Guyana Times Wednesday August 28 2019

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

Issue No. 4029

THE BEACON OF TRUTH Wednesday, august 28, 2019

GECOM Chair orders halt to H2H Registration See story on page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

TVG, RGI P10 commended

by GNBA for catering for differently abled …Evening News only newscast with closed captioning

…PPP raises concern over merging unverified data with Register …calls for immediate Claims and Objections exercise

Project Manager takes Govt to court over wrongful termination of contract

…after giving up US$100,000 a year job in US

Page 7

Man nabbed with shotgun in Mahaicony P13

Linden man, P13 female accomplice jailed for robbery

People’s Progressive Party Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali speaking at a community meeting at Hururu Village, Berbice River in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Residents used the opportunity to discuss with Ali issues that are affecting them

67 vehicles up for sale by GRA P11

Tullow’s partner begins drilling 2nd well …as race for oil in Orinduik block heats up

Page 2

Former US Congresswoman hopes Guyana’s elections date “will be set soon” Page 9

Venezuelan to do community service for P8 shoplifting

2 news

wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Tullow’s partner begins drilling 2nd well …as race for oil in Orinduik block heats up

value of the block with this shallower play”.

“The estimated chance of success for Joe is the same as Jethro, although it is a completely different play, and we are confident in our 3D interpretation as we were ahead of the Jethro-1 discovery. We look forward to continued success in our exploration efforts as we move forward to define the plays available to us in all the various geological ages and to develop this block,” Kinley was quoted as saying.

“Joe”

E

The Stena Forth drillship is drilling Eco’s well

co Atlantic Oil and Gas, the partner of the oil company that recently found oil in the Orinduik block, has begun drilling a well of its own using the same drill ship that brought Britishowned Tullow its first oil find in Guyana.

According to a release from the company on Tuesday, drilling on the Joe-1 well began on Sunday using the Stena Forth drill ship. Eco Atlantic further explained that it will take

approximately three weeks to drill this well.

The well itself is located in approximately 700 metres of water. Estimates by international natural resource consultants Gustavson Associates state that it might hold 148 millions of barrels of oil.

In a statement, Chief Operating Officer of Eco Atlantic, Colin Kinley, expressed pleasure at the commencement of the operation. According to Kinley, a further discovery will go

a great way in de-risking the rest of the basin.

“We are very pleased to have spudded on Sunday our second exploration well on Orinduik.

After the discovery made on Jethro in the Lower Tertiary, which greatly de-risked that age section throughout the block, we are now moving to an Upper Tertiary target in the Joe prospect where we are targeting over 100mmboe. If a further discovery is made, it will further enhance the

Joe is the second of Eco’s two-well drill programme in Guyana for this year. The company also has plans and funding for a further six potential explorations, appraisal or development wells on the Orinduik Block.

Eco Atlantic had previously announced that drilling on the Joe prospect will begin in mid-July of this year. They had announced that the Stena Forth drillship will move directly to the Joe after it had finished drilling the Jethro Lobe Well in the Orinduik Block.

It has been report-

ed that the Joe will cost Eco approximately US$3 million to drill. A recently published report from Gustavson Associates has estimated that the well has a 43.2 per cent chance of success.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10-year Petroleum Prospecting licence and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016. Total E and P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the Block. It exercised that option last year.

Recently, the spotlight has been on Tullow after it discovered oil in commercial quantities at the Jethro-1 exploration well in the Orinduik Block. This was the first discovery in the Orinduik Block.

The Jethro-1 well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship to a total depth of 4400 metres in approximately 1350 metres of water. According to a statement from the com-

The Stena Forth drill ship is drilling Eco’s well

pany, evaluation of the logging data confirmed that Jethro-1 comprises high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs of Lower Tertiary age, which simply means they date back to millions of years ago.

According to the statement, the well encountered 55M of net oil pay, which indicates a recoverable oil resource estimate that exceeds Tullow’s pre-drill forecast of 100 million barrels of oil.

News of the find created waves in financial centres around the world, as well as international news outlets. That very day, August 12, Tullow’s shares jumped by over 19 per cent on the London Stock Exchange to become the biggest gainer on the index.

news

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wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Wednesday, August 28 – 03:00h – 04:30h and 14:30h – 16:00h and Thursday, August 29 – 03:30h – 05:00h and 14:30h – 16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, August 28 – 15:10h – 16:40h and Thursday, August 29 –15:55h – 17:25h.

GECOM Chair orders halt to H2H Registration

…PPP raises concern over merging unverified data with Register …calls for immediate Claims and Objections exercise

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91metres.

High Tide: 02:36h and 15:12h reaching a maximum height of 2.54 metres and 2.54 metres.

Low Tide: 08:41h and 21:03h reaching minimum heights of 0.61 metre and 0.67 metre.

saturday, AUGUST 24, 2019

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tuesday, august 26

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GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette “Iron lady” Singh, has ordered an end to the ongoing House-to-House Registration exercise, bringing an end to a controversial chapter of GECOM’s recent history.

The decision was taken at a statutory meeting on Tuesday, where she decided that the exercise will be concluded as of August 31, 2019, and that GECOM will afterwards embark on more concrete steps towards the hosting of General and Regional Elections.

It was also decided that the data gathered so far by the House-to-House exercise will be merged with the existing database. Further, a statement from GECOM explained that the Chairperson has decided that the Commission will move to an extensive Claims and Objections, after publishing the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Commissioners are less than happy, however, about the decision to merge the Houseto-House Registration data with the National Register of Registrants (NRR). According to Commissioner Robeson Benn, this was not a product of their proposals.

“The difficulty we have is merging and verification of the data. It was not our proposal. We have said that any merging or verification of the data is wrong, it will take a long time and it will contaminate the NRR. It will result in duplicates. And having appeared as duplicates, each one of those will have to be investigated”.

“The resort to use the House-to-House Registration information is only another ploy to delay the holding of elections as required by the No-Confidence Motion. We are very unhappy about that,” Benn said.

Jamaica trip

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Meanwhile, Commissioner Bibi Shadick noted that a team from GECOM— includ-

ing Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers and the Information Technology Manager— are presently in Jamaica observing the process of cross matching fingerprints.

She explained that after they return, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield will prepare a plan proposing the timeframe to merge the data with the Register. According to Shadick, this plan will be discussed by the Commission and if necessary, further decisions will be made.

Reports indicate that during the exercise, the only political party that supervised the enumerators was the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). The PPP was not even invited. The fact that the data was obtained at a time when the PPP played no part in supervising the enumerators was referenced by Opposition-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj.

“I maintain that the information contained in the house-to-house process is unverified data and as a consequence should not be used.

But it’s left to be seen what the secretariat comes within terms of the use of that data,” Gunraj said.

Monday’s meeting was one of several meetings between the Chairperson and her Commissioners. The previous meetings had ended in no consensus being reached, with the Government Commissioners pushing for House-to-House to be continued and persons questioning the delay for GECOM to come to a decision.

It is understood that over 200,000 persons were registered by GECOM during the house-to-house exercise.

However, many of these reg-

The controversial House-to-House exercise will come to an end on August 31, 2019

istrations are believed to be duplications, which is against the law in section 21 of the National Registration Act.

More questions than answers

Meanwhile, the PPP in a statement afterwards noted that the statement issued by GECOM afterwards leaves more questions than answers. For instance, the Party noted that if the data is to be merged, then it cannot be the entire 270,000 persons GECOM claimed it registered, since this would include duplicates. The PPP pointed out that instead of seeking to merge the data, which will take months, Claims and Objections could achieve the same result in a shorter time.

“Secondly, the GECOM press statement said: ‘Based on the ruling of the Chief Justice on 14th August 2019 that House-to-House Registration is not unlawful and is constitutional, the data garnered from that registration exercise must be merged with the existing National Register of Registrants Database.’ This is an attempt to distort the ruling of the High Court. Nowhere in the ruling of the Chief Justice did she direct any merger of

data garnered from House-toHouse Registration with the NRR”.

“We reiterate the position of the PPP, which is that the planned merger of data from the Houseto-House Registration will not improve the quality or ‘credibility’ of the database – rather, it will further contaminate the National Register of Registrants and cause further delays in the holding of elections,” the Party added.

In its statement, the Party went on to urge GECOM to move decisively by immediately launching its Claims and Objections exercise. This, the Party noted, would allow anyone not on the NRR and eligible, to be registered.

The Party added that for weeks now, its General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that House-to-House Registration, in addition to being a waste of taxpayers’ resources, was intended to delay the holding of General and Regional Elections, which should have been held since March 21, 2019.

Further, the Party is of the view that the decision made

by GECOM on Tuesday is the only logical decision that could have been made.

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WEDNesday, august 28, 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

Declaring domestic violence a national priority

W

ithin a three-day period, two women from East Coast Demerara were killed at the hands of the father of their children. Both women – Shamaine Frank and Vinetta Headley-James – had suffered years of domestic violence as they battled through their relationship for the sake of their children.

In the case of Frank, her six-year-old daughter witnessed her being stabbed to death. The child, according to news reports, has confided in relatives that she was awakened by her father during the ordeal and threatened not to utter a word. If she did, he would also kill her, she told relatives. Incidents such as these cause trauma for those who witnessed them and serve as a microcosm of such scenarios in society. More specifically, over time, numerous cases of domestic violence have been reported in the Guyanese media.

Many were brutally killed in some instances.

Unfortunately, this continues despite awareness efforts. There is also the much-touted training of law enforcements officers who are expected to be the first step of recourse with regard to the lodging of complaints.

There is more than a subtle irony in the continuance of this societal scourge in spite of the relentless efforts and the plethora of available mechanisms to inform and educate. The problem appears much larger as reflected in the news as many cases go unreported. This speaks to the reality being underestimated.

Many reasons have been made known for what can deter an abused victim to not seek the intervention of the law. Among them are aspects of culture, shame, dependency and its redounding lack of empowerment for some, and the absence of confidence in law enforcement precipitated from the reported trivialising of the issue in some instances.

One may posit that education is a primary concern. On the other hand, one can argue that education has been more profound in recent times. Pertinent would be to ask if the other factors subvert the heeding of educational messaging. While the answer may be assumed, it would make for interesting and informative research.

That said, the magnitude of the impact on children cannot be underestimated. Many have cruelly been made witnesses to the horrific assaults. Those ghastly images, especially when life was snuffed out, are not only lasting, but profoundly traumatising.

When young minds are so broadsided, the impact, if not managed, lingers for life. Not that they are erasable, but with meaningful and sustained interventions, the trauma can potentially be mitigated thereby aiding to better shape lives. The entire spectrum of what therefore constitutes counselling then becomes vital. This naturally raises the question of the availability of adequate intervening mechanisms, not just for case of domestic violence but other scenarios including accidents.

While it is always heartening to hear that surviving victims and witnesses to such horrific incidents would be counselled, it would be very informative for all to know the extent of what is available and offered. While expectations would be for what obtains in the developed nations, realistically, there must be something tangible in keeping with available resources with upgrades foremost in planning.

This is not any way suggesting that there isn’t an effective mechanism. However, counselling can be an extensive process for some depending upon the circumstances. Given the plethora of incidents that unfortunately continue and which would make added demands on the system, the question of adequacy of trained staff, needed facilities and support systems, becomes more pertinent.

While there is a disadvantage in accurately quoting figures, based on extensive research, if available, on the amount of people lost, injured and disfigured and those scarred for life as a result of domestic violence, they must be extremely high in proportion to our population. Clearly the highest number would be those who are left traumatized.

This therefore must be seen as a serious cause for concern and a compelling reason for consideration for declaring domestic violence a national priority. This is an apolitical issue and is not confined to any one group thereby making it less difficult to garner national support. In such small societies, the impact permeates throughout.

As this newspaper has previously said, children reading and learning about incidents through television and social media are in many ways impacted too, especially if one of their own is affected.

In the context herein, the pervasiveness and impact of trauma cannot and must not be underestimated. Its mitigation has to uncompromisingly be immediate, holistic, effective and sustained.

This cowboy is seen herding cattle on Waikin Ranch, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Waikin has boundaries from the main Rupununi trail to the Ireng River on the Brazil border to the west and Pirara River. The ranch covers almost 33,000 acres of mostly rolling savannah plains dotted with bush islands, ponds, lakes and creeks [Photo by: Kev Thomas]

Our political, business leaders must set the language, tone

Dear Editor, “Any truth I maintain is my own property. Every honourable act is done without command or compulsion; it is unalloyed, and contains no admixture of evil.” - Seneca.

Having had the good fortune of being involved in sports, academia, business and politics as a Guyanese -- be it in the community where I reside, the business I manage, giving solicited or unsolicited advice to politicians -- it seems to me that it is time for us to now look directly at the sunlight and cast off the Guyanese shadow of race identification that has tormented and divided Guyana for over sixty years.

We have to enable and embrace a culture, especially at the political, business and governmental levels, that de-emphasises the use of such terms as African-Guyanese, IndianGuyanese, PortugueseGuyanese, ChineseGuyanese; and similarly, the use of black, brown, red, white and yellow to identify Guyanese in different ways.

Referring to Guyanese in a hyphenated or race-labelling manner should not be the primary means of communication on our population demographics; we can instead convey the information using inclusive language with the tone and prosody of what is being emphasised. The use by Guyanese of self-hyphenation and race-labelling tends to create racist and other destructive divisions among our people.

A disturbing visual and widespread occurrence resulting from the partial consequence of this racialisation and destructive practice is cornerstoned often times in segregated local employment practices in governmental organisations and private businesses. Some of our leading private sector

institutions present this social malady, and to a lesser extent, this perversion occurs far too frequently in the public sector.

Having studied the evolution of two great leaders, namely Malcolm X and Walter Rodney; and having seen their transformation to believing in integrated, multiethnic, multicultural, and multiracial societies and nations, I will let their progressive wisdom guide me.

The following quote is an extract from Malcolm X’s last speech in Detroit on February 14, 1965: “I am not racist in any form whatsoever; I don’t believe in any form of racism, I don’t believe in any form of discrimination or segregation”.

Similarly, we have Walter Rodney concluding the following in a 1978 lecture: “…it seems to me that we are in a position to illustrate, and to illustrate not just from the distant past, but the recent history of Guyana, that race is an aberration. Viewed from a working class point of view, that it is maintained deliberately by classes whose interest contradicts with the interest of the working class…”.

Tackling problems of poverty, housing, education, security and unemployment should be done without the use of race labels. We can do so in a nation building manner that advances Guyana-ism to unify our country, and not instead have a mixture of hyphenated Guyanese hordes that are easily ignited racially by our baser instincts, where these baser instincts are invariably politically instigated.

The Guyana-ist system I am advocating will not allow for employment; property ownership; social services; and financial services, among other systems’ services, structures or in-

dustries, to be determined on a discriminatory basis.

Instead, the economic, social and cultural components of Guyana-ism will be implemented using principles and policies that are reflective of demographic parameters in a Guyanese context.

We cannot, and ought not to, ignore or try to wish away our admixture; yet this admixture must never be emphasised above Guyanaism. Being Guyanese is what our political leaders must herald and proclaim.

If great men such as Malcolm X and Walter Rodney, in their knowledge morphing, saw the necessity for racial integration and the vital importance of human rights, so must we.

The meanings of words expressed and the contexts in which they are used have consequences. Let us aim to use language for positive consequences.

It would be remiss of me not to recognise that the political culture of the two major parties needs to be overhauled, needs to be changed, needs to be transformed into being pro-Guyanese.

Over the sixty years I referenced above, we have had two political movements that captured -- nationally and in the diaspora -- an ethos that we, in Guyana, need so much.

The political movements built under the umbrellas of The Working People’s Alliance and The Alliance For Change were destroyed or subsumed by one of the major parties or by both of the major parties. The destruction occurred in one instant: after the death of Walter Rodney in June of 1980; and the shredding of the Working People’s Alliance continued with actions that followed over a decade after his death.

What became clear with the passage of time is that Guyana-ism was not al-

lowed to flourish, because of the actions and conduct of the two major political parties.

In 2011, the Alliance For Change, at the height of its better and brighter days, inhaled, inspired and exhaled the spirit of nationhood.

The soul of the Alliance For Change was subsequently subsumed and snuffed out after the 2015 General and Regional Elections, thereby losing its Guyanaist identification. My belief is that lasting change from this ruinous race-based and race-labelling culture will best be exampled and implemented from within the two major parties.

As Senator Barrack Obama said in February of 2008: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek.”

Let us use this pre-election period to Guyanan-ise the political culture, and forge a sense of nationhood, regardless of party affiliation or party support.

We ought not to have rubber stamp politicians in senior office. Terms such as race traitor, house slave, race sellout and other racebased permutations should not be foisted on those who seek to cultivate a Guyana that is inclusive and speaks for all Guyanese.

Positive vibrations are what we need in Guyana from our ‘Grangers’ and ‘Jagdeos’. Our political and business leaders must set the language and tone; it is the honourable thing to do.

As Guyanese, we are capable of avoiding the hyphens that cage and separate us.

As Guyanese, we can be one people in one nation with a destiny of solidarity.

Sincerely, Nigel Hinds

Constitutional requirements have been honoured Dear Editor, Following the successful passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018, the following salient processes should have been set in motion in accordance with Article 106 (6) and (7).

1. The President and Cabinet should resign 2. Parliament should dis-

solve 3. The President sets a date for an early election To date, none of the above constitutional requirements has been honoured. It has been eight (8) months on and not a single aspect of the above matters as required by law has been settled. What we have been witnessing is an eddying cycle of nonsen-

sical legal opinions by the PNC, which in essence amounts to an inordinate delay in the holding of General and Regional Elections.

It took billions of dollars of Granger’s lunacy in that vain attempt to evade those three main critical issues.

This President will go down in history as the one who feared and, should I say, is

mortified by the thought of facing the people in an election! Granger is most fearful of facing the electorate.

The latest in this con game of his is that GECOM is the body designated to set a date for elections, he is shifting the blame hence breaking the law, where the setting of a date for elections is concerned.

Continued on page 5

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WEDNesday, august 28, 2019

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Minister’s half-year report numbers raise serious concerns about data quality and integrity

Dear Editor, Forecasts are as good as the data used to prepare them.

In public finance, it is critical that forecasts are based on good quality data since they are used to inform public policies which ultimately affects the lives of every citizen. The current cycle for preparing the national budget as per statutes was structured in a way that allows sufficient time to complete and accurate data to inform the budget estimates and to make policy adjustments for the next fiscal year.

Unfortunately, the caretaker Minister of Finance (the Minister) incessantly rushed to deliver the national budget at the earliest possible time for the past four years, but this haste brought great harm to the completeness and accuracy of the data and the budget planning process. It is no surprise that the national budgets for the last few years have failed to deliver any meaningful change in the lives of average Guyanese. So while the official number screams 4.1 per cent growth, ask the ordinary man or the local Private Sector if they are experiencing this growth and you will hear a distinctly opposite story. The Minister chose to label their utterance as “trotted out numbers” but we are of the opinion that the Private Sector seems to have a better grasp of the tone of the economy than the Minister and we shall illustrate why below.

The table on the “half-year balance of payment data for 2018” below seeks to bring light to this disconnect between what the Minister preaches and what happens in reality.

The half-year report for 2018 was released on August 8, 2018, and the half-year report for 2019 was released on August 9, 2019. Clearly, both reports were prepared after the first six months of 2018. Logic will dictate that these two sets of numbers for the balance of payment performance during the first half of 2018 should be the same on both reports with minor differences for rounding errors.

But this is clearly not the case.

The table below shows enormous differences between the numbers originating from the 2018 and 2019 half-year reports, despite the “data-set” in question is referring to the same period – the first six months of 2018. For example, in the 2018 half-year report, the Minister claimed that the net current account balance was a deficit of US$194.2 million; in the 2019 half-year report, he claimed that the deficit (for the same period in 2018) was a deficit of US$578.6 million. If we assume that the 2019 numbers are correct, it means that in 2018, the Minister’s analysis was off by more

than 200 per cent.

We found that this error is not a one-off mistake or oversight. What we found was a series of systematic errors that show up in multiple places on the comparator table and in multiple publications coming out of the Ministry of Finance. Such poor quality data raises some very important concerns and questions.

Other cardinal errors include (1) the considerable misstatement of the value of non-factor services, which include business services (which includes services contracted for oil exploration), transportation services, consulting and management services, insurance services, and advertising

and marketing research services and communication services, and (2) grave inaccuracy in the amount classified as capital transfers from the Private Sector for the first half of 2018. Non-factor services and capital transfers from the Private Sector are key economic indicators of the health of the economy. So if the Ministry of Finance cannot get this right, then what can they get right?

Such poor analysis and budgeting raise two major concerns. First, which of these numbers should the public trust? Is any of them correct? How can the Private Sector (the engine for growth), plan if it cannot rely on these numbers? What other indicators suffer from this same problem? Did the economy grow by 4.1 per cent? These are genuine questions that investors, analysts and planners are concerned about. Understandably, there will always be an acceptable margin of error when dealing with statistics, especially when forecasting is involved. But this is exactly the reason why the timing of the national budget should not be sacrificed for political expediency and optics. To intentionally or unintentionally ignore the consequences of ramming through the budgeting process for political expediency and bragging rights is to gamble with businesses’ investments, the livelihood of workers and the credibility of the data.

Second, such poor analysis, forecast and budgeting raise the question of on what exactly did the Ministry spend that $135 billion that was assigned to it since 2015? Was any portion of it used for building technical capacity and staff training to improve the quality of data collection and analysis? If so, where are the signs of the improvements? It is not unreasonable for taxpayers to expect reliable and credible data regarding the state of public finances and the economy. Good economic management and policymaking begin with good fiscal and economic analyses for which dependable and trustworthy data is key. The Minister of Finance, like every other public officer has to ensure that the public is truthfully informed on the state of affairs of the nation. Unfortunately, the integrity and veracity of the data released by the Minister fail these simple tests and seems to be doing more harm than good to the nation.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh Dhanraj Singh

Politics must have morality to serve our nation as well Dear Editor, Without a doubt, one of the most important professions in the world is politics.

More than any other sphere of activity, it influences people’s lives in a profound way.

It is the profession that pulls together all others for the purpose of development of a community or country.

It is, therefore, a very noble endeavour.

Yet, few other professions have been more ridiculed than politics. Any bad action by a person is often described as that person acting like a politician. It is not unusual to hear people saying that ‘politics is a dirty game’, or being called very unflattering names, for example, scamp, corrupt, etc.

This has come about because far too many politicians make promises that they had no intention of keeping, or some behave in such a way that one can get the impression that the masses of people are there to serve those in power and not vice versa.

Far too many become corrupt with only one purpose, that is personal aggrandisement.

They also abuse power and authority and take advantage of the poor.

Yet, politics remain very important in people’s lives.

Like all other professions, you have decent, principled and upright politicians and you have the power-hungry, corrupt and unprincipled elements as well. The sad reali-

ty is that there are far too little of the former and much too much of the latter.

One would have let things ride at that had it not been for the devastating effect that immoral politics have on the lives of people in any society.

We in Guyana have both of these groups in our body politic. When the most corrupt grab power, they do tremendous harm to every aspect of life. We have had experiences with immoral politics and we know the consequences. Unfortunately, the immorality of the past continues to guide those in power today.

In the last elections campaign, the APNU/AFC made many promises that they had absolutely no intention of keeping.

A few examples of this.

The two parties promised sugar workers a twenty per cent increase in wages and salaries. Public servants were also given rosy promises of sizeable increases. Rice farmers were told that they would get nine thousand dollars a bag for their paddy.

Amerindians were promised jobs and lands.

We were told that the VAT would have been reduced to a single-digit number.

None of their ‘promises’ was made with the intention of keeping them. It was done to deliberately fool the people to dishonestly obtain their votes.

The APNU/AFC regime is

now doing everything, including trampling on our laws and Constitution to perpetuate themselves in power.

In doing so, they are destroying the independence of our institutions and making a mockery of the law.

Our courts are in grave danger of being taken over by the PNC-led APNU/AFC regime.

The latest outrage was the ruling of the Court of Appeal on the validity of the No-Confidence Motion. The disdain with which the CCJ overturned that decision by the Guyana Court of Appeal says quite a lot. It implies that the decision was not based on law, logic nor arithmetic.

While that is the latest, there are many other cases that are not being called, heard or not making decisions, the elections petition case challenging the result of the 2015 elections is a good example – it is yet to be heard.

In every democratic society, those types of cases are given priority. In the same year, 2015, Kenya and Trinidad had elections that were challenged in the courts.

Those elections were held after ours, yet the cases in the two countries have been heard and ruled on.

In the case of Kenya, the court upheld the case brought by the Opposition and ordered fresh elections. That was also concluded.

Yet, to date, Guyana’s

case is still not even called.

In the meantime, it is being overtaken by other political developments.

This is a serious body blow to our democracy and an indication of where we are going.

There are other constitutional cases already heard, but years after, no decision is handed down by the judges.

This, by the way, is breaking the law by Judges, since the Ninth National Assembly had passed laws putting time limits to Judges for the purpose of giving written decisions when cases are concluded. Many of our Judges are ignoring this law. What an example!

It is also sad to observe what is happening at the Guyana Elections Commission.

The PNC-led regime is destroying that body. It took the CCJ decision to force James Patterson to resign.

However, the new Chairperson, who is also a Judge, seems not to want to enforce the laws of the country and ensure that we have free and fair elections. The question is why??

The actions of GECOM continue to lead to deliberate, delay and prolong the life of a corrupt regime. It has failed to fulfil its constitutional responsibility.

The regime is now taking the time given to it to engage in massive social bribery. Every day, planeloads of goods are now being dis-

Constitutional requirements have...

The calling of election is the role of the President, not GECOM, period, end of discussion! The Granger Administration knows this but is only trying to complicate the issue, but there is no complication in its interpretation.

The idea of having a House-to-House Registration and the “sanitising” of the voters’ list is just another deception meant to break the new deadline date of September 18 set by the CCJ. What they call sanitising of the voters’ list can easily be effected in the Claims

and Objections period when all the relevant parties, institutions, and what have you, would be there to ensure that those who should be on the list are on the list while those who are deceased would be taken off by the official records furnished by the GRO. This is a simple aboveboard process which, for the most part, can be done in a month’s time, not the 20-month unilateral NRR process they are conducting at the present time.

Now, Article 106 (6) and (7) speaks to the President setting a date for elec-

tion and that is not a carte blanc situation, wherein the President runs away with the idea that he can go on forever without setting a date, that is the erroneous assumption this Government is operating under, wherein he thinks he can do as he pleases, far from it. The President has 90 days or 3 months in which he must call elections. That is pellucid! Mark you well that should have been done in the first instance, which Granger, in his arsenal of tricks, allowed to expire on March 21, 2019, so, in its truest sense, this Granger

FROM page 4

Government is illegal.

What is very clear is that this Government is hell-bent on a rule by force, breaking every law as it goes along, but I must caution them that this is not going to happen. The Opposition has by September 18 to approach the Commonwealth as well as the United Nations to intervene in this illegal game of sorts carried out by the Granger cabal and bring an end to it all. We are not far from that stage of things.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

patched to the inferior with ‘goodies’ in a desperate attempt at mass bribery.

Moreover, the ruling of the CCJ as to the caretaker nature of the regime is totally ignored!

The immorality of these actions is clear. It is setting the lowest standards for our people. This example will fuel corruption in every aspect of our social and economic life.

We will not only be confronted by the corruption of the bureaucratic elite but it will seep into every area and the culture of corruption will once more become universal in Guyana.

This APNU/AFC regime has learnt nothing from the previous PNC regime that led

the country into bankruptcy and infrastructural ruins.

Or maybe it did, but personal power for them is more important than the country.

Despite exertions of good intentions, we would fail. The simple fact is that you cannot achieve lofty goals with dirty hands!

Those in public offices, particularly in independent constitutional offices that are tamely allowing abuse of our people to take place are as guilty as the PNC elite.

Politics must have morality to serve our nation as well.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

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wednesday, august 28, 2019

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Transportation and safety:

o you know what time school starts and how your children will get

there?

If they’re riding the bus, do you know where the bus stop is and what time they’ll be picked up and dropped off?

Do you know where the school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area is?

Are there any regulations on bicycles or other vehicles, such as scooters?

Have you gone over traffic safety information, stressing the importance of crossing at the pedestrian crossing (never between parked cars or in front of the school bus), waiting for the bus to stop before approaching it, and understanding traffic signals and signs?

If your child walks or bikes to school, have you mapped out a safe route?

Does your child understand that it’s never OK to accept rides, candy, or any other type of invitation from strangers?

What about after school?

Figuring out where children will go after school can be a challenge, especially if both parents work.

Depending on a child’s age and maturity, you may need to arrange for after-school transportation and care.

It’s important for younger children and preteens

Foundation

to have some sort of supervision from a responsible adult. If you can’t be there as soon as school’s out, ask a reliable, responsible relative, friend, or neighbour to help out. If they’re to be picked up after school, make sure your children know where to meet you or another caregiver.

Although it might seem like children who are approaching adolescence are becoming mature enough to start watching themselves after school, even children as old as 11 or 12 may not be ready to be left alone.

If your children or teens are home alone in the afternoons, it’s important to establish clear rules: Set a time when they’re expected to arrive home from school.

Have them check in with you or a neighbour as soon as they get home.

Specify who, if anyone at all, is allowed in your home when you’re not there.

Make sure they know to never open the door for strangers.

Make sure they know what to do in an emergency.

To ensure that children are safe and entertained after school, look into after-school programmes. Some are run by private businesses, others are organised by the schools themselves, places of worship, police athletic leagues, YMCAs, community and youth centres, etc.

Getting involved in after-school activities: offers children a productive alternative to watching TV or playing video games provides some adult supervision when parents can’t be around after school helps develop children’ interests and talents introduces children to new people and helps them develop their social skills gives children a feeling of involvement keeps children out of trouble Be sure to look into the child-staff ratio at any after-school programme (in other words, make sure that there are enough adults per child) and that the facilities are safe, indoors and out.

And children should know when and who will pick them up when school lets out and when the after-school programme ends.

Also, make sure after-school commitments allow children enough time to complete school assignments. Keep an eye on their schedules to make sure there’s enough time for both schoolwork and home life.

Helping homework

Love it or hate it, homework is a very important part of school. To help children get back into the scholastic swing of things: Make sure there’s a quiet place that’s free of distrac-

tions to do homework.

Don’t let children watch TV when doing homework or studying. Set rules for when homework and studying need to be done, and when the TV can be turned on and should be turned off. The less TV, the better, especially on school nights.

If your children are involved in social media, be sure to limit the time spent on these activities during homework time.

Keep text messaging to a minimum to avoid frequent interruptions.

Never do their homework or projects yourself. Instead, make it clear that you’re always available to help or answer any questions.

Review homework assignments nightly, not necessarily to check up, but to make sure they understand everything.

children’ academic strengths as well as weaknesses.

Most of all, whether it’s the first day of school or the last, make sure your children

know you’re there to listen to their feelings and concerns, and that you don’t expect perfection — only that they try their best. (Excerpt from kidshealth.

org)

Encourage children to:

develop good work habits from the get-go, like taking notes, writing down assignments, and turning in homework on time take their time with schoolwork ask the teacher if they don’t understand something To ensure children get the most out of school, maintain an open channel of communication with the teachers by emailing or talking with them throughout the school year to discuss your

M

olas are cloth panels that form part of a blouse for the Kuna women of Panama.

They use a quilting technique called reverse appliqué to create the design formalisers of fabric. Reverse appliqué is pretty fun to do, but darn hard to explain. A Mola is basically a fabric panel with colourful strips sewn in.

How to make Paper Cut Molas

Start drawings by drawing the main body or largest shape first onto a piece of 12-inch x 18-inch white paper using a black marker.

Use broad-tip Crayola markers for colouring. It really helps to trace around a shape and then colour slowly; giving ample time for the ink to flow onto the paper. After the image is coloured, cut it out.

Glue coloured pieces onto black construction paper and glue strips of paper along the borders.

Tip: leave a little space between the coloured drawing and the strips of paper. (deepspacesparkle.com)

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wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Project Manager takes Govt to court over wrongful termination of contract …after giving up US$100,000 a year job in US

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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fter giving up work that paid over US$100,000 annually to return to Guyana and give back to his homeland through his expertise, a project manager is fighting back against what he calls the wrongful termination of his contract by the Government of Guyana.

Rudolph Small, who is taking the Government to court to claim millions in lost salaries and benefits, contended that he was contracted by the Public Health Ministry as the Director of Projects within the Ministry on January 31, 2017.

Small has a Master’s of Science in Environmental Health, Degrees in Biology and Nursing and PostGraduate Diplomas in Legal Nursing Consultancy and Project Management. As of 2016, he was working with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a Field Medical Coordinator and earning US$131,000 a year ($27.4 million).

According to his statement of claim, which was filed by his lawyer, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, he was informed by his acquaintance, Finance Minister Winston Jordan, of the need for

someone to administer an InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) project worth $1.6 billion in funding for maternal and child health improvements to Guyana’s hospitals.

Having been informed in 2016, Small stated in his claim that he began discussions with authorities in Guyana and was interviewed by an IDB panel and offered the position, which he took at the expense of his job in the US. According to Small, his position as Director of Projects came with a monthly salary of US$5,000 ($1 Million).

“In addition to the IDB project, Small’s help was requested in other areas. According to the claim, Small “was invited to the Office of the Minister of Health in January, 2017, and was requested to help the Ministry of Health to prepare a project document for a proposed men-

Attorney General Basil Williams

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

Claimant’s expertise to expedite the process”.

The claim goes on to state that, “the Claimant was also re-

ments, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Mr Trevor Thomas, Executive Director of the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU), Dr Morris Edwards and the Claimant, commenced meeting to formulate a new structure for the HSDU. Consequently, the Claimant was assigned as the Director of Projects. The Claimant’s contract was negotiated with Minister George Norton after approval and concurrence was received from Minister Volda Lawrence”.

“By a letter dated 7th of June, 2017, Ms. Collette Adams, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, wrongfully and in repudiatory breach of the said agreement, purported to terminate the Claimant’s employment and wrongfully dismissed the Claimant,” the claim stated.

In the letter, Small is also reminded that he has to refund payments made for the rental of a building. According to the letter, he is yet to honour this request.

The letter also stated that recommendations were received from the Department of Public Service.

According to Small, he suffered total damages of US$208,500 ($41.8 million). He noted that had he stayed with his job in the US instead of returning to Guyana to work for the Government, he would have been paid US$125,760 for 2017 and 2018 and US$139,620 for this year.

Small is claiming damages in excess of $25 million for breach of contract, special damages of US$208,500, aggravated damages, interests and costs. Attorney General Basil Williams has been named as the defendant.

Downhill

tal health complex, that was being put up for funding by the Islamic Development Bank. The Ministry of Public Health was behind with its submission and required the

quested to assist with the health project slated for funding by the Indian Government, as well as, the Islamic Development Bank Project.

Given ever expanding work assign-

According to the claim, things started going downhill for Small with the dismissal of PS Thomas in March 2017. Thomas was dismissed after a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into procurement at the Public Health Ministry.

Small contended that he was assured after Thomas’ dismissal that he would keep his job. That assurance, according to the claim, came from the new PS Collette Abrams.

But suddenly, he was informed he could no longer be paid since Thomas did not have the authority to issue the contract.

8 News

wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Venezuelan sentenced to community service for shoplifting

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Venezuelan woman was ordered to do community service after she was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday for shoplifting.

Twenty-seven-year-old Oliamith Gonsalves appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly and admitted to the charge which stated that on August 24, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, she stole two deodorants, two razors, beef cuts, and chicken feet - totalling $5490, from Bounty Supermarket.

Police Prosecutor Sanj

Oliamith Gonsalves being escorted by Police

Singh told the court that On August 24, Gonsalves went to the Bounty Supermarket and was observed by a security guard acting in a suspicious manner. The security guard then approached her and requested to carry out a search. During the search, items were found concealed on her person.The police were summoned and the woman was arrested.

The Magistrate, after listening to the facts, sentenced Gonsalves to three weeks of community service.

She will do her community service at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Exchanging…

T

…offers wo weeks ago, the APNU and the AFC announced that after a year of playing ducks and drakes on the status of the pre-nup they’d signed back on Valentine’s Day 2015, they were going to renegotiate it.

The first thought your Eyewitness had was – if they did do so – would that be a new Cummingsburg Accord??

It’s like first replacing the handle of a knife and then after a while replacing the blade: is it the same knife??

We were told then that the entire “renegotiation” would take four weeks…so it means there ain’t much time left. But then again, this is the APNU and AFC we’re dealing with; and a “ticking clock” is of no consequence to them!! Leading off for the APNU would be its GS Joseph Harmon, while sitting across from him will be AFC GS David Patterson, Executive members Dominic Gaskin and Dr Vincent Adams. Seems like the AFC intends to tag team the big APNU fella!!

Question is, what exactly will be the terms of the new “Accord”? Will it even be an “accord” – meaning a “consensus”? Now since the old “accord” had nothing to do with the plans of the two groups for the development of – God forbid! – anything principled, like finding common ground on an ideology or a model of governance etc. So we can expect that once again, they’ll be haggling over divvying up the spoils of the victory they’ve been working like little beavers behind the scenes to fix.

Now the AFC’s made no secret of the fact that they expect the PM slot MUST be given to their leader – who just happens to be Ramjattan. But we all know by now that the incumbent Nagamootoo, after discovering “how sweet it is!” has in oh so many ways made his availability known. And the fella negotiating for APNU has already pronounced that Nagamootoo is “royalty” and “the best PM ever!!”

So it was no surprise that Ramjattan showed up at the Ministry of the Presidency himself and handed over the AFC’s proposals to the caretaker President!! He may be from Berbice, but he ain’t mad!! He’d seen how diligent Nagamootoo was brownnosing the Head Guy, and had rushed to also get his nose up where the sun don’t shine also!! He was even willing to burn all bridges with his landsmen over in the Ancient County; boasting that his party had played a critical role in shuttering those sugar plantations!!

So what does your Eyewitness think gonna happen??

Nagamootoo and Ramjattan will be dropped some crumbs, and the PM’s post will go to an Indigenous woman.

Hitting two demographics with one choice!!

…glances But it’s really sad how low the AFC has allowed itself fall from the days when they were probably humming that Ole Blue Eyes’ staple: “Strangers in the night exchanging glances…wondering in the night. What were the chances we’d be sharing love”!!

Love is always in the air around Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?? That’s probably why even though Ramjattan had feared they’d become “dead meat” if the tied the knot with the PNC, they took the plunge.

Ramjattan got to be “VP”; Nagamootoo, PM; Trotman, “Oil Czar” and so on with 40% of the Cabinet – for just the promise of a 10% of the vote as dowry.

But what a difference a few years make, doesn’t it??

Ramjattan found out he was given an office to just stare at the walls all day; Nagamootoo couldn’t chair the Cabinet meetings and wax eloquent and Trotman was given a good hiding behind the woodshed and banished to the Forest!!

Looks like the “chances of sharing love” are slim to none, this time around!! …titles President Granger’s finally accepted he’s heading a “caretaker” government. Which means just making sure the property of the people of Guyana is kept in the state as he found it.

So why do some folks get their buckta into a knot when he’s dubbed a “caretaker President”??

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

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wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Former US Congresswoman hopes Payment of broadcast licences simplified Guyana’s elections date “will be set soon” …as GNBA, GTA sign MoU

Former US Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

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ormer US congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen in her column for the Orlando Sentinel said on Tuesday that following the series of appeals and months of legal battles following the passage of the No-Confidence Motion in December 2018, setting the stage for future elections, hopefully, a date will be set soon.

Ros-Lehtinen, a politician and lobbyist from Miami, Florida, in her column said that Guyana has roughly the population of her former congressional district, but noted that the size of the country’s population should not fool anyone.

“Today it (Guyana) is on the verge of an economic and cultural boom. Guyana’s offshore shelf is home to massive energy reserves, as ExxonMobil discovered in 2015. Thirteen additional strikes later, Guyana looks poised to become one of

the world’s largest oil producers per capita by mid2020. Some experts expect Guyana to generate up to $5 billion in production revenues by that time, more than tripling its GDP,” the former Congresswoman said in her column.

She noted that it has been a long road for Guyana, adding that prior to the major discovery, oil exploration had come up blank again and again.

“The situation was so dire that in 2014, Royal Dutch Shell sold off its acreage for $1. The streak of finds seems to suggest huge potential for future prosperity in the small nation.

Nothing is certain, however, as development is taking place alongside a fractious and protracted political battle which threatens to stall the country’s progress”.

She added that in December of 2018, the country’s governing coalition — led by President David Granger — lost a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly. After a series of appeals and months of legal battles, the Caribbean Court of Justice made a final ruling in July that the no-confidence vote was valid, setting the stage for future elections. Hopefully, a date will be set soon.

“As the campaign gets underway, I urge both major political parties in Guyana to seize this opportunity to

Caretaker Granger

President

David

lay out a bold vision for the future. The Guyanese people want reforms to education, infrastructure and healthcare. Additional reforms to increase transparency and the effective management of energy revenues will also be key,” Ros-Lehtinen added.

While the future is Guyana’s to decide, the US and its regional partners have a role to play as well, she added, pointing that “I know our GuyaneseAmerican communities are up to the challenge. It’s in everyone’s interests to help build a strong, prosperous Guyana where rule of law, good governance, and opportunity shine as a beacon throughout the region,” US Congresswoman added.

Ros-Lehtinen represented the 27th District of Florida in Congress from 1989 to 2019. By the end of her tenure, she was the most senior US representative from Florida.

Chairman of GNBA’s Board, Leslie Sobers (left) and GNBA’s Board Member and Director of the Guyana Telecommunications Agency, Andre Griffith signing the MoU

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roadcasters will soon be experiencing more efficient service. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) and the Guyana Telecommunications Agency (GTA).

The MoU was signed during GNBA’s fourth stakeholder engagement forum attended by licensed broadcasters from around Guyana.

The agreement, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI), will see spectrum fees being paid directly to the GNBA, effective from January 2020.

Chairman of the GNBA’s

Board, Leslie Sobers explained that some time ago, broadcasters had indicated to the GNBA that having to pay spectrum fees to the then National Frequency Management Unit as a separate entity and pay broadcast fees to GNBA as another entity was somewhat burdensome. “We promised to examine that dichotomous situation to simplify the payment of fees. I am pleased to announce that both spectrum fees and broadcast licences fee will be payable to the GNBA and the issuance of a broadcast licence will be proof of payment of spectrum fees as well.”

GNBA’s Board Member and Director of the Guyana

Telecommunications Agency, Andre Griffith said the MoU is part of a reform process intended to make the job for broadcasters simpler.

“We want to make things simpler, faster and better for you the stakeholders out there. We realised very early in the process that the inter-agency process between the telecommunications agency and the broadcast authority is one that could potentially be very highly impactful,” Griffith stated.

The stakeholder engagements are held to create a better environment for broadcasters. Two more engagements are slated to be held before the end of 2019.

10 news

wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

TVG commended by GNBA for catering for the differently abled …Evening News only newscast with closed captioning

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rivately-owned Television Guyana (TVG) and Radio Guyana Inc (RGI) were among the broadcast agencies commended by the

Guyana National Broadcast Authority (GNBA) for its compliance with broadcast guidelines catering for persons living with disabilities.

TVG and RGI were com-

plimented by Chairman of the GNBA’s Board, Leslie Sobers, during the 4th Stakeholder Engagement held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, where

24 broadcast media entities attended.

TVG, in catering for persons with disabilities, is the only local broadcast agency which provides closed cap-

GNBA Chairman Leslie Sobers

tioning for its major newscast, Evening News.

This is in keeping with the Section 26 of the Persons with Disabilities Act. The Act, however also calls for the prosecution of broadcast entities for failure to demonstrate their social responsibility of catering for the differently abled.

Hefty fines as much as $100,000 and a sentence of six months’ imprisonment is among the penalties outlined in the act for failure to

comply.

“Within 10 years of coming in cooperation with this act, the person in charge of every national television station shall provide a sign language inset or subtitle on one newscast programme daily and special programme covering events of national significance.

Subsection 2 says that a person, who fails to comply with subsection 1 commits an offence that is liable on summary convictions to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for six months,” Sobers in his attempt to foster compliance by the other agencies.

Guyana is presently below on the index for countries catering for persons with disabilities.

Forewarning broadcast agencies of the consequences attached to their non-compliance with the request of GNBA in catering for the differently abled, Sobers

further highlighted the discriminatory nature enclosed in their resistance.

Sobers urged broadcasters to be cognisant of their responsibility.

“So to not cater for the needs of the hearing impaired and by extension persons with disability is an act of discrimination…There are legal consequences associated with a broadcaster not putting in place systems to allow accessibility to these persons. Now we are not mindful at GNBA because some of this might be expensive, but at least we would urge our broadcasters to make an attempt, it couldn’t be that much impacting on your bottom-line, if you were to have one major newscast with the closed captioning at the bottom,” Sobers noted.

However, defiance on the part of local broadcaster could see them being taken before a Special Investigative Committee (SIC). For those found

guilty, fine infractions could be implemented.

“For red line infractions, a minimum of $50,000, a maximum of $100,000 so if you get a red infraction, you’re liable to pay this fine.

For orange infractions from $25,000 to $50,000, for yellow infractions from $10,000 to $25,000. For failing to attend a hearing of the SIC, a penalty of $75,000, for failing to provide recordings when ordered to do so, $50,000 and for failing to pay a fine on the due date, $100 for every $1000 not paid and repeat offenders can be liable for a suspension of their licensed,” the Chairman warned.

RGI presently gives airtime to a member of the differently abled community, Ganesh Singh of the Society for the Blind. This is also in keeping with the requirements of the GNBA.

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wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Woman charged for accessory to robbery K

issoondai Narine was hauled before the Anna Regina Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after failing to hand over stolen cash her nephew obtained from an elderly Paradise, Essequibo Coast couple, during the course of a robbery.

Narine, called “Pig mouth”, appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam and pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on August 16, 2019, she was an accessory to a robbery.

The woman was placed on $300,000 bail and the

matter was adjourned until September 4, 2019. Reports are that Deodat Samsundar, known as “Pig”, her nephew, who was allegedly armed with a hammer, attempted to strike the elderly man to his head, but missed, which resulted in the hammer hitting the chair the victim was sitting in. The prosecution is contending that immediately after, he robbed the couple of an undisclosed amount of cash before making good his escape. “Pig” was said to have covered his face with a toque, in which two holes were cut.

The elderly man followed the robber in a vehicle.

Police later arrested the man at his father’s home where they reportedly recovered the toque he used to conceal his face, and a knife the suspect had taken to the scene of the robbery.

The robber’s reputed wife reportedly admitted that a pair of slippers he had left behind belonged to her and she cut the holes in the toque he used. Samsundar was charged with robbery under arms and placed on $1.5 million bail.

67 vehicles up for sale by GRA

Some of the vehicles for sale by GRA

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he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) currently has 67 vehicles for sale at warehouses across the country.

An official at the tax agency told this publication that the vehicles, some of which are already registered, were used by the entity.

However, the agency in a notice published in the newspapers said, “Motor vehicles that can be registered would be assigned new registration numbers after full payment”.

On sale are Toyota Raums, Carinas and Cruisers, Nissan Bluebirds, X-Trail and several others which require repairs. In fact, GRA said some of the vehicles will even be sold as scrap on a ‘as is, where is’ basis, through bidding.

Inspection of the vehicles commenced on Monday.

“The motor vehicles would be marked with individual numbers for easy identification. Bids must be placed in sealed envelopes bearing no identification of the bidder’s name on the outside and must be clearly marked on the top, left hand corner ‘Bid for Purchase of Motor Vehicles’ with the individual number affixed on the motor vehicle,” GRA said.

GRA was keen to note that payments must be made in cash or through a manager’s cheque within three working days of being informed, failure on the part of the successful bidder will result in the next bidder being considered.

A separate bid form will be required for each vehicle and bidders are only allowed to submit one document per stock number.

Successful bidders will be required to remove and transport their vehicles within five working days of being informed.

Corentyne fire

Injured brothers taken overseas for treatment

O

ne-year-old Besham Sohan and his older brother, four-yearold Gansham Sohan, who were severely burnt about their bodies earlier this month, will be receiving medical attention overseas as the duo was medevacked to the United States of America last Saturday to commence the treatment.

The urgent medical care that the lads needed was made possible through Non-Governmental Organisation, Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA), which raised funds for transporting the youngsters at the cost of US$45,000.

The brothers were being

One-year-old Besham Sohan

treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where the younger Sohan was on life support

while his older sibling was in the Burn Care Unit, but due to the severity of their burns and the unavailability of the advanced treatment in the country, overseas treatment was sought.

According to information provided by SHEA via social media, the incident occurred on August 16 at their Number 48 Village, Corentyne home. The mother of the boys lit materials to drive away mosquitoes and turned her attention away for a short period of time, but by then the older Sohan had thrown dry grass into the fire, causing it to flare up and burn both him and his brother severely.

12 news

wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Underground exploration at Aurora Kamla warns of possible Gold Mine showing positive signs fuel shortages in T&T

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fter securing clearance from both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Goldfields Incorporated, owner of Aurora Gold Mine, has begun what is being described as successful underground explorations at its northwest Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) location.

Following a tour of the mine on August 27, Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Perry Holloway told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that the EPA’s clearance gives the company up to 2500 metres of underground exploration, plus test mining for 300,000 tons of ore. “We have started and have gone down a couple of hundred metres; maybe three or four hundred metres right now. Everything so far is going great, the rocks are cool, some people thought it would be hot, there is very

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman with Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs of AGM, Perry Holloway (right), Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Suresh Kalathil (left), and a company engineer during a visit to the underground tunnel where exploration is currently taking place

little water, some people thought there would be a lot of water as we are very close to the Cuyuni River, none of that is true.”

Holloway said side drilling would begin soon to determine where and how much gold was at the location.

Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman during the tour said he was happy with the current

progress reports from the company. He had previously visited the camp with a South African delegation back in March this year before exploration began.

“This is historic for Guyana. We have had underground mining in Guyana before, I’m not saying this is the first, but certainly, it is the only company doing it right now,” Minister Trotman stated.

He added that this is a great opportunity for Guyanese to see and understand the functions of an underground mine.

The Natural Resources Minister also stated that he was especially pleased to know that the company got its exploration clearance from both the GGMC and EPA. “I’m happy to see that issues and some challenges with GGMC and EPA have been resolved and the company has been able to start the exploratory aspect of the digging and hopefully things progressed and a full mining permit will be given by both the GGMC and EPA,” he said.

Aurora Gold Mine is one of the largest gold mines in Guyana and the world, with an estimated reserve of 6.54 million ounces of gold.

With respect to the underground mining exploration, $5 billion (US$25 million) is expected from the first three years of exploration.

O

pposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar says the Prime Minister’s recent ‘attack’ on public servants could be an indication that he plans to fire them.

Speaking at the UNC’s Monday night forum, Persad-Bissessar said the government is finding it difficult to find money to pay public servants because Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had shut down Petrotrin without creating new avenues for revenue generation.

She predicted a dire future saying there will also be fuel shortages because of the mishandling of T&T’s petroleum resources.

“Dr Rowley says public servants are lazy. He denigrates public service. In every crop of people, there is good, bad and indifferent.

Why he comes now to say public servants lazy?

Why would he attack the public servants? Did something happen recently? I think they don’t have the money for public servants.

They cannot pay the public servants so he is setting the stage. Is it that they intend to fire public servants?”

Persad-Bissessar asked.

She added, “ This is the man who said the government is not going to close down Petrotrin. Today I am asking, is the govt going to fire public servants?”

She noted that the chang-

es in Petrotrin were “frightening.”

“We used to get Foreign Exchange from Petrotrin but Forex has dried up. What do we get from the companies that replaced Petrotrin?

She said some gas stations were not getting their full quota of fuel.

“What I predict is that there is going to be a shortage of fuels at the gas station. They now have to buy the fuel to put in the pumps.

Someone who owns a gas station said they are not getting the supplies of fuel, “ she added.

The Opposition Leader called on the prime minister to say where he was getting funds for fuel.

“Let us hear what is the situation with funding now that we have to import fuel.

They shut down Petrotrin and say it was not working.

They put Espinet and he licks up everyone and now they lick up him.

You are bringing people with no experience whatsoever. Tell us what experience they have in the energy sector, “ she said, making reference to the new appointments. She said TT was facing an economic.tate of emergency as well as a criminal state of emergency.

“If we don’t do what we have to do, then heaven help our children. There will be no future for the young people of our country, “she added. (T&T Guardian)

news

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wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden man, female accomplice Man nabbed with jailed for robbery shotgun in Mahaicony

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Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) duo was on Tuesday sentenced to three years each behind bars by Magistrate Wanda Fortune after they were found guilty of robbery under arms.

The sentences were handed down to 30-year-old David Crossman also called “Bling” of Stewart Path, Christianburg, Wismar, Linden, and 34-year-old Sharon Austin when they made their final appearance at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

The court heard that on September 30, 2018, while being armed with a handgun, the duo along with another unidentifiable male robbed Kriss Jinn of $30,000. They also robbed Michael Charles of a Samsung S6 Edge cellphone valued $150,000 dollars and two silver chains.

Additionally, the duo robbed Javon Bobb of a gold chain valued $6000.

The incident occurred in a boat on the Demerara River in the vicinity of the Mackenzie Shore, Linden.

Preliminary enquiries disclosed that the victims, who were partying at the Library ‘3’ Nightclub located at Rainbow City, Mackenzie, left the location and proceeded to the Titanic Boat Landing at Mackenzie. Subsequently, the three perpetrators entered the boat and as it

David Crossman being escorted by a Police rank after he was jailed

was proceeding over to the Wismar shore, the two male suspects then held the victims at gunpoint and relieved them of the cash and items mentioned. On arrival over at the Wismar shore, the suspects then made good their escape. Crossman and Austin were later identified as two of the perpetrators, however, the third suspect was never found.

Magistrate Fortune in her ruling on Tuesday declared that it was established beyond a reason-

able doubt that the duo was two of three persons who had robbed the Virtual Complainants.

Crossman was unrepresented, however, Austin’s counsel, Clive Forde, begged for leniency on behalf of his client. He noted that she is the mother of a 13-year-old, who misses her dearly. He also indicated that his client had already served 10 months in prison and asked that the time be taken into consideration. The attorney also noted that his client

had suffered a lot in prison and had been abused.

He said after speaking with her on Tuesday morning, she pointed out plans to turn her life around and be a role model to her daughter.

Asked by the presiding Magistrate to give reasons why he should not be given the maximum five-year sentence, Crossman begged for mercy and leniency, noting that he would like to be with his three children.

Prosecutor Vernetté Pindar told the court that Crossman had been previously charged for other offences.

In July 2018, Crossman was acquitted of a break and enter and larceny charge after he was found not guilty of the offence by Magistrate Clive Nurse. He was accused of breaking and entering the dwelling house of Keneisha Samuels and stealing a number of items, all of which amounted to a total value of $450,000.

Magistrate Fortune noted that she took into consideration that it was his first conviction of this nature.

She then sentenced both persons to three years each behind bars.

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The shotgun that was found by Police

olice have arrested a 37-year-old man, who was found with a shotgun on Monday night in Wash Clothes, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

According to Police, the man was discovered with the 12-gauge single barrel shotgun in a wooden boat by an Anti-Crime Unit which was on patrol.

As such, he was taken into Police custody and is assisting with investigations.

Last month, two males were arrested in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), after they were found with a shotgun and two cartridges.

Based on reports received, Police ranks act-

ing on information went to a popular shop at Melongy Landing, Cuyuni River, where they conducted a search.

It was during the search that the shotgun and ammunition were found.

That gun find came days after Police in G Division found two shotgun locks, four shotgun chokes, one shotgun pistol grip, one mini mag light, one shotgun choke spanner, and a number of shotgun pellets buried at a farm at Adventure, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Two pairs of socks, two handguards and two knee guards were also found at the location.

14 News

wednesday, august 28, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Teachers’ salary negotiations

Social Cohesion Minister urges youths GTU hoping to re-enter discussions to utilise skills, become entrepreneurs

with MoE next month

Officials from GTU and the Education Ministry addressing the media after a meeting last year

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he Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is optimistic that the Education Ministry will be able to honour its promises made in the last agreement by next month, to hopefully reinitiate the discussions on teachers’ wages, among others soon.

President of the GTU, Mark Lyte in an interview with this publication on Tuesday explained that the Ministry is yet to address certain matters under the last agreement inked in October last year.

“Some of the things still being addressed currently [include] the debunching and the clothing allowance will be paid in September. We have the allowance for special needs teachers that is still to be sorted out but we anticipate that sometime in this new term, in September, we should be able to resume

our talks,” he noted.

Lyte, when asked if he was pleased with the Ministry’s pace of satisfying these obligations, said he realises that the requests made require money, so at this time the Union is patient.

“I think we would have wanted to see them being implemented a little faster but having had discussions with the officials they keep saying that they are now looking for the funds to honour these things,” he posited.

In February, the Union submitted a proposal to the MoE for a 25 per cent salary increase in wages for public school teachers. GTU proposed that some of the already existing policies be maintained such as Whitley Council for three years, instead of four, and a few others.

This proposal also requests that grants be given

…as 96 graduate from skills training programme

to schools instead of having materials supplied as complaints have been flagged in the past of sub-standard materials and cleaning supplies.

In addition to this, the GTU President disclosed that the Union also requested the maintenance of duty-free concessions in the existing categories.

Moreover, the new proposal seeks to extend gratuity for persons leaving the profession before the age of 50 to 55, while the issue of class size for Special Needs Schools was highlighted.

Last year, teachers were forced to protest for their wages on the streets of Georgetown, from the beginning of the Christmas term, for several days after being ignored by the Government.

GTU finally accepted a 12 per cent increase for 2016 and an eight per cent increase for 2018.

According to the agreement seen by Guyana Times, for the year 2016, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will benefit from a 12 per cent increase while teachers who earn $100,000 and over monthly will gain an eight per cent increase.

For the year 2017, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will get an eight per cent increase and those who earn above this amount will receive a six per cent increase.

Meanwhile, for 2018, there will be an across the board eight per cent increase for all teachers.

The graduating class pose for a picture with Minister George Norton (centre) and other facilitators of the programme

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inety-six persons graduated with honours on Tuesday from the 2019 youth entrepreneurial skills training programme coordinated by the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport.

As more expertise will be added into the country’s workforce in areas such as catering, masonry, plumbing among others, the graduating youths were urged to use the newly acquired skills to start their own businesses.

This charge was made

by Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, George Norton, who noted that the entrepreneurial component of the programme was specifically designed to promote self-employment among youths.

“The entrepreneurship component of this programme was strategically crafted to enable you not only to become employable in your field but improve

you to start your own business and that I want you to take seriously,” the Minister stated.

Adding to this, Minister Norton urged the graduates to further develop the skills learnt in order to pave the way for a better future and opportunities.

“Ninety-six of you have made it, and I want the country out there, the society out there to know that we have ninety-six youths who have turned a new leaf in their lives and are out there to make a positive impact…It is my hope, that when you leave here today (Tuesday) you do all that is necessary to develop your trade and continuously upgrade your skills so that you may have a better future,” he underscored.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, this publication spoke to the valedictorian of the programme, 17-year-old Isaiah Knights, who explained that he encountered some challenges during the training course in plumbing,

but said that a lot was learnt.

“You learn a lot from the Sophia Training Centre and my experience there was challenges because for a first comer I didn’t know anybody there but after I made friends and got comfortable with the class well then everything began to fall into place…I always saw youths home doing nothing, and I said I don’t want to be like that cause I came out of school last year and I wasn’t doing anything so I decided to come out and do this course,” Knights said.

A similar level of enthusiasm was expressed by 18-year-old Daniesha Jonas, as she was the only female who graduated from the programme’s plumbing course.

The programme had commenced in February of this year at the Sophia Training Centre, and included both technical and vocational courses for youths between the ages of 16 and 25, specifically those who did not complete their secondary education.

12 students benefit from work-study at GTT

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welve secondary school and university students had the opportunity to gain first-hand exposure of working in the real world at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) during the company’s work-study programme.

The students were from the Central High School, Bishops High, St Stanislaus College, St Rose’s High, St Joseph High, the University

Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd, along with the work-study students

of Guyana, Government Technical Institute (GTI) and the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Placement began on July 24 and ended on August 23, 2019 with some participants indicating an interest in working with the company in the future.

On August 16, the students were given the opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTT, Justin Nedd, who spoke to the students on the practicality of choosing a career. He also advised them on how to be solution-focused when entering the working world.

Moreover, the telephone company hosted a closing ceremony for the work study students at its main office location.

During the ceremo-

ny, the students were given the opportunity to share their five-week experience at the company, while receiving certificates of completion presented by the Human Resource Department.

“I am truly grateful for this experience; it has given me insight to the skills necessary for work life,” said Jaheim Griffith, a former Central High School student.

“I thank GTT for the wealth of knowledge gained over the 5-week period’, she added.

Additionally, four of the 12 students who performed exceptionally well in Mathematics and English A at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSECC) level were presented with vouchers for a Kindle Fire HD 10, courtesy of the telephone giant.

15 Ramsammy’s Ruminations Brazil to reject G7 Amazon Trotman gave away US$22M aid over ‘insults’ Guyana’s oil for B news

wednesday, august 28, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

crumbs – will there be consequences?

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he disgrace of the oil deals will definitely go down in the annals of Guyana’s history and in the history of the world among the worst deals ever made by any country.

Our vast, rich oil reserves have been given away in a platter to the oil companies.

The deal is so disgraceful, even the responsible Minister, Raphael Trotman, Dr Leslie Ramsammy is desperately trying to untangle himself from the travesty. First, he insisted it was his staff that negotiated the deals, throwing them under the bus. Now he insists he was merely carrying out instructions. Guyanese, no matter what their political affiliations, are dismayed and disgusted and are asking where SARA and SOCU are.

Even if it was Trotman’s staff who negotiated the oil deals, not an unusual arrangement, did he not read the contract before he signed it? If he read it and then signed it, he endorsed what was negotiated and is guilty of bad judgement, gross incompetence and recklessness in giving away our oil. If he signed it without reading the deal, then he is guilty of negligence and this is even worse. But now he confesses he signed the deal, acting on instructions. I would imagine that the instructions can only come from the President or the full Cabinet. Or is it someone else? There are now even more serious questions. The Guyanese people must be given answers.

This is a Government that has witch-hunted officials of the past PPP government, even charging them with selling State lands at prices APNU/AFC claimed were below market prices. If lands allegedly sold at below-market value represent a crime, now translated into charges for former PPP Ministers, then the giving away of Guyana’s oil must be far more serious. The giving away of Guyana’s oil reserves is a loss we will endure every day for the rest of our lives, for the entire duration of the oil reserve, costing us many billions. We signed a deal for a signing bonus of $18 million with Exxon when Brazil signed a deal with a quantity of oil less than Guyana’s for more than $700 million. With Tullow, we signed a contract with a signing bonus of zero dollars, the only country Tullow signed with without a signing bonus. We signed a deal for a royalty at 2% in the case of Exxon and 1% with Tullow when other countries signed with royalties of between 8 and 36%.

Finally, our black gold will bring wealth, but not to Guyana and Guyanese, because of the recklessness of Trotman and APNU/AFC. Surely, the Exxon and Tullow deals are sweetheart deals. Giving away all of Guyana’s OIL and billions of dollars for generations to come has to be a crime.

Will anyone be held responsible for squandering Guyana’s wealth, even before we see a single dollar of that wealth?

Now that elections are around the corner, the oil deals have become an intense national discourse, with the total dissection of the travesty. Trotman is trying desperately to remove himself from the inevitable disgrace that is already sinking in. At the same time, some of his colleagues are promising instant wealth to every Guyanese. If you listen to some of them, come 2020, as the first barrel of OIL rolls out, every Guyanese will become an instant beneficiary, some even insisting every Guyanese will receive a million dollars a year of free money, more than $US5B annually. In the same breath, they also say Guyana will only get about $US100M annually for the first few years. How then can the Government distribute $US5B annually?

Who do they think they are fooling? Their track record in the last four and a half years speak for itself - they have forked tongues, lying every day, everywhere. They lied when they promised rice farmers $9,000 per bag of paddy. They lied when they said they would not close any sugar estate.

They lied when they promised sugar workers 20% annual wage increases or the public servants huge pay increases.

They lied when they said they would reverse all pay increases the President and the Ministers got under the PPP. They lied when they said they would reject extravagance, like fancy vehicles and fancy offices. They lied when they said they would be accountable and transparent, they would end corruption. The list is unending. But as OIL gets nearer, it has become clearer to every Guyanese someone already gave away all of it and Guyanese are left quarrelling over crumbs.

There should be and must be consequences.

razilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that Brazil will only accept an offer of international aid to fight thousands of fires raging in the Amazon if French leader Emmanuel Macron retracts comments that he finds offensive.

The two leaders have become embroiled in a deeply personal and public war of words in recent days, with Bolsonaro mocking Macron’s wife on Facebook and accusing the French President of disrespecting Brazil’s sovereignty.

Bolsonaro’s Chief of Staff Onyx Lorenzoni also said Brazil would reject the G7 offer of millions of dollars in aid, according to news website G1, although his office said that was his personal view.

Speaking to reporters in Brasilia on Tuesday, Bolsonaro appeared to adopt a slightly more conciliatory stance. “Did I say that? Did I?” Bolsonaro said when questioned about Lorenzoni’s comments.

“First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults. He called me a liar. Before we talk or accept anything from France ... he must withdraw these words then we can talk,” Bolsonaro said. “First he withdraws, then offers [aid], then I will answer”.

Macron has questioned Bolsonaro’s trustworthiness and commitment to protecting biodiversity. The French President earlier on Tuesday said the Amazon, while mostly Brazilian, was a world issue.

“We respect your sovereignty. It’s your country,” Macron said. “But we cannot allow you to destroy everything”.

The G7 nations have pledged more than $20M to help fight the flames in the Amazon and protect the rainforest, in addition to a separate $12M from Britain and $11M from Canada.

Macron made the offer of financial aid at the G7 summit in the southern French town of Biarritz on Monday after leaders had discussed the fires ravaging the world’s largest tropical rainforest – often dubbed “the lungs of the world”.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged “complete support” for Bolsonaro.

“He is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil – Not easy. He and his country have

Brazil is home to about 60 per cent of the Amazon rainforest, a vital bulwark against global climate change [Victor Moriyama/Getty Images]

the full and complete support of the USA!” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Surge in fires

The number of blazes recorded across the Brazilian Amazon has risen nearly 80 per cent this year through

August 25, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 square kilometres of forest burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.

But Brazil is in focus over the blazes, which Bolsonaro has blamed on the weather as well as environmentalists, non-government organisations – allegations NGOs have denied.

Environmentalists and non-governmental groups have attributed the spike in blazes to farmers setting the forest alight to clear land for pasture and to loggers razing the forest for its wood, with the INPE ruling out natural phenomena being responsible for the surge.

Critics say Bolsonaro’s weakening of Brazil’s environmental agency, IBAMA, and push to open up the Amazon region for more commercial activity has emboldened such actors and created a climate of impunity for those cutting down the forest illegally.

Preliminary data published by INPE showed deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon skyrocketed in June and July under Bolsonaro’s watch.

Weak rainfall is unlikely to extinguish a record number of fires raging in Brazil’s Amazon anytime soon, with pockets of precipitation through September 10 expected to bring only isolated relief, according to weather data and two experts, speaking to Reuters news agency. (Al Jazeera)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, august 28, 2019

Regional

Venezuelans stranded as Mexico expects to save $4.5 billion after Ecuador imposes new visa rules pushing firms to rework pipeline contracts

E

ric Rafael Rodriguez had been on the road for 10 days, walking and hitchhiking from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, when he said he and his girlfriend were robbed at knife-point in Tangua, Colombia.

"They took everything we had – food, money, everything. We made it here before they closed the border, but now it doesn't matter. We don't even have IDs anymore," he said, wrapped in an old blanket to ward off the frigid temperature in the Colombian town of Rumichaca, which borders Ecuador. Rodriguez's girlfriend, Deisy, wore sandals held together with duct tape.

They were part of a wave of migrants rushing to reach the border of Ecuador before the implementation of strict new visa requirements.

Now, like hundreds of others here, they find themselves stranded. They plan to cross between official ports of entry and to continue on to

M

Thousands of Venezuelans raced to the Colombian-Ecuadoran border before a Monday deadline for new visa requirements in Ecuador [Photo by: Joshua Collins/Al Jazeera]

Lima, Peru.

Ecuador on Monday joined Peru and Chile in restricting Venezuelan immigration. To enter the country, Venezuelans now need to provide a criminal record, apply for a visa before arrival and present a valid passport. As the deadline neared, many Venezuelans in Ecuador rushed home to retrieve family members.

Thousands more rushed east from their homes in Venezuela, eager to start a

life in Ecuador that would soon be much harder to achieve.

The last-minute wave sowed chaos for immigration officials on both sides of the Ecuador-Colombia border.

Migrants waited hours in bitterly cold temperatures as they navigated immigration processes.

Temperatures dropped to six degrees Celsius and many slept huddled together in blankets as they queued, in some cases overnight. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“All systems go” for UWI Five Islands Campus

A

ll the necessary accommodations have been put in place for the upcoming academic year at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus, according to Vice-Chancellor of the UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.

Addressing the media at a press conference yesterday afternoon, Professor Beckles sought to reassure the public of the readiness of the campus, its faculty and academic programmes.

He also urged Antiguans and Barbudans to make full use of this valuable opportu-

nity.

“Make sure that in every household in these two islands, in this nation state, at least one person finds their way into Five Islands within this coming year”, he appealed.

The campus, which will ‘go live’ in the first week of September, will offer programmes from three initial schools: the School of Health and Behavioural Sciences; the School of Management, Sciences and Technology; and the School of Humanities and Education.

Approximately 200 stu-

dents are expected to enrol for the first semester, with an additional 200-300 expected in the second semester.

Professor Beckles spoke candidly on the current low proportion of university graduates in the OECS, saying, “In the English-speaking Caribbean, we have the lowest enrolment in higher education in this entire hemisphere.”

He then expressed his anticipation that the Five Islands campus will serve as a catalyst for the sub-region, ‘raising the bar’ in that regard. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

TS Dorian: Puerto Rico braces for possible hurricane

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he US territory of Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency as it braces for a tropical storm churning through the Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has issued hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Warnings are in place for the islands of Martinique, Saba and St Eustatius.

Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Dorian to develop into a hurricane in the next 24 hours.

By Tuesday morning, the storm was 96km (60 miles) north-west of the island of St Lucia, with maximum sustained winds of 50mph (85km/h), according to the NHC. In Puerto Rico, a territory still recovering from the devastation wrought by Hurricane

Maria in 2017, there are fears

who declared the state of

exico’s government said on Tuesday it had persuaded companies to waive “significant” profits from natural gas pipeline deals signed under the previous administration after renegotiating the contracts to save taxpayers $4.5 billion.

The deal announced by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the head of state-run power utility the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) at a news conference will reduce what Mexico pays the firms to transport natural gas, the government said.

The months-long dispute has caused diplomat-

of power cuts and damage from strong winds.

Up to 15cm (6in) of rain could fall in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where swells along coastlines could cause "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions", forecasters have said.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez Garced,

emergency for the US territory on Monday, has called on its more than three million citizens to prepare.

"I urge citizens to activate their emergency plan with caution and peace of mind," Ms Vázquez said on Twitter.

About 360 shelters would be open across the island, the governor said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

had agreed to sacrifice a “significant” chunk of the profits they would have made under the contracts.

“We also won,” he added, because a dispute was averted that would have caused “an air of mistrust towards the government and towards Mexico at a time when investment is needed.”

Mexico's main stock index .MXX rose by more than 1% after the deal was announced, mirroring gains in most other major Latin American markets.

The peso currency MXN= initially firmed against the dollar but later slipped by more than 0.6%. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil's neighbours call for meeting and Amazon pact as fires rage

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eru and Colombia called on Tuesday on fellow Amazonian countries to attend a presidential meeting next month on the forest fires raging in Brazil and Bolivia and to forge a pact to protect the world’s largest tropical forest.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Amazonian region of Leticia in Colombia on Sept. 6, the two countries said in a statement after Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra and Colombian President Ivan Duque met.

“We have to raise our voice to a presidential level and make a pact where we all coordinate our actions to protect our Amazon,” Duque told a news conference in the Amazonian city of Pucallpa in Peru.

Vizcarra said the meeting would seek to commit countries to a common plan

Colombian President Ivan Duque and his Peruvian counterpart Martin Vizcarra pose for a photo during a meeting of the V Binational Cabinet in Pucallpa, Peru [Photo by: Peruvian Presidency/Handout via

REUTERS]

for protecting the rainforest in the Amazon basin, which is shared by Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname.

“It shouldn’t just be a reactive policy due to the emergency that neighboring countries are facing with these fires. Rather it should have a long-term view on how to avoid deforestation,”

Vizcarra said alongside Duque.

The fires in Brazil have created a major crisis for the far-right government of President Jair Bolsonaro, who is losing popularity at home and finding himself isolated on the global stage over his response to blazes that threaten what many view as a key bulwark against global climate change. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T youth found in Syrian camp

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Many supermarkets in Puerto Rico were left with empty shelves as Tropical Storm Dorian approached

ic frictions with Canada in particular, aggravating concerns that Lopez Obrador, a veteran leftist who took office in December, could call into question contracts signed before he assumed the presidency.

Flanked by Mexican industry leaders, including billionaire Carlos Slim, the country’s richest man, Mexico’s president championed the deal as a win for the public which would give certainty to investors and encourage growth.

“To be very clear, we won because the rates of gas transportation are being reduced,” Lopez Obrador said, telling reporters that companies

u-Lay Su, 16, from Central Trinidad, who was snatched from his mother in Syria in January, has been found in a detention centre.

A recent article in the UK newspaper The Telegraph headlined, Child of the Caliphate, said journalist Josie Ensor travelled to Syria in June and found him sewing hearts from paper and making bracelets with 80 other boys at the centre.

The article carried several photos of him inside and outside the centre.

In January, Su-Lay and his mother, former Chaguanas Borough queen Gailon Su, 45, were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town of

Al-Shafaa, trying to flee Isis.

Both were taken to separate detention centres which are under the control of Kurdish forces.

Gailon, in video clips from Syria, and her daughter in TT, Sarah-Lee, 23, posting on social media, have appealed to TT authorities and international media to help find Su-Lay. From her home in Port of Spain two months ago, Sarah-Lee had told Newsday that she last saw her brother five years ago, before he left TT. Interviewed by New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi, she appealed for help to find him.

Ensor wrote in The Telegraph that after reading Callimachi's and University

of Kent criminologist Dr Simon Cottee’s social media blogs about Su-Lay disappearance, she decided to travel to Syria to interview him.

Cross-referencing numerous social profiles of boys in Syrian detention centres, Ensor eventually found SuLay at the Houri Juvenile DE radicalisation Centre in Tal Maarouf, northeastern Syria.

Armed guards patrol the roof of the centre, she wrote, but she was permitted to meet Su-Lay and interview him. She wrote, “The boy told me he sews hearts, makes bracelets, and plays football.

He told me, ‘there was a football we used to play with, but it got bust'". (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, august 28, 2019

17

Around the World

Yang Hengjun: Australian writer Putin, Erdogan hail close defence ties as faces China spying charges

Yang Hengjun is a popular blogger and former Chinese diplomat

C

hinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been formally arrested on espionage charges

in China after months of detention, Australia has confirmed.

The Australian citizen has been held in Beijing since January under “harsh conditions”, said the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was “very concerned and disappointed” to learn of the arrest.

“We have serious concerns for Dr Yang’s welfare, and about the conditions under which he is being been held,” she said.

Yang’s supporters told the BBC that the formal ar-

rest, on August 23, was an expected but concerning development in his case.

He had been held without charge for more than seven months, during which time Canberra repeatedly pressed Beijing to release him.

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Payne explicitly denied the allegations of espionage.

China’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, told Australia not to interfere.

Yang, a novelist and former Chinese diplomat, had lived outside his home country for more than a decade

but maintained a popular blog on Chinese current affairs and international relations.

In January, the New York-based writer travelled to China with his wife Yuan Ruijuan and her child - both Chinese citizens - where he was detained at the airport in Guangzhou.

Beijing has held him for alleged “involvement in criminal activities endangering China’s national security” ever since.

His wife, Yuan Ruijuan, is still in China and is banned from leaving. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

Pakistan may close airspace to India: Science Minister

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rime Minister Imran Khan is considering closing Pakistan’s airspace to India and blocking its eastern neighbour’s land trade route to Afghanistan, the Science and Technology Minister in Islamabad said on Tuesday.

Pakistan reopened its airspace to India in mid-July, having closed it in February after an attack by a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group in Indian-controlled, Muslimmajority Kashmir that led to clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Bilateral tensions bubbled over again this

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering a complete closure of air space to India

month when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government revoked Kashmir’s special status, under which people from

the rest of India could not buy property or compete for Government jobs.

Since then, stone-throwing protesters have clashed regularly with security forces in the disputed Himalayan region, and the Pakistani army said on Tuesday that Indian army shells had killed a man and a young girl.

Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Khan was debating whether to close airspace to India and its land routes to Afghanistan.

“Legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration ... Modi

has started we’ll finish!”

Chaudhry said in a tweet.

After February’s attack, Pakistan and India carried out air strikes on each other’s territory and warplanes fought a dogfight above Kashmir in which an Indian jet was shot down.

The airspace closure forced planes into long detours that cost airlines millions of dollars.

In a move to ease restrictions on Kashmir’s civilian population, the Jammu and Kashmir Government said on Tuesday it was reopening high schools from today in some areas. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Tanzania to send back all Burundian refugees from October

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anzania said it has reached an agreement with neighbouring Burundi to begin sending back all Burundian refugees from October, adding that the repatriation will take place in collaboration with the United Nations.

However, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement on Tuesday that the conditions in Burundi, which was plunged into a political crisis four years ago, are not “conducive to promote returns” and noted that it is assisting refugees who indicate they have made a voluntary choice to return home.

Hundreds of people were killed and more than

400,000 fled to neighbouring countries due to violence the UN says was mostly carried out by state security forces following President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision in April 2015 to run for a third, disputed, term in office.

Nkurunziza won re-election and, the following year, Burundi suspended all cooperation with the UN human rights office in the country after a UN-commissioned report accused the Bujumbura Government and its supporters of being responsible for crimes against humanity.

Currently, some 200,000 Burundians are in Tanzania, according to Government figures.

J

A Number 10 source accused the MPs of “seeking to sabotage the UK’s position” in talks with Brussels.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the EU to re-open the withdrawal deal reached with Theresa May, and to make key changes that would allow it to be passed by Parliament.

But he has insisted the UK will be leaving on October 31 even if no new agreement is reached.

Another way of potentially stopping no deal is

Putin said the two leaders had agreed on “additional joint steps” to “normalise” the situation in Idlib, but did not provide any details

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[Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish presidency]

he leaders of Russia and Turkey have held discussions about a possible expansion of defence industry cooperation, even as differences appeared to remain over the situation in northwestern Syria, where a Moscowbacked Government offensive has been going on since late April.

R u s s i a n President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met in Moscow on Tuesday, just days after Ankara said one of its observation posts in Syria was surrounded and a military convoy was attacked by Syrian Government forces in two separate incidents.

Speaking to reporters alongside Putin, Erdogan said the offensive has disrupted the calm that set in after Turkey and Russia which back opposing sides

in Syria’s war - agreed last year to turn rebel-held Idlib province into a de-escalation zone.

“We do not want this to continue. All necessary steps will be taken here as needed,” he added. “The situation [in Idlib] has become so complicated that at this moment our troops are in danger.”

For his part, Putin said the two leaders had agreed on “additional joint steps” to “normalise” the situation in Idlib, but did not provide any details.

Putin also said that his country was concerned about attacks by fighters in the zone, targeting the Syrian Government forces and Russian positions, and asked Ankara to stamp out these attacks.

He repeated that Moscow did not want this region to be a “haven” for “terrorists”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

US hopes South Korea and Japan can rebuild ties from ‘rock bottom’ According to Tanzanian Government figures, there are approximately 200,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania [Sala Lewis/ Reuters]

Speaking to the AFP news agency, Tanzanian Interior Minister Kangi Lugola said: “In agreement with the Burundian Government and in collaboration with the High Commissioner for Refugees, we will start the repatria-

tion of all Burundian refugees on October 1.”

“Under this agreement, it will be 2000 refugees who will be repatriated every week until there are no more Burundian refugees in Tanzania,” he said. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

Brexit: Opposition MPs agree strategy to block no-deal eremy Corbyn said Opposition MPs will take the first steps towards trying to pass a law blocking a no-deal Brexit when Parliament returns next week.

The Labour leader was speaking after meeting other Opposition Leaders to discuss ways of averting a no deal.

The move could force the PM to ask the EU for a further Brexit delay, beyond the current October 31 deadline.

Idlib divisions remain

to try to bring down the Johnson Government via a no-confidence vote.

Corbyn had said this was his preferred option, after which he would become interim PM, call a snap election and campaign for another referendum.

However, the Liberal Democrats and some Tory MPs said they would not support any plan that saw Corbyn become Prime Minister - even on a temporary basis.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, speaking earlier in the day, criticised those who took part, saying they were “very out of touch with public opinion” and leaving the EU without an agreement was now “the only acceptable deal”.

Meanwhile, MPs from different parties have signed a declaration pledging to set up an alternative assembly if the PM prorogues - or suspends Parliament. (Excerpt from BBC News)

T

he United States hopes a damaging row between the leaders of US allies South Korea and Japan has hit rock bottom but believes recent military exercises by Seoul have not helped, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.

Briefing reporters in Washington, the official said that both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had made “unhelpful” choices in the dispute, which has taken relations between Seoul and Tokyo to their lowest ebb in decades, and hurt US security interests.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity given the diplomatic sensitivities in the dispute between the two main US allies in Asia.

The Seoul-Tokyo relationship began to deteriorate late last year following a diplomatic row over com-

pensation for wartime forced labourers during Japan’s occupation of Korea.

They plumbed fresh depths last week when South Korea announced it was scrapping an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan in spite of rising tensions with North Korea and an increasing challenge presented by China in the region.

The US official said the dispute had “pretty much damaged the possibility of continuing in this information-sharing agreement,” but added: “It is not completely lost... There are opportunities to hopefully recover.”

He said there was blame to be apportioned to both sides, although he stressed South Korea’s decisions on the pact and on a move to hold two days of expanded drills from Sunday around an island also claimed by Japan. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, august 28, 2019

ARCHIE

Taking a day trip or atARIES (March 21- tending a seminar that enApril 19) courages personal or spiritual growth will lead to solutions that will help you parlay your skills, experience and knowledge into something tangible.

TAURUS Formulate a plan and turn (April 20- it into a reality. If you do what May 20) makes you happy, you will

dilbert

feel good about your future.

Socializing, love and romance will brighten your day.

Make adjustments to the GEMINI way you live or where. Your (May 21June 20) home should be your place to relax, ease stress and enjoy the people who bring out the best in you.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

It’s time to get moving. A healthy lifestyle should be your priority. Plenty of rest, proper diet, fitness and time with loved ones are encouraged. Romance is in the stars.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Acting on impulse will get you into trouble.

Jealousy and possessiveness will not help you get what you want. You can’t change others, but you can change yourself.

Peanuts

Live and learn. If you VIRGO (Aug. 23- pay attention to what othSept. 22) ers are doing, you will learn something you didn’t know.

Knowledge is power, and it can save you from making a big mistake.

Calvin and Hobbes

If you act prematurely, LIBRA (Sept. 23- a loss is likely. If you think Oct. 23) matters through, you’ll avoid being duped by someone who has every intention to part you from your cash.

SUDOKU

If it feels right, do it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24- Don’t inform others of your Nov. 22) intentions. The element of surprise will be very important. A positive change is apparent.

SAGITTARIUS Slow down, smell the (Nov. 23roses and take a moment to Dec. 21) relax and regain your energy. Giving yourself time to think about what’s best for you will pay off.

solution for TUESDAY’S puzzle

Make a positive change CAPRICORN at home and enjoy the out(Dec. 22come. If you do the work Jan. 19) yourself, you will save money. Lifestyle adjustment will encourage romance and more leisure time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Open up about the way you feel and what you want to happen. Take control of relationships instead of letting others dictate what you do or think.

Challenge yourself physPISCES ically and make better choic(Feb. 20es when it comes to health, March 20) diet and lifestyle. The time for personal change is now.

If you love who you are, others will respond favorably.

WEDNESday, august 28, 2019

19

Bumrah's game sense is his most striking feature – Sir Andy Roberts J

asprit Bumrah's 5-for-7, the least expensive five-wicket haul by an Indian in Tests, helped propel India to a record 318-run win over West Indies in Antigua, and made Bumrah the first bowler from Asia to take five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies.

Beyond the numbers, he has impressed two Antiguan fast-bowling greats: Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Curtly Ambrose, with his game sense, clarity of thought, and aggression.

In fact, Sir Andy was so impressed that, in an interview with the Indian Express, he described Bumrah as the "best Indian fast bowler I have seen".

"In my time it was all spin," he said, thinking back to the India attacks of the past. "Good ones, but they wouldn't win you matches overseas. India had Kapil Dev and some others, but we never thought they (India) could produce someone as lethal as Bumrah. He's the best Indian fast bowler I have seen."

Part of the Windies’ great pace quartets of yore, which included Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall, Sir Andy described how Bumrah's unorthodox run-up and action broke the mental rhythm of batsmen as they prepared to face him.

What made the India bowler truly special, he felt, was his game sense and thinking, which belie the fact that he made his Test debut

only (it); i n t h is January is how 2018, and has fast bowlplayed only 11 games ers have in the format. o perat"When a bowler is ed over running in, you should the years. look at the batsmen.

But the They are settling into b e s t a mental rhythm of their (bowlers know) h o w , own in their mind," said Sir where, and when to bowl, Andy. "They are visualisBumrah seems to ing the bowler, his action, and the leap, the load-up, the re- have this awareness; which lease; and things like that. usually takes a lot of time to Their thought processes are develop, (after) a lot of expeconditioned in such a way rience,” Sir Andy said.

“But how old is he? How that if he's a side-on bowler, the ball will come like that; many Tests has he played? if it's high-arm, it would He's a quick learner, isn't come in a different way; or, he? To me, it has been the the longer the run-up, the most striking feature of quicker the ball will be. With him. Some call it maturity, I call it game sense,” Sir Andy Bumrah, declared. the bats“There seems men have to be clarity in little time his thinking, to get and that autointo their matically shows mental in his bowling. rhythm,” Some bowlers he said.

-- very skilful "Look ones -- don't deat everyvelop it even 10 thing else years after they he does. had played the He's clasgame. That's the sical. He Sir Andy Roberts biggest thing for moves two a fast bowler: to balls into learn how to use your head," the batsmen and the othRoberts said. er one goes away; then two Bumrah’s game sense away from him and then one into him. This is how we did has also impressed Sir Curtly Ambrose, who said

Bumrah's ability to size up and adjust his lengths according to surfaces and batsmen reminded him of his long-time new-ball partner Courtney Walsh.

"He's good at varying his lengths depending on the surfaces and batsmen," Sir Curtly told the Indian Express. "I saw that in the World Cup: how he adjusted (and altered) his lengths according to the conditions and batsmen. That makes life difficult for batsmen. (In this regard), he reminds me a bit of Courtney (Walsh); he was wonderful in sizing up the length and bowling accordingly." Sir Curtly said.

He also said Bumrah's quiet demeanour did not make him any less aggressive on the field. "I'm not talking about body language here; I'm not talking about being hostile. Aggression is not always about what you show outwards; some show, some don't, it depends on the individual's nature," Sir Curtly said. "To me, it's about how you bowl: the aggression of the delivery; and Bumrah shows a lot of it," he said.

Could Bumrah have fitted into the fearsome West Indies attacks of the past?

Sir Andy has suggested that Bumrah's unconventional action would have added another dimension to the attacks of which he was a part.

"It's the strangest action that I have seen on a crick-

et field," he said. "I need to study that for a longer time, to understand the mechanics of his action. But if he were born here back in our days, we would have had him; a freak was the only element missing in our bowling line-up,” he said.

“In fact, Bumrah is the only variety of bowler we had never produced. Then I don't think even India would pro-

duce one like him again," Sir Curtly said, as he went even further in his praise. "At times he rekindles memories of our prime," he said. "The pace, aggression, hostility, craft; the way he outclasses the batsmen, the way he outthinks them, he could have been one of us. He's so complete a bowler that he could have played in any era." (Excerpt from ESPN Cricinfo)

US Open 2019…

Serena thrashes Sharapova in opening round

S

erena Williams produced an impressive performance to crush Maria Sharapova in the US Open first round on Monday.

The American star made it 19 straight wins over Sharapova with a 6-1, 6-1 thrashing at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Back at the US Open in New York after the meltdown during her loss to Naomi Osaka in last year's final, Williams was in incredible form, winning the contest in just 58 minutes.

Looking to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam wins, the 37-year-old Williams showcased her usual power, making few mistakes in what was a dominant display.

After a high-quality, intense start, Williams – showing no signs of the back injury that had caused her to retire during the Rogers Cup final – landed the first blow, break-

Serena Williams

ing in the fourth game when Sharapova sent a backhand into the net.

Williams looked in superb form, and another backhand error from Sharapova saw her race into a 5-1 lead on the way to taking the opening set.

Sharapova had few answers to Williams's power and precision, the latter powering through in style.

Seeded eighth, Williams will face American Caty McNally in the second round.

(Excerpt from Sportsmax)

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WEDNESday, august 28, 2019

Stokes rises to career-best ranking – after Headingley blockbuster

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ith an incredible, unbeaten 135 runs scored and a match haul of four wickets in the second Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley, Ben Stokes has been promoted 13 places up the ICC rankings to the world’s # 13 batsman and world’s # 2 all-rounder.

And Jasprit Bumrah's remarkable 5-for-7 against the West Indies in the second Test match at North Sound, Antigua & Barbuda has placed him among the top 10 bowlers in the world.

Both are career-best numbers for Stokes,

though technically he was at No. 12 among batsmen on the day the Headingley Test ended, but slipped down one spot when the rankings were updated following the end of the P Sara Oval Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, when Tom Latham moved up eight spots to eighth place as a result of the 154 in his team's only innings.

Virat Kohli continues to top the batsmen's chart, but the gap between he and Steven Smith, who missed the third Test because of concussion-related issues, stands at just six points.

Of the other batsmen in action in the three Tests, Kane Williamson

(No. 3), Cheteshwar Pujara (No. 4) and Henry Nicholls (No. 5) have retained their spots; while Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (up to No. 6), Joe Root (up to No. 7) and Ajinkya Rahane (up to No. 11) have been elevated to within the top 15.

In the all-rounders' list, Jason Holder remains at the top, with Stokes now 22 points behind him in second place, having pushed down Shakib Al Hasan, Ravindra Jadeja and Pat Cummins on his way up.

Cummins, however, is still recognized as the top bowler, while Bumrah has

climbed nine spots; and Trent Boult, Kemar Roach, Josh Hazlewood and Ishant Sharma have all moved up, even as Jofra Archer continues his astounding rise, his six wickets at Headingley giving him a 40-place jump to 43rd after just two Test appearances.

Bumrah's seventh position came with a career-high rating of 774 points; while Roach moved up three spots to eighth position, Hazlewood three spots to No. 12; and Ishant, with a career-high 671 points, has moved up to 21st. (Excerpted from ESPN cricinfo)

West Indies 2nd Test squad…

Edwards signs contract extension with Hampshire Cummins omitted; Paul recovered,

F

i d e l Edwards has signed with Hampshire a one-year contract extension that would keep him at the club until the end of the 2020 season.

T h e 37-year-old has been with the county since the 2015 season, and has said: “I’m very pleased to have signed for my sixth season at Hampshire, which has become my second home. Hopefully, next year we can push on further, and I’ll be trying my best to help make it a successful season for the club.”

Edwards has been a consistent performer at the south coast club. In his debut campaign in 2015, he took 45 wickets in eight games at an average of 20.80. Despite suffering an injury in early 2016, he

picked up 33 wickets at an average of 24.06. He picked up 54 scalps last year, and has followed that up with 47 wickets so far at an average of 23.55, including four five-wicket hauls.

“Fidel has been fantastic for us since joining in 2015, and this year he’s excelled once again. He’s an important part of our squad, and a great character to have in and around the group. We’re delighted to welcome him back for another year,” Giles White, Director of Cricket at Hampshire, has said of the West Indian.

Hampshire are placed fourth in this season’s Division One championship.

The first of their last three fixtures this season is against Surrey, starting on September 10.

(Excerpted from cricbuzz)

available for selection C

ricket West Indies’(CWI’s) Interim Selection Committee has today named the 13-member squad for the second Test match against India, to be played at Sabina Park in Jamaica. The match starts on Friday, August 30, and is part of the MyTeam11 Series that is co-sponsored

by Skoda and KEI. All-rounder Keemo Paul has recovered from an ankle injury and is available for selection. He replaces fast bowler Miguel Cummins. Wicket-keeper Jahmar Hamilton will remain with the squad, while Shane Dowrich has returned to Barbados to continue his rehabilitation, after being ruled out of the series with an ankle injury.

This is the second Test match between West Indies and India in a series which marks the start of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) to find out which is the best Test team in the world.

Not only do the West Indies have the chance to win the second Test and draw the series, they also have opportunity to claim sixty (60) points for a win, or to claim their first points in the WTC. In this Series, each team can earn 60 points for a win, or 20 points for a draw, and this is the first of six Test Series which West Indies will play.

The West Indies squad for the second Test match reads: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Keemo Paul and Kemar Roach.

O

PSG and Barcelona officials meet to discuss Neymar deal

fficials from Paris StGermain and Barcelona met in Paris on Tuesday to discuss a possible deal for Neymar to return to the Spanish champions.

According to BBC Radio 5 Live's Guillem Balague, both clubs say the talks were "positive", but there are "still lots of work to do".

Brazil forward Neymar, 27, joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros (£200m). Barca are offering 170 million euros (£153m), to be paid after a year's loan. The loan cost would be at least

35 million euros (£31.6m), though they may offer players to reduce the cash payment as negotiations continue.

Following leaks from the club, the Catalan press suggested Neymar was pushing for the deal to go through. He has not put PSG under pressure, but favours a return to the Nou Camp, rather than a move to Real Madrid or Juventus. His entourage is said to be "optimistic".

Following the meeting, Barca board member Javier Bordas told reporters a deal was "closer", but negotiations were continuing. (Excerpted from BBC Sport)

21 16 teams confirmed for inaugural "592 Street Kings" tournament F guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESday, august 28, 2019

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ollowing official launch of the inaugural edition of the ‘592 Street Kings’ streetball tournament on Monday last (August 19), the list of 16 teams that would be participating in this tournament has been confirmed.

With some of the country’s best streetball teams going head-to-head against some young and exciting, though up-and-coming units for over $600,000 in cash and prizes, this tournament promises to provide sheer fireworks over the three nights of its highly-anticipated staging.

Sponsored by ANSA McAL under its 592 Lager Beer brand, this tournament will see some well-established teams -- inclusive of Albouystown ‘B’, Tiger Bay, Gold is Money and Sparta Boss -- take on younger streetball outfits such as LA Ballers, Future

Representatives of some of the participating teams in the "592 Street Kings" tournament at the official launch last week

Stars, John Street and Avocado Ballers.

The venues which have thus far been confirmed are the Berlin Tarmac at Drysdale and High Streets for the first night’s action, and the Burnham Court on Carmichael and Middle Streets for the second night’s action. The final ven-

ue will be made known in a subsequent announcement.

Over the three nights of competition -- September 7, 14 and 21 – teams will clash in straight knockout competition, with eight games being played on night one.

These eight winners will advance to the quarter-finals to be played on night two;

and the winners of the quarter-finals will then advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on the same night. Losing teams will be eligible to participate in the ‘592 Shield’ competition.

Patrons will have a chance to win prizes and 592 merchandise with select purchases of 592 Beer, and

there will be a halftime penalty shoot-out between fans which could see them landing a bucket of 592 Lager Beers.

The ‘592 Street Kings’ of 2019 will pocket $300,000, while the runners-up will collect $150,000, and the third-place finishers will grab $100,000. Fourthplacers will receive $75,000, while the winners of the ‘592 Shield’ tournament will collect $50,000.

Fixtures for the tournament will be released by the coming weekend.

The teams that have been confirmed for the tournament are: Avocado Ballers, Sophia, ANSA McAL All-Stars, North East La Penitence, Back Circle, Albouystown ‘B’, Tiger Bay, Leopold Street, John Street, Melanie ‘B’, Broad Street, Alexander Village, Future Stars, LA Ballers, Gold is Money, and Sparta Boss.

Top horses confirmed for Port Mourant Turf Club MMP meet

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here will be what can be considered a grand rematch of the 13th annual Guyana Cup horse race meet on Sunday, September 29, when all the top horses turn out for the Port Mourant Turf Club’s Mohabir Mookoorchand Persaud (MMP) Foundation one-day race meet.

Among the top horses that have already been confirmed to participate in the MMP Meet are Guyana Cup champion Lucky Star, Vera’s Finally, Scores Even, Isn’t He Perfect, Justify the Heat, Catholic Boy, Gold Again, Storm Bird, Fresh Dancer, TnT, and the Nand Persaud champion horse Golden Blue Echo. horses confirmed for the $1.2

million feature event are Lucky Star, Vera’s Finally, Don’t overlook, Storm Bird, Simple Slide, TnT, Golden Blue Echo, Settling Star and Scores Even.

The MMP Foundation has, over the years, developed a reputation for significantly assisting the less fortunate students financially, to enable them to write examinations of the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC). The sole purpose of this horse-racing event is to garner funds to assist the less fortunate students who will be sitting the 2020 CSEC exams.

Six exciting races (including the feature event) are on the programme, as are some of the top

horses around. In this, the inaugural event of the Port Mourant Turf Club’s annual MMP horse race meet, the penultimate race of the day is the feature ‘B and Lower’ 1300-metre race. Entries for horses will be $60,000, and the first prize is a purse of $1,200,000.

Second prize is $300,000, while third prize is $150,000 Among the classified races are the L Class, the H and I Class, 2 Years Old Open (Guyana Bred), 3 Years Old Guyana Bred (Winner of less than four races), B and Lower and the J &K Class. (Brandon Corlette)

52 successfully complete Blairmont Cricket Camp

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he Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club’s (BCCCC’s) annual summer camp, which commenced on Monday August 12, was completed on Saturday last.

Over the last nine years, this two-week camp has been an annual drive for club mem-

years, some of whom Baksh said were naturally talented, while some were new to the sport of cricket. He assured that the attendees had been educated, and that all the fun activities in which they had participated would remain in their memories for a long time.

Participants of the Blairmont Cricket Camp received certificates while outstanding individuals received silverware and educational equipment

bership, and a foundation for basic skills’ improvement.

Camp Coordinator Shabeer Baksh has described the camp as successful.

It had attracted between 38 and 52 youngsters aged between 11 years and 16

He said the theme of the camp was “Options for Youths”, and that had been covered.

A small presentation ceremony was held at the Roy Fredericks Pavilion at the Blairmont Estate Ground, where 52 participants were presented with a coach’s

batting and bowling compact disc and a certificate of participation.

Gifts and trophies were donated by the BCCCC, the Berbice Cricket Board, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Seon Glasgow Jr, Republic Bank Limited and the New Building Society. The camp focused on basics skills in cricket; batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping, along with aspects of being a positive individual.

Topics such as time management, leadership, the importance of education, discipline, alcohol, drug abuse and other social ills were covered.

The coaches that were involved in the camp were former Guyana and West Indies pacer Colin Stuart, senior Academy coach Michael Hyles and Berbice Senior Coach Winston Smith. Former Berbice under 15 player Dr Zulificar Bux covered sports and health, and also mentioned the importance of education and encouraged everyone to

Former West Indies fast bowler Colin Stuart going through the paces with Blairmont youngsters

find the right balance of living.

He explained the importance of setting and achieving goals, working hard, working smart, and staying humble and honest.

President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Hilbert Foster, encouraged the youths to ‘say no to drugs’ so that they can become good ambassadors of the BCCCC, and of Berbice and Guyana.

BCCCC organized a day of fun at the Blairmont Estate Pool for the participants, and arranged for a two-day stay in Georgetown for the under-15 and un-

der-16 teams to play Everest Cricket Club and Georgetown Cricket Club respectively.

At the closing exercise, BCCCC president, Mohamed Hussain, reminded youngsters of the opportunity they had been offered, and advised them to continue practising and working extra hard to ‘be on top of their game’. He promised that the club would continue to work in their best interest, and thanked Camp coordinator Baksh and all the others who made this year’s camp a success, especially the sponsors.

22

WEDNESday, august 28, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

WJ Enterprise joins Limacol as tournament sponsors

D

istribution company W.J Enterprise got on board the Limacol Football Tournament in the nick of time to become a part sponsor of the highly-anticipated competition that is expected to kick off this weekend.

This year’s tournament, the fourth in the annual Limacol Football competition, is primarily sponsored by The New GPC. However, for the first time in the tournament’s history, W.J Enterprise, sole distributors of Croxley Paper and other stationery supplies, have thrown their support behind the pharmaceutical company to become a sponsor of the tournament.

This year’s tournament will feature 12 teams from Georgetown, two from the East Coast of Demerara, one from the West Coast, and one from the East Bank of Demerara.

During his time with the microphone, Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca stressed on the importance of corporate investments into sport, and the fruits those can bear. Expressing gratitude to the company for joining the spon-

WJ Enterprise’s Kavita Sookhu presents the sponsorship cheque to Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca in the presence of Sean Embrack and Mark Alleyne

sors, Mendonca said: “These investments help to build future leaders and individuals that can take our communities and nation forward. So, on behalf of the Petra Organization and the foot-

ball fraternity at large, we want to say a big thank you to W.J. Enterprise for coming on board as a sponsor of the Limacol Football Tournament.”

Kavita Sookhu, speaking on be-

half of W.J Enterprise, explained that the company is focused on playing a part in the development of youths.

“We are pleased to be associated with this year’s Limacol

Football Tournament organized

by Petra. W.J Enterprise recognizes the stewardship of the Petra Organization in coordinating football tournaments, and we see that we are fit to support this activity that develops talents locally,” she said.

Teams will participate in the round robin group stage before advancing to the quarterfinals, semis and the final showdown. With a new champion set to be crowned, the twelve teams will be battling for a $400,000 first prize, while second place will walk away with $200,000, and third and fourth will pocket $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The teams that will have a chance to vie for the $400,000 grand prize are: GFC, Pele, Campton, Northern Rangers, Black Pearl, Beacon, Riddim Squad, Pouderoyen, Grove Hi Tech, Mahaica Determinators, and Buxton Stars.

Meanwhile, GT Panthers and Eastveldt will have a play-off for the twelfth spot. The action is expected to begin on August 31.

GFF kicks off Talent ID for U20 WC Qualifiers F resh off the conclusion of the GFF-KFC U20 Tournament, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has begun a series of Talent Identification sessions in each Regional Member Association to secure talent to participate in the CONCACAF Men’s Under 20 World Cup Qualifiers in February 2020. The first of the sessions was held on Sunday with players from the East Bank Football Association at the GFF Training Centre,

Providence.

Head Coach of the National U20 team and lead in this initiative, Wayne Dover, explains the objective of the sessions: “The sessions are geared towards scouting of players for selection to the national Under-20 team, for the purpose of preparation for the CONCACAF Men’s Under 20 World Cup Qualifiers in February 2020. This initiative by the Technical Department was undertaken to maximize on the

talent available throughout Guyana. This will definitely give the staff of the team and, by extension, the Technical Department the opportunity to make good selections since a large pool of players will be exposed to showcase their talent. I am very excited to be involved in such a project, especially since it is geared towards development.”

Dover said the technical team for this project, coaches Oneal Heywood, Eon De Viera and Wilson

Toledo, will select 40 players from the regional ID sessions after which 25 will be shortlisted for training, scheduled to commence in September of this year. The final Talent ID session with the 40 selected players is scheduled for September 10 at the GFF’s National Training Centre.

Meanwhile, GFF’s President Wayne Forde noted that the national U20 scouting exercise provides each player with a fair opportunity for selection towards improved national team performances: “The other critical advantage is the six months of team preparation we will embark on once the team is selected.

The GFF is continually reexamining its develop-

Coach, Márcio Máximo, visited the programme in an observer capacity and shared words of encouragement to the young players. He assured them it’s a new chapter in Guyana’s football and the door is open for their inclusion through hard work, commitment, and discipline.

Selection for the U20 team carries a number of criteria which includes: To guide in the selection of the U20 team the criteria are as follows: Players must be registered with a club that is affiliated to the RMA they are from, and the RMA MUST be in good standing with the GFF and players who are selected to the final pool must walk with a valid passport and police clearance.

A snippet of one of the Talent ID sessions at Providence

ment strategy with the aim of finding practical solutions, which will bring about improved performances of our national teams. There is no quick fix to lifting the standard of play across a country but our laser focus on youth development is finally showing dividends.”

Before Sunday’s sessions, Golden Jaguars’ Head

Characteristics of Players:

1. Players must have good technical ability.

2. Players must be able to make good decisions during games.

3. Players must be able to adapt to tactical training.

4. Players must have a good aerobic fitness base.

5. Players must be disci-

The U-20 Head Coach Wayne Dover

plined.

Players’ attitudes: (a. Be punctual at training. (b. Listen and follow coach’s instructions. (c. Players must have an innate desire and passion for the game. (d. Players must be coachable (willing to learn).

The schedule for the remaining sessions is as follows:

1. Monday August 26, 2019 – West Demerara Football Association 2. Tuesday August 27, 2019 – East Coast Demerara Football Association 3. Wednesday August 28, 2019 – Georgetown Football Association 4. Thursday August 29, 2019 – GFF Elite Clubs 5. Friday August 30, 2019 – Upper Demerara Football Association 6. Saturday August 31 – Sunday September 1, 2019 – Bartica Football Association 7. Monday September 2 – 3, 2019 – Berbice Football Association 8. Wednesday September 4 – 5, 2019 – Essequibo/ Pomeroon Football Association 9. Friday September 6 – Sunday September 8, 2019 – Rupununi Football Association

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, august 28, 2019

23

A death-bowling master: I

t is not an easy task to master the art of death bowling, but 36-year-old Australian Ben Laughlin has shown his craftsmanship in this area. Laughlin is the fifth round picked player for the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) in 2019, who brings this skillset to the team.

Laughlin is a medium fast bowler who has 137 T20 matches under his belt. He played for the Antigua Hawksbill against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the

Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2014, when he made his debut in CPL. The 2019 CPL season will be the second homecoming with the team, against which he had made his debut back in 2014.

On his debut, Laughlin was brilliant with the ball, grabbing 2-27.

Known for bowling some accurate off-cutters and to vary his pace with perfection, Laughlin is

seen as a canny bowler.

During that 2014 season, playing for Antigua Hawk bills, Laughlin had eight wickets in the eight matches he played. He had a brilliant economy rate of 6.85 and a best bowling figure of 3-7, which was a “player-of-thematch” performance against

Laughlin’s last CPL stint was for the Rajastan Royals

Trinbago Knight Riders (formerly Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel).

This intelligent cricketer has been a seasoned campaigner; playing in the Big Bash in Australia, playing the T20 League in Bangladesh, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his 137 T20 matches, Laughlin has 167 wickets at an average of 22.7. He has

make wholesale changes to CPL squad Beuran Hendricks has international commitments, and is no longer available. He will be replaced by Dominican all-rounder Kavem Hodge.

(CPL)

Colin De Grandhome

Krishmar Santokie

T

he St Lucia Zouks have announced a number changes to their playing roster for the upcoming 2019 Hero Caribbean P r e m i e r League (CPL) season.

Lasith Malinga will be replaced

by Krishmar Santokie for the first 2 games, and by

Colin de Grandhomme for the remaining matches.

Santokie has significant CPL experience, having played for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, J a m a i c a Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in previous seasons.

Santokie has taken 80 CPL wickets, the second

highest by any bowler.

De Grandhomme was a member of the New Zealand squad that made it to the final of the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup in England. Having scored 2873 runs and taken 65 wickets in his 178 T20 appearances, he brings a treasure trove of experience to the Zouks squad.

Thisara Perera and Niroshan Dickwella have international commitments.

Perera will miss the first two games, and will be replaced

by Afghanistan international Najibullah Zadran for those matches.

Dickwella will miss the whole tournament. He will be replaced by Cameron Delport for the first two games, and

by Hardus Viljoen for the rest of the tournament.

South African bowler

Flashback! Laughlin playing in CPL 2014 for Antigua Hawksbill

two five-wicket hauls, including a best bowling figure of 6-28 in the shortest format bowling the important overs at the death at an economy rate of 7.96.

Laughlin has played five One Day Internationals since 2009, and has three T20 Internationals to his name when he last played in 2013 for Australia. Since his being overlooked for play in the Australian team, Laughlin has made great strides around T20 leagues globally.

Laughlin featured in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, from where he gained tremendous knowledge and developed his game. With the ability of bowling those Yorkers and mixing up deliveries, Laughlin is the perfect death bowler for the GAW. His experience will play a great role in the Hero CPL 2019 when he puts on the armory of the GAW. (Brandon Corlette)

WEDNESday, august 28, 2019

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

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A death-bowling Top horses confirmed for Port Mourant master: Page 23

Turf Club MMP meet

Page 21

WJ Enterprise joins Limacol as tournament sponsors

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