bring out the automatic 9-iron and hit it 152. Here, 152 could be a little bump-and-run pitching wedge. It could be a chip 6-iron. It could be a lot of different things. “Being able to control it as best you possibly can in the air to control it on the ground allows the older players to have a chance to do well in The Open Championship.”
Medas-King runs PB at Junior Olympic games in New York - Three Guyanese qualify for National Junior Olympic games Kunusasha Medas-King continues to make waves in the United States Junior Track and Field arena after securing three podium finishes last weekend at the Junior Olympic games in Port Jefferson, New York. Medas-King won the girls’ under-9 800m after registering a personal best of 3m2s.The Midas touch athletics club athlete then went on finish third in both the 400m and 1500m races. Those performances were good enough to allow Kunusasha to qualify for the prestigious Hersey’s National Junior Olympic championship games that are scheduled from July 22nd to 28th in Sacramento, California. Kunusasha’s sister, Kcaysha, was also on the podium at the Junior Olympic games where she finished second in the 100m dash and third in both the 200m and 400m races. Kcaysha too has also qualified for the Hershey’s National Championship Junior Olympic Games. Alpha Harrison was also part of the action. He completed the 100m-200m sprint double,
Kcaysha Medas-King while being the runner-up in the quarter mile dash. The USATF New York athlete-of-themonth of June, has also qualified.
New Zealand coach says umpires are ‘human’ amid rule debate WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand coach Gary Stead has shrugged off the debate as to whether an umpiring error cost the Black Caps dearly in the World Cup final against England, saying umpires are “human” and the result could not be changed anyway. England beat New Zealand on boundaries after a tied Super Over, but former Australian umpire Simon Taufel suggested that the umpires had incorrectly awarded an extra over-throw run to Ben Stokes in the 50th over when the ball deflected off his bat on the way to the boundary. While Taufel said it was an “error of judgment” by the umpires, he added that it was “unfair” to say the extra run had decided the outcome. Stead was also sympathetic with the umpires and said he had accepted his team’s heart-breaking defeat at Lord’s. “At the end of the day the umpires are there to rule and they’re human as well and like players sometimes errors are made,” he told New Zealand media. “That’s just the human aspect of sport and probably why we care so much as well.” The manner of England’s win has sparked fierce debate around the world and some level of angst in New Zealand,
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead during a press conference. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers) where disappointed fans vented their fury on social media. The extra run aside, former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was unhappy that the Super Over was u s e d a s a t i e b r e a k e r, followed by total boundaries scored. “Using a Super Over to decide it was farcical and the International Cricket Council needs to give itself an uppercut for even entertaining it as a tiebreaker,” he wrote in a column for Fairfax media. Stead said he expected the ICC to review the way future
finals were decided but added there was nothing New Zealand could do now. “I’m sure there’s going to be many things they will look at over the whole tournament,” he said. “I’m sure when they’re writing the rules they never expect the world cup final to happen like that so I’m sure it’ll be reviewed, absolutely. “It’s a very, very hollow feeling that you can play 100 overs and score the same amount of runs and still lose the game. But that’s the technicalities of sport sometimes.”
Romalho wins back to back GuyanaNRA Record Shoots - Goodluck and Felicien record possibles at 300 and 500 Ranges Following his win one week ago with an aggregate score of 118 points and 6Vbulls, Leo Romalho repeated as champion of the latest Guyana National Rifle Association Record Shoot held on Sunday last at the Timehri Rifle Range, Yarrowkabra, Linden, Soesdyke Highway. Despite notching two points less than the previous week, Romalho recorded enough Vbulls to stave off a stern test from fellow marksman, Sherwin Felicien who also tallied 116 points, the same as Romalho. The difference was 7Vbulls to 5Vbulls. Based on reports (Continued on page 31)
Leo Romalho
Following are the full scores for the day: Name 300 Leo Romalho 49.2 Sherwin Felicien 47.2 Ransford Goodluck 50.5 Roberto Tewari 47.3 Peter Persaud 47.1
500 33.2 35.0 30.1 32.1 33.2
600 34.3 34.3 34.3 34.2 30.1
Aggregate 116.7 116.5 114.9 113.6 110.4
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Two Russian boxers competed despite doping bans MOSCOW (Reuters) Two Russian boxers serving doping suspensions have competed while banned, Reuters has found, highlighting inconsistencies in Russia’s efforts to reform its anti-doping practices. Competition records show that Russian amateur boxers Islam Dashaev and Alena Tokarchuk fought in official tournaments last year despite bans announced by Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, which is forbidden under international antidoping rules. These lapses in the enforcement of their bans suggest that Russia, which says it has moved past its doping scandals, has yet to create an anti-doping culture in which all dopers are sidelined. RUSADA said it had been unaware of the cases and said, after Reuters asked about them, that it would investigate. “We do not know the reasons why these suspended athletes took part in competitions that were held under the Russian Boxing
A sign is on display outside the office of Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2018. Picture taken March 28, 2018. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov) Federation’s jurisdiction and with its support,” RUSADA Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya said in a statement to Reuters. “The fact such athletes participated in competitions is alarming.” Reuters was unable to reach the two boxers for comment. Valery Karadutov, an official from the Russian Boxing Federation who oversaw one of the competitions and signed its results, said he had not been aware of the boxer’s ban.
Tatyana Kiriyenko, a deputy head of the federation, told TASS news agency that the two boxers took part in regional competitions. “We have conducted an investigation, looked at the reports. These two athletes took part in competitions, they participated in one fight each,” she is quoted as saying by TASS. Athletes serving doping bans are forbidden from participating in any capacity in competitions or activities related to elite sport, according to the rules of the
Seedorf sacked as Cameroon coach AFP - The Cameroon Football Federation sacked coach Clarence Seedorf and assistant Patrick Kluivert yesterday, the pair paying the price for the defending champions’ last 16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon crashed out 3-2 to Nigeria last Saturday, an exit the federation described as “premature” in its statement. Former Dutch international Seedorf won just three of nine competitive games after taking over the Indomitable Lions alongside Kluivert last August. The federation are now hunting for a
manager to prepare the national side for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which they are hosting. With a haul of four Champions League wins, five national titles and a host of individuals awards, Seedorf, a former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder enjoyed a decorated career on the pitch. But his transition into management has come with a steep learning curve. Failures with Milan and Chinese club Shenzhen, relegation with Deportivo La Coruna and early elimination with Cameroon have clouded his reputation.
Clarence Seedorf and his assistant Patrick Kluivert arrive for the match against Nigeria in Africa Cup of Nations round of 16, their last in charge of Cameroon. (AFP/File / Javier Soriano)
A woman walks into the head office of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada November 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Christinne Muschi) World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). If an athlete violates a doping ban, the duration of the suspension can be doubled. WADA said it would follow up with RUSADA and “the relevant international federations” to ensure they are aware of the Reuters findings and that “the allegations are being dealt with appropriately.” The Russian Boxing Federation said it was checking the cases identified by Reuters and would give its assessment, without providing a time frame. The Russian Sports Ministry and the International Boxing Association (AIBA) did not reply to requests for comment. “NO INFORMATION” Boxer Islam Dashaev received a four-year suspension in 2017 for doping violations that included refusing a doping test, RUSADA data shows. But in August 2018, he boxed in the 81 kg category at a national competition held in the city of Anapa o n R u s s i a ’s B l a c k S e a coast, winning one bout a n d l o s i n g a n o t h e r, according to competition records. A message to Dashaev’s Facebook page went unread and there were no available numbers for any representatives. The local boxing federation in Anapa did not respond to a request for comment.
RUSADA, which said the Russian Boxing Federation had been notified of the bans of both Dashaev and Tokarchuk in a timely manner, publishes a list of athletes serving doping suspensions on its website. But Russian Boxing Federation official Karadutov, who was the technical delegate at the tournament where Dashaev fought, told Reuters he had not been aware that the boxer was serving a doping ban. “This information was not communicated to me and to the chief judge,” said Karadutov, whose signature appears on every page of the competition results. “There is no way for us to follow this.” He said there had been nothing wrong with the paperwork filed for Dashaev to enter the tournament, giving organisers no basis to reject his entry. Reuters could not independently verify Karadutov’s account. Karadutov said a list of boxers banned for doping should be published on the federation’s website “in big letters” and flash to draw officials’ attention. “Then we’ll be able to follow,” he said. THIRD PLACE Alena Tokarchuk finished third in the 54 kg category of the Moscow boxing championship for women born in or before 1999, held in January and February 2018, competition records show. But the tournament
began a week after Tokarchuk’s two-year ban - from Nov. 28, 2017 to Nov. 27, 2019 - was announced by RUSADA on Jan. 23, 2018. A message to To k a r c h u k ’s F a c e b o o k page went unread and there were no available numbers for any representatives. The Moscow Boxing Federation, whose stamp was on the competition results, said it had not been notified that she was banned at the time of the tournament. To k a r c h u k was suspended for testing positive for furosemide, which is on WADA’s list of prohibited diuretics and masking agents, according to data from RUSADA. Pakhnotskaya of RUSADA said that the number of sporting events held across Russia was too vast for “the number and capabilities of RUSADA employees” whose duties include monitoring suspended athletes’ compliance with their bans. The agency was reinstated by WADA last year after having been suspended since November 2015 over evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics. Reuters reported last month that two Russian athletics coaches and one doctor banned for doping were still working with athletes.
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Persisted with starting XI to ensure chemistry and cohesion - Coach Joseph Guyana’s ‘Lady Jags’ made it two out of two with two more to go when they got past Antigua and Barbuda 20 on Monday evening last at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, it was also day two of the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, Group A. A goal in each half of the match was enough to take Guyana to the top of the summit to date, scoring four (4) goals in their two matches whilst conceding zero (0). The starting eleven from the first match against Bermuda was unchanged and according to Head Coach Ivan Joseph, this was so for a particular reason. “My number one thing was keep our starting eleven to give us more chemistry and cohesion, so you didn’t see a lot of changes for us since we didn’t know anything about what they did we just wanted to do the things that we needed to do to become a better football team. Did we
defend well, were we organised and did we execute our attacking set plays.” Joseph suggested that generally the team did well overall even though he felt they were a bit unlucky in the first. Goals by game Captain Brianne Desa in the 24th minute and Liana Khedoo in the 60th minute carried the ‘Lady Jags’ to victory. Guyana’s next match is set for Friday against St. Lucia from 20:30hrs and this clash will more than likely decide which nation tops Group A as they both have two wins from as many starts. Guyana however, is top of the points table by virtue of a +4 goal difference compared to St. Lucia’s +2 (6F 4A). It will be St. Lucia’s final match of the group, while it would be Guyana’s penultimate. With three days between the Lady Jags’ next match-up, Coach Joseph said that the intention is to get his charges away from the game
at least for a day with regeneration the priority. He commented on their next opponent: “St. Lucia has proven to be quite a prolific scoring side, they are physical, they’re fast and strong; I thought the tackles (vs Antigua & Barbuda) here were tough today and I think St. Lucia is going to bring twice that.” Healing of whatever injuries there might be amongst players would also be dealt with ahead of what can be considered the Lady Jags’ most important match of the group. Meanwhile, Group A play continues today with another double header fixed for Leonora from 18:00hrs when Antigua and Barbuda come up against the St. Lucians who will be searching for their third win in as many matches. Bermuda and Suriname will then take center stage as they both hunt their first points of the competition.
6thrd Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools tournament
QC suffer first loss, Business School register first win The Guyanese schools participating in the 33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket tournament in Barbados on Monday suffered contrasting results with Queen’s College suffering their first loss in five games, two of which were no results, making the task of qualifying for the next stage highly improbable. On the other hand, the Business School, after four consecutive defeats are also out of running to advance but beat Queen’s Park Club of Trinidad at Lears by 10 wickets. The match was reduced to 30 overs; then the target was further revised to 78 off 15 overs. Queen’s Park reached 119-8 in 23 overs
when rain stopped play with Giovanni Ramdenny (38), Eric Garcia (22 not out), Darrien Dodds (14) and Jabari Phillip (11) getting into double figures. Joel Gilkes 2-17, Ushardeva Balgobin 2-17 and Romel Zamal 2-19 had two wickets each, while Berbice U-19 pacer Christopher Harry followed up his fourwicket haul in the previous round with 230. The Business School galloped to 79 without loss in seven overs with Ushardeva Balgobin 46 not out, Jamel Montel 22 not out sharing in an unbroken half-century partnership to see the Guyanese school to an emphatic victory. (Sean Devers)
Trophy Stall in GMR&SC’s Pit Trophy stall is the latest entity to join the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC) Race of Champions Round 2. The company yesterday handed over a number of trophies to be awarded to the champion drivers in the various categories after this weekend’s event. Proprietor Ramesh Sunich made the donation t o G M R & S C ’s O ff i c e Executive Cheryl
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Kaieteur News
Gonzalves. In receipt of the trophies, GMR&SC President Rameez Mohamed expressed the club’s happiness at having the support of Trophy Stall once again. “Trophy Stall has been a longstanding sponsor of motorsport. All of our trophies including those for our international race meet have been supplied by Trophy Stall.” “We are really happy with the way things are shaping up from our committee’s perspective. Before this weekend we are going to wash the track because it is a bit sandy in certain parts.” He urged competitors
to get registered early to avoid the last-minute rush. Meanwhile, in addition to the regular races, there is also expected to be the introduction of the Motul sponsored time attack series. The sponsors for the event include, Hallmark Store, Jaigobin Hotel, Transpacific motor spares, Bikers Bar, Ready Mix, ISG, S a n k a r s A u t o Wo r k s , S p e c i a l A u t o , Tr o p i c a l Shipping, CEMCO, China Harbour, Del Ice Company, R a m c h a n d ’s Wr e c k e r s , Hand In Hand, Choke Gas Station, Miracle Optical, KGM, Sheriff Security, Motor Trend, Ray Auto Sales, Rent a tent and Jumbo Jet Auto Sales.
Guyana capture nine individual medals in Junior CASA 2019 - 4Gold, 4Silver & 1Bronze At the conclusion of the Individual Finals of the 2019 the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) on the Queens Park Squash Courts in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad yesterday, Guyana, who won a record 12 consecutive Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) team titles before being dethroned on home soil in 2007 by Barbados, captured nine Medals including four Gold and Four Silver and a Bronze. Kirsten Gomes captured Gold in the Girls U15, Michael Alphonso took Gold in Boys U-15, Abosaide Cadogan copped Gold in the Girls U-17 and Caribbean U15 Champion Shomari Wilshire went a step further to become the Boys U-17 Champion after capturing the Gold Medal yesterday. Results of the individual category yesterday In the U-11 Girls division yesterday, number one seed Phoebe Gittens of Barbados beat Christiana Fernandes of Guyana 11-9, 13-11, 11-5. Josie Marie Thong of Trinidad and Tobago beat Tiana Gomes of Guyana 11-2 11-6 11-5. In the U-11 Boys Grant Fernandes of Guyana beat Zevieh Abraham of British Virgin Islands 11-8 11-4 8-11 10-12 11-2 In the U-13 Boys Seth Thong of Trinidad and Tobago beat Mohryan Baksh of Guyana 11-9 6-11 115 2-11 13-11 In the U-13 boys Jaydon Williams of St. Vincent and the Grenadines beat Louis Dasilva of Guyana
Kirstin Gomes
Abosaide Cadogan
11-8 11-9 2-11 11-5 In the U-15 Girls Kirsten Gomes of Guyana beat Bajan Sumairaa Suleman 4-11 5-11 11-8 11-4 11-8 In the Boys U-15 Michael Alphonso of Guyana beat Nicholas Verwey in an all Guyana Final 11-9 1-9 11-6 In the U-17 Boys Gianni Carpenter of Guyana beat Sebastian Levy of Jamaica 4-11 11-7 13-11 1210
In the U-17 Boys Samuel Ince-Carvalhal of Guyana beat Matthew Elliott of Bermuda11-9 11-8, 11-8 In Girls U-17 Abosaide Cadogan beat Madison Fernandes 11-7-13-11-11-4 In the Boys U-17 Shomari Wilshire beat Darien Benn 113-11-8-5-11-4 In the U-19 Girls Makeda Harding of Guyana beat Jada Ross of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 11-2 11-1 11-6
CWI Level One Coaching Course scheduled to commence tomorrow The CWI Level One Coaching Course is scheduled to commence tomorrow, Thursday 18 July 2019, at the National StadiumProvidence. The course is expected to involve the participation of former international cricketers Ramnaresh Sarwan and Travis Dowlin, current players with West Indies team experience Leon Johnson, Veerasammy Permaul and Vishal Singh, national players with the likes of Steven Jacobs, Akshaya Persaud, Antony Adams, former national player and match comments personality Jermaine Neblett, among other former players of national representation and first division player
experience. The expected participants consist mainly of individuals who have been imparting their acting in the capacity of coaches at various clubs across the country. The four day CWI Level One Coaching Course will conclude on the 21 July 2019 and will be tutored by Kumar Rampat of Trinidad and Tobago and local Territorial Development Officer, Colin Stuart. The Foundation Coaches who are expected to participate in the said course are, Jitlal Jowharilall, Ravishwar Latif, Dhanpaul, Anthony D’ Andrade, Anil Persaud, Vishal Singh, Jermaine Neblett, Marvin Fitzalbert, FitroyCulley,
Kenroy Joseph, Debra Daniels, Darnell Douglas, Andrew Williams, Ameer Rahaman, Travis Dowlin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Leon Johnson, Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Antony Adams, Akshaya Persaud, Keyron Fraser, Ryan Hercules, Clive Grimmond, Kwasi Maltay, Nadir Baksh, Gregory Crandon, Rayburn Gonsalves, Kumar Bishundial, Yeuraj Khemraj, Aditya Basdeo, Darien Best, David Baird Kavita Yadram, Subrina Munroe and Kern Saunders of St. Martin. Intended participants who are yet to finalize their obligation or arrangement for attending the course are asked to communicate with the TDO’s office of the GCB.
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‘My Tour is already a success’ says yellow jersey Alaphilippe AFP - Yellow jersey holder Julian Alaphilippe says his Tour de France is already a success, no matter what happens when the race resumes after yesterday’s rest day. “Before the Tour, I wanted to do well (in the first 10 days),” he told a press conference ahead of today’s 167 kilometre stage 11 from Albi to Toulouse. “I worked hard with that in mind which is why I am not thinking too much about the end of the Tour but more about what I have achieved over these opening 10 days. “It’s way beyond anything I imagined. My Tour is already a success. Anything that happens now is a bonus.” The 27-year-old Frenchman, who earlier this season won the Milan-San Remo and La Fleche Wallone one day races, has had two spells in yellow on this Tour. After winning stage three in the champagne region, he became the first Frenchman since Tony Gallopin in 2014 to wear it, holding it for three days before handing it over after stage six. He then reclaimed it again after stage eight when he finished third in Saint-Etienne, donning it on Bastille Day. Alaphilippe has a lead of one minute 12 seconds over defending champion Geraint Thomas with the
Welshman’s Ineos teammate Egan Bernal just four seconds further back. Thomas, a two-time Olympic track gold medallist, is expected to press for the race lead during Friday’s time-trial in Pau. - ‘Spring a surprise’ “I am happy to be doing a sprinter’s stage (Wednesday) with the yellow jersey and that should give me another day in yellow as long as there isn’t a glitch,” said Alaphilippe. “But I know that the Pyrenees are coming and the time trial. “I know that it is not my strong point but I have improved and worked hard on it. I am not going to challenge the best time-triallers but I will give everything as usual. “With this type of course and with the yellow jersey on my back, if I still have it, I hope to spring a surprise.” Alaphilippe has never been considered a genuine contender for the general classification. The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider is eager to hang on to the fabled jersey, which is celebrating its 100th year as the overall leader’s livery, for as long as possible. “For the moment I will continue to defend it and honour it. “I hope to surprise myself, do something beautiful but I am not
Julian Alaphilippe became the frist Frenchman since Tony Gallopin in 2014 to wear the Tour de France’s yellow jersey. (AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat) going to dream. “The most difficult part is still to come. What I have done, though, is already incredible. “Even if I recognise what is going to happen, when you wear the jersey and you are French, the whole of your country feels it and dreams.”
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Rawlins welcomes maiden hundred but rues Sussex loss MANCHESTER, England, CMC – Bermudian left-hander Delray Rawlins has described his maiden first class hundred as a “nice personal milestone” but rued Sussex’s heavy defeat to Lancashire in the English County Championship here Monday. Sussex suffered an innings and 51-run loss inside three days after resuming the penultimate day at Old Trafford on 15 without loss, requiring 367 to make the hosts bat again. The 21-year-old Rawlins made exactly 100 off as many balls but watched as his side slumped to 316 all out. “I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well the last couple of weeks and I’ve got a couple of scores but I’ve not been able to kick on,” Rawlins said. “It’s a shame about the result because nobody likes losing, but it’s a nice personal milestone for me. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we can turn it around as a team and get some more wins.” Sussex were tottering on 39 for four early on before Rawlins led the recovery, adding 78 for the fifth wicket with opener Phillip Salt (37) to steady the ship before raising the tempo in an entertaining 128-run for the sixth wicket with South African David Wiese who slammed 77. Rawlins, who made his first-class debut two years ago but has been limited to mostly second XI appearances, reached three figures from as many balls with a towering six off Matthew Parkinson but his 128-minute stay ended off the next ball when he was smartly caught and bowled by the leg spinner. He struck 12 fours and three sixes while Wiese’s cavalier knock came from just 73 balls with 13 fours and a six. “David Wiese played some incredible shots out there and he nearly caught me up at one point. It’s nice to see him in the runs again,” said Rawlins. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks and if anyone had got a hundred the boys would have been on the balcony, but the boys knew that getting the first one is important and it
Bermudian Delray Rawlins … struck his maiden first class hundred against Lancashire. was nice to have their support and feel it out in the middle.” The defeat for Sussex was their third on the trot, leaving them seventh in the Division Two standings as Lancashire continued at the top, 28 points clear of second placed Glamorgan. Rawlins, who was playing his fourth straight game, said the upcoming Twenty20 championship would be a welcomed change of pace for Sussex. “We have struggled a bit in championship cricket, so it’s nice T20 is round the corner,” he pointed out. “We have new faces coming in and hopefully we can go one better than we did last year when we got to the final and this year actually lift the trophy.”
Wednesday July 17, 2019
Edwards takes five, Rawlins hits maiden first class hundred LONDON, CMC – Former West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards snatched a fivewicket haul for Hampshire while rookie Bermudian lefthander Delray Rawlins shone with his maiden first class hundred for Sussex, to grab some of the headlines in the English County Championship on Monday. Playing at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the 37-yearold Edwards finished with five for 118 as Kent, resuming the third day on 319 for three in their first innings, were dismissed for 555. Fellow seamers Gareth Berg (2-67) and Keith Barker (2-78) claimed two wickets apiece. England batsman Joe Denly slammed an imperious 154 while captain Heino Kuhn (95), Daniel BellDrummond (94) and veteran Darren Stevens (60) supported with halfcenturies. Resuming on 138, Denly stretched his fourth wicket stand with Kuhn to 77 before becoming the day’s first casualty, lbw to Barker with the score on 345. Edwards then carried the Hampshire attack manfully, taking four of the last six wickets to fall. He broke a promising fifth wicket stand of 55 between Kuhn and Ollie Robinson (29), trapping the latter lbw before bowling Grant Stewart without scoring with just 10 runs added to the
Former West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards. total at 410 for six. Stevens arrived to lash eight fours and two sixes in a breezy 77-ball knock, adding 92-runs for the seventh wicket with Kuhn before Edwards again intervened, accounting for both before Berg finished off the innings. Trailing by 146 on first innings, Hampshire ended the day on 119 for two in their second innings. At Old Trafford, the 21year-old Rawlins struck a splendid run-a-ball 100 but the knock was in vain as Sussex crashed to an innings and 51-run defeat to Lancashire inside three days. Resuming the penultimate day on 15 without loss having conceded a massive
first innings lead of 367, the visitors were bowled out for 316 with David Wiese hitting a cavalier 77. Sussex were slumping at 39 for four before Rawlins came to his side’s rescue, posting 78 for the fifth wicket with opener Philip Salt (37) before adding a further 128 for the sixth wicket with Wiese. All told, Rawlins punched 12 fours and three sixes in 128 minutes at the crease while Wiese faced 73 deliveries and counted 13 fours and a six. Once Rawlins was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Matt Parkinson soon after reaching three figures, the innings declined quickly as the last five wickets perished for 71 runs.
Losing slump continues India board invites applications for Barbados in Liverpool for men’s head coach
(Reuters) - India’s cricket board (BCCI) yesterday invited applications for the position of head coach and support staff for the men’s side, with incumbent Ravi Shastri and his team given automatic
entry in the recruitment process. The contract of the current coaching staff is set to expire after the tour of the West Indies starting Aug. 3, where India play three T20 internationals, three ODIs and
two tests. In a statement, the BCCI said it was inviting applications for the positions of head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach as well as an administrative manager. Former India all-rounder Shastri was appointed in 2017 and succeeded former captain Anil Kumble, who stepped down after falling out with skipper Virat Kohli despite a successful run while in charge of the team. Under Shastri’s guidance, India won a maiden test series in Australia earlier this year and are ranked number one in the world in the format. They also reached the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup where they were beaten by eventual runnersup New Zealand.
LIVERPOOL, England, CMC – Barbados slumped to their fourth straight loss at the Netball World Cup with a 41-66 hammering at the hands of Zimbabwe here yesterday. The Caribbean side never really came to grips with their African opponents and found themselves trailing 19-33 at half-time at the M&S Bank Arena, a position from which they never recovered. For Barbados, goalshooter Shonica Wharton scored 28 goals from 30 attempts to lead her country’s offense while goal attack Brianna Holder was a perfect seven-from-seven. Zimbabwe were piloted by goal-shooter Pauline Jani who netted 51 from 53 attempts, with support coming from Sharon Bwanali who scored 11 from 16 attempts. Jani was a perfect 15-from15 in the first quarter to fire Zimbabwe to a 17-11 lead
Barbadian Shonica Wharton (right). while Wharton answered with a seven-from-seven effort to keep Barbados in touch. Zimbabwe pulled away in the second quarter, however, with Jani netting 10-from-10 as Barbados slipped further behind to be down by 14 at the half.
Barbados had their best period in the third quarter with Wharton scoring eightfrom-eight and Holder, fivefrom-five, keeping Barbados on Zimbabwe’s tails even though they were out-scored 15-13. Down 32-48 at the start (Continued on page 31)
Wednesday July 17, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Pandey, Pandya condemn hosts to series defeat NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – West Indies A were once again left to ponder another horrendous batting collapse as India A took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match one-day series with an emphatic 148run victory here yesterday. Chasing a difficult target of 296 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, the hosts folded meekly for 147 in the 35th over, in a now familiar display of recklessness and indifference. All-rounder Keemo Paul, batting at number 10, blasted a 16-ball 34 with two fours and four sixes with the game already gone while Sunil
Ambris chipped in with 30 to be the only top order batsman to show any semblance of enterprise. He and left-hander John Campbell (21) put on 51 off 57 balls for the first wicket but once they were separated, West Indies A stunningly lost their last nine wickets for 82 runs. Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya proved their tormentor, claiming five for 25 while Hanuma Vihari picked up two for 23 with his off-spin. Captain Manish Pandey had earlier exhibited the temperament and focus lacked by the Windies batsmen as he stroked a
classy 100 to help fire India A to 295 for six off their 50 overs. Nineteen-year-old opener Shubman Gill hit 77 – his second straight half-century – while Vihari supported with 29 and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, 24. Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (2-37) and fast bowler Romario Shepherd (251) claimed two wickets apiece. Opting to bat, India A lost 21-year-old opener Anmolpreet Singh without scoring in the third over with the score on 13, fending a short ball from Shepherd to Campbell at second slip. However, two century
Manny Pacquiao’s publicist denies Amir Khan claims over Saudi Arabia bout BBC Sport - Manny Pacquiao’s publicist has denied a deal has been agreed to fight Amir Khan in Saudi Arabia in November. Khan claims the bout in Riyadh on 8 November is “signed off and done” following his stoppage win over Australia’s Billy Dib in the Middle East on Friday. But P a c q u i a o ’s spokesperson Fred Sternberg told BBC Sport: “Manny has not signed any contract. “As far as I know it hasn’t been even discussed,” Sternberg added yesterday. A proposed fight between Khan and Pacquiao fell through in 2017 and the 40-year-old icon is scheduled to fight American Keith Thurman in Las Vegas on Saturday. Khan emphasised Pacquiao has “signed” for the fight, although he was uncertain how things may play out if Thurman was to pursue any rematch with the Filipino in the event he loses his WBA super-
welterweight title on Saturday. “I hope it is him but we will have to look at backup plans,” Khan added. “I’ve always wanted to fight him. It’s the biggest fight out there for me.” But Sternberg said his man is solely focused on Thurman. “He’s been in training camp for the past eight weeks, four in the Philippines and four in the States, and he hasn’t met with Amir Khan during that time.” He also said he did not know where Khan’s claims had come from: “That’s a question you need to ask Amir Khan”. Khan has long sought the chance to face Pacquiao, one of the s p o r t ’s m o s t d e c o r a t e d fighters. Khan earned a reported £7m in beating Dib in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and said criticism of his move to fight in the Middle East stems from “jealousy”, adding fighters “would be stupid not to” take
advantage of fighting there. Since returning to the sport after almost two years out of the ring in April 2018, Khan has three wins and lost a controversial world-title s h o t a g a i n s t Te r e n c e Crawford when he was pulled out by his corner after a low blow. The Bolton fighter was forced to answer questions on whether he quit in the bout but he returned to the ring to beat Dib and now believes he will again feature in an eyecatching contest against former sparring partner Pacquiao. “When I sparred with him he was at his peak,” said Khan. “I got good rounds with him and did really well. I have probably sparred between 200 and 300 rounds with him. He has slowed down a bit.” Pacquiao holds a record of 61 wins, seven defeats and two draws in a 24-year professional career while Khan has 34 wins and five defeats to his name.
Amir Khan has pursued a bout with Manny Pacquiao for several years.
stands then put India A on top as West Indies A struggled to contain the visitors’ batsmen. First, Gill anchored a 109run stand for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer whose 47 came from 69 deliveries and included four fours. Gill, who faced 81 balls and struck eight fours and a six, fell to a catch at the wicket off Cornwall in the 25th over and Iyer followed 23 balls later but Pandey and Vihari added 110 for the fourth wicket to overturn West Indies A’s advantage. Pandey faced 87 balls and smashed six fours and five sixes while Vihari struck three fours in his 39-ball stay at the crease. Asked to chase their highest total of the series, West Indies A managed a solid start as both Ambris and Campbell overcame anxious moments to stage a halfcentury stand. But Campbell ran out of patience and tugged seamer Navdeep Saini to mid-wicket in the 10th over and Ambris followed in the 14th over after hitting three fours in a 32-ball knock, trapped on the crease by one from seamer Avesh Khan that nipped back. Raymon Reifer (19) and captain Roston Chase (15) put on 24 for the third wicket
West Indies A batsman Sunil Ambris. but were part of a spectacular slide which saw West Indies A lose seven wickets for 28 runs. Chase tried to cut one too close to him and played on to Pandya in the 22nd over, Reifer holed out to long on off the same bowler in the 26th over at 102 for four and two balls later with one run added, left-hander Jonathan Carter sliced Pandya to point to depart for four. Devon Smith was picked up at leg slip off off-spinner Washington Sundar for one and Rovman Powell’s ugly
swipe in the 30th over characterised West Indies A’s approach, as the senior team all-rounder skied to Iyer at point off Pandya. Scores: INDIA A 295 for six off 50 overs (Manish Pandey 100, Shubman Gill 77, Hanuma Vihari 29, Ishan Kishan 24; Rahkeem Cornwall 2-37, Romario Shepherd 2-51). WEST INDIES A 147 off 34.2 overs (Keemo Paul 34, Sunil Ambris 30, John Campbell 21; Krunal Pandya 5-25, Hanuma Vihari 2-23).
Letter to the Sports Editor
Selection of West Indies A Team Dear Sir, Kindly allow me some space in your newspaper for this letter. When Ricky Skerritt and Kishore Shallow were elected president and vice president respectively of the West Indies Cricket Board, nearly everyone in the Caribbean welcomed their appointment and were hoping for a new dawn in the fortunes of West Indies cricket. Lo and behold that was just wishful thinking as can be seen in the poor performance of the West Indies team in the just concluded World Cup. I will discuss the performance of the West Indies team in the world cup in my next letter, but for now I want to make a few comments on the s e l e c t i o n o f t h e We s t Indies A team for the India A team tour. It is ridiculous and disgraceful that not one Guyanese is good enough to make the four day team, although Guyana has won the Regional four day tournament for the past
five years. It is insulting and a slap in the face of our cricketers, because you are telling them, although you are excelling in regional cricket, you are not good enough to make the West Indies team. What garbage!!! S i r, t h e m o r e t h i n g s change the more it remains the same. Skerritt and Shallow are no better than Cameron and Nanthan. In fact as far as I am concerned, Guyanese cricketers were far better off during the tenure of Cameron and Nanthan. At least we used to have cricketers in every West Indian team. How on earth there are eight Bajans in the four day squad? And who is Akim Frazer? How people like Jonathan C a r t e r, A k e e m J o r d a n , K j o r n O t t l e y, D e v o n Thomas, Miguel Cummins, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge and Jeremy Solozano are in the one day and four day squads is mystifying and beyond comprehension.
What more must our boys do to make the West Indies team. I know our board came in for a lot of flak when they supported Cameron and Nanthan d u r i n g t h e We s t I n d i e s Cricket Board elections, but in hindsight I think they made the right decision. At least Anand Sanasie had a good relationship with Cameron which resulted in many of our young cricketers being given opportunities in various West Indies teams. And make no bones about it, insularity is alive and kicking in West Indies cricket and that fact will never change. I am sorry for West Indies cricket. What a pity!!! Thank You. Yours faithfully, Imtiaz Bacchus.
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19th Annual Regatta set for August 11 at Lake Mainstay Lake Mainstay Resort in collaboration with Ministry of Business Department of Tourism will be hosting its 19th annual Regatta on August 11 at magnificent fresh water lake, Mainstay/ Whyaka village on the Essequibo Coast. Dubbed the “Clash of the Daredevils”, the event pits Neil Gonsalves and Te a m f r o m P o m e r o o n against Dave Scott and Team from Bartica in 13 Categories of Power Boat Racing. The races include; 3 – 15 HP – 2 laps Male/ Female Race; 2 – 40 HP – 3 Laps Male/Female Race, 3 – 90 HP – 4 Laps Male/ Female Race, 2 – 200 HP – 5 Laps Male/Female Race, 3 – Open HP – 6 Laps Male/ Female Race, 1 – 200 M – Male Canoe Race, 1 – 200 M – Female Canoe Race, 1 – 200 M – Open Swimming. A memorial race in the 90 HP category will also be held in honour of Orin Bell. There will be over four million dollars in cash prizes and trophies to be won.
Lake Mainstay Resort Regattas have grown over the years and gained the reputation to be well organized, disciplined and the biggest in Guyana over the past five years. A release from the organisation stated, “We are promoting a family event and anticipate in excess of 8,000 patrons from overseas and locals from across the Country, especially the Essequibo Coast, Region 2. This event will be massive and entertaining. Management advises all attending to be early to secure a vantage spot to enjoy the many racing events all day long.” The admission fee is; Advance: Adults $1000 and Children $500; at the Gate: Adults $1200 and Children $700. The gates will be opened from 09:00 hrs and Regatta events will commence at 11:00 hrs. Following the regatta races, will be a stage show and beach party with the
Lake Mainstay Resort will be hosting its 19th annual Regatta. following artistes; AW Lyrical Dancehall / Soca Artist, Vicadi Chutney/Soca, Josie Chutney/Soca, Brandon Harding 2018 & 2019 Soca Monarch, DJ Avalanche DJ,
Lyndon Jumbie Jones M.C & Comedian, Pream’s Mega Sounds Essequibo Champion Music Fusion, Children Fun Park Merry Go Round, Trampoline &
Castle, Food Court Lake Mainstay Resort’s delicious meals & Others, Beverage Bars Banks Beer, Stag Beer, DDL & Xtra Beer. The event is being
sponsored by Banks Beer, Stag, Castrol, GBTI, Digicel, Pepsi, Ganesh Mining, Clear Waters, Valvoline and Industrial Supply of Guyana Inc.
National Race of Champions rd. 2
Motul, Prem’s Electrical and B.M. Soat backs event A release from the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has indicated that three companies, upon short notice have readily backed this S u n d a y ’s N a t i o n a l R a c e o f Champions round two which is set for the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri. Yesterday, the release noted, Motul oil, Prem’s Electrical and B.M. Soat Auto Sales confirmed as major sponsors for the oneday meet which has been packed with a 24-race programme. The correspondence noted the club’s pleasure in having so much support, while guaranteeing that all systems are in place for an incident free day, this Sunday. Meanwhile, mechanics are working tirelessly to bring all the cars up to speed and everyone will be looking to outshine the GMR&SC’s best mechanic for 2018, Balram Mahadeo. Some of the confirmed drivers for the National Race of Champions include, Nasrudeen Mohamed J r. , Raymond Seebarran, Danny Persaud, Shan Seejattan, Azaad Hassan, Motilall Deodass, Rameez Mohamed, Anand Ramchand and Vishok Persaud. Also confirming their participation are Team CAMS from North America. CAMS will have Christopher Lall in the group four and Afraz Ally in the Choke Starlet Cup. On Sunday, for the first time in Guyana, there will be a Time Attack race for street cars that
The Street & Sports Tuner along with the Starlet Cup championships will have lucrative cash prizes for the first time this season.
will be part of the 21-race programme. Each participant in this race will have a total of six laps to go all out by themselves on the track and the car that registers the fastest time will be deemed the winner.
There is an incentive up for grabs in the group two class with the GMR&SC confirming that, Ramchand’s Auto Body Shop and Wrecker Service, along with Executive Travel Service, have thrown their support behind the
club to sponsor a return ticket to Miami in the United States (U.S.) for the champion Group 2 driver. In addition, the winners of the Choke Starlet Cup, Miracle Optical Street Tuner and Prem’s Electrical Sports Tuner are set to pocket $500,000 each, while M o h a m e d ’s E n t e r p r i s e h a s sponsored $100,000 for the bikers with the fastest time. The event has seen tremendous support from the business community including E-
Networks, Tropical shipping, BM Soat Auto Sales, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Miracle Optical, Choke Gas Station, Special Auto, Prem’s Electrical, Nexus Machine Shop, Blue Spring Water, Motor Trend, Ramchand Auto Spares, Power Line Automotive, Motul oil and KGM security. The club is planning a 24-race programme which is expected to feature both bikes and cars in addition to its newly-installed time attack feature.
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Wednesday July 17, 2019
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Barbados are the West Indies Rising Stars U-17 Champions COUVA, Trinidad Barbados made it back to back titles, when they won the West Indies Rising Stars Under-17 Championship by a mere 2.8 points ahead of Jamaica. Round five was hampered by rain with two of the three matches abandoned. At the National Cricket Centre, the Leeward Islands faced seven overs from Guyana reaching 26/1 when the rain started. Barbados and Jamaica entered Round five, 2.9 points apart, sitting in the top two spots on the table, with the championship title on the line. After nine overs, with the Barbados score on 29/1, the rain intervened. This forced the match officials to take an early lunch and subsequently the game was called off. Barbados finished the championship on 17.9 points, 2.8 points ahead of Jamaica who finished on 15.1 points. At Brian Lara Cricket Academy- Trinidad and Tobago won the toss and elected to bat first against Windward Islands. They managed 95-5 in 29.5 overs. Set a revised target of 116 from 28 overs, Windward Islands managed 115/5 in 28 overs; match tied: Windward Islands picked up 2.3points and TT 2.2. 2019 West Indies Rising Stars Championship Player Awards;
The victorious Barbados team B e s t Wi c k e t k e e p e rNimar Bolden (Barbados) - 8 dismissals, 8 catches Most wickets- Tyran T h e o d o r e ( Wi n d w a r d Islands) - 14 wickets M o s t r u n s - Te d d y T h e o d o r e ( Wi n d w a r d Islands) - 149 runs with a topscore of 96 (highest individual score in tournament) Most Valuable PlayerJaden Leacock (Barbados) 2nd Place- Jamaica Winners- Barbados
The final points standings
Hand-in-Hand supports Mahadeo, Adonis for 2019 Reebok Crossfit games
Delice Adonis receives the sponsorship cheque from Soma Bharat. Dillion Mahadeo accepts his cheque from Soma Bharat Business Development Personnel of the company. The Hand-in-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company Ltd has supported Dillon Mahadeo and Delice Adonis as they set out to participate in the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin which will take place from July 29th –August 5th. A release from the company read, “The Hand-in-Hand
Mutual Fire Insurance Company Ltd is excited to see these young athletes represent Guyana for the first time in the Games and will continue to support the sports industry to enhance the development of youths in our communities and fulfil our corporate responsibility.” This is the first time Guyana will be represented at the
showpiece which began in 2008 and will see some 160 countries participating. Mahadeo and Adonis placed first and third respectively in last year’s fitness games held locally, however that doesn’t pre qualify them for the games and they had to undergo a separate qualifier. Both athletes expressed gratitude to the sponsors.
t r o Sp Guyana capture nine individual medals in Junior CASA 2019
Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall (right) hands over his company’s sponsorship to GMR&SC’s Cheryl Gonzalves.
Trophy Stall in GMR&SC’s Pit
Kirstin Gomes and Abosaide Cadogan won gold at Junior CASA in T&T yesterday.
Michael Alphonso and Shomari Wilshire won Gold Medals yesterday in T&T.
Persisted with starting XI to ensure chemistry and cohesion - Coach Joseph
Head Coach Ivan Joseph having a quick chat with his charges during a brief break in their last match against Antigua & Barbuda on Monday night last. (Franklin Wilson photo)
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