Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

UG exams

Saturday Edition May 25, 2019 - Vol. 13 No. 20

postponed after

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

third bomb threat

Price $80

Online readership yesterday 107,135

Renegotiation still possible...

Guyana/Venezuela territorial issue not as big as being portrayed - Industry Experts Several parts of Mahdia flooded following heavy rains

US Embassy confirms Guyana engaging expelled Cuban activist

honours 77 at Investiture

Employees fingered in Burma paddy scam

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Guyana honours 77 at Investiture

The President bestowing awards on Hamley Case, Halim Majeed, Terrence Montrose and Vincent Alexander

T

he Investiture Ceremony 2019, under the Orders of Guyana, was held yesterday at the National Cultural Centre, with almost four score persons being honoured for their service to Guyana.

The awards are bestowed based on work done in a diverse array of fields, such as academia, business, c h a r i t y, e c o n o m i c s , education, enterprise, faith, sports, and security.

The ceremony involved a tribute from the National D a n c e C o m p a n y, a n d musical renditions of national songs led by the Guyana Police Force Band and Choir.

The awardees were honoured by President David Granger and the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards.

The President recalled that the Constitution established the National

Honour System to recognise persons whose service “has had immeasurable impact” on the country.

“These awards should never be disregarded or disparaged,” he said. The National Awards have to be restored to a place of prominence, he added.

The awards have been conferred annually, since 2015, and the President has assured that that practice will not break form.

Chancellor Justice Cummings-Edwards said that the nation was built through hard work, pain and sacrifice, and that these annual awards are to honour the persons who continue to build on the strength of the nation.

She noted the importance of recognising – even iconising – citizens for their hard work.

Receiving the Disciplined Services Medal were Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lyndon Alves;

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Langevine; and Retired Divisional Officer, Compton Sparman.

Lieutenant Colonel Courtney Arthur Byrne received the Military Service Medal.

The recipients of the Medal of Service are Shameza Baksh, Taramattie Barker, Roxanne Barratt, Rosemary Benjamin-Noble, Donna Bowman, John Critchlow, Wavenie Dorsett, Hilbert Foster, Gloria G a r r a w a y, L a w r e n c e Griffith, Soyinka Grogan, Claudette Heyliger-Thomas, Parmeshwar Jagmohan, Suresh Jagmohan, Ian Jardine, Mohamed Nizam Kassim, Bibi Fazeela Khan, Gordon Kingston, Kumar Lallbachan, Peter Lewis, Nasrudeen Mohamed, Terrence Anthony Poole, Leslie Ramalho, Harripersaud Ramsewack, Petal Ridley, Gail Robinson, Ramkarran Roopchan, James Sampson, Komal

Singh, Zohora Singh, and Fitzroy Younge.

The recipients of the Golden Arrow of Achievement are Vincent Alexander, Lorene Baird, Ruth Benjamin-Huntley, Calvin Benn, Leslie Black, William Boyle, Negla Brandis, Paul Carto, Rudolph Cummings, Phillip DaSilva, Patrick Farnum, Egbert Field, Nicholas Fredericks, Malcolm Harripaul, Vincent Henry, Dickson Hooper, Leon Johnson, Kalam JumanYassin, Patrice La Fleur, Carl Lashley, Derrick Lawrence, Lawrence London, Julia Mansell, Suresh Narine, Christopher Nascimento, Lurline Nestor, Maxine Parris-Aaron, Rajendra Persaud, Eric Phillips, Sandra Shivdat, Gomathinayagam Subramanian, Morris Wilson, Genevieve Whyte-

Nedd, Garfield Wiltshire, William Woolford, and O'Donna Allsopp.

The Recipients of the Cacique's Crown of Honour are Frederick Case, Charles Fung-A-Fatt, David Hales, Riyad Insanally, Abdool Majeed, and Fr. Terrence Montrose.

The Constitution of the Orders of Guyana makes provision for the National Awards.

The National Award tradition, as it is currently known, began in 1970 when Guyana gained Republic Status. Initially, Guyana had started out with two orders, The Order of Excellence and The Order of Roraima.

These are the two highest orders that could be conferred on a citizen.

The Order of Service was added six years later. It constitutes the General Awards: the Cacique's

Crown of Honour, the Golden Arrow of Achievement, and the Medal of Service.

Special Awards within the Order of Service are given for courage and bravery, military service and service to the Police Service, the Prison Service, and the Fire Service: the Cacique Crown of Valour, the Golden Arrow of Courage, the President's Commendation for Brave Conduct, the Military Service Star and Medal, the Disciplined Service Star for Distinguished Service, and the Disciplined Services Medal for Meritorious Service, Long Service and Good Conduct.

Justice CummingsEdwards said that citizens of other countries may also be awarded for service of an outstanding or exceptional nature.

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The non-alcoholic bars

T

he first thing to be said about a sober bar is that it is not a contradiction in terms. According to an article of the same name (the full caption is: “The rise of the sober bar”) from the BBC dated May 13,

by Margaret Eby such a startling hybrid does exist.

These creations are becoming more and more popular in known watering locales like the Getaway in Greenpoint, Brooklyn; the Redemption Bar (three branches) in swinging London and, believe it or not, the not-so-well labeled, but provocatively called, Virgin Mary in Dublin, Ireland of all places. It is the early stages in the beginning of a global trend.

Guyana could benefit enormously should such a trend take hold here, no matter how meager the appeal and traction at the inception.

There are already well-established juice bars and coffee bars, which are well attended.

Sports bars do not count. What is sure to count with more and more Guyanese, and just like the small wave gathering some horsepower on different places on the map, is the total absence of alcohol, and anything remotely related to alcohol.

Things are so straight-laced and puritanical that the surroundings in sober bars are completely alcohol free.

There are no non-alcoholic beverages, as those do have a few miniscule drops (0.5% by volume). Teetotalers would have been very much at home in the alcohol-free environment and ambience.

The latter is so stringent that even the aroma of boozesometimes heady, other times repulsive-is also noticeably missing. This might be one tough sale for liquor soaked local citizens.

After all, in Guyana, alcohol is culture; alcohol is family; alcohol is history. Although in these so-called modern days, cool and chic have stepped away somewhat from that liquid monopoly through the new arrivals of illegal hard drugs like cocaine, softer ones currently just as illicit, like cannabis, and the frightening presence (illegal, too) of pharmaceuticals such as Ecstasy and others from that toxic tree.

To be sure, a dent has been registered, especially with the well-heeled younger set, in national hold of alcohol.

But it is still king of this hazy, addled, and hungover Congo by the Atlantic.

It is manly and empowering, with the surrender of good sense and inhibitions now first intriguing and then luring increasing numbers of women, and from very tender ages.

The introduction of sober bars could give place and opportunity for socialization, relaxation, conversation, and healthy continuation.

This society’s relationship with alcohol has been long and very loving; it is going to be inestimably difficult to reverse that legacy.

This is notwithstanding failures and addictions, the evidence of which litters the streets and communities.

Individuals, families, communities, commerce, and society all have paid some brutal prices for that now near inseparable and irresistible attraction. There is a trail of broken homes, domestic abuse and violence, self-inflicted poverty, loss of man hours, loss of skills, loss of motivation and pride and self-esteem.

And added to these are the fatal and maiming accidents (particularly of the hit-and-run variety), the not infrequent alcohol-fueled batteries and murders. It has been a terrible and still unmeasured toll, and with the true cost of the accumulated damage still unknown. It cuts across all segments and strata of local society, be they urban or rural, rich or poor, educated or unlearned, wise or ignorant.

This nation grapples feebly with the pox of alcohol; it is one that is widespread and scars the national face with red veined, glazed eyed, slack jawed disfigurements.

Sober bars may not be a cool, celebrated idea of fun for many anywhere; that would definitely be a large majority in this country.

Still, it is an idea and business undertaking whose arrival is overdue. The government could extend some incentives to encourage proliferation and, who knows, temperance.

Only time will tell whether such generous concessions will redound to the national interests and attract more investments in the telemarketing sector DEAR EDITOR, When the PPP/C cabinet approved Guyana’s first-ever Interception of Communications Bill in mid2008 and had me pilot it on October 17, 2008 through its various stages in the National Assembly as Bill No.19 of 2008, this was done with the clear understanding that the bill was aimed at criminalizing the use of telecommunications. The incoming law was to be a crime-fighting, law enforcement and national security tool.

Criminals like anyone else use telecommunications to communicate and coordinate their efforts, they symbolize the so-called Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse - drug dealers, organized crime, terrorists and pedophiles.

The schedule of offences listed under the Act are; murder, treason, terrorism, trafficking in persons, kidnapping and abduction and money laundering, production, supplying or dealing in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, importation or exportation of any firearm or ammunition, manufacturer of or dealing in firearms or ammunition, illegal possession of a weapon, firearm or ammunition, arson and aiding and abetting or conspiring to commit any of the offences mentioned.

The intended legislation was among a slew of other crime-fighting and national security measures, that had its origins in recommendations from CARICOM’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) approved

by Heads at a Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of State and Government,

held in Port-of-Spain in April, 2008.

During the debate on the Bill, the then parliamentary opposition, led by Opposition leader Mr. Robert Corbin, his parliamentary colleagues, Basil Williams and the late Deborah Backer were amongst its fiercest critics.

Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan from the AFC were no exceptions.

The Opposition’s arguments were fundamentally political. They claimed that the Bill was ‘very suspect,’ that it would be ‘abused’ by the Police, that sensitive information intercepted would be ‘leaked’ and that the bill placed ‘onerous obligations’ on the private telephone companies.

The arguments advanced were all demolished by PPP/ C MP’s. With time, the criticisms have been proven spurious.

Debunking the claim about ‘onerous obligations’ on the telephone companies, the point was made that prior consultations on a draft of the Bill were held with GT&T and Digicel who had pledged their cooperation with government to ensure enforceability.

At the end of the debate, members of the PNCR-1G led

by Mr. Corbin, and the AFC who were present, except for Aubrey Norton, walked out of the Chamber.

The PNCR-1G plus AFC’s opposition to the Bill on October 17, 2008, cast a long shadow over the security sector.

Eleven years later, on May 15, 2019 the spotlight turned to where the real interests of the APNU+AFC were in respect to intercept of communications.

Much earlier, the efficacy of legal intercept was demonstrated in a case involving two taxi drivers,

charged and presently before the Court for possession of over 237 pounds of cocaine in pepper sauce.

The CANU prosecutor told the Court that they are in possession of telephone recordings during which the accused boasted about CANU being unable to detect the drugs in the pepper sauce.

At no time was it envisaged by CARICOM Heads nor by IMPACS that the Bill could be amended to ‘move the Judges out of the way’ in order to cater for business and corporate interests, although call centres were already established and very prominent in almost every CARICOM member state at that time.

Why a crime-fighting, law enforcement and national security legislation had to be amended to accommodate five additional exceptions or, in other words, ‘to provide protection’ for the interests of private telecommunications enterprises, must have flummoxed operatives in the intelligence community at the Military Intelligence Department of the GDF, Special Branch of the GPF and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre in Barbados.

The answer to this question lies in the arguments advanced in favour of the amendments to the Interception of Communications Act by the Minister of Communications in the National Assembly on May 15, 2019.

In the contest between two competing interests, private telecommunication companies, on the one hand, would press host governments for greater exceptions, while law enforcement on the other, favour greater restrictions for

public safety, national security and defence purposes. Which way the pendulum swings, depends on whether prior commitments were made to private companies and the risks that could flow by reneging on those commitments.

In an effort to strike a balance between law enforcement and business interests as regards its interception of communications exceptions policy, the coalition government came down in favour of its “International clients”, though those clients had merely “expressed an interest to invest in Guyana.”

In the circumstances, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that the amendments to the principal Act was an act of desperation on the part of government to shore up its tattered investment image.

Leaving that aside, on Sunday April 28, 2019, the Sunday Chronicle carried a headline that read; ‘Bill tabled to widen exceptions in communication interception.’

And on May 16, 2019 Stabroek News carried a headline screaming, ‘Bill passed to allow call centres to record calls.’

On that same day, Guyana Chronicle carried the erroneous headline stating; ‘Call centres stand to benefit as House amends Inception (sic) of Communications Act.’ Suffice it to say that the Chronicle report under the said headline was poor in content and misleading in many respects. How that got past that day’s Chronicle Editor is anyone’s guess.

Stabroek News edition of May 16, 2019 reported Minister of Communications, (Continued on page 24)

I am a minion of nobody, and a factor of none DEAR EDITOR, In the Friday May 24, 2019, edition of the Kaieteur News there appears an annoying screed authored by Mr. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP, Attorney-at-law. This I find offensive and it is with this I now complain.

The letter is headlined: ‘GECOM: A legal enigma’. For ease of reference, the following words appear: “GECOM and the Chairman harbour no qualms about exposing their political partisanship and are decidedly determined to execute political directions, even if it results in unconstitutional and irrational actions.” I choose

to ignore the wrong grammar aforesaid and now proceed.

This not so subtle and gratuitous ad hominen attack on the Chairman of GECOM is one I deprecate. I am, as known to most, apolitical.

For those who do not know I state the following: Since 1968 I have ceased to be a member of any political party anywhere, although there resides in me a restless social spirit. It therefore follows that in the Office of Chairman of GECOM I am a minion of nobody, and a factor of none.

I owe fealty to no individual nor any political party.

Mr. Nandlall, of Counsel, knows this and to launch gratuitous and oblique attack

on me, I find cowardly and reprehensible. I do not participate in the discussions of the Guyana Elections Commission, except to keep the combatants at bay, and to see that the gladiators maintain our version of the Queensbury rules. I execute these imperatives of my office pro bono publico, in the literal sense, with varying degrees of success. Mr. Nandlall, of Counsel, and many of his ilk, continue to use GECOM as campaign fodder. Nothing is wrong with that. The old adage says “all is fair in love and war”.

Despite the challenges current and those to come, GECOM, under my

Chairmanship, will continue to execute its mandate sans fear and sans favour, and according to the oath of office I took. Hostile and puerile interruptions such as those emanating from Mr. Nandlall have no basis in fact, and constitute unnecessary political humbug.

There is this classical adage to which I now ascribe and which keeps me going: Illegitim non carborunum – Don’t let the bastards get you down.

Yours sincerely Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson Chairman Guyana Elections Commission

Saturday May 25, 2019

How could you, Mr. President? Say it ain’t so, Excellency…. Except that it is.

DEAR EDITOR, I am the short end of the stick here; it is a dirty, undesired one. Spiked too.

For there I was repeatedly trashing those tardy public servants, who lapsed through negligence, or contempt, or impatience, or disinterest (or some combination of all those) for failing to deliver those declarations to the now widely, including presidentially, ignored Integrity Commission. This is disheartening. Surprising and weakening, too, considering the latest source.

I must confess that this one caught me out of the blue and off-guard; now I feel black and blue all over. Yes, it is that serious.

For I have said in public, before shaky friends and scornful foes, that Mr. David Granger epitomizes a different standard, and is the personification of what the First Lady exhorted others the other day to reflect: values and virtues. To emphasize the extraordinary and sacred nature of this standard, I saw him as the standard and the example, for all others to follow.

Particularly after the tawdriness that did grace the highest leadership ranks for the longest while. And now this…

The skeptics and critics are going to have a field day.

Let them. I am taken aback, jarred, reeling from this revelation of nondisclosure on the part of David Arthur G r a n g e r, t h e m a n , t h e president, the figure that has to be - must be - of the kind and character that has not been experienced before here in dirty, tarnished, deformed Guyana.

This one is on me. It is for the president. I look into my well. It is empty. There are not anymore like this one.

I do not think (I do not want to) that this was a matter of memory. Not when the airwaves are pulsating with

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cries of denunciations for those errant seniors, who now have smug cover under which to retreat and shelter.

If he could, then why not me?

Why the double standard of different strokes for different folks?

Though there were the extremely pressing issues of health and travel and all the surrounding distresses, I do not believe that, even when taken in combination and as humanly understandable as they are, those so much as amount to the cover of a fig leaf.Not when there are so many partners and advisers and counselors and helpers.

That may hold for the others, but not for His E x c e l l e n c y.

The Commander-in-Chief is not allowed much room, any such luxuries.

Presidents have to first and foremost find a way to the forefront to separate from the more human, the less scrutinized, the still lesser judged.

This president, who promises so much, who I believe and trust to embody so much that is of an alien nature to this society, has slipped. That euphemism notwithstanding, I am appalled and shrink in disbelief.

Editor, what am I going to say in apology to those I have castigated and found deplorable?

What can I say? Follow the leader?

I shrivel from what I now see as the meagerness of the once vaunted Integrity Commission.

Daily it loses luster, the standing of a frowning, rebuking, stinging, judging presence. Perhaps I have too little, thus I am unable to identify with the complexities and magnitude of those who have so much more, who need so much more time, and who find themselves so bogged down and disturbed by this

annoyance, this torment in the throat and testicles called the Integrity Commission.

For if these declarations are causing so much trouble for those impacted, be they at the highest level or somewhere immediately below, then what does that say? I think that it can be inferred that some have so much that they do not know what they do have. And further, that as public servants there are those associated responsibilities for putting things on the table in the clear light of day. They neither can be shunned nor should be shirked.

If this is the way it is regarded, the manner in which it is treated, then it might be just as well that the paper charade be over and done with and bring closure to the personal agonies and hesitancies.

Disband the thing. Move on to other things. But with one understanding: let the good old times continue to roll.

They really didn’t stop, did they?

For if these declarations are causing so much trouble for those impacted, be they at the highest level or somewhere immediately below, then what does that say? I think that it can be inferred that some have so much that they do not know what they do have. And further, that as public servants there are those associated responsibilities for putting things on the table in the clear light of day.

They neither can be shunned nor should be shirked.

Guyana waits for what the president has to say. It can’t be much. I wait, too.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

WE ONLY NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE MANY POSITIVES DEAR EDITOR, This is in direct response to Hydar Ally’s letter ‘The Curse of Race remains relevant today’ which was published in your May 24th edition.Who cares what Duncan Sands said about race in Guyana? As long as we continue to trumpet the few (if any) negatives that are associated with race instead of proclaiming the numerous, absolute positives and tremendous benefits that are at our disposal because we are multiracial/ethnic, we will never move forward!

Imagine a Guyana without Curry, Roti or Dhall. Then imagine a Guyana without Cookup, Black pudding or Pepperpot. Or think that you live in a country where you never heard the beautiful voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohamad Rafi or

enjoyed the indigenous Chutney Music, and there was no Calypso or Reggae.

Look at what happens to Guyana at Phagwah/Holi time. This country goes into a frenzy, because we all embrace the festival. Don’t we all get that flush of pride seeing the lights and colour that come with Diwali, and embrace to message of ‘victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance’?

How could anyone live in a place that does not have and celebrate Diwali or Ramadan?

Then look at what happens to our entire country when Christmas comes around.

Every Guyanese, without exception, feels, embraces and shares the goodwill that comes with that season.

Remember Easter? You can’t recuse yourself from flying

your kite because of any type of conflict of interest, racially or ethnically. Don’t we all love it when Mashramani comes around so that we could join with our indigenous brethren to celebrate our Republican Status and enjoy ourselves after a year of cooperative work?We not only have to understand, but we must be mature enough to admit to ourselves (and to our little ones) that our lives are enriched by our racial and ethnic differences. Our beautiful country is truly blessed to be populated with so many beautiful races and ethnicities.

We only need to start looking at the many positives that they bring and stop harping on the few, if any, negatives that might not truly exist.

Pure Guyanese

The APNU+AFC administration is, in this instance, on the right side of history DEAR EDITOR, The Government of Guyana, represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karen Cummings, must be congratulated for not only doing the right thing, but also doing the bright thing, by voting in the affirmative at the United Nations General Assembly, regarding the call for Britain to relinquish control over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

From 1968-1973, Britain forcibly removed the rightful inhabitants of the islands to make way for a military base.

This is the same Britain whose High Commissioners and Ambassadors are forever lecturing Guyana and other countries in the Global South

on the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.

Whether Britain will abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice and the majority affirmative vote by the UN General Assembly to cede the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius is left to be seen, because, in the world of socalled international law, might is right and the bully gets away with breaking international law, time and time again.

As an organization committed to the struggle against colonialism and imperialism, Organization for the Victory of the People will always support any measure taken to rid the world of the domination by a small

minority of humanity over the billions that inhabit this earth.

We therefore applaud the APNU+AFC administration for having the courage to be, in this instance, on the right side of history.

Gerald A. Perreira Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

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The announcement of the century DEAR EDITOR, To my utter amazement, I read this week that a person no other than Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo himself, has promised to set up anti-corruption institutions if the PPP gets back in office.

Several things are happening here.

First Mr. Jagdeo is clearly playing to the gallery, as he is trying to assure the West, supporters, the middle and the business class, that he and the PPP will finally tackle corruption once and for all.

Never mind the fact that every single complaint about corruption from every single facet of society prior to 2015 was met with political disdain from the PPP, never official denials, just disdain and dismissals.

Never mind that the PPP to this day cannot explain the spectacular wealth that many of its high officials accumulated in a very short space of time, and the lack of value for money the nation of Guyana experienced from several projects including, of course, the Skeldon Estate

and Fibre Optic cable project.

But I blame the Coalition for as we say in Guyanese parlance, the “spounce” Mr. Jagdeo now possesses is because of its lacklustre approach to investigating the vast amount of theft, graft and nepotism that were the hallmarks of the PPP, especially during the time of Jagdeo.

Today they walk freely, heads held high, and are in turn accusing the Coalition of being even more corrupt than the 23 years in office. Good heavens.

How can this be?

Editor, Jagdeo is so hellbent on getting back into power to control the wealth and levers of state that he i s n o t e v e n al l o w i n g Irfaan Ali, the presidential candidate, to speak on these issues.

M r. J a g d e o i s s o desperate for power that he and his party have spent millions of dollars to hire an American propaganda firm to help clean up their image, while attacking that of their opponent.

The fact is that the PPP, given their record under Jagdeo, is absolutely no good for Guyana. And the fact is that the job of that propaganda firm is to create fake news, attack and assassinate persons’ characters, to generate an unfavourable image of the PPP’s opponent.

At this stage, only time will tell if this administration’s failure to have ex-PPP big wigs pay for their wrongdoing will come back to bite those in power now in their political derrières.

As I rest my case, I remain astonished about the quietude from those running the country now.

Not a word of condemnation has come from State House, Congress Place in Sophia, Office of the President, or the PM’s office.

This is the reason why Mr. Jagdeo has the gall and gumption to say he will establish institutions to deal with corruption, when corruption is the PPP’s mantra.

Winston Mars

Guyana needs transformational leadership DEAR EDITOR, We now live in a transformative world that is increasingly driven by technology that requires concomitant knowledge/ education/relevant skills readiness.

The sheer scale of such change demands that attitudes and behaviours adapt to the change. At the same time, change needs to be agile, reacting to and accommodating new processes, through leadership with the capacity to implement adjustments to accommodate the change and steer the economy toward successful outcomes.

The transformative economy emerges out of the increasing desire of the consumer to satisfy his selfactualization needs, the highest tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Thus, the old approach to political leadership collides with the more informed society, where people no longer accept that a leader knows best.

In light thereof, our emerging oil and gas economy, amidst national instability, political corruption and deception, in a world characterized by uncertainty, turbulence, and economic instability, calls for transformational leadership.

An important requisite of our emerging economy is a transformational leader, i.e., one who serves as a role model, demonstrates an ability to motivate, inspire, and stimulate followers to be

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Kaieteur News

creative and innovative, and equally important, one who shows genuine concern for the populace.

In fact, transformational and charismatic leadership have been the hallmark of outstanding leadership. One of the strongest traits of transformational leadership is paying attention to the needs of followers.

Further, a transformational leader challenges the way followers think so as to enable them to be more creative in their problem-solving Today, we harness ourselves, to the detriment of the nation, with leaders, many of whom are entrenched in one or more of what the pundits refer to as the ‘dark triad’, i.e., three personality traits encompassing Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, which are associated with negativeoriented leaders.

Those subscribing to Machiavellianism are imbued with the tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. The narcissists exhibit a sense of grandiosity and a strong need to be seen and admired by others; they manifest an extravagant sense of self-importance, a sense of superiority, selfcentered and self-referential behaviour, exaggeration of talents, boastful and pretentious behaviour, grandiose fantasies of unlimited success, a willingness to exploit others, and lack of empathy.

Those indulging

psychopathy are characterized by traits, such as manipulativeness, superficial charm, lack of remorse or shame, egocentricity, exploitation, d e c e i t f u l n e s s , irresponsibility, arrogance, and shallow intellect.

In a nutshell, our future requires us not only to be cognizant of the emerging needs of our economy, but also to promote dynamic transformational leadership with integrity - moral or ethical behaviour -as we navigate the knowledge-centered transformational economy.

To such ends, we must identify leaders with the aptitude for national progress and prosperity measured in terms of human welfare/wellbeing, and not merely by an increase in dollars and cents; leaders who will pay attention to the needs of the people of this country and be shy of unnecessary hubristic acts; leaders who will not only challenge the way people think, but will also conscientiously endeavour to provide opportunities for them to be more creative in their problem solving skills/pursuits.

To achieve such goals, however, we must reject o u t r i g h t l y, t h ose who p o r t r a y t h e m s e l v e s as leaders, but who are imbued with ‘dark triad’ personality traits and avaricious appetites for wolfing our wealth and plundering our treasury.

Yours sincerely, Ronald Singh

The President’s ostensible challenge has become a nightmare for thousands DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU saw a Newsroom article titled “President identifies sugar woes as major challenge during four-year in office” in which His Excellency President David Granger offered certain comments regarding the sugar industry and his Government’s approach to the industry.

From the article, our Union noticed the President reportedly said that “…the sugar industry was already in a state of decline when his Government was elected to office in 2015”.

The state-of-affairs of the sugar industry were obviously no secret. The July 18, 2014 Stabroek News reported that the Parliamentary Economic Services Committee chaired then by Dr Carl Greenidge, was apparently fully briefed and made aware of the situation in the industry.

Certainly, President Granger would have had that information at hand when he spoke about the sugar industry as was captured in a March 18, 2015 Inews report.

According to that report, the President is reported to say that “…APNU/AFC will not “dissolve” Guyana’s sugar industry but rather would like to see a turnaround plan for the future of sugar”. The article also quotes His Excellency as saying “[t]here is no quick fix…it is too big to fail” as well as saying “[w]e are not going to throw the sugar industry through the window”.

Soon after President Granger and his Government took office, His Excellency’s running mate, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the 2015 Enmore Martyrs observances announced that a Commission of Inquiry regarding the sugar industry would be pursued.

The June 18, 2015 Kaieteur News quoted the Prime Minister to have said that “[t]he commission… will talk to the sugar workers and find out from (them) what can be done to save sugar”. That Commission, as the nation well knows, spent considerable time, efforts and monies and its report was handed over to the Administration in mid-October, 2015.

According to a December 02, 2015 Demerara Waves report, former Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, was quoted as saying that “the commissioners… worked on the

comprehensive report…”. The former Minister is also reported to have said, in the lastly mentioned article, that “…President David Granger’s instruction that any deliberation of the sector must take into consideration that it is a national matter”.

Nevertheless, armed with this comprehensive report, President Granger and his colleagues decided to close Wales Estate and promised the workers, their families and the communities that non-sugar diversification would take the place of cane cultivation and sugar processing. As the Newsroom report indicated, those diversification plans are “…yet to get off the ground”.Not done there, the Government went on to close East Demerara, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates.

Those closures came after the Government received submissions from our Union and also heard the serious concerns of the Opposition.

All in all, approximately 7,000 workers have been thrown out of jobs; thousands of young Guyanese dreams of betterment have been shattered; in some instances, families have broken up, among the myriad of problems that have now taken root in the communities of the closed estates.

So today, while the President confesses that sugar was a major challenge for his Government, though he was fully aware prior to him taking office of the challenges and was given advice on how to right the situation, he and his colleagues ignored the sensible solutions provided.

It obviously raises questions of whether there was a pre-conceived position taken and Guyanese were merely witnessing a sleight of hand.

Whatever may be the case, while the President laments, out in rural Guyana thousands of former sugar workers, their families and their villages are suffering. They are facing probably the hardest time in their lives and they don’t know who or where to turn to. So the President’s ostensible challenge has become a nightmare for thousands.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

The Small Business Act DEAR EDITOR, I have noticed that an editorial has been written in another section of the press concerning the many difficulties faced by the smaller contractors in our local economy. The real problem is the unwillingness of previous and this current administration, to face up to reality.

The author of the bill which became the Act knew full well in 2001 that there needed to be put in place a slew of enabling legislation so that his bill when passed as an Act of Parliament could have the desired impact in the local economy.

In November of 2015 he attended a procurement conference at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre and said exactly so. This was followed up by written information sent to the Ministers of Business, Finance, Public Infrastructure, Chairman of

the NPTAB and CEO of the NPTAB. An acknowledgement came from the Chairman of the NPTAB followed by some consultations both with him and the Secretary to the Treasury. No further engagements ensued on the matter.What has been needed is a different approach to our public procurement system, where we can mentor and also monitor small contractors as they progress. We would be able to watch them grow into bigger entities and the entire industry would become more competitive and sustainable.

All this adds up to better value for money for the State than exists at present. We can then rank contractors and make stipulations that even where larger contracts are concerned, the bigger entities must perforce, engage smaller entities up to 20% of the gross amount of their contract.

They can do this at the tendering stage or they must

have this done before signing of the contract.

This approach to public tendering should be able to favourably deal with minority contractors. In this category we would place women contractors, those in the hinterland, and those from depressed communities.

Politically speaking, this would be a fillip for those thus affected. But governments are dumb and essentially fail to view the real picture. Their agendas usually leave out those to whom they should really cater. If we regard Trump in the USA, he is seen mainly catering to the interests of those of his ilk and class. That’s the nature of the beast.

Editor, if we are truly working to help the small man in this nation then we need to really understand his plight and use all legislative means to help empower him.

Regards, Cyril Walker

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Kaieteur News

60 schools set to participate in 53rd Venezuela-Guyana territorial controversy Independence Anniversary celebration

Renegotiating lopsided Exxon-Guyana PSA still possible...

not as big as being portrayed

–Houston University Instructor

By Kiana Wilburg Guyana’s territorial controversy with Venezuela is often proffered by some members of Government as one of the reasons why renegotiating the nation’s lopsided deal with ExxonMobil is not up for discussion.

It is also used to excuse the overly generous fiscal terms given to the contractor.

However, University of Houston Instructor , Tim Mitro, told Kaieteur News that while the government’s position has some validity, the territorial controversy is not as big an issue as it is being made out to be so as to avoid renegotiation altogether.

In fact, Mitro who has worked for over 30 years with Chevron and Gulf Oil said that ExxonMobil is familiar with working in states involved in territorial controversy.

Sharing his experience in the sector with these matters too, Mitro said, “In several places I have worked and lived like Nigeria and Angola, they had major border disputes ...They even had less treaty history like what

University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro Guyana has with Venezuela and they found ways to resolve them.”

The Co-Director of the Graduate Certificate in Global Energy, Development and Sustainability at the University of Houston added, “Sometimes, they had to grant a portion of reserves to whoever is on the other side but at the end of the day, Exxon is experienced in dealing in environments like this...

“It does put some disadvantage but to me, that does not affect calling for terms that benefit both parties...The issue is not as large as it is

being portrayed to be by some.”

Further to this, the official sought to entertain a worst case scenario.

The Industry Expert said, “Let’s say the government had to give up about 20 percent of the reserves to Venezuela. That is in an extreme case. So instead of 5.5b barrels of oil equivalent reserves, it would end up being let’s say 3.2B. That will still be more attractive than anything else ExxonMobil has. So even if they had to give up a fourth of the reserve that would still be an excellent, world class, proven reserve.”

Considering the worst case scenario, Mitro said that Exxon would have a very attractive project on its hand and renegotiation can still be considered. He said this example proves that the dispute is not such a huge factor.

Mitro also sought to reiterate that ExxonMobil is used to dealing with political and territorial risk and it is many times greater than what they face in Guyana.

Employees fingered in Burma paddy scam Several employees have been fingered in an alleged paddy scam at the Burma Rice Research Station, East Coast Demerara. Just yesterday credible sources informed this publication that a paddy scam has been going on at the facility unchecked, that involved a network of employees in several departments of the business.

According to reports from credible sources the scam has been going on for several months now and involves a network of truck drivers, security, guards, storage clerks, clearance employees, and a manager at the entity.

Sources have indicated that the scam involves an operation where a store

representative would provide documents of a stipulated amount of paddy leaving the storage facility, but instead will deliver more.

It has been alleged that through well-orchestrated efforts of all parties concerned, paddy far more than the amount dictated on documents have actually left the premises.

This paddy is being sold to buyers who form a part of the ‘scam chain’ in several villages along the East Coast Demerara and other locations.

Sources yesterday informed that in one case an Extension Officer was in receipt of a document that dictated that some fifty-five bags of paddy was being

delivered to a farm, and was leaving the premises, but actually, the total was ninetyfive bags that were actually leaving instead.

According to reports, the additional forty bags of paddy were sold to a ‘network member’ in Airy Hall Village, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara. This publication was informed that this practice is ongoing, and that drivers will deliver paddy to several individuals along their route, who would have already paid for same to individuals engaged in the operations of the Burma Rice Research Station.

This newspaper yesterday spoke to a manager in the (Continued on page 18)

Almost 60 schools will participate in Guyana’s Independence Anniversary celebration according to Coordinator of the Independence activities Andrew Tyndall.

He made this announcement at a recent press conference hosted by the Department of Social Cohesion, in the Ministry of the Presidency. He added that separate Independence parades and cultural presentations set to be held in Region One, Two, Seven and Nine.

Tyndall noted that the Government is cocoordinating a massive student participation for the event, engaging youths since the entire programme will be spearheaded by youths unlike previous years. He said the objective is to have more youth involvement at the national stage. He said the event will serve as a forum that allows youth to take rein of the country’s 53rd Independence celebration.According to Tyndall, this will help young people to create a sense of nationalism and patriotism to assist in the development of Guyana. Some five thousand students from Regions Three, Four, Six and Ten will take centre stage in the parade, choral and cultural presentations, according to Tyndall.Training for the youths is made possible by all military organizations customarily tasked with executing the event; this has been going exceedingly well according to Tyndall.For the first time, there will be a youth marching band inclusive of one hundred and

Guyana’s Independence Anniversary Coordinator, Andrew Tyndall fifty members drawn from Region 4, 6 and 10, further accentuated with a choir of five hundred students, from which there is hope that a National School Choir will be eventually developed.

As stated by Tyndall, this initiative is a progressive move for youth involvement and the development of music. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is said to be very involved in the training process to prepare the youths.

This year’s celebration will also see a lineup of very talented local artistes in the likes of Jumo Primo, Michelle’ Big Red’ King, Steven Ramphal, Melissa’ Vanilla’ Roberts, Brandon Harding, and others that will perform at the Stabroek Market Square today.

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

US Embassy confirms it is engaging “expelled” Cuban activist

By Leonard Gildarie The United States embassy in Georgetown yesterday confirmed that it is being engaged in the matter involving Daniel Llorente, a 55-year-old Cuban activist who claimed he was illegally bundled on a plane and dumped in Guyana last week.

Known for adorning himself with the US flag, and participating in protests in Cuba, much to the anger of authorities there, Llorente claimed to local and international media, including Kaieteur News, that he was told by police who detained him in his country that he should ask for a visa at the Georgetown embassy.

Llorente had never been to Guyana and knows no one here. In essence, he was kicked out of his own country last week.Yesterday, a spokesperson for the US embassy disclosed that Llorente has engaged them.

There were no disclosures

Asking for help: Expelled Cuban activist, Daniel Llorente with translator, Luis Hernández Martín, also a Cuban who said he was harassed by his government, in front of the Red Cross headquarters yesterday. what those engagements are.

However, Llorente on Thursday said that it is his intentions to ask the US for political asylum as he is fearful of what would happen to him if he is sent back to Cuba.

Yesterday, as part of a process to ask for protection, Llorente visited the Red Cross headquarters in Kingston where he was asked to fill up certain paperworks.

He was accompanied by Luis Hernández Martín, owner of a coffee shop in Cuba who was forced to leave after pressure by his government.

Llorente said that he will be visiting the Department of Citizenship next week.

The case is now capturing the attention of a number of organisations and government.Calls to the Cuban embassy several times

yesterday went unanswered.

A staffer who asked that the news link from the US be sent to her Whatsapp number earlier this week did not respond although she read the message.

The Cuban embassy itself has not issued a statement responding to Llorente’s claims that his country illegally expelled him to Guyana.

On Monday, a US online news, Brietbart.com reported that Llorente known as the ‘Flag Man’, in Cuba, was sent from his country to Guyana in highly controversial circumstances.

It would raise alarming questions about Cuba’s tolerance to human rights, at a time when the Spanishspeaking country is under pressure by the US for widespread reforms.

It would also raise questions about that country’s respect for Guyana’s sovereignty, as local authorities were not even aware that the man was here.

Llorente, who kept under the radar since coming last week, had complained over the weekend to Radio Marti, a popular Spanish news outfit

The Cuba embassy has not issued a statement on the matter nor responded to questions.

in Florida.

He has been residing here since last week, surviving on donations from a few Cubans who recognised him. He has enough money to last him for 10 days, and is hoping for a job.At the airport in Cuba, he was handed the cash equivalent of US$50 by police personnel and told that where he is going, he would be able to seek closer relations with the US by having them grant a visa. He only knew on the plane that he was en route to Guyana.

Llorente is known for participating in protests and other forms of activism in Cuba wearing a US flag. There are many videos and photos online. He has been arrested several times, jailed and even placed in a hospital to determine whether he is mentally stable.

He was detained last week Thursday at his home. He just managed to grab a handbag and his Bible and a Voter’s ID. He was taken to the José Martí International Airport and placed on a plane.

On the aircraft, he was given an immigration form, which would have required that he fill out the reasons for the visit in Guyana.

According to Llorente, as he could not speak and write English, he left some parts of the form blank.

He said at the airport, he was stamped in without much questions asked.

He came out, very much lost, and was only saved by a Cuban passenger who gave him money for a night and food at a city guesthouse.

The Foreign Ministry and police here had initially said that there are no records that he came in.

However, it appeared that the Immigration Office only checked for arrivals after May 17.There would be questions, if Llorente’s story is true, how he made it through the Timehri airport without stating his reason for a stay in Guyana. The Cuban authorities would also have to explain on how they decided to send Llorente to Guyana. According to the activist yesterday, he is tired of being locked up and harassed for expressing his rights.

On Thursday, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audrey Waddell, said that she will be raising the issue with Cuban Embassy here.

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Kaieteur News

UG releases first set of Renaissance -to be used during public Papers intellectual engagements The University of Guyana (UG) press recently released the first six editions of ‘The Renaissance Papers’, its online occasional paper. The first one, “Petroleum and Climate Change in Guyana’s Future” by Professor Jay R. Mandle, W. Bradford Wiley Professor of Economics Emeritus at Colgate University in New York, was delivered at the inaugural CY Thomas Distinguished Lecture, while the second one, “Whither Guyana’s Public Sector Reform? “Towards A Game Changing Economic Sector” is authored by Deputy ViceChancellor, Professor Michael Scott, and was his Professorial Lecture.

The link between science and agriculture is the subject of the third Renaissance Paper, which is called “Uses of Soil Microorganism” and is written by Professor Gomathinayagam Subramanian, Director of the UG Berbice Campus. “Engineering and Entrepreneurship” is the title of the fourth paper, which was the keynote address delivered by leading engineer-entrepreneur Mr Charles Ceres at the inaugural UG Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conference.

Former UWI Chancellor and PAHO Director, Sir George Alleyne, wrote: “The Multiversity Universities of the Caribbean.”

It was delivered as part of UG’s Renaissance Lecture series in September 2017. The final paper also originally, was delivered in that lecture series. It is written by Mr Ian Randle, Chairman of the Board of the Jamaica based Ian Randle Publishers and is called “The

Publishing Pillar of The Renaissance Bridge”.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith calls the publication of The Renaissance Papers “a noteworthy step in the journey along the road to strengthen research, scholarship and publishing at our University.”

He added, “I applaud the authors of the first Papers and commend their writings to members of the academic and broader communities. They add a rich stock of knowledge to things that are important to our university and our nation”.

The UG Press Editorial Board, which is chaired by Professor George {Ken} Danns of The University of North Georgia, views The Renaissance Papers as an important part of its mission, which includes publishing books, journals and creative expressions, and making them accessible to academics, civil societies, the diaspora, and online communities. The Renaissance Papers will be published occasionally, and only electronically.

Additionally, the Papers will be linked to some of UG’s public intellectual engagements, that works under the Renaissance Lecture series, the Conversations on Law and Society series, the Yesu Persaud Lectures and the distinguished lectures honouring Professor Clive Y. Thomas, Professor Sister Noel Menezes, and Dr. Neville Trotz will be presented as Renaissance Papers. The Renaissance Papers are available for free download at: http://www.ugpress.com/therenaissance-papers/.

Dem boys seh ...

Georgetown use to flood like baby crying Rain fall like nobody’s business. It start early morning and when night set in it still falling. Thunder mek people jump in some places.

Dem boys remember that some years ago from de time de rain set up de whole of Georgetown use to flood. People drive and frighten to go in certain streets because dem know one mistake and de car cut out.

Now-a-days de cars coming wid certain features that does mek some of dem drive in water but Georgetown was different. De road in de dry weather was something drivers use to avoid suh imagine wha use to happen when rain fall.

Dem boys use to see car driving good, good then drop down in water sudden. Is dem images get in people head yesterday when de rain fall. People start talk bout how dem gun have to hire Transport and Harbours to carry dem to wuk.

There was no flooding. That is when Soulja Bai remind people that Jagdeo was like dem pavement dweller who like live wid

junk all round dem. That is wha use to cause de flood because de junk use to block up dem drains.

But people got short memories. People use to pack long boots in dem car. Yesterday dem walk out de house without even thinking. Soulja Bai remember when State House compound use to flood. It was a river in de city. Soulja Bai coulda walk out yesterday to pin medals pun people chest. Jagdeo stay home because he know once he had to face people dem woulda remind him how he had dem living like mermaids. Dem boys peep he card. Dem see when he smile.

He spiteful. He always tell people that he party never control Georgetown suh he did mean to drown de city people out. Soulja Bai come to dem rescue. But he got to do more.He pave de roads, he get rid of flooding; now he got to get he Ministers to keep dem promise like de one who promise to commission dem elevators to de overpass.

Talk half and remember how G/T use to flood.

Cops, civilian assaulted while trying to retrieve stolen bike

F

our policemen and construction worker Shawn Phipps went to Leopold Street to find the construction worker’s stolen motorcycle.

Phipps and some of the ranks got a thrashing instead.

Phipps, of Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust, said several men swarmed him on Tuesday when he and the ranks entered a Leopold Street yard where he suspected the thieves had stashed his Scrambler motorcycle.

He said the men struck him with a steel rod and kicked and punched him in the presence of the ranks.

Phipps, who sustained head and other injuries, said he eventually “blacked out,” and had to be treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

He later learnt that some of the ranks were also assaulted.

Police are reportedly still looking for the suspects, including an alleged ringleader known as ‘Barney.’

The Bent Street resident said that at around 22.00 hrs on Sunday, he parked his motorcycle, which cost $427,000, in the yard where he lives.

He also secured it with a chain.

The following day, his motorcycle was gone.

Although it was parked near to a neighbour’s open window, the neighbour reportedly said she saw nothing unusual.

However, Phipps said that he was able to obtain video images that showed two men pushing his bike out of the yard around 02.30 hrs on Monday.

The security footage reportedly showed one of the thieves heading into Leopold Street with Phipps’s bike.

On Tuesday, the construction worker said he went to Leopold Street, where he spotted two men with what appeared to be the seat and tank that had been stripped from his motorcycle.

Phipps relayed this information to a police sergeant at the Brickdam Police Station. The ranks also obtained the security camera footage of the thieves.

Four junior ranks then accompanied Phipps back to the area.

According to Phipps, when they were approaching the area, one of the men in the

yard began ‘signaling’, in an apparent attempt to alert his accomplices.

Phipps said that as soon as they entered the yard, “four or five” men encircled him. He recounted that the ranks appeared to know one of the men, whom they addressed as ‘Barney.’

“They say ‘Barney, lef that man’; I seeing (motorcycle) parts and was checking the parts.

“Then I said, ‘they (the bike spares) got to be in that cottage.’” With that, one of the men struck him in the head with a steel rod.

In the presence of the ranks, the men reportedly also kicked and punched him, while also riffling his pockets and removing his wallet.

He said he eventually blacked out, and the ranks took him to GPHC. Phipps has since been discharged, but said he is still suffering from headaches.

A senior police official acknowledged that the individual called ‘Barney’ was known to the police.

However, the individual is reportedly still to be apprehended.

PAGE 10

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Theresa May: Lessons in failed politics In all the commentaries that I have read on the resignation of Theresa May, none has mentioned the Windrush scandal. There may be analyses on her legacies that included her disgraceful role in that affair but at the time of writing, I haven’t seen them.

The Windrush scandal constitutes one of the most repugnant moments in the history of the United Kingdom and the history of the Commonwealth. And it was

the creation of the woman who, yesterday, resigned as the British Prime Minister.

The story involved the arrest, detention and legal harassment of legal British residents who were thought to have been illegal in the UK. A total of 83 legal residents of the UK were deported, mostly from the Caribbean.

Some died back in the Caribbean while they were waiting for the Home Office under May to process their re-

entry papers.

Long before the populist, authoritarian figures in the US, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Brazil etc. emerged with their racist agenda, there was Theresa May. If anything Caribbean, people should remember May for the Windrush scandal. May is gone. The Guardian (UK) referred to her legacy as poisonous but there is an important lesson in her downfall that all politicians should internalize.

May lost power because of Brexit. In the end when she faced the press to announce her resignation, she was prepared to continue to hide reality. In announcing her resignation, she said that that the British people voted in a referendum to leave the EU and their wishes she respected. It was a silly cop out.

The world knew and the British people too that what the UK voted for in the referendum was not what Brexit

turned out to be. In other words, there were two Brexits – the one they voted for in the referendum, the other was what subsequently unfolded.

The Brexit that came three years after the referendum proved to be a disaster for the UK and the world. We now come to that important lesson.

In politics, there is always a fluid situation. You may get your country’s support to invade another country but as the war drags on, your soldiers keep dying and your country faces economic collapse, you have to change course.

The famous example of changing course is President Richard Nixon in the Vietnam War. Theresa May and her Conservative Party knew it was easy to tell the British people to vote to leave the EU. But as the dangerous, destructive and deadly consequences became emblazoned on the landscape only one option May had. The world knew this. Go back to the people, tell them that this is what leaving the EU will bring to the UK, do you want that, yes or no.

A hypothetical example is appropriate. If you hold a referendum to ban the use of dyes in the manufacture of cotton and the ban is approved and one year after, its cost to the economy proves disastrous, then go back to the people and ask them if they still want to ban the dyes.

You have to do this because society is always in a state of flux.

There was nothing wrong in the British Government holding a second referendum.

May and her Conservative Party resisted it because they knew that they could have lost so they didn’t want that gamble. It is for this reason May came across as not

Frederick Kissoon straight forward when she said she respected the referendum results.

That referendum was held three years ago. How could May not know that people may have voted for something back then that they wanted to change now. Give them that opportunity.

The UK is regarded throughout the world as one of the strongest democracies on the map. But May damaged that image, first by the Windrush scandal and by her narrow politics of refusing to consult the British electorate when that was the strongest moral and democratic option facing her.

I don’t think the world will shed a tear for Theresa May but she left that important lesson that all humans, not only politician must recognize.

Spelt out clearly it instructs you to back down if it is in the interest of your country. There is no moral shame in choosing an alternative pathway to the one you promised your country if with the passing of time, your promise becomes unrealistic.

Those who follow world politics would know that Theresa May and her Conservative Party put politics before country. There will be a new conservative leader who will become the next Prime Minister.

If it is Boris Johnson, then Trump will have a soul mate in London.

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Former bauxite worker fails in bid to have payment judgment enforced at CCJ The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday dismissed an application for special leave to appeal in the matter of James Ramsahoye versus Linden Mining Enterprises (LME), Bauxite Industry Development Company Limited (BIDCO) and National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

Ramsahoye was seeking permission from the CCJ to appeal a decision by the Court of Appeal in Guyana to dismiss enforcement orders made by a single Justice of Appeal to pay him damages and a monthly pension from a previous employment judgment awarded in his favour against the respondents.

Being terminated in 1998, after 26 years of service, Ramsahoye took legal action against his former employers, Linden Mining Enterprises and Bauxite Industry Development Company Limited, which were state enterprises.

He was unsuccessful at the High Court. However, he appealed the judgment and was awarded damages of US$174,032.49 and a pension of US$2000.72 monthly.

While the matter was pending in the Court of Appeal, the

assets of BIDCO were transferred to National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited, another state enterprise.

Following the judgment, according to the CCJ, there were multiple proceedings between the parties aimed at either preventing the payment of, or enforcement of, the decision.

This eventually resulted in Justice B.S. Roy, a Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal, making orders for the enforcement of the judgment.

Those orders were ultimately dismissed by the Court of Appeal as they held that a single sitting Justice of Appeal did not have the authority to make orders relating to the enforcement of a judgment.

Ramsahoye then sought special leave to appeal this decision by the Court of Appeal at the CCJ. In considering whether the Court should grant the leave, the Court reviewed its earlier decisions in relation to the grant of special leave and concluded that those decisions demonstrated that a two-stage test was used to grant leave. The first stage was to determine the circumstances in which the application for special leave was made and the sec-

ond was to determine whether there was some special feature of the case for the Court to consider granting special leave.

According to the CCJ, these special features include whether there was a serious error of law or a substantial miscarriage of justice; or whether the application has a real prospect of success which would warrant the

Court hearing the appeal.

“The CCJ found that the correct test to be applied in this case was whether there had been an error of law, or substantial miscarriage of justice, resulting from the decision of the Court of Appeal. The Court examined the orders made by the Justice of Appeal, and the scope of the powers granted to him by the Rules

of the Court of Appeal and held that the single Justice of Appeal was incorrect in making enforcement orders as this was outside of his legal authority.”

In the judgment the Court stated “that the learned Justice of Appeal, who no doubt may have been moved by Mr. Ramsahoye’s plight, had no jurisdiction to make those orders”.

In considering whether there was a substantial miscarriage of justice, the CCJ noted that it could not grant special leave, although Ramsahoye did have difficulty in receiving the payments.

However, the Court highlighted that there is an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Guyana which would give parties an opportunity to examine the orders requested by Mr. Ramsahoye. “As such, the Court dismissed the application for special leave and made no order for costs.

In a separate decision, the Honourable Mr. Justice Barrow agreed with the Court’s judgment not to grant special leave.

“He found that a review of the CCJ’s original decision on granting special leave to appeal shows that in considering whether leave should be granted, there should be a possibility that the decision being appealed is wrong and the matter has a possibility of succeeding.” Justice Barrow found that Ramsahoye’s application neither had any special feature to warrant being granted special leave nor did he have a realistic chance of success.

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Guyanese association in St. Maarten honours 14 PHILIPSBURG—The St. Maarten Guyanese Association honoured 14 outstanding Guyanese nationals on Wednesday for their contribution to the local community and for excelling in their respective fields.

The 14 were honoured during a cocktail and awards reception held at the Associations office on Back Street on Wednesday evening.

Honoured were The Daily Herald journalist Judy H. Fitzpatrick in the field of journalism; Farina “Rena” Amjad in business; Desiree Barker, Nicola Duke and Mark Daniels in Community Service; Electrician Aubrey Edwards; Colin Morris in the field of Engineering; Gladys Wilson and Kim Lucas-Felix in Education; Kenecia David in Finance and Marketing and Colin Hamer in Construction.

Additionally, a number of students were honoured, including Vishwadeo Persaud and Tania Narine for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), who both received bursary awards compliments of Sax Car Rental, and Mario Phang for CXC Caribbean Certificate for Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC). Antonio Fernandes was honoured in

A few of those honoured on Wednesday. the area of Sports.

Rena, who was the main honouree for the evening, was recognised as the longest serving and most successful Guyanese businesswoman in Dutch St. Maarten.

She is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Motorworld Group of Companies. She was accompanied by her husband Motorworld Group Board of Directors Chairman Imran McSood Amjad.

Rena and David addressed attendees and

thanked the Associations board for a job well done in organising the event.

Department of Culture head Clara Reyes, who was also in attendance, urged the board and members to keep up the good work.

The award ceremony is part of a week of activities being held by the Association to mark Guyana s 53rd independence anniversary, which will be observed on May 26.

The event opened with a

welcome by organising committee head Nicole Duke, followed by a prayer by Association Vice-President Malcolm Mickle.

Master of ceremonies Velda Blackett spoke briefly about the association. She outlined the associations pur-

pose, noting that one of its main goals is to ensure that Guyanese and Guyanese-atheart come together and be informed.

She told the gathering of approximately 75 persons that there is a need for them to be part of the association to help

in the development of its objectives.

Joshua Schwiers thanked guests for attending the event and thanked sponsors for making the event possible.

Sponsors included Motorworld, Prime (Continued on page 24)

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Appeal Court rules 70 years sentence for murder unduly harsh - convicted killer to now serve only 30 years The Court of Appeal has reduced a 70-year prison sentence for Lloyd Rampersaud who was found guilty in 2013 for the murder of Munilall Mangru in February 2009.

In a ruling issued yesterday, a panel of appellate judges upheld Rampersauds guilty verdict, but discarded the decision of trial Judge Navindra Singh who had imposed the 70-year jail term which they declared was “unduly harsh.”

The court, instead, sentenced Rampersaud to serve 30 years imprisonment for the crime which he committed more than a decade ago. Following the conviction and sentence, Rampersaud through his lawyer George Thomas appealed.

In allowing the appeal, Chancellor of the Judiciary Yo n e t t e CummingsEdwards and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory said that, among other things, Justice Singh should have considered mitigating factors in favour of Rampersaud in arriving at a sentence.

Though Rampersaud

was charged at a time when the death penalty was the mandatory punishment for murder, Justice Singh had discretion and, instead imposed a term of 70 years imprisonment.

But the Court of Appeal held that the sentence was still too harsh. Based on reports, Mangru, 42, a grass cutter, was found dead under a bridge linking Mon Repos and Triumph, East Coast Demerara. It is alleged that he was beaten and left to die. Last year December, Thomas and Senior State Prosecutor Teshanna Lake presented argument for and against the appeal.

Thomas argued that there were several discrepancies and inconsistencies in the evidence during trial stage at the High Court in Georgetown.

In his grounds of appeal, the lawyer contended that (i) That the Learned Trial Judge erred in law in directing the jury on joint enterprise, (ii) That the learned Trial Judge erred in law on parties to offences and their liability, (iii) That the learned Trial Judge erred in law in admitting the

caution statement of the Appellant (Rampersaud) and (iv) that the sentence was unduly severe.

Lake, on the other hand, argued that the appeal should be dismissed on the ground that Rampersaud admitted to his role in the killing in a caution statement that was admitted into evidence by the trial judge.

“Me lash he with a piece of wood on he face and me see he tongue come out. Towley then cuff he up pon he face and me then tek out all he money,” Lake said Rampersaud admitted in his caution statement.

In ruling that the caution statement was properly admitted as evidence, the Court of Appeal said that the trial judge would have conducted a voir dire (trial within a trial) to test its voluntariness.

Thomas had outlined the inconsistencies and discrepancies in the evidence of two State witnesses casting doubt on his clients conviction.

Supporting his argument, Thomas said that a man called Towley testified that the incident occurred on February 21, 2009,

though the murdered mans sister testified to seeing her brother looking normal the next day. According to the lawyer, the dead mans sister only testified to seeing her brother with marks of violence to his face and other parts of his body on February 24, 2009.

In this regard, Thomas had argued that the trial judge failed to properly direct the jurors on how to consider this evidence.

Thomas had contended that from the time Towley said the incident occurred to the time Munilall was seen (the next day) by his sister, there is a possibility that Munilall could have been injured by someone

else. As such, Thomas urged that his client should not be held liable for the fatal injuries that were inflicted on Mangru.

However, Lake had submitted that during the trial a pathologist testified that the injuries Mangru sustained were consistent with those Rampersaud said he inflicted on him.

The Prosecutor maintained that Mangru was injured on February 21, 2009, noting that the Pathologist explained that a normal person receiving injuries such as those inflicted on Mangru would have died within four minutes.

Then, the Chancellor questioned what if Munilall

was abnormal.

Nevertheless, the Court of Appeal in its ruling said that the trial judge gave proper directions to the jury as it relates to the medical evidence given by the pathologist.

The court, however, said that the judge could have given further directions.

Rampersaud and his brother Roy Patrick were jointly charged with the murder of Munilall which occurred between February 22 and February 24, 2009 in the county of Demerara. However, only Rampersaud was convicted; his brother was acquitted by the jury.

Bus conductor remanded on rape charge A 23-year-old bus conductor was yesterday remanded to prison by the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after she read him a charge in which he is accused of having sex with a woman without her consent.

Dorian Fredricks, the defendant in the matter, was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts where the charge was read to him.

The matter was heard in camera. Members of the public and the media were asked to exit the courtroom.

It was alleged that between October 1, 2016 and October 31, 2016 at North Ruimveldt Georgetown, Fredricks engaged in sexual penetration with a woman without her consent. He was not allowed to plead to the charge as it was made indictable.

According to information, the parties are known to each other. During the period in

Dorian Fredricks question, Fredricks allegedly forced himself on the victim multiple times without her consent. The matter was reported Fredricks was later charged.

The matter was adjourned

until May 29, 2019 where the defendant is expected to make his next court appearance.

He was remanded to prison until that date.

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Saturday May 25, 2019

UG exams postponed Several parts of Mahdia after third bomb threat flooded following heavy rains 'Sections of Mahdia under water'

The closed gate of UG yesterday afternoon'

T

he University of Guyana (UG), yesterday afternoon, had to postpone sessions of its final examinations, after reported bomb threats to the institution.

Inevitably, students and staff were demanded to evacuate the premises.

No one is allowed onto university premises until today.

Yesterday, on Facebook, a post was circulated after an

anonymous individual posted that he had planted 20 hidden bombs all over the university campus.

These bombs were claimed to be remotely activated and were set to explode at 3:00 PM yesterday.

Members of the Guyana Police Force and the Fire Department conducted a thorough check of each building and surrounding areas, but nothing remotely close to bombs or anything

threatening was found.

This has been the third time that bomb threats were made against this intuition. Last February, threats of bombs being strategically planted on the Turkeyen campus of UG had resulted in the complete shutdown of the tertiary institution.

It was believed that the threat was made by KIRA, a person [s] who had targeted a number of schools in Georgetown.

A few days after those threats were made Dianne Jaffarally, a student of the University of Guyana, had been arrested after she had allegedly issued those bomb threats from her telephone.

D

ue to torrential rains, almost two dozen homes have been affected by flooding in Aishalton and Sand Creek of Mahdia in Potaro Siparuni, Region Eight.

Based on reports, those two dozen homes that were affected are in immediate need of assistance. The CDC is currently engaging with the municipality to identify available shelters.

Furthermore, a damage assessment team is expected to be deployed to those areas on Friday to supply those in

need.

The General Director of the Civil Defense Commission (CDC), Lt. Col. Kester Craig, stated that the CDC through the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) is currently monitoring the situation.

According to Craig, “These institutions are advising the public to take all necessary precautions to protect against the imminent threat of flooding. The public is also advised to remain alert and aware of the water levels and weather situation at all times.�

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 25, 2019

Schools host Career and Culture Day

Role play of saving an accident victim

Future nurses and soldiers

S

ome schools across the country yesterday hosted Career Day while others hosted Culture Day. The events were in observance of the country's independence anniversary.

Those that had Culture Day were encouraged to promote the cultural wear of the six ethnic groups and it was not mandatory to wear the one that applied to the race they belonged to. There were also cultural presentations.

The schools that had their Career Day saw a grand turnout as children were smartly dressed in the uniform of the career they wished to pursue. They presented their careers and gave brief comments on what their future jobs entailed.

Pupils of the Calcutta Primary School were no exception. They all turned up dressed and excited for the day of activities planned.

They had a presentation of their careers in which the majority boldly and fluently

delivered their speech. One student went as far to give the history of medicine and she did a terrific job.

After lunch they hosted a rally. Parents also turned up for a hot dog sale which was done by mostly the parents of the Grade Six students.

Students expressed their joy and excitement and are anticipating next year as some would like to dress in different career outfits.

PAGE 17

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 25, 2019

Employees...

From page 7 middle of the controversy at the rice research station yesterday. He refused to comment on the issue, but directed the reporter to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Deputy Manager, Allison Parker.

Parker via a Whatsapp conversation admitted that she had received complaints on the issue and that investigations into the matter were ongoing at the Burma Rice Research Station.

She added that the company’s editors were already called in and are currently assisting with investigations.

Meanwhile sources have informed that managers at the entity were engaged in ‘ethnic discrimination’ making it obvious with allowing unqualified persons of a certain ethnic descent to be made permanent staffers, before the completion of their probationary period, while other unqualified staffers of varying ethnicity were sent off to make certain positions vacant for the favourites of managers at the entity.

One former employee related his experience of being the most qualified in a certain group of employees but was made to plant rice in the mud, which other unqualified persons were placed to work in the administrative position he was soliciting. Several employees working at the entity have affirmed the allegations of this employee as well.

Staffers at the entity refused to comment on this issue when they were contacted yesterday.

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Chainsaw operator charged for fatal stabbing of wife A chainsaw operator who was accused of stabbing his wife to death last week was yesterday remanded to prison after the murder charge was read to him.

Devanand Narine was not required to plead to the indictable charge which was read to him in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts by the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The charge read that on May 16, last, at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, he murdered Farida Khayum.

The defendant was represented by attorney-at-law Bernard Da Silva. He stated that his client is 50-years-old, a chainsaw operator and he is the father of two children.

According to the attorney, on the day in question, the defendant came home intoxicated. He stated that Narine came home to find a male visitor whom he suspected was a friend of the victim. He made an inquiry about the individual and allegedly met with resistance and violence.

The attorney added that his client was then attacked by the visitor and Narine s stepsons. During the process, the stepsons allegedly forced a poisonous substance down his client s throat.

Narine was later hospitalized for the poisoning and the injuries he sustained at the hands of his alleged attack-

Devanand Narine

Farida Khayum

However, according to police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, the parties were at home when they got into an argument. This angered the defendant who went into the kitchen and armed himself with a knife.

He then returned to his wife and allegedly inflicted several stabs wounds about her body. As a result Khayum collapsed and died on the spot. The matter was reported to the police and the defendant was taken to the Suddie

hospital where he was under observation for suspected poisoning.

He was later charged for the present offence. Prosecutor Mansfield further mentioned that based on his facts of the allegation there was no mention of the male individual the attorney spoke of.

After listening to both sides, the magistrate remanded the defendant to prison and instructed that he return to court on June 18, 2019 at the Ann Regina Magistrates Courts.

ers.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 25, 2019

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

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SERVICES

FOR SALE

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

Porcelain tiles. Huge reduction. 12x12, 12x24, 10x14, 24x24, 716 & 3/8 thickness.Tel 695-4785/643-1000/265-3541.

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

I N S TA L L AT I O N S , REPAIRS AND PARTS FOR AC, FRIDGE, WASHING MACHINE, STOVE ETC. CALL NICK 627-3206, 630-1600 Bookland Gardens is the new outdoor place for social/special events. On facebook.

Email: booklandguyana@gmail.com #680-7354 Bedrooms and shopping in Central Georgetown. Email: caribamercare2014@gmail.com.

Tel#226-2409/223-4159/6442388/687-5448 Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Tel#227-8748/6224970 16 Pike Street, Kitty.

Georgetown Professional Repair Service: Computers, Tv’s (LCD & LED), Cellphones & Other Electronics.Ph#629-6470/ 696-2843.Email :akinscott@outlook.com We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar

1 (250) Gen set power by NT55.Cummings.Contact#2690603/609-2350/644-1190.

Plants on sale @ Bookland Gardens : Foxtail, Manilla Palms 1 to 4 ft tall, plus ornamental plants. Call: 6301925 1 Honda 450 Atv bike, 1 Cat 215 excavator, 1 Cat 428 back hoe, 1 Mack mixer truck 8 cuyds Tel#275-0367/683-7225 1 Double steel wheel roller, 1 pnuematic 9 wheel roller, 2- tar kettles, small &large. 215-excavator spares, 1-3304 Cat Di engine Tel#275-0367/683-7225 Lab coats, Apron & caps, fruit juices. Call: 227-7850 2 - 6 Ton Ice Plant with holding room turnkey operation with spares, Lot V1,V2 Houston Estate EBD.

1 Rav 4 PHH series. Price negotiable. Contact #6462131,630-0915 One 2014-2015 Honda Vezel Pxx series, good as new. Price $4.7M Neg #689-5103 5 Leyland DAF Flatbed Lorries, 10 Guysuco Lorry Heppiecycle & axle for 60 DAF Lorries.Excellent condition 228-5655/615-6683

FOR RENT

WANTED

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

Salesgirls & porters. Apply with written application at Best Buy Food Supplies 1E Dennis & Middleton Sts, Campbellville

One (2) bedroom apt for rent @ Colligen, One (3) Bedroom Apt for rent @ Diamond.

Tel#602-2563/609-4365 One four bedroom concrete cottage unfurnished for rent located at Continental Park, Peter ’s Hall, East Bank Demerara. Tel No. #233-5808 Building at Coverden, East Bank Demerara. Call #6231615 (1) Spacious (3) bedroom upper flat apartment, (1) master bedroom, Bent St between Camp & George $100,000 monthly. Tel#6097826 or 218-1688 Two well-appointed in Belvoir Court, Bel Air, Georgetown.

Tel#592-627-3650/223-0654/ 225-0605

Parfaite Harmonie $1.5M $3M $2.7M Herstelling $4M $5.5M Providence Eccles $6.5M Farm $5M. Parfaite ten year up $2.5M Call: 666-2326 V/Hoop WCD. 48ft x 1300ft.

Call: 609-5672 Transported land 11.6 acres.

Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109

Used imported metal supermarket shelves, Height 6ft x Length 4ft x 8 Shelves $30,000 each. Tel#625-1514

Parfaite Harmonie $1.3M Dairy $1.8M Schnoord $3.6M #651-1969/611-7223

2003 Toyota Tundra, excellent condition, extra cab, bouble back, four wheel drive. Price $2.5 mil neg. Contact #6577221 35 acres of land located @ a prime spot on main road @ Eight Miles, Port Kaituma $12M Neg. Contact# 657-7221

TO LET A Newly refurbished one bedroom apartment in Great Diamond, EBD. Contact#6966463/621-0352

Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel.

Contact 616-5419, 265-7075 Family to work on a farm on the East Bank Dem, Providence. Shivana #6536770 (1) Security and (1) Driver to work in Georgetown. Call #2271717 Caregiver for elderly female required to cook , clean. Call: 675-6723, recommendation required Experienced Driver. Phone #231-6256/608-3839 Urgently need one land to buy in Herstelling #648-1635

LAND FOR SALE

Used imported glass showcase L 72'’ x H 39'’ x W 24'’$30,000 each. Tel#625-1514

10 acres of Prime land located in Swan, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, suitable for chicken farm $15M neg. Contact# 6577221 VEHICLE FOR SALE

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Farm (East Bank) Main road $5.5M Prime location for business. Tel#648-1635 2 acre- V/Hoop WCD. Tel# 621-6918/697-7731 PROPERTY FOR SALE House for sale, Eccles Housing Scheme. 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets and bathrooms enclosed. $28.5M. Call 642-0391/ 001447587233657/ yasharabhola4@gmail.com Lot 89 Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown.

Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy.Land size- 3431.25 Sq.ft. Phone: 617-5323, 6668052.

LEARN TO DRIVE

Roxanne Burnham $20M, South Gardens $10M, $35M (100x100), Norton St $18M, Alberttown $35M, Diamond $14M #231-2199/618-7483

N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/6912561

Transported Property in Regent St, between Wellington & Camp St. Tel#655-3332 Opposite Guyoil Gas Station

CAR RENTAL DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’sPER DAY- CALL: 656-0087 / 6435122,EMAIL:PRO_ A U T O R E N T A L @YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! .

CALL: 690-6494 LEGALNOTICE 2019-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-420 INTHEHIGHCOURTOFTHE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND M AT R I M O N I A L JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO. FD420 BETWEEN (BESS) LATOIYA JEANICA nee VAUGHN Petitioner -and(BESS) CHISSINGUE ANUMBIA Respondent

LEGAL NOTICE CONTD

LEGAL NOTICE CONTD

To the Respondent CHISSINGUE ANUMBIA BESS Last Known Address, Lot 84, Nismes, West Bank Demerara, Guyana.

except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the 3rd day of May, 2019

TAKE NOTICE that on the 29th day of March, 2019 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by LATOIYA JEANICA BESS nee VAUGHN the Petitoner/ Applicant, in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 2nd day of May,2019 the Petitioner/ Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspaper, a daily Newspaper printed published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorneyat-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara, where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FUTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry) Answer and/ or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 28(twenty-eight) days after the date of the second and final publication of this Notice TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is reflexed for Directions Hearing on Friday the 21st June,2019 at 9:30am before the Honourable Madam Justice Kurtizious in the Directions Hearing Room of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown.

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts, [Georgetown, Demarara]. The Office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays

VACANCY DemBake @ Land of Canaan is seeking distributors & experienced drivers & sales agents.

Email CV: admin@demerarabakery.com / 266-5848 Experienced male sales attendant, stocktaking knowledge, computer literate, excellent service attitude, able bodied.Key Food McDoom Village.

Miners (Pit workers) to work in Konawaruk location. Call: 618-2020 Taxation Personnel: 3 yrs experience.Minimum qualification C AT / Diploma in Accountancy.

S e n d ap p l i c a t i o n t o bs.vacany @gmail.com.

Experienced salesgirls with 2 yrs experience. CXC maths & english. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529 One domestic. Contact #2235273/74 Accounts clerk to work at the office.

Contact barry@adamantiumholdings.com or Tel#654-7162 Cook: to cook and manage the A&S Fast food. Contact barry@adamantiumholdings.com or Tel#654-7162 Sales clerk to work at A&S General Store and Gaulin Supermarket.

Contact barry@adamantiumholdings.com or Tel#654-7162 English & Maths Tutor. Contact #223-5273/74 General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook.

Apply with 2 references.

KeyFood McDoom village Receptionist.

Send application to PO box #101447 Vacancy exist for 1 cook for a family, must have experience between 25-40 yrs old. Call: 231-8737 continued on the next page

Saturday May 25, 2019

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

ANNIVERSARY CONSIDERATIONS

By VIBERT PARVATAN “Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future has not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to defineit, and like the flash of the lightning at once exists and expires.”— Caleb Cotton Anniversaries attract our attention and sometimes involvement. There are those associated with joy, happiness and celebrations.

On the other hand, there are some such as the death anniversary of a loved one, which takes us along memory lane -- past activities, interactions and the sad moments of parting.

In our time frame, there is the past, the present and the future. We are often fairly comfortable with the past,

because whatever may have been the good and the bad, there is that stamp of permanency, and the realities of that time which cannot be changed.

This leads us to accept the past and its experiences as a season, then with some objectivity, mixed emotions, and recognition of the seasonal changes, evolving with time, we try to understand the present.

In that process, persons may find strength and confidence based on experience, to face the future, cognizant of the fact that the timelessness of life and the elements of love, success and failure which are all uniquely linked to almost every aspect of our lives.

Attempts may be made to measure various episodes in our lives, and in so doing cat-

egorize each event with a sense of achievement, and sometimes disenchantment.

On the subject of TIME, Kahlil Gibran observed: “You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.

“You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.

“Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness,and knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.

“And that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.

Fireman granted bail after causing wifes death A fireman yesterday appeared before the Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts where he was made to answer to a charge for causing the death of his common law wife.

Osafo Bess, 27, of School Street 111 Miles, Mahdia, a serving member of the Guyana Fire Service, who is the defendant in the matter, pleaded not guilty.

It was alleged that on May 20, last, at 111 Mile Mahdia, Potaro Road, he drove motorcycle CH3715 in a manner dangerous to the public causing the death of Abadicy Klass.

The defendant limped his way to the courtroom as he was still bandaged up.

His body bore long scratch scars on the majority of the visible parts. His arm appeared to be S shaped.

The facts of the charge were presented by police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield who stated that on the day in question the defendant was the rider of motorcycle CH 3715 which was proceeding north along the Mahdia road at a fast rate.

At the time, the victim who was Besss common law wife was a passenger on the motorcycle.

Bess allegedly lost control of the motorbike and crashed into a concrete drain. Klass subsequently

Charged :Osafo Bess

Dead: Abadicy Klass

fell off and sustained injuries to her head and other parts of her body.

Both she and Bess were picked up by public spirited persons and rushed to the Mahdia Hospital where Bess was treated and Klass was pronounced dead on arrival.

Prosecutor Mansfield had no objections to bail for the defendant however, he asked for it to be substantial and for conditions to be attached based on the seriousness of the matter.

Chief Magistrate McLennan granted the defendant bail in the sum of $150,000. The defendant is expected to make his next court appearance on July 16, 2019 at the Mahdia Magistrates Court.

The condition of the bail is that the defendant report to the traffic department at the Mahdia Police Station every Friday until the completion of the matter.

Besss motorcycle license has also been suspended.

VACANCY Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 25-45, Car/Van license. Call #642-9823 Customer Service Rep, Two shifts rotated weekly (6am3pm & 3pm-11pm), Shell Station Providence, EBD. E m a i l : Shellramsburg@gmail.com One secretary 28-40 years.

One trainee refrigeration/ AC technician #683-8734/2310655 Female to help a 3- year old boy learn to play musical instrument: piano, guitar etc.

Call: 623-1615

“Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

“And yet, does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not from love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?

“And is not time even as love is, undivided and spaceless?

“But if in your thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons, and let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future longing.”

Our selective Measurement of time is sometimes paradoxical and the calibration may relate more to emotions with its mixture of joy and sorrow rather than the rising and the setting of the sun.

The harsh truth is that time like the tide waits on no one. Knowing that time lost will not be regained it behoves us to make the most of time which is precious.

Time spent by some po-

litical leaders of this land – beautiful Guyana, in confronting, fighting and belittling others to boost their own image, is a waste of time and energy.

It is time for them to show maturity.They should think rationally act purposefully and deal effectively with issues relating to the development of Guyana and the advancement of the People of this land – Guyana.

Looking at our lives and experiences, we find the changing scenes and seasons as in the case of a death anniversary, a wedding anniversary, a birth anniversary, all with its significance, linking times and seasons flowing from one to another.

On a nation’s Independence anniversary, the citizens must look at the big picture, not just at ourselves as individuals, but as a people, and as a nation.

May 26th is a significant date for all Guyanese. Guyana gained its Independence on that date in 1966.

National slogans exist for

many countries:“Freedom, equality and liberty;” “In God weTrust” “God and My Right” “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”

All highlighting values and national consciousness.

Like any developing country, especially a young nation, there are signs of both achievements and shortcomings.

The challenge for every Guyanese is to wor k t o gether, removing barriers which separate and alienate people. To recognize how much, we share in common as a people, knowing that success, prosperity and happiness of its people are dependent not only on the administration but on all of us, we have a contribution to make.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY! IT IS A TIME FOR REFLECTION, CELEBRATION AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.

PAGE 24

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Only time will tell whether such generous concessions will redound to ...

From page 4 Catherine Hughes’s presentation in the House more accurately.

The Minister was quoted as saying inter alia, that the Bill has “small amendments” but with “big impacts” and that by coming to the House with the amendments a “quantum leap” will occur that will make call centres operating in Guyana “better.”

Based on what was reported, the genesis of Hughes’ amendments seemed to flow from successful lobbying by “international clients that have expressed an interest in investing in Guyana” but that one of the “gaps” is “the recognition that the primary Act does not allow for the recording of conversations.”

That was the sore point that had to be corrected.

Here again, it would appear that had it not been for the apparent lobbying by

the unknown ‘international clients’ who had pointed government to ‘gaps in the primary Act,’ Hughes probably would not have tabled the amendments in the National Assembly.

Moreover, we are at a loss to know who these ‘international clients’ that “expressed an interest in investing in Guyana” are.

Powerful interests must have been at work to inveigle government, merely by an “expression of interest” to amend a progressive crimefighting piece of legislation, and in this way, free up the supposed ‘international clients’ from a principal Act that resides in the judiciary.

The public have a right to know who are these “International clients’ that will be granted the generous exceptions, since there exists the potential to exploit and to take advantage of employees, especially in circumstances

Guyanese association in...

From page 13 Distributors, CC1, Cricket for Life, 592 Sports Bar, Awe NV, Hassell Mufflers, MNA, North Eastern Insurance, Rapid Construction, Sax Car Rental, Semple Restaurant and Bar, Sun Insurance, St. Maarten Concrete, Taliesin Construction and Tire Maxx. The associations next event to mark Guyana s independence anniversary is a two-day Cricket Festival on May 25-26 at the Carib Lumber Ball Park, in collaboration with Epic Group.

There will be a motorcade which will culminate with a Family Fun Day at Carib Lumber Ball Park at 3:00pm, and patrons can expect games such as rounders, “sal out,” hopscotch, cricket, dominoes and races for both adults and children. There will be a variety of succulent Guyanese dishes and beverages on sale.Guyanese music sensation, Blaze Antonio will be performing his hit single “Blow” and other latest tunes alongside Guyanese comedian “Granny Ivelaw.”

There will also be a raffle drawing today at 8:00pm that offers attractive prizes such as a round-trip air ticket for two sponsored by Winair.

where they are not unionized and more particularly, where there are no applicable labour laws.

The Constitutionality of the Bill was an issue of concern to the then parliamentary opposition.

Their focus of attention was Article 146(1) and (2) of the Constitution.

In the ensuing debate, Anil Nandlall advised the House that the Bill did appear to interfere with the Rights of persons to receive information, a Right guaranteed by the Constitution, but he pointed out that; “The provision of the Constitution guarantees the Right for Freedom of Expression permitting the enactment of a Bill of this type because of the stated reasons; for public order, for public safety and for defense.”

APNU+AFC coalition administration’s Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2019, has effectively watered down a progressive crime prevention, law enforcement and national security piece of legislation.

And while the Act appears to serve the interests of the intelligence community, in effect it is now made to serve the larger interest of business and corporate interests.

This brings into question whether there was a quid pro quo to facilitate passage of the Bill in the National Assembly, and if there was, what was it, and who is/are the principal beneficiary or beneficiaries of an apparent deal.But a more fundamental question is, were the call

centres currently operating in Guyana for years, recording conversations illegally in violation of the Law, and will the additional exceptions, be superfluous since, in any event, conversations were being recorded anyway.

In addition, questions are being asked whether employees at Teleperformance and Qualfon, among other Guyana-based private communication enterprises, gave consent to their employers to allow for calls at their workplaces to be monitored or intercepted while no law was in place.

Further, the Minister needs to explain the level of consent inherent in the 5 exceptions, will they be one party, two party or all party exemptions?

Section 3 (2) of the principal Act states: ‘A person does not commit an offence under this section if (a) the communication is intercepted in obedience to a warrant issued by a Judge under section 6; (b) the communication is not intercepted in obedience to a warrant issued by a Judge under Section 6 but on the authority of a designated officer in the case of a national emergency or in responding to a case where approval for a warrant is impracticable having regard to the urgency of the case.’

Effectively, the Bill just passed, whittles down the crime-fighting and law enforcement side of the principal Act. In other words, the five

additional exemptions favourable to private telecommunication enterprises outweigh by far, the two law enforcement and national security exemptions for which the legislation was originally intended.

For a piece of legislation that was neither urgent nor had to be rushed through parliament, it would have been a much neater arrangement to have had a separate piece of legislation drafted to treat with exceptions in intercept of communication for private telecommunications and telemarketing services operating in Guyana.

Moreover, when as reported in (SN 16. 5.’19) that the Minister said; “the primary Act does not allow for recording of conversations...,” one is left to wonder whether she meant recording of communications by private companies or recording of communications period.The principal Act does allow for recording of conversations, but only by operatives in the intelligence community with the approval of a Judge. It does permit private companies involved in the telemarketing business to record conversations. The five exceptions would now allow them to do so legally.

And regards definitions and interpretation of the words ‘communications’ and ‘telecommunications’, the interpretation section of the principal Act gives the word ‘communication’ the same meaning as ‘telecommunication’, ‘in the form of - speech, music or

other sounds, visual images, whether still or animated, data or text or any other type of signals.’

In any event, in the amendments just inserted in the principal Act, use of the words ‘communication’ and ‘telecommunications’ are used interchangeably in the same way they are used in the Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s (Amendment) Act of 2008.

There are huge risks when making concessions in this sensitive area to private telecommunications enterprises. The absence of regulations and a regulatory body with clear statutory oversight responsibilities will pose enormous challenges.

The Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill makes no provision for such institutional arrangements nor has the schedule been amended to reflect any changes to the principal Act. In order to offset risk factors, the government must strengthen due process and ensure institutional fairness in the conduct of enterprises that operate in this sector.

Moreover, it is expected that government will set certain standards for certification of private operators in the sector as well as in the interest of national security.Only time will tell whether government’s decision to grant such generous concessions in the intercept of communications arena will redound to the national interests and attract more investments in the telemarketing sector.

Yours faithfully Clement J. Rohee

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Govt. solicits Diaspora support to advance GBV fight Gender-based violence [GBV] has been increasingly linked to the untimely demised of a number of women although men have been known to fall prey to this vice as well. Recognising that there must be urgency in addressing this societal scourge, Government through its Ministry of Social Protection has redoubled its efforts to combat GBV. Primary among its tactical response has been a move to collaborate with like-minded agencies, among other stakeholders. This approach was recently amplified in a public announcement issued by the Social Protection Ministry.

According to the information released by the Ministry “it is constantly engaged in numerous collaborative ventures that result in police officers, public officials, frontline workers, children, men and women being trained in improving their response to GBV at various levels.”

Among the initiatives that the Ministry has embraced are the 16 days of Activism against gender-based violence campaign, sexual assault awareness and domestic violence awareness activities. These, according to the Ministry, are the avenues through which information is disseminated and a call to action is achieved.

In fact communities at Moraikobai, Bartica, Orealla and Siparuta were the recent beneficiaries of a Ministry’s

on-going regional public education and awareness campaign. However, the Ministry has noted that “this is just a minuscule number of initiatives of the Ministry geared at addressing GBV.” Moreover it has accepted that going forward, the fight against GBV cannot be addressed unaccompanied without the full involvement of all Guyanese. It was further amplified that “addressing GBV requires a multiplicity of approaches at the individual, family, community and societal levels.”

“Guyanese and members of the Diaspora must be willing to collectively pool efforts and resources to ensure that victims and potential victims are afforded the support and opportunities, not only to leave abusive and unhealthy relationships but to make wellinformed future choices that do not reincarnate previous ones,” the Ministry has proposed.

Even as war is waged against GBV, the Ministry has brought to the fore that the need to challenge societal norms that enforce negative stereotypes which make one gender superior or more entitled to the other is of paramount importance. “We must be willing to put aside our differences, whether political, racial or otherwise; and recognise that GBV affects every strata of society and there is an economic and social burden of dependency on already limited resources.

“We must be willing to support the work of the government, NGOs and civil society and not try to stymie efforts that can achieve inevitable progress,” the Ministry has noted adding, “we must recognise that our legislations though incomplete, are far more advanced than many of our counterparts in the Caribbean. “We will endeavour in the not so distant future to revise these important documents to ensure maximum protection and the strategic prevention of this scourge in Guyana.”

To achieve its GBV eradication goal, Government

has therefore conceptualised an inclusive society where Guyanese are respected, equipped, empowered and supported to live violencefree lives. Through greater commitment, “we will continue to demonstrate coordinated collaboration and consistent strategic actions of all stakeholders.”

Included in the GBV response, the Social Protection Ministry has developed a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion policy and corresponding implementation plan and a Costed Strategic Plan for the Empowerment of Women and addressing the

underachievement of boys.

“These important instruments will inform the programmes and initiatives undertaken as we advance closer to the 2030 agenda, and more specifically towards the achievement of Sustainable

Development Goal [SDG] Five.” SDG Five speaks to achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls. Added to this, the Ministry said that it will continue to work with men and boys.

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Retired cricket administrator Sheik Ahmad appalled at Paul’s omission from Windies CWC squad...

From page 30 made was to pay our players so that they can earn an income while playing and we need to have different structures for our upcoming male and female cricketers.

Ahmad explained that the female game here is struggling at the moment because the structure is not there to facilitate its growth and the female tournament in schools must continue.

“There are people with a wealth of experience who can contribute and we need to get them involved, we can’t continue fighting each other when much more needs to be done to continue to produce cricketers of quality.”

Ahmad blasted the CWI

for not staging the three-day format of the Regional U19 tournament this year which purportedly has been switched from Guyana. “Yes we will be going to the U19 world cup, but we also need to produce players at this level who can bat for longer periods. We in Guyana have prepared our players for threeday and one day tournaments, now I heard due to financial issues the CWI will only be staging the one dayers, this is unacceptable.

The 50-over World Cup is going to generate a lot of income for the board. What is the marketing arm of the board doing? West Indies cricket is the best cricket in the world to market, we have

a brand that sells, but the marketing people need to do a lot better. We have lost Digicel which has been a major sponsor,” he lamented, adding that former President Dave Cameron still has a lot to offer to West Indies cricket, noting that he has made a broken board into the financially viable board.

Ahmad told Kaieteur Sport that drastic changes may not be the best way to go at the moment. “President Skerritt has got to get his act together soonest and his Vice President Dr. Shallow has got prove his worth. You just don’t make whole sale changes and expect to win, not because you made promises during an election

Saturday May 25, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) The desire to travel, perhaps to visit a close friend, may come up today, Aries. You may put a lot of energy into exploring the possibilities.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Expect a lot of activity in your home today, Taurus. A group, perhaps a large one, hosted by you or a family member could meet there and provoke stimulating conversations.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The desire to meet with a romantic partner and look and feel your best could give rise to a lot of short journeys in your area. Perhaps you will want to work out, buy some new clothes, or get a haircut.

CANCER(June21–July22) It's time to stop acting like you think others want to see you act, Cancer. The planetary configuration confirms that it's time to express yourself your emotions, desires, and point of view LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you may attain a goal you've been hoping to reach for a long time, Leo. Oddly enough, friends, family, and even your significant other may not seem as happy as you expected.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A reunion with a family member who has been away or out of touch could generate some powerful emotions. Memories could come flooding back, making you both nostalgic and maybe a bit angry. Take care to curb the latter.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today your mind is likely to be on travel. You might have to spend a lot of time running errands in the car. You could also be planning a long vacation, perhaps one centered on a group function or seminar of some sort.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today you might decide to put in some extra hours on the job or take on an extra project of some sort in order to bring in a little more money.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Passion and determination mark today. Your energy should be high, and you should feel strong and powerful.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Yo u r i n n e r p o w e r a n d awareness should be acute today. Some intense dreams and revelations c o uld come from deep within, allowing you to release old traumas and phobias, and enabling you to move ahead w i t h m o r e confidence.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You and a current or potential partner may disagree on whether to spend some time together alone or go out with friends, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today you might face a task that seems as workable as emptying the ocean with a teacup. But with help from others, you will not only be able to handle it but also produce exceptional results.

campaign you have to fulfill it at the same time. You have to not do what you think is right, but what you think is necessary for the long term success of West Indies cricket, it makes no sense we have the best administrators and a team that is loosing.”

He added that, “Looking ahead, Skerritt and his executives must not forget that cricket belongs to the people and I am urging the directors to represent as much as possible, the welfare of players, I hope Guyana and its players can continue to reap the rewards for their outstanding performances and not being sidelined because of politics or other reasons.”

Ahmad lauded the Guyana Jaguars for winning the regional four-day title for the past five years and is calling on the Government of Guyana to honour these players.

Djokovic ready...

From page 27 Djokovic added. “Those are the tournaments where I want to play my best. So we try to obviously set up a training schedule that would allow me to reach the top of my potential physically, emotionally, mentally for the Grand Slam.”

Djokovic said Nadal was the favorite to claim a recordextending 12th title in Paris.

“I think it wouldn’t be fair to pick anybody else but him as the main favorite, because he has won this tournament so many times,” he added.

“He’s lost, what, two times in his career on Parisian clay? So lots of respect for him. We had a good match in Rome. He was a better player.

Was just too strong.”

Djokovic faces a tricky opener against Poland’s 43rdranked Hubert Hurkacz with a possible second-round against Sam Querrey, the American who beat him at Wimbledon three years ago.

Senior Table Tennis quartet begins quest for Pan-Am games qualification Guyana’s top senior table tennis quartet of Shemar Britton and Christopher Franklin along with Trenace Lowe and recently awarded sportswoman of the year, Chelsea Edghill, are currently in Guatemala continuing their quest for Pan American Games Lima 2019 single qualification spots at the Pan American games’ singles’ qualification event that began yesterday and concludes today.

Having narrowly missed out on the team qualification event when Guyana hosted the Pan American games qualification events and Caribbean table tennis championships in March this year, these qualifiers offers six singles’ spots each for male and female of countries that didn’t qualify in the team events of the various continental qualification events for the Pan American games that gets underway this July-August in Lima, Peru.

The qualification system will see three trials being played where the top two players from each qualification finals will qualify for the Pan American games. Trenace Lowe and Chelsea Edghill have been seeded one (1 )and (2) two respectively with participating countries in the women’s category coming from, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Barbados, St. Kitts and Honduras.

Christopher Franklin and Shemar Briton have been seeded 5th and 6th in the men’s category in a field of countries comprising Jamaica, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela and Barbados.Up to press time Guyana’s Shemar Britton, Trenace Lowe and Cheslea Edghill had advanced to the quarter finals of the first trials.

Pooran excited about...

From page 28 Internationals, he has already notched two half-centuries, and this year landed a contract with Kings XI Punjab in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

He also scored heavily in the Super50 Cup West Indies domestic tournament last October to grab the attention of selectors.

“I’ve worked hard over

the last year and over the last couple years and my performances spoke for themselves,” said the Trinidadian.

“I wasn’t too surprised [about my selection] but I was really happy to be part of the squad.

At the end of the day for me it was all about hard work … and I am just happy to be selected.”

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Leonard, Raptors rally, move within one win of Finals The visiting Toronto Raptors withstood the early surge by the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, shook it off, and then went on to grind out a 105-99 victory to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bucks led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter.

“We wanted to come in and get the win, and we weathered the storm early,” said Kawhi Leonard, who scored 15 of his 35 points in

the fourth quarter.

Leonard added seven rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

“The game (Leonard) played tonight,” guard Kyle Lowry said. “It was pretty good. Big stage. On the road.

Superstar. Superstar.”

The Raptors can advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history by winning Game 6 in Toronto today. Game 7, if necessary, would be played Monday in Milwaukee.

The two-time defending league champion Golden State Warriors will face the East champs in the Finals.

“There are a lot of fighters on this team,” said Fred VanVleet, who added 21 points. “It’s on the road, and you have to weather the storm and I think we did a good job of that tonight.”

The Bucks led 32-22 after one quarter and 49-46 at halftime. During the third quarter, they led by as many as 12, but took a three-point

lead into the fourth quarter before the Raptors took over.

“One of the themes at halftime was that we’ve done a pretty good job of creating good shots for the most part,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “We had to eliminate possessions where they weren’t great. I thought we did a good job of creating good chances, and the guys stayed positive.”

Lowry had 17 points, and Pascal Siakam finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

“They are the best team in the league and you have to play them hard,” Siakam said.

The Raptors shot 36.9 percent from the field but were 41.9 percent from 3-point range. The Bucks shot 45.2 percent from the field and were 32.3 percent from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points to lead the Bucks. Eric Bledsoe had 20 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Brook Lopez scored 16 points, George Hill had 12 points, and Khris

Middleton had six points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

“We’ve been a resilient team all year,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

“We’re going to go to Toronto thinking about winning one game. ... If we had a few more defensive rebounds from the three-, four-, five-minute mark on, the result might have been different.”

He mentioned one play where Leonard missed a 3pointer but was able to get his own rebound, saying, “That’s a critical play that can’t happen.”

Toronto took a one-point lead on VanVleet’s 3-pointer with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter. Leonard’s 3-pointer one minute later put the Raptors ahead by four.

Siakam’s dunk pushed the Raptors into an eight-point lead with 6:20 to play. The Bucks pulled back within four on Lopez’s driving layup with 5:31 left.

After Marc Gasol nailed the 3-pointer to make Toronto’s lead seven, the

Bucks trimmed the deficit to two on Antetokounmpo’s 3pointer with 4:04 left.

Lopez tied the game with a 3-pointer with 2:44 to play, but the Raptors regained a 3point lead seconds later when VanVleet sank a trey.

Middleton’s layup pulled the Bucks to within two with 59.7 seconds remaining.

The Raptors led by three after Gasol made one of two foul shots with 34 seconds to play. After a Milwaukee turnover, Siakam’s dunk increased the lead to five.

After Lowry opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to tie the game, the Bucks pulled out to a 12-point lead on Antetokounmpo’s dunk with 7:43 to go in the period.

The Raptors answered with a 9-0 run, cutting the margin to three.

The Bucks went ahead by six, but the Raptors cut the gap to one on Leonard’s 3pointer with 1:32 left in the quarter.

Milwaukee led 75-72 after three quarters.

(Field Level Media)

Pakistan succumb to defeat ahead of Windies opener LONDON, CMC – Pakistan’s preparation for their World Cup opener against West Indies in a week’s time hit a snag here yesterday when they slumped to a three-wicket defeat to minnows Afghanistan in their first official ICC warm-up.

Opting to bat first at Bristol, Pakistan were bowled out for 262 in the 48th over – a total that was always going to prove difficult to defend.

Babar Azam struck 112 from 108 deliveries while veteran Shoaib Malik chipped in with 44 and left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq, 32.

Imam put on 47 off 51 balls for the first wicket with Fakhar Zaman (19) before Pakistan lost four wickets for 53 runs to slip to 100 for four in the 21st over.

Babar then revived the innings in a 103-run, fifth wicket stand with Shoaib, striking 10 fours and two sixes in a measured innings.

Off-spinner Mohammed Nabi grabbed three for 46 while leg-spinner Rashid Khan (2-27) and seamer Dawlat Zadran (2-37) supported with two wickets apiece.

In reply, Afghanistan were guided by Hashmatullah Shahidi who stroked an unbeaten 72 off 102 deliveries while Hazratullah Zazai hammered a cameo 28-ball 49.

Zazai blasted eight fours

Hashmatullah Shahidi successfully uppercuts a bouncer for a boundary, Afghanistan v Pakistan, ICC World Cup warm-up, Bristol, May 24, 2019 © Getty Images and two sixes in an 80-run, first wicket stand of 67 balls with Mohammad Shahzad (23) who then posted another 39 for the second wicket with Rahmat Shah (32) and a further 49 for the third with Shahidi.

Cruising at 244 for four in the 47th over, Afghanistan stumbled briefly when they lost three wickets for five runs in the space of 10 balls but Shahidi held firm.

Left-arm seamer Wahab

Riaz finished with three for 46. Pakistan, struggling for form following their recent series defeat to England, face West Indies on May 31 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

West Indies, meanwhile, play their first official warmup on Sunday in Bristol against South Africa.

Scores: Afghanistan 263 for 7 (Shahidi 74, Wahab 346) beat Pakistan 262 all out (Babar 112, Nabi 3-46) by three wickets.

Saturday May 25, 2019

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Kaieteur News

CWI Head meets with Guyana Cricket Stakeholders - Sources says Norton failed to consult CWI in appointing Ombudsman

By Sean Devers The three-day visit to Guyana by President of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Ricky Skerritt and Chief Executive Officer Jonny Gravewhich commenced on Thursday and entailed meetings with various Stakeholders in Guyana’s cricket, Minister of Sports Dr George Norton and Guyana’s Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

In their congratulatory message after the CWI’s elections the group said that they looked forward to an urgent resolution to the crisis in the administration of Guyana’s Cricket which has been ongoing since 2011. This includes the illegality of the current executives of the Guyana Cricket Board as stated in a sworn affidavit emanating from the Ministry of the Presidency.

On Thursday Evening at the Pegasus Hotel, the CWI officials met with the ‘Guyana Cricket Stakeholders’ group which comprise of representatives from the cricket fraternity of Berbice, East Coast, Linden and Georgetown and many are optimistic that this meeting was the first step to fixing this problem.

President of the Georgetown Cricket Association former West Indies player and Coach Roger Harper, speaking on behalf of the Guyana Cricket Stakeholders’ group, noted that no decisions or commitments were made at Thursday Evening’s meeting which was more of a ‘fact finding’ visit. Harper informed that the legality of the GBC’s Executive Body was one of main issues discussed.

“We discussed some of the main issues affecting cricket in Guyana but no decisions were made, this is the first time a CWI President

has come to Guyana and listened to what we had to say. So I am fairly satisfied that this is start to fixing the problems we have,” said Harper.

CWI, under the Presidency of Jamaican Dave Cameron had turned a blind eye on the GCB’s indiscretions and the GCB was one of the Regional Boards that supported Cameron at the CWI’s last elections.

Repairing stakeholder relationships was one of the key points of the “Cricket First Plan” put forward by Skerritt and vice president Dr. Kishore Shallow in their bid last March to be elected to their posts – and this visit to Guyana is part of a series of trips that the CWI president has undertaken in keeping with this plan.

Skerritt, who defeated Cameron in the last CWI elections in Jamaica, said these fact-finding visits to CWI member territories and problem-solving efforts at the local level are now a key priority for the organization.

Cricket West Indies has also retained high profile commercial lawyer Devindra Kissoon of London House Chambers who represented cricket legends Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the past, and lead negotiations among the ICC, WICB and WIPA on matters concerning player’s rights in 2012.

Sources stated that priority of the discussions focused on the hosting of the India Games in Guyana, the development of the youth cricket, and the impact of the recent court rulings on cricket in Guyana.

CWI also expressed concern about the process of appointing the ombudsman and questioned whether consultations were had with the West Indies cricket board

Davindra Kissoon or former President Cameron personally.

In March, Dr. George Norton announced the appointment of Stephen Lewis as Cricket Ombudsman although he works in Chambers of GCB’s Attorney Roysdale Forde, and was injuncted from acting in the same position by the Court and who works in same office of the GCB Attorney.

When asked for comment the Cricket West Indies lawyer declined, except to say the meetings were a success and statements would be forthcoming from the Board shortly.

High Court Judge, Justice Fidela Corbin on April 3, 2019 ruled that the executive committee of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is illegal and could not hold themselves out to be office bearers or perform functions of the Board.

Anand Sanasie, acting in his capacity as CEO of Cricket Guyana Inc, was a member of the presentation party for the U-19 inter-county 50-over tournament.

But while the Guyana Cricket Stakeholders claim that the CGI has also been deemed illegal, Kaieteur Sports has seen no evidence

Volleyball teams set to battle in NAMILCO 50th Anniversary competition in Berbice Volleyball action returns to Berbice on Sunday when the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) in association with the National Milling Company of Guyana Inc. (NAMILCO) and the Rose hall Town Youth and Sports Club stages a one day tournament in observance of N A M I L C O ’ s 50th Anniversary.

The tournament is

slated for the Albion Sports Complex Hard court and will be a part of a number of games including cricket and athletics to be contested on the day.

So far seven male and two female teams have confirmed participation for the extravaganza and fun day which is expected to begin at 09:00 hrs.

The Independence Day battle, serves off at 09:00hrs

and will see teams battling for trophies, medals and other incentives compliments of the National Milling Company.

Among the teams scheduled to participate are Rollers, #52 Survivals, #47 Challengers, Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) No 1 and 2, Three Doors Strikers, Training Center, Black Bush and Port Mourant females among others.

to support this claim.

“This initial short visit will focus on discussions related to the hosting of India matches during the upcoming home series in August, but it will also hopefully give me a more detailed introduction to the legal and administrative issues that are currently prevailing in Guyana,” he said.

The 2019 Regional 50over U-19 tournament is also scheduled for Guyana, but sources indicated that if the issues surrounding the GCB are not solved then the tournament could be shifted to St Vincent or Grenada.

The CWI pair and their Lawyer were expected to meet with Sanasie and his former GCB executives some last evening.

In July 24 last year, approximately 39 persons from a group calling themselves ‘Guyana Cricket Stakeholders’ staged a peaceful protest against the Government of Guyana

outside the Office of Attorney General Basil Williams to highlight Government’s apparent reluctance to address the issue of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act and the alleged illegality of the GCB. Spokesman for the group, former WICB Director Claude Raphael informed that the two-hour Picket was aimed at bringing to public’s attention the David Granger’s Government’s perceived lack of will in dealing with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) issue which he feels is affecting the development of Guyana’s cricket. He called for Government’s intervention to bring some normalcy to the manner in which cricket is administered in Guyana. The group wanted free and fair elections to be held by the GCB. After a challenge to the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 by the GCB, the then Chief Justice (Ag) Ian Chang, upheld an injunction and issued an order that prevented any elections of the GCB and its membership until the substantive matter is heard.

In 2014, then Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony had, as was mandated by the ‘Cricket Administration Act’, appointed Pastor Winton McGowan, a respected cricket historian, to the position of ‘Cricket Ombudsman’ with his duties being to verify the members that were eligible to vote and oversee the GCB elections.

In the GCB Challenge to the ‘Cricket Administration

Act’, Minister Frank Anthony and Attorney General Anil Nandalall were named as defends but now that the Government has changed, former Sports Minister Nicolette Henry and Attorney General Basil Williams, who worked on the ‘Cricket Bill’ when he was in the opposition party, have now become the defendants in the case.

The Guyana Cricket Stakeholders staged their protest to address the issue of the injunction preventing Elections of the GCB, the Guyana Cricket Administration Act and the alleged illegality of the GCB. The two delegations and the Media were told by Williams that the way was now clear for Elections of the GCB and its Affiliate members since the Challenge to the Guyana Cricket Act from the GCB, which was upheld by the then Chief Justice Ian Chang on April 29, 2015 resulting in an injunction stopping the Elections had been quashed.

The then S p o rts Minister Dr Frank Anthony and AG Anil Nandlall were named as defendants but before the matter was completed a new Government was voted into power.

“We inherited this injunction from the previous Administration but legally if nothing happens after a year the injunction is abandoned and incapable of revival,” said AG Williams.

That effectively meant that elections of all boards could now be held but the GCB appealed the decision.

Djokovic ready to fire at Roland Garros as Grand Slam landmark beckons PARIS (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic believes he is peaking at the perfect moment to win four successive Grand Slam titles for the second time in his career by capturing the French Open.

The Serb became the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams simultaneously when he won the French Open for the first time in 2016.

Now he stands on the cusp of doing it again, less than a year after many predicted his best days were behind him after his struggle to recover from elbow surgery.

After a dip in form following his Australian Open triumph this year, the 15-times Grand Slam winner has impressed on the European

claycourts, winning the Madrid title and reaching the final in Rome where he was beaten by French Open holder Rafael Nadal.

He arrived at Roland Garros in peak condition and high on confidence.

“This is the tournament I was preparing for, so to say, for last couple of months I wanted to peak in this tournament and this is where I want to play my best tennis,” Djokovic told reporters on Friday.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one, but there’s extra motivation and incentive to win Roland Garros because of the opportunity to hold all four slams, something I did three years ago, and that gives me enough reason to believe I can do it again.”

Last year in Paris Djokovic showed glimpses of his best form before falling to Italian Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-finals — then angrily walking into a press conference saying he was considering skipping Wimbledon.

Instead he regrouped and took the title a few weeks later on the London lawns, before winning the U.S. Open and this year’s Melbourne title to reach 15 Grand Slam titles — five behind the mark of Roger Federer.

The 32-year-old said he had tweaked his strategy in recent months to peak at the Grand Slams.

“Because at this stage of my career, those are the ones that matter the most for me,” (Continued on page 25)

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Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Budding female cyclist in Bartica presented with racing cycle by GCF President, Burrowes The dream to own her own racing cycle came through for 15 year-old female cyclist Selena Stephen on Tuesday of this week.

The Bartica Secondary School student who participated in the inaugural Bartica Cycling Challenge in March of this year had caught the eyes of Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) President Horace Burrowes during a determined ride that resulted in her copping the 3rd place in the female race.

Urged on by her home fans, Stephen challenged her more seasoned rivals and as a result was promised a racing cycle to further develop her skills and love for the sport.

So, on Tuesday last, Burrowes made good on his promise when he made the trek to the Bartica Secondary School to present Stephen with her cycle.

Accompanying Burrowes was His Worship Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall and GCF Assistant Racing Secretary Joseph Britton among other officials. The GCF head also met with Mrs. Natalie Stephen, mother of Selena to discuss continued

support of the budding cyclist.

Stephen, who has competed at the National Schools Cycling championships in the past, expressed delight at finally being able to own her own racing cycle. In addressing the students at the Bartica Secondary School, Burrowes stated that the federation will continue to do all it can to encourage more female cyclists in the sport, noting that he was pleased to see the response by Bartica following the race in March.

“You guys have done well as you have taken up the challenge to form a new club.

This is indeed commendable and I am confident that in the not so distant future, exciting female and male riders would be putting their hands up for national recognition from the Town of Bartica.”

Burrowes also commended Mayor Marshall and his Council for pushing the development of sports in the Town and pledged the continued support of the GCF going forward.

Marshall in addressing the students, told them that

Selena Stephen seen competing at the inaugural Bartica Cycling Challenge earlier this year. he himself attended Bartica Secondary and challenged them be the best they can be, always being disciplined and aiming for the skies.

“Sports and education goes hand in hand and my advice to you is to pursue a sport of your choice and strike to be the best. At the level of

the Town Council, we will continue to support your development by ensuring that you have multiple facilities of a high caliber to develop your skills and to one day represent this Town and Guyana by extension as some of you have already done.”

One of the students

present was National junior basketball Guard, Emanuel Atherly who will be representing the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) at the 2019 Nike/FIBA Under-17 Development Camp in Puerto Rico, this July.

Also part of the function was Mr. David Van Lange

who has accepted the responsibility to be the Caretaker/Coach for young Stephen who will be in contention to represent Guyana at this year’s Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships which would be hosted in Bartica, August 10-11.

Craig and Saint Anne’s win in latest Pooran excited about action of Primary Schools Windball Cricket WC debut, eyeing title

The students gather for a photo before the start of the action.

Action in the 22nd Annual End of School Year Primary Schools Windball Cricket Champions Trophy (Edward Cobenna Memorial) Lower East Bank Demerara zone Organised by Sports Officer A. Munroe continued with several matches during the past

week.

Results in the latest matches show wins for Craig boys and girls and St. Anne’s boys.

In the matches played: Boys - Craig 108-3, Tevon Cummings 50, Orlando Goosarran 32, Ronaldo Singh 10. Remington Singh

took 2 wickets for New Diamond who ended on 851, Rick Ramotar 46 and John West 31 when their overs ran out.

Saint Anne’s made 98-1 with Brandon Narine 44 and Renan Fernandes 36.

Diamond replied with 89-2; Parshram Dass 40, C Phillips

14.

In the Girls department - Craig hit 112 -1; Tenesha McDonald 72 and Tenesha Evans 24. Diamond replied with 98-5; Sasha Ramlogan 20, Winette Spencer 14, Shellon Thomas14. Cristell King took 3 wickets for the winners.

SOUTHAMPTON, England, CMC – Rookie Nicholas Pooran hopes fulfilling his dream of playing in a World Cup coincides with a successful campaign for West Indies.

The 23-year-old was selected for the May 30 to July 14 ICC showpiece after only a single One-Day International – in which he failed to score – against England back in February this year.

“To be honest I would love to do special things for West Indies cricket,” the lefthander said.

“We have a really good bunch of guys now, a lot of young talent and we’re definitely looking forward to the World Cup. Not just myself but I know everyone else in the team is looking forward to a successful World Cup. “It’s been a while since West Indies won the 50over World Cup but we’re confident and once you’re confident anything can happen. It would definitely be a lift to the people back home. We have a lot of passionate fans and I know they’re going to get behind us and they’re going to

support us.

“We’re going to try our best and try to bring this home.”

West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 under the legendary Clive Lloyd and were losing finalists in the 1983 tournament, but have failed to make the grade every since.

They will enter this World Cup under the radar somewhat, with their unflattering record in recent years leading pundits to rule them out as serious contenders.

Pooran, though, believes if West Indies play strong cricket, any outcome would be possible.

“I’m very excited. It’s my first World Cup and my dream was always to play for West Indies at a World Cup,” he said.

“Hopefully we can be successful as a team.

Hopefully at the end of the day if we do the right things we can be successful so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Pooran is an aggressive batsman who has the ability to score quickly. In 11 T20 (Continued on page 25)

Saturday May 25, 2019

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

Ancient County braces for NAMILCO 50th Anniversary Independence Day of Sports The Albion Sports Complex Ground in the Ancient County of Berbice will be the center of attraction tomorrow between 09:00 – 18:00hrs when the National Milling Company (Namilco) brings off its historic 50th Anniversary Day of Sports organized by the award winning Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS. Apart from cash prizes for the top Primary and Secondary Schools, there would also be individual incentives for the top performers during the day’s activities.

NAMILCO, founded in 1969 would be sponsoring a series of activities to mark its Anniversary and for this initial event, has joined hands with Guyana’s leading youth and sports organization for tomorrow’s anticipated spectacle at the Albion Sports Complex Ground.

Fans would be happy to know that admission to the venue is absolutely free and among the sports would be a Softball Match between RHTYSC Members and NAMILCO Staff, Volleyball competition organised by the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) for teams in Berbice and

an Athletic competition among Primary and Secondary Schools.

The Primary Schools invited to participate are All Saints, St. Therese, Rose Hall Town, Port Mourant, Tain, Leeds, Cropper and McGowan Memorial, while the nine Secondary Schools are Skeldon High, Central Corentyne, Manchester Secondary, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive, J. C Chandisingh Secondary, Port Mourant, Berbice Educational Institute and New Amsterdam Secondary.

Events listed for male Primary School Students would be 100M, 200M, 400M, 800M, 1200M, 4 x 100M Relay, 4 x 200M Relay while the females will contest the 100M, 200M, 400M, 800M and 4 x 100M Relay.

Male Secondary Schools Athletes will contest the 100M, 200M, 400M, 800M, 1500M, 4 x 100M Relay, 4 x 400M Relay, 1500M Cycling, 3000M, Cycling, High Jump, Shot Put, Javelin and Discus.

The events for female Secondary Schools athletes are 100M, 200M, 400M, 800M, 1500 , 4 x 100M Relay, 4 x 400M Relay, 1500M Cycling, 2000M Cycling, High Jump, Javelin and Discus.

President Forde engages Brazilian Federation President in historic meeting - Establishment of Development MoU discussed President of neighbouring federations Guyana and Brazil engaged each other at the Brazilian Football Federation (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol – CBF) on Thursday where high on the agenda was the presentation and discussion of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations for the further advancement of the game in Guyana.

President Wayne Forde in presenting the MoU to his counterpart, CBF President Rogerio Caboclo indicated that the historic agreement will be very beneficial to Guyana’s continued development.

Included in the MoU are areas for Coaches, Referees, Competitions Management, Sports Marketing, Infrastructure Development and Pitch Maintenance.

The Brazil interface between the two presidents would be followed up with another meeting when the Presidents assemble for the 69th FIFA Congress that will take place in Paris expo Porte

deVersailles in Paris, France, on June 5th, 2019. At this meeting, key officials of FIFA would be involved.

President Forde commented: “There is no quick fix to genuine football development; however, the process could be less arduous with technical assistance from the Brazil Football Federation.

The CBF has been very positive throughout our discussion and they too have asked what took us this long to engage them.”

President Forde’s visit was a multi-faceted one since similar MoU’s are being pursued with other Brazilian Clubs.

The journey for Guyana’s historical qualification to its first ever Concacaf Gold Cup tournament commenced in Brazil last August when the Senior National Team, known as the ‘Golden Jaguars’ engaged in a two-weeks Train and Play Camp setting the foundation for its eventual qualification via matches in the Concacaf Nations League.

Each School would be allowed one athlete per event, while an athlete would be limited to only two events for the day.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the Winner of every Primary School event would receive an Educational Package of $3,000 and the Runner-up $2,000. The Winner of every Secondary School event would take home $5,000 Educational grant and the Runner-up $3,000, trophies and

Medals would also be given to the top two winners of each category. The top Primary and Secondary Schools would also collect a $50,000 Educational Prize, while each student would also collect a large quantity of Namilco Exercise Books.

Managing Director of NAMILCO Mr. Bert Sukhai who is also celebrating 25-years of dedicated service to the entity would be leading a team of over 100 employees to Albion tomorrow and Berbicians are encouraged to come out and be a part of this historical initiative.

PAGE 34

Saturday May 25, 2019

Kaieteur News

Retired cricket administrator Sheik Ahmad appalled at Paul’s omission from Windies CWC squad

By Zaheer Mohamed Former President of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), Sheik Ahmad told Kaieteur Sport recently, that he is surprised at the omission of Guyanese All-rounder Keemo Paul from the Windies World Cup squad.

Ahmad, who served a treasurer on the Guyana Cricket Board and as alternate director on the West Indies Cricket Board, now Cricket West Indies, blasted the threeman selection panel, stating that Paul has merited his selection on any regional side. “What I am appalled about is the selection process with the senior team. No where in the world, as we approach a major tournament, you would find an interim committee selecting a team for such tournament. As you would have seen in the English series, there were a lot of individual performances that merited selection, however the key issue here is the omission of Keemo Paul who is a valuable player. I am shocked that there has been no statement coming from the ECB and the Guyana Cricket Board and those who called themselves cricket stakeholders, apparently Paul is coming from a county that is not much liked by a lot of people, but the fact remains Paul is a stand out and should have been in the West Indies team.”

Ahmad questioned the selection of Carlos Braithwaite, Ashley Nurse and Fabian Allen, adding that Paul is a dedicated cricketer

who gives a 100% and can be dangerous especially in the English conditions; he noted that Paul is one of the best buys in the IPL and feels that Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons should have been there as well.

Ahmad, who also served as Chairman of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee, said his love for the game is one of the reasons he got involved, however he feels that there are a number of issues that need to be addressed as it relates to the state of cricket in Guyana and the Caribbean.

“The current president of the CWI Ricky Skerritt has not had much of an opportunity to do what he supposes to do in terms of reorganising the board and so on; however cricket is not about politics, but dedication.”

Ahmad explained that wholesale changes are not the way to go, referring to the axing of Esaun Crandon from the coaching staff of the regional side.

“I am not sure Floyd Reifer would get the best out of the players, it seems that there is a lot of favoritism in selection process as well, nothing has changed from Courtney Brown tenure to now and some of these selections remain very much questionable.”

“The West Indies U19 is one of teams that has to be selected for the U19 world cup and it will be interesting to see how they will treat our talented Guyanese youngsters since we have

Kemo Paul

been the most dominant team in this format for quite some time now.

“We can see how much success Crandon has had in the four-day tournament, but low and behold, when Skeritt and company took over, they just dispensed with one of the most successful coaches in the Caribbean. Crandon joined the regional side for the England series and the West Indies performance improved tremendously, he has what it takes to be successful at the highest level and would have helped to groom players such Shimron Hetmyer, Paul, Sherfane Rutherford.”

“I am very much dismayed about putting Rayon Griffith ahead of Crandon, every body knows the brain of the Guyana team is Crandon who is English trained and knows how to adapt to different conditions. One of the best strokes that Guyana would have made is to have Crandon as the coach.”

Ahmad added that the administrators must not sacrifice the youths for political gains. “We have to get serious; whatever Guyana is doing now they are doing it right, regardless of what it is that is happening in the administrative section of Guyana. What matters is winning and there are programmes and systems here where training is given much emphasis from which we have seen the results both at the junior and senior levels.

“Yet our players are having difficulty in making the West Indies team and since Skerritt took over our players are not being treated as they should have. It’s sad to see our youngsters are being deprived of playing opportunities,” he said referring to the development squad has been chosen to attend a Cricket West Indies (CWI) emerging players training camp in Antigua which is aimed at enhancing their skills in the white-ball formats of the game. No Guyanese was selected.

The former cricket administrator inquired, what more the local players have to do to make a camp and made mention of Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, Kemol Savory, Anthony Adams, Ricardo Adams, Kevin Sinclair, Ronaldo Alimohamed and Bhaskar Yadram who has made a franchise team, adding that these are all capable players and the best pool of youngsters in the region at the moment.

While the majority of cricket in Guyana is being

played in Berbice and Georgetown, Ahmad does not entirely lay the blame on the current Essequibo cricket administrators for the little cricket that is being played there.

“People may want to blame the administrators, but there are people who are sabotaging the efforts of the ECB. They would go to sponsors and attempt to stop their sponsorship and this means they are stifling a young population in the county because of political differences. Companies are gaining millions of dollars in Essequibo but not one of them is giving back to the Essequibo cricket and that is because they are being influenced from outsiders.”

“Regardless of who is in charge of Essequibo cricket, it is not going to change unless we relax this animosity; we are one people and must work together to build the game, Everybody has got to contribute and can’t kill the game in one area and shine it in another,” he said, adding that Essequibo has talent, but the youths must play the game to

Esuan Crandon improve.

Ahmad feels that the administrative aspect of the game in Guyana has not had much of an impact on the players, but this should not be taken for granted. “We have played more cricket in the courts than in the field in the past few years, but the good part of it is that, it has not affected the players as much, which our success at the first class and U19 levels would suggest. The former ECB head stated that the problems affecting Guyana

cricket cannot be solved in the courts.

“The GCB for 20 years had the best set of administrators, but just couldn’t put tournaments together, fortunately we have tournaments now and we are winning. I agree we have to put our house in order and at sometime it has to be fixed, but it can only be fixed if the minds can be together, not in the courts,” he said.

Ahmad added, “One of the best decisions we have (Continued on page 25)

3rd Independence 5k road race

Antartic Maintenance confirms support of event The Guyana Committee of Service (GCOS) who will be hosting the third annual Independence 5K road race this Monday, are continuing to receive much support from the corporate community with Antartic Maintenance the latest entity to hop on board.

At their Alberttown Office, representative of the company, Sade Barton, handed over the cheque to Guyana Committee of Services representative Avril Black.

The race, which will begin and finish at the National Park, will have over $800,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs with categories from under-10 to masters.

In addition, with a bid to increase the competitiveness of the event, the GCOS has invited seasoned Kenyan athlete, Godffrey Mbihia to participate. Mbihia, who has experience competing in Europe and North America, will be rearing to go, after winning the C To C 5k race in the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago last weekend. The event that has been sanctioned by the Athletics Association of

Avril Black (left) of Guyana Committee of Services receives the sponsorship cheque from Sade Barton of Antartic Maintenance and Repairs.

Guyana (AAG), will begin in the National Park then proceed into Thomas Lands, East into Vlissingen Road before turning left into Carifesta Avenue, Left into Camp Street, left into Thomas Lands then back into the National Park for the finish at the children monuments.

In addition to Ken Phillips (Antarctic Maintenance), also

sponsoring the event are Ministry of the Presidency, Office of the Prime Minister, Guyana Committee of Service, E-Networks , Bk Inc., Busta company, Kevin Jeffrey, Andrew king, Spad Inc., Star Party Rentals, Christopher Jones (National Sports Commission), Real Value Supermarket and Paul’s Auto Spares.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 25, 2019

Ambitious Hetmyer eyeing World Cup as breakout moment SOUTHAMPTON, England (CMC) — Bighitting left-hander Shimron Hetmyer hopes to use the World Cup to make an indelible mark on the international stage, but says his main priority will be helping West Indies win the ICC showpiece.

The 22-year-old was one of seven players who joined the Windies camp last Saturday, after seeing out their full contract in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

“Thus far it has been a fantastic ride for me.

Actually being a part of the West Indies team for about three years now has been just fantastic. I’m just trying to go from strength to strength in whatever way I possibly

can,” Hetmyer said.

“I’m just trying to play the situation and play for my team as much as possible and in whatever way possible I can make West Indies come out on top in whatever way I could, I’ll just try to do that.”

Hetmyer has been a settled member of the Windies ODI squad in recent times and has made the most of the opportunities, averaging nearly 41 from 25 appearances.

He struck a sparkling unbeaten 104 against England earlier this year in Bridgetown, the last of his four ODI hundreds that have come in relatively quick time.

Hetmyer said he was pleased with his career to date, but was aware he also needed to capitalise on

Shimron Hetmyer bats during the third ODI in St Lucia.

(Windiescricket Flickr)

opportunities to make bigger scores.

“Thus far it’s been alright. I’ve missed out on a couple of centuries also — I missed out on one against India in India last year and even against England, I only got one,” Hetmyer said.

“In my career so far it’s been a fantastic ride for me because of the guys and

GT Motorsports says thank you to KFC Guyana KFC Guyana was on Thursday recognised by GT Motorsports for its invaluable contribution to competitive Karting in 2018.

At a simple handing over, KFC Operations Manager Greg DeGannes received a plaque of appreciation from Leah Alphonso of GT Motorsports.

In 2018, the company played a significant role in helping to promote motorracing in Guyana, specifically go-kart racing, by exclusively sponsoring two KFC Mega Grand Prix events.

At these events, local drivers had an opportunity to test their skills against regional counterparts. The younger age group drivers also used the event as useful preparation for the inaugural Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy, which was held in Barbados earlier this year and attracted participants from around the region.

Alphonso said GT Motorsports is grateful for the support of corporate entities such as KFC, noting that the hope is for the relationship to grow from strength to strength.

Leah Alphonso of GT Motorsports presents the plaque to Operations Manager of KFC Guyana, Greg DeGannes.

everyone around me, just supporting me in whatever way possible. It gives me the freedom to go out and do what I do best and play my shots and execute as well as I possibly can.”

West Indies went down by seven wickets on Wednesday in a practice match against Australia at the Rose Bowl here, with Hetmyer managing only 11.

The Caribbean side will further their preparation when they take on South Africa tomorrow in the first of two official warm-up matches in Bristol. They play New Zealand two days later.

PAGE 35

t r o Sp President Forde engages Brazilian Federation President in historic meeting - Establishment of Development MoU discussed

CWI Head meets with Guyana Cricket Stakeholders - Sources says Norton failed to consult CWI in appointing Ombudsman

GFF President Wayne Forde displays his custom made Brazilian Jersey presented to him by Confederação Brasileira de Futebol President, Rogerio Caboclo.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt and CEO Jonny Grave

Budding female cyclist in Bartica presented with racing cycle by GCF President, Burrowes

Selena Stephen is presented with a new racing cycle by President of the GCF Horace Burrowes in the presence of Bartica Mayor Gifford, her mother Natalie, other officials; Bartica Sec. Sch. Teachers and Students.

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