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Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
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Friday March 14, 2019
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Growing pains of West Indies cricket
I
t is perplexing, this West Indies cricket team. In less than a heartbeat, it travels an unflattering journey that traces from the sublime to the ludicrous. When the kaleidoscope of this now completed hosting season is viewed against the cold numbers of performance, there is revelation of an arc that encompasses from the ecstatic to the erratic. For, as is becoming painfully clear with each passing game, this team exhibits more than a few spiritual eccentricities, if there is such a thing in sports. It is all there: to thrash and then be thrashed: to win a big one in under three days, and then surrender ignominiously for just over three dozen runs. To fall for a mere three score and ten. What should have been a romp tells a tale of two teams in one body. Yes, it is a different format, but when these embarrassments occur, the fear factor disappears into the mysteries of what is, and what could be. Other teams that were straightening up to take notice, breathe a sigh of relief: a mirage; a flash in the pan; a blip on the radar of world cricket. They are up to their usual sorry ways. That would be the West Indies team. This must be guarded against, turned on its head. There is only one way to do so: application, dedication, execution. There was not any of these in St Kitts; not a glimmer of either presence or panache. It is one thing to be outplayed, another to be outed. Say it is not so fellas. Come on! Help the faithful believers to hold their heads high. Sad to behold. Sad because this tapestry of talent and toughness evidences the former, but self-destructs with the latter, when push comes to shove, when the mettle is tested and stretched to the breaking point. There are the back-tothe-wall, digging deep down, in-the-face resistance and flair on occasion; this is better than before and has been long awaited. The problem is that the model of consistency, of a trajectory that rises above promise and circumstances, ever so often, and in the most excruciating and inexplicable ways, withers in the testing fires of combat, before kindred Ninja spirits. When gladiatorial presences are called for in the Amphitheatre of challenge, there is that now all too familiar procession and retreat to the barren wastes of the pavilion. The arc of ascendancy interrupted, the fevers of excitement truncated, the glorious memories of an even more glorious yesteryear reduced to bewilderment and forlorn hope. The loyal spectators in the region have lived on the edge of hope for a long time. That is part of the agony. Those glorious memories of the most dashing spectacular history in the annals of the game hover like an albatross over the heads of players and administrators and spectators. The first two must rise up and measure up; on the watchers’ part, there is more and more of the pent-up. What should be! What must be! The players have this incomparable pantheon of heroes, some long gone, all still swooned over, in whose footsteps they are expected to follow. And closely, unfailingly, too. It is a case of too many shadows and too many giant footsteps to fit. It is at once unfair and unlikely; perhaps, unhealthy as well. Those ghosts of old can be suffocating; today’s teams have to look forward, shine their own light in their own way. But light they must, and more brightly, more frequently, and more promptly. For their part, administrators in the region have the most intricate of responsibilities: competing rivalries, domestic (national) demands, suspected biases, a thin slate from which to operate, and an uninspiring history within to overcome. They have not. They have failed the game. The veteran spectators can testify for they are left wondering: again? How come? Who? If this continues, the answer could be: not me! And no more; as in not here.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
I think we should pray for our leaders DEAR EDITOR, I see this looming elections-race as more than a test of numbers or tests of sentiment or loyalty or even politics. I suppose that this places me on the far side of nowhere. For when all analyses, postures, and commentaries have been said and done, this elections contest is both challenge and test for the nation, and for each of us as individuals. What does this nation stand for? What does it and all of us stand for with respect to standards and values and simple dignity? This is about me and you, and those indefinable and inestimable things that separate man from beast, and civilization from mindless savagery. Where are our minds? What can be said as to the character of each and every one of us, whether for or against this one or that one? Look carefully; listen slowly and intently. Our leaders lie, deceive, exaggerate, and abuse without qualm, and at will; it is just another day at the office; and part of the paraphernalia of local politics at large. Leaders get away with all of this; they
know so, too. The casual shrug that accompanies business as usual and the means towards ends. Any means for any perverse ends. Local leaders devastate psyche; tarnish reputation; and reduce to the currency of endless peerless mockeries; and last to futures of foreign beggaries. A port, a cave, any loophole in which ingenious and disingenuous Guyanese can rush to and find shelter and solace. Sometimes it is in the noble and majestic sanctuaries of the law and logic and peculiar lines of rationalizations, too. Most times, it is merely any remote eerie cemetery that will accept the dead that is Guyana, and of things Guyanese. And in this desolation of intellect and spirit, against this forbidding backdrop, there are these fanfares of an election, and mass self-mutilations of the uncaring and a country that has abandoned any pretense at pride; or possessing any vestige of it. At the core, it is all about power. The power of men grown so powerful, that ultimately it is that same insatiable holding to power and quest for it that will be
the instrument of their demise. There is another problem, a graver one this time: for in that screaming rush for the prize of power, there is the unstoppable menace that holds unsurpassed danger for all of the rest of us. It does not matter if one is (or isn’t) part of the unwitting, the unwary, the unconnected, the undecided, or the unknowns that constitute-voluntarily or otherwise-the multitudes of the great Guyanese ‘mobocracy’ that now roam unchecked and insatiable. There is a lust for the plasma and sinew of the liver. The ignorant and unlettered know not differently. Thus, the sweep and force of elections passions and events unleashed march inexorably to a fateful climax. Standing down, standing still, standing separately are not options, not considerations. Power is the premium now gnawing away with cancerous intensity and speed at what is left in the choreography of contradictions in the character of leaders. My great regret is that in the sordid political history of this nation’s leaders, there may have been very little of
precious character from the very beginning; and at any time at all. For it is my conclusion that somewhere in the leadership character, there is an impression of power that is unsound to the core, and that is to the grievous detriment of the peoples of this country. By this yardstick all of us are measured and judged, whether supporters or not; and regardless of if we like and accept this or not. That is part of the cascading collateral afflictions that plague all Guyanese. There are no exemptions, no immunizations. For this is how the critical, scornful, and dismissive judgment of the fraternity of countries and contemporaries look upon us. It is a pathetic place in which to be consigned. What has become of us? How can we live with ourselves? What can be worth this insult, such damnation? I think we should pray for our leaders. Pray, too, for our country. But, most of all, pray for ourselves. And even that may not be enough. Sincerely, GHK Lall
I am offering HFLE advice DEAR EDITOR, I have seen the recent calls by certain prominent persons about the resumption of the Health and Family Life Education [HFLE] programme in our schools. I was a prominent member of the team, which had introduced this at the Teacher’s Training College for teachers undergoing training, as well as in various centres around the country involving groups of teachers,
as a part of a team headed by a very talented and committed Roman Catholic priest. Apart from the actual training sessions, we had introduced and shared, at no cost to the Ministry of Education, handbooks with the course material. We conducted these classes for a number of years, but were unceremoniously ordered to stop the programme, apparently because it was suspected that
we were preaching some form of religion. This was very far from the truth, and we the trainers, as well as many teachers and head teachers around the c o u n t r y, w e r e v e r y disappointed that this invaluable input into our children’s health and social upbringing was being curtailed because of some error in judgment by some political boss, who incidentally had offered no
alternative to fulfill the vital objectives of the programme. However, I am heartened by this call for its revival, and I am now offering my services for any advice and other input I may be able to give that will help to bring it to a reality. Please email me at roypaul2002@yahoo.com if you choose to accept this offer of cooperation. Yours sincerely, Roy Paul
The US has a vital role in the preservation of our democracy
Jagdeo threw in GECOM for good measure
DEAR EDITOR, In these times of political uncertainty and rising tension, it is refreshing to hear from the newly-appointed US Ambassador Ann Lynch that the United States supports free and fair elections in Guyana. The United States has a vital role to play in the preservation of our democracy. It was instrumental in the restoration of democratic rule on October 5, 1992 following close to three decades of PNC authoritarian rule. As the Ambassador rightly pointed out, the country stands to benefit enormously from oil and gas in the near future and it is therefore imperative that as a country, we strengthen our democratic institutions to allow for representative democracy reflective of our political and ethnic diversity. Hydar Ally
Dear editior One Ronald Singh in the SN/KN Thursday March 14, 2019 wrote a letter that the 2006 statements by President Jagdeo is t a k e n o u t o f c o n t e x t . Singh in his letter uses as his only basis is the selection process of the Chairman in whom he claims there was confidence. What Singh is saying therefore is since the current Chairman of the Elections Commission was chosen by a Constitutional Process not by the Leader of the Opposition Jagdeo, then GECOM cannot be seen in the same vein.This is incredulous. Besides being very ridiculous, the context in 2006 was even worse than Ronald Singh proffers. Mr. Jagdeo had completed his term and sought to extend it unconstitutionally and illegally. He threw in GECOM for good measure. Earl Hamilton
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A CRISIS ENGINEERED BY MACHINATION DEAR EDITOR, There has been ongoing reportage on the GECOM imbroglio. The commissioners’ interviews and press conferences have been significant sources of the reportage. As a commissioner, I am hereby taking this opportunity to pen my views on the matter of GEOCOM’s preparedness, rather than leave it to what is culled from interviews, to convey my thoughts on this critical matter. In doing so, I would essentially critique the joint submission of Commissioners Shadick, Gunraj and Benn to GECOM, which is dated March 8, 2019 and was dispatched to me, by the Chief Election Officer, on March 11, 2019. The first proposition of those Commissioners is that Nomination Day should be 40 days prior to the elections. I challenge those Commissioners to show how all that is required, in preparation for elections, between Nomination Day and ‘E’ Day can be achieved in 40 days, including the preparation of the ballot templates; the dispatch of the templates and the printing of the ballot papers overseas; the shipment and receipt of the printed ballot papers from overseas; the packaging of the ballot papers for in excess of 2200 polling stations; and their dispatch to those polling stations, not to mention that the Discipline Services balloting has to be done in advance of E Day and time has to be set aside for the correction and re submission of the nominations after they would have been scrutinized. I also note that that proposition does not cater for any form of claims and objections, which has always been an integral exercise in the preparation for elections, a position that Commissioner
Benn has previously championed. Their second proposition is that parties, new and old, be given ten days to do candidate identification, documentation and submission. Their third proposition is that the training of polling day staff should be undertaken in 42 days, including the advertisement for and the recruitment of potential staff for training. They have also suggested that the teachers who are the majority of such potential staff should be taken off of their jobs for training, albeit that many of those teachers are currently involved in the preparation of their pupils/students for Grade 6 and CXC examinations. They had previously suggested that the teachers could have been trained during the Mashramani period when they were supposedly not meaningfully engaged, since their assignment to supervise the children‘s engagement, the celebration of the anniversary of the Republic was frivolous and time- wasting. I reserve my comment on their proposal that the procurement procedures be waived as GECOM undertakes the multi-billion dollar exercise. I also note that they have suggested that GECOM‘s Public Relations office undertake the civic and voter education function, even as they refuse to facilitate the appointment of a civic and voter education manager. On the matter of financing, they selectively quote the law and distort the constitutional provisions that specifies “Each entity shall manage its subvention in such manner as it deems fit for the discharge of its function subject only to CONFORMITY with the financial practices and procedures
approved by the National Assembly to ensure accountability.” (Author`s emphasis). The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act no. 4 of 2015, Section 7 states: “The Annual budget of a Constitution Agency approved by the National Assembly shall not be altered without prior approval of the National Assembly.” It is this provision that nails their misinformation and misrepresentation, to wit that GECOM can and must use the monies allocated for house-to-house registration to conduct the elections. In furtherance of this ill-founded position, they further postulate that the Finance secretary’s last paragraph of his response: “Accordingly, the Office of the Finance Secretary has no ‘locus standi’ in the matter” to mean that he has rendered no advice. What the Secretary simply meant, after referring to the relevant provisions of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, was that his office was not a point of intervention in the process, for example his office could not direct that the funds be redirected from house to house registration to elections.While it is true that there is a live list, it is also true that the life of that list, as already pinpointed above, will not provide adequate time for the processes that are essential for the conduct of elections, more so credible elections. It should also be noted that the said list was intended to be subjected to a claims and objections exercise commencing December 2018 and was therefore never intended to be used in its present form, albeit live. Thus, its use without claims and objections would be tantamount to the disenfranchisement of those who became 18 years of age subsequent to October 2018,
which was the qualifying date for inclusion on the current list. It is anticipated that this would affect at least 7000 registrants plus others who would have attained the age of 18 after October 2018. It should also be noted that no regard or attention is being paid to the bloated state of the list with close to 200,000 dead and non-resident Guyanese still being on it, a state of affairs that is intended to be corrected by house to house registration
which is overdue by two years; was not conducted in two years for the want of funds, which funds have now been allocated in the 2019 budget. Ironically, those commissioners did not avail themselves to discuss their own proposal, since they choose to leave the last meeting of the Commission before that agenda item, under correspondence, came up for discussion. They, however, proceeded to tell the Nation that
all that was being discussed was house-to-house registration. Suffice to say that house-to-house registration is not antithetical to the holding of elections as provided for in article 106(7) of the Constitution. In the meantime, their cry is that a crisis is looming, which crisis seems to be engineered either by their machinations or intent. Yours truly, Vincent Alexander Commissioner GECOM
AN ASSAULT ON THE CREDIBILITY OF KAYS DIAMOND ENTERPRISE DEAR EDITOR, Following the fatal shooting to death of Gerally Johanison Henry, inside of the business premises by, the propertior. Mind you, editor, the individual that is licensed to buy, sell and trade indiamonds (Rough & Cut &Polish), which has been ongiong for years. As a consequence, I’m extremely perturbed to have read in the Kaieteur News’ publication of: 04:03:19 an article, captioned. “Bungled Heist at Diamond Enterprise”. Wherein, paragraph 2 stated. “He had reportedly told them that he was going to sell the businessman some gold”. Sir, apart from the article’s publication “laced with sensational reporting” and definitely not intellectual content. All that was required was a simple telephone call to the business entity, along with the GGMC and GRA; towards ascertaining if: “Kays Dia-
mond Enterprise, is licensed to purchase raw gold”. Surley, this would have debunked any claim of. “Accepting possibly, third hand information of the now deceased individual, went to sell gold”, that was claimed by a source. What utter nonsense, to the extent that the businessman, apart from a police investigation, can also attract the attention of: SOCU. In this aspect I do hope better sense prevails, by the law enforcement agencies. While Kaieteur News in relation to maintaining its “status quo” as the nation’s leading seller and most widely circulated newspaper; don’t resort to: “accepting for publication such thrash-filled view(s). Since a public trial of Kays’ owner would lead to all manner of unrealistic accusations being levelled, with virtually not one iota of circumstancial and support-
ive evidence”. Further, “the Enviormental Protection Agency”, a national regulatory body, under the relevant sub-heading speaks for itself. That under no given circumstance, would grant a permit for the purchase of raw gold, which entails smelting, without a feasibility study being conducted. Whereby a visible presence externally of a chimney, compatible to the specificed requirements inclusive of, an extractor fan, along with a semi-furance appartus is also present. Editor, with no external evidence present of a mounted chimney covered with an arch-shape covering to required specifications. Definitely make the article’s publication, devoid of professional journalistic standards, compounded by a total lack of “investigative journalism”! Respectfully yours, Lester Sealey
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MILES - THE REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRAT DEAR EDITOR, He abhorred labels, stereotyping and sycophancy. He didn’t mind belonging to a political party like the PPP but he was passionate about independence of thought, freedom to express one’s views and to openly criticize and disagree when it became necessary to do so. Freedom and Democracy, opposition to dictatorial rule in any shape or form, the right to a fair trial and, above all free and fair elections were all within his bailiwick. Miles Fitzpatrick was a straight and sharper shooter with language. That was his style. I witnessed his legal and political prowess at work on two eventful periods in our country’s political history. Those two events brought us together sometimes directly others indirectly.First, was at the time when he joined the Arnold Rampersaud Defense Committee. The committee comprised a battery of distinguished legal luminaries from home and abroad.I had the good fortune as a Freedom House ‘apparatchik’ at that time to sit in at meetings of the Defense Committee principally to listen and learn from a powerful legal team led by B.O. Adams. Miles was an integral part of that team whenever they sat down to strategize about arguments to be used for Arnold’s trial. Miles contribution assisted in no small way to the
teams eventual winning the case in court. My next encounter with Miles was before he joined the newly established Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) established through the instrumentality of the Carter Center with Rudy Collins as chairman. Our meetings took place while I served as the sole opposition representative on the then Elections Commission chaired by Sir Harold Bollers.Acting on the advice of Dr. Jagan, Miles and I would meet in caucus at the chambers of David DeCairies on King Street. Bud Mangal, Ayube McDoom and Ralph Ramkarran would join in those meetings in preparation for upcoming meetings of Elections Commission. It was during these meetings that, as far as I can recall, the best in Miles shone through not necessarily as a lawyer but more as revolutionary democrat who spoke out principally in favour free and fair elections.His approach was more realistic, never legalistic. Mangal, Fitzpatrick and Ramkarran who I call the ‘Magnificent Three’ became the new members of GECOM under the chairmanship of the newly established GECOM. GECOM has its first statutory meeting on June 18, 1991. Miles was at Freedom House on October 5, 1992 just around 3 pm on elections day. He had just made one of his regular election day’s rounds visiting polling stations in
Georgetown. An angry and violent crowd numbering about 500, suddenly descended on Robb street in front of Freedom House claiming that they had been disenfranchised and demanding the right to vote. The building was stoned and the windscreen of Miles’ car was partly damaged. The crowd was dispersed by the police. The ‘Magnificent Three’ constituted a formidable team. They worked in close cooperation with representatives of the Carter Center Mission, Mr. John Fleming Jones, the then US Ambassador to Guyana and other stakeholders including the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB), the Guyana Council of Churches and the human rights association (GHRA). Together with their impartial and level-headed Chairman and against tremendous odd, they delivered the first free and fair elections in Guyana after 28 years of elections that were deemed as ‘crooked as barbed wire’ Miles himself nor his valuable contributions to the establishment of democracy in general and free and fair elections in Guyana may not be known by the generation of Guyanese born after 1992 but those of us who had the pleasure and privilege to work with him will always cherish his love for law, freedom and democracy. RIP Miles! Clement James Rohee
Friday March 15, 2019
Guyana is the laughing stock of the world DEAR EDITOR, I read the most recent article of Fred Kissoon (March 14, 2019) and would like to make a comment. Obviously, his opinion of the TUC and its statement on the one seat majority is on point. However, it was not arrived at as a result of smoking a mind altering drug, but instead a mindset that all PNC thugs seem to possess. The TUC from Burnham’s time was an industrial/ labour arm of the PNC and so it towed the line of the party. I am not criticizing that exercise in democracy. Mr. Lewis however is no different so we must appreciate his fundamental allegiance. The Guyanese people are not fools. We all know. The difference is we are divided into these two camps depending on if we support right and wrong or we are ideological idiots. Who among us do not know that the one vote majority was correctly passed? A 5th grader should have
given the AFC a lesson in simple math. Who do not know that the PNC under the sheep’s clothing of APNU is dominating the conversation and AFC is/ has been absorbed by this amoebic bully and is not influential in any decision making. Who in their right mind do not recognize that this PNC NEVER wanted to relinquish power now or in the next 20 years? That they were ‘caught with their pants down’. Fact is they indicated it 2 days after saying that they would abide by the decision. Then they found or created all the excuses to avoid the constitutional mandates. They have been playing a political football with their excuses and posturing to run out the clock, they are in effect a party that is not embarrassed by anything. Their only ambition is to hold on to power and if anyone challenges it that they are a Judas. In essence, the TUC should have said to scrap the
constitution once the PNC is in power and to TRUST THEM. One question I have for them. What would they have done if the PPP or any other Government was holding the Presidency? All Guyanese and I know that answer! I would look into a crystal ball now. IF the PNC/APNU have their backs against the wall and they are forced to have a date, then the chairman of the Elections Commission will get a heart attack or worst and they will call for consultations with the opposition to find a new Chairman. This would at least “appear” democratic. The whole mess is a JOKE and Guyana is the laughing stock of the world. But then again, we have seen this in many other countries where heads of state hold on to power by any means necessary. It is so sad that this has had to befall our wonderful GUYANA. Respectfully, Mr. R Kissoon
Some crucial traffic lights are lives. the Ogle Airport Road, again, inoperable their There are other traffic does so at the risk of their life. lights on Sheriff Street that are DEAR EDITOR, For some time now, the traffic lights controlling the junction of the Rupert Craig Highway and Sheriff Street have not been working. This remains an extremely dangerous situation. Traffic travelling North on Sheriff Street and attempting to enter and cross the Rupert Craig Highway do so at the peril of
not working for some considerable time, for instance, at the crossing of Duncan and Sheriff Streets. There is also a traffic light, which controls the crossing of the Railway Embankment Road and Ogle Airport Road which is left permanently flashing. The result is that anyone attempting to cross the Railway Embankment Road and
The Ogle Airport Road is the main road with appreciable traffic to and from the Eugene F. Correia International Airport. At peak traffic hours in the morning and in the afternoon, this light should be turned on to full operation. I t ’s n o t e w o r t h y t h a t as a result of the repairs being carried out on Sheriff Street, the Police Traffic Department has placed officers at the Sheriff Street and crossing roads in the early morning hours, but only up to 9:00 a.m. Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento
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NRGI urges Guyana, Suriname Governments...
Do your homework and scrutinize the right oil activities closely By Kiana Wilburg
S
uriname and Guyana are CARICOM sis ters who are adjusting to life in the spotlight on the global petroleum stage. As the governments of the respective countries hurry to strengthen systems for the looming wealth, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is urging that the policy leaders do the required homework and scrutinize oil companies’ activities where it matters most. NRGI is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving countries’ governance over their natural resources to promote sustainable and inclusive development. The headquarters of NRGI is based in New York. NRGI said that Suriname and Guyana find themselves at different points in their life cycles as prospective oil producers. The Institute said that Guyana has already made large discoveries, while Suriname is at a more speculative stage of offshore exploration. Institutionally, NRGI said
that Suriname has developed a small but capable administrative and commercial body—Staatsolie—as a result of its years of small-scale production, while Guyana is just beginning to build its administrative architecture in response to the discovery. NRGI said that both countries have small populations and small economies. It said, “Suriname’s GDP is USD $3.6 billion, placing it 158th in the world. Guyana, which has a population just shy of 800,000, has a GDP of $3.4 billion, placing it 159th. This means that significant oil production could have a massive impact on these economies. If managed correctly, successful oil projects could mean a major boost to the development agenda of either country.” NRGI noted however that the potential for negative distortions—including budget volatility and the disruption of other sectors—is high if risks are not managed effectively. In this regard, NRGI said that Guyana and Suriname would be wise to pay attention to some key areas.
“Managing relationships with private partners requires a nuanced approach. Many of the producingcountry representatives em-
and not unduly delaying or burdening their partners.” NRGI also said that managing public expectations is key. It said that some governments
phasized the need to strike a healthy balance in relationships with oil company partners. It is necessary for the government to scrutinize company activities closely, and to ensure that they are following the rules and paying the state its due. But the path to success also involves government officials ‘doing their homework’ to ensure they are scrutinizing the right places
have not been sufficiently proactive in educating populations about the distinction between oil exploration and having a commercially viable oil find. NRGI said, “This can lead to significant public distrust; when a well turns out to be dry, citizens—who had previously been led to believe that big revenues were imminent—often suspect foul play.
Our officials believe in the importance of communicating with populations (about the timing, size and uncertainties of field development and associated revenues) in cases where a commercial discovery had been made.” NRGI also spoke to the need for successful institutional reform which requires specific, achievable targets based on clearly defined policy goals and supporting legal and regulatory frameworks. NRGI said, “Both Guyana and Suriname are considering significant reforms to the public structures that manage the oil and gas sector. In Guyana, the government has proposed legisla-
tion to establish a new petroleum commission to regulate the sector, and officials are considering whether to establish a national oil company to play a commercial role.” In Suriname, the Institute said that authorities are considering potential reforms to Staatsolie—which now plays a mixed regulatory and commercial role—in the event of an offshore discovery. It said that the consensus among Guyana and Suriname’s peers is that, faced with the daunting challenge of building the state’s capacity to oversee complex production, one critical step is to conduct a sober, rigorous needs assessment to facilitate strategic decision-making.
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Regional Chairman tours Region 10 RDC bond -expresses concern over lengthy storage time of items Regional Councillors, Regional Chairman and REO touring the bond as efforts are made to have items in the bond dispatched in a more timely manner to the various destinations and/or departments.
Regional Chairman [backing camera] and Regional Executive Officer Orrin Gordon examining a pump in the bond.
The protracted period that some items are being kept in storage is of concern to Regional Chairman of the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council [RDC], Mr. Renis Morian. He highlighted his concern during a tour of the RDC’s bond which saw him being accompanied by Councillors and the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Orrin Gordon. The tour which was done shortly after the Council’s most recent statutory meeting was geared at examining the bond and seeking to ascertain what items were there and whether they are distributed in a timely manner. “What we are seeing is that some of the items were being held in the bond a bit too long and this can and may pose a challenge to the various departments. As such, I would be holding an urgent meeting with the Regional Ex-
ecutive Officer [REO], the Regional Health Officer [RHO] and the Regional Education Officer [REDO] so that a more aggressive and effective system can be implemented so as to ensure that items are not held at the bond too long,” said Morian. The Regional Chairman went on to point out that he has some additional concerns but stopped short of identifying these. He instead stated that at the proposed meeting he intends to have these and other concerns ironed out. “There are some concerns and issues that I would like to address. However, I would rather wait until I would have met with the officers identified before going into details,” he said. Morian noted that the decision to take a spontaneous tour of the bond came after
he had instructed the Regional Education Officer, Mr. Rabindra Singh, to have a number of items that were being held in the bond distributed to the respective schools that they were intended for. He said that he wanted to be assured that the instructions that the Council had issued were acted upon to ensure that the students in Region 10 do not suffer because of the tardy behaviour and actions of anyone. “Throughout my statutory meeting I had already planned to visit the bond but held back from revealing this to the REO and DREO as I wanted to be assured that no one had any prior knowledge. As such, while I am not overjoyed, I am somewhat pleased that the situation there is manageable,” he reasoned. He said that there is certainly a need for more aggressive systems to be implemented and hopefully this will be done with the assistance of the REO. He said that REO Gordon is one who is determined to ensure that the systems are enhanced and further developed. As such, he stressed that the education, health and agriculture committees will be harder at work this year. He noted too that efforts will be made to visit a number of places with the view of improving, implementing and further developing what is already there. According to Morian, the visit to the bond forms part of a more in-depth 2019 plan which will see the Councillors accompanied by him and the Deputy Vice Chairman going out into the fields more often as they seek to better understand and monitor what is happening.
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Rape and robbery on the seawall
G
uyanese are becoming numb to the worst criminal atrocities. This numbing has led to indifference over the crime situation, which is traumatizing citizens. Last week, Kaieteur News reported that a schoolgirl had been raped on the Ogle Seawall. It was reported that three students were studying on the seawall – what a place to study –when they were attacked by a knife wielding man. Two ran away but the other was unable and she was raped. In times gone by, an incident such as that would have led to mass outrage in Guyana. People would have come together not just to condemn this vicious act but also to try to help the police find the villain who committed this foul deed on an innocent schoolchild. Danger is confronting our young schoolgirls. They cannot even sit on the seawall without fear of being molested. They face the same potential threats in some of our public parks. The only place for them to relax is at the malls and there you have to have money to get there and to spend while there. It is hoped that the perpetrator of that rape on that schoolgirl is brought to justice and given some of the harsh sentences which rape victims are receiving at
present in the courts. What happened to that schoolgirl should not happen to anyone. She has been scarred for life. The person who did that to her is a beast who should be removed from society and placed in prison for the rest of his life. As terrifying as that incident was, it was not surprising that the rape took place on the Seawall. What was surprising was that it took place at Ogle and not on the stretch of Seawall between Camp Street and the Rupert Craig Highway. That stretch of Seawall is dangerous day or night. There are mentally deranged characters roaming the foreshore. There are strange men liming around who have penchant for watching at your pockets to see if they decipher the shape of a wallet or a cellular phone so that they can pounce on you and relieve you of them. The entire seawall is poorly lit at nights and therefore surprise attacks can be launched against persons. The area is a nest also for lovers in cars. But given how unsafe it is, it would not be surprising to discover that some of them may be attacked by bandits and rapists and out of shame, they do not report it. The area is simply not safe. Further west is the Kingston Seawall area. This has been a traditional spot where people go for relaxation and the fresh air. Not
anymore. There is no relaxation, which can be had any more in that area. And the air is no longer fresh and clean. The Kingston Seawall was established around 1855. It is part of historic Georgetown but it seems destined to be consigned to the waste bins of history, judging from its neglect and mismanagement. The entire strand has been invaded by all kinds of vendors, from trampolines to concessions selling alcoholic beverages. Music is blared at decibels, which are a nuisance. Generators are coughing up polluted fumes just in front on the benches where people have to sit. The Kingston Seawall is no longer the peaceful, tranquil area which it used to be. A number of benches have either gone missing or destroyed. In the not too distant past, some of the benches had found their way in use by some of the businesses, which operate there. Older folks who go out there to relax and de-stress, leave tenser and stressed out that when they arrive. And to add injury to insult, there is now the lurking threat of robbery and rape. The Seawall is a place where the rich and poor should be able to go and relax. Both the rich and the poor are now afraid to venture there. It should not be a drive in
motel or a lair for robbers, rapists and the mentally disturbed. It is not a hotel. Some persons even contemplated seeking refuge from the insanitary
conditions, the noise and polluted air by moving further up the Coast at Ogle. The rape of that schoolgirl last Friday is enough to change their minds.
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Is the APNU+AFC regime the most comical in Guyana’s history?
I
thought that the latter part of the long rule of the PPP, with the Ramotar presidency, was the most laughable administration in our history, going right back to colonial governorship. Most humans, perhaps all, know that the longer you live, the more you see; therefore, the more you learn and thus the more you know about life and people. The silly, facetious things that emerge from the political leadership of the government are not only embarrassing Guyana in the eyes of the world, but it has reduced the ruling regime to a school of comics. The output is relentless. It doesn’t stop. The latest is Minister Ramjattan’s revelation that foreign advice is being sought about the role of Peter Ramsaroop at the Ogle airport. Ramsaroop escorted Charran into the boarding section of the airport at Ogle along with a Canadian diplomat. Both men said they
sought and got permission. Airport authorities subsequently issued a statement stating that that kind of permission is not usually granted to a civilian like Ramsaroop, who had no special status to be awarded that privilege. What Ramsaroop did is what happens often all over the world. You step into an area that the public is not allowed, or you get permission from a subordinate employee who overstepped his/her jurisdiction. What foreign expert advice does the government need about what Ramsaroop did? Either prosecute him or sanction the subordinate airport official, but what do you expect a foreign expert to tell you. I don’t know if Ramjattan was misquoted in the media, but I read he told his press conference that the expert is needed to investigate what Ramsaroop did at the airport. Here is what was carried in the press; “Ramjattan added that the consultation (with the
foreign expert) will not only focus on Persaud, but also aims at determining what businessman Peter Ramsaroop was doing at the airside of the Eugene Correia airport at the time of Persaud’s departure...” Seriously, could any government in any part of the world get more laughable than this? Wouldn’t the expert have to ask Ramsaroop why he was escorting Charran? And what does the expert expect Ramsaroop to say? And the lady that gave Ramsaroop permission will no doubt be questioned about alleged inducement. But can’t our local boys and girls in the force do that? Why do we need a foreign expert to question her? How about a foreign expert to run the police force, whose operations fall under Ramjattan? Jamaica and Trinidad in recent years had foreign commissioners. Next is the irrepressible Basil Williams. In speaking publicly about the no confi-
dence court case, he opined that the constitution is wrong. Williams was referring to Article 106 (7) of the constitution, which requires the government to call elections within three months after the passage of a no-confidence motion. Speaking to reporters outside the Court of Appeal, Williams told them that the constitution is wrong. A government does not hold elections. Only GECOM does that. Williams told the journalists; “the framers of the constitution got it wrong.” What is comical about Williams’ discovery? Williams’ observation has to make you laugh, because a judge has to go by what is contained in the constitution. If the constitution says only persons 18 years and over can vote in national elections, a writ to ask for a declaration allowing 16-year-old
citizens to vote cannot be entertained by a judge, because the 18-year-old requirement is a constitutional stipulation. The judge cannot strike that down that Article and allow persons under 18 to vote. If that Article is wrong, then the legislators have to change it, not the judiciary. A judge cannot change an article or articles in the constitution, however unfair or wrong or unreasonable. The purpose of a judge presiding in a constitutional case is to uphold what the constitution stipulates. It is crazy for any attorney to think a judge can rule against what is stated in a constitution by telling counsel, “I agree with you, the constitution is wrong, so I rule in your favour.” The judge’s words would go like this; “I agree with you the constitution is wrong in this regard, but you have to
Frederick Kissoon take that up with the legislators.’ And so many times judges have said that to lawyers. Hundreds of youths have been jailed because the magistrates keep telling them that once found guilty of trafficking, a prison sentence is mandatory, and that is the law. So change the law. And that is what is being advocated. So if government cannot hold an election, a task only assigned to GECOM, then change the constitution.
DEM BOYS SEH
De Big Market paper want know de boss man business
People got a way of asking odda people dem business. Sometimes a man walking pon de road and he looking down; then somebody gon ask him if he lose something. A woman seeing some odda woman crying and she gon ask de woman if she crying and wha she crying for. Dis is because people like know odda people business. And dem boys know is rude fuh ask people dem business. Dem can understand if Popeye’s or KFC or Church’s announce dat dem opening outlet somewhere. Dem want de publicity suh dem gon talk bout wha dem doing. And dem reporters who looking fuh easy news gon run and report pon wha dem companies doing. However, de Waterfalls boss man is not Church’s nor KFC nor Popeye’s. He doing he own thing. Dem boys she, he was minding he own business when a reporter from de Big Market paper call to find out wha he doing pon Regent Street.
Dis man got he own newspaper and if he want publicity all he got to do is send a reporter fuh tek a photograph and he would provide de interview. De Waterfalls paper never carry a line bout whatever de boss man doing pon Regent Street. De Big Market paper coulda tek a hint but yesterday it had to be short of news or somebody just inquisitive. A reporter call de Waterfalls boss man and ask him wha he building on Regent Street. Dem boys can’t print de offer.Wha dem know is dat no reporter gon ever call de boss man again to ask him about his private business. De man start by explaining dat what he doing is he private business and he is not advertising. De reporter continue. Dat was when de reporter get a lesson in sex and pregnancy. And dat was de end of any questioning. Dem boys seh de lesson is to keep yuh nose out of people private business. Talk half and don’t push yuh nose in people’s business.
Friday March 15, 2019
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
IDB bemoans effects of GRA’s cumbersome tax system on local businesses he Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) believes that there is room for Guyana’s tax system to become less cumbersome, less complex, and more efficient along with improvements in tax administration that can reduce noncompliance by local businesses. It made this known in one of its reports titled, “Strengthening Guyana’s
profit). Notwithstanding these challenges, the IDB said that the country has benefitted from advisory services from the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) and has seen vast improvements post-global financial crisis (GFC). It said, “The semi-autonomous organization, Guyana Revenue Authority, has ben-
Fiscal Framework in Anticipation of an Oil Boom.” It was prepared for the Bank by Jeetendra Khadan and Sasha Baxter. In that report, the IDB said that tax administration is currently hampered by relatively low capacity of the Guyana Revenue Administration (GRA), with inadequately skilled human resources, limited use of information and communication technology (ICT), and inadequate use of technology to capture common and relevant information. Moreover, the IDB said that tax administration shows up as a major constraint for Guyanese firms. To pay taxes, the Bank noted that firms must spend 256 hours and make 35 payments annually compared to 195 hours and 25 payments annually by firms in the Rest Of Small Economies (ROSE). In addition, the Bank said that the Ease of Doing Business index shows that profit tax (percent) in Guyana is much higher than the average for the ROSE: 21.3 percent compared to 14.3 percent. Nonetheless, the Bank said that Guyana has a better ranking than ROSE in labour tax and contribution, other taxes, and total tax rate (percent of
efitted from successive reforms and training to strengthen its organization, functionality, and efficiency. However, despite years of reform, tax compliance is still relatively low.” It added, “For example, the on-time VAT filing rate is 43 percent compared to the regional average of 62 percent and below international standards of between 70–90 percent (IMF, 2017).” On a positive note, the financial institution said that Guyana is adopting policies to broaden its tax base and reduce noncompliance. It said that the introduction of the VAT in 2007 greatly widened the tax base and increased revenues, capturing businesses that previously were noncompliant or were in the informal sector. Further to this, the IDB said that the mandatory use of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) has increased the number of taxpayers and encouraged people previously in the informal sector to come under the tax authority. It said that the reforms undertaken in 2017 are expected to strengthen VAT tax compliance with a reduction in the tax rate.
T
Friday March 15, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Lawyers argue that Court has authority to set elections timeframe in motion Attorney- at -law, Anil Nandlall, is among the lawyers arguing that Appeal Court has the jurisdiction to order the elections timeframe be set in motion in keeping with the constitution. Yesterday, he urged the panel of judges which consisted of Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette CummingsEdwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, to use the unlimited power to ensure that the constitution is upheld. The Court of Appeal continued hearing arguments in the case of Attorney General versus Christopher Ram; Minister of State Joseph Harmon, in his capacity as representative of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland; and Bharrat Jagdeo in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition. Nandlall had previously submitted that the Government’s failure to set a date for the holding of the next Regional and General Elections following the noconfidence motion is a deliberate move to delay elections
beyond the period stipulated by the Constitution. “Article 106 (7) of the Constitution of Guyana, states, “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.” He noted that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is an independent body which has the leverage and capacity to manage an elections with urgency. Nandlall said, however, that while the President is purported to wait on GECOM’s preparedness, it is the executive that must give the Commission an indication to prepare for elections. Attorney-at-law, Kamal Ramkarran, noted that in order for that decision of the Court of Appeal to have meaning, the Court is empowered to say that elections
have to be held forthwith or within a period not later than 31 days from the date of the decision. Ramkarran is representing political commentator, Christopher Ram, in a no-confidence motion-related case. “If we were to continue without an extension and there is no evidence whatsoever that there is going to be an extension, or even if the date is set, then we continue on the path of an unconstitutional government; a government operating outside of the expressed terms of the Constitution,” he said. Nandlall, a former Attorney General, (AG) had previously argued that although Cabinet ceased to exit after the passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018 in the National Assembly, Finance Minister Winston Jordan still has the power to budget funds for the holding of general elections, even though the Minister cannot return to Parliament at this point. During his submissions to the court, Nandlall explained that if Minister Jordan or a new minister is appointed by
the President after the holding of elections, that Minister will lay in Parliament a statement accounting for those monies budgeted for those elections. He sought to dismiss previous arguments by Attorney General Basil Williams, who he said, is trying to create panic by painting the picture that the country will collapse if monies are not circulated, as a result of there no longer being Cabinet to approve funds. According to him, Articles
218, 219 and 220 which speak to the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated Fund of other public fund, when read consecutively, make provisions for monies to be withdrawn to offset the nation’s expenses. On Tuesday, Queen’s Counsel (QC) Dr. Francis Alexis, a former Attorney General of Grenada, who has been hired by the government to argue its case at the Court of Appeal in relation to the noconfidence motion matters (Continued on page 26)
Attorney –at- law Anil Nandlall
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Friday March 15, 2019
Kaieteur News
CMO explains ‘Opt-Out’ option for the administering of HPV vaccines Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud says that the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccines are not “forced on children”. Rather, he said, parents and guardians are first sensitised on
the vaccination campaign on all they need to know about the vaccine before given the option to ‘opt-out’. “We discussed this at the policy level and the decision was made for us to switch the approach where we will now
have an op-out process. So, for example, we encouraged all of the schools to have the health personnel meet with the PTA and inform them of the vaccine and also outline to them the process by which they can opt-out,” a DPI re-
lease stated. Now that the vaccine is given to boys and girls between the ages of 9 to 16 years, the opt-out method is viewed by the Ministry as the most critical to a child receiving the vaccine. If a parent does not opt out, they are then asked to furnish the school with the child’s clinic card. “It’s not a case where you have to give consent for each dose of the HPV vaccine to be administered, you can decide, from your informed perspective that you don’t want your child to have this vaccine, you will then sign off, otherwise we will assume that you have agreed to have the child immunized against the
HPV.” The CMO further stated that initially, in the HPV vaccination exercise, consent was sought from parents before vaccinating children; however, this process had put some children at a disadvantage when it came to receiving the vaccine. “Initially, we have started a process of having consent for the HPV but on assessment when we revised the programme we found that was quite a barrier to persons accessing and a lot of persons came in saying that ‘this is an essential vaccine, I am unable to come to sign a paper but my child needs to get the vaccine’ and they even
put it over as if we are denying the child the vaccine.” The campaign administering for the HPV vaccine to boys and girls between the identified age range ran from February 11 to March 13, 2019. However, the opt-out option remains applicable even after the campaign period. The Ministry is forging ahead with the plan to host an HPV Vaccine awareness campaign at the end of every six-month period. After this campaign, which closes at the end of March, another exercise is expected by September. This will keep the importance of the HPV vaccine in the public eye.
Friday March 15, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Regulations for Amended Nurses’ and Midwives Act soon - consultations to follow - will enable GNC to function optimally The Guyana Nursing Council is meeting to develop regulations, which will enforce the recently amended Nurses and Midwives Act of 2019. The Act was tabled in the National Assembly in October 2018 and passed by the National Assembly on January 3, 2019, to which President David Granger assented on January 23, 2019. These regulations are expected to support sections within the Act, which will empower the Nurses and Midwives Council as well as encourage professionals in this field to specialise and benefit from Continued Medical Education. The council met yesterday and will meet again today to have intense discussions, and suggestions made will later be advised upon by the legal officer in the health sector. Spearheading this discussion are Chief Nursing Officer and Chairperson of the council, Linda Johnson with Technical Advisor on Nursing to the Minister of Public Health and Vice-Chairperson of the council, Dr. Mandy La Fleur. In a formal introduction to the discussion, Dr. La Fleur remarked that the ultimate goal of regulations regarding the nursing profession is to protect the public
from an unfit person performing the duties of a nurse or midwife. “Regulations refer to laws that define nursing practice, so it actually defines nursing practice and disciplinary measures. I want you to also note that nursing is regulated because it is one of the health professions that poses a risk of harm to the public if it practised by someone who is unprepared or incompetent,” she explained. While she praised the initiative and the push of the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that the laws governing nurses have been revised, Dr. La Fleur added that regional and international standards for nursing must be maintained. This will ensure that local nurses are more competitive among their counterparts in other countries. “While we have the laws, these regulations are going to define in a precise way those rules and regulations for which nurses and midwives are going to practise in Guyana. Regulations must also fall within the standards of the regional nursing body with guidance from the International Council of Nurses and International Confederation of Midwives which set the stan-
dards for regulations on nursing around the world.” Dr. La Fleur further stressed that regulations will not be implemented without consultation and awareness sessions among nurses and midwives in all health facilities throughout Guyana. “The council’s business is not to penalise… We want to work with facilities, with the health personnel within Guyana to ensure there is compliance with standards and regulations that are enacted in the laws.” Regulations for the Act serve as the governmental oversight, which is provided for the nursing practice in Guyana. Chief Nursing Officer, Linda Johnson adding that there is much in the Bill not just for the Nursing Council to execute its role effectively but for the nursing profession to benefit. “The regulations are meant to be a guideline for us to set parameters and boundaries for the practice of nursing and so we would want to look at it carefully because there are different aspects in the bill… One of the things I will like to highlight is nurses can expect there
to be more opportunities for them specialising and that has been one of the things that nurses are concerned about, developing their practice.” This will essentially take the profession a higher level, encourage these professionals to function at a specified level based on the needs of specialties in the country and areas of interest where nurses may see to develop the profession. It has been noted by the Technical Advisor on Nursing that, “We want to be able to take back our position in this region. Guyana was noted as one of the countries in the lead in terms of nursing regulation and policies.”
Technical Advisor on Nursing to the Minister of Public Health and Vice-Chairperson of the council, Dr. Mandy La Fleur
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Friday March 15, 2019
Kaieteur News
Skeldon man shot while fleeing GPF’s Narcotics ranks An investigation is currently ongoing into the shooting of a 25-year-old man of Gurrpersaud Avenue, Number 79 Village, Berbice after he was shot by ranks attached to the Narcotics Unit of the Guyana Police Force during a
sting operation near a liquor shop at Linepath Upper Corentyne on Thursday. Admitted at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit with a gunshot wound to the back, is Mahesh Brijpaul, a
machine operator. According to a police source, nine pounds of cannabis were found in a bucket near Brijpaul’s motorcycle that was parked on the street. B’ Division Commander, Paul Langevine told the me-
dia that ranks from Berbice are investigating the matter, but no ranks are under close arrest. He did not confirm that it was police from the city that carried out the shooting but would only say that “the police” are being investigated by Berbice police. According to reports, Brijpaul was shot while running from undercover ranks
attached to the Narcotics Unit of the Guyana Police Force in the vicinity of a liquor shop in Line Path, Berbice. However, the ranks allegedly told his relatives that he shot at them first. They allegedly later said he was running away during a narcotics bust operation. His mother, Vanita Dindial, denied that her son was in a shoot-out with the police.
Dindial said her shot son was “in a bad state.” The woman added that, “if he was found with anything and he is guilty then he should face the penalty…but they used excessive force because is not one shot they fire.” Brijpaul is currently shackled and is under police guard at the New Amsterdam Hospital and investigations continue.
Thieves break into tomb,remove US$300 Cops in Berbice are investigating a strange break and enter and larceny at Number 66 Village Cemetary. As crazy as it may sound, someone actually raided the tomb of a 60-year-old man identified as Roopnarine Kowlessar. He died on the 23rd of February, 2019. According to the dead man’s son, he accompanied two of his overseas-based
siblings to the cemetery. “We went to visit the tomb because my brother and sister were going back to New York, so they just went for the last visit and when we came, we saw three tile break, chisel marks and a small hole at the top of the tomb but we left and go airport”. He added that it was while he on his way to Brighton Vil-
lage, Corentyne, Berbice, that he received a call from his mother informing him that his father’s tomb was broken into. “When I come, I see the casket in front the tomb and the body outside and I just bring the man and put in back the body inside and fit up back the tomb. It had some US currency ($300) that was missing from inside”, the son said.
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
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28 more days added to sentences of weapon-brandishing inmates
Probe into Lusignan Prison video…
- trio to also undergo rehab training were retrieved. When analysed, they were found to be improvised weapons made from the fence material and a pot cover. Also, one cell phone which was used to record the video
The seized weapons
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wo of the three L u s i g n a n prisoners who were seen in a video brandishing weapons and issuing threats will have a further 28 days added to their sentences. Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels said that this decision was made following an internal investigation. He revealed that the two prisoners are presently serving 16 months each on robbery charges. They will now serve an additional 28 days. The third inmate, who is on remand for robbery and attempted murder, has had his privileges forfeited. Samuels said that the charges are in keeping with the prison rules. In addition, the trio will also undergo a period of training, counseling and mentorship designed “to change their mindset.” On suggestions that
harsher punishment could have been imposed, the Director of Prisons noted that the Prison authorities at present face a serious problem with overcrowding. It was two Tuesday ago that Prison officials became aware of a video of three inmates at the Lusignan holding bay brazenly brandishing improvised weapons, cursing and threatening to 'kill.' This led to two searches and the seizure of the weapons and a cell phone. Samuels said that he received the video, captioned 'Nation Entertainment,' which was being circulated on social media. “Immediately an investigation was launched and it revealed that the video was done in the holding bay at Lusignan. “A search was conducted and the items seen in the possession of the prisoners
Victim nabs burglar with stolen TV while heading to police station
A
fter breaking into a La Parfaite, West Bank Demerara residence, a burglar got the shock of his life yesterday when he and his victim came face to face while the victim was heading to a police station. The victim, who rents a two bedroom home at First Street, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, told this newspaper that he had arrived home from church around 20:45 hrs and upon approaching his door, realized it was wide open. It
was upon entering the master bedroom that he discovered his 32 inch coloured television (valued at almost $100,000.00) missing. “I had just returned from church and was most shocked to find my house door wide open…I know I had secured it before I left around 08:00 hrs the said morning. For a moment, I thought that I had maybe forgotten since everything else in the house seemed normal. It was when I entered the bedroom (continued on page 18)
was retrieved,” Samuels said. In the brief video, with music in the background, the inmates are seen grinning and brandishing large, improvised knives.
“Doan say nothing,“ one warns, while imitating someone pulling the trigger of a gun. “I gon kill alyuh mother (expletive) when I come out.” “Doan say nothing,”
another inmate echoes. Prison authorities have been more hard pressed to keep prohibited items out of the country's penitentiaries since inmates torched the Georgetown Prisons and carried similar acts and damage at the Lusignan Prison.
PAGE 18
[From left] Minister of Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood; GSB President, Cecil Morris; GSB Executive Member, Ganesh Singh; and a Voice to Sign Language Translator
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
CHPA looking to allocate low-cost house lots to people with disabilities
M
inister of H o u s i n g within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, and a team from Central Housing and Planning Association (CH&PA ), conducted an outreach yesterday, to address housing concerns of persons living with disabilities (PlD). Persons gathered for the session at the Guyana Society for the Blind's, High Street Office. The Minister told the gathering that CH&PA is seeking to allocate house lots in a few areas, particularly on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and in Region Three. For those who have never applied for house lots, the team collected their applications and interviewed them on spot. Those who attended with their documents were given a letter, certifying that they applied and are eligible for house lots. The Minister also waived the $200 application fee for that particular forum. Particularly, lands are available at Mon Repos and Good Hope. However, the Minister indicated that, in the future, lands are expected to
be made available at Annandale and Cummings Lodge. She told the gathering that there are no low-income house lots available in Georgetown and on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). She said that the EBD has the most developed housing areas already, because that area has been the one in focus for a very long time. Though the CH&PA was in a position to allocate house lots in Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida and Edinburgh last week, Yearwood told the gathering that GuySuCo had planted those areas, and are now in mid-crop. To date, about 120 PlD have taken a number to wait in queue for a house lot to be allocated to them, mainly from Regions Three and Four. The other regions have not yet been targeted. President of the Blind Society, Cecil Morris, told this publication that this is the first opportunity of its kind to be presented to PlD in Guyana, and that having his own house lot would give him a sense of independence and ownership, that “as a person with a disability, you can still achieve if you work toward it.”
Victim nabs burglar with stolen... From page 17 I realised that the television was gone… I left hurriedly to make a police report, having no idea I would encounter the thief along the way with the television in his possession.” The resident said he made his way to the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station and was told by ranks there that he would have to report the matter to the La Grange Police Station. It was while he was en route there that the unexpected occurred… “In the midst of all this, I was praying and saying, God you bring justice swift and fast…and deal with the person who did this…As I was passing the GBTI Bank at Vreed-en-Hoop, I noticed a young man walking on the left hand side of the road with what appeared to be a large flat object concealed in a large black plastic garbage bag. Something drove me to look closer and I recognized the young man as one who frequents the neighbourhood in La Parfaite Harmonie. I yelled at him and in the same breath instructed the car driver to turn around,
since the young man had paused on the roadside. The driver complied and I jumped out of the car. I ran up to the young man and demanded of him what he had concealed in the bag. He began stuttering saying it was not a television and in the same breath muttering that it was a television and it belongs to a friend. I was ready to get physical, and he was visibly shaking. I then got on my cellular phone and indicated that I was calling the police and he broke down, admitting that he had indeed stolen the television from my home,” The thief admitted to entering the house through a bedroom window that was not properly secured. According to the victim, the 32-year-old revealed that he had wiped the doorknob clean of finger prints, before leaving with the television set. Although the thief returned the stolen TV, the resident is still considering filing a report. He said an individual fitting Wilson's description had attempted to enter the home by scaling up a ladder.
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
PAGE 19
Bourda cheese vendor murder‌
Prosecution given final date to present witnesses Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday set one final date for the Prosecution to present its final two witnesses in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Bourda cheese vendor, Troy Ramalho, who was shot and killed while plying his trade. Royce Sandiford, a 33year-old labourer; Akeem Morris, 26, a miner, of 40 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty; and George Paton, 34, a taxi driver of 177 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara, were not required to plead to the charge, which stated that on August 15, last, at Robb Street, Bourda, Lacytown, they murdered Troy Ramalho during the course of a robbery. If on the next court date,
the witnesses do not show up, the Prosecution would be left with no choice but to close its case. Yesterday when the matter was called in the courtroom of the Chief Magistrate, the orderly summoned the names Lesley Pickering and Paul Brooms thrice, but no one answered or appeared to the names. Hence, Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that an arrest warrant has been issued for one of the witnesses and a summons for the other. Given the circumstance, the PI was adjourned by the Magistrate until March 25. A c c o r d i n g t o information, Ramalho was sitting on a bench at his business place, and had just
Murder accused freed following no case submission
A
man who was on trial for the murder of a Corentyne businessman back in 2013 has been freed. Ramnarine Jagmohan, 34, of Belvedere Squatting Area, Corentyne walked out of the Berbice High Court on Thursday following a no case submission put forward by his attorney, Chandra Sohan who appeared for the defence. Ramnarine was on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury in the Berbice High Court for the murder of Davindra Deodat, 34, called 'Dave', a businessman of Lot 72 Hampshire Squatting Area, Corentyne. The matter was reportedly committed on October 7, 2013. Deodat, the owner of Cool Runnings Trucking Service, was chopped and shot dead at around 18:30 hrs at his home after a group of masked men stormed the grocery shop which he and his wife, Mala, 29, operated. The bandits also reportedly chopped Deodat's wife in the head and shot his father-in-law, Rafeek Abdul. Attorney-at-law Chandra Sohan is representing the accused while attorney at law Mondel Moore is the State Prosecutor. When the matter
Ramnarine Jagmohan continued on Thursday, Rocky Ramoo told the court that he is a cousin of the deceased. After hearing a commotion, he ventured to the scene and saw when one of the men leaned over the verandah and shot Rafeek Abdul. The men then escaped. He testified that the men were all masked and were carrying a long gun, a short gun and a cutlass. Following the completion of the prosecution's case, attorneyat-law Sohan submitted that the defence had no case to answer. He said that the prosecution witnesses were unreliable and all gave conflicting evidence. He stated that although the prosecution's star witness stated about identifying the (continued on page 22)
finished selling a customer, when three men walked up to him. He was then shot. Ramalho was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
(From left) Royce Sandiford, Akeem Morris and George Paton
Kaieteur News
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Friday March 15, 2019
Keep shady deals with China at bay, but maximize available opportunities - Finance Expert
Brazil/GT road…
By Abena RockcliffeCampbell
M
a k e n o mistake; a road from Brazil to Georgetown can have its benefits for Guyana. It was known to be so since the days of former President, the late Cheddi Jagan. It was included in the national development strategy. But the benefits to be derived from that road can be easily erased if Guyana allows China to take it for a ride in the same vehicle of trickery and corrupt activities it took countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This is the opinion proffered by finance expert, Sasenarine Singh. Last year, the APNU+AFC government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the People's Republic of China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It should be widely known by now that one of the big ticket projects being considered under that initiative is the road from
Brazil to Georgetown. Sentiments expressed already are to the effect that Guyana will be used by China and that the road will benefit Brazil and especially China way more than it will benefit Guyana. This is especially in the context of the Chinese takeover of Lethem's economic zone and considering the Chinese population in Brazil. https://www.kaieteurnewso nline.com/2019/03/03/putti ng-brazil-to-georgetownroad-into-perspectivechinese-take-over-lethemscommercial-zone/. Singh has a differing opinion. He thinks that Guyana only stands to lose if it negotiates a bad deal for the line of credit from China. ROADS NEVER BAD Singh thinks that roads are never bad and more so can only be deemed developmental in an underdeveloped country such as Guyana. He told Kaieteur News, “Roads are never bad, it creates the revenue potential
for Guyana to charge a container tax. It creates the opportunity for Guyana to open its hinterland; it creates an opportunity for some more of our people to move from the coastal plain onto that road link to open things like gas stations, car wash and hotel restaurants.” Citing an example to support the vision to which he gravitates, Singh said, “When FDR (former Untied States President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt) was building the highways during the great depression, he built roads through places like Wyoming where nobody lived in those days. But there are thousands living there now.” Singh said that it is known that a road creates its own economic energy. But this was not the experience of Sri Lanka, which took a huge loan from China to build a road that was only then used by the Chinese. Singh was pointed to this fact. Aware of that case, the financial expert said that Sri
Lanka's fate was sealed that way because the island leaders allowed China to have its way. He said that the road in Sri Lanka was badly located to be of benefit to the people of that island but was strategically located for the purpose of China's agenda. Singh said, “China did that strategically because it was on their shipping path, but in the case of Lethem, that road has been part of our first development plan since 1953, it has conceived by Ford from the Ford Motor Company during the war…” He continued, “This road has history. It was in Cheddi's first development plan that he did with the British government and a critical part of the National Development Strategy. WHEN IT GOES BAD Singh stressed that it all comes down to the deal sealed. He said that the road can become an albatross around the neck of Guyana if the deal for the loan and construction of the road is
Finance expert, Sasenarine Singh lopsided, “like what happened with the oil deal.” The finance expert noted that China is in the habit of going about deals in an unconventional way. “China comes and drops the cash on the table. If you go to the IDB, you have to do a feasibility study and go through a long process. But politicians have a five year cycle and may want to deliver fast, they want to get things done now, China says 'ok', here is all the money in
your face but sign this deal and a lot of politicians just sign blindly.” According to Singh, therein lies the real danger. He said that Guyana simply needs to secure good and experienced people to negotiate on its behalf. Singh said that there are many things that need to be secured in a deal. Guyana should have exclusive rights to manage the road so that it will be able to impose a (continued on page 27)
Friday March 15, 2019
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Friday March 15, 2019
Murder accused freed ... From page 19 men, there was no evidence of any ID parade being held during the prosecution's case. After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Reynolds agreed with the defence submissions and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. The slain businessman's wife Debbie Shanaz Deodat called “Mala� had earlier testified that she was at home when she saw three masked men who were armed with long guns and cutlass invade the premises. During the ensuing melee, she was able to rip off the masks and see their faces. She subsequently picked out the accused and his
brother who is now deceased during an identification parade. Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan testified to performing an autopsy on the body of Deodat at the New Amsterdam Hospital and gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to gunshot wounds. Surendra Orilall told the court that on the day in question; he was sitting outside Deodat's house. The businessman's two children were with him when they were accosted by three masked men. They were all carrying long guns. They were forced into the house and forced to lie face down. He said the ordeal lasted for about 10 minutes. Under cross-
examination by attorney-atlaw Sohan, he said he was unable to recognise anybody. Woman Police Detective Corporal Debra Leitch testified to visiting the scene and taking pictures. She presented 24 exposures to the court. Police Detective Constable Beharry Jaigopaul testified to witnessing the post mortem examination. Salim Dil Mohamed had testified to identifying the body during the postmortem examination. Neshan Jagmohan, the younger brother of the accused, who was also charged with him for the crime died on June 21, 2017, following a brawl at the New Amsterdam Prison.
Kaieteur News
REGGAE SUPER STAR
BUJU BANTON to perform in Guyana on
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THE
Friday March 15, 2019
POP
CULT
THE REVIEWS ARE IN!!!
May 25
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again review – full of hits and emotion
W
R
eggae Super star Buju Banton is confirmed to perform in Guyana on May 25, 2019 as part of the Guyana Independence Carnival Celebrations. Over the past couple days, much excitement has been generated after a few popular social media sites leaked information that Buju Banton is expected to perform in Guyana in May. Well, now it is coming directly from the horse's mouth, he is coming. After seeing how excited Guyanese were to see Buju, High Frequency Entertainment in collaboration with King Leo Promotion and the Guyana Carnival Committee decided that it is a great opportunity to make Guyana a part of the 'Long Walk to Freedom' tour. Buju Banton, who's 'Long Road to Freedom' tour was announced late last year, listed many countries in the Caribbean,
such as, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts, Suriname, Grenada and his home country of Jamaica; finally, Guyana is on that list. Banton, who has always referred to Guyana as one of his favourite countries to perform in the Caribbean, has not performedhere for over 12 years, however, he will return with his full band to give his Guyanese fans a long overdue and highly anticipated concert. The reggae superstar is known for hits such as, 'untold stories', wanna be loved', 'champion', 'deportees', 'not an easy road' and much more. Tickets for this event will go on sale online and at ticket locations locally in the coming days. Stay tuned to social media sites @guyanacarnival and our website www.guyanacarnival592.com for more details.
atching the original Mamma Mia!in 2008, I had something approaching an out-of-body experience. Having initially scoffed at everything from the contrived join-the-pop songs plot to Pierce Brosnan's unique vocal stylings, I felt my feathery inner self depart from my dour exterior and start dancing in the aisles. One minute I was a miserable critic; the next, everything had gone pink and fluffy. As I said at the time, never before had something so wrong felt so right. A decade later, this sequel-prequel hybrid (a surprisingly smart combination) produces similarly head-spinning results. In the 1979 sequences, Lily James plays the young Donna, graduating from Oxford (via a High School Musical-style rendition of When I Kissed the Teacher) before heading off on an endless holiday wherein she will try on a pair of dungarees and a trio of handsome suitors. Meanwhile, in the present, Amanda Seyfried's Sophie is striving to fulfil her mother's vision (she had a dream!) with the newly renovated Hotel Bella Donna, while wrestling with the prospect of history repeating itself on this idyllic island. As we flip-flop through the singalong hi-jinks, Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan and Jeremy Irvine grow up to become Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård and Pierce Brosnan, while Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies prove dab hands at essaying younger incarnations of dynamic duo Christine Baranski and Julie Walters. Taking over the directorial reins, Ol Parker (who made Imagine Me & You and the underrated Now Is Good) delivers a slicker package than Phyllida Lloyd's record-breaking original, full of elegant camera moves, snappy choreography and mirrored shots juxtaposing disparate frames, both temporal and spatial. Alongside Parker, the credited writers include Richard Curtis, who may or may not be responsible for such post-Four Weddings zingers as “Be still my beating vagina” and “It's called karma and it's pronounced 'Ha!”' Yet as before, the real pleasure comes from the sublime agony of hearing your favourite Abba tunes crowbarred into the narrative in increasingly preposterous ways. Occasionally the twists are subtle (the whoopingly affirmative “woh woh woh” of Waterloo briefly becomes a commanding
“whoa” – as in “stop!” – during a restaurant seduction scene). More often they're laughout-loud ludicrous (the scene in which Cher calls Andy Garcia's Señor Cienfuegos by his first name evokes Ben Elton's script for We Will Rock You). Crucially, such creaks appear to be entirely knowing, encouraging us to laugh with the story, rather than at it – something I'm not entirely sure was true of the original stage musical and film. It helps that the ensemble cast are extremely likable and admirably game; the lyrics to Dancing Queen may insist that “you can dance, you can jive”, but the fact that many of the men can do neither of the above doesn't stop them from having the time of their lives anyway. By contrast, the women are on top form – from Lily James, who could charm the birds from the trees with her song-and-dance skills, to Julie Walters, whose brand of note-perfect physical comedy (it's all in the expressions and gestures) proves a reliable delight. Meanwhile, Omid Djalili is a scene-stealing hoot as a withering customs and passport control officer (NB: stay to the very end of the credits). None of this would mean a thing if Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again didn't also pack an emotional punch, and I feel dutybound to report that I came out of the screening an utter wreck. The tears started early, as James and co danced around a cameoing Björn Ulvaeus, then flowed freely as the hits continued, climaxing in a Dunkirk-style flotilla routine complete with a cheeky nod to Titanic, the film that the original Mamma Mia! famously outperformed at the UK box office. Yet having always believed that Abba's greatest song was a melancholy gem from the Arrival LP, it was the spine-tingling reworking of My Love, My Life that hit me hardest. I wasn't just crying – I was convulsing with tears, desperately trying to stop myself from audibly sobbing. Seriously, the end of Apocalypse Now proved less traumatic. Much has changed in the 10 years since Mamma Mia! challenged my ideas of “good” and “bad” film-making. I have certainly mellowed, and perhaps my critical faculties have withered and died. But I simply can't imagine how Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again could be any better than it is. I loved it to pieces and I can't wait to go again.
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Editoria T
Inexpensive ways to
do facials at home
he face can be burdened with various kinds of problems when you least expect it. Sometimes, it can be oily, it can be dry, and it can be susceptible to acne etc. A great way to combat these problems is through the use of facials. With a facial, the skin is initially cleansed in order to remove any oil, dirt or makeup. Then the skin is exfoliated, i.e. washed or rubbed with a granular substance to remove dead skin cells. After this the skin is steamed to open the pores and soften the blackheads to get them ready for the extraction. The extraction involves gently squeezing around the blackhead to take it out of the skin. After the blackheads have been extracted, you can massage your face to increase circulation then apply a
mask. Different masks do different things for the skin. For example some masks help treat acne while others treat oily skin. The mask is then removed and the skin is moisturized for a healthy glow. Facials done at home do not have to go through all of these steps. Cleansing, exfoliation, the mask and moisturizing of the skin are the necessary elements. Cleanse your skin with your bath soap and warm water. While the face is still damp, rub baking soda on the face and neck to exfoliate it. After this, apply the mask, leave it on the face for the recommended amount of time, then wash or wipe it off. When the mask is off completely, moisturize your skin with your usual moisturizer, cocoa butter, Shea butter or coconut oil/fat. You don't have to go buy facial
Lake Mainstay to host Car & Bike Show, After Party on Easter Saturday
Lake Mainstay Resort will be hosting its 10th Annual Car & Bike Show and After Party on Easter Saturday, 20th April, 2019 at the Resort's Beach in Mainstay/Whyaka Village on the Essequibo Coast. The gates will be opened from 15:00 hrs. (3 pm) and the show commences at 18:00 hrs. (6:00 pm). For those persons interested in partaking in the show you can download the application form from the resort's Facebook page @ www.facebook.com/lakemainstay. The registration deadline is April 18th, 2019. Over $1M in cash prizes and trophies will be up for grabs. Admission: Adults - $1,000.00 and Children - $500.00 (under 10 years old). See you there.
ion: it d E t o o f e r a B e Th
Week … Sweet Red Blend
is a refreshing combination made The Barefoot Sweet Red Blend wine raspberries, sweet from a delicious, fruity medley of ripe s great chilled! pomegranates, and red cherries. It taste because this Sweet Red which is Food Pairings: Fire up those grills t with spicy beef kabobs, juicy grea distributed by Ansa McAl goes etables. marinated flank steak and grilled veg wine produced by Barefoot of d bran a is e Win History: Barefoot fornia. The winery was Cellars which is based in Modesto, Cali 5. 200 bought by E & J Gallo Winery in 6 by Michael Houlihan & Barefoot Wine was introduced in 198 slogan is “Get Barefoot and Bonnie Harvey. It is a brand whose emaker Jennifer Wall Have a Great Time!” Barefoot's win ds: Zinfandel, Shiraz, produces 17 unique varietals and blen White Zinfandel, on, vign Sau Merlot, Pinot noir, Cabernet Chardonnay, Riesling, c, blan on vign Sau Moscato, Pinot grigio, sparkling wine, Extra Dry Sweet Red, Brut Cuvee Chardonnay g wine, Moscato sparkling wine, Pinot grigio sparklin wine. g klin Spumante, and Pink Cuvee spar r bottles. Barefoot lilite -mil 187 In 2007, Barefoot launched United States and are wines are distributed throughout the ibbean and Asia. In May exported to Canada, Europe, the Car UK national grocery listings and new 2010 Barefoot Wine announced new strategic partnerships. and accolades including: Barefoot has received several awards TOP 5 Popular brands · Fastest growing wine amongst the nd of the Year” (2007) Bra ne · Market Watch Magazine “Wi e 2007, tion of Volleyball Professionals. Sinc Barefoot Wine sponsors the Associa efoot Bar the form to tion nda Surfrider Fou Barefoot Wine has partnered with the Wine Beach Rescue Project.
masks, when you can make your own homemade masks. Here are just a few masks you can make. Mask for oily skin: Get three teaspoons of banana, ½ teaspoon of honey, a few drops of lemon juice. Combine them into an even paste. Apply to face and neck avoiding eyes. Leave on for 20 minutes then wash off with cool water. The lemon helps to get rid of excess oil on the face, while the banana rehydrates the skin. Mask for dry skin: Get ½ of a very ripe, soft avocado (pear). Mash it and stir in ¼ cup of honey. Apply to the face and neck avoiding eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes then rinse face with a cool washcloth. Avocado is a superb alternative for making homemade face masks for dry skin, as it contains a lot of oils. Mask for acne-prone skin: In a blender, combine ½ cup of finely ground oatmeal, ½ of a ripe apple, a 2-inch slice of unpeeled cucumber and 2 tablespoons of skimmed milk. Consider slicing the apple and cucumber into tiny pieces for an easy blending process. Once at a uniform consistency, apply the concoction onto the face for approximately 20 minutes. Wash the mask off with warm water, followed by cold water to close your pores. This helps to reduce redness, oil and blackheads associated with acne. Mask to reduce the appearance of blemishes: Mix together 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice along with a pinch of turmeric. Apply to the face and neck avoiding the eyes. Wash away with cool water after 10 minutes. The citric acid in lemons attacks the pigments in your skin responsible for red or discolored blemishes, evening it out. Lemon juice will make blemishes less noticeable, but it can also lighten your skin tone and make you susceptible to sun damage, so always wear sunscreen when you go out.
Entertainment POLICE
E P STAG brand takes on social issues through multimedia campaign THE
Wine of the
Friday March 15, 2019
C
oncerns relating to domestic violence, lack of respect for women and fatal motor accidents due to drinking and driving, are issues ANSA McAL Trading Limited plans to take on. Through its Stag Beer brand, the company over the next three weeks will be focusing on these social issues. The multimedia campaign called '#LiveRight' will be done via print, radio, television and social media. As part of the company's corporate social responsibility, it's the vision that this will significantly help reduce instances of problematic behaviour in the society. Much international research suggests credible evidence to support the notion that general education can play a leading part in promoting beneficial behavioural change.
During the campaign stories of citizens who already 'LiveRight' in their respective communities simply by making a daily difference will be highlighted. The six commercials developed by the company are going to be aired on all sponsored radio and television programs during prime airtime, targeting the general population with effective messages. In addition, seven impactful messages were also captured on posters that will be disseminated via the company's Facebook and Instagram pages. ANSA McAL Trading Limited, like its parent company in Trinidad and Tobago, maintains the position that investing in initiatives like these can merely create a ripple effect transformation in our everchanging society.
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
PAGE 25
The mesmerizing history of Indian music and their accompanying instruments
T
WHATZ
he music of the Indian subcontinent is usually divided into two major traditions of classical music: Hindustani music of North India and Karnatak music of South India, although many regions of India also have their own musical traditions that are independent of these. Both Hindustani and Karnatak music use the system of ragas—sets of pitches and small motives for melody construction—and tala for rhythm. Ragas form a set of rules and patterns around which a musician can create his or her unique performance. Likewise, tala is a system of rhythmic structures based on the combination of stressed and unstressed beats. Within these rhythmic structures, musicians (1996.100.1) can create their own rhythmic patterns building off the compositional styles of others. One of the main differences between North Indian and South Indian music is the increased influence of Persian music and musical instruments in the north. From the late twelfth century through the rise of British occupation, North India was under the control of a Muslim minority that was never able to extend its sphere of influence
to South India. During this time, the music of North India began to acquire and adapt to the presence of Persian language, music, and musical instruments, such as the setar, from which the sitar got its name; the kamanche (1998.72) and santur, which became popular in Kashmir; and the rabab (alternately known as rebab and rubab), which preceded the sarod. New instruments were introduced, including the tabla and sitar (1999.399), which soon became the most famous Indian musical instruments worldwide. Legend has it that the tabla was formed by splitting a pakhavaj drum in half, with the larger side becoming the bayan and the smaller side the dahini. The barrel-shaped pakhavaj drum, which was the ancestor of both the tabla and the mrdangam, has been depicted in countless paintings and prints. New genres of music were formed as well, such as khyal and qawwali, that combine elements of both Hindu and Muslim musical practice. Hindustani classical music is known
HOTTT
this weekend!!! 704 Sports Bar to host the ultimate De-stresser weekend for the ladies
The legendary Destiny's Child famously said, “Ladies it ain't easy being independent.” And at 704, the management and staff understand just how hard the ladies work to take care of themselves hence the reason
this unique establishment is inviting all ladies to head on over to the 704 bar to indulge in their simply tantalizing Destresser cocktail. The first 30 will get this signature cocktail for free. See you there!!!
704 Sports Bar presents Build Your Bucket every Wednesday and Friday
It's Heineken Fridays at 704 Sports Bar
At the 704 Sports Bar, there will always be an opportunity to evolve your choices. And every Wednesday and Friday, party-goers will get a chance to build their bucket. This interesting concept allows you to pick any combination of six beers to Build Your Bucket (BYB) and get it at a special price. This offer is available from 5pm to 7pm! See you there.
Aura Bar and Lounge at Pegasus Hotel pres. club night Saturdays Every Saturday, the Management at Aura will be providing an ambiance filled with quality service, delicious food and great music. Every Saturday should be a party to remember and the Aura is determined to give you that experience. The Lounge will be open from 8pm. Music will be provided by Guyana's most popular DJs. For reservations, you can make contact with management on: 225-2853 or 600-6912.
If you are a die-hard fan of the Heineken brand then 704 Sports Bar is where you need to be this and every Friday. According to management, fans can get six Heinekens for just $2800 between 7pm and 9pm. Be sure to take advantage of this offer guys!
Escape the after work traffic today at Palm Court As the Great Caribbean Singer, Father Fox says, "Who does go to work on a Thursday or even a Friday?" Well, unfortunately, most of us do! But that shouldn't stop you from "ducking" every once in a while when the pressure seems too much and you desire to have a little fun. Every Friday, one of Guyana's number one entertainment spots, Palm Court will be offering a light celebration called "Escape the after work traffic. The event gets started from 4:00pm to 7:00pm so see you there.
largely for its instrumentalists, while Karnatak classical music is renowned for its virtuosic singing practices. Instruments most commonly used in Hindustani classical music are the sitar, sarod, tambura, sahnai, sarangi, and tabla; while instruments commonly used in Karnatak classical music include the vina, mrdangam, kanjira, and violin. The use of bamboo flutes, such as the murali, is common to both traditions as well as many other genres of Indian music. In fact, many of these instruments are often used in both North and South India, and there are many clear relationships between the instruments of both regions. Furthermore, often instruments that are slightly different in construction will be identified by the same name in both the south and the north, though they might be used differently. Throughout its history, the peoples of India have developed numerous systems for classifying musical instruments, many of which were based on morphological characteristics. The ancient Hindu system divided instruments into four categories: stretched (strings; 2008.141.2a,b), covered (drums; 89.4.165), hollow (wind; 1986.12), and solid (bells; 89.4.154). This system is widely known to be the inspiration for the Western system of instrument classification put forth by Mahillon in 1880, which renames these groups—chordophones, membranophones, aerophones, and idiophones—basing the distinction on the way in which sound is created and not exclusively on construction. (A note on spelling: All terms used for Indian musical instruments and musical concepts are common transliterations of the original terms. Subsequently, there are numerous possible methods of rendering the same term in English and inevitable discrepancies in spelling. The spellings adopted here are the ones used by The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2001) KANJIRA (KHANJARI) The kanjira is a frame drum of South India. It consists of a skin (usually iguana) stretched and pasted on a circular wooden frame. There are often three or four slots in the side of the frame, in which bell-metal jingle-disks are suspended from metal crossbars. The name kanjira is related to the khanjari and kanjani of North and East
India and Nepal. The kanjira is tuned to various pitches by wetting the skin. It is held at the bottom of the frame by the left hand, which also varies the tension of the skin, and is beaten with the fingers of the right hand. KAMANCHE The kamanche is one of the world's earliest known bowed instruments. It has been altered and changed as it has traveled to other parts of the world (1998.72). Some argue that the kamanche is the predecessor of many other stringed instruments such as the rabab, the sarangi, and the Chinese erhu. MRDANGAM The mrdangam is an elongated barrel-shaped drum found predominantly in South India (1986.467.18). It is derived from the pakhavaj and is used as the primary rhythmic accompaniment in Karnatak music as well as in religious Kirtan music. In the east (Bengal, Odisha), this barrel-shaped drum is known as the khol. MURALI The murali is a transverse flute made of bamboo. It is used in a variety of musical genres and is often associated with the Hindu deity Krishna. PAKHAVAJ The pakhavaj is a barrel-shaped drum with two heads, each of which contains tuning paste, or siyahi. The history of the pakhavaj is unknown, yet as the predecessor of both the Hindustani tabla drums and the mrdangam of Karnatak music, it served as the primary accompaniment for much of Indian classical music. It appears in the musical iconography of Hindu religious painting and in the artworks of the royal Muslim courts of the Mughal empire. RABAB The rabab is a stringed instrument with a skin-covered resonator that can be bowed or plucked depending on performance tradition. It is found in various forms throughout North Africa, the Near East, South Asia, and Central Asia. Similar to the way the setar and the vina were adapted to eventually become what is known today as the sitar, the rabab was adapted to become the sarod. However, there are many musicians in India today who still play the rabab, and it is quite popular in several music genres. SAHNAI (SHENAI) The sahnai is a double reed instrument of North India and Nepal. In South India, a double reed instrument called the nagasvaram is used. Both instruments have seven equidistant fingerholes and no thumbhole. Frequently, the instrument's flared open end is made of metal while its body is made of wood or bamboo; however, they are not exclusively made in this fashion. SARANGI A sarangi is a bowed stringed instrument with a skin-covered resonator (89.4.200). The typical sarangi is made by hand, usually from a single block of tun wood about 66 to 69 centimeters long (46.34.43). The three playing strings are made of goat gut, and the sympathetic strings (usually as many as thirty-six, though the number varies) of brass and/or steel. (To be continued next Friday)
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Friday March 15, 2019
Kaieteur News
148 communities complete Phase 2 of Amerindian Development Fund initiative One hundred and fortyeight hinterland communities have successfully completed Phase Two of the Community Development Plan (CDP) under the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Implemented over a three-year period, the project funded under the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) aims to strengthen the entrepre-
neurial and institutional capacities of the village economy of hinterland communities. It will further improve linkages with the private sector to develop value chains and strengthen institutional frameworks to support local economies. During Phase One of the Community Development Plan, 26 villages received disbursements to implement their respective CDPs. A total of $66M was
recorded from successful businesses implemented under the project. Women made up 55 per cent of the persons who participated in the CDP’s preparation of implementation plans. P h a s e Tw o s a w t h e implementation of projects such as farming, aquaculture, poultry and village shops, cattle rearing, mining, transportation and tourism among others. It was noted by ADF t e a m l e a d e r, M i l d r e d
Akpan, that 161 communities were estimated to complete Phase Two. The achievement was announced by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, on T h u r s d a y, d u r i n g t h e project’s closing workshop held at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s conference room. The minister expressed gratitude to the various agencies for successfully monitoring the project noting that its success guarantees the Coalition Government’s commitment of the ‘Good Life’ for all. “Our Indigenous people must benefit from these projects… The benefits must
be seen and felt by the Indigenous people,” she said. She encouraged stakeholders to request assistance from the ministry whenever it is needed. Describing the Indigenous people as the keepers of the forest, the Minister said communication is the key between the relevant agencies and beneficiaries to continue this project. Persons in leadership roles were exposed to training in terminologies and concepts, financial accountability and management, marketing and work plan preparation to assist in the management of their community business. A total of 1,244 persons benefitted from this training. Meantime, for UNDP Resident Representative, Roberto
Galvez, the conclusion of Phase Two was a bittersweet moment; however, he stressed the opportunity for continued support. “All of these communities that are very far away from services, and other benefits in the country are being reached by all of these project activities. In that sense, I am very glad that is not only to comply with all needs but the promises that the Government of Guyana has committed itself,” he said. He commended the government for aligning this initiative with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which not only reinforces inclusion for all but the creation of 194 jobs and 387 part-time jobs.
Lawyers argue that Court... From page 13 submitted that Chief Justice Roxane George erred in ruling that the No-Confidence Motion, upon a division of 33-32 members of the National Assembly, was validly passed on December 21, 2018. Amplifying arguments that were already raised at the High Court, Queen’s Counsel Alexis insisted that there was a miscalculation of votes, and that in order for the motion to be passed an “absolute majority” of all elected members was required. According to him, in calculating the “absolute majority”, the 65 members of the National Assembly had to be divided by two, which would result in 32.5, a fraction which
one has to be added to, bringing the total to 33.5, which now has to be rounded to the higher number, giving 34. QC Alexis submitted, “But you can only round up if a fraction is the result. A fraction comes into the exercise. You cannot get away from that. A fraction is rounded up, not down, left alone. That’s why the fraction was rounded up in the case of Hughes v Rogers.” He argued that the Chief Justice failed to apply this rule when arriving at a majority, since, in her judgment, she explained that it was not required, given that it was an odd number House. The longstanding jurist also argued that passing a No-
Confidence Motion is not on the same level as passing an ordinary Act, which would require a simple majority, that is, a majority of all elected members present and voting on a particular exercise. However, the Chancellor reminded counsel that the Chief Justice ruled that the “plus one factor” is only applicable when there is an even number House. But counsel insisted that Justice George was erroneous in making such a ruling. Towards the end of yesterday’s hearing, the Chancellor announced that notices will be sent out about the date for a decision in the appeal filed by the Government.
Friday March 15, 2019
Kaieteur News
Rehabilitation for dilapidated Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings in design phase For years, the Georgetown and Vreed-enHoop Stellings have been in a deplorable state, and have become occupational hazards for vendors and shoppers. However, Jermaine Braithwaite, Senior Engineer at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, informed Kaieteur News that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has contracted Mott McDonald, a consultancy group from the United Kingdom, to conduct a feasibility study and designs for the rehabilitative works, which include the Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings. The consultancy is being funded under a grant scheme
by the United Kingdom government, through the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF). According to Braithwaite, the consultant’s contract began on October of 2018, and the design and feasibility studies should be completed by November 2019. The consultant’s work includes an environmental, social impact assessment, a climate vulnerability study, and a gender study. Mott McDonald is currently undertaking stakeholder consultations with affected parties, including the Transport & Harbour Department, the Demerara Speedboat Asso-
ciation, beneficiaries of the sea defenses, and the users of the Vreed-en-Hoop and Stabroek Markets. Braithwaite said that the consultant is going to advance consultations, in the future, with users of the Georgetown seawall front, and market users. In a few months, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will receive a draft design for the stellings. The wharves provide a dock for speedboats traversing from Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop, and back, transporting commuters who prefer to take the shorter route across the Demerara River.
Keep shady deals with China at... From page 20 container tax. He said that a very critical consideration should be to not give away the land near the road. “The company building the road sometimes asks for land and they lock away those pieces of land for their own purposes. We should have priority access to the roadside land and we would then decide how developmental work will take place along the road.” He said too that Guyana should ensure local labour is used “because when they do projects as you saw in the Marriott, they bring their own labour. It is the same thing they will do if they build a deep water harbour or a road.”
Singh said that Guyana should also make sure that it does not take on the burden to find money for the entire road, “ask Brazil to fund part and in that way, you diversify the risk.” Singh spoke about how China will benefit outside of the loan agreement and how Brazil will benefit as well, (see in follow up publication.) He said, “So there can be an agreement where we all can benefit.” The finance expert said, “You cannot run away from China, they have a lot of cash. So you cannot say okay they are bad and we do not want to work with them.” He said that the politicians just need to tap into the resources in the Diasporas so
as to get the skills needed from Guyanese to negotiate. “You have a ton of people working at the executive level in the USA and Canada doing multimillion dollar negotiations every day, we need to tap into those people. It should be a local Diaspora technical assistance, get the IDB to join the team but it is about constructing the team then framing broad principles for agreement. “We need to sit down with them and negotiate with awareness. We do not need a PNC team nor PPP team but the best possible men like how Burnham had Sir Shridath Ramphal, Fred Wills and all the best guys negotiating for him in the 70's.”
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Surveillance department to help CARPHA monitor quality of drugs entering Region
It is the right of all Caribbean people to have access to healthcare services, including essential quality medicines and pharmaceutical products they can trust. Poor quality and falsified medicines if left unchecked can reverse progress that the Region has made in its fight against diseases. This notion was amplified as the Caribbean Public Health Agency [CARPHA] moved to introduce its Medicines Quality Control and Surveillance Department [MQCSD], which will be based in Jamaica. The announcement came during a recently concluded Post Market Surveillance [PMS] and the Caribbean Pharmaceutical Policy meeting in Jamaica. Delivering remarks there was Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Tufton who said, “We live in a world where medicines are being developed and consumed at an increasingly higher rate; and there are increased findings of substandard and falsified medicines reported to global monitoring systems.” He, moreover, added, “We cannot have that proliferated in the Caribbean. Manufacturers are seizing the opportunity to import and flood markets in countries where medicines are of short supply or where the regulatory systems for medicines are weak. Thanks to CARPHA’s MQCSD and its efforts to implement a proactive, risk-based, planned sampling programme for the post market surveillance of medicines, we are in a position to guard against this.” He went on to say that
“The importance of the CARPHA MQCSD, as the only accredited medicines quality control laboratory in the English-speaking Caribbean, cannot be over stated. It is to the MQCSD that we now look to implement a Post Marketing Surveillance [PMS] strategy, that is, among other things, to provide test results that confirm the good quality of medicines or otherwise identify problems with them; and provide test results that give the opportunity for national medicines regulatory authorities to evaluate and make decisions on the actual quality of products used in country.” Other speakers at the opening ceremony were Dr. Virginia Asin-Oostburg, Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, CARPHA; Mrs. Jesse SchuttAine, Sub-regional Program Coordinator, Caribbean, PAHO/ WHO; and Dr. Rudolph Cummings, Programme Manager, Health Sector Development, CARICOM Secretariat. In her welcome and opening remarks, Dr. Virginia AsinOostburg, Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control stated, “This is the first meeting CARPHA is hosting with key regional partners of the PMS programme that is organised by CARPHA’s MQCSD... We consider this meeting, a milestone in repositioning what used to be the Drug Testing Laboratory and rebranding the laboratory as the Medicine Quality Control and Surveillance Department that also offers a surveillance
Officials at the recent Post Market Surveillance meeting. programme to our Member States to actively monitor the safety of registered drugs.” According to Asin-Osstburg, PMS is a programme developed by MQCSD that will further shape and form in collaboration with partners and colleagues from Member States. The CARPHA MQCSD as the only ISO/IEC 17025 accredited medicines quality control laboratory in the English-speaking Caribbean has been viewed has particularly important. The department has embarked on a post market surveillance programme for medicines, which seeks to monitor the quality of selected medicines circulating in the pharmaceutical markets of participating CARPHA Member States. This will ensure that Member States
have access to information, which can be utilized to develop evidence-based approaches such as issuing of alerts, implementing risk re-
duction strategies and overall management of national public health risks. Given the limited resources and other challenges
facing small island developing states such as CARICOM countries, the responsibilities related to regulatory systems (Continued on page 32)
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Green Fiscal Policies pivotal in implementing GSDS
SERVICES
FOR SALE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
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Pure breed german shepherd puppies, 7 weeks old, fully vaccinated and dewormed. Contact No# 619-9203 1-45 Leyland Daf truck without engine & gearbox $800,000, 1-60 Kva generator (English made) with Perkins engine $2M Contact#6500402/603-1402
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Jay’s Welding Est specialized in: Grills, Gates, Rails, Fencing, Razor wire, Repairs etc. Tel#698-0501
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Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 PROPERTY FOR SALE House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc. Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909 Property for sale, located on 18th Street on the 8th Cross St Diamond. Contact# 6805944/656-4211
1 ready to work 6x6 Bedford TM, comes with extra engine and gearbox, price $4.5 Million. Contact# 684-1201 Parfaite ten year up 2.2M 1.9M Province 6M Farm 3.5M Parfaite front 6M Tuschen 1.5M Call 666-2326 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/6912561 TO LET
Norton street $16M, Atlantic Ville $17M, Roxanne Burnham $18.5M, Diamond $14M, Stewartville, Campbellville $40M, Durban. 231-2199, 618-7483 HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924 LAND FOR SALE Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109
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Live in or Live out, Domestic worker. Call from MondaySaturday between 8:154:15pm #223-7500 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665/6493750 Wanted land to buy: Parfaite Harmonie, Herstelling, Providence, Tuschen, Eccles, Farm, Zeelugt, Uitvlugt, best price pay. Call: 666-2326 VACANCY Accounts clerk. Apply in person at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street, Bourda One waitress & cook needed. Apply in person at the coffee bean 133 Church Street #2332222 Experienced salesgirls with 2 yrs experience. CXC maths & english. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529 Chef & assistant cook preferably Carnegie trained. #225-7933 or visit 172 Sheriff Street
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- will facilitate reduction of ecological footprint The implementation of Green Fiscal Policies plays a pivotal role in the implementation of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), Vision 2040. This is according to the United Nations Environment Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Dr. Joy Kim. Speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI) after a recently concluded workshop on the role of green fiscal policies on Wednesday, Dr. Kim explained that this will facilitate the reduction of the “ecological footprint” by utilising natural resources efficiently. The Senior Economic Affairs Officer said, “through the reforming of fiscal policies, it can actually improve the efficiency of public spending and help motivate behavioural shifts among producers and consumers while we use our natural resources smartly and reduce environmental externalities.” One such way to reduce environmental externalities is through the introduction of a carbon tax which will see consumers and producers paying for their carbon emissions. “ Yo u ’ r e c o n s u m i n g fossil fuels for example… You become the polluter to the extent that you are emitting carbon dioxide, so the whole idea behind
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carbon pricing is that you attach a price on carbon at a certain level in the production chain,” Manager of the Green Fiscal Policy Network Dr. Ta t i a n a F a l c a o s i m p l i fied. The technical works h o p h e l d , o n We d n e s day, at the Cara Lodge Hotel saw representatives from various ministries engaged in sessions which dealt with the role green fiscal policies play, how they can be implemented and their impacts. During the evening, the UN Environment representatives facilitated a green conversation at the Pegasus Hotel Guyana where they engaged a wider crosssection of stakeholders on green fiscal policies. The GSDS is a 20-year strategy which aims at improving the lives of all Guyanese. While it was built on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which focused primarily on the protection of the forest, the key objectives of the GSDS include managing the natural resources wealth, supporting economic resilience, green inclusiveness and economic diversification. Caption: Manager of the Green Fiscal Policy N e t w o r k D r. Ta t i a n a Falcao (at left) and United Nations Environment Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Dr. Joy Kim (green policy) VACANCY Surveyor Technician. Must know to use GPS. Contact 2235273/74
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Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call 5024002/683-8765
Friday March 15, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Kato Secondary to be officially commissioned today
Three hundred students benefitting from the newly refurbished Kato Secondary School in Potaro-Siparuni, (Region 8) are settling in well since its September 2018 opening. This is according to the Regional Education Officer, Penelope Mackintosh. Mackintosh, speaking exclusively to the Department of Public Information (DPI), said the school houses students from Grades 7 to 9. Before the school’s opening, students had to travel to Mahdia, Paramakatoi or Sand Creek to attend school, Mackintosh explained. “The children are quite comfortable. Presently, they are housing 295 of them, and they have everything,” she noted.
According to the REDO, the students and teachers receive tremendous help from the Regional Democratic Council and the Toshao of Kato, Clifton Perreira. Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, who visited the school a few days ago, said that he was pleased with the condition of the school and the fact that the students can occupy the building. The $1Billion school was constructed under the previous administration in early 2015. It was once deemed a white elephant by many, depriving young people in the village of education, as it was never commissioned since a number of structural defects had to be remedied. The
APNU+AFC Administration saw the need to have the school functioning and invested over $100M to have it at an operational standard for students and teachers. Minister Norton said “I want to give credit where credit is due, to all those who did what was necessary to bring this building to this standard it is at this point in time. It certainly has come a far way from where walking on the concrete destroyed it… It is at a stage now where students are benefitting from it academically, and I am happy about that”. Toshao Perreira also expressed his gratitude in having the school finally opened. He encouraged the students to take full advantage of the
opportunity to have an education. The school is slated to be officially commissioned on March 15 by Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry.
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Surveillance department to help... From page 29 are difficult to carry out single-handedly or individually. As such, in collaboration with other partners such as PAHO/WHO, CARPHA MQCSD will function as a critical part of a robust mechanism for regulating medicines in CARICOM. Mrs. Jesse Schutt-Aine, Sub-regional Program Coordinator, Caribbean, PAHO/ WHO noted that “PAHO is happy to be working with CARICOM and CARPHA and Member States on this initiative” since strong regulatory systems are the foundation for strong health systems. “A strong health system is what’s needed for universal health, and universal health is essential for the attainment of the sustainable development goals. PAHO has been working on these issues for many years supporting the development of the Caribbean Pharmaceutical Policy, as well as a roadmap for a regional regulatory platform. More recently, PAHO has been working closely with CARICOM and CARPHA and Member States to advance the Caribbean Regulatory Systems – the regional regulatory system that is managed by
CARPHA. Ms. Schutt-Aine acknowledged “CARPHA as a regional public health platform that is transforming its drug testing laboratory into something that can enhance post market surveillance in the Region through risk based sampling of products in Caribbean markets.” The introduction of the new surveillance programme will allow CARPHA MQCSD laboratory to monitor medicines such as those used for the control of non-communicable diseases and other medicines. This programme is aligned with CARICOM’s strategy of advancing initiatives for health and wellness by ensuring access to safe, reliable medicines thereby improving the quality of life of the Region. The Caribbean region will have access to information to undertake evidence-based approaches to enable warning, risk reduction and management of national public health risks. At the meeting, Dr. Rudolph Cummings, Programme Manager, Health Sector Development, CARICOM Secretariat said, “The Medicines Quality Control and Surveillance Depart-
ment needs to be complimented for the tremendous work that it has done to prepare for this meeting and in positioning itself to support the efforts require for a successful regional pharmacovigilance programme.” Access to healthcare and essential quality medicines and pharmaceutical products is critical for the Caribbean population’s well-being and optimal health. Through dossier evaluation and pre-marketing quality control of generic medicines for the purpose of registration, some countries are ensuring that quality medicines are on the market. The recent two-day meeting moreover sought to sensitize CARICOM’s Technical Advisory Committee on Pharmaceutical Policy [TECHPHARM] and Caribbean Regulatory Systems [CRS] focal points on MQCSD’s PMS with a view to strengthen regional integration and partnerships for sustainable development of the programme. The meeting was also aimed at reaffirming the role of TECHPHARM in regional PMS and as a Technical Advisory Committee [TAC] to MQCSD.
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USA eye historic result in first ever T20I... From page 36 desert heat after coming out of the winter. Former New South Wales fast bowler Burt Cockley, who now lives in Kansas, has been working with the USA squad to lay out a strength-and-conditioning program to improve their fitness through the winter leading up to this tour, something Netravalkar says will be a key factor in their ability to hit the ground running. The biggest addition to the USA squad is the recall of former West Indies Test batsman Xavier Marshall, who debuted for his adopted home in January 2018 but was left out of USA’s last three tournament squads to round out 2018. But he has been given a lifeline to re-enter the squad and is expected to
come charging hard at the top of the order after top-scoring in an intra-squad trial match last month during a warm-up tour in Antigua. “The caliber of the player, you have no second thoughts,” Netravalkar said of Marshall. “He has played Test cricket, and his quality is right up there. But the passion that we saw in him in Antigua, the intensity that he put in his training sessions every day, it’s not just in Antigua. “The intensity and passion that he’s shown to be in the unit and the efforts in practice and performances of course, we believe in him. We are really looking forward to seeing something special from him.” While the squad is excited at the opportunity to all become a part of history as
USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake gets things in motion during training. Peter Della Penna the first eleven players to play a T20I for the USA, Netravalkar says he is trying to make sure they are mindful not to get overwhelmed thinking about it instead of
Friday March 15, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Love and romance are apt to be among your top priorities today, Aries. Someone from far away might have captured your heart. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A member of your household who's recovering from an illness could express appreciation for all your help, Taurus. This might come as a surprise because serving your friends is second nature to you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A phone call could come from a friend bringing great news your way today. This could involve the success of a project of some kind that you've both been involved with. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today you could surprise a close friend or lover with a gift. There may be no special occasion.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The desire to write your thoughts on a subject you've been either thinking about or possibly even researching could arise today, Gemini.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A place far away that you haven't visited for a while yet long to see again could be on your mind today. You might toy with the idea of going there, but you aren't really sure if you can.
CANCER(June21–July22) Your artistic talents could be put to good use today fixing up wherever it is that you work on, Cancer. You might want to repaint, put up new plants or pictures, or do anything elsethat makes you happy.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You should feel especially loving now, especially toward that special someone. You might want to schedule an intimate evening, perhaps at a favorite restaurant.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The visual arts should be of special interest to you today, Leo. Perhaps an exhibition by a favorite artist is opening, or maybe you've decided to try drawing or painting. A friend or lover could join you in such activities.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Organized parties, impromptu get-togethers, or other social events should . You will feel a strong sense of belonging to a family or community and a rush of affection for everyone involved.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your imagination is flying high today. Whatever challenges come up, you will find ingenious solutions to them. Love matters and the creative arts could come to the forefront.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The aura today is calm and peaceful, stress is at a minimum. You're likely to be getting along very well with your group, even the more difficult among them.
the opponent in front of them. “It’s a great honor and really looking forward to the opportunity,” Netravalkar said. “We flew in just yesterday. It looks like a great atmosphere for cricket, great facilities. “We are really excited, but we want to take it as just another game where we want to go out there and give it our best. We want to focus on the simple things, our preparation and, hopefully, we put up a special performance for people who are watching.”
Guyanese Damani... From page 39 National Championships which will be contested from March 21 – 23, next where athletes from over 80 Schools would be in attendance. He qualified for the U-17 3000m, 1500m, 800m, 400m, U15 Discus and Javelin, but would only be doing the four maximum events in his age group which are the 1500m, 800m, Javelin and Discus.
Shomari Wilshire on... From page 41 Seelall 11/6, 11/3; Dhiren Persaud defeated Angel Rahim 11/7, 11/5. Category F: Christiana Fernandes defeated Mailia Maikoo 11/2, 11/4; Matthew Spooner defeated Safirah Summer 11/6, 15/13; Grant Fernandes defeated Noah Rahaman 11/5, 11/8. Category G: Romero Muniram defeated Abhinav Singh 11/3, 11/7; William Escarraga defeated Brenno DaSilva 11/6, 11/2. Category H: Tianna Gomes defeated Eli Goveia 11/ 0, 11/3; Mathew Daby defeated Jnae Singh 11/3. 11/5; Solomon Ince-Carvalhal defeated Nicholas Sawh 11/3, 11/1; Shriya Persaud defeated Nicholas Sawh 11/2, 11/2.
Xavier Marshall sports his dyed hair at a USA training session. Peter Della Penna
Wins for Bacchus... From page 39 Rebels batted first and were sent packing for 48 which included 20 extras. Bowling for Affiance SC, Devendra Narine picked up 3-1 while Badesh Parsotam had 2-10. Affiance SC galloped to 53-2 in 3.3 overs in reply. Devendra Sookdeo made 22 not out. The competition continues on Sunday. Reliance Hustlers will play Queenstown SC and Ramkissoon XI will take on Cotton Field Strikers at Reliance. At Imam Bacchus ground, Bacchus Bulls will battle Reliance Sports Club while Affiance Sports Club will host Ravens. Rebels drew the bye.
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NBA roundup: Warriors end Rockets’ 9-game win streak DeMarcus Cousins served as a facilitator before thriving as a battering ram, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 106-104 victory over the host Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Cousins posted seasonhighs in points (27) and assists (seven) to help the Warriors avert a four-game, season-series sweep by the Rockets. The Warriors, 4-6 over their previous 10 games, snapped the Rockets’ season-best, nine-game winning streak by striking an effective inside-out balance. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 54 points on 20-of-43 shooting, with Thompson tallying 30 and five 3-pointers. James Harden paired 29 points with 10 assists but continued his recent struggles from deep, missing 10 of 12 3-point attempts. Clint Capela posted 13 points and 13 rebounds but struggled to defend Cousins on the block. Eric Gordon added 17 points for the Rockets. Thunder 108, Nets 96 Paul George and Russell Westbrook combined for 56 points as Oklahoma City beat visiting Brooklyn after trailing
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) attempts to steal the ball from Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports by as much as 17 early in the second quarter and 10 early in the second half. It was the second time this season the Thunder came from a double-digit deficit in the second half to beat the Nets and the 14th game this
season that Oklahoma City won after trailing by at least 10. Westbrook finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his first tripledouble since Feb. 28. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 25 points.
Wizards 100, Magic 90 Bradley Beal scored 23 points, Thomas Bryant added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Washington defeated visiting Orlando. Jabari Parker added 19 points and nine rebounds for Washington, which is 2-0
on a crucial five-game homestand. Wizards reserves, led by Bryant, Parker and Chasson Randle (13 points), scored 59 points. Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 20 points and 14 rebounds. D.J. Augustin scored 16 points, and Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac had 13 each for the Magic, who have lost four of five. Heat 108, Pistons 74 Justise Winslow led a balanced attack with 16 points, and host Miami scored the first 21 points of the second half to roll past Detroit. The Heat outscored the Pistons 33-8 in the third quarter. It was Detroit’s lowest-scoring quarter since Nov. 21, 2012, when the Pistons had an eight-point quarter against Orlando. Dion Waiters had 14 points, Hassan Whiteside and Josh Richardson scored 13 apiece, and Dwyane Wade tossed in 11 points off the bench for Miami. Blake Griffin led Detroit with 13 points. Former Heat guard Wayne Ellington added 11 points. Jazz 114, Suns 97 Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points to help Utah beat host Phoenix. The Jazz have
defeated the Suns by an average of 23 points while winning each of the past five meetings. Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 20 rebounds for the Jazz, who outscored Phoenix 36-22 during the fourth quarter. Derrick Favors added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Devin Booker scored 27 points for the Suns, who lost for just the third time in eight games. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points. Hawks 132, Grizzlies 111 - Atlanta continued its hot play on offense, with John Collins, Trae Young and Alex Len combining for 69 points in a win over visiting Memphis. The Hawks entered the game as the NBA’s top offensive team since the AllStar Game, averaging 122.5 points. Collins finished with 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds for his 28th double-double of the season. Young scored 22 points and had eight rebounds. Len came off the bench to add 20 points and eight rebounds. CJ Miles sank eight 3-pointers and scored 33 points for the Grizzlies. Mike Conley added 20 points and seven assists.
Exclusive: La Liga slams ‘catastrophic’ UEFA proposals, welcomes FIFA Club World Cup plans Barcelona (Reuters) UEFA proposals to change part of the Champions League format would be “catastrophic” for soccer but FIFA plans to overhaul the Club World Cup will be a boon for the sport, La Liga President Javier Tebas told Reuters yesterday. Te b a s l a s h e d o u t a t changes he said Europe’s governing body is considering making to the Champions League, saying they would damage domestic competitions. Accusing UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) of plotting in secret, Te b a s s a i d t h e b o d y wanted to play European games on weekends rather than in mid-week and expand the group stage to have four groups of eight teams, rather than the current format of eight groups of four sides. “UEFA and the ECA are negotiating behind closed doors so that the others don’t know about the reforms which put national leagues in danger,” said in an exclusive interview. “They are making reforms to the Champions League
La Liga President Javier Tebas.@DIARIO AS which are very dangerous for football. It’s a model which is very damaging for national leagues and also for them, as they don’t understand business.” U E FA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tebas earlier this year made headlines for
attempting to switch a La Liga game between Barcelona and Girona to Miami, a move which was opposed by FIFA. While he remains committed to taking domestic league games abroad to widen La Liga’s global appeal, Tebas said his priority was stopping UEFA’s proposed
changes. “CATASTROPHIC REFORMS” “Playing a game in Miami is much less important to La Liga than the catastrophic reforms of UEFA and the ECA,” he s a i d . “ F I FA h a s b e e n transparent in the last few weeks and changed its position so we support them (in their Club World Cup plans), meanwhile UEFA and ECA are doing the opposite and we are very worried about that and don’t support them.” FIFA’s ruling council meets today in Miami to discuss and vote on President Gianni Infantino’s plans for the revamped Club World Cup, which would take place in 2021, replacing the Confederations Cup. The new-look competition would see 24 teams taking part instead of the current, annual tournament between six continental champions and an invited team, which has been dominated by the winners of the Champions League since 2013. Tebas initially opposed
I n f a n t i n o ’s p l a n f o r a n annual, expanded Club Wo r l d C u p , c a l l i n g i t “irresponsible” last year. But he said the Spanish league and other major European leagues have radically shifted their position on it. “In the last year FIFA has made some changes and we are on the path to a g o o d C l u b Wo r l d C u p which fits well into the calendar and can be supported by national leagues,” Tebas said. “It still needs to be polished but they are discussing distributing the money more evenly to smaller leagues and that’s very important. FIFA have also been more transparent about it. “They’ve also committed to playing it every four years which affects national leagues a lot less.” The proposed shake up to the tournament has been rejected by U E FA President Aleksander Ceferin and the ECA Chief Andrea Agnelli, who is also the Chairman of Juventus. The FIFA council in
Miami will also explore the possibility of expanding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48 teams, which could see the number of host countries also increase. The tournament will take place between November and December rather than the traditional slot of June and July due t o Q a t a r ’s s c o r c h i n g summer temperatures, which is set to disrupt domestic leagues across Europe and around the world. “We always opposed the change of the dates and now La Liga is preparing ourselves for the break in the season,” Tebas said. “We also must decide what we do with all the players that are not going to the World Cup, of which there are many, not just in Spain but around the world and w h o d idn’t figure in decisions like this. “We’ll have to wait and see what FIFA decides but in principle, we at the Spanish league are not in favor of increasing the number of teams at the Qatar World Cup or any World Cup.”
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Windies success not solely down to Cameron, argues Skerritt Bridgetown, Barbados, Mar 13, CMC – Cricket West Indies presidential candidate, Ricky Skerritt, has debunked the idea that West Indies’ recent success against England can be credited solely to President Dave Cameron’s leadership. One of the successes attributed to Cameron during his six years in office has been the men and women’s senior teams’ capture of the Twenty20 World Cups three years ago, and the Youth Windies’ title at the ICC Under-19 World Cup that very same year. And more recently, West Indies stunned touring England in the three-Test series last month to regain the Wisden Trophy for the first time in a decade. However, Skerritt argued that Cameron needed not only to own the successes but the Windies failures as well, pointing out that the Windies were losing more in all formats under the Jamaican’s tenure. “The question about performance of the team is a grossly exaggerating topic and I don’t even like to talk about it because the mistake Mr Cameron has made, especially recently, is to try to associate himself with the success of the team but then distance himself from the failures,” Skerritt contended. “I know better than to associate any one man with the success or failure of a team but he does it when they win. I would suggest to Cameron that he not claim victory in team performance as one of his strengths.
Ricky Skerritt “The team performance is a work in progress and has to continue with a tremendous amount of input, and we have to be better at preparing our young talent and building our young talent to a level of competitiveness on a sustainable basis and that is where we have to invest our resources more.” Skerritt, who along with running mate Dr Kishore Shallow was hosted by UWI Cave Hill Campus after being initially snubbed by the Barbados Cricket Association, said he was also concerned that CWI had now become a “Cameron-centric” body. He charged that under Cameron, CWI was now more about the aspirations of its president than fulfilling the mandate of cricket development. “Sadly it has been my experience that CWI is fast becoming more of a Cameroncentric organisation … and less of a cricket-centric organisation,” the former St Kitts and Nevis Cabinet minister told the audience. “It’s no disrespect to
Cameron himself; I simply am speaking the truth. In short, it means the needs and fancies of Cameron himself have become bigger and more important than our cricket. “Various indicators have shown me that the politics of Cameron’s survival in this office matter more to him in this time than the well-being of our cricketers.” He added: “The performance of the elite teams only matter when they win, and the answer to losing a series is to fire the coaches no matter what the financial or other implications.” Skerritt and Shallow are campaigning ahead of the March 24 CWI elections in Jamaica, which will see them up against Cameron and current vice-president, Emmanuel Nanthan. The challengers have gained the backing of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and the Leeward Islands Cricket Association but need a majority of the twelve votes are up for grabs – two each from the six territorial boards – in order to topple Cameron.
USA eye historic result in first ever T20I ESPNcricinfo - Today, USA will become the 28th country to play a men’s T20I when they take on UAE at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Coming from a place where T20 has been touted as the only possible gateway to crack the broader domestic sports market, the build-up has been low-key for what on paper is a historic occasion. But that hasn’t kept USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake and his players from appreciating the significance of the new frontier ahead of them. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo on the eve of USA’s first T20I outing, Dassanayake is hoping the two-match series will provide the opportunity to lay solid
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Kaieteur News
groundwork for a successful T20 World Cup Qualifying campaign later in the year as well as a lead-in to their attempt at securing ODI status at WCL Division Two in Namibia next month. “Of course, it’s the first T20 International USA is playing, so we want to win, so winning is important,” Dassanayake said. “But having said that, at the end of this year there’s a big tournament coming up, the T20 global qualifier and regional qualifiers. So we want to see what is our best combination and best players for that version. We’re going to try a few combinations tomorrow (today) and the day after and see what’s best for us. “When we are talking about T20 into the 50-overs,
we want to improve our death bowling, we want to improve our power-hitting ability. So all of these training tours, today, tomorrow and even the T20 games going into 50overs, we’ve got to cover a few things for us to shape up in the 50 overs as well.” USA’s biggest obstacle might have less to do with the opponents on the field and more to do with the effects of jet-lag. The squad had staggered arrivals over the course of the previous day, while Roy Silva missed the team’s lone training session altogether after his flight didn’t come in late yesterday morning. However, captain Saurabh Netravalkar was upbeat about how the team has acclimatised to the 32-degree (Continued on page 34)
Jumbo Jet Triple Crown’s Second Leg
‘Vera’s Finally’ returns after injury The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee’s Triple Crown’s Second Leg will gallop off next Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Port Mourant, Berbice and according to Chairman of the Organising Committee, Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr., Vera’s Finally of the Jumbo Jet Racing Stable, is set to make her return to the turf for this leg. “The animal had been recuperating since her injury at Port Mourant Turf Club last December and she will be returning with her first start of the year at the Rising Sun Turf Club where she has never lost a race”, Mohamed noted in his correspondence to Kaieteur Sport. Almost 70 entries have been registered and it was shared by Mohamed Jr. that the track is in good condition and it will maintain
its standard once good weather upholds. He hinted that, “Turfites can expect to be fully entertained with a few surprise entries in the feature race.” Over $20million in cash and prizes are up grabs over the three legs of the Triple Crown event with the grand finale slated for Easter Sunday, April 21, at the Port Mourant Turf Club. Next Sunday’s feature race will attract a total prize purse of almost $2million with the winner of that ‘C’ Class and Lower contest pocketing $1million. The winner of the three-year-old Guyana bred race will pocket $400,000, the ‘F’ Class winner; $350,000, ‘H’ Class; $300,000, ‘I’ Class; $250,000, ‘J’ class; $230,000, ‘K’ Class; $220,000, ‘L’ Class; $200,000, ‘L’Class and lower; $140,000.
Vera’s Finally in action at the Port Mourant Turf Club last year.
Lewis Hamilton and F1 drivers pay tribute following race director’s death
Whiting (bottom left) had been involved in Formula 1 across five decades. BBCsport - Lewis Hamilton has described Charlie Whiting as an “iconic figure” in Formula 1 following the race director’s sudden death at the age of 66. Whiting, one of the most influential people in the sport, suffered a pulmonary embolism on Thursday morning in Melbourne. He was due to officiate this weekend’s season-opening Australian GP. “What he did for the sport, his commitment, he really was a pillar,” five-time world champion Hamilton said. “I’ve known Charlie since I started in 2007. Obviously, I’m incredibly shocked this morning to hear the sad news. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family. “He was such an iconic figure within the sporting world, and he contributed so much to us. May he rest in peace.” Whiting was head of Formula 1 for motorsport’s governing body the FIA, the official race starter and he oversaw all rules matters in F1. The Englishman had worked for the FIA since 1988 having initially joined as technical director. He was previously chief mechanic and then chief engineer of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team, which won world
championships in 1981 and 1983. Whiting began his F1 career with the Hesketh team in 1977, moving to Brabham for 1978 and staying there until he joined the FIA, where he had been a central part of the organisation’s running of F1 ever since. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel said he had spoken to Whiting at the track on Wednesday and described him as “the drivers’ man”. “I walked the track for the first couple of corners with him,” Vettel said. “It is difficult to grasp when someone is just not there anymore. “He has been our man, the drivers’ man. There’s the regulation and then us, and he was the middle man. Any time his door was always open. He was a racer, just a very nice guy.” British driver Jenson Button, who won the world championship in 2009, said “we’ve lost such a lovely kind human being today who will be sadly missed”. “He always had the drivers safety and concerns in hand and didn’t worry about putting us in our place when we acted out of line,” he added. “My heart goes out to his family at this very difficult time.”
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Golden Jaguars 18-man squad for Suriname match tomorrow - leaves today The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has released the names of an 18-man squad that will travel to the Dutch speaking nation of Suriname for a match against that nation’s senior team tomorrow ahead of next Saturday’s all important Concacaf Nation’s League Qualifier against Belize at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara. The squad, while predominantly Guyanabased, includes two International-based players – Sheldon Holder and Walter Moore who arrived in Guyana on Monday last. It includes two Goalkeepers, six Defenders, six Midfielders and four Forwards. Guyana-based Assistant Coach Charles Pollard speaks to the criteria used to inform selection of the 18 shortlisted players: “Selection was down to hard work. Over the eight weeks, the players have demonstrated dedication, willpower and good attitude towards the programme. Fitness was one of the key areas considered; they rose from an amateur
Getting Ready For Combat! The Golden Jaguars during their Tuesday last training session at the GFF Training Facility, Providence. level to an almost professional level in this regard. Tactical awareness was also another element considered, which is one of the areas there is still some work to be done in, but the players have been showing great improvement towards the playing philosophy.” Tomorrow’s match, scheduled for the Pierkhan
Stadium, Nickerie, Suriname from 16:30hrs or 15:30hrs (local time), will see the team playing a stronger opponent following previous training matches with Regional Member Associations teams and one from an Elite club. Pollard said while the result is not the key focus, “an overall good performance will be required.” Heading the Technical
Annual RHAC Invitational – Taking Aim! The Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre prepares for their annual Invitational Swim Meet drawing regional swim clubs to St Lucia. On Tuesday last, the organisers and sponsors gathered to launch the coming of this festive swimming tradition. This year the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre celebrates its 20th year of hosting this Invitational Swim Meet, which will be held from April 11 – 15, with Monday April 15 being an Open Water event. This SLAF sanctioned meet operates under the theme “Friendship through Competition” bringing swimmers to our shores from Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, St Vincent and Trinidad annually providing an avenue to develop skills and forge friendships across the seas. After 20 years, this year will be a sure cause for celebration. With the growing number of annual swimming events hosted in St Lucia, the RHAC Invitational has longevity in which no others can boast. By pure determination and perseverance to continue in the growth and development of swimming as a sport, Dr. Diane Worrell has year after year orchestrated this event fine tuning it to one of the events on the regional calendar. Her pure dedication to love of swimming has propelled to continually host this event. Stepping up the competition this year will be teams from Martinique and Guadeloupe. Although teams from Martinique have competed over the last couple of years, this is the first time swimmers from Guadeloupe will be attending RHAC Invitational. Excitedly, Dr. Diane Worrell, Meet
Team is Head Coach - Michael Johnson, Assistant Coach – Charles Pollard, Goalkeeper Coach - Eon De Veira, Team Doctor - Dr. Kojo Sandiford, Physiotherapist - Quacy Paddy, Head of Sports Science - Wilson Toledo, Head of Recruitment - Faizal Khan, Team Operations Manager - Rawle Adams, Equipment Manager - Trevor Burnett and Assistant Equipment Manager - Levi Braithwaite. The training matches are part of the preparation for Guyana’s final Concacaf Nations League qualifier against Belize at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. Tickets for the match are being sold at $1500 at the following locations: Andrews Supermarket Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, The Guinness Bar - Durban Street, West Indian Sports Complex
- Robb Street, Nice Restaurante - Status Hotel, Croal Street, Pegasus Hotel Guyana, KFC Outlets - Regent Street & Mandela Avenue, Dad’s Fish Shop (Den Amstel), Patsy Food Court And Bar - Soesdyke Junction and The Fashion Box Vendors Arcade, Bartica. Fan jerseys are also available at the GFF Secretariat and the Guyana Pegasus at a cost of G$5,000. Match time next Saturday is 18:30hrs. Men’s Senior Squad: Guyana vs Suriname: Name Position Club Alex Murray Goalkeeper Santos Akel Clarke Goalkeeper SV WBC Sherwin Skeete Defender Fruta Conquerors Walter Moore Defender FF Jaro Kevin Layne Defender Guyana Defence Force Quincy Adams Defender Fruta Conquerors Solomon Austin Defender Fruta Conquerors William Europe Defender Western Tigers Trayon Bobb Midfielder Uitvlugt Leo Lovell Midfielder Den Amstel Clive Nobrega Midfielder Eagles United Vurlon Mills Midfielder Fruta Conquerors Pernel Shultz Midfielder Western Tigers Kelsey Benjamin Midfielder Georgetown FC Gregory Richardson Forward Fruta Conquerors Dellon Lanferman Forward Den Amstel Delroy Fraser Forward Guyana Defence Force Sheldon Holder Forward Caledonia AIA
Beharry maintains partnership with Youth Basketball Guyana for 11th Year Dr. Diane Worrell Director, reports over 200 swimmers have already been registered to compete. With registration not due for a few more days, this year’s meet looks to draw well over 350 swimmers working to achieve personal bests and set records in short 25M sprints to long distance 1500M freestyle. The aquatic centre promises to be overflowing with excitement from spectators throughout the 4 day event. Noting the high number of spectators and swimmers, local businesses and the SLTA have started to come on board to market their various services in efforts to gain financial boost. With regional attendance year after year, many local businesses come back with continued support. For more information regarding the 20th Annual RHAC Invitational, contact the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre at rhac2017@gmail.com.
Edward B. Beharry Company Limited inked a $1.5million sponsorship deal with Youth Guyana Basketball Guyana (YBG) Wednesday last at the company’s Charlotte Street office in a move that will see the company supporting YBG’s National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) for the 11th consecutive year. The company made the presentation to the Chris Bowman and Rayad Boyce led organization on Wednesday at their Charlotte Street location with Marketing Director Anjuli Beharry-Strand describing her entity’s support over the years as money well spent. Co-Director of YBG, Chris Bowman, expressed thanks to Beharry who he believes
sponsors the tournament from the heart, “Their (Edward B. Beharry Company Limited) sponsorship has contributed to the overall development of basketball at all levels in Guyana,” Bowman noted. Since the inception of the tournament in 2006 which saw a total of 18 teams, the event has seen a steady stream of increase in participants. Last year, a total of 42 team competed and the 2019 edition has seen an increase of six teams.
Those new schools are Bartica Secondary, Uitvlugt, Leonora, West Demerara, Hope and Annandale. This year’s tournament begins on Saturday March 30th with the tip off in the Berbice Regionals. The reigning national champions in their respective division are as follows: Under-19: Linden Technical Institute, Under-16: Kwakwani Secondary, Under14: Chase Academy and Girls Division: Marian Academy.
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West Indies Women’s Super50 Regional Cricket starts on Sunday Guyana will begin the 2019 West Indies Women’s Super50 Regional Cricket Tournament on Sunday from 09:30hrs when they battle Trinidad & Tobago at Providence. The home team will take on Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Leewards and Windwards in a round-robin league with the team with most points after five rounds being declared champions. The host Country will also oppose T&T in their opening match of the West Indies Women’s T20 Blaze tournament from 14:00 -16:45hrs on Thursday March 28 at the Providence Stadium where three matches will be played, daily. Below are the full fixtures: Super50 Cup Sun 17th Mar Trinidad & Tobago v Guyana 9:30AM-4:35PM National Stadium Leeward Islands v Barbados 9:30AM-4:35PM Everest Jamaica v Windward Islands 9:30AM-4:35PM GCC Mon 18th Mar Rest/ Practice Tue 19th Mar Barbados v Windward Islands 9:30AM-4:35PM National Stadium Trinidad & Tobago v Leeward Islands 9:30AM-4:35PM GCC Jamaica v Guyana 9:30AM-4:35PM Everest Wed 20th Rest/Practice Thu 21st 9:30AM-4:35PM Guyana v Leeward Islands Enmore 9:30AM-4:35PM Trinidad & Tobago v Windward Islands Everest 9:30AM-4:35PM Barbados v Jamaica GCC Fri 22nd Rest/Practice Sat 23rd 9:30AM-4:35PM Guyana v Barbados 9:30AM-4:35PM Sun 24th Mon 25th 9:30AM-4:35PM 9:30AM-4:35PM
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Kaieteur News
Hurricanes batting flop hands Jaguars title North Sound, Antigua, CMC – Thirty eight overs was all it took for Leeward Islands Hurricanes’ already slim chances of winning the Regional Four-Day Championship to vanish completely. Starting their rescheduled fourth round match against Barbados Pride 23 points behind leaders Guyana Jaguars in second and needing every available batting and bowling point in order to top the standings, the hosts were bundled out for 90 in their first innings. Their batting demise confirmed Jaguars as champions for a fifth straight season, with Leon Johnson’s side now holding an unassailable lead with 154.2 points, following the completion of their complement of matches last weekend. For Hurricanes, opener Montin Hodge was the only batsman to pass 20 with 24 as fast bowler Keon Harding ripped through the innings with 5-29, to record his second fivewicket haul in his 10th first class
Fast bowler Keon Harding … destroyed Hurricanes with a five-wicket haul. outing. Test seamer Miguel Cummins supported with 3-24 while Jamaican pacer Marquino Mindley picked up two for 19. In reply, captain Shamarh Brooks stroked an unbeaten 79 as Pride finished on 154-4 to finish the
day with a 64-run lead. Their highly-regarded top order failed to leave Barbados on 92-4 but Brooks and Test wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, on 28 not out, have so far posted 62 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand. Brooks, without a century this season, has faced 144 balls and struck 11 fours. Hurricanes had earlier lost Keacy Carty to the first ball of the encounter at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, caught at slip by Jonathan Carter off Cummins, and never really recovered. There was no sign of the pending collapse when Hodge and Devon Thomas (11) put on 36 for the second wicket – the highest stand of the innings – but once Harding had Thomas caught at backward square, Hurricanes slipped into terminal decline. Scores: Hurricanes 90 (Montcin Hodge 24; Keon Harding 5-29, Miguel Cummins 3-34). Pride 154-4 (Shamarh Brooks 79 not out, Shane Dowrich 28 not out; Rahkeem Cornwall 2-58).
Mohammed nearing hundred after resisting Scorpions Jeremy Solozano … passed 500 runs for the season.
Windward Islands v Leeward Islands Enmore 9:30AM-4:35PM National Stadium Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago Everest Rest/Practice Barbados v Trinidad & Tobago Enmore Leeward Islands v Jamaica National Stadium Windward Islands v Guyana GCC
9:30AM-4:35PM T20 BLAZE Wed 27th Rest/Practice Thu 28th 9:00 - 11:45 AM Leeward Islands v Barbados 2:00 - 4:45 PM Trinidad v Guyana 7:00-9:45 PM Jamaica v Windward Islands National Stadium Fri 29th 9:00 - 11:45 AM Guyana v Leeward Islands 2:00 - 4:45 PM Trinidad & Tobago v Windward Islands 2:00 - 4:45 PM Barbados v Jamaica National Stadium Sat 30th Rest/Practice Sun 31st Jamaica v Guyana 9:00 - 11:45 AM National Stadium Barbados v Windward Islands 2:00 - 4:45 PM National Stadium 7:00-9:45 PM Leeward Islands v Trinidad & Tobago National Stadium Mon 1st Rest/Practice 9:00 - 11:45 AM Barbados v Trinidad & Tobago National Stadium 2:00 - 4:45 PM Leeward Islands v Jamaica National Stadium 7:00-9:45 PM Windward Islands v Guyana National Stadium Wed 3rd Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago 9:00 - 11:45 AM National Stadium 2:00 - 4:45 PM Windward Islands v Leeward Islands National Stadium 7:00-9:45 PM Guyana v Barbados National Stadium
Tarouba, Trinidad, CMC – Jason Mohammed struck his 14th first class half-century and third of the season to spearhead a strong Trinidad and Tobago Red Force batting effort, on the opening day of their rescheduled first round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship against Jamaica Scorpions here yesterday. Choosing to bat first at the Brian Lara Stadium, Red Force finished the day on 338-5 with Mohammed eyeing triple figures unbeaten on 89. The right-hander faced 149 deliveries in just over 3-¼ hours at the crease and struck seven fours and three sixes. Openers Kyle Hope with 64 and Jeremy Solozano, 63, also chipped in with half-centuries while Captain Denesh Ramdin struck 41 and Lendl Simmons, 30. Speedster Nicholson Gordon, in
his third first class match but first in three seasons, bowled superbly to finish with four for 49. His effort was required after Red Force kept the visitors wicket-less in the first session as Hope and Solozano took their side to lunch at 116 without loss. All told, they added 127 for the first wicket before Hope was lbw to Nicholson early in the second session, after facing 100 balls in 128 minutes and striking 10 fours. His dismissal triggered a slide that saw Red Force lose three wickets for nine runs to slump to 136 for three, as Gordon ran through the top order in a devastating spell accounting for Joshua Da Silva (5) and Solozano. The left-handed Solozano struck 11 fours off 126 deliveries in nearly 2-½ hours at the crease, passing 500 runs for the season
in the process. Mohammed then arrived to anchor three successive half-century stands which propped up the Red Force innings. First, he added 51 for the fourth wicket with Simmons, in a partnership which took the hosts to tea at 235 for four. When Simmons played on to the first ball of leg-spinner Nkrumah Bonner’s first spell, Mohammed put on a further 87 for the fifth wicket with Ramdin who counted five fours in a 65ball knock. Gordon returned to remove Ramdin to a catch at the wicket off one that lifted sharply but Mohammed and Khary Pierre, unbeaten on 26, have so far put on 64 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand. Scores: Red Force 338-5 (Jason Mohammed 89 not out, Kyle Hope 64, Jeremy Solozano 63, Denesh Ramdin 41; Nicholson Gordon 4-49) vs Scorpions.
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
Robert and Ravi Birthday Golf Classic Tee off tomorrow
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Saw Pit overcome Christ Ambassadors by four wickets despite Watkins ton
S
Pandit Rabindranath Persaud
Counselor Robert Hanoman
The Lusignan Golf Course will tomorrow host a unique tournament in honor of the birthday of two distinguished gentlemen of different professions, Legal and Religious Counselor Robert Hanoman and Pandit ‘Ravi’ Rabindranath Persaud, both born on the same day and co-joined at the hip … by the game of golf! Both have been playing for over 20 years. Tee off time is 12:30hrs. According to a Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) press release, this is a special occasion for Counselor Hanoman who is of the view that his game is certainly at its best level now – shooting his career best Net Score of 63 in the tournament he won last month – owing to encouraging coaching from President Aleem Hussain and to the tremendous improvement of the course with the help of team Macorp over the past year. Pandit Ravi, who amongst many other roles,
sits on the Integrity Commission, hosts TV programs, and is a spiritual advisor to many – including Counselor Robert – is himself a top performer on the golf course, having won several major tournaments including first place in his flight in the prestigious Guyana Open. Both gentlemen have made significant and outstanding contributions to the LGC over the years. This weekend’s 3-Flight Medal Play tournament promises to be among the LGC’s top events this year, as it will feature all of the best players in Guyana coming out to celebrate with and support these gentlemen on the occasion. Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd Best Net in each Flight, as well as Nearest The Pin and Longest Drive. The public is invited and welcome to be a part of the action, free of charge. Further information can be had by calling 220 5660.
Guyanese Damani David continues to blaze the trail in the Bahamas Guyanese athlete Damani David has continued to blaze the athletic trail in the Bahamas, recently achieving Personal Best times in four events at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championship. The 14 year-old David won the Under-15 Boys 1500m and Javelin, placed 2nd in the 800m and Discus. HE also ran the third leg in the Boys U15 4x100m and anchored his school team in the 4x400m relay. In the 1500m he clocked 4:44.45 to take the gold medal, his time of 2:14.09 was good enough for silver in the 800m while in the Field events, David threw the Javelin for a distance of 36.81m which was a golden
Damani David during the 800m event.
throw, his 28.53m effort in the Discus, earned him the silver medal. David has now earned a place at the High School (Continued on page 34)
aw Pit defeated C h r i s t Ambassadors by four wickets in the latest round of matches in the FAB Mining Company Amrit Rai Memorial T20 tournament on Sunday last at West Demerara. Watkins struck five fours and 10 sixes in scoring 111 to guide Christ Ambassadors to 162 all out in 18.5 overs, batting first at Belle Vue. Jewan Hamid claimed 3-20, R. Ramnarine had 3 -31, Imran Khan 2-6 and Zafar Khan 2 -34. Saw Pit responded with 166-6 in 18.4 overs. Avinash Rameshwar scored 45 while Jewan Hamid contributed 41. Kenton Boyce had 2 for 16, Kirt Kipp 2-21 and Watkins 2- 33. At Canal Number Two, the home team overcame Police by five runs. Batting first, Canal Number Two scored 157-9. Anthony Ifill led with 64; Rodwin Ward had 3-15. Police in reply were bowled out for 152. Jason Anderson scored 47 (5x4) while Adrian Welcome and Boshnarine Lalbachan made 36 each. Vishwanauth Jadunauth had
Mark Gonsalves 2-17 and Narendra Persaud 2- 27. Zeeburg Sports Club beat Players Cricket Club by 9 wickets and 10.5 overs to spare, recording their fourth win in as many matches. Players were restricted to 109 -7 off their reduced quota of 15 overs, taking first strike. Avinash Persaud and Jerome Lovell got 24 each; Yetesh Dhanpaul had 3-6. Zeeburg SC raced to 114-1 in 9.5 overs in reply. Ricardo Poloram scored 55 not out and Balbinder Shivpersaud 47. At Belle Vue, Christ Ambassadors defeated Windsor Forest by 2 wickets. Windsor Forest batted first
Marcus Watkins and managed 132-7. Lalta Sookanand scored 42 and Avinash Ganesh 17. Kevin Paul snared 3 -14. Christ Ambassadors scored 134-8, in reply, Kenton Boyce made 44 and Selwyn John 22; Abdullaah Wazidali captured 3-21. At Zeeburg, Rising Star ‘A’ beat Meten Meer Zorg Cricket Club by 41 runs. Batting first, Rising Star ‘A’ posted 178-7. Anand Bharat top scored with 54 (4x4 3x6) while Marvin Cheong made 43 (6x4 2x6) and Elroy Fernandes 20. Vishal Jaigobin claimed 3-40 and Jermain Reynolds 2-20. In reply, Meten-MeerZorg Cricket Club were sent
packing for 131in 16.3 overs. Kevin Coleman got 22 and Mahendra Nandkishore 18. Cheong picked up 3-10 and Bharat 3 -36. At Meten Meer Zorg West, Meten-Meer-Zorg Future Youths got the better of Police by 42 runs. Batting first, MMZ Future Youths scored 169-5. Derick Foo struck 55, Sheldon Alexander 40 and Surendra Lakeram 22. Boshnarine Lalbachan took 2-23 and D. Hughes 234. Police managed 127-8 in reply. Ronald Allyne scored 44 and Vishal Peters 40; Alexander returned with the ball to grab 4-20. Omesh XI beat Meten Meer Zorg Future Youths (MMZFY) by 5 wickets. MMZFY took first strike and scored 125-8 in 18 overs. Sheldon Alexander scored 36 and Vinod Rajkumar 18; Nandalall Doodnarine captured 3-20 and Leoryan Ramlakhan 2-26. Omesh XI reached their target in 16.1 overs with opener Mark Gonsalves scoring 60 (3x4 4x6) while Vickram Kisson made 43. At Canal #2 Sports Club, Dynasty Sports Club beat Rising Star B by 67 runs.
GFF Elite League Season 4
First double-header set for today at GDF Ground
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estern Tigers F C a n d Milerock FC will kick off the first double-header of the GFF Elite League Season 4 beginning at 18:30hrs today at the GDF Ground, Camp Ayanganna while GDF FC and Police FC will be the featured match up from 20:30hrs. This was confirmed following the Technical Meeting held with representatives of all Elite Clubs on Wednesday evening at the GFF’s Secretariat where it was decided that the
Season will run for three months to June 2019. A march past of all clubs is scheduled for 17:00hrs prior to the official kick off. Clubs will compete for a chance of winning a grand total of Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($4,500,000.00) as follows: First Prize – Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00), Second Prize – One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,200,000.00); Third prize – Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000.00) and
Fourth prize - Five Hundred Dollars ($500,000.00). The GFF Elite league is the highest form of competitive football played
in Guyana and according to the Rules and Regulations of Season 4, the 10 clubs “will play one (1) round of football, resulting in the club acquiring the most points being declared the winner, Match Days will feature mostly double-headers at stipulated venues on Fridays and Sundays with a few Match Days being scheduled for Saturdays and the overall league Champion Club will be awarded an automatic qualifying spot at the CONCACAF / Caribbean Shield Championships.” Admission to the GFF Elite League is set at $500.
Wins for Bacchus Bulls and Affiance SC - Central E’bo T20 Bacchus Bulls and Affiance Sports Club registered victories when play in the Central Essequibo Cricket Committee T20 tournament continued on Sunday last. Bacchus Bulls defeated Queenstown Sports Club by 4 wickets at Imam Bacchus ground. Winning and toss and batting on a pitch that rendered much assistance to the fast bowlers, Queenstown Sports Club
were restricted for 108-9. Randy Bridgemohan top scored with 28 (3x4 1x6) while Dr. Ralph Cox made 15; extras contributed 21. Khulraj Persaud claimed 3-20 while Punraj Singh had 2-9 and Lallbachan Narine 2-13. Bacchus Bulls responded with 109-7 in 20 overs. Mohendra Balbadar made 27 (2x4 1x6) while Navendra Persaud scored 22 not out. Bridgemohan returned to take 2-15 and Kevin Martinborough 2-20. At Affiance, the home team beat Rebels by 8 wickets. (Continued on page 34)
Kaieteur News
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Friday March 15, 2019
Pacesetters’ Quincy Dos Santos goes for a layup against Kobras last year at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall during GABA’s KO tourney.
2018 GABA Knockout U-23 champions Plaisance Guardians will be looking to repeat the feat this year.
Under-23 and First Divisions tip off tonight Competitive basketball returns to the Burnham Hard Court on Middle and Carmichael Streets tonight when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) hosts its first tournament of 2019 with support from the Guyana Lottery Company’s sports betting division; Let’s Bet Sports. GABA is sponsoring the six-
team Under-23 division knockout while Let’s Bet Sports is the title sponsor of the First and Second Divisions. The U-23 Division which begins tonight will conclude on Sunday evening. This evening’s fixtures will pit Pepsi Sonics against University of Guyana (UG) Trojans in the first match at 18:30hrs while Pepsi
Sonics will play University of Guyana (U.G.) Trojans in the feature first division clash at 20:30hrs. Tomorrow, Pacesetters will play the winners of tonight’s first match at 18:30hrs while Plaisance Guardians’ opponents for the feature match is yet to be announced but that match will tip
off at 20:30hrs. For the 2nd division, it will be a five-team single elimination with Sonics and Vikings trashing it out for a stake in the final four which already has Guardians, Pacesetters and Eagles already in the semi-final stage. Their leg of the tournament starts on March 19 alongside the
GABA/Let’s Bet Sports KO
first division and will run for seven days. However, the most senior division will see eight teams trashing it out for top honours. According to head of the GABA, Adrian Hooper, the top teams in the first and second divisions are set to receive lucrative cash prizes, something that has not been possible in the past years.
GLC/Let’s Bet Sports support Golden Jaguar’s Gold Cup quest
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he Guyana Lottery Company (GLC), through their Let’s Bet Sports brand, yesterday announced an alliance with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for the
March 23 game against Belize in the Concacaf Nations League qualifiers, at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. With a win, Guyana’s senior Men’s National team, the Golden Jaguars, will
qualify for the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first and follow the success of the Women’s team, the Lady Jags, which had featured at t h e c o n f e d e r a t i o n ’s showpiece in 2010. “Let’s Bet Sports is more
than pleased to assist in whatever way possible in encouraging everyone to rally behind the Golden Jaguars,” said Rawle Toney, the Let’s Bet Sports Brand Ambassador. Toney made a presentation of jerseys and tickets to GFF’s Social Media Officer Keeran Williams at the Federation’s Headquarters, and pointed out that “It’s imperative that we give the Golden Jaguars the support they need
because the spinoffs from their victory on March 23 could be life-changing.” “At the Guyana Lottery Company and Let’s Bet Sports, we strive on being an entity and a brand that support sports and its development in Guyana, which is why with every lottery ticket and bet placed, a percentage of that ticket and wager goes towards the development of Guyana,” Toney pointed out. The jerseys, tickets and
other memorabilia, Toney related, will be given to lucky fans through a series of radio and television promotions by Let’s Bet Sports and the GFF leading up to the important fixture against Belize. Football fans, 18-years and older, will be able to place a wager on the Guyana vs Belize game, and are encourage to visit their nearest Guyana Lottery Agent and ask for ‘Let’s Bet Sports’.
Let’s Bet Sports Brand Ambassador Rawle Toney (left), presenting the jerseys and tickets to the GFF’s Social Media Officer Keeran Williams.
Kaieteur News
Friday March 15, 2019
GSA/Toucan Distributors Junior Skill Level Tournament
Shomari Wilshire on fire on opening Night By Sean Devers atched by a fair size midw e e k gathering, the Toucan Distributors Junior Skill Level tournament organised by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA), served off last evening with competitive action on the opening Night at the Georgetown Club Squash Courts. Caribbean U-15 Champion and number-one seed Shomari Wilshire put in a dominating performance on a night when games where contested in every category. Abosaide Cadogan defeated Mohryan Baksh while Lucas Jonas got the better of Kirsten Gomes before the Persaud siblings; Zachary and Lucas, were all in winner’s row in some of the better games of the night. In the only category ‘A’ match of the Night, the talented 15 year-old Wiltshire was in riveting form against Michael Alphonso with level headed and skilful Squash. Wiltshire, in his first match of the year, patiently rallied out an enthusiastic Alphonso to register an e m p h a t i c 3 - 0 v i c t o r y. A l t h o u g h A l p h o n s o ’s retrieval skills were outstanding, Wiltshire’s accuracy, timing and pace dominated the match in an 11/2, 11/4, 11/0 win. In the Category ‘B’ matches, the fast improving Mohryan Baksh and the talented Abosaide Cadogan faced-off in a competitive
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Abosaide Cadogan defeated Mohryan Baksh last night at the Georgetown Club
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affair. After an 11/6 defeat in the first game, Baksh made an early bid in the second, pulling ahead before Cadogan closed the gap and in a point for point battle of exciting cross courts, drives and drops, as Baksh succumbed 12/14. Cadogan fought her way through the third to a 3/0 triumph. Lucas Jonas gave an impressive performance against Kirsten Gomes in a 5 games match where he dominated the ‘T’ and played some magnificent cross courts. Gomes was outplayed in the final game after levelling up 2/2 earlier in the match and Jonas took the win 11/6, 6/11, 11/9, 9/11, 11/8. Zachary and Lucas Persaud secured victories in categories C and E respectively, while in c a t e g o r y F, S a f i r a h Summer fought hard against Mathew Spooner in the second game reaching 13/15 but couldn’t hold on and Spooner earned his first win 11/6, 13/11. In Category H, good serves proved the game changers for the younger players as Tianna Gomes Mathew Daby, Solomon Ince-Carvalhal and Shriya Persaud all finished the night without dropping a game. Matches were scheduled to continue last evening at the same venue. Full Results - Category A : S h o m a r i Wi l t s h i r e defeated Michael Alphonso 11/2, 11/4, 11/0. Category B: Abosaide Cadogan defeated Mohryan
Baksh 11/6, 14/12, 11/9; Lucas Jonas defeated Kirsten Gomes 11/6, 6/11, 11/9, 9/11, 11/8. Category C: Zachary Persaud defeated Shiloh Asregado 11/6, 11/3, 11/4; Rayad Boyce defeated Aishani Persaud 11/2, 11/5. Category D: Lajuan Munroe defeated Teija Edwards 11/4, 11/4, 11/3; Nathan Rahaman defeated Beau Fernandes 7/11, 11/2, 11/3, 11/6. Category E: Lucas Persaud defeated Arvin (Continued on page 34)
Number one seed Shomari Willshire (left) beat Michael Alphonso 3-0 on Wednesday night.
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Golden Jaguars 18-man squad for Suriname match tomorrow leaves today
Training in full flow at the GFF Training Facility.
West Indies Women’s Super50 Regional Cricket starts on Sunday
Beharry maintains partnership with Youth Basketball Guyana for 11th Year
YBG’s Rayad Boyce (left) looks on as Edward B. Beharry Company Limited’s Anjuli Beharry-Strand presents Chris Bowman with the sponsorship. Taquain Vieira is at right.
GFF Elite League Season 4
First double-header set for today at GDF Ground Hurricanes batting flop hands Jaguars title Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.