Guyana Times - Sunday, December 23, 2018

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Countdown to Christmas LOOK INSIDE !

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 3785 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, December 23, 2018

No-confidence vote

President Granger eager to meet with Opposition Leader

…agrees to setting early elections …MPs must carry out duties without fear or favour – British envoy …business sector hails democratic process See stories on pages 7, …ERC calls for tolerance, respect 10, 12 & 17

ExxonMobil halts 3D seismic operations offshore Guyana

…after Venezuelan military forces ship out of area ...Govt condemns “hostile” act; to file complaint with UN ...Opposition gives full support to Govt on sovereignty, territorial integrity

AFC expels Charrandas …as MP’s villagers Persaud support his decision

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Footballer stabbed to death P9 …after accidentally spilling drink on suspect

6 nabbed with guns, ammo P8

Cook stabs miner P8 to death during row over food

EBD man accuses P15 GWI staff of presenting “fake” disconnection list

“Dull Christmas for us” P11 – rice farmers

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news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, December 23 – 05:30h-07:00h and Monday, December 24 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, December 23 – 16:35h-18:05h and Monday, December 24 – 05:40h-07:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

ExxonMobil halts 3D seismic operations offshore Guyana

…after Venezuelan military forces ship out of area ...Govt condemns “hostile” act; to file complaint with UN ...Opposition gives full support to Govt on sovereignty, territorial integrity

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

WEATHER TODAY Light cloudy skies can be expected throughout the morning, followed by sunny intervals in the afternoon.

Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 04:47h and 17:00h reaching maximum heights of 2.71 metres and 2.86 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:34h and 23:04h reaching maximum heights of 0.53 metre and 0.34 metre respectively.

Exxon’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs Diedre Moe

Senior Vice President of PGS, Bard Stenberg

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

By Jarryl Bryan

Carl Greenidge in a broadcast condemned the actions of the Venezuelan military; actions he noted are both illegal and aggressive, having occurred in an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Guyana.

According to the Minister, ExxonMobil reported to them that the Venezuelans intercepted the Ramform Tethys at approximately 10:30h on Saturday morning. Greenidge noted that the vessel had a crew of 70 on board, including the captain.

“The Government of Guyana rejects this illegal, aggressive and hostile act perpetrated by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela which once again demonstrates the real threat to Guyana’s economic development by its western neighbour; an act that violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be bringing this latest act of illegality and blatant disrespect for Guyana’s sovereignty by Venezuela to the attention of the United Nations,” Greenidge said. “It is also in the process of informing the several Governments of the seventy crew members

of the threat to their safety.”

According to Greenidge, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will also receive formal communication from the Government of Guyana on the matter.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo on Saturday contacted Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge after receiv-

ing information about the incursion and interception of an ExxonMobil seismic vessel in Guyana's waters by the Venezuelan military.

Jagdeo noted that the Opposition gives its full support to the Government on any matter relating to infringement of Guyana’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.

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xxonMobil’s local subsidiary has suspended the 3D seismic operations it started only a month ago in Guyana’s Stabroek Block after the appearance and approach of the Venezuelan military on Saturday forced the company’s seismic vessel to pack up shop and vacate the area.

The vessel in question is the Ramform Tethys, which is owned by Norwegian company Petroleum and Geo Services (PGS) and contracted by ExxonMobil to carry out tests and acquire seismic data. Speaking with Guyana Times, the company’s Senior Vice President, Bard Stenberg confirmed the encounter.

“Our vessel, the Ramform Tethys, was approached by Venezuelan navy earlier today when it was working on a project offshore Guyana,” Stenberg stated. “We are operating in Guyana under the authority of the Guyana Government.”

In addition, the executive noted that the company has all the necessary permits and documentation required to perform the seismic survey. But as a result of the Venezuelan navy’s approach, he noted that they had to stop what they were doing and head East.

According to Stenberg, however, the Venezuelans have since withdrawn from the area the Norwegian vessel was located.

Hostile

Foreign Affairs Minister

turn to page 9

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Editorial

An opportunity to start over

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or a Government with a one-seat majority, the PNCled coalition behaved after 2015 as if they had the twothirds majority Forbes Burnham rigged for the PNC in 1973. Yet they had gone into a coalition with the AFC, which had earned five seats in the National Assembly in 2006 on the promise they would provide a countervailing force to both the PPP and PNC. Most of their supporters assumed they would maintain some semblance of independence to keep the PNC on the straight and narrow, since the withdrawal of their support on any spending bill could bring the Government down.

But it was not to be, even though they had a signed agreement, dubbed the “Cummingsburg Accord”, to guarantee their autonomy of action. Their behaviour between 2011 and 2015, however, when they consistently supported the PNC/APNU positions against the PPP minority government, signalled their opportunism to the PNC. The latter’s first move after they acceded to office was to sweeten the pot on salaries and perks of the AFC leaders, so that when they, the PNC, reneged on all the promises of the Accord, the AFC not only stayed mum, but actively connived with them to introduce several authoritarian measures. President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of the octogenarian Justice James Patterson to the Chair of GECOM, which vitiated the painstakinglycrafted Constitutional provision for the meaningful input of the Opposition Leader, was a case in point. AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan gleefully allowed that he had actually suggested the feint to Granger.

In his peroration as to why the PNC-led Coalition Government should not be allowed to finish its fiveyear term, Bharat Jagdeo, Leader of the Opposition, offered a masterful summation. Fundamentally, the clinching argument was based on the question of what the Government had to show after spending $1.3 trillion, apart for them enjoying the “good life” with their super salaries and their perks. Jagdeo also honed in on the chasm between their manifesto promises and the sordid reality of non-accomplishment.

The “yes” vote by AFC MP Charandass Persaud stunned the Government, because they had come to believe that everyone on their benches would stifle their consciences.

It was the quintessence of democratic representative Government when Persaud explained that, unlike his party leaders, he was not an automaton to be remote controlled by the PNC. As the British High Commissioner Greg Quinn said, “The democratic process as laid out in the Constitution has been followed. It is important that everyone now respects the results. Members of Parliament must be allowed to undertake their constitutionally mandated roles in the absence of fear or favour.”

The Constitution, specifically Art 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution, states respectively: “The Cabinet, including the President, shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” And “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall, by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly, determine...”

After the vote, the Opposition Leader acknowledged that both sides have constituencies, and as such, he said, “We have to find a way now to ensure that we maximise all of the national skills and look past the politics of it, so that we can, in the upcoming era, which can be transformative, we can present a united face to the rest of the world. And this, although it may seem an unprecedented and maybe disappointing for the members of the Government side, it’s also an opportunity – and I would hope we all see it as an opportunity – for engagement very, very early on both sides, and decide on how we [move forward].”

This newspaper supports the call for a free and fair election and a campaign fought on the issues that confront Guyana and its future development.

Crab catching expedition: These men of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, walk with bags filled with crabs along the beach after a successful catch (Girendra Persaud photo)

Jamal Khashoggi’s final months as an exile in the long shadow of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)

By Souad Mekhennet and Greg Miller

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ditors at The Post’s opinion section, which is separate from the newsroom, said they were unaware of these arrangements, or his effort to secure Saudi funding for a think tank. “The proof of Jamal’s independence is in his journalism,” Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of the Post, said in a statement.

“Jamal had every opportunity to curry favour and to make life more comfortable for himself, but he chose exile and – as anyone reading his work can see – could not be tempted or corrupted.”

A former US diplomat who had known Khashoggi since 2002, Salem said that any assistance she provided Khashoggi was from a friend who sought to help him succeed in the United States.

She noted that Khashoggi’s English abilities were limited, and said that the foundation did not pay Khashoggi nor seek to influence him on behalf of Qatar.

“He and I talked about issues of the day as people who had come together, caring about the same part of the world,” Salem said. “Jamal was never an employee, never a consultant, never anything to [the foundation]. Never.”

It is not clear that the Saudi government knew of Khashoggi’s ties to the Qatar foundation, although the kingdom routinely engages in surveillance of dissidents abroad.

To friends and family members, Khashoggi’s connections were indicative of his intellectual curiosity and disregard for rigid national, religious and ideological boundaries. He travelled constantly, attended dozens of conferences each year, and developed long-standing friendships with people whose opinions were at odds with his own.

Nevertheless, Khashoggi knew that his writings and

associations carried risks. He told friends and colleagues repeatedly that he would be imprisoned if he ever re-entered Saudi Arabia, and spoke often of his concern for his four children, including a son who remained in the kingdom and had faced intermittent harassment from the authorities there.

In the end, Khashoggi underestimated what Saudi Arabia was capable of as he entered the consulate in Istanbul to collect paperwork needed to remarry and begin rebuilding a personal life that had experienced some turmoil during his exile.

“His biggest fear was being imprisoned but not being killed,” said the friend who witnessed the Qahtani call, who requested anonymity for his own security. “He had never thought of that.”

‘Lord of the Flies’ The October 2017 phone call was part of a long series of interactions between the Saudi columnist and Qahtani, a 40-year-old veteran of the Saudi Air Force who emerged from a decade of maneuvering in the royal court as one of the crown prince’s closest advisers.

Qahtani was given broad authority to protect the image of the crown prince, widely known by his initials, “MBS.” It was an assignment that involved flooding social media platforms with propaganda and using espionage capabilities to monitor critics. At times it also meant banning those perceived as being disloyal – including Khashoggi – from writing or posting comments online. Under Mohammed and Qahtani, many activists have also been imprisoned for their dissent.

With more than a million followers on Twitter, Qahtani is derisively known as “Lord of the Flies,” a reference to the swarms of social media operatives – “electronic flies” –

that descend on perceived adversaries of the kingdom and Mohammed.

Even before Mohammed began making his move to claim the title of crown prince, Qahtani was scouring the private sector for tools that could aide him in his efforts of suppression. Emails released by WikiLeaks show that someone using Qahtani’s identity pursued spyware capabilities from an Italian company as early as 2012.

A lawsuit filed last month by a Saudi exile in Canada, Omar Abdulaziz, accused the Saudi government of monitoring his text message exchanges with Khashoggi by using Israeli software designed to secretly control an ordinary smartphone, turning it into a surveillance device against its owner. Qahtani was working to mute Khashoggi’s voice as early as 2016.

The journalist, a native of Medina, had an eventful but often bumpy career over several decades in Saudi Arabia.

Drawn to radical causes in his early years, Khashoggi traveled to Afghanistan in the 1980s as a correspondent where he interviewed Osama bin Laden and posed for a picture holding a military rifle.

Khashoggi was fired twice as editor of Saudi Arabia’s AlWatan newspaper because he was seen as agitating against the government. But he was also an insider in the royal court. In between those editing stints, Khashoggi worked as an adviser to Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, when the prince served as ambassador to the United Kingdom and then the United States.

The first major clash between Qahtani and Kashoggi came in late 2016, when the writer was working as a columnist for the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. At a time when Mohammed and others were celebrating the election of Donald Trump, who

promised a far warmer relationship with Riyadh than President Barack Obama had pursued, Khashoggi was more cautious, warning in mid-November 2016 on Twitter that the Saudis should be wary of the untested American president.

Shortly thereafter, while Khashoggi was attending a conference in Qatar, Qahtani called to inform him that he was “not allowed to tweet, not allowed to write, not allowed to talk,” said a Khashoggi associate who, like others, also requested anonymity for security reasons.

Qahtani added, “You can’t do anything anymore — you’re done.”

Khashoggi’s ban over the ensuing eight months coincided with a period of intense intrigue in Riyadh. As Mohammed maneuvered to consolidate power, his enforcer began building his capabilities, including so-called “tiger teams” tasked with carrying out overseas abductions and the interrogation of prisoners.

It was hard to reconcile such operations with the innocuous name of Qahtani’s department: the Center for Studies and Media Affairs.

The power grab In April 2017, Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for three weeks to stay in London with a Saudi businessman and fellow former adviser to Prince Turki, Nawaf Obaid, who had had his own falling out with the royal court. The two talked about Khashoggi’s desire to move to the United States, according to a person familiar with their discussions.

But Qahtani surfaced again, calling Khashoggi in London to tell him that all would be forgiven if he returned to Riyadh. It was part of Qahtani’s “hot-cold” handling of Khashoggi, the person said, alternating between being menacing and reassuring.

(The Washington Post)

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, december 23, 2018

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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

Charrandas Persaud will be praised as well as criticised for his ‘conscience’ vote Dear Editor, “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” God has spoken on Friday, December 21. This country can breathe once again in the hope that the election due in the next three months will herald a new dawn.

This country needs leaders with integrity, people of honour and trustworthiness.

A person of integrity is open and honest. He is true to his word. He keeps his commitments.

People of integrity are the

same in private as they are in public.

A person of integrity does what is right whether someone is watching or not. If you are not telling the truth, you are being dishonest. Sooner or later, it will catch up with you. What you sow, you will eventually reap.

Integrity is the foundation upon which a truly successful Government is built. Every time we compromise, every time we are less than honest, we are causing a slight crack in that foundation.

If we continue to compromise, that foundation will never be able to hold what we want to build.

Mr Charrandas Persaud will be praised as well as criticised for his ‘conscience’ vote.

Conscience is like a shoe: when it doesn’t fit, it may appear nice outwardly, but no matter how carefully you try to walk, you know exactly where it pinches.

One who is good before his conscience is good before God. No man should stand convicted before his conscience.

If your conscience is clear, you can stand against the opinion of the world; no matter how dense the darkness around you, you shall pierce the gloom.

Some will hate you, some will love you; Some will flatter, some will slight; Cease from man and look above you; Trust in God and do the right.

Yours truly, Pt Ramdial Balbadar

Thank God for men of conscience!

Dear Editor, Mr Charrandas Persaud, the AFC Member of Parliament has voted in favour of the no-confidence motion thus paving the way for fresh elections in three months (90 days). Now this decision of his is of major significance in that it means that he has gone against the intentions of his party, and Government on a whole. It means that he has put his life on the line since the PNC, who is the major partner in this coalition are also notorious bullies known to have been associated with very heinous, ghastly acts when dealing with those whom they consider dissidents and subversives.

Already there are open calls for his lynching from persons of the likes of a "vulgar" Lawrence in this PNCcontrolled, PNC-dominated Government. He knows that there might very well be a grave and morbid outcome to his yes vote.

Mr Charandass is a courageous and brave man of noble character, and as he rightly said, his conscience is clear now and he voted on that aspect. I commend Mr Charandass, in fact the nation of Guyana commends you on such a noble, brave, honest and straightforward approach to the political and social situation here in Guyana. Let the nonsense of a disgraceful PNC-

controlled Government stop now! Let the stranglehold of backwardness cease now! I think he would have decided in the inner sanctum of his conscience I cannot go on living a lie, I have a soul, I must be true to myself.

Enough is enough this country needs to breathe again.

We commend him for standing up to a bully and making that altogether giant step in doing the right thing. God bless you and will take care of you Mr Charandass.

Now this is just the first hurdle, the second - and I think this is the most important of all - is the removal of the unilaterally appointed Chairman James Patterson.

For anything sane and fair to be accomplished at the elections commission this guy has to vacate that position, because the PNC will use him to commit another act of fraud against the people of this country.

The PPP/C in the next few weeks will be on an entreaty of the appeal court to expedite the process of the rescinding of the appointment of a handpicked GECOM Chairman. Guyana must rise again on a free and democratically elected, peace loving, progressive thinking, Government.

Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams

Parliament has spoken Dear Editor, Parliament has spoken.

The Government has been defeated in a no-confidence vote. General Elections must be held within 90 days unless the House by a 2/3 majority extends that time.

This vote was long in the making. APNU and AFC have brought it upon themselves. Charrandas Persaud will go down in history as a hero to some and as a traitor to others. My wife told me that Charandass is the only person in Guyana who

has “balls”. Whichever side you see him will be up to the individual.

I campaigned and supported the AFC since its inception. I believed, and still do, that any Government should be one for all of the people. The PPP did not show that in Government.

I was certain that APNU/ AFC would have been inclusive, bearing in mind the Valentine Day Accord in 2015 and the manifesto they presented to the people. Added to that, I was

convinced that candidate Granger and Nagamootoo would have worked together for all of Guyana without regard to one’s political affiliation and ethnicity.

To my great disappointment, the nation became more polarised and it was business as usual. Now we can have another “new” beginning.

My only sincere wish and profound hope is that whoever wins the next election will see Guyana as one nation. We are neither African

nor Indian; Portugese nor Amerindian; rich or poor; PNC nor PPP; rather we are all Guyanese, and very proud to be Guyanese.

My prayer is that the next Government will set up a reconciliation commission and let us speak our truths without fear, and hopefully put aside our “dark” past.

We are a great people and together we will make our country great.

Sincerely, Charles Sugrim

True patriotism Dear Editor, It was only last month that I wrote that the ‘NoConfidence’ Motion filed against the APNU/AFC coalition Government is timely and opportune since corruption, mismanagement and squandering of public funds are at its zenith. The entire economy is in a downward spiral, crimes are on the increase, jailbreaks have now become the norm and the entire social fabric is disintegrating and the masses have lost confidence. There is little or no accountability and transparency and there seems to be an insane haste to squander monies from this Nation’s Treasury with no regards for value for money.

I had no doubt that the results of the Local Government bore an unequivocal testimony to the fact that the coalition has failed to deliver on its Election promises and this will result in a vote of conscience for at least one member of the Government.

Moreover, the fact that the Honorable Member of Parliament Mr Charrandas Persaud voted according to his conscience is no surprise to me and should not be a surprise to anyone who knows him. What surprises me is the fact that it took more than 3 years for his conscience to be rekindled! But I guess he wanted to wait for that propitious moment when his vote of conscience could reverse the mistake he and others like him made in 2015.

Fortunately, this moment of epiphany occurred to me, Sasenarine Singh, the entire Canadian Chapter, Dr Rose and Dr Ramayya and a host of others and now it has happened to Mr Charrandas Persaud. But Charrandas’s support of Jagdeo’s ‘no-confidence’ motion will go down in the annals as the most courageous single act by any one man. He was unfazed as he repeatedly uttered ‘yes’ fearlessly and voted as his conscience dictated. He emphasized this when he stated that, “My conscience is now clear. My life may go, but I’ll die a happy person, and with

a clear conscience… This is the one time I had a say, and I said it according to my conscience”. He has lived up to the oath he took when he resumed office!

Moses Nagamootoo, as usual, tried to make a ‘spin’ by insinuating that Mr Charrandas may have been ‘compromised’. But Charrandas himself debunked this false accusation.

He stated a number of reasons and chief among those is the fact that the AFC leaders have become ‘yes men’ for the PNC dominated APNU which destroyed the lives of thousands of sugar workers while they ‘run around enjoying the good life’! The only thing Charrandas had ‘compromised’ during the past three and a half years was his conscience, and that he changed by his historic voting. In his own inimitable style, Ramajattan saw ‘expulsion’ as the solution since he ‘betrayed’ the coalition but Charrandas made it clear that he was tired of the AFC and would like to free himself from the political scene.

A few in the AFC and the PNC are talking about ‘betrayal’ by Charrandas but anyone with an iota of conscience will testify that it is the AFC leaders who have betrayed its members and supporters. I saw this since 2011 but by 2015 the coalescing with the APNU saw the abortion of all its founding principles. I wrote about this ‘subservience’ of the AFC to the PNC. The AFC leaders became totally absorbed in enjoying the ‘good life’ and selfishly maintaining their status quo. Furthermore, it is the coalition Government which has betrayed the Guyanese public by miserably failing to live up to its 2015 Manifesto promises.

I salute Mr Charrandas Persaud in inspiring Guyanese confidence in the ‘no-confidence’ motion and for the strategic timing of Dr Jagdeo to ‘bring it on’!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Respect, peace and harmony must prevail

Dear Editor, The recent no-confidence motion against the APNU coalition Government is causing ethnic sentiments, prejudices, vexatious behavior and animosities to raise amongst a small segment of our population. Let us look upon this no-confidence motion as a reawakening of our conscience for true national development. It may be the final boon from the universal creator to take Guyana to the Zenith.

We the Universal Peace Federation (Guyana) wish to particularly compliment the APNU Government for its press conference, displaying wisdom, leadership,

intellect and diplomacy in an address by the honorable Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. He indicated in his words that the vote in Parliament was proper and that it is a norm made possible by our Constitution and laws governing democracy in our country. He positively assured all of Guyana that they should go about their business during this season of joy and goodwill without discomfort.

As Guyanese citizens and workers of peace, we support the positive words of the Government via its Prime Minister and that of the Leader of the Opposition Dr Bharat Jagdeo that

Guyanese life must be undisrupted and respects for rule of law must preponderate.

With this in mind the leadership of the UPF Guyana in association with our International leadership encourage all Guyanese to enjoy the festive season of goodwill, charity, harmony to continue to share with neighbours, friends and families without ill will or disrespect because of the no confidence motion.

We in Guyana live at most in dignity, cooperation and harmony; let us maintain these positives in going about our daily routine.

To the political power houses, we of the UPF

Guyana say that the greatness, beauty, grandeur and prosperity of our nation are in your hands. You have the unique opportunity and capacity to empower this nation for greatness as cannot be seen in the world and probably never was.

Ultimate or absolute power definitely can cause ultimate corruption, deception and destruction. We call upon the two powers of this nation politically once again; to sit, forget the past and the blame game with its concomitant finger pointing and “the juking of each other eyes for the sake of juking.”

We know that many in the two power blocks

will want to control the oil wealth, the future, the mines and the treasury of this country. Some with good intents and some with possible corrupted ones. Let us not bring a foreigner to mediate this peace, who will want tens of millions of dollars and get the credit but utilise our services the UPF Guyana in conjunction with our mediators in UPF International Conference and Administration for free.

Or what the hell??? Just do it yourselves!!!! Do it yourselves!!!

For the few in the opposition who may gloat and want to mock, and we know most will want calm and good-

will and general love to prevail. In the same way in the current Government chamber there are the few who may have their evil intents, but the majority are positive and brilliant. We at the UPF Guyana know that together the Peoples National Congress Reform and the People Progressive Party/ Civic can take Guyana to the high road of success and make our platform an example for world development.

Sincerely, Hajji Roshan Khan (National Chairman) Reverend Ronald McGarrell (Secretary General)

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation G

et the kids in the kitchen at Christmas with these festive recipes. It might be messy but it will be fun and yum!

Rudolph pancakes

By Susan Alexander Yates and Andrea Gutierrez

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s newlyweds, Carol and Alan looked forward to celebrating their first Christmas together. In their new apartment, the Georgia couple decorated their tree with ornaments from their childhood years, along with new ones that boasted "Our First Christmas."

Carol and Alan were about to discover, however, that celebrating together was more complicated than they had imagined. Alan's birthday was close to Christmas, so Carol's mother-in-law thought she'd cook a big meal at her house.

Carol told her mother-in-law they had already made plans for that night, and she seemed to understand. But when they hung up the phone, Mom called her son and pitched her idea to him.

When Carol found out that her mother-in-law had gone behind her back, Carol confronted her. The conversation ended in tears – for both of them.

Carol was also frustrated with her husband. While he showed concern for her that first Christmas, he wasn't straightforward with his mom.

Carol wanted her husband to speak up for her – for them.

"Alan didn't rally for me that Christmas, and it wasn't necessary after the talk I had with his mom, but it was a learning experience for both of us," Carol says. "I think a lot of new husbands make this same mistake. They take the side of 'not taking sides.' In their minds, neutrality is easiest."

In the end, Carol's motherin-law agreed to give up a bit of control. The next Christmas, Carol suggested they have Christmas Eve at her mother-in-law's house.

As you and your spouse juggle family expectations, it can be difficult to experience a Christmas of real peace and good cheer. Talk ahead of time with your spouse, discussing solutions and compromises before the inlaws arrive.

Remember you married into a family When a couple marries, relational priorities change.

When we were single, our allegiance was with our parents, but once we marry, our priority becomes our spouse. The switch in priorities is a hard adjustment, particularly for close-knit families.

Neutrality is not an option.

Your in-laws aren't just your spouse's parents. They're family.

Treat them with honour. Initiate calls, remember birthdays, ask them about their life. Don't just leave relationship maintenance up to your spouse. These parents want a relationship with you, as well. And they long for you to initiate one.

When I married, my mother gave me a piece of advice about honouring in-laws.

"Susan," she said, "when John's mother comes to visit, give her time alone with him.

Have him take her to lunch. Most mothers of sons rarely get time alone with their sons after they marry."

I would never have considered this if my mom had not suggested it, and I did this every time my mother-in-law came to visit. Often she said to me, "Why don't you come to lunch, too?" But I replied, "No, this is a special time for you with John."

Plan ahead To circumvent a potentially awkward encounter with relatives, have a plan in place before visitors arrive.

Sarah and Tim of Virginia had already experienced a few lessthan-happy Christmases with inlaws. One year, her mother-in-

law gave her some "parenting advice," which Sarah took as criticism. On another occasion, Sarah felt Tim sided with his parents in a discussion, which left her feeling put down and unappreciated. With these past disappointments in mind, Tim and Sarah decided to be more proactive. A few weeks before his parents arrived, they had an honest talk. Tim and Sarah agreed not to blame or criticise each other.

They took turns answering three questions: * What am I most fearful of? * What can we do to alleviate this issue? * How can we work as a team while they are here?

Sarah was fearful she'd get stuck with entertaining his parents while he was at work. So Tim took time off to take his folks out to lunch. Sarah determined to count the blessings of the day and to laugh at things that did not go well. Both of them made a promise to take a few minutes to discuss how things had gone, to make any needed adjustments for the next day, to verbalise what was good and to pray together.

Their goal was to make positive changes. (Focus on the Family)

What could be a better breakfast on Christmas morning than these fun Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pancakes? The kids will think all their Christmases have come at once!

Ingredients * 1 cup (250ml) milk * 1 egg, lightly beaten * 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour * 2 tbsp butter * 4 rashers streaky bacon * 4 white marshmallows * 8 dark choc chips * 4 strawberries Method 1. Make a basic pancake batter by whisking together milk and egg in a large bowl.

Sift over flour and whisk until smooth.

2. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large frying pan.

Pour in batter to form one large circle, one smaller circle and two triangles for ears. Cook for a couple of minutes until bubbles form, flip and cook for a further minute until cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. Cut bacon rashers in half and cook until crisp. To arrange Rudolph, place the large pancake on a plate.

Place smaller pancake on top. Position rashers for antlers and the triangular pancakes for ears. Decorate with marshmallow eyes and strawberry nose.

4. Cut marshmallows in half. Press a choc chip into the centre of each half.

Christmas tree brownies

These Christmas tree brownies make gorgeous Christmas gifts to give or just look great to take on a platter for a party. They are easy to make and even the kids can help with this recipe. They are a traditional brownie recipe with a Christmas spin!

Ingredients * 3/4 cup butter (melted) * 1 1/4 cup sugar * 2 tsp vanilla extract * 3 eggs * 3/4 cup self-raising flour * 1/2 cup cocoa powder (sifted) * 1 tub Betty Crocker vanilla icing * M&Ms Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together and light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the flour, melted butter, cocoa and vanilla until well combined.

4. Pour into cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

5. Leave to cool and slice into eight wedges.

6. Place the vanilla icing in a zip-lock bag and snip the corner off. Pipe the icing onto the wedges to cover the whole brownie.

7. Place a rice cracker into the bottom to create a tree stump.

8. Decorate with various decorations to your liking.

Little cookie houses

Gingerbread houses are a true Christmas tradition.

These little cookie houses are a simplified version that the kids will love making and eating.

Ingredients * 2 cup icing sugar * 2 tbs milk * 1 packet of vanilla or chocolate Shirley or Devon biscuits * 1 handful lollies * 1 handful M&Ms * 1 handful sprinkles

Method

1. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Add milk a little at a time and stir until you have a thick, paste-like icing.

2. Spread a little icing onto one biscuit and top with another to form the base of a house. Spread icing onto this top biscuit as well. Repeat to make six bases.

3. Spread some more icing along the long edge of one biscuit and press it against another to create a V shape. Place this upside down onto a base, using icing to adhere. Repeat to make six houses.

4. Decorate the houses with lollies using icing to stick them to the roof and base. (Excerpt from www.kidspot.com.au)

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7

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

No-confidence vote

President Granger eager to meet with Opposition Leader …agrees to setting early elections

F

ollowing the historic no-confidence vote against his Government on Friday, President David Granger has said he is eager to meet with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

The President on Saturday in a statement issued by the Ministry of the Presidency said he is anxious to engage Jagdeo on any concerns he may have.

He also provided assurances that there will be no confrontations.

“Mr Jagdeo contacted the Minister of State (Joseph Harmon) and a meeting will be arranged as early as possible so that his concerns can be addressed,” Granger explained in the statement.

The President’s expression of eagerness to meet with the Opposition Leader came hours after Jagdeo on Friday evening said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is ready and willing to work with the coalition Government to determine the way forward.

He was at the time delivering his final address to the National Assembly before adjournment ahead of

the holidays.

The Opposition Leader, who is also the General Secretary of the PPP, noted that while the preceding events were unprecedented, it is pushing democracy forward.

“We on both sides of the House, we have to now sit and talk about how we move forward over the course of the next few months and over the course of the future. I’m doing that on this side… and I’m very conscious of what I mean and what implications it would have for the future of Guyana,” he posited.

The Opposition Leader acknowledged that both sides have constituencies and as such, “we have to find a way now to ensure that we maximise all of the national skills and look past the politics of it so that we can, in the upcoming era, which can be transformative, we can present a united face to the rest of the world. And this, although it may seem an unprecedented and maybe disappointing for the members of the Government side, it’s also an opportunity – and

I would hope we all see it as an opportunity – for engagement very, very early on both sides and decide on how we [move forward].”

Early elections

Meanwhile, in the statement on Saturday, Granger also committed that the coalition Government will abide with what the Constitution says, which would include facilitating early elections.

Granger also disclosed that he met with some of his Ministers on Saturday who will engage the Alliance For Change (AFC) Ministers.

This is significant, as Charandass Persaud, the Member of Parliament who voted against the Government, hails from the AFC. “We will do everything necessary to facilitate the smooth functioning of General and Regional Elections, bearing in mind the need for normal governmental functions to continue uninterrupted,” Granger was quoted saying.

“This is a constitutional process which can have favourable outcomes for the

Robbery accused released on $150,000 bail among other items valued at $536,000.

He was also charged for possession of an illegal firearm with matching ammunition.

After being incarcerated for over a month, Stoby was given his pre-trail lib-

H

Bailed: Charles Stoby

aving been remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on charges of armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, 30-year-old Charles Stoby of Hadfield Street, Georgetown was released on bail last week when he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly.

Stoby had made his first court appearance on November 9, 2018 before the Chief Magistrate, slapped with charges which stated that on October 22, 2018 at Gordon Street, Kitty, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Kester Roberts of jewellery

erty when he posted bail of $150,000 on each charge. A condition of his bail is that he is required to report to the Brickdam Police Station weekly.

The defendant is expected to reappear in court on January 11, 2019.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

nation… There is no cause for alarm and there are no grounds for any form of disorder and we will continue to work to provide a good Government and deliver public services to the people and to work even more closely with the Opposition,” the President added.

On Friday evening, the No-confidence Motion brought by the parliamentary Opposition PPP/C against the Government succeeded when Persaud broke ranks and made a conscious vote in favour of the motion.

A total of 10 MPs had previously debated the motion, but when a vote of division was called, Persaud’s vote changed the numbers to 33 versus his colleagues’ 32 votes against the motion.

The vote was a drama filled one, as Persaud’s colleagues immediately rounded on him to demand answers and even to tell him to change his vote. This had caused the Opposition to verbally complain to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland about the interfer-

President David Granger

ence.

The tension in the chambers only increased when Scotland asked for the Government side to revote.

However, Persaud made it clear he would not change his mind when he repeated his “yes” thrice, even though the remaining Government

MPs voted against the motion.

With the Government’s defeat, the next steps are spelt out in the Constitution of Guyana. Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Meanwhile, clause 7 goes on to state that “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

8 news

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018

| guyanatimesGY.com

Cook stabs miner to death during row over food

P

olice are investigating a murder that occurred at Chinese Creek Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) on Friday at about 18:00 hrs.

The dead man has been identified as a miner known only as “Terrible Dog”.

Reports are that the cook, who is a foreigner known only as “Suseh God”, was involved in an argument with the min-

er over the frying of sausages.

The argument escalated, and the cook stabbed the miner to the area of his ribcage.

According to Police, by the time ranks arrived on the scene, the victim had al-

ready succumbed to his injuries. The body is awaiting a post-mortem examination at the Bartica mortuary.

The suspect has reportedly fled the area, but a probe have since been launched.

6 nabbed with guns, ammo

S

Items unearthed during the stop-and-search exercises

ix persons have been detained by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) after three stop-and-search exercises unearthed three handguns and 21 rounds of live ammunition.

Based on Police information, the operations were conducted by officers of ‘A’ Division (Georgetown/East

Bank Demerara) and ‘D’ Division (West Demerara/ West Coast Demerara).

Reports are that at about 07:30h on Friday, a 40-year-old labourer of Buzz Bee Dam, Craig New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara was intercepted

by Police. During a search of the area, a gun without ammunition was unearthed.

Meanwhile, at Third Street, Agricola, at about 09:30h, a 22-year-old man of Curtis Street, Albouystown was arrested after a handgun with fourteen live rounds was found in his possession.

And on Saturday at about 00:20h, a vehicle was intercepted at the western end of the Demerara

Harbour Bridge, and four persons therein -- two from Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD and two from Vreeden-Hoop, WCD -- were taken into custody after a gun with seven live rounds was found on one of the individuals.

The items were lodged and the six are expected to face charges in court.

Boat captain remanded on narco-trafficking charge

B

oat captain Orlando Pillard of Itaballi Landing, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who allegedly was busted with 45.5 grams of cannabis hidden in his bedroom on December 13 last, has been remand-

ed to prison by Georgetown Magistrate Faith McGusty, before whom he appeared and denied the offence.

The Prosecution is contending that the 28-yearold Pillard had the narcotics in his possession for the purpose of trafficking;

and Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman, in presenting the facts to the court, said that at 09:00hrs on December 13, Police ranks acting on information went to the home of the defendant and conducted a search, resulting in the illegal drug being

found in a transparent bag under his bed.

Magistrate McGusty has remanded Pillard to prison, and has set the case to continue on January 3, 2019 before the Bartica Magistrate.

Democracy…

T

…in the National Assembly

oday Guyanese can hold their heads high that, at long last, they’ve ceased being “mimic men” who literally ape the practices of our departed colonial masters - without harking to the substance of those practices. On Friday night, at the end of the long PPPsponsored no-confidence debate, AFC MP Charandass Persaud decided to be a real representative of his constituency and voted his conscience to support the motion. The Government then fell!!

Yesterday’s Chronic, in a screaming, red banner headline, described Charandass as “Judas at Christmas”! And this exemplifies the PNC approach to democracy. Over in Britain, members of May’s own Conservative Party called for a no-confidence motion against her – and 100 of her MPs voted for it and against her. But neither she nor any other commentator called them “traitors”, much less “Judas”. But this is the PNC – of which Moses Nagamootoo, responsible for the Chronic, is now a card-carrying member – and they expect unswerving adherence to their line.

Charandass’s vote shocked even the Clerk of the House, to such an extent that he lost his equilibrium and had to be advised by the Speaker to carry on with his duties. Normally, of course, it’s the job of the Clerk to advise the Speaker!! But the shock of the Clerk was nothing compared to the consternation of the other Government MPs!! Cries of “No! No! No!” filled the chamber from one PNC female member some distance away, who must’ve seen her privileges flapping away!

The ones on either side of the AFC MP elbowed him and one asked frantically, “What the f*** yuh doin’ man”!! Charandass had to repeat his “yes” vote FOUR times before the Clerk accepted his choice.

Volda Lawrence, David Patterson and Trotman, in front of him, swiveled around and glared daggers, until Trotman whispered into Lawrence’s ear. She jumped up and asked the Speaker for a “two-minute timeout”!

The Speaker asked her if she thought this was a game, and informed her the vote must proceed. The Speaker should be given credit for sticking to his non-partisan job this time.

After the vote, Charandass was grilled by reporters, and explained his vote of conscience. Time and again he’d asked his party leaders why they went along with PNC policies that were against their constituency’s interests – like the firing of 5700 sugar workers and Hamilton Green’s gratuitous $1.3 million monthly pension. The final straw, it appeared, was when he advised party leader Trotman to censure Volda Lawrence’s “PNC only” employment policy – but he went on to excuse her!!

He had to ask for protection when he left for home. He said Lawrence promised to “kill” anyone who voted for the motion.

…and hate

Your Eyewitness isn’t big on social media, but he was so inundated with screenshots from various platforms on the no-confidence motion that he was forced to find out what was going on his own. And what he discovered is this country is even more divided than ever, with the presumably younger Government supporters resorting to the crudest scatological expressions about Charandass – whom they uniformly assumed only voted as he did because of “race”, and that he “sold out”.

It was widely assumed that “more like him will crawl out of the woodwork”! The hateful expressions were so consistent that they had to have been lurking under the surface at best – or expressed in “safe” environments regularly. The PPP was castigated as forcefully, and Jagdeo took the brunt of the attacks. It does not seem to cross the minds of these PNC youths that Jagdeo is the Leader of the Opposition, which agglomerated just 5000 votes less that the PNC/APNU and AFC put together.

And to attack him so nastily will further alienate his supporters.

…respect

What came out clearly in Charandass’s rationale for voting the way he did was the PNC treating the AFC like a doormat – and the leadership of Trotman, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan willingly lying down for the experience.

He at least has salvaged some respect!

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

9 Footballer stabbed to death news

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

…after accidentally spilling drink on suspect

P

olice in Linden, Region 10, are investigating the murder of local footballer Leonard “Lenny” Peters of Lot 29 West Watooka, Wismar; who was stabbed to death after he accidently spilled his drink on one of his assailants while at a bar at West Watooka, Linden.

Reports are that the 21-year-old was at a bar when he accidently spilled his drink on one of the suspects, and this led to a physical confrontation between the men.

This newspaper was told that one of the suspects reportedly went to his home, situated a short distance away, and uplifted a knife. Upon his return, he stabbed Peters once to the left side of his chest.

Peters started bleeding from the wound, and was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.

Speaking to this publication on Saturday, the dead man’s father, Leonard Peters Snr, said he was awakened by his wife, who related that their son had been stabbed.

The distraught father said his son collapsed a short distance away from his home before he was

Dead: Leonard "Lenny" Peters

transported to the hospital.

“The brother rush out there and see Lenny lie down in the corner there...

But it ain’t happen here, it happen in front, and Lenny come and fall down there… they put he in the front seat of the car and they rush he to the hospital,” Peters related.

He added that he later went to the hospital, where he saw the extent of his son’s injuries. “When I go there, they tell me I can’t come in. When I look, a set of nurses and doctors deh

round Lenny... I see Lenny lie down in there, all over wash away in blood,” he added.

Peters said the family was still trying to gather information as to what had really transpired, as the information had not been forthcoming. He noted, however, that the suspects are known to his son, since they had grown up in the same neighbourhood.

“All I know is that Lenny got stabbed, and I heard that two brothers that live in front do the job.

They grow up together as brothers in this place.

I ain’t really know what happened there. But this morning (Saturday) I hearing that one of them go upstairs and bring out a knife and stab Lenny,” the older Peters related.

He noted that, much to his dissatisfaction, the Police have not been forthcoming with information on his son’s death.

“When I asked them, they just saying that they doing Police investigation,” the senior Peters said. He noted that his wife has since been inconsolable over the incident.

A cousin of the deceased who was at the location at the time was also taken into Police custody for questioning.

Peters Snr described

his son, who was a footballer with the High Stars football club, as a very quiet and loving individual.

At the home of the deceased on Saturday, relatives and friends gathered to give comfort to the family, but his mother re-

mained inconsolable. The young man also leaves to mourn his girlfriend from Berbice, who is pregnant.

According to his father, his was slated to be married within five months.

Meanwhile, Police have since said that they have

taken two brothers into custody for the murder.

This publication was told that one of the suspects took investigators to his home on Saturday morning, where he handed over a knife which is believed to be the murder weapon.

ExxonMobil halts 3D...

Suspended Exxon’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs Diedre Moe revealed in a statement that in the wake of the incident the oil company has decided to suspend its seismic operations in the Stabroek block.

“3D seismic data acquisition of the western portion of the Stabroek Block began this month,” she explained. “At this time, seismic operations on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana have been paused until they can be safely continued.”

According to Moe, the oil company’s main concern is for the safety of the Ramform Tethys crew members and others who may be in the area. She noted, however, that ExxonMobil is in communication with the necessary authorities.

This incident comes at a time when Guyana has an ongoing territorial integrity case with Venezuela. Since Guyana submitted its memorial on Jurisdiction to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month, a date was in turn set a date for the Venezuelan Government to submit its own counter memorial.

This was revealed only a few weeks ago by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, during his contribution to the budget debates. According to the Minister, April 18, 2019 has been set for Venezuela to submit its counter memorial.

When US oil giant ExxonMobil announced the first of multiple oil finds in local waters in 2015, Venezuela renewed its claim to twothirds of Guyana’s terri-

from page 3

tory. Venezuela has been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found by ExxonMobil, and has since renewed claims to the Essequibo region.

On January 30, 2018, Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres concluded that the Good Offices Process – which the parties had engaged in for almost 30 years, but it failed to achieve a solution to the controversy – and chose the ICJ as the next means of settlement, for which Guyana has long been advocating.

Sir Shridath Ramphal and Ambassador Audrey Waddell are assisting Minister Greenidge.

The United States has since announced that it supports Guyana’s case.

10 news

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

AFC expels Charandass Persaud …party recommits to APNU

D

espite publicly announcing that he will resign from the party following his support for the No-confidence Motion against the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government, the AFC in an immediate act of retaliation on Saturday announced that it has taken the decision to expel Charandass Persaud.

The AFC said the decision was taken following a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee while adding that they have already initiated steps to have him recalled as an MP. Additionally, the AFC said it feels “betrayed and shocked” by the ‘yes’ vote, which ultimately led to the fall of the David Grangerled Administration.

After voting in favour of the No-confidence Motion, Persaud told the media that he took a “conscious” decision since the AFC has a subordinate role to the majority A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Persaud cited examples, such as Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence’s recent controversial statement about hiring party faithfuls and pointed out that the AFC leadership did not condemn, but rather condoned the statement.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the AFC team.

My reason for voting in favour of the motion is that I have no confidence in what the AFC team will do,”

peace and goodwill will prevail,” the party indicated.

Persaud became a parliamentarian following the May 2015 Regional and General Election but this is not the first time he has expressed his dissatisfaction with the AFC. The Berbician resigned from the Party in September 2013 but would later face the media and indicate that his resignation was non-existent.

The lawyer has since indicated that his vote was one of conscience since he is was tired of towing party lines. He left the country

Charandass Persaud

Persaud said, when questioned by the media.

Meanwhile, the AFC on Saturday said, “at no time did Mr Persaud express that he had lost confidence in the APNU/AFC coalition Government, its policies, programmes and vision.

To the contrary, he gave his solemn commitment, on more than one occasion, that he will vote resoundingly against the motion.”

The statement added that all the while Persaud has been on board with the Government’s plans for development since he would have made an animated presentation during the 2019 National Budget Debates.

Additionally, the minority coalition partner said they have already begun to plan, prepare and mobilise for the impending General and Regional Elections.

“The AFC held an internal executive meeting today (Saturday) and will engage our supporters, our coalition partner A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the people of Guyana, on the way forward. The AFC assures its supporters and all Guyanese that it remains unwaveringly committed to the APNU/AFC coalition Government. The AFC reaffirms its commitment to the rule of law and reassures Guyanese that in this Yuletide season of

on Saturday morning after he had been openly threatened by his colleagues in Parliament.

On Friday, the APNU/ AFC coalition Government fell when the No-confidence Motion brought by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party was passed in the National Assembly.

A total of 10 MPs debated the motion, but when the dust was settled, and a vote of division was called, Persaud’s vote changed the numbers to 33 in favour of the motion versus Government’s 32 votes against.

The day after

S

atiricus couldn’t get fast enough to the old watering hole at the Back Street. “Oh! How much can change in a day!” he thought, with a wide grin on his moniker.

Yesterday, his old buddies in the KFC and their PNC controllers were riding high as if there were no tomorrow.

And today, with elections only three months away, they were now between a rock and a hard place.

“Ai, Sato!!” called out Cappo as he espied Satiricus.

“Come tell abee ‘bout dis KFC bai Sarran Das!” “Eh! Eh! Me neva t’ink ayuh KFC people gat dem kinda spunks!” laughed Bungi, while signalling for a beer for Satiricus.

“Da bannah ain’t no hero,” said Georgie. “De man sell out ‘e side, bro!”

“Well, you can say what you want,” said Satiricus, as he sat down and reached for the beer, “The fella is now a certified Guyanese hero!!”

“Damn right!” said Cappo, while looking at Georgie squarely. “’E seh ‘e cyaan tek how de Pee’nSee treat abee suga worka an’ de KFC na do nuttin!”

“Budday, na de same t’ing mek Sato lef de KFC?” asked Bungi. “Since w’en votin’ yuh caan-shan a ‘sell out’?”

“Well, when Volga ask she party people before de vote how dem gon vote, why ‘e didn’t talk up?” asked Georgie.

“Georgie, you just came back to Guyana,” said Satiricus.

“If Sarran Das said he’d vote for the motion, they would’ve recalled him on the spot!!”

“Da wha’ mek Nagga Man talk fat in Parli’ment,” grinned Cappo. “Cow deh a pasture he nah remember dat daag and butcha deh, till ‘e see am!!”

“Jaargie vex beca’se ‘e Pee’nSee fr’en guh lose ‘e IT contrac’!” pointed out Bungi. “An’ da guh cut ‘e runnings!”

“Bannas, I man does wuk on principles!” said Georgie huffily. “If yuh deh wid a party, yuh gotta toe de party line!”

“The KFC leaders were supposed to keep the Pee’See in check, not toe their line,” said Satiricus bitterly. “Sarran Das reminded them.”

“Moon ah run til day ketch am!” gloated Bungi.

“Pee’nSee and KFC get ketch!!”

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

“Dull Christmas for us” – rice farmers

Morality, politics and the noconfidence vote

G

uyana was exposed to the high drama of a political action, which was coincidentally unrolled in several other jurisdictions recently, including the “Mother of Parliaments” in Britain – the “no-confidence vote”. This mechanism goes to the heart of parliamentary democracy, which demands that the Government’s legitimacy depends on the will of the people, exercised though their representatives.

Our Constitution explicitly incorporated the device in Art 10, 6 (6) and (7) which basically allows the Opposition to demand the Government demonstrate it retains the support of the majority of the National Assembly. If it cannot, its “falls” and elections to choose a new Government must be conducted within three months.

Ravi Dev Now, since the Government usually assumes office by securing such a majority, as did the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition, they professed themselves quite confident of surviving the challenge posed by the PPP. In the modern political system undergirded by the “political party”, there is a specific office of “Party Whip” who is supposed to ensure their MPs vote along the party line. In Britain, while the Whip cannot explicitly instruct the MP on how to vote, – that would violate parliamentary privilege since the MP’s are supposed to vote their conscience – they have worked out a code via underlining information of attendance with one to three lines.

Generally, however, the MPs toe the party line because they are ambitious and want to move up in the party’s hierarchy – especially with an eye to a Government position. The list system for fielding candidates at elections ensures that those selected as MPs by the party are “safe”. In Guyana, this control over MPs was strengthened after Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan formed the AFC while occupying respectively, PNC and PPP seats and there was a “recall legislation” that allowed the parties to expel such MPs and those who did not vote according to the party line.

So with all of that explicit and historical control, with the PPP’s No-confidence Motion, it was not surprising that the PNC and AFC demanded that the PPP “bring it on”. They must have had a twinge of doubt, however, when they mobilised supporters to assemble in front of Parliament to form a gauntlet which all MPs, including the Government’s, had to run. Historically this tactic was always been intended to intimidate, and since they couldn’t possibly have a problem with the Opposition supporting their own motion. They were at a minimum, sending a “three line” message to their own MPs to toe the line.

Against this background, therefore the action of AFC MP Charrandas Persaud to vote his conscience against the PNC-led coalition took a lot of courage. He knew he would be expelled from the party and had to once again run the gauntlet outside the chambers, this time as a “traitor”. But as Persaud explained, he voted his conscience for the first time because for over three years he had supported his party, the AFC, to traduce every principle they professedly stood for, and supported the PNC’s march into paramountcy. No more. The straw that broke Persaud’s back was the abandonment of the 7000 sugar workers by the AFC after explicitly assuring them their jobs would be safe. Living within a shuttered sugar community, Persaud was unwilling to sacrifice them for the sake of political expedience.

Asked to explain his action, Persaud said he was a Hindu, and accepted, at the most fundamental level, he would be judged by the nature of the action (karma) he was performing in accordance with the guiding paradigm of the Hindu world view – Dharma. As far as politics is concerned, Dharma exhorts us to perform actions that “uphold, nurture, enhance, support, sustain”, all living beings. And in this way, Persaud’s actions are absolutely Dharmic – not to mention democratic – and he should be commended by all right-thinking Guyanese.

In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi exemplified and lived politics in line with dharma. He showed that ultimately, political legitimacy cannot be imposed by brute force, whether by State organs against the people, or by party sanctions to coerce MPs to toe their line. Blind adherence to the latter will guarantee abuses by leaders leading to totalitarianism – and in the case of Guyana, party paramountcy.

True political legitimacy has to ultimately rest of the personal morality of politicians and the mechanisms of ‘democracy” must ensure that such morality is not stifled in the name of the party ‘line’. Charrandas Persaud is a Guyanese hero.

O

ver 300 rice farmers in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) and from the island of Wakenaam in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) flocked the gate of the Hack Rice Mill in Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast demanding their payments.

Farmers are concerned over the long delay in receiving payment from millers for paddy purchased since September and some even earlier this year. After a commotion erupted in front of the main gate of the rice factory, its management was forced to meet with the frustrated rice farmers.

According to the farmers, they were there as early as 06:00h on Friday and were trying to get the attention of senior management of the rice complex but no one was willing to speak with them. One farmer said the group decided to protest and make noise outside the entity as they demanded to see the manager for their payments.

The owed farmers said the manger eventually met with them and agreed to give them payments between $50,000 and $100,000 until full payments are available.

The farmers said they have their monthly bank installment to meet and

Rice farmers waiting outside the Hack Rice Mill in Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast for payment

the cash given to them in some cases cannot even meet the required payment.

Speaking with Guyana Times, a mother who was also outside the factory protesting, said it is not easy for her to financially manage her home.

She said she has to finance her children's education, which is a very expensive exercise. One is at one the Cyril Potter College of Education

(CPCE), one is at the University of Guyana, and the other is writing the Caribbean Examination Council next year.

Some of the other women who were also on the protest line said they are single parents and are depending only on their meagre earnings from the rice industry for their survival. “It will be a dull, dull Christmas for us,” one woman said.

12 news

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

No-confidence vote

ERC calls for tolerance, respect

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s the implications of the no-confidence vote against the Government soak in, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has called for tolerance and respect for everyone’s political preferences while alluding to the challenges that surround the electoral process.

The ERC on Saturday said it is cognisant of the potential for sensitivities to be heightened during this period and urged that the pronouncements and actions of all are not injurious to the

process of fostering harmony and good relations.

The Commission added that it wishes to encourage every Guyanese in all strata of society to demonstrate an added sense of tolerance and respect for each other and the processes which will soon unfold. “This is vital to the sustenance of our democracy and presents an opportunity for us all to collectively rise to the challenge of placing first the welfare of our nation and its people,” the ERC said in a statement.

The Commission, like

many other organisations, hailed the democratic process in which the No-confidence Motion was debated, noting that democracy is thriving in Guyana. It also noted that the passage of the motion has charted Guyana into unprecedented waters in regard to the constitutional requirements.

“Our nation’s history is unambiguous in reminding us of the inherent challenges that unfortunately surrounds our electoral process.

Clearly, the results of the said motion present another

delicate period for our country and which uncompromisingly must be managed with utmost maturity through responsible leadership by all,” the Commission posited.

The ERC said it is pleased by the sentiments expressed by the political leaders calling for peace and stability adding that the level maturity ought to be sustained in the interest of the nation. Backtracking to the November 12 Local Government Elections, the ERC explained that it was satisfied with the transpar-

ERC Chairman, Dr John Smith

ency and peacefulness exhibited in that day. Additionally, the Commission reminded that elections are a constant fixture in a democratic nation therefore it should not be used as a process to bridge any divide rather it should be promoted without fear or favour.

“As we endeavour through these sensitive moments, all are encouraged to resist being overcome by emotions and to disallow the infusion of hatred. Let us remain mindful that all are sons and daughters of this dear land dependent on each other for the creation of the mutually desired future. It therefore becomes imperative that each play their part responsibly. The ERC, through its constitutional mandate, remains ready and committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that peace and togetherness prevail during this process,” the statement noted.

The Ethnic Relations Commission is a constitutional body established as an undertaking by the Herdmanston Accord and by Constitutional Amendment (#2) Act of 2000.

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

No-confidence vote

Business sector hails democratic process

...urges respect for parliamentary decision Ally noted.

No further division

President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, Suean Seenarayan

AmCham President Zulfikar Ally

istory was made in Parliament on Friday night when Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Charandass Persaud voted by conscience in favour of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party Noconfidence Motion against Government. Persaud has since indicated that his vote was one of conscience as opposed to towing the party line and voting against the motion.

Following the vote, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) as well as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hailed the democratic process in which the motion was debated and voted upon.

The PSC said it is satisfied that democracy prevailed in the National Assembly and called on the population to be proud while continuing to respect the decision.

The umbrella body also urged leaders to continue to respect and honour the highest principles of democratic Government and the maintenance of law and order, which the nation has embraced.

“The Commission now calls upon our leaders and our people to continue to respect and honour the democratic decision of our Parliament… the Private Sector Commission expects that the nation will now properly prepare itself for a peaceful, free and fair election going forward,” the PSC said.

is very stagnant and everybody thinking about oil and gas and even though it is going to be a plus to us it would take years before we could benefit from it,” she said.

“We need to pay attention to the industries that are here and are falling and I am hoping with the No-confidence Motion passing we are now in a position we can use that to turn things around and fix things some way or the other,” Seenarayan added.

H

Essequibo Chambers

President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, Suean Seenarayan, hailed the no-confidence vote, noting that it will provide a new opportunity for the turning of the economy. She noted that in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), the economy is stagnant since the rice industry is failing and that is the backbone of the region’s economy. She is hopeful that the calling of early elections would mean a renewed focus on the industries other than the oil and gas sector.

“For us here in Essequibo, businesses here have been very slow for us for the past couple of years and I think it is something good for the region and the country as a whole since the rice industry

Region Three Chamber

Meanwhile, the Region Three Chamber of Commerce acknowledged the strength of Guyana’s democracy while urging Guyanese to go about their business during the holiday season. The Chamber of Commerce reiterated that Guyanese are all one people living in one nation with a common destiny; as such, they cannot allow partisan interest to flourish. They also urged persons to be aware of those who would attempt to provoke conflict and create ethnic tension.

“Citizens should be watchful of attempts to provoke conflict and create ethnic tension and mayhem as we have a nation to build and a destiny to mould.

Both parties, Opposition and Government, have a responsibility now to ensure the national interest is served. The No-confidence Motion is a reawakening of the power of the electorate and the business community needs a stable political situation for a buoyant economy. We don’t want only to see politicians during elections but we want to see them all year-round so they can fulfill their promises to citizens during interactive periods,” Chamber President Halim Khan said.

AmCham (Guyana)

Meanwhile, the American Chambers of Commerce also stated that it respects and supports the results of the democratic process of the nation’s Parliament.

“We commend and support both President Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s call for peace and cooperation as we head into general elections. AmCham also supports our country’s leaders in their call for calm and peace at this time,” AmCham, President Zulfikar

The Guyana Trades Union Congress said the parliamentary decision should not serve as a further division for the nation and called for Persaud to share with his constituency, the coalition, as well as the nation the rationale for his decision-making.

“No longer should the public be made to accept, as norm, public officials making critical decisions without providing justification. The coalition, but most specifically the AFC, needs to explain to the nation. Leaders must go all out to avoid or minimise triumphalism. All parties and citizens should be watchful of attempt to provoke conflict and create ethnic tension and mayhem. We still have a nation to build and a destiny to mould,” the GTUC said.

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

US shutdown looks set to drag through Christmas

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partial US Government shutdown is set to continue through Christmas with no deal in sight to break the impasse over budget spending.

The Senate, which must pass a deal, has now adjourned until Thursday.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will stay on in Washington for the festive period, cancelling holidays in Florida.

The shutdown began at midnight on Friday after Democrats resisted Trump's demands for $5bn (ÂŁ4bn) for his Mexico border wall.

Trump warned there could be "a long stay" in the talks and Democrats told him: "You must abandon the wall."

Vice-President Mike Pence stressed that negotiators were still talking.

Nine of 15 federal departments, including State, Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture and Justice began partially shutting down after funding for them lapsed at midnight (05:00GMT Saturday).

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or are furloughed, a kind of temporary leave. This is the third time US federal funding has lapsed so far this year, although the other two were brief.

The Senate held a rare Saturday session but it was not long before it ad-

journed.

Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell said the "pause button" had been pushed and that there would be no new Senate vote until he had a signature from the president and agreement from the Democrats - on a budget deal.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a budget bill that had passed the Republican-controlled House on Thursday approving $5.7bn (ÂŁ4.5bn) of funding for the wall would "never pass the Senate, not today, not next week, not next year".

He added: "So Mr President, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple.

"The Senate is not interested in swindling American taxpayers for an unnecessary, ineffective and wasteful policy."

In a tweet on Saturday, Trump said "we are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed border security" but the talks "could be a long stay".

He again defended the wall, saying "the crisis of illegal activity at our southern border is real and will not stop until we build a great steel barrier or wall.

Let the work begin!"

One White House official said the administration hoped the shutdown would last only a few days, but it could be longer. (BBC)

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

EBD man accuses GWI staff of presenting fake disconnection list Economic growth and human development

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o begin with, December 21, 2018 marked an unprecedented event in Guyana’s political history, wherein the no confidence motion brought against the sitting Government by the Opposition was carried, paving the way for fresh elections early in 2019. This columnist wishes to congratulate the Opposition on this achievement, and asks for all of Guyana to respect the outcome of this process going forward.

Turning now to today’s discussion: With the potential huge growth in GDP in the first decade, transforming the economy into a trillion- or potentially a two-trillion-dollar economy on account of large sums of oil revenues, it does not necessarily mean that the quality of life on a broader spectrum will be improved and/or betterment experienced by a wide cross section of the Guyanese people. This does not guarantee real economic growth against the background of the human development paradigm – with respect to poverty reduction in particular.

Case in point: with the largest retrenchment in (recent) Guyanese economic history of some 10,000 sugar workers having the far reaching implication of further adversely affecting about 40,000 dependents, it is a huge, real blow in this regard. This outcome has in effect taken away approximately $10 billion in income distribution from these workers and the broader economy annually. This means that the economic and social wellbeing of these people is going to decline rather rapidly, and oil revenue would not necessarily create direct employment for them. There are a number of Government programmes, nonetheless, aimed at re-engaging these people in productive income-generating activities, such as training with new skills, namely carpentry and plumbing etc.

But these measures, though designed with good intent, will not compensate for the economic loss incurred, neither would they give rise to stability and progressive growth in the income distribution of these thousands of retrenched people.

There may be various reasons for “economic growth lopsided” nations; those are they which have high rates of GDP growth relative to improvement in human development indicators, including low social expenditure, government corruption, or inequitable distribution of incomes. The resultant effect of such cases suggests that good economic growth not accompanied by increases and/or improvements in human development may prove to be ultimately unstable.

Economic growth is the most powerful instrument for reducing poverty and improving the quality of life in developing countries. Both cross-country research and country case studies provide overwhelming evidence that rapid and sustained growth is critical to making faster progress towards the Millennium Development Goals – and not just the first goal of halving the global proportion of people living on less than $1 a day. Growth can generate virtuous circles of prosperity and opportunity. Strong growth and employment opportunities improve incentives for parents to invest in their children’s education by sending them to school. This may lead to the emergence of a strong and growing group of entrepreneurs, which should generate pressure for improved governance.

Strong economic growth, therefore, advances human development, which in turn promotes economic growth.

But under different conditions, similar rates of growth can have very different effects on poverty, the employment prospects of the poor, and broader indicators of human development. The extent to which growth reduces poverty depends on the degree to which the poor participate in the growth process and share in its proceeds. Thus, both the pace and pattern of growth matter for reducing poverty.

A successful strategy of poverty reduction must have at its core measures to promote rapid and sustained economic growth. The challenge for policy is to combine growth promoting policies with policies that allow the poor to participate fully in the opportunities unleashed, and so contribute to that growth.

This includes policies to make labour markets work better, remove gender inequalities, and increase financial inclusion.

Asian countries are increasingly tackling this agenda of ‘inclusive growth’. India’s most recent development plan has two main objectives: raising economic growth and making growth more inclusive, policy mirrored elsewhere in South Asia and Africa. Future growth will need to be based on an increasingly globalised world that offers new opportunities, but also new challenges. New technologies offer not only ‘catch-up’ potential, but also ‘leapfrogging’ possibilities. New science offers better prospects across both productive and service sectors.

Future growth will also need to be environmentally sustainable. Improved management of water and other natural resources is required, together with movement towards low carbon technologies by both developed and developing countries. With the proper institutions, growth and environmental sustainability may be seen as complementary, not substitutive.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

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Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) man is accusing the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) disconnection crew of fraud by extorting monies after threatening to disconnect the water supply when visiting homes.

Jaichan Jaikaran, a resident of Herstelling, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that he was visited by two GWI staffers on Tuesday, who presented a list to him claiming that they were there to disconnect his water supply since he is $5000 in arrears.

Jaikaran claimed that he received a GWI bill on Monday last, which showed that the outstanding balance was $650. The man explained that he showed the two staff the bill, but they insisted that he was on the disconnection list. He noted that he then told the men that he will go right away

to make the payment, but he was told that because he is already on the list they will disconnect him.

He said t h e

m e n then suggested that he gives them a part of the reconnection fee.

To avoid any altercation with the two men – one of whom he knows – Jaikaran stated that he gave them the money. He said he went to the GWI office in the area to make the payments.

According to Jaikaran, he went to a query clerk to get the balance on his bill only to be told that it was $650. He said that the clerk further informed that his

address was not on the disconnection list.

He said he then explained what had happened but the clerk insisted that he was not on the disconnection list.

“One of them is a regular, which does come to read the water meter.

Sometimes he does drop the bill but the other one had a key which the employee does normally get,” the man told Guyana Times.

“I explained to her that these two fellas came and what they did and she check the disconnection list and we weren’t on the list so they had their own list,” he added.

When this publica-

tion contracted GWI’s Peter’s Hall office, Head of Concerns, Rhonda Nurse explained that a disconnection campaign is ongoing for persons but consumers are required to make payments at their offices and not to employees.

When the issue of Jaikaran was raised with her, she said she responded that, “You have to visit the office. If they decide to give the staff them money on the road, that’s up to them. We don’t allow customers to pay individuals or staff on the road.”

She, however, did not address the issue of the fake disconnection list.

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

news

Keeping the environment in mind this Christmas

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or many of us, the holiday season is a time that is anticipated with both joy and anxiety. While we love the celebrations and family traditions, and cherish the memories of holidays gone by, preparing for the Christmas season can be quite hectic. Here are some tips that can be helpful in getting ready for an enjoyable, meaningful holiday season in an environmentally friendly way.

1. Set manageable expectations.

Spend some time setting realistic and manageable expectations for your holiday season. Understand that you can’t do everything! Be realistic about what you can do. Make a priority list of your most important events and activities for you and your family, and materials needed for those events.

Organise your time. Keep in mind that it’s the holiday “season” (not “day”) and spread out your activities to lessen stress and increase enjoyment.

2. Focus on connecting with Nature Christmas is a time for giving, and a time for family. The season, then, presents a great opportunity to start a family tradition of giving back to the earth and instilling the values of sustainable living to your children, friends and community.

Activities such as a family nature hike on Christmas Day will be remembered and valued. The family can also take part in a nature restoration activity throughout the season - planting a tree or enhancing an area of the community helps to recognise nature as a source of our well-being.

The family can also engage in bird-watching each year. Try to identify and count every bird seen, and make a note of them in your journal. At the end of the hike, list the species seen and number of birds per species to appreciate the presence and value of our feathered friends.

Make this an annual activity, and compare the results from former years to identify birding trends such as local bird population and migration habits. This is a great family activity, because even the youngest eyes are just as good at spotting the birds and contributing to the event.

3. Make homemade cards Store-bought Christmas cards are rich, elegant and expensive. However, they also consume a huge amount of natural resources for a one-time item. Homemade cards may not be as professional, but they are more personal and tend to be more appreciated. Making the cards is also a fun activity for the family. Pictures from calendars, used paper, flowers etc are a good place to start. Children’s’ art work is another good source for Christmas card pictures. Even the scribbles of the wee ones are interesting, fun, and especially appropriate for the season. Cut out sections of the artwork which look best, and fit to the required size.

4. Gifts and decorations Choose decorations which can be reused rather than flimsy ones which will only be used once and then thrown away.

Donate decorations that you no longer need to local schools, churches, town offices or non-profit organisations.

Instead of buying more plastic non-biodegradable decorations this year, make decorations using materials you would have otherwise thrown away. With just a little thought, you can come up with multiple ways to create pretty decorations that are eco-friendly.

When choosing gifts, consider what persons would really need. Try to find gifts that were made locally. For children, battery-free toys would be perfect. Also try to minimise wrapping; in fact, old newspapers, comic books, calendars, and even cloth can be used to wrap gifts.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

No-confidence vote

MP’s must carry out duties without fear or favour – British envoy …urges calm, expects free and fair elections

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he United Kingdom’s High Commission in Guyana is urging calm on all sides of the political spectrum following the Government’s defeat at the hands of a no-confidence vote while also observing that the Constitution was followed, and the results should now be respected.

In a statement following the historic vote, British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn noted the importance of the results being respected. Quinn also spoke of the need for parliamentarians not being influenced or intimidated.

“The democratic process as laid out in the Constitution has been followed. It is important that everyone now respect the results. Members of Parliament must be allowed to undertake their constitutionally mandated roles in the absence of fear or favour,” Quinn stated.

Indeed, former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Charrandas Persaud had complained of threats he received after his conscious vote ensured the passage of the No-confidence Motion which crumbled the Government.

With the passage of the motion, it means that

General and Regional Elections must be called within three months. Quinn was optimistic that the upcoming elections would feature campaigns focused on the issues.

“Maintaining the fundamental tenets of democracy is paramount to us all and whilst everyone has the right to protest this must be peaceful,” Quinn said. “We urge calm on all sides and look forward to a free and fair election and a campaign fought on the issues that confront Guyana and its future development.”

On Friday evening, the No-confidence Motion brought by the parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) against the Government succeeded when Persaud broke rank and made a conscience vote in favour of the motion.

A total of 10 MPs had previously debated the motion, but when a vote of division was called, Persaud’s vote changed the numbers to 33 versus his colleagues’ 32 votes against the motion.

While Persaud’s former coalition colleagues have complained about being “betrayed” by the vote, the parliamentary Opposition has thrown its support behind the MPs right to vote in

British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn

of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Meanwhile, clause 7 goes on to state that “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes

whichever direction his conscience leads him. Persaud has since left the country.

With the Government’s defeat, the next steps are spelt out in the Constitution of Guyana. Article 106 (6)

of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Charrandas Persaud’s villagers support decision to vote against Govt

By Andrew Carmichael

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esidents of Adelphi, East Canje, Berbice, have thrown their support behind their fellow villager, Charrandas Persaud, who voted in favour of a no-confidence motion against the Government.

Residents in his village said they are not surprised by the decision since Persaud was bothered by the level of suffering they felt after the unilateral decision to close several sugar estates in Guyana.

Persaud was one of two senior Alliance For Change (AFC) members who did not support the Herdmanston Accord, which saw the AFC collating with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections, which eventually got them into office.

He had enjoyed much support from the electorate in East Canje at the polls with most of them being former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters.

Hence, when he supported the Noconfidence Motion against the APNU/ AFC Coalition Government, several of his villagers said he did a “good thing to make this country better.”

Noreen Bhagwandeen, who worked with the Rose Hall Sugar Estate before the coalition Government closed it in December 2017, explained that he did cast a ballot for the APNU/AFC back in 2015 with the hope that as workers they will be given a 20 per cent wage

hike as promised on the campaign trail by coalition members.

“Charrandas made all of we vote for them. He couldn’t come back here if he did not vote for us; he had to because is every day he does see how we punishing since the estate close,” Bhagwandin said.

Another villager, Betty Chan, who has a business in Adelphi said since 2015 businesses have suffered significantly. She added that Charrandas’ decision not to support the Government came since he lives among the people, who helped to put the Government in office. However, they are the same people who have now been neglected by the same Government.

“Last year and this year are the worst Christmas I have seen as a business person in Canje.” She said she is

elated with the decision their village parliamentarian took.

“Yes he is a member of the coalition but he is also a member of this community and I think he did that with consciousness. He is getting curses from the cane cutters every day because people looked at his face and voted for them because he is a Canje man. I am so happy that I can’t express myself,” she said.

One vendor at the Adelphi market told Guyana Times that she knew Persaud since she was in primary school as a school teacher. She referred to his am being a “good person,” who became a strong member of the AFC. “Moses Nagamootoo did not deserve the Prime Minister position because he did not work the way Mr Charrandas and Mr [Veerasammy] Anamayah work for the elections for the AFC,” vegetable vendor Shmeal King said.

“When the coalition go in power they have Mr Charrandas in the back bench. Mr Charrandas do much more work that our Infrastructure Minister, [David Patterson] and they never make Mr Charrandas as a Minister; they just have him as a back bencher in Parliament and he feel it a lot,” King said.

“The people in Canje voted for the AFC so Charrandas is one of the people who put them there so he is right to take them down; I give him a big applause,” she said as she clapped her hands in support.

18 news

SUnDAY, december 23, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

No-confidence vote

National Assembly Clerk denies hearing threats, indecent language by MPs

Guyanese, visitors welcomed with sweet treats at CJIA

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s he broke tide and delivered the proverbial nail in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change’s (APNU/AFC) coffin, parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud’s life was threatened twice; he was hit by both colleagues flanking him as well as received many explicit comments within a five-minute period.

This was all done while the National Assembly broadcasted the sitting live on its website. The video is still up on the Parliament website showing clearly what transpired. Persaud received the hostile treatment from his colleagues after he voted his conscience and sided with the Opposition People’s Progressive Party’s motion of no-confidence against the Government, of which he is a part.

During the final part of the 03h:51m:04s video, during the second part of the debate, when Persaud delivered his first “yes”, all hell broke loose. He received the first punch on his left arm, at 03h:33m:04s in the video, by an APNU MP who insisted that Persaud “can’t vote against the Government.”

This was followed by a series of expletives by the same MP and surprisingly Persaud received another punch from another APNU MP at 03h:32m:28s in the video.

Then came the issue of death threats to

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

Speaker of National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland

Persaud. If one listens to the video, you would find that at 03h:33m:04s and 03h:35m:35s in the video, he receives the threats “Charrandas you gon dead tonight” and “Charrandas you want dead tonight” respectively. It sounded as though the threats came from a female MP on the Government side of the benches.

Following these discoveries that unfolded in the House, Guyana Times contacted the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs who denied any knowledge of such incidents.

“I am now hearing about this. I am not aware. I was busy doing the division so I did not hear anyone cursing.

I did not see anyone hit Mr Persaud,” he said.

Isaacs said that if Persaud was assaulted then he should report the matter to the Guyana Police Force since it is an issue for them

to deal with. Additionally, he indicated that Speaker Barton Scotland would be the one to deal with the issue of indecent language in the House.

Despite being accused of being a traitor, Persaud maintained that it was a vote of conscience since he is disappointed in the direction his party is heading. He pointed to the recent statements made by People’s National Congress (PNC) Chairperson Volda Lawrence during which she indicated that she only has friends in the PNC and jobs will be made available for them. That statement, he said, infuriated him, prompting him write a letter to the AFC’s Executive to make a statement but the party’s leader Raphael Trotman came out in her defence after which she apologised.

An arriving passenger happily enjoys the welcome beverages

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weet treats and a warm Guyanese welcome met visitors arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Saturday morning.

As the passengers disembarked the flight and made their way to Immigration, they were welcomed with warm bright smiles, black cake and beverages, ranging from ginger beer to fruit juices and even energy drinks.

The taste of the traditional Guyanese black cake no doubt left both returning Guyanese and visitors alike with a sweet taste in their mouths.

Those who spoke with the Department of Public Information said they were pleasantly surprised, but were equally appreciative of the initiative.

Some of the passengers remarked that the welcome was a surprise they truly appreciated. Another noted that the new airport facilities were a vast improvement from previous years. While generally many agreed that it was good to be back home – “the best place to be for the Christmas holidays.”

This initiative is a collaboration between Digicel Guyana, Ansa McAl and the Cheddi Jagan International

A visitor being treated to a refreshing beverage

Airport.

Representative of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport., Paul Dwarka, says although an official count has not yet been conducted, arrival figures have increased compared to last year.

“The number of passengers coming in has surged due to the increase in flights” … more flights, more passengers, all incoming flights have been full,” Dwarka said.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has also been instrumental in the hosting of the meet and greet at the main airport

and other ports of entry in Guyana. Over the past week several teams have fanned out across the country to welcome visitors in true Guyanese fashion, and to spread Christmas cheer, these ports also include Moleson Creek Crossing and the Ogle International Airport.

The body believes this exercise of spreading cheer during the festive season helps to promote Guyana’s tourism in the area of hospitality.

Throughout the calendar year, the GTA conducts similar exercises for national holidays.

20 dead, 165 injured as tsunami hits Indonesia

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t least 20 people have been killed and 165 injured after a tsunami hit the coast around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, government officials say.

The country's disaster management agency says two people are missing, and dozens of buildings were damaged.

It says the possible cause of the tsunami were undersea landslides after the Krakatoa volcano erupted.

The Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

The deaths were reported in the Pandeglang, South Lampung and Serang regions.

Officials warn that the death toll is likely to rise further. The disaster management agency said high seas as a result of the full moon may also have contributed to the strength of the wave.

Eyewitness Oystein Lund Andersen, who was on the beach at the time, told the BBC two waves had hit, with the second much bigger than the first.

Andersen, a Norwegian professional volcano photographer, said he had rushed to the hotel where his family were staying, and they later went to a higher ground in a forest.

He added that there had been heavy eruption sound prior to the tsunami.

Footage posted by the head of disaster agency showed the aftermath of the tsunami, with flooded streets and an overturned car.

He had earlier posted footage of water rushing in and local residents trying to flee in panic.

Emergency officials are now investigating whether the tsunami was caused by Anak Krakatoa, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait.

In September, more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu.(BBC)

sunDAY, december 23, 2018

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Cameron Bancroft:

‘‘People will judge you as a cheat, but that is okay’’

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ameron Bancroft has written about learning to accept that he would be known as a cheat following his role in the ball-tampering scandal, and he has opened up about his nine-month ban, which finishes at the end of December.

Bancroft, who was caught on camera putting sandpaper down his trousers at Newlands, could return to professional cricket the day after his suspension ends, if he lines up for Perth Scorchers against Hobart Hurricanes on December 30.

He has already been around the squad at the start of the BBL, and also caught up with members of the Australia team when they were in Perth for the recent Test against India.

In a long first-person letter published in the West Australian on Saturday, Bancroft relived the emotional strain the events of Cape Town had on him, and the challenge of learning to enjoy cricket again. It has taken him through practising yoga -which he pondered as a new career path -- and working with a charity that supports children with cancer as part of his community service.

“Many people will judge you as a cheat, but that is okay,” Bancroft writes. “Always love and respect everyone. You will love those people because you forgive them. Just like you’re going to forgive yourself…You know you cannot say sorry enough, but actually it is time you allow your cricket to be about what you have learnt, and use this opportunity to make a great impact,” he declared.

Bancroft revealed that it was being omitted from Western Australia’s pre-season trip to Brisbane when his situation really hit home, having been asked by new coach Adam Voges

to justify why he should be included. He said he pondered the possibility of not playing cricket, but his return to grade level with Willetton District Cricket Club rekindled his passion for the sport.

“On your way to present your case to your coach, you realize this is the moment when you begin to become okay with the thought of never having cricket as part of your life again.

“Until you are able to acknowledge that you are Cameron Bancroft, the person who plays cricket as a profession, and not Cameron Bancroft the cricketer, you will not be able to move forward. This will become a defining moment for you.

“New friends will be made, great people with similar interests. Maybe cricket isn’t for you, you’ll ask yourself… will you return? Yoga will be such a fulfilling experience, it’s hard to feel this reality could exist.

“You meet people fighting battles greater than you can understand, but through your own hardship and journey, you can inspire others in the form of yoga. This will be tough to understand now, but have faith and embrace uncertainty.

“The first game will give you the answer about what the game of cricket means to you. It is simply just fun. You wear a blue cap, it won’t be a baggy green, but the enjoyment is the

Stephen Curry accepts Warriors are still searching to find their ‘edge’

S

tephen Curry says the Golden State Warriors must find their “edge” to put together the kind of streak that has made the team such a formidable force in NBA in recent years.

The Warriors fell to a 108-103 defeat to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, the defending champions’ 11th loss in 32 games this season.

Steve Kerr’s side racked up an eight-match winning streak between October 22 and November 5, but has since not put together a longer run than four consecutive victories. Curry is convinced the Warriors are close to their best, but recognizes the team is not playing at full capacity. “A lot of it’s just getting our edge and a chip on our shoulder,” Curry said.

“Having that vibe when you walk on the floor like we know what we’re about to do. Right now, we’re still thinking a little bit and trying to figure it out, but we’re close.

“We’re close, and obviously you want to stay healthy, and that’s the biggest part of trying to continue to build momentum night in, night out; what we can expect when we’re out there on the

same. You love the game. That’s the heart of all passion.

Cricket is still well and truly a part of who you are.”

Bancroft will be the first of the banned trio to resume their professional careers in Australia. The year-long sanctions handed down to Steven Smith and David Warner finish at the end of March 2019, and there’s a chance they could make an international comeback very soon after that against Pakistan.

Unlike Bancroft, Smith and Warner have been active with various T20 deals around the world during their bans, as well as with playing grade cricket.

On Friday, Smith spoke in Australia for the first time since returning from South Africa. He revealed how he ignored the plans to ball-tamper that were being openly discussed in the Newlands dressing room. (CRICKET)

Anthony Davis welcomes LeBron James’ praise, but focus remains on Pelicans

Steph Curry

floor,” he said.

It took until January 30 for the Warriors – who are third in the Western Conference – to record 11 losses last season; but Curry is not overly concerned. “We’re really close,” Curry said. “We fought hard, we competed, our energy was great.

It’s just the margin of error is a little bit smaller this year; but we understand that. “[We] continue to get everybody’s best shot against us, and it’s been a grind. Nothing comfortable about this position we’re in, in terms of we want to get back to being dominant. That’s what we’re working toward.

“We’re going to continue to get that chemistry, playing Warrior basketball that we know how to play.

“We’ve talked about it every year. Every year’s different. Every year’s going to have different challenges and present a different journey; but at the end of the day, we know what type of team we are. I think we’re all bought in to what it’s going to take to redefine that dominance,” Steph Curry said. (Sportsmax)

A

Anthony Davis

nthony Davis was flattered to receive praise from Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James, but insists his primary focus is on the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was reported last week that the Lakers have been saving their assets and are considering attempting to deal for Davis.

Speaking to ESPN, James said of the possibility of playing with Davis: “That would be amazing; like duh.

That would be incredible.” Davis has two seasons remaining on the fiveyear, $145 million extension he signed

in June 2015.

But while welcoming James’s praise, Davis wants to focus on improving the fortunes of the 15-17 Pelicans.

“I don’t really care,” Davis told ESPN. “Obviously, it’s cool to hear any high-calibre player say they want to play with me, but my job is to turn this team around. If we’re 15-17, that means I’m not doing my job. When that time comes, of course we will see. I love my team-mates. I love New Orleans. I love the fans. I talk their slang. I love their food,” he confessed. (Sportsmax)

20 West Indies protest erroneous no-ball calls in deciding T20I

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, december 23, 2018

“WE HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT” – Harden philosophical after Rockets lose Paul to hamstring injury

Chris Paul

J

ames Harden says the Houston Rockets will simply have to “figure it out” after Chris Paul injured his l e f t hamstring in Carlos Brathwaite protests with Masudur Rahman about a controversial no-ball call by umpire Tanvir Ahmed (right)

P

lay was stopped for at least eight minutes during the series-deciding third T20I match between Bangladesh and the West Indies in Mirpur after Windies captain Carlos Brathwaite contested a dubious onfield call by Umpire Tanvir Ahmed.

The incident occurred in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s chase, when Umpire Ahmed wrongly called a noball off Oshane Thomas. Replays later confirmed that Thomas had some part of his foot behind the line. Liton Das had looked to clear the infield, but was caught at mid-off.

West Indies wanted to review the on-field out decision, only to be told by match referee Jeff Crowe that they couldn’t opt for it, as it was confirmed that the delivery wasn’t a no-ball, only after they heard from the West Indies dressing room.

What the laws say about reviewing

Law 3.1.1 says a player may re-

quest a review of any decision taken by the on-field umpires concerning whether or not a batsman is dismissed, with the exception of ‘Time Out’ (Player Review). Law 3.1.2 states that no other decisions made by the umpires are eligible for a Player Review with the exception of Fair Catch/Bump Ball (even after the third umpire has been consulted and the decision communicated).

The incident came minutes after Tanvir had erroneously called another no-ball off Thomas off the fifth delivery. The free-hits of both no-balls were hit for sixes. After word came from the West Indies dressing room that the sixth ball was also an umpiring error, the fielders protested with umpires Tanvir and Masudur Rahman. Then they gathered around the pitch before Brathwaite ran towards their dressing room and held long discussions with the fourth umpire, Sharfuddowla Ibne Saikat, and later the match referee

Crowe.

West Indies assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed joined the discussion too, as did Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan. Brathwaite eventually returned to the field, letting play resume. This wasn’t the first instance of an umpiring error in this series. In the previous T20I in Mirpur, both umpire Tanvir and Gazi Sohel had given an lbw decision each, though both were off inside edges. West Indies managed to overturn the on-field calls successfully both times after opting for reviews.

In the third ODI, Brathwaite, who was the 12th man then, had strongly pointed to the umpires that they hadn’t noticed the six fielders on the leg side when Bangladesh were fielding.

Rovman Powell, the ODI captain, had got out when that field was employed, although West Indies didn’t protest his dismissal. Powell later called the errors “disappointing”. (CRICINFO)

Thursday’s loss to the Miami Heat.

Experienced point guard Paul was hurt during the second quarter of the 101-99 loss, which snapped a five-match winning streak.

After the game, head coach Mike D’Antoni said, “It’ll be some time”, when asked about Paul’s expected absence; and the 33-year-old is set to have a scan back in Houston on Friday.

Paul noticeably missed Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors last season with a similar problem to his right hamstring, but reigning NBA MVP Harden says the Rockets must find a way to cope.

“We’ve got to figure it out,” he told reporters.

“Injuries happen.”

Rockets guard Eric Gordon accepted Paul will be a big loss to the team, not least for his playmaking abilities.

“It’s definitely tough, because he’s a big-time playmaker and ball handler for us,” he said. “In this offense, you need all of the playmaking that you can have; and usually me, Chris, and James have the ball in our hands trying to play-make for other people and provide good scoring.

“It’s definitely going to be tough. But we’ve just got to make adjustments and play even better,” he declared.

The defeat left the Rockets on a 16-15 record and eighth in the West, with the team having lost just 17 in the whole of the previous regular season. (Cricinfo)

Real Madrid 4, Al Ain 1: Modric caps golden 2018 by delivering Solari’s first trophy

L

uka Modric’s wonderful goal helped seal Club World Cup history as Real Madrid beat Al Ain 4-1 to become the first team to win the tournament three years in a row.

Santiago Solari’s first silverware since being appointed as Julen Lopetegui’s successor was set up by Modric’s first-half strike, as Madrid comfortably triumphed in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, moving past rivals Barcelona with their fourth title in the competition.

The Croatia midfielder, who added the Ballon d’Or crown to his World Cup Golden Ball this month, bent the opener into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards, with Marcos Llorente also drilling home from outside the box before a Sergio Ramos header extended Madrid’s lead.

Al Ain had a goal from Caio Fernandes ruled out for offside when they trailed by only one, and Zoran Mamic’s side -- who replied through an excellent Tsukasa Shiotani header -- can be proud of their efforts on home soil as massive underdogs against the European champions, despite Madrid adding a late fourth through Yahia Nader’s own goal.

Madrid hit the post in the third minute when Llorente got clear in the left channel, his cutback deflected on to the woodwork by fortunate defender Ismail Ahmed.

Al Ain should have taken the lead when Marcelo’s mistake let in Hussein El Shahat, but Captain Ramos made a miraculous goal-line clearance to deny the winger, then Madrid nudged in front.

Neat build-up play from Karim Benzema set up Modric, and the Ballon d’Or winner curled home a beauty from 25 yards, Caio then seeing a rapid reply ruled out for offside.

Benzema missed a brilliant chance to extend Madrid’s lead before goalkeeper Khalid Eisa made outstanding saves to deny both Gareth Bale and Modric before the break.

Madrid effectively clinched the trophy in the 60th minute when a cleared corner fell kindly to Llorente, his thumping half-volley giving Eisa no chance and opening his professional account in some style.

Ramos powered home a Modric corner to make certain of Madrid’s victory, celebrating the goal with unused substitute Isco, although Al Ain scored a deserved consolation through Shiotani with four minutes left.

Madrid had the final say, though, as a cross from substitute Vinicius Jr was turned into his own goal by Nader in the first minute of stoppage time.

What does it mean? Solari up and running

This was not always completely convincing from Madrid, but they did not need to get out of second gear. Solari’s side left too many gaps at the back, and more clinical opponents may have punished them, but the coach will be relieved to collect the first trophy of his reign.

Modric the man of the moment

There were few arguments about Modric

Luka Modric

ending Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance of the Ballon d’Or, and he ended 2018 on another high note. His opening goal was superbly struck, and the midfielder also forced a scrambling save from Eisa with a stunning volley as well as crossing for Ramos’s goal.

Madrid survive Benzema’s baffling miss

Ronaldo’s sale to Juventus meant Benzema would have to hugely increase his meagre goal-scoring returns from last season

to address the deficit. But the former France striker has struggled to step up, with an atrocious miss from Lucas Vazquez’s cross particularly worrying. Benzema -- who has six league goals this season -- did set up Modric’s opener, yet he is ultimately in the Madrid team to score goals, not make them.

What’s next?

Madrid can enjoy a brief break before returning to LaLiga action at Villarreal on January 3. (SPORTSMAX)

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Tucker sets sights on improving GCC during presidential tenure

M

embers of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), the oldest cricket club in the Caribbean, are the custodians of Guyana’s iconic Bourda Cricket Ground. However, the facilities have slipped into disrepair in recent times, and the new club president finds himself at the helm of a team with a monumental task: finding creative ways to restore some of its lost splendour.

Established in 1858, the GCC was once the most prestigious club in Guyana. Membership was much sought after, and cherished mostly because of the approximately 133-year-old Bourda ground, which has been pounded by the bats and boots of many of the world’s greatest cricketers, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Brian Lara, Shiv Chanderpaul, Sachin Tendulkar and Imran Khan.

For well over a century, up to 2006, the world famous Bourda ground was a mecca for cricketers and cricket fans worldwide. In its heyday, many fans rejoiced exuberantly or cried bitterly as they celebrated or lamented the victories and losses of their favourite teams. Win, lose or draw, the players and fans loved Bourda, and so it was for countless years. Then came the crash.

It happened in 2006 when the ground was crossed off the list of Test Cricket venues. The last international cricket match was played at the ground that year, and the loss of high-level cricket led to a meltdown, and a mass exodus of members.

Bourda went into free-fall.

But with Timothy Tucker’s ascension to the GCC presidency this month, there is fresh hope of a change in fortunes. The GCC is a familiar place to him; he frequented Bourda as a child with his father and brothers.

“I probably played in my diapers at the GCC... so I am one of the people who went through the ranks at GCC…my bigger brother played for GCC in a number of divisions…,” he said.

“I hold GCC close to my heart because of all the camaraderie I saw growing up with my father and all the old members. And most of my friends are members too. So we all hold GCC close to our hearts…,” he explained.

He added, “It’s clearly an honour to be elected and placed with the responsibility of being the president of GCC…I have an excellent team comprising members who have been members for many years.”

However, he knows that resuscitating the GCC is an uphill battle that requires a comprehensive approach with emphasis on raising revenues.

“We have to face the reality that it is highly unlikely that international cricket will come back to Bourda. The ground is too small…” the new President said, adding that attracting the highest level of the game back to the ground would require

tremendous infrastructural work.

Nevertheless, the GCC has been facilitating several sporting activities at Bourda, and Tucker plans to continue some of the work of the previous executive body, and to implement some bold new initiatives.

Uppermost on his to-do list is to find innovative ways to increase revenues. This includes expanding the membership base. Tucker pointed out that the GCC membership has plummeted from around 1,200 members in 2006 to just about 150 paying members today. There are about 50 lifetime members.

“That, by itself, has taken a toll on the club,” he said.

The club’s income was further reduced because Bourda is no longer being used for international cricket, and there is an active injunction to prevent nighttime events from being held there. As such, its stands have fallen into disrepair, and some were pulled down.

The membership drive will encompass trying to re-engage the former 1,200 members and putting measures in place to bring them back onboard. He added that the membership drive will include reaching out to the schools in order to get children interested in the GCC, and in sporting activities in general.

“The reason why most of the clubs through the country have failed is because of the lack of proper sports [programmes] in schools,” he said.

“Back in the days, children would be signed up with one of the cricket clubs or other sports clubs because of their love for the game. Because there are no proper sporting programmes in school system, there is no transition to the clubs,” he explained.

Tucker wants to engage schools, especially those in the Bourda area, to enlighten them about the facilities and opportunities available at the GCC, and encourage them to join as associate members. Sponsorship will also be sought for various GCC sports teams in an effort to re-energise the Club.

He admits that none of the plans they have is possible without revenue. “We can plan and plan and plan, but if we don’t have a source of income to develop or sustain the development of these things, then all is lost,” he conceded.

Discussing the sporting activities accommodated by the GCC, Tucker said that, at the moment, the club has six successful first and second division cricket teams: U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19.

Coaching is done by the GCC. It also has two successful hockey teams – male and female – divided into varying age categories.

Hockey is played on the grounds as well as squash.

Additionally, dancing classes, karate, jujitsu and

sports

Recently elected GCC President, Timothy Tucker

yoga classes are held there.

Discussing some of the other plans to revive the ground, Tucker identified improving drainage as a priority. The new committee will hold discussions with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the City Council to address this situation.

Also, under his leadership, the GCC will move to have the club structure registered as a heritage building. In relation to sports, the Club wants to introduce 10-overs cricket and inter-ward cricket.

“We are well aware that the glory days of cricket and test matches at Bourda may be behind us... Nevertheless, our past president, Lionel Jaikarran, was able to light the ground…so we can play night cricket,” he said.

Night football and corporate football matches will also be held on the ground. However, pegged football shoes will be prohibited, to avoid damage.

Tucker said there are plans for an all-weather batting and bowling area where the Lance Gibbs Stand used to be. Other plans include starting a table tennis programme.

Moreover, half of the ground will be converted into a party stand to allow spectators to experience games at ground level and move around freely. He noted that the ground is being properly maintained and was used for women’s T-20 practice sessions recently.

Tucker said he believes in a leadership style of inclusivity. “I believe there should be an open relationship between GCC and its members…,” he said, adding that many have paid their fees over the past years, expecting nothing in return.

“It’s time for us to figure out what they want and [put facilities in place] for them…”

All eyes are on Tucker to see if he can climb his mountain and help restore the GCC and the legendary Bourda ground to their former glory.

Trophy Stall supports Kennard Memorial Boxing Day Horse Racing Meet T here remain three days before East Berbice is set ablaze at Bush Lot village on the Corentyne, when the annual Kennard Memorial Turf Club Christmas Horse Race meet is staged with over $3 million in cash prizes up for grabs.

The event will feature seven races, with the C Class and Lower event being the feature race, with total prize money of $1.6 million dollars being up for grabs.

In that race, which will be run over a distance of one mile, the top finisher will ride away with $800,000, second $400,000, third $200,000 and fourth $98,000.

The H1 and Lower race,

along with the 3-Year-Old and Over races, would attract top purses of $250,000 and $240,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, the 2-yearold Guyana-bred (maiden) horses which will be raced over a distance of five furlongs will see the winner galloping away with $200,000.

The other races and first place cash prizes are as follows: the L Open: $140,000, L non-winners: $120,000 and L non-earners: $100,000.

To ensure everything is set for the day, the Trophy Stall, which operates from several locations, has come on board as one of the sponsors of the event. Trophy stall proprietor Ramesh Sunich, known for his support for sporting events,

presented to Justice Cecil Kennard this week some of the trophies that will be up for grabs. Presentation took place at the Trophy Stall’s Bourda Market location.

The trophies will go to the top performers at the meet.

Entries are already closed. For any information concerning the event, persons are asked to contact Niketa Ross on 662-4668; Isaac Dallo on 689-0629; Ivan Dipnarine on 3310316; Justice Kennard on 623-7609; Fazal Habibulla on 657-7010, and Campton Sancho on 602-1567.

The races will be run according to the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.

21

Trophy Stall Proprietor Ramesh Sunich (right) presenting one of the trophies to Justice Cecil Kennard at Trophy Stall’s Bourda Market location

22

Keemo Paul

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, decEMber 23, 2018

Paul eases into T20 International bowling record books

– 26th player & 2nd West Indian to take 5 wickets

By Clifton Ross

G

Umar Gul

uyana and West Indies all-rounder Keemo Paul wrapped up a year of records in cricket by adding his name to the T20 International history books after his match winning 5-wicket haul helped his side seal the T20 series versus Bangladesh 2-1.

This year has seen a number of records tumbling, a bunch of new and familiar faces headlining the show across all formats of the sport.

The ex-Windies U19 World Cup winning Vice-Captain has been raising his stock since last season’s CWI Regional 4-Day, wherein his exploits earned him an international call up.

The Essequibian has since not looked back, featuring in all formats for the Windies Men’s senior team throughout their engagements in 2018.

Paul snared a career best 5-15 on Saturday, as the Windies shrugged off their woes which commenced since landing in Bangladesh, where they lost both the Test and ODI series to a rampant home unit.

The all-rounder joins former West Indies captain and twotime T20 World Cup winning skipper Darren Sammy as the only other player from the Caribbean to feature in the esteemed list.

Sammy was the third bowler to join the ranks, after dismantling Zimbabwe back in 2010, when he ended with 5-25 at the

Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad & Tobago. With 5-wicket hauls in T20 cricket being considered ‘Gold’, the right-arm pacer easily etched his name into the history books, thus joining 25 other bowlers who managed to capture 5 or more wickets in T20 cricket.

A few matches prior to Paul’s starring moment, the veteran Shakib Al-Hasan also sneaked into the record books when he bamboozled Paul and company, bagging 5-20 from his 4 overs.

First place honours go to Pakistani speedster Umar Gul, the first bowler to appear in chapter 1 of the book. He sliced through a star-studded New Zealand team back in 2009 with mind-boggling figures of 5 for 6, which at that time was unheard of, even in the 50-overs format.

After Gul had showed that taking a 5-for in T20 is possible, a number of other operators followed suit with the ball, the likes of South Africa’s Ryan McLaren, Elias Sunny of

Darren Sammy

Shakib al Hasan

Bangladesh, Kiwi pacer Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s T20 specialist Lasith Malinga, former Test spinner Ragana Herath, Bangladesh fast-bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman, and Pakistani Imad Wasim, to name a few.

Paul is also the 10th seamer out of the 26 to achieve this feat, showing the slower bowlers that pacers can continue to bag 5-fors in T20s should they pull out a bag of tricks or stick to the fundamentals. In 2018 alone, there were five 5-wicket hauls in T20 Internationals: one in February, one in July, one in October and two in December, with Paul capping off the five.

The 20-year-old has also been moulding a decent looking T20I bowling rep, as he now averages an excellent 23, with 17 wickets from 11 games played, and now a five-wicket haul under his belt to serve as the cherry on top of the pie in the game’s shortest format.

Local cricketers honoured NEW GPC INC at 2018 MSC Awards joins list of corporate partners for International Futsal Festival

A

s the final countdown begins to the start of the GFF-ExxonMobil International Futsal Festival, scheduled to take place at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from December 27-31, the New GPC INC has come on board and has joined the list of partners in support of the inaugural tournament.

This commitment was made on Thursday last in the form of printing of invitations and tickets, as well as the donation of an undisclosed monetary contribution, which will go towards airline tickets for the international participating teams.

Ms. Elizabeth Ram, the company’s Marketing Assistant, presented the contribution on behalf of New GPC Inc, while Aubrey “Shanghai” Major, one of the tournament’s organisers, received on behalf of the GFF. The festival will kick off with six matches to be played between 18:00hrs and 00:00hrs, with each match being played on the hour, culminating with the final match at 23:00hrs.

The teams, which include Morvant Caledonia United from Trinidad and Tobago, ZV All-Stars from Suriname, and a São Paulo selection from Brazil, will be placed in two groups. The participating local teams are East Coast AllStars, Linden All-Stars, Georgetown All-Stars and West Demerara All-Stars.

The winning team will pocket $1.2 million, while the losing finalist will receive half that amount. Third and fourth-placed finishers will pocket $300,000 and $100,000 respectively. Admission to the event will be $1,000.

Wayne Bollers accepting his Junior Cricketer of the Year award from national cricketer Steven Jacobs

O

ne of Guyana’s premier cricket clubs, the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), has paid homage to its players who were outstanding in 2018.

During the club’s Awards Ceremony, held on Friday night at its Thomas Lands premises, a number of top players who flocked the club were showered with awards for their perfromances in cricket during 2018. The star of the show was all-rounder Nkosie Barker, the off-spinning all-rounder and MSC’s second division captain, who made a sweep of the big awards, copping Best Batsman, Best Bowler, and Senior Cricketer of the Year awards.

Youngster Jeremiah Scott snatched the award for Junior Cricketer of the Year, while Stephon Brown was given the award for Most Improved Player.

Past president and former national player Neil Barry congratulated the executives for reviving the Awards Ceremony, which was last held in 2002 to celebrate the club’s centenary anniversary.

Nkosie Barker, who copped three major awards, receiving his spoils from club President and former national batsman, Neil Barry Snr

Barry lamented that the last MSC player selected to represent Guyana was Steven Sankar in 2003, and he expressed hope that this could be corrected soon.

In 1987, half of Guyana’s 14-man U-19 squad to Jamaica had come from the MSC. The 1980s saw the club experiencing its most successful tenure, with West Indies players like John Trim, Barrington Browne, Rex Collymore, Colin Stuart and others finding a home there.

Vice-President Shawn Holder hailed the efforts of the executive bodies as well as the players for making the year a success. Among those were President Edward Richmond and Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) President Roger Harper.

MSC President Winston Semple said the highlight of the year was the infrastructural work done. He added that work on the all-weather practice facility is in process, while informing that an office block containing seven offices is on

the cards.

Past President Claude Raphael, who was instrumental in forming the club’s youth section in 1984, commended the executives for moving the club forward and bringing back the Awards Ceremony, which had not been held for 18 years.

Resurrecting the Cricket Academy was also mentioned in what was a successful year for the club, which has been in existence for 116 years.

Meanwhile, a number of Special Awards of Appreciation were given: to former Guyana player Lennox Cush, Theresa Pemberton, Roger Phillips, Morlan Fitzalbert, Yadiam Rajkumar, Alwyn Zala, Allison Butters-Grant, Sherwood Lowe, Chetram Singh, Ursula Spencer and Troy Lewis.

Also companies like the New Building Society (NBS), 4-R Bearings, Trophy Stall and Mike’s Pharmacy were awarded for their contribution to Malteenoes for the year 2018.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, december 23, 2018

Lewis 89, Paul five-for help West Indies clinch T20I series

W

est Indies 190 (Lewis 89, Mahmudullah 3-18, Mustafizur 3-33) beat Bangladesh 140 (Liton 43, Paul 5-15) by 50 runs At the end of close to three months in India and Bangladesh, West Indies finally had a trophy to take home, when they won the shortest and their most favourite format of the game.

With the series locked 1-1, West Indies rode on Evin Lewis’s blistering 36-ball 89 to post 190 when they really should’ve gotten close to 250. They raised their 100 in just the eighth over, and then went into a free fall of sorts. Then they saw Bangladesh’s openers blaze away, before two dubious no-ball calls that they fiercely contested seemed to fire them up. From there, they were a completely different side.

Bangladesh, cruising at 65 for 1 in the fifth over, eventually ended up losing 7 for 31 to fold for 140 in 17 overs. Keemo Paul, the fast bowler, did the bulk of the damage to walk away with career-best figures of 5 for 15.

Barring Liton Das’s 43 at the top, there was hardly a score of substance, with the batsmen falling to a succession of rash strokes to complete a capitulation.

This collapse came right on the back of an eight-minute passage during which play was stopped as Carlos Brathwaite protested the wrong no-ball calls that were clattered for six. On-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed, standing in just his second

international, called two no-balls off Oshane Thomas, the second of which resulted in Liton mistiming a lofted hit to mid-off.

Upon seeing the replays in the dressing room, West Indies’ reserves signalled to the players that it was a wrong call. Brathwaite was engaged in an animated chat with match referee Jeff Crowe; with assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed also intervening, before they eventually got on with the game.

Thomas conceded 30 off that over, and ended up bowling nine balls, which included three sixes and two fours. But the stop in play seemed to fire West Indies up.

Fabian Allen had Soumya Sarkar and Shakib Al Hasan caught at longon off successive deliveries. Keemo Paul then removed Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Liton Das in his next three overs.

By the 10th over, Bangladesh had sensationally slipped, leaving Ariful Haque and Mohammad Saifuddin to take them close. But when the duo became Paul’s fourth and fifth wicket respectively, the chase was as good as over.

The 33-run ninth wicket stand between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Abu Hider delayed the inevitable, but even their mad-hitting couldn’t excite the crowd, who were visibly annoyed with the protest and what ensued in the aftermath.

Earlier in the evening, Lewis provided a fine start by hammering Abu Hider for 27 runs in the third over.

The first three balls were consecu-

tive sixes -- 104m, 92m and 78m-- to the long-off boundary. He then finished the over with a fourth six in the same region. Mehidy Hasan also wasn’t spared, as Lewis went after him.

Hider didn’t help matters by grassing a catch off Lewis at midwicket on 48. In the next over, Lewis reached his fifty off 18 balls, making it the second fastest for a West Indian in T20Is. His sixth six was a powerful pull off Mohammad Saifuddin in the sixth over, which landed in the second tier of the eastern gallery.

Lewis was pushing towards West Indies’ record for the fastest T20I century as he struck two more sixes - both straight down the ground - off Mehidy and Mustafizur. But Mahmudullah dashed his chance when he had him bowled in the 10th over, and immediately followed it up with Shimron Hetmyer’s wicket next ball.

Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran kept West Indies going for another four overs, adding 37 runs for the fifth wicket, before both fell in quick succession.

Powell found Liton at deep midwicket off Mahmudullah, while Pooran, who struck two fours and two sixes in his 24-ball 29, had his top-edge off Mustafizur taken at third-man.

This seemed to somewhat complete a full-blown collapse, which on the face of heavy dew may have yet proved costly if West Indies didn’t find a savior in Paul. (CRICINFO)

AN EXCITING YEAR AHEAD

23

SCOREBOARD

West Indies Innings (20 overs maximum) E Lewis b Mahmudullah: 89 SD Hope † b Shakib Al Hasan: 23 KMA Paul c Ariful Haque b Mustafizur Rahman: 2 R Powell c Liton Das b Mahmudullah: 19 SO Hetmyer lbw b Mahmudullah: 0 N Pooran c Abu Hider b Mustafizur Rahman: 29 CR Brathwaite (c) c Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Mustafizur Rahman: 8 SE Rutherford c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Shakib Al Hasan: 2 FA Allen st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Shakib Al Hasan: 8 SS Cottrell not out: 2 O Thomas run out (Liton Das/Mahmudullah): 0 Extras 8 (b 1, w 7) TOTAL 190 all out (19.2 Overs, RR: 9.82) Fall of wickets: 1-76 (SD Hope, 4.6 ov), 2-90 (KMA Paul, 6.3 ov), 3-122 (E Lewis, 9.2 ov), 4-122 (SO Hetmyer, 9.3 ov), 5-159 (R Powell, 13.4 ov), 6-176 (N Pooran, 16.1 ov), 7-178 (CR Brathwaite, 16.5 ov), 8-188 (FA Allen, 18.2 ov), 9-189 (SE Rutherford, 18.5 ov), 10-190 (O Thomas, 19.2 ov) O M R W BOWLING Abu Hider 20 3 9 0 M Saifuddin 4 0 36 0 M H Miraz 2 0 26 0 S Al Hasan 4 0 37 3 M Rahman 4 0 33 3 Mahmudullah 3.2 0 18 3

Bangladesh Innings (target: 191 runs from 20 overs) Tamim Iqbal run out (Powell/†Hope): 8 Liton Das c Brathwaite b Paul: 43 Soumya Sarkar c Cottrell b Allen: 9 Shakib Al Hasan (c) c Cottrell b Allen: 0 Mushfiqur Rahim † c Allen b Paul: 1 Mahmudullah c Brathwaite b Paul: 11 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Allen b Cottrell: 19 Ariful Haque c Rutherford b Paul: 0 Mohammad Saifuddin c †Hope b Paul: 5 Abu Hider not out: 22 Mustafizur Rahman b Brathwaite: 7 Extras 15 (b 1, lb 3, nb 5, w 6) 140 all out (17 Overs, RR: 8.23) Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Tamim Iqbal, 1.4 ov), 2-65 (Soumya Sarkar, 4.2 ov), 3-65 (Shakib Al Hasan, 4.3 ov), 4-66 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 5.3 ov), 5-80 (Mahmudullah, 7.3 ov), 6-89 (Liton Das, 9.3 ov), 7-89 (Ariful Haque, 9.4 ov), 8-96 (Mohammad Saifuddin, 11.4 ov), 9-129 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 15.1 ov), 10-140 (Mustafizur Rahman, 16.6 ov) O M R W BOWLING SS Cottrell 4 1 31 1 O Thomas 3 0 56 0 FA Allen 4 0 19 2 KMA Paul 4 0 15 5 CR Brathwaite 2 0 15 1

Wendell Meusa

National Chess Champion Wendell Meusa reflects on 2018

By Jemima Holmes

F

or National Chess Champion Wendell Meusa, Chess is more than just a hobby; it is, in fact, a part of everything he does. Over the years, Meusa has taken his skill to new heights, maintaining a platform for young players to learn and pursue the game.

Before it was officially known as the Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation (WMCF), the club, located at the American University of Peace Studies on Sherriff Street Georgetown, was known to chess enthusiasts as the ‘Royal Chess Academy’. It was started on March 23rd, 2009 and was home to promising players such as Cecil Cox, Ron Motilall and the Clementson sisters, Julia and Jessica.

Almost ten years after its initiation, the Chess Foundation has given Wendell Meusa purpose every day, with a passion that continues to burn brightly.

“Chess fuels my passion for chess. I’ve always loved the sport of chess, and the opportunities provided while I was playing for Barbados through the Barbados Chess Federation made me love the sport even more,” Meusa explained.

Like many other sporting activities that have begun to take the spotlight in Guyana, Chess has been blossoming and attracting talented players. For the WMCF, the year has been an exceptional one, wherein a number of promising youths have been discovered and give a platform to better their skill.

“2018 was a good year, but I actually think it could have been way better. I’ve de-

cided to focus more on our junior players, and this year saw them receiving some regional and international exposure, which I hope they can get more of. Chess is very underrated in Guyana, and corporate sponsorships are challenging to accumulate. However, on the good side, we were able to spread the development of chess even greater, thanks highly to the National Sports Commission,” Meusa told Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive Interview.

On a personal note, Meusa is of the opinion that chess can gain more popularity if players are given a shot at more tournaments outside of Guyana’s shores.

“As for me, even though I have retained my national chess championships title, I think my level of chess is deteriorating. I continuously train mornings and nights, but the lack of local and international tournaments I would say is the main reason for my deterioration,” Meusa confided.

Despite any trials the foundation may have faced in 2018, the good has come with the bad in the form of improvements. These improvements range from the exploration of more strategies to an increase in training periods, as explained by the Guyanese champion.

“Improvements in 2018 have seen our junior national players taking chess more seriously. They have been training more regularly, and even trying out new ideas/strategies as they explore more openings,” Meusa explained.

In a year that was hectic with tournaments, both local and regional, sensitisa-

tion programmes for first time players outside of the capital and programmes for disabled students, Meusa noted that the most rewarding part of the year has been the ability to see the youngsters enjoy the witty game.

“My most rewarding moments are the joyous and happy faces of kids when they play chess. Chess brings happiness to many, like it did to me,” he declared.

After reflecting on the year in chess, Meusa said he has set his sights on higher heights for the upcoming year. That will see young players being given opportunity to compete at more advanced levels.

“For 2019, we have even bigger and greater plans. Our parent associations are eyeing regional and international tournaments such as CARIFTA in April, Central and Caribbean Chess Championships, and the Pan American School Championships. Also currently in negotiations and planning is the Guyana International Chess Festival, intended for May 2019 as part of our country’s 53rd Independence. We hope this event can bring some of the Caribbean’s, South America’s and Latin America’s strongest chess players to the land of many waters,” he stated, enlightening <<Guyana Times Sport>>.

Another event being greatly anticipated in 2019 is the National Junior Chess Championships. Judging from the excellent 2018 performances from the likes of Jaden Taylor, Rajiv Lee, Ethan Lee, Nellisha

Johnson, Chelsea Juma and Sasha Shariff, current Junior Champion Joshua Gopaul will have a tough fight to retain the title.

“Guyana’s 2019 National Junior Chess Championships are highly anticipated by our junior players. These junior players have been competing among themselves throughout the year, and next year’s winner cannot be determined statistically,” Meusa said, expressing his excitement at the impending competition.

In a bid to extend gratitude, Meusa detailed a long list of persons who have contributed to the WMCF’s success in 2018, and said he looks forward to their continued support in the upcoming year.

“Honestly, I must say thank you to Mr. Christopher Jones and the National Sports Commission; Ministry of Social Cohesion; Red Cherry, Trophy Stall, American University of Peace Studies, Wayne’s Beverage, Lee’s Family, Mr Irshad Mohammed, all the parents, and others who has contributed to our success in 2018. I wish to invite more corporate sponsors on board in 2019 as we continue spreading chess in Guyana,” he said.

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Lewis 89, Paul five-for help West Indies clinch T20I series Pg 23

West Indies wrapped up a dismal tour of Bangladesh with an emphatic win in the 3rd T20 to seal the series 2-1

Paul eases into T20 International bowling record books – 26th player & 2nd West Indian to take 5 wickets

Pg 22

NEW GPC INC joins list of corporate partners for International Futsal Festival Pg 22

Aubrey "Shangai" Major received tickets from NEW GPC’s Elizabeth Ram

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December 23, 2018

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Sunday Times Magazine

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DECEMBER 23, 2018

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved children on Christmas Eve and the early morning hours of Christmas Day. Throughout the year, parents would tell their children to be nice if they want Santa to bring them presents.

So here are a few messages for Santa from some children.

Joelin Joseph, 8 years old

Ramesh Dipchand, 7 years old

Sudesh Lamazon, 3 years old

I have been a good girl all year and for Christmas, I need a bicycle. The reason I need the bicycle is because I want to ride to school. I hope I get this present for Christmas. Thank you very much, Santa.

Ulein Joseph, 6 years old

I am Ramesh and I live at Independence Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara.

I am 7 years old and I go to La Grange Primary School. I love to play with my toys and I can never get enough. I love hymacs and excavators the most. This year for Christmas I would like to have a big truck that I can go in and drive it. Thank you very much, Santa.

I like toys and playing. I am not going to school as yet but next year I will be going to school. I cannot wait to go to school with my sister.

For Christmas, I want a big car and tractor so I can drive in the yard and play with my friends. Please bring that for me with plenty of sweets.

How are you? As for me, I am fine thank you. My name is Ulein Joseph and I am six years old. I am a very good girl and I do everything my parents ask me to. So for this year Christmas, I do not want a lot of things all I want is to get a ball, a big teddy bear and lots of chocolate. That is all I want. Thank you, Santa.

Vidya Lamazon, 10 years old

My name is Vidya Lamazon and I am 10 years old. I love school and have been a good girl for the whole year because I want to be on the nice list. My mother said that if I behave good you will bring lots of toys for me. I am writing this letter to tell you what I want. This year I would like to have a new tablet because the one I have is broken. I do use my tablet to play educational games and do my homework so I would really be happy if I can get a new one. Thank you, Santa.

Kamini Persaud, 8 years old

My name is Kamini.

For Christmas, I would like to have a big doll that I can dress up. I love playing dollhouse with my sister and cousins. We have so much fun when playing and that is why I would like to have another big doll. Also, I would like to have a cooking set too so I can make food to feed my dolls. Thank you, Santa.

Good day. I am Lourian Seanan and I am 9 years old.

I am writing this letter to tell you what I would like you to bring me for Christmas. I was a very good girl the whole year and I do not want plenty things so all I am asking for is a nice kitchen set and some new clothes for Christmas. I like dressing up and playing cooking games with my dolls.

I would really like to have Lourian Seanan, that two presents. Thank you, Santa.

9 years old

Nicholas John Hardeen, 11 years old

Emony Jack.

4 years old

How are you? As for me, I am fine. My name is Nicholas Hardeen and I love to play with my toys. I enjoy playing with cars and trucks.

So for this Christmas, I would be happy if you can bring me a big remote controlled truck so I can play with it along with my cousins.

My mommy said I was a good boy all year so I am on your good list.

Thank you, Santa.

I am Emony Jack and I a big girl. I am four years old and for Christmas please bring me a dollhouse and lots of toys. I like playing with my toys and does take very good care of them so if you bring me more it would last a long time.

I am a good girl. Thank you, Santa.

Natasha Seanan, 7 years old

How are you? As for me, I am fine. I am Natasha Seanan and I am 7 years old. I am a very nice girl and I love to read. This Christmas all I am asking for is new story books so I can read more.

I am learning to read properly and pronounce big words so I would like to have more books so I can be the best reader in my whole school. Thank you very much, Santa.

How are you? As for me, I am doing fine. My name is Shanti Persaud and I am 10 years old. I attend La Grange Primary School and I am in Grade Five. Like going to school and playing with my friends and cousins. This year I would like to have a big doll and a cooking set for Christmas so I can play with my sister and cousins. I would be happy if you can bring that for me for Christmas. Thank you Shanti Persaud, very much, Santa.

10 years old

Ashley Chan, 9 years old

My mommy said that I have been a good girl for the whole year. I eat my food, go to school and do my homework. I do not fight and I am very respectful. So for this Christmas can you please bring me a guitar set. I love music and I want to learn to play the guitar. I also love singing so please for a guitar set so I can practice and become a big singer one day. Thank you, Santa.

guyanatimesgy.com

C

hristmas holds different significance for different people.

For some, it is all about family while for others, it is about the reason for the season or a combination of both, but in every community and every household, the celebration takes its unique turn.

While the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ had not been a part of the ancient traditions of the Amerindian people, it is one of many they have adopted as one of the consequences of colonisation.

Christianity was introduced in the Indigenous communities of Guyana despite the inhabitants having their own religions, but it is something they have grown to embrace and today, in almost all of the Indigenous villages throughout Guyana, you can find a church.

Today, they make up a large part of the Christian community and since this is the season of celebration, we take a look at how the Indigenous Community in Guyana celebrates Christmas.

According to Romario Hastings, or Kapohn as he prefers to be called, in Kako Village located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Christmas is more of a community affair as opposed to just households celebrating it individually.

“Christmas in Indigenous communities

DECEMBER 23, 2018

as far as I can recall is a village celebration instead of (the) household enclosed family-type feature done here (on the coast).

I guess it stems from the fact that these families are widely extended,” he notes.

During the celebration, the villagers would gather and have a grand lunch and hang-out. It would also involve trading stories and lots of laughter since “humour is very significant during events like these”.

“So, in preparation, families make barrels of casiree, because that has been the primary alcohol consumed during this time in those quantities.

Some also make other local drinks, whether it’s from potato, yams, pumpkins. The men do hunting to some extent, but, nowadays, the Village Council normally sponsor meat such as chicken and fish for the lunch and do gift exchanges there,” he said.

“Church plays a key role in celebrations as well, especially in terms of Christmas Eve church service and carol singing.

Like in my village, the youths do gift exchanges as well,” Kapohn added.

The celebrations in the Indigenous Community usually mirror Heritage Month celebrations, but on a smaller scale, without thousands of visitors flocking the communities.

Over in Aishalton

Sunday Times Magazine

Auntie Mavis Gomes’s place all decorated for the annual Christmas Dinner

Village, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), the villagers all look forward to aunt Mavis Gomes’s annual Christmas dinner.

Auntie Mavis would cook dinner for the entire village and have everyone over where they would all break bread, dance and enjoy the night away.

For the villagers, that is the highlight of their Christmas since it is a time where everyone forgets their differences and come together to celebrate as a unified community.

Ironically, while most of people’s traditional Christmas breakfast is that of pepperpot and homemade bread, in the Indigenous community that is their regular food.

But it is not something they would have to eat on Christmas morning.

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T

Sunday Times Magazine

he custom of burning the Yule Log predates medieval times. It was originally a Nordic tradition.

Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany.

The Yule Log was originally an entire tree that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room!

The log would be lit from the remains of the previous year's log, which had been carefully stored away and slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas.

It was considered important that the re-lighting process was carried out by someone with clean hands. Nowadays, of course, most people have central heating so it is very difficult to burn a tree!

In Provence, France, it is traditional that the whole family helps to cut the tree down and that a little bit is burnt each night. If any of the log is left after the Twelfth Night, it is kept safe in the house until the next Christmas to protect against lightning. In some parts of Holland, this was also done, but the log had to be stored under a bed. In some eastern European countries, the tree was cut down on Christmas Eve morning and lit that eve-

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

ning.

The custom of the Yule Log spread all over Europe and different kinds of wood are used in different countries. In England, oak is traditional; in Scotland, it is birch; while in France, it's cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine before it is burnt, so that it smells nice when it is lit.

In Devon and Somerset in the UK, some people have a very large bunch of Ash twigs lit instead of the log.

This comes from a local legend that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were very cold when the shepherds found them on Christmas Night. So the shepherds got some bunches of twigs to burn to keep them

warm.

The origin of the folk custom is unclear.

Numerous scholars have observed that, like other traditions associated with Yule (such as the Yule boar), the custom may ultimately derive from Germanic paganism. Regardless of its origin, at Christmas, the Yule Log symbolises the battle between good and evil since it is believed that as the fire grew brighter and burned hotter, and as the log turned into ashes, it symbolised Christ's final and ultimate triumph over sin.

The Yule Log Cake

A Yule Log Cake or bûche de Noël is a traditional French dessert served near Christmas, especially in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Quebec,

Lebanon and several former French colonies, as well as the United Kingdom. Made of sponge cake, to resemble a miniature Yule Log, it is a form of sweet roulade.

The original Yule Log recipe emerged during the 19th Century. It is traditionally made from a genoise (Italian sponge cake), generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate butter cream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, ganache, and icings flavoured with espresso or liqueurs exist.

Yule Logs are often

served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch.

A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or marzipan.

The name bûche de Noël originally referred to the Yule Log itself, and was transferred to the dessert only after the custom had fallen out of use, presumably during the first half of the 20th Century. By 1945, it referred to the cake.

guyanatimesgy.com

By Andrew Carmichael

M

any people thought that the Caesar family were being stingy with their money and all in all, selfish when they decided that they were going to make all the decorations for their daughter’s first birthday a few years ago, but that “selfish” act has led to the formation of a new and thriving business.

In 2015, Anthony and Naomi Caesar did not want to buy decorations for their daughter’s first birth anniversary since that was too common. They wanted something unique, something one of a kind. They wanted all the decorations for the party to be different and it was this “selfish” desire that prompted the creation of a business.

AN&K Crafts takes almost anything and turns it into a piece of art.

“Was looking around for stuff from the various party stores, but all had the same things that everybody else was using, so I decided to make stuff from ground up seeing that we have the material available to make your own stuff,” Anthony said.

The birthday party was considered a success in terms

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

of the decorations, as the paper bags and Mickey Ears photo frames were all unique. Anthony now uses foam boards, foam sheet, velvet, felt, dry leaves, green sea moss, wire, wood, sand, stones, cardboard, paper, plastic, feathers and other things to create ornaments and indoor decorations, which most homemakers crave at this time of the year.

However, while much of the material is gathered from the bins of stores and from around the community, about 60 per cent of what is needed has to be purchased; for example, foam, velvet, felt, green sea moss, decorative stones, paper, plastic, craft wood and craft sticks.

“We might not get the right materials in Guyana, so we might have to improvise or order it from overseas,” Anthony said as he spoke on some of the difficulties associated with the craft business.

Currently, he and his wife sell their craft on the pavement in New Amsterdam on Strand opposite Guyana Stores.

“Some people are amazed at the work and probably have doubts in the mind when I say that the work was done by the family. My understanding is that most Berbicians move away from craft and prefer the Chinese mass production flower and home decor. Probably they are cheaper and af-

5

fordable, but not long-lasting; that’s my take.”

According to Anthony, while he is not directly involved in the export of his craft, many of his customers indicate that they are sending the items overseas for family members or friends. The business of craft, which in other parts of the world and to a lesser extent in other parts of the country could be a flourishing business, is not in Berbice. The young businessman, who celebrates his fourth wedding anniversary on Monday, says sometimes it gets depressing.

“Because people come up and say they are really nice and neat, but those same people do not buy. It sometimes leaves me wondering ‘if it so great, why you don’t buy something then?’ I say to myself: ‘it is great, but not to be put in their homes.’ But then there is this one customer who would come and make you want to continue pressing on,” he revealed.

The ‘selfish’ act which was committed three years ago has resulted in dozens of wall decorations, scores of toys and scores of ornaments to fit just about any part of the home.

What is more interesting is that those ornaments and decorations if purchased from AN&K Crafts will not have to be replaced in the near future.

6

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Preserving our literary heritage by

H

e writes his own songs with significant amount of input from his wife. But many of his fans are not aware of this combination because very often the consumer sees only the performer thereby diminishing the role of the writer/s.

Songwriters are just as important as the performer, the lyricist or the musicians. This husband and wife team has ensured this team work and team spirit is communicated publicly not only via a by-line to the song but through their words and music.

Yes, without doubt John ‘Slingshot’ DrePaul has become a household name in Guyana especially about this time of the year and he would not allow us to forget the contribution of his wife, Ingrid.

Ingrid Begging Me To Make Ah Stop!

She Don’t Want No Callaloo!

Trinidad Pelau Won’t Do! Is Guyanese Metemgee And Pepper Pot … Fuh She! Around this time of the year it is not unnatural to hear Slingshot on the airwave belting out his Christmas Songs umpteen times a day on a variety of programmes. And what he has to say connects to the Guyanese consumers instantly. For example in his first Christmas song, ‘A Very Merry Guyanese Christmas’, John DrePaul said that it was written ‘to teasingly capture the spirit of a typical Upper Corentyne Indo- Berbician Christmas ambience, with a tongue-in-the-cheek tease to those in the Diaspora…. the Xmas Eve visit to homes would be done by a ‘makeup’ band of just about anyone in the Villages; especially by yours truly, Shamboy, Marco, Neville Budhan, and others, as we play acoustic

guitar, blow mouth organ, knocking bottles, saucepans, bamboo joints, tincups, spoons, vigorously shaking the ‘shac-shac’ and just having a whaleof-a-time in typical rustic fashion’.

Man Christmas He Does Kill Two Ram! We Eating Loud Roti Wid Sheep Curry! Nuff Peppa!

‘Christmas in Guyana’ was released on DrePaul’s third CD ‘Home Sweet Home’.

Here’s sample of that song: Ah Very Merry Guyanese Christmas Wishing You Were Here We Guh Miss Yuh Company At Dis Festive Time Of De Year When We Pass Yuh House Christmas Morning We Guh Give Ah Shout Calling Out To Yuh Family As We Rub We Belly And Mouth... ..... In De Kitchen De Women Cooking Creole Food Non-Stop Eating Bake And Pepperpot Dey Gat Fuh Drag We From De Pot... .... All Around Is Music Playing Tassa Band Coming Down Dem Boys From Victoria Village Licking Up Kumfa Drum....

Ah Very Merry Guyanese Christmas Wishing You Were Here We Guh Miss Yuh Company At Dis Festive Time Of De Year Chipping Down De Road Knockin Bottle Iron And Saucepan Stop At Everybody Home Singing, Dancing Every Man...

‘A Very Merry Guyanese Christmas’, was released on the ‘Mash Fever’ CD in 2003 which included such hits as ‘Pirates’, ‘Tek ah Taste’, ‘The Golden Locket’, and ‘Wake Up My Guyana’. The song

‘John DrePaul is an affable and multi-talented entertainer, composer, musician, calypsonian, who grew up in Guyana’s rural Corentyne, Berbice, with No. 63 Beach as his backyard.

This would later prove to be the ideal landscape and inspiration for most of his poetry, songs, and short stories’ (Slingshot - A Short Biography by Dr. Parbhudyal Singh, York University).

‘Pirates’ seeks to address the copyright issue.

The next Christmas song

by John and Ingrid DrePaul was ‘Christmas in Guyana’ which he said spans ‘a much inclusive geographic span of Guyana, especially with the culinary samples depicted in the song…

However, the song itself keeps to Slingshot’s rural roots and capturing the essence of the rural appeal as well as the urban… Of note is the inclusive nature of all of ‘Slingshot & Ingrid’ compositions, whereby we span the diverse ethnic nature of Guyana’s population, all the while reflecting the ethnic, political & religious bent of the Village inhabitants… using names of real individuals living in the geographic area…’

There’s Nothing Like Meh Home On Christmas Morning Liming Wid Meh Friends And Family!

Greeting Everyone Around!

Eating, Dancing Getting

Petamber Persaud

Of course at Christmas time, we love to hear the old, time tested favourite songs and carols but many of us would like to hear how contemporary writers and performers deal with the subject of Christmas. And over the years, there had been many additions to this oeuvre of music but only a handful from Guyanese.

Slingshot has effectively filled that gap and given the response to his music and the popularity on which he is riding, there would be no doubt that he and his wife will come up with new Christmas music with a Guyanese/West Indian flavour (Ingrid was born in Trinidad).

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

Down!

Spending We Christmas In Guyana!

There’s Nothing Like Meh Home On Christmas Morning Everybody There Soca Dancing!

Masquerade Band Coming Down!

Mother Sally Prancing Round!

Spending We Christmas In Guyana!

Merry Christmas…!

There’s Nothing Like Meh Home On Christmas Morning, Garlic Pork And Black Fruitcake Baking!

Plenty Sorrel And Mauby!

Ice Apple And Nuff Sweetie!

Spending We Christmas In Guyana!

Every Time When Christmas Come Marco And Dem Boys Around, Drinking .... And Telling Ol’ Time Story!

Neville Budhan Is De

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow…

by Clement C. Moore

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

• • •

Snowman Candle Holder This snowman candle holder will bring a cheerful glow to any room and is the perfect decoration for christmas. The snowman holds a votive candle inside, and is made from a small glass fishbowl that you can buy at any craft store. The bowl is spray painted with frost paint, which creates a beautiful glow when the candle is burning inside. Its face is painted on with black glass paint, and a carrot nose is made from polymer clay. Its hat is made from craft wire mesh, which

can be found at most craft stores.

Materials Needed: • Six inch glass bowl (found in most craft stores, also called a bubble bowl or fish bowl) • Frosted glass spray paint • Black glass paint • Paintbrush • Orange clay • Wire craft mesh (found in craft stores near the pottery and clay) • Small length of ribbon • Scissors

Sunday Times Magazine

7

Soup can Hot glue gun candle

Instructions 1. In a well ventilated area, spray paint the fishbowl with glass frosted paint and allow to dry completely. Check the progress after it is dry, and give it another coat if necessary.

2. After the frost paint is dry, paint on the eyes and the smile using black glass paint.

3. Shape clay into nose and attach with hot glue gun 4. Cut a nine inch circle from the wire mesh. Be careful while cutting and working with the rough edges of the mesh. Place a soup can in the center of the circle and fold up the craft mesh all around the can, forming it well with your hands. Then, make the brim of the hat by folding down the edge of the wire mesh all around the can. Remove the can and place the wire mesh hat on the snowman.

5. Decorate the hat by wrapping a length of ribbon around the hat, and securing with the hot glue gun

Materials needed Swim noodle Christmas balls Hot glue gun Instructions 1. Use hot glue gun to secure both ends of the noodle to shape into a circle.

2. Arrange christmas balls into preferred style and attach a ribbon to the back.

• • •

Materials • Cone • White glue • String • Decorations Instructions 1. Mix equal parts water

and glue and then soak string in mixture.

2. After string has soaked, wrap around cone creating a pattern of your choice.

3. Leave to dry and decorate to your liking

Materials • • • • •

2 x wire hanging basket frames with chains removed 4 x cable/pull ties can of silver spray paint fairy/christmas lights.

Pliers Instructions 1. Remove chains from the baskets. Fasten the two baskets together with the cable ties to create a sphere.

2. Cut the tails off of the cable ties. Spray entire sphere with silver paint. This isn't all that necessary but I find when the lights bounces off the baskets it looses its former image of the 'hanging basket' when it is painted.

3. Wrap the fairy lights around the sphere in every different direction. The small light globes will stop the wire from slipping.

Wrap until you have used all and only the fairy lights.

8

Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2018

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DECEMBER 23, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine. When dopamine levels decrease, it causes abnormal brain activity, leading to symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Risk factors

Risk factors for Parkinson's disease include: • Age. Young adults rarely experience Parkinson's disease. It ordinarily begins in middle or late life, and the risk increases with age. People usually develop the disease around age 60 or older.

• Heredity. Having a close relative with Parkinson's disease increases the chances that you'll develop the disease.

However, your risks are still small unless you have many relatives in your family with Parkinson's disease.

• Sex. Men are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than are women.

• Exposure to toxins.

Ongoing exposure to herbicides and pesticides may slightly increase your risk of Parkinson's disease.

P

Overview

arkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement.

Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.

In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, your face may show little or no expression. Your arms may not swing when you walk.

Your speech may become soft or slurred. Parkinson's disease symptoms worsen as your condition progresses over time.

Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, medications might significantly improve your symptoms. Occasionally, your doctor may suggest surgery to regulate certain regions of your brain and improve your symptoms.

Symptoms

Parkinson's disease signs and symptoms can be different for everyone.

Early signs may be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides.

Parkinson's signs and symptoms may include: • Tremor. A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may a rub your thumb and forefinger back-and-forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremor when it's

at rest.

• Slowed movement (bradykinesia). Over time, Parkinson's disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag your feet as you try to walk.

• Rigid muscles.

Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion.

• Impaired posture and balance. Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a result of Parkinson's disease.

• Loss of automatic movements. You may have a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.

• Speech changes. You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual inflections.

• Writing changes. It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.

Causes

In Parkinson's disease, certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Many of the symptoms are due to

Complications

Parkinson's disease is often accompanied by these additional problems, which may be treatable: • Thinking difficulties • Depression and emotional changes • Swallowing problems • Chewing and eating problems • Sleep problems and sleep disorders • Bladder problems • Constipation • Blood pressure changes • Fatigue • Pain • Sexual dysfunction

Prevention

Because the cause of Parkinson's is unknown,

proven ways to prevent the disease also remain a mystery. Some research has shown that regular aerobic exercise might reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Some other research has shown that people who drink caffeine — which is found in coffee, tea and cola — get Parkinson's disease less often than those who don't drink it. However, it is still not known whether caffeine actually protects against getting Parkinson's, or is related in some other way. Currently, there is not enough evidence to suggest drinking caffeinated beverages to protect against Parkinson's. Green tea is also related to a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Diagnosis

No specific test exists to diagnose Parkinson's disease. Your doctor trained in nervous system conditions (neurologist) will diagnose Parkinson's disease based on your medical history, a review of your signs and symptoms, and a neurological and physical examination. Your doctor may suggest a specific singlephoton emission computerized tomography SPECT scan called a dopamine transporter (DAT) scan.

Although this can help support the suspicion that you have Parkinson's disease, it is your symptoms and neurologic examination that ultimately determine the correct diagnosis. Most people do not require a DAT scan.

Your doctor may order lab tests, such as blood tests, to rule out other conditions that may be causing your symptoms.

Imaging tests — such as MRI, CT, ultrasound of the brain, and PET scans — may also be used to help rule out other disorders.

Imaging tests aren't particularly helpful for diagnosing Parkinson's disease.

In addition to your ex-

9

amination, your doctor may give you carbidopa-levodopa (Rytary, Sinemet, others), a Parkinson's disease medication. You must be given a sufficient dose to show the benefit, as low doses for a day or two aren't reliable. Significant improvement with this medication will often confirm your diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Sometimes it takes time to diagnose Parkinson's disease. Doctors may recommend regular follow-up appointments with neurologists trained in movement disorders to evaluate your condition and symptoms over time and diagnose Parkinson's disease.

Treatment

Parkinson's disease can't be cured, but medications can help control your symptoms, often dramatically. In some later cases, surgery may be advised.

Your doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes, especially ongoing aerobic exercise. In some cases, physical therapy that focuses on balance and stretching also is important. A speech-language pathologist may help improve your speech problems.

Medications

Medications may help you manage problems with walking, movement and tremor. These medications increase or substitute for dopamine. People with Parkinson's disease have low brain dopamine concentrations. However, dopamine can't be given directly, as it can't enter your brain.

You may have significant improvement of your symptoms after beginning Parkinson's disease treatment. Over time, however, the benefits of drugs frequently diminish or become less consistent. You can usually still control your symptoms fairly well.

10

Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Christmas is a holiday that is full of gifts, food, parties and more. As it is a special time of year make the most of it and dress for the occasion. You are going to be socializing a lot and maybe even attending a Christmas party or two so it is important to have some stylish and festive outfits. To give you some inspiration we have found some Christmas outfit ideas.

There is something for everyone from cozy to glam. Take a look and find your favourite.

CHIC BLACK OUTFIT WITH SPARKLE Going to a Christmas party? Then you need to take a look at this outfit. The outfit is black and sparkly on the top with plain black pants. You could recreate this look with a similar jumpsuit or with a separate top and pants. The outfit is all black but it looks festive because of the sparkle. Something like this is for the ladies who want to look elegant and chic during the holiday season.

GREEN VELVET CHOKER TOP Choker tops have been a must-have for a while.

The top has been made in a velvet fabric and is in a dark green shade. A top like this is glam and can be worn for any festive occasion. Dark green is a great Christmas color for those who want an alternative to red.

CHRISTMAS RED DRESS During the festive season say goodbye to the little black dress and hello to a red dress. Red is a must-have color for Christmas and will look super stylish. An outfit like this would look beautiful for any occasion from a work Christmas party to Christmas dinner with the family.

VINTAGE HOLIDAY LOOK Add some vintage glamour to the holiday season with an outfit like this one. This fashionista has dressed in a beautiful dark green tartan dress with red shoes. The outfit has combined two classic Christmas colors in an elegant way. An outfit like this would look beautiful for any occasion.

VINTAGE HOLIDAY LOOK Add some vintage glamour to the holiday season with an outfit like this one. This fashionista has dressed in a beautiful dark green tartan dress with red shoes. The outfit has combined two classic Christmas colors in an elegant way. An outfit like this would look beautiful for any occasion.

guyanatimesgy.com

• • •

Ingredients 8 medium potatoes 3 cloves garlic 3 tbsp butter

DECEMBER 23, 2018

• milk • •

Sunday Times Magazine 11

2/3 cup heavy cream/ Salt Water

Directions Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces then place in a large pot.

Add garlic cloves to the pot then add 1 tsp salt and cool water to the pot, covering the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are soft when poked with a knife. Strain the potatoes and place into a bowl. Add butter and heavy cream and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and garlic cloves. There will be a few lumps; if you prefer a smoother texture then use a ricer instead of a potato masher. Add salt to taste.

Ingredients 5 lbs chicken 2 tbsp green seasoning 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tsp salt 1 ½ tsp black pepper 2 cup flour 1 cup of milk 2 eggs Oil

• • • • • • • • •

Instructions Place cleaned chicken in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix green seasoning, Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 tsp oil; mix well then rub over chicken pieces making sure it is well covered. Set aside.

Place flour in a large plate, and then add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and mix to combine.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.

Coat chicken in flour, making sure to shake off any excess then quickly dip egg in mixture. Allow the excess egg mixture to drip off chicken before adding back to the flour. Shake off excess. Repeat with each piece of chicken.

Place a heavy bottom pan over high heat with 2 inches deep canola oil. Once oil is hot, lower the heat to medium low. Now carefully add chicken pieces into oil and fry for 10 minutes per side until golden brown.

Remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil.

• • • Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the meat sauce, place ground beef and chicken in a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat and brown. Use a spoon to remove excess oil from the meat; discard. Finely chop carrots, pepper, garlic and onion(use a food processor to make it easy as pie). Add chopped vegetables, dried basil and dried oregano to the brown meat and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato puree, tomato paste, sugar, salt and black pepper. Cook on medium low for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place ricotta cheese in a bowl and mix with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, eggs and parsley and set aside.

To build the lasagna, spray a 13×9 casserole dish with olive oil spray. Spread a layer of sauce on the pan, then top with lasagna noodles. Next, add another layer of meat sauce, then top with ¼ of ricotta and spread to cover the meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and repeat the layers in the same order 3 more times. For the final layer, cover with lasagna sheet, then add meat sauce and spread to cover the lasagna sheet, then cover with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Spray one side of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna with the aluminum foil with the cooking-spray side down. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

NB: Cheddar could replace Parmesan and Ricotta Cheese.

• • • • • • • •

Ingredients 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp butter, melted Filling 3- 8oz package cream cheese(room temperature) 1 cup sugar 3 tbsp all purpose flour 2 eggs beaten 3/4 cup eggnog 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract dash of nutmeg fresh whipped cream or whipped topping

EGGNOG CHEESECAKE

Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a small bowl. Place into a 9-inch spring form pan and press to form a crust. Place into preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a large bowl add room temperature cream cheese and beat with a mixer on high until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and flour and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Add egg and beat until incorporated then add eggnog and vanilla extract and nutmeg and mix until incorporated. Pour mix over the crust then place in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour until the top is set but the center will still jiggle a bit. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cheesecake. Allow to cool until it’s room temperature then place in refrigerator overnight.

When ready to served top with whipped cream and a pinch of nutmeg.

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Sunday Times Magazine

ACROSS

1 Broad valleys

6 "Foolish Games" singer 11 Newlywed

16 Like a frontier town

21 Ring-shaped reef

22 "-- -- a Rainy Night"

23 In-between state

24 Puccini work

25 Igneous-rock source

26 Swiped

27 Be of benefit

28 One kind of flight

29 Galleon cargo

30 Flat-topped hill

32 Ms. Winfrey

34 Egyptian boy-king

36 P.O. service

37 El -- (ocean current)

39 Prom attendees

41 Fragrant shrub

43 Zoo inhabitants

45 Trade shows

47 Mr. Greenspan et al.

49 Hounds' trails

51 Six-shooters

54 Due for payment

55 Norm's wife on "Cheers" 56 Nosegay

60 Stick fast

61 Flash on and off

62 Sea rover

64 Ms. Merkel

65 Outspoken

66 Feeling regret

67 Do a double-take

68 Pick up a lease

70 Brown of renown

71 Not digital

73 Hardly a wallflower

74 Mechanic's friend

75 Labor Dept. division

77 Planets or moons

78 Overhead

79 Goes beyond

80 Dwindles

82 Quips

83 Aherne of films

84 Dirt

87 Hocus- - 88 Answered a judge

89 Tattoo sites

93 Jinxes

94 Ina of "The Black Orchid" 95 Reinforced

97 "--! My Soul" (Little Richard tune) 98 The slow lane

99 Iris center

100 Goethe masterpiece

101 Get acclimated

103 Plains dweller

104 Orbit extreme

106 107 108 110 111 112 113 115 116 117 120 122 124 128 129 131 133 135 136 138 140 142 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 31 33 35 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 51

"Forget" a letter Hung around Porgy's beloved Frankenstein's gofer Beam Own up Check for typos Reunion attendee The "k" in 24-k "Yo!" (2 wds.)

Dissemble Movers and shakers Andrew's dukedom Suffix for "forfeit" Mao -- -tung "Fried Green Tomatoes" star Sizeable Aloha token Sri -Temporary peace Fridge maker Cover girl In a ferment Zenith opposite Cook's gadget Helmet plume Disreputable Famous last words Bowling score Keats' saint DOWN Friend of Pythias Video-game pioneer Get ready to surf? (2 wds.)

"Nightmare" street Marble block Fit of nerves Brings cheer Roused up Twilight, to a poet Fallon's predecessor Very obvious

52 Contenders 53 College World Series city

54 Osaka sash

55 Lose feathers

57 Team list

58 -- out (withdraw) 59 Becomes frayed

61 Implication

62 Football gain

63 Serviceable 66 Long, flat timber 67 WWII craft (hyph.)

69 Habitually 72 Woodworking chore

73 Force

74 Deadly snake 76

Heart outlet 78 Ding-a- -- (airhead)

79 "Heck!"

81 Poet -- Neruda 82

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- LAPIDARIAN (LAPIDARIAN: lap-ih-DAREee-en: Of or relating to the cutting and polishing of gems.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 39 or more words in LAPIDARIAN? laid lain lair lanai land lard liar lidar lipid apian

aria arid paid pail pain pair paladin panda plaid plain

plan prandial inlaid darn dial drain drip radial radian radii

raid rail rain rani rapid rind nadir naiad nail

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Runs in neutral "Keep it down!"

Mishmashes Perfume bottles Scale unit Links champ Sam -Bored responses Tulips or daffodils Fur trader's goods Ms. Jong Diner's demand Hits the hammock "Maria --" Taboos (hyph.)

Ship's officer (var.)

Nitrous -Swamped Photographer -- Beaton Standing tall Queen of the Misty Isles Lara Croft player

83 Jaded

84 Cancel a launch

85 Very

86 Strongly advises

87 Cover the walls

88 Goody-goody

90 Trip itinerary

91 Customs

92 Drops leaves 94 "Get lost!" (2 wds.)

95 Used a parachute

96 Artemis, to Livy 99 Comic-strip possum

100 Paris cop

102 "Cool!"

105 Monklike

106 Rectify

107 The pits 109 007 111 Contract makers 112 Bus rider's need

114 115 116 117 118 119 121 123 125 126 127 130 132 134 137 139 141 143

Traffic circle Vitamin B component More eager Wahines' dances Blank a tape Gossipy type Piano composition Maureen of film Like days of yore Ms. Witherspoon Bagpipers' garb Sicilian volcano Barks shrilly Swimming-pool loc.

Novak of "Vertigo" Ford rival Atlas page Dot-com alternative

See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

T

witter is offering users another escape hatch from its ranked timeline. The company said that it will introduce a prominent new toggle in the app to switch from the ranked timeline to the original, reverse-chronological feed.

The company says the move comes in recognition of the fact that Twitter is often most useful in real time, particularly during live events such as sports games or the Oscars.

Twitter began ranking the timeline almost four years ago. It was an effort to increase usage at a time when Facebook had

pulled dramatically ahead of Twitter, raising doubts about the company’s future and setting it on a course to reinvent itself.

Many users griped about the change, even though Twitter has always allowed users to switch back to the reverse-chronological feed temporarily.

The latest incarnation of the original Twitter feed can be accessed by tapping the cluster of small stars — the company calls it the “sparkle” and now so shall we all, forever — and switching to see the latest tweets. Over time, the company will learn your behavior. If you routine-

DECEMBER 23, 2018

ly switch to the latest tweets, Twitter will default you to them. This marks a change from the past, when the app would switch you back to the ranked timeline at unpredictable intervals.

Keith Coleman, vice president of product at Twitter, told The Verge that in tests, users who had access to the easy toggle participated in more conversations than average. The flagship Twitter app’s strange aversion to real-time tweets — the lifeblood of the service since forever — is the main reason I continue to use Tweetbot on every platform, despite how

Sunday Times Magazine 13

S

pam calls grew by 300 percent worldwide this year, according to a new report from Truecaller, a caller ID service. But while the scourge continues to grow overall, some countries actually saw a slight decline — including the US. The United States fell from the 2nd most spammed country to the 8th in one year, according to Truecaller. Truecaller users received about 17 calls per month, down from 21 in 2017. The bulk of calls purported to be about insurance or debt collection, according to the report.

While no reason was given for the drop, authorities have increasingly tried to crack down on illegal callers. The Federal Trade Commission has brought several lawsuits, while the Federal Communications Commission has considered various regulations to deal with the issue and in one case slapped an egregious robocaller with an $82 million fine.

The issue continues to escalate elsewhere. Brazil was found to be the most spammed country in 2018, with the average Truecaller user getting over 37 spam calls a month. This was likely due to calls from telecom operators and calls made related to the general election, the compa-

ny said. India, which was the most spammed country in 2017, has dropped down to second place, with a decrease of 1.5 percent.

Truecaller says that in total, its users received 17.7 billion spam calls between January and October. The report

counted a call as spam if it was flagged by algorithms or manually by users.

Since Truecaller doesn’t count data outside of its customer base, its results and rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt. Another report from a robocall blocking service called YouMail reported 28.5 billion spam calls occurring in the US within the first eight months of this year, a figure that vastly exceeds Truecaller’s numbers and seems more in line with the multiple-callsper-day nuisance many of us are contending with. (The Verge)

it gets worse every year due to API restrictions.

Twitter’s re-embrace of live tweets gives me hope that the company will continue to elevate real-time features across the platform. The company’s support for its pro app, Tweetdeck, is halfhearted at best. Investing more in features for power users will help ensure Twitter retains its place as the beating heart of breaking news around the world — and ignoring them creates opportunities for competitors.(The Verge)

I

nstagram is bringing some new features to its Stories format, including a new countdown sticker, and question stickers that can be used in Live videos and to share music recommendations. The latter are best described as “all of the current Instagram Story features remixed into each other,” which seems inevitable given how many there are now.

The question sticker becomes more versatile today, as users can now respond to questions with music. Tapping on a viewer’s response will play the song, and users can choose to respond with

a message or share the song to their own story.

Sharing a song opens up the camera for the user to take a photo or video as the music plays in the background, and there’s also new camera effects that’ll respond to the music being played.

Question stickers are also coming to Live videos to better organize Q&A interactions.

Before, questions could get lost inside the chaotic chat stream, but with today’s update, questions chosen by the user streaming will be shown on-screen, so all viewers can see which questions are being answered. Questions can be asked on the Live

user’s story before and during the Live video, and streamers can now also share photos and videos from their camera roll to their live video.

Countdown stickers are interactive stickers within Stories which let users count down to upcoming moments that could be as big as New Year’s, or as small as the end of a workday. Creating a countdown sticker will keep it in your sticker tray to reuse until the countdown ends. Friends can tap the countdown to follow or share it to their own stories, and it’ll notify them when the countdown ends.

(The Verge)

14

Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Netflix great for Indian talent to show capability to world, says Anil Kapoor R

A

ctor-producer Anil Kapoor, who has backed Netflix’s forthcoming show Selection Day, says the streaming platform is a fruitful opportunity for Indian talent to showcase their craft to the world. “This show (Selection Day) is an adaption of a really good novel (Aravind Adiga’s eponymous book). It will be screened on December 28 in more than 190 countries all over the world. I think Netflix is a brilliant platform for Indian actors and technicians to show off their capabilities to the entire world,” Kapoor said here.

Anil said collaborating with Netflix as a producer made him feel that production is no longer a thankless job. “Earlier I used to feel that production is a thankless job. In our family, my father, my elder brother and I have produced many films. After working with Netflix on this show, I feel that production is no longer a thankless job, but it’s the best job. When you are working with them, nothing gets bigger than that,” he said.

Anil was interacting with the media at the

premiere of Selection Day along with Kabir Khan, Akshay Oberoi, Sanya Malhotra, Rhea Kapoor, Samir Kochhar, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Farah Khan, Pawan Malhotra, Dalip Tahil, Rajesh Tailang, Yash Dholye and Mohammad Samad here on Tuesday.

On the basic premise of Selection Day, Anil said: “Cricket is in the backdrop of this show, but overall it is a coming-of-age story about two brothers and the beautiful bonding between the two. I can say that it’s about the dream of father and his kids.

“There are some parents who want to fulfil their own dreams through their children and there are kids who don’t want to listen to their father when it comes to choosing a career. So, all these things are there in this show.”

He said he was not nervous, but a “bit anxious” ahead of the show’s launch.

“I have made films on many stories over the years but this project was like a cricket match which we felt that we have won quickly. This show is a complete example of team work similarly like cricket matches,” he said. (Hindustan Times)

ihanna's vocal producer and songwriter Kuk Harrell has given fans an update on her new album, hailing the new songs "incredible".

Kuk Harrell - who worked with the star on her last LP 'ANTI', as well as co-writing her hit songs 'Umbrella' and 'Only Girl (In the World)' - recently responded to one of the 30-year-old singer's fans who asked for an update on Rihanna's new music.

During an Instagram Live, they asked him: "How's R9?", to which he replied: "R9 is great. R9 is amazing. It's incredible, And that's all I'm going to say."

The 'Diamonds' hitmaker last updated fans in September, promising new music is "coming".

Rihanna hasn't released any new music since 2016's 'ANTI', but she assured fans that she's working on new material and, although it's not quite ready yet because she's been busy focusing on her lingerie line, her make-up collection and film work - including 'Ocean's 8' - the new tracks will arrive in the near future.

Responding to a fan on Instagram who asked where her new music was, she replied: "I know I know sis. I'm doing music. Simultaneously doing lingerie, make-

guyanatimesgy.com

up, film, amongst a couple other things that I enjoy.

"When the music is ready, you won't have to ask for it. But it's coming. Just not today sis. I'm hype too tho, it can't come soon enough. (sic)" The Bajan beauty hasn't given much away when it comes to her next release, but it's believed she may be gearing up to drop a double-disc album next year.

A source said: "Rihanna wasn't happy with how her last album performed - even though she loved how it turned out, she knows she needs a new project full of smash hits to avoid two back-to-back flops...she's currently recording two albums - one full of chart-friendly songs, and another made up of moody and experimental tracks - and is considering releasing a double disc if she feels the songs won't mesh well on the same album."

Back in June, Rihanna confirmed that she had been back in the studio but she refused to divulge whether it would be ready in time for this Christmas.

She said at the time: "You'll have to wait and see."

There's no title name yet but her fans have been referring to it as 'R9' online.

D

irector Rohit Shetty is promoting his upcoming film Simmba starring actor Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan. The director was asked in a recent interview if he was sad about Kedarnath being Sara’s debut film instead of Simmba and he said that he would have been upset if Abhishek Kapoor hadn’t got the credit for introducing Sara.

The director told Mumbai Mirror,” No, I have always wanted Kedarnath to come before Simmba because Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) had signed Sara before me. In fact, he was the one who suggested her to me for Simmba. I’d be upset if he hadn’t got the credit for launching her.”

Miss Malini also quoted the director as saying, “Nobody approached Sara.

She approached us herself.

She literally cooked my brain by messaging me so many

Crossword Solution

times. Sara happened because of Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor, director of Sara’s debut film, Kedarnath) because he also called me and asked me to cast Sara! He took the initiative and told me to watch some footage of Kedarnath that they had already shot.

Then I saw it and called her.”

Speaking of the ace director and ‘cooking his brain’, Sara had said, “I am a huge Rohit sir fan. I aspire for versatility, and I mean it. I messaged Rohit sir thrice and he responded on the third message. I think he is the king of commercial cinema. So, knowing that Rohit sir and Ranveer Singh were coming together, I had to.”

Simmba is slated to release on December 28 and is produced by Dharma Productions. The film will also see a cameo by Ajay Devgn, who will play inspector Bajirao Singham and bring two different cops under one roof. (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Deepika Padukone is all set to play acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal in her next project. She will also make her debut in the field of production with the film titled Chhapaak, to be directed by Raazi’s Megha Gulzar.

A report in Mumbai Mirror has now confirmed that Vikrant Massey of Balika Vadhu has been signed opposite the actor. He will essay the role of Laxmi’s former partner, Alok Dixit. alking about Vikrant’s role, Meghna told the daily, “The cast is slowly coming together. Vikrant is somebody I’ve wanted to work with since Raazi, after seeing him in A Death in the Gunj. In the film, he plays a North Indian boy who used to be a professional before he decided to become an actor, then, started a campaign against acid violence which is how he came to meet Laxmi in real life. I speak for both Deepika and myself when I say that we are both really excited to have Vikrant play this part.”

Vikrant has worked in several films such as Lootera, Dil Dhadakne Do, Lipstick

Under My Burkha, Half Girlfriend and is currently being seen in web series Broken But Beautiful.

Deepika will be seen in different looks in the film because of the several facial reconstruction surgeries of the character. Laxmi was a school student when she was attacked by a man who had proposed her for marriage. According to the report, the film is expected to go on the floors in March next year.

Earlier in an interview to HT, Laxmi had said, “I believe art is art. I am so happy that Deepika is playing the role. I have no right to judge her. How can I judge someone for something which I can’t do! She has played wonderful characters on screen and I believe she will give her best. I want to thank Deepika ji, Meghna ji and the entire team who will be working together on the film. I am glad that the movie will spread awareness and will help people who are victims of such incidents to come out of it. They will get inspired that if she can do it than why not us.” (Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 23, 2018

Archie

Emotions will surface when dealing with people (March 21who remind you of someone April 19) or something you loved and lost. Turn your mood around by sharing the good memories, not the painful ones.

ARIES

Step up and share a tale TAURUS that will make everyone (April 20- smile. Interacting with peoMay 20) ple you feel close to will warm the heart. Romance is encouraged, and a promise can be made.

Keep your life simple and GEMINI stick to the truth. If someone (MAY 28- says something questionable, June 20) don't get involved. Trust in the facts and avoid joint ventures.

CANCER

Put a little force behind your demands and enthusi(June 21astically share your ideas. An July 22) imaginative picture will entice others to join in and take part in your plans.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO Listen, but don't let some(Aug. 23- one persuade you to get inSept. 22) volved in something iffy. Don't lose sight of practicality, even though it is the time of year to give.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Your charm and quick wit will attract attention. Make sure you don't ignore someone who loves and counts on you while trying to impress new acquaintances.

Someone will use emotional tactics to try to twist your way of thinking. Don't give in when you should be speaking out and making your preferences clear.

Moderation is key, and SCORPIO sticking close to the people (Oct. 24who make you feel most comNov. 22) fortable will help you make wise choices. Romance is highlighted, and feelings and intentions should be shared.

Offer to help others, but SAGITTARIUS don't let anyone take advan(Nov. 23tage of you. If you boast, someDec. 21) one will expect more from you than you can deliver. Avoid indulgent behavior.

Calvin and Hobbes

Share, care and commuCAPRICORN nicate to avoid being faced (Dec. 22- with opposition. If you care Jan. 19) about someone, tell him or her. Make a point to appreciate and acknowledge the people you love.

Make last-minute changAQUARIUS es and requests, and keep (Jan. 20- things moving along swiftly.

Feb. 19) Your ability to take care of responsibilities will impress others and position you well among your peers.

Spend time with peoPISCES (Feb. 20- ple you know you can trust.

Mar. 20) Someone you don't know well will try to take advantage of you or tempt you to get involved in something you shouldn't be messing with.