Guyana Times - Saturday, July 2, 2022

Public accountability, P12 transparency important to Guyana’s development path – President

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Issue No. 5057

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

Mindset change needed among citizens in order to develop Guyana – Pres Ali Page 7

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

"Blackboy" to serve 7 years for killing P8 drinking buddy

Fraudster jailed for 2 years P11

Desist from using illegal electrical connections – GFS amid rise P10 in fires Police Officers participating in the traditional piling of the drums to commemorate the Guyana Police Force’s 183rd Anniversary on Friday at the Traditional Drum Head Church Service, held at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with Prime Minister Brigadier (ret'd) Mark Phillips; Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, witnessed the annual event (OP photo)

Norton asks High Court to quash President’s appointment of Police Service, Integrity Commissions

88-year-old woman from Region 4 P14 succumbs from COVID-19

Child drowns in Mazaruni River boat mishap

No "Because We Care" cash grant for students withholding P15 loaned textbooks

See story on page 16

Page 9

“We can produce oil & gas as a responsible company” – ExxonMobil Page 11

…intends to play leading role in Guyana’s energy transition

AFC decides to part ways with APNU next year Page 3

…77 persons test positive in 24h

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 AFC decides to part ways with APNU next year L NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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eader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has announced that the party will be parting ways with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) upon the expiry of the Cummingsburg Accord at the end of the year.

Ramjattan, who was recently re-elected Leader of the AFC, said the decision was taken at the party’s recently-concluded National Executive Conference (NEC).

He explained that the AFC would only consider entering into a new coalition with the APNU closer to the next General and Regional Elections due in 2025.

“The decision on whether we should remain was, in a sense, decided at this National Conference,” he noted during a recent programme hosted on GlobeSpan.

“We have the Way Forward document that was given to every delegate in our conference…In this document, which we did about eight months ago, was to argue the case at the NEC, what are the pros and cons and what we should do,” Ramjattan explained.

He said three options were decided upon.

“One, to stay as is with the Cummingsburg Accord…another, to exit immediately at this National Conference…and/or to allow the Cummingsburg Accord to come to an end…,” he noted.

Ramjattan said the party ultimately decided on the latter option.

“It is the 31 of December this year that the Cummingsburg Accord comes to an end and then we maintain our independence and go hit the ground running, have good relationship with the APNU, have good relationship with the PPP, criticise them whenever we have to…and maintain an independent position,” Ramjattan revealed.

“And if it comes to that, whenever that is ready, another accord, more closely to an elections time, but that will depend on another National Conference to make that decision,” he added.

He reiterated, “effectively, we are in a Cummingsburg Accord period at this time until the 31st of December 2022. After that, as the party has now decided, we go separate to the extent of having an AFC doing its work all across the country separately and then, whenever that time comes, we can then make the decision [to re-join].”

Whenever that choice is made, Ramjattan pointed out, it will have to be collectively decided upon by the NEC. “It will not be the decision of Ramjattan…I love coalition politics now having entered it, but it got a lot of people who feel we should maintain our independence

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton

and let there be a three party…just as we did in 2006, 2011,” he noted.

The AFC’s next NEC is due for late 2024 or early 2025, the party leader said.

While the AFC had announced its decision to remain in the coalition with APNU until the expiry of the Cummingsburg Accord in December, no definitive position was shared regarding the party’s way forward until now.

Initial reports were that the AFC decided to stay in “a revised political alliance with APNU, whether coalition or a parliamentary cooperation agreement but the AFC must demand and secure a firm agreement and structure for it to have a greater influence on policy positions and political action within the alliance while maintaining its independence and rebranding and regaining its identity.”

The AFC had joined

hands with the APNU to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections and the coalition subsequently won. The parties signed the Cummingsburg Accord, which outlined the parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios for AFC and APNU members, respectively.

However, APNU, led by former President David Granger, had been accused of continuously violating the accord.

On December 24, 2019, after much back and forth between APNU and the AFC, a revised Cummingsburg Accord was signed, but the full details were never released to the public.

Following the AFC’s recent NEC, the APNU issued a statement whereby it expressed satisfaction that the smaller party decided to stay in the coalition. It had added that the AFC’s decision to remain in the coalition will “add impetus” to the parties’ “joint efforts” to win the next national election.

Fallout

One of the most recent fallouts between the APNU and the AFC dates back to September 2020 regarding the election of the Chair and Vice Chair for the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC) whereby the AFC was snubbed for the position of Vice Chair despite a previous agreement between the two sides.

The move had resulted in AFC’s David Patterson

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

resigning as General Secretary of the party but he had subsequently flipflopped on that position.

“The Alliance For Change behaved honourably and with integrity and would have upheld the accord and addendum. The party also noted the responses offered by the leader of APNU as to the reasons why the similar provision was not upheld by APNU,” the AFC said in its statement…The NEC was of the strong view, that a fundamental breach of the accord was committed, as such a committee has been established to provide guidance and recommendations to the party on the continued effectiveness of the accord as well as a review of the mechanisms to effect any future agreements,” the AFC had said in a statement in October 2020, following a meeting with the APNU on the matter.

TURN TO PAGE 14

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

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

Police and public trust

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gain, the Guyana Police Force is under scrutiny for the lack of trust by the public. Justified or unjustified, the criticisms currently facing the GPF come after an explosion of complaints over the years that have no doubt left the institution in turmoil as it grapples with a negative perception.

Earlier this year, the United States Agency for International Development, (USAID) in a report released, stated that Guyanese have greater trust in the military and religious bodies than in the Police Force.

Over the years, great efforts have been made to reprofessionalise and re-capitalise each arm of the Joint Services, and more so the Guyana Police Force.

According to the report: “Public trust in the Police Force remains low in comparison to other institutions…the negative perceptions of the Force were shared equally between persons residing on the coast and persons in hinterland locations.” The report had also pointed to several Policemen in various hinterland locations being accused of rape, and in other incidents, senior ranks were charged for fraud.

Last year in Parliament, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn had said that some 13 cops were under probe for criminal conduct, and 22 ranks were found in breach of disciplinary guidelines under various codes of conduct. In the year 2020, several Police ranks were placed before the courts for offences such as narcotics smuggling, assault, corrupt transaction, rape, manslaughter, and causing death by dangerous driving.

In 2020, after regaining power, the PPP/C Government, through strategic placement of senior ranks, once again embarked on a dynamic crusade to create a people-friendly, proactive Police Force.

However, every organisation is a microcosm of the wider society, and the GPF is no different. Inasmuch as the society at large has criminals rampaging in every community, so, too, there are rogue cops defaming the entire Force and creating distrust between law-abiding citizens and the GPF. In the past, some ranks have been accused, rightly or wrongly, of perpetrating criminal activities themselves, and it is only just that, when caught, they should be dealt with in more punitive ways than those meted out to civilians, because they are supposed to be guardians of the laws of the land, and protectors of the society.

Some of these ranks disgrace their uniforms and the organisation to which they belong. They bring disrepute to the entire Force with their criminal actions, and should be dealt with condignly by their own counterparts in the service, as in a case wherein one Policeman nabbed three bribe-takers.

The rogues in the GPF have to be weeded out by loyal and honest members of the Force themselves in sting operations, cognisant of the fact that defamation ensuing from the criminal actions of even one rogue cop impacts the reputation of the entire Force, not merely the renegades. The distrust of the public for the Police intensifies, rather than wanes, and there are numerous instances when members of the public, fearing a negative response, prefer to suffer in silence rather than report crimes committed against them.

The trickle-down effects of crimes committed by rogue cops affect every Police rank, even those who have performed heroically in the line of duty, risking and sometimes losing their lives; those who have given service to their country and their countrymen beyond the call of duty; so it is incumbent on those honest, dedicated and professional Police ranks to identify, isolate, and eliminate the criminals within their midst, so that the GPF could once again become a highly-efficient, trusted, law enforcement body that fulfils its mandate by protecting and serving the nation.

The Police must lead by example. If they want to win the public’s trust, they must be seen as having integrity and decency.

There is no doubt the Police require public trust to do their work well.

President Dr Irfaan Ali is welcomed by US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch to celebrations of the USA’s 246th Independence Anniversary on Thursday evening at the US Ambassador’s Residence (OP photo)

Why the Rainbow Flag?

By Brian A. Nichols, Assistant S ecretary of S tate for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U nited S tates D epartment of S tate.

W

hen my grandparents emigrated to the United States from Barbados, they didn’t know if they would manage to make a life for themselves in the U.S. They certainly never imagined their grandchild would grow up to become an American diplomat, and eventually return to Barbados as an official representative of the United States.

In May, during my visit to Barbados and The Bahamas, the symbolism of traveling as an African American diplomat to a majority Black country lifted my spirits. Many other African American diplomats have had this experience too. Many Black Americans – diplomats or otherwise – are transported by the feeling of freedom and security that comes from circulating in a country where the majority of the people look like us. However, landing on the soil where my ancestors toiled, in the place that they loved, where people I saw on the street might be distant relatives, felt particularly exhilarating.

And yet, I am eternally grateful for my grandparents’ decision to move to a country made up of people with roots from all over the world, of fellow Americans who look nothing like me, and those who do. I love the diversity of the United States of America even though the scars of my country’s original sin – the sin of slavery – continue to regularly reopen, including recently when a white supremacist gunned down ten Black shoppers and employees at a

supermarket in Buffalo. Two years earlier, millions of other Americans and I witnessed in shock and grief the final eight minutes of George Floyd’s life in Minneapolis. And before him, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Emmitt Till, and too many more.

Because of my certainty that our diversity strengthens my country, I celebrate my decision to represent the United States as an American diplomat. After I worked my way up the ranks, President Biden appointed me Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs last year, making me one of the highest-ranking Black diplomats in the Biden-Harris Administration.

I oversee U.S. policy toward and partnerships with 34 countries in the region, thirteen of them in the Caribbean. One thing all thirteen U.S. embassies in the Caribbean have in common this June: They will all demonstrate their support of LGBTQI+ Pride Month. In Guyana, the LGBTQI+ flag is flying proudly for the entire month of June.

We also celebrated this year on the Government of Guyana’s decriminalization of cross-dressing by rescinding a colonial-era law from 1893. We applaud these efforts to make their society more inclusive and encourage continued efforts to rescind discriminatory laws.

The history of the rainbow flag is tied to gay California politician Harvey Milk, who challenged a friend to come up with a symbol celebrating the diversity of the gay experience. When Milk was assassinated in 1978, demand for the flag – and

protections for LGBTQI+ people – increased. The flag came to symbolize LGBTQI+ pride, and in 2015, the colors of the rainbow flag lit up the exterior of the White House to commemorate the legalization of samesex marriage in all 50 U.S. states.

Although born of tragedy, the murders of Harvey Milk and George Floyd both advanced social movements that broadened the way Americans think about human rights. Supporters of these movements – LGBTQI+ Pride on the one hand, Black Lives Matter on the other – insist that the government give all citizens equal treatment under the law. And for persons who embody both Black and LGBTQI+ identity, these movements are inextricably linked. And so, the rainbow represents not just Pride Month, but also a shared understanding that LGBTQI+ rights are human rights. The racist murder of Black Americans is as reprehensible as the bias-driven murders of LGBTQI+ individuals. In all such cases, they are hate crimes. This is why our U.S. embassies display this symbol proudly, to recognize universal, indivisible human rights.

The Summit of the Americas reinforced that we must all work together to overcome our shared challenges. Embracing the strength of our diversity will allow us to create a better future for everyone.

President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and I, along with millions of Americans, believe that racism, discrimination, homophobia, and transphobia are equally intolerable, and we work to eliminate them all, both at home and around the world.

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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

Government’s efforts very commendable GuySuCo needs all in redeeming prisoners the help it can get Dear Editor, Rehabilitation of inmates from the Lusignan and Mazaruni prisons is indeed great news for all Guyana.

I believe in second chances, since people have it within themselves to change for the better as they learn from their mistakes.

The news is that some 140 inmates from these two prisons graduated after completing training in various programmes, namely in the areas of agriculture, tailoring, animal husbandry, apiary culture, carpentry, joinery, literacy, art and craft, leather craft, and culinary arts. As we all know, the venture was all about preparing the inmates for reintegration into society. In fact, this is precisely what Director of Prions, Nicklon Elliot, said when the graduation exercise was held.

He noted, “Effective rehabilitation programmes within the prisons are important.

Not only do they teach inmates a sense of self-worth, but they can also help inmates acquire new skills that can be applied to starting a new life following their release from prison, and providing purposeful life goals.”

My mind goes back to Budget 2022, as this ongoing ‘budget revisited’ will support my take: that the Government of Guyana did earmark the sum of $88.9M to train prison inmates in areas such as anger management, literacy and numeracy, and tailoring, among other

skills, in an effort to reduce recidivism.

I recall Dr. Ashni Singh, when he presented to the National Assembly the People’s Progressive Party Civic’s landmark $552.9B budget, stating, “Budget 2022 is expected to launch the most rapid period of transformation and modernisation ever witnessed in the country’s history; and, for sure, the prison system must be accommodated.”

I recall also the call came from Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, who did mention that, even then, Government was already investing heavily in the prison system to reduce recidivism.

He had cited the reconstructing of the Lusignan Prison in addition to providing the necessary training for inmates and prison officers. His striking pronouncement was: “If we want to reduce recidivism rate at entry or overall, 13 per cent overall and nine per cent for new intakes, we have to improve the conditions. We cannot reform them, unless we improve their conditions.

We cannot make things better if we do not get them doing useful, gainful activities.”

So now, what we are seeing as Guyanese, is simply fruition of a commitment made in terms of prisoners’ preparation for life after release.

Let me inform the public that a number of studies in the field of Personality Psychology have found that when there is forced con-

Mon Repos looting, ECD disturbance and GPF Dear Editor, The recent protest and looting of Mon Repos Market vendors must be strongly condemned by every right-thinking Guyanese. I have not yet seen any statement emanating from the PNC. However, the main thrust of my letter has to do with the efficiency, or lack thereof, of the Guyana Police Force. I hereby ask the Police Force to answer the following questions: 1) Was permission granted for this protest? If so, when? Did the protesters and their leaders have to file a route, and was a specific timeframe granted?

2) Is it, or is it not, Standard Practice for the GPF to monitor the movements of protesters, to ensure they comply with the laws of Guyana during a peaceful protest?

3) Do the Police Force think their intelligence failed them?

Since most of the looters were of African origin and the victims were of East

Indian origin, shouldn’t the Ethnic Relations Commission immediately launch an inquiry into this matter, since it would likely further damage race relations between the 2 major racial groups, further making the One Guyana goal of the President even more elusive?

Editor, regarding the Quindon Bacchus matter that supposedly caused this instance of civil commotion and looting, there have been statements from former senior Policemen, whose focus seemed to be on whether the Police officer(s) involved in this shooting were treated with kid gloves, instead of facing the law if they acted outside of Police standard practice.

It would be helpful to the public if Commissioner (ag) Mr Hicken can reply definitively to the aforementioned comments and statements regarding this issue.

Yours sincerely, Chris Persaud

finement, habits of thought, behaviour and emotion do change in significant and consequential ways, especially in response to the different roles that we adopt as we go through life.

It is almost inevitable, then, that time spent as a prisoner in a highly structured yet socially threatening environment is bound to lead to significant personality changes. And this is where rehabilitation and reintegration kick in. Those must be used positively, and this graduation exercise is testimony to that positive capitalisation.

As we all know, one of the tasks of prison management is supposed to be using the time of incarcerated persons to provide them with the necessary skills to increase their chances of finding work and accommodation, and to establish support mechanisms that they can use in the community once they are released.

I guess that, in a few years’ time, we will see rewards of this kind of input.

Already something is in the

offing, as there are an additional 172 of these persons currently in the final weeks of some classes.

I close by reminding readers that, in 2021, “Adopted at the conclusion of the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Doha Declaration highlights the importance of supporting measures to support the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners into the community.”

The trend of which Guyana is a part is that of embracing the concept of rehabilitation in winning ground over that of punishment when dealing with prisoners. Around the globe, penitentiaries are now striving to effect change by providing inmates with opportunities during their sentence, so that they can more easily be reintegrated into society and again become active and fulfilled members of their communities.

Yours truly, H Singh

Credible Opposition is necessary Dear Editor, There is a clip circulating on social media of Opposition and PNC/ APNU Leader Aubrey Norton. The clip was taken from Mr Norton’s most recent press conference, during which he read a prepared statement. In a flight of fantasy, Mr Norton claimed that the protesters who stormed Mon Repos market on June 28th and inflicted beatings, robberies, and millions of dollars in damage to the properties of their hapless IndoGuyanese victims were sent by the governing PPP. Not only is this claim absurd, but it inflicts further damage to Mr Norton’s already waning credibili-

ty, and does a serious disservice to this country at a time when the country is poised to reap significant financial and other benefits from oil and gas.

What Mr. Norton fails to realise is that the country needs a strong and credible Opposition party and Opposition Leader, to provide the necessary checks and balances and to be the guardians of the nation’s finances, particularly during this time. If this is Mr Norton’s posture now, how does he expect to be taken seriously when he is actually speaking the truth?

Regards, Thomas Cole

Dear Editor, My interest was piqued when I read the local media about GuySuCo procuring Game tractors in favour of John Deere tractors. In all my years with the sugar industry, I do not recall any Game tractor being utilised, and I decided to ask my friends who are in GuySuCo about this machine, as I have been away for some time.

I have learnt that Albion Estate, maybe about a year ago, for the first time ever, got two of these tractors. My friends told me these tractors have hardly worked, and are right now parked in the compound of Albion Estate.

They said they find it puzzling that some team, which to their best knowledge had no idea of the conditions within GuySuCo, was asked to assess the Game and John Deere tractors, and they deemed the Game to be superior. They added that no GuySuCo personnel was invited to the examination, yet, inexplicably, they shared with me that, all of a sudden, Game is the chosen supplier.

They said the company which manufactures Game tractors has said it was for-

merly known as Cameco.

I did some research, and found that Cameco was acquired, ironically, by John Deere in 1997. A simple Google search can confirm this.

Additionally, my Google search led me to Game's website, and I saw the company marketing itself as staffed by former Cameco personnel. I have no reason to doubt them, but, Editor, I recall that Cameco tractors had performed inefficiently in GuySuCo. I remember, too, that Booker-Tate, when they came, had in their wisdom discarded the Cameco tractors in favour of John Deere and New Holland tractors.

Certainly, if the Cameco tractors were as good as GuySuCo now claims, why did Booker-Tate, with all their expertise, not retain them? Obviously, there has to be rhyme to the reason.

Editor, GuySuCo needs all the help it can get, yet it continues to ignore personnel who have considerable experience and knowledge.

I pray for GuySuCo, and I now know why GAWU has said the management needs a shakeup.

Yours faithfully, Surendra Drepaul

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

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Mindset change needed among citizens in order to develop Guyana – Pres Ali

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hilst outlining his developmental vision for the country, President Dr Irfaan Ali called on Guyanese to change their outlook on national matters, noting that without a mindset focused on transformation, Guyana’s prosperity will continue to be challenged.

He made the remarks on Thursday during a forum at State House where he apprised stakeholders on the gas-to-energy project and what such an initiative means for the country.

Before he delved into the details, the Head of State explained that the project must be examined within the wider construct of the country’s national transformational agenda which rests on seven pillars.

The seventh pillar, President Ali revealed, is mental transformation. He noted that this pillar was recently added after he took some quiet time to think about what’s happening in the country.

Referring to this pillar as “very important”, President Ali expressed that, “we need to have a mental transformation in our society because the scale of what we’re doing is completely different from the way we think.

From a business operational perspective, the scale is different from what we ever imagined”.

He added that, “the mental transformation talks about critical thinking and not this type of straight-line analysis and as I normally

say, the word that I used a lot these days, “the gyaffing” scenarios”.

“And it must lead to a mindset change. That requires all of us to understand the development path and agenda.”

Referencing the cleanup campaigns around the capital city of Georgetown, President Ali pointed out that, “we cannot accomplish a clean and neat environment to boost tourism if all of us don’t change our mindset in the way we approach the environment”.

This is not the first time that the Guyanese leader had cause to encourage citizens to change the way they think.

Following the violent protests along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) on Tuesday, President Ali told reporters that he had contemplated conducting an address to the nation live from a burial ground.

“To remind everybody that, at the end of the day, that’s our final destination…you want to fight, you want to break up, you can have everything, that’s our final destination,” President Ali expressed.

Also, whilst addressing members of the Guyanese diaspora in LA in June, President Ali argued that Guyanese and their “myopic thinking” will get us nowhere. He was at the time defending his decision to allocate several acres of land in Guyana to be utilised by farmers of Barbados as the two countries seek to push

President Dr Irfaan Ali

the regional food security agenda.

Referencing the criticisms he saw on social media, President Ali pointed out that “when I went to Barbados, what I saw, I saw an entire parish where the farmers were Guyanese, where the farmers were given land by Barbados to farm…where the Government of Barbados is investing in infrastructure to help them.” According to President Ali, “myopic thinking will not take us anywhere”.

Well-paid workers, better services

Meanwhile, the other pillars outlined by President Ali are associated with infrastructure, technology, services, energy security, food security, and human resources.

Speaking about infra-

structural transformation, the Head of State highlighted that “you’ve seen a very elaborate and detailed masterplan unveiling in the country as it relates to the infrastructure transformation of our country. The Linden-Mabura Hill Road, the new four lane highways, expanding highways, opening up opportunities for tens of thousands of acres of new lands, linking the hinterland, opening up new frontiers for tourism and the

new economy”.

But he cautioned that “infrastructure is not only about building a new road”.

“It is critically linked to buttressing the economy and opening up the growth that we want to see because we can’t become prosperous if we confine ourselves to the infrastructural arrangements we have now,” he expressed.

Moreover, he spoke about the natural course of urbanisation and highlighted that a lot of people who are working in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) are renting or living in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara).

“That is why we speak about the four-lane bridge that will be under construction soon but we have to start talking about advancing the next phase of linking these two regions because of what is taking place,” he noted.

When it comes to technology, President Ali explained that this has to be deployed “to its fullest in the transformation of our country”.

“It is the whole architec-

ture through which we will deliver service to the population,” he posited.

Regarding services, President Ali said the aim is to ensure “we deliver to the people of our country the best possible service in education, health, housing…”

On energy security, he reasoned that “it’s not just about production of electricity, that’s very narrow”.

President Ali emphasised that the goal will be to fulfil the local energy demands and then evolve to become part of an energy masterplan that goes beyond the country’s borders.

Meanwhile, President Ali reiterated his vision on food security and spoke about all the investments and initiatives the Government has been embarking upon to achieve this, not only in Guyana, but regionally.

The other pillar has to do with the country’s human resources transformation.

According to President Ali, this has to do with a “highly literate, skilled, high paid, resilient human resource base in our country…that is what we want to create”.

(G11)

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Blackboy” to serve 7 years for killing drinking buddy A

40-year-old man, Naresh Baldeo, called “Blackboy”, has been sentenced to seven years and three months’ imprisonment for the 2017 killing of his drinking buddy, Mohabeer Gangadeen, whom he had lashed about the body with a spade during an argument.

On June 5, Baldeo, formerly of Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, was arraigned before Essequibo High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds, indicted for the August 12, 2017 murder of Gangadeen, a miner.

However, on Thursday, he threw himself at the mercy of the court, pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, admitting that he carried out the killing in the Potaro Backdam, Region Eight

Manslaughter convict Naresh Baldeo, called “Blackboy”

(Potaro-Siparuni).

After considering the circumstances of the case, aggravating and mitigating factors, the presiding Judge imposed the aforementioned custodial sen-

tence, directing the penal institution to give the convict full credit for the time he spent in custody awaiting trial.

Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken appeared on behalf of the prosecution while Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Dindayal represented the now-convicted man.

Police Headquarters had said that the men were at a dredge in Potaro Backdam consuming High Wine and vodka when an argument ensued.

Gangadeen had reportedly accused Baldeo and another employee of stealing gold from the dredge.

As a result, the men got into a heated argument during which Gangadeen picked up a spade and dealt Baldeo several lashes to his face and hand.

Shooting the PNC...

W

Mohabeer Gangadeen

According to reports, Baldeo overpowered Gangadeen and took away the spade, with which he then dealt the now dead man several lashes about his body.

…in foot or back?

e live in interesting times, that’s for sure!! It’s said that the wish, “May you live in interesting times”, is actually a Chinese CURSE!! Meaning that it might be best to live in dull times, since life’s then predictable, so you know what’s ahead! And be prepared.

Interesting times? Two-edged sword, eh?? But here we are, in VERY interesting times – so we might as well look carefully at what’s “interesting”, and figure out why it may be dangerous.

The news du jour, of course, is the mayhem that was unleashed at Mon Repos at the end of a so-called “protest march” that started at Golden Grove. We don’t have to repeat the (sordid) details about a clear case of Police overreach, do we? The parents of Quindon Bacchus were clearly upset that the Policeman who had killed him hadn’t been charged in two weeks. Your Eyewitness didn’t expect them to be sympathetic to the workings of the law, as the GPF had sent the case to be investigated by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA). Problem was: if the Police hadn’t followed their own procedures, the rank in question could’ve gone to the courts and claimed his due process rights were violated!!

So, the family and friends started to protest in their village and its environs - even after the Top Cop had visited and promised the process was in flow. Still can’t blame them. But this was exactly what the Opposition opportunists on social media were waiting for. They’d been hovering like carrion crows to find a pretext for a protest that would bring out what they called “boots on the ground” - to oust what they called the “wicked and vindictive illegally-installed cabal”!!

They’d used the phrase so often over the last two years that it now came out like one word: “wicked-and-vindictiveillegally-installed-cabal”. We’ll abbreviate it to WAVIC…get it?? Wavic!! It would’ve been funny if it weren’t for the poor shmoes who mouthed it seeming to believe that, like some medieval incantation, it would actually REMOVE the PPP Government!! Now, as any real Opposition party, with a Leader of the Opposition and all that, the PNC were in a bind. How could they accept being the “Opposition” if they weren’t opposing a “Government”?? Opposing WAVIC meant giving recognition, which would neutralise whatever sting it had!! Talk about dilemmas!!

Anyhow, the poor schmoes kept on chanting WAVIC in all sorts of one-man and two-woman protests, (there are always more women in the Opposition protests!!) and the opportunists seem to’ve finally hit paydirt!! They’re busy signing up membership cards for their moribund party, which their newfound hero called the “Worst Possible Alternative”!!

The fly in the ointment, however, is: where does that leave the Leader of the Opposition??

Over to you, Aubrey!! …on democratic change Some very smart fella once pointed out that “democracy ain’t instant coffee”. You gotta be patient!!

America launched their democratic revolution since 1776, and they’re still busy straightening out kinks. And it’s not even a matter of what the Yanks are doing; it’s more about whether we want to live in a democracy or not!! If we don’t – like China, for instance – that’s fine, especially since they’re doing so well!! But we can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, can we??

So, we gotta accept that, if we don’t win an election, we gotta “take our licks like a man” - as one Caricom PM advised - and try again next time. And until then, fix what went wrong and get ready. But it seems that the “wild men” in the Opposition enjoy yapping at Aubrey’s heels to undermine his credibility. Meaning, they’re guaranteeing that they might all lose “corn and husk” in 2025! …and democracy The saddest thing is: democracy in Guyana needs the PNC. In these divided societies, most will still gravitate to a party of “their own”. Fortunately, the PPP and PNC are pretty balanced - so there are enough fence-straddlers to get either one in!!

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

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

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Child drowns in Excel Guyana enters exclusive Mazaruni River partnership with ICO Group boat mishap

E

Dead: John Albert

A

child has drowned and other persons reportedly injured after a boat capsized in the Mazaruni Region Seven, (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead is John Albert called “Chino” of

Waramadong Village, Upper Mazaruni.

The child travelling with a missionary team when the mishap occurred on Thursday. (More details in Sunday’s edition)

xcel Logistics & Management Services (Guyana) Inc has entered an exclusive partnership with ICO Group LLC – a global leader in the oil and gas industry.

Chief Executive Officer of Excel Guyana Inc, Kris Sammy said that partnerships like the one being built will build the future for the Guyanese people.

“Valuable partnerships like this will build the future for all Guyanese people. Excel is proud to be a local partner, connecting international resources to local businesses,” he said.

As a global leader in the oil and gas industry, ICO Group has a 15-year track record in providing innovative and state-of-the-art solutions in

the technology, construction, and oil and gas industries.

It is known to have created a positive impact with the most innovations in the USA, Venezuela, Panama, and Colombia with at least 200 successful projects and over 120 clients around the globe.

Excel provides support to local and international investors in establishing businesses in the country. Excel’s Procurement and Supply Chain Manager, Eugene Gonsalves, has extensive experience working with international suppliers. As a part of a client’s procurement and logistics team, his team is focused on delivering the right solutions to keep sizable infrastructure and development projects on track to meet budget and goals.

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Desist from using illegal electrical connections – GFS amid rise in fires

A

fter recording several reports of electrical fires throughout the country in recent time, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has advised citizens to take the necessary precautions in avoiding these tragedies.

The main contributing factors of electrical fires range from slack connections, overloading of circuits, malfunctioning of electrical appliances, inferior drop cords or circuit strips and illegal connections.

“Electrical fires are especially dangerous because they can happen at any time if enough care and attention is not exercised towards electrical outlets and appliances,” the Fire Service relayed in a statement.

In curbing electrical fires, persons have been strongly warned to desist from using illegal connections for electricity. If there is any external faulty electrical problem, it should be reported to the Guyana Power and Light.

Persons have been asked to ensure that all electrical cables are placed in a conduit; use certified electricians to conduct and certify electrical works; desist from overloading the electrical system; discard all worn cords and plugs; or replace two-prong outlets with three-pronged outlets.

It is recommended that buildings are inspected every five years by certified electrical inspectors to retest and certify the capabilities of all electrical connections. Moreover, persons should ensure that the quality of circuit strips, wiring and electrical appliances used is of the highest standard.

Electrical appliances should not be used for prolonged periods; and must be disconnected after use. The third prong on a plug should never be broken to plug it

into a two-pronged outlet.

When plugging or unplugging items, the GFS has outlined that the plug should be held securely to pull it from the wall. Pulling on the cord can wear the cord out and increase the risk of a short circuit, an electrical shock, or a fire.

Multi-outlet extenders, power bars, and surge protectors should be used sparingly. Otherwise, there is a risk of overloading a single circuit.

It is recommended to use extension cords temporarily.

If extra length is needed, a certified electrician should be engaged to install additional electrical outlets.

Homeowners are asked to avoid running electrical cords beneath carpets, keep electrical cords away from sources of heat and water; and cover unused outlets in the presence of young children. They are encouraged to buy appliances approved by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).

For electrical appliances, the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed.

Small appliances should be disconnected before cleaning while defected ones should be checked by a professional.

For older homes and apartments that have inadequate wiring, this can be a fire hazard and an electrical hazard. Examples of inadequate electrical wiring means the lights dim when you use certain appliances; unplugging one appliance before plugging in another appliance, otherwise you may trip a circuit breaker or blow a fuse; running multiple extension cords into a single outlet; furniture arrangement options are limited to reach electrical outlets; or small appliances, such as toasters or irons, are slow to heat. (G12)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We can produce oil & gas as a responsible company” – ExxonMobil …intends to play leading role in Guyana’s energy transition

H

ead of ExxonMobil’s Upstream Oil and Gas, Liam Mallon has affirmed that the company can produce oil and gas while, at the same time, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement – an international treaty on climate change to which Guyana is a signatory.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Guyana Government on Thursday,

Mallon expressed that ExxonMobil is committed to creating sustainable solutions that improve quality of life and meets society’s evolving needs.

“We fundamentally believe that within the energy mix and the transition that’s evolving, that oil and gas would remain a critical component of that mix regardless of the scenario and really, importantly, we can

produce oil and gas as a responsible company and at the same time, lower emissions and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement,” he stated.

This balance, he said, is critical and distinguishing for ExxonMobil. He outlined that at the top of the company’s strategic priorities is to be an “essential partner” in Guyana’s development and transition towards greener

Fraudster jailed for 2 years

R

epeat scammer, Gopaul Tiwari appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to four counts of obtaining money by false pretence. The Dora, Demerara man, who was previously jailed for 18 months for similar offences, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on the new charges

by Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty.

Tiwari has several nicknames, including “Omkar”, “Big Mike”, “Chris Persaud,” and “Mike Persaud”.

Guyana Times understands that the 54-year-old man swindled the individuals of close to $2 million in cash by telling them he was in a position to get them land, property, visas, and vehicles.

He admitted to defrauding David Sears of $200,000

Jailed: Gopaul Tiwari

by falsely pretending that he could get him a motor car; Pat Johnson of $260,000 by falsely pretending that he would grant her and her children United States of America visas; Steve Narine

of $605,000 by pretending that he would import and deliver a Honda motor car to him, and Krishan Lochan of $914,000 for a plot of land.

Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Tiwari last December. Last Monday, Police ranks went to a guest house at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), where they arrested him.

In 2016, Tiwari was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to three offences, namely, conspiring to forge a transport, uttering the said forged transport, and fraudulent conversion.

Then in June 2014, he pleaded guilty to nine fraud-related charges. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on eight of the charges and three years on the other one.

The sentences, however, were ordered to be served concurrently. (G1)

ExxonMobil Upstream Oil & Gas President, Liam Mallon

energy.

“We achieve being an essential partner when we achieve win-win solutions for our customers, our partners…our broader stakeholders, and of course, most importantly, for the communities in which we operate,” he expressed.

Mallon added that the company believes in “creating these affordable, low emissions energy solutions” such as the Government’s gas-to-energy project earmarked for Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

Initiatives like these, he indicated, advance global prosperity.

“We intend to play the

leading role in that energy transition,” the ExxonMobil rep stated.

“So, success in Guyana is not just success in Guyana, it will have far-reaching impacts across the globe,” Mallon further posited.

And in these ventures, he emphasised that the best way to get things done is through “collaborative partnership”.

“Working with governments, working with communities, being the most responsible partner/operator of choice is what we do every single day and we’re intent on sustainable development that will last long beyond when oil and gas will last,” Mallon affirmed.

The ExxonMobil senior official made these remarks at an event hosted by President Dr Irfaan Ali to brief stakeholders on the gas-to-energy project which is expected to deliver clean and cheaper energy to the local population and contribute to a regional energy masterplan. Beyond that, the project is expected to support the development of other sectors of the economy.

Mallon pointed out how remarkable the country’s development within the past seven years has been, expressing that “this was a frontier area in less than six/seven years ago, meaning, no significant discoveries were made despite many decades of trying and in seven years, it’s gone from a frontier area to being one of the most prolific areas in the world and now…there are two massive floating production vessels operating and there are six drilling rigs operating, multiple service boats and we’re creating a burgeoning industry that will be unparalleled as we go forward”.

“And you think about that all happening in basically five years. The average in industry for this type of operation is nine plus,” he explained. (G11)

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Public accountability, transparency important to Guyana’s development path – President

…as Public Procurement Commission sworn-in

T

he Public Procurement Commission was on Friday sworn-in by President Dr Irfaan Ali at the Office of the President, taking Government one step closer in having all commissions in operation.

Of the five-member commission, four took the oath to serve on the commission for three years. They include Financial Analyst Joel Bhagwandin, former National Procurement and Tender Administration Board Chairman Berkley Wickham, AFC Executive Member Dianna Rajcumar, and Rajnarine Singh.

The fifth person, Attorneyat-Law Pauline Chase will sworn-in by next week.

President Irfaan Ali noted that important to the transformation is accountability and systems to allow for public expenditure to be handled in a transparent manner.

“This Government has embarked on a development path that is transformative.

Important to that transformation are issues of public accountability, transparency and ensuring that the institutional mechanisms and systems that allows public expenditure to occur are not only strong but they are continually renewed. The job of the Public

President Dr Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister Gail Teixeira and Attorney General Anil Nandlall with the newly sworn-in Commissioners

Procurement Commission is one that adds to that tier of institutional mechanism that we have established in our country to ensure oversight of public financing, in this case, financing,” the Head of State relayed.

He underscored that the Commission is charged to conduct such intensive oversight.

Specific skillsets are required

for members of this body, and the Head of State has placed full confidence in the combined expertise.

“Your role and responsibility cannot be overstated. That is why there is specific skillset that are required and the Constitution speak to, in relation to members of the Public Procurement Commission. I have al confidence that the

combined experience, knowledge and diverse expertise of the members of this commission will add value to your work.”

Pauline Chase currently serves as President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), while Bhagwandin is the former director of the Private Sector Commission (PSC). Along with Singh, these three were selected as the Government-nominated candidates.

Up until 2021, Wickham served as the Chairman of NPTAB. Rajkumar is an AFC Executive member and under the APNU/AFC Government, she was the personal assistant to former Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

The PPC has the vital

role of overseeing contract approvals and mediating contractor complaints. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is responsible for approving members of this Commission, as well as requesting background checks on candidates, had been engaged in the process of seeking members since last year, before the five names were finally arrived at in January.

Among the PPC’s key functions are, according to the Procurement Act, to “Monitor and review the functioning of all procurement systems to ensure that they are in accordance with law and such policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly; promote awareness of the rules, procedures and

special requirements of the procurement process among suppliers, constructors and public bodies; safeguard the national interest in public procurement matters, having due regard to any international obligations; monitor the performance of procurement bodes with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution of works; approve of procedures for public procurement, disseminate rules and procedures for public procurement; and recommend modifications thereto to the public procurement entities.”

The PPC has in the past intervened in contracts when there was a discrepancy with the procurement of the contractor. One of the most famous cases of this was the sole-sourced consultant for the design and feasibility study of the new Demerara River Bridge.

Meanwhile, the final person on the Police Service Commission, Hakeem Mohamed was also conferred with the instruments to take up his position. The President has informed that the Teaching Service and Judicial Service Commissions should be finalised in the shortest possible timeframe.

“There is some final membership that is required so that we can bring the commission into full force when it is appoint. We’re hoping that the final set of recommendations in allowing the appointments can be made in the shortest possible timeframe so that we can proceed with the appointment of these two commissions,” President Ali disclosed.

(G12)

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 2,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

88-year-old woman from Region 4 succumbs to COVID-19 …77 persons test positive in 24h

A

n 88-year-old woman from Region Four is the latest person to succumb to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana.

This new fatality has taken the death toll to 1255. According to the Health Ministry on Friday, she succumbed on June 28.

It is unknown whether she was vaccinated against the deadly virus.

In Friday’s dashboard, 77 new infections were recorded. A breakdown reflects seven new cases in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), three in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 55 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), nine in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)

and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

There are two patients in the Intensive Care Unit, 26 in institutional isolation, 826 in home isolation and three in institutional quarantine. Thus far, 65,363 positive patients have recovered while 660,629 tests have been processed.

The Health Ministry is currently tracking 855 active cases in Guyana – of which 461 are being monitored in Region Four. Clusters of infections have been reported in Eccles, Diamond, Kitty and Enmore. However, there are pockets in other regions.

Latest vaccination figures show that so far, 443,802 or 86.5 per cent of adults have taken a first dose, while 343,575 or 66.9

per cent of persons 18 years and over are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, 35,045 or 48.1 per cent have received a first dose.

Second doses stand at 25,634 or 35.1 per cent.

Vaccination is also available for children within the ages of five and 11 years, with 3855 first doses delivered thus far. Meanwhile, in excess of 68,800 persons have returned for their first booster dose.

This week, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch pledged her Government’s support to deliver as many Pfizer vaccines needed to inoculate the population.

This includes paediatric, adolescent and booster

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JULY 1, 2022 UPDATE

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

2575

REGION 2

2924

REGION 3

8421

REGION 4

33,540

REGION 5

2468

REGION 6

6518

REGION 7

2488

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4079

REGION 10

3573

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

77

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

26

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

826

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

2

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

3

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

36,507

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

30,965

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

67,472

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

65,363

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

443,529

FULLY IMMUNISED

343,324

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

1255

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use hand-sanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

shots.

Responding to this, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony expressed on Friday, “We’re very grateful to the Government and people of the United States for this very generous gesture of providing us with all our vaccine needs.”

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recent figures, about 545 million confirmed cases were reported globally along with 6.3 deaths.

In the Region of the Americas, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are pegged at over 162 million with a death toll of 2.7 million.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

(G12)

AFC decides to part...

Since it came into office after joining forces with the APNU in 2015, the minority AFC has been criticised for the submissive role it has been playing to the APNU. Decisions the former Government made, such as the closure of sugar estates, which put thousands of sugar workers out of jobs, were passed unchallenged and even supported by the AFC. This is despite the AFC retaining the Agriculture Ministry.

This passive relationship with APNU was cited by former AFC parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud, as one of the reasons he voted for the NoConfidence Motion that brought down the APNU/ AFC Government in 2018.

FROM PAGE 3

In addition, there has been the former Government’s strategic reallocation of responsibilities away from Ministries that were headed by AFC officials, to other Ministries.

This has included removing oil and gas from the former Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman and citizenship from the former Public Security Minister Ramjattan.

There is also the fact that despite the Cummingsburg Accord containing stipulations that should have seen the former Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo being vested with the responsibility for chairing Cabinet and domestic issues, the former APNU Government never honoured this. (G11)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

No “Because We Care” cash grant for students withholding loaned textbooks

O

nly parents and guardians who returned textbooks loaned to students for the school year by the Education Ministry will be eligible for the “Because We Care” cash grant, according to a memorandum released by the Ministry.

“Textbooks loaned to students would have to be returned or replaced before parents can access the cash grant. Parents signed a contract to this effect when they collected the textbooks. My friends, the textbooks have helped tremendously in your children’s education.

We need them for the next class,” Education Minister Priya Manickchand posted to social media.

The memorandum addressed to Regional Education Officers from across all ten administrative regions, informed that all textbooks that were loaned to students must be returned on or before July 7 for students to receive the cast grant.

The memorandum advised parents and guardians that if the textbooks granted to their child and/or children become lost or destroyed, they will be given the option of having the book(s) replaced. If the book cannot be replaced, a $5000 fee will

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

be charged to the parent/ guardian.

Regional Education Officers were advised to submit a list of names of students per school and level who have failed to return or pay for textbooks lost or destroyed to the Departments of Education on or before July 17.

The “Because We Care” cash grant initiative was first introduced in 2014 and saw each public-school child benefitting from $10,000. However, the initiative came to a halt by the A Partnership for National

Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government but was reinstated in 2020 after the PPP went back into office.

In addition to resurrecting the programme, the PPP/C increased the value of the cash grant to $15,000.

This was alongside the $4000 uniform grant, meaning every child received a total of $19,000.

This year, the “Because We Care” cash grant will be increased to $25,000 while the uniform grant will jump to $5000, resulting in each child getting $30,000. (G2)

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Norton asks High Court to quash President’s appointment of Police Service, Integrity Commissions

O

pposition Leader Aubrey Norton has filed a Fixed Date Application (FDA), asking the High Court to quash the recent appointments of the Chairmen and members of the Police Service and Integrity Commissions who were sworn in before President Dr Irfaan Ali on May 31.

The Head of State had forged ahead with the appointment of the constitutional commissions notwithstanding Norton’s threats to take legal action if the Government went ahead

President Dr Irfaan Ali

with the process without completing the consultation process as required by the Constitution.

Norton had reportedly failed to attend a meeting to discuss constitutional matters with the President on May 30, despite being invited to the meeting via a letter sent to Congress Place, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

President Ali had not only described Norton’s action as regrettable and disappointing but also a “demonstration of immaturity”.

In that letter, the Leader of the Opposition was asked

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton

express a considered opinion on the matter of consultation with respect to the appointments of the PSC and IC. He deposed that President Ali did not provide adequate information to him in respect of the President’s rationale, reasons, and/or grounds having regard to the respective persons’ suitability and/or competence for appointment to the respective public offices.

Against his backdrop, he argued that the spirit and letter of the Constitution in respect of consultation and meaningful consultation

tion with the President for the appointment of a Police Commissioner, and the appointment or appointments of Deputy Commissioner of Police until the FDA is determined.

He also took issue with the President’s appointment of Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken as the acting Commissioner of Police, arguing that it was unilateral and not in keeping with Article 211 of the Constitution.

Given that the life of the last PSC expired on August 9, 2021, and there has been no Chairman of the Public

Members of the newly appointed Police Service Commission (from left): Attorney-at-Law Mark Conway, businessman Ernesto Choo-a-Fat, Pastor Patrick Findlay; along with President Dr Irfaan Ali; Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira

to specify his additional contributions to the ongoing consultations for the appointment of several constitutional commissions.

The new members of the Police Service Commission (PSC) are: Attorney-at-Law Mark Conway, businessmen Ernesto Choo-a-Fat, and Hakeem Mohammed, and Pastor Patrick Findlay, who

were violently violated by the President.

Null and void

The politician, among other things, is seeking an order quashing the appointment of Findlay and Gajraj as the Chairmen of the PSC and IC, respectively, and an order declaring that all ac-

Service Commission and no Public Service Commission constituted under the Constitution, Norton argued that as of June 29, the Chairman of the PSC and the President could not have lawfully engaged in any consultation as required by Article 211 (1) of the Constitution.

Members of the Integrity Commission (from left): Wayne Chris Bowman, Mohamed Haniff, Kim KyteThomas, Chandra Gajraj, and Hardesh Tiwari are flanked by President Dr Irfaan Ali, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman

will serve as Chairman.

Meanwhile, the Integrity Commission (IC) has Demerara Bank Corporate Secretary Chandra Gajraj as Chairperson, along with Mohamed Haniff, lawyer and former Solicitor General Kim Kyte-Thomas, Hardesh Tiwari, and Reverend Wayne Chris Bowman as members.

Lack of consultation

Norton, who is also the leader of the PNCR—the largest party in the APNU/ AFC coalition—complained that he was not afforded a “reasonable opportunity” to

tions taken by commissions are null, void, and are of no force and effect.

Pending the hearing of his application, the Opposition Leader through Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde is requesting an injunction prohibiting Findlay and Gajraj as well as the commissions’ members from exercising any of the functions, duties, obligations, and/or powers vested in them.

He is seeking another injunction barring the PSC’s Chairman from engaging in meaningful consulta-

“For the [PSC] to exercise any of the powers, functions, and or duties conferred on it by the Constitution, it is a mandatory requirement that upon the constitution of the Police Service Commission subsequent to an expiration of the life and or term of the appointment of previous members of the Police Service Commission, that a Chairman of the Public Service Commission be so appointed and be made a member of the Police Service Commission,” he contended.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jehovah’s Witnesses restart public ministry A fter an absence of over two years, Jehovah’s Witnesses across Guyana are returning to their in-person public ministry. In a release earlier this week, the religious organisation said that The Witnesses’ Bible literature display carts, frequently seen pre-pandemic on busy streets throughout the capital and elsewhere, will once again be rolled out worldwide. However, the

door-to-door ministry remains suspended.

According to the release, The Witnesses’ return to the public ministry comes just in time to invite those interested to view an online Bible education convention.

As war in Europe dominates the public’s attention, viewers in Guyana will unite with millions of others around the globe for the annual convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This

year’s convention theme is “Pursue Peace!”

“This convention is an object lesson in how peace is being achieved by a global community right now as it unites millions of people even in areas of conflict like Ukraine and Russia,” said Andre Darrell, spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Guyana. “The power of the principles being discussed transcends national borders, ethnic differences, and language

Norton asks High Court...

Not politicalised

Moreover, Norton submitted that Findlay is a politician, was a candidate for the PPP at the 2011 and 2015 national elections and was appointed as Permanent Secretary by that very party.

Noting that the Constitution contemplates that the PSC is not politicalised, he pointed out that up to May 2021, Findlay

identified himself as a member and supporter of the PPP/C. In addition, the Opposition Leader has made an application for the hearing of his FDA to be expedited, costs and any such further or other relief the court deems just.

Other challenges

In May, Opposition Chief Whip and PNC Executive

barriers. Both individuals and families will benefit from attending the programme.”

“The world today is full of hatred and strife”, said Roland Harte, a father of 4 from Georgetown who has been attending conventions for more than 30 years. “People are unhappy with their lot in life and that can affect how they treat others and we are all affected. The convention will provide the opportuni-

ty to revitalise, recompose, and focus our attention on doing God’s will peacefully as a family.”

The three-day convention will be available in six parts, each corresponding to a half day of content. Topics to be explored are how love leads to inner peace and peace with others; why the Bible can be called the roadmap to family peace; how to attain peace even when suffering illness, economic problems,

natural disasters or other difficulties; what people from around the world are doing to enjoy peace and why friendship with God can lead to true peace.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding global conventions for more than 100 years. Following the practice of the past two years, this year’s virtual programme will be released incrementally throughout July and August.

Force (GPF) until his challenge to the President’s

June 2021 suspension of the PSC is determined. (G1)

FROM PAGE 16

Member Christopher Jones asked the High Court to find that President Ali’s appointment of Hicken as acting Top Cop was unconstitutional.

Then on June 28, immediate past Chairman of the PSC, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe petitioned the High Court to block the recently reconstituted PSC from promoting or publish-

ing a promotions list of officers of the Guyana Police

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

Regional

Colombia extradites accused Jamaica reaffirms drug cartel leader’s sister to US commitment to road safety

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olombia on Friday extradited to the United States a sister of accused major drug cartel leader Dairo Antonio Usaga, known as Otoniel, to face drug trafficking charges, the national Police said.

Colombian Police accuse Nini Johana Usaga, 39, of being responsible for laundering drug money for the Clan del Golfo and handling international relations with cartels in other countries like Mexico, helping to coordinate shipments of narcotics.

Her brother, accused head of the Clan del Golfo, was extradited to face drug trafficking charges in the United States in early May. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in federal court in New York.

Authorities say Otoniel, 50, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of members of Colombia’s security forces.

Six other people were extradited alongside Nini Johana Usaga to also face drug trafficking charges.

Though extradition was abolished in 1991 in Colombia, Congress restored it just six

Colombian National Police officers escorting Nini Johana Usuga, alias “La Negra”, sister of “Otoniel”, top leader of the organised armed group Clan del Golfo, before being extradited to the United States, at the Military Transport Air Command (CATAM) in Bogota, Colombia July 1, 2022

years later. It is one of the main tools in Colombia’s arsenal for fighting drug trafficking.

Otoniel, who according to Colombian authorities trafficked 180 to 200 tonnes of cocaine a year, was detained last October in Antioquia province.

The Clan del Golfo, which has more than 1200 combatants according to security forces, launched a so-called “armed strike” to protest

Otoniel’s extradition, paralysing swathes of Colombia in the process.

Military and Police authorities from more than 40 countries worked to capture 169 tonnes of cocaine and 41 tonnes of marijuana during the ninth phase of the international anti-narcotics Orion campaign, Colombia’s Defence Minister Diego Molano said later on Friday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Migrant caravan leaves southern Mexico days after Texas tragedy

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housands of people set off on foot from southern Mexico early Friday morning, undeterred in their efforts to reach the United States even after the deaths of at least 53 migrants in Texas this week highlighted the dangers facing many migrants.

The group, mostly of young men from Central America, Venezuela and Cuba, included families walking with children and babies in strollers.

“I’m fleeing Cuba with my wife and daughter because of the suffocating, criminal, assassin Castro-Canel dictatorship,” migrant Samuel Ventura said.

The migrant caravan began in the city of Tapachula, near the Mexico-Guatemala border, following two others organized earlier this month with large contingents of Venezuelans. Both caravans disbanded in nearby towns.

Asked about the Monday deaths of migrants in an overheated tractor-trailer in Texas, people in the caravan expressed sympathy, with some saying they were walking to avoid the danger of taking other modes of transportation.

“We really are in mourning,” said Moises Velez, a migrant from Venezuela. “It hurts all of us.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ecuador protests: Indigenous leaders agree to call off strikes

Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza speaking to demonstrators waiting outside the negotiations for news

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ndigenous leaders in Ecuador have signed an agreement with the Government to end more than two weeks of tense protests.

Demonstrators had been blocking roads and staging rallies to demand action on soaring fuel and food prices.

Some of the protests turned violent and at least six people are thought to have died in clashes with security forces.

As part of the deal,

Ecuador’s Government has agreed to lower the cost of fuel by 15 cents (12p) per gallon.

Since 2020, the cost of diesel has almost doubled and petrol prices have risen dramatically in the oil-producing nation.

The concession by the Government amounts to half of what demonstrators had originally demanded, but according to Ecuador’s Finance Ministry it will cost the country US$340 million a year.

Government negotiators

also agreed to consult with Indigenous communities on future mining and oil developments and add other limits on their expansion.

Leonidas Iza, the leader of the powerful Conaie indigenous organization, said after signing the deal that protests would now be suspended.

“We’re going to keep fighting,” he added, however.

According to AP news agency, the Government now has 90 days to prove it has delivered on the agreement.

For 17 days around 14,000 mainly Indigenous Ecuadoreans took part in the mass strikes, and at one point protest leader Leonidas Iza was arrested.

The demonstrators blocked key roads in and around the capital Quito and other cities, causing significant economic disruption and prompting fears of food shortages. (Excerpt from BBC News)

amaica has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries.

Minister of Transport and Mining, Audley Shaw gave the declaration in his address at the opening session of the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) High Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety and First Pledging Conference at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on Thursday, June 30.

The Minister expressed appreciation to the UN and other stakeholders that support road safety globally through various initiatives.

According to a release,

Shaw commended the UN Road Safety Fund and the Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety for “providing avenues for fiscal and technical support towards critical road-safety interventions that will assist developing countries in addressing road safety issues”.

The Transport and Mining Minister pointed out that road traffic deaths and injuries have a significant negative impact on economic growth, social equity and public health, with specific impact on developing nations.

He cited statistics from the World Bank, which indicate that road fatalities and injuries reduce the gross do-

mestic product (GDP) of low and middle-income countries by an estimated one to five per cent. He contended that if developing nations are to achieve the related UN Sustainable Development Goals, road safety must be addressed collectively and expeditiously.

“We encourage all nations, leaders of business, and non-governmental organisations to pledge their support at the First Pledging Conference and the work of the UN Road Safety Fund to contribute to crucial, much-needed road-safety interventions,” the Minister said, adding that in doing so, millions of lives will be saved. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

In age-old ritual, Mexican Mayor weds alligator to secure abundance

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small town Mexican Mayor married his alligator bride in a colorful ceremony as traditional music rang out and revellers danced while imploring the Indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss.

San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday’s wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting.

The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave Indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty.

“We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river,” said Sosa, Mayor of the small fishing village on Oaxaca’s steamy Pacific coast.

Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in Indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their

The San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa kissing a seven-year-old alligator dressed as a bride during a traditional ritual marriage, likely dating back centuries to pre-Hispanic times, between the Mayor and the reptile that depicts a princess, as a prayer to plead for nature’s bounty, in San Pedro Huamelula, in Oaxaca state, Mexico, June 30, 2022

languages and traditions.

The age-old ritual in San Pedro Huamelula, now mixed with Catholic spirituality, involves dressing the alligator or caiman in a white wedding dress plus other colourful garments.

The seven-year-old reptile, referred to as a little princess, is believed to be a deity representing mother earth, and her marriage to the local leader symbolises the joining of humans with

the divine.

As trumpets blared and drums provided a festive beat, locals carried the alligator bride in their arms through village streets as men fanned it with their hats.

“It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots,” said Elia Edith Aguilar, known as the godmother who organised the wedding.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Peru’s Machu Picchu threatened by wildfire

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eruvian firefighters were fighting to contain a forest fire near the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu on Thursday, as the blaze threatened to close in on the ancient city high in the Andean mountains.

The fire, which had engulfed an area about half the size of Vatican City, was started on Tuesday by farmers burning grass and debris to prepare to sow new crops.

As of Wednesday, about 20 hectares (49 acres) had

been affected by the fire, the Mayor of the nearby city of Cusco said.

Machu Picchu, a complex of stone structures sitting atop a mountain, was built more than 500 years ago by the Incas, whose empire controlled large swaths of South America from what is today southern Ecuador to central Chile.

The fire’s remoteness has hindered firefighters’ efforts.

“We have already been

fighting the forest fire for two days and it has not been possible to get it under control, given the area is quite inaccessible,” said Roberto Abarca, director of the Cusco risk management and security office.

The breathtaking ruins, which have made the surrounding Cusco region Peru’s top tourist destination, are considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rises more than 2% as supply outages outweigh recession fears

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il prices gained more than 2 per cent on Friday as supply outages in Libya and expected shutdowns in Norway outweighed expectations that an economic slowdown could dent demand.

Brent crude futures settled at US$111.63 a barrel, rising US$2.60, or 2.4 per cent. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) settled at US$108.43 a barrel, gaining US$2.67, or 2.5 per cent.

WTI and Brent traded at about 70 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively, of the previous session’s volumes ahead of the U.S. Fourth of July holiday.

For the week, Brent lost 1.3 per cent, while WTI rose 0.8 per cent. For June, both benchmarks had ended the month lower for the first time since November.

Prices rose on Friday despite the release of industry data showing US manufacturing activity slowed more than expected last month, adding to evidence that the country’s economy was cooling as the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy.

Still, low crude and fuel supplies supported the oil market even as equities slumped and the US dollar, which typically has an inverse relationship with crude, rose.

“The ability of the complex to post a strong advance today in the face of significant US dollar strength and a weak equity trade suggests some refocus on tight oil supplies,” Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates LLC, said in a note.

A planned strike among Norwegian oil and gas workers on July 5 could cut the country’s overall petroleum output by around 8 per cent, or around 320,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, unless a last-minute agreement is found over wage demands, a Reuters calculation showed.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation on Thursday declared force majeure at the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports, as well as the El Feel oilfield. Force majeure is still in effect at the ports of Brega and Zueitina, NOC said.

Production has seen a sharp decline, with daily exports ranging between 365,000 and 409,000 barrels per day, a decrease of 865,000 bpd compared with production in “normal circumstances”, NOC said.

The US oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by one to 595 this week, its highest since March 2020, according to energy services firm Baker Hughes Co. Even though the US oil rig count has risen for a record 22 months through June, weekly increases have mostly been in single digits as many companies focus more on returning money to investors and paying down debt rather than boosting output.

Meanwhile, Ecuador’s Government and indigenous groups’ leaders on Thursday reached an agreement to end more than two weeks of protests which had led to the shut-in of more than half of the country’s pre-crisis 500,000-bpd oil output.

On Thursday, the OPEC+ group of producers, including Russia, agreed to stick to its output strategy after two days of meetings. However, the producer club avoided discussing policy from September onwards.

Previously, OPEC+ decided to increase output each month by 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July and August, up from a previous plan to add 432,000 bpd per month.

A Reuters survey found that OPEC pumped 28.52 million bpd in June, down 100,000 bpd from May’s revised total.

US President Joe Biden will make a three-stop trip to the Middle East in mid-July that includes a visit to Saudi Arabia, pushing energy policy into the spotlight as the United States and other countries face soaring fuel prices that are driving up inflation.

Biden said on Thursday he would not directly press Saudi Arabia to increase oil output to curb soaring prices when he sees the Saudi king and crown prince during a visit this month. (Excerpt from Reuters)

After Snake Island retreat, Russian missile attack kills 21 near Ukraine’s Odesa

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ussia flattened part of an apartment building while residents slept on Friday in missile attacks near Ukraine’s port of Odesa that authorities say killed at least 21 people, hours after Russian troops abandoned the Black Sea outpost of Snake Island.

Locals in the resort village of Serhiivka helped workers pick through the rubble of the nine-storey apartment block, a section of which had been completely destroyed in the early-morning strike.

Walls and windows of a neighbouring 14-storey apartment block were also damaged by the blast wave.

Nearby holiday camps were also hit.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa regional administration, said 21 people had been confirmed

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not had a vaccine or booster in the past six months, to get one.

In the week ending 24 June, the ONS estimates Covid rates were: one in 30 in England - up from one in 40 the week before; one in 30 in Wales - up from one in 45; one in 25 in Northern Ireland - up from one in 30; one in 18 in Scotland - up from one in 20.

Sarah Crofts, from the ONS, said: “Across the UK we’ve seen a continued increase of over half a million infections, likely caused by the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 variants.”

In its analysis of

killed, including a 12-yearold boy.

Among the fatalities was an employee of the Children’s Rehabilitation Center set up by Ukraine’s neighbour Moldova in the resort. Five others were injured.

“These peaceful people made the days of the children of Moldova more beautiful, they took care of their rehabilitation with great love and devotion,” Moldovan Health Minister Alla Nemerenko said on her Facebook page.

Thousands rally in Sudan day after 9 killed during protests

Protesters shouting slogans during a rally against military rule [Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters]

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housands of protesters have taken to the streets in Sudan’s capital, a day after nine people were killed in demonstrations against the country’s ruling generals.

The United States and others in the international community condemned the violence in this East African nation, which has been rocked by near-weekly protests since an October 25 coup

COVID infections jump by half a million in UK, says ONS

OVID infections are rising again across the UK, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

An estimated 2.3 million people or one in 30 has the virus - a rise of 32 per cent on the week before.

The rise is being driven by two new fast-spreading sub-variants of Omicron called BA.4 and BA.5.

People can be infected even if they’ve had COVID before, but jabs are helping to protect against serious illness.

Health officials are urging anyone over 75 who has

Rescue workers work at the scene of a missile strike at a location given as Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region, Ukraine, in this handout image released July 1, 2022

The regional governor said the missiles had been fired from the direction of the Black Sea. The Kremlin denied targeting civilians.

The attack came just four days after Russia struck a crowded shopping mall in central Ukraine, killing at least 19 people.

Kyiv says Moscow has escalated its long-range attacks, hitting civilian targets far from the frontline in what Ukraine says are war crimes.

Russia says it has been aiming at military sites.

Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24.

Russia calls the invasion a “special operation” to root out nationalists. Ukraine and its Western allies say it is an unprovoked war of aggression. (Excerpt from Reuters)

England, it found infections were going up in all regions and in all age groups.

In Scotland, which has had the highest COVID rates in the UK since the end of May, the rise in infections may be slowing slightly.

In England, almost 9000 hospital beds were taken up with COVID patients on June 30 - and that number has doubled since the start of the month.

Data from the other UK nations is not as up-todate but suggests a similar rise over the last month.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

upended its fragile transition to democracy.

Sudanese military authorities have met the protests with a deadly crackdown, which has so far killed 113

people, including 18 children.

In and near Khartoum on Friday, large funeral marches took place for some of those killed the day before, while others gathered after morning prayers at mosques in the country’s capital. Online, photographs of the dead were posted, in some cases in an effort to identify them.

The demonstrations coincided with widespread internet disruptions. Internet monitors and activists have said the Government has crippled communications to prevent gatherings and slow the spread of news on days when large protest turnout is expected.

Sudan’s leading pro-democ-

racy groups — Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change and the Resistance Committees — had called for nationwide protests against the coup.

The takeover upended the country’s short-lived transition to democracy following the 2019 removal of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.

Since the coup, the UN political mission in Sudan, the African Union, and the eight-nation East African regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development group have been trying to broker a way out of the political impasse. The talks have yielded no results so far.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

UK and New Zealand expand working holiday visas

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he UK and New Zealand will allow more younger people to live and work in both countries for longer.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern agreed to extend the Youth Mobility and Working Holiday schemes.

The age limit for applicants will go up from 30 to 35, and the maximum length of time people can stay in the host country will now be three years.

It follows similar deal to allow young people to work and travel in Australia.

The UK-New Zealand scheme was previously open to 18–30-year-olds.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the move “will give even more young Brits and New Zealanders the opportunity to develop their skills, make life-long connections and contribute to their host country”.

Boris Johnson and Jacinda Ardern met for talks at Downing Street

Ardern, who is in London for talks with Johnson, said New Zealand had long advocated for improvements to working holiday visas.

The NZ Labour Party leader previously lived in London when she worked in Whitehall as a senior policy adviser before entering politics.

“I was one of many Kiwis to enjoy living and working in the UK, and we look forward to offering Brits the same wonderful experience

in New Zealand,” she added.

The Prime Ministers met at Downing Street following the NATO summit in Madrid which finished on Thursday.

Ardern said the pair would be discussing the free trade deal signed last year as well as the response to the war in Ukraine The Home Office said more information on the Youth Mobility and Working Holiday scheme will be announced next year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Seize the moment, size up your situation, devise a sound plan and pursue changes that will make you happy and content with your life. Personal gain, physical improvement and romance are favored.

You may desire change, but don't do anything you'll regret. Pay attention to detail and iron out any issue you think might be a problem, then proceed with good intentions.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

You'll discover a fantastic way to use your skills to help others if you get involved in something meaningful. Trust your instincts, and fact-check all information you receive.

(May 21-June 20) Look at your options, then head in the most manageable direction. Cut back where you can, eliminate what isn't necessary and concentrate on the people and pursuits that mean the most to you.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Inconsistency will be your downfall.

Don't jump from one belief to another for the wrong reason. Have the backbone to say what's on your mind, and act accordingly, regardless of opposition.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Verify any information you receive before using it or passing it along. Control uncertain situations to avoid disappointment. Work to change your direction or improve your qualifications.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Make a plan to allocate funds to ensure you get things done your way. Meet up with someone you enjoy spending time with. Share your dreams, hopes and wishes. Romance is encouraged.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Make plans to do something with friends that will challenge you mentally and push you to be at your best. Doing something you have never done will result in personal growth.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

A short trip or educational pursuit will get you excited about the possibilities ahead. Decluttering your space will prompt you to take better care of yourself. Romance is on the rise.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful what you say. Dealing with a friend or relative could be problematic. Stick close to home, and avoid situations that can cost you emotionally, financially or physically.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll have a good eye when it comes to home decor. Plan to do some entertaining or get into a discussion with someone you love and respect. Romance will enrich a relationship.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Don't jeopardize your health or reputation. Listen attentively, and you'll get a good idea of what others are willing to do for you. Don't play favorites, but do praise those who come through for you.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

21

India vs England: Rescheduled 5th Test at Edgbaston…

RISHABH PANT AND RAVINDRA JADEJA RESCUE INDIA A

sparkling 146 from India's Rishabh Pant has halted England on day one of the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston.

Pant's 89-ball hundred rescued the tourists from 985, after England's pacemen had relentlessly exploited the movement on offer following captain Ben Stokes's decision to bowl first.

Wicketkeeper Pant crashed 19 fours and four sixes in playing the sort of thrilling counter-attacking cricket that took England to a 3-0 series win over New Zealand last month, and he was well supported by fellow left-hander Ravindra Jadeja. Their stand of 222, an India record for the sixth wicket in Tests against England, came at almost a run a ball.

Anderson, who claimed three wickets, celebrating a wicket

When Pant eventually sliced Joe Root's off-spin to slip, Stokes followed up by

SCOREBOARD INDIA 1ST INNINGS Shubman Gill c Crawley b Anderson 17 Cheteshwar Pujara c Crawley b Anderson 13 Hanuma Vihari lbw b Potts 20 Virat Kohli b Potts 11 Rishabh Pant † c Crawley b Root 146 Shreyas Iyer c †Billings b Anderson 15 Ravindra Jadeja not out 83 Shardul Thakur c †Billings b Stokes 1 Mohammed Shami not out 0 Extras (b 4, lb 16, nb 12) 32 TOTAL 73 Ov (RR: 4.63) 338/7

Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Shubman Gill, 6.2 ov), 2-46 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 17.6 ov), 3-64 (Hanuma Vihari, 22.2 ov), 4-71 (Virat Kohli, 24.2 ov), 5-98 (Shreyas Iyer, 27.5 ov), 6-320 (Rishabh Pant, 66.2 ov), 7-323 (Shardul Thakur, 67.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W James Anderson 19-4-52-3 Stuart Broad 15-2-53-0 Matthew Potts 17-1-85-2 Jack Leach 9-0-71-0 Ben Stokes 10-0-34-1 Joe Root 3-0-23-1

removing Shardul Thakur, but Jadeja remained unbeaten on 83 as India closed on 338-7.

This final Test in the series was postponed last September with India leading 2-1 after positive cases of COVID-19 among the tourists' backroom staff.

The efforts of Pant and Jadeja have kept India in the hunt for a first Test series win in England since 2007.

This is a fifth Test in name only. Only 11 players survive from the previous

GFF Women’s Development League…

Fruta Conquerors cage Foxy Ladies

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Fruta Conquerors’ goal-scorers

hen play in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Women’s Development League continued on Thursday night at the Leonora Track and Field Facility on the West Coast of Demerara, the home team, Foxy Ladies, were out-hustled 0-14 by the visiting Fruta Conquerors.

The Tucville-based Conquerors were too hot to handle, this being their third match of the league while the home team were play-

ing their first of the season.

Momentum was certainly on the side of the Conquerors, and they walked away with full points, being catapulted into the top spot with 9 points, made up of two wins and a loss.

Leading the way for Fruta Conquerors, Nikita Wayne blasted the network seven (7) times, and Sandra Johnson was on target five (5) times, while one goal each was contributed by Shania Thornhill and Angelino Pierre. Fruta Conquerors were leading 9-0

at the halfway mark.

The competition is set to continue today, and on Monday which is a holiday.

Following are the fixtures.

Sat 02:07:22 from 15:00 hrs: St Cuthbert’s Mission vs GDF at St Cuthbert’s.

Sat 02:07:22 from 20:00 hrs: Bartica vs Essequibo at Bartica.

Mon 04:07:22 from 13:00 hrs: Bartica vs Police at NTC. Mon 04:07:22 from 15:00 hrs: NA United vs Santos at NTC.

match in this series, and both teams have a new captain and coach. In India's case, regular skipper Rohit Sharma, appointed in February, is missing because of COVID,

a n d Jasprit Bumrah is standing in.

But it is a fresh challenge for Stokes's “new” England team, whose all-out aggression overwhelmed New Zealand and breathed life into Test cricket in this country. They had initially looked set to do the same to the under-prepared Indians, thanks to James Anderson and Matthew Potts, who were superb either side of a two-hour break for rain.

But Pant was providing swashbuckling entertainment in Test cricket long before England's cricket revolution under Coach Brendon McCullum, and Jadeja is one of the fiercest competitors in the game. Between them, they reversed the momentum of this match; meaning, India's high-quality attack will have enough runs to fully test England's full-throttle approach to batting.

It is perhaps too soon to form a judgement on Stokes's decision at the toss.

England certainly made the most of morning cloud cover, but by late in the day, the

pitch looked flat - it could be that the hosts are able to enjoy the best batting conditions over the weekend.

This was a truly memorable effort from Pant, his exhibition of 360-degree stroke play made all the more special by the peril India had found themselves in earlier in the day. He mixed classical drives and punches through the off-side with cavalier charges at the fast bowlers.

Spinner Jack Leach was belted for nearly eight an over, and one of Pant's straight sixes was hit with only one hand on the bat.

The only time when Pant showed any discomfort was when he appeared to hurt his hamstring, but his response was to reverse-sweep Anderson over the slips.

Jadeja was the perfect foil, leaving the ball with excellent judgement, and only occasionally exploding into a drive or pull. England could have had him caught on five off Stuart Broad, but the third umpire

Ravindra Jadeja scored a flamboyant half-century

ruled that the ball had not carried to Root at first slip.

After Pant had reached three figures, he took 46 runs off the next 21 balls he faced, and launched Root for a straight six before edging the next ball to Zak Crawley.

Thakur was bounced out, leaving Jadeja to shield number nine, Mohammed S h a m i , and it is Jadeja's continued presence that could yet get India close to 400.

England halted after early burst

Pant celebrating his hundred

The way Pant scored runs at will in the evening sunshine was a complete contrast to the way England's bowlers tormented the tourists in the early going.

Anderson and Potts were laser-guided in their accuracy around off stump, while Stokes marshalled his troops and packed the slip cordon.

Anderson drew Shubman Gill into a loose prod, and bowled a beauty that bounced at Cheteshwar Pujara, both men held by second-slip Crawley.

The atmosphere was electric for Anderson's duel with old foe Virat Kohli, but it was Potts who removed the former skipper, who played on attempting to leave. By that time, Potts had also pinned Hanuma Vihari leg before.

Shreyas Iyer fell victim to a plan seemingly laid by McCullum, his former coach with Kolkata Knight Riders.

With a leg slip in place, Anderson targeted the hip, and flying wicketkeeper Sam Billings took a superb catch down the leg side.

England were rampant, but then ran into the peerless Pant. (BBC Sport)

22

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CRICKET RETURNS TO DOMINICA

-as Windies, Bangladesh fine-tune T20 World Cup plans

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ive years after a thrilling finish between West Indies and Pakistan elicited this response from Fazeer Mohammed at Windsor Park, we are back here once again. The T20I series opener between West Indies and Bangladesh will be the first match to be played at the venue in five years, and first since the COVID-19 pandemic had struck.

Recent lack of competitive cricket at the venue means the pitch is an unknown quantity as West Indies and Bangladesh build towards the T20 World Cup, which begins in October in Australia. West Indies last played T20I cricket in February, and Bangladesh in March. The hosts have made a number of changes in a bid to figure out their best XI. Bangladesh, meanwhile, lack confidence in this format, and the 2-0 defeat in the preceding Test series only adds to their troubles.

Bangladesh's ordinary ground fielding and catching also came under scrutiny in the Test series. Mahmudullah will now have to drag Bangladesh out of the mire, with the likes of Afif Hossain, Munim Shahriar and Mustafizur Rahman being among the white-ball specialists.

Anamul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz are also back in the T20I squad. Shahriar is a newcomer, having made his debut against Afghanistan on the back of a sparkling BPL season.

West Indies' new-look squad will be led by Nicholas Pooran, whose recent white-ball form isn't encouraging. Pooran and new vice-captain Rovman Powell will have to lead the middle order in the absence of the now-retired Kieron Pollard.

Among the batting options are Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers and Devon Thomas, while Odean Smith is an allrounder in the mould of Andre Russell.

Obed McCoy, Alzarri Joseph and

Keemo Paul are among the bowlers making comebacks. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is the third spinner in the squad, behind Akeal Hosein and Hayden Walsh Jr. Form guide (Last five completed matches; most recent first) West Indies: LLLWL Bangladesh LWLLL In the spotlight Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman are Bangladesh's strike bowlers in T20 cricket, but Nasum Ahmed is not too far behind. In the past 12 months, he has taken 35 wickets at an average of 17.45 and economy rate of 6.07. Nasum is known for varying his pace effectively, having done it at home against Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan recently. If Windsor Park does help the spinners, Bangladesh will be confident of Shakib, Nasum, Mahedi Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz countering West Indies.

After his Playerofthe-Series performance in the Test series, all eyes will be on Kyle Mayers.

The 29-year-old struck his second Test century in helping West Indies out of a tight spot in St Lucia, and can also contribute with the ball.

He will open the batting in a line-up with seemingly less experience now, so Mayers must understand his role clearly.

That he has the wood over Bangladesh might make things easier for him.

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Kyle Mayers got West Indies' chase off to a fast start, West Indies vs England, 4th T20I, Bridgetown, January 29, 2022 West Indies have six spots open since their last T20I against India in February. Brooks, King and Thomas are likely to find themselves in the top six, while Odean Smith will likely have a crack at the lower-middle order.

West Indies (probable): 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Shamarh Brooks, 4 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Devon Thomas, 7 Odean Smith, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Romario Shepherd, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Hayden Walsh Jr. Bangladesh have been depleted by the absence of Mushfiqur

Rahim and Yasir Ali. Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain should be able to fill that void, but that might leave them with a long tail. <Bangladesh (probable):> 1 Munim Shahriar, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mahmudullah (capt), 5 Afif Hossain, 6 Nurul Hasan, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Taskin Ahmed, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.

Pitch and conditions

Windsor Park, which hosted two T20Is eight years ago, is a ground known for favouring spinners. There's a slight chance of rain around the start time (1.30pm).

Stats and trivia West Indies have a 7-5 win-loss record in 13 T20I matches against Bangladesh.

When Bangladesh toured the West Indies and USA in 2018, they won the T20I series 2-1.

Shakib Al Hasan is 92 runs short of becoming the second Bangladeshi to reach 2,000 T20I runs, behind Mahmudullah.

Nicholas Pooran is the only batter in West Indies' squad to have more than 1,000 T20I runs. Brandon King's 412 is the second highest. (ESPN Cricinfo)

GBBFF’s National Intermediate and Mr Berbice Classic set for this evening …Bess confident in team selected for CAC 2022

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WANTED

Yusuf Khan will be on show this evening

B

erbice is set to “come alive” this evening when the National

Michael Sampson will be seeking to retain his Novice Bodybuilding title

Emmerson Campbell will be seeking to take the gold at CAC

Intermediate and Mr. Berbice Classic kicks off with a bang. Many fitness buffs are expected to be on show, and President of the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, Keavon Bess, is confident the 13 athletes selected for the CAC 2022 are the best representation for Guyana.

The venue for this highly anticipated event is the Berbice High School, and the action commences from 18:00 hrs.

The athletes are competing in the following categories: Mr Berbice, Mr Physique, Miss Bikini, Miss Best Legs, and Novice. All eyes will be on 2021 Novice winners Aliyah Wong, Michael Sampson and Yusuf

Darious Ramsammy, the current Mr Guyana, will be looking to “extend it one further” and bag gold in his category at CAC

Rosanna Fung (in red) will be bringing all her experience to the CAC, having recently copped second place in the IBFF Florida Classic

Khan as they push to retain their respective titles.

The GBBFF has also nominated 13 (thirteen) elite athletes and 2 (two) officials to represent Guyana at the Central America and Caribbean Championships 2022, to be hosted in Barbados from July 27 to August 1, 2022. Those athletes are: Rosanna Fung, Emmerson Campbell, Darious Ramsammy, Roger Callender, Kerwin Clarke, Nicholas Albert, Rawle Greene, Julio Sinclair, Colin Chesney, Jonathan Jeffrey, Christina King, Asanti Conway and Angelica Ramos.

Sharing his view on the

selected athletes, GBBFF President Keavon Bess has said, “Well, the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation believes that the team that we have put together is by far the best representation of bodybuilding and fitness in Guyana, and we would like to say that this is the crème de le crème, and we hope that they go and do extremely well.”

All the above athletes have dominated the local stage in their various categories, and Kerwin Clarke, Emmerson Campbell and Rosanna Fung are already CAC medalists.

Kerwin Clarke will be representing Guyana at CAC 2022

These 13 athletes represent the best pool of athletes to represent Guyana at an international competition.

Also on the agenda is that the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation sent 2 (two) athletes to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the IFBB Florida Classic in Florida, United States of America, on June 25, 2022. Yannick Grimes secured a bronze medal and Rosanna Fung captured a silver medal in their respective categories.

The GBBFF congratulates them both on their outstanding performance at this international competition, and thank them for their continued dedication to the sport.

Vacancy exists for a competent lorry driver between ages 35 – 45 years old, with minimum of 5 years’ experience. Driver should also possess experience operation crane, good communication skills and basic fundamentals of delivery cargo to various customers.

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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CPL announces fixtures for 6IXTY

23

-GAW women to play Barbados and TKR on August 24 - GAW men to play Kings on August 25 The men’s and women’s teams will be competing for their respective versions of the Universe Boss Trophy, named in honour of tournament ambassador Chris Gayle.

The tournament will feature new innovations that are designed to take T10 cricket to the next level. Fans can look forward to the following at The 6IXTY: • Each batting team has six

wickets – at the fall of the sixth wicket, they are all out • Each batting team has two PowerPlay overs. They can unlock a third PowerPlay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra PowerPlay over can be taken at any time between overs 3-9 • There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls

• The 30 balls will be delivered as 5 separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than 2 overs for the innings.

• If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time, a member of their team would be removed from the field for the final six balls • Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler.

GCB U17 Inter-County tournament…

T

he 6IXTY, which will see 12 men’s matches and seven women’s matches

being contested over five days of fast-paced action at Warner Park in the idyllic territory of

St Kitts and Nevis, underway on August 24.

Two Guyanese selected for CWI Emerging Players camp

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) have announced the initial intake of 15 selectees for the CWI Emerging Players Academy.

The group started work at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua from 1 July with high-performance training and development sessions.

Several recent members of the West Indies Rising Stars U19 programme are included.

Two notable selectees are Teddy Bishop and Kevin Wickham, who both made centuries for the West Indies Rising Stars U19s during the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, played in the West Indies earlier this year.

Others who have graduated from the West Indies Rising Stars U19s team to the regional franchise teams include Keagen Simmons, Kirk McKenzie and former captain Ackeem Auguste, along with left-arm spinners Ashmead Nedd and Joshua Bishop and left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds.

Also selected to the Academy squad is allrounder Nyeem Young, who had been included in the West Indies Men’s white-ball training camp in April.

Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, in welcoming the players, has said: “We want to offer a special welcome to the young men who have been selected to form the first cohort for the CWI Emerging Players programme. They are a talented group of players who we are sure will enjoy the benefits of their hard work. CWI has been looking at ways of bridging that critical gap between our junior and professional levels, and this academy initiative provides us with a great start towards achieving this. This will also play an important role in building regional capacity within HighPerformance player support – technical, physical, mental, and personal development.”

The plan for a CWI Emerging Players Academy was first announced in March. It will function as a nexus between regional junior and senior teams, while supporting the

gets

Ashmead Nedd

Kevlon Anderson batting vs Sri Lanka U-19s development of talented players between the ages of 19 and 25.

The Academy has five primary objectives: Building capacity of players, support staff and high-performance resources.

Management of Talent.

Personal Development – develop person first and then the player.

Demonstrate Best Practice, including recruitment, selection and preparation.

Accelerating Player Development, and increasing readiness of players for international cricket.

The Selection Panel met and recommended the 15 players based on a formula which included consultations with each of the six Territorial Boards. Six reserves have also been selected as cover for players who may be selected for their franchises for regional competitions.

The first Emerging Players camp has several objectives, and the main focus during the initial period will be to ensure the management of talent; players’ personal development – especially creating a breeding ground for leaders in the game; accelerating development – reinforcing the importance of knowledge on the physical components; as well as increasing the readiness of the players for the international stage – with a focus on specific skill sets identified by the Head Coach of the Senior Team.

Nyeem Young, in expressing

his eagerness and readiness, has said: “This is a massive opportunity for myself and all the other players involved. I can't wait to get to Antigua to get started and get involved.

Being a player who has come through the West Indies Rising Stars U19 system, and being at the senior white ball camp a few months back, this is a chance to further my skills. This will benefit all of us as we look to the future, and I believe the camp will also help to build camaraderie.”

FULL SQUAD (with home territory): Kevlon Anderson (Guyana), Keagan Simmons (Trinidad & Tobago), Kirk McKenzie (Jamaica), Kevin Wickham (Barbados), Teddy Bishop (Windward Islands / Grenada), Ackeem Auguste (Windward Islands/Saint Lucia), Ramon Simmonds (Barbados), McKenny Clarke (Windward Islands/Saint Lucia), Johann Layne (Barbados), Kelvin Pitman (Leeward Islands/ Antigua & Barbuda), Ashmead Nedd (Guyana), Joshua Bishop (Barbados), Nyeem Young (Barbados), Joshua James (Trinidad & Tobago), Leonardo Julien (Trinidad & Tobago) Reserves: Anderson Amurdan (Leeward Islands/ Nevis), Kimani Melius (Windward Islands/Saint Lucia), Kirstan Kallicharan (Trinidad & Tobago), Brad Barnes (Jamaica), Shaaron Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago) and Camarie Boyce (Barbados)

Van Lange spurs Demerara U-17 to victory over GCB Rising Stars

T

he multi-talented Jonathan Van Lange has scored a match-winning 60 to lead Demerara to a 52-run win against the Guyana Cricket Board Under-17 team in the InterCounty Under-17 tournament being played at La Bonne Intention, ECD. Batting first, Demerara posted 126 all out in 40.3 overs, while the Rising Stars could reach only 74 in 32.1 overs. Demerara lost Jadon Campbell for five and Romeo Deonarin for one, while the promising Mavindra Dindyal (10) and Alvin Mohabir (04) went back cheaply.

Van Lange, however, stood tall and carried the Demerara innings with his 60 from 75 balls. His innings included three sixes and one four, while extras contributed 19 to the Demerara total.

Van Lange featured in six partnerships, but eventually watched his partners fall from the other end. He featured in a 33-

Jonathan Van Lange receiving his ‘player of the match’ award from Shaun Massiah run stand for the fifth wicket with Stars fell for 74, with only Sachin Balgobin, which was the Jeremiah Hohenkirk reaching highest of the innings. double figures in scoring 12.

Jayden Dowlin was the pick Extras contributed 24 runs to the of the Rising Stars bowlers with Stars’ total. Off-spinner Mohabir 4-31 from eight overs. Nityanand was the star bowler with 3-8 in Mathura took 3-15 in nine overs. seven top overs, while Dindyal In the chase of 127, Rising took 3-12 in 8.1 overs.

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

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

Ashmead Nedd celebrating at the ICC U-19 World Cup

Kevlon Anderson

Page 23

Two Guyanese selected for CWI Emerging Players camp

CPL announces fixtures for 6IXTY

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