Guyana Times, Monday January 13, 2020.

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Ali guarantees Berbicians jobs, deep-water harbour guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4164

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Trouble in Govt's camp; Jaipaul Sharma confirms split with JFAP P7

– says he would turn down any future ministerial roles

1 in custody after P2 attacking Chinese nationals Alleged P2 shooter arrested for murder of newspaper vendor

...Phillips demolishes PNC’s “Black tokenism” claim – Jagdeo raps coalition for mismanagement of country …says his job is to incubate young leaders

AG report calls out Govt for accepting gifts without documenting Page 7

Harmon urges Region 3 supporters to come out & vote on E-Day Page 11

– urges MoF to ensure compliance with rules

Tuschen restaurant robbery

3 charged, to make court appearance P2 today

Woman dies in Mabaruma, NWD fire P2

2 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tuschen restaurant robbery Woman dies in Mabaruma, NWD fire 3 charged, to make court appearance today A fire which occurred on January 3, 2020, in Mabaruma, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini), which claimed the life of 58-yearold Judith Fredericks has been ruled as arson.

This is according to the Guyana Police Force and

C

The engulfed home

Dead: Judith Fredericks

the Fire Department following an investigation into the cause of the fire. The fire had originated after a kerosene lamp tipped over and quickly spread and destroyed the wooden structure.

It was reported that the fire started at around 22:00h on January 3, 2020, and engulfed the home owned by a 73-year-old pensioner who resides overseas.

Jacklyn Rampersaud, the daughter of the owner who lives next door was reportedly awakened by neigh-

bours alerting her of the fire.

Although residents attempted to put out the fire, they were forced to retreat due to the intense heat.

Sometime later, persons noticed that Fredericks, the caretaker of the house, was missing and checks were made for her to no avail.

However, as the fire officials turned up at the scene the following morning to conduct their investigations, they came across to the charred remains of the caretaker.

Following the discovery, persons reportedly told investigators that they suspected that the fire was deliberately set since Fredericks and another woman were engaged in a

heated argument one day prior to the incident.

According to reports received, the two women often fight. However, those speculations have been put to rest after the conclusion of the investigation by the relevant authorities.

It was reported that Frederick’s was imbibing alcohol earlier on January 3.

This led investigators to believe that the woman was intoxicated and allegedly knocked one of her kerosene lamps over which caused the fire. She was trapped in the building but according to reports, no one heard any screams, which suggested that the woman might have been asleep when the fire started.

onstable Jonathan Harry, who is attached to the Special Branch at Eve Leary, Georgetown, and an accomplice, Akande Ross, who were arrested following a daring robbery committed on a Chinese restaurant in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, were charged with robbery under arms and are expected to make their appearance at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court today.

In addition, the duo is expected to be slapped with other offences including being in possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

However, detectives are yet to institute charges against wounded suspect Shaquille Wilbury, who remains hospitalised.

On January 3, 2020, Harry, Ross, Wilbury and now dead Mark Prince invaded the Five Star Chinese Restaurant where they executed an armed robbery. A fifth suspect, a woman, remains on the run.

Initial reports stated that Guang Hong Wang, 43, proprietor of the Five Star Chinese Restaurant, and her husband operate the food establishment located in the lower flat of the premises, while Navindra Lakahalall, 37, of Zeelugt New Housing, Scheme, EBE was a customer.

Mark Prince who was shot and killed

It was reported that on the day in question, Lakahalall was in the restaurant when one of the male suspects and a female entered and purchased two beverages.

Soon after they consumed the beverages, they ordered a case of beers and in the process of Wang delivering same, the male suspect whipped out a handgun and relieved her of two cell phones and an undisclosed sum of cash.

He then turned his attention to Lakahalall and relieved him of one silver chain and an undisclosed sum of cash. In the height of the robbery, the three other suspects entered.

However, a licensed holder of a handgun who lives nearby heard the commotion

and immediately went to investigate and was attacked by the armed suspect and another with a cutlass.

As such, he was forced to discharge several rounds in their direction after which the suspects fled the premises in motor car PTT 8606 that was parked nearby, leaving their accomplice Prince, who was wounded at the scene.

The police were contacted and the vehicle was intercepted at a roadblock on the public road in front of the Den Amstel Police Station.

At the time, the car had three occupants – one was in the backseat with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. He was questioned, arrested and taken to the GPHC, where he was admitted in a stable condition.

An unlicensed pistol with an empty magazine was found in the vehicle along with an undisclosed sum of cash and cellular phones.

However, Prince, who was at the scene in a motionless state, was shot to the neck and died on the spot. A cutlass was in his right hand and a haversack was on his back.

He was escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A search on his person revealed $130,000.

Alleged shooter arrested for 1 in custody after attacking murder of newspaper vendor

Chinese nationals

O

ne suspect is in custody and the hunt is on for three others after they were caught on camera attacking two Chinese nationals in broad daylight on Sunday.

The incident, which occurred sometime around 10:00h on North Road,

Bourda, Georgetown, was captured on the dash-cam of a vehicle that was parked nearby. The footage circulated on social media shows at least two male Chinese on North Road next to their vehicle.

The captured footage shows one of the victims be-

ing attacked by two perpetrators while a third, armed with a cutlass, grabbed the other victim from the other side of the vehicle and brought him to where the others were.

The Chinese men put up a resistance and one of them eventually broke free of capture and ran westwards up North Road. He was followed by one of the attackers.

The other three perpetrators were seen walking away from the area, crossing over a nearby bridge connecting to Merriman’s Mall to make good their escape.

Efforts to contact the police to ascertain whether the perpetrators managed to take anything from the victims during the attack that lasted less than a minute, were futile.

However, it was reported that a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) saw the footage on social media and recognised the four suspects. He reportedly alerted ranks at the Alberttown Police Station, who managed to apprehend one of the suspects.

He is in custody assisting with investigations.

P

olice have confirmed that the alleged bandit who shot and killed the Essequibo Coast newspaper vendor on Friday night is among four persons presently in custody.

Sham “Paperman” Munilall, 48, was killed when bandits attacked his family on Friday night at their Parcel 61 Queenstown, Essequibo Coast home.

In a statement on Sunday, the police said that ranks from the Major Crime Unit along with ranks of the Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) Division have since arrested four suspects – a female and three males, one of whom is alleged to be the shooter.

On the night in question, Munilall was barbequing at the front of the yard with a neighbour when the two bandits, both wearing helmets, and one armed with a gun and the other with a cutlass, scaled the fence from the southern side. They attacked his wife, Rita, who was at the front door of the flat house.

Upon seeing his wife captured by the bandits who were trying to gain entry into his home, Munilall attacked the perpetrators with a yard rake. In retaliation, however, the gunman opened fire at the father of two, shooting him four times about his body before escaping by scaling the fence again.

The 48-year-old man was hit to his chest, shoulder and right side abdomen, causing him to collapse. He was rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is currently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

However, family members of the nowdead newspaper vendor are alleging that information was leaked to the bandits that the man had collected money from the bank.

Relatives told Guyana Times that Munilall had collected some money on Thursday from the bank and was keeping the money at home since he was going to re-

Dead: Sham “Paperman” Munilall

start his chicken business.

The amount collected was a sum of $125,000, which was a part payment on the loan taken from the bank. However, when the two bandits attacked the Munilall family on Friday night, they directly demanded the $125,000 he collected from the bank.

Relatives believe that someone from the bank might have been in collusion with the bandits and passed on information. They noted too that one of the suspects in custody used to live in close proximity to the Munilalls. They believe he is the mastermind behind the attack.

NEWS

3

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, January 13 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, January 14 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, January 13 – 06:25h-07:55h and Tuesday, January 14 – 07:10h-08:40h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to East NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 06:23h and 18:39h reaching maximum heights of 2.64 metres and 2.76 metres.

Low Tide: 06:23h and 18:39h reaching maximum heights of 2.64 metres and 2.76 metres.

Ali guarantees Berbicians jobs, deep-water harbour ...Phillips demolishes PNC’s “Black tokenism” claim

P

eople’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) P r e s i d e n t i a l Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali guaranteed the residents of the East Berbice-Corentyne region a deep-water harbour if he becomes President following the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Ali was at the time speaking at the party’s second rally held at Albion on Sunday which saw a massive crowd gathered to listen to their leaders as the party continues its campaign to win the Government.

The crowd reportedly stretched along the Albion Public Road as far as Williamsburg and was described as one of the largest gathering in history at a political rally in Region Six. “We are going to initiate the massive transformational initiative of a deep-water harbour in Region Six. We got the real plans, these are the real plans that will take the country forward,” Ali

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali

that he brings a wealth of experience and has the skill set to advance the developmental agenda of the party.

“One of the most important things is the creation of jobs. It is to ensure that our people here and all across Guyana has access to jobs.

Jobs that pays well. Jobs that can sustain your family. Jobs that can increase

A scene from PPP/C's Berbice rally

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said to rousing applause.

The presidential hopeful based his presentation on the lack of jobs for Guyanese especially Berbecians.

The issue, he noted has become a major one since the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government closed two sugar estates in the region, leaving thousands without an alternative plan.

Ali said that the Government placed the sugar workers on the breadline which created a ripple effect and crushed the region’s economy.

“Today your pockets are lighter because this Government has stolen from your pockets. This Government placed you and many Guyanese on the breadline. They created a disaster for many families especially here in Region Six and come March 2 we will fix this. How are we going fix it?” he questioned.

“By voting PPP/C,” the crowd responded.

He accused the Government of having a morbid obsession with former President Bharrat Jagdeo and his role in the PPP/C. However, he informed that Jagdeo will be a part of the next PPP/C Government, explaining

the welfare of communities,” he said. ”One of the most important aspect of the developmental plan for Region Six is

the creation of jobs and our focus in the creation of jobs will not be the restoration of sugar industry, it will not only be the restoration of jobs in the agriculture sector, it will be the creation of new jobs and new opportunities in every sector that a new economy would deliver on,” the former Housing Minister added.

He promised to invest in a knowledge-based economy which would see information communication technologies taking centre stage in advancing Guyana. He went on to state that these new advancements would create a spinoff of new opportunities in every sector.

With Region Six being an agricultural region, the presidential hopeful laid out what he described as a rapid developmental plan for the advancement of the sector. He explained that under a PPP/C Government they would be reducing the input costs to farmers. He noted that since 2015 the costs have risen mainly because the Government continues to implement taxation measures which cripple the farmers.

Under his Government, if elected, Ali promised new jobs in various sectors which would all be intertwined with the agriculture sector.

He said that it is now his mission to see Region Six not only become the breadbasket of Guyana but the Caribbean and even further afield.

“We will establish a deep-water harbour and connect it to a free zone to bring new jobs. Disposable incomes in the homes and communities will increase un-

PPP/C PM Candidate Mark Phillips

der the PPP/C Government.

If you have more money in your pockets then you will be able to spend more and if you do then businesses and the economy will do better. Region Six will do better under the next People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government,” Ali said as he roused up his supporters.

The massive crowd from all over Guyana expressed their support for the candidacy of Ali and his running mate Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.

Speaking directly to some of the issues affecting farmers, particularly rice farmers, Ali noted that when he speaks of support to the ailing rice industry he means that he has a plan. Alluding to comments made by President Granger that rice is a Private Sector issue and not Government even after campaigning on increased prices for paddy for rice farmers, Ali expressed that it is not all talk in his camp and that rice is a Government issue, adding that rice farmers deserve better treatment.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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

PNC’s hubris and fall

I

n the movie “Patton”, based on the life of General George Patton, the flamboyant WWII General is quoted: “For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honour of triumph, a tumultuous parade.

In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: ‘all glory is fleeting’.”

It would appear that after the PNC-led APNU/AFC victory in 2015, they neglected to appoint that person to whisper the caution on the ephemerality of glory into their ears and on December 21, 2018, they paid the price. The Ministers and their underlings of the Government had succumbed to what the Greeks called “hubris” – cultivating overweening pride and arrogance in their behaviour to a point where they completely ignored the proprieties of social life, much less practising humility, and trampled on the feelings of others.

On January 1, 2017, we quoted a study on hubristic leadership in this space: “Hubris is a potentially dangerous cocktail of over-confidence, over-ambition, arrogance and pride. It is the malaise of the powerful which, when allied to contempt for the advice and criticisms of others, causes leaders to over-reach themselves significantly. As a consequence, if left unchecked, hubristic leadership undermines institutions, threatens society’s well-being and destabilises global security.”

Charrandas Persaud had described this hubris immanent in several AFC leaders who refused to listen to his concerns about the party straying from the welter of promises – explicitly stated in its manifesto – they had made to their constituents to garner the votes that made the PNC-led coalition narrowly pip the PPP/C. Most Guyanese, with even the briefest encounter with these government panjandrums, can attest to their overnight arrogance once they assumed office.

From the bombastic Simona “I is” Broomes who could assault two security guards who were merely doing their job but delayed her tryst with Chinese Fried Rice, to the smirking Moses Nagamootoo who could tell 7000 sugar workers they were fired “for their own good”, hubris was the defining characteristic of the Granger Administration. While Granger himself cultivated an avuncular figure of rectitude and humility, at no time did he attempt to rein in his haughty Ministers and officials. In the case of Broomes, he merely said the abuse of her ministerial office would be dealt with by her party – the PNC. Which event, not surprisingly, never occurred. Granger’s own behaviour exhibited extreme hubris as he insisted that not only was he supreme over the executive and legislature, but even the Judiciary which was the last bastion of constitutional order. He categorised the judgement of the High Court as the Chief Justice’s “perception” and insisted he was entitled to his.

But in the Greek tragedies, hubris was always connected with “Nemesis”, personified as the “Goddess of retribution”, and which hubris ineluctably precipitates. And it is Nemesis that makes the “glory” of the arrogant so transitory. In the Bible, the connection is made in the aphorism, “Pride cometh before a fall”. Granger might think that he survived the NCM fall by his further displays of hubris as he trampled on democratic norms in the courts. But he merely delayed his inevitable fate.

The elections of March 2 will prove to be the nemesis that Granger will be unable to resist: it is said that “the voice of the people is God” and it is they who will speak then. After Nemesis would have destroyed Hubris, there comes the “catharsis” – an emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral renewal. This is what most Guyanese will be experiencing after March 2. Sadly, it will come after so many Guyanese have suffered under the jackboots of this PNC-led Government.

It is hoped that the new government will have someone repeat into its collective ear: “all glory is fleeting”.

Cars and people surround camels for sale during the annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Rumah, east of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (BBC)

10 years after devastating quake, Haitians struggle to survive E very morning as the sun rises over the dusty, overgrown ruins of the Haitian capital’s iconic cathedral, Paul Christandro, who lived nearby all his life, thinks about the day 10 years ago when he watched it come down, killing his friends.

On January 12, 2010, the impoverished island nation was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands and left many more homeless. It lasted just 35 seconds, but its scars are still visible.

International organisations pledged billions of dollars in aid as the scale of the disaster became obvious, though with Christandro and many others still in temporary housing its use has come under intense scrutiny.

Bad governance, excessive bureaucracy, waste and inflated contracts that were given mostly to foreign companies have been blamed for the lack of progress, which was hampered further by corruption and political power struggles.

“Every day when I get up, I think about it,” said the 23-yearold Christandro under the scorching Caribbean sun in the capital Port-auPrince.

The panicked screams of people buried under the rubble remain as ingrained in his memory as the silent facial expressions of those killed, he said.

“I think about my friends and wonder what I should do with my life,” said Christandro, an electrician who, like so many in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, tries to make ends meet working ad-hoc jobs or scavenging.

Estimates of the number of dead vary widely, from below 100,000 to as high as the government’s 316,000.

There is also no consensus over how much aid Haiti actually received – or what constitutes aid – but most experts put it at more than US$10 billion.

Outside the cathedral, often called Haiti’s Notre Dame for its impressive architecture and meticulous detail, he shares a mattress and a roof made from thin plastic sheets with friends who lost their homes and belongings.

‘A new settlement’

Others left the chaos of the capital to start over. In Canaan, a one-hour motor bike ride away, more than 300,000

Paul Christandro poses for a picture inside of Notre Dame de l’Assomption Cathedral (Our Lady of the Assumption), destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti January 10, 2020

people settled on what was once a pristine hillside. There, construction work is ubiquitous.

“The earthquake has given us a new settlement,” President Jovenel Moise told Reuters in an interview. He called for better collaboration between aid donors and recipients. The Haitian Government received only a fraction of the aid.

Among the many new arrivals to the hillside settlement is the Louis family, who built a home from wood panels and a tin roof. Now, they are working on a concrete construction.

Daughter Christelle Louis was seven years old when their house collapsed as she was doing her homework.

“I didn’t understand what was happening. It was the first time I felt an earthquake, and my leg was injured,” she said. The high school student, who dreams of becoming a doctor, said Canaan offered her family a fresh start.

In Haiti, a country that was extremely poor even before the earthquake, nearly 60 per cent of the population survives on less than US$2.40 a day. Due to a combination of weather, geography and sub-standard construction, Haiti is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, which have eroded progress.

Moise, who became President in 2017, said he was unsure how aid money had been spent. “We don’t have much to show for it.”

In Camp Karade near Port-auPrince, which was first set up as an emergency shelter, there is now electricity in many makeshift houses and public access to clean water via tanks from which residents can fill canisters.

Hip hop and Creole rhythms blasted from giant speakers and goats ambled around trash heaps piling up between temporary constructions that have morphed into seemingly permanent housing.

Eliese Desca, 66, one of many Haitians who lost their homes, said she had little hope that things would change for the better. “Our lives revolve around finding something to eat,” she said.

Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research who specialises in Haiti, said that while the total amount of promised foreign aid was large, little trickled down to those on the ground.

The money helped to save lives but did not achieve the overall transformation many sought, Johnston said.

“The aid system is broken,” he said.

“At least there is a recognition that it has been a failure.” (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

5

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

Major parties need to rein their supporters in Dysfunctional political atmosphere

Dear Editor, It is very clear that Guyanese who historically vote for the APNU (PNC) are primarily in control of important institutions like GECOM and it is obvious that they are doing whatever they can to give APNU an unfair advantage in the upcoming elections.

Just within this week, allegations surfaced that GECOM has been secretly modifying the NRR (National Register of Registrants). This is dead wrong. GECOM can only engage in secret transactions like these because it is saturated with Guyanese from mainly one political party.

Also, there are APNU supporters beyond GECOM who have been engaging in hostility as a means of propelling the APNU back to power. Such hostility not only affects the elections but it also negatively influences visitors. Many within the diaspora have refused to visit Guyana during this election season. And Guyanese from rural communities have also expressed fears about visiting Georgetown.

This kind of dysfunctional political atmosphere not only affects the elections but it also affects lives.

The Guyanese people have also witnessed how the lawless APNU supporters have openly harassed PPP/C associates on Laing Ave in broad daylight. And, as I watched the dysfunction on Laing Avenue, I remember this is exactly how young girls who were perceived to

be from families who support the PPP/C were treated on the streets of Georgetown.

They were targeted, blocked, harassed and fondled on the streets in the most humiliating ways. These are my childhood experience and memories. And I hope that the Editor gives me a chance to share my memories with the entire world for the betterment of humanity. The world must hear of our pains in this country. We cannot continue to suffer at the hands of ignorant bullies.

We have also witnessed APNU supporters demanding the removal of the PPP/C flags from the streets of Georgetown. They have also been caught destroying PPP/C flags all across Guyana on several occasions during this election season. These are serious and chronic behavioural problems. The State news agency (NCN news) has even unfairly covered the launching of the political campaigns.

For example, the PPP/C campaign was live-streamed on Facebook for one minute while APNU was livestreamed for 60 minutes by NCN. The NCN has even shut out free speech in an effort to give APNU an unfair political advantage. Also, Guyanese will never forget that during the 2015 elections, a female APNU supporter who is said to be related to a high-ranking Government official deliberately urinated on the PPP/C flag.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram (PhD)

Dear Editor, In recognising the intensification of a variety of threats to peace posed by the political tensions that surround the current election campaigns, the Universal Peace Federation – Guyana, wishes to condemn the political rhetoric that is causing great confusion, annoyance, distrust and humiliation within the minds and hearts of the citizens of Guyana.

These unnecessary pains, which are obviously acting up on the emotionalism of some of our peoples, could turn riotous. We have recently seen tensions in Laing Avenue, Sophia and certain parts of Region Five.

It would appear that there is a very thin line that is keeping the side being attacked from retaliating.

And, we fear that when or if they do, this could foment into mini riots or even a civ-

il war. We have seen wasted lives and unnecessary pains unleashed on families in countries like Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, the Congo, South Africa, India and Pakistan - where people are being killed, injured and/ or destroyed by these uncalled-for incidences. Locally, we saw such similar incidences in Agricola, when the city was actually locked down. In the late 1990s, just after the elections, some people were brutalised in our city while heading home from work.

The Universal Peace Federation has been involved with dozens of countries around the world to create a state of harmony and peace.

We are, therefore, calling all our political leaders and political parties, especially the more mature ones, to please watch the rhetoric and try not to humiliate one another when they enter the politi-

cal field. Also, the Opposition needs to avoid calling for the chasing out of the President, the Ministers or the leaders when they visit certain areas and communities where they predominate. This goes for the APNU/AFC Government as well.

Further, The Universal Peace Federation urges all party members and their respective supporters not to misbehave. All political parties vying for elections need to show maturity, intellect and avoid putting our country to shame. We recommend that these political parties urgently sign the powerful peace accord that is in the process of being created and stick to the terms and conditions of this accord.

The Universal Peace Federation calls upon everyone to show respect and to have restraint. Each party has a right to state their

case. No one should obstruct or block them from going into any particular area.

Also, people also have a right to ask their questions to the presenters. It is unfortunate that this political heckling is a normal part of the Caribbean culture, but the violent boisterous behaviour and insults are uncalled for from the two major parties of Guyana.

In conclusion, we, the members of The Universal Peace Federation wish to remind the Government, Opposition and the general public that we may not always agree with each other, but it is important we respect each other.

Dear Editor, It must also be noted that this is a party that touts “social cohesion” and that love and unity theme – there is a Ministry designated for that purpose – however, while there is this façade, one wonders where they can find that “cohesion,” or the blending of the races. This is their curse, this is their bane, a party that says one thing but does quite the opposite.

While on this topic, I must make mention of that infamous statement made

by the leader of the main coalition partner, the PNC’s Volda Lawrence, she was publicly quoted as saying she only “caters for PNC people and will find jobs for PNC people alone”. This was and still is a loaded statement, because she was publicly announcing her disdain for Indians while embracing “people or persons like herself”. This statement reeks of racism and speaks to the direct contempt for the race!

But my sternest rebuke goes to the heart of the mat-

ter and that is Granger’s defiance of Khemraj Ramjattan as prime ministerial candidate. Granger withstood Ramjattan until the ninth hour when the folly of his ways hit home.

Why did he stand against Ramjattan’s nomination is anyone’s guess. Is it because he is an Indian and not a single Indian in that coalition can be trusted by him? And so it has been ever since, Indians are treated with disdain or if ever to be “yes men”, never to question

the brainless, spineless nonsense of their Black superiors. This is something those Indians within and without the party should take keen note of.

So, when Harmon opened his uncultured and uneducated mouth to make that derogatory remark of Mr Phillips, he should shut up and take an introspection as to who that statement was referring to.

Sincerely, Hajji Dr Roshan Khan National Chairman Universal Peace Federation - Guyana

Granger resisted Ramjattan until the ninth hour

Respectfully, Neil Adams

6

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

Page Foundation What to do if you don’t like school “I

hate school, and I’m not going back!”

Have you ever had that thought? Lots of kids do. Usually this feeling doesn’t last long. But what happens if you feel this way too much? School is a fact of life, and getting an education can help you build the kind of future life you want.

So, let’s talk about school and what to do when you don’t like it.

Signs of school stress

When you worry about school, it can affect your body. A kid who feels stressed about school might have headaches or stomachaches. You might feel “butterflies” or like you have to throw up.

Having trouble sleeping is also a sign of stress. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, you probably feel grouchy and tired during the day. Feeling tired can make your school day seem even worse.

If you’re stressed out, you might have a hard time making decisions. In the morning, you can’t decide what to eat, what to wear, or what to pack for lunch. You don’t want to go to school, so you put off getting your stuff together. And now you’re not prepared to go to school, and you’ve just missed the bus – again!

Staying home may seem like a good choice, but it just makes it harder to go to school the next day.

Why do some kids dislike school?

If you don’t like school, the first step is finding out why. You might not like school because a bully is bothering you, or because a kid you don’t like wants to hang around with you. Or maybe you don’t get along with your teacher. You might feel different or worry that you don’t have enough friends.

Sometimes it’s a problem with your classes and schoolwork. Maybe the work is

too easy and you get bored. Or maybe the work is too hard, or you don’t feel as smart as the other kids. Reading or math may be difficult for you, but you’re expected to do a lot of it. You may be getting farther and farther behind, and it may seem like you’ll never catch up. Maybe you’re dealing with worries, stress, or problems that make it hard to concentrate on schoolwork.

When you stop to think about why you don’t like school, you can start taking steps to make things better.

Finding help

It’s a good idea to talk to someone about your problems with school. Your mom, dad, relative, teacher, or school counsellor will be able to help you. It’s especially important to tell an adult if the problem is that you’re being bullied or someone hurts you physically.

Another good idea is to write down your feelings about school in a journal.

You can use a journal or diary or just write in an ordinary notebook. It’s a great way to let out emotions that may be stuck inside you. And you don’t have to share what you’ve written with others.

If you feel disorganized or like you

can’t keep up with your schoolwork, your teachers and school counsellors want to help. Teachers want and expect you to ask for help when you have trouble learning.

If all of your subjects seem really hard, a school counsellor can help you sort things out. Special help with schoolwork is available if you need it.

Try not to let the problems go on too long. It’s easier to catch up on one chapter than the whole book!

Feeling better about school

The next time you find yourself disliking school, try this: First, write down everything you don’t like about school.

Then make a list of the good things you enjoy (even if it’s only recess and lunch, that’s a start!).

Now, what can you change on the “don’t like” list? Would remembering to do your homework help you feel more confident if you’re called on in class? Can you get help with schoolwork that’s hard? Who can you talk to about a worry or problem you’re dealing with? Could you find a way to show off your special interests and talents? If you made just one new friend, would you feel less alone? If you helped someone else feel less alone, would you feel even better? Which activities could you try that would help you meet new friends?

Of course, you might not be able to change everything on your “don’t like” list. A bully may not simply disappear.

Reading may always be a challenge. But that’s OK. Focus on what you can change and you might be able to put the cool back in school! (kidshealth.org)

GOOD STUDY

HABITS to better understand your lessons

CONCLUSION

Good Study Habit #8 – Use laptops & smartphones wisely during class

If you are using a laptop for note-taking in class, then make sure you are still able to focus and pay attention. Laptops and phones can bring down your grade.

You don’t want to get used to surfing the web or using your smartphone while learning in class, if you are on the Internet, texting, or checking your email in the presence of a teacher, then you will probably do the same when you’re studying.

Good Study Habit #9 – Consider joining a study group

If you are a social learner then you should consider joining a study group. Study groups can help you remember class material better. You can ask questions to clarify difficult points, and hear questions that others have that may be beneficial for you to know the answer to.

In order to find a study group that will work for your needs, find people as dedicated as you are. You don’t want to study with a group that isn’t devoted and willing to work hard.

You should also keep your study group numbers to a decent size; you shouldn’t need more than six people in your group.

Find a study group that will work for your needs with people willing to work hard and as dedicated as you are.

Exchange contact details and decide together on a place and what type of study schedule will work best for the group.

One of the best benefits of joining a study group is that you will be able to ask, discuss, debate, and quiz each other on the topics at hand. You could even keep your study group online if travelling to one spot won’t work well for everyone.

Good Study Habit #10 – Get enough sleep and rest

Studying when you’re sleepy is ineffective. If your body is telling you that you’re tired, then have a nap or go to bed early.

A good night’s sleep will help you understand and remember information better. It is also much less stressful to take an exam or attend a class when you feel well rested and alert.

If you’re finding that you are getting stressed out or tired, reflect back on your study schedule and priorities.

A good night’s sleep will help you understand and remember information better… and prevent you from sleeping in class!

Make sure that you have dedicated time for rest and destressing. You can’t be a study machine 24/7 and taking some time away from learning is a great way to relax your mind.

Good study habits require you to be fresh and sharp. A good night’s sleep is far more effective than a night cramming for a test could ever be.

Good Study Habit #11 – Create a daily study timetable

Make sure you track your grades along with your study hours and lesson notes to see if your new studying techniques are helping.

If you find that it is not helpful, then it’s time to re-prioritise your schedule to fit in more time for studying and re-examine your goals for success.

Remember that throughout school, work and life, you will always need to be learning something.

When you have set up the proper studying techniques and note-taking skills, you are giving yourself one of the greatest gifts possible, the ability to learn. (Excerpt from developgoodhabits.com)

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

AG report calls out Govt for accepting gifts without documenting – urges MoF to ensure compliance with rules

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he Audit Office of Guyana has stumbled upon a number of cases during 2018, where Government Ministries and agencies would have collected millions of dollars’ worth of gifts from various sources, but then failed to properly account for them.

This is contained in the 2018 Audit Report.

According to Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his report, miscellaneous re-

ceipts totalling $2.8 billion was understated; though by an undetermined amount.

The AG noted in his report that Section 34 of the Stores Regulations 1993 states: “all gifts received shall be subject to normal store-keeping and received stores accounting procedures and the procedure set out in the regulations 16 to 19 inclusive shall apply.”

It goes on to say that “a Gift Register in Form

18 shall be maintained by the Storekeeper, and the Permanent Secretary shall furnish the Secretary to the Treasury (now Finance Secretary), the Accountant General and the Auditor General information relating to all gifts received from time to time.”

The AG noted that despite evidence of the Government receiving numerous gifts throughout 2018, there was no evidence

Trouble in Govt's camp; Jaipaul Sharma confirms split with Justice For All party – says he would turn down any future ministerial roles

C

urrent Junior Public Infrastructure Minister, Jaipaul Sharma has confirmed his exit from the Justice For All Party (JFAP) that was started by his father CN Sharma, while noting that he will also turn down any future ministerial roles should the incumbent Government be reelected.

Sharma made this public statement in response to reports in sections of the media that his name was submitted by President David Granger as a People’s National Congress (PNC) candidate for the National Top up list, rather than a JFAP candidate.

“It should be noted that my intention was to take a break from politics. I would have mentioned this to a few persons months ago much to their dissatisfaction and sadness and they all tried their best to change my decision but if anyone claims to know me, they probably would say when I make a decision, I do it,” Sharma said in his statement According to Sharma,

Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Jaipaul Sharma

he was reminded by both APNU and JFAP in the run up to Nomination Day to sign the candidate form. He claimed that he never did because he had intentions of walking away from politics.

Sharma related that at some point in time, he decided to make the jump from JFAP to PNC. He noted that when this was communicated to the General Secretary of JFAP, who it is understood is the wife of the party founder, Savitri Sharma, tensions rose.

“The GS of JFAP was

not happy with my move and asked if I was resigning because the leader of JFAP wanted her to be the Minister after the elections and she offer to remove herself as a candidate if I promise to withdraw my resignation.”

“I said to the GS of JFAP that I have made my decision and it had nothing to do with her or my father's decision to make her the next Minister of Government,” he said, adding that he “would not take any Cabinet Minister position if offered to me after March 2, 2020, or Minister within Ministry position.”

Sharma, who first entered the coalition Government as Minister within the Ministry of Finance, was moved to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure as a Junior Minister last year. Sharma’s move was to fill a vacancy left by the previous Junior Minister, Annette Ferguson, who was shifted to the Ministry of Communities as the subordinate of the substantive Minister.

The Ministry of Finance was cited in the report for not accounting properly for gifts received

of adherence to the procedures set out in the law to ensure transparency and accountability.

“As a result, the amount of $2.800 billion representing Miscellaneous Receipts as at 31 December 2018 was understated by an undetermined amount,” the report also states. In its response, the Ministry of Finance did not dispute the findings but noted that steps are being taken to address the lapses.

“The accounting for gifts in accordance with the laid down procedures shall continue to engage the attention of the Ministry of Finance. Three Circulars have already been issued in which the guidelines are clearly set out,” the Ministry said. In its recommendations, the Audit Office urged the Ministry to implement strict measures to ensure compliance with its circulars.

Besides the Ministry

of Finance, the Auditor General also cited the Ministry of Public Telecommunications for not adhering to the rules.

According to the Audit Office, a Gift Register was not maintained by the Ministry.

“This is a breach of Section 34 of the Stores Regulations of 1993.

Furthermore, we could not verify whether proper control was exercised over the use of donations received,” the Audit Office explained.

While the law and the Auditor General have oversight for gifts received on behalf of the State, public officials receiving gifts on their own behalf is one of the things addressed in the ministerial code of conduct, which has nevertheless been criticised as being ineffective.

The code of conduct is made up of 11 Articles.

Article One prohibits public

officials from taking bribes, while Article Two focuses on discrimination. Article Three prohibits public officials from accepting “any gift, benefit or advantage from anyone, [except] personal gifts from a relative or friend”. This provision, the code had stated, does not apply to gifts received on behalf of the State.

Article Nine prohibits public officials from accepting “lavish or frequent entertainment” from any person or entity that the Government has or may have dealings with. This, the Article notes, includes invitations to sporting events and concerts.

Article 10 prohibits officials from using their office in an improper manner for personal gain, while the final Article forbids anyone in public life from having outside employment “except with the written consent of the relevant authority”.

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Bullyism…

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…and the PNC hile the incident might appear small, it has great significance in what it reveals about the fundamental nature of the PNC, which has unfortunately remained true since the 1960s. Knowing that it’s been the tradition in Guyana for parties to register on Nomination Day on a “first come, first served” basis, three small parties camped out in front of the Umana Yana overnight, to ensure they wouldn’t be lost in the circus to come later in the day.

But as was plaintively recorded by a member of ANUG – one of the early birds – when he went up to the booth as the first to register, he was told the PNC (let’s not kid ourselves about any “coalition”) had already been signed in as “first”!! The fella didn’t take this lying down: he questioned the GECOM CEO, who was in charge of the operation, and was told, “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do about it”!! And imagine the fella insists that “GECOM is an autonomous body”!!!

What the incident reveals is that the PNC is, was and always will be a BULLY to every individual, institution or body in Guyana. What could be more domineering than seeing a queue in place to initiate a supposedly DEMOCRATIC election, out of left field someone jumps the line and insists they must be treated first?? This thuggish behaviour doesn’t just violate democratic norms but the norms of common decency and morality.

While some have commented on how amiable the PNC treated the PPP, after an initial skirmish, it has been truly said that you judge someone’s character not by how they treat their equals, but their “inferiors”. What would it have cost the PNC to allow those three minnows to register ahead of them?? But no!! The PNC must always be first, highest and indeed, PARAMOUNT!! It wasn’t even ironic that the Appellate Court over which the PNC once flew their party flag to signify their paramountcy over the judiciary, is right next door to the Umana Yana!!

The bullyism of the PNC extends within and without and as such inevitably influences the behaviour of its supporters.

Contrary to the choir-boy image he carefully cultivates, Granger learnt his bullyism from Burnham himself after he was hand-picked to be the political indoctrination officer of the GDF. From Granger’s bullying of the AFC to accept a degutting of the Cummingsburg Accord to disdainfully dismissing a judgement of the High Court – in the form of the Chief Justice – as “her perception” and I have mine – to the present harassment of PPP supporters and hauling down their party flags, these form one seamless fabric of PNC bullyism!

They will intensify their bullyism as their end becomes nigh!! …and constitutional change Your Eyewitness hopes Lincoln Lewis appreciates the irony of him baldly claiming on January 12 in his KN Column that, “It was massive prolonged street protest in 1997, led by Leader of the Opposition Desmond Hoyte, that put in train actions to achieve a more inclusionary political culture.”

“Massive”? “Prolonged”? What happened to “violent”??

It’s like calling WWII a “massive, prolonged skirmish”!!

On January 12, 1998, after weeks of the mentioned “PNC protests”, more than 200 Indian-Guyanese were savagely beaten and assaulted in the streets of Georgetown by supporters of the PNC, in full view of the Police, yet no arrests were made. These attacks, made on Indian Guyanese because they “looked like PPP supporters”, followed PNC protests against the PPP’s victory in the December 1997 elections”. As the International and EU Observer Mission wrote, “In the wake of VIOLENCE on the streets of Georgetown, CARICOM dispatched a goodwill mission to Guyana in January 1998.”

The Herdmanston Accord and constitutional reform were the poisoned fruit of PNC violence. …racism PNC’s James McAllister claimed if the PPP wins the election, “Guyana could expect a fate like Equatorial Guinea – “where a small elite takes all the oil money and the majority remain in poverty.”

Gasp!! Isn’t this comparison “racist” according to Greenidge?

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

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ali guarantees Berbicians...

“When we say support for rice industry, we are not talking about just reversal of taxes but we are talking about plans to open new markets, extension services, increase in yield and increased profitability. We say it is important for the economy of Guyana and rice is the Government’s business and rice are the people’s business and a PPP/C Government will ensure we support this sector.

“We are talking mainstreaming agriculture in the national life. We are talking about all the important sectors. The productive sector as well as the new sectors.

Agriculture has an important part to play and we will invest to ensure we improve agriculture,” Ali outlined.

He noted that investments would also be made in livestock and fisheries by the introduction of new technological support as well as infrastructure. He did not stop there, Ali said that his Government will be using the oil and gas opportunities to their advantage by creating spinoff sectors in

tourism and manufacturing among others.

“Berbice is going to benefit from all of these sectors.

We have a clarity of vision as to where and how these opportunities will be created.”

Ali told supporters that by the end of his first term as President he will ensure that every Guyanese student attending the University of Guyana would do so tuition-free.

“We will expand the scholarship programme to 20,000 scholarships per year. We are going to work on a pathway to get students with existing loans written off and we have outlined that in our manifesto. We will ensure a healthy population by fixing primary health care institutions…we will put more money in your pockets,” he said.

“We will help the Private Sector to become more energetic and create opportunities and jobs in our country. We are going to build community roads and ensure 100 per cent coverage of treated water in Region

Six. We will ensure that there is better drainage and irrigation in the region. We will work on bridging the Corentyne River as well,” Ali added.

PM Candidate

Meanwhile, Ali’s Prime Ministerial Candidate, former Army Chief of Staff, Phillips hit back at the criticism coming from the APNU/AFC camp.

Phillips took time to single out APNU/AFC’s Joseph Harmon who recently told supporters that Phillips was ‘Black tokenism’ of the PPP/C. “The PPP/C have a proven track record of development from 1992 when we restored democracy to 2015 when we demitted office. The PPP/C will ensure all Guyanese regardless of race, religion or political affiliation will benefit from the progress after our victory. The coalition is desperate and running scared.

Joe Harmon refer to me as African or Black tokenism on PPP list. If you to follow

Harmon’s reasoning then he is saying that all Africans on coalition is Black tokenism.

We in PPP lead by example and don’t just speak about racial harmony. Check our list of candidates, it is a truly national list. It is a truly winning list,” Phillips declared.

Phillips said he brings to the fore over 36 years of defence and security experience to make Guyana better.

He noted that he has a plan to reform the security sector so that Berbicians and Guyanese as a whole can feel much safer.

“They have about five Brigadiers, Admirals and Commissioner of Police with them and this one Brigadier come out of retirement and joined the PPP/C and they running scared…” he declared.

He noted that the PPP/C Government of which he will be a part has a plan for the crime situation that is plaguing Berbicians. He went on to note that the crime rate is high and Police capacity is low throughout Guyana and that needs to be fixed.

FROM PAGE 3

He noted that they will equip and improve the operational efficiency of the Guyana Police Force as well as the effectiveness of the Community Policing Groups.

Phillips went on to say that Region Six has a role to ensure food security in Guyana so that the country does not only depend on oil and gas to improve the economy. He noted that the PPP/C manifesto outlines the five-year plan to improve every sector that was destroyed by the current Administration.

“We will pursue a policy of land allocation reform in this region. We will explore climate-smart agriculture and technological support; we will improve farm to market roads and improve prices. We believe in quality health care for all Guyanese so we will put an end to drug shortage and upgrade and expand health services in Guyana. We will improve conditions of work and services for public health workers,” Phillips outlined.

Like his running mate,

Phillips also spoke about the lack of jobs in the region and throughout Guyana. He noted that this lack of opportunity is one of the major contributing factors of the high crime rate in Guyana.

“Jobs is a big concern. We have to replicate the Port Mourant Training School model throughout Guyana.

Crime will decrease if more youth will be given job opportunities,” the Brigadier noted.

“Today we have economic mismanagement and health care is worsening… since the No-Confidence Motion in December 2018, the coalition Government has shown scant regard for our Constitution and rule of law. They tried to make fools of us with fancy mathematics but we are not fools. We should have this General and Regional Elections long before now. It was a hard and uphill struggle to get to this point. This election is about restoring rule of law in Guyana, it is about restoring democracy,” Phillips added as he roused the crowd.

4 homeless after fire Clerk committed for raping a 10-year-old girl guts Ruimveldt home A A fire of unknown origin has completely razed the upper flat of a two-storey wooden building at the corner of Spurwing Drive and Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, in the wee hours of Sunday.

The fire reportedly started at about 01:30h in a bedroom on the upper flat of the home but quickly spread.

At the time of the fire, the occupants of the home were asleep but were suddenly awakened by a strange noise emanating from one of the bedrooms. This was followed by the scent of smoke and upon checking, they saw the room was on fire.

Without hesitation, the occupants of the house ran out of the house and raised an alarm. They were unable to salvage any household items.

The fire tenders arrived at the scene about 10 minutes after the blaze started and quickly began working on dousing the flames.

The fire tenders managed to con-

tain the flames to the upper flat of the building. The house is owned by Sybil Baird. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

43-year-old clerk was on Thursday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the 2014 rape of a 10-year-old girl after a prima facie case was made out against him.

Jomo McDonald of Republic Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was the subject of a Preliminary Inquiry before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

After the PI, the Magistrate ruled that there was sufficient evidence for him to be tried before a Judge and jury at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

According to information, McDonald returned from Antigua in 2012 and the young girl would often

visit his home.

It was reported that McDonald locked the doors to the home and had sex with the child. On another occasion, he called the child into the bedroom and had sex with her, where himself and a friend took turns in raping her.

The child later related what transpired to a friend and the matter was reported and an investigation was launched.

McDonald, however, was on the run and was only recently arrested and charged for the crime.

In April 2018, Todd, who was also charged for engaging in sexual activity with the same 10-year-old girl, was committed to stand trial at the High Court.

Department of Youth to host “Mashramani Youth Village” Woman arrested for dousing lover G with hot oil uyanese youth can now look forward to a vibrant Mashramani Village at D’Urban Park leading up to the February 23, 2020 celebrations.

According to Mashramani Coordinator Andrew Tyndall, the aim of the village is to give Guyanese youth the opportunity to interact with several agencies.

“When you come to the village, young people will have the opportunity to interact with agencies, NGOs, Private Sector agencies, other governmental agencies where they can find out about employment because we know that it is

Mashramani Coordinator Andrew Tyndall

something that is big on the agenda for young people, and where they can also find out about the pathway to getting into certain ca-

reers”, he explained.

Tyndall further added that young entrepreneurs will also be present at the village to advise youth in

becoming businessmen and women.

“It can be a motivation and encouragement to other young people to get into business”, he pointed out.

The coordinator had also encouraged youth who are talented in dance and drama from Regions Three and Four to attend auditions at the Umana Yanan on Saturday, January 11, 2020, for a chance to perform at the upcoming Youth Talent Festa.

Meanwhile, the auditions are expected to move to Regions Six and 10 the following Saturday where youth in those areas will also be given the same opportunity.

A

50-year-old man of Lot 50 Leopold Street, Georgetown, is now a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital with serious burn injuries to his face and shoulders, after he was doused with hot oil by his girlfriend.

Danny Vannooten called “Donavan”, a clerk, was lying in a bed in his Lot 160 Gangaram Village, East Canje, Berbice home when the 32-year-old woman allegedly dumped the pot of hot oil on him. He was then rushed to the hospital

where he is said to be a patient.

Reports are that the couple had a heated argument and the woman was allegedly assaulted by the man.

The woman then waited until the victim was asleep, picked up the hot pot of oil from the stove and dumped the scorching liquid on the man.

Upon hearing the screams, neighbours rushed to his rescue and took him to the hospital. The police were summoned and the woman was arrested.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jagdeo raps coalition for mismanagement of country …says his job is to incubate young leaders

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eople’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo has railed at the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition over its mismanagement of the affairs of Guyana.

Jagdeo was at the time addressing a huge crowd at the Albion Community Centre, where the PPP/ Civic held its rally on Sunday.

The former President said that since entering into power in 1992 and restoring Guyana to a viable and democratic state, this would be the first General and Regional Elections that the PPP/C would be contesting as the Opposition.

However, he said that they did not feel as though they were in Opposition given the significant support they have garnered over the past five years.

“It doesn’t feel that way because you know a day will come when we would resume development and when we would take back this country and continue to grow it...Given the history of PNC – how they rigged elections in the past under Cheddi Jagan, many said we have to leave this country, we will never have a future here. And I said to them, our time will come again. Our time is coming again and on March 2, the time will come again.

“We knew the Administration would be repressive; we knew it would be undemocratic; we knew that they would go back to anti-development policies because of the same nature of their economic philoso-

phy. We knew we would see a decline of living standards in this country, because they believe in consumption not accumulation. Spending not building up, this is the old PNC at it. They believe in tearing down bonds of friendship. They believe in partisan behaviour. On the other hand, we believe in bringing people together… we knew that they were going to self-destruct,” Jagdeo said as the crowd roared in agreement.

The Opposition Leader said that the Government cannot raise taxes by over $88 billion per year and then go on to squander it.

He pointed out the hypocrisy in the coalition’s camp by informing them current Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo would be receiving a bigger pension package when he demits office than he did after being President.

Jagdeo reminded that it was Nagamootoo who campaigned on his pension package, telling supporters back in 2015 that he would never become greedy once elected to office.

“They took away incentives from the hard-working people, people who created the wealth for them to splurge on. Thousands of miners lost their jobs because of taxation. Many people in the forestry industry they lost their jobs, can’t feed their families. In agriculture, it was a pure all-out assault on people in rice but more so in the sugar sector. They just destroyed the lives of so many people without a care, without a conscience. They did it because they simply do not

Former President and General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo

know how to administer a country,” he explained.

The former President said that the APNU/AFC Administration failed to realise that it had to save resources for the “rainy days”. He outlined the assault on the country’s reserves which amounted to almost $1 billion. He identified the $20 billion in gold that the PPP/C left which the coalition already sold.

In addition, he accused them of bankrupting the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and other State entities.

“In the meantime, you would think with spending so much money that they would do better for healthcare, but you’ve heard the stories of deteriorating health care, deteriorating education. Crime is on the rise. All the sectors are in trouble. Thirty thousand people lost jobs. What is it that they have to offer?” he questioned.

He noted that the APNU/ AFC coalition could not

talk about progress it has made since there was none to show and so far, it has failed to present, to the people, a plan for the future.

He went on to rap the coalition for its obsession with Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali and himself.

He called out the Government for lying to the sugar workers and by extension, the citizenry about the promise of a good life.

“Many will go to jail”

Jagdeo said that the current government is one of the most corrupt in the world with their leader being incompetent. He noted that the current Prime Minister remained a rubberstamp while the new candidate for the PM slot, Khemraj Ramjattan, was even more “useless” than Nagamootoo.

“Imagine when you destroy so many families.

When the most corrupt government in the world now, Granger’s Government.

Every single one of these

ministers can go to jail and many will go to jail when the PPP wins office,” Jagdeo declared.

He noted that the coalition continued to be shameless in its approach to the citizenry, reporting that following its public meeting in Santa Rosa, Moruca, the Indigenous residents there complained about the quality of life. He slammed the Government for its use of the words “honesty” and “decency”, noting that there was not a single shred of honest and decent leadership in that party.

Speaking about the indecency, Jagdeo pointed out that former AFC parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud and Executive Veerasammy Ramayya used to peddle the lies of the coalition, but after a few years, they developed a ‘conscience’ and severed ties. It was Persaud, who delivered the critical ‘yes vote’ in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018 which ultimately toppled the Government.

Incubating young leaders

Jagdeo, who has been in politics for decades, said one of his roles as the PPP General Secretary was to mould the young leaders in the Party, a job he takes seriously.

“Every race has a place in our Party and has a right to make progress in the country and we in the PPP/ Civic is the only Party that can deliver this for all of our people. Because of that, we will not only win power on March 2; we will stay in power for another 20, 30, 40 years in the future.

“We will stay in pow-

er because our message is unifying. It is a message of development for all the people. It is an inclusive message. We will stay in power because we are incubating. That’s one of my jobs as General Secretary of this Party. Another generation of leaders, look at them, young people ready for the future. In our Party we are doing that. At the governmental level, we had young people at the forefront,” he said.

Jagdeo said that unlike the Government, the PPP/C is a Party for the people with only one message of inclusiveness.

He accused President Granger of being the weakest leader in the history of Guyana – an assessment he made based on his track record. He said that Granger needed to move away from being the ceremonial President and “roll up his sleeves and work”, since it is the only way for the country to make progress.

He expressed his confidence in Ali, noting that he was the best candidate to lead Guyana forward.

“We can’t have a president who said crime is not really increasing in this country. He is out of touch with the reality of life. He is out of touch and there is nothing decent about a man who openly defies the rule of law.”

Jagdeo encouraged supporters to mobilise their bases and come out in their number on March 2 and vote the current Administration out so that Guyana could see the progress it so deserved.

Harmon urges Region 3 supporters to come out & vote on E-Day

A

Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), held its public meeting in Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on Sunday as supporters braved rain to listen to coalition leaders’ electoral pitch.

Taking the platform as the main speaker was Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon. During his address, Harmon stressed the importance of persons going out to vote on Election Day. “We have to mobilise. We have to come out and vote. A real victory translates when people come out to vote. We have to understand what is at stake. What is at stake is the future of this country.

So, we cannot make a mistake now and leave anything to chance,” Harmon said.

Harmon also made a pitch to young people.

According to him, young people are the present, not just the future. This is de-

APNU/AFC supporters at the Pouderoyen meeting

spite the fact that his party has been criticised not only for its geriatric Cabinet, but also for the majority of its candidate list recently submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“We have established technical schools across the country for people who can do things with their hands.

We have established vocational schools,” Harmon highlighted during his presentation.

Harmon, who is a

Pouderoyen native, also claimed that during his government’s time in office, the community has seen development, both in infrastructure and job opportunities.

He used the Disciplined Services as an example.

“Pouderoyen has seen tremendous development since we came into office,” Harmon said. “We’ve invested in electricity, street lights, infrastructure. When we used to have rainfall, Main Street would flood. It doesn’t flood anymore.”

“Many of you here used to look for work in the Disciplined Services as last resort. Now we have a different kind of people in the Force. They can develop themselves, with real bachelor’s and master’s degrees,” he said, a reference to the batches of officers who have been attending and graduating from the University of Guyana.

Harmon also dropped important information for APNU supporters, on the need for them to double

check their names on the voters’ list. He urged them to make sure they were on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) and if they were not, to follow up.

“Let me tell you something … the list is out – the Preliminary Voters List.

When you check that list and don’t see your name, take your pink slip and go to the GECOM office (and give them your details). They have to take that information and put it in, so it can go on the final voters list. So

do not despair,” he said.

Meanwhile, former APNU/AFC parliamentarian John Adams, in his address to party supporters, addressed comments from People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali that he would send President David Granger into retirement.

Adams also sought to argue that under the APNU/ AFC Government, during their four and a half years in office, there has been progress in various sectors.

As an example, he pointed to education and even addressed the Government’s controversial decision to yank the $10,000 Because We Care Grant that was implemented by the former Government.

“The PPP is saying that we stopped the $10,000 cash grant. This was a oneoff initiative,” Adams said, going on to cite the five B’s programme. He also spoke about increases to pensions as a sign of progress.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYA

Scenes from PPP

Y 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PP/C Berbice rally

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14 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice youths rally behind PPP/C …want Granger-led Govt out

Noreen Alpine

Y

oung Guyanese are throwing their support behind the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and are calling for the David Grangerled Administration to be replaced at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Witnessing those calls were thousands of party supporters on Sunday at Albion, Region Six (East Corentyne-Berbice) where, according to PPP/C Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha, the largest number of persons ever gathered to listen to the party’s message.

Noreen Alpine, a nurse from the Amerindian village of Siparuta situated 56 miles up the Corentyne River, said she has put her faith in the party.

She noted that in 2015, many supporters of the PPP/C had moved away from the party to support the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition but those persons have now returned. She took the opportunity to welcome them back.

Alpine explained that since the current Administration took office almost five years ago, 1472 youths from Amerindian communities across Guyana were fired. She said prom-

ises to find alternative employment for them have not been fulfilled.

The only employment in those community, she said, is logging but they need to get a pass in order to do so.

For months, she noted, the Government has not been able to get the relevant tags which loggers need in order to operate hence there has been a massive migration of Amerindians from the region to neighbouring Suriname and French Guiana.

The young woman also highlighted to the thousands in attendance other promises made by the incumbent Administration which were never fulfilled while noting that in recent times, the community has strangely been receiving numerous visits from Government officials.

“The people of Siparuta are not stupid. We know that you are trying to buy our votes.

It will not work this time.

You bring gifts for us bought by our own taxpayers’ dollars,” she said.

Meanwhile, lecturer at the University of Guyana’s Berbice Campus, Dr Garyson Halley called on party supporters to join hands and ensure that the Granger-led Administration is removed come March.

Dr Halley, who is also

a candidate on the party’s National Top-up List, said he was grateful for the programmes implemented by the PPP which allowed him to become a doctor.

Speaking of the challenges being faced in the region as a result of the closure of the two sugar estates – Rose Hall and Skeldon – which has left more than 4000 jobless, Dr Halley pointed out that many children are feeling the pain their parents felt.

Many students, he disclosed, had to give up their studies because their parents lost their jobs when the two estimates were closed.

He noted that while the coalition has promised a good life for all, many for-

and are currently underperforming.

Mahadeo, who previously headed the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) until the coalition took office, said currently the public health system in Guyana lacks proper administration.

He used three words to describe the leaders in the health sector; incompetent, dishonest and corrupt. Mahadeo noted that it was under the Bharrat Jagdeo Administration that more than 1000 doctors were trained and placed in the health sector to provide specialist service to the people of Guyana.

“We never had that many before. Doctors used to visit the bedridden in their com-

mer sugar families have been disconnected due to owing the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) a $3000 bill and then were forced to pay more than double that amount for reconnections.

Meanwhile, former parliamentarian, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo noted that all the productive sectors in Guyana have been destroyed

munities. Doctors used to visit the elderly at their homes and take the medications to them. The Berbice Regional Health Authority which started on the Jagdeo Administration used to supply pampers, bedpans, wheelchairs and walkers for the incapacitated. There used to be special elderly clinics; all of this under

Dr Garyson Halley

the PPP,” the former BRHA Head stated He added that the BRHA had been providing services for the elderly and the Granger Administration not only took away those servic-

es but also removed the subsidies on electricity and water, and then added VAT to electricity, water and even medical supplies.

Speaking about the Nationals Ophthalmology Hospital, Dr Mahadeo noted that 550 cataract surgeries were done there annually under the PPP Administration. However,

in 2017 and 2018 there were zero cataract surgeries at the Port Mourant facility.

Last year some $7.8 million was allocated to purchase drugs and medical supplies for the health sector in Guyana. But still, Mahadeo pointed out, the Health Sector is plagued with a perennial shortage of basic health care drugs.

“Those drugs are for persons with high blood pressure and persons with diabetes,” he posited.

On the other hand, former parliamentarian Vikram Bharrat, who hails from New Amsterdam, said with good governance Berbice can realise its true potential.

He recalled that sugar workers were promised 20 per cent increases by the Administration but did not even get $20 added to their wages and salaries. In fact, what happened was that most of the sugar workers in the region lost their jobs due to the closures.

Bharrat added that even rice farmers were promised that when the coalition gets into office they would be paid $9000 per bag of rice.

“If we were to give the rice farmers $9000 a bag of rice, how much will you have to pay for rice in the market.

We have to implement realistic policies,” the former parliamentarian stressed.

The WE movement on a mission to promote a cleaner environment

A

n organisation founded with a vision to transform Guyana through clean-up campaigns and educating others on minimising the effects of climate change has already begun making strides on its mission to promote a cleaner environment.

“The WE movement” was founded by Maryam Bacchus, and presently comprises of eight members, which is expected to increase as plans are afoot to expand the non-profit organisation.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Bacchus related that the group comprises mainly of young people who have all taken it upon themselves to address pollution and the threats of

The WE Movement during recent clean-up activities

climate change.

“We recognise climate change as a growing threat to Guyanese people and therefore felt obligated to do something about it. As a wise man once said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Bacchus said.

The country’s local en-

vironmental conservation organisation aims to clean and transform Guyana one area at a time through inspiring others whilst minimising the effect of climate change.

The founder explained that apart from doing clean-up campaigns, the

WE Movement will be organising seminars and other workshop programmes in various communities to educate a wider span of persons on finding solutions to pollution.

“We plan to reach out to as many people as possible, especially children and

residents of polluted areas through seminars, workshops and fun events… note that we’re not only doing cleanups, that we’re working on long term solutions to pollution in those areas.”

Presently, the organisation is targeting the area of Foulis on the East Coast

of Demerara (ECD) where they intend to discuss safer and proper waste disposal with the villagers and with enough cooperation, implement solutions to the area’s pollution as well as perform cleanups where necessary.

Other areas scheduled for cleaning include Hague and Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Meanwhile, some of the areas which have had cleaning transformations are Camp Street between Lamaha and Middle Streets in Georgetown, and the Uitvlugt canal, WCD, a cleanup activity funded by STEM Guyana.

In this regard, persons interested in joining the movement can do so, while those interested in funding are also welcomed.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Nigel Hinds withdraws as Change Guyana PM Candidate – cites dual citizenship, medical condition

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rime Ministerial Candidate of Change Guyana – one of the newest small parties looking to contest the upcoming March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections – Nigel Hinds has withdrawn his candidacy.

In a statement on Sunday, Hinds explained that he has received treatment of a medical condition that he learnt of in November 2019 would require him to retain his United States citizenship – which would disqualify him from running for office since Article 155 of the Constitution of Guyana does not allow a dual citizen to be elected a member of the National Assembly.

“To my friends and supporters, it is with much sadness and disappoint-

Robert Badal elected at the upcoming polls and to propel Change Guyana into becoming the leading political platform for all Guyanese remains undaunted.

“As a co-founder of Change Guyana, I will continue to do my utmost to ensure we keep working to unite Guyana towards a multiethnic, multicultural

Nigel Hinds

ment that I now withdraw as a candidate to represent Change Guyana as the Prime Ministerial Candidate… I was hoping that subsequent diagnostic tests would be favourable.

However, the prognosis requires further medical in-

tervention that is best done in the United States, where I’m also a citizen,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Hinds went on to note that his commitment and involvement in the campaign to have Presidential Candidate

GWI employs 57 to maintain water systems

The newly acquired service men and women along with officials

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total of 57 persons were awarded employment contracts by the Guyana Water Incorporated, which would see them benefitting from a fixed salary instead of a stipend, to maintain the water supply systems in their respective villages.

These men and women were selected by their respective Village Councils and would have attended a workshop on water supply systems maintenance.

With the upgrading of many water systems in the region, the service staff were required to be more thorough with their maintenance routines, catering to the wells, photovoltaic systems and distribution networks.

As a result, GWI saw the need to further train the service staff and offer them contracts.

Addressing the staff, Managing Director of GWI, Dr Richard Van WestCharles said there has been an exponential increase in works taken place from 2015

to date in water and other areas.

In the Hinterland in 2019 alone, 22 wells were drilled, alleviating the effects experienced during the dry season. It is for this reason; human capital is important to maintain development.

"GWI reviewed the arrangement for the servicemen and realised that more needed to be done to ensure successful outcomes. You will now be paid a monthly salary and be added to GWI's payroll…You now have a responsibility for the health of the people in your village”, he stated.

The men and women are also being taught to take water samples and the results of the tests performed on them will be sent to the Public Utilities Commission.

Dr Van West-Charles said he looks forward to working with the newly contracted staff and seeing the improvements as it relates to water and sanitation in their village, as directed by the President of Guyana.

Executive Director

of Hinterland Services, Ramchand Jailal noted that it is the company's aim is to have systems that can provide easy access to potable water all year long. He added that the service staff will be equipped with the requisite tools to carry out their duties.

Many of the service men and women expressed gratitude to GWI for bringing them on board and for the works being done in their villages to enhance their water supply and ensure convenience in access.

During the workshop, the employment contracts were handed over by Executive Director of Human Resources Management and Development, Elvis Jordan.

GWI also invited representatives of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) to assist the staff with applying for the requisite documents needed to become employees.

and multiracial society that focuses on inclusive and accelerated economic and social development across our beautiful country,” the missive from Hinds detailed.

Only on Friday, 13 political parties including Change Guyana submitted their lists of candidates and nominators to the Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) for approval to contest the upcoming elections.

According to a timeline of activities that follow Nomination Day, parties had up until the day after (January 11, 2020) to notify the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, of any withdrawals of candidates.

Condolences pour in for late Dr “Bud” Lee

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resident David Granger has joined the local medical fraternity as it continues to mourn the death of Dr Wallace Irving Lee, commonly known as Dr “Bud” Lee. He died on Saturday after a brief illness at the age of 87. Dr Lee was a Director on the Board of the Woodlands Hospital and also served as a general surgeon at the private institution, which he co-founded back in 1969.

On Sunday, President Granger extended heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Marlene Lee; their children; the management and staff of the Woodlands Hospital, and other relatives and friends.

“Dr Lee was an outstanding Guyanese and professional in his field. It is for this reason he was awarded the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement and, later, the Cacique Crown of Honour for his exemplary service,” the Head of State noted in a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency.

Dr Lee’s colleagues have also expressed their condolences on his passing.

A public wake will be held at the Woodlands Hospital location on Carmichael Street, Georgetown, today from 19:00h.

In a newsletter published by the Woodlands Hospital, it was stated that Dr Lee, or as he is known by his friends and colleagues as “Bud”, was a consultant surgeon at Woodlands Hospital,

Dr Wallace Irving Lee, commonly known as Dr “Bud” Lee

where he had been since its inception.

He was born in Georgetown on July 14, 1932, and was one of three sons. His primary education was obtained at the Christ Church Primary School, and his secondary schooling was obtained at Queen’s College, where he had the distinction of being “Head Boy”.

He did medicine at the University of the West Indies and his FRCS [Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons qualification] in Edinburgh. When he returned to Guyana, he worked as a Consultant in Surgery at Georgetown Public Hospital, the newsletter stated.

There, it added, he had to do all specialties in surgery, including orthopaedics, urology and neurology.

Dr Lee had also worked at Prasad’s Hospital,

Medical Arts Centre, and St Joseph Mercy Hospital.

According to the newsletter, his vision for Woodlands had been to provide the best possible service for its patients. “The hospital has lost a stalwart,” a notice from Woodlands stated.

In addition to receiving two national awards for his contribution to medicine, he was also recognised by his peers for his contribution to surgery when he received an award from ‘The Institute of Medicine, GPHC’.

In addition to music and reading, Lee also loved sport growing up and has represented Guyana in squash and badminton. In fact, he was called-up for trials for Guyana’s cricket team at the same time he had to attend university, but chose his education. However, he played squash up to the time of his demise.

ANSA McAL awards winner in ‘Tek Charge and Win” promo

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NSA McAL Trading Limited (AMTL) through its Magnum Tonic Wine Brand awarded the winner of the grand prize in its “Tek Charge and Win” Christmas promotion.

Jermain Glasgow of D Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown walked away with the grand prize of a trip for two to Spain, to watch the Real Madrid versus Atletico Madrid football match in the Madrid Derby on February 1, 2020.

The prize was presented by acting Brand Manager of Magnum Tonic Wine, Rayan Lutchman.

Jermain Glasgow (left) receives his winning package from acting Brand Manager of Magnum Tonic Wine, Rayan Lutchman at the presentation

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

Regional

Venezuela's Guaidó calls for New political party more protests against Maduro launched in Trinidad

V

enezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó on Saturday called for more protests against the Government of President Nicolás Maduro in the wake of a failed attempt by the ruling Socialist Party to install allied leadership in congress.

Guaidó held his first rally since troops six days ago blocked his access to congress long enough for the Socialist Party to declare an allied legislator as Head of Parliament.

Opposition legislators in a separate session on January 5 re-elected him anyway, and they later returned to the legislative palace to hold session.

“We have to go into the streets to protest and make

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó

demands, we have to push together,” Guaidó said on Saturday at a sparsely attended rally in the Montalban neighbourhood of western Caracas that brought out several hundred people.

“Nobody can stay in their house. Nobody can kneel before the dictatorship.”

Guaidó, who has been

recognised by more than 50 countries as Venezuela’s legitimate president, has since November sought to revive the groundswell mobilisations of early 2019 that galvanised the Opposition.

But rallies have consistently been smaller than last year, with many Venezuelans expressing weariness with the ongo-

ing political standoff and frustration that Maduro remains in power despite an economic crisis and US sanctions.

Guaidó had called on supporters on Tuesday to march to the headquarters of Parliament to hold session, but Socialist Party leaders on Saturday called in sympathisers to surround Congress.

At Saturday’s rally, Guaidó noted that congress can hold sessions where and when it chooses, signalling he may avoid a confrontation. After being blocked from congress, legislators held a session at the headquarters of Opposition-linked newspaper El Nacional. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A 'lost decade': Haiti still struggles to recover 10 years after massive earthquake

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n the wind-whipped hills north of Haiti's capital, Port-auPrince, Berthenid Dasny holds the keys to the gated memorial erected for Haiti's earthquake victims. Thousands of bodies are buried here in a mass grave dug after a magnitude 7 earthquake shook the country on January 12, 2010.

"They've forgotten about this place; it should look better than this," Dasny

says as she walks past the overgrown grass, rusted metal statues and brittle brush. For the past year, she has been the memorial's groundskeeper, though she has never been paid.

"You must remember the humans buried here.

They were just like us and should always be honoured, not forgotten," she says.

Dasny believes some of her own relatives who were never found after the quake are buried in the grave.

Dasny says of the memorial: "You must remember the humans buried here. They were just like us and should always be honoured, not forgotten."

The earthquake's main shock lasted almost 30 seconds. A series of aftershocks soon followed. An estimated 220,000 died, though Haiti's official estimates are higher. Some 1.5 million people were displaced, according to the International Organisation

for Migration.

About 300,000 were injured, and large parts of the country were buried under tons of twisted metal and concrete.

Donors from around the world swiftly pledged billions of dollars in aid and made promises to rebuild.

But a decade on, Haitians who survived say they feel forgotten, as much of the goodwill and billions have been lost to waste, greed, and corruption. (Excerpt from NPR)

Colombia foils attempt to assassinate ex-FARC leader Timochenko

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olombian Police say they have foiled an attempt to assassinate the former head of the now demobilised FARC rebels, Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, better known as Timochenko.

Police said two would-be assassins were intercepted on a road in the west of Colombia on Saturday and killed.

Dissident rebels had ordered Timochenko killed, Police said.

The left-wing FARC group signed a historic peace accord in 2016 after four years of negotiations.

It has since formed a political party, which is also called Farc, led by

Timochenko is now president of a political party, which is also called Farc

Timochenko.

General Oscar Atehortua, Director of Colombia's national Police, told reporters that officers acting on a tip-off intercepted the two assassins close to a farm where Timochenko

was staying on the border of the departments of Quindio and Valle del Cauca.

"A terrorist attack which sought to kill Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, president of the Farc political party, was prevented," he

said.

General Atehortua said the attempted assassination had been ordered by former FARC commanders Iván Márquez and Hernan Dario Velasquez, better known as El Paisa, who are believed to be hiding in Venezuela.

They rejected the peace deal, denouncing it as "a betrayal" and have again taken up arms.

Last year, President Iván Duque offered a reward for the rebel leaders and vowed to hunt them down.

Timochenko became commander of the FARC in 2011, when its then leader, known as Alfonso Cano, was killed by the Colombian armed forces. (BBC News)

UK expands presence in Caribbean

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he United Kingdom’s representation in the Commonwealth countries of the Eastern Caribbean has expanded over the last year.

Acting British High Commissioner to Barbados, Craig Fulton noted the above as he delivered remarks during the Award Programme for the winners of the 2019 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay

Competition, which was held at the British High Commissioner’s Residence at Ben Mar, Erdiston Road, St Michael on Friday.

“We now have our new High Commission offices in Antigua, Grenada and St Vincent, as well as one in The Bahamas. And that has all taken place since we hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018, in London.

So, this gives a growing and very good footprint for us to work ever more closely with our Commonwealth nations here and we have a lot of issues to work on and issues in common, which particularly affect the small island states of the Region. Chief amongst these is the issue of climate change,” Fulton remarked.

Noting that this year the UK will be hosting

the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, he noted that there would be greater collaboration with the nations of the Commonwealth to address some of the issues that affect them directly and Fulton stressed that it would be key if youthful voices could also be heard on these matters. (Excerpt from Barbados Advocate)

F

ixin T&T founder Kirk Waithe is launching a new party in time for the 2020 General Election.

Waithe, in an interview with Guardian Media on Thursday, confirmed that the activist group has coalesced into NOW (it is not an acronym), a political party vying to run the country for the next five years.

"I think neither the PNM (People's National Movement) nor the UNC (United National Congress) must be allowed to win the next general election. That would redound to the detriment of T&T," Waithe said.

"I think the level of discontent is unprecedented.

In 2010, people were fed up of Patrick Manning and they saw Kamla PersadBissessar as a ray of light and she came in and proved not to be that ray of light, and then Dr Keith Rowley came in and people saw him as that ray of light and Keith Rowley has proven and continues to prove that he is not that ray of light. And now the country is being offered both as a solution. The country is beyond that."

Despite the successive

Fixin T&T founder Kirk Waithe

failures of a third party to break the historic two-party battle on Election Day, Waithe feels the electorate has either matured enough or is frustrated enough to leave the UNC and the PNM behind.

"I believe in coalition Opposition in 2020. To be clear, when I speak about contributing to being part of creating a coalition Opposition, I mean having both the PNM and UNC occupy the Opposition bench together," he said. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Relatives of massacre victims torn over future in Mexico as most flee

Soldiers check a vehicle at a check point in Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico

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wo months after tragedy struck, beefed-up security has helped calm the holdout residents of a tight-knit community of US-Mexican families of Mormon origin. But with only a few families staying put, at least one village is being hollowed out.

The gangland ambush by cartel gunmen in November on a dusty road in northern Mexico left three mothers and six children dead, their charred vehicles riddled with bullets, and a once-strong faith deeply shaken in the picturesque hamlets the families have called home for generations.

“La Mora will never be the same,” said 27-yearold holdout Kendra Miller, whose brother Howard lost his wife Rhonita and their four children in the attack.

“There are families that

will come back to visit, but they’re not going to live here again, because they don’t feel safe,” she said.

Today, roads in and around La Mora are patrolled by hundreds of heavily-armed soldiers, helicopters buzzing overhead.

The showy security presence, set against a backdrop of many already-vacated homes, comes as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is set to make his first visit to the grieving community on Sunday.

The leftist President who has pursued a less confrontational security policy is nonetheless set to speak at a fortified event centre, erected in the past few days for his visit.

Dozens of armed patrols could be seen on Saturday as nearby homes were searched.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

17

Around the World HRW chief “denied entry to Hong Kong” ahead of critical China report

T

he Head of US-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said he has been denied entry to Hong Kong, where he had been planning to launch a report focusing on China's "assault" on human rights.

HRW said the move to block Kenneth Roth highlighted "vanishing freedoms" as a result of pressure from Beijing.

Hong Kong has been gripped by months of anti-Government protests.

China had threatened sanctions on HRW and other American NGOs, which it said supported "anti-China" forces.

In a video filmed at Hong

Kenneth Roth has been allowed to enter Hong Kong in the past

Kong International Airport and shared on Twitter, Roth - a US citizen - said officials told him he was barred for "immigration reasons", even though he had visited the city before.

This year's HRW annual World Report, Roth said, focused on "how the Chinese Government is trying to deliberately undermine the international human rights system, not simply to sup-

press the rights of people at home but also undermine the ability of anybody else to try to hold China to human rights standards".

Hong Kong has seen major protests since last June.

The demonstrations originally focused on a now withdrawn bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects to mainland China, but later evolved into a broader movement demanding democratic reform and investigations into Police brutality.

Openly critical academics and activists are among those who have been denied entry in recent years.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Libya conflict: GNA and Gen Haftar's LNA ceasefire 'broken'

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he two sides in Libya's civil war have accused the other of breaking an internationally brokered ceasefire within hours of it taking effect.

After pressure from their backers, Russia and Turkey, the ceasefire officially started on Sunday.

But both the UN-backed Government and forces loyal to Russian ally Gen Khalifar Haftar say there has been fighting around the capital, Tripoli.

Turkey last week sent troops to help Government

of National Accord forces.

Gen Haftar is also backed

by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan, raising fears that oil-rich Libya could become the theatre of a regional conflict, or even a "second Syria".

Amid the chaos, both Islamist militant groups and migrant smugglers have become well-established, causing particular concern in European countries just across the Mediterranean Sea. Libya has been wracked

by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted longtime strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

The Libyan National Army (LNA) forces loyal to Gen Haftar control most of eastern Libya. They launched an offensive on the capital in April 2019 but have been unable to take the city. Last week, however, they did take the country's third-biggest city, Sirte.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin called for a

ceasefire when they met in Istanbul last week.

The LNA initially rejected the calls for a ceasefire before announcing late on Saturday that it accepted a truce in GNA-controlled western Libya "provided that the other party abides by the ceasefire".

A statement from the GNA, led by Fayez al-Sarraj, later also announced a ceasefire, starting at 00:00 on Sunday (22:00 GMT on Saturday). (Excerpt from BBC News)

At least 17 killed as extreme cold sweeps across Afghanistan

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severe cold snap killed at least 17 people in Afghanistan on Saturday, Government officials said, as heavy snowfall and rain continued to lash parts of the country.

Afghanistan is no stranger to extreme winter weather, during which various warring groups in the country have historically ceased hostilities, but this year has been particularly harsh, according to the country’s metrological department.

The officials said the death toll could rise further, with Afghanistan’s Natural Disaster Management Authority still trying to

compile a total figure.

Saturday’s deaths bring the number of casualties from this year’s cold snap to at least 24, as temperatures in parts of the country dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 Fahrenheit).

Heavy snowfall has closed many key roads since the New Year, including the Salang Tunnel connecting central Afghanistan with the north of the country, and the Kabul-Kandahar highway.

Afghanistan’s western province of Herat has also been hit badly. On Saturday, heavy snow caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, killing at least eight people,

T

The Gambia's neighbours forced Jammeh into exile in Equatorial Guinea after he refused to accept his defeat in elections in December 2016.

Having seized power in a coup in the popular tourist destination in 1994, he went on to hold regular elections, but was later accused of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention.

Ballistic missile debris is seen after Iran's Revolutionary Guard targeted Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq last week [Anadolu Agency]

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ockets slammed into an Iraqi airbase north of Baghdad on Sunday where US troops have been based, wounding at least four Iraqi troops.

No immediate information about American casualties was reported.

At least six rockets struck the Al Balad base, which hosts American trainers, advisers and a company that provides maintenance services for F-16 aircraft.

Some projectiles fell on a restaurant inside the airbase, officials said.

The attack came just days after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq that house US forces, causing no casualties.

A majority of US airmen stationed at the Al Balad airbase, 80km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, had already left, AFP news agency quoted military sources as saying.

Some shells hit the runway of the airbase while another shell struck the gate, said Colonel Mohammed Khalil, a police officer in the northern province of Saladin.

"Three Iraqi soldiers, who were on guard at the airbase gate, were injured as a result of the shelling," he said.

So far there was no claim of responsibility for the attack, which comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran over the last two weeks.

The US and Iran recently stepped back from the brink of war following the killing of Soleimani. A senior Iraqi leader of an Iran-backed militia was also killed.

Iran's retaliatory attack for Soleimani's death hit two Iraqi bases, Ain al-Asad and Erbil, where American troops are based. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Small but dangerous: Volcano spews ash over Philippine capital

A view of the Taal volcano eruption seen from Tagaytay, Philippines January 12, 2020, in this still image taken from social media video

Afghan men upload recycled items on sacks during a snowfall in Kabul, Afghanistan January 12, 2020

including women and children, a spokesman for the province’s governor said.

Other parts of the country have experienced heavy rainfall.

The United Nations had previously estimated that at

least nine million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, including basic food and housing amid a drawnout war that has so far displaced hundreds of thousands of people. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Yahya Jammeh warned not to return to The Gambia he Gambia has warned its ousted leader Yahya Jammeh not to try to return home from his exile in Equatorial Guinea.

Jammeh's safety couldn't be guaranteed if he did return without permission, a Government spokesman told the BBC. A spokesman for Jammeh's party said he could arrive back at any time.

Rockets hit Iraq military base hosting US troops

These have been aired over the past year at public hearings of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) set up by his successor, President Adama Barrow.

Jammeh has said that he wants to assert his right to return home. This was clearly stipulated in the January 2017 agreement brokered by the UN, African Union and regional body, Ecowas,

which saw him agree to go into exile under pressure from Ecowas troops which had already entered The Gambia.

This states that Jammeh would leave "temporarily" and was "at liberty to return to The Gambia at any time of his choosing in accordance with international human rights law and his rights as a citizen of The Gambia and a former head of state".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

A

volcano near Manila spewed a massive cloud of ash that drifted across the Philippine capital on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of flights and closure of schools and Government offices as authorities warned of a possible “explosive eruption”.

Thousands of people were evacuated from the area near Taal volcano after it suddenly shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km (nine miles) into the sky. Lightning crackled inside the smoke and tremors shook the ground.

Taal, one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes, sits in the middle of a lake about 70 km (45 miles) south of the centre of the capital, Manila. Authorities said there was a risk that an eruption could cause a tsunami in the lake.

“Taal is a very small volcano, but a dangerous volca-

no,” Renato Solidum, Head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told Reuters. “It is unique because it is a volcano within a volcano.”

The institute raised the danger level posed by the volcano to 4 out of a possible 5 - meaning “hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days.”

The Philippines lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.

One of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the past five centuries, most recently in 1977. An eruption in 1911 killed 1500 people and one in 1754 lasted for a few months.

“That is the worst-case scenario,” Solidum said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

PEANUTS

Love and romance are on the rise, along with personal growth. Shift creative projects to the forefront.

Physical improvement will bring the results you desire.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Your restlessness should be alleviated by getting involved in a challenging physical activity. Don’t make unnecessary changes. Moderation is in your best interest when money is involved.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Say what’s on your mind and find out where you stand. It’s time to put a misconception someone has about you to rest. A partnership opportunity will change the way you do things.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You might have trouble seeing eye-to-eye with a partner. Arguing will not solve the problem, but compromise will. Offer common sense, not chaos.

VIRGO

You may not have your usual practical outlook today. Proceed with caution.

You might want to reconsider your professional situation.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

Reach out to someone who can help you get ahead.

Look at job prospects, set up an interview or focus on honing the skills required to head in a different direction.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Details matter. Look at every aspect of an agreement before you sign on the dotted line. It’s best to be precise regarding what’s acceptable. Handle a personal change or matter with care.

SCORPIO

Keep your emotions out of professional matters. Think about what’s a good deal and what isn’t, and take action based on facts and long-term results. Romance should be on your mind.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Be cautious about how SAGITTARIUS you handle relationships.

(Nov. 23You are best off being honDec. 21) est, not vague, if someone is asking questions about your intentions or feelings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

You can find a workable solution to a thorny situation. If you step into the spotlight, it will help you drum up interest in your pursuits.

A meeting will bring promising results.

Concentrate on moneymaking opportunities.

Consider what will bring the highest returns before you make a decision. Impulsive actions will not bear fruit.

Biggest will not be best.

Don’t fret over what someone else thinks or does. Start moving in a direction that feels comfortable and offers less stress. Personal improvements are in your best interest. Moderation is encouraged.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

NBA round-up: Harden

20,000-point mark J

ames Harden became the 45th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 139-109 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Harden drilled a stepback 3-pointer with 6:30 remaining in the first half to reach the milestone and finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

He also recorded 11 turnovers, all in the first half, but his wayward ball-handling did little to stem the offensive onslaught.

Houston has won 21 of its last 25 meetings with the Timberwolves, including 13 straight at home.

The Rockets blistered Minnesota despite playing without center Clint Capela (heel) and losing forward P.J. Tucker to a stinger early in the first quarter.

The Timberwolves were without center KarlAnthony Towns for a 13th consecutive game. Josh Okogie paced seven Wolves in double figures with 16 points.

Rookie Jarrett Culver added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Milwaukee Bucks 122Portland Trail Blazers 101

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 32 points, 17 rebounds and six assists to help visiting Milwaukee roll over Portland.

Khris Middleton added 30 points, and Eric Bledsoe scored 29 as the Bucks won for the eighth time in the past nine games and reached the halfway point of the season with a 35-6 record. That puts Milwaukee on pace to win 70 games and surpass the franchise-best 66-16 mark set by the 197071 squad led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Damian Lillard scored 26 points, and CJ McCollum added 20 as the Trail Blazers lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Los Angeles Lakers 125Oklahoma City Thunder 110

Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 36 points as Los Angeles won its eighth straight game.

The Lakers led by as many as 32 points in the second half, but the Thunder cut the lead to just 11 with less than three minutes remaining before Kuzma hit

crosses 19 points and 12 rebounds and Will Barton scored 18 points for Denver, which trailed 85-71 entering the fourth quarter but rallied to take a brief lead with about five minutes to go before Cleveland reasserted control.

back-to-back shots to put the game firmly in control once again.

Rajon Rondo added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers.

Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points each to lead the Thunder, who lost for just the second time in nine games.

Bulls 108- Pistons 99

Mavericks 109-76ers 91

Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell scored 19 points each as host Dallas used a dominating third quarter to send Philadelphia to its fifth loss in its last seven games.

Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points as the Mavericks erased a 12-point deficit in the first half and recovered after trailing 5041 at halftime by outscoring the Sixers 32-16 in the third quarter.

Tobias Harris scored 20 points, and Josh Richardson and Al Horford added 16 each as the Sixers fell to 1-1 without Joel Embiid, who is out for as much as two weeks following a finger injury that required surgery this week.

Boston Celtics 140- New Orleans Pelicans 105

Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 41 points in three quarters as host Boston crushed New Orleans to snap a season-long threegame losing streak.

Tatum shot 16 of 22 from the field with a career-best six 3-pointers, and Enes Kanter added season highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Frank Jackson had a team-high 22 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who lost for just the third time in their last 10 games.

Rookie Jaxson Hayes scored a career-high 20 points, and Lonzo Ball (10 points, 13 rebounds) fell an assist shy of a triple-double.

Cleveland Cavaliers 111Denver Nuggets 103

Collin Sexton scored 25 points, Kevin Love had 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Cleveland won at Denver.

Tristan Thompson had 18 points and 13 rebounds, Cedi Osman had 11 points and 12 boards and Darius Garland scored 18 for the Cavaliers.

Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Nikola Jokic had

19

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reaches 20,000 career points scored with a basket during the second quarter against Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center (USA TODAY Sports)

Zach LaVine had 25 points and six assists as visiting Chicago snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Detroit.

Chicago completed a sweep of the four-game season series for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

Detroit center Andre Drummond was ejected with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter. Chicago rookie Daniel Gafford scored an inside basket and was whistled for a technical after saying something to Drummond, who retaliated by throwing the ball off the back of Gafford’s head.

(Reuters)

Serena Williams wins Auckland Classic for 1st title in 3 years

S

erena Williams won her first title in three years and first since becoming a mother with victory over Jessica Pegula at the Auckland Classic.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion beat her fellow American 6-3 6-4.

It is the 38-year-old's first singles title since she won the Australian Open in 2017 and her 73rd WTA title overall.

Williams, in her fourth decade on the WTA Tour, lost the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2018 and 2019 and retired from the 2019 Rogers Cup final.

She said after her victory that she would donate her prize money in Auckland and a dress she had worn to the Australian bushfire appeal.

"It feels good. It's been a long time, I think you could see the relief on my face," said Williams.

"I have been playing for so long and been through so much and I'm happy to be doing something I love."

The Australian Open begins on January 20, with Williams bidding to equal Margaret Court's record of

Serena Williams is in her fourth decade on the WTA Tour (Getty Images)

24 Grand Slam singles titles.

Williams won her first WTA title in February 1999, when she beat France's Amelie Mauresmo on carpet at the Open Gaz de France.

She made a slow start in Auckland, with Pegula taking a 3-1 lead in the first set, before recovering to win the next five games and close out the opening set.

Williams broke the un-

seeded Pegula's serve early in the second set and converted her fourth match point to ensure victory.

She celebrated on court with her daughter, Olympia, with whom she was eight weeks pregnant when she won her last Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

Williams was also in the doubles final with Caroline Wozniacki, but the two were beaten 6-4 6-4 by Asia Muhammad and Taylor

Townsend in the doubles final.

In Brisbane, Karolina Pliskova successfully defended her title with a 6-4 4-6 7-5 win over American Madison Keys.

Singles world number one Ashleigh Barty - who is donating all her prize money to the bushfire appeal - and her doubles partner Kiki Bertens lost their final against Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-wei 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 10-8. (Reuters)

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

Premier League: Aguero hits hat-trick as City thrash Villa S

ergio Aguero scored his 12th hat-trick to become the highest overseas goalscorer in Premier League history in rampant Manchester City’s six-goal hammering of struggling Aston Villa.

The Argentine moved level - and then past Thierry Henry, before joining Frank Lampard on 177 goals in England’s top flight.

Only three men - Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Andy Cole - are still ahead of him on the alltime Premier League list.

Aguero’s number of hattricks is a Premier League record.

It was part of a merciless City performance as they took apart a Villa side who were suffering their worst defeat since Liverpool beat them at 6-0 at Villa Park in February 2016 and have dropped into the relegation zone.

Riyad Mahrez scored the first two, with Gabriel Jesus splitting Aguero’s double just before half-

time.

The result leaves City second, the highest position they have occupied following a full round of matches since the beginning of November, although they remain 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more.

Problems mounting for Villa

Watching from the stands, goalkeeping duo Tom Heaton and Pepe Reina were powerless to stop the first-half carnage.

With Heaton on crutches as a legacy of the season-ending knee injury he

suffered at Burnley on 1 January, and Reina not registered in time to feature as he is about to complete a loan move from AC Milan, Orjan Nyland was handed his Premier League debut.

It proved to be a torrid afternoon for the 29-yearold Norwegian, who became the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to concede six goals on his first start in the competition.

Nyland was beaten at his near-post for the opener and Aguero’s historic effort seemed to go straight through his hands.

Reina will surely start at Brighton next Saturday, knowing Villa must improve on their record of two top flight clean sheets since 16 September.

Villa now have a worse goal difference than Southampton, and they suffered that 9-0 home defeat by Leicester on 25 October.

A few fans headed for the stairs with their side

Riyad Mahrez (left) and Sergio Aguero celebrate during City’s dominant performance (Getty Images)

3-0 down after half an hour but the majority stayed with their team to the end and cheered loudly when Anwar el Ghazi scored their injury-time consolation from the penalty stop.

But, with a Financial Fair Play issue hanging over them if they return to the Championship after a single season in the top flight, it looks like being a busy couple of weeks for Villa as they try to bolster

Dean Smith’s squad.

Watford put 3 past Bournemouth

Nigel Pearson says Watford’s win at Bournemouth is “not a season-changing result” despite climbing out of the bottom three for the first time this season.

Goals from Abdoulaye Doucoure, Troy Deeney and substitute Roberto Pereyra secured a comfort-

able victory for Watford at the Vitality Stadium to lift them above their opponents into 17th place.

The win also means the Hornets have collected 13 points from six Premier League matches since Pearson’s appointment last month to raise hopes of avoiding relegation, though the former Leicester boss is not getting carried away.

“There are so many games left, it would be foolish to think because we’ve got out of the bottom three that the job’s done,” he said.

“It’s not a season-changing result but it was an important one.

“We talked very early on about how we’d have to have a substantial run at some point. We’re on a good run, but we probably need to win another six games, maybe more.

“We’ve put ourselves in a better position than we were in a few weeks ago and that’s all I’m prepared to say at the moment.”

(BBC Sport)

Iran’s only female Olympic Djokovic leads Serbia to ATP Cup glory medallist defects

I

Kimia Alizadeh won a landmark bronze medal in taekwondo in the 2016 Rio Olympics (EPA)

ran’s only female Olympic medallist, Kimia Alizadeh, says she has defected.

Alizadeh, 21, posted on social media that she had left Iran because she didn’t want to be part of “hypocrisy, lies, injustice and flattery”.

She described herself as “one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran”.

Alizadeh did not say where she was, amid reports that she has been training in the Netherlands.

She made history for Iran in 2016 when she won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the Rio Olympics.

But in her social media posts she said authorities in the Islamic republic had used her success as a propaganda tool.

Her defection comes as Iran is gripped by protests - stemming from the

accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner on Wednesday, in middle of a major confrontation with the US.

Officials ”humiliated me’’

“I am one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran whom they’ve been playing for years,” she wrote.

“I wore whatever they told me and repeated whatever they ordered. Every sentence they ordered I repeated. None of us matter for them, we are just tools.”

She added that although the government would exploit her sporting success politically, officials would humiliate her with comments such as: “It is not virtuous for a woman to stretch her legs.”

Alizadeh denied she’d been invited to Europe or given a tempting offer and

did not confirm which country she had gone to.

Iranians reacted with shock last week when news of Alizadeh’s disappearance first emerged.

Iranian politician Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh accused “incompetent officials” of allowing Iran’s “human capital to flee”.

On Thursday, the semi-official Isna news agency carried a report that said: “Shock for Iran’s taekwondo. Kimia Alizadeh has emigrated to the Netherlands.”

The agency reported that Alizadeh was hoping to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but not under the Iranian flag.

Announcing her intention to leave Iran, the sportswoman did not mention her plans but said she would remain “a child of Iran” wherever she is. (BBC Sport)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his final singles match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal (Reuters)

N

ovak Djokovic inspired Serbia to victory in the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Sydney after defeating his long-term Spanish rival Rafael Nadal in singles on Sunday before playing a pivotal role in the d e ciding doubles match.

W i t h the final locked at 1-1,

Djokovic partnered e r a n Troicki b e a t Spain’s

vetVictor t o

Pablo Carreno Busta and Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-4, triggering celebrations that would not be out of place at a Belgrade football match.

The 16-times Grand Slam champion proved to be a calming influence throughout, especially after the Serbian pair fell behind early in the match.

He used his powerful serve and fleet-footed returns to haul his country back into the first set and create a momentum shift Serbia rode all the way to a victory completed in the early hours of Monday morning.

“We are filled with joy,” Djokovic said. “It was probably one of the best doubles we’ve played.”

For Spain, it was a lost opportunity to prove it has the world’s best men’s ten-

nis team, having recently won the revamped Davis C u p a n d

boasting two top 10 players i n its ATP Cup side.

Nadal, a capable doubles player who won the doubles Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, was substituted out of the Spanish combination in a surprise last-minute move he said was a team decision.

The world number one cited a gruelling tournament schedule and lack of energy as part of the reason. (Reuters)

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Dwayne Bravo back in WI colours for T20I series against Ireland ꟷ Paul out with back injury

T

he selection panel of Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Sunday named the 13-man squad for the three-match Twenty20 International against Ireland.

The matches will be played at Grenada National Stadium on Wednesday, January 15 and at Warner Park, St Kitts on Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19.

There were recalls for all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Rovman Powell.

Bravo, a two-time ICC World T20 World Cup winner, last played at the international level against Pakistan in the UAE in September, 2016. Powell last represented the West Indies against India in Guyana in August, 2019.

Bravo, 36, has played 270 matches for West Indies across all three formats. In T20Is he has made 66 appearances with an impressive record of 52 wickets and 1,142 runs. His highest score is 66 not out which came against India at Lord’s in 2009, the

same match where he also took four wickets.

The 26-year-old Powell has played 34 ODIs and 23 T20Is since his debut in November 2016. In the shortest format he has two half-centuries with a topscore of 54 against India in Fort Lauderdale last August.

All-rounder Fabian Allen was considered for selection but is unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation following an injury on the tour of India last year. Jason Holder, the leading all-rounder in Test cricket, is being rested for the series due to workload management.

All-rounder Keemo Paul was originally set to participate in the upcoming T20I Series but has been ruled out due to a back injury he suffered in the Colonial Medical Insurance ODI Series. The 14th player will be named on Monday.

Commenting on the squad, Roger Harper, CWI’s Lead Selector said, “Dwayne Bravo was recalled with the specific intention of bolster-

Dwayne Bravo

ing our ‘death’ bowling which was identified as an area that really needs improving. His record in this department speaks for itself. He will also be able to act as a mentor to the other ‘death’ bowlers and lend his experience wherever needed.”

Harper added, “Rovman

Warne, Ponting to play Twenty20 bushfire match, Serena donates winnings 223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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Powell is a genuine all-rounder who we believe can add impetus and up the strike rate at the back-end of the innings. He was excellent in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup – where he scored two excellent centuries and a 96 and also had some other good performances.”

FULL SQUAD: Kieron Pollard (c), Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Khary Pierre, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Lendl Simmons, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kesrick Williams.

(CWI)

UFC 246: McGregor returns against Cerrone

F

ormer Australian cricketing greats Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne will temporarily come out of retirement to play in a charity Twenty20 match next month as sports organizations and athletes seek ways to raise funds for bushfire relief.

Since October, thousands of Australians have faced repeat evacuations as huge and unpredictable fires scorched more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres), an area roughly the size of South Korea.

Current national coach Justin Langer will also play in the game on Feb. 8 along with former captain Michael Clarke and vice captain Adam Gilchrist, Cricket Australia (CA) said in a statement on Sunday.

The match will be played on the same day as a women’s Twenty20 international between Australia and India in Melbourne and the men’s domestic Twenty20 Big Bash final.

The charity game would act as a curtain raiser for the Big Bash match, with the venue not confirmed until the two teams for the final are determined.

Also on Sunday, former world tennis number one Serena Williams said after she won her first title in nearly three years at the Auckland Classic that

F

Conor McGregor (left) and Donald Cerrone

Shane Warne (left) and Ricky Ponting

she would donate her prize money from the tournament.

She also donated her match-worn dresses to be auctioned to help raise money.

Williams won $42,000 for clinching the singles title over American compatriot Jessica Pegula and was set to add to that tally after the doubles final with good friend Caroline Wozniacki.

She was one of many domestic and international athletes, from cricketers and tennis players to Australian NBA players, to have pledged to support the fundraising for bushfire victims.

Warne raised more than A$1 million (US$690,000) on Friday when he auctioned off his prized “baggy green” cap for bushfire relief efforts.

ATP donates US$500,000

The ATP will donate US$500,000 to the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts, the governing body of men’s tennis said on Sunday.

The donation from players was announced by Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal after Serbia defeated Spain to capture the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Sydney.

The Australian bush has been burning for nearly three months and the fires have killed 28 people, claimed 2,000 homes and consumed millions of acres of land and wildlife.

The Australian Open tennis tournament, the first Grand Slam of the year, starts in Melbourne on Jan. 20. ( Reuters)

ormer UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor is just one week away from his long-awaited return to action, as "Notorious" will meet Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

Hate it or love it, McGregor's comeback fight will be a massive event to say the least. Despite his recent absence from the Octagon, the Irish superstar remains the most popular, controversial, and profitable fighter on the UFC roster.

So even though McGregor hasn't won since knocking out

Main Card 135 lbs.: Holly Holm v Raquel Pennington 265 lbs.: Maurice Greene v Aleksei Oleinik 115 lbs.: Claudia Gadelha v Alexa Grasso 155 lbs.: Diego Ferreira v Anthony Pettis Eddie Alvarez back in 2016 he still holds most of the cards here in 2020.

As the betting favorite entering the fight, McGregor will look to utilize his range control, footwork, hand speed, and powerful left hand to supplant Cerrone in fashion. The Irish striker will also look to put the heat on early as "Cowboy" is historically a late starter.

For Cerrone, he'll look to survive early pressure from McGregor in order to find his rhythm on the feet in the middle rounds and land his patented kicks and long strikes.

While "Cowboy" has expressed his willingness to strike with McGregor in the interest of the fans, the savvy veteran also has a world-class submission game to fall back on should he take too much damage from McGregor. (MMA Mania)

22

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CWI Colonial Medical Insurance Regional 4-Day Tournament…

Lethal Jaguars pack away Volcanoes early

Oviedo excels at A&R Jiwanram Printery Golf Open

The top performers of the tournament take a photo op following its conclusion. From left are: Carlos Carbo, Shanella London, Dunstan Andrews, Minister George Norton, LGC President Aleem Hussain, Miguel Oviedo, William Walker, Bholaram Deo, Captain Chen Deo and Patrick Prasad

W

Keon Joseph

A

Raymon Reifer Jr

t the start of the final day’s play in the CWI Colonial Medical Insurance Regional 4-day Tournament, the Guyana Jaguars needed four lower-order wickets to defeat the Leeward Islands Volcanoes by at least an innings. However, trailing by 20 runs when play resumed on day 4 at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, the Volcanoes were able to push past Guyana’s 1st innings score of 388, and set a target of 21 for the Jaguars to claim victory.

Jaguars reached 24 without loss in their second innings to complete the win, compliments of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (11) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (8) who both were left unbeaten.

A total of 17.4 overs were played during the day, with Volcanoes facing 14 and adding 40 runs before their final wicket fell

with t h e score on

Jahmar Hamilton

254. Jahmar Hamilton was left not out on 37, but Damion Jacobs (12), Colin Archibald (1), Quinton Boatswain (1) and Sheeno Berridge (0) all fell cheaply.

Guyana’s Veersammy Permaul and Raymon Reifer both ended with figures of 3 for 55, while Keon Joseph had 2–34 and Nial Smith bagged 2–41.

Aside from Montcin Hodge, who played a solid opening innings of 62 alongside Kieran Powell -who narrowly missed his century when he was dismissed for 99 -- Hamilton was the only other batsman to offer some resistance, as the Leewards’ batting again faltered.

Replying in their first innings to Guyana’s commanding score, the Leewards were bundled out for 154, as the debutant Smith who led Guyana’s attack picked up 6 valuable wickets.

Powell’s score was the highest in the match, while Barnwell’s 82 came second. Hodge’s was third, Chanderpaul’s 60 in the first innings was fourth, and Hemraj’s 52 followed.

ith the weather being perfect for golfing and the course in excellent condition, Macorp’s Miguel Oviedo dominated the field to win the first tournament of his career, producing an excellent net score of 62.

In his record performance, he outdid the competition in the exciting A&R Jiwanram Printery Tournament held on Saturday as the Lusignan Golf Club.

Winning for the first time, and in dominating fashion, Oviedo was ecstatic, especially since his good friend Carlos Carbo placed second in the same category.

Former Club captain, the veteran Patrick Prashad, returned to his winning ways by taking top honours in the 0-12 handicap flight.

The tournament was played under the Medalplay format in 2 Flights: 0-12 and 13-28 handicaps.

In the 0-12 Flight, winners were Patrick Prashad (76/8) first and William Walker (79/11) second. The veter-

an golfer Patrick Prasad took top honours away from William Walker -- who has been on a winning streak for several months now, and continues to demonstrate his ability to perform under pressure, having been in the winners’ circle many times in the past few months.

Prasad has, over the years, been one of the most consistent golfers at the LGC, and undoubtedly has participated in more tournaments annually than any other golfer. However, he is now being actively challenged by a tough group of contenders comprised of former Captain Brian Glasford, William Walker, and Former LGC President Brian Hackett, who is returning after an absence following the sad loss of his mother.

Sterling performances were recorded in the 1328 Flight, in which Miguel Oviedo (62/27) placed 1st; Carlos Carbo (68/28) 2nd; and Bholawram Deo (69/19) 3rd.

Other great performances in this Flight were of-

fered by Ayube Subhan (70/14), Shanella London (70/15), Fazil Haniff (70/15), Robert Hanoman (71/28), and Maxim Mangra (71/19).

Mike Guyadin, Nirmaldeo Sarwan, Dr Philbert London, Maurice Solomon, and rookie golfer 'Curry' Ganpat also performed credibly in this tournament.

Oviedo added another record when he won the Longest Drive, while Fazil Haniff won the Best Gross and Shanella London won Nearest to the Pin. LGC President Aleem Hussain has thanked the many players and sponsors who have been supporting the club and development of the game over the past few years.

"A&R Printery has been there for us, as have many new sponsors in the past few years, because they believe in what our vision is for the sport. Today we saw many players honing their game in anticipation of the upcoming COPA Airlines Invitational on January 25th," he said.

Canje Knights claim BBA Championship title

T

he final game of the Berbice Basketball Association (BBA) Championships -- a Nigel Hinds Financial Servicessponsored tournament played under lights at the New Amsterdam Basketball Court on Saturday -- saw fans being treated to an exciting and entertaining game between Canje Knights and Rose Hall Town Jammers.

When play ended between these two top teams in Berbice, the scores read 88-86 in favour of the Canje Knights, who walked away with the spoils: $100,000; while, as the runner-up team, Rose Hall Town Jammers had to settle for $75,000.

At the end of the first quarter, RHT Jammers were in the lead 20-16, and this was extended at halftime by two points to 44-38; but in the third quarter, Canje Knights

took the lead to 61-56, and held on to claim the victory in the end, notwithstanding the vociferous crowd support for both teams.

For Rose Hall Town Jammers, Shamer France scored 26 points and had 2 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 steals; while for the Canje Knights, Kwesi Mickle led the way with 17 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. His efforts were well supported by Jermaine King, who scored 14 points and secured 5 rebounds.

In the supporting game, the Demerarabased Plaisance Guardians Under-21

Team defeated the Hopetown Steelers of West Berbice 73- 71 in a crowd-pleasing thriller.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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Lewis’ hundred powers Windies to 3-0 whitewash of Ireland either side of the showers.

Lewis brought up three figures in an ODI for the first

Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie made 71

W

est Indies on Thursday, Ireland wrapped up a 3-0 could not rouse themselves series whitewash to the same levels after of Ireland, led to their tar- a short trip across to the get by another ruthless Windward Islands. Andy display of batting from Balbirnie led from the Evin Lewis, to confirm front with 71, but he found the strides made under little support throughout Phil Simmons' guidance in the innings and a total of his second spell as coach. 203 looked some way unThis was West Indies' sec- der par on a ground that ond 3-0 win in a matter saw an aggregate of 807 of months, victory over runs scored in the last ODI Afghanistan by the same played here. score on neutral ground Ireland needed early in India ending a five-year wickets, and athough they series drought in ODIs; managed two during the success against Ireland initial Powerplay, Lewis was their first at home quickly located the groove since beating Bangladesh that saw him finish on 99 back in 2014. not out in the first match Set a modest target of the series, having naron a pitch that had be- rowly failed to win the gun to play increasingly game with the six needtrue after a damp start in ed for his hundred. This Grenada had encouraged time he was in no mood Kieron Pollard to bowl to fall short. first, West Indies cruised Three times to victory with more than he cleared the 10 overs to spare, after a ropes earthird rain delay had cut ly on, to go their requirement to 197 along with from 47. As well as the several crisp performance of Lewis, fours, as who recorded his third West Indies ODI ton, there were reached 58 career-best figfor 2 after 10 ures for legovers, Lewis s p i n n e r having H a y d e n scored Walsh and 46 of an impresthem. sive showing from young quick O s h a n e Thomas for Pollard to savour.

Having come so close to an upset in the second ODI, which Barry was decided by one wicket with one ball remaining in Barbados Oshane Thomas

McCarthy struck in his third over, pinning Shai Hope lbw - Lewis' apparent support for the wasted review perhaps his only bad decision - and Simi Singh had Sunil Ambris caught behind trying to cut for another single-figure score, but

time since 2017 from his 96th delivery, pulling Craig Young for four with nine runs needed, but fell to the next ball as he tried to finish the match. Romario Shepherd was promoted up the order, only to hole out off McBrine, before Pooran's fierce pull sealed the result.

A sign of West Indies' strength, albeit against the No. 11-ranked side in ODIs, came in t h e

Hayden Walsh Jr

Ireland's bowlers had been left with too much to do.

Brandon King stroked three of his first nine balls to the boundary and looked in formidable touch, helping Lewis add 75 in just 13.3 overs.

With King showing flashes of the CPL form that led to his debut late last year, Lewis was happy to tick over, adding 12 singles from 25 balls before tucking into McCarthy again - a period of 6-dot4-6 dispelling any notion that the opener was becalmed. And while King edged a cut against Andy McBrine in the following over, Lewis and Nicholas Pooran guided the chase

changes made for this game. Shimron Hetmyer was left out after making two single-figures scores in Barbados (but only five innings since smashing 137 from 106 against India in Chennai), though Ambris could not take advantage of the chance at No. 3; Sheldon Cottrell, West Indies' most-successful bowler over the last 12 months, was also rested, allowing a run out for the towering Thomas.

It was Thomas, 22 years old and capable of bowling 145kph, who undermined Ireland's attempts to battle through against the new ball. He removed the openers, Paul Stirling

and James McCollum, with both discomfited by his pace and splice-jarring lengths. Stirling started with twos from his first two balls but could only manage one more run from his next 21, before edging a skittish pull behind, while McCollum played tidily enough for 20 but was snagged by Lewis in the covers after driving without getting forward.

Balbirnie held the innings together with his ninth ODI half-century, but Ireland struggled to build partnerships and his dismissal in the 38th over left them without a recognised batsmen going into the death. Walsh's initial spell had seen him take 1 for 25 from five overs, but he switched ends and produced figures of 5-0-11-3, which included the wicket

of Balbirnie, caught slicing to point, just when Ireland were looking to kick on.

Only some impish hitting from McBrine, whose 22-ball 25 from No. 9 was Ireland's second top score, got them above 200.

Two rain delays did not overly help Ireland's cause, with Roston Chase striking twice during an unbroken spell - although a brace of slog-swept sixes from Balbirnie dented his final analysis. William Porterfield was pinned lbw in Chase's second over, struck low on the front pad trying to sweep, and although Kevin O'Brien drove his first and fourth balls crisply for four, a similar lofted shot saw him pick out deep extra cover.

A deceptively flighted googly was the undoing of Lorcan Tucker, as Walsh found his range and some turn to beat the inside edge, the ball shivering off stump with just enough force to dislodge the bail.

That left Ireland on Nelson with half the team back in the dressing room, and although they hopped along gamely they didn't have a leg to stand on by the end.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Ireland Innings (50 overs maximum) JA McCollum c Lewis b thomas 20 PR Stirling c †Hope b Thomas 5 A Balbirnie (c) c Chase b Walsh 71 WTS Porterfield lbw b Chase 10 KJ O'Brien c Pooran b Chase 21 LJ Tucker † b Walsh 16 Simi Singh lbw b Walsh 10 MR Adair c Chase b Walsh 3 AR McBrine not out 25 BJ McCarthy c King b hepherd 8 CA Young c sub (KMA Paul) b Thomas 9 Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5 TOTAL (49.1 Overs, RR: 4.12) 203 all out Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Paul Stirling, 7.2 ov), 2-33 (James McCollum, 9.5 ov), 3-51 (William Porterfield, 17.2 ov), 4-88 (Kevin O'Brien, 25.3 ov), 5-111 (Lorcan Tucker, 30.4 ov), 6-153 (Andy Balbirnie, 37.4 ov), 7-158 (Simi Singh, 39.5 ov), 8-163 (Mark Adair, 41.2 ov), 9-188 (Barry McCarthy, 46.5 ov), 10203 (Craig Young, 49.1 ov) BOWLING R Shepherd (10-2-34-1) O Thomas (9.1-0-41-3) AS Joseph (10-0-37-0) RL Chase (10-0-53-2) HR Walsh (10-0-36-4)

West Indies Innings (target: 197 runs from 47 overs) SD Hope † lbw b McCarthy 6 E Lewis c O'Brien b Young 102 SW Ambris c †Tucker b Simi Singh 6 BA King c †Tucker b McBrine 38 N Pooran not out 43 R Shepherd c Adair b McBrine 1 RL Chase not out 2 Extras (w 1) 1 TOTAL (36.2 Overs, RR: 5.47) 199-5 Yet to bat: KA Pollard (c), HR Walsh, AS Joseph, O Thomas Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Shai Hope, 5.2 ov), 2-54 (Sunil Ambris, 8.6 ov), 3-129 (Brandon King, 22.3 ov), 4-192 (Evin Lewis, 34.5 ov), 5-193 (Romario Shepherd, 35.3 ov) BOWLING AR McBrine (10-0-50-2) BJ McCarthy (5.2-0-49-1) CA Young (9-0-57-1) Simi Singh (10-0-29-1) MR Adair (2-0-14-0)

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