Guyana Times, Wednesday June 26, 2019

P7

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana

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GECOM's Chairman guyanatimesgy.com

Keep politics out of managing oil fund – US Ambassador

Issue No. 3966

wednesday, june 26, 2019

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

See story on page 9

GA-FDD seizes 90 bags of P14 flour …as entity clamps down on illegal repackaging

steps down!

Appointment of new GECOM Chair

Pensioner to spend 19 years behind bars for raping P8 teen

Opposition Leader

proposes daily meetings with

President if needed

…ready to meet at any time …Private Sector body wants to assist in moving process forward See story on page 3

Crime Chief “Do as CCJ

Man jailed for stabbing girlfriend P8 41 accidents caused P12

by DUI, speeding – traffic stats

sent on advises” –

administrative Indian High Page 13

See story on page 11

leave Commissioner to

…as GPF corruption probe deepens

political leaders

Youths can vote without Houseto-House Registration – Jagdeo P11

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news

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WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Wednesday, June 26 – 12:00h-13:30h and Thursday, June 27 – 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, June 26 – 11:00h-12:30h and Thursday, June 27 – 12:10h-13:40h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions in the early morning will be followed by thundery showers, with sunny intervals expected in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 11:09h and 23:42h reaching maximum heights of 2.22 metres and 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 17:09h reaching a minimum height of 0.98 metre.

saturday, JUNE 22, 2019

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Appointment of new GECOM Chair

Opposition Leader proposes daily meetings with President if needed …ready to meet at any time …Private Sector body wants to assist in moving process forward

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n wake of the landmark decisions by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which declared that the Government was toppled by a No-Confidence Motion, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has indicated his availability to meet the President any time to appoint a new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman and discuss the way forward.

This was indicated in a letter from People’s Progressive Party Executive Member and former Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, to Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon.

Harmon had previously written to Jagdeo, on President David Granger’s behalf, inviting him to meet the President whenever convenient after consequential orders were issued on Monday by the CCJ. But the CCJ did not issue those orders when it met and the invitation was left open.

In the letter, Teixeira writes, “l wish on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Bharrat Jagdeo, MP, to inform you that Mr Jagdeo is prepared to meet with the President at any time, and, on a daily basis if needs be, to address the appointment of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission consistent with the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice on June 18, 2019.”

Teixeira went on to request that Harmon bring the parliamentary Opposition’s letter to the President’s attention as soon as possible and to suggest that Harmon contact her in order to coordinate the meetings between the President and the Opposition Leader.

The unilaterally-appointed GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson has since stepped down from his position, after the CCJ found that his appointment was unconstitutional and derived from a flawed process.

With the Opposition pushing for elections this year in keeping with the Guyana Constitution, it means the position must urgently be filled.

At the CCJ’s post-judgment hearing on Monday, requests were made by lawyers for the President to be given seven days to appoint a new chairman.

Opposition Leader Jagdeo has already said he could

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

President David Granger

provide a list of candidates to the President to choose a Chairman from.

The Court had subsequently decided to give the two sides until July 1 to make written submissions on the consequential orders they would like to be handed down. It also decided that consequential orders will be issued on or before July 12, before which the CCJ urged President Granger to meet with Jagdeo, with their lawyers if necessary.

Clinton Williams, at a luncheon on Tuesday. There, he reminded the audience that his organisation has previously stepped in, in times of political impasses and was willing to do so again, to get the ball rolling.

“It would be foolhardy and naïve if I do not take this opportunity, on behalf of the GMSA, to recommit GMSA’s support to do anything and everything possible to find an appropriate resolution to the political impasse facing our nation,”

Mediation

Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has pledged its assistance in mediating the process between the Government and the Opposition, in order to ensure matters are quickly resolved.

This commitment was given by incoming President of the GMSA,

Williams said.

“The organisation’s previous interventions into matters of this type have been well- received by all the political players,” he continued. “We stand ready on this occasion to do our best to ensure we can get over this as soon as possible.”

Last week, the CCJ ruled that the NCM tabled in Guyana’s National Assembly in December 2018, had been validly passed and, therefore, general elections must be held within a stipulated time frame. It also ruled that Patterson was illegally appointed.

Since that time and despite the expectations of the Court, the two sides have failed to meet and come to an agreement on the way forward. The CCJ has made it clear that it would prefer the two parties to submit proposals, rather than it impose consequential orders of its own.

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

Not above the fray

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henever a country is facing a crisis, the expectation is for the political leadership to buckle down in immediate, genuine and meaningful engagements with the intention of deriving practical solutions. In these situations, it becomes imperative on the Government of the day to initiate those necessary discussions in the interest of the country.

That said, nothing prevents the Opposition from indicating the need for such talks and making itself available to be engaged at any time. Further, these discussions do not have the luxury of convenient time, for the crisis demands urgent engagements whether night or day to find a way forward. Sadly, these expectations never materialised during the ongoing constitutionrelated crisis Guyana is currently experiencing.

That is noted in the context of the June 18 ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on matters pertaining to the unilateral appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the December 21, 2018 No-Confidence Motion (NCM). It was clear from the CCJ that the Constitution was breached in the manner in which the GECOM Chairman was appointed and that the NCM was valid.

That means that the election body is legally without a Chairman and that the Government is deemed illegal given no constitutional extension was granted through the National Assembly. That speaks to a serious crisis and one that is unprecedented. Following its ruling, the CCJ offered time for the political leadership to engage with the hope of reaching consensus on resolving the current stalemate.

That did not materialise since, shockingly, two days after the ruling, the President wrote the Leader of the Opposition inviting him to a meeting sometime after June 24 – the day when the CCJ indicated it would present its consequential orders. That suggests a lack of intent on the President’s behalf to urgently engage the Opposition Leader in the face of a national crisis. It may even suggest that the President is paying scant regard to the current situation engulfing the country even though the Opposition indicated its willingness to meet.

Even more shocking was the response of the lawyer representing GECOM. He said that a new voters’ list can be ready

by December 25 at the earliest, a month after what the Chairman would have advised the President. He also cited holidays during the period offered by the CCJ as prohibitive reasons for related engagements.

One can safely deduce that lawyers’ responses reflect the position of their clients. In the current circumstances, the responses offered from the Government side may suggest a lack of intent to quickly work towards finding a solution. That intent was not obscured throughout the process as the Government demonstrated a preference to delay the constitutional mandate of a successful NCM. Since the NCM, the Government has apparently surrendered to GECOM its role of deciding when elections can be held. That also suggests a position of not necessarily wanting to find an immediate solution. Such scenarios would explain that believed lack of intent to meet even it means burning the midnight oil to have the situation resolve and why holidays were noted as challenges to engage.

This unavoidably brings into question the reactions, or lack thereof, by the President. In assessing these, it would be useful to remind that just recently his most senior Minister, in terms of portfolio held, boldly disregarded the CCJ’s ruling claiming that that court cannot rule on such matters for Guyana.

The President, thus far, is silent on that rejection of the country’s highest court by one of his subjects; just as he is noticeably silent on the frightening developments within the Police Force following the revelations of whistle blowers and alleged public misconduct of some Ministers. The latter two aside, the President seems to miss that he is the Head of State for all Guyanese and in a time of crisis, his leadership must reflect that.

The expectation would be for him to act above the fray of party politics and to endeavour to engage necessary stakeholders to find consensus on national issues. Many are convinced that during his tenure, he missed opportunities to step above the fray in dealing with national concerns. The engagement, as proposed by the CCJ on June 18, was the latest and arguably the most important.

There was no immediate reaching out to the Leader of the Opposition to demonstrate a real and non-partisan intent to put the affairs of the country above his party’s desire. His letter of June 20 may vindicate that belief for it speaks to a meeting sometime after June 24.

That could be any subsequent date including one in November or December. A time frame which seems to be a firm desire in the context of his Government’s wish for when elections should be held; elections that should have already been held as of March 21.

The letter in question was boasted of as being demonstrative of wanting to engage while claiming that a response from the Leader of the Opposition was yet to be forthcoming. The content also speaks to actions not considered to be above the fray.

France’s BMX team put on a show at Place de la Concorde, which has been turned into a giant Olympic park ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris (Reuters/Philippe Wojazer)

Venezuela escapee says some of Maduro’s security forces are secretly working for Guaidó

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ván Simonovis has quite the tale to tell.

The former Caracas public safety director, who had been imprisoned for 15 years – beginning when former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was still in power — on what he insists were “bogus” charges of ordering Police to open fire on pro-Government demonstrators in 2004, recently resurfaced in Washington following his escape from house arrest in Venezuela.

He told his story to The Associated Press, which includes rappelling down a 75-foot wall and a failed motorboat engine.

But amid the gripping details of his breakout, Simonovis provided AP with an intriguing revelation. AP reports that, to date, Venezuela has issued no response to the escape, which could signal that the country’s President Nicolás Maduro might be embarrassed by his own security forces who were assigned to guard Simonovis, especially since some of them reportedly aided in his flight.

“They are active members of the Maduro Government, but quietly they work for the Government of Juan Guaidó,” Simonovis told AP. Guaidó has challenged Maduro’s leadership, and has received backing from several countries, including the United States, which recognises him as Venezuela’s legitimate interim President. But he was unable to procure enough military support

in May to launch a successful coup, despite his belief that a greater portion of the armed forces would come to his side. (The Week)

Ex-Venezuelan Oil Minister asks US court to set aside US$1.4B judgement

Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez asked a federal judge in Houston on Monday to set aside a US$1.4 billion default verdict against him in a fraud suit brought by a defunct Houston oil company, according to court documents.

Ramirez, who was Venezuela’s Oil Minister for 12 years and later served as the Country’s Foreign Minister and United Nations Ambassador, said Harvest Natural Resources Inc and HNR Energia BV had failed to properly serve him notice of the lawsuit.

“Given that Ramirez was not properly served and that he lives in Europe

out of the public eye, his default was not wilful, and he has acted as expeditiously as he could to address the default in light of the issues caused by his being abroad,” a court filing said.

Dane Ball, a partner with law firm Smyser Kaplan & Veselka LLP, which represents Harvest, declined to comment.

US District Judge Lee Rosenthal issued the default judgment on February 13 after Ramirez did not contest Harvest Natural Resources’ claims, according to an opinion accompanying the ruling.

Harvest’s suit claimed Venezuela had refused to allow the company to sell its assets in the country since 2012, leading it to lose US$472 million. It accused Ramirez and others of seeking a US$10 million bribe to approve the transaction.

Ramirez’s Attorney Abbe Lowell, of Winston & Strawn, said Ramirez de-

serves his day in court.

“We are asking the court to reconsider its ruling so Ambassador Ramirez can have the chance to defend himself in court, an option he has so far been denied,” Lowell said in a statement.

Shares in Harvest ceased trading in May 2017 and the company began a three-year process of liquidating assets and winding up remaining issues from the close of the business.

Ramirez was appointed Energy Minister by late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in 2002, serving in that post until 2014. He was briefly Foreign Minister under President Nicolás Maduro and later was the country’s Ambassador to the UN, but left after being accused of corruption by Venezuelan officials amid a purge of executives at State oil firm PDVSA. (Reuters)

NEWS

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WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Pedestrians can be charged for causing road accidents – Traffic Chief

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he number of accidents allegedly caused by pedestrians has seemingly increased, and Traffic Chief Linden Isles has reminded that they could be charged under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02.

In a brief telephone interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday, Isles explained that if a vehicle swerves from a pedestrian who may have run across the road, and in the process ends up hitting anoth-

er vehicle, that pedestrian could be charged for causing the accident.

According to Section 62 of Chapter 51:02 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, “If any person wilfully loiters or remains on any roadway in such a manner or in such circumstances as to be likely to cause danger or obstruction to persons driving or propelling vehicles on the road, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven thousand five hundred dol-

lars nor more than fifteen thousand dollars”.

The Traffic Chief told this publication that many of such cases have not been reported in recent days. In fact, he said, “For the past year or two or three, we hardly had persons being charged to that effect.”

He was keen to note however, that drivers were obligated to slow down at pedestrian crossings countrywide in keeping with the laws of Guyana. On the other hand, Isles reminded that pedestrians must

not “dash across” the road at any given time, even though they may be on pedestrian crossings, as he reminded that vehicles take time to apply their brakes.

On June 1, a sevenyear-old child was killed on the Agricola Public Road, Greater Georgetown, by a sand truck after the driver reportedly swerved when she reportedly ran across the road.

Although reports on this matter are still sketchy, the truck driver was re-

leased on bail after being severely beaten by residents in that area.

His life was barely spared by officers who came to his rescue; however, his truck was torched and mostly destroyed.

Other reports had indicated that the truck bearing registration number GWW 962 was heading to Georgetown when he allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle and ended up in the path of the pedestrians.

The driver of the truck

Traffic Chief Linden Isles

was subsequently released on $100,000 bail as the investigation continues.

No Venezuelan visas at T&T Embassy, business deal under threat

Pharmaceutical Linwald Beharry

A

consultant

phar­ma­ceu­ti­cal con­ sul­ tant says he will take le­gal ac­tion against the State if a mil­lion dol­lar deal falls through be­ cause of the Gov­ern­ment’s fail­ure to put prop­er struc­ tures in place for Venezue­ lan visas.

Lin­wald Be­har­ry, a con­ sul­tant with a ma­jor strate­ gic firm, said he start­ed ne­go­ti­at­ing with a Pana­ ma-based com­pa­ny to pro­ vide phar­ma­ceu­ti­cals to T&T, two years ago.

The com­pa­ny, whose name he has with­held, has op­er­a­tions in Venezuela and Be­har­ry said they were sup­posed to sign a Mem­o­

ran­dum of Un­der­stand­ing with the com­pa­ny of­fi­cials last Sat­ur­day. How­ev­er, he said the of­fi­cials were un­ able to en­ter T&T be­cause they had no visas.

Show­ ing footage of the Em­bassy, Be­har­ry said, “When our as­so­ciates went to the Em­bassy, there were on­ly three peo­ple avail­able.

They said they do not have cor­re­spon­dence from the Min­istry of Na­tion­al Se­cu­ ri­ty in Trinidad re­gard­ing the re­quire­ments for visas.

Be­ cause of this, they are not al­ lowed to trav­ el. We stand a big chance of los­ing two years of re­ search and de­vel­op­ment which will to­ tal in the mil­lions. The Em­ bassy says they do not have the visa re­quire­ments from T&T, so visas can­ not be grant­ed,” Be­har­ry said.

He said state­ments from Min­is­ter of Na­tion­al Se­cu­ ri­ty Stu­art Young that the Em­bassy in Venezuela was ful­ly staffed and func­tion­al were not ac­cu­rate.

“No one to­ day knows what the truth is and I want to know what is the truth.

If they are ful­ly staffed they should be giv­ing visas from the next day. We will lose mil­lions and the op­por­tu­ni­

ty to give em­ploy­ment will be ter­mi­nat­ed. Caribbean Air­ lines will lose mil­ lions every week be­cause no one is fly­ing to this coun­try from Venezuela and this too will be dev­as­tat­ing,” Be­ har­ry said.He crit­i­cised the gov­ern­ment for pe­nal­is­ing the Venezue­lan na­tion­als who were try­ing to get in­to T&T legal­ly.

“I want the Min­is­ter to look at the hon­est busi­ness­ peo­ple who are trav­el­ling and fol­ low­ ing the guide­ lines. It seems he is pe­nal­ is­ing the Venezue­lans who are fol­low­ing reg­u­la­tions and the il­ le­ gal Venezue­ lans are be­ing treat­ed with

re­spect and get­ting doc­u­ ments,” Be­har­ry said.

He urged Young to put the prop­er sys­tems in place to en­sure that de­serv­ing Venezue­lans get visas.

Asked whether he planned to take le­ gal ac­ tion, Be­ har­ ry said if the deal falls through and his as­ so­ ciates do not get here

by Sat­ ur­ day, he will ini­ ti­ ate le­ gal ac­ tion. He not­ ed that the phar­ma­ceu­ti­cal com­ pa­ ny would have pro­ vid­ed cheap­er med­i­cine to the cit­ i­ zens of T&T. Min­ is­ter of Na­tion­al Se­cu­ri­ ty Stu­ art Young did not re­spond to calls. Min­is­ter of For­eign Af­fairs Den­nis

Moses is cur­ rent­ ly out of the coun­try.

T&T’s con­ sul in the Venezue­lan Em­bassy at Cara­cas, Dayne Marc Chin Slick re­ferred ques­tions to the Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Di­vi­ son of the Min­istry of For­ eign and Cari­ com Af­ fairs for re­sponse but none was forth­com­ing.

How­ev­er, Min­is­ter Young said last week that the Gov­ ern­ ment was “try­ ing to en­sure” it has suf­fi­ cient re­sources at its Cara­ cas em­bassy to process visa ap­pli­ca­tions for Venezue­ lans.

Young said, “I’ve been in dis­ cus­ sions with the

For­eign Af­fairs Min­is­ter on how this will be car­ried out from our em­ bassy in Cara­ cas which is cur­ rent­ ly staffed. He added the ap­ proval for the visa will come from “head­quar­ters” in T&T.” “What it will be, is ap­ pli­ ca­ tions will be done in Cara­cas and head­quar­ters will say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ to the ap­pli­ca­tions that are made in Cara­cas,” he added.

He said all in­for­ma­tion on the cost of the visa, the ap­pli­ca­tion process, lo­gis­ti­ cal el­em ­ ents and oth­er as­ pects will be pro­ vid­ ed “in the not too dis­tant fu­ture.”

(T&T Guardian)

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WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019

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ou both like basketball, listen to the same music, and eat strawberry ice cream with chocolate chips. How could anyone else have so much in common?

He has the coolest hair, and he is so funny, but every time you see him, you feel shy and embarrassed.

You don’t even know her, but you feel nervous whenever you see her. Your face feels hot.

If a girl or boy is making you feel this way, you might be wondering, “What is going on?”

Well, it sounds like you have a crush.

What is a crush and why do I have one?

Just as our bodies grow as we get older, so do our feelings. They change and mature as we become preteens, teenagers, and adults. A crush is a word used to describe special feelings you have for another person, a classmate, or friend that you really like.

Noticing your first crush is an exciting time in life because you’re beginning to understand how it feels to like another person – a lot!

Sometimes, feelings for a crush can be confusing because they’re new to you and you aren’t sure how to act. You could have mixed feelings. When you see your crush, a part of you might feel embarrassed and you might want to run away and hide. Another part of you might imagine your crush noticing you and sharing the same feelings.

Crushes are a little bit like the romantic love adults feel toward one another. And in a way, a crush can help us think about the kind of person that we want to love when we grow up. They help us understand which qualities we notice and like in another person – and maybe a few that we don’t like.

The object of your affection You can’t choose your crushes. Sometimes they sneak up on you and – wow – who was that? Your crush might be a classmate, a neighbour, your best friend’s crush, an older kid, a friend of your brother or sister, a sister or brother of a friend, or a teacher at your school.

Your crush could even be on someone you don’t know, like a professional athlete or a celebrity. When the crush is on someone you don’t know, you might imagine what that person is like. Maybe you think about what it would be like to meet that person, even though you know

you probably never will. It’s still fun to imagine!

You might find yourself writing the name of your crush over and over again in a notebook or telling a good friend about that special person you like so much. Crushes might last a few days, weeks, months, or longer.

What does it feel like to have a crush?

If you feel strange around your crush, you’re not alone. That’s how most people feel around their crushes. You might feel shy or giddy or maybe even shy and giddy all at once! Some people can’t remember what they want to say when they see their crush. They feel speechless, or tongue-tied.

Some kids might chase their crushes around the playground, call them on the phone, or tease them to get attention. This might make a person feel uncomfortable. Have you ever felt this way? It can be hard to control how you feel, but the rules of good behavior still apply. If your crush doesn’t want to talk with you or it seems like you’re making the person uncomfortable, it’s time to back off.

Likewise, never let anyone behave in a way that makes you feel funny or uncomfortable.

It’s never OK for anyone — a kid or a grownup — to do or ask things of you that don’t feel right. That’s not a good crush.

If I have a crush, what do I do?

When you develop special feelings toward someone, it can change your world. You might want to talk on the phone or ask your crush to your birthday party or a school dance. As you get older and your feelings change, you might be ready for your first boyfriend or girlfriend and even your first kiss! But for now, you might just be friends with your crush, if your crush wants to be friends with you.

You might or might not want to tell other people who your crush is. It can be fun to talk with friends about it, but sometimes kids tease other kids about crushes. Getting teased is never fun, so if you know about other kids’ crush-

es, don’t give them a hard time!

Some people call first loves or first crushes “puppy love” because these feelings are new to you, you’re young, and you don’t have much experience with life. You’re the puppy! Get it?

Think about how a puppy is so excited and happy with everything new in its life – from a rubber bone to an old shoe. But when your feelings seem real and strong, it may not seem like puppy love to you.

If you need someone to talk with about a crush, a parent can be a good choice.

Remember, they were kids once, too, and they know what it’s like. Can you imagine who your mom or dad’s first crush was? Maybe they’ll tell you about it!

What if someone breaks my heart?

When you have a crush on someone and you find out that he or she likes you, too, it’s a wonderful feeling. But sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. It’s hard to find out that the person you like doesn’t feel the same way about you. You might feel sad, disappointed, and rejected. That sad feeling is called heartbreak, even though your heart isn’t really breaking into pieces. If you feel heartbreak, those feelings can last for a while, but they will fade.

Another word about heartbreak: Try to be kind if you’re on the other end of a crush — when someone likes you. It’s a compliment when someone thinks you’re special. If you don’t feel the same way, try to tell him or her in a nice way.

Crushes are new and exciting, so enjoy them while they last. Someday, you’ll be telling your own kids about your first crush! (kidshealth.org)

Questions and Answers How do I tell a girl I don’t like her?

How do you tell a girl you don’t like her as a girlfriend?

It happens a lot — someone likes you, but you don’t like the person back, at least not in that way. What’s a guy to do? Ignoring her would be rude. Telling her to go away or saying “no way!” would be unkind and hurt her feelings. But not telling the truth about it doesn’t work either because then she might think you like her, too.

One boy said his dad told him not to hurt the girl’s feelings, which made him really confused. How do you not hurt someone’s feelings when the answer is “no”?

Being honest about how you feel is always a good thing — as long as you say it kindly, without being mean on purpose. It shows the kind of person you are and it’s part of being your best self. Don’t forget that it’s a compliment when someone likes you. Maybe she thinks you’re cute, funny, kind, smart, cool — just irresistible in whatever way.

It feels good to know that someone likes you. But it doesn’t feel so good when you like someone, then find out that the other person doesn’t feel the same way. So she’s probably going to be disappointed. Still, maybe you can think of a friendly compliment to give her when you tell her you just want to be friends.

Here’s an example: “You’re a nice [or cool, pretty, smart] girl, but I like you just as a friend, not a girlfriend. I hope you’re OK with that.”

Good luck and we hope that works! (kidshealth.org)

news

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WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Keep politics out of managing oil fund – US Ambassador ...urges Private Sector to hold Govt accountable on managing oil wealth grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

Ann-Lynch, therefore, noted that while the fund is a public entity, its success will depend heavily on the Private Sector’s participation and oversight. She noted that organisations like the GMSA can do things like advocating for regular public disclosure on how the fund is being used.

Such disclosures, the envoy explained, can include when and how much the fund is credited, as well as details about any withdrawals and investments. In addition, she noted that the group can continue to offer its insights during pre-budget discussions.

“This is not about politics. This is about economics. And you, as representatives of the Private Sector, must do US Ambassador Sarah Ann-Lynch your part to ensure that the decisions your organisations make are impartial, B y J arryl B ryan objective and free from political bias so he Natural Resources Fund (NRF) that they remain focused on economics must benefit current and future rather than politics. This will help keep generations, and because oil is a the fund non-partisan.”

“You are not alone. This chamber and non-renewable resource, United States others like it throughout the Ambassador to Guyana, country represents a vast arSarah Ann-Lynch has “The fund must be ray of citizens and taxpayers. urged that the fund be I encourage you to managed in a non-partinon-partisan. It is for Together, collaborate with other stakesan, non-politicised way. the good of all Guya- holders to form a strategic The US envoy made to target job creation, these observations nese, regardless of plan investment and long-term during her keynote adpolitical persuasion, revenue management,” Anndress at a Guyana Lynch said.

Manufacturing and your hometown, your

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Services Association ethnicity. And it’s not Oil funds (GMSA) luncheon on With first oil expectjust for today’s GuyTuesday. According to ed in a matter of months, Ann-Lynch, such funds anese, but your chil- Government had signed the must be managed based dren, grandchildren Natural Resources Fund bill on a sound economic law earlier this year. model and a balance beand great-grandchil- into The bill sets out, among other tween spending and savdren,” US Ambasthings, a 22-member Public ing.

Accountability and Oversight “The fund must be sador Sarah Ann- Committee that will overnon-partisan. It is for Lynch. see the fund. The committee the good of all Guyanese, is supposed to include repregardless of political resentatives from the media, persuasion, your homePrivate Sector and the bar association. town, your ethnicity. And it’s not just Following its 10th discovery of oil in for today’s Guyanese, but your children,

A section of the gathering at the GMSA luncheon on Tuesday

the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil had estimated the recoverable resource in the block to be 5 billion oil-equivalent barrels. With oil at US$50 a barrel, that equates to well over US$200 billion.

Exxon has since revised this figure upwards after three more discoveries, the last one being at the Yellowtail-1 well in April. More drilling is also scheduled for this year and it was only days ago that its first Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel bound for Guyana, Liza Destiny was commissioned.

In addition, an independent assessment, or competent persons’ report, had found that 2.9 billion barrels of oil exist in the Orinduik Block. All of this will represent a monetary windfall for

Guyana, which will be saved and invested through a Natural Resources Fund.

Previously, a green paper on the fund was laid in the National Assembly.

Then there is the issue of the fund managers. Investment firm Merrill Lynch has previously expressed an interest in being involved in managing Guyana’s oil finances. In fact, representatives from the firm had reportedly met with Central Bank Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga.

The Opposition has urged that the vetting process for the fund manager be a rigorous one. Touching on this subject also on Tuesday, the US Ambassador recommended that should Guyana go this route, credible and efficient fund managers should be chosen for such a job.

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WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Pensioner to spend 19 years behind bars for raping teen Picking sense…

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ixty-six year-old George Robin, once highly respected for being a leader in his community, was found guilty on a rape charge and sentenced to 19 years in prison on Tuesday.

The No 30 Village, West Coast Berbice resident was recently found guilty by a 12-member jury of the offence, which detailed that on February 6, 2017 he engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16.

A probation report presented to the Court revealed that the convicted man was known in his community for being a leader and contributing to the area. It was further disclosed that

Robin was a former rank in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force (GPF).

However, the report in-

vestigations had found that Robin was also well known in the community for his perverted behaviour towards young girls in the area. It added that when teenage girls would visit the grocery shop owned by the convict, he would usually make sexual remarks that would make them uncomfortable. Similar incidents also occurred in school environments where Robin worked as a vendor.

Meanwhile, an impact statement prepared for the victim has revealed that the affected teen has suffered from depression and emotional trauma.

“I feel depressed and angry. I would like for him to go to jail, he deserves to be

punished. I would like to forget about it but I don’t know if I ever can,” the impact statement noted.

Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay, in his plea of mitigation, asked the Court to consider the contributions Robin has made to the community, along with his age and medical status, since he suffers from hypertension and diabetes.

As such, Justice Brassington Reynolds, in handing down his sentence, stated that considering these factors, Robin will spend the next 19 years in prison where he will benefit from medical services and religious teachings, and will also grant him time to reflect on what he did.

Eon Layne, 21, was sentenced by Magistrate Rondel Weever at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after the prosecution proved its case.

The charge stated that on January 30, 2019, at King Street, Albouystown, he un-

lawfully and maliciously wounded, Samantha Harris.

According to the prosecution’s case, the two parties reside at the same location where the incident took place and on the day in question, they were argu-

ing when Layne stabbed the Virtual Complaint several times.

During the trial, Police Prosecutor Richard Harris presented photos showing the injuries to the victim’s back, neck and head.

Jailed: George Robin

Man jailed for stabbing girlfriend

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man, who was charged in February and was granted $80,000 bail for stabbing his girlfriend during an argument was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Linden man slapped with wounding charge

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32-year-old man, who allegedly wounded another during an argument over missing belongings, was granted bail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Dillon Lester, of Lot 279 Half Mile, Linden Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), denied the charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It is alleged that on June 5, 2019 at Granny Backdam, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), he unlawfully

and maliciously wounded Michael Miller.

The prosecution’s case stated that the Virtual Complainant (VC) went into the backdam to look for workmen. According to the Prosecutor’s case, on June 4, 2019, the VC left his haversack and went to work; however, upon returning, he discovered that items were missing. He then proceeded to inquire about the missing items from others, and based on the information he received, he went to confront

Dillon Lester

the defendant.

It was during that confrontation, which ensued a heated argument, that the defendant allegedly pulled

out a knife and dealt the VC several stabs resulting in injuries.

The man was rushed to the Linden Hospital where he received treatment. The matter was then reported and the defendant was arrested. Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield did not object to bail; however, he asked that special conditions be applied if the defendant is released.

He was released on $70,000 bail. The case will continue on June 16 at the Linden Magistrates’ Courts.

…from PNC’s nonsense Your Eyewitness still can’t get over the PNC’s barefacedness on our Constitution over the consequences of the NCM. And it’s not that they didn’t know beforehand about those consequences. After the 2011 elections the PNC and AFC had those same 33 seats they got in 2015 – which constituted a parliamentary majority. It’s only because our Constitution doesn’t allow a coalition AFTER the elections, that they weren’t allowed to name the President and form the Government!!

So lo and behold, in 2014, Moses Nagamootoo of the AFC (obviously with the tacit approval of the PNC/ APNU) cited Art 106 (6) and moved a no-confidence motion (NCM) against the PPP Govt of Donald Ramotar.

No one in the PPP cried “dirty pool!” – after all NCMs are a regular feature of parliamentary democracies! In fact when the PPP brought THEIR NCM in 2018, Moses Nagamootoo gloated that the PPP had “cogged” the formulation of HIS motion!!

At no time did the PNC say the NCM wasn’t democratically kosher. In fact, PNC GS Amna Ally famously taunted the PPP in Parliament, “Bring it on, big boy!!” But when the PPP did “bring it on”, after loud wails of “Noooo, Charrandas. Nooooooooo!!!” the PNC has been trampling all over the Constitution to prevent themselves from being booted out by the sovereign Guyanese people. First, it was Charrandas was a dual citizen and his vote didn’t count!! That was thrown out by the High Court; the Appellate Court and the CCJ!!

Then they claimed even if the vote counted, 33 wasn’t the majority of 65 – as it had been since 2011!! They’d bought a snake oil concoction that the requisite process to arrive at that claim – dividing MPs into halves and then reconstituting them again – hadn’t been performed!! The High Court threw that rigmarole into the wastebasket, but two justices of the Appellate Court went along for the ride!! They’ve to be hiding their faces after the CCJ derided the half-man abomination!!

So with their backs against the (constitutional) wall, the PNC’s fallen back on their plan B – counting on GECOM – controlled by their unilaterally appointed chair – to drag out the elections date till next year!!

Now what’s the point of the Constitution, if it can dictate the elections be held in three months after an NCM but GECOM can simply snicker, “No way, Jose!!”??

The law may be an ass, but not our Constitution!

GECOM’s been sitting on their hands since Dec because of Granger’s Chair’s intransigence and they cannot now be allowed to cite Art 162 (2) – to delay elections because of “hardship”.

This was brought on by themselves!!

…from the PNC’s white noise The PNC’s demanding new House-to-House (HtH) Registration – but interestingly, THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO LAW that supports this demand!!! That’s right!!

In 1967, a National Register of Registrants (NRR) from which the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) is extracted was established from HtH registration. Subsequently, because of PNC’s electoral jiggery pokery over the next two decades, a new NRR was created in time for the 1992 elections registration. But because of the improvement and computerisation of records (such as of deaths) after 2000, the goal was to institutionalise “Continuous Registration” by automatically adding names of persons 14 or older (who are exhorted at scheduled intervals) and eliminating those dead from lists provided by the General Registry Office.

The last HtH registration was in 2008, and as the OL pointed out, there have been two general elections where the PNC didn’t find anyone disenfranchised!! If someone’s not on the list for whatever reason, they can simply have that rectified during the Claims and Objections Period!!

Don’t get confused by the PNC’s white noise!! …from urbanity With English-instilled understatement, Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes for the Opposition Leader allowed to the CCJ that he “is YET TO BE SHOWN any law for HtH registration”. And allowed Basil Williams meanderings on HtH. The PNC don’t know urbanity: “Shut up or put up, Basil!!”

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

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM’s Chairman steps down!

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uyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n ( G E C O M ) Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, has stepped down and handed in his resignation for the position, which the Caribbean Court of Justice recently found, that he was unconstitutionally holding.

This announcement was made on Tuesday after Patterson met with President David Granger.

The vacating of the position came days after public pressure for the CCJ ruling to be accepted.

In a statement following the meeting between Granger and Patterson, Government’s commitment to accept the ruling invalidating Patterson’s appointment was reiterated. This would mean that Government has finally accepted the CCJ’s ruling that the President does, in fact, have to give reasons before he can reject an entire list of candidates.

While Patterson’s stepping down was his way of formally demitting office, the step is in actuality a matter of fact gesture. This is since the CCJ has already recognised that by virtue of its ruling, Patterson was already fired from his position.

According to CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders on Monday during the post-judgement hearing, GECOM, in fact, has no legal Chairman since the court ruled on June 18 against Patterson’s appointment.

“In relation to the GECOM case, by concluding that the procedure was flawed and in breach of the Constitution, the inexorable result unless that result is somehow stayed, is that there isn’t a GECOM Chairman. And that process has to be re-engaged,” he had said.

In addition, Attorney General Basil Williams, when questioned about Patterson’s continued presence at GECOM, had confirmed that by virtue of the ruling, Patterson was, in fact, no longer the GECOM Chairman.

“Well, I am sure that question would be addressed when the time comes but you know the decision of the Court is that the appointment was void ab initio so in effect there is no Chairman,” he said.

Who is instructing GECOM’s lawyer?

With no meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) since June 4, 2019, who has been instructing the electoral body’s lawyer, Stanley Marcus?

Marcus, SC, has been leading GECOM’s case before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in relation to the No-Confidence Motion related cases.

Marcus told the CCJ on June 24 that GECOM must have House-To-House Registration and that the earliest a voters’ list will be ready is by December 25, 2019 – pushing elections which ought to have been held since before March 21, 2019 – to next year.

But the burning question is, how is GECOM’s lawyer arriving at these positions when the Commission has not met to deliberate on these matters. Who is instructing GECOM’s lawyer?

Commissioner Sase Gunraj is also in the dark.

“The Commission as a whole did not meet or discuss the appointment of Mr Marcus as Counsel for the Commission and I am not sure who is instructing him,” Gunraj told reporters.

He was also astounded by the arguments being advanced by Marcus. “I sat in the Court in astonishment, as the purported, and I use this word very deliberately, the purported Counsel for the GECOM, Mr Stanley Marcus is deliberately pronouncing and expounding on the provisions of the National Registration Act and the other attendant legislation that deals with the refreshing of the list…

In fact, my astonishment grows because I am not sure who is instructing him.”

Patterson, a former High Court Judge who claimed he was an acting Chief Justice in Grenada in his CV be-

cause of a “slip of the pen”, was unilaterally appointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM by the President in October 2017. At the time, President Granger had already rejected, with no reason, the three lists submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

These lists comprised a total of 18 names of former judges, persons eligible to be judges and prominent members of civil society.

The list of nominees had included anti-corruption advocate Christopher Ram, current Bar Association President Teni Housty, former GECOM Chairman, Retired Major General Joe Singh, Justice of Appeal BS Roy (ret’d), Justice William Ramlall (ret’d), Oneidge Walrond-Allicock, Attorney-at-Law and former Magistrate, Kashir Khan, Attorney-at-Law Nadia Sagar and Gerald Gouveia.

The President was heavily criticised for his actions and it is the court challenge filed by People’s Progressive

Party (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha that eventually resulted in Patterson’s appointment being ruled unconstitutional.

Throughout his time at GECOM, Patterson was criticised for favouring the Government-nominated Commissioners with his tie-breaker vote. In one such case, Patterson used his casting vote to break a deadlock and appoint current Deputy Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Roxanne Myers, over the previous DCEO Vishnu Persaud.

This is despite Persaud scoring higher marks than Myers during the evaluation process. An investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission subsequently found that Persaud was the more qualified candidate.

Additionally, more controversy soon dogged the former Chairman after the passage of the NoConfidence Motion.

Despite constitutional stipulations, in February

Former GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson being sworn in in October 2017

2019 Patterson again used his deciding vote and sided with Government Commissioners - this time to pass a motion that new elections could not be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated.

On February 19, 2019, three issues in relation to elections preparation were put to a vote.

The first being elections cannot be held in 90 days; the second issue had to do with funding for elec-

tions, and the third was for GECOM to return to normalcy.

While there was a deadlock with the Government Commissioners voting for the motions and the PPPnominated Commissioners voting against, Patterson used his casting vote to ensure the motions were carried. The rest is history, with Guyana now several months outside of the timeframe when elections should have been held.

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Youths can vote without House“Do as CCJ advises” – Indian to-House Registration – Jagdeo High Commissioner P to political leaders

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatakchalam Mahalingam

By Vahnu Manikchand

T

he outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, V e n k a t a k c h a l a m Mahalingam, is urging the country’s political leaders to heed the advice of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and discuss the way forward for Guyana.

At Monday’s post-judgement hearing, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders urged that President David Granger meet with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to come up with a consensus on the way forward and as such, postponed the date to issue consequential orders on the No-Confidence Motion to July 12, 2019.

High Commissioner Mahalingam underscored the need for the parties to do as advised by the Court.

“I’m sure the consequential orders are mostly going to be a form of direction for both the political parties. But the hint given is that they should sit together and they should come out with a consensus and decide what the way forward is. So, therefore, we would like both parties to sit together, as advised by the Caribbean Court of Justice, and decide what is the best way forward for the democratic process to continue,” he posited.

Democratic process

Contending that his country does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, the Indian diplomat emphasised, however, that they would like for the democratic process to take over and finally have this issue, which has been languishing for the past seven months, resolved.

“The Caribbean Court of Justice understands what has been going on in Guyana and they wanted to put both parties together and arrive at a consensus. I don’t know, if consensus is not arrived at by both parties, what would be the order of the Caribbean Court of Justice or what would be the direction in the end, but we need to wait to see… But

I’m sure Guyana will definitely find a solution for its betterment,” Mahalingam stated during an interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday.

Following the June 18 rulings, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders urged the two sides to meet to find consensus before last Monday’s hearing for consequential orders. However, President David Granger sent an invitation to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday for them to meet after Monday’s hearing. During that hearing, Justice Saunders expressed disappointment that the two leaders were yet to meet.

“These matters are of the highest constitutional significance… and it beats me that the Leader of the Opposition and the President, and their respective counsel, had not met to discuss the issues that confront us. Everybody says these are important issues but it seems as though the same degree of urgency and deliberation that are expected of the Courts, we don’t see them being reflected in the behaviour of the political directorate and that I think is unfortunate,” the CCJ President expressed.

In fact, he went on to note that the case puts the Court in an “awkward position” since it does not want to make political decisions, but at the same time, it has a remit to ensure that the rule of law is observed.

This, Justice Saunders noted, however, can only happen if the political leaders display a spirit of compromise and reasonableness, which would allow the rule of law to take effect.

The CCJ President’s comments were made after Attorney General Basil Williams told the Court that President Granger had acted “forthwith” and invited the Opposition Leader to a meeting on the relevant matters in relation to the cases but that meeting was yet to happen. In fact, he indicated that the Leader of the Opposition was yet to respond to the invite. turn to page 13

ersons who are currently not on the Official List of Electors can become registered in time for early elections without House-toHouse registration.

The last House-to-House registration was done in 2008.

Thereafter, various cycles of continuous registration were done to ensure persons were given unlimited opportunities to get registered from as early as the age of 14.

When a person who was registered since he or she was 14 turns 18, their name is transferred to the voters’ list.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has pointed out that, therefore, there is no need for House-to-House registration, as was evident during the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

“We’ve had General Elections in 2015 and we did not have House-toHouse registration. It’s ab-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

solutely false— a fallacy to claim, that House-to-House registration is a necessity for preparing a list to go to General and Regional Elections,” the Opposition Leader posited during a recent press conference.

He further reasoned that during the Local Government Elections, the voters’ list still facilitated what was accepted by all stakeholders as credible elections.

Government has been

pushing for House-to-House registration, saying that it is a necessity before elections and that young people will not be able to vote without it.

But this is not true.

A claims and objections period can be embarked upon to ensure persons who are not registered get the opportunity to do so.

“In the claims and objections period, which is a short period, any person who is not on the list can get on the list in that period, any person who is in the wrong area and requires a transfer can get a transfer,” Jagdeo explained.

Furthermore, he explained that “people who would have attained the age of 14 as of October 31, 2018 have been registered through the last continuous registration process and so their names would be extracted and added to the voters list”.

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) at-

torney, Stanley Marcus, told the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that the only way the elections body can prepare for elections is through House-toHouse registration; with a voters’ list being ready by December 25, 2019 – the earliest.

But GECOM’s very own legal officer, Excellence Dazzle, submitted a legal opinion to the Commission stating that House-toHouse registration is not a necessity and that a claims and objections process can address the current concerns about the voters’ list.

However, this was rejected by the Governmentaligned commissioners, who began to tarnish the Attorney’s character.

According to Jagdeo, these actions and delaying tactics prove that the coalition Government is hesitant to head to the polls. “This Government fears elections; they know what is going to happen”.

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Private school teacher freed of rape charge

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Berbice private school teacher was on Tuesday freed of

a rape charge after he was found not guilty.

Zafiel Yusuf, 27, of

Fyrish Village, Corentyne, was on trial before Justice Jo Ann Barlow and a

mixed jury in the Berbice High Court. The charge had stated that he raped

a 14-year-old girl and her 15-year-old brother.

The trial was held in camera. Both teens testified during the trial against the private school teacher.

It was alleged that Yusuf went to the teenagers’ home and requested to see their mother and told her that he had hampers to give to poor people and if she wanted one, she would have to send her children with him to collect it. The court heard that the children got into his car and Yusuf stopped at a Chinese restaurant and asked them if they wanted beer to drink.

It was alleged that the

siblings were later taken down a dam, next to a clump of bushes, where the girl was told to perform a sexual act on Yusuf. The prosecution’s case also stated that she refused and was cuffed and told that she would be killed if she did not comply. It is alleged that her brother was also forced to do the same after his sister.

Following the allegations in April 2017, the accused’s father, Hafeez Yusuf, a political columnist, claimed that the incident did not occur and that the mother of the teenagers was out to get money from him.

41 accidents caused

by DUI, speeding – traffic stats

A

A minibus involved in an accident last month

recent analysis of figures has revealed that almost all of the recent fatal accidents are linked to Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Guyana.

During an interview with Guyana Times, a senior rank on Tuesday said that 48 fatal accidents were recorded for the year from January 1 to June 25, 2019. Of these 48 road fatalities, 41 were caused by DUI and speeding.

It was explained by that rank that DUI and speeding are usually recorded together as most times, “when persons consume alcohol they tend to drive at a fast rate of speed. Apart from that, their motor coordination skills would reduce thus causing them to be involved in an accident”.

As such, data was not specific as to how many fatalities were caused by drunk drivers only.

The rank also explained that from the 41 accidents caused by drunk driving, six of those persons were drivers, 14 were pedestrians and the others were pedal cyclists, motorcyclists and others.

He was keen to note that pedestrians accounted for the most lives taken by drunk drivers.

For this period too, 111 serious accidents were recorded, 13 minor accidents where persons merely received cuts and bruises and 34 damage accidents where vehicles received damage

such as fender benders.

The legal limit for alcohol consumption in Guyana is 35 micrograms, which usually amounts to about two beers.

A report compiled by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said that almost 1.2 million deaths are recorded worldwide every year due to vehicular crashes.

“In Guyana, the use of alcohol, speeding and inattentiveness while driving or using the road have been major contributing factor to death and injury,” the report stated.

Only recently, a 58-yearold West Coast Berbice (WCB) man had his driver’s licence suspended when he appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate Court charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.

On May 28, a pensioner was crushed to death in his car after a sand truck being driven by a drunken man crashed into it on the Corentyne Highway.

On April 21, a mother of three lost her life after she and her family were struck by a truck which was allegedly overtaking another vehicle on the Canal Number One, Polder Access Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The driver of the truck was taken into Police custody and a breathalyser test was administered which proved that he was over the legal limit of alcohol consumption.

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Crime Chief sent on administrative leave …as GPF corruption probe deepens

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ollowing damning allegations of corruption by several whistleblowers within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Deputy Commissioner of Police and Crime Chief Lyndon Alves has been sent on administrative leave.

This was confirmed by the acting Top Cop, Nigel Hoppie, on Tuesday.

“Mr Alves has been sent on leave to facilitate an investigation,” Hoppie, who is leading the force in the absence of Police Commissioner Leslie James – who is out of the jurisdiction, told Guyana Times.

According to reports, Alves was suspended from duties on Monday to facilitate the probe into allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Over the past weeks, ranks in Berbice blew the whistle on alleged corruption by the Crime Chief and claimed that he was shielding a few junior rogue ranks who have been linked to criminals.

On Tuesday, Hoppie attended the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, where a detailed report was expected to be presented for the matter to be discussed. The NSC meeting is headed by President David Granger and comprises security officials from the various law enforcement agencies.

However, the acting

Police Commissioner would not divulge any other information about the issue.

Moreover, further efforts to get an update following the meeting were futile. In fact, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, when contacted on Tuesday evening, told this newspaper that he was busy with some “family issues” before cutting the call. Several attempts to get him later that night were in vain, while calls to the Government’s spokesperson, Joseph Harmon, also went unanswered.

Nevertheless, when contacted earlier on Tuesday, Alves indicated that he does not want to comment on the matter.

Recently, allegations have stemmed against a Lance Corporal detective in Berbice of being linked to the criminal network in the region.

This was revealed after the rank’s cell phone number was discovered in the phone of now dead criminal Kelvin ‘Kelly’ Shivgobin, who was shot and killed recently in the back lands of Black Bush Polder during a shootout with the police.

It was alleged that the rank was being protected by Alves, who had previously headed the Berbice division.

Last week, the GPF disclosed that a probe was launched by the Office of Professional Responsibility

“Do as CCJ...

However, at a press conference after Monday’s hearing, Jagdeo called out the Attorney General for deliberately misleading the CCJ. According to Jagdeo, a letter was indeed dispatched to his office but stated that he was being invited for a meeting after the June 24 consequential ruling, with no date or time indicated.

Nevertheless, a response letter was sent on Tuesday indicated to that Jagdeo is prepared to meet with the President “at any time and on a daily basis if needs be”.

Last week, the CCJ ruled that the No-Confidence Motion tabled in Guyana’s National Assembly in December 2018, had been validly passed, and in another case, found that the uni-

From page 11

lateral appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice James Patterson, was flawed and unconstitutional.

After the Trinidad-based regional Court reiterated on Monday that GECOM has no chairman, Government announced on Tuesday that Justice Patterson has resigned.

The CCJ President had also noted that the appointment process of a new GECOM Chair had to be reengaged and according to Jagdeo, in the missive to Government, he is prepared to meet and address the appointment of a new Chairman consistent with the ruling of the regional Court on June 18, 2019.

(OPR).

In August last year, President David Granger, during his search for a new Top Cop, said that he was looking for “unbribable” cops.

Handpicks

On August 29, 2018, President Granger had handpicked five top-ranking officials from the GPF for the top Police post, but former acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine had been excluded.

They were Assistant Commissioner of Police Lyndon Alves, Maxine Graham, Leslie James, Nigel Hoppie and Paul Williams.

Independent probe

Over the weekend, the Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, had called for an independent probe into the allegations, which he said are causing discomfort among residents and

the business community in Berbice.

Furthermore, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Monday called out President David Granger for his silence on the matter despite being briefed on it.

Saying it is perplexed by the Head of State’s reaction, the Opposition called for a wider probe into the matter.

“The PPP wishes to

Crime Chief Lyndon Alves

stress that the reports by whistleblowers, published by the local media corps, provide enough justification for a wider probe to be ordered, particularly since what is at stake is public confidence in the leadership of the Force and a test of the commitment to address the issue of corruption,” the Party noted in its missive on Monday.

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GA-FDD seizes 90 bags of flour …as entity clamps down on illegal repackaging

T

he Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has seized close to 90 bags of flour from several shops and supermarkets on the East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown.

Reports are the seizures were part of its ongoing campaign to clamp down on the repackaging of the staple under unhealthy conditions.

During the campaign, the GA-FDD inspectors visited several retail entities in Georgetown and on the lower East Coast corridor, where the repackaging practice is said to be prevalent.

The Food and Drug Department was keen to note that this practice violates the country’s Food and Drug Act (Chapter 34:03) as well as Section (18) (1) of the Food and Drug Regulations and Part (6) (2) of the 1971 Food and Drugs Act. As such, importers and distributors who persist in repackaging under insanitary conditions will leave the department “with no other alternative than to rescind their licenses/permits to repackage and/or import wheaten flour in 45kg bags,” the GA-FDD warned.

It was observed that these stores usually repackage the flour and offer it for sale in unlabelled plastic bags.

However, the GA-FDD advised the public to only

purchase flour that is in properly-labelled bags to help protect their health and safety.

The agency also committed to conducting similar exercises across the country.

“Similar exercises will be conducted nationwide by enforcers of the National Food and Safety Control Committee who will be authorised to carry out the implement action against wrongdoers in their respective regions,” the food and drug agency said.

In January this year, the Department had warned that Daflon 500mg tablets are being counterfeited and circulated in the local market.

While the original pills are sold in a white box with blue borders and contains sixty 500mg tablets that are further divided into four silver blister packs, each containing fifteen tablets, the counterfeited/fake product

is sold in a white box with no border and contains sixty 500mg tablets that are further divided into six silver with blue blister packs, each containing ten tablets.

Last September the GAFDD urged consumers to make complaints against unauthentic products sold to them.

According to the Director of the Department, Marlon Cole, there is an increased need for monitoring of supermarkets, especially with the recent incident where the popular milk powder was being relabelled.

In January 2018 the GAFDD said it will be moving to take legal actions against persons or businesses who are selling fake products on the local market.

His statement was made after reports surfaced that a Bourda, Georgetown grocery store had sold a woman fake milk powder.

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Footballer remanded on robbery charge Delaying tactic A

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he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) did not issue any consequential orders for elections, postponing until July 12. Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) told the CCJ that it has to conduct House-to-House registration, therefore, it will not be ready until, at least, December 21—previously they said before November. GECOM is in conspiracy with APNU+AFC to delay the elections.

APNU+AFC is obsessed with a new House-to-House voters registration and voters list before elections are held because they are scared to face the electorate in a free and fair election without a rigged voters list. A RIGGED VOTERS LIST IS AT THE TOP OF THE RIGGING STRATEGY. David Hinds is the latest APNU+AFC sycophant to let the “cat out of the bag”, declaring emphatically that APNU+AFC cannot win an election with the existing voters list. They want an APNU+AFC-friendly voters list, a rigged list, a list Dr Leslie Ramsammy padded with phantom voters and with non-Guyanese voters. A rigged voters list was at the heart of the appointment of Winston Felix as the Citizenship Minister. His mission was to pad the voters list for the 2020 elections, hence the question of the thousands of new birth certificates. The No-Confidence Motion (NCM) derailed the plan.

Every excuse they have made for a new voters list is fake.

Initially, it was that there were 200, 000 dead persons on the voters list. The number of adults dying each year in Guyana is just over 6,000 people. That means, everyone who died in Guyana during the last 40 years is still listed on the voters list, even though GECOM has often cleansed the list by removing names of dead people. The absurdity of this claim has forced APNU+AFC to back off and to now simply claim there are “too many dead people” on the present list. This in itself, even if true, is no reason to embark on a lengthy and expensive Houseto-House registration.

The legal process of extracting the names of dead persons exists. First, the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) periodically submits a list of all persons who have died in Guyana for the relevant period and GECOM then deletes those names through a scrutinized mechanism. Second, during any continuous registration period or during a claims and objections period which precedes any election, individuals and political parties can make claims to remove any names for which they have evidence showing that those persons have died. Third, even if names of dead persons remain on the list—a reality which exists for any voters list in the world—those persons cannot vote in a free and fair election. Would they arise from the dead and from their graves or from their ashes to show up at the voting station? The mechanism exists in our elections to prevent anyone voting for these people.

Their main claim now— another bogus claim, is there are thousands of young people who have turned 18 whose names are not on the list. First, registration in Guyana is continuous.

In 2017 and 2018, there were three continuous rounds of registration, so that all persons who were 14 years old in 2018 would have had a chance to register and obtain an ID card. Those persons who would have turned 18 by Election Day, whenever that day is, would have had their names extracted from the National Register of Registrants (NRR) into a preliminary voters list. Second, with the exception of a person who had never exercised his or her right to register, those persons would have another chance to register during the obligatory claims and objections period before the elections. House-to-House registration or not, no eligible voter is excluded from registering for the elections.

Indeed, there are adults much older than 18, whose names are not on the voters list or in the NRR because they had never exercised their right or were unable to register. These persons can register before an election during the claims and objections period. This is a normal practice since the claims and objections period MUST be conducted even if there is a new voters list.

Are there persons on the voters list who no longer reside in Guyana? Of course. Even with a new House-to-House registration, there will be people on the list who no longer reside in Guyana or who are temporarily out of the country. Whether there are dozens, hundreds, or thousands of persons whose names are on the list and will not be in Guyana on Election Day because they are temporarily out of Guyana or permanently residing somewhere else, it should not be a problem. If they are not present, they cannot vote; unless the process is rigged to allow the illegal use of ballot papers for someone else to cast those votes.

Clearly, APNU+AFC is desperate, scared of an election and looking for any reason to postpone the election. Their plan of a rigged election in 2020 was thwarted by the NCM and they did not have the time to put their 2020 rigging machinery and strategy into place. This whole time, since December 21, was a buying-time strategy to put the rigging strategy into place.

A rigged, padded voters list was a critical element of their rigging strategy. That is, the obsession about House-to-House registration. That is why David Hinds confessed APNU+AFC cannot win an election with the present voters list.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

footballer, who was remanded to prison on a new robbery charge, one day after he was posted $900,000 bail for nine counts of armed robberies, was on Tuesday released on $600,000 bail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Twenty-seven-year-old Omalo Williams of Lot 83 Leopold Street, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

The first charge against Williams stated that on May 25, 2019 at Smyth and Leopold Streets, Georgetown, while being in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Odwin Lowenfield of a phone valued at $81,000 and $25,000 in cash.

It was further alleged that on the same day and at the same location, he robbed Latoya Lowenfield of one phone valued at $170,000.

Prosecutor Adduni Innis objected to bail, stating that while the defendant was out on bail for nine robbery charges, he committed the

new offence. The Prosecutor added that the defendant was released from prison in May after spending 11 months on remand for

armed robberies.

The man’s attorney, during his bail application, told the Court that his client is not a flight risk and, therefore, bail should be granted in a reasonable sum. He further stated that his client is willing to comply with any bail conditions that the Court sets.

After listening to submissions, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus granted the defendant $600,000 bail and the case will continue on July 8. As a condition for bail, Williams would have to report to the Brickdam Police Station every Friday until the case concludes.

Williams had previously appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for a series of armed robberies committed in the Leopold Street, Georgetown area. He had denied all the charges and was granted $900,000 bail.

assist the elderly woman and to properly investigate the matter.

“Is sheep, is not like they will be hard to find because

it has to be somebody right around here that had the guts to do this because they know that this old lady lives alone,” the neighbour

said.

A report was made at the Leonora Police Station and the Police is said to be investigating.

Omalo Williams

Thieves rob pensioner of sheep

A

De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara (WCD) pensioner is left counting her losses after she was robbed of the source of her livelihood – several sheep on Monday night.

The 67-year-old woman made the startling discovery on Tuesday morning when she attempted to attend to her sheep that were secured in a pen in her backyard.

According to the woman, at about 18:00hrs she secured the sheep but retired to bed just before midnight. However, the following morning she journeyed to the back of her house to take her sheep to graze but noticed that the door to the pen was opened.

The woman told Guyana Times that she quickly inspected and found all of her sheep missing.

“I was left dumbstruck and I immediately became frightened because I live alone and what if whoever came in here had attacked me?” the frightened woman questioned.

“I think is somebody who know me came in here and steal my sheep…this is all I have, I dedicate my life to this, spend my last dollar behind them and now all of them gone, who would do something like that to an old woman like me?” the woman cried.

The woman’s neighbour said that at about 02:00hrs she heard a commotion and the sheep making noise.

The woman revealed that she inspected but saw nothing and as such, she returned to bed.

The woman lamented her anger over the situation and called on the Police to

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019, 2019

Regional

Brazil Supreme Court justices Trump committed to campaign to weigh appeals to free Lula oust Venezuela's Maduro – US envoy

Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a protest against the Brazil's Justice Minister Sergio Moro in front the Justice Ministry headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil June 10, 2019

B

razil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday was considering two appeals by imprisoned former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking release based on claims the Judge who convicted him was not impartial.

The leftist Lula was Brazil’s leader from 20032010 and left office with an 87 per cent approval rating. But the Workers Party he founded fell hard when

Brazilian Prosecutors in 2014 began the “Car Wash” corruption investigation and others, unprecedented moves against the impunity that the rich and powerful have traditionally enjoyed in Brazil.

Tuesday’s appeals are being heard by five members of the court. They could decide to free Lula within hours or to keep him imprisoned until the full court can weigh the appeals.

Lula was convicted in July 2017 in the first of at least eight corruption trials he faces. He was jailed in April 2018 and remains in prison. He has since been convicted in a second graft trial.

The first conviction blocked Lula, a leftist icon who remains one of Brazil’s most influential politicians, from running for the presidency last year. Even after he was jailed, polls showed that he would have easily been elected over far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro, who won the presidency.

The Judge who convicted Lula, Sergio Moro, now serves as Bolsonaro’s Justice Minister. In recent weeks, he has come under pressure to resign after The Intercept Brasil news website published the first of what it says will be months’ of stories based on leaked private messages between Moro and Prosecutors. (Excerpt from Reuters)

P

resident Donald Trump is still committed to a pressure campaign to force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step aside to make way for Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, Washington’s envoy for Venezuela said on Tuesday.

The campaign has failed to dislodge Maduro, who has the support of Russia and China. Arguing that Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate, Guaidó invoked Venezuela’s Constitution in January to declare himself interim President with backing from the United States and other Western countries.

Elliott Abrams, US special representative for Venezuela, brushed aside questions over whether Washington had lost interest amid other pressing foreign policy issues such as tensions with Iran and China trade talks.

He also firmly rejected the possibility that Maduro could be part of a unity government in Venezuela. “It is hard to see how he is part of the solution or could be part of a transition government,” Abrams told reporters.

Citing examples that Venezuela remained a priority for the Administration, Abrams said Trump raised the topic with Canadian Prime Minister Justin

S

this week who had apparently attempted to circumvent the immigration system – including two babies and a toddler.

"There was nobody taking care of these children... they were not being bathed on a regular basis," Prof Warren Binford of Williamette University in Oregon told the BBC after visiting the Clint facility in Texas.

"Several hundred of the children had been kept in a warehouse that was recently erected on the facility grounds."

"The cells are overcrowded... there's a lice infestation there, there is an influenza outbreak.

Children are being locked up in isolation with no adult supervision, who are very, very ill and they're just lying on the ground on mats."

Elora Mukherjee, another lawyer who visited the facility, told CBS News: "They were wearing the same dirty clothing they crossed the border with."

"It is degrading and inhumane and shouldn't be happening in America."

As stories of substandard conditions in facilities have continued to emerge, some volunteers have tried to donate supplies – only to be turned away by border officials. (Excerpt from Reuters)

OAS General Assembly begins today in Colombia

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro protest in Caracas [File: Fernando Llano/AP Photo]

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epresentatives from 35 governments in North and South America will convene today through Friday in Medellin, Colombia to tackle challenges facing the hemisphere.

The Organisation of American States (OAS) meeting comes five months after Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó invoked the country's Constitution

to declare himself interim President, calling Nicolás Maduro's 2018 re-election illegitimate.

Millions of Venezuelans have left their country in recent years, fleeing hyperinflation, unemployment, violence and food and medicine shortages.

The majority have fled to other countries in the region, including Colombia, Ecuador,

Peru and Chile.

Meanwhile, thousands of Central Americans have made the journey north to Mexico and the United States, fleeing extreme poverty, unemployment and high levels of violence.

The political crisis in Venezuela will take centre stage, as it has in the last two OAS General Assemblies.

A softer tone may surface, however, since years of harsh condemnation by the body have failed to affect Maduro's grip on power.

The OAS made its most drastic move in April this year, expelling Maduro's representative and accepting a delegation sent by Guaidó.

But months of fruitless struggle that culminated with a failed uprising, led

by Guaidó on April 30, have dimmed hopes for a hard takeover of Miraflores Palace.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

from Reuters)

Honduras protests: Military Police open fire on students injuring 4

Central American migrant children moved from 'horrific cells' after outcry

ome 250 migrant children have been moved from an overcrowded border station in Texas where they had been held for weeks.

Lawyers given access by a judge said the children were "severely neglected".

One of them told the BBC that children were "locked up in horrific cells where there's an open toilet in the middle of the room" where they ate and slept.

Many parents crossing the US border, most of them from Central America, were separated from their children in 2018.

Separately, border patrol in Texas reported the deaths of seven migrants

Trudeau during their June 20 meeting. Vice President Mike Pence also travelled to Miami to help send off the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort on a medical mission to South America to help with displaced Venezuelans.

“It is not a sign of uninterest,” said Abrams.

“The notion that there is at the highest levels of the Government a diminution of interest is just simply false.”

Without elaborating, Abrams said the number of countries which have announced their support for Guaidó will soon grow from the current 54 nations. (Excerpt

H

Anti-Government protests have been growing in recent weeks

onduran military Police opened fire on students protesting at a university in the capital, Tegucigalpa, injuring at least four people, officials say.

Hundreds of people, many wearing face masks, were demanding the resignation of President Juan Orlando Hernández amid

growing anti-Government protests.

The Government deployed the army and Military Police across the country last week after clashes left three dead.

The demonstrations were sparked by proposed health and education reforms.

The conservative President, who enjoys the

staunch support of the US Administration, is also accused of becoming increasingly authoritarian.

He changed the Constitution to stand for a second four-year term and was re-elected in 2017, in a vote heavily criticised by opponents and international observers.

Thousands of people have fled Honduras – as well as its neighbours El Salvador and Guatemala – to the US in recent years because of violence and economic instability.

Some 40 Military Police entered the campus of the National Autonomous University of Honduras after firing tear gas on protesters, who responded by throwing stones, AFP news agency reports. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

T&T Opposition Leader: 70% of Govt members refuse to declare assets

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rinidad Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar said over 70 per cent of the members of the Government has refused to declare their assets and liabilities as required by the Integrity Commission.

Speaking at the Monday Night Forum at Aranguez North Secondary School, Persad-Bissessar said they were given four years to provide this information, but still failed to do so.

She said 60 per cent of

MPs and 14 senators – 28 out of 39 members – failed to declare their assets.

She said this did not include the temporary senators. who refused to do so as well. (Trinidad Newsday)

Jamaica supports int'l maritime gender equality campaign

J

amaica has lent its support to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2019 campaign: “I Am On Board with Gender Equality”.

Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, made the commitment in his message marking International Day of the Seafarer, which is observed on June 25 each year.

According to Admiral Brady, Jamaica is committed to empowering women

in the maritime community through the endorsement of the various initiatives of the IMO that pertain to the upliftment of women in the industry.

“We actively support the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC) – the regional chapter of the IMO's women's movement – whose mandate is to increase the participation and contribution of women to the maritime industry and provide mentorship and other support to female seafarers,” he said.

“Our maritime industry boasts females in all spheres of maritime professions who have made sterling contributions to the development of our industry and continue to drive its success through their commitment, leadership and innovation,” the Director General added.

He pointed out that the maritime community includes not just a significant number of female seafarers, but also female cadets who are seafarers in training. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019

17

Around the World

West Bengal protests: Politicians NATO calls on hounded to return bribe money Russia to destroy new missile,

Residents have been raiding politician's homes asking for their bribe money back

P

eople in India's West Bengal state are up in arms against politicians for an unusual reason - they are demanding their representatives repay bribes.

The State's Chief

Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has told Ministers to return bribe money they were paid by citizens seeking access to Government schemes.

The home of a local leader of her party was "raided" by residents on Monday who

wanted their money back, police said.

Now similar incidents are being reported across the State.

"The money they have taken... they will have to return it to the victims. We will teach these leaders a lesson," a protester told the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).

Bribery is fairly common in Indian politics, but this scenario is unexpected, said BBC Bengali's Amitabha Bhattasali.

Reports of protests organised across the State are coming in every day, our correspondent added.

Banerjee, a hugely popular and fiery leader, first

came to power in 2011.

But there is some indication that her popularity has been waning in recent months, which correspondents say has left her rattled.

It could be that this latest statement is an attempt to regain some of the ground she lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded general election.

Her party won only 22 of West Bengal's 42 seats a big drop from the 32 she won in 2014 - in an election marred by violence which saw a number of political activists in the State killed.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Trump threatens “obliteration”, Iran calls White House “mentally retarded”

U

S President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to obliterate parts of Iran if it attacked “anything American,” in a new war of words with Iran which condemned the latest US sanctions on Tehran and called White House actions “mentally retarded.”

Trump on Monday signed an executive order imposing largely symbolic economic sanctions against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other se-

nior figures, with punitive measures against Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expected later this week.

Iran shot down a US drone last week and Trump said he had called off a retaliatory air strike with minutes to spare, saying too many people would have been killed.

In rhetoric similar to the kind of harsh words he used to aim at North Korea, Trump tweeted: “Any attack by Iran on anything

American will be met with great and overwhelming force. In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration.”

In a televised address on Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the new sanctions against Khamenei would have no practical impact because the top cleric had no assets abroad.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won two elections on promises to open Iran up to the world, said the White

Social Democratic Party, was held along with seven other people.

The Ministry said those arrested were loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a "terrorist" group in 2013.

Authorities said they had also identified and targeted 19 companies and "economic entities" run via "secret methods" by Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the "provocateur elements" loyal to it.

Elelaimy's party was one of the main protest groups in the 2011 uprising that led to the departure of longtime ruler

Hosni Mubarak, but it also opposed the Government of Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader who became the country's first freely elected President in 2012.

Morsi was toppled a year later in a military coup led by then army chief and current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and was promptly arrested.

Last week, he collapsed during a court appearance in the capital, Cairo, and shortly afterwards was pronounced dead.

Morsi's death prompted criticism of el-Sisi's Government, with human

flation decimated the value of the Zimbabwean dollar.

Earlier this year, to pave the way towards ending socalled "dollarisation", the country laid the foundations for a new Zimbabwean dollar by introducing an interim currency, the Real Time Gross Settlement dollar (RTGS) or "zollar".

But since its launch in February, the RTGS has struggled amid black market speculation that has

seen its value slide sharply against the US dollar.

"The British pound, United States dollar, South African rand, Botswana pula and any other foreign currency whatsoever shall no longer be legal tender alongside the Zimbabwe dollar in any transactions in Zimbabwe," read the decree.

Independent economist Victor Bhoroma said businesses with debts denomi-

House’s actions were “mentally retarded” - an insult that other Iranian officials have used in the past about Trump, but a departure from Rouhani’s own comparatively measured tone over the years.

“Tehran’s strategic patience does not mean we have fear,” said Rouhani, who with his cabinet runs Iran’s day-to-day affairs while Khamenei, in power since 1989, is the country’s ultimate authority. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Egypt arrests activists over alleged anti-Government plot

E

gyptian authorities have arrested at least eight people, including prominent activists who were part of the country's 2011 uprising, accusing them of a plot to bring down the Government.

The arrests drew condemnation by Amnesty International, which described Egypt as "an openair prison" where no opposition or independent reporting was allowed.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said Zyad Elelaimy, a former legislator and member of the secular Egyptian

Critics accuse Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's Government of a crackdown on dissent, which authorities deny [Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters]

rights groups accusing it of mistreating the former president and failing to provide adequate medical care or prisoner rights, charges the Egyptian authorities have denied. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Zimbabwe outlaws use of US dollar and other foreign currencies

I

n a bid to defend its fledgeling new currency against black market speculation, Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube on Monday outlawed the use of the United States dollar and a host of other foreign currencies in local transactions.

In 2009, Zimbabwe allowed the US dollar and other foreign currencies to be used as legal tender in the country after hyperin-

nated in foreign currencies could see the cost of servicing those obligations soar.

Bhoroma warned that this could trigger a spate of defaults and litigation against both businesses and the Government. He added that businesses are unlikely to use the official exchange rate to price their products, "which negatively impact supply as producers adopt a wait and see attitude". (Excerpt

from Al Jazeera)

warns of response

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the media during the NATO Foreign Minister's Meeting at the State Department in Washington, US, April 4, 2019

N

ATO urged Russia on Tuesday to destroy a new missile before an August deadline and save a treaty that keeps land-based nuclear warheads out of Europe or face a more determined alliance response in the region.

NATO Defense Ministers will discuss on Wednesday their next steps if Moscow keeps the missile system that the United States says would allow short-notice nuclear attacks on Europe and break the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

“We call on Russia to take the responsible path, but we have seen no indication that Russia intends to do so,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference. “We will need to respond,” Stoltenberg said.

The United States and its NATO allies want Russia to destroy its 9M729/SSC-8 nuclear-capable cruise mis-

sile system, which Moscow has so far refused to do.

It denies any violations of the INF treaty, accusing Washington of seeking an arms race.

Without a deal, the United States has said it will withdraw from the INF treaty on August 2, removing constraints on its own ability to develop nuclear-capable, medium-range missiles.

The INF treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ratified by the US Senate, eliminated the medium-range missile arsenals of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers and reduced their ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice.

The treaty bans landbased missiles with a range between 500 km and 5500km (300-3400 miles).

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Britain bans sales of tear gas to Hong Kong after violence at protests

B

ritain banned sales of crowd-control equipment such as tear gas to Hong Kong on Tuesday and called for an investigation after police clashed with demonstrators opposed to a bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial.

Millions of people have clogged the streets of the former British colony in recent weeks to rally against the bill, which would allow people to be extradited to the mainland to face trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.

Hong Kong police this month fired rubber bullets and tear gas at people taking part in the protests - the largest since crowds demonstrated against the bloody suppression of pro-democracy activists in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

“What happens in Hong

Kong is, I think for all of us, a litmus test of the direction of travel that China goes in,” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, one of the two contenders to be the next British Prime Minister, told Parliament.

Britain, he said, would issue no more export licenses for crowd-control equipment to Hong Kong until it was satisfied its concerns on human rights and fundamental freedoms had been thoroughly addressed.

Many in Hong Kong accuse China of extensive meddling, including obstruction of democratic reforms, interference with local elections and of being behind the disappearance of five Hong Kong-based booksellers, starting in 2015, who specialised in works critical of Chinese leaders.

Chinese censors have been working hard to erase or block news of the Hong Kong protests. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesday, JUNE 26, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Not everything will go according to plan, but as long as you are adaptable and roll with the punches, you will come out on top. A physical change will boost your confidence.

Bring your ideas out into TAURUS the open and promote what (April 20you want to happen. A lifeMay 20) style change will lead to a healthy and happy future.

Minimize stress and enjoy life.

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S WORD - ENTRIES

Take the initiative and make arrangements to socialize with friends.

Expressing your feelings will lead to a response that may not be expected, but will be valuable.

Whatever you do, give it your own unique touch.

Trust in your vision and insight, and show confidence when discussing your plans. A partnership needs a tune-up.

Look for alternative sources of information if you are confused. Ask questions and consider if someone is trying to mislead or take advantage of you. Put your energy into personal growth, not into pleasing others.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Preparation will help you fulfil the promises you have made. If you keep the momentum flowing, success will be yours. Your confident attitude will persuade others to pitch in and help.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t avoid the inevitable. The sooner you deal with problems or people who are causing you grief, the easier it will be to get on with your life.

SCORPIO

Do more research before you make a promise or commit to a project. Money can be made if everything has been set up correctly. Don’t leave anything to chance.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

You will leave an impression on someone. What you do or say will be honoured or scorned, depending on how accurate you are and how willing you are to stand behind your words.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Take care of personal matters and make overdue changes. Refuse to let your emotions sway your opinion or lead you in a direction that you know isn’t right for you.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Don’t let anything or anyone slow you down or stand in your way. You have remarkable ideas that, once implemented, will make your life better. Love is in the air.

Consider the way you would like to live and start making changes that will satisfy your needs. Someone you have helped in the past will return the favour.

wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019

19

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019…

Italy beat China to reach quarter-finals I taly head coach Milena Bertolini said her players are on a “mission” to help the country “discover and appreciate the women’s game” after they beat China to reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals.

The Italians are back on the biggest stage after a 20-year absence and victory over the Netherlands in the last eight on Saturday in Valenciennes will represent their best performance at international level.

“We really believe this side has allowed the women’s game to break new ground back home,” said Bertolini after the Italians scored a goal in each half to eliminate China, who had made the quarter-finals in three of the past five World Cups.

“We can see that from the viewing figures, what we see in the press and from the messages we receive from back home.

“Our game is different from the game we’re used to seeing [men’s football]. It’s full of values - sportsmanship and values you see in society day-in, day-out. I know cultural changes take a lot of time, but this team are able to break down some of those prejudices and they are enacting change and that’s their mission.”

Forward Valentina Giacinti gave Italy an early lead when she turned in a loose ball from close range after Peng Shimeng parried Elisa Bartoli’s effort.

China enjoyed a resurgence before the interval but Italy sealed victory through Aurora Galli after half-time.

Galli, who replaced Cristiana Girelli in the first half, found the bottom corner from outside the area.

Le Azzurre dominated the early exchanges and Giacinti had a ninth-minute strike ruled out for offside before giving her side a deserved lead with her fifth goal in her past eight internationals.

Italy could have doubled their lead after the half-hour mark when winger Valentina Bergamaschi was played in over the top, but her fierce effort across goal was well saved

by Shimeng.

That save from a keeper nicknamed the ‘Wall of China’ appeared to spark her side into life and they produced their first shot from inside the Italy area in the 41st minute and a further two before the break.

Liu Shanshan also fired in a volley from outside the area which was well saved by Laura Giuliani.

But Italy broke their resistance within five minutes of the restart as forward Galli picked up the ball the best part of 30 yards out and sent a right-footed shot past Shimeng and into the bottom corner.

Netherlands make final 8

Lieke Martens’ late penalty sent the Netherlands into the Women’s World Cup last eight at the expense of Japan, who missed several chances in a 2-1 loss.

Martens gave the Dutch the lead when her backheel from a corner went in via a small deflection off Yuika Sugasawa.

Just before half-time Japan equalised through Yui Hasegawa, who fired in after a brilliant team move.

Hasegawa, Hina Sugita and Yuka Momiki went close before Martens fired in the winner after Saki Kumagai had handled.

The Dutch will now play Italy in Valenciennes on Saturday.

Japan, whose squad featured 17 players at their first World Cup, dominated the final 20 minutes of the match and looked the more likely to win.

The effervescent Hasegawa missed the far post by inches, Sugita’s drive came off the underside of the bar and substitute Yuka Momiki, who was the catalyst for the late surge, forced a point-blank save from Dutch skipper Sari van Veenendaal.

But with minutes remaining of normal time came the bitter blow. Arsenal’s PFA Footballer of the Year Vivianne Miedema, who had a quiet game, smacked an effort goalwards which hit the arm of Kumagai.

Honduran referee Melissa Borjas pointed to the spot before Martens struck home her second and the Dutch winner. (BBC Sport)

The 2019 NBA Awards were a slam dunk

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s a lifelong hoops head, attending the NBA Awards is a bit of a surreal experience. I ran into Nick Anderson, and the 15-year-old Orlando Magic fan buried deep within me had to resist the urge to um … “talk to him” about missing those four free throws in the 1995 NBA Finals.

Speaking with NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas elicited a far more favorable reaction. We discussed the polarizing legacy of the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys era in comparison to the doom and gloom that recently befell the Golden State Warriors.

Each of these moments, and many others over the course of the night, are a direct reflection of the rapport that the NBA has cultivated with its fanbase. Major League Baseball doesn’t exactly endear itself to black audiences, and many of us haven’t watched an NFL game since Colin Kaepernick got Kaepernicked. But aside from its entertainment value, the NBA is more progressive than the other major professional sports leagues in America.

“I think the NBA has been very progressive,” Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall, the first black woman CEO of an NBA franchise, told The Root. “About pushing for people of color, about pushing for women. [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver has made tremendous strides.

We understand the business case for diversity. And it is not just about diversity, it’s about intentions. I feel so welcome. I feel like I belong. The NBA is the place to be.”

And the 2019 NBA Awards were the perfect way to commemorate the season that was.

After a brief cameo by Chris Tucker, host Shaquille O’Neal kicked off the show with a remixed rendition of Migos “Stir Fry” before segueing into his opening monologue. Blending the affability of Jimmy Kimmel with the malice of 50 Cent, NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, the four-time NBA champion ripped into foes like Washington poses in the press room with the Most Valuable Player Award at Wizards center Dwight Howard (“I call myself ‘the Man of the NBA Awards on Monday, June 24, 2019, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California (Invasion/AP)

Steel.’ He calls himself ‘The Man of Still Hurt.’”) and dismissed Drake as the Toronto Raptors mascot.

Presenters such as Issa Rae, Tiffany Haddish and This Is Us heartthrob Justin Hartley graced the stage over the course of the evening, accompanied by the next generation of future NBA superstars in players such as Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Trae Young and recent New York Knicks draftee RJ Barrett.

Other highlights of the night included Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley becoming the first player to ever win both TwymanStokes Teammate of the Year and the Sportsmanship Award; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal encouraging everyone to “please give back to the youth” after taking home the NBA Community Assist Award; and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts winning the Sager Strong Award— which honors the memory of legendary TNT reporter Craig Sager—for her tremendous strength and perseverance in prevailing against myelodysplastic syndrome.

“I am honored and I am grateful for this recognition,” Roberts said. “For everyone who has said a prayer for me, thank you, bless you, and right back at you.”

Another highlight came when comedian Jay Pharoah delivered a hilarious impersonation of Shaquille O’Neal, which surprised even me since I’ve been completely over Pharoah’s shtick for years.

But the highlight of the night came when NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo finally accomplished Kobe Bryant’s challenge and became the third-youngest player to be named Most Valuable Player in the last 40 years.

“Two years ago I had the goal in my head,” Antetokounmpo said through tears. “That I’m going to be the best player in the league and I’m going to do whatever it takes to help my team win. And I’m going to win everything.”

Achievement unlocked. (The Root)

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019

CWC 2019…

Pakistan face formidable New Zealand

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fter beating off-colour South Africa, Pakistan cricket team will fancy their chances against the unbeaten New Zealand cricket team, in Captain Kane Williamson their crucial ICC World Cup 2019 encounter at Edgbaston on Wednesday. Pakistan are placed on 7th spot on the ICC World Cup 2019 Points table.

Pakistan have played according to their ‘unpredictable team’ tag in the tournament so far. They have registered wins against tournament favourites England and South Africa.

However, they have also conceded comprehensive defeats against West Indies, Australia and India. Their game against Sri Lanka got washed out and now they have five points from six games. They need to win all their remaining three games and also hope that results of matches of other teams go in their favour so that they can make it to the last four stage.

Pakistan’s batters and bowlers have performed in bits and pieces in the World Cup so far. Their bowling has mostly relied on left-arm pacer Mohammed Amir while their batting revolves around the likes of Hasan Ali, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman. However, the main concern for Sarfaraz Ahmed should be their fielding.

The 1992 champions have dropped as many as 14 catches in the six games they have played so far and they need to come up

with a much improved performance if they want to beat the Kiwis which are one of the best fielding sides of the world.

On the other hand, New Zealand have been a team which has improved constantly with each passing game. Their batting is led by skipper Kane Williamson who Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been in tremendous form and has already scored two daddy hundreds.

Their bowling, too, looks in fine touch with Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner all chipping in with wickets at crucial junctures of the games. With 11 points from six games, the Black Caps are sitting pretty at the top of the table and the win against Pakistan will seal their semifinal spot.

(Business standard) Squads New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(C), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(WK), James Neesham, Colin De Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult.

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam Ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C and WK), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir (Business standard)

Chelsea given permission to hold talks with Derby Manager

Frank Lampard won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012

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Raptors President Ujiri confident team can sign Leonard

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oronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said Tuesday he has met with Kawhi Leonard, who is days away from becoming a free agent, and is confident the NBA champions can resign the superstar.

Speaking at a season-ending news conference, Ujiri said he had “very good meetings with him the last few days” but declined to elaborate.

Wherever Leonard, who turns 28 on Saturday, chooses to sign, the Raptors “will respect his decision,” Ujiri said.

Ujiri’s words came amid Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri answers questions during Media Day before the NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena

numerous reports that Leonard has scheduled a meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers for July 2. The Clippers long have been considered a front-runner to sign Leonard, a Southern California native.

One person staying put with the Raptors is Ujiri. Other teams expressed an interest in him — the Washington Wizards reportedly were set to make him a lucrative offer to run the team — but he said he is happy in Toronto.

“For me it’s always been about Toronto,” he said. “I love it here, my family loves it here, my wife loves it here.”

“For me the blessing is being wanted here and finding a place that makes you happy and finding challenges that really make you grow as a person. And this place has made me grow as a person and I identify with this place and I love it, so in my mind I’m here.” (Reuters)

helsea have been given permission to speak to Derby boss Frank Lampard about their vacant manager’s job.

Lampard, 41, spent 13 years as a Chelsea player and would replace Maurizio Sarri, who has joined Juventus after one season at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues would have to pay the Rams about £4m if they appoint Lampard.

“With pre-season fast approaching for both clubs it is hoped this will allow Chelsea to swiftly conclude their discussions,” a Derby statement read.

“The club will make no further comment until it is appropriate to do so.”

Lampard embarked on his first campaign as a manager last season, leading the Rams to the Championship play-off final where they lost to Aston Villa.

The former England midfielder made 648 Chelsea appearances, winning 11 major trophies.

If he does take over, he will inherit a transfer embargo after Chelsea were given a two-window transfer ban by world governing body Fifa - a decision the club are appealing against at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

(Reuters)

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Tickets now on sale for India tour of WI T

ickets for the India Tour of the West Indies 2019 – sponsored by MyTeam11 and co-powered by Skoda – went on sale to the public from midnight on Monday (East Caribbean Time), coinciding with 40 days to go until the start of the action between the two teams.

Fans can get their tickets to all eight matches for the Tour, including the two MyTeam11 Tests which jump start the two teams’ participation in the ICC World Test Championship and two MyTeam11 Twenty20 Internationals in the United States, via the “Buy Tickets” button on the West Indies website, www.windiescricket.com.

“West Indies fans across the region have a wonderful opportunity to come out and get behind this talented, exciting West Indies side.

The fans can really make the difference in creating the carnival atmosphere that the players love and which fans all over the world love watching on TV. We’re giving fans affordable tickets and promotional discounted ticket bundles. And with the start of the World Test Championship, there’s added competition in ev-

ery form of the game,” said CWI Commercial Director, Dominic Warne.

Local box office sales start approximately two

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fter two years of frustration, Elaine Thompson, the 2016 double Olympic champion, returned to the top of the world rankings this past weekend while winning the sprint double at Jamaica’s national championships in Kingston.

Last Friday night, June 20, the 26-year-old speeder clocked 10.73s to win a thrilling 100m final over MVP club mate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was credited with the same time, and Briana Williams, the fastest 17-year-old in the world, who set new U18 world’s best of 10.94s.

She cried as she spoke to reporters about the long journey back from the injury that still bothers her but which she has managed to overcome by learning to compete well in spite of it.

Her winning time surpassed the 10.75 established by

Klitschko rescued from burning boat by Spanish Coast Guard

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Wladimir Klitschko described on social media how he had to be rescued by the Majorca Coast Guard Service

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weeks in advance of each leg of the Tour.

“When you pitch everyone’s favourite team, the West Indies, against the world’s most supported team in India and the two most passionate sets of cricket fans, it’s going to be a wonderful MyTeam11 Series across all 3 formats of international cricket, in an action packed month of cricket. Our fans can become the extra man and give our promising teams that extra boost when they step on to the field,” said Warne.

Tickets for children aged 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult ticket for all matches. Senior citizens – aged 60-plus – on presentation of a form of national photo identification at local box offices are also eligible for free tickets while stocks last for all matches, except the two MyTeam11 Twenty20 Internationals in the United States.

To give fans extra encouragement to get behind the start of the West Indies World Test Championship journey, a special season ticket is available for either of the Test matches where the full 5 days of cricket have been discounted to the equivalent price of just three and a half days. (CWI)

Thompson fast again after putting Achilles ‘stress’ behind her

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he former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was rescued by the Spanish Coast Guard after the chartered boat he was on caught fire on Monday morning.

Klitschko, who ended his professional boxing career after losing against Anthony Joshua in April 2017 but has been rumoured to be considering a comeback, revealed the incident happened while travelling from Ibiza to Mallorca.

He wrote on Twitter: “Our boat-trip Sunday night ended up in our boat igniting and family & friends being evacuated by coast guard and fire rescue-team.”

Klitschko later expanded on Instagram: “If you are wondering what happened to my family & friends and me while being on a chartered boat from Ibiza to Mallorca early Monday morning, let me state: we are all fine!

“We were in rough water and suddenly recognized fire – about 7 sea-miles from the coastline.

“It took a while until the situation got under control, but we could count on helping hands from Majorcan coast guard and fire rescue. Thanks to all of them!

“All of you: Be careful what you wish for – as this time fate took my wish for ‘some adrenalin during the weekend’ a bit too literally.” (The Guardian)

Elaine Thompson (left) eases through the line during the 200m semis

Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA at the NCAA Division 1 Championships 10 days earlier and was the fastest time she ran since her 10.71 performance at the same venue in 2017.

She returned on Sunday night to blaze 22.00 seconds holding off Fraser-Pryce 22.22, claiming the top spot from the USA’s Anglerne Annelus 22.17 set on June 8 at the NCAA championships.

There were no tears this time as she spoke with Sportsmax.TV, just a greater sense of determination and belief.

“This year I told myself that I am not going to stress out over this Achilles (injury),” she said.

“Last year I was super stressed, so this year I have told myself, wherever it takes me I am just going to follow. It is a part of the sport. I just have to be more careful, get more treatment and strength work and just do what I have to do.”

She revealed that she is at her wits end when it comes to finding a permanent solution to the discomfort caused by the injury so she has decided to push through the pain and that seems to be paying dividends.

“I don’t know what to do with this Achilles injury,” she lamented, “because everybody I go to they don’t know what to do, what’s the solution; but I found myself getting back into shape back to how I was.”

Now that the victories have put her back at the top of the pile Thompson said she intends to work even harder as she prepares for another gold medal campaign in Doha this September.

Winning the double, she said, “puts me in a position to see where I am at. I don’t want to get too comfortable because other people are out there competing,” she said.

“It helps me trust myself, trust in the coach and just confidently move towards the world championships.” (Sportsmax)

Everton sign Portugal midfielder from Barcelona for £22M

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Andre Gomes made 27 Premier League appearances for Everton last season, scoring one goal

verton have signed Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes from Barcelona in a £22m deal, after he had a successful loan spell at Goodison Park last season.

The 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract.

Gomes played 29 times in all competitions while on loan with the Toffees last season, scoring one goal.

“I’m really happy to sign the contract

with Everton. It wasn’t hard to decide, it was an easy decision and I’m very happy to have made it,” said Gomes.

“Last year was a really good experience for me. I just wanted to feel part of something special and I found it here.”

It is the club’s second signing of the summer after securing Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl on a free transfer. (BBC Sport)

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wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Can the Jags end the Soca Warriors’ party?

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hirty to three, that is the ratio of out a lot of the silly mistakes then I believe matches that the Trinidad and that we can get good results,” Johnson statTobago national football team have ed.

Getting some much-needed rest played in the Confederation of North, after travelling to Kansas, the Central American and Caribbean Jaguars were said to have two pracAssociation Football (CONCACAF) tice sessions before tonight’s Gold Cup as compared to Guyana. game. Johnson disclosed With more than a decade of expethat the final session rience at this competition, Trinidad would be and Tobago may appear to be omused to iron inous opponents, but according to out some of the Golden Jaguars Coach Michael past mistakes and Johnson, the Jags are ready to simplify their game so that roar. they are ready for Trinidad and This may all be well and true, Tobago. after all, the Golden Jaguars were The Golden Jaguars and the not even expected to get this far.

Soca Warriors are indeed no Being one of two Gold Cup 2019 strangers to each other, debutants, no one expected Part of the action in Guyana’s second CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama having met on countless much of the team hailing from occasions, given the close South America, but thus far, their final Gold Cup 2019 game, they can proximity and long-standing relationship they have been able to hold down an explo- come out victorious. between the two Caricom nations. sive USA squad in the first half of their en“Not only that, we have to be able to stop However, despite one too many losses counter and had it not been for some simple the silly mundane mistakes we keep makat the hands of Trinidad and Tobago, the errors on the part of the Guyanese players, ing. When you look at the last game and the Jaguars pulled off one of their most memothe match against Panama would have had second goal, you look at the penalty whethrable wins at the Guyana National Stadium a different winner. er it was a penalty or not, the two goals in 2014.

To this end, the Golden Jags Coach is al- that could have been stamped out and then With the backing of a boisterous stamost certain that if the team somehow cor- you’ve got a result, and then you take that dium filled to capacity with home fans, rect those errors and run a tight ship in result into your final game. So if we can cut the Jags managed to pull off a 2-1 victory

over Trinidad in the penultimate round of CONCACAF’s World Cup qualifiers 2014, owing to the brilliance of then national players Ricky Shakes (11) and Leon Cort (81).

The bottom line is, if the current Golden Jaguars outfit can get into the mind-set that the team held in 2014, there is no doubt that Guyana can witness their first-ever Gold Cup victory in Kansas City, Kansas tonight.

This mind-set seems to be making its way around the Guyanese camp as Coach Johnson explained that the boys were in high spirits.

“They’re in a buoyant mood and we are looking to do well in our final game,” he said.

Further, Johnson, a former Jamaican national player, hinted at the inclusion of some new faces as the Jaguars head into their final hurrah.

“Definitely, one and two faces will now come in and try get us that victory against Trinidad … and I have got full belief in all 23 players as I have said before. I want to give a chance to those who didn’t feature to now come out there and prove me wrong that they should have played in the first two,” the Head Coach stated.

Kick-off for the Guyana v Trinidad and Tobago Gold Cup 2019 encounter is fixed at 18:30h.

National athletes Rishi Persaud named Cricketer to be honoured at of the Year at UCCA Awards AP Invitational

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his year’s edition of the Aliann Pompey Invitational will feature a new item on the day’s programme, and it is expected to give much-needed recognition to those who are deserving of it.

The Aliann Pompey Invitational will be partnering with the World Olympians Association (WOA), the Guyana Olympic Association and the National Sport Commission to honour past and present Guyanese Olympians at the Invitational on July 6 during a special ceremony.

A number of Guyana’s greats will start to arrive on July 4 for the special award ceremony that will allow all those who represented Guyana to use the ‘OLY’ title as part of their names.

At a later date, a schedule of activities relating to the Olympians will also be provided.

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones also spoke on the occasion, “We are honoured to give recognition to our past Olympians, especially to those that might not have gotten the recognition that they so rightfully deserve especially to the likes of James Wren-Gilkes that we all would agree would have medalled at the 1976 Olympics had it not been for Guyana’s stance at the time.

“But we count it a privilege and honour to give recognition to our athletes that started the process of putting Guyana on the map globally.”

Further, host of the meet, Aliann Pompey shared that something of this nature was important to cultivating a rich sporting culture in Guyana.

Olympians scheduled to attend so far are: Present: 1. Jeremy Bascom 2. Winston George 3. Troy Doris (To be confirmed) 4. Brenessa Thompson 5. Aliyah Abrams Others: 1. Geoffrey Sankies

2. Aliann Pompey 3. Richard Jones 4. Adam Harris 5. Niall Roberts 6. Andrew Harry 7. James Wren-Gilkes 8. June Griffith 9. Jennifer Innis 10. Michael Parris

Awardees of the UCCA pose with officials of BCB, UCCA and the Region Six Chairman

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pening batsman Rishi Persaud, who had a very prolific 2018 cricket season in the Upper Corentyne area, was named Cricketer of the Year when the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) hosted its second Annual Awards Ceremony at the Port Mourant Ground.

The Awards Ceremony for the second successive year was totally sponsored by the 10 cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS. Persaud also carried home the Upper Corentyne Second Division and First Division Player-of-theYear Awards. He carried home trophies, medals and a bicycle.

Sponsors Ramesh Sunich, Devendra Ramgoolan and Dennis D’Andrade were also specially honoured along with No 72 Cut and Load Club for their cooperation during the year.

UCCA Vice President Sydney Jackman provided a comprehensive report for 2018 to the capacity audience that included Regional Chairman David Armogan, Vice Chairman Dennis Deroop, former BCB President Malcolm Peters and the Mayors of Rose Hall Town and New Amsterdam.

Jackman, a former Guyana Wicketkeeperbatsman stated that players in the Sub-Association benefited from cricket organised by the UCCA at the Under-19, Inter Primary School, Inter Secondary School, and Second Division levels while its parent body, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) organised numerous tournaments at different levels.

He described BCB President Hilbert Foster as a passionate leader, who has worked beyond the call of duty to change the fortunes of Upper Corentyne cricket.

Foster, who has visited the Upper Corentyne area 42 times since his elections 17 months ago, praised the UCCA as a pro-active body.

Cricket in the Upper Corentyne area is now on the move with the BCB organising tournaments like the Ramnaresh Sarwan 40-Overs, RHTY&SC/GNNL 20/20, and the Magic Moments 20/20 primarily for clubs in the area.

On Saturday last, the Board hosted a Coaching Clinic for 36 youths at the Scottsburg Ground while clubs continue to benefit from donations from the Board and RHTY&SC. The dynamic President urged the awardees and the UCCA to uphold their high standards while striving for excellence.

Other awardees are:

Under-15 Player of the Year – Tomesh Hemraj Under-17 Player of the Year – Aktar Nahar Under-19 Player of the Year – Stephan Norah Secondary School of the Year – Skeldon Line Path Primary School of the Year – Massiah Primary Most Improved Club – No 72 Cut and Load Junior Team of the Year – No 73 Young Warriors Club of the Year – No 72 All Stars

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019

CWC 2019…

Behrendorff, Starc, Finch bully England as Australia seal semi-final berth

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ason Behrendorff and Mitchell Starc collaborated to compliment a superb ton from Aaron Finch as Australia became the first side to qualify for the ICC World Cup 2019 semifinals with a 64-run win over England at Lord’s on Tuesday (June 25). Set 286 on a slightly challenging track, England were able to manage just 221 and botched their third chase in the tournament. Starc and Behrendorff shared nine wickets between them as England’s chase got over in 44.4 overs.

3

SCOREBOARD

Australia Innings (50 overs maximum) AJ Finch (c) c Woakes b Archer 100 DA Warner c Root b Ali 53 UT Khawaja b Stokes 23 SPD Smith c Archer b Woakes 38 GJ Maxwell c †Buttler b Wood 12 MP Stoinis run out (Bairstow/Rashid/†Buttler) 8 AT Carey † not out 38 PJ Cummins c †Buttler b Woakes 1 MA Starc not out 4 Extras (lb 4, w 4) 8 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 5.7) 285-7 Did not bat: NM Lyon, JP Behrendorff Fall of wickets: 1-123 (David Warner, 22.4 ov), 2-173 (Usman Khawaja, 32.2 ov), 3-185 (Aaron Finch, 35.3 ov), 4-213 (Glenn Maxwell, 38.2 ov), 5-228 (Marcus Stoinis, 41.5 ov), 6-250 (Steven Smith, 45.4 ov), 7-259 (Pat Cummins, 47.1 ov) BOWLING CR Woakes (10-0-46-2) JC Archer (9-0-56-1) MA Wood (9-0-59-1) BA Stokes (6-0-29-1) MM Ali (6-0-42-1) AU Rashid (10-0-49-0)

England Innings (target: 286 runs from 50 overs) JM Vince b Behrendorff 0 JM Bairstow c Cummins b Behrendorff 27 JE Root lbw b Starc 8 EJG Morgan (c) c Cummins b Starc 4 BA Stokes b Starc 89 JC Buttler † c Khawaja b Stoinis 25 CR Woakes c Finch b Behrendorff 26 MM Ali c †Carey b Behrendorff 6 AU Rashid c Stoinis b Starc 25 JC Archer c Warner b Behrendorff 1 MA Wood not out 1 Extras (b 1, lb 5, w 3) 9 TOTAL (44.4 Overs, RR: 4.94) 221 all out Fall of wickets: 1-0 (James Vince, 0.2 ov), 2-15 (Joe Root, 3.3 ov), 3-26 (Eoin Morgan, 5.5 ov), 4-53 (Jonny Bairstow, 13.5 ov), 5-124 (Jos Buttler, 27.2 ov), 6-177 (Ben Stokes, 36.6 ov), 7-189 (Moeen Ali, 39.3 ov), 8-202 (Chris Woakes, 41.3 ov), 9-211 (Jofra Archer, 43.3 ov), 10-221 (Adil Rashid, 44.4 ov) BOWLING JP Behrendorff (10-0-44-5) MA Starc (8.4-1-43-4) PJ Cummins (8-1-41-0) NM Lyon (9-0-43-0) MP Stoinis (7-0-29-1) GJ Maxwell (2-0-15-0)

England’s Captain Eoin Morgan was dismissed by Mitchell Starc for four at Lord’s on the way to a 64-run defeat (The Guardian)

It all went wrong for England pretty early in the chase. The hosts, clearly feeling the absence of Jason Roy, got another poor start as James was ‘Vinced’ even before he was able to open his account. Even with the hype around Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, all exceptional no doubt, it was the use of the track by the visiting pacers that created the buzz on the afternoon.

Australia’s opening quicks - Behrendorff and Starc - bowled a lot fuller than the England pacers and reaped rich returns. Vince was bowled on the second ball of the chase when he was late on a full inswinging delivery from Behrendorff. Joe Root kept chasing the wide ones and was set up by Starc as he was pinged by a full delivery coming in. Starc, however, then left another body blow as he had Eoin Morgan hooking and had the England captain caught at a very fine fine-leg.

From 26 for 3, Jonny Bairstow collaborated with Ben Stokes and took the team past 50. Bairstow then pulled Behrendorff to deep midwicket to leave the side wobbling. Jos Buttler picked an absolutely ordinary delivery to get out as he pulled a back of length ball, bowled at 126 kph, from Marcus Stoinis to square leg. At 124 for 5, things looked bleak for England. Woakes joined Stokes to keep the side afloat - as the duo scored 53 for the sixth wicket - before a peach nipped out the latter.

Starc fired a yorker to beat Stokes for pace as the batsman lost his bat after jamming it on the ground after the ball had passed.

Moeen Ali struck a boundary and then edged the next one the ‘keeper to give Behrendorff his third in the game. From 189 for 7, with three left for Starc in the last powerplay, England had no chance. Behrendorff completed his maiden five-fer with the wicket of Archer in the 44th over while Starc ended with four as Australia wrapped up their sixth win in seven games.

Aaron Finch celebrates his century (The Guardian)

Australia, though, owe their win to their captain. Finch’s 116-ball 100 laid the foundation for the challenging score. Both openers were lucky with England quicks constantly banging in length deliveries to create trouble. Finch survived an lbw review while Warner poked, nudged, drove and constantly missed. Despite that, Australia cantered to 42 for no loss at the end of the first powerplay.

The key for Australia was the length England bowled. On a track where they should have been fuller, they let the side down by sticking to length deliveries. Warner scored a half-century and also went past 500 runs in the tournament before falling for 53. Usman Khawaja’s wild swipe didn’t help as he lost his poles to Stokes. Finch got to his ton in the 36th over but was out pulling Archer on the very next delivery.

From there on, Australia just failed to find the next gear and kick on to go past 300. In the first 22 overs, Australia didn’t lose a wicket. In the next 25, they lost seven to help England make a comeback in the game. Glenn Maxwell’s assault didn’t last long while Steve Smith, Stoinis, Pat Cummins and Starc failed to use the platform. Alex Cary got a few hits in - ending unbeaten on 38 off 27 - to give the bowlers the much-needed additional cushion. (cricbuzz)

2019 Indoor Hockey Championships...

“Goals Galore” on Noble House opening night S

everal clubs had the opportunity to sip victory on the opening night of the 2019 Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey Championships, which saw mixed results in the men’s and women’s divisions.

The big winners of the night, however, were the GBTI GCC Spice, who started on zero and rained in 16 unanswered goals to dominate their opponents YMCA OFHC Bellatrix.

The Bingo Spartans were the other female team to secure a win while GCC Vintage, SHC Splinters and YMCA OFHC Pacesetters were all victorious in the men’s division.

In the opening match of the evening, the Bingo Spartans, beginning with a five-goal handicap to the GBTI GCC Tigers 3, needed to defend toughly as their name suggested and work the clock to hold off their senior opponents. It took the Tigers 13 minutes to finally break the Spartans defence through a penalty stroke converted by national midfielder and former sportswoman of the year Marzana Fiedtkou. After a halftime which saw the scores at 5-4 for the Spartans, striker Sandy Roopnarine capitalised on a first-minute defence error by the Spartans to squeeze in a second goal for the Tigers. With scores even at 5-5, young Spartans striker Abosaide Cadogan would become the hero of her team as she sent a penalty corner flick high into the roof of the Tigers net in the 27th minute.

Cadogan would use her speed to outpace the Tigers defence and finish her second just two minutes later.

With the Tigers down two, the pressure was set once again on the shoulders of the Spartans and Captain Makeda Harding who had been solid in defence. Fiedtkou pulled her team within one through a penalty corner late in the second half, but the Tigers would run out of time and conceded the 7-6 victory to the Spartans.

With the relatively new YMCA OFHC Bellatrix enjoying

Bushani Kaladeen of Bellatrix races against Vanessa Pires of Spice

a nine-goal handicap, the GBTI GCC Spice launched a full attack from the opening whistle. In the end, the 16 unanswered goals scored by Spice signalled that they would be the team to beat in the female division. Ashley DeGroot led the scorer’s table with five goals while Macaela Harding scored four, Gabriella Xavier finished with three and the Woodroffe sisters, Trisha and Dacia added two more each.

In the men’s division, defending champions GCC Vintage cruised to a comfortable 15-13 win over youthful YMCA OFHC Champs. With the Champs starting the match with 12 goals to the Vintage’s 5, Vintage striker Dwayne Scott took on the challenge and secured a hat-trick in the opening 10 minutes.

Patrick Edghill would add a fourth Vintage goal just before the half to leave the scores at 12-9 to YMCA. In the second half, it was more Vintage as Scott would equal his first-half tally with

three more goals in the second half while John Phang, Alan Fernandes and Jason Gomes each added singles.

The goal that brought the most noise from the crowd, however, was the final of the match and first for the YMCA, when Daniel Woolford finished off a counterattack to score two minutes from full time. This goal would not be enough as GCC Vintage carted off the victory.

The SHC Splinters held off an onslaught by Bounty GCC who almost made up the six-goal handicap deficit. With GCC beginning with three goals to the Splinters’ nine, they would score four by halftime through brothers Mark and Meshach Sargeant and a double from Kevin Spencer. Kwesi Lewis of the Splinters, however, scored a vital goal just before the half that would become the goal to separate the scores in the end. The Bounty boys mustered a pair of Kareem McKenzie goals in the second half after twice hitting the uprights, but fell short by one, giving the SHC Splinters a 10-9 victory.

The final match of the night saw the YMCA Old Fort Pacesetters hold off a strong challenge from the SHC Slick Sticks by 12- 11. After beginning the match with a three-goal handicap deficit, the Slick Sticks pulled themselves within one goal of drawing even with 10 minutes remaining. It was not until the penultimate minute, however, that the Pacesetters scored their lone goal of the evening through Steffon Simmons to go back up by two. Shakeem Fausette would score in the final minute for the Slick Sticks and give their supporters some hope, but the final buzzer would go off too soon leaving the Pacesetters to celebrate the 12-11 victory.

Games in the Noble House indoor tournament will continue on weekdays from 17:00h (5pm) and will conclude this weekend, with action starting from 14:00h (2pm).

wednesday, JUNE 26, 2019

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CWC 2019…

Page 23

Behrendorff, Starc, Finch bully England as Australia seal semi-final berth Can the Jags end the “Goals Galore” on Noble Soca Warriors’ party?

2019 Indoor Hockey Championships...

House opening night

Page 22 Page 23 Spartans Captain Makeda Harding evades GBTI GCC Tigers’ Marzana Fiedtkou

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