Guyana Times - Saturday, March 30, 2019

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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3879

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019

CCJ to hear no-confidence cases on May 10

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Socu Head clams up on Patterson’s new Demerara Bridge bid P13 probe

See stories on page 3

– GECOM chair unilateral appointment case for May 8

“I am not illegal” – Harmon says on returning to National Assembly – next sitting set for April 11

Fly Jamaica P9 staff jobless after March 31

Page 7

Occupancy rate at housing schemes remains low – Housing Minister P14

Surinamese arraigned with possession of 103 ecstasy P8 pills Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó addresses supporters in light of the imposed ban brought against him by the Nicolás Maduro Administration. Guaidó was banned from serving in public office for 15 years. He has called on his supporters to take to the streets today in protest over nationwide power cuts. He also told followers to prepare for a final push to try to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro (See stories on pages 4 and 17)

Mother blames Bandits shoot man, hospital staff for rob others of cash, jewellery in Linden baby’s death Page 12

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6 more juveniles break out of NOC

Second video of school P13 violence surfaces on social media

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news

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Saturday, March 30 – a night retraction from 01:00h and a day retraction from 13:30h-15:00h and Sunday, March 31 – a night retraction from 02:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, March 30 – 12:40h-14:10h and Sunday, March 31 – 13:40h-15:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Partly cloudy skies can be expected throughout the morning and early afternoon, followed by sunny skies in the late afternoon. Clear skies are expected in the evening, with overall temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 12:24h reaching a maximum height of 2.05 metres.

Low Tide: 05:52h and 18:39h reaching minimum heights of 1.26 metres and 1.11 metres respectively.

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CCJ to hear no-confidence cases on May 10 T

he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Friday stood firm in its determination that the no-confidence cases be expedited, shooting down pleas from counsel for their full time for filing cross appeals.

The CCJ had asked all parties involved whether they had objections to the cases being expedited. Here, Senior Counsel Neil Boston, who appeared on behalf of private citizen Herbert Reid, noted that he has no objections, save for abridgement of the matter.

Boston explained that if they filed their matters urgently, they would likely need their full 21 days to file cross appeal. He noted that this is a highly important matter and they will not sacrifice preparation at the “altar of expediency”.

In his remarks, CCJ President Adrian Saunders acknowledged that the attorneys have their rights to their 21 days. But he noted that the urgency of this case and the need to ensure a balance between time and the need to uphold Guyana’s Constitution.

“Overarching, standing above your right to have your full 21 days, is the Constitution of Guyana.

And this court is concerned and duty bound to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution of Guyana,” Saunders said.

“And if it is necessary in order to do that, that the matters be treated as urgent and timelines be abridged, then I’m afraid counsel will have to put themselves in a manner that can accord with the directions we give.

The three Caribbean Court Justices. From left: Justices Jacob Wit, CCJ President Adrian Saunders and David Hayton

We are not here to give you all the time that you need.

We are here to balance your right to have reasonable.”

Saunders pointed out that many of these submissions were made before in the lower courts. This view was reinforced by CCJ Judge David Hayton, who noted that all parties involved have already had rehearsals at the High and Appeals Courts.

“You’ve had dress rehearsals already, before the High Court and the Court of Appeal. And their judgements (were rendered). So one would have thought that not that much extra work was going to be involved, if you have fewer than 21 days,” Hayton observed.

As a consequence, the CCJ ordered that the three no-confidence cases be consolidated and abridged to save time and that the hearing take place on May 10 at 09:00h, with April 8 being given as the deadline for filing cross appeals.

April 17, however, was giv-

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political activist had petitioned the High Court to have Government resign and President David Granger call elections within 90 days as stipulated by Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution.

Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled in a 2:1 split decision that a majority of 34 votes would have been needed to validly pass the No-confidence Motion brought against the Government last year.

While Justice Rishi Persaud had dismissed the appeal and conferred with the ruling of the High Court, his colleague appellate Judges allowed the State’s appeal.

Both Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Dawn Gregory opined that while 33 is the majority of the 65-member National Assembly, the successful passage of a no-confidence motion requires an “absolute majority” of 34, and not the “simple” majority of 33 that has been used to pass ordinary business in the House.

GECOM chair unilateral appointment case for May 8

DRAW DE LINE

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en for written submissions and the April 23 to reply.

A pre-trial hearing will be heard on April 24, where issues concerning the order and length of oral submissions will be addressed.

Saunders warned attorneys to avoid duplicating submissions and to also ensure they are physically present for the hearings and not tuning in via video conference, as was done

by Williams’ lawyer, Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay.

The three cases deal with Christopher Ram v The Attorney General of Guyana, the Leader of the Opposition and Joseph Harmon; Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo v the Attorney General of Guyana, Dr Barton Scotland and Joseph Harmon; and Charrandas Persaud v Compton Herbert Reid, Dr Barton Scotland, Bharrat Jagdeo and Joseph Harmon; the last of which deals with Persaud’s eligibility to vote in the House.

In the case of Ram vs the Attorney General, the

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Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes

PPP Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha

he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has set May 8 as the date to hear the case brought by the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha, challenging the appointment of the current Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Justice James

Patterson.

Initially, Attorney General Basil Williams sought to have the matter heard until after the no-confidence cases; the hearings for which were set for May 10. According to CCJ President Adrian Saunders, however, Williams would only be afforded May 8.

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It was pointed out by Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who leads the legal team representing Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, that the more expedient the matter is heard, the better.

“The resolution of this matter, if there is to be elections soon, may cause delay.

And therefore it would follow that the earlier this matter is heard and resolved, the better. So that if this court were to approve the appellants and uphold the Noconfidence Motion, then the parties could have begun the process of appointing a Chairman,” Mendes said.

At this, Williams took the suggested May 8 date.

The CCJ also set April 24 for the presentation written submissions and May 1 for parties involved in the matter to file their replies.

The case

Patterson

was

ap-

GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson

pointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM in 2017 after President Granger had rejected three lists comprising 18 names submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for the post of GECOM Chairman.

Turn to page 7

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019

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

The drug treatment court

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he issue of how best to treat and deal with drug addicts has always been a major challenge for regional governments; especially here in Guyana, where many abusers of illegal drugs have taken up the streets as their permanent homes, thereby creating an additional burden on the health sector and the society as a whole. A walk around Georgetown and other towns and commercial areas in the country would show the extent of the problem we currently face.

While some regional governments have been dealing with the matter from a legal standpoint -- which focuses more on using the courts to punish offenders, and so on -- some countries are still yet to holistically address the matter of treatment of drug addicts.

Drug dependence is partly regarded as a disease, and should be treated as such. Treatment of the disease is important, since leaving it untreated almost guarantees that the drug-dependent person would relapse into drug use. Further, not only would it result in the drug-dependent offenders re-offending, it would certainly lead them to commit other crimes in order to feed their drug habits.

In Guyana, there is need for better strategies and programmes to deal with the rising numbers of victims of substance abuse; this includes alcohol addicts. At the moment, opportunities for treatment, counselling and other forms of assistance are very few. Added to this, of the few that are available, their services are also costly.

It is important that strategies aimed at reducing the social and health consequences of persons, particularly those living on the streets -- who suffer from substance abuse disorder -be put in place.

The cost of drug abuse and related problems to our society is very significant at a time when many economies in the region are faltering. These costs lie in law enforcement actions against drug traffickers and street dealers. While the costs to the health and welfare systems are only now being quantified, various studies on the subject show that drug abuse places significant additional strains on already overburdened health care systems.

Perhaps regional governments who have not yet explored the concept of having Drug Treatment Courts could explore this option. Court-supervised treatment of certain types of drug-dependent offenders as an alternative to incarceration is a concept that has proven its value across different cultures as a means of reducing crime, reducing repeat offences, reducing relapse into drug use, and reducing the prison population.

Jamaica recognised this in 1999 with the passage of the Drug Court (Treatment and Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act, and the establishment of two drug treatment courts in the country, which have proven to be effective. It is encouraging to see that Guyana will now be moving in this direction.

Certainly, this new system will provide rehabilitative services to offenders, rather than have them incarcerated. Many experts have concluded that jailing offenders does not help them in any way, but rather pushes them to graduate into “bigger things”.

In many Caribbean territories, especially Guyana, there is a high proportion of prisoners incarcerated for drug-related crimes. While it is still difficult to quantify the drugs/crime relationship, there is sufficient evidence to connect drug users to crime and lack of citizen security.

It should be mentioned that the heart of success of drug treatment courts is the combination of treatment with judicial supervision and oversight. Without treatment, there is no drug treatment court. And without the power of the bench, the offender’s adherence to an often lengthy course of drug treatment would probably be much harder. Drug treatment and the justice system therefore go hand in hand.

We are not saying that drug treatment courts are the magic bullet that would help all drug-dependent offenders, but certainly they offer a way out of the cycle of drugs and crime, since they are one sure way of addressing drug addiction and crime in our communities. The courts and the law can be more than instruments of deterrence or retribution; they can also help to improve the lives of offenders, since the society as a whole is more than likely to reap the benefits.

The authorities here must therefore move with haste in setting up the drug treatment court, as promised.

Miss Peru, Suheyn Cipriani was on Friday evening crowned Miss Eco International 2019 when the pageant was held in Cairo Opera House, Egypt. First runner-up was Maureen Montagne who represented the Philippines, while Jordan Elizabeth of the United States of America was the second-runner-up; Miss Ukraine, Diana Voliakova, was third runner-up and the fourth runner-up was Amy Nurtinie of Malaysia

White House warns Russia over troops in Venezuela, threatens sanctions

By Roberta Rampton, Lesley Wroughton

Red Cross aid

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he White House on Friday warned Russia and other countries backing President Nicolas Maduro against sending troops and military equipment to Venezuela, saying the United States would view such actions as a “direct threat” to the region’s security.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been given a list of options to respond to Russia’s growing presence in Venezuela in support of Maduro, including new sanctions, said Elliott Abrams, the US special representative for Venezuela.

“We have options and it would be a mistake for the Russians to think they have a free hand here.

They don’t,” Abrams told reporters at the State Department.

US President Donald Trump earlier this week said “Russia has to get out” of Venezuela and said “all options” were open to force Russia to do so after two Russian air force planes carrying nearly 100 military personnel landed outside Caracas.

Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton issued a second warning on Friday in a strongly worded formal statement. “We strongly caution actors external to the Western Hemisphere against deploying military assets to

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognised as the country’s rightful interim ruler, speaks to supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuela, March 28, 2019

Venezuela, or elsewhere in the Hemisphere, with the intent of establishing or expanding military operations,” Bolton said.

“We will consider such provocative actions as a direct threat to international peace and security in the region. We will continue to defend and protect the interests of the United States, and those of our partners in the Western Hemisphere,” he said.

Russia sends ‘specialists’

The United States and most other Western countries support Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido, who invoked the Constitution in January to declare himself interim President, arguing that Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Russia and China support Maduro, who has said Guaido is a puppet of Washington. Maduro re-

tains control of state functions and the country’s military. Russia has said it sent “specialists” to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal but insisted they posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside Trump’s threat.

Abrams said it was unclear whether Russia would continue to beef up its presence in Venezuela, noting that the newly arrived personnel appear to be trying to help Maduro’s officials with a Russian-made ground-toair missile defence system believed to have been damaged during recent massive power blackouts.

“One of the things they are doing seems to be – and we’ve thought this from the very beginning – is helping the regime with the S-300 ground-air missile system, which apparently got all screwed up by the blackout,” Abrams said.

Abrams confirmed that US officials have been having “conversations” with oil trading houses and governments around the world to convince them to further cut their dealings with OPEC member Venezuela. Oil provides 90 per cent of export revenue for Venezuela.

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration slapped sanctions on state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA, to try to cut off revenues to Maduro.

Years of economic mismanagement have left Venezuela’s economy in shambles, causing hyperinflation. Severe shortages of food and medicine are common.

The United Nations estimates that about a quarter of Venezuelans need humanitarian aid, according to internal UN estimates seen by Reuters.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Friday it was prepared to channel such aid to Venezuela. Abrams said the aid was “very welcome” but said it was only the beginning of what was needed.

“This aid is not going to solve the problems that Venezuelans face. The kind of aid that is needed for a broad recovery of the Venezuelan economy really can’t be put in place until the regime is replaced by a democratic government,” he said. (Reuters)

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

The decision must be based on a legal principle Dear Editor, Please permit me to make a comment on the recent Court of Appeal ruling with regards to the Validity of the no-confidence motion. I make no claim to be an attorney- at-law or an expert on constitutional law. However, based on my schooling on the general principles of English and European Law as a certified Paralegal and Certified Legal Secretary, I do have a limited understanding of the interpretation of law.

Having listened attentively to the rulings of the judges that allowed the appeal, one can only conclude that in arriving at their decisions two things occurred: (a) the law was cast aside and a mathematical calculation became the basis for their decisions. (b) Words that do not appear in the

Constitution were inserted to arrive at a particular outcome.

Judges make good and bad decisions all the time; hence the reason for appeal to a higher Court. In the meantime, we must respect the judges and abide by the majority decision until the pronouncement of the final court of appeal that the vote of no confidence motion was not properly passed by a majority i.e. 33 votes. This case has now been filed with the CCJ, Guyana’s final court of appeal.

Over a period of time, a number of generally recognised rules or cannons of interpretation have evolved by judges. Some of the most important ones are now mentioned, so that it may be determined as to whether the rules were given consideration in the recent Court

of Appeal ruling.

The Mischief rule

Under this rule, the judge will look at the Act to see what its purpose was, and what mischief in the common law it was designed to prevent. (Heydon’s case 1583). Broadly speaking, this rule means that where a statute has been passed to remedy a weakness in the law, the interpretation which will correct that weakness is the one that will be adopted.

The big question is whether there is any weakness in the situation that 33 is not the majority of 65. Our parliament is made up of 65 seats, which is an off-number.

The Literal rule

According to this rule, the working of the Act must be construed according to

its literal and grammatical meaning, regardless of the result. It is therefore improper to include into the statute words that are not there in order to arrive at a particular outcome. Where the statute speaks of ‘majority’, it is highly improper to insert the prefix ‘simple’ and/or ‘absolute’. The same words of the statute must normally be construed throughout the Act in the same sense.

The Golden rule

This can be seen as an extension of the Literal rule. Under this rule, the words of a statute will, as far as possible, be construed according to their plain, ordinary and natural meaning, unless this leads to an absurd result. It is used by the courts where a statutory provision is capable of more

than one literal meaning.

This will cause a judge to select one which avoids any absurdity.

Expressio unius est exclusion alterius (The expression of one thing implies the exclusion of another) Under this rule, where specific words are used and are not followed by general words, the Act applies only to the instances mentioned.

In addition to the major rules of interpretation, there are also several considerations which a judge will have in mind. The judge will concern himself/herself only with the wordings of the Act. He/she will not go to Hansard to look up reports of the debates during the passage of the Act. In the handing down of a decision, a judge can make reference to a number of comments/situations and

things in the “Obita”; however, the decision must be based on a legal principle.

Obita dicta are things said in passing, and they do not have any binding force, but can be of a persuasive nature. The reason that Obita dicta are merely persuasive is because the prerogative of a judge in not to make the law by formulating and declaring it (that is for the legislature), but to make the law by applying it to cases coming before the court.

If the division of people and then rounding then up to whole persons within an odd number Parliament in Guyana can be upheld at the CCJ, then the law is indeed an ass.

Sincerely, Pandit Chrishna Persaud

Need for policy action to boost private investment is more critical than ever in Guyana

Dear Editor, With thousands of young people entering the workforce each year; fiscal resources severely constrained; and economic, social and political risks on the rise, Guyana is at a defining moment in its history.

Bolstering the private sector is critical to meeting this challenge.

However, the key to success remains elusive, principally because there is no trust between the regime and the real engine of economic growth (the business community).

Additionally, this policy arrogance on the part of Team Granger is fuelled by a myth that these oil investments would bring an end to all of Guyana’s troubles, and thus a marginalised private sector is no big deal.

But the empirical evidence points to a different outcome, if these oil resources are not managed transparently and with a longterm, sensible and efficient

work plan.

The key to Guyana’s success remains in urgently unlocking the latent energy of private investments ON LAND, (both local and foreign), which would have a direct impact on the lives of the people. That will take genuine policy reforms to increase access to finance for the private sector, and improve the effectiveness of the public sector. Until that happens, we are wasting time in Guyana. The bottom line remains that there is an urgent need for a smaller government and a bigger private sector; not the other way around.

This is the ideological shift that Team Granger are struggling to appreciate.

They have actually expanded the public sector by some 10 per cent since May 2015, and have taken active steps towards crowding out the private sector. The ratio of private investment to GDP at the end of 2018 is expected to be under 20 per cent

of GDP, based on the latest projections (the Minister is yet to release the 2018 End of Year Report with final numbers, and it is almost April 2019).

With the private sector having such low confidence in the economy, there will be adversely effects on the economic health of the nation.

This will directly impact the economic well-being of the people, especially those residing at the bottom half of the economy, who live mainly in rural and hinterland Guyana.

This lack of confidence is creating blockages for the nation in accessing the nec-

essary technological innovations that can bring the promised economic empowerment and upliftment truly needed by the people. For all the years that Guyana existed as an independent nation, we are still a raw materials producer in the main, and to rub salt into our wounds, Jamaica is now exporting pigeon peas in tins to Guyana.

This is something we used to do on our own, but we are no longer capable of doing at a commercial level.

The challenge is real, the quality of the school leavers is at the lowest level ever, the few infrastructure improvements are mired in

massive corruption (see the CJIA Airport Project), and the capability levels in the Cabinet Room and at the Head of Department level in the public service are just plain downright incompetent. These people just cannot get the job done.

The need for policy action to boost private investment is more critical than ever in Guyana. Policymakers need to focus on surrounding themselves with the best minds and on the necessary reforms that can help the nation catch up with their peers on education, infrastructure, financial devel-

opment, and governance.

These reforms would help offset the headwinds from global factors outside the nation’s control.

For us to succeed, the days of ethnic marginalisation must be over. This voyage demands all hands on deck to shore up the nation’s economic resilience for the future.

Can they do it? What ever happened to “let us co-operate for Guyana” Mr. Granger?

Regards, Sasenarine Singh

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Foundation

…research shows how every generation naturally progresses as they mature

By Tim Elmore

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or more than 30 years now, I have been tracking generational trends and changes. At first, I noticed how Generation X differed from the Baby Boomers during the 1980s. Then, I began noticing how Millennials were breaking from Gen Xers in 2000. Today, I’m watching how Generation Z (today’s high school and college students) is separating themselves from Millennials.

Generation Z – as with any generation – is living in a new “narrative.” In today’s world, kids are growing up in a time that is both exhilarating and frightening for them.

This is causing changes that can be difficult to understand.

In fact, they are so different from older generations that parents and adult leaders can feel both frustrated with them and fearful for them at the same time.

Three facts we must remember

What isn’t different about Generation Z is that students today are reacting to older generations in much the same way that youth have always reacted to their elders.

Historians Neil Howe and William Strauss remind us that every generation naturally performs three acts as they mature. Each generation:

Breaks with the previous generation: “You are cool, but we are cooler.”

A Gen Z high school student may know a 30-year old Millennial who is now a young professional a few years into their career. That Millennial is now an adult and has joined the establishment. Typically, a student views one generation ahead of them this way: “You are cool, but we are the newest form of cool.” You wear one brand of blue jeans, but we wear another. You grew up with one preferred platform of social media, we are growing up with another.

You have your vernacular, but we have a new set of terms in our vocabulary. At one time, you were the cool kids; now we are. We will not imitate you and we don’t want to be identified with you – as lazy slackers, entitled employees or narcissistic people. We are gritty, we save money more than spend it, and we will create our own reality, instead

of buy into the company line. I believe Millennials can play the role of a “big brother” or “sister,” offering insight as to what’s ahead as Gen Z begins their career. Millennials should not try to win the “cool” war, but be the wise older sibling or uncle they can trust.

Corrects those two generations older: “I won’t do what my parents did.”

As Gen Z matures, they perform a second act. They attempt to correct their parents’ generation, as if to say: “I love my mom and dad, but I will never do that with my kids.” Youthful populations intuitively feel they must react this way, even if it is a subconscious act. Mom and dad are OK, but they do not get where this world is going… like I do. They don’t understand social media the way I do; they dress older (even though they are trying desperately to look young) and they even talk in an antiquated fashion. Correcting may take a few forms. Gen Z and Gen X may share a similar sceptical paradigm, but the kids yearn to do something their parent’s generation failed to do. So, teens may identify with their parents, but feel they must right the wrongs. Gen Xers must be secure enough to be the “bad cop” and risk not being “liked” each week by the Gen Z kids. They must be leaders who earn their respect, more than their friendship. Be real instead of trying to be cool.

Replaces those three generations older than them: “I love ‘retro’ and cherish my grandparents’ generation”

Finally, each youth generation tends to view their grandparents’ generation as one that’s slipping away, with all of its heritage and “retro” vibe. Often, the youth embrace it and want to replace it – from vinyl records and record players to 70s memorabilia to the music itself. As they see an aging generation threaten to pass away, they don’t want to lose it. I have spoken to many parents and grandparents who confirm that children often bond quicker to their elders than mom and dad. Grandparents are seen as intriguing and almost vintage, and their scarcity is increasing. Those grandparents are similar, and yet so different, having grown up in different times, so they may

have the intrigue of a cross-cultural relationship. Boomers and Builders should play the role of mentor, reminding Gen Z of the timeless virtues and skills they will need, even in the 21st Century.

Keep in mind, this is not an exact science, but rather social science. Certainly, different personalities play a role in how generations connect or fail to connect. It’s now our turn to lead the young. So, my questions for you are: * What is your approach as you connect with students today? * Are you playing the appropriate role based on how they see you? * What value do you add to their life? (psychologytoday.com)

… instead of inches or centimetres, feet or metres, we’ll use a child to measure a room

Materials

One child volunteer A block or something similar to mark each unit Pieces of paper large enough to trace children (optional) A marker and crayons (optional) Scissors (optional)

Directions

You’re going to use a child to measure a room. Have the child lay down with his or her feet touching the wall at one end of the room. Place a block to mark where the head is.

Time to get up and move. Lay down with the feet lined up with the block. Now move the block to the head again.

That’s two kids long so far!

Repeat the procedure until you’ve reached the end of the room. Be sure to keep track of how many “kids” (or Sara’s or Edwin’s or whatever the child’s name is) you’ve measured each time the child moves. How many kids long is the room?

If you’d like to make kid rulers, have children lie down on the paper and trace their outlines. Cut out and decorate the kid rulers.

Use it just like you did to measure other big things around you like the patio, the playground, or the hallway.

Talk about it

When you do this exploration with children, you will naturally use comparative mathematical language such as longer and shorter. Encourage them to use these terms, too.

As kids have repeated experience measuring with the same ruler (whether it’s a kid ruler or a regular one), they begin to build a sense of about how long something is before they measure it. Help them develop this kind of thinking by asking them to estimate how long something is before they measure it. Then check their estimates by measuring. (Excerpt

from pbs.org)

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

“I am not illegal” – Harmon says on returning to National Assembly – next sitting set for April 11

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espite the Court of Appeal last week upholding a January High Court ruling that it is illegal for persons holding dual citizenship status to be sitting in the National Assembly, Minister of State Joseph Harmon says all Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Government’s side will return to the National Assembly until a final ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is handed down.

The next sitting of the National Assembly has been scheduled for April 11 and according to Minister Harmon at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday, all Government parliamentarians, including those with dual citizenship such as himself, will continue to attend Parliament until advised otherwise.

“The attorneys representing the State will advise the Government with respect to the situation with Members of the Government that are dual citizens so in that regard, I will say that this matter is still engaging the attention and Cabinet has not made a ruling on it. In that regard, it is contemplated that on April 11, 2019 when the National Assembly sits, that all the members of the Government side will be there,” Harmon stated. ““I am not illegal... I am not an illegal sitting (member), I am representing constituents. I do not sit there on my own,” he insisted.

The Minister of State further noted that the

Government MPs, who are dual citizens, were “mostly” made aware of this constitutional provision until the matters were filed to challenge former Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian, Charrandas Persaud – also a citizen of Canada – whose vote in favour of the Opposition’s No-confidence Motion had caused the coalition Government to topple.

But a 2:1 majority decision of the Appeal Court last week invalided the motion, saying that an absolute majority of 34 votes were needed to successfully pass the motion and not a simple majority of 33.

As such, the Minister of State told reporters that they have not started the process of relinquishing their second statuses.

“We have not (started to relinquish our dual citizen status) because as I said to you, this is a matter which has engaged the courts. At an appropriate time, I can say to you that decisions of the members of the Government, including me, the decision will be made in the public interest.

Whatever is in the public interest, be assured that we will make those decisions at the appropriate time,” he stressed.

Furthermore, Harmon posited that this matter will have to be discussed at the level of Government and the parties. This, he explained, is because members in the National Assembly, sit there as representatives who were extracted from a

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

list of persons elected by political parties.

“When you sit there – our Parliament and the present configuration – you sit there, you represent close to 5000 persons. So you can’t get up one day and say “I’m not sitting there anymore.”

So all of these things have to be considered. I am a representative of a list and a list that represents people.

So I cannot tell you that I am illegal or if I’m going to (step down or give up second dual citizen status). These are matters that have to be discussed at the level of the Government and the level of the party and then those decisions are made,” the Minister contended.

According to Article 155 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana, “No person shall

be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who (a) is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”

Chief Justice Roxane George, in her rulings earlier this year, also made it clear that by swearing allegiance to another State, a dual citizen is not qualified to be elected to serve in the National Assembly. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal last week.

As such, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday accused the coalition Government of being duplicitous for accepting the Appeal Court’s ruling that the No-confidence Motion was invalid, but not adhering to the court’s ruling that dual citizens are illegal in the National Assembly.

In response, Harmon said at the post-Cabinet briefing that Government will abide by whatever the CCJ, before which the matter currently is, rules.

“I see nothing duplicitous about it. The fact of the matter is that the Court of Appeal has dealt with the matter and the matter is now under appeal at another level. In so far as we are concerned, the Court of Appeal has made a determination on all of the matters before it and so we will abide by what the Court of Appeal has said. If at the level of the CCJ these matters are dealt with and they are definitively pronounced upon then certainly we will abide by what that court says,” the Minister of State said.

The CCJ on Friday held a case management hearing and set a date in early May for arguments.

In the meantime, while Government is preparing to head back to the National Assembly, Jagdeo said the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will not be attending until the cases before the Trinidad-based regional court are completed.

GECOM chair unilateral appointment...

Last year, Chief Justice Roxane George had ruled that the Constitution of Guyana allows for the President to unilaterally appoint someone to fill the position of Chairman of GECOM. Justice George’s ruling came after the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had, on October 23, 2017, filed an injunction to have the court rescind the unilateral appointment

of Patterson as Chairman of GECOM. The motion was filed in the name of Mustapha just days after the President had made the announcement.

Apart from asking that the appointment of Patterson be rescinded, the PPP had argued that he is unqualified for the post, and had petitioned the court to order the President to choose a person from the 18 names submitted by the Opposition

Leader.

But the Chief Justice, in her ruling, has stated that there is nothing before the court to support a finding that the President had acted unlawfully or irrationally in resorting to the proviso to Article 161(2); and there is nothing to rebut the presumption that Justice Patterson is qualified to be appointed to the post of Chairman of GECOM. According to the Chief

From page 3

Justice, the Opposition did not produce evidence to support the contention that Patterson was unqualified for the position. She added that even if she had agreed with the contention that the appointment was unlawful, it would not have been “permissible for this court to usurp the function of the President by directing him to choose a nominee from the third, or any, list.”

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Mother of 5 charged for attempting to murder reputed husband

M

avva Kenswell, a mother of five, on Friday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to the charge of attempted murder.

Kenswell, a farmer of Kumaka Water Front, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that on March 17, 2019, at Kamaka Water

Front, with intent to commit murder, she wounded Winston Lewis.

Facts presented in court detailed that the victim was under the influence of alcohol when the couple got into a heated argument at their home.

The woman, who became annoyed, armed herself with a cutlass and dealt her reputed husband several chops about his body.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield did not object to bail but asked that conditions be attached. As such, Kenswell was released on her own recognisance and was ordered to report to the Kumaka Police Station every Friday. She was also instructed to seek counselling.

The case was transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court for June 17, 2019.

Surinamese arraigned with possession of 103 ecstasy pills

A

national of neighbouring Suriname was on Friday arraigned for allegedly having a quantity of ecstasy pills in his possession when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Donovan Saimon denied the allegation after it was read to him. The police stated that on March 18, 2019, at the Canawaima Ferry Crossing, he had 103 ecstasy pills amounting to 32 grams, in his possession.

Prosecutor for the Customs Anti-Narcotics

Unit (CANU), Narissa Leander informed the court that on the day in question, ranks of the agency acting on information went to the Canawaima Ferry Crossing, where the defendant was intercepted in a vehicle.

A search unearthed the illegal drugs in the glove compartment of the motor vehicle. The pills were wrapped in a piece of cloth.

Saimon was arrested and escorted to CANU headquarters where the drugs

were weighed and amounted to the aforementioned figure.

Saimon, under caution, later admitted to ownership of the drugs and told ranks that it was for his personal use.

Prosecutor Leander objected to bail being granted based on the prevalence of such offences and due to the fact that the defendant is not a Guyanese and poses a flight risk.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan upheld the prosecution’s submission and remanded Saimon to prison. The matter was transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court for April 8, 2019.

Albouystown man remanded for narcotrafficking

K

easter King of Lot 56 James Street, Albouystown, was on Friday slapped with several narcotics-related charges when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 29-year-old man, who is no stranger to the police, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly and denied the charges which stated that on March 27, at his James Street home, he was found with eight grams of cannabis strapped to his waist.

King was also jointly charged for another matter, which stated on September 21, 2018, at Lot 2925 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, the police unearthed a quantity of cannabis from his property.

After being questioned by police ranks, he claimed ownership and as such, he was arrested.

Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant has a pending matter of similar nature in another court.

As a result, the unrepresented man was remanded to prison and will make his next court appearance on April 26, 2019, for the first charge and on April 18, 2019, for the second charge.

Forked tongue…

T

…PNC Govt he Opposition Leader dubbed the PNC-Government “duplicitous” for their stance on the Appellate Court’s rulings from last week. But isn’t that term redundant?

Or more to the point, a “tautology”?? Meaning that the PNC has been so “two faced”, “deceitful” and “double dealing” from its birth that, to Guyanese, they verily are a metaphor for trickery and backstabbing!! As in the riposte to the fella who inveigled his mother to transfer her house to him, and then tossed her into the streets: “Bannuh, yuh like real PNC!!”

Wasn’t Burnham the biggest “anti-colonialists” in the 1953 PPP, who rabidly cussed out the British and helped precipitate their ouster by Churchill. But then turned around and sold out Guyana and his comrades to support the CIA and the Brits by launching a “more moderate” PNC?? And once in power, didn’t they turn around, thumb their noses at the Americans, and joined in the socialist bloc to facilitate sending Cuban troops to Angola??

It’s in the PNC blood…so rigging elections, assassinating opponents, and nationalising private property – even as they boasted about “democracy” -- were just giving expressing to their innate nature. Your Eyewitness is more disposed to calling them “forked tongue”, since while that also means saying one thing and meaning another, it evokes the “forked tongue” of snakes, which are known for their treachery -- and eagerness to strike! So this latest slimy betrayal merely confirms that Granger – who was there, along with Hamilton Green from the 1960s – is keeping his promise to fulfil the “legacy” of Burnham. Treachery!!

But as citizens of our country, with whom ultimate sovereignty and power lies, it’s our duty to confront the Leviathan whenever and wherever they break our contract with them – as adumbrated in our sacred text, the Constitution. The PNC Govt cannot, on one hand, say they’re now the legitimate Government because the Appellate Court ruled that the NCM needed 34 seats to be passed, and ignore the same court’s ruling that dual citizens cannot sit in the National Assembly!! This is a forked tongue that must be excised!!

Article 155 (1) is clear: “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who - (a) is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state…” Carl Greenidge, who qualified for British citizenship as a child, said in January he was waiting for a decision in the High Court to make a decision.

But even though the High Court AND the Appellate Court ruled he was disqualified, he’s now even acted as President and says he’s “waiting on his lawyer”.

PNC forked tongue wagging!! …on Parliament In addition to Carl Greenidge, the other dual citizens from the Govt benches are Rupert Roopnaraine and Dominic Gaskin, who all hold British citizenship. And the Govt just announced they’ll all be attending the session in the National Assembly that has been scheduled for April 11. The Opposition, who won’t be attending, have already promised they’ll obey the Constitution and not have any dual citizens as MPs. Greenidge has raised the issue that, as a child, his “oath of allegiance to a foreign flag” might be questionable…but Justice George in the High Court struck down that point.

She showed that merely accepting the foreign passport is constructively an “acknowledgement of allegiance” prohibited by Art 155 (1). The President’s son-in-law, Gaskin, will probably use the same excuse. So what will Roopnaraine’s be??

Some believe that at the April 11 sitting, the PNC benches might try to alter Art 155 (1) that bars dual citizens.

But by Art 164 (1), that’ll need a “majority of all elected members of the Assembly”: 34 votes according to our Appellate Court!! Ha!! …on bribery One member of the ERC used his Chronic column to cite Charrandas’s (who’s Hindu) vote in the NCM to point out that the Bible forbids bribery.

Did your Eyewitness miss where it was proven that Charrandas was bribed??

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

News

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Overseas Guyanese voting not catered for in laws – Harmon

G

uyanese living overseas, who usually return home to vote during National and Regional Elections may not get the opportunity to do so at the upcoming polls.

This is according to Government’s spokesperson, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who revealed at the post-Cabinet briefing on Friday that once overseas-based Guyanese are not here to register during the house-to-house exercise, then they will not be included on the voters’ list and as such, will not be allowed to vote at

the next elections.

“It’s not a matter of disenfranchising anyone. Our laws do not provide for overseas voting save and except those persons who are in the employ of the State and are in the embassies, and so on, abroad. So persons who are Guyanese residents abroad, at the time of house-to-house if you are not here, then certainly your name cannot be on the list. That is why house-to-house is so important,” he asserted.

Only last week, during a meeting with the Chairman of the Guyana Elections

Commission (GECOM), Justice James Patterson and the Commissioners, officials from the US-based Carter Center suggested, among other things, that a list of non-resident persons be generated to use on elections day to identify substitute voters and or, illegal voters.

However, Governmentnominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander had pointed out that in working out a method to rectify and cleanse the voters’ list, the Carter Center came up with a compromise that does not “fit neatly” into what the laws of

Guyana provide for.

Nevertheless, GECOM has already rolled out its 2019 work programme, which includes the conduct of house-to-house registration. To this end, training for trainers was completed last weekend, while enumerators will be trained this weekend.

Justice Patterson had previously indicated that GECOM cannot hold elections in March and has voted to do house-to-house registration, which will conclude in November. In fact, he informed the Head of State in a letter that polls cannot be

Fly Jamaica staff jobless after March 31

S

till reeling from crash landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) back in November, Guyanese-owned Fly Jamaica has made all its staff redundant as of March 31, 2019.

This was announced

by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Ronald Reece in a letter to employees on Friday, March 29, 2019.

“The Board of Directors of Fly Jamaica regrets to inform you that due to our lack of aircraft and the impact that it has had on the company’s financial position, we have no alternative but to make all our employees redundant effective March 31, 2019,” Reece said.

It has been reported that the Jamaica-based airline employs some 400 persons.

According to the CEO, this decision was not made without great sadness and remorse. He explained that

the company was hoping to secure funding but that has been slow in acquiring. “… therefore, for the time being, no other resources or options exists,” he noted.

Reece, nevertheless, assured employees that the compensation they are owned from November to date will be provided to them but pleaded for time to fulfil this.

“We ask that you allow us more time to do so… We

wish to thank you for your service, loyalty and dedication to the company,” the CEO said in the letter while asking that they ensure that their contact information with the company’s Human Resources department is up to date.

Meanwhile, the employees were informed that if the circumstances of the company changes in the future and they are still interested in re-joining, then they will be allowed to do so.

This announcement comes on the heels of the company grappling with operational expenses after facing a huge compensation bill following last year’s crash in Timehri as well as loss of services with one of its aircraft being down.

On November 9, 2018, a Fly Jamaica-operated Boeing 757 crashed during an emergency landing at the CJIA less than an hour

Farmer succumbs days after being lashed to head by drinking buddy

T

wo days after being hit to the head with an axe handle by his drinking buddy, a farmer succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention in Brazil.

The dead man has been identified as 35-year-old Reginald Thompson, of Katunarib Village, Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo).

According to information

received, the victim and the suspect were friends and on the day in question, they were consuming alcohol at the suspect’s home in the same village when a heated argument ensued.

During the confrontation, the suspect armed himself with an axe handle and dealt Thompson a lash to his head. The injured man was picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to

the Lethem Public Hospital.

He was treated at the local facility before being immediately transferred to the Boa Vista Hospital across the border in neighbouring Brazil. Thompson was admitted a patient there until Friday when he succumbed around 16:30h.

Meanwhile, the 56-yearold suspect has not been arrested yet. Nevertheless investigations are ongoing.

after taking off for Toronto, Canada. The aircraft had experienced technical complications and decided to return to Guyana.

At the time, there were 118 adults, along with two infants and an eight-member crew on board. The tragedy has claimed the life of 85-year-old Rookhia Kalloo, a pensioner who was on the flight and died a week later.

The company had subsequently promised to compensate passengers; not only those that were aboard the crashed flight but those who were affected due to delays caused by the crash.

The company’s Boeing 757, which had overshot the extended runway at CJIA and suffered extensive damage has been rendered useless.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

held before late November 2019 and that it will need some $3.5 billion to prepare for the hosting of elections. “…no election date should be contemplated less than five months after these funds are placed at the disposal of and under the control of GECOM,” the Chairman of the elections body stated.

Against this background, President David Granger, earlier this week, disclosed that Government will be going to the National Assembly to get the sum requested by elections body.

“We are going to ensure that whatever happens at any level of the judicial system, Guyana is urgently prepared (for elections)… We are going to go back to Parliament and make requests to ensure that GECOM has everything it needs. We are committed to having clean elections, credible elections in this country and as I said, I will engage

GECOM to ensure that the request made to me by the Chairman is satisfied,” the President told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday.

However, Minister Harmon explained that there is a process which needs to be followed before the money is released to GECOM. “The Elections Commission has to indicate to the Government that this is what they require. When that is done, it goes to the Ministry of Finance and then they justify their figures with the Minister of Finance. It is then taken to Cabinet for Cabinet to approve before the Minister takes it to the National Assembly… So it’s a process which has to be gone through and this process starts with the Elections Commission… I cannot say (whether) that (process) has started… (But) the President has already committed to ensuring that GECOM gets the monies and all resources it requires for the conduct of credible elections in Guyana,” the Minister of State asserted.

Furthermore, he clarified that the sitting of the National Assembly on April 11 is not exclusively to deal with the funding for GECOM. Meanwhile, the Parliament Office on Friday issued the parliamentary agenda for the coming week, which includes a meeting of the Special Select Committee on Food Safety Bill 2016 on Monday April 1, 2019.

10 news

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mother blames hospital staff for baby’s death

By Kristen Macklingam

A

n 18-year-old woman, who is mourning the loss of her baby, wants justice as she strongly believes her child died as a result of the actions, or lack thereof, of the medical staff who treated her.

Instead of celebrating the birth of a bouncing baby boy, Nicola Alli on Friday buried her dead son and al-

though she was at a loss for words to describe how she feels about what she deems a “preventable death” of the child, she blames the medical practitioners at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) for this situation.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Friday, she stated that the staff at that regional hospital was negligent in their duties and should be held

accountable for the baby’s demise.

According to Alli, she was about 41 weeks pregnant and due to severe pains in her stomach, she visited the WDRH on Saturday last

for medical attention.

She explained that she was immediately admitted but after various examinations conducted throughout the day, she was told that she was not ready to deliver.

Alli noted that even during her admittance at the WRDH, the nurses were rude to her, even when she had begged that they perform a caesarean section

(C-section) to deliver her baby in the initial stages.

She related that she was told that other pregnant mothers were delivering naturally and, therefore, she should not be asking for a C-section and even if that option was considered, the equipment at the hospital was not working.

The distraught woman further stated that the medical staff attempted to do another examination on her but told her that the theatre at the hospital was non-functional.

She was then told that she could not be referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) because her condition was “not an emergency.”

But their opinion changed some three hours after another examination on Sunday morning (May 24).

“On the Sunday I wake up again with the contractions pain they say I ain’t ready. They do back a next examination on me a little while later and they say they could feel the membrane for the baby and [I was] still not ready. But then three hours later, they checked me again and they say that they still feeling the membrane and they not finding the heartbeat for the child so then they call the ambulance to take me to the GPHC.” However, according

to the distressed mother, the ambulance made two stops before arriving at the GPHC. On the first occasion, it was to put off a porter who was travelling inside of it at the time she was being transported and the second occasion was to facilitate the nurses that were debating who should “get the window seat”.

The young lady further explained that upon her arrival at the GPHC, she was rushed into that hospital’s theatre, where she underwent another examination.

She was subsequently told that a heartbeat for her unborn baby could not be found.

“They took me to the theatre at the GPHC and they did the surgery. When they spoke with me after the surgery, they said that the child did not make it but that everything was alright with me. What they told me in Georgetown was that the child had drank back the water inside causing the death of my child,” she lamented.

The young mother emphasised that this would have been her first child and first pregnancy, therefore, she is not letting the matter be swept under the rug.

“I need some sort of justice for my child. They tell me it is still birth. But I still don’t understand how can a 41 weeks old child be still birth,” she added.

NEWS

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SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ECO to begin drilling new well in July – report estimates high probability of success

E

co Guyana has begun plans to drill its second well locally, with its business partners approving its drilling budget and location for its 2019 drilling programme and an estimated 370 million barrels of gross prospective resources waiting to be uncovered.

A release from Eco Atlantic on Friday stated that drilling on the new well, dubbed the “Joe” prospect will begin in mid-July of this year. The release notes that the Stena forth drill ship will move directly to the “Joe”, after it finishes drilling the “Jethro Lobe” Well in the Orinduik block.

It is understood that this new well is located in approximately 650 meters of water and will cost Eco approximately US$3 million to drill. A recently published report from international company Gustavson Associates has estimated that the well has a 43.2 per cent chance of success.

Chief Operating Officer of Eco Atlantic, Colin Kinley, was optimistic that the well would be a productive one. He based this on the location being de-risked by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek block and the high probability for success in Gustavson’s report. And he revealed that their operations are aiming for approximately 370 million barrels of gross prospective re-

Chief Operating Officer of Eco Atlantic, Colin Kinley

sources.

“The approval, at this stage, of a second well is a clear indication of the Partners’ risking of Orinduik. All of the partners support a two well drilling campaign targeting close to 370 million barrels of Gross Prospective Resources (P50 Best) at 43.2 per cent risking, which is well above industry averages anywhere in the world. Both the Upper Tertiary age, “Joe”; and Lower Tertiary age, “Jethro”, are excellent targets and have been selected jointly between

our Geoscientific Teams.

“Our recently updated CPR report included a billion barrel increase in Gross Unrisked Prospective Resources to 3981.9 MMBOE. The evaluation of the Orinduik Block is ongoing and we are confident in our ability to prove up oil in the Tertiary aged section that has already been derisked by our neighbours on the Stabroek Block with the Hammerhead discovery. We have developed an excellent geological and geophysical model that we continue to build on together with our Partners,” Kinley stated.

Meanwhile, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eco Atlantic, Gil Holzman, was quoted as attesting to his company’s strong cash balance and inventory.

He was optimistic of his company transforming its fortunes in 2019.

“With the selection by the Orinduik Partners of the second well target for our 2019 drilling campaign, we are now set for a transformational period in the life of our company. With exceptional partners, a strong cash balance, and an inventory of many high impact drilling targets in the most exciting oil province in the world, we hope to deliver significant value to shareholders in the near term. I take special pride in our ability to

The Orinduik block

deliver and meet our professional objectives, bringing the company to such an exciting stage.”

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10-year Petroleum Prospecting licence and Production Sharing Agreement with the Guyana in 2016 French firm Total E&P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017; partnering with Eco

with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the block. A 3D seismic survey on the block is being finalised. It is understood that Total E&P has up to 120 days to acquire its working stake through payment of US$12.5 million, after getting the survey data Already, Exxon has made a dozen oil discoveries in the Stabroek block. After its 10th discovery, ExxonMobil had estimated the recoverable resource in the block to be five billion oil equivalent barrels.

12 News

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

6 more juveniles break Bandits shoot man, rob others of cash, out of NOC – scaling of fence, crawling through a koker: methods of escaping

The New Opportunity Corps

T

he hunt is on for six male teenagers who escaped from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast, on Tuesday last.

Reports are that on the day in question, at about 08:00h, four of the males escaped by scaling the perimeter fence of the correctional

facility.

Additionally, at about 17:30h, two others crawled through a dried up koker in the compound. They all made good their escape and are yet to be recaptured.

Less than two weeks ago, on March 16, twenty-four teenagers who were being housed at this holding cen-

tre in Region Two, escaped from the facility.

Reports are that around 19:30h the discovery was made that 17 males and seven females made good their escape even with three security officers and their dorm mothers and fathers in the building.

According to the police, investigations revealed that

the females opened a southern door in their dormitory and tied five sheets together then threw the knotted sheets over the western fence of the compound in order to escape.

Guyana Times was told that the males who broke out of the New Opportunity Corps did so by opening a southern window in their dormitory and simply climbed over the fence.

The police were able to recapture some of the male escapees while some other male juveniles voluntarily returned to the facility.

However, some of those who escaped from this batch are still on the run.

Meanwhile, residents in the area and neighbouring communities are calling for an immediate investigation as to why so many breakouts at the juvenile holding facility seem to be occurring and for certain security measures to be put in place immediately to correct this.

jewellery in Linden

P

olice in E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) are investigating a shooting and armed robbery committed on several persons at One Mile, Wismar, Linden, on Thursday evening. The incident has left one resident hospitalised.

Information received stated that during the incident, three bandits, one armed with a gun and the others with knives, at around 20:00h, allegedly robbed overseas-based Guyanese Omeanna Davis,

23, of Lot 745 Back Street, One Mile, of an iPhone 8 Plus, valued $220,000, two gold chains valued $550,000 and $70,000 in cash.

Another resident, Jermain Adams, 31, a gold miner of Lot 84 One Mile Extension, Wismar, was robbed of 45,000 in cash.

Additionally, Fidel Smith, 33, a construction worker of Lot M 12 One Mile, Wismar, Linden, was robbed of $2900 in cash during the incident.

Enquiries disclosed that the three victims were in the lower flat of Davis’ home when the bandits entered through the opened front door of the home. They reportedly ordered the victims to lie on the ground to which they complied.

The bandits demanded money and jewellery and relieved the victims of the aforementioned items.

They then locked the victims in a bathroom before making their way to the opposite house, occupied by Senora Beaton.

They were, however, met with resistance as the woman’s fiancée reportedly kicked the gunman into one of his accomplices causing them to run out of the house.

An alarm was raised and at that time, Marvis Edwards, 33, a miner of One Mile, who was standing on the street along with other persons, responded.

Edwards reportedly went in pursuit of the bandits but the gunman reportedly discharged three shots in his direction thus injuring him in the process. He received injuries above his right ankle and on his right leg.

The bandits made good their escape in an awaiting motorcar. Marvis was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was treated and admitted a patient.

Meanwhile, police acting on information went to an abandoned house in Amelia’s Ward where they recovered the stolen iPhone 8 Plus phone. The suspected getaway car bearing registration number PNN 1180 was also found at the home of a Canvas City, Wismar, Linden, resident.

Two persons have since been arrested and are assisting with the investigation.

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News

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

SOCU Head Second video of school violence surfaces on social media ….MoE verifies incident occurred 2 years ago clams up on J Patterson’s new DHB bid probe

The proposed new Demerara River crossing

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

H

ead of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James has dodged questions on the status of the probe into the award of a sole-sourced contract for a feasibility study into the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson told Guyana Times on Friday that SOCU has concluded its investigations but he is uncertain of the findings.

He said, “From what my understanding is, I heard that the investigation has concluded, I don’t know the conclusions but you should probably ask them”.

The Minister added that the project for the new bridge is expected to come up at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) shortly.

According to him, “That is supposed to be a public-private partnership. It’s being piloted at the moment, reviewed by the public-private unit under the Ministry of Finance with the help from the [Caribbean Development Bank] CDB and obviously that will go to tender shortly”.

However, when Guyana Times contacted SOCU’s Head, Sydney James, to confirm the status of the probe, he hung up the phone.

Subsequent calls to his mobile went unanswered.

The contract in question was awarded to Dutch company LievenseCSO for a feasibility study into the new bridge.

The Opposition had requested that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) investigate the award of the $148 million solesourced contract.

The PPC had flagged Minister Patterson for requesting from Cabinet that the contract be sole-sourced instead of being processed through the Procurement Board as the law says should be done.

The PPC completed its investigation into the award of the contract for a feasibility study on a new Demerara River bridge and handed its report over on August 7, 2018. The report noted that several companies had bid for the project to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge and 12 companies had been shortlisted.

The report had added that only two of the 12 companies had made proposals.

As such, the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the Tender Administration Board approved the move for the project to be re-tendered. The project was not re-tendered; instead, Dutch company LievenseCSO was engaged by the Public Infrastructure Ministry to do the work.

Page seven of the report noted that the bid from LievenseCSO was “unsolicited”, but Patterson took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval, and Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged. The report, on page seven, stated that monies to be spent on the project were taken from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (Asphalt Plant Accounts).

It was subsequently announced that SOCU would be investigating the matter. Patterson submitted a statement to the investigative unit in September of this year, although this was criticised as the Opposition said the same standard used on them should apply to Government. Around that time, Opposition politicians were being questioned at SOCU headquarters over other matters.

ust days after the captured assault of students attached to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute had gone viral, yet another violence-based video has surfaced on social media; an incident that the Education Ministry stated occurred two years ago.

The video which was shared via Facebook, displayed a violent confrontation between a teacher and a student.

The Education Ministry in a statement on Friday confirmed that investigations revealed the incident occurred back in 2017 and involved a teacher and a student attached to the Christ Church Secondary school.

“The Ministry of Education has taken note of a video circulating on social media showing a confrontation between a student of the Christ Church Secondary School and a teacher. An investigation revealed that the incident occurred on October 19, 2017, between a teacher of the school and a Grade Nine student” the Ministry stated.

A snapshot from the video showing the teacher’s assault

The Ministry further noted that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between the teacher and the student over the misuse of a gadget.

“Further, it is understood that the confrontation was a result of the student using a mobile phone during instruction time, which is prohibited. The matter was reported to the administration of the school following which the child’s parent requested that the child should be transferred to another school. That request was granted. The Ministry of Education has a clear position concerning the use of mobile phones by students during instruction periods.”

Moreover, the Education Ministry reiterated that it condemns any act of violence especially those in a learning environment.

Just days ago, a video surfaced and went viral on social media after it revealed the assault of three students attached to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute by a colleague. Both the Ministry of Education and Guyana Police Force have launched an investigation into the matter.

14 NEWS

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

High percentage of stakeholders, Indigenous lack knowledge in REDD+ initiative, benefits – plans to intensify sensitisation campaigns, communication activities in progress

I

n order to become eligible for millions of dollars in cash to mitigate the effects of climate change, Guyana is forging ahead with various consultations and sensitisation workshops both locally and internationally but much more work needs to be done to sensitise the populace.

Although such efforts are to be lauded, like many initiatives there are difficulties to be encountered and at this point, one of the major challenges is the fact that stakeholders have limited knowledge about the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) fund

Global CAD Consultant Thomas Scheutzlich

worth US$650 million.

This is according to Thomas Scheutzlich, a con-

sultant for Global CAD, who was giving an overview of the work his firm has done so far at a Natural Resources Ministry press conference on Thursday.

He explained that, sadly, stakeholders, as well as communities that are surrounding forested areas along with those that are intended to reap benefits from REDD+ incentives, are also lacking in knowledge of the initiative.

From surveys conducted by Global CAD in conjunction with the Natural Resources Ministry in 2018, data revealed that only about 51 per cent of organisations from Region

Four knew about REDD+.

Meanwhile, in the outlying communities, in the hinterland areas, where villages depend on the forest for a living, the percentage in unfamiliarity of the topic was higher.

Scheutzlich said that 64 per cent had no idea of the initiative. However, plans are moving apace to correct this situation and in the upcoming months, more focus is going to be placed on communicating much more with stakeholders and indigenous communities.

The German consultant stated that in the next few months, communication activities and sensitisation

events will be ramped up throughout most, if not all, regions across the country.

Come December 2019, a three-year programme to build Guyana’s capacity will end. This US$3.8 million project involves help from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Meanwhile, there have been ongoing consultations in seven regions with more meetings scheduled.

REDD in Guyana is intrinsically linked with the development and implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with Norway is currently the only source of finance through which the LCDS will be implemented although other financing sources may be harnessed as they become available.

The MoU establishes a framework for REDD payments into the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) which funds projects under the LCDS. The LCDS initiative was aggressively pursued under the former Administration despite the criticisms that came from the then Opposition, the APNU/AFC coalition.

Occupancy rate at housing schemes remains low – Housing Minister …50 low-income houses available at Prospect

By Rupa Sewnarine

T

he establishment of many developing housing schemes along the stretch of coastland has not eliminated the low occupancy rate, as many of the allocated plots remain uninhabited.

This was the position shared by the Junior Communities Minister with responsibilities for Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood,

who mentioned that the occupancy rate of many housing schemes remains below what is expected.

“It is no secret that while a number of schemes were developed in the past, the occupancy rate remains low, something that cannot be sustained… All those lots that were sold and most of those owners would have received their certificate of titles which gives them ownership,” said Yearwood-

Adams.

She made these remarks on Friday during an Open Day initiate, where the public was given an opportunity to view 50 houses that were constructed for low-income earners.

Because of the low numbers, the Minister stated that they are moving to repurchase these lands and allocate it to those who are searching for land.

“If you know people

who have a house lot and they’re not occupying it all these years, tell them come into [the Department of] Housing and sell it back to us. We’re going to pay the price we sold them for,” she mentioned.

Through a collaborative effort by a number of contracting agencies, the Department of Housing unveiled the structures, which were built at Prospect on the East Bank Demerara.

Interested persons checking some of the available houses

Continued on page 15

news

15

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

National Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination Platform reconstituted

A

fter being non-functional for almost two years, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Thursday reconstituted its Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination Platform (NDRRCP), in an effort to reduce the impact associated with disasters and emergencies.

In a statement, the CDC stated that natural and manmade disasters are on the rise globally and preparatory measures should be implemented.

“The Platform is tasked with the reduction of the impacts of natural and manmade emergencies and disasters in Guyana through increased cooperation and collaboration among Disaster Risk Management actors.”

Head of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig mentioned that the Platform was established back in 2010, where it remained inactive for close to two years. It was then reactivated in 2016 to 2017 when the last meeting was held.

Craig noted that the reconstitution was a necessity since the previous functioning body was limited, operating mainly as an infor-

the Presidency stated.

The Platform features representatives from the Public Health Ministry, Guyana Defence

Head of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig

mation sharing medium. As such, it was lacking the capacity of implementing national plans and policies.

The new Platform entails a three-scaled structure including the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which is responsible for spearheading the Plan of Action and implementing multi-sectoral projects.

The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), which will facilitate policy and legislative underpinnings for the realisation of the Plan of Actions and Recommendations of the TAC.

The secretariat is the third aspect, which fosters communication between TAC and PAC while monitoring the work of the NDRRCP. “It is envisioned that the reconstituted NDRRCP would help to strengthen national integrated Disaster Risk Reduction/Disaster Risk Management mechanism, ensure designated responsibilities, cross-sector collaboration and improved relevancy and functionality and effectively design, plan, implement and monitor interventions, among other outcomes,” the Ministry of

Occupancy rate at housing...

The houses feature basic amenities and those who are interested can move forward with purchasing one of the properties at a cost of $4 million.

CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Lelon Saul stated that this initiative mainly targets low-income earners. However, as time progresses, other types of housing units will be added to these communities.

“We are compelled to move beyond single units and duplexes.

Condominiums will also be added to some of our new developments. There is a great demand for housing. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to embrace public-private partnership framework since this will enable us to better respond to the demands,” Saul explained.

Persons can choose from

From page 14

a selection of duplex, single units, disability and the hinterland option, measuring 400 square feet.

Through the open house programme which extends to March 31, land owners are linked with contractors and potential homeowners can request assistance from lending agencies. One family will be eligible to win a sustainably designed home via a coupon lottery.

Force, Guyana Red Cross Society, Ministry of Social Protection, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Central Housing and

Planning Authority, the Hydrometeorological Office and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, among others.

16 news

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Bartica Stelling rehabilitation moves into phase 2

T

he rehabilitation of the Bartica Ferry Stelling has seen the completion of Phase One, and contractors mobilised their resources to enter the second phase just a couple of weeks ago.

This is according to the Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall, who told Guyana Times that this project will

improve the aesthetics of the township since it has been witnessing a growing number of tourists on a daily basis.

It is also the primary entrance into the town via vessels and should be constructed to facilitate a large inflow of ferries and travellers.

“Works are progressing nicely on the transport and

harbour stelling. Hopefully, we should have that facility by the end of 2019. The first phase is completed and just two weeks ago, the second phase would have started,” said the Mayor.

He added, “On completion, it would be a major project for us in a sense that it is the main entry point for us

when you come in by boat so it would definitely boost our tourism. It will also enhance the outlook of Bartica because we have a number of tourists that would visit,” he added.

Last year, an announcement was made that works on the docking area was pegged at $601 million. Phase One would have entailed the removal of a section of the stelling structure and the construction of a waiting room.

The agenda would have also mentioned a complete demolition of the southern section of the stelling, where it would be replaced with greenheart piles.

This publication understands that offices and stalls will be constructed in the future to boost economic activities.

“There will also be some mini stalls and also some oth-

Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall

er facilities to better provide a service to the people,” he stated.

The second phase of the project primarily involves the extension of the northern side

of the stelling to increase safety for vehicles traversing the structure through the construction of a draw bridge.

Back in 2016, the Transport and Harbour Department (T&HD) of the Public Infrastructure Ministry had undertaken rehabilitative works on various stellings and wharves across the country. These works were estimated to be in excess of $311 million.

During that time, there was a complete reconstruction of the northern high ramp, the replacement of defective beams and planks on the Bartica docking area.

Repairs were also done to the timber roof valley and the supervisor’s office, as well as the northern fender system.

Forty-six piles were driven during these rehab works.

Man gets 2 years for narcotics trafficking; woman remanded

A

woman was on Friday remanded after she pled not guilty to having in her possession more than 6kg of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Nandy Barker, 38, of Lot 70 Caneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. The police stated that March 25, 2019, at the Berbice River Bridge, she had 6.5 kilograms of cannabis in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Bernard Brown told the court that officers at a roadblock intercepted motorcar PNN 9408 that was driven by Barker and conducted a search during which the illegal drug was unearthed.

The Inspector said further investigations led officers to Lot 288 Errol’s Ville, Vryman’s Ervin, New Amsterdam, where a further 667 grams of the same drug

Alleged drug trafficker, Nandy Barker

was found. Timothy La Fleur was arrested and subsequently charged.

In court today La Fleur pleaded guilty to narcotics possession and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined $240,300.

In addition, Barker and La Fleur were jointly charged for the 6.5 kilos to which they pleaded not guilty. La Fleur told the court that he is a fa-

Timothy La Fleur

ther of two and is the sole breadwinner for the family.

He said he has a heart complication and has documents at his home to authenticate his claims.

Barker was represented by Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte, who made an application for bail but this was denied. She along with La Fleur will make their next court appearance on April 9, 2019.

Nigel’s Supermarket reopens; promises competitive prices, superb customer service

T

he New Nigel’s Supermarket on Friday reopened its doors under new ownership promising affordable prices to all Guyanese, as well as the best customer service.

At the opening, the proprietor of the supermarket, Otillo Pereira said the store officially opens for business today.

The Supermarket will be open from 07:00h to 23:00h on weekdays and 08:00h to 11:00h on weekends and holidays.

Pereira said he always had a vision of being the owner of such an edifice but was indeed shocked when the previous owner, Nigel Johnson, told him he believes he has what it takes to expand the business.

The Supermarket has been around for at least 20 years and is known to many Guyanese who look forward to shopping in comfort while benefitting from a wide variety of perfectly priced goods.

The air-conditioned environment welcomed scores into the building with warm greetings from some 60 employees, who have already been hired, at the opening.

Lights on. The New Nigel’s Supermarket reopens for business

The spacious aisles cater for a comfortable shopping experience and a number of cashiers are available to ensure the lines are kept short.

On the note of lines, Pereira told Guyana Times that a special cashier will attend to customers who hold a VIP card. Loyalty cards are also obtainable which gains points for the customer every time they shop in the store.

He said, “I am not here just about the competition because if you give the people what they want, the people will find you wherever you are and my vision in keeping the market is to keep the people”.

“We will supply good customer service (and) we will find out what the people want…if it’s with good price, if it’s with good quality, if it’s based on relationship,” Pereira posited.

He assured that the supermarket had done a survey to check on their competitors’ prices which guarantees that the New Nigel’s Supermarket is the best place to shop all year round.

Nigel’s Supermarket was forced to close its services a few years ago after it encountered some challenges. The New Nigel’s is, however, back on the market.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURday, MARCH 30, 2019

17

Around the World

No-deal Brexit fears rise as Algeria: Hundreds of thousands march Parliament sinks May’s deal for President Bouteflika’s removal

L

awmakers rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a third time on Friday, sounding its probable death knell and leaving Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union in turmoil on the very day it was supposed to quit the bloc.

The decision to reject a stripped-down version of May’s divorce deal has left it totally unclear how, when or even whether Britain will leave the EU, and plunges the threeyear Brexit crisis to a deeper level of uncertainty.

Within minutes of the vote, European Council President and Summit Chair Donald Tusk said EU leaders would meet on April 10 to discuss Britain’s departure from the bloc.

A succession of European leaders said there was a very real chance Britain would now leave without a deal, a scenar-

Protesters are demanding the resignation of President Bouteflika British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain March 29, 2019. ©UK Parliament/ Mark Duffy/Handout via REUTERS

io that businesses fear would cause chaos for the world’s fifth-biggest economy.

But in a special sitting of Parliament, they voted 344-286 against the EU Withdrawal Agreement, agreed after two years of tortuous negotiations with the bloc.

Britain now has under two weeks to convince the 27 capitals of the EU that it has an alternative path out of the impasse, or see itself cast out of the bloc on April 12 with no deal on post-Brexit ties with its largest trading ally. (Excerpt from Reuters)

H

undreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Algeria to demand the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Estimates say crowds in the capital, Algiers, reached a million. It is the sixth successive Friday of mass anti-Government protests in the country.

Earlier this week an

Army General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, called for the position of President to be made vacant.

But Opposition parties in Algeria said it would not guarantee free elections.

The renewed calls for regime change comes just days after Lieutenant General Gaed Salah demanded that Bouteflika be declared unfit to rule.

Demonstrations against Bouteflika began last month after the President, who has seldom been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, announced that he would stand for another term.

Lieutenant General Gaed Salah – who is also Deputy Defence Minister and seen as loyal to Bouteflika – this week called for the use of Article 102, which allows the Constitutional Council to declare the position of President vacant if the leader is unfit to rule.

The ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), backed the general’s call.

Under the Constitution, the Head of the Senate, Abdelkhader Bansallah, would become the acting Head of State until an election could be held. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Venezuela crisis: Red Cross set to begin crucial aid US, China hold “candid

T

he Red Cross (IFRC) says that it can begin distributing crucial aid supplies to crisis-hit Venezuela in two weeks. IFRC head Francesco Rocca said the group could initially help 650,000 suffering a lack of food and medicine.

The Government of President Nicolás Maduro and the Opposition are both said to back the aid move. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó said the Government had “recognised its failure by accepting the existence of a complex humanitarian emergency”.

Maduro hailed the arrival of aid from China on Friday as a victory over US sanctions

In February, Maduro used the military to block an effort led by Guaidó to bring in USbacked humanitarian aid convoys. Guaidó, the head of the

Opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim President in January, winning the support of more than 50 countries, including

the US. Maduro regarded the aid convoys as a veiled US invasion. Speaking at a news conference in Caracas, Rocca said: “We estimate that in a period of approximately 15 days we will be ready to offer help. We hope to help 650,000 people at first.”

Rocca said Venezuela had met the conditions for humanitarian work to be carried out.

Rocca said the IFRC would need to be able to act with “impartiality, neutrality and independence” and no interference.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

2 weeks before India starts voting, Modi predicts easy victory

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday his ruling coalition would increase its majority in India’s upcoming election, despite some independent analysts suggesting it could disappear due to discontent over lack of jobs and depressed farm incomes.

Involving around 900 million voters, India’s general election will be the world’s largest democratic exercise, with the vote taking place in seven phases between April 11 and May 19.

Results will be announced on May 23, and in an interview with Republic Bharat televi-

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses an election campaign rally in Meerut in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India, March 28, 2019

sion channel, Modi predicted an easy victory.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance partners will get more seats than the previous election,” Modi said.

In 2014, Modi led his Hindu nationalist BJP and its allies to the biggest majority scored by any political group in nearly 30 years, as a Congress Party-led Government paid the price for a faltering economy.

Though his approval ratings still trail Modi’s, rival Rahul Gandhi has worked hard to revive Congress and forge partnerships with regional parties.

Up until a few weeks ago, most opinion polls were expecting a close run race, but over the past month, Modi’s BJP has benefited from nationalist fervour unleashed by a flare-up in tensions with neighbouring Pakistan.

Modi dismissed Gandhi’s chances this time round, predicting the opposition would have to wait another five years to mount a serious challenge.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

WSJ: Anti-stall system activated in Ethiopian Boeing crash

T

he of the

investigators Boeing 737

MAX crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people have reached a preliminary conclusion that an anti-stall system was activated before the plane hit the ground, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people briefed on the matter.

The WSJ report on Friday said the preliminary findings from the flight recorders were subject to revi-

sions, adding an initial report from the Ethiopian investigators was expected within days.

The investigators looking into another deadly 737 MAX crash in Indonesia in October have also focused on the new anti-stall system called Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

According to a preliminary report from Indonesia crash investigators released in November, the MCAS on

the Lion Air flight was repeatedly pushing the plane’s nose down due to erroneous sensor information.

The two crashes, barely five months apart, have claimed a total of 346 lives.

On Wednesday, Boeing said a planned software fix would prevent repeated operation of the system that is at the centre of safety concerns.

Boeing’s fastest-selling 737 MAX jet, with orders worth more than $500 billion at list prices, has been ground-

ed globally by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), although airlines are still allowed to fly them without passengers to move planes to other airports.

On Wednesday, an American crew declared an emergency “performance issue” after taking off in a 737 MAX and returned to the Orlando airport in Florida safely. The FAA said it is investigating but the emergency was not related to MCAS. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

and constructive” trade talks in Beijing

T

he United States and China said they made progress in trade talks that concluded on Friday in Beijing that Washington called “candid and constructive” as the world’s two largest economies try to resolve a bitter, nearly nine-month trade war.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were in the Chinese capital for the first face-to-face meetings between the two sides since President Donald Trump delayed a scheduled March 2 hike in tariffs on US$200 billion worth of Chinese goods, citing progress in negotiations.

China’s State news agency Xinhua said the two sides discussed “relevant agreement documents” and made new

progress in their talks, but did not elaborate in a brief report.

Trump imposed tariffs on US$250 billion of Chinese imports beginning last July in a move to force China to change the way it does business with the rest of the world and to pry open more of its economy to US companies.

Though his blunt-force use of tariffs has angered many, his push to change what are widely viewed as China’s market-distorting trade and subsidy practices has drawn broad support.

Lobbyists, company executives and US lawmakers from both parties have urged Trump not to settle simply for Beijing’s offers to make big-ticket purchases from the United States to help reduce a record trade gap. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump threatens to close border with Mexico “next week”

P

resident Donald Trump on Friday again accused Mexico of failing to curb the flow of migrants illegally entering the US, and threatened to close the common border “next week” unless something changes.

Trump’s latest tweets ramp up the tension between the neighbours, putting a specific timeframe to his threats to shut the border, one of the busiest in the world.

“If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week,” he said.

Before Trump’s latest tweets, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reiterated that he does not want a “controversy” with the United States, and that Mexico is in fact

working to fight illegal immigration.

Lopez Obrador, an anti-establishment leftist who took office in December, has sought to cultivate a cordial relationship with Trump.

And it appeared to be working – until this week, when the Republican billionaire returned to the Mexico-bashing of his 2016 campaign, as he launches the run-up to his 2020 re-election bid.

Lopez Obrador wants the US to fund US$10 billion in economic development programmes for Mexico and Central America to attack the poverty and violence he says are the root causes of migration.

The White House appeared to be listening, sending top adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner to meet with Lopez Obrador in Mexico City last week for talks on the subject.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, March 30, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

dilbert

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Make decisions that are carefully considered. If you act on a whim, you will end up having regrets. Don’t let emotions interfere with decisions that could influence your reputation.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Pursue information and knowledge. Someone you are dealing with will have ulterior motives that could end up costing you. Put your time and energy into self-improvement and personal pursuits.

CANCER

Don’t feel inclined to make a change or buy into something just because someone is pestering you to participate. Stick to what you feel comfortable doing to come out ahead.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU TODAY’S WORD — CONCEDES (CONCEDES: kun-SEEDS: Acknowledges, often reluctantly, as being true or right.)

rage rhea rogue roue rouge rough ogre urea urge

gage gauge gaur gear gore gorge gouge gouger grog

hare hear hero hoar hoer hora hour huge hugger

ager agog ague argue auger ergo euro

Listen to what others say and observe how they react. Someone else’s change will make you realize where you stand and what you need to do.

Muster up some charm and mingle with people who have something to offer.

The connections you make and the ideas that develop will lead to interesting opportunities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Separate your emotions from whatever situation you face to get a better view of what’s actually going on and how to get the most out of it.

Romance is highlighted.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Don’t be fooled by a smooth talker or someone trying to put words in your mouth and ideas in your head. Do what will bring you the most happiness.

Stick close to home.

Time limit 35 minutes

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

YESTERDAY’S WORD — ROUGHAGE

Taking a short trip or talking to someone who can offer pertinent facts will help clear up any doubt you have about a project, offer or move you are considering.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Average mark 19 words

Can you find 27 or more words in CONCEDES? The list will be published tomorrow.

Don’t let boredom lead to a mistake. Do your best to deal with chores and then move on to activities you enjoy. If you put too much emphasis on beating others at their own games, you will lose.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Look for any opportunity to improve your living arrangements. Moving things around or clearing space for a project you want to pursue will encourage you to expand your interests and friendships.

Put more energy into personal gain, health and emotional well-being. Focus on home, family and making your surroundings stress free. Take action for the right reasons.

How you help others will make a difference. Use your imagination and call in favors if it will help you get what you want. Plan your strategy to fit your budget.

saturday, MARCH 30, 2019

19

Samson ton in vain after Warner-Bairstow fireworks R

ajasthan Royals may wonder how they lost this one. Their No. 3, Sanju Samson, struck a sublime 102 not out off 55 balls.

During the course of that knock, he had also shared a 119-run partnership off 75 balls with captain Ajinkya Rahane. With the ball, leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal

instance, had bludgeoned 67 off 36 balls, and had motored his team to a position where they were well ahead of the required rate; and yet they continued to take chances, perhaps knowing there was plenty of firepower to come.

He was caught on the fine leg boundary off the 37th ball he faced.

brought them only 35 runs, perhaps a consequence of Jos Buttler having lost his wicket in that period. Even the next three overs yielded modest returns - Royals sitting at 62 for 1 after 9 overs.

Sunrisers still had to orchestrate their highest successful chase ever, beating the 188 they had made against Delhi Daredevils last year; but had Royals taken more risks at the top of their innings, Sunrisers may have had to chase even more than 199.

Key innings for Sunrisers

Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson

even took 3 for 27, by a distance the best figures of the match.

And yet, despite having had the best innings of the game, the biggest partnership, and the best bowler, Royals lost by a distance, Sunrisers Hyderabad having an entire over and five wickets to spare when the winning runs were hit.

Where Royals had star individual performances, Sunrisers made better use of their resources across the board. Royals only had four batsmen take strike, but Sunrisers were better able to use their depth, because their top order batsmen took more chances. David Warner, for

Sanju Samson

Jonny Bairstow, who was involved in a 110-run opening stand off 58 deliveries with Warner, and Vijay Shankar who made 35 off 15, were similarly adventurous despite having propelled their team to positions of strength.

They trusted the batsmen below them.

Royals, meanwhile, had slow-ish periods of their innings.

The Powerplay

Warner set the tone for the chase, hitting the first ball of the innings for four past fine leg, and the fourth ball for six over midwicket.

In fact, each of the first eight boundaries of the innings -- seven fours and that sixes -- came off Warner’s bat.

Opening partner Bairstow did soon find his own rhythm as well, and even though the two were dismissed in successive overs-- the 10th and 11th of the innings -- they had put Sunrisers on track.

Vijay Shankar, coming in at No. 4, ensured they stayed on that track, hitting three sixes and a four in his 15-ball stay, in which he made 35.

Even a serious middle-overs stutter, during which three Sunrisers batsmen were out for three runs, could not derail the good work these batsmen had done.

Rashid Khan’s watch

Arguably the best T20 cricketer on the planet, Rashid Khan made sure to impose himself on this game

Ben Stokes removed Warner

as well. First, he bowled the imperious Jos Buttler behind his legs in the fourth over. He then completed an outstanding spell, conceding only a run-a-ball.

When Sunrisers had their middle-order batting stutter, Rashid showed he could hold his nerve with the bat as well. Coming in at No. 7, Rashid struck vital boundaries to kill the game. With eight runs needed off eight deliveries, Rashid drilled an attempted Jofra Archer yorker for four through cover, then struck him high into the stands beyond deep square leg to seal the match. Rashid made 15 off 8 balls with the bat.

The batting highlight

Wrists. Every batsman has them. Almost no one weaponises them to the extent that Sanju Samson did in the most spectacular over of the match - the 18th of Royals’ innings, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The serenely-struck six over long off first ball was glorious enough, but it was Samson’s four fours square on the offside that were the gems that studded his innings.

Bhuvneshwar didn’t do a lot wrong, really. All four of those deliveries were very nearly yorker length, and they weren’t too far wide of offstump. Samson, though, kept getting low and carving them majestically either side of point. So graceful was he that the shots brought to mind the artistry of a VVS Laxman or Mahela Jayawardene.

The fours came two at a time during a stretch of five

deliveries. With a legside two breaking up that sequence, Samson reaped 24 from the over, and although Royals seemed destined for a score of about 180 for the majority of their innings, that over put something closer to 200 in their sights.

Samson was outstanding, striking at over 185. Perhaps it was Rahane, who made 70 off 49 (a strike rate of 143), who needed to take more risks earlier on. (ESPNcricinfo)

David Warner hit backto-back fifties

3

SCOREBOARD

Rajasthan Royals Innings (20 overs maximum) AM Rahane (c) c Pandey b Nadeem 70 JC Buttler † b Rashid Khan 5 SV Samson not out 102 BA Stokes not out 16 Extras (nb 1, w 4) 5 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 9.9) 198/2 Did not bat: SPD Smith, RA Tripathi, K Gowtham, JC Archer, JD Unadkat, S Gopal, DS Kulkarni Fall of wickets: 1-15 (JC Buttler, 3.2 ov), 2-134 (AM Rahane, 15.5 ov) BOWLING B Kumar (4-0-55-0) Sandeep Sharma (4-0-38-0) Rashid Khan (4-0-24-1) S Kaul (4-0-32-0) S Nadeem (3-0-36-1) V Shankar (1-0-13-0) Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings (target: 199 runs from 20 overs)

DA Warner c Kulkarni b Stokes 69 JM Bairstow † c Kulkarni b Gopal 45 KS Williamson (c) c Tripathi b Unadkat 14 V Shankar c sub (P Chopra) b Gopal 35 MK Pandey lbw b Gopal 1 YK Pathan not out 16 Rashid Khan not out 15 Extras 6 (lb 1, w 5) TOTAL 201/5 (19 Overs, RR: 10.57) Did not bat: B Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, S Kaul, S Nadeem Fall of wickets: 1-110 (DA Warner, 9.4 ov), 2-117 (JM Bairstow, 10.6 ov), 3-164 (KS Williamson, 14.4 ov), 4-167 (V Shankar, 15.3 ov), 5-167 (MK Pandey, 15.4 ov) BOWLING DS Kulkarni (3-0-40-0) K Gowtham (2-0-25-0) JC Archer (4-0-42-0) BA Stokes (3-0-40-1) S Gopal (4-0-27-3) JD Unadkat (3-0-26-1)

Rashid Khan sealed the chase

20 Pakistan caught short despite Abid Ali, Rizwan tons GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturday, march 30, 2019

P

akistan will wonder how this one got away. They had two centurions in a chase of 278 and still ended up losing the fourth ODI against Australia by six runs. Abid Ali, one of two debutants in the Imad Wasim-led side, scored 112 off 119, and shared a 144-run stand for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan (104 off 102), but the collective inexperience of this second-string side was laid bare as they failed to kick on at the right time, leaving themselves 0-4 down in the series and facing a very real threat of getting clean swept in the home conditions at UAE. Australia, meanwhile, have been given another dose of optimism as the prospect of a successful title defence is no longer simply wishful thinking. Today’s win, characterised by the typical Aussie doggedness, will be a massive injection of confidence heading into their final game of preparation ahead of the World Cup. Australia had a competitive score -- 277 -- on a spinning wicket, but without the ever-reliable Pat Cummins (rest), the bowling attack was rendered particularly insipid by the combined brilliance of Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan. The hosts got off to an ominous start when Shan Masood was castled by Nathan Coulter-Nile in the first over of the chase.

The 31-year-old Abid made a sparkling start, hitting two boundaries of Coulter-Nile and another couple off Kane Richardson to get the chase underway. But while he kept the scoreboard ticking over smoothly, his partner Haris Sohail struggled to turn the strike over, and hogged as many as 23 dot balls in his innings of 25 off 43, so much so that when he was dismissed, Pakistan already had to chase above a run-a-ball.

Mohammad Rizwan helped address the rut, and enjoyed a fruitful association with Abid. The pair hit 18 boundaries between themselves, and as each neared his respective hundred in the final chapter of the chase, only one result - a Pakistan win - seemed plausible. Pakistan were thrown off course as a nervous Abid Ali tapped the ball around for singles in the 90s. He got the milestone off the 111th ball he faced, but unfortunately for Pakistan, he was dismissed a couple of overs later by Adam Zampa.

Australia sensed their chance and went into the attack.

Umar Akmal and the other debutant, Saad Ali, fell for scores of 7 each, while stand-in captain Imad Wasim followed suit at an inopportune moment in the 49th over, with 21 needed off 9.

Rizwan, who’d gotten to his second ODI ton in the same over, hit a four, but was unable to keep strike for the final over, bowled by Marcus Stoinis. He holed out at deep mid-wicket off the second ball, effectively sealing the deal in the visitors’ favour.

Earlier in the day, Australia, put in to bat, overcame a midinnings hiccup, thanks to a 134-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey. Maxwell fell two short of his 100 attempting a non-existent second run, while Carey made an assured 55. Usman Khawaja also scored a halfcentury before Pakistan’s spinners orchestrated a middle-overs choke through spin.

Australia, who had made a bright start, succumbed to the spin of Imad and Yasir through the middle overs, and slumped to 140 for 5 before Maxwell orchestrated the rescue. In Carey he had a partner who could nudge the singles at will. Once the tough Imad-Yasir Shah phase was negated, the boundaries began

flowing more freely. By the 40th over, the pair had nudged the score to 191 for 5 and set Australia up for a launch in the final 10.

That push came courtesy of Maxwell, who more than doubled his score (he was on 48) with a flurry of boundaries. He reached 97 at the start of the final over, having hit nine fours and three sixes.

A second ODI century seemed inevitable, before it was cruelly snatched away as Maxwell was run-out for 98.

Carey, too, fell off the final ball of the innings, but not before he’d played a crucial hand in helping Australia add 86 in the final 10 overs of the innings, a defining period of play in determining the eventual result of the game. (cricbuzz)

Abid Ali celebrates after his 100 on debut

Ferrari appear to be back on form ...after dominating Friday’s practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Mercedes believe they could be as much as 0.5s a lap slower than Ferrari after testing, but they dominated the opening weekend of the season while Ferrari struggled.

But the red cars have been quick from the off in Bahrain, and at this early stage look the team to beat, although it is notoriously difficult to predict exact form from Friday’s practice.

However, Vettel did have a spin, losing control of the Ferrari under power at Turn Two, as he started his race simulation run later in the session.

T

he Italian team struggled at the seasonopening Australian Grand Prix, finishing nearly a minute behind race-winner Valtteri Bottas’s Mercedes.

But Sebastian Vettel headed Charles Leclerc to a one-two in Friday’s second practice, 0.603 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Leclerc topped the first session from Vettel nearly a second up on Bottas.

“The Ferraris have been quick from the getgo, and picked up more pace from there; so it’s completely different to what we’ve seen in Melbourne,” said world champion Hamilton.

“We had some issues with the balance of the car, but we made improvements for FP2. At the moment, it looks like the Ferraris are ahead, so we have to keep our heads down, keep working, analyse things tonight, and try and come back stronger tomorrow.

“I think (that) as we get to qualifying, everything will get a little bit closer; but it is going to be a tough battle,” Hamilton said.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto supported that view, saying he thought the results of Friday’s practice were “misleading”, and that he believed Ferrari had been running their engines more aggressively than Mercedes.

Binotto added that he expects a “very tight battle” with Mercedes in qualifying, but did say the team were “progressing” after Australia, and they were not suffering from the same problems they had there.

Unusually, Ferrari did a second qualifying simulation run in second practice, Vettel and Leclerc both improving marginally over their first lap.

Vettel extended his advantage over Hamilton by 0.1sec, and Leclerc, who had been 0.141s slower than Vettel on his first run, reduced the gap to his team-mate to just 0.035s.

Ferrari’s performance on the first day of the weekend at the Sakhir circuit was more akin to what was expected of them in Australia, after impressing in pre-season testing.

Meanwhile, Red Bull were unexpectedly slow, at least on one-lap pace.

Max Verstappen was only sixth quickest, 0.783s off Vettel, and team-mate Pierre Gasly 0.862s further back in 13th.

The Dutchman was slower than the impressive Renault of Nico Hulkenberg in fifth, with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, the British rookie, in seventh and eighth, ahead of Haas driver Romain Grosjean and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat.

(BBC Sport)

Miami Open: Isner ends Auger-Aliassime’s run to reach final

J

ohn Isner, who hit 21 aces against Felix Auger-Aliassime, has 11 matches in a row at the Miami Open Defending champion John Isner reached another Miami Open final by ending Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime’s historic run.

The 33-year-old American edged out his 18-year-old opponent, who was playing in his first Masters semi-final, in a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) victory.

Auger-Aliassime was left to rue missed chances, failing to serve out at 5-3 in the first set and 5-4 in the second.

Isner fought back to edge both sets, and could face Roger Federer in the final.

Switzerland’s 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer, 37, takes on Denis Shapovalov -another Canadian teenager -- in the other semifinal later on Friday.

Auger-Aliassime, aged 18 years and 233 days, is the youngest man in the tournament’s 35-year history to reach the last four, having beaten a 14-year record set by Spanish 17-time major winner Rafael Nadal.

Despite the inevitable frustrations of not taking his chances against Isner, the Canadian qualifier will reflect positively on a remarkable week that has announced his arrival as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

His performances in Florida mean he will be the first male player born in the 2000s to reach the world’s top 50, climbing up to 33rd when the rankings are released on Monday.

“Felix can get to the very top,” Isner, who has won nine of his 10 sets in Miami in tie-breaks, said. “I can’t say enough good things about him.

He has got it all. He is very humble and won’t let success get to him.” (BBC Sport)

John Isner (right), who hit 21 aces against Felix Auger-Aliassime, has won 11 matches in a row at the Miami Open

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est Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph arrived in India on Thursday, where he will suit up for the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League tournament.

The lively, energetic speedster from Antigua was not in the original squad, but got a call-up to the Mumbai camp after the squad was hit by injuries.

He is a direct replacement for Adam Milne of New Zealand, and will share the dressing room with experienced all-rounder Kieron Pollard and stroke-maker Evin Lewis Joseph was a member of the West Indies team which recently beat England 2-1 in the Wisden Trophy Test Series.

He played all three matche s and took 1 0

wickets, including a superb spell of 2-12 in the second innings of the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, to help win the match and seal the series.

“This is my first time in the IPL, and I want to make the most of this opportunity. I’m in good form with the ball following the Test series against England, and then with the Leeward (Islands) in the four-day tournament, so I’m feeling confident and ready,” Joseph said after arriving in Mumbai.

“For me, it’s learning… trying to learn new things about the art of bowling in T20 cricket, and adjusting to the various conditions.

We have some great

players in the MI squad, and legends around the team as well, so I will look to soak up the atmosphere, improve my overall game, and contribute to the team when called upon.”

Joseph burst onto the scene during the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016 with his ability to bowl fast. He picked up 13 wickets from six matches, including three in the final against India, helping his side win the trophy. Joseph has played seven T20 games so far, and has nine wickets to his name, with a best of 4-41 and a strike rate of 17.

Mumbai Indians had their second match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru on Thursday. They won it by six runs. The former champions began their campaign this season with a 37-run defeat at the hands of the Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday. (CWI)

DAILY & NSC honours athletes who SUNDAY participated in Special Olympics COPIES OF THE

…awarded with NSC Medal of Achievement and one-day all-expense-paid trip

By Timothy Jaikarran

GUYANA T TIMES in your area?

Contact our

Circulation Department on Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55

eam Guyana represented the nation in the 2019 Special Olympics held in Abu Dhabi from March 8-22, 2019, and Guyana walked away with three silver and two bronze medals respectively. As such, Team Guyana were rewarded for their efforts yesterday at a simple ceremony held at the Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue.

Opening the ceremony, Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, recognised the athletes, main sponsor Digicel, and the Permanent Secretary in the Department of Social Cohesion, Melissa Tucker, as he applauded them for their hard work in making this event a success.

Digicel Guyana’s Communication Manager Vidya Sanichara congratulated the athletes for their impeccable performance, and went on to relay that Digicel is very pleased to be the spon-

Director of Sport Christopher Jones posing with the athletes, Digicel Guyana’s Communications Manager Vidya Sanichara and Permanent Secretary in the Department of Social Cohesion, Melissa Tucker

sor of such an event, and is very pleased to give back to the athletes.

Permanent Secretary in the Department of Social Cohesion, Melissa Tucker, said, “The passion, drive and determination of our athletes is unmistakable. We are so proud of the accomplishments of Team Guyana. It is important to mention (that) in the area of athletics, specifically the 400m event, three sil-

ver medals were captured; in the 4x400m, four bronze medals were captured, and one bronze medal was achieved in the 5000m event for a total of 8 medals. To this end, the Government has contributed a sum of 2 million dollars towards Team Guyana’s participation at the Special Olympics. This is a testament of our pledge to invest in our athletes and help realize their dream to one day represent

the Golden Arrowhead. I offer my warmest congratulations to the young team on your achievements in getting where you are today. I wish you all the very best for every success in your future”.

Thereafter, the competing athletes and coaches were presented with medals of achievement by the National Sports Commission (NSC). Securing medals for Guyana were Faith King, Abdullah Brathwaite and Dacia George, who got a silver each in separate 400m events; Calvin Thomas, who got a bronze in the 5000m and Team Guyana’s winning bronze in the 4x400m.

At the culmination of the ceremony, Jones stated that all the athletes, chaperones and coaches will enjoy an allexpense-paid trip, a one-day tour, as they will have lunch at Aruwai Resort and participate in recreational activities.

They will also be able to visit White falls, Bartica, Fort Island and many other places.

Mc Gill Super Star softball and domino competitions commence today

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t all goes down today at 15:00h, as the Mc Gill Super Star Sports Club will be hosting a grand 7-a-side floodlight softball cricket competition, fish fry and domino competition at the Okoo Cricket Ground at Canal #1, WBD. Proceeds from the event will go towards restoring the club’s cricket ground, which has begun to deteriorate.

Thus far, members of the club have completed preparing the ground, and are currently awaiting the matches to be played. However, funds are still needed to put up a fence around the ground and to install two sightscreens.

The old fence was taken

All funds will go towards the improvement of the cricket ground

down because it was rotten.

The club is inviting everyone to come out and support this fund-raising, as it is a worthy cause.

According to one of the organisers of the tournament, Travis Persaud, 12 teams

have registered for the cricket competition, while for the domino competition 6 teams have registered. The domino and cricket competitions will carry a registration fee of $10,000 per team, the winner of the cricket competition

will receive a first place prize of $100,000 whereas the domino champion will cart off $40,000.

Some of the sponsors of this event are Sudesh Persaud, Anand Persaud, Abdool Razack, Rameshwar Persaud, Manesha Gurudatt and Chicanand Shiwram.

The Mc Gill Super Star Sports Club is extremely grateful to all the sponsors and supporters who have supported their efforts to bring the club’s ground back to its glory days.

For more information, persons can contact Travis Persaud on 649-9496.

Food and drinks will be on sale.

22

saturday, march 30, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

61st Seniors Caribbean Table Tennis Championship…

Guyana continues to toil in search of gold medal…

– bags silver and 2 bronzes

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he action continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue as the 61st Seniors Caribbean Table Tennis Championship entered its final phase, with the athletes gearing up for the final day on Sunday.

Playing in the main draw of the men’s doubles last Wednesday, Team Guyana set out to attain a gold medal, but things did not go as planned, and the home side had to settle for being joint holders of the bronze medal because they were defeated by Dominican Republic 3-2, who eventually went on to win the gold.

In the mixed doubles competition, it was yet another day of unfortunate events, as Guyana once again had to settle for bronze because they were booted out in the semifinal 3-0, as Christopher Franklin and Trenace Lowe were

Part of the action on day five

no match for the likes of Issac Vila and Esmerlyn Castro.

Dominating once again, the Dominican Republic went on to defeat Cuba 3-1 to take the gold in their respective category.

In the main draw of the wom-

en’s doubles, the women looked more comfortable against their counterparts, as they defeated Jamaica to play Barbados in the semifinal. Facing Barbados, the home side made light work of the Bajans, defeating them 3-0 to face

off against the in-form Dominican Republic.

Duking it out in the finals, Guyana failed to attain gold, as they lost 3-0 to the Dominican Republic.

Trenace Lowe and Jody Ann Blake played their hearts out, but alas, their opponents were too strong for them, thus handing Dominican Republic their third gold for the day.

Meanwhile, in yesterday’s leg of the tournament, in the Men’s Under 21 singles event, the local side were involved in some tentative fixtures. In group one, Terrance Rausch of Guyana remained in third position on two points as he was only able to secure one win. While in groups two, three and four, Guyana remained in third, second and first place respectively.

In the junior singles competi-

tion Miguel Wong of Guyana was stuck on third place, while in the other three groups, Guyana was relegated to a strong second position, as their fellow opponents prevented them from grabbing first position. In the under-21 women’s singles event, the local side was not as competitive as the men’s, as Priscilla Greaves and Nevaeh Clarkston were the only two that remained in first and second position respectively. The other three Guyanese players therefore had to settle for third place in their groups.

The rules for the Under 21 men and women are: 2 players from each group will advance to the main draw as they compete in matches of 5 games.

The action will commence at 10:00h tomorrow, and Guyana will be in search of gold, the competition is open to the public.

Montagliani re-elected Linden Mayor’s Cup football CONCACAF President to kick off Town Week sports

V

ictor Montagliani will serve a second term as president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

The Canadian was re-elected unopposed to the post at the CONCACAF Congress in Las Vegas on Friday, and will serve a second four-year team, which ends in 2023.

Montagliani first became president of CONCACAF in May 2016 when he defeated Bermuda Football

Victor Montagliani

Association president Larry Mussenden in his first

term. During that period, CONCACAF had been embroiled in a heavy scandal.

Since coming to office, Montagliani has instituted the CONCACAF Nations League and expanded the Gold Cup, which serves as confederation championship.

Randolph Harris (vice-president, Caribbean), Yon de Luisa (vice-president, North America) and Jorge Salomon (member, Central America) also were unopposed in winning their elections Thursday. (sportsmax)

T

he Linden Town Week Committee will begin its official sports activity tomorrow night (Sunday) with a double header start to its Mayor’s Cup Football tournament, in which twelve clubs have been invited to contest.

Linden Mayor Mrs.

Waneka Arrendell was there for the draw on Thursday in the Linden Mayor and Town Council Chambers, where the club representatives witnessed the drawing of the fixtures, which allowed the top four clubs from the most recent tournament a passage into the final eight.

They were the senior club champions of Linden Christianburg, Eagles United; Net Rockers, Winners Connection and Botafago.

The opening games are set for 19.00hrs, with the

first game being between Amelia’s Ward Panthers and Capital FC, and the second, from 21.00hrs, featuring Blueberry Hill United and Hi Stars.

The other clubs in the tournament are Milerock’s B Side, Silver Shattas, Coomacka and Topp XX. While those would be the tournament games, there will be a supporting East versus West Veterans game from 16.00hrs, and a march past of the contesting clubs from 18.00hrs, before the opening ceremony officially gets underway.

GFF participates in the 34th David Willey pulls CONCACAF Ordinary Congress out of IPL 2019

D

avid Willey will not be turning out for t h e Chennai S u p e r Kings in this Indian P r e m i e r League, as he has opted to stay a t

P

GFF President Wayne Forde and Rayan Farias at the 34th CONCACAF Congress

resident Wayne Forde and GFF Executive Committee Member Rayan Farias yesterday participated in the 34th CONCACAF Ordinary Congress, held at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. On behalf of the Guyana football fraternity, they attended the one-day Congress which constitutes the 41-member CONCACAF Member Associations.

Among the agenda items was the election of some key positions, including that of CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani.

“Guyana was pleased to support the re-election of President Montagliani, and wishes him well as he continues to invest in the growth of our game across the Confederation,” Forde said in an invited comment.

“The CONCACAF Ordinary Congress is an important

President Wayne Forde and Rayan Farias at the 34th CONCACAF Congress Held in Miami, USA

business meeting in which Guyana is always honoured to participate in the decision-making process that continues to shape the future of the game in our Region under the One CONCACAF

vision of President Victor Montagliani,” Forde added.

Among the attendees of the Congress were FIFA President Gianni Infantino and guests from the international football community.

David Willey

home for the birth of his second child. Willey was one among the eight foreign imports in the defending champions’ initial squad.

The English all-rounder was brought into the CSK squad last year as a replacement for Kedar Jadhav, and had subsequently been retained. CSK had earlier been hit with the injury to South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi, and are now left with just six overseas options to choose from. No replacements have been named yet.

CSK are already two games into the tournament, winning both, and have used only three foreign players in both the games. Willey is reportedly still in Leeds, training with his county side -- Yorkshire. Willey had initially delayed his departure to India as he awaited the birth of his child, but had to altogether cancel his plans.

CSK are currently second in the table, with wins over Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals. They will take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday in Chennai.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, march 30, 2019

23

CWI Women’s T20 Blaze…

Giddings, Grimmond, Millington star as Guyana win by 23 runs Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

A

polished bowling performance by the Berbicians Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond and Plaffiana Millington, who grabbed three-wicket hauls of their own, steered Guyana to a 23-run win over the Leeward Islands. Batting first, Guyana Shemaine scored 146-7 in 20 overs, Campbelle Shemaine Campbelle top-scoring looked with 31. In reply Leeward Islands established showed some effort, but were during her eventually bowled out for 123 run-a-ball 31 in 20 overs.

Guyana’s captain, Shemaine Campbelle, won the toss and opted to bat first in the second round at the National Stadium, Providence. The Guyanese openers Sheneta Grimmond and Tremayne Smartt managed only 16 runs together for the first wicket stand, before Grimmond was dismissed

by Melica Clarke for 13 from 9 balls, inclusive of two boundaries.

The ever-consistent Shemaine Campbelle partnered Smartt, and the Berbician duo added 39 runs in the second wicket partnership. Smartt, who opened the batting for Windies Women and Guyana on previous occasions, fell in the eighth over for a well-organised 20 from 24 balls, hitting three fours in the process.

Two of the best batters in the Guyana team, Campbelle and Shabika Gajnabi, joined forces and added 44 valuable runs before Campbelle’s innings ended when she was out caught in the deep playing a pull-shot for a run-a-ball 31, inclusive of two fours.

Gajnabi was again run out, for 13 from 17 balls. Akaze Thompson (08) continued her failures with the bat. Melanie Henry, who has been getting opportunity on numerous occasions, crept to 12 from 15 balls, hitting one boundary, which was a dropped chance. Giddings (08) and Cherry Ann Fraser’s 15 from 10 balls saw the Guyanese finish on 146-7 in 20 overs.

Once again, it was Shemaine Campbelle top-scoring with the bat for the Guyanese, with 31 in an incomplete batting performance. Bowling for the winless Leeward Islands, Davanna Claxton had 2-17 in two overs with her right arm medium, while Melica Clarke, Amanda Edwards, Saneldo Willet and Rozel Liburd had one wicket each.

Team work: Guyana gathers after a Leeward Islands wicket

In Leeward Islands’ run chase, they were ruffled by the most consistent Guyanese bowler, Erva Giddings. The first ball bowled

by Giddings beat Melissa Howard, who was bowled for a golden duck. Bowling the second over of the innings, Tremayne Smartt was lashed out of the attack when she conceded 18 runs in one over. Swanisha Hector hit three crisp fours, while Shebani Bhaskar hit one four in the fruitful over for the visitors.

Giddings continued to bowl spot on when she knocked over Leeward Islands captain Swanisha Hector for 13 from six balls. Four runs later, Giddings shattered the stumps of Saneldo Willet, as the way was cleared for the Guyanese to rattle the Leeward Islands team.

The off-spinners Plaffiana Millington and Sheneta Grimmond were introduced, and they continue to bag wickets at regular intervals. Bhaskar was out stumped off Millington by newly appointed wicket-keeper Melanie Henry. The first eight wickets for Leeward Islands fell for 39 runs, with Grimmond and Millington bowling in tandem.

An introduction of the out-of-colour Thompson saw 17 runs conceded in her over, until Grimmond removed Terez Parker for 26 from 18 balls, after she had hit five fours before being caught in the field by Campbelle. After the 38-run partnership was broken in 12.4 overs, it took the Guyanese the final ball of the innings to break the 55-run partnership between Rozel Liburd and Davanna

Claxton. Mandy Mangru bowled Liburd for 41 from 34 balls, which included two fours and one six.

Bowling for Guyana, Erva Giddings had figures of 3-12 in four overs, bowling 19 dots; while off-spinners Plaffiana Millington had 3-15 bowling 14 dots, and Sheneta Grimmond had 3-19 in four overs, bowling 15 dots.

Speaking after the match, Shemaine Campbelle noted that the batters need to execute what they have been doing in training sessions.

She lauded the bowlers for their spot-on performance although Leeward Islands showed some fight in the end.

Guyana will play Jamaica in the third round on Sunday March 31, 2019 from 9:00h local time.

CWI Women’s T20 Blaze

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Sheneta Grimmond bowling during her threewicket haul

Trinidad defeat Windward Islands by 7 wickets in rain-affected contest

rinidad defeat Windward Islands by 7 wickets in rain-affected contest The Merissa Aguilleiraled Trinidad and Tobago team defeated Windward Islands by seven wickets in a rainhit contest in the second of three matches at the National Stadium Providence.

Windwards batting first scored 59-3 in 9.4 overs while Trinidad achieved their revised target of 58 in 7.5 overs ending on 61-3. Earlier, Windward Islands won the toss and elected to bat first when the toss was spun and the heavens opened up and delay the start of play.

The players went out at 15:50h when the match was reduced to 14 overs.

Windward Islands batted for some 40 minutes as the rain once more played a role. In the first inning of the game, Windward reached their 59-3 when the big-hitting Cordel

Jack made 12 from 14 balls.

Stacy Ann Adams struck a run-a-ball 14 while Juliana Nero scored 19 from 20 balls.

Bowling for the Trinidadians, off-spinner, Felicia Walters had 2-15 in 2.4 overs.

Trinidad would have

fancied their chances chasing 58 runs in eight overs, they were made to work for every run. Stacy Ann King, who scored a half-century in the first round, notched up 25 from 17 balls, to cop her second player of the match

Cordel Jack is bowled all ends up (Brandon Corlette photos)

award.

Britney Cooper remained unbeaten on 23 from 18 balls, hitting two fours and one six. Reniece Boyce scored an unbeaten six as Trinidad sealed yet another win. Afy Fletcher and Cordel Jack had one wicket each for Windward Islands.

Meanwhile, in the final match, Barbados were in firm control as defending T20 champions Jamaica was bowled out for 95 in 17.2 overs; fast bowler Shanika Bruce had 4-16 while Hayley Matthews had 4-25 in four overs. In reply, Barbados got home comfortably with player of the match, Matthews hitting a fine halfcentury in the Bajan’s second win in as many matches.

The matches will continue on Sunday March 31; Jamaica will play Guyana, Barbados will meet Windward Islands and Leeward Islands will play Trinidad and Tobago.

saturday, march 30, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CWI Women’s T20 Blaze…

Page 23

‘Player-of-the-Match’, Erva Giddings, celebrating one of her three wickets as Plaffiana Millington (3-15) in background looks on

Giddings, Grimmond, Millington star as Guyana win by 23 runs 61st Seniors Caribbean Table Tennis Championship…

Page 22

VIVO IPL 2019…

Match #9 & 10 Time: 06:30h

Guyana continues to toil in search of gold medal…

Time: 10:30h

– bags silver and 2 bronzes

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