Guyana Times - Monday, May 15, 2023

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, May 15 – 01:30h – 03:00h and Tuesday, May 16 – 02:00h – 03:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, May 15 – 13:20h – 14:50h and Tuesday, May 16 – 14:20h – 15:50h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 13:36h reaching a maximum height of 2.41 metres.

Low Tide: 07:09h and 19:32h reaching minimum heights of 0.84 metre and 0.77 metre.

President Ali in Qatar for official visit

leader had met with a delegation from the Qatari Investment Mission to advance discussions on investment opportunities in the country.

The Qatari Investment Mission representatives were Group Chairman of Power International Holding, Moutaz Al Khayyat; Group Chief Venture Officer of Power International Holding, Ali Kazma and the company’s Chief Business Development Officer, Mazen Alsbeti.

Guyana.

The State of Qatar is among several Middle Eastern nations that expressed serious interest in investing in various sectors in Guyana during President Ali’s visit in 2021 for the Dubai World Expo.

Meanwhile, as the relationship between the two countries grow, Guyana in September 2022 officially welcomed the country’s first tourists from Qatar.

In a statement from the

LOTTERY NUMBERS

In an effort to further strengthen ties between the two countries, President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali has travelled to Qatar for an official visit.

The Guyanese Head of State arrived in Doha on Sunday morning.

He was received at the Hamad International Airport by Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi; Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraz Ahmad Shahood and Presidential Assistant and Personal Envoy to Greece, the Middle East and Africa, Ambassador George Hallaq.

Ali is expected to be engaged in several high-level meetings with both state and private sector officials in Qatar.

The Guyanese leader is joined by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Director of Presidential Affairs, Marcia Nadir-Sharma and other officials for his official visit to the Middle Eastern nation.

Last October, Minister of Energy Affairs of the State of Qatar and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Energy, Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi, led a delegation to Guyana to explore various opportunities here.

During a meeting with

President Ali and several Government officials, the two sides discussed potential collaboration in the areas of energy, food, infrastructure and aviation.

In February this year, it was announced that Guyana would be receiving assistance from Qatar on the formulation of a plan to utilise and monetise the gas supply it will get when the gas-to-energy project comes online.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat had made this disclosure during the consideration of the 2023 Budget Estimates when he was asked for an update on the gas utilisation plan.

“We have managed, through His Excellency President Ali and the recent visit of the Petroleum Minister from Qatar to Guyana, we have managed on building our relationship to secure two experts that will be in country [later on]. That is, Qatar sending two experts to Guyana to assist us with this very plan that the honourable member spoke of: the gas leak and gas utilisation and monetisation plan; and at no cost to us. This is Qatar’s way of showing its appreciation to Guyana. They will be paying for that,” Bharrat had stated.

Meanwhile, earlier in April 2022, the Guyanese

Also, in November 2021, President Ali had met with senior officials of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) – the sovereign wealth fund of the Middle Eastern State. The visiting team comprised two QIA Executives, Abdulhadi F A Al-Hajri and Dany Farah Nakhoul. Their visit was a follow-up to talks started by President Ali and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

During that meeting, the Guyanese Head of State had highlighted Government’s desire to make Guyana the hub for agriculture and food security within the Region and further afield. He also pointed to the numerous opportunities in other sectors that would promote the overall growth and development of

Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, it was noted that while Qataris have visited Guyana for official Government engagements and religious purposes, Dr Nasser Saqr Al-Mohannadi and his wife Galyiah AlMohannadi are the first to travel as tourists.

“Dr Nasser Saqr AlMohannadi was Qatar’s first Ironman and is a professor at the Department of Petroleum Engineering in Qatar. While in Guyana, the couple will visit several tourism hotspots, including Kaieteur,” the statement had noted.

Subject Minister Oneidge Walrond had also expressed hope that the couple’s visit will encourage more citizens of Qatar to visit Guyana. (G8)

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi sharing a brief exchange upon his arrival in Doha on Sunday

President Dr Irfaan Ali and his delegation being welcomed in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

WB diagnosis and proposals

In 2020, just months after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) assumed office, the World Bank issued the first Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) for Guyana dubbed, “A Pivotal Moment for Guyana: Realizing the Opportunities”. While the Opposition has trenchantly criticised the development programme unfurled since 2020, it might be useful to use the SCD as a benchmark to objectively evaluate it. We offer the WB’s summary below:

“An SCD is an assessment of the constraints a country faces and the opportunities it can take to accelerate progress in reducing poverty and improving living standards for its people. The SCD draws on findings of research done by the World Bank Group and benefitted from feedback received during consultations with key stakeholders in Guyana."

"Guyana (has) abundant natural resources, but…a legacy of jobless growth, and deep geographic disparities and inequalities.

In 2018, Guyana’s national poverty headcount rate was among the highest in the Latin America and Caribbean region at 43.4 per cent. Within that, there are regional differences, with poverty rates highest in the interior regions, where communities have limited access to economic opportunities, health care, and public services. Over 80 per cent of the country’s poor live in rural areas. Economic and social factors have contributed to high emigration rates, with 39 per cent of all Guyanese citizens currently residing abroad. Among those with a tertiary education the rate is even higher."

"Oil revenues are expected to be large, but for this to translate into achieving long-term and sustainable growth that reaches all levels of the population, good governance and strong public institutions are vital. Guyana must improve its human capital development and health indicators, reduce poverty levels, and balance growth with environmentally sustainable practices. As the Government begins to develop the oil and gas sector, ensuring governance mechanisms that adhere to international environmental and social standards is critical to avoid many of the issues other resource-rich countries have faced."

"Several priority areas and related policy actions (are suggested) to achieve these goals: Macroeconomic stability and environmental sustainability: This includes balancing fiscal spending with the absorptive capacity of the economy and managing the exchange rate. Mitigating fiscal risks arising from climate change is important as well as ensuring environmental sustainability. Boosting investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and adherence to environmental protection standards can facilitate more sustainable development and urbanisation."

"Good public sector governance and effective management of the petroleum sector: Addressing governance challenges will be necessary to expand access to high-quality public services and increase Government transparency and accountability, while sustainably managing the oil and gas sector and financial assets. It will also be important to encourage greater public engagement and more collaboration among Government agencies. This involves strengthening the public sector to deliver services and ramping up public spending on resilient infrastructure with environmental protection."

"Economic transformation and job creation: Employment rates are already relatively low in Guyana, with a 54.5 per cent labourforce participation rate in 2017, lower than the regional average. Currently, limited competition, a weak business climate, and small, underdeveloped markets are some of the challenges limiting employment. Policy actions should aim at improving the business environment, maintaining public sector employment at sustainable levels, and leveraging untapped human and natural capital."

"Human capital investment: Large-scale investments in education and health, along with infrastructure, are needed to increase the opportunities for Guyanese people, including: full coverage of basic services like improved water and sanitation, roads, electricity, primary and secondary education, healthcare, and financial services. Such full coverage of essential health and education services needs to address the country’s geographic disparities."

"Future policy actions recommended include strengthening the social protection system, achieving universal health care, and quality systems for tertiary and technical education.

"Measures that support environmental sustainability and green growth in Guyana should underpin all these policy areas. In addition, basic conditions vary greatly across different regions of Guyana, so public policies should be adapted and prioritised to overcome these regional deficiencies and ensure successful development outcomes. The SCD suggests addressing the geographic disparities by identifying unmet development goals per region and prioritising basic service delivery and infrastructure that match the needs in each region to support the social and economic well-being of all Guyanese.”

PNC-led Opposition can no longer hide; LGE must be held on June 12

Dear Editor,

The leaders of the PNC+APNU/AFC coalition cabal are cowards whose political strategy is designed to frustrate engaging stakeholders and prevent the Guyana Elections Commission from executing Local Government Elections (LGEs). Their frantic and obvious desperation is to avoid facing the electorate for as long as possible.

For the umpteenth time, agents of the cabal are advancing frantic duplicitous legal challenges aimed at disturbing and ultimately delaying the LGEs process. Following numerous failed court challenges, Carol Smith-Joseph and Vincent Alexander again applied to the High Court to stop GECOM from holding LGEs on the 12th of June, 2023.

Accordingly, Smith-Joseph is contending that Article 72 of the Constitution and Section 3 (1)(a) and (b) of the Local Authority Act Chapter 28:03 were violated. The new diabolical contortion relates to issues concerning the adjustments of a few boundaries in some constituencies, changes that the cabal and their agents did not oppose when in 2018, the APNU Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan flagrantly abused timely transparency procedures to impose.

In 2016 and 2018, several adjustments and gerrymandering took place without consultation and discussion with the then-Opposition. As a result, several new towns and NDCs were formed, boundaries were adjusted, and the PPP/C did not move to the courts. In June 2018, Minister Bulkan published an order to remove fourteen constituencies from well-established Local Authority Areas in the Official Gazette.

The then gerrymandering of the affected constituencies' boundaries created significant confusion and concerns for the citizens who demanded changes without any resolution. Effectively, the splitting of the NDCs created severe

problems as several issues were pending since the 2016 Local Government Elections.

Among the essential changes, for example, the Malgre Tout and Canals NDC suffered serious unsolved boundary problems that would have realised residents voting to elect a council governing a constituency outside their boundary in favour of perceived PNC stronghold candidates. Situations like these had to be fixed for transparency and fairness.

On the occasion as mentioned above, there were no dissenting concerns from the likes of Vincent Alexander and Carol Smith, while the PNC’s Commissioners at GECOM under President Granger’s appointed James Patterson as the Chairman, allowing the boundary issues to be dealt with according to the fantasy of the cheating Keith Lowenfield as CEO of the GECOM Secretariat.

Contrary to Bulkan’s approach, Minister Nigel Dharamlall legally wrote GECOM to demarcate the boundaries in some constituencies based on the population and the geographic reality of the Local Authority Areas. This was done after the GECOM Logistics team thoroughly investigated the respective LAAs. As a result, GECOM, within the organisation's scope and ambit, proceeded to make adjustments by placing people in their respective constituencies according to their addresses.

Notably, the Minister ensured citizens and stakeholder groups were fully aware of the specific boundaries in each constituency before they could check the electoral lists and then extract the candidates’ names from the voters' list. This list must be made available for Local Government Elections according to constituency. For this to happen, the stakeholders must be clear about the boundaries, and the voters' list must be thoroughly checked to ensure that all

the candidates and 'backers' of the respective Lists are in the correct place.

Unlike the PNC approach imposed by Bulkan, no untimely surprises were sprung on the populace for specific constituencies that were impacted. Instead, these issues were thoroughly discussed and agreed to at the GECOM meetings. Following the proper changes/adjustments, these boundaries were thoroughly addressed. The modifications were made and published in the Official Gazette, ensuring that these changes are not new to GECOM and Guyanese.

Unfortunately, the Opposition will not be contesting in 291 constituencies. Hence, the PPP/C will be enjoying a massive victory before the voting. The situation informs the fear and actions of the Opposition’s rank and file. The passionate and aggressive campaign that the PPP/C has embarked upon attracts thousands of people, and the cross-over is significant. The visible cross-over of support on this occasion is not by individuals but by passionate groups tremendously impressed with the PPP/C’s roll-out of their inclusive development agenda and achievements.

The weak leadership of the Opposition is deteriorating rapidly. And there are severe deficiencies and deliberate intention to frustrate the 'stakeholders' in the upcoming Local Government Elections. However, the PPP/C leadership is visibly, and very potent, on the ground. The President, Dr Irfaan Ali, and the General Secretary of the PPP, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, are marshalling their forces to achieve victory.

The PNC-led Opposition can no longer hide behind their hypocrisy; the LGEs must be held on the 12th of June, 2023!

Sincerely, Neil

Kumar

Children playing in a section of the recently-commissioned the One Guyana Recreational Park in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) (Office of the President photo)

PNC only digging themselves deeper into a place of failure, utter embarrassment

Dear Editor,

The PNC are playing the reverse psychology game when it comes to the politics of our country. It is a subtle way of saying one thing when you really mean another, or, loudly trumpeting an idea, even though they fully well know that at the end it would expose their sinister plan. But they persist with that strategy, hoping somewhere, somehow, it will gain some traction in the minds of the hearers. It is akin to a death row prisoner who keeps repeating the words many times over “I am innocent," wherein he finally deludes himself that he is indeed innocent. Such is the plight the PNC have found themselves into. This

plan has never worked but only digs them deeper and deeper into a place of failure and utter embarrassment.

Because with each attempt at that deceitful plan, it only exposes their soft underbelly. Let us examine a few of these; you may recall that it was Dr Cheddi Jagan who first complained about the PNC's gross exaggeration of the voters' list and the holding of ghost elections. For decades, the Honourable Dr Jagan spoke up about this evil scheme concocted by the PNC regime. The international world finally came to our aid and assisted us in purging that list and the holding of free and fair elections.

Change did come in 1992, when the rightful winners of a fair and transparent system came to power.

Fast forward to 2023 and we can hear it being shouted from the rooftops that there are ghosts on the list and that's the reason for the PPP/C winning the election. The PNC have through the reverse psychology plan put the blame of rigged elections squarely at the feet of the ruling party. But this is a clumsy effort at creating doubt at the electoral system. In the first place when Dr Jagan raised the issue of "ghost elections" there was ample proof for all to see, both local and overseas observers were privy to this! One

can only go to the YouTube channel and log in to elections in British Guiana and witness that shameful process done under the name of an election.

For the PNC to bring forward that argument is ludicrous at best, because the burden of proof is on their part to provide the evidence of a ghost election or any form of rigging, which up until this point, they cannot. The fact is the PNC have always been bad losers, so any straw they can clutch at they will lock on to, in an attempt to gain sympathy for their hopeless cause.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

PPP in projected landslide for June local elections

Dear Editor,

The projected findings of an ongoing opinion survey being conducted by this writer for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association to determine the outcome of the June 12 Local Government Elections (for 80 local authorities) show the incumbent People's Progressive Party winning a landslide.

As earlier NACTA polls found, there was a lack of enthusiasm for the Opposition People’s National Congress which has had miniscule overall support in the local bodies. In several NDCs and in many seats, the PNC showed no meaningful (or no) presence; there has been hardly any sign of an election contest from the main Opposition party. A NACTA poll conducted last January and February found zero presence of PNC activists in hundreds of constituencies suggesting that the party had thrown in the political towel and was not likely to contest in those seats especially in PPP rural strongholds. In contrast, the PPP/ Civic that has been governing at the centre since August 2020, has a strong or dominant campaign pres-

ence of activists everywhere suggesting it was likely to contest in all seats inclusive of traditional strongholds where it had zero chance of victory in previous elections.

As revealed by GECOM in early May, many Local Government seats (and a few NDCs) are not being contested by more than one candidate, landing wins to the PPP nominees as the NACTA polls had projected.

The PNC seems hamstrung with funding challenges and leadership issues. There is a paucity or scarcity of the party's campaign paraphernalia in the public domain. And many donors who supported the party's campaign in the 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections have said they will not fund the party under the current political dispensation. In addition, a large majority of traditional supporters express a lack of confidence in the leader and are not enthused about voting. Also, unlike in earlier elections, volunteers appear very scarce to canvass and motivate voter turnout. Political and voter morale in strongholds is very low. The party has virtually no campaign (staff and or par-

aphernalia) presence in several of the 70 NDCs and ten municipalities and in many constituencies including in areas it won in the 2018 and 2016 local elections. Voter turnout among PNC supporters is expected to hit an all-time low.

In the contested NDCs and municipalities, the trend as found in the NACTA poll is an overall sweeping victory for the PPP. As earlier NACTA polls found and now confirmed by the latest poll, the PPP is attracting cross over racial appeal. The PPP has been making inroads in every local authority. The PPP has made gains everywhere in voter support including in traditional PNC

strongholds and will wrest seats from the Opposition party although it is too early to say whether the PPP can dethrone the PNC in its hard-core base. Only in the traditional strongholds of Georgetown, Linden, and New Amsterdam and a few other areas is the PNC putting up strong resistance to PPP political encroachment. However, the findings of the poll reveal that the PNC could lose several rural NDCs that it won in or has controlled since the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram (PhD)

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2023

06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time

06:30 Cartoons

07:00 Evening News (RB)

07:30 Cartoons

08:00 Stop Suffering

08:30 Stay Woke

09:00 Top Chef

10:00 Grand Designs

11:00 Paternity Court

11:30 Divorce Court

12:00 Indian Movie - Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006)

14:30 Star Wars: The Clone Wars S4 E1

15:00 Indian Soaps

16:00 Power Rangers: Super Ninja Steel S2 E3

16:30 Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. S2 E1

17:00 The Young & The Restless

18:00 CNN

18:30 In Retrospect

19:00 The Evening News

20:00 Love & Laughter

21:00 The Voice (NBC)

23:00 The Night Agent S1 E1

00:00 Sign off

CXC Questions: Maths

Questions: What type of poem is it? What is it all about? How did you know what it was about?

WORD SEARCH

Access to finance for businesses in Guyana growing – GCCI President

able and see how they could add value to being part of the Chamber. And how we could do so too.”

Access to finance has been a pressing issue for local entrepreneurs for some time. However, consorted efforts by both the Government and the private sector may be paying off as Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Kester Hutson has reported that there have been improvements.

Hutson, who was only recently elected to the position of GCCI President, re -

lated during a recent press conference that access to finance is growing along with the development of various sectors. These are all developments that businesses must capitalise on.

“One of the things we recognise, there is growing access to finance and developing sectors. So, it is my optimism moving forward to engage members and one by one, furthermore, that is part of my outreach, ensure members are comfort -

Speaking to what his mandate will be, he related that the GCCI will be seeking to increase networking opportunities for its members. According to Hutson, during his tenure the Chamber will be pushing companies towards more collaboration and the formation of joint ventures, which is something the Government has for some time been urging the business community to do.

“My mandate, one of which is to increase deliverables to our membership. Of course, our membership is growing exponentially and we have to look at our offerings from the exec level, how we’re going to provide support for small and medium sized businesses, especially. And this could be derived simply by a lot of networking.”

“And exposure, such as the trade missions we

would have highlighted. One of the strategies will be to bring companies who operate in the same sector, to form sorts of (joint ventures) locally. Or even consortiums, to build capacity and to have a bigger market share in the economy,” Hutson further explained.

GCCI has made repeated calls for access to finance to be addressed, at one point calling out continued bureaucracy at commercial banks hindering access to financing. According to GCCI, this situation was putting local businesses at risk of becoming unable to compete in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, as well as losing out in Government’s projects.

According to the Chamber in a statement earlier this year, local banks must be proactive and outline the hindrances – whether legislative, economic, social, or environmental – that are restricting better access to finance for the local private sector.

It was pointed out that despite charges from the highest level of Government, including President Dr Irfaan Ali and Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, coupled with concerns from the private sector, the banks have not been forthcoming with the information that could mitigate the challenges facing access to finance for local businesses. This had led the private sector to believe that the issues affecting easy access to finance may be caused by the banking sector itself, hence the calls for the hindrances to be clearly stated.

“Access to finance is one of the most critical issues facing the business community, and the Chamber believes that the banks play a major role in mitigating the existing challenge. The banks’ failure to respond to the concerns of the private sector leads to the assumption that the issue of access to finance may be a question of internal diffi -

dence at their level, as opposed to a national legislation or policy concern,” the Chamber had said.

The Chamber had noted last year that based on work done by the GCCI, more than 50 per cent of businesses need formal financing to meet basic working capital needs, and less than 50 per cent need financing for fixed investments and to pay off debts.

In recognition of the challenges that local businesses face, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in his Budget 2023 speech back in January, had stated that the Guyana Government is committed to ensuring that movable collateral and financial receivables can be pledged as security for financing in the interest of promoting easier access. To this end, it was announced that the necessary legal amendments will be enacted this year to facilitate this process. (G3)

GCCI President Kester Hutson

Nazima Raghubir re-elected as President in controversial GPA elections

…disappointment expressed at electoral process

Incumbent Guyana Press Association (GPA)

President Nazima Raghubir was on Sunday re-elected to another term as President of the Caribbean’s second oldest press association, but not without some controversy. Contender, Neil Marks, raised a number of concerns before the elections got underway.

The elections, which were held at the Theatre Guild, saw a sizeable turnout of media workers. Preceding the elections, both GPA President Raghubir and incumbent Secretary Svetlana Abrams, gave their reports.

Raghubir was first elected in 2018. It was pointed out that with the advent of the General and Regional Elections in 2020 a decision was taken by the executive to delay the GPA elections on the basis that reporters would be too busy with the national election coverage to turn out to vote for the media one.

Abrams, meanwhile, also explained that back in August 2020, the GPA executive had agreed to further postpone the elections, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While a virtual election was considered, they eventually decided against it. Between 2018 and 2020 several members of the GPA resigned for various reasons.

This year, a May 6 deadline was enforced whereby media workers who had not paid their dues by that time would not be allowed to vote. It was announced by the GPA executive that of the 115 association members, 110 were eligible to vote on Sunday. However, this decision received much criticism from members of the media.

In a heated exchange, Marks, himself a former GPA President from 2015 to 2018, used the question-and-answer segment before the elections to register his concerns over the process and the cut-off date implemented.

“I had pointed out that this GPA, certainly the one that I ran as President, we never had this arrangement where the registration is done before and a deadline is set. Our convention has always been people come at these elections and are giv-

The contradictions…

…of dogmatism

The British economist John Maynard Keynes - after whom a whole “school” of economic thought is named - once remarked, “Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”!! So imagine the situation of those IMPRACTICAL men who enthusiastically announce they’re followers of that economist who lies in Highgate cemetery!! When alive, he didn’t actually lie –but was so dogmatic about his mistakes that he convinced some, even more than a century since he was interred.

In Guyana, of course, Burnham insisted he was a follower of that bearded, pock-marked fella who developed carbuncles sitting in the Library rooms of the British Museum!! His opponents, however, was convinced he was just a poseur who wanted to look “radical”. “Radicalism” – which simply meant tweaking the coat-tail of Uncle Sam - was the flavour of that age!! Anyhow, against all evidence to the contrary, there are still some true believers around.

en an opportunity to register, pay their dues and vote. So, on that basis I raised the concern of disenfranchisement of people who wanted to vote. And I thought it was something reasonable to ask about,” Marks said.

Deadline, voters’ list Marks further noted that he had raised concerns about whether persons who applied for membership before the May 6 deadline would be allowed to vote. He pointed out that there is no provision in the GPA’s constitution or general resolution of members that membership cannot be approved within days of an election. However, Abrams responded by pointing out that the GPA constitution itself makes it clear that applications first have to be vetted.

On the issue of the voters’ list, the executive was asked why this was not released prior to the elections and in response, Dennis Chabrol said that the executive is not obliged to disclose membership status

“…by providing the list will mean the disclosure of persons financial status or status in the organisation and that is the rationale for not providing the list at the then time, the time to do so will be on the floor.”

However, when Returning Officer (RO), Attorney-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith read the list of eligible voters, it was pointed out that there were names of persons on the list who are not considered media workers as per the constitution of the GPA.

Elections were eventually held under the guidance of Burch-Smith. When the dust had settled, Raghubir emerged victorious with a total of 70 votes against Marks, who re-

ceived 25 votes. There was one spoilt ballot. Along with Abrams’s election to the post of Treasurer; Sport Journalist Rawle Toney was elected Vice President and Ariana Gordon was elected Secretary. The other five committee members elected were Alva Solomon; Nygel Fraser; Marcelle Fowler; Denis Chabrol and Iva Wharton.

Observers from the diplomatic community were at the elections.

Disappointment

Meanwhile, Marks in a post-election statement reiterated his disappointment in the electoral process and said that while some were excluded due to the missed May 6 deadline, there were others who were allowed to vote who he said did not reach the three-year membership requirement to do so.

““My fears that the list was heavily padded came through and was very evident,” Marks added.

The elections were held one day after social media content creator Mikhail Rodrigues aka “Guyanese Critic’s” failed attempt to secure a court order against the elections. While Rodrigues contended in his Notice of Application that the GPA arbitrarily refused his membership application and set May 6, 2023, as the last day for registration, acting Chief Justice Roxane George ruled that the GPA is not a corporate entity and thus, its executives were immune from judicial review.

The controversy surrounding Sunday’s elections had heightened over the past week. On Thursday last, several local media entities signed a petition calling on the GPA to release the voters’ list ahead of the

Annual General Meeting.

In the petition, the media houses expressed “serious concerns” about the AGM, particularly about membership and the voters’ list.

They explained that in the past, it has been the practice of the GPA to register members and collect their dues on the day of elections in cases where dues had not been paid. In cases where new members who meet the eligibility criteria to vote, that is, three working years in the media, wished to sign up and pay the required dues, they were allowed to do so. This way all members eligible to vote could only be known on the day of the elections itself.

“This year, the GPA Executive abandoned that convention and set May 6 as the date for the payment of dues for EXISTING members and has said registration of new members will be approved by the new executive. This decision effectively denies membership to many who are working members of the media for three years (and more) and who wish to participate in the elections,” the petition detailed.

To this end, the media houses said in the interest of transparency and accountability and to ensure the integrity of the GPA as well as to eliminate any concerns about the credibility of the list of voters, they called on the GPA executive to immediately release the list of all members eligible to vote at the elections on May 14.

Meanwhile, the GPA executive, in a statement on Thursday, was adamant about not releasing the 110-member voters’ list, claiming that some members have requested confidentiality prior to Sunday’s election.

One of them is the elderly fella from that era who still scribbles the defunct ideas in one of the dailies. Back then, he’d advocated that Guyana cut all links -trading and otherwise – with the Yanks and their “running dogs of capitalism”. Yes…that’s how they spoke!! Quite overwrought, don’t you think?,!! For instance, the fella in Highgate most famous call was “Workers of the world, unite!! You have nothing to lose but your chains!!” Ironically, since then the greatest dream of the world was to BECOME workers – and presumably acquire their chains!!

Yesterday, the local acolyte critiqued an SCD analysis of our oil economy done by the World Bank – incidentally which Keynes helped launch! Back in 2018 – even before oil and revenues started flowing -the fella had demanded that every household be given an annual cash grant of US$5000 ANNUALLY!! He grandiosely called it the “Buxton Declaration” – as if that made it more official. All it did was to remind folks of Burnham’s “Declaration of Sophia” that declared the PNC “paramount” over the state!! With over 200,000 households, that meant shelling out a cool US$1BILLION annually!! Which is pretty much what we’d be earning from the giveaway contract accepted by the PNC!! So what’ll be left for developing the country?? Who cares? We’ll all eat, drink and be merry till the oil runs out!!

Anyhow the long-in-the-tooth radical took offence that the WB report debunked his pet proposal by stating (with evidence!) that the revenues produced by the oil sector “can distort the labour market by…the establishment of generous transfer programs”!! At a minimum doesn’t he think he should counter with some evidence to buttress his claim??

Not just the declarations of a dead economist!!

…of mother day

Yesterday, as the nation went into overdrive in sending flowers, consuming lunches and dinners and calling their mothers, your Eyewitness - who lost his mother a while ago - reflected on some of the contradictions in the overwrought emotions. Right up there, of course, is the mind-numbing level of violence inflicted on mothers. women - and girls who will become mothers - by men. Isn’t there some kinda contradiction there?

What he couldn’t explain was how come these men could carry on so maudlinly about their mothers and not be bothered when they raise their hands against females. Some even against their own mothers!! Your Eyewitness has heard about compartmentalizing your minds – but this is ridiculous!! But what is even more of an enigma is each of those men who beat up on women were raised by a woman – their mother!!

To reverse this unacceptable violence against women and girls, your Eyewitness suggests that all women be explicitly taught a course in raising their sons to not hit females. And ditto for males!!

…of the free market

When the Government put the Marriott on sale, there were all lowball bids - not surprisingly all rejected. Now it’s back on the market – but with a floor of US$85M.

That’s what the free market’s all about, ain’t it??

The GPA executives. From left (front row) Secretary Ariana Gordon, Treasurer Svetlana Marshall, President Nazima Raghubir and floor member Iva Wharton. (Back row) Floor members Nygel Fraser, Dennis Chabrol, Alva Solomon, Marcelle Fowler and Vice President Rawle Toney

Bidders asked to resubmit no less than US$85M for Marriott Hotel – NICIL

In light of the Government rejecting the low bids submitted for purchase of the Marriott Hotel, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has now set a base price and asked the six bidders to resubmit their proposals.

This is according to Chief Executive Officer of NICIL, Radhakrishna Sharma, who recently told Guyana Times that these companies were given two weeks to resubmit their lists.

“On 2nd May, 2023, all six bidders were contacted and advised by NICIL that their submitted bids had been rejected. All six bidders were then invited [to] resubmit a new bid with a minimum bid price of no less than USD85 million. The deadline for submission is on 16th May, 2023,” RK Sharma indicated to this newspaper.

Six companies had submitted bids ranging from US$25 million to US$65 million to purchase the Marriott Hotel located in Kingston, Georgetown. However, Government publicly stated that all six bids came in at a figure that was not acceptable.

The highest bid of US$65 million was received from an American investment group –X, LLC.

Among the other bidders are Pegasus Hotel Guyana, which bid at US$55.5 million; Georgetown Investments and Management Services Inc, which bid at US$50M; Muneshwers Ltd at US$25 million, Integrated Group Guyana Inc at US$55 million, and NCB Capital Markets Limited at US$33 million.

A feasibility study conducted by a Miami-based firm, HVS Consulting, back in 2010 had outlined that the Marriott Hotel is likely to be sold 10 years after its opera-

tionalisation at some US$76.1 million.

To this end, Vice President Bharrat had disclosed last month that Government decided not to sell the US$58 million Guyana Marriott Hotel to any of the six bidders since their offers are below the current market value of the profitable property.

“When we went out to tender, we were testing the market. We believe, in the Government, that none of the bids meet our price expectations and therefore, we would not proceed with any of those bids,” he posited.

The Vice President had pointed out that Government wants an appropriate offer that reflects the true value of the hotel that is currently operating at its highest profit since existence.

“The Marriott will remain in the public domain as part of the Government until we can get an appropriate offer that mirrors the true value… We know what a true value will be in the current context. So, that matter should be put to rest that we will not proceed with any of the bids because we believe that they’re too low based on the value of that asset now and its capacity to earn,” Jagdeo stated last month.

Government’s rejection of the initial bids submitted had attracted criticisms from some quarters. In response, however, the Vice President argued that Government is not obligated to accept the highest bid.

“The Government is not obligated to accept the highest bid. You have different forms of valuation. You can look at the earning capacity, you can look at the value of the asset and a whole range of things,” he stated.

According to Jagdeo, Government will not be swayed by the naysayers and will go ahead with selling the hotel at a higher price.

“First, it was a bad project, then it was a good project, then we shouldn’t sell it, then we should sell it… Now, we’re trying to get too much money for selling it… It’s this madness but along the way, we have proven all of the naysayers wrong… And, if we do sell this [hotel], it will be at a higher price… But we will prove, again, the naysayers wrong on this,” he noted at a press conference earlier this month.

In a notice back in December 2022, NICIL had announced its intention to sell the State’s shares in Atlantic Hotels Incorporated (AHI), the State-owned holding company for the Marriott Hotel.

AHI is the NICIL special purpose company that owns the Marriott, a 197-room hotel that opened in 2015, whose financing structure had depended on a casino and entertainment centre to make enough money to repay up to US$30 million in debts to the banks and other creditors. But those add-ons to the hotel were scrapped.

A total of eight Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were received but only six offers were made by April 17 upon invite from NICIL.

In April, VP Jagdeo had said that now is the right time to sell the Marriott Hotel, which is currently operating at a profit even without the casino and entertainment centre add-ons.

“Now, it would be best to sell the Marriott off. You could probably maximise the price that you will get when it’s profitable and before the seven new hotels that are privately [being] built, that are international brands, come on the market… within a year or two,” he had stated.

The construction of the Marriott Hotel, which started in 2011, had sparked widespread controversy. At the time, Jagdeo was the President and his Administration had faced heavy criticism over the use of taxpayers’ monies to finance the hotel.

But Jagdeo has always defended the decision.

“The Government didn’t need to own a hotel at that time, but the era was that we were not getting new hotels built and we had to trigger the investment… There is no particular supreme benefit to Government owning [the hotel],” he has emphasised.

According to the Vice President, the hotel is operating at a profit and provides some 500 jobs to Guyanese, directly and indirectly. He in-

sists that selling the Kingston,

Georgetown hotel now would bring in “maximum value” to the State that could go towards triggering other investments in the country.

The Guyana Marriott Hotel was completed in 2015, the same year ExxonMobil first found oil in Guyana’s waters. The hotel has since gone on to play an important part in Guyana’s developing oil and gas sector, as it is used to accommodate local and overseas offshore workers. It is also a prime venue to host numerous private and Statesponsored events. (G8)

NICIL Chief Executive Officer RK Sharma Marriott Hotel

New doorways to open for agriculture in Region 1 – Jagdeo

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is expected to lead a team to Region One (Barima-Waini) in June, where the potential to boost production capacity and supply regional markets will be addressed.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo provided this update coming out of a recent outreach to the region last week. Calls from residents ranged from job opportunities, business development and assistance in agriculture.

It was emphasised that it is a matter of maintaining food security for the region as well as utilising the new transportation advantages in the region with the introduction of ferry vessel MV Ma Lisha

“We spoke extensively about agriculture, take for example, the changing fortunes of Region One. The biggest problem for the agriculture sector in Region One had always been transportation to move the goods to Georgetown. With the new ferry now and the reconfiguration of the wharf

in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma, the new ferry could cut the travel time by 50 per cent,” he explained. Jagdeo also zeroed in on the feasibility of transporting produce which can already be grown on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, noting that the best option is to open new markets. Planting material will be provided for plantain and other crops, which farmers complained were too expensive for them to purchase.

“We’re trying to open up some markets directly into the Caribbean to ship directly from the North West for the farmers there. We’re looking to boost production. I asked why aren’t we doing more plantains. It can help with food security. They said the sucker is too expensive so we’re sending in people to work at that.”

The Vice President added that self-sufficiency should be reflected at the household level, and Government will work with

the region towards achieving this. The Agriculture Minister is expected to visit Matthew’s Ridge and Port Kaituma to engage farmers.

A few months ago, Mustapha visited the region, where he told farmers that the Ministry would supply all the planting materials for large-scale ginger cultivation in addition to finding lucrative markets for their crops. Farmers also benefitted from shade house materials, Black Giant chickens, farming

ries of investments in electricity and infrastructure for it to come to fruition.

The idea is to produce crops with a stable shelf life, such as spices, which can withstand transporta-

lead responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food security in Caricom and is spearheading the regional body’s quest to reduce its US$5 billion food import bill.

tools, and other forms of planting materials such as seeds.

President Irfaan Ali had also pointed out that enabling direct market links for agricultural produce to the Caribbean is a major vision planned out for Region One, as he announced a se-

tion for long hours since the region is remote.

In the next three years, Guyana, with the assistance of more diversified crops, is aiming to reduce the Caribbean Community’s food import bill by 25 per cent.

Guyana currently holds

High on the agenda to address has been taxes and duties, incentivising agriculture, climate-smart resilient agriculture, productivity, technical support, consumption patterns, data collection, regional transport infrastructure, agro-processing and creating a regional brand. (G12)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing residents in Region One

Youth empowerment NGO launched in Berbice

Only CXC exam centres to be opened on LGE day

The Education Ministry has announced that all public schools, except those listed as examination centres, will be closed to facilitate the conduct of Local Government Elections 2023.

LGE is slated for June 12, 2023. The Ministry, in a Memorandum of Understanding issued by Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain, stated that this is necessary because most schools have been designated as polling stations.

ter court action was filed by Opposition-aligned persons challenging the process used to compile the List of Electors, or Voters’ List, for the impending LGE.

Anew non-governmental organisation (NGO) which will focus on youth empowerment was on Saturday launched at the Reliance Veda Centre in East Canje, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement (GyCCE) is the first local NGO which will serve as a hub to host youth-led civic engagement programmes on areas of advocacy, voting education, volunteering and activism in the region.

The organisation’s president, Pandit Deodat Persaud, said this will be done by empowering youths in Guyana with leadership skills needed for individual and community growth under the broad thematic areas of transparency and accountability and conflict resolution.

Youths will also be em

powered in areas such as civic engagement, election/ voting education, ethical leadership, conflict resolution, volunteerism and project planning.

He said GyCCE is committed to preparing high school students to be civically conscious of their role in society.

“GyCCE will fill many gaps that currently exist by providing the training needed to ensure youths populate public offices and be given equal access to opportunities with a view to better themselves and confidently raise voices to create a better society.”

Speaking at Saturday’s launch, Region Six Chairman David Armogan pointed out that our local educational system is geared towards academics and skills training and civic responsibility is not being propagated in the school system.

“Therefore, many leave the school system with 15 subjects or more, university degrees and diplomas and they have no idea about what their civic duty is about.”

Armogan said this needs to be changed, adding that persons need to develop a civic mindset. He pointed out that they do not have to be a part of a political organisation to contribute to the country’s development.

In many first-world countries, he pointed out, there are many civic-minded persons.

“That attitude needs to be implemented in Guyana,” Armogan noted.

The programme hopes to foster inclusion and help participants to practice integrity. It will also feature a youth exchange programme, mock youth elections and a regional mock parliament. (G4)

Students who have been timetabled to sit the Office Administration Paper One examination on June 12 have been informed that the Caribbean Examinations Council has agreed to administer this examination on Monday June 19, 2023, instead, at 09:00h. This change relates to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Meanwhile, for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), changes in the initial arrangements were announced for Anna Regina Secondary, West Demerara Secondary, Saraswati

Vidya Niketan, President’s College, Rosignol Secondary, Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Multilateral, Christianburg/Wismar Secondary, Mackenzie High School, The Bishops’ High, Queen’s College, St Rose’s High, St Stanislaus College, Marian Academy, Chase’s Academic Foundation and Adult Education Foundation. The details are available on the Ministry’s Facebook page.

All CSEC and CAPE exams will continue as normal on Tuesday, June 13, at the originally scheduled centres.

After several delays, the long-overdue LGE was set for March 13 this year, but GECOM subsequently deferred Nominations Day in December 2022 to address issues relating to its registration exercise. This postponement was af-

In February, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall set Monday June 12, 2023, as the date for the holding of the much-anticipated and long overdue LGE in Guyana. GECOM subsequently appointed April 17 as Nominations Day.

Meanwhile, GECOM has already been in preparation mode over the past few months as it gears up for the long overdue elections. The Commission had previously indicated that its approved work plan entails, among other things, that the Elections Secretariat would immediately move to roll out a robust civic and voter education programme, appoint Electoral Registrars and Assistant Electoral Registrars, and extract the Preliminary List of Voters (PLV).

Meanwhile, there will be no voting in those Local Authority Areas (LAAs) where there is only one contestant approved. (G12)

The executive of the Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement

Linden double murder

Body of suspected bandit found with chop wounds

Police in Wismar, Linden, have found the body of an unidentified man believed to be the third suspect in the brutal home invasion that left two men dead and one injured on Saturday morning.

Dead are Johnson Bowen, 87, and Manuel Dos Santos, 58.

The suspect was found dead with three chop wounds. The discovery was made in the wee hours of Sunday morning at a house in Block 22 Wismar, Linden, where

the unknown man was found on the floor covered in blood. Police had initially arrested two men in connection with the deadly home invasion.

Armed with guns and clad in black masks, the robbers showed no mercy as they unleashed a wave of violence that left the two men dead and one injured.

Police said the family members fought back valiantly, using their bare hands and cutlasses as weapons, but in the end, two of them paid the ultimate price.

Unidentified man killed in ECD hit and run

An unidentified man has tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident on the Mon Repos Public Road on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The incident occurred on Saturday night at about 19:00h, according to reports.

Details of the accident are still emerging, but it has been reported that a motor car driven by a female driver was travelling on the northern carriageway of the Mon Repos Public Road in the eastern direction when it hit the man.

The driver has alleged that the male pedestrian ran into the path of her vehicle. She claimed that after hitting the man, she came to a stop and was about to get out of her car to render assistance when a speeding car came from behind and ran over the victim, dragging him a considerable distance.

An eyewitness to the incident told this publication that after the car dragged

the man, it stopped briefly before driving away from the scene. The victim was later taken to the hospital by Police officers who arrived at the scene soon after the accident, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Police are still trying to ascertain the identity of the victim, and they are actively searching for CCTV cameras in the area to identify the vehicle and the driver who fled the scene of the accident. Investigations are ongoing, and the Police are urging anyone who may

have information that could assist with the investigation to come forward and speak to them.

Just recently, officials with the Guyana Police Force said that hit-and-run accidents are a serious issue in Guyana and are unfortunately becoming all too common.

As such, the Police are appealing to drivers to exercise caution on the roads and to be mindful of pedestrians, especially in the evening hours when visibility is poor. (G9)

Denzil Roberts, the nephew of Manuel Dos Santos, who lives next door, rushed to the scene to help his family members after hearing a commotion coming from the house. Despite the odds, he managed to choke one of the attackers, while Manuel and Valdeir Dos Santos –Manuel’s son – armed themselves with cutlasses and

fought off the others. The suspects were chopped in the process.

The situation quickly escalated into a chaotic bloodbath as the invaders fired indiscriminately at the roof, causing panic and chaos to ensue.

The attackers had no regard for the lives of those inside the home, firing reckless-

ly and causing damage to the property.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn visited the family. During the visit, Benn expressed his disgust at the senseless violence that claimed the lives of two innocent men. He called on the Police to leave no stone unturned in their investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Commander of the Division, Kurleigh Simon told reporters that two persons were in custody, and the Police were optimistic about shedding light on the motive behind the attack.

The brazen and violent home invasion has shaken the community of Wismar, Linden, and left the family members of the victims traumatised. The investigation is still ongoing, and the Police have assured the public that they will do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice. (G9)

2 Guyanese teachers complete skilled workers programme

Two Guyanese secondary school teachers, Calisiah Richmond, and Anella Bissessar recently completed the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Skilled Workers Programme in Belize.

The two Guyanese teachers were placed at Edward P York High School and Belmopan Comprehensive High School in Belize from March 6 to 17.

In addition to observing the teaching practices, they also engaged the students and delivered lessons.

Both Richmond and Bissessar expressed gratitude to the Education Ministry and Caricom for the opportunity to enhance their skill set.

Reflecting on her experience, Richmond, who heads the Business Education Department at Queen’s College, stated the students were interactive during teaching sessions and were eager to

Queen’s College Business Education Head of Department, Calisiah Richmond engaging students at Edward P York High School

learn.

Similarly, Bissessar, who is the Acting Head of the Business Department at Zeeburg Secondary School, noted that the students were engaged in a hands-on approach to learning.

Both teachers said the exchange programme provided them with valuable insight into the best teaching practices used in Belize. This, they said, will

help them in the delivery of lessons to their students at Queen’s College and Zeeburg Secondary School. The programme, which was launched in March 2023, is supported by the European Union and aims to provide opportunities for the learning of best practices in the administration of the regimes of the Caricom Single Market and Economy.

The scene of the accident that occurred on the Mon Repos Public Road

Acting Head of Department for Business at Zeeburg Secondary School, Anella Bissessar with the students at Belmopan Comprehensive High School

Dead: Johnson Bowen

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo meeting with Manuel Dos Santos’s wife and Johnson Bowen’s daughter, Borgesilva

$619.7M for empoldering of farmlands in Region 2

The Agriculture Ministry’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has issued an invitation for bids totalling $619,750,000 million for the empoldering of farmlands (bed and drain) for several areas in both the upper and lower Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

These areas in -

clude Picker's Gill & Arapiarco, Abrams Creek & Warapana, Siriki, and Dredge Creek at an estimate of $340,300,000 as well as Jacklow at a cost of $55,800,000 in the Upper Pomeroon area. Meanwhile, work will be done in areas such as Cocker Canal, Martindale Strong, and Hope Canal at $186,400,000 and Hackney Canal, Akawini Front/ Creek/Trial for a cost of $37,250,000 in the lower

Pomeroon area.

Interested and eligible bidders may inspect the bidding documents and obtain further information from the procurement unit of the NDIA during normal working hours. The tender document may be purchased for a non-refundable fee of three thousand dollars ($3000) each and must be deposited in the tender box at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) no later than 09:00h on Tuesday, May 23.

Promise made During a telephone interview with this publication on Sunday, the Chairman of Region Two, Vilma De Silva shared that this project comes following a promise made to a group of farmers by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a previ -

ous visit to the area.

"It was a commitment made by His Excellency to assist five-acre small farmers with [the] lifting of the

Monkeypox no longer a public health emergency – WHO

The fifth meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox has provided conclusions that the situation ‘no longer constitutes’ a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

The WHO DirectorGeneral, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, transmitted the report, indicating that the Emergency Committee recognised the progress made in the global response to the multi-country outbreak and the further decline in the number of reported cases.

It noted a significant decline in the number of reported cases compared to the previous reporting period and no changes in the severity and clinical manifestation of the disease.

“The Committee acknowledged remaining uncertainties about the disease, regarding modes of transmission in some countries, poor quality of some reported data, and con -

tinued lack of effective countermeasures in the African countries, where mpox occurs regularly. The Committee considered, however, that these are long-term challenges that would be better addressed through sustained efforts in a transition towards a long-term strategy to manage the public health risks posed by monkeypox,” the organisation revealed.

The health professionals later emphasised the necessity for long-term partnerships to mobilise the needed financial and technical support for sustaining surveillance, control measures and research for the longterm elimination of human-to-human transmission, as well as mitigation

of zoonotic transmissions, where possible. Integration of prevention, preparedness and response within national surveillance and control programmes, including for HIV and other sexually transmissible infections, was reiterated as an important element of this longer-term transition.

“In particular, the Committee noted that the gains in control of the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox have been achieved largely in the absence of outside funding support and that longer-term control and elimination are unlikely unless such support is provided. These sustained investments will, in the long run, save money and lives, and reduce the risk of a global resurgence of mpox, as well as the risk of reverse zoonosis resulting in new areas where the virus may circulate.”

In August 2022, Guyana officially declared its first case after laboratory testing confirmed the virus in a Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) male. The Health Ministry was equipped with diagnostic equipment and was able to process the sample right here in Guyana. At that time, the new epidemic was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation, with detection of monkeypox in 95 territories.

Guyana’s borders and ports were being monitored for cases but the country did not report any significant number of cases. (G12)

ed, cultivable by the erection of banks of levees to prevent or control inundation by adequate drainage.

During a recent visit to Marlborough village, Region Two on Thursday last, President Ali met with several residents and farmers, where he announced that some 550 farmers in the Pomeroon River will soon benefit from the provision of elevated beds and two mini excavators.

The Head of State also indicated the provision of elevated beds and excavators is a crucial step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and

improving the livelihoods of the farmers residing along the Pomeroon River.

“We are investing in infrastructure to ensure that you have the support,” he affirmed.

He further highlighted that since assuming office in August 2020, the Government has made significant agricultural investments in the Pomeroon totalling over $2 billion.

“That is more than $2 million per household and that is only for agriculture, I’m not talking about education, about the grants,” he said.

banks. This was a request during one of his outreaches and when he came, persons requested that. Those works will commence shortly," De Silva shared.

She added that this initiative will benefit approximately 500 five-acre farmers throughout the areas listed above.

Empoldering means to make land that is underwater or periodically flood -

Chairman of Region Two, Vilma De-Silva

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GTA gives $3.6M to Toka village to boost tourism

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) handed over a cheque totalling $3.6 million to the Toka Village, North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), to aid in the village’s enhancement of its tourism package. The cheque was handed over to Deputy Toshao Delano Davis late last month.

These funds will go towards completing two cabins in time for the official launch of the Toka Pottery Experience & Tours. Both the GTA & VR Construction Inc will supervise the execution to ensure that all construction works meet the required building standards specified in the plan.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, Toshao of Toka Village, Micah Davis shared that these funds will aid in the furnishing of the cabins and

the provision of other necessary amenities to better accommodate tourists. He added that the village is also looking to also con -

struct a building to host pottery training which is a popular cultural activity for the people in Toka.

"We want to complete

the two toilets and bathrooms for the buildings and furnish them, they’re not properly equipped for tourists. Toka is one of the

last villages remaining actually doing pottery which is one of the main [cultural] events that remains in the village, so because of that, we want to boost the pottery experience in Toka. As part of our tourism, we want to do more pottery which will be the main catch. What they're hoping to do is have a building for the pottery event to take place,” Davis told this publication.

He added that the budget isn’t expansive, so most villagers are prepared to help so they can achieve the desired result.

"We have to stretch the budget so we have to do a lot of self-help, the villagers are willing and are ready to work because it's a product we want to see kick-off," Davis highlighted.

According to Davis, the village is currently offering pottery training, so

persons can go to the village for this experience. The only issue he reiterated, is accommodation to host the people who visit for training.

Earlier this year, the GTA brought a pottery expert, Margaret Cornette, who was trained on the coast, to offer her expertise to villagers to build their pottery skills.

“Because the pottery group in the village have more knowledge of what is passed on from generation to generation but what Ms Margaret did is link that with some of the training she has from the art that she normally does from the coast,” Davis shared.

He further highlighted that though pottery is the main attraction for tourists to visit the village, they offer a wide range of other activities such as hiking, cave exploring, ranching, birding and much more.

Fire Service urges Parika Market businesses to prioritise safety

recommended that fire safety requirements be implemented not only in businesses and homes but also in schools, reducing the risks associated with disasters.

The GFS noted that fire extinguishers must be hung in all enclosed areas, offices, and spaces, and they must be placed on brackets or stands with their handles some 1.4 metres from floor level to facilitate handling by persons of average height.

They also recommended smoke detectors for all enclosed offices, spaces, and hallways throughout the building and an automatic sprinkler system for buildings three floors or higher.

The threat of fires is a pressing concern for businesses in the Parika Market Front area, on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE). In response, the Leonora Fire Station recently conducted an educational drive, urging business owners to prioritise fire safety measures in their establishments.

Led by Station Officer Suresh Persaud; Sub Officer Jermaine Fraser and Fireman Saunders, the team lectured on safe-

ty measures for children's fire safety, generator safety, kitchen safety, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.

Business owners were strongly encouraged to install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to prevent fire-related incidents.

Station Officer Persaud emphasised that the installation of these safety devices can make a significant difference in mitigating damage caused by fires.

"The early detection of a

fire and the ability to contain it with a fire extinguisher can save lives and property," he explained.

The educational drive was well-received by business owners, who expressed gratitude to the Fire Service for promoting fire safety. They pledged to take the necessary steps to ensure their establishments are equipped to prevent fires.

Recent incidents involving fires in Guyana highlight the need for busi-

nesses and individuals to prioritise fire safety measures. In February, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS)

The need for these measures is also underscored by the alarming prevalence of school fires, which have displaced hundreds of students. Four arson attacks on schools in Guyana over the span of two years saw the displacement of some 1954 students.

The most recent fire at Christ Church Secondary, which occurred on January 12, 2023, affected 503 students, 39 teachers, and nine ancillary staff. The GFS emphasised the importance of these safety measures to prevent such disasters in the future . (G9)

The two cabins in Toka

The fire officer meeting with business owners

PM Phillips calls for enhanced regional coordination for sustainable development

Guyana’s Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has advocated for enhanced regional coordination and collaboration to address political, financial, social, and environmental challenges to secure the Greater Caribbean Region’s sustained development.

He made this call while speaking during the recently concluded Ninth Summit of Heads of State and/or Government of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in La Antigua, Guatemala.

During his address, the Prime Minister told regional leaders that systematic gaps in the economic, scientific, and technological spheres have emerged in recent years, highlighting global deficits and disparities, particularly for develop-

ing countries, demonstrating the need for a fundamental retooling of how the Region interacts.

According to the senior Government official, the summit’s theme asks for increased political dialogue among countries, as well as deeper collaboration and integration, which will benefit

the Caribbean Region’s overall sustainable development.

“This summit’s theme provides a timely opportunity for us as a Region, to deliberate on the strategies that would allow us to strive for the sustainable development of our countries and to overcome the challenges of economic recovery and re-

Learning Lab for persons living with disabilities to open next week

silience-building in this postCOVID era that have been further compounded by the destabilising effect of the war in Ukraine.

“We must also consider new mechanisms for partnership that can enhance our level of interaction through increased people-to-people engagement, increased technical cooperation, and knowledge sharing, not only amongst ourselves, but extra-regionally as well,” he urged.

The Prime Minister stated that balanced global action, tackling adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage, especially among severely affected small island and low-lying coastal developing countries is needed, citing the decisions made at the last Conference of Parties (COP), which informed the international commitment on the loss and damage fund.

“It remains imperative that as a Region we ensure these and other financial commitments are realised to our beneficial interest. For our part, the Government of Guyana has adopted a Low-Carbon Development Strategy which focuses on forest climate services and

other ecosystem services, stimulation of future growth through clean energy and sustainable economic activities, protection against climate change and alignment of the country’s economic and social policies with global climate goals.”

Speaking on the pillar of hemispheric food security, Prime Minister Phillips pointed to Caricom’s accelerated efforts to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025. This project’s purpose is to establish a sustainable import substitution programme.

“This is to be executed within the operational framework of enhanced quality and quantities of affordable agricultural products, secure and boost food and nutrition security within the Community.”

On the Region’s transportation networks, the Prime Minister said transportation, distribution, and logistics although pillars of the ACS remain obstacles. “The Region’s transport infrastructural architecture continues to inhibit its intra-regional connectivity.”

He reinforced that, “Developing transport services which support bringing

the people of the Region closer together is paramount, even as we collectively engage in the process of learning more about each other’s countries, cultures, and enhancing trade.”

Addressing climate and energy security, Prime Minister Phillips said climate and energy security must operate in tandem with each other.

While noting that Guyana is now an oil-producing country, the Prime Minister said the Government is cognisant of its responsibility to provide access to inexpensive energy to its citizens.

“In positioning itself as a leader in energy security, we project an energy platform in diversified areas such as wind, solar and hydropower. Guyana looks forward to continued engagement within the ACS to ensure the energy future of the Region.”

In closing, the Prime Minister reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the ACS.

“I wish to restate that Guyana remains committed to the Association of Caribbean States and continues to value the important role it plays in regional integration and development.”

Persons living with disabilities will soon benefit from a new training and empowerment centre dubbed the “Learning Lab”, which is slated to open on May 22.

This announcement, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI), was made by Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud on the sidelines of the COPSQUAD2000 graduation ceremony hosted at the National Cultural Centre on Friday.

“We are opening what we call the ‘Learning Lab’, a centre for training and empowerment for persons living with disabilities on the 22nd of this month. His Excellency will be there to open that institution and there we are expecting members of the various communities of persons

living with disabilities

to utilise this,” Minister Persaud stated.

Minister Persaud and Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton along with members of the Blind and Deaf Association, and Council for Disabilities examined the building in April.

The goal was to identify the specific needs and requirements of each type of disability so that the modifications made to the facility would address those needs and make the space more accessible and accommodating for everyone.

The centre is currently 95 per cent completed and will consist of a recreational space, kitchen, dining area, and training space, where persons can develop and learn life skills.

The learning centre is the first of its kind and will also allow persons to benefit from a number of

training programmes to be gainfully employed.

“We would’ve trained a significant number of persons and we are aiming to complete training at least 600 persons before the end of this month, especially in skills training and vocational type training.

“We are offering abuse and violence training because persons who are in the grouping of living with a disability are at a higher risk for those. So, those are some of the additional areas they will be trained in,” the Minister added.

Further, the commitment by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to provide retrofitted buses for persons living with disabilities has been fulfilled, as two buses were handed over to the Ministry to transport persons attending the learning institution.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips at the Ninth ACS Summit in Guatemala

The Learning Lab for persons living with disabilities is near completion

UN Secretary General arrives in Jamaica for 2-day working visit

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is now in the island on a two-day working visit for important discussions.

The UN Secretary General arrived on the island on Sunday afternoon and is set to leave on Monday. But before he departs, Guterres and Holness will hold bilateral talks on several issues, including Jamaica's lead role in mediating the situation in Haiti and how to involve the international community.

According to a release on Sunday, the two leaders will also discuss the impact of the climate crisis in the Caribbean and the upcoming midterm review of the global framework for disaster risk reduction.

Jamaica’s leadership in efforts to reform the global financial architecture so that developing countries, including middle-income countries,

can restructure and sustainably manage debt as well as to access technology and finance at affordable rates to invest in growth-inclusive sustainable development will also be on the agenda.

“We are pleased that the Secretary General will visit at the pivotal juncture. I look forward to the engagements and fruitful discussion on critical matters on which Jamaica

Ecuador: Lawmakers re-elect National Assembly President

Independent lawmaker Virgilio Saquicela was re-elected President of Ecuador's National Assembly on Sunday, supported by politicians who want an impeachment process against President Guillermo Lasso to advance to a vote for his possible removal.

ment process on Tuesday in a session convened by Saquicela with 88 votes in favour out of 116 legislators present.

stands ready to be a critical partner,” Prime Minister Holness said.

Jamaica and Canada are co-chairs of the Group of Friends of SDG Financing and co-convenors of the Secretary General’s Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond initiative.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Chile's new law blazes trail for children of femicide victims

To her friends and family in the Chilean capital of Santiago, 25year old Silvana Garrido was a radiant, happy and beautiful woman full of life and love for her three-year-old daughter.

They were immediately suspicious when they were told that she had died by suicide.

"From the first instance, her family and closest friends believed it was a femicide perpetrated by her partner," says Francisca Millán Zapata of AML Women's Defence, who represented Garrido's family in court.

Millán Zapata says that

the Police and Prosecutors did not take the concerns of Garrido's family and friends seriously, instead opting to believe the version of events put forward by the victim's ex-partner, Fernando Flores.

The family had to "fight ruthlessly" for four years to achieve justice, she says. But in April 2023, Fernando Flores was found guilty of pushing her to her death from her 23rd-floor apartment. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The crime was classified as a femicide, which under Chilean law is defined as the murder of a woman by her partner or former partner.

Not only did Fernando Flores get a tougher sentence because the murder was ruled a femicide, but under Chile's new Reparation Law for Victims of Femicide, Garrido's daughter will qualify for financial support.

The girl, who is seven now, is eligible to receive a monthly state allowance of 160,000 Chilean pesos (US$200) until she is 18 years old.

The law was passed in April, and is one of the most comprehensive legal measures in Latin America to support relatives in a region with some of the highest femicide rates in the world.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

T&T Opposition Leader: More must be done to protect mothers, children, citizens

In her Mother’s Day greeting, Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called for more to be done to protect mothers, children and all citizens.

“Even as we celebrate Mother's Day, we cannot ignore the horrendous crime situation in our country. Too many mothers have lost their lives to murderers. Just this week, we learned of the tragic death of a young mother whose body was found in the Queen’s Park Savannah.”

On Monday, the body of 24-year-old Gabrielle Rafael, mother of five, was found in the savannah.

Persad-Bissessar said more must be done.

“I believe that we can create a society where we can live without fear and where our children can grow up healthy and happy. I pledge to work towards creating a more sup-

portive and equitable environment for mothers and families in our country.”

She said too many mothers have lost their sons and daughters to violence while they live in fear for their own safety and safety of their children.

“Children are losing their

Saquicela, who took over as President of the National Assembly in May last year, has become a principal figure in the process against Lasso, who is accused of embezzlement in an oil transportation contract.

Lasso has denied the accusations.

The assembly voted to continue with the impeach-

A majority of 96 lawmakers of the 136 present voted to re-elect Saquicela. He was supported by allies of former President Rafael Correa, who is convicted of corruption, as well as other Opposition and independent parties.

"This parliament has to be the counterweight against power, not against anyone in particular, but because that is what democracy dictates," Saquicela said.

Ecuador's Opposition accuse Lasso of turning a blind eye to suspected embezzle-

ment related to a contract at State-owned oil transportation company Flopec. Lasso says his Administration made changes to the contract, which was signed years before he took office, to benefit the State.

Under Ecuador's Constitution, Lasso could call early presidential and legislative elections rather than face a removal vote. Saquicela, who formed part of a caucus of legislators supporting the Government, openly supports impeachment hearings and has warned that dissolving the assembly in the middle of proceedings would be unconstitutional. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Tractor trailer crash in Mexico kills 13

Atractor trailer and a van crashed on a highway in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas on Sunday morning, killing 13 people, local authorities said.

The two vehicles crashed about half an hour outside of the state capital Ciudad Victoria and then caught on fire, the Tamaulipas' Public Security Ministry said.

Once authorities arrived at the site of the crash, they found the truck carrying the trailer was no longer at the scene. (Reuters)

Caribbean Airlines resumes flights between Caracas, Venezuela & Trinidad

parents, siblings and relatives to criminals. As violent home invasions continue to occur, we are hearing harrowing reports of families being killed in their homes. I maintain that making home invasions a specific criminal offence, as well as implementing 'stand your ground' legislation, are critical in the crime fight,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said motherhood requires tremendous dedication and sacrifice.

“We are all grateful for the love and guidance that you provide to your children and families. You are truly the pillar of our society and your selfless and tireless efforts in raising the next generation of leaders are invaluable to the development of our nation. We owe a debt of gratitude to our mothers for nurturing us and guiding us through life’s challenges.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Caribbean Airlines, the leading carrier in the region, has resumed operations to Caracas, Venezuela from Saturday, May 13; and will expand its route network to the Eastern Caribbean in the coming months. These are significant milestones for the airline and signal its intention to continue its growth trajectory.

The flights between Trinidad and Caracas will initially operate every Saturday, with increased frequency expected later on. Returns from Caracas are on the same day.

Speaking at the relaunch event at the Piarco International Airport, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Garvin Medera stated: “We are excited to resume our operations to Caracas and expand our network to the Eastern Caribbean. Our passengers have been eagerly awaiting the restart of the Caracas route and the overall expansion of our network, and we are thrilled to meet their expectations. This is a testa-

ment to our commitment to providing travellers with more options and improved connectivity. We believe these developments will enhance the travel experience for our customers and bring more economic benefits to the region.”

The Eastern Caribbean expansion was always part of Caribbean Airlines’ strategic plan, but was paused during the pandemic. With the acquisition of four new ATRs, the airline is now ready to improve connectivity in the region.

Medera continued, “The Caribbean is our home, and we are dedicated to connecting our people and communi-

ties.”

Also speaking at the event was Álvaro Enrique Sánchez Cordero, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela who stated: “I am delighted that Caribbean Airlines has restarted these non-stop flights between Caracas and Trinidad and Tobago. It will be very important for trade and the movement of people. I believe that this expansion will enhance the travel experience when persons fly between our countries, and I look forward to increase frequency in the coming months.”

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Members of the State Guard gather at the site of the crash, in the Victoria-Zaragoza highway

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Sureash Cholai file photo)

Iraq does not expect OPEC+ to make further cuts at June meeting

Iraq does not expect OPEC+ to make further cuts to oil output at its next meeting in June, its Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said, in the first indication from an OPEC Minister about a potential decision as oil prices slide.

"At the next meeting, which will be held on the 3rd and 4th (of June), there will be no additional reduction, and as for Iraq, we cannot reduce further," Abdel-Ghani said in an interview, his first to foreign media since taking office last year.

In a following statement, he said Iraq is committed to voluntary oil production cuts that started in May and last until the end of 2023, and noted that Iraq was not asked to make any additional such cuts before a June 4 OPEC+ meeting.

OPEC and its allies led by Russia, known as OPEC+, agreed to cut production in late 2022 to support the market as the economic outlook worsened, hitting prices.

Then in a surprise move in early April, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members announced further oil output cuts of around 1.2 million barrels per day.

The announcement helped push oil prices sharply higher, but those gains have since been erased as fears of a global economic slowdown took hold.

Brent crude futures were at US$75.25 a barrel at 1710 GMT, set to end the week flat after three weeks of decline.

OPEC+ members are set to meet in Vienna on June 4 to decide on their next course of action.

"The second cut was voluntary and it has helped us a lot in the stability of the market and boosting prices," Abdel-Ghani said.

The April cuts punished oil short sellers, or those who bet on oil price declines.

Back in 2020, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman warned traders against betting heavily in the oil market, promising that those who gamble on the oil price would be "ouching like hell".

Iraq said it would cut 211,000 barrels per day (bpd) starting May as part of the voluntary cuts.

Turkey halted 450,000 bpd of its northern exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline on March 25 after an arbitration ruling ordered Ankara to pay Baghdad Damages of US$1.5 billion for unauthorised exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government between 2014 and 2018.

It is unclear when flows will resume but Abdel-Ghani said on Friday Baghdad had still not heard back on a request to the Turkish state energy company to restart exports. (Reuters)

Turkey faces runoff election for President as Erdogan survives 1st test

Turkey appeared headed for a runoff presidential election after neither Tayyip Erdogan nor rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu cleared the threshold to win outright on Sunday, in a poll seen as a verdict on Erdogan's 20-year rule and increasingly authoritarian path.

With almost 91% of ballot boxes counted, both sides claimed to be ahead and contested the figures, warning against any premature conclusions in a deeply polarised country.

Opinion polls before the election had pointed to a very tight race but gave Kilicdaroglu, who heads a six-party alliance, a slight lead. Two polls on Friday even showed him above the 50% threshold.

The presidential vote will decide not only who leads Turkey, a NATOmember country of 85 million, but also whether it reverts to a more secular, democratic path; how it will handle its severe cost of living crisis; and manage key

Around The World

Ukraine war: Kyiv not attacking Russian territory – Zelensky

Ukraine has no plans to hit targets in Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in Germany, where Kyiv secured a big new defence aid package.

"We are not attacking Russian territory," he said after talks in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"We are preparing a counterattack to de-occupy the illegitimately conquered territories," Zelensky added.

Scholz vowed to back Ukraine "for as long as it is necessary", promising €2.7bn (£2.4bn) worth of weapons.

This includes advanced German Leopard tanks and more anti-aircraft systems to defend Ukraine from almost daily deadly Russian

missile and drone attacks.

President Zelensky described the new tranche as "the largest since the beginning of the full-scale aggression" by Russia in February 2022.

The war has transformed Germany's attitude towards Ukraine, moving from being

as it is necessary"

a reluctant supplier of military hardware to virtually doubling its contribution overnight, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin said.

Russia accuses Ukraine of repeatedly hitting targets inside Russia, including a reported drone attack on Moscow's Kremlin earli-

er this month.

Ukraine denies the accusations, while also stressing that it has a legitimate right to use force and other means to fully de-occupy its territories currently under Russian control. These include four regions in the south and east, as well as the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Later on Sunday, President Zelensky travelled to the western city of Aachen to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize awarded this year to him and the Ukrainian people. The honour is given for efforts to foster European unity.

Previous winners include Winston Churchill, Pope Francis and Bill Clinton.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

6 lions killed by herders in blow to Kenya’s conservation push

Six lions have been killed by herders in a national park in southern Kenya, in a blow to conservation efforts and the tourism industry which is a key pillar of the nation’s economy.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the lions were killed by herders after the pride attacked 11 goats and a dog the previous night, wildlife officials said late on Saturday, in the latest incident of human-wildlife conflict in the country.

“Unfortunately, this is not

an isolated incident as over the last week four other lions have been killed,” KWS said in a statement.

The killings, which took place close to the Amboseli National Park, came a day after a lion believed to be the world’s oldest in the wild was speared by herders when it wandered into a livestock pen.

“A total of 10 lions [have been] killed in the Amboseli ecosystem” since last week, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said in a statement, adding that officials had met

Cyclone Mocha: Deadly storm hits Bangladesh and Myanmar coast

relations with Russia, the Middle East and the West.

According to state-owned news agency Anadolu, with almost 91% of ballot boxes counted, Erdogan led with 49.86% and Kilicdaroglu had 44.38%.

The opposition suggested results were being published in an order that artificially boosted Erdogan's tally.

The choice of Turkey's next president is one of the most consequential political decisions in the country's 100-year history and will reverberate well beyond Turkey's borders.

A defeat for Erdogan, one of President Vladimir Putin's most important allies, will likely unnerve the Kremlin but comfort the Biden administration, as well as many European and Middle Eastern leaders who had troubled relations with Erdogan.

Thousands of political prisoners and activists could be released if the opposition prevails. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Apowerful cyclone has hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm.

Cyclone Mocha brought with it heavy rain and strong winds, leaving residents in low-lying coastal areas fearful they may lose their homes.

More than 1300 bamboo shelters in Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee camp, have been destroyed.

Landslides and floods are also hitting the area.

As the storm approached, Police patrolled the coastline in the town of Cox's Bazar carrying loudspeakers, urging people to stay indoors.

The streets emptied as the cyclone intensified - the skies darkened, the winds picked up pace and the rains pounded down.

Hundreds of people crammed into a school in the city which had been turned into a temporary cyclone shelter.

Mothers with babies, young children, the elderly and the frail packed into any available space in the classrooms, sleeping on desks and sitting under them.

Authorities here say more than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes in this south-eastern stretch of Bangladesh.

As many arrived at the shelter in rickshaws and on foot, they brought their livestock - cattle, chickens, goats - as well as mats to sleep on.

Forecasters warned Cyclone Mocha could be the most powerful storm seen in Bangladesh in nearly two decades. It also hit neighbouring Myanmar with great force.

The Bangladeshi meteorological department office said the maximum sustained wind speed within 75km (45 miles) of the centre of the cyclone was about 195km/h (120mph), with gusts and squalls of 215km/h.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

community members to discuss the issue.

“The discussions centred on exploring ways to minimise the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities of the presence of wildlife in their vicinity,” the statement said.

Residents around nature reserves in Kenya often com-

plain that lions and other carnivores kill livestock and domestic animals as humans and wildlife compete for space and resources.

The 39,206-hectare (96,880-acre) Amboseli National Park is home to some of the most prized game, including elephants, cheetahs, buffaloes and giraffes. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Thailand Opposition on course to crush military parties in election rout

Thailand's

political Opposition looked on course for a huge win in Sunday's election, as voters turned out in force behind two parties promising big changes and an end to a decade of conservative government led or backed by the military.

The Pheu Thai Party and the liberal Move Forward party surged ahead with more than 90% of the votes counted, but are far from certain to lead the next Government, with parliamentary rules written by the military after its 2014 coup skewed in its favour.

To rule, the Opposition parties will need to strike deals, including with members of a junta-appointed Senate that sided with military parties and gets to vote on who becomes Prime Minister and form a Government.

Sunday's election was the

latest bout in a long-running battle for power between Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family, and a nexus of old money, conservatives and military with influence over key institutions at the heart of two decades of turmoil.

But the stunning performance by Move Forward as it rides a wave of support from young voters will test the resolve of Thailand's establishment and ruling parties, after it came close to a clean sweep of the capital Bangkok, campaigning on a platform of reform of institutions and a dismantling of business monopolies. Its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, a 43-yearold former executive of a ride-hailing app, described the outcome as "sensational" and vowed to stay true to his party's values when forming a Government. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Chancellor Scholz (right) pledged to support President Zelensky (left) and Ukraine "for as long

A lion walks through the Nairobi National Park, Kenya [Baz Ratner/ Reuters]

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Giving a creative spin to whatever you do will help you stand out in a crowd. Refuse to let anger override common sense; channel your energy into something worthwhile and concrete.

PICKLES

(March 21-April 19)

Speak up and share your thoughts and feelings. Trust and believe in yourself and what you can achieve. An attitude change will point you in an exciting direction.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Check your options, be creative and take the road less traveled. Trust your instincts and abide by the rules. Refuse to let your emotions or outside influences throw you off your game.

Take any opportunity to do something creative. You’ll discover something interesting about yourself that will point you in a comfortable direction. Recognize what’s real and what isn’t.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

A change someone makes will leave you in an awkward position. Look for alternatives to fill a void. Understanding what’s trending will help you choose a better path. Pay attention to requirements.

Experience is your best learning tool. Be observant and learn from the experts; you’ll find the perfect vehicle to help you reach your goal. Spend some quality time with a loved one.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Don’t lose sight of your responsibilities. A to-do list will help you make a schedule based on what’s important to you. Deal with issues involving money. Keep your personal life private.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Control your emotions and focus on learning new things. Personal growth will help you see things differently and relate better to the people you love. Be sure to get your facts straight.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Use your imagination, but don’t embellish. A change of heart will leave you reevaluating your position and relationships with others. Attend an event that will broaden your perspective.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Listen, observe and act, but don’t reveal too much. You’ll gain momentum if you concentrate on getting things done and leave the chitchat to others. Take an unusual approach to whatever you pursue.

Concentrate on how you earn your living and plan to advance. Consider what you must do and how long it will take to reach your goal. Change what’s necessary.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Dig in and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. Use your skills purposefully, and you’ll find a way to earn your living doing something you enjoy. Love is favored.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

IPL: RCB bundle out Royals for 59, despite Hetmyer’s 35

With their campaign on the line in Jaipur, Royal Challengers Bangalore am

While RCB can get to 16 points, the Royals can now only reach 14 if they win their final game, and their playoff

arc as Maxwell tried to outfox him by employing the reverse sweep. After two failed attempts, Chahal perhaps

erplay set up the Royals’ decimation for 59 –the third lowest total in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Wayne Parnell was in top form, picking up three of those wickets: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Joe Root. He would not have played had Josh Hazlewood been fit, and his spell of 3-0-10-3 won him the Player of the Match award.

tricky pitch, scoring 42. Kohli was eventually caught off a knuckleball from KM Asif, for 18 off 19 balls.

Maxwell walked in at number three and thumped his third ball, off R Ashwin, for a near 100-metre hit down the ground. In the next over, Yuzvendra Chahal tried to bowl away from his hitting

jection of momentum allowed du Plessis to drop anchor.

After a lull – RCB did not score a boundary from overs 9.2 to 12.3 – Maxwell tore into Sandeep Sharma. The first of two boundaries was a reverse ramp over the wicketkeeper and the second was slashed over point. Maxwell then raised the tempo fur-

ther by blasting Chahal into the stands to bring up a 30ball half-century. And when Chahal went wide, Maxwell went wider to shovel one over the shorter leg-side boundary. The platform had been set.

RCB stumble after du Plessis falls

RCB lost three wickets in six deliveries beginning with

Man City 2 wins away from title with victory over Everton

Manchester City require two victories to retain the Premier League title after despatching relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park.

Pep Guardiola's side will be guaranteed their third title in a row with six points from their remaining games against Chelsea, Brighton, and Brentford.

But the Toffees were made to pay a heavy price for Mason Holgate's glaring miss when unmarked at the far post, the defender somehow hooking over from a couple of yards.

City were second best up until that point, but showcased how clinical they are in front of goal by going to the other end and netting twice in the space of two minutes.

Ilkay Gundogan was the star of the show, involved

Erling Haaland has scored 52 goals for Manchester City this season

in all three of City's goals with a sublime flicked finish before providing the cross for Erling Haaland's closerange header.

The midfielder curled in a glorious free-kick from

the edge of the area in the second half as City moved four points clear at the top, though Arsenal can claw back the deficit with victory over Brighton later on Sunday.

The loss for Everton leaves them looking nervously over their shoulders with two games remaining, hovering just one point above the relegation zone.

(BBC Sport)

Plessis in the 15th over, with Adam Zampa taking out Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik in the same over. That meant that Maxwell had to delay the charge at the death, and when he eventually went after Sandeep, he was bowled trying to reverse sweep a yorker. At 137 for 5 in the 18th over, RCB were in danger of finishing poorly.

Rawat comes to RCB’s rescue

Rawat gave RCB the finishing kick in the final over by taking down KM Asif. Standing deep inside the crease to convert yorkers into half-volleys, he muscled two sixes and a four to end with 29 off 11 balls. RCB finished with 171, which was above par on a tough batting surface.

Parnell’s powerplay punch Fastest IPL fifty two nights ago. Two-ball duck today. Yashasvi Jaiswal drilled Mohammed Siraj to Kohli at mid-off to trigger a stunning collapse. Parnell was playing his first game since April 20 and he made the most of it, dismissing Buttler, Samson, and Root inside the powerplay. Buttler was also out for a duck, slapping one straight to point; Samson was cramped for room and top-edged a pull; and Root was lbw playing all around a full delivery.

Bracewell, Karn complete the rout

A niggle to Wanindu Hasaranga meant Karn Sharma got a game, but he was taken for three backto-back sixes by Shimron Hetmyer. Ashwin was then run out by a nifty flick between the legs from the wicketkeeper Rawat, and Hetmyer holed out to long-on for 35 off 19 balls. Bracewell returned to pick up his second wicketDhruv Jurel - and Karn made a strong comeback by taking the final two wickets to close out the game in the 11th over of the chase. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Royal Challengers Bangalore (20 ovs maximum)

Virat Kohli c Jaiswal b Asif 18

Faf du Plessis (c) c Jaiswal b Asif 55

Glenn Maxwell b Sandeep Sharma 54

Mahipal Lomror c Jurel b Zampa 1

Dinesh Karthik †lbw b Zampa 0

Michael Bracewell not out 9

Anuj Rawat not out 29

Extras (w 5) 5

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.55)

171/5 Fall of wickets: 1-50

(Virat Kohli, 6.6 ov), 2-119

(Faf du Plessis, 14.5 ov), 3-120

(Mahipal Lomror, 15.1 ov), 4-120

(Dinesh Karthik, 15.3 ov), 5-137

(Glenn Maxwell, 17.3 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Sandeep Sharma 4-0-34-1

Adam Zampa 4-0-25-2

Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-37-0

Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-33-0

KM Asif 4-0-42-2

Rajasthan Royals (T: 172 runs from 20 ovs)

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Kohli

b Mohammed Siraj 0

Jos Buttler c Mohammed

Siraj b Parnell 0

Sanju Samson (c)†c

Anuj Rawat b Parnell 4

Joe Root lbw b Parnell 10

Devdutt Padikkal c

Mohammed Siraj b Bracewell 4

Shimron Hetmyer c Bracewell b Maxwell 35

Dhruv Jurel c Lomror b Bracewell 1

Ravichandran Ashwin run out

(Mohammed Siraj/Anuj Rawat) 0

Adam Zampa b Sharma 2

Sandeep Sharma not out 0

KM Asif c Kohli b Sharma 0

Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3

TOTAL 10.3 Ov (RR: 5.61) 59

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 0.2 ov), 2-6 (Jos Buttler, 1.2 ov), 3-7 (Sanju Samson, 1.4 ov), 4-20 (Devdutt Padikkal, 4.2 ov), 5-28 (Joe Root, 5.3 ov), 6-31 (Dhruv Jurel, 6.6 ov), 7-50 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 7.6 ov), 8-59 (Shimron Hetmyer, 9.5 ov), 9-59 (Adam Zampa, 10.1 ov), 10-59 (KM Asif, 10.3 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Mohammed Siraj 2-0-10-1

Wayne Parnell 3-0-10-3

Michael Bracewell 3-0-16-2

Karn Sharma 1.3-0-19-2

Glenn Maxwell 1-0-3-1

Faf scored another fifty

Parnell had three wickets

Maxwell was brilliant with bat

KKR beat CSK after Rinku, Rana fifties

Kolkata Knight Riders bagged two important points as they bounced back from the defeat against Rajasthan Royals to beat Chennai Super Kings in Match 61 of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

A skilful and disciplined bowling performance from the KKR bowlers, led by Sunil Narine (2-15), saw the away team restrict CSK to 144-6. Captain Nitish Rana (57* off 44) and the in-form Rinku Singh (54 off 43) then stabilised a stuttering chase with composed knocks and mixed caution with aggression to take KKR past the finish line with some impressive and sensible batting.

Chasing 145, KKR got off to a stuttering start as they lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over with a sliced one wide of third man where Tushar Deshpande pouched a very good balancing catch.

Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer then tried to provide some impetus with two fours off Deepak Chahar. But the CSK pacer bounced back to have Iyer caught at slip in the same over. Rana opened his boundary account with a six over long leg off Chahar, but Chahar hit back again in the same over as he had Jason Roy caught at slip off a knuckle ball. Captain Rana looked in good touch as he lofted another six over long off, off Deshpande to take KKR to 46-3 at the end of the powerplay.

CSK bowled with discipline and gave away just 21 off the next four overs as the away team reached 67-3 at the halfway mark, but the run rate was the least of the concerns for KKR. They required stability and rebuilding, and Rana and Rinku were doing a really good job of it. CSK came close to picking a wicket up as Rana top-edged his sweep to deep square leg where Matheesha Pathirana could not hold on to a tough chance. Rana and Rinku kept chipping away without taking many risks and then brought up the 50-run stand in the 12th over. The duo then upped the ante as Rana hit back-to-back fours off Moeen Ali. Rinku then smacked a six off Ravindra Jadeja before Rana took on Maheesh Theekshana for a couple of fours to bring the

required run rate below six with 28 needed off 30. Rinku then brought up his fifty off 39 balls with a four off Pathirana as KKR took nine runs from the over.

Rana brought up his 50 off 38 balls as the duo took six singles off Theekshana in the 17th over. The 99-run stand was finally broken via a brilliant direct hit run out from Ali to send back Rinku (54 off 43). Rana (57* off 44) and Andre Russell made sure there were no more stutters as they finished off the chase with nine balls to spare.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat. They named an unchanged XI. Pathirana, Nishant Sindhu, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, and Akash Singh made it to the home team’s substitutes list.

Kolkata Knight Riders made two changes to the starting XI as Vaibhav Arora and Suyash Sharma replaced Iyer and Anukul Roy. They named N Jagadeesan, Umesh Yadav, Iyer, Lockie Ferguson and Anukul Roy as their substitutes.

CSK got off to a brisk start, but lost Ruturaj Gaikwad in the powerplay. Gaikwad and Devon Conway hit one four in each of the first three overs. Gaikwad then swept one off Varun Chakaravarthy for another four, but the wily spinner bounced back to have Gaikwad (17 off 13) caught at short third man. Ajinkya Rahane then released some pressure with a classy four and a six to take 11 from the Harshit Rana over. Arora finished the powerplay well, giving away just four as CSK reached 52-1.

KKR kept things tight and that built the pressure which brought about the dismissal of Rahane (16 off 11), who mistimed his loft to long off and had to walk back to the pavilion. Conway (30 off 28) followed soon as he topedged his pull to deep square leg off Shardul Thakur as CSK hobbled to 68-3 at the halfway stage.

The wickets kept falling as Sunil Narine cleaned up Ambati Rayudu (4 off 7) and Ali (1 off 2) in the 11th over to jolt CSK.

Jadeja and Shivam Dube then got together to rebuild the innings. They mixed caution with aggression as the

SCOREBOARD

Chennai Super Kings (20 ovs maximum)

Ruturaj Gaikwad c Arora b Varun 17

Devon Conway c Singh b Thakur 30

Ajinkya Rahane c Roy b Varun 16

Ambati Rayudu b Narine 4

Shivam Dube not out 48

Moeen Ali b Narine 1

Ravindra Jadeja c Varun b Arora 20

MS Dhoni (c)†not out 2

Extras (nb 2, w 4) 6

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.20) 144/6

Fall of wickets: 1-31

(Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3.3 ov), 2-61

(Ajinkya Rahane, 7.6 ov), 3-66

(Devon Conway, 9.3 ov), 4-68

(Ambati Rayudu, 10.1 ov), 5-72

(Moeen Ali, 10.6 ov), 6-140

(Ravindra Jadeja, 19.4 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Vaibhav Arora 4-0-30-1

Harshit Rana 2-0-19-0

Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-36-2

Sunil Narine 4-0-15-2

Shardul Thakur 3-0-15-1

Suyash Sharma 3-0-29-0

Kolkata Knight Riders (T: 145 runs from 20 ovs)

Jason Roy c Pathirana b Chahar 12

Rahmanullah Gurbaz †c

Deshpande b Chahar 1

Venkatesh Iyer c Jadeja b Chahar 9

Nitish Rana (c) not out 57

Rinku Singh

The Guyana Women's team will be in action today, Monday, May 15 against Jamaica at Warner Park, St Kitts. Guyana are fresh from a one-run win against Leeward Islands in the third round of the Regional Women's Super50 tournament.

Other round-three fixtures

A superb maiden List

A hundred from Kyshona Knight and a brilliant spell of bowling from Qiana Joseph were the standout performances in the third round of matches in the CG United

joined Kyshona and the pair looked set to get the score rolling from early, as Matthews dominated with several boundaries. Matthews and Kyshona posted 77 runs for the second wicket before Matthews fell for 31.

The Barbados middle order stepped up as Aaliyah Alleyne and Kyshona added 86 runs together for the third wicket when Alleyne fell for 18. Trishan Holder took a while to get going, but provided the support for Kyshona to continue her run-scoring as they added 85 more runs with Kyshona to tick the Barbados

pair brought up a 50-run stand in the 18th over. The duo smashed three sixes combined in the 17-18 over period to accumulate 31 off two overs.

KKR though finished well with some good slog overs bowling as Shardul gave away just five in the penultimate over while Arora dismissed Jadeja (20 off 24) and gave away nine runs as CSK posted 144-6 from 20 overs.

CSK introduced Pathirana as their Impact Player, replacing Rayudu, at the start of their bowling innings. (IPL)

Women’s Super50 Cup on Friday in St Kitts. Lefthander Knight made 144 and set up defending champions Barbados for a commanding 205-run win against Jamaica Women to remain the only undefeated team. Left-arm spinner Joseph took a career-best 6-20 from her 10 overs, but failed to inspire Windward Islands Women, and Trinidad & Tobago Women beat them by two wickets.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Kyshona led the Barbados batting, allowing them to post a mammoth 318-8 from their 50 overs at Conaree. This after the defending champs lost the early wicket, of her twin sister Kycia Knight for four.

Skipper Hayley Matthews

scoreboard over 300. Holder fell for 36. Kyshona eventually fell with the score on 268. Alisa Scantlebury added a quick 27 off 23 balls sharing in a 34-run partnership with

finished on a high.

Neisha-Ann Waisome was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers as she picked up 100-65-3, followed by Nicole Campbell with 10-0-39-2.

The Jamaica batting innings never got going as they faced the uphill run-chase. Chedean Nation top-scored with 32 and Natasha McLean made 27 in a 46-run stand with a valiant 21 from JodyAnn Brown as the resistors of the Jamaican innings. Stafanie Taylor was unable to bat. Keila Elliott continued her fine form with the ball as she finished with figures of 5.4-0-19-4, followed by Shamilia Connell and Aaliyah Williams, who picked up two wickets each.

Joseph continues amazing bowling, but Red Force Divas pull off narrow win Karishma Ramharack took 3-24 followed by

to take the Red Force Divas to victory by finishing on 22 not out, after Reniece Boyce got their innings going with 53 from 47 deliveries with 24 from Samaroo at St Paul's Ground.

Joseph had the Red Force Divas in a panic as she continued her amazing run with the ball. She finished with figures of 10-3-20-6, taking her to the top of the most wickets list at the end of three rounds, with 15 wickets at an average of just 3.5 runs per wicket. Leewards will play Trinidad and Tobago while Barbados will play Windwards.

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Shakera Selman as Barbados

Shalini Samaroo with 2-24. Ramharack then returned

Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh scored fifties in KKR’s win

Guyana will be aiming for their second win

Qiana Joseph has taken a five-wicket haul and a six-wicket haul for Windwards

Kyshona Knight slammed 144 for Barbados

“Reds” supports appointment of Coach Sammy and Coach Coley

Congratulations for Abrams from Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry

The Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry has ex tended congratula tions to Guyanese athlete Aliyah Abrams, who made history by breaking Aliann Pompey’s 14-year-old nation al record and setting a new na tional record in the women’s 400m event at the NACAC New Life Invitational in The Bahamas.

By Brandon Corlette

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been busy of late as it relates to announcements. On Friday, it was announced that Daren Sammy would be the new white-ball Head Coach of the West Indies and Andre Coley would be the red-ball Head Coach.

Veteran cricket commentator Joseph "Reds" Perreira has thrown his support behind the appointment of Coley and Sammy, and is calling for the Caribbean people to provide support as well. In an invited comment to <<<Guyana Times Sport>>>, “Reds” spoke about the appointments. He described Coley as a strong candidate and Sammy as a motivator that can help improve the players’ desire to represent the maroon.

"We know Sammy had applied and that Coley had indicated he would apply and throw his hat in the ring. But not knowing what was the level of experience (of other coaches who had applied), it came down to six (coaches) we were told, and the review committee felt that Coley and Sammy were the best selection they could have made in the circumstances," the Guyanese said.

"Coley is stronger in the area of his own qualifications. He dived into the coaching world, he got himself qualified, and he has done a fair amount of work in the Region. He was once the Windwards Coach, and that was where I got to know him better. He is easy to talk to and he is very detailed in planning."

“He (Coley) got involved with Cricket West Indies Academy and he is no doubt one of the strongest candidates.”

Meanwhile, “Reds”, who now resides in St Lucia, was fortunate to be acquainted with Sammy from the early days.

"I got to know Sammy as a young man in St Lucia. He made the St Lucia Under-19 team, then the West Indies Under-19 team to New Zealand. I had saw him the day before he departed and

told him about the conditions and I also watched him played his first International match.

"The fact that he has not gotten qualifications, which was well answered by Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow, when you look back at the history and

test teams in the world. We cannot have half-measures who will be a friendly person and cannot get the best out of players and crack the whip when necessary.

"The support staff will play a major role in improving techniques and improving skills, and lifting the

"Let's congratulate her and show her some love," the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry posted on its Facebook platform.

Abrams finished in first place with a time of 50.20s, ahead of Charokee Young, Roxana Gomez, and Stacey-Ann Williams. Sada Williams, the 2023 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and World Championship bronze medallist, finished fifth.

This achievement comes just a month after Abrams became the first Guyanese athlete to qualify for the 2023 World Championships in Track and Field.

In order for Abrams to quali fy for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, she will need to rep licate or better her performance during the Olympic Qualification window from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The qualifying time for the women’s 400m is 50.95s.

the amount of coaches that we had, who had outstanding qualifications and had good track records, they were not necessarily successful, so having qualifications does not automatically suggest success," “Reds” said.

The veteran cricket commentator added: "Building a side, communicating with players. I think Sammy has a motivational style and he has a strong personality. He might be able to get into the hearts and minds of players, and that will help improve their desire to play for West Indies. And in the long-run, that would improve their consistency."

Sammy brings two World Cups on his CV. According to “Reds”, Sammy has led as a captain and that must be taken into consideration that he was a successful captain and hopefully he becomes a successful coach.

Additionally, “Reds” strongly believes that the backroom staff should be key. He said: "They did not quite work well for the players under (Phil) Simmons. I do hope that both Coach Coley and Coach Sammy would choose a strong backroom staff. Batting, bowling and fielding coach. The key to fitness is someone like a Dennis Waight who was a no-nonsense man under Clive Lloyd [and] produced one of the fit-

team. I hope they have a free hand and choose the best people who can do the job at an international level."

Selection has been the talk of the Caribbean for a while now. “Reds” hope that the essential relationship between Coaches and selectors improve. "The relation between Coaches and selectors is very key and we hope to see an improvement in this area."

"The time for action is soon. We want to move away as commentators and writers from too much talking, and allow the Coaches to do their work. Sammy has got UAE, the qualifiers and then white-ball matches against India. He must be selective in talking too much to the media. "

"Coley has got a couple of Test matches against India. It is time to back off and not look over the Coaches’ shoulders and give them a chance to get into their work and hope they are selective in their statements," “Reds” declared.

He was also surprised at the way in which the news about the coaches came out since reports out of Jamaica had suggested that the two Coaches would be Caribbean. "In future, major press conferences should be allowed tighter," the veteran explained.

Abrams was the only Guyanese athlete to run the qualifying stan dard time for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Daren Sammy, white-ball Head Coach of the West Indies

Andre Coley, red-ball Head

Coach of the West Indies Joseph "Reds" Perreira

Aliyah Abrams