Guyana Times August 6, 2018

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

Issue No. 3647

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, August 6, 2018

AFC contesting LGE without APNU a ploy – PPP

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WHAT'S INSIDE: Global indices

Guyana overtaken by other countries P9 in human development – Ali

Page 11

...AFC says it is committed to coalition politics at national level

AG admits intervening to dismiss charges against Ministers

GCAA preparing for economic P12 “tsunami” ahead – Director General

Page 9

‒ Nandlall says confession grounds for resignation

Jagdeo slams Govt for dragging feet on teachers’ P7 salary increases

Members of the National Dance Company perform a routine at the ninth Annual Dance Production in celebration of African Heritage, held at the National Cultural Centre on Saturday evening (Carl Croker photo)

Political analysts rap Granger for ‘help yourself’ speech

Page 10

‒ remind President of role in creating enabling environment for success

Constitutional reform necessary before 2020 elections – former MP Page 3

...says present electoral system should be reviewed, possibly replaced

Appeal Court overturns Justice Chang’s ruling in awarding of contracts to P8 security firm

Car disappears from D Field, Sophia P12

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

NCW hosts annual wreath-laying ceremony in tribute to late President Burnham

Some of the officials at the wreath-laying ceremony on Sunday

T

he National Congress of Women (NCW), the women’s arm of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), on Sunday paid tribute to the late President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham with a simple wreath-laying ceremony at its headquarters, Kitty Public Road, Georgetown.

Today marks the 33rd death anniversary of President Burnham and as such, the small group of women along with special guests, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence and PNCR Chairman Basil Williams, congregated to reflect on the life and work of the late President.

As the wreaths were laid at the Burnham statue, there was the singing of a number of National Songs.

In her brief remarks, Minister Lawrence reflected on the late President, remembering that he valued

and believed in women.

As such, she made the call for woman to not only be given the respect that they deserved in society today but to also be represented regarding issues affecting them.

Wreaths were also laid by a representative of the Burnham family along with representatives of several organisations as well as a representative from a number of Guyana’s administrative regions. Also paying a floral tribute to the late founder of the PNC was Williams.

The ceremony was reportedly kept simple this year as the country is preparing for Local Government Elections (LGE) and the PNCR for Congress.

Burnham served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1964 and as Executive President from 1980 until the time of his death in

1985 at the age of 62. He was also a lawyer and a father of six.

Burnham was elected Prime Minister of the self-governing colony then named British Guiana in 1964 and became the country's first Prime Minister at Independence two years later. He won re-election in 1968, 1973, and 1978, even though international observers accused him of fixing the elections.

After having the Constitution changed to make Guyana a "cooperative republic," Burnham was elected "Executive President" in 1980.

Burnham was one of the founding leaders of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), which was launched on January 1, 1950. Burnham broke with co-founders Dr Cheddi and Janet Jagan in 1957 and formed the People's National Congress (PNC).

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, August 6 – 12:30h-14:00h and Tuesday, August 7 – 13:30h-15:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, August 6 – 11:40h-13:10h and Tuesday, August 7 – 13:00h-14:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny intervals followed by cloudy skies as well as thundery and light rain showers are expected during the day, with more sunny intervals in the late afternoon.

Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening hours.

Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-easterly to East North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 11:47h reaching a maximum height of 2.29 metres.

Low Tide: 05:12h and 17:42h reaching minimum heights of 0.84 metre and 0.94 metre.

SaturDAY, august 4, 2018

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Constitutional reform necessary before 2020 elections – former MP ...says present electoral system should be reviewed, possibly replaced sider that countries such as the USA, UK, India and Canada are using the FPTP system, and do enjoy a greater degree of political accountability and stability.

By Samuel Sukhnandan

T

he need for constitutional reform has been touted over the past few years, especially since the current coalition Government had made a commitment to ensuring that this is done; but there seems to be some hesitation on the part of both Government and the Parliamentary Opposition to get the ball rolling in this regard.

In fact, many persons in civil society have spoken out against the current administration for its silence on the matter, especially because it had been a campaign promise. Adding his take on the matter, former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament Dr. Kwame Gilbert feels that now is the right time.

“The call for constitutional reform cannot be any louder than it is right now. The justification for it is in the continuous need to strengthen governance, balance the power of the executive, and ensure a more accountable and responsive Government,” he told Guyana Times in an interview.

According to Dr. Gilbert, the Constitution which Guyana inherited post-independence, while it has benefited from several significant constitutional amendments, still remains inadequate in addressing what he described as “mischief endemic in, and symptomatic of, our current sociopath-political realities in Guyana.”

He said, “There are several social and political considerations which distinguish Guyana from the rest of her Caribbean and continental neighbours.

These distinctive characteristics demand a particular culture, climate, and conduct, which can only be secured through constitutional provisions.”

Dr. Gilbert also not-

Inadequacies

Former PPP/C Member of Parliament and Presidential Advisor, Dr Kwame Gilbert

ed that Guyana has suffered extensively from the attending evils consistent with the continued use of what he also described as a backward proportional representation (PR) electoral system. This is an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

“This system has created and maintained political polarisation and ethnic tension consistent with a single-party domination system of politics. The PR system, commonly referred to as the party list system, robs the citizens of true representation, and has zero accountability. It is woefully ineffective in building a strong democracy,” Dr Gilbert opined.

The former Social Policy Advisor to the previous PPP Administration said he feels the First Past the Post (FPTP) system is a more effective system, and particularly at this juncture of Guyana’s development. He noted that some have even touted a PR/FPTP hybrid system as a workable model.

While he did not seek to commend First World countries, which do have their share of corrupted democracies, he said it would still be instructive to con-

Politicians, according to him, have for far too long been the sole beneficiaries of the exploitation of inadequacies and inefficiencies in the Guyana Constitution. “It would be safe to conclude that our Constitution is perfectly suited for the results we are having. To change the results, we change the system; in this case, reform the Constitution. There will be no urgency or political will to have reforms if those who benefit from the inadequacies in a system are the custodians of the Constitution,” he added.

Dr Gilbert told Guyana Times that the Constitution fortunately does not belong to politicians. Rather, it belongs to every Guyanese.

And he therefore believes that it is the responsibility of every Guyanese to demand that Constitutional reform become a top priority before another general election, and before the much anticipated oil production, both slated for the year 2020.

As to the commitment of the coalition Government

to deliver on its campaign promise, the former PPP MP said that, regrettably, he has no confidence in the coalition to deliver on that promise. He also feels the current parliamentary Opposition has not made Constitutional reform a priority either.

Dr. Gilbert strongly believes the political directorates of both the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) and the PPP have had sufficient time and opportunity to act on their so -called commitment to Constitutional reform, but there has only been rhetoric and no results.

“I rather suspect that politicians have deduced that our citizens are gullible and easily forgiving, hence broken promises will have very little political consequence. It is for that reason that they continue to make and break promises but still enjoy the support of their constituents. But for the sake of Guyana’s children, I hope that enough pressure will be brought to bear, and Constitutional reforms will be tangibly realised.”

Dr. Gilbert said a very important effort in moving this process forward would be to maintain joint pressure, both from the citizens of Guyana as well as the international community.

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

Prelude to Emancipation

O

ne Guyanese medical doctor wrote that those seeking reparations are barking up the wrong tree, because, among other reasons, Africans actually practised slavery and sold their “own” to the Europeans.

This individual showed a fundamental misapprehension of the nature of slavery; its consequences, and the need for reparative justice.

In African slavery, humanity was denied to the slave.

The British and other Europeans never saw the African man, woman or child they chained in the holds of their ships as humans. The reason was simple, but the impact was profound. The Europeans, after all, were Christians, and were exhorted to see all other humans as “brothers”.

How then could they enslave their brothers?

Well, how about if the Africans were not humans?

That would straighten out any cognitive dissonances that remained after counting up the profits. And that is precisely what the Europeans did.

The European’s remarkable solution to his moral and theological dilemma was the beginning of an anti-African racism which remains as a central pillar in the European cosmology to this day. As Eric Williams wrote, “Slavery was not born of racism – rather, racism was the consequence of slavery.” The African was now a chattel, a thing, an object to be bequeathed and inherited, sold and bought.

The beginning of the European enslavement of Africans predated the need for cheap labour in the New World. It actually began in 1442, when two very Christian captains of the Portuguese Prince Henry the navigator brought back a dozen Africans they had captured. It started a trend.

Africans were heathens, and the staunch Portuguese Christians asserted that they were saving their souls. It would not have hurt that they also provided free labour.

The Spaniards, therefore, simply turned to a known supply of humans to fill the labour breach when the indigenous Indians inconsiderately died off like flies when they were enslaved in the newly “discovered” colonies after 1492.The Portuguese could not keep up, and contracts (“Asientos”) were issued to other nations.

The British got into the act in 1562 when John Hawkins became a subcontractor, with Queen Elizabeth as a silent partner. His ship was named “Jesus”, and one can be sure he prayed for the salvation of his cargo. He was knighted by the good queen after ten years of ferrying souls. In some 12,000 trips, British ships transported 2,300,000 African souls across the Atlantic.

By the 18th century, when the European “Enlightenment” dawned, the light did not appreciably extend to the conception of who was the African. The Enlightenment thinkers conceded that the African “may” be a species of man. For instance, in 1753 the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume declared, “I am apt to suspect the negroes and in general all the other species of men (for there are four or five different kinds) to be naturally inferior to the whites.”

Racism is maintained by denying agency to the African in Emancipation: European texts give scant recognition to the role played by Africans, for instance through revolts.

The most important of these revolts, documented by CLR James, occurred on 14 August 1791 in Saint Domingue - which would become Haiti - under the leadership of Toussaint L’Overture.

Another side of the story that is usually glossed over is the ubiquity of the wealth that was built on the backs of the slave trade. Institutional investors in slavery included the royal family, who followed in Elizabeth’s footsteps; numerous colleges of Oxford and Cambridge universities, and even the Church of England. In 1773, the Heywood brothers founded a bank in Liverpool to fund slave expeditions and deposit their profits. Today the firm is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Barclay brothers were involved in the slave trade from 1756. The trade paid for impressive projects, such as the cathedral-like library of the most elite All Souls College in Oxford.

It was not ironic, but a measure of the intransigence of racism in the modern world, that Eric Williams was denied membership to All Souls when he was at Oxford.

In this Carl Croker photo, several youngsters were seen enjoying the cool water on a hot Sunday in one of the trenches in the vicinity of the Square of the Revolution on Sunday

President David Granger’s speech at Beterverwagting has raised many important questions Dear Editor, In my varied experience, speeches of any Head of State are an articulation of administrative policy. I cannot believe that the narrow, derogatory, stereotypical views expressed by His Excellency are fit and proper in this context.

H.E Granger categorised Afro-Guyanese without jobs as proud beggars, liming and drinking instead of utilising their talents to earn economic emancipation.

This is in stark contrast to the oft-touted “marginalisation of the Afro-Guyanese by the PPP Administration for 23 years”, and is in direct contradiction to His Excellency’s own words uttered at Den Amstel in Emancipation celebrations 2016: “Some people have some strange notion that Africans don’t like work, they don’t like farming.” It would seem that ‘some people’ included His Excellency Himself.

Ironically, in extorting Afro-Guyanese to become more productive, His Excellency made specific reference to “Guinness Bar”, which is a franchise of Banks DIH Limited, a

publicly traded company that employs thousands of Guyanese of every ethnicity, and a franchise which to my knowledge is operated solely by Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs, the very persons that President Granger wish us to become.

Guinness Bars also offer cook-up rice, fried plantain and breadfruit chips, all enterprises previously suggested as pathways to success by President Granger.

This seems to be a case of dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t!

Editor, H.E Granger talks aplenty of ‘entrepreneurship’; however, his own life has been spent working for the Government dollar. To my knowledge, he has never embarked on any business venture. Editor, can the President say what entrepreneurial endeavours he undertook during his lifetime? Were I to use the stereotypical view of the GDF as useless, as the Admirals without Navies and Brigadiers without Brigades, I would be suggesting that His Excellency himself is only one step removed from the shiftless unemployed he heaps scorn

upon. I, however, am sure that our Defence force provides some value for the 10 billion dollars a year spent on their upkeep.

Editor, nowhere in H.E Granger’s speech was there mention of Job creation initiatives by the APNU Administration.

Instead, there was “You must be ashamed if you do not have work” and “government services could not employ an unlimited number of persons”. Are we to assume that the policy of the APNU Administration is that citizens should create their own jobs? That Central Government exists solely to levy taxes and spend yet-tobe-realised oil revenues? I await answers at H.E’s next press conference.

Editor, many will say that H.E’s view regarding those without jobs are based on his newfound financial security. However, I believe our President’s view of Afro-Guyanese as articulated is rooted in a much deeper psychological aspect created by our defective school curriculum. The History we teach is based on a European viewpoint in which the African is viewed

as a ‘slave or a freed slave” Agriculture is equated with slave labour; this should be abandoned and everyone should be able to learn about real African history: of wonderful tribes such as the Ubuntu; religions that stretch back eons; the Orishas of the Yoruba; Shaka ka Senzangakhona, the mighty Zulu King; of West Indian heroes Robert Nesta Marley, Rohan Kanhai, Frank Worell …

It is time for change, not just in financial emancipation, but we must begin the process of mental emancipation. Based on His Excellency’s speech, I must conclude that it is too late for his generation; let’s talk to each other as Guyanese based upon a true understanding of our different cultural roots, not on derogatory stereotypes.

Editor, no truer words were ever spoken about our condition in the West Indies than those of our Prophet Bob Marley, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” Respectfully, Robin Singh

GHRA should condemn Government’s violation of human rights Dear Editor, There is a growing number of cases pertaining to victimisation and discrimination by the APNU/AFC coalition Government.

Discrimination is treating or proposing to treat someone unfavourably because of a personal characteristic protected by law.

This includes bullying someone because of a protected characteristic. The Equal

Opportunity Act 2010 -Victoria's anti-discrimination law -- protects people from discrimination and harassment in areas of public life, such as workplaces, schools, hospitals, or places that provide services.

Victimisation is subjecting or threatening to subject someone to something detrimental because they have asserted their rights under equal opportunity law.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is mandated to ensure that the human rights of Guyanese are protected.

Before May 2015, this association was very vocal on issues that were and were not in violation of human rights.

Presently, the silence of the GHRA could cause it to be considered nonfunctional, and as such, it must have a more vibrant association in

order to be vocal to represent and uphold the basic human rights that are slowly but surely be taken away from Guyanese by the APNU/AFC coalition Government.

Recently, a doctor from Baramita, who went public about life saving issues of his community, particularly the shortages of drugs and medical supplies, stated that he feels victimised. continued on page 5

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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

APA responds to “Playing Politics” letter Dear Editor, It has come to the attention of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) that the organisation has erroneously been accused of playing politics when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples across Guyana. This was done in a letter penned by Mr. Anson Paul and published in the Guyana Times under the title APA clearly playing politics (31 July, 2018).

As such, the APA sees it as an imperative to address the misinformation that arose regarding the role of the organisation, its advocacy work, and its partnerships.

Over the years, the APA has sought to work closely with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) to build meaningful and productive ties, as the APA sees both bodies as having common goals towards ensuring that indigenous peoples’ issues, such as land tenure security and legislative protections, are institutionalised at the national level.

Our relationship with the previous NTC Executive has enabled our organisations to collaborate at the national level, and with village and district councils at the grassroots levels. Together, we have sought to raise awareness on indigenous issues and also address such issues collaboratively, in one instant result-

ing in the establishment of a Steering Committee for the Revision of the Amerindian Act 2006, which provides support to indigenous communities in their efforts to input into the revision process. No other body provides such support to the communities.

By working with the NTC, both organisations have been able to reach more communities, and arrive closer to achieving our mutual goal of advancing the development of our indigenous peoples. This has not always been the case, and it is the wish of the APA that such collaboration continues with the new NTC executive body and its wider members.

The APA has, throughout the years, respected the NTC as the body of elected officials which represents the constituents of indigenous villages throughout Guyana, and has in fact encouraged its members to utilise this platform to truly represent indigenous issues. It would be counterproductive for an indigenous organisation like the APA to interfere with the functions of the NTC, as it would greatly obstruct the development of indigenous peoples and our communities.

The APA has never sought to “play politics”, as is suggested by the above mentioned letter; and, in fact, has always

decried the fact that some have chosen to do so in efforts to divide our people, the letter being a case in point.

The letter writer further chooses to manufacture evidence seeking to link the APA with a particular political party, citing a member, Jean La Rose, whom it says was seen “socialising” with President David Granger.

No such evidence exits, as it just did not happen; and therefore, to suggest anyone working together for nefarious political gains is seeking to be deceptive and misleading. In any event, indigenous leaders and representatives have the right to meet with both the Government and Opposition party leaders, and some leaders did take the opportunity to do so, as evidenced by photos that were circulated on social media.

In this regard, the APA commends the newly elected NTC Executive for seeking to meet with President Granger days into assuming office. We are aware that an invitation was extended by the Opposition Leader to meet with him, and some leaders used the opportunity to meet with him as well.

The letter commented on Ms La Rose’s appearance on the APNU-AFC List of Candidates for the 2015 General and Regional

Elections, and uses this as further grounds for accusing the APA of political bias in steering the organisation’s operations.

To clarify, while La Rose is in fact the Executive Director the APA, her decision to participate in the political process of the 2015 General and Regional Elections is not representative of the decisions of the organisation, as the APA functions with a working Executive Committee and with yearly and longer operational planning procedures in place that are not influenced by any individual’s beliefs or inclinations.

The leadership of the APA comprises indigenous representatives from several regions, who have varied backgrounds and who monitor the work of the organisation.

The APA’s organisational structure practises collective decision-making, and ensures that accountability and transparency are maintained at all levels of the organisation.

This system protects the organisation from the influences of a single individual’s opinion.

The APA has worked as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for over 17 years, and has advocated for the advancement of indigenous peoples irrespective of

which Government is in power and irrespective of both negative and positive responses received from such Governments. The APA takes seriously its role in maintaining political neutrality, but respects individuals’ right to their political ideology.

With regard to the writer’s perceived “silence” of the APA on the Lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI), from the time of the CoI’s announcement, the APA had raised its concerns on the implications of such a Commission on indigenous land rights when many things were not clear on the Terms of Reference (TORs), among other things of the said Commission.

There are newspaper articles to this effect, and in one such published article, the Guyana Times (May 29, 2017) cites the APA Executive Director as sharing the organisation’s concerns that the TORs for the Land CoI were vague, and that proper consultations were not done prior to its establishment. It was with these concerns in mind that the APA had urgently sought a meeting with the President, who had responded likewise.

The APA cannot comment on the timeline for a similar request by the NTC at the time, but is aware that a meeting between the President and the NTC was later held. It

would be worthwhile to note that when the APA had met with President Granger, the organisation had strongly recommended that he meet with the NTC and other indigenous organisations to listen to their concerns on the Land CoI. Finally, the organisation does not receive funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and for anyone to state this would be grossly incorrect. The APA continues to work closely with all stakeholders, national and international, who play a role in indigenous peoples’ interest in Guyana. In addition to working with international organisations, the APA is committed to working with other indigenous organisations, like the NTC, while respecting its autonomy as the official representative of our peoples.

Human rights are not decided along party lines.

Human rights transcend the political gameplay. The APA will always aim for political independence, and claims that it is “playing politics” are unsupported, as evident by our very public track record throughout the years. The rights of our peoples are not a game.

Sincerely yours, Earl Thomas, Secretary, Amerindian Peoples Association

WPA celebrates all its members who have played, and continue to play, important roles in the African Guyanese community Dear Editor, The Working People’s Alliance joins with Guyanese and the rest of our Anglophone Caribbean family in their observance of the 180th anniversary of the end of chattel slavery. WPA salutes African Guyanese on this, their special moment of memory and celebration.

Memory of the period of enslavement is necessary as a reminder of how the lust for power and accumulation of wealth could lead to institutionalised exploitation.

Eighteen decades may seem like a long time, but because of the enormity of the human destruction visited upon the enslaved, the scars of bondage are still very fresh.

Emancipation Day must

continue to be a moment of celebration, because, in the final analysis, emancipation meant the defeat of slavery.

Any people who overcame such a brutal system should be proud of themselves.

That Africans continue to survive the dreaded realities of post-emancipation is a tribute to their resilience.

In celebrating with African Guyanese, WPA celebrates all its members who have played, and continue to play, important roles in the African Guyanese community.

We especially salute Brother Eusi Kwayana, who must be credited with pioneering cultural awakening among African Guyanese. That we observe Emancipation Day as a pub-

lic holiday in Guyana is due in large measure to Brother Eusi’s example, advocacy and leadership. His dedication to the cause of black dignity and uplift will forever be etched in the consciousness of African Guyanese, and he continues to serve as an inspiration to all who raise the banner of black empowerment and black pride.

Much has changed in Guyana since 1838, but the cry of the descendants of the enslaved for equal dignity and opportunity still rings loudly across our country and beyond. Any objective assessment of the condition of African Guyanese today cannot escape the feeling of despair and hopelessness that emanate from large sections of that group.

GHRA should condemn ...

The same issues of the shortages of drugs and medical supplies was raised at Skeldon Hospital by the media and the staff, including doctors, was also been victimised.

A senior Police officer refused to take instructions from the Commissioner of Police through a civilian’s phone, and was been transferred from one division to another. The Police officer, within days of that incident, publicly stated that he feels victimised and discriminated against. The Minister of Public Security was informed in writing, but refused to investigate

this incident and resolve the matter. This Police officer was ensuring that he was doing his job in a professional manner.

Recently, a Police officer was caught in a mini bus with whiskey, and was sent on leave. Why cannot other Police officers vehicles be stopped and searched?

A sitting Member of Parliament criticised the Speaker of the National Assembly publicly in the press, with substantial ‘evidence’ that he is biased against Opposition members. Imagine that a member of Parliament cannot publicly inform the Guyanese peo-

ple who voted for him the challenges he is encountering in Parliament, and as such, he was placed before the Privileges Committee, where the Speaker of the National Assembly will definitely be the judge. This is discrimination and victimisation at the highest level.

Contractors who are not willing to be part of the corruption that is taking place in the Government system are not been awarded contracts. At most, or even all of the Ministries, there is information that corruption is rampant, within which it is been tolerated by the Ministers.

This is fuelled by a sense of economic dispossession and lack of opportunities to lift themselves out of that rut.

However uncomfortable it is, the issue of ethno-racial inequality must be addressed if Guyana is to realise its full potential as a viable, diverse society in which all its citizens enjoy a sense of security.

It is for that reason that the WPA urges Guyanese to use this Emancipation anniversary as both a moment of remembering and another opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to ethnic and racial equality in word and deed. We do not believe that a debate on race relations between our two principal political leaders will do much to address the

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These are just some of the few cases that’s in the public domain, where the rights of Guyanese are been trampled upon. Numerous persons are afraid to speak out against this APNU/ AFC coalition Government because of the fear of losing their jobs or being victimised using Government agencies. The GHRA, civil society, non-governmental organisations, the media and other stakeholders should condemn these and other acts of victimisation and discrimination.

Yours respectfully, Zamal Hussain

burning racial issues that have long plagued Guyana.

Rather, we urge the leaders to devise and support policies that would ensure that all ethnic groups share our common economic benefits.

It is particularly important that we begin to think about ways to democratically distribute the potential benefits from the imminent oil and gas sector, so that increased wealth contributes to national cohesion rather that exacerbate our already

fragile ethnicity.

Economic development cannot be managed outside of our ethnic realities. The WPA therefore reiterates its long-held view that economic advance must be hinged on a political solution of which ethno-racial respect and unity is a central plank.

Sincerely, David Hinds For the WPA

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Foundation Summertime activities for kids

By Maureen Healy

A

nger is normal and healthy.

Every healthy child gets angry at some point, and has the opportunity to learn how to express anger constructively versus destructively.

Helping your child stop, calm and constructively express their anger is essential to them becoming emotionally healthy. Learning how to manage anger can happen in age-appropriate ways as early as preschool, but certainly is a common theme throughout grade school.

How to help your child with anger

Children feel deeply and oftentimes respond quickly, especially when it comes to anger. Billy was on the bus when another boy, Marcus, called him a wimp. Without thinking, Billy hit Marcus and the school bus driver had to pull over. This is anger in action. Helping your child stop before they make poor choices with their anger is essential especially as they grow up, and their choices have bigger consequences (for example, they’re driving on the highway where road rage is common).

Some simple yet effective ways to start helping your child now with their anger is:

Name the emotion

Help your son or daughter learn to spot their angry feelings while they’re small so they can handle them easier. For example, Amy at age six, has learned to say, “I’m feeling angry” or her older brother, Scout, at age 11 says, “I’m feeling furious” and everyone in his family knows he needs some space. Being able to name your feelings helps a child

realise they are not their anger, but it’s simply something they’re experiencing. Anger vocabulary words include: angry, frustrated, mad, furious, irritated, annoyed, and upset.

Learn to stop

Imagine if Billy had stopped before he hit Marcus on the bus, he might not have had his parents called with an incident report and had to meet with the Principal the next day. Of course, the stopping part is hard because your child gets angry fast and wants to release it even faster. One mom, Anne, decided she would meet with each of her sons and come up with ways to help them slow down and stop when angry.

Her oldest, Jackson at age nine, said he would take a deep breath and walk away from the situation. Her youngest, Leo at age five, said he would ask for help when angry. Of course, it will take practice but getting their commitment to do it is a mighty good first step.

Calm

Children that can learn to cool down when angry make better choices. Some ways to help your child cool down include: Taking deep breaths, going for a walk, and journaling. Because it’s only when your child is calm that he or she can resolve conflicts, problem solve, or

respond in a constructive way. For example, if Billy decided to ignore Marcus on the bus and focus on calming himself, he might not have punched him.

Calmness comes if we’re willing to do something differently, and hold off on reacting quickly when angry.

Choose an outlet

Children need to release their pent up angry energy so they can feel better.

Sometimes I even create a “Let-it-out List” with children so they can learn to identify what they can do to feel better such as: Hit a punching bag, shoot hoops in the backyard, talk with a friend, or go for a jog. Other children may find a creative outlet like drawing, or playing the drums. If you’ve had a problem with your son or daughter screaming, slamming doors and letting it out “sideways” then a discussion (when everyone is calm) might be: Let’s list the helpful ways to release anger, and unhelpful ways to release anger. Maybe even a consequences jar is established for anyone to put a dollar in if they release their anger in an unhelpful way – adults included.

Begin again

After your child’s gotten calmer, released his or her angry, and the situation has neutralised then you can metaphorically press the “reset” button and begin again. There is no reason to stay angry at your child because he or she simply didn’t know how to handle his or her anger, but when they know better, they’ll do better.

What I know for sure is that anger is one of the hardest emotions to handle, especially as a child and the more emotional coaching a child gets on what to do when angry, the better he or she is positioned for positive emotional health and ultimately, life success.

R

obots are everywhere! The car or bus you ride in? A robot helped build it! That ice cream cone you enjoyed?

A robot helped make it! At some point, robots have worked on almost everything we eat, wear or use.

As you read and discuss books about robots, think and talk about the roles robots play in your own lives.

Then get ready to look for evidence of robots around you.

Getting started

Ask your child to make a list of foods, toys or other things she uses every day.

Then have her imagine how a robot was used in the creation of the items on her list. Talk about why she thinks that would be a good job for a robot to do or

had a chance to think about the kinds of tasks robots can do to make things in a factory, ask her what kinds things she would like a robot to do in your home. Get her thinking realistically by reminding her of the repetitive and precise jobs robots have. Ask her identify similar jobs at home — folding laundry, setting the table, etc. — and then have her create her own robots for specific tasks.

Have her create a description and illustration of each robot, including: • A name for her invention • What materials it is made of and details about its shape • How it looks and how it moves • What it can and can’t do

(psychologytoday.com)

if she thinks a person could do it better. Have her note how she feels about having robots involved in making things that she uses.

To see how correct her ideas of how robots help make things are, take a look at video of factory robots in action at: • http://manufacturing.stanford.edu • www.robots.com/ movies • http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/howits-made (There is advertising on this site) • http://science.discovery.com/video-topics/engineering-construction/factory-made.htm (There is advertising on this site) Now that your child has

• Any safety considerations • What is required to keep it working well As she brainstorms, remind her robots usually only have the parts they need to complete their task.

Have her think about what parts of her body she uses to complete the task. What does her robot need to complete the task?

Extension:

When you’re looking around the house at items worked on by a robot, take a look for things around that house that could also be useful in building a robot — motors, computer, etc. (Startwithabook.com)

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo slams Govt for dragging feet on teachers’ salary increases

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has questioned Government’s commitment to education in Guyana and took a swipe at it for delaying the process of meeting an agreement to raise teachers’ salaries.

Jagdeo said President David Granger and his Cabinet have an obligation to address the concerns of teachers and should seek to have the issue of salary increases for teachers resolved quickly.

He recalled that during his tenure as President, he personally sat with the leadership of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) to discuss salaries and other benefits for teachers.

Jagdeo said he worked too with the GTU to come up with a multi-year remuneration package for teachers, which included not only salaries, but a housing fund and duty-free concessions, among other incentives.

He urged the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition to

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

ensure that it responded to the concerns of the teachers, noting the importance of teachers to the education system and the country as a whole.

“Granger has talked about education, but what about the teachers … they can’t even get a commitment,” he said, noting that it was unacceptable for teachers to be treated in that manner.

Last month, two letters were sent to President

Granger, one by GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald and the second by Union President Mark Lyte.

Both sought to enquire of the President and his Cabinet the reasons for the delayed remuneration package for teachers and also requested a timeline for its realisation.

While Education Minister Nicolette Henry has said that the matter was now in the hands of Cabinet and that recommendations were made and submitted for initial evaluation, the GTU said it was fed up.

Lyte told Guyana Times in an exclusive interview last month that the Union has learnt unofficially that the work of the HighLevel Task Force of Public Education has been dealt with by Cabinet.

However, he said the Union was yet to hear a word from the Government on its decision.

Lyte recalled that the GTU had written President Granger about the slow pace at which the negotiations were proceeding and not be-

Major fire averted at Pegasus Hotel – GFS notes serious safety breaches

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everal guests at the Pegasus Hotel had to be treated for smoke inhalation on Sunday evening after a fire broke out in the kitchen area. The fire reportedly started about 22:45h and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was summoned to the scene.

Upon arrival, the fire-fighters quickly went into firefighting mode thus containing the fire to one area. When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, Station Officer with responsibility for fire prevention Andrew Holder told the media that the fire started as a result of a deep-fryer being left on.

This, he noted, caused it to overheat and it eventually ignited the insulation for the extractor. This created a smoke-logged environment. The firefighters, he noted, were able to quickly put out the fire and created some form of ventilation.

All efforts were made to ensure that everyone was out of the building.

Holder noted that smoke would have at least reached the third floor thus causing some panic among the guests who were staying at the hotel.

However, the fire official sighted several safety breaches at the hotel. He noted that the emergency exit doors were chained and padlocked, no fire alarm went off, and staff was not trained to deal with such an occurrence.

“The Fire Service does

Several guests look on as fire officials conduct their investigations

yearly inspections of these premises … but we would not know what is obtained after that inspection … this fire would not prompt another impromptu fire inspection … the exits should not be locked and chained… if it is locked, it should have ways and means of opening them … this is a serious breach of safety and it has severe consequences,” Holder added.

He disclosed that only a week ago, the Fire Service had a training programme for hotel operators and staff, but it was poorly attended.

“Some of the same stuff that we dealt with at that training occurred here tonight … unmaintained deep fry … what to do if a fire should start in the kitchen area…,” he added.

He is hoping that persons take the next fire safety training seriously.

Pastor Ellsworth Chester of Brooklyn, New York told Guyana Times that he was

on vacation with his children and as he was on the second floor, he started to smell smoke and quickly alerted them, so they made their way out of the building.

He added that as he rushed to the emergency exit on the ground floor of the building, the doors were chained and locked. As he rushed to another exit, it was the same thing and it was at that point in time, he made up his mind that he had to go through the thick smoke. In addition, he reportedly went to all the doors on the second floor and alerted the occupants.

He was, nevertheless, thankful that no one was severely hurt as a result of the smoke. An investigation was launched into the incident by both the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force.

No one from management of the hotel was available to speak to the media.

GTU President Mark Lyte

ing able to get a response, among other concerns.

He said that that missive was dispatched on June 5.

The Government responded and said that the Finance Ministry was advising Cabinet on the matter. The GTU only received that letter on June 29.

Asked whether the Union was confident that a decision could be made soon, now that the matter was with Cabinet, he said there was not even the slightest optimism, given how the issue was dealt with.

Lyte also recapped that the Task Force had completed its work and handed over

its report to the Minister on April 6, but there was still no concrete word on when Cabinet could make a pronouncement.

“All we are told is that the Finance Ministry is advising and that is not enough word for comfort,” he added.

The GTU official also pointed out that the Government has been claiming that teachers were important, yet its actions seemed to disagree as there was no real genuine effort being made to address their needs.

“And, just recently, we were being told that private schools are outperforming public schools and only when exam time comes, people feel it. But this is a result of the low motivation,” he explained.

The establishment of the Task Force, which comprised Government and Union representatives, followed on the heels of threats of strike action from the GTU in retaliation for the slow pace of addressing the pay increase for teachers. This led to its establishment to fast-track the salary issue.

In April, the High-Level Task Force was engaged in a meeting, where the factors affecting teachers were

President David Granger

discussed, with the possibility of them receiving an increase in their monthly salaries. However, since May, it was revealed that the matter was within the remit of the Finance Ministry.

The Union has proposed a series of increases. These, it said, were proposed with the aim of improving the financial stability of teachers, who are the most significant figures within society.

A 40 per cent salary increase for public school teachers was proposed for the year 2016. Over time, the percentage would be increased for all categories of represented teachers.

8 news

mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Appeal Court overturns Justice Chang’s ruling in awarding of contracts to security firm

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he Appeal Court of Guyana has upheld the challenge brought by the Strategic Action Security Limited against the State in regard to that security firm not being granted a contract for the provision of security services to Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.

In a decision handed down late last month, Appellate Justices Dawn Gregory, Rishi Persaud and Rafiq Khan overturned a May 9, 2014 decision by former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, and set aside his refusal of an October 30, 2013 motion that challenged the awarding of the contract under the former Government.

The Appeal Court’s decision comes at a time when observers are continually calling for more transparency in the procurement process, especially in the awarding of Government contracts.

Attorney-at-law Sanjeev Datadin appeared for the appellant, Strategic Action Security, while Senior Legal Advisor at the Attorney General’s Chambers, Judy Stewart-Adonis, appeared for the named respondents -- the Ministry of Local Government and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

According to the facts of the legal disgruntlement, Justice Chang discharged two orders brought

by Strategic Action Security, one of which sought to di-

by way of discharging the Orders Nisi which had been granted on October 30, 2013.

Justice Chang had reasoned that the non-disclosure of pending criminal charges and the exclusion of Value Added Tax (VAT) from the Tendered Bid sum were material breaches the Procurement Act of 2003.

The Appeal Court noted that the former acting Chief Justice exercised discretion when he refused to interfere with the NPTAB’s decision on the matter.

Former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang

rect the then Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Ministry, Collin Croal, to quash the decision of the ministry to conclude the applicant’s contract.

The litigant’s grounds were that the court’s decision not to grant that order was, among other things, arbitrarily unreasonable, unlawful, and was null and void and hence illegal.

A second Order of Certiorari had sought to direct NPTAB to quash its decision to award the contract for Coastland Regional Administrations to Homesafe Security and Domestic Services Inc. on grounds that this was a “flagrant breach” of the provisions of the Standard Bidding Document that the ministry produced. This was also refused by Justice Chang at the High Court

Appellant’s objections

Contrary to Justice Chang’s ruling in 2014, the Appellant, the security firm, cited that the judge erroneously concluded that the bids were VAT exclusive, and the judge “failed to take into account” that the Bid Protest Committee did not meet to decide the Appellant’s case.

The Procurement Act 2003 is intended ‘to promote fairness and transparency in the procurement process.

The Appeal Court cited that the advertisement for the provision of security services for Regions 2 to 6 and 10 specially stated that “Bids will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedures specific in the Procurement Act 2003.”

It was highlighted that Strategic Action Security’s then Managing Director, Richard Khanai, was charged for receiving stolen property and placed on

Facing…

T

Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin

bail three weeks before the submission of the company’s tender. Justice Chang had reasoned that the Appellant’s failure to make this disclosure amounted to a material breach, as the term “any litigation” attracted the disclosure of pending criminal proceedings.

Determination

The Appeal Court, in its interpretation, disagreed with Justice Chang’s “skewed interpretation” of “any litigation”, further noting that the charges against Khanai could not form the basis of rejecting the bid.

The Justices further found that the company’s non-inclusion of VAT in the bid figure was a technical breach as a “simple” mathematical calculation would have revealed that the Appellant’s bid was the lowest.

The Justice observed that the Appellant should have first petitioned the Court to compel the Bid Protest Committee to hear and determine its complaint.

The Appeal Court, however, set aside Justice Chang’s May, 2014 order and made the Order Nisi on October 30, 2013 absolute.

The Strategic Action Security Limited was awarded court costs in the sum of $150,000.

The judgment was delivered

by Justice Rishi Persaud.

(Shemuel Fanfair)

…the music (of journalists)! echnically, your Eyewitness figures he’s a member of the journalistic community – the “fourth estate” sounds a bit too high falutin’ for his taste!!

So he hopes his comments on their recent request will be taken in good stead. He’s referring to the “seniors” lobbying for a lobby to get President David Granger to host more press conferences.

Well, that won’t be difficult to do, since he only held two in the three years he’s been in office!! Now, this won’t be the first “lobby” on this subject; more than a year after the first one in October 2015, civil society groups pilloried the President for the dearth of press conferences, and he grudgingly promised to do better when he got back from the CariCom HOG in early July 2017. Well, it must’ve slipped his mind, because it wasn’t until Dec 15, 2017 that he invited the press corps to meet him at State House.

Now, it could be that by this time the President had painted the building a putrid colour of green, because he said the Government was “going green”!! But your Eyewitness can’t remember any of the journalists there actually “bearding” the President. And this was even though the topic de jour was the US$18 million Exxon bonus, which had been secreted away in the Bank of Guyana!! Granger bluntly told the journalists – and all the “old heads” there – “I don’t accept the way we handled the bonus was illegal”!! And not a dog barked!!

The performance was in no way different from the stage-managed affairs the President used to have on a programme his office produced called “Public Interest”!

Your Eyewitness wants to know: if these assembled journalists weren’t prepared to follow up the President’s bald assertion on such an egregious act, what exactly will they be asking him if he finally agrees to another press conference by year end?? Will they be pinning him down to some substantive answers? The bottom line is: your Eyewitness thinks the press is going about this matter half-assed backwards.

So what if the President doesn’t want to face the press? From the two he’s held, do they think they’ll get a straight answer on anything? This man practised journalism for more years that most of the journalists who’ll face him. What the press ought to be doing – as they ought to be doing with anyone they want to write about -- is focus on his ACTIONS, not words!! Analyse those actions – such as unilaterally appointing the GECOM chair; the energy czar; or (soon) the Chancellor of the Judiciary!

And write what those actions mean – whether for the “good life” he promised Guyanese, or for “good governance” he promised Guyana! …the verdict on “green” energy A bureaucrat had to admit what no one in the Government dared do: on the centrepiece strategy defining their administration – all green energy by 2025 – they’ve failed!! Now, if you can’t succeed in your number one goal, what can we expect on the other goals? Shall we bring up sensitive matters, such as a “Code of Conduct”, and such like?? Naah…Your Eyewitness has those Warriors games in his eye, and as such, he can’t help but be kind!!

What exactly is the PNC-led Government’s problem with executing a green-energy strategy, especially when the predecessor PPP administration had the identical aim – only they called it “Low Carbon Development Strategy” (LCDS)? And that’s the problem right there, isn’t it?? When you’re cogging wholesale, you’ve got to be different in some way, so as not to make it too obvious! And in green-energy sufficiency, the wankers decided to ignore Amaila Falls Hydro - which even the Norwegians told them was THE ONLY way to go!!

They’ve cut Guyana’s nose to save their face!! …favouritism and unilateralism Everybody’s been wondering why the President picked a fella with absolutely NO experience in oil and gas to be his energy czar. Well it took an academic to give the answer.

The man’s been writing for Granger’ since 1996!!

Book learning is it!!

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

News

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

AG admits intervening to dismiss charges against Ministers ‒ Nandlall says confession grounds for resignation

A

stunning admission made by Attorney General Basil Williams that his office played a role in saving several Ministers from private criminal charges has initiated calls from his predecessor, Anil Nandlall, for his resignation.

In an article published

by Sunday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle, it was stated that Williams bragged to the newspaper during an interview that ‘representation through his office prevented the private charges from continuing against them (Ministers)’.

At the time, Williams was laying out his achievements to make a case for re-election as People’s National Congress (PNC) Chairman.

The parliamentary Opposition had filed criminal charges against Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence; Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton; Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Public Sector Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Finance Minister Winston Jordan, for various alleged infractions.

Interestingly, those charges never made it to court, as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) threw them out after review. Nandlall drew attention to the fact that the DPP is a constitutional office protected from interference by the laws of Guyana.

Considering the role of the Attorney General as the legal representative of the State, this, the former AG noted, constitutes grounds for resignation.

“The above constitutes an unassailable admission by the Attorney General of political interference with an independent constitutional agency,” Nandlall wrote in a social media post.

“It also corroborates my long-held view that the criminal charges instituted against former Ministers and officials of the [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] PPP/C Administration are politically directed. In most democratic countries, this admission would be the basis of a resignation!” he noted, adding that this amounted to disrespect for the Constitution and the arms of the State.

The DPP’s office itself is supposed to be protected from State directives by the Constitution of Guyana. Article 187 (4) of the Constitution states “In the exercise of the powers conferred upon him or her by this article, the Director shall not be subject to the direction or control of any

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

other person or authority.”

The charges

Following the charges brought by the PPP against Norton and Lawrence, the court heard that Minister Lawrence, while being and performing the duties of Public Health Minister of the Government of Guyana, between January 16, 2017 and February 16, 2017, wilfully misconducted herself in a way which amounted to an abuse of public trust without reasonable excuse or justification.

Moreover, Lawrence was accused of authorising the unapproved single- sourcing and purchase of drugs and medical supplies for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) from ANSA McAL Trading Limited, for the excessive sum of $605,962,200.

Norton, on the other hand, was also accused of wilfully misconducting himself in a way which amounted to an abuse of public trust without reasonable excuse or justification, when he authorised or caused the rental of the property known as and situated at 29 Sussex Street, Albouystown, in the city of Georgetown from Linden Holdings Incorporated, a Limited Liability Company, for the sum of $12,500,000,

exclusive of VAT, per month, by way of a written Agreement of Tenancy at an excessive rate of rental.”

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan had granted two summonses for the respective Ministers, ordering them to appear before the court on April 24. They never did, as the day before their day in court, it was announced that the DPP, Shalimar Ali Hack, nixed the charges.

The PPP then filed more charges, this time against Minister Jordan,

Global indices

Guyana overtaken by other countries in human development – Ali

I

Attorney General Basil Williams

also issued for these three Ministers by Chief Magistrate McLennan, with the matters adjourned to April 30, 2018. But the Ministers never saw the inside of the courtroom, as the DPP again discontinued the charges on April 26.

She had affirmed that the matters must first be investigated by the Police.

Since then, there has been no word on a Police investigation and Jordan has personally filed a libel lawsuit Director of Public Prosecutions, against PPP/C parliamenShalimar Ali-Hack tarian Juan Edghill for his role in the second charge.

Minister Patterson and Minister Roopnaraine for alleged breaches of the Procurement Act in relation to the expenditure of $906 million in public funds to a private company, Homestretch Development Inc for the construction of the D’Urban Park Project.

Jordan and Patterson were jointly charged with misconduct and abuse of public trust for having allegedly authorised the payment, while Dr Roopnaraine, who was a director of the company, was charged with alleged misconduct and abuse of public trust for having received in his capacity as director the $906 million in public funds while serving as Minister.

Summonses were

n the last three years, Guyana has slid downwards on three major international indices that measure the personal development of a country’s citizens. And it is a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the parliamentary Opposition.

According to Opposition parliamentarian Irfaan Ali, the statistics tell a story of a country that has been losing its international rankings when it comes to things like unemployment rates, education, and youth literacy.

“Various international organisations, such as World Economic Forum, through a series of annual countries’ assessment, inadvertently espouse the axiom that ‘Guyana is in reverse mode’,” Ali pointed out.

“In 2017, the Global Human Capital index, a report that ranks countries according to their effectiveness and level of human capital development, demoted Guyana below its 2015 global position of 79, by nine positions, surpassing frail economies such as Uganda, Zambia and Kenya,” he continued.

Opposition parliamentarian Irfaan Ali

This report was published by the World Economic Forum in September of 2017. Indeed, a perusal of this index shows that Guyana is below the global average for human capital development, nestled between South Africa and Myanmar.

According to Ali, key indicators reveal that in one year Guyana has slipped in unemployment rates for age groups 25-54 and 55-64.

“Ironically, the Government boasts of job creation. continued on page 12

10 news

mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Political analysts rap Granger for ‘help yourself’ speech – remind President of role in creating enabling environment for success

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resident David Granger’s speech last week at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) castigating persons for not seeking betterment for themselves is not sitting well with political

“Hinds sight” that he was voted into office, most likely by the very people he rebuked, to set policies that would help persons to help themselves. Instead, Hinds noted that Granger’s message was “go help yourself”,

to make a difference in the lives of those poor Black people. Having rebuked them, you promised them no big policy to help them own the “boats, buses and bicycles” you urged them to aspire to.

Where are they going to get

“Correcting these challenges require Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Laws buttressed by public education and enforcement. And it is Government’s responsibility to do this. The talk that citizens must get prepared to capitalise on oil and gas – as though these will be the panacea to end all problems and create all opportunities – remains just that. Talks are yet to be buttressed with a National Programme... We still don’t know what skill sets are needed, how these will be acquired, and Government’s role in making it possible for local labour. There is high youth unemployment and no national plan to alleviate it, either through employment or self-employed opportunities” – Lincoln Lewis. thinkers, with at least two of them tackling the matter head on in simultaneous columns.

Working People’s Alliance (WPA) heavyweight and political commentator, Dr David Hinds reminded the President in his column

without identifying policies that would bring economic benefit.

“No, Mr President, that is not right or fair or just.

We have to go back to these very people in 2020 and ask for their votes. You, Mr President, have the power

the loans or start-up capital from, for example?

“Some of them put down the bottle and the hustle, stopped liming and voted for him and the coalition in May 2015. Many of them voted for us, because they wanted an opportunity to do better.

President David Granger

President Granger and the coalition promised them that if we won power, we would help them. Now that we have the power, we seem to be telling them ‘go help yourselves,” Dr Hinds observed.

Dr Hinds noted the importance of avoiding the perception that one was talking down to a community and pointed out that Granger, a

Veteran trade unionist Lincoln Lewis

successful man, may have exuded an anti-poor perception with his message.

“Mr President, your brilliant career as a military man came because of Government investment in you and your generation. Now that you hold the reins of Government, you should do the same for the present generation – invest in them. Rebuke them, but when you are done, tell them what your government will do to help them to do better. Government policy is not hand-out –it is part of what Government was created for.”

“There is no country in the world where the descendants of the enslaved lifted themselves without the deliberate intervention of Government. Even the most stubborn of them, the USA, saw it fit to enact an affirmative action policy. It is my considered view that the bad habits which the President correctly identified and criticised would decrease if and when his government put in place policies that target the structural problems of the black community.”

Besides this, Hinds also drew attention to the apparent intolerance for criticism by the Government. He cited the example of both he and Lincoln Lewis being removed from their posts as columnists for the State paper, and pointed to the irony of the President now coming to critique communities.

Responsibility

Lewis, a veteran trade unionist, took an even harder line in his criticism of Granger’s speech in his “Eye on Guyana” column titled “Govt must not rebuke when govt taketh away, deprives or denies its citizens”.

According to Lewis in his column, the National Development Strategy (NDS) of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan was one of the last efforts to push for a strategy for the betterment of the people, with a consultative buy-in.

“For subsequent leaders to castigate citizens for their failure to put in place mechanisms for ensuring productive endeavours can be considered dereliction of duties.

This nation’s President has Executive responsibility, that is day-to-day responsi-

WPA heavyweight, Dr David Hinds

bility for the citizens’ welfare, which includes the realisation of a programme to address deficiencies in every community and across every demographic.

“Inherent in this must be a plan of action, which includes a strategy to bring people on board.

An idea in the head and telling people to buy into it without putting structures in place that can facilitate their involvement will see no transformation,” he said.

Lewis stressed that Government must lead a concerted national effort to correct systemic discrimination in the system. The trade unionist pointed to the Government’s refusal to re-establish the Ministry of Labour as backward, since it was seen as a working-class Ministry and could lead the effort in developing a national plan to alleviate unemployment.

“Correcting these challenges require Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Laws buttressed by public education and enforcement. And it is Government’s responsibility to do this. The talk that citizens must get prepared to capitalise on oil and gas – as though these will be the panacea to end all problems and create all opportunities – remains just that.

“Talks are yet to be buttressed with a National Programme as to what is required to productively participate. We still don’t know what skill sets are needed, how these will be acquired, and Government’s role in making it possible for local labour. There is high youth unemployment and no national plan to alleviate it, either through employment or self-employed opportunities.”

The Head of State made the speech while addressing residents at Beterverwagting on Tuesday evening, at a Cultural Evening hosted to commemorate the 180th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery.

President Granger said that even though he could have the profits and benefits from oil production equitably shared, it was up to citizens to empower themselves to take advantage of the opportunities that would become available.

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

AFC contesting LGE without APNU a ploy – PPP

...AFC says it is committed to coalition politics at national level ry since signing the “lovers’ deal”.

However, the AFC of recent has come under fire for the submissive role it has been playing since joining forces with the APNU. In fact, the top leadership of the AFC had decided back mid-November to revise its governing agreement with its majority coalition part-

AFC Leader Raphael Trotman, President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) has announced that it would contest the Local Government Elections without being in coalition with A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), but the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has described this AFC move as deceitful and unscrupulous politics.

Subsequent to the AFC announcement, the PPP, in a release, stated that since the AFC’s coalition with the APNU in 2015, the AFC has adopted inconsistent, flip-flopping and deceptive political postures as it struggles to survive as a relevant political force.

“We have seen how it flipflopped on many issues in the past, including the parking meter contract, VAT on education, the sugar industry; and even before they entered into the coalition, Khemraj Ramjattan is on public record saying that the AFC will never enter into a coalition with the APNU/PNC, because if it does so, it will be "dead meat", the PPP posited.

The PPP added that the AFC has consistently taken public positions on issues as it attempts to fool the populace, but its intention is only to strengthen its negotiation leverage with APNU. The PPP is of the belief that the AFC’s announcement that it would contest the upcoming Local Government Elections separate from APNU is part of a ploy.

"Again, the intent can be gleaned from its public statement in which it indicated that it will not contest in all of the Local Authority areas. The trickery is that (the AFC) will come into certain PPP strongholds in which APNU will not contest, as a Trojan horse, pretending to be independent of the APNU in order to garner some sympathy votes in these areas”, the PPP added.

“If they think they can pull off such clumsy stunts, (it) is illustrative of the lack of respect which they have for the intelligence of the Guyanese electorate”, the PPP said.

The Opposition party has called upon every single Guyanese not to allow themselves to be used by this moribund cabal of untrustworthy politicians who are grasping at the last straw for their survival.

The AFC announcement of this important decision was made on Sunday via a statement to the media. According to the minority party in the

coalition Government, “This decision was reached following the inconclusive negotiations with APNU.” Efforts to contact the Chairman of the APNU, Basil Williams, for a comment on Sunday proved futile. However, the General Secretary of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the leading party in the five-member APNU coalition, Amna Ally, told the Guyana Times that she found out about AFC’s decision in a newscast.

Meanwhile, the AFC said this separation applies only for the 2018 Local Government polls, and “does not, in any way, affect the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, nor does it, in any way, change the AFC’s position on coalition politics at the national level. The AFC remains, and reaffirms that it is, committed to the APNU+AFC Coalition.”

Following its decision, the party’s Management Committee has since resolved into the LGE Campaign Committee and is chaired

by Executive Member David Patterson, who has been appointed Campaign Director.

Additionally, Juretha Fernandes has been appointed Deputy Campaign Director, while appointments to other positions will be done subsequently.

“The AFC is in full preparation mode for LGE, including hosting meetings in the various constituencies and identifying potential candidates who will be subject to a rigorous internal vetting process before official appointment. Candidates will be addressing the local issues which are of concern to citizens, and working collaboratively to find practical and implementable solutions,” Sunday’s missive stated.

It further outlined that the AFC will soon determine which municipalities and constituencies it would strategically contest, as it does not envision contesting in each Neighbourhood Democratic Council and in every constituency of all municipalities, until subsequent election cycles.

“The AFC is confident in the support it will continue to receive from the people of Guyana, and can assure citizens that it will only nominate candidates of the highest calibre and quality,” the party noted.

On February 14 last, the APNU and AFC celebrated their 3rd year anniversa-

ner.

The Cummingsburg Accord has a lifespan of a minimum of three years and maximum of five years, and was focused primarily on the General and Regional Elections.

To this end, the AFC had proposed as part of the nine points up for negotiation with its coalition partner that an

agreement on LGE be crafted. In fact, the minority coalition partner detailed some of its positions for negotiation in the LGE Accord. The AFC’s NEC, after a May 1 meeting, had allowed additional time for the two coalition partners to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord.

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GCAA preparing for economic “tsunami” ahead – Director General

T

he Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is moving steadfastly to become fully compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ahead of the rush of economic activities that Guyana is expected to experience upon oil production in two years’ time.

Director-General of the GCAA, ret’d Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field, said last week that, within recent years, the local aviation industry has moved a good way up the ladder towards the ICAO standards – something which the international body is very pleased with.

“They displayed their pleasant feeling when they presented us with the President’s Certificate last year. So we are moving [forward]. We are training our staff and spending a lot in that area in order to ensure that there is a robust authority to meet the challenges of tomorrow, and the challenges are coming very fast,” Field posited.

According to the Director General, these challenges are fast approaching, especially with operation of the oil and gas industry being imminent.

“You cannot understand

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

or imagine what we will face in another year. With the extended runway and the expanded airport, we are looking to have travellers from as far as Africa, and even Europe, coming into Guyana. As I say to my staff, ‘There is a tsunami ahead of us, and we’ve got to work hard and build this authority for robust oversight of the [aviation] industry ’,” he asserted.

Field said the GCAA’s main goal is to ensure the skies are safe. “Safety is paramount in our work from day to day, and we will continue to ensure that this

remains the focal point of each and every single member of the Civil and Aviation Authority,” Field told media operatives.

The Director-General had earlier listed safety regulations as a top priority for the GCAA this year.

In fact, he had noted that one of the GCAA’s primary goals in 2018 is to amend its regulations to comply with the standards and recommended practices outlined

by ICAO. To this end, the Civil Aviation Bill was tabled in the National Assembly and sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee, which has since completed its work. The next stage now is for the House to adopt the Committee’s report. This is expected to be done before the end of the year.

The proposed legislation contains a revision of aviation regulations, which will include: safety management systems, regulations pertaining to drone operations, and revised operations regulations for the industry.

In addition to revising its regulations, GCAA also conducted a compliance and enforcement training programme in February, which is expected to play an integral role in aiding the

The CJIA Expansion Project

Authority to respond positively to those items requested by ICAO, and bring GCAA closer towards compliance.

Guyana is currently third from the bottom in

compliance ranking, having moved up one place.

However, the Authority, which is currently around 70 percent in compliance, has been doing corrective actions to move towards

80 percent before the end of the year. In 2017, the Authority was awarded the ICAO Council President’s Certificate for its significant progress in safety oversight.

Car mysteriously disappears from D Field, Sophia

G

rey Toyota AT 192 motorcar PJJ 2078 mysteriously disappeared on Sunday morning while it was parked at ‘D’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The car belongs to Rocky Salikram of Cummings Street, Georgetown but was attached to the End to End Taxi Service at Louisa Row. Based on reports re-

Guyana overtaken...

ceived, the driver of the car parked the vehicle in front of his house at about midnight and retired to bed. When he awoke at about 6:00h, the car nowhere to be seen. He immediately made a report to the Turkeyen Police Station, and a statement was taken.

The owner of the vehicle and members of his family have been looking for the car since it was reported missing, but have come up empty-handed up to late Sunday evening.

Anyone with information that can lead to recovery of the motorcar are asked to contact the owner on telephone number 622-7762, or his brother, Asif Mohamed, on 613-5041.

from page 9

Furthermore, between 2015- 2017, the country’s global ranking fell by another seven positions, in relation to quality of primary education of children, age 0-15 years. Overall, Guyana has slipped by eight positions in global ranking, in the quality of educational services provided to children, age 1524,” Ali stated.

He also quoted from the 2016 Human Development

Report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), noting that Guyana has also deteriorated globally by several places on the Human Development Index. He pointed out that countries like Namibia have surpassed Guyana in the global rankings.

“In the health sector, when compared to 2013, infant mortality rates per 1000

live births have increased to 32 in 2015. Similarly, infants under five months have seen an increase in mortality rate per 1000 live births (to 39) during similar period. Adults, on the other hand, have seen an increase in deaths due to tuberculosis to 21, in 2015,” Ali pointed out.

He also pointed out that the latest Global Competitive Index Reports, for the period 2015-2016, saw Guyana fall in the global rankings to 121.

“Institutions, one of the fundamental pillars that command global ranking, deteriorated to 102 in 2016.

Property rights, bribes, favouritism, wasteful spending, and organised crime have all seen massive deterioration in ranking,” Ali noted.

“The question that begs to be answered is, how could this government speak of development, wealth generation, and the ‘good life’, when we are clearly, from all indications, in reverse mode?” he questioned.

news

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

PPP to include more civil society members for LGE – Jagdeo

I

n a strategic political move, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) announced plans to change the system by which it chose persons to represent the Party at the Local Government level.

As such, the Party is looking to balance its list of candidates by having 50 per cent come from within the Party and 50 per cent from civil society, to contest the Local Government Elections (LGE) on November 12, 2018.

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said that his Party would ask possible candidates who were going to be on the list if they would have the time to serve or volunteer for these positions.

“We are going to ask them right up front … because they may not have the time

and the work of the NDC (Neighbourhood Democratic Councils) or the municipality would suffer,” he stated.

Jagdeo said the idea of balancing the slate was to ensure that there were present people directly from the communities who have skills and could relate to the community and push to have them improved.

“These are people who are known in the area, people of good repute, law-abiding citizens who have done community work, religious leaders, young people in the youth movements,” he explained.

The PPP General Secretary said one of the major constraints was Councillors having little time to attend meetings because elected officials do not

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

earn salaries and so many of them are “busy earning a living elsewhere”. “…they have to give a

Design for Mora Point Pump Station near completion

Their accommodation could become a drainage and irrigation (D&I) heritage site.

E

rection of an irrigation pump station at Mora Point, Mahaicony River in Region Five, together with installation of fixed pumps therein, is moving closer to realisation with completion of the design phase being expected by the middle of this month.

National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Engineer for Region Five, Mahaica/Berbice, Dharamkumar Seeraj, disclosed that Innovative Engineering Consultants were last April awarded the $16.7 million contract for the design of the pump station and supervision of its erection.

According to the

liver water from the Mahaicony River into irrigation channels at a rate of 80 cubic feet per second (cusecs) for utilisation by large rice producing areas within the Mahaicony/Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS).

Engineer Seeraj said, “2500 acres of rice cultivation will benefit from guaranteed irrigation when badly needed, such as in El Nino weather conditions.”

Seeraj said NDIA’s acceptance of the consultants’ design will be followed by the awarding of contracts for construction of the pump station and installation of the pumps, during 2019.

The new Mora Point

The soon-to-be-replaced Mora Point Pump Station which will be preserved as an historic artefact

Department of Public Information (DPI), the pump at Mora Point will be one of nine new drainage and irrigation pumps being acquired by the Government as part of a Gy$837.4 million (US$4 million) line of credit from the Government of India.

Once completed, the Mora Point pump will de-

Pump Station will replace the old pump station with its two old pumps previously installed by the colonial Government over 100 years ago.

Seeraj said the century-old pumps, one of which is reportedly still working, will be “spruced up” and kept at their current location as historical artifacts.

commitment that they will support and defend the positions we campaign on.”

In each of the 81 areas, communities will do their own selection and screening of all of the candidates at the bottom and then in consultation with the Party leadership.

He said, “We’ll select the final, but it’s better because they know the people on the ground rather than Freedom House centrally trying to decide who will be the candidate.”

Candidates, he said, would be expected to possess good interpersonal skills and have a sound grounding in the communities where they reside, especially to prevent the PPP being labelled for something bad.

In preparation for these elections, the Party has launched its campaign in all 10 Administrative Regions throughout Guyana. The first meeting was held in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). Meetings were held at Number 70 Village, Number 56 Village, Hogtown Chesney, and Hampshire.

Jagdeo has pointed out that the Party was implementing a 12-point criteria list for choosing persons to represent their constituencies at the upcoming elections. Addressing a crowd of about 400 at Number 70 Village, Jagdeo said one of the criteria was to ensure widespread consultation to select a representative.

“We don’t want the people who are selected to represent you in an area to be selected by a small group of people of the party group alone. We want widespread consultation with our people in the areas, so that the people that we select are the best people we put forward,” he stated.

The Opposition Leader asked all to participate in the process and said by August 18, the names of those selected should be submitted to the Party’s head office.

PPP Executive Member Zulfikar Mustapha explained that the KilcoyChesney NDC area was critical to the Party.

“In 1994, when we had Local Government Elections,

we had a tie in this NDC [Fyrish/Gibraltar] and we went back to a by-election and we won it… At the last Local Government Elections in 2016, we had another tie and instead of the Government and the Ministry of Communities go back to a by-election, the Minister decided to choose the APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] to appoint a Chairman and a Vice Chairman.”

The PPP has also launched its election campaign in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) where Jagdeo and others met with hundreds of residents. Jagdeo has also conducted a number of outreaches in Regions Three and Four (Demerara-Mahaica) in preparation for the campaigning season. The PPP/ Civic is hoping to win the LGE by a landslide.

As preparations continue, Jagdeo said the PPP would be ready for Nomination Day, set for September 2018.

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mondAY, august 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

“City Week” clean-up campaign begins …M&CC calls on citizens to get on board

T

o commemorate Georgetown’s 175th anniversary, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will facilitate a massive clean-up campaign of the city on August 12, 2018 in and around the Stabroek and Bourda Markets areas.

The Council is calling on all corporations, organisations, agencies, groups, and individuals to take part in this exercise, which will include clearing of drains, weeding of parapets, removal of scattered and accumulated refuse from pavements, roadsides and other thoroughfares.

Also, trimming and painting of trees and other beautification activities would be undertaken.

According to the M&CC, through a statement released on Saturday, it will be providing all cleaning tools and garbage bags to assist those who will be part of this campaign.

The release further not-

ed that street and roadside vending would be permitted on that day in the central business district of the city. The Council is also calling on all store owners to support the campaign and cooperate with its officials to sanitise the areas in which they operate.

Corporations and community groups interested in doing their clean-up must make contact with the Solid Waste Department or visit the office of the Town Clerk to register for collection and removal of waste.

During last week’s launching of “City Week”, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green had mentioned that “City Week”, running from August 1925, would be filled with various activities showcasing the diversity of the city.

According to the Mayor, the objective of the initiative is to bring awareness to the citizens of Guyana and to also have every citizen participate in the ac-

A section of the Stabroek Market as the clean-up campaign commences

tivities.

“We have come a long way from when we were ruled by the Dutch. There

were many complaints, for example: about the city flooding as soon as rain falls, so now we have gone

from that era and we are now trying to improve in other areas as well,” the Mayor explained.

Although bus operators are frustrated by the actions of the M&CC to displace the Route 42 bus park, they are still awaiting word as to whether they will be placed at a different location or they will have to ply their trade on the “hot plate”.

On August 19, the day will start with a church service at the St George’s Cathedral followed by an opening ceremony at Stabroek Market Square.

Some of the other activities planned include an arts and crafts exhibition on Main Street, a health fair, cocktail reception and a beachfront party at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

It was noted that most of the funding for these activities will be sponsored by several different companies. The “City Week” celebration will be branded and “promoted as a tourist attraction”.

Final-year social work students complete community project at YEST

A

group of final-year students of the University of Guyana attached to the Social Work Programme has successfully completed a five-week “Community Practice” project, at the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training Programme (YEST), Sophia Training Centre, Greater Georgetown.

The initiative was coordinated by the group of students aimed at sensitising youths and young adults on life skills such as coping

mechanisms, anger management, self-awareness, self-esteem, problem-solving, decision-making and interpersonal relationships.

Social issues such as suicide, domestic violence and violence against women were also addressed during the interactive educational sessions.

In addition, to those activities, a session on sexual reproductive health, parenting skills and counselling was also conducted.

The main objectives of

the project were to empower and educate each participant to be better equipped in handling situations that they may recognise as potentially harmful to them and also increase their opportunities for personal development.

The group commended the staff of YEST for the work they have been doing over the years and expressed special gratitude to the social worker attached to the institution, for allowing them the opportunity to conduct the

Members of the group conducting one of the sessions with the students at the institution

exercise there.

The experience gained was very rewarding and as such, they recognised the need for social workers

in the changing process to build and strengthen the country in a positive way.

The group comprised Delice Neblett, Melissa

Liverpool, Minnette Phil, Osnel McKenzie and Ramratie Singh.

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monDAY, August 6, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say

I SAY...

What are your views on the ban of single-use plastics?

Phillincia Tinnie

“Plastic bags are everywhere

in our environment. When we go to purchase our groceries, we use plastic bags because they are convenient. In fact, in our modern lives, it has become part of us. However, the convenience of these plastic bags comes at a very high cost to the environment and negatively affects human health. Several cities globally have begun banning the use of plastic bags while some have enforced restricted laws against the use of plastic bags because of the negative effects of their usage.”

Roshanna Nichols

“Plastic bags do not only pollute our water but also our land.

Plastic bags are usually lightweight and as such, they can travel very long distances by either water or wind. Wind blows these plastic bags and trashes a whole area. This litter gets caught up in between trees, fences, and floats in water bodies thus moving to the world’s oceans.”

Mark Parker

“I believe the ban on plas-

Denisia Chapman

Shaunell Wilson

“I think the ban would be good for the environment. But at the same time, we have to think about proper substitutes for the items that are banned.”

Tanisha Petty “As long as they find a proper substitute to be used in the place of the plastic bags, then I’m all for it being totally banned.”

“It should have been banned a long time ago…I can’t believe that we’re still having this discussion in 2018.”

Andey Kalamadeen “They're unhealthy; [plastic] doesn't do our earth any justice ‘cause it doesn't dissolve if left unattended….

There are reports from around the world with bad, very bad reviews of them and also they really affect our marine wildlife.”

tic bags, plates, cups and other utensils is good for our environment. Plastic is lightweight and can travel for long distances in water and wind, and pollution is a major concern in our waters. Our sea turtles can mistakenly eat them and suffocate.

It’s also not degradable. Instead it is broken down into tiny pieces and is harmful to wildlife; also harmful to human health due to the chemicals used to make the plastic stuff, can also disrupt the normal functioning of hormones in the body.”

Anita Singh

“It is very bad, because it takes like forever to dissolve and causes canals and drains to be blocked when it rains. Go biodegradable, don't like to burn things ‘cause it damages the ozone layer.”

Sirena Ramdass

“They pollute the environment and make it unhealthy and also affect marine life.”

CCJ President urges local judiciary to use mediation as ADR

W

ith the use of Alternative D i s p u t e Resolution (ADR) proving to be an effective method in courts around the world, Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Justice Adrian Saunders is encouraging the local judiciary to use this form of conflict resolution in disposing of civil cases.

“Mediation is a very special skill; it is a very useful skill to resolve disputes. It helps to lighten the court’s load [and] the nature of the agreements because they are consensually worked out.

“All these statistics show that all over the world, mediation agreements are honoured more readily and more quickly than judgements of the court. Mediation preserves relationships, in fact, sometimes it restores and rebuilds relationships between parties and I’m a very, very big proponent of the use of mediation,” Justice Saunders said during an interaction ses-

sion hosted in Georgetown last week.

According to the new CCJ President, many persons have a misconception that every dispute filed must end years or months later in a fully blown trial before a judge.

“That’s just a myth.

Courts will not be able to afford the resources to accommodate the trial of every case that is filed, but, more importantly, cases that are filed amidst an enormous range of possible solutions, not all of them are particularly suited for a full-blown trial,” he noted.

The CCJ President asserted that in many cases, a mediated solution would yield a greater level of satisfaction to the parties involved and as such, he encouraged Guyana’s judicial sector to adopt mediation as an ADR or even arbitral solution, which would yield just as great a solution as a full-blown trial.

“So, it is important [to use ADRs], and now that you have new Civil

CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders

Procedure Rules that accommodate this, it is important that at a very early stage, some assessment is made of whether the dispute that is filed is suitable for mediation, arbitration or some other form of dispute resolution … So, I really hope that your mediation infrastructure is really robust that Judges are very liberal in sending litigants to mediate,” he asserted.

Justice Saunders pointed out that not all parties in civil cases filed really

want to go through trial.

In fact, he recalled a case he was co-defending in which after his senior had cross-examined the main witness on the other side and made him out to be not a very truthful person, his client said that she did not care about the case thereon and was just happy that the other party was made out to “look like the liar that he is”.

“So her purpose for coming to court was not to have a big trial or to win a case, [it] was just to ensure that

people recognised that this man had done her something wrong. So, people have all sorts of different reasons to go to court and it is a waste of judicial time not to afford them an opportunity to resolve issues at an early stage in ways that would not necessarily involve trials in the court,” he posited.

The St Vincent-born Judge went on to note that he was involved in the introduction of court-connected mediation in St Lucia. In fact, he said it was the first country that introduced court-connected mediation in the Caribbean and the Judges there were told that if they assessed that a case was suitable for mediation to order the parties to attend the mediation centre.

“Now you can lead the horse to the water, but you can’t force it to drink, but the mediation order that says it must go to mediation was an order of the court, if you failed to obey that order, then you are liable to be held for con-

tempt of court. I have known mediators who have sat with somebody who have showed up for mediation and who would say “I don’t know why the Judge send me here, I don’t want to mediate my case, I want to go before the Judge to hear my case and I don’t have anything to say. They told me to come and I have come,” but then three and a half hours later, there was a mediation agreement signed by that same party,” he related.

In Guyana, the Mediation Centre was established in 2003 and according to statistics provided back in May, of the 880 cases filed, the court has directed 772 to mediation and of that number, 108 matters were settled before actual mediation while 48 matters were successfully mediated where an agreement was reached.

However, in 228 matters, the mediation was unsuccessful and the case referred to trial.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

mondAY, august 6, 2018

Regional

Venezuela arrests Jamaica: Man flees cops leaving car with 23 stolen goats behind 6 over Maduro “assassination” A attempt motorist is on the run after he was allegedly caught with 23 stolen goats in his motor car in Hayes, Clarendon, Jamaica on Saturday.

According to a report from the constabulary’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), a team of officers signalled the driver of

V

enezuelan authorities said on Sunday they have detained six people over drone explosions the day before at a rally led by President Nicolás Maduro, as his critics warned the socialist leader would use the incident to crack down on adversaries.

The suspects launched two drones laden with explosives over an outdoor rally Maduro was holding in downtown Caracas to commemorate the National Guard, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said. One was “diverted” by security forces while the second fell on its own and hit an apartment building, Reverol said.

The attack highlights Maduro’s challenges in maintaining control over the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nation, where widespread food and medicine shortages have fuelled outrage and despair everywhere from hillside slums to military barracks.

B

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro speaks during a meeting with Government officials at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, August 4, 2018

“These terrorist acts represent a slap in the face to the expressed desire of the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, for national reconciliation and dialogue,” Reverol said in a statement read on State television.

State television footage of the rally showed Maduro startled by what appeared to be an explosion and footage later panned to soldiers lined up on a boulevard who chaotically broke ranks in what appeared to be a reaction to a second blast.

The President later de-

scribed the attack, which injured seven soldiers, as an assassination attempt.

One of the suspects had an outstanding arrest warrant for involvement in a 2017 attack on a military base that killed two people, Reverol said, an incident that followed four months of anti-government protests.

A second suspect had been detained during a wave of anti-Maduro protests in 2014, but had been released through “procedural benefits”, Reverol said, without offering details. (Excerpt from Reuters)

of chaos in Brazil.

Going into Brazil’s most wide open presidential election in decades, Bolsonaro leads in opinion polls that exclude jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, running as a candidate for the small Social Liberty Party (PSL), has pegged much of his candidacy on controversial remarks, whether defending the past military dictatorship or suggesting acts of violence against homosexuals.

In an interview last year with Reuters, the can-

didate for the PSL played down Mourão’s remarks.

“It was just a warning.

Nobody wants to seize power that way,” Bolsonaro said. “Maybe we could have a military man winning in 2018, but through elections.”

Bolsonaro had struggled to find a running mate as other parties tried to distance themselves from his controversial comments. Other proposed vice presidential candidates – including another general, an astronaut and a sitting senator – ultimately fell through. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Credit union rush in Barbados

F

ed up with the inability to earn significant interest on savings at commercial banks, angry Bajans are turning to credit unions.

Over the past six months, with most commercial banks lowering the rate of interest on savings accounts to 0.05 per cent per annum, Barbadians have moved tens of millions of dollars.

charged with larceny of goat.

The Police are now asking the driver of the vehicle to turn himself in to the nearest Police Station.

The Police are also appealing to members of the public who have had their goats stolen to contact the Hayes Police. (Jamaica Observer)

Trini Police probe local link to multimillion-dollar drug bust in Vietnam

Brazilian right-wing candidate picks Army General as running mate razilian far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday tipped as his running mate a controversial retired military general who said last year that a military coup was possible in the country.

General Antonio Hamilton Mourão warned last September that the military could seize power if Brazil’s courts do not punish corrupt politicians.

Mourão was later removed from his post as the Army’s finance chief after similar remarks that the military could step in in the event

a Toyota Caldina motor car to stop about 05:30h. He obeyed, but made his escape by fleeing into a nearby community, the Police said.

The other occupant of the car, 29-year-old Derron Taylor of Hollywood Road, Phase II in Hayes was taken into custody and

But the rush to earn better interest rates, though making the credit unions more liquid and better able to offer loans at reasonable rates, has them with very little opportunity for investment because of the country’s precarious financial position.

“We have seen more than enough movement of money over to our credit union. Our lobbies

can’t hold the people coming in to start new accounts,” Steve Belle, Chief Executive Officer of the City of Bridgetown Credit Union told the Nation in a recent interview.

“Since the banks reduced the interest rates, we have seen Barbadians bring tens of millions of dollars our way. The growth of deposits has been impressive,” Belle noted. (Excerpt from

nationnews)

P

olice in Trinidad and Tobago are assisting their counterparts in Vietnam after cocaine, valued at US$35 million was found aboard a ship that left the twin-island republic about two months ago.

An online report from a Vietnamese newspaper said the cocaine was found in a shipping container among scrap metal.

The newspaper reported that customs officers at the Tan Cang Cai MepThi Vai Port in the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau found a 17-container shipment suspicious and on carrying out a thorough inspection, found four large sacks containing 119 kilograms of a white powder among the scrap steel.

Tests found that the powder was high-quality cocaine.

According to logs, the Liberia-flagged cargo ship, “Mark Shenzhen”, which transported the scrap steel shipment, began its voyage from Trinidad and Tobago two months ago and docked

Authorities have identified the shipment's owner as Singaporean company Stamcorp International Pte Ltd

in Panama for half a month before arriving in China on July 15.

The ship then berthed at the Tan Cang Cai MepThi Vai Port, in Vietnam last week, where it unloaded the scrap steel containers before leaving for Singapore immediately afterwards.

Authorities have identified the shipment’s owner as Singaporean company Stamcorp International Pte Ltd and its recipient as local firm Pomina Steel 2.

However, the seal on the container did not match documents provided by the shipment’s owner.

Vietnam Police have said that this is the largest-ever drug haul in the province. Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws.

Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine could face the death penalty. (Excerpt from CMC)

Taiwan and Haiti to sign agreement for construction of power grid

T

aiwan and Haiti are expected to sign an agreement by the end of this year for the construction of a power grid in Port-au-Prince to alleviate the country’s energy supply problems.

According to a report in the Taipei Times, this would be Taiwan’s first Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan to a diplomatic ally.

The project, which would reportedly cost US$146.98 million is one of the initiatives being discussed by a bilateral high-level task force that was established to draft new terms of cooperation in accordance with a consensus reached between President Tsai Ingwen and Haitian President Jovenel Moise during his visit to Taiwan in May. The project includes the construction and ren-

The project is expected to take at least two years to complete, based on reconnaissance trips

ovation of substations and transmission towers, as well as the provision of maintenance training to local personnel.

“The project is to be executed in the form of an ODA, under which a Taiwanese bank would provide a commercial loan to the Haitian Government and the project would be contracted to a Taiwanese construction firm,” an un-

named official told the paper, adding that the project is expected to take at least two years to complete, based on reconnaissance trips.

The official said that the government is hoping to demonstrate to the leaders of its allies that “we are as good as our word” by quickly starting work on the project. (CMC)

mondAY, august 6, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

Lombok: Dozens die as quake Bangladesh clashes continue as protests again hits Indonesian island intensify

A

t least 37 people have died after a powerful earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Lombok, officials say.

The 7 magnitude quake damaged buildings and triggered power cuts. More than 50 people were also injured.

On the neighbouring island of Bali, video footage showed people running from their homes screaming.

It comes a week after another quake hit Lombok, a popular tourist site for its beaches and hiking trails, killing at least 16 people.

The US Geological Survey said the latest quake, off the north coast of Lombok, struck 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) underground.

A tsunami warning was issued in its aftermath, but it was lifted several hours later.

A spokesman for Indonesia's disaster miti-

V

Hospital patients were looked after in the streets after the earthquake

gation agency told the AFP news agency that many buildings had been affected in Lombok's main city of Mataram, most of them built with weak construction materials.

Mataram residents de-

scribed a powerful jolt that sent people fleeing from buildings.

"Everyone immediately ran out of their homes, everyone is panicking," one resident named as Iman said.

In several parts of Mataram, there were electricity blackouts.

Patients at the city hospital, and also at Denpasar hospital in Bali, were evacuated and tended to by doctors in the streets. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

iolent clashes continued in Bangladesh as authorities fired tear gas and shut down mobile Internet connections after a week of student protests that brought tens of thousands to the streets.

By 13:00h (07:00 GMT) on Sunday, thousands of students from various schools and colleges started controlling traffic in the capital, Dhaka, for the eighth consecutive day. Bangladeshi Police fired tear gas at students occupying an intersection in central Dhaka.

"It was a peaceful rally, but suddenly Police fired tear gas shells aimed at us [that] left several injured," Mohammad Atikur Rahman, one of the protesters, told dpa news agency.

A number of journalists were also beaten and had their cameras taken away, reportedly by ruling Awami

League party members.

Telecommunications companies were ordered to suspend 3G and 4G services for a period of 24 hours on late Saturday, the Englishlanguage Dhaka Tribune reported, hours after dozens of demonstrators were injured during street battles with Police on Saturday.

B a n g l a d e s h Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Chairman Jahirul Haq told AFP news agency regulators received an order from the government, but did not give further details.

The restrictions were rolled out after thousands of students took to the streets in recent days to protest poor road safety following the killing of teenagers Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib by a speeding bus a week ago. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

South Sudan Government, Actor Steven Seagal made rebels reach peace deal special US-Russia envoy

T

he President of South Sudan and head of the country’s main rebel group signed a final ceasefire and power-sharing agreement on Sunday and hailed a new longed-for era of peace in the country.

“I call on everyone as a leader of South Sudan that this agreement which we have signed today should be the end of the war and the conflict in our country,” said President Salva Kiir.

South Sudan’s former

Vice President and rebel leader Riek Machar said after the signing, “today we celebrate, not just in South Sudan, but throughout the world.”

South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011, but civil war broke out two years later between the Government led by Kiir and a rebel movement led by Machar.

Fuelled by personal and ethnic rivalries, the conflict has killed tens of thousands,

displaced an estimated quarter of South Sudan’s population of 12 million and ruined its economy that heavily relies on crude oil production.

“An agreement on outstanding issues has been signed and this agreement expresses the commitment of all parties to a ceasefire,” neighbouring Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Al-Dirdiri Mohamed said on Sudan State television.

Sudan helped broker the agreement. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Switzerland: 20 dead in WW2 plane crash T

wenty people have died after a World War Two vintage aircraft crashed into a mountainside in eastern Switzerland, Police say.

The plane – a Junkers JU-52 HB-HOT – was carrying 17 passengers and three crew on a sightseeing flight when it took off on Saturday afternoon.

Operator JU-Air said it was saddened by the news and it had set up a helpline for relatives. It has suspended all flights until further notice.

The cause of the crash is not known.

The passengers were returning to Zurich from a twoday excursion in Locarno near Switzerland's southern border.

Although there were eyewitnesses to the crash, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes says that the investigation into

R

ussia has appointed the US actor Steven Seagal as a special envoy to improve ties with the United States.

Seagal was granted Russian citizenship in 2016 and has praised President Vladimir Putin as a great world leader.

Born in the US, the martial arts star gained international fame for roles in the 1980s and '90s in movies like “Under Siege”.

He is also one of the Hollywood stars accused by several women of sexual misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo campaign, which he has denied.

The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement on its official Facebook page, saying the unpaid position was similar to that of a United Nations' goodwill ambassador and Seagal would promote US-

Steven Seagal (left) has praised President Vladimir Putin's policies

Russia relations "in the humanitarian sphere".

The “Flight of Fury” star, still popular with Russian audiences, has recently defended the Russian Government over claims that it meddled in the 2016 US elections.

The 66-year-old has called President Putin "one of the great living world lead-

ers", and when he was granted Russian citizenship, said he hoped it would be a symbol of how relations between Moscow and Washington were starting to improve.

Seagal was also granted Serbian citizenship in 2016, following several visits to the Balkan country. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

DRC: New Ebola deaths confirmed, dozens believed infected

E

The plane came down high above sea level in the Swiss Alps

what happened will take time.

The plane had no black box, and the remote alpine location of the crash means there was little radar monitoring.

"Based on the situation at the crash site we can say that the aircraft smashed into ground almost vertical-

ly at relatively high speed," said Daniel Knecht of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board.

"What we can rule out at this point is that there had been a collision before the crash, neither with another aircraft nor with some other obstacle such as a cable."

(Excerpt from BBC News)

bola is suspected to have caused as many as 33 deaths during the latest outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Health Ministry said.

Thirteen cases of the virus were confirmed across north-eastern North Kivu province and neighbouring Ituri province, DRC's Health Minister said in a statement on Saturday, with another 30 "probable" cases registered.

Three people were confirmed killed by the virus

and 30 suspected Ebola deaths are being investigated since the outbreak was declared on Wednesday.

Laboratory examinations aimed at determining whether the "probable" cases tested positive for Ebola, which has no proven cure, were ongoing.

Almost 900 "contacts" – meaning people who may have come into contact with an infected person – have been registered by the Health Ministry.

Vaccinations were be-

ing deployed to the city of Beni, in North Kivu province, the statement said.

However, an "active conflict" in the area could prove to be a "major barrier" to health workers safely accessing the affected population, Peter Salama, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official, warned last week.

The WHO released US$2 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to help fund DRC's response to the newest outbreak. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

mondAY, august 6, 2018

ARCHIE

ARIES

Personal progress can be

(March 21- made if you focus on self-imApril 19) provement. Networking will

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dilbert

Your emotional energy GEMINI (May 21- will help you get things done.

June 20) Pay attention to detail and focus on personal improvements that will help you look and feel your best.

Use your skills innovatively. A chance to raise your (June 21- profile willn affect how others July 22) view you. Stand tall and give it your all.

CANCER

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SUDOKU

Don’t take someone’s SCORPIO word.

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(Nov. 23Don’t feel you must be excesDec. 21) sive. Baby steps building on concrete plans will be your ticket to success. Set boundaries and know your limits.

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SATURDAY’S WORD

solution for last published puzzle Personal gains should be AQUARIUS your target. Whether they be (Jan. 20- physical, emotional or finanFeb. 19) cial in nature, put the necessary energy into reaching the goals you set. Romance is highlighted.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Emotional misinterpretation can cause problems.

Make sure you are clear about how someone feels or what his or her intentions are. Ulterior motives can disrupt your plans.

monDAY, AUGUST 6, 2018

Alvarez upsets Kovalev by TKO to win light heavyweight title

E

leider Alvarez scored an upset on Saturday by dropping Sergey Kovalev three times in the seventh round en route to a technical knockout to claim Kovalev’s share of the light heavyweight championship in Atlantic City.

Alvarez won the WBO light heavyweight title and ended Kovalev’s reign atop the division.

The unbeaten Colombian, who once had surgery on his right hand, found the power in that hand to level Kovalev with a right and send him to the canvas. Alvarez pounced and pounded away at Kovalev when he beat the 10-count and knocked him down two more times and referee David Fields ended the fight.

“It was a two (punch) combo that I have been throwing my whole career and we worked on it in camp,” said Alvarez, who landed 73 of 251 punches (29%) compared to 91 of 339 for Kovalev (27%). “I have always practiced that in camp and we thought it would work in this camp.”

Kovalev had entered with the WBO’s version of the 175lb title coming off consecutive knockout wins following back-to-back losses to Andre Ward, which marked the lone two setbacks of his professional career.

Now Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), whose résumé includes wins over Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute that helped earn him Saturday’s shot at the title, could move into a unification bout against Dmitry Bivol, who successfully defended his WBA light heavyweight belt on the undercard at the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

There had been hopes to match Kovalev (32-3-1) against Bivol in a title unifier, perhaps later this year.

Alvarez caught Kovalev, who hasn’t been the same since the losses to Ward, and put those plans on ice.

His third knockdown left Kovalev on all fours and he sat motionless on the canvas as Alvarez took a victory leap into his corner.

“I wanted to show that I could stay strong and do

Eleider Alvarez lands a right hand on Sergey Kovalev during the seventh round of Saturday’s light heavyweight title fight

good things,” Alvarez said.

“His punches were not as hard as they were in the beginning of the fight.”

Bivol took it 116-112 on one scorecard, while two others had it 120-108, in convincing victory.

“Chilemba is a good fighter and he had champion spirit tonight,” Bivol said.

Kovalev had said he

wanted to unify the titles and a date with Bivol seemed on the horizon.

Bivol only showed flashes of being to hang in there in a potential bout against Kovalev. Bivol, a Russian, worked the body and caught Chilemba in the sixth with a pair of quick jabs to the head. But he was never in a hurry to finish the fight and the restless crowd booed

when the bout stagnated in the eighth round.

Chilemba, with former four-class champion Roy Jones Jr in his corner, hung tight and kept the fight from completely getting away from him. He failed to throw the power punches in the later rounds he needed for a knockout to win the fight Kovalev walked through the arena to a rousing ova-

19

tion about two hours before the card was set to start on HBO and Bivol already had his sights set on what would have been the biggest fight of his career.

“If the fans want that fight, it will happen,” the 27-year-old Bivol said. “I just want to fight the best fighters.”

The 35-year-old Kovalev could get a rematch – he was ahead on all three scorecards – but was dazed in the seventh and never mounted a comeback against the right and a left hook.

It was a thrilling ending to boxing’s return to the boardwalk for the first time in four years. Kovalev also headlined that 8 November 2014 card and beat Bernard Hopkins in a championship bout on the last major night of boxing in Atlantic City.

Kovalev was originally slated to fight Marcus Browne until legal issues with the challenger raised concerns about moving forward with the bout.

Eleider proved quite the super sub – and now, champion. (The Guardian)

Netherlands win 8th hockey World Cup and end Ireland’s fairytale

T

here are few more compelling forces in sport than this lavishly gifted Netherlands team but, first of all, a word for the runners-up.

The thought that Ireland could reach a World Cup final had been outlandish to the extent that their coach, Graham Shaw, admitted after this mismatch that the Dutch were the only opponents he had not made detailed preparations to face. Until 2016 their players had been obliged to stump up €550 annually for the privilege of international hockey; sometimes it is a struggle even to rent the right pitches and perhaps such a thrilling feat will focus minds back home towards better funding a sport in which there is so much burgeoning talent.

In the meantime, the most salient lessons are there to be learned from the Netherlands. Their eighth title was never in doubt after Lidewij Welten, deservedly named player of the tournament at the conclusion, scored early on and the bar they have set for everyone else continues to rise. This was a crushing victory from a unit with no obvious weaknesses and, in truth, little else had been expected.

In the end it was a six-goal hiding that brought delight to all parties and, to be clear, that is not to belittle the seriousness of Shaw’s exceptional team.

“To beat the teams we’ve beaten, to come here now and be second in the world, it’s a truly remarkable

The Netherlands team and coaching staff celebrate after beating outsiders Ireland 6-0 in the women’s hockey World Cup final

achievement and I don’t think it’ll really sink in until we get home and reflect on it,” said Shaw, who might be afforded a better grasp of what they have done when Ireland receive a civic reception on their return to Dublin on Monday.

The only regret, Shaw admitted, was that Ireland did not make a game of things for slightly longer. Buoyed by a vociferous crowd that, after a lastminute dash for tickets on both sides of the Irish Sea, had turned this into something resembling a home game,

they had actually made the better start before Welten’s opener.

When Caia van Maasakker was forced into crudely halting a break

by Anna O’Flanagan there were faint hopes they could follow the example of Spain, who shocked Australia to win the third-place play-off earlier in the day. Then Welten, finding a gap between the legs of the otherwise excellent Ayeisha McFerran, broke through and the reasons for Ireland to sweat in 28C heat began mounting up.

“Ireland started off really well and

I think we were a little nervous as well,” Welten said. “But I knew from the moment we scored the goal that we would get more.” Any tension having dissipated, the Netherlands stretched out and added three goals before the interval. Kelly Jonker found the corner with a clinical backhand effort, effectively put the game beyond Ireland four minutes into the second quarter; the third came when a blocked penalty corner fell nicely for Kitty van Male to score her eighth goal of the competition and confirm her

status as its top scorer. Then Malou Pheninckx blasted a stunning angled finish into the roof of McFerran’s net and the priority, now, was to avoid a repeat of the routs the Dutch had dished out earlier in the fortnight.

Further punishment was limited to a tap-in from Marloes Keetels and a wonderful, lifted penalty corner strike from Van Maasakker, both arriving in the first four minutes of the second half. “Once the Dutch relax you’re in big trouble,” Shaw reflected, but Ireland managed to stem the tide and were even afforded a few attacking flickers of their own.

A low-key final quarter was no reason to douse the champions’ euphoria at full time and Welten was certainly not wrong when she said they had “showed the world what we are capable of”. Ireland stayed out for their own celebration but thoughts will soon turn to how, exactly, such an accelerated rate of progress can be maintained.

“There’s going to be expectation now but with that comes opportunity,” said Shaw, whose next task is to ensure Ireland qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

“I firmly believe the talent is in this country and we need to give them everything we can to allow them to succeed.”

They have now seen at firsthand how far there is to go; this was, though, a final contested by two teams to delight in for very different reasons.

(The Guardian)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, AUGUST 6, 2018

Aguero wins Community Shield for Man City S

ergio Aguero scored both Manchester City goals as the Premier League champions beat Chelsea to win the Community Shield on a sweltering day at Wembley.

Aguero's first - his 200th goal for the club - came after 13 minutes, when he collected the ball on the edge of the area after Phil Foden surged forward, and fired into the bottom corner.

His second came after the break, when he latched on to Bernardo Silva's pass and beat Willy Caballero with another precise low finish.

Chelsea, less than a month into Maurizio Sarri's reign as manager, lacked a presence in attack and managed only one shot on target, a longrange strike by 17-yearold Callum Hudson-Odoi which Claudio Bravo fumbled to safety.

Some of their lethargy going forward could be put down to the heat, which made it difficult for both sides to sustain any sort of tem-

po.

Players were allowed water

Sergio Aguero scored his 200th Manchester City goal to put them 1-0 up against Chelsea

breaks during the game and some City players sitting on the bench had wet towels over their heads to try to protect them from the intensity of the sunshine.

Sarri was without his best forward player, with

Eden Hazard due back for post-World Cup pre-season training on Monday amid speculation Real Madrid want to sign him.

City, who

Kenny strikes European gold again despite sleepless night

L

aura Kenny has vital missions to accomplish this week in Glasgow.

Forget the acquisition of medals at the European Championships or any potential pitfalls en route. A mere trifling sideline. “I don’t have time to think about that,” the fourtimes Olympic champion declared. Not with a toddler bringing chaos to what was once, for the Englishwoman and her husband Jason, the most controlled and formulaic of existences.

“Albie is running around like you wouldn’t believe at the minute. So I’m making sure he’s not pulling the wires out of the wall or sticking stuff in plug sockets, rather than thinking about riding around in circles.”

However, we are rapidly learning Kenny remains formidable.

Despite five interruptions to her sleep from her firstborn overnight, the 26?year?old was wide awake on Sunday in picking up her second gold of these European Championships with victory in the elimination race, 17 riders picked off one by one, before Germany’s Anna Knauer was the last to be cut adrift.

It was her 12th continental crown, eight years after a team pursuit gold in Pruszkow announced her arrival to a wider audience. “I shouldn’t have even gone to Poland, but Joanna Rowsell got injured,” she said. “That was

the beginning of it for me.

That was my first international competition with Team GB at

Wojciech Pszczolarski. Jack Carlin and Phil Hindes both advanced into the quarter-

Great Britain’s Laura Kenny, Neah Evans, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker celebrate winning gold in the women’s team pursuit final

senior level, and it sort of just went from there. If you’d asked me then would I be a mum with four gold medals and 12 European golds, I would have been like ’nah, that’s not the way my life’s going to pan out’, and here we are.”

It put her one European triumph ahead of Katie Archibald, who can draw level once more if she defends her omnium title on Monday.

Number 13 for both might arrive when they link up in the madison on Tuesday. “I’m glad I’ve done a group race now because I was a bit worried,” Kenny said.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Oliver Wood was 10th in the 40km points race, won by Poland’s

finals of the men’s sprint on Monday. In the women’s road race, Dani Rowe was the leading Briton in 10th with Italy’s Marta Bastianelli breaking decisively to take gold in 3hr 28min 15sec.

Meanwhile, Great Britain finished with a total of four medals at the European Rowing Championships in Motherwell.

Sam Mottram took third place in the lightweight single sculls behind Switzerland’s Michael Schmid and Italy’s Martino Goretti. While Jack Beaumont and Harry Leask, paired together on the eve of the event, landed bronze in the double sculls as France held off Romania for gold. (The Guardian)

won last year's title by 19 points, were also without some of their stars - with Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and David Silva all absent.

But they produced a controlled and efficient performance to secure their third piece of silverware in the past six months. The worry

for the rest of the Premier League is they have the appetite for more.

City boss Pep Guardiola was able to hand a start to new £60m forward Riyad Mahrez but, in the absence of De Bruyne and David Silva, it was Foden and Bernardo Silva who caught the eye.

Operating on either side of Fernandinho, as steady as ever at the base of City's midfield, they looked to spring forward at every opportunity.

Foden did exactly that to set up Aguero's opener, latching on to a pass from Aymeric Laporte and taking full advantage as the Chelsea defence backed off.

It was a similar story when Silva provided the assist from which Aguero extended City's lead in another lightning break in which the ball travelled from the edge of City's box into the Chelsea net in a matter of seconds.

Both players were utilised further forward last season, but showed they could have a part to play in a deeper role in the coming campaign.

Aguero - given the nod over Gabriel Jesus, who stayed on the bench - was as deadly as ever up front and had City converted one of a flurry of late chances, the scoreline would have been even more resounding. (BBC Sport)

India Captain becomes world number 1 Test batsman

V

irat Kohli has become the number one Test batsman in the world following his century in India’s 31-run defeat by England at Edgbaston.

The India captain, who has moved to the top of the International Cricket Council rankings, scored 149 not out in the first innings and 51 in the second.

Kohli, 29, has ended former Australia skipper Steve Smith’s 32-month reign as the top Test batsman.

Smith is currently serving a 12-month international ban for ball-tampering.

Kohli, who has scored 22 tons in 67 matches, said his first century in England “does not matter” after defeat on Saturday.

He is the first Indian to top the rankings since Sachin Tendulkar in June 2011.

Meanwhile, England seamer James Anderson has retained his place at the top of the Test bowling rankings with four wickets in Birmingham. (BBC Sport)

ICC Test batting rankings

1. Virat Kohli (India) 934 points 2. Steve Smith (Australia) 929 3. Joe Root (England) 865 4. Kane Williamson (New Zealand) 847 5. David Warner (Australia) 820 6. Cheteshwar Pujara (India) 791 7. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka) 754 8. Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka) 733 9. Dean Elgar (South Africa) 724 10. Aiden Markram (South Africa) 703

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The National Stadium’s Transport Park was an ideal setting to wrap up the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” National Play-offs

T

he Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” national championship came to a close on Saturday when Gold is Money secured the title to be crowned Guyana’s “Greatest in the Streets” at the Providence Stadium.

The Georgetown Zone Champions became the fourth team to win both their zone and national titles after completing a commanding 4-0 win over former champs Sparta Boss.

Deon Alfred led the eventual victors with a hat-trick, while Randolf Wagner accounted for the other goal. Wagner broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after the finalists battled to a goalless first half.

Alfred then doubled the lead with a successful 33rd minute strike. Three minutes later, he recorded a Guinness Goal, which bumped the lead to four, with only two minutes left

on the clock.

Earlier in the night, Georgetown won the latest round of street football against Linden after prevailing in both semi-finals.

2018 Linden Zone champions Silver Bullets were demolished by Gold is Money in their semi-final, being on the receiving end of a 7-0 whipping. In that match, Alfred recorded his first hat-trick of the night.

Hubert Pedro also constructed a hat-trick in that

game as well while Jamal Pedro netted the final goal of the match. In the other semi-final, Sparta Boss squeezed past 2017 champs Dave and Celena’s All-Stars 2-1.

Meanwhile, in the thirdplace play-off, Silver Bullets edged Dave and Celena’s All-Stars 2-1.

Gold is Money carted off $500,000 while Sparta Boss pocketed $250,000, Silver Bullets $200,000 and Dave & Celena’s $100,000.

Tallawahs’ Ronnie Sarwan reveals coaching ambitions E

ven as he begins his coaching career as assistant coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs, Ramnaresh Sarwan harbours ambitions of one day becoming a head coach.

The 38-year-old former Windies player, who was appointed the assistant coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs earlier this year, provided SportsMax.TV with a glimpse of his future ambitions on Wednesday as the Jamaica Tallawahs opened their 2018 training camp at Sabina Park on Wednesday.

“Hopefully. The fact that I am here, there is some sort of interest going forward. So I am taking it one step at a time but at the moment I am here to ensure that I can offer as much experience to them and try to help the best way I can,” he said in response to being asked about ambitions of one day becoming a head coach.

For now, however, he is hoping to teach as well as learn as much as he can while helping to guide the Tallawahs to a possible third CPL crown.

“I have an opportunity here with an assistant coach job which I am looking forward to. Obviously, I want to share my knowledge with the players but more importantly to try and support the coach and the players as best I can,” said Sarwan who got a taste of coaching during the recent Global T20 in Canada.

“Of course, we have coach O’Donnell, who has been doing this for quite a while so I

Ramnaresh Sarwan having a chat with a Tallawahs player

am going to try and learn as much as I can from him as well as the other guys who are around but generally try and gain as much experience as I can and get to understand what coaching is about because playing and being a coach are two totally different things.

“You have to be able to relate to people as a coach and not thinking that you’re still a player so that is something I want to ensure that I

have a balance of.”

O'Donnell said Sarwan is already having a huge impact on the team. "(He has) massive experience, I want the players to draw on that, really much from a mentoring point of view with the young West Indian players," said O'Donnell of Sarwan, who last played in the CPL in 2016 as a member of the Trinbago Knight Riders. "It is important that the guys who have played in the modern era and in and around the T20 and he has already been brilliant."

Concerning the current squad that was assembled via the CPL draft, Sarwan believes the Tallawahs have improved from last year.

“I think what is most important is that we have a bit more balance in our

team. Obviously, it is not only about power because when the middle overs come you have to be able to work the ball around but generally I think we’ll try and keep it simple and ensure we play good cricket and ensure we play as a team and I think if we can do that we stand a good chance (of winning).

Having captained the Amazon Warriors in 2013, Sarwan says he won't have any mixed feelings of loyalty when the Tallawahs take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors during the season.

“No,” he said emphatically. “At the end of the day, it’s just competition. Obviously, I am from Guyana but at the moment I am with Jamaica so I just want to ensure that we win.” (Sportsmax)

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A

wicket. Tamim's innings had his best strike-rate in a 50-plus knock, while Shakib reached his first T20I fifty in more than two years, spanning 17 innings. West Indies will rue losing four early wickets in a chase of 172.

Despite the loss of Evin Lewis, whose lean patch has now spanned four successive innings, West Indies had got off the blocks rap-

Bangladesh celebrating the win

Tamim Iqbal

nother Bangladesh comeback, another major contribution from their senior players.

Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal powered the visitors to a 12-run win against West Indies to bring them back level in the T20I series.

Towards the end of the West Indies chase, Mustafizur Rahman and Nazmul Islam took three wickets each,

Spinners help Bangladesh clinch last-over thriller

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh Innings (20 overs maximum) Liton Das c Brathwaite b Nurse 1 Tamim Iqbal c Paul b Russell 74 Mushfiqur Rahim † c Russell b Nurse 4 Soumya Sarkar c Powell b Paul 14 Shakib Al Hasan (c) c sub (CAK Walton) b Paul 60 Mahmudullah not out 13 Ariful Haque not out 1 Extras: (lb 2, w 2) 4 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.55) 171-5 Did not bat: Nazmul Islam, Abu Hider, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Liton Das, 1.5 ov), 2-24 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 3.3 ov), 3-48 (Soumya Sarkar, 7.4 ov), 4-138 (Tamim Iqbal, 15.6 ov), 5-167 (Shakib Al Hasan, 19.3 ov) BOWLING: S Badree (2-0-140), AR Nurse (4-0-25-2), AD Russell (4-0-33-1), KMA Paul (40-39-2), KOK Williams (3-0-290), CR Brathwaite (3-0-29-0) West Indies Innings (target: 172 runs from 20 overs) ADS Fletcher c Shakib Al Hasan b Nazmul Islam 43 E Lewis lbw b Mustafizur

but the win was set up by Tamim, who top-scored with a quickfire 44-ball 74, while Shakib complemented his half-century with figures of 2 for 19 from four overs.

Shakib and Tamim added 90 runs for the fourth

Rahman 1 AD Russell c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mustafizur Rahman 17 MN Samuels c Liton Das b Shakib Al Hasan 10 D Ramdin † lbw b Rubel Hossain 5 R Powell c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mustafizur Rahman 43 CR Brathwaite (c) c Liton Das b Shakib Al Hasan 11 AR Nurse c Ariful Haque b Nazmul Islam 16 KMA Paul b Nazmul Islam 2 KOK Williams not out 0 S Badree not out 1 Extras (lb 1, w 9) 10 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 7.95)159/9 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (E Lewis, 1.2 ov), 2-33 (AD Russell, 3.4 ov), 3-48 (MN Samuels, 4.4 ov), 4-58 (D Ramdin, 7.1 ov), 5-116 (ADS Fletcher, 14.2 ov), 6-131 (CR Brathwaite, 16.2 ov), 7-146 (R Powell, 18.3 ov), 8-158 (AR Nurse, 19.3 ov), 9-158 (KMA Paul, 19.5 ov) BOWLING: Abu Hider (4-0-260), Mustafizur Rahman (4-050-3), Rubel Hossain (4-0-351), Shakib Al Hasan (4-0-19-2), Nazmul Islam (4-0-28-3)

one dumped outside of the Lauderhill ground. But, later in the same over, after another four, Mustafizur had him top-edging a short ball to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim.

Abu Hider gets demerit point for foul language

idly. Andre Russell clattered Rubel Hossain for a four through point, and two sixes - over deep midwicket and cover point - in a 16run third over. He followed it up with another monster hit over midwicket, this

Bangladesh fast bowler Abu Hider has picked up one demerit point and been fined 20% of his match fee for "using inappropriate language" during the second T20I against West Indies. Hider was in breach of Article 2.1.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct, and accepted the sanction, meaning there was no need for any formal hearing According to an ICC release: "The incident happened in the 14th over of the Windies' run-chase, when Abu Hider ignored an earlier warning by the on-field umpires by again using inappropriate language after Rovman Powell had hit him for a six."

Marlon Samuels lasted three balls: he edged the first one for four, struck a high six off the next ball, and

facing Shakib in the next over, clubbed him to deep midwicket, where Liton Das dived forward to complete the catch. Rubel had Denesh Ramdin lbw in the eighth over, in the midst of a 33ball boundary drought.

Andre Fletcher's six over midwicket in the 10th over broke the shackles, and it was four overs later that the late-overs slogging really began. Rovman Powell hammered Abu Hider for two sixes in an over when Fletcher was dropped at deep midwicket on 36. Fletcher fell in the next over, having just struck his second six, having made 43 off 38 balls and added 58 for the fifth wicket with Powell.

Liton then produced a superb catch at the wide longon boundary, evading an oncoming Soumya Sarkar, and completing a running catch along the boundary rope.

Shakib capped off the over by conceding only three runs to end with 2 for 19 from four superb overs.

Rubel followed it up with another over that didn't have any boundaries. He

could have finished the over with a wicket had Shakib not dropped Powell on 37. Powell fell in the next over though, caught behind attempting a pull, after a 34ball 43.

Earlier, Ashley Nurse once again struck early for West Indies, sending back Liton and Mushfiqur inside four overs. Liton, who was promoted from No. 3 to open the innings, lasted only five balls before sending a low catch to Carlos Brathwaite at mid-off. Mushfiqur, who was also promoted, fell trying an awkward reverse sweep to point.

Sarkar had another wretched stay, this time taking up 18 balls to make 14. He struck a six and a four, but looked out of tune against pace. He has now scored only 82 runs in Bangladesh's last 10 T20Is. Tamim, though, looked for runs despite the three early wickets. Apart from his first six, a low screamer over extra cover off Samuel Badree, he collected three

fours through tickles down the leg-side and one edge to the left of wicketkeeper Ramdin.

S h a k i b took over from Tamim from the 10th over, in which he struck Keemo Paul over the off-side field twice for fours, before launching Kesrick Williams for three fours in the 13th over. He blasted one over cover while the other two came via powerful pull shots. His first six also came off Paul, struck over point and just over a jumping Nurse.

Tamim, who was dropped on 47 by Rovman Powell, ended his innings in a blaze.

Against Russell in the 16th over, he struck three sixes - twice over midwicket and one dead straight -- and a four, before falling off the final ball of the over.

West Indies pulled things back considerably as Bangladesh, despite a settled Shakib and a usually big-hitting Mahmudullah at the crease, added just 33 runs in the remaining four overs. (ESPNcricinfo)

CWI Regional U-19 3-Day…

Sinclair and company help Guyana to opening round win A

n all-round exhibition of cricket by defending 3-Day champs Guyana saw them secure a stylish 10-wicket win over Leewards in the opening round of the 2018 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional U-19 tournament.

Resuming on 58 for 2, Guyana were lifted to 229 all out in their first innings at Arnos Vale Stadium, with Kevin Sinclair top-scoring with 51. Opener Sachin Singh chipped in with 49 while skipper Bhaskar Yadram struck 35 and Javid Karim, 30.

Singh and Yadram extended their overnight third-wicket stand to 51 before being separated, to give Guyana a solid start to the day. Singh faced 97 deliver-

Kevin Sinclair

ies and struck three fours and two sixes while Yadram belted five fours and a six in his 45-ball innings.

Once the partnership was broken, Sinclair arrived to control the innings for Guyana, putting on 32 for the fourth wicket with

Singh before adding a further 48 for the fifth with fellow Berbician Kevelon Anderson (17).

Sinclair faced 68 balls in nearly 1-1/2 hours at the crease and struck five fours and a six. New-ball bowler Javin Spencer finished with five for 70 while Zawandi White took three for 16.

Trailing by 113 runs, the Leewards reached the close on 22 without loss facing a deficit of 91 after making 116 all out batting first.

Sinclair first snapped up 4-19 while left-arm spinner Kelvin Umrao grabbed 3-28 to keep Leewards at bay.

Their second innings was also a nightmare after Windies youth spinner Ashmead Nedd terrorised the order with returns

Ashmead Nedd

of 6-30 with Umrao and Sinclair again amongst the wickets with two each, as the Leewards fell for 114.

At Sion Hill, Kadeem Alleyne made a half-century as Barbados had the better of the exchanges on a rain-shortened day.

Alleyne, unbeaten on 35 overnight, made 54 to get his side from 175 for five at the start to 223 all out in their first innings.

He faced 74 deliveries and counted three fours and a six among his runs, but Barbados l o s t t h e i r last five wickets for 20 runs as left-arm spinner Raewin S e n i o r picked up seven for 58.

In Jamaica’s reply, leg-spinner Camarie Boyce

claimed three for 15 to limit the side to 61 for four – still 162 runs adrift of a first innings lead.

There was no play at Park

Hill i n the contest b e t w e e n Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands owing to a water-logged outfield.

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Guyana Amazon Warriors set for 2 practice matches Sunday at Providence, where the Warriors are under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Johan Botha and Assistant

23

R o m a r i o Shepherd, Keemo Paul, Saurabh Netravalkar and

GAW Captain Shoaib Malik goes leg side

T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) preparations for the August 8 to September 16 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2018 continue with two practice matches at Providence.

In keeping with the times of their first three home matches in this year’s CPL, the game today (August 6) will begin at 16:00h while

the other is set for Tuesday, August 7 at 18:00h.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors full squad will mix with Guyana’s leading FirstClass players to give every player an opportunity on the field.

Captain Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi joined the squad on Saturday and had full net sessions on

The Warriors skipper had a long spell on Sunday at Providence

Luke Ronchi about to have a bat at Providence

Sohail Tanvir is among the 10 Pakistani players in this season of the Hero CPL

F

Coach Rayon Griffith.

Full squad: Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Chadwick Walton, Chris Green, Rayad Emrit, Imran Tahir, Jason Mohammed, Luke Ronchi, Veerasammy Permaul, Roshon Primus, Shimron Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo, Sherfane Rutherford,

Akshaya Persaud.

Some of the First-Class players who are expected to participate in the two days are Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Adams, Roland Ali Mohamed, Clinton Pestano, Trevon Griffith, Ramaal Lewis, Raun Johnson, Anthony Bramble, and Robin

Bacchus.

On Thursday, August 9, the Guyana Amazon Warriors will take on St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at 18:00h; the St Lucia Stars at 16:00h on Saturday, August 11 and on Sunday, August 12, the squad will play the Barbados Tridents at 18:00h.

Shakib credits 'home' crowd in Florida

10 Pakistan players for 2018 Hero CPL

ormer opening batsman Imran Nazir has said that Pakistan players participation in the CPL will improve the stature of the event, after the Pakistan Cricket Board issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 10 players.

Nazir told the The Express Tribune that Pakistan is the top T20 team in the world right now and this makes the Pakistani players “the most watched players in the league.”

Six teams will be featuring in the event out of which five comprises of Pakistani players.

Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Lucia Stars and Trinbago Knight Riders have at least one Pakistan cricketer in their ranks.

The only side to not have any Pakistan player is St Kitts

and Nevis Patriots.

Pacers Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan and Muhammad Irfan will be representing Barbados Tridents whereas veteran allrounder Shoaib Malik and Sohail Tanvir will be playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Karachi Kings’ duo of Shahid Afridi and Imad Wasim will wear Jamaica Tallawahs colours while Islamabad United’s trio of Muhammad Sami, Rumman Raees, and Hussain Talat will be playing for St. Lucia Stars.

Young leg-spinner Shadab Khan will be the solitary Pakistan cricketer to play for Trinbago Knight Riders.

In the last season, Tanvir finished up as the highest wicket-taker of the season by bagging 17 scalps in 12 matches.

Nazir hopes that fast bowlers Raees and Tanvir will

put a good show during the event.

“Raees, who has been doing well in T20 format, has recovered from his injury and I expect him to do well in this edition,” he said. “Tanvir is a seasoned campaigner now and I expect him to produce the goods once again.”

Speaking about leg-spinner Shadab, Nazir said: “He is a very good T20 spinner and I am sure is he will put in a good display.”

Among all the Pakistani players signed for the upcoming edition of the CPL, Tanvir is the highest paid followed by Malik and Afridi.

The opening match of the tournament will take place between defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders and St. Lucia Stars at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. (Express Tribune)

The crowd cheers alternated in the see-saw battle until Bangladesh came out on top

B

angladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan hailed the impact of the crowd in Lauderhill as his team defeated West Indies by 12 runs in the second Twenty20 international.

The Tigers lost the first match of the series by seven wickets in Basseterre on St Kitts, but moving to neutral territory served them well on Saturday.

Tamim Iqbal top scored with 70 and Shakib contributed 60, as Bangladesh posted 1715 from their 20 overs in Florida.

West Indies could only reach 159-9 in reply, Mustafizur Rahman and Nazmul Islam

both claiming three wickets apiece as no Windies batsman made 50.

"I think the belief did it for us, after the loss in St Kitts," skipper Shakib said.

"We had a good chat, had come to an agreement that we could beat this West Indies side. The mindset changed the momentum.

"The crowd support was a massive factor, we never felt like we played away from home. It felt like playing in Bangladesh. Hopefully they will come out in their numbers and support us tomorrow."

Tamim added: "Shakib played an unbelievable innings,

he took a lot of pressure off me. He was looking good right from the time he came in. His early boundaries got us up and running."

Despite ending up on the losing side, West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite stood by his choice to field after winning the toss.

"I thought the decision was right, we got a few wickets, put them under pressure," he said.

"But we were casual in the field and that's where the game turned. I still have full confidence in bouncing back."

The third and final T20 between the sides takes place in Lauderhill on Sunday. (Sportsmax)

monDAY, AUGUST 6, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo bowls to Jason Mohammed while Shoaib Malik looks on

Guyana Amazon Warriors set for 2 practice matches Pg 23

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” National Play-offs...

Gold is Money seize maiden title

Pg 21

Colours Boutique's Creanna Damon hands over the first prize and trophy to the West Front Road Gold is Money representative in the presence of teammates and Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste (left) on Saturday

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