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Thursday November 12, 2020
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Constitutional Reform We are three months after the long-awaited declaration of the 2020 elections, and nine after when the results should have been announced were it not for the boldfaced, senile attempt at electoral rigging and despotism by the Granger administration. While that attempt was, in retrospect, relatively bloodless, something we should be grateful for, the fact that it was relatively bloodless should also be of great concern. The reality is that much of what was attempted, and to a great degree successfully, was done more or less within the ambit of the law. One of Granger’s inane mantras throughout his attempt to remain in power against the express will of the will people was “I have always abided by the Constitution” and while there were several instances – the imposition of his appointment of Justice Winston Patterson as GECOM Chair – which proved that the former President was lying in that regard, the reality is that for the most part, he was correct. The Constitution of Guyana, as currently constituted, did in fact allow for much of the rabid and indecent attack on the spirit of democracy in this country as we experienced earlier in this year. The current Constitution, except for a few reforms, was put in place in 1980 to legally facilitate the already de facto dictatorship of Granger’s idol and perhaps mentor, Forbes Burnham. While, for example, reform processes saw the constraining of Presidential power via the imposition of term limits – a measure Granger predecessor Bharrat Jagdeo both oversaw while as President, and supported the removal of when he was not – those reforms did little to either constrain the power of the Presidency itself or to place countervailing safeguards within the hands of either the Legislature or the Judiciary. The thing with Constitutions or similar documents is that they must provide a less than precarious infrastructure to give life to the work programme of those to whom the people have placed their trust. This means that we cannot have arbitrary systems in place to overturn that will and regime change should ideally only take place during elections. The problem is that those systems, which strengthen and safeguard the tenure of executive leadership often do not account for the appearance of a proverbial Mad King, as Guyanese discovered earlier this year and Americans are discovering now. The Constitution of Guyana is essentially a Mad King manual – its very existence was not only premised on Burnham’s need to extend increasing control over newly independent Guyana, but the method by which it was given ‘democratic’ sanction, a rigged referendum, was evidence in itself of the megalomaniacal. In the hands of reasonable men, the dictatorial accommodations of the manual are never needed, but the reality is that power makes many reasonable men, and women, unreasonable. It is for this reason that the manual must be destroyed, meaning in this case “rewritten” in order that the temptation towards despotism is removed. David Granger, and the Granger administration, failed – and deliberately so – in rewriting the Constitution of Guyana, despite promises to do so. This was the case with another predecessor of his, D r. C h e d d i J a g a n , w h o w a s t h e B u r n h a m ’s Constitution’s fiercest opponent until he won the Presidency in 1992. President Irfaan Ali has made no such direct commitment but a moral imperative exists to reform the Constitution in deep and meaningful ways, ways that reduce the power of the presidency and give more responsibility to the people of this country, particularly at the local government level.
Traffic situation on the West Bank Dear Editor, I write to you as a concerned citizen from the West Bank of Demerara about the worsening traffic situati o n d u r i n g t h e morning peak hours. There is usually one line leading up to the Demerara Harbour Bridge. However, hundreds of inconsiderate drivers feel the need to drive on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic in an attempt to somehow squeeze themselves into the line thus causing discomfort to the lawabiding citizens heading to the bridge and those coming from the bridge. This situation is made much worse since there is
zero police presence on the West Bank side leading up to the bridge. H o w e v e r, t h e f e w instances where there is a single police on a motorcycle patrolling the area, the only action he takes is to put the vehicle into the line which solves nothing since the drivers know the worst consequence of their actions is pretty much what they want and that is to be further up the line. I have seen no driver charged for their actions to date and it’s a daily occurrence and involves hundreds of vehicles. A few weeks ago, the Commander of Region Three had charged a
number of motorcycles for riding in the wrong lane. I respect the move by the Commander. H o w e v e r, these motorcyclists cause zero issues for drivers. The persons who do are the cars and bus operators who constantly are allowed to. A simple solution to the issue is to have a number of officers stationed at various points along the route to the bridge to maintain order and whoever fails to adhere needs to be charged since a warning does nothing for these drivers. Another issue facing the public is the number of vehicles, which are allowed access through the La
Grange “Old Road” leading up to the bridge even though there is always police presence at that entrance. It seems that once you have ‘links’ within the Police Force or with the specific officer, you are allowed to. This amounts to at least 50 vehicles in the morning. I hope this letter serves as a call to the higher authorities within the Police Force or the Minister of Home Affairs since it seems nothing is being done by the officers within the vicinity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge even though they are fully aware of it. Concerned Driver
Is the VP the ultimate paragon of virtue? I think not! Dear Editor, The Vice President (VP) response - no laws broken and no evidence of corruption - to the constant publicity of the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks give away has the hallmark of a man who had lost his temper and sanity and would do anything to have his way. While the VP had seen conflict of interest in Granger ’s unilateral appointment of Patterson to GECOM’s chair on the Constitutional clause - “a list not unacceptable to the President”- now that the shoe is on his foot, any unwritten rule, such as, “you should not give pigs your pearl to keep” or in this instance, “oil
blockade do should never be given to people or companies with no experience in exploration or extraction of oil” was cast into the fire of irrelevance by this statement from the VP. “So whether you have capability or not, that was never a requirement of the [Petroleum] Act.” In short, if it is not written, it does not apply. Jagdeo mirrors the extant irrationality that the Coalition subjected us to for the past five years. Admittedly! There is no precedent here, like with the appointment of a GECOM chair. There is no need for a precedent. It is all simple logic that a president (Ramotar) should have known. Not to the VP! This is where he buried himself into absurdity
Consequences for poor job performances Dear Editor, Sometime ago, a former Finance Minister wrote a letter in his defense (somewhat) of the land deals that he signed off on (approved) which clearly were not in Guyana’s financial economic interest. I believe the wording in the letter included a statement like this- “...to the best of my ability”. It appears that prior to the disposal of lands, to external entities, there were processes/procedures/ guidelines in place to be undertaken first, (written in English) yet, it seems these were bypassed. If software developers working for the various wellknown social media platforms that so many people spend so much time on, ever came close to uttering this kind of
a statement, much less writing such a statement for the public to read, these social media platforms would not exist. The bosses would have found a way to get rid of the developers. Such acts of contempt and callous disregard with the disposal of land, in spite of existing guidelines, which resulted in financial loss should not be given a free pass. An unacceptable poor excuse in the real world. If there are no guidelines to perform certain tasks, one can accept such an excuse, but just barely, especially if there are financial losses. There have to be consequences for this kind of poor job performance, if the rest of the world is to take Guyana seriously. Chi Kansi
by saying: “I’m convinced from knowing Ramotar that there was no corruption.” The VP neglected or is unaware of the oldest and most valuable lesson in life “you don’t swear for no one because it is human to err”. The VP in his efforts to wave away the flipping of the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks by their initial owners said: “oil majors like ExxonMobil and Total SA would take licences and flip them.” This is casting dust in the eyes of the public with a deceptive comparison. Exxon and Total SA are no “Johnny come lately”- they have earned their credentials to flip blocks by being certified oil producers on a global scale. When the story of the giveaway had first broken in 2019, Jagdeo conveniently cannot recall committing to supporting an independent “probe” as the Opposition Leader. Now with VP fitted to
his feet, he is demanding the right to do the initial probe. Reminded of the conflict of interest involved in him investigating members of his “PPP family”, Jagdeo puts on the mantle of “Alpha and Omega” - that’s the first stage. I have to be satisfied”his words, before any decision to investigate further. Is Jagdeo the ultimate paragon of virtue? I think not. Can you imagine someone deciding to do a probe and having the audacity to give a preview of his findings or mindset - that he saw no laws broken or any corruption? It’s crystal clear! The probe will not get further than the VP. The VP moving from his favourite pastime phrase, “show me the evidence” to pretense of finding it for himself, paints a picture of the VP losing his relevance. Rudolph Singh
GCE O’ Levels are more reliable than CXC Dear Editor, After much thought and consideration in regards to the CXC fiasco faced by our education system this year, we must as a nation consider a better alternative. It is very difficult to accept our schools suffering another such a setback in the future and our top students having to continue with such a process that is starting to lack in credibility and reliability. In the past, the GCE O’ Levels were the standard-bearers of excellence and these exams continue to be that sought after standard-bearer today for many other nations. A shift to the British system of education upon
which our great nation was founded is an excellent solution to prevent any future uncertainty caused by the use of the Caribbean’s attempt at a replacement for GCE O’ Levels. GCE exams are a little more encompassing and do set a higher standard that is recognized globally by higher education organizations. The Ministry of Education should seriously consider a move in this direction and reinforce the British Form system in our schools. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana
Thursday November 12, 2020
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Thursday November 12, 2020
Post mortem reveals no sexual assault, penetration in infant who died at NA Hospital VACANCY One general domestic apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda
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A post mortem examination, conducted on the infant who died at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital on Monday revealed that there was no penetration of the anus nor were there any injuries to that area to deduce that she was sexually assaulted. While it was reported in the media that the infant may have been sexually assaulted due to “the child's anus being severely expanded,� the autopsy proved otherwise, police authorities confirmed. Kaieteur News has been told that while it was determined that the baby was not sexually assaulted; they will be executing an assessment on the body over the next 24 hrs. to determine what could have caused her death. Meanwhile, the parents who were held for questioning over the death of their baby have since been released from police custody, statements having been taken from both of them. It is understood that the baby's father told police that when his reputed wife left the baby and their 8-year-old daughter with him in the car while she went in to see the doctor at the Georgetown FOR RENT Business: Saffon Street, Hadfield Street Bond on East Bank, Residence: Diamond & Pearl East Bank Contact Ray's Realty #627-9685 2x3 bedroom.Fully furnished Luxury apartments to rent. Long and short term. Tel:6822585/691-1432 One 2 bedroom, fully furnished, air- conditioned, newly renovated apartment station street kitty $85,000 negotiable. call 624-0056. No agents. Lot 6 Water Street Bagotstown 1 bedroon Apartment top back half Air Condition $ 45,000 1 Month security & Rent Tel#668-5835, 6998865
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- doctors assessing to determine the actual cause of death; parents released
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Public Hospital, the "place was hot" and the air conditioning unit was off, so the baby appeared to be fussy and he removed the infant's clothing to provide relief to her but she was still fussy when the mother returned. Reports are that on the 5th November 2020, the mother, a 27-year-old housewife, gave birth to the baby at Georgetown Public Hospital and was discharged on the 7th November. On the 9th November at about 09:00 hrs. the new mother and her reputed husband as well as their 8-year-old daughter left home for the Georgetown Public Hospital for the housewife to have a post pregnancy checkup. The woman told police
that at around 10:00 hrs. she arrived at the hospital and left her newborn baby and her 8year-old in the car with their father and she went in to see the doctor. Upon her return to the car two hours later, she noticed that the baby was crying repeatedly and was breathing heavily; she also noticed her infant's dress was off and she was wearing her diapers and under pants only. It is unclear if she inquired why the baby was in such a state but she went on to tell the police that she gave the infant some water after which the child defecated and slept. The woman stated that they drove to her parents' home at #1 Settlement, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice. She and
the children were dropped off and the father left. Kaieteur News understands that when the baby awoke she was crying and was breathing heavily "as if she was suffocating" and as such the mother decided to rush the baby to the New Amsterdam Hospital sometime around 18:05 hrs. on that day. When the infant and her mom arrived, they were immediately tended to by a doctor and the baby was pronounced dead on arrival. A medical examination by the medical professionals revealed that "the child's anus is severely expanded." An investigation is still underway to determine the cause of death.
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Two Bartica dorm students Pensioner dies after pushed test positive for COVID-19 during 'garbage' argument
Two students from school dormitories in Bartica have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. One student tested positive at the Three Miles Secondary School dormitory and the other at the Bartica Secondary School dormitory. This was confirmed by the Regional Health Officer of Bartica, Dr. Edward Sagala, with this publication yesterday. Kaieteur News understands that the students, aged 15 and 16, are imported cases of the virus since they are not from Bartica. They have since been in isolation, right at the dormitories which will last for 14 days, and are not allowed to attend classes. In addition to that, contact tracing has already begun to find and test persons that they might have come in contact with. A total of 24 students were tested Monday and the results returned yesterday morning. The testing of dormitory students began on Monday, where it was discovered that four students at the President's College dormitory tested positive for the virus. All four of the students were transferred from the Kato Secondary School in Region Eight, an area that is a known COVID-19 hotspot. They were sent into isolation at the Liliendaal Infectious Disease Centre, better known as the Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital. That number has since risen to eight students, but it is unclear where the rest of the cases came from. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, had told Kaieteur
News that all students returning to school occupying dormitories will be mandated to take COVID-19 tests since the Ministry “must know their status.” According to the Minister, it was necessary to test these students since they will be coming from all areas, including COVID-19 hotspots. She said that they would be interacting with other students in the dorms, so they needed to ensure everyone's safety. Manickchand had also said, “The reality is that, if we test a large enough number, some people will have a positive result because you are coming from all over this country that has positive cases and so they will be tested and quarantined for a bit.” Additionally, the General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union, Coretta McDonald, recently contended that the reopening of schools was “reckless” and is putting the lives of students at risk. Many parents and teachers shared the same contention, some parents even refusing to send their children to school and teachers sharing that they preferred teaching classes online. Schools opened on Monday for Grades 10, 11, 12 and Technical and Vocational Education students. This is in light of the upcoming 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations which require face-to-face classes for the completion of School-Based Assessments and Internal Assessments, according to the Ministry.
- neighbour likely to face manslaughter charge today A labourer, 33, who allegedly caused the death of a pensioner, by pushing him down during an argument over garbage, is likely to face a manslaughter charge today. The pensioner, Ronald Harrypersaud, of 192 Fifth Street, Patentia West Bank Demerara (WBD) was found dead at his home at around 9:00 hrs. on Sunday. According to police the man was discovered lying on his bed, oozing blood from his mouth and nostrils. The discovery was made by his relatives who had gone to visit him that morning. Kaieteur News was told that the relatives knocked on his door and called out for him but got no answer. They moved to break down his door and enter the house where they made the gruesome discovery. A subsequent autopsy conducted on Harrypersaud's body revealed that he died from brain hemorrhage as a result of blunt trauma to head. The pensioner also sustained a fractured skull. Detectives launched an investigation and it was discovered that Harrypersaud's neighbour, the labourer, might be responsible for his demise. Speaking with Kaieteur News, the pensioner's niece, Lisa Seenarine, 30, said that he had gotten into an argument with the suspect at around 15:00 hrs. on Saturday. She claimed that Harrypersaud
had confronted the man for throwing garbage into a trench located next to his house. During the confrontation, she said, the labourer reportedly cuffed her uncle to his face and then pushed him down causing him to hit his head. Harrypersaud reportedly fell unconscious and started to bleed through his mouth. The suspect, Kaieteur News was told, used a bucket of water to revive him and waited until Seenarine arrived. Upon her arrival the suspect assisted in placing the injured Harrypersaud into a taxi where he was transported to West Demerara Regional Hospital. Seenarine said that doctors treated her uncle and sent him home later that evening. “They said that it was a normal head injury and prescribed some antibiotics before discharging him from the hospital,” said the woman. She recalled that she fed her uncle that evening and made sure that he went bed before heading to her house. “After taking his meal all he said was, 'My head hurting and I just want to lie down,' so he went bed and I left,” she said. It is believe d that Harrypersaud succumbed to his injuries while asleep. The suspect identified as the pensioner's neighbour was later arrested and taken into police custody.
Dead: Ronald Harrypersaud
Trump presses on with uphill legal struggle hoping to overturn Biden victory (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s campaign yesterday took another step in its legal strategy to upend his U.S. election loss by filing a lawsuit in Michigan while Georgia announced a recount and President-elect Joe Biden focused on laying the foundation of his incoming administration. The Republican president’s team went to federal court to try to block Michigan, a Midwestern battleground state that he won in 2016, from certifying the Nov. 3 election results. Trump trailed by roughly 148,000 votes, or 2.6 percentage points, in unofficial Michigan vote totals. Biden has a slimmer lead of just over 14,000 votes, or 0.3 points, in Georgia, a southern state that has not been carried by Democrats since 1992. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a hand recount of all ballots cast there, which he said was expected to begin this week and would be completed in time to certify the results by a Nov. 20 deadline. “It’ll take every bit of the time that we have left, for sure. It’s a big lift,” Raffensperger told a news conference.
Trump has declined to concede the election to Biden, instead lodging a flurry of lawsuits in pivotal states to try to back up his unsupported claims of widespread voting fraud. The Michigan lawsuit also made allegations of misconduct in the voting, with the focus on the D e m o c r a tic stronghold of Wayne County, which includes Detroit. Jake Rollow, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of State, said the Trump campaign was promoting false claims to erode public confidence in Michigan’s elections. “It does not change the truth: Michigan’s elections were conducted fairly, securely, transparently, and the results are an accurate reflection of the will of the people,” Rollow said in a statement. Prominent Republican lawmakers and other Trump allies have backed the president’s strategy, saying he has the right to contest the election results. The suit was filed one day after Biden called Trump’s failure to concede an “embarrassment.” Judges have tossed out several of the Trump lawsuits, and legal experts say the
President-elect Joe Biden litigation has scant chance of changing the election outcome. While acknowledging there was “no silver bullet” that would overturn the election, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said yesterday’s developments were part of a process that could pave the way for a second Trump four-year term. Earlier, the Trump campaign said it had evidence that a handful of dead people in Georgia had voted in last week’s election. Biden last Saturday clinched victory in the election as he won a series of battleground states to exceed the 270 electoral votes needed in the state-by-state
Electoral College. Biden was winning the national popular vote by more than 5 million votes, with some states still counting ballots. Biden planned met with advisers yesterday who are helping him prepare to take office on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. Trump placed a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, his first public appearance other than two golf outings since Biden was projected the winner on Saturday. While Trump made no remarks at the cemetery, in Twitter posts yesterday he kept up his narrative of voter
President Donald Trump fraud, referring to “a mountain of corruption & dishonesty” while assailing pollsters. Nearly 80% of Americans, including half of Republicans, say Biden won the election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday. Trump’s refusal to accept defeat, even as world leaders congratulate Biden and look to their future relations with the United States, caps a volatile nearly four years in office with the country deeply polarized and facing a sharp resurgence in coronavirus cases. During the campaign, Trump had refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of
power. The Trump administration is not cooperating with Biden’s transition team, which has been unable to move into federal government office space or tap funds to hire staff. The election outcome in a small number of states remained undecided with Trump holding a lead in North Carolina and Biden ahead in Arizona in addition to Georgia. Recounts are unlikely to change the outcomes. To remain in office, Trump would need to win all three undecided states plus overturn the results in one or more states in Biden’s column.
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resumes activities Consistent batting will be important, Estwick says ...AAG From page 22 the National Youth and CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, CMC – Assistant coach Roddy Estwick said batting stability will be very important to success for the West Indies Test team on the Tour of New Zealand. The Windies Test team is currently preparing for a twoTest series against the Black Caps next month. The Caribbean side has not won a Test series, let alone in Test, in New Zealand since Courtney Walsh’s side crushed Ken Rutherford’s men by an innings and 322 runs 25 years ago at the Basin Reserve, to clinch a two-Test series 1-0. Estwick, whose substantive role in the Windies support staff is bowling coach, said the
Caribbean side is well served in the bowling department and the challenge will be how well the side bats. “Over the last two or three years, the bowlers have held their own, but the batsmen have not come up to where we want them to be,” he told the media during a video conference call on Monday. “They are working hard. They are trying to get it right. And it will be good to have someone of Darren Bravo’s experience back and we have to get big scores from the batsmen. “Once we can get big totals, we can be competitive because we have three bowlers in the top 20 in the World.” Test captain Jason Holder
is currently ranked fifth in the ICC Test Championship Bowling Rankings, compatriot Kemar Roach is ranked 15th and tearaway Shannon Gabriel is ranked 20th. Estwick said the batsmen are working hard iron out technical flaws cruelly exposed during their previous Test series last June on the Tour of England. “I think most of the batsmen knew the technical flaws they had in England and they are currently working on correcting them,” he said. “But it’s two totally different conditions. “New Zealand is much colder. The ball does not move around as much as it does in England, so it is all
Thursday November 12, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You could get upsetting news regarding your job. There could be a shakeup in the hierarchy or someone in a position of authority could abruptly leave. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Expect to fall in love at first sight today, Taurus. Someone new will come on the scene and you'll feel an instant attraction. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The wonders of technology may come to your home today. You might purchase some new equipment like a computer or phone, or decide to go for a state-of-the-art home entertainment center. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Valuable and interesting information could come your way through modern technology. You might discover new information online that awakens an exciting new interest in you. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Finances could take on a new dimension as you look to technology to help you increase your bank balance. You could decide to invest online or try some new means of recordkeeping. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Bizarre, unexpected developments might turn your life upside down today, Virgo. Money could be involved. New people could arrive who open doors that eventually lead to a new life.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Bizarre, unexpected developments might turn your life upside down today, Virgo. Money could be involved. New people could arrive who open doors that eventually lead to a new life. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You could have a strong urge to seek adventure, Scorpio. You might want to take a spontaneous trip to an exotic place, meet new people in exciting fields. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) An unexpected career break could come your way, Sagittarius. It should be exciting and encouraging - and a little scary! Don't let apprehension get to you. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) An unexpected career break could come your way, Sagittarius. It should be exciting and encouraging - and a little scary! Don't let apprehension get to you. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Unusual experiences may give rise to a new interest in the sciences or occult practices like magic or alchemy. This is an excellent time to start perusing such subjects, or embark on a formal study of astrology. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Upsets in the home or neighborhood could lead to a sudden decision to move, causing a great deal of activity. You might not yet be sure where you're going.
about adjusting to conditions and adapting, and in New Zealand, you have got be prepared to be patient and work hard.” He added: “There is never any easy runs in New Zealand. You need to look at their attack to understand why. Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, you know they form the core of a topclass bowling attack. “It’s all about when the batsmen get in, they have to stay in. I found in England, players got starts, got into the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, but it is about carrying on.” Estwick said Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander John Campbell, who are expected to be the opening pair for the two Tests, will be under pressure to play a critical role in the success of the batting. “A key thing is the openers have to give us good start because the ball will swing for a few overs,” he said. “You have got to make sure you ride that swing out and you lay a platform for the batsman coming down the order, so it’s going to be very important that Kraigg and John give us good starts.” The first Test between the Windies and the Black Caps starts on December 3 at Seddon Park in Hamilton and the second Test from December 11 to 15 will be contested at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
...CWI CEO expresses From page 23 living in them day in and day out is obviously a massive challenge. It’s still not natural for people to always wear a mask and always do things we have been trained to do for so many years, living our lives in the way we have before Covid,’ he said. “But these players, the majority of them have been in a seven-week quarantine isolation bubble for the duration of the England men’s tour that we held in June and July. They all pretty much went to Trinidad and Tobago, which had a very similar situation to New Zealand with its borders fully shut with the government dispensation to allow us to host the Caribbean Premier League, and they have been within that facility in Christchurch for virtually the whole quarantine period. So its hugely disappointing that players who knew what the protocols were have clearly broken them by mixing together.” He said their actions have put the tour and the New Zealand population at risk.
hosted on Easter Weekend in Bermuda. The World Athletics Relays (May 1st – 2nd) in Poland and the South American Senior Championships (May 14th16) will be targeted by the elite athletes to gage their level of competitiveness against some of the world’s best. Meanwhile, the youngsters will be training towards qualifying for the Panam under-20 championships in Chile from July 15th-17th that will follow
Junior Championships (June 19th & 20th) at Leonora. Rivalries will be rekindled on the weekend of April 17-18 when the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) comes alive for the National Senior Championships. Meanwhile, one of the more anticipated battles will include the 100m men’s dash that should see a strong lineup of Akeem Stewart, Emanuel Archibald, Davin Fraser and Owen Adonis.
...IOC’s Bach in Tokyo next From page 21 international visitors would be part of the Olympics in July and August but he believes recent events held in Japan provide confidence that some fans will be in the arenas. Japan hosted a one-off gymnastics meeting on Sunday, seen as a crucial trial run for having international athletes travel to and compete in Japan during the Games. “(The IOC is) more and
more confident that we will have a reasonable number of spectators,” Bach said. “How many and under which conditions, again, depends very much on the future developments. “The message I want to deliver in Tokyo is that we are fully committed to the safe organisation of the Games,” Bach said. “This is the principle to which we remain committed; that these games will happen in a safe environment.”
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Thursday November 12, 2020
Caribbean RADO Marks 15th Anniversary (Bridgetown, Barbados) The Caribbean Regional AntiDoping Organization (RADO) will mark its 15th anniversary today, Thursday, November 12th 2020. As a result of the ongoing global pandemic, the celebrations will be virtual, a release from the organisation informed. Caribbean RADO Chairman Patrick Werleman stated that the organization is proud to reach the milestone. “As the Caribbean RADO, we have an imperative role to play in ensuring that all Member Countries are able to comply with, and implement, the many anti-doping rules and regulations that apply to all of us,” says Werleman. The Chairman has also thanked the ‘Caribbean RADO family’ who saw the importance of establishing the regional anti-doping body, and assisted with its success over the years. “We salute them. Without their dedication and creativity, we would not be here today. Today, we can proudly say that the Caribbean RADO has 18 member countries and we are all committed to preserving the Olympic values including fair play and clean sport.” Current Caribbean RADO Vice-Chairman Dr Adrian Lorde, who was one of the founding members, says the organization has several achievements of which it can be proud. “We have been honoured with awards. We’ve been recognised by WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] as one of the top two RADOs in the world. We’ve done testing for international organizations. Our doping
control officers have worked at the Olympics, Pan Am Games and CAC Games. We have done extremely well with limited resources in that 15 years,” says Dr Lorde. In congratulating Caribbean RADO, Tom May, D i r e c t o r, P r o g r a m m e Development and NADO/ RADO Relations at WADA, has noted that he is pleased with how the regional body has progressed since its inception. “I was fortunate enough to be involved in the original discussions about the establishment of this RADO in 2005. To see the progress made over these past 15 years is truly remarkable; and this has only been made possible by all those involved, both past and present, in the work of the RADO. This includes the RADO staff, the Executive and the Board, the authorities in the Member Countries, and especially all of the people, including the many volunteers who contribute to the implementation of antidoping programs throughout the Caribbean region,” said May. Caribbean RADO is committed to its mission of clean sport in the region, and the protection of clean athletes. Although the global pandemic brought the sporting world to a halt, the work of the body continued, particularly under its mandate of anti-doping education; while also spearheading the doping control process during the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPLT20) in Trinidad & Tobago. Activities to mark the 15th
Caribbean RADO Board Members during 2019 AGM in Tortola. anniversary this week will be centred around the Caribbean RADO social media platforms – Facebook and Twitter. Plans are also in the works for more celebratory activities in 2021. The 18 Caribbean RADO member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and U.S Virgin Islands.
Caribbean RADO Executive Committee; Guyana’s Dr Karen Pilgrim is 2nd right.
RHTYSC and BCB launch Covid 19 Educational Poster - BCB patron receives first copy The ten cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club have joined hands with the Berbice Cricket Board to launch another project as the two vibrant organisations continue their Covid 19 response project. The two organisations since the start of April has operated a joint project to assist those affected by the pandemic and to educate Berbicians about the deadly virus that has killed over a million persons worldwide. The latest venture was the publication of a eleven by seventeen inches colored educational poster. RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the posters, which were printed at the F and H Printery in Georgetown, was solely sponsored by the ten cricket teams of the club - Farfan and Mendes under 15, Poonai Pharmacy under 12 and under 13, Bakewell under 17 and second division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermediate, Metro Females, Namilco Thunder Bolt under 21 and First Division teams. The posters would be distributed across the county free of cost with special emphasis placed on Schools, Police Stations, Fire Stations, Public Markets, Super Markets and Cricket Grounds among others. The poster seeks to educate the general public about the main ways
BCB Patron Minister Vickram Bharrat (right) and Hilbert Foster launches the joint RHTYSC and BCB Poster campaign. to protect themselves from the virus and features the images of four of the RHTYSC most promising players and the club’s two youth ambassadors. They are Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Jermeny Sandia, Kevin Ramnarine, Marissa Foster and Denica Henry. Among the recommend guidelines on the posters are social distancing, wearing a face mask in public, sanitizing hands regularly and avoiding sick persons with the virus. Foster stated that, together the BCB and RHTYSC have distributed
over six thousand food hampers across the entire county along with two million dollars worth of chicken products, face masks, clothing and cleaning items since April. Minister Vickram Bharrat congratulated the two organisations for working together to make a positive difference during this period and expressed confidence that the posters would assist in a major way. The publication of the posters marked the 200th personal developmental project of the ten cricket teams of the club.
Thursday November 12, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Namilco renews cricket sponsorship of RHTYSC Cricket Teams - Sukhai hails performance of club
Hilbert Foster hands over Covid 19 educational posters to Namilco Managing Director, Bert Sukhai. The high successful relationship between the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS and the National Milling Company of Guyana (Namilco) on Monday last was expanded for another year as the company renewed its cricket sponsorship.
Namilco in 2019 came on board as the official sponsor of the RHTYSC Under-21 and First Division teams, replacing Gizmos and Gadgets. The renewed sponsorship is worth four hundred thousand dollars for the next twelve months. Club Secretary/CEO
Hilbert Foster hailed the renewal of the sponsorship as another major development as the two teams prepare for the restart of the Berbice Cricket Board 2020 cricket season. The Secretary disclosed that the two teams had exceeded the expectations of the Club
CWI investigating Windies players’ breach of NZ Covid-19 protocols SportsMax - Cricket West Indies have launched an international investigation into the circumstances under which members of the Windies touring party breached strict COVID-19 protocols within the team’s Managed Isolation Facility in Christchurch. The breach has resulted in the team members being unable to train for their final days of isolation prior to their continued preparations for the upcoming T20 series that begin on November 27. According to reports from New Zealand, NZ Cricket said it found out on Tuesday that some members of the West Indies team had “contravened protocols” within the managed isolation facility in Christchurch. “These incidents included some players compromising bubble integrity by sharing food, and socializing in hallways,” New Zealand Cricket said. However, there is no evidence that any members of the touring party left the facility, or that any unauthorized persons accessed it, reports said. CWI said the New Zealand Ministry of Health advised them that all members of the West Indies touring party will now be unable to train for the remainder of the quarantine period and will have to complete their
quarantine within the Managed Isolation Facility only. “CWI is in full support of the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s position,” CWI said in a statement. “From the information we have received so far, we have been told that the incidents in question included some players compromising the bubble integrity by mixing between two separate West Indies bubbles into which the touring party had been split.” Ahead of the tour to New Zealand, the West Indies touring party all returned two negative COVID-19 tests before leaving the Caribbean, and underwent two further tests since they have been in New Zealand. All results were negative. The players underwent their final scheduled tests Tuesday and, results permitting, are scheduled to leave the Managed Isolation Facility tomorrow to travel to Queenstown ahead of two warm-up matches against New Zealand “A”. Quarantine Environment Summary: Upon arrival in New Zealand, the West Indies Touring Party were required to remain within the biosecure quarantine facility run and managed by the New Zealand Government, for fourteen (14) days. The New
Zealand Government had granted the West Indies an exemption from the requirements of the Managed Isolation and Quarantine Order, to facilitate team training in managed groups at the NZC High-Performance Centre at Lincoln University, Christchurch during the period of quarantine. A summary of the arrangements within this environment are as follows: Days 0 – 3: No bubbles – individuals self-isolate in rooms, no contact with anyone else. Days 4 – 7: Maximum bubble size of 15 persons. The touring party would split up accordingly and persons in each respective bubble able to train, gym and socialise together. Days 8 – 14: Maximum bubble size of 20 pax. The touring party would split up accordingly and persons in each respective bubble able to train, gym and socialise together Match Schedule: November 27: 1st T20I at Eden Park, Auckland November 29: 2nd T20I at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui November 30: 3rd T20I at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui December 3-7: 1st Test at Seddon Park, Hamilton December 11-15: 2nd Test at Basin Reserve, Wellington
RHTYSC Hilbert Foster receives the sponsorship from Namilco Managing Director Bert Sukhai in the presence of company officials Fitroy Mcleod and Alicia Anderson. Management by performing outstanding on and off the cricket field over the last twelve months. The Under-21 team is waiting to play in the BCB Elizabeth Styles under21 final, while the first division team won three cricket tournaments and have to date reached the semi finals of the BCB/Banks Beer two days tournament. The team won the BCB Busta Champion of Champion 40 overs, Ivan Madray 20/20 and the Sky Vokha 50 overs tournaments as it continued its domination of the game in Berbice. Numerous of its players have gone on to play for Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies including Clinton Pestano, Kevin Sinclair, Kelvon Anderson, Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Jeremy Sandia, Christopher Deroop, Matthew Pottaya, Nyron Hicks, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneeta Grimmond and Shabaki Gajnabi, while Assad Fudadin played for Jamaica. Off the cricket field, the Namilco Thunder Bolt teams were involved in over seventy community developmental programmes as part of their personal
development project. They included a youth information booklet, Namilco Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Namilco Tribute to Medical Workers, Covid 19 Educational posters, DTV Mother of the year, Walter Nero Mother of the Year, Basil Butcher Trust Fund and Covid 19 hampers project. Additionally, the teams distributed millions of dollars worth of bicycles, educational materials, school bags, scorebooks, cricket gears, cricket balls and stumps to less fortunate youths and clubs in Berbice. Foster also stated that the ten cricket teams of the club are currently preparing for the hosting of their largest every Christmas Charity programme. Foster assured the company’s management that the RHTYSC appreciates their support and that the two teams would continue to represent the Namilco Thunderbolt Flour brand with pride, discipline and positive results on the cricket field. Namilco Managing Director Bert Sukhai congratulated the club and the two teams on their outstanding performance and
stated that the company was delighted that its faith was repaid. He urged the players to maintain a culture of discipline, hard work and dedication. He stated that Namilco is company that believes in excellence and expects nothing less. The Managing Director also expressed pleasure at the large amount of personal development programmes undertaken by the teams under the name of the sponsorship. The Namilco Thunderbolt First Division team in 2021 would be led by Eon Hooper with Shawn Pereira as his vice captain, while Kelvon Anderson would lead the Under-21 team with Junior Sinclair as deputy. The team management would consist of Ravindranauth Kissonlall, Simon Naidu and Tyrone Pottaya. They have committed themselves to continue their dominance of Berbice cricket and also complete at least eighty programmes in the next twelve months. Foster after receiving the sponsorship cheque, handed over copies of a Covid 19 educational poster which the teams sponsored.
IOC’s Bach in Tokyo next week for talks with Games organisers BERLIN (Reuters) International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach will be in Tokyo for three days next week to review preparations for the postponed 2020 Olympics and back organisers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Bach told a news conference yesterday he would be in Tokyo between Nov.15-18 but did not provide details on possible meetings
with government officials or Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. “It (the trip) is important because we are now coming to a crucial stage of putting this toolbox together with COVID-19 counter-measures to get the feeling what will be needed next year,” he said. “I hope after this visit we can give even more confidence to all the participants of the Games about the safe environment
they will see in about nine months from now.” The IOC and Japanese organisers took the unprecedented decision in March to delay the Games by a year to 2021 due to the pandemic, a costly postponement that still has many moving parts given the spread of the virus. Bach said it was still too early to say whether spectators or even (Continued on page 19)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 12, 2020
Boxing coach partners with US Bishop to support local communities
Patricia Chase Green presents the 2nd placed Jared Corrica with his cheque. By Sean Devers Former Guyanese World Boxing title contender and Boxing Coach Clive Atwell, who is also a Pastor, collaborated with Bishop Murvel Williams from Cover the Children Ministries of California to resume the ‘Pastor Amanda Williams Scholarship fund’ in the East Bank Village of Agricola. The requirements for eligibility entailed sending an essay of your life’s struggles and what you are doing to overcome them. The authors of the top three Essays were rewarded with lap top computers and $700, $500 and $200 USD respectively. First prize winner was St Lucian born Joshua Edwards who resides in Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, the second prize Essay was written by Jared Corrica, while Jamila Blair placed third. Pastor Amanda Williams Scholarship fund was established in 2018 in Georgetown, Guyana with six recipients of which three received financial rewards of $500, $300 and $200us dollars respectively. After a year absence due to the passing of Pastor Amanda, the programme resumed this year. The Aim of the programme, which has evolved from just Agricola into a National project, regardless of religion or race is to encourage youths and
others to pursue academic enhancement. The vision is open to individuals in and out of the Church. The Villages of Grove and Meadow Bank were added this year. “As a local Church we believe that we should contribute not only to the spiritual but also to the social and academic development of those in our community,” informed Atwell. This Year, the Youth conference was held under the theme ‘Going beyond the norm, don’t miss God’ from November 5-7, 2020. The conference took the form of two nights of biblical teachings and question and answer segment. The supporting scripture text was taken from Isaiah 65:17. The opening night, the Awardees and guests were educated on the theme by Atwell who highlighted that the theme was the present continuous that holds conflicts but a rewarding future if they do not give up. Minister Atwell elaborated that the theme was timely given that everyone is stuck due to the pandemic and various elements of life and we are now called to push beyond the norm. He concluded that if we are to push beyond the norm we must possess a renewed mind in how we think and operate within the issues of life. The second night was addressed by 67-year-old
Boxing Coach and Pastor Clive Atwell makes one of presentations while American, Bishop Williams (left) share the moment. Jamaican born American Bishop Murvel Williams from Cover the Children Ministries of California. In his charge, he highlighted the history surrounding the scripture and the cause God had to declare a new heaven and a new earth. He reminded all that they cannot want the grace and blessings of God and walk in their own ways since this often affects our development. Bishop Williams give his life to God at age 15 after being inspired by his eldest brother Keith Williams, who has been a Pastor in Jamaica for the last 55 years. Bishop Williams explained that the late Bishop Ivan John of the Bible Way fellowship in Agricola initiated the relationship between the two religious bodies in 2015 on a trip to the USA. An After School programme in Agricola was born that year when Bishop Williams first visited Guyana and in 2018 the Cover the Children Ministries was launched in Agricola after Pastor Amanda had started the programme two years earlier in California.
AAG resumes activities this Sunday in Linden and Berbice The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has released its calendar for the 2020-21 season that is set to run off this Sunday with Cross County meets in both New Amsterdam and the ‘mining town’ of Linden. The AAG last meet was the Early Season Classic that speed off earlier this year in March before the National Covid-19 Task Force issued a suspension of all sporting events in keeping with social
distancing policies in the fight against the pandemic. However, with sports associations recently being given the green light to resume activities, the AAG decided to take advantage of the opportunity and a proposed miniaturised South America 10K is scheduled for the last Sunday in this month. The final Cross Country race for 2020 will get underway on December 14th at National Park while the 2020 calendar of events
will conclude with a Developmental Meet at the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) ground at Eve Leary on December 28th. 2021 will kick off as early as January 3rd with an intercity relay event at the Enmore Community Center Ground. On the international side, the rescheduled Caribbean Free Trade Association ( C A R I F T A ) 49th championships will be (Continued on page 19)
Bishop Williams explained that he was moved to help when he saw the needs of the Children in Agricola adding that in the USA free food and clothing is provided for the less privileged children. Senior Pastor Natasha Taylor of the Cover the Children Ministries (Agricola) noted that the scholarship is a part of the Churches’ mandate to cater for the’ whole man’ as they seek to empower young people as they pursue education which is vital for community and National development.
The 3 prize winners. First place is Joshua Edwards (right).
Big Man Cricket gets greenlighted by Cricket West Indies According a release from Raj Singh – Director of the Big Man Cricket organisation, the event has received the blessing of Cricket West Indies (CWI). ‘Our parent body, Cricket West Indies Masters Association (CWIMA) Steering Committee has written to the Cricket West Indies clearly outlining our objectives with the promotion and development of Over 45s and Over 50s cricket throughout the Caribbean and further afield with national, regional, bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral series of Masters tournaments. CWI in its response said, “We applaud your efforts to promote Over 50s cricket and to maintain the visibility of the West Indies in the global cricketing arena.”CWI had also supported this same body last year in our lead up to putting together a quality West Indies Over 50s team for the March 2020 Over 50s World Cup held in South Africa. CWI also noted, “CWI notes your newly formed
Association’s intention to again put together an Over 50s cricket team to represent the West Indies at the Over 50s World Cup in South Africa 2022, as well as your initiatives to promote Over 50s cricket by establishing “Big Man Cricket’ throughout the region at both Over 45s and Over 50s levels”. These efforts and initiatives were applauded by the CWI. These Big Man Cricket tournaments are aimed at bringing out back our former First Class and/or Test cricketers of that era who are now eligible to participate in such tournaments. Many of our former FirstClass players could not make the WI teams of that era but they now have another opportunity to showcase their talent on the National, Regional, and International levels. CWI further added, “With respect to you and your members’ promoting Over 45s and Over 50s games within the region, we have no objection at this time to such matches taking place, on the basis of our understanding
that none of the teams involved in these matches will feature any currently selected or active West Indies cricketers at either international or domestic level”. Big Man CricketGuyana wishes to reiterate that our tournaments will not infringe on any ICC, CWI, or other Regional National teams’ tournaments as they are all geared towards retired cricketers. Another major objective is to keep these players active, healthy, and motivated towards competing for a place in the Over 50s World Cup Tournament in South Africa March 2022. In fact, we remain willing to administer these tournaments in collaboration with the national cricket boards in the various territories. The CWI letter signed by its CEO, Johnny Grave, closed off by stating “Congratulations again on your initiative: we hope your Big Man Cricket tournaments are a success and wish the Over 50s Team good luck in the 2022 Tournament in South Africa”.
Thursday November 12, 2020
Kaieteur News
CWI CEO expresses disappointment over breached protocols, says players put tour at risk SportsMax - Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave said he is especially disappointed with the West Indies who breached New Zealand’s strict Covid-19 protocols earlier this week, is that they arguably are the most experienced dealing with being in isolation since the return of competitive cricket. Grave also hinted at the possibility of individual sanctions facing as many as four or five players who are alleged to have been involved and said there were plans to interview all the players and personnel who would have information salient to an investigation into the matter. In a statement Tuesday night, CWI said it had launched an investigation to the reports that several players had breached protocols and as a result had been banned from training for the final two days of isolation. New Zealand’s Ministry
Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave of Health reported that members of the team were confirmed to have repeatedly broken isolation rules. Many of the incidents were captured on close circuit television and have been reported by staff at the facility where the players are being housed. New Zealand cricket said the incidents included some players compromising bubble integrity by sharing food, and socializing in hallways. However, there is no evidence that any members of the touring party left the facility, or that any
unauthorized persons accessed it. An embarrassed Grave speaking to media on a Zoom call expressed his disappointment at the situation while supporting the sanctions imposed on the players. “ I t h i n k m y disappointment is mainly the fact that our players are probably the most experienced players in the world in dealing with these strict quarantine measures. I am not, for any second, saying that they’re easy and (Continued on page 19)
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Reports state members of the Windies touring party breached strict COVID-19 protocols within the team’s Managed Isolation Facility in Christchurch.
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CWI investigating Windies players’ breach of NZ Covid-19 protocols IOC’s Bach in Tokyo next week for talks with Games organisers
AAG resumes activities this Sunday in Linden and Berbice
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) attends a news conference after the 135th Session in Lausanne, Switzerland, January 10, 2020. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
CWI CEO expresses disappointment over breached protocols, says players put tour at risk
The AAG has released a provisional calendar of events for the 2020-21 season, which is set to begin this weekend.
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