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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
CODE OF CONDUCT NEEDED The general election is years away, but the history of our general elections is often a truism that many, if not most of our politicians, who call for clean and fair elections, have conducted some of the dirtiest political campaigns. The phenomenon of a clean and fair general election is an oxymoron hard to find in our history. And if they are, their infrequency gives little hope that the next election will be clean and free of rigging. We are neither cynical nor pessimistic, but our history suggests that the ideal is anachronistic. Many believe that elections have been rigged by both of the major parties. Politics and power carry very high stakes, but for the winner, the s poils are s ignificant. It is the opportunity to place one’s name in the history books of Guyana. For the loser, frustration and vexation are among the unwanted apparel of powerlessness one has to bear. That said, the people are aware that it is their responsibility to mus t make s ure that elections are devoid of rigging, mud-slinging, slander, lies, innuendo, and distortions. This is an uphill task for our politicians many of whom do not have clean hands and are not paragons of honesty. Some are soiled by scandals, corruption, arrogance, selfishness, greed, vindictiveness and by nasty deeds. However, they often tap into the people’s weaknesses, make empty promises and tend to avoid the truth because it is ugly and unpleasant The reality is that in every election, politicians make promises that they know they cannot fulfill. It is the nature of our politics. Irrespective of whatever negative social, political or economic situation that exists, every politician will have the right solutions for them, even if all are different. Currently, the nation is faced with an economic situation that is affecting the lives of many people, some of whom cannot afford a university education or proper health care, or access to decent paying jobs and affordable housing. The foreign reserves are shrinking, production has reduced, imports have skyrocketed and the value of the dollar is declining; that is the reality. But politicians seeking power will sell a different reality to the masses They would say that they have the solutions to these problems and can provide an oasis for them. The fact that many will believe is pitiful. It is known that political parties make promises during general elections in order to win. Our politicians say they do not engage in such practice because they refuse to look at themselves in the mirror. So they are calling for a code of conduct to govern our elections. But there is no honest politician. There is no line of demarcation between the promises politicians make and the politics they sell is like night and day. They want the people to believe that they are clean and will address the issues facing the nation if elected. Such is the construct of our democracy that our politicians will seek to justify their existence by presenting themselves as the best things for the people. In countries like Guyana, where the race vote is such that a party could rule in perpetuity some politicians eventually see themselves as omnipotent. That is why the loss of the 2015 elections for the People’s Progressive Party caused some of them to enter a world that seems vaguely familiar but so strange; a world that they once lived in but cannot now accept. One on which they become the people they once fooled.
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Who says age is not a factor in Guyana’s politics? Dear Editor, Before you judge me for age discrimination, I wish to make it clear that age is not a barrier in its general context and I believe that experience plays a critical role for growth and development, but it has to be rightly placed. An 84 year old Chairman of GECOM is not rightly placed; even worse, he will be 87 in 2020. The people deserve a Chairman with no question of their mental and physical aptitude to execute that critical role efficiently. This is not only an issue for the Chairman, but the same can be said for the President who seems to be making isolated decisions that calls to question his clarity, intention and foresight for Guyana. I will put forward, that Guyana in its current state of affairs, cannot afford to
have leaders that are too old to hold critical political posts, since they come from a toxic era that involved manipulation from the colonial masters and racial division, and this have made an inedible impact on their mental state where they were never able to move on from and transform themselves to lead Guyana into a different future. All political apparatus in Guyana have been and still is affected by this dynamic with the exception of the late Walter Rodney who was the first to understand and successfully made the case to his fellow Guyanese. Unfortunately, it is widely believed that the PNC assassinated him. What is important to note is that Walter Rodney was only 38 years young when he died and he had already became a world leading scholar and intellect on
developmental politics and history. These old politicians have done a lot of harm by indoctrinating young people in the way of their toxic political past and we see this being a major obstacle today. Guyana must break free from this idea of separation to survive and start looking at unity to thrive. Sadly, Granger’s unilateral decision to choose, a clearly too old GECOM Chairman, continues the tradition of stagnated politics that only benefits the good old boys and girls. Young people must take a stand and demand their right to be heard in all aspects of Guyana’s affairs, even if it means finding a new way to coin our political future. This decision calls for a “Parking Meter” like peaceful protest until these politicians gets the message. Malcolm Watkins
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Does Granger believe the Guyanese people will accept his reason? DEAR EDITOR, A statement released by the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday (October 19, 2017) sought to explain the basis on which President David Granger moved to appoint the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) unilaterally, in the person of retired Justice, James Patterson. The statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said: “The Head of State placed reliance on the ruling of the Honourable Chief Justice, Madame Roxanne George-Wiltshire in the exercise of his decision to reject the third list dated August 25, 2017, which stated ‘the Proviso to Article 161 (2), which
permits the President to act independently to appoint a person of the Judicial category to be the Chairman of GECOM, that is a person who is presumptively “fit and proper.” Yes, the proviso in the Constitution states that if the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list, as provided for, then the President can appoint a judge or former judge or qualified to be a judge in Guyana or the Commonwealth. However, the statement from the Ministry of the Presidency is a blatant misrepresentation of the ruling from the Acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George, in the case of Marcel Gaskin, businessman and brother of
Granger’s son-in-law, Dominic Gaskin, vs. the Attorney General of Guyana. The Chief Justice in her ruling said: “While the applicant (Gaskin) has not applied for a determination of this issue, it was raised by the Bar Association in its brief which was filed and served on all parties …it does appear to me that failure to submit a list as provided for speaks to the provision of an acceptable list, as discussed earlier. If by not choosing any of the persons listed the President thereby find the list unacceptable, the proviso to Article 161 (2) would apply and the President should then go on to appoint a judge or former judge or person who
No evidence that James Patterson is a fit and proper person for the GECOM job DEAR EDITOR, President Granger’s decision to abandon the constitutionally agreed process for selecting a new Chair for the GECOM has plunged Guyana once again into an electiondriven crisis. While profoundly depressing, this development was predictable. The political leadership of both the Government and the Opposition – despite their differences, has for decades been at one in monopolising management of the electoral system. The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is appalled by the willingness of both parties – notwithstanding their moralising – to subject the country to a prolonged, ethnically-fuelled electoral campaign, sharpened by the winner-take-all oil and gas bonanza. Nothing in the manner in which both leaders addressed the issue of lists of candidates offered encouragement that the national interest
would win out. The tedious temporising and posturing over the selection process provided ample evidence that this threadbare procedure would not survive in the hands of two unyielding men. Whatever frustration, the President may have endured over the more provocative inclusions on the lists presented by the Leader of the Opposition, he must now bear responsibility for what the country will have to endure over the next three years. The rushed announcement and hurried swearing-in of retired Justice James Patterson while the rest of the nation commemorated the light and peace of Diwali suggest a lack of confidence in the legality of what they were doing. Both the selection and the manner of its announcement raise disturbing questions about President Granger’s intentions with respect to national elections.
Rejection of the constitutionally agreed process would have been hazardous, even if the person selected possessed impeccable credentials obvious to all. Justice Patterson, however, has little to recommend confidence in his ability to lead the fraught and contentious Elections Commission. He attracted public notice for his involvement in the politically-controversial trial of the survivors of the Maurice Bishop Government in Grenada, and his record of public service, senior management or promotion of democratic standards and practices is unknown. This calls into question whether he is indeed a more “fit and proper person” than many of those on the three lists submitted by the Leader of the Opposition. Guyana’s electoral system is fatally compromised by the fact of being itself a (Continued on page 6)
would qualify for appointment as a judge in Guyana or the Commonwealth to the post of Chairman of GECOM. “But all of this in effect academic because more than one lists have been sought and provided…” (end of quote).
The Acting Chief Justice made clear that the President cannot rely on the proviso in the Constitution, because more than one lists – a total of 18 names – were submitted by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. So how can
the Granger-led APNU+AFC government expect the Guyanese people to accept the basis he used to make a unilateral decision on an issue as big, and as important, as the GECOM Chairperson? Arnold Sanasie
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Sunday October 22, 2017
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Unilateral selection of GECOM Chairman is an affront to democracy DEAR EDITOR, The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) was very disturbed and most upset when it learnt of the seemingly high-handed move by President David Granger to unilaterally appoint a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The President’s selection, which came without any warning, must have been a shock to all right-thinking, democracyloving Guyanese and has plunged our country into an obvious deep political and constitutional crisis which we have not experienced in recent times. It is disbelieving that the President chose to act contrary to the clearly set out and unambiguous mecha-
nism contained in the Constitution. The President who, on several occasions, committed himself to act in accordance with the Constitution, in our view, has waded into murky political waters which our country and people need not enter into and our still growing nation cannot benefit from. His decision, from our point of view, casts a long, dark shadow on him and his Administration’s sincerity to uphold our Constitution and to maintain and preserve our cherished, even if fledging, democratic culture. The President, who must have been advised by his comrades, is heading down a perilous path which we believe is not in the interest of our country and all Guyanese. It is our view that the President’s actions represent
a reversal of the democratic advances we have made over the years. The FITUG believes that the newly-appointed GECOM Chairman, as matured and qualified as he may be, would have started out on a wrong footing and may well find it extra-ordinarily challenging to perform or receive the same level of acceptance, internally or externally, as enjoyed by his predecessors. This can never be a good thing especially when it concerns a matter that is as sensitive as that of our elections institution which has its well-known history. Further, we hold that the President’s arbitrariness could impact our citizens’ confidence in our other national institutions which are charged with protecting our
A decision that will take this country backwards for decades DEAR EDITOR, The unilateral selection and appointment by President Granger of Justice Patterson to be the new Chairman of the Elections Commission takes the country backward for decades. This appointment is the continuation of the Burnham legacy. We all remember the appointment of Sir Harold Bollers, a retired Justice of our courts. He was more of a puppet to the directives of Burnham than an independent chairman. Is this the beginning of yet another episode of rigged elections? This government fired Justice Prem Persaud (70 years old) with the lame excuse that he was too old to
hold the chairmanship of a constitutional commission. They had to show that they were applying the same principle across the spectrum by also removing Hamilton Green as head of the Central Housing Authority. They were so cunning about the Green affair, that they ensured that he is now getting a pension of 7/ 8th of that of the sitting Prime Minister. So deceptive is this government, that the only thing that seems to matter is the ethnicity of the person. This trumps all other consideration. Now we have an 84 year old heading another constitutional commission, and the age is now no barrier to this appointment. So hypocritical! President Granger is
saying one thing and doing exactly the opposite. His own requirement for a person to be appointed to the chairmanship of the Elections Commission is for that person to have knowledge of the electoral laws. Is Justice Patterson knowledgeable of the electoral laws? Did he participate in any matter before the courts that has to do with our elections? If so, how long ago was that? He is 84, so he must have retired a few decades ago. At 84 years old, I can hardly understand how much he can juggle his time with seeking knowledge of the electoral laws in our books, heading a very divisive commission, and his sleep time. It is shameful and downright repugnant what the AFC had to say in this matter. You have sold your very soul for a “soup of porridge”. How much low can you get? You have finally nailed the AFC officially dead. I still remember candidate Granger telling an audience in New York, “I am no Burnham.” Well sir, you lied again. You are not only Burnham, but you have his soul embedded in yours. Are you now taking the country down the path of rigged elections? Mr. President, please rescind this appointment and follow the Carter-Price formula for our democracy to prevail. Charles Sugrim
well-being. The appointment could be seen as a slap in the face of those who lead and actively supported the struggle for the restoration of democracy in our country. We note that some of those individuals are now-a-days firmly ensconced in the Administration and their views, we are sure, would be eagerly awaited by all Guyanese. We believe the unilateral appointment cannot stand up to any test of scrutiny and no justification can excuse the President’s decision on this matter. President Granger, we believe, had a more than ample choice to select from among the suitable nominees put forward by Mr Jagdeo a GECOM Chairman who would have enjoyed the respect and confidence of all Guyanese. The fact that the President has chosen to act outside of the list he received is not reflective of a
commitment to protecting and further advancing our democratic culture and thrust, something he as President is charged with upholding. Furthermore, it gives rise to the notion that Mr Granger was simply engaged in a charade regarding the appointment of the GECOM Chairman. The unilateral appointment harks back to a sad period in our country when democratic norms and principles were not upheld and were indiscriminately trampled upon. It is an era we felt we learnt painfully from and we felt that we had committed ourselves to put in the rearview mirror. President Granger who is regarded as a historian, we would want to believe, is well aware of the circumstances which prevailed in those times as well as the difficulties and hardships the Guyanese people faced in that era. We recall
that it was only after the sustained and dedicated struggles by Guyanese from all walks of life that free and fair elections prevailed and our democracy was restored in our country. The decision by the President does not bode well for his character as a leader and history will not be kind to him. By this decision, we see him given credence to the notion that his Government and Party are going back to a time which we left behind. We roundly and loudly condemn this move which does not portend for a bright future and a ‘Good Life’. We see it as walking back to a time we need not relive and experience again. We call on all Guyanese to raise their voices against this travesty and this attack on our democracy. Carvil Duncan FITUG
The President has ignored the Chief Justice’s ruling DEAR EDITOR, President David Granger has acting in breach of the Constitution, in light of the ruling given by the Acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George by unilaterally appointing a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). And the Guyanese people are also witness to his posture on adhering to constitutional provisions. In addition to the unilateral decision, the consequences of which he will be held responsible, Granger’s own comments expose his disposition in respecting Guyana’s Constitution and upholding its provisions. According to an article from an online news outlet, Demerara Waves, headlined ‘Age not a stumbling block for new “apolitical” GECOM
Chairman’, Granger was asked why one of the 18 persons nominated by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, was not selected. In response, Granger said: “Taken as a whole, the list was unacceptable to me and that is all I need to say in accordance with the constitution.” Having already disregarded the ruling of the Acting Chief Justice with his unilateral appointment of a GECOM Chairman, Granger’s comment represent a further disregard of her ruling, as it relates to the need for him to explain why he rejected all 18 persons nominated by Jagdeo. In the case of businessman, Marcel Gaskin vs. the Attorney General – where he asked the court to interpret the Constitution, relative to the appointment of a
GECOM Chairperson – four questions were put to the court. One of those questions was whether the President is required under the Constitution to state reasons for deeming each of the six names on the list submitted by (sic) the President as unacceptable. The Acting Chief Justice, in her ruling, said: “The answer is hereby declared to be in the positive – Yes.” Editor, when the Guyanese people see that President Granger has unilaterally appointed a GECOM Chairman and has ignored the Acting Chief Justice’s ruling – that he should give reasons for rejecting the list of nominees from the Opposition Leader – we are left with much to be worried about. Cedric Lord
No evidence that James Patterson is a... From page 5 creature of partisan politics. Membership of GECOM is formed by three nominees from each of the two major parties. The Chair is elected indirectly by a process in which the Leader of the Opposition proposes names from which the President selects the Chair. The national
interest – as contrasted with party political interests - is represented by no one. Jamaica, by contrast and as a Caribbean example, offers an illustration of a genuine attempt to insulate its Elections Commission from undue party interference. The Elections Commission of Jamaica comprises eight Commissioners, two each drawn from the two main political parties and four nominated and appointed by the Governor-General of Jamaica from civil society. The eight Commissioners appoint their own Chair
from among their number. The Commissioners also nominate a Director of Elections who is then appointed by the Governor-General and is entirely responsible for the conduct of elections. The Director has the status of a Commissioner and a vote on the Commission. The decision by President Granger to set aside the constitutionally agreed process revives memories of the previous PNC-led administration which, due to its flagrant rigging of elections, cemented Guyana’s reputation as the democratic pariah of the Caribbean during that period. Are we heading in that direction again? Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Justice Patterson’s This decision will cause loss of confidence appointment as GECOM publicly stated rea- not. Thus, whether in the in the electoral system less sons for the rejection of the exercise of his discretion DEAR EDITOR, The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana is deeply concerned by the President’s unilateral appointment of the Chairman of the Elections Commission. No President of Guyana from either of the major parties has made a unilateral appointment in more than twenty-five years. The unilateral appointment of the Chairman can lead to a loss of public confidence in the electoral process which is entirely undesirable having regard to Guyana’s experience in past elections. The Bar Council expects that, in keeping with the ruling of Chief Justice George in the matter of Marcel Gaskin against the Attorney General, the President will provide reasons for the rejection of the eighteen names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition as prospective
candidates for appointment. The Chief Justice ruled that reasons are required to be provided so that it is known why there is a rejection. Her Honour said that this is in order that the President may properly move to apply the proviso to Article 161(2) of the Constitution, which allows the President to appoint persons from the judicial category only. The President’s power to make a unilateral appointment to the office is limited by the Constitution only to the situation where the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for by the Constitution. It should be obvious therefore that Guyanese cannot satisfy themselves that there is an objective and lawful basis for the President’s unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson to that office un-
eighteen persons found by the President to be unfit to hold the office of Chairman of the Elections Commission are provided. Only if clear and detailed reasons are provided which show cause why each of the eighteen rejected persons is unacceptable to the President for appointment to the office of Chairman of the Elections Commission would it be possible to establish that the Leader of the Opposition failed to submit a list as provided for by the Constitution. The ruling of the Chief Justice that reasons are required is part of the law of Guyana until such time as it may be set aside by a higher Court. The Constitution must therefore be read in light of that decision. The Chief Justice also ruled that “while the President is immune from suit, his decisions and actions are
there has been compliance with the Constitution is justiciable”. The Bar Council expects that reasons for rejecting the eighteen persons leading to the unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson will be provided forthwith to avoid the necessity of further litigation on this issue on its part. The Bar Council also notes the statement of the Alliance For Change of 20 October that each of the lists supplied to the President fell short of what was required by the Constitution. It regrets that, unlike the Bar Council, the Alliance for Change did not seek to provide assistance to the Chief Justice by providing legal submissions in that regard so that the precise legal reason each of the lists fell short of what was required by the Constitution could be publicly known. Pauline Chase, Secretary
None of our politicians is interested in healing the nation DEAREDITOR, The politics of Guyana continues to be politically divisive and socially averse, as we witnessed again, the failure of the highest office in the land to negotiate, even a little, to foster any kind of forging of the healing of our divides. The URP has long suspected that we do not now have anyone in either of the political parties who has the wherewithal to heal this nation. It is almost like the politicians have concluded that we in Guyana are doomed for eternalethnic,political andideologicalwars.TheURPhasbeen observing the constant missteps of the alternatingadministrationsandwewonder what drives them. There seems to not be an iota of patriotic substance in any of those who now occupy the halls of power in this country. First, we observe what Bharrat Jagdeo was trying to do. Ratherthantrytofindsomeonewho isnotpoliticallybeholdentothePPP/ C, or one who is downright unfit
for the position of the GECOM Chairperson, Jagdeo kept submitting lists that he himself would have flatly rejected, had he been in President’s Granger’s shoes. It is as if he doesn’t know that the President has at his disposal the ability to investigate the credentials and political biases of ALL the people whose names he submitted. So we watched for months as Jagdeo tried to hoodwink the President with his “fake” lists. The URP does not want to get into any name calling,however,therearesomepersons among the names presented that if selected, would make even public moves to get the PPP back in office.Anyone can tell from the lists thatJagdeowantedtohavethePresident select someone who would ensure his return to power. It would have been magnanimous for the former President to even reach across the aisle to find a person to add to the lists. That notwithstanding, we realise that
the President - due to a broken constitution - had the prerogative to select and install a person of his own choosing. But what does the President do when given the national opportunity to be altruistic? He invites the Opposition Leader to his office, not to negotiate a solution but rather to inform him that he has broken with the spirit of the 161 (2) clause and has arbitrarily chosen a GECOM Chairperson. This from the same President who boldly announced at his inauguration, that his government would create a new ministry, the Ministry of Social Cohesion, with a Senior Minister, that would operate out of the Office of the President. One could well understand why that much needed ministry is now languishing on the dust heaps of political expediency. Given our national history of political and racial inequality and tension, that ministry should have been the busiest,
most progressive and public outfit. When last did the President even mention any initiative that was born out of the Ministry? It used to be operated out of the Office of the President and headed by Senior PNC Minister, Amna Ali. Does anyone know who heads that ministry now and from where it operates? Let me end where I began. The Opposition Leader is now calling for an economic shutdown of the country. Given the interconnectedness of our society, if that happens, even at a nominal level, all Guyanese will suffer. So what can be expected in the coming months are continued negative, selfish, behaviours from men (and some women), who would rather put nearsighted, narrow-minded, personal ambitions ahead of the national needs of this broken country. May God help us all! Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP
chair is illegal
DEAR EDITOR, Mr Granger has built a reputation of being unable to play a fair game. He can’t be trusted. And he is unfit to run a democracy. Obviously, democracy is on a death spiral under his leadership. His unilateral appointment of the 84 year old James Patterson as GECOM chair is illegal, unconstitutional, undemocratic, abusive, lawless, uncivilised and disrespectful to the people of this country. Such immoral and uncivilised actions by Mr Granger have paved the way for political persecution and election fraud reminiscent of the Forbes Burnham era. Mr Granger is bursting with ignorance and arrogance which are typical symptoms of despots. There are no kind words to describe such a reckless man. History is repeating itself. Mr Granger’s behaviours should never be tolerated. Guyanese deserve better. At this time, I stand with the parliamentary opposition in whatever course of actions it takes in its fight for democracy in this country. Mr Granger and the APNU/PNC/AFC should never be allowed to trample our democratic rights. Annie Baliram
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Sunday October 22, 2017
Dem boys seh...
Jagdeo still got to prepare more lists fuh Soulja Bai Whole day today dem boys laughing. Dem want to know if is jokers Guyana got fuh politicians. Dem see reporters talk to politicians and get one question then go to Soulja Bai and ask de same question to see wha answer dem gun get. Jagdeo sit down at he press conference and mention how Soulja Bai pick an old man to be GECOM Chairman. But even Soulja Bai had a problem wid people when dem pass 80. De other day he had to deal wid Hammy and some of he play mates. Kennard was sitting down dealing wid all dem police complaints. He was travelling bout de country because dem country people don’t like talk in front of people face. Prem was keeping a tight lid pun GTT over de phone rate. When GTT come wid one trick Prem deh ready wid another. Hammy sit down and watch how people trying to slip house lots to dem friend and he put a stop to that. De next thing he hear is that Soulja Bai tell all of dem how dem need time to relax and to enjoy dem old age. He feel that when dem people got to lef dem house and got to wuk dem not enjoying dem old age. He talk bout some policy; how he got to create space fuh young people suh he gun tell everybody who meet 80 to stop wukking. Now he go and appoint a man who is 84 to chair de elections commission. Jagdeo did also pick a man who pass 80 to be chairman of de elections commission. But he was playing smart. He done know that Soulja Bai had a policy fuh people over 80 suh he believe that Soulja Bai woulda never pick de man. Dem boys want to know wha really happening now. Soulja Bai break he 80-plus club rule; Jagdeo try a thing wid de 80-plus club and now de whole country quarrelling over de same club. De thing is that Soulja Bai want a GECOM chairman fuh de local government elections and one fuh de General Elections. That is why dem boys can’t understand all de fuss. Talk half and brace youself. Jagdeo got to prepare more lists.
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GRA moves to fill top Customs, Inland Revenue posts The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is a moving to regularise a number of top positions. This past week, a number of high paying jobs were advertised. One would include the Comptroller of Customs, Excise and Trade. That top post has jurisdiction over containers and goods leaving the wharves and is one of the most powerful in that revenue collection state agency. The last Comptroller position was held by Lambert Marks. He left GRA around 2004. Another position that is sure to attract a lot of attention is the all important position of Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Department (IRD). This position was last filled by Basil Joseph, who retired about five years ago. The positions were never filled since then, with a number of commissioners performing the duties. IRD is the department handling tax returns, among other things. Performing Customs duties now is Lancelot Wills, who once performed key functions in the Legal Department.
GRA is moving to fill a number of top positions in the entity. However, it appears that GRA now wants to regularise the situation, asking for qualified and experienced persons to fill the posts. GRA also wants a Manager for its New Amsterdam tax office and a Supervisor for its Mailroom. There are also vacancies for a Trainee Tax Auditor who will have jurisdictions at the Guyana Post Office and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
Another key vacancy is for a Human Resources Officer, Department of Human Resources Management. That same department requires an Administrative Officer. There is also another post for Security, in the Facilities Management division. GRA has been battling staffing problems for a number of years now. Last year, the administration brought back
Godfrey Statia, an experienced tax collector12 from the US. With a new board, head by financial analyst, Rawle Lucas, GRA has been moving to go after tax evaders, a major problem in Guyana. Collections are up in areas that have been traditionally a problem. At the wharves, key Customs officials have been removed amidst accusations of corruption.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
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DECISIVE DECISION - President averts constitutional crisis Just a few days ago, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixiera, blasted American Ambassador, Perry Holloway, for saying that without a Chairman, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was “not at crisis point yet”. Reminiscent of the infamous and belligerent “feral blast” by a PPP Minister against former Ambassador Brent Hardt, in her presence, sight, hearing and possibly with concurrence, the PPP’s tsarina reminded Holloway that he is not Guyanese. That was a not so veiled a description of the friendly, American envoy as alien, a foreign meddler. FLASH-POINT She did, however, see the failure to have a Chairman for GECOM as potentially problematic. It could cause a “flash-point” in the future since, without a Chairman, the work of the Elections Commission would be stalled. Such work includes a new round of voter registration and preparation of a preliminary voters list ahead of local government elections in 2018, and general elections in 2020. There is no doubt, therefore, that a constitutional crisis was looming. In this case the appointment of a Chairman of the Elections Commission was key to averting such a crisis which could derail elections schedules. The appointment of a Chairman of the Elections Commission is a
constitutional issue. The procedures that guide the appointment process, styled the “Carter formula”, include submission by the Leader of the Opposition of a List with persons who fit certain defined qualifications. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS Under Article 161 of the Guyana Constitution the Elections Commission comprises six members and a chairman. Three of the members are appointed by the President in his own deliberate judgment; and the other three, by the President on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. That Article was amended in 2000, under then President Jagdeo, to give the Leader of the Opposition the responsibility to submit a list of six persons from among whom the President could appoint a Chairman. The caveat is that the list has to be not unacceptable to the President. In a case where the Leader of the Opposition failed to submit a list, as provided by the Constitution, the President would appoint as GECOM Chairman, a judge, a former judge or a person qualified to be a judge. The President is not required to go beyond these qualifications, not even to explore finding someone who would otherwise qualify as a “fit and proper” person. The President is not required, also, to consider or extract any names from
the failed lists. When the selection process reaches this stage, names do not matter. What matters is the intervention of the President under the relevant constitutional provision, guided by the principle that the person is qualified and competence. POLITICAL NIGHTMARES By appointing Mr. Justice James Patterson, a retired judge in both the Guyana and Caribbean jurisdictions, the President has acted within the Constitution. He has averted the “flash-point” to which Mrs. Teixiera alluded and possibly, also a constitutional crisis, the spectre of which Mr. Jagdeo had harboured in his political nightmares. The simple truth is that Mr. Jagdeo was given a long rope to hang his expectations of an impending crisis. He thought that he could create this crisis by fixing the lists in such a way that would force the President to reject them, consecutively. His lists were unlike those submitted by Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Mr. Desmond Hoyte when they served respectively as Leader of the Opposition. Jagan and Hoyte had submitted clean lists. In comparison, Jagdeo’s lists looked like an “indecent proposal”, which is the title of a Robert Redford movie. It is my view that the Leader of
PM Moses Nagamootoo the Opposition had sought to limit the President’s choice when be planted in each of those lists several names of persons who could not reasonably be expected to act impartially. Those included a former PPP elections candidate, backers, financiers, and a couple of persons who had a declared interest in Jagdeo running for a third term as president. The ordinary Guyanese would see through Jagdeo’s unimaginative stratagem as that of the proverbial smart fly. More cynically, they would conclude that Jagdeo had either deliberately and cunningly cooked up or cocked the lists, or both. Granger couldn’t fall for that folly. He must have known that in an
Elections Commission where the PPP and PNC each hold an even three members, the Chairman has to be someone in whom he has full confidence to be impartial and nonpartisan. The President knows that the Chairman holds a casting vote that could decide the fate of elections. For the Opposition Leader, this is classical Russian roulette – the final, last election that could restore his place in power, privilege and perks. As one writer described it, Mr. Jagdeo “salivates” over potential oil wealth. This would explain why Mr. Jagdeo acted in bad faith, and failed to deliver on his constitutional duty to submit a list as required by law. POWER VERSUS PEOPLE We all heard Mr. Jagdeo threatening non-cooperation and declaring that he is working to create a constitutional crisis in Guyana. Of course, if there is a constitutional crisis, the country would be in lockdown mode. This is reckless and exposes the vintage Jagdeo who sees power as being more important than people. This is the same Jagdeo, who climbed to power on the back of Mrs. Janet Jagan then discarded her as a “private citizen”. Mr.Jagdeo is calling for a civil uprising which the racist falang of the PPP has been espousing on the ground of alleged marginalisation of (continued on page 15)
Sunday October 22, 2017
Arson suspected as Black Bush farmer loses home What was expected to be a normal Saturday for the Duncans of Zambia, Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder, turned out to be a day of misfortune. Marvin Duncan, 78, a farmer and his 65-yearold wife Claudette Duncan, lost their home to an inferno yesterday morning. The couple, who left their Black Bush Polder home sometime around 7:00 am and was on their way to the Port Mourant Market to purchase goods for the coming week, received the dreadful call from a nephew informing them that their two-storey home was on fire. The 78-year-old disclosed that he was at Port Mourant travelling to the market with his wife when the call came. “My nephew called and he tell me my house on fire and I ask him, ‘Yuh sure? Because me know that can’t be joke. And he seh ‘yes yuh house on fire’. So I tell he to get help and try and out it”. He explained that he turned back and went to Whim Police Station where the ranks assisted in informing the fire station at Rose Hall Town. However they were told, “The fire tender is not working”. Calls were eventually made to the Corriverton Fire Station but by the time the fire service arrived the house was already gutted with the flames. He stated that neighbours showed up in their numbers to manually attempt to tame the blaze in an effort to save something, unfortunately nothing was salvaged. “Plenty, plenty people come out and help but still nothing ain’t save,” the pensioner said. The devastated man told this publication that he also operated a small grocery parlour in the bottom flat. “Everything burnt up, everything; all my goods. Only Wednesday I buy and is today I was going back to the market to purchase more and look what I come and meet,” the elderly man lamented. Duncan told this publication that he is of the firm belief that his home was set alight by an individual with whom he had problems in the past. “I took this man to court for cussing and threatening
me and the magistrate put he on a two-year bond. This was about a year ago. But week before the last somebody come in my yard and I had paddy in there and they come and throw it out and carry way the bag. Last week again they come back, empty out the paddy and carry way the bag. This morning when I was going out on the road, I saw him (the person he suspects) by the bus shed. So when my nephew called, I asked him if the boy still at the bus shed and he said no. So I seh that is the man that got to set my house on fire,” Duncan revealed. According to him, the fire reportedly began in the bathroom/lavatory area, located in the bottom flat at the back. He suspects that the individual might have thrown something through the window of the bathroom/ lavatory that resulted in the entire edifice catching afire. Duncan also had fuel barrels that he purchased a few days ago in his yard. “I does always quarrel with this boy because he don’t work and he does got dem li’l boy smoking weed with he in the ballfield in the next lot,” Duncan said. The house was built in 1970; the couple has been living at the house for some twenty years. They operated a grocery parlour in the bottom flat, which Claudette, Marvin’s wife ran while he did farming. The upper flat was constructed with wood and concrete, two bedrooms and fully furnished with all appliances. The bottom flat consisted of one bedroom, toilet and bath, kitchen, storeroom and shop. Some $25M went up in flames, including $200,000 in cash, $150,000 in jewellery, $2M in shop supplies, paddy, fuel and much more. The farmer’s wife had to be rushed to the nearest hospital after her hypertension skyrocketed as she realised that the place where they once called home was no more. Persons desirous of assisting the elderly couple in rebuilding their lives can make contact with Marvin on 6836053 or his wife Claudette 6787287.
Kaieteur News Marvin Duncan: His home is gone
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 22, 2017
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Eyewitness in Marcus Bisram case arrested for witness tampering would come in seeming record time as it was only eight months ago that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that he be sent back to Guyana to face a murder charge in the killing of Faiyaz Narinedatt.
Marcus Brian Bisram
Fayaz Narinedatt
A 21-year-old eyewitness in the murder of Berbice carpenter, Fayaz Narinedatt, was arrested at his Number 70 Village, Berbice home, yesterday, for witness tampering. He allegedly tried to persuade other eyewitnesses into changing the statement they would have given to the police initially. Kaieteur News was informed that up to press time the police were trying to locate other witnesses in the carpenter’s murder to determine how many persons the 21-year-old would have approached and asked that they change their statement. Investigators learnt of this new development after one of the eyewitnesses went to the police and made a report. “The individual tell the other eyewitness that they need to get those persons (suspects) out of jail and he ask the eyewitness if he can change his statement and said that the police forced him to sign the statement,” a source said. Narinedatt’s uncle said that the 21-year-old suspect
is at present at the Springlands Police Station. Investigators from the Force’s Major Crimes Unit have taken over the probe. This newspaper was informed that the same individual is being investigated for perjury. In June, last, when he was called to testify in Narinedatt’s murder, he reportedly told the court that he was forced into writing a statement—which stated that he witnessed the murder. However, the police have video footage with the 21year-old taking ranks to the scene and explaining what he would have seen on the night the father of two was murdered. Early this month, a New York judge ordered that the alleged mastermind behind the murder, businessman Marcus Brian Bisram, be extradited. Bisram will be handed over to the US marshals pending his extradition by the Secretary of State. However, there are some formalities to be handled by the Secretary of State before he can be placed on a plane. The processing of Bisram
Narinedatt was beaten after he allegedly rebuffed Bisram’s sexual advances early November 1, last year. Radesh Motie; Diadath Datt, 18; Harripaul Parsram, 49, and Niran Yacoob, 37, were remanded to prison for
the murder. Also charged were Bisram’s mom, Shermella Inderjali, 45, a mother of two, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. She and Maryanne Lionel, 25, a bank teller of
Republic Bank, also of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice were arrested during a sting operation. They were charged for willfully attempting to pervert the course of justice.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
FINANCIAL LITERACY:
Why it is important for Entrepreneurs in Guyana THE NEED FOR ENTREPRENEURS’ FINANCIALEDUCATION According to the Harvard Business Review, “fostering entrepreneurship has become a core component of economic development in cities and countries around the world.” In fact, the research literature points to the big idea that governments around the world are recognizing that entrepreneurship can transform their economies. Nevertheless, most of their efforts to spark venture capital creation are wasted trying to achieve the impossible, but best practices are emerging. Some researchers like Daniel J. Isenberg at Harvard suggests “to ignite venture creation growth,
governments need to create an ecosystem that sustains entrepreneurs.” However, the research in general seems to indicate that this ecosystem must address several essential elements including the importance of entrepreneurship financial education. Entrepreneurs face complex decisions in growing their businesses; these are identified as a lack of access to start-up capital, followed by lack of access to general business information and support with the development of business plans. The research indicates that these challenges are currently “preventing enterprises from moving over the cusp from micro/emerging to established/small and medium enterprises.” In this
regard, there is certainly a need for financial education programs in the market. The need for financial education is largest among micro and emerging enterprises. DEFINING FINANCIAL LITERACYAND EDUCATION When we talk about financial literacy, we are usually referring to a set of skills that allow people to manage money wisely. Financial literacy is a broad concept that includes both information and behaviour and it is relevant for all consumers including entrepreneurs regardless of their wealth and income. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines financial literacy as,
“the combination of consumers’ and investors’ understanding of financial products and concepts and their ability and confidence to appreciate financial risks and opportunities, to make informed choices, to know where to go for help, and to take other effective actions to improve their financial well being.” Without an understanding of basic financial concepts and decision-making skills, entrepreneurs are not well equipped to make decision related to financial management of their enterprises. In fact, the literature indicates that people including those with some entrepreneurial skills when equipped with financial literacy skills are enabled to contribute to an improved understanding of financing options and the availability of financial support services. FINANCIALEDUCATION FOR ENTREPRENEURS According to the literature, a financially literate SME owner/manager was defined as “someone who knows what are the most suitable financing and financial management options for his/her business at the various stages of his/ her business; knows where to obtain the most suitable products and services; and interacts with confidence with the suppliers of these products and services. He/she is familiar with the legal and regulatory framework and his/her rights and recourse options.” A substantial international study entitled “Measuring Financial Capability: A New Instrument and Results from Low-and-Middle Countries” performed by Kempson and others. It was found that, after controlling for other relevant variables, selfemployed individuals in a sample of developing countries (Armenia, Colombia, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Turkey and Uruguay) performed worst that the general population on
standardised assessments of their ability to monitor expenses, to budget, and to live within their means. The World Bank’s 2014 Global Financial Development Report noted that “small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and particularly informed businesses or SMEs in emerging markets, face significant financing constraints that undermine their contribution to employment, productivity growth and innovation.” It also noted that financial sector practitioners saw financial education as the most effective means of addressing financial exclusion for households and businesses. With an emphasis on greater financial inclusion and on improving the financial capability of entrepreneurs, the Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA) performed research and prepared a report that brings together evidence on the effectiveness of financial education. Its aim was to stimulate debate on alternative approaches while fully engaging the business world’s “real financial educators – professional accountants.” This article leverages the research performed by the ACCA, which highlights and presents the following list of “financial education needs” for entrepreneurs: · to distinguish between personal business finances · to be a competent buyer of financial services – understanding financial products, their costs and risks, and selecting what is suitable for the business · to anticipate the business’ future financial needs under alternative scenarios · to assess the risks to which the business is exposed and prepare appropriate responses · to understand the decision-making process of finance providers, and thus appreciate how the business can become creditworthy or
Dr. Terence Smith, Deputy Governor, Bank of Guyana investment ready · to relate the business financial needs to a country’s regulatory and fiscal framework – to appreciate the notions of regulatory and tax efficiency · to exercise financial management, i.e. to use financial information to analyse business performance and create policies and controls that optimise this. Based on the above list created by ACCA’s professional accountants in practice globally it is clear that they actively support and mentor many millions of entrepreneurs seeking finance every year. There are clearly private and public benefits of financial education. The research does provide evidence that, regardless of its other merits, financial education does produce better borrowers. CONCLUDING REMARKS The terms financial literacy and financial capability are often use interchangeably by policymakers and stakeholders. In this article, financial literacy was assumed to encompass knowledge and cognitive skills, while financial capability was treated as a broader term that combines financial literacy with a set of desirable attitudes, behaviours and external enabling factors. The evidence is clear that organisations like the ACCA and others clearly understand the relevance of financial literacy, capability and education in an entrepreneurial context with respect to limiting the social cost of failing small businesses. The need for financial education is largest among micro and emerging enterprises. Even with the bestdesigned interventions, it is important to have realistic expectations of financial education and to measure success appropriately. Reducing small businesses mortality rates are likely motivation for policy makers to support financial education for entrepreneurs. Next week we will examine some more aspects of financial education for entrepreneurs. Please send your comments or questions to deputygovernor@ bankofguyana.org.gy
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
DECISIVE DECISION - President averts constitutional crisis From page 11 Guyanese of Indians origin. This is an opportunity for him to mount this unruly horse of ethnic fear and to adopt as revolutionary such slogans as non-cooperation and civil disobedience.
The PPP would be expected, again, to boycott Parliament. The RDC, towns and NDC which the PPP controls, would sabotage infrastructural and development programs. They would deny essential services
to their respective communities, to make the government look bad. This is literally playing with fire, and Jagdeo knows only too well what could be the outcome if this campaign reaches the sugar belt.
SINISTER AND TREACHEROUS More sinister and treach erous is his unilateral announcement that the PPP would not cooperate with the work of the border commission. This could only mean that the
PPP would hold back support for efforts to defend Guyana’s territorial integrity against Venezuela, which has falsely claimed the entire Essequibo and all of our mineral and oil resources. This would be the final act by which the PPP would be
judged but I will come back to this issue more fully in another article. For now, I urge all Guyanese to look at the broader picture of national unity, social cohesion and the prospects of Guyana blooming and booming again! (Moses Nagamootoo)
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
HPV vaccination campaign to be rolled out in private schools this week As the ongoing Human Papilloma Virus [HPV] campaign gains traction, the Ministry of Public Health is looking to expand it even further. Maternal and Child Health [MCH] Officer Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, on Friday, said that the Ministry is moving to take the campaign to privately-owned primary and secondary schools as early as this week. So far, 24 privately-owned schools in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) have been reached by the MCH department to explain the ongoing national drive to inoculate 36,000 girls, between the ages of nine and 13 at primary and secondary schools, against HPV. HPV has long been found to cause cervical cancer - the second leading cancer among Guyanese women. Globally, there are some 530,000 new cases of cervical cancer detected annually which kills approximately 266,000 women or 50.2 per cent. In the Caribbean, Guyana ranks highest with an incidence rate of 46.9 per cent and a mortality rate of 21.0 per 100,000 persons. Cervical cancer kills an estimated 100 Guyanese women every year, making it the leading cause of cancer mortality among Guyanese women. Some 33 per cent of these deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity and using tobacco and alcohol As it continues to wage war against cervical cancer, the Ministry’s MCH Department will be looking to send out notices on the HPV campaign to all private education institutions on the East Coast and East Bank
of Demerara, and Georgetown, Dr. Hamilton said. With guaranteed support from major international institutions such as PAHO/ WHO, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and local private sector and civil society bodies, the government last week launched its renewed HPV push in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni). Even though 21,600 persons voluntarily received the vaccine during the inaugural 2014 – 2016 campaign, it eventually ran out of steam mainly due to lack of public education, negative local press and counter-attacks from overseas-based interest groups through their local chapters. There were no adverse effects from the administration of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, in Guyana, despite publicly-voiced fears that patients will suffer a number of side-effects. Among these were claims that there will be pain at the injection-site, sore throat, swelling, itching, fever, headaches, nausea, tiredness, joint or muscle pain, vomiting, insomnia [lack of seep] runny or stuffy nose or tooth pain. Many of these are known side-effects of some vaccines that have proven to be effective. Despite some concerns, a historical review of Guyana’s vaccination efforts reveals that in the 1980s, the percentage coverage for BCG, for instance, was 68 percent. This figure climbed to 98 per cent by 2016. In 1995, polio coverage was at 87 percent and by last year it was almost totally eradicated. Guyana moved its measles coverage from 67 per cent in 1995 to 100 per cent last year. Vaccination is the number one public health success story in Guyana
notwithstanding the prevailing belief embraced by some that diseases do not exist, Dr. Hamilton said. However, Guyana’s 40-year-old Expanded Programme on Immunisation [EPI] has been modified over time and has become more robust and efficient through the regular monitoring and evaluation by specialists. As a consequence, it has been very difficult over the decades for diseases to migrate across borders into Guyana from its South American neighbours because of the strength of the country’s immunisation programme, Dr. Hamilton pointed out. Success, she added, must also be attributed to the political will exhibited by successive Guyana governments to guarantee the public is protected from all types of diseases. Currently, the Guyana EPI strategy provides coverage for 16 antigens: Polio virus, Pneumococcal bacteria, Yellow Fever, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus Influenza, Tetanus, Pertussis, Diphtheria, Varicella, Meningococcal bacteria, HPV, Rota virus and Tuberculosis. Guyana was among the first set of countries in the region of the Americas that eradicated Measles and Rubella and this was certified in 2016, Dr. Hamilton noted. In the next six months, under the EPI, several projects will be launched including the introduction of the birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine and the design and piloting of the electronic vaccine records. According to information out of the Ministry, consultancies are being conducted and cost benefit analysis of the HPV vaccine
Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, MCH Officer are being done as is an assessment of the vaccine distribution and pre-introduction assessment of the HPV vaccine. The world made significant immunological progress in the 20th century. However, the global political and economic commitments must keep in step with scientific achievements to give inhabitants of this planet a chance to be perennially healthier, Dr. Hamilton highlighted. Moreover, the renewed HPV campaign in Guyana has reminded stakeholders that vaccines remain powerful medical interventions that unleash “powerful biological, social, and cultural reactions.” While historically, public reactions to this medical intervention are strong, Dr. Hamilton said the process has moved from “awe of a seemingly scientific miracle to skepticism and outright hostility.” “Thankfully the latter has never happened in Guyana.”
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Vector Control, Rehab Services team-up to cater to filaria patients Moves are apace to have the Vector Control Services Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] and the Rehabilitation Services of the Ministry of Public Health, help address conditions that could debilitate patients inflicted with lymphatic filariasis [filaria]. This is according to Government Medical Officer [GMO] attached to the Vector Control Services Unit, Dr. Allena Hercules, who disclosed that while there exists a central clinic for patients suffering from filaria, “We will be collaborating with the Rehabilitation Services in the near future so that they will be able to assist our patients from a communitybased level.” Dr. Hercules revealed that as early as next year, too, keen efforts will be made to decentralise the services offered to filaria patients with the support of the Rehabilitation Services, since this spreads across Guyana. This move is being engaged even as the Ministry of Public Health conducts a massive campaign to wage war against filaria. Filaria is a painful and profoundly disfiguring dis-
ease which is caused by parasites classified as nematodes or roundworms of the family Filariodidea, according to the World Health Organisation [WHO]. T he WHO has also pointed out that since filaria is known to impair the lymphatic system, it can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain and severe disability that attract social stigma. The common sign is swelling and you can have swelling to the lower limbs [commonly referred to as big foot], the arms, breast and the scrotum in males. The Public Health Ministry has been distributing pills [Diethylcarbamazine [DEC] and Albendazole] to destroy the parasites that cause filaria before signs and symptoms of the disease start to manifest. But according to Dr. Hercules, there are some people who have not been willing to accept pills because they are convinced that they have not been infected. However, she noted that right at the clinic at the Vector Control Services Unit [located in the compound of the GPHC], persons can opt to be tested before they take the pills. “The test is done by mi-
croscopy in much the way that malaria is tested for. Testing for filaria is a process that must be done at nights, since this is when the worms are believed to be active. Persons will need three consecutive tests before the infection can be confirmed as positive,” said Dr. Hercules. Tests for filaria are conducted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. According to the GMO, there are persons who may present with symptoms such as swelling, similar to filaria, but they may be found to be negative for filaria parasites. But she noted that once patients present with signs and symptoms and are found to be positive for filaria, they are eligible to attend clinic. Clinic sessions, according to Dr. Hercules, are designed to help reduce disabilities in patients. “We do lymphedema management, or prevent patients’ conditions from moving from one stage to the next. Lymphatic swelling can move from stage one to stage six, but the pills kill the worms to prevent the possibility of advancement,” said Dr. Hercules. But even without symptoms or a positive test, Dr. Hercules said that persons are still at risk if they and those around them fail to take the
The Baccoo Speaks Last week a man opted to emulate so many other men these past few months. He went home and accused his wife of infidelity then he torched the house. He fled, but his attempt to maintain his freedom would not last long. It is always said that a criminal returns to the scene of his crime. This man is going to return to the scene and he will be arrested. ** Carjacking seems to be
the fad and the criminals are going after two Toyota cars. The intention is not to use the cars to steal, but to sell
them to dealers. A woman would be the lure. She is going to narrowly escape in the coming days, because a police patrol would chase after her latest victim, but her accomplice would be caught. ** Gunmen will strike again in the eastern part of the country but as the saying goes, every day is not catching day. This set would be on the receiving end of the law.
pills to prevent filaria. Filaria is transmitted by the Culex mosquitoes which are known to thrive in stagnant water. The WHO has explained that “mosquitoes are infected with microfilariae [the parasite] by ingesting blood when biting an infected host.” “When infected mosquitoes bite people, mature parasite larvae are deposited on the skin from where they can enter the body. The larvae then migrate to the lymphatic vessels where they develop into adult worms, thus continuing a cycle of transmission,” WHO has outlined. According to Dr. Hercules, “You can have the worms and the worms might be in the process of causing damage, but once you take the pills, they kill the worm and prevent any possibility of symptoms manifesting.” The ongoing filaria campaign will see a wide cross section of citizens taking a specified dose of filaria pills once yearly for five years. From age two to five,
Dr. Allena Hercules one DEC and one albendazole pill is being administered, from age six to 14, one albendazole and
two DEC pills, and for those 15 and older, one albendazole and three DEC pills.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 22, 2017
The women in the cemeteries By Michael Jordan ‘DEE DEE’ The gravedigger was used to seeing corpses, but certainly not like the one he was seeing now. What was this one doing here…pregnant, mutilated, dumped in Le Repentir cemetery? The victim, found at just around three o’clock on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 25, 2005, lay in one of the cemetery’s trenches. She was dressed in a multi-coloured top and blue jeans. Police would ascertain that someone had stabbed her at least six times to the neck, side, back and stomach. An autopsy would later reveal that she was also strangled. The other thing police observed was that she was pregnant. Police observed bloodstains on the nearby roadway, as well as a pair of slippers, while a cigarette lighter was found nearby. They suspected that someone the victim knew had lured her to this spot. But who was the killer, and who was the victim? That night, Pamela Rampersaud, an Independence Boulevard resident was watching television when a local newscast aired the story
of the body in the cemetery. The presenter gave a description of the victim and showed some of the items that were found at the scene. Rampersaud took one glance at the slippers and lighter and realised that she knew the victim. It was her own daughter, 20-year-old Dioana Warrick, known as ‘Dee Dee.’ She would later tell me that Dioana, who was six months pregnant, lived at her home, but would sometimes stop at her boyfriend’s home in Evans Street, Charlestown. But she said that on the night of Sunday, January 23, 2005, Dioana and her boyfriend, for whom she was said to be pregnant, turned up at her home. According to Rampersaud, the boyfriend came at around eight o’clock, while Dioana arrived at around ten. She said that the two began quarreling and she intervened. According to her, the boyfriend said that he was no longer interested in Dioana, since he was unhappy with her lifestyle. He reportedly also said that he wanted Dioana to have an abortion, since he was building a house and would not be able to take care of a child. The boyfriend also allegedly gave Ms.
Found in Zeelugt Cemetery: Afroze Ali, called Aunty ‘Lizzy Rampersaud $5,000 to help pay for the abortion. In turn, Dioana reportedly said that she wanted out of the relationship, since her boyfriend was involved in relationships with two other women. Mrs. Rampersaud claimed that the quarrel escalated and
the boyfriend and Dioana began to hurl threats at one another. She said that her daughter eventually left, saying that she was going to visit a female friend in Albouystown. Ms. Rampersaud said that she persuaded the boyfriend to stay back for some time, since she feared that the quarrel would escalate further. He reportedly left shortly after. Ms. Rampersaud said that she was worried when her daughter failed to return home, but assumed that she and the boyfriend had patched things up, and that she had spent the night at his home. All this information the grieving mother also related to the police, who tried to locate the boyfriend. They failed to locate him. But he wasn’t in hiding. In fact, we found him at his workplace. The 26year-old man was a cook at a city restaurant, and he expressed surprise that the police were looking for him. He also expressed shock that his girlfriend had been murdered and vehemently denied killing her. He confirmed that he and Dioana had quarreled over her lifestyle and her pregnancy. But he claimed that it was Dioana who had wanted the abortion after he questioned the paternity of the child. He willingly removed his shirt to show that he had no scratches, and later turned himself over to police. They eventually released him…and who lured ‘Dee Dee’ to the cemetery at night, and killed her there, is today, still not known… PATRICIAYOUNG Sunday, February 23, 2014, and, like many other Guyanese, 19-year-old Patricia Young travelled from her reputed husband’s
Melanie, East Coast Demerara home to watch the Mash Day floats in Georgetown. Her movements after that are unclear. According to one report, when the parade ended, Patricia, a former KFC employee, now employed at a call centre, joined a minibus for home. It was said that whenever she was in the city, the teen would inform her reputed husband that she was on her way and he would wait to escort her home when she disembarked from a minibus. On Mash night, she reportedly sent him a text message, requesting credit for her phone so that she could call him when she was nearing her home. He reportedly tried reaching her by phone a few minutes later, but got no response. It is said that when she failed to turn up, Young’s reputed husband became suspicious. His suspicions turned to anxiety when Young still did not show up the following morning, and a search was immediately launched. A missing person’s report was also lodged with the police. At around 17.30 hrs on Wednesday, February 26, 2014, Young’s reputed husband announced that he had found one of Patricia’s sandals just outside the cemetery at Bachelor’s Adventure. He contacted the police. The cops ventured into the cemetery, and near to a tree, they saw Patricia Young’s decomposing body. Detectives surmised that someone had killed the teen on the roadway, where her slipper was found, and dumped the corpse in the cemetery. The victim’s mini-skirt was pulled up and her top was rolled up all the way to her neck. She appeared to have been strangled, since there were no other visible marks of violence on the body. The reputed husband was taken into custody but after some intense questioning, investigators surmised that he had nothing to do with Young’s death. One theory investigators examined was that Patricia Young may have been the victim of a gang rape. It was suggested that she was attacked just after disembarking the bus after leaving Georgetown on Mash night. More than one resident had indicated that Young’s death appeared to be the work of more than one person. Young’s uncle, Lewis Young,
believes that the victim had to be overpowered by more than one person. “One person can’t do dat, because is nine ah we me mother get and she (Patricia) used to deh between all of us, ramping and thing…so she know she self…It had to be more than one person,” he said. ‘SONNY’S’ UNUSUAL FIND On Sunday, January 15, 2012, a drug addict known as ‘Sonny’ went to the home of a female resident of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, and said that the body of the woman’s daughter was in the Zeelugt cemetery. Not quite believing, the relatives sent a boy to check. In the end, though, they too visited the burial site, where they found the partly nude body of 40-year-old Afroze Ali, called ‘Aunty Lizzy.’ The corpse was covered with a length of cardboard. Cause of death was given as asphyxiation, due to manual strangulation. There was also blunt trauma to the head and detectives suspected sexual assault. There were signs that the killer or killers had begun digging a shallow grave, but apparently abandoned that plan. The woman was the fifth of nine siblings, and her life had been a tragic one. A widow with four children, Ali had reportedly fallen into a state of depression after her husband was murdered some 13 years prior to her own death. Relatives say it was customary for Ali to wander off for days before returning home. When she had not turned up, they had assumed she had gone on one of her jaunts. Some of the relatives found it strange that ‘Sonny’ had found the body. “This man does sleep in the burial ground. He does smoke up and so on, and it is strange that he find the body, because the cardboard we find ‘Lizzy’ on is the same piece of cardboard he does use fuh sleep on,” one relative alleged. Their suspicions were further aroused when ‘Sonny’ vanished from the neighbourhood. However, police located him some days later and detained the suspect and another drug addict. But to the consternation of relatives, police (Continued on page 48)
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Bharrat Jagdeo is unfit to hold high office I had planned this column to examine two press releases by the PPP, one specifically on my life in Guyana, in which alternative facts were used to describe what I achieved in my country. And the other with a reference to former police officer, Paul Slowe, and how he got his job. That analysis will have to wait, because of the President’s appointment of a GECOM chairman without adherence to the Carter formula. I do not agree with the unilateral appointment and can find no justifying circumstances, even though 10 months have passed without a chairman. The waiting is less important than the consequences of what Mr. Granger did. I cannot and will not believe that Granger’s unilateral direction will not have undesirable consequences and there will be unsavoury implications. We do not need more turmoil in Guyana to make people more mentally uncomfortable than they have been the past seventy years. I honestly believe what Granger did will make sections of Guyanese feel very uneasy living here. But more importantly, people have to know that when political instability and economic decline come, they affect the entire nation, not only those who rejected what the president did. They have a bearing on the lives of government supporters too. Against this background, I cannot see how the analyst can exonerate Bharrat Jagdeo from the precipitation of this impasse. He created it. He is an instinctively undemocratic personality with stretching shadows of philistinism oozing from his ontology. The
first list Mr. Jagdeo produced to the President was a depraved act of insult to the people of Guyana and the office of the presidency. But we must remember Jagdeo engaged in sickening violations of the sacredness of the office of the presidency before. One recalls his role in the non-legal covenant with Ms. Varshnie Singh. The president knew that his arrangement with Ms. Singh was not covered with legal documentation, because he refused to sign the forms to make it legal. Yet she used the title of First Lady. Then came the concatenations of accusations of presidential mistreatment in the domestic sphere by Ms. Singh, which should have brought about the removal of Mr. Jagdeo as President. The second assault on the sanctity of the presidency was the labyrinth connection between the state and high criminals, best exemplified in the role of Roger Khan. Our iconic scholar, Clive Thomas then coined the term, the “criminalized state.” The third insult to the office of presidency by M r. J a g d e o c a m e t e n months ago when he was not President, but still held the powerful and respected title of Opposition Leader. He submitted a list of names for the position of GECOM chairman and it was simply an act of shameless philistinism. Judging by his composition of that list, Mr. Jagdeo had no respect for the country he once led as president for exactly three American
presidential terms - that is, twelve years. Ms. Ryhaan Shah has no record of public service, claimed that she was essentially and quintessentially an Indian being, and thirdly, publicly stated that she only found the state to be undemocratic and government to be defective in governance after the APNU+AFC coalition came into office. This was one of Jagdeo’s selections. There was Dr. James Rose. He was three times an election candidate for Mr. Jagdeo’s party - twice in national elections and once in local government elections in 1994. There was
Normal McLean, one of the most controversial citizens in Guyana, going back to 1970. That is 47 years of a controversial life. McLean was once accused by the US Embassy of forging a document, charged and placed before the courts. Included in the second list was an Appeal Court judge who ruled in favour of the very man nominating him to be GECOM’s chair. Justice B.S. Roy ruled in favour of Jagdeo in the presidential two-term limitation. It was this same Appeal Court judge that upped a libel judgement against the Kaieteur News
from $5 million to $15 million, which the Caribbean Court of Justice struck out. Included in a third list was the wife of the lawyer who did the court case against the two-term limitation for Mr. Jagdeo. You cannot blame a wife for her husband’s professional associations, but it would raise questions of objectivity, thus her name should not have been offered. We could go on, but the point is Mr. Jagdeo simply toyed with the country, the constitution and the president. Unfortunately, an inexperienced president fell into a sophisticated trap
Frederick Kissoon that a sinister Jagdeo set. Using initiative and vision, Mr. Granger should have gone the way of wider consultations rather than a choice of his own.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 22, 2017
Jagdeo threatens civil disobedience… all Guyanese will suffer with that approach! Two days ago, former President Bharrat Jagdeo unleashed another barrage of hateful statements, which has become the normal utterings of this leader of the Opposition. He speaks of “non-cooperation” but what’s new? From day one of the current administration, the Jadgeo cabal has forcefully demonstrated with his words (that’s all he has today hence the perpetual spite and venom) that he feels that at all costs, no one else should ever rule Guyana. So much for his concept of democracy and the will of the people! This, in fact, if you examine it closer, has serious implications for the survival of our democracy. Jadgeo started off his deliberate agenda by stating that the election of May 2015 was rigged, although he accepted that there was only a difference of 4500 votes between the winner and loser! A glaring contradiction. His position since 2015 was that the PPP would not participate and this continues today. He went further and, up to today, continues to jeopardize the operation of the National Assembly – our Parliament, by refusing to identify a Deputy Speaker of the House as tradition dictates. By any definition this is a refusal to engage…so what new? The current cloak of hysteria thrown on this nation by the “prophet of Doom and Gloom” in the last two days is just another chapter in his carefully orchestrated agenda
of destabilization. But again, on closer examination, all will understand that from day one, his maneuvering with regard to the compilation of the list of names for submission to the President for the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was designed to frustrate and contaminate the process. The constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana - which he loves to pontificate about - dictates that the President must receive a list of six names, each person fitting the criteria of a “fit and proper” person. Although many were most honourable “fit and proper” Guyanese, Mr. Jadgeo deliberately started to play with fire, when he deliberately included on the list, for example, a female Indian rights activist who just a few months ago was spouting what can only be described as racist ramblings promoting the domination of one race against another at a function at the Cultural Centre, which was well reported for all and sundry to hear in the mainstream media. How could all Guyanese accept such a person as the epitome of fairness, integrity, and most importantly as “non political”, with a commitment to serve the interests of all races in our fractured society, which the position of Chair of GECOM demands at a minimum! The list also included a former candidate of the PPP, which suggests that the former President clearly did not understand the re-
quirements of the Constitution or deliberately chose to ignore it. How in any definition of the word “independence” could these names be on a list purporting to be persons of independent mind and thought, who could instill confidence in the election processes that are required to be performed by the Guyana Elections Commission. So understand that from the start this process was deliberately flawed by Jagdeo to force the exact result we are faced with today. Yes, a good chess game was orchestrated, and he brought pain and distrust to many Guyanese as we reach checkmate! We have many of examples of this, so understand, this is his nature. This travesty, however, has highlighted that this selection process must be changed to ensure that more key stakeholders have a say in this critical process. But what has been even more frightening is Mr. Jagdeo’s threat that he and his PPP will not participate in the upcoming Border Commission discussions. Really, Mr. Jagdeo? Is a former President of our dear Land of Guyana, who intends to run again for a third term, really willing to jeopardize critical discussions on our sovereignity, on our physical space – what we call our Guyana, our home? Is this an indication of what he feels about Guyana and Guyanese? That he would put Guyana up as a sacrificial lamb in the name of his political agenda? As one of the most critical discussions is about to take place internationally on our border controversy, the former President is demonstrating that he cannot put Guyana first,
and will not represent his people or the one Guyana that we know is possible. But worst of all, drowning in ego, which has now come to best define the man, Mr. Jagdeo has started to rant and rave from the housetops that civil unrest, is around the corner. He is prepared to have all of us Guyanese suffer – man, woman or child, regardless of race, gender or creed, with his threats of destabilization. We ask Mr. Jagdeo: who gives you the right to decide what will befall the citizens of this country? Understand that Guyana must and will hold him responsible for any cane field burnt, sugar factor sabotaged, or any set up purported incidents of racial violence that might occur. Mr. Jagdeo continues to behave like a spoilt little boy who, after legitimately losing the 2015 elections due to the extensive corruption in his administration says “I dun play. Gimme me bat and ball”. Let us not forget the massive incompetence which defined his presidency. The legacy he left us today is the failed Skeldon plant, and a GuySuCo which was woefully mismanaged under his watch. The billions in NIS payments owed to sugar workers were all under his watch. The billions of taxpayers’ monies misspent on a fibre optic cable to nowhere, to the acceptance of low grade poor works on several government projects like the Kato School and the building in High Street. History will not be repeated. Our eyes are open and we understand and see where Mr. Jagdeo wants to carry this, and we will not accept this. We Guyanese can and must come together as one.
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
My column
A president’s decision creates a hornets’ nest President David Granger seems to be in the middle of some flak from a growing group of self-proclaimed guardians of the society. This time the criticisms are coming from his decision to appoint a chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. He rejected three lists produced by Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, and appointed retired judge, Justice James Patterson. There are some things that I could not help but notice. The first was the contention that President Granger is indecisive. He was said to be indecisive when he pondered over the lists. Then he made a decisive choice and is being pilloried for it. The second has to do with the use of the Carter formula. There is nothing in the formula that says that the president must accept a name recommended by the opposition. It is true that from the time the formula was introduced the president has always selected a name from the list provided by the opposition. In each case the president, in his view, sought to select someone who in his opinion would favour him. This was the case with Rudy Collins, Doodnauth Singh, Major General Joe Singh and latterly, Dr Steve Surujbally. Indeed some were openly favourable of the president. Rudy Collins actually abdicated his responsibility to allow the then American Ambassador to take control of the elections. Those elections saw the production of two sets of voters’ lists. People found their names on one but failed to find their names on the other used by the polling agents. Many people were disenfranchised, but some of the voices being raised today remained silent. Others proclaimed the elections of 1992 free and fair. Doodnauth Singh justified the delay in obtaining the results from the polling sta-
tions in the city by claiming that the person who was transporting them had probably gone running to the Olympics instead of to the GECOM headquarters. Those elections were eventually challenged in court and the results vitiated. In the essence of democracy, Doodnauth Singh silently swore in Janet Jagan as president, then opted for a public display later. In the same vein, a marshal of court was assaulted when he attempted to serve a writ, and Doodnauth Singh proclaimed it good, when Mrs. Jagan tossed the writ over her shoulders. That was also democracy. Those elections saw statements of polls that were substituted. While the originals were signed, those used by the commission were unsigned; the figures were changed, but again those elections were dubbed free and fair. In 2015, GECOM took the decision to have the votes from the polling places counted by all the commissioners. They discovered that one of the commissioners had injected fake statements of poll. The People’s Progressive Party claimed that the elections were rigged after it lost. This time around I am hearing that democracy is threatened because the new chairman was not selected from a list provided by the opposition. The obvious contention is that Justice James Patterson represents a threat to democracy. Given
the composition of the commission, I cannot see how he could threaten democracy, but the self-proclaimed voices of democracy do think so. Indeed, it has become fashionable to target the chairman of the Elections Commission. Dr Steve Surujbally was picketed because he supported the decision to refuse some major recounts of ballot boxes that were obviously tampered with. His decision was seen by the opposition as hurting democracy. And democracy is dictated by the now political opposition. Looking at some of the democratic decisions taken by the PPP, I find many interesting things. For one, people were ousted from their jobs because they were perceived to be non-supporters. I can say so without challenge, because I was one. When the PPP began to talk about witch hunt, I put forward myself when Dr Roger Luncheon hosted a press conference at Freedom House. He remarked that if after 23 years people could point to the wrongs of the PPP and seek to perpetuate those wrongs, then heaven help Guyana. I agreed with him. Looking back at what passed for democracy, I could not help but note the treatment of Mark Benschop by the Jagdeo administration. He was charged with treason; a special magistrate was selected to preside over his preliminary inquiry. There were special prosecutors in the persons of Sanjeev Datadin
and Anil Nandlall, who were paid handsomely. Benschop was committed to stand trial in the High Court, but when his case was to be called by Justice Winston Moore, Anil Nandlall and Priya Manickchand moved to the court of appeal to challenge this decision, the only time in my memory that someone had moved to the courts to prevent a man from having his day in court. That was democracy. The trial was held and eleven jurors found him not guilty. A PPP supporter who was employed by Courts at the time, was the dissenting vote, so Benschop went back to prison. He was to stay there for three more years in addition to the two he spent from the time of his arrest. That was democracy. Jagdeo pardoned him following talks with Robert Corbin, the leader of the People’s National Congress at the time.
Like some of those who served as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, among them Major General Joe Singh, Justice Patterson has an unblemished character. So the criticism is his age. He is 84. Dr Cheddi Jagan was 79 when he died as President. So too was Janet Jagan when she demitted office as president. At no time did anyone consider their age. I would believe that if someone is lucid and can perform, then that person should be given the chance to. I am old at 68, but none can question my ability to perform as a newspaper man. George Barclay is also old. He is 81, but no one feels that he cannot perform as a reporter. Justice Patterson was appointed to head the commission of inquiry into the Camp Street riots of March 3, 2016. No one thought that he was too old when he was selected. In fact, I did not hear a peep
Adam Harris from anyone. I suppose one year in his life makes a big difference. The harsh reality is that the critics feel that Jagdeo had the God-given right to appoint the chairman of the elections commission. That didn’t happen, so like the little boy who picks up the cricket bat and ball and decides that no game shall be played because he dissented with a decision, Jagdeo is threatening to pick up his bat and ball. Unfortunately, he cannot end the game.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 22, 2017
Food for all (Excerpts from an address by HE President David Granger on World Food Day, October 16, 2017) The right to food is a basic human right. Guyana recognized this right from the start. This country became a republic on 23rd February 1970 and issued an iconic, commemorative coin known, popularly, as the ‘Cuffy Dollar.’ The coin was inscribed with the words – “Food for All.” I celebrate ‘World Food Day’ today, forty-seven years later and re-echo the same call – “Food for All.” World Food Day is an opportunity to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – that is, to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030. Zero hunger aims at ensuring that mothers are wellnourished; they can then have healthier babies with stronger immune systems; healthier children can help to build a healthier world for everyone. The Upper DemeraraBerbice Region is a most appropriate place to celebrate this international festival this year. This 17,000 km² Region is larger than Jamaica and represents 12 per cent of our national territory. The Region bestrides Guyana’s main rivers – Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo – and shares borders with seven other administrative regions. The Region has a varied landscape of grasslands, large tracts of arable land
and rainforests and can become a vital element in national and regional food security. The Region can become a farmyard for agricultural production, diversification and agro-industrialisation. It can help this country to realise its potential to provide ‘food for all’ in this country and the Caribbean Community. Guyana is committed to taking purposeful action to guarantee food security. ‘Food security’ is about a situation in which: “… all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Food security means that food must be available in sufficient quantities; that it must be accessible by all; and that it must be acceptable in terms of satisfying the dietary, nutritional and health needs of all. FOOD SECURITY The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that 815 million persons in the world are chronically undernourished; that one in every nine persons in the world does not have suf-
ficient food to live an active life. The world is also uncertain about its ability to satisfy the future food needs of its growing population. It is estimated that it will need to increase food production by 70 per cent to feed the additional two billion persons who will be added to the population by 2050. This will mean that developing countries will need to double their food production as at 2007 levels. Food security in the Caribbean (excluding Guyana) is threatened not so much by the non-availability of food as it is by undernourishment and the severe impact of environmental hazards on agricultural production. The 2017 hurricane season has severely damaged the agricultural sectors in some Eastern Caribbean islands, creating disruptions to those countries’ food systems. They retarded regional agriculture which was already restricted by reduced levels of investment and crop yields, increased input costs and macroeconomic constraints. Guyana enjoys a measure of food security in meat, rice, root tubers and vegetables. Access to food, however, remains uneven with pockets of extreme poverty, particularly in some hinterland communities. The prevalence of undernourishment stood at 8.5 per cent of the population in 2016. Undernourishment in the Caribbean was 18.3 per cent in 2017. Guyana can ensure improved access to nutritional food for its population, but it must address the deficiencies in national food security to take its place as a provider of ‘food for all’ for the country and the Caribbean. Food security is threatened, also, by the phenomenon of climate change. Extreme weather – the cycle of droughts and floods, the overtopping of the seawalls and swollen rivers – have resulted in widespread economic losses in the agricultural sector. The agriculture sector, owing to its dependence on environmental conditions, makes it susceptible to the detrimental effects of extreme weather. Climate change can affect food production by: accelerating the spread of pests and plant diseases; altering soil fertility and increasing soil erosion; and
affecting plant pollination and the stability of fishing grounds. The agriculture sector must be protected from the adverse effects of climate change. It must be made more resilient if it is to become a bastion of national and regional food security. REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY Guyana, as a member of Caribbean Community, is committed to the establishment of a Caribbean Single Market and Economy. This country, in this regard, is unreservedly committed to advancing the principles and policies published in: Caribbean Community Agricultural Policy (2011); C A R I C O M Agribusiness Development Strategy of 2012; CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2010), and Action Plan (2011); and the Liliendaal Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security of 2009. The Caribbean Community, taken as a whole, has the land, labour, market and money to provide ‘food for all’ of its citizens. The states of the Caribbean Community, taken together, exceed the Kingdom of Sweden which is over 450,000 km² in land area. The Caribbean Community can ensure greater food security by helping to reduce its mammoth food import bill of more than US$4 billion per year. The Caribbean Community’s Agricultural Policy (CAP) which proposes measures to “improve the resilience of the Region’s national communities and households to natural and socio– economic crises” – one which can ensure regional food security is established on a sturdy tripod: · Investment: The Caribbean Community must heed CAP’s calls for increased investment in the agri-food sector. Increased investment can expand production in existing and neglected cultivation areas along our coastland which remains the bedrock of this country’s agricultural production. The region must attract increased international investment to promote inland agriculture in order to reduce the sector’s vulnerability to coastal climate-
President David Granger related shocks and to improve food security and employment. Agricultural sectors tend to be concentrated near to the coast which makes them vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather. Coastal agriculture must be made more resilient and competitive through investments in climate adaptation infrastructure such as improved sea defences and improved drainage and irrigation and weather forecasting systems. · Innovation: The Caribbean Community must ensure the development of a more competitive and diversified agricultural sector. The CAP calls for “adapting, developing and applying innovation and technologies across value chains.” Innovation in agriculture can be promoted through diversification, value–added production and by shifting to the production increasingly towards satisfying export demand. Investments must be made in new technologies, including high-yielding crop varieties, aimed at improving yields and reducing costs. · Agro-industry: Agro-industry, that is the production, processing and packaging of food, using modern equipment and methods on a large-scale – is a key element of the strategy to ensure food security. It does so by reducing food imports
thereby making more local food available in processed form. Agro-processing adds value to food production. It enhances food security by stimulating increased demand for food production, by reducing crop losses resulting from spoilage and by diminishing food scarcity. Agro-processing advances food security by raising farmers’ incomes, reducing poverty and increasing employment. Agro-processing enables countries to increase food exports while reducing market uncertainties associated with p r i m a r y commodities. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has noted that urban consumers who account for 70 per cent of global food consumption are shifting towards greater use of higher value dairy products, eggs, fish, fruits, meat, processed foods and vegetables. Guyana, also, must shift its production patterns to satisfy market demand. This country must align its agricultural production to market demands in local, national, regional and international markets. This country’s agricultural sector will remain a mainstay of our economy. It is through increased investment, innovation and intensification of agro-industrial development that the agricultural sector will guarantee national and regional food security.
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Lead Poisoning: The Secret Destroyer By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Lead Poisoning affects the world population more than is often realized. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 143,000 deaths yearly from lead poisoning. Lead exposure contributes to 600,000 new cases of children with intellectual disabilities every year and 99 percent of children affected by high exposure to lead live in lowand middle-income countries. It may be lurking in our homes here in Guyana and we need to look out for the subtle signs before it’s too late. WHAT IS LEAD POISONING? Lead poisoning is a serious medical problem that mostly affects children. It happens when too much lead gets into a person’s body. It can damage the brain, kidneys, and other organs. In children, lead poisoning can cause learning and memory problems that can never be fixed. Lead is a metal, so people think of it as something that you find only in pipes or other metal objects. The truth
is, lead can be found in all kinds of things, including dust, wall paint, old toys, pottery, soil, and even drinking water. HOW CAN A PERSON GET LEAD POISONING? That depends on whether the person is a child or an adult. A child can get lead poisoning in a few different ways: %The child can swallow or inhale lead in dust. House paint used to be made with lead in it. Many old houses still have that paint. As the paint slowly chips or peels, lead can get into dust. %The child can swallow lead in water or food. The pipes in some homes have lead in them, so lead can get into water that way. Foods can get lead in them if they are stored in certain types of cans or if they have certain spices. %The child can chew or suck on toys, jewelry, or other products that have lead in them. This does not happen often. In adults, lead poisoning is less common than it is in children. That’s because the body develops a natural way to protect itself from lead as it
gets older. Even so, adults can get lead poisoning if they have a job or a hobby that involves using materials that have lead. For example, adults can get lead poisoning if they: %Work with lead paint (painting bridges or boats, for example) %Are exposed to lead fumes (because they work in battery recycling or in a plant that processes lead, for example) %Make ceramics or stained glass %Remodel their home and there is lead in the paint that was used when the home was built WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF LEAD POISONING? Most young children with lead poisoning have no symptoms. That is why it’s so important to screen children at risk for lead poisoning (such as those living in houses built for more than 30 years). When symptoms occur, they vary depending on how much lead a person is exposed to. In general, a child with symptoms might: - Feel tired - Have a stomach ache - Feel constipated
- Feel irritable - Vomit - Have developmental delay - Have learning difficulties - Have loss of appetite - Have weight loss - Have hearing loss - Have Seizures Adults can have the following symptoms: - High blood pressure - Joint and muscle pain - Difficulties with memory or concentration - Headache - Abdominal pain - Mood disorders - Reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm - Miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in pregnant women IS THERE ATEST FOR LEAD POISONING? Yes. There are blood tests that measure the amount of lead in a person’s body. You should ask your child’s doctor if your child needs to be screened for lead poisoning. HOW IS LEAD POISONING TREATED? The most important “treatment” for lead poisoning is to get rid of the
source of the lead. For example, if a child got lead poisoning from paint dust in his or her home, then a professional should remove all the lead paint (called “lead abatement”) from the child’s home. The only way to fully protect a child is to remove the source of lead from his or her surroundings. For people with very high levels of lead, doctors sometimes suggest a treatment called “chelation” therapy. This involves taking a medicine that helps pull lead out of the body. The medici n e c a n b e given through a thin tube that goes into a vein called an “IV,” in pills, or in a shot. But doctors can give this medicine only if they are sure that the person is no longer being exposed to lead. If the person is still being exposed to lead, the medicine can actually make lead poisoning worse. Plus, chelation does not prevent or undo the long-term effects of lead on learning and intelligence. CAN LEAD POISONING BE PREVENTED? Yes. The most important
Dr. Zulfikar Bux thing you can do to prevent lead poisoning is to avoid exposure to lead in paint or household materials that may have lead in them. You should avoid toys that may have lead in them. Another wa y t o p r e vent or reduce the effects of lead poisoning is to eat a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and iron. Good food choices include milk, yogurt, fortified cereals, fish, lean meats, o r a n g e s , a n d t o m a toes. Plus, children should get a multivitamin with iron every day. You should research online for household items and toys that may have lead. Preventing lead exposure beats looking for the subtle and often missed symptoms of lead poisoning.
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Kaieteur News
SUNDAY DEEP WORRY OVER SKELDON…FACTORY FALLS FROM SAVIOUR TO BANDIT – GUYSUCO ADMITS The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has defended the decision to put the Skeldon estate up for private investments. On Friday, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bhim, made it clear that the state-owned corporation simply does not have the money to improve the fortunes of Skeldon, the country’s newest sugar factory. Commissioned in 2009, the Chinese-built factory never made it off the ground. There was one technical problem after another. There were issues with the dumper, which transfers canes from the punts to the factory. Then there were problems with the boilers. This year, just eight years after being commissioned, the factory was not allowed to grind for the first crop because of major safety issues with the boilers. Emergency works had to be conducted and grinding has started for the second crop, but production is still way behind targets. Bhim disclosed that for the project, while US$112M was plugged into the factory and another US$6M for the dumper, the rest of the budgeted US$200M, some US$80M-plus, was supposed to expand the cultivation of Skeldon estate, including making the field mechanical harvesting-friendly. The failure of the Skeldon project had been a major embarrassment for consecutive administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Questioned Friday during a press conference, Bhim, who is also the Finance Director of the troubled corporation, said that the factory currently requires another US$15M to fix major problems. The problems would not stop there. A major “chunk” of the mon-
ies would have to go to completing the conversions of cane fields. Without the converted fields, repairing the factory would be pointless as there would not be enough cane to feed the factory which has capacity to grind up 350 tonnes per hour. Still, tens of millions of dollars more would have to go to purchase new equipment for harvesting, including tractors. Under the US$200M Skeldon project, which was the brainchild of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, GuySuCo was supposed to raise the monies for the field conversion from the sale of lands. GuySuCo never got around to that. The Government of Guyana has been forced to take over the Skeldon loans. According to the Deputy CEO, the problems with Skeldon have been known for a while. MONDAY POTHOLE LEADS TO 5 DEATHS ON BERBICE ROAD A New-York based man and his four passengers were killed on the spot at around 14:30 hrs Sunday, after their vehicle landed in a pothole, and careened into the path of an approaching, paddyladen truck. The gruesome accident, which left mangled bodies strewn on the roadside, occurred as the victims were on a joy-ride on the Number 59 Village Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice. The victims were identified as Sabita Manglani, 43, an immigration consultant; her two children, Emanuel Manglani, 18, and Ethan Ramjeet, five, all of Lot 4 Bel Air, Greater Georgetown; her boyfriend, Dhanpaul Kishandayal, 39, of New York and her secretary, Reshma Seeram, 28, of Leonora, West Coast Demerara. Sabita operated a visa and passport application business at Maraj Building, Georgetown.
Police said that the truck driver, 30-year-old Doodram Singh of Number 49 Village, Corentyne, has been hospitalized in a critical condition. A police release stated that the occupants of the car, PPP 3394, were proceeding south along the roadway at a fast rate, when they collided with an approaching truck, GZ, 2764. As a result, the car driver and occupants sustained severe injuries, and were pronounced dead on arrival at the Skeldon Hospital, where truck driver Doodram Singh was also admitted. But other reports indicate that Kishandayal, who was at the wheel, lost control after driving into a pothole. The car then ‘spun,’ and toppled into the path of the approaching truck, which was laden with sacks of paddy. The truck driver reportedly swerved to avoid the oncoming car, but the car slammed into the tray of the truck. The impact caused the tray to be separated from the truck. Pictures shared on social media showed mangled bodies at the side of the roadway, and one body trapped in the car. Kaieteur News understands that Kishandayal only came to Guyana about two weeks ago. The tragedy is reminiscent of other road accidents in which there were multiple fatalities. In 2011, four people, including a nursery school head-teacher and her eight-year-old daughter were killed after a speeding bus suffered a blowout and rolled over four times on Homestretch Avenue. In 1993, four children were burned to dead at linden after the bus in which they were travelling exploded. COLLUSION CHARGES RECOMMENDED FOR RASUL, GOLD BOARD TOP STAFFERS Charges of collusion have been recommended for three senior staff-
Sunday October 22, 2017
ers of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) as well as embattled dealer, Saddiqui ‘Bobby’ Rasul. The recommendations were made recently and have led to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) studying the findings of the police Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). SOCU and its head, Sydney James, have been silent on progress of several separate investigations, refusing to comment on what he says are ongoing matters. However, well-placed officials familiar with the case said that the collusion charges were recently recommended against General M a n a g e r, L i s a v e t a R a m o t a r ; Deputy Andrea Seelochan and Legal Officer, Suzanne Bullen. Rasul is also to be recommended for charges. The sources declined to give details. These recommendations would be on just one aspect of the probe. Rasul, who lost his dealer’s licence, is also being investigated for alleged money laundering. He is alleged to have passed hundreds of millions through the Gold Board claiming it came mainly from his gold mining company. That matter has not yet been received by the DPP. It appeared the fixing of the records, which should have been picked up at the Gold Board level, was a mere ploy not to pay a two percent tax that is waived from mining companies when gold is declared. Dealers have to pay it. In essence, Rasul was making declarations from both his mining companyR. Mining- and his gold dealing/trading company. All three Gold Board officials were sent on leave earlier this year after a $950M fraud was discovered at the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI) branch in Bartica, Region Seven. That fraud exposed a number of worrying things, including a cozy relationship between the Gold Board and Rasul. The GBTI manager was sent home, with the bank later reporting that the fraud had dented its profit. GBTI’s Chief Executive Officer, John Tracey, went on leave soon after the story broke. Bullen, as the Legal Officer, helped to establish SSS Minerals Trading Enterprise Inc., the gold trading company that Rasul owned and which was handed a dealer’s licence. Her role in signing on those documents would be viewed as a clear conflict of interest, as she is the officer at the Gold Board, who has to ensure companies like SSS Minerals are in compliance. Investigators are contending that the Gold Board officials should have seen warning signs from Rasul’s declarations and should have known that the transactions, at the very least, bordered on being suspicious. Ramotar is the daughter of former President, Donald Ramotar. Rasul was arrested and charged in a
high profile case earlier this year after he allegedly defrauded the Bartica branch of Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI) of more than $950M in a cheque deposit scheme that involved Citizens Bank. He was placed on $3M bail, leaving GBTI’s profits severely affected. The case is ongoing. Bullen allegedly claimed that she received instructions from higher up in the Gold Board to assist in establishing SSS Minerals. GUYANAGETS ZERO CORPORATION TAX FROM OIL OPERATORS – RAM MAKES URGENT CALL FOR REVIEW OF PETROLEUM CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Chris Ram is calling for the Government to review the use of Production Sharing Agreements as it inhibits the nation from collecting corporation tax from oil operators. A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed by a jurisdiction on the income or capital of corporations or legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level. According to Ram, “We have to look at our tax system very carefully. Our Minister has said we don’t need to look at our tax system in relation to petroleum, but I disagree with this.” ”We get zero corporation tax under the model petroleum agreement… The Government’s share of profit oil includes the taxes paid or payable by the oil producer so why don’t we move away from Production Sharing Agreements?” With this in mind, Ram argued that an intelligent approach is really needed to address loopholes in legislation and agreements governing the oil and gas sector. TUESDAY TRINIDAD OIL SPILL PUSHES GUYANATO DEMAND COMMITMENTS FROM EXXONMOBIL – AS COMPANY’S EIA LEAVES BURDEN ON THE COUNTRY There is widespread outrage in Trinidad over an oil spill that has been spreading across the island’s western coast since Sunday. Trinidadians are lamenting the effects of the disaster off the coast of Chaguaramas. They worry not only about the financial cost to effect an efficient clean up but the long term effects that the spill will have on tourism and fishing. There has been an influx of Trinidadian specialists and politicians coming to Guyana over the past few months. They have all been speaking of ways that Guyana can learn from Trinidad’s experience as an oil producing nation. However, most of the talks have been on issues like local content, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corruption and financial related (Continued on page 33)
Sunday October 22, 2017
(From page 32) matters. Little conversation has been on the environment. The recent oil spill speaks for itself about the need for Guyana to look and learn. Since the spill, Trinidad nationals have been calling on their politicians to ensure legislation that outlines a better response to oil spill. The response should be mandatory. They are also calling for the oil companies to be held responsible. Guyana has even less in place than Trinidad to protect the environment. With ExxonMobil’s operations heading into full swing, Guyana is now at risk of having to face the consequences of an oil spill. It was earlier reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the oil giant. According to the source document, ExxonMobil has little or no plans in place to deal with any oil spill. Exxon claims that the possibility of an oil spill is not very high. However, it said that there is a 10 percent chance that in the event of a spill, oil will reach the coast of Guyana where 90 percent of its population sits. ExxonMobil inferred that because of the purported ‘slim’ chance of an oil spill, detailed response measures are not needed. However, with a two percent possibility of occurring, the practice around the world is that oil companies are made to cater in detail for disasters. There is also nothing in the EIA that speaks to how Guyana’s neighbours will be compensated. What was clear is that ExxonMobil did not commit to bearing the legal or financial responsibility in the event of a disaster. Neighbouring countries, should environmental damage occur, can move against Guyana. If the burden is left to be borne by Guyana, the country may have to pay damages equivalent to years of oil revenues. ExxonMobil’s EIA also offers no compensation to fishermen and other Guyanese who are most likely to be affected in the case of an oil spill. The EIA has little or no information on the role to be played by relevant stakeholders as it
Kaieteur News
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pertains to consultations, training and quick response measures. US$500M GBTI CONTEMPT CHARGE…3 WEEKS LATER, DPP STILL TO PRONOUNCE ON CHARGES AGAINST HER LAWYER The Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack, is facing a major dilemma. She is being asked to pronounce on a case against her own lawyer, Robin Stoby. Stoby is the Chairperson of the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI), a major, privately-owned financial institution. The bank is facing off, in a case of high stakes, against the police Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). The unit has recommended contempt charges against Stoby and his seven directors for allegedly refusing to hand over details of transactions with the US dollar and other bank accounts of the state-controlled, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). However, despite at least four court orders, GBTI has failed or only partly complied, despite given deadlines. SOCU reportedly prepared charges and handed the files over to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) last month. However, the files are still being considered by the DPP Chambers. The delays would be the least of the problems now. Over the weekend, according to a number of legal officials, the DPP may find herself in a serious situation of conflict of interest. Her lawyer, in the case involving the Pradoville Two lands, is Stoby who is also chairman of GBTI. He is representing her in the Pradoville Two case. The DPP has reportedly benefitted from a house lot at Pradoville Two, an ocean-front property at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, which was allocated under questionable circumstances by the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. Several former Government officials of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic benefitted from lands there in what investigators say is below market prices. SOCU is reportedly investigating that matter too. The files may
very well end up before the DPP for advice, raising some legal issues over conflict of interest. WEDNESDAY US$500M GBTI PROBE… DPP LAWYER’S CONTEMPT CASE “WILL BE TREATED LIKEALLOTHERS” – CHAMBERS SCHOOLS SOCU ON CONDUCTING “QUALITY INVESTIGATION” The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) says it will offer no special treatment to files of the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI). In a letter to the Editor Tuesday, Communications Officer of the DPP Chambers, Liz Rahaman, denied that a particular file was being considered three weeks now. The Chambers also took the opportunity to school the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the police arm that focus on financial crimes, on how to conduct “proper investigations”. The statement by the DPP Chambers would come hours after Kaieteur News published an article titled “US$500M GBTI contempt charges…3 weeks later, DPP still to pronounce on charges against her lawyer”… The article said that the DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack, may find herself in a possible conflict of interest situation, as she was being asked to pronounce on a case involving her lawyer, Robin Stoby. Stoby is also the Chairman of GBTI. Last month, SOCU, which is tracking down US$500M that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) handled as far back as 2010, submitted files to the DPP recommending contempt charges against GBTI’s eight directors, including Stoby, the chairman. This was after the bank and SOCU were locked in a battle over information concerning the GRDB accounts, since February. SOCU is contending that the bank failed or stalled and gave all kinds of excuses, and even destroyed pertinent records relating to GRDB. SOCU reportedly argued that
other banks complied, but it was finding it hard going with GBTI. SOCU received four court orders, including one from the High Court, asking that GBTI hand over the information. In late August, Chief Justice (ag.) Roxanne George-Wiltshire, granted production orders to SOCU, giving the bank a week to hand over certain information. That deadline expired in early September, and the bank was reportedly granted some extra time. H o w e v e r, t h e d e a d l i n e elapsed and SOCU prepared files recommending the highly unusual charges of contempt against the directors. Under tough anti-money laundering laws, once court orders are granted, financial institutions are reportedly bound to provide information. In this case, the monies are not from private accounts, but rather from the US dollar and other accounts of GRDB, a state entity. The DPP has reportedly retained Stoby to represent her in a case that she was implicated in…the Pradoville Tw o investigations…she and several other officials in the previous administrations, reportedly received plots of land which investigators said were below market value. How those lands were allocated, among other things, is w h a t S O C U w a n t s t o k n o w. That investigation is about to be wrapped up and should be handed over to the DPP’s office shortly. In responding to the report in Kaieteur News, the DPP’s Chambers made it clear that it “is a lie” that it has been considering a file for three weeks. GUYANA’S OIL LIKELY TO BE EXXONMOBIL’S “CASH COW” IN COMING YEARS – YAHOO Guyana is no small fish in ExxonMobil’s pond. While the company has operations in over 50 countries around the world, it is the
Guyana venture that is being deemed this big company’s proverbial “cash cow.” This was reflected in an article published in Yahoo News that attracted the headline “Why this surprise play is huge for ExxonMobil.” The investors noted that it is usually unlikely that any single decision or event would significantly impact big oil companies. “But that isn’t the case with oil giant ExxonMobil, which has gone all in on an unexpected oil play.” The investors said that luckily for ExxonMobil and the smaller oil industry player Hess — its gamble seems to be paying off. It was stated that the oil industry is often characterized by luck and chance as sometimes companies may invest heavily in a block that turns out to be dry; while, others may get a block that is unpopular for a cheap price and hit jackpot. The article stated that success seemed unlikely for ExxonMobil when it first explored for oil and gas off the shores of Guyana. There had never been a successful oil find in Guyana, and two wells drilled in 2012 were disappointments. ”But in 2015, Exxon’s Liza-1 well discovered 90 meters of oil-bearing sandstone, and the goodies just kept on coming.” The investors noted that by the end of September, Exxon had made three more oil discoveries, in addition to Liza-1. These discoveries — named Payara, Snoek, and Liza Deep — made the company very optimistic about prospects for the rest of the play. On October 5, ExxonMobil announced a fifth discovery at its Turbot-1 well. The well encountered a reservoir of 75 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone, similar to previous finds in the area. Yahoo published that ExxonMobil now expects to drill another well at the Turbot site in 2018. Meanwhile, following completion of the Turbot-1 well, the Stena Carron drillship will move north to the “Ranger” prospect to see if it (Continued on page 34)
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Sunday October 22, 2017
(From page 33) has continued success. COPS ARREST CITY CONSTABLE WHO HAD SEX WITH DETAINED JUVENILE It took almost two months, but the city constable who forced a detained 15-year-old boy into a sexual act last August has finally been fired and arrested. Police took the disgraced lance corporal into custody Tuesday at Brickdam, some hours after the Mayor and City Council dismissed him for “gross misconduct.” Kaieteur News was told that a policeman went to City Hall to arrest the accused city constable, only to be informed that he was no longer there, since he had been fired. He was eventually located and taken into custody. In a letter signed Tuesday by Town Clerk Royston King, the rank was informed that he had been dismissed “with immediate effect…due to your gross misconduct, between Tuesday August 22, 2017 and Wednesday August 23, 2017… at the Regent Street Outpost, where you engaged in a sexual act with a juvenile.” But it was just a day earlier that King had said at a statutory meeting that “nothing has been proven,” against the lance corporal, and that the accusation was “one of mere allegation.” King had also said that based on the preliminary investigations, “there are certain missing links in the case.” But the City Constabulary corporal who witnessed the sex act, and reported it, was also given the boot Tuesday. The Town Clerk’s letter informed the rank that he was being dismissed for “dereliction of duty.” ” Yo u s t a t e d t h a t y o u s a w Lance Corporal (name given) engaging in a sexual act with a ju-
venile in the custody of the City Constabulary, but took no action. Further, you made no entry of the occurrence in the station diary,” the letter stated. Explaining further the reason for the dismissal, City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green told Kaieteur News that the corporal had “failed to protect a juvenile.” ”You see something like that, you take control of your station. You don’t allow an unnatural act to happen.” She added that officials received “new information,” on the case, and this led to the d i s m i s s a l s . Refuting any part in a cover-up, Chase-Green again stated that it was she who had insisted on an investigation, after learning of the allegation. “The Chief Constable lapsed. It was not until I brought the matter to the Full Council, and gave the Chief Constable 24 hours to give a report or be sent home (that action was taken),” Mayor Chase-Green said. She also hinted that “may more officers” may be disciplined when the investigation is completed. Although the incident happened in
August, City Hall only investigated the matter after Kaieteur News broke the story. THURSDAY FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF IDB…INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FACED PROCUREMENT ISSUES, DELAYS, COST OVERRUNS A key report of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) assessing the period 2012–2016, found major procurement practices and cost overruns in public infrastructural projects. During the period in question, there was a change in Government, from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic to the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition in May 2015. The report would highlight some of the major problems faced by IDB, a key financier for state projects, from roads and bridges, to power improvements initiatives. According to the document, the ‘IDB Group Country Strategy with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana 2017–2021’, infrastructure
projects—holdovers from the last Country Strategy (CS) period, of 2012-2016- there were mixed results in the water and sanitation projects. During the review period, the main achievements include the construction of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill (HBSL), at Eccles landfill, East Bank Demerara; the rehabilitation of Georgetown’s Sewerage System; and the construction of water treatment plants (WTPs), reservoirs, and storage tanks in Linden and Georgetown’s surrounding areas. However, IDB’s report noted, the impact of financial and institutional strengthening activities was limited. There were reasons for this, IDB said. ”Poor procurement practices, lack of technical human resources, and weak institutional capacity in the executing agency resulted in programme delays, cost overruns, reformulation, and extensions. Financial, operational, and institutional factors threaten the longterm sustainability of the results.” In the transport projects, design delays and procurement deficiencies thwarted projects to expand, upgrade, and maintain road networks. ”One bright spot was a housing project, which exceeded expectations and improved access to housing for 74 percent of the target population—surpassing the anticipated 70 percent. Even so, delays in procurement and contracting impeded programme implementation. The project had to be extended by two years.” IDB said it consistently worked with the Government of Guyana to strengthen institutions. DEEPAVALI CONTROVERSY: MAJORITY OF GUYANESE BOYCOTT GOVT. -ANNOUNCED DIYALIGHTING Wednesday, declared a national holiday by the Ministry of Public Security and published in the Official Gazette, was again largely rejected by Hindus. On East Bank Demerara and in the city, there were very few homes that were lit up as compared to previous years. Essequibo and Berbice, where a
significant number of Hindus live, were reporting that they were going to light their diyas today. Hindus from the city and Region Four, congregated in the city and on East Coast Demerara, lining the roadways to view the traditional motorcade, organized by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS). The annual motorcade would traditionally be held the night before Diwali. GHDS reportedly applied for and received police permission for last evening’s motorcade. It was clear Wednesday that there is deep division within the various Hindu organizations, with several statements issued to newspaper and posted on social media. It was clear also, that there were deep political undertones as while some Hindu organizations backed October 18, sending messages, a number of other organizations sent out messages that were recognizing October 19 as Diwali. Critics have blamed political leanings by a number of the Hindu organizations on the division. Wednesday, the US, which is the same time zone celebrated Diwali. Trinidad also celebrated Wednesday. However, Suriname observed Diwali Thursday. Traditionally, GHDS has been closely linked to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. LOCAL CONTENT POLICY VERY LIKELY BYYEAR END –NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER -INITIALDOCUMENTALREADY UPDATED BYADVISOR TO GOVT. It is very likely that come year end, Guyana will have in place, a robust Local Content Policy for the oil and gas sector. This is according to the nation’s “optimistic” Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman. Trotman reminded that the Government has retained the services of world-renowned expert, Mr. Anthony Paul. Minister Trotman noted that Paul was keen on completing and having distributed for consultation, the first draft policy. Trotman expressed, “The idea for this is that we could not move to legislation without first having a policy. Legislation should follow policy rather than the reverse and so it was thought that we should craft the policy before 2020.” The Parliamentarian added, “Paul, who was away for a few weeks, has returned and in September last, he held consultations with various members of the Private Sector along with others across the region. He has resubmitted another draft taking into consideration the new views and ideas shared by stakeholders.” The Natural Resources Minister said that the “updated” draft is expected to be shared with the public soon. “And hopefully by the end of the year, we will have a national Local Content Policy that we can (Continued on page 35)
Sunday October 22, 2017
(From page 34) all sign on to.” Be that as it may, Guyana’s draft local content policy has been criticised in recent months for lacking provisions which would safeguard against exploitation by companies. The draft speaks nothing of how to avoid procurement fraud, conflict of interest and favouritism among other crucial areas. Instead, the draft Local Content Policy framework seeks to address, the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses. The Policy articulates that this will be don’t through; training, development and employment initiatives (Capacity Development), ensuring availability of ownership participation for qualified Guyanese equity interest (Ownership Value), supplier development provisions for goods and services by locals to support sector operations (Local Content); and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits (Societal Benefits). FRIDAY JAGDEO THREATENS DESTABILIZATION AS RETIRED JUDGE SWORN IN AS NEW GECOM CHAIRMAN The failure of the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo to provide a list containing “fit and proper” individuals, left President David Granger with no choice but to unilaterally appoint a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Starting today, former Justice James Patterson will perform the
Kaieteur News
duties of GECOM Chairman. The 84year-old was sworn in last night at State House. The simple ceremony saw no relatives of Patterson. The Minister of State, Joseph Harmon was at the event along with other media representatives. The President confirmed that he did inform the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo of his choice. The Head of State said that at 18:00 hrs yesterday, Jagdeo was invited to discuss the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM. The President said, “I told Jagdeo that I found the third list he submitted on August 25 last, to be unacceptable within the meaning of the Constitution. I also paid attention to the ruling of Chief Justice acting Roxanne George…” He added, “Being desirous of fulfilling the requirements of the Constitution and the need to appoint a new GECOM chairman, and in light of the failure of Jagdeo to present me with a list that was acceptable, I decided it would be in the public’s in-
terest to resort to the proviso in the Constitution at Article 161 (2).” Granger noted that the proviso allows the President to appoint a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. On that note, he extended hearty congratulations to Patterson on the new post. AGE IS JUSTA NUMBER After the formalities were over, President Granger was grilled by the media to say how he would justify the age of the new GECOM Commissioner, which has come up as an issue for discussion. Granger asserted that he believes Patterson is up for the task. He stated that Patterson has a track record of long judicial service. He noted that Patterson is also a former Chief Justice of Grenada. Given his experience, Patterson is indeed a fit and proper person, the President expressed. Granger said, “We are looking for persons with integrity, impartiality and independence, and I think he is a person who has all of the qualities which we require.” He said it is important that the search comes to an end, and that
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the business of the Guyana Elections Commission gets moving. The President was also asked to state his reasons for rejecting Jagdeo’s third list which included Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh, a former Chairman of GECOM. Granger said that he was not prepared to discuss the individual qualities of certain persons but taken as a whole, Jagdeo’s third list was unacceptable. “That is all I need to say in accordance with the Constitution,” the President added. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo held an emergency press conference to which he expressed his anger and frustration with the manner in which the President sought to appoint the new GECOM Chairman. In fact, Jagdeo in no uncertain terms stated that he would be withdrawing all forms of cooperation with the Government, including partici-
pating in an upcoming border committee meeting. US$500M PROBE AT GRDB…GBTI DIRECTORS, CEO HEADING TO COURT AS CONTEMPT CHARGES FILED Investigators have filed contempt charges against the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI) in a major case that will test the country’s capacity to handle financial crimes. Thursday, a number of the bank’s directors were reportedly summoned to the Camp Road headquarters of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), where top lawyers, including Nigel Hughes and Stephen Fraser, were also on the scene. At around 4pm, the bank officials, which included Chairman, and directors, Robin Stoby, Suresh Beharry, Basil Mahadeo and Richard Isava, were seen exiting the SOCU compound with their lawyers. According to sources at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, contempt charges were filed Thursday by SOCU. The charges are said to be in relation to the alleged failure of the bank to provide requested documents ordered by the Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire in Production Orders granted on the August 30th, 2017. The bank had been given seven days to comply, but SOCU claimed that it failed and even refused. The bank and directors are to be arraigned. Named in the charges are Chairman, Robin Stoby; and directors, Edward A. Beharry, Suresh Beharry, Kathryn Eytle-McLean, Richard Isava, Carlton James and Basil Mahadeo. Chief Executive Officer (ag) Shaleeza Shaw has also (Continued on page 36)
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(From page 35) been named. The case has pitted SOCU against the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after the unit reportedly complained that there were delays in making a decision to charge. The unit had moved to have the directors be charged after the deadline for the orders elapsed. GOVT. TO PAYOUT $3.5B TO PUBLIC SERVANTS – INCREASES MINIMUM WAGE TO $60,000 Government has made a final offer to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), announcing plans to increase the new minimum wage to $60,000, which is an increase of $5,555, retroactive from January 2017. Head of the Department of Public Service and Permanent Secretary, Reginald Brotherson, told reporters Thursday that some 14,000 public servants will benefit from the increases which will cost Government approximately $3.5 billion. Brotherson said that negotiations with the GPSU began about a month ago, but no proposals were put forward by the Union, whose representatives said that negotiations for 2016 were incomplete. The union pointed to a letter from President David Granger; however, Brotherson said the Government’s negotiating team rejected this position. ”In our clarifications with His Excellency, he clearly was referring to allowances, but from the Government’s side a final offer was given in 2016, so the union has decided that they are going to write His Excellency for that level of clarification. The Government’s negotiating team was very clear that we had concluded 2016 negotiations, in so far as wages and salaries were con-
cerned,” Brotherson said. On Monday, October 16, the two sides met to discuss wage increases; however, the offer put forward by the Government was rejected by the union. Final Offer *8 % increase for persons earning between GYD$55,555 to G Y D $ 9 9 , 9 9 9 ; *6 % increase for persons earning between GYD$100,000 to G Y D $ 2 9 9 , 9 9 9 ; *5 % increase for persons earning GYD$500,000 to GYD$699,999; *2 % increase for persons earning GYD$700,000 to GYD$799,000 *0.5% increase for persons earning GYD$800,000 to GYD$1 million. SATURDAY AFC PLAYED NO ROLE IN SELECTION OF GECOM CHAIRMAN …CONDEMNS JAGDEO’S DESTABILISATION THREATS
The Alliance for Change (AFC), which forms part of the coalition government, has distanced itself from the process that led to the unilateral appointment of retired Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). However, it has condemned the threats by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo as reckless. Jagdeo has vowed to destabilise the government. A statement issued by the AFC last evening following a meeting of top level party officials, stated that it is regrettable that after three protracted rounds of consultations and submissions each of the three lists fell short of the requirements of the constitution. “The AFC played no part in the selection process,” the party made clear in the statement. Justice Patterson was not among
Sunday October 22, 2017
the names from the three lists submitted by the Opposition Leader. Jagdeo in response has promised to have the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) support base become uncooperative with the government on any issue. The Opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic, plans to approach the international community, including the United Nations. He also plans to seek legal redress. “The AFC strongly condemns the Opposition Leader for his reckless and unpatriotic stance of noncooperation and civil disobedience and the party will hold him personally accountable for the consequences of any civil unrest which may ensue,” the party stated. The AFC sought to justify the appointment, noting that the party recognised that the necessity had arisen for the president not to further delay the appointment of a Chairman. According to the AFC, the appointment in the president’s own deliberate judgment has averted a looming constitutional crisis. “The party recognises that according to the constitution the consultation process was purely between the President and the Leader of the Opposition,” the AFC pointed out. The AFC stated their intention to use the constitutional reform process to ensure that there is wider participation of stakeholders in the selection of GECOM commissioners. According to the party, now that GECOM is fully constituted, the expectations are that GECOM will commence its work immediately in preparation for Local Government Elections in 2018 and Regional and General Elections in 2020. The AFC said it holds GECOM to the highest standards of electoral integrity and will stridently challenge any threats to the preservation of democracy. US$500M PROBE AT GRDB… BANK ADMITS COURT ORDERS HAVE TO BE COMPLIED WITH -GRANTED TIME TO FIND MISSING DOCUMENTS; DIRECTORS’ CONTEMPT CHARGES IN LIMBO The High Court has granted the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI) three weeks to search for transaction documents relating to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), in a case that is being closely watched. The privately-controlled bank was battling the police Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) over the release of information pertaining to bank accounts of the Rice Board. A number of other banks reportedly complied but there was a problem with GBTI according to SOCU. SOCU says it had requested the information since February but delays it believed were deliberate in nature, caused it to approach the courts, both the magistrate’s court
and the High Court, for orders to force GBTI to comply. The police unit, which focuses on financial crimes, filed contempt charges on Thursday, against eight officials, including the entire board of directors and the current chief, claiming that the bank did not comply, despite being granted extensions. The directors and officials were asked to report to SOCU on Thursday and were set to answer the charges next week. On Friday, both SOCU and the bank were at the High Court, in the Chambers of the Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George-Wiltshire, with the latter asking for more time to produce the documents that investigators wants. The arguments lasted for more than 90 minutes with some unsmiling faces at the end. The stakes were high. Representing SOCU was its head, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James; and SolicitorGeneral of the Attorney General Chambers, Kim Kyte. For the bank, the lawyers were Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran and Stephen Fraser. Speaking with the media afterwards, Ramkarran disclosed that on August 29, the CJ granted Production Orders asking GBTI to submit a number of documents within seven days. Among other things, SOCU wanted to know details of transaction relating to the GRDB foreign accounts, over a number of years. Ramkarran said that during the session with the CJ yesterday, the bank applied for an extension of time. He said that the bank, controlled by the Beharry Group, addressed the number of transactionsover 3,000-plus and the documents required by the order… over 9000. He said that the bank sought to cooperate fully and by the extension deadline in early October, had submitted 9000-plus documents. “To achieve this, 75 members of staff of the bank worked a total of over 1454 man hours, including overtime…In keeping with a longstanding bank policy, some of the documents were destroyed.” According to the lawyer, the bank faced challenges as it receives thousands of documents per day so it is “appreciated” that some of these can’t be found. He said that the bank cannot account for about 150 documents that SOCU is asking for. However, 9000-plus documents were supplied. He said that the bank, on Friday, asked for more time to find the missing documents. The CJ, following the arguments of both SOCU and the bank, ordered that further submissions be made by November 3 and for the documents to be found- the matter was adjourned to November 10. According to Ramkarran, the High Court developments would impact on the contempt charges filed Thursday in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court by SOCU as they were based on the Production Orders issued by the CJ.
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Sunday October 22, 2017
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Guyanese killed in Hurricane laid to rest, more lumber for affected islands - CDC Following two devastating hurricanes in the region over the last two months, Guyana is continuing its good neighbour role. Containers of lumbers, water and food were sent. In fact, according to Colonel (Ret’d), Chabilall Ramsarup, Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the organization that coordinates national relief efforts in Guyana, in a number of those containers were items like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, rice and sugar. Bulkan Timber Works, which does kiln-drying at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, has sent out a container of dressed lumber. According to Justin Bulkan, a director, the company is preparing to send another container of mainly Greenheart, including some kiln-dried, and others of rough and dressed hardwood. The company is also looking to pack a shipment of shingles sometime in the future. According to Ramsarup, other companies like the Indian-owned Vaitarna Holdings, in Region Seven are also looking to get on
Laid to rest: Hurricane victim Derek Ragnauth
Lumber being loaded into a container at Bulkan’s Yarrowkabra facilities board. Even the Catholic Church has come on board, packing a 40-foot container. So far, CDC has helped organize, with significant input from the private sector, 11 containers of relief items. They went mainly to Antigua and Dominica. Antigua’s sister island, Barbuda, was
badly hit, after Hurricane Irma unleashed its full wrath, and leveled the island. Guyana, together with its local aircraft operators, sent one flight to Antigua and another to Dominica with supplies. Two more went to the British Virgin Islands with another to the devastated St. Maarten.
In total, the planes brought back 56 Guyanese, including children, who were affected. Included on one of the trips were the remains of G u y a n e s e - b o r n businessman, Derek Ragnauth, who was killed after the roof of his Tortola business came crashing down. His body was pulled
from the damaged building that he had insisted on staying in. Ragnauth’s remains were flown in, along with two family members, at the expense of CDC. He was laid to rest last Sunday, Ramsarup disclosed yesterday. On November 11, the CDC together with the private sector, is planning a major fundraiser at the Durban Park, the CDC head disclosed. The monies will be used to send even more supplies to the affected islands. One business, Gaico Construction, had even chartered a plane and lent his vessel. According to CDC, the containers are largely being handled by the Caribbean
Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Both Irma and Maria caused billions of dollars in damage to St. Maarten, Barbuda, Dominica, Cuba and the US and British Virgin Islands. Parts of Florida in the United States were hard-hit too. Dominica’s leader, Roosevelt Skerrit was not spared…he lost his home. It was reported that 27 Dominicans were killed with 10 persons in Cuba also losing their lives. There was widespread damage to infrastructure, including to airports, internet connectivity, water supplies and farms.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Critics urge WHO to reverse choice of Mugabe as goodwill envoy G E N E VA / L O N D O N (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) should overturn its decision to appoint Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador, global health leaders said yesterday, describing the move as unjustifiable and wrong. Britain said Mugabe’s appointment was “surprising and disappointing” and added that it risked overshadowing the WHO’s global work. The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Mugabe for alleged human rights violations, said it was “disappointed.” “This appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations’ ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. “This selection underscores why the United States continues to push for U.N. reform and leadership actions that uphold our shared U.N. ideals.” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the appointment at a high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Uruguay on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Mugabe, 93. He is blamed in the West for destroying his country’s economy and numerous human rights abuses during his 37 years leading the country as either president or prime minister. In a speech, Tedros praised Zimbabwe as “a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide health care
to all”. The former Ethiopian health and foreign minister, who was elected last May as WHO’s first African directorgeneral, added: “Today I am also honored to announce that President Mugabe has agreed to serve as a goodwill ambassador on NCDs for Africa to influence his peers in his region to prioritize NCDs.” But the NCD Alliance, which represents 28 international health groups seeking to combat chronic diseases, said it was “shocked and deeply concerned” to hear of the appointment, given Mugabe’s “long track record of human rights violations”. Jeremy Farrar, a leading global health specialist and director of the Wellcome Trust charity also said the decision was “deeply disappointing and wrong” and called on Tedros to be brave and reverse it. “Robert Mugabe fails in every way to represent the values WHO should stand for and those that Dr Tedros has stood for since becoming DG and has done over many
years,” Farrar said. “Brave leaders are willing to listen, rethink and overturn bad decisions, this is one such case,” he said. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the WHO chief had made the move seeking broad support for the agency’s work. “Tedros has frequently talked of his determination to build a global movement to promote high-level political leadership for health,” he said by e-mail. Human rights activists also criticized the move. Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based group UN Watch described the choice by WHO, a United Nations agency as “sickening”. “The government of Robert Mugabe has brutalized human rights activists, crushed democracy dissidents, and turned the breadbasket of Africa — and its health system — into a basket-case,” he said. He noted that Mugabe himself had traveled to Singapore for medical treatment three times this year rather than in his homeland.
From page 26 found nothing to connect the drug addicts to Ali’s murder. Mohamed Rasool, a Trinidad-based sibling of the slain woman, said that after his sister’s funeral, he made some enquires about the suspects, only to be told by police that the suspects had been released. Dissatisfied, the brother went to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and was assured that “the police will do their job.” Rasool said that on Friday, February 3, 2012, he enquired from a senior CID rank at the Leonora Police Station about his sister’s murder.
“I asked him what the current status of the investigation was, and he told me that there was no new information concerning my sister’s murder, so they would not be able to do no further investigation,” he said. “I told him that I went to the scene where my sister was murdered and found a piece of iron, and I asked him why the police did not pick up the iron for evidence. He then said to me that Guyana doesn’t have fingerprint experts. “I then asked him what is the current status on the swab test result, and he said to me that they didn’t get any
result as yet.” After expressing his suspicions about ‘Sonny’, a senior official at the Leonora Police Station reportedly instructed that the drug addict be re-arrested. On Saturday February 4, 2012, ‘Sonny’ was arrested by a Rural Constable, who took him to the Leonora Police Station. Within minutes, he was released again. “When Sonny arrived, an officer said to release him. When I enquired why they released him, they said to me that Sonny is a ‘mad man’.” Mohamed Rasool has said that he will not be satisfied until “someone is charged with the crime that cost my sister her life.” But, five years later, like the murders of Dioana Warrick and Patricia Young, the trail in this murder in a cemetery also seems to have gone cold…
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
The women in the cemeteries
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Sunday October 22, 2017
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Former St Rose’s High girl admitted to practise law New lawyer: Danielle Anthony
As if it were crafted before she knew exactly what she wanted to do, one of Guyana’s newest Attorney, Danielle Anthony, recalled an incident that helped her decide the career path that she should take for the remainder of her life. Anthony was admitted to the bar last week. In her first address to the Court, Anthony noted that for as long as she could remember she wanted to become an Attorney-at-law. However, her choice became crystal clear after witnessing a man pushing his wife in front of truck on the East Bank Demerara Public Road where she was crushed. “This incident occurred when I was in third form one week before deciding between the Arts or Sciences. The blood made me nauseous but then I thought about who would be able to right that wrong - the lawyer or the doctor. I chose the Arts stream and stuck with the dream. Ten years later, here I
am,” Anthony, a former student of St Rose’s High School related. She emphasised however that her journey to acceptance had not been the easiest one. “And for a minute, it seemed as though I was not meant to do this. In fact, after I was asked to withdraw from the Hugh Wooding Law School on June 2, 2015 over a controversial issue, the dream seemed impossible and out of reach. But still I overcame with the assistance of family, friends and well-wishers.” The young attorney expressed special thanks to Teni Housty, Attorney-at-law; Justice Duke Pollard; Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall; the Guyana Association of Women Lawyer’s; Mark Waldron & Burch-Smith Chambers and the members of the legal profession who assisted her in the appeal of the school’s decision which was eventually set aside. “I am forever indebted to you all.”
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Sunday October 22, 2017
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Koker door operator suspended following Riverview /Alexander Village flooding
Flood waters covered Alexander Village and Riverveiw
Investigations into the recent flooding at Alexander Village and Riverview have resulted in suspension of the
sluice door operator who was supposed to be on duty at the time of the occurrence. Earlier this month, several
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
Standards can propel the local Agri-Sector The Guyana National Bureau of Standards in keeping with its mandate to develop national standards has formulated a number of agriculture related standards in order to improve the quality of products available for local consumption as well as exportation. Some of these standards are Specification for grades of bananas, pineapples, watermelons, cassava, eddoes, plantains, hot peppers, etc. These standards have been harmonised with international standards, mainly Codex Standards and CARICOM Regional Standards, to facilitate acceptance of Guyana’s products regionally and internationally. The GNBS has also formulated three crucial standards which will further enhance operations in this sector. These are: 1. Code of Practice for packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables. This Code of practice specifies hygienic practices for the production and packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables. It addresses microbial, physical and chemical hazards, as these relate to good agricultural and manufacturing practices. 2. Guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced foods. These guidelines set out the principles of organic production at farm, preparation, storage, transport, labelling and marketing stages; and provide an indication of accepted, permissible inputs for soil fertilising and conditioning; plant pest and
disease control; food additives and processing aids. 3. Guidelines for Good management practices for micro and small enterprises. The guidelines in this standard set out the principles for implementing a Quality Management System, Environmental Management System and an Occupational Health and Safety Management System in all small enterprises including, the fresh fruits and vegetable sector. The GNBS also has a number of other standards that can be of great benefit to farmers and agro-processors. These include Specification for Rice, Poultry and Poultry Products, Food Hygiene, Packaged Coconut Water, Salted Fish, Labelling of Prepackaged Goods, Jams and Jellies, and the Transport and Handling of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. As we observe Agriculture Month under the theme: Food Security and Hinterland Development: Our National Priority, we have to also strive to make standards a key driver of local agriculture expansion. The more our local Agri-sector utilises available standards, the more our products will be able to satisfy quality, safety and labelling requirements. Through standards, everyone in the sectors will be able to communicate these expected product requirements. For further information, visit the Guyana National Bureau of Standards at Exhibition Site, Sophia or its website: www.gnbsgy.org or call: 219-0062, 219-0065, 219-0066.
sections of Riverview and Alexander Village came under flood waters as a result of situation caused by the Riverview Koker that was breached at the high tide. The
Mayor and City Council (M&CC) stated that it was investigating the matter to determine who was responsible for the opening of the sluice doors. The Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia ChaseGreen stated that if found negligent, the suspect will receive a severe punishment. Kaieteur News has since been informed that investigations into the matter revealed that and the investigations have led to a three weeks suspension for the sluice operator. Officials of the Engineers Department of the Georgetown Mayor and Councillors had also visited the site but could not determine whether the flooding was as a result of a breach in the koker door. “The investigation was basically inconclusive because the flooding was so severe. However, given the
damage caused as result of the incident, it was recommended that someone must be held responsible for the incident,” explained a source close to the issue. Initial reports had indicated that the sluice door
operator, had fallen asleep and the koker malfunctioned. But the overseer contended that the sluice doors were jammed. The residents reported it is the first time that area has Continued on page 69
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
Exorcising the Culture of Squatting from Guyanese Society By PAT DIAL Towards the end of last week, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) took action to clear its Sophia property of squatters. Large numbers of these squatters had taken up residence on the Reserve which had been set aside in the original land surveys to accommodate drainage and services such as water and electricity supply. The presence of squatters on the Reserve impeded the CH&PA from developing the district in an orderly fashion, to have it drained and to allow for electricity and water services to be supplied. Squatting was responsible for parts of the areas to be overgrown with high bush. Squatting, therefore, created an ambience of disorderliness which negatively affected the health of the community and the general quality of life. Squatting is an illegal activity and provides a platform on which criminality of various kinds, including drug vending and usage, could flourish. It also breeds a mentality of violence where squatters are quick to threaten or attack others with cutlasses and other weapons. From the media reports on the Sophia squatters, it could be gleaned that many of them have house lots or houses which they rent out. Several members of the same family stake out house lots which they expect to sell later. Squatters of this kind are in it for economic gain. Others believe that if they squat on Government land, the Authorities would quickly find them a house lot and give them materials to build a house. In this way, they would be better off than those
who try to acquire their own house lots and build their houses by their own sacrifice. Granting such facilities to squatters stimulates the growth of squatting. The Guyana Chronicle reported on Tuesday last that several Sophia squatters were now willing to purchase their own house lots and build their houses. If these squatters were able to acquire their own properties in the first place, then it is quite likely that they took to squatting to acquire a house lot without paying anything. Squatters, not only in Sophia, but everywhere in Guyana seem to be under the impression that they could occupy with impunity, Government’s or private land. They feel they have a right to squat and if any attempt is made to remove them, they turn to violence as had happened in B Field, Sophia. If they are ejected, they organise street demonstrations to embarrass the Government and the Ministry of Housing. The culture of squatting, as a culture, made its appearance during the raciopolitical disturbances in the
1960s and continued after Independence. It is widely believed that certain politicians condoned squatting. The culture of squatting is harmful to the development and progress of the Guyanese Society and must be exorcised. How could this be done? In the first place, the public should be educated as to the illegality and unacceptability of squatting. It should be known that if squatters build houses and structures on someone else’s land, the houses and structures belong to the landowner whenever he/she recovers his/hers land. The media and school system could assist in such education. Secondly, if the CH&PA and the various Local Authorities intend to take action to eject squatters, they must do so with resolution since if the squatters ever suspect that these Authorities do not have the will to eject them, they will become more aggressive and recalcitrant. In the recent exercise in Sophia, the CH&PA
personnel withdrew in the face of threat of violence from B Field residents though they had Police protection. Dealing with B Field residents will be more difficult when CH&PA continues to clear the Reserve. Whenever action against squatting commences, it should be pursued to finality, for if there is a lull, that lull would often stretch into months and this will make the situation worse. For example, some time ago, the M&CC began clearing the Mandela Avenue Reserve of squatters and after a brisk muchpublicised effort, they desisted. Now, many more squatters have come into the area and have built more permanent structures and have publicly said that
M&CC could never displace them. And lastly, wherever CH&PA and other Authorities have land which could tempt squatters, they should employ rangers who would be able to ward off intended squatters and to inform the Authorities so that they could invoke the help of the Police. The Laws affecting Squatting need to be strengthened. A few years ago, the Law was amended to make it impossible for anyone to have prescriptive rights against State Lands but no protection was accorded to private land which remained still subject to the 12-year occupancy rule. This was an unfortunate omission when the Law was being amended.
The 12-year occupancy rule was adopted from English Legislation during the time when Sir Joseph Luckhoo was Chief Justice. England is a highly urbanized country and the 12-year rule used there was appropriate and served social interests. This contrasted with Guyana which was still a comparatively rural country and where the 12-year rule copied from England did not serve the social or economic interest of the country. Indeed, there was never any justification for the removal of the 33-year rule which had served the country well up to then. The abolition of the 12-year rule and the reinstatement of the 33-year rule has now become Continued on page 69
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Exorcising the Culture of Squatting...
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From page 68 more urgent owing to the heavy emigration which has overtaken Guyanese Society. When people emigrate, they often leave relatives or close friends to have surveillance over their property but these soon themselves emigrate or become old and disabled without the owners’ knowledge. When the owners become aware of the situation and appoint someone else, it is often too late since the property would have been claimed by prescriptive rights. The abolition of the 12year rule and the restoration of the 33-year rule to acquire prescriptive title to private property would be one of the greatest forces exorcising the rampant squatting affecting Guyanese Society.
Koker door operator suspended... From page 67 been flooded so severely. Some sought compensation for the articles damaged by the flood. The Mayor and City Councillors had noted that “there was heavy damage to private property and for this, we apologise to residents in those particular areas who are affected.” Town Clerk, Royston King, noted that it should not have happened. He said, “We regret the inconvenience suffered by the residents in those areas.”
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Catalonia’s leaders fight off direct rule from Madrid MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) Catalonia’s leaders said yesterday they would not accept direct rule imposed on the region by the Spanish government, as a political cris i s t h a t h a s r a t t l e d t h e economy and raised fears of prolonged unrest showed no signs of easing. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced yesterday he would invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force a new election to counter the region’s move towards independence. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who made a symbolic declaration of independence on Oct. 10 after a referendum to secede, called R a j o y ’s m o v e s t h e “ w o r s t a t t a c k s against the people of Catalonia” since Spain’s military dictatorship. It is the first time since Spain’s return to democracy that the central government has used its powers to seize control of a regional administration. Rajoy said it was necessary to end a crisis that has fractured the country and prompted Spain to reduce growth forecasts for the euro zone’s fourthlargest economy. After taking party in peaceful demonstration, Puigdemont expressed his r e j e c t i o n o f M a d r i d ’s m o v e , b u t
stopped short of saying he would make good his threat to push ahead with the independence bid before direct rule takes effect. “I ask the (Catalan) parliament to meet in a plenary session during which we, the representatives of the citizens’ sovereignty, will be able to decide over this attempt to liquidate our government and our democracy, and act in consequence,” Puigdemont said in a televised address. Rajoy, who acted with backing from the main opposition party in Madrid and King Felipe, needs the authorisation of Spain’s upper house of parliament to impose direct rule. “Our objective is to restore the law and a normal cohabitation among citizens, which has deteriorated a lot, continue with the economic recovery, which is under threat today in Catalonia, and celebrate elections in a situation of normality,” he said. The Senate vote that would give Madrid full control of Catalonia’s finances, police and public media and curb the powers of the regional parliament for up to six months is scheduled for next Friday. That could give the independence movement room to manoeuvre.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Eight million rounds of ammo unaccounted for Jamaica Observer - The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) will be carrying out an audit of the eight million rounds of ammunition that National Security Minister Robert Montague says is unaccounted for, to ensure that legal bullets are kept out of the hands of criminals. He explained that with each of the country’s 42,000 licensed firearm holders issued with 50 rounds per year, and an additional 250 per quarter, this amounts to approximately five million rounds per annum. However, the Government imports 13 million rounds of ammunition each year. At this time, the authorities are not certain of the whereabouts of the remaining eight million rounds. Montague was speaking at a press briefing at his ministry Friday, where he announced the new five-member FLA board, which is to begin its work on Tuesday. He said the problem has to do with the additional rounds which licensed gun holders can purchase, in addition to their 1,050 allotment. These can be in any amount and are for use at firing ranges. “What we have discovered is that not all the rounds are being used on some ranges, and therefore there is that leakage. There was an instance where inspection was done of a private firearm holder and he was upwards of 3,000 rounds in his possession because he was able to utilise the 50 rounds and 250 rounds, and he didn’t expend those rounds,” he explained, pointing out that if excess
rounds were to be stolen they could fall into the hands of criminals, and “may be contributing to the (deaths) of over 1,000 Jamaicans”. The national security minister said there is also another avenue for leakage, where individuals go on to ranges with empty magazines, load these weapons there, and leave with those rounds. “It’s difficult for the range owner to monitor when a person is doing that,” he remarked. He said that the eight-million-round gap is bothersome for the authorities. “We are not sure [whether] those rounds were used on ranges, or whether they are locked in somebody’s safe, or whether those rounds are in the hands of members of the criminal underworld... If one bullet from the legal trade leaks into the illegal trade, potentially one more life can be lost,” he said. The new FLA board was appointed following the resignation of the previous Dennis Wright-chaired board in August, which was prompted by a corruption scandal that has rocked the State licensing agency in recent months. Montague had ordered the FLA to temporarily cease issuing approvals for gun licences or permits and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency moved in to probe the allegations of systemic corruption at the agency which, among other things, had resulted in individuals reportedly involved in murder and lottery scamming receiving gun licences, and in some revoked
applications being reversed. Friday, Montague expressed confidence in the new board’s ability to clean up the FLA, pointing to some of the instances of corruption that the previous board had “stumbled upon”. He said these included “one-stop shops”, where third parties would apply for licences on the behalf of other individuals, arrange for competency certificates to be issued and for the purchase of weapons, among other “services”. “In one case, we discovered where persons actually purchased weapons before they apply… a number of things were found,” the minister said. In the meantime Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FLA Shane Dalling said that 1,200 people utilised the recent amnesty issued by the agency for firearm holders to come in and renew their licences and update their records. According to the CEO, this resulted in earnings of more than $28 million for the FLA. “Persons had licences outstanding for up to 10 years. We were able to get in many of the guns and have them ballistically tested. The police and the FLA are now on the road [doing] house-tohouse visits. So far, we have found that many of these persons in the Kingston and St Andrew area are dead and we are now retrieving the firearms from the home,” Dalling explained. He said the drive to retrieve firearms is to be expanded islandwide.
Ghana oil expert to share experience with Guyana Tomorrow, the Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) will be hosting another in its series of public lectures. The main speaker at this event will be Theophilus Nyamko Ahwireng. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Commission of Ghana. The public lecture entitled “The National Petroleum Commission, resource management, governance and sustainable development of Oil and Gas; “the Ghanaian experience” is being held at Pegasus and will begin at 18:30hrs. At this public lecture, Ahwireng is expected to share with Guyana, based on his country’s experience, the
roads that this country should avoid, as well as the paths that it should take. Ahwireng is a geophysicist and a leader in natural resource governance. He has had extensive and progressive technical, management and business responsibilities across the Upstream Petroleum Industry (UPI) value chain. The Petroleum Commission which Ahwireng once controlled is the UPI regulator in Ghana. The Commission also has a mandate for sustainability within the sector. Ahwireng led the development of key legislation in the UPI, including the Petroleum Commission Act (Act 821),
Petroleum Exploration and Production Act (919) and the Petroleum E&P Measurement Regulations (LI2246) and developed and implemented strategies for the Local Content and Local Participation Regulations (LI2204) resulting in significant growth in Indigenous participation in Ghana. Ghana’s Jubilee Oilfield which contains up to three billion barrels (480,000,000 m3) of sweet crude oil was discovered in 2007, among the many other oilfields in Ghana. Oil and gas exploration in Ghana is ongoing, and the amount of both crude oil and natural gas continues to increase.
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Govt. to invest millions in new joint venture project PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government says it has entered into a multi-million dollar joint private-public sector initiative as it moves to revive an aluminium smelter project that had been shelved by the previous People’s Partnership administration. The government said that it is injecting TT$35 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) into the project with Alutech Limited, with Energy Minister Franklin Khan indicating that it would be a 60/ 40 arrangement. Khan said that previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administrations had intended to get involved in the aluminium industry, adding that this was the rationale behind the aluminium smelter plant which was cancelled by the previous government. “However we still feel we can salvage a downstream aluminium industry based on imported elements,” he said, noting that the aluminium industry was lucrative. “Strange enough over this time of depressed commodity prices one of the few prices in the world that have not been depressed is aluminium and that is largely because of the motor car industry and aluminium wheels which have now become ubiquitous throughout the motor car industry,” he said, telling legislators that the scheme as a small investment. Opposition legislator Dr. Bhoe Tewarie said “as I understand it, this is an injection in a company that will
Dr. Keith Rowley produce locally basically mag rims”. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley told the Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee on Friday that the state has been dealing with various claims made against following the decision by the last government to end the smelter plant project. “There is some settlement with respect to the closure of the project where the minority partner would have had claims against the state. “Those matters are still in negotiations, however, both parties have agreed to go forward and some of those settlement considerations would be taken into account”. But Rowley told legislators “this is not the end of it. We are in discussions with the Chinese government with respect to settlement of another claim with respect to the
closure and abandonment of the smelter project that is a much larger sum”. He said discussions with the Chinese are expected to be held soon, adding “the failures and the arbitrations and the liabilities we are dealing with…are as a direct result of the UNC (United National Congress government) shutting down the aluminium project which started with a smelter and down streaming”. He said the smelter project was being financed by the Chinese Import/Export bank, noting “we have liabilities there” noting that equipment worth US$40 million “had been in a warehouse ever since. ‘What we are trying to do now is to re-start the project so as to save the down streaming side based on imported inputs since we have killed the smelting side of it.”
New UN report says unemployment continues to rise in the Caribbean SANTIAGO, Chile - CMC – Two United Nations agencies say that urban unemployment will keep rising in Latin America and the Caribbean and could reach 9.4 per cent in 2017. In releasing the newest edition of their joint publication, “Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), said low economic growth experienced by regional countries in the last few years will continue affecting the region’s labour market performance this year. According to the latest estimates, the rate of regional urban unemployment could
reach 9.4 per cent on average this year, which represents a 0.5 percentage point increase from the 8.9 per cent recorded in 2016. The report sums up labour dynamics in the region during the first half of this year and analyzes the characteristics of the transition made by young people – one of the groups most affected by the labour deterioration – from the educational system to the labour market. According to both United Nations organizations, during the first half of 2017, two trends were observed: While the deterioration of some labour indicators – such as the employment and unemployment rates – persisted, a slower pace of deterioration was noted, which could point
to “a light at the end of the tunnel.” The figures released in the report show a 0.3 percentage point decline in the rate of urban employment – the proportion of the working-age population that is employed – and a 0.9 point increase in the rate of urban unemployment between the first half of 2016 and the same period of 2017. The report adds that, as in previous years, the regional trend is particularly influenced by the weak performance of Brazil’s labour market, although after several years of contraction, a very slight economic growth upturn is forecast for that country in 2017 and its employment indicators are starting to stabilize.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
No movement on campaign finance reform When it comes to keeping dirty money out of politics, Guyana trails regionally. From the posture of the coalition Government, political observers believe the administration may not be ready and willing to enact promised campaign financing legislation reforms which ensures transparency through the disclosure of donors. With the appointment of the local government commissioners, local government elections appear on track to be held next year, but international groups have pointed to the need for campaign finance reform ahead of future polls. The Oganisation of American States (OAS) Elections Observer Mission concluded that while a legal framework regarding political financing already exists, it is necessary to revise and modernize aspects of the law which are obsolete and allow violations and non-compliance of the few existing sanctions. Political commentator and executive member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds, pointed out that the last the time President David Granger frontally addressed the issue was more than a year ago when he promised legislation
ExxonMobil has capacity to corrupt politicians – Dr. Hinds
David Hinds before the next general election, which is due in less than three years. After assuming office in 2015, President Granger promised to deliver much needed campaign financing reforms. Dr. Hinds said since then, “we have not seen any movement from the government.” “There has been little if any sense of urgency in this direction. Even when the gov-
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman ernment indicates that it is willing to address its promise to beef up anti-corruption legislation, they don’t say much about campaign finance reform,” Dr. Hinds told Kaieteur News. He stated that the delay is worrying as it makes the government look bad. It adds to the less than adequate record of not living up to the big policy promises in their
manifesto. Dr. Hinds suggested the sloth partly has to do with the contraction of decision-making within the Coalition. “Everything is decided at Cabinet, but the Cabinet is made up of ministers who are obviously primarily concerned with management of their individual issues. Hence, they are less interested and in many regards less
schooled in overall government policy direction. “So, something like campaign finance which does not fall under the purview of any subject ministry, except maybe the Legal Affairs ministry, does not get the treatment it deserves,” Dr. Hinds said. Reforms, according to Dr. Hinds, should aim to make elections a relatively low-cost activity and to take dirty money and other suspect sources of financing out of the system. He said parties should be mandated to disclose the sources of campaign funds and there should be stiff penalties if this is not adhered to. “There should be a cap on such contributions, especially from corporate and commercial sources and rich individuals. We are a small country. Our election campaigns should not cost as much as parties want to make us believe,” Dr. Hinds stated. Narco & oil money Against the backdrop of Guyana’s newfound oil resources and the resulting economic activities that are expected to flow, political advocates are even now mindful of the need to insulate the
political players. Minister of Natural Resources and senior executive of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman, outlined that while reforms are being considered there needs to be a broad based approach to the issue and not one driven by oil wealth. “Whether it is oil or whether it is drugs or from gold I think we all have a responsibility to insulate the political class. We support, in Government, any initiative which does that,” Trotman noted. While shifting focus from oil influence, Trotman countered that Guyana is on the rim of narcotic producing countries. “Drugs have been passing through here long before oil. We have been vulnerable and we will continue to have to find ways to strengthen our legislative framework. The Attorney General [Basil Williams] has passed a series of acts on money-laundering and those are meant to protect the country and it speaks of politically exposed person. “Financing can be an aspect, but it can’t be seen in isolation as the only thing that will solve the problem,” Trotman said. (Continued on page 76)
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
A lack of vision: Nightmare for commuters at the Diamond intersection
There is no access to the trench (arrow) behind as there is a fence and there are residents on the opposite side whose fences are also there. It is believed to be the largest housing scheme in the country, with thousands of homes and residents. In the last decade or so, Diamond and the adjoining Golden Grove Housing Schemes have rapidly expanded with property values among the highest, and one of the most demanded, in the country now. Today, the area boasts of banks, insurance companies, a gas station, fast foods and even the regional hospital is located nearby. In the scheme itself, there is a power company sub-station and even a fire station. At least five schools are located in the area. This is in addition to at least two factories and the government’s drug bond, and a police station on the Golden Grove side. It is no wonder that congestion is a major problem. A solitary road, narrow at that, allows access to the schemes. With potholes and thousands of vehicles streaming in and out daily, the backups are causing major headaches. This is never more pronounced than at peak hours between 06:30hrs to 09:00hrs and 16:00hrs to 18:00hrs, on weekdays. Several government officials, including at least one minister, have homes in the area. According to rough estimates by the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), the Diamond/ Grove schemes have an estimated 5,000 homes or about 20,000 persons. The NDC has no way to know for sure as it is now conducting a survey to determine the number of homes. Consecutive governments have been toying with different ideas to reduce the congestion. When the scheme came into being in the late 2000s, it started with squatters in what was once canefields. The government of the day decided to regularise it. There were problems. Homes were already built. Today, there are many roads in place. Their narrowness and the cul-de-sacs
are but evidence of the problems that manifest themselves. Many of them are in a state of disrepair. Under the previous administration, while the four-lane extension between Providence and Diamond was being facilitated by a US$20M loan from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), there were talks to create an alternative access road, between the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the GuyOil gas station. It would have projected east from the public road at the extreme northern end of the Diamond Housing Scheme and serve as an alternate to the current main access road. However, it never came off the ground. Then, under this administration, there were talks about a flyover bridge from the Diamond Access Road area to reduce the bottleneck there. However, the current administration has reportedly abandoned this project. This may be because of plans to build a road aback of Diamond leading to Ogle, East Coast Demerara. Funding has already been received. Residents of the Diamond and Grove areas have been complaining bitterly about the congestion situation. Kaieteur News has received several letters and has been talking to drivers and residents alike. Persons have to leave at least 06:30 to reach for work at 08:00hrs. The return from work is even more frustrating with another line in the evening. The traffic lights are not working. And even if they were, there would be little relief. The major problem seems to be at the beginning of the access road. It is narrow with a bridge and around a turn, which contribute to the congestion. It appears that Government also has no lands to correct the problem. On the southern side of the access road, near the intersection, the land is reportedly owned by the M&M Snackette. On the north, the land is owned
by Demerara Bank. It is not clear whether there were talks to acquire the lands to improve the situation. The compound at the bank is fenced with a trench behind that cannot be cleaned because there is no access for an excavator. It is overgrown with bush and filled with caimans and snakes. The situation is a deeply frustrating one for residents and other road users. The situation is expected to get worse when work start on that Ogle bypass and more vehicles start to traverse the area. According to officials at the NDC, they are now conducting a survey to determine how many homes and persons are living in the area. But rough estimates put the number of homes at least 5,000. There are at least 1,500 vehicles that belong to residents of the area.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 22, 2017
No movement on campaign finance... From page 08 Dr. Hinds shared a contrary view. He said that campaign finance is urgent, especially since oil money is coming. “Companies like ExxonMobil have the capacity and perhaps the willingness to corrupt politicians and political parties. Businesses are always prepared to buy political access and decision makers are always vulnerable. Experience in Guyana and other countries have taught us that we cannot depend on the integrity of politicians and parties, so we should legislate checks on their potential for indiscretion,” Dr. Hinds stated PPP/C, other parties unwilling Dr. Hinds said the main opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), has shown little interest in cooperating with the government even when the government has reached out to them. He suspects that there are many elements in the PPP leadership and maybe some on the government side who are not keen on campaign finance regulation, because it would take dirty money out of the system. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that there is a lot of dirty money in both our formal and informal political process. If there is no dirty money on the Coalition side, as the president assured us last year, then go ahead and call the PPP’s bluff by pushing for campaign finance regulation,” Dr. Hinds noted. He said the parties in the Coalition, including the WPA of which Hinds is a senior official, have not been doing their work as far as pressuring the Coalition to advance an aggressive legislative agenda that speaks to the overall direction in which the Coalition wants to take the country. “You never hear from the PNC, AFC, the WPA and the others about their legislative priorities. These parties seem satisfied that they are ‘in government’ and are not prepared to demand space in which to influence the government’s legislative and policy agenda,” Dr. Hinds noted.
He maintains that the coalition needs to set up a committee made up of representatives of member parties to do a “mid-term audit” of campaign promises. The objective, Dr. Hinds stated, is to determine what promises have been addressed and others that need to be urgently addressed. “Such work cannot be left to the Cabinet,” Dr. Hinds concluded. He added, “If this government is serious about turning a new page as far as cleaning up the cancer of corruption, it should act swiftly, even if it has to do so that on its own and even if it has to disavow ‘bad eggs’ in its own ranks. Failure to so, would hurt Guyana and expose the government as just another set of failures.” Regional standards In the region, Jamaica is the standard bearer. Last May, Jamaica passed the Political Parties Registration Regulations which gives effect to the Registration of Political Parties Act passed some three years ago. Officials are preparing for other regulations to give effect to the Campaign Finance Reform Act passed last year. Under the Jamaica model, political parties will be required to submit annual financial reports to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, set limits on how much an individual can give to a party and how much a party can spend; full disclosure of big donors and contributions from persons with government contracts above a certain level; ban anonymous donations and contributions from foreign governments; and provide for the deregistration of political parties in breach of the law. Trinidad and Tobago has started the discussion politically and among citizens. A joint parliamentary committee was established in 2014 to propose a legislative framework to govern the financing of election campaigns. Just last year, the Dr Keith Christopher Rowley administration hosted a forum on campaign finance reform as part of a wider initiative to get citizens involved in the process.
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 77
Huddersfield stun Manchester United
HUDDERSFIELD, England (Reuters) - HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the season with a shock 2-1 loss at promoted Huddersfield Town yesterday, leaving them trailing leaders Manchester City by five points. An ecstatic home crowd at a noisy and rainy John Smith’s Stadium celebrated what was the Yorkshire club’s first win over United since 1952 and one which few would doubt they deserved after a passionate display. Huddersfield were without a Premier League win since August but there was no sign of any dent to the confidence of an energetic and determined side. From the outset Huddersfield
looked hungry and fired up while United looked far from the team that started this season in such convincing fashion with six wins from their opening eight games. “Everyone at the stadium could feel in the first couple of minutes that one team was ready to give everything and the other was not ready for it. Maybe only my players realised at half-time,” a scathing Jose Mourinho said after the match. United pushed forward in numbers after going in two down at the break but there was a lack of fluidity and craft to their play which resulted in little real trouble for Town keeper Jonas Lossl. Mourinho’s side had 78 percent of possession but just three shots on target through-
out the game. Watched by former Huddersfield and United striker Denis Law, David Wagner’s side took the lead in the 28th minute. Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy robbed Juan Mata in midfield, broke forward, slipped the ball to Tom Ince and fired home after Ince’s shot was blocked by David De Gea. United lost defender Phil Jones to injury and his replacement Victor Lindelof was to blame for Huddersfield’s second when he completely misjudged a long clearance from Town keeper Jonas Lossl allowing Belgian Laurent Depoitre to round De Gea and slot home. Nemanja Matic went close to pulling one back with a shot
Sunday October 22, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't gossip. Don't get depressed, get busy. You can accomplish a lot if you're willing to put in a little extra time. Heed the advice given by family or old reliable friends.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your ability to converse with charm will entice someone you may have had an interest in for some time now. Snap out of it. Don't fall for damaging rumors, and refuse to get involved in gossip.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Take time to explain your intentions to loved ones. You need a day to rest and relax with the ones you love. Unexpected romantic connections can be made if you go out with friends or take a pleasure trip.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) If you want to make your mark, try to get involved in projects that will bring you some glory. You have your own family to consider as well. Go after your professional goals.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your ability to be a self starter will help get things done and motivate others. Your high energy, original ideas, and excellent memory will aid your accomplishments. Travel will be exciting. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your anger may be impossible to contain if you get into debates with family members. Your personal life will still be experiencing difficulties and you are best to avoid the issues for the time being. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Be careful not to consume too many spicy foods, or minor health problems could put you out of commission for the day. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Be cautious who you deal with financially. Changes at home will be necessary. Sign up for tours or courses that will enlighten you.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You will be able to find the perfect outfit, and the greatest new accessory for your house. Money can be made if you use your ingenuity. You may find that someone at work hasn't been trustworthy. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may get some opposition. Personal changes will be to your benefit. You may have personal problems, but professional duties might be pressing. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your time, not your cash, will do a lot more for your relationship. Get involved in a competitive sport that will bring the challenges you thrive on. They won't get away with it. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your charm will mesmerize members of the opposite sex today. You may not be as well received in group endeavors if you try to force your will on others.
that flashed just wide shortly before the interval but at the break Mourinho gambled by using both his remaining subs – throwing on Marcus
Rashford and Henrik Mkhitaryan as he sought to change the direction of the game. But it was not until 12 min-
utes from the end that United got on the scoresheet with Rashford meeting a Romelu Lukaku cross with a firm header at the back post.
(From page 76) the wickets of Chase and Jermaine Blackwood (1) in quick succession. Chase, unbeaten on 20 at the break, gave Ervine his second of four catches close in when he failed to keep down one from off-spinner Sikandar Raza. He faced 64 balls and counted three fours. Three overs later, Cremer dragged Blackwood from his crease and had him stumped, leaving the Windies on 179 for five.
Hope and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (11) attempted a repair job in a 23run, sixth wicket stand which took their side past the 200run mark. But Dowrich edged Williams to Masakadza at slip at the start of the final hour leading to a swift decline which saw the last five wickets tumble for 17 runs. Hope, on 56 at tea, continued to carry the innings as he marched towards three figures but lacked support.
Captain Jason Holder was adjudged lbw to Williams for eight at 212 for seven and tailenders Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel all failed to score, lasting a total of nine balls, as Cremer and Williams clinically mopped up the tail. Scores: WEST INDIES 219 (Shai Hope 90 not out, Kieran Powell 56, Roston Chase 31; Graeme Cremer 464, Sean Williams 2-20); ZIMBABWE 19 without loss.
Hope shines but Windies falterto...
Fascinating Guyana Open Invitational... (From page 79) with. Fans will be given VIP Club house passes which they may use to get access to the golfers, to obtain autographs and photo opportunities. Tee-off each of the 2 days is 6:00 a.m. and all are invited to be part of this historic activity in the life of the Golf Club. Admission is free, and another novelty feature is that all fans entering before 2 p.m. will receive a free raffle ticket to win one of several prizes being donated by sponsors. Hundreds of fans are expected to be in attendance. The grounds-keeping team have been hard at work and the course is expected to be in excellent condition for the Guyana Open 2017.
Players ready to... (From page 75) said this was done in Trinidad with a similar game. Both Captains promised a competitive game. Tickets for this evening’s game can be bought today at the GCB office (Regent Street Bourda), Poonai’s Pharmacy (Rosehall Town), Little Rock Hotel (New Amsterdam), M&Ms (Peter’s Hall East Bank), Saro Boy Groceries (Buxton), Big Yard Auto Sales (Tuschen), Dan’s Snackette (Parika), Nimbus Water (Vreed-in-Hoop West Coast Demerara) and the Providence Stadium. Spectators must note that there will tight security and all international regulations regarding items prohibited from the venue and car parking as at CPL matches will be observed. A car pass cost $1,000 and allows the vehicle to be parked on the tarmac inside the stadium.
Special thanks to the Sponsors: Abdools & Abdools, American Home & Beauty Supplies, Ansa Mcal, AR Printery, Aracari Resort, Assuria General Insurance, Banks DIH, Beepats, Brewsters, Cevons Waste Management, Continental Group of Companies, Crown Mining, Escape Therapy, Fab Cakes & Cupcakes, Grand Coastal Hotel, Massy Group
Guyana, Mobile Outfitters, Mohamed’s Enterprise (Peppy’s), Nand Persaud, Nesha’s Flower land, NexGen Global Marketing Services, Oasis Café, Pritipaul, Regal Stationery, Southland International, and the Chilean Embassy. More information and the course finder can be found on their Facebook page -The Guyana Open 2017.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur Sports Week in Review walkover from a no show Georgetown in the third place playoff. MILEROCK WIN UDFA NAMILCO THUNDERBOLT FLOUR POWER U-17 AREA TOURNEY
And still the Best! WIFBSC Short Range Champions, 2017, Guyana. SPORTS WEEK IN REVIEW This past week Rifle Shooting, hockey, cricket and football dominated the events that occurred and today we look back at the key events that took place. GUYANA MAINTAIN DOMINANCE OF CARIBBEAN RANGE; ENGLAND COP INT’L TROPHY Led by a dominating individual performance from top shot Lennox Braithwaite who retained the Wogart Trophy as the shooter with the highest aggregate in the Short Range match, Guyana fired its was to yet another victory when the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Short Range match was contested at the Timehri Rifle Ranges to bring the curtains d o w n o n t h e 2 0 1 7 championships. Run concurrently with the Guyana National Rifle Association ( G u y a n a N R A ) , t h i s y e a r ’s championships also saw an international competition being run and this was won by England which topped all scorers followed by Ireland in 2nd with Guyana 3rd. The margin of separation was not that much with England tallying 1148 points along with 85 Vs to Ireland’s 1146. 74 and Guyana’s 1142.85; emerging as the top three. Taking fourth was Canada with 1102.60 followed in 5th place by Trinidad and Tobago 1069.44, Barbados 1066.42 and Antigua and Barbuda bringing up the rear on 1057.43. Braithwaite dropped just two points out of a possible 150 on the day including one possible at 500 yards of 50.7, while he had 49.5 and 49.7 at 300 and 500 yards for a Grand Aggregate of 148.19, the top individual score of the shoot. Captain Mahendra Persaud complimented Braithwaite for another fantastic day of shooting and pointed out that the Wind Coaches – Persaud, Braithwaite, Paul Slowe and Ransford Goodluck – gelled together nicely for the team.
USA WOMEN UNBEATEN WITH 4-1 WIN OVER CANADA IN PAM AM INDOOR HOCKEY C/SHIPS ARGENTINA BEAT URUGUAY 3-2, T&T WHIP B’DOS 11-4 The small but vocal crowd at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall was entertained by a display of high class hockey from the clinical USA team on the penultimate day of the 2017 Pan Am Hockey Championship as they beat defending Champions Canada 4-1 in an epic battle between the top two women’s teams in this year’s tournament. In the first match of the day Argentina beat Uruguay 3-2, while T&T got the better of a spirited Barbados 11-4 although this was the best game played by the Bajans despite the result. USA’s sixth consecutive win was highlighted by a dazzling performance by Ali Campbell, who registered a hat-trick from penalty corners, while Allison Fuller netted once for the Americans, who are favored to capture their first Pan Am Championship title since the Championships was first played in 2002. The highly talented Alison Lee scored the only goal for Canada, whose two titles were achieved in 2005 and 2014 when Men’s team also won titles. This was Canada’s second defeat but it still leaves them with a chance of qualifying for the 2018 indoor Hockey world in Germany next year February, along with USA, Uruguay and Argentina. Canada and the USA were down to contest last evening’s female final. ARGENTINA DEFEAT GUYANA TO SECURE PLACE IN MEN’S FINAL Heading into their final group round robin match against Argentina, hosts Guyana needed to pull off a victory by 11 goals or more to secure their maiden Pan Am final berth, but instead they were downed 3-1 by the men in blue, in front a packed home crowd at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). Argentina played better hockey
and the odds of Guyana’s advancement was very high not only with the overwhelming goal difference but against this strong Argentina squad that had defeated the defending champs Canada 5-3 earlier in the week. Guyana created many chances during the first half but resolute defending from the Argentineans, who knew that only a loss by 5 goals or more, would’ve usurped them from a place in final. They scored through Juan Eleicegui with a successful penalty corner, after his team mate had unluckily hit the cross bar of the goal moments before. Alfredo Sosa doubled the Spanish speaking nation’s lead with a perfectly finished field goal from a great built up play. Guyana’s Captain Robert France, flicked into the back of the net a fantastic trick shot after receiving a rocket of a pass from Rayon Branford which was launched from Guyana’s half of the court.Joaquin Gonzalez capitalized during a counter attack and scored the winners’ third goal to erase any doubt of their superiority over the home team. Trinidad and Tobago were set to face Argentina in the male final last evening. FUTURE STARS MAKE LIGHT WORK OF GOLD IS MONEY TO COP NATIONAL FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP Future Stars secured the coveted Street Vibes Entertainment ‘National Futsal Championship’, dismissing Gold is Money by a 4-1 scoreline at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue. It was the Curtez Kellman show in the fixture which was a rematch of the previous Futsal Tournament. The Georgetown Football Club (GFC) midfielder made his presence felt, banging in a hat-trick on either side of halftime. Kellman rifled a right foot shot into the right side in the 15th minute to break the deadlock, before lashing another powerful effort into the back of the net in the 28th minute to make it 2-0. Gold is Money eventually pulled one back in the 35th minute through the evergreen Michael Pedro.
However, Kellman restored his side’s advantage two minutes later, thumping a right foot strike into the roof of the goal from the right side of the field. The final nail in the coffin was applied in the 45th minute, as Akeemo Anthony etched his name on the scorer’s sheet. With the win, Future Stars copped the championship trophy and $700,000. On the other hand, Gold is Money collected the runners-up package of $250,000 and a trophy. Meanwhile, Sparta Boss secured the third place accolade, embarrassing fierce rival Back Circle 7-0. Eusi Phillips led the rout with a double in the fourth and 19th minutes. Adding goals were Daniel Wilson, Gregory Richardson, Solomon Austin, Jerome Richardson and Courtney Britton in the seventh, 10th, 22nd, 24th and 29th minutes respectively. Due to the result, Sparta Boss walked away with $150,000 and the third place trophy, while the loser pocketed $100,000 and the corresponding accolade. The sponsors of the event were the Guyana Police Force, Windjammer International Hotel and Cuisine and 94.1 Boom FM. UPPER DEMERARA CAPTURE GT BEER INTER ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL TITLE Upper Demerara delivered the inaugural GT Beer Inter Association Sunday Night Cup title with a classic 3-0 demolition of West Demerara in front of cheering football fans at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Linden. Playing the championship game the new breed of talented players exposed to this level did not disappoint their coach Anthony ‘Toto’ Stephens and came away deserving of being crowned Inter Association champions. Jomain Samuels opened the scoring, Randy Small’s free kick from outside the 18 yards box flew past the shaky defensive wall to score and MVP Kellon Primo rounded out the tally for the Linden side. Essequibo Pomeroon gained a
The Milerock FC’s U-17 players received medals and a trophy for winning the GFFNAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 tournament in the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA). UDFA’s President, Terrence Mitchell, and the Guyana Football Federation’s President Wayne Forde, who awarded medals and the championship trophy respectively, did the presentation at the Wisburg Secondary School Ground in Linden. Forde said: “It is an honour for you to be playing in a tournament as prestigious as this. Your hard work and dedication brought you this far and it will take you further. This is not the end of the road however; more challenges lie ahead. You must see them as opportunities, not challenges. Recognize football for the vehicle it is, respect it and always try to improve. Congratulations gentlemen.” Milerock Midfielder and Captain, Lorenzo Miller, expressed his satisfaction at the results: “My team and I deserve this. We trained hard and we played even harder. Coach is proud of us, I am proud of us and we plan to celebrate.” Milerock U-17 secured their victory for this GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 tournament with 34 points. In second and third places were Eagles United and Botofago. The UDFA had eight (8) clubs in total participating in the tournament. ESSEQUIBO CLAIMS FIRST EVER NATIONAL 3-DAY TITLE WITH GCB/CIG FRANCHISE LEAGUE TITLE Led by fantastic team cricket in which every player performed when it mattered, Essequibo maintained their seven match unbeaten streak with a draw in their last match against West Demerara at the Tuschen ground on the East Bank of Essequibo to claim their first ever GCB/CGI three-day Franchise League title. Most Valuable Player and Essequibo Skipper, left-arm spinner Anthony Adams signed off with his seventh five-wicket haul as he snatched 6-44. Adams, also adjudged the Best All-rounder with 52 wickets and a century, got support from USA based offspinner Chaitram Persaud who had 3-45 as West Demerara, 81-5 overnight, fell for 156, despite Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s (Continued on page 75)
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur Sports Week in Review (From page 74) painstaking 55 from over five hours off batting in which he faced 242 balls and hit just two fours. Adams climaxed a successful tournament for Essequibo, who ended with four wins and three draws, with an unbeaten 31 before the declaration was made at 128-5 with first innings centurion Shiv Chanderpaul opting not to bat. Seyhodan finished with 2-34 for West Demerara, who were 24-1, needing 233 to win when the game was called off. GCB LAUNCHES NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS LEAGUE The Guyana Cricket Board officially launched the third edition of its National Secondary School Cricket League at its office in Regent Street, Bourda. The league, which commenced at the inter-school stage, will see 150 schools taking part. The successful schools will then move on to the inter-district stage which will be played using the GTU format. The top schools will then go through to the playoffs which will be followed by the finals. The top players in the respective zones will be selected to play in the combined elite stage forming district teams. Speaking at the launching, Gervy C. Harry of the National Sports Commission lauded the GCB and sponsors Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd as well as the Child Care and Protection Agency and Ministry of Education for their roles in the tournament. While urging the youths to remain committed to the sport and
$100,000. WORLD ARCHERY BARBADOS COLLABORATES WITH ARCHERY GUYANA
President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon receives World Archery Barbados’ Plan and developmental information to assist Guyana from President Mr. Richard Morris. to strive for greater heights, Harry also advised them to make full use of the opportunity provided and called on the parents to recognize the importance of their children’s participation in sports. Other speakers included Administrator of the Allied Arts Unit of the Ministry of Education (Ag) Lorraine Barker-King, Orette Francois senior child protection officer, Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd Executive Manager Marketing and Sales, Clarence Perry and Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie. JAGUARS FACE C’BEAN ALL STARS TONIGHT AT PROVIDENCE IN T20 FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) a n d K e e m ’s F o u n d a t i o n collaborate to stage an international flavored T20 match with a difference from 17:00hrs today. The Guyana Jaguars, led by Leon Johnson, face-off with a Reyad Emrit led Caribbean All Stars team in what is anticipated to be an exciting encounter tagged ‘Cricket Cares’ to raise funds for those
affected in the Hurricane hit Islands of Dominica and Barbuda. Tickets, cost $1,500 for the party stand, $2,000 for the other three stands, while car passes cost $1,000 and are on sale at the GCB office (Regent Street Bourda), Poonai’s Pharmacy (Rosehall Town), Little Rock Hotel (New Amsterdam), M&Ms (Peter’s Hall East Bank), Saro Boy Groceries (Buxton), Big Yard Auto Sales (Tuschen), Dan’s Snackette (Parika), Nimbus Water (Vreed-inHoop West Coast Demerara) and all day today at Providence. The overseas players Emrit, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Nicolas Pooran, Kesrick Williams, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Jevon Searles and Kevon Cooper, arrived yesterday. Part proceeds from this event will also go to the Hurricane Victims. Ansa McAl’s Carib Beer is the premier sponsor and gates open from 16:00hrs. SANS SOUCI JAGUARS CAPTURE V NET T20 TITLE IN WAKENAAM Led by a fine all-round
performance by Zameer Zaman, Sans Souci Jaguars defeated G Square Cavaliers of Belle Plaine by 37 runs to win the final of the V Net T20 Blast which was contested at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Zaman struck a fine 72 and shared in two crucial partnerships before returning with the ball to capture 2-29 in front of a fair-sized crowd which included Director of Sports Christopher Jones and CEO of V Net Communications Safraz Sheriffudeen. Opting to bat, Sans Souci Jaguars posted 181-4. G Square Cavaliers chase suffered an early set back and ran into further trouble to finish on 144-6. Khan remained unbeaten on 75 as Nokta Moses supported Zaman with 2-19; Siddiq Mohamed and Daniels had one each. Zaman was named man-of-thematch while Nokta Moses with 173 runs including a century against the said opponents in the preliminary round and 15 wickets, pocketed the prizes for being the best batsman and bowler in the tournament. Cavaliers received a trophy and $50,000 and Jaguars a trophy and
Representatives from World Archery Barbados met with representatives from Archery Guyana to share best practices and discuss future areas of collaboration between the two regional entities, both of which a r e d u l y a ff i l i a t e d t o t h e international governing body recently. Archery Guyana was invited to participate in the upcoming Barbados Independence Invitational Archery Games. President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, expressed hope that in the near future Guyana can be part of the Southern Games, which venue rotates every year so very soon, this is an area which will tremendously boost Guyana’s visibility and encourage sports tourism. President of World Archery Barbados, Mr. Richard Morris spoke on the major developments in Barbados with the Schools Training and Junior Programme and the tremendous support they receive from their National Olympic Committee to ensure that Archery is one of the forward moving sports in Barbados. Mr. Morris together with representative Mr. Ron Field, exchanged pro-tips for working with Juniors with Archery Guyana representatives and shared best practices. It is also envisaged that Archery Guyana will soon start a ParaArchery Programme.
‘Cricket Cares’ GCB/Keem’s Players ready to battle at T20 cricket Providence for Hurricane victims By Sean Devers It is said that when night falls the stars come out to shine and this evening at Providence a galaxy of cricketing stars from Guyana and the Caribbean should provide plenty of entertainment for the anticipated capacity crowd when the Guyana Cricket Board and Keem’s foundation collaborates to stage ‘Cricket Care’ T20 match from 17:00hrs to raise funds for the Hurricane victims affected by the worse Hurricane season in the Caribbean in recent times. Led by Leon Johnson, the Guyana Jaguars with seven players who played for three different Franchises in the last CPL, while Rayad Emirt’s Caribbean All Stars include Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Kjorn Otley, Nicolas Pooran, Kesrick Williams, Fidel Edwards and Jevon Searles, and a pulsating contest is expected.
The Providence track is expected to provide good bounce and carry while with recent sunshine the outfield should be lightening fast. The Jaguars will depend on Robin Bacchus, Gajanand Singh, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Johnson to build a solid foundation against the pace of Edwards, Searles and Wi l l i a m s , k n o w n f o r h i s ‘notebook’ antics during the CPL. Guyana’s strength in this format is their power hitters in Jonathon Foo, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Kemo Paul, Chris Barnwell, Ricardo Adams and Anthony Bramble. Ronsford Beaton, Paul, Rutherford, Shepherd and Barnwell while Steven Jacobs, Veerasammy Permaul and Adams will provide the spin but If Simmons and Fletcher gets going the fans in the stands will be in for a
treat. Tickets to the party stand cost $1,500, while any of the other three stands cost $2,000, while the dancing girls, live performances from Tamika Marshall, Natural Black and ‘rubber waist’ Jomo will provide off-the field entertainment. Ansa McAl is the premium sponsor and the Carib Beer Bar will be in the party stand. Johnson told the media yesterday that this was an important event since it would not only entertain fans but severed a humanitarian purpose in helping to rebuild the Islands and lives affected by the Hurricanes. Johnson’s mother lives in St Martin, one the Islands hit by the Hurricanes. Emrit said that it was import for We s t I n d i a n c r i c k e t e r s t o contribute to helping fellow West Indians in their time of need and (Continued on page 73)
Jaguars Captain Lean Jonson (left) and All Stars Skipper Rayad Emrit speaks with the Media ahead of this evening’s T20 clash at Providence.
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Kaieteur News
Successful fourth leg held in the Guyana Draughts Association Annual Competition
Jiaram with the two champions. The Guyana Draughts Association completed the fourth leg of the Annual National Championship held on Saturday at the Shaheed Boys Orphanage in Alexander Street Kitty. Eighteen children from both Boys’ and girls’ Orphanages participated in the games, while numerous others looked on. Addressing the children was President of the Association Mr. Jiaram. He told them that Draughts enhances their thinking and mental ability. He further said that however
unfortunate they are, the Orphanage is not their permanent homes and sooner or later they would be in the outside world again. The struggle for survival would be testing among the shams and drudgery in today’s world. The President of the Association cautioned them to keep focused at all times. The competition was played in three parts. The girls competed among themselves where Mala Alejandra was the champion girl, while Justin
Gooroodyan was the boy’s champion. The battle for the overall Championship between Mala and Justin saw Justin taking home that prize. Officiating in the games were Secretary of the Association Ms. Marilyn Ali and executive member Reywattie Tandool. Ms. Rahaman, Manager of the Orphanages, was also present throughout the games. All in attendance were treated with snacks sponsored by Ms. Rahaman and H.A Snacks LTD.
Sunday October 22, 2017
Horseracing action set for Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club November 5 The Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club of Alness Corentyne Berbice is expected to come alive on Sunday 5th November when the No28 Bush Lot in action Group of Kildonan Corentyne Berbice stages a grand one day horserace meet. Proceeds from the event will go towards charity. Six races are listed on the programme with the feature event being for animals classified H and lower over a distance of 7 furlongs. The winning take in that event is set at $240,000 and trophy. The other events listed for the day are the race for J and lower over six furlongs for a winning pocket of
$170,000 and trophy. There is the race for animals classified K and lower with the winning purse being $120,000 and trophy over five furlongs. The L1 and lower gallop is also over five furlongs with the winner taking home $100,000 and trophy. Horses classified L2 and lower will be racing for the winner’s take of $80,000 and trophy in another five furlongs race. The unclassified animals will not be left out as they will get their opportunity to compete in a specially arranged event for a hefty pay day and trophy. Entries are expected to close on October 29 and
already over 25 horses have been registered to compete. Interested persons can contact Eon Blackman on telephone 664-5922 , Kenyon 690-4276 , Quaicy Henry 603-1027, Fazal Habibulla 657-1070, Nikita Ross 662-4668, Dennis DeRoop 640-6396 and T. Jagdeo on 618-7278 for further details. Apart from the horseracing action that is expected to take center stage there are expected to be a number of side attractions for kids and adults. The event will be held using the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Race time is 12:30 hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
Hope shines but Windies falterto give Zimbabwe edge B U L A W A Y O , Zimbabwe, CMC – The enterprising Shai Hope was left stranded agonisingly short of a third Test hundred as West Indies lost seven wickets in a dismal final session to be bowled out cheaply, giving minnows Zimbabwe the advantage on the opening day of the first Test here yesterday. The right-handed Hope stroked a composed unbeaten 90 while opener Kieran Powell chipped in with 56 but the Caribbean side found it difficult to cope with Zimbabwe’s spinners on a turning track at Queens Sports Club and were humbled for 219 in their first innings. Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer snatched four for 64 to reach 50 wickets in Tests while left-arm spinner Sean Williams prised out three for 20, as the Windies capitulated from a healthy position of 175 for three about half-hour after tea, to lose their seven wickets for a mere 44 runs in quick time. In reply, Zimbabwe safely navigated the five overs available to reach 19 without loss, 200 runs behind heading into today’s second day. Solomon Mire was unbeaten on 17 while Hamilton Masakadza was yet to score. Opting to bat first, West Indies suffered an early setback when vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite lasted 22 balls for his three before getting a thin edge behind off seamer Kyle Jarvis with 14 runs on the board. And they were in further trouble in the third over following the hour mark when Kyle Hope was adjudged caught at the
Shai Hope’s half-century kept West Indies on track. (Getty Images) wicket on review for 16, giving debutant all-rounder Mire his first wicket in Tests at 35 for two. However, Powell and Shai Hope then came together in a key 75-run, third wicket stand which guided the visitors to 65 without further loss at lunch. Unbeaten on 25 at the break, left-hander Powell moved into the 30s in the third over followng the resumption with a top-edged pull for four off Jarvis before entering the 40s with a sweetly-timed cover drive for four off a full toss from the same bowler, a few overs later. He raised his halfcentury – his first in 13 innings since his return to international cricket earlier this year – just before the hour mark of the session with a streaky four past the keeper off pacer Chris Mpofu. But he lasted just 14 more balls before edging a
sweep at Cremer onto his pad and into the hands of Craig Ervine at short leg, to depart in the second over after the drinks break after facing 133 deliveries and striking six fours. Hope, on 19 at lunch, then took charge, anchoring a second successive halfcentury stand by adding 64 for the fourth wicket with Roston Chase who made 31. All told, Hope faced 201 deliveries and counted seven fours and a six – a clean blow over mid-wicket off Sikander Raza. He was forced to ride his luck, however, suriving a chance to Masakadza at slip off Cremer on 41 and then being acquitted on 51 by DRS after being given out caught at slip off Sikander Raza, in the final over before tea. Together, he and chase steered the Windies to tea at 154 for three but things fell apart in the first hour, with (Continued on page 73)
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Aguero’s milestone goal leads Man City to easy win ( R e u t e r s ) MANCHESTER CITY 3 BURNLEY 0 Manchester City moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League as Sergio Aguero’s record-equalling strike set them on their way to a 3-0 win over Burnley at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. City were not at their allaction best early on as Burnley looked comfortable at the back, but the game turned on a penalty decision that incensed the visitors when Bernardo Silva was adjudged to have been brought down by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope just before the half hour. Aguero stepped up to score the goal that moved him level with Eric Brook on 177 City goals, before a 73rdminute Nicolas Otamendi header and a smart Leroy Sane finish made sure of victory in the Manchester rain. With Manchester United
Sergio Aguero scored his 177th to equal Manchester City’s all-time goalscoring record with a controversial penalty.
slipping to a surprise defeat at Huddersfield, City now sit five points clear at the top of the table after a club recordequalling 11th straight win in all competitions. Burnley
stayed ninth. “It means a lot,” Guardiola said of the achievement. “The record is good if you lift something - titles or a trophy.”
City did not immediately hit their stride, however, as Burnley had the first real opening of the game, with Ederson forced to rush from his line to deny striker Chris
Wood. At the other end Pope made a smart save from a Bernardo Silva effort but, moments later, City did take the lead as Aguero wrote his name in
City folklore, sweeping home from the spot as referee Roger East continued to try to calm the Burnley players down. “How the referee has seen it,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said after the game. “I had to watch it four times to see contact. If that’s a penalty then I want one on Chris Wood last week. We just want parity.” After the break, Burnley could indeed have had a spot kick of their own, but referee East waved away appeals for handball against Fabian Delph, before City made sure of the victory with two more goals, taking them to 32 in just nine games. Sane whipped a cross onto the head of Otamendi for the Argentina international to steer the ball home, before Kevin De Bruyne laid on a perfect pass for Sane to make it three as City remain the team to beat in the Premier League.
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Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Pan American Indoor Hockey Cups
Trinidad Men and USA women cop Gold medal - Guyana men fourth,women sixth The 7th Pan American i n d o o r h o c k e y championships being hosted in Guyana at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) culminated in superb fashion as USA women usurped their neighbours and rivals Canada as the 2017 champions, while low ranked Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) men played unbeaten in their 6 games to replace Canada as men Champions. T&T began this tournament as the third lowest ranked men’s team but an extensive training and development programme as described by forward Akim Toussaint, was the main reason for their success. In the men’s final, T&T that had defeated Argentina 3-0 during the group round robin stage, added insult to injury with a 7-0 thrashing of the men in blue in the final. Toussaint along with Mickell Pierre scored two goals each, while Solomon
Eccles, James Marcus and Aiden De Gannes scored one each to complete the route of the Spanish speaking nation. Toussaint explained his euphoria as, “A very exciting feeling, we knew we had the potential to do as best as we can and we did show that our preparation was the best and we played every game as a final.” T &T will be featuring in the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) World Cup in Berlin, Germany next year, which will be their second appearance in this t o u r n a m e n t , To u s s a i n t explained the importance of this for the sport in his homeland, “This means a lot for T&T hockey, we’ve been to the World Cup once in 2007 in Austria and now it has been 10 years since we last featured and we are very happy to be going again.” In the women’s division final, USA edged Argentina 2-1. This game was closely
contested with all the goals coming in the last quarter of the match. Katie Gerzabek put the United States ahead in the 31st minute before Emma Yanzi of Argentina equalized three (3) minutes later. But a penalty stroke, which was awarded to the US just a minute after the equalizer, was superbly converted by Ali Campbell, who was very animated post match. “I wouldn’t be able to be in that position (taking the penalty) without my teammates, the incredible fight that we have given this entire tournament has made me outstandingly proud of every single one of these girls,” an elated Campbell said to Kaieteur Sport after her team’s victory. Meanwhile, Guyana women finished sixth and the men failed in their bid to retain their bronze medal title after losing to Canada 5-2 in the third place playoff.
GCB extends condolences to friends and family of Mr. Judister Rampersaud The Executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is joining with family and friends to mourn the passing of Mr. Judister Rampersaud. Mr. Rampersaud was the former secretary of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) and secretary of the Clonbrook Sports Club. Mr. Rampersaud was also a former delegate of the Demerara Cricket Board at Ordinary General Meetings and Annual General Meetings held by GCB.
He also served as a GCB match referee. The Executives of the GCB recognize the invaluable contributions made by the late Judister Rampersaud and acknowledges that his shared ideas, views and cohesive concepts has indeed left a positive impact on the cricket fraternity in Guyana. The GCB extends their condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Judister Rampersaud in this time of bereavement.
Hamilton Green Cup continues tonight at Victoria Ground Play in the Hamilton Green Cup knockout football tournament continues tonight at the Victoria Community Centre
ground on the East Coast. Three quarterfinal matches will keep football fans on the East Coast buzzing as action will see
Uitvlugt come up against Mile Rock at 17:00hrs in the opening encounter. Police then challenge Silver Shattas at 19:00hrs in game two and Den Amstel battle Winners’ Connection at 21:00hrs in the nightcap. The winners’ of the tournament will receive a top prize of $500,000.The runner up team will collect $250,000, 3rd place $150,000, while loser of the third place playoff will receive $100,000 to round off the $1 Million total prize purse.
Some of the T&T fans at the CASH.
GCA’s Carib Beer T20 semis
DCC to meet GCC in final after winning semi-finals over the weekend Old rivals defending Champions DCC and GCC will clash in the Final of the Georgetown Cricket Association’s Carib Beer T20 first division final which could be played this Wednesday. In Semi-final number one at DCC on Friday, Everest reached 160-8 when their 20 overs expired despite an even 50 from Troy Gonsalves and 28 from Chanderpaul Hemraj 28. Leg spinner Steven Sankar captured a hat-trick as he claimed 3-28 and got support from Chris Barnwell 2-11. The powerhouse DCC batting line-up slipped to 414 with Brian Sattuar (0), Tevin Imlach (8), Barnwell (15) and Kevin Boodie (14) all back in the pavilion. But Sherfane Rutherford (38) shared in 64-run stand with Raymond Perez (58*) with Perez clobbering Bhaskar Yadram for 32 in the penultimate over with 40 needed from the last two overs to lift DCC to a four wicket win with three balls to spare. In yesterday’s match at Bourda, Police were restricted to 131-7 after openers Alex Algoo (5) and Andrew Lyght Jr (1) fell to Renaldo Ali Mohammed and Ronsford Beaton respectively to leave the score on 10-2. Mark Gonsalves (25), Charwayne McPherson (18), Jason Heyliger (17), Lennox Anderson (20*) and
Raymond Perez Steven Harris (13*) were the only ones to reach double figures as left-arm spinner Anthony Adams, the MVP of the GCB three-day Franchise League, bowled a frugal spell to take 2-8 from four overs. He got support from Beaton (2-41) and
Joshua Wade (2-31). GCC in reply were given an explosive start from Robin Bacchus who smashed five fours before he was caught and bowled by Heyliger in the fourth over for 25. Leon Johnson, who leads the Jaguars in this evening’s T20 game against the Caribbean All Stars at Providence, was caught and bowled by Steven Harris for 10 which included a six at 54-2, while opener Khemraj Jaikarran (22) departed at 82-3. H o w e v e r, A l i Mohammed hit three fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 30, while Martin PestanoBell supported with 23 as GCC reached 132-5 from 17 overs. Harris took 2-23. (Sean Devers)
GCC’S Anthony Adams took 2-8 from eight frugal overs yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)
Sunday October 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Ninvalle for emergency AIBA Executive Crown Mining Supplies supports Committee Extraordinary meeting in Dubai GSCL Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup President of the Guyana Part of Wu’s executive
Crown Mining Supplies Marketing Manager Nadine Persaud presents the cheque to GSCL Inc Treasurer Russel Jadbeer in the presence of the entity’s Assistant Marketing Manager Avashti Persaud. Crown Mining Supplies under their Parsun outboard brand has supported the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL Inc) inaugural Prime Minister’s T20 Cup which is set to commence on November 27 in Georgetown. Crown Mining Supplies marketing manager Nadine Persaud presented a cheque to GSCL Inc Treasurer Russel Jadbeer at a simple ceremony held on Friday at their location at 9 North Road, Bourda. In an invited comment, Persaud said that they are happy to partner with the GSCL Inc once again for such a prestigious tournament, which not only helps to promote the sport here, but also boosts tourism since a number of teams will
be gracing the shores of Guyana. She added that Softball cricket is a family oriented sport and as such she is looking forward to an exciting and successful tournament. Jadbeer expressed gratitude to the sponsor and said he is looking forward to their continued support as they look to take the sport to a new level. The tournament, which will conclude on October 29 at Everest CC, will be played in the Open and Masters categories involving teams from New York, Florida, Canada and Guyana. The winning team in the Open tournament will take home a trophy and $600,000 and the runner up a trophy and $100,000, while the victors in the Masters (0-45)
division will pocket a trophy and $500,000 and the runner up a trophy and $100,000. Medals will also be given to members of the winning teams. The venues earmarked to host the matches are Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Everest Cricket C l u b , G a n d h i Yo u t h Organisation (GYO), Police and GNICSC. The tournament is being held in collaboration the National Sports Commission (NSC). Lighted bails will be used in the competition and added entertainment will be provided by Crossover band and cheerleaders during the finals. There will also be lots of giveaways for the fans. The drawing of fixtures will be done at 13:00hrs today at Malteenoes SC.
Fascinating Guyana Open Invitational Golf Championship 2017 set for November 4th & 5th The Lusignan Golf Club’s exciting annual Guyana Open Invitational Golf Championship, which always features a broad field of golfers from the USA, Canada, and Suriname, is this year expected to include golfers from Colombia, Argentina, Trinidad and FIJI, and will take place on Saturday and Sunday November 4th-5th, 2017, at Lusignan. This year’s activities include special participation of three Schools in an inaugural Guyana Open Putting Contest that sees Queens College, Bishops and St. Roses competing for the title. The LGC (Lusignan Golf Club) is proud to host the Guyana Open and encourages everyone from newcomers to seasoned
golfers or those who have not played for a while to come out and support the event. “We are thrilled to see that participation of overseas golfers is at an all-time high and we remain committed to the creation of new and exciting programmes focused on allowing new golfers to participate in such an exciting event. We are also proud to have our golfers wear a pink ribbon on the final day in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and we will make a donation to the Cancer Institute of Guyana,” the club informed in a release. Registration closes on October 30th and golfers are encouraged to register early as there is a limit to the number of participants. Dozens of prizes, trophies, and the fame of becoming
the Champion Golfer of the Guyana Open Invitational Golf Championship 2017 are all at stake. The Guyana Open 2017 will feature 7time Guyana Open Champion Avinash Persaud and 2-time Guyana Open Women’s Champion Joaan Deo, defending their respective titles against stiff competition. With a host of sponsors rallying to support the event, it promises to be one of the most spectacular tournaments ever held at the lovely Lusignan Golf Course. Another first for a Guyana Open is that the Guyana Motor Racing Club will this year partner with the Lusignan Golf Club to display several race cars for fans to inspect and take close-up photographs (Continued on page 73)
Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle will depart Guyana next week for a hurriedly called AIBA Executive Committee Extraordinary meeting to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The meeting was called by AIBA Interim president Franco Falcinelli to discuss the present AIBA crisis among other matters. Ninvalle said that he welcomed the opportunity to have the forum where he can discuss the recently detailed Caribbean position on the crisis. “Through this all, the Caribbean has taken a matured and neutral stance. We have shown that we are not anti-Wu, anti- Interim Management Committiee, anti-AMBC but rather pro Caribbean. Our stance may not make us the poster region of boxing but in the final analysis we will be respected.” Caribbean presidents met in Guyana at a meeting Ninvalle chaired on October 14 and made several unanimous decisions relating to the region’s path
Steve Ninvalle in the current crisis. AIBA, the world governing body of boxing, has been in a crisis since last July following an EC meeting in Moscow. AIBA president Dr. Ching Kuo Wu staved off an attempted mutiny in the Russian capital. Wu ’s p o s i t i o n w a s challenged by the some members of the AIBA’s executive committee, who claimed the Taiwanese had led the sport to the brink of bankruptcy.
committee had passed a motion of no-confidence against his leadership and had turned to Swiss courts in July to approve a temporary administration, accusing the president of financial mismanagement. But that bid for urgent provisional control of the AIBA was rejected in September with the ruling of the Swiss Court coming down in favour of Wu. Wu’s rivals had claimed that AIBA had racked up debts worth 15 million Swiss francs ($15 million, 13.1 million euros). However, earlier this month AIBA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended Wu and Franco Falconelli was appointed acting interim president. A majority vote among AIBA executive committee members confirmed Falconelli’s appointment. Wu is challenging his suspension in court and a decision is expected on November 10, six days after the Extraordinary meeting in Dubai ends.
Trophy Stall innovates with lighted bails cricket – first time ever in Berbice Today, Sunday October 22, 2017, the Cotton Tree Diehard Cricket Ground will be buzzing with a hive of activities as the big names in Softball Cricket gather for one day of explosive cricket action. An entertaining feature of the game will be Lighted Bails to be used the first time in Berbice Cricket, all compliments of Trophy Stall. Participating teams will be Albion Masters, Floodlight Masters, Mike’s Pharmacy Wellman Masters and West Coast Masters. The event is scheduled to commence at 10.00 hrs with packed entertainment all day. Admission will be absolutely free and the public is encourages to come out and support. There will be trampoline and bouncy castle for the children and lots of entertainment for the entire family. Added to the list of side attractions will include free ice-cream for children, food hampers for elders, cosmetic make up kits for ladies, branded give away from Ansa Mcal including tshirts, caps, rags, key chains, air horns and much more.
As Banks DIH, Carib Beer, Massy and Extra Easy Supermarket join list of Sponsors
Lighted bails will be used in Berbice cricket for the first time today thanks to Trophy Stall.
Live commentary will also provided compliments of Regional commentator Inderjeet Persaud. Sponsors so far on board includes Trophy Stall, Raymond and Ashraf Mustapha Woodworking , P e r m a u l ’s Tr a d i n g o f Albion, A and A General
Store of Rosignol, Imran Saccoor, Leah’s Online Shopping, Tage Singh, Romell Jagroop Construction Service, Sono General Store, Extra Easy Supermarket, Banks DIH, Carib Beer, Massy Stores and Rosignol Shopping Mall.
t r o Sp Pan American Indoor Hockey Cups
Trinidad Men and USA women cop Gold medal - Guyana men fourth, women sixth
Team T&T following their 7-0 demolition job of Argentina in the Men’s final.
Team USA after their victory in the women’s Final.
‘Cricket Cares’ GCB/Keem’s T20 cricket
Players ready to battle at Providence for Hurricane victims
Hope shines but Windies falter to give Zimbabwe edge
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