Guyana Times 4 November 2018

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

Issue No. 3736

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Govt controls Berbice Bridge via half of Board plus “golden share” Page 3

…Govt violated contractual agreement – Vice Chairman Page 11

LGE 2018

“Don’t be fooled”, Jagdeo tells Alexander Village residents

…as constituency candidate calls for Town Clerk, Mayor to be jailed

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Boundary P13 dispute between 2 Indigenous communities erupts …bridge linking villages destroyed

LGE 2018

Blame game begins over P6 missing names from voters list …GECOM to meet with Disciplined Services heads

NIS investment portfolio must be revised – chair ...says Finance Ministry

input, multistakeholder effort needed P17

Prudent spending can keep City Hall afloat – Solid P12 Waste Director

Essequibo Coast ushering in the Festival of Lights: Hundreds of Essequibians braved the inclement weather on Friday evening to get a glimpse of the Essequibo Coast Diwali motorcade. Residents lined the roadway from the starting point in Affiance, and some follow to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, where they were treated to a rich cultural presentation

Warden, inmate stabbed After signing ‘secret’ MoU with Govt during brawl at Timehri T&T car dealer among bidders Prison Page 7 for Skeldon Page Estate 9

Enmore Estate divestment

Bidders must produce plans for value-added production P10

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news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 4 – a night retraction at 02:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, November 5 – a night retraction at 03:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, November 4 – 14:15h-15:45h and Monday, November 5 – 14:55h-16:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, with sunny intervals in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from East North-easterly to Northeasterly and Northerly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 14:16h reaching a maximum height of 2.55 metres.

Low Tide: 07:46h and 20:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.70 metre and 0.66 metres respectively.

Govt controls Berbice Bridge via half of Board plus “golden share” …Govt violated contractual agreement – Vice Chairman

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overnment, via the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), has control of the Berbice River Bridge.

This is according to Director of the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI), Naresh Maraj. In slamming media reports which misrepresent the true composition and voting rights of the BBCI, Maraj told this publication that the Board has eight members, of which -- since 2015 -the Government, through NICIL and NIS, has “four board members via the common stocks they own, and also by nominating two directors to represent subordinate loan holders. In this way, they had to have supported any and all deci-

wealthy, they would have had to ensure there were enough profits generated to first pay dividends to preferred shareholders, and then have the Board declare dividends for them,” said Maraj. “This is unlike the case with family-owned businesses.”

He added that in the case of the Berbice Bridge, it has been repeatedly stated that the common shareholders never received a penny in the decade the bridge has been operational. Their investment in this public-private partnership was clearly done for patriotic reasons and not for profits, since there has never been any of the latter.”

Since the announcement that tolls would be increased for the Berbice River Bridge, there have been persistent calls for Government to move in the

Vice Chairman of the BBCI Board of Directors, Paul Cheong, recently high-

sions of the Board, including those on toll increases.”

Maraj said NICIL controls a “Special Share”, which is a safeguard provision inserted into BCCI’s Articles of Incorporation to ensure that the directors of the company – controlled by whoever -- do not act outside of their mandate. According to Maraj, this provision serves as a veto even against a majority of the Board, and for this reason it’s called a “golden share”.

The director added that this therefore means that ultimately the Government, which controls NICIL, has control over the activities of the Bridge.

He declared his disappointment that sections of the media, especially Kaieteur News, have, over the past 10 years, ignored the distinction between “common shareholders” and “preferred shareholders.” Maraj said an understanding of the concepts is important, since the distinction determines the reality of who owns what, and who has control of what at the BBCI. “It is trite company law that the common shareholders control the equity in the investment, but that the preferred shareholders have a priority on dividends. If the common shareholders wanted to get

direction of taking over control of the bridge to avoid placing a heavy burden on Guyanese living in the Berbice region and others.

Several persons from civil society, including members of the trade union movement, have expressed worry about the state of the NIS. “While the AFC/PNC tabloid Kaieteur News is sensationalising the news to make the Government into “a knight in shining armour”, they (both) are ignoring the precarious financial position of the NIS, which affects the future of a hundred thousand workers,” a trade unionist told this publication.

Similarly, members of the Private Sector Commission were asked about Government’s handling of the BCCI’s request for a toll increase.

“In my personal opinion, I think it is petty populist politics in the extreme geared for the Local Government Elections.

The Bridge is chaired by AFC prominent member Dr Surendra Persaud. I think this is dangerous in the extreme for the Government’s own declared position that the Public-Private Partnership (P3) financing model is being considered for other infrastructural projects. No private investor will touch a P3 project

lighted concerns with what he said were lies being peddled in a section of the media in regard to the reason why the company was forced to increase its tolls.

Cheong, in a recent letter in the press, noted that the BBCI is bound by its Concession Agreement under the Berbice River Bridge Act, in implementing the tolls charged at the bridge. The company, he said, has no alternative but to honour the Toll Adjustment Formula prescribed in the agreement.

According to the Vice Chairman, the BBCI has no discretion in calculating the amount of the toll. “The Company is bound by the Toll Adjustment Policy dictating the Formula.

Since 2015, respective governments (previous and present) have violated their contractual obligations to implement an annual toll adjustment which would have resulted in small incremental adjustments instead of the current burdensome level. The Kaieteur News has chosen to ignore this truth,” Cheong added.

The current level of toll adjustment is entirely the fault of the Government, not the company, he noted. He added that prior to, and since taking office, this Government has refused to meet with the BBCI in spite of three requests to do

BBCI Vice Chairman Paul Cheong

with a ten-foot pole after this,” the PSC member noted.

Contractual violation

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so. The power and the privilege to review or amend the Concession Agreement rest entirely with the Government.

Slamming the Kaieteur News for deliberately misrepresenting the facts, Cheong stated that the six ordinary shareholders are not guaranteed a return on their investment.

“Their investments are subjected to the risk of the company making a profit and cash flow availability. Since BBCI has made no profit, no dividends have been paid to any of the shareholders. Even if a profit is made, the payment of any dividends is at the discretion of the directors, after taking into account the cash flow position of the company,” Cheong said. The truth, he added, is that from the inception of the Bridge, the NIS, whose investments represent every Guyanese citizen, has earned 94 per cent returns on its total investment, which is G$2.4 billion.

“Because of the shortfall in revenue, resulting from Government’s refusal over the past three years to make toll adjustments, the BBCI has been able to pay the NIS only G$1.7B of the returns earned from its G$2.59 billion investment in BBCI, and G$222 million in principle repayments,” Cheong stated.

Ever since the announcement by the BBCI Chairman Dr Surendra Persaud that the company hopes to implement an increase, the Government has shown a high level of reluctance to meet with the company, and has made known its intention not to buy out the Bridge.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has stated that a Government buyout of the BBCI is not economically feasible, and the Government’s proposed annual subsidy is the best option to reduce tolls for travellers. He said Government has a restrictive financial budget.

Questioned further during a recent press conference, the minister said no consideration will be given to taking over the Bridge. However, in the same breath, he said Government is committed to reducing tolls, and not the other way around.

He further explained that if such consideration is ever given, Government would have to honour payments to shareholders, and a number of other issues would have to be ironed out.

According to him, the final payout for the Bridge would be significantly greater than it appears now.

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

Editorial

Justice for Jamal

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ive years ago, November 2 was declared as the “UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists”, against a background of rising violence – and murder – against journalists across the globe. The lack of any organised activity in Guyana by the media fraternity to commemorate the occasion – even though 78 journalists were killed and thousands imprisoned in 2017, and only last month there was the most brutal and gruesome murder and dismemberment of the Washington Post’s Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Embassy in Turkey – symbolises that we who report the news – especially against authoritarian governments – do not realise we are all “Jamal” now.

With the invention of the printing press in the 16th century, the latter gave its name to the reporting of the news, first in pamphlets and then in “newspapers”. By the late 19th century, the press had layed such a pivotal role in sensitising the people to the burning issues of the day that Edmund Burke declared it to be the “Fourth Estate” – alongside the other three estates that defined European society of the time – the nobles, the Church and the “commoners”. Burke claimed this fourth estate potentially had as much power as any of the other estates.

In the 20th century, with the anti-colonial movement sweeping aside colonial empires with the assistance of their local presses, ironically many of these new states adopted an authoritarian form ostensibly to hasten the development process. In this mode, several of them, including Guyana in the 1970s, demanded that the press hone to the Government’s line on news, and severely curtailed press freedom. But as even the ostensible Liberal states – with their declared commitment to the rule of law and freedom of speech – increased their reach and power, the press and its journalists, who had become the voice of the people against state excesses, were increasingly resented by them to a lesser or greater degree.

It would appear that no matter how well-intentioned governments declare themselves to be in regard to transparency of their operations to the people who appoint them, the tension between governments and journalists is inherent in the unequal power relationship. It is not necessarily that “power corrupts,” but power is assumed to confer to the governors a wider, all-encompassing perspective for the “national good”. States frequently invoke the blanket term “national security” to justify their refusal to deal with the press, and journalists have to thread a very thin line to inform the populace about what is going on behind the scenes.

Of recent, there has been a new development in Government-press relations with the advent of US President Donald Trump and a wave of bellicose governments. Trump introduced the term “fake news” and used his bully pulpit – especially “Twitter” – to undermine the credibility of journalists covering US affairs and himself. In the wake of this development in the country long seen as the bastion of the free press, other countries have become bolder in suppressing press freedom with accusations of “fake news”.

In reaction to the Khashoggi murder, Trump has spoken out vociferously about “getting to the bottom of the murder”, but has been unwilling to impose sanctions against US ally Saudi Arabia, which has been stonewalling investigators and the world. The power behind the Saudi throne, Prince Salman, who is widely thought to be the intellectual author of the heinous crime, retains Trump’s confidence. Turkey, in whose territory the murder was committed, and who has officially implicated the Saudi Government, is no friend of the free press. Its president has imprisoned 174 journalists, and insisted on life sentences for five of them for reporting on his government’s accretion of power and suppression of the opposition.

All in all, we are in a climate of growing impunity by perpetrators of crimes against journalists, and the murder of Khashoggi has only highlighted the refusal of governments to “walk the walk” after their high sounding “talk”.

We must all demand “Justice for Jamal”, for it could be our turn next.

Over 60 farmers and vendors opened their stalls to consumers on Saturday morning as the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) hosted a Farmers’ Market Day at D’Urban Park, Georgetown. The event closed out activities for Agriculture Month which was hosted under the theme, “Shaping Agriculture for a Green Economy”

Erdogan points finger at Saudi 'puppet masters' in Khashoggi case

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urkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing came from the "highest levels" of the Saudi government, but that he does not believe King Salman was to blame.

In an opinion piece published

by US newspaper The Washington Post on Friday, Erdogan called on Saudi Arabia to answer outstanding questions concerning the 59-year-old's assassination last month.

"We must reveal the identities of the puppet masters behind Khashoggi's killing," Erdogan said, adding that Ankara had "moved heaven and earth to shed light on all aspects of this case".

"We are shocked and saddened by the efforts of certain Saudi officials to cover up Khashoggi's premeditated murder, rather than serve the cause of justice, as our friendship would require," he said.

Khashoggi, a former Washington Post columnist and critic of the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, was killed in the kingdom's consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul on October 2. His body remains missing.

On Wednesday, a Turkish prosecutor said Khashoggi was strangled and dismembered soon after entering the building.

Turkish media outlets have named 15 Saudi suspects who flew flew into Istanbul and left on the same day the journalist was last seen.

Faltering probe

Khashoggi's murder has provoked international condemnation and sparked intense media scrutiny.

A joint Turkish and Saudi probe into his fate has made little progress to date, however.

The Saudis have also launched their own investigation, vowing to "uncover every stone" and "punish" those who are responsible.

On Friday, Erdogan expressed dismay that Khashoggi's body has not been found and urged Saudi officials to explain who ordered the killing and identify the "local collaborator" to whom Saudi

Jamal Khashoggi officials said they handed over his remains.

"Unfortunately, the Saudi authorities have refused to answer those questions," Erdogan said.

In an apparent sign of cooperation, a top Saudi prosecutor flew to Turkey on Sunday and met with Istanbul's chief prosecutor a day later.

Turkey's justice minister has since accused the Saudis of failing to answer questions regarding the case, however.

"Though Riyadh has detained 18 suspects, it is deeply concerning that no action has been taken against the Saudi consul general, who lied through his teeth to the media and fled Turkey shortly afterwards," Erdogan said.

"Likewise, the refusal of the Saudi public prosecutor - who recently visited his counterpart in Istanbul - to cooperate with the investigation and answer even simple questions is very frustrating. His invitation of Turkish investigators to Saudi Arabia for more talks about the case felt like a desperate and deliberate stalling tactic," he added.

'This is foreign policy'

Etyen Mahcupyan, a Turkish political analyst and former adviser to ex-Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, said Erdogan had tried to take an aggressive stance in his op-ed while keeping one eye on maintaining good relations with Riyadh.

"He doesn't want to disrupt everything and lose Saudi Arabia," Mahcupyan said.

"He's kind of threatening

Saudi Arabia, maybe blackmailing a bit in a soft way, but he's giving the message that Turkey wants to go on with having good relations with Saudi Arabia," he added.

"It gives leverage to Turkey to be used by Erdogan, but it's not something very ideological or something that will cost him his principles. This is foreign policy."

At points, Erdogan also displayed more conciliatory language in the op-ed, stressing the "friendly relations" between Ankara and Riyadh and stating that he had "no reason to believe that this murder reflected Saudi Arabia's official policy".

He previously accused Saudi officials of pre-planning Khashoggi's murder days in advance of October 2 and said Turkish authorities have gathered more evidence, which will be made public "when the time comes".

'Keeping Khashoggi in the headlines'

Hilal Kaplan, a columnist at pro-government Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, said that Erdogan's piece was part of his attempt to keep the Khashoggi case in the international spotlight.

She noted that Turkey has consistently shed light on many details in the case by ensuring information was steadily leaked to the media over the past month.

"With this communications strategy, Turkey was able to control the narrative and keep the Khashoggi murder in the headlines while the public debate continued as the investigation moved along,"

Kaplan said.

"This pressured the Saudis to accept the fact that this was a premeditated murder," she added.

"They were in flat denial at first, but then after changing their story several times, they had to accept [this fact]."

Kaplan added that although Erdogan didn't mention the crown prince's name, the Turkish president implied in the op-ed that MBS was responsible for ordering Khashoggi's killing.

"The crown prince most probably knew about this, he ordered this. At least five of the 15 members of the death squad are in the royal guard. And the head of the death squad, [reportedly] made four calls to MBS' office on the day of the murder," she said.

"All evidence points to him, not anyone else."

US media reported on Thursday that MBS described Khashoggi as a "dangerous Islamist" in a phone call with Jared Kushner and John Bolton, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and national security adviser respectively, days after Khashoggi's disappearance and before Saudi Arabia publicly acknowledged his killing.

Kaplan said that the call, which was reported by the New York Times and The Washington Post, was an attempt by MBS to justify the killing of Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia has denied the veracity of the reports.

Trump, who has described the Saudi handling of Khashoggi's killing as "the worst cover-up ever" suggested last week that MBS bears ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to the murder of the journalist.

When questioned about the crown prince's possible involvement during an interview with US newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Trump said "the prince is running things over there more so at this stage".

"He's running things and so if anybody were going to be, it would be him," he said.

Saudi officials have denied MBS had any knowledge of Khashoggi's killing or its subsequent cover-up. (Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

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

Re-emergence of unpopular uncultured PNC policies (Pt 1) Dear Editor, In 1988, many key stakeholders in Guyana invited the Carter Center to address the overwhelming epidemic disease of democracy, called ‘Rigging of National and Regional Elections’. Over the previous 26, the Peoples National Congress (PNC) as the controlling Government, had cultured, ingrained, and utilized this and other clandestine approaches to impose far too many brutal told and untold sufferings on the people of this nation.

Coupled with the decades of exhibited poor performance by the PNC Government, the situation regarding uncontrolled cheating during elections had become alarming in epic and unparalleled propor-

tions. The results were not only crippling to the country’s development, but they also threatened Guyana’s alliances with partners both regionally and globally. By then, international interventions were way over due, and they served to realize positions that were mutually acceptable on national and international levels.

The Carter Center, and the Price Waterhouse served as key mediators in providing recommendations, and in engaging key stakeholders of the then Desmond Hoyte Led PNC Party and the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The agreed prescription and recommended treatment for the infectious rigging informed a bal-

anced platform and realized a considerable fair-minded mechanism for the operations of the Guyana Election Commission.

Notably, the key stakeholders concluded many discussions of critical matters during a period which necessitated the postponement of National and Regional Elections for two years. The formula to elect the Chairman of the Commission and the process to employ staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) were all put in place, advancing the more valiant initiatives to eradicate the ‘Rigged Elections’ infection that had plagued our nation for decades. The epidemic was virtually exterminated,

which led to a very progressive Guyana in the decades leading up to 2015.

Today, under President Granger’s PNC dominated coalition Government, we are witnessing the re-emergence of this disease. Its fertilisation is now being openly advanced by the many unpopular uncultured PNC policies, which certainly undermines the agreed balance intended in the tested and proved constitutional changes. GECOM’s Secretariat is now administering many of the required activities in a most unprofessional manner that absolutely diminishes the nation’s trust and confidence.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Poll finds widespread disenchantment Dear Editor, An ongoing opinion poll being conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) shows that four months after the CCJ ruled that Bharrat Jagdeo could not run again for the Presidency of Guyana, the former (two) term limited President remains the most popular politician in Guyana. Ironically, even APNU and AFC supporters have a favorable view of Jagdeo.

The survey found widespread disenchantment over many issues. The incumbent coalition (APNU/AFC) administration is very unpopular even amongst its traditional supporters and is likely to suffer a defeat in the upcoming November 12 local government elections.

The poll further found that a majority of voters do not support the Appeal Court’s decision of affirming the Chief Judge’s decision of President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of Gecom’s Chairman (James Patterson). My opinion is that the country wants a more energetic, unbiased Gecom Chair selected from among those recommended by the opposition.

The survey began on October 20, 2018, and is likely to be completed within a week.

The preliminary findings of those interviewed thus far reveal that 59 per cent did not agree (as against 28 per cent who did) with the Appeal Court’s ruling on President Granger’s appointment of Gecom Chair.

Also, a large majority (69 per cent) of the population is not pleased with the job the Government has been doing in running the country (only 22 per cent supporting). Almost everyone says the country is going in the wrong direction. Some 68 per cent does not approve (only 19 per cent approve) of the management

of the economy- saying that the quality of life has been declining over the last three years. Almost all of them said the country has been going down and that the economy is very bad and likely to get worse, indicating a lack of confidence in the future. They said that the government does not know how to grow the economy to improve the standard of living. They felt former President Bharrat Jagdeo, and former Finance Minister Ashni Singh, did a far better job of running the country and managing the economy respectively.

More than two thirds (72 per cent), said that they are worse off today (with only 16 per cent saying they are better off) than they were around the time of the 2016 local government elections.

Almost three quarters (74 per cent), disapproved (with only 15 per cent approving), of Government’s handling of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the terminated sugar workers. They oppose the closure of sugar estates. Almost everyone polled in Berbice, greater Enmore, and the West Coast, disagreed with the downsizing (restructuring) or closure of the sugar industry. Even APNU and AFC supporters do not support Government’s policy on closing sugar estates.

Poor governance and misguided policies are taking a toll on approval ratings. According to the poll’s findings, President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo have relatively low approval numbers of 43 per cent and 40 per cent respectively as compared with Jagdeo who towers above them with 61 per cent; even APNU and AFC supporters speak favorably of Jagdeo, with the PPP saying they were better off when Jagdeo ran the country than they are under the present administration. The leadership of the

Government can increase popularity by pushing constitutional reforms to empower the people.

When asked if the government has been transparent enough in its policies and the handling of revenues, 60 per cent said no, while only 28 said yes. And when queried about the government’s handling of public complaints and widespread perception of corruption against the administration, 71 per cent said that not enough is being done to crack down on corruption (including graft).

A majority (59 per cent) said corruption is more rampant now than it was under the preceding PPP administration.

Persons also expressed a lack confidence in the police force, with almost ev-

eryone accusing elements of law enforcement of being corrupt by accepting bribes to do their job, or make traffic tickets and other court matters disappear. Some 83 per cent respondents of the survey said Government has not been doing enough to rein in police abuse and bribery. Voters (57 per cent) also feel the Government is abusing Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and SARU for its political agenda in targeting members and supporters of the opposition.

The poll also queried voters on other issues including how they will vote in the LGE. The findings will be released in a subsequent report.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

The luxury ship MV City - is sinking Dear Editor, The luxury ship -MV Citythat has been riding high on the waves of excesses, fraud and mismanagement for the last three years and beyond, seems to have sprung a leak and is now quickly sinking.

There is clearly panic aboard, with the very frightened captain dispensing blame on anyone, anywhere he can, both on the living and the dead, and it is now ‘every man for himself’, with senior officers grabbing every available life jacket and abandoning ship.

Listening to the Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the goings-on at the Georgetown Municipality, one is left amazed at the ridiculous responses, irrational positions being taken, and the twisted logic being advanced upon by some to defend themselves.

One senior had the temerity to tell the Commission that the rehabilitation work had been done at the City Constabulary Training School to the tune of $47 million, yet he says that the space remains uninhabitable.

Now come on, which Constabulary Training School is he talking about? Not the old House Service Department in Water Street? Not even $7 million has been spent there for years, let alone $47 million dollars. I suggest that the Chairman of the Commission and the members of the Local Government Commission pay a visit and thoroughly inspect that facility. It is ruinous, looks abandoned, and is ramshackle. Indeed, it looks like when junkies are finished with a building. The windows, doors,

fittings, furniture and just about everything else is gone, even though this place is guarded 24/7. It is leaking badly and is in the worst state that I have ever seen a public building in. I challenge the senior official to produce a detailed expenditure report on the building with accompanying receipts and then and then take building experts to inspect the building to verify the $47 million in work done.

Then you have the Solid Waste Director waking up like Rip Van Winkle arising out of a slumber to declare that City Hall should ditch the garbage contractors and do the waste disposal work itself. Oh please, now that the Council and the Government have frittered away billions upon billions of dollars, this gentleman gets this epiphany of the Council going back to doing what it did for decades- since it had its own animal drawn garbage carts? And then blaming bad management on the administration. Hasn’t this guy been a part of the administration for the past four years?

Then we have the King himself declaring that the City is too broke to tender for goods and services. Well, that’s the icing on the cake!

The city is too broke to adhere to a regulatory arrangement that is conducive to transparency, economy, efficiency, openness, fairness and accountability in public sector procurement, but rich enough to award contracts to friends and relatives at grossly inflated prices. Citizens, don’t be fooled.

Best regards, Sambu Jacobus

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

LGE 2018

Blame game begins over missing names from voters list …GECOM to meet with Disciplined Services heads

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ollowing the discovery of names of ranks of the Disciplining Services missing from the voters’ list on Friday when ranks voted for the Local Government Elections, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Warde has noted that the elections entity cannot be blamed for the missing names.

She also revealed that heads of the Disciplined Services will be engaged in the near future as the elections body works on the theory that it may have been their fault.

This was revealed by the PRO during an exclusive interview on Saturday on the sidelines of a media engagement at the National Racquet Center, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

GECOM PRO Yolanda Warde

“The list of persons from the Disciplined Services that was provided to us actually came from the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force (and) the (Guyana) Prison Service so those persons we’ve worked with that list that they would have provided to us

so if there were omissions on that part where the respective agency did not provide an officers name to us.

That is not an omission on GECOM’s part,” she said.

It was however noted that while an investigation into the matter is still ongoing, various reasons for the omission may still exist on the table.

According to Warde, “we have to be mindful that not all the areas are Local Authority Areas, so you might be an officer in the Guyana Defence Force or the Police Force of the Prison (Service) but you do not reside in a Local Authority Area (LAA) then it’s not expected that your name will be on the OLV (Official List Voters) for Local Government Elections because you don’t reside in a LAA”.

Moreover, Warde point-

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and at Pamona.

The operation was led

by Assistant Superintend of Police (ASP) King.

During the exercise, the party of Policemen searched five houses and arrested five people.

Among those arrested were 35-year-old Ron Norton, an electrician of Lot 8 Onderneeming Sandpit; 22-year-old Azaad Hussein, called “Egg man”, a labourer of Lot 28 Middlesex,

Essequibo Coast; 19-yearold Mahase Persaud, a labourer of Lot 106 Pomona; and 20-year-old Nazir Hussain, a labourer of Lot 28 Middlesex. They were all arrested on break and enter and larceny offences.

In addition, 24-year-old Delon Adonis, also a labourer of 21-22 Pamona, was arrested on a possession of narcotics charge after he was found with six grams of cannabis.

On Saturday, Guyana Times reported that hundreds of members from the

to the two reports cited by Warde.

“I am very unhappy with a situation that was

A rank casting his vote as the Disciplined Services voted on Friday

ed out that if an officer lives in an Indigenous community he would not be able to vote as it is not a LAA.

5 in custody after ‘Operation Restore Order’ on Essequibo Coast ive persons have been taken into custody as the Guyana Police Force continues with its operation to restore order in the country.

The Force took the operation to the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) on Saturday where the exercise was conducted between 04:30h and 07:30h. They carried out a cordon and search at the Onderneeming Sandpit area

Disenfranchised

During the operation, Adonis was searched, and the suspected cannabis was found in his right-side pants pocket. He admitted to ownership and he along with the other four suspects were placed in custody.

Meanwhile, a bicycle was found in a trail leading further into the backlands.

According to the Police, there was no incident during the exercise.

Disciplined Services felt disenfranchised as they were unable to vote on the date set aside for them to cast their ballots.

Warde, while addressing those concerns, claimed that GECOM received only two reports of ranks turning up to vote only to find their names are not on the list.

She noted that the issue will be looked into, and if need be, such ranks will be accommodated on November 12.

However, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday took GECOM to task for the missing names. He said he also had received information that there have been over 100 reports of this occurring, in sharp contrast

brought to our attention today (Friday),” Jagdeo stated. “We have received over a hundred reports where soldiers and Police turned up to vote and were told that they will be unable to do so since their names were not on the list to vote today, although they had done so in 2015 and 2016 on D-day.”

“So far we have sought answers from GECOM. The explanations are not satisfactory. We will follow this matter intensely over the next few days, to ensure that no member of the Disciplined Services is disenfranchised,” he added.

Local Government Elections is slated for November 12.

Govt controls Berbice...

Outspoken political activist and former Presidential Advisor Ramon Gaskin, a trained economist, is suggesting a total buyout of the bridge by Government so as to resolve the issue.

“You don’t need to make a profit, just cover maintenance and pay the NIS interest on their investment, and you could lower the rate to where it was, and it could go lower,” he advised.

Overseas-based economist Professor Tarron Khemraj also feels that Government should buy over the Berbice Bridge in its entirety. He said the Bridge is now financially unsustainable, as compared to when the proposal for its construction was implemented.

He said that once the Government owns the bridge, some decisions would have to be made to address the high operating costs. According to him, decisions would have to be made with the objective of

from page 3

motivating private sector employment in Berbice.

A former advisor to the Alliance For Change (AFC), Tarron Khemraj, is also opposed to increasing the Bridge tolls, especially because the traffic flow to accommodate the higher tolls is not there.

At this stage, Khemraj said, it is clear the bridge has a dimension of higher public good than the private aspect. Therefore, he recommended, Government should buy out all of the shares.

The proposed increases are scheduled to take effect on November 12, the same day that Local Government Elections (LGE) will be held; and as the time draws closer to the date set for the imposition of fare increases at the Berbice River Bridge, there continues to be great worry over whether this could in fact take effect, or whether the Government would step in and reverse the decision.

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Warden, inmate stabbed during brawl at Timehri Prison

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warden and an inmate at the Timehri Prison have been stabbed when violence erupted at that facility on Saturday.

Reports are that a convicted murder stabbed a murder accused who is on remand at the facility at about 08:55h. During the brawl, three prison wardens intervened, but one of the officers was stabbed by the convicted murderer.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, said he received information that the prisoner who sustained injuries had made threats to the life of the Prison officer on Friday, and had also disturbed the other inmates by kicking against the steel door throughout the night. On Saturday, during the morning routine procedure, the prisoner launched the

attack. His victim was stabbed eight times about his body with an improvised weapon.

According to Samuels, both the prisoner and the warden were rushed for medical attention. An investigation has been launched.

1 nabbed as Police seize fire crackers in Essequibo Coast

I

n an exercise aimed at clamping down on fire crackers that flood the markets around this time of year, Police in G Division (Essequibo Coast-Islands) have arrested a young man after he was found in possession of a quantity of explosives.

The suspect, a 21-yearold from Kitty, Georgetown, was taken into custody at about 16:00h on Saturday on the Essequibo Coast.

Based on information reaching Guyana Times, a party of Policemen conducted a raid for explosives at the Anna Regina and Charity Markets, where a total of 10 stalls were searched.

During the exercise, a total of 47 boxes of mini

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

The fire crackers which were seized during the Essequibo Coast raid

‘Cicciolo’, 97 ‘Golden Blaze’, 36 ‘Shark’ and 40 boxes of ‘Mini Beng’ were found in the suspect’s possession at the Charity Market.

The man was subse-

quently arrested and taken to the Charity Police Station. Meanwhile, the fire crackers found were lodged with the subordinate officer in charge of the station.

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| guyanatimesGY.com

Tampering of expiration dates

Supermarket owner to face court on Monday Getting A murkier…

supermarket owner who was recently found tampering with expiration dates on products and even repackaging foods in an insanitary condition is expected to face the court on Monday.

This was recently related by Head of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) during an interview with Guyana Times.

The owner of the supermarket was busted during an inspection exercise on the East Coast of Demerara, on October 5, 2018.

According to the GAFDD, the proprietor of the supermarket which was

only recently established was discovered to be repackaging foods under insanitary conditions, selling expired foods and also tampering with expiration dates. This businessperson was found extending the date mark on condensed milk products.

The Department disclosed that fifty-one 395g tins of condensed milk – which had the expiry date tampered with – were seized and removed from the premise.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the proprietor in question in the East Demerara Magisterial

District in accordance with the laws of Guyana – Food and Drug Act Chapter 34:03 Section 35.

Under this law, Part II (5) states: “any person who sells an article of food that is unfit for human consumption or was manufactured, prepared, packaged or stored under the unsanitary condition is guilty of an offence.”

Part II (6) Food and Drug Act Cap 34:03 of 1971 went on to outline that: “Any person who labels, packages, treats, processes, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erro-

neous impression regarding its character, value, quality, composition, merit or safety is guilty of an offence.”

“Consumers are again asked to ensure that all items of food have a label, is English translated and to ensure the dates are closely examined and not altered or tampered with,” the Department warned.

The GA-FDD is calling on consumers to pay closer attention to the expiry dates on products being sold, particularly in supermarkets along the East Coast, East Bank, and West Coast of Demerara as a result of the recent discovery.

Y

…in sugar divestment

our Eyewitness was thrown for a loop when he learnt DDL pulled out of the bidding for Enmore Estate at the last moment. When DDL discovered the production from the three “grinding” estates couldn’t supply them with enough molasses to produce their world-class rums, they worked with the SPU to restart the Emmore operations to supply the rest, didn’t they? What did they learn?

Now, no matter how you slice it or dice it, DDL’s a very well-run outfit, and it behooves the SPU – if no one else -- to examine clearly why DDL chose to remain on the sidelines and not the “middle walk”! They said they couldn’t “find a model that would fit with (their) current investment and development strategy”. What this means, in your Eyewitness’s estimation, is the SPU and Price Waterhouse structured a deal that just doesn’t make financial sense.

Most likely, they demanded too much money for factories (LBI was included?) that were cannibalised and fields that have been allowed to revert to bush. DDL said they’ll wait to see if anyone else will buy Enmore on the present terms, and then buy molasses from them. Why buy the whole cow when you can buy milk as you need it?

Let others pick up the big tab; spend millions (US!) to fix up the factory, and then struggle to attract a labour force for the fields!! And if perchance they produce any sugar, they’ll produce the molasses as a by- product, which DDL can snap up.

DDL went on to say if there were no takers, then they’ll make another bid. Meaning, of course, they expect the SPU/Price Waterhouse will revise the “model” – read “asking price”.

But your Eyewitness isn’t so sanguine about some other bids – especially that one by the Trini company which has specialised for the last 50 years on importing car parts and fixing engines. Your Eyewitness could swear the SPU said they give the greatest weight to the demonstrated ability of bidders that could show how they’ll run the entity. And they were impressed by these fellas: who never ran a sugar operation in their lives, and never showed interest in the Caroni sugar operations that were shuttered nearly two decades ago?

Something ain’t kosher. Especially when the outfit had, a year ago, already submitted a bid to Go-Invest which just didn’t make sense. And talking about “kosher”, is that other bidder Kadem the Jewish condiment maker, who started out bottling grape juice?

And no takers for Wales?

…in LGE elections

Everyone and their (political) uncles conceded that the turnout in the LGE by the Disciplined Forces was “poor”.

Meaning “miserable”! Now, if you have forces that have been explicitly called “disciplined” and who’re supposed to be patriotic and trained to obey orders, but yet don’t show up to exercise their franchise, something’s radically wrong with our country!!

Now all it would’ve taken to ensure a high turnout was for the officers in the GDF, GPF, Fire Service and Peoples Militia to give a direct order to their charges!!

So the officers didn’t give the orders? If they didn’t, then something is wrong with the officer corps and their understanding of their role in a democracy – especially when most of them will end up running the Government!!

And if the order was given but the troops didn’t obey, we have an even bigger problem!! Is this “poor turnout” going to be repeated if the Vennies pour across our western border? What’s going on here?

We expect President Nagamootoo to launch a CoI to find out!!

…on the succession

While we all expect the President to return all chipper and all that, we’ve got to plan for the worse. So will Nagamootoo be allowed to be President till 2020?

God forbid!!

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

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

After signing ‘secret’ MoU with Govt

T&T car dealer among bidders for Skeldon Estate

O

The Skeldon Sugar Estate

ver a year after it signed a ‘secret’ Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Guyana to look into developing a sugar cane processing facility at the Skeldon Estate, Trinidad and Tobago based D Rampersaud and Company Limited (DRCL) has resurfaced.

This time, the company, whose operations include automobile dealership, is one of two overseas-based companies that are bidding for the Skeldon Sugar Estate, which has been put up for divestment by the Special Purpose Unit (SPU).

The other company is Guygulf International Trading Development, which not only bid for Skeldon, but also the Rose Hall and Enmore Estates. Guygulf is the parent company of local subsidiary Nand Persaud.

Guyana Times first broke the news of the ‘secret’ deal inked between the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) and the Trinidadianbased company to pursue the possible development of an ‘Integrated Sugar Cane Processing Facility’ at the Skeldon Sugar Estate.

The aim of the project was to realise power generation, ethanol production, rum production, solar power production, and construction of liquid bulk terminal – all utilising the US$200 million Skeldon Sugar Factory, inclusive of all of its assets and cane lands.

According to the MoU inked between the Guyana Government and DRCL, the Trinidad-based company would have benefited substantially once its proposal was approved by the Administration.

The MoU – while not legally binding – dictates expectations in the event of a definitive agreement, including access by DCRL to Skeldon Sugar Factory’s key infrastructure, favourable combinations of tax incentives, and land for sugarcane cultivation and infrastructure.

The company was also set to receive reasonable approval cycles, guarantees on

minimum product take-off by the Government with respect to electric power and fuel ethanol, guaranteed pricing formulae and power export provisions.

This means that while the company would have converted sugar cane into ethanol and electricity from bagasse, the Government would guarantee purchase of the powered generated at a yet to be negotiated price – inherently providing and immediate and guaranteed market for the company should the operations come on stream.

Skeldon’s assets include 9308 hectares of sugar cane under cultivation and a co-generation plant with five generators and two boilers that can generate at least 40,000 kilowatt per hour (kWh) of energy.

Criticisms

Criticisms from observers had included that of Financial Analyst, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, who had observed that D Rampersaud and Company Limited have no past experience in any of the components in the MoU. The company’s website had asserted a five-decade history not in the sugar or any of its related industries, but rather in automotive and automotive accessories – meaning cars and car parts.

The political analysist had observed too that, “the company is basically a Trinidadian auto parts company that is diverted into engineering over the years.

The most they have is in repair of power generation equipment.”

Notably too is the fact that the local witness to the MoU was a local car dealer of, Campbellville, Georgetown.

“How can Go-Invest sign such a MoU with a company to look at sugar production, make rum or ethanol, etc in Guyana… the last time any Trinidadian company managed sugar was in 2007 when the industry was abolished and thousands were out of work,” Dr Ramsaroop had also questioned.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Enmore Estate divestment

Bidders must produce plans for value-added production

By Jarryl Bryan

W

hile a number of bids have been received by the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) from companies – both local and foreign – for the remaining sugar estates, there will be a strong focus on what these companies can do to create value-added products.

A perusal of the information memorandum on the privatisation of the East Demerara Sugar Estate, popularly known as Enmore Sugar Estate, shows this is certainly the case. In section 10 of the document, which was seen

by Guyana Times, all companies tendering for the estates must submit a fiveyear development plan.

Included in this development plan are stipulations that details the company’s plan for producing value-added products must be provided. The bidders also have to provide their plans for collaborating with other local industries to ensure value-added products are made in Guyana.

Value-added production and manufacturing is a critical part of the economic viability of a country.

And while sugar is a primary product that Guyana produces and exports, the revelation that cane juice was being imported from Canada and sold in Guyana made headlines and attracted much attention.

Besides packaged sug-

Cinderella Estate

S

The East Demerara Sugar Estate

ar and other value-added products sugar can be used for, persons have also spoken of the need for by products such as bagasse and ethanol to be produced from sugar, for Guyana’s energy needs.

Expanding

The companies also have to provide a proposed capital plan for modernising and expanding the estate facilities; particularly when it comes to the sugar factory and replanting the fields.

They must also provide details on the financing for capital works, including the source of the money and a marketing plan.

Among the financial information companies have to produce are financial projections covering five years. This must include income statement, balance

sheet and cash flow statement.

In addition, there must be a timetable for implementing the plan. The companies also have to provide information on the economic and social benefits that will be derived from their investment, including earnings and savings in foreign exchange and tax revenues.

“It is a critical consideration that the acquisition of the estate and any development plan that is proposed is capable of being financed without any recourse to the GuySuCo/NICIL or the Government and that it can be funded on a basis that will not materially threaten its viability. The source, amounts and timing of each part of the financing plan should be detailed.”

Assets

According to the memorandum, Enmore consists of 6900 hectares of land under sugar cane cultivation. It also has a packaging plant, which has a total capacity of 40,000 tons of sugar and has indeed packaged sugar from estates across the country.

The memorandum also states that the Enmore Estate is capable of producing 75 tonnes of cane per hectare, with a total of 492,765 tonnes of cane per annum. Out of this, the memo states that 19,711 tonnes of molasses can be produced using an average of four per cent of the total cane ground. In addition, it was noted that there are 10 drainage pumps at the estate, six of which are recent acquisitions. continues on page 11

atiricus was happy as he wended his way to the Back Street Bar. He’d been waiting for two years to get some news about what was going to be the fate of the closed down sugar estates. It wasn’t just that two of his best friends had been sugar workers; he still lived in a village where sugar had been king. Sugar was a way of life that few understood, but Satiricus did; and would miss its passing. And now the good news that bids had been received for the abandoned estates.

“Let’s take a drink for the good news!” said Satiricus as soon as he sat down. “The sugar factories will be grinding again.”

“Who seh so?” demanded Cappo brusquely.

“It’s in all the papers!” said Satiricus in surprise.

“Didn’t you read about the five bids?”

“Five BIDS!” pointed out Bungi. “Bid na mean BUY!” “The boys are right you know, Sato,” said Hari.

“There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip!”

“Well, I was just happy all those fired workers would get their jobs back,” Satiricus explained.

“Sato, pick sense fram nansense,” said Cappo. “If new people buy de estate, yuh na t’ink den guh pay people less, fuh mek prafit?”

“Yes Sato, jus’ like w’en slavery done,” suggested Bungi. “Dem bring in all dem people fram all ova de worl’ fuh wuk fu less!”

“But all of you ignoring Wales didn’t even get a bid!” said Hari. “Why, you think?”

“Can’t figure out why,” said Satiricus, looking at Cappo and Bungi. “You fellas know?”

“Budday, dis guvment a de fus people in de worl’ who fus’ bad ta’k de t’ing dem want fuh sell!” grinned Cappo.

“Remember how dem seh de Wales fact’ry ole an’ bruk dong?” piped up Bungi. “An’nobady can grow cane deh?”

“Yeah,” said Hari. “I remember now the Government said most of the bridges and D&I at Wales were broken down!”

“But why would they do that?” asked Satiricus in bewilderment.

“Ask Nagga Man an’ Rum Jhaat,” suggested Cappo.

“Pure spite, Budday!”

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

LGE 2018

“Don’t be fooled”, Jagdeo tells Alexander Village residents

…as constituency candidate calls for Town Clerk, Mayor to be jailed

A

s the residents of Alexander Village, Georgetown, braved the scattered showers to listen to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Local Government Elections candidates elaborate on their plans for the various constituencies, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told them that they should not be fooled by the Government, alluding to the level of corruption at the Georgetown municipality.

“Do not be fooled. This is not about Royston King and Chase Green; they will put them back again if they win the city and they will continue with the wickedness because they have the majority and that is why we have to fight to take all the seats,” Jagdeo told the residents.

The former President said the PPP’s list of candidates for the Georgetown municipality is one that has more integrity and progressive attitude than the entire A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) slate. He said the names of Mayor Chase Green and Town Clerk King keep coming up but sought to remind the residents that those two are mere actors who are supported by Central Government.

Jagdeo said all the levels of corruption are now coming to light because of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the affairs of City Hall – a CoI which the PPP Local

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and constituency candidates during the Alexander Village meeting on Saturday evening

Government Commissioners fought for.

“They have done all sorts of atrocious things to the residents of the city and now they’re facing what is due to them because the Government with (Communities Minister Ronald) Bulkan and the others did not want the wickedness that they are pursuing at City Hall to come to light.

If you follow the CoI, you will find out how corrupt the administration of City Hall has been for the past several years,” he explained.

He reminded the residents that the PPP Administration never controlled the affairs of the city, rather it is the People’s National Congress and later APNU who have had control for over 52 years. He said they have injected over $30 billion into the city, build-

Bidders must...

“The Government installed six additional pumps which enhanced the drainage capacity of the cultivation and the surrounding communities.

These pumps are traditionally maintained by the estate but arrangements are now being made to remove all social responsibilities from the estate back to the Central Government.”

Bids

A few companies, including several foreign ones, have bid for the estates that are available.

According to the bids that the SPU received, Liberty Investments Inc bid for the Enmore Estate.

Meanwhile, Guygulf International Trading Development bid for the Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore estates. Guygulf International is the parent company of local subsidiary Nand Persaud.

Apart from Guygulf, D Rampersaud and Co Ltd submitted a bid for the Skeldon Estate; Industrial Equipment Sales and Service Incorporation (IESS) will vie for Rose Hall Estate, and Kadem Sugars Inc is in the run-

from page 10

ning for the Rose Hall Estate.

Tenders closed on October 31, 2018. Absent from among the bidders is Demerara Distillers Limited, who in a statement on Friday revealed that it decided not to submit its bid for the Enmore Estate. It acknowledged the importance of the industry both to produce its rum and for sentimental reasons but noted that its due diligence did not justify making the investment.

Liberty investments Inc, the company that bid for the Enmore Estate is a California-based Construction Company that bills itself as a custom home builder. Meanwhile, Florida-based Guygulf International Trading Development has as its principals Hefazul Hakh, Ragindra Persaud and Faiz Al-Abidee.

While Ragindra Persaud is the Chairman of Guyana’s Rice Millers Association, he is also Chief Executive Officer for Guygulf’s local subsidiary. IESS, meanwhile, is a US-based industrial equipment company involved in the oil and gas sector.

ing almost every road and spending US$13 million to move the landfill site from the city to outside.

“We gave subvention.

We forced them to do audits and in the three years of this government, what was revealed is that they

have gone back to their old ways. They are selling City Hall properties without the requisite approvals. They are giving hundreds of millions to friends and families without any procurement and what is coming out is the

impunity in which they presided over the affairs of the city. It is not about Chase Green and Royston King… the PNC/Alliance For Change cabal they have 28 of 30 Councillors at City Hall. None of this would have happened had they exercise any control there but what happened at City Hall was done with the complicity of Central Government,” he said.

The PPP General Secretary also said the Parking Meter Project could not have come on board had Minister Bulkan not signed off on the contract, adding that they are now distancing themselves from the corrupt project.

City Hall woes

Meanwhile, PPP member David Williams, who is a

candidate for the area, riled up the crowd when he said that both King and Chase Green should be in jail.

“Before your eyes the facts are there. The CoI that is currently ongoing shows Royston King has done so much damage, he should not be there at the CoI, he should be in the Camp Street prison. That is where he should belong, and Royston King is just an administrative officer of the Mayor and City Council. There is nowhere in a monarchy a king don’t have a queen and Ms Patricia Chase Green also should be put behind bars,” Williams said.

Several of the constituency candidates also presented their plans for the areas, urging the residents to vote for the PPP.

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Prudent spending can keep City Hall afloat – Solid Waste Director

Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine

Mayor Patricia Chase Green

Town Clerk Royston King

ity Hall can pay its workers and contractors if there is proper management with prudent spending of the revenues that are collected.

This is according to the Solid Waste Management Director of the Mayor and City Council, Walter Narine, who told the Commission of Inquiry, that there are interventions which can be implemented to ensure that there is an influx of financial resources.

One such instance is the millions of dollars being spent to hire private solid waste collectors when there are employees who can do such. The only problem is the lack of equipment to execute these works.

“Presently, the Solid Waste Department is equipped with the staff who are well trained and willing. However, the equipment that we have [which is] four garbage trucks; out of the four, one is operational. It’s totally inadequate.

To manage Georgetown, we would need at least 12 garbage trucks,” said Narine.

One of the recommendations which he would have made to the Council to garner revenues was to implement a licensing fee for garbage trucks and haulers that traverse the city. This was never implemented.

“What I attempted to do was…. you cannot have garbage trucks roaming the streets or any truck hauling garbage in the city and not having it being licensed. The City Council is authorised to licence all vehicles hauling garbage in the city.”

His advice to the Council is to avoid entering debts which might be very hard to pay.

According to him, if all revenues and taxes are collected, City Hall’s expenditure can be sustained and the employees can be timely paid.

“Do not go into debts that you will find very, very hard to pay. The money that we garnered for the year was enough

to pay the garbage collectors till date. From the figures that I have seen, at these statutory meetings from rates and taxes, markets, abattoir, engineering; had we been prudently spending, we could have paid the garbage collectors fully and salaries. To manage any department, you must have a plan. We need to improve,” he told the Commission.

Representing the Commission, Legal Officer Sherwin Benjamin responded, “You’re not improving because you’re about $12 billion in debt and if we’re spending what we don’t have… then we need to make certain drastic decisions.”

The Council owes over $206 million to the National Insurance Scheme while $70 million is unaccounted for in the restoration funds.

Garbage collectors – Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal – also indicated that they were owed a total sum of $150 million.

C

Women placed on 2-year peace bond for offensive behaviour

S

enior Magistrate Fabayo Azore last week placed two women on a bond to keep the peace as a penalty for their threatening and abusive behaviour towards one another.

Lana McLennan and Linzie Wilson were slapped with charges of threatening language and abusive language respectively when they both appeared at the

Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The charge against McLennan stated that on October 29, 2018, at Second Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, she made use of threatening language towards Linzie Wilson whereby a breach of peace was occasioned. McLennan denied this charge.

Meanwhile, Linzie Wilson denied the charge

against her which stated that on the same date and at the same location, she used abusive language towards Lana McLennan, breaching the peace.

However, both unrepresented women told Magistrate Fabayo that they do not want to give evidence against each other.

Magistrate Fabayo placed the duo on a bond to keep the peace for two years.

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Boundary dispute between 2 Indigenous communities erupts …bridge linking villages destroyed

How the R vote will go

T

he Disciplined Forces just voted in the LGE. While the turnout was light – as it usually is at LGEs – the pattern will follow historical trends -- as will the vote on Nov 12 -- and cleave along ethnic lines. The AFC will be wiped out. Those who rail against this tendency foist on the general Guyanese population an awareness of politics and its nuances, and an integration of that knowledge into their political behavior, which investigators have found absent in even the most highly “sophisticated” populations in the world.

In 1964, Philip Converse published a landmark paper, “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics”, which for the first time provided hard evidence – from extensive polling data collected by Michigan University Survey Research Centre – of the almost total lack of familiarity Ravi Dev by ordinary voters of esoteric variables such as “ideology” in making their choices in elections. This shook the world of democratic theorists to the roots, since they had always assumed that the informed and knowledgeable voter formed the bedrock of modern democracies. More recent investigators in this new millennium, following up on Converse’s work, have shown that average voters are actually unaware of even elementary political information, such as what policies are being offered to them in “manifestoes”, and what were the rationales behind them, much less knowledge of ideologies.

In politics, or of any subject for that matter, there would always be a bell-curve distribution on the possession of knowledge of the given issue. That is, there would be some individuals who are very well versed in the subject, even if in relative rather than absolute terms. In politics, these are typically the political elites – especially those ensconced in Universities and think tanks – who are the ideologues.

Research has shown, however, that the problem with these ideologues is that their worldview is influenced inordinately by the tenets of their ideology. They literally see only what their ideology tells them to see. Contrary data and findings are dismissed as “anomalous”, and a few even dismiss the messengers as being “biased”! Luckily, their numbers are always very small – some 2 per cent at maximum.

So what does the general public depend on in making up their minds to vote? One should not equate “political ignorance” with ignorance tout court. Generally, according to Converse and his successors, they go on the basis of their feelings about members of “visible social groupings” (in Guyana, read ethnic groups/race), “the nature of the times”, political parties etc. The voters would have experienced specific circumstances, which guide them in choosing what, on their hierarchy of needs, they believe to be most threatened.

Typically, voters form a heuristic or shorthand summary in determining their political behaviour and voting choices.

In Guyana, we have labelled this heuristic the “Ethnic Security Dilemmas”. This use of a heuristic has been demonstrated in many polities. I have written about the “Black Utility Heuristic” in the USA that emanates from the notion of a “linked fate” that is shared by most AfricanAmericans, regardless of their class position. Based on their history, most African-Americans are still convinced that their individual fate is linked with the fate of the group.

Now that they’re losing their majority, whites have also adopted this position.

In terms of the votes for the AFC in the 2006 elections, this had more to do with the frustrations of many Africans with the leadership of the PNC and their strategy for change than any fundamental change in their heuristic. It was the same for the “cross-over” Indian voters in 2011 and 2015. If a party is out of office for any sustained period, its constituency will look around for alternative leadership.

This does not mean that there are not “non-racial” Africans or “non-racial” Indians. But based on the data from voting patterns, they are few and far between.

There is talk, as usual, of the imminent launch of another “third force”. With the meltdown of the AFC and the regrouping of the PNC in the APNU coalition, there might be some support for this gesture – which is all it will amount to – from the small number across the divide, dissatisfied with Montagues and Capulets.

esidents of the Amerindian community of Wakapau, Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are displeased with the demolition of a functional bridge that provided full access in and out of the community. They are now appealing to the relevant authorities for swift efforts to be taken into the reconstruction of the bridge.

In addition, the bridge also served as a linkage to the community of Akawini.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the discovery of the dismantled connections was made by residents who were about to use the bridge on October 26, 2018.

The bridge is utilised by both communities, mainly for logging, since this is the main source of income in both communities. The residents of Wakapau believe that due

to a boundary dispute between the two communities, someone may have decided to destroy the bridge, using a chainsaw to cut the logs into pieces with the intention of stopping all tractors from transporting logs from Akawini to Wakapau.

The Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry has been informed of the incident, which resulted in Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe visiting the area last Saturday, along with several Police.

Investigations have led to the arrest of a suspect from Akawini.

Residents have since expressed deep concern over the incident and are pleading for investigations to be done speedily, along with assistance for the fixing of the damaged bridge so that their livelihood would not be further hindered. The probe is still ongoing.

The destroyed bridge

14 news

SUnDAY, november 4, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

Change of Govt will not affect Linden to State of the Lethem road project – Brazilian official

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senior Government official from Brazil’s External Relations Ministry has reassured that the commitment to build an all-weather road from Lethem to Linden remains a priority for the country even with a change of Government in Brazil.

Head of the Division of Venezuela, Colombia and Guyana, Ana Beatriz Nogueira, recently said, “the organs responsible for infrastructure in Brazil are aware of the strategic importance of the Linden-Lethem road.”

She further explained that while some key appointments are political in nature, the Secretary of Infrastructure assured that the necessary budgetary arrangements have already been made.

“They have a technical corps that is not usually affected by political changes,”

she said.

Norgueira led a delegation of some 30 officials from various agencies in Brazil to meet with Guyanese counterparts at the Seventh Meeting of the Bonfim-Lethem Border committee that was held in Bonfim on October 30 and 31, 2018.

Meanwhile, Chief Transport Planning Officer in Guyana’s Public Infrastructure Ministry, Patrick Thompson, provided an update on the project during discussions.

“The paving of 454 kilometres of the Linden to Lethem Road and the construction of a deep sea port remain priorities on the infrastructure agenda for Guyana,” he expressed.

The Linden to Lethem roadway is being done in phases, starting with the approximately 125 km section from Linden and Mabura Hills. Some US$120 million

has been guaranteed by the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

In his update at the meeting, the Chief Planning Officer stated that a recently identified international engineering firm is expected to begin the design process in January 2019 which is expected to last for 10 months.

The Guyana-Brazil Joint Commission on Infrastructure is pursuing the detailed designs for Phase 2 of the project, which is the 320-km section between Mabura Hills and Lethem.

Meanwhile, a study is being conducted by a firm from the Netherlands to determine the location for a deep-sea port close to the mouth of the Demerara, Essequibo or the Berbice River.

Despite political changes in Brazil, the border committee made progress on a number of issues including the reestablishment of the Bilateral Commission on Police Cooperation and Drugs with its first meeting set for March 29, 2019. During the discussions, representatives in the security forces of both nations committed to working closer to curb cross border crime. Brazil has agreed to offer training in the initial instance to 10 Guyanese Police Officers in identifying vehicular theft. The two sides were also able to agree on collaboration to combat plant diseases, particularly the Carambola Fruit Fly, which has had implications for trade.

Other areas discussed were health, education, environment, judicial cooperation and the International Road Transport Agreement.

Environment and Trends – Part 2

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Landscape at Kato, Region 8 (Photo credit: Dillon Charles)

ello again, readers. This week we will continue looking at the state of Guyana’s Environment, this time we will focus on… land. Guyana has an area of 83,000 sq. miles, most of which is covered with forest. Most of Guyana’s land belongs to the state (74 per cent), while the rest of it is privately owned or are Amerindian lands. However, two per cent of Guyana’s land mass is used for various socio-economic purposes, which have various degrees of impact. Fortunately for Guyana, compared to many countries in the world, including some of our South American neighbours, these impacts are quite low. This is mainly because there has not been much land transformation.

However, this result should not be taken for granted. According to the State of the Environment Report, deforestation rates are driven mainly by mining and agriculture.

Pressure on land resources

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to regulate land uses. Developmental activities that may place pressure on the environment, including land resources, need to be authorised before they can operate legally. Some activities that may have negative impacts on land resources include: • Mining (both legal and illegal); • Logging (both legal and illegal); • Building of infrastructure (roads, settlements, public facilities, hydro-electricity); • Agricultural activities; and • Fire (biomass burning).

It should be noted that natural hazards, such as floods and forest fires, may also place pressure on the land. However, the degradation resulting from human activities is far worse. Issues such as deforestation and soil erosion, poor waste management, use of pesticides and fertilisers, etc. affect the overall economy of the country. In addition, deforestation is a contributing factor to climate change, since less trees means more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The main concern…

Historically, Guyana has been doing well in terms of deforestation. The country is known to have pristine rainforest, since deforestation rates have been very low (0.06%-0.07%). In fact, Guyana has established with Norway a REDD+ Fund, a system designed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Sadly, the rate is likely to increase due to growing demands for agriculture, timber, minerals and human settlements, and this may occur very soon. Also, with construction of the Georgetown-Lethem Road, access to the forest would significantly increase, becoming a driver of deforestation.

Responses

All hope is not lost. Guyana has put in place many measures, including the Guyana-Norway Agreement, to maintain its record in terms of deforestation rate. The main legislation dealing with forestry is the Forest Act, 2009. The Act ensures sustainable forestry management through the issuance of state forest authorisations.

It also highlights the importance of multiple uses of the forest, including biodiversity conservation and the use of environmental services.

Then there is the National Forestry Policy 2011 which is implemented to ensure effective monitoring and management of the forest. The REDD+ programme is contained in this policy. This enables a robust monitoring, reporting and verification system (MRV), since annual reporting needs to be conducted as part of the Guyana-Norway Initiative.

Additionally, with implementation of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), there will be a more holistic approach, moving away from just placing focus on one area, but allowing for environmental conservation in all sectors.

The EPA, through an EU-FLEGT project, is also building capacity for community forest organisations to ensure they receive Environmental Authorisation for sustainable practices.

Let’s not forget the use of traditional knowledge from the Amerindians to enable land conservation. As they are the original stewards of the land, they are one of the main stakeholders in this process. Although the expected trends are showing that deforestation and land degradation rates will most likely increase, this does not have to be the case. There can exist sustainable logging, mining, and agriculture if people are willing to adhere to legislation and the relevant code of practice, and ensure they are authorised by the EPA. If you wish to know more about the state and trends of land resources in Guyana, you can download the State of the Environment Report 2016 from the EPA’s website, www. epaguyana.org

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

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

CCPA calls on persons to foster a child …as Foster Care Month is launched

Fiscal deficits and their macroeconomic implications

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n a Guyana Times article published on October 28, 2018, it was reported that Guyana recorded an overall fiscal deficit of a whopping $24.268 billion for the period January – December, 2018. This article therefore seeks to put into context what fiscal deficit means, and their macroeconomic implications.

Fiscal deficits, as conventionally defined on a cash basis, measure the difference between total government cash outlays -- including interest outlays, but excluding amortisation payments on the outstanding stock of public debt -- and total cash receipts, including tax and non-tax revenue and grants, but excluding borrowing proceeds. In this manner, fiscal deficits reflect the gap to be covered by net government borrowing, including borrowing from the central bank.

Central bank deficit financing in a constrained fiscal space

The financing of fiscal deficits by central banks is not a new phenomenon in both developing and advanced economies.

However, it has assumed importance particularly in the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis. Generally, budget deficits can be financed in a number forms: increasing fiscal revenues, reduction in expenditure, printing money, or by borrowing from domestic and external sources (Alagidede, 2016). Each of these mechanisms carry different tradeoffs that policy makers have to always bear in mind.

In some countries, there are provisions governing the amount of central bank financing.

A brief review of experiences of developing countries with central banks’ financing of deficits showed varied outcomes. For example, in Costa Rica, the central bank finances 5 per cent of government expenditure and 25 per cent of the national budget. In Bahrain, the maximum amount that can be borrowed is left open to negotiations between the central bank and the Minister of Finance (Alagidede, 2016).

Central bank financing is subject to congressional approval in other countries, such as Korea (Jacome et al, 2012) cited by (Alagidede, 2016); and in some other developed countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, their central banks do not finance deficits at all.

Jacome et al (2012) found that the legal provisions on central bank financing of the government deficit seem to be inversely related to a country’s level of development. The implication is that where countries have lax laws, central banks are allowed to provide advances to the government, which is a common feature in many developing economies, especially those with undeveloped financial systems and shallow tax base. Alagidede (2016) put forward the argument that central bank financing of deficits can be detrimental to economic growth and stability. Continuous central bank financing of structural deficits may undermine their operational autonomy.

Fiscal deficits, current account dynamics and monetary policy

A transition from a fiscal regime in which the budget deficit is set “exogenously” to one in which it “endogenously” responds to the business cycle (as the empirical evidences suggest in the 1990s) may induce a transmission mechanism that amplifies the distortions in the system following a structural shock. Any attempt by monetary policy alone to stabilise the external balance could prove effective, but would require excessive fluctuations in the exchange rate, and imply high costs in terms of inflation and output gap volatility (Giorgio and Nistico, 2008).

Fiscal policy, public debt and monetary policy in emerging market economies

During the 1980s and 1990s, the vulnerability of EMEs to shocks was often exacerbated by high fiscal deficits, underdeveloped domestic bond markets, and large currency maturity mismatches.

In many cases, fiscal and monetary responses were procyclical. Debt management policy played very little part in either the choice of an optimal debt maturity or in stabilising the economy (BIS, 2012).

Fiscal policy remained a major concern for monetary policy in EMEs for much of the past three decades. Unsustainable fiscal deficits and public debt levels created the spectre of fiscal dominance in many countries, leading to high and volatile inflation and elevated risk premia on government debt. An unfavourable exchange rate dynamic–linked to weak fiscal and monetary policy credibility – exposed EMEs to destabilising capital outflows.

The Guyanese context/conclusion

The question was asked: What is responsible for this magnificent fiscal deficit? The answer is very simple. Over the last three years, Guyana has had the largest budgets compared to those under the previous Administration, and almost all of the national budgets have been largely deficit budgets; meaning, the expenditure is greater than the revenue collected. This deficit means it has to be financed by borrowing from both domestic and external sources.

In Guyana’s case, the central bank has also been financing these deficit budgets viz-á-viz the overdrawn accounts, as was cited by other commentators and analysts alike.

The most important concerns at this point in time are those which have been recently highlighted in the Auditor General’s Report, wherein billions of dollars are not accounted for properly.

There are definitely real issues in regard to excessive, wasteful and unproductive spending which need to be addressed. With respect to the actual macroeconomic implications in Guyana’s context, further research and analysis is needed, which is forthcoming.

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

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he Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) has once again dedicated the month of November to foster care; this time around, under the theme “Parenthood is more than just DNA, mentor or foster a child in need of care today”.

The official launch was done on November 1, 2018, with an awareness walk from Bank of Guyana to the Georgetown seawall Band Stand.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday, Director of the Agency, Ann Greene called on persons to come forward and foster a child even as she highlighted the need for awareness when it comes to foster care.

“Foster care is temporary care, meaning that a

child for some reason or the other had to be removed from their home temporarily because something at the home isn’t right so we need to fix something. So foster care is temporary care with the ultimate goal being to return that child to their home or family. Adoption on the other hand is a legal process where the children have to get completely new parents and they become the legal parents,” she reminded.

She encouraged persons to open their hearts and their homes and foster a child.

She pointed out that any interested person will go through the necessary screening process before their application is processed, which includes a background and Police records check.

An awareness walk hosted by the CCPA as Foster Care Month kicks off

According to Greene, the Agency will continue to focus on sensitisation in various groups, including religious organisations as well as Parent Teacher Association (PTA) groups.

“The whole idea about it is to get the buy-in from the public. We want to increase our core list of foster parents because we have over 600 children in institutions,” she informed.

16 news Faulty foundation led to WCD road deterioration D SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

ays after an examination was conducted on the Vreed -en-Hoop public road, West Coast Demerara, to determine the cause of the sunken area, a number of workers were called in to remedy the deteriorated section, reportedly caused by faulty foundation works.

On Saturday morning, a team of contractors were busy digging up the deteriorated area which covered about 100 feet of the road.

A source told Guyana Times that the road began to sink due to defective foundation works previously laid by the two contractors – Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited, a Jamaican company along with BK International Inc. Contractors attached to the two companies were on Saturday digging up the faulty layers and replaying it with other materials.

On Friday, Head of the Works Services Group at

the Infrastructure Ministry, Geoffrey Vaughn told this publication that the contractors are now standing the expenses to conduct repairs to the road, under the defect liability clause in the contract.

He explained during a telephone interview that the contract has a defect liability period, which means any defects which develop, in this case over a year’s time, would have to be repaired by the contractors and not the

Remedial works ongoing on the Vreed-en-Hoop, WCD road

Ministry.

The head of the Works Services Group also pointed out that the Ministry is aware of the situation, hence, it is ensuring that the contractors remedy the road. According to him, “We see the defects, we are cutting the area out now and ensure that there is no further deterioration.”

On Wednesday, workers attached to Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited had begun drilling holes to surround the sunk-

en section of road at Vreeden-Hoop, as they explained that they were conducting an examination to determine the reason for the sunken section of the roadway.

Guyana Times understands that days before the hole formed, the patch was uneven and rough, causing motorists to avoid using that section of the roadway.

The project which was constructed to the tune of some $9.7 billion was completed this this year by the

two contractors after several hiccups and setbacks.

Back in July when the road was commissioned by subject Minister David Patterson, it was noted that the project was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Some 30.7 kilometers of the West Coast roadway was rehabilitated to include bridges and culverts, new ‘shared-use’ lanes for cyclists and pedestrians at key junctions, the installation of high visibility traffic signs and road markers, the installation of pedestrian footpath bridges, the construction of concrete drains at critical locations and the construction of parking lanes along identified sections of the road, the Department of Public Information reported.

The expansion entailed the improvement of about 30.7 kilometres of the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo just about one-mile East of Parika.

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SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

NIS investment portfolio must be revised – chair Police destroy ganja farm, ...says Finance Ministry input, multistakeholder effort needed

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inance Minister Winston Jordan had challenged the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to make changes to its investment structure for better results. However, according to the entity itself, the Finance Ministry has a responsibility to lead the way in revising key guidelines in the insurance scheme.

In a recent interview with Guyana Times, NIS Chairman, Dr Surendra Persaud acknowledged the need for a revamp of NIS’ investment portfolio. He explained that his Board, which includes big names in the Private Sector and the unions, has been looking into the matter.

“The Board has been continuously looking at how the investment portfolio is handled,” Persaud explained.

“There exists a document called the prudential framework, which is a guideline on how the NIS fund is to be invested. When we met at the NIS, the current investment was not consistent with that framework.”

“So step one was to try to bring it in line. Step two is to then look at new and novel ways and the Board has been looking at all of this.

We (were) waiting on the actuarial report to offer some recommendations and other suggestions. There is a need to revise it and it’s a continuous project. But no firm decisions have been made.

The first step is to realign

the fund with the prudential framework.”

Persaud explained to this publication that the framework speaks to what percentage of NIS funds can be placed in a single investment, domestic or foreign.

He related that this also speaks to what percentage can be used for short, medium and long-term investing.

“That document is quite old and that document will likely have to be revised.

That is going to be a significant multistakeholder effort. That is something the Ministry of Finance will possibly have to take on as opposed to the NIS. It requires a skillset in finance.”

“That’s an investment decision. The Ministry of Finance is the responsible Ministry over the National Insurance Scheme. So anytime you change that, they would have to approve the process.”

Investments

The NIS has a number of investments. But speaking at the insurance scheme’s 49th anniversary, General Manager Holly Greaves, had informed the gathering that the scheme is grappling with low returns on its investments.

“The scheme continues to be faced with low interest rates and no interest from some of its non-performing investments. Nevertheless, investment income will be boosted from a Government

NIS Chairman, Dr Surendra Persaud

guaranteed investment in NICIL earning interest of 4.5 per cent over the next five years (GuySuCo) bond.

In addition to this, we have so far received $774 million in interest and capital from the Government Debenture which was set up to repay the CLICO investment.”

This is coupled with decreased payments from contributors. NIS Finance Controller Jacqueline Scotland, who, along with other senior officers appeared before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services in August of this year, had revealed that NIS stood to lose $414 million in earnings this year owing to a combination of factors.

Scotland disclosed that the Scheme’s current fund stood at $31.9 billion as at June 30, 2018. It was also noted that the Guyana Sugar

Corporation (GuySuCo) is one of the largest defaulters, owing in excess of $1.5 billion to NIS. At the time, Greaves told the committee that the sugar company had paid off the debt, except for $250 million in accumulated interest on the outstanding amount.

Greaves said the Scheme planned to take legal action against GuySuCo to recover the money and had served a demand notice.

NIS has implemented a debt management section to pursue persons who owe the Scheme. But, even with this new system, there are fears about continued slippage of contributions, as against the payment of benefits. This year, NIS is expected to pay out $23.6 billion, with contributions projected to reach $23.2 billion.

With the closure of the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales and East Demerara factories, which saw close to 5000 workers being fired, NIS is staring down the barrel of a significant loss of revenue from declining contributions and increased pay outs.

camp on Essequibo Coast

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The ganja farm at Onderneeming backlands, Region Two

olice on the Essequibo Coast have destroyed a marijuana farm along with a makeshift camp found at the Onderneeming backlands, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

According to reports, acting on information received, a party of Policemen went to the Onderneeming Sandpit Backlands at about 11:00h on Friday.

Upon arrival at the location, the ranks discovered about half an acre of marijuana plants.

The farm had approxi-

mately 600 cannabis plants measuring from five inches to five feet in height with an estimated weight of 25 kilogram, along with a quantity of dry cannabis, amounting to some 2 kilograms.

In addition to the plants, there was a makeshift camp with three hammocks, kitchen utensils, clothing, groceries and farming tools.

The plants, dry cannabis and camp were destroyed by fire and the area was marked for further investigation. No arrest was made at the farm.

18 news

SUnDAY, november 4, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

CCJ to hear appeal on GECOM’s chair appointment

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he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), in accordance with Section 6(c) of the CCJ Act, Chapter 3:07, has granted leave to Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha to challenge the Guyana Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the appointment of Justice (retd) James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The Guyana Court of Appeal’s ruling, handed down on October 19, 2018, upheld the High Court’s ruling that President David Granger was well within his rights when he unilaterally appointed Patterson as GECOM Chairman.

Mustapha has been ordered to, within the next three months, lodge $750,000 with the Supreme Court Registrar as security costs.

Additionally, he would have to conform to the requirements of Rule 10.6 (2) (b) of the amended CCJ Rules by providing a list of documents which he proposes to

PPP Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha

be included in the Record of Appeal.

He is being represented by Attorney Anil Nandlall, while Government is being represented by Solicitor General Kim Kyte-Thomas.

Chief Justice Roxane George ruled on June 9 that the Constitution of Guyana allows for the President to unilaterally appoint someone to fill the position of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Justice George’s ruling came after the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had, on October 23, 2017, filed an injunction to have the court rescind the unilateral appointment of Justice (retd) James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM. The motion was filed in the name of PPP Executive Secretary and Member of Parliament Zulfikar Mustapha just days after President David Granger had made the announcement in regard to Patterson.

The Appellate Court’s unanimous ruling was handed down on October 19 by acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and fellow Appellate Court Justices Dawn Gregory and Justice Rishi Persaud. The Appellate Judges agreed with Justice George that Justice Patterson’s appointment was not unconstitutional. They said the President was empowered to appoint a Judge, retired Judge, or someone with the qualifications there-

GECOM Chairman, Justice James Patterson

of if he deemed the Opposition Leader’s list unacceptable.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had sent to the Head of State three lists each comprising of six nominees he had proposed to be considered for the post of GECOM Chair, but this totality of 18 names was rejected by the President, who

declared that the named persons were unacceptable.

Justice Gregory, in her decision, observed that the manner in which the three lists were submitted did not achieve consensus.

Justice Persaud determined that any move towards unilateralism was wholly unacceptable, could lead to abuse, and would not be motivated by good faith. He, however, outlined that there was nothing to suggest that the President acted “unconstitutionally, illegally or unreasonably in appointing the retired Judge as GECOM Chair. “The appointment of a former Judge results itself in impartiality and fairness, and can only lead to establishing the intended balance prescribed for as a whole,” Justice Persaud had observed.

Chancellor CummingsEdwards had declared that Mustapha’s case had no bear-

ing in affecting the elections process, as the challenge to Justice Patterson’s appointment was filed well before the date before LGE was proclaimed.

The most senior Judge had, however, outlined that once the President found the list to be in what the framers of the Constitution opined as “not acceptable”, he could select a Judge, retired Judge or one that holds the relevant qualifications. Justice Cummings-Edwards in fact held the view that this decision was in keeping with the proviso to Article 161(2) of the Constitution. She declared that Justice George’s High Court decision upholding the appointment was correct.

She had also observed that the retired Judge was qualified to serve in the chairman’s post, having served in the Commonwealth, with Guyana being included in this grouping.

ECD man goes berserk …injures 3 persons

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Injured: Reyaaz Khan

man who was said to be mentally unstable, went berserk on Friday evening around 19:00h at a supermarket at Foulis, East Coast Demerara, causing at least three men to be injured in the process.

One resident of the said area, Reyaaz Khan, 43, was on his way with his wife, Twinkle, to make a purchase at the supermarket

when the man dealt the 43year old a cuff to his face.

The man immediately began bleeding and was taken to the Enmore Police Station where a report was lodged.

However, as a result of the injuries Khan sustained, the officers at the Police Station encouraged him to seek medical attention.

The man’s wife told Guyana Times that her husband was taken to the

Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre that evening, where they were told that he requires a CT scan.

He was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital and only received treatment hours later before being sent away. Khan, who suffered a broken cheek bone, is expected to undergo surgery.

The man’s relatives are however calling for swift action to be taken against the aggressor who is a known troublemaker in the area.

According to residents, the man would usually get away with unlawful acts since one of his immediate relatives is affiliated with members of the Guyana Police Force.

Guyana Times was told that it was after much persuasion that the man was arrested and is currently assisting with the investigation.

sunDAY, november 4, 2018

Trojans looking to extend winning streak against Guardians ‌Kobras looking to maintain form over Pacesetters

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ith the action continuing in the 2018 Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme/Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Under-23, First and Second Division League at the Burnham Hard Court the Ug Trojans will have to face the unstoppable Plaisance Guardians, while the Kobras will look to upset the Pacesetters in the Under 23 division.

In the last match up for the Plaisance Guardians they were set to face the Kobras. With the Guardians riding a wave of terrific form, it was a foregone conclusion that they would easily emerge winners. However, the script was written otherwise, and the Kobras prevailed to leave the shellshocked Guardians staring incredulously at a score of 63-60 in favour of the Kobras. For the Trojans they pummeled the out-ofform Pepsi Sonics as they became the first team in the tournament to pass 100 points. As per norm, the Sonics played in a lackluster manner, failing to convert opportunities into A lot will be expected of Jabari Joseph as the baskets and Trojans are set to face the Guardians having one too many passes stolen from them. The Sonics were not able to take the lead in any of the quarters as all thanks to the efforts of Jabari Joseph, who had 24 points while Kadeem Peterkin and Damani Thomas had 19 points each, defeating them 111-30. The Trojans are expected to win this matchup as they have been in impeccable form and will look to feed off of the defeat of the Guardians.

For the Kobras defeating the Guardians was a huge boost of confidence even if it was by three points as the game ended 63-60. Scoring for the Kobras, Akeem Morrison led with an impressive 20 points, supported by Akil Hughes and Justin Algu with 14 and 11 points respectively. For the Pacesetters who were looking to get revenge against the Eagles in their last game failed miserably as they were defeated by a mere point – 96-95 thanks to Captain Shamar Huntley who led his side with 30 points, the ever-consistent Sherland Gillis and Nickcocie Allicock both contributed 21 points. But, the Kobras should still have a watchful eye as when the Pacesetters had lost to the Eagles George Yearwood top scored with a massive 34 points which was the highest for the night. The match can go 50-50 as both teams have exemplary players but the Kobras are expected to win as the Pacesetters at times tend to depend on one player majority of the times and somehow manage to fall away from playing as a team.

If the Trojans and Kobras are to win they must play as a unit and make conversions of every opportunity given to them and be tactical in their offense and defense, but it will require intense training that will push them to their limits.

(Timothy Jaikarran)

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guyanatimesGY.com

SUnDAY, NOVEMber 4, 2018

Live ProActive touching the nation through sports

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ith the month of October completed, Live ProActive collaborated with GT&T to launch many sporting activities under the Pinktober theme as they felt the urge to inform the public of the importance of a physically active lifestyle.

Live ProActive is a group of young professionals keen on empowering individuals through effective communication, knowledge sharing, practical sessions, positive psychology, sustainable life skills and resources for personal growth, the development of the environment and positive transformation in families and communities. Some of the programmes offered are psychological and social wellness workshops in: physical wellness courses in nutrition and exercise programs, environmental wellness with consultations in Eco - friendly solutions, occupational wellness with counselling sessions and life skills such as First Aid and CPR training and more.

Pinktober participation

Some members of the Live ProActive team recently took part in a National effort to raise awareness for Cancer as they felt

the importance for the general public recognize those who have lost their lives to this dreadful disease, along with family members and friends still in the fight. Thus the organization felt the urge to keep helping others in the effort to care for those in need as they continue to raise awareness. This year they were able to participate in GTT’s Pinktober 2018 to help raise awareness about Cancer.

The organisation offered Zumba, Tai Chi, Yoga, basic and advanced Self-Defence, and Kids’ Karate of which the sessions were free of charge to the public.

Two of such activities held were, Tai Chi which is a relaxing exercise that helps to reduce stress, soothes muscles and old injuries with slow paced intentional movements. With classes being held on Mondays from 6:30 pm to 7:30pm Dr. Nazim Yassim, a well-known Karate expert in Guyana, conducted the Pinktober Tai Chi class in which many citizens pledged their allegiance as they turned out. Self Defence practices using Karate techniques are critical skills, especially in places where crime is rampant. Karate builds confidence and promotes discipline. These classes are still being held by 2nd

CrumEwing

keen on making a name for himself F

Dan black belt Miranda Bennett at Berea International College at Brickdam next to Impeccable Hall at a cost of $2500 per month.

As such Live Proactive believes that everyone should have improved healthier lifestyles through physical activities and they are therefore encouraging the population to be aware of a holistic approach to wellness since it would not only be improving their lives but also the lives of children and the next generation.

or Odel Crum-Ewing, life has never been easy, but with his ‘no surrender no retreat’ mentality, he has pushed himself to higher heights despite the challenges he has faced in his journey to becoming one of Guyana’s best bodybuilders.

Growing up in the area of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, Crum-Ewing vividly remembers when he was first introduced to the gym around the age of five. He said he remembers like yesterday going to the Essequibo boxing gym and curling his first weight. At a tender age, he recalled, his uncle Marvis Williams, who competed in many powerlifting competitions in Guyana, was his biggest idol, as he had introduced him to the sport.

Growing in his teen years, he grew fonder of bodybuilding, and always had a keen eye on Mr Universe himself, Hugh Ross, as he vowed to make his name known in the bodybuilding realm of Guyana.

As time progressed he joined Total Fitness Gym, which he would eventually represent in the 2017 Novice Championships. In an exclusive with <<Guyana Times Sport>>, Crum Ewing said, ‘For me, life as a bodybuilder is challenging. Due to my body type, I have a very high metabolism, so I can eat whatever I like, but it is harder for me to put on mass, therefore the way forward is putting in the work to see results”.

Thus he proved the critics wrong and competed in the 2017 Novice Championships, securing first place

Ramos: Real Madrid players will give everything for new boss

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ergio Ramos insisted any prospective Real Madrid coach would have the players’ full support following Santiago Solari’s winning start in LaLiga.

Madrid fortuitously escaped with a 2-0 home victory over Real Valladolid courtesy of two goals in the final 10 minutes of a match they could well have lost.

Valladolid twice hit the crossbar before substitute Vinicius Junior forced home an own goal and Ramos tucked away an 88th-minute penalty.

The Madrid skipper was subjected to whistles at the Santiago Bernabeu, having recently appeared to undermine the proposed appointment of Antonio Conte as Julen Lopetegui’s successor.

But after helping Solari build on the midweek Copa del Rey win over Melilla, Ramos pledged to

back the new boss regardless of their identity.

“We’ll always go to the death with whoever the coach is,” the 32-year-old told beIN Sports.

“Now we have Solari and we will go as far as we can, little by little, game by game, so that we can forget the streak we’ve had.”

Ramos also claimed not to be affected by the mixed reception he received during the match.

The European champions were largely uninspiring in response to last weekend’s El Clasico humiliation and a sense of frustration pervaded the home fans.

“Honestly, I didn’t notice,” the defender said.

“But it’s true that those who have been here the longest have to assume that role.

“I understand that feeling of the fans. I am the captain and the first one that has to lead the way.”

(Sportsmax)

Odel Crum-Ewing strikes a pose in one of his competitions

in the under 165 category, which gave him the opportunity to compete in the Senior category of the bodybuilding championship.

The rule states that when you win a category, all the winners then compete against each other for the overall title, and there he got second. But it was not over for him, as he further went on that night to compete in the Men’s Physique and under 175 categories in which he placed 5th and 2nd respectfully. With all the success he has had, Crum-Ewing said, “For me the sky is the limit, and one day I would like to earn a pro card and compete in the Olympia, my focus right now will be on winning my first Mr. Guyana title, then I want to progress and compete internationally”.

In closing, he said, “I would like to thank God firstly for giving me the health and strength to participate in the sport. I would like to thank the owner and members of Total Fitness Gym for their continuous support.

“I would like to thank my immediate family for support in every little venture and the way they support me, my University gym buddies and Mr. Terry Anderson”.

(Timothy Jaikarran)

sports

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he GFF-Kool Kidz Grassroots programme kicked off yesterday, as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and Guyana Beverages joined forces to offer free, weekly football sessions with professional coaching and healthy refreshments for boys and girls across the nation.

GFF-Kool Kidz GRASSROOTS sessions will take place every weekend in the GFF’s nine member associations – Georgetown, East Bank Demerara, East Several youngsters go through drills under the Coast Demerara, supervision of National goalkeeping coach Eon Deviera West Coast Demerara, their children out to enjoy these free Berbice, Bartica, Upper Demerara, weekly sessions in a safe, professionRupunini and Essequibo/Pomeroon. al environment,” said GFF President Parents will be informed of the lo- Wayne Forde at the Georgetown session cation and timings of each session in held at the Roxanne Burnham Gardens the national media and via the GFF’s playfield. “We are extremely proud to Facebook page. partner with Guyana Beverage. This The early years programme is a cen- kind of support from corporate Guyana tral pillar of the GFF’s football devel- is vital to develop football for all.” opment strategy as the organisation “We are excited to be part of this debuilds a sustainable foundation to es- velopment of our young kids. it’s an extablish football as the nation’s number ample of our commitment to the develone sport, to increase the available pool opment of human capital in Guyana,” of talent, and to teach young players the said Raymond Govinda, Brand Manager basic skills needed to excel in the beau- at Guyana Beverages. “We are happy to tiful game. invest in our children – the future of “The GFF-Kool Kidz Grassroots pro- Guyana.” gramme can transform the future of our Grassroots football programmes profootball. We call on all parents to bring vide age-appropriate sessions for aspir-

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ing players 5-12 years old, in safe and fun environment with trained GFF coach-educators.

Grassroots is a common term usually associated with football for early years’ participation, with a special focus on having fun and learning basic techniques with small-sided games.

“A regular grassroots programme is a vital component in any successful national football development strategy,” said GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood. “We want to greatly increase the number of boys and girls playing football to broaden the pool of talent available for our national teams. We are officially on the lookout for Guyana’s next Messi or Carli Lloyd!”

In Georgetown, boys and girls were put through their paces by men’s national team player and Georgetown Technical Development Officer Vurlon Mills, national goalkeeper coach Eon Deviera and women’s national team player Lakeisha Pearson.

“In my time, I didn’t have an opportunity like this to have a grassroots programme where I could develop my skills and talent from an early age,” Mills said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to come and enjoy football from this young age.”

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W

est Indies allrounder Andre Russell will not be part of the T20I Series against India. It emerged on the eve of the first match in Kolkata that he was injured and had not yet arrived in the country.

ESPNcricinfo understands Russell has been hampered once again by the knee injury that has affected him ever since he made a return to cricket earlier this year after his year-long anti-doping

ban. Russell will have another fitness Test ahead of T10 tournament in the UAE that begins on November 21, following which the West Indies selectors are hopeful he can play on the tour to Bangladesh.

Currently, Russell is busy with rehab, doing strength workouts as well as getting treated on his knee.

Part of the treatment involves being injected with platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

The PRP includes having a portion of the patient’s own blood that has a platelet concentration above baseline to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints, and it can be applied to various musculoskeletal problems.

Russell was one of seven players who

were supposed to join the T20I squad over the last three days, but his absence during the training sessions at Eden Gardens- - his home ground in the IPL -- was conspicuous. He recently played the CPL for Jamaica Tallawahs, and then went to the Afghanistan Premier League, where he played one game for Nangarhar Leopards on October 9, one day after he had been picked in West Indies’ T20I squad. Three days later, on October 12, Russell said on Instagram that he was leaving the APL early because of injury.

The West Indies T20I squad is already depleted by the absence of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis at the top of the order, with both players pulling out due to personal reasons.

(Cricinfo)

WE BELIEVE CUP FUTSAL TOURNAMENT

T

he curtains came down on four days of intense football as the ABSAA-NSC- GFF hosted the second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Female Futsal competition on October 31, 2018 at the National Gymnasium under the theme “WE BELIEVE CUP FUTSAL TOURNAMENT” in honour of cancer survivors.

Organiser of the ABSAA events Junior forester stated that it was great as the girls and ladies played for Cancer Survivors who were at each and every game and even those that could not make it. On Wednesday night cancer survivors were given the ultimate treat as they witnessed two finals namely the Girls and Ladies Combined finals. In the girls finals Marlyn Dewar players were poised as they were set to take on Shirlean Alexander, but it was not the welcoming Shirlean Alexander expected as they were trounced by Marlyn Dewar 3-1. In the ladies combined finals team Nicole Schultz/Rosaline Clarke were defeated by Christine Jardim/ Amina Hassan 2-0 with goals scored by Saicy Adams and Lekesha Pearson.

In a statement Forrester said, “Big hugs and blessings to all our cancer survivors and a truly wonderful group of selfless servants of others from the ABSAA crew. We are one.

A big thank you to Christopher Jones Director of Sports of National Sports Commission (NSC), President Wayne Forde and GS Renita Bourne of Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Simone Basil and all the wonderful participants,” Some of the entities that were able to make this event a success were Christine Anita, Jardim of Outdoors PetShop, Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF), ABSAA Inc and Cancer Institute of Guyana (institute will provide free screening for 8-10 female footballer).

In closing Forrester stated the ABSAA’s plan is always to support youth and awareness event like these as just last month the organization had hosted its first Prostate Cancer Football for men in October. He also stated that they are looking to host a U15 Futsal for Boys and Girls at the end of November and host a football tournament in the month of January as part of cervical awareness month.

22

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SUnDAY, NOVEMber 4, 2018

2

017 champions West Ruimveldt Primary will have the chance to truly defend their championship next weekend when they meet with an equally skilled St. Pius Primary in the Pee Wee under 11 final.

The two teams stamped their dominance and billed their spot in the highly anticipated final, after overcoming their opponents in two exciting semi-final matches on Saturday afternoon.

The first of two semi-finals saw St.

Pius Primary being pitted against Tucville Primary in a riveting encounter. St. Pius’ run in the competition thus far has been squeaky clean, on the other hand, Tucville have been seen as the underdogs after overcoming front runners. As such, the semi-final pairing made for a nail biting forty minutes. Tucville’s defense went to work almost immediately after the commencement of the match up, as Kaden Wellington wasted no time in making his intentions known. However, Tucville’s twin sensation Emmanuel and Samuel Tinch had similar thoughts in mind as they attacked from the jump. The match up was tense for most of the regulated time as both teams sought to fortify their defense, not allowing anything to slip inside. As such, the first half ended with no goals and a handful of missed opportunities.

West Ruimveldt’s captain Jonathan Andries (10) leads the charge for his team With fresh de-

A glimpse of the riveting action between Tucville and St Pius Primary

termination in the second, both teams resumed their advances to the goal, but the majority of the half passed with neither being successful. St. Pius’ top striker Kaden Wellington was not having such a good day but despite this his equally dangerous teammate Jamal Fraser came through with a goal in the 39th minute. That goal would become the decider of the match, as the remaining time was too little for Tucville to muster a reply.

The second semi-final game featured 2017’s winners West Ruimveldt Primary and Mocha Arcadia in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats. As soon as the first whistle blew, little Jiheam Lewis was off weaving his way through the opponent’s defense on his way to the goal, there it was just himself and the goalkeeper in a battle that he won, registering Mocha’s first goal. The East Bank team was all smiles as they managed to uphold the advantage until the end of the second half.

However, the defending champions were not going to go down without a fight as they returned with newfound grit.

West Ruimveldt played a much better half, controlling the ball possession. West Ruimveldt’s resilience seemed to frustrate their opponents, resulting in a goal opportunity which Mark Phillips took and executed well. With the scores levelled and time expiring, the encounter became even more intense as they rolled into extra time. West Ruimveldt’s captain Jonathan Andries was the one to break the ice and the deadlock as he netted a goal in the 42nd minute for West Ruimveldt’s impending win.

Prior to the final next Saturday, Mocha Arcadia and Tucville primary will battle for third place. The remaining teams in the competition will also be playing earlier in the day for positions 5-16. The matches will be played at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue.

By Clifton Ross

T

he Guyana National Stadium at Providence will open its gates today to accommodate the great influx of spectators expected to witness Bangladesh tackle Ireland in the first ICC Women’s World T20 warm-up, which bowls off from 16:00h.

Bangladesh have been the 10th and final team to qualify for the World Cup, but would need to get organised as they play the Irish, who arrived a few days prior to them and should be better acclimatised. Bangladesh is in the dangerous Group A with powerful teams such as the West Indies, England, and South Africa.

Upon their arrival on Friday, Bangladesh’s Rumana Ahmed said during the press conference that the team, led by28-year-old Salma Khatun, a veteran of 53 T20Is, were fixed on winning the World T20 championship.

Ireland, on the other One of the Ireland ladies gets her feet moving during a net session hand, will be eyeing a re-

Ireland squad:

Laura Delany (centre); Kim Garth; Cecelia Joyce; Isobel Joyce; Shauna Kavanagh; Amy Kenealy; Gaby Lewis; Lara Maritz; Ciara Metcalfe; Lucy O’Reilly; Celeste Raack; Eimear Richardson; Clare Shillington; Rebecca Stokell and Mary Waldron.

prise after finishing in the bottom of Group A during the 2016 Women’s World T20.

Having been involved in training camps in Spain, which have similar pitches to those of the Caribbean, The Irish ladies are determined themselves.

Laura Delany, the 25-year-old, will lead this side, which features a few young women as well as some veterans the likes of 37-year-old Clare Shillington, who made her international debut in 1997. Spinner Celeste Raack will also be a key player for the Irish.

Both team have been training at the Stadium, and will now look to take to the pitch a plethora of skills as they look to fine-tune their game ahead of the Cup which bowls off on November 9 at the Providence Stadium.

Bangladesh squad:

Salma Khatun (Captain); Ayasha Rahman; Fahima Khatun; Fargana Hoque Pinky; Jahanara Alam; Khadiza Tul Kubra; Lata Mondol; Nahida Akter; Nigar Sultana Joty; Panna Ghosh; Ritu Moni; Rumana Ahmed; Sanjida Islam; Shamima Sultana (wk); Sharmin Akhter Supta.

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SUnDAY, NOVEMber 4, 2018

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Windies vs India 1st T20I…

New-look Windies seek redemption in familiar format

W

ith a bunch of new faces in the side, a refreshed West Indies will be gunning for revenge following their ODI series loss when they play the Indians in the first of 3 T20s today (Sunday) in Kolkata.

Guyanese hard-hitting all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford, fellow all-rounder Fabian Allen, Jamaican speedster Oshane Thomas, left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, uncanny spinner Khary Pierre, and the dangerous wicket-keeper/batsman Nicholas Pooran will have much to prove on this tour.

After recently leading the CCC Marooners to their maiden Regional Super50 title, Windies T20 Captain Carlos Brathwaite will have much to do. His form as an all-rounder has gained some impetus following a strong Super50, while his experience as an international captain should ease any jitters.

Following disappointing performances in the Tests and ODI series, the Caribbean side will be desperate for a turnaround. Among the 14 is the in-form pair of batters Shai Hope (26th) and Shimron Hetmyer (25th), who made giant leaps into the list of top 30 ODI batsmen, thanks to stellar batting perfromances on their tour of India.

The squad has a great mix of experience and youth, which presents a great opportunity for preparation for the 2020

West Indies T20 squad: Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite – (Captain), Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

WT20 Championship. The squad has seven first-timers for the WINDIES in this format at the international level, all of whom would have represented the WINDIES B and A for tours to Canada and England.

The Guyanese batting star Hetmyer is in impeccable batting form ever since the Home series against Bangladesh. He then carried his form into the HERO CPL, where he thrilled fans with his bold hitting, before cracking a century in the just-ended ODI series.

During the pre-match press-conference, when reminded of the West Indies 5-2 record against the Indians in T20Is Brathwaite said, “We’d like that to read 8-2 after the T20Is, but India starts off as favourites.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chairman of Selectors Courtney Browne stated recently, “With the T20 World Cup two years away, the process of rebuilding Veteran T20 batsman Kieron a squad to be a competitive unit for the tournament is Pollard will have much responsibility on his shoulders critical at this stage. The introduction of young talent at this time gives the coaching staff some lead time to Test debut.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre is among help them develop their skills, and for the team to develop into Windies will also the few fresh faces on tour that could a very competitive unit”. be fancying them- grab their opportunity at cementing Browne continued, “The team retains some experienced selves, as a number, a spot in the Windies side players who will work alongside the younger group, which is if not all of their playvery important for their development. The journey will begin ers, have been in tremendous T20 form dating back from the without some of our stalwart, noticeably Chris Gayle, Marlon Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), coupled with their Samuels and Samuel Badree. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine forms in the Super50. are injured at this time. Ashley Nurse will miss both the reAlso with the return of the classy Darren Bravo and Kieron mainder of the India tour and the Bangladesh tour as he re- Pollard, who has made India his second home of cricket, havcovers from his injury. We wish the team every success on a ing played IPL since its inception, will provide major buffs for challenging assignment in India”, he ended. the team.

At an average of 76.06 at the world-renowned, bowlAs former 2-time World T20 champs, Windies will have ing-friendly Eden Gardens, India batting maestro Rohit much to live up to; while India, who is no stranger to T20 gloSharma will be key for his team. In 20 innings he has crossed ry, will want to stretch their dominance into the shortest for50 eight times, going on to a century four times, including on mat and possibly secure a clean sweep of the tour.

GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships

Final matches promise exciting action

J

udging from the last of the preliminary matches played on Friday evening, the finals of the GTT National Indoor Hockey championships are sure to be thrilling.

Old Fort Lamborghini handed Bounty GCC their second heart-breaking loss in as many matches with their winning goal on the buzzer in Friday evening’s men’s first division hockey match of the GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships. The win all but guarantees Old Fort a top two spot in the pool and a semi-final berth.

PEPSI Hikers retain their position as favourites in the men’s first division, however, by destroying the Aderemi Simon was a rock in defence for Old Fort challenge of Supernova with an 11-2 response. In the women’s first division tie, the top spot in the pool as a result of their victory.

The PEPSI Hikers, meanwhile, crushed Woodpecker Hikers dispatched Old Fort 2.1.2 by 3-0 to secure their semi-final spot. Old Fort the feeble challenge of Supernova by 11-2 in Mustangs got the better of Antonio’s Hickers a match that never seemed to trouble the seaonce again in the over-35 division, while sec- soned favourites.

The highly anticipated women’s first diviond division powerhouses Old Fort Top Form and the GCC Pitbulls confirmed their posi- sion matchup proved that the Old Fort 2.1.2 tions at the top of each pool with wins over was not quite ready to upset the Woodpecker Hikers, as the latter eased to a 3-0 victory.

Phoenix and Old Fort Rogue respectively.

An Omar Hopkinson goal just four min- National striker Nicole Eastman scored twice utes into the match involving Old Fort for the Hikers, while teammate Maria Munroe Lamborghinis and Bounty GCC rocked added a single.

The PEPSI Hikers lead the men’s first dithe Bourda boys onto their back foot as the vision table with 9, Old Fort Lamborghini Lamborghinis raced to an early lead. GCC was down but not out, however, and managed are in second with 6, while Bounty GCC and to draw even through a Kareem McKenzie di- Saints are in a tie for third spot on 3 points rect penalty corner shot to take the score into each. GBTI GCC Ladies are in the top spot of the women’s first division table on 9 points, half time at 1-1.

The second half saw the teams trade shots with Old Fort 2.1.2 and the Bingo Spartans and split a pair of penalty corners to take the following with 3 points each. Saints are yet to match to 2-2 entering the final match of play. secure points.

In the two-pool men’s second division comJason DeSantos’s high and accurate penalty corner flick for Old Fort in the 24th min- petition, Old Fort Top Form lead Pool A with ute was matched by a low, hard Dwayne Scott 6 points while GCC Pitbulls lead pool B with 6. GBTI GCC Spice lead the second division shot in the 33rd minute.

With the clock winding down on what table with 9 points, followed by Bingo GCC seemed like a certain draw, DeSantos pounced Spartans on 7, Woodpecker Hikers on 4, and on a loose ball from a GCC defensive fumble Saints with 3. Old Fort Goal Chasers remain and fed the ball into the GCC goal literally in without points.

The final matches of the 2018 GTT Indoor the final second of play.

The jubilant Old Fort set themselves up to Hockey Championships will bully off today at challenge the unbeaten PEPSI Hikers for the the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Windies vs India 1st T20I…

New-look Windies seek redemption in familiar format Pg 23

Windies T20 Captain Carlos Brathwaite during the pre-match press conference ahead of the 1st T20

Ireland, Bangladesh square off

Pg 22

in Women’s T20 warm-up at Providence

The Ireland ladies during their training session at the Providence Stadium

Scores of children to benefit from Kool Kidz Grassroots programme

Pg 21

Participants in the GFF-Kool Kidz Grassroots programme which commenced on Saturday

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Feature

D

eepawali, Deepavali, or Diwali is the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals.

It is the Festival of Lights: deep means "light" and avali "a row" to become "a row of lights". Diwali is marked by five days of celebration, which literally illuminates

the country with brilliance and dazzles people with joy.

The Diwali festival occurs in late October or early November. It falls on the 15th day of the lunar Hindu month of Kartik, so it varies every year. Each of the five days in the festival of Diwali is marked with a different tradition. What remains constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment, and a sense of goodness.

Historically, Diwali can be traced back to ancient

India. It most likely began as an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali. Some believe it to be a celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, to Lord Vishnu. Others use it as a celebration of her birth-

day, as Lakshmi is said to have been born on the newmoon day of Kartik.

Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama (along with Ma Sita and Lakshman) from his 14year exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and set off firecrackers.

Each day of Diwali has its own tale to tell. The first day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife, Satyabhama.

Amavasya, the second day of Diwali, marks the worship of Lakshmi when

she is in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.

Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who, in his dwarf incarnation, vanquished the tyrant Bali and banished him to hell. Bali is allowed to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps and dispel darkness and ignorance while spreading the radiance of love and wisdom.

It is on the third day of Diwali, Kartika Shudda

Padyami, that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

Some people refer to Diwali as a five-day festival because they include the festival of Dhanteras (dhan meaning "wealth" and teras meaning "13th"). This celebration of wealth and prosperity occurs two days before the Festival of Lights.

The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband, Lord Shiva. She decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year.

All of the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story behind them.

Homes are illuminated with lights, and firecrackers fill the skies as an expression of respect to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, and prosperity.

The spiritual significance of Diwali

Beyond the lights, gambling, and fun, Diwali is also a time to reflect on life and make changes for the upcoming year. With that, there are a number of customs that revellers hold dear each year.

Give and forgive. It is

common practice that people forget and forgive the wrongs done by others during Diwali. There is an air of freedom, festivity, and friendliness everywhere.

Rise and shine.

Waking up during the Brahmamuhurta (at 4 am, or 1 1/2 hours before sunrise) is a great blessing from the standpoint of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work, and spiritual advancement. The sages who instituted this Diwali custom may have hoped that their descendants would realise its benefits and make it a regular habit in their lives.

Unite and unify. Diwali is a unifying event, and it can soften even the hardest of hearts. It is a time when people mingle about in joy and embrace one another.

Prosper and progress.

On this day, Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books and pray for success and prosperity during the coming year. People buy new clothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase new clothes for their employees. Homes are cleaned and decorated by day and illuminated by night with diyas. The best and finest illuminations can be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with thousands of lamps.

This Festival instils charity in the hearts of people, who perform good deeds.

This includes Govardhan

Puja, a celebration by Vaishnavites on the fourth day of Diwali. On this day, they feed the poor on an incredible scale.

Illuminate your inner self. The lights of Diwali also signify a time of inner illumination. Hindus believe that the light of lights is the one that steadily shines in the chamber of the heart.

Sitting quietly and fixing the mind on this supreme light illuminates the soul.

It is an opportunity to cultivate and enjoy eternal bliss.

From darkness unto light...

In each legend, myth, and story of Diwali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil. It is with each Diwali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.

From darkness unto light â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the light empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds and brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of firecrackers, joy, togetherness, and hope.

Diwali is celebrated around the globe. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light, and illuminate the soul. (Patil, SM. "Diwali: Festival of Lights Light Up Your Life)

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NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

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Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

n what is described as the darkest night in the year, Hindus celebrate the auspicious occasion of Diwali, and the epic that goes with this festival states that it was the night Shree Ram, along with his wife, Sita, and brother Lakshman returned home to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. It goes on to say that as the people in the Kingdom of Ayodhya prepared for the arrival of their beloved Shree Ram, they lit the pathways with little earthen lamps so as to illuminate the dark path to the palace.

That is the story I have been hearing for the past 26 years, every Diwali, and the memories associated with the festival are some of my most cherished. As a child and well into my adolescent years, I would go to the side of the trench and collecting mud (clay) and rolling it in some sand (for what reason I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know) and then sitting beside my grandmother as she demonstrated how to make the perfect diya to light later that night.

Every Diwali morning, my grandmother, Margaret, would sit with her bucket of mud and make her diyas to light. We would sit with her, but rather than being helpful, we would create a ruckus, which often resulted in us being shooed away. But no matter how much she shooed us away, we would look at how effortlessly she would shape and smooth those little masterpieces.

She was a hero and the best diya maker we had ever known. As we grew up, we would sit with her and make our own versions of diyas and leave them out to bake in the sun for the day while we went ahead helping mommy prepare the sweetmeats and treats for the feast later in the night.

While she was alive, my grandmother would usually make about 10 mud diyas which she would place at the altar in her house, at the bridge and at the Shiva Mandir in the yard. She would always say that those were the most important places as we pray for our homes to be blessed with the presence of Shree Ram. Not a year would go by without us having at least three such diyas every Diwali.

We relished making them and getting the finest mud as well as vying for grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval. No matter how many cracks

we had in our diyas or how deformed they were she always gave us a thumbs up for effort and would reluctantly allow us to light them later in the evenings a l o n g with others. Those are the memories about Diwali I treasure to this day.

Most people, in my area, would use store-bought clay diyas for Diwali and just dispose of them the day after in the trench as they would dissolve over time. That is also practised by my family since the task of making mud diyas is considered tedious. However, in my village, there was one particular household that used only mud diyas when it was Diwali.

It was located a few yards away from where I live and as a child, I used to be mesmerised by the sight of Uncle Bango sitting under the cashew tree at the front of his yard for hours rolling mud and shaping them into the most perfect diyas.

As times progressed and development became rapid in my community, we lost that tradition. Now when it is Diwali, everyone goes to the supermarket and buys the clay diyas and pre-rolled cotton wicks and just lights away. Another thing that is becoming popular is the wax diyas which reduce the mess of using the coconut oil or ghee to light diyas.

As for my family, after my grandmother died in 2011, no one had the courage to make mud diyas and now we just do not do it anymore. I am also not sure when Uncle Bango stopped making his diyas at the front of his yard, but for the past two Diwalis, I have not seen him doing that.

However, I am told that there are certain parts of Guyana where the Hindu community has not lost the tradition of making the little earthen lamps and for that I am happy. Those little lamps signify so much.

They have the ability to instantly shed light and brighten where they are placed.

Maybe, this year, I would make a few of those diyas in honour of my grandmother.

After being unable to find an image of a mud diya online, I went home and made one so here it is.

4

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Feature

I

n the early days, we would see women with their brooms, buckets and cloths perched on ladders or tables stretching to reach every nook and cranny of their houses to ensure that it is cleaned to perfection, as they prepare for the arrival of Ma Lakshmi. It is believed that the goddess of wealth visits every home that is illuminated with little oil lamps on what is believed to be the darkest night of the year.

The festival of Diwali is one that is mostanticipated by the Hindu community, since it is a time for reflection and shining light on the darkness in their lives. It is a time when they are at their most forgiving and it signals the start of a lot of new things. In some cases, even new traditions.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, change is the law of the universe and we have indeed seen change as the only constant when it comes to how we celebrate the Festival of Lights. In the earlier days, there was a certain level of community when it comes to the celebration. Everyone would come together and chip in to make the celebration one that was for all.

As time changed so did society. Today, we see the disintegration of the level of community when it comes to certain aspects of Diwali. Back then, it was taboo to say that

you are going to buy all your sweets and savoury snacks from a caterer or restaurant as opposed to labouring all day preparing them. Of course, back then, very few women had full-time jobs and those things were expected of them.

But as time progressed, expectations dropped and now, it is perfectly fine to have a caterer cater to the needs of you and your family.

Over the years, people have found their own reasons to make Diwali unique.

Traditional celebrations would entail laborious cleaning of the house weeks in advance, lavish preparations including sweets and savouries, and the purchase of new clothes for the family. In the days gone by, people would do most things themselves, and little was left to purchase. Other than the clothes, ladies preferred completing all other arrangements at home.

Sweets were prepared at home by the ladies, the cleaning was done with the help of the men, and the arrangements were made with the children. While we know Diwali as a time to greet everyone and share special moments, the build-up to Diwali was special in the early days. Men would gather together weeks in advance to find ways to make Diwali special. Ladies would work together

to make sweets and food, making this truly a community occasion.

The Hindu community, particularly, has changed the way in which they celebrate Diwali now. There was a time when the only lights that illuminated the yards and homes of Hindus were those of the little earthen lamps powered by coconut oil or ghee. But now the scenes are different with houses elaborately wrapped in fairy lights twinkling away without the threat of being doused by the wind. We are seeing fewer diyas being lighted to illuminate the pathways and more ornamental lighting taking centre stage.

Also, one of the biggest changes, in the Guyanese context, is the virtual disappearance of the little mud diyas that were usually made on Deepavali day or the day before and left in the sun to bake. They are hard to find in homes since it is much easier to pick up some clay diyas from the supermarket.

Despite all the changes, Diwali still remains relevant in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society, because it fosters unbreakable bonds and reignite the camaraderie and togetherness in us. So go out there and light a diya, despite your religious beliefs, and illuminate your heart so there is space for more people in it.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

G

u y a n a is one of the most unique countries in the world: it is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, but it is also a place where everyone despite religious beliefs partakes in the celebrations of others. That is what truly makes Guyana a unique place and we see the true realisation of motto â&#x20AC;&#x153;One People, One Nation, One Destinyâ&#x20AC;? whenever there is a religious festival.

It does not matter whether the Muslim community is celebrating Eid, the Christian, Christmas or Hindu, Holi, you are sure to see Guyanese from all walks of like decked on in their appropriate outfits enjoying whatever the cel-

ebration has to offer.

One such festival that has been fostering cohesiveness since time immemorial is the festival of Diwali or the Festival of Lights as it is referred to. Diwali is among the most celebrated of all Hindu observances. Elaborate and lavish, this holiday is enjoyed by all strata of society. This is a festival eagerly awaited by each member of the family, whether young or old, and is equally enjoyed by all.

Diwali has a varied relevance to each person, but what remains common about the festival is the fact that it brings joy, peace and happiness. This is perhaps the only occasion where everyone comes together with-

times.

According to ancient epics, the celebration of Diwali began when Lord Rama was welcomed back into his kingdom of Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana.

The lighting of lamps in his honour, cleaning out of

out inhibition. It is also among the few Hindu festivals where people of all faiths come together in celebration. Diwali has a deeprooted tradition and is very rich in significance. What has perhaps made Diwali as special as it is today is the fact that its genesis has been traced back to ancient

homes and grand decorations were apparent all over the city, and the bright illumination of Ayodhya is what gave Diwali most of its character. Diwali is still considered today the Festival of Lights, and not without perfect reason.

If you are to examine the fabric of the Guyanese society you would see that Guyanese from all walks of life would visit their Hindu friends on this night and indulge in the delicious sweetmeats and the lighting of the symbolic diyas. You would find them lining the streets adoring the wonderfully decorated homes and yards lined with diyas with their flames swaying in the rhythm of the night breeze.

It is a day when race and religion are forgotten and perfect strangers become friends. It is a night where people call strangers off the road and have them indulge in the festivities. It is a truly remarkable sight, and a gesture that makes a lot of people happy beyond bound-

aries.

It is believed that charity starts begins at home, and on Diwali Day those who gives charity get eternal bliss and salvation. It also ensured that no family was burdened, and that no family was excluded from celebrations either. This was, in some way, the real spirit of Diwali, which was a time for bonding, and spreading sweetness.

Diwali was special in the

early days. Men would gather together weeks in advance to find ways to make Diwali special. Ladies would work together to make sweets and food, making this truly a community occasion.

The level of camaraderie when it comes to celebrating festivals in Guyana is unbeatable. We Guyanese are truly unique irrespective of our beliefs. Shubh Deepavali.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Feature

O

ne of the things that make Guyanese, particularly the Hindu community, distinctive when it comes to celebrating the Festival of Lights is not the brightly illuminated yards and houses or the bursting of elaborate fireworks, rather it is something as simple as the annual Diwali Motorcade.

You can travel the entire world and would never witness such a spectacle as that organised by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) as part of its annual Diwali Motorcade. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on November 6 and the series of countrywide motorcades has already begun.

We can expect to see people of all walks of life as well as different nationalities enjoying the scenes of the brightly lit floats all sending a message that goes hand in hand with the significance of the Diwali festival.

Thousands of people would line the streets along the routes the Motorcade would take and also pack the converging sites as they

experience the cultural explosion organised by the GHDS. The Motorcade is now entrenched in our traditions since it has been around for almost 45 years now. Like the celebration of Diwali, the Motorcade has evolved over the years with more floats taking part, all trying to outshine the other. The preparation that goes into hosting the countrywide motorcade is nothing short of herculean, since some mandirs and organisations would start making their floats months prior to the date of the Motorcade.

The common theme portrayed is that of the return of Lord Rama along with Ma Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile or that of Maa Lakshmi seated on the lotus flower showering her blessings on the world. She is the representation of wealth and prosperity, and it is believed that when worshipped on Diwali Day, a prosperous life is guaranteed.

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NOVEMBER 4 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

R

angoli is an art form, originating in the Indian subcontinent, in which patterns are created on the floor or the ground using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali or Tihar, Onam, Pongal and other Hindu festivals in the India. Designs are passed from one generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive.

Rangoli is derived from the Sanskrit word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rangavalliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which means colour. The purpose of rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. Design depictions may also vary as they reflect traditions, folklore, and practices that are unique to each area. It is traditionally done by girls or women.

Rangoli designs can be simple geometric shapes, deity impressions, or flower and petal shapes (appropriate for the given celebrations), but they can also be very elaborate designs crafted by numerous people. The base material is usually dry or wet powdered rice or dry flour, to which sindoor (vermilion), haldi (turmeric) and other natural colours can be added. Chemical colors are a modern variation. Other materials include colored sand, red brick powder and even flowers and petals, as in the case of flower rangolis. Here are some simple designs for you to try out.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2018

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Fashion

Lehendga Choli

A

n important part of the Hindu celebration of Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is to dress according to the various traditions. The festivities during Diwali are marked by vibrant colors, as well as the themes of light and illumination, so wear clothes that reflect the joy and excitement of this 5-day celebration. Most people at Diwali wear a lot of jewellry, henna paint, and in tradition people go out and buy new clothes specifically for Diwali.

Before dressing in these new clothes that you have bought, you must have a bath and cleanse your skin, washing away all the evil in your life. Most clothing for Diwali is brightly coloured because it will reflect the light and illumination, which is the whole theme of Diwali. So here are some of the vibrantly coloured pieces you can purchase for your Diwali celebration.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Home & Cooking

• • • • • • • • •

Ingredients:

• 1½ liters Milk (full fat) • 2½ tablespoons Sugar • 1/2 teaspoon Green Cardamom Powder • 10 Almonds sliced • 5-7 strands Saffron • 10 Pistachio, sliced

• • • • • • •

Ingredients: 1 cup Sugar 3 Green Cardamom pods 1 1/2 cups Water 2 cups Milk Powder 1/2 cup all purpose flour One pinch baking poweder 4 tablespoons Ghee 1/4 cup Milk Oil or Ghee, for deep frying

Ingredients

2 Cup Besan (Chickpea Flour) 1/2 Cup Fine Sugar 8 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter) 4 Tbsp Milk 1/2 Tsp Cardamom Powder 6 Almonds - made into flour 1 Tbsp Oil – To be used on hands

Directions 1. In a pot add water, sugar, cardamom pods and bring to a boil until 1/2 string consistency. (About 8-10 minutes on high heat). Let cool.

2. In a bowl mix milk powder, flour, baking powder and ghee. Use fingers to evenly distribute ghee while gradually adding liquid milk. Mixture should be soft and sticky. Do not over mix or knead mixture.

3. Grease palms with oil/ghee and roll into smooth balls. There should be no cracks.

4. Heat oil/gee and on low heat fry jamun until dark brown. Drain oil/ ghee and soak in cooled sugar syrup, preferably overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients *For the Dough 4 cups flour 1 tsp white sugar 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup freshly grated

• • • • coconut • 1 1/2 sticks butter, chopped • 3 tsp anise seed

• 1 12oz tin evaporated milk Vegetable or canola oil for frying *For the sugar syrup: • 1 cup white granulated sugar • 3/4 cup water • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

Directions

1. Boil milk in a broad, heavy based, pan or broad non-stick pan over medium flame.

2. When milk starts to boil, reduce flame to low. Stir at regular intervals of 3-4 minutes but not continuously. When layer of a cream appears on the surface, shift it towards the side of a pan. Do the same process for next cream layers. Cook until milk is reduced to 1/3 of original quantity.

3. Add sugar and stir to dissolve it. Add cardamom powder, sliced almonds, saffron strands and sliced pistachio; mix well.

4. Scrape small cream chunks collected on the side of pan into milk (this will make delicious small cream chunks in rabdi).

Cook for 2 minutes and turn off flame. Let it return to room temperature naturally.

Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before serving.

5. Transfer prepared sweet kesar rabri in serving bowl and garnish with sliced almonds. Serve chilled.

1. In a microwavable bowl, add besan along with 3 tbsp of ghee, mix evenly and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

2. Stir the besan mixture using a spatula and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

3. By now, the mixture would have turned slightly brown or deeper in color and a rich aroma of ghee 4. would be coming out of it.

5. Add 2 tbsp of ghee to this mixture and mix it with hand (it would feel course in texture).

6. Now microwave for 2 more minutes.

7. Add the remaining ghee, cardamom powder, almond flour and mix evenly.

8. Microwave for 1 minute.

9. Now the besan mixture will look deeper in color and courser in texture.

10. Cool this mixture till it’s not very hot to touch.

11. Add sugar, milk and mix evenly.

12. Now while the mixture is still warm, put oil in your hand and form small round balls / ladoo. (This needs to be made when the mixture is warm or else the ladoo's will not form).

Instructions

Mix the flour, baking powder, anise seed, and chopped butter together. Keep mixing by hand until the dough is crumbly or you can put everything into a food processor. Add coconut to the dough and mix well.

Pour entire can of evaporated milk into the mixture and knead to form a dough ball. Add flour/ water if needed, to bring everything together. Cover with a damp paper towel and set aside and let it sit for about 30-40 minutes. (the damp napkin keeps the dough from forming a crust) Roll out dough and cut into desired size. Heat oil and fry until golden brown.

Combine sugar, water, and vanilla, if using. Boil on low for about 35 minutes, or longer depending on your stove. When sugar is ready, pour over mithai and toss until sugar is no longer clear and has become white.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 4 , 2018

Literary Corner

By Dr Vishnu Bisram

M

onsoon on the Fingers of God, written by a Guyanese residing in America, is a thoughtful collection of poems relevant to Guyanese and other Caribbean people, the Indian sub-continent, and the UK. This collection of poems revolves around several topics, issues, and places.

The collection is laden with a lifetime of experience and a finely honed craft, which the poet Sasenarine Persaud of East Coast brings to bear with full force on his writings.

Sasenarine is an essayist, novelist, short story writer, and poet. He was born

in Guyana, and lived in Canada and Florida. This is his fourteenth book. He has a long history in writing and in poetry. He served as Vice President and Chair of the membership committee of the League of Canadian Poets, on the Board of Directors of the Scarborough Arts Council (Toronto), and on juries for the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.

The title poem, “Monsoon on the Fingers of God” is a tribute to the great sitar maestro, Ravi Shankar and his historic and electrifying appearances at Monterey and Woodstock.

This poem places the focus on Shankar’s genius as a musician and what he meant for American and world music, rather than the contemporary penchant on scandals that dominate news.

Several poems deal with matters pertaining to the United Kingdom in which references are made to Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland and other parts of the former British Empire, including India.

Indeed, Scotland and the UK are touchstones for this

collection but mention is made of so many other places. The poetry encourages an engagement with historical events, challenges, joys, emotions, and fears. Some of the subjects are on parents and children, historical events like slavery and indenture, and joyful memories of nature and sports as well as issues of faith.

There is a consistent tone of introspection, grief, exploitation, abuse, and of overcoming hardship (like slavery, indentureship, migration, settling in a new strange place, etc.).

The topics are effect i v e ly and skillfully addressed.

Sasenarine Persaud writes with eloquence, rhythm and musicality evident from the first page.

In Scotland and the UK just prior to the 2014 Scottish referendum to separate from the UK and to affirm their identity and language, the author poet comes face to face with his own angst regarding identity and language – namely, his community’s migration from India and its 180 years presence in the Americas.

He reflects on his Indian ancestors more dramatically so when he comes upon a Roma (Gypsy) beggar in the heart of Edinburgh, who is a splitting image of his great-grand mother, “Nani” (“Roma in Edinburgh”). But why be surprised? India is all around, in the numerals on street signs, in the language of yoga, and the Roma themselves, who are after all a people of Indian origin, discriminated in Europe for centuries because of their dark skin and their Indian language, Romani: “How could you/ make this trek from Rajasthan or UP? How could I? he rhetorically asked.

Except in a language we share with the world - yogayogayoga - through Anglo-Saxon cousins/ Sanskrit; or these numbers on streets and hotels/ storefront markers, Hindu Numerals/ Arabs borrowed from India zero-invented…”

The poem concludes questioning a multiple faceted identity: “…how do you compute/ BritishGuianese-GuyaneseCanadian-AmericanIndian”.

The book presents his unique and inimitable poetry and word usage. Sasenarine opens the book with a couple of short poems followed by longer ones and then shorter ones. It is an effective mix on varied subjects (children, memory, karma, Scotland, etc.) written with different styles with well-chosen words. Sasenarine is a poet armed with a lot of knowledge and experience in his craft. And this book is a thoughtful and deep meditation on identity and migrations. Almost all the poems are relatively short – less than a page or a maximum two pages - except a couple that are quite long. There are poems with obvious lyrical rhythms (“Approaching Day’s End”) and others that are simple free-verse structures as in “Master Batsman” and “Tiger Tiger” both tributes to iconic cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul. What he says of Chanderpaul, likened to the grace of the Bengal tiger is equally true of his own writing: “Do not be fooled by a cat’s easy gait/ heading for water at dusk, or dinner, bat’s repast another century, where glasses are tinted/ and made of Lord’s sand, where it is acceptable/ to mistake tiger for crab and diamond for dishwasher.”

If a master batsman makes batting seem easy and effortless, so too the master poet. But don’t be fooled by that “easy gait” which has come from diligent commitment, practice and dedication to craft.

There is lyrical poetry in personal emotions and feelings from the poet though out this collection such as in “Sugar and Tea”, and elegant strophes (stanzas of varying line-length), as in the poem, “To a Kashmiri Child in a Hindu Refugee Camp in Delhi”.

Each poem is on a different scene, subject, thought, and realization, and occasionally, what appears to be carefully wrought prose rather than rhymes or rhythms in stanzas or verses. Each poem is a self-contained narrative or descrip-

tion; almost each is short.

The book itself is divided into two sections. The poems are written in free verse, sometimes with rhyming couplets; in whatever style, the work demonstrates mastery of several poetic forms and techniques. There are metaphors and allusions and an occasional epigraph.

Use of alliteration and extended metaphors are skillfully used. Poetic language is concrete and evocative, with memorable lines or phrases like “—My bonnie lies over the ocean. My bonnie lies over the seas—in sun/ tomorrow we will again trawl ocean” in the poem titled “Fisherman Returning”.

The several devices used by poets are integral to poetry writings and Sasenarine uses them effectively in this collection.

The poems rely more on content than on style. The poems are not written in any overt complex style, which is appealing. There are lyrical rhythms and clean freeverse structures. The language is deceptively simple as in the lines in the poem numbered “15”: “I cannot/ name the village from which my father’s father’s/ father’s father’s father came. And still, I do not/ envy you – grass eyes – and yet we have love/ a language we cannot give love until we love”.

Several of the poems were written to remind readers of specific messages or subjects as in those titled: “Roma in Edinburgh”,” Karma Mornings”, “Head Cover”, “A Sheep’s Life”, “The Scott Monument”, “Referendum”, “Searching for El Dorado”, “Sugar and Tea”, “Burial Grounds”, “Fisherman Returning” etc. Each poem captures the emotions of historic events (like indentureship, searching for gold in

colonial times, burial, massacre in Sri Lanka, voting, etc.) in a way that makes the descriptions both personal (like the writer experienced them) and universal (history of so many colonial societies).

Readers get to understand history, politics, and religion, and the poems deepen the readers’ view of the subjects. The thoughts and insights in the poems

are that of a very perceptive, educated, and skilled writer who knows his subjects and who seems to have spent a significant amount of time perfecting his writing. No doubt, this work is a voice of tranquility and unmistakable originality. The writer is applauded for the extraordinary collection of poems that demonstrate “Monsoon on the Fingers of God”.

The clear blue sky, The scent of flowers, The colours of Rangoli, And the sound of crackers.

The gifts and sweets from dear ones, And the getting of their love, The light of the candles below, And the dazzling fireworks up above.

Lighting lamps at our homes, Making the less fortunate smile, Putting on new apparels, Show our friends some style.

Paying respects to the gods, And decorating for them the thali, This is what the occasion is all about, This is the spirit of Deepavali.

Anonymous

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NOVEMBER 4 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 11

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NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Puzzles

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ACROSS

95 Blister or scrape Leafy shelter 96 Refrigerant Rugged vehicles

97 Singer Aimee -Old calculators

98 Bring to mind Ballerina's asset

99 Melt together Fridge maker

100 Say on impulse Turn away

101 Bob of "Cabaret" Fix up

102 Loses it (2 wds.)

Navigator's aid

104 Shaving products Nice- -- (prude)

105 Offer Black tea

106 Sudden urges "I've Got -- --" (Jim Croce tune) 109 Tease City near Syracuse

110 Nightclub numbers Flickering

111 Single (2 wds.)

Area

115 -- Dhabi Midterm or final

116 Has the stage (2 wds.)

Edge a doily

117 Fibber or Molly Practiced for rodeo

118 Jazz saxophonist John -Calvin of golf

119 Citation Vestige

121 Playful mammal Loafer, maybe 123 Smacks Shell filling

125 Zoologist's study Zealot

126 Hunts for food Taping over

127 Preferred strategy (2 wds.)

Put it to

128 Humerus neighbors Verne of sci-fi 129 Absolute Some layers

130 On a liner (2 wds.)

Recently

131 Waffle topper Steakhouse order

132 Bedding plant Removes the rind

133 Cautious Round building DOWN Dart, for instance 1 Trite Business deg.

2 Sweater letter Grinch creator

3 Partitions Legume holders 4 Recruit Hot soak

5 Burr or Massey Block, as a stream

6 Mocked at Op-ed artist Pat

7 Happily -- after Burlap fiber

8 Cartoon shriek Courtroom dozen

9 Mentor's charges Wife, to a lawyer

10 Hi-fi rigs Take back

11 -- -- against time

46 Wren's residence

12 Aptitude

47 Bad mood

13 Triumphant shout

48 Aired in syndication

14 Tourists' gadgets

50 Suffix for "forfeit"

15 Mountain goats

51 Writer's job 16 Blue

52 Dory mover

17 Fruit problem

54 Veld grazer

18 Elementary subj.

55 Marathon unit

19 Chocolate tree 56 Kill a bill

20 Related to mom

58 Bakery goodies

30 Shook hands 59 Sleep lightly

32 Legal rep.

60 Tern cousin

34 Gymnast's need

63 Glamorous wraps 37 Mounds

64 Make clear (2 wds.)

38 007 foe (2 wds.)

65 Hear clearly 39 Noncoms 66 Beavers' young

41 Fly to pieces 68 Table salt 42 Lampreys 69 Dental woe

43 Vintage vehicle

70 Pedro's uncle

44 Chain mail

72 Beyond rad

45 Deep black

73

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- BALLISTIC (BALLISTIC: buh-LIS-tik: Relating to the study of the dynamics of projectiles.)

Average mark 30 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 41 or more words in BALLISTIC? bail bait ball basic basil bast bias bill blast blat

alibi alit laic last licit lilac lilt list ibis italics

sail salt scab scat silica sill silt slab slat slit

stab stall still tail talc tall tibia till call cast

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

Black-and-yellow snake Short outing Go to earth Comforter stuffing Burro alternative Gulf nation Nobel Prize category In a whisper (2 wds.)

Smudge Pottery fragment Nudge Keg stopper Lop off branches Leap in a tutu Jupiter's wife Wild Invalid Dovetails Come back to win Feels under par Authentic

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80

81

82

83

85

86

87

89

90

91

94

95

96

97 99

100

Shark domain Candice's dad

101 "A -- of Dollars" "Gigi" composer 103 Plunges Montezuma, for one

104 Low-lying clouds Kind of swan

105 Checkbook amt.

Orlando attraction 106 Colorado river Minute amounts 107 Siskel cohort Archaeology find 108 Undressed ones Cherry center 110 Junk Vodka and lime drinks 111 Dictatorial Expose or reveal 112 Terre --, Indiana Tarot readers

113 -- circle Serbian folk dance 114 All choked up A -- for news

116 Rick's old flame Rock band "musts" 117 Bill of fare Hangs loosely

118 Tax pros Bldg. manager

120 Skipper's OK Protozoans' legs 122 Pothole filler Not extreme

124 Raggedy doll Lightly Crams (2 wds.)

See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE ETHNIC RELATIONS COMMISSION (ERC) ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS 2018

D

ear brothers and sisters of Guyana, as you are aware, our nation is in the process of another important elections, specifically Local Government Elections to be held on November 12, 2018.

Many of our citizens, either from Parliamentary and other political Parties, independent groups or as individual candidates, are engaged in the process to become elected representatives within the various Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils while thousands of others will be executing their constitutional and democratic right to vote for those of their choice.

Campaigning is a natural and integral part of the process for the purpose of bringing awareness to programs and polices of those who seek these public offices. These campaigns, whether through public meetings or personal interactions, in addition to its primary objective of awareness, unfortunately hold the potential for statements which are counterproductive to the fostering of harmony, to be enunciated.

If that potential were to be realized, then the challenges it can pose to our society, as what regrettably obtained in the past, need no explanation or convincing.

It is in this context that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), with a constitutional mandate for the promotion of harmony and good relations, as agreed by the various political Parties within our countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parliament, seeks your assistance for you to do your part and to encourage all to keep the campaigns and other interactions, including social media, free of any utterance which can impact negatively on national harmony and good relations amongst Guyanese.

Guided by lessons on elections from our history, the ERC believes that the assistance sought from you is extremely important given itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a task it cannot accomplish on its own. Among other things, a campaign free of hate, racial and all other forms of incitement is most desirable and essential to the efforts of building and sustaining a cohesive nation with a common destiny.

The promotion of harmony, while constitutionally mandated to the ERC, is a vital process that requires the efforts of all of us. The Chairman, Commissioner and Staff of the ERC encourage that the campaign, the electoral procedures on November 12 and the period following be proliferated with respect and tolerance in a demonstration to ourselves and others that while we will disagree in the process, it is not a reason for hostility through hated.

Let us together use this opportunity and challenge ourselves to remove whatever barriers of togetherness and humanity that confront us as we endeavor collectively to promote harmony, unity and good relations. Elections must not be a process that divides us.

Let us also use this opportunity to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood and to make foremost the welfare of this land that is home to all of us; our Guyana.

The ERC takes this opportunity to extend best wishes to all the candidates who continue to dedicate their time to become representatives of the various constituencies; to all the staff and volunteers involved in the process and to you whether you are eligible to cast a ballot or not. Peace, during and after the process is in the hands of all of us.

Thank you.

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 13

W

hatsApp has reportedly confirmed that it's putting ads in its Status feature. A senior executive of the Facebook-owned messaging service told New Delhi media on Wednesday that ads are coming, according to India's Economic Times.

"That is going to be primary monetization mode for the company as well as an opportunity for businesses to reach people on WhatsApp," Chris Daniels, WhatsApp vice president, said to reporters.

Status lets you post photos, videos and GIFs that disappear after 24 hours. Daniels didn't say when ads will come to Status, and WhatsApp didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

It's not the first time we've heard about ads on WhatsApp. Facebook is

eager for the messaging service, which it acquired for $19 billion in 2014, to start making money. WhatsApp said in August that businesses will be able to do things like provide real-time cus-

tomer service and send information like boarding passes or shipping confirmations.

The relationship between Facebook and WhatsApp has been a tense one.

WhatsApp's co-founders, Brian Acton and Jan Koum, left the company in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Acton urged his Twitter followers to delete Facebook in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and Koum reportedly clashed with the social network over its use of personal data.

They're not alone among top executives departing Facebook after the social networking giant acquired their companies. Others who've headed for the exit in recent months include Brendan Iribe, CEO of VR specialist Oculus, and Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram. (CNET)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Bollywood/Hollywood

S

aif Ali Khan says doing Baazaar was a big risk, and he is glad that it paid off well. In the film, Saif portrays role of a small town boy who becomes the wolf of the stock trading market, is known for his business acumen and understands “only maths”.

“My role in Baazaar was challenging for many reasons. Apart from exploring a subject centred around the stock market, which hasn’t been done

before, my character was also very layered with shades of grey,” Saif said in a statement to IANS. “It was a risk and I’m glad it paid off,” he added.

Baazaar, a film on stocks, money and crime, also stars Chitrangada Singh and Radhika Apte. The Gauravv K Chawla directorial is being appreciated for tackling a different subject in a relatable manner.

A

fter their thriller Ek Villain, Riteish Deshmukh and Sidharth Malhotra are set to reunite in yet another actioner, Marjaavaan.

The film will have Sidharth romancing newbie Tara Sutaria who is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Student of the Year 2.

Marjaavaan is also the next collaboration of the Satyamev Jayate team – Bhushan Kumar, Nikkhil Advani and Milap Milan Zaveri. Its makers announced the cast and release date, by tweeting the title poster on Wednesday.

Being touted as a violent love story set against the backdrop of Mumbai

A

ctor Rana Daggubati has reportedly replaced actor Nana Patekar in Housefull 4 after the latter was accused of sexual harassment by Tanushree Dutta. Patekar had stepped down from his role after the accusations were made against him.

The Baahubali actor spoke to Mumbai Mirror saying, “It is always good to find work outside of Hyderabad, get to learn so much and do so many new things. I’ve never been part of a genre like Housefull and it’s always exciting to work with different genres. Working with Akshay Kumar again (after Neeraj Pandey’s 2015 action-spy thriller Baby),

Sajid Nadiadwala and Farhad Samji is something I am really looking forward to.”

Sajid Khan also stepped down from as the director of the film after he, too, was accused of sexual harassment by four women. He was replaced by Farhad Samji.

Akshay, Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Kriti Kharbanda and Pooja Hegde will play the lead roles in the multi-starrer slapstick comedy. According to the same report, Rana will be joining the cast of Housefull 4 in Mumbai next week. He is reportedly playing the role of a ghazal singer in the film.

(Hindustan Times)

C

hanning Tatum reunited with Jenna Dewan on Halloween to take their daughter, Everly, trick-or-treating.

The Magic Mike star dressed up as the genie from Disney's Aladdin and the World of Dance mentor donned a Cleopatra costume. Tatum documented their family outing on Instagram and even shared a selfie of the duo. He also posted a video of him spooking his former spouse, as well as footage of the two parents holding their 5-yearold daughter's hand.

One particularly funny moment was when the stars asked someone handing out candy if they could enter

city, Marjaavaan goes on floors in December 2018 and is slated for release on October 2, 2019.

Karan Johar couldn’t contain his happiness too and tweeted good wishes to the team which includes his two protegees, Sid and Tara. “This ones going to be a box office smasher!!!

Congratulations to the always positive and on point @zmilap my school buddies @monishaadvani @madhubhojwani @nikkhiladvani ! My dearest friend @ritesh_sid and my proud soulful student @S1dharthM ! Rock it!!!️,” Karan said via Twitter.

Nikkhil Advani said in a statement,

their house, so their daughter could use the bathroom.

"I made Jenna do it because I was afraid that they wouldn't be so receptive to me," Tatum said, noting his face was completely covered with a mask.

The reunion came just a few days after Dewan officially filed for divorce from Tatum. Still, their amicable co-parenting shouldn't come as a surprise to fans. When they announced their separation seven months ago, the two made it clear "we are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly."

This wasn't the first time the two had come together for their daughter. They

“My company Emmay Entertainment has been developing this film with Milap since two years and we hope to exceed expectations with Marjaavaan.

Be prepared for action, dialogue-baazi Milap style, with a moving tale of love and longing.”

Milap added, “I am continuously grateful for all the support my film Satyameva Jayate received. So excited and grateful to team up again with T Series and Emmay. This is a family production for me to have all those associated with it, as part of it.” (Indian Express)

also reunited for a visit to the little lady's school back in June.

However, the celebrities are definitely moving on and have been romantically linked to other people.

Last month, E! News reported Tatum is dating Jessie J. The actor was spotted

attending one of the singer's concerts in Houston, TX just a few days before.

Dewan also seems to have a new man in her life. She was spotted getting cozy with actor Steve Kazee at a Halloween party last weekend. (E Online)

Crossword Solution

N

eil Young has confirmed that he and Daryl Hannah are indeed married.

Multiple outlets had reported in August that the 72-year-old "Heart of Gold" and "Rockin' in the Free World" singer-songwriter and the 57-year-old Splash and Kill Bill actress had tied the knot amid a fouryear relationship at a secret wedding—two, actually. At the time, Hannah shared a cryptic post on Instagram that featured an owl and the caption, "Someone's watching over us.... love & only love."

On Wednesday, Young was anything but cryptic, but he was political when he confirmed marriage by calling Hannah his "wife" on his official website. The actress shared a link to it on her Instagram.

On his site, Young posted a video for his band's song, "Ohio," which he wrote "was written back in 1970 after seeing the cover of a magazine with a young girl kneeling beside her fallen friend" after "the National Guard murdered four students at Ohio's Kent State University for protesting the Vietnam War." "My wife Daryl and I put this video together for you to reflect on," Young wrote.

"Support the students," he wrote. "Support our children. They want protection. Not more guns.

Give us common sense gun laws that protect our people, in schools, in places of worship, in the workplace and on the streets. VOTE. (E Online)

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

If you want to move forward, you must address issues that are bothering you.

A heart-to-heart discussion will help you solve your dilemma. Romance will improve your life.

Don't doubt yourself. Push TAURUS forward and go after what you (April 20want. You'll be offered valuMay 20) able information if you attend a seminar or retreat.

Socialize and make plans GEMINI to do things with people who (MAY 28make you laugh. Spending June 20) time with someone you love will lead to talks and plans.

Physical activities are favored.

Be careful how you deal with touchy matters.

(June 21- Emotions will surface and July 22) moods will change rapidly if you aren't willing to compromise. Don't let stubbornness ruin your day.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Express your thoughts and feelings with the people you care about most. A last-minute change shouldn't deter you from following through with your plans.

Romance is highlighted.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Consider the changes going on around you to discover a way to get something positive to unfold. An unexpected change at home will turn into a blessing in disguise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Take a deep breath and exhale. Don't let your emotions take charge. Being patient will give you the edge required to take control and keep the peace.

SCORPIO Take care of your chores (Oct. 24- and personal responsibilities Nov. 22) before someone complains. A proposition will result if you attend a cultural event or take part in something unusual.

SAGITTARIUS An open dialogue will help (Nov. 23- you get to the bottom of a situDec. 21) ation that needs adjustment.

The changes you make should allow you greater freedom to do as you please.

Calvin and Hobbes

The power of positive CAPRICORN thought will help you get your (Dec. 22- way. Charm and persuasive Jan. 19) tactics will sway those who have opposed you in the past.

Physical improvements will add to your appeal.

Put more thought into AQUARIUS how you handle your money (Jan. 20- and personal situations. A Feb. 19) good plan can help you prevent some of the problems you have faced in the past.

Avoid excessive people.

Look for a chance to use PISCES (Feb. 20- your creativity to enhance Mar. 20) your image and attract attention. You are unlikely to get what you want without giving something up.