Guyana Times August 5, 2017

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Issue No. 3292

PRICE

Govt uses parliamentary majority to pass Broadcast Bill

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Assassination claim

No malice against Top Cop, Crime P13 Chief – Ramnarine

Page 3

…“we are traversing a road that is full of a whole host of dangers” – Rohee

Miner killed by fallen tree

P9

No ban on cigarette vending in public – Health Minister P5

2017 mid-year report

Guyana sees marginal GDP growth P12

Govt in the dark over spate of P9 power outages

CPL opens with Caribbean flair $500,000 rent package

Speaker blocks questions on house rentals for Ministers Page 12

Prisoner killed during escape attempt Page 9

Pensioner robbed 10 times in 2 years

P7

Teen dies P11 after giving birth at GPHC … Ministry launches probe

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saturDAY, august 5, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, August 5 – a night time retraction of 03:30h and a daytime retraction of 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, August 6 – a night time retraction of 04:00h and a daytime retraction of 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, August 5 – 15:10h-16:40h and Sunday, August 6 – 15:45h-17:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while clear to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly and South Southeasterly and East North-easterly between 1.34 metre to 2.68 metres.

High Tide: 02:44h and 15:14h reaching maximum heights of 2.37 metres and 2.35 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:46h and 21:02h reaching minimum heights of 0.81 metre and 0.86 metre respectively.

wednesDAY, August 2, 2017

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 01 04 05 19 21 LUCKY 3 7 4 7 Afternoon Draw

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Govt uses parliamentary majority to pass Broadcast Bill …“we are traversing a road that is full of a whole host of dangers” – Rohee

BY JARRYL BRYAN

A

fiery exchange on Friday in the National Assembly heralded the debate on the Broadcast (Amendment) Bill, but when the smoke cleared the Government side nevertheless pushed through the controversial piece of legislation.

The parliamentary Opposition asserted throughout the debate that the Bill was little more than a thinly veiled attempt to divest broadcasters who received their licenses in 2011 from the previous Administration, of their proprietary rights.

But in her presentation, Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes maintained that the reasoning for the Bill was because “there is insufficient Public Service Announcements (PSA) in Guyana.”

She posited that this was an opportunity for private broadcasters and should not be seen as a burden. Hughes stressed that the legislation only seeks to further define the powers and functions of the existing Broadcasting Bill, in addition to providing protection from inciting racism and airing hateful programmes.

Addressing the concerns raised with regards to the Amendment Bill requiring every broadcaster air one hour of Government oriented programmes daily, the Minister posited that “nearly all countries provide (these) requirements for public service broadcasting.”

Hughes referred to several incidents in the past that form her observations –including drowning situations – where citizens were unable to save their fellow humans due to them being uneducated with regards to performing CPR. Referencing Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo's claims that the Bill would infringe upon freedom of press, Hughes also lambasted the former President.

Hughes' accusations that Jagdeo, who was absent from the House, stepped on freedom of the press while in office, were hotly contested by the Opposition, forcing her at one point to withdraw certain statements until she had evidence.

In making his presentation in the debates, Opposition parliamentarian Clement Rohee asserted that “this Bill has strategic

Responding to Minister Hughes' claims of Jagdeo handing out broadcasting licences to his “friends and family”, Rohee said that the Government was just “cherry-picking a few from a specific ethnicity just to make a political point.”

objectives.” He lambasted the Prime Minister for saying that the Bill would be revolutionary and progressive since according to him, “the Bill is counter revolutionary and anti-progressive.”

He maintained that this Broadcasting Amendment Bill was nothing but a campaign promise that Government had made, recalling mentions at the time that those who were offered licences “illegally” by Jagdeo, would have it revoked.

Rohee warned that should the Amendment Bill be passed, “we are traversing a road that is full of a whole host of dangers.” He urged that the Constitution be followed and that Government hold consultations with the private broadcasters that would be affected by the clauses within the amendment.

“There has been a loud outcry by the stakeholders for consultations… I refer to the Constitution which imposes on the Government to include and consult others who are of the view that their economic wellbeing is going to be affected.”

General Basil Williams refuted claims that licensees are guaranteed proprietary rights under Article 142 of the Constitution of Guyana.

He stated that licensees granted a temporary license are not the outright owners of their frequencies.

In his rebuttal, Nandlall read excerpts from a presentation made by current Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan when he was then the Leader of the Alliance For Change. In addition, Nandlall stressed that broadcasters who were granted licences by former President Bharrat Jagdeo have paid over $100 million from when they were granted licences in 2011.

The former Attorney General also read a statement from the Guyana Press Association (GPA), in which reservations were expressed about the content of the amendments. During

Agricola fire leaves 9 homeless F

ire “bruk out just suh” in a two-storey wooden and concrete house at Lot 108 Caesar Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown on Friday evening while eight members of a nine-member family were asleep; and while thankful that nobody had perished when their rented dwelling went up in flames, they are now counting their losses and pondering their next move.

Guyana Times arrived on the scene last night to find fire fighters working valiantly to contain the blaze, even as the upper flat of the building was evidently sacked.

David Webb, the ninth relative, told this publication he was some distance away from

The Agricola home which was mysteriously set alight on Friday evening

home when, at about 20:55hrs, he was informed that smoke was emanating from the back of the building in the yard.

Hurrying home, he realised that the building was on fire, so he shouted to awake his family members, who were all

asleep therein.

“Everybody deh sleeping!

The fire bruk out just suh!” the young man said.

While no one was seriously injured, Webb’s 52-year-old uncle reportedly suffered minor injuries to his hands in an attempt to save the youngest members of the family, aged seven and five. Webb indicated that the other persons in the home were aged 44, 46, 19, 26, and 16.

The owner of the rented home, identified as Valerie James, appeared to be too distressed to speak, as she gazed intently at her major source of income going up in smoke.

Investigations are ongoing.

(Ramona Luthi)

Proprietary rights

In his contribution to the debate, Attorney

his presentation, however, he was greeted by heckles from the Government side that the Association had an axe to grind.

Nandlall also debunked Williams' assertion that outright ownership of a property was determined by holding an actual title. He reiterated that due process for dealing with the property of citizens acquired by the State was adequate compensation.

“Any person vaguely familiar with the law knows that anything that has value fits the description of property,” Nandlall stated.

“Anything that has economical value is property. The Constitution says that if you take away that property, in this case the licence, under a law then that law must provide prompt and adequate compensation.”

In his closing presentation on the Bill, Nagamootoo asserted that the only consultations that are mandated are the consultations the Government had with the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU).

However, he nevertheless asserted that the GNBA indeed had consultations with broadcasters in 2016. The Prime Minister declined to directly contest the arguments made

by Nandlall, save to reiterate that Government is not empowered by the Act to infringe on the rights of broadcasters.

As the matter was put to vote, opposition from the People’s Progressive Party resulted in a division being called. The Government side, already with a one seat majority, won the roll call vote.

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The cost of being inactive, silent

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he shocking details emerging from the recent brutal murder of Berbice teen; Parbattie Lakhpal, a few days ago by her abusive partner, have once again served as a reminder of the many dangers our women folk, particularly younger girls, face on a daily basis. More importantly, Lakhpal’s murder, which is just one of many in recent years, reinforces what many have been saying all along, that is; there is urgent need for all stakeholders – police, judiciary, community groups and religious bodies etc. to adopt a more proactive approach in dealing with reports of domestic or gender-based violence.

Based on information coming to the fore, it would be fair to say that 17-year-old Lakhpal’s death could have been prevented had the authorities taken the kind of action that was required in the first place. It was revealed that the suspect, who is still on the run, was involved in a similar incident about previously, where he had allegedly stabbed his then girlfriend; Aszeema Ali multiple times.

According to media reports, about two years ago, the suspect had allegedly lured Ali into his room, and attempted to force himself on her, but she had reportedly told him that the relationship was over. This had angered the suspect, and he had reportedly pulled out a knife and started to stab the victim about the body. The Valentine’s Day stabbing has left Ali with several scars and limited mobility in one of her hands.

What is even more shocking is that after she was discharged from hospital, Ali said she visited the Police on several occasions with the hope that she would receive news of the suspect’s apprehension, but each time the Police told her they were still trying to locate him. She indicated that she was firmly convinced that, had the lawmen employed more robust effort to arrest the suspect, he would not have been involved in another relationship, which ultimately has led to him committing murder.

To begin with, it is still unclear as to how the suspect managed to elude police for such a long time after being accused of committing such a serious crime. So far the police have not provided any further details on the matter; for example as to why the accused was allowed to carry on living as per normal when he should have been facing justice. It was clear, at least on the victim’s (Ali) part, that she was ready to do what was necessary to see him face charges.

The authorities should explain the reason/s for the matter being treated in such a cavalier manner since it was clear that the matter was allowed to go off the police radar after they were not able to locate him when the incident first occurred. This most recent case justifies what we had said before - one of the greatest challenges Guyana faced in countering domestic violence, was in changing the attitudes of service providers – such as Police, Magistrates, social workers, and healthcare providers.

Also, in both cases, the victims were very young and needed much guidance and support, especially from the levels of the family and community. One of victims was only 14 at the time she got involved in a relationship with the suspect. In such a case the community, especially the religious organiations should have been more vigilant and make the necessary interventions.

Lakhpal’s death, along with many others before her, has shown what could be the result of being silent or inactive.

Someone being in an abusive live-in relationship at such a young age should not go unnoticed by neihgbours or religious leaders in the community. The signs must have been there. The lackadaisical attitude of neighbours, relatives and others who are, in most cases, aware of domestic abuse cases, but yet chose to remain silent, needs to change.

Again we press the need for more stringent measures to be taken to help save women’s lives; since many of them continue to suffer and even die at the hands of their spouse, or other persons close to them. The solutions are well known and have been fully ventilated in the media before; hence there is no need to rehash them here; suffice to say that while government must take the lead in helping to bring about change, everyone – civil society, faith-based organisations, police, judiciary etc. must do what is required of them. Everyone needs to be more proactive in their response to the scourge.

With flair, glamour and Caribbean spirit, the Biggest Party in Sport – the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) got underway in St Lucia on Friday, with an exciting tournament opener. The St Lucia Stars took on the Trinbago Knight Riders at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia

Bringing back functionality to Maha Sabha

Dear Editor, Over the past weeks, I have read several letters published in the press, highlighting the situation at the Maha Sabha. Many of these letters called for the Government to investigate the state of affairs at the said organisation with the hope of bringing the organisation back to its functionality.

Editor, I support these calls, since, at the moment, few organisations exist within Guyana that can adequately represent the Hindus, and hence with the Government taking control of this public organisation, Hindus like myself can rest

assured that they will be represented.

Many might argue that there are other Hindu religious and cultural organisations that can fill this role. However, the Maha Sabha, being the first and oldest Hindu organisation in Guyana, should take up this role.

Should this organisation come under the umbrella of the Government, the problems facing the organization -- such as the lack of an intellectually strong and charismatic priest; corruption; and many other issues, as highlighted in the press lately, would all be a thing of the past.

Editor, an organisation like the Maha Sabha should be one that stands out, and should lead the Hindus of the country, instead of the cabal that has been placed in charge of its affairs, which seem to have lost their way and their major blunder seems to be the hiring of an ill-prepared priest.

Editor, the priest of any religious institution, be it Christian, Hindu or Muslim, is the very breath of that organisation. It is the priest that embodies the temple, mosque or church; and from my point of view, I think the Maha Sabha is lacking tremendously here.

Finally, Editor, I would like to join with my fellow Hindus, those who actually care for the future of Hinduism in Guyana, to appeal to the current administration to take over the reins of the Maha Sabha, and thus save one of Guyana’s most senior religious organisations.

It would be very unbecoming of the Government of the day to allow these calls to fall on deaf ears, and allow the Hindus of this country to sail like Jack Sparrow at high sea.

Yours respectfully, Veena Devi Mukhram, LLB

Work in sugar industry is not glamorous Dear Editor, Mr Sahadeo Bates’s letter, titled “Jagdeo was wrongly advised on the construction of Skeldon factory”, which appeared in the media on July 24, 2017, stirred my interest as I read it.

Mr Bates, in his letter, advised that there were more suitable contractors to build the new Skeldon factory. It seems that the author has asymmetric information on this matter. From what is known, two (2) contractors submitted proposals to undertake the construction of Skeldon. The two (2) bids were evaluated by the project’s supervising firm, then UK-based Booker Tate Limited (BTL), and it was they who recommended the contractor to the GuySuCo and the Government. Undoubtedly, capacity, capability, experience, among the other factors, would have been taken into consideration.

Moreover, BTL was on the project site during the construction of the factory, and overlooked every facet of the project. The company even went as far as having its personnel inspect equipment destined for Skeldon prior to its shipment from the several reputable sugar equipment manufacturers in Europe, Africa and Asia, among the other places.

Ultimately, it is BTL which is wholly and solely answerable for the shortcomings of Skeldon. Maybe its local henchman may be able to shed some light on what really transpired.

Mr Bates goes on speaking about the situation with respect to the Wales workers, and decries the benefits the workers obtain. The author is maybe a stranger to the truth. Those benefits he listed in a disparaging manner were obtained after our fore-parents waged dogged struggles, and they were not given willingly and free-

ly by the then owner class.

Furthermore, does Mr Bates realistically expect workers to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and walk or ride to work several miles into the cultivation? Massa days have long left our shores, but it seems like Mr Bates is joining the small cabal who wish to bring those terrible times back.

The point about persons in the US travelling many miles to work cannot compare with the situation at Wales; the comparison is like chalk to cheese. Unlike in the US, the sugar workers do not travel to work in air conditioned cars, buses or trains; but in lorries, exposed to the elements; and through dams, often muddy, to reach to work. At times the situation does not even allow lorries to reach the worksite, and workers either are ferried by punts, or, in some instances, walk distances to the worksite. A worker, after going through

that harassment, is exhausted and tired by the time he reaches to work; and then he is expected to cut several tonnes of cane, loading it by fetching it on his head. And after all of that, he faces a similar journey back home, when he must confront the excruciating traffic.

Mr Bates, if the shoe were on the other foot, maybe your tune would be changed. I wonder if Mr Bates would want to join a cane-cutting gang?

Mr Bates, from my knowledge, work in the sugar industry is not glamorous, as the picture you seem to paint; but it’s hard, difficult, and challenging being exposed to the scorching sun or the drenching rain.

Those difficulties have become even graver as workers now-a-days face an uncaring management and Government.

Yours sincerely, Patricia Persaud

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No ban on cigarette vending in public – Health Minister

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iven the number of uncertainties surrounding the recently passed Tobacco Control Bill, Health Minister Volda Lawrence has given her assurance that there will not be a ban on public vending of cigarettes, but rather people selling loose cigarettes will not be allowed to continue plying their trade.

The Minister told media operatives on Thursday that the Bill does will stop people from smoking and it does not ban persons from selling cigarettes.

However, the Bill prohibits the sale of loose cigarettes.

“So when the regulations come out, you will see that we will be saying how many cigarettes should be in the packet and what must be on those packages,” she explained.

Lawrence said no one would be prohibited from selling cigarettes at the street corners. “The good life is for everyone, even the street vendors but I

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

can assure you the cost to take care of a person who is suffering from any illness that is tobacco-related is far more than what we get in taxes,” she added.

The Minister maintained that the Bill seeks to provide for the adoption of and implementation of tobacco control policies, with the World Health Organisation.

The Bill serves as the legal regulator for administration, inspection and

enforcement, while providing legislative protection from exposure to secondhand smoke by eliminating public smoking.

It seeks to reduce tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke; prevent tobacco use by minors and protect workers and the public from exposure to tobacco smoke.

The Bill also clears the way for the establishment of a National Tobacco Control Council.

Despite the positives of the Bill, the Opposition claimed the Bill in its current form, “evokes tremendous amount of controversies” with respect to whether it is pro-business, anti-business and pro-health, in addition to whether it infringes on the rights of citizens.

One of the more controversial clauses in the Bill is Section 19 (2), which imposes a display ban on the item although it remains a legal product. This ban essentially eliminates the advertising of tobacco products and forces wholesalers and retailers to sell ‘under the counter.’

Demerara Tobacco Company (DEMTOCO) has said it is not opposed to the new regulations, but the company believes that the Bill is not only unbalanced, but is not justifiable.

The company on Wednesday called on President David Granger to send the Bill to a select committee so that it can

be properly analysed and reviewed to minimise the impact of the measures,

not only for the industry but also for the citizens of Guyana.

Teen fined for stealing cash

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1 7 - y e a r - o l d of Kingston, Georgetown, was on Friday fined $80,000 when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of theft.

The teen admitted to carrying out the act when Magistrate Leron Daly read the charge to him. He admitted that between July 31 and August 1, 2017, at Kingston, Georgetown, he stole $80,000 cash property of Damascus Grant.

According to the prosecution’s case, the Virtual Complainant (VC) and defendant work together and on July 31, 2017, Grant collected his salary together with other monies and

placed it in the pocket of his bag which he then secured at the said place of work and proceeded to go clubbing.

However, upon his return the following day, at around 09:30h, he checked his bag and observed that the money was missing.

A report was made at the Police Station and the defendant was arrested and questioned. He admitted to stealing the cash and as such was charged with the offence.

When questioned as to why he stole the money, the defendant said he was “sorry” for what he did.

Magistrate Daly fined him the said $80,000.

Failure to pay the fine will result in him serving six months in prison.

No effective campaign to root out police corruption Dear Editor, Police ‘shakedowns’ (demand for a bribe for an alleged moving violation) of motorists are very common on the coast of Guyana. I ex-

perienced it a few times, and countless experiences of others were related to me as I travelled around Guyana and among the diaspora.

The population also feels

Irresponsible allegation made by Councillor Dear Editor, The Office of the Region Five Chairman wishes to publicly refute claims made

by APNU/AFC Councillor Mr Abel Seetaram which were published on August 4.

Councillor Seetaram deliberately misled readers, and by extension the general public, by suggesting that the PPP Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council of Region #5 failed to submit projects to be included in the Region’s 2018 Budget proposals.

Mr Seetaram’s utterances are not only untrue and misleading, but are also demeaning, emanating from an elected representative and a sitting member of the Regional Democratic Council of Region #5, since a total of 144 projects from across Region #5 were collectively compiled by the

PPP Councillors and submitted to the Office of the Regional Executive Officer on June 26, 2017. These submissions were signed for, and received, by the Secretary to the Regional Executive Officer.

We therefore demand an apology from Councillor Abel Seetaram, and call upon the REO, Mr Ovid Morrison, to issue a similar statement denouncing this irresponsible allegation made by the APNU/AFC Councillor.

VICKCHAND RAMPHAL Regional Chairman, Region 5 RION PETERS Regional ViceChairman, Region 5 Chairman - Works Committee

police shakedown is a common practice, and that the Government - preceding ones also -- has not done much to curb or stamp out police bribery. As many people reveal, to say elements of the police are corrupt is an understatement, as the police seek bribes in virtually every significant act; and not only from motorists alone. It is also important to note that there are some honest Police who do their work and don’t

seek or take bribes, but they are a small minority.

As related to me by several who had the experience, if your vehicle (minibus in particular) is from a far home distance, say from Corriverton, and you are heading up to the airport, the chance of being pulled over and experience a shakedown is high. And you could receive several shakedowns on one trip.

Going to court is time-con-

suming, and you lose more money by being away from work. The Police have the upper hand, as the system is not in the interest of drivers or law and order on the roads.

One can attempt to avoid the shakedown, with limited success.

There is no effective campaign to root out police corruption, or even bad cops.

The Government can take measures to clamp down

on corruption. As happens in other societies; there can be sting operations. But no Government has shown courage to go after rogue cops.

But do keep in mind that there are police that I and others met who really have been trying to do their jobs.

They don't have the support system, and corrupt police make them look bad.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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ransitioning to a new school can be difficult for kids. Whether it’s your child’s first day of elementary school, their first day of high school, or you’re moving to a new school district, starting a new school can affect a child’s academic performance, social development, and mental state.

There are things you can do before and during your child’s switching to a new school to help them feel comfortable, and get used to their new environment.

1. Talk it out: Ask your child questions like what are you most excited about for your first day of school?

What are you worried about? The way you talk about going to a new school will shape how your child views it.

2. Replicate first day of school traditions: Continue on with former traditions like making a special breakfast for the first day, or planning a stop at the library, or a visit to grandma’s house after school. Offer your child a little extra TLC and minimise changes within the home.

3. Make new friends early: Take advantage of the time before school starts. If possible let your child join a sports team or attend a day camp where they can make friends that go to their new school, and have these friends over for a play date.

4. Take a test run: Do a practice first day of school and take your child to their bus stop or drive them to school.

If possible arrange to meet their teachers before school starts and have a tour of the new school. Make teachers and administrators aware of the last school your child went to and ask if they have any helpful suggestions.

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Foundation

5. Stock up on school supplies: Choosing their own backpack, lunchbox, binder or clothes might help your child feel more confident and in control on their first day.

6. Be involved: If possible volunteer at your child’s school or help out with a school sport or club. Try to take an active role in their school environment and get to know your child’s friends and the other parents.

7. Be patient: During a transition phase, your child may be quieter than ever, or begin to question everything.

They might have more attitude than they normally do.

Remember they’re reacting to a new environment, and you shouldn’t change your standards for how they’re expected to behave, but they will need time to adjust.

8. Play school: Try role playing with your child before school starts.

They can be the teacher and you can be the student. This helps them think about what these respective roles mean, and they’ll get to play with the concept of school, and see it as a fun

scenario.

9. Don’t miss out on ZZZs: During a stressful time, anxiety can make sleep difficult. Sleep deprivation can adversely affect mood and academic performance. Routine is really important during a high stress time of change. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep!

After your child has started a new school, you want to be on the watch for signs of strain and stress. Look out for these signs your child needs some help adjusting to their new school: * repeatedly refusing to go to school * throwing tantrums whenever school is mentioned * recurring meltdowns when you try to bring them to school * suffering separation anxiety and needing you more than they have in recent months or years * changes in sleeping or eating habits If you notice your child’s showing signs of poor transitioning, it’s important to talk to them about it, and to meet with their teachers and administrators so you can work to target the sources of your child’s discomfort.

School guidance counsellors and school psychologists can also help with difficult transitions. They can sometimes designate a faculty member as a contact person with whom you can communicate. The school may even be able to pair your child with a “buddy” like a built in friend who is comfortable in the school already. (pathways.org)

(Continued from Friday)

F

or instance, if your children have been used to staying up two hours later than they would during school, you’d want to have the children go to bed half an hour earlier every night for a few days.

Then you’d have them go to bed another half hour earlier for a few days until they’re finally going to bed at the best time for them to get the rest they need. The earlier you start this process, the simpler it will be for them to get used to going to bed earlier again. Decide what time your children need to get to sleep.

Depending on their ages and how many children you have they may have different bed times. If this is the case, have the younger children choose their clothes for the next day before they take a bath, brush their teeth and put on their pajamas.

Get them in the habit, or routine, of following a specific pattern each night. If you have them choose their clothing for the next day, take a bath, brush their teeth, get into their pajamas every night before they go to bed, you’re transitioning them into settling down.

Having a set routine such as this, or any schedule you use as a family, will give them a strong sense of continuity and help them wind down. It may even reduce the number of complaints your children have about bedtime. Older children may be allowed to stay up later than very young children.

However, you probably won’t want them to stay up too late. Have them follow the same type of pattern – choosing their clothes, taking care of their personal needs and going to bed – so they’ll be ready to get a good night’s sleep.

Another benefit of getting the children to bed earlier in the evening rather than waiting until they get tired is everyone will be more rested to face the day ahead of them. Since they’ve taken the time to choose their clothing the night before you won’t be faced with questions like “Mom, have you seen my blue shirt?” or “Hey, Mom, where are my tennis shoes?” You may not believe how this one activity taken the night before can make your morning seem to flow smoother.

Once the children are in bed you may not want to turn the lights out right away. Take some time to enjoy one-on-one time with your children. Depending on their ages, you can read them a bedtime story before they settle down for the night or simply take that time to connect on a personal level. Help them know what to expect by talking about the next day. What activities are planned?

Do they have a doctor’s appointment? Will you pick them up from school at an unusual time? What activities do you have to do after they get home from school?

Do you have to run to the store or take care of other errands? Anything you can do to prepare them for the next day will make things easier on the whole family. (childdevelopmentinfo.com)

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saturDAY, August 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Assassination claim

“I did not ask for bail reduction”– Imran Khan

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

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mran Khan, brother of the man accused of offering his neighbour $7 million to assassinate President David Granger, has told the Commission of Inquiry that, for the morethan-10-years since knowing Commissioner Seelall Persaud, he has never asked him for any favours, and as such had made no request to have his bail reduced.

Khan testified that on March 29, between 16:00 h to 17:00h, he received a call from his brother Nizam Khan, informing him that there was a party of Police Officers requesting to search his premises without a warrant, and attempting to arrest him. He said he immediately contacted his decades-old friend, Police Commissioner Seelall

Persaud, and informed him of the situation, and was told to advise his brother to cooperate with the officers.

Imran Khan said he was later informed that Nizam Khan was taken to the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) Headquarters at Eve Leary, and he went there to ensure his brother was okay. He added that, upon arrival, he was heading up the stairs when he met his brother’s accuser, Andrif Gillard, who threatened his life.

Imran Khan said he tried to lodge a complaint with the officers, but was given what he described as the “royal runaround”.

He told the Commission that he began protesting in a ‘disciplined’ manner, requesting that officers take his complaint, but to no avail, and he attempted to contact Commissioner Persaud, but was unsuccessful.

“After they pushing me around, I started to raise my voice, and I told them that I am recording (their behaviour) and that I will go to OPR and make a complaint. I was loud, and they arrested me and started to assault me,” he related.

He related that Corporal Keon Benjamin hit him to the chest, and was addressing him with indecent language. He said he immediately began experiencing chest pains, and was later giv-

his friend to reduce his bail, and he never made any request for favours.

Guns

Imran Khan testifying before the Commission of Inquiry

en a medical certificate to seek treatment. He is yet to submit the completed certificate to the Police.

“They took away my phone and ask me to hand over my firearm, and Benjamin deleted the recording…I continued to protest loudly,” Imran told the CoI. The goldminer related that while in custody his phone rang, and Commissioner Persaud was on the other end of the line. He said the phone was given to him and he then related that he was arrested and placed on $10,000 bail, but had no cash in his possession.

Imran said he was granted bail approximately 45 minutes after the conversation with Persaud ended. However, he maintained that he never asked

Imran Khan related that he is a well-versed businessman who dabbles in gold mining, real estate, and vehicle spare parts, and he accordingly has to constantly be on the alert.

He is licensed to carry three firearms – a .45 calibre pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun and a .223 semi-automatic rifle.

He told the Commission that he first acquired a firearm in the early 1990s, and was granted an upgrade from a 9mm to a .45 when Persaud became

Commissioner.

He described his rifle as a 21inch Olympia that hosts a 30-round magazine and is semiautomatic.

He told CoI Commissioner Paul Slowe that his brother never saw either of his firearms, nor does he know he is licensed to carry a rifle.

Imran Khan said his friendship with Persaud is one that is intelligence-based, as he would share information with the Police about known criminal elements and activities within the Diamond/Grove area. He said he would often attend functions hosted by the Guyana Police Force, and would ask his

brother Nizam to help with minor repairs to Police patrol vehicles as a goodwill to the Force.

The businessman said he has known Gillard for approximately 12 years, the past three or four of which they have been attending the same mosque.

He related that Gillard would have approached him to borrow money, but he never loaned him.

Gillard, who first reported the matter to the police, said Nizam had offered him $7 million to kill President David Granger, and had shown him a “long black gun” which he allegedly intended to be the weapon to carry out the act.

Pensioner robbed 10 times in 2 years

A

pensioner from Richmond Housing Scheme in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) is now traumatised after she was robbed for the tenth time in the past two years.

Evra Nedd’s home was robbed at about 02:15h on Friday morning.

Reports are the suspect gained entry to Nedd’s home through a bedroom window while she was out attending a wake. The suspect gained entry and hid until she returned around 21:00h.

"When I came home it was black out, I put on the lamp, maybe he was hiding somewhere in the house, I

sat down in the chair for a long time I wasn't sleepy, then I went into my bed about to sleep when I felt somebody jumped on the bed and said “shush me nah gon kill yuh, where the money?”” Nedd said, as she began to panic. “I saw the person cause by then the current come on back and the light in the kitchen was on. When he jumped on the bed I feel he hair and it de soft and straight. Then in the light I saw that he had on a three-quarter black pants, but he pull the white vest over he face so I couldn’t make out his face clearly.”

The thief then grabbed the pensioner by the throat

and demanded cash.

“He ransacked the bed and find the $60,000 under the mattress. That was the money for my bills and other medical expenses after then he left through the kitchen door," the traumatised woman recalled.

Family members of the pensioner however reported their disappointment in the way the Police in G Division (Essequibo coast-Islands) have dealt with the matter. According to a relative, after the report was made at the Anna Regina Police Station, ranks did not visit the victim’s home until six hours later.

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IN THE COURTS

Fight over ‘child mother’ lands men in court

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wo men were before Magistrate Leron Daly on Friday for causing injuries to each other.

Shawn Sam of Lot 74 Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown; and Oswald Wayne were both made to answer to the charge of grievous bodily harm at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The charge read that both men on July 20, 2017, at the Stabroek Market area, unlawfully and ma-

liciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on each other.

Sam, who pleaded not guilty, explained that on the day in question at about10:00h, he was in the vicinity of Stabroek Market when the mother of his children visited him.

He added he was later informed that the woman, Arlene Allicock, was involved in an altercation with Wayne, who cuffed her to her face.

Sam told the Magistrate that he intervened and

was dealt a blow by Wayne to his body with a bench.

According to Sam, after he was struck, a scuffle ensued between him and Wayne which led to both of them being injured.

The father of five children was granted bail in the sum of $80,000.

However, Wayne told the court that Allicock is also the mother to two of his children. He added that he did not cuff her but was indeed involved in a fight with Sam. However, the Police

Prosecutor objected to bail being granted for Wayne since he has breached a bond to keep the peace which was issued by the court some time ago. He was on the bond to keep the peace with Allicock. The Prosecutor also informed the court that Wayne’s name was called earlier in court and he did not answer, as such, he stated that the accused has no respect for the law.

He was remanded to prison and will return to court on August 11.

Teen denies stealing body spray

A

teenager who was accused of stealing a bottle of body spray was on Friday granted bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge.

Rickford Marcus, 19, denied the charge against him when it was read by Magistrate Leron Daly.

The charge stated that on July 30, 2017, at Tucville, Georgetown, stole one body spray valued at $3000; prop-

erty of Kenzia Simon.

The Virtual Complainant (VC) told the court that she is proceeding with the matter due to the fact that the defendant is in the habit of stealing.

She explained that the

body spray was found on the defendant by his mother who returned it to her.

Magistrate Daly granted bail to the defendant in the sum of $10,000. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on August 14.

Homeless man remanded for breaking into school

A

homeless man was remanded to prison on Friday when he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly to answer to a breaking and entering charge.

Robert Bhishram, 49, denied that he broke into a school when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The charge against him alleges that between August 2 and 3,

2017, broke and entered the Nehemiah Comprehensive School, in Queenstown, Georgetown and stole three fans, one stabiliser and 10 bottles of water; to total value of $42,000.

Bhishram explained that he did not steal the items but found them on the roadside.

However, the Police Prosecutor told the court that two of the fans were

found in the homeless man’s possession. Bhishram objected to this and said “the Police a lie, I only had one fan not two!”

Bail was objected to due to the fact that the accused has no fixed place of abode and also because he was previously convicted for behaving disorderly.

He was remanded to prison and will return to court on August 18.

Back to the future…

Y

…with overseas voting? our Eyewitness didn’t attend the “Diaspora Engagement Conference,” for the simple reason he didn’t want to be seen endorsing - in the slightest way - the coronation of the UG VC. What has the VC man done since he was rescued by his old YSM comrades - after he was let go with a year still to go on his two-year contract from the southern Land Grant College in Georgia USA? After all, his “Strategic Culture” symposium in 2011 in Florida (on behalf of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) was more about removing the PPP and installing APNU in office.

At UG, he spent more to cover the expenses of his jaunt to NY - with more than a dozen select staff members - than the funds they were supposed to raise, since it was billed as a “fundraiser”. Appoint a “Cabinet” (yes!! That’s what he calls it!) of some high-priced University supporters, while the rest of the staff have to support raising students’ fees if they’re to get a salary increase. Arbitrarily raise said students’ fees - which he had to rescind after protests? Your Eyewitness is still waiting for the promised accounting of how much the VC spent on his coronation.

So, anyhow, your Eyewitness has had to wait for reports to leak out on what transpired during the soiree at Ramada Princess. And now your Eyewitness is getting mighty alarmed after he was just informed - via a letter in the press - of one presenter calling for a “Return of Overseas Voting”!! And this was done by none other than an Executive of the WPA! On “overseas voting,” your Eyewitness can understand VC being enthusiastic.

After all, he was a card-carrying YSM member along with most of the other PNC pensioners in the present Government - when Burnham, in 1968, came up with that stunt to begin his 20-year practice of rigging elections. Remember when the franchise was extended by the Comrade Leader to allow horses to vote in England via “overseas voting”? But for the WPA to suggest returning this much-abused device -- even if it wasn’t going to be used for rigging… Why extend our voting overseas, when we can’t even count our votes INSIDE Guyana?

Who’s going to organise the overseas votes? The other WPA executive member who’s been placed in change of the “Diaspora Engagement Centre”? They’re going to be registering “overseas Guyanese”?? Is the list going to be as skewed as those who were invited to the Diaspora Engagement?

What’s definite is: something’s afoot to cook-up the 2020 elections. …on funding witch-hunting Accusations of “siphoned billions” by the PPP begat the audits when the PNC-led coalition slipped into office. That begat SARU, which begat SARA. By the last “begetting”, it was clear the Government was determined to “get” identified members of the PPP. SARA was going to be the hired-gun bounty hunters, who’d be paid from SARA’s takings. SARU’s Director was co-leader of coalition member WPA, Clive Thomas, who’d created a cottage industry - with no research - on a supposed “criminalised state” created by the PPP. He and his CEO were kept on as Director of SARA, even though the legislation demanded the positions be filled by Parliament. Well, here it is…months later, the Government breaks every rule in the book of governmental spending to allocate $116 million to SARA. The irony that SARA’s mandate is to hunt down PPP members who broke those same rules was evidently lost on the Government!

And we discovered that SARA’s directed by Basil Williams. Vendetta confirmed!! …on getting high The Police just discovered and burnt down 3 acres of marijuana over in the jungles of Essequibo. For some strange reason, your Eyewitness was informed the ranks all took up positions downwind of the smouldering ganja fields!!

Inhaling second-hand ganja smoke?

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

Govt in the dark over spate of power outages A

lmost one week after another spate of blackouts gripped the nation, Government has said it is yet to be given by the Guyana Power and light (GPL) official reason for the blackouts.

While the power company has made a public statement on the matter, it has not yet officially briefed Government.

That is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who said on Friday that Government has relied on the statement made by the power company on Thursday.

“I don’t have a particular statement on the matter. It did not come up at Cabinet, but I’ve read -- just like you -- in the public media that Mr Badal had made some statements that they were taking steps to make the electricity supply more reliable,” Harmon told the media at a post-Cabinet press confer-

ence.

On Thursday, after much outcry from citizens (GPL), said “a botched tree trimming exercise and a burnt jumper” were among the reasons for the electricity woes.

GPL’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Renford Homer, also explained that shutdown of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) on Sunday resulted from a generation shortfall occasioned by reduced generation reserve.

Homer explained that when the demand was about 84 megawatts, there were 87 megawatts available for generation, which left only three megawatts of reserve capacity, instead of the normal 20 megawatts.

Moreover, the machines at Skeldon and Garden of Eden were being overhauled, whilst the one at Kingston was undergoing routine maintenance.

On Monday, at approximately 15:15h, GPL received a report of a burnt jumper on one of its feeders, and

the transmission distribution crew quickly responded.

However, while attempting to close that feeder, the system sensed an unusual surge of high current and the protection network was activated, taking the generating system offline. However, sufficient generation was available to meet the demand at that time, Homer explained.

At approximately 08:45h on Wednesday, some customers on the DBIS experienced a disturbance when a number of feeders were lost due to a tree-trimming exercise being conducted by Atlantic Hotel Incorporated on Battery Road, Kingston.

Homer pointed out that the trimmed branches fell across GPL’s primary network, causing a severe movement on two of the conductors which became intertwined.

The generation at Kingston plant went offline.

Miner killed by fallen tree M iner Deon Baptiste, 22, of Port Kaituma, North West District was last Monday killed, while Ralph Garraway of Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two was injured after a tree reportedly fell on them while they were working on the left bank of the Puruni River, Region Seven.

The men were reportedly conducting hydraulic

mining in a swampy area at the time of the accident.

Guyana Times understands that the tree was leaning in the direction of the mine pit, and it fell in the face of a strong wind on Monday.

Consequent to the accident, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission issued a cease-work order to the manager of the mine, Michael Kissoon, and an in-

vestigation is underway.

The Natural Resources Ministry (MNRE), in a release, has stated that the men were conducting hydraulic mining in a swampy area at the time of the accident.

“They were operating in a mine pit prepared only two days (earlier) by the excavator operator. The accident occurred due to inade-

quate tree clearance around the mine pit. The approximate height of the tree was 10 feet to 15 feet,” the release said. The MNRE added that while success has been achieved in curbing mine pit collapses, the need for greater vigilance and adherence to mining and safety regulations and practices remain very high.

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Prisoner killed during escape attempt W

inston Hinds, a 26-year-old prisoner on remand at the Timehri Prison for the alleged murder of 44-yearold Richard Remington of Lot 19 Christianburg Linden -- which allegedly occurred at Cholmondeley Hill, Wismar in the mining community of Linden -is now dead after a Prison Officer thwarted his bid to escape from the prison late Friday afternoon by shooting him dead.

Director of Prisons, Galdwin Samuels, has detailed that at about 17:00h on Friday, Hinds was involved in a fight with other inmates in the dormitory of the Timehri Prison, where several prisoners were involved in a serious physical altercation and assault in which they were using improvised weapons.

Officers tried to break up the fight and restore order, and whilst they were thus engaged, Hinds fled into the prison yard in an apparent bid to escape. Clear and repeated orders were issued for Hinds to desist in his es-

cape bid, but he refused in every instance, and continued running, leaving Prison officers with no option but to curtail his escape bid.

Samuels said that curtailing Hinds’s escape bid necessitated the use of live rounds as a last resort, and Hinds was struck on the body by a single round. He was immediately taken to the East Bank Demerara Hospital Complex at Diamond, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Samuels said that the prisoner’s next of kin was immediately informed, and the Police are conducting an investigation.

“The GPS will also reiterate its internal calls to all prisoners to conduct themselves responsibly, to resist any temptation to escape from lawful custody, to obey the instructions of prison officers at all times, and to serve their sentences as mandated by the courts until such time as they are eligible for release,” the Guyana Prison Service has said in a press statement.

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Financial Paper No 2

Govt grilled on use of selective, direct procurement

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he reading of Financial Paper Number Two, seeking some $2.5 billion in supplemental funding, got underway on Thursday.

However, revelations that the Ministries of Public Health and Public Infrastructure sought contractors for which selective tendering and even no tendering was done caused an uproar in the National Assembly.

In the case of the Public Health Ministry, the subject Minister was forced to defend the decision to go directly to the manufacturer for the provision of a mammography system for the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), without a competitive tender. The Government was seeking $86.1 million for this.

Explaining the decision, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence said the Ministry has experienced instances whereby contractors claiming to be authorised dealers for manufacturers of certain equipment

PPP Member of Parliament, Dr Frank Anthony

were actually not so. In fact, she stated that these dealers have actually provided documents which were falsified.

“So we decided that we would go to the manufacturer and the intention is to get their brand.

They have two agents in the Caribbean and Latin America and so we will be going with them to purchase the equipment.”

The manufacturer, Lawrence informed the House, is Siemens. The

Minister also revealed that a survey was done to determine the target group for the Mammography system, which the Government intends to provide service free of charge.

Responding to questions from Opposition parliamentarian, Dr Frank Anthony, Lawrence affirmed that the system would provide early screening for suspected cancer patients. However, she said she did not have the details of the survey with her. Nevertheless, the supplemental provision was put to vote and granted uncontested.

But when it was revealed that the Public Health Ministry was again making a direct approach to the manufacturer for the second line item, a Plateletpheresis machine for the National Blood Bank, to the tune of $12.2 million, the Minister faced a barrage of questions.

Faced with the incredulity of the Opposition, Lawrence defended the Ministry's procurement

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

policy by affirming that some of the Ministry's equipment purchased from budgetary allocations were subject to public tendering.

Lawrence however said she did not have the specific information but would supply it at a later date.

In the case of the Plateletpheresis machine, the Minister explained that they went the route of tendering directly from that particular manufacturer, an Argentina company named Terumo because they were offering free training for bio medical technicians.

According to Lawrence, Guyana has a severe shortage of these professionals and as a consequence, millions of dollars in equipment became dysfunctional

and could not be serviced.

However, Opposition parliamentarian, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo was unconvinced that this warranted selective tendering.

Dr Anthony also queried what form of training would be provided and the duration. However, Lawrence deferred the answer, stating that she did not have that information because they would have to negotiate with the company.

Hence, Lawrence inferred that even knowing what value Guyana would get in the form of training hinges on passing the supplemental funds. Using its one seat majority, Government muscled through the provisions through.

The Public Health Ministry has been on the public's radar for the past few months owing to its procurement practises.

Public infrastructure Under line item 32-322, the Public Infrastructure Ministry sought $120 million to facilitate reconstruction and critical rehabilitation works for a bridge located on the Bagotsville main public road.

According to the remarks included in the financial paper, $30.2 million from that money will also be used for the bypass road through La Parfaite Harmonie, on the West

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

Bank of Demerara; $43.9 million for the substructure; and $39 million for the super structure. In addition, expenditure for miscellaneous works was listed as $6.9 million.

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, defended the use of selective tendering by stating that the works needed to be done were an emergency.

He also affirmed that the contractors satisfied the Ministry’s expectations.

“Four contractors were selected,” Patterson said.

“They (had technical expertise), were financially sound and checks on their existing workload was done. And three months is the construction period.” continued on page 11

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2017 Tobacco Bill

“We will not sacrifice nation’s health for $4B”– Harmon

T

he Demerara Tobacco Company (DEMTOCO) has raised an outcry over the new Tobacco Bill and the $4 billion its passage will cause that company annually, but Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has made it clear that Government is not prepared to sacrifice the health of the nation for any amount of money.

The minister was emphatic that the Government would not be putting the health of citizens at risk. In fact, he said the bill has already been passed in the National Assembly, and is awaiting the assent of the President before it becomes law.

He said statements made by interested groups coming after the National Assembly has had a full debate on an issue could very well be too late for what they want to see happen.

“We will not sacrifice the health of this nation

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

even for $4 billion. Even if it meant $4 billion or $5billion, the health of this nation is invaluable; there’s no price that we could put to the lives of the citizens of this country,” he declared.

The minister added that

the debate on both sides of the house was very robust, with each side realising that the health of the country is of utmost importance.

“The National Assembly did what it had to do -- full debate. (The bill was) was passed, and now it is going to be made law. Whether in fact there is a point to be made, I believe this must now be a matter of consultation with the Ministry of Finance, to see whether any accommodation could be made,” he said.

DEMTOCO on Wednesday expressed concerns that the current restrictions included in the Bill could lead to a loss of revenue.

It said that while there is no study to prove this from a business standpoint, this is likely to happen for various reasons, especially since the bill has the potential to create market wherein people would evade taxes. The company, in 2016, contributed some $4 billion in revenue to

the national coffers.

The company also expressed disappointment that it was not given full opportunity to have a formal consultation with the Government regarding the Bill.

“The industry is a key stakeholder of a legal product, and should be consulted on any policies which are likely to affect the industry… From conventional wisdom, it would be regulatory best practice to allow all affected stakeholders to participate in the policy-making process, inclusive of the tobacco Industry…,” said Ms Maurlain Kirton, Managing Director of DEMTOCO. DEMTOCO believes that although the Bill has already been passed in the National Assembly, there was still time for it to be sent to the Special Select Committee.

The Minister of State has, however, explained that it was too late for that process.

The company believes that the definitions in the

Bill are too vague, and as such, Ms Kirton is requesting that it be properly reviewed before being assented to by President Granger.

She said the definition of the term “workplace”, as defined in the Bill, infringes upon the privacy of all Guyanese. Years in the making, the Bill was passed in

Teen dies after giving birth at GPHC

…Ministry launches probe

Region 2 rice farmers battling paddy bugs M

R

ice farmers in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are battling a disturbing infestation of paddy bugs. The insects are said to be between the "flowering" plants, and farmers say it is quiet irregular for bugs to invade the rice plants at such an early stage.

Several farmers in Region Two have reported that the bugs are visible on the plants. "The bugs (are) just all over the young plants…when you walk to your lands, there are many bugs," one farmer has disclosed.

Farmers continue to spray and conduct demonstrations, especially in the evenings, when the bugs are believed to be more prevalent, but they are contending that the con-

tinuous spraying of their crops is causing their budget to be extra burdened.

One Golden Fleece farmer explained that the rice crop is in the bearing stage, and harvesting will commence in a month's time. He explained that because the bugs are sucking the young rice seeds, this harvest could very well result into a low yield.

Govt grilled on use...

Three hundred million dollars was sought by the Ministry for sea and river defence works. According to the remarks, the money is to be used to design, construct and supervise 600 and 200 metres of sea defence along critical sections of the coastline at Rotterdam-Ruimzigt, West Coast Demerara; and Cottage, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

“These works are intended to promote climate change resilience through the improvement of flood protection infrastructure along vulnerable low-lying coastal areas.

Currently, at RotterdamRuimzigt, the mangrove has degraded and there is imminent threat to a breach of the embankment,” the paper warned.

“At Cottage, there is a total loss of the mangrove forest and there is over topping resulting in saline water intruding into connecting canals affect-

FROM PAGE 10

ing farmlands. Additionally, the Cottage sluice is subjected to erosion and under threat of undermining which would eventually compromise the integrity of the structure.”

The Ministry eventually had the sums for all three line items approved.

Asked if there are regular field visits from staff of the Guyana Rice Development Board, farmers replied, “Seldom”. They are therefore calling on GRDB field staff to be more visible in

Region 2, offering their expertise by demonstrating ways of combating the paddy bugs.

Rice farmers are also calling on the Agriculture Ministry to provide assistance in the form of pesticides.

Region Two has approximately 35,000 acres under rice cultivation, and almost every farmer in that region has been affected by the dreaded paddy bug.

Rice farmers are therefore calling on the relevant authorities to assist them, whether technically or by providing pesticide.

(Indrawattie Natram)

the National Assembly on July 27 with most members of the Opposition party abstaining from the vote.

In her presentation, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence had argued that the Bill would rectify Guyana’s failure to fulfil its international and constitutional commitments.

oments after 17-year-old Esther Edwards of Laluni Creek, Soesdyke/Linden Highway delivered a healthy baby girl via Caesarean section on Tuesday, she died under mysterious circumstances at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

Reports reaching Guyana Times are that the teenager was admitted at the medical facility on Saturday evening, and at the time she was 40 weeks pregnant. However, an emergency C-Section was performed on Edwards, and

while the baby girl was safely delivered, Edwards died.

The direct cause of her death remains unknown, but the Public Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the matter. Officials at the GPHC remain tight-lipped on the incident, their only response being that an investigation is underway.

Attempts to contact the relatives of the dead teen have proved futile. To date, the country has recorded seven maternal deaths for 2017.

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$500,000 rent package

2017 mid-year report

Speaker blocks questions on house rentals for Ministers G

Guyana sees marginal GDP growth

I

n a surprise decision, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, has disallowed a list of questions from the Opposition on Friday. These questions, had they been presented, sought information on the rental of buildings for government ministers.

The Opposition, in presenting the questions, noted that the issue is pertinent in the wake of recent revelations that a house was being rented for Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, for $500,000 a month.

In addition, these payments were being made from the Parliamentary Office, and were outside of the housing allowance that is usually granted. This revelation had prompted significant backlash from the public.

House Speaker Dr Scotland acknowledged that the tabling of the questions satisfied certain stipulations of the Standing Order (18) regarding oral questions without notice, and that the topic was an important one, but he nevertheless announced that he was disallowing the questions on the basis of time and place.

“The question is one which is important. The question has attracted comments far and wide, and cer-

tainly it continues to attract comments and attention,” the speaker said. “But the question must be urgent and related to the business of the day. On those two counts, I have therefore disallowed this question.”

The questions

The questions which were put to the Speaker by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall had called on Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to provide information on the circumstances surrounding the “administrative decision” that was taken to rent accommodation for junior and senior ministers.

It also enquired into the limit on the amount of rent that could be paid, and the factors taken into account before making this decision.

In addition, Nandlall had planned to enquire into whether accommodation would still be rented if the minister already owned property in the city.

Additional questions for Nagamootoo had included: “Are ministries also paying rental contracts for ministers’ residential accommodations? Is this policy guided by availability of financial resources? Would the minister inform the National Assembly of the number of residential accommodations

Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland

which were or are currently being rented for ministers, and the rate of rental for each of those premises from May 2015 to date?”

Questions would have also been posed to Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

These questions included inquiries into whether the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) or the Ministry of Finance had granted approval for these arrangements. Documents showing approval would have also been demanded to be provided to the National Assembly.

Back in May of 2017, Dr Scotland had disallowed the

Opposition party’s motion on the removal of the unpopular Value Added Tax (VAT) on private education.

The motion was moved

by Parliamentarian Priya Manickchand and submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly on April 27. It was expected to come up for debate at the upcoming sitting the next month.

In June of 2017, the Speaker had also disallowed a request from the Parliamentary Economic Services Committee to conduct public forums focusing on the issue of Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) downsizing.

The Committee had made its request since May 31, 2016 to conduct these public forums in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six on specific dates between June 7 and June 30th, 2017.

The request was made under Standing Order (95) 8, and the purpose of the public forums was to receive the views of the various stakeholders in the respective communities and prepare a report to be submitted to the National Assembly.

In a letter dated June 5 and addressed to Clerk of Committees, Letta Barker, the Speaker had said that a public forum did not seem appropriate for the Committee to undertake.

GGDMA seeks Govt’s help to achieve SDG

T

he Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) has said it is committed to working towards the fulfillment of the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and has called on Government to support its vision of producing one million ounces of gold annually.

The gold and mining oversight body said on Thursday that gold production is the key to achievement of the Millennium Development Goal to eradicate poverty and hunger, and that body predicts that key to the achievement of the worthy objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals 2020 would be the strong performance of the gold industry of Guyana.

The body has said there is no credible alternative to gold mining, and that it intends to collaborate with small, medium and large scale miners and other stakeholders to urge Government to support the 2020 Vision of a million ounces of gold annually.

In this regard, the GGDMA has made several suggestions to Government; which include allowing the Guyana Geology and Mines

Commission(GGMC) to carry out its primary responsibility of developing the mining industry of Guyana; allowing the GGMC to publish the Codes of Practice as required by the 2005 Environmental Regulations for Mining, and allowing the GGMC to finalize and

field offices in key mining districts, with mandate and resources to repair roads on an ongoing basis; as well as enforcement of the terms of the Road Users Agreement.

The GGDMA has also called for incentives to be given in order to encourage the improvement of eating,

implement its five-year Strategic Management Plan, which was due since 2014.

The GGDMA has also called for budgeting and planning for efficient and effective maintenance of the interior roads, bridges, pontoon crossings, waterways, and landings; the provision of road maintenance

sleeping, communication, and money transfer facilities in key interior settlements, along with budgets and plans for police outposts and stations in key settlements, as determined by the relevant security authorities.

Moreover, the GGDMA wants removed the punitive taxes imposed on the small

and medium scale miners. “These mostly self-employed business owners and their contractors (such as tributors) arguably pay more taxes than any other self-employed category in Guyana. And the small and medium scale miners pay those taxes upfront, as a percentage of gross earnings”.

The GGDMA has said miners are now forced to abandon low-grade deposits and seek to work highgrade portions of the deposits, in order to stay alive in business.

The GGDMA has said it commends miners for being “tough, resilient and positive”.

“GGDMA urges miners to continue to provide the impetus for the economic and social development of Guyana. GGDMA calls upon the GGMC to provide technical support in the field to small and medium scale miners, to ensure the environmental management of operations. GGDMA calls upon the nation to say no to the selective underdevelopment of small and medium scale mining. Let us all embrace the realistic 2020 Vision of One Million ozs of Gold Annually”, it said.

overnment on Friday revealed a marginal increase in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first half of 2017, with significant contributions coming from the agriculture, fishing and forestry sectors.

A mid-year report, which was presented to Cabinet on Wednesday, was officially released to the public on Friday, showed some major contributions from various sectors.

According to the report, economic growth in the first half of 2017 rose to some 2.2 per cent, compared to 2.0 per cent in the first half of 2016.

The marginal increase, the report said, was driven mainly by the expansion of the agriculture, fishing, and forestry sector with the manufacturing, construction, and services sectors also making noteworthy contributions.

Growth in the agriculture, fishing, and forestry sectors was led by the expansion in the

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

rice and fishing industries, attributable to favourable international prices, strong demand and entry into new markets.

Non-sugar growth declined from 3.1 per cent in the first half of 2016, to 2.4 per cent in the first half of 2017.

The mid-year report showed that overall, the agriculture, fishing, and forestry sectors grew by some 6.4 per cent, in the first half of 2017, underpinned by a strong recovery in the rice industry and improved performance in the fishing industry.

The rice production in the first half of 2017, recorded 349,867 tonnes, an increase of 31.6 per cent over production in the first half of 2016. This noteworthy performance, the report highlighted, was attributed to a rise in acreage sown in all regions, especially in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) where acreage sown rose by 30 per cent. In addition to Government, farmers as well as millers have also been actively engaged in seeking new markets. Pursuit of new markets has resulted in exports to Mexico of over $1 billion. Exports to Cuba of 15,000 tonnes during the second half, are expected to contribute to the expansion of the industry – the first such shipment in over 40 years.

Coming out also from the Minister’s report was the poor performance of the Public Service Investment Project (PSIP) during the early months

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

of 2017. Helping accounting officers Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon speaking at a weekly post-Cabinet meeting on Friday said one contributing factor to this shortfall was the unfamiliarity of Permanent Secretaries about the procurement system.

“Additionally, what they had to do was come to grips with the fact that VAT was now being charged on Government services and therefore when the initial contracts were awarded, it included that and that amounted to some delay,” Harmon told the media.

What seemed to have contributed to the slowing up of spending too, Harmon said, was agencies having to go through a procurement system that was carrying out several checks to ensure mistakes were not made. Some recommendations considered to assist in the spending process of these agencies are the employment of project management officers to assist Permanent Secretaries with the basic paperwork. It was also put to the Cabinet that there be better streamlining between the time of the issuance of the contract to the point of mobilisation of the contractor. He said Government is seeking to “narrow that gap”, so that things could move at a faster pace.

In its conclusion, the Finance Ministry said in spite of the challenges encountered in the first half of the year, the economy was able to record a higher growth rate than the same period last year. It said prudent management by Government has enabled positive growth rates to be recorded every year since the administration took office. The outlook is for continued positive growth rate, albeit at a lower level than previously envisaged.

It said the revised growth target for 2017 is some 3.1 per cent, which is more or less the same as that achieved in 2016.

This, it said, is due largely to the projected under-performance of sugar. The report said the non-financial Public Sector deficit is expected to be in line with the budget as the anticipated over-achievement of the revenue target should compensate for the additional expenditure in areas of crime and security and public infrastructure.

The other macroeconomic variables, such as inflation and the exchange rate will be kept in check.

NEWS

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No malice against Top Cop, Crime Chief – Ramnarine A

ssistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has told the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger that his opinion that the investigations were not properly conducted was not based on malice against Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud or Crime Chief Wendell Blanum.

Recalled by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to be cross-examined by Persaud’s attorney Glen Hanoman on Friday. Ramnarine, in his evidence in chief, told the Commission he is of the opinion that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force did not properly investigate the allegations made by Andrif Gillard -to the effect that businessman Nizam Khan had offered him $7 million to kill President David Granger.

Ramnarine said he was discharging the duties of the Commissioner of Police when the matter was first reported, and he had instructed Crime Chief Wendell Blanum to personally supervise the investigation.

During cross-examination, Ramnarine admitted that his opinion was not based on qualification, experience, or any special training as a detective, since he was never an investigator.

However, he noted that special detective training and techniques were not required to formulate his opinion, and shot down claims that he had concocted the view that the investigation was compromised when he took to the witness stand.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanum

Ramnarine said he was concerned that the probe into the assassination plot was not being conducted properly, but did not share that view with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who was overseas at the time; nor did he share the view with Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, who was acting in the Public Security Minister’s capacity.

He added that he had also seen no need to advise the National Security Council of his opinion, since they already had information to suggest that the integrity of the investigation was compromised.

“I didn’t have to tell them. They already knew.

Discussions which unfolded there made me realize that they knew well in advance… about calls being made and other things and so on,” he said.

He said that based on his training, knowledge and ex-

Andrif Gillard, the man who alleges he was offered $7 million to kill President David Granger

perience, and the gravity of the alleged assassination plot, he would have kept Gaillard and Nizam in custody, instead of releasing them on bail the same day.

During his evidence-in-chief, Ramnarine also said that on the morning of March 30, while receiving the daily crime briefing, the Crime Chief did not provide any information on the investigation. He related that he had to ask for an update, and was told that Blanum had released the men.

“I felt very bad about (being misled by the Crime Chief, but) I did not (take any action) at the point in time. I trusted the judgment of the Crime Chief, and I later learnt that the decision to release allegedly was influenced by a phone call,” Ramnarine said.

Attorney Hanoman questioned Ramnarine fur-

Detective Inspector Prem Narine

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

ther on this revelation: “Wasn’t it widely circulated in the press that both the Commissioner of Police and the Crime Chief were alleging that you (had) interfered in another investigation for your friend? It was widely reported in the press about the Rio (Night Club) shooting,” Hanoman said.

“Something was reported in the press? I do not recall reading in the press that it was I who obstructed the investigation,” Ramnarine responded.

“Your name may not have been mentioned, but you know it was you. Isn’t that so?” Hanoman continued.

“It wasn’t me,” Ramnarine retorted.

The grilling continued by Hanoman, and Ramnarine admitted that the Office of Professional Responsibility had investigated how he had granted some 113 firearm licences while he had previously acted as Police

Commissioner.

Ramnarine explained that 70 of those licences were granted to security services; as replacements; to Police officers, and to other persons by an authority senior to him, who was afforded the power to so do by the Firearms Act. Ramnarine explained that then ‘A’ Division Commander, Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, had opined that he had issued those licences in breach of the law.

Ramnarine said Persaud had sent the matter for investigation to the Office of Professional Responsibility, and while Persaud did not oppose a probe of the Office of Police Commissioner, he did not provide access to the firearms section to verify the process.

Asked by Hanoman if he felt bad about Persaud and Blanum’s actions, Ramnarine said, “Obviously!

The alleged mastermind of the assassination plot, Nizam Khan

From a professional standpoint, it surprised me that here was my Commissioner launching an investigation into some purported breach involving me, but at the same time denying the investigator access to the records.”

As his cross-examination continued, Ramnarine said he would like to be appointed Commissioner of Police, but he does not have to suck up to the political authority to have that done.

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Prem Narine was also recalled to be cross-examined by Hanoman.

He maintains that while Persaud did not use the words ‘I instruct’, what he had said amounted to the instruction that led him to granting the Khan brothers bail.

The CoI continues on Wednesday, when Gillard’s former landlady, Louanna Walker, will take the stand.

Proposed Broadcast Bill in violation of Constitution – Nandlall

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oncerns continue to mount about the Broadcast (Amendment) Bill, and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is contending that it has not gone unnoticed that the proposed amendments fly in the face of constitutional provisions.

He notes that the bill contravenes Article 146 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana, and has said the proposed amendment -- which allows for the state to order broadcasters to carry public service announcements (PSA) -- infringes on the basic constitutional right to receive and communicate ideas and information without interference.

“A freedom to publish includes a freedom NOT to publish,” Nandlall said, when asked about the amendments. “You can’t mandate programming, (but) this bill mandates an hour of Government programming. And every individual, once it’s private property, has a right to say no. (Now) that right is being lost.”

Article 146, (1) of the constitution states: “Except

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression; that is to say, freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his correspondence.”

The former Attorney General also zeroed in on Article 142 of the

Constitution, which guarantees that the private property of individuals cannot be acquired, except under the authority of the law. That was later amended to provide for compensation to be paid to the owner of the property.

“They must act under the law, and the law must provide for adequate and prompt compensation at the time when they are taking the property away. This (broadcast amendment) law doesn’t provide for that; so clearly there is a violation of Article 142 of the Constitution,” he explained.

Nandlall noted that television and radio stations are in the business of selling air time, “and when a Government attempts to mandate them to publish, free of cost, Government programmes for one hour per day, seven days per week, that amounts to 28 hours per month. That is almost two days of prime broadcast time.”

He noted that this all amounts to a significant loss of revenue for the broadcaster, and he said it is a violation of the broadcaster’s pro-

Prime Minister and Minister of Information, Moses Nagamootoo

prietary rights.

He pointed out that even if operators re-apply within 30 days of the act, as specified in the amendments, there are no guarantees that “they would receive the same licence they previously held; or, in fact, if they would receive any licence at all.”

The Bill

Part two of the bill sets out that broadcast agen-

cies would be mandated to broadcast public service programmes for a total of up to one hour daily. Broadcast agencies will be airing these public service programmes free of cost and as requested by the Government between 6:00hrs and 22:00hrs.

The bill also states that the GNBA reserves the right to direct a broadcasting agency to broadcast emergency notices or disaster warnings for any length of time, and regularly during peak or prime advertising time periods, depending on the nature of the emergency and having regard to public safety.

A broadcaster will have the right to file a complaint with the GNBA within 24 hours of being asked to broadcast a programme free of cost if, in the agency’s judgment, it is not considered a public service broadcast programme.

But there is a warning for broadcasters daring to oppose the legislation: the bill states that any broadcaster the GNBA finds to have “arbitrarily refused” to broadcast a public service broadcast programme with-

out lodging a complaint has committed an offence.

The Act also mandates that any licensed entity carrying out broadcast services immediately before the Act went into effect will have no choice but to reapply within thirty days for a licence in accordance with the amended law. Failing to reapply means a cessation of service.

On the other hand, failing to cease operations if not granted a new licence by the GNBA will, on summary conviction, earn that broadcaster a fine of $1M and imprisonment of one year. In addition, all machinery and equipment used for broadcasting by the entity can be seized.

Since its passage, broadcasters have already come out in opposition to the new proposed measures.

Private broadcast companies have since come out in criticism of the Government over the proposed bill, and have asked for deferral of its debate and passage. The companies have since written to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, requesting a meeting to discuss the bill.

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News

Region 6 administration calls for ban on impounding animals to be lifted T

he Region Six Administration is calling for the ban on impounding animals to be lifted.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, in his capacity as Acting President, had last month imposed the ban after cattle farmers in the flooded Kokerit Savannah had complained of difficulties in removing their animals to dry ground, located in the residential areas of Black Bush Polder.

There are reports that cows, sheep and goats have

Cattle on the road in the Black Bush Polder

Minister to have the ban removed, since the cattle farmers were allowing their animals to roam in the rice

Goats and sheep on the main assess road in Black Bush Polder

been feasting on rice crops.

On Thursday, some of the affected farmers met with the Prime Minister’s Regional Representative, Gobin Harbhajan, with whom they pleaded to ask the Prime

cultivation areas knowing that they cannot be impounded.

Many of the rice farmers are themselves cattle farmers.

Harbhajan explained that, over the past few days,

several groups of rice farmers have been flocking his office with one request. He said a letter to that effect has since been dispatched to the Prime Minister and has been copied to the Agriculture Minister and the Minister of Communities.

Meanwhile, at Thursday’s sitting of the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) statutory meeting, Region 6 Chairman David Armogan said the situation is somewhat different to what it was when the ban was imposed.

His comments came in response to a request from Persaud, who noted that several farmers have lost parts of their crops as a result of the animals.

The Prime Minister, while imposing the ban, did warn that owners will have to act in

a responsible way. Particular reference was made to crops and to the road which is used by vehicles at nights.

Some rice farmers have reported that animal owners would have as many as one hundred head of cattle grazing in the vicinity of rice fields, along with similar numbers of goats, and they would have just one person taking care of all those animals.

According to Armogan, in light of the circumstances, the RDC must make representation to the relevant Minister on behalf of the rice farmers.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has said it is the Public Security Minister who must make the call. Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who has responsibility for public security, is expected to address the issue during a visit to Berbice.

Guyana, Colombia to commence visa waiver soon

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abinet has granted approval for the relevant Government agencies to commence the necessary internal legal procedures to implement mutual exemption of the requirement of visas for persons travelling between Guyana and Colombia.

This was announced

by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon during his post-Cabinet press briefing.

This agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Organization of American States’ (OAS’) General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico on June 21.

The Agreement will allow holders of ordinary passports to enter and stay in either territory of the two countries without a visa for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days. The stay would be renewable for an additional ninety (90) days, provided that the total length of stay does not exceed one hundred and eighty (180) days per year.

The conclusion of this Agreement signals a continuation of efforts to advance cooperation between the two countries, and the development of friendly relations between their peoples.

Kildonan family granted bail on gun charge

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ildonan, Central Corentyne residents Herman De Souza, 61; his wife, Seeranie Bechuah, 51; and their 18-year-old son Devon De Souza were on Friday arraigned before Whim Magistrate Charlyn Artiga on a charge of having in their possession one improvised single-barrel shotgun at their home on August 1st, without having the relevant licence.

Police ranks reportedly acting on intelligence had gone to Kildonan Village, Corentyne Coast, East Berbice and conducted a search on a two-storey house for arms and ammunition.

The officers found an improvised single barrel shotgun without ammunition hidden in the lower flat.

The DeSouzas denied the allegation and were placed on bail of $225,000.

Over 150 educators benefit in early childhood development workshop US notifies UN of Paris

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ver 150 teachers and District Education Officers (DEOs) from across the nation have benefited from a two-day symposium in early childhood development.

The collaborative effort between the Education Ministry and the GuyanaJamaica Friendship Association (GJFA) was held at the Umana Yana in Georgetown.

The five facilitators were educators from New York City with Caribbean heritage; Dr Evelyn Castro, Dr Norma Ellis-Wright, Dr Parthener Pinder, Dr Gloria Thompson and Dr

Denbow explained that there will be a working document, which will be used as a template to ensure that lessons learnt at the workshop are disseminated among other educators in Guyana. Dr Denbow said, “I hope it is the first of many (workshops)”.

Event Coordinator, Dr Gloria Thompson noted “Education is for all”, while explaining the decision to begin training from the bottom, “You have to have a base and once your base is good – you train your teachers, you train your parents,” in the long-run the outcome is much better.

climate deal pullout

Learning aids on display at the event

ing, and Maths (STEAM) for early childhood classrooms; promoting young

Teachers, District Education Officers attending the workshop at the Umana Yana

Claudia Williams.

In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) President, GJFA, Dr Frank

The two-day event included a symposium and workshop where educators were enlightened on science, technology, engineer-

children’s language development, benefits of movement and games for early learners; separation and anxiety in young children and supporting active play

in the early years.

In 2015 Guyana’s Early Childhood Development Project was launched with a grant from the World Bank, totalling US$1.7 million; it was aimed at improving emergent literacy and numeracy outcomes for children at the nursery level and primary Grade One in hinterland regions and targeted remote riverine areas.

This symposium and workshop is the first with the non-profit organisation, Guyana-Jamaica Friendship Association (New York) INC which focuses on bettering health and education in the Caribbean.

The Association has also been working with the Mashabo Primary School over the past year. They have donated microscopes and books.

T

he Trump administration has issued its first written notification that the US intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

But in the notice to the United Nations the US state department said Washington would remain in the talks process.

President Donald Trump drew international condemnation in June when he first announced the US intention to withdraw.

He said the deal "punished" the US and would cost millions of American jobs.

Friday's announcement is seen as largely symbolic as no nation seeking to leave the pact can officially announce an intention to withdraw until 4 November 2019.

The process of leaving then takes another year, meaning it would not be complete until just weeks after the US presidential election in 2020.

Any new US president could then decide to rejoin the agreement. "Today, the United States submitted a communica-

tion to the United Nations in its capacity as depositary for the Paris Agreement regarding the US intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as it is eligible to do so," the US statement read.

"The United States will continue to participate in international climate change negotiations and meetings... to protect US interests and ensure all future policy options remain open to the administration." In June, Trump indicated he was open to another climate deal "on terms that are fair to the United States".

However, key signatories to the accord quickly ruled that out. The Paris Agreement took decades to finalise.

The US stance on climate change also caused divisions at the G20 summit in Germany last month.

A joint summit statement said it "took note of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement".

However, leaders of the other G20 members agreed the accord was "irreversible". (BBC)

news

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National Youth Parliament Education Department honours Region 2 set for this month … 40 students to participate in the crafting of national policies

Parliament’s Clerk of Committees Jocette Bacchus joined by acting PRO Yannick December at the launch of the 3rd Youth Parliament

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ver since the establishment of Youth Parliament in 2015, students from across the country are given the chance to voice their opinions and present proposals on matters affecting the country.

The annual event presents an opportunity for Guyanese youth to be involved in national decision and policymaking, while increasing their capacities in areas such as leadership, democracy and elocution.

The Youth Parliament Committee on Thursday launched its third annual sitting of the national youth debate which is set to be staged from August 6 to 12.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s assembly was the Clerk of Youth Parliament Committee, Jocette Bacchus, who presented an outline of Youth Parliament, over the years.

During her address, she also zoomed in on the overview

of what is to be expected at this year sitting.

On that note, Bacchus outlined, “This year we will be having 40 participants from the nine regions and we would have opened it to private schools as well as public schools. The students will arrive on Sunday and they will go through some amount of training and will have an opportunity to interact with members of Parliament; some will be making presentations to the students. On Thursday, the 10th of August, that will be the sitting.”

Moreover, the Clerk of the Committee went on to say that this year’s deliberation will address a wider range of topics, with special emphasis on those which will have a direct impact on the nation’s youth.

As such, the motions selected for this year’s debates include the Guyana/ Venezuela boarder contro-

versy, the prevention of suicide, the proposed cap on CSEC subjects as well as matters relating to the budding oil and gas industry.

Also speaking at the launch on Thursday was the Assistant Youth Coordinator of Youth Parliament, Eden Corbin, who is also a past participant of the national youth debate.

Corbin revisited the moments of his participation in the National Youth Parliament and thereby highlighted the impacts this experience can have on the life of the students.

Acknowledging the accomplishments of the initiative based on his personal experience, the former youth parliamentarian relayed, “It has more or less been able to direct me in my career path.”

Corbin, who is now the first Guyanese Chairperson of the International Affairs Committee attached to the Guild of the University of West Indies, St Augustine Campus, went on to say that, “The only way I was able to take that stepping stone was through Youth Parliament.

I always had the passion but Youth Parliament was able to sharpen my sight and provide me with a clear directive on what I really want to do.”

The National Youth Parliament was commissioned under the tenure of the then Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman and has since provided an opportunity for

young and emerging leaders to commence their journey in having a footprint in promoting democracy and proposing a number of na-

Eden Corbin, Assistant Youth Coordinator and pervious participant

tional policies to take effect in Guyana. The recommendations presented during the deliberations will eventually make its way to the members of the National Assembly; thereby planting seeds for much need change, taking into consider the perspective of the younger generation.

The 3rd annual Nation Youth Parliament which will commence in the coming week will see the participation from 40 students from nine of the 10 administrative regions of Guyana, with the only exclusion being Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

NGSA top performers …records 5% increase in performance

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ighty students from various primary schools in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), who excelled at the 2017 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), were gifted bags, compliments of the Region's Education Department.

This was done at a ceremony held on Wednesday at the Cotton Field Secondary School.

District Regional Education Officer for Primary Schools, Deodat Singh, commended the efforts of the Head Teachers and teachers from the various schools -- for their hard work and efforts. He said that, compared to previous years, Region Two achieved a five per cent increase in pass rates, and he credited this success to the monitors of the Mathematics literacy programme. He said those monitors had done an excellent job, and some of the schools in Pomeroon riverine communities were able to achieve the status of becoming A list schools.

He said that last year only 28 per cent of the schools had attained being classified ‘A’ list schools, but that figure has this year increased to 32. Those chil-

dren who did not attain 350 marks at the sitting of the examinations will still enter list ‘C’ secondary schools, but would be placed in transition classes -- where pupils will be doing the NGSA curriculum.

In Region Two, 130 students from various primary schools will be placed in transition classes.

Singh also explained that primary schools in the communities with lakes and creeks, and those in the Pomeroon and Supenaam rivers had recorded significantly improved performances.

Regional Education Officer Bharamdai Seepersaud called upon parents to spend more time with their children.

Seepersaud told the students that as they move on to secondary education, they should focus on striving for excellence as well as to participate in all co-curricula activities planned by the schools.

At the end of the simple programme, bags were given to the children, and special gifts were given to those who had qualified to attend secondary schools in Georgetown. (Indrawattie Natram)

Miss World Guyana launches “Sweet Vigour” campaign

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s the recently crowned Miss World Guyana gears up to represent her country on the international stage, Vena Mookram on Friday launched her Beauty with a Purpose Campaign, which she titled “Sweet Vigour.”

With that, the local beauty queen has embarked on a mission aimed at educating the public on the prevalence and dangers of diabetes while advocating for diet and exercise as preventative measures of this illness.

While addressing the gathering at the launch of her service project, Mookram outlined what her campaign entails. In doing so, the 18-year-old went on to say what turned her attention to this issue, as she sets her eyes on the international crown.

Miss World Guyana 2017 regretfully relayed that “My family has a history of diabetes and so I have seen first-hand how persons suffer as a result of this disease.” She further indicated that “Based on my personal observation, the majori-

ty of the Guyanese population are not knowledgeable about what diabetes really is and I want to bring more awareness to this and I see this as a major problem.

Most importantly, based on the International Diabetes Federation of 2014, it was reported that 61,800 (persons) are affected by diabetes in Guyana.”

As such, she now takes the challenge of enlightening the public of this life threatening condition and by promoting diet and exercise; she provides a solution to those already caught up with the illness.

Also speaking at the event hosted at Cara Lodge was Keziah Nestor, a representative from the Young Leaders in Diabetes organisation.

The youth advocate took the opportunity to highlight the prevalence of the chronic illness, especially in Guyana, and pointed out the accomplishments made in tackling this serious medical threat.

Nestor underlined, “Our country as well as other

Miss World Guyana 2017, Vena Mookram joined by the partners of her “Sweet Vigour” Beauty with a Purpose Campaign

parts of the Caribbean suffers from a severe case of incomprehension with respect to Type One diabetes and what it is. We have lost many young lives as a result of this.”

With that being said, she continued, “We haven’t found the cure for Type One diabetes but we have found the cure for lack of knowledge. We understand that Type One diabetes can never be eradicated but it can be controlled. The only way we

can control Type One diabetes is through education.”

Echoing the sentiments of Nestor was local activist Glynis Beaton who is attached to the Guyana Diabetic Association. Beaton in her address emphasised the need for actions to be taken to prevent the possible devastating outcomes of diabetes.

“While diabetes is not the leading cause of death, it is the contributing factor for the top four deaths in

Guyana,” conveyed the expert.

On that note, Beaton explained that living with this illness no longer simply entails taking medication, practicing a healthy diet and regular excise but she pointed that it requires a comprehensive lifestyle adjustment, part of which is addressed in the “Sweet Vigour” campaign.

After establishing the severity of the matter at hand, the ambassadors of both or-

ganizations pledged support to the Miss World Guyana as she goes on to tackle the concerns of diabetes in Guyana.

The reigning Miss World Guyana in collaboration with her partners will be hosting a series of events in the coming months which will provide the necessary education on the issue and more so, medical assistance to those suffering from the illness. The local beauty queen also announced the impending commissioning of a public park in Diamond, East Coast Demerara, providing the necessary facilities to citizens to stay fit with continuous exercise.

Given that the Beauty with a Purpose Campaign carries the most weight at the Miss World Pageant, Vena’s ‘Sweet Vigour’ diabetes prevention campaign will aid in her mission as she competes along scores of beauties from across the world.

Mookram is set to take the international stage on November 18 as she vies for this year’s Miss World crown in China.

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Regional

Venezuela opens disputed new constituent assembly

Demonstrators build fire barricades while rallying against Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro’s government in Caracas, Venezuela, August 4, 2017 (Reuters)

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enezuela's controversial new assembly has opened despite fierce Opposition at home and abroad. President Nicolás Maduro says the constituent assembly is needed to bring peace after months of crisis.

But the Opposition says the new body, which

has the ability to rewrite the constitution, is a way for the president to cling to power. The Vatican has joined worldwide condemnation of the assembly by calling it to be suspended.

On Friday though thousands of Government supporters gathered in the capital Caracas to cheer and wave flags as the new members took office. Some carried pictures of late leader Hugo Chávez and the independence hero Simón Bolivar.

Among those sitting for the first time in the 545-member assembly are Mr Maduro's wife and son. A close ally of Maduro, former Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, was elected President. Her opening speech attacked the Opposition as "fascist" and warned the international community against interfering.

Constituent assemblies are set up for the specific purpose of drafting or adopting a Constitution, and as such can fundamentally change how a country is run. Venezuela is mired in a deep economic crisis and has seen waves of violent protests, and Maduro presented the assembly as a way of promoting "reconciliation and peace".

But the Opposition has cried foul. The new assembly has the power to bypass and even dissolve the current Opposition-led National Assembly. The two bodies are expected to run in parallel in the Legislative Palace in Caracas. (Excerpt from BBC News)

30 passengers injured on Miami to Port of Spain flight

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he Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) says as many as 30 passengers on board an American Airlines flight were injured during turbulence as the aircraft approached the Piarco International Airport late Thursday.

Initial reports had indicated that 22 people were injured.

The Airport Authority said three had to seek medical attention at hospital.

“On Wednesday 2nd August, 2017 at 9pm, American Airlines Flight 2713 contacted the ATC Tower to ad-

vise that they experienced severe turbulence while en route from Miami to Port of Spain and would require medical assistance upon arrival at the Piarco International Airport, as there were injuries on board,” the AATT said in a release on Thursday.

The authority said the aircraft landed safely at 9:33 pm and emergency response agencies arrived on site immediately to lend support.

AATT said it remains committed to the safety and security of customers. (CMC)

Haitian lawmakers Ritz Carlton to operate luxury resort in St Lucia vote to ban same- R sex marriages

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aitian lawmakers have approved legislation prohibiting same-sex marriages as well as banning all forms of public demonstrations in support of homosexuality.

The Senate earlier this week approved the measure that includes sanctions and specifies that perpetrators, co-perpetrators and accomplices of a homosexual marriage face a penalty of three years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 Gourdes (One Gourde=US$0.01 cents).

When the vote was taken on Tuesday night, 50 per cent of the total Senate was not present. But 12 Senators voted in favour of the bill, while one voted against and another ab-

stained.

This bill, in addition to prohibiting marriage, or attempted marriage, between two people of the same sex in Haiti, also prohibits all forms of public demonstrations in support of homosexuality and proselytism in favour of such acts and stipulates that “any promotion, in any form or by any means, constitutes an offense of contempt of good morals and public decency”.

The bill also includes foreigners on Haitian territory, stating “no foreigner can avail himself of his personal status and the provisions of the law of his country to solicit the celebration in Haiti of a marriage between two persons of the same sex”.

itz Carlton, the luxury hotel subsidiary of Marriott International, on Thursday signed an operating agreement with Range Developments and the government of Saint Lucia to operate the planned new resort development at Black Bay on the beautiful southern tip of the island.

Ritz Carlton has 91 luxury hotels and resorts in 30 countries and territories, including six in the wider Caribbean: Aruba, Cayman Islands; Mexico, Puerto Rico (2); and USVI. The agreement was signed on behalf of Marriott/Ritz Carlton by Alejandro Acevedo, regional vice president of Marriott International; Mohammed Asaria, vice chairman of

(L-R) Alejandro Acevedo, Regional Vice President, Marriott International; Mohammed Asaria, Vice Chairman of Range Developments; and Prime Minister Allen Chastanet signing the operating agreement

Range Developments; and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

The heart of the Black Bay Master Development

Cuba graduates 170 doctors from Promote STEM fields the United States (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

E

xecutive Director of the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF), Cardinal Warde, believes that more needs to be done in the region to develop the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Warde expressed this as he delivered his opening remarks during the Showcase Finals of the 2017 Barbados Junior Robotics Camp, which was held at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus yesterday evening.

“The CSF exists partly because we believe that the Caribbean region is not doing enough to harness STEM for economic development.

We continue to rely on tourism – which we have to; it

C

Cardinal Warde, Executive Director of the Caribbean Science Foundation

makes a lot of sense – but we have to diversify the economies a lot more,” he said.

He added that it is their hope to bring the camp cur-riculum to schools in the near future. (Barbados Advocate)

uba has graduated 170 doctors from the United States through a project implemented the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), which was initiated in November 1999.

In an exclusive interview with Cuban News Agency, Zenia Díaz Catalá, Director of the General Secretariat of the ELAM project, said that since the first graduation in 2005, to date, ELAM has graduated more than 28,500 doctors from 103 countries, free of charge.

Dr David Floyd, from the 2016-2017 class, thanked the Cuban leadership, the Cuban people, the teachers and workers of this noble

project, an example of integration between peoples for a more humane world.

The doctor finished his curricula at the Salvador Allende Faculty of the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, an institution that graduated 52 foreign doctors, 25 of them from the United States, said Dr Suiberto Echavarría, dean of that institution.

Diaz Catalá explained that currently the ELAM project has an enrollment of 4,969 students from 112 nations in the 21 faculties of the country's medical science universities, of which 83 are from the United States. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

will consist of Ritz Carlton branded hotel and villas set on 180 acres. The site is on the Caribbean southwest coast, within easy reach of

the international airport and the Pitons, the world famous heritage site. The master development will be developed in a number of phases.

The Ritz Carlton hotel, the anchor of the master development, will be developed under the country’s citizenship-by-investment programme and will comprise 180 rooms.

Range Developments has received plaudits and awards both for its designs and robust and innovative corporate social responsibility activities. This will be the company's third major luxury development in the Caribbean, following the Park Hyatt St Kitts, which is due to open in November, and Kempinski Dominica.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Peru appeals court says ex-President Humala to stay in jail

A

Peruvian appeals court ruled on Friday that former President Ollanta Humala and his wife must remain in pre-trial detention for up to 18 months while they are investigated for campaign contributions.

Humala, who was President a little over a year ago, and former first lady Nadine Heredia have been accused of taking illegal campaign donations from Brazilian builder Odebrecht SA in 2011 and from late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in 2006 and using them for personal enrichment.

The couple has denied the accusations and said a lower court's July 13 ruling ordering them to be jailed while public prosecutors finish a money laundering probe vio-

lates due process.

"We're clearly taking this to the Supreme Court," Defence Attorney Wilfredo Pedraza told reporters, calling the measure "disproportionate." A corruption scandal involving Odebrecht in Brazil has spread through the region.

Odebrecht's former Executive Marcelo Odebrecht has testified that the company gave US$3 million to Humala on orders from Brazil's former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers Party, Prosecutor German Juarez has said.

Rightwing Opposition Leader Keiko Fujimori and centrist President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski have denied that their parties took money from Odebrecht. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

SATURDAY, August 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

Four charged in Trump Singapore cancels residence status of US citizen crackdown on leaks

U

S Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced four people have been charged over leaks as he launched a crackdown on disclosure of classified material.

He said the suspects stood accused of unlawfully divulging classified information or concealing contacts with foreign intelligence officers.

America's top prosecutor said the administration has tripled the number of active leak probes since January.

President Donald Trump has criticised Mr Sessions as "very weak" on leaks.

At Friday's news conference, Mr Sessions said no government could be effective when its leaders could not talk freely in confidence with foreign leaders.

S

ingapore said on Friday it had canceled the permanent residence status of a professor at a prominent postgraduate school whom it identified as a U.S. citizen, and accused him of being an agent of influence for a foreign country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Huang Jing, a professor of U.S.-China relations at the Lee Kuan

US Attorney General, Jeff Sessions

"I strongly agree with the president and condemn in the strongest terms the staggering number of leaks undermining the ability of our government to protect this country," he told reporters.

He said there had been a "dramatic" increase in recent months of unauthorised

disclosures to the media and even foreign adversaries.

The attorney general also said he wanted to review policies on media subpoenas - compelling journalists to testify in court - to balance the role of the press with protecting national security. (BBC)

2 teenagers, pilot dead in Switzerland plane crash

Yew School of Public Policy, "knowingly interacted with intelligence organizations and agents of the foreign country" with the aim of bringing about a change in the direction of Singapore's foreign policy.

The ruling, which also applied to Huang's wife, Shirley Yang Xiuping, means that if they leave Singapore, they will not be

readmitted.

The ministry identified the couple as U.S. citizens, but did not identify the country that Huang was alleged to have been working for.

A spokeswoman for the US State Department said it was aware of the Singapore announcement but declined further comment, citing privacy concerns. (Reuters)

Car bomb kills at least 1 in Somali’s capital

A

n explosives-laden car blew up in the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring another, Police said.

The vehicle was parked next to a hospital in a busy road that is flanked by several hotels.

There was no immedi-

ate claim of responsibility, though the Islamist militant group Al Shabaab has launched frequent attacks in the city.

"So far, I have seen one dead civilian. She was a woman. One man was also injured," Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters.

Al Shabaab is waging an insurgency to overthrow

the Western-backed government and drive out African Union peacekeepers in a bid to take over the country and impose its strict interpretation of Islam.

The group ruled over large parts of the nation in the Horn of Africa until 2011, when it was driven out of Mogadishu by the peacekeepers and Somali troops.

(Reuters)

Nigeria charges 43 people for homosexuality

N

T

Three people have died and one is seriously injured following the crash

wo 14-year-old boys and a pilot have been killed in an air accident at a Swiss summer camp, police have said.

A 17-year-old girl also sustained serious injuries in the crash, which took place in the canton of Graubunden, near the Italian border, just before 09:30 local time (07:30 GMT).

They had been attending a week-long camp or-

ganised by the Swiss Aero Club.

The club's Yves Burkhardt told reporters the flight should have been the "highlight" of the week.

"My world has collapsed," he said.

The single-engine plane - identified as a Piper PA28 - had already made one trip before taking the group up, police spokesman Roman Ruegg told news agency AFP.

The crash, which took place about 10 minutes after take off, was witnessed by some tourists who had taken an airlift up the mountain, in the Diavolezza region, he added.

An investigation has been launched, while Swiss Civil Aviation has closed the airspace in the area.

The camp, which has been running for 35 years, introduces young people to the world of flight. (BBC)

Large font in text message leads to child sex abuse arrests

A

nursery school teacher has been called a "hero" after she spotted a plane passenger allegedly sending text messages discussing child sexual abuse.

The woman, who has not been named, was able to read the messages of the man in front of her on the Seattle-San Jose flight because they were in a large font on a large smart phone.

She took pictures of the screen and informed airline staff, police say.

It led to the arrests of Michael Kellar, and later Gail Burnworth. Two children, aged five and seven,

Police arrested Michael Kellar and Gail Burnworth after a plane passenger spotted text messages

have been identified as the alleged victims.

Southwest Airlines employees alerted police to the texts. After land-

ing at Mineta San Jose International Airport, in California, Mr Kellar was detained on the spot. (BBC)

igeria has charged 43 people with homosexual acts, legal authorities said on Friday, in a move likely to concern Western trade partners and donors.

A hotel owner and two of his employees are accused of encouraging the other 40 males to have sex at the hotel, the Lagos state government said. The charges are "engaging in" and "aid-

ing and promoting same sex sexual activities".

The 40 pleaded not guilty and were granted bail, but were ordered to undergo monitoring and "sexual rehabilitation", the Lagos government said, adding that 12 of them were minors.

The age of consent in Lagos is 18, although gay sex is illegal.

The other three were denied bail pending legal ad-

vice from a higher court, and were not allowed to plead.

State Attorney General Adeniji Kazeem said the prosecutions were aimed at putting "a stop to the exploitation of under-aged children who are often lured by unscrupulous and criminally-minded adults to engage in acts or behaviors that are not in consonance with the laws of the state."

(Reuters)

Dubai's Torch Tower catches fire for second time in 2 years

A

large blaze has ripped through one of the largest residential buildings in the world, the Torch Tower in Dubai.

Flames shot up the side of the skyscraper, sending debris tumbling from the 337m (1,106 ft) structure.

One resident told Reuters people were screaming as they woke to the late-night blaze before having to flee.

The authorities said all inside were safely evacuated and the fire brought under control at about 03:40 local time (23:40 GMT).

"Thank God, there were no casualties because of the efforts of all teams on the ground," Dubai Police chief Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri said.

It is not clear what caused the fire in the 79-storey skyscraper, but it is the second blaze to hit the building in two years.

By daybreak, the building had been left badly damaged and vehicles in the vicinity destroyed.

The Government media office said "cooling operations were under way".

The Torch Tower was damaged by an earlier blaze

in 2015, which resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of people.

That fire, and other recent blazes in the city, spread quickly because of external cladding, according to fire engineering consultancy Tenable Dubai. (BBC)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, august 5, 2017

ARCHIE

Impulse will take the reins if an emotional situa(March 21- tion crops up. Get the facts, April 19) and control your urge to say or do something you’ll regret.

Time alone will do you good.

ARIES

You’ll

learn

much

from

TAURUS someone older or who has more (April 20- experience. Be vocal about the May 20) way you feel. Surround your-

dilbert

self with reliable friends and relatives. Romance will improve your life.

Do what needs to be done GEMINI (May 21- and keep moving forward. Be June 20) aware of anyone trying to manipulate a situation or who may have ulterior motives.

Protect your reputation.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Time spent on self-improvement will make you feel good and will prompt compliments from those you care about. Romance is in the stars and will boost your morale.

Stabilize any situation involving a loved one, parent or child. Execute your plans with precision. Don’t overspend to make an impression.

Let your work experience be your calling card.

Engaging in entertaining VIRGO (Aug. 23- events will lift your spirits, as Sept. 22) long as you don’t overspend or let indulgent tendencies take control. Don’t feel compelled to pay for others.

Problems at home will fesLIBRA ter if not handled properly.

(Sept. 23Getting out and having fun is Oct. 23) a good thing, but make sure you take care of your responsibilities before you do so.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

A short trip will result in SCORPIO greater insight or self-aware(Oct. 24ness. Don’t let what you see Nov. 22) upset or anger you. Use your experience to motivate you to do more.

Be cognizant of what’s beSAGITTARIUS ing said or offered. Take con(Nov. 23- trol and make a point to look Dec. 21) over every detail. Do the legwork and initiate change or adjustments on your terms.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

An emotional situation CAPRICORN will arise and tamper with (Dec. 22- your plans. Don’t feel the Jan. 19) need to accommodate everyone. If someone backs out at the last minute or disrupts your plans, carry on alone.

Stick to a budget and reAQUARIUS frain from purchases that (Jan. 20- promise the impossible. You Feb. 19) may feel like a change will bring you happiness, but spending too much won’t make you feel better.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Make plans to do somePISCES thing that makes you feel (Feb. 20March 20) good. Whether you lounge around the house or pitch in and help a cause you believe in, positive results will unfold.

saturDAY, august 5, 2017

19

Neymar says he followed his heart, not the record money, to PSG PARIS (Reuters) - Money was never the motivating factor for Neymar's record 222 million-euro ($261 million) transfer from Barcelona, the world's most expensive footballer said on his arrival at Paris St Germain on Friday.

Before taking to the pitch at the Parc des Princes stadium to show off his skills and new PSG shirt, the Brazilian forward told reporters he had moved to France was because he "wanted a bigger challenge".

"My heart made this decision and I followed my heart," said the player who will reportedly be paid 45 million euros ($53 million) a year.

"Money was never my motivation ... I want to be happy, and I want my family to be happy. I’m really sad to hear that people think this way.

"If it was just about money, I could have gone somewhere else," he said.

The jaw-dropping deal is the first time that a world record transfer fee has been doubled in one swoop. The previous record was midfielder Paul Pogba's move last year from Juventus to Manchester United for 105 mil-

lion euros.

Sports business experts say the transfer - which could lead to a series of big-money deals across Europe - makes little business sense for PSG and may have more to do with its Qatari owners' desire to exert "soft power" at a time when the wealthy Gulf Arab state is being isolated by its neighbors.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who introduced the player as "an idol for the whole world", said the value of the club had risen by half a billion dollars since Neymar's signing.

He was not concerned about possibly falling foul of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations, which limit the amount a club can spend in excess of their income, saying: "We are working very transparently with UEFA." As well as his undeniable assets on the field, Neymar proved

an instant hit at PSG's stadium shop which sold out of shirts with Neymar's number 10 on the back, at a price of between 100 and 150 euros each.

"Being the most expensive player in the world is not a burden," Neymar said. "I weigh 69 k g .

I don’t have a burden on me."

"Beyond rationality"

Neymar denied that he had tired of playing second-fiddle to Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

"It’s not that I wanted to be the big star at Barcelona," he said "That’s not what I’m looking for here. I’m looking for a new challenge, new trophies, and this is what motivates me."

PSG fans may not have to wait long to see their new superstar in action.

"I can play tomorrow (against Amiens). Why not? I’ll speak to the staff, but I really want to play. I haven’t discussed where I will play. I will play where the coach wants me to."

"I only stopped playing in the last two days and I’m hungry to play football."

On the eve of the new French league campaign, PSG have been made firm favorites to regain the Ligue 1 title they lost to Monaco last season, finishing eight points behind them.

Neymar

However, there has been criticism of the sums involved.

FIFpro, the worldwide union of professional footballers, said the deal illustrated much of what wrong with the sport.

"Football is ever more the domain of a select group of rich, mostly European-based clubs," FIFPro General Secretary Theo van Seggelen said in a statement.

"Football’s enormous wealth is trapped within a few leagues and clubs when it could be redistributed more efficiently and fairly to help protect competitive balance.

"The transfer rules governed

by FIFA are anti-competitive, unjustified and illegal."

Arsenal's French manager, Arsene Wenger, linked in the past with a move to PSG, said player valuations were "beyond calculation and beyond rationality".

But the deal has fed hopes in France that Ligue 1 can become a European soccer powerhouse to rival Spain's La Liga, England's Premier League, the German Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A. "Ligue 1 has a bright future and Neymar is an accelerator to this bright future of Ligue 1," said Marc Ingla, director general of top flight French side Lille.

Joshua ordered to defend WBA title against Ortiz T

he World Boxing Association (WBA) has ordered world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to defend his title against Cuba’s Luis Ortiz, the organization said on Friday.

The 27-year-old Briton, who also holds the IBF and IBO titles, had been due to face Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch of their April bout that Josua won via an 11th round knockout but the Ukrainian announced his retirement on Thursday.

“Both parties (Joshua and Ortiz) were duly notified that, as of August 3rd, they have 30 days to reach an agreement or the fight will be called to purse bids,” the WBA said in a statement.

Joshua, undefeated in 19 bouts, has also been told he must face IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria before Dec. 2 or risk being stripped of that belt.

The 38-year-old Ortiz is also unbeaten, recording 23 knockouts in 27 career wins, and is a former WBA interim world champion.

Former champion Klitschko, who made 23 world title defenses during his glittering career, has backed the Briton to lead the next generation of heavyweight fighters.

“My HEART is at PEACE as I pass the torch to @anthonyfjoshua - the next generation. Good luck little bro, I’m proud of you!,” the 41-year-old posted on Twitter.

(Reuters)

Maron joins Windies as fielding coach S outh African Ryan Maron has been appointed as a new assistant coach with responsibility for fielding by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

The 42-year-old, who replaces Andre Coley following the laters appointment as Windwards Islands Volcanoes head coach, previously worked with the Afghanistan men’s team as a fielding specialist. Maron will join a coaching staff headed by Stuart Law, which also includes Roddy Estwick and Toby Radford.

CWI director Jimmy Adams expressed satisfaction with the appointment and believes Maron will be a valuable addition to the team, especially ahead of the England tour.

“We are pleased to have Ryan join us. He

has a vast knowledge of the game and has done some very good work. As we prepare for the upcoming Wisden Trophy Test Series in England and I’m sure he will be a great addition to the coaching staff,” Adams said.

The new assistant coach looks forward to working with the team.

“This is a massive privilege to be involved in West Indies cricket and I’m delighted to join the Windies coaching staff. I have followed West Indies cricket over the years as a kid and then as a player and a coach and I’m just happy to be offered this opportunity to make a contribution as a coach,” Maron said.

The West Indies and England will meet for three Tests, a one-off T20I and five ODIs later this month. (Sportsmax)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturdAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

J'ca's Atkinson sets new national record, wins bronze medals in Moscow

A

lia Atkinson shattered the Jamaican national record while winning the bronze medal in the 100-metres butterfly on day-two of the Moscow leg of the FINA/Airweave World Cup Tour.

This was the fourth time in three competitions that Atkinson was breaking a national record following. This follows national record swims in the 100-metres (long course) butterfly earlier this sum-

mer.

At the start of the day, the previous Jamaican record stood at 1:01.39 from her efforts at the 2012 Canada Cup. In the Thursday morning heats Atkinson broke the through the minute barrier to clock 57.64. The only person faster was the world record holder in the event Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström who topped qualifiers with a time of 56.97.

In the final, Atkinson went out with the field and was fourth at the 50-metre turn. She came back faster in the last 50 metres in 30.37 to win the bronze again lowering the national record to 57.56.

The silver medal went to Russian Svetlana Chimrova in 57.02 while Sjöström won the gold medal in a smart 55.70.

Less than an hour earlier Sjöström set a new world record

Alia Atkinson

100 freestyle (short course) in a time of 50.77.

The Jamaican picked up her second bronze medal on the day In the 200-metre breaststroke where Atkinson produced her second fastest effort ever on the World Cup tour in the preliminaries when she clocked 2:22.07 (split time 1:08.35) to qualify for the final.

In the race for the medals, Atkinson, long time tour rival

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte and European record holder Dane Rikke Moeller Pedersen that took the fight to the field with splits of 1:07.51 and 1:07.55 and 1:07.43 respectively. The last 100 metres saw Pedersen holding on to take the gold in 2:19.84 ahead of silver medalist Russia's Mariia Temnikova, who edged Atkinson at the wall 2:20.14 to 2:20.63. Meilutyte was fifth in 2:22.21. (SportsMax)

Jamaica Tallawahs moving to Florida – reports

Coe determined to stop athletes using flags of convenience

A

re the Jamaica Tallawahs about to move to Florida?

According to reports the new owners of the Hero CPL franchise, Worldwide Sports Management Group (WSMG), are harbouring plans to move the team’s base of operations to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. WSMG bought the franchise from Ron Parikh and Manish Patel in July.

Should such a move become reality the CPL would take a financial hit of about US$1.5 million but according to reports, a press release sent out on behalf of the new owner, Florida-based businessman Kris Persaud, invited local media in Florida to welcome a "multi-million dollar Caribbean Premier League cricket franchise coming to Broward County".

The team would then be based at the Central Broward Regional Park, a significant shift from its current home at Sabina Park in Kingston. (SportsMax)

T

Sebastian Coe

he president of athletics' world governing body the IAAF has vowed to continue efforts to stop athletes switching nationality and competing under 'flags of convenience'.

Speaking ahead of the opening of the World Athletics championships in London, Sebastian Coe said that athletes needed to have a strong connection to the country they are representing, rather than looking around for nations to run for.

"We have witnessed in the last few years the changing shape of our sport which at its best is a championship-based sport (where) the best athletes competing against each other with national identity," he said on Friday.

"I can't have a situation where I've got federation presidents reporting to me that most mornings they are waking up to emails with names of athletes looking for flags of convenience."

Unlike other sports such as soccer, athletics has allowed its competitors to switch nationalities, even after they have represented one country at international level.

Several dozen athletes changed allegiance on the eve of last year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In February this year, the IAAF placed an immediate stop on changes of nationality by athletes and has set up a working group to come up with new rules.

Coe said although there should be some "legitimate and genuine" chances for athletes to switch, he wanted the process to be "a lot tougher".

"It can't be done on the basis that just two federations agree and an athlete suddenly appears in a completely different uniform to the one they were running in six weeks ago," he added. (Reuters)

Bolt could become head of Puma’s Caribbean business on retirement – report

ECCCC secures sponsorship

O

nce he completes his final race as a professional athlete 11-time world champion Usain Bolt could be sitting behind a desk running Puma’s business in the Caribbean.

"Usain Bolt could be even more important for us when he stops running," Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden told the Handelsblatt daily in an interview. "I can even imagine that he could run our business in the Caribbean."

Gulden believes that the Jamaican track star could be as valuable for the brand off the track, similar to roles played by basketball great Michael Jordan at Nike and English football icon David Beckham with Adidas.

Bolt, who turns 31 later this month, said earlier this week he was looking forward to a new chapter.

"It's going to be hard, as track and field have been everything for me since I was 10 and it’s been a rush – but we'll see where life takes me."

D

ependable Spares, located at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and Universal Electronics of Enmore, East Coast Demarara, in association with Cricket Zone USA are the new sponsors for the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club (ECCCC) coloured uniforms.

At a presentation ceremony held at the Enmore Community Centre, proprietor of Universal Electronics, former national youth player Adrian Persaud, presented over 26 uniforms and caps to ECCCC captain Bheemraj Ramkelawan.

Club captain Ramkelawan was loud in praise of the sponsorship towards the club. “We are very grateful to Dependable Spares and Universal Electronics in association with Cricketzone USA for their generosity,” Ramkelawan declared.

He further stated that with the ECCCC being the most successful club on the East Coast of Demerara for the past three years, the uniforms provided by the sponsors were timely since the club has expanded its player’s base with some youthful prospects who will be better equipped to continue to fulfill their mandate.

Special thanks were also extended to Ravi Etwaroo of Cricket Zone USA, who once again contributed cricket equipment to the Club. Meanwhile, Persaud said on behalf of the other co-sponsors that he is pleased to contribute to the club of which he is a member.

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B

en Stokes was dismissed late on the first day as England were kept in check by some disciplined South Africa bowling in the final Test.

Stokes was bowled by Kagiso Rabada for 58 in the penultimate over as England closed on 260-6 at Old Trafford.

Joe Root made 52 and Alastair Cook 46, while under-pressure opener Keaton Jennings only managed 17.

The South Africa attack, without Vernon Philander, impressed, with Kagiso Rabada picking up 2-52.

He helped fill the hole left by Philander who, along with Chris Morris, missed out because of a back injury.

On an even-paced surface offering both seam movement and some turn, England may feel they missed the chance to cash in under the Manchester sunshine.

But they could have been in a worse position - a Root edge was missed by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock when the captain was on 44 and Jonny Bairstow needed the third umpire to reprieve

him when on only four.

England lead the series 2-1 and are looking for a

SCOREBOARD Afghanistan innings (20 overs maximum) Usman Ghani run out (Taylor/ Brathwaite/Williams 8 Gulbadin Naib b Badree 12 Asghar Stanikzai* c & b Williams 5 Karim Janat c †Walton b Brathw aite 8 Samiullah Shenwari lbw b Narine 7 Mohammad Nabi c Taylor b Brat hwaite 2 Rashid Khan c Narine b Taylor 33 Shafiqullah† c & b Narine 0 Najibullah Zadran c †Walton b Narine 4 Amir Hamza c †Walton b Williams 21 Shapoor Zadran not out 1 Extras: (b 4, lb 3, w 2)9 Total: (all out; 20 overs) 110 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Gulbadin Naib, 3.2 ov), 2-26 (Usman Ghani, 4.1 ov), 3-26 (Asghar Stanikzai, 4.5 ov), 4-42 (Karim Janat, 8.5 ov), 5-46 (Mohammad Nabi, 10.5 ov), 6-46 (Samiullah Shenwari, 11.1 ov), 7-46 (Shafiqullah, 11.4 ov), 8-58 (Najibullah Zadran, 13.4 ov), 9-94 (Rashid Khan, 18.5 ov),

Guinness Cage Indoor Championship set for Aug 24

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first home victory over the Proteas since 1998. (BBC)

he Guinness Three Peat Promotions first ever Guinness Cage Indoor Championship is set to commence on Thursday, August 24, at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

According to a release from the Organisers, thirty-two of the leading teams in the indoor format will battle for prize monies in excess of $800,000.

The competition will featuring such teams as new kids on the block Future Stars, resurgent West Front Road ‘Gold is Money, Guyana’s most successful futsal team Sparta Boss, Linden champion Dave & Celena All Stars, West Demerara champion Showstoppers, Leopold Street, Tiger Bay, Agricola Champion Boys, Melanie and Plaisance among others.

It promises to be eight nights of action with the winning side set to receive $400,000 and the championship trophy, while second, third and fourth placed teams take away $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The other playing dates for the championship are August 29 and 31, September 2, 5, 7, 9 with the final set for September 16, at the same venue.

10-110 (Amir Hamza, 19.6 ov) Bowling: Taylor 4-0-381 (1w), Badree 4-0-19-1, Williams4-1-19-2 (1w), Narine 4-0-11-3, C Brathwaite 4-0-16-2 West Indies innings (target: 111 runs from 20 overs) C Walton† c Usman Ghani b Shapoor Zadran 22 E Lewis c Samiullah Shenwari b Karim Janat 26 M Samuels b Shapoor Zadran 35 L Simmons b Rashid Khan 6 J Mohammed not out18 R Powell not out 2 Extras: (lb 1, w 4)5 Total: (4 wickets; 16.3 overs)114 Did not bat: CR Brathwaite*, JE Taylor, SP Narine, S Badree, KOK Williams Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Walton, 3.3 ov), 2-63 (Lewis, 7.2 ov), 3-82 (Simmons, 8.6 ov), 4-99 (Samuels, 14.1 ov) Bowling: Shapoor Zadran 3.30-30-2 (2w), Mohammad Nabi 3-0-23-0, Amir Hamza 4-0-240, Rashid Khan 4-0-14-1 3.50 (2w), Karim Janat 1-0-12-1, Samiullah Shenwari 1-0-10-0

Some of the teams invited so far areGeorgetown Sparta Boss Gold is Money Back Circle Future Stars Leopold Street Broad Street Queen Street Tiger Bay Albouystown North East La Penitence Tucville Sophia North Ruimveldt East Bank Demerara Agricola Linden Dave and Celena’s All-Stars West Demerara Showstoppers Hustlers ESPN East Coast BV Melanie Plaisance

R Ashwin contributed again with the bat

I

ndia lost their centurions, one at the start of play, and the other about half an hour to lunch, in a manner that suggested Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had heard the calls from the dressing room that they were hogging all the fun. Once they relented, a strong lower order - with an allrounder at No. 9 - took their total past 600 for the sixth time in nine months. Sri Lanka did have a few moments to celebrate, of course, but each time their batsmen cast a suspicious eye on the pitch. It had begun puffing up clouds of dust like a steam train from the sixties.

Virat Kohli declared on 622 for 9, giving the opposition 20 overs to survive.

Upul Tharanga fell for a duck with the ball - juicy, short and on leg stump sticking in short leg's midriff. As he walked back, he might have felt like that kid in the arcade who had stood in an endless queue, impatiently waiting for their turn to have some fun, but just as he got his hands on the controllers, there was a citywide power outage.

India's spinners continued to create more chances - the hard new ball offering more bite off the pitch - and Dimuth Karunaratne succumbed for 25. R Ashwinwas the successful bowler on both occasions as he strutted out his offbreaks like an art collector exhibiting his best pieces. There was the old faithful, with a 45-degree seam, turning and bouncing sharply. The cheeky undercutter, that comes out with no change in grip or action but for the seam being almost perpendicular to the

pitch. And finally the bold carrom ball, probing the other edge. All of them were aimed at off stump, so there were no easy leaves.

By the end of the day, no one would be blamed for forgetting he had also scored important runs. Ashwin struck one of six fifties for India - a feat his team has achieved only twice in 253 away Tests. He got off the mark with an airy boundary behind point, pierced gaps at cover that seemed non-existent, and with a six over long-off, he asserted his place among the best in the business. Only 15 allrounders have claimed 2000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests.

Ashwin reached there quicker than anybody else, in 51 matches.

Wriddhiman Saha had watched a team-mate being stumped after haring down the track, but that had no bearing on his move to do the same and swat his fourth ball to the long-on boundary. He is a composed player of spin because of his ability to both sweep and stride down the pitch. He can then choose to attack or defend or nudge gaps - which were available aplenty as the total swelled monstrously.

India scored a hundred or more in four of the five full sessions they batted at the Sinhalese Sports Club, and the only time they couldn't, they'd already racked up 98.

The carnage almost spilled over, in the 131st and 149th overs, when after berating the bowlers, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja took aim at umpire Rod Tucker with blistering straight drives. Thankfully, his reflexes were spot on. (Cricinfo)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Rogers, McKoy SATURdAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

Brilliant Farah maintains receive funding from NSC domination with epic 10,000 metres win M

o Farah launched the World Athletics Championships in scintillating fashion on Friday with another consummate 10,000 meters triumph that further embellished his claim to being the greatest distance racer in the sport's annals.

With 55,000 of his home fans roaring their support at the London Stadium, the 34-year-old Briton sprinted away with his 10th consecutive gold medal in a global track final, a dazzling sequence that ranks among the greatest feats in sport.

Farah survived being clipped twice from behind in the final lap, nearly tripping over, before unleashing a trademark burst down the home straight to burst away from Ugandan silver medalist Joshua Cheptegei and Kenyan bronze medal winner Paul Tanui.

The Briton clocked 26 minutes 49.51 seconds, the world's

(L-R) Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Onassha Rogers at the signing of the MoU

By Michelangelo Jacobus

H

aving been awarded full University of Guyana scholarships on the heels of their commendable performances at this year’s CARIFTA games young athletes Claudrice McKoy and Onassha Rogers were scouted by Munroe College and were later awarded full scholarships by the overseas institution.

The National Sports Commission has now made a decision to give the two athletes the yearly amount that they would have received were they to attend UG, in a gesture of commitment to Rogers and McKoy. This was revealed by the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones at the signing of a MoU (Memorandum of

Understanding) at the NSC Head Office on Homestretch Avenue.

“The National Sports Commission because of the commitment we made to the athletes for a full scholarship to the University of Guyana and wanting to be committed to that commitment we made, the National sports commission will make available to these two athletes, namely Onassha Rogers and Claudrice McKoy the same sum that would have been used to attend the University of Guyana. In the agreement it is on a yearly basis to the amount of $230,000 a year for four years” Jones explained.

The yearly sum ($230,000) includes the $50,000 “miscellaneous fee” which students at UG normally have to pay.

Rogers whose major at Munro

College would be Criminal Law, thanked the Director of Sport and maintained that she will do her best to represent Guyana creditably.

“Thank you to the National Sports Commission and Mr Christopher Jones for this contribution made, I’m very excited and happy to have this opportunity to go further my studies. I promise to go out there to do my best, make Guyana proud, my family and the government of Guyana” Rogers told the media.

Rogers, a powerful sprinter and middle distance specialist and McKoy are set to depart the Land of Many Waters on August 18 for the United States of America to take up respective places at Munro College.

US Embassy, NSC collaborate for basketball Coaches’ Clinic

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NBA Coach Elvis Valcarcel instructs participants during a drill

he National Sports Commission and the US Embassy partnered through the embassy’s ‘Sports Diplomacy’ initiative, to host a basketball clinic for children.

The clinic was facilitated by Elvis Valcarcel, assistant coach for Player Development for the New Orleans Pelicans, Agnus Berenato, women’s head coach at Kennesaw State University and former WNBA star guard Allison Feaster.

Well over 50 participants, both male and female, gathered at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and were educated on training regimens and techniques and physical fitness and nutrition over the course of two days which ended on Thursday.

Valcarcel during a media briefing at the Sports Hall pointed out basketball is a two way street.

“We’re bringing our knowledge of the game here for the youths to build

enthusiasm, build pride and build passion for the game. But also, we’re here to build on our knowledge of the game as well. We know basketball is a twoway street” Valcarcel said. .

He also noted that the initiative is all about helping young athletes to “grow” adding; “I know basketball can take you to a lot a places. It has taken me all over, helped me to meet a lot of people, so that’s what the NBA is trying to

grow.”

The US Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Terry Steers-Gonzalez underscored the importance of diplomacy in sports. He told the gathering of student athletes and coaches, that a lot has to do with finding compromise, working as a team and working under hard situations.

Meanwhile, Director of Sport Christopher Jones said the National Sports Commission (NSC) was “only too happy” to partner with the US Embassy on the programme.

“Sports throughout the world unite people, essentially, this programme will empower our athletes and basketball in general,” Jones declared.

Jones also expressed hope that the collaboration wouldn’t be the last of its kind. “The NSC lauds the US Embassy and rest assured this is not the first and final. We will be knocking on the doors of the Embassy, to ensure that similar programmes are had in 2018 and beyond.

fastest time in 2017, in what proved perhaps the hardest-earned of all his magnificent triumphs as he protected his six-year unbeaten streak in major championships.

Cheptegei clocked a lifetime best 26:49.94 and Tanui 26:50.60 but, five years to the very night when he won the 25-lap title at his home Olympics on "Super Saturday" in the same London Stadium, Farah had still not lost that invincible aura.

It was the perfect way for Farah to begin his final championship as a track runner before he turns his attentions to the roads as a marathon man.

"What a way to end my career in London. It's special," Farah said, after hugging his children on the track.

"It was amazing. I had to get my head around it and I got a bit emotional at the start. I had to get in the zone.

"It wasn't an easy race. I work on everything and it's been a long journey."

After an epic test in which the powerful Kenyan and Ugandan athletes combined with mid-race bursts to test Farah's resolve more fiercely than ever before, the Briton had to show remarkable composure on the final lap.

Twice as he led straight after the bell, Farah was caught as his pursuers jostled to take pole position. The first one saw his heel clipped and on the second occasion just on the second bend, Tanui seemed to flick his arm, sending Farah off balance.

Yet despite momentarily losing his rhythm, the champion regrouped to take control on the back straight and he scorched off the final bend to forge clear and take his third successive world 10,000m title by a couple of metres.

Still, though, he has only done half the job with the 5,000 metres to come next week and the prospect of completing a fifth straight 5,000/10,000 distance double in global championships. The 16th edition of the Championships could not have been set up more ideally for Britain to celebrate a home triumph in the first medal event and Farah, as ever, did not disappoint his legion of fans.

After he crossed the line, he swore that the noise in the stadium matched the incredible din of his 2012 tours de force when he won the 10,000m and 5,000m here.

Down the years, his main opponents from Kenya have tried in vain to upset Farah's equilibrium, sometimes working in teams and varying their pace and tactics but the master racer always has an answer in the sprint denouement.

Once again, the same scenario unfolded with, this time, two Ugandans teaming up with the Kenyan trio of Geoffrey Kamworor, Bedan Karoki and Tanui to pressurize him.

A couple of blistering 61-second laps were thrown in to try to shake him but Farah's composure never wavered as he continued a sequence of race triumphs that no distance great - not Haile Gebrselassie, Paavo Nurmi or Emil Zatopek - ever achieved. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, august 5, 2017

23

Amazon Warriors, Patriots to light up Florida

Martin Guptil

By Delvon McEwan

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oday attention will be turned to Lauderhill, Florida for the second day of action in the fifth edition of the Hero’s Caribbean Premier League.

The expectation is already high among cricket lovers as the most consistent unit in the league Guyana Amazon Warriors is set to take on St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots after which two time champions Jamaica Tallawahs will come up against 2014 champions, Barbados Tridents.

In four previous outings, Guyana Amazon Warriors,

three time finalist, have convincingly defeated the Patriots since the latter’s introduction to the League in 2015 at the expense of the Antigua Hawksbill.

However, with the Patriots’ inclusion of T20 superstar Chris Gayle, the Warriors unit is likely to face a sterner challenge in their opening clash.

Apart from Gayle, Patriots confidence has grown with the presence of exciting young players Evin Lewis, Pakistani fast bowler Hasan Ali and Carlos Braithwaite along with the experience of Mohammad Hafeez and Samuel Badree.

Despite the major loss of 2016 start Chris Lynn due to injury still Warriors boast a formidable composition that could dominate the early stages of the tour-

nament as they are known to do.

This time around their bowling department has been boosted with the inclusion of teenage leg spinning prodigy Rashid Khan, who will join forces with one of the most economical bowlers in the league, off spinner Steven Jacobs, along with proven performers Veerasammy Permaul, Rayad Emrit and Sohail Tanveer.

S k i p p e r Martin Guptil is expected to spearhead the batting, but there are opportunities for Steven Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Jason Mohammed and Babar Azam.

Meanwhile in the

Sangakkara and Kesrick Williams are projected to be at the forefront of a possible win for the reigning champion that is a mixture of experience and young players, who are yet to dominate on the T20 arena but have shown potential.

The Tridents have always been among the fiercest of competitors in the League since its birth in 2013, but failed to make the final last year.

It is now redemption time for the Kieron Pollard

kumar sangakkara

Tridents versus Tallawahs match, Lendl Simmons, Shakib Al Hassan, Kumar

I have to get this together Bolt wary after sluggish victory in 100m heats Knight Riders T

he start of sprint legend Usain Bolt's farewell to athletics began with a less-than-impressive performance in the 100 metres.

Usain Bolt admitted he has to "get this together" after failing to impress despite beginning his IAAF World Championships campaign with victory in his 100-metre heat on Friday.

The Jamaican icon, an eight-

time Olympic champion with 11 world titles, will hang up his spikes following the championships and clocked a time of 10.07 seconds to advance to Saturday's semi-finals.

Bolt bowed to the fans before setting off in the sixth and final heat, but only crossed the line first - seemingly leaving plenty in the tank - after starting sluggishly.

draw first blood

SCOREBOARD

St Lucia Stars Innings 132-9 (20) Johnson Charles c DM Bravo b Khary Pierre 2 Andre Fletcher lbw b Shadab Khan 26 Kamran Akmal (wk) run out (Narine) 5 Marlon Samuels c DM Bravo b Cooper 13 Jesse Ryder c Munro b Shadab Khan 18 Rahkeem Cornwall b DJ Bravo 10 Darren Sammy (c) c Searles b R Beaton 6 Kyle Mayers run out (Cooper/Ramdin) 23 Jerome Taylor c DM Bravo b DJ Bravo 11 Mitchell McClenaghan not out 0

Extras 18 Total 132 Did not Bat Obed McCoy Bowler: Ronsford Beaton 4-029-1, Khary Pierre 2-0-241, Kevon Cooper 2-0-15-1, Sunil Narine 4-0-24-0, Shadab Khan 4-0-15-2- Dwayne Bravo (c) 4-0-23-2 Trinbago Knight Riders Innings 137-1 (10.4) Brendon McCullum not out 58 Sunil Narine b Jerome Taylor 0 Colin Munro not out 66 Extras 13 Total 137 Bowling: Jerome Taylor 3-0-221, Mitchell McClenaghan 2.40-32-0, Obed McCoy 2-0-28-0, Rahkeem Cornwall 2-0-27-0, Darren Sammy (c) 1-0-21-0

See details in Sunday's Edition

led Tridents and in order to set the tone it would be ideal to open with a win.

Pollard will enter the field with Dwayne Smith, Wayne Parnell, Kane Williamson, Shoaib Malik and Ravi Rampaul all tried and tested players.

Exciting wicket keeper/ batsman Nicholas Pooran is also a part of the Tridents squad.

Both matches will be played at the same venue, with the first match scheduled to start at 11:00h and the second at 15:00h.

Sunshine Snacks power CPL

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he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been boosted by Sunshine Snacks for all of its 34 matches in its fifth edition.

According to a release, the League is delighted to welcome Sunshine Snacks as a partner for t h i s

year’s tournament which got underway yesterday when St Lucia Stars took on Trinbago Knight Riders.

“As part of this partnership the “Power Shot of the Day presented by Sunshine Snacks Nuts” will be awarded during each of the 34 Hero CPL matches this season”, as explained in the release.

The company has been in existence since 1974 and has produced an extensive portfolio of brands which have become an undisputable favourite of the snacking public and have found favour with customers all over the world.

The company’s manufacturing facilities are in Trinidad and they have distribution outlets in Jamaica, Barbados and St Lucia that send their products to more than 20 countries worldwide, reaching as far as Taiwan and Ireland. The Hero CPL has a wide-reaching presence in the Caribbean, and so do Sunshine Snacks, which makes it an even better fit as a partnership.

The release further stated that Jamie Stewart, Commercial Director of Hero

CPL said: “We are very happy to welcome Sunshine Snacks nuts into the Hero CPL fold.

Nuts are a great healthy snack for both players looking for energy and fan’s enjoying the game - we look forward to a power-packed CPL.” The Hero Caribbean

Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. Over 149 million fans watched the 2016 season, combining broadcast and digital viewership, to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket. Jamaica Tallawahs are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Stars and Trinbago Knight Riders. The 2017 tournament will run from 4 August – 9 September 2017.

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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 23

Amazon Warriors, Patriots to light up Florida CPL opener

Knight Riders draw first blood

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