Guyana Times, Saturday, December 28, 2019

ERC treats female senior citizens for holidays P15 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4149

THE BEACON OF TRUTH saturday, december 28, 2019

Guyana’s Govt service most corrupt in Caribbean – IDB Page 7

Parliament to be dissolved on December 30

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: 5 years later

Govt failed P8 to properly prepare for first oil – Opposition Leader

See stories on pages 10 and 13

Young P14 businessman killed in WCD accident

…GECOM on track with elections readiness – Commissioner …urges Finance Minister to release funds in timely manner

Overseas-based Guyanese, worker found dead in Berbice

Guyanese man dies in New York P14 crash

See stories on pages 12 and 14

…bodies found bound, tortured …6 murders in 4 days

The Sun Splash Hotel and Resort at Number 63 Beach, Berbice where the bodies of overseasbased Guyanese Vivekanand Narpatty and his worker were found bound and tortured

Norway $9.1B payment

Govt cannot access funds until after elections – Jagdeo Page 3

“Happy New Year” – Magistrate tells pickpocket before jailing P14 him Caricom P15 Chair stresses importance of regional cooperation

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news

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Saturday, December 28 – 05:30h – 07:00h and Sunday, December 29 – 05:30h – 07:00h The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, December 28 – 05:35h – 07:05h and Sunday, December 29 – 06:10h – 07:40h

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be cloudy conditions throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 05:39h and 17:49h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.64 metres.

Low Tide: 11:24h and 23:51h reaching minimum heights of 0.72 metre and 0.60 metre.

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$9.1B Norway payment

Govt cannot access funds until after elections – Jagdeo G overnment this week announced that the remaining payments under the Guyana Norway Agreement to the tune of $9.1 billion (US$50 million) has been released but Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has tempered expectations pointing out that Guyana will not have access to this money until after next year’s March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Guyana had signed a historic forest protection accord back in 2009 with Norway, which saw the former country receiving payments for sustaining its rainforests to absorb global carbon emissions. A total of US$250 million were to be paid to Guyana over a fiveyear period.

Some US$200 million has also been paid over and while the final tranche has been released, Jagdeo, a former Head of State who led the project under the ‘Low Carbon Development Strategy’ (LCDS), told reporters at his weekly press conference on Friday that this was not new.

He noted that this was first announced back in September on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York. At the time, Minister of State Dawn HastingsWilliams had met with Norway’s Minister for Climate and Environment, Ola Elvestuen, who agreed to pay over the remaining pledge.

It was noted then that the money would be disbursed to the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF), which is administered by the World Bank.

As such, the Opposition Leader reminded on Friday that Guyana will not be able to access the payments. He referred to comments made by former Director of the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) Per Fredrik Pharo, who had told a local newspaper back in October that while the money is released to the GRIF, the country will only get access until after the upcoming elections and a government is in place.

Pharo had noted that this condition was discussed between the two ministers at the NYC meeting.

According to Jagdeo, the incumbent coalition administration took an old story and recycled it to show that there is a vote of confidence in it by the international community.

“They’re selling this that ‘look, Norway released all

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

of this money to us…and so Norway must have confidence in our government.

That the PPP is saying that the international community has lost confidence in our government; therefore, this has to be a vote of confidence’,” Jagdeo pointed out… [But] that was not a vote of confidence. In fact, it was a vote of no confidence in this Government,” the Opposition Leader contended.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Natural Resources Ministry credited the final payment to it maintaining Guyana’s forest cover at a high level and deforestation rates at a low level.

However, Jagdeo was quick to remind that while the Government is glorifying how well they did, it was, in fact, a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) project.

In fact, he pointed out that it was the coalition’s

minority party, Alliance For Change (AFC) – of which Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman is the Chairman – that had written Norway to not sign the deal with Guyana and release any money.

“Today, they are taking credit for it. Something they did not work for, something they didn’t put in a single day of work but they’re taking credit for. And they’re selling this now, look Norway released all of this money to us…,” the former Head of State contended.

The AFC, a major partner in the Government coalition, did exactly write to the Norwegian Government.

Back on December 24, 2014, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan, now a Vice President and Public Security Minister in the coalition Government, had dispatched a letter to Norway expressing concerns that there might have been “fundamental breaches” of the

Guyana-Norway Forest Protection Agreement.

Of the US$200 million already paid to Guyana, US$80 million has been injected to fund a 100-megawatt solar energy project.

That money was initially earmarked for the Amaila Falls Hydro (AFH) Project but back in June, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson revealed that Government got approval from Norway to divert the funds.

The Amaila Falls Hydro Project was the flagship of the PPP’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. The project was expected to deliver electricity to Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, and its second-largest town, Linden, by an electric transmission line. It would have assisted GPL to get adequate electricity supply, thus, providing cheaper and more reliable power to citizens and businesses.

However, Jagdeo had previously said that if the PPP returns to office at the upcoming elections then the resuscitation of the Amaila Falls Project would be among its top priorities for the energy sector.

“Our plan is resuming discussions on Amaila.

Immediately, starting to move forward on that project but recognising that that project will take some time into the future because it will take about four to five years to be completed,” he had noted.

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

The battle against tobacco use

T

he year 2019 is ending on a good note as it relates to the fight against the tobacco epidemic. After strenuous efforts by governments and international partners, there is evidence to suggest that progress, even though incremental, is being made to reduce the number of persons smoking and dying from tobacco-related causes worldwide.

It should be noted that tobacco is responsible for over 7 million deaths per year worldwide. This includes approximately 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. Over 40% of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.

According to the most recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report, for the first time, the number of males using tobacco is on the decline, “indicating a powerful shift in the global tobacco epidemic”. According to the WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025, third edition, during nearly the past two decades, overall global tobacco use has fallen from 1.397 billion in 2000 to 0.337 billion in 2018, or by approximately 60 million people; this has been largely driven by reductions in the number of females using these products (346 million in 2000 down to 244 million in 2018, or a fall over around 100 million).

Over the same period, male tobacco use had risen by around 40 million, from 1.050 billion in 2000 to 1.093 billion in 2018 (or 82% of the world’s current 1.337 billion tobacco users). But positively, the new report shows that the number of male tobacco users has stopped growing and is projected to decline by more than 1 million fewer male users come 2020 (or 1.091 billion) compared to 2018 levels, and 5 million less by 2025 (1.087 billion).

By 2020, WHO projects there will be 10 million fewer tobacco users, male and female, compared to 2018, and another 27 million less by 2025, amounting to 1.299 billion.

Some 60% of countries have been experiencing a decline in tobacco use since 2010. The findings, published a few days ago, demonstrate how government-led action can protect communities from tobacco, save lives and prevent people from suffering tobacco-related harm.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted in the report’s summary as saying that declines in tobacco use amongst males mark a turning point in the fight against tobacco. He said for many years now we had witnessed a steady rise in the number of males using deadly tobacco products. But now, for the first time, we are seeing a decline in male use, driven by governments being tougher on the tobacco industry.

However, despite such gains, progress in meeting the global target set by governments to cut tobacco use by 30% by 2025 remains off track. Based on current progress, a 23% reduction will be achieved by 2025. Only 32 countries are currently on track to reach the 30% reduction target.

Guyana’s tobacco control law, enacted in 2017, follows several of the articles of the WHO Convention and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include 100% smoke-free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor workspaces, public transportation and specified outdoor spaces to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising and promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60% of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors, prohibition on vending machines sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sales of toys and candies, and any other goods in the form of tobacco products.

However, there is still much work to be done to win the battle against tobacco as 78% of all deaths here are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs); some of which we all know are strongly related to tobacco use. Having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities here must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill due to tobacco use or exposure.

These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance, and enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use.

Women scatter flower petals in the waters of the Bay of Bengal during a prayer ceremony for the victims of the 2004 tsunami on the 15th anniversary of the disaster, at Marina beach in Chennai, India, December 26, 2019. More than 230,000 people died on the morning after Christmas Day in 2004, when a 9.1 magnitude quake off northern Sumatra island triggered a tsunami with waves as high as 57 feet that swept over vulnerable coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and nine other countries (REUTERS/P Ravikumar)

Will the PNC ever give up their devious ways?

Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC coalition will go down in the annals not only for its adamant refusal to resign and call an election within three months as stipulated by the Constitution having been defeated by a vote of no-confidence on December 21, 2018, but also its continuous violations and blatant disregard for the Constitution.

On that unforgettable day, 34 members of the National Assembly agreed that the coalition has, since it acceded Office, not only plunged the Guyanese nation into an economic crisis but has been the architect of the most blatant forms of corruption and squandermania only paralleled during the 28 years of PNC dictatorship. The nation has also witnessed a most zealous and unique form of political witch-hunting of Opposition members and supporters as never seen before. Thousands lost their jobs because they are perceived as PPP supporters!

Undoubtedly, the coalition was confident that the Opposition’s No-Confidence Motion would have failed since they had the majority of the House, but little did they realise then that suffering of the people has a way of igniting the conscience of some. It came as a massive tsunami which drowned their confidence and allowed the reality of their gross misdeeds to come to the fore when they lost the NCM. It was unbelievable and in their shell-shocked state of mind, they woefully accepted the outcome. However, the very next day, they came to the realisation that a lot was at stake and they needed time to do damage control and activate the infamous PNC rigging machinery.

They needed time to regain the trust and confidence of their supporters because, for four years, they rapidly eroded the economic gains made from 1992 to 2015 under the PPP/C Government.

The coalition not only gave themselves humongous salary increases but they embarked on a journey of corruption to enrich not only themselves but families and friends. Soon after taking office, old and feeble PNC members filled every strata of Government, adding to the bureaucracy and incompetence whilst sucking the blood of the overburdened taxpayers! Their support base has dwindled rapidly and their coalition partner, the AFC, has been completely decimated.

Therefore, to delay the elections which was supposed to be held on March 22, 2019, the coalition went from the High Court to the Appeal Court and finally to the CCJ. Months went by and by June 18, the CCJ ruled that the NCM was validly passed thus reactivating the process and making it imperative that elections be held by September 18, 2019. According to Granger in his address to the nation, his Government accepted the CCJ’s ruling and planned to abide by it and the Constitution. Then he introduced his next delaying tactic, he claimed that “we cannot proceed on the current list of voters.

It is outdated and corrupted. It may hold as many as 200,000 incorrect entries…

It is democratic and imperative that House-to-House Registration be completed”. He was emphatic that based on advice from the then Chairman of GECOM, Justice Patterson, GECOM would be ready to hold elec-

tions by November 2019.

We have now seen that by proclamation, General and Regional Elections will be held on March 2, 2020, four months after the Patterson advisory.

Furthermore, Granger’s claim of ‘200,000 incorrect entries’ is totally false and ridiculous but the intent all along was to delay the elections and on that score, he was successful since just a week before the illegally appointed Chairman demitted office, he set the HtH Registration by signing the order for it to commence on July 20, 2019, and end on October 20. This is a clear indication that the November timeline Patterson had advised Granger on was just a ruse. How can he advise November when he signed the HtH order which would catapult elections to 2020?

The work plan of GECOM has 290 days to complete all activities and that is a conservative estimate according to Commissioner

Sase Gunraj. Elections were never meant to be held in November 2019.

It is now conclusive that after wasting approximately $3 billion, it is now found that out of the 370,000 persons registered during the HtH Registration, only approximately 16,000 are new registrants, that there were massive duplications and from this, it is estimated that only about 10,000 will actually be placed on the Revised Preliminary List since approximately 6000 entries could not be verified.

This has now exposed the fact that Granger’s ‘200,000 incorrect entries’ was just another chapter in the PNC’s book of devious stratagem to attempt to rig the impending elections.

Will the PNC ever give up their devious ways and allow this nation a free and fair election? The answer will be known soon!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

New electoral list scandal warrants fraud investigations

Dear Editor, Under Lowenfield’s watch, the voters’ list is apparently in a bigger mess than we thought.

They said 6500 names on the new House-to-House list cannot be found. If the cross-matching by Gemalto was flawed, did they get paid?

Notwithstanding all this mess, Chair Singh thinks Lowenfield needs a renewal of contract. Singh has not reported on the fraud investigations at GECOM with those overpriced cutting pliers and nonfunctioning radios. No

heads have been rolled for false information put in the Official Gazette.

And Singh continues to be largely silent.

GECOM has spent billions that could have gone for better pay for sugar workers or for building roads, and we are nowhere near to getting a clean, proper list.

Granger’s claim about 200,000 improper names on the list to justify the delaying tactic of a new House-to-House Registration turned out to be a big lie.

continued on page 5

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

No amount of oil wealth can repair a shredded character Dear Editor, On Saturday, December 22, 2018, all the media publications locally and abroad carried and captioned the following: - The motion was carried and the Government of Guyana must call elections within ninety days. The vote would require the formal resignation of the President and the Cabinet and necessitate a new general election.

If you had done the above, you would have kept intact your integrity. No amount of oil wealth can repair a shredded character.

This has not happened, and your illegal hold onto power tells God, His angels, and thinking human-

ity that you’re a dishonest man. You’re suffering from “truth” decay. Your toxic leadership has led to a toxic culture; just look at the many robberies, the suffering of the sugar workers, the plight of the old and sick, the hardships of our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Yes, you’re directly responsible for all of it.

You could have done what Boris Johnson did in the UK. I don’t like Boris at all. But he must be respected! He called the election which the Opposition wanted and he won massively - even he did not expect it. But you have delayed a constitutionally eligible election through bullyism.

What a pity! You have lost all respect. You’re now a despot. And when your time comes to relinquish power... as it will come... history won’t be kind.

As one Christian editor wrote truthfully about Donald Trump: “None of the President’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character...Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr Trump’s immoral words and behaviour in the cause of political expediency”. This is also applicable to you.

You claim to be Christian. You even go to

church. So let’s use wisdom from the Bible to appeal to whatever is left of your conscience and common sense.

Your Government was toppled one year ago by the no-confidence vote. But still, you cling on to power violating the principles of your Bible. The media refers to you as “President” but in your heart of hearts, you know that such a title does not belong to you anymore. You’re like the emperor with no clothes being told that his “clothes” are splendid.

Today, amidst all the twinkling lights, decorations, gleeful holiday carols, festive parties, and holiday sales, a more sombre spirit resides in many homes especially due to the spate of robberies and

those who have been senselessly killed on the roads due to speeding. There is weeping and mourning for lost loved ones. There is loneliness and despair on the margins of every celebration. There are cries for justice that go up and interrupt the mainstream revelry and festivity that is the Christmas season.

Traditionally, the season that precedes Christmas, the Advent season, is a sombre season. It is a season that calls for repentance and reflection.

For during the Advent season, another voice from the margins of society calls for repentance, righteousness, and justice. It is the voice of John the Baptiser crying out from the wilderness.

John’s voice, often for-

gotten in our hurried, holiday preparations, is crucial to the understanding of this season. His is such a crucial message: “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:1-3).

Finally, Sir Walter Scott said, “O what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”. It was exactly one year ago that this happened. Guyana’s APNU/ AFC Government fell in a no-confidence vote!

Dear Editor, I read an article in a section of the media dated December 14, 2019, captioned “Engineer Boston comes in for harsh criticism”. Reading that article, one may be inclined to get an impression of what transpired, that could be very misleading but from my personal investigation, it was revealed that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) gave the contract to clean those drains outside of Bourda Market to a private contractor, without the knowledge or involvement of the M&CC Engineer’s Department, but since the work was city-based, the Department made contact with the supervisor on the site and subsequently assigned one of its engineers to make intermittent checks on the operations.

The Engineer’s Department later learned that differences had developed between the Markets Department and the contractor, resulting in that Department closing down the operations.

At no time was the Engineer Department formally involved in the project.

What continues to occur at City Hall is, as soon as something becomes Public, they immediately find a ‘whipping boy’. What also seems to be very disturbing is that the Town Clerk (ag) allows her officers to be mutilated and disrespected. She is simply not prepared to fight with them in the trenches. It is, therefore, clearly obvious that she has her eyes on a greater prize and doesn’t want to get her feet muddy.

Anyone who knows and had interactions with Kenson Boston (City

Engineer ag) will never associate him with incompetence, dereliction of duty, insubordination or disloyalty to the M&CC. There is indeed more in the mortar than in the pestle.

The Georgetown City Council’s desire for blood and the customary baying of the dogs is clearly an innate desire to get someone’s head as the biblical Herod’s stepdaughter, Salome, demonically

sought and got the head of John the Baptist.

What is also very disturbing is that a Councillor representing Albouystown supports every motion, good or bad, understood or not. I guess he has to remain visible to justify his election to the Council.

City Hall’s Officer Corp is in real trouble.

Yours sincerely, Richard Moore

Christmas ambush

by David Granger Attack on M&CC Engineer Department

Dear Editor, As Guyanese focused on the Christmas festivities, Retired Brigadier David Granger led an ambush on the nation’s psyche and resources. Ever since Bloomberg confirmed suspicions of unusual approaches made to selected international oil companies, there was an outcry by anti-corruption, pro-transparency persons, groups, and media outlets. At 22:30h (10:30 pm), Friday the 20th, David Granger announced that oil was flowing from the Liza 1 well-head and Guyana was an oil-producing country; Granger then decreed the 20th would henceforth be known as “National Petroleum Day”.

It must be good to be the King; I know it’s terrible to be a ‘subject’.

The Government informed the ‘subjects’ who were chosen to sell three million plus barrels of oil on our behalf on the 23rd, all the chastising, good advice and dire warnings were ignored and a known bad actor was engaged as our partner. The

Christmas ambush did not end there, before the end of the day we learned of a compulsory acquisition order for over 123 acres, ostensibly, to facilitate the erection of a high-spam bridge over the Demerara River; no plan of the area to be utilised accompanied the order; no feasibility study was quoted for, none has been completed with regards to a high-span bridge. I can only presume the Gods of Gazettes and Acreage have again been at war with the Printer’s devil and have transformed twelve and three tenths (12.3) acres into an area well beyond what would ever possibly be required by way of the errant decimal point. However, this is APNU/AFC and there may be imaginary shopping malls at both ends of the bridge or even a small airport complete with roundabouts and runways designed by the APNU Ministry of Magic.

Our day was not yet done, we had a tragi-comical statement from the Head of the Department of Energy, Dr Bynoe, who

provided information that loans made to Guyana are not subject to our laws, but are in fact, available for use as the lender saw fit.

I can understand this being the case with a grant that would not have to be repaid by our hard work and taxes, but a loan? I would advise Dr Bynoe to see legal counsel tout suite lest he ends up on long vacation up the Mazaruni River very soon.

Editor, given the illogical moves to sell our share of profit oil not to the highest bidder, but to someone who will refine it, tell us how great it is and even sell it at their gas stations, I fully expect to see David Granger cutting a ribbon on a gas pump in Hoboken, New Jersey, early February, as the ‘first gallon’ of Liza grade gasoline hits the world market.

Elections are on March 2; let us vote to see the back of Granger. No more rule by decree. Long live the Republic.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

New electoral list scandal warrants fraud investigations from page 4

Now, Lowenfield has lots of explaining to do. How is it that a current list can have empty house lots where the new registrants should have been living? Which enumerators registered those names at those empty lots? Lowenfield should be able to trace who turned in those forms and fraud charges should be brought.

How can so many people on the expensive Houseto-House Registration list (without PPP scrutineers) vanish so quickly? Were

they valid names to start with or did Congress Place make a list? It explains why Alexander supported verification of only a sample, not the whole list.

The nation is weary of all these shenanigans facilitated by GECOM and yet the incompetent get new contracts. GECOM’s tricks and general incompetence have led to the PNC staying a year beyond their time and giving us an illegal caretaker Government pretending as if the Government had

not fallen as a result of the No-Confidence Motion.

The new PPP Government must disband the GECOM as is, fire the incompetents, and create new structures for elections. GECOM has tried the patience of the nation.

And Chair Singh has been a big disappointment to put it mildly. When will all this nonsense end?

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

Sincerely, Joel Alexander

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By Danielle Render Turmaud, MS

S

ome of the most precious sounds of the holiday season are the laughter and voices of children. Loved ones rush to them to give them hugs and kisses until a little “no” is heard.

What happens then? Will the child’s voice be heard and respected? The message is clear that the child is not comfortable, but all too often, this message may go unheard.

Let me paint a picture for you. Over the holidays, many loved ones gather together to celebrate.

Inherent in these gatherings are moments where family members and friends want to show affection to children (either by hugs, kisses, tickling, etc). Although these moments can be precious for children as they are a reminder that they are loved, these moments may alternatively be ones where they are told that their voice doesn’t matter.

When children become unc o m -

Foundation fortable with physical touch, there may be a “no”, “stop”, pulling away, an uncomfortable grimace, along with other responses, yet in the excitement, these signals can often be over-

looked.

What message are we sending to children when their discomfort is disregarded, and they are expected to allow loved ones to continue to participate in physically touching them?

Although the disregarding of this “no” is not in-

tended to cause harm to children, the persistent disregarding of children’s boundaries can be harmful.

Childhood is a crucial time when children are learning how to set boundaries and use their voices. The foundations established at a young age in their familial and care-giving relationships set the stage for how and what they will be comfortable with in the future.

If children are told that their no may be disrespectful, rude, or disregarded, they may become confused and have challenges in gaining the necessary skill set of being able to set boundaries and say “no” to others. These challenges can persist into future relationships as they age. As a counsellor, I can attest to this, as I have worked with numerous adult clients who express great discomfort and difficulties in saying no. Even if they recognise the “no” is healthy for them in setting limitations in relationships, the act of saying no can feel foreign and feels intrusive on others’ rights at the expense of their own.

Included in the process of setting the crucial foundation of boundaries is the teaching of consent. According to Himmelstein (2018), consent is “the idea that every physical interaction should be entered into with full agreement from all parties.”

This means that children are taught that they are not expected to do anything with their bodies (or let others do anything with their bodies) that they are not fully comfortable with. This teaches them that their body is, in fact, theirs and that they have the ability to say “yes” or “no” to

what happens to them.

Himmelstein (2018) further says that teaching children that they have the right to consent or deny any touch elicited on their bodies is crucial. Doing so offers an understanding that their body is theirs, empowers them to use their voice in relationships, aids them in recognising that boundaries are beneficial, and provides awareness that their body deserves to be respected.

Given the high rates of sexual abuse in childhood, the high rates of intimate partner violence in teenage years, and other challenges that children face in interpersonal relationships, helping children learn to use their voice and set healthy boundaries at a young age is essential (Black et al, 2010; Finklehor et al, 2014). Let’s work towards changing the harmful societal norms of asking children to participate in physical touch when they are uncomfortable, and instead help them in learning how to use their voice, how to give consent, and, perhaps even more importantly, teach them that their voice matters.(Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

10 daily rituals that help parents bond with young children ...these simple, effective rituals can be completed in 10 minutes or less

By Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD

R

esearch suggests that positive parenting is associated with more positive school adjustment, healthy intellectual and social growth, and fewer behaviour problems as children get older. It is also a protective factor that helps shield children from various risks such as family stress or socioeconomic disadvantage.

A key aspect of positive parenting is “bonding”, achieved through simple acts of connecting with children.

Bonding can be nurtured through touch, laughter, listening, positivity, sharing time or experiences, and having fun together.

Research has shown that if a young child feels secure with one parent, they will reap the benefits of more stable emotions and behaviour later in life. If you’re close to your child, you’ll feel happier too.

Here are some simple daily rituals that help parents bond with young children, each of which can be completed in 10 minutes or less: Get down on the floor with kids and play what they want to play (whether dollhouse, Legos, catch, puppet show, or table tennis) for 10 minutes each day. Follow their lead.

Start the day positive. Give your child a hug and say “I love you so much” when he/she walks down the stairs each morning.

Provide children with 10 minutes at bedtime to tell you about the ups and downs of their day (review the day’s details to help them remember what they want to share).

Be playful with your child (through peek-a-boo, hide and seek, crazy song, dance party, gentle joking, reading a book in a silly way, etc) at least once a day.

Catch your child being good at least three times a day. Aim for what the Gottman Institute calls the “magic ratio” of five positive interactions to every one challenging interaction to help your relationship thrive.

Play upbeat or relaxing music or sing to or with your child.

Get outside with your child at least once a day for 10 minutes.

Sit down at every dinner and eat beside your child.

Engage in friendly conversation.

Read children at least three books a day. Let them sit on your lap or cuddle next to you.

Give your child a role, a job, or a way to contribute each day (whether matching socks, passing out plates, or spraying and wiping a countertop). (psychologytoday.com)

7 Guyana’s Govt service most corrupt in Caribbean – IDB A NEWS

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

report from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has pinned Guyana at the top of the list in the Caribbean, where a large percentage of citizens are required to pay a bribe to access Government services.

The study, titled “Wait No More: Citizens, Red Tape and Digital Government” was released earlier this month and through surveys, a closer look was placed on the way business is done, the ease of doing it and access to services in the public sector among other factors.

It revealed that in this

part of the world, the lack of “standardised processes” makes it easier for dishonesty and insisted that corruption is everywhere. Looking at the data from the 2019 Transparency International survey, statistics from five countries showed that there was an 18 per cent average for persons who made payoffs for Government services.

“Manual Government

transactions, face-to-face interactions, and the lack of standardised processes mean that transactions are vulnerable to dishonest behaviour. In fact, corruption is everywhere: 29 per cent of Latin Americans report having paid a bribe in the context of a public service in 2016. According to data from a 2019 Transparency International survey, the proportion of people in the five Caribbean countries surveyed that reported paying a bribe to access a public service was 18 per cent,” the document stated.

However, in Guyana, the

figure is a glaring 27 per cent and regarded as the highest in the region. The lowest occurrence of such activity was recorded in Barbados with just 9 per cent.

“In Guyana, 27 per cent of those surveyed said they had to pay a bribe to access a public service, the highest proportion in the region, followed by 20 per cent in The Bahamas and 17 per cent in both Jamaica and Trinidad

and Tobago. Barbados registered the lowest rate, with only 9 per cent of the surveyed reporting having paid a bribe to receive a public service,” the IDB report pointed out.

Throughout the Caribbean, the numbers were further broken down to name specific entities and agencies where these monies landed. Topping the list was utilities with 19 per cent, followed by the police at 18 per cent, voter’s identification and permits at 15 per cent, public schools standing at 10 per cent, and public hospitals at eight per cent. There was even a small percentage of individuals who bribed the courts.

With these numbers, the report went on to state why there is such a high number of individuals who are willing to bribe their way through the system, rather than going through the due process. It speaks to the lack of flexibility to accommodate the working class, resulting in many persons opting to use an alternative which will not affect their income.

“One of the biggest problems of difficult Government transactions is their regressive character: they affect the poor more. People in this segment of the population generally enjoy less flexibility at work, which makes it difficult for them to ask for time off to carry out a Government transaction.

Likewise, they are less able to forego lost income and have fewer resources to cover the costs incurred in carrying out transactions.”

With that, there are cases where the requirements and formalities are difficult to complete by persons who would not have accessed higher education. In essence, many earning a lower income benefit less from Government services.

“All of the above means that low-income people complete fewer transactions, which implies that they ben-

A chart showing Guyana leading the list in public sector bribery

efit less from Government services and programmes….

Taking educational attainment as a proxy for income, it becomes clear that citizens with less education reported having completed fewer Government transactions in the last year. Only transactions associated with identity, education and health, social programmes, and transportation, as well as the reporting of crimes, were considered, as these

transactions are assumed to have, at the very least, an even demand among different socioeconomic levels, or an over-representation of lower-income earners.”

In the past 12 months, only seven per cent of persons with no formal education and 17 per cent of those with primary school education completed a transaction, showing the disparity of the population and moreover, the amount of persons

who were potentially engaged in bribery.

“The fact that low-income people carry out fewer Government transactions, even to access services that in theory would benefit them, has negative implications: Government programmes are not reaching their target beneficiaries, which reduces policy effectiveness,” the IDB data showed.

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

5 years later

Govt failed to properly prepare for first oil – Opposition Leader

W

ith Guyana now being an oil-producing nation, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has criticised the incumbent coalition Administration for failing to adequately prepare for first oil almost five years after petroleum was first discovered offshore.

US oil giant, ExxonMobil first discovered oil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana in May 2015 and has since made a total of 15 discoveries – the most recent was announced earlier this week.

The company commenced oil production on December 20 in the Liza field, which has the capacity to produce 120,000 barrels of oil per day. But according to Jagdeo, while the first batch of crude is expected within the first quarter of 2020, most of the mechanisms are not in place to streamline the sector.

“What most Guyanese are concerned about is that they’ve had almost five years from the discovery of oil to the produc-

tion of first oil to put in place the arrangements to properly manage the sector and until now, they have failed in that regard. They’ve failed miserably in that regard,” he stated at his weekly press conference on Friday.

According to the Opposition Leader, among the areas in the sector that the governing coalition failed at is contract renegotiations because it did not look out for the best interest of the country.

He noted too that the Government failed to establish a credible Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) despite technical assistance from various international bodies. The Natural Resources Fund Act was passed in January of this year but the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Opposition has promised to repeal this if it gets into office, saying that it is illegal since it was passed after the December 2018 NoConfidence Motion against the Government.

Another area he men-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

tioned was the controversial US$18 million signing bonus that the coalition secretly collected and stashed away in a private account instead of the Consolidated Fund.

“They asked for US$18 million and somebody said it is because that is what it will cost to take care of the legal fees for the Venezuela border issue before the World Court. That’s

not how you negotiation, you ask for the maximum sum.

They failed to give a creditable explanation on that issue.

They failed until today to explain why they kept the money outside the Consolidated Fund for three years. They failed to explain until now how much money was drawn down and so we don’t know what is the total money that was paid over, after the court case filed by the PPP, to the Consolidated Fund earlier this year…,” he stated.

Other issues Jagdeo went on to outline that Government failed at putting in place included putting together a regulatory body. He noted that instead of an independent Petroleum Commission to regulate the sector and ensure that oil companies fulfil their contractual obligations, a Department of Energy under the Ministry of the Presidency is overseeing the sector with a sleuth of foreign consultants – many of whom have a link to the petroleum industry.

Jagdeo further pointed out that the coalition also failed in establishing a Local Content Policy.

“Until now we don’t have a Local Content Policy to protect Guyanese, to give jobs to Guyanese… That we don’t get paid 72,000 Guyana dollars gross when the foreigners in the same sector, doing the same thing gets 2000 US dollars. They’ve failed on that too,” he contended.

This failure, the Opposition Leader added, continues, since only recently, the governing coalition moved to strike a deal to sell Guyana’s share of first oil, which is expected sometime in the first half of 2020.

“We haven’t got this oil as yet – the three million barrels. It may be available till after March – after the elections.

But they also tied up [a deal] through an arrangement that they claimed had the blessings of the World Bank… It makes me really upset that we pander so much. You know once we mention the World Bank name, suddenly that is imprimatur to do anything including breaching our procurement laws,” Jagdeo asserted.

Earlier this week, Government revealed that it has closed a deal with the Barbados-based branch of Shell International to sell Guyana’s first three oil lifts.

However, no details were given as to the price agreed upon between Government and Shell, which was one of the nine international oil companies that were invited to bid for Guyana’s crude.

The Department of Energy had reported that Guyana is entitled to its first crude lift in February and Shell’s three-cargo agreement should end mid-2020.

But the Opposition Leader had warned last week that if any deal is made to sell Guyana’s oil, not only will that contract be scrapped if the PPP wins next year’s March 2 elections but the company will also be barred from participating in future tendering processes.

In addition, Auditor General Deodat Sharma had said in sections of the media that his department would look into the transaction.

Hanging together…

S

…for survival ome were surprised at the sneaky announcement by the APNU and AFC of their new “revised” Cummingsburg Accord last weekend: no media invited. Now, since we all know publicity’s the lifeblood of any political campaign –millions are spent to get just a mention in the press –exactly what was going on when only an edited recording of the event is made available? The PNC’s trying to control the narrative of their coalition that is not a coalition, that’s what! And having pesky reporters ask inconvenient questions just wouldn’t do!!

So, what can we gather from the tea leaves in the carefully-released snippets? Firstly, there’s the colour of the cover of the Accord – green like Granger’s shirt – held by a smirking Granger and a grateful Ramjattan, with his yellow shirt discreetly hidden by his jacket. This said it all – this accord was a PNC production that insisted not even a sliver of yellow be in sight!! We can judge THIS book by its cover!!

From their first go-around, we always knew this “coalition of convenience” was going to be totally about divvying up spoils! No argument about macro-economic policy or such minor things like what to do with coming oil revenues and such like! It was all about who in the PNC and AFC would be getting what, when and how!! But the PNC had already announced that the AFC’s number of MP’s and Ministries were slashed so the only question left hanging was who’d be the PM bride to this union. Nagamootoo or Ramjattan??

Well, we’re nowhere closer to having that answer. The two media outfits with inside access were non-committal.

News Source said Ramjattan was “likely” to be the PM candidate while all the Chronic would reveal was “the PM Candidate would be from the AFC”!! How could he skin his teeth while kept dangling in the wind? Poor Ramjattan: still the rejected runt after so many years and so many slights.

Is he so consumed with hatred of Jagdeo that he’d even forego his last chance to get that tax-free PM salary and pension?? But what will be left for him? The AG post that commands the same salary as the PM? The pretence of the PNC at insisting that APNU was a “coalition” was pathetic! In addition to PNC leader Granger (and the aforementioned Ramjattan, skinning his teeth!), there were individuals who were supposed to represent the other members but in reality, represented their entire membership!! Interestingly, Sharma and his son were there. Was this signalling that JFAP is double the size of the others “one-man” parties??

President Obama famously pointed out, “You can put lipstick on a pig but it still remains a pig!!”

And the AFC ain’t even got on lipstick!! …on Boxing Day Your Eyewitness is firmly convinced that the only reason we, in the Republic of Guyana, keep the British holiday of Boxing Day is to give us an extra day to recover from our excesses of Christmas Day!! We know for sure that no Guyanese goes around sharing “boxes” of leftovers to the needy!! While it may have been practised back in old Blighty when the nobility still enjoyed Droit du seigneur (the right to take the virginity of lower-class damsels) – the planters didn’t practise it here! The sharing, NOT the bedding!!

Now, your Eyewitness can understand folks being happy the messiah was born on this day and all. But do they have to express their happiness with such licentiousness and drunkenness? Starting from Christmas Eve, the revelry continued through the night so one woke up to Christmas Day as if it were a “stale booze” J’ouvert morning!

It’s said that some folks attend Church on Christmas Day…but they have to be an ever-diminishing minority in Guyana! …multi-religiously?

After a tele-pastor insulted another religion by insisting that their practices caused a deadly vehicular accident at Mahaicony, the ERC had him issue an apology.

Now that he’s recanted the apology, what’s the ERC’s gonna do with this recalcitrant priest??

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

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

10 news

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM on track with elections readiness – Commissioner …urges Finance Minister to release funds in timely manner

A

s 2019 comes to an end, Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission on Friday met with President David Granger to brief him on their state of preparedness, where funding for the polls was also put on the frontline.

Some $8 billion was approved for the hosting of elections— to which a large fraction still remains unused.

After leaving the Ministry of the Presidency, Oppositionnominated Commissioner Bibi Shadick explained that GECOM is on track with activities leading up to the March 2020 polls. She further went on to say that the Secretariat has sufficient funding for the entire

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

process.

“Just to ensure whether we’re on track with elections and we are. We have money but we just wanted to make sure that the Finance Minister will

give the money when we ask for it in a timely manner,” she positioned.

Nevertheless, Governmentnominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander acknowledged that the availability of these resources will not be an issue.

“We’re advised by the executives that that should not be a problem,” he told the media shortly after the engagement.

Opposition-nominated Commissioner Robeson Benn added that mechanisms would be installed to ensure that the process for disbursing the monies will be done expeditiously when signalled by GECOM. “He (the President) was basically assured that we’re on

line. There was the question of money. It was pointed out that the money should be available in any event and requests for any approvals through the Ministry of Finance should be dealt with expeditiously,” Benn informed.

For this meeting, a plethora of senior Government ministers would have attended to hear the preparedness of GECOM and areas which were of concerns.

But Finance Minister Winston Jordan, whose Ministry is responsible for supplying the resources, was absent.

Voters’ list

On the issue of finalising the voters’ list, the Commissioners insisted that the Secretariat

Commissioner Bibi Shadick

Commissioner Robeson Benn

will continue to meet until there is a final decision. So far, officials of GECOM would have been meeting for several weeks with the hopes of reaching a consensus.

“We have had not a detrimental delay, but some delays in terms of finalising the material for the revised list of voters. In an attempt to deal with that matter, we are meeting as necessary so we met today (Friday) and we’ll meet tomorrow,” Commissioner Alexander shared.

Earlier this week, it was announced that over 6500 persons of the 16,863 ‘new’ registrants were not confirmed during the five-day field verification exercise which concluded last Sunday.

Figures released to the media on Monday show that Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) had the highest number of unconfirmed persons, which tallied to 3657.

According to GECOM, there were 16,863 ‘new’ registrants but only 10,329 were confirmed.

Opposition-nominated Commissioner told this publication last week that field officers who conducted the verification exercise of “new registrants” captured during the scrapped House-to-House (H2H) Registration process have found empty lots at the addresses on record for those persons.

He told <<< Guyana Times >>> that they were informed by the party’s scrutineers who worked along with the GECOM staff during the exercise that there were instances where they went to the addresses to verify the names and were met

with empty lots.

Benn indicated that the Commission had a meeting on Monday and they were updated on the five-day verification exercise. However, he said the information provided was not “very helpful”.

Some 370,000 registrations obtained during the scrapped $3 billion H2H exercise, which ran from July 20 to August and was objected to by the Opposition, were sent overseas to be cross-matched with the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD) in order to filter out the duplicates.

However, it was recently reported that international digital security company, Gemalto, indicated that some 37,300 were new registrants who are eligible for voting, that is, they are above the age of 18. But an internal check conducted by GECOM showed that approximately 17,000 of those “new registrants” were already on the voters’ list and some even voted in the past.

The remaining “new names” were up for further verification.

Recently, it was reported that the Government-nominated Commissioners were pushing to have a sample survey done from a sample size of 10 per cent from the 20,000 to verify these new names before they go on the voters’ list – a process which the PPP Opposition had objected to.

Last week, GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh cast a tie-breaking vote to have a field verification exercise of all names listed as new registrants.

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

12 NEWS

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

4 killed in separate murders T

he holidays, which is a joyous occasion and a time for celebrations, turned into a time of mourning this year for at least four families following four separate murders.

On Thursday, a 32-yearold labourer was killed by two armed men who attempted to rob him while he was making his way home in La Penitence, Georgetown.

Dead is Israel Mc Kenzie of Lot 74 Middle Road, La Penitence.

Reports are that the man was murdered at about 03:30h along Second Street and Middle Road, La Penitence.

According to the police, the now dead man was seen walking in a “staggering” manner when two males attacked him. The suspects fled the scene after repeatedly stabbing Mc Kenzie about the body.

His body bore injuries to his left ear, lacerations to the neck and left arm along with two stab wounds to his chest. He was pronounced

Murdered: Israel Mc Kenzie

dead on arrival after being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The dead man’s father, William Mc Kenzie, told Guyana Times that his son attended a party in Albouystown and was returning home when the incident took place.

“The two of them like they tried to rob him of a gold chain on his neck but it was not even real gold,

and like they had a fight and they killed my son…he used to take care of me after I had a surgery recently and he would do everything for me but now they killed him.

I want justice, I want the police to find his killers, I need justice,” the 65-year-old father said in tears.

Almost 24-hours before Mc Kenzie’s murder in Georgetown, a 30-year-old driver in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was killed while his wife and their friend were left injured after a fight broke out at a club where they were patrons.

Dead is Carlos “Tony” Williams of Lot 267 Rose Hall Reef, Corentyne, Berbice.

Reports are that at about 03:20h on December 25, Williams, his wife, Charlene Harry, and some of their friends visited a club where they were imbibing. Williams left and went outside of the building for about 10 minutes before his wife went in search of him.

Murdered: Steven Lewis

According to the woman, she noticed that he was involved in a scuffle with another man on the northern parapet and she tried to make peace.

However, the suspect, known as “Babba” of Fyrish Village, Corentyne, Berbice, stabbed her left thigh.

The couple’s friend, 28-year-old businessman Paul Grant, then tried to intervene but the perpetrator reportedly used an object

and hit him to the left side of his jaw.

Moments later, the suspect allegedly used a sharp object and stabbed Williams to his stomach before making good his escape.

The trio was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital but Williams succumbed while receiving medical attention.

Investigations into the matter are currently ongoing as the police continue their hunt for the suspect.

Meanwhile, five hours prior to that killing, a vendor of Corentyne, Berbice, was killed after being involved in a fight that stemmed over gambling.

Steven “Shabba” Lewis of Lot 29 Portuguese Quarters, Corentyne, Berbice, was killed at about 22:20h on Christmas Eve (December 24) at Rose Hall Town Public Road, allegedly by a cane harvester after the duo had a physical confrontation.

Reports are that Lewis was participating in a game of chance (Chic Chic) and gambling there when he and the suspect had a row, which turned physical within minutes.

Lewis reportedly received several injuries to his head and mouth during the fight and subsequently died as a result of the beating.

The suspect is currently in Police custody pending investigations.

Additionally, on the same day, at about 22:00h in the Port Kaituma village, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), a teenage gold miner lost his life after he was beaten and stabbed to death.

The dead youth was identified as 19-year-old Neville Moonsammy, who had been residing at Four Miles, Port Kaituma, prior to his demise.

Moonsammy had been

Murdered: Carlos “Tony” Williams

in the company of his father and a mutual friend when he was killed and the other men attacked by an unknown number of men.

Reports are that the trio was imbibing at a shop located in the Four Miles area and at about 20:00h, the youth’s father became intoxicated and they all decided to go home.

According to the dead man’s father, they were talking to two females along the Four Miles Access Road when his son, who had been standing a short distance away from them, ran towards him holding his bleeding left hand.

Within minutes, a number of men reportedly attacked him (his son) and stabbed him to his face, while another wounded Moonsammy’s friend along his forehead and nose.

The suspects made good their escape and the injured trio ventured to the Port Kaituma Community Hospital but by the time they arrived, the teenager was already dead.

According to the police, they have a person of interest in custody, who is said to be assisting with investigations.

(Kristen Macklingam)

NEWS

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Parliament to be dissolved on December 30 P

resident David Granger has issued the proclamation for the dissolution of Parliament. The announcement came after Guyana Elections Commission Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh and Commissioners informed him that the elections body is on track for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. A proclamation was also issued for the dissolution of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) on December 30, 2019.

The proclamations were issued on Friday.

Pressure has been mounting on the caretaker President to also dissolve the 11th Parliament and only recently, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will resume protest actions if Granger does not dissolve Parliament in December.

According to Article 61 of the Constitution, “An election of members of the National Assembly under Article 60 (2) shall be held on such day within three months after every dissolution of Parliament as the

President shall appoint by Proclamation”.

In a statement following the proclamation, the Ministry of the Presidency said that Article 70 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana states that the President, may at any time, by proclamation dissolve Parliament.

The Proclamation for the dissolution of Parliament states, “In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the aforesaid articles, I do hereby dissolve the Eleventh Parliament of Guyana on the Thirtieth day of December, Two Thousand and Nineteen and appoint the Second day of March, Two Thousand and Twenty, as the day on which the election of members of the National Assembly

shall be held, the issue and publication of any other Proclamation pursuant to the Constitution in this regard notwithstanding,” the proclamation states.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition has been acting as a caretaker Government since the December 21, 2018 passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM). Following the successful toppling, the Government has been criticised for what has been described as delaying tactics.

Following the passage, members of the coalition Government had evidently accepted defeat and President David Granger had committed to having early elections. But then,

the Government mounted a legal challenge, claiming that it was not defeated by the No-Confidence Motion, that 33 did not form the majority of the 65-member House.

The legal challenge made it all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which upheld the passage of the motion, with Justice Winston Anderson lamenting the slothfulness in the preparation for elections, which ought to have been held by March 21, 2019 – in keeping with the Guyana Constitution.

Apart from the ruling on the motion, the CCJ also handed down a landmark ruling on the appointment of Retired Justice James Patterson as the

Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission.

According to the CCJ, the appointment, which was done unilaterally by the President, was unconstitutional.

Thus, began the long dance between the Headof-State and the Opposition Leader to select a new GECOM Chairman.

Eventually, Retired Justice Claudette Singh was mutually agreed upon and appointed, and the preparations for elections

commenced.

Prior to the CCJ ruling on this matter, however, GECOM – on the orders of Justice Patterson – began a lengthy House-to-House Registration process, despite lack of Opposition support – which was eventually halted following a court ruling.

Elections are expected to be held on March 2, 2020 – more than a year after the Government was defeated by the No-Confidence Motion.

Double ‘D’ Fish Shop burglarised over holiday

D

ouble ‘D’ Fish Shop and Bar, located at Stabroek Market, was burglarised over the holiday with a number of items stolen.

The proprietor, Vergil Vennett Walker, said on Friday that she was informed about the incident at around 10:00h on Boxing Day by a security guard at the location.

She said that details of the incident are sketchy but based on information

she received, the security guard who was on duty at the time was allegedly tied up by the perpetrators.

Further, she added that reports were made to the City Constabulary as well as the Brickdam Police Station but she is still awaiting updates on the matter.

Among the stolen items are a stereo system, gas bottles, several cases of liquor and an undisclosed sum of cash.

14 NEWS

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Overseas-based Guyanese, Guyanese man dies in New York crash worker found dead in Berbice

…bodies found bound, tortured

Vivekanand Narpatty in his younger days

P

olice are searching for clues as they investigate the discovery of two bodies at a resort on Number 63 Beach, Berbice.

Dead is 71-year-old Vivekanand Narpatty, who was discovered on the floor in a part of the main building of the Sun Splash Hotel and Resort.

Police, in a release, said the businessman owned and resided at Sun Splash Holiday Beach Resort, which is located at Lot 110 Number 63

Village, Corentyne. The body of the other man found was unidentified and is believed to be that of one of his employees. According to Police, the duo was murdered sometime between December 19 and 27.

On Friday at about 11:20h, the bodies of the two men were discovered on the second flat in the balcony area. This newspaper was told that relatives visited the resort after several telephone calls to the overseas-based Guyanese went unanswered.

According to a relative, upon arrival, persons realised a stench was coming from the building and this prompted them to call the police.

Narpatty arrived in Guyana on December 16.

Narpatty’s body was found with two toes from his left foot severed and the unidentified male was found with both hands tied behind his back onto a post on the balcony and the left foot completely severed from the ankle.

Following the discovery, the bodies, which were found in an advanced state of decomposition, were taken to

Bailey’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Investigators believe that the men were tortured before being killed. The two bodies were found in close proximity.

In May Narapatty had reported that he had been robbed on several occasions when he came to Guyana.

He had reported that he was robbed at knifepoint on more than one occasion while in Guyana.

Over fifteen years ago Narapatty opened the Sun Splash Hotel and Resort but the business never did well.

He subsequently closed operations and went to Canada but returns frequently. While here he usually opens the place for business.

Previously, he had reported that he was robbed more than ten times while visiting Guyana over the past four years. This newspaper was told that the businessman and his relatives were in court for a property dispute. This most recent visit, this newspaper was told, was to renovate the resort.

Young businessman killed in WCD accident

Y

Vijai Sankar’s vehicle

Guyana Fire Service. He was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital in an unconscious condition but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Speaking with this newspaper, Ramdat Sankar, the father of the dead man, said that it was an unfortunate situation.

“My son should have been given another chance, he is not a drinker and what happened was unfortunate,” the grieving father stated.

Sankar further added that his son was heading over to his mother's house

A

Lakhraj

Guyanese man travelling in a car which was going at a high speed with four passengers died after it crashed into a utility pole in front of 2141 Central Avenue, New York, on Christmas morning, the Daily Gazette reported.

According to the Daily Gazette, Police identified the man killed as Guyanaborn Lakhraj “Derrick” Premnauth, 24, of Schenectady. Those injured were Veeshram Ramdeo, 17, Kenny Jamuant, 17, and Sunita Hansraj, 21, all of Schenectady.

The report stated that the Colonie Police Department received a call about the accident at about 07:01h. Police at the scene determined the vehicle, a 2001 Audi S4, had been heading east on Central Avenue when it crossed into the westbound lane and struck the utility pole.

“The vehicle split in half and three of the four occupants were ejected from the vehicle,” Colonie

The scene of the crash (Daily Gazette photo)

Police said in a release.

“Unfortunately, one of the ejected passengers, an adult male, was deceased at the scene.”

According to the Daily Gazette, Ramdeo, the driver, along with his two injured passengers, Jamuant and Hansraj, were taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital with critical injuries and were last reported to be in surgery for multiple traumatic injuries, Police said.

Police Lt Robert Winn said paramedics at the scene told Police the injuries were “critical in nature”. He said he could provide no further update on the conditions of the driv-

er and two passengers.

He said it would likely be weeks before a toxicology report is completed determining whether alcohol or drugs played any role in the accident.

The crash broke the utility pole from its base, leaving most of it hanging from its wires.

The Daily Gazette reported that Police at the scene said there was no utility disruption from the accident, and National Grid sent employees to fix the pole.

Colonie Police drones, Colonie EMS, and the Stanford Heights and Midway fire departments also responded to the crash, the Daily Gazette reported.

“Happy New Year” – Magistrate tells pickpocket before jailing him

Dead: Vijai Sankar

oung businessman, 28-year-old Vijai Sankar of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, lost his life in a car accident, which occurred at Uitvlugt on the West Coast of Demerara.

The incident occurred during the wee hours of Boxing Day. Sankar was driving a Range Rover at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle. Reports are the vehicle slammed into a utility pole and then into a concrete fence at Uitvlugt.

Sankar received severe injuries and was pulled from the mangled vehicle - PWW 9100 - by members of the

Dead: Guyana-born “Derrick” Premnauth

when the incident occurred.

“He was washing he vehicle and we gaffing and so and he said he going by he mother and he left and that was it,” the father told this publication with tears in his eyes.

Sankar has become the latest road fatality. As of December 27, a total of 121 persons lost their lives as a result of accidents – a figure which surpassed the total number of traffic fatalities in 2018.

Already for 2019, the police have recorded some 123 road fatalities.

T

wenty-four-yearold Akeem Ishmael was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by Magistrate Faith McGusty after he pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.

The charge stated that on December 23, 2019, while being armed with a knife, he attempted to rob Jose Tamblante.

Police Prosecutor Sanj

Singh told the court that Tamblante was doing his Christmas shopping and as he made his way to the minibus park, he felt a hand in his back pocket. The VC, however, held onto the suspect’s hand and a scuffle ensued.

It was then that the suspect whipped out a knife from his pocket but was wrestled to the ground by the Virtual Complainant, who managed to take the knife away. A police mobile unit was summoned

and the man was arrested.

In a plea of mitigation before sentencing, the man claimed that his financial circumstances led to him attempting to steal the VC’s wallet and begged the court for leniency.

However, Prosecutor Singh informed the court that Ishmael was previously charged for a similar offence and had to compensate the victim. The Magistrate wished the suspect a “Happy New Year” and sent him off to jail.

news

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saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Driver on $500,000 bail for causing death of Linden pensioner

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wenty-seven-year old Corwin Cooper, of Lot 50 Powis Crescent, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, was released on $500,000 bail when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on charges of causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Magistrate Dylon Bess read the charge which stated that on December 22, 2019, Cooper caused the death of 78-year-old Lindener Juliet Cornelius while driving under the influence. He was not required to plea to the charges. Reports are that the pensioner of Lot 55 West Watooka, Linden

Charged: Corwin Cooper

was killed on Sunday morning after she was reportedly struck down by a speeding car at about 07:15h on

the Burnham Drive Public Road, Wismar.

The Prosecution is contending that motorcar PVV 2251, which was driven

by Cooper, was proceeding south along the eastern side of the road at a fast rate of speed and whilst negotiating a left bend, the driver suddenly lost control of his vehicle and ended up on the southern parapet. There, he reportedly collided with Cornelius who was walking, heading west on the southern side of the roadway. As a result of the collision, the woman fell onto the roadway and received numerous injuries about her body.

She was picked up by pub-

Winners of “Penta Live in Style” promotion receive prizes

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hree loyal customers of Penta Paints smiled brightly on Friday after receiving the top prizes in the “Penta Live in Style” Promotion.

At the Lombard Street, Georgetown location, Lance Kennedy walked away with a 55” Samsung Smart Television while Nikesha Taylor will add flavour to her living room with a brandnew three-piece sofa set.

Hemchan Boodhoo picked up the final grand prize of a trip for two to Kaieteur Water Falls.

Taylor, in receiving her prize, said that she has been a customer of Penta since 2014 and expressed that she continues to shop the paint because it “stands out”.

Sales Manager of Penta Paints for Guyana and Suriname, Andre Ally congratulated all the winners, revealing that the company

Lance Kennedy with his 55” Samsung Smart Television

will do more for its customers in 2020.

The promotion commenced on November 20 and

concluded on December 23, 2019. In addition, 14 consolation prizes were also given out.

ERC treats female senior citizens for holidays

Chairperson of Ivy Hall Memorial Female Senior Citizens Home, Niebert Tucker (second left) receives a donation from ERC Commissioners

O

n the eve of Christmas, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) paid a visit to the Ivy Hall Memorial Female Senior Citizens Home to spread Christmas cheer by distributing food hampers and per-

sonal care products to the residents.

About 12 residents benefited from the gesture which saw Commissioners of the ERC along with staff members distributing the packages at the city home.

Senior Caregiver, Marva

Denney stated that the home has been housing seniors since 1976.

Earlier in the week, the ERC made a similar donation to Zabeeda’s Female Home, located at De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara.

lic-spirited citizens and transported to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) where she was admitted.

The woman subsequently died while receiving medical

attention.

Police said a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver and he was over the prescribed limit. He was released on $450,000 on the

causing death charge and on $50,000 for the driving under the influence offence.

The case was adjourned to January 20, 2020

Caricom Chair stresses importance of regional cooperation

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hairman of the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom), Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Allen Chastanet has commended member states for their cooperation and solidarity in both times of success and hardships, reminding of some of the achievements as well as challenges all through which the Community has continued to stand firmly.

In his end-of-year statement issued on Friday, Chastanet said that Caricom exemplifies that spirit, “when we celebrate our achievements in different fields of endeavour and when we stand in solidarity with those who are faced with adverse circumstances”. In elaborating, he said that nation-states stood solidly at the side of the people of Grand Bahama and Abaco in The Bahamas as they were ravaged by Hurricane Dorian. “It was heart-wrenching for me to witness first-hand the aftermath of that catastrophe which claimed many lives and demolished property and infrastructure.

However, it was heart-lifting to see the response, as once again, the other Members of the Community, both individually and regionally, rallied to the support of a sister state in distress, under the direction of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA),” the

Chastanet said.

The Chairman also noted that a major challenge faced by member states – climate change— and emphasised the importance of regional and global efforts to combat devastating effects which impact the Community.

“As we enjoy ourselves over the season, let us not neglect our responsibility to maintain the environment.

Let us, for example, take heed of the global anti-plastic campaign which includes avoiding the use of plastic bags, single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Taking care of the environment is one element in building our resilience to mitigate the threats posed by climate change and other issues which threaten to derail our development efforts,” he stated.

Further, he added that Caricom will continue to build economic resilience through its cornerstone, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) which

will benefit all members and their nationals.

He also mentioned the critical importance of Caricom strengthening certain significant aspects in order to reduce threats to the Community.

“The strengthening of our internal arrangements and our actions in concert have been critical in our attempts to minimise threats to the viability of our economies and financial sector, such as those posed by blacklisting and denial of correspondent banking. The disruption to daily life and commercial transactions by those actions is a significant fetter to stability and prosperity,” he said.

Chastanet also stated the importance of building and maintaining allies in the international community which would allow member states the opportunity to influence on the international stage and advance our interests.

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, december 28, 2019

Regional

Suit filed in US against laws that could affect Caribbean migrants

I

mmigrant rights advocates in New York have filed the first United States federal lawsuit seeking to jointly block three interrelated “Public Charge” rules promulgated by the Trump administration against Caribbean and other immigrants.

The advocates said these rules seek, “independently and together, to wholly transform the United States’ long-standing family-based immigration system, which allows all immigrants to seek a new and better life in the United States, regardless of

their means.”

The lawsuit challenges the legality of the following three rules: The US Department of State (DOS) January 3, 2018 changes to the public charge provisions of its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) governing consular processing, which

Brazil Police investigate firebombing of 'gay Jesus' film office

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olice are investigating a fire-bomb attack on the Rio de Janeiro office of a production company behind a controversial Christmas special aired on streaming service Netflix.

The episode, by comedy group Porta dos Fundos, depicts a gay Jesus bringing a boyfriend home to meet his family.

More than 2.3M people have signed an online petition to remove the film.

A video circulating online appears to show a far-right religious group claiming responsibility for the attack.

In it, a group wearing ski masks and identifying itself as the "Popular Nationalist Insurgency Command of the Large Brazilian Integralist Family", appear to attack the production company of-

More than two million people have called for Netflix to remove the film

fices with Molotov cocktails.

A statement, read with a digitally disguised voice, criticises Netflix and describes the film as blasphemous.

It also includes flags with nationalist and fascist connotations, Reuters news agency reports.

The video circulated on

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Latin American countries.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign minister, said the buildup of Bolivian security agents around the Mexican ambassador's residence violates international treaties regarding the rights and protections for diplomatic personnel and installations.

Bolivian agents surrounding the residence appear to threaten Mexico's right to give asylum to nine former officials of former president Evo Morales, Ebrard said.

He said Bolivian authorities had refused to allow any of the nine to leave the country.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Karen Longaric

said Mexico's ambassador, Maria Teresa Mercado, had previously asked "in verbal and written form for security around the diplomatic facility to be increased because of hostility" from protesters.

"They are going to have to take this (accusation) back because no police force has entered or violated any diplomatic area, nor will they," Longaric said.

The South American nation's foreign ministry later issued a statement expressing "deep concern over Mexico's interference in Bolivia's internal affairs" but saying it is open to talks.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Chilean President Pinera sparks fury with fake news claims

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hilean President Sebastian Pinera, whose government has been rocked by riots over inequality, ignited a fresh wave of anger after claiming that “many” videos on social media of police abuse of demonstrators were “fake news,” and unrest was being fomented by foreign governments.

Pinera told CNN Chile in an interview that there had been a “gigantic” disinformation campaign with videos circulating on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that

had been “filmed outside of Chile or misrepresented.”

“There has doubtless been some participation by foreign governments and institutions,” he said.

Pinera’s comments were first screened by CNN on Dec 15, but only gained widespread renown on Thursday when they became the subject of intense debate.

Pinera has been blamed by the political opposition, human rights organizations and activist groups for failing to act more quickly on widespread claims of rights

abuses by security forces policing the protests since they began over inequality on Oct 18. With more than 26 people killed during the unrest and thousands more injured and arrested, Pinera’s approval ratings have tumbled to as low as 10%. ference are not new: the US State Department said it had seen indications of Russian “influence” on the unrest, “skewing it through the use and abuse of social media, trolling.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

based on determinations that the public charge criteria are likely unlawful and unconstitutional, simply by applying that criteria via different agencies,” she added.

The immigration advocates said the State Department rules closely track the changes made to “public charge” determinations under the blocked US Department of Homeland Security rule, redefining a public charge from those who are predominantly reliant on government aid for subsistence to include anyone who is likely to use any amount, at any time in the future – even long after becoming a US citizen – of various cash and non-cash benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps and federal housing subsidies.

(Excerpt from CMC)

The Bahamas launches digital currency

Christmas Day - one day after Porta dos Fundos (Back Door) announced their office had been attacked.

No-one was hurt in the early-hours incident and a security guard was able to extinguish the blaze, the group said. (Excerpt from BBC)

Mexico President urges Bolivia to respect right of asylum exico has urged Bolivia's new conservative government to respect its right to grant asylum to nine people at its embassy in La Paz, days after complaining that Bolivian government surveillance there has grown excessive.

"The right of asylum must be guaranteed," Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday during his daily news conference when asked about the disagreement.

On Thursday, Mexico said it was asking the International Court of Justice to mediate in the dispute, which has chilled relations between the two

led to a 12-fold increase in visa denials, largely against nonwhite immigrants; and the DOS October 11, 2019, Interim Final Rule, which changes the public charge regulations that pertain at the point of consular processing and would require DOS to apply the same enjoined the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “public charge” criteria to Caribbean and other immigrants who must undergo consular processing before entering the US to unify with their parents, children and spouses.

The other rule is the “Presidential Proclamation

Suspending the Entry of Immigrants Who Will Financially Burden the Health Care System,” issued on October 4, 2019, which would bar entry to any immigrant who cannot demonstrate the ability to obtain certain types of private health insurance within 30 days of arrival.

“The Trump administration aims to transform immigration in the US from a system that prioritizes keeping families together to a privilege for the wealthy,” said Centre for Constitutional Rights Senior Attorney Ghita Schwarz.

“Unsurprisingly, like so many other Trump policies, these immigration rules harm people of colour the most. The courts should not allow the administration to circumvent numerous court injunctions,

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The Central Bank of the Bahamas

he Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBB) has introduced a digital version of the Bahamian dollar, starting with a pilot phase in Exuma and extending in the first half of 2020 to Abaco.

The bank said that this initiative has acquired the name Project Sand Dollar, with the sand dollar also being the name assigned to the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC).

“This is a continuation of the Bahamian Payments

System Modernization Initiative (PSMI), which began in the early 2000s. The Bahamian PSMI targets improved outcomes for financial inclusion and access, making the domestic payments system more efficient and non-discriminatory in access to financial services,” the CBB said in a statement.

It said although average measures of financial development and access in the country are high by international standards; pockets of the population are excluded

because of the remoteness of some communities outside of the cost-effective reach of physical banking services.

It said more onerous customer due to diligence standards for money laundering and the combatting the financing of terrorism (AML/ CFT) international tax compliance have also resulted in forms of exclusion, including more recent responses to tighter “know your customer” systems introduced to preserve international correspondent banking relationships.

“As recent policy and regulatory reforms have begun to tackle these barriers, the Central Bank is intent on accelerating payments system reform, admitting new categories of financial services providers and using the digital payments infrastructure to make the supply of traditional banking services accessible to all segments of the population.”

(Excerpt from CMC)

“All I want is a DNA test”

“T

he evidence is right in front of their eyes and all I want is a DNA test,” said 34-yearold Keoma Hamer in regard to the investigation into her report of an alleged abduction of her twin baby girls 15 years ago.

A test was done in July 2019.

In a letter signed by Acting Police Commissioner, Atlee Rodney, dated 4th December, 2019, addressed to Hamer regarding the results of DNA test performed on one of the alleged twins, it states: “As it relates to the allegation that Petal Burley is one of the missing twin girls, investigation revealed that Esther Amos and O’Neil Burley cannot be excluded as the biological mother and father of Petal Burley based on the analysis of their DNA.” This correspondence did not sit well with Hamer

who spoke exclusively with OBSERVER media this morning: “My response was to him, that this is not saying anything to me, this is vague.”

She added that, “I asked a few questions for clarification and up to today, I have never received a response. I want to know, specifically, are they the biological parents or not?”

To that question, Hamer said, “I have not received a response for over two weeks now.”

A DNA test was not administered between the 15-year-old child and Hamer herself.

In June this year, Hamer’s abduction allegations went viral after she called on the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda to investigate what happened on September 7, 2004 when she delivered her babies on the

Gwynneth O’Reilly Ward of the old Holberton Hospital.

Since that time Hamer has questioned the will and the interest of the police in investing her matte.

“What kind of investigation are you all really conducting?” she asked.

“The evidence,” she claimed, “is right in front of their eyes.”

Guyanese born and a St Martin national, Hamer, has vowed not to stop her own investigations into the matter and has since got the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) involved in her case. The CGID have subsequently asked the US State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to investigate this allegation as it potentially constitutes abduction and human trafficking. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, december 28, 2019

17

Around the World

Twelve dead as plane crashes after take-off in Kazakhstan

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welve people were killed and dozens injured when a plane with nearly 100 passengers and crew on board crashed soon after take-off in Kazakhstan on Friday.

The Bek Air Fokker 100 got into trouble shortly after departing from Almaty, the Central Asian country’s commercial centre, on a pre-dawn flight to the capital Nur-Sultan.

It lost altitude during take-off and broke through a concrete fence before hitting a two-story building, Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Investigators found scratch marks on the runway.

“Before crashing, the aircraft touched the run-

was investigating a possible breach of flight operation and safety rules, a standard legal procedure.

Fokker 100 aircraft pending the results of the investigation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Syria war: More than 235,000 people flee rebel-held Idlib region Emergency and security personnel are seen at the site of the plane crash near Almaty, Kazakhstan, December 27, 2019

way with its tail twice, the gear was retracted,” Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar told reporters.

“A commission ... will establish whether this was pilot error or technical issues. The runway was in an ideal condition.”

A survivor told news website Tengrinews she heard a “terrifying sound” before the plane started

losing altitude.

Authorities initially put the death toll at 15 or more but later revised the figure to 12. They said 49 people were in hospitals, some of them in a serious condition.

The plane had been carrying 93 passengers and five crew, and the Interior Ministry said the captain was among those killed.

The Ministry said it

Avangard: Russia deploys hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles

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ussia’s Defence Minister reported to President Vladimir Putin that a new hypersonic weapon of intercontinental range became operational Friday following years of tests.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin that the first missile unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle entered combat duty, the Defence Ministry said.

The military has said that the Avangard is capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound.

The Strategic Missile Forces chief, General Sergei Karakayev, said during the call that the Avangard was put on duty with a unit in the Orenburg region in the southern Ural Mountains.

Putin unveiled the Avangard among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018, noting that its ability to make sharp manoeuvres on its way to a target will render missile defence useless.

Kazakhstan’s aviation committee said it was suspending all flights by carrier Bek Air and those of

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ore than 235,000 people have fled from their homes in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, the UN said, as Government forces step up their offensive on the area.

The exodus happened between December 12 and 25 as fighting intensified.

Idlib in north-western Syria is the last major region held by rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

The Russian-backed Syrian Government has been bombarding Idlib since late November.

An increase in air strikes and ground fighting since mid-December has accelerated civilian displacement from the area, UN humanitarian agency Ocha said in a report.

Most of the displaced civilians are moving to cities and refugee camps in north-

Displaced civilians are said to be in urgent need of humanitarian aid

ern areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo province.

But the exodus has also been hampered by fuel shortages and the fact that some drivers don’t want to risk being bombed as they drive.

Thousands more families were “frightened to move, fearing the risk of air strikes and shelling along the routes”, the UN said.

A ceasefire negotiated by Russia, whose military cam-

paign in support of Assad has turned the tide of the eight-year civil war in his favour, and Turkey, which backs the Opposition, halted a Government assault on Idlib in August.

But the fighting has continued sporadically as President Assad attempts to wrest back control of Syria from rebel fighters and jihadists. (Excerpt from BBC News)

spokesman.

Al-Baghdadi committed suicide in October to avoid capture during a raid

by United States special forces on his hideout in the province of Idlib, northwestern Syria.

In recent months, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) has intensified its attacks on Christians, security personnel and aid workers, setting up roadblocks on main roads and conducting searches.

In that earlier video, the captives pleaded for the Christian Association of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and save

them.

On Friday, Buhari condemned the purported killers as “remorseless, godless, callous gangs of mass murderers that have given Islam a bad name through their atrocities”.

He also called for unity among Nigeria’s Christians and Muslims.

ISWAP split from Nigerian armed group Boko Haram in 2016, pledging allegiance to al-Baghdadi.

It stepped up attacks on military outposts and troops in mid-2018 but has increasingly begun targeting civilians. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

ISIL-linked group claims ‘execution of 11 Christians’ in Nigeria A handout still image from video footage made available in July 2018 by the Russian Defence Ministry shows the Avangard hypersonic strategic missile system equipped with a gliding hypersonic manoeuvring warhead [Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/EPA]

Putin described the Avangard’s creation as a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite.

The Russian leader noted that Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2000 Celsius (3632 Fahrenheit) resulting from a flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Putin has charged that Russia had to develop the

Avangard and other prospective weapons systems because of the US efforts to develop a missile defence system that he claimed could erode Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

In December 2018, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Urals and successfully hit a practise target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6000 kilometres (3700 miles) away.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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group affiliated with ISIL (also known as ISIS) has released a video claiming to show the execution of 11 Christians in northeast Nigeria, one day after Christmas.

The footage posted in an online Telegram news channel late on Thursday by ISILlinked propaganda arm Amaq showed 11 blindfolded men being lined up at an unidentified outdoor location.

One man is shot before the other 10 are beheaded.

A masked man in the almost one-minute video claimed the killings were in response to the death of ISIL chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his

Philippines bans two US senators, Explosion at Kansas aircraft mulls new visa rules for Americans plant injures 11 people T

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liquid nitrogen explosion at a Textron Aviation plant near Wichita, Kansas, injured 11 people on Friday, potentially setting back the introduction of a new aircraft under development, county and company officials said.

Emergency medical services took 11 people to the hospital, one of them suffering potentially serious injuries, Dr John Gallagher, Director of Sedgwick County EMS, told a news conference.

Injuries were limited because a skeleton crew was on duty during the holidays,

said Deputy Chief Daniel Wegner of the Sedgwick County Fire Department.

The explosion in a 3-inch liquid nitrogen gas line also damaged a storage tank, causing nitrogen gas to vent out of the building, Wegner said.

News video from the scene showed what appeared to be a steam cloud billowing out of the damaged building. The gas was not harmful, Wegner said.

Damage was contained to Plant 3, a site for composite manufacturing and experimental aircraft fabrication including that of the

SkyCourier, said Stephanie Harder, a spokeswoman for Textron.

The SkyCourier, a utility turboprop under development, is due to enter service in 2020, Textron has previously said. Harder said it was too early to determine what damage the prototype aircraft under production may have suffered.

Textron Aviation, a unit of Textron Inc, makes Beechcraft and Cessna aircraft. The Wichita-area economy has long been supported by aircraft manufacturing. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he Philippines has banned two US lawmakers from visiting and will introduce tighter entry restrictions for US citizens should Washington enforce sanctions over the detention of a top Government critic, the President’s spokesman said on Friday.

President Rodrigo Duterte will impose visa requirements on US nationals should any Philippine officials involved in the incarceration of Senator Leila de Lima be denied entry to the United States, as sought

by US senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy.

Duterte’s move comes after the US Congress ap-

proved a 2020 budget that contains a provision introduced by the senators against anyone involved in holding de Lima, who was charged with drug offences in 2017 after she led an investigation into mass killings during Duterte’s war on drugs.

The Philippines grants visa-free entry for up to 30 days to Americans, 792,000 of whom visited in the first nine months of 2019, nearly 13 per cent of foreign arrivals.

Panelo said travel restrictions over de Lima’s detention were nonsense because she was not wrongfully imprisoned but detained pending trial for

crimes.

Duterte makes no secret of his disdain for the United States and what he considers its hypocrisy and interference, though he admits that most Filipinos and his military have high regard for their country’s former colonial ruler.

The United States is the Philippines biggest defence ally and millions of Filipinos have relatives who are US citizens.

De Lima, a Justice Minister in a former Administration, has won numerous awards from human rights groups, who consider her a prisoner of conscience. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

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saturday, december 28, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU

Take it easy and don’t overdo it. Do something constructive that will encourage you to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Don’t give in to peer pressure.

Revisit old relationships and situations that need closure before you head into a bright new year. You’ll be surprised by what you discover and how it will improve your life. Romance is featured.

Try something you’ve never done before. A little excitement will boost your energy level and bring you closer to achieving a personal goal. Open up to a loved one.

You may not want to make a resolution this year, but before you disregard the idea, take a look at the past and consider what you might have done differently.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Socializing will lead to interesting conversations about changes you want to make next year. A change of scenery will encourage a shift in attitude. Don’t risk physical injury.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

A makeover will attract attention and give you a needed pick-me-up. Don’t overspend in the process; a subtle change will do the trick. Romance is encouraged.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Embrace life in a way that allows you greater freedom to follow your creative dreams and opportunities to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. Protect your health.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

last published

Consider where you see yourself heading. Discuss your plans with someone who can affect the choices you make as you move forward.

SOLUTION FOr LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

A last-minute adjustment will be necessary if you want to avoid a personal or emotional loss. Plan a little celebration with a loved one late in the day.

A positive attitude will do wonders for the relationships you have with loved ones. Show appreciation, and you will receive the same in return. Live healthily and enjoy life.

Take a look at yourself, how you have dealt with situations, your relationships with others, and, most of all, the improvements you want to make.

Look for simple ways to help older friends or relatives. A kind gesture will change someone’s life and make you feel good. An unusual offer will surprise you.

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019

19

round-up: Doncic shines in return, Mavs handle Spurs 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons.

Bruce Brown and Svi Mykhailiuk added 12 points apiece, and Tony Snell chipped in 10.

Anzejs Pasecniks topped the Wizards with 17 points, while Bradley Beal and Jordan McRae had 15 points apiece. Troy Brown Jr. contributed 13 points, and Gary Payton II, signed less than a week ago, added 10 points.

Memphis Grizzlies 110 Oklahoma City Thunder 97

Frontcourt mates Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas combined for 41 points, the Memphis bench added 46, and a strong second half powered the Grizzlies to a win at Oklahoma City.

Jackson continued his hot scoring touch of late, posting 20 points for his 13th 20-pluspoint outing of the season. Valanciunas scored 11 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, including three straight buckets in a stretch that pushed the Memphis lead from 12 to 20 points.

Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (77) shoots as San Antonio Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge (12) defends (USA TODAY Sports)

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uka Doncic scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and distributed eight assists in his return to the lineup after missing four games to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off the visiting San Antonio Spurs 102-98 on Thursday.

Dallas led by five points entering the fourth quarter and by just 82-79 after a layup by the Spurs’ Patty Mills with 10:11 to play.

However, the Mavericks turned up the heat.

Kristaps Porzingis made consecutive 3-pointers, and Dallas later went on a 14-2 run that featured two treys

by Dorian Finney-Smith and one apiece from Delon Wright and Jalen Brunson, stretching their margin to 17 points.

The Spurs made a final surge, scoring the final 13 points of the game, but they could not climb all the way back, falling to their Lone Star State rivals for the second time in two meetings this season.

Doncic, who had been out with an ankle injury, picked up right where he left off, leading the Mavericks with 13 first-half points. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 17 points for Dallas, which has won nine of its past 13 games. San Antonio got 21 points from DeMar DeRozan and 18 from Rudy Gay.

Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Sacramento Kings 104 (2 OT)

Gorgui Dieng recorded season highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Minnesota snapped an 11-game losing streak with a double-overtime victory over host Sacramento.

Robert Covington had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won for

the first time since Nov. 27. Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points on just 4-of-19 shooting but also had 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Sacramento’s Buddy Hield had his last-second 3-point attempt bounce off the rim as the Kings lost their fifth straight game. De’Aaron Fox departed less than two minutes into the game due to back spasms for the Kings, who also lost Marvin Bagley III to a left foot injury in the third quarter after he scored 18 points in 20 minutes.

New York Knicks 94 - Brooklyn Nets 82

Julius Randle scored 33 points as New York pulled away in the second half to top host Brooklyn.

The Knicks halted a fourgame losing streak to the Nets and improved to 4-6 under interim coach Mike Miller in a game they led by as many as 23 points.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points for the Nets, who shot 26.9 percent from the floor. The shooting percentage was the lowest by a team in a game since the Chicago Bulls shot 25.7 percent in a 88-65 playoff loss to the Miami Heat on May 13, 2013.

The last time a team shot as poorly in a regular-season game was when the Orlando Magic hit 24.6 percent in an 87-56 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Jan. 23, 2012.

Detroit Pistons 132 - Washington Wizards 102

Christian Wood scored 22 points off the bench, Tim Frazier had 17 points and six assists and host Detroit snapped a five-game losing streak by blasting Washington.

Derrick Rose contributed 15 points and six assists, Blake Griffin had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Andre Drummond supplied

Oklahoma City, which came in on a fourgame winning streak and a winner of seven of nine, was led by Chris Paul, who posted game highs of 23 points and 11 assists.

Utah Jazz 121 - Portland Trail Blazers 115

Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter, and Joe Ingles added 26 as Utah continued its home prowess by holding on for a victory against Portland in Salt Lake City.

Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 15 rebounds as the Jazz improved to 12-3 at home. Utah bounced back from a defeat Monday at Miami that ended its five-game winning streak.

Damian Lillard scored 34 points for the Trail Blazers, finding his shooting touch after going 0-for-10 from 3-point range in a home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Lillard was 10 of 21 from the field Thursday and 7 of 13 from long distance.

CJ McCollum contributed 25 points for Portland. (Reuters)

New Year’s Honours: West Indies star Clive Lloyd knighted C live Lloyd, whose West Indies side dominated international cricket, has been knighted in the New Year Honours.

The Guyana-born batsman, now 75, has been honoured for his service to the game.

He captained the West Indies from 1974 until 1985 and played for Lancashire from 1968 until 1986, later settling in the Greater Manchester area.

Since retiring, he has coached West Indies and worked for the International Cricket Council.

The left-handed middle-order batsman made his Test debut aged 22 against India and scored 7,515 runs at an average of more than 46 in 110 appearances, His West Indies side went 26 matches without defeat, and thrashed England 5-0 in what became known as the 1984 "Blackwash" series.

He also led the West Indies to victory in the first cricket World Cup in 1975 scoring 102 at Lord's against an Australia side with feared bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson spearheading their pace attack.

Lloyd became a folk hero in Lancashire as a key player in the 1970s side that became known as the "Kings of One Day Cricket".

Clive Lloyd is one of cricket's true statesmen.

He is obviously best known for his role in bringing the West Indies team together in a very factional part of the world.

He got them playing as a team unit, fiercely proud of their region, who were feared and respected.

Yet at the same time he has been an absolute star for Lancashire.

My early cricketing years were spent mar-

Clive Lloyd

velling at this incredibly athletic, graceful, loose-limbed left-handed batsman who could smash the ball all over the place.

He was the first prowler in the covers; a beautiful mover who could pick the ball up with one hand and throw it at the stumps.

He is cricket through and through.

The same crowds who cheered Best, Law and Charlton at Manchester United in the winter brought football-style chants to cricket when Lloyd batted at the other Old Trafford in the summer.

The team won three successive Gillette Cup finals and two successive Sunday league titles with Lloyd scoring a memorable 126 in the 1972 Gillette final against Warwickshire.

Ex-Lancashire player John Abrahams, who captained the county in the 1980s, said: "I made my debut in 1973 and Lancashire were a team of stars. Clive was very good to me taking me under his wing in a very informal way."As a batsman he changed the face of the game - there was a real buzz around the ground when he came into bat.

"He hit shots the rest of us could only dream of playing." (BBC)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019

Kennard Memorial Turf Club Boxing Day Horse Meet…

Storm Bird wins Metro-Million-Mile race

Story and Photos by Brandon Corlette

T

he race horse Storm Bird of the Rising Sun Racing Stables won the Metro-Million-Mile event of the Kennard Memorial Turf

late on Thursday afternoon, hundreds were taken by surprise as Storm Bird, piloted by a Trinidadian jockey named Razack, seemed to be powered by an additional cylinder as it finished the one-mile Open

2018-2019’, for which Red Weasel took the top spot, defeating Perfect Return and Osana in that order.

Red Weasel’s cash prize of $150,000 and trophy were sponsored by Karran and Son, Hardware Dealers.

Champion horse of this Kennard Memorial Meet, Storm Bird, at the presentation ceremony

Magaline, overtaking De Wicked Cat to win race five

Club’s Boxing Day Meet at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice, gifting its handlers with the biggest ever winner’s purse in local horse racing, and earning for itself the accolade of champion horse of this action-packed one-day event.

In this feature event of the meet, which was run under overcast conditions

race comfortably ahead of all opposition.

Golden Blue Echo rode in second, and Settling Star came in third; but the horse most favoured for this lucrative and historic event, Lucky Star, had to settle for fourth position.

The Meet commenced with the race for horses classified ‘L Non-Winners for

The second race on the card was for horses classified ‘H and Lower’. It was run over seven furlongs, and the mount TNT of the Nand Persaud Racing Stables finished comfortably ahead of respective second and third-placed horses Good Will Boy and Not This Time.

In the process, TNT copped the Torginol Trophy and cash

Ibrahimovic rejoins Serie A side AC Milan

F

ormer Sweden and Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has rejoined AC Milan on a sixmonth deal, with the option for another season.

The 38-year-old was a free agent after leaving LA Galaxy at the end of the Major League Soccer season.

The Serie A side said Ibrahimovic “will be in Milan on 2 January, 2020 to take his medical” and join his team-mates.

“I’m coming back to a club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love,” Ibrahimovic said.

Ibrahimovic was at Serie A side Milan from 2010 to 2012, scoring 42 goals in 61 league games for the club.

He joined LA Galaxy in March 2018 and scored 53 goals during his time in the United States as well as being named in the

MLS best XI teams of 2018 and 2019.

Milan are without a major trophy since their 18th Italian title in 2011.

The seven-time European champions are enduring a miserable season, sitting 11th in Serie A, with 21 points from 17 games.

They sacked coach Marco Giampaolo in October but results have not improved under his replacement Stefano Pioli and they lost their last match 5-0 at Atlanta on 2 2

December, their biggest defeat for 21 years.

“I’ll fight together with my team-mates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen,” added Ibrahimovic.

(BBC Sport)

prize of $250,000.

In the third event of the day, a record number of 13 horses contested the sixfurlong race for two-year-old, Guyana-bred maiden horses; but with the racing gates being able to accommodate only 12 horses, some controversy ensued before the winner was eventually declared.

Initially, Flash De Cash was declared winner, but Awesome Bandit was later adjudged to have emerged from a tight finish to claim the KSM Trophy and the $200,000 cash prize.

Perfect Pleasure rode in second, and pacesetter of the race, She’s a Maneater, came in third. Flash De Cash, the horse that had started the race outside the gate, was eventually disqualified because it was adjudged to have benefited from a fivelength start.

Jockey Ramnauth, who piloted that horse, was initially banned from riding

for the rest of the day, but after he apologized for what had transpired, the ban was withdrawn and he was allowing to participate in the rest of the day’s activities.

Race four, the L-Open class race, saw Secret Flyer taking the top spot and bagging the Ivanoff Trophy and $170,000 winner’s purse, which were sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

Awesome Banner, Plane Land and Irish Boy were the other top finishers in that order.

In one of the closest races of the day -- race five, for horses classified L-NonEarners -- Magaline prevailed to earn the winner’s purse of $130,000 and a trophy donated by Rohan Auto Sales of Good Hope, Mahaica, ECD. De Wicked Cat rode in second position, while Osana came in third.

The Kennard Memorial Turf Club Boxing Day Meet, one of the most exciting

horse meets of recent, was blessed with two days of glorious sunshine prior to Boxing Day. It officially closed the horse-racing season for the calendar year 2019.

Guyanese jockey Colin Ross was declared Champion Jockey for the fifth time in six years; while the race horse Lucky Star, which won the Guyana Cup event in August 2019 and the Port Mourant Turf Club/MMP Foundation feature event only a few days ago in December 2019, was declared “top horse for the year”.

The mount Valentina was declared “the best threeyear-old horse”, having copped the most wins in that category in 2019.

The next horse-racing event -- the highly anticipated President’s Cup Meet, which is scheduled for the Rising Sun Turf Club, West Coast Berbice -- will take place on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2020.

Food Town year–end Golf Tournament plays today

F

ood Town Restaurant & Distribution Outlet of 266 Newton Street Enmore, East Coast Demerara is partnering with the Lusignan Golf Club to host this year’s end golf tournament on Saturday December 28 from noon.

Golfers and fans will be pleased to note that sponsorships for golfing tournaments continue unabated despite this being the usually busy Christmas holiday season.

Thanks to Food Town Restaurant, the tournament will also accommodate earlier play, as long as there is a group willing to play before the regular tee-off time.

Instead of Flights, the tournament will be played on the straight Medal Play system, with prizes and bragging rights being awarded for 1st to 5th Best Net scores as well as Best Gross.

With the weather being supportive, the tournament is set to be an exciting event.

The public is invited to spectate free of charge, as the golfers vie to be crowned yearend champion.

Members of the general public are also invited to learn more about the game of golf by visiting the Lusignan Golf Club, or by getting more information on the game of golf via the LCG Facebook -lusignangolfclub or by calling 220-5660.

The sponsor of this year-end tournament, Food Town Restaurant, allows all licensed food vendors to order from a wide-ranging menu as much as they feel they would be able to sell on a daily basis, and simply have it delivered to their location. This makes it totally unnecessary to shop for ingredients, engage in early-morning cooking, or incurring transportation costs. All a vendor has to do is simply show up and sell at their location.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019

21

Castore Sportswear to become Official Kit partner for WI teams C

ricket West Indies and Castore sportswear today announced a threeyear partnership for Castore to be the Official Team Kit Partner for West Indies cricket teams.

The fast-growing British brand – which earlier this year launched a partnership with tennis star Sir Andy Murray – will supply kits for Test, T20 Internationals (T20I) and One-Day International (ODI) games and covering the men’s, women’s and age group teams from Under-15 level upwards. It is the Liverpool-based company’s first deal in team sports and its first move into cricket apparel.

The West Indies will wear the new Castore kit for the first time when the West Indies Women play South Africa in five Colonial Medical Insurance ODIs in May and June. The West Indies men will then wear the new Test kit in the 1 st Test England at the Kia Oval starting on June 4th , 2020 as part of the start of their three-match Test tour of England.

For the Test matches, Castore will provide kit in traditional whites and the West Indies’ trademark maroon.

It will include trou-

sers, T-shirts, cable knit pullovers and training kit. West Indies will wear a new T20I kit and ODI kit when New Zealand tour the Caribbean in

July and the T20I kit will also be the design as the West Indies defend their T20 world title at ICC T20 World Cup Australia in starting in October.

Castore will also have the global rights to merchandise replica West Indies kit which will be

priced in line with that of other leading nations such as England.

Children’s replica kit will be made available at affordable prices Dominic Warne, Commercial and Marketing Director for Cricket West Indies said: “The West Indies maroon and gold shirt

is iconic for both our own fans and cricket lovers around the world.

We believe Castore are going to be a great partner to design technically superior kit that enhances our teams’ performance, that fans will be excited to wear and that sports fans around the world will be able to find more easily than before.”

“We anticipate this being a strong partnership between the West Indies with our incredible history and cricket talent, and a modern, innovative partner in Castore who are making exciting steps in the development of sports clothing.”

Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, said: “We are delighted ?to be partnering ?with Cricket West Indies as their official kit partner. Cricket has a phenomenal heritage in the West Indies and the team has some of the most passionate fans in the world.”

“We look forward to using Castore's product innovation and commitment to performance enhancement to support the team as they defend their T20 World Champions title next year.”

The three-year partnership covers all West Indies home and away games from May 2020.

The partnership was brokered by leading sports marketing agency, Pitch International. (CWI)

West Coast Warriors are champions of Meten-Meer-Zorg 10/10 Fundraiser T

he West Coast Warriors cricket team have beaten hosts of the 10/10 Fundraiser event, Meten-Meer-Zorg Future Youths, by 10 wickets with five overs to spare in the finale of an epic four-team fundraising event.

Batting first, the hosts struggled to record 56 for 6 at the end of their allotted 10 overs; with Dexter George, batting at # 7, saving the hosts further embarrassment by contributing 19 runs from 13 balls.

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Youths looked like their score did not have a future beyond 40 runs; as one Azaad, (only name given) bowling for the West Coast Warriors, was almost unplayable, returning figures of three wickets for five runs from his two overs.

When the Warriors replied, they made the 10over affair look like a walk in the park, as they jetted to 54 for one in five overs. Vickash Dhaniram top scored with 32, and Ameer Singh contributed 18 not out.

In the first match of the day, West Coast Warriors beat Zeeburg with the last ball of the match. Zeeburg batted first, and scored 100 for three in their 10 overs. Malcolm Hubbard scored 16 from four balls; Ershad Ally top-scored with 41, which included one six and 3 fours; and Yutesh Avi Dhanpaul supported with 17 runs.

The Warriors, responding, were never really in the hunt; but Cornelius Jaisingh, who came in at number six, stroked a breezy 37 from 14 balls, and Mandolall Doodnarine and Azaad Azees each contributed 12 runs to see their team to victory.

Malcolm Hubbard was excellent with the ball for Zeeburg, grabbing 4 for 10 from his two overs.

The victorious West Coast Warriors

Meten-Meer-Zorg Future Youths beat Mc Gill Sports Club in their encounter.

Batting first, MMZ registered a challenging 108 for two in their 10 overs. Sheldon Alexander, who scored 44 from 16 deliveries, was supported by Adrian Johnson with 12.

Mc Gill Sports Club were bowled out for 74 runs scored

in 9.4 overs. The veteran Sudesh Persaud was the only one able to offer any resistance, scoring 19 runs from 17 deliveries.

The MMZ bowling was led by Dexter George, with 2 wickets for 16 runs, and Sheldon Alexander, with 2 wickets for 19 runs.

Vickash Dhaniram was named ‘man of the match’

in the finals. Trophies for the winner and runner-up teams were sponsored by Supreme Petroleum, and the ‘man of the match’ trophy was sponsored by Trophy Stall.

One Shenny of MetenMeer-Zorg and Maniram of Zeeburg were the winners of the two tour tickets donated

by Odyssey Tours.

Management of the

Meten-Meer- Zorg Future Youths cricket club would like to thank all the players, spectators and sponsors for rendering assistance towards a worthy cause. Proceeds from this event will go to the charitable cause of raising funds to help cover medical expenses for a close family member of a West MetenMeer-Zorg cricket club player.

22

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Against all odds: Peterson-Griffith grateful for a successful year 2019

By Timothy Jaikarran

W

hen the year 2019 began, work and training were top priorities for Guyana’s top strong man, Carlos Peterson-Griffith, especially as he was preparing to participate in the World's Classic Powerlifting Championships which were set for early June in Helsingburg, Sweden.

As his preparation continued, he received an invitation from the Barbados Fitness and Strength Association to compete in the StrongFit 2019 Competition. He won overall in the Strength segment and placed 3rd in the Strong Man event.

The Guyana Team that participated in that Barbados event was comprised of himself; Junica Pluck, who placed second overall in the Strength Segment and third in the Strong Woman event; and Julio Sinclair, who placed third overall in the Strength Segment and won the Strong Man Event.

When Peterson-Griffith returned home, the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation issued him with a suspension letter for a period of 12 months, because he had not informed the GAPF of his whereabouts.

He, however, continued making preparation for the trip to the World's Classic Powerlifting Championship, being sponsored thereto by Fitness Express, Space Gym and GYSBI. Speaking to this publication, PetersonGriffith detailed the subsequent train of events: “About a week later, the Federation hosted a meeting with myself, coach (and) manager, along with Junica Pluck, who had faced

Peterson-Griffith participated in the Senior National Bodybuilding Championships and won the crown in the Heavyweight Class

the same penalty. (They) followed (that up with) a press conference (a) few days later, without my presence, to inform the public that they will stand firm with their decision for me to (not) compete at World's Classic Powerlifting Championship. A few days later, my name was no longer on the International Nominated List.

“I felt a bit down and sad (dispirited at) not being able to compete at World's. About a week later, myself and Miss Kathleen Paul

departed Guyana en route to Helsingburg, Sweden to witness and cheer on the other top-ranking athletes.”

With the suspension in full effect, Peterson-Griffith returned home and continued to work and train as per normal, but with a different mindset. As time went by, he asked his coach and manager if it was okay for him to participate in the Senior National Bodybuilding Championships, since he was in good shape and couldn’t compete in Powerlifting until May 2020.

On August 12, Peterson defied all odds, as he took part in the Bodybuilding Championships and again retained the crown in the Heavyweight Class.

“Myself and my coach had a good talk, mostly about the upcoming event, which was the Guyana Strong Man Competition.

The Strong Man Competition was the main light (at the end of the tunnel), because all I was doing was just training hard and no big competition for me, so I decided to compete at the Strong Man Competition, along with Julio Sinclair (former Mr Strong Man title-holder) and O'Ryan Joseph (2nd RunnerUp) as Team Guyana.

“The event was, quite surprisingly, gruelling and very challenging due to its course of events, one of which was to ‘deadlift’ a car under one minute for as many ‘reps’ (repeats) as possible. On that event, I dead-lifted my way through as if there was nothing in front of me for a count of 19 ‘reps’, giving me the Guyana Strong Man Title.

“I can only imagine what I could've done at World's; but it is what it is. We all learn from mistakes, moreso, there's only some who keep moving forward; that's how win-

Carlos Peterson- Griffith won Guyana’s Strong Man Title

ning is done. Through hard work, dedication, time, sacrifice, commitment, consistency, passion, patience, perseverance, and above all discipline, anything is possible.

“Thank You, God Almighty, for bringing me this far; and thanks to my sponsors, because without them I won't be able to compete, much less reach places. I can only look forward to 2020 and what great fortunes it holds for me,” an emotional PetersonGriffith has declared.

Dragon Stout Community Cup competition…

Tournament ends tonight

Pernell Schultz

Eon Alleyne

Gregory Richardson

Solomon Austin

he question everyone is asking is whether Sparta Boss, Guyana’s most dominant team in the street and indoor formats of football, could end the year with another title.

The answer to this question will be known this evening, when the semi-finals and grand final of the inaugural Dragon Stout Community Cup tournament are played at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Sparta Boss have undoubtedly been the leading team, not only this year, but for a number of years; and fans will be flooding the Mecca for indoor football to see whether their reign of success will continue.

They face a resurgent Leopold Street in the second semi-final to be played. The encounter

is anticipated to be a scorching engagement, but Sparta Boss possess such quality players as Sheldon Shepherd, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, Eusi ‘Boneyman’ Phillips, Deon Alfred and Ryan ‘Bum Bum’ Hackett, and those Spartans are expected to lead their team’s quest for another title.

Their only worry is whether outstanding goalkeeper Devon ‘Worm’ Charles, who suffered an injury in the preceding game, will be fit enough to take his place between the uprights.

The return of Leopold Street talisman Omallo Williams has brought a huge ray of hope to their chances of lifting a title; and with support from such warriors as Darren Benjamin, Eon Alleyne and O’Kenny Fraser, they could make things

really tough for the in-form Sparta Boss side.

In the opening semi-final, dark horses Rio AllStars tackle the star-studded Bent Street, and this clash is anticipated to be another humdinger.

Andrew Murray, Jermin Junor, Solomon Austin and Job Caesar will lead the Rio All-Stars’ attack, spearheading their ambition for a place in the final.

Bent Street should, however, be motivated by a win setting up the possibility of a return clash against Sparta Boss, should the latter secure victory against Leopold Street.

Having lost to the juggernauts of this shorter version of football in the preceding tournament, Bent Street would definitely relish another skirmish to tempt the hand of Fate.

Possessing such top-quality players as Daniel Wilson, Pernell Schultz, Clive Nobrega, goalkeeper Akel Clarke and Colin Nelson, who have all donned national colours, Bent Street are definitely the most formidable unit on paper.

However, a potential matchup against Sparta Boss is a different kettle of fish; and should this showdown materialize, fans could be in for a real Christmas treat to end another successful year in the format.

Massive spectator support is anticipated to witness the culmination of this final futsal tournament for 2019, but next year’s competition promises to be even bigger and better in what has become the most popular format of the sport locally.

T

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23

Fitness in focus as Jaguars prepare for Regional 4-Day

By Brandon Corlette

G

uyana Jaguars are the most dominant force in Cricket West Indies’ (CWI’s) Regional 4-Day cricket, and five consecutive championship wins underline this claim; but after an ordinary showing at the recently concluded Regional Super50 Cup, Guyana Jaguars captain, Leon Johnson, has reflected on the team’s efforts while producing insights on the Jaguars’ preparation process for the upcoming 4-Day season.

“I think we had a very inconsistent season during the Super50 tournament. There were a lot of situations (in which) the game was close, and normally we play those situations a little better, (but) I think this year we didn’t play those situations well. That’s why we didn’t qualify for the semi-final,” Johnson told Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview.

Jaguars, recording four wins and four defeats in their Super50 campaign, suffered elimination at the hands of the United States of America.

The shining star of their tournament was the pugnacious right-handed batsman Christopher Barnwell, who led the Jaguars’ batting charts with 351 runs as he displayed consistency and in process recorded a high-score of 99*.

Guyana Jaguars have five consecutive championship wins

Apart from Barnwell’s brilliance, Jonathan Foo’s 334 runs was a big positive. This Albionbased batsman, who made a return to Jaguars colours, grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Veteran bowler Veerasammy Permaul had 11 wickets, leading the charts in the Super50 Cup for Jaguars.

As the Regional Four-Day tour-

nament looms, skipper Johnson has said the team had taken a week off after the Super50 competition, but has begun training.

“The weather has not been kind to us, but we have been doing some indoor training and physical work.

We know the rigours of 4-Day cricket require optimum fitness, and we have been getting that in,” he said.

He disclosed that the team will play two practice matches before playing their first-round match on January 9 in Antigua.

“Hopefully, the weather can be better, so we could get out on the park and actually get some cricket (practice in),” the Guyana Jaguars captain highlighted.

Johnson described the young prospects in Guyana’s cricket as

very good. Having played against Kevin Sinclair and Ashmead Nedd in the Super50 Cup, he declared that they had done exceptionally well for the West Indies Emerging Players to win the title.

“The tree for young cricketers is very good, and there are a lot of young players between the ages of 20 and 23 who have a bright future (in cricket). I think it’s up to them to grasp the opportunity when it comes to perform to get selection for Guyana and (cement) their places when selected. Our cupboard is not bare, and we have a lot of prospects in Guyana,” Johnson declared.

The projected and drafted players for Jaguars in the upcoming season are: Leon Johnson (captain), Anthony Bramble, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymon Reifer, Vishual Singh, Clinton Pestano, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Devandra Bishoo, Christopher Barnwell, Gudakesh Motie, Keon Joseph, Ramaal Lewis and Tevin Imlach.

Guyana Jaguars will play their opening round of the 4-Day tournament against Leeward Islands Hurricanes in Antigua on January 9. They will then play Barbados Pride on January 16. Jaguars will play their first home game on January 23 against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

Gajnabi focused on breaking into Windies World Cup squad

By Brandon Corlette

G

uyana and West Indies Women’s player Shabika Gajnabi has given a good account of herself in 2019, playing junior and senior Regional cricket while rocking the maroon colours for the West Indies Women.

As the T20 World Cup in Australia looms, commencing from February 21, 2020, Gajnabi has her eyes set on being selected to participate in the global showpiece.

Fresh from copping the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) award for being the Most Promising Female Player of 2019, the 19-yearold Berbician spoke exclusively with <<Guyana Times Sport>> earlier this week, reflecting on her productive year and peeking into the future.

“First of all, I must thank Allah for a wonderful year; and the best part for me in 2019 was getting selected for West Indies.”

The right-arm batter, who also bowls right-arm medium, explained that the hard work she has put into her game paid off, and she is anticipating that 2020 would be a bright year for her.

Flashback! Gajnabi, batting for Guyana in 2019

The centrally-contracted Cricket West Indies (CWI) Woman player, who also captained Guyana Under-19 earlier this year, highlighted that transition from Under-19 cricket to senior cricket has been a smooth road.

“Well, it’s nothing hard, it’s just a little adjustment when coming in the senior

team. Coming against West Indies players, I have to focus more on the game. The same way I played in Under-19 is the same thing I bring to senior team, because I always give my best in all formats of cricket,” Gajnabi explained.

Gajnabi hails from the Albion, Corentyne village of Chesney, but plays cricket

for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC).

She made her International debut for West Indies Women in September 2019 against the mighty Australians, after being a constant member of CWI training camps.

A simple and humble personality, Gajnabi is thankful to her team mate Shemaine Campbelle for the help she has received to better her game. She is also grateful to the RHTY&SC, along with all the West Indies coaches, for playing a part in her successful journey thus far.

Gajnabi, who played in the India series in November, is among the 21 West Indies Women players who earned selection for the Pre-World Cup camp which commences on January 6 and concludes on January 25, 2020. She told this daily publication that she is working really hard to make the World Cup squad, and if given opportunity, she would be aiming to play her best cricket.

Gajnabi also played in the rapidly-growing Courts T20 Grand Slam Franchise cricket in Trinidad, where she gained a wealth of knowledge from playing among the best Caribbean players.

Gajnabi was only the second

Shabika Gajnabi, rocking her West Indies colours

Guyanese, after Campbelle, to surpass 100 runs in the Regional Super50 Cup, accumulating 136 runs.

Being second to Campbelle in Super50 runs, she is also the second Guyanese to obtain a CWI central contact in 2019. The teenager, who will celebrate her 20th birthday on July 14 next year, dominated the Under-19 level, where she caught the selectors’ attention early. She re-

corded a half-century against Leeward Islands senior team in a Super50 match played at Enmore, but chalked up 52 and 57 against Trinidad and Jamaica Under-19s respectively. Given her all-round capabilities, Gajnabi, who was also the three nominated players for “GCB female player of the year”, speaks volume of a cricketer with great skill, and in 2020 she will continue to break barriers.

saturday, DECEMBER 28, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Page 19

Against all odds: Peterson -Griffith grateful for a successful year 2019 Page 22

New Year’s Honours: West Indies star Clive Lloyd knighted

Kennard Memorial Turf Club Boxing Day Horse Meet…

Page 23

Storm Bird wins MetroMillion-Mile race Page 20

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