Guyana Times September 12, 2018

GTU, Govt enter talks to set up arbitration panel

P15

‒ to meet again on Friday following adjournment Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3684

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Warriors march into Finals ...after nail-biting thriller

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

PPP warns voters not to sign more than one P9 candidate list

Page 23

Monitoring fleeing Venezuelans poses challenge for Govt – Greenidge P7

Security firm thwarts robbery at Uitvlugt P12

GM, Finance Controller sent on

administrative

P10 leave – ahead of investigation into dismissal, alleged mismanagement of funds

Eco finds 2.9B barrels of oil and gas offshore Guyana

Page 3

– company confirms plans to start drilling next year

2 killed in separate accidents Pages 2&5

Former suicide/ HIV counsellor sentenced to life for raping lad

P5

2 news

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Unit of Allied Arts awarded Pedestrian killed on ECD Public Road for commendable work A yet to be identified woman was killed on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) public road on Monday evening, after she allegedly ran into the path of a moving vehicle.

The accident occurred sometime around 22:20h along the Goedverwagting Public Road, ECD. Based on reports received, motor car bearing registration number PRR 6071 which was driven by a Thomas Street, Kitty, Georgetown, resident, was proceeding along the roadway when the accident occurred.

It was noted that the vehicle collided with the pe-

T

he Unit of Allied Arts within the Education Ministry was on August 29 last recognised for its highly commendable work as an education enabler in formalising and expanding “Expressive Arts” in Guyana’s school system.

This Arts’ unit was selected as a recipient of the 2018 Guyana Cultural Association of New York Award.

The objective of this award is to convey a high regard for the achievements of each awardee. Lorraine Barker-King, the Unit’s Administrator received the award on the Unit’s behalf at Borough Hall in Brooklyn, New York.

Lorraine Barker-King displaying the certificates of recognition

“Son killer” for court today

F

orty-four-year-old Mohan “Wire” Sookdeo who stabbed his son to death on Saturday evening was charged for the heinous crime and will make his court appearance at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court today.

Satesh Kevin Sookdeo, 21, of Lot 217 Fifth Street, Foulis, East Coast Demerara, was stabbed to death during an argument with his father.

It was reported that at about 20:35h, the 44-year-old suspect and his wife had an argument during which he

Dead: Satesh Kevin Sookdeo

grabbed her by the neck and began choking her.

Upon seeing this, the now dead young man and another sibling intervened, but this angered the father, who subsequently broke a louvre pane and stabbed him to his chest.

Neighbours rushed to the family’s aid after hearing screams, but by then the younger Sookdeo had already succumbed to the injuries.

A post-mortem examination performed on his body proved that he died from perforation to the lung as a result of the stab wound to his chest.

The vehicle which fatally struck the pedestrian

destrian after she reportedly ran into its path from South to North. The injured woman was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was admitted.

However, the woman suc-

cumbed to her injuries about 05:30h on Tuesday while receiving medical attention.

Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle, who passed a breathalyser test, remains in custody assisting with the investigation.

Mabaruma man gets 12 years for killing man over payment

T

hirty-four-year-old Paul Michael Khan was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by High Court Judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds, for unlawfully killing Chris Allicock on October 6, 2013 at Mabaruma, North West District in a dispute over money.

Khan was indicted for manslaughter and had appeared in court earlier this year but proceedings were stalled due to the State having requested that a medical evaluation be performed on him.

During Tuesday’s court appearance, Khan had some difficulty contemplating whether or not to plead guilty or not guilty.

However after some back and forth, Khan told the Judge that he did kill Allicock. State Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial told the court that Khan and the deceased were involved in a scuffle and Allicock was walking away when Khan picked up a brick and threw it at his head. He subsequently fell to the ground and died.

On that fateful day, Khan had related to his foster fa-

ther what he had done and he took him to the Mabaruma Police Station. The offender later confessed to his crime to investigators. According to the post-mortem report, Allicock died from a ruptured spleen as a result of blunt trauma.

In handing down the sentence, the Judge considered that the killer spent five years on remand awaiting trial, showed genuine remorse, suffered from an absence of parental guidance, and has special needs. Khan was represented by State-assigned Attorney Clyde Forde.

news

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, September 12 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, September 13 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, September 12 – 05:40h-07:10h and Thursday, September 13 – 06:25h-07:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

Eco Atlantic finds 2.9B barrels of oil and gas offshore Guyana

– company confirms plans to start drilling next year of the targets that were identified have estimated Probability of Success rates calculated at 22.4 per cent.

The executive described these figures as “extremely good” for any company on a single lead, let alone three.

“As noted in the previ-

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals with light cloudy skies can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy to thundery showers in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-westerly to Easterly and Northeasterly to Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

an independent technical report on oil and gas assets that investors can appraise.

It is usually prepared in the context of the London Stock Exchange and other exchange markets in Europe.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from

High Tide: 06:07h and 18:22h reaching maximum heights of 2.81 metres and 2.78 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:58h reaching a minimum height of 0.46 metre.

Chief Operating Officer of Eco Atlantic, Colin Kinley

The Orinduik block

By Jarryl Bryan

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co Atlantic, one of several companies drilling for oil offshore Guyana, has announced a gross figure of approximately 2.9 billion barrels of oil and gas equivalents in its Orinduik block, verified by the first ever independent assessment done on the field.

According to a Competent Persons Report (CBR) done

by Gustavson Associates, the oil was found in 10 prospects within the block. It is believed to include 2.505 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 2.449 trillion cubic feet of associated gas.

Those are, however, gross estimates. According to the company, the total net figure is 1.165 billion barrels. The CBR adds that the risk, or probability of success when extracting the oil, is a 16.8 to 22.4 per cent range.

In a statement on the find, Chief Operating Officer of Eco Atlantic Colin Kinley expressed pleasure at the findings and noted that the first well is expected to be drilled early in 2019. He described it as a major development for both the shareholders and the people of Guyana.

“Today’s CPR confirms the high prospectivity of our Orinduik Block. We are delighted by the identification of at least 10 exploration leads with close to three billion barrels of recoverable oil potential, confirmed

by Gustavson. We are very pleased with the current interpretation work that has been completed at Tullow, Gustavson and within Eco and have a great deal of confidence in our joint efforts to

date.”

“The additional discovery on Exxon’s Stabroek Block, including the most recent Hammerhead-1 that is on our 3D survey, enables us to see the formations ramp up onto Orinduik.

These have greatly helped us to further understand the play. The partners will carefully consider in the coming months the prioritisation of the leads for drilling as we continue work on the drilling engineering and the environmental permitting.”

Kinley noted that three

ous announcement, we continue to de-risk the play and are approaching this with a conservative and focused approach. As our partner Tullow announced, we are planning to drill our first well early Q3 2019 and we are in the process of permitting and engineering in parallel with continuing geophysical and geological assessments,” Kinley stated.

Gustavson Associates, for its part, is an international oil, gas, and mining consulting firm with a staff of professional geologists, engineers, economists, and appraisers. It is understood that a major reason for ordering CBR’s is to provide

Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10year Petroleum Prospecting licence and Production Sharing Agreement with the Guyana in 2016 French firm Total E&P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray last year; partnering with Eco with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the block. A 3D seismic survey on the block is being finalised. It is understood that Total has up to 120 days to acquire its working stake through payment of US$12.5 million, after getting the survey data.

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

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

Strong message from Judiciary

S

ince the beginning of the year, the Judiciary has been dealing very effectively and efficiently with a number of cases brought before it with respect to serious sexual offences committed on underage children of both sexes.

If one were to look at the pattern of sentencing when the perpetrators are found guilty after a lengthy trial, one would recognise that the sentences are meant to serve as a deterrent and a strong signal being sent to our society that such acts of gross indecency -- which violate the very moral fabric of society and endanger our young people -- would not be tolerated or allowed to go unpunished.

The Judiciary should therefore be congratulated; and more resources should flow in its direction, to ensure that the courts’ capacity is boosted to tackle all issues related to sexual offences committed, particularly against minors. Because this is, of course, a massive improvement in the status quo in Guyana as far as the dispensation of justice is concerned.

Unfortunately, the courts can do only so much, and the real problem is still not being addressed so as to cause a massive reduction in the cases of child sexual abuse and rape. The truth is that many boys who experience rape at the hands of adults and their peers are not getting the type of support and justice they deserve.

Recall that, back in 2017, Guyanese were thrown into despair after becoming aware of circumstances which led to the death of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald, who was brutally sodomised by two men from his community. His body was dumped aback the community and left exposed to the extremities of the environment, only to be discovered days after by a search party.

Since the incident, members of the Brothers (and Sisters) village, where the lad resided, have come forward demanding justice. They had also accused the Police in their district of inaction on a number of previous reports made against one of the two men who have been arraigned for the murder of young Leonard. This incident also saw other boys who were victims of rape, assault and intimidation coming forward to tell their harrowing tales.

In response, both the Government and Police Force have expressed concern and outrage following the lad’s death. Various stakeholders have strongly condemned the rape and buggery of our boys. Suddenly, calls resurfaced for stronger legislation against child sex offenders and paedophiles.

But this sort of knee-jerk reaction exposes the sad reality of the kind of society that we live in. It also highlights the core of the bigger problem, while further bringing the double-standard and shocking levels of hypocrisy of human nature to the fore. Leonard did not have to die.

Those boys who were brutally abused did not have to go through those traumatic experiences. The probes ongoing now into the conduct of the Police ranks in the district and their handling of previous rape and buggery accusations would not have been necessary if there were a functional system of monitoring and evaluating the work of the lawmen in cases like these — wherein serious allegations are being levied about cases being “ducked” or ignored.

While no one is willing to admit it, as a society, we are fully responsible for Leonard’s death. We are all guilty of inaction as far as doing much more to adequately protect our boys from rape and buggery is concerned. We are all accountable for the failure to safeguard the wellbeing of all our children.

The truth is that there are, across the country, many Leonard Archibalds whose stories have never been told. There are many young boys who have been scarred for life following the sexual overtures that are made constantly by supposedly heterosexual adult males who prey on the innocence of these minors. Dare it be said that there also are homosexual males who have a special appetite for underage boys and children. The victim is usually the boy down the road, or the child next door whose parents usually leave him unsupervised, because he is a “boy” and is deemed “capable of defending himself” from those kinds of attacks.

When the sexual assault occurs, the shame and concern about the boy’s image or future force some of these families to remain silent.

Fathers, too, whose sons were victims, also fear the impact reporting and highlighting the act would have on the perceived masculinity of their sons.

So, to protect them, they do nothing, but place on their sons the obligation to become “hard men” while suppressing every emotion they perceive to be feminine.

Guyana does not need more complex laws to tackle the issues raised, or to prevent paedophiles from hurting our children. We need stricter enforcement of the laws that exist, as a first step towards protecting our children. We need more national programmes aimed at educating communities about the laws that protect children, as a deterrent to those with such an inclination. We need campaigns aimed at ending the “hushhush” culture.

There is need for boys to be treated equally as girls when it comes to allegations of sexual molestation, buggery of underage boys, rape, and sexual assault. Boys must be taught not to be “hard men” who repress their emotions, but men who express them. We must teach our boys to love and protect each other. They must speak out against any uninvited attempt to touch them inappropriately by another male or female. They must know there is no shame, but integrity, in exposing perpetrators of rape and sexual abuse.

More training of the male-dominated Police Force to respond professionally and swiftly to reports of rape must be compulsory. The Government must take a stand, too, and more research must be conducted on making other interventions to protect the male child.

Finally, society must disabuse itself of the viewpoint that all homosexuals are paedophiles. Those men who killed Leonard do not identify as gay or bisexual; they are products of a society that has failed to instill in them proper mores, values and traditions. We have failed them, too, because they appear confused about their sexuality and troubled mentally. If they can look at a 13-year-old boy or any underage child as sexually attractive, they must not just be left to rot in jail; they must be rehabilitated and reformed.

Cricket ladies: Cheerleaders from both the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Trinbago Knight Riders strike a pose for Guyana Times photographer Dexter Ceres

Beware of signing MoU with T&T

Dear Editor, I am very worried about Guyana signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) for “cooperation in oil and gas”, because the Guyanese people had enough bad experiences over the years to make them look with four eyes at any type of agreement with the twin island republic and other nations.

T&T has been good to Guyanese. I have dear friends there, and my experiences when visiting there have all been good. But I am also aware that our relationship with T&T has not always been smooth sailing, and I think it would be wise to take a hard look at the troubling aspects of our relations with our sister CARICOM state before making any commitments.

For example, I know that well qualified Guyanese, including doctors, have gone to T&T to get work, only to be turned away in disappointment because the authorities there made it quite clear that their people come first. This happened even as CARICOM was pushing for the free movement of skilled professionals across member states.

I know this from personal experience. One of my nephews accepted a job offer at a hospital in T&T through that nation’s Ministry of Health.

When the time came for him to commence his internship and start work, he was rebuffed and told plainly that he was rejected because he is Guyanese, and that T&T nationals come first.

I also know of cases wherein Guyanese got seriously sick in T&T and were rushed to hospital, only to be denied emergency treatment because they were foreigners. By all the reports I got,

the doctors did not even try to save them, and they died in their vehicles. They were willing to pay, but were not allowed in the hospital. In my opinion, the doctors and nurses deliberately allowed those poor Guyanese to die.

Furthermore, from my own observation, T&T immigration officers have special benches for Guyanese arriving at various ports of entry.

This could only be for discriminatory reasons. I also know of male immigration officers who deport pretty Guyanese girls and tell the girls to call them personally before they return, in order to make sleazy deals to facilitate their re-entry to T&T. It is also a known fact that during the height of the economic crisis in Guyana, persons in T&T were advertising for girls to work over there, but they wanted to see their photographs first.

Girls lured by those ads were terribly abused, and many were forced into prostitution.

There are media reports of many Guyanese who were abused in T&T, and some were even killed and buried in septic tanks.

To my mind, these incidents-- and many more that your readers would know about -- show that there are very good reasons for us to be cautious as a nation, and that we should think matters through carefully before signing any MoU, contract, agreement, or other legal instrument with any nation that might not have our best interest at heart.

I strongly believe that if, for any reason, Guyana decides to sign a contract with T&T to refine oil, or dealing with oil and gas in any way, there must be inserted a clause or some type of caveat that gives Guyana the right to get out of that contract --

instantaneously, if necessary -- if T&T does not uphold the highest standards of service or any other provision in the contract.

Guyana has to proceed with the utmost caution when going into any agreement with T&T any other country or any multi-national corporation with regard to oil and gas. Such agreements must give priority to Guyanese employees in the industry, so that we are not flooded with foreigners while we are left with ‘wapia’, or ‘white mouth’.

Our people must be given the same opportunities and training on equal footing with the Trinidadians or other foreigners that come to work or do business here.

Also, if a large number of T&T nationals come to work in Guyana, similar numbers of Guyanese must be able to go to work in T&T, and get the same treatment Trinidadians get here, including the same wages and conditions that obtain for their own people.

Let me make it clear that I am not an enemy of T&T. The people there have always been kind to me personally.

I have good friends in T&T, maybe because I have developed a certain level of social class, and the atrocities tend to be committed on persons from more challenged circumstances. So I am not talking about the good people of T&T, only those institutions and individuals that abuse Guyanese.

Also, I am not coming out against the Guyana Government, I will support and work with any democratically elected Government of Guyana; but I want to warn the Government that by signing a bad deal with T&T, our oil and gas sector could be compromised; in the long run, that Government would be impacted, whether they are

in or out of power; and the whole of Guyana would suffer the effects of that mistake.

Guyana’s oil and gas industry is so precious and so vital to our prosperity that we have to view with healthy suspicion every attempt by foreigners to engage us to make deals in this sector. They will always paint a bright picture of the deal and say it is for mutual cooperation and mutual benefit. It is up to us to read the fine print and make sure we are not being taken for a ride.

I also support the wisdom of President David Arthur Granger’s call to strengthen the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) when he said in Barbados over the weekend that Caribbean people have to start thinking ‘regional’ rather than thinking ‘island’, and he invited the entire region to jointly explore investments in Guyana.

I believe in “One Caribbean”, but there must be mutual respect. If we are to be the facilitators of this “One Caribbean”, the backbone and saviour of the Caribbean because of this newfound oil wealth, then the Caribbean people must understand that they must treat Guyana and the Guyanese people with the utmost respect.

Oil and gas agreements must be on good footing for all parties to benefit. We had our bad times, but the tables have turned and we must not look for vengeance. Government must ensure -- as I have preached in the past -- that returns from such agreements are used for positive social change: teach people how to invest, save etc; and set up or enhance institutions to promote our people’s financial empowerment.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Former suicide/HIV counsellor Diamond man crushed after sentenced to life for raping lad jumping off moving truck ...ordered to serve 45 years before parole eligibility

J

ustice Priya SewnarineBeharry on Tuesday sentenced a former suicide/HIV counsellor, Milton Kewley, to life imprisonment for the rape of a 13-year-old boy that was left in his care.

The Judge ordered that the offender serves 45 years imprisonment before being eligible for parole.

The Sexual Offences Court Judge told the father of three that his acts were abominable and also found him unremorseful. In computing the 45 years he was give; 10 years were given for the child’s age, 10 years for his breach of trust, 10 years for the violation imposed, 10 years for the physical, psychological and emotional trauma the boy faced and five years for his lack of remorse. Justice SewnarineBeharry considered the prevalence of such acts in society and said the offender at the time he committed the act was 45 – 32 years older than the teenager.

“This court noted that the accused was a former Policeman and a Suicide/ AIDS counsellor; your respon-

Convicted child rapist Milton Kewley

sibility entailed the spiritual upliftment and development of the child,” the Judge told Kewley.

The case’s evidence found that he lured the boy to try on some clothes in a bedroom and thereafter kissed the young boy, put him on the bed and then committed the penetrative acts for five minutes on August 22, 2013.

It was related that the young boy did not say anything at that point and Kewley was said to have attempted a

similar attack three months later in October but the teenager fled and reported him.

The lad had testified that the rape is as vivid now as it was five years ago.

The offender nevertheless maintained his innocence, saying that the entire case was a fabrication. When he addressed the court on Monday, he claimed that the boy’s mother threatened him several times.

Despite these claims, the Judge revealed that Kewley’s defence, led by attorney Maxwell McKay, never put forward during trial that the lad’s mother threatened to set him up.

Kewley was found guilty by a 12-member jury on Monday and after Justice Sewnarine-Beharry passed sentence on Tuesday, his relatives said the outcome was unfair. The offender was earlier allowed to shield his face but today he was handcuffed.

The victim and his mother were present at the sentencing. State Counsels Lisa Cave and Orinthia Schmidt prosecuted the case.

A

Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), resident is now dead after he was pulled under the wheel of a truck that was uncontrollably descending a hill in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The incident occurred sometime around 18:30h on Sunday last at the Kumung Kumung Trail, Mazaruni, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

The dead man has been identified as Phillip Arthur, 35, of Lot 38 Section B Block X, Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD. He was a senior operator attached to the mining company owned by the Alphonsos.

Police preliminary investigations revealed that Arthur was seated in the cabin of motor lorry GPP 8748 with trailer TPP 9380 attached, which was going up a hill along the trail.

However, the lorry reportedly developed mechanical problems and began to descend during which, Arthur allegedly

Dead: Phillip Arthur

jumped out of the vehicle resulting in the front right wheel running over him.

The dead man’s reputed wife, Veronica Johnson, told Guyana Times that they received news of Arthur’s death on Monday when the owner called and informed her brother.

Johnson related that they were told that at the time of the accident, the trailer attached to the truck was carrying an ex-

cavator.

“This is nothing strange though because he always does work like this… but we hearing all sorts of rumours about how the accident happened but I wasn’t there so I don’t know what really happened. They sent my brothers some photos and that’s all we have,” the woman said.

According to Johnson, her reputed husband left for the interior about two weeks ago but the truck was giving them issues so they were forced to stop in Itaballi, Mazaruni, to have it repaired.

“He used to call and update me on what happening so I does know where he is and so on,” she noted.

Arthur’s body is presently at the Bartica Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, the 42-yearold lorry driver, a resident of Itaballi, is in custody assisting with the investigation.

AFC turned out to be the biggest hoax played on Guyana (Part 2) Dear Editor, Since the President is arrogating unto himself morality as the justification for his actions toward nomination of Public Officials, I find it instructive to examine the President’s actions with respect to the whole drug bond scenario.

Dr George Norton, as Hon Minister of Public Health, lied to Parliament and was involved in a corrupt negotiation, and yet he is still fit and proper, intelligent, impartial, and with the integrity to run the Ministry of Social Cohesion. Former Acting Commissioner of Police Mr David Ramnarine was heavily criticised for transferring fallen Police officers, yet it is okay to transfer a corrupt Minister of Government to a new Ministry. Worse yet, Dr. George Norton is now the Vice-Chairman of the PNCR. Contrast the actions of Kamla Persaud-Bissessar, who fired eleven Ministers in four years while she was Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago.

It has become clear that posturing by the President about ‘fit and proper’ and integrity and decency has no deep moral centre. It is all an act put on to penetrate the independence of the Guyana Public Service and to insert his choices into strategic positions.

The AFC also asked the people of this nation to lynch the corrupt PPP officials, but forgive the AFC of-

ficials. We must still put our trust and faith in Nigel and Cathy Hughes after the entire Sithe-Global conflict of interest fiasco. I reiterate that double standards imply no standards.

And this is a very sad situation for the People of this nation. A lot of us feel saddened, but we must arise from this depression.

What we have in Government is a set of opportunists pursuing an agenda that the people of this country did not set. The single member of the administration who has voiced genuine concern for the wishes of the people is the Hon Jaipaul Sharma. The actions of this Government, including the breaches of the constitution, the contempt for the Carter Process, and recent calls for the National Assembly to appoint Commissioners, must be interpreted in the context of the double standards they have shown us.

An alarm has been sounded throughout the nation. It has become clear to me that the citizens of this country have a problem of dictatorship on their hands, and the potential for electoral malpractice is evident.

Can we, the citizens of this nation, do more than just shake our heads in disbelief at our unfortunate circumstances?

As a child, I lived through the PNC dictatorship, and was at home hearing the wailing from the funeral procession of Dr Walter Rodney, who gave his life for this

country. As a child, adults fought and paid with their lives for me to enjoy free and fair elections and an independent press. As an adult, I inherited a democracy that was hard earned. Now, as an adult, I am shocked to see a reversal and a callous trampling of the democratic values and practices that were so hard earned.

Adults of today have a responsibility to create a stable political future, so that our children’s tomorrow may be free of this blight of dictatorship, corruption and political instability.

While I was a graduate student at the Royal Holloway University in the UK, our backyard and playground were the fields of Runnymede, where the historic Magna Carta was sealed in 1215. We have in-

herited a British political infrastructure, but we did not endure the centuries-long struggle of the British people, nor have we endured the struggles of the American people for freedom. Let us be clear that our struggle is not one of PPP vs PNC politics. It is a relatively young struggle for a democratic political culture, an ideal that Government should be of the people, for the people and by the people.

When we are governed by ideals, our politics can be graceful. Statesmen and women are elevated into politics by their virtues, not their greed and ambition and gerrymandering.

Politics is an act of servant leadership, not to be engaged in for personal remuneration. While the politicians reveal to us daily who

they are, we, the people of this country, must hold onto our centre and be the source of light in the darkness.

Our struggle for democracy in this country continues, and as we stay calm and press on with it, when we feel afraid to voice our opin-

ions and we feel oppressed by legislation, we must remember that people must not be afraid of their Governments, but Governments must be afraid of their people.

Sincerely, Sandra Khan

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

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Foundation

10 tips for raising resilient children Continued from Tuesday

By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS

Avoid “why” questions

“Why” questions aren’t helpful in promoting problem-solving. If your child left their bike in the rain, and you ask “why?” “what will they say? I was careless. I’m an 8-year-old,” says Lynn Lyons, LICSW, a psychotherapist who specialises in treating anxious families and co-author of the book Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children with anxiety expert Reid Wilson, PhD. Ask “how” questions instead. “You left your bike out in the rain, and your chain rusted. How will you fix that?” For instance, they might go online to see how to fix the chain or contribute money to a new chain, she said.

Lyons uses “how” questions to teach her clients different skills. “How do you get yourself out of bed when it’s warm and cosy? How do you handle the noisy boys on the bus that bug you?”

Don’t provide all the answers

Rather than providing your children with every answer, start using the phrase ‘“I don’t know”’, “followed by promoting problem-solving,” Lyons said. Using this phrase helps children learn to tolerate uncertainty and think about ways to deal with potential challenges.

Also, starting with small situations when they’re young helps prepare children to handle bigger trials.

They won’t like it, but they’ll get used to it, she said.

For instance, if your child asks if they’re getting a shot at the doctor’s office, instead of placating them, say, “I don’t know.

You might be due for a shot.

Let’s figure out how you’re doing to get through it.”

Similarly, if your child asks, “Am I going to get sick today?” instead of saying, “No, you won’t,” respond with, “You might, so how might you handle that?”

If your child worries

they’ll hate their college, instead of saying, “You’ll love it”, you might explain that some freshmen don’t like their school, and help them figure out what to do if they feel the same way, she said.

Avoid talking in catastrophic terms

Pay attention to what you say to your children and around them. Anxious parents, in particular, tend to “talk very catastrophical-

ly around their children”, Lyons said. For instance, instead of saying “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim,” they say, “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim because it’d be devastating to me if you drowned.”

Similarly, if your child doesn’t want to go to football practice, let them stay home, Lyons said. Next time they’ll sit on the bench and probably feel uncomfortable.

Let your children make mistakes

“Failure is not the end of the world. [It’s the] place you get to when you figure out what to do next,” Lyons said. Letting children mess

Emotional management is key in resilience. Teach your children that all emotions are OK, Lyons said.

It’s OK to feel angry that you lost the game or someone else finished your ice

up is tough and painful for parents. But it helps children learn how to fix slipups and make better decisions next time.

According to Lyons, if a child has an assignment, anxious or overprotective parents typically want to make sure the project is perfect, even if their child has no interest in doing it in the first place. But let your children see the consequences of their actions.

cream. Also, teach them that after feeling their feelings, they need to think through what they’re doing next, she said.

“Children learn very quickly which powerful emotions get them what they want. Parents have to learn how to ride the emotions, too.” You might tell your child, “I understand that you feel that way. I’d feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but now you

Help them manage their emotions

have to figure out what the appropriate next step is.”

If your child throws a tantrum, she said, be clear about what behaviour is appropriate (and inappropriate). You might say, “I’m sorry we’re not going to get ice cream, but this behaviour is unacceptable.”

Model resiliency

Of course, children also learn from observing their parents’ behaviour. Try to be calm and consistent, Lyons said. “You cannot say to a child you want them to control their emotions, while you yourself are flip-

ping out.”

“Parenting takes a lot of practice and we all screw up.” When you do make a mistake, admit it. “I really screwed up. I’m sorry I handled that poorly. Let’s talk about a different way to handle that in the future,” Lyons said.

Resiliency helps children navigate the inevitable trials, triumphs and tribulations of childhood and adolescence. Resilient children also become resilient adults, able to survive and thrive in the face of life’s unavoidable stressors. (Excerpt from psychcentral)

Ways to

bully-proof your children

D

id you know that 25 per cent of public schools report that bullying among children happens on a daily or weekly basis? And that 1 in 5 high school students report being bullied in the past year?

The good news is that because bullying has made headlines, schools and communities (and even celebrities) are taking a strong stand against bullying.

You can do your part at home, too. Here are five smart strategies to keep children from becoming targets – and stop bullying that has already started: Talk about it. Talk about bullying with your children and have other family members share their experiences. If one of your children opens up about being bullied, praise him or her for being brave enough to discuss it and offer unconditional support. Consult with the school to learn its policies and find out how staff and teachers can address the situation.

Remove the bait. If it’s lunch money or gadgets that the school bully is after, you can help neutralise the situation by encouraging your child to pack a lunch or go to school gadget-free.

Buddy up for safety. Two or more friends standing at their lockers are less likely to be picked on than a child who is all alone. Remind your child to use the buddy system when on the school bus, in the bathroom, or wherever bullies may lurk.

Keep calm and carry on. If a bully strikes, a child’s best defence may be to remain calm, ignore hurtful remarks, tell the bully to stop, and simply walk away. Bullies thrive on hurting others. A child who isn’t easily ruffled has a better chance of staying off a bully’s radar.

Don’t try to fight the battle yourself. Sometimes talking to a bully’s parents can be constructive, but it’s generally best to do so in a setting where a school official, such as a counsellor, can mediate. (kidshealth.org)

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Monitoring fleeing Venezuelans poses challenge for Govt – Greenidge

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

A

lthough Government has managed to put certain mechanisms in place to prepare for Venezuelans seeking refuge in Guyana, one of the most major challenges faced right now by Government is being able to monitor the influx of those persons due to the length of the border between the two countries.

This is according to Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge who told the media that the challenges lie in that fact that it is difficult to locate these refugees and establish their status. This is important so that they can get the necessary healthcare and treatment if necessary.

He disclosed that local authorities have been working collaboratively with the various regional health agencies, and neighbouring Brazil to help locate persons for health screenings.

“If you get 12 people or 15 moving and they are ill; malaria, measles and these types of afflictions, then there is a danger posed, es-

pecially to our Indigenous people by personal pandemics,” he noted.

The Minister said if not properly managed, this could lead to something much larger. As such, he said there is a need for special help to monitor and to ensure that the refugees are vaccinated and immunised.

In addition to working with Brazil, Greenidge said Guyana has also been working with international agencies to help locate persons for health screenings.

“We would like to be able to work with all of our neighbours to ensure that health aspect is covered, because to me that poses a bigger threat immediately, than anything else,” Greenidge stated.

When asked to provide more detailed information, he could not provide statistics on the persons crossing the border into Guyana, but warned that the numbers from international agencies may be slightly higher.

At the Mabaruma Regional Hospital, between January and July, some 499 Venezuelans were screened.

According to the statistics obtained by this publication, this included 27 skin infections; 45 with respiratory diseases; 234 with malaria; two with tuberculosis; and one HIV case.

There are growing health concerns throughout South America about the movement of people fleeing Venezuela. Last week, Brazil said Venezuela was doing nothing to stop the spread of an outbreak of measles in their country.

This was sparked by a mi-

gration of Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse.

According to international media reports, since February, four people, three of them Venezuelans, have died of measles in the remote Brazilian border state of Roraima where health authorities have confirmed 281 cases of the disease, mostly among children.

The outbreak has also prompted the Brazilian Government to launch a nationwide campaign to vaccinate 11 million children, plus adults who request it.

Although many Brazilian children are already vaccinated against the disease, the vaccination rate has dropped since Brazil was declared free of measles in 2016.

Only recently, Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) Head Mike McCormack said while the numbers here might not be as many as those in other countries, they will continue to come.

“It is possible that the numbers will increase here, particularly now that this crisis is getting worst,” he told Guyana Times, explaining that the Government must do everything to prepare for such an event.

McCormack noted that countries in the Andean region seem to be reaching their capacity and they have also made life a bit more difficult than it was before for Venezuelans, by placing visa restrictions, among other things. This, he said, could lend to more Venezuelans coming here.

“We will see more people coming. My sense is, we

won’t see this massive number marching down roads.

But I think we need to make a modest effort to try to get early warnings,” he said.

While Colombia has received far more Venezuelans than other countries so far,

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said they are spreading out to other countries.

At least 40,000 Venezuelan migrants arrived in Peru in the first

two months of this year.

Thousands more have emigrated to Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Spain, the United States and beyond.

It has been reported also that boats carrying Venezuelan migrants have landed on some islands in the Caribbean. In January, one capsized off Curaçao, killing at least four people.

The number of Venezuelans seeking asylum abroad has rocketed by 2000 per cent since 2014.

Brazil is another of the countries to have received a huge influx. There is about 600 Venezuelans in Region One (Barima-Waini).

8 news

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Former PS granted permission by court to study overseas

O

mar Shariff, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Presidency, who was in 2017 charged for non-compliance of a production order issued by the High Court, was on Tuesday placed on $1 million surety

by Magistrate Fabayo Azore, which enabled him to retrieve his travel documents in order that he could complete his law studies at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

Shariff’s attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, in a bail application, told the court of his client’s willingness to

Shariff was, however, ordered to lodge his passport at the court when he returns to Guyana. The case has been adjourned to September 17, 2018.

Recap

Omar Shariff

lodge his passport and other travel documents after completion of studies overseas.

Shariff, who allegedly had amassed some $20 billion in business funds between 2005 and 2015, was arrested in July 2016 in connection with allegations relating to one of the largest money laundering and tax evasion schemes in the history of Guyana.

Shariff was sent on annual leave on July 1, 2016

by Minister of State Joseph Harmon following investigations launched by SOCU, and his services were terminated with effect from December 31, 2016.

The court had, in 2016, issued an order which required Shariff to provide certain documents to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), but he had violated that order.

He was released on selfbail after pleading not guilty to the charge. A condition attached to his being placed on bail required him to report to SOCU every other Monday.

Hustlers…

O

ver the past three years, we have noticed a lot of offices being filled with hustlers. And even worse, with HYPOCRITICAL hustlers, who define the term “grifter”: small-time; greedy, and always working the “con”.

The phenomenon’s so pervasive it’s got to be the demand of these qualities in their screening process; there’s no way it could be coincidental!

Take the latest scandal that’s exploded over at the Chronic, which is titillating the chatterati in Georgetown.

It really doesn’t faze folks outside of GT, because their default assessment-setting when it comes to political operatives in the capital is “a bunch of crooks”!! It’s called “folk wisdom”, and it comes from their experience with the species.

So we segue into the “Case of Sherod Duncan”, who slithered into the public’s view when he was in UG Law School. Boy, was he agitatedly agitating all over the place!!

Thank goodness he didn’t complete his training over at Hugh Wooding, or he would’ve added another burden to the already abysmal reputation of the legal profession!!

Anyhow, he gravitated to the AFC since he obviously saw so many of his mirror images in that den of iniquity.

After all, which other party leader but AFC’s Trotman would publicly announce they accepted financial contributions as “political investments”??!! Incidentally, have you noticed that pronounced “mean and hungry” look in both Trotman and Duncan?? The AFC fielded Duncan in the GT Municipal Elections, and he became their point man on the City Council, where he went after Mayor Chase-Green like a little fox terrier!!

If you ever want to teach a callow youth about the essence of hypocrisy, just regale him with Duncan’s polemics after the Parking Meter Scandal was exposed… and compare them to his ACTIONS in the present Chronic Scandal. The essence of Duncan’s charges was the Mayor made decisions without the permission of the Council on matters concerning the City…and was jetted to Latin America, wined and dined, and God knows what else!!

As for Duncan at the Chronic, he was occupying a position as GM that he’d obtained under false pretences (not to mention a conflict of interest, being a member of the Board) since he didn’t possess the requisite qualifications!!

With the dissolution of that Board, and with no one to look over his decisions, the man went on a shopping spree that would’ve made Imelda Marcos blush, even with her 7,000 pairs of shoes!! And then he unilaterally fired the Financial Controller he thought had finked on him!!

But Duncan’s just a type. Just look at the profligacy of his supervisor, Nagamootoo.

He might just get promoted!!

…in diplomacy

PM Bruce Golding of Jamaica once insulted us by sneering that all Guyana did diplomatically on the economic front was run around with a “begging bowl”.

It was Burnham who’d brought Guyana to the shameful point of being declared officially BANKRUPT. And with every single economic sector razed by his co-op socialism and graft, the only option was to seek “debt forgiveness”.

PPP didn’t ADD to our debt!

But with that debt-albatross removed by Jagdeo, what excuse does Foreign Minister Greenidge – who, not so incidentally, was FINANCE Minister during Burnham’s Nero imitation – have for begging for loans?? Pick a lender – any lender – and Greenidge would’ve bummed them for a “raise”. World Bank? Check! China? Check! US? Check!

IDB? Check! IsDB? Check! India? Check! And so on and so forth.

So, for Greenidge to boast about “economic diplomacy” is to add insult to our economic injury; especially when the one bright spot of finding markets for our rice is through private initiatives.

Maybe he can facilitate payment from Panama?

…and fuel supplies

With T&T shuttering their refinery, we now have to scrounge around for fuel supplies. Has our newly appointed Energy Czar taken responsibility for ensuring at least GPL gets oil?

They don’t need another excuse for blackouts!!

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

News

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

PPP warns voters not to sign more than one candidate list – to lodge complaint with GECOM over alleged electoral fraud

T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) plans to lodge an official complaint with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over what it described as acts to commit electoral fraud.

Chief Scrutiniser and Executive of the political party, Zulficar Mustapha, said he was reliably informed by several people that some political parties are on the ground misleading voters around the country.

From the complaints received, he noted that the Alliance For Change (AFC), United Republican Party of Guyana (URP) and the A partnership for National Unity (APNU) are the perpetrators.

Mustapha told Guyana Times on Tuesday that before a candidate can contest a constituency of a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) area, he or she would have to have certain amount of backers.

“For the NDC you have to have 20-30 signatures of

persons who live in that constituency. The entire list for an NDC area requires 30 backers but each. In the municipality the number of backers for constituency candidate is 60 and number for entire municipality list which is proportional representation part is 110.”

The PPP executive said his party was informed that many persons who have signed onto the PPP list of candidates are going around telling people they can sign more than one list of candidates.

He said, “That is wrong!

If you sign on more than one list of candidates, those lists can become nullified and invalid. In Rose Hall we had people from URP who went and mislead people, telling them that they are from the PPP… so they were suspicious of their movement and URP activist and we doubled checked.”

Mustapha feels people are rejecting the coalition parties, particularly the AFC and URP, “and now they using cover under

PPP Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha

the PPP to dupe people.” He therefore warned potential voters against signing any list that they don’t feel comfortable with and to ensure they verify the authenticity of the list.

“I know there are many persons that people are willing to sign on our list, and AFC and APNU people are reluctant to sign on their list to back their list of candidates. This is a trend that might take place before Local Government Elections and we are monitoring the

situation carefully,” he added.

The PPP chief scrutiniser said these complaints are not just limited to one particular areas but were spread out across various regions, including Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

“It seems as though this is a national ploy to mislead people. We are saying also

Labourer fine for unlawful possession of ladies clothing

T

hirty-year-old Lennox Shawh has been fined $30,000 with an alternative of 12 months’ imprisonment after he was found to be in possession of a number of dresses and ladies handbags which were suspected to have been stolen.

Appearing on Tueday be-

fore Georgetown Magistrate Dylan Bess, Shaw pleaded guilty to a charge alleging that on September 9, at Bourda Street in Georgetown, he was found in unlawful possession of the items for which he was charged.

Asked how he had come into possession of the items,

Miner freed after agreeing to compensate boss for stolen jewellery

A

miner was on Monday slapped with a break and enter and simple larceny charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Videsh Hansraj appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and admitted that on September 6, 2018, while he was employed as a manual worker he broke and entered the dwelling house of Omesh Budhram and stole a quantity of gold jewellery worth $260,000.

According to the facts presented to the court, the victim secured his home and went out. Upon his return at about 15:00h, the accused told him

he was not feeling well and left.

The victim upon inspecting the house found that his jewellery box was not in the same place he left it. Upon a closer inspection, he found that his jewellery was missing and the matter was immediately reported to the Police.

The unrepresented man told the court that he was willing to reimburse his employer. However, Magistrate McLennan reprimanded and discharged the matter against the miner and placed him on a bond to keep the peace for 12 months.

The matter was prosecuted

by Sergeant Jillian Simmons.

Shaw told the Magistrate he had found them at the corner of Regent and Camp Streets, Georgetown, and that nobody had claimed the items.

Magistrate Bess was inclined to enter a not-guilty plea on Shaw’s behalf, but Shaw insisted on pleading guilty to the charge.

Facts presented to the court indicated that, on the day in question, a Police constable on patrol duty

heard the sound of dogs barking, and upon investigating, saw the defendant jumping a fence with a number of dresses and ladies handbags in his hands.

The Policeman approached the defendant, identified himself, and enquired how he had come by the items; but he could give no answer. Thus Shaw was arrested and subsequently charged.

that GECOM has a role to play, they could only sign on one list of candidates,” he said. Mustapha said during his next meeting with the Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, he will raise this issue.

He also plans to write the GECOM CEO. GECOM has already been accused of encouraging gerrymandering of boundaries to favour APNU/ AFC. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out that changing the number of Local Authority Areas (LAAs) is the privilege of Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, but it is the role of GECOM to constitute new LAAs where they are created, and reconstitute existing ones where they have been changed.

He stressed that in seeking to undertake such, it

must be done fairly and in consultation with political stakeholders. This, according to him, has not been the case. Jagdeo pointed to a few examples, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supernaam), Region Three and in Region Six. Jagdeo explained that by merging the constituencies where the PPP won, GECOM is reducing the number of seats won by the PPP in that particular LAA. He said by not merging the constituencies where the APNU/AFC won, where there are less voters, GECOM is providing for an increase in the number of possible seats APNU and AFC could win, based on the results at the 2016 Local Government Elections.

The PPP is challenging the Minister’s decision in court.

10 news

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

GM, Finance Controller sent on administrative leave – ahead of investigation into dismissal, alleged mismanagement of funds

Finance Controller Moshamie Maraj-Ramotar

T

he fallout continues at the Guyana Chronicles, where General Manager (GM) Sherod Duncan has been sent on administrative leave one day after his ill-fated deci-

sion to fire a senior member of staff following the leaking of details on excess spending.

On Tuesday, the embattled GM confirmed via social media that he had been sent on leave, pending the outcome of the investigation Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo ordered into both his spending and the circumstances under which Finance Controller Moshamie Maraj-Ramotar was dismissed.

It is understood that Ramotar, who was reinstated to her position the very same day the letter was received, has also been sent on administrative leave as a formality of the investigation. Guyana Times has been informed that the functions of General Manager will be carried out

by Administrative Manager Donna Todd.

“I will be proceeding

GNNL GM Sherod Duncan

on administrative leave with immediate effect from the Guyana National Newspapers Limited pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of mismanagement of funds and excessive spending,” Duncan’s

statement read. “This is under the direction of the Board of Directors. I welcome this decision. God is in charge and all will be well.”

On Monday, mere hours after she was abruptly sent the letter of dismissal by Duncan, Maraj-Ramotar was reinstated to her position following the intervention of her lawyer and an emergency meeting called by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

Maraj-Ramotar’s lawyer, Sanjeev Datadin, told this publication on Monday that after she received her letter of dismissal, he took steps as per the Civil Procedures Rules to challenge her dismissal. One of those steps involved the lawyer sending a pre-action protocol letter to the newspaper.

“A pre-action protocol letter was sent to them… before we introduce legal proceedings, under the new rules we have to send a letter saying what we intend to do. We sent one to say we feel the termination was unlawful and if is not corrected we will be entitled to damages… if they don’t, we’ll file legal proceedings,” Datadin explained.

And indeed, GNNL subsequently backed down from the impending legal battle. According to a statement issued later on Monday, Nagamootoo called the meeting with Duncan, Editor-inChief Nigel Williams and Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Geeta ChandanEdmonds.

At the meeting, which discussed Maraj-Ramotar’s dismissal and the reports of excessive spending since Duncan took charge as General Manager, it was agreed that the dismissal letter would be rescinded. In addition, the release stated that a full investigation was ordered into Duncan’s spending and the circumstances of Maraj-Ramotar’s dismissal.

The financial official has been with the company for well

Disasters S

atiricus was solemn. It was September 11 – 9/11 – and it was a day of infamy that would last forever. He still remembered where he’d been on that fateful day in 2001. He’d been looking around for insurance coverage on his old jalopy and suddenly, there on the TV screen in this Insurance Office, were those planes plunging into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre.

“I felt like they were plunging a knife into my heart!” he somberly concluded to the fellas gathered at the Back Street Bar. “Budday, me bin a cut cane da day,” said Cappo. “An’ me na hear till me come home.”

“Me bin a guh a Berbice fuh see me Cha Cha da day,” said Bungi. “But me na get fuh guh.”

“Why?” asked Satiricus.

“Dem Pee an’ See people bin a protes’ a Eas’ Coas’,” replied Bungi. “An’ dem dig up de road! Me neva guh fu’get da day!!”

“Well, as for me,” said Hari, who everyone was looking at expectantly, “I was eating a saltfish-and-bake breakfast at Quik Serv on Main Street.”

“Budday, da ting happen aroun’ 9 a’clack wan Chews-day marnin’,” said Cappo. “Me bin done cut 2 ton cane and yuh bin a still eat bre’kfuss?”

“Hari is a big-bai, you know!” smiled Satiricus. “But isn’t it a good thing we never had such a terrorist disaster in our country?”

“Wha’ raas yuh a taa’k, Sato?” burst out Bungi. “Yuh know how much people dem bandit fram Buxtan kill afta dem done dig up de road?”

“C’mon Bungi, you know that 3000 persons weren’t killed during what Prezzie call ‘the troubles’!” protested Satiricus “Well, maybe not,” pointed out Hari quietly. “But that’s not how you compare these things, do you?”

“What do you mean?” asked Satiricus.

“Well, the US had 300 million people, and so the 3000 who died were only 0.0001 per cent,” continued Hari.

“And fuh Guyana, 0.0001 per cent a abee papulation a only 75!!” said Bungi, who was a dominoes champion numbers whiz.

“An’ abee know dem bandit kill mo dan 75 people yaa suh!” concluded Cappo triumphantly.

“Let’s drink also to our greatest tragedy,” said Satiricus quietly. over a decade.

While the letter has been withdrawn, there has been a barrage of criticism against management of the newspaper for sending the dismissal letter in the first place to someone with over two decades of experience at the company, without an investi-

gation to determine who actually leaked the information.

One former Board member has already taken to social media to recommend that the newly minted General Manager be removed and the application process for the top spot reopened.

11

News

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

LGE gerrymandering

Date set for legal challenge by PPP to LAA changes O

ne day after legal action was filed in the High Court on behalf of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Bibi Shadick, to halt Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan’s move to change Local Authority Areas (LLA), a date has been set for the hearing.

Attorney Anil Nandlall said on Tuesday that the fixed date for hearing is 14:30h on the September 14, 2018, before Justice Gino Persaud.

The Applicant filed judicial review proceedings in the High Court against decisions of named respondents, Communities Minister Bulkan and Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield.

Nandlall told reporters on Monday that the PPP’s action is not geared at delaying the entire Local Government Elections set for November 12 but rather; elections in the contested Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) could be rescheduled until the outcome of the court case.

In the writ seen by Guyana Times, the Applicant is seeking several orders which seek to bring the Communities Minister’s alterations into the conformity with Local Democratic Organs Act, Chapter 28:09.

In so doing, the Applicant is petitioning the court to have Bulkan’s orders declared null

Attorney Anil Nandlall and void.

The Applicant made an application for an Order or Writ of Certiorari to quash Bulkan’s order of holding elections of seven NDCs without first issuing an Order under the Local Democratic Organs Act, to identify the NDCs by name, boundaries, and number of members. These NDCs are Moruka/Phoenix Park; Kitty/ Providence; Nile/Cozier; Lamaha/Yarrowkabra; Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra; Plegt Anker/Kortberaad; and Wyburg/Caracas.

The Applicant is also seeking two Orders of Certiorari against GECOM CEO Lowenfield. The first moves to quash the Commission CEO’s decision to fix the exterior boundaries in respect to the said seven NDCs, adding that the move was an

abuse of power, illegal and constitutes a “usurpation of the statutory functions” of Minister Bulkan.

A second Certiorari order wants to quash his decision to demarcate constituency boundaries within the said seven NDCs on grounds that his actions did not first involve the consultations of electors and stakeholders which include political parties. In this regard, Shadick views Lowenfield’s actions as irregular or improper exercise of discretion, in bad faith, or having cited irregular consideration, adding that it has no legal effect since this would be a violation of Article 13 of Guyana’s Constitution.

More than that, Shadick is seeking an Order or Writ of Mandamus to compel Minister Bulkan, under the Local Democratic Organs Act, to establish the boundaries and number of members in respect to the Municipality of Mahdia and other eight other LLAs so that elections could be held by November 12.

These would be Aranaputa/Upper BurroBurro; Moruka/Phoenix Park; Kitty/Providence; Nile/Cozier; Lamaha/ Yarrowkabra; Hauraruni/ Yarrowkabra; Plegt Anker/ Kortberaad; Wyburg/ Caracas. With regard to the aforementioned NDCs, the Applicant is seeking another Order of Mandamus for

GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick Lowenfield for him to hold consultations with stakeholders on the establishment of constituency boundaries within the said Local Authority Areas.

The Applicant’s final Order or Writ of Mandamus wants Lowenfield to also hold consultations in relation to the re-demarcation of constituency boundaries in Rose Hall and 13 NDCs. These are Evergreen/Paradise; Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlygt; Malgre Tout/Meerzorgen; La Grange/Nismes; Toevlugt/ Patentia; Caledonia/Good Success; Woodlands/Farm; Mahaicony/Abary; Zeelust/ Rosignol; Blairmont/ Gelderland; Ordnance Fortlands/Number 38 Village; Adventure/Bushlot; and Numbers 52-74.

Shadick is also seeking the State to pay her court costs in addition to seeking other orders, directions or writs as the court sees fit. Her grounds are that Bulkan failed to issue an

order to identify the said boundaries under the Local Democratic Organs Act, making his actions null and void.

She meanwhile said that Lowenfield went beyond his exercise of discretion re-demarcating the existing constituency boundaries as outlined in the orders sought before the court.

The writ also outlines that the purported establishment of seven NDCs without complying with the provisions of the Local Democratic Organs Act is unlawful, ultra vires, null, void and of no effect.

She said too that Lowenfield acted with authorisation in this regard, while adding that Minister Bulkan unilaterally made changes to the number of seats in 14 Local Authority Areas.

12 news

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Security firm thwarts robbery at Uitvlugt A 66-year-old pensioner is still reeling from fear after a known “junkie” attempted to break into her house around midnight on Monday.

The victim has been identified as Rajkumarie Singh, who lives alone in her Uitvlugt New Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home.

Guyana Times understands that the suspect’s attempts were futile after he was thwarted by personnel from the Delta Security Firm.

Singh related to this newspaper that she activated her alarm system and retired to bed sometime after 23:00h on Monday evening but was awakened by the sound of the alarm about 30 minutes later.

The woman said she then received a call from the security firm after the motion on the alarm system was

The suspect who attempted to break into the pensioner’s home

triggered sometime around 00:12h. At the time, the pensioner was unsure of what was happening and indicated same to the security personnel who informed her that an Armed Response Team was dispatched to her home.

While on the phone with the security firm, Singh said she heard noises coming from her veranda, which has a step leading up to the main access door to her house.

She explained that while the door and windows are grilled, there is a small opening in the wall for air ventilation and that the suspect pushed his hand through the space as he attempted to reach for the door lock.

Instead, he knocked over a bottle of liquid hand soap that was on a nearby sink and this alerted the woman that someone was trying to get into the house.

The woman further stated that after failing to gain entry into the house, the suspect stayed there for some time and was making sounds in an attempt to intimidate her.

After sometime, the response team arrived and observed the suspect on the veranda. However, upon noticing the vehicle approaching the house, he ran into the bushes at the back of the elderly woman’s home.

The officers attached to the security firm gave chase and managed to apprehend the man. After giving the assurance that it was safe to come out, Singh went downstairs where the captured perpetrator was and she

identified him as a known junkie called “Sherwin”, who had previous broken into her home on three occasions and was convicted each time.

He was reportedly released from prison recently.

The pensioner believes the man had come this time to harm her since he had left behind a knife and a pair of scissors, among other items, which includes a beer bottle and a box of matches.

“He may have wanted to kill me with all them things he had… But thank God for life and thank God for Delta.

They were with me throughout this whole thing, talking to me and updating me until the guys them come,” Singh related.

The suspect has since been handed over to the Police at the Leonora Police Station. In addition to the items that were found at the scene, the Police also discovered a bicycle hidden in the bushes in front of a nearby empty lot.

It is believed that the cycle belonged to the suspect since the victim said this is his modus operandi from previous attacks.

Mechanic slapped with armed robbery charge

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wenty-nine-year-old Maxwell Juke was on Monday placed on bail in the sum of $200,000

by Senior Magistrate Dylon Bess, before whom he appeared to answer a robbery-under-arms charge.

Juke, a mechanic and father of two, who resides at Lot 304 Castello Housing Scheme, East La Penitence, Georgetown, denied that while in the vicinity of Albert Street

Alberttown on September 8; while in the company of another male; and while being armed with a dangerous weapon, he robbed Randy Bourne.

While further details were not available to the court, City Lance Corporal Goodman objected to Juke being placed on bail because of the serious nature of the offence, and because a dangerous weapon had allegedly been used in its

commission.

However, Magistrate Bess granted Juke his pretrial liberty in the sum of $200,000. A condition attached to Juke’s being placed on bail is that he has to report to the Kitty Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until completion of his matter.

He is expected to make his next court appearance on October, 26, 2018.

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region 5 Chairman complains Route 42 operators want relocation from flood-hit minibus park about changes to budget – says ratified budget document was not properly perused

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hairman of Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), Vickchand Ramphal, has accused his Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ovid Morrison and team of sidetracking him and his Vice Chairman, Rion Peters and presenting the proposed regional budget for 2019 without proper perusal.

In a letter addressed to Finance Minister Winston Jordan dated Tuesday, September 11, 2018, Ramphal called for the Minister’s intervention into the matter involving the region’s budget proposal.

According to Ramphal, the Regional Democratic Office ratified its 2019 budget proposal at a special meeting held on Monday July 23, 2018, whereby changes were made in the various line items.

However, he said it is mandatory that copies of the ratified budget be circulated by the REO to the Office of the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman for thorough perusal before being presented to the Finance Ministry. However, this did not happen.

According to the Regional

...as morning floods affect capital

The flooded Route 42 bus park as seen on Tuesday morning displaced the already displaced Timehri operators Region Five RDC Chairman Vickchand Ramphal

Chairman, the REO refused to make available copies of these important documents and also failed to inform the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman of the planned Budget meeting with the Finance Ministry.

Ramphal said the formulation of the region’s budget was conducted through a democratic process, whereby consultations were held throughout the region by the RDC, placing the interest of its citizens first.

He reminded that it is imperative that the Council through the offices of the

Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman be fully engaged in all the budget processes so as to fully represent the interest of the people of Region Five.

As such, the Chairman said the Council does not confirm to the presentation made by the Regional Executive Officer and team, since it may not represent the decision of Council nor the needs of the people of Region Five.

He therefore called on Minister Jordan to put measures in place to correct this issue.

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s the intermittent rains poured on Tuesday, several Timehri (Route 42) bus park operators demanded that City Hall relocate their temporary bus park which is prone to flooding. They were relocated from the Stabroek Square, Georgetown to High Street, Georgetown to facilitate the temporary transfer of displaced stall owners at the deteriorating Stabroek Market Wharf.

The bus operators’ latest challenge was Tuesday morning’s flood waters which displaced them from the park which some termed a river. Others view the location as a hotbed of illicit activities, including crime and prostitution.

“Imagine we mixing with the prostitutes and the thieves, school children going to lessons and coming home lil late, people working and going home in the evenings and even foreigners who use the public transportation to be taken to the airport, all of we have to be in between thieves and prostitutes, no respect they (City

Hall) don’t have for we,” an operator explained.

Operators related also that they had to beg the Traffic Department for them to park outside the nearby Ashmins store with strict instructions to return to the assigned High Street parking space today (Wednesday).

However, in their view, they must return to their original parking areas. Some operators even said the Mayor is not looking into their interests.

Everton Pole, who has been operating for some 20 years, said minibus operators make a significant contribution towards transportation in Guyana. He berated City Hall’s treatment of the operators.

“Let’s say that they want to relocate us from there, what is wrong with having consultations with us, what is wrong with meeting us and letting us have an input into this thing… They are treating us like animals, like me are moving from one pasture to the next… They had no discussion with us at all,” Pole explained.

The frustrated man also criticised the United Minibus Union (UMU) which he said has not been looking into their concerns. “I’m hearing about the minibus association, he (UMU President Eon Andrews) never came to us and had any discussions with us as it relates to what our concerns are and what issues needs to be addressed urgently…When we talk about representation for this Timehri Park, it’s at zero.

You can’t not be in touch with the local people but you going at a forum and want to make representation, oh no, it’s not going to happen,” the man stated.

Christopher Johnny, a passenger, chimed in with the operators to vent his frustration, calling for the Mayor to vacate her post.

“It’s very bad here because in the night you could come and get rob. Like the Mayor just get up with a dream and say that the park has to be moved. She ain’t know what she doing, like she own the town… I want the Mayor to come out of office...” Johnny remarked.

news

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Ramsammy’s Ruminations GTU, Govt enter talks to More taxes collected, set up arbitration panel more spent on bloated ‒ to meet again on Friday following adjournment bureaucracy, less on T the working class

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he annual expenditure to support the Cabinet – salaries; benefits; internal travels; foreign trips; overseas and local private health care expenditure; expanded bureaucracy in their offices, such as advisers, media consultants etc; entertainment allowances etc, -has conservatively increased by more than 150 percent since 2014.

In case anyone -- such as the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, the new Chairman of the People's National Congress Dr Leslie Ramsammy (PNC), or any one of their sycophants -- wants to dispute this, let the Auditor General or any other independent auditor give us the numbers.

For a Government that is so obsessed with commissions of inquiry (CoIs), let us appoint a CoI to look into Cabinet expenditure, the Cabinet's expanding bureaucracy that directly supports the ministers. It is scandalous and an absolute misappropriation of the national assets.

The APNU+AFC Government is collecting enormously more revenues than any Government before. This is mainly because its operatives have increased many of the taxes people pay, and have even introduced new taxes amounting to more than 200 in number.

In 2014, the PPP Government collected $135 billion from taxes: income tax, VAT, corporation tax etc. In 2017, the APNU+AFC Government collected $196 billion. In fact, as the Leader of the Opposition has noted, APNU+AFC, in 2017, collected a whopping $60 billion more in taxes than was collected in 2014. This year, they are likely to collect more, amounting to more than $70 billion.

The Guyana Revenue Authority have already confirmed that they have, in the period ending June, collected more than $8 billion than for the same period last year. No Government has collected more taxes from our people than APNU+AFC. But are they spending it on the people? Where is the money going?

The dramatic increases in money available to this Government are not being spent on the people; not spent on support for the social welfare upliftment of the masses; but on Government operatives. It is most disconcerting to find out that of the $17 billion of extra money they collected in 2017 from the increased taxation of the people of Guyana, an astonishing $12 billion -some 71 percent -- went to support the burgeoning bureaucracy.

In part, the burgeoning bureaucracy results from the increase in the number of vice-presidents, the number of ministers, the expansion of various departments and agencies to create "jobs for the boys". A part of the "jobs for the boys" fiasco is the hefty increases in salaries for contracted employees.

Only few persons are benefiting from the increased revenues.

An alarming increase in salaries for contracted employees is benefiting new employees in an increasingly bloated bureaucracy comprising of mostly persons with close political connections to the PNC. They are paid super-salaries. Very little of the new money is going to support job creation and to provide safety nets for poor people. APNU+AFC had promised a reduction of contracted employees. They have shifted those with low salaries into the Public Service, and have employed family members and friends at super-salaries, with individual salaries close to and surpassing $1 million per month.

Wages and salaries of public servants, teachers, Police officers, nurses and doctors, and others have remained at or below inflation levels, and any increases have been at much lower rates than the rates of increased revenues from tax collection.

Furthermore, important areas of Government's expenditure to improve the lives of people have either been reduced or stagnated. Cash transfers to people, benefiting the poorest in our country, have been discontinued.

The $10,000 per child "Because We Care" school programme -- which was supposed to be increased by a minimum of $5,000 annually, and therefore should have been around $30,000 per child in 2018 -- was selfishly dumped simply because it was a PPP programme.

The water subsidy for pensioners, to provide free water for basic domestic needs; and the annual electricity subsidy, which provided $20,000 per home-owning or renting pensioner, was also discontinued because these were PPP programmes.

Agriculture budget has been reduced by more than 10 percent since 2014. Infrastructural expenditure has been stagnant, with most of the large on-going projects -- such as the various highways, the CJIA expansion and modernisation etc -- being PPPinitiated projects. There has been little or no new projects.

Hypocrisy is a hallmark of this Government. They promised to collect less taxes, increase salaries and wages for public servants and sugar workers by 20 percent annually during their term in Government, increase price per bag of paddy to $9,000, and reduce the employment cost for contracted employees; but they have broken all these promises.

To spend more than 71 percent of new money on an expanding bureaucracy is not only sheer hypocrisy, but is betraying the people of Guyana; particularly the people who voted for them for the first time, only because they made those promises.

alks between Government and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) have begun in earnest; as the two sides hope to set up an arbitration panel that can bring to an end one of the most tumultuous pay disputes in recent memory for teachers.

The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Social Protection, Labour Department Tuesday afternoon, centred on finalising the members of the arbitration panel. This includes choosing a chairperson for the panel.

The two sides were locked in a meeting with Government officials late into the afternoon. According to sources, the meeting has been adjourned until Friday, as more time was requested. Efforts to contact union President Mark Lyte and General Secretary Coretta McDonald were unsuccessful.

While conciliation was tried and ultimately unsuccessful, arbitration is expected to produce a definitive decision on benefits for teachers. This is because the arbitrator is appointed as an independent and neutral deal brokered between

A previous meeting between the Union and Government

the two sides.

The panel will be expected to broker a new multiyear agreement for the period 2016 to 2020. The last agreement expired in 2015.

GTU has already rejected Government’s offer for teachers to get a debunching payoff of $200 million for 2018/19.

The offer of $700 million for salary increases for 2018 only were similarly rejected. Following this breakdown, GTU had orchestrated strike action across Guyana. While some schools were open with few teachers present, others remained on complete shutdown.

Education Minister

Nicolette Henry had deployed some 400 substitute teachers during the period.

This number had included retired, trainee and volunteer teachers. Teachers who were on strike officially returned for duty on Monday as per the terms of arbitration.

Several have called for Government to move to arbitration, with there even being talk of an overseas-based arbitrator. In a previous interview with Guyana Times, President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis recommended that the process be moved on to arbitration.

“Scott is not an arbiter.

His department does conciliation. And conciliating, it’s not them that makes the decision. Conciliator works with the parties to bring them closer together to arrive at a decision on their own. They have to arrive at a decision. The arbitrator listens to the evidence and makes the decision.”

“So what you have here is a situation where the union has been calling for arbitration. Arbitration, in this circumstance, I think is important to be considered, because the conciliator is a part of the Government and represents the Government’s interest.”

Canje River breach causes flooding at Smithfield However, Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop said a contractor has been identified to repair the revetment but noted that the contractor will need two weeks to get up the materials and equipment.

Residents are also concerned about the manner in which another contractor who was contracted to erect a sluice has been handling it. According to them, trucks have been taking sand to the construction site and coming

The Canje River overtopping

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breach in the river defence along the Canje River, topped with the current high tide, has resulted in sections of Smithfield in New Amsterdam being flooded on Tuesday.

The water from the Canje River has been making life uncomfortable for some Smithfield residents for months; however, the current spring tide leaves several inches of water in their yards twice a day.

Crops have been affected by the salty water. Speaking with Guyana Times, Juene Welcome related that over the past 15 years, she has been living in the same area and efforts have been made to prevent the Canje River from flowing into their yards but all that is now history.

“When we first come here the water use to be big but since they build the koker so many years ago, we never get this big fold,” she explained.

Another resident,

Andrew Welcome, noted that for years they have been affected by flood waters on a daily basis but they have learnt to, “Give and take with it. This is salt water now and the flood too big so I have to complain and ask the relevant authorities to assist us.”

A section of the revetment which was erected to keep the Canje River water out has collapsed, resulting in the river overtopping the bank at Karakas. A mother of seven, Paula Hinds, explained that some of the water could be contaminated.

“It is very bad for my children. Chinese has his foul farm there and the water coming over and the water is very stink. It is making our children sic,” she told the Guyana Times.

Another resident, a teacher, Ceciliea Lagadoo explained that on more than one occasion, she fell trying to get out of her yard. On those occasions she had re-

One of the many yards affected by the flood

turn to the house and get dressed again.

“I have two daughters who are nurses and it is very difficult for them to come out to go to work in the mornings or at nights. The water is very smelly and it is not healthy for our kids…”

She also noted that residents have been losing livestock as a result of the flood.

out with earth.

“Truck load, truck load of dirty they bring out and going and sell it. They could take that same dirt and put it where the water coming in from,” one resident said.

Meanwhile, two other breaches of the river defence have also been sighted in the same community.

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News

Brazil election: Jailed ex-leader Lula pulls out

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ormer Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pulled out of next month’s presidential election, allowing his running mate to stand in his place. Workers’ Party leader Gleisi Hoffman announced the decision outside the Police headquarters where the 72-year-old is serving a 12-year sentence.

Brazil’s top electoral court barred Lula’s candidacy less than two weeks ago due to his corruption conviction. The move comes days after a far-right candidate was stabbed at a rally.

The 63-year old Jair Bolsonaro must now undergo major surgery after being attacked by a lone assailant, doctors said. A letter written by Lula in his prison cell was read out to his

S Lula had a huge lead over all other candidates. When Lula handed himself in to Police, he had to wade through a sea of supporters

supporters who have been camping outside the jail for five months demanding he be freed.

In it, the former president, who governed from January 2003 until December 2010, said he would not run in the election scheduled for 7 October. He also named Haddad as the man to step into the breach.

The decision comes after a lengthy legal battle which culminated on 31 August when the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) ruled that he was “ineligible” to run for the presidency.

Lula’s legal team and the Workers’ Party have appealed against the decision and the Supreme Court is still due to rule on it. Up

until Monday night, the Workers’ Party strategy had been to keep Lula’s name on the ticket for as long as possible.

Lula left office with record approval ratings and despite being jailed almost 40 per cent of people asked by polling firm Datafolha said they would vote for him. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Regional leaders to attend opening of Grenada’s new Parliament building

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lmost 14 years after it was destroyed by the category three Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the Houses of Parliament will have a new home with the official opening of a new Parliament building on Thursday.

The event will be attended by regional leaders – Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, of Trinidad and Tobago; Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent

St Kitts-Nevis has lost 35 square miles of land since 1961, says new report

and the Grenadines; and Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque .

Local diplomats are also scheduled to attend the ceremony.

Press Secretary Kisha Alexander-Grant said that other leaders and dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony that is being held 100 days since the New National Party returned to office following the March 13th General

Elections.

The new building which is located in Mt Wheldale is built within close proximity to the residence of the late Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. The new building was constructed with funds from the Governments of Australia, Mexico the United Arabs Emirates and Grenada.

Representatives from the donor Governments are also scheduled to witness the opening which takes the

form of a joint sitting of the both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.

The former Parliament building called York House that was located on Church Street was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Since the devastation, parliamentary sessions were temporarily held at the Grenada Trade Centre while the offices of Parliament are housed next door in a ministerial complex. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

t Kitts and Nevis has shrunk by a quarter over the past 56 years.

“Since 1961, the twin island country of St Kitts and Nevis has shrunken by more than 25 per cent,” said Statista. com, an online portal of statistics that claims immediate access to over one million statistic and facts.

“This dramatic land loss can be attributed to regular erosion and natural disasters, notably Hurricane Luis, Hurricane Georges and Hurricane Lenny,” said the post authored by Niall McCarthy.

Statista and IFLScience gave no data of the square miles in 1961 and at the end of 2017. Dapcevich noted that around the world, coastal communities may soon find themselves struggling to keep their heads above water.

“Data compiled by the World Bank shows the 37 countries that have lost the most land over the last half a century and, while some losses are more dramatic than others, nearly every coastal country in the world could see a loss at the turn of the century.

When these extreme weather events hit, winds push sand from the beach system and deposit it offshore onto large sandbars, causing the beaches to become narrower and lower in elevation, according to the US Geological Survey. Not only does this displacement impact economies that rely on expansive white sand beaches for tourism, but beach erosion also threatens coastal properties and infrastructures like roads and buildings,” the post said.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Guatemalans step up protests of President’s attacks on anti-graft body

Haiti PM withdraws threat to resign

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rime Minister Jean Henry Céant, is reported to have withdrawn a threat to resign after Opposition legislators had called on him to re-appoint the outgoing planning minister in return for their support, sources said Tuesday.

They said that President Jovenel Moïse and Prime Minister Céant have agreed that the outgoing Minister of Planning, Aviol Fleurant, would not be re-appointed in the new Government that was announced last week.

On Sunday, Opposition legislators had called on

Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant

Céant to renew Fleurant's position in the cabinet, indicating that they could vote against the government.

But the sources said that Céant who had already faced difficulties in the composition of his new Government “after long and painful negotiations” had refused to yield to this “blackmail and had verbally given his resignation to the Head of State”.

But the sources said that Céant had sent no letter of resignation and quoted Camille Leblanc, the special advisor to the prime minister who said that Céant had indicated that Fleurant's

appointment would be renewed by another by prime minister and not by him.

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Gary Bodeau, reacting to the possible resignation of Prime Minister Céant said “it would be a shame for Haiti at a time when the country is waiting for the ratification of the PM and his ministerial Cabinet”.

Last week, Haiti unveiled its new government, two months after Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, resigned following days of violent protests against fuel price rises. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica Govt building marine bases to strengthen border security

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he Jamaica Government is in the process of acquiring lands at key points across the island for the construction of three marine bases at a cost of J$80 million (US$587,958).

The project is part of efforts by the Administration to protect Jamaica’s borders by curtailing illicit activities. To be located at Rocky Point in Clarendon; James Bond Beach, St

Mary; and Alligator Pond in St Elizabeth, the bases will be jointly established and operated by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA).

Acting Director for Protective Security in the Ministry of National Security, Paul Henry, said the areas for the bases were chosen based on intelligence.

Henry said the bases will

be built in keeping with engineering specifications and National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) standards to ensure their longevity.

As it relates to Alligator Pond, he indicated that a location has been identified and negotiations are being done with the owner. Crown lands will be leased for the Rocky Point site.

The marine bases will be used to deter, prevent, detect

and/or prosecute breaches of the Customs and other laws of Jamaica. Activities will include planning and execution of joint contraband-interdiction operations; search of vessels; interception of suspicious vessels, persons and/or goods; coastal surveillance and intelligence gathering; and execution of and/or the provision of support for the regulatory functions of other agencies of the Government. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Guatemala's President Jimmy Morales delivers a message at the National Palace of Culture in Guatemala City, Guatemala September 6, 2018, 2018

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tarting at daybreak on Tuesday, thousands of people blocked a major highway in Guatemala’s western highlands on the second consecutive day of protests to demand that President Jimmy Morales allow a UN-backed anti-graft body to work.

Bearing anti-Morales signs and dressed in colourful traditional clothing, TV images showed indigenous Maya protesting Morales’ decision not to renew the mandate of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and to ban the group’s leader, Ivan Velasquez, from returning to the country.

Both measures have been harshly criticized by domestic and international observers as a step back in Guatemala’s fight against corruption. Indigenous activist Andrea Ixchiu wrote on Twitter that the protesters she was with were determined to stay until Morales

took action.

“We are here and we aren’t leaving,” she wrote.

Additional demonstrations were planned later in the day outside Congress in Guatemala City, with another march in the capital planned for Wednesday.

In addition to the moves against the anti-graft body, protesters oppose two legislative initiatives: one due to be discussed in Congress on Tuesday that would give the legislature power to oversee the process of stripping politicians of their immunity and another that would permit almost 80 congressmen who have defected from the opposition to join Morales’ party.

Critics say the combination of measures against the commission and the legislative initiatives are designed to protect Morales from legal proceedings in a corruption investigation. Morales says he is protecting the country’s sovereignty. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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Around the World

One million Catalans rally for Former Pakistani First Lady Kulsoom independence in Barcelona Nawaz dies

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round one million Catalans rallied in Barcelona on Tuesday, banging drums and blowing whistles in a show of support for independence nearly a year after a failed attempt to break away from Spain.

Wearing coral-red T-shirts and waving the red, yellow and blue Catalan separatist flag, a sea of protesters gathered for the rally on Catalonia's "national day" which commemorates Barcelona's fall to troops loyal to Spain's King Philip V in 1714.

The annual "Diada" holiday has since 2012 been used to stage a massive rally calling for secession for the wealthy northeastern region with its own distinct language.

But this year's event had particular significance as a test of strength after a referendum last October 1, and the Catalan parliament's unilateral declaration of independence on October 27,

Former Pakistani First Lady Kulsoom Nawaz

Protesters hold letters reading "Independencia" during a rally in Barcelona on September 11 to mark the National Day of Catalonia, the Diada

all came to naught.

Demonstrators climbed on each others shoulders to form human towers, a Catalan tradition, while others carried yellow and black signs that read "Free Catalan political prisoners now", a reference to Catalan separatist leaders in jail

awaiting trial over last year's independence bid.

City police said on Twitter that around one million people took part, a similar amount to last year's protest. Organisers said they had sold over 200,000 coral-red T-shirts – the colour used in the ties used to se-

cure the ballot boxes during last year's contested referendum. At the start of the rally demonstrators knocked down a symbolic wall decorated with separatist symbols, a metaphor for the power of the people to overcome obstacles and achieve independence. (Excerpt from France24)

Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills 32 in attack on protesters

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suicide attack on protesters and a bomb blast in front of a girl's school in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 33 people on Tuesday as a recent wave of attacks across the country continued.

A suicide bomber targeted a group of men demanding the dismissal of a local police commander in Nangarhar province's Achin district, Ataullah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

Thirty-two people died and at least 130 people were wounded in the blast. "All

people killed were civilians in the attack," Khogyani said, adding a number of wounded were in critical condition.

Local media reported hundreds of protesters from Achin district gathered in Mohmand Dara district near the Jalalabad-Torkham highway when the bomber detonated explosives. The reason for the demonstration against the police chief was not immediately clear.

The deadly suicide attack came hours after multiple bombings targeted schools in Nangarhar's cap-

ital, Jalalabad. One blast went off at the entrance of Malika Omaira girls' school in the morning, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding four other people. It was followed by two explosions in Behsud district, also near two schools.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the suicide attack among the protesters, as well as the school bombings in Nangarhar.

The Taliban denied any involvement in the attacks and no other group claimed responsibility for the violence. Nangarhar has been

India top court rejects appeal to save 'man-eating' tiger

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ndia's Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal to stop forest rangers from killing a "man eating" tigress in the western state of Maharashtra. The court said it would not interfere if forest rangers are forced to shoot the tiger if they fail to capture it.

Officials say the tiger has killed five people but activists have questioned whether the animal was responsible. Due to rapid deforestation, tigers often come into conflict with villagers who live close to their reserves.

India's tiger population – which had been on the decline for several years – has steadily increased since 2006 when the country upped its conservation efforts.

Forest official Pradip

India has the largest population of tigers in the world. The tigress was last spotted near Yavatmal district in Maharashtra

Rahurkar told BBC Marathi that officials would first try to tranquilise and capture the tigress, known as T1.

The animal was last seen in Yavatmal district.

Officials said they will also try to tranquilise the tigress's two cubs and a male tiger called T2, which has been spotted roaming the

same territory. It has not been blamed for any deaths.

But the two petitioners who took the case to court alleged that the forest department does not have the "requisite expertise" to capture the animal alive and will end up shooting it.

"We are doing everything we can to save T1 and her

a main stronghold of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters since early 2015. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

F

ormer Pakistani First Lady Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has died in a London hospital after a prolonged illness, her family said.

Nawaz, who had been receiving treatment for cancer since 2017, died on Tuesday, Shehbaz Sharif, her husband's younger brother and head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in his absence, said on Twitter. She was 68.

Kulsoom Nawaz's health deteriorated rapidly after her initial diagnosis with lymphoma in June 2017. She was running for a by-election in her PML-N's stronghold of Lahore at the time.

In September that year, she handily won that by-election, beating out the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's

(PTI) Yasmin Rashid, despite not being able to campaign. In her stead, her campaign was led by her daughter Maryam Nawaz.

In a statement, Prime Minister Imran Khan, a bitter rival to the Sharifs whose PTI handily beat the outgoing PML-N at a general election in July, said Nawaz Sharif and his daughter would be "provided all facilities that they are entitled to under law".

Khan termed the former First Lady a "brave woman".

Nawaz had been struggling in and out of consciousness in recent months, being placed on a ventilator at one point. Born in 1950, she was known for her reserved nature in public, serving as a quiet foil to her husband, who was elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister three times. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Migrant crisis: Scores drown off Libyan coast

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ore than 100 migrants died in a shipwreck off the Libyan coastline earlier this month, an aid agency says.

Two rubber boats set off on September 1 but one of the vessels deflated and sank, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says.

The 276 survivors were eventually taken to the Libyan port city of Khoms, around 100 km (62 miles) to the south-east of the capital Tripoli. MSF says the group is now being held in "arbitrary detention".

The survivors, including pregnant women, children and infants, have been treated by MSF for pneu-

family because they are innocent and vital to our ecosystem," Ajay Dubey, one of the petitioners and a wildlife conservationist, told the BBC before the court dismissed the appeal.

India is home to 60 per cent of the world's tigers.

In 2014, a national census showed that the tiger population had risen from 1706 in 2011 to 2226, resulting in a 30 per cent increase. This was attributed to activists, Government initiatives to streamline conservation and awareness drives in villages.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Over 1500 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year

monia or burns from leaked fuel. It appears to be the largest migrant death toll in the Mediterranean in several months.

In early June, 112 people reportedly drowned after a boat sank off the Tunisian coast. Later the same month, the UNHCR said that 220 people had died in three separate incidents over the course of two days.

Over 1500 migrants have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Many more have been rescued, although Italy, a primary destination for migrants travelling from Libya, has recently

started to refuse entry to migrant ships.

The numbers of those crossing the Mediterranean has fallen from the peak of over one million in 2015, but the journey is becoming deadlier: while fewer deaths have been reported, more people are dying as a proportion of those who reach Europe.

Although these numbers do not include the increasing numbers who are now being returned to Libya, the rise can be explained by the shift from the shorter sea route between Turkey and Greece in 2014-15 to the much longer and more dangerous route between Italy and Libya. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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ARCHIE

Do your best to work amicably. You'll accomplish more (March 21- if you can get along with othApril 19) ers and concentrate on doing what you do best. More action and less talk will get the job done.

ARIES

Embrace change and don't TAURUS look back. Use your intelli(April 20- gence and knowhow to get May 20) things done properly. A kind gesture will help you avoid upsetting a loved one.

dilbert

Take a closer look at what GEMINI (May 21- others are doing. You may June 20) have to make an adjustment to uphold your end of a bargain. Don't trust someone making idle promises.

Go over every detail and size up your situation before (June 21- making a move. Look for the July 22) best way to bring others together to lighten your load. If you coordinate well, you will control the outcome.

CANCER

Peanuts

Don't initiate change.

LEO Wait and see what needs to be (July 23- done, and choose the amount Aug. 22) of time, money and effort required rather than overdoing it.

Sort through any differVIRGO ences you have with a friend (Aug. 23or relative calmly if you want Sept. 22) to make progress. A change of pace, location or mode of communication will improve your outlook.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don't make a big deal LIBRA (Sept. 23- out of a trivial situation. Let Oct. 23) things unfold naturally, and adapt to the changes happening around you. Do your share and avoid complaints.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY'S WORD — MARCEL (MARCEL: mar-SEL: A hairstyle with deep, regular waves.)

Can you find 26 or more words in MARCEL? The list will be published tomorrow.

safe sate scat seat sect seta staff

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” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

How you help others will make a difference. If you take over other people's responsibilities, they will never learn how to take care of themselves. Oversee rather than overdo.

If you give whatever you do CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- your best shot, positive change Jan. 19) will come about. Money is head-

YESTERDAY'S WORD — AFFECTS feta east cafe case cast caste cesta

aggressive and more empathetic to other people's needs.

Don't disrupt things when you should be facilitating them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Average mark 20 words Time limit 30 minutes

face facet fact fast fate feast feat

Don't let an emotional sitSCORPIO uation lead to an argument.

(Oct. 24You'll do better if you are less Nov. 22)

solution for last published puzzle

ing your way. Collecting an old debt, making an investment or looking over your resources is favored.

Leave well enough alone.

AQUARIUS You are best off taking a (Jan. 20- breather and figuring out a Feb. 19) way to move forward with the least amount of stress. Reject temptation.

You've got plenty to gain PISCES (Feb. 20- by following your instincts.

March 20) A chance to collaborate with someone should be considered carefully. Don't mix business with pleasure. A change of heart is likely.

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

19

England take series 4-1 E

ngland got everything they wanted on the final day at the Oval - victory by 118 runs, a last stirring send-off for the retiring Alastair Cook, and a record-breaking 564th Test wicket for James Anderson.

But they were made to wait.

And fret.

The day lasted far longer than they might have liked, and there was a scary rhythm to it. Eerie quiet followed by a CRACK. The sound of mouths hitting the floor. Another CRACK. The beating of hearts against chests. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. India came to the ground as the team that needed to survive 90 overs.

But by tea, they were taking a proper stab at a target of 464. Nothing in the vicinity had ever been chased in the history of Test cricket.

The equation read 166 off 33 overs, and there were two centurions at the crease.

KL Rahul got there abandoning most of his caution.

It had served him poorly in England, leading him to av-

– Anderson goes past McGrath

England’s Jimmy Anderson hugs Alastair Cook after bowling India’s Mohammed Shami to end the match and become the highest Test wicket-taking fast bowler of all time

erage 16 until the start of this Test. Attacking the ball, on the other hand, brought him 149 runs. Rishabh Pant might have come to the same conclusion after recording a 29-ball duck in Southampton.

He reached his maiden Test hundred off only 117 deliveries, with a six over deep mid-

SCOREBOARD

England – 332 & 423-8d India 1st Innings 292 India 2nd Innings (target: 464 runs) KL Rahul b Rashid 149 S Dhawan lbw b Anderson 1 CA Pujara lbw b Anderson 0 V Kohli (c) c †Bairstow b Broad 0 AM Rahane c Jennings b Ali 37 GH Vihari c †Bairstow b Stokes 0 RR Pant † c Ali b Rashid 114 RA Jadeja c †Bairstow b Curran 13 I Sharma c †Bairstow b Curran 5 Mohammed Shami b Anderson 0 JJ Bumrah not out 0 Extras (b 10, lb 16) 26

TOTAL (94.3 Overs, RR: 3.65) 345 all out Fall of wickets: 1-1 (S Dhawan, 2.3 ov), 2-1 (CA Pujara, 2.6 ov), 3-2 (V Kohli, 3.2 ov), 4-120 (AM Rahane, 35.3 ov), 5-121 (GH Vihari, 36.4 ov), 6-325 (KL Rahul, 81.1 ov), 7-328 (RR Pant, 83.6 ov), 8-336 (I Sharma, 91.6 ov), 9-345 (RA Jadeja, 93.4 ov), 10-345 (Mohammed Shami, 94.3 ov) BOWLING: JM Anderson (22.311-45-3), SCJ Broad (12-1-431), MM Ali (17-2-68-1), SM Curran (9-2-23-2), BA Stokes (13-1-60-1), AU Rashid (152-63-2), JE Root (6-1-17-0)

wicket. India started to believe.

Madness doesn't begin to cover what they did in the 44.3 overs they were together, just as madness doesn't begin to cover the ball that broke that 204-run partnership. Adil Rashid - for long the forgotten asset - ran in from around the wicket at the right-handed Rahul, and pitched the ball in the rough some three feet away from the line of the stumps. The batsman cleared his front leg and prepared to flick the ball away, except it spun. It spun viciously, ridiculously, and unbelievably to tip the bail down from the off stump.

England were effectively a bowler short - Stuart Broad was on the field with strapping on his left side, a souvenir from taking Jasprit Bumrah bouncer on the ribs - and it almost seemed like they were content to wait for the second new ball to make a play. Their two most prolific wicket-takers bowled only

Nannan, La Fleur share 7 wickets

F

ormer Guyana youth skipper Eugene La Fleur and former Guyana youth cricketer Raj Nannan shared seven wickets between them to help Vikings Cricket Club beat 4C Mississauga Dolphins by 108 runs last Saturday at the Maple Leaf ground.

Action in the 2018 Toronto and District Cricket Association’s Elite Super 50-Over competition continued in King City with the left-arm spinner Nannan finishing with four wickets for five runs from 5.1 overs, as Dolphins were skittled out for a paltry 73 in 21.1 overs, replying to Vikings’ respectable 181 all out off 44.3 overs. La Fleur

claimed three wickets for 38 runs from ten overs to support Nannan.

When Vikings batted, Trinidadian Kamil Khan hit 56, while Rodney Lawrence scored a supportive 33 not out, and 19 came from Canadian opening batsman Rodrigo Thomas.

The Vikings, led by former Guyana and West Indies player Royston Crandon, have now won 10 of their 13 matches. They are the defending champions and title sharers with the Centurions, who have eight victories from 13 matches as well.

Vikings will be back in action at the same facility on Saturday, taking on Toronto Cricket Club.

nine of the first 49 overs. The others resorted to bouncers - a strange tactic on a slow pitch. There were even times when Rahul batted without a slip.

India had no pressure to deal with as they ransacked 131 runs at 4.37 per over in the middle session. But there was just too much time on the clock. And too many runs to go after. It all ended - in rather slapstick fashion - with No. 10 farming the

strike from No. 11, and two balls later getting his middle stump knocked back.

Anderson roared in triumph - he had just deposed Glenn McGrath as the most prolific fast bowler in Test cricket - and ran into the arms of his team-mates. They asked him to lead them off the field, but he insisted that Cook should get that honour, and then choked up during an interview when asked if he would miss his mate.

There was - realistically - only one winner possible after Cook and Joe Root had struck fairytale hundreds.

But it was fun as Rahul and Pant made everyone think about what if. They got together at 121 for 5 with more than two sessions left to play.

But both men took the match situation and smuggled it out of sight. Nobody who watched their partnership would have realised that they were playing for the team that was behind in the match, and the series.

Rahul launched fast bowlers over the top. The lack of pace in the pitch assisted him in fixing a problem against the inswinger, as did his adjusting his front foot stride, taking it down the pitch instead of across, and slowing

down his bat-speed, at least while defending. But whenever there was width, he did not hold back. There was a six off Ben Stokes that was downright majestic, standing tall on the back foot and cutting the ball to smithereens.

Pant looked special when he flayed spin along the ground, and weird when he hit in the air. He just puts so much into the swing that he literally falls over, meaning even his lofted drives over cover end up looking like skewed sweep shots. A much more proper rendition of it, over midwicket, crowned him the first Indian wicketkeeper to hit a century in England.

These two were India's top-scorers in the 2018 IPL. A few months on, they put on India's highest partnership in a Test series in England.

But the lower order could do only so much to mask a scorecard that once read 2 for 3. India's biggest problem in this series - especially when it was alive - was a lack of runs from their top order. Rahul's century comes as hope for the future, but it won't quite wash over the fact that this team has once again fallen short away from home. (Cricinfo)

20

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

CPL boosting tourism sector in Guyana

O

ver the six years of its existence, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has done well for various sectors in Guyana and across the Caribbean.

One such sector has been tourism and hospitality. The Hero CPL and Sport Tourism in Guyana can go hand-in-hand. This belief was stressed across the board on Tuesday as the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana hosted the CPL sponsor, Hero MotoCorp, and representatives from CPL. Speaking at the event, Commercial Organiser of CPL, James Stewart, expressed his pleasure with the strides CPL has made to showcase Guyana.

“In that respect, I think the way that CPL has been able to showcase Guyana --because it is a stunningly beautiful country you have here, and it deserves to be showcased to the world (because it has) some of the most beautiful and unspoiled landscapes on the planet -- CPL has been a powerful platform to project Guyana to the world,” Stewart proudly declared.

Detailing some of the statistics based on the 2017 season, Stewart showed that total revenue coming into the Caribbean from that CPL season was US$95 million, of which Guyana received US$40 million.

In addition, there were more

Commercial organiser of CPL, James Stewart; Hero representative Joshua Ramdehol; Director of Sport Christopher Jones; and Guyana Amazon Warriors Captain Chris Green

than 190 million viewers worldwide witnessing the biggest party in sport; and that number continues to grow, Stewart revealed.

For Hero representative Joshua Ramdehol, the CPL is more than just a sponsorship opportunity; it is also an occasion to see social cohesion played out before our very eyes.

“I would like to touch a bit on the way sports tourism can help to achieve social cohesion. Cricket is

the beloved sport of our nation. Even if there’s street cricket going on, you can see an audience watching on.

I’m elated to see, at the games in Guyana, sold-out crowds of 15,000 in attendance from all social classes, races and diversity, jumping and celebrating together,” Ramdehol said.

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, urged that the hospitality sector do more than just accommo-

date tourists. He urged that a lasting impression be left with the tourists.

“Essentially, we want to see our hotel owners and persons that provide tours not only see an opportunity to fill the hotel rooms, but we want persons from the outside world to explore Guyana. When Guyana boasts about having the largest single-drop waterfall, we want people to not only hear about Kaieteur, but

go and visit,” he said.

Giving reasons for his statement, Jones noted that this will pave the way for tourists to return, even when large sporting events are not happening.

“Because, after the sporting events are done, we want those persons to return to Guyana on their own, invite persons, and of course promote Guyana through those mediums”, he reasoned.

Captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Chris Green, also made an appearance at the event, detailing his time spent in Guyana. He noted that between the hectic team schedules, the little he has been able to see has been an amazing experience.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Guyana. I guess it’s very relevant for me to talk, coming here as a tourist myself. I think the work being done by the Tourism Board, the CPL and Hero together to promote not only cricket in Guyana, but Guyana itself, has been really commendable”, Green opined.

The Caribbean Premier League has amassed some 95 million viewers all across the world, which does well for the promotion of Guyana as a tourist destination. In Guyana alone, some 4097 hotel rooms have been booked and 492 job opportunities created for citizens.

LGC hails Medina's Baron Foods on board services to Guyana, golf BCB Dave Martins Cricket – MACORP head to retire soon Development Concert T T he Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) recently hailed MACORP Guyana Head Jorge Medina for the impact of his club member on development of golf in Guyana, and development of the sport since his arrival on the local scene Medina arrived in Guyana 25 years ago to head the operations of MACORP CAT. With his strong Spanish accent, he asked the question that would forever link him to the LGC: “Where is the golf course?”

As Head of MACORP, the industry giant in heavy machinery, Medina’s dedication to quality and performance perfectly match the game of golf, and he demonstrated this with several victories over the years of playing. This quiet, unassuming individual from Barranquilla in Colombia was named Honorary Consul of Colombia, and was accredited by the Government of Guyana. With more than a regular Club member’s interest, Jorge set out to invest in and transform the Club into a standard that can today compare favourably with international standards.

Jorge Medina is not just an avid golfer and quiet family man, but has contributed, and continues to contribute, to the fabric of Guyana. He came up with the company motto “Let’s build Guyana Together”, and throughout his career, has dedicated himself to fulfilling that purpose.

MACORP CEO Jorge Medina

He has been a strong supporter of the Guyana Relief Council, a founder of the newly created AMCHAM Guyana, and has been extremely instrumental in the expansion of the gold mining industry since the mid1990s through the supply of the first excavators for that sector.

Jorge is known for explaining why the company -sole distributor of Caterpillar machines -- continues to invest in golf. “With all eyes on Guyana, we have to continue with these programmes as a way of improving life for all those in Guyana; and I hope that not just us in the private sector, but the Government as well, will see the need for this sport and relationship-building”.

At his direction, MACORP has sponsored one of the major golf tournaments every year, and, more importantly, found additional ways to contribute to the Club, especially

in the past year. With help from the machinery giant, the LGC, under the supervision of Head Groundskeeper Mike Guyadin, has been able to develop an intricate system of drainage that allowed the Club to break records for days and tournaments played in a single year.

In a few weeks, Jorge Medina will retire from the role he played in making the MACORP name so prominent in Guyana, but the impact he will leave behind, the memories and friendships, will last forever; especially at the Lusignan Golf Club, where his friendly smile and easy demeanor was always be on display.

The Executive and Members of the Lusignan Golf Club extend their sincerest gratitude to Jorge Medina for his friendship, support, and presence over the many years; and wish him the best of luck in the years ahead.

he outstanding work of the Hilbert Fosterled Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to attract support from overseas-based Guyanese. Chief Executive Officer of Baron Foods, Ronald Ramjattan, has become the latest overseas-based Guyanese to support the BCB, by making a financial contribution towards hosting a Cricket Development Concert which would feature legendary Guyanese Singer Dave Martins.

All proceeds from this Concert, slated for the compound of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute on November 3, 2018, would go towards development of youth and female cricket in the Ancient County.

BCB President, Hilbert Foster, who is spearheading the planning for this historic Concert, has expressed delight at the support coming from Ramjattan. This sponsorship from the St Luciabased company was obtained

by International Cricket Commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, who recently visited Berbice as a special guest of the BCB. Martin has committed to performing for one hour at the Concert, which is expected to attract thousands of Berbicians who are excited to see the legendary international singer live on stage. He is known worldwide for songs like, “We are the Champions, Honey Mooning Couple, Not a Blade

Former BCB President, Anil Beharry (L), receiving the donation from Joseph "Reds" Perreira

of Grass, A Man and a bunch of Animals, Cricket in the Jungle, Copy Cat, Boyhood Days, and Come back again”.

Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, who handed over the donation to former BCB President Anil Beharry on behalf of Baron Foods, also arranged the services of Martin, and is currently working on other fundraising ventures.

Beharry has expressed gratitude to both Perreira and Ramjattan for the sponsorship. He noted that, in addition to planning twenty-two cricket tournaments in 2018, dozens of cricket-related developmental programmes were also staged.

It is understood that the

BCB’s huge overhead expenses include rental, GPL and GTT bills, office staff salaries, and transportation costs, among other things.

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, has assisted the Berbice Cricket Board by pumping in more than $1.5million of its own funds to assist the Board to stay afloat financially.

Sponsors interested in coming on board the historic concert can contact Hilbert Foster on 337- 4562; Angela Haniff on 333-2375; Robby Saywack on 660-0049; Dr. Cecil Beharry on 624- 5707, or Anil Beharry on 623- 6875.

sports

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President’s Cup set for RSTC

I

t’s on, as horse racing fanatics get to witness the grand occasion on Sunday September 30 at the Rising Sun Turf Club, when the Caribbean Nations Group President’s Cup Horse Racing Meet unfolds.

With seven races slated for the event, competitors will have the chance to win incentives over $6M. The main event will feature the President’s Cup which will be open to all horses bred in Guyana; it is ex-

The best of the best will compete for over $6 million in prizes

pected to accommodate mares and fillies imported in the year 2018.

The winner of the President’ss Cup will walk away with a first prize of $1M which carries the distance of over five and a half furlongs.

Among the other events slated for that day is the Guyana Green State E and Lower race which is over eight furlongs that carries a top prize of $500,000.

The J3 and lower which is seven furlongs will have a

$350,000 top prize while the L and lower open, consisting of seven furlongs, will see the winner cart off with $300,000.

A $250,000 prize is set for the victor of the L class maiden horses race, while the winner of the Guyana Bred 2-year-old (Baby Horse) race will take home $200,000 and a trophy.

The day wraps up with the L non earners for 2018 running over five and a half furlongs competing for a $100,000 grand prize.

Silica Sands Golf Tourney set for this Saturday S ilica Sands, a long-time supporter of the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), will host its second annual golf tournament in celebration of the remarkable academic achievements of Kayshav Tiwari, son of Pandit Haresh Tiwari.

With the Guyana Cup Open teeing off in a little over a month, the LGC has set out to host some 12 tourneys prior to its November Open. Saturday’s tourney will tee off at 12:30h and will feature Best Gross and Best Net in Categories A, B and C. The tournament usually attracts a full field, and this is anticipated especially this year, as this weekend will feature a double-header as players warm up for the Suriname Open, set for October 5-7. Young Tiwari, son of the ‘Pandit,’ has been among the country’s top performers at the 2018 CXC exams, and the club will honour his success with this tourney. Defending Guyana Open 8-time Champion Avinash Persaud will demonstrate his skills, along with top contenders Guillermo Escarraga, Mahesh Shivraj, Clifford Reis, Patrick Prasad, Mike Mangal, William Walker, Pur Persaud, Richard Hanif, Max Persaud and Aleem Hussain.

Female champions Joann Deo and Shanella Webster will tune up for the Guyana Open scheduled for November 3-4.

Silica Sands is a local company created fifteen years ago

by Pandit Haresh Tiwari, who rose from simple Lusignan roots to become one of the largest exporters of sand to the Caribbean and other countries. The company has a private wharf, mining areas, and the complete logistic facilities to export sand from Guyana to the world market.

Its monthly operational capacity is over 100,000 metric tons of the finest quality sand for the manufacture of glass, for construction purposes, and for the top golf courses in any port the customer desires.

The LGC continues its weekend action with the Silica Sands tourney

CWI continues revised coaching education programme

W

VACANCY EXISTS AT MIMA DÉCOR: INVENTORY CLERK/ANALYST. MUST HAVE: CXC BUSINESS SUBJECTS. PROFICIENCY IN MS OFFICE. QUICKBOOKS. A DEGREE IN THE BUSINESS FIELD. ATLEAST 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD. SEND APPLICATION TO: MIMADECOR12@GMAIL.COM. 8 SHERIFF STREET GEORGETOWN. TEL: 227-0186 WANTED. Drivers and Security Personnel. Apply to North West Mining Investment Inc. 344 Middle and East Streets, N/Cummingsburg

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

indies Women’s team squad member, Afy Fletcher was one of the 28 participants in the recently concluded Cricket West Indies (CWI) Level 1 Coaches Course held in Grenada.

Fletcher had just completed a 4-weeks training camp in Antigua and was home in time to participate in the event. She was among the group which also had former WINDIES male player (Junior Murray); Windward Islands batsman, John Eugene, coaches and teachers from the Grenada Department of Sport.

The lead tutor, Kumar Rampat was assisted by Ian Allen and the course covered batting, bowling and fielding (Skills Demonstration) a

group coaching assessment and a theory examination.

Project Officer, Junie Mitcham said “this is the 4th Level 1 coaching course which has been done since the coaching education prog r a m m e has been revamped.

Under the new programme, 81 coaches have been certified in four territories.”

Those already certified are from St Kitts (10), Jamaica (21), Barbados (22) and Grenada (28).

The next Level 1 session is scheduled for Dominica.

Afy Fletcher

22

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wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Tallawahs, Patriots battle for final spot T

he script of the second playoff in the Hero CPL 2018 tournament would be written tonight at the Providence National Stadium w h e n J a m a i c a Tallawahs and the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots go head-to-head for a shot at the championship title.

The loser of this match will be eliminated, while the winner will face the loser of the first playoff match between G u y a n a A m a z o n Warriors a n d Oshane Thomas Trinbago Knight Riders.

I t should be noted that, in recent times, the side bowling first at the Providence Stadium has

a higher chance of victory.

Therefore, the toss is going to be an important factor to whichever team wins it on Wednesday.

In their last game, Jamaica Tallawahs defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight wickets to finish third with 12 points on the CPL 2018 points table. They have won six and lost four of their ten league fixtures.

Prior to their encounter against the Warriors, they beat Barbados Tridents by five wickets, before facing a seven-wicket loss to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in a rain-truncated contest.

The Tallawahs have been brilliant with the bat in their last four matches. They have a formidable batting line-up, but the key men are going to be Glenn Phillips, Rovman Powell and Ross Taylor.

Phillips is currently third

on the list of top run-scorers this CPL, while Powell has a strike-rate of 162 along with three half-centuries to his name. Powell blasted a 40-ball 84 in his last knock against the Patriots, and is coming off a score of 55 not out against the Warriors.

Taylor, too, smashed an unbeaten fifty both in that game and in the first reverse encounter earlier in the season.

Oshane Thomas and Andre Russell, with 15 and 14 wickets respectively, have been the pick of the bowlers for the Tallawahs, and the onus will be on these two to take wickets and exert pressure on the Patriots. Ish Sodhi and Samuel Badree could also do well here, with the wicket expected to offer some support for the spinners. New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has replaced his Australian counterpart Adam Zampa, who has returned home to play domestic cricket.

Their opponents, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, have finished the league stage as the fourth placed team on the points table with five wins and four losses from ten matches. After facing defeats against Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders, and having had a game against St Lucia Stars aban-

Rassie Van der Dussen

doned, the Patriots bounced back into the tournament with back-to-back wins over Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Tridents respectively. In their last match, they narrowly managed to chase the Tridents' total of 168, to win by two wickets.

Patriots will bank on their opening pair of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis to take them off to a brisk start.

Gayle has been their leading run-getter this CPL season, and the team will be hoping that he fires for them; along with Lewis, who has had a rather cold season so far.

Rassie van der Dussen had scored 45 not out in the most recent encounter against the Tallawahs, and he is another key figure at the top of the order. Ben Cutting, Sheldon Cottrell and Carlos Brathwaite have

been the go-to bowlers for the Patriots. Cutting has taken the most wickets for them this season with 10 in 9 matches, and the Australian seamer will be their biggest hope with the ball. Cottrell, too, has bowled well, and it will be crucial that he strikes early in the innings. Tabraiz Shamsi, who claimed the best figures of 2-16 in the last game, can also be effective on this spin-friendly track.

Devon Thomas, Carlos Brathwaite and Sheldon Cottrell were all rested for the previous match against Barbados Tridents, and they are likely to return at the expense of Ibrahim Khaleel, Jeremiah Louis and Anton Devcich.

The team may also experiment, as they have recently signed Saad Bin Zafar a

Canada left-arm-spinningall-rounder whose economy rate of 6.23 may prove valuable in the game against the Tallawahs. Saad comes in following the Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah's departure for the Asia Cup in the UAE. SKNP Predicted XI: Chris Gayle (c), Evin Lewis, Rassie Van der Dussen, Saad Bin Zafar, Devon Thomas (WK), Carlos Braithwaite, Fabian Allen, Ben Cutting, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph, Tabraiz Shamsi.

JT Predicted XI: Glen Phillips (WK), Johnson Charles, Ross Taylor, Rovman Powell, David Miller, Andre Russell (C), Colin De Grandhomme, Ish Sodhi, Steven Jacobs, Samuel Badree, Oshane Thomas.

Beacon FC, Riddim Squad register wins at Limacol Tournament T

he Limacol Knockout Football tournament continued on Monday evening with Beacon FC and Riddim Squad securing con-

vincing wins over their opponents in battles conducted at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.

Sponsored by the new GPC through their Limacol brand, this tournament is gradually shaping up for a seismic finish.

Part of the action in the Limacol Football Tournament being played at the Ministry of Education Ground

In Monday’s proceedings, Beacon needled Grove Hi Tech in the first battle.

Being one of the favourites in the tournament, Grove Hi Tech had the support of the boisterous crowd, and started strong on the offence, but were unfortunately unable to secure a goal in their many chances.

After much back-andforth in the first half of the game, Kimba Brathwaite of Beacon FC found the back of the Hi Tech net in the 53rd minute, and the matchup continued with both sides striking in vain until the regulation time whistle.

Minutes later, the second

match-up of the night began, and it turned out to be a truly one-sided affair, with Riddim Squad trouncing their opponents, Camptown FC. Both teams possessed experienced players who were aware of what they had to do from the first whistle, but nearing the end of the first half of play, in the 33rd minute, Wendell Joseph of Riddim Squad netted the first goal of the encounter.

The sneaky goal came as a shock to Camptown, and they did not regain their composure quickly enough to prevent Riddim Squad’s Kevon Gordon from deliv-

ering another net-piercer in the 35th minute.

And although they played good defence for the rest of the match, Riddim Squad’s Kevin Agard was still able to penetrate their net in the 73rd minute, to take the score to 3-0 by time the 90 minutes were over.

The tournament will continue tomorrow, Thursday, September 13, with Santos coming up against Pouderoyen, and Police facing off against Pele Football Club at 20hrs.

A total of twelve teams are competing in this tournament for a chance to grab the first prize of $600,000.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League Play-offs...

Warriors sink TKR to seal spot in finals

Chadwick Walton (L) and Shimron Hetmyer (R)

T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors stormed into the finals of the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a six off the penultimate delivery, after producing some brilliant all-round cricket to hand the Trinbago Knight Riders a 2-wicket loss in Tuesday night’s first of two mouthwatering eliminators played at the Providence National Stadium.

It all came down to the last over, when Sohail Tanvir (10*) smashed TKR skipper Dwayne Bravo for a six to seal an emphatic win in front a vocal soldout crowd. Before Tanvir’s heroics, Bravo had removed Rayad Emrit for one run, as Romario Shepherd, who ended with 13 off 6 not-out, announced himself with a booming six back over Bravo’s head, to take the deficit to 12 runs from two balls.

It was a dismal batting performance from the star-studded TKR, who again fell victim to some brilliant bowling and fielding from the Warriors. Warriors skipper Chris Green grabbed dream figures of 2-8 from his quota of four overs; Tanvir had 2-38; leg-break bowler Imran Tahir claimed 1-22, and a refreshed Rayad Emrit 2-22.

TKR’s top-scorers were Colin Ingram, who whipped a pair of fours in his 25 off 26 balls; Darren Bravo, who chipped in with an uncharacteristically slow 24 off 33; and his brother Dwayne, who produced a run-a-ball 22. Those aside, the defending champs were kept to a paltry 122-7 in 20 overs.

Despite a few hiccups, the Warriors ended on 128-8 with a ball to spare. They are indebted to Shimron Hetmyer, who hit two fours and two sixes in his 39; and Sherfane Rutherford, who continued from his last match by smashing 30 off 17, with four fours and a six in a 50 partnership with Hetmyer which lifted the Warriors after a shaky start.

The simple chase got underway with a thumping six from Luke Ronchi (14) off Khan, which signalled a no-nonsense approach by the Warriors; but Ahmed’s class was too much for

Cameron Delport, who fell for 2 to the leg-spinner.

Crowd-favourite Hetmyer walked out to a rockstar reception, but soon lost his partner, who was caught by Sunil Narine off Khary Pierre.

ter some brilliant fielding off his own bowling resulted in the batsman being run out.

Green also fell at the hands of Pierre, caught in slip

by Dwayne Bravo; and the Warriors’ small chase seemed

the end of the half-century partnership, which came up with a six as Ingram had Hetmyer run out by a few inches. Rutherford departed the next ball, removed

by Cooper.

The Warriors were rampant up front, a repeat of a few nights ago, when they sliced through TKR’s top-order, with Kiwis Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro both going back to the dressing room without scoring, after Tanvir trapped the former LBW and the Warriors Captain removed Munro, all inside three overs.

Denesh Ramdin crunched three fours in his 15 off 11, before Tahir joined in on the fun and had the wicket-keeper pinned leg-before-wicket (LBW).

Narine’s experiment at the top of the order failed again when Green had him easily caught on the ring by Shepherd.

The left-handers Bravo and Ingram consolidated and dug in, playing a more gritty form of cricket as the champs raised

Chris Green

of Ronchi to end the 48-run partnership. Emrit was repaid in full when Ingram smashed one straight into the clutches of Rutherford in the deep, as TKR slipped further into the abyss.

The 100 came for TKR in the 18th over, with the first six of the innings also coming off the bat of Cooper, who nailed Tanvir over mid-wicket.

The final ball of the innings saw Emrit removing Bravo for

the second time in a few days, caught by Tahir to end the innings and the lower-order 36run partnership between himself and Cooper, who was left not out on 15. Already in the finals, the Amazon Warriors will now relax as they wait to see who would be their ultimate opponents: TKR, Jamaica Tallawahs, or the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

SCOREBOARD Shimron Hetmyer (R) of Guyana Amazon Warriors receives the Man-of-the-match prize from Joseph Harmon (L) Minister of State

Jason Mohammed succumbed to a good delivery from Narine, trapped lbw in front of his stumps, to reduce the Warriors to 37-3 at the end of the first 10 overs.

Hetmyer then launched Ahmed for a six over mid-wicket, while Chadwick Walton (13) played a few cute dabs to get a couple of fours off Pierre, before the spinner got his revenge af-

to get a bit tough.

Heroes from the last game, Hetmyer and Rutherford, were again in the spotlight, and they executed a few eye-catching strokes that took the Warriors closer to their goal.

Rutherford raced into double figures with some lusty blows, one of which disappeared into the stands off Bravo.

A bit of ball watching saw

their 50 in the 12th over, having lost their top-order in the power-play stages for just 26 runs. Bravo was given a life when Tanvir attempted a brilliant catch but floored it, leaving Emrit to halt his already in-progress celebrations.

Warriors would soon see the back of Bravo, as he edged Tanvir into the waiting gloves

Sherfane Rutherford of Guyana Amazon Warriors fielding

Trinbago Knight Riders Innings (20 overs maximum) SP Narine c Shepherd b Green 8 BB McCullum lbw b Sohail Tanvir 0 C Munro c Mohammed b Green 0 D Ramdin † lbw b Imran Tahir 15 CA Ingram c Shepherd b Emrit 25 DM Bravo c †Ronchi b Sohail Tanvir 24 DJ Bravo (c) c Imran Tahir b Emrit 22 KK Cooper not out 15 Extras (b 2, nb 2, w 9) 13 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 6.1) 122-7 Did not bat: Fawad Ahmed, K Pierre, Ali Khan Fall of wickets: 1-5 (BB McCullum, 0.6 ov), 2-6 (C Munro, 1.5 ov), 3-24 (D Ramdin, 4.2 ov), 4-26 (SP Narine, 5.3 ov), 5-74 (DM Bravo, 14.2 ov), 6-86 (CA Ingram, 15.6 ov), 7-122 (DJ Bravo, 19.6 ov) BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir (4-038-2), CJ Green (4-1-8-2), Imran Tahir (4-0-22-1), R Shepherd (4-0-30-0), RR Emrit (4-0-22-2) Guyana Amazon Warriors Innings (target: 123 runs from 20 overs)

CS Delport c Pierre b Fawad Ahmed 2 L Ronchi † c Narine b Pierre 13 SO Hetmyer run out (Ingram) 39 JN Mohammed lbw b Narine 3 CAK Walton run out (Pierre/†Ramdin) 13 CJ Green (c) c DJ Bravo b Pierre 0 SE Rutherford c DJ Bravo b Cooper 30 Sohail Tanvir not out 10 RR Emrit c †Ramdin b DJ Bravo 1 R Shepherd not out 13 Extras (lb 2) 2 TOTAL (19.5 Overs, RR: 6.35) 126-8 Yet to bat: Imran Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-10 (CS Delport, 2.3 ov), 2-23 (L Ronchi, 5.5 ov), 3-29 (JN Mohammed, 8.2 ov), 4-52 (CAK Walton, 11.4 ov), 5-52 (CJ Green, 11.6 ov), 6-102 (SO Hetmyer, 16.5 ov), 7-102 (SE Rutherford, 16.6 ov), 8-105 (RR Emrit, 17.5 ov) BOWLING: Ali Khan (2-0-18 -0), SP Narine (4-0-9-1), Fawad Ahmed (4-0-19-1), K Pierre (4-0-18-2), DJ Bravo (3.5-039-1), KK Cooper (2-0-21-1)

wednesdAY, september 12, 2018

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

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Hero Caribbean Premier League Play-offs...

Warriors sink TKR Page 23

to seal spot in finals

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Tallawahs, Patriots

Page 22

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