Guyana Times, Thursday July 18, 2019

Hold companies accountable for health, safety, damage to environment – AmCham Guyana

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

Issue No. 3988

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSday, JUly 18, 2019

PRICE

Appointment of GECOM Chair

Opposition Leader finds President’s suggestions “unfavourable”

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Govt's caretaker status puts State contracts at risk – Private Sector

…advises members to seek legal advice

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Page 3

…submits 4 additional nominees …discussion continues today

PSC slams Govt for failing to honour Constitution …as GAWU calls out Govt for “brazen” attempts to undermine Constitution …FITUG warns of repercussions if Constitution not upheld

180th anniversary celebrations

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Cops gifted $19.5M for exceptional performance

P11

95 persons died from snakebite P9 in 5 years Alleged gun brandishing lands man on P8 remand

Guyanese urged to stand up, fight for democracy

…as Ballot Box Martyrs remembered People's Progressive Party (PPP) member Gail Teixeira among the gathering at Corentyne, Berbice, where wreaths were laid at the grave of the Ballot Box Martyrs Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar, who were shot dead by members of the Guyana Defence Force in 1973

SOCU “Pepper spray saved my life” Head – survivor tells her story of to be abuse, near-death experience replaced Norton Street shooting

See story on page 13

Page 5

Tourism Authority advocates P2 for more concessions

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Tourism Authority advocates for more concessions ...Guyana earned $62.6 billion from tourism in 2018

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uyana Tourism Authority (GTA) on Wednesday reiterated previous calls for Government to grant more concessions for the tourism

sector during its mid-year press conference.

Early in June, The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) had lobbied

Government to grant concessions, as it aimed to have tourism included in the export sector.

GTA’s Director Brian Mullis told the media that

the agency’s interested in advocating for tourism to be recognised in the export sector and should be granted tax concessions and incentives just as gold and rice ex-

portations.

“There are a number of tax concessions and incentives for travelling in tourism in the areas of ground transportation, accommo-

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis

dation, refurbishment, expansions and some for tour operators etc…however, recognising that tourism is an export sector, we’re looking for advocating for that formal recognition of the sector as an export sector in 2020 so that we can be afforded some of the tax concessions and incentives that other export sector have,” Mullis explained.

Asked whether there are specific areas in mind when making these concessions request to Government, the Director highlighted those in transportation and accommodation, especially within the interior locations.

“We want it to be possible for the sector to upgrade vehicles, particularly four by four vehicles, in the interior but also larger transit vehicles for larger groups, we want to see incentives for expanding existing lodging particularly in the interiors, refurbishing existing lodges as well and other recreational equipment,” he stated.

In providing some reassurance to granting these requests, Business Minister Hemraj Rajkumar, on behalf of his caretaker Government, underscored that the Ministry is working on processing some concessions application for its investors.

“One of the things we are requesting is for concessions that we can encourage the development of our tourist industry. Concessions for those persons who wish to bring in our country vehicles that would be used for tourism….we have received a few applications from persons which are being processed. The Ministry is supporting the development of tourism in our country and we will see as much as best to afford our investors the concessions they request,” Minister Rajkumar said.

Nevertheless, Guyana has been growing significantly in terms of its tourism industry. Data provided by the Bureau of Statistics revealed that the country’s economy earned some $62.6 billion in 2018 from the tourism industry.

Further, over the period of January to May, international arrivals have increased by 9.2 per cent and it is expected to reach 100 per cent growth by 2025, given the rapid and transformative nature of the sector. However, the GTA did not provide statistics the tourist arrival by country.

news

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Thursday, July 18 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, July 19 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, July 18 –05:05h-06:35h and Friday, July 19 –05:40h-07:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals will prevail throughout the day interrupted by light rain to thundery showers in the mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Thundery showers are expected to return in the evening followed by clear skies. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-westerly to East Northeasterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 17:35h reaching a maximum height of 2.47 metres.

Low Tide: 11:10h and 23:21h reaching minimum heights of 0.64 metre and 0.74 metre.

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Appointment of GECOM chair

Opposition Leader finds President’s suggestions “unfavourable” …submits 4 additional nominees …discussion continues today

O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo did not find favour with President David Granger’s suggestions of Attorney Kesaundra Alves and Justice Claudette La Bennett for the post of chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This was revealed following a meeting with representatives from the President and Opposition on Wednesday to hammer out six names that are “not unacceptable” to the President.

“The two names previously suggested by the President did not find favour with the Leader of the Opposition,” a joint statement from the two sides detailed.

The President had initially suggested a list of eight names for the Opposition Leader to consider but subsequently shortlisted Alves, the Chair of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and Justice La Bennett, a retired High Court Judge.

It is not the first time that Justice La Bennett’s name has appeared in the running for GECOM Chairperson. In 2017, prior to the unilateral appointment of retired Justice James Patterson, President Granger had been adamant that he was not leaning towards appointing La Bennett.

Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s meeting, the Opposition’s team, which included People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall presented four additional names to be hammered out.

These new names will be passed on to President Granger for consideration.

Both the Opposition and the President’s representatives were tight-lipped about the new nominees.

However, Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon, who, along with PNC/R Chair Volda Lawrence represented the President during the meeting, confirmed that these new names were not among the 18 submitted by the Opposition Leader back in 2017.

The Head of State has found another four nominees submitted by the Opposition Leader as “not unacceptable”.

This means that those four individuals can make the final list of six nominees for the post of the new GECOM chairperson.

While, those final four names were not disclosed, Guyana Times understands that Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Latchmansingh is among those of whom the Head of State found acceptable.

Nevertheless, the hammering out process will continue today, where the two

sides are expected to consider the four new Opposition nominees.

Jagdeo has to compile a final consensual list of six nominees to submit to President Granger. From that list, the Head of State will choose a GECOM Chairperson.

Initially, the Opposition Leader had presented 11 names to be “hammered out” by a working group comprising of representatives from both Government and the Opposition. These nominees were all rejected back in 2017

by President Granger, who had gone ahead and unilaterally appointed retired Justice James Patterson as the GECOM Chair.

However, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on June 18, 2019 ruled that Justice James Patterson’s appointment to the post was flawed and unconstitutional. Days later, he stepped down opening up the process for a new chairperson to be appointed.

The Court had urged that there be consensus between the two leaders in this process, resulting in the establishment of the working group. However, during a series of meetings last week, the President’s representatives shortlisted only five of the Opposition’s 11 nominees.

This resulted in a breakdown in those talks after the Government’s side could not say definitively whether those names shortlisted, as well as those suggested by President, are not objectionable to him.

The process was then referred back to the two political leaders and after several exchanges of correspondenc-

PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall met with Government representatives Joseph Harmon and Volda Lawrence on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency as the hammering out process continues for the appointment of a new GECOM Chair

es over the weekend, Granger and Jagdeo finally met on Tuesday. Coming out of that meeting, the President found four of the Opposition’s nominees “not unacceptable”. The two sides also agreed that the hammering out process will continue with a smaller team and during that process, the two names suggested by the President, along with others “as may be necessary”, will be further discussed.

Informal process

Meanwhile, speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s meeting, Ali reminded that the hammering out process is informal and as such, more can be expected from the Opposition Leader in order to have consensus in the six names that will be submitted to the President for the

GECOM Chair selection.

Adding to this, Nandlall explained that the language of the CCJ must be read and interpreted in the context of Article 161 (2) which, among other things, gives the Opposition Leader the responsibility to continue to produce names to the President until his selection is made.

“The character of that exercise cannot change, so it’s not for the President to keep sending (names). This process is to find the not acceptability of the President, nothing else. And when the CCJ said what they said, it must be construed from that context, that names must continue to come from the Leader of the Opposition until the President says yes…,” the former Attorney General stated.

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019

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

Suppressing reality

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he is no doubt that all Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation or social standing, want Guyana to fully realize its vast and enviable potential. In doing so, the country and its people would benefit tremendously for the redounding economic prosperity with standard of living holistically improved.

Comparison continues to be made to what Singapore, with far fewer natural resources than Guyana, visibly is today. It has a highly developed market economy and is known as one of the freest, most innovative, most competitive, most dynamic and most businessfriendly.

Guyana, unfortunately, is nowhere close to such categorization and after the 2015 elections, the economic took a downturn following years of unprecedented and sustained growth and development.

As more Guyanese travel and assess for themselves how other countries have moved ahead and how the residents benefit from such advancement, they cannot help but wonder, what if with regard to their own.

What if Guyana had achieved even just half of what Singapore has? The staggering results would have been unimaginable by local standards. It would have surpassed others in the region and become a buzzing hub for trade and tourism. It would have inflated pride in all Guyanese thereby imbuing enthusiasm to inundate social media for a furtherance of positive messaging.

This is not taking away from Guyanese, who, despite the obvious challenges, search for positives to share. Of course, there are those who will always find negatives in a sea of positives. That said, damning reality cannot be ignored.

Some, in their push for positive imaging, advocate for a suppression of the negatives. With unfettered access to social media, there is a difficulty for people to resist sharing real stories despite them being considered as potentially damaging to the country’s image.

A few weeks ago, the Business Minister reportedly stated that Guyanese should be careful of what they post on Facebook. His obvious concern is the potential to harm tourism and by extension, the image of the country. He was referring to highlighting of crime.

The portfolio he holds would demand he make such appeals especially since Guyana is still building its international tourism profile.

However, as a government Minister, he cannot be oblivious of the crime situation and the toll it continues to take on Guyanese.

There were many incidents of tourists and overseas-based Guyanese being robbed on visiting here with some killed. In such cases, whether Guyanese here make such posts on social media or not, the tourists and overseas relatives would. More so, there was no isolated case, but quite a number of robberies on the way from the airport, on reaching their destination or sometime after.

The media has every right to report on matters affecting the citizenry, including crime. Just two weeks ago a father and daughter were killed by bandits on the East Coast. East Berbice was literally under siege, even in mindsets, by armed bandits. Weeks ago, the Police launched an operation after mounting public pressure resulting in three bandits being killed.

From that incident, an alleged collusion between the dead bandits and a senior officer was revealed. A senior cop has since been sent on leave as investigations continue. In May this year, three bandits, who invaded a Norton Street home, were also killed by police.

Crime however has not ceased and every day they are reports of robberies across the country. That is the frightening reality in which lives were lost precipitating fear into those who reside here and those who want to visit. The situation worsened over the past few years. Just a few months ago the United States of America issued a travel warning to its citizens desirous of coming here.

That in itself underscored the magnitude of the local crime situation and it may have gotten the attention of the government which in its response said that the country is safe. In saying so, many felt that the government was either tone-deaf to crime or ignored it.

That may explain why it took a seeming eternity for a response to the Berbice situation.

That aside, what the government failed to understand, having ignored the pains and cries of locals, is that if the country was safe, why would the USA issue such a statement? That statement could not have resulted from Guyanese postings on social media, but from the USA’s own assessment to safeguard the welfare of its citizens.

In trying to safeguard families, Guyanese posted in desperation to bring awareness with the expectation of effective intervention from the government. In the context of the heinous crimes committed and its continued rampage, is the Minister of Business suggesting that such incidents be ignored while in the process of building a tourism profile?

What he should be made aware of, is, if he wants a tourism profile not sullied by crime, then he should demand that the government he represents take effective and sustained action to safeguard the welfare of Guyanese and those who visit.

It would be one of many important steps to achieve success like Singapore. What is not surprising, is the Minister not asking the USA for it to stop issuing travel advisory like it did. Maybe Guyanese are easy pickings.

A vendor waits for customers as he sells vegetables amid floodwaters, after the rain in Lahore, Pakistan. (Reuters/Mohsin Raza)

Macaws offer feathered 'therapy' to suffering Venezuelans

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ooking for an escape from the daily realities of crisis-ridden Venezuela, Carmen Borges finds solace receiving visitors on the roof of her Caracas apartment building every morning: groups of blue and gold macaws that arrive at daybreak.

Borges, a 49-year-old alternative medicine therapist, sat one bright morning in May on top of her 11-storey building with a can of sunflower seeds and a tray of bananas to await their arrival.

After nearly an hour, two macaws landed on the roof.

A third swooped out of the sky and casually perched on her head – releasing two of the typical squawks that often resonate across the city.

“This one decided that she’s mine – or rather that I’m hers,” said Borges, who says she recognises the bird because of a mark on its beak. “I think they’ve turned into the therapists of Caracas,” she said, unfazed by the bird impatiently pecking her forehead as she peeled a banana.

Long described as a bright spot in a city that has been in decline for years, Caracas’ macaws have become a mechanism of escape from the daily grind of finding potable water, struggling with collapsing Internet and avoiding crime-ridden streets.

The simple contact with the increasingly people-friendly macaws, some varieties of which are threatened by animal trafficking, has become an alternative to pricey movie outings or trips to the beach that used to help people unwind.

A 2015 study found that Caracas has between 200 and 300 blue and yellow ma-

caws, which are believed to have come from the jungles of southern Venezuela, according to biologist Maria Gonzalez of Simon Bolivar University.

No population studies have been carried out since then for lack of funds, said Gonzalez, adding that it is difficult to track the birds with transmitters because they remove them.

“Caracas is perfect because it has a lot of trees, it’s very green, it has a lot of fruit trees – and it has no macaw predators,” she said. “Where there’s a lot of food and no predators, that sounds like paradise.”

Vitorio Poggi, 75, has fed macaws for decades after becoming fascinated by one that followed him while he was riding his motorcycle in the 1970s.

“I love the way they fly, especially because they fly in pairs,” said Poggi in his home outside Caracas, where he currently feeds around 20 of the birds twice a day.

Venezuela's debts to China, Russia would be restructured through Paris Club – Guaidó adviser

Loans to Venezuela from President Nicolás Maduro’s allies Russia and China would be renegotiated though the Paris Club if Maduro leaves power, an adviser to the Opposition said on Wednesday, responding to concerns about favourable treatment for the two countries.

Ricardo Hausmann, who represents Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), said Guaidó’s team has not determined how loans might be restructured un-

A macaw flies over a rooftop of a building with a piece of banana in its beak in Caracas, Venezuela, June 12, 2019

der its governance because bilateral debt talks typically take place under the auspices of the Paris Club creditor group.

“It is not as if the chapter on bilateral debt says we are going to treat it differently. It is treated differently in international practice through the Paris Club,” said Hausmann, a Harvard economics professor and former Planning Minister, at the IDB’s annual meeting in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

“We have not come out with any specific guidelines on the treatment of bilateral debt for that reason.”

Earlier this month, Guaido’s advisers published a plan pledging equal treatment for creditors during an eventual restructuring process of Venezuela’s US$200 billion in debt if Maduro leaves power. Maduro has overseen a collapse in the nation’s economy.

The document carved out some exceptions, including for the billions of dollars in loans from Russia and China, which drew criticism from a group of bondholders known as the Venezuela Creditors Committee, who said the “burden” should be shared equally between

public and private creditors.

Guaidó, who heads the Opposition-controlled National Assembly, in January invoked the Constitution to declare himself interim president and challenge Maduro to step down, arguing his 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Most Western countries and some multilateral organisations, including the IDB, recognise him as Venezuela’s rightful leader.

But Maduro, who calls Guaidó a US-backed puppet seeking to oust him in a coup, has retained control of the military and State institutions. China, Russia and Cuba continue to recognise him as President.

An internal document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday showed that US President Donald Trump’s Administration plans to divert more than US$40 million originally intended as humanitarian aid for Central America to support the Opposition in Venezuela.

Hausmann said he had no knowledge of the reported plans.

“It would surprise me if it were true,” Hausmann said. (Reuters)

NEWS

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

SOCU Head to be replaced P olice Commissioner Leslie James has made known the administration’s intention to replace Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James.

Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Police Awards Ceremony held at the Tactical Services Unit’s Drill Square at Eve Leary, the top cop said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will soon issue a release naming the replacement of Sydney James.

“I can say to you that, a little later today, I will make an announcement as regards the replacement of the head of SOCU,” Commissioner James said.

The SOCU Head was recently sent on administrative leave amidst allegations of mismanagement of funds at the unit. The decision came months after a special audit had unearthed several instances of mismanagement of funds and falsification of documents at the

entity. The audit had also found some unaccounted-for expenditure, which could not be verified by a paper trail.

The audit was ordered by the Police Commissioner in February; and although the Top Cop has not commented on the findings of that audit, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had described the revelations as “damning”.

The probe into the operations of the white-collar crime-fighting unit was triggered after the former British adviser Dr Sam Sittlington had made a number of allegations against the Unit.

Following those allegations, James was questioned over allegations of improper spending. This is in light of the ongoing investigation and audit which was conducted after termination of the British adviser’s services.

The Public Security Minister had confirmed that

Police Commissioner Leslie James

an investigation was ongoing into the matter, and he had noted that there were allegations of monies not being spent properly and had said it is now within the jurisdiction of the investigators to understand the spending procedures at SOCU. After being fired amidst a conflict-of-interest scandal, Sittlington had revealed that SOCU had not been operating in the manner in

which it should, and he had said there are instances of improper spending.

The parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has maintained that SOCU, which was set up to fight money-laundering and other white-collar crimes, has become a political unit under the APNU/AFC regime.

The PPP had said that Sittlington was going beyond his advisory role and was taking on executive functions. It was pointed out that Sittlington was going on operations such as raids and arrests.

SOCU, also, was under scrutiny after its Deputy Director, Sheronie James, had resigned following a local Magistrate disqualifying her as an expert witness based on her lack of qualifications.

Ramjattan had said James was recommended by senior officials after she had indicated her qualifications, which the Public Security

Ministry had thought were genuine.

Questions were previously raised about the Police investigating James, and whether there could be any bias involved; however, the Public Security Minister had assured that the investigation was perfectly normal, and that in addition to the Police’s own internal audits ongoing at SOCU, the Auditor General could come in and take control of the proceedings.

He had said the Police auditors were seeking to better understand the systems which had been in place for spending at the agency.

This comes even as the parliamentary Opposition had expressed concern about SOCU moving away from its original mandate.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had previously charged that SOCU’s mandate was not being delivered, especially since it was suspected of taking political directives. He had

SOCU’s embattled head, Sydney James

noted that that was responsible for its failure rate.

SOCU has had several of its cases tossed out of the courts, including a number of charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) executives and Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) directors.

The Opposition has since called for the Unit to be dismantled, but President David Granger has contended that Government would instead work to restore public confidence in SOCU.

Caricom silent on situation that is strangling Guyana's democracy Dear Editor, Caricom should ensure that Governments have abiding respect for human rights, the rule and law, and take action to ensure social and economic justice, should also provide proactive, visionary leadership for promoting and reinforcing the spirit and commitment to regional integration, emphasizing transparency, accountability and operational excellence within all organs and institutions of Caricom

countries.

Caricom rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security. "However I was shocked when Mr Pat Robinson was trying to protect Caricom for their silence and reluctance to speak out on the present political situation in Guyana.

The Caribbean Court of Justice is a creation of Caricom, despite which countries may use it as

their final Court, as such Caricom must ensure that the CCJ is not being made ineffective, as such must ensure that judgement issued must be honoured and respected by all stakeholders.

The claims of Mr Pat Robinson that Caricom will continue to remain silent because they are not political is "total garbage " since Caricom was one of the first organisations that spoken out on political situations in Guyana

after the 15th December 1997 elections. In fact the then PPP/C Government has committed itself in facilitating every effort by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to have a successful intervention of a top-level CARICOM Goodwill Mission to Georgetown, to diffuse three weeks of tension that gripped the city after the PNC rejected the poll results. The Mission, comprising eminent Barbadian Sir Henry Forde, Guyanese

Sir Shridath Ramphal, and Grenadian Sir Alister McIntyre, succeeded in getting minority leader Desmond Hoyte to agree to a poll audit, among other things, to agree with President Janet Jagan.

In a press release on the 1st June 1998, (Ref#:43/1998/868), Caricom committed in playing a major role in the implementation of the Herdmanston Accord it brokered with Guyana's political parties post 1997

elections unrest.

So the question is why Caricom suddenly became dumb, deaf and blind on the present situation that is strangling Guyana's democracy, but reacted in three weeks during the post elections unrest in 1997.Caricom silence may remain because the PPP/C is not destructive enough to get the attention of Caricom.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

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THURsday, JUly 18, 2019

Page

Foundation

…analyse maps of places from your neighbourhood to the world and then create maps for the locations of your own homes at very day when Elena came home from school, her better. Maybe you feel guilty when you remember one multiple scales cat Tomaso would run to greet her. Then Elena time when you were mean to your pet.

E

would pick up Tomaso and give the cat a hug. One day, though, her cat wasn’t there. Her mom told her that Tomaso had died.

Millions of people across the world own pets. Maybe you have a pet, and maybe some of your friends do too. A pet can be a special friend, and you might think of him or her as a member of the family. A pet can play with you or just be with you when you don’t feel like talking.

What happens when a pet dies?

Unfortunately, pets can’t stay with us forever.

Like all living things, they will die at some point.

Sometimes a pet dies from old age because its body has worn out. Sometimes a pet dies from an accident. Sometimes a pet gets too sick to live. Even when an animal doctor (a veterinarian, or vet) helps, there are some problems that just can’t be fixed.

If your pet is in a lot of pain and will never get better, your parents and the vet may decide that the animal should be allowed to die. To make it go more quickly and without pain, the vet can give the pet some medicine that will help it die. The animal gets a special kind of injection (shot) that allows it to die peacefully. Deciding to help a pet die is a hard thing to do.

Why am I feeling like this?

It’s sad when a pet dies. For a while, though, you may not feel anything at all. That’s OK. Or you may feel like crying and that’s OK, too. You may feel lonely because your pet was your friend. You might even feel mad at the vet for not being able to make your pet

To some kids, it may seem like no one understands what they are feeling.

I

ntroduce the concept of living in one place that can be identified by many different names.

We all live in many places at this moment. We are not talking about people who move from one place to another at different times. We live in a home, in a neighbourhood, and also a town or city, and a state, a country, a continent, and on Earth.

Compare several maps showing a “home” at different scales. For example, Ali lives in _______ (see picture for address).

Talk it out Elena decided to talk with her parents about how she was feeling. She wanted to ask about some things she didn’t understand, like where Tomaso went after death. Elena’s parents answered her questions the best they could. Death is a mystery, and people have different beliefs about what happens after an animal or person dies.

Elena’s parents told her about the pets they used to have when they were kids and how it was difficult to say goodbye.

They told her that it’s OK to be sad when animals die and it’s not silly at all.

At first, it can be hard to talk about the pet you’re missing. You might want to forget about everything instead. But talking with someone you love is the What do you see on this map of her neighbourhood best way to help you start (streets, park, railroad, location of library, school, Ali’s to feel better. house)?

What comes next?

When a pet dies, you and your family may want to find special ways to remember your pet. It can be a big help to share a sad thing with people you love. You might have a ceremony to bury your pet or just share memories of fun times you had together. You might want to tell stories or write a poem. You could do a project too, like making a scrapbook.

There are many ways you can hold on to your happy memories. And you can always love your pet. A new animal can’t replace your old pet. But someday the time may be right for you and your family to adopt a new animal for everyone to love. (kidshealth.org)

Next, on a map, find Ali’s state, Missouri; what else do you see in the state? What river runs along the eastern border of the state? (Mississippi River) In what part of the state is St Louis? (the east) What is the capital of Missouri?

(Jefferson City) Move to the United States map, showing Ali’s country.

Find Missouri on the map. What else do you see (the fifty states, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, large rivers, Great Lakes, Canada and Mexico to the north and south)?

Move to the map of North America (this is Ali’s continent). What else is part of this hemisphere? (Canada, Mexico, Greenland, the countries of Central America and the West Indies) Move to the world map and find Ali’s place in the world.

Is her home closer to South America or Africa?

Each place you see on the map is larger in the real world than the one before it. We call this a change in the scale of the map.

Create your own atlases of your home at multiple scales. (nationalgeographic.org)

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thurSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt’s caretaker status puts State contracts at risk – PSC …advises members to seek legal advice

T

he uncertain footing of the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/ AFC) Government has put private sector contracts with the State at risk— a possibility heavily criticised by the Private Sector Commission (PSC).

In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the PSC slammed the behaviour of President David Granger and his Government, who despite being toppled by a NoConfidence Motion, have been criticised for seeming reluctant to go to the polls and comply with the Constitution and Court rulings.

“It is the Private Sector’s view that the President, by his behaviour, has put at risk all private sector entities and other organisations made subject to contracts and any other action authorised by the Cabinet, by presuming them to be legal. The Private Sector Commission has, therefore, advised its members to seek legal advice in this regard,” the Commission stated.

According to the PSC, the President announcing that Cabinet shall continue to function is “totally unacceptable”, noting that this means that the President is refusing to honour the Constitution of Guyana.

Article 106 (6) of the

shall continue to function.

The Caribbean Court has stated that “by convention, the Government is expected to behave during this interim period as a caretaker and so restrain the exercise of its legal authority,” the PSC made clear.

Caretaker

The Private Sector Commission is the umbrella body for businesses in Guyana

Constitution of Guyana states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence”.

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) states: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election”.

“It is totally unacceptable, therefore, to the Commission that the President has refused to honour the Constitution in announcing that the Cabinet

Since the Government fell to the no-confidence vote on December 21, 2019, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has always maintained that the Government should be acting in a caretaker capacity only and not be entering into large scale contracts.

Jagdeo’s position was vindicated by the CCJ on Friday last when it ruled that the Government should be in a caretaker status.

CCJ President Adrian Saunders had outlined that the Cabinet, including the President, should have already been resigned, thus, reaffirming that the APNU/ AFC coalition is, in fact, and should be in a caretaker mode leading up to elections.

“Article 106 envisaged that the tenure in office of the Cabinet, including the President after the Government’s defeat, is on a different footage from that which existed prior to the vote of no-confidence…By convention, the Government is expected to behave, during

Despite the CCJ rulings, the Government said in a statement recently that Cabinet had not stopped functioning

this interim period, as a caretaker and so restrain the exercise of its legal authority. It is this caretaker or interim role that explains the three-month deadline in the first instance that the Article lays down in principle for the holding of fresh elections,” Justice Saunders stated.

Since the post-judgement hearing at the CCJ last month, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) lawyer Stanley Marcus and Attorney General Basil Williams had both argued that the Article 106 (7) provision meant the President and his Cabinet had to remain in power until after a new President was sworn

in.

But CCJ Judge Justice Jacob Wit had also debunked this argument. He had noted that it is international practice that following a successful NoConfidence Motion, a caretaker Government is usually left in place with a limited timeframe in which to carry out snap elections.

He had made it clear that contrary to the Government’s arguments, a provision for a caretaker Government does not have to be explicit in the Constitution, as this is a standard and recognised international practice.

On January 18, it had been announced that

Cabinet noted the award of a total of 36 contracts that went through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). These multi-million dollar contracts ranged from the construction and rehabilitation of roads to the construction of pump stations and the supply of fibre optic cables to the National Data Management Authority.

In a statement a few days ago, the coalition Government claimed that it accepted its “interim” status, but that it would continue to function in the interest of the State and that Cabinet has not stopped functioning.

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS 2 charged for attempting to kill taxi driver

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wo men, who hired a taxi on the pretext of being passengers and pointed a gun to the driver’s head, stabbing him several times about his body in the furtherance of a robbery, were on Wednesday charged for attempted murder and appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Ornest James, 25, of Lot 179 Old Road Eccles, East Bank Demerara and Linden Flavious, 31, a construction worker of Agricola, East Bank Demerara, both appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The men were not required to plea to the indictable charge which stated that on July 11, 2019 at John Fernandes Squatting Area, with intent to commit murder, they unlawfully and maliciously wounded Derick

Nelson.

James was represented

by Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson, who, in a bail application, told the Court that his client is the sole breadwinner for his family.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers objected to bail on the grounds of the serious nature of the allegation and the fact that the victim is

still hospitalised in a serious condition.

The Prosecutor related to the Court that the incident was captured on CCTV and that the two men charged were positively identified by the victim.

According to the prosecution’s case, on July 11, the victim, who is a taxi driver, was hired by the defendants to be taken to West Ruimveldt Back Road, Georgetown.

The Court heard the men entered the vehicle and during the journey, Flavious held the victim at gunpoint, while James dealt him several stabs about his body with an ice pick, after which they then relieved the victim of an undisclosed sum of cash and his jewellery before making good their escape.

phone valued $135,000, a gold band valued $100,000, and a gold chain valued $300,000.

It was further alleged that on May 26, 2019 at Agricola Public Road, East Bank Demerara, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Jermaine Inniss of a gold chain valued $440,000.

Additionally, it is alleged that on May 26, 2019 at Agricola Public Road, East Bank Demerara, while being in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Kristian Jeffrey of a chain valued $400,000, one wallet valued $10,000, and $15,000.

Charles denied all the charges.

Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman told the Court

that Guyana’s top car racing champion Kristian Jeffrey, who lost part of his ear during the robbery, was attacked at Flour Mill Road, Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

It was reported that the racer was in company of his friend after leaving the Buju Banton show in May at the National Stadium in Providence, EBD, when they were held at gunpoint by the defendant and relieved of their valuables.

Jeffrey, who won the Caribbean Group Four Championship twice, was shot during a confrontation. He was rushed to a private city hospital.

The prosecution is also contending that Griffith was standing outside her

Ornest James

Alberttown man charged for robbing motor racer

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ne of the men, who robbed one of Guyana’s top motor racer at the Agricola Public Road after the Buju Banton concert, was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, slapped with several robbery charges.

Twenty-year-old Shamar Charles, of Alberttown, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty to answer to three armed robbery charges.

The first charge stated that on July 10,2019 at Lombard Street, Georgetown, while being in company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Tessa Griffith of a

Linden Flavious

Then victim then crashed his vehicle into a pile of wood and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he remains a patient in a serious condition. The matter was then reported and the two men were arrested and charged. They were both remanded and the case will continue on August 6.

Kristian Jeffrey

workplace on Lombard Street, Georgetown at 12:00h when Charles, who was riding a motorcycle, approached her and relived her of her valuables.

Prosecutor Blackman objected to bail being granted to the defendant on the grounds of the serious nature of the allegations and the penalty the charges attracts. The case will continue on July 31.

Security guard remanded on robbery charge

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n Incident Management Group (IMG) security officer, charged for robbery, made his first Court appearance on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Garfield Edwards of Lot 3580 Stevedore Housing Scheme, South Ruimveldt denied the charge when it was

read to him by Magistrate Faith McGusty.

The charge stated that on July 15, 2019 at Church Street, Georgetown, he robbed Shafeena Ally of cash and a quantity of items valued at $20, 800.

Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman told the Court that on the day in question, the Virtual Complainant (VC)

was on her way to work and while waiting to cross the road, the 23-year-old man rode up alongside her on a bicycle. The prosecution is contending that Edwards snatched the items from the VC and attempted to escape when the VC raised an alarm.

According to the prosecution’s case, public-spirited persons responded to the

woman’s call for help, gave chase and apprehended the defendant. He was handed over to the Police and the items were recovered in his possession.

The Prosecutor further told the Court that the defendant was positively identified by the victim. Edwards was remanded to prison and the case will continue on July 31.

Alleged gun brandishing lands man on remand

A

motorcycle mechanic was remanded to prison on Wednesday by Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Providence Magistrates’ Court on a charge of illegal possession of a high powered weapon.

Devon Atkinson, also known as “Wild Buck”, of Kitty, Georgetown denied the charge which stat-

ed that on July 14, 2019 at Linden-Soesdyke Highway, he had a Bushmaster Carbon 15 AR 15 Pistol in his possession while not being the holder of a firearm license.

Atkinson was represented by Attorney-at-Law Siand Dhurjon, who made a bail application on behalf of his client. The prosecution is contending that on July

Devon Atkinson

14, Atkinson was observed

by Police officers pulling out the weapon from his backpack at an event outside a popular resort on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

It is also alleged that Atkinson discharged several rounds in the air.

Magistrate Latchman remanded the man to prison and the case will continue on August 6.

Guyanese…

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…poverty pimps n the US, coming out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s – which led to large governmental efforts to alleviate the poverty in black neighbourhoods— there evolved a new phenomenon: the “Poverty Pimp”. In the words of Thomas Sowell, the black Harvard Sociologist, “There are whole classes of people who live off the poor, or rather, off the vast sums of money that are poured out from the public treasury and private philanthropy, in hopes of helping the poor”.

“Those who intercept the money intended for the poor have been aptly called “Poverty Pimps”. The poor are a commodity to these people, who include not only local politicians, community activists and small-time hustlers, but also people with impressive titles and academic credentials, who likewise milk the larger society, in the name of the poor”.

Your Eyewitness realised the “Poverty Pimp” phenomenon had reached our shores after recent revelations about the activities of a coterie from ACDA, which was supposed to be dedicated to the “development” of African Guyanese. The group has been around since 1992, but when one looks around, one would be hard pressed to see what exactly they’ve done for their constituency.

What they’ve done for themselves, however, is now out in the open!! And no one’s even mentioned their stints with ‘Guyana Goldfields’!!

Sowell’s satirical poem, “Poverty Pimps”, describes them well: “Let us celebrate the poor, let us hawk them door to door. There’s a market for their pain, votes and glory and money to gain”.

“Let us celebrate the poor. Their ills, their sins, their faulty diction. Flavour our songs and spice our fiction.

Their hopes and struggles and agonies, get us grants and consulting fees. Celebrate thugs and clowns, give their ignorance all renown. Celebrate what holds them down, in our academic gowns. Let us celebrate the poor”.

One critic of “Poverty Pimps”, offered some clues on “how to know a poverty pimp”, from which you can easily recognise the local practitioners: 1) When they start a series of for-profit ventures to “fund” they’re not for-profit ...and but the profits remain in their pockets. 2) When getting financial donations has become the vast majority of their effort and time and not actually working WITH the poor.

3) When they’ve become really, really, really good at using race, class and gender discussions to prevent any criticism of what they’re doing. 4) When their offices are furnished much better than anything their clients will ever own in their entire lifetime. 5) When most of the money for their “advocacy” group goes for four star hotels and platinum credit cards for their executives. Remember the ABR launch at the Marriott?

And where’d that $68M to IDPAD go?? …being eye-passed Well, to be truthful, what’s going on in the negotiations between the caretaker President and the Opposition Leader on the list from which to select the next GECOM Chair is not just “eye pass”, but “rass pass”!! Imagine Granger finally found 4 of the 11 names Jagdeo had resubmitted “not unacceptable”!! So why in God’s name did he tell the Guyanese people the OL was showing “bad faith” to resubmit those names?? Is he getting senile in his dotage??

But more insulting to all of us was to suggest that the OL now add the two names he’d “shortlisted” from his 8 and add them to the four to make up the “list of six names”!! Does he really think Jagdeo is so daft as not to see this oh-so transparent ploy?? Your Eyewitness expects the OL will submit two additional names of his own – with the requisite “judge-like” qualities.

And let Granger once again reveal that he just wants to have his list and compile it too!! …divisions being widened Your Eyewitness notes with regret the racial fissures in our society widening into chasms over the stand caretaker Granger has taken on the selection of the GECOM Chair – especially with the youths.

Weren’t they supposed to lead us out of the race morass?

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

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thurSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GAWU calls out Govt for 95 persons died from snakebite in 5 years “brazen” attempts to A overlook Constitution …FITUG warns of repercussions if Constitution not upheld Union, stated they have tak-

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he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) on Wednesday joined the call for political leaders to respect the ruling handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

During an event organised to mark the 100th anniversary of trade unionism in Guyana, General Secretary of the Union Seepaul Narine said that there have been “brazen” attempts to overlook the Constitution as he called for election preparations to take urgency.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to what appears to be brazen attempts to undermine that culture and disrespect our nation’s Constitution. It is a matter that we go to the greatest degree of discomfort, and racist apprehensions these days and the implications of which must be a concern to workers and the trade union movement. It would be remiss of the trade union movement if this conference does not call on political leaders to abide fully by the CCJ’s ruling and agreeing on a date for national and regional elections as a matter of urgency,” Narine shared.

The CCJ ruled on June 18, 2019 that the NoConfidence Motion against the Government was validly passed with 33 votes on December 21, 2018. This means that the administration is now a caretaker Government.

Last week, during the handing down of consequential orders, the CCJ ordered

GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine

that a date for elections be set in keeping with the constitutional deadline. This meant that elections should be held in three months of the June 18 decision.

Meanwhile, President of Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) Carvil Duncan was also vocal about what he described as the unsteady political climate and reminded that “hell would break loose” if Guyana’s Constitution is not upheld.

“The Constitution is the rule of this country and if we don’t follow the Constitution, all hell will break loose. Let us do what is right and the Constitution dictates what is right. Let us do it,” he echoed.

Private sector bodies and members of the diplomatic community have also called for the CCJ ruling to be upheld and that the Constitution be respected.

On Monday, in a joint statement, members of the diplomatic community in Guyana, including the United States, United Kingdom, and the European

en note of the CCJ’s pronouncements on July 12.

The joint statement by the group said that it is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by the CCJ’s ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. The diplomats further urged that this adherence be done expeditiously.

This followed statements issued by the Private Sector Commission (PSC), which also urged compliance with the Court and Constitution.

According to the PSC, the appointment of a new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman must be done the right way.

The commission, which is the umbrella body for the business community, warned that President David Granger must not go down the road of another unilateral appointment.

While the Opposition Leader is solely responsible for selecting six nominees, the Head of State, in the informal process, would have opted to produce his own list, which to the surprise of many, consisted of former GECOM Chairman retired Justice James Patterson, whose appointment was ruled as “flawed” in the opinion of the CCJ. After several correspondences over the weekend, Granger and Jagdeo finally met on Tuesday, where it was disclosed that four of the 11 names submitted were “not unacceptable” by the President. However, those persons were not revealed.

The discussions on the matter are ongoing.

n estimated 95 persons have died over a five-year period as a result of being bitten by venomous snakes, the Public Health Ministry noted.

“From accessible statistics (2010–2014), documents show that there were 1, 190 cases of snakebite resulting in the death of 95 persons,” the Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statistics show that adult males are more vulnerable to the lethal bites from these dangerous reptiles.

In an effort to improve its response protocol to snakebites, the Ministry purchased an anti-venom treatment from Costa Rica, which is currently available at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

GPHC currently has the capacity to implement the new protocol and the institution also has the ability to manage possible complications from the use of anti-venom, including allergic/anaphylactic reactions, which could be life-threatening.

The most common anaphylactic reactions are to insect stings, foods, latex, and medications.

If one is allergic to a substance, one’s immune system overreacts to the allergen by releasing chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.

Meanwhile, GPHC’s

Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit is spearheading a training scheme for all relevant staff at Regional and District Hospitals nationwide to help prevent overburdening of its central system.

The Ministry said it is also exploring the best practices to monitor the physiological effects of envenomation (the process by which venom is injected into a victim through bite or sting) and its complications. The current management protocols include supporting pain control, tetanus protection, blood transfusion, infection control and wound care for victims.

As part of the snakebite sensitisation plan, communities will be educated about proper measures to implement to minimise contact with snakes and avoiding their deadly bites.

Community involvement is important

The Ministry is also seeking the cooperation of all residents of high-risk areas, including farms, forested areas, woodlands, grasslands and newly developed housing areas to: 1. Ensure that possible breeding sites for snakes be reduced by eliminating, dumping and heaping organic and vegetation waste such as branches, weeds, cuttings and coconut shells.

2. Remove overgrown

vegetation that may serve as avenues to residents’ yards and public waterways by dangerous species of snakes.

3. Desist from discarding/dumping unused foods and food materials indiscriminately, which may attract rats and also snakes (searching for food) to the domestic surroundings.

4. Use personal protective equipment (PPEs) and observe caution signs when exploring, clearing, or venturing into high-risk areas.

Guyana is home to a wide variety of species of snakes, and of these, four are known to be deadly: the Labaria (Bothrops atrox), the Carpet Labaria (Bothrops taeniata), and its close relative, the Bushmaster (Lachesis muta).

The latter is found in most parts of the country but is especially prevalent in the moist coastal plains, rainforest and arid grasslands.

The other deadly species include the Rupununi Rattler (Crotalus durissus) found mainly in the savannah grasslands and the Coral Snake (Elapids) found in a variety of environments and move seasonally to diverse areas in search of food.

Guyana’s economy still depends heavily on agriculture, farming, logging and mining, and this exposes locals to the risk of contact with venomous snakes.

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Hold companies accountable for health, safety, damage to environment – AmCham Guyana …as T&T counterparts urge robust regulatory framework for oil sector

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he need for companies to make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, observe health and safety policies, and be held accountable by the countries they operate in was on Wednesday emphasised by Guyana’s American Chamber (AmCham), President Zulficar Ally.

Ally was at the time speaking during a conference at the Marriott Hotel, organised to discuss health and safety in the Private Sector. According to Ally, companies will be expected to lift their standards when it comes to health and safety and they should be held accountable for that.

“Gone are the days when companies can operate with

AmCham T&T’s Patricia Ghany

President,

reckless disregard for the environment and its inhabitants. Compassion is the single quality that defines us as humane. And it is now be-

ing asked of us, that whether it’s birds or fishes or trees, the right to life is not one that (only) we as human beings are endowed and entitled. And it is not enough to perform grand gestures of show if the impact is minimal,” he said.

He stressed the need for companies to not only limit the effects their operations can have, but also make an effort to reverse the damage.

Besides the environmental damage, Ally noted the effect irresponsible operations can have on a business’s reputation.

“Not only will they lost customers and supporters, but their reputations stand to be irreversibly destroyed by the damage that they

Guyana’s American Chamber (AmCham) President, Zulficar Ally A section of the gathering during the conference

leave behind. We should all consider this seriously. A robust environmental programme must not only complement a business mandate, but must remain central to it,” he added.

Ally also noted that with the changing economic dynamics in Guyana, companies that want to benefit must lift their standards in these areas. At present, AmCham Guyana is hosting a health, safety, security and environment conference at the Marriott Hotel.

The one-day event, held under the theme “preparing for sustainable development”, featured an appearance from Exxon Guyana’s Production Manager Mike Ryan. The Manager endeavoured to give an account of his company’s health and

safety policies, stressing that ExxonMobil puts the safety of its workers above business and profits.

Adequate systems

The need for Guyana to get adequate systems in place to regulate the oil and gas sector was also emphasised at the event, this time

by AMCHAM’s Trinidad and Tobago chapter.

Making these pronouncements was Trinidadian AMCHAM President Patricia Ghany. She warned about the effects of oil spills and other dangers of the sector when appropriate regulations and regulators were not set up. Ghany’s warnings, however, also included an offer of assistance from her organisation to its local counterparts.

“There are many changes to come that will transform business and investment.

With 23 years of experience and leadership in health and safety, AmCham T&T is ready to assist should the need arrive. So don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” she said.

Guyana’s state of readiness is a sore issue, considering the fact that first oil is next year and only a single piece of legislation related to the sector has been passed. This legislation is the Natural Resources Fund Bill, which was signed into law by President David Granger earlier this year.

The bill to create a Petroleum Commission is yet to pass in the House, while a national oil spill strategy and local content policy are still works in progress.

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thurSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

PSC slams Govt for failing to honour Constitution 7 months after NCM passed …says President must act in accordance with law

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he Private Sector Commission (PSC), in its strongest statement yet, on Wednesday slammed the coalition Government for failing to honour the Constitution of Guyana and Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) rulings.

According to the Commission, over seven months have elapsed since the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) was passed. Yet, the Government has failed to call a date for elections, which were already several months overdue.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

M e a n w h i l e , Article 106 (7) states:

“Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

“The Court has made plain that the provisions of our Constitution and “their meaning is clear”, and the Court holds that “it is the responsibility of constitutional actors in Guyana to honour them,” the PSC said in its statement.

“It is the considered view of the Private Sector that this responsibility abides first, and foremost, with President David Granger and that it is his burden and inherent polit-

President David Granger

ical duty to uphold this responsibility.”

According to the group, it was necessary for the politicians to uphold the rule of law and respect the Constitution, as urged by the international community, to ensure there is no confusion in the country.

“The Court has, quite

properly, restrained from “the issuance of coercive orders or detailed directives” to our national leaders, but asserted that it is for the President and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition “guided by the constitutional imperatives” to ensure that the consequences of the No-Confidence Motion are imposed upon the Government. The Private Sector wishes to note some seven months have passed and they are yet to be acted upon,” the PSC stated.

“The Caribbean Court had earlier ruled that the unilateral appointment by President Granger of the Chairman of the GECOM was “flawed” and that the President, in fact, had, therefore, acted in contravention of the constitutional requirement to appoint the Chairman from six names submitted by the Leader of the Opposition.

The Private Sector

Commission, therefore, calls upon the President to act expeditiously in fulfilling his constitutional responsibility in this regard.”

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had submitted a list of nominees for GECOM Chairperson that included Retired Major General Joe Singh, who served as GECOM Chairman years ago; environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins; Retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy; businessman Captain Gerry Gouveia; Attorney-at-Law Kashir Khan; former Magistrate Krishnadatt Persaud; conflict resolution specialist Lawrence Latchmansingh; Retired Major General Norman McLean, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, Retired Puisne Judge William Ramlall and Onesi La Fleur.

But in a turnaround, President David Granger

PSC Chairman Gerry Gouveia

then submitted an informal list of nominees of his own that featured former GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson, in addition to Retired Justices Claudette La Bennett and Stanley Moore, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Chairperson and Attorney Kesaundra Alves, economist Aubrey Continued on page 13

Large percentage of working class without union representation

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hile workers from the traditional sectors have sought representation from trade unions, there is a large bracket of the working class population in Guyana that remains unrepresented.

During the centurial anniversary of trade unionism in Guyana, President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Carvil Duncan, recognised that workers were represented owing to strives by Hubert Nathanial Critchlow.

However, he said, no one has sought to have private employees and other groups of employees represented, which uncovers the fact that there is much more to be done.

“Why is the security service not organised? Why [are] the private education institutions not organised?

Critchlow organised the domestic workers and they are organised. We have all these calling centres which have thousands of persons and they are still not organised. We have a lot of work to do,” Duncan iterated.

The FITUG President called on other unions to evolve from the traditional methods of representing workers and work towards a new direction.

“We are not living in a world of our own in Guyana.

Globalisation came…and it left with us a technologically-developed workforce. What are we doing about that? Throughout the Caribbean, unions have been losing members primarily because they have not been focusing in the right direction. If after 100 years, we should now con-

sider focusing in another direction,” the Trade Unionist added.

Reconstitution of Labour Ministry

Another burning issue highlighted was the fact the Labour Ministry was dismantled in 2015 and replaced by a department.

Holding weighty importance, calls were mounted

by FITUG and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to have the Ministry reconstituted.

Duncan insisted to the Labour Minister, Keith Scott, who was amid the gathering, “There is need to have a Ministry of Labour…

People are leaving rapidly and more people intend to leave. What’s to happen is the trade unions who will suffer. Do an analysis of what is happening, do your utmost to ensure that this decline reduces and the Ministry starts operating as a Ministry of Labour and not under no other minister,” Duncan expressed.

General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine shared similar sentiments, stating he is of the belief that a Labour Ministry is unwelcomed by Government.

“The Ministry which existed up to May 2015 has now been relegated to a department after more than 60 years of existence.

It seems to us that the Government is vehemently opposed to a Labour Ministry as could be seen by its disagreement with an Opposition-sponsored motion to re-establish the Labour Ministry”.

Adding to these challenges, the GAWU representative stated that col-

lective bargaining is one of the promises which remains unfulfilled by the coalition administration.

“Another vexing problem we are facing relates to collective bargaining which has received scant attention from the powers-thatbe…We heard this before, and to date such promises remain dashed and our law on collective bargaining continues to be disregarded. Could you imagine reading the newspapers and learning from the President of the Guyana Teachers Union that his union was unaware that negotiations were purportedly taking place between the GTU and the Government,” said Narine.

Presently, the Department of Labour is controlled by the Social Protection Ministry, which was created in 2015 after the present administration took office.

Remembering Critchlow

In 1919, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow founded the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU) which later sparked the recognition of countless others to advocate for better wages and working hours. At the age of 21, the Father of Trade Unionism rallied persons to demand for an eighthour working period daily after facing exploitation in the workplace.

As such, Trade Unionist Lincoln Lewis shared that Guyanese must recognise these contributions which led to NIS and severance payments, collective bargaining.

“The Trade Union Movement, more than any other organisation, has done more work in contributing to welding this nation. This is a proud history that we must recognise, proclaim or all to be aware of…Today in 2019, our challenge must be

to recognise our common interest,” he asserted.

Lewis, who is also the President of the Guyana Trade Unions Congress (GTUC), reminded that Guyana is on the cusp of unparalleled oil wealth, which must be used to provide unemployment benefits.

“As they talk about the windfall they will be get-

ting from oil, it may be the right place for them to put some money in the NIS so when people lose their job, they can get unemployment benefits…We are not tasked with the responsibility of dividing the national pie; ours is the duty to advocate for equitable no-partisan division that elevates the standards of the working class”.

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

President accredits new Japanese High threshold must be Ambassador to Guyana set for persons seeking

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uyana and Japan are looking to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the area of energy.

This was highlighted on Wednesday morning when President David Granger accredited a new non-resident Japanese Ambassador to Guyana. Ambassador Tatsuo Hirayama handed over his letters of credence to the Guyanese Head of State at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The Japanese diplomat, in brief remarks, reflected on the long bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two countries in various areas, especially energy.

“Just last year, a grant agreement valued US$15.5 million was signed between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Guyana for the project for the “Introduction of Renewable Energy and Improvement of Power System” in Guyana, with the objective of introducing renewable energy to Georgetown and including the power supply system in the city,” Ambassador Hirayama stated.

Meanwhile, President Granger lauded the good bi-

President David Granger greeting Japanese Ambassador Tatsuo Hirayama at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday

lateral relations the two countries have maintained since establishing diplomatic ties in June 1967. He went on to note too that the Japanfunded energy project was consistent with Guyana’s transition to a ‘Green State’, which would see increased emphasis on the protection of the environment, the preservation of the biodiversity, the promotion of renewable energy generation, and the adoption of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation.

“The generation of renewable energy, consequently, is among our top priorities as we move towards achieving our goal of becoming a green state. As you point-

ed out, Guyana and Japan signed, in June 2018, a Grant Agreement for The Introduction of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Power System. This project is consistent with our country’s Green State Development Strategy,” the President noted.

In June last year, Guyana and Japan signed the financial and technical cooperation agreement for the procurement and installation of energy-saving street lights as well as the enhancement of substation equipment and distribution lines in Georgetown.

The project will also see the installation of a PV system and energy management

system at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Headquarters, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

At the time, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Gordon had told the media that the new system would help the company to reduce the frequent outages.

“Our top priority as we said is to reduce the number of outages and this particular project will help in terms of improving reliability and losses, also improving voltage levels. But it is part of a set of projects we are implementing,” Gordon had said.

By 2023, transmission loss could be reduced to about 1,600,000 kilowatts/ year through the provision of substation equipment and distribution lines.

Then Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge commended the timeliness of the contribution by Japan and said it accorded well with the Government’s development trajectory.

During the June 2018 signing ceremony, Japan also donated 4716 LED street lamps from a total of 10,865 to the Public Infrastructure Ministry worth some US$1.3 million.

180th anniversary celebrations

Cops gifted $19.5M for exceptional performance

A

s the Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues its 180th anniversary celebration, some $19.5 million was gifted to ranks who performed exceptionally so far in 2019.

The award ceremony was held at the Tactical Services Unit Drill Square, Eve Leary and saw 36 community policing groups being awarded, while 36 rural constables were specially recognised.

Special awards and recognition were given to several ranks and teams including those officers who apprehend the five men who conspired, robbed and murdered the Better Hope, East Coast Demerara money changer, Aaron Latchman, and his 18-year-old daughter Arianna Latchman.

For that award, the teams from the Major Crime Units of Divisions “A” and “C” received $200,000.

Additionally, the ranks who shot and killed three bandits at Norton Street, Georgetown in May were awarded $90,000 for their work. Moreover, the ranks who confronted and killed

The 54 ranks who were awarded pose with Police Commissioner Leslie James and senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force

three bandits at Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice were also awarded a sum of $115,000.

Several other ranks, including those who arrested two Venezuelans who were found to be in possession of grenades, received monetary incentives of $100,000 each.

Speaking at the ceremony, Top Cop Leslie James said ranks who uphold the good name of the Police Force by sticking to their commitment to serve and protect will continue to be recognised and awarded.

“This event has long been a practice of the forces administration and is now

a permanent feature on our calendar of anniversary activities. As Commissioner of Police, I am pleased to report that over the past 5 years, the Guyana Police Force has paid out nearly $154 million and will today (Wednesday) be paying out some $19.5 million with another portion to be paid a little later this year. These awards and recognition are never in vain for the records will show that the awardees and receivers of incentives and commendation continue to excel and venture beyond the call of duty,” James stated.

Commissioner James noted that the recognition

of hard work leads to more hard work, a factor which was taken into consideration when awarding the ranks.

“There is a positive correlation between the growth of an object and the attention that it gets or it garners. This analogy is also true as regards action and outcomes. Recognition and or reward for positive actions invariably leads to more positive actions,” the Police commissioner stated. He added that equally, mediocrity would not and should not attract action or more so reward.

“The reason for our attendance at this ceremony today is to reward positive action, we are here to recognise stellar performances of our policemen and women, those individuals that allow us to maintain that trust, those that proceed beyond the call of duty and those who clearly understand their roles, functions and responsibilities,” the Police Commissioner commended.

A total of 54 ranks were recognised and awarded on Wednesday.

to become teachers – BVI Minister

…as consultations begin to improve teaching standards

“W

e cannot expect students who are not properly learned to properly teach, so it is imperative to set a high threshold for those seeking to enter the profession as is the case with law and medicine. If one would not want a C student operating on their body, one should not tolerate a C student operating on the young minds of the nation”.

These were the sentiments shared by the Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Natalio Wheatley, during the opening of consultation sessions at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on developing standards for the teaching profession in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Making his position known on the matter, the Minister went further to list some special skills teachers must be equipped with.

According to him, “Teachers must be equipped to teach students who are not only visual learners, but who learn through doing, who are tactile and auditory. Teachers must learn to use technology to enhance the learning experience. Teachers must be trained in identifying students who have learning disabilities and recommend them for support services as necessary”.

Representing Guyana on this front was Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, who underscored the importance of setting these higher standards.

“Standards for teachers or teacher educators are paramount. Why? Teacher educators are strategically positioned to serve as catalysts for the required change in the education delivery and outcomes,” he added.

As a consequence, the CEO noted that these persons must be able to model teaching that demonstrates content, professional knowledge, skills and the dispositions which reflect research, proficiency with technology and accepted best practices.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Secretary General of Caricom, Douglas Slater, outlined the agenda of the Regional Two-day meet-

Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Natalio Wheatley

ing which wraps up today (Thursday).

He explained, “At the 34th meeting of the Council of Human and Social Development 2018, the technical working group for teachers’ innovation and education leadership submitted draft standards for teachers, educational leaders and teacher educators.

The course had mandated the member States to convene consultations with relevant stakeholders and provide feedback to the Caricom Secretariat. The feedback gained from member States significantly influenced the revision of the draft standards that is being presented here today”.

In addition, the Assistant General Secretary outlined that the teaching profession is formed within the context of social practices. With this on the forefront, he said that the draft teaching standards, “is a collection of aspirational statements” and “they refer to the sets of values and dispositions that influence the form of actions that occur in the teaching-learning relations”.

The event is being undertaken as part of a series of consultation workshops being done in five regions internationally to acquire input from key education stakeholders including teachers, teacher organisations, education planners, teaching regulatory councils, teacher educators, and researchers.

Participants will be asked to review and comment on a guidance framework and suggest ways in which it can be refined as well as recommend approaches for local adaptations.

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Norton Street shooting

“Pepper spray saved my life” – survivor tells her story of abuse, near-death experience

By Kizzy Coleman

F

or two years, she suffered severe beatings at the hands of a man she truly loved and wanted to please. She was battered and bruised for many days but never got the courage to leave because the “love” kept her back. But now when she looks back, she wonders whether it was love or just deeply-rooted fear.

Now that he is dead, she does not know if she feels relieved, sad, or just a little bit of both. But what she does know, is that the fear that he will end her life no longer exists, even as she lies on a bed at the hospital battling injuries he inflicted when he tried to kill her.

Guyana, and further beyond, got to know her story sometime about 11:00h on Tuesday after the news broke that her “love” shot her to the back of the neck and then committed suicide by turning the barrel of the

Dead: Daniel Hinckson

same gun on himself. The name, Faith Thompson became known, following the incident, and many women immediately felt a feeling of familiarity with her story.

Thompson’s ex-lover, Daniel Hinckson, reportedly broke into her Lot 39 Norton Street, Lodge house— where she lives with her uncle and 76-yearold great aunt— on Tuesday and shot her to the back of the neck before taking his own life.

As she laid on her bed in the female ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the 20-year-old is extremely

Injured: Faith Thompson

thankful that she survived and shared her story with Guyana Times.

With the visible scar from the gunshot wound, which almost caused her life, Thompson said that she was at home when she was startled by a knock on the door. She went to inspect and discovered it was 24-year-old Hinckson on the other side. Fear immediately overtook her and her mind went back to the horrific ordeal that occurred just over two weeks ago.

On that fateful day, Hinckson mercilessly beat her, causing her to report the matter to the Police and ultimately asking for a restraining order against him.

She felt that the restraining order could have protected her for, at least, a few months, since she was of the opinion that he would run from the Police. However, when she saw him on the other side of her door, all that fear just crashed into her.

Frightened, Thompson immediately grabbed a bottle of pepper spray, which she had in the house and kept same in her pants’ waist.

However, before she could make an escape, Hinckson had already gained entry into the house through a window.

“Pepper spray saved my life,” Thompson said.

“I thought that he would have ran from the Police because they were looking for him but he came and looked for me. So when he jumped in, I ran to the back door but I couldn’t have open it so fast, so I run into my uncle

PSC slams Govt...

Armstrong and former Solicitor General Kim Kyte. The President also proposed known People’s National Congress (PNC)affiliates and businessmen Stanley Ming (a former PNC parliamentarian) and Kads Khan.

While the Constitution does not allow the President to submit names, Jagdeo in a compromise agreed to consider the President’s suggestion of names in an informal process.

The President subsequently gave his no-objection to four of Jagdeo’s nominees. Alves and La Bennett were then put

from page 11

forward by the President as shortlists of his own.

However, the Opposition Leader has since deemed these two nominees as “unacceptable” to him, with the likelihood that he would submit another list of names to the President.

Meanwhile, pressure has been continually mounting on the Government to uphold the Constitution and set a date for elections. Among those urging the Government to do the right thing are the international community, the trade unions, the parliamentary opposition, and sections of society.

room and I hide” Thompson recounted.

Even behind bolted doors, the petrified young woman knew she was not safe. The only way she could have been safe was if she was as far away as possible from the man she once loved. Upon seeing the now dead young man in her house, Thompson’s great aunt began inquiring as to how access was gained and seemed to be content when she was told that he had a key issued by her son.

“He tell she that my uncle give him the key but my uncle didn’t give him no key because the door was locked. And if you get a key, you still can’t open it from outside. So I know that he jump through the window because the window did open and plus after when I asked him, he said that he jumped through the window”.

After he finished telling his concocted version of a story of how he gained access into the house, the now dead man took out a gun, “cranked” it and placed it on a table. He then began pacing in front of the room she was locked in. Like a scene out of a story, he picked up the gun, jumped a wall, and was in the room with her.

“When I saw the gun, I started crying and I asked him why he gotta do this and he said that I make it so. And he was saying all kind of things and after-

wards, he put down the gun on the bed and he took out a knife he also had from his pants’ waist. He had me in the bedroom for like a whole half an hour talking a whole set of things”.

During this period, Thompson’s uncle returned home from work and after being informed that the duo was locked in the bedroom, the man began demanding that the door be opened.

“He saw when my uncle came in from the window, so he pick up back the gun again and I tried to calm him down and I telling he go

The wound Thompson sustained during the shooting

under the bed and hide but he didn’t want to do that. So he try opening windows to see if he could jump through but then he tell me to jump through the window and I tell he I can’t jump through the window because is a upstairs. But then I tried to tek he mind off of what was happening and I tell he go to the front window and

jump and then I will jump but then while I doing that my uncle start yelling y’all open this door” the victim explained.

Grateful for the distraction, Thompson revealed that she quickly pulled out the bottle of pepper spray from her waist and sprayed Hinckson to his eyes. This caused a fight to ensue between the two and it was at the time that Hinckson used the gun to fire a shot to the back of Thompson’s head before turning the gun on himself.

“He fight me and put me on the bed and he shot me but like he couldn’t see good but then I hear a next gunshot but I thought he shoot me again or shot my uncle. But after a while, I realise that I ain’t dead so I get up, open the door and when I turn around I see he lie down by the wall robe in blood, so then I run outside and run pass my uncle, I run out on the road,” the

young woman remembered.

Thompson, reportedly lost her shirt during the fight and ran on to the roadway half naked calling out for help. However, she was rescued by her uncle, who quickly wrapped her with a towel and rushed her to GPHC. When she left Hinckson’s home some months ago, she thought that the proverbial slate was now clean and even began a new relationship. However, he got wind of it and demanded that it be ended.

“He was alright for a while but then he found out that I still used to talk to the boy and he got mad, that is when he beat me up right outside the yard in Norton Street and I ended up reporting the matter and I take out the restraining order,” Thompson revealed.

However, since that day, Hinckson was seen several times by neighbours lurking in the Norton Street yard.

14 News

THURSday, JUly 18, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Guyanese urged to stand up, fight for democracy …as Ballot Box Martyrs remembered

P

eople’s Progressive Party (PPP) member Gail Teixeira is calling on all Guyanese to continue the fight for free and fair elections. She made the charge during an event in remembrance of the Ballot Box Martyrs, Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar, who were shot dead by members of the Guyana Defence Force outside of the polling station at Number 63 Village, Corentyne on the evening of July 16, 1973, when general elections were held.

In 1973, the army (GDF) was used by the Forbes Burnham regime against the people of Guyana country, Teixeira said. She noted that it was the first time that the army had been used against the people, and she said many soldiers today would not want to see that happen again in our country.

She said Guyanese must use occasions like Tuesday’s ceremony to not only go through the motions, but to reaffirm and recommit “ourselves as Guyanese to stand up and fight for democracy, the fair elections.”

Reflecting on the gains made over the years, she said Guyanese must use occasions like the anniversary of the Ballot Box Martyrs

to recommit themselves to fight for what is right.

“It is not just the generations of the 1970s; it is not the generation of the 80s and 90s, but it is our generation; the young people here. We are faced again as a country with a constitutional crisis looming in our country,” Teixeira posited.

She recalled that the coalition Government assumed office after getting 4,526 more votes than the PPP, which was less than one percent of the total votes in 2015. However, the following year, in 2016, at Local Government Elections, the PPP obtained 30,000 more votes that the Coalition; and last year that gap had risen to 47,000.

The change came about as a result of the hardships many Guyanese have been forced to endure, she charged. Among the hardships, she said, are new taxes, some of which have seen an increase in the cost for construction materials and equipment.

Members of the Disciplined Services, she noted, collect a month’s salary as a Christmas bonus; however, the Coalition gave them each $50,000 as a bonus across the board in its first year in office, and nothing in the following years, while public ser-

vants still await their 20 percent wage increase as promised by the Coalition on the campaign trail.

She called on all to demand that respect be accorded the Constitution and the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

“We must remember that when we went to Surujbally, as the Chairman of GECOM, and asked for a recount of 20 ballot boxes where we found that the Statements of Poll and the registration by the Returning Officer were different, Surujbally promised, and nothing happened; and the next thing you knew, Grainger was being sworn in as President at Parliament Building. We must make sure that this time we are very vigilant and make sure that every vote counts,” she declared.

It was explained that Parmanand, 45, and Jagan Ramessar, 17, were shot dead while demanding that PPP votes be counted at the place of poll, or a party agent be allowed to accompany the ballot boxes to wherever the military personnel were taking them.

Regional Chairman David Armogan, at the wreath-laying ceremony, said the PPP will not sit idly by and let democracy be trampled upon, or allow

A relative places a wreath on the grave of the Ballot Box Martyrs Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar, who were shot dead by members of the Guyana Defence Force in 1973

the efforts of the two martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice to be eroded.

“On that day, two young men who went to cast their votes decided that their votes must be counted, and that is how democracy works; your vote must be counted.

“Unfortunately, instead of agreeing to their desires, they were met with a hail of bullets. The very clouds that came upon this land and ensure that democracy did not reveal are threatening us once again; but, comrades, we want the dictators to know this time is not long time,” he declared.

Executive Secretary of the PPP, Zulfikar Mustapha, explained that the Ballot Box Martyrs and many others had made sacrifices for Guyana, to ensure that democracy prevails.

A monument has been erected at Number 63 Village in memory of Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar.

Ramessar’s eldest brother, Tiyraj, who was 20 at the time of the incident, recalled that at the time of the shooting, authorities had tried to keep it silent.

He said that when his brother did not return

home that evening, family members went in search of him. Having received information about the shooting, they went to the Skeldon Hospital and inquired, but he was not there. The search for the missing teenager bore no fruit that day; however, the following day, they went to the Number 51 Police Station and made a report.

The Police did not provide any information to them. However, one officer suggested that they check with the New Amsterdam Hospital. It was there that they were able to identify the body, he said.

GPSU calls out IMC on “unauthorised” exorbitant spending …writes President to request BoI

T

he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has written to caretaker President David Granger to request a Board of Inquiry (BoI), following what the organisation has described as “unauthorised” spending on the part of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union Limited (GPSCCUL).

On Wednesday, following an Executive Council Meeting, GPSU President, Patrick Yarde, called a press conference wherein he complained of monies being wasted on several unnecessary contracts. Some of the contracts, according to him, were in excess of US$25,000 for activities for merely six staff members.

“We would like the general public to be aware of the unauthorised expenditure that has (been) incurred by the Interim Management Committee following contracts (which) were awarded to a company (or) individual without going through the proper procurement procedure (and involving) in excess of $10 million for construction work,” Yarde explained.

He noted that executive members usually permit the use of $1 million for projects by the elected Management Committee at the Annual General Meeting. However, the Interim Committee has

overstepped its authority by spending vast amounts of money on different occasions.

“Another contract of US$25,000 (was spent) for human resources-related activities, and this is so ridiculous when you get in depth of what was done.

You (find) they engaged a human resource person for US$25,000 to engage six people,” Yarde charged.

He further charged that another $2M was used for air conditioning, while $2.5M was handed out by the Committee for telephone services and $1.6M for reviewing security systems.

In June last year, the High Court, in an order, reinstated the Governmentinstalled Interim Management Committee (IMC) at the GPSU Credit Union. This was done after High Court Justice Gino Persaud had discharged a previous interim order which was granted to the old management committee to stay the decisions of the IMC until the matter was resolved.

The new order therefore means the Governmentinstalled Chief Co-operative Development Officer and Commissioner, Perlina Gifth, was again placed in charge of the co-op credit union.

The issues stem from allegations of financial im-

propriety wherein officials have been accused of excessive spending for bonuses and travel to the tune of some $32 million. Some have even alleged that a senior official at the GPSU had paid out some $700,000 in bonuses to himself.

Yarde claimed on Wednesday that since the new body had started managing the affairs, employment costs have increased significantly.

According to him, “In May last year, the employment cost was $3.8 million.

In April this year, the employment cost increased to $6.9 million”.

The GPSU President has said the Union is also investigating another allegation, wherein $6 million was paid in bonuses during this period.

Nonetheless, he sought to remind members of the Credit Union that he has committed to ensuring their savings remain intact, or at least recovered.

Audit

Yarde told reporters that Junior Social Protection Minister Keith Scott demanded that the Union pay over about $50 million to finance “audit and supervision” services.

However, he held out that there was another arrangement under the previous Labour Ministry for the Credit Union to keep its fi-

GPSU President Patrick Yarde (second from left) addressing members of the media in the presence of union executives

nances and conduct its own audit.

“There was an agreement with the previous Labour (Ministry) that the Credit Union keep that money, ‘cause it is funds for audit and supervision and development; and that the Credit Union conduct the audit and pay for it. all this was approved by the Ministry, and there was no dispute about that,” he argued.

This move was intended to be cancelled by the Junior Minister, who reportedly demanded that the monies be paid over to finance the audit. Having recognised the Union’s reluctance, Yarde said, the audit cost was even reduced by as much as 50 per cent

by Minister Scott.

Again, the union president said, this was turned down by the organisation. It was, however, later brought to his attention that over $25 million had been paid over by the IMC to the Social Protection Ministry for this purpose.

Yarde maintained that these monies were handed over unlawfully, as the decision would have had to be deliberated at the Union’s Annual General Meeting.

Further, he said, “According to the law…instead of paying taxes, the Credit Union pays that; and that money is to be used to audit the accounts to make sure things are done properly, and for the development of the Credit Union.

Like any other financial institution, it would require

refinement, technology, and a variety of other different things; and that money, according to the law, that percentage of your surplus, must be put aside for that purpose”.

As such, the GPSU President made it clear that he has written to the Caretaker President, requesting an inquiry into the present situation. In addition, he demanded urgent responses from the Social Protection Ministry in regard to the audit, as he questioned the extension of the IMC which has been functioning for over one year now.

Yarde threatened strike and protests should the call for an inquiry be ignored by Granger, though he said it would be a last resort.

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Child Advocacy Centres in Regions 10, 4 underway

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he Social Protection Ministry, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has recently concluded an evaluation exercise in Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and Timehri, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), where construction of Child Advocacy Centres are now underway.

This was disclosed

by Region Four Health Officer Quincy Jones, who noted that the initiative was one developed by the Social Protection Ministry in its effort to provide and properly care for vulnerable children.

UNICEF has so

far contributed to the initiation of these projects by donating some $4 million in equipment, including televisions, forensic kits, and computers to be utilised by the beneficiaries when the Centres are completed.

“We have already received millions in donation from UNICEF for these centres and we are working to ensure each location sees the establishment of a Child Advocacy Centre before the end of 2019,” he explained.

In addition, Jones said that the Centres would be housed within the Kwakwani Hospital Complex and at the Timehri Health Centre,

Regional Health Officer Quincy Jones

since these were ideal locations for cases of such nature to be dealt with.

“At the Kwakwani Hospital, the facility will be set up within

the Hospital and at the Timehri Health Centre for that district. The Timehri Health Centre is presently under construction and the establishment for that Child Advocacy Centre was also budgeted,” Jones noted.

The establishment of these new centres is the fulfilment of a promise made by the Ministry during the commissioning ceremony of a similar centre at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) back in 2018.

Like the centre in Linden, these facilities will be child-friendly and staffed by counsellors, parent-skills educators as well as forensic

One of the interviewing rooms at the Linden Child Advocacy Centre

interviewers.

The Child Advocacy Centre is a child-focused, facility-based programme in which representatives from law enforcement,

child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy work to provide healing for survivors of abuse.

$488M modern asphalt plant arrives in Guyana

G

uyana is now equipped with the “most modern” asphalt plant in the region, which costs in excess of $488 million, but will aid in producing top quality material, primarily used for road construction.

The parts for the plant arrived in Guyana on Monday from Germany and are to be assembled soon at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Garden of Eden branch, East Bank Demerara.

It is expected to reduce costs in the construction of asphalt concrete roads in the near future.

General Manager of the DHBC Rawlston Adams explained more in a brief telephone interview with this publication on Tuesday.

According to him, “It will enable us to produce much more asphalt at a better quality than we are producing right now, because the plant that we are using is “mix” plant; this plant is a patch mix plant at a 160 tonnes per

hour”.

Once assembled, this plant will be the largest in the country and most modern in the region. With these qualities, the plant will be able to not only supply local needs, but international ones as well.

In a statement, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) said that the design for the installation of the plant and overall construction will go out to tender shortly.

Furthermore, it informed that the full installation

of the asphalt structure should be completed by the end of September.

During a visit to the Demerara Shipping Wharf on Monday, Subject Minister David Patterson inspected the parts of the plant where he explained that the decision to purchase a new plant was made since 2016. According to him, it will allow the Ministry to do “better and bigger things”.

The new asphalt plant was procured through public tender during 2018

by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, signalling an increase in operations and growth in demand.

The new asphalt plant will have the power and capability to produce approximately 160 tonnes of asphalt per hour – almost four times faster than the current asphalt plant.

Initially, the plant was expected to be in Guyana

by February.

As an infrastructural investment, this plant

is expected to provide efficiency in the continuity of supply of materials to the Ministry in the execution of road construction and rehabilitation, without compromising quality or price, as the DHBC remains the cheapest asphalt concrete-producing company in Guyana.

Further, as the product of a top brand worldwide, the new plant is expected to meet all required environmental standards regarding air and noise emissions.

Criticising populism, Britain’s May has Brexit advice for successor parliament to ratify the deal, our politics retreated back into its binary prereferendum positions – a winner takes all approach to leaving or remaining.

And when opinions have become polarized – and driven by ideology - it becomes incredibly hard for a compromise to become a rallying point.”

Exit in seven days

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at Chatham House in London, Britain July 17, 2019

W

ith only a few days left in power, the 62-year-old May railed against the coarsening of politics in what her audience took to be words aimed at Britain’s probable next leader Boris Johnson or U.S. President Donald Trump.

While she said her words were not directed at anyone in particular, May used her last major speech as prime minister to set out why she felt her pragmatic approach to politics held more promise than what she called a tendency toward absolutism.

Aware she we will be remembered as the prime minister who failed to deliver Brexit, May listed among her achievements

a tough stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Salisbury nerve agent attack and an ambitious new climate goal.

Acknowledging she had “no greater regret” than failing to deliver her Brexit deal – rejected three times by Britain’s divided parliament - May said she had been trying to reunite a nation divided by the 2016 referendum.

“Whatever path we take must be sustainable for the long-term – so that delivering Brexit brings our country back together. That has to mean some kind of compromise,” she said at international affairs think tank Chatham House.

“The problem was that when it came time for

Her words came days after Johnson, and his rival for May’s job, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt, hardened their positions on Brexit, saying a major part of the agreement with the bloc had to be jettisoned before they could sign up.

While she acknowledged she made mistakes, she did not address critics who say it was her own lack of compromise and inability to bridge lawmakers’ differences that sunk the Brexit deal.

May will leave her Downing Street official residence in seven days’ time, making way for a new prime minister, which bookmakers bet will be Johnson, a leader of the Brexit campaign, who has promised to take Britain out of the EU on October 31.

She pointedly described

her politics as being driven by “getting things done rather than simply getting them said”.

“Today, an inability to combine principles with pragmatism and make a

compromise when required seems to have driven our whole political discourse down the wrong path,” she added.

“It has led to what is in effect a form of ‘absolutism’

- one which believes that if you simply assert your view loud enough and long enough you will get your way in the end ... This is coarsening our public debate.”(Reuters)

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019

Regional

EU asks for 'results' on Venezuela's Brazil: Rio Governor brands rise talks and prepares sanctions in Police killings as “normal”

Representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's Government and a team representing Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó are holding talks in Barbados [Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters]

T

he European Union has said it is preparing a new round of sanctions against Venezuela's security forces involved in alleged human rights violations.

Federica Mogherini, the bloc's foreign policy chief, said in a statement on Tuesday that the death of Navy Captain Rafael Acosta while in custody for alleged participation in a coup plot was a "stark example" of the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.

"The EU is ready to start work towards applying targeted measures for those members of the secu-

rity forces involved in torture and other serious violations of human rights," Mogherini said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mogherini also warned that if no "concrete results" were reached in current talks between the Opposition and the Government to resolve the political crisis, the EU would be ready to expand its measures.

Members of the Government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Opposition representatives are holding talks in Barbados in an attempt to break the political stale-

mate.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister said the Government "rejected" Mogherini's statement, adding that she should stay away from the ongoing negotiations.

"Federica Mogherini [is] once more meddling in [our] internal affairs," Jorge Arreaza wrote on Twitter.

"She is proffering unacceptable threats, at a time when [understanding] is vital for the dialogue between the people in Venezuela."

Carlos Pina, a Venezuelan analyst, said the EU was assuming a leading role in the efforts by the international community to resolve the crisis.

"The EU is positioning itself as an influential and decisive actor," he told Al Jazeera from Venezuela's capital, Caracas.

"Meanwhile, the United States and the Lima Group [regional bloc] remain on the lookout for what can happen at the dialogue table," he added. (Excerpt from Al

T

pended, respectively.

It was reported that on Friday, January 22, 2016, MOCA detectives conducted a sting operation at the Norman Manley International Airport during which cocaine weighing over 10 kilograms was seized and both men arrested.

“Subsequently, a file was prepared and submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, who ruled

that Constable Smith and Ex-Corporal Robinson be charged for breaching of the Dangerous Drug Act; the offences include possession of cocaine, conspiracy to export cocaine, and trafficking cocaine,” MOCA said.

Both men were brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, where the matter was tried and resulted in a guilty verdict. (Jamaica Observer)

El Chapo trial: Mexican drug lord gets life in prison

Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzmán

A

US judge has sentenced Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán to life in prison plus 30 years.

Guzmán, 62, was found guilty of 10 charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering, by a federal court in New York in

February.

He escaped a Mexican jail through a tunnel in 2015, but was later arrested. He was extradited to the US in 2017.

He is a former head of the Sinaloa cartel, which officials say was the biggest supplier of drugs to the US. Speaking through an interpreter just before Wednesday's sentencing, Guzmán said in the Brooklyn courtroom his confinement in the US had amounted to "torture" and said he had received an unfair trial.

The life sentence was the minimum Guzmán faced.

The additional 30 years were for unlawful uses of firearms. He was also ordered to pay US$12.6 billion

reporters during a meeting with foreign correspondents.

Police in Rio killed 731 people in the first five months of this year – nearly five a day – marking an almost 20 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2018, according to Rio's Public Security Institute figures.

Witzel shrugged off the increase as "normal", saying it was a result of Police "hitting hard" at criminals.

"Nobody wants to kill bandits. We want to arrest them," Witzel said. "But they need to know we are going to act with rigour.

in forfeiture.

Prosecutors said Guzmán would be serving his sentence behind "tonnes of steel", referring to a high-security prison in Colorado.

Guzmán's lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman announced plans to appeal against the verdict.

He argued that the trial had not been conducted fairly and claimed that jurors were influenced by media coverage.

"It was a show trial," he said.

"El Chapo" (or "Shorty") ran the cartel in northern Mexico.

In 2009, Guzmán entered Forbes' list of the world's richest men at number 701, with an estimated worth of US$1 billion. (Excerpt from BBC News)

When we arrive, they either surrender, or die."

Witzel, who assumed Rio's governorship at the beginning of January, has previously pledged to "slaughter" criminals by using helicopter-borne snipers to target and kill anyone carrying a rifle, even if they were not shooting their weapons, and warned that Rio would "dig graves" for criminals under his watch.

His rhetoric has prompted alarm among rights groups and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), with Amnesty International slamming Police violence in Rio. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

T&T Ministry promises investigation into contracts for gangsters

Jazeera)

Jamaica: Cops convicted on drug trafficking charges he Major Organised Crime and AntiCorruption Agency (MOCA) is reporting the conviction of two Police Officers who were found guilty on drug trafficking charges.

According to MOCA, Constable Valdano Smith and Ex-Corporal Anthony Robinson were sentenced on Friday, June 28, to nine months’ imprisonment or a J$1 million fine and J$1 million with two years sus-

A

mid a soaring number of Police killings in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, its toughtalking Governor has said it was "normal" for the rate to increase and it would likely keep rising during his tenure.

Governor Wilson Witzel said on Tuesday that the surge in Police killings was a consequence of his policy of "confronting terrorists", a term he uses for drug trafficking groups.

"We live in a situation of confrontation and the criminals are testing the limits of the Police and the Government," Witzel told

The seven reputed gang leaders identified in a Special Branch report

H

ours after Guardian Media highlighted seven reputed gang leaders in North Trinidad have been benefiting from State contracts worth close to TT$6 million, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein has promised to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter with a report to be submitted on his desk next month.

The Ministry in a press release was responding to Wednesday's T&T Guardian's front-page article headlined "$6 Million Men" which unearthed gang leaders based in com-

munities in Port-of-Spain and Diego Martin benefiting from million-dollar contracts over the last three years.

This information was contained in a confidential eight-page Special Branch report prepared in midMay that was obtained as part of a Guardian Media investigation just one week after Police Commissioner Gary Griffith blamed the State for placing funds in the hands of gang leaders.

The release quoted Hosein as stating that the Ministry viewed these allegations "very seriously and intends to address them as a matter of urgency".

It further stated that auditors of the Ministry were scheduled to commence an investigation as a matter of urgency at all corporations.

"In fact, the relevant Chief Executive Officers have already been contacted to provide support and cooperation to our Internal Audit Unit. A report is expected to be submitted to the Minister at the end of August," Hosein said.

Hosein pointed out there was an established tendering procedure for local government contracts.

“Each Municipal Corporation is responsible for awarding contracts in their area. This includes advertising, the tendering process and ultimately the selection of a contractor and the award of contracts. The Ministry’s role is in the provision of financial and technical support to ensure that projects are completed within budget and schedule." (Excerpt from

Trinidad Guardian)

Cannabis industry opens in St Vincent and the Grenadines

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he first set of licences to start production of medicinal cannabis in St Vincent and the Grenadines have been issued.

“The journey over the past 20 months to put the legislative and administrative frameworks in place was certainly one of the most difficult, yet gratifying, tasks I have had the opportunity to lead in my career. It was not without major challenges,” said Agriculture and Industry Minister Saboto Caesar as he made the announcement.

He said the step-bystep policy guidance from Prime Minister Dr Ralph

Gonsalves, and the significant support received from his Cabinet and parliamentary colleagues at different stages of the preparatory work had contributed to the successful opening of the industry.

The Rastafarian community was also identified by the Minister as a “central pillar of strength” in guiding the interaction over the period of consultation.

Throughout the process, religious leaders, civil society and international legal and business experts participated in a very open and transparent consultation process to identify and outline the potential

strengths and weaknesses of the different models.

This included a reliance on knowledge in certification and commodity trading from companies such as Bunny Imports and Exports of Trinidad and Tobago.

“The work has just started,” Caesar said. “It is our mission in St Vincent and the Grenadines to create a globally certified industry aimed at supplying medicinal cannabis products, targeting ailments based on evidence from clinical studies. The mantra is and will continue to be a successful medicinal cannabis industry begins and ends with science.” (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019

17

Around the World

ICJ orders Pakistan to allow WHO sounds global alarm India access to ‘spy’ Jadhav over DR Congo Ebola outbreak

The ICJ also extended a stay on the execution of Jadhav pending a Pakistani legal review [Anjum Naveed/AP]

T

he International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Pakistan to allow India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian citizen convicted of espionage in Pakistan.

The judgment, delivered

by ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, to a packed court at The Hague on Wednesday, however, rejected India’s demand that Jadhav’s conviction by a military court be dismissed.

The court also extended a stay on the execution of Jadhav pending a Pakistani legal review and reconsideration of the conviction based on the ICJ’s ruling that Jadhav’s rights to consular access were violated.

Pakistan contended that Jadhav did not have a right to consular access, because he had been convicted of espionage and “terrorism”, but the court ruled that Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on consular relations was applicable.

“The Court, therefore, concludes that Pakistan has breached the obligations incumbent on it under […] the

Vienna Convention, by denying consular officers of India access to Mr Jadhav, contrary to their right to visit him, to converse and correspond with him, and to arrange for his legal representation,” said Yusuf.

The convention was applicable “regardless of the allegations that Mr Jadhav was engaged in espionage activities”.

Wednesday’s ruling has been seen by both sides as a win, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating the ICJ for “a verdict based on extensive study of facts”.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, however, claimed it was a “victory” for Pakistan while confirming that Islamabad would not be releasing Jadhav. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

UK arrests Manchester bomber’s brother after Libya extradition

T

he brother of a suicide bomber who attacked a concert in the British city of Manchester in 2017 was extradited from Libya on Wednesday and arrested in London on suspicion of helping plan the blast, police said.

Salman Abedi, a 22-yearold Briton born to Libyan parents, blew himself up at the end of a show by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the deadliest militant attack in Britain for 12 years.

The explosion killed 22 people and injured more

than 500.

London had sought the extradition of his brother Hashem after Police issued an arrest warrant for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion. But Tripoli had long stalled on the request, made in November 2017.

“He has today been successfully extradited, for offences relating to the Manchester Arena attack,” Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said in a statement.

“He was handed over by

Libyan authorities to British police officers this morning.

They escorted him on the flight back and he landed in the UK a short while ago.”

Police said Hashem Abedi, 22, would appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

A spokesman for the Tripoli-based Special Deterrence Force (Rada), who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the case, said he was extradited in accordance with a court verdict. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia’s Putin extends passport offer to Ukraine citizens

R

ussian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Wednesday further expanding the number of Ukrainian citizens who can apply for fast-track Russian passports.

Moscow made the move ahead of a Ukrainian parliamentary election on Sunday, when a Russia-friendly party may become the strongest competitor of the more popular Servant of the People

party, led by new President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to opinion polls.

The new order, published on the Kremlin website, amended Putin’s earlier decree, which made it simpler for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine to apply for Russian passports.

According to the new document, residents of the neighbouring Governmentcontrolled parts of east-

Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions can also use this procedure if they were registered as permanently living there as of April 2014, when the conflict started.

Five years of war between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have killed 13,000 people despite a ceasefire signed in 2015.

Zelenskiy has said he will do everything in his power to end the conflict. (Excerpt from Reuters)

UK Ministers could resign in battle over suspending Parliament – BBC reporter

Union Jack flags are seen for sale outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 14, 2019

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ome British Cabinet Ministers could resign today to vote to

block Theresa May’s successor as Prime Minister from suspending Parliament,

the political editor of BBC’s Newsnight programme said.

“I have learnt that some Cabinet Ministers are giving serious consideration to resigning tomorrow to vote in favour of preventing the next Prime Minister from suspending parliament. No final decisions made yet on resignations,” Nicholas Watt said in a tweet.

Some lawmakers want to prevent the suspension of parliament in case a new PM takes that step to force through a no-deal departure from the European Union on October 31. (Reuters)

T

he Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a global public health emergency, the United Nations health agency has announced, just days after the epidemic spread to a major urban hub for the first time.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) made the declaration on Wednesday following a meeting of its emergency committee in the Swiss city of Geneva.

“It is a measure that recognises the possible increased national and regional risks and the need for intensified and coordinated action to manage them,” WHO said in a post on Twitter.

But the UN agency also said no country should close its borders or place any restrictions on travel or trade because of Ebola.

It had previously opted against raising the global alarm over the DRC’s Ebola outbreak on three occasions

DR Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak – its tenth to date – has killed more than 1,600 people since August 2018 [File: Baz Ratner/Reuters]

despite registering “deep concern”, with the epidemic surging amid a “perfect storm” of regional insecurity and deep community mistrust over the crisis and towards authorities.

A new case of the virus was registered in neighbouring Uganda earlier on Wednesday, fuelling concerns that the virus may be spreading beyond the DRC’s borders.

Ebola is highly infectious and spreads through bodily fluids. The current

outbreak has killed 1676 people – more than twothirds of those who contracted it – since it emerged in eastern DRC in August 2018. Three of the deaths were recorded last month in Uganda.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement it was “time for the world to take notice” of the epidemic and called for a redoubling of efforts to battle it back. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Iran accuses US of “deliberately targeting civilians”

U

S sanctions on Iran are “deliberately targeting innocent civilians” and amount to economic terrorism, its Foreign Minister said.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments on Wednesday at the United Nations in New York City.

Earlier he said Iran needed ballistic missiles to protect itself from US-backed foreign invaders – an arsenal the United States argues must be curtailed.

Tensions between Iran and the US sharply escalated after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between

Tehran and world powers and reimposed punishing sanctions, sending its economy into freefall.

Trump called the nuclear deal one-sided, but for years it successfully prevented Iran from developing an atomic bomb.

The US is “deliberately targeting innocent civilians to achieve illegitimate political objectives” with the severe sanctions, Zarif told a UN forum.

The “unlawful, extraterritorial” sanctions “represent the greatest threat to the achievement of sustainable development goals of Iran and many of our neighbours”, he said.

The sanctions have exacerbated an economic crisis that has sent Iran’s currency plummeting, and has also blocked vital goods such as medicine from entering the country.

Iranians face severe shortages and inflated prices for what is still on store shelves.

As economic hardship deepens, about 30 per cent of patients now buy medicine over the counter without a prescription because people cannot afford to pay physician fees, Iraj Harirchi, the Deputy Minister of Health, said earlier this month. (Excerpt

from Al Jazeera)

Turkish diplomat and Iraqi civilian shot dead in Iraqi Kurdistan

A

Turkish diplomat was among two people shot dead on Wednesday in Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.

The victims, who were eating at a restaurant when gunmen opened fire, were reportedly Turkey’s deputy consul in the city and an Iraqi civilian.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the “heinous attack”.

No-one has so far said they were behind it. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought Turkey for decades and has bases in Iraq, has denied any role.

“We have no knowledge about an incident of shooting and killing of Turkish consulate officials in Irbil,” a spokesman for the group’s military wing, the People’s Defence Forces (HPG), told the Iraqi Kurdish Dwarozh News website.

The shooting took place at about 14:30 (11:30 GMT)

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warns that the attackers are still on the run

on Wednesday at HuQQabaz restaurant on Airport Road, between Irbil’s Dream City and Empire districts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said three assailants opened fire at the restaurant, killing the Turkish diplomat and the Iraqi civilian, and injuring another Iraqi. The diplomat and the Iraqis were sitting

at adjacent tables, he added.

Initial reports said that three Turkish diplomats were killed.

The Kurdistan Region’s internal security forces, the Asayish, said it had launched a full investigation and had contacted Turkish diplomats to offer them assistance. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

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THURSday, JUly 18, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Call in people you know can help you out physically, intellectually and emotionally. Don’t give up when things are just about to turn in your favor.

Take the initiative when TAURUS it comes to clearing up un(April 20May 20) finished business. Much can be accomplished if you complain less and do more. A personal pick-me-up will be rejuvenating.

Know who and what you GEMINI are up against before you (May 21- make trouble. Excess of any June 20) kind will turn into a fiasco, and you’ll be left dealing with the mess that results.

dilbert

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Emotional spending should be restricted; it won’t make you feel better when you look at your bank account. Take a minimalist approach to life to eliminate stress. Make love a priority.

Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Consistency, cooperation and compromise will all be necessary if you plan to get things done. A positive attitude will bring good results.

Making significant changes will improve your attitude, lifestyle and relationships with others. Updating your appearance will attract attention. Romance is on the rise.

Intelligence will help you overcome any controversy you face. Refuse to let changes going on in your personal life cause you to neglect your responsibilities. Set high standards.

You’ll know what to do, but doing it won’t be easy if you let your anger take charge. Dismiss the past and push forward with optimism.

Stick to a plan and don’t let anyone convince you to do things otherwise. If you fold under pressure, you will end up scrambling to counter someone else.

You know what’s best for yourself, so don’t let someone else make decisions for you. If you want to make a change at home, get the go-ahead and proceed with enthusiasm.

Emotional situations will keep you guessing.

Until you have a clear-cut view of what’s actually going on, you are best off remaining an observer.

An emotional secret will be revealed. You must be honest and put whatever is weighing heavily on your mind to rest.

Contribute to something you feel passionate about.

thursday, JUly 18, 2019

19

Tour De Caleb Ewan edges thrilling sprint France: finish to win stage 11

C

aleb Ewan edged a thrilling bunch sprint finish to win stage 11 of the Tour de France - the Australian’s first-ever stage victory.

The Lotto Soudal rider hunted down stage favourite Dylan Groenewegen and pipped him on the line in Toulouse.

Italian Elia Viviani finished the 167km flat ride from Albi in third place.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey while Geraint Thomas remains second after a safe finish in the peloton.

“I can’t believe it,” said Ewan, who is riding his first Tour. “I have been close in the last four sprints I have done.

“My team never lost faith in me and I never lost faith in myself.”

Ewan, 25, was caught at the back of the peloton with 10km to go after his usual lead-out man Jasper de Buyst tumbled into a ditch in front of him.

But team-mate Roger Kluge paced him to the front during a fast run-in to the line and with Ewan on Groenewegen’s wheel, he passed the Jumbo-Visma rider inside the final few metres.

Ewan has now won stages in all three Grand Tours, having claimed three victories at the Giro d’Italia and one at the Vuelta a Espana.

“There is no other race I’ve dreamt of winning since I was a young kid,” said Ewan.

“It seemed so distant watching in

Australia - I can’t believe I’m even here but to win a stage is a dream come true.”

Ewan’s victory means there has now been a different winner in each of the 10 individual stages so far - the first time this has happened since the 1996 Tour.

Peter Sagan was caught out of position and finished fourth but has extended his lead in the points classification as the Bora-Hansgrohe rider seeks a record seventh green jersey.

Most of the general classification contenders, including Ineos team-mates Thomas and Egan Bernal, had a largely untroubled ride after the first rest day, with no crosswinds to split the race apart like on Monday’s stage 10.

A four-man breakaway of Anthony Perez, Stephane Rossetto, Lilian Calmejane and Aime de Gendt went clear from the start, with last man De Gendt caught 4.5km from the finish.

Trek-Segafredo’s Richie Porte fell in a crash on a narrow section with 28km to go but was able to chase back alongside Movistar’s Nairo Quintana, who was caught behind.

However, Porte’s team-mate Giulio Ciccone, who had worn the yellow jersey earlier in the race, sustained injuries in the crash and lost 12 minutes to drop out of the top 10, while former Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra was forced to abandon.

Thursday’s stage 12 sees the race en-

Joshua v Ruiz Jr: Rematch could be in New York or Cardiff

ter the Pyrenees for the first time, with a 209.5km mountainous route from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre that could be crucial to the general classification. (BBC Sport)

Stage 11 result

1. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Lotto-Soudal) 3hrs 51mins 26secs 2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Team Jumbo Visma) Same time 3. Elia Viviani (Ita/Deceuninck-QuickStep) 4. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe) 5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Team KatushaAlpecin) 6. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) 7. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/UAE Team Emirates) 8. Cees Bol (Ned/Team Sunweb) 9. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/UAE Team Emirates) 10. Warren Barguil (Fra/Team ArkeaSamsic)

General classification after stage 11

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/DeceuninckQuick-Step) 47hrs 18mins 41secs 2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Ineos) +1min 12secs 3. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Ineos) +1min 16secs 4. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team JumboVisma) +1min 27secs 5.

Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/BoraHansgrohe) + 1min 45secs

A

nthony Joshua’s rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr looks set to take place in New York in November or Cardiff in December.

Joshua, 29, lost his IBF, WBA and WBO world titles to Ruiz in New York on 1 June and invoked his contractual right to a rematch.

Dates have been fixed at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 14 December or a return to Madison Square Garden on 29 November.

A west coast city in the US has also made a late offer to stage the contest.

Two other unnamed countries have also bid for the fight.

Joshua’s team were keen to finalise a date for the bout last week but the offers from new countries have delayed them in confirming Cardiff or New York.

The financial packages put forward in the late bids were lucrative enough to merit discussions, though there is concern the countries in

question do not hold a substantial track record in staging high-profile boxing events.

Cardiff is the only UK option because the Principality Stadium can offer a roof along with a large capacity during a British winter but Joshua is said to be keen on a return to Madison Square Garden, where his US debut was wrecked by Ruiz in one of heavyweight boxing’s biggest shocks.

American Ruiz - who fights under a Mexican flag as a result of his heritage - has talked up fighting in Los Angeles or Mexico.

The 29-year-old’s comments and delays in confirming the rematch has led to speculation negotiations have stalled or that the champion was contemplating trying to avoid Joshua.

But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said Ruiz would face legal proceedings if he were to pursue another path. (BBC Sport)

6. Enric Mas (Spa/Deceuninck-QuickStep) 1min 46secs 7. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) 1min 47secs 8. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +2mins 4secs 9. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 9secs 10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +2mins 33 secs

Tottenham right-back joins Atletico Madrid for £20M

E

Andy Ruiz Jr lands during his bout with Anthony Joshua

Caleb Ewan (left) narrowly won stage 11 in a sprint finish against Dylan Groenewegen

ngland right-back Kieran Trippier has completed a £20m move to Spanish side Atletico Madrid from Tottenham.

The 28-year-old, who joined Spurs from Burnley in June 2015 and played more than 100 times for the London club, has signed a three-year deal with the La Liga side.

H e had admitted h e was not sure he would see out his Spurs contract, which was due to expire in 2022.

Trippier is Atletico’s third major defensive signing of the summer.

Coach Diego Simeone has already recruited centre-back Felipe from Porto and left-back Renan Lodi from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense, while Uruguay defender Diego Godin has moved to Inter Milan.

With Portugal striker Joao Felix brought in for £113m and midfielder Marcos Llorente arriving from city rivals Real for about £36m, Trippier’s arrival brings Atletico’s total trans-

fer spend so far this summer to more than £170m.

The La Liga runners-up did, however, receive £107.7m from the sale of France striker Antoine Griezmann to champions Barcelona.

Trippier, whose last appearance for Tottenham was in the 2-0 Champions League final defeat by Liverpool in June, did not travel with the Spurs squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.

Fellow full-back Danny Rose also stayed at home after being granted time off “to explore prospective opportunities with other clubs”, along w i t h Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

(BBC Sport)

Kieran Trippier will be the first English footballer to play for Atletico Madrid for 95 years (Getty Images)

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019

Sports Minister asks SLC to overhaul national team’s coaching staff S

ri Lanka Cricket is likely to completely overhaul the national team’s coaching staff following the side’s upcoming home ODIs against Bangladesh. The move, which had been mooted for some time, was all but confirmed after local media reported that Sri Lanka’s sports minister had demanded the resignation of all members of Sri Lanka’s coaching staff.

“We’re looking at that same line, but we (the board) will see what we can do when we come back. We first need to talk with the minister,” SLC president Shammi Silva, who is presently out of the country, stated when questioned on the minister’s demand.

The move is the most overt instance of government intervention in SLC affairs in recent times, and it remains to be seen how this will impact Sri Lanka’s upcoming series against Bangladesh which is set to start on July 26. Silva doesn’t feel the team will be unduly affected by the news.

“The team has nothing to do with the coaching staff. It only becomes a problem if the players have bonded with the coaches. I don’t think it will affect the tour.”

Sri Lanka’s coaching staff currently consists of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, batting coach Jon Lewis, and fielding coach Steve Rixon, though according to Silva there is still room for some of them to be retained.

“There are a few guys who are doing ok. We have already done an evaluation [prior to the World Cup], but we need to do another one after the World Cup, and after that only we have to have a discussion with the minister and see what happens,” he explained.

Both Rixon and Lewis had joined up with SLC up until the end of the 2019 World Cup, and as such their contracts are up for renewal. Rixon’s impact has been particularly lauded by SLC, as the board is happy with the team’s fielding performance at the World Cup. However, according to Silva, Rixon is not keen to continue in the role.

As such, the sports minister’s demand for a resignation mainly relates to Hathurusingha, who still has 16 months left on the bumper contract he signed when he took over in January 2018. This paired with the fact that the demand was for the staff’s collective resignation as opposed to the board simply being asked to remove the coaching staff, is telling.

It is understood the hefty cost of terminating Hathurusingha’s contract has put the board in an uncomfortable situation in recent months, where they have been unable to remove a coach who has reportedly fallen out with several players and members of the coaching staff. (ESPN Cricinfo)

The hefty cost of Chandika Hathurusingha’s contract could become an issue for the board

Sterling hits brace as Manchester Knicks finalise deals City hammer West Ham in China with Bullock, Morris

T

he New York Knicks finalized contracts with free agent forwards Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris on Tuesday.

The team announced that the deals were completed but did not reveal contract terms.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bullock landed to a two-year, $8.2 million deal with a team option for the second season. The two sides initially agreed to a twoyear, $21 million pact, but unspecified medical issues forced them to rework the numbers, per Wojnarowski.

Morris’ deal is for one year and $15 million, according to multiple reports.

“With Reggie and Marcus, we are adding two more versatile, hard-nosed and accomplished players to an already improved roster,” Knicks general manager Scott Perry said in a press release. “We value both players’ perimeter shooting ability and their strong presence on the court and in

Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling (L) celebrates after scoring a goal next to West Ham United goalkeeper Roberto (AFP)

R

ecord Manchester City signing Rodri made his debut and Raheem Sterling scored twice as the Premier League champions came from behind to beat West Ham United 4-1 on Wednesday in China.

West Ham took the lead with a Mark Noble penalty before City levelled through David Silva, then Lukas Nmecha scored from the spot to give Pep Guardiola’s side the half-time lead.

England international Sterling, who enjoyed his best season last year for club and country, scored a brace in the second half as West Ham’s defence went AWOL in Nanjing.

Guardiola fielded a mixture of first-team regulars and reserves with Silva leading the side and Kevin De Bruyne, who missed most of last season injured, a second-half substitute.

He was joined after the break by German winger Leroy Sane, who has been linked with a big-money move to Bayern Munich.

Spanish international midfielder Rodri joined City earlier this month on a five-year deal from Atletico Madrid.

The 23-year-old officially became a City player a day after the La Liga club revealed

the 70-million-euro ($78.5 million) release clause in his contract had been triggered.

City’s arrival in China for the Premier League Asia Trophy had been delayed by two days because of an “administrative issue”.

But if it bothered the English champions it did not show, Sterling sealing a handsome City win with composed finishes on the hour and then again soon after.

In the other match in the exhibition tournament, the scale of the task facing new head coach Steve Bruce was laid bare as Newcastle United were thrashed 4-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bruce, whose appointment was confirmed just hours before kick-off, will jet over to take charge of Newcastle’s next friendly, against West Ham, in Shanghai on Saturday.

It was only a low-key friendly, but the heavy defeat to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves in Nanjing was more evidence that Newcastle are likely to be battling relegation this season.

City face Wolves in the final. (AFP)

the locker room. We’re excited to have them in New York and are confident they will excel playing for this team under Coach (David) Fizdale.”

Bullock, 28, averaged 11.3 points in 63 games (60 starts) last season, split between the Detroit Pistons (44 games) and the Los Angeles Lakers (19). He has a career average of 6.8 points over 272 games (119 starts) in six NBA seasons.

Morris spent the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics and averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games (53 starts) in the 201819 season.

He originally agreed to join the San Antonio Spurs this offseason but changed his mind, choosing the Knicks instead.

Morris, 29, has career averages of 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 545 games (292 starts) over eight NBA seasons.

Marcus Morris

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21

33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket tournament…

Business School, Queen’s College suffer defeats T

he 33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket tournament, currently underway in St Michael, Barbados, has seen both Queen’s College and the Business School suffering losses in the most recent matches they have played.

Although having had some success in this tournament, Queen’s College suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the Alleyne School in a match played at Brighton.

Taking first strike in the match, the Alleyne School posted 197-9 in the allotted 40 overs. Their topscorers were Hans Campbell, with 74; Roland Husbands, with 46; and Achilles Browne, with 31.

Chief wicket-taker for Queen’s College was Bhedesh Persaud, with 5-41.

Needing 198 for the win, the QC side were skittled out for a mere 83, scored in 29.5 overs; thus they lost the match by 114 runs. Navindra Persaud, with 12, top-scored for the QC side, which crumbled under the bowling pressure of Shamar Marshall (4-14), Jechoni Holder (2-

horns with St Leonard’s Boys School at Content.

Bedesh Persaud bagged 5-41 in a losing effort for Queen’s College

20) and D’Angelo Springer (2-22).

Having registered their first win in this tournament on Monday, the Business School could not repeat that performance when they locked

Batting first, St Leonard’s posting 167 all out in 31.2 overs. Their principal scorers were Corey Hoyte (23), Tremaine Dowrich (18), Jai Clarke (17), Coshon Scott (16), Jaron Riley (14), Tauron Gibson (11), and Todd Miller (10).

Bowling for the Business School, Tathesh Shivrattan took 3-34, Christopher Harry took 3-38, Marlon Boele took 2-6, and Ushardeva Balgobin took 2-48.

Needing a simple total of 168 for their second victory, the Business School were bundled out for 96 in 25.1 overs, losing the match by 71 runs.

Ushardeva Balgobin, with 18; Christopher Harry, with 15; Joel Gilkes, with 13 not out; and Jamel Montel, with 12, all made positive

The Business School’s Ushardeva Balgobin top-scored with 18 and bagged 2-48, but could not take his side over the proverbial line

starts for the Business School; but the School could not carry on.

Bowling for St Leonard’s, Tremaine Dowrich took 6-14.

R&D Engineering Don't want to be part of selection process ─ Inzamam Inc supports Jefford Classic X

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nzamam-ul-Haq will step down from his post of chief selector at the end of this month at the end of his contract, he announced at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday (July 17), ending a three-year stint after being appointed in August 2016.

"After more than three years as Chair of the Pakistan Men's Selection Committee, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract," he said. "With the ICC World Test Championship due to get underway in September and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, I believe it is the right time for the Pakistan Cricket Board to appoint a new chief selector who can bring new ideas and fresh thinking.

"I spoke to PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and Managing Director Wasim Khan on Monday and conveyed my decision to them separately. I also thanked them for backing and supporting the selection committee since taking over the reins of Pakistan cricket.

The Pakistan cricket team has come a long way since the departures of stalwarts like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younus Khan in May 2017 and is now destined for improved results as the youngsters have grown in experience and stature.

They are now ready to excel and perform consistently across the three formats."

However, he said that he would be willing to work with PCB in another role, provided it did not have anything to

"After more than three years as Chair of the Pakistan Men's Selection Committee, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract" - Inzamam (Getty Images)

do with selection. "Cricket is my passion but I do not want to be part of the selection process. It has been a pleasure to see these players grow and make names for themselves in international cricket," Inzamam said. "I will follow their progress with interest because I firmly believe these players have all the ingredients to take the Pakistan cricket team to greater heights."

Pakistan finished fifth in the recently-concluded World Cup, just missing out on a semifinal spot due to net run rate, being tied on 11 points with New Zealand.

"The team could have performed better during my time than the results reflect and I may have inadvertently overlooked some potentially

deserving players, but I have always had the best interests of Pakistan cricket foremost in my heart. I hope the passionate Pakistan cricket fans will understand and can see this in my decisions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow selectors, who worked tireless behind the scenes, as well as captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and coach Mickey Arthur. I think we worked very well as a group, stayed together in difficult times, and continued to collectively move in the same direction.

"I wish the new chief of the selection committee and the Pakistan cricket teams all the best in what will be exciting but competitive times in international cricket." (Cricbuzz)

Senior Supervisor at R&D Engineering, Marvin Duke (left), handing over the sponsorship to Edison Jefford at the company's North Road office

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&D Engineering Inc. yesterday handed over its support for the upcoming Jefford Track and Field Classic X, scheduled for Sunday August 11 at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground in Linden.

Founder of the Classic, Edison Jefford, thanked the construction company for its support, and indicated that the gesture would sponsor the Masters Male 60m event and one other event.

Jefford said cash incentives will go directly to the athletes, as opposed to what had obtained in the past, when the incentives were paid to the clubs.

Jefford said securing the athletes’ cash prizes was one of his top priorities, and he is heartened by the support he has been receiving, as this would ensure athletes are rewarded properly after they compete at the meet in Linden.

He said athletes will collect their incentives at the prize giving ceremony immediately after their respective events. A total of $2 million will be handed out directly to the athletes.

Each event carries a total purse of $80,000; with the winner carrying home $40,000, second place $25,000, and third place $15,000; and Jefford indicated that he has already secured the athletes’ prize monies, including medals.

Managing Director of R&D Engineering, Reginald Roach, has said his company would continue to be associated with Jefford, and is proud to offer Jefford support for a venture he came to him with many years ago.

Manchester City players will choose next captain, says Pep Guardiola

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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anchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he will let his players choose the Premier League champions' next

captain.

Previous skipper Vincent Kompany retired at the end of last season.

Midfielder David Silva captained City for Wednesday's pre-season 4-0 friendly win

against West Ham in China but a permanent replacement will not be made until all the squad are back from summer breaks.

"They will choose the captain when we are all together," Guardiola said.

"After they are all back (they are) going to make a meeting and decide who is going to be captain."

Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne says he would be happy to take on the role if he was offered it.

He said: "If the team wants me to be captain, or the club does, I would gladly accept it but I think that's something everybody needs to talk about as a team, as a club.

"This will be talked about when everyone comes back." (BBC Sport)

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thursday, JUly 18, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Berlin tarmac returns to venue list for Guinness "Greatest of the Streets" A

fter a long period of being overlooked, the Berlin tarmac, located in the environs of High and Drysdale Streets, Georgetown, will officially be returned to action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown Championships.

Utilised in the inaugural edition of this tournament, in 2009, the venue will stage the second group night matches on Saturday, July 20th. Eight matches will be hosted at this venue.

According to an official release from tournament coordinator Three Peat Promotions, “There have been calls from the communities, via elders and players, for the venue to make a grand return to action, and we have acquiesced to their requests following discussions with tournament sponsor Banks DIH Limited.

“The Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ phenomenon is an event rooted in the community culture, and Berlin is a part of that fabric that has made the tournament what it is today.”

The release added, “We are pleased to be returning to a venue that was part of the inaugural edition, as the tournament will always be synonymous with, and identified by, its community origins, which is an attribute that should never be changed. We envision a mammoth crowd (descending) on the venue, especially from the surrounding environs, as it is a historic night.”

The round robin stage of this tournament will conclude on July 26th. The top two finishers from each section will then advance to the quarterfinal and subsequent semi-final rounds.

Winner of the event will collect $500,000 and the championship trophy; while the second-, thirdand fourth-placed finishers would cop $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively, together with the corresponding trophy.

Tournament winner would also automatically seal a place in the National Championships, to be held in August.

To date, Beacons [Bartica Champion], Melanie ‘B’ [East Coast Demerara winner], Brothers United [West Bank/ East Bank Demerara winner], Trafalgar [Berbice champion] and High Rollers [Linden champion] are the teams that have secured automatic berths to the national championships.

The complete fixtures for nights 1 & 2 are as follows: Friday 19th: National Cultural Centre (1) North East vs Rising Stars (2) Charlotte St vs Albouystown ‘B’ (3) LA Ballers vs Broad Street (4) Leopold Street vs Albouystown ‘A’ (5) Tiger Bay vs Future Stars (6) Gold is Money vs John Street (7) Back Circle vs Sophia (8) Sparta Boss vs Alexander Village Saturday 20th: Berlin Tarmac

Yesteryear’s action in the Georgetown league of this futsal tournament

(1) LA Ballers vs John Street from 19:00hrs (2) Tiger Bay vs Albouystown ‘A’ from 19:30hrs (3) Alexander Village vs Albouystown ‘B’ from 20:00hrs (4) Back Circle vs Rising Stars from 20:30hrs

(5) Leopold Street vs Future Stars from 21:00hrs (6) North East vs Sophia from 21:30hrs (7) Sparta Boss vs Charlotte St from 22:00hrs (8) Gold is Money vs Broad Street from 22:30hrs

Chunilall, Mohamed design GPF 2019 Inter-Departmental TT Championships rated a resounding success Regal Masters’ victory

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ollowing its recent conclusion, the Guyana Police Force’s 2019 InterDepartmental Table Tennis Championships, in which more than 18 teams from respective departments of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) participated, has been rated a resounding success.

Coordinated by the GPF Sports Department, with support from the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) and the blessing of Police Commissioner Leslie James and Traffic Chief Linden Isles, the championships proved to be not only exciting, but filled with keen competition in which new talents were unearthed, new rivalries were birthed, new challenges were issued, and a desire for the sport to be played within the GPF was rejuvenated.

The 18 participating teams came from divisions E, A, D,

Participants posing with their trophies at the end of the competition

FAPC, HQSC, HQ, Finance, TSU, Immigration, and IT, among others. Competition began with a round robin format which saw the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. In the end Immigration, with an overload of such national talents as Nigel Bryan and Nicholas Romain, proved

too strong for the rest of the field.

Spearheaded by ASP Hoyte, ‘E’ Division emerged runners-up after a hard fought victory in the semifinals over Headquarters’ Johnathan Fagundes. IT finished in fourth place, after their loss to Headquarters for the third-place playoff position.

National player Nigel

Bryan has been voted The Most Valuable Player of these Championships.

ITTF-certified Umpire and Coach Candacy McKenzie coordinated the championships’ fixtures, with support from Kioma Archer and Travis Brown.

The singles’ aspect of the championships is scheduled for holding in October 2019.

Angus Chess Institute commences chess camp ─ increased participation expected

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he Angus Chess Institute commenced a chess camp on Monday, July 15, at the American University of Peace Studies, located at Lot 135 Sherriff and Fourth Streets Campbellville, Georgetown.

It will run until August 7.

Classes at the camp are being hosted from Monday to Wednesday, and between the hours of 9am and noon.

The person behind this initiative is Candidate Master (CM) Ronuel Greenidge, rated 1728, who proudly represented Guyana at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway during the period August 1st to 14th 2014, where he obtained his CM title.

Greenidge continues to use his platform to train players over the course of his career.

Currently Chess Coach for the University

of Guyana, Greenidge bagged a total of 11 medals at the University Games in Colombia during the period May 20-26, 2019.

Some of the issues that will be covered at the chess camp include how the pieces move, tactics, opening, middle game strategy and concepts, and endgame concepts.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport and responding to being questioned on what he hopes to achieve, Greenidge said: “(I) just (want to) deliver on my promise; teach them all they need to know about chess, and make sure they understand before I move on to other topics.

“By teaching chess to many students who want to learn… our player pool will increase, and from that we (are) bound to find talent that we can mould. The classes

have commenced, and are picking up slowly.

“It is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. Now that I am given the chance to use my platform to do something, there is no turning back from here.”

Greenidge said there are many aims involved in this initiative. The first aim is to provide quality training to chess players at all levels. The second aim is to identify chess talents with a desire and drive, so as to help them become titled players (CM, FM, WCM, WFM, WIM).

He declared that while he may be teaching the sport, he is still a competitive player with further aspirations.

For additional information, interested individuals are invited to contact CM Ronuel Greenidge on 630-6458 or 657-7543.

Mahase Chunilall scored an unbeaten 75 off 47 balls

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Fazleem Mohamed took wickets for a mere 21 runs

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ction continued over the weekend in the 20-over competition staged by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Camp Road in Georgetown.

Weekend competition saw the in-form Regal Masters dominating HS Masters by 9 wickets, compliments of a halfcentury from Mahase Chunilall and a 4-wicket haul from Fazleem Mohamed.

Having been successful in their overseas matchups, it was always expected that Regal Masters would make light work of the opposition.

Opting to bat first under sunny conditions, HS Masters commenced their innings in flamboyant style. They knew that they needed to register a mammoth total if they wanted to topple Regal Masters; but, while a victory was on their mind, they forgot to cater for the in-form Fazleem Mohamed.

Quick on the uptake, Mohamed utilised the prevailing conditions to his advantage as he bagged 4 wickets for a mere 21 runs in delivering his allotted overs. He was so able to restrict HS Masters at key moments in the game that at one stage they were at 80-4 and in dire need of runs. Their hopes of a big total were eventually dashed, as they could accumulate only 132-6 in their 20 overs.

Leading run-scorer for the HS Masters was Samuel Kingston, who blasted an unbeaten 42 that included two boundaries and four towering maximums.

Wicket-takers for Regal Masters included Saheed Mohamed and Roy Persaud, who each took one wicket.

Needing a paltry 132 for victory, at a net run rate of 6.6 runs per over, Regal Masters stamped their command on the game from the first ball they faced. Mahase Chunilall and David Harper launched the ball to every part of the ground as they put together a partnership of 111, which practically handing their side the game.

Although Harper fell for 32, Chunilall continued the rampage, eventually taking his team over the line with a well-played 75 scored off 47 balls. Regal Masters ended their innings on 133-1 in 14.4 overs.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, JUly 18, 2019

23

Mohamed’s Enterprise 6th Annual Futsal Tournament set for July 26 ─ 1 Georgetown team added, more Linden teams to compete

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he Mohamed’s Enterprise Sixth Annual Futsal Tournament was officially declared open on Wednesday last at that company’s Lombard Street, Georgetown office.

In the simple but significant opening ceremony, it was revealed that this premier futsal tournament will be staged from Friday, July 26, through Saturday, August 10, at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. The grand finale is slated for Saturday, August 17, at the same venue.

This year’s tournament will feature in excess of 15 teams drawn from Linden and Georgetown, battling to win the first prize of $600,000 and a trophy and replica. The second prize of $250,000 carries a trophy, as do the third prize of $100,000 and the fourth prize of $50,000.

Addressing the media at the launching ceremony, lead sponsor of this tournament, businessman Nazar Mohamed, emphasised the importance of sport.

“We would like to see our Government spend more on sports, because sport is critical in the country,” he said.

This businessman has partnered with New Era Entertainment in continuing to take futsal to another level for a record sixth year.

This tournament, which has had a positive impact on Linden youths, will be diversified in the future, and, further, will feature more teams drawn from across Region 10.

The New Era Entertainment family, which has recently hosted the New Era/ExxonMobil Inter-Schools Futsal Championships, has pledged to continue taking futsal to greater

The tournament’s chief sponsor, Nazar Mohamed

heights.

The promise is that this 2019 edition of the futsal tournament will be bigger. In 2018, only 15 teams had competed, but 2019 will see 18 teams taking centre stage as each battles for supremacy.

The Mohamed’s Enterprise Futsal tournament will be played in two groups in round robin fashion, followed by the knockout stages. Apart from the lone team from Georgetown which had competed in 2018, another team from the capital city will compete.

The West Side ballers and LA Ballers are the Georgetown teams that are set to com-

Action in the 2018 edition of this tournament in Linden

pete in the 2019 Mohamed’s Enterprise Futsal Tournament.

These Georgetown teams will bring competiveness to the table against the Linden teams.

This futsal tournament will not be a nationwide tournament, but a Linden-based tournament that is designed to further develop the Linden youths.

With more teams from the Linden area participating in this tournament, its growth has

been evident. It is expected that future editions of this tournament would feature more teams from the Linden area, the Kwakwani area, and the Ituni area.

ANSA McAL, under its Heineken brand, and Cell Smart are on board as sponsors for this 2019 Mohamed’s Enterprise Futsal Tournament. In the 2018 edition of this futsal tournament, Figgy-Green-Jags were the champions.

Windies A batting not Hetmyer ready for Hero CPL coming up to scratch 2019 challenge ─ Roston Chase

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he West Indies ‘A’ team have suffered three consecutive defeats against India ‘A’ in the One-Day International Series; and West Indies ‘A’ captain, Roston Chase, has expressed disappointment in the team’s batting effort.

The right-handed Barbadian told the Cricket West Indies (CWI) media operative that no batsman in the team has put up his h a n d Keemo Paul a n d delivered.

“Well, it’s been stated constantly that the batting has not been up to scratch, and no one has put up their hands to get that big score and take us across the line,” Chase explained.

Reflecting on this latest defeat against India ‘A’, Chase explained that the pitch was a good one, but the bowlers bowled well in patches.

Having played 16 One Day Internationals and 29 Test matches for the West Indies, Chase explained that the West Indies ‘A’ had had decent starts in the matches, but had lost wickets quickly.

Two matches remain in the five-match series, and Chase has explained that the Caribbean team will stay positive and confident despite knowing that the series is done and dusted.

“It is still good to play

positive c r i c ke t a n d see if we could win the last two games”, C h a s e declared. He has called on the

batmen to make amends in these final two matches, a n d c o m e up with some numbers.

The bowling effort of the West Indies ‘A’ has been led by the brilliant Romario Shepherd, who has thus far had seven wickets in three matches. Staking a claim for West Indies senior team induction, Shepherd leads the series’ bowling charts with seven wickets, while Indian paceman Navdeep Saini has six wickets.

After three matches, no West Indies ‘A’ batsman h a s surpassed 100 runs.

Guyana Jaguars player Raymon Reifer has 91 runs, while Jonathan Carter has 55 runs.

In contrast, India ‘A’ batsman Shubman Gill has 149 runs in three matches, while Manish Pandey has 131 runs in three matches, including a century in the third match.

Shreyas Iyer has 126 runs in the three matches thus far.

These batsmen will be aiming for inclusion when the senior Indian team tours the Caribbean in August.

From a West Indian point-ofview, the likes of John Campbelle and Sunil Ambris will be eyeing significant scores, since they are the future opening West Indian pair.

Guyanese S h e r f a n e Rutherford is yet to play a match on tour, while his Guyanese team mates Romario Shepherd a n d Keemo Paul are in the starting XI. The fourth match will be played on Friday July 19, at the Coolidge Cricket Ground from 9:30h local time. (Brandon Corlette) Roston Chase

T

h e 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was a breakout season for Shimron Hetmyer, which he has used as a platform to further his international career and get picked up in other T20 tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Having finished last season as the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ top scorer with 440 runs, including a maiden T20 hundred, Hetmyer says he will be trying hard to improve on those stellar returns when the 2019 CPL gets underway on 4 September.

“Well, I’ll be looking to outdo it but let’s see how it goes. At this point I’m really feeling good about my batting where that is concerned and my overall game as well, so I’m looking to take it one step at a time and just try as much as possible and as hard as possible to try and take Guyana one step further this year.”

The CPL has played a big part in the development of many young players from the Caribbean, and Hetmyer says he has learned a huge amount from the tournament.

“It’s taught me a lot actually. It’s brought me up to the world stage knowing different players from around the world and playing against some of the guys I’ve never played against before. [CPL] helps because you basically play with some of the guys that’s more established and in and around the international stage. It always helps in different ways, it gives the younger guys a little bit of a chance to rub shoulders with some of the more experienced guys on the team and some of the more experienced guys have played world cricket and from other countries as well.”

“So it all helps you as a young player to develop your game and to know your strengths

and weaknesses, and work on them as early as possible so when you do get to that stage it gets a little bit easier for you and you make a less amount of mistakes.”

Hetmyer was one of three Guyanese players the Amazon Warriors retained before the draft took place, and he is very pleased with the rest of the squad that has been selected for the upcoming tournament.

“I think it’s a great pick. I must commend the management staff on picking such a wellrounded team. I would say also a very young team we have this year as well, with the exception of Shoaib. For us now it’s just about basically getting the right combination on the park on that specific day. We do have a very good team on paper so it’s all about us now just going out and putting on a very good show on the field.”

The Amazon Warriors have made the CPL final four times, including in 2018, and Hetmyer says he really wants to bring that CPL trophy home to Guyana.

“That’s the feeling I’m actually waiting to explain on that stage, I’m waiting for when we actually get to that hurdle and just stepping over it. Last year was heart-breaking for us to get, for us to be working that hard to get to t h a t final and then we just lost it in

that last game. So, it’s just about going out this year to just do our best yet again in our group stages, in our group stage matches, and then just take it one step further this year in the final.”

Shimron Hetmyer

thursday, JUly 18, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Page 23

Angus Chess Institute commences

chess camp ─ increased participation expected

Page 22

Hetmyer ready for

Hero CPL 2019 challenge Page 23

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