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Guyana awaits the CCJ ruling

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May 12, 2019 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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National Printers duped Education Ministry on book contracts Part of a shipment of the 56-page exercise books from Trinidad.

(Photo taken inside The Ministry of Education Book Distribution Unit)

- supplies 56-page books but got paid for 80-page

Inherent weaknesses GECOM commissioners, Unclear whether at GGMC, associated Tender Board head, Former NFMU Chief will return under entities, create fertile GuySuCo officials fail Telecoms Authority ground for corruption to declare assets - Dr. Mangal … terminated NFMU staff given hiring priority

With monopoly on direct NY/GEO flights...

American Airlines has edge over regional carriers

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

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With monopoly on direct NY/Geo flights… American

Airlines given edge over regional carriers

O

n M o n d a y, American Airlines has started selling tickets for the lucrative JFK to Georgetown route.

On any day, it would spell good news for travellers. That route is the busiest and most lucrative one from Guyana for airlines.

Over the years, passengers were at the mercies of airlines at peaks periods.

Several airlines have come and gone, including Delta, and a long list of charters like EZjet, RedJet and Universal.

Most recently, the New York route became even tougher as Fly Jamaica fell out of the picture after a crash at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at

Timehri last November.

However, news that American Airlines will be servicing the New York route has been impacting prices positively.

American Airlines, which is scheduled to start that route on December 18, pending approvals from the regulatory agencies here, has introduced price as low as US$700 for a return ticket on the economy class seats. For the Business class, it is $1,500.

There are few seats left as passengers snapped them up as soon as American started selling last Monday.

Caribbean Airlines has, for the same period, a return ticket on an economy class seat at US$1,213 and for business class, US$1,763.

However, while that spells good news for

Food for thought The Missing Watch There once was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in the barn. It was no ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him.

After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn.

He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance.

The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.”

So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed.

The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.”

A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind.

Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be! (Author Unknown)

passengers, for the airlines that ply the US route, it is bad news.

Caribbean Airlines has been servicing the route for decades now, ever since it operated as BWIA. It cannot fly directly from a Caribbean destination to New York. If it originates in Guyana, it has to in-transit in Trinidad.

Similarly, if it originates in Trinidad, it must make a stop in Guyana.

Suriname Airways cannot fly directly to Miami.

It has to originate from Suriname and make a stopover in a country like Guyana.

The same thing had happened to Fly Jamaica.

That airline, co-owned by Guyanese, had to make stops

in Jamaica before landing in the US once it originated in Georgetown.

However, late last year, local regulators granted approval for American Airlines to fly directly from Miami, Florida to Georgetown.

The airline, one of the biggest in the world, recently announced plans for the New York direct route.

It will have an edge over Caribbean Airlines and Suriname Airways.

American Airlines was also granted a huge discount on its airport landing fees.

“This is clearly uncompetitive. The airlines that have been servicing the routes for a long time are barred from direct flights to and from New York and

Guyana. Yet airlines from the US are able to do direct flights. How can one compete against American Airlines and others like Jet Blue, which may come?

Guyana has given American Airlines the advantage by allowing them direct flight which is less operating cost and then a fees discount,” an industry source explained.

American's arrival in Guyana would have come when Guyana needed more seats to the US. There have been increasing visits with the emerging oil and gas sector.

The flights especially from Miami are packed with oil officials and workers.

In fact, American Airlines has reportedly been contracted to fly Exxon's workers at lucrative terms.

Caribbean Airlines and Suriname Airways could hardly compete against the deep-pocketed American Airline, and maybe Jet Blue when it comes.

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

We desperately need lights and reflectors on this dark and dangerous highway

All Parties and groups should consider Constitutional Reform before Elections

DEAR EDITOR, I can no longer fathom the cruelty faced by humanity through the absence of road lights and scarcity of reflectors along the Linden / Soesdyke Highway. It is with great concern that I address this matter that affects every single person travelling along the highway, whether it’s on a daily basis from Linden to Georgetown or vice versa for the purpose of work and school. This also includes persons who travel on selective days during the week for personal preferences.

The majority which are the taxi drivers and bus drivers usually drive along this highway to make a living.

These drivers are deemed responsible for the lives of many, yet the passage in which they drive along becomes unsafe when evening approaches. Not saying it’s fully safe during the day either, because accidents still occur but accidents are more likely to occur at night. The headlights that are placed on the vehicles are not enough for guideline along that highway that is dark as the shadow of advancing death.

It was about a week ago that I received a wake-up call about this particular issue, whereby I was on my way to Linden and the car

experienced a blow-out. The driver, other passengers and I were completely doomed along that highway and we decided to seek help from passing vehicles. It was hard, because some drivers who were willing to help were sceptical because of how dark the place was and danger is more prominent in dark areas.

Whenever it’s raining it’s already an absolute struggle to see on the road, more so control a vehicle that has the wiper wiping across the windshield consistently; especially if it’s raining heavily. Do you think that’s heart-rending enough? When foreign drivers travel the highway, it is made especially difficult for them, especially since the road is dark and they hit all the water on it. One man said, “If I drive again at night on duh highway, something mussy wrong with me”.

While this was a choice for him and some others it’s not for many drivers that work every day from Georgetown to Linden. Also, sometimes drivers depend on other drivers to drive ahead to guide them at turns.

This problem also occurs on the East Bank Demerara public road near the Asphalt Plant Building. When evening approaches, it’s difficult for drivers to see along the roadway. This is

more problematic when some drivers decide to drive with their high beams and coloured lights. Additionally, some policemen are also guilty of this practice.

In an attempt to ensure security and safety for every civilian which is a right ascribed to them in The Guyana Constitution, Chap 3 - Under Fundamental Rights and Freedom of the Citizens :S 40 (1) (a). I went as far to conduct a research to find solutions to the dark highway and over 217 persons along with myself suggested that lights should be placed along the highway with some amount of barbed-wires along the upper parts of the posts to prevent persons from removing them. There should also be reflectors.

Drivers should be charged if found driving with highbeam and coloured lights. The police officers found driving with coloured lights should have their vehicles stripped of such devices.

I am anticipating a prompt response that comes with your efficient and effective service.

Yours respectfully Reanna McGarrell

DEAR EDITOR, A) Constitutional Reform: This impasse on election due to the NCV, is probably a blessing for the Guyanese people.

It is time for the Constitution to be reformed now, before the elections, which can take a maximum of a month, if well coordinated, because we know the required changes/revisions. The following interim recommended procedures to be considered: 1)We need three groups: a) PPP/C b)Coalition c) All other parties, groups and individuals combined 2)We need group C to form a management committee, to publish the changes they recommend, provide phone numbers and email address in the media so that individuals can send comments, etc.

3)The PPP/C and Coalition to publicly comment, confirm, add or delete with reasons for their disagreement with the published group C proposals.

One week to do this. Since the debate is public parliament

time will be a day.

4)Once all agree, the legal framers have one week, and to review by stakeholders one week. And set Parliament for one day to have a twothirds majority.

5) Rigging of elections must automatically be tried in an international court with jail sentences.

We need all names who disagreed, to be published with the associated Party and call on the voters not to vote for the parties who do not want change. The public must be advised on the importance of the changes, show that for almost 60 years all the governments failed them.

B) Oil Contract: To be renegotiated or proven null and void, because it does not meet minimum standards of a good faith, good intention contract. I am a specialist contract manager and in the interim, I believe this contract is null and void. The present senior management staff on oil, credentials must be reviewed, hire or fire.

C) Seek balance in Procurement Commission and Tender Board, etc.

This must be a legal and binding document, that after elections, those items that cannot be in the constitution, must be implemented.

Yours sincerely Joe Persaud

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Guyana’s performance in Houston engenders confidence in Guyana’s future; the treatment of the VC does not DEAR EDITOR, As I come to grips with the enormity of the possible positive impact, Guyana’s nascent oil sector can have on its economy and the quality of life of its people, there are two recent developments that offer me contrasting degrees of confidence, or lack thereof, about how Guyana functions.

There is no doubt that Guyana needs all the skills and expertise it could garner from its sons and daughters if we are to manage effectively our overall national development, using the resources to be realised from our oil and gas sector. And so I wonder why would the current University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith seemingly have to lobby, or have people lobby on his behalf for his contract to be renewed. I am not an academic. I know little or nothing about administering a university.

But from what I can glean, he seems to be doing a fine job not devoid of mistakes and/ or misplaced priorities. But which of us is perfect. The APNU/AFC government is not without its mistakes and misplaced priorities.

I intended to refrain from

any public comment about the renewal of the Vice Chancellor’s contract lest anyone seeks to link my views to that of my dear brother, Dr. Mark Kirton who, in a rare public expression of his views on issues, did pen a letter to the editor critical of UG for offering honorary doctorates when it does not offer academic ones.

I have heard criticisms of the Vice Chancellor for the excessive use of his bow tie; for having the air condition running in his SUV while he is out of the vehicle; for misplaced expenditure at the university; for receiving a (US) $50,000 performance bonus and for wanting to rent a building for $25,000 (US) per month, while toilets at the university still don’t flush and toilet paper is in short supply.

He has responded to many of these allegations publicly.

As a resource ambassador of UG, I was ineluctably constrained recently to have lunch with the VC to confront him directly on some of these allegations. I told him he need not address the one about the air condition being on when he is out of the vehicle, since if the AC is good for the VC, it must also be good for VD (vehicle driver). I also told him that the bow tie was his trademark and branding and he enjoys the right to brand himself accordingly. He denies receiving a $50,000 US performance bonus and explained that the proposed rental of the building would

have provided for the university to sublet sections of the building that would have been not only income generating, but would have provided needed services to students and faculty. He admits that there are problems with plumbing and other aspects of the facilities on campus but that these are being addressed in the context of available resources, and that many of his initiatives are geared at attracting external resources, which are not disbursed overnight.

So, that a Vice Chancellor that has brought positive transformation to the university amidst some of its continuing problems which he seeks to address, has to have people lobby publicly for his retention, is frankly reprehensible. A recent letter writer referred to the opposition to his contract renewal as based on fear, I say it is based on jealous admiration. And trust me, I know about jealous admiration. In the words of the Glen Washington song, “I have been used and abused and wrongly accused but I still keep pushing on.” The VC must keep pushing on.

I call on the relevant authorities to have discussions with the VC about whatever concerns they have with his administrative style and priorities, do so with an open mind and with the realisation that we “comebackees” have

a burning desire to raise the standards wherever we see the need. We may be too much in a hurry sometimes but we mean well. The country needs us especially if we are to maximise the benefits of our oil and gas sector for all the people of Guyana.

Now on the other hand, I can’t help but express how proud I felt to be a Guyanese (dual citizenship holder) while participating in OTC 2019 last week in Houston, Texas, and its collateral events including the Guyana Petroleum Summit (GPS).

And like the collaboration that went into the very attractive and well manned Guyana booth at OTC, this event saw Guyana speak with one voice, reflective of the changed political culture for which I am advocating. One could never tell from his presentation and answer to questions at GPS that Charles Ramson Jr. is a leading member of the opposition party in Guyana as is Shyam Nokta who did not make a presentation as far as I know, but whom I listened to in a few group conversations.

Robert Muneshwer’s short presentation, while identifying some challenges, was indisputable testimony to the advantages of doing business with and in Guyana, particularly if one has vision and is not greedy.

Nicholas Chuck-A-Sang’s very good and balanced presentation on a panel

addressing the sustainable development of Guyana’s oil and gas sector was reflective of the consummate public servant giving credit where credit is due to various presidents of Guyana. The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce’s (GCCI) collaboration with Go-Invest was an apt representation of

good public private sector partnership.

In a nutshell, Guyana’s performance in Houston was very impressive and encouraging and engenders confidence in the future of Guyana. The treatment of the VC is doing the opposite.

Regards Wesley Kirton

The recent cabinet adjustments are baffling DEAR EDITOR, I have been looking on at the recent Cabinet adjustments made by the President. What I found amazing is that the former Minister, Carl Greenidge was replaced by a neophyte as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

But even more interesting is that some of those who were moved from one position to another or given some kind of promotion have had allegations of corruption and/ or incompetence levelled against them and they continue to serve.

Greenidge was Minister of Finance under Presidents Burnham and Hoyte for a total of nine years and I have never heard any allegations of corruption or incompetence levelled against him. I have never heard any such allegations levelled against him when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs.

When I mention this corruption/incompetence aspect in the changes to

others –irrespective of their educational level – they are surprised. It means that the tolerance of corruption and incompetence has become acceptable. So much so that not even the President appears to be aware of the normalisation of corruption and incompetence and that such behaviour needs to be eradicated since it undermines our development as a people and a nation.

I would argue that the PPP’s tolerance of corruption is motivated by religious beliefs; but maybe the current President’s tolerance is motivated by naivety.

Whatever reason we come up with for the tolerance of corruption and incompetence, the nation not only needs to do better, but I think corruption in high places will become worse with the flow of oil since greed is an element of the human condition.

Best Wishes Professor Kean Gibson

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

President Granger must work feverishly to fulfil some of the more basic and doable campaign and manifesto promises DEAR EDITOR, The reason Donald Trump is likely to win the 2020 elections in the USA is the same reason the PPP is likely to win the next elections in Guyana. The Coalition leaders in Guyana are approaching the PPP the very same way the Democrats are approaching Trump and the GOP. They figure that by demeaning, castigating and embarrassing their opponent, the opponent’s supporters and the swing voters will side with them. Hint, hint, it will not work!

Proof?

The 2015 elections, in both countries. Trump won, despite ALL the negativity that the Democrats piled on and highlighted about him.

And in Guyana, the PPP lost by a mere one seat; despite all the claims or corruption, nepotism, murders, crime and drug associations. Why? Because people, while they are concerned about those things, they are more concerned about how well they will fair under the respective Parties. By the way, that is why the Coalition won.

They convinced their core supporters that they will provide jobs and increase their wages and they

simultaneously persuaded the PPP supporters that they will increase the paddy prices and heal the wounds of the ailing Sugar Industry. And just like that, the masses believed them, and they won.

But now, the Coalition seems to have forgotten their winning strategy and have assumed a ‘buse-out, cuss-down’ approach to electioneering. All you are hearing about these days is how corrupt and murderous the PPP were, while they were in Government. Can you imagine that some folks are still talking about Anil Nandalall and those law books!!! That strategy, alone, will not work!

When the Granger administration closed those sugar estates, they told the severed workers and the country that it was for economic reasons. They claimed, and I believed them, that they had ploughed some $30 billion into GUYSUCO, in three years. Well, they are not “wasting” that money anymore, so what are they doing with that $30 billion savings? The government needs to go back to those ghost towns that have grown up and explain to the people what they will do to monetize

A SCHIZOPHRENIC CONSTITUTION? DEAR EDITOR, Article 106(6) provides for No-Confidence motions. An NCM allows members of the parliament to vote their consciences on any Bill being considered. This also means voting against their party lines.

Article 156(3) is an amendment to the Constitution passed in 2007.

The clear intent of this article is to prohibit members from “crossing the floor” – that means they cannot vote their consciences.

Legislatures very often pass laws that are challenged in court: the claim is that they clash with some provision in the Constitution. If proven, Courts will always rule that the statutory laws are unconstitutional.

How will the CCJ reconcile two colliding Articles in the same constitution? Will they spin a toss? Will they say one makes good sense, the other doesn’t?

I predict the CCJ will say the 2007 Amendment makes no sense. An amendment cannot possibly be valid if it seeks to nullify an Article in the original constitution.

The record shows that the leaders of the parliament – a

Mr. Jagdeo and a Mr. Corbin were indulging themselves in an exercise of schizophrenia.

They wanted to turn their members into robots, devoid of consciences.

Mike Persaud

those hundreds of thousands of acres of lands, and how that will benefit those who live around the lands. The current administration has to go into those sugar areas and tell the people how a satisfactory amount of those billions in savings will be redirected to alleviate their current and immediate plight.

Telling mostly Indian sugar workers that Jagdeo and the PPP are corrupt killers, will win the Coalition no hearts and zero votes from that population.

And about rice. The government needs to reconnect with the rice farmers. Take shame out of your eyes and go sit with the men and women. Apologise for your over exaggerations about paddy prices, ask them for suggestions, and then lay out for them some short to midterm plans that are workable. If the Coalition will retain the government, they cannot be at odds with the sugar and rice farmers. The government needs to put structures in place to regain the confidence of the rice and sugar farmers.

President Granger must also work feverishly on fulfilling some of the more basic and doable campaign and manifesto promises. For instance, in 2015 President Granger promised that he will release 60 nonviolent prisoners every year. The government has been in office going on to four years. Yes, that means 240 none violent offenders should have been released and at home with their families. Instead, so far, the President has released just about 20 inmates over the

last four years; most of them females. Of course, as a Criminologist and Prison Chaplain, I knew full well that the President could not have followed through with that plan; at least, not in the format that it was announced. You cannot take institutionalised men and women, and without any structured transitional programs or probation-like accountability, release them back into the society. You will be asking for trouble. The President’s heart was in the right place but his approach was out of sync with rehabilitation best practices.

It appears that there were no one in his inner circle to objectively advise him on this matter. And so while admirable, that promise from the President; that noble aspiration, fell flat on its face.

I believe, however, that as is regards this desire of the President, all is not lost. Mr. Granger needs to construct, or have constructed, a formal ex-offender rehabilitation programme and have the nonviolent men transitioned from the prisons, into a programme that is headed and managed by people who know what they are doing. There are mothers, wives, husbands and children who need to have their relatives home. Mr. President you need to put a structure in place a follow through with your promise!

Another thing that the government fell down on and that is easy to remedy, is the promise of donating those Jubilee Park stands to community centres. When

those stands were being built, the President promised that after the Jubilee event, they would be dismantled and given to select communities and play grounds. Again, that was an excellent idea. (The President has a very commendable approach to things that appeal to ordinary people. He has a unique humanitarian heart).

However, Jubilee came and went and the stands are left there; many of them beginning to show signs of detreating.

Why? All we heard is that the President had a change of heart.

I think that some of those stands - especially the ones furthest East - should be relocated to playgrounds across the country, where they can be put to active and consistent usage. Some kind of raffle or lotto-type approach can be used to determine which communities get one. The President needs to direct some department to follow through with that promise of his.

I could go on and on in suggesting simple ways in which the Coalition Government can work at winning hearts, minds and eventually, votes, but you get the picture.

I sometimes (often times) wonder, who advises the Government. It is as if Governments, particularly Guyanese governments, become blinded when they are in office. They make promises to the populace and then, not only fail do they not fulfill those promises but they make the citizens feel that we are wrong to expect them to keep their promises. It is as if some kind of mental

retardation or political Alzheimer’s, possesses our leaders in Government.

And one more thing. Stop making it look like God only answers the prayers of Coalition members. There is this notion that President Granger is “God’s man” and that every other politician, is of the Devil. Many Coalition members come across like God is on their side and so to support any other Party, or to wish any other party well, is to be ungodly. To me, that needs to stop. After all, with all the prayers and fasting, the Coalition only win by one seat. My point is that we need to pray for our country.

Yes, we must pray for the Government and the President (especially at this time). However, we also need to pray for the Opposition. Pray that God will put the right people in the right place, on that side, just in case they win.

Finally, the supporters of the PPP and the PNC need to both turn down their rhetoric.

I read some posts and listen to some of you, and the vitriol is horrendous. We are, after all, sink or swim, One People; (From) One Nation; (With) One Destiny. If I am PPP, I am still your brother. If I am PNC, I still your fellow countryman.

Why can’t we keep the discourses civil?

And as I go, let me say to the Coalition leaders that your 2020 re-election strategy needs tightening up, and if you don’t know that, it is because your cronies and lackeys are withholding the truth, or worse, lying to you.

Peace out!

Wendell Jeffrey, Pastor

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Buxton woman is 107

The centenarian and some of her relatives who attended her birthday celebration.

It was all fun and excitement in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, on Friday as villagers, relatives and supporters gathered to celebrate the 107th birthday of resident, Evadney Eldeca Talbot.

There she was dressed in her best outfit, smiling cheerily at her many supporters. The still alert woman exuded a certain merriment that seemed to add a distinct sparkle to her aging eyes. And she was very conscious of the melee of happy villagers around her.

It was all smiles and kisses from everyone and Evadney seemed to bask in the fact that she was the very centre of attraction on such a happy occasion.

The still very active woman resides at 51 Company Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara. She was born on May 10, 1912, to the late Louisa Hamer and Johnaton Watson of the said village.

Her only brother was Waddington Watson, who passed on some 30 years ago.

Evadney attended the

Buxton’s Evadney Eldeca Talbot turned 107 on Friday last.

Buxton Congregational School where she obtained a sound secondary education.

After leaving school, she, as was the custom in the village, took up sewing, dress making, embroidery and crochet.

She was very competent in these areas and always fussed about having the correct and perfect finish to her items. She made some of the best outfits that some of her grandchildren still have in their possession today, according to relatives.

She was married to Kingsel Talbot who died in 1985. Their union had produced five children, two of whom are now deceased. She has 16 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grand children.

Evadney still has much life left in her and still maintains her small kitchen garden.

To maintain her health, she consumes fresh fruits and vegetables. Relatives ensure she maintains a healthy, balanced diet. She still loves her favourite spicy pork chops.

A few years gone by, she was a very active member of the Golden Age Club in Buxton. Her very pretty outfit on her birthday was a present from ‘Classic Styles Boutique’ on Regent Street, Georgetown. And she was of course surrounded by folks from UNESCO on her special day. Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally was a special invitee.

Present at the festivities also was her close friend, Reverend Carl Peter, the Vicar of St. Augustine Anglican Church. (By Alex Wayne)

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

National Printers duped Education Ministry on book contracts

PAGE 9

— supplies 56-page books but got paid for 80-page As the Audit Office prepares to probe the questionable procurement of hundreds of millions of dollars in exercise and text books, there are indications that the Ministry of Education got duped on what was delivered.

According to information for a quantity of chequered-lined books delivered to the Ministry’s Book Distribution Unit, Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL) supplied 56-page books instead of the standard 80 pages.

Over the years, the Ministry has been ordering 80-page exercise books, including double lines and chequered-lined books.

Following a number of stories about the book procurement contracts, which have been handled by GNPL, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Kaieteur News was given a number of photographs which indicated that the people of Guyana did not get what the Ministry ordered and thus lost tens of millions of dollars overtime.

This was among one of a number of schemes devised to defraud the system of procurement of text and exercise books.

National Printers is under fire for sidelining local printers and instead going to a supplier in Trinidad.

Local printers insist they have capacity. They want Guyana National Printers, a state-owned company, to explain and make public the figures of what was paid and other details.

The Ministry of

General Manager of GNPL, Trevor Bassoo Education has distanced itself from the book orders, insisting in a statement, that it only contracted National Printers and that no other company was involved.

National Printers has insisted that local printers had no capacity and it was forced to turn to Trinidad for the books to be produced.

A number of printers met last week to complain about what they say is a clear plan

by Government to kill their business. They are planning to ask President David Granger for a meeting.

Representatives of the local printers said that there is more than enough capacity and competitive pricing in Guyana to comfortably handle any orders for books that the Government of Guyana needs.

Gathered at a meeting to ponder their next move were the biggest printers in the

country- A1 Printery, Kimoke Printery, Kaieteur Books Inc. and F&H Printing Establishment, among others.

There are at least four other large printers who are angry over the situation and are planning to ask President David Granger for a meeting.

The Ministry of Education has more than $500M earmarked this year for producing text and exercise books for the scores of primary and secondary schools that the state manages across the country.

However, very little work is coming the way of the local printers since 2017.

Instead, the Ministry of Education has contracted GNPL to produce the books.

GNPL is in essence competing with private printers, receiving a price that is more than double than what local printers can produce, Kaieteur News was told.

The printers are calling on President David Granger to ensure that there is a level playing field. “We have workers. We pay our taxes. We pay VAT. We don’t get tax breaks on equipment. We are not being subsidised. We are asking for a level-playing field.

“The government has been talking about building capacity. We have capacity.

We are inviting them to visit us to see what we have,” a spokesman of the printers said last week.

Under the arrangements, GNPL was supposed to produce local textbooks and exercise books.

It was granted a $100M loan for a printery in 2017, but that printer has not been

Dem boys seh...

PEOPLE TEMPTING PEOPLE TO OVERFEED DEM MOTHER

Today is Mother’s Day. Is a day when people who don’t even look at dem mother whole year suddenly does find time to show people dat dem got mother too.

Dem boys use to cry when dem see wha some mothers got to go through. Some of dem use to watch dem mother hungry and on Mother’s Day dem going and beg de same mother fuh a small piece.

But everybody know dat dis day is a special day. Dem boys was reading de papers yesterday and dem see everybody got something fuh de occasion. De business people know dat nuff does got to tek shame out of dem eye and try to show off wid de mother.

Dat is why so much things does sell at dis time. De most thing everybody offering is food. Dem mothers gon get colic.

De only other time business does be so big is during Christmas. De Garage got a basket dat got Garage Rice. Dat got to be a rice dat cook in a garage. It got four slice cake, a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of wine wid some cutters fuh $12,999. Dat is fuh four people.

Dem boys don’t know who got four mothers, or even three.

Hot and Spicy got a basket wid some

fancy food. Dem giving a bottle of nonalcoholic wine and two bottle sweet drink.

Dem don’t care if you is a diabetic.

JR giving dem mothers cow heel soup. KFC got food fuh Super Mom and fuh Dearest Mom. One getting three potato fries and one getting two. One getting three apple pie and one getting two. All of dem getting nuff fry chicken.

New Thriving got all kind of food buffet style. And you getting wine too.

De Lotto Company tek de celebration to a whole new level. If anybody win de lotto yesterday, dat person would get an extra $10 million. Some mothers play lotto whole month.

Royal Castle had a special too and it give away chocolate while stocks last. De trick is dat de chocolate gon run out after de first shopper.

Is Digicel dat tek de cake. It sell all dem cheap phone at half price. Dem boy want to know why it didn’t sell dem expensive phone at half price too.

A car dealer offer tyres pon Mother’s Day. It seh de tyres on sale. OMG offer some fancy food.

Black pepper steak fuh give dem Mothers bun stomach, red pepper fuh keep dem tail busy and coleslaw fuh slow dem down.

Talk half and Happy Mother’s Day!

operating.

In any case, the entity on its own is unable to meet the demands of the Ministry.

There were questions raised also about the secrecy of the orders by the Ministry.

No one seems to have an idea what the Ministry of Education has ordered. No one can say what was delivered and at what cost.

The Ministry insisted that it contracted GNPL for books and not any other company.

The Ministry made no mention of the price and what it ordered.

Since 2017, the orders for books have not been publicly tendered. In fact, the printing officials said, their companies have not even been pre-qualified.

“We have cases where documents we have submitted have mysteriously disappeared during the procurement phase. There is Continued on page 10

These books were supplied by the Ministry of Education sources showing that Guyana received 56-page exercise books instead of 80-page.

PAGE 10

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Attorneys involved in CCJ no-confidence appeals now await Court decision Attorneys involved in the no confidence appeals are anticipating the ruling in the historic matters.

Speaking to the media following the conclusion of the case on Friday, Attorneyat-law for the Opposition Leader, Anil Nandlall, expressed confidence in the submissions presented

behalf of the team will suffice.

“Based on the exchanges between the bar and the bench, I am confident that our appeal will be allowed and that the no confidence motion will be declared to have been validly passed.

“That is why we placed emphasis on the consequential orders that will

flow from that; winning the case is one aspect.

“I always knew that we would win. In fact, I believe this case should not have been filed in the courts in the first place.”

A t t o r n e y - a t - l a w, Devindra Kissoon, also expressed confidence in the ability of the CCJ Bench to decode and determine issues

raised in the constitutional matter.

“I am pleased with the Caribbean Court Justice’s quick grasp of the facts in law and issue and I am confident in the Court’s ability to come to a decision that is well reason that it fully appreciative of the law and culture surrounding the

issue.” Kissoon added Lawyers for the Government side declined to comment on the matter.

Attorney General Basil Williams said that the lawyers reserved their comments until after the Court rules.

However, in his presentation before the CCJ, Williams told the Court that the elections between 2001 to 2015 inclusive had been generally considered to be free of any discord or controversy. The AG also

referred to the Carter Formula, the execution of which came up for adjudication in a case brought by Zulfikar Mustapha, an executive member of the PPP and heard by the CCJ on Wednesday,.

The consolidated hearings for the cases involving Christopher Ram, Attorney General Basil Williams, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo and Joseph Harmon, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, Charrandass Persaud and Compton Herbert Reid garnered much attention from Guyanese at home and abroad.

National Printers duped...

From page 9 a lot that is wrong with the procurement of books. We understand that by exposing this we are open for discrimination but we believe that the President is a serious man who will not tolerate this.”

The President in 2016 had toured GNPL’s La Penitence operations where the conditions were noted.

Granger announced he will make funding available for the printing operations to be made more competitive and modern.

However, technical issues have plagued the corporation with a second-hand press experiencing electrical and other issues.

The printers said they have written President Granger, former Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and even Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, at varying times.

“We were not consulted for orders. GNPL will have to provide proof whether there was a tender to sub-contract and how it decided to choose a particular printer over another.

What we know is that we reading in the paper that they went to Trinidad,” an official from a prominent city printer said.

The disclosures by the printers would bolster claims that GNPL did not consult local companies to fulfill a major order by the Ministry of Education. Rather, it went to Trinidad directly.

“Here is the nonsense from GNPL. They are saying that we can’t fulfill within a particular time frame. We have been fulfilling it all the time. Then you go to Trinidad and place the same order and it can be delivered cheaper, inclusive of shipping and handling? Somebody is lying.”

Printers said they were asked to use papers that GNPL acquired elsewhere to produce exercise books.

On Wednesday, under pressure to explain why it bypassed local companies, GNPL admitted that it ordered books from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Audit Office of Guyana has said that it is preparing to investigate whether proper procurement procedures were followed and whether Guyana got value for its money.

Rackets involving the procurement of exercise and textbooks, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, have been ongoing for years now.

The Coalition Government has vowed to stamp out the corruption.

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Inherent weaknesses at GGMC, associated entities, create fertile ground for corruption - Dr. Mangal

By Kiana Wilburg One of the principal recommendations in Guyana’s first report to the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is for there to be a thorough review of the current organisational structure of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The report says that this review is critical since it will help to identify governance structures, which are best suited to bring greater accountability and transparency in all extractive industries the Commission monitors, particularly the petroleum sector.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on this front, Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal, said that he is not at all surprised that the EITI report would make such a call.

In fact, the transparency advocate posits that the inherent weaknesses at

GGMC and associated entities make them fertile ground for corruption.

The Oil Consultant said, “Immense amounts of gold were extracted from Guyana since independence, but most of that wealth must have been stolen since it has hardly benefited the country and its people. Some economists who tried to reconcile numbers, between likely production and revenue over many decades indicated that there is a huge discrepancy.”

He added, “If there has been corruption in gold on a massive scale, which is quite possible, then those responsible will hide behind secrecy and chaos. They will run official entities in opaque and haphazard ways.

“Geological and lease data which should be freely available to all citizens will only be available to a select few. Leases will be awarded in non-competitive and arbitrary ways. The well-

connected will benefit and hard-working people will not.”

Dr. Mangal said that he even had interactions with EITI representatives during his tenure as Advisor to the President on Petroleum regarding irregularities at GGMC. He said that during those engagements, he was informed that the EITI officials were not able to access many reports and documents from GGMC’s library.

Dr. Mangal said, “They could not access certain information. Reports that were supposed to be there,

weren’t. And even when reports were provided, it was clear some had been doctored.

Dates were changed. And that was from EITI directly to me.

“So I was not expecting anything different in the recent EITI final assessment.”

The Oil and Gas Consultant also stated that the weaknesses in entities like the Ministry of Natural Resources, GGMC, etc also pose a danger for the oil sector since some of the bad habits and behaviours could migrate into the new D e p a r t m e n t o f E n e rg y.

“This was a concern when we were developing the proposal for the Department of Energy. We were concerned about some possible rotten apples,” said Dr. Mangal.

He insists that GGMC and associated entities have to be fixed.

“They all need to be taken apart and rebuilt from the bottom up, otherwise the new Guyana we so desperately need, will not materialise as the oil wealth will be squandered.” the former Government Advisor concluded.

Dr. Jan Mangal

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Sunday May 05, 2019

Kaieteur News

GECOM commissioners, Tender Board head, GuySuCo officials fail to declare assets A number of commissioners attached to the Guyana Elections; head of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and several of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) are among the latest of public officials who have failed to declare their assets.

Under the laws, public officials are bound to submit a declaration of their properties and assets to the Integrity Commission, which is part of the arsenal in the fight against corruption and money laundering.

However, public officials have not been complying. A number of parliamentarians have failed to make declarations.

The Integrity Commission has been publishing names as part of a name and shame campaign.

According to the Integrity Commission, in the May 11 publication of the Official Gazette, the following officials have not complied: Ministry of Finance 1. Mr. Berkley WickhamChairman National Procurement & Tender Administration Board 2. Mr. Bernard Lord -Head of Department 3. Ms. Donna Levi -Head, Bilateral Division 4. Mr. Miguel Choo-Kang Head, Regional Planning Division 5. Ms. Denise Desouza Head, Multilateral Financial Institution

Castellani House 1. Mr. Ohene KoamaCurator (ag) National Art Gallery 2. Ms. Guneshwari Methuram —Administrator Civil Defence Commission 1. Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig - Director General (ag) Ethnic Relations Commission 1. Mr. Remington Eastman - Head, Media & Campaign Monitoring Unit Guyana Election Commission 1. Mr. Keith LowenfieldChief Election Officer/ Commissioner of National Registration 2. Mr. Robeson BennCommissioner 3. Mr. Vincent Alexander-

Commissioner 4. Mr. Charles CorbinCommissioner Guyana Energy Agency 1. Mr. William HolderHead, Fuel Marking Division Guyana Prison Service 1. Mr. Gladwin Samuels, DSM- Director of Prisons (ag) Guyana Rice Development Board 1. Mr. Claude E. Housty Chairman Guyana School of Agriculture 1. Mr. Brian GreenidgeChief Executive Officer 2. Mr. Dexter Allen Director of Administration 3. Mr. Oscar GlasgowDirector of Academic Affairs Guyana Sugar Corporation 1. Mr. Yusuf Abdul-General Manager, Factory Operations 2. Mr. Yudi Persaud-Estate Manager, Agriculture Services

3. Mr. Curbette VictorineEstate Manager-East Demerara Estate 4. Mrs. Stacy London Peters-Chief Human Resource Manager 5. Mr. Vemen WalterHuman Resource Manager 6. Mr. Shurwyn StewartHuman Resource Manager 7. Mr. Dexter WilliamsCompensation/Business Development Manager 8. Ms. Natasha SearsHuman Resource Manager 9. Ms. Kim De FreitasManager-Programme Support Human Resources and Communication 10. Mrs. Rama PersaudFinance Manager 11. Ms. Marcia PeterkinFinance Manager 12. Mr. Bisham ChetramFinance Manager 13. Ms. Bonita BristolFinance Manager 14. Mr. Phillip Rampersaud-Finance Manager 15. Mr. Gavin Ramnarain-

Head-Agriculture Research 16. Mrs. Maxine Cummings-Breeding and Selection Manager 17. Mr. Hector IsadoreHead-Information Systems 18. Mr. Dindyal WilliamsManager-Security Services 19. Mr. Vijay Gobardhan Factory Operations Manager 20. Mr. Akbar Ally-Factory Manager 21. Mr. Hutton GriffithAgriculture Manager 22. Mr. Pawan PersaudAgriculture Manager 23. Mr. Naresh NarineAgriculture Manager 24. Mr. Lance NilesFactory Manager Former Declarants who left during declaration period but are required to file a Declaration 25. Mrs. Tara PersaudFormer Corporate Planner 26. Mr. Karamchand Bramdeo-Former Estate Manager-Skeldon Estate (Continued on page 62)

Sunday May 05, 2019

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Kaieteur News

100 mothers in Region Five honoured for their role in education

The Region Five Department of Education, on Thursday, honoured 100 mothers for their significant contributions to the education system in the region through their involvement in the life of the child or children at their respective nursery, primary or secondary schools.

The award ceremony was held at the Latchmansingh Primary School under the theme: Paradise lies at the feet of mothers.

Senior Schools’ Welfare Officer (SSWO) of the region, Mrs. Gloria Davidson-James, said that over the past years, the welfare section of the Department of Education has conducted truancy campaigns and counselled children with behavioural issues throughout the region.

She said that the Department of Education believes that parental involvement is important in children’s lives.

According to Ms. Davidson-James, the initiative to honour mothers began two years ago when it was discovered that parental involvement was minimal across the region.

She said that through consultation, it was decided that a competition should start to encourage parents to become more involved in the academic life of their children.

She said that research has shown that when parents work together, children perform better, stay in school longer and are more likely to graduate.

Among the criteria considered when choosing the parents to be honoured, Ms. Davidson-James explained that parents must attend Parent-Teacher Association meetings of the school and they must be a motivator to their children, other children and parents of the school.

Delivering the feature address and representing the Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, was Technical Officer within the Ministry of Education, Ms. Simone Wills.

She commended the region for boasting an outstanding parental partnership in the school system. According to Ms. Wills, it is important to understand that such effective partnerships are

based on mutual trust, respect and shared responsibility for the educating of children.

She said that parents who show an interest in the curricula and educational methods are more able to assist their children with home assignments and monitor their study habits.

Recognising that the partnership that was recognised on Thursday is a two-way relationship, Ms. Wills noted

that for parents to be involved, the school has got to provide that inviting atmosphere and attitude that encourages parents to visit and play an active role in the

school dispensation.

The Technical Officer said that research has shown that the key to any successful school is positive parental involvement.

“Three ways of providing such mutual exchange are open lines of communication, maintain the house-school connection and tackle (Continued on page 62)

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Sunday May 05, 2019

Kaieteur News

Fake CARICOM skills certificates detected in the region G r e n a d a (thenewtoday.gd)- Grenada is among six CARICOM countries that have been on the receiving end of fake skills certificates from CARICOM nationals, especially Jamai-

cans who are seeking employment.

This was confirmed by Minister of CARICOM Affairs, Oliver Joseph, at Tuesdays post-Cabinet Press Briefing in which he told re-

porters that the matter was discussed at the recently held Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting in Guyana.

According to Minister Joseph, Grenada had two re-

ported cases in 2018 where fake skills certificates were presented to obtain employment and Jamaica has been recognised as the country where most of the culprits came from.

At the COTED meeting, Minister Joseph said it was decided that the skills certificates should be standardised in an effort to eradicate the issue.

“That was discussed at the COTED meeting that I just came from a number of fake certificates. The meeting took a decision on security features for these certificates, and Jamaica has been identified, as the country that the most fake certificates came from, and so they gave a commitment the Jamaica delegation to introduce security features in it that will ensure that

no one could fake the certificate,” he said. “…In Grenada, I know there were two reported cases. In some member states it was higher these fake skills certificates and the meeting did address that. The recommendation is that we should standardise the certificate with the security features in it, so that you minimise or get (Continued on page 62)

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Mother's Day Treat

T

he Cosmetology class at the Guyana Foundation's Sunrise Centre, headed by Facilitator Gem Britton, decided to offer free manicures, pedicures and facials to members of the public.

This was a special treat for mothers on the occasion of Mother's Day. The event was held on Wednesday at the Anna Regina Car Park, Essequibo. All 22 students were able to put into practice what they had learned over the past few months.

In excess of 100 persons came to enjoy the free services offered by the team. This included some men who could not wait for Father's Day. The event came to a close at 17:30 hours. The supporting group was unable to cope with the number of persons who wanted to enjoy this experience, which they normally would not be able to afford.

Though it was a tough day for the girls, they had fun; they enjoyed what they did.

They gained valuable experience. They shared information with their clients about the work of the Sunrise Centre and made many new friends.

Supriya Singh-Bodden, Founder of the Guyana Foundation, was delighted at the turn out and would like to repeat the event for Father's Day. Wellness is so very important, she said. Often times we go through life so busy trying to stay alive, to earn, to provide for those around us and we forget that there is only so much the human body and mind can take.

Our physical well-being and our mental well-being must take centre stage. If we can help with these small initiatives to offer care and advice to those persons who really cannot afford these types of services, then we are happy to do so.

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Sunday May 12, 2019

This week’s beauty is the founder and lead dancer of the Ishara Dance Troupe, Shivanie Latchman.

She is also Mrs. India Guyana Worldwide 2018. The Guyanese beauty, who was once a Miss Universe Guyana delegate, hails from Diamond/Grove, on the East Bank Demerara, and holds a Diploma in computer studies and a Diploma in marketing. She is a firm believer in the power of humility and kindness.

Shivanie Latchman

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Outstanding Mother and Midwife,

Carol Trotz,

By Sharmain Grainger

T

oday can easily be classified as an especially auspicious day for two reasons – it is Mother's Day and International Nurses' Day across the globe and here in Guyana, we are certainly taking time to celebrate them both.

Mother's Day or the second Sunday of May is designated the day to honour women across the world who have either given birth to children or simply taken on the role of a mother and helped to raise children and transform them into productive human beings.

The celebration of International Nurses' Day on the other hand is intended to pay homage to a woman – Florence Nightingale – who is believed to be the pioneer of nursing, on her birth date – May 12.

International Nurses' Day this year is being observed under the theme: ”Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.” To help commemorate this day, we at Kaieteur News have chosen to recognise a woman who recently found

is a 'Special Person'

herself in the news, and as you may have guessed, she is both an outstanding nurse and a mother too. We rather suspect that her qualities as a mother might have helped to enhance her nursing skills, for she has only gotten better over the years and her colleagues can attest to that.

Deservedly taking the spotlight today is none other than Midwife at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], Ms. Carol Trotz. From my interaction with her, she is a simple and very modest soul, who, up to the time of her interview, didn't even think she was worthy of such recognition, which only amplified just how suitable a candidate she is for our 'Special Person' tribute today.

EARLY DAYS A nurse for almost three decades, Carol, was born on September 11, 1964, and raised in the small and relatively quiet village of Ruby, East Bank Essequibo,

which she recalled was a Dutch Plantation back in the day. The village of her birth, she explained, is situated about three miles away from Parika – the business hub of the East Bank Essequibo area.

Her parents, Alice and Felix Trotz, who are both deceased, raised nine children – five boys and four girls – of which she is the seventh. The patriarch of the

School before moving on to Meten-Meer-Zorg Secondary, which, she noted, has since been transformed into a Mosque.

DESTINED FORTE Although she eventually delved into the nursing field, Carol confided that had she had her way, she would have been aiming for a career as a cricketer. This was not to be.

In fact, she remembers all

“

To be a good nurse or midwife, you have to focus and love what you do. If you don't love what you do, you will get nowhere… you will do an anyhow job, and that simply cannot cut it in this profession. If you love what you do, you will do a perfect job.

household was the main breadwinner and did so as a supervisor at the Uitvlugt Estate, while the matriarch was a homemaker and indulged in a bit of cash crop farming.

“When I was growing up, I was a little Tom Boy…I used to do lot of climbing and playing cricket, and I used to get a lot of licks for that,” Carol divulged, as she reminisced on her young days. Swimming was also a favourite pastime of hers, since the family's home was situated close to a very inviting waterway, a smiling Carol recounted.

As she took the time to journey down memory lane, Carol recalled gaining her early education at Greenwich Park Primary

”

too well her mother encouraging her to pursue secretarial studies, a direction that, even as a young lass, she completely rejected. The family was, however, able to come to a compromise with the blossoming Carol, and before long she was travelling to Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, to undergo First Aid training at the St. John's Ambulance Brigade.

She was comfortable with this choice, as she had gained some knowledge about first aid while at secondary school. By the time her First Aid training was completed, which also included care for the elderly, the next logical move for Carol was to apply for

Midwife Carol Trotz is a 'Special Person' nursing training, which was being offered at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

“I didn't very much like the idea of becoming a nurse at first, but when I started training as a nurse I found that it was a profession in which you had to be very loving, and I liked that…I love nursing,” Carol quietly intimated, even as she tried to remember the eureka moment when she knew this was her destined forte.

Nevertheless, she did remember that her training batch was the last batch of nurses in training to be attired in yellow dresses.

Nurses in training ever since are recognised by their white dresses accentuated with yellow belts.

According to Carol, although her entrance into nursing in 1989 was intense, it certainly instilled in her a passion that has since become an ingrained part of her existence. In essence, she lives to be a nurse and couldn't imagine her life taking any other course.

“When I was in training, everything had to be done with care and in a timely fashion…checking a patient's vital signs had to be done four-hourly…it had to be done, you didn't have an

An outstanding mother and her two loving children, Cleroy and Chevell

In the embrace of her partner, Leroy Beckles

option; changing patients' positions had to be done. You couldn't do as you liked when you were assigned to a ward, because a supervisor was always there checking on you to ensure that you were doing what was expected of you,” Carol shared.

Despite the intense supervision, she recalled that even as a nurse in training, she was able to take pride in the outcome of her handiwork.

“When you are done and you see your ward looking clean and tidy, you felt really good about it,” said Carol, whose first nursing portfolio was as a Nursing Assistant.

MIDWIFERY She remembered being posted to Lethem to complete a requisite outstation appointment upon completion of her training, before returning to the Georgetown Hospital to continue her practice. It was upon her return from Lethem, about one year, three months later, that she decided that she wanted to further advance her nursing abilities by pursuing training as a midwife.

Midwifery is regarded a crucial aspect of health care which deals with pregnancy, childbirth as well as the postpartum period, in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives.

Carol revealed that while she didn't have midwifery in mind at first, she was inspired to take this path after independently delivering the last of her two children at home. Carol is mother to Cleroy and Chevell, who she procreated with her partner of 33 years, Leroy Beckles, with whom she currently enjoys a comfortable and happy life at Parfait Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara.

“Delivering my daughter myself inspired me to (continued on page 51)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 23

The winner takes it all The winner takes it all The loser standing small The winner takes it all The loser has to fall.

The above title and select lines of two verses are from a song made popular in the 1970's by the pop group Abba.

It has nothing to do with politics, but can be applied to the Westminster political system in which the winner takes all of the spoils and the loser walks away emptyhanded.

It is this feature of Westminster government which, when in opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) promised to upturn. Four years have passed since the APNU+AFC coalition promised a new system of governance.

APNU went further than the AFC. It said that it would involve the PPPC in the government. It called on the PPPC to embrace inclusive governance and abandon the winner takes all attitude.

The then beleaguered PPPC administration said that APNU was being hypocritical, because of its inflexible stance in the National Assembly in which, with the AFC, it held a oneseat majority.

It pointed to the situation in which APNU consorted with the AFC to grab both the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, when past tradition under the Westminster system, had seen the government side and the opposition share these spoils.

In the run-up to the 2011 elections, APNU said that if it won political office, it

would move towards this shared governance, and that the People's Progressive Party would be part of any power sharing government.

APNU made it clear that any government it formed would include the PPP. This was also APNU's position when it joined in a coalition with the AFC to contest the 2015 general and regional elections.

The PPPC has never been genuinely interested in shared governance. The PPPC has bailed out of any meaningful commitment to share power, by insisting that political trust was necessary before such a system could work. The PPPC, whenever confronted with its failure to move towards greater shared governance, has always sought refuge in the need for trust.

Recognizing the PPPC's indifference to shared governance, APNU made it clear, as the 2011 and 2015 elections approached, that the only way that shared governance could be achieved was if APNU won the elections.

The winning of political power was the only means through which a system of shared governance would be achieved.

Yet despite its advocacy of a system of shared governance, APNU in its pact with the AFC did not spell out the need to make accommodation for PPPC involvement in the government, but it did not abandon also, its intention to do so. There was no mention i n t h e C u m m i n g s b u rg Accord that any government that emerged from the APNU+AFC coalition would pursue the ideal of

shared governance involving the PPPC. The AFC has never been interested in shared governance.

The AFC has always been interested in power, political power. It is so keen on political power that there is an internal squabble about who should become the next Prime Ministerial candidate, even though there is no guarantee that the AFC will be assured of the Prime Ministerial slot as part of the negotiations for a coalition with APNU for the next

elections.

In the run-up to the 2015 elections, APNU began to change its tune. It began to speak about a wider system of inclusive governance.

Under this system, it included offering public positions, including that of the Speaker of the National Assembly, being handed out to persons in civil society.

This promise to share out of positions is what APNU and the AFC proposed as a system of inclusive democracy. Instead of shared governance involving the

PPPC, there was a new proposal for inclusive governance.

But the APNU+AFC coalition could not even stick to its word to have a system of inclusive governance. It breached its own promise of a half-baked system of inclusive governance.

The so-called involvement of civil society persons in public offices has hardly materialised. Instead, there has been a system of grabbing the spoils and sharing them out mainly

between the supporters of the AFC and APNU. Civil society has been left out in the cold.

Four years after it came to power, the APNU+AFC coalition has left its mark in terms of shared and inclusive governance. It has totally discredited those concepts.

The winner continues to take it all.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 12, 2019

BELIZE: The people have spoken, politicians should respect them

By Sir Ronald Sanders

A

s territorial claims go, Guatemala's claim to all – every square inch - of Belize is, perhaps, the most outrageous. The only thing that is more outrageous than the scale of the claim is the argument on which it is based.

In this context, it would have been right to expect the

Belizean electorate, at a referendum held on May 8, to vote a resounding 'yes' to the question: "Do you agree that any legal claim of Guatemala against Belize relating to land and insular territories and to any maritime areas pertaining to these territories should be submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for final settlement and that it

determine finally the boundaries of the respective territories and areas of the Parties?"

As it happened, early counts show that 55.38 per cent of the voters gave their consent. At its referendum in April 2018, the majority of the Guatemalan electorate, that turned out to vote, also assented to submitting the territorial issue to the ICJ. Interestingly, unlike the

high voter turn-out, just shy of 65 per cent in Belize, only 26.65 per cent of the electorate in Guatemala showed up for the referendum, although 95.88 per cent of them voted yes.

Therefore, there was remarkably little interest by the Guatemalans in an ICJ decision that might quash the claim to Belize. But, a high degree of concern by Belizeans about the possible

loss of their country.

In the end, the majority of the Belizean voters put their faith in the legality of their cause, and the renowned fairness of the Justices of the ICJ. The Guatemala territorial claim will now head to The Hague in the Netherlands for a peaceful and legal settlement after decades of threats to the territorial integrity and security of Belize by successive Guatemala governments and their military.

Indeed, no one born since Belize became independent from Britain in 1981, knows a single day in which their lives have not been overshadowed by the Guatemala claim.

The country's development, despite the threats, has been remarkable, but it tells a story of how much more economically and socially advanced Belize could have been had this unremitting peril not hung over its head like the sword of Damocles.

The ICJ will have to determine the merits of the Guatemalan claim which, basically, is the allegation that is has been dispossessed

Sir Ronald Sanders of the territory, constituting Belize, by British settlement.

It also asserts that one clause of an ancient and arcane Treaty, which it signed with Britain in 1859, establishes the rights of its claim. For its part, Britain flatly rejected the Guatemalan argument from the outset.

Beyond the fantasy of rights accorded under one clause of the 1859 Treaty, Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, who was President of the International Court of Justice (1997-2000), has pointed out that: “The title of Great Britain and, since independence, of Belize (over all of Belizean territory), is also sustained by considerations of customary international law.

Britain initially acquired title to the territory of Belize by occupation beyond the limits of the Anglo-Spanish Treaties of 1783 and 1786 as far south as the River Sarstoon prior to the acquisition of independence (continued on page 49)

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

The APNU+AFC Coalition after four years and why the PPP should not come back by itself Yesterday , May 11, marked the fourth anniversary of the coming to power of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

The government and one of its constituent parties, the AFC, have issued statements which highlight the achievements of the administration. Since the PNC has not issued a separate statement, one can assume that the government’s statement reflects the views of that party.

The WPA is not usually consulted by the government or APNU on such matters, and because there is no consensus among that party’ s leadership on the Coalition’s tenure, the public is not likely to hear from Rodney House.

It is safe to say that by the time the fifth anniversary comes around, a new government would be in place—either the Coalition would be re-elected, or the PPP would be returned to power. So, this anniversary takes on added significance—it is the last anniversary for the Coalition to make its case for reelection.

Towards this end, the government’s statement is important. The statement skillfully tries to make the case that no other government since independence has done so much for the country in its first four years. It enumerates a long list of achievements in the areas of public infrastructure, on human rights and press freedom and strides in “social cohesion”.

The AFC’s statement concentrates on what it refers to as “developmental” issues particularly in the area of public infrastructure.

I have no quarrel with the government celebrating its achievements—that is what governments and governing parties do. And since we are into the election season, it is quite in order for them to make their pitch to the electorate, even if they inflate their performance. It is also in order for them to compare themselves to the previous government. In this regard, the government’s statement was quite strong—it draws attention to its success in

putting breaks on the criminalized-narco State which took root under the previous government.

Although the AFC statement admitted that more could have been done, neither statement highlighted the challenges the government faced and how it dealt with sensitive issues. To do so would have been unprecedented. But, as I read the statements, I thought they missed an opportunity to preempt the opposition, by trying to put into context their unfulfilled promises and the errors in judgement. So, I believe the statements spoke to the faithful, but ignored that critical and skeptical constituency which is going to be critical to the Coalition’s chances of retaining the government.

For me, the Coalition has indeed done a fairly good job in the area of human rights— it has not expanded the police state it met, even if it has not dismantled it. For the first time since independence we have not seen a government locking up opposition members for their political activities or shooting them down in the streets. This is a significant achievement. Had it been matched by similar achievements in the economy, in race relations and in constitutional reform, we could have witnessed some small degree of social transformation.

In the final analysis, Guyana’s biggest challenges lie in its institutionalized poverty, in its entrenched ethnic insecurity, in its overpowering authoritarian state and in an insane government intolerance of dissent. After almost six decades of independence, we have not mustered the necessary will and vision needed to arrest these endemic problems. Party politics and its attendant ethno-political tribalism have stood in the way of this will and vision.

The history of slavebondage and colonialism meant that political independence had to be a

project grounded in social, economic and political transformation—turning plantations into viable nation-states in a world that is inhospitable to such projects. Institutionalized economic poverty, socioeconomic inequality, undeveloped political institutions, ethnic insecurity and fear are barriers to transformation—they have to be overcome. Any serious government must tackle those deformities.

The Burnham government, as the first postcolonial government, logically had to confront the need to transform the society from its sordid past. It attempted to tackle the problem by initiating some revolutionary policies, but lost its way when it opted for authoritarian rule, electoral malpractice and party paramountcy.

The PPP government that followed totally ignored social transformation and opted to criminalize the authoritarian state it inherited as it promoted elite accumulation of wealth within the context of ethnic domination. So, by the time the Coalition took power in May 2015, it was saddled with the burden of turning the country in the opposite direction.

The movement towards a plural form of government, in the form of the Coalition, promised to break with the old politics and pave the way for the necessary creative social and political engineering. But the experience of the last four years has shown that we have not reached that level of maturity in our politics. The plural intent of the voters has not been matched by a similar intent on the part of the leaders, who found it difficult to balance party interests with a national-plural praxis. So, the Coalition in government was at best an uncomfortable patchwork of parties and individuals with no pretense of transformation.

It is that transformation that the unrepentant PPP feared the most. For, the more

The Baccoo Speaks An unusual accident will occur on the waters. A boat would catch fire because of a faulty fuel line. There will be early attempts to out it, but panic will also set in.

People will jump overboard.

Fortunately they will be wearing life vests. ** Berbice is the hive of criminal activities at this time. Some bandits will

invade a home on the lower Corentyne but they would not get away. The community

would respond with a vengeance common when communities capture violent men. ** In some areas it is common for people to steal electricity. However, the connections always pose a threat to passersby.That will be the case when a man would be electrocuted by wires running in a waterway.

transformational the country’s political economy becomes, the more difficult it is for the PPP and the old PNC to continue to traffic in the old politics. A transformation in the economic direction of the country, in our ethnic politics, in our notion of democratic governance, would inspire new thinking within the population, which would in turn serve as a barrier to political backwardness.

The electorate must be wary of returning the PPP to power by itself in a sociopolitical environment that has not undergone any transformation. In a strange way, Mr. Jagdeo’s recent statement that the mistakes of the Coalition have made it

easier for the PPP to return to power has some logic to it.

But I want to pose a different logic. The limited success of the Coalition in bringing about large transformation, ironically is the reason it should be returned to office.

Let me explain. I rather a government that puts a break on the criminalized State than one that would expand such a state. I prefer a government that would not shoot at opposition protestors than one that would not hesitate to order the police to shoot.

The current environment of neo-liberal economics combined with precarious constitutional arrangements and extreme ethnic fear is ready-made for the PPP to

Dr David Hinds resurrect the criminalized state and ethno-political domination.

More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ GuyanaCaribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www. g u y a n a c a r i b b e a n politics.news.

Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

IT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE IN GOOD OLD GUYANA

By Michael Jordan

Who would strangle a five-year-old girl after having a dream about ‘Dutch gold’ buried in their backyard? Or stab a nine-year-old boy to death and dump his corpse in a latrine?

And who would squeeze the life out of a newborn on the orders of a so-called ‘spiritualist’ in the hope of getting a visa to the United States?

The answer: people right here in good old Guyana.

People who believe that sacrificing a child to various spirits will bring them wealth, or good fortune, or cure an incurable illness.

We friendly, hospitable Guyanese may not like to admit it, but cases like these have been with us for as long as we have had a police force.

Perhaps the most infamous case occurred in the fifties. It has become known as the Lilawattie murder.

It happened in the quiet little community of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam. It all started when a woman, Kathleen Fullerton, dreamed that a demon-like man told her that there was

Dutch gold buried in her backyard. The man in the dream told Fullerton that she could get her hands on the gold if she sacrificed a child.

The dream had come at a time when Fullerton and her husband, Edward, were going through very hard times. She consulted her brother, Eric Benfield, who also lived in Stanleytown with his reputed wife, Dorothy Brutus.

Eric, known as ‘Shave Ice man’, had a deep interest in the occult, and often held ‘spiritual’ sessions in his apartment.

He immediately hatched a diabolical plan.

Eric and his spouse lived in a back apartment in the same building with their landlady, who had a five-yearold daughter named Lilawattie. He decided that his landlady’s little daughter would be the perfect sacrifice.

With the help of his sister, Kathleen and her husband Edward, Eric killed the child and hid her in his apartment.

However, the landlady soon realised that her daughter was missing and a search was launched for the missing child.

One woman, who

remembered the case, said that the culprits hid the dead child under their mattress when the child’s mother came to their apartment to see if Lilawattie was there.

When they thought that the coast was clear, they dumped the body in a nearby latrine.

However, suspicion fell on them, and police eventually searched the latrine and recovered the body.

For that crime, Eric Benfield, Edward Fullerton and his wife, Kathleen, were all hanged.

But strange as it may seem, in these enlightened times of computers and the internet, there are still some people who practice ritual murder for gain.

One such man was Michael De Noon.

In 1993, according to police, Michael de Noon, a young father, somehow got it into his head that he could acquire a US visa if he sacrificed his newborn daughter, Mary, to the ‘spirits’.

Reportedly acting on the advice of a female ‘spiritualist’, De Noon forced

his wife to take their baby in the dead of night to a desolate spot at the Lamaha Canal. He then muttered an incantation, threw some money in the still black water, and strangled his baby daughter.

De Noon dumped the corpse into the water. He then forced his wife to accompany him to a city hotel. But while he slept, the woman sneaked out of the hotel and went to the police. She then took detectives to the spot where Michael De Noon had disposed of his daughter’s body. De Noon was arrested and charged.

However, the coldblooded killer died in the Georgetown Prison without facing a high court trial.

Another child sacrifice occurred a little more than fifteen years ago. This time the victim was nine-year-old Daniel Netram.

Daniel, nicknamed ‘Jackie Chan’, disappeared from his home at Brickery, East Bank Demerara on September 21, 2003.

According to police reports, Daniel was last seen alive at around 18:00 hrs, when he and a brother went to fetch water a short distance

from their home. But instead of returning home, Daniel reportedly told his brother that he was going to visit a man known to the family, who lived in Brickery.

The lad’s mutilated body was found four days later in a latrine aback of an abandoned property. The corpse bore three stab wounds to the chest and one behind the neck. His left arm was severed at the wrist and his head was shaven.

Detectives believe that the boy was murdered by an East Bank Demerara couple, on the orders of an ‘obeah man’, who said that offering the lad as a sacrifice would rid them of an incurable disease.

Police reportedly acquired a statement from a woman who claimed that she witnessed her husband and another man killing the nineyear-old and dumping him in a pit latrine at Brickery.

Indications were that the prime suspect made unsuccessful attempts on an older boy in the community.

However, that child had reportedly managed to escape.

Detectives believed that Daniel unwittingly sealed his fate when he went to visit the home of one of the suspects after he was sent to fetch water. The suspect’s wife reportedly said she saw when the lad was killed, mutilated, and placed in a bag.

Acting on this information, detectives arrested a woman, her husband and a so-called ‘spiritual healer’ from Greater Georgetown.

Two people were charged with Daniel’s murder, but the case against them was dismissed.

If you have information about any unusual case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices.

You can also reach us on telephone numbers 592-2258458, 592-225-8465, 592225-8473, 592-225-8491 or contact Michael Jordan at his email address: kamarangnight@gmail.com.

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

History will judge me, Lincoln Lewis and this tragic nation Anyone that monitors world affairs will tell you that there is a crescendo of hate against non-white people in countries where the population is predominantly of the Caucasian race. In the 21st century, the crudities and cruelties of racism are more pronounced than before.

In the midst of this raging anthropological sadism, a Guyanese of all people wrote a disturbing and condescending analysis of foreigners coming to take away Guyanese wealth. What shocked me was the style and shape of the language (see my column, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, “Is Lincoln Lewis the Black version of White fascism?”) of Lincoln, a friend of mine and important to note, a trade unionist. I was appalled at the semantics, because they were straight out of the songbook of the deadly white racist leaders that have taken over in so many important countries.

Here are Lewis’s words; “We are a small nation in population size and the only English-speaking country in

South America. Unplanned immigration brings with it consequences such as stress on the education and health services, housing overrun, the creation of slums, and our resources exploited by others willing to undersell their labour. We also face a crisis of submerging our culture further. This threat comes from others who do not speak our language and share a common culture... we also face a crisis of submerging our culture… we are facing a pending catastrophe which we must seek to avoid at all cost.”

The TUC generalsecretary went on to say that these foreigners are coming at a time when “we are on the cusp of economic greatness.”

Lewis’s outburst should be analysed in terms of philosophy not politics in Guyana. Humans are flawed creatures that rely on jingoism, patriotism and nationalism, to preserve what they think is their superiority over other types of humans.

You would never believe those words would come from

a prominent public figure in one of the poorest countries in the world. But that is not the shocking part. Here are the terrible dimensions to Lewis’s xenophobia.

First, the last person to speak those words should be a Guyanese. If you use the logics of Lewis, Guyanese have gone abroad in hundreds of thousands and have taken the economic greatness of other nations.

Using Lewis’s logics, these countries should stop Guyanese from coming to their lands.

Here is the evidence of Guyanese usurping the space of the citizens of other countries.

The World Bank published that 82 percent of the holders of tertiary education in Guyana permanently migrate. Do they take jobs from Canadians and Americans?

In every major sector in Guyana (business, politics, the professionals), the top layers have their families abroad. You just select the names of a prominent

business family or the name of a top professional in any area - law, accountancy, engineering, medicine, academia, science – the family lives abroad and the children are citizens of the countries they reside in.

Do Guyanese know that Mr. Lewis’s wife who likes to write and criticise me, has been living in the US for decades now?

The second dimension relates to migration figures.

About 5,000 families leave these shores every year. Are they going to take the economic greatness of their adopted lands? Lewis’s argument that Guyana is small and poor is untenable.

Only 14 percent of the land mass of Canada is habitable (Google it) and they have 37 million souls to look after.

Why is Canada letting Guyanese go and take Canada’s economic

greatness?

Guyanese are pouring into the US. Large numbers have not returned after obtaining visitors’ visas. The US has a large population with 327 million citizens to look after. Why are Guyanese going to take the economic greatness of the US? The third dimension is the total silence that has greeted Lewis’s xenophobic exclamations shows you what an ungrateful, inhuman people Guyanese are.

Once Lewis echoed those unphilosophical sentiments, there should have been countless Guyanese denouncing him, because countless Guyanese are enjoying the economic greatness of other nations.

Little Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad, Cayenne, Suriname, are hosts to huge numbers of legal and illegal Guyanese.

The human condition is a

Frederick Kissoon miserable one. But civilization has survived because humans have rejected Hobbesian life and have endeavoured to love and help others not of their same culture. Martin Heidegger, the profound, existentialist German thinker wrote that our journey is essentially a time bound one, in which we can discover our being and use that being to discover the meaning of our essential purposes.

Out of our discovery of the meaning of being, we discover others. Sartre says there is no god; we are our own god and we must act as God. In other words, help others.

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Minister Gaskin has created a lasting legacy The Alliance For Change congratulates Member of Parliament and Chairman of the party’s Regional Management Committee for Region 2, Haimraj Rajkumar on being appointed Minister of Business. He has replaced the party’s Treasurer, Dominic Gaskin, who became a Parliamentarian in 2011 and then Minister of Business from May 2015 to April 2019.

The AFC is grateful for the stellar service given by Mr. Gaskin and we do look forward to his continued engagement in the development of Guyana.

Leader of the party, Raphael Trotman, highly commended his fellow believer in one united Guyana, while highlighting the many successful initiatives Gaskin led as Minister of Business. One of his larger projects has been

the Lethem Industrial Estate which today is nearing completion, scheduled for the third quarter of this year.

The Lethem Industrial estate is going to serve as a business incubator, a home for start-up businesses not only in Region 9, but anywhere else in and outside of Guyana.

It will also provide the facilities for trade and marketing networks in a large variety of enterprises, from manufacturing to hospitality, ICT, Health and even education services.

One of the Government’s big expectations is the Lethem estate will make it easier for Guyanese businessmen and women to partner with their counterparts in Brazil, especially in Roraima, Para, Boa Vista and Amazonas states.

We recall that around 2011, a Brazilian contingent of business owners and business support organizations came to Guyana to meet with their counterparts here and further discussions that had already started about using Guyana’s network of roads and rivers to transport Brazilian goods like soya beans to Port Georgetown.

You see, the distance between the Takutu Bridge and Georgetown is much less than the distance between their states in the north and the Brazilian Atlantic coast.

The business owners calculate that it would cost them much less in fees, time and transportation logistics if they constructed silos and warehouses in Lethem and surrounding communities

to store their grain and even industrial equipment before transporting them by road and river to Port Georgetown, and on to ocean-going vessels.

Of course, the proposals then would have brought a whole lot of benefits for Guyana. The Brazilian state governments were prepared to resurface/pave the Lethem-Linden corridor and other secondary roads.

They were going to help fund hydropower plants at several of Guyana’s waterfalls, transport some of the power to Brazil while Guyana was required to put in the infrastructure to transport and distribute the remaining megawatts of power throughout the Hinterland all the way to the city.

Some of the Brazilian business owners who came with the visiting contingent in 2011 were interested in direct investments in Guyana … and they still are.

They saw that our soil is very rich and today they are still interested in planting corn, soya and other beans, rearing cattle, and planting the species of trees that are most suitable for making paper in Guyana’s hinterland savannahs.

Guyanese farmers, especially in the poultry industry, have already received some input from their Brazilian counterparts and these trading relationships are expected to grow.

For no reason we could figure out, these generous offers from the Brazilian government were turned down by the previous

government, and not too long after, the Federative Republic of Brazil fell into a recession.

Today that fire is lit again.

This Industrial Estate is definitely going to develop the business environment in the middle Rupununi plus enhance economic cooperation between Guyana and Brazil.

E m p l o y m e n t opportunities will open up for residents of the communities in Central and Northern Rupununi.

Tourism and all the spinoff services like guiding, boating, caiman spotting, and trekking through our rainforests in search of wild plants that international pharmacists and makers of cosmetics pay millions for, should blossom. Think about the range of services that our people will be offering. T hink about the possibilities that this incubator is providing for the development of a labelling and packaging industry in Guyana.

Actually, the idea of an Industrial Estate in Lethem was raised since 2004 but not much was done, except a half-hearted effort to revive the old plan while the Brazilian contingent was visiting in 2011. It wasn’t until 2015 that this government drew up a viable plan for this huge industrial estate.

Leaders in the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce said, “We applaud Minister (Dominic) Gaskin’s determination to develop this modern, functional industrial location … we stand by his vision to develop within the estate, an area that will help the environment, an initiative

that is in keeping with the Green State Development Strategy…”.

Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock said, “I must commend Minister Gaskin and team for getting to this level. We are looking up in business in this region, and we have lots of businessmen willing to help us develop this region and the country, from Brazil.

This project will be of benefit to us. I am so happy to see once again this kind of development taking place in this region and once we work together, we can. I must thank the Government of Guyana and we will continue to work together”.

The Lethem Industrial Estate is located at Bon Success on the right bank of the Takutu River in Region 9, and it occupies about 70 acres of land. More than $1Billion has been spent so far, and before he demitted office, Mr. Gaskin had said that an additional $500 Million was needed to complete and open the Industrial estate for business.

The AFC takes this opportunity to extend a hearty welcome to our new Minister of Business, Hon. Haimraj Bernard Rajkumar.

He has been a practising attorney on the Essequibo Coast for 12 years, having graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School and being admitted to the Guyana Bar (2007).

He has accumulated a broad range of experience in the private business sector since he acquired university diplomas in Marketing and Pharmacy, and actually worked as a Pharmacist for more than 15 years.

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

My column

TO MOTHERS WITH LOVE Today is Mother’s Day. It is the day when Guyana, like many countries in the world, pay tribute to mothers. In the days leading up to today, there was a lot of activity.

People flooded the shops and the stores to get something to make the day memorable.

It comes as no surprise that people get caught up, many trying to show the world how much their mothers mean to them. And indeed mothers are the people who actually hold the world together. They are the hands that rock the proverbial cradle, who nurture us as we grow into adulthood.

For me, all I have are memories, because my mother is not here with me. It is not that she is dead. Rather, she lives overseas with one of my sisters. And they are all breaking their necks trying to keep the old queen happy.

And they have every reason to.

There were eight of us with me being the eldest. My stepfather was a fixture. He would go to work, at least he left home to. We knew otherwise when it was payday. He always had an excuse for bringing home precious little by way of money to keep the house going.

As I got older and a bit educated, I understood that there are people, no matter what, that have a problem working. I also understood self-gratification.

My father worked with the Public Works Department as a pump attendant. It was an easy job. All he had to do

was maintain the pump and ensure that it was working when it was time to drain the land.

On those days when my mother sought from his supervisor why his pay was short, she would learn that he would sometimes leave the pump house to go with friends for a drink. And he was no drinker. So after a short while, he would return to the pump house and promptly find a place to sleep.

My mother, a young woman then, was not one to sit down and hope. She made me learn to climb a coconut tree for the branches to make the coconut broom, which brought in money. We also cut calabashes to make utensils.

On Saturdays, she would take me and another brother on a long walk to the Leonora market where we peddled our wares. That money would then buy things for the table. It was not easy.

I remember my mother taking me on a walk from Den Amstel to Vreed-en-Hoop.

She did not have money to pay transportation. I really walked. Things that people took for granted were missing from my home. But we had love although I did not know it at the time.

That mother was a word and a blow. I was hit or whipped for the slightest mistake. I remember getting a licking because I passed a woman on the streets without greeting her. She ran a tight ship and today I am thankful

for it.

When we moved back to Beterverwagting from Den Amstel, I quickly made friends, some of whom knew the streets. They were not averse to helping themselves to the property of others. I always balked, not because of anything other than my mother would have killed me had I been caught. She was the difference between me and the streets.

There came a time when I thought I had grown and was old enough to make my own decisions. She had other ideas. I was forced to comply.

One moment still stands sharply in my mind. I got a teaching job at Bartica. I did not know where Bartica was.

I knew that it was away from home.

My mother had to borrow money for the fare to get me there. That morning, about three o’clock, we left home for the Transport and Harbours Department stelling at Kingston. We did not know that we could have left home much later, travel to the Georgetown Ferry Stelling and cross by boat to Vreeden-Hoop.

I would then have had to take the train to Parika. Driving was out of the question because the road was almost impassable.

Tractors perhaps, but not cars could use them.

That morning, I boarded the vessel for the trip to Bartica, venturing out into the Atlantic and vomiting my guts out when the boat rocked. I always tell people that I started life with five

dollars. That was all the money she could give me to settle down in Bartica.

With me working, life became progressively easy. I look back and see how hard the woman who brought me into the world worked to give her children a start.

And she was so simple. I took her to dinner for one of her birthdays. We sat down and she asked me whether I would have to spend a lot of money or not. It told her that it was alright. I don’t remember what the menu was.

I remember when I paid the bill, she said that I could have given her the money.

I laughed and gave her more than the food bill. Don’t think she was satisfied. She insisted that I would have

been able to give her more.

Today, she wants for nothing. We have done well and we all thank her for her dedication to keeping us alive.

She gets money; she goes to Atlantic City, gambles with $20 and feels on top of the moon if she should come out ahead.

One day, my sister sent her the usual package. She already had a sizeable birthday package from Glenn Lall. That woman began to talk about opening a bank account. We had to let her know that she was getting money to spend.

So she came to Guyana on a usual vacation with my sister. Her youngest child, a grown man of 55, visits her and she sticks her hand in her

Adam Harris bosom and gives him money.

Today, she would be feted. She would get phone calls from everybody, me included, and we would all thank the Lord for giving us such a mother. She never had to line up outside a jail because of her stern control.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, more particularly my own.

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

A cohesive community…an inclusive destiny (Excerpts from HE David Granger’s address on the occasion of Arrival Day, May 5, 2019) Arrival Day is a national celebration. It commemorates the combination and culmination of events which led to the creation of this nation. It is the face of the population and the foundation of society.

Portuguese Arrival Day was observed on 3rd May to mark the arrival of the first indentured immigrants from the Madeira Islands in 1835.

Chinese Arrival Day was observed on 12th January to mark the arrival of the first Chinese migrants in 1853.

Indian Arrival Day is observed on 5th May to mark the arrival of the first Indian migrants in 1838.

Arrival Day is a national holiday. It coincides with the observance of Indian Arrival Day. The inauguration of Indian the Immigration Monument in East-Berbice Corentyne Region and the observance of these arrivals are three reasons for jubilation.

Arrival Day celebrates the contributions of all of our peoples – Amerindians, Africans, Asians and Europeans. Our nation was established on the foundation of their sacrifices

and achievements.

Arrival Day recognizes the nation’s diversity. It signifies the creation of a conglomeration of cultures.

The nation is multicultural and each culture enriches national integration despite differences in peoples’ origins.

Multiculturalism has overcome historic challenges.

All ethnic groups, particularly after the emancipation of enslaved Africans in 1838, were brought together in a common geographic space.

Little attention was paid to how these various groups with different cultures would coexist cohesively. It is the challenge of the present generation to overcome those differences and to continue to construct a cohesive country.

The nation can develop to its fullest only if it harnesses the potential of the entire population. Conditions have to be created to ensure that our peoples could live together in harmony.

It is for this reason that we are pursuing the realisation of a cohesive state in which all of our people will be recognised and respected.

A cohesive state is vital to ensuring a sustainable, safe and secure environment for present and future generations. It is essential to

protecting the legacy of past generations.

The East BerbiceCorentyne Region is an especially favourable location for these celebrations. Its population is cosmopolitan with large African, Amerindian and East Indian communities along with persons of Chinese and European descent. It is reflective of the country’s main ethnic groups – descendants of people from the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

The Region is the location where Indian indentured immigrants first set foot on our soil – at Plantation Highbury. It was here where many of them, after the end of their contracts of indenture, chose to live alongside other ethnic groups.

Indian indentured immigration to British Guiana was not a unique imperial invention. It was part of two waves of labour exports in the 19th century and in the first three decades of the 20th century in the British Empire.

Indian indentured immigrants, numbering almost 1.3 million, were contracted to work on plantations in the British, Dutch and French colonies of British Guiana, Dutch Guiana,

French Guiana, Fiji, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, K e n y a , Martinique, Mauritius, South Africa, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Seychelles, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda between 1838 and 1917.

The second wave, principally to the Southeast Asian countries of Malaya, Myanmar, Singapore and Sri Lanka, involved more than 6 million Indians who were sent out under the ‘kangani’ and ‘maistry’ recruitment systems as labourers.

India lost many of its sons and daughters but it has much to be proud of in its far-flung diaspora who left the shores of their motherland as indentured immigrants. India, the immigrants’ descendants and the colonies which received them all benefitted from migration, integration and, in some cases, miscegenation.

Indentured immigration e x p a n d e d the colonies’ labour supply, diversified their economies and enriched their cultures. It allowed immigrants to improve their well-being and to provide opportunities for their offspring. Remittances from indentured labour aided the local Indian

economy.

Indian indentured immigrants landed first in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region one hundred and eighty-one years ago on 5th May 1838. They came in search of a good life. The initial trickle turned into a torrent.

Almost 240,000 indentured immigrants arrived in British Guiana in the ensuing eight decades until the system was abolished in 1917. More than seven out of every ten of those immigrants opted to stay and make this country their home.

The abolition of Indian indentured immigration intensified migrants’ efforts to integrate more fully into our multi-ethnic society. Indians already shared a common space with other ethnic groups with whom they had sought and enjoyed respectful relations.

Harmonious relations were aided by the religious and cultural conventions and practices of tolerance among our ethnic groups which allowed Indians and nonIndians to mingle, mix and make the most of this country’s economic opportunities.

Indians have made ineradicable contributions to the nation’s cultural,

economic, political and social development.

These contributions have ensured the community’s progress and has advanced the nation’s development.

Indians, as others before them, were confronted by the abuse, cruelty and domination of plantation life and they resisted, sometimes by riots and strikes.

Our coastland is littered with memorials to the martyrs of plantation riots – at Devonshire Castle, Enmore and Rose Hall and other sites yet unmarked at Leonora, Non-Pareil, NootenZuil, Ruimveldt and elsewhere – where Indian labourers were killed.

Indians protested and were punished but they persevered. They explored avenues of economic enterprise off the plantations after their indentures ended, as did the Africans, Portuguese and Chinese before them. Resistance culminated, eventually, in the decision to abolish indentured immigration in 1917.

Indian contributions to the economy are unquestionable. Indians who began arriving even before the abolition of African enslavement in 1838 became, eventually, the main Continued on page 45

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Silent Heart Attacks: Not all heart attacks cause chest pains

By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine A silent heart attack is a heart attack without the traditional symptoms; especially chest pains. Some persons sometimes do not even know they are having a silent heart attack and only find out later when they go see a doctor.

Recent research suggests that nearly half of all heart attacks are silent heart attacks. Today we will discuss silent heart attacks so that you can be more aware of this deadly condition.

WHATARESYMPTOMSOF SILENTHEARTATTACKS? The symptoms of a silent heart attack are not as severe as those for a regular heart attack.

They can often be mistaken for other conditions. Some people feel no symptoms at all. Pay attention when you feel any of the following: · Discomfort – You may still feel pain, but it won’t be the unmistakable chest pain of a regular heart attack. You may feel discomfort in the upper abdomen, in your back, or in your jaw. It could feel like you’ve strained a muscle. · Shortness of breath – If you are feeling short of breath or having trouble breathing doing small activities, it could be a sign of a heart attack. · Heartburn – Mild pain in

the throat or chest can be mistaken for gastric reflux, indigestion, or heartburn occurring because of a silent heart attack · Fatigue – Physical discomfort or feeling very tired can be signs of many things. When they happen with a silent heart attack, they are often mistaken for other things. These could include poor sleep or age-related aches and pains. · Feeling lightheaded – If you break out in a cold sweat, feel nauseated, or feel lightheaded, you could be having a silent heart attack.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, call your doctor right away, go to the emergency room.

WHAT CAUSES SILENT HEARTATTACKS? Silent heart attacks are caused by the same things that cause traditional heart attacks.

This happens when part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies because it hasn’t received enough oxygen. This is often due to a blocked artery in the heart. Risk factors for silent heart attacks are also the same. They include: · smoking · diabetes · age – Risk increases for men older than 45 and for women older than 55 (or after menopause)

· high cholesterol · high blood pressure · family history of heart attack · lack of exercise · stress · obesity · gender – Women have silent heart attacks more often than men.

HOW ARE SILENT HEART ATTACKS DIAGNOSED? Many times, silent heart attacks are found during a routine check-up. If your doctor thinks you may have had one, he or she may order imaging tests. These could include an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or MRI. These tests can show if your heart muscle has been damaged, signaling that you’ve had a heart attack. If you’ve gone to the emergency room with silent heart attack symptoms, the doctor may order blood tests.

CAN SILENT HEART ATTACKS BE PREVENTED? A healthy lifestyle can help prevent any kind of heart attack. This includes: · Quitting smoking if you smoke, and avoiding secondhand smoke. · Keeping a healthy diet that is low in fat and low in cholesterol. · Exercising regularly. · Managing your stress. · Controlling your blood

pressure. · Managing your blood sugar level if you have diabetes. · Seeing your doctor regularly for check-ups.

HOW ARE SILENT HEARTATTACKSTREATED? Normally, silent heart attacks are found long after the heart attack is over. Treatment will mostly involve taking medicines.

These medicines help improve blood flow to your heart, prevent clotting, and reduce the risks of having another heart attack.

Your doctor will prescribe the medicines that are right for you. If you have had a heart attack, your doctor will also talk to you about lifestyle

changes. You can make these changes to prevent more heart problems.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE IF YOU SURVIVE A SILENT HEARTATTACK? After you’ve had a silent heart attack, you are at higher risk of having another one.

This one will likely be more severe and harmful. Also, you could have suffered damage to your heart that will make you constantly sick because your heart cannot pump blood like it could before. Your doctor will likely recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes to help reduce your risk of getting another heart attack and make it easier to

Dr. Zulfikar Bux live with your damaged heart.

If you have any new symptoms of heart attack or are in any doubt, visit your doctor or the emergency department right away. Early treatment is the key to surviving a heart attack.

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SUNDAY NATIONAL PRINTERS OVERSEAS-BASED CHAIRMAN ORDERS PAYMENTS VIAPHONE -THREE CONTAINERS OF BOOKS SOLESOURCED FROM T&T FOR THE YEAR Despite burning questions over the questionable procurement of exercise and textbooks to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars overseas, the Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL) has remained mum on the issue. A promised statement, to explain why there were no advertisement, was not forthcoming up to Saturday.

The La Penitenceheadquartered operation has come under fire after a number of printers complained bitterly of losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in work.

The printers had no problems with GNPL, as a state-owned company, doing the work.

However, for more than a year now, GNPL’s equipment has not been working.

It was discovered that someone approved the stateowned corporation to bypass local printers and go to Trinidad where exercise and textbooks were ordered.

The books are for the government-run schools across the country.

The bypassing of local printers would mean that GNPL breached local procurement procedures where suppliers are to be notified in the print media that the Ministry of Education wants the books.

Last week, the Ministry of Education made it clear that it had contracted the National Printers for text books and exercise books.

The ministry said it had no arrangements with any other suppliers or producers. In other words, it appeared that GNPL took the decision on its own to sole-source from Trinidad.

GNPL’s General Manager, Trevor Bassoo, refused to comment last week on the sole-sourcing reports.

Rather, he said to expect a statement from the stateowned corporation.

The issue has brought other matters to light on how the entity is being run.

According to officials, the Board of Directors is chaired by a Ronald Alert, who lives in New York.

In fact, he appears to have been conducting the business of GNPL from where he lives.

Insiders said that for the past year, there were three board meetings.

Rather, instructions on

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

board policies and even instructions for payments were reportedly made via the telephone.

There appears little scrutiny on the management, Kaieteur News was told.

MINING COMPANIES REFUSE TO COME CLEAN–BUT BASH ‘INACCURATE’ GYEITI REPORT During the preparation of Guyana’s first report for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), 19 mining companies refused to come clean about the names of persons who benefit from their profits.

The entities which refused to communicate the names of beneficial owners are: Innovative Mining, R Mining Inc., Azeem Baksh, Gold Target Export, Milburn Mahadeo, Grey Wolf Resources, Tesouro Resources, J&D Mining, New East International, Higgins Winslow Theophilus, Wal Jays Mining, Harpy Investment, Bauxite Company of Guyana (Rusal), BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc, El Dorado Trading, SSS Mineral Trading Ent, and Adamantium Holdings.

But the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), which feels the report is largely inaccurate, is defending the move by the companies. It stated in a missive Saturday that such disclosures would expose the said firms to criminal targets.

The Association said, “By demanding disclosures of ownership, valuations and profits in a manner outside of the law, it will expose local miners to additional criminal targeting and security risks while also creating an easy ledger for bandits to carve up local operators.

The GGDMA maintains that all the necessary local agencies (Guyana Geology and Mines CommissionGGMC, Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and the Guyana Revenue Authority-GRA) are already in possession of this information and cannot see why an additional disclosure should be made that only places miners in additional danger of being targeted by criminals.”

In addition to security concerns regarding local criminals, GGDMA argued that Guyana is located next to the most destabilized country in South America, being Venezuela, where gangs rule the land.

The Association said, “Over the last few years there have been continuous incursions by these types of individuals over our porous borders with reports of

Management of GNPL has been silent of accusations that it spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past year to order text and exercise books via sole-sourcing from Trinidad, bypassing local printers robberies taking place in the interior after which these criminals slip back over to Venezuela undeterred and no doubt emboldened.

GOVT. ENGAGES ‘CORRUPT’ PETROBRAS TO HELP WITH OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT Even though Brazil’s state owned oil company, Petrobras, was implicated in one of the biggest corruption scandals in the history of Latin America, this did not stop the APNU+AFC Government from collaborating with the Brazilian firm. In fact, representatives of Petrobras handed over a strategic plan to Government which speaks to the provision of technical assistance, export and import services and training.

At his most recent press conference, Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe, confirmed that it was Guyana that reached out to the company. He said that Guyana contacted Petrobras through the nation’s Ambassador to Brazil, George Talbot.

Dr. Bynoe said, “We identified seven potential areas in which we could collaborate.” And for its official visit which was held last week at the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr. Bynoe said that Petro wanted to focus on two areas.

“They said they wanted to focus on the licensing round and their own expertise in deep water exploration.”

Kaieteur News subsequently asked Petroleum Advisor to Government, Matthew Wilks, why the government would

engage one of the most corrupt oil and gas companies in the region.

To this, Wilks said, “It comes back to when we go to the license round. The Area C is an ultra deep block and there are very few companies that can operate in that area. Only the majors can. And if you look at National Oil Companies, the only one that has the experience, and they have a lot of it, is Petrobras and they are obviously interested in it.

(Petrobras) may form a consortium to do so.”

The Petroleum Advisor continued, “And if you are looking into the interest of the State in Area C, you want competent operators and for deep water areas. Only a small pool of people can do so.

“It is much deeper than Stabroek (which is operated

by Exxon and partners).

Stabroek is deep water and Area C is ultra deep.”

Wilks added, “Petrobras is world leader in this regard hence we are interested in Petrobras from a technical standpoint, from a technological standpoint.”

Pressed about the company’s track record of corruption, Wilks said he would not make a comment in that regard. He said, “I look at technical issues.”

MONDAY OILCOMPANIES’ LOCAL CONTENT REPORTS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC – POLICY WILL BE READY BY JUNE – ENERGY DEPT. HEAD According to its contracts with Guyana, oil companies are required to submit reports to the

government within 90 days of the end of the year outlining their achievements in utilising Guyanese resources.

In the interest of transparency and accountability, Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe recently assured Kaieteur News that these Local Content Reports would be made public. Speaking at a press conference that was held last week at the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr. Bynoe said there have been some issues with the initial reports.

Dr. Bynoe said, “What we have been working with the operators to do is to ensure we have greater granularity in terms of presentation of the plans so we know who they are targeting, at what occupation levels, over what period and how that is being reported. What we have found in the past is that it has been general. Sometimes, they just report on a contract that is signed and there isn’t much drilling down to examine details.”

The Energy Department Head also made reference to the contract that was recently signed between ExxonMobil and NABI/KCL Oilfield Construction Services Guyana for the latter to construct the oil operator’s headquarters at Ogle.

Dr. Bynoe said, “We see that Nabi signed a contract to build the headquarters for Exxon but what is captured is the fact that a contract was signed and the contract value that goes to Nabi, but what we are not capturing is how many contractors have been contracted to bring sand or stone, cement, and steel…these are often not captured.”

Further to this, Dr. Bynoe

said that Guyana’s long awaited Local Content Policy is going through a discussion phase and is expected to be completed by the ending of June 2019. Local Content Expert, Dr. Michael Warner was awarded a contract in February, last, to the tune of $22M for the completion of the policy. But the Ministry of Presidency had come in for much criticism for using Dr. Warner who is also an employee of ExxonMobil and has said on several occasions that he has a keen interest in ensuring the contractor’s views are reflected in the Local Content Policy.

POWER OF LAW MAY BE NEEDED TO PUBLISH MINERAL CONTRACTS – TROTMAN Guyana’s inaugural report to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) flags the fact that mineral contracts are yet to be made public.

In fact, the report points out that there is no clause within Guyana’s laws, which prevent same from occurring.

But while that may be the case, Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman noted recently that those very agreements have strict confidentiality clauses which require the permission of the operators for publishing.

The Minister stated, “…

It is good to make a blanket statement…And while the laws may not speak to confidentiality, the agreements have clauses embedded in them and they are strict in some cases and that is something we need to remember. The agreement is (Continued on page 41)

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Sunday May 12, 2019

COUNTRYMAN

- Stories about life in m and out of Guyana, fro ve a Guyanese perspecti

Brooklyn N.Y., revisited in gentrification

By Dennis Nichols

F

or the past month I've been in Brooklyn, New York, with my wife, who, after suffering a heart attack in The Bahamas last December, went there for additional treatment. It was my ninth visit to the US; my third to NYC, and the Big Apple's most populous borough is taking on a sort of avant-garde look. For some New Yorkers it's becoming a 'kinder, gentler place' (paraphrasing George H. W. Bush's immortal phrase) Gentrification is in the air.

For those unfamiliar with the word, gentrification is basically what it sounds like – the improvement of a city or district suitable to the

tastes and mores of the gentry - relatively wealthy middle- and upper-class residents whose presence and purported pedigree drive up the prices of homes and rents usually at the expense of the poorer urban class in areas that have been deteriorating over the years.

Many of the latter are forced to relocate or find ways to 'increase wealth'.

When I first travelled to the borough in 1989, and through the first half of 1990, New York City was riding high on cultural diversity, racial apprehension, and crime.

Three sensational stories were making the news then, although only one happened in Brooklyn. The first was the notorious Manhattan

Central Park jogger rape;(in graphic black and white) the second the racially-triggered murder of a black teenager in the Bensonhurst neighbourhood of Brooklyn, and the third, the Happy Land arson/fire that killed 87 mainly Hispanic youths in The Bronx.

The brutality of the first and the senseless motives behind the second and third hit me in the gut, generating instinctive caution of the Big Apple. It later translated to other parts of the country, because such crimes seemed to be symptomatic of a peculiar mindset of some Americans which led to a general mindfulness on my part of things American. It still lingers.

That however didn't

prevent me from appreciating the cosmopolitan mix of Brooklyn, particularly its Caribbean flavour, although a generally tolerable coexistence, (for example, between Hasidic Jews and West Indians in Crown Heights) has been marred by sporadic social and racial flare-ups since the 1960s.

The borough's Caribbean melange, seen in the Nostrand Avenue, Church Avenue, and Fulton Street flow, and the annual Labour Day takeover of Eastern Parkway, reflect the kind of assimilation and forbearance that has made New York such an immigrant magnet.

So, I have mixed sentiments about New York.

Still crime-plagued, but still

buoyantly alive, it is presently the home of several of my closest relatives ranging in age from 78 years to three weeks. My wife has benefitted from expert medical advice and treatment, and I've met some of the nicest, most helpful people there, from the Caucasian girl who walked with me to an unfamiliar subway station, to Francesco, a young Italian visitor who appeared to have been smitten with my daughter and asked to pose for a photograph with her after a visit to the One World (Trade Centre) Observatory.

Still the misgivings would not go away.

A bit of levity was added to an otherwise serious episode, even as my wife's prognosis turned out better than expected. We got 'lost' navigating the subway, and spent about thirty minutes yo-yoing the #4 train in an uptown-downtown haze.

The ability to laugh at ourselves was a plus here. At a Jamaican restaurant on C h u r c h Av e n u e , a n obviously perplexed salesgirl plaintively exclaimed “An' goat is nah beef?' when I said I wanted the latter, which the kitchen was out of. Well, it's close enough, I guess.

But back to the gentrification – and a very cursory, incomplete sketch.

It actually started in Brooklyn sometime before my first trip there 30 years ago. An article authored by Stephanie Chang and Florian Druckenthaner, two Senior Fellows at Humanity in Action, an international educational organization, paint a fascinating picture of Brooklyn gentrification, starting in the Williamsburg section in the early nineteen eighties. A woman named Stephanie Eisenberg made her move in 1982. In that year she invested $25,000 into a rundown warehouse which has since became a residential building with over 70 units housing 75 families. One was sold a few years ago for $750,000. Of course, she owns it.

The past few decades have seen numerous replications of the kind of investment Mrs. Eisenberg made, with some variations.

They include moves by developers and landlords who saw mostly pecuniary

Dennis Nichols benefits after 1990 when the NYC crime wave subsided due in part to Mayor Giuliani's zero tolerance policy on crime. In places like Crown Heights, Bushwick, and Flatbush, all with substantial West Indian populations, gentrification has forced many poorer residents to relocate to seedier but more affordable parts of the borough like East New York, to the South, and even back to the Caribbean, according to a recent New York Times article.

It has brought increased cost of living to Brooklyn which many mostly black tenants cannot afford.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, s o m e landlords have used, and are using, harassment tactics to drive out even faithful renters in favour of young, wealthier, middle- and upper-class tenants. Apart from higher rents, some landlords use evictions or withhold repairs in order to frustrate them into moving.

Now highly-paid young, mostly white, professionals (some still call them yuppies) are all over Brooklyn, on the streets and in the grocery stores and cafes; some with young children; others walking their dogs, looking for all the world as if they were born and bred there. Many work in the creative arts and are contributing positively to the borough's changing façade.

They have 'returned' following in the footsteps of generations of their ancestors who had made the borough their home long before the current renaissance began.

I don't know what the future holds for those West Indians, and to a lesser extent African-Americans, who are being negatively affected by the ongoing gentrification of Brooklyn and other parts of New York City. I do not think it's (continued on page 49)

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Kaieteur News

Workers seek cooperation not confrontation

H

o n e s t assessment of the struggles of this nation for social justice will note, acknowledge, honour and respect the contributions of the working class as the forerunner and forbearer.

It was always those who toiled, those who were exploited, marginalised, discriminated against that have waged the battle for betterment, benefitting even the enablers and those who turned a blind eye to injustices.

Social Justice has to do with the distribution of wealth, opportunities and privilege in society.

For the International Labour Organisation (ILO) i t m e a n s , “ t h e representatives of governments, employers' and workers' organisations ...emphasis[ing] the key role of our tripartite Organisation in helping to achieve progress and social justice in the context of globalisation.�

This year marks the centennial anniversary since the passage of the British G u i a n a Tr a d e U n i o n Ordinance which recognise trade unions as legal entities, and the formation of the ILO. The working class has a proud history.

A proud record of achievement, but one that is associated with constant challenges and continuous struggle.

Complacency in the presence of challenges to workers' well-being is not an admirable disposition of the trade union movement. Our history bears this out.

One hundred and fourteen years ago, in 1905, a young 21-year-old waterfront worker by the name of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow began organising workers to rally together and change the conditions of their work and social environment.

Fourteen years later, at the age of 35, he saw the fruition of the trade union being recognised as a legal entity. The trade union was the forerunner mass-based organisation in society; it came before the political parties were birthed.

Critchlow was a bluecollar worker, who attained the classroom education level of Fourth Standard, today referred to as Grade Six. That he was neither

white collar nor attained high school or higher education, came from a humble background, but was able to set the trajectory of this nation on a progressive path, says much as to what manner of man he was. It also says to us that brilliance, ability and foresight are not the domain of any group, profession, the lettered or unlettered.

There is no Guyanese today holding high office that does not owe such elevation to the workers' struggle for equality. No Guyanese today owning business, is an employer or manager, can say his or her achievement has not come without the struggle of the working class.

Almost all of this nation's people are from the groups once considered inferior to the European, were treated lesser than and had to fight for their respect and dignity.

The struggle to dismantle perceptions and treatment of inferiority was valiantly and un-apologetically waged by the workers.

It was organised labour that set in train the struggle for one man one vote (universal adult suffrage) and internal selfgovernment (1953).

This was in 1926 at a conference held in Georgetown by the Labour Leaders of the Caribbean, among whom were our own Critchlow.

Universal adult suffrage has changed the conditionality of privilege that was associated with voting. Now every eligible Guyanese citizen 18 years and above is allowed to have a say, through vote, in the government of their country.

The right to vote and the power it gives to you, the citizens, must never be underrated, for it is your most potent weapon, your most valuable action that can determine the future of this country, the leadership that you have a right to choose and the foundation that would determine your life and that of your family.

History will show around the world that millions have died for this right and millions continue to.

Today many are caught up in the political power struggle and are failing to recognise the importance of the collective labour struggle that transcends political

parties. Labour reminds all today that regardless of which party/government is in power we have to earn, to live, to provide for our families.

We therefore have a responsibility to hold all political parties, all regimes accountable, through our votes, our collective agitation and collective will.

For though labour is not

powerless it is the politicians who hold the reins of government, determine the allocation and utilisation of resources, and through whom we achieve.

Labour does not want to operate in an environment of conflict with any government, any opposition, any employer.

Our vision for Guyana, birthed more than a century

ago, would see better working relations between and among social partners, providing a climate for cooperation and unity of purpose which is necessary for social justice.

There must be more efforts at the national level dedicated to include rather than exclude.

Consistent with the Guyana Constitution and

ILO Conventions workers demand respect for inclusion. i.e. their right to be seated at the decisionmaking table to address matters that impact their well-being. We hold true to these tenets and will continue to struggle to realise them.

We can all contribute in various ways to make a (continued on page 52)

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Sunday May 12, 2019

g .. n i t s. s re ure e t t In rea C

Rhea

The

T

he rheas are large ratites (flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bone) in the order Rheiformes, native to South America, related to the ostrich and emu. There are two extant species: the greater or American rhea (Rhea americana) and the lesser or Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata).

These large birds usually have grey-brown plumage, long legs and long necks, similar to an ostrich. Large males can reach 170 cm (67 in) tall at the head, 100 cm (39 in) at the back and can weigh up to 40 kg (88 lb).

The lesser rhea is somewhat smaller as they are only 90 cm (35 in) tall at the back.

Their wings are large for a flightless bird (250 cm (8.2 ft)) and are spread while running, to act like sails.

Unlike most birds, rheas have only three toes. Their tarsus has 18 to 22 horizontal plates on the front of it. They also store urine separately in an expansion of the cloaca.

Rheas are grassland birds that prefer open land and are known to breed near water and prefer lowlands, seldom going above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). On the other hand, the lesser rhea will inhabit most shrub, grassland, even desert salt puna up to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft).

They tend to be silent birds with the exception being when they are chicks or when the male is seeking a mate.

During breeding season, the male will attempt to attract females by calling.

This call is a loud booming noise. While calling like this, they will lift the front of their body, ruffle their plumage, all while keeping their neck stiff.

They will then extend and raise their wings, and run short distances, alternating with their wings. He may then single out a female and walk alongside or in front of her with a lowered head and spread wings. If the female

notices him, then he will wave his neck back and forth in a figure-eight. Finally, a female may offer herself and copulation will commence.

During the non-breeding season they may form flocks of between 20 and 25 birds, although the lesser rhea forms smaller flocks than this.

When in danger they flee in a zig-zag course, using first one wing then the other, similar to a rudder. During breeding season the flocks break up.

For the most part, rheas are vegetarian and prefer broad-leafed plants but they also eat fruits, seeds and roots, as well as insects such as grasshoppers and small reptiles and rodents. Young rheas generally eat only insects for the first few days.

Outside of the breeding season they gather in flocks and feed with deer and cattle.

Rheas are polygamous, with males courting between two and 12 females. After mating, the male builds a nest, in which each female lays her eggs in turn. The nest consists of a simple scrape in the ground, lined with grass and leaves. The male incubates from 10 to 60 eggs.

The male will use a decoy system and place some eggs outside the nest and sacrifice these to predators, so that they won't attempt to get inside the nest.

The male may use another subordinate male to incubate his eggs, while he finds another harem to start a second nest. The chicks hatch within 36 hours of each o t h e r. T h e f e m a l e s , meanwhile, may move on and mate with other males.

While caring for the young, the males will charge at any perceived threat that approaches the chicks including female rheas and humans. The young reach full adult size in about six months but do not breed until they reach two years of age.

The numbers of both the lesser and greater rhea are

decreasing as their habitats are shrinking. Both are considered near threatened by the IUCN and have been for the last 15 years. The IUCN also states that they are both approaching vulnerable status.

Rheas have many uses in South America. Feathers are used for feather dusters, skins are used for cloaks or leather, and their meat is a staple to many people.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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K O

BO

Book review: Bivouac Author: Kwame Dawes Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD

M

ore than any of his recent w o r k , 'Bivouac' clearly demonstrates the genius of Kwame Dawes. With driven certainty 'Bivouac' delivers a haunting indictment on a people that has lost all cultural and spiritual bearing.

Against an opaque and arid backdrop, an existential crisis looms with deadly implications. Dawes'

Sunday May 12, 2019

Anchoring on

Shifting Sands

characters are losing a wrenching battle to find meaning in a world that is nasty and unforgiving.

Ferron, the lead character is a sympathetic, forlorn figure, an anachronism that struggles to fit in. He's educated from known pedigree, but there are no rewards here. His world is hostile. He recoils physically, escaping into the wilderness, escaping from his own inadequacies. But there's no respite, for his burdens he carries, unable to unload.

He was made from the rib of his father, George Ferron Morgan, a politically and culturally astute man scholarly - a tired

revolutionary-turned-writer, from whose unpublished material we inhale the stench and fatalism of Jamaican society. His is the voice of a vanquished man: “I knew they were telling me that I could die.

Be killed. Of course my comfort here is nonsense. I am nothing, here. I am nobody.”

There is resignation, a fait accompli. He is professionally defeated, “How many read the papers for news anyway?”

He is snide, bitingly critical of his peers, an affront to Jamaica's tradition of great writers, world class writers, he argues. His sense of schadenfreude is his only defence against selfdissolution.

His writings speak of a broken nation, “Here we are in the glorious decade Restoration Jamaica. Now we can put off puritanical

austerity and buy American apples and grapes, import good shoes from foreign and to hell with turning a hand to make fashion. The whole thing seems like such a pathetic farce now, an absurdity. Why I listen to music, Bob Marley is dead, and it is as if everyone is smoking cockiness or that crack to make music.”

Colonialism has dealt a death blow to a striving nation. “It's roots time, reggae time, man time now...”

His demise stirs rumours, conspiratorial ones; the downing of a promising revolutionary. Lucas thinks so. But Ferron has his doubts but he's led down a road fraught with intrigue. After all, is he not being followed?

Is his father's passing the work clandestine political operators or just one of so

many preventable mishaps?

And his father's comrade-inarms, Femi, is convincing: “They killed him, they cared that he died, because they were there when he died, and it mattered to them. Because they is a necessary construct - a political necessity.”

Whatever the case, “he is dead revolutionary. Look where it got him.”

Dawes' paints a society shredded by the weight of existence, an existence wrought with violence and fear. It is no secret. One character speaks volumes, “The place is virtually a ghetto now, those people a real worthless set of tenants.

But you tell them that, nuh.

Tell them and them liable to just shoot you.”

N o t u nl i k e F e r r o n , Lucas, his enigmatic brother, is a complex character, a man teetering on full blown neurosis. There is more to Lucas than imagined. He is t h e a r c h e t y p a l representation of the dysfunctional family. In a psychoanalytic sense he represents libidinal frustration and psychic regression. The death of his father opens unresolved wounds and we easily peer into his unconscious terrain.

He shouts, points fingers, jockeys with his siblings and projects his guilt on those around him.

The foundation of a once rooted house buckles despite the effort of the matriarch, Mother Miraculous, her sobriquet, “for always managing to keep them together, always the family first.”

And of Bivouac's many disturbing scenes, the

derailment of Ferron's intimacy with his fiancée stands out. No doubt, he is very much a victim as his deflowered victim.

Feelings are frayed and their future doomed: “[T]he rape had objected something emotional into the relationship. That she felt it was unfair to blame him was clear. But that she still, despite that, blamed him and felt great anger toward him was even clearer. What he felt was resentment, even anger, at the idea of having to feel something...”

Bivouac signals more than the tragic end of political ideals. It is a compelling odyssey into the w o r s t o f h u m a n i t y.

Somehow there is truth behind the words of Ferron's uncle: “We are all killed, you know? When we die, most of us, somebody harbours murder in their hearts for us somebody wishes us dead...They can wish these things into being.”

Bivouac is raw and unapologetic, leaving us terrified of our own fate - our o w n r e g r e t s , disappointments, resentments and loneliness not unlike its many characters, all groping for light in blinding darkness.

F e e d b a c k : glenvilleashby@gmail.co m or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby Bivouac by Kramer Dawes Publisher: Akashic Books, Brooklyn, NY ISBN: 978-1-61775710-5 Available at Amazon Ratings: A Must Read

Sunday May 12, 2019

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THE

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Sunday May 12, 2019

STORY WITHIN THE

A lesson for Guyana

By Leonard Gildarie

G

rowing up, my m o m a n d grandmother b o t h h a d d i r e warnings…don't be like that man. Don't make the same mistakes. You see how he turned out? You don't want to kick brick like him. I was in terror not to be like that neighbour. He was the classic example of a 'nogood', who started drinking early and refused to look after his family.

Looking back, I am glad I was not that man. I love what I am doing. I think my mom and grandmother would both be happy.

Beginning Thursday, Guyana was riveted to the proceedings in the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago.

They should pay attention, as it will have a deep impact on Guyana going forward. I could not but be angry at our stupidity.

It is a harsh statement, but the court cases on the noconfidence have served to dish out a few lessons for us.

The situation has placed on pause decisions to invest.

The foreign embassies have warned us. There will be those who will argue that our democracy is working and allows for us to approach the courts for a final decision or decisions.

One has got to ask whether it was a place that we wanted to be in at this time, when we are at our most vulnerable, to ensure we get the best arrangements possible from oil; when there are so many other things happening.

There is a provision in the

Constitution that allows for a no-confidence motion. There is a reason for this. No government of the day or Opposition must feel that anything is permanent.

However, there are other circumstances leading to the day of the no-confidence vote that must be examined for us to have a clear understanding. There should not be a repeat.

Our Constitution, the law of the land, is being severely tested in the courts, with varying interpretations offered.

While we are busy fighting, and I am continuing from last week, there are players in this country who are smiling. The distractions are allowing them to seal deals and steal our profits.

There are comments earlier in the week from the judges at the CCJ that seek to admonish us in our shortcomings in consultations. This had to do with the appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.

I say it again…we are wasting valuable time.

We will be wasting valuable time in the next few months preparing for elections. I predict it will be after November. There will be the expected accusations and counter-finger-pointing.

In the meantime, supporters of both sides, and media houses are busy fanning the flames of racism and division.

I glanced at social media both days and had to shake my head in disbelief…two statements made or comments by the CCJ judges were enough to send party supporters on both sides into

Leonard Gildarie a frenzy.

Let us be clear…the CCJ has reserved judgment. This case is major. It will not want to create a situation where Guyana explodes or implodes. The decisions, I believe, will seek to strike balance and lend us the necessary clarity and stability to prepare for elections.

Government believes it has a good case. It has cited case laws to bolster its arguments of how 34 is the majority. There will be the populace who will disagree angrily. The other factor that we should take note of is that there is not a voters' list.

It expired at the end of April. GECOM has said it is preparing for house-to-house registrations and this will start shortly.

If the timeline for elections, as given by Government is kept, then realistically we can have elections in November.

If the CCJ decides that the no-confidence vote of Charrandass Persaud in the National Assembly on December 21st was not carried, then we will not have elections this year.

We have a situation where parliamentarians are not going to parliament but collecting salary.

We can argue on it. The point is that we have lost valuable time and divided this country while exposing our flanks to others who are busy making hay.

It is frightening how selfish our leaders have become.

Sunday May 12, 2019

From page 32 also a legally binding document…It is one thing to say you have to publish the contracts but the agreements have to be worked through.”

He added, “I had said before that the oil companies were not opposed to publication of their agreements but we have had some concerns being expressed by mining companies. Be that as it may, the government is committed to getting this done…”

The Minister said that making contracts public requires a process and “I believe if it is necessary, we may have to enact laws to ensure compliance…”

Guyana’s first report, which was handed over the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative firmly recommends that all mineral agreements must be made public.

The document notes that this suggestion is in accordance with Requirement 2.4 (a) of the 2016 EITI Standard, which states that implementing countries are encouraged to publicly disclose contracts and licences that provide the terms attached to the exploitation of oil, gas and minerals.

Further to this, the report notes that while the Mining Act (1989) does not include any expressed restrictions on the public disclosure of mineral agreements and licences by the government, mineral agreements are not currently available electronically.

Furthermore, the report states that a common model agreement that provides the standard terms attached to the management of mines does not exist.

On this ground, it was recommended that the EITI Secretariat in Guyana maintain an archive of copies of all active mineral agreements is available.

Additionally, it was recommended that the MultiStakeholder Group of the local EITI chapter set out a work plan for the publication of all mineral agreements in the mining sector.

CJIA “BACKDOOR ARRANGEMENT” FOR DUTY-FREE SHOPS REMOVED - LOCALS WILL NOT BE SIDELINED -AUTHORITIES ASSURE Executives at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) have taken a bold step to introduce a tendering process for a number of services as well as dutyfree shops at its arrival and departure lounges.

This was done to

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remove a “backdoor arrangement” that was in place for a number of years and essentially undermined transparency.

Speaking with Kaieteur News last night, CJIA Execs said, “What used to happen was essentially a “backdoor arrangement”.

A client would put together a proposal, fill out the documents, negotiate terms and conditions and once reasonable to both parties, they go ahead.

That was just restricted to a small pool of entities. We have to move away from that. As such, we decided to make it more transparent.”

In an invited comment, CJIA CEO, Ramesh Ghir addressed concerns that locals would be pushed out of the airport. He said, “Locals would have nothing to fear with this regularization as indigenous products would not be sidelined.”

Ghir’s comments come on the heels of a Stabroek News article over the weekend, which noted the concerns of local businesses about being pushed out of the renovated airport due to the new tendering process.

Their apprehensions according to Stabroek News are premised on the fact that there are three regional companies holding spaces in the arrival lounge.

They are Ansa McAL, TWEE and Kings Enterprises.

But CJIA in a statement last night to the press sought to bring some clarity to the misconceptions.

The management of the airport categorically stated that no new contract was entered into with the companies for Arrivals Duty-Free Concession spots.

It said, “Over the past few years, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation has been publicly advertising and inviting Expression of Interest for the various concessions available at the airport.

This policy decision allows for qualifying individuals and companies to be awarded concessions in a fair, equitable and transparent manner.”

Recently, the airport said it engaged in a public process for Expressions of Interest for Arrivals DutyFree Concession; Departures Duty-Free Concession; Advertising Concession; Provision of Insurance Services; Provision of Legal Services; Ground Handling

C o n c e s s i o n s ; E x ecutive Lounge Concession and Office Rental Concession.

TUESDAY DEMTOCOAVOIDED OVER $200M IN TAXES ANNUALLY FROM GUYANA- WATCHDOG BODY - LOCAL ECONOMIC COSTS FOR SMOKINGTAGGED AT US$15M A key report by a watchdog body has named Guyana as one of the countries where British American Tobacco (BAT), the parent company of Demerara Tobacco Company (DemToCo), was operating a system where millions of dollars were lost because of tax avoidance. According to the report, Ashes to Ashes: How British American Tobacco Avoid Taxes In Low and Middle Income Countries, released recently, for the period of 2009-2012, Guyana lost taxes of about $200M annually.

The analysis by Tax Justice Network, as published in the report, said that the giant multinational shifted more than half a dollar that would have been taxed locally to a UK subsidiary where BAT paid almost no tax.

Tax Justice Network estimates Guyana, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago together stand to lose a total of nearly US$700 million in tax revenue by 2030 from the financial manoeuvring of just one tobacco company, if business

continues as usual.

According to the report, BAT used payments disguised as royalties, fees and IT charges, to avoid paying around US$3.4M ($680M) between 2009-2012.

The watchdog body noted that the countries that it looked at also included Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

In total, BAT avoided paying US$58.2M between 2007 and 2016.

The Tax Justice Network also examined the cost of cigarettes on health and loss of productivity- what they said was the estimated economic cost of smokingincluding health and low productivity costs due to early mortality and morbidity.

In Guyana, 17.4 percent of men were using tobacco daily.

The percentage of women over 15 years using tobacco daily was 2.3.

The percentage of death caused by tobacco in men is 11.4 percent as against 4.7 percent for women. However, the worrying part, according to the report, is the estimated economic cost of smoking. It is US$15M. Slap on Wrist MODIFIED “BRAND NEW” INT’LAIRPORT HAS NO SPACE FOR CAR RENTALS, FOOD COURT, BAR, ETC. For many countries, shopping and the total experience at the main airports have become an art. There are specialists who offer consultations about design

layouts, lighting and the total travelers’ experience.

There is a simple reason for this. A quiet spot to grab some coffee, have a drink or use a laptop, is becoming a big issue. It translates into spending. Nobody wants to waste time at the airports and everyone is willing to spend a few bucks for that comfort.

For example, at the JFK airport in New York, there are several shops for clothing, liquor, colognes, cigars, trinkets, books, coffee and snack areas.

In Trinidad, the Port of Spain airport offers money exchange services, a bar for a few cocktails and even phone services. Outside the famous mouth-watering doubles can be found.

Of course there are the normal duty fee concession shops for liquor.

It is what is also being offered in Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean territories. They are all standard at modern airports.

Airports are garnering a significant part of their revenues from granting concessions within its confines. They are not

depending only on the number of aircrafts landings or the fees from the airlines operating.

For example, the Changi airport, Singapore, offers shopping and dining spaces in a big way.

They offer two main areas – airside and landside.

Airside refers to the area past immigration clearance and is accessible to all travellers and transit passengers.

Landside, on the other hand, are areas before immigration clearance and are accessible to travellers, transit passengers with relevant visa requirements, and all members of the public. In other words, even members of the public are being targeted for business.

In Guyana, however, it appears that using concession spaces at the airport as a major means of earning revenues was not a big consideration.

In fact, there are only a few spaces for duty free shops in the arrivals’ terminal area…about four or five.

In the outgoing area, the duty free shops, prior to the (Continued on page 42)

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From page 41 renovations of the old terminal, were Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited and King’s Jewellery World.

There was a little coffee place in the seating area for outgoing passengers.

JOE HARMON’S RESIGNATION STALLS ENERGY MOU WITH TT- DR. BYNOE Guyana’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy with Trinidad and Tobago has been stalled with the resignation of Joseph Harmon as Minister of State.

This was recently revealed by Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe. His comment was in response to a question from Kaieteur News. This publication asked Dr. Bynoe to state if he was able to access any help for capacity building under the MoU. He said, “That may have fallen prey to the December 21 vote (the No-Confidence Motion) because the Minister that was identified to head the Executive Committee for Guyana was (recently appointed Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph) Harmon.

And so since he has resigned, we have to have a replacement before the first meeting can take place.”

Dr. Bynoe noted, however, that the members for the working group representing Guyana have already been identified.

The MoU states in part that, “The Parties may cooperate in the following areas: (a) technical assistance in the areas of exploration and production of hydrocarbon resources; (b) the exchange of information on public policies in the area of the regulation, administration and sovereign management of

hydrocarbon resources and technology transfer; (c) the exchange of information on government programmes throughout the hydrocarbon value chain and related experiences; (d) the promotion of training and capacity building of technical personnel and the development of energy technologies through, inter alia, technical visits, secondments, seminars and presentations and the promotion of cooperation and exchange of experiences between state-owned petroleum enterprises for the development of joint projects utilising mechanisms convenient to the Parties.”

Further, it states that the two sides may cooperate in, “the development of policies, plans and protocols relating to health, safety and the environment and the establishment of procedures to prevent and respond to operational accidents, which may result in damage, environmental impacts and personal injury; the development of policies relating to local content; the identification and development of projects throughout the hydrocarbon value chain; the identification

of projects in the area of construction and maintenance of plants and infrastructure related to transportation, storage and supply of hydrocarbons and derivatives; the exploration of possibilities for synergy through exchange arrangements and other delivery mechanisms for hydrocarbons and derivatives; and any other means of cooperation agreed to by the Parties in the areas related to the objective of this agreement in accordance with the national legal system of each country.”

WEDNESDAY OFFICE SPACE, COMMERCIALAND CARGO AREA NOT INCLUDED IN US$150M AIRPORT PRICE TAG - GOVT. TO FORK OUT MORE MONEY The contract the Government of Guyana signed with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) in 2011, to modernise the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), did not cater for office space.

In fact, there seems that there were no provisions for roads

and even the commercial area.

CJIA is now moving to build an office area, a commercial centre and a cargo area.

Tuesday, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) opened bids for projects which from all indications would add to the US$150M price tag.

It would raise questions as to why the three features were not included in the contract.

The CJIA project has become a major scandal, with Guyana getting a fraction of what it signed up for. Nobody is taking blame.

Instead of a brand new terminal building for the Arrivals and Departures along with a longer runway, there was renovation of the old terminal buildings and a smaller structure for the Arrivals.

The number of passenger bridges has been reduced from eight to four and the fancy, energy–saving glass roof that CHEC promised is now zinc sheets.

The Coalition Government claimed it found major problems when it entered office in 2015 and assessed the project.

The Chinese contractor, which seemed above the law, claimed for US$90M with only seven percent of the work completed. A significant portion of that money was paid out. The contract was supposed to be completed in 32 months after being signed in 2011, but has dragged on to 2019.

The Opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic, which signed the contract in Jamaica secretly without going to tender, had accused the Coalition Government of drastically modifying the project, although this was not allowed for in fixed-price agreements. The Audit Office has announced that it will be launching an audit to

determine how the money was spent and whether Guyana received value for its dollar.

STATE AUDITORS TO PROBE NAT’L PRINTERS SOLE-SOURCING OF EXERCISE, TEXT BOOKS FROM T&T The Audit Office of Guyana Tuesday confirmed that it is preparing to launch a probe into recent spending of hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase exercise and text books Speaking with Kaieteur News, Auditor General Deodat Sharma explained that he had conducted an audit a few years ago on the procurement of books. The report was scathing in its criticisms of the breaches that were found, including short supply and the manner in which delivered books were stored.

The Audit Office is now set to conduct another audit to determine if the correct procedures were followed in awarding contracts, and to determine whether Guyana received value for its dollars.

Under the government programme, hundreds of millions are spent annually to print exercise and text books for the scores of state-run schools across the land.

However, procurement over the years has come under fire, especially in relation to mismanagement and questions about transparency.

Recently, there were reports that the state-owned Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL) bypassed local printers and went to Trinidad suppliers, without any tenders being advertised.

GNPL, despite its promises, has not issued any statements denying any of the allegations that it deliberately bypassed procurement procedures so that the corporation can buy from Trinidadian suppliers.

According to Sharma, the investigations will among other things, determine whether the correct procedures were followed.

Already, the Ministry of Education, as the client, has denied that it contracted any entity other than the GNPL, for text and exercise books.

GNPL’s General Manager, Trevor Bassoo, declined to comment recently and promised a statement since last week, but has failed to send one.

GUYANA’S OIL SUCCESS HINGES ON WELL MANAGED NATURALRESOURCE FUND, ROBUST LOCAL CONTENT POLICY– ENERGY CHAMBER PRESIDENT Guyana’s success with the oil and gas industry will be determined by a few key factors. According to President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad, these elements are a wellmanaged Natural Resource Fund, an impartial Petroleum Commission and a robust Local Content policy to benefit all Guyanese.

Prashad made these remarks at the opening of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). The event is being held from May 6 to 9 in Houston, Texas, and Guyana is being represented with a government-private sector contingent.

The Offshore Technology Conference is an event where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters.

Celebrating 50 years since 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston.

At the conference, the (Continued on page 43)

Sunday May 12, 2019

From page 42 official said that the addition of oil to Guyana’s economy is certainly the rising tide needed to lift all economic sectors. He stressed, however, that all must be cognizant of the crude realities of the resource curse and focus as a collective on the management of the windfall that will soon accrue.

It is on this background that Prashad reflected, the Energy Chamber over the years has publicly stressed the importance of building a strong framework for the oil sector. With the crucial factors he mentioned, along with stakeholder participation, Prashad expressed confidence that Guyana will attain unprecedented and sustained socioeconomic development.

He also made reference to the fact that Guyana is already on a commendable growth trajectory. In this regard, Prashad highlighted that Guyana is one of the few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that has been growing positively over the years. He pointed out, as well, that Guyana’s growth rate of 4.1 percent during 2018 is quite remarkable in comparison to the average of 1.1 percent in the region.

THURSDAY GNPLADMITS ORDERING BOOKS IN TRINIDAD; LOCAL PRINTERS INSIST THEYHAVE CAPACITY The state-owned Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL) has admitted that it ordered books from Trinidad and Tobago. However, the explanation by the corporation is not going down well with local printers who insisted that they were not consulted.

They say that the proper procurement procedures were not followed.

In fact, the corporation had attempted to force at least three printers to use GNPL rolls of paper to produce the books.

The printers refused because the cost of paper from GNPL was way above the cost printers acquired their paper.

GNPL is under pressure to explain and provide proof how it bypassed local printers and ordered tens of millions of dollars of books overseas.

The Audit Office of Guyana has said that it is preparing to investigate whether proper procurement procedures were followed and whether Guyana got value for its money.

Rackets involving the procurement of exercise and text books, to the tune of hundreds of millions of

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dollars, have been ongoing for years now. The Coalition Government has vowed to stamp out the corruption.

Consecutive state audits on the Ministry of Education had raised red flags over procurement, delivery and storage.

In recent days, Kaieteur News has been critical of the way in which the Ministry of Education and GNPL have been sourcing books for the schools.

GNPL, questioning the motives of Kaieteur News Wednesday, said that recent reports by the newspaper border on being dishonest, malicious, reckless and is to some extent “libelous”.

GNPL has been selected unilaterally by Government to produce registration forms for the Guyana Elections Commission, and even Official Gazettes, to the tune of millions of dollars.

GNPL said that over the years, it was contracted by the Ministry of Education to supply exercise books for use by public schools in Guyana.

“In 2018 after the new board ramped up its marketing and sales opportunities, the company received a contract to supply textbooks to the Ministry of Education (MOE) for the first time in decades.

“All text books were ordered directly by the MOE, either from the printers in Trinidad, or local suppliers – many of whom order the supplies from Port of Spain.

FOUR YEARS LATER…NATIONAL OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLAN STILL STUCK IN DRAFT STAGE After expending some four years pouring efforts into ensuring Guyana has a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan in place, the authorities of the day are saying that the document is still not ready.

In providing an update on the matter, Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe, said that the plan still

needs a lot of technical work.

At his most recent press conference, Dr. Bynoe noted that the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) is responsible for the completion of the document.

However, the Energy Department is doing its part to provide as much assistance as it can.

The official said, “We have been partnering with them on technical assistance and pointing them to where they can get more assistance too. We advanced work in that regard but we continue to require further assistance.

In fact, we had a workshop not so long ago that aimed at enhancing the risk management framework under which that plan would be couched.”

Further, Dr. Bynoe said that the US Embassy has been engaged to see what support could be had through US department, its Coast Guards and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which has years of experience in this field.

As the nation awaits the completion of the document, oil companies are shaping up to accelerate their drilling activities this year.

According to a report that was produced by Financial Analyst, Jenny Xenos, of Canaccord Genuity Corporation which is based in Canada, offshore Guyana is expected to see about 14 wells being drilled.

In an Industry Update report, the author stated that up to nine wells will be drilled on the prolific Stabroek block, two of which are currently being drilled. The Stabroek Block is operated by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Hess and CNOOC. Furthermore, two wells are slated for drilling on the Orinduik Block which is

under the licensed control of Tullow Oil, Total and Eco Atlantic. One well is planned for the Kanuku Block by Repsol and Tullow Oil. The Corentyne Block also has one well planned for drilling by its operators, CGX and Frontera Energy. The Canje Block will also see one well being drilled by ExxonMobil, Total JHI and Mid-Atlantic.

POLICE RANKS CHARGED FOR DEMANDING MONEY FROM VENEZUELANS – ONE RANK ALSO CHARGED WITH RAPE Three police ranks were Wednesday hauled before a city magistrate for allegedly acquiring a quantity of raw gold by use of menace from three Venezuelan women.

Corporal Ceon Jones, Constable Corwyn Mingo and Corporal Tevin Estrado, allegedly demanded money from three Venezuelan women during a stop and search exercise which they carried out some time last year.

It was alleged that between May 1, 2018 and May 31, 2018 at Makari Top, Essequibo, the ranks, with intent to steal, demanded with menace from Benny Vanessa Benita Rivero, Yanetzy Andreina Lozada Roj and Yurianny Del Valle Ramierz; raw gold valued at $157,500.

All of the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them by the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Mingo was also charged with raping a Venezuelan national.

However, he was not allowed to plead to that offence.

The three accused smiled all through the hearing.

It is alleged that during the month of June, 2018, police ranks from the Criminal

Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters were carrying out investigations on an allegation.

During the investigation three ranks from the Issano police station were identified as persons who demanded money from the three victims during a stop and search operation at Makari Top, Essequibo.

The women allegedly handed over a quantity of raw gold.

Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield had no objection to bail for the defendants.

None of the three police ranks were handcuffed, as is the case with other individuals when they are being sent down the prisoners’ chute. They were also not placed in the prisoners holding cell at the courts, but were allowed to stay in a room where prisoners are searched before being taken to the holding cell.

The three men were released on $30, 000 bail each for the menace charge while Mingo was granted $150,000 bail on the rape charge. The matter was adjourned until May 16, at the Bartica Magistrates’ Courts.

FRIDAY CHARRANDASS VOTE AT CENTRE AS LAWYERS FACE-OFFAT CCJ Charrandass Persaud’s conscience vote against the government came under the microscope Thursday as lawyers involved in the noconfidence appeal against the government faced off at the Caribbean Court of Justice in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The consolidated hearings for the cases involving Christopher Ram, Attorney General Basil Williams, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo,

and Joseph Harmon, Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Barton Scotland, Charrandass Persaud and Compton Herbert Reid garnered much attention from Guyanese at home and abroad.

Many tuned in, as the matter was live streamed via the CCJ website.

The matters have been closely watched since it could result in an early general election. In fact, Thursday’s hearing saw the attendance of at least five Ministers of Government and supporters from each side of the House.

On December 21, last, 33 of the 65 Members of the National Assembly of Guyana voted in favour of a noconfidence motion which meant that the President and Ministers of Government should resign and that elections must be held within three months.

However, the Government later claimed that 34 votes were required and that one of the members who voted in favour of the motion, Mr. Charrandass Persaud, was ineligible to vote because he held dual citizenship.

When the matter came before the Chief Justice in the High Court, she ruled that only 33 votes were required.

However, on appeal to the Court of Appeal, it was held that 34 votes were required.

The matter is now before the CCJ for final determination.

Persaud, a former member of the Alliance For Change (AFC); an arm of the ruling Coalition, had voted against his own party on December 21, last. The former Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-law had been accused of selling out his own party for a few pieces of silver.

He had however denied the claims declaring instead that he voted in keeping with his conscience. The former MP claimed that he was (Continued on page 44)

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From page 43 forced to stand up for what is right in the face of the arm of Government, the AFC, which had become a group of “yes men”.

However, as attorneys involved in the case presented their arguments before a panel of five CCJ judges Thursday, the questions surrounding Persaud’s right to vote in accordance with his conscience became a subject of discussion.

LOCAL PRINTERS DEMAND NATIONAL PRINTERS COME CLEAN -SAY IT IS CLEAR CASE OF GOVT. KILLING PRIVATE SECTOR Several local printers Thursday banded together to demand an investigation after the state-owned Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL) admitted that it subcontracted a Trinidad supplier for text and exercise books.

Representatives of the local printers said that there is more than enough capacity and competitive pricing in Guyana to comfortably handle any orders for books

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that the Government of Guyana has.

Gathered at a meeting to ponder their next move were the biggest printers in the country- A1 Printery, Kimoke Printery, Kaieteur Books Inc. and F&H Printing Establishment, among others.

There are at least four other large printers who are angry over the situation and are planning to ask President David Granger for a meeting.

The Ministry of Education reportedly has more than $500M earmarked this year for producing text and exercise books for the scores of primary and secondary schools that the state manages across the country.

However, very little work is coming the way of the local printers since 2017.

Instead, the Ministry of Education has contracted GNPL to produce the books.

GNPL is in essence competing with private printers, receiving a price that is more than double than what local printers can produce, Kaieteur News was told Thursday.

According to the printers, they want to make it

absolutely clear that they are not advocating for GNPL to not be part of the process.

Rather, they are calling on President David Granger to ensure that there is a level playing field.

Level Playing Field “We have workers. We pay our taxes. We pay VAT. We don’t get tax breaks on equipment. We are not being subsidised. We are asking for a level-playing field. The government has been talking about building capacity. We have capacity. We are inviting them to visit us to see what we have,” a spokesman of the printers said Thursday.

US$150M CJIA RENOVATION… JAGDEO TAKES SOME BLAME FOR OMITTING OFFICEAREAIN INITIAL AIRPORT PLAN - SAYS PATTERSON WILL NOT SHOW PROJECT DESIGNS Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, has accepted some blame for the omission of key facilities from the original Cheddi Jagan International airport (CJIA) renovation.

During a press conference Thursday, he responded to a report by Kaieteur News that vital facilities were excluded from the original airport plan, which his government signed onto.

US$150M was put aside for works to be done on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIA).

But despite so much money going into that project, CJIAC is now looking to build a cargo facility, a commercial centre, an office area and a

parking lot, separately.

“I can accept the criticism that maybe we didn’t put in some office space for airlines at the airport,” Jagdeo said Thursday.

Asked why those facilities were excluded, he said that the idea was for those things to be excluded so that local contractors could bid for and build them. He said, however, that the P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party (PPP) shouldn’t be the focus at this point for what it left out of the plan, when the government didn’t even achieve the construction of the facilities that were on the plan.

The plan that was passed from the PPP to the Coalition Government in 2015 included a brand new terminal, eight air bridges, among other things.

The Coalition Government claimed it found major problems when it entered office in 2015 and assessed the project. It claimed that major changes needed to be made.

Instead of a brand new terminal building for the Arrivals and Departures along with a longer runway, there was renovation of the old terminal buildings and a smaller structure for the Arrivals.

The number of passenger bridges has been reduced from eight to four and the fancy, energy–saving glass roof that CHEC promised is now zinc sheets.

Jagdeo said, “So we now have a rehabilitated terminal rather than a brand new terminal. And they have reduced the size of the apron and we get criticised for what

we didn’t put in the contract but they’re not even achieving what we put in the contract.”

SATURDAY CCJ PRESIDENT DOES NOT DOUBT ABSOLUTE MAJORITY NEEDED TO PASS NOCONFIDENCE MOTION As the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Friday entertained arguments to make a determination on the political stability of G u y a n a , t h e c o u r t ’s President, Adrian Saunders, said that no one is doubting that an absolute majority of all 65 members of the National Assembly is required for the successful passage of a no-confidence motion.

However, the President pointed out that the issue to determine is what constitutes an absolute majority.

According to Saunders the court has to determine whether to adapt the formula of dividing by two, rounding up to the nearest whole number and then adding one, which had been the case in the Solomon Islands, or just using the majority of the uneven number, 65 which is 33.

The coalition government has insisted that an absolute majority of 65 is 34, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory had held that in calculating the absolute majority, the 65 members of the National Assembly had to be divided by two, which would result in 32.5, but since

the .5 represents half and there is no half-member, that number needs to rounded off to 33, and add one more, making it 34 –an absolute majority.

But lawyers for expelled Alliance for Change (AFC) Parliamentarian, Charrandass Persaud, Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, are maintaining that there is no mention of an absolute or simple majority in the Constitution.

To this end, they are contending that the noconfidence motion was validly passed in the National Assembly on the night of December 21, 2018 with the votes of 33 of the 65 members present and voting which was the ruling by Chief Justice Roxane George.

Friday was the final day for the hearing of arguments in the cases.

Thereafter, President Saunders informed the lawyers that the court would be informed when the court has reached a decision. Apart from Saunders, the panel of judges also includes Winston Anderson, Jacob Wit, David Hayton and Maureen Rajnauth-Lee. Attorney-at-Law Kamal Ramkarran, who is representing Ram, urged the CCJ to issue an order for the holding of elections immediately once the court finds that the no-confidence motion was validly passed in the National Assembly.

He submitted that if the court finds that the noconfidence motion was properly passed, then as at May 10, Guyana has been in breach of the Constitution for 45 days.

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

A cohesive community…an inclusive...

From page 30 source of labour in the sugar and rice industries. They have helped to sustain these pillars of our economy for more than 180 years.

Indian resourcefulness contributed, also, to the diversification of the rural economy through the development of cattle-rearing, cash crop and coconut cultivation, paddy-growing, rice-milling and fishing.

Village economies and settlements–and Indians’ skills as bakers, boatmen, charcoal-burners, chemists, fishermen, goldsmiths, hucksters, milk and sweetmeat vendors, shopkeepers and tailors– helped to reshape the rural economic and social landscape.

Indians, to a significant degree, became a considerable commercial and landowning class after they left the plantations. Some, through thrift and industry, became part of a thriving business élite.

Some opened new areas of production along the banks of rivers and creeks and in the islands of the Essequibo.

Many acquired land and established villages and communities. Economic enterprise expanded the economy and generated a demand for education and skills.

The descendants of Indian immigrants distinguished themselves in every field of human endeavour. Many excelled in academia, agriculture, accounting, the arts, business, diplomacy, education, engineering, lawenforcement, legal services, medicine, military service, politics, the public service, sport and trade unionism.

Indians who have enriched every sector of society ¯ academics, Clem Seecharan and Rupert Roopnaraine; attorneys, Edward Alfred Luckhoo and Stanley Hardyal; businessmen, Sattaur Gafoor and Lyla Kissoon; diplomats, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Sir Lionel Luckhoo; doctors, Balwant Singh and Deborah Persaud; trade unionists

Ayube Edun and Joseph Latchmansingh; public servants, Eshwar Persaud and Lloyd Searwar; religious leaders Reepu Daman Persaud, Faizal Ferouz and Benedict Singh, cultural champions, Rajkumarie Singh and Lakshmi Kallicharran and sportsmen Rohan Kanhai and Shivnarine Chanderpaul¯ are all excellent examples of those who attained eminence in professional and public life.

Indians are integral to the multicultural state. They, together with other ethnic groups, have generated the cultural, economic and social diversity we recognise as the Guyanese nation. They have contributed to a common culture of tolerance and mutual respect which has laid the basis, today, for the creation of a more cohesive and inclusive state.

Indians are integral to our inclusive future and always will be. Development will be retarded unless every citizen feels a sense of belonging and enjoys equality of opportunity.

An inclusive future involves increased integration. It is predicated on respectful relations among all of our people. Guyana’s future must be one in which our children and grandchildren could live in a cohesive state in which they could enjoy a good life.

Cultural retention played a pivotal role in Indian resilience and in facilitating their integration in their new homeland. Indians, finding themselves in a strange land, recreated familiar situations in their new homeland. They celebrated festivals and created villages patterned after the rural villages of India.

They shared a strong sense solidarity by retaining their dance, dress, faith, festivals, food, language, music and social traditions.

Mandirs, masjids and churches were erected to reinforce religious beliefs, retain rituals and strengthen communal ties.

Guyanese share the rich cultural heritage of its migrants – their food, song, festivals, music, religious, customs and traditions have

been preserved, protected and enjoyed.

Guyanese share in an expanding economy with enhanced opportunities in education and in employment. They belong to a country in which their children are encouraged to achieve their full potential, their communities are being enhanced and their properties are protected. The economic sectors in which they work are being enhanced and consolidated.

Indian resilience was replenished by continuous contact with Mother India which was always dear to the Indian indentured immigrants despite the distance of nearly 15,000 km which separate their motherland from their adopted homeland and the passage of decades of time.

Indian indentured immigrants maintained a keen interest in developments taking place in India and Pakistan, especially after Independence and partition in 1947.

India, after independence, set out on a policy of maintaining ties with its diaspora. It continued to dispatch religious leaders and envoys to preserve those relations.

The challenges faced by Indian families mirrored those of other disadvantaged ethnic groups in our country’s history. Each group, however, was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and odds and to make their respective contributions to national development.

Guyanese, today, are heirs of the precious legacy of all of our African, Amerindian, Asian and European fore-parents. The strands of the national tapestry are stronger because of these contributions.

We must preserve this precious multicultural heritage by working together to secure a common future where all are recognised and respected, and where everyone could enjoy this country’s bounty.

Arrival Day and Indian Arrival Day commit us to continue to work together for the good life for all.

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon Review

In this review of Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon which is distributed by Ansa McAL, we’re going to cover the price, alcohol content, aroma, taste and more of this wine.

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Barefoot Cellars in Modesto, California, USA. Although the wine is imported and bottled there, this wine is actually a product of Argentina according to the label on the back of the bottle.

Barefoot Cellars, which is

part of the E&J Gallo Winery, got its start in 1965 by winemaker Davis Bynum. He created a Burgundy in his garage and it was given the name Barefoot Bynum Burgundy.

Fast forward to today and the head winemaker is Jen Wall, who has been at Barefoot since 1995.

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting For this review, we teamed up once again with my good friend Big Al. We settled in to taste the 2012 vintage of this wine on its own and then paired with a simple cheddar.

As you’ll see below, we agreed and disagreed on a few things about this wine.

But put together, I think you’ll get a comprehensive review.

Appearance In appearance, Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is opaque red in color.

When it was poured, we

noticed just a little bit of effervescence around the outer edge of the wine in the glass.

That quickly dissipated and no effect was noticed on the wine.

Much more noticeable were the wine’s legs which were quick to form and thick.

They were perfectly spaced and we noted a quarter inch between each leg in our fairly large wine glasses.

Aroma Barefoot Cabernet is moderately aromatic.

I noticed whiffs of earth and black cherry. Al described the earthy notes as “mossy oak.” He didn’t agree with me on the black cherry aroma. To him, it was more about the red fruits, describing it as primarily currant.

We both agreed that very little alcohol was noted in the aroma. There was a little sting, but it wasn’t overpowering.

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon alcohol content 13.5% by volume, per the bottle.

Taste I think Al best described the taste experience of this wine in one sentence. He said it was a “three part experience that started buttery, then moved to currant and finished oaky.”

Additionally I noticed flavors of ripe raspberry and much less of the oak.

When we were tasting this wine, I wrote down the word “buttery” about one second before Al said it. That really spoke to predominance of the “butteryness” of this wine, which I found to be a little unusual for a Cabernet. But, it worked for this wine.

Mouthfeel and Tannins I described the mouthfeel as velvety, whereas Al described it as linen.

We both agreed that the tannins were subtle and most

noticeable on the sides of the tongue and back of the roof of the mouth.

Finish We noted an 8 to 10 second finish that we characterized as long. It was definitely carried by the wine’s flavors along with a bit of oak.

Overall Opinion Overall, Al said he was “Satisfied by the overall experience. Great for sipping in front of a fire. Middle of the road kind of wine.”

I called it an enjoyable light sipper that was mediumlight in body for a Cabernet Sauvignon. My highlight was that I enjoyed the balance between the aroma, the flavor and the finish.

We both agreed this is a straightforward, non-complex wine that will probably be enjoyed by many. If you’re looking for a highly crafted and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, look elsewhere.

But, overall this wine would be great to serve at gatherings with friends due to its approachability.

Especially if you like a fruity, jammy kind of Cabernet.

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon price $5.99 for the 750ml bottle and $10.99 for the 1.5L, making it a very inexpensive wine to have on hand.

With Cheddar Pairing After the above tasting, we paired Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon with a simple cheddar cheese.

I found that the cheese allowed the dark fruits (think non-rich black cherry) that were previously not noticed to come through.

Al thought it muted the tannins, but resulted in no noticeable changes in the wine’s flavor profile. (https:// www.honestwinereviews.com/ barefoot-cabernetsauvignon-review)

Tower Poolside will be transformed into a Soca paradise on Thursday May 16 with the party of the year called ‘Soak In Hennessy’ It will be music, vibes, and a unique experience that goes beyond liquor which will combine sweet soca, dance hall, hip hop, and reggae music, the essence of a wet atmosphere.

Soak in Hennessy is quickly becoming a Soca/ Dancehall filled event that many Guyanese are clawing to be apart of.

Regardless of your love for Hennessy, water and music, everyone’s desire will meet a new taste at the end of the night.

The event is not only for drinkers or lovers of Hennessy as there will be a variety of other beverages.

This highly anticipated event is being done by 6Vibes which is an entertainment, Visual production, Management and Marketing and Live Streaming company operated by Jermine ’Adept’ Hodge & Kareem ‘King’ Thomas.

The promoters have done events both in the United States and Guyana and some of the events in Guyana Included silent headphone party, Boss Lady Fri at club Privilege which was a weekly event, Colors Ignite which is a annual event that started last year at District and a few others that were done as collaborations.

For U.S the team held its annual Spring Fest which

featured love and hip Star Safaree in 2018, All Black Eclipse, N.Y.E Gala, All white and Glow party among several others.

Some of the Featured Entertainers are Guyana’s top Deejays including DJ Energy, Gully Ras, Diamond, Mix Master Tony, Seen Up and Akemo.

The event is sponsored by, Gt Shop, Fireside Grill and

Chill, Latoya House of Fashion, Luxe Walk in Closet, District Ultra Lounge, Star Party Rental and Cloud 9 stage and lighting Early bird Tickets $2000, available at: Gtshop (71 Winter Place Between Croal and Brickdam), Latoya house of fashion (51 Albert and Rob Street Bourda) and Fireside Grill n Chill (139 Garnette Street Newtown Kitty).

Tower Poolside to host ‘Soak In Hennessy’ Party

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

BELIZE: The people...

From page 24

by Guatemala in 1821.

There was thus no basis on which Guatemala could validly invoke the doctrine of uti possidetis juris (a principle of international law which provides that newly formed sovereign states should have the same borders that their preceding dependent area had before their independence) in support of its claim to Belizean territory. Nor has Guatemala ever occupied, possessed or administered any part of the territory of Belize. Its claim is a claim without substance in international law�.

But, this is in the future.

Belize and Guatemala now have to seek the consent of the ICJ to hear the case.

Much legal work lies ahead of both governments.

However, once it starts, the process should move rapidly.

The Court's record of delivering judgements in a timely manner is exemplary.

For now, there are other matters that are pressing, particularly a challenge in the Belizean Court by the opposition, People's United Party (PUP), that a Special Agreement between the governments of Belize and G u a t e m a l a i s unconstitutional.

The Special Agreement sets out the accord between the two governments to settle the claim at the ICJ once referenda in both countries gave consent.

Given the fact that 64.93 per cent of the Belize electorate turned out to vote and that 55.38 per cent of that number voted in favour, the PUP should withdraw its challenge from the local court.

The majority of the Belizean people have spoken and in democracies the will of the majority prevails.

Further, there was a vigorous campaign leading to the referendum in which the PUP and others strongly voiced their opposing opinions and positions to the public.

Nonetheless, the majority voted to submit the territorial claim to the ICJ.

There can be no greater nor more powerful voice than that of the majority in any society.

The PUP should now do the right thing and drop their case. If they proceed with it, nothing more than delays and disruption will be achieved, and few will thank them for it. The business community, foreign and local investors, financial institutions, and clearly the people themselves, want to have finality to the Guatemalan claim so that they can plan their lives and Belize's future.

There is greater reason for the PUP to accept and respect the voice of the people, because it is the PUP itself that did a great deal of the work to bring Belize and Guatemala to the point where a peaceful and legal settlement can be brought to this long-standing and nationally debilitating issue.

National interest must prevail over party politics.

Commenting on the referendum result, the British government summed it up well in saying: “Through, at times, very lively and passionate debate, discussion, and deliberations, Belizeans confirmed that the ICJ route is the best way to resolve differences.�

From around the world, other governments and peoples have welcomed the decision of the Belizean electorate to proceed to the ICJ. If others can respect the will of the Belizean people, then those who fought and lost should also do so.

(The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of To r o n t o .

The views expressed are entirely his own) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Brooklyn N.Y., revisited...

From page 34 necessarily a bad thing.

According to recent data, rent prices are stabilising, and the crime rate is at its lowest in decades, with the homicide rate in particular hitting a record low in 2018.

In many parts of the borough the Caribbean touch is still very evident.

Brooklyn has fascinated me since I first visited in 1989. Crime-plagued or crime-diminished, gentrified

or not, it remains, with the rest of New York City, a beacon of hope and a promise of prosperity for the thousands of immigrants who continue the flow that began three centuries ago.

I may never be one, but for the sake of its cosmopolitan character and my plethora of relatives who call it home, I'm going to apply for a new US visa when the current one expires later this year.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 51

Outstanding Mother and Midwife,

Carol Trotz, is a 'Special Person'

From page 22 become a midwife…At the time, I didn't even know that I could've done it, but I did it by myself,” said Carol amidst a cheerful burst of laughter. “I just said look, this is something I should venture into, and so I applied for the midwifery programme and I got through…I was batch one of the year 2000, and here I am today.”’

DELIVERING TRIPLETS Today Carol is a 19-yearstrong midwife and she is still basking in the glory of a profession that has seen her helping to bring into the world in excess of a thousand babies. Most notable is the fact that she has under her midwifery belt the delivery of at least two sets of triplets right at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The first such delivery

for Carol was shortly after becoming a midwife in the early 2000s. As she recounted that experience, she spoke of taking pride in being very early for her shifts, since she always wanted to be ready for any delivery.

On the day in question, a high-risk pregnancy case was referred from Berbice to the Georgetown Public Hospital and based on the accompanying file, twins were expected to be delivered.

“Back then, we didn't have many doctors on the ward, so the nurse-in-charge told me go ahead with this one…so I set up my saline and everything and I was ready to get going,” Carol recalled. However, although two babies had safely emerged, the young midwife got the distinct impression that yet another baby was lurking in the patient's womb.

“At first, I started wondering what was going on, because we knew that it was supposed to be twins this patient was having, and two babies were already out.

I started to get excited, because I wanted to know what was going on here, because the belly wasn't going down. When I pushed back my finger in, there was another sac [bag of fluid in which an unborn baby develops] and I called out to inform the doctor that there was another baby,” a smiling Carol recalled.

On that occasion, three beautiful baby girls were safely delivered, she recalled. “All three babies were over 3 kilograms…oh my God, I was so excited,” exclaimed Carol, as she recounted delivering her first triplets.

“Every time the mother comes to town, she does come and look for me,” said a smiling Carol, who has no

With the mother of the most recent triplets she delivered. regret making the decision to embrace midwifery.

The most recent delivery of triplets at the Georgetown Hospital was last month, and again it was Carol in the forefront. Again, she recalled, the patient arrived expecting to deliver twins, but left with triplets.

“After I collected the second baby…I was waiting for the placenta to separate, but then I realised it looked like another baby was there…so I pushed my finger in and I say 'girl you rich, another baby in here'.”

The babies on this occasion were all boys.

As a midwife, Carol said that she has the clear understanding of how important it is to ensure that her patients are calm and comfortable once they enter the labour room. She also seeks to ensure that her patients understand each step of the process by explaining same to them, even if they are in excruciating pain at the time.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING What also helps to make Carol an outstanding midwife, is the fact that she hasn't been keeping her years of knowledge to

A sterling health care professional

The recipient of an award for her years of service at the GPHC

herself. In fact, she has been sharing the intricacies of midwifery with nursing students who are eager enough to delve into this vital aspect of health care during their practical exposure in the Maternity Department.

Her advice to young nurses and those aspiring to become nurses is: “To be a good nurse or midwife, you have to focus and love what you do. If you don't love what you do, you will get nowhere…you will do an anyhow job, and that simply cannot cut it in this profession. If you love what you do, you will do a perfect job.”

Although there are some challenges associated with the profession, Carol is adamant that nurses must always strive to conduct their duties with grace and respect for their patients, regardless of who they are.

“We always need to be polite to our patients and think of them as our own family, and show them the same kind of love we would show to our own…we have to be kind and caring, even in the face of some patients being rude,” said Carol, who will retire from the profession in a matter of

months with an unblemished track record.

In fact, it might be because of her outstanding record that she is already in receipt of an invitation to return to give a few more years of her service to the premier public health institution she has served at throughout her entire midwifery career. According to Carol, while offers to pursue nursing in greener pastures could be very enticing, the main focus of any true nursing professional should be on the love and compassion, coupled with skills, needed to help improve patients' health.

“I am satisfied that I stayed in nursing right here in Guyana, it has been a very, very satisfying career,” Carol confided, even as she stressed the importance of working closely with other professionals, particularly doctors, in order to provide the best possible care to patients.

Today our 'Special Person' will not only be honoured as a distinguished midwife, but will be pampered by her two loving children for being an especially outstanding mother.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 52

Sunday May 12, 2019

Denaturalization a NEW reality for U.S. Citizens

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram

C

an you be denaturalized or have your U.S. citizenship taken away?

YES, denaturalization based on fraud or wrongdoing is

growing. Immigration has requested $207.6 million to hire agents to investigate marriage, visa, residency and citizenship fraud.

The U.S. government does have the power to take citizenship away from those to whom it's been granted.

A n d t h e Tr u m p administration has made it clear that it intends to use that power to identify, and denaturalize, people who it feels won their citizenship based on fraud.

The Department of Justice has the power to file a

denaturalization lawsuit against a naturalized citizen under two circumstances: first, if they obtained their citizenship illegally — i.e., they didn't actually meet the legal requirements of citizenship — or, second, if they lied about or concealed

something during the citizenship process that was relevant to their case. (As you can probably guess, what counts as relevant — in l e g a l t e r m i n o l o g y, “material” — is the source of a lot of questions about when denaturalization is

Gail S. Seeram appropriate.) They also have t h e o p t i o n t o c h a rg e someone criminally for fraud in naturalization.

If the government prevails in court, the immigrant reverts from being a US citizen to being a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). And green card holders can be stripped of their legal status, and deported, without a court hearing if they're found to violate the terms of their status (for example, committing certain crimes).

So denaturalization doesn't actually kick someone out of the country — or even automatically make them eligible to getting kicked out of the country.

But it opens the door to that possibility, by stripping them of the only foolproof protection against deportation an immigrant has.

Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA call | text | whatsApp 407-292-7730 e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com l i v e c h a t : www.GailLaw.com Download FREE App: Gail Law Copyright © 2018, Law Offices of Gail S. Seeram.

All Rights Reserved.

Workers seek cooperation...

From page 35 Guyana where all can live, participate and enjoy. We continue to send a message to government and all politicians that labour does not have to operate in an environment of conflict.

We remind them that they have a responsibility as the premier power in government, through policies, programmes and consultation, to create the environment for harmony not confrontation.

B u t f o r th is to b e achieved, government has got to do right by the workers. We have got to operate in an environment of mutual respect and trust, for these are important to social justice.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 53

NIS offers mobile money platform for self-employed

T

he National Insurance Scheme on Friday, hosted a Compliance Wo r k s h o p f o r S e n i o r Managers, Office Managers and Compliance officers from its 14 offices across the country.

The workshop is one of Management's intervention

and continued effort to enable compliance officers to plan and execute their day to day activities effectively.

Many strategies were discussed, the major being, making payment easier for self-employed contributors across the country via the mobile money app.

The mobile money

platform provides an alternative payment method for self-employed persons.

Instead of visiting the NIS office in order to remit contributions, individuals can make their payments from a mobile device; internet enabled device and any mobile money location.

This service seeks to

improve compliance among the self-employed population by addressing the main complaint of having to leave their businesses for an extended period in order to make their contribution payments.

This training was done to provide details as to how the system would operate from

the perspective of the selfemployed person as well as what steps the employees of NIS must take to ensure verification of payments and their incorporation into NIMS. Brief remarks were made by the Chairman of the NIS Board, Mr. John Seeram, while presentations were

done by the General Manager of NIS, Ms. Holly Greaves; Finance Controller, Ms. Rita Scotland; Manager, Research and Information System, Mr. Keith Fileen; and GTT Representative Mr. Chapman.

The launch of the initiative is slated for June 2019.

Predo Baby products support triplets

T

he first set of triplet boys for the year, were born on April 12, at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

O n T h u r s d a y, t h e y received a donation of a year's supply of diapers, baby wipes and baby shampoo.

The donations were made by representatives of Sueria Manufacturing Inc. The parents of the triplets, 21-year-old Police Officer Dillon Prince and 21year-old Latifa Phillips, expressed gratitude to Sueria Manufacturing for the more than appreciated donation to their new family.

In a statement, the company said that it plans to track and document the babies' journey throughout the year as they grow using the Predo's Baby products.

The company's CEO, Mr. Frank Sanichara, said as a father, he knows how critical it is for the babies to be comfortable and healthy, hence the donation of Predo diapers and baby products.

Mr. Sanichara added that he has twin boys and they too are currently using Predo diapers as it is a quality brand.

He stressed it is the company's mandate to distribute premium products

that are affordable, hence; giving all parents the opportunity to care for their loved ones.

The diapers are designed with leak guard barriers, elastic side tapes, cotton soft breathable fabric and are very absorbent to ensure wetness protection, available in five different stages starting from small to extra large.

The company ensures you have more value for your money since there are more diapers in every pack when compared to the other brands.

Furthermore, these diapers are available countrywide.

The company's representatives stated that they are currently streamlining an initiative which will see them working closely with several health centers across Guyana.

The initiative will be geared at giving first time mothers the privilege of using Predo diapers and baby products free of charge for their new born.

Representatives of Sueria Manufacturing Inc. posing with the triplets and their mother

Kaieteur News

PAGE 54

Sunday May 12, 2019

Mothers can still live their dreams - Michelle Playter takes Guyanese team to Brooklyn Fashion Week

W

hen Michelle Playter first got involved in the Fashion Industry as a contestant in the 2004 Miss Guyana Universe pageant as a young girl from Kamuni Creek, little did she know that 15 years later, the glamourous mother of two adorable boys, would be celebrating Mothers' day just after returning from her fifth trip to the Brooklyn Fashion Week in New York, and living her dreams in the International Fashion World.

“This year's Event was amazing, I am very thankful to God for blessing me with talent, and I am honoured to be able to help others fulfil their dreams” the 39 year-old reflected.

Michelle opened Playter's Model Agency in 2010 to help empower young women through modelling and fashion.

“It's a blessing to see it growing into something bigger and greater than I expected. I am now able to help talented persons in the entertainment industry get a chance on the International stage.

P l a y t e r i s a businesswoman, a model, and also teaches women to take care of themselves under the brand 'Glow Michelle Beauty School' which is located at Playter's Enterprise in Delph Street, Campbellville, but she insists she is a mother first and that's her priority.

“Being a Mom, Model, a business owner and still have a career is more than just being blessed. A career mom is not too challenging for me.

I actually use my career as recreation; time to reboot. It

balances me as woman,” she revealed.

Michelle says her main issue is missing her sons (Jaden, 13, and Justin, 10) when she travels overseas for shows.

“I have to take care of the two gifts that God has given me, especially Jaden, who is a 'special child' and all the other things come after that.

I learned a lot from having a special child, he makes motherhood for me very interesting,” she explained.

Michelle is in great physical shape, but says she doesn't go to a Gym. “I don't

Michelle with her sons, Jaden (left) and Justin

Singer Charmaine Blackman-Alves (centre) and her Music Producer husband Bunny, with Playter in NY

Playter (left) was one of the models for the Brooklyn Carnival costumes drink or smoke; I believe healthy living is not what you eat, it's a lifestyle. My sons and a busy lifestyle keep me fit,” she said with satisfaction.

“I want to encourage others to keep holding on to their dreams, because your career is what you pay for (investment) but your

'calling' is what you are made for (your purpose).”

She said she always loved dressing up and that was why she was encouraged to start modelling, but she had no idea how far that would go.

“I just loved modelling and doing make-up and my career blossomed. It's nice to

get paid to do something you love. I am a family person and I wanted 12 children, since I love to have a house full of children,” said Michelle.

Her usual day would begin at 06:00hrs when she would make breakfast and take care of her sons, then run her make-up class from

9-11 before cooking lunch.

Her make-up class resumes from 2-5 before she spends the evenings with the kids.

“I don't go out as much as before but I sometime go out to relax, it helps to keep me focused. I also enjoy sports, but cricket is my favourite,” she stated.

FASHION WEEK BROOKLYN Shifting her focus to her recent trip to the USA,

Playter said she could not explain how she felt to have her team participate at Fashion Week Brooklyn (FWBK) 2019.

“All I can say it's all because of God, if wasn't for his favour on my life, none of what I am doing could have been possible.

“My team travelled with me this year and it filled my heart with joy to see my country on the international (continued on page 63)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 55

Shortage of anti-rejection drugs puts post-kidney transplant patients in quandary

H

a v i n g undergone lifesaving kidney transplant surgeries, close to three dozen patients have been attending posttransplant care and support clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC].

At these clinics patients are examined to ensure that they are progressing well.

They are also furnished with needful medication, including one to ensure that their transplanted kidney is not rejected by their bodies.

This medication is called Mycophenolate – which is simply referred to as an immunosuppressant drug which decreases the body's natural immune response to a foreign substance, that is, the new kidney.

But some of the posttransplant patients are beginning to worry that their new organs could begin to fail, since they have been receiving word that the GPHC has exhausted its supply of Mycophenolate and has failed to replenish same. According to multiple patients who claimed to be affected by this development, they have been desperately trying to get with key health officials to address the dilemma quickly.

When contacted for a comment on this daunting development, senior hospital officials said this state of affairs was not brought to their attention.

“We never got any complaints to this effect,”

Some of the affected post-kidney transplant patients. one official insisted. But the patients are claiming to have evidence to suggest otherwise.

“We have already taken this concern and others to multiple levels already, including the CEO, who we wrote to through our doctor [Dr. Kishore Persaud, the transplant surgeon] and he said he would get them sorted out. Recently we even took our concerns to the Ministry [of Public Health] and followed up with it as well, and nothing seems to be coming of it,” said Henry Brandon, one of the affected transplant patients.

He disclosed that although the problem was sorted out for a while, the shortage situation resumed shortly after.

But according to Brandon, this is not the first time that post-transplant patients have been faced with this predicament.

“I remember last year alone, two times we didn't have this medication, and those who had extra had to share with the others until we got access to it again,” the patient recalled. He is however concerned that on this occasion the drug shortage appears to be especially dire.

This is in light of Brandon's disclosure that “this time around nobody seems sure as to when they're going to get again. One of the things we were told is that the Food and Drug Administration is having problems with the supplier.

We have been sharing around our tablets... some people have for two weeks and one month at the most.”

The patients claim to have knowledge that the importation of the drug is linked to an order from the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department.

When questioned if this is indeed the case, Food and Drug Director, Mr. Marlan Cole, was not in a position to comment on this particular case. He however shared that in the past, his organisation has had cause to restrict some drugs imported for use at the GPHC, since they were not registered. He noted, too, that once a credible complaint reaches the Food and Drug Department, it is customary that an investigation is conducted and the necessary action[s] taken.

Meanwhile, the patients continue to agonise over their plight.

“If we go a day or two without this drug, we could lose our kidney...our bodies could reject the kidney and we could be back in hospital again...that is the importance of that drug,” said Richard Manpersaud, another posttransplant patient.

“We are tired of people giving us comforting words; we need them to help us by sourcing the drugs for us,” added Manpersaud, who

continued by revealing that “even if we wanted to source it for ourselves, we can't find it nowhere in Guyana.”

The drugs the patients believe are imported by a major local importer.

“I really don't understand how they [the hospital] can have a shortage when they would have a record of how many patients had transplants and how many surgeries are projected for the year...even if they buy more, that wouldn't be a problem once the expiration date is not near,” stressed Brandon.

Some of the patients are convinced that the shortage is linked to the price being demanded by the importer.

This publication understands that the importer in question offers one box of Mycophenolate containing 50 tablets for $50,000. This publication has, however, been able to confirm that the very same product is available at Lisa's Pharmacy of Gulf View, La Romain, Trinidad and Tobago, for a value equivalent to $18,000.

PAGE 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Former MP Michael Anthony Abraham A.A laid to rest

Y

esterday, former Member of Parliament, Michael Anthony Abraham A.A, was laid to rest. In his tribute Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo reflected on the life of former MP Abraham, noting that he was “an honest politician, in a world where politicians are tainted.”

The Prime Minister explained, “Michael [Abraham] did his work for his party, for his country which makes him

- “he served his country with distinction” – PM Nagamootoo

a patriot, as dedicatedly and honestly as he could.”

H e f o n d l y remembered songs that he sang with Abraham along with the 'Moruca Boys'.

“He united his family, taught and guided them; he was a musical inspiration not only to his family but throughout Guyana. He was the father of music, we talked about in our I n d i g e n o u s communities,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo stated.

According to the Prime Minister, the former MP while in the opposition, often always found a solution that would benefit both sides.

“He wanted to appeal to the humanity in others.”

“Today I pay tribute to you, Michael Anthony Abraham, as honestly as I could, as a man who has served his country and his family,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo stated as he bid farewell to a friend and colleague.

Michael Anthony Abraham joined The United Force (TUF)

under then leader, Marcellus Fielden Singh, who succeeded party founder Peter D'Aguiar.

As a result, he was asked by the party to be its representative in the National Assembly and for 18 years, Abraham championed the cause of the Indigenous people.

Abraham was also the holder of a national award – The Golden Arrow of Achievement (A.A.) – for his service in community development and his efforts to preserve the Indigenous culture. (DPI)

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 57

Kaieteur News

100 mothers in Region Five honoured for their role in education The Region Five Department of Education, on Thursday, honoured 100 mothers for their significant contributions to the education system in the region through their involvement in the life of the child or children at their respective nursery, primary or secondary schools.

The award ceremony was held at the Latchmansingh Primary School under the theme: Paradise lies at the feet of mothers.

Senior Schools’ Welfare Officer (SSWO) of the region, Mrs. Gloria Davidson-James, said that over the past years, the welfare section of the Department of Education has conducted truancy campaigns and counselled children with behavioural issues throughout the region.

She said that the Department of Education believes that parental involvement is important in children’s lives.

According to Ms. Davidson-James, the initiative to honour mothers began two years ago when it was discovered that parental involvement was minimal across the region.

She said that through consultation, it was decided that a competition should start to encourage parents to become more involved in the academic life of their children.

She said that research has shown that when parents work together, children

Mothers gathered at the Latchmansingh Primary School to be honoured on Thursday. (Ministry of Education photo) perform better, stay in school longer and are more likely to graduate.

Among the criteria considered when choosing the parents to be honoured, Ms. Davidson-James explained that parents must attend ParentTeacher Association meetings of the school and they must be a motivator to their children, other children and parents of the school.

Delivering the feature address and representing the Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, was Technical Officer within the Ministry of Education, Ms. Simone Wills.

She commended the region for boasting an outstanding parental partnership in the school

system. According to Ms. Wills, it is important to understand that such effective partnerships are based on mutual trust, respect and shared responsibility for the educating of children.

She said that parents who show an interest in the curricula and educational methods are more able to assist their children with home assignments and monitor their study habits.

Recognising that the partnership that was recognised on Thursday is a two-way relationship, Ms. Wills noted that for parents to be involved, the school has got to provide that inviting atmosphere and attitude that encourages parents to visit and play an active role in the

CONSUMER CONCERNS

How do you write calendar dates and time?

Oftentimes, we find ourselves in situations where we are forced to interpret dates that are written in documents that require our attention, or even to express them. Usually, it becomes a challenge to figure out which digits represent the day, the month and the year.

At a hospital or a medical clinic for example, misunderstanding the date is not something doctors, nurses and health workers can afford.

This can result in expired medicine being prescribed to patients or medication being administered too late or too early, and contribute to patient health implications.

Similarly, expressing the time incorrectly has its own implications and can create doubts, if not quickly clarified. Many times we are told that “I will come by at eight o’clock” or “the event starts at five o’ clock”; forgetting to enquire whether it is eight o’ clock or five o’ clock in the morning or the evening.

Too often, this happens to passengers travelling by air. Situations such as these can result in unwanted frustration or the wastage of time, which could have been spent doing something else.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has sought to address these situations by educating organisations and the general public of the standardised and internationally recognised way of writing dates and time to eliminate confusion and allow for easy interpretation.

This is according to the international standard ISO 8601, which deals with numeric

representations of dates and time. This standard outlines two internationally acceptable formats for writing the date; the all numeric and the non-numeric formats as stated below: 1. All numeric format (only numbers are used) – For example, today is 2019-05-12 2. Non-numeric format – For example today is Sunday, May 12, 2019 The all numeric format places the year first in four digits followed by the month in two digits and then the day also in two digits. It must be noted that the year, month and day are separated by a dash (-) and not a slash (/).

The non-numeric format starts with the day (Sunday), followed by the month (May) and the day (12) and then the year (2019).

However, it would also be acceptable if the day is not included. It must be noted that the ordinals “st, th, rd and nd” are not recommended by the ISO 8601 Standard.

For time, the international twenty-four hour clock system is recommended instead of am or pm. To express the time correctly say eight hours (08:00 h) instead of eight o clock and, sixteen hours thirty (16:30 h) instead of four thirty (4:30) NB. The day starts at 00:00 h and ends at 23:59…Therefore, you should avoid saying eight hundred hours and sixteen hundred hours.

For further information on this subject, call the Guyana National Bureau of Standards on Telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 2190065.

school dispensation.

The Technical Officer said that research has shown that the key to any successful school is positive parental involvement.

“Three ways of providing such mutual exchange are open lines of communication, maintain the house-school connection and tackle problems constructively and collectively,” Ms. Wills remarked.

She said that families are the first educators of children and they continue to influence their children’s learning and development during the school years and long afterwards.

Ms. Wills noted that it is important to build a strong connection between the school and parents in order to foster a major impact on

student learning, regardless of the social or cultural background of the family.

It was noted that parental involvement produces outcomes such as improved student learning, attendance and behaviour.

“Family involvement in students’ learning cannot be overemphasized. Parents unquestionably are considered the most important stakeholders, since they share a common interest and investment in their children’s learning,” the educator said.

On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Wills commended the parents, teachers and officers in the region for setting such an outstanding example.

Regional Education Officer, Mrs. Deon Lyn Lewis-

Clarke, said that parents are required to teach children good behavioural practices.

She said that parents need to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually.

According to the REdO, the parents honoured on Thursday should feel privileged to be selected from a larger group of parents. She told the mothers that their involvement in the education system means a lot for the growth of the respective schools, community and the country as a whole.

She said that parental involvement provides the support that is needed by children especially when they face academic hurdles and other problems while growing up.

Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO), Mr. Sherwyn Wellington, asked the women in attendance to continue praying for their children to be uplifted. He urged them to show love to their children during their worst and best times.

Member of Parliament, Jennifer Wade, urged the mothers to continue speaking to their children to do the right thing.

She said, “We cannot give up on our children, even if they do bad deeds.”

Ms. Wade congratulated the 100 women for the work they have done and encouraged them to continue working in the best interest of their children and their country.

PAGE 60

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Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 61

Kaieteur News

CONSUMER CONCERNS

COMMEMORATING ARRIVAL DAY

By PAT DIAL

Two important national anniversaries have fallen in close proximity to each other - Labour Day on May 1, and Arrival Day on May 5. Space would not permit us to deal with both; we will accordingly consider Arrival Day since, with the 19th century immigrations, it marks the creation of modern Guyana.

In 1838, the Apprenticeship System came to an end. By this System, the slaves though theoretically freed in 1833, had to continue working on the plantations for some time for a very small wage. Owing to the fact of natural decrease of the plantation workforce by death and disablement and the fact that the freedmen had gradually begun to leave the plantations, the planter class began to anxiously search over the world to recruit labour for their plantations.

Eventually, the focus fell on China, Madeira (a part of Portugal) and India.

About 15,000 Chinese were brought to the colony and many more Portuguese from Madeira but these proved unsatisfactory for the needs of the plantations. And in any case, they left the plantations as soon as their indentureship contracts expired.

The indentured workers from India proved the most reliable and consequentially, all the indentured workers that came to Guyana from the last quarter of the 19th century to the end of indenture in 1917 were from India.

Indentureship was often described by historians as “the New Slavery” since it did retain many of the most important characteristics of slavery. The wages paid to the workers were invariably less than what they had agreed to before leaving their homes.

Such wages could barely cover the cost of their very basic food. Their clothes were always skimpy and they often used the bags in which wheaten flour was imported as material to make their clothing. They lived in the same slave barracks, now generally known as ‘ranges’.

These ranges had no floors since their floors were the bare earth and during the rainy season, the ranges and the land surrounding them were always muddy. In the ranges themselves, there was little privacy.

There was no health care and the death rate among the indentures was very high, mainly from malaria and preventable diseases. During the 19th century and even into the 20th century, there

were no schools on the sugar plantations resulting in a very high rate of illiteracy.

The Indian indentured servant and his children were stereotyped as agriculturists and as such, they could scarcely find jobs out of agriculture. In agriculture, however, they were able to found some agricultural industries such as the rice industry and the coconut industry. If they ventured out of agriculture, it had to be in some self-employed work such as shopkeeping.

But probably, the discrimination which hurt them the most was cultural.

Their cultures were despised and their Hinduism and Islam were regarded as alien and subject to continuous attacks

by Christian missionaries.

During the period of Indian indentureship, no trade unions were permitted, so when working conditions became unbearable, there were spontaneous strikes.

These strikes were generally designated “riots” which gave the police authority to act harshly on the strikers and even shooting them.

During the period of Indian indentureship, there were seven such strikes or “riots” resulting in serious loss of workers’ lives.

Indentureship, like slavery, which preceded it, was a

More witnesses testify in Black Bush Polder truck driver murder When the trial of Navendra Basdeo, called ‘Phone’, 24, of 14 Johanna, North Black Bush Polder continued in the Berbice High Court the prosecution called a number of witnesses before closing its case.

Basdeo is on trial before Justice Jo Ann Barlow and a mixed jury for the murder of Karran Sukhdeo, called “Vishal”, 30, a truck driver and father of one, of 101 Johanna North Black Bush Polder. The killing occurred on Saturday, August 23, 2014, around 23:45 hrs at Johanna North, Black Bush Polder following an altercation with a group of men at a wedding house.

Attorney-at-law Mursalene Bacchus is appearing for the accused in association with attorney-at-law Surihya Sabsook.

State Prosecutor Mandel Moore is presenting the state’s case.

Government Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan, testified to conducting a post mortem examination on the body at the New Amsterdam Hospital. He found that the man died from multiple injuries. He received stab wounds in the region of the heart and about the body.

The father of the deceased, Deochand Sukhdeo, testified to being at home during the night when he received reports of an incident involving his son. He said that he rushed to the scene and found his son in a drain.

The man was picked up and placed in their car and rushed to the Mibicuri Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Sukhdeo said that he then escorted his son’s body to the mortuary.

The dead man’s mother, Yowattie Hardat, testified to being at home during the night when another son rushed home and told her something.

They reportedly rushed to the scene about 23:30 hrs and she saw her son with injuries to the left side of his body. He was picked up and rushed to the hospital. She said that she subsequently lost consciousness.

Rice farmer Hemchand Budhoo at whose place the wedding was being held gave a description of his home. There was light under his house. Under cross-examination, he mentioned of not knowing what took place.

He had mounted a bar and was selling at the same bar. He could not say exactly what happened.

Rajendra Ragnauth testified to being with a search party during the night that located the deceased. He said that the decrease was found in a drain. He too knew both the accused and deceased.

The prosecution also called the brother of the accused, Vishnu Basdeo, and two cousins Harold and Tameshwar Basdeo, to testify on its behalf. They gave similar testimony in which they stated that they were at a wedding house and a misunderstanding developed.

A fight eventually started between the accused Navendra Basdeo and the decease Karran Sukhdeo. The deceased pulled the accused out on the road and a fight ensued.

People parted the fight and they went their respected ways in different directions.

Afterwards they learnt that Karran Sukhdeo had died.

The matter is continuing.

period of harsh exploitation and immeasurable suffering among the plantation workers and their families.

Despite the terrible exploitation and harsh conditions, which the plantation system imposed on the working people, it ironically had some positive effects: For one, since all the racial and cultural groups brought to the country to supply labour went through the plantations, the plantation put its indelible stamp on them all and they became very much alike. This gave a oneness and unity to Guyanese society which is clearly seen when Guyanese are in a foreign country.

The various efforts by

political and other groups to stir up racial and religious discord among the population and disturb this foundational unity of Guyanese society has never succeeded.

Another positive for which the Plantation System was responsible, was the bringing of the three greatest world religions together and have them cooperate and develop an empathy among each other. This is the only country in the world where Hinduism, Christianity and Islam sincerely cooperate with each other and where members of these Faiths even participate in each other’s services.

The Guyanese philosophic position is that all religious ways lead to God

and each way is equally valid.

And lastly, the Plantation System peopled Guyana at a time when the population of about 80,000 to 100,000 was declining and there was talk of abandonment of the colony in some colonial circles. As important, it saved the country’s economy, which was based on the sugar industry, from total collapse.

Owing to the emigration wave, which enveloped the country from the 1950’s, almost the entire Portuguese and Chinese populations emigrated and the responsibility of commemorating Arrival Day devolved on Indian descendants to the extent where the Day is now generally called “Indian Arrival Day”.

PAGE 62

Sunday May 05, 2019

Kaieteur News

100 mothers in Region Five honoured for their role in education From page 15 problems constructively a n d c o l l e c t i v e l y, ” M s .

Wills remarked.

She said that families are the first educators of children and they continue to influence their children’s learning and development during the school years and long afterwards.

Ms. Wills noted that it is important to build a strong connection between the school and parents in order to foster a major impact on student learning, regardless of the social or cultural background of the family.

It was noted that parental involvement produces

outcomes such as improved student learning, attendance and behaviour.

“Family involvement in students’ learning cannot be overemphasized. Parents unquestionably are considered the most important stakeholders, since they share a common interest and investment in their children’s learning,” the educator said.

On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Wills commended the parents, teachers and officers in the region for setting such an outstanding example.

Regional Education Officer, Mrs. Deon Lyn LewisClarke, said that parents are

required to teach children good behavioural practices. She said that parents need to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually.

According to the REdO, the parents honoured on Thursday should feel privileged to be selected from a larger group of parents. She told the mothers that their involvement in the education system means a lot for the growth of the respective schools, community and the country as a whole.

She said that parental involvement provides the support that is needed by children especially when

they face academic hurdles and other problems while growing up.

Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO), Mr. Sherwyn Wellington, asked the women in attendance to continue praying for their children to be uplifted. He urged them to show love to their children during their worst and best times.

Member of Parliament, Jennifer Wade, urged the mothers to continue speaking to their children to do the right thing.

She said, “We cannot give up on our children, even if they do bad deeds.”

M s . Wa d e c o n g r a t u -

lated the 100 women for the work they have done and encouraged them to con-

tinue working in the best interest of their children and their country.

Fake CARICOM skills...

From page 16 rid if you could of people producing fake certificates,” he added.

According to a report prepared by the CARICOM Secretariat for the COTED meeting, 168 fake skills certificates were identified in six CARICOM countries in 2018 and Jamaicans were the holder of 167 of those false documents, the other involved a Guyanese.

Of this amount, the volume of the fake documents some

148 were submitted for jobs in Trinidad and Tobago.

Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. KittsNevis, and St. Lucia were the other targeted countries by the Jamaicans. The skills certificate is part of a CARICOM law adopted by the 15-member block to allow nationals with certain skills to move freely and work in any of the participating countries without the need for a work permit.

GECOM commissioners, Tender Board head...

From page 14 27. Mr. Devindra Kumar-Former Estate ManagerWhales Estate 28. Mr. Earl John- Former Human Resources Director 29. Mr. Raymond Ferreira- Former Shipping and Logistics Manager 30. Mr. Dexter Cox- Former Marketing Development Manager (ag) 31. Mr. Nathaniel Phoenix- Former Agriculture Manager-Skeldon Estate 32. Mr. Mohamed Zid-Former Agriculture ManagerRose Hall Estate 33. Mr. Clarence Burnett-Former Agriculture ManagerEast Demerara Estate 34. Mr. Doodnauth Dhanram-Former Agriculture Manager (ag) - Wales Estate 35. Mr. John Loncke-Former Factory Manager-Skeldon Estate 36. Mr. Nekram Persaud- Former Factory Manager Albion Estate 37. Mr. Terry Simon- Former Factory Manager Rose Hall Estate 38. Mr. Nandkumar Parmanand- Former Factory Manager - East Demerara Estate Guyana Tourism Authority 1. Mr. Donald Sinclair- Head of the Tourism Department/ Chairman of GTA Guyana Water Incorporated 1. Mr. Nigel Hinds- Chairman, Board of Directors 2. Dr. Richard Van West Charles-Managing Director 3. Mr. Dwayne Shako- Executive Director, Operations 4. Mr. Aubrey Roberts- Executive Director, Design of Infrastructure 5. Mr. Elvis Jordon- Executive Director, Human Resources Management & Development 6. Mr. Lensworth Blair-Head, Technical Services 7. Mr. Sunildatt Barran- Head, Field Services 8. Mr. Deon Anderson- Head, Water Quality 9. Mr. Lance Mars- Head, Strategic Planning Evaluating & Monitoring Hinterland Electrification Co. Inc. 1. Mr. Horace Williams-Chief Executive Officer Human Rights Commission 1. Ms. Colleen Brandford- Administrator Institute of Applied Science and Technology 1. Mr. Deonarine Jagdeo-Deputy Director 2. Mr. Sewpersaud Manohar-Head of Department, Food and Feed 3. Mr. Mahendra Rampersaud-Head of Department, Bioprospecting 4. Mr. Rishi Persaud- Head of Department, Biofuels 5. Mr. Randey Fordyce-Head of Department, Analytical 6. Ms. Nonieka Daniels- Head of Department, Accounting

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 63

Kaieteur News

Region Four Education Dept. recognises importance of mothers At its annual Mother’s Day luncheon, the Department of Education of Region Four recognised a number of mothers working within the department.

The event was graced with the presence of Regional Chairperson, Ms. Genevieve Allen, who is referred to as the mother of the region, and Regional Executive Officer, Ms. Pauline Lucas.

The initiative was crystallised by Acting Regional Education Officer, Ms. Tiffany Harvey.

At the event, the importance of the contributions of the mothers was highlighted with Allen declaring that mothers are the ones who generally hold families together because they are the ones who continuously make untold sacrifices.

She urged them to continue embracing motherhood adding that being a mother is a great honour and should never be taken lightly.

“I would like to say that irrespective of who don’t like or appreciate me. I am not concerned but what matters the most is knowing that the children that I bore for nine months can continue to love and express their love to me.

“That is what gives me the greatest appreciation,” Allen said.

Many mothers, she said, are often forced to play both roles of mother and father.

She, however, said that mothers around the world and, more so, in Guyana

The officers flanked by Regional Chairperson Genevieve Allen, REO Pauline Lucas and REdO Tiffany Harvey, while newest mother Miss Dacia George sits. continue to make significant contributions to the growth and development of their communities, families and most importantly country.

“Motherhood is a fantastic feeling and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I feel honoured being a mother and I urge you mothers to ensure that you are pampered as being a mother is such a great blessing.

“I lost my mother in 1998 and there isn’t a day that goes by without me missing my mother,” Allen said.

REO Lucas shared some of her own experiences pointing out that while she only has one biological child, she continues to be the

mother of some 15 godchildren. She also provided monthly support to a number of others.

“It’s a great feeling and experience and as we celebrate this important day. It allows us as mothers to reflect on our own lives and those of our children and others who you may have impacted upon,” she said.

She told the gathering that many times the roles of mothers are taken for granted, stressing that a mother’s contribution cannot be counted. She made reference to Allen’s comments that mothers are often lawyers, disciplinarians, doctors, nurses, judges and most

Mothers can still live their...

From page 54 stage, knowing that I was the one who helped to make it possible. It was great to have two Guyanese models (Lynn Ronqvisst & Nikisha DeAbreu) on stage with me modelling for our very own designer.”

Michelle informed that she was excited to be able to model for a Guyanese designer this year on the international stage, while her Agency facilitated Dr. Kari Munroe being able to showcase her 'Fabulous Homes International Realty' project to a US audience.

“I spoke about this last year and to see it become a reality is more than a dream come true for me. I am so happy I got the opportunity to take a Designer (Mark Roy Jnr.), Singer (Charmaine Blackman-Alves) and two Models.

From the response we got, we represented Guyanese well at the Brooklyn Fashion Week 2019,” Michelle proudly related.

“I only see bigger and greater things for Guyana and I will continue to do my best in whatever I set out to do in life. Being at Fashion Week Brooklyn this year provided me with the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, since over 25 countries showcased their talent and every year it keeps getting better.”

Michelle was afforded the opportunity to do photo shoots with Longlive Production International Model Agency and the Sesame Carnival, one of the biggest Carnival Parades in NYC. The Guyanese Fashion Ambassador said that at the time she was asked to do the photo shoot for the Carnival show, she had no idea how big it was.

“I was at FWBK Fashion Week After-Party, celebrating a week of greatness when this

woman asked me to model a Carnival outfit for them. She said she loved my exotic look and asked where I came from, and I was so proud to say I am a Guyanese,” Michelle informed.

“It doesn't matter where you come from, as long you have a dream and keep on working towards it, you never know where it will take you… and it's more than just a dream when you get to help others through whatever you set out to do.

I am thankful to God, my family, friends and everyone who supported me on this journey, especially those sponsors who came on board this year like Vnet, Charles Ramson and Playter's Enterprise.

Life is a journey not a race, put your trust in God and he will see you through. Don't limit yourself. You don't have to be rich to help or lead, just start right from where you are,” Michelle concluded. ?Brooklyn Fashion Week is a bi-annual international collection show and has emerged as one of the leading fashion events, showcasing the talent of aspiring and established designers from across the globe Attendees include a diverse spectrum of socially conscious, influencers, fashionforward and creative people nationally and internationally.

Each season FWBK supports several nonprofit charitable organisations to raise awareness on sexual assault and violence and lends a voice to social issues including human rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, sustainability initiatives, poverty, community development and leadership training and FWBK can be found at www.fashionweekbrooklyn.com (Sean Devers)

importantly the first teachers in a child’s life.

Harvey in alluding to the observance of the Mother’s Day, said that it is a very important event that she looks forward to organising each year.

She thanked the many others who work in her department, while congratulating Danicia George, who is expected to deliver soon. She offered words of comfort and advice to the young lady urging her

to value the blessing that she has and to recognise that irrespective of her child’s age she will always be his/her mother.

“I am so excited to welcome Miss George to motherhood and to say that it’s a journey that never ends because even when your child moves on with their own family, you remain their mother still. Congratulations, my daughter. I see you as my own child,” she declared.

Harvey also spoke about the importance of fathers, noting that because of fathers there can be mothers. “I would like to thank the men who have made us mothers as we know that without fathers there can be no mothers,” she said.

The mothers were each given a gift hamper to celebrate their motherhood.

Additionally, Allen, Lucas and the secretary to the REdO, Allison Hoppie, were each presented with gifts for their roles as mothers and more so for making significant contributions to the department.

PAGE 64

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Unclear whether Former NFMU Chief will return under Telecoms Authority …terminated NFMU staff given hiring priority The terminated staff members of the now defunct National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) are subjects of a process

designed to give them hiring priority in the new Telecoms Agency.

However, two of them, including former Managing

Director of the NFMU, Valmiki Singh, have indicated no interest in signing on, so far.

The other 16 staff members applied, and 14 of

them have been recommended for rehire. The two that were not recommended were deemed ineligible for the positions to which they employed, and have shown no interest in positions that suit their qualifications.

The Telecommunications Bill provides for the termination of the staff, in a process that is purported to make the process as seamless as possible for their transfer to the new agency. The new agency informed staff of its organisational structure and were encouraged to peruse the job descriptions attached to the various positions, as of March 27, 2019.

They were encouraged to submit expressions of interest prior to May 10, 2019 so that the agency could make all the necessary rehiring decisions without having a break in employment for the selected staff.

Some of the persons who were sent home were concerned because they stand to lose their pensions.

Hand-in-Hand is claiming that it was supposed to be

Valmiki Singh, Former Managing Director of the NFMU – Photo Credit: DPI informed six months prior to the termination, but that was not done. Hence, the pension that some workers were working toward, they may no longer be eligible for, at least not with the most favourable arrangement.

According to Government, “Every effort has been made to ensure that their remuneration and benefits, including pensions are not adversely affected by this transition.”

With regards to the

Telecoms Agency, its functions shall be discharged by a board of nine members appointed by the Minister and comprising three persons named by the said Minister, one of whom shall be designated as chair of the board.

On the board, also, should be two persons named by the Leader of the Opposition after consultation with the Opposition Parties in the National Assembly. However, the Opposition has indicated that it will not go back to Parliament any time soon, so it is unclear when those positions will be filled.

The Director of Telecommunications of the agency will also be part of the board. The toughening of laws has been dragging on for years with legislation finally passed under this Government.

The Telecoms Sector is being seen as a major driver of the economy because of the internet connectivity, virtual classrooms and possibilities that will come.

A number of telephone and cable companies are standing by.

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 65

Guyana awaits the CCJ ruling The entire nation is awaiting the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), CARICOM’s highest court, on the noconfidence motion appeals.

That ruling will ultimately decide if the Coalition Government continues its term in office, or if elections have to be held before the 2020 due date.

While President of the CCJ Adrian Saunders has indicated that the court would not be ready with a judgment by this week, many Guyanese at home and abroad have had a full digest of marathon arguments and are anxiously waiting the final say.

The Trinidad-based court entertained arguments over a two-day period, May 9 and May 10, from some of the most prominent lawyers in the Caribbean Region.

There were the likes of Trinidad and Tobago-based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who along with former Belizean Attorney General Courtenay presented arguments on behalf of the opposition and government respectively. Their Guyanese counterparts included Attorney General Basil Williams, Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall, Senior Counsel Neil Boston, Attorneys-at-law Sanjeev Datadin, Kamal Ramkarran and others.

Apart from President Saunders, the panel of judges comprised Justices Winston Anderson, Jacob Wit, David Hayton and Maureen Rajnauth-Lee. MAJORITY ISSUE On Friday, President Saunders told Government lawyers that no one doubts that an absolute majority of all 65 elected members of the National Assembly is required for the successful passage of a no-confidence motion. The, Judge, however said that the court has to now decide on a formula.

According to Saunders, the court has to determine whether to adapt the formula of dividing by two, rounding up to the nearest whole number and then adding one, which had been the case in the Solomon Islands, or determining the majority of the uneven number, 65.

The Coalition Government has insisted that an absolute majority of 65 is 34, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory had held that in calculating the absolute majority, the 65 members of the National Assembly had to be divided by two, which would result in 32.5, but since the .5 represents half and there is no half-member, that number needs to rounded off to 33, and add one more, making it 34 –an absolute majority.

But lawyers for expelled Alliance for Change (AFC) Parliamentarian, Charrandass Persaud, Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, are maintaining that there is no mention of an absolute or simple majority in the Constitution. To this end, they are contending that the no-confidence motion was validly passed with the votes of 33 of the 65 members present and voting, which was the ruling by Chief Justice Roxane George.

On the other hand, Government lawyers have held the word prefix “absolute” had to be interpreted in the provisions of Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana, which provides for the no-confidence motion. That Article states, “The President and the Cabinet shall resign if the Government is defeated by a vote of majority of all elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Anyway, this was the position taken by government lawyer Roysdale Forde during the final day of arguments. Forde gave his take on the 34 majority and referenced a case government lawyers have been totally relying on to support their case.

However, President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, was not on the same page as him. The CCJ President reasoned that the case is relevant to an entirely different parliamentary setting, as compared to Guyana’s. But Forde was not moving away from the issue.

The lawyer reasoned that an absolute majority is needed to unseat the government because it would avoid its steady collapse.

He told President Saunders that as in the case of Guyana with a proportional representation, half plus one will always be the formula in calculating a majority. Attorney General Basil Williams, who also held the same view, was also grilled by Justice Wit on the majority issue.

Justice Wit reasoned to Williams that in the case of an odd number Parliament as in Guyana, he thought the majority of those actually voting would be the larger number of the odd number voting—in essence the majority. As in the case of an even number Parliament, Justice Wit said he sees the formula of dividing by half, then adding one, applicable. Weighing in on the issue, Senior Counsel Mendes on Thursday had told the judges following the debating and passing of the motion, everyone agreed that the government had fallen.

Senior Counsel Mendes sought to remind the court that both the President and Prime Minister admitted to the passing of the no confidence motion and told the nation that the government would abide by the Constitution in that regard. However, he said that someone came up with the “bright idea” that 33 was not the majority of the 65-member National Assembly—perhaps referring to wellknown lawyer Nigel Hughes who via a Facebook stated that 34 votes were needed for the collapse of government.

Nigel Hughes had relied on the Anguillan case of Hughes and Rogers—Government later accepted this position and moved to the courts to challenge the validity of the no confidence motion. Sharing his views, Justice Wit questioned Senior Counsel Mendes on whether it was government’s view that it can only be sent packing with 34 votes, though it rules with 33 seats.

While Senior Counsel said that this seemed to be the position the Government has taken, Justice Hayton noted that if this was the case then the ruling of the Court of Appeal ought to be unanimous, since two would not be the greater part of the threepanel judges.

INVALIDATE PERSAUD’S VOTE Senior Counsel Boston begged the CCJ to invalidate the vote of expelled Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud. Senior Counsel Boston represents private citizen Compton Reid who was granted a declaration in both the High Court and Appeal Court that Persaud was not eligible to be a member of the National Assembly owing to him being a dual citizen which is in breach of Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution.

It states, “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” Both the Chief Justice and the Court of Appeal in a unanimous ruling held that Persaud’s vote was valid since it was protected by the provisions of Article 165 (2).

That Article provides that, “The Assembly may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership … (even) after any dissolution of Parliament and the presence or participation of any person not entitled to be present or to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly, shall not invalidate those proceedings.”

Anyway, at the CCJ, both Datadin and Senior Counsel Boston argued that this was to the contrary. They contended that by

voting in the National Assembly, Persaud violated Article 156 (3) of the Constitution which states, “A member of the National Assembly elected on a list shall be disqualified from being a member of the National Assembly, if he or she, in the prescribed manner declares that he or she will not support the list from which his or her name was extracted, or declares that he or she abstain from supporting that list or, declares his or her support for another list.”

The lawyers submitted that by voting with the Opposition sponsored no confidence motion, Persaud failed to inform the leader of the list from which his name was extracted that he would no longer be supporting the list.

Noting that Persaud did not own his seat in the National Assembly, but rather it his party’s own, Senior Counsel Boston was unable to direct Justice Hayton to the applicable laws, which required Persaud to vote for the list from which his name was extracted.

Justice, Hayton, however, said it was his view that if framers of the Constitution had intentions for this, if would have been clearly included. But Boston was not in agreement and stated that the provisions of Article 156 (3) have to be read in a manner so as to reflect the consequences of voting against your party list.

Datadin reasoned that Boston’s contention was clearly not the case. “Cleary there are some differences. In a majority of time, does everybody go along party lines?

Everywhere in the world that happens. There are certainly times everywhere in the world where you do not go exactly as your party wishes,” Datadin told the panel of judges.

Datadin asked, “Do you have the power in Guyana to say that if you do not do that I will recall you from the list?”

“Yes,” he responded to his own question, adding that it has happened before. He added that, “There are instances where you have done your conscience, your freedom and it has not happened.”

“And your vote has been recorded as a bad vote,” said Justice Wit. Datadin replied in the affirmative and noted that in this case a government has been put out of power; something it wished did not happen.

“(The government) would like to stay in power…do what they can do to perhaps delay, drag. I don’t want to say that’s what is happening.” He said that the consequence of the passage of the no-confidence motion is unavoidable. There was a vote of 33 to 32 members and elections must be held within three months from its successful passage of the no confidence motion, he urged.

But Courtenay wasn’t buying their arguments.

CROSSING THE FLOOR Senior Counsel Boston further addressed the point that the anti –defection provision (Article 156 (3) essentially bars Parliamentarians from crossing the floor. He explained that Article 156 (3) was initiated by the People’s Progressive Party, after Khemraj Ramjattan, a former PPP Executive, who crossed the floor to join the opposing team.

“The then President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin, came to decide that they will have none of that. No member will be able to cross the floor. That it is not acceptable.” Boston noted in the circumstances, “Loyalty to the party is the norm; to vote against your list is disloyalty; voting with other side, smacks of conspiracy.”

“Charrandass has no constituency. He was put there as a front for the APNU –AFC list. His function there was to carry out the mandate and the dictates of the list,” the Senior Counsel declared in the face of questions by Justice Hayton “Where is the statutory provision that says that you must vote according to the list and if he doesn’t do so his vote will not be recorded? If that is what was intended, it should simply state that. Nowhere can I find any provision like that,” the Justice Hayton asked.

“In as much as there is no such provision it is an obligation of the court having construed the purpose and intention of the constitution to make a determination. Should it interpret the whole idea is to prevent a member from voting against his list, then the court is duty bound to give effect to it,” Boston contended.

The Judge noted, however, that the law should therefore be simple and clear as it relates to the issues.

Continued on page 66

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

Police clean up Bus Park/ Stabroek area - 33 night arrests made in two weeks Police Crime Chief, Linden Alves, has vowed that the police will ensure they maintain a sustained campaign against crime in the city as well as noise nuisance.

Just recently, the public showered high praise on the Crime Chief and other ranks for acting promptly when Kaieteur News highlighted the actions of women-led gangs and pickpockets operating around the Stabroek Market area.

One day after that article appeared, four foreign nationals were robbed in the full view of vendors, and commuters as they attempted to become friendly with men loitering on the Stabroek Demico House walkway.

A group of young men had trailed the nationals to the Stabroek Market Square where they robbed them of their wallets, cell phones, wrist watches and other items. The police managed to take two of the robbers into custody.

Since then, the police staged a massive campaign around the Stabroek area that saw 33 men arrested and whisked off into waiting patrol cars, vans, and trucks in some instances.

Amongst those arrested were known criminals who frequent the area. Ranks have also removed a group of young men who in the company of transgender sex workers were lurking outside the perimeter fence of the Parliament Buildings, where they were pouncing on citizens.

The police are now using the services of

plainclothes ranks who mingle with the crowd to catch offenders who prey on innocent citizens by night in the city.

Ranks under the supervision of inspectors are now patrolling the city on foot, and conducting ‘strip search’ routines on men lurking around the city.

Searches on men selling confectionaries at stalls on the Demico House walkway saw the police retrieving a number of ‘ice picks’ and illegal items. Persons are however concerned that these stall holders are still allowed to ply their trade at the same locations.

Ranks have swooped down on stall holders at the East Coast Bus Parks, who were in the habit of hosting loud and raucous ‘Passa Passa’ street styled parties, creating a perfect breeding ground for criminals.

At these events the music would be excessively loud; many complained.

Some citizens have expressed concern that a party of this nature has been still allowed to run full fledged on the Plaisance, East Coast Demerara Railway Line.

Persons are off the opinion that criminals will soon move their operations, which attracts a rather large crowd on Thursday nights.

Person around there has also complained of the noise levels created from music sets there.

Police patrol truck are now seeing around the city on every one hour intervals and

citizens are now pleased that order is being restored to the city.

The Police Traffic Department, so far, has maintained their promises of a sustained approach and is doing a respectable job on the bus parks. Bus conductors are now approaching commuters politely in some areas, and there has been a significant reduction of touts harassing passengers.

But there is still more room for intense work on the East Coast Park by nights where touts to some extent still continue their operations by night.

Meanwhile West Demerara residents are breathing a sigh of relief now that ‘D’ Division Police are now looking into the street styled party that created great traffic congestion at Pouderoyen Village on Friday nights.

Guyana awaits the CCJ...

From page 65 Courtenay advanced that the no-confidence motion was invalid because Guyana’s constitution prohibits Parliamentarians from being disloyal to the party’s list of candidates.

In support of his contention, Courtenay cited Article 156(3) of the Constitution, which was amended in 2007 to essentially bar Parliamentarians from crossing the floor.

According to the attorney, the rule was placed there, as a reminder to Parliamentarians on each side of the House of how they got there, in the first place.

Courtenay noted that Persaud, being an Attorney-at-law, was well aware of the Article and its provisions. The lawyer declared that the rules provide for a disgruntled member of the party to declare in writing to the Speaker or to the representative of the list from which his/her name was extracted that he or she will not support the list from which his or her name was extracted.

He explained that rules essentially state that each member should make his or her contention known before it reaches the Parliament. He was adamant that the Article prohibits Parliamentarians from voting in accordance with their own convictions; they must remain within party lines Ram’s lawyer Kamal Ramkarran did not agree with Courtenay’s submissions.

In fact, Ramkarran reasoned, “Every single vote of confidence or vote of noconfidence…whatever you call it means that somebody has to cross the floor, in every country, not only in Guyana. It means that somebody has to vote against their list. What is distinct is that you can do it but there may be consequences and those consequences are set out in Article 156 (3) may or may not happen depending on how serious the party which forms the list considers the matter.”

On this premise, Ramkarran maintained that the no confidence motion was validly passed. Expressing confidence that the CCJ will rule in his favour, Ramkarran said that the provisions of Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution are clear. He said that Government was defeated and that the CCJ order elections be called immediately since as at as at May 10, Guyana has been in breach of the Constitution for 45 days.

Further, the lawyer dismissed arguments

by State lawyers who argued that Government was guaranteed a five-year term in office under certain provisions of the Constitution.

Responding to a question posed by Justice Anderson as in relates to fix term governments like the United States, Ramkarran made it clear, “In Guyana under Article 61 the President can dissolve Parliament and call elections at anytime. So we don’t have a fix term government in Guyana.”

ELECTIONS BY NOVEMBER During Thursday’s arguments, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) through its lawyer, Stanley Marcus, told the CCJ that the Constitutional body will be ready to hold general and regional elections by November 2019, the earliest. While the CCJ judges stressed that GECOM should always be in a state of readiness for elections, Marcus said that funds and a new voters’ list from houseto-house registration are needed.

Justice Saunders queried, “If the vote of no-confidence was valid and if parliament ought to be dissolved and if the parties don’t

agree to extend the three-month period then we have a choice between a situation where with each passing day beyond that threemonth period—a dagger is being thrown at the constitution everyday and on the other hand having an election which is a little bit less than perfect. Now, which of those two options is better for democracy?”

Responding, Marcus said that fairness and democracy cannot be forgone for speed.

Asked by Justice Saunders what would happened if Parliamentarians do not come to a two-third majority support for the holding of elections beyond the three month timeframe as prescribed under Article 106 (7) of the Constitution, Marcus said, “There will be a constitutional crisis if you cannot get the parliamentarians to act in a responsible and mature way.”

Article 106 (7) reads, “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.”

Also on Thursday, Williams guaranteed the CCJ that funding will be provided to GECOM for the holding of elections if the court overturns the ruling of the Court of Appeal, invalidating the passage of the no confidence motion.

President Saunders asked Williams, “You as Attorney General…do we have your commitment that the necessary monies will be made available to the commission as and when it is necessary for those monies to be made available?”

The Attorney General responded in the affirmative and disclosed that the President has also committed to ensuring that monies are provided to the electoral body. But Williams cautioned of the consequences if GECOM was not prepared to hold credible elections. “…Common sense dictates that you should be advised by the Chairman of GECOM as to their readiness to deliver credible elections in Guyana. It is not just any old elections. As I said to you the consequences are dire,” Williams noted. The Attorney General protested that the works of GECOM was being affected by the constant walk-outs of opposition elections commissioners.

However, the CCJ President reminded Williams, “We three, (the) courts, President and his Cabinet and the National Assembly…we need to make this thing work and we need to make it work according to its letter and its spirit. Datadin, on the other hand, admitted that the electoral commission could delay the holding of general and regional elections to some extent.

While GECOM’s lawyer insisted that house-to-house registration has to be held before general and regional elections are conducted, Datadin said, “There is nowhere in the law that house-to-house registration has a statutory underpinning. It used to be there. It was removed for a reason,” he said.

GECOM has since indicated that it needs $3.5B to hold elections, and Courtenay begged of the CCJ to refrain from setting time span for holding elections, but rather leave it for the Guyanese authorities to decide.

Sunday May 12, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Hand-in-Hand Inter County 50-over bowls off today Bottas beats Hamilton...

By Zaheer Mohamed Following a conclusion of the three-day version which was won by defending champions Berbice, the Hand-in-Hand Inter County U19 50-over tournament will commence today with Essequibo facing Berbice at Albion and the Select U17 playing Demerara at Everest.

While the three-day version was plagued by rain, the players will be hoping for an improved weather so that they can get a get more opportunities to impress for a pick on the national U17 and U19 teams.

Rain forced a draw between Essequibo and the U17s in the final round of the three-day format at Everest, while the clash between

Demerara and Berbice at Lusignan saw some sub standard performances by both teams. The encounter was a low scoring affair which was won by Berbice. Most of the players have represented Guyana at the age group levels before and no doubt have the talent to excel, but their performances have underlined the lack of commitment and discipline needed to succeed.

These players must realise that the selectors are using this tournament to select national teams and will be looking closely at their performances, commitment, discipline and eager to do well for their country, which should be taken into consideration as well.

Berbice team consists Kevlon Anderson, Alex Algoo, Junior Sinclair, Kelvin Umroa, Nigel Deodat, Garfield Benjamin and Seon Glasgow, while Demerara team includes Ashmead Nedd, Sachin Singh, Alphius Bookie, Pradesh Balkishun and Qumar Torrington-all players with national experience, however, their performances in the last round were highly unacceptable and these players must try to improve in the 50-over version.

Essequibo’s performance in this year’s tournament has also been below par with the Coach calling on the batsmen to apply themselves. Some changes are likely, however, it should be noted that two talented players who have

Sunday May 12, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You generally enjoy your dreams, Aries, both the dreaming process and analyzing them later. But tonight you might have too many to keep track of.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Too many invitations to social events may come today, Taurus. This might be one evening when you want to relax at home, but you won't want to say no to anyone.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today you might work on your spiritual practice or studies, Gemini. You could read a book on the subject, attend a lecture, or practice some kind of discipline such as yoga or meditation.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Physical pleasure may be at the top of your priority list today. You might want to go to your favorite restaurant and have a great meal, including wine, appetizers, and dessert.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Love matters may prove too intense today, Leo. You may be having a rough week.

Your partner may be especially demanding of your time and energy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You've been hoping for a quiet day on the job, Virgo, but too many calls could come your way. You might have to juggle several at once. Don't try to deal with every problem.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Were you planning to go shopping today? If you can, put it off until tomorrow. You could be tempted by too many items that seem wonderful in the store but are nothing but a bother once you get them home.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You look especially attractive today, Scorpio, and it's doing wonders for your selfesteem. Even members of your household notice.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today, Sagittarius, you might want to make an unqualified declaration of love.

That's fine if you've been involved for a while, although you could overwhelm your partner.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A friend may offer you a gift today. It could involve money, favors, time, items you need, or something else. Be discriminating about what you accept, and make sure you offer to reciprocate.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) The temptation to take center stage might be too strong to resist. Someone may ask you to tell a story.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A gathering could bring you lots of good news and useful information. The problem is that there might be too much. You will want to remember it all, but your memory may not be as sharp as usual.

represented Guyana at the U17 level previously, Reyaz Khan and Sylvan Williams are missing from their line-up, allegedly due to lack of communication with the ECB or their area committee.

The U17 side looked good with the likes of Marvan Prashad, Mavindra Dindyal, Zeynul Ramsammy, Matthew Nandu, Chanderpaul Ramraj and Andre Seepersaud giving a good account of themselves.

Play commences at 09:30hrs.

Curry, Warriors...

From page 67 pulled even at the break with a jumper from Thompson, who had 21 points by the intermission.

In the third quarter, whenever the Rockets pushed ahead, the Warriors clawed back.

Early in the fourth, when Iguodala drained a 3-pointer immediately after the Rockets squandered a three-on-one transition opportunity, the Warriors were within 89-85.

That’s when, finally, Curry arrived and led Golden State back to the Western Conference finals.

Game 7 of the NuggetsTrail Blazers series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Denver.

As for the Rockets, Harden was asked what’s next after losing to the Warriors for the fourth time in five postseasons.

“Keep fighting, man,” he replied. “They’re a great team.

We’re not losing to some scrubs. We’ve got to find a way to keep getting better.

Keep growing.”

From page 69 have this one-two so we’ll try and convert that into a onetwo (on Sunday) and if I can reverse it I’ll be happy.”

ONE-TWO RECORD Mercedes have won the first four races one-two, a record start for any team, despite Ferrari setting the pace in pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

“I think we got everything out of the car in the first run,” said Vettel. “In the second run I had to try something different and it didn’t work.

“The car doesn’t feel bad but obviously we are not quick enough. In terms of balance we got it more or less right,” added the German, who said Ferrari were still down on grip through the slower corners.

Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly qualified sixth with the Haas pair of Romain Grosjean, yet to score a point this year, and

Kevin Magnussen seventh and eighth on the grid.

Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat qualified ninth with Renault’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who reversed into him at the previous race in Azerbaijan, 10th fastest.

Ricciardo has a threeplace grid penalty for that embarrassing error in Baku, meaning that McLaren’s teenage rookie Lando Norris will take the 10th place instead.

Carlos Sainz, the only Spanish driver in the race now that Fernando Alonso has left Formula One, qualified 13th for McLaren but will also move up a place.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg failed to get through the first phase after running off the track and breaking his car’s front wing.

“We damaged a new spec front wing so had to change to old spec,” he said after pitting and returning to the track.

PAGE 68

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

GFF/KFC U-20 Independence KO Cup – EBFA

Timehri Panthers beat Grove Hi Tech to advance to the final Timehri Panthers FC have moved a step closer to capturing the East Bank Football Association leg of the GFF/KFC U20 Independence Cup following their 3-1 win over Grove Hi Tech in yesterday’s lone semi final played at the GFF

National Training Facility, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Two of the most talented teams collided and it was anticipated that the match-up would have seen some fierce exchanges. It produced only flashes of fierce rivalry as Timehri

looked the more determined of the two and rightly, have earned a date against neighbours Soesdyke Falcons in Saturday’s final at the same venue from 10:00hrs.

Before the first 45 minutes had elapsed, the Panthers had a slim 2-1 advantage

which was as a result of goals off the boot of Shawn Steele in the 22nd minute and Ishmael Pulsaram, three minutes later.

Grove, which showed mere flashes of their intent to take the attack to Timehri, were able to pull one back in the 38th minute when Paul Fields found the back of the nets.

Fans on both sides were looking forward to a

humdinger of a second half but that didn’t materialize.

In fact, Timehri restored their two goal advantage when defender Joe De Freitas rose above the Grove defence to nail a brilliant header in the 82nd minute and there was no coming back for the young Grove side.

Grove had a chance to reduce the Timehri lead when they were awarded a penalty but the subsequent shot from

Threvon Pluck was brilliantly parried over the cross bar by custodian, Prince Forde.

It now down to the final on Saturday when Soesdyke Falcons come up against Timehri Panthers for the championship, the winner would be representing the EBFA in the National Playoffs featuring the other Member Association winners between May 31st and June 9th, next.

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 69

Kaieteur News

YBG/NSBF Regionals

GTI thump Chase Academy in feature game on Friday School basketball is in full swing with the group stages of the Youth Basketball Guyana’s (YBG) National Schools’ Baketball Festival currently underway at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Mandela Avenue with play in the under-18 category of East Coast Demerara/Georgetown regional zone.

On Friday, Government Technical Institute (GTI) made light work of Chase Academic Foundation (CAF) 46-22 in the feature of the four games played.

Israel Yaw was the manof-the-match with a top double-double performance of 13 points, 18 rebounds, while receiving adequate support from Kyle Petrie who netted 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Stephan DeLeon and Jamal Nicholas had seven and six points respectively for the losers.

Play between Chase Academic Foundation (offence) and GTI that won the game 46-22 in the under-18 division in the GT zone of the YBG-NSBF competition at CASH. Earlier in the evening, President’s College got a

walkover victory against St. Rose’s High.

In game two, The Bishops’ High School got

past Saint Stanislaus College 48-31. Timothy Richmond top scored for Bishops’ with 14 points while Shamar Greaves (10 points) and Lamon Friday (nine points) contributed well during the 17 point win for their team.

Kadir Mustapha (12 points) and Thalenn Moore (10 points) were the main contributors for the losing Saints side.

In the third game of the day, Tyrese James (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Jether Harris (9 poinst 5 rebounds) spearheaded a 45-34 win for defending zone champions Marian Academy against the tardy Queen’s College team.

This tournament, which is sponsored by Edward B. Beharry& Company Ltd, National Sports Commission, Banks DIH LTD and Exxon Mobil, will continue with under-14 and girls’ development fixtures on May 24th and 25th.

See detailed results below

of Saturday’s play below.

UNDER 18 President’s College versus St. Rose’s *Walk-over PC (St Roses didn’t appear) St. Stanislaus College 31-48 The Bishops’ High Timothy Richmond14pts, 8rebs, 5 Steals, Shamar Greaves 10pts, Lamon Friday 9pts, 10rebs (BHS) Kadir Mustapha 12pts, 7rebs. 4 steals and Thalenn Moore 10pts (Saints) Marian Academy 45 – 34 Queen’s College Tyrese James 13pts, Jether Harris 9pts, 5rebs (Marian Academy) Luguard Mohan Jr. 18pts, Diarra Thomas 7pts, 10rebs (QC) GTI 46 – 22 Chase Academic Foundation Israel Yaw 13pts, 18rebs, Kyle Petrie 10pts, 7 rebs (GTI) Jamal Nicholas 6pts,13 rebs, Stephan Deleon 7pts (Chase)

Curry, Warriors close out Rockets in Game 6 Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 60 points, and the visiting Golden State Warriors pulled away late in Game 6 to claim their Western Conference semifinal series with a 118113 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday.

The Warriors prevailed in the finale of the best-of-seven series despite playing without their leading scorer this postseason, Kevin Durant, sidelined due to a calf injury.

Durant’s status is uncertain ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers or the Denver Nuggets.

“Obviously, we just wanted to win the series, but this is ideal,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “Probably give the players the weekend off to recuperate.

“We’ll have at least the next few days to prepare and recover, so this was a huge one for us tonight, especially considering the minutes (the) starters played this series.”

Curry, scoreless on 0-for5 shooting in the first half, sank a pair of dagger 3pointers down the stretch of the fourth quarter and posted 33 points. He was 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final 30.4 seconds, and he finished with 23 points in the fourth.

“I’ve had games like this before, just not as drastic going from zero to 33,” Curry said.

Thompson said of Curry’s late-game resurgence, “It did not surprise me one bit. The

man is a competitor, a champion, and on top of that, he plays with such heart. He’s our leader.”

With Durant out, Golden State’s Draymond Green said the team played a style they used to have before Durant joined the team.

“There were some times it felt like that, a lot of pace, a lot of movement just trying to push the tempo,” he said after putting up eight points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“With Kevin, you can kind of be lazy knowing you can throw the ball to K and he’ll get that bucket. It definitely was a little throwback for us, for sure.”

With the Rockets trailing 107-104 following a driving layup from James Harden, Thompson nailed a 3-pointer with 36.1 seconds remaining to clinch the series for the Warriors.

Thompson added 27 points on 7-of-13 3-point shooting, and the Golden State bench, largely absent throughout the series, contributed 33 points, with Kevon Looney (14 points) and Shaun Livingston (11) both scoring in double figures. The Warriors finished 16 of 38 from behind the arc, with Andre Iguodala going 5 of 8 on 3-point attempts while contributing 17 points.

Harden paced the Rockets with 35 points and added eight rebounds and four steals.

Chris Paul produced his best game of the series with 27 points and 11 boards, but it wasn’t enough.

The Warriors also

eliminated the Rockets last postseason, winning Game 7 of the conference finals in Houston.

“We had to scrap and fight for everything the last two years against them, and we’ve been fortunate to come

out on top,” Kerr said. “But we’re thrilled to be moving on and excited to have this one in our rearview mirror.”

As was the case throughout the series, neither team could maintain a lead once one was established.

The Rockets forged a 37-33 edge on a Paul pull-up in transition at the 9:26 mark of the second quarter only for the Warriors to reel off a 17-5 run that featured a Livingston dunk, an Iguodala trey and back-to-back threes from

Thompson that lifted Golden State to a 50-42 advantage.

The Rockets responded with a 15-5 spurt that included successive 3-pointers from Austin Rivers, Harden and Gerald Green, but the Warriors (Continued on page 65)

PAGE 70

Sunday May 12, 2019

Kaieteur News

Ambris’ century spurs Dhoni’s ‘Dad’s Army’ bank on experience against mighty Mumbai Windies to record run chase NEW DELHI (Reuters) Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will need to summon every ounce of his tactical acumen against a redoubtable Mumbai Indians in today’s Indian Premier League final which features the tournament’s two most successful franchises.

Three-time champions Mumbai walloped Chennai for the third time this IPL season in Tuesday’s qualifier to storm into the final in Hyderabad, affording themselves a couple of extra days’ rest.

Chennai, however, would not be denied an eighth final in 10 tournaments, and will hunt for back-to-back titles after returning from a twoyear ban for corruption last year to claim their third championship.

Dhoni’s team are a veritable ‘Dad’s Army’, fielding nine players in their thirties and five over 35.

To reach the final, they outplayed a young Delhi Capitals led by 24-year-old Shreyas Iyer in Friday’s second qualifier to run into a rampaging Mumbai team led

by Rohit Sharma.

Rohit headlines a formidable top order that includes in-form Quinton de Kock. They have arguably the best death-overs exponents in Jaspreet Bumrah and Lasith Malinga, while boasting an explosive all-rounder in Hardik Pandya.

“Mumbai Indians have a great team, no question, not too many holes in their team.

It’s going to be a great challenge,” Chennai opener Shane Watson said after Friday’s victory.

Australian Watson and opening partner Faf du Plessis of South Africa hit identical fifties against Delhi but their batting frailties have often meant bowlers had to save the day on several occasions. Watson has managed just two fifties in 16 matches but Dhoni has kept his trust in the 37-year-old Australian who smashed a century in last year’s final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Consistency is the buzzword in Chennai who have had Dhoni as skipper since the inaugural tournament in 2008. The former India captain, himself, is against frequent change in

personnel.

With an unshakeable trust in his team mates, the phlegmatic 37-year-old enjoys absolute loyalty in a relaxed dressing room.

Chennai no longer even bother with team meetings, such is their understanding and camaraderie, according to West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.

“We don’t plan. We just turn up and go with the flow on any given day,” he said recently.

That approach has failed against Mumbai this season but Watson was confident Chennai’s collective experience would have them in good stead in the final.

“There are huge positives about age and experience, and that’s the way CSK has played,” said the allrounder.

“When you’ve got more experienced players, you’ve got more understanding of what to do, because we’ve been through different situations so many times in our careers.

“We’re going to make the most of our experience in the final on Sunday.”

GFF Elite League Season 4

Victoria Kings defeat Santos; Police and Buxton United draw As play in the Guyana Football Federation Elite League Season 4 winds down, three more matches are set for today at the GFF National Training Center, Providence, East Bank Demerara. From 11:00hrs Milerock will oppose Ann’s Grove United to be followed by a clash between Western Tigers and the Guyana Defence Force from 13:30hrs with the main attraction being a top of the table clash featuring Den Amstel in second place and Fruta Conquerors, already assured of the title and still unbeaten, from 16:00hrs.

In the matches played yesterday at the same venue, Buxton United and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) battled to a 0-0 stalemate in the feature match. The result means that the GPF added one more point to their tally to move to 8 in sixth place and still ahead of Buxton United, now moving to 6 points in seventh place.

The afternoon’s action got underway with Victoria Kings (9th place) securing their first victory in seven outings when they downed the 5th placed Santos FC, 2-1. It was a tight fight between the two sides with the deadlock broken in the 42nd minute when the Kings’ Alden Laurence scored.

The second half was almost as barren as the first in terms of goals but Santos dug deep to produce the equaliser in the 85th minute through a Ryan Dowding goal.

It was left to the elder statesman of the Kings team, Aubrey Gibson to roll back the years when he pulled out the winning goal from the bag in the 90+4th minute to secure Victoria Kings’ first win of the season.

The win for the Kings take them to 5 points and 8th place, while Santos remains on 10 in fifth place in their debut season; it was their fourth loss in 8 matches with three wins and one draw.

Big 4 clash for Trophy Stall title today at Everest It is Mother’s day and the final of the Indian Premier League, but four of the country’s leading softball teams will be going head to head at Everest Cricket Club ground with lots at stake.

This specially arranged mini tournament is part of the Everest Cricket Club Master’s day of activities to

coincide with an IPL final viewing brunch and promises lots of action.

The outfield is damp from the recent rain and will add to the excitement when play is called at 09:30hrs with the semifinals. At 13:00hrs, the winning semifinalists will play for the Trophy Stall title, while player of the final will also get a prize, compliments of

Trophy Stall.

Regal Masters will begin as favourites because of their recent form but will be hard pressed by a peaking Wellman Masters, determined HS Masters and underestimated Ariel Masters.

Whichever way it goes one thing is certain, there will be lots of fun.

DUBLIN, Ireland, CMC – Sunil Ambris scored his maiden One Day International (ODI) century, becoming the first Vincentian to do so for the West Indies, to help propel the regional team to their highest ever successful run chase in ODIs as they claimed victory over Ireland in the Tri-Nation Series here yesterday.

Ambris cracked 148 from just 136 balls as the visitors overhauled Ireland’s challenging total of 327 for five from their 50 overs, to end on 331 for five off 47.5 overs.

The West Indies’ previous successful highest run chase in ODIs was 309 against Pakistan in 2017.

His performance overshadowed that of Ireland’s Andy Balbirine, who also scored a fighting century after the home side won the toss and opted to bat first.

Coincidentally, Ambris who was not named in the Windies’ 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup, was only promoted to open the batting after John Campbell’s sore back ruled him out.

Ambris together with the in-form Shai Hope, who was chasing a third successive century, put on 84 runs for the first wicket in quick time.

And when Hope lost his wicket to William Rankin to be out for 30, followed soon after

by Darren Bravo for just 17, Ambris and Roston Chase’s 128-run stand off 116 balls created the perfect launching pad for the Windies.

The shorter and smaller

Ambris was the main aggressor during this stand, while Chase customarily worked the ball through the gaps and was content to rotate the strike.

They both looked unbothered by Ireland’s mostly medium pace attack, but four runs away from a deserved half-century Chase was bowled by left-arm pacer Josh Little.

Ambris’ 169-minute stay at the crease came to an end soon after too, becoming Rankin’s third victim, as the Windies slipped to 252 for four in the 40th over.

But captain Jason Holder who smashed 36 from 24 balls and fellow Barbadian Jonathan Carter who finished unbeaten on 43 from 27 balls, put on 75 runs at over ten runs an over to take West Indies within touching distance of their target.

However, with the scores locked, Holder needlessly gave his wicket away, leaving Carter to finish it off in fine style with a boundary.

Rankin was Ireland’s top bowler ending with figures of 3-65 from his 7.5 overs.

Earlier, Balbirnie had given the home side a fighting chance of winning their first match of the series courtesy of a spectacular knock.

The 28-year-old scored 135 from 124 balls and shared in two major partnerships to help Ireland reach their highest total of the tournament so far.

Following the loss of James McCollum’s wicket early on with the score on 19,

he and Paul Stirling added 146 runs in a second-wicket partnership to seize control of the contest.

And even when Stirling was eventually out for a wellplayed 77 from 98 balls, Balbirnie found another worthy partner in Kevin O’Brien.

The two set about blasting 84 runs between the 34th and 44th overs, which put Ireland in position to post a big total.

Medium pacer Jonathan Carter made the eventual breakthrough, having Balbirnie caught by skipper Jason Holder. He faced 124 balls and struck four sixes and 11 boundaries.

His dismissal didn’t lead to a slow down in the scoring rate, with O’Brien and Mark Adair adding a further 42 runs in four overs.

Adair starred with a cameo unbeaten 25 from 13 balls, striking one huge six and two boundaries, as Ireland collected 27 runs from the final two overs of the innings.

Shannon Gabriel was the most successful West Indies’ bowler, finishing with two wickets for 47 runs.

Scores: IRELAND 327 for five off 50 overs (Andy Balbirnie 135, Paul Stirling 77, Kevin O’Brien 63; Shannon Gabriel 2-47).

WEST INDIES 331 for five off 47.5 overs (Sunil Ambris 148, Roston Chase 46, Jonathan Carter 43 not out, Jason Holder 36, Shai Hope 30; William Rankin 365).

Bowlers lead Zeelandia/Maria’s Pleasure to 10-run victory A decent bowling performance led by Ryan Atkinson handed Zeelandia/Maria’s Pleasure a 10-run victory over G Square Cavaliers when the teams collided in the Wakenaam Cricket Committee/Mike’s Pharmacy/Trophy Stall U19 40-over tournament recently.

Z e e l a n d i a / M a r i a ’s Pleasure batted first and were bowled out for 120 in 18 overs at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success.

Derendra Sitaram struck 43, while Te k e s h w a r Nankoo picked up 3-20 and Sachin Chulai 2-15.

G Square Cavaliers were sent packing for 110 all out in 17 overs in reply.

Ryan Atkinson Sachin Dindyal made 37 and Nankoo 15; Atkinson grabbed 3-16 from four

overs, while Mohindar Jadookool had 2-14 and Sitaram 2-20.

PAGE 71

Sunday May 12, 2019

Canal 6 cart off 13th annual Sash Sawh memorial dominoes

C

ANAL 6 made it three years in a row when they carted off the 13th annual Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh Memorial dominoes tournament, played on Monday (Indian Arrival Day) at Ernest Shop, Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara.

The tournament, organised and sponsored by Sash Secretariat, saw the eventual champions mark 78 games to win easily from International 6 with 73 and Cold Fusion who trailed on 71.

The victory also marked the third consecutive year for Canal 6 who defeated Mixed Up and Sash Secretariat at the same venue last year.

The game was evenly contested throughout the first five sittings with International 6 entering the final sitting with a slim fourgame lead, the scores reading International 6 on 64, Canal 60 and Cold

Fusion deadlocked on 60 each.

A brilliant final sitting by Canal 6, which saw them registering the maximum 18 games, however sealed the deal for the winners as International 6 managed nine and Cold Fusion 11.

Skipper Kedar Seopaul and Shawn Singh led the way for Canal 6 with the maximum 18 games, while Avinesh Persaud supported with 13. For International 6, Edmund Sammy marked 15 in his first three sittings and 11 in the next three after being chosen to play through in the five-man team.

Manniram Shew and Claude Stuart made 13 each. The top players for Cold Fusion were Parmanand Jairam (14) and Ameer Khan who scored 25 playing through.

The winners’ and first runners-up trophies plus prizes for the three top players in each team and the overall Most Valuable Player (MVP) were sponsored by

Bottas beats Hamilton for pole in Spain by massive margin BARCELONA (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Valtteri Bottas beat Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position by a massive margin at the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday with rivals Ferrari trailing behind.

The pole was a third in a row for the re-energized and smiling Finn, who leads Hamilton by a single point after four of the 21 races, and he did it in a track record time of one minute 15.406 seconds.

That was a hefty 0.634 quicker than Hamilton’s best effort, dashing the five-times world champion’s hopes of record-extending 85th career pole.

Sebastian Vettel qualified in third place, in 1:16.272, with Red Bull’s 2016 Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen fourth and sandwiched between the Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc fifth.

“I really enjoyed that, enjoyed the adrenaline rush you get from those laps so I’m really pleased,” said Bottas, who had also been fastest in Friday practice and looks a different driver to last year when he failed to win anything.

“The season has started well, the way I hoped for and I feel better and better in the

car so I look forward to tomorrow,” added the Finn, who will be chasing his third win of the season today.

Mercedes have dominated qualifying in Barcelona for the past seven years, with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado the last driver from any other team to start from the top slot when he did it with Williams in 2012.

Maldonado’s pole was only because Hamilton, then with McLaren, was excluded and sent to the back of the grid for a fuel irregularity.

Hamilton said his laps in the final phase of qualifying could have been better, with a scrappy first effort kicking up gravel, but the upgrades brought by Mercedes to the start of the traditional European part of the campaign were working well.

The Briton, on pole in Spain for the past three years and four times in total as well as winning for Mercedes in 2018, 2017 and 2014, said Bottas had done a better job.

“Valtteri did a fantastic job, he’s been quick all weekend,” said Hamilton.

“On my side, I just didn’t put the lap together... ultimately, it just wasn’t a good enough job.

“It’s great for the team to (Continued on page 67)

Sash Secretariat.

The MVP was Canal 6’s Shawn Singh who edged out his captain Kedar Seopaul, the latter giving away 20 games to Singh’s 19 while the three top players were S i n g h , S a m m y (International 6) and Jairam (Cold Fusion).

Sawh, a former Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, died under tragic circumstances on April 22, 2006. A minute’s silence was observed prior to the commencement of the

tournament.

A m o n g t h o s e responsible for the staging of the tournament are United States-based Guyanese Mark Dookhan, who served as driver to the late minister, Sahadeo Mahabali, Vishnu Persaud and Indra Jagmohan.

The organisers also took the opportunity to express sincere thanks to the proprietor of Ernest Shop for allowing the venue to be used to host the tournaments over the years.

Satram Jagmohan (left) hands over the winning trophy to Basdeo Persaud of Canal 6 in the presence of other team members.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 72

Sunday May 12, 2019

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden zone

Defending Champions Silver Bullets into quarterfinal The quarterfinal round in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Championship has been sealed, after defending champion Silver Bullets, Wisroc, Coomacka, Amazings and High Rollers secured victories on Friday at the Mackenzie Market Tarmac.

Needing a win to keep their hopes alive of a successful defence of their title, Silver Bullets dismissed Barsenal 6-2.

Damion Williams recorded a double in the fourth and 13th minutes and Robin Adams bagged a brace in the seventh and 14th minutes.

Adding a ‘Guinness Goal’ [GG] [a goal scored in the final three minutes counts as two] in the 18th minute was Jermaine Samuels. For the losers, Final Point Standings Group-A Team GP Capital Storm [Q] 3 Amazings [q] 3 Assassa 3 NK Ballers 3 Group-B Team GP Coomacka-B [Q] 3 Quiet Storm [q] 3 Russians 3 Haynes Hitters 3 Group-C Team GP Silver Bullets [Q] 3 High Rollers [q] 3 Retrieve Unknown 3 Barsenal 3 Group-D Team GP Swag Entertain. [Q] 3 Wisroc [q] 3 Dave & Celina 3 Presidential 3

W 2 2 2 0

Keyshawn Dey scored twice in the 11th and 17th minutes.

U n d e f e a t e d Wi s r o c stormed their way into the elimination round, edging Swag Entertainment 1-0.

Hussain Cumberbatch netted in the 14th minute.

Meanwhile, Coomacka eliminated former winner Amelia’s Ward Russians 3-0.

Kebert Edmonson opened the scoring in the seventh minute, before grabbing a [GG] in the 20th minute. Amazings defeated Assassa Ballers by the identical scoreline.

Errol Davis fashioned a [GG] in the 19th minute, while David Fiedtkou scored in the eighth minute. On the other hand, High Rollers defeated Retrieve Unknown 3-2 on sudden death penalty kicks, after regulation time ended scoreless.

L D GF GA GD Pts 1 0 4 1 +3 6 1 0 7 4 +3 6 1 0 3 3 0 6 3 0 2 6 -4 0

W L 3 0 2 1 1 2 0 3

D 0 0 0 0

GF GA GD Pts 8 2 +6 9 7 5 +2 6 8 9 -1 3 2 9 -7 0

L D 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 0

GF GA GD Pts 9 6 +3 6 4 3 +1 6 5 2 +3 3 4 11 -7 3

W L D 2 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 2 0

GF GA GD Pts 7 4 +3 6 3 1 +2 6 6 7 -1 3 2 6 -4 3

W 2 2 1 1

In the other result, Capital Storm defeated NK Ballers via walkover. Up to press time the quarterfinal and subsequent semi-final matches were underway.

Quiet Storm were slated to battle Capital Storm, with Amazings tackling Coomacka and Swag Entertainment matching skills with High Rollers. The final quarterfinal pitted Silver Bullets against Wisroc. The resulting winners will advance to the semi-final round. The grand finale is slated for May 18th at the same venue.

Complete Results Guinness Goal-[GG]-2 Goals Game-1 Amazings-3 vs Assassa Ballers-0 Errol Davis-[GG]-19th David Fiedtkou-8th Game-2 NK Ballers vs Capital Storm Capitol Storm won via walkover Game-3 Retrieve Unknown-0 vs High Rollers-0 High Rollers won 3-2 on sudden death penalty kicks Game-4 A m e l i a ’s Wa r d Russians-0 vs Coomacka-3 Kebert Edmonson-7th and [GG]-20th Game-5 Wi s r o c - 1 v s S w a g Entertainment-0 Hussain Cumberbatch14th Game-6 Silver Bullers-6 vs Barsenal-2 Silver Bullets Scorers Damion Williams-4th and 13th

Action in the group round of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Championship at the Mackenzie Market Tarmac.

Robin Adams-7th and 14th Jermaine Samuels[GG]-18th Barsenal Scorer

Keshawn Dey-11th and 17th Quarterfinal Matchups Quiet Storm vs Capital

Storm Amazings vs Coomacka Swag Entertainment vs High Rollers Silver Bullets vs Wisroc

GFF/KFC U-20 Independence KO Cup Round Up

Essequibo Coast Pomeroon FA Leg underway

H

enrietta United needled Charity Extreme when play in the Essequibo Coast Pomeroon Football Association (ECPFA) got underway on Sunday last at the Anna Regina Community Center Ground.

Scoring the goal for the winners was Ariel Chester in the 29th minute. The other match ended in a 2-0 win for Good Hope over Tapakuna Jags FC. Both goals came off the boot of Dwayne Thomas in the 43rd and 70th minutes, respectively.

Berbice Football Association This leg also kicked off on Sunday May 5th at the Esplanade Park in New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam United won via the walk over route from Hopetown Football Club, while Monedderlust FC lost via kicks from the penalty mark 4-5 to Arsenal FC. The score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time and as per tournament rules during this phase of

competition, there is no extra time; matches are decided via kicks from the penalty mark.

Monedderlust had taken the early lead when Dwight Schultz scored in the 9th minute.

Arsenal were able to equalize in the 35th minute, thanks to a Theddeus De Florimonte strike. On Monday May 6th at the same venue, East Bank Gunners also won via kicks from the penalty mark against Corriverton Links following a 1-1 stalemate.

Teon George had given East Bank Gunners the lead on 27 minutes but Corriverton Links responded in like manner through a Travis Flatts 62nd minute effort.

And Cougars defeated Mahaicony FC 3-1, thanks to goals from Shaquan George in the 22nd minute, William Sommersall in the 47th and Kenroy D’Aguir in the 60th.

Mahaicony got their co n s o latio n g o al f r o m Jermain Pereira in the 53rd minute.

Action in Berbice will continue today at the same venue with a double header from 14:00hrs when New Amsterdam United face East Bank Gunners FC. From 16:00hrs, Cougars will come up against Monedderlust.

Upper Demerara Football

Association Capital FC got their quest for top honours underway with a 2-1 win over Netrockers Last Sunday at t h e Wi s b u r g G r o u n d .

Netrockers took the lead in the 15th minute when A. Cumberbatch scored.

Matches are slated for today at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground from 19:00hrs with two games slated.

Bartica Football Association The Bartica Football Association leg of the tournament is set to kick off tomorrow afternoon at the Bartica Secondary School Ground with a match between Wolves United and Rising Stars from 16:30hrs.

On Tuesday at the same venue and from the same time, Potaro Strikers will take on Beacons FC. Rupununi Football Association Guyana Rush Saints edged past Terminators FC 32 thanks to goals from Terrell Paulino in the 6th minute, Joram Thompson in the 28th and Julius Phillips in the 68th minute.

Terminators got their goals from Gibson Francis in the 14th minute and Raphael Auscidio in the 50th minute.

Rising Stars blanked Snatchers FC 2-0 on account of goals from O. Ronaldo and K. Solomon.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 12, 2019

PAGE 73

Allicock qualifies for Pan Am Games

By Sean Devers G u y a n a m o s t accomplished Amateur Boxer Kevin Allicock, after initial controversy in Nicaragua regarding his Pan American Games qualification, will be on the plane destined for Peru in July.

The skilful 19-year-old Caribbean Junior Gold Medallist and South American Bantamweight Silver Medallist will match gloves with his opponents as he vies for a Gold Medal at this year’s Pan Am Games.

The 2019 Pan-Am Games will be held in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, 2019, with preliminary rounds in certain events beginning on July 24.

These Pan-American Games will be held at venues in and around Lima, and will be the largest sporting event ever hosted by the country.

Allicock, in preparation for Games in Peru, is scheduled to have a training stint in Cuba which has a very high standard of amateur fighters.

The plan is for Allicock to be accompanied by 51year-old Cuban Boxing Coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan, in his second stint as Guyana National Boxing Coach.

But his departure for Cuba, where he will spar with some of the better amateur pugilists in the World, depends on a positive response for the Director of Sports Christopher Jones and Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headed

by K Juman Yassin.

Speaking on the ‘Sean Devers Sports Watch’ on Kaieteur Radio last Thursday, Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle said Allicock’s overseas travels depend on the response from NSC and GOA. “We don’t know when he (Allicock) is leaving. That will depend on the GOA. What we (GBA) have done is to send proposals to both the GOA and the NSC for his training stint in Cuba which is immediate since that is of

All set for Arokium Funeral Parlour Cycle Road Race today Top notch cycling action returns to Berbice as all the leading cyclists in the country are expected to don their riding gear and head to the Ancient County for the Arokium Memorial Cycle road race today. The 50 miles event, which is sponsored by the Arokium Funeral Establishment, is in honour of late owner Mr. Phillip Arokium.

The race is being organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) and Coordinated by Coach Mr. Randolph Roberts.

The race will commence at 10:00hrs with a cruise around the town of New Amsterdam from in front of Arokium Funeral Parlour at the lot 30 Philadelphia Street New Amsterdam.

The cyclists will then turn left into Republic road, into Tacama turn into Stanleytown. The race officially starts when the

cyclists cross Alexander Street and will proceed to Nand Persaud Rice Milling Complex at No 36 village, Corentyne before turning back to finish at Main and Alexander Street New Amsterdam.

Prizes will be awarded to the first eight finishers, first three veterans, top three juveniles and top three females. The first three FACC riders to cross the finish line will also be given prizes. There will also be ten sprint prizes up for grabs.

Managing Director of the Funeral Establishment, Mrs. Pearl Arokium and other family members, will be on hand to send the cyclists on their way and assist with the distribution of prizes at the completion of the event.

Persons and cyclists can contact organizer Roberts on 628-8211 for last minute information.

more importance right now,” said Ninvalle.

“That training will say how prepared his is for Peru and we are awaiting responses from both the NSC and GOA,” the GBA President continued.

Ninvalle said that the Director of Sports is quoted publicly as saying the NSC will do whatever it is to assist A l l i c o c k ’s o v e r s e a s preparations.

“I would have asked for prompt responses since time

is ticking,” Ninvalle emphasized.

Ninvalle stressed that the GBA would want Allicock to leave for Cuba next week but that will depend on a prompt response.

“I can’t say when he will leave until they provide the required resources. His departure will have to be put on hold until we get the support of the entities I spoke about,” Ninvalle concluded.

- Departure for training in Cuba depend on DS & NSC response

Keevin Allicock

Steve Ninvalle

t r o Sp

Ambris’ century spurs Windies to record run chase

Sunil Ambris plays one off the back foot.

(Getty Images)

MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma get together before Qualifier 1. (BCCI)

Dhoni’s ‘Dad’s Army’ bank on experience against mighty Mumbai Police and Santos in combat yesterday at the GFF National Training Center, Providence, EBD.

Ishmael Pulsaram (#9) scores Timehri Panthers’ second goal against Grove Hi Tech yesterday at the GFF NTC, Providence.

GFF/KFC U-20 Independence KO Cup – EBFA

Timehri Panthers beat Grove Hi Tech to advance to the final GFF Elite League Season 4

Victoria Kings defeat Santos; Police and Buxton United draw

Timehri Panthers custodian Prince Forde pulls off a brilliant save to deny Grove Hi Tech’s Threvon Pluck in their match yesterday at the GFF NTC, Providence.

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