Kaieteur News

‘Not standard practice to disclose autopsy or investigation reports’

…Former officer says first time hearing of such a rule

TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) does not release autopsy reports or other documents that form part of a

n v e s t i g a t i o n s , Commissioner of Police

CliftonHickensaidinaletter to Dr DexterTodd, attorney of 11-year-old Adriana Younge’sfamily

Hickenintheletterdated June 11, 2025 was responding to a request by Dr Toddforthedetailsofthe investigation into Younge’s death as well as the final autopsy report. Specifically, Dr Toddrequestedthereport submitted by Leonard McCoshen, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)investigator

In the letter, seen by Kaieteur News on Monday, the commissioner said “Reference your letter dated June 02, 2025 on the above subject, please be advised that it is not the procedure andorpracticeoftheGuyana

Police Force to disclose copies of Post Mortem reports or any other reports that forms part a criminal investigation, save and except, in Court at the appropriate time. As such, regrettably, the Guyana Police Force cannot accommodate your request atthistime.”

T h e p o l i c e

commissioner’s response followedthesecondrequest, inwriting,madebyDr Todd for the reports. The formal requests were made to both thepolicecommissionerand Crime Chief, Deputy Commissioner of Police, WendellBlanhum.

Itisimportanttonotethat in a press release issued on May 27, the GPF disclosed

some of the final autopsy findings and stated that, based on both the Canadian investigator’s report and the post-mortem examination which concluded that Adriana died by drowning, the investigation has been concluded.

“The detectives are currently preparing the investigative case file for submissiontotheDirectorof Public Prosecution (DPP) for her perusal and legal opinion,”thereleasestated.

Therequestsforthefinal autopsy and McCoshen’s report came amid questions posed by Dr Carol Terry, a forensicpathologistbasedin the United States. Dr Terry, performed the second autopsyonAdriana’sbodyin Atlanta,Georgia. According to Dr Todd, the pathologist cannot proceed with her reportunlessshereceivesthe requested details from the police.

Meanwhile, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, was on Monday asked to comment on the response Dr Todd received from Hicken relative to obtaining the autopsy and investigation reportsfromthepolice.

Headmittedthathenever heardofsuchpracticebythe GPF “I have never had that experience during my tenure. I really can’t give a comment on whether it is a usual practice,” he said Adriana Younge’s lifeless body was discovered on April 24 in the swimming pool of the Double Day International Hotel, just 20 hours after she was reported

missing during a family trip to Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

A p o s t - m o r t e m examination was conducted on April 28 by a three-

Shubhakar Karra Paul (Barbados),Dr GaryCollins (Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, USA), and Dr Glenn Rudner (Mount Sinai Hospital Their report concluded thatAdriana died bydrowning.

However, Adriana’s family, unconvinced by the findings, arranged for a secondautopsyintheUnited States Dr Terry, Chief Medical Examiner of Gwinnett County, Georgia, performedtheprocedurebut has since stated that drowning cannot be conclusively stated as the cause of death without furtherinformationfromthe police’sinvestigation.

The GPF did not release the reports, but instead issued a press release outliningthefindingsofboth the first autopsy and McCoshen’sinvestigation.

The police stated that Adriana’s death has been officially ruled a drowning, with no signs of foul play, according to the final postmortem report submitted to them by the three international pathologists to investigators. Additionally, police said there were no

signs of trauma, assault, or criminalactivity

According to the police, a comprehensive postmortem examination, including toxicology and DNA testing, was carried out.Keyfindingsinclude:

No signs of acute injury ortraumawerepresent.

Toxicology results showed ethanol levels consistentwithpost-mortem decomposition.

Sexual assault kit and DNA analysis for potential suspectswerenegative.

Skinandairwaychanges were in line with prolonged submersionanddrowning.

Therewasnoevidenceof restraint, struggle, removal, orreturnofthebody

The pathologists concluded that Adriana Younge drowned, likely sank to the bottom of the pool, and later surfaced due to natural decomposition processes common in tropicalclimates.

McCoshen in his report concluded that there is “no evidence of foul play by persons named or unnamed duringtheinvestigation”.

DespitetheGPF’spublic summary, Adriana’s family insists on reviewing the reportsfirst-hand,especially as Dr Terry’s conclusions remain pending due to the lack of the full investigative record.

Adriana will be laid to restonSunday

The Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL), the country’s largest petroleum distribution company inits2023AnnualReporthasdeclared that it recorded a profit of $4.221 billion after taxes for that year which represents a 43% increasefrom2022.

In the report, GUYOIL detailedthatthenetprofitafter tax of $4.221 billion is a $1.265 billion increase from 2022 which recorded $2.956 billion. The company stated that the higher net profit resulted mainly fromhighergrossprofit. Asitrelatestoitsgrossprofitfortheyear

it was $10.404 billion compared to $7.088 billion for 2022, which is an increase of $3.316 billion or 47%. “Higher gross profit resultedfromhigherprofitmargin,”it noted. For its net profit before tax, the document stated that for 2023 it was $7.333 billion, withoverallexpensesforthat year increasing by $1.079 billion The increase was primarily due to increased ex

d aintenance of bulk storage tanks, local freight charges, river dredging,productloss,provisionfordoubtful Continued on page 15

Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken

Adriana Younge

Jagdeo skirts question on Guyana’s 50% profit share with Exxon

- as companies walked away with US$10.4 billion, while Guyana received only US$2.6 billion

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo who is also the chief policy maker in Guyana’soilandgasindustry,isyet to give a straight answer on how it was possible for Exxon and its partners in the Stabroek Block to walk away with US$10.4 billion, while Guyana received a mere US$2 6 billion, despite a 50/50 profit sharing and Guyana’s 2 per centroyaltyagreement.

Kaieteur News asked the Vice PresidenttwoThursdaysago,“can youexplainExxonanditspartners reportingthattheirprofitsfor2024 being$10billion,butGuyanaonly got$2.6billionUSdespiteitbeing a50/50profitsharing?”

He responded, “so I saw, I saw something about Exxon, um reporting a trillion dollars in profit over the 3 years and they said that the government got about $1 3 trillion. So that’s about consistent with the formula, which says that 14.5 per cent of the 25 per cent whichissetoutforasprofitsharing would result in those that configuration,andtheywouldhave 10.5 per cent. So that’s consistent from what I saw It can’t be any differentintheseyears.”

Jagdeo further shared, “They have to get less profits than we would have received because of thatformula.They,they’vespoken aboutpayingbackthecapitalwhich is a different matter about paying back the capital invested which comes out of the 75 per cent

allocated of revenue allocated for that purpose. So, we can’t conflate the two, (they are) very different andit’sconsistentwiththeformula, andjusttotellyouthattogiveyou an indication if they say $1 3 trillion,wegotsincethebeginning of oil that’s less than this year’s budgetoneyearbudget,that’swhat we got from the beginning so that confirmswhatwehavebeensaying because we passed five budgets so far Soentirelyclear.”

Jagdeo was only asked to explain how the formula works, as thenumbersdidnotseemtoaddup. Hesaid,“It’sasimpleyouhave100 per cent of revenue, 75 per cent goes to cost recovery right, 25 per cent is for profit sharing, so that means 12 and a half to Exxon and 12andahalftothegovernment,but thentheyhaveto,fromtheir12and ahalf,giveusthe2percentroyalty So,weendupwith141/2andthey endupwith101/2.Sothat’showit works.”

It is important to note that royalty is usually paid from all petroleum produced and sold, but in Guyana’s case, royalty is paid from Exxon’s share of the profits after the company recovers it’s 75 percentcost.

On June 5, Yahoo Finance reported that “ExxonMobil Corporation and its partners, Hess Corporation and China’s CNOOC, reportedacombinedprofitof$10.4 billion from their oil operations in Guyana in 2024, marking a 64 per

cent year-on-year jump, according toExxonMobil’slatestoperational update The surge was driven by expandedproductioncapacityand favorable fiscal terms that continue to make Guyana one of the most lucrative oil plays globally.”

“ExxonMobil alone booked $4.7 billion in adjusted earnings from its Guyana operations last year, contributing substantially to its global earnings of $33 46 billion Meanwhile, Hess posted $3 1 billion in profits from the region, up from $1 9 billion in 2023, while CNOOC earned $2.5 billion, rising from $1.5 billion,” thearticlesaid.

On June 4, this publication reported that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL),thesubsidiaryof Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2024 recordedanoperatingprofitbefore taxationofalmostUS$6billion,the company’s annual report has revealed.

The company shared the document with members of the mediaatitsDukeStreet,Kingston, Georgetownoffice.

Explaining the financial performance of the oil company was newly appointed Business Services Manager, John Colling. He noted that the increase in the company’s profits was primarily due to the startup of the third Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), Prosperity, which commenced

production activities in November 2023 but reached maximum capacityinJanuary2024.

Colling noted, “In 2024, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited generated $1.7 trillion (GYD) in revenue, which is up about 60 per cent from the prior year and that’s really driven by the Prosperity FPSO coming online and higher productionvolumes.”

Similarly,thebusinessservices manager said the company’s net income also increased to $995 billion (GYD) in 2024, compared with $615 billion (GYD) recorded in2023,asaresultoftheadditionof theProsperityvessel.

Additionally, the startup of the vessel also accounted for an increaseinproductioncostsin2024 which totaled $61 3 billion, comparedwithonly$41.1billionin 2023.

Exxonreportedataxexpenseof $260,155,788,763 (GYD) and $995,144,810,603 (GYD) as its totalcomprehensiveincomeforthe year

It is important to note that the company, in accordance with the provisions of the 2016 PSA is exempted from paying taxes. As such, it could be accurately concluded that the company’s profits for the year totaled $1,255,300,599,366.

The 2024 annual report indicated that the exchange rate at the end of the financial period was US$1 = G$210, hence Exxon

‘Itwasn’tme’

The Ethic Relations Commission (ERC) on Monday stated that the commission had no hand in the prosecution or remand of Daniel Wharton, popularly knownasBabySkello.

Wharton,whosangavulgarand distasteful song about the Hindu goddess,Lakshmi,appearedbefore Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he was remanded to prisonuntilJuly1,2025.

Following a public outcry, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) denounced the song and urged authorities to take disciplinary action. However, in a follow-up statement on Monday, theCommissionstressedthatitwas not involved in Wharton’s prosecution or his subsequent remand.TheERCexplainedthatit issued two formal invitations to Wharton, on May 14 and May 23,

Daniel

Wharton, popularly known as Baby Skello

2025 requesting his appearance to discuss the concerns raised by the Hindu community regarding the song’s content. “These appeals weremadeinresponseERCreceipt of formal complaints from the

Hindu community Despite the ERC’s well-publicised efforts to initiateadialogue,Mr Whartondid not respond or present himself for an interview As the Commission doesnotpossesssubpoenapowers, it was unable to compel his attendance or further engage with himonthismatter,”ERCsaid.

The Commission’s first press release,datedMay14,2025,stated, inpart:

“The Ethnic Relations Commission has also noted that Baby Skello was arrested by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in relation to his recent song which contained blasphemous content against the Hindu religion The ERC respects the independent actions of the GPF to investigate and address this matter within the fullextentofthelaw.However,the ERC wishes to clarify that this matterisalsobeingaddressedatthe

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

recorded US$5,977,621,901 as operatingprofitbeforetaxation. In2024,ExxonMobilproduced approximately 652,000 barrels per day (kbd). During the period, Liza Destiny produced approximately 157 kbd, Liza Unity 246 kbd and Prosperity249kbd.

President of EMGL, Alistair Routledge in the report said reflecting on 2024 fills him with both pride and gratitude for the collective efforts that have culminated in what has been described as “one of the most remarkable success stories” globally

“Our journey in Guyana is just beginning, poised to further transform the country and its economy, bringing significant and broad benefits to its citizens…We have consistently grown productionyear-overyearsincethe first oil production milestone in 2019. As a result, Guyana is now oneofthelargestoilproducersper capitaintheworld,anditboaststhe world’sfastest-growingeconomy,” Routledgenoted.

…ERC says not involved in Baby Skello’s court case

level of the ERC, and Baby Skello has been summoned to face the Commission. While the ERC has referred several matters to the police based on completed investigations, that is not yet one suchcase.”

A second statement, issued on May 23, 2025, sought to correct misinformation in the media. “The Commission also takes this opportunity to correct inaccurate mediareportswhichsuggestedthat the ERC was responsible for the arrest of Mr Daniel Wharton, also known by his stage name ‘Baby Skello.’TheERCwishestoinform the public that a letter was dispatched to Mr Wharton, requesting his presence at the Commission in relation to a song released by him that has raised public concern over its derogatory content. To date, Mr. Wharton has not made contact with the

Commission. The ERC reiterates its call for Mr Wharton ‘Baby Skello’to come forward and make contact with the Commission urgently to address this important matter.”

Following the release of the song by ‘Baby Skello,’ the Ethnic Relations Commission issued a statementonMay8,2025,strongly condemning its content That statement read “The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) strongly condemns the recent circulation of a song by the performer known as Baby Skello, which portrays the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi in a vulgar, sexually explicit, and blasphemous manner This content constitutes a deeply offensiveactthatstrikesattheheart oftheHinducommunity’sreligious beliefs and is wholly unacceptable in a society that values mutual respectandcoexistence.”

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Prejudices and stereotypes

Veryfewwoulddenythatweareaconflictedsociety:the evidence in our daily newspapers and newscasts are too overwhelming.Thereare,ofcourse,legionsofreasonsasto whythismaybesoandthereisnoshortageoftheoriesfrom thecomparablenumberoffieldsandsub-fieldsintowhich wehavesplinteredourstudyofthehumancondition.

Apractical theory, however, ought to offer us not only some insight into possible causes of conflicts but also suggestwaysbywhichwemayreducethosedisagreements. “Prejudice” in humans is one of those theories. We say “humans” because, evidently, prejudice is found in all societies; in all of us. Many of our prejudices are fairly of little impact, socially, for instance, the prejudice against alcohol and those who consume it. On the other hand, ethnic, racial and religious prejudices have become a bane ofmodernsocieties,oursincluded.Butwhateverthesocial impact, we hold on to our prejudices intensely One of the best definitions of prejudice was offered several decades ago: “aversive or hostile attitude toward a person who belongstoagroup,simplybecausehebelongstothatgroup, and is therefore presumed to have the objectionable qualitiesascribedtothatgroup.”

Whilethereisacertainamountofirrationalityinherent in all prejudices, this may be due to one of its major precipitants – fear Fear invariably generates irrational responses. The fears are generated from several different types of perceived threats: the expectation that the “other” will do one harm; the perception that the different worldviewoftheotherwillcreatechallengestoone’sown; thepresumptionthatinteractionwillleadtoembarrassment, rejection,orridicule;andthegenerationoffearofnegative consequencesasaresultofnegativestereotypes.

Since most of these fears are arise out of our internal assessmentofexternalfactors,knowledgeofthoseexternalsis key to understanding prejudices It would appear that we all haveafearoftheunknown,afearoftheunfamiliar Ithasbeen trulysaidthatiffearisthefatherofprejudice,ignoranceisits grandfather A prejudice can be thought of as a negative judgmentthathasbeenarrivedatwithoutafullexaminationof allthefacts Inotherwords,itisavaluejudgmentthatweeasily makebasedonhalf-factsandhalf-truthswithamindthatispreconditionedtoreadilyacceptsuchajudgment Putdifferently, we are emotionally predisposed to arrive at certain conclusions and seek out “facts” to support these conclusions. These conclusions are condensed early on in our childhood as stereotypes which colour our attitude to “other” persons and things. Because of the multitudinous amountofinformationweareforcedtoprocessinourlives, theformationofstereotypesisaninevitableprocess.

This would not be so problematical but unfortunately, prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behaviour. When negative attitudes on the basisofdifferencestranslateintobehaviour,wehave,asaresult, discrimination and the social inequity it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals’ attitudes Oneofthemosteffectivemeasurestoreduceprejudice istoremoveignoranceaboutthe“other”andthiscansometimes be effected through increased contacts between groups that sharenegativestereotypesofeachother

InGuyana,theschoolsformoneofthemostimportant pointsofcontact–especiallyinthecrucialagecategoryin which stereotypes are hardened. In the government’s commendableexponentialexpansionofhousingschemes,it hasworkedhardtoensurethatthepopulationsarefromall the ethnic groups in our society Care, however, has to be takentoensurethatthelessonsfrompastexperiencearenot ignored.Mostimportantisthatthecontactmustbepositive: i.e.thegroupsmustberelativelyequal,havecommongoals and not compete against each other To proceed otherwise wouldbesimplytohardenprejudicesandstereotypes.

Release Baby Skello and RepealArchaic Laws

DEAREDITOR

,

Twoorthreeyearsago,I condemned Former

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Naraine - for insisting that President Ali would make Guyana into a Sharia-style Muslim state Given his platform, those were very dangerous remarks. I called onhimtoresign-hedidnot. Earlierthisweek,Iwroteon David Hinds and his “lick bamzy” slurs - these are far more influential persons than “Baby Skello” - with potentially worse impact None of these public political figures was arrested. InotedtheERC,in a release, completely distancing themselves from Skello’s arrest. Therefore, it islikelythataHindu-acting out of genuine pain - filed a policereport.

Butthismattershould’ve been thrown out of court as fastasitcamein-asthelaw relating to “blasphemous libel” is archaic and Unconstitutional. The anger and pain that Hindus have been feeling are very real, andveryvalid.

But jailing Skello is taking a very fragile situation - and making it far worse. Had Jesus been mocked,orhaditbeenAllah

- my stance would have remainedthesame.I’mwell aware that not everyone agreeing with me now will agree with me in instances involving other faiths. But I’ll continue to let principle guide my praxis - over emotion. And I can only encourage others to do the same - whether this is a popularpositionornot.

To call Baby Skello an artist would be an affront to theentiremusicalartformin general. His “song” about Ma Lakshmi - amidst an apparent recent spike in Anti-Hindu sentiment was outright crass and disgraceful I reiterate: releasingasongdegradinga Hindu deity at the height of an apparent wave of Hinduphobia was wrongespecially during the aftermath of the “sacrifice” conspiracy theories relating totheAdrianaYoungcase. But this is not how to do it.Ifanything,itcouldmake things worse And I’m saying this as a Hindu. But religious zealotry is something that should never belegislated.Letthetidesof public discourse naturally reject and disregard what is vulgar and what is socially unacceptable. If anything,

there exists the potential to create new waves of hatred by “legislating morality” Whowouldfacethebruntof potential public unrest provokedbythisjailing?

When I saw the mass collective outrage by the Hindu community — with widespread protests and several Hindu organizations outrightly condemning him — I viewed this as very effectiveandwell-warranted mobilization in standing up to anti-Hindu sentiment, to the point where I even saw several of my Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters joining in and condemning thesongtoo.

This is what I mean by ventilating in the public discourse -it filters, contextualizes, and ultimately discards what is crass.

Following this, the ERC called in Skello for q u e s t i o n i n g H e subsequently apologizedeven if it was largely incoherent.Effortslikethese are needed and will yield greater results in the long run.

Wecannotdescendintoa s l i p p e r y s l o p e o f unnecessary censorship — the fact that there was

effectivemobilizationbythe Hindu community, prompting embrace and supportfromtheotherfaiths, is testament to the power of public discourse and effective grassroots mobilization as a means of combating anti-Hindu sentiment Division and xenophobia are inherited generational curses To break generational curses requires generational efforts — not the legislation of zealotry

Pursuant to this, I am publicly and directly appealing to the Chancellor oftheJudiciaryaswellasthe J u d i c i a l S e r v i c e Commission to expedite the release of Baby Skello and thoroughly examine this troubling decision by Magistrate Latchman - and to take appropriate disciplinarymeasures.

Finally,Iamappealingto t h e L a w R e f o r m Commission - to take the necessary steps to remove “blasphemous libel” as well asotherarchaiccriminalized offencesfromourlawbooks to reflect contemporaneous societal and human rights standards.

Yoursfaithfully, NikhilSankar

When we suppress it for some, we jeopardise it for all

DEAREDITOR, The remand of Daniel Wharton (“Baby Skello”) u n d e r G u y a n a ’ s blasphemous libel law has broughttotheforeanurgent national conversation It concerns not merely the use of an antiquated law, but more fundamentally, the moral and constitutional nature of freedom of expression in a democratic society

Letmebeclearfromthe outset: I do not write to defend the lyrical quality, moral tone, or artistic value of Mr Wharton’s song. I write instead to defend the principle that speech, particularly in a plural society such as ours, must remain free even when it offends, provokes, or challenges our cherished beliefs.Iffreedomofspeech is to mean anything at all, it must include the freedom to offend,fortobeabletothink and speak risks being

offensive This is not a reckless or a

I

p

pos

is a foundational truth of constitutional democracy, grounded in legal, philosophical, and historical foundations.

We must distinguish between offence and harm. These are two terms conflated in the current debate While I fully understand that members of the Hindu community, among others, found Mr Wharton’s lyrics distasteful and spiritually insulting, the mere fact of offence cannot suffice as legal grounds for remand. In any democracy worth the name, citizens are free to criticise, satirise, and even crudely challenge religionandpolitics.Liberty works by tolerating those who disagree and are impolite.

Hurtfeelings,whilereal, do not equate to legal harm. In liberal societies, we

protect against speech that directly incites violence, defames individuals, and threatenspublicorder Wedo not protect against that which merely causes moral or emotional discomfort Otherwise, all speech becomes vulnerable to suppression by the most easilyoffendedamongus. Furthermore, the application of the blasphemous libel statute in thiscaseisdeeplytroubling. This law is a colonial relic and was designed to uphold the religious monopoly of the Christian establishment in British territories Its continued presence on our law books is not a sign of cultural respect or religious harmony

Somehavearguedthatin amulti-religioussocietylike ours, speech must be curtailed to preserve peace. This sounds reasonable, even noble, but it leads to a dangerous path True pluralism does not mean the avoidance of offence; it meansthewillingnesstolive with difference even when that difference challenges our sensibilities. We cannot legislate national harmony b y c r i m i n a l i s i n g disagreement.

Mr Wharton’ssongmay havebeencrudeand (Continuedonpage06)

More importantly, its application today violates the spirit and letter of our Constitution. Articles 145 and 146 of the Constitution provide for freedom of thought, conscience, and expression. These are not marginalrights.Theyarethe foundation upon which our democratic society stands. To invoke a law that punishes expression simply because it disrespects a religious symbol is to entangle the state in theological policing, a role that no secular republic can justify

Guyanese Elections Choice 2025-Shut Down or Suffer

DEAREDITOR

It’s election season once again in Guyana, and just likesinceindependence,the usual attacks by the major political parties will continue on each another, but no attacks will be directed at the foreign exploiters plundering Guyana’s wealth which should be of the utmost importance to Guyanese voters.

The plundering of Guyana’s wealth will continuetobetheonlyissue the two major political parties will be in full agreement with each other The usual rhetoric from the spokespeople of the two major parties will be designedtokeeptheirvoters in their respective voting pods, so after the elections the PPP and PNC will

continue to control governmental power slobbering at the feet of the foreign exploiters while doing nothing for Guyanese to get their rightful share of theircountry’swealth.

There are silent MPs sittinginparliamentwhoare just “yes” people to their respective political party leadershipofwhomnoteven a donkey will trust these MPs to watch their grass.

The biggest elections news sofarhasbeentheendorsing President Ali for a second term by some Guyanese, if this is the mentality of the majority of Guyanese, then theimminentendofGuyana isnearsincethisisthesame president that affixed his signature to law exempting E x x o n M o b i l o f

responsibilities from oil spillsatatimeoframped-up production while drilling at 50% more than the standard environmentalsafetylimits. Wewillcontinuetohear all kinds of nonsensical insults traded by political parties at each other, Guyanese beware of this smokescreen since behind thescenesbothpartiessitin parliament to give away Guyana’s wealth to foreign exploiters, staying silent as their compatriots poach Guyana out. Only Jagdeo’s PPPhavingsatinparliament as the PNC in power gave away the oil for a pittance stayed silent, then used it against the PNC to gain power in their election campaign in the previous elections. Aubrey Compton Norton’s PNC have decided thisisabadstrategy,sothey muster the most bizarre election strategy of staying silent as the PPP lambasts them for everything going wronginGuyana.

I don’t know if the PNC doesn’t understand perceptions is more important than facts in election campaigns, and by staying silent on the PPP’s blame game, the PNC is acknowledging they are the ones to be blamed for everything going wrong in Guyana to prospective voters. PPP’s Jagdeo calls his political opponents criminals, yet there is Vice Newsvideoofhimengaging in corrupted deals with a ChineseNationalthatwould border on treason, why his political opponents he calls criminals doesn’t play this

video? The PPP now in government calls those who criticize them gripers, yet when the PPP were in opposition, they did the same,asperthePPPthatwas not griping then, but doing God’swork.

There are now foreign expatriates in Guyana endorsing the PPPto win as they now live here, but they don’t want their children to use Guyana’s schools, hospitals, and police for protection,sotheyhavetheir children living overseas, so they support the notion that Guyanesechildrenmustuse Guyana’s schools, hospital, and police services. As the election race heats up the PPP,andPNCcontinuelead the way with a surging in supportforTeamMohamed. Ex-PresidentofthePNCand leader of their list David Graingerdoesn’taddressthe unprotected plundering of Guyana’s wealth, instead he speaks of “Berra Anansi”. Ex-President of the PPP Donald Ramotar said those who wants the PPP out should careful what they wish for, this is from the same individual who signed away Guyana’s valuable oil blocks, with the bizarre excuse,hesignedanddidn’t readwhathewassigning. Cananothergovernment do worse that this PPP Gov’t? That passed in parliament a law that indemnifies ExxonMobil from oil spills, that refused to re-negotiate the oil contract as per their manifesto, and campaign promises as opposition, that takesonrecorddebtcausing

inflation,anddevaluationof theGUY$,thatrefusestothe renegotiate gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds, and forestry contracts for more royalties, taxes, and profit share for Guyana, that refuses to stop flaring, and dumping of dangerous

Petro-chemicals in Guyana’s waters, that are presiding over Ministries and State Departments so corruptcitizenscan’tgetthe basic services they pay for, that slobber to foreign exploiters building hotels for them as they exploit whileboastingoflowpaying slavelikejobsforGuyanese, that claim to be transparent but hides the necessary documents from the public, that signed an oil fund law that allows them to do what theywanttheoilmoney

Thereisanewcampaign against Team Mohamed by the mouthpieces of the two major political parties blabbering the Mohammeds arecriminallysanctionedby the USA Maybe the Guyanese people prefer a criminallysanctionedleader ratherthanthosethatsigned away Guyana’s oil and valuable resources in some oftheworstdealsinhistory, waived taxes for foreign corporations, refuses to renegotiate these deals for Guyanatogetmorebenefits, stay silent as foreigners destroy Guyanese businesses.

T h e G u y a n e s e politiciansarejumpingfrom partytopartylookingoutfor their own selfish interests whileallowingforeign

(Continuedonpage06)

The impact of high cost-of-living on voting trends?

DEAREDITOR, Howwillthestateofthe economy, economic growth anddistributionofoilwealth and the relatively high costof-livinginfluencevoting.It is a very important question for which there is no straightforward or simple answer Andiftheeconomy is a critical determining factorinvoting,whichparty

economy, the rising cost of goods as well as of doing business for which the public and the business community have been complaining? In 1992, then Governor Bill Clinton’s famous, “It is the economy stupid” toppled George Bush Sr But a similar message did not work in Guyana in 1992 when the economywasindirestraight between1980to1992.Race determined voting behaviour and still does. Although they complain about the economy, voters have viewed the economy and politics through party partisan lens, siding with or defendingtheirparty Inanon-ethnicpolarized and true democracy like USA, C

Guyana,ethnicitydefinesor influences how people vote as it did since 1957. People are accustomed with the ‘two ethnic party’ system –Indian or African (Mixed). And that is how the bulk of the population, some 85%, vote. The Indians vote to keep out the Africans (and Mixed) and vice versa. But inthe2025election,withno ethnic group having a majority, and a party needing to get cross racial support, the outcome is difficult to assess The partieswillhavetocompete forcrossoverracialvotesto win government The Amerindians can hold the balanceofpoweriftheyvote strategically And they fare the worse in terms of the economy; cost-of-living in interior Amerindian communities (regions 1, 7, 8, 9) is between two to four times that in say Georgetown Will the Indigenous people have a leader or party to champion their interests and will they vote strategically? Will the native people make demandsonthepolitical (Continuedonpage06)

ada, USA,

, Grenada, etc., the economy will define the outcome of an election as it did in countless elections In

The benefits of community health clinics

DEAREDITOR, It is commendable and needed to have a wellequipped hospital in each of the ten regions of the country

Regions such as Region 4 will require multiple hospitals and the government is making progress towards making

this happen. One thing that we must keep in mind is the continued importance of communityhealthclinics. These clinics allow for affordable, quick, and easy access to healthcare that is both c o r r e c t i v e a n d preventative in nature

The cost is much less

for the patient when c o m p a r e d t o t h e hospitals and clinics are also able to meet a large percentage of the immediate health needs of the community.

Thisbeingprimarilydue to the solutions they can provide for common health issues,theeaseofitsusefor

The impact of high cost-of-living...

Frompage05 parties for equity of resources and targeted development in their communities? Will the native people seek a fair share of the oil revenues in exchangefortheirvote?

In terms of oil wealth, there are complaints nationwide that it is not shared equitably Some communities or areas and contractors benefit more than others in terms of inf

te contracts.Asmallnumberof contractors receive the bulk oftherevenues.TheChinese getmoreStatecontractsthan Americans and local Guyanese. Guyanese also complain about the Chinese presence in lumbering, mining, sand pitting, construction, and transportationsectors.

Thestateoftheeconomy in the past did not influence voting. Corruption and bad governance influenced voting in 2011, 2015, and 2020 resulting in change. Couldtheybefactorsinthis election? People are

complaining about the state of the economy The economyisgrowingrapidly and by record numbers. But not everyone is benefiting proportionally A small group is sapping up the wealth; over half the population complain they are not benefiting much. Many simply cannot afford to live. Inflation is eating awayatpeoples’incomeand savings Over half the population barely survives, meaning can afford three decent meals. Many barely eattwomealsandsomejust manage to get by with one meal. But will the economy influencevoting?

How the economy is viewed depends on politics. Many say the economy under the previous regime was worse. There is no questionthattheeconomyis better now than under any other time. Supporters of another party say things are reallybadnow Sovotersare driven by partisan dispositions, which then calls into question the significanceoftheeconomy in assessing electoral

behaviour in a tribalized society as Guyana. Race largely determines voting behaviour Uninformed voters don’t always look at the economy as a whole but vote by tradition. Informed orswingvotersmaylookata few key indicators to assess the economy’s health. But they are a small group.And whichpartywilltheychoose to manage the economy since the choices are very small.

Any‘thirdparty’ledbya credible candidate that runs on Clinton’s message of state of economy could influence voters. They have been complaining about the risingpriceofgoods,butno party has championed that issuetowinthemover Also, any party that makes a case that Guyana should strengthentiestoUSA,even of making Guyana part of America, will win several seats. Most Guyanese want tomigratetoUSAtolivethe life of their brethren in America and for a better future.

Yourstruly, Dr.VishnuBisram

checkups and other preventative care needs Utilization of healthcare resourcesalsoincreasewhen community clinics are present. Given the size of Guyana, the sprawl, and the high number of small villages across the country, using this low

cost and very accessible option should be our first line of support for improved healthcare for ourcitizens

Taiwan which is ranked as a top global healthcare system has taken a similar approach that relies heavily on health clinics for primary

care and uses hospitals for more complex and specializedcare

This is an effective strategy for the next administration to keep in mind as we continue to developthehealthcaresector inGuyana.

Bestregards, Mr JamilChanglee

Guyanese Elections Choice 2025-Shut...

Frompage05 corporationstorobyouall.

There is no hope for Guyana with a PNC or PPP win since the plundering of Guyana’s resources will continue unabated, and Team Mohamed will be a toothless tiger in standing up to ExxonMobil based on their issues with the US Government.

TheonlyhopeyouGuyanesehave,istoshut thecountrydownuntilthepoliticiansandthe foreign exploiters give you your rightful shareofyour wealth.

Don’t be like the Sri Lankans who ran their government out of office when they

couldnottakeitanymore.

The Sri Lankans, however, were too late asthecorruptgovernmenthadalreadysigned all the agreements, and passed laws for the foreigners mostly Chinese to take control of Sri Lanka

Guyanese are waiting for September 1st to bring about change at the voting booth, I personally think Guyanese don’t have time until then, the shutting down of this country h

Guyanese togettheirrightfulshareoftheir wealth.

Sincerely

ConcernedGuyanese

When we suppress it for some...

Frompage04 immature, but the response to it must not be equally immatureorunjust.

Let the public condemn whatisoffensive.

Lettheartistfacescrutinyin thecourtofpublicopinion. Butletusnotallowthestate to decide which religious feelings merit legal protectionandwhichdonot. That is a dangerous power that, once granted, will not stop with one artist or one community

If we uphold blasphemy laws today to protect one

religion,whatwillstopthem from being used tomorrow against another? Or against political critics? Or journalists? Freedom is indivisible When we suppress it for some, we jeopardiseitforall.

Guyana must now decide what kind of society itwantstobe.

Do we wish to inherit and perpetuate colonial mechanisms of control that suppress speech in the nameofsocialorder?

Or do we wish to be a mature, modern democracy

that trusts its citizens to handle disagreement without criminalising dissent?

If we truly believe in the dignity and moral agency of every citizen, then we must reject the use of blasphemy laws and commit ourselves to the harderworkofdialogueand tolerance.

If we don’t, then let us arrest and silence those we disagree with anddeemoffensive.

Sincerely,

RonaldN.Emanuel

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Choosing our leaders

Guyanese will soon go to the polls to elect a President and government. Already a number of individuals have thrown their hats in the ring.

The incumbent, President Irfaan Ali is currently embroiled in an ever-widening scandal with one of his potential rivals at the polls over tax evasion in which the laws of Guyana were allegedly flagrantly violated so as to confer benefits on an admitted past friend of the President.

We believe that the next President would have to be an individual who has been scrupulously clean and who would have to hone to the straight and narrow in his future dealings, to rebuild the public trust in the Presidency. In a democracy, we are given the opportunity to choose our leaders, so it is incumbent on all of us — both citizens and party insiders — to reflect on the needs of our country before the need of inflated egos when fulfilling that duty.

…prioritises climate resilience and disaster responsiveness helm of CDB governors Bahamas takes

The Bahamas has assumed the Chairmanship of the CaribbeanDevelopmentBank’s(CDB)BoardofGovernors, committing to champion climate resilience and strengthen regional disaster response systems throughout its one-year term. The announcement was made during the closing ceremonyoftheBank’s55thAnnualMeeting,heldlastweek in Brasília, Brazil. Delivering remarks on behalf of the new Chairman, Michael Halkitis, Minister of Economic Affairs and CDB Governor for The Bahamas, Parliamentary Secretary, for the Ministry of EconomicAffairs, Mr Wayde Watson affirmed The Bahamas’ commitment to advancing sustainabledevelopmentacrosstheregion.

“We are particularly pleased to work with the Bank on ongoing efforts to strengthen disaster response systems and buildsustainabilityinthefaceofclimatechange,”Mr Watson isquotedinaCDBreleasesaying,highlightingTheBahamas’ alignmentwiththeBank’sstrategicfocusonbuildingresilient institutions for a greener, stronger, and more inclusive Caribbean.

With firsthand experience confronting climate-related disasters, The Bahamas brings a critical perspective to the Bank’s climate agenda Mr Watson underscored the leadership of Prime Minister the Honourable Philip Edward Davis, a prominent regional advocate for climate adaptation and finance, as further evidence of the country’s deep commitmenttothispriority

“The Caribbean is among the regions most affected by climate change, facing adaptation challenges that individual countries cannot—and I repeat, cannot—adequately address alone,”Mr Watsonstressed.“Multilateralinstitutionslikethe CDBarecrucialincoordinatingandfundingsolutionstailored totheregion’sneeds.”TheAnnualMeetingofCDB’sBoard of Governors is the Bank’s highest decision-making forum, comprisingrepresentativesfromits28membercountries.The 2025 meeting was chaired by Ms. Viviane Vecchi Mendes Muller, Deputy Secretary for International Affairs and DevelopmentatBrazil’sMinistryofPlanningandBudgetand CDBGovernorforBrazil.

It convened senior government officials, development finance institutions, private-sector actors, and technical experts to address the region’s most pressing development challenges,includingeconomicresilience,povertyreduction, and climate action. The Bahamas will host the Bank’s 56th AnnualMeetinginNassauinJune2026.

Berbice man feared drowned in Linden

Amechanic from BrightonVillage, Corentyne, Berbice isfeareddrownedafterhewentswimmingattheCoomacka MinesBeach,UpperDemeraraRiver,Region10onSunday afternoon.

Missingis21-year-oldNazimHamid.

It was reported that the incident occurred at approximately16:00hrs.

According to a statement from police, a 16-year-old femalestudentfromWisrocHousingSchemeinLinden,said sheandHamidwereinvolvedinarelationshipandhewould visitherregularlyontheweekend.

“The student said Nazim visited Linden on Saturday, 14th June 2025. The following day (Sunday 15th June at about 15:30hrs), she, Nazim and some friends visited the CoomackaMinesBeach(UpperDemeraraRiver)toswim,” police said. Police added that the 16-year-old said that Hamid began swimming towards the center of the river wherehebegantosink.Theteenshoutedforhelpbutbefore anyonecouldrespond,Hamid’sbodywentbelowthesurface of the river and disappeared. She told police that publicspirited persons who were in the area, began to search for Hamid’sbodybuthewasnotfound.

Time to treat our elderly with dignity

They raised us They worked for us. They fed us. And in the end, too many of themareabandoned.

Thesightisbecomingfar too common Elderly

persons left at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Dropped off with no one coming back.

Left to the mercy of nurses andsocialworkers.

That is no way to treat peoplewhobuiltthiscountry withtheirbarehands.So,the news that the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security may be building an elderlycarehomeatEnmore should be welcomed. The advertisement spoke of “execution services.” What that really means is unclear But if it means building a proper facility for our elderly, then let us say: it is longoverdue.

Guyana has a growing populationofelderlypeople. Many are still living with their families. But more and more are being left on their own Some are being abandoned.And the truth is, we do not have enough quality facilities to house them.

Thereareafewprivately run homes. Some are doing their best with limited resources.Butmanyofthese homes are in dire need of upgrading.

Walk into some of them and you will see the problemsrightaway

Too many rooms are cramped Some residents seem to have moved in with every itemthey ever owned. Theroomsbecomecluttered, uncomfortable, and unsafe. Inotherhomes,thepartitions between rooms do not reach

the ceilings This makes privacy impossible The residentscanheareverything from the next room

Conversations, coughing, radios playing, even snores atnight.

And then there is the smell. That awful smell of neglect.Itclingstothewalls and the furniture. It says something is wrong. Yes, these private homes are filling a gap They are providing a needed service. But that does not mean they cannot do better They must dobetter.

Wemustraisethe standard.

The government has a role to play. Building new facilities like the one at Enmore is one part. But the otherpartishelpingexisting homes to modernise. Offer them incentives Provide guidelines for proper care. Offer grants or subsidies for upgrading.Maybeevenhelp with staff training. The aim should be to lift the level of all elderly homes across the country Let us also talk about The Palms on Brickdam.Foryears,thishas been our main state-run homefortheelderly Butitis stuck in an outdated model. Peoplearestillbeinghoused in open wards, like patients inahospital. Thatisnotgoodenough.

Notanymore.

Every elderly person deserves their own space. Their own room. Their own door that they can close. Some years ago, a company introduced containerized housing for the mining sector Each container was about20feetlongand8feet wide. But inside it was a complete living space —

bedroom, toilet and bath, a small kitchen, and even a sittingarea.

Whycan’twedothatfor theelderly?

Imagine a compound made up of these container homes. Each one housing one or two residents. Each with their own space. Each abletolivewithdignity This isnotanimpossibledream.It isapracticalsolution.Andit would mean a world of difference for those who are now living in dorm-style wards with no privacy, no independence,andnopeace. Let us not forget who these people are. They are our mothers, our fathers, our teachers, our cane cutters, our civil servants. They are theoneswhostoodinlineto vote, who went to work beforesunrise,whobuiltthe homesweliveintoday

Theydeservebetter

Too often, we treat the elderly as if they are in the way.As if they are burdens. But one day, if we live long enough, we will be in their place.

Soletusactnow

Let us build homes that are clean, safe, and private. Let us support those already tryingtoprovidecare.Letus removethestenchofneglect — both literal and symbolic —fromthehomeswhereour elderlylive.

Let us stop building institutionsandstartcreating communitiesforourelderly

Let us move away from warehousing people and toward dignified living. It is time to stop seeing this as charity and start seeing it as justice.

The Enmore home is a start. But it must not be the only move. It must be the

DEM BOYS SEH

We might be old but we aint cold

Old bai in Guyana had a big farm long timenowpondehighway Atdebackofde farmhadanicelilcreek propershapefuh swimminandcoolinoff.Dewaterbinfresh and always running. De man even put picnicbench,afewoldhorseshoepost,and plant couple fruit trees to provide shade, althoughdemdoesneverreallybearmuch fruits.

Oneafternoon,deolefarmersehhegon tekalilwalkdowntodecreek,sinceheaint beendehinalongtime.Hecarryabigfivegallon bucket wid he, hopin to pick some fruits.

Butashegetcloser,hehearlaughinand splashin like a setta young gyals on holiday When he peep, lo and behold! Is

beginningofafullreformof elderly care in Guyana Because how we treat our elderly says everything aboutwhoweare.Andright now,wehavealotofworkto do.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

someyounggyalskinny-dippininhecreek nakedlikededaydemborn.

Soonasdemspotdeoleman,demswim quick to de deep end and start holler:

”Wenacominouttillyuhgone!”

De old man fold he hand, screw up he

f a c e , a n d s e h r e a l c a l m :

”Look,mehaintcomehaytospyponnaked gyalormekyallcomeoutwidallyuhglory showin.”

Thenheraisedebucketandseh:

”Ahjustcometofeeddealligators...”

Dem gyal part water like Moses part RedSea!

Some ole man might walk slow, but dembrainstillfast-fast!

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Kaieteur oil block extension is prescribed by law - oil minister

since 2022

Although 45 per cent of the Kaieteur oil block was dueforrelinquishmenttothe State since 2022 during ExxonMobil Guyana Limited’s(EMGL)tenureas operator,thegovernmenthas explained that the extension granted to the current block partnerswasdoneonalegal basis.

Askedby Kaieteur News abouttherelinquishmentand the extension, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat said, “once it’s prescribed by the law…we arecompelledtodothat.”

Todate,noportionofthe Kaieteur Block has been relinquished.Theagreement for the block spanning 3.3 million acres was signed in April 2015 between Guyanese authorities and ExxonMobil Guyana, the previous operator of the block, which led a consortium consisting Hess Corporation, Ratio Energy Ltd. and Cataleya Energy Ltd.OnNovember17,2024, Ratio Petroleum reported

that a one-year extension, to February 2026, had been granted to the drilling decisiondate.

An unofficial English t r a n s l a t i o n o f a n announcement by Ratio Petroleum stated that a formal request was submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources in November 2024, seeking an extension of the exploration period. It was stated that the extension was requested on the basis of technical and economic findings,

according to the translated document.

Ratio, in the statement, said that the ministry confirmed receipt of the r e q u e s t , a d d i n g , “accordingly, the partners in the block are expected to receive an update from the Guyanese authorities on whether additional explorationactivitieswillbe approved or whether the block (or part of it) will be relinquished, by February 2026.”

The Production Sharing

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Agreement(PSA)governing theKaieteurBlockstipulates that 25 per cent of the concessionshouldhavebeen relinquished in 2019, followed by another 20 per cent in 2022, unless the e n t i r e b l o c k w a s surrendered To date, no portionoftheblockhasbeen officiallyrelinquished.

A single prospect has been drilled to date in the Kaieteur Block, which resultedinasub-commercial oil discovery The ExxonMobil

Tanager-1 well, which was drilled in August 2020, encountered16metresofnet oil pay, a discovery of approximately 65 million barrels of oil in the prospect area, based on independent estimates by Netherland, Sewell & Associates Inc. (NSAI). This discovery was considered to be noncommercial as a standalone development. However, in spite of a number of subsequent postponements, the operator at that time, ExxonMobil, had decided not to exercise its option to drill a second well on the block In

September 2023, it was a

Petroleum Energy Limited Partnership that both ExxonMobil and Hess had electedtowithdrawfromthe Kaieteur Block and return their participating interests to the original Kaieteur licence holders, Ratio Guyana Limited and CataleyaEnergyLimited. Ratio and Cataleya then soughtgovernmentapproval to reassign the participating interests, so that RGL and CELwilleachretaina50per cent participating interest, and to appoint RGL as the operatoroftheblock.

‘No constitutional provision for independent candidates to contest elections’ -

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs,AnilNandlallSChas pushed back against the challengefiledbyprominent lawyer and chartered accountantChristopherRam tomodifytheRepresentation ofthePeopleAct(RoPA)and the Laws of Guyana to give individualstherighttostand to elect independent candidatestocontestgeneral elections.

According to the Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed by the Ram’s attorney,

Kamal Ramkarran, the applicant is seeking a declarationthatonatrueand proper interpretation of Article 160(2) (a) of the constitution, that individuals, including himself, have the right to stand for and elect persons whostandforelectionstothe National Assembly as independent candidates in geographicalconstituencies.

The FDA also seeks a declaration that, by failing and/or omitting to make provision for individuals to

stand for elections and to elect members to the National Assembly as independent candidates in geographical constituencies, the Representation of the People Act Chapter 1:03 of the Laws of Guyana is, to that extent, ultra vires to the c o n s t i t u t i o n a n d unconstitutional.

Further, Ram wants an order m

difying the RepresentationofthePeople Act, Chapter 1:03 of the Laws of Guyana, to give effect to the right of

individualstostandasandto electindependentcandidates i n g e o g r a p h i c a l constituencies to the NationalAssembly

The AG in his written submission in response to Ram said that the challenge is without merit He explained that “The Constitution, properly construed, establishes a system of proportional representation (PR) predicated upon a party-list system for the election of members to the National

AG saysin courtpapers

Assembly, and confers no right no

creates a m e c h a n

s m f o r independent/individual candidatestocontestwithout beingpartofalist.

Nandlall noted

“Accordingly,ROPA,which requires, inter alia, candidatestobepartofalist ofapoliticalparty,faithfully implements the letter and spirit prescribed by the Constitution ” “It is therefore respectfully submittedthat:(a)Articles1, 9, 60, and 160 of the Constitution, read as a whole, entrench a system of representative democracy operated via party lists in a proportional representation electoral system for membership to the National Assembly; and ROPA’s provisions requiring candidacythroughsuchlists are not ultra vires and unconstitutional but are m a n d a t e d b y t h e Constitutionitself.”

Additionally, Nandlall claimed that the recent judicial pronouncements all reaffirm that Guyana’s electoral model as “constitutionalised,” and “operationalised”byvarious legislation,isindeedapartylist system of proportional representation

He noted that in alleging thatsections11Aand11Bof ROPA are inconsistent with theConstitution,Ramargues that the sovereignty of the people and their will are being frustrated and that somehow, the people intended individuals to be able to run without association to a list - yet parliamentdisallowedit.

“This narrative is historically and legally unfounded,” Nandlall said while noting that the people’s will is primarily expressed in the text of the

C o n s t i t u t i o n , a n d secondarily,throughtheActs of their representatives in Parliament. “These expressions of the people’s will point to the same conclusion: to be elected to the National Assembly, a candidatemustbeassociated with and extracted from a list. The legislative system simply does not allow for a loneranger.”

TheAG noted that prior to 1964, Guyana’s electoral system embodied the First PastthePost(FPTP)system, which saw candidates contestinginsingle-member constituencies, in which representatives were elected based on who received the highestnumberofvotes.

“ F o l l o w i n g constitutional and electoral reforms, the system of proportional representation wasintroducedin1964.This effectively eliminated individual candidacy and entrenched political parties as the primary mechanism for electoral participation. Thus,Article 160(2) affirms Parliament’s intention and deliberate move away from the option of independent candidacy in favour of a party-driven electoral process ” After several modifications, he noted that in 1999, a Constitutional Reform Commission was statutorily established, comprising representatives from political parties, civil society, and other stakeholders, to ensure broad-based participation in the constitutional reform process.“Infact,democracy in Guyana’s constitutional and legislative context means a party-list representativesystem,rather than the concentration of powerinanindividual.This, wesubmit,isafeature,nota flaw,”theAGsaid.

Attorney and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC

ERC opens probe into hateful comments by woman against Adriana’s family

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) on Monday publicly condemned a series of hateful and insensitive comments made by Facebook user Jennifer Ally, directed at 11-year-old Adriana Younge, who died tragically in April,andhergrievingfamily Adriana’s lifeless body was recoveredfromaswimmingpoolat the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, on April 24—nearly 20 hours after she was reported missing during a family outing.

SinceAdriana’sdeath,Allyhas repeatedly posted offensive remarks on social media targeting both the deceased child and her loved ones. Her posts have drawn significant public criticism,

prompting the ERC to formally intervene.

In a statement issued on Monday, the commission said,

“Thecommissionisappalledthat, during a time of mourning, such vile and hateful expressions were publicly shared, further inflicting painonafamilyalreadyburdened by tragic loss These actions violate the basic standards of decency and mutual respect that are essential to maintaining harmony in our multi-ethnic society”

Asaresult,theERCconfirmed that it has launched a formal investigationintothematter

“TheERChasofficiallyopened a formal case into this matter and intendstoengageMs.JenniferAlly She is being requested to report to

the commission to address the contentandintentofherremarks,” thestatementadded.

The commission reminded the public that while freedom of expression is a protected right, it must be exercised with responsibility

“The use of social media to spread hate, incite division, or cause psychological harm, especially in the context of bereavement, is unacceptable, contrary to the values enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana,” the ERCemphasised.

According to the ERC, it is actively monitoring the situation and intends to take appropriate actioninlinewithitsconstitutional mandate to promote ethnic harmony, prevent hostility, and

Teen found dead on Kumu Trail

A 17-year-old female was found lying motionless under a bridge along the Kumu Trail, Region Nine, last Saturday after leavingaweddingreception.

Dead is Kelly Raymondo of St. Ignatius VillageinCentralRupununi,RegionNine. Itwasreportedthattheincidentoccurred between22:00hrsand23:30hrsontheKumu Trail, Central Rupununi involving a motorcycle.

Accordingtoapolicestatement,theteen wasataweddingreceptioninKumuVillage, allegedlyconsumingalcoholwithherfriends. Raymondo, at approximately 22:00hrs left the reception with a motorcycle, which is owned by a 25-year-old female, proceeding southonthesaidtrailatanallegedlyfastrate.

“Itissuspectedthatwhileintheprocessof crossingthebridgealongthetrail,Raymondo lost control and crashed into the western edge,subsequentlyfallingoverintothewater below,whereshereceivedinjuriestoherhead andaboutherbody,”policesaid.

The statement noted that about 23:30hrs, a passerby discovered that the 17-year-old was lying motionless in the water with the motorcycleashortdistanceaway

Policevisitedthesceneandtheyescorted the unresponsive Raymondo to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was taken to the hospital’s mortuary, awaiting a post-mortemexamination. Dead is Kelly Raymondo

encourage respectful public discourse.

JenniferAlly’s comments posted over the course of several months have been described as distasteful and deeply hurtful. Some of the remarks shared from her personal Facebook profile include:

“It’s sad they’ve returned to our beautiful country, here comes chaos and corruption in the name of politics because let’s face it, no one givesaf***aboutacorpseat thispoint…

“ThechilddeservesaGuinness world record for the most pathologisttoperformandgivethe same results… and still needs 49 more. And a whole international investigator.”

“But out of joke and fun… where is granny? I ain’t seeing her in merica. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see her back since she mek she granddaughter died… maybe shefeelsguilty?”

Bikers killed in Canje collision

Two motorcyclists lost their lives on Sunday, followingacollisionatSheet Anchor Village, East Canje Berbice. Deadare25-yearold Junior Malcolm Matthews of Sheet Anchor, and 29-year-old Stephen Tiloo of Reliance Settlement,EastCanje. Accordingtoastatement fromthepolice,atthetimeof

the incident, Matthew was riding motorcycle JSP 1 while Tiloo was riding motorcycleCP768.

“Enquiriesdisclosedthat at about 20:55hrs, motorcycle CP 768, driven by Tiloo, was proceeding north along the road, allegedlyatafastrate,while motorcycle JSP 1 was proceeding in the opposite

direction,alsoatafastrate,” policesaid.

The statement said both cyclistscollidedastheywere passing each other, causing them to fall onto the road receivinginjuriesabouttheir bodies. Police noted that Matthew andTiloo were not wearing helmets at the time oftheaccident.

The men were taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital by public-spirited persons, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. The bodies are at the hospital’smortuaryawaiting apost-mortemexamination.

Dead is Stephen Tiloo

Dead is Junior Malcolm Matthews

The two mangled motorcycles that were involved in the accident

Jennifer Ally

GUYOIL records $4.2B after-tax profits for 2023

Frompage2 debt, advertising, events, professional fees and fringe benefits and salaries, GUYOIL detailed

According to the document, GUYOIL’s revenue for the year was $51.243 billion compared to $61.935 billion for the preceding year, a decrease of $10.692 billion or 17% The decrease resulted significantly from lower sales volume, it mentioned.

In explaining this, GUYOIL detailed the decrease resulted mainly from a reduction of 14% in sales volume which resulted

fromashiftinmarketingand operationalconditions.

“Cost of sales was $40.839 Bln compared to $54.847 BIn in 2022, a decrease of $14 008 BIn or 25% Themaincontributory factors to the decrease were lowersalesvolumecoupled with lower average FOB prices,” the company shared.

On the issue of sales volume, the company documented that in combined wholesale and retail sales volume totaled 1,460,199barrelscompared to1,703,220barrelsin2022, adecreaseof243,021barrels or14%.

“While overall sales volume at the Retail Sector had increased to 398,871 barrels when compared to 389,072 barrels in 2022, sales volume at the Wholesale Sector had decreased to 1,061,328 barrels from 1,314,148. Due tooperationalchanges,there were significant reductions in Diesel and Motor Gasolene sales volume of 143,034barrelsand104,861 barrels respectively,” the Reportnoted.

Further, GUYOIL said thatovertheyearsthecostof kerosene had escalated

causing more shifting to the consumption of LPG, thus a reduction in kerosene sale. “The reduction in Fuel Oil merely resulted from the change in the tendering process of the almost sole customer - DDL which led to the decision to remove the product from the portfolio,” the company explained.

Notably, the Annual Report reported that the dividends paid for the year ending December 31, 2023 was $575 million for share capital.

Commenting on its financial performance for

that year, the company said, “ G U Y O I L’s 2 0 2 3 performancewasaffectedby the continued oil supplies dilemma which has put a strain on the supply chain andcost.Nevertheless,since the commercial activities of the business involve products of necessity and with its wide area network across the country, profit yield for 2023 was yet another record setting in the historyofthecompany.”

t h r o u g h o u t a l l administrative regions in Guyana, matching the demandforenergywithinall majorgrowingsectors.”

The Chairman further notedthatdespitenavigating through a challenging economic landscape, the company remains steadfast in its pursuit of excellence, leveragingourstrengthsand s e i z i n g e m e r g i n g opportunities to drive sustainablegrowth.

Meanwhile, speaking on the company’s after-tax profit of $4.221B with an overall sales volume of 1,460,199barrels,Chairman of GUYOIL, Paul Cheong said “This achievement was realized as volumes of petroleum products were equitab

WANTED VACANCY

Driver for canter truck and Porters to work in warehouse, experience is an asset. Call: 673-7373.

Job openings: truck Drivers, AC Technician & Health & safety Officer. Apply via Whatsapp: 689-1111/ 6082114.

Cashier (9pm - 6am), Inventory clerk, pastry maker, roti cooks. send applications to Roti Hut, 18 North Road Bourda. Call: 227-4949 ext 1137 / 656-7686.

Wanted one Sales person, age 20-30 years. Call: 6807402.

Wanted one Maid. Contact: 680-1282.

One male Gardener to work at Ogle, ECD. 7am-4pm MonFri, $6000 per day. Call: 6117839.

General Domestic to work in the West Minister area, one day per week. Call: 683-3417/ 646-7400.

ENTERTAINMENT

Aracari Resort crystal clear pool, family fun, safe kids & adult sections, music & food.

W.B.D. Call: 264-2946-9

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. For more information Call: 649-0956.

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage PUTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

FOR SALE

T RUCK TIRES 295/ 75R22.5 $40K EACH. CALL/WHATSAPP: +592688-3201.

India close to hitting Guyana-type 2

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2 call 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132.

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lakh crore liter jackpot in Andaman - Oil Minister Hardeep Puri

- could make US $20 trillion economy

In an interview with The New Indian, Hardeep Singh Puri said the government’s recent reforms and aggressive exploration drive are laying the groundwork for a major find. He added that apart from smaller finds, a large-scale oil discovery in the Andaman region similar to Guyana’s—

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could help expand India’s economy from $3.7 trillion to $20 trillion. If confirmed, a find of this scale—comparable to Guyana’s 11.6-billionbarrel discovery—could reshape India’s energy landscape.

Andaman crude oil reserve: India’s energy sector anticipates a potential gamechanger as exploration in the Andaman Sea hints at an oil field mirroring Guyana’s massive discovery. Policy reforms, deep-water drilling advancements, and increased private sector engagement are converging to unlock previously inaccessible reserves. This could significantly reduce India’s reliance on oil imports and propel economic growth.

Andaman crude oil reserve: “Only a matter of time

before we find a big Guyana”

“When I made this statement about the Krishna Godavari Basin, at that point in time, that was one place. Now we have found green shoots, oil, and several other places. And I think it’s only a matter of time before we find a big Guyana in the Andaman Sea. So that is ongoing.”

The minister’s confidence follows increased drilling in previously inaccessible areas and a major push to attract investment in exploration.

Exploration costs high, but so are the stakes

Puri also pointed out the high costs involved in finding the oil drills. “It costs a lot of money. In Guyana, they dug 43 or 44 wells, each costing $100 million. It’s on the 41st that they found it,” he said. “Here, ONGC this year

has dug the maximum number of wells. Highest in 37 years.” In FY24, ONGC drilled 541 wells—103 exploratory and 438 development—investing 37,000 crore in capital expenditure, the highest in its history.

From import-reliant to energy-resilient?

If exploration in the Andaman succeeds, India could significantly reduce oil imports and boost its economic position.

India continues to rely heavily on crude oil imports to meet its energy needs. Government data shows that more than 85% of the country’s crude oil is sourced from international suppliers. Globally, India ranks as the third-largest importer of crude oil, following the United States and China.

LAND FOR SALE

Silver

PEN PAL

Andaman oil reserve discovery

AFC calls for blasphemous libel

to be repealed from lawbooks

TheAllianceForChange (AFC) has joined calls for the repeal of blasphemous libelasanoffenceonthelaw books, calling it an “archaic andincompatibleoffence”.

In a statement to the media on Monday, the party arguesthatitisacolonial-era law that is standing in direct contradiction of Article 146 oftheConstitution,whichis the International human rights obligations, and includes Guyana’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Guyana isaStateParty

“Blasphemous libel laws, by their very nature, criminalise expressions of religious critique or dissent and pose a chilling effect on free speech and open discourse in a democratic society Such provisions are not only outdated, but inconsistentwithArticle146 of the Constitution and Article 19 of the ICCPR, which guarantee the right to

freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers.,”thepartysaid.

It noted that the United NationsRightsCommitteein number 34 of its General Commentsclearlystatedthat prohibitions of displays of the lack of respect for a religion or other belief system,withtheinclusionof blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the Covenant, with exception given in very narrow circumstances such as direct incitementtodiscrimination, hostilityorviolence.

“In keeping with these principles and in line with global human rights trends, we urge all members of the National Assembly to act swiftly to: Repeal all legislation criminalizing blasphemy or religious i n s u l t , i n c l u d i n g blasphemous libel; Affirm the primacy of freedom of expression in a pluralistic

French, Englishspeaking Caribbean countries rattled by earthquakes

(CMC) SeveralCaribbeancountrieswererattledbytwo earthquakes that occurred within an eight-hour period on Monday,accordingtotheTrinidad-basedSeismicResearch Centre(SRC)attheSt.AugustinecampusoftheUniversity oftheWestIndies(UWI).

According to the SRC, the last tremor occurred at 9:40 am (local time) and had a magnitude of 3.9. It was located Latitude 11.86N, Longitude 61.05W and at a depth of 17 kilometres(km).

The tremor was felt 80 km east-south-east of St. George’s (the Grenadian capital), and 137 km north-northeastofArima(ineastTrinidad).

The SRC said that the first quake, with a magnitude of 3.6, occurred at 1:31 am (local time) and was located at Latitude15.82N,Longitude60.87Wandatadepthof19km.

It was felt 81 km south-east of Roseau (the capital of Dominica),88kmsouth-eastofGuadeloupe’scapitalPointà-Pitre, and 137 km north of Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, the other French Caribbean Island affected by thequake.

The SRC said that there were no immediate reports of damageorinjuriesfromthetwoearthquakesthatrattledthe islands.

democracy; Ensure that any limitations on speech meet the strict tests of legality, n e c e s s i t y , a n d proportionality under international law,” the AFC added. Currently countries across the Commonwealth andevenbeyondsuchasthe United Kingdom have recognized that the untenability of blasphemy lawsinmoderndemocracies and have acted decisively to abolishthem.

“Guyana must do the same. This is a moment for

principled leadership We call on all members of the National Assembly, civil society, and faith communities to stand united indefendingtherightsofall Guyanese to speak freely, question authority, and engage in robust dialogue withoutfearofpersecution,” theAFCurged.

The AFC’s call comes days after Guyanese artist Daniel Wharton also known as ‘Baby Skello’ was remanded to prison on a charge of Blasphemous

Libel. Wharton appeared at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Judy Latchman, who remandedhimtoprisonuntil July1,2025.

The charge stemmed fromadistastefulandvulgar song Wharton released on his TikTok page about the Hindu Goddess, Mother Lakshmi Following the release of the song, the E t h n i c R e l a t i o n s Commission (ERC) had issuedasternwarningtothe local artiste demanding the

removal of the song that portrays the Hindu Goddess inavulgar,sexuallyexplicit, and blasphemous manner Wharton subsequently removedthesongandissued an apology to the Hindu community on social media. He also apologised in the form of a song that was released on his social media platforms Following the publicoutrage,Whartonwas arrested by police in connectionwiththesongand held in police custody for at least24hours.

30 killed by Israeli fire near Gaza food sites - ministry says

At l e a s t 3 0

Palestinians

have been killed by Israeli gunfire near aid distributionsitesoperatedby the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministrysaid.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that its troops fired warning s h o t s a t s u s p e c t s approaching them and posingathreat.

HundredsofPalestinians havebeenkilledtryingtoget food from the GHF sites, opened by Israel after it partiallyliftedathree-month blockade that the UN said had pushed the Gazan population to the brink of starvation.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said: “Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza.” Addressing the UN Human Rights Council on

Monday,heaccusedIsraelof weaponising food and repeated his call for a full investigationintotheattacks near the sites. UN agencies have refused to work with theGHF

On several previous occasions the IDF has acknowledgedthatitstroops openedfirenearaidsites.

The GHF begun reopening its distribution sites

onSundayafterclosingthem briefly due to security concerns.

The health ministry said 28werekilledonMondayat theGHFcentreatal-Alamin the southern city of Rafah, while rescuers reported two killed at a GHF site in the centralNetzarimcorridor

Manyofthosekilledand injured at al-Alam were taken to Nasser hospital in

nearby Khan Younis, where relatives gathered Many wereburiedinthehoursafter their arrival, in line with Islamictradition.

Ahmed Alfara, a doctor at the hospital, told the Reutersnewsagencythatthe distribution system had failed“100%”

“No one can get that distribution, that aid, no one cangetit,”hesaid.

“We have to recognise that [UN humanitarian agency] Unrwa and NGOs must again get that distribution and try to redistribute it for the Palestinianpeople.”

Hereportedthatmanyof the casualties on Monday had suffered gunshot wounds, including to the head.

Ahmed Fayad, who attempted to get food from the GHF site on Monday, describedtheGHFoperation asa“trap”.

“We went there thinking wewouldgetaidtofeedour children, but it turned out to be a trap, a killing. I advise everyone:don’tgothere,”he toldReuters.

Al-Alam has been the scene of several similar deadly incidents since the new Israeli-backed food distribution system began operating.

Before Monday’s incident, the health ministry intheHamas-runGazaStrip

said that at least 300 people had been killed and more than2,600woundednearaid distribution sites since the GHF began operations in Gazaon26May

The IDF has contested thedeathtollandsaidHamas had caused much of the violence.

Searching for answers aboutUS-backedaidagency inGaza

Israel does not allow international news organisations including the BBC into Gaza, making verifying what is happening intheterritorydifficult.

It has been 20 months since Israel launched a militarycampaigninGazain response to the Hamas-led cross-borderattackonIsrael on7October2023,inwhich about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were takenhostage.

At least 55,297 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’shealthministry

Israel, Iran trade deadly strikes for fourth day with no signs of restraint

Israel has attacked civilian targets in Iran, striking a hospitalandanIranianstate TVbuildingastheintensivestrikes against the other rage for a fourth consecutive day, with the military confrontation between the longstanding enemies showing no signofending.

After those attacks, an Israeli military statement later Monday evening said air raid sirens’ alerts were activated in several areas in thenorthofIsraelfollowingmissile launchesfromIran.

Alive broadcast on the Iranian TV station captured its most famous presenter on air saying a missile was incoming and scrambling away as an explosion tookplaceanddebrisflewthrough the air There are reports of casualties among journalists in the building.

Thestrikecameafterawarning Monday from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who said: “The mouthpiece of Iranian propaganda and incitement is on the verge of disappearing”. Katz later confirmed the Israeli military carriedouttheattack.

In response, late on Monday, Iran issued warnings for Israeli newschannels.“Iranhasissuedan evacuation warning for the N12 and N14 channels of Israel. This order comes in response to the hostile attack of Zionist enemy against the Islamic republic of Iran’s broadcasting service,”

IranianstateTVsaid. Iran also said Israel targeted a hospital on Monday in the country’swest,condemningitasa “war crime”. “Farabi Hospital in the city of Kermanshah in western Iran was targeted by the Israeli regime’s aggressive attacks,” said

Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman of the MinistryofForeignAffairs,adding that “attacking hospitals alongside attacks on residential areas is a grossviolationofinternationallaw andawarcrime”.

Video footage published by localplatformsand verifiedby the

Sanadfact-checkingagencyshows bloodstains, indicating casualties fromthestrike.

Israel has repeatedly bombed hospitals and medical facilities in theGazaStripduringits20-monthlong military campaign in the Palestinian territory, despite those beingprotectedunderinternational law

Iran’s Fars news agency also reportedonMondaythatanIsraeli attack targeted a military base in westernTehran.Iranianmediaalso reportedexplosionsineasternparts of the capital, which comes after the Israeli army issued a threat to parts of Tehran after bombing severalareasofthecityonSunday Iranian media reported that air defences had been activated in westernTehran.

Katz had threatened on Monday that “the residents of Tehran will pay the price – and soon”forkillingIsraeliciviliansin Iran’sovernightmissileattacks. Earlier,IranianattacksonIsrael onMondaymorningkilledatleast eight people and wounded dozens, officials reported, while Tehran said Israeli attacks overnight hit militaryandciviliantargets.

A mourner during the funeral of one of those killed while attempting to get food aid in Rafah

Damaged buildings at the Bid Kaneh missile facility, southwest of Tehran, on June 15, 2025 [Handout/Maxar Technologies via AFP]

Alfred trusting coach’s plans after dominant 10.75 at Stockholm Diamond League

SportsMax - Saint Lucian Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred looked spectacular on her waytovictoryinthe100mat the Stockholm Diamond LeagueonSunday

The 24-year-old sped to 10.75 to win comfortably ahead of training partner DinaAsher-Smithwhorana

season’s best 10 93 and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith whose 11.00 in third was alsoaseason’sbest.

Alfred, who also won World Indoor 60m gold in 2024,gotouttoabulletstart and pulled away from the fieldbeforeshuttingitdown with about 20m to go, signaling that she has much

moreinthetank.

Sherecentlyspokeabout changes to the structure of her schedule including runningmorelongerracesto start the season and that seemstobepayingoffearly

Speaking to Citius Mag aftertherace,Alfredputher performancedowntosimply following her coach Edrick

Berbice Cricket Board awards ceremony set for June 28th

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) will be h

Floreal’sinstructions.

“I’m getting better and better and trusting my coach’s plan for me,” she said.

“YesterdayIspoketomy coach and we had a plan coming into this race. He gave me a few instructions and all I had to do was just followhisplans,”sheadded.

Even more impressive about her performance is that yesterday was just her second100moftheseason.

Tuesday June 17, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

A group you're associated withbuthavebeenneglecting may be on your mind today Youmightwanttofulfillyour obligations to it. You could also consider completing a long-termprojectthatwasput onholdoverthepastweek

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Money may be coming your way through a contract of some kind. This is a positive development. Make sure you read every word in the documentbeforeyoucommit toanything.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Are you sometimes afraid of appearing silly in front of people, Gemini? The fear of failing in the eyes of others might be holding you back fromrealprogress.

CANCER(June21–July22)

You usually like to think of yourself as being a scientific, logical person, Cancer, but todayyoumaythinkmorelike a mystic. Your intuition is moreactivethanusual.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Social invitations or opportunitiestoparticipatein group activities should come your way for a few weeks, Leo. Your phone could ring off the hook. Relations with others should be warm, friendly,andcongenial.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

ou're thinking about your future career development, Virgo, and you aren't happy with your current situation. Advancement is on your mind.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Today is a good day to take time out for the small, sensual pleasures, Libra. Perhaps this isadayfordessert,particularly chocolateorcheesecake.Don't forget about the pleasures that naturecanbring.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Sometimealonewithaspecial person is definitely called for today, Scorpio The social whirl of recent weeks has put you in touch with a lot of old friends and enabled you to makenewones.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

The possibility of moving out of your neighborhood may have occurred to you before, Sagittarius, but events today mighthaveyoufinallymaking upyourmindtodoit.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Todayyoumightbepleasantly surprised to realize that you're in far better financial shape than you thought. You could discover a hidden talent for money management that you didn'tthinkyouhad.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Today you might decide to sequester yourself at home, catch your breath, get your thoughts together, and recall the events of the past several days.Youwillalsoplanforthe future,Aquarius.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Taking care of chores around the house might bring some homematterstoyourattention that need to be taken care of, Pisces.Perhapsthereareafew minorrepairstomake,

She opened her 100m season with victory at the Oslo Diamond League last Thursday with a 10 89 effort.

This begs the question; justhowfastcanshegothis season?

She says we’ll have to waitandsee.

“I’ll just go ahead and continuetraining.Mycoach has a plan for me and what we want to do in September sowejusthavetogowiththe flow,”shesaid.

Alfred also said that her next race will be another DiamondLeaguemeet.

Rd. of 16 starts...

Frompage25 Father’snight.

BentStreet‘A’4 vs LaingAvenue2

BevneyMark15th.26th

YB Kenroy

Dominik7th

KevonWoodley18th

MatthewNedd27th

BackCircle‘A’8 vs Kingston

2StephanMcLean8th

TamielHutson 22nd,29th

SimeonMoore21st,29th

FabianAbrams22nd 23rd JermainBeckles 26thYBDarren

Benjamin26th Bomb Squad5 vs YMCA2

RaushanRitch13th

NicholasGentle2nd

JahallGreaves16th

KymaniSealey

29thJoshuaBrowne28th

AkeemJarvis28th

EonAlleyne29th

BackCircle‘B’6vs GazaSquad3Nivek

Boyce7th,21st

DelroyJoseph1st

DwayneBaptiste11th

KesterWarde14th

MartinKing13th,14th

AndyCharles25th

MarkCameron27th

ds ceremonyonSaturday28th June.Theceremonywillbe held at the St Francis Community Developers (SFCD), Port Mourant Corentyne Berbice Startingtimeis16:00hrs. The ceremony will be to honour outstanding players, clubs and officials The occasionwillalsobetoshow appreciation to others including sponsors, who wouldhaveassistedtheBCB overtheyearindeliveringon its mandate. A number of categories have been listed for consideration for awards and the BCB is at the moment finalizing nominees for the top performersintherespective categories The list of

awardees includes - Under 13 Cricketer of the Year, under 15 Cricketer of the year, under 17 Cricketer of theyear,under19Cricketer of the year male, under 19 Cricketer of the year female, Senior Cricketer of the year male, Senior Cricketer of the year female Most improved cricketeroftheyear-junior, most improve female cricketer of the year, most improvecricketeroftheyear Cluboftheyear-senior,club of the year – junior, Most discipline player of the year, seconddivisionplayerofthe yearandumpireoftheyear.

The BCB is also considering giving tokens including certificates to sponsorsanddonorsamong other categories. (Samuel Whyte)

Yarrowkabra win the inaugural MCYS/NSC Janet Jagan Memorial Secondary Schools Windball Championship

Yarrowkabra are the national queens ofWindball cricket, triumphing in the inaugural Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport (MCYS)/National Sports

Commission (NSC)sponsored Janet Jagan

Memorial Secondary SchoolsChampionship.

Staged at the National Gymnasium on Mandela

Avenue in front of a sizable gathering which comprised students from Bartica, Essequibo, and Berbice, Yarrowkabra defeated Parika Salem by 10 wickets to conclude the event which was organized by veteran Sports Officer Alistair Munroe.

Batting first after losing thetoss,ParikaSalem,ledby

anunbeateninningsof70by Navita Calistro, which was highlighted by six maximums, amassed an imposing 127/2 from their five-over allocation

Providing support with 12 and 11 runs, respectively, wereBindyaSewsankarand ReshanaBlake. In reply, Yarrowkabra successfully overhauled the

target,endingon131/0in4.1 overs Vianney Jaundoo, who was eventually adjudged the player of the tournament, smashed 80 runs (10x6s) while support was provided by Susan Patterson, who scored 32 runs(5x6s).

Yarrowkabra’s place in the final was sealed following comprehensive victories over Lower Corentyne and Three Miles earlier in the day’s proceedings.

In their first match, Yarrowkabra defeated Lower Corentyne by 10 wickets. Set a target of 68 after Lower Corentyne tallied 67/2 led by an unbeaten score of 42 (7x6s) from Danielle Manns, Yarrowkabra stormed to 68/0inthreeovers.

Jaundoo led from the front with 36 runs while Patterson provided the perfectfoilwith18.

In their second fixture, Yarrowkabra crushed Three Miles by 59 runs. Asked to batfirstafterlosingthetoss, Yarrowkabra amassed a mammoth 162/0 following the expiration of their allotment.

Patterson assaulted the Three Miles bowling lineup with 102 from a mere 17 balls.The innings contained 17 maximums, while Jaundooplayedasupporting rolewithanequallybrutal60 runs(8x6s).

Inreply,theThreeMiles unit, which eventually was

awarded the Spirit of the Game accolade, was restricted to 103/0. Latifa Cornette and Nickesha Persaud scored 54 and 39 runs,respectively

Meanwhile, beaten finalist Parika Salem defeated Abram Zuil by 10 wicketsintheirfirstmatch.

Battingfirst,AbramZuil registered a total of 68/3 at the end of their allocation.

Deeroya Morris top scored with 35 runs (5x6s) In response, Parika Salem raced to 71/0, with Calistro smashingherwayto41runs whileBlakecontributed17.

Prior to the start of proceedings,formernational cricketer Steven Jacobs laudedsportsofficerMunroe for his continued commitment to the development of the sport, noting that the experienced administrator has played a significantroleinhiscareer, which started at the tender age of 11 following his participation in the tournament.

According to Jacobs, M u n r o e h a s b e e n instrumental in the cricketing journey of many players, both male and female, with Treymaine Smartt and Shemaine Campbelle being notable examplesofhiscontribution tothewomen’scomponent.

“In closing, use this Windball cricket to make lifelong friends And wheneveryouspeaktomost of the national players, both

girls and boys, they have a great story to tell you about Windball cricket,” he proclaimed while also praising the MCYS and the NSC for sponsoring this programme, which will produce the next generation offemalecricketers.

Meanwhile, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, in his closing remarks, stated that he is a member of a team “…that ensures we commit, we do, and we achievewhat the government has set out for us to accomplish. Mr Munroe has been a tower of support in order for this to come off You are all winners. Without you, the players, this could not have happened. Thank you very much, and to the organisers, ajobwelldone.”

Special thanks to the management & staff of Albion & Rose Hall Estate, Port Mourant CC, Whim CC, Dogg Poing CG, Zorg CG,ParikaSalemCC,CJIA Airport, and Berbice High School for allowing the utilisation of the respective playingvenues.

Plaudits was also given to Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport Charles Ramson Jr, Assistant Director of Sport Melissa Dow Richardson who was also in attendance, Director of Youth, the tournament officials, the NSC team and mostimportantlytheschools andstudentsformakingthis event an overwhelming success.

LTI and UG light up the court with dominant wins in YBG’s Tertiary Basketball League

TheCliffAnderson

Sports Hall (CASH) erupted with energy on Sunday evening as the ultimate Tertiary Basketball League, hosted by Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG), delivered two explosive matchups, leaving fans on the edge of their seats and scoreboards tilting in favour of Linden TechnicalInstitute(LTI)and the University of Guyana (UG).

While the regional U18

Basketball Championship

barrels toward the semifinals, the tertiary boys showed they’re just as capable of delivering fireworks.

And deliver they did

The Lindener made a grandstatementinthefirst game of the doubleheader, LTI came out firing and never looked back, bulldozing the Guyana SchoolofAgriculture(GSA) in a 50–27 thrashing. The trioofRasheedHinds,Leron

Joseph,andStephenGeorge led the charge, playing with rhythm, confidence, and surgicalprecision.

H i n d s w a s unstoppable, dropping a game-high of 25 points with a shooting clinic that left the GSA defence scrambling Joseph added14points, whileGeorgechippedin15, showcasing LTI’s depth and chemistry Despite the loss, GSA’sDexterQuintinputup a valiant effort with 16

Here’s part of the action between LTI and GSA as Linden’s shooter drives to the basket during the 23-point win.

points and 10 rebounds, a silver lining in an otherwise forgettable night for his squad.

Intheothermatchupof theevening,UGunleashes fury on GTI If the first game was a beating, the second was an epic annihilation.

U G a b s o l u t e l y dismantled Government Technical Institute (GTI) 72–16 in a lop-sided affair that was virtually over by halftime

Alafin Joseph turned the hardwood into his personal playground, stuffing the stat sheet with 19 points, 6 assists,and5rebounds.Peter Langevinewasabeastonthe boards, pulling down 14 rebounds and adding 13 points.

Chris Perez and Ronako Vaughn joined the scoring partywith15pointseach,as UG’s lockdown defence smothered GTI into submission.Itwasclinical. It was commanding. It

was a message to the rest of the league’s contenders. As saidatthelaunch:UGisnot here to play they’re here to dominate.

The league, proudly sponsored by G-Boats Inc., E-NET, Halliburton, and Fireside Grill and Chill, continues this Sunday, June 22,atthesamevenue.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 PM,andifthispastweekend isanythingtogoby,fansare inforanotherroundofhighoctaneTertiarybasketball.

WCMCallenderpursuesSeniorLeadInstructor ChessCertificationintheBahamas

Woman Candidate

Master Jessica Callender is in the Bahamas co-lecturing a Preparationof Teachers courseunderthesupervision ofSouthAfricanWIMAnzel Laubscher, a representative of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess in EducationCommission.

Callender’s work in the Bahamas this past week certified instructors to implement chess as an educational tool in schools. Chess can be implemented as a stand-alone subject or integratedintoothersubjects as exercises, investigations, andchess-relatedactivities. Game-based education engages students and improves the quality of the learning experience Motivatedstudentsthusgain skills for success in and beyondtheclassroom.

This is the focus of FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission.

Callender’s visit to the Bahamas from June 10th to 12th was only one stage in obtaining her Senior Lead Instructor Certification, the highestleveloftheChessin Education certifications offered by FIDE. She took the first step by earning her school instructor title in 2022. This was followed by taking the Lead School Instructor course for the second highest tier title offered in Chess in Education. This title is held by Guyanese chess officials Marcia Lee, Anthony Drayton, and Aniyah Couchman After this, Callenderunderwentfurther training by the FIDE Chess in Education Commission andsubmittedaportfoliofor evaluation.

There are only seven certified Senior Lead Instructors worldwide who areauthorizedtoconductthe FIDE Preparation of

Teachers courses for certified School Instructors. These educators are also instrumental in promoting these vital courses to national federations and other key stakeholders, significantly expanding the

global reach of chess education.

The FIDE Chess in Education Commission is dedicated to significantly increasingtheglobalimpact of chess in educational settings. Recognizing that

childrenthrivethroughplaybased learning, chess is leveraged as a powerful educational tool. It not only fosters the development of intellectual abilities but also cultivates essential 21stcenturyskillsinstudents.

Callender consistently makes significant contributions to the advancement of chess in Guyana.Shecontributesasa National Arbiter and chess coach, and also volunteers her time with chess in Special Needs Schools Furthermore, Callender has been a stalwart member of the Guyana National team since 2022 and is a distinguished two-time former National Women’s Chess Champion She commented that the skills shegainedatthelecturewill allow her to better support our teachers and coaches, which ultimately means more young Guyanese will

have access to meaningful, structuredchesseducation.

“When we bring chess into classrooms, we’re not justteachingagame,weare also empowering children withcriticalthinking,focus, andresiliencethatwillserve them both on and off the board,”shesaid.Guyanahas madesignificantstridesinits existing Chess in Education program,whichwasboosted when Jerry Nash, Chairman of the Chess in Education commission,visitedGuyana inlate2023,offeringSchool Instructor certification to teachersandmembersof thechessfederation.

The Guyana Chess Federation is confident that with Callender’s continued dedication to the development of chess and herconsistenthardwork,she will soon earn her prestigious Senior Lead Instructor title as she continuestheprocess.

Story of the match! UG used the glass effectively against GTI. ef

Woman Candidate Master Jessica Callender

The 2025 edition of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) annual East Bank/Soesdyke/Timehri Cluster/Inter Village 7-ASide knock-out football championship came to a pulsatingendonSundaynight at the President’s Youth ChoiceGround,KuruKururu,

prevails over Spaniards of Diamond in pulsating final

Soesdyke Linden Highway

Two days of exciting rivalry amongst the 24-teams that competed, the largest number of teams in the history of the tournamenttodate,cametoan end under the newly installed lights at this facility, the first for the Highway under the Governments ground

BCB Board congratulates Kevlon Anderson on selection to West Indies Senior team

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is extending congratulations to allrounder Kevlon Alston Andersononhisselectionto the West Indies Senior Cricket Squad. He has been selectedinthesquadtoplay againstAustralia.

Anderson, a right arm batsman and medium fast bowler, is the latest Berbician called up to representTheWestIndiesin Internationalcricket.

Anderson, began his c r i c k e t i n g c a r e e r representing the Rose Hall TownYouthandSportsClub before going on to play for Berbice and Guyana. His call up to the West Indies senior squad comes after outstanding performances forGuyanaoverthepasttwo

years in the West Indies S e n i o r R e g i o n a l championship. Hewasveryprolificthis yearscoringthreecenturies. Beforethat,the24yearsold Anderson played for the West Indies Cricket Academy, the West Indies Emerging Players and the West Indies A teams where he also did well. Anderson had an outstanding youth career where he represented the West Indies at the U19 level and played age group cricketforGuyanaatvarious stages starting at the U15 level.TheBCBwouldliketo take the opportunity on behalf of the president, executives, members and entire Berbice in wishing Anderson all the best (SamuelWhyte)

enhancementprogramme

Team Soesdyke and Spaniards of Diamond earned the right to contest the championship match after winning all their games. Having earned an automatic berth to the final by virtue of ending the second and third round with

themostgoals(4),Spaniards faced aTeam Soesdyke side that needled Airport Ballers in a qualifying game; they had finished one goal less behindSpaniards.

The final lived up to expectations, both teams playing hard as they knew they were a single step away from the winning purse of $700,000 Regulationtimeof 20 minutes failed to separate thetwosidesasneitherwere abletoscore.

Ensuing kicks from the penalty mark was also very competitive. After the first five, the score was locked at 1-1, Spaniards scoring their second whilst Team Soesdyke converted their fourth Suddendeathpenalty kicks were the deciding factor Spaniardsmissedboth of their attempts; Team Soesdyke also missed their

firstbutconvertedthesecond which was good enough for the win and first place cash prize Spaniardswalkedaway with $500,000 for their efforts The third-place game saw Airport Ballers downingSwanVipersbythe lonegoalofthematchwhich came off the boot of Nyron Barrow Airport Ballers walkedawaywith$300,000, Swan collected $200,000.

Thetoptwoteamswerealso presented with gold and silvermedalsandtrophies.

Endingasthehighestgoal scorer was Airport Ballers’ PrinceFordewiththreegoals Team Soesdyke’s Alester Adams copped the best goalkeeper prize while his teammate, Mark Jhalu was named the competitions most valuable player Each of the individual awardees received a cash prize and trophy

Therewasaspecialprize for the team with the most fan support. Special colour coded tickets were issued to each of the teams and they distributed to their fans When the tickets were tallied, Swan emerged victors and were presented withacashprize.

The other teams that participated in the two-day tournamentwereGroveStar B, Circuitville Jaguars, Pakuri B, Eccles FC, Kuru Kururu B, Bamia, PakuriA, Timehri Base Road, Grove Star A, Laluni FC, Waiakabra Ballers, Kuru Kururu A (2024 champs), Circuitville Strikers, Herstelling Raiders, Airport Ballers, Banakari, Agricola, Hairaruni, Swan FC, Kuru Kuru College, Timehri Birds.

DominicanRepublic

SportsMax - The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicked off in dramatic fashion at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, with reigning champions Mexico edging debutants DominicanRepublic3-2ina pulsatingGroupAclashthat showcased both firepower and fearlessness from the tournamentnewcomers.

Despite Mexico’s pedigreeandexpectations,it wastheDominicanRepublic who won admiration on the night, delivering a spirited performancethatpushedthe titleholderstothebrink.

EdsonÁlvarezbrokethe deadlockinthe44thminute, rising to meet a corner from Orbelín Pineda and nodding Mexico in front just before the half. The momentum carried into the second half as veteran striker Raúl Jiménez doubled El Tri’s advantage in the 47th, finishing from close range off a clever assist from SantiagoGiménez. But the Dominican Republic,makingtheirfirstever Gold Cup appearance, weren’t content to be spectators In the 51st minute, Peter González etched his name in history

with the nation’s first-ever Gold Cup goal a thunderousleft-footedstrike fromtherightsideofthebox that cut the deficit and ignitedbelief.

Thatjoywasshort-lived, though. Just two minutes later, Álvarez was again instrumental from a set piece, this time directing a corner that deflected off César Montes and into the net to restore Mexico’s twogoal cushion Yet the Dominicans refused to fold.

In the 67th minute, Edison Azcona brought them back within striking distance, capping a fine individual move with a clinical finish after a precise through ball fromHeinzMörschel.

Pushing for an equalizer in stoppage time, the Dominican Republic forced two clutch saves from Mexican goalkeeper Luis ÁngelMalagón,keepingthe scorelineintactandensuring Mexico opened their title defense with a hard-earned

threepoints.Bothteamsnow shift focus to Wednesday’s doubleheader at AT&T StadiuminArlington,Texas, where the Dominican Republic will face Costa RicaandMexicowilltakeon Surinameinwhatisshaping up to be a fiercely contested GroupA. Trinidad and Tobago kicks off their campaign against the United States later today while Jamaica will take on Guatemala on Monday

MVP Mark Jhalu is rewarded by Minister Kwame McCoy

Best Goalkeeper, Alester Adams receives his prize from Quincy Gibson.

MCYS/Ansa McAL June Madness Futsal

Rd. of 16 starts Today; Road Warriors wallop wallop

Footsteppers; Sparta edge North Ruimveldt

As the competitive adrenaline continues to increase with the pretenders being sent packing and the bigboystakingaimatthebig prize, the round of 16 in the inaugural June Madness

Futsal championship powered by the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSportand AnsaMcALcontinuesatthe Cliff Anderson Sports Hall todaynight.

From 20:00hrs, spots in the quarter finals will be on thelinewithfourteamssetto cashin.

Bent Street B, who edged Albouystown A in their round of 32 encounter, willfaceoffagainstStabroek Ballers who hammered GameChangers11-1intheir round-of-32clash.

Next up would-be Gold

Is Money taking on Spaniards followed by the rampaging Road Warriors against Corinthians with the night capper bringing together Bomb Squad and

Sparta Boss’Curtez Kellman is watching closely as this North Ruimveldt player controls the ball.

Bent Street A In an electrifying Father’s night whichsawthebiggestcrowd sofar,RoadWarriorsmauled Footsteppers 16-0 to record thehighestmarginofvictory by any team, in the process they eclipsed the 11-1 scoreline in the Stabroek Ballers against Game Changerscontest Road Warriors’Arckson Andreazzaalsorecordedthe fastest goal of the competition to date, 17 seconds faster than the 18 second goal registered by Tierre Phillips of Ballers

United against Kitty Hustlers. Leading Road Warriors which boast a balanced and exciting combo of players who can all be destructive in a bundle, was Luis Da Silva with four goals using the yellow ball in the 5th and 6th minute, he added a single goal in the 19th minute.

Thalyson Pinheiro

tucked in a helmet-trick (15th, 19th, 25th, 29th), Andreazzahadanotherinthe 3rd to end with two, similarly, Joao De Silva had a double (14th, 25th) with oneeachforWrendreckyDe Souza (2nd), Matheus De Souza (20th), and Ravi Coatesinthe21stminute.

SpartaBoss,thereigning national futsal champions were required to pull out all thestopstostaveoffavaliant challenge from North Ruimveldt, 4-3 North Ruimveldttooktheleadafter 15 minutes of tight exchanges, Jomar Jaebman breakingthedeadlock.

Seven minutes later, SpartafiredbackwhenRyan ‘Bum Bum’ Hackett rocked the nets in the 22nd minute. North would edge back into the lead on 27 minutes through a Stepton Walton goal which some felt might have been enough to knock out Sparta. But the National champs showed why they are regarded as one of the most dangerous futsal units when senior strategist, Jermain ‘Panky’ Junor calmly slotted home on the strokeoffulltimetopushthe gameintoextratime.

Two minutes into extra time, Micholas McArthur handed Sparta the lead which they doubled four minutes later when Curtez Kellman scored. Despite Jermaine Padmore scoring for North Ruimveldt in the 30th + 8th minute, Sparta held on to the one goal advantagetobookaplacein theroundof16.

Followingaretheresults oftheothermatcheson

(Continuedonpage21)

Road Warriors dominated their clash with Footsteppers.

PPPC East Bank, Soesdyke, Timehri Cluster Inter Village 7-A-Side Football champs, Team Soesdyke receiving their trophy and $700,000 cash prize from Minister Kwame McCoy

PPPC East Bank/Soesdyke/Timehri Cluster/Inter Village 7-A-Side Football

Team Soesdyke prevails

over Spaniards of Diamond in pulsating final

Yarrowkabra collects the inaugural MCYS and NSC-sponsored Janet Jagan Memorial Secondary Schools Windball Championship trophy from Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle after triumphing in the final.

YarrowkabrawintheinauguralMCYS/NSC

MemorialSecondarySchoolsWindballChampionship