Guyana Times - Monday, March 28, 2022

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Large-scale poultry project earmarked for Pakuri – President Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4962

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Guyana in talks with leading UAE companies on agri investment opportunities Page 3

…Black Belly Sheep Project launched in WCB …20% farms to be led by women, 35% by youth Page 14

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

APNU/AFC- P8 appointed Region 4 Chairman to face charges over threats to father-in-law

Alleged gold P8 chain thief on $100,000 bail Insurance P11 companies should be more interested in road safety – Benn

250 small business grants, 800 parttime jobs for Region 10 – Jagdeo PNCR Leader attacks Deadly weekend: GECOM

Chair

3 dead in 3 accidents Pages 9 & 10

Page 7

US reiterates support for Guyana on Venezuela border controversy Page 2

Judiciary to honour late Justice Kennard at ceremonial court sitting this P8 week

Ukraine willing to be neutral, says Russia wants to split nation P17

2 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US reiterates support for Guyana on Venezuela Border controversy T

he United States’ (US) support for Guyana’s territorial border controversy case currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), was reiterated during the meeting between US Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara A Feinstein, and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo spoke of his meeting with Feinstein on Friday during a press conference and how Guyana’s border case with Venezuela came up during the discussion.

According to him, he was assured of US support for Guyana’s cause.

“We spoke a bit about the border too and the assurances that have been communicated publicly, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary, were repeated at the meeting, about the US position in relation to our sovereignty and support for our territorial integrity and sovereignty and the approach we have taken at the ICJ,” Jagdeo said.

Recently, top US officials visited Venezuela for the first time in years, to discuss the reopening of oil sales between Venezuela and the US. This was precipitated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the announcement by the US that

it would not be purchasing Russian oil.

According to Jagdeo, not only was it agreed between him and Feinstein that the US would share information on the contents of any such future meetings, assurances were also given that Guyana’s sovereignty did not feature during the last meeting.

“And we agreed that we will share more (information), so that when these meetings take place between the different parties, possibly US and Venezuela, we were assured first of all that Guyana did not come up and our sovereignty will not be part of any such discussion. And that we will continue to share more information about what takes place in these discussions in the future,” he explained.

During her visit, Feinstein met with Jagdeo, members of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Opposition and members of the Private Sector, and civil society, before departing Guyana on March 26.

On March 8, Guyana had submitted its written arguments for its memorial to the ICJ right on schedule, a critical step in the adjudication of Guyana’s border controversy with Venezuela.

This was a requirement of

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Barbara Feinstein and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

the international court, per its December 18, 2020 decision that it had the jurisdiction to hear the case against Venezuela.

A statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that Guyana now looks to the Court’s judicial process to settle the matter in accordance with the rule of law.

According to the Ministry, the true commemoration of the 1966 Geneva Agreement is to participate fully in the juridical process… possibly a reference to Venezuela, which has been denying the jurisdiction of the Court, de-

spite the Court already ruling it had this jurisdiction.

Guyana moved to the world court after exhausting all means of negotiation with Venezuela and the failed good offices process between the two South American neighbours. Then United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in January 2018, decided that the case should be settled by the ICJ after exercising the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela,

and the United Kingdom.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945, and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 Judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

Back in March 2021, the ICJ had granted Guyana until March 8, 2022, to file

its written submissions for the case, after requesting 12 months. Venezuela was given until March 8, 2023, to submit its counter-memorial.

The Spanish-speaking nation is laying claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass in Essequibo and a portion of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in which more than nine billion barrels of oil have been discovered over the past six years.

In his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had informed the world about Venezuela’s continued disregard for international norm in pushing its illegal claim to Guyana and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The President had also used meetings with the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to update them on Venezuela’s actions, which had run the gamut from incendiary statements to issuing decrees. Following his meeting with Caricom, the community had issued a statement rebuking Venezuela and urging it to adhere to the ICJ process. (G3)

NEWS

3

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Mar 28 – 01:00h – 02:30h and Tuesday, Mar 29 – 01:30h – 03:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Mar 28 – 13:50h – 15:20h and Tuesday, Mar 29 – 14:40h – 16:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to North North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 14:09h reaching a maximum height of 2.33 metres.

Low Tide: 07:42h and 20:14h reaching minimum heights of 1.02 metres and 0.8 metre.

Guyana in talks with leading UAE companies on agri investment opportunities …as Black Belly Sheep Project launched in WCB …20% farms to be led by women, 35% by youth

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali, who recently returned from representing Guyana at conferences in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has revealed that Guyana is in talks with three of the largest Statebacked Arabian institutions on agriculture and food security and that they will be visiting Guyana.

He made this revelation during Sunday’s launch of the Black Belly Project in Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice. President Ali had been in Dubai for the Global Business Forum LATAM, as well as the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF2022).

“I just came back from the UAE. And 90 per cent of the conversation with the leadership of the UAE and the Private Sector, was not on oil and gas… 90 per cent of the conversation was on food security and agriculture diversification,” President Ali explained.

“We had discussions with three of the largest Statebacked institutions, that

President Dr Irfaan Ali meeting and listening to the concerns of Region Five farmers on Sunday

allels with neighbouring Brazil, who he noted is one of the largest exporters to that region in multiple categories. According to President Ali, Guyana has all the competitive advantages right here. It is now catalysing it into action and bringing

ble their production in less than a year. They are also looking to double the new production target in the next

shocks.

year.

President Ali also discussed the efforts being made by the Government to shore up Guyana’s agricultural sector against global shocks, ranging from plans to grow wheat locally, to using the natural gas being produced offshore Guyana to produce fertiliser, another product whose prices have been affected by global

Black Belly Sheep Project, President Ali provided statistics to show that the project, once implemented and expanded, could earn US$43 million in annual revenue.

By year four, he was optimistic that operating expenses would amount to US$24 million and beyond year four, US$30 million.

Black Belly Sheep Project With

respect

to

the

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are going to be here. The Emirate future group, the Al Dahra Group and the Elite Group, are three of the largest players in agriculture and food production.”

President Ali drew par-

it into the fore, so that the benefits can redound to the country.

Speaking about swamp shrimp, Ali noted that since that project was started, they have been able to dou-

TURN TO PAGE 10

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Dealing with alcohol abuse

O

nce again, a debate has erupted in the press over alcohol abuse and its consequences in Guyana. No one would dispute that this is a major issue in Guyana, but this time the heat was generated by one claim that the problem was more prevalent in the Hindu community, which by the last census was 28 per cent of the populace. Because the problem has been so longstanding, one would have thought that there were statistics to settle these disputes – and more importantly, to guide efforts to address the problem.

However, in the latest (2016) “Guyana National Household Drug Prevalence Survey Report”, while confirming that alcohol abuse was high only disaggregated the data by age, sex, marital status, educational level, employment status, type of employment, household income and region, there was no breakdown by religion. Future surveys should include this variable since any correlation might point to causative and preventative factors. And reduce debates. Some interesting factoids from the survey was that 76 per cent of those surveyed consumed alcohol over the past year, with males outnumbering females by two and a half times. Surprisingly, tertiary graduates exhibited the same drinking abuse pattern as those who never attended school.

It is clear that there are enough statistics, however, to guide interventions which sadly appear to be lacking. In 2018, the World Health Organisation/Pan American Health Organisation (WHO/PAHO) issued a “Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol” by delineating 10 target areas and policy options and interventions.

These were: “1. Leadership, awareness, and commitment: Political commitment through adequately-funded, comprehensive, and multisectoral national policies that are evidence-based and tailored to each local context; 2. Health services’ response: Providing preventive services and treatment to individuals and families at risk of, or affected by, alcohol use disorders and associated conditions; 3. Community and workplace action: Harnessing the local knowledge and expertise of communities to change collective behaviour. 4. Drink-driving policies and countermeasures: Introducing measures to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol; creating a safer driving environment to minimise the likelihood and severity of alcohol-involved road traffic crashes; 5. Availability of alcohol: Preventing easy access to alcohol for vulnerable and high-risk groups; reducing the social availability of alcohol so as to change social and cultural norms that promote the harmful use of alcohol; 6. Marketing of alcoholic beverages: Protecting young people by regulating both the content of alcohol marketing and the amount of exposure to that marketing; 7. Pricing policies: Increasing the prices of alcoholic beverages to reduce underage drinking, halt progression towards drinking large volumes of alcohol and/or episodes of heavy drinking, and influence consumers’ choices. 8. Reduction of the negative consequences of drinking and alcohol intoxication: Reducing the harm from alcohol intoxication by managing the drinking environment and informing consumers; 9. Reduction of the public health impact of illicit alcohol and informally-produced alcohol: Reducing the negative consequences of informal or illicit alcohol through good market knowledge, an appropriate legislative framework, and active enforcement of measures; 10. Monitoring and surveillance: Developing surveillance systems to monitor the magnitude of and trends in alcohol-related arms, to strengthen advocacy, to formulate policies, and to assess the impact of interventions.”

It should surprise no Guyanese that on the WHO/PAHO alcohol policy scoring based on the above criteria, Guyana scored lower than ALL other countries in the hemisphere. The Government must do better.

However, the rest of society also has a role to play. According to studies, “Ways of drinking and of thinking about drinking are learned by individuals within the context in which they learn ways of doing other things and of thinking about them. That is, whatever else drinking may be, it is an aspect of culture about which patterns of belief and behaviour are modelled by a combination of example, exhortation, rewards, punishments, and the many other means, both formal and informal, that societies use for communicating norms, attitudes, and values.”

The Government and societal leaders and organisations must all cooperate to reduce the scourge of alcohol abuse.

President Dr Irfaan Ali shares a photo with dancers at Pakuri Village (formerly St Cuthbert’s Mission) on Saturday when he attended a Village Day hosted in observance of the 133rd anniversary of the establishment of the community (Office of the President photo)

Long COVID and heart disease T

By Ernest Madu & Paul Edwards

he SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the novel coronavirus pandemic, has significantly impacted cardiovascular health care.

From the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, there were early indications of a dubious connection between COVID-19 and heart disease. There were early indications that patients with hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes had higher rates of complications and death. This finding was noted in all countries and in major research publications, leading to recommendations for more rigorous prevention measures for heart disease patients.

Cardiologists at the Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) were among the first group of experts to bring this problem to global attention. In a landmark publication in a leading cardiology journal, Clinical Cardiology, in June 2020, HIC investigators reported that patients with pre-existing cardiovascular comorbidities demonstrated an increased risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and seemed to have worse clinical outcomes. This report highlighted data from several investigators showing high complication rates in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension, with a mortality rate of 10.5 per cent reported in cardiac patients and 7.3 per cent and 6.0 per cent for diabetes and hypertension patients, respectively. As early as May 2020, HIC was among the first to institute strict protocols to improve access to patients with heart diseases in a COVID-free health-care environment. After more than two years of the pandemic, about 500 million people have been infected with the SARSCoV-2 virus, with over six million dead.

In Jamaica, about 130,000 infections have been reported, with nearly 3,000 dead. We believe the number of infected, and dead are significantly more as many cases are likely under reported.

Tsunami of heart diseases post-COVID

While the world is still reeling from the health care and socio-economic impact of the pandemic, troubling signals of a new tsunami of heart and cardiovascular diseases are becoming apparent. There is now strong evidence that survivors of COVID-19 are at significantly increased risk of heart and cardiovascular diseases, especially in the first several months following recovery.

It is, therefore, advisable that they see a doctor as soon as possible if they develop worrisome symptoms that suggest cardiac involvement. COVID survivors should watch out for symptoms like chest pain, fainting, palpitations, shortness of breath at rest or with exertion, unusual fatigue, or decreased activity tolerance. These may be markers of long-term complications of COVIDinduced cardiovascular disease. In a major Swedish study published August 14, 2021, in The Lancet, a high-impact medical journal, researchers found strong evidence that heart attack and stroke risk rise sharply in the weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis. In that study which included every person in Sweden diagnosed with COVID-19 from February 1, 2020, to September 14, 2020, numbering nearly 87,000 people, it was shown that in the week after a COVID-19 diagnosis, the risk of a first heart attack increased by three to eight folds when compared to 348,000 Swedish people of similar age and sex who did not have the virus. The risk of a first stroke caused by a blood clot multiplied by three to six times. This pattern has been described for other viral infections like influenza, but COVID-19 infections appear to have a more profound and exaggerated increase in long-term cardiovascular complications, perhaps because they trigger an exaggerated inflammatory response that makes blood clots more likely. The primary cardiac presentations in longCOVID include recurrent palpitations, arrhythmias, inappropriate tachycardia, and fainting episodes. In a small-

er subset of patients, we note lingering pericarditis or myocarditis. Depending on what study you read, a percentage of patients with acute COVID-19 infection will develop long-lasting sequelae.

While the number of such patients is uncertain, there is evidence that more than 50 per cent of older patients with significant comorbidities will experience some form of long-COVID. Most studies show a range of 30-35 per cent overall. More than half of these patients will experience predominantly heart-related symptoms, including shortness of breath, exertional intolerance, chest pain, heart palpitations, sensations of light-headedness, dizziness, and sometimes frank fainting episodes.

This could mean that nearly 50,000 of the reported cases of COVID-19 so far in Jamaica are at risk of developing long COVID-19 complaints, with more than 25,000 of those patients presenting with cardiovascular complaints.

The actual numbers are likely to be significantly more than reported. Many Clinicians now believe that long-COVID is very similar to the autonomic dysfunction caused by postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS is a challenging disease that many clinicians are not versed in and therefore not comfortable treating. From a cardiac standpoint, about 20-40 percent of patients with long COVID-19 may have features reminiscent of POTS, or inappropriate tachycardia.

Long COVID clinic at HIC

The HIC has had a robust Autonomic Function Lab for nearly 20 years and has successfully treated many Jamaican patients with autonomic dysfunction. The Autonomic Function Lab at HIC is the only such facility in Jamaica. In recognition of the current need, HIC will be opening a Long Covid Clinic effective May 1, 2022, to cater to COVID survivors with long COVID cardiovascular symptoms.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana’s well-being is quite obvious Dear Editor, “800 jobs for Region Two” is the word from Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and this is good news indeed. The VP’s announcement stems from the Government’s decision to make available some 800 temporary jobs to these residents, in a move to supplement the income of those, as he puts it, “feeling the squeeze” of the increase in cost of living, engendered by external factors beyond Guyana’s control. The whole idea itself is quite commendable, and shows that the Government is both innovative and caring.

Let me inform all of us that job creation is necessary simply because the

more people work the more the economy becomes stable. Economic stability is needed before people can start making big investments in themselves and their children. So, when we create jobs, we cannot go wrong. I add that job creation and economic growth are related. It doesn’t only allow us to develop more individually, but it can also benefit our country’s economy by uplifting the Private Sector.

In this way, we are empowering the communities by reducing unemployment rates and improving the life of our citizens. So, the details show that 250 small businesses will receive grants, and $600 million will be invested to

Long COVID and...

FROM PAGE 4

Many of these patients would need to be studied with standard Head Upright Tilt Table (HUTT) studies and other cardiac diagnostic techniques to reveal abnormalities in heart rate response and initiate appropriate treatment for autonomic dysfunction. The long COVID clinic at HIC will be open to all Jamaican survivors of COVID-19 who continue to have heart related symptoms including chest pain, palpitations or irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting. With proper evaluation and treatment, many patients with long COVID can find relief. (Jamaica

Observer) (Dr Ernest Madu, MD, FACC and Dr Paul Edwards, MD, FACC are consultant cardiologists for Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) and HIC Heart Hospital. HIC is the regional centre of excellence for cardiovascular care in the Englishspeaking Caribbean and has pioneered a transformation in the way cardiovascular care is delivered in the region. HIC Heart Hospital is registered by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and is the only heart hospital in Jamaica)

dredge the mouth of the Pomeroon River, as after all, Region Two is primarily an agriculture-based region and the Government is actively looking at ways and means to increase employment in the region.

This current situation takes me back to the “US$35 million Enmore manufacturing facility, which is to create over 500 jobs,” when it is fully up and running. What is so commendable is that, according to the President Irfaan Ali, the progress of company will be tracked to ensure locals benefit adequately. This is great indeed as “accountability” is vital in this new Guyana that is emerging. I recall back in 2021, during the budget debate, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, explained the job creation scenario, saying that the Government has to lay the foundation and prepare the local economy to be conducive to job creation for Guyanese. He carefully explained that “You can’t have a policy in the budget call ‘job creation’ and just create jobs in isolation.

What a Government has to do is to prepare the economy, prepare the country to make it conducive for jobs to be created, and that is what the Government is doing… We have specific programmes to target specific communities to attract investments to those communities to create jobs”. So, this Enmore

thing is just another example.

In the offing is that the Government is aiming to employ some 1000 Region Two residents through the establishment of call centres there. This year, it has allocated some $1 billion in the budget for road projects in the region, and this will also create hundreds of jobs for these Region Two people.

Let me close by reminding all Guyanese that for five years, our country was on the back foot by “poor and spiteful” economic policies implemented by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, which saw thousands of Guyanese, from public servants to farmers, put on the bread line. The figures are there for examination, as some 30,000 workers lost their jobs under the APNU/ AFC Government and about 40,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic’s initial onslaught. Right now, the task is quite onerous, as the Government has to fill these many job breaches, then start to really add new ones, and so far, the story is quite good. These 800 temporary jobs for Region Two residents are just one in a series of measures that the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government has implemented to support Guyanese in need of help, since assuming office two years ago. Lots of things, job-wise, are co-occur-

ring, and it is just a matter of time until there will a wave of benefits to enjoy.

Yours truly, H Singh

"Alcoholism", "violence", "ignorance" not confined to Hindus

Dear Editor, I join my voice with Dr Vindhya Persaud’s, President of Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha in strongly condemning Mr Malcolm Harripaul’s letter of March 23, 2022, titled “Hindu wedding house violence and ignorance”.

This is not the first time Mr Harripaul has shown his disdain for the Hindu community. On March 22, 2000, exactly 22 years ago, he had published a letter of a similar nature. This letter has shown his contempt for Hindus has grown. It contains most unsavoury and unfounded materials which no thoughtful media house would publish especially in our multi-religious community.

I am not in any way trying to defend Hindus consuming alcohol, or condoning its consumption by anyone. But I see Mr Harripaul’s letter as more of an attempt to show the superiority of his religion (Christianity) over Hinduism by picking on the "wedding house" behaviour of some Hindus.

(Hindus make up just 28 per cent of the population).

I will not allow myself to be dragged to the level of Mr Harripaul by making derogatory statements about any religion. “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

Let me inform Mr Harripaul that "alcoholism", "violence" and "ignorance" are not confined to his Hindu neighbours or village alone, but can be found in peoples of all religions, races, and creeds of all countries. Just check the prison population.

Alcoholism, violence and ignorance are not virtues of Hinduism. Be assured Guyana and the world are very safe with the Hindus.

For instance, Hindus have never attempted to steal an election, or unleash violence on anyone.

In closing, I recall reading in the Bible, Jesus converting water into wine at a wedding house.

Yours truly, Pt Ramdial Balbadar President, Pandits’ Sabha, Reg 3

6

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄ Question 1

By Wilson Harris

I

n this fun and easy force and motion science experiment for kids, we’re going to explore inertia by creating a magic napkin.

Materials: Napkin Plastic cup full of water Instructions: Drape the napkin over the edge of a table.

Place the plastic cup of water on the napkin and about one inch from the edge of the table.

Quickly jerk the napkin out from under the plastic cup of water.

Saturday’s answers 1i) Angle Q = 1150 The angle next to it = 180 0 -115 0(angles on a straight line = 180 0) = 65o All the angles in a triangle = 180 0 So angle x = 1800 – 80 0 – 65 0 = 35 0 1ii) Angle y = 65 0 (since TP =

TQ) b) 6p + 90 0 = 3600 6p = 360 0 – 90 0 6p = 270 0 p = 270 0 ÷ 6 = 450

How it works: Inertia explains that an object at rest will tend to stay at rest. Although we yanked the napkin out from under the cup of water, the cup wanted to stay at rest and did not move.

Make this a science project: Try different sized items. Try different weights of items. (sciencefun.org)

The people pass in the village.

They are dirt-stained and dust-stained from the farms but nothing can hide their nobility.

Not even the burden of their labour nor the slow death that creepeth upon them out of the empty hands of an old and alien dispensation.

Nothing can hide their nobility.

The women have firm and beautiful breasts.

And the men have a strong and joyous laughter.

Nothing can hide their nobility.

They have a slowness and a sleepiness upon them.

They stand mute and execrated like statues of priceless ebony curbing a monstrous strength curbing the violence of their limbs: until the deep smile comes in patient grandeur upon the darkness of their features.

This is the culmination of their strange beauty.

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” — Confucius

WORD SEARCH

7 PNCR Leader attacks GECOM Chair L NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

eader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton has launched an attack on the integrity of Chairwoman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh, and called for her to be removed.

He made these remarks during his first address to the PNCR’s statutory General Council on Saturday at Congress Place.

Norton told party members that he recently met with the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara Feinstein, who was in Guyana on a three-day visit. During that meeting, he explained that a host of issues were raised including having an independent Elections Commission.

“We raised with them the fact that, yes, we have three Government; yes, we have three Opposition [Commissioners] but that the Chairman is supposed to be independent and what we are saying is that the Chairman of the Elections Commission is not independent.”

The PNCR Leader went on to accuse the GECOM Chair of being partisan and voting alongside the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Commissioners on ev-

GECOM Chair Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh

ery occasion.

“We have noted that she conspired with them to break the rules to make a Chief Elections Officer who isn’t qualified for the job. And so, she is partisan and our mantra must be…

Claudette Singh must go!

She must go to ensure that we have elections that are free and fair. Her presence will not facilitate that,” Norton alleged.

In addition to Justice Singh as its Chair, GECOM comprises of three Government-nominated Commissioners – Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Manoj Narayan – while the Opposition-nominated Commissioners are Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman.

But only Friday last, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who also met with the US Deputy Assistant

Secretary, told reporters at a press conference that the PPP would be cautious in changing the current “3-3-1” formula of the seven-member Elections Commission given the events that played out at the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

In response to Norton’s concerns, Jagdeo said he informed the visiting US official that the blatant attempts to rig the 2020 elections were done at the technical level and that the political presence within the 3-3-1 composition was a “saving grace” in ensuring democracy prevailed.

“I point out to the Deputy Assistant Secretary that the threat did not come from the political [presence at the Elections] body – the 3-3-1. It came from the technical staff at the [GECOM] Secretariat. That is where,

in complicity with APNU, they sought to rig the elections. So had we not had that 3-3-1 formula, today you would have had an illegal Government in office with results declared that had no basis on how people voted. And so, we have to be very cautious about these matters,” he stressed.

Nevertheless, the Vice President stated that while the governing party is open-minded about changing the composition of the Elections Commission – something which was listed in its 2020 election manifesto, national discussions and consultations will have to be held. Even so, however, he contended that adequate systems would have to be put in place to prevent any recurrence of two years ago.

“In the final decision, because the people of the country will have a chance to weigh in, we will be very conscious of the 2020 period, about what happened at the technical level. So, any amendment to that formula would have to be replaced with some solid safeguards that ensured that elections can’t be rigged by capricious actions or illegal action on the part of the technical people. So, we still have an open mind but that is not going to happen by us sitting down with APNU and deciding on this,” Jagdeo posited.

PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton

Former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his then Deputy, Roxanne Myers; and former Returning Officer for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Clairmont Mingo, were last August dismissed from their respective posts at the Elections Commission.

The embattled trio is currently before the courts facing a number of electoral fraud charges for their alleged attempts to sway the results of the March 2020 elections in favour of the then ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government. This result-

ed in a five-month impasse during which a national recount exercise had to be conducted, under the watch of the international community.

The recount exercise proved that Mingo heavily inflated the figures in Region Four (Guyana’s most populated voting district) in favour of the then caretaker APNU/AFC regime – which was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018.

The exercise also confirmed that the PPP won the elections by some 15,000 votes more than the coalition party. (G8)

8 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC-appointed Region 4 Chairman to face charges over threats to father-in-law

C

hairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Daniel Seeram is expected to appear in court on Thursday on allegations that he threatened his father-in-law with his licenced firearm.

Seeram, who has retained Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, will appear at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. It was reported that Seeram and his father-inlaw were under investigation for allegedly threatening each other with their licenced guns.

Some reports stated that the two men were re-

Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram

portedly involved in an argument earlier this month during which Seeram drew his gun, cranked it, and threatened to kill his relative. Other reports, how-

ever, state that Seeram reported to the Police that he went to speak to his wife when her father pulled a gun on him.

As a result, both of them were arrested. Their firearms and ammunition were also seized and they were each released on station bail pending investigations.

Last year, on Boxing Day, Georgetown Mayor Pandit Ubraj Narine was arrested by the Police on allegations that he indiscriminately fired off his licenced firearm at his Pigeon Island, Chateau Margot, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

Reports are that Police

ranks showed up at the Mayor’s home after receiving a report from an anonymous caller. In the company of his lawyer and wife, Mayor Narine went to the Police station where his hands were swabbed for gun powder residue. Police had confirmed that Mayor Narine was released on $20,000 bail as investigations into the alleged incident were ongoing.

Guyana Times previously reported that the Mayor and his wife were allegedly involved in a heated confrontation in their yard when neighbours called the Police and reported that he had fired his gun several times. (G1)

Judiciary to honour late Justice Kennard at ceremonial court sitting this week

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here will be a special sitting of the Full Court to honour the life of the late former Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Cecil Kennard, who died three Saturdays ago at the age of 86 following a brief period of illness.

It is expected that several judicial officers, including Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, will pay tribute to the legal luminary.

Justice Kennard was passionate about the law, particularly criminal law.

A statement on his passing from the Judiciary said that he has left a rich leg-

Late former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Cecil Kennard

acy of decisions that have enriched the jurisprudence of Guyana and the Caribbean.

Former Chancellor Kennard, who had been the recipient of two national awards, namely the Order of Roraima (OR) and the

Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH), had studied law at the United Kingdom’s prestigious Lincoln’s Inn. His long and illustrious career had seen him holding positions as Crown Counsel in the Chambers of the Attorney General and

Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Magistrate, Legal Advisor to the Guyana Police Force, Puisne Judge, Justice of Appeal, Chief Justice, and Chancellor of the Judiciary.

Prior to his judicial career in Guyana, he had served with distinction as a prosecutor in Antigua and Barbuda. On his retirement from the Judiciary, Justice Kennard had served as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority and was consulted by governmental agencies. Justice Kennard was laid to rest on March 16. (G1)

Alleged gold chain thief on $100,000 bail

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21-year-old man was on Friday charged with stealing a gold chain. Collin Denny called “Mallice” appeared before Senior

223-7230-1

(Ext 55)

Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. He was released on $100,000 bail.

He denied the charge which stated that on March 18 at James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, he stole from the person of Vickesh Sukhnandan, a gold chain valued at $275,000. The alleged thief is required to report to the Police station until the hearing and determination of his trial. His case continues on May 13.

Back in 2018, Denny, then 17, was charged with the offence of unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition. He was remanded to prison.

It was alleged that on June 13, 2018, at Howes Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, he had a

.32 pistol along with one matching round of ammunition in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at the time.

The court heard that Police ranks were on mobile patrol in the area when they searched Denny and found the gun stashed in the crotch of his pants.

But his lawyer had contended that he was in the company of six other males when the Police visited the area. The lawyer said that upon seeing the ranks, the other males ran away, leaving her client behind.

The unlicenced gun, she said, was not found in her client’s possession but rather, on the street. (G1)

Tugging…

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…the (Exxon) tiger’s tail s you, Dear Readers, would know, your Eyewitness is a dyed-in-the-wool patriot. He’s drank enough “black-water” from the creeks – not to mention that potent dark and full-bodied elixir from our sugar cane! – that he ain’t going nowhere but here. Then again, his “navel-string chook” right here also. So, he wants what’s best for his native land. And when he heard that oil was struck, he was so ecstatic he raised his hands to the skies (heaven?) and gave thanks. At long last, some real money would be flowing into our coffers.

Free at last!! Free at last!! Thank God Almighty, we were all gonna be free at last!!

Now, he doesn’t have to recount what happened between oil being struck and us getting our fair share, does he? Well, seems he does. Your Eyewitness is as upset as anyone else that we got the short end of the stick. So, he understands and sympathises with those who feel that we ought to’ve gotten a better deal. What he can’t understand is focusing the angst against the Government to renegotiate the contract!! The problem with that, of course, is you gotta have grounds to get into the Court door!! The starting point in any such attempt is to overcome the fundamental principle in these matters – the sanctity of contracts! How do we get past that?

One is if Guyana’s negotiator – Raphael Trotman – was a child or imbecile so that there wasn’t the requisite “meeting of minds”!! Was he? Well, the activists ought to look into that! Another tack is to show there were some illegalities involved. Was there? That group “Global Witness” that first exposed the dirty deal we got – and calculated we lost some US$55 billion – suggested as much. Did all those 5-star hotels and restaurants for Trotty qualify as “bribes”? Were there any deposits in Washington banks – like with that US$800M for President of Equatorial Guinea? More mundanely, Global recounted that Trotman didn’t consult the experts assigned to him nor actually read the fine print. Shouldn’t the activists look into that?

Then Trotty himself excused his culpability by saying that he was “told” to sign along the dotted line. Who was that masked man?? Maybe that was the person who was bribed? Shouldn’t the activists look into that?? But all we get from this new band of patriots – another “group” was launched just today! – is that the Government must tug Exxon’s tail. They seem to forget that Exxon’s mascot – “Tony the Tiger” – may present that happy-go-lucky image in their ads, but still got teeth!!

C’mon guys, you know what to do when your hand is in “tigah mout’”?

…the development strings Some folks are wondering why our leaders are jetting off to UAE – especially Dubai – to get them involved with our development plans. Didn’t we now have a money spigot of our own now? We’re told we might get as much as US$200 million from next month’s oil shipment!! But, Dear Readers, the thing is – just having money doesn’t guarantee development. It all boils down to what you do with that money. Just ask Venezuela or Nigeria if you want details!! They’ve been pumping oil for decades without making that big breakthrough!!

The question, though, is whether the UAE is the model we should be using. In these (development) matters, you gotta start with what you got. Singapore had no natural resources or land, but had been the centre of the British Navy operations. So they built on their wharves to form first a shipping hub, then, banking and telecommunications hubs, etc. The UAE is desert and they picked tourism.

Can they help with our Agri-diversification? …war’s folly Whatever Putin’s rationale might’ve been to invade Ukraine, surely, he didn’t want to displace more than half of its children into misery and refugeehood.

These will become implacable enemies of Russia into the next generation.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen struck down, ran over by 2 vehicles T he parents of a 19-year-old young man of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), are still unravelling from the shock they received on Saturday night, after learning that their son was struck down and run over by two vehicles on the Craig Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

Dead is Sachin Persaud of Lot 69 Avenue A Diamond, EBD. The accident occurred sometime around 20:00h.

According to the Police, the driver of motor car PXX 2746 related that he was proceeding north along the

“Imagine this child get hit by and went under a car and the Police was there and they took about two hours to move him before they could take him to the hospital. It was spirited citizens had to lift the car to take him out” – father

Dead: Sachin Persaud

In doing so, however, he said he felt the front of his vehicle run over something and immediately stopped to investigate.

post and was in disbelief of the news he had received.

“I heard that he was over the road buying water, and whilst crossing the road, the speeding vehicle hit him and the other one run him over. They broke up his hand and foot,

The motor car that struck the teenager on Saturday night

western drive lane of Craig Public Road, and while in the vicinity of Natram’s General Store, he observed two pedestrians crossing the road from east to west in front of him.

The man alleged that upon seeing the two persons, he applied brakes and swerved east to avoid a collision but due to the short distance, the left side rear view mirror of his vehicle collided with one of the pedestrians.

Meanwhile, it is also alleged by the driver of motor car PXX 8548 that he was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of the said road when he noticed two other motor cars swerve east into the lane in front of him, and on seeing that he applied brakes and swerved west onto the western drive lane of the said road to avoid a collision with the said two motor cars.

Upon checking, he observed that he had run over a male pedestrian who was lying motionlessly underneath his vehicle.

Devastated

When Guyana Times arrived at the teen’s home on Sunday, scores of persons had flocked his home to offer their condolences to his family. His parents, Nandalall Persaud and Bissoondia Badeo, were devastated by their son’s death and could not hold back their tears.

The teen’s father, Nandalall Persaud, buckled in tears when this publication arrived, as the words “this is affecting us really bad,” rolled off his tongue.

The man said he was at work when he received a call that his son was involved in an accident and that he should go to the scene immediately. He said at the time he could not leave his

fracture his skull and put a hole in his head.”

“I saw him alive yesterday (Saturday) at about 1:30. He just come in, I was in the chair and he just call for me and asked me what happen and he left because he works at a shop in Grove. He was finished working…when it happen, I couldn’t leave the site because I was the only security there,” he said.

The tearful man said the death of his son has really shaken his family and it still feels surreal to hear his son lost his life at such a young age.

“It is not easy!”

“This is hurting us much more than we expected. It is not easy! This is terrible to know that my last child… I grew them up, I punish and work and I and my wife grow them up,” the man said.

Persaud said with how the judicial system in Guyana continues to fail many families across the country, he is unsure if he will get justice for his son’s death. However, the man said he is hoping for the best.

“I don’t know if I will ever get justice but I want justice. If not, I want them to come to compromise… the 23rd of July this year he would have been 20. He was just 19.”

“Imagine this child get hit by and went under a car and the Police was there and they took about two hours to move him before they could take him to the hospital. It was spirited citizens had to lift the car to take him out.”

In addition, the dead

Sachin Persaud’s parents: Nandalall Persaud and Bissoondia Badeo

teen’s mother Bissoondia Badeo said she is hoping that justice is served for her son because she worked very hard to maintain him and he did not deserve such a gruesome death.

“I work in rain and sun to mind my children so that they can get so big.

Everybody knows how hard I work to take care of my children and now this,” she voiced.

Meanwhile, the other pedestrian who was crossing the road with the teen at the time he met his de-

mise was identified as his girlfriend’s sister.

The teen, who did not give her name, said before crossing the road, Persaud told her to be careful before she gets hit by a vehicle as they began crossing the road. The teen said she ran across and later heard an impact.

“Before we cross, he told me to be careful before I get knock down when we cross the road, I run over and then I heard a sound,” she explained.

Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

10 NEWS “We didn’t even know” – family of pensioner killed in WCD accident MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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security guard was on Sunday morning killed after he was struck by a car, on the Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD) public road.

Dead is Fiuz Hussaine, 66, from Windsor Forest, WCD. The accident occurred at around 05:30h, Police said.

According to Police, at the time of the accident, motor car OMM 3502 was proceeding west on the southern side of the Windsor Forest Public Road when it was alleged by the driver that he saw the pedestrian walking on the southern parapet of the road heading west, talking on his cell phone.

Dead: Fiuz Hussaine

The driver alleged that the pedestrian made a sudden turn right onto the main road into the path of his vehicle, resulting in

the front of the car colliding with the father of two.

Upon impact, the pedestrian fell onto the road’s surface where he received injuries to his left foot and head.

Hussaine was picked up in an unconscious state by the driver and taken to West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor, who referred him to Georgetown Public Hospital.

At the GPHC, the pensioner was further examined and admitted as a patient suffering from head injuries but subsequently died.

A notice of intended prosecution was served

and a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver but no trace of alcohol was found in his breath.

He remains in custody assisting with the investigations.

On way to work

On Sunday Guyana Times visited the home of the dead man and his niece, Karmela Ramjjiwan, said that his family was not aware that he was involved in an accident until later in the day. She said it was a family member who lives abroad, that called her and told her that Hussaine was involved in an accident.

“We didn’t even know.

We hear this morning…af-

ter the cousin called from overseas, they get contact with my cousin and they called and told me that he was involved in the accident and passed away.

After that, his daughter went to identify his body.”

Ramjjiwan added that her uncle met his demise while he was on his way to work. She said she was told that he was struck down while he was crossing the road to get a bus to go to work.

The man who lived alone had been working as a security guard for years, according to his family. His niece also revealed that he lost his life just two years after his wife died.

“He used to take on his

wife’s death a lot. I used to live with him but after I got this place I move out and leave him alone in that house. The last time I saw him was last week, he was walking in the road and I saw him and he was coming home from work,” she said.

The man’s family said his death came as a shock to them.

“Normally he would go to work early morning … he was a very helpful and nice person.”

The family is hoping that through the Police’s investigations they will get closure to Hussaine’s death. (G9)

Guyana in talks with leading UAE...

FROM PAGE 3

The project is also expected to provide employment for close to 4500 persons, directly and indirectly.

Farmers need only come with their land and register with the Government and already, 78 of them have done so. The Government also wants to provide targeted support to women and youths, in this project.

“To let you know how fast we’re moving, we have already agreed with Barbados that Guyana and Barbados would do a joint project to supply the Barbados market strictly from Guyana to start with. That is a market with a value of US$6.8

million,” President Ali explained.

“To show you how fast we’re moving, two weeks from now, our breeding stock for Barbados black belly will be enhanced by 1000. That stock is coming to Region Five, to support you in Region Five, in the breeding stock. This is not gaff. This is real work, hard work, in building this industry.”

Figures from last year show that Caricom imports US$48 million in mutton and lamb products.

In detailing the programme, President Ali said the target is to be able to produce 7000 tonnes of mut-

ton at the end of the first five years.

“This will need investment from the Government, farmers and foreign investors.”

The entire project will cost an estimated US$175 million and utilise 25,000 hectares of land most of which will be in Region Five.

The demand for mutton in Caricom is expected to grow as the pre-COVID figure was 32 million tourists coming into Caricom annually.

Currently, Trinidad imports US$17.2 million; Jamaica US$12.6 million; Bahamas imported US$6.9

million and Barbados US$6.8 million.

“We have already agreed with Barbados, to do a joint project to supply the Barbados market strictly from Guyana at the start with that market value being US$6.8 million and within two weeks, our breeding stock of the Barbados Black Belly Sheep will be enhanced by 1000 and that is coming to you here in Region Five.”

Women, youth

The Head of State pointed out that under the programme, they want at least 20 per cent of the farms to be led by women and 35 per

cent of the farms must have youth involvement.

“That is below the age of 45. This is part of building a future, this is part of empowerment. These are real thoughts and a realistic approach in the involvement of people. So, not only must we talk about food production, it must be built or erase biases. Our culture must demonstrate that it has the

ability to create an equal society and that is a part of this vision. We are also bringing large scale producers and large-scale producers are not here to compete they will be here to support and part of that support is technology. In capital, we have already made it clear small farmers must be part of a larger collection that will drive this system,” the Head of State pointed out.

Explaining the support

chain, banking institutions and global players.

According to the President, this will allow for them to formulate an actionable agenda with the investment required and make those opportunities available to the people of the region and globally.

Giving an example, he pointed out that a team from the UAE will be in Guyana to look at the cargo facility for direct export in North America.

“Very soon we will be launching another pro-

million. That is a market we can capture to be part of this massive project in which the Private Sector the Government and communities will work for ensuring we have a sustainable production of hatching eggs.”

The long-term goal, he pointed out, is to also be able to produce hatching eggs for the Caricom market.

“These are initiatives that are transformative in nature. These are the initiative that will propel the economy. These are the initiatives that will bring di-

gramme to support the poultry industry. We started by working with all the poultry producers in a consortium for them to produce their own – from the production of feed to support that industry. We have to be self-sufficient. It is not only rising prices globally now but its shortages of supply.”

To combat this, he noted the Agriculture Ministry is working with farmers on the production of corn and soya.

He added that the current Administration is vigorously pursuing a project which will see Guyana being able to produce locally produced hatching eggs.

“Right now we import between 48 to 52 million eggs annually which cost between $336 million to $350

rect benefits to the farmer and enhance our diversification programme and will ensure that our economy is built on many pillars.”

Guyana and Barbados have been pursuing increased ties with each other, with trade delegations from Barbados having visited Guyana and met with top local officials, including President Ali himself.

Last year, President Ali had declared that his Government would be pursuing an aggressive campaign to dismantle regional barriers to agricultural trade and that in the next four years, with the assistance of more diversified crops, Guyana would aim to reduce the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) food import bill by 25 per cent.

Guyana is getting from Caricom for not only reducing the region's import food bill but also in supporting the local agriculture industry, President Ali pointed out that the leadership of both Barbados and Guyana have already expressed their unwavering commitment to the removal of every barrier that will prevent trade between the two coun-

tries.

“Similar discussions are ongoing with Antigua, Jamaica, St Lucia and the rest of the region,” he added.

Poultry production

Between May 19 and 21, the first regional agri investment forum will be held in Guyana. The forum is expected to bring together all the major players in the region from the distribution

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cop killed after Insurance companies should be more crashing into interested in road safety – Benn shop at Lusignan H ome Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has called on insurance companies in Guyana to be more involved in advocating for road safety since according to him, they will benefit too.

The Minister, while making an address at an event on Friday, implored the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to always invite insurance companies to road safety events so that they too can play a part in the various initiatives.

“I keep saying that they should have an interest in the reduction in road accidents and road deaths. It goes to their bottom line; it goes to their pocketbooks.

They could make more money, and they can take some of that money and put

A

Police officer was killed on Saturday night after he lost control of his motor vehicle and crashed into a shop on the Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD) public road.

Dead is 34-yearold Kwame Kellman, a Police Sergeant of Lot 40 Vigilance, ECD. He was attached to the Grove Police Station.

The accident occurred at about 23:55h on Saturday night, Police said in a report.

Reports are that the Sergeant was driving motor car PYY 3730 east on the northern drive lane of the northern carriageway when he subsequently lost control of his motor car and collided with a shop which is situated on the northern parapet of Lusignan public road.

The impact of the collision caused him to receive injuries about his body.

Following the accident, public-spirited citizens went to his rescue and took him out of the motor car but by then he had succumbed to his injuries.

He was later pronounced dead by Doctor Sampson of the Georgetown Public Hospital at the scene of the accident.

His body was then transported to Jerrick’s Funeral Home where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

go to reducing the cost of hospitalisations and all the other things,” he said.

Recent statistics of road accidents and fatalities in Guyana resulting from them are very worrying. The social and economic impact of these accidents

Dead: Kwame Kellman

Meanwhile, on Sunday the Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie, extended condolences to the family, relatives, and colleagues of the late policeman.

He reiterated Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram’s plea for all road users to exercise the five Cs (care, caution, consideration,

common sense and courtesy) of road use at all times.

For the period January 1 to date for 2022, there were 20 fatal accidents with 26 deaths compared to 24 fatal accidents with twenty-five (25) deaths for 2021, where we are currently experiencing a 17 per cent decrease. (G9)

it in supporting road safety,” he explained.

He added that they must be on their cases to ensure that they are a part of more, if not all planned events. “…we want them represented and fully involved, and fully working with us on these issues…it would

on families and the nation at large cannot be overemphasised, according to officials.

One of the least heard among the list of those who bear the brunt of these accidents are the insurance companies.

When accidents occur, insurance companies will

have to undertake a contractual duty of paying compensations and reimbursing for medical expenses and other costs associated with these accidents.

They deal with the injured victims and families of those who unfortunately die through these accidents.

As such, Minister Benn further encouraged that the local companies adopt measures to ensure the safety of their clients and society at large by encouraging and rewarding responsible driving behaviours.

For the year so far, there were 20 fatal accidents with 16 deaths compared to last year with 24 fatal accidents with 25 deaths.

Since 2015, the country has seen over 100 accidents per year, however, for this year, there has been a 30 per cent decrease in accidents, but a 4 per cent increase in deaths. As such, several systems have been put in place to curb this issue. (G9)

12 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Albion Estate exceeds sugar production target for 2nd successive week …Govt investment in rehabilitating estate crucial – CEO

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or the second week in a row, the Albion/ Port Mourant Sugar Estate has surpassed its weekly target, resulting in the estate workers achieving their bonus and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) creeping closer to its first crop targets.

In a statement, it was announced that the Albion/ Port Mourant Estate exceeded its target for the week ending March 26, by 6.3 per cent. The previous week, the estate had achieved its target by 7.9 per cent.

This is despite 24.2mm of rainfall on the estate being recorded over a two-day period, slowing the production process.

However, it was explained that the team was able to

seize the momentum by extending working hours on the fields during the dryer days.

In the statement, Production Manager at the Albion/Port Mourant Estate, Goy Romain was quoted disclosing that while the estate is still suffering from poor cane yields as a result of the floods of 2021 (which directly affected the plant performance over a 12-month period starting in May 2021), this adverse situation is expected to subside in the second crop of 2022.

Romain also posited that the estate’s current achievement of its weekly target is attributed to the combined efforts of the field and factory workers who closely monitored

every aspect of the value chain to bring greater consistency to the production process.

“For the second successive week, qualified employees at the Albion/Port Mourant Estate who diligently worked to achieve 80 per cent or more days for the week have earned themselves an additional day’s pay (tax free) upon the achievement of this week’s target. This, Mr Romain believes, will encourage and boost workers’ morale and turn out in the fields and bodes well for the socio-economic situation in the Corentyne,” the statement said.

“Mr Romain further noted that the overall factory performance as well as sugar recovery is showing positive results attesting to the “pol extraction” at 92 per cent which means that the factory is performing better as it extracts more of the sucrose content from the sugar cane plant.”

Meanwhile, GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh stated that Albion’s turnaround can be attributed to the investments made by the Government of Guyana into the capital rehabilitation programme.

According to the CEO, the support from the cur-

rent Administration is encouraging as it will boost recovery and contribute to more tonnes of sugar being produced for every tonne of cane supplied to the factory. This, he noted, is in keeping with the FiveYear Strategic Plan.

GuySuCo is meanwhile aiming at a sugar production target of 20,260 Metric Tonnes (MT) across the industry for the 1st Crop 2022, which is expected to conclude on April 30, 2022. At this point in time, the fields at Berbice estates are well on target with their harvesting plan.

“The executive management commends the management and workers of

all the estates especially Albion/Port Mourant Estate on the achievement of their second WPI and urges all families of sugar workers to continue to provide this consistent support to the cane harvesters and other employees on the estates as the industry continues to recover from all its challenges,” GuySuCo said in its statement.

Last year, GuySuCo had reported that 4300 hectares of sugar cane were destroyed for 2021 due to flooding. This is land equivalent to over 52,000 house lots. GuySuCo was only able to rehabilitate 38 per cent of those damaged

canes.

Albion Estate, which was expected to contribute 50 per cent of sugar cane cultivation, had a mortality rate of 80 per cent due to the floods. This was cane that would have otherwise been harvested in the first crop of 2022.

Berbice estates as a whole had 72 per cent more rainfall than 2020.

So unprecedented was the flooding that GuySuCo experienced earlier in the year that “the Corporation drained some 4.5 million tonnes of water off the land daily during the 65 days flood which is enough water to fill 2000 Olympicsized swimming pools”.

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Large-scale poultry project earmarked for Pakuri – President

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An Indigenous headdress being placed on President Dr Irfaan Ali

r Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced that as part of his Government’s economic development programme, a large-scale poultry hatchery and egg production project has been earmarked for Pakuri village.

The Head of State made the announcement during his address at Pakuri’s Village Day celebrations in observance of its 133rd anniversary.

President Ali said that the project would be one of the largest of its kind in the country, and will satisfy the demands of the local market and the local poultry producers. He also made reference to the large consumption of

eggs at the regional level and about its constant demand on the market.

“We are talking about the production, annually of more than 30 million eggs to be part of the regional system. All of which is imported today,” the Head of State is quoted by the Press and Publicity Unit of the Office of the President as saying.

The need for poultry production is evident, according to the President, since prices have continuously increased with a supply that has been restricted due to the current global challenges. According to President Ali, the only way for Guyana to curtail the effects caused by the current global events

The Head of State interacting with residents of Pakuri village

is to become self-sufficient.

“That is the goal. To work with this community in being the leading hatchery and hatching egg producer in our country.”

The President explained that the Government will bring together the Private Sector and the community in the coming week to advance discussions. He stated that once the community and the Private Sector come to an agreement, the Government will embrace the project with the aim of large-scale production within the next 18 months.

“We can be self-sufficient in producing our own hatching eggs.”

Tourism, infrastructure

In his address, the Head of State also reiterated his Government’s commitment to “One Guyana” and its quest to ensure key infrastructure development to facilitate a modern society with a solid tourism product.

He told residents that they have an excellent tourism product, which the Government will help to develop. To this end, Minister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry Anand Persaud and Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai were tasked to examine the main road network in the community.

President Ali said that “we are going to identify some key infrastructure that is necessary for the forward movement of the tourism sector”.

Additionally, the Government will also invest in bolstering internet connectivity, education, training, and development to ensure that every child has “the best shot possible at life”. “‘One Guyana’ is not only a concept that is social in nature. ‘One Guyana’ is a concept that is economic in nature. We cannot achieve ‘One Guyana’ unless all of the people of this country has an equal shot at prosperity and development.”

Community project

President Ali also took the opportunity to present a quantity of sport gear to Toshao of Pakuri, Timothy Andrews.

In addition, $500,000 was handed over for a project of the community’s choosing that will benefit its children.

In honour of the President’s visit, he was presented with tokens of appreciation.

The Mahaica River Indigenous community of approximately 2000 people, marked the anniversary celebration with cultural presentations and sport activities.

14 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

250 small business grants, 800 parttime jobs for Region 10 – Jagdeo

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itizens in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) will soon benefit from some 250 small business grants while another 800 persons are slated to gain part-time employment in the coming weeks, according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

He made this declaration while addressing Region 10 residents during a meeting at the Watooka Guest House in Linden on Sunday, a report from the Department of Public Information (DPI) stated.

Jagdeo led a team of Government Ministers to meet with residents in the region and learn about some of the issues they are encountering, while also informing them of Government’s plans for the development of the Upper Demerara-Berbice region as well the entire country.

On this note, the Vice President revealed that 800 Region 10 residents will be employed by the Government within the next three weeks. He noted that application forms will be

available for interested persons.

According to Jagdeo, this forms part of the governing Administration’s plans to subsidise household income in light of the rising cost of living. A similar initiative was announced in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) last week during the Vice President’s outreach there.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has set aside $5 billion in the 2022 budget for various interventions aimed at easing the burden on the local population caused by increasing global prices. In fact, only last week, Jagdeo announced the removal of excise tax on the importation of gasoline and diesel.

Nevertheless, the Vice President further informed the Region 10 residents on Sunday that the Government is prepared to build other call centres and even factories in the region, as part of its co-investment initiative.

Training, he noted, is also a priority of the Government.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo with several Government Ministers who also attended the outreach

Oil companies have been approached about recruiting persons outside of Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

In addition, VP Jagdeo announced that some 200 to 250 small grants will be

Residents of Region 10 at Sunday’s outreach

provided to small businesses in the Upper DemeraraBerbice region.

Another major programme aimed at improving the water supply system and other infrastructural works for the region is also in the works.

Meanwhile, the Region 10 residents there were also told that PPP/C Government has embarked on a transformational plan that will spur economic growth in every sector and the overall economy.

Reflecting on this Government’s track record, another DPI report detailed that Jagdeo noted that Guyana’s macro-fundamentals are stronger than many of the other developed countries in the world.

The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which will significantly reduce electricity cost, and investments in the education, health and infrastructure sectors, utilising funds from oil and gas,

will take Guyana further down a growth path, the Vice President highlighted.

“These are all things that we have worked out within the last 15 to 18 months, raising money, putting together the projects, completing the feasibility study.

We’ve done the feasibility study for the East Coast road widening too,” he pointed out.

Jagdeo mentioned the investments that are being made in the livestock industry, as well as in corn and soyabean production.

He explained that, “These are all things that would be connected to Linden. The economic activities, the spin-off benefits, the supplies that you will meet will have a direct impact on Region 10 and people in Region 10.”

The Vice President also reiterated the importance of capital investments and prudent management of oil funds to secure long-term

stability.

Additionally, VP Jagdeo, during his visit, met with members of the Region 10 business community on Sunday afternoon. During that engagement, discussions were held on investment opportunities and other concerns raised by business owners.

These meetings hosted at the Watooka House are part of the Administration’s efforts to engage people on the ground to get a better understanding of their issues with a view to resolving them.

Joining the Vice President during Sunday’s outreach were Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamalall, Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who is the party’s Region 10 representative.

Pay electricity bill – Prime Minister to delinquent Lethem residents P rime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, said that the Lethem Power Company (LPC) will not be raising its rates for electricity despite a consistent increase in the cost of fuel.

Phillips travelled to Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on Saturday, where he held a meeting with the CEO and Board of Directors of the LPC to discuss the company’s financial position.

He then held separate meetings with the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the residents of Lethem, to assure them that the Government would continue to subsidise LPC

to cushion the rise in fuel prices.

“The high cost of living is affecting all of us and that is why the Government has decided that we will not increase electricity.

Government will have to intervene and cover those increase in prices of fuel – that is what a responsible Government would do in a situation like this,” the PM is quoted as saying in a DPI report. However, the Prime Minister disclosed that many residents were not honouring their commitment to the utility company by paying for the electricity they consume.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips

Pay He said that while he

instructed the power company to keep the lights on, residents must honour their obligations to the company by first paying their last bill before working on a payment plan for the other missed bills. “In order to keep the lights on, you have to pay the bills. Meet with the management of the Lethem Power Company and work out an arrears payment plan so you can clear your arrears. You have a Government that will continue to be sensitive to all the issues affecting the people in Guyana and a Government that will continue to listen and to work with you to make decisions so that we could continue to move forward and devel-

op Guyana in a way that we could improve the lives and livelihood of the people.

We are doing our part as a Government and we are appealing to you to do your part. We will not disconnect your electricity; we will not increase the rate you are paying, but my message to you is to pay your current bill.”

Some 1800 consumers utilise the service of the LPC, and many are in arrears; both domestic and private. Additionally, he visited a recently constructed one megawatt solar farm annexed to the Lethem Power Company which is expected to be operational from June of this year.

15 Santa Rosa ground coffee project being revived NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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oshao of Santa Rosa, Stavros Stanley said the Council’s plans to resuscitate its ground coffee project in Moruca, SubRegion One, is well underway.

The Santa Rosa ground coffee project was reintroduced to the region in 2018.

This $10 million investment was aimed to not only boost the region’s economy, but the country.

Fifteen farmers were identified to benefit from the project and each was allocated 800 Robusa cof-

Santa Rosa Toshao Stavros Stanley

fee beans for cultivation. It was also being supervised

by Jamaican Agricultural Scientist, Dr Leroy Santiago.

Stanley told DPI that this decision was taken as he believes the country’s agriculture sector will become the backbone of its economy hence more emphasis is being placed on the region’s agricultural prospects.

“We have over 4000 coffee plants still living there and so I went out there about a week ago and I brought fertilisers, chemi-

cals and so on so that we can supplement those plants and have them revive,” he told DPI. To complement this effort, the village has also begun a cash crop farm to ensure the farmers are financially sustained while awaiting coffee production.

A portion of the monies earmarked for the coffee project was used, according to the Toshao.

He explained that the village, “cannot plant eschalots here and get it to the market before it spoil

but we can do things that have long shelf life like ginger, turmeric, red beans, peanuts and so on. That is why we are focusing on that because it is our hope that we would be able to have a food processing plant here where we can process all or most of our products to bring value added to it.”

To ensure the success of this project, the farmers were equipped with the technical knowledge on planting techniques and pest control methods to boost their yield.

Dozens of T&T state employees linked to suspicious land transactions

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ays after an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries was arrested and charged in connection with alleged forgery of Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) letters, another employee has been detained by the police and fake documents seized.

During ongoing investigations, Fraud Squad and Anti-Corruption Bureau of Investigations (ACIB) officers also seized a seal used to authenticate documents.

The Ministry of Agriculture and COSL normally use a seal to validate documents. However, the seal seized by the police on Thursday was made by an employee. This is the latest development as investigations continue into allegations of land fraud.

Prior to his resignation, former agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat raised an alarm over a large number of fraud and corruption matters involving land. He revealed that he had made more than 50 reports to the police. Subsequent police investigations led to the arrests of two men.

On March 10, Devon Richardson appeared before a Chaguanas magistrate charged with uttering a forged document to a representative of the state.

Last week, Agriculture Ministry employee Jimboy Bruno was charged with misbehaviour in public office. Bruno, a checker, of Bon Air, allegedly used his employment with the state to facilitate possible corrupt activities within the Office of the COSL. ACIB officers executed a search warrant at the office and allegedly found several forged Government

of the Republic of T&T, Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management Division and Commissioner of State Lands letters in a desk occupied by an employee of the ministry.

One letter, dated February 3, 2020, falsely granting a man permission to occupy state lands in Princes Town for residential purposes. The letter, which had a cut and pastes signature of acting Commissioner of State Lands Bhanmati Seecharan, was given to the man by a ministry employee who was paid $700 for the forged document.

Last week, acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob admitted that land fraud is a major issue and said the TTPS will be seeking assistance from National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds for additional resources to beef up white-collar investigations. However, well-placed sources at the ministry told the Sunday Guardian that since December 8, 2020, the Land Management Division (LMD) had reported eight forged documents to the TTPS. One source said Fraud Squad officers took the reports but very little was done. Another said LMD employees discovered fake documents during investigations of land encroachments and disputes over Caroni lands. The letters bore forged and “cut and paste” signatures of acting COSL Seecharan granting the occupiers permission to reside on the land.

When this was unearthed, Seecharan had to send letters to the occupiers informing them that they were trespassing as the Caroni Lands Unit had no

such records on the LMD’s database. The occupiers were also told to desist from trespassing.

There are approximately 20,000 parcels of agricultural state lands in addition to 14,000 which belonged to the former Caroni 1975 Limited under the purview of the COSL.

One of the cases being investigated dates back to last September when a woman submitted a written complaint that she had been swindled of $50,000 by an employee of the LMD. The woman said she was told by the employee that her client’s parcel of land in Arima was available following a status search. She sent a letter to Seecharan requesting tenancy and was later told by the employee that a down payment of $150,000 was necessary for the relevant searches and surveys to be made.

The woman made a downpayment of $50,000 to the employee and was given a reference number.

When she began getting the run around for the land she lodged a complaint with LMD. The employee reportedly went into hiding after an attempt was made on his life.

“This employee still works with LMD. Nothing came out of that,” the source told the Sunday Guardian.

Since March 10, requests have been made to transfer approximately a dozen suspicious workers out of LMD but no action has been taken and recommendations to discipline them have fallen on deaf ears.

“This is creating tension, an uneasy feeling, within the department. This matter is deep and warrants

some attention,” a source said.

Due to the ministry’s inaction, some employees had to be blocked from accessing LMD’s private and confidential records.

“These employees have friends and family working in LMD so they can easily access files with the help of others,” said the source who further claimed that one of the workers has been advertising a land consultancy service on social media with the picture of the LMD building attached, while another is offering real estate,

land surveying and title search services.

“On the side they are promoting a business. This is a conflict of interest, hence the reason why they should have been shifted to another department,” the source added.

LMD employs more than 150 daily and monthly paid workers. Some joined the department as field officers but due to staff shortages they were given desk jobs to deal with the public.

“We had an incident where a contracted employee was holding down a job

here and working at the Ministry of Education at the same time. We found out about this during the pandemic. I don’t know if he still works here,” the source revealed.

The police have been visiting LMD every day to question staff and look through documents.

“Quite a few employees gave the police statements and were questioned,” the source said.

Seecharan has not responded to requests for an interview. (T&T Guardian)

16 NEWS Latin America, Caribbean champion Forum on Sustainable Development as indispensable R MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

epresentatives of the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean championed the Forum on Sustainable Development as an indispensable space for regional integration and cooperation amid global uncertainty, earlier this month during the Fifth Meeting of that intergovernmental gathering.

The meeting was inaugurated by Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena.

The Fifth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development – which took place in San José, Costa Rica, the country that currently holds ECLAC’s presidency – brought together more than 1200 people, including Government delegates and representatives of international and United Nations System organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society.

The Forum, held March 7-9, reviewed the progress and challenges related to implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean, the developing region most affected by COVID-19 from a health, economic and social point of view.

“These last few years have shown us that, in this interdependent world, it is not possible to survive alone, beyond the immediate term. We will never be safe if we do not save everyone. This is the clam-

Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena among other dignitaries at Forum on Sustainable Development

our coming from our region, which allows us to put our attention, our efforts and pin our hopes on a future with dignity and with inclusive, sustainable and resilient development,” President Alvarado stated in his opening remarks.

Costa Rica’s leader warned that while Latin American and Caribbean countries are making progress in terms of income, achieving levels that place them in the category of middle-income or upper-middle-income countries, paradoxically they are losing – for that reason alone – cooperation opportunities and the attention of developed partners.

“These unidimensional classification criteria based solely on income (per capita) hide a reality that leaves out the needs of a great number of countries in the world and their most vulnerable populations.

The international community for cooperation cannot leave our region behind,”

the President underscored.

Meanwhile, UN Deputy Secretary General Mohammed stressed that in many ways, Latin America and the Caribbean has given birth to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“As the world faces unprecedented challenges, we need the region’s leadership to ensure that we ‘rescue’ the SDGs and build a future of peace, dignity and prosperity. Together, we can do it,” she affirmed.

Mohammed added that the Fifth Meeting of the Forum on Sustainable Development must serve to chart an ambitious path forward.

“This is a region that can and must lead the way,” she urged.

In her remarks, ECLAC Executive Secretary Bárcena said that we were facing a true change of era where structural problems converge with serious circumstantial difficulties.

She added that the global asymmetries between developed and developing countries had deepened, affecting the middle-income nations that include the majority of countries in our region. Furthermore, gaps have widened on access to vaccines, to financial resources, and in the capacity to implement initiatives for the economic recovery.

Alicia Bárcena indicated that access to vaccines exposed the fiercest nationalist tendencies. She specified that Latin America and the Caribbean was af-

fected by trade protectionism on medicines, equipment and vaccines that prompted the consideration of a plan for self-sufficiency in health matters with a regional perspective, which was approved unanimously by the Heads of State and Government of the 32 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on September 18, 2021.

ECLAC’s highest authority stressed that this singular time should redouble Latin America and the Caribbean’s shared vocation for closeness, integration and fraternity and be the foundation for a change in the development pattern.

“Our region faces major challenges today, but it also has multiple opportunities to achieve long-awaited development with a vision centred on equality, social justice, sustainability, democracy and peace. I am convinced that it is possible for the region to raise its voice in unison amid the historic challenges that this crucial time has prompted us to address,” she concluded.

After the inauguration, Bárcena presented the document “A decade

of action for a change of era”, which reviews progress and challenges in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report analyses the growing global asymmetries between developed and developing countries, along with the economic, social and political effects of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

It affirms that the recovery has furthered a development model that had already shown its structural limitations, which imposes growing costs and moves away from attainment of the SDGs. According to the document, 68 per cent of the sustainable development targets continue along an insufficient path towards 2030. It warns that just one-third of the 111 targets of the SDGs are on the proper pace and trajectory in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“These results reinforce the need for a decade of action to transform the development model based on effective multilateralism,” the senior official emphasised. (Excerpt from ECLAC)

Biden says he is not calling for regime change in Russia

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S President Joe Biden clarified on Sunday that the United States does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, after his declaration that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power".

Biden's comments in Poland on Saturday also included calling Putin a "butcher" and appeared to be a sharp escalation of the US approach to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Top American diplomats on Sunday had played down his declaration, and Biden, asked by a reporter as he departed a church service in Washington if he was calling for regime change in Russia, gave a one-word reply: "No." Julianne Smith, the US Ambassador to NATO, earlier sought to contextualise Biden's remarks, saying they followed a day of speaking with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw.

Russia's month-old invasion has driven a quarter of Ukraine's population of 44 million from their homes.

"In the moment, I think that was a principled human reaction to the stories that he had heard that day," Smith told CNN's "State of the Union" programme before adding: "The US does not have a policy of regime change in Russia. Full stop."

US President Joe Biden

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken told a news conference in Jerusalem that Biden was making the point that Putin couldn't be empowered to wage war.

But Blinken said any decision on Russia's future leadership would be "up to the Russian people".

Republicans flatly said Biden's remarks amounted to an unfortunate blunder.

Senator James Risch, the top Republican on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Biden's remarks a "horrendous gaffe" and said he wished the President would have stayed on script.

"Most people who don't deal in the lane of foreign relations don't realise those nine words that he uttered would cause the kind of eruption that they did," he told CNN.

"It's going to cause a huge problem," he said, referring to Biden's statement in Warsaw: "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power."

Senator Rob Portman, who is also on the committee, lamented the public misstep in wartime.

"It plays into the hands of the Russian propagandists and plays into the hands of Vladimir Putin. So it was a mistake," Portman told NBC's "Meet the Press" programme.

The United States has sought to strike a balance during the conflict in Ukraine to avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia, speeding weapons deliveries to Kyiv to help its military fight but ruling out sending troops into the country or imposing a no-fly zone. (Excerpt from Reuters)

NEWS

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ukraine willing to be neutral, says Russia wants to split nation

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kraine is willing to become neutral and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbass region as part of a peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, even as another top Ukrainian official accused Russia of aiming to carve the country in two.

Zelenskiy took his message directly to Russian journalists in a video call that the Kremlin pre-emptively warned Russian media not to report, saying any agreement must be guaranteed by third parties and put to a referendum.

"Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it," he said, speaking in Russian.

But even as Turkey is set to host talks this week, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said Russian President Vladimir Putin was aiming to seize the eastern part of Ukraine.

"In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine," he said, referring to the division of Korea after World War Two. Zelenskiy has urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off Russian forces.

Zelenskiy later said in

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy

his nightly video address that he would insist on the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine in any talks.

In a call with Putin on Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to hold talks this week in Istanbul and called for a ceasefire and better humanitarian conditions, his office said. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators confirmed that in-person talks would take place.

Top American officials sought on Sunday to clarify that the United States does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, after President Joe Biden said at the end of a speech

in Poland on Saturday that Putin "cannot remain in power".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Biden had simply meant Putin could not be "empowered to wage war" against Ukraine or anywhere else.

After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city and signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on securing the Donbass region, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army for the past eight years.

A local leader in the

self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic said on Sunday the region could soon hold a referendum on joining Russia, just as happened in Crimea after Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.

Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia -- a vote that much of the world refused to recognise.

Budanov predicted Ukraine's army would repel Russian forces by launching a guerrilla warfare offensive.

"Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive," he said.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson also dismissed talk of any referendum in eastern Ukraine.

"All fake referendums in the temporarily occupied territories are null and void and will have no legal validity," Oleg Nikolenko told Reuters.

'Cruel and senseless'

Moscow says the goals for what Putin calls a "special military operation" include demilitarising and "denazifying" its neighbour.

Ukraine and its Western allies call this a pretext for unprovoked invasion.

Ukraine has described previous negotiations, some

of which have taken place in Russian ally Belarus, as "very difficult".

The invasion has devastated several Ukrainian cities, caused a major humanitarian crisis and displaced an estimated 10 million people, nearly a quarter of Ukraine's population.

Tatyana Manyek, who crossed the Danube by ferry into Romania on Sunday with other refugees, said people in her home city of Odesa were "very afraid" but she would have stayed were it not for her daughter.

"It would be very difficult to provide the child with basic living conditions.

That's why we decided to leave," she said, clutching a pet dog in her arms.

In his Sunday blessing, Pope Francis called for an end to the "cruel and senseless" conflict.

Humanitarian corridors

Russia has continued to move additional military units to the Ukraine border and is launching missile and air strikes on Ukrainian forces and military infrastructure, including in the city of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday night.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said Russia

had started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage centres. Appearing to confirm that, Russia said its missiles had wrecked a fuel deposit on Saturday as well as a military repair plant near the western city of Lviv.

Ukraine was mounting small counter-offensive actions as Russian forces try to encircle its forces in eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian presidential advisor said.

The United Nations has confirmed 1,119 civilian deaths and 1,790 injuries across Ukraine but says the real toll is likely to be higher. Ukraine said on Sunday 139 children had been killed and more than 205 wounded so far in the conflict.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 1,100 people were evacuated from frontline areas, including the southern city of Mariupol, after Ukraine and Russia agreed to set up two "humanitarian corridors."

The encircled port, located between Crimea and eastern areas held by Russian-backed separatists, has been devastated by weeks of heavy bombardment. Thousands of residents are sheltering in basements with scarce water, food, medicine or power. (Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Regional

El Salvador: State of emergency Trinidad to lift most COVID-19 restrictions after 62 gang killings in a day P

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l Salvador’s Parliament has approved a state of emergency after the Central American country recorded dozens of gang-related murders in a single day.

Police said there had been 62 murders on Saturday, making it the most violent 24-hour period since the end of the civil war in 1992.

New laws restrict the right to gather, allow arrests without a warrant, and the monitoring of communications.

Last year, the gangplagued nation recorded 1140 murders – a 30-year low.

However, that still equates to 18 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

In November, another spate of violence led to more than 40 people being killed within three days.

Hours before MPs voted on the new powers, which will remain in place for 30 days, Police said four leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha

Police said they had arrested four leaders of the MS-13 gang ahead of the vote

(MS-13) gang had been arrested over the spate of killings.

President Nayib Bukele, elected in 2019 on promises to fight organised crime and improve security, said: “We have had a new spike in homicides, something that we had worked so hard to reduce.

“While we fight criminals in the streets, we must try to figure out what is happening and who is financing this.”

The country “must let the

agents and soldiers do their job and must defend them from the accusations of those who protect the gang members”, he added, in the statement tweeted by Congress President Ernesto Castro.

However, Juan Pappier, from the international campaign group Human Rights Watch, tweeted the measures were “very worrying, especially in a country where there are no independent democratic institutions”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Caribbean tour: Prince William says future is for the people to decide

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he future relationship between the United Kingdom and Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas is for their people to decide, the Duke of Cambridge has said.

He said that he and the Duchess were “committed to service” and “for us that’s not telling people what to do”.

Prince William’s comments come after an eightday tour of the Caribbean nations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The trip saw the Jamaican Prime Minister publicly tell the royal couple that his country would

be “moving on”.

It also came four months after Barbados replaced the Queen with an elected President.

In a written statement reflecting on the trip, the Prince said foreign tours were an “opportunity to reflect”.

“You learn so much,” he said. “What is on the minds of Prime Ministers.

The hopes and ambitions of schoolchildren. The dayto-day challenges faced by families and communities.”

The trip saw the Duke and Duchess visit Belize and Jamaica before a final stop in The Bahamas.

The Bahamas leg included a trip to a primary school, where the Duchess spoke to pupils about the importance of being able to reconnect after being separated during the pandemic.

The couple also visited a church on the Abaco Islands to speak to locals about destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and a coral conservation project that was among last year’s winners of the Royal Foundation’s Earthshot Prize for contributions to environmentalism.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

OAS approves resolution on crisis in Ukraine

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he Organisation of American States (OAS) Friday adopted a resolution on the crisis in Ukraine sparked

by Russia’s military invasion of the East European country last month, with Antigua and Barbuda warning that the “international legal order is fighting for its life”.

By a vote of 28 to nil with five abstentions, the OAS Permanent Council approved of the resolution on “The Crisis in Ukraine” with Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the hemispheric body, Sir Ronald Sanders, noting that all member countries are living in a deeply troubling time.

“As we gather here, at this important meeting of the Permanent Council,

the international legal order is fighting for its life.

Peace and security in the world – and, indeed, peace and security in our hemisphere – has been dependent on respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter and the OAS Charter, both of which require suppression

of acts of aggression and conformity with the principles of justice and international law.”

Sir Ronald said peace and security are now gravely threatened.

He said those conditions have quickly affected every person in the world and, more particularly the poorest, the powerless and the least resilient.

“High prices for oil, shortage of food supplies, increased cost of food, of air and sea transportation; higher costs for the supply of water and energy – all of these developments have touched every person in all our societies, especially the poor and vulnerable,” Sir Ronald said.

“Our societies are at serious risk of destabilisation,” he added. (Excerpt from CMC)

rime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley on Saturday announced the removal of most of the restrictions that were implemented due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Speaking during a news conference on Saturday afternoon, Dr Rowley said the restrictions to be lifted include the removal of the Safe Zone system as of April 4 and a change in the requirement of PCR tests to enter the twin island republic to antigen tests, effective Sunday.

The Prime Minister also announced the removal of all restrictions regarding rivers and beaches and the removal of limits to public gatherings.

Dr Keith Rowley

These restrictions will be also lifted on April 4.

Concerning gatherings such as public fetes, Rowley said that people will be asked to exercise control.

“We are not telling you don’t party, don’t have a beer, don’t go to a bar . . . the gov­ ern­ ment is no longer telling

you what to do,” Dr Rowley said.

Concerning the requirement to wear masks in public spaces – he said this will remain in place except in sporting activities.

Dr Rowley also warned that the country was not fully yet at a place where life could continue without caution.

“We in T&T can say that our situation has considerably improved, but we cannot say that the pandemic is over,” he said.

The Prime Minister thanked all members of the health sector, saying they rose to the challenge in dealing with the effects of the pandemic. (CMC)

ECJ denies selling access to elector registration voter identification database

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he Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) says it does not sell access nor has it granted access to the elector registration voter identification database which includes electors’ biometric and demographic information.

It was responding to claims made in a Gleaner article Sunday that the commission was selling voters’ data.

In a statement, the ECJ explained that it has created an extract of the identification card database for the purpose of ID verification that is granted to mainly government regulated institutions.

It said this database utilised by these entities assisted with authentication of voter ID cards which are required by these entities to be presented by the elector who owns the card, and therefore necessitates authorisation which requires the verification of the information of the identification service.

The voter ID card is re-

A sample of the new elector registration identification card (file photo)

garded as the National ID card and is widely used across the country for opening bank accounts, collecting remittances and facilitating access to loans at a number of entities.

The Commission said that like many other forms of identification in Jamaica, the ID card required corroboration by the responsible organisation which houses and maintains such a database, who in this context is the ECJ as mandated by the Representation

of the People’s Act, from those using the voter ID card.

It said the fee that is charged to these institutions in need of verifying electors’ card information is the actual cost for maintenance of this replica database and not a scheme for the ECJ to be profiteering from the personal information of its stakeholders.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Quake of magnitude 5.8 strikes Ecuador coast, damaging buildings

A

n earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck near the coastal region of Ecuador late on Saturday, damaging buildings and striking down light poles on highways.

The quake was at a depth of 40 kilometres (25 miles), with

its epicentre 9 km south-southeast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

Videos and images shared on social media showed partially collapsed buildings and some damage inside a hospital

after the quake Another video showed the earthquake shaking buildings and a car, driving panic-stricken dogs out into the street.

Reuters has not verified the footage. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

(Reuters)

Brazil vote pits good against bad, Bolsonaro says at re-election launch

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razil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro launched his re-election campaign on Sunday, telling thousands of cheering supporters that opinion polls were wrong and he is sure to win this year’s election that pits good against bad.

Bolsonaro faces a tough challenge to win re-election against his political nemesis, leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Many Brazilians are angry at Bolsonaro’s handling of

the coronavirus pandemic, rising inflation and high fuel prices. Lula, whose Workers Party (PT) governed Brazil from 2003 to 2016, maintains a 13-15 point poll lead over Bolsonaro.

“A false poll published a thousand times will not elect a president,” Bolsonaro said in a nationalistic speech to supporters dressed in yellow and green colours of Brazil’s flag. “I am certain of victory because I have an army at my side, and this army is made

up of each of you.”

Bolsonaro will stand for the conservative Liberal Party, which said it was launching his “pre-campaign” as official campaigning has yet to start for the October election.

Bolsonaro said his government has successfully cut red-tape, including the easing restrictions on the possession and carrying of guns, which he said has reduced violence in Brazil. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS

Russia plans a “Korean scenario” for Ukraine: Intelligence chief

R Top oil traders see

oil topping US$200 by end-2022

S

ome of the world’s biggest oil traders expect oil prices to exceed US$200 per barrel by the end of the year, the Financial Times reported, citing opinions shared at its Commodity Global Summit this week.

“Wakey, wakey. We are not going back to normal business in a few months,” said Pierre Andurand, who has been super bullish on oil for a while. “I think we’re losing the Russian supply on the European side forever.”

The hedge fund manager first made his US$200-per-barrel forecast earlier this month, saying that producers ranging from African members of OPEC+ to the US shale patch will struggle to replace the Russian crude going off the market.

Yet Andurand is neither the only superbull nor the biggest one.

Doug King, the chairman of RCMA Group, told the FT that crude oil could top US$200 and reach US$250 by the end of the year.

“This is not transitory. This is going to be a crude supply shock,” King told the FT summit.

Earlier this month, there were forecasts that Brent crude would hit US$200 by April, but that seems to have been a reaction to the US ban on Russian oil and fuel imports. Now that initial shock has subsided—and so have prices slipped from the heights reached following the ban. However, the upside potential remains considerable as analysts see some 3 million barrels daily of Russian oil going off the market.

The problem is that these barrels cannot be replaced either easily or swiftly, according to the trading industry.

“I don’t think given the way things are going, this is a temporary problem,” Alok Sinha, head of oil and gas at Standard Chartered told the FT summit. “You now have to deal with this as a long-term issue which means you need to find alternative supply growth.”

(Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Volcanologists search for answers as Azorean island keeps shaking

ussia is considering “a Korean scenario” for Ukraine and splitting the country in two after failing to seize the capital Kyiv and overthrow its Government, the Ukrainian military intelligence chief has said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “will try to impose a dividing line between the unoccupied and occupied regions of our country”, General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ministry of Defence’s Intelligence Directorate, said on Sunday as reported by the Ministry’s Telegram account.

“It is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine. After all, he is definitely not in a position to swallow the whole country,” Budanov said.

A man walks past a school that was damaged by fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine [Thomas Peter/Reuters]

After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city, and Moscow signalled on Friday that it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on securing

the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Russianbacked separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army for the past eight years.

“The occupiers will try to

unite the occupied territories into a single quasi-state entity, which will oppose independent Ukraine,” said Budanov, the intelligence chief. “We are already seeing attempts to create ‘parallel’ authorities in the occupied territories and force people to give up the Ukrainian currency.”

A local leader in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic said the region could soon hold a referendum on joining Russia, just as happened in Crimea after Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.

Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia – a vote that much of the world refused to recognise.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Thousands rally in Pakistani capital as pressure grows on PM Khan

T

ens of thousands of activists from Pakistan’s ruling party and opposition groups have descended on the capital, Islamabad, ahead of a parliamentary vote seeking to topple the Government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan, under mounting political pressure, had urged supporters from across the country to gather on Sunday for a show of strength ahead of the crucial vote expected next week.

“It is a battle for the future of our nation,” the cricketer-turned-politician said in an audio message released on Twitter on Sunday.

Activists from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party started arriving in the early morning at the venue, a parade ground near the Faizabad Interchange, where people danced to party anthems and shouted slogans such as “long live Imran Khan”.

PTI leaders said they ex-

pected more than a million people to attend the rally, even though some say the venue cannot accommodate more than 30,000.

Addressing the rally on Sunday, Khan said that a “foreign conspiracy” was behind the no-confidence motion and that “funding was being channelled into Pakistan from abroad.

An alliance of opposition parties is accusing Khan’s government of corruption and blaming him for

mismanaging the country amid a growing economic crisis.

Opposition supporters are also gathering in Islamabad ahead of planned anti-Khan protests today.

The opposition is likely to table the motion of no confidence today. After at least three days of debate, the vote can take place and must be held within seven days. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Taliban ban women in Shanghai COVID: China Afghanistan from flying announces largest without male chaperone city-wide lockdown

Fatima Viveiros brings her soil gas monitoring equipment in Rosais near Velas as small earthquakes have been recorded in Sao Jorge island, Azores, Portugal, March 27, 2022

F

atima Viveiros was a little girl when she decided to become a volcanologist. It was a dream come true. Now aged 44, she is putting her skills to use to protect her home.

Viveiros and other experts fear the tremors, which have had magnitudes of up to 3.3, could trigger a volcanic eruption for the first time since 1808, or a powerful earthquake.

"When (something happens) in our home we must be a little cold-blooded so our feelings don't affect our thinking," she added. "But the feelings are there because it's my home, my people."

Viveiros was carrying a yellow machine on her back to measure soil gases on Sao Jorge, an island in the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal.

Soil gases, such as CO2 and

sulphur, are indicators of volcanic activity, and Viveiros and her team have been battling Sao Jorge's rain and strong winds for days to dig for answers. So far, the levels remain normal.

Sao Jorge's sudden increase in seismic activity is reminiscent of the earthquakes detected before the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain's La Palma island last year, some 1400 km (870 miles) southeast of the Azores.

Over 85 days, that eruption destroyed thousands of properties and crops.

CIVISA raised the volcanic alert to Level 4 on Wednesday, meaning there is a "real possibility" the volcano could erupt.

Azores' President Jose Bolieiro said the earthquakes that hit Sao Jorge in recent days are double those recorded in the region as whole last year. (Excerpt from Reuters)

C

hina has announced its biggest city-wide lockdown since the COVID outbreak began more than two years ago.

The city of Shanghai will be locked down in two stages over nine days while authorities carry out COVID-19 testing.

The important financial hub has battled a new wave of infections for nearly a month, although case numbers are not high by some international standards.

Authorities had so far resisted locking down the city of some 25 million people to avoid destabilising the economy.

But after Shanghai recorded its highest daily number of cases on Saturday since the early days of the pandemic, authorities appear to have changed course.

The lockdown will happen in two stages, with the eastern side of the city under restrictions from Monday until April 1, and the western

side from April 1-5.

Public transport will be suspended and firms and factories must halt operations or work remotely, authorities said.

The city government published the instructions on its WeChat account, asking the public "to support, understand and cooperate with the city's epidemic prevention and control work".

Other lockdowns during the pandemic have affected entire Chinese provinces, though people could often still travel within those regions. But Shanghai, due to its high population density, is the largest single city to be locked down to date.

It is China's commercial capital and by some calculations the biggest city in the country - but is now one of the worst-hit areas as China fights to contain a resurgence of the virus with Omicron, leading to a spike in new cases. (Excerpt from BBC News)

T

he Taliban have told airlines in Afghanistan that women cannot board domestic or international flights without a male chaperone, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.

The move comes after the Taliban backtracked on their previous commitment to open high schools to girls, a U-turn that shocked many Afghans and drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies and foreign governments.

The United States on Friday cancelled planned meetings with Taliban officials on key economic issues due to its decision on Wednesday.

The sources, who are not being named for security reasons, said that the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice sent airlines a letter on Saturday informing of them of the new restrictions.

They added that unaccompanied women who had al-

ready booked tickets would be allowed to travel on Sunday and Monday. Some women with tickets had been turned away at Kabul's airport on Saturday, they said.

A Taliban administration spokesman had previously said that women travelling abroad for study should be accompanied by a male relative.

The Taliban say they have changed since their previous rule from 1996 to 2001 in which they barred women from education, work or leaving the house without a male relative. They say they are allowing women their rights in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan culture.

However, the closure of high schools along with some restrictions on women in work and the requirement that women have a chaperone for long-distance travel has drawn criticism from many Afghan women and rights groups. (Excerpt from Reuters)

20

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Don’t let the little things get to you when there is so much to be grateful for.

Be bold, speak your piece and stick up for yourself and for others who could use some help.

(March 21-April 19) Distance yourself from temptation.

Don’t be fooled by a disguise. Do your own thing and control your destiny.

Put your heart and soul into what makes you happy. Work by yourself, if you can.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Branch out, explore new possibilities, network and socialize with people who inspire you. Be a good listener, process information and see what you can do to broaden your horizons.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Be cautious regarding what and whom you invest in. Establish what you want to achieve before taking off in a new direction. Sit back and observe; let someone else take the risk. You can think big on a budget.

Do your own thing. Learn as you go, and don’t look back. Your determination and charm will help you outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way.

Concentrate on what you are trying to accomplish.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Be realistic when it comes to your relationships with others. Refuse to buy into someone’s plan if it doesn’t suit your needs or isn’t cost-efficient. A change may tempt you, but you should be wary of it.

Don’t stop midstream. If you want something, go for it. Say what’s on your mind and put your plans in motion.

Taking a strong position will discourage others from getting in your way.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Dream big, but don’t take on more than you can handle. You’ll get caught in a tight spot if you make unrealistic promises. Stick to basics and change only what’s necessary.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Assess your situation. Consider what you can achieve, and use your skills to make life more meaningful or pleasant.

Don’t trust others to help. Be smart and depend on yourself.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A feud with a friend, relative or peer will set you back. Stick close to home and focus on following a healthy lifestyle. An overdue domestic change will give you the boost you need to excel.

LAST PUBLISHED WORD-- ATROCITY

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Slow down and rethink your game plan. Taking a realistic approach to work and how you live will help you decide if you want to continue down the path you are heading. Prioritize happiness.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Go about your business behind closed doors. The more unfamiliar others are with you and what you are trying to achieve, the easier it will be to reach your destination.

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

21

Lalit Yadav and Axar Patel help Delhi Capitals pull off coup

L

alit Yadav and Axar Patel stunned Mumbai Indians as Delhi Capitals pulled off a come-from-behind four-wicket win at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 178, Capitals were tottering at 72 for 5 after 9.4 overs.

When Basil Thampi removed Shardul Thakur in the 14th over, the target was still 74 runs away with only 6.4 overs left. But Lalit and Axar smashed 75 off 30 balls in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand and wrapped up the game with 10 balls to spare. After a slow start, Lalit finished on 48 off 38 balls,

while Axar struck 38 off just 17.

Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav's 3 for 18 had rocked Mumbai Indians after they had made a strong start, but Ishan Kishan stayed put and struck an unbeaten 81 off 48 balls.

His knock, featuring 11 fours and two sixes, ensured Mumbai posted a challenging 177 for 5. It even looked like a winning total for most of Capitals' innings before Lalit and Axar snatched the game away.

A power-packed powerplay

There was a tinge of green on the surface, and Thakur began with two slips against Rohit Sharma. But

the third ball of his opening over drifted down the leg side, and Sharma clipped it to the fine-leg boundary. Three balls later, Thakur bowled full outside off and Sharma launched him over wide long-off for six.

This was a sign of things to come. On a pitch that offered little for the bowlers, Sharma and Kishan took full advantage of Capitals' wayward bowling as their seamers bowled either too full or too short. In the first five overs, Sharma and Kishan hit five fours and three sixes.

The Indian Premier League

Odean seals the deal as Punjab Kings ace steep chase

P

unjab Kings' new-look explosive batting made a splendid debut as they chased down Royal Challengers Bangalore's 205 with an over to spare. The difference between the sides was RCB's slow start: 57 for 1 in the first nine overs despite 16 extras at that point.

Faf du Plessis managed to turn things around after having scored just 17 off his first 30 balls, Virat Kohli supported him with 41 off 29, and Dinesh Karthik provided the finishing cameo of 32 off 14, but it was no match to the sustained hitting throughout the PBKS innings.

PBKS are a side set up to threaten the biggest of targets; in hitting 14 sixes and 11 fours, they justified the excitement around the squad they had put together at the auction table. Except for Raj Bawa, who got a golden duck on debut, each of their batters hurt the RCB bowlers, with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter, proving to be the surprise element.

In his 22-ball 43, he took down compatriot Wanindu Hasaranga, who had taken a wicket first ball.

Another debutant, Odean Smith, closed the game down with an unbeaten eight-ball 25.

RCB's slow start

If PBKS had changed their whole book, their opponents came with a new chapter or two themselves. RCB's start, though, was a little circumspect against a new ball that swung for a couple of overs. For the first nine overs, it appeared du Plessis was still batting in his yellow CSK jersey, just looking to set up a launching pad. It looked a touch desperate for RCB when he and Kohli spent the eighth and ninth overs scoring just seven runs and not looking to hit boundaries. It would have brought back memories of their middle-overs struggles of the last few years.

The 10th over onwards, though, RCB showed a welcome change in intent, and went from both ends. Kohli started off by dropping left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar over long-on, and du Plessis responded with an almighty assault on all comers. The biggest casualty was Odean, whose pace on the ball proved to be easy pickings on short straight boundaries.

Amid the mayhem, Rahul Chahar ended up with 4-0-22-1, but du Plessis found enough runs at the other end to threaten a century on his captaincy debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Karthik provides the finishing kick

Arshdeep Singh bowled a fabulous 18th over for just three runs and the wicket of du Plessis for 88 off 57, but Karthik spoiled any hopes PBKS might have had of restricting them to under 200.

Karthik's movement around the crease and his ability to access all the areas of the field made it difficult for bowlers on a true surface. Kohli hardly got any strike in the last few overs.

It didn't take long to know that the target was par at best as Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan began to pick apart the new ball with minimum fuss. Again, it swung for about two overs, and the fourth and the fifth went for 29 runs, taking PBKS to 57 for no loss.

Shahbaz Ahmed bowled the sixth over for just six, and Hasaranga lucked out in getting Agarwal out with the first ball he bowled, a short ball on the pads. In the rest of the over, Hasaranga troubled Rajapaksa, bringing to mind the batter's less-than-ideal head-tohead against him before this match: 24 balls, 29 runs, one dismissal.

There is no point in building a side full of hitters, though, if you are going to be coy. Rajapaksa was anything but. In Hasaranga's next over, he skipped down the wicket to loft him over cow corner and then swept him dead square for four. In going hard, PBKS kept losing wickets in what might appear soft fashion, but they didn't slow down. Dhawan went out for 43 off 29, but Liam Livingstone came out and hit a massive six third ball.

When Rajapaksa and Bawa fell off successive Mohammed Siraj deliveries, Livingstone still kept going. When Livingstone got out for 19 off 10, it finally provided RCB a way back in. The 16th and 17th overs went for just 14, finally taking the required rate to two runs a ball.

Odean finishes off

It was not that great a day for Shahrukh Khan, who had earlier dropped du Plessis when he was on 6. With the bat, he struggled a bit for timing, but Smith took all the pressure off with some awesome hitting in the 18th over to kill the contest. He took 25 off Siraj even as the bowler kept looking to hide the ball away from his arc wide of off stump. Smith, though, displayed his versatility by hitting sixes over cover and long-off.

Eventually, Shahrukh got to impart the final touches in the 19th over.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Faf du Plessis (c)c Shahrukh Khan b Arshdeep Singh 88 Anuj Rawat b Chahar 21 Virat Kohli not out 41 Dinesh Karthik † not out 32 Extras(b 5, lb 6, w 12) 23 TOTAL(20 Ov, RR: 10.25) 205/2 Did not bat: Sherfane Rutherford, David Willey, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Anuj Rawat, 6.6 ov), 2-168 (Faf du Plessis, 17.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Sandeep Sharma 4-0-37-0 Arshdeep Singh 4-0-31-1 Odean Smith 4-0-52-0 Rahul Chahar 4-0-22-1 Harpreet Brar 3-0-38-0 Liam Livingstone 1-0-14-0 PUNJAB KINGS INNINGS (TARGET: 206 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Mayank Agarwal (c) c Shahbaz Ahmed b de Silva 32

Shikhar Dhawan c Anuj Rawat b Patel 43 Bhanuka Rajapaksa † c Shahbaz Ahmed b Mohammed Siraj 43 Liam Livingstone c Anuj Rawat b Akash Deep 19 Raj Bawa lbw b Mohammed Siraj 0 M Shahrukh Khan not out 24 Odean Smith not out 25 Extras (lb 1, w 21) 22 TOTAL (19 Ov, RR: 10.94) 208/5 Did not bat: Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Mayank Agarwal, 7.1 ov), 2-118 (Shikhar Dhawan, 11.2 ov), 3-139 (Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 13.1 ov), 4-139 (Raj Bawa, 13.2 ov), 5-156 (Liam Livingstone, 14.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W David Willey 3-0-28-0 Mohammed Siraj 4-0-59-2 Shahbaz Ahmed 1-0-6-0 Akash Deep 3-0-38-1 Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 4-0-40-1 Harshal Patel 4-0-36-1

Singh hit a full-toss straight to midon.

When Tymal Mills had Pant top-edging a short ball to third man in the fifth over, Capitals were wobbling at 32 for 3.

Thampi rocks Capitals further

Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav celebrate after dragging Delhi Capitals to an unlikely win © BCCI

(IPL) has said in a statement that Mumbai Indians were fined for maintaining a slow over rate against Delhi Capitals, though only the extent of Captain Sharma's fine was specified. "As it was the team's first offence of the season, under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mumbai Indians Captain Sharma was fined Rs 12 lakhs," the statement said.

Khaleel Ahmed started the sixth over with three dots to Sharma. Off the fourth ball, Sharma, premeditatedly moved towards off stump to play the lap shot. He ended up hitting it to short fine leg, but Thakur put it down. Sharma danced down the track next ball and smashed Ahmed through the covers for four, bringing up the team's fifty.

Mumbai finished the powerplay at 53 for no loss.

Kuldeep strikes back

Kuldeep hasn't been in the best of form in the last three years or so, slipping down the pecking order of selection for India and struggling to find a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders XI. But where he had to compete with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy at Knight Riders, he might be likelier to get game time at Capitals, his new franchise. And he ensured as much with his performance on Sunday.

Sharma and Kishan had added 67 in 8.2 overs when Kuldeep dismissed Sharma. The ball was just short of a good length; Sharma couldn't execute the pull shot perfectly and found deep midwicket. Anmolpreet Singh then struggled to read Kuldeep and sliced one to long-off to give him his second wicket.

With two left-handers, Kishan and Tilak Varma, in the middle, Pant sneaked in two overs of Lalit's offspin. When Kieron Pollard came to the crease, Pant brought Kuldeep back for his final over. He didn't disappoint his Captain and snared Pollard with another shortof-good-length delivery. It was pulled powerfully, but Tim Seifert leapt to his left at forward square leg and plucked it with both hands.

That left Mumbai 122 for 4 in 15.5 overs.

While Mumbai kept losing regular wickets at one end, Kishan stayed firm at the other. He brought up his half-century in 34 balls, with a six off Axar. Two balls later, he swatted him wide of longoff for four more.

Ahmed was the next to bear the brunt of Kishan's blitz. In the 19th over, he hit him for two fours in three balls, which could have been three in three if not for a flying effort by Seifert at deep square leg. Thakur went for 18 in the final over, with Daniel Sams hitting a six and Kishan two successive fours to power Mumbai to a formidable total.

Seifert flickers briefly

Getting on strike midway through the first over of the chase, Seifert got off the blocks with backto-back fours off Sams, a crisp cover-drive followed by a brutal pull. He played an even better shot in the second over, punching a full delivery from Jasprit Bumrah over the bowler's head. Two balls later, Bumrah slipped in a slower ball.

This time Seifert went over wide mid-off, and picked up his fourth boundary in just eight balls.

Prithvi Shaw joined in the fun by pulling Thampi for a six over deep midwicket, but things soon went south for Capitals.

Bowling the fourth over, M Ashwin got Seifert to edge a fast legbreak. But Aryan Juyal, substituting for Kishan who had gone for a scan after taking a hit to the toe while batting, dropped the catch. But Ashwin had his man off the next ball, this time scything an even faster googly through Seifert's defence. Two balls later, Mandeep

Shaw kept Capitals in the hunt and took them to 70 for 3 after nine overs, taking on Mills and Sams in the process. In the 10th over, he attempted another pull against Thampi, but got only a topedge and Kishan, who was back behind the stumps by now, held on to a swirling skier. Two balls later, Rovman Powell pulled Thampi straight to deep square leg. At 72 for 5, it looked like the game was over.

Lalit and Axar script improbable win

With all seemingly lost, Thakur hit Bumrah for three fours in the 11th over. But soon after, he too top-edged a pull and fell for an 11-ball 22. Lalit and Axar brought the equation down to 56 required from 30 balls. Axar then dispatched Bumrah over long-on and Lalit crashed him behind point in a 15run over.

Off the first ball of the 17th over, Thampi produced a chance, but Tim David put down a sitter at long-on to give Axar a life. To rub salt into the wound, Axar hit him for a four three balls later, and the final ball of the over went for four leg-byes.

Capitals still needed 28 off the last three overs, and even though he had had an underwhelming day, Bumrah was to bowl one of them. Sams bowled the 18th over, and Axar and Lalit feasted on his slower balls. They hit him for three sixes and a four, ransacking 24 off the over. When Bumrah came for the 19th over, Capitals need just four. After a single to Lalit, Bumrah bowled one down the leg side, and Axar duly clipped him to the fine leg boundary to seal the match.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD MUMBAI INDIANS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Rohit Sharma (c) c Powell b Kuldeep Yadav 41 Ishan Kishan †not out 81 Anmolpreet Singh c Lalit Yadav b Kuldeep Yadav 8 Tilak Varma c Shaw b Ahmed 22 Kieron Pollard c Seifert b Kuldeep Yadav 3 Tim David c Mandeep Singh b Ahmed 12 Daniel Sams not out 7 Extras(lb 1, w 2) 3 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.85) 177/5 Did not bat: Murugan Ashwin, Tymal Mills, Jasprit Bumrah, Basil Thampi Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Rohit Sharma, 8.2 ov), 2-83 (Anmolpreet Singh, 10.4 ov), 3-117 (Tilak Varma, 14.2 ov), 4-122 (Kieron Pollard, 15.5 ov), 5-159 (Tim David, 18.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Shardul Thakur 4-0-47-0 Khaleel Ahmed 4-0-27-2 Axar Patel 4-0-40-0 Kamlesh Nagarkoti 2-0-29-0 Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-18-3 Lalit Yadav 2-0-15-0

DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (TARGET: 178 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Prithvi Shaw c †Ishan Kishan b Basil Thampi 38 Tim Seifert b Ashwin 21 Mandeep Singh c Tilak Varma b Ashwin 0 Rishabh Pant (c)† c David b Mills 1 Lalit Yadav not out 48 Rovman Powell c Sams b Basil Thampi 0 Shardul Thakur c Sharma b Basil Thampi 22 Axar Patel not out 38 Extras(lb 4, w 7) 11 TOTAL(18.2 Ov, RR: 9.76) 179/6 Did not bat: Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Tim Seifert, 3.3 ov), 2-30 (Mandeep Singh, 3.5 ov), 3-32 (Rishabh Pant, 4.1 ov), 4-72 (Prithvi Shaw, 9.2 ov), 5-72 (Rovman Powell, 9.4 ov), 6-104 (Shardul Thakur, 13.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Daniel Sams 4-0-57-0 Jasprit Bumrah 3.2-0-43-0 Basil Thampi 4-0-35-3 Murugan Ashwin 4-0-14-2 Tymal Mills 3-0-26-1

22

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

South Africa clinch thriller as West Indies edge India to semi-final

I

ndia crashed out of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 as South Africa clinched a last-ball thriller with three wickets to spare.

South Africa's win ensured that West Indies booked a berth in the semi-finals of the World Cup as India crashed out after losing the do-or-die match. Fifties from Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez – one which laid the foundation and the other that took the team home – brought the curtains down on India's World Cup campaign.

There was no shortage of drama, including a wicket that came off a no-ball off what should have been the penultimate ball, as the game went down to the wire.

Needing one run off the last ball, du Preez flicked it over mid-wicket to take South Africa to a win.

The Indian spinners bowled brilliantly to bring the team back in the game after the 125-run stand between Wolvaardt and Lara Goodall, but couldn't get the team home.

Defending 275, India got off to a perfect start with the ball. A direct hit from Harmanpreet Kaur found Lizelle Lee well short of her ground, breaking the opening partnership in the fifth over.

Thereafter, however, South Africa dominated the Indian bowling, with Wolvaardt and Goodall coming to the party.

Wolvaardt was the aggressor in the partnership, scoring boundaries regularly to take the pressure off her team in the powerplay. She raced to 34 off 32 to keep South Africa's chase on track. Goodall, who was playing second fiddle up to that point, soon was among the boundaries after the fielding restrictions were lifted.

India were guilty of bowling wide outside off stumps to Wolvaardt and were punished by the South African opener, who got to her fifty in 44 balls. The two batters brought up their 100-run partnership in the 21st over as South Africa looked on course to chasing the total.

However, India struck twice in two overs to remove the two set batters. Goodall was beaten in the air and off the surface by Rajeshwari Gayakwad and was stumped by Richa Ghosh. Kaur went through Wolvaardt's gates to inject some life into the Indian team.

West Indies Women will meet Australia Women

Sune Luus and du Preez settled the nerves after the two quick wickets, adding 37 runs for the fourth wicket. Kaur was the one with the golden arm once again to break the stand, trapping the skipper in front of the stumps for 22.

Marizanne Kapp, South Africa's crisis woman in the tournament, kept her cool despite the rising required run rate and kept finding the boundaries to put the pressure back on the Indian spinners. Together with du Preez, she stitched together a 57-run partnership. Du Preez was given a reprieve in the 44th over, with Smriti Mandhana dropping a regulation catch in the deep, but India made up for it by running out Kapp two balls later.

With 45 needed off 30, the tide shifted in South Africa's favour in the next two overs, with Chloe Tryon and du Preez finding five boundaries to bring the required run rate down to almost run-a-ball. Gayakwad struck on the final ball of the 46th over, completing a simple return catch off Tryon's leading edge.

With 14 needed off two, South Africa decided to play out Gayakwad's final over, playing the field to take seven runs off the penultimate over. Du Preez got to her fifty in the final over, but Trisha Chetty was run-out off the same ball as they tried to steal a double. With three required off two, Du Preez holed out in the deep as the Indian team broke out in celebration, but the joy was short-lived when it was shown on the big screen that Deepti Sharma had overstepped.

Needing a single off the last ball, Du Preez easily put the ball over mid-wicket as India crashed out of the World Cup. Earlier in the day, fifties from

SCOREBOARD INDIA WOMEN INNINGS (50 OVERS MAXIMUM) Smriti Mandhana c Tryon b Klaas 71 Shafali Verma run out (Luus/†Chetty) 53 Yastika Bhatia b Tryon 2 Mithali Raj (c)c Tryon b Klaas 68 Harmanpreet Kaur b Khaka 48 Pooja Vastrakar c Luus b Ismail 3 Richa Ghosh †c Luus b Ismail 8 Sneh Rana not out 1 Deepti Sharma not out 2 Extras(b 3, nb 1, w 14) 18 TOTAL (50 Ov, RR: 5.48) 274/7 Did not bat: Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Shafali Verma, 14.6 ov), 2-96 (Yastika Bhatia, 16.3 ov), 3-176 (Smriti Mandhana, 31.6 ov), 4-234 (Mithali Raj, 42.3 ov), 5-240 (Pooja Vastrakar, 44.2 ov), 6-268 (Richa Ghosh, 48.2 ov), 7-271 (Harmanpreet Kaur, 49.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Shabnim Ismail 10-1-42-2 Marizanne Kapp 9-0-56-0 Ayabonga Khaka 9-0-58-1 Chloe Tryon 10-0-51-1 Masabata Klaas 8-0-38-2 Sune Luus 4-0-26-0

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN INNINGS (TARGET: 275 RUNS FROM 50 OVERS) Lizelle Lee run out (Kaur) 6 Laura Wolvaardt b Kaur 80 Lara Goodall st †Ghosh b Gayakwad 49 Sune Luus (c) lbw b Kaur 22 Mignon du Preez not out 52 Marizanne Kapp run out (Kaur/†Ghosh) 32 Chloe Tryon c & b Gayakwad 17 Trisha Chetty †run out (Kaur/Sharma) 7 Shabnim Ismail not out 2 Extras(lb 3, nb 1, w 4) 8 TOTAL(50 Ov, RR: 5.50) 275/7 Did not bat: Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Lizelle Lee, 4.4 ov), 2-139 (Lara Goodall, 26.5 ov), 3-145 (Laura Wolvaardt, 27.5 ov), 4-182 (Sune Luus, 36.1 ov), 5-229 (Marizanne Kapp, 44.5 ov), 6-255 (Chloe Tryon, 46.6 ov), 7-270 (Trisha Chetty, 49.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Meghna Singh 6-0-37-0 Deepti Sharma 10-0-41-0 Sneh Rana 10-0-54-0 Rajeshwari Gayakwad 10-0-61-2 Pooja Vastrakar 6-1-37-0 Harmanpreet Kaur 8-0-42-2

Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Mithali Raj took India to 274-7 in their 50 overs after opting to bat first. South Africa, though, fought back brilliantly in the death overs, using the short ball and slower ones to great effect to put a lid on scoring. At one point, India looked good to finish on a score close to

300, but South Africa managed to pull things together, giving away just 51 runs in the last 10 overs.

Openers Verma (53) and Mandhana made their intentions early and the pair found the boundary with ease to help India bring up their 50 without loss.

Verma was run out in the 15th over to give South Africa some relief and Yastika Bhatia (2) followed shortly after to Tryon (124) as India were quickly reduced to 96-2.

Mandhana and Raj looked assured at the crease before a moment of brilliance on the field ended the 78-run stand.

The southpaw tried to clear the in-field, but a stunning catch by Tryon diving to her wrong side brought an end to Mandhana's innings on 71.

After a few quiet overs, Raj started to take the attack to the bowlers and got to her fifty in the 36th over. The onslaught continued before another good

Mignon du Preez was Player of the Match

catch from Tryon ended Raj's innings.

South Africa managed to tie India down at the start of the death overs, adopting a short-ball ploy to keep India quiet. Vastrakar was pushed up the order, but the move did not work out as she was done in by Shabnim Ismail's slower ball.

Boundaries were hard to come by for India before Kaur

finally found her timing in the 48th over with two consecutive fours to give some impetus to the innings. The Proteas pulled it back in the final two overs with the wickets of Ghosh and Kaur to restrict India to 274-7.

West Indies will meet Australia on Tuesday, March 29 from 18:00h Eastern Caribbean time for the first semi-final. (ICC)

Foster replaced by Deleep Singh as CWI Director, BCB shocked

B

erbice Cricket Board (BCB) President and Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Vice President Hilbert Foster has been replaced as a Director of Cricket West Indies (CWI). In a press statement by the GCB, Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) President Deleep Singh was named as replacement.

Releases from the GCB and the BCB follow: Guyana Cricket Board release: The Executive Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board on Saturday, March 26, 2022 elected Mr Deleep Singh, President of the Essequibo Cricket Board to replace Mr Hilbert Foster as its new Director to Cricket West Indies.

Mr Singh, who hails from Charity, is a popular and respected businessman who previously served as President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Essequibo Technical Institute and as Vice President of the Guyana Coconut Growers Association.

Mr Singh’s impressive profile includes serving in prominent positions in religious, educational and social organisations including the Sanatan Dharm Par Upkaaric Sabha, Shri Sookdeojie Ashram, Charity Development Committee and Guyana School of Agriculture where earlier as a student he earned a diploma with distinction.

A graduate of the Louisiana State University (USA), Mr Singh is presently the proprietor of WD’S Hotel & Mall at Charity. In addition, he is a large-scale coconut, cattle and rice farmer as well as a licensed gold miner.

On the cricket front, Mr Singh played club cricket in Essequibo for a numbers of years and in fact, founded and was chairman of both the Enterprise Cricket Club in Pomeroon and also Pomeroon Cricket Committee. From 2002 to 2004, he served as Vice President of the Essequibo Cricket Board and now as the incumbent President of that Board, he is automatically an Executive Member of the Guyana Cricket Board.

Mr Singh’s election to the position of CWI Director is in keeping with a traditional practice that seeks to alternate director selection. He is the first Essequibian to hold this prestigious position since Mr Beni Sankar some 25 years ago.

An immensely popular personality, Mr Deleep Singh gave the assurance that the confidence

Hilbert Foster

Mr Deleep Singh

placed in him would propel him to work diligently and responsibly in the interest of Guyana and West Indies cricket. He pledged to discharge his duties in a professional manner and to ensure that Guyana is meaningfully represented at the regional level.

The amendment to facilitate the alternating of Directors was approved at a Special General Meeting of the Guyana Cricket Board held on March 06, 2022.

This meeting was convened for two specific purposes: proposed amendments to the constitution and the submission and ratification of audited financial reports of the County Boards.

The report from the Berbice Cricket Board, however, created much debate as the figures presented could not stand up to scrutiny. The meeting decided that in the interest of transparency and accountability and in keeping with the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 that the financial report of the Berbice Cricket Board be subjected to a forensic audit.

This decision was taken despite the explanations given by the Berbice Cricket Board President, Hilbert Foster and which were deemed unacceptable. The Berbice Cricket Board subsequently wrote the Guyana Cricket Board requesting a withdrawal of their audited financial report. This matter which has caused much disquiet will be carefully monitored by the GCB. Berbice Cricket Board release: The Berbice Cricket Board has noted with shock and disgust a press release from the Guyana Cricket Board which has left us totally speechless. The BCB has kept its silence over the last few months despite being targeted by elements in the Board since the recent elections in Essequibo.

Our support is no longer wanted or needed, and it seems like our success story is a source of jealousy for some. The BCB has submitted audited financial statements for 2018, 2019 and

2020 by a highly-respected auditor and we have received full clearance in all three reports.

The 2020 audited report had one page of correction which concern the incorrect names of our executives for the period under review. The auditor has since corrected the mistake. At the last Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) meeting, our Treasurer was unable to answer a question about a $30,000.00 receivable, because he did not have the necessary information on hand. The simple answer is that the contractor for the repair of our office had not completed the work at the time of the report being submitted. The work was done shortly after the start of our new financial year.

The GCB executives today met for its monthly meeting and no discussion about the financial statement took place and no one was authorised to issue a press statement. What is remarkable about all of this is a statement that was made in the GCB chat group that stated that persons would be ceremonially removed or would resign in shame.

The financial committee of the GCB has to date failed to meet to accept our report, but the Board in its wisdom has seen it fit to issue a libellous statement. Both the Treasurer and his Assistant were unaware of the statement along with the two Vice Presidents of the Board and a few other executives.

Over the last few months, all suggestions from us have been rejected and all we hear is the word – Noted. The BCB would also like to state that our President never attempted to explain anything about the statements as that was done by our Treasurer Dr Cecil Beharry and his deputy, Rovin Bahadur.

The BCB is, therefore, totally shocked by this statement along with the press release since this discussion took place over three weeks ago. We are left to wonder why this unauthorised press release was issued on the same day

that a senior executive of the GCB from Demerara had informed the executives that he would inform the media about the happenings within the Board.

The BCB for over 12 years had led the fight for return to normalcy to Guyana cricket and it pains that the situation has gotten worse.

We wish to reassure the Guyanese cricketing public that we are committed to the development of the game across our beloved country and while we can say much more, in the interest of unity, we would hold our peace.

BCB President Hilbert Foster would like to express his thanks to the GCB for the chance to serve as a Director of the CWI for one year and wishes Mr Deleep Singh all the best in his new position.

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Sweet series win! West Indies crush England by 10 wickets

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ngland slumped to a chastening 10-wicket defeat early on the fourth day of the third Test to lose their series against West Indies 1-0.

After a dismal third day, England began 103-8, leading by just 10, and the hosts claimed the final two wickets within the first hour to have them all out for 120.

That set a target of just 28 and West Indies cantered to victory inside five overs to clinch the Richards-Botham trophy. England have now lost four Test series in a row – five if the unfinished India series which Joe Root’s side trail 2-1 is included – and are winless in nine matches.

The defeat, which comes on the back of a humiliating 4-0 Ashes loss, leaves England bottom of the World Test Championship table. It looks set to reignite intense debate about the state of the men’s Test team – a side at one of its’ lowest points in recent memory.

Not since the 2013-14 Ashes capitulation, and the break-up of a team that followed, have England gone as many Tests without a win. They have also won just one of 17 Tests going back to

The winning moment celebrated by John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite (Getty Images)

February last year – and not had such a poor run since the 1980s.

The result was all but certain after England collapsed a day earlier in their second innings and the formalities were completed in less than 90 minutes of play.

Prior to this series, England talked of a ‘red-ball reset’ and a wish to refocus on the longest format following the Ashes debacle.

There were flashes of promise in the first two Tests – a century for Zak Crawley, runs for Dan Lawrence, Ben

Stokes’ return to form, and Saqib Mahmood’s encouraging debut. But their dismal display has their rebirth in tatters. England next play a Test in June, at home against New Zealand, where they will hope to have appointed a new Managing Director and Head Coach, while Captain Root’s position will also come into question.

Victory for West Indies maintains their proud home record against England, with just one series loss against England in the Caribbean since 1968. They outplayed

BCB Tenelec Inc First Division...

Joseph’s 6-wicket haul blows West Berbice away; Anderson, Sinclair hit centuries

Root’s side in this deciding Test, having been on the back foot in the previous two matches.

Even in the brief period on the fourth morning, there was time for a moment of West Indies magic. After 40 minutes without a wicket, Jason Holder produced a brilliant one-handed reaction catch at leg slip to dismiss Chris Woakes for 19. Jack Leach edged behind in the next over – both wickets falling to seamer Kemar Roach.

The hosts celebrated with a lap of honour when the result was finalised.

“We let ourselves down” – reaction

England Captain Joe Root: “Yesterday we let ourselves down and we didn’t stand up to it well enough, and it has left us in this position where we’ve lost after playing so much brilliant cricket. We’ve got to show more, like we did on the first day of the tour, people standing up and us getting to a total, more frequently. We’ve shown we can do it – that’s the frustration.”

Player of the Match Joshua da Silva: “The emotion is still there – 100 per

cent. I’ve dreamt of this moment and hopefully, it isn’t the last time I win this award.

“I wanted to trust my tailenders – all the credit goes to them. I can’t thank them enough. It is because of them that I’ve won this award.

West Indies Captain

Kraigg Brathwaite: “We decided this was one of our best series at home and we have to fight hard. We put in a lot of work. Every game someone raised their hand and did the job. The effort was remarkable.” (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS Alex Lees b Mayers 31 Zak Crawley c Holder b Seales 8 Joe Root (c) c Campbell b Mayers 5 Dan Lawrence b Mayers 0 Ben Stokes c †Brooks b Mayers 4 Jonny Bairstow c †Da Silva b Joseph 22 Ben Foakes †run out (Mayers/†Da Silva) 2 Chris Woakes c Holder b Roach 19 Craig Overton c Holder b Mayers 1 Jack Leach c †Da Silva b Roach 4 Saqib Mahmood not out 3 Extras(b 13, lb 7, w 1) 21 TOTAL(64.2 Ov, RR: 1.86) 120 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Zak Crawley, 3.5 ov), 2-27 (Joe Root, 8.3 ov), 3-27 (Dan Lawrence, 10.3 ov), 4-39 (Ben Stokes, 16.3 ov), 5-80 (Jonny Bairstow, 41.1

ov), 6-83 (Ben Foakes, 41.6 ov), 7-97 (Alex Lees, 46.2 ov), 8-101 (Craig Overton, 48.2 ov), 9-116 (Chris Woakes, 62.1 ov), 10-120 (Jack Leach, 64.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar Roach 9.2-4-10-2 Jayden Seales 12-2-26-1 Kyle Mayers 17-9-18-5 Jason Holder 8-5-6-0 Alzarri Joseph 16-3-38-1 Jermaine Blackwood 2-1-2-0 WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS (TARGET: 28 RUNS) Kraigg Brathwaite (c) not out 20 John Campbell not out 6 Extras(b 1, lb 1) 2 TOTAL(4.5 Ov, RR: 5.79) 28 Did not bat: Shamarh Brooks, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva †, Kyle Mayers, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales BOWLING O-M-R-W Chris Woakes 2.5-0-13-0 Saqib Mahmood 2-0-13-0

Horse racing returns to Port Mourant on April 17

– Young Warriors beat Port Mourant

Horse racing action returns on April 17 (Brandon Corlette file photo)

By Brandon Corlette

T

From left to right: Shamar Joseph, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Suresh Dhanai

ucber Park fast bowler Shamar Joseph, and Rose Hall Town duo Kevlon Anderson and Kevin Sinclair were among the star performers in the first round of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Tenelec Inc First Division tournament. In matches played across the Ancient County, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Town Namilco and Young Warriors recorded victories.

In the match played at Cotton Tree, debutant Joseph had figures of 6-12 from 4.3 overs to rock West Berbice to 37 all out in 14.3 overs. The right-arm speedster was the architect of Tucber Park’s seven-wicket win, and he was supported by off-spinner Kwesi Mickle, who claimed 3-13 in three overs. In reply, Tucber Park ended on 42-3, with Garfield

Benjamin on 18 not out.

In another one-sided contest, Rose Hall Town thumped Blairmont Blazers by 204 runs. Rose Hall Town posted 293 for 7 off 50 overs with Anderson hitting 104 and Kevin Sinclair scoring 101.

Anderson’s classy knock included six fours while the aggressive Sinclair struck seven fours and five sixes. The duo featured in a 105-run partnership for the second wicket. Seon Glasgow claimed 3 for 48 off 9 overs for the Blairmont boys playing at Albion.

In reply, Blairmont Blazers were blown away for 89 all out in 26.2 overs.

Nigel Deodat top-scored with 26. Bowling for Rose Hall Town, Junior Sinclair had 3 for 12 off 6.2 overs while Kevin Sinclair and Clinton Pestano had two

wickets each.

Meanwhile, in the other match at Port Mourant, Young Warriors snatched a one-wicket win against the home team. Suresh Dhanai had a good allround game. Port Mourant posted 190 all out in 37.1 overs with Joshua Ramsammy scoring 56 and Rampertab Ramnauth hitting 40. Bowling for Young Warriors, seamer Dhanai had 3 for 43 off 8 overs while Trevon Stanislaus had 3 for 27 off 8 overs.

Young Warriors, in response, scored 193-9 in 38 overs. Kassim Khan’s 38 not out and Dhanai’s 30 ensured a close win.

Vickey Samaroo had 2 for 23 off 6 overs and Yogendra Harrinarine had 2 for 41 off 7 overs for Port Mourant. (Brandon Corlette)

A

fter an extended absence, horse racing is set for a grand return on Easter Sunday (April 17, 2022). Top horses will transform the Port Mourant Turf Club into their battlefield with six races carded for the day. In the H class event, which covers a distance of six furlongs, the top horse will bag $300,000.

The first race of the day is expected to be the 4-year-old Guyana bred race at a distance of five furlongs. First prize is $160,000, second prize is $80,000 while third prize is $40,000 and fourth prize is $20,000. Horse owners will pay an entry fee of $20,000 for the opening race.

In the second race of the day, 3-year-old Guyana bred horses will battle for supremacy and the $160,000 firstplace prize. The other top three finishers will bag similar amounts as was mentioned for the opening race.

In the J class race with a distance of six furlongs, a first-place prize of $120,000

will be up for grabs. The other top three finishers will win $75,000, $37,000 and $18,000. The entry fee for this race is $18,000. Race four will be the J3 non-starter and K class horses, running at a distance of five furlongs.

First place will be awarded $120,000 while the second-place prize is $60,000.

Third and fourth place will be awarded $30,000 and $15,000.

The feature event, the H class race, will be the penultimate event of the day. The top prize is $300,000, with the second-place horse bagging $150,000 and third and fourth place $75,000 and $37,000 respectively. Horse owners will pay an entry fee of $37,000.

The curtains will come down at Port Mourant when the L class open race unfurls at six furlongs. A top prize of $120,000 will be up for grabs and the other three finishers will walk away with $60,000, $30,000 and $15,000 respectively. Entry fee for the L class race is $15,000.

Based on the rules, all rac-

es will be run under the updated classification. No promotion or demotion will be allowed and races will be under the guidance of Guyana Horse Racing Authority rules.

The club reserves the right to cancel/reframe any race and five horses must start before third-place prize is paid.

Additionally, seven horses must start before the fourth prize is paid. Contact Gingo on 618-7278, Dennis on 6406396 and Rabani on 643-9696 for more details.

Admission will be $1000 and all COVID-19 protocols will be in place. The sponsors so far on board are Banks DIH, Kascon Engineering, A Sawh Mechanic Shop, Sandeep Poultry Farm, Sunil Poultry Supply, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, AJM, K Jagdeo Contractors, Sunil Pet Shop and a businessman.

With the Easter season, kids will have the luxury of free kites, free bouncy castles and free merry-go-around.

The event starts at 13:00h local time and Rhythm Stars will be providing entertainment at the venue.

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

Page 23

Golden Jags maul Barbados 5-0

Sweet series win!

West Indies crush England by 10 wickets G

The Golden Jags celebrate (File Photo)

Team Mohamed’s enjoyed success on race return (See Tuesdays edition for more details)

uyana’s senior men’s national football team got off to a dream start in the Courts Caribbean Classic on Sunday night, with a commanding win over the Barbados national team at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Courts Caribbean Classic is a three-team friendly international series, featuring Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, being hosted in the twin-island republic.

Following up Trinidad’s 9-0 mauling of Barbados on Friday night, the Golden Jaguars sent home five unanswered goals to go up in the tournament.

Quincy Adams opened the scoring for the local boys in the 11th minute followed by a Pernell Schultz goal in the 37th. Teenage sen-

sation Omari Glasgow added his name to the score sheet soon after, with a 41st minute goal, to bring Guyana’s tally to three at the half.

Three minutes into the second segment, Guyana were lucky enough to pick up a penalty opportunity which was taken by the experienced Neil Danns.

Danns made no mistake, as the score raced to 4-0. Glasgow returned in the 61st minute to complete his brace with another goal, resulting in Guyana’s 5-0 victory.

The tournament decider will come on Tuesday, March 29, as Guyana take on Trinidad and Tobago.

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