Guyana Times International 2-Aug-2019

Former New York Knicks player to visit Guyana Page 51

INTERNATIONAL THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019

ISSUE NO. 461

Concerns raised over ‘huge influx’ of Haitians See story on page 5

…Jagdeo calls for probe into immigration, general registration offices Pressure mounts on APNU/AFC Govt to step down, call date for elections See story on page 3

Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali (left) and other party leaders and supporters, on Wednesday, staged a march in Georgetown calling for the APNU/AFC Government to step down and call a date for General and Regional Elections in keeping with the CCJ ruling on the No-confidence vote.

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NEWS 3

‘Elections Now’ Pressure mounts on APNU/AFC Govt to step down, call date for elections

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cores of supporters of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) have organised yet another protest, calling on the Coalition Government to resign and for President David Granger to announce a date for elections.

The protest, conducted outside of the Ministry of the Presidency, attracted a number of supporters, decked in red, waving placards, and demanding that elections be held in keeping with the Guyana Constitution and the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Only last week, the PPP organised a countrywide protest where supporters in every administrative region picketed offices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), demanding that they scrap the Houseto-House registration exercise and begin preparing for elections to be held no later than September 18.

See more photos on page 13

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EDITORIAL

GECOM imbroglio T Guyana’s image and tourism Guyana’s First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger listens attentively as eight-year-old Solange Niles poses a question to her

he selection by Caretaker President David Granger of Justice (Retd.) Claudette Singh as the new GECOM Chair marks the end of an unnecessary political struggle that was supposed to have been resolved almost two decades ago. It exemplifies a mindset in the PNC leadership in general, and the Caretaker President in particular, that envisages the Constitution as a document that can be bent and twisted to only deliver results favourable to the PNC. Even though we have now crossed one hurdle, the mindset is sure to create new ones in the immediate future as we move haltingly into new elections.

Under PNC governments from independence up to 1992, the Elections Commission Chairman had been unilaterally appointed by first, the Prime Minister and then, the Executive President, who used them to rubber stamp his egregiously rigged elections.

One of the agreements crafted with the return of “free and fair” elections after the Cold War ended in 1989, when the US no longer needed to backstop the PNC’s rigging, was for a process, later constitutionally enshrined in Art 162, be used to select the GECOM Chair in a process of give and take between the Opposition Leader and the incumbent President. The new mechanism now involved the Opposition Leader and was specifically designed to remove the old Executive unilateralism.

The position of GECOM Chair was critical for neutrality since it held the casting vote between the six other Commissioners in charge of the Elections Machinery, who were evenly divided between the governing party and the Opposition. The Opposition Leader was to submit six names “not unacceptable” to the President from which he would make his choice. This process worked successfully to deliver six General and Regional elections that were internationally certified to be “free and fair”.

But out of the blue, after the last Elections Chairman resigned, Granger immediately adopted what can be most generously described as an “idiosyncratic” position when he insisted that the candidate must be a retired judge as before the constitutional change, and that the insertion of the clause “or any other fit and proper person” into Article 162 was of no consequence.

Most revealing and disturbingly for the foundational governing doctrine of separation of powers in our democratic order, was his comment after the Chief Justice ruled he was incorrect that she was entitled to her “perception” and he was entitled to his.

In our hybrid, but yet Westminster-dominated parliamentary system of government, the Executive is totally in control of the Legislative Branch if it secures a majority at general elections.

The third arm of government, the Judiciary, is therefore the last bastion against a de facto elected dictatorship. Unfortunately, we saw in the rearguard action of Granger in the negotiating period for the GECOM Chair, further signs of intransigence and obduracy over the constitution. When the CCJ ruled against his unilateral appointment of James Paterson as the GECOM Chair and mandated the “consensual” approach that was always implicit in the arrangement, the Opposition Leader magnanimously suggested that the President could also suggest some names. Granger, however, immediately transmuted this enlarged role into an absolute right to also submit names to the Opposition Leader’s list from which he would make his choice.

The new Chair will immediately be occupying a very hot seat, reluctantly vacated only after judicial intervention. Here again, the CCJ has ruled that the elections date must be set in accordance with the explication of Art 106 (2): three months after the passage of a no-confidence motion (NCM). While the PNC-led government’s recourse to the courts stopped the clock, this was restarted with the CCJ’s decision confirming the validity of the NCM on June 18. Elections therefore must be held by Sept 18 and this will almost certainly be confirmed by the Chief Justice later this week.

Chairperson Singh will then have to make a decision along with her Commission as to what methodology of preparing the voters list will best satisfy the date set by the constitution.

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

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

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

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

What if Guyana had achieved even just half of what Singapore has? The staggering results would have been unimaginable by local standards.

It would have surpassed others in the region and become a buzzing hub for trade and tourism. It would have inflated pride in all Guyanese thereby imbuing enthusiasm to inundate social media for a furtherance of positive messaging.

This is not taking away from Guyanese, who, despite the obvious challenges, search for positives to share.

Of course, there are those who will always find negatives in a sea of positives. That said, damning reality cannot be ignored.

Some, in their push for positive imaging, advocate for a suppression of the negatives.

With unfettered access to social media, there is a difficul-

ty for people to resist sharing real stories despite them being considered as potentially damaging to the country’s image.

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

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

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

There were many incidents of tourists and overseas-based Guyanese being robbed on visiting with some killed. In such cases, whether Guyanese here make such posts on social media or not, the tourists and overseas relatives would.

More so, there was no isolated case, but quite a number of robberies on the way from the airport, on reaching their destination or sometime after.

The media has every right to report on matters affecting the citizenry, including crime.

Just two weeks ago a father and daughter were killed by bandits on the East Coast.

East Berbice was literally under sieged, even in mindsets, by armed bandits. Weeks ago, the Police launched an operation after mounting public pressure resulting in three bandits being killed.

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

Crime however has not ceased and every day they are reports of robberies across the country. That is the fright-

ening reality in which lives were lost precipitating fear into those who reside here and those who want to visit.

The situation worsened over the past few years. Just a few months ago the United States of America issued a travel warning to its citizens desirous of coming here.

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

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

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

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

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

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Concerns raised over ‘huge influx’ of Haitians …Jagdeo calls for probe into immigration, general registration offices

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Scores of Haitians have arrived in Guyana in recent months and there are little or no reports of them leaving the country

eports of over 8000 Haitian immigrants entering Guyana for the year thus far, but only a handful of them leaving, and concerns relating to alleged collusion between key agencies have prompted calls by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for investigations into the agencies responsible.

According to Jagdeo during his weekly press briefing on Wednesday, his party has, for some time now expressing con-

cerns over the large influx of Haitian immigrants.

He alleged that the surge of immigrants and the ongoing House-to-House registration exercise are more than mere coincidence.

Jagdeo compared the number of Haitian immigrants arriving and departing from Guyana over the past few years. He noted that up to April 30th, 2018, records show that 1,238 Haitian immigrants arrived and 85 departed.

Therefore, Jagdeo expressed shock at reports that in seven months 8,600 immigrants reportedly entered the country for this year.

There are reports that the Haitian immigrants arrived on flights of the Panamanianowned Copa Airlines. A source told this newspaper that the Copa flights have been coming to Guyana daily with over 50 Haitians on average arriving.

Copa conducts up to six flights to Guyana weekly.

Jagdeo has since expressed concerns and has called for investigations into the General Registration Office and the Immigration Department.

Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix had said the Government is obligated to admit Haitians for an automatic six-month stay since they are nationals of the regional trade and integration bloc CARICOM. “Our visa policy with CARICOM permits their ar-

rival and we are not going to stop them,” Felix said.

Last year, the Ministry of Citizenship had revealed to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament that over 22,000 persons entered Guyana from January to April.

The Ministry had revealed that of this number, only 6, 170 had departed. In addition, it was shown that there are no records of 17,615 immigrants departing from 2013 to 2018.

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Refusal of Coalition Govt to resign and call elections contributing to economic uncertainty

Dear Editor, Finance Minister Winston Jordan is quickly surpassing Prime Minister Nagamootoo when it comes to spinning yarn. On June 24, it was reported by the Department of Public Information that Jordan boasted that, “every household will benefit from a robust economy…once the economy is growing the average housewife or worker can expect better payment, and if that economy is growing with low inflation, they can also expect stable prices”. This is just another “figment of his imagination”.

This illusion was sparked by the IMF Report which projected that Guyana’s economy will grow by 4.4 per cent in 2019. The Minister also emphasised that the IMF Report also indicated a steady economic growth since 2015.

He then concluded that “just a short while back there was the Carnival in Guyana and over that week you did not have a single complaint about money not flowing…the restau-

rants, the side vendor, the taxi driver, and everyone, even the Private Sector, was moved to indicate that indeed things were happening in the economy…”.

What Jordan should realise is that in his Budget 2019 speech he had announced that real economic growth is expected to be 4.6 per cent and with the current unstable political climate, it is going to get a lot worse. It may even be lower than the 3.6 per cent growth in 2018.

This was emphasised by the Caribbean Development Bank which warned of such a negative impact and this was echoed by a number of Chambers of Commerce across the country.

While the appointment of GECOM’s Chairperson is a positive move in the right direction, the high level of uncertainty with regards to the resignation of Cabinet and the calling of General Elections within the 3-month timeframe is creating havoc in the Private Sector as businesses op-

erate in gripping suspense.

The CDB Report had emphatically stated that “Guyana is on the verge of a sharp increase in economic growth, but immediate prospects partly depend on ending political uncertainty”.

Will Jordan’s caretaker Government be able to remove this uncertainty so that Guyanese can finally live their dreams in their homeland? Perhaps he should also take a deep look at the Bank of Guyana Report which highlights the worsening of the balance of payments and an increase in borrowing to augment the wasteful spending.

Moreover, it boggles the mind that according to Jordan, a week of “Carnival” in Guyana can be an indicator that “things were happening in the economy” when over 30,000 persons are jobless, including 7000 sugar workers, when increased taxation is sharply cutting the disposal income of employees, when the prices of food items and fuel are going up (Bank of Guyana Report), youth

employment is soaring, the health sector is falling apart, and the poverty gap is widening.

This Minister, being an economist, should seriously ponder upon the words of Aristotle, “One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly, one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”.

In addition, the Finance Minister must not lose sight of the fact that even though the report indicated a steady economy since 2015, there has also been a steady decline in the “good life” of the Guyanese masses which resulted in the successful passing of the No-Confidence Motion against Jordan’s Government which has now been relegated to caretaker status! I will invite Jordan to visit Region Six and other rural areas and walk the streets and he will come face to face with the people dancing to the ‘Carnival of poverty’.

Whilst there may be economic growth, that has to transform into economic development

No need for House-to-House registration at this time

Dear Editor, Having established that the accuracy and integrity of the National Register of Registrants DataBase (NRRDB) is intact and supported by a recent statement by GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield that it can be used for elections and only needs a “Claims and Objections” exercise to update it for enfranchisement of all possible electors, the question of the ongoing House-to-House Registration exercise is raised. Why is it being done at such a critical juncture? The answer lies in an examination of Mr Lowenfield’s statements of July 23, 2019: Lowenfield was asked whether the expired list is considered “bloated”.

He responded, “We have a list that was expired… as of April 30… that was used for our election, for registration, etc. Bloat is not a word I’ll affix to it.”

Lowenfield was then asked: “Can the list, if refreshed, be used to conduct a free and fair election?”

“That’s correct,” he responded, “Always has

and always will.”

First, we must understand the difference between the Official List of Voters (OLV) and the NRR; The NRR being a dataBase of all persons registered in Guyana, a mandatory requirement upon achieving the age of 14, and usually done during a cycle of Continuous Registration (twice per year). The OLV is extracted from the NRR and does not include persons who would not have attained age 18 before an election date.

The OLV is not created until an election date is announced. An OLV expires 6 months after use; hence the OLV that was used in the 2018 Local Government Elections expired on April 30, 2019. The NRRDB however, never expires and is available for use in many more elections in the near and distant future, with continuous updating of course.

Therefore, to create a new OLV, an election date must first be set, only then can a ‘cut-off’ date be set to ensure all registrants who attain the age of 18 on or before polling day are enfranchised.

Mr Lowenfield also mentioned preparations for General and Regional Elections on or before the constitutionally mandated September 2019, were being done “concurrently”. It is here we must ask the question why? If the NRRDB is intact and a list can be extracted and any disenfranchisement issues solved with a brief period of Claims and Objections, then why would a House-toHouse exercise be necessitated? The short answer is that it is not.

The GECOM Secretariat has two separate but related functions; (1) the Secretariat is responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana. (2) The Secretariat also performs the tasks of the National Registration Centre under the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 and the CEO acts as the National Commissioner for Registration. The National Registration Centre has responsibility for the registration of electors and maintenance of the registers.

Mr Lowenfield is wearing two hats and

has been given two tasks with separate budgets; G$3 billion for General Elections and G$3 billion for Houseto-House (H2H).

Mr Lowenfield received a directive for conduct of H2H from then Chairman James Patterson and is executing same. Mr Lowenfield also seems aware of the responsibilities placed on his shoulders by the Constitution and is ‘concurrently’ spending the other G$3 billion on preparations for General and Regional Elections in September 2019. We have been all led a merry dance complete with smoke, mirrors and no doubt a fair share of pliers and batteries!

I have seen no evidence that Mr Lowenfield intends to disenfranchise the masses by ‘scrapping’ the NRRDB and certainly no move to replace it before September 18, 2019. I look forward to having my arguments confirmed when Mr Lowenfield meets with the new Chair and her Commission.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

and that has not been happening due to widespread and escalating corruption, mismanagement and squandering on good life for the ‘boys’.

Perhaps the Finance Minister should have looked at the Auditor’s General Report 2017 wherein it is stated that for the fiscal year 2017, more than G$1 billion taxpayers’ dollars have been lost in overpayments to contractors, payments of goods and services without any vouchers, and payments for goods that were not delivered.

This does not include the billions lost through substandard works which resulted from kickbacks to Government officials. It must be realised that financial resources are borrowed in order to supplement the budget and this means an addi-

tional burden to the taxpayers.

Furthermore, it is sickening to note that many recommendations in the audit report have not been implemented to put a halt to this daylight robbery. Perhaps he should also look closely at some projects such as the CJIA and the D’Urban Park fiasco. Since 2017, the situation has deteriorated and gotten worse. It is now clear that taxpayers are paying more for less!

Finally, the Guyanese people can no longer tolerate the abysmal failure of the coalition and the total destruction of the economy. Let the election be called and the electorate decide. Once was enough!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

“Vicious, dangerous attack” on Private Sector head by GECOM Commissioner should be condemned

Dear Editor, Guyana today is in a very, very troubled place.

The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, together with other rural Chambers like the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association, the Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development, Bartica Chamber of Commerce and the Region Five Chamber of Industry and Commerce are all sectoral members of the Private Sector Commission. Together, these Chambers are made up of hundreds of members and it is extremely disingenuous to conclude that they are all PPP supporters. So to brand the Private Sector Commission a PPP organisation and attack its Chairman, who was unanimously elected, is quite dangerous, as it seeks to erode the credibility of the premier private sector institution in Guyana, whose collective membership is the largest employer in the country and which is in the forefront of fighting to guard the democratic values of our country and ensuring the Government is in compliance and adherence to the Constitution.

The Private Sector Commission recently sent two letters to Mr

Keith Lowenfield, Chief Elections Officer, in the main, showing how the present voters’ list can be refreshed and used in the upcoming polls. A lot of questions asked of the CEO were mainly ignored. However, thereafter, a vicious, racist and extremely nasty attack was launched on the PSC and its Chairman, Mr Gerald Goveia, by Elections Commissioner, Desmond Trotman. The hate that spewed from his pen showed the dangerous levels this country is descending into and the Government of the day has to take full responsibility.

The fact that Mr Lowenfield recently confessed that the present list can be refreshed through Claims and Objections, is proof enough that the PSC letters to him may have had their intended effect and which has exposed the partisanship of Mr Trotman. His attack on Chairman Goveia is strongly condemned by our Chamber.

By issuing this statement, our Chamber may also come under attack, but it’s a small price to pay for us to ensure democracy and adherence to the Constitution of the country.

Sincerely, Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce

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Jamaicans in the US celebrate the island’s 57th Independence Anniversary

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he 57th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence is in the spotlight with Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica celebrating across the United States the island’s milestone of gaining independence from Britain on August 6, 1962.

For the Jamaicans residing in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, several Jamaica Independence events will be held, endorsed by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks.

This coming Saturday, August 3, the Jamaican Association of Maryland (JAM) will stage its Independence Ball, at Martins West Conference Center in Baltimore, under the patronage of Ambassador Marks, who will deliver the keynote address.

JAM will also honour CEO and founder of Team Jamaica Bickle, Irwine Clare, who will receive the Marcus Garvey Award, while the Community Service award will be shared

by Karl Malcolm and Andrew Lawrence. On August 29, JAM will host its annual Independence church service at the Baltimore Missionary Church.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, August 4, the Embassy of Jamaica will host the annual Independence Service of Thanksgiving, commencing at 11:00 am at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington DC. The Ambassador will deliver the Prime Minister’s message while Boulevard Baptist Church pastor and immediate past president of the Jamaica Baptist Union, Rev Dr Devon Dick, will deliver the message while

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, addresses the large congregation at the 2018 Independence Service of Thanksgiving, at the Howard University School of Divinity’s Dumbarton Chapel in Washington, DC.

Dean of the Howard University School of Divinity, Dr Bertram Melbourne, will moderate.

Jamaicans at the service will be joined by, among others, members of the US Congress, the diplomatic corps, and representatives of various Jamaican organisations.

Meanwhile, the Embassy & Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the Organisation of American States (OAS) will be participating in an Art Exhibition from August 5 to 9, part of the OAS’ 2019 Inter-American Week for Indigenous Persons. Art work from Jamaican artists Paul Blackwood, Courtney Morgan, and Lionel Roberts will be on display. A public forum will be held on Thursday, August 8 at 2:00 pm in the Hall of the Americas at the OAS. Elsewhere in Washington, DC, an art exhibition featuring Keith Morrison continues until August 11 at The American University Museum, in the

Katzen Arts Center.

In Philadelphia, the Independence milestone will be celebrated with several activities to include a flag raising ceremony at City Hall on Independence Day, August 6.

On August 10, Team Jamaica Bickle will host a black-tie Independence Gala at the Hilton Philadelphia Hotel. The guest speaker will be the recently-appointed first black female bishop of the Church of England, the Jamaicanborn Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

On August 11, at 4:00 pm, there will be an Independence Thanksgiving service at True United Church with Rev Bryan Grant delivering the sermon.

In New York City, the Consulate General will host its Independence Service of Thanksgiving on Sunday, August 4 at 4:00 pm, at Bethany Baptist Church, Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Brooklyn.

Officiating minister will be

Senior Pastor of Freedom Hall of Church of God, Bishop Dr Cecil Riley. It is anticipated that the newly-appointed Consulate General Alison Roach-Wilson, will be in attendance.

In the Garden State, the Jamaican Organisation of New Jersey holds its independence gala on Saturday, August 3, at Pines Manor in Edison township, with the annual Service of Thanksgiving scheduled for Trinity Pentecostal Church on August 11.

On August 10, Jamaica Independence Gala Society stages its black-tie gala in the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Westchester in Rye, New York, celebrating brand Jamaica. Patron for this event is Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.

New York-based, Jamaica Independence Celebration Foundation, will stage its independence grand ball on August 17, at the New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge,

with Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, as patron. The honorees at that event include former NYC mayor David Dinkins and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, whose parents are Jamaican.

Among the first events to kick off the salute to the island’s independence, the Rochester Jamaican Organisation (RJO) in upstate New York this past weekend saluted the island home with a Friday evening (July 26) Independence scholarship and awards gala, where RJO President Dr Joel Frater welcomed Washington-based Jamaican translator and journalist Ian Edwards to give the keynote address, and a number of city, state and county officials who joined in paying tribute to the Jamaican contribution to that region. RJO also organised a reception Saturday evening, and a service at the Genesee Baptist Church on Sunday that honoured the Jamaican independence, with Jamaican Rev Warren Muir, of Binghamton, NY, as special guest preacher.

In hailing the activities organised to mark her country’s Anniversary of Independence, Ambassador Marks said, “the commemoration of our country’s independence festivities this year, under the theme ‘One Nation, One People,’ is a reminder and celebration of our diverse ancestry as a people of African, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, and European descent formulating a melting pot of culture, ideas and behaviours which make us uniquely Jamaican – a distinction of which we stand proud.”

(Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica: Boyfriend allegedly kills teacher in domestic dispute wound to the forehead.

She was clad in a black dress; a clear plastic bag was over her head, while a pink plastic bag was wrapped around her

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Latoya Hill

he Portland police are searching for a man who is alleged to have killed his girlfriend following a prolonged domestic dispute at David Lane in Port Antonio yesterday morning.

The deceased has been identified as 29-year-old Latoya Hill, also known as “Trish”, a school teacher who lived at David Lane.

According to the police, the teacher and the man were involved in a heated exchange from as early as 11:30 pm Monday. The dispute, which was never reported to the police, went on for approximately four hours, after which resi-

dents heard the woman crying out for help.

“Neighbours reportedly heard the woman crying out and pleading ‘nuh kill me’,” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.

The cop said that the suspect, with whom Hill had a child, was seen dragging her body along the road from his house at David Lane towards his vehicle. He reportedly made several attempts to put the body inside the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. “ The police were alerted and upon their arrival about 3:00 am the body of the teacher was found lying on its back with what appeared to be a

waist and thigh. Traces of blood were also spotted at the crime scene.

Residents, who turned out in large numbers, were in a state of

shock as they struggled to come to grips with the killing.

The suspect is believed to be a resident of Guys Hill in St Mary.

Hill’s killing brings to seven the number of murders in the Portland police division since the start of 2019. (Jamaica Observer)

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New owners of Fly Jamaica must go through fresh application process before commencing operations – GCAA

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lthough new investors who have taken over Fly Jamaica Airlines intend to recommence operations in Guyana by September, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field has pointed out that the company must refile an application seeking approval to do so.

Colonel Field told Guyana Times International on Monday that reapplying for approval to operate out of Guyana is necessary. He explained that the airline must be granted approval first from the Jamaica Aviation Authority, then file its application with Guyana.

“If they are certified and approved by Jamaica, because it is a Jamaican-based airline not a Guyanesebased, so providing that Jamaica approved the application then they will give them the necessary permits, they will have to use that to reapply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Guyana so they will have to make an entire new application and go through the en-

GCAA Director General, Egbert Field

tire process for approval from Guyana also,” the Director General stated.

When it comes to having a bond set up, Field noted that the company will also be required to follow this procedure, especially since the airline presently has no existing bond.

He outlined, “I would recommend that a bond be put in place if they should make an application to Guyana…there is no bond in place at the moment”.

According to him, the company once had a bond when they were granted approval to start

The Fly Jamaica Boeing 757 after it crash landed

operations here back in the late 2000s, however, the bond was removed in 2015 after their operations changed.

On Monday it was reported that a team of investors including Jamaican aviation veteran, Glenn Logan, led

by Yann LeProvost of the French-based company W&Y SAS has taken over the problem-plagued airline.

The new owners took over on Friday from Guyanese operators, Paul and Roxanne

Reece. They have since pledged their commitment to addressing the issues affecting the airline, such as owed salaries to workers and compensation for tickets.

In the meantime, plans have already been announced to have the airline’s logo rebranded. In fact, Logan told the Caribbean Media Corporation that the company is considering a “complete rebrand”.

Passengers were left stranded when a Boeing 757 flight crash-land-

ed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, in November 2018 after encountering hydraulic issues.

The flight left the CJIA for Toronto at about 02:10h on November 9 from the CJIA, but the pilot returned to the airport where the aircraft crash-landed at about 02:53h.

The cash-strapped airline has since made all its workers redundant, effective from

March 1, 2019.

Most of the fired former employees are still awaiting their salaries as well.

Fuming passengers too are still awaiting refunds from tickets that were booked.

In May some 46 complaints were received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission which value about G$8,316,504.

However earlier this month, the agency said over 100 complaints were filed.

President Granger meets with Diplomats

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resident David Granger, on Thursday, met United States Ambassador to Guyana, Ms. Sarah-Ann Lynch; British High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Greg Quinn; Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee and European Union's Ambassador to Guyana Mr. Jernej

Videtič.

During their meeting, the aforementioned diplomats commended President Granger on the selection of a Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

According to the Department of Public Information

(DPI), President Granger explained that at all times he has complied with the rulings of the Courts and most particularly, the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Private Sector lashes out at Desmond Trotman over “disgraceful behaviour” D

esmond Trotman, a Governmentn o m i n a t e d Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has come under fire for labelling the Private Sector Commission (PSC) as “partisan” and politically motivated.

In a statement to the media on Monday, the PSC condemned Trotman’s statement and called on the relevant authorities in Government to ensure appropriate consequences are meted out against him.

In fact, the Private Sector umbrella body noted that there is no place for such behaviour at GECOM. “The organisation has never engaged in conduct that could be construed as racist or bigoted,” the PSC said.

“We condemn the recent overt racist attack of a Governmentappointed GECOM Commissioner on the person of the PSC’s elected Chairman. This disgraceful, extremely offensive and defamatory behaviour has no place in GECOM or a democratic society. We would

expect the Government to take the appropriate action with regard to Mr Trotman’s attack on the integrity and good name of the PSC Chairman.”

The PSC, headed by Captain Gerald Gouveia, represents 26 business organisations and 29 of the largest companies in Guyana. These firms pay 82 per cent of the total income and corporation taxes to Government and employ thousands of Guyanese, the PSC explained.

The Commission is known for speaking out against certain issues affecting the country, including political matters which ultimately affect the investment climate and the business community.

In recent times, the PSC has been urging all political players to abide by the Guyana Constitution and had called out President David Granger for failing to do so.

Moreover, the PSC called for the scrapping of the House-to-House Registration exercise, an activity it believed was in violation of the Guyana Constitution and the ruling of the Caribbean

Desmond Trotman

Court of Justice (CCJ).

The organisation’s stance on these issues is what led the Government Commission to accuse its membership of being close confidants of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who shares similar opinions on these matters.

But the PSC pointed out that its membership comprises of persons of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and that it has always played a role in standing up for what is right for the country.

G$2.5M solar system project slated for Akawini

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he approximately 1000 residents in the Indigenous village of Akawini will soon boast of being yet another community to benefit from solar power under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported.

The project allows Guyana to fulfil its mandate to make the UN Sustainable Development Goal#7 a reality. That goal seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all peoples. Speaking to residents at a recently concluded community engagement in Akawini, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson mentioned the ‘green’ project.

“My ministry will be installing some solar systems with the National Procurement Tender Board.

It is about G$2.5 million. It should be awarded shortly, and they will immediately start to do that [project],” said Minister Patterson.

This project will feature a 16kW photovoltaic system in the Region 2 community located in the Lower Pomeroon River. The Minister noted his office will examine the most suitable method to install the solar system project, as he acknowledged that some homes are scattered in Akawini which may propose a challenge.

“If there’s a cluster of homes on an island or in an area, we normally put a solar system to power them but it’s hard for us to put a solar system here and power somebody in the back dam so we have to look at other methods“

he noted.

On the other hand, concerning the solar panels already installed on the homes of residents in Akawini, Minister Patterson advised they ensure their panels are secured, so that when the time comes, the government will only have to replace the batteries.

According to the Public Infrastructure Minister, “As long as you keep the panels safe, all we have to do is provide you with a battery and you’ll be able to work again […] “We’ve started to procure some [batteries] so hopefully they’ll be back in [time].”

Meanwhile, Toshao of Akawini David Wilson commended the Coalition Government for the many initiatives that have positively impacted the Akawini’s residents. Some of these projects included a new walkway in Barocaro that was completed in February of this year and a new structure to house their Nursery School pupils. Toshao Wilson further mentioned that both a nursery and primary school are scheduled to be built in the second week of August.

Referencing the pavilions built under the current administration, Wilson stressed, “across the community, at the top half and at Waikipina, we are also lucky to have pavilions established so that our children could be taken care of [and have] seating accommodations.”

Akawini is a community comprising residents of three indigenous groups – the Caribs, Warraus and Arawaks. Its main economic activity is lumbering.

“The PSC has a long history of working for electoral democracy going back to 1992 and including official accreditation from 2001 onwards. GECOM’s reports would show that we have been involved in critical discussions and resolution of issues over the years,” the organisation highlighted.

It called on political leaders and party activists to respect its role and rights. “…not attempt to si-

Gerald Gouveia

lence the voice of civil society with unsubstantiated accusations of political bias or attempts at demarcating a sacred space where only professional politicians must occupy and shape the national political discourse,” the PSC posited.

“It is very much the business of Guyana’s business community to engage with the national political processes to ensure electoral democracy and democratic governance. The first

and foremost requirements for business to operate effectively and to succeed are political stability, rule of law, and political freedom,” the Commission said.

Furthermore, it noted that the business community does not only have a democratic right to participate in the political processes of the country but also a constitutional right enshrined under Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana.

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Opposition Commissioners Current H2H Registration press for early elections will not produce credible list in meeting with new …due to scores of persons boycotting – Opposition Leader GECOM Chair

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Commissioner Sase Gunraj

pposition-nominated Commissioners on Wednesday met with newly-appointed Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh.

Opposition Commissioner Sase Gunraj told reporters that among the issues discussed are the conduct of early elections in keeping with the CCJ ruling.

Gunraj said the opposition team - also comprising of Bibi Shaddick and Robeson Benn – also raised their concerns regarding House-toHouse registration.

According to the Opposition Commissioner, the meeting was “cordial” and he is satisfied that the Opposition delegation had an op-

portunity to express their concerns to the new Chairperson.

“We look forward to having meaningful deliberations with all sides present when that time comes,” Gunraj said.

Justice Singh also met with the government-nominated commissioners on the same day.

Justice Singh, who was appointed to the position on Monday

by President David Granger, had an orientation session on Tuesday where the various managers at GECOM explained their roles.

Justice Singh had stated that all decisions she will be making will be in accordance with the Guyana Constitution and the country’s laws.

ith the c o u r t challenge set to be heard on Friday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo strongly believes that the House-to-House registration exercise currently ongoing by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) should be halted as it will not produce a credible list due to the fact that scores of persons are boycotting the activity.

Jagdeo was at the time speaking during his weekly press conference at his Church Street office on Wednesday.

According to the Opposition Leader, this process may in fact produce the opposite of what it is supposed to achieve.

In addition, Jagdeo noted that based on GECOM’s timeline for the exercise, elections would be pushed back until next year, the earliest.

In the wake of reports that persons have been letting their dogs loose on enumerators, Jagdeo issued a

Registration ongoing at Vryheid's Lust, ECD

plea for such persons to desist.

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had revealed recently that enumerators have been met by non-cooperation from some citizens.

Reports have ranged from staff being told they will not be paid, to some citizens letting their dogs loose on the GECOM workers.

GECOM is currently undertaking House-toHouse registration, which will see enumerators going across the country registering persons; information which would eventually be used to create a voters list.

G o v e r n m e n t ’ s Department of Public Information has revealed that after one week, GECOM registered over 69,000 persons.

9 months’ jail for woman who Man charged for allegedly assaulted fellow prisoner attempting to kill neighbour

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woman, who assaulted a fellow prisoner at the East La Penitence lock-ups, while being on remand for an attempted murder charge was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on Tuesday after she was found guilty of the offence at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Revelana Smith of William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, and Savita Persaud, 33, of Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown, both prisoners, were cross-charged with assaulting each other.

It is alleged that on April 23, 2019, at the East La Penitence Police Station, 25-year-old Smith unlawfully assaulted Persaud.

The charge against Persaud stated that on the same day in question and at the same location, she unlawfully assaulted Smith. However, the matter against Persaud is still ongoing after she denied the offence.

Magistrate Faith McGusty in handing down the sentence to Smith, told the court that after reviewing the evidence, there was sufficient evidence to convict. Hence, Smith was sentenced to nine months behind bars.

Persaud on her first court appearance had said, “I had just exited the washroom and I was in the process of putting on my clothes when Smith came up to me and began calling me names and dealt me several punches to my face”.

The woman continued by saying Smith threw her to the floor and bit her on several parts of her body, at-

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Revelana Smith

tempted to bite off one of her fingers and in an attempt to defend herself, she scratched Smith on her face.

Smith, however, gave another version of the story saying, “Persaud was my associate but she started to behave stupid because she sleeping with a big one at East La Penitence Station.

I simply asked her to call someone for me and she said no, so when the church service was over, I tried to talk to her and she punched me; that’s how the fight broke out.”

Smith is currently before the court on an attempted murder charge after she allegedly cut off a policewoman’s finger.

Persaud, the owner of Kitty-based Liquid Love Bar, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence after being found guilty of trafficking two Venezuelan women.

man, who allegedly wounded his neighbour, was remanded to prison on Tuesday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Forty-year-old Travis Garrett of Diamond Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plea to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty.

The charge stated that on July 24, 2019, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, with intent to commit murder, he wounded Ramchan Chunilall. In Court on Tuesday, the Virtual Complainant related that he did not wish to proceed with the matter.

“I don’t want to carry this matter further, my wife is sick and I have little kids,” the VC told the Court. The VC, who had a visible scar on the side of his neck, further told the Magistrate “see if you could help them out”.

Prosecutor Ceon Blackman informed the

Travis Garrett

Court that Garrett offered the VC G$300,000 settle the matter. The Prosecutor, nevertheless, objected to bail, pointing out the serious-

ness of the offence and the penalty it attracts.

Garrett was remanded to prison and the case will continue on August 5.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ali slams Coalition Govt over “lax attitude” to creating local content policy G

overnment’s failure to prioritise the implementation of a Local Content Policy (LCP) is being criticised by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali, who noted that owing to a lack of appropriate regulation, Guyana is vulnerable.

Ali on Sunday pointed out that around the world a local content policy is considered a necessary condition when countries are looking to become oil producers. This is to ensure that countries can benefit as much as possible from their oil and gas industries.

In Guyana, he said, the utterances and actions of senior officials of the caretaker A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government seem to suggest otherwise.

“The latest confirmation that the LCP is not a priority came from the caretaker Minister of Finance last Friday at a press conference at Congress Place. In the words of the Minister, “while legislation is important, we should not make it the be-all and endall. Many companies that are coming aren’t waiting for local content and other legislation”.

Unfortunately, this statement is coming from the Minister as we edge closer to ‘first oil’ as a country that is extremely vul-

nerable due to the weak legal and regulatory framework.”

The former Housing Minister noted that in the four years the APNU/AFC Administration has been in office and has known it had to prepare for an oil industry, the Government has failed to formalise policies that would safeguard Guyana while producing oil.

“It would take less than one year with the help of international organisations to develop such a policy at a cost that we can afford as a nation. The literature on LCP is very explicit on why it is essential for every country involved in the production of oil and gas that is technical and capital intensive,” Ali noted.

He added that consequently, the direct economic impact of the production of oil and gas was not as significant as the indirect contribution, especially in emerging oil-rich countries without an industrial base.

Opportunities

Ali explained that in the absence of direct opportunities from the sector, the LCP allowed for countries to create value-added economic activities related to the oil industry. Another important aspect of the policy is the creation of employment opportunities when investments and entre-

PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali

preneurial activities are facilitated.

In addition, Ali noted that a well-designed LCP allows for opportunities for local companies to take advantage of the global economic network, as well as diversifying the economy and improving the competitiveness of non-oil and gas sectors, to protect the country from the “Dutch Disease” economic phenomenon.

Perhaps most importantly, Ali pointed to the potential for a LCP to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from the wealth generated from oil and gas production, and to ensure poverty reduction.

“Because of the foregoing, it can be argued that the developmental impact of the production of oil and gas can be diminished if the country proceeds without an LCP. As a matter of fact, the literature shows that countries which exploit oil and gas without an effective LCP experience less development when compared to those with sound regulatory policies.”

Warning

Ali warned that in the absence of the policy, everyone would be exposed to the negative consequences of oil and gas production, but with little

to no chance of being compensated economically or socially.

The Presidential Candidate also noted that the PPP/C, should it win the elections inevitable in light of the NoConfidence Motion, would formulate an LCP that promotes the use of domestic material and services for oil companies, as well as setting out policies to equip locals with training, incentivising companies to retool their businesses to higher standards and also creating an enabling environment for investments.

“The PPP/C is conscious that development cannot occur by accident, but must be planned.

In this regard, when the PPP/C is elected in three months’ time, it will move quickly to develop the LCP and the accompanying State bureaucracies to ensure that every Guyanese benefits equally from the positive developmental outcomes that are expected to accrue from the production of oil and gas.”

Government’s LCP has been a work in progress for some time, ever since a draft that was released came in for criticism for lacking specificity and concrete measures. Jordan made his comments downplaying the significance of the policy at a press conference held on Friday by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). turn to page 12

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High energy costs, poor infrastructure driving away investors from Guyana – US official

US Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch in conversation with AmCham President Zulficar Ally

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he new Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the United States Embassy to Guyana, Mark Cullinane, on Monday said that Guyana’s high energy costs, coupled with lack of transparency and security concerns, are deterring investors from coming to Guyana. Cullinane made the statements during a welcoming reception hosted by the American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham) at the Marriott Hotel as he commenced his new position in Guyana.

According to Cullinane, “Guyana currently stands at 134 out of 190 countries in the 2018 World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report.

Highlighting areas of need, the report listed taxation, energy, infrastructure, citizen security (and) lack of transparency. Guyana’s complex tax infrastructure, duties on imports, and expensive energy costs do, in fact, deter business investment”.

In this regard, he explained the important role of the private sector in addressing these wor-

A section of the gathering of the welcoming at the reception

rying trends.

“The good news is that here in this room, these issues have solutions. This is where organisations like AmCham Guyana can truly help. They can and do help. Your members are already experienced to navigating the sometimes difficult process of doing business here and can provide guidance to existing, new and future members of AmCham Guyana,” the new DCM said.

The new Deputy

Body of missing captain found for Rodriguez. However, the search proved futile.

According to the police, at about 09:00h on Sunday, some seven hours after the mishap took place, Thomas made a report about the incident.

Thomas remains in Police custody, where he is said to be assisting with the investigation. Rodriguez’s body is at the Onderneeming Mortuary awaiting an autopsy.

Persons attempting to get a glimpse of the dead Captain as the body was being transported to the Charity Hospital

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he body of Kendol Rodriguez, who drowned during a boat mishap on Sunday in the Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was on Tuesday found floating in the vicinity of Siriki and Jacklow villages.

On Sunday, Rodriguez, who hailed from Kabakaburi village, Upper Pomeroon, was transporting 42-yearold Joseph Thomas, a chainsaw operator, also from Kabakaburi village, when the boat capsized.

However, Thomas was rescued by another boat that was in the vicinity shortly after the accident.

Reports are that on Saturday last, Thomas and Rodriguez had attended a wedding cel-

ebration and had been consuming alcohol. At about 02:00h on Sunday, the duo left the wedding to return to their homes via a 15-horsepower boat owned by Rodriguez.

However, according to Thomas, they were in the vicinity of Siriki village when Rodriguez “suddenly began to swerve from left to right” and this resulted in the boat capsizing and both men falling into the river.

The chainsaw operator told the police that he managed to hold on to a side of the overturned vessel, but did not see what happened to Rodriguez.

Shortly after, the occupants of a boat that was in the area rendered assistance to Thomas and conducted a search

Chief of Mission has replaced Terry SteersGonzalez.

He served as Deputy Director of the Office of Canadian Affairs at the US Department of State. Prior, he was the Economic Counsellor at the US Embassy in Lima, Peru, and Counsellor for Environment, Science, Heath, and Technology at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cullinane also previously served as Political Advisor to Swedish and Finnish troops affiliated with the International Security Assistance Force in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.

Only last month, US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch pleaded with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to play its role in the fight against corruption.

The Ambassador pointed out that the World Bank’s 2018 report on ease of doing business reflected a drop in ranking from number 126 in 2017 to number

134 in 2018, out of 190 countries.

Places like Iran, the West Bank, and Gaza ranked better than Guyana.

She explained that this was linked to the fact that Guyana has high rates of taxation, energy, corruption and lack of transparency, coupled with a number of others.

“In addition, the duties imposed on many imported items can be substantial, driving costs up beyond competitiveness. I don’t need to tell you that the cost of electricity is one of the highest in the region, at more than 35 cents per kilowatt hour. The power grid system is antiquated, resulting in regular power outage, forcing companies… to install their own power generation systems to cope with the blackouts,” the Ambassador said.

On this note, the US Ambassador explained that the PSC can play a role in affecting a change by offering guidance to the Government in shaping legislation. Further,

it can review policies by the administration and recommend changes.

In the past, the coalition Government had been blasted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for several acts of corruption.

In fact, the US State Department had highlighted Guyana as corrupt, owing to a number of irregularities within various Government ministries.

According to the State Department in its assessment of the situation, allegations of corruption continue to trouble Guyana. It cited the Transparency International (TI) 2017 Corruption Perception Index, which ranked Guyana at 91 out of 180 countries. To make matters worse, Guyana has since dropped to 93rd position in TI’s latest report.

The index placed Guyana’s corruption perception score at 37 to tie with Gambia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mongolia and Panama.

Ali slams Coalition Govt over...

Jordan pointed out that activities in the oil and gas sector were moving full steam ahead without that critical piece of legislation. Nevertheless, the Finance Minister explained that Director of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe has indicated that the local content legislation was all but finished and would be available for public consumption fairly shortly.

Local Private Sector bodies and other stakeholder agencies had expressed dissatisfaction with the slothfulness in which the local content laws are being developed.

Calls are constantly being made for the policy to be finalised before first oil in the first quarter of 2020 when US oil giant ExxonMobil is slated to commence production in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

Importance of local content

Earlier this year British High Commissioner to Guyana, Gregory Quinn had said that it is impera-

tive that Guyana has a finalised Local Content Policy with clear guidelines on how everyone will benefit. According to the British High Commissioner the sooner this is completed the better for everyone.

The High Commissioner was asked about local content on the sidelines of an event where he noted the urgency of having a policy. According to Quinn, it should be a prerequisite for Guyana doing business with the international community while ensuring ordinary Guyanese benefit.

“We’re still waiting to see what the Local Content Policy or legislation will look like. So we’re waiting and I think it’s actually important that that gets delivered and produced quite quickly so that everyone knows, both on the international business side but also on the local company side.”

“Because no good international company will want to come in here and not do stuff that will benefit the local economy and the local population. But they need to

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know exactly what the parameters which they have to work in are. So I think the sooner we have complete clarity on that, I think the better for everybody.”

However, Quinn noted that these companies need to know within what framework they can work. Asked about what forms of local content companies should employ, Quinn had this to say.

“I think it’s everything. I don’t think there’s any one way you can look at it. Obviously there’d be jobs, whether its people working in the office. Whether its people they sub contract to provide services, or employing more people,” Quinn said.

“So I think local content has to be very clear in demonstrating what local people are getting out of it. And it’s not just about providing the jobs. It’s about providing the education and the knowledge and passing on that, so that the people here who are working in the companies can also benefit and develop themselves, through the system.”

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‘Elections Now’

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Guyana Goldfields CEO steps down

…gold sales dip by 13%

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resident and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Torontobased Guyana Goldfields Inc, Scott Caldwell has resigned.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company said that Caldwell also stepped down as a Director of the company.

“I want to thank the entire Guyana Goldfields team and the Board of Directors for their support as we developed the Aurora Gold Mine over the last few years. I look forward to supporting the company as a shareholder and remain confident in the long term future of the Aurora mine,” Caldwell said in the missive.

He joined the company as a Director in 2012 and has been President and CEO since 2013.

Caldwell was instrumental in building the company’s Aurora mine on time and on budget.

He will be replaced

by Allen Palmiere, who assumes leadership of the company as Interim Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

Palmiere has over 35 years of operational and financial experience in the mining industry as well as extensive experience in senior executive and leadership roles.

Of particular importance is his experience in mine production activities, having formerly held the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of HudBay Minerals Inc. “Our focus remains on optimising the mine plan for the Aurora Gold Mine (located in CuyuniMazaruni, Region Seven, Guyana) maximising operational efficiencies, and continuing with the permitting and development of the underground mine at Aurora,” Marion added.

Former President and CEO Scott Caldwell

Meanwhile, Palmiere, an Independent Director, said: “the company has faced some challenges over the last year, and I am confident that the future will demonstrate the value of this asset and it is my pleasure to help in some small way until we complete our search for a permanent CEO”.

Caldwell’s resignation was announced back in April as part of the settlement of a bitter proxy battle for control of the Canadian company, which owns the Aurora Gold Mine. As part of the agreement, two new independent Directors were appointed to the Board, one of which was Palmiere; while two other long-serving independent Directors also stepped down.

The fallout between the dissent shareholders, led by founder and ousted Chairman, Patrick Sheridan, and the company stemmed from poor performance.

Back in March, Guyana Goldfields had announced that gold production from Aurora had declined by almost 1.7 million ounces, compared to the corresponding estimates from the previous year.

Gold sales dip

Interim CEO Allen Palmiere

On the issue of production, Guyana Goldfields Inc also announced its 2019 Second Quarter results on Tuesday. It was noted that gold production during that period was 37,300 ounces, bringing the total gold produced during the first half of the year to 74,000 ounces. This, the company said, is in line with the annual production guidance range of 145,000 to 160,000 ounces of gold.

However, gold sales recorded was 38,300 ounces at a total cash cost (before royalty) of $746 per ounce, representing a 13 per cent reduction from the comparable quarter in 2018.

Additionally, cost of sales, including royalty and depreciation, were $1186 per ounce and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) were $1323 per ounce.

Moreover, it was reported that the mining company recorded a quarterly mill performance of 7800 tonnes per day (TPD) and a 10 per cent increase from the second quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, underground exploration decline construction was

resumed and advanced 164 metres during the second quarter.

Over 2 million person-hours accumulated without a lost-time injury, Guyana Goldfields reported.

Furthermore, exploration drilling at the Mad Kiss hole MKD, located at Aurora, 187

drilled into the central mineralised zone returned an average of 6.11 grams per tonne gold over a core interval of 301.4 metres starting from 14.1 metres downhole, as reported back in May. With regards to the strike at Aurora earlier this month, during which some employees blocked the delivery of ore to the mill, the company noted that the work stoppage lasted three days, with employees agreeing to return to work on July 5, 2019. Stemming from that strike, however, the gold producer estimates that approximately 22,500 tonnes were not processed from operational days lost. But this, it noted, will not affect the third quarter production guidance.

In addition, it was reported that the company on April 30 last, elected to retire the principal balance outstanding of its $35 million loan facil-

ity. Balance sheets stand at approximately $38.9 million at June 30, 2019, and no outstanding debt.

According to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Suresh Kalathil, “For the second half of the year, further operational efficiency initiatives are in the pipeline, however, realising the full benefit of these initiatives will not be immediate.

“Our entire team is focused on operational optimisation efforts to further reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies.

Additionally, gold production in the second half is expected to be back-end weighted with the fourth quarter accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the forecast ounces as the plan calls for approximately half of the mill feed to be sourced from stockpiles in the third quarter due to sequencing of the pit phases at Rory’s Knoll.”

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Majority of teens incarcerated for drug-related offences – OAS official

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OAS representative Jean Dormeus

he continuous abuse of illicit drugs among teenagers and their involvement in other crimes have resulted in many being charged and placed before a court of law to have a suitable punishment imposed on them.

This has, however, resulted in some juveniles being reprimanded, fined or performing community service while others face imprisonment.

Some 70 per cent of youths in today’s society believe that it is okay to smoke or drink, while over 500 of them are within the country’s prisons or correctional institutions.

But while this is the case, a majority of this number faces incarceration for committing drug-related offences. This was according to the Organisation of the American States (OAS) representative, Jean Dormeus, who was speaking at the launch of the drug treatment court training earlier this week.

“More than three and a half million people are imprisoned in the western hemisphere, and one-third of them for drug-related offences.

Included in this particular situation is juveniles and women.

Further, most of the drug-related offenders are in the chain’s weakest links with small world in a broad world of narcotics. Some of them are also [under] the influence of substances when they committed offences,” he said The OAS spokesperson further expounded that it has been the duty of the member states within the OAS to take

a different approach to deal with drug-related cases especially when teenagers are the offenders. This, according to Dormeus, will allow them to rehabilitate and give them a second chance in society.

“The OAS member states recognise in the hemispheric drug strategy of 2010 the importance to address the drug problem in the Americas.

In this regard, the purpose to strengthen and improve strategies and actions to reverse the trend and give the victims of drug abuse a second chance so that they can make their contributions to improving society.” Dormeus noted.

Recently launched agencies such as the Life Reform, are making efforts to address the issues of substance abuse affecting youths across the country.

This will be complemented by Guyana’s first Drug Treatment Court which is set to commence operation later this year and is expected to aid in the rehabilitation process.

President David Granger, who had also recently disclosed the high numbers of youth incarceration and unemployment, has since noted that these figures can only be reduced through education, empowerment, equality, and employment.

“We acknowledged the rate of youth incarceration – with more than 500 young people within our prisons and correctional institutions. These rates must be reduced and if possible, eliminated,” the President posited.

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Main focus is on ensuring free, fair and transparent elections – new GECOM Chair

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Retired Justice Claudette Singh taking the oath of office

fter weeks of negotiations and delays, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) finally has a Chairperson following the swearing-in of retired Justice Claudette Singh, who took the oath of office on Monday.

Two days after President David Granger picked her from a list of six nominees submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, Justice Singh took the oath of office in front of the President and dignitaries at the Ministry of the Presidency.

In an interview following her swearing-in, Justice Singh stressed that she would carry out her role in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.

“My priorities are endeavouring to have free, fair and transpar-

ent elections. I am also looking forward to having meetings with each set of Commissioners.

And I will have them separately. The meeting with Government and Opposition Commissioners. Then I will bring all of them together.”

“I believe in inclusivity and I will speak with everybody. And I don’t believe in people walking out when there is a disagreement. I believe in sitting down and resolving whatever the problem is.”

Singh was previously asked for permission to have her name put forward in a list of nominees for GECOM Chairperson, but had refused. Asked why the change of heart now, the retired Justice said that she accepted the nomination “for the sake of [the] country”.

and Government could continue. This view was echoed by the President, who noted that Singh’s appointment was the result of the groundwork between Opposition and Government teams.

“It’s a happy day for Guyana, and we look forward to cooperating on the other issues. The President and I spoke about this. And we hope we can take the same spirit we had, the spirit of collaboration in this appointment, into different matters,” Jagdeo said in a brief interview with the media.

“What you saw on July 26 was only possible because of the groundwork that had been put in by the working groups,” Granger said. “So, it was a logical conclusion and Mr Jagdeo and I are looking forward to widening the areas of cooperation in the coming weeks and

Despite elections being due within three months of the December 21, 2018, No-Confidence Motion, GECOM has instead embarked on creating a new voters’ list by way of House-to-House Registration.

The departed

Singh takes over from former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson.

Patterson, a former High Court Judge and former acting Chief Justice in Grenada, was appointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM by the President in October 2017. At the time, President Granger had rejected three lists submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

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

Patterson’s appointment being ruled unconstitutional by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) last month.

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

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

Despite constitutional stipulations, in February 2019 Patterson again

New GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh (centre) poses with the six GECOM Commissioners.

From left, PPP nominated Commissioners Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj, followed by Government nominated Commissioners Charles Corbin, Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman

Collaboration

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who submitted the list of six containing Singh’s name, was hopeful that the spirit of collaboration between the Opposition

months.”

Retired Justice Singh’s appointment comes even as Guyana is over four months overdue for elections, in keeping with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution.

The President was heavily criticised for his actions and it is the court challenge filed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha that eventually resulted in

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

Ex-cop being sought in relation to fatal shooting at Seeta’s Bar

K

urt Anthony Duncan was, in the wee hours of Monday, gunned down while trying to make peace between a man and a woman outside of Seeta’s Bar in Station Street Kitty, Georgetown.

Based on information received, the 32-yearold father of five of Pike Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown was shot once to his chest by an ex-policeman who was at the establishment at the time.

Initial reports from the Police revealed that at about 2:00h on Monday, a woman who was imbibing at Seeta’s Bar got into

a heated argument with a handyman who was at the time wiping the ground.

That argument escalated into a scuffle, and Duncan, who was also at the drinking spot, intervened.

The suspect, Keon David, then whipped out a gun and discharged a round that hit Duncan to the chest. The injured man was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

David, on the other hand, left the scene, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has since issued a wanted bulletin

Wanted: Keon David

for his arrest. His last known address has been given as Sophia, Greater Georgetown. He is said to

Dead: Kurt Anthony Duncan

be 32 years old and a former member of the Police Force.

Duncan’s distraught

family members are still trying to come to grips with what has happened, and are pleading for jus-

tice. His wife, over at her residence, had strength only to call for justice for her husband.

“I ain’t resting! I got to get reason! I is not one of the wife or one of the mothers what the family is just get killed just like that and it left like that. I ain’t giving up! I got to get a reason why! I ain’t giving up for nothing!” the woman cried.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-1389, 226-7476, 911, or at the nearest Police Station.

22 NEWS

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GECOM CEO bemoans non-cooperation from some persons over registration process

A

s the Houset o - H o u s e Registration exercise continues, enumerators have been greeted by non-cooperation from some sections of society with reports indicating that some have even employed dogs on the hapless GECOM workers.

This was revealed on Monday by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

“These challenges include persons are told to register is an illegal activity and they’re fending them away from participating in the process. We’ve had incidents where dogs are let out on our enumerators on the field. We’ve had scenarios in which enumerators are told that they will not be paid and they should no longer participate in the process,” Lowenfield said.

GECOM had embarked on the Houseto-House Registration exercise even though there were warnings about the lengthy time it will take to be com-

pleted. This was owing to the fact that elections are due by September 18 as mandated by the orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

As such, Lowenfield stated that any decision regarding this exercise in the future will be made by the newly constituted Chairperson.

“I’m sure whatever decisions relative to House-to-House and the conduct of elections will be made in order by a duly constituted Board that we have…. At this juncture with the new Chair in place, whatever decision that is required to take us forward to the earliest possible date for elections no doubt will be done at the earliest meeting of the duly constituted Board,” the related.

The High Court last week denied an application for an interim conservatory order to block GECOM from continuing the national registration exercise which began on June 20.

According to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, counsel for the applicant

GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Christopher Ram, the order was not granted since Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George required more evidence as to the unconstitutionality of the exercise.

“The Chief Justice did not grant the conservatory order which we sought to restrain the registration process,” Nandlall explained. “But significantly, the Chief Justice

emphasised that she understood that the CCJ ruled that the elections must be held by September 18.”

Nandlall’s affidavit containing additional evidence cites the work plan presented

by Lowenfield, which shows that House-toHouse Registration will take 290, and not the 90 days GECOM claimed it would take.

The affidavit also refers to and includes as an exhibition, the Order issued by former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, and published on June 11, 2019, in the Official Gazette.

This order was cited by Lowenfield as the basis for carrying out Houseto-House Registration.

Interestingly, however, the order itself

states that the houseto-house exercise will begin on July 20, 2019, and end on October 20, 2019, showing that elections cannot be held by the September 18 deadline envisioned by the Chief Justice.

The house-to-house exercise, which was last conducted in 2008, will see enumerators going in teams of two to three from door to door in various communities across Guyana.

The enumerators will present forms to registrants to fill up, as well as take fingerprints and pictures.

While it is done to produce a clean voters’ list, Lowenfield was quoted as saying that a Claims and Objections period could be used to refresh the voters’ list which expired on April 30, 2019, and can be used to conduct the constitutionally stipulated General and Regional Elections.

This was heavily pushed for from the parliamentary Opposition to honour the constitutional deadline but did not materialise.

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2nd Qatar oil company partnership deal with Total being reviewed - Bynoe – as Middle-Eastern oil producer looks to invest in Guyana’s oil sector

Q

atar Petroleum, the national oil and gas company of the Middle Eastern oil producer, is looking to get in on the action in Guyana’s oil blocks by partnering with another foreign company. They will, however, have to go through the Department of Energy first.

Qatar, with oil reserves of over 20 billion barrels and an advanced economy, is no stranger to the oil sector. In fact, the Middle Eastern State was until January a longstanding member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is known as one of the world’s top oil producers.

It was announced that Qatar Petroleum entered into an agreement with French company Total for a share in the exploration and production of its blocks. Total will be selling Qatar Petroleum 40 per cent of its existing interests in the Orinduik and Kanuku blocks.

During a press conference on Monday, Department of Energy Head Dr Mark Bynoe confirmed that the deal was being reviewed.

However, he confessed that the deal is “substantially unclear” for the Department.

“We have received a transaction letter from Total, which the Government is currently

Department of Energy Head Dr Mark Bynoe

studying. But until such a time as we understand the implications, because this is not a normal farm in, we’re not about to pronounce thereon.”

“Because what we’re finding here is Qatar Petroleum seeking to back into the Total Guyana agreement. But we can’t go further than that because it is still early days. We are still in discussion with them, so we can have greater clarity. At this point in time, it is still substantially unclear for us.”

Drilling

Oil has often been cited as having transformed Qatar’s economy, making it a country with one of the best standards of living per capita in the world

Qatar Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi

According to an independent competent persons’ report, the Orinduik block could have 4 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

Drilling using the Stena Forth drillship started on the Jethro-Lobe wells in this block earlier this month. Tullow is expected to drill about 82 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana and cover an area of 848 square kilometres.

On the other hand, drilling in Kanuku is expected to start this year, with Tullow planning to drill a well called the Carapa 1. Total has a 25 per cent participating interest in both blocks, which it shares with other operators like Tullow, Eco and Repsol.

Tullow had in February announced

announced to drill two wells namely the JethroLobe and Joe. Its Carapa prospect in Kanuku is expected to be drilled in the third quarter of 2019. It is understood that the net cost of the Jethro well is US$30 million, while the Carapa well will cost US$20 million.

Tullow’s partner in the Orinduik Block, Eco Atlantic, had announced that drilling on the Joe prospect will begin in mid-July of this year.

They had announced that the Stena Forth drillship will move directly to the Joe after

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

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10-year Petroleum Prospecting license and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016.

Total E and P

Oil has often been cited as having transformed Qatar’s economy, making it a country with one of the best standards of living per capita in the world

that it was bringing forward its drilling programme from the previously scheduled end of the year to the second quarter. Besides Carapa, plans have been

it finishes drilling the Jethro Lobe Well in the Orinduik Block.

It is understood that the Joe is located in approximately 650 metres

Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the block.

Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration take spotlight as Youth Parliament debates kick off next week

T

he National Assembly will be igniting with young minds when the fifth annual Youth Parliament activity commences next week, providing a platform for young people to learn about the highest decision-making body in Guyana.

Youth Parliament 2019 will feature 35 students from the secondary level between the ages of 14 and 17 along with 37 individuals from the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen and Tain campuses. The New Opportunity Corps (NOC) will also be participating in the sessions.

Public Relations Officer at the Parliament Office, Yannick December told media operatives on Monday during the official launch that there

Staffers of the Parliament Office of Guyana with two of the former youth parliamentarians

were many life skills attached to this initiative, but, most importantly, the aim was to create future leaders.

“The hosting of the fifth annual Youth Parliament is in consonance with the Parliament Office’s continuing effort to sensitise the citizens of

Parliament and its functions and to mould future leaders. In addition to its sensitisation role, this activity will boost the students’ morale; and develop and own their leadership skills,” said December.

This year will focus on topics such as the Sovereign Wealth

Fund, migration policy, single-use plastic, amendments of the Constitution, and copyright law among other pressing matters. Apart from acquiring leadership qualities, students will also be acquainted with public speaking.

Some former youth parliamentarians will

be returning this year as mentors. Two former students of the St Joseph High School – Kunal Bridglall and Ruth Wilson – were part of the gathering during Monday’s launch and were looking forward to this year’s debates.

Wilson stated that she had a fantastic experience and would like to share that with the new batch.

The mentor said, “As a youth parliamentarian, I have had an awesome experience. There was a lot of other individuals in the room that I got to learn from and every opportunity that I got to be in a room full of students, I tried to get as much information from them, to learn from them so that I can better myself. This year as a mentor for the second time, I feel more confident than I was last year.”

Meanwhile, Bridglall, who is currently attending the University of Guyana, stated, “Last year, I had a phenomenal experience being a participant in the fourth annual Youth Parliament.

This year, I’m looking forward to the challenge of being a mentor and being able to help the students with their speech preparations and being able to somewhat to guide them in the topics they would have chosen.”

Students are selected for the Youth Parliament initiative after the Education Ministry would have assessed them.

These activities will conclude on August 17, 2019 and a prize will be awarded to the best debater. Throughout the 10-day event, visits will also be made to the public buildings and industrial plants.

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The buck stops with…

I

…the President on elections

t’s so pathetic that the Caretaker President of this country David Granger, would hide (now literally) under the skirts of GECOM to evade his constitutional duty to announce a date for elections.

Does he even remember the oath he took on his Bible when he was sworn in as President? No matter how much he bobs and weaves he cannot get away from the clear declaration of the Constitution of this country.

There, Art 61 – explicitly labelled “Time for elections” – declares: “An election of members of the National Assembly under article 60 (2) shall be held on such a day within three months after every dissolution of Parliament as the President shall appoint by Proclamation.” Since even the pellucid statements of Art 106 – which the CCJ felt didn’t need a “gloss” or explanation – have been mangled by Caretaker Granger, your Eyewitness will give the “gloss” on Art 61.

To wit, for elections to be held in Guyana, THE PRESIDENT must first dissolve parliament and then set a date for the elections that’s within 3 months from the date of dissolution! Kapeesh?? Since Guyana doesn’t have a fixed-term Presidency or government – the President can call elections at any time – but he must still fulfil the conditions of Art 61!!

In this case, since the CCJ ruled that Art 106 kicked in after the successful passage of the NCM, by its unambiguous explication, elections must be held by Sept 18. And when the CCJ said they expected the President to “do the right thing”, as a “big man”, they expected him to immediately dissolve Parliament and pick a date either before or on Sept 18!! But Caretaker Granger is playing the fool and has claimed the responsibility for setting the elections date is GECOM’s!

Now what does the Constitution say about GECOM and elections?? In Art 162 (1) (Functions of the Elections Commission): it says, “..the Commission (a) shall exercise general direction and supervision…over the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly”. Nothing about SETTING a date for elections!!

Election dates come up in Art 162 (2) which declares “if the Elections Commission is satisfied that the holding on an election…ON THE DAY APPOINTED therefor would be attended…by danger or serious hardship, it may, after consultation with the PM and OL…“postpose the holding of the election…”

The bottom line is, THE PRESIDENT MUST ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THE ELECTION and GECOM can alter this if it can show “danger or serious hardship” because of the day announced.

But the GECOM CEO has already declared that Sept 18 can be met with claims and objections!! Elections Sept 18!!

…the Natural Resource Minister Trotman

Several activists – and one media house in particular – have been going after Exxon for the extremely skewed terms he renegotiated with the three-company consortium, or exploiting the Stabroek Block. But since when did the golden rule concerning business entities – “Caveat Emptor!” or “Buyer’s Beware!” – been changed?? Did we expect Exxon not to secure as much profits possible for its shareholders as is explicitly stated in the company laws of all jurisdictions – including Guyana’s?

What about the responsibility of Raphael Trotman, who was tasked with representing our interests, for getting us better terms?? Your Eyewitness has made this point before, but for some reason, none of the above-mentioned “activists” want to pick it up. They’ve been quoting the “better oil contract terms” from all sorts of jurisdictions – especially in Africa.

But have they not seen that in those same locales, whenever some anomalous term was snucked into an oil contract, it was invariably correlated with the negotiating official’s bank account becoming massively fattened?

Why hasn’t SARA’s spotlight been turned on Trotman’s assets?

…with govt on local content

FPSO Lisa Destiny’s on its way but Finance Minister Jordan’s brushing away concerns about “local content” legislation – to ensure Guyanese benefit from the oil – still isn’t enacted.

They want to give us handouts to control us!!

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feature 33

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Bringing peace from troubled beginnings

Church of the Immaculate Conception Victoria

Emancipation Hut. The original building where the village was purchased in 1839

N

ovember 7 will mark 180 years since 83 freed Africans who were previously enslaved, bought Plantation Northbrook and renamed it Victoria, in honour of then monarch of British Guiana, Queen Victoria.

Located some 18 miles east of the capital city, Georgetown, Victoria Village is revered as the first village that the Africans purchased after becoming free from years of bondage and abject suffering. Today it rests peacefully along the East Coast of Demerara, after initially harbouring its original inhabitants, scarred from generations of slavery, who were finally free to choose

their own destinies.

According to historical folklore, the 83 persons pooled their money in a wheelbarrow and assembled at a common point, now known as the Emancipation Hut where the village was bought. The hut was converted to a butcher shop and now houses a snackette but has retained its original design from since the village purchase was made, back in November 1839. The plantation then was bought for 30,000 guilders or $10,283.63.

A modern construction boom is now evident in the area, with many concrete buildings replacing the traditional wooden designs that once dominated the village.

One striking example was

Victoria Honey House

the venerable Wilberforce Congregational Church, which had been first built in 1845 but was converted around five years agousing modern construction techniques.

In the church lies a plaque that honours the memory of William Africa Baptiste, who has been widely known as ‘Boss Africa’. He was the first school master in Victoria and taught in the Wilberforce Church. ‘Boss Africa’ passed away at the age of 92 in 1881.

The Wilberforce Congregational Church was the first constructed in Victoria, and named after William Wilberforce, who has been noted as an abolitionist. Residents described

the village as one where religion plays an important role in providing guidance.

While the majority of inhabitants were said to be members of the Seventh Day Adventist movement, others churches maintain their presence in the village.

One such is the Church of the Immaculate Conception Victoria, which will mark its 153th Anniversary in December.

Given the historical significance of the village to Guyana’s cultural footprint, African heritage and its associated observances have been passed down throughout the many generations.

These include, “throwing box” where a group of

persons pool money and alternate those who obtain a specified sum; preparation of cultural foods like conkie, metem and dry food; masquerade bands and African drumming, notably celebrated around Emancipation season.

Many persons in Victoria are farmers but have encountered several challenges throughout the years. Though there has been an issue of youth unemployment in the area, it has not broken the spirit of inhabitants who have remained as resilient as their ancestors, throughout the history of Victoria Village.

34 FEATURE

Rev John Smith

By Odeen Ishmael

T

he campaign for the end of slavery gained momentum in Great Britain and it was expected that slaves in the British colonies would soon be set free. Finally, on August 28, 1833, the House of Commons in England approved the Emancipation Bill which was earlier introduced by Thomas Buxton.

The final Act, which would come into effect on August 1, 1834, stipulated that immediate and effective measures would be taken for the abolition of slavery throughout the British colonies; all children born under the passing of the Act, or under the age of six shall be free; all slaves over the age of six years would have to serve an apprenticeship of six years in the case of field slaves, and four years in the case of others; apprentices should work for not more than 45 hours per week without pay, and any additional hours for pay; apprentices should be provided with food and clothing by the plantation owner; funds should be provided for an efficient stipendiary magistracy, and for the moral and religious education of the ex-slaves; and compensation in the form of a free gift of 20 million English pounds should be paid to the slave owners for the loss of their slaves.

The Emancipation Act successfully ended one phase of a long and bitter struggle against a system which transformed people into beasts of labour with absolutely no human rights. Actually, slave society regarded the African slaves as mules and even referred to the offspring of a European and an African female slave as a "mulatto", meaning literally a "young mule".

As one phase of Guyana's colonial so-

ciety came to an end, an equally difficult period began. The slaves were told of their forthcoming freedom and waited with eager joy to throw off their cruel chains and, in some cases, even more cruel masters.

It will be recalled that the East Coast Demerara rebellion of 1823, led by Quamina and implicating Rev. John Smith, was largely fuelled by the feeling that the planters were deliberately withholding news of the impending freedom of the slaves. In 1833, however, Governor James

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Battle at Bachelor's Adventure. An artist rendition of the Demerara Slave Rebellion 1823 (Guyana Gallery photo)

Execution of rebel slaves at the Parade Ground in the aftermath of the East Coast Demerara Slave Uprising in 1823 (From print by Joshua Bryant, 1823)

Carmichael Smyth did not make the same mistakes as John Murray did ten years earlier when he failed to make public a circular from Britain proposing certain improvements in the conditions under which slaves lived and worked in British colonies. It was this document which the slaves mistook at that time for the Emancipation Order, a mistake which precipitated the slave revolt of 1823.

Governor Smyth, however, had informed the slaves of the freedom date fixed by Britain even before that Act was published in the colony on October 19, 1833. However, he did not explain clearly to the slaves the implications of the apprenticeship system which was to succeed slavery.

There were some planters who were unwilling to comply with the Emancipation Act. Some Berbice planters announced their intention to remove their

slaves immediately to Nickerie in Suriname before Emancipation Act came into force so as to avoid its effect.

Suriname did not abolish slavery until 1863.

It must be noted that attached to the Emancipation Act was the condition which bound most of the freed slaves to their former masters until 1840 and which required them to work on the masters' estates seven and a half hours each day for six days each week of the year. On news of their emancipation, the slaves were either too overjoyed to note this binding condition, or did not fully understand what it meant.

Their masters, who were generally bitter about it, and in opposition to emancipation, avoided all discussions and preparations for the changed status of the slaves on August 1, 1834.

The long-awaited day, Friday, August 1, 1834, finally arrived.

It was a public holiday

and many Africans who were now Christians attended religious services. Others danced in their homes, in their yards and in the streets and the merry-making continued late into the night.

But a rude shock awaited all the exslaves early the following morning when they were ordered back to the fields and other workplaces. This caused great confusion since they failed to understand how they could have gained their freedom and still be forced to work in their detested old posts.

But this condition was part of the Emancipation Act - an Apprenticeship period of six years - where the freed slaves were compelled by law to serve their old masters just as they had done when they were slaves. The masters were required to provide moral and religious education for the ex-slaves, but the planters' hostility to the Emancipation Act

as a whole really meant that they would treat this six year period as an extension of slavery, even though the working hours were greatly reduced to seven and a half hours a day instead of the nine and ten hours they formerly demanded of each slave.

There was disorder on the East Coast of Demerara and grumbling throughout the colony in this first week of August. The Governor appeared personally in various places to address workers and explain the obligations which now fell upon them.

The planters called for marital law, no doubt hoping to bypass the Emancipation Act altogether. But Governor Carmichael Smyth refused this request.

Confusion and disorder broke out on the West Coast Demerara and on August 8 four women were sentenced to the treadmill for riotous behaviour and re-

fusal to work. Five men were sentenced to two days each on the treadmill, and thirty-nine strokes with the cato'nine-tails.

The Governor visited West Coast Demerara and brought some amount of order and understanding to the workers.

With the end of slavery, the plantation owners in Guyana received very high compensation from the British Government for the "loss" of their slaves.

For each slave they received an average of 52 English pounds, which was the highest amount paid in any British colony. For a headman or driver, slave owners received as much as 230 English pounds.

On the other hand, the ex-slaves, who had laboured to produce wealth for the planters and the colonial Government, received not a single cent in compensation.

(From “The Guyana Story� by Odeen Ishmael)

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‘From Cuffy to Critchlow:

FEATURE 35

Fighters for Political Emancipation’

By Hazel Woolford

O

n February 23, 1763, Cuffy led a revolution that shook this hemisphere. It undeniably contributed to the outbreak of the Haitian Revolution and the French Revolution. Cuffy was the first African Guyanese slave to attempt to establish a Republic. He gained control of the colony and ruled Berbice for over a year.

His attempts at social cohesion or unity of the Dutch and Africans in the fledgling black republic failed. Cuffy was a high achiever. He succeeded in communicating with the Dutch, with the assistance of white sympathizers. Cuffy recognized the importance of self-sufficiency. Their farms gave the revolutionaries a sense of security. However, the Cuffy-led republic did not have a strong military base, economic stability or the international ties to defend themselves against a growing and restive Dutch enemy.

Prof Emeritus Alvin Thompson, a historian, wrote: “The slaves, attempting to shake off the thraldom of slavery, decided to beat their ploughshares into swords and exact their pound of flesh from the master class.

The fact that the revolt was ultimately unsuccessful was not due simply to the ineptitude of the slaves, but to overwhelming odds they were up against.”

The quest for freedom, and political independence, was not lost on succeeding generations. The leaders of the 1823 Demerara slave rebellion continued the struggle, with limited success.

However, when the African-Guianese Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow organized the first registered trade union in the Commonwealth Caribbean, he laid the foundation for Guyana to be led to political independence on May 26, 1966.

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow was born on December 18, 1884. He died on May 14, 1958. His father, James Nathaniel Critchlow, was a dock labourer foreman with Booker Brothers. James was a Barbadian.

Critchlow’s mother, Julia Elizabeth

(née Daniels), who was born in Essequibo, was a housewife.

Hubert was never married, and had two sons. He was educated at Bedford Wesleyan primary school.

At the age of 14, Hubert was apprenticed to the Demerara Foundry. While working there, he made a toy cannon for his own enjoyment. Subsequently, he went to work with a cigarette packaging firm as a cigar maker. But the low wages, intolerable working conditions, and long hours of work were very discouraging. Hubert became a bottle washer, and later a stopgap office boy with the Booker Brothers.

He later became a dock worker on the Booker Brothers wharves. He also worked as a gold miner and electric car motorist.

Hubert was an athlete: a cricketer and footballer. In 1925, while in England, he was invited to become a professional cricketer, but refused the offer. Hubert represented the Malteenoes Cricket and Football Club. He was an excellent singer, and a member of the St. Barnabas Choir. Towards the end of his life, he became a member of the Salvation Army.

On November 28, 1905, Hubert led the dockworkers of the Sanbach Parker wharf on strike in protest against the poor working conditions.

By this protest, the “Father of West Indian Trade Unionization” had begum his career as a trade unionist as well as politician.

He established the British Guiana Labour Union on January 11, 1919.

The British Guiana Labour Union was the first labour union to survive in the colony, and became the first registered trade union in the colony on July 21, 1922.

Early in 1924, the Union had requested equal wages for Indian labourers. The Union was strongly opposed to ‘piece –work’ on the estates, since it was stated that the managers could easily exploit the labourers. When the dock workers of Georgetown went on strike, they did not only obtain the support of the urban working class, but also the workers on the sugar estates. In fact, the strike had later escalated into a general strike.

On April 1, 1924, the Union led a demonstration through the streets.

The members of the Union wore red hibiscus flowers in their hat bands as a show of solidarity with the estate workers.

They became disorderly when the ‘centipede’ or ‘apache’ gang joined the procession. They invaded private houses and business premises.

On the following day, workers from Diamond, Farm, Providence and Peter’s Hall sugar estates on the East Bank of Demerara began to march to Georgetown accompanied by brass band music. According to Ramprashad, an engineer who gave evidence before the Ruimveldt Commission of Inquiry, the crowd comprised of all Indians in front: boys, women and young men. “They told us that they were going to see Mr. Critchlow in Georgetown,” Ramprashad said.

The members of the establishment accused the Union of incendiary be-

haviour. It was suggested that the handbills, which were circulated by the Union, were emotive and contributed to the Indians’ decision to strike.

However, the Union responded that a high percentage of the Indian workers did not read nor write English, and in some cases, did not speak the language. Secondly, the administration of the estates suggested that the Indians who did not proceed on strike were intimidated and prevented from working.

During the riots, 12 persons were killed, including two women. The two women were not active participants in the riots. In the case of the woman Sanichari or Beeput, the evidence was inconclusive. She was giving water to a wounded man in the gallery when she was shot. There were two bullet holes in the room in which her body was found. Her feet were also muddy “as if she had recently crossed the trench”. Since, it was observed that she had not participated in the riot; the Stipendiary Magistrate Reid left it an open incident.

The other female, Jasoda, was inside her house when she was shot.

The coroner concluded that her death was a regrettable accident of the kind that almost invariably accompanies the use of firearms with crowds and the surprising thing is that, with so many thickly populated ranges in the vicinity, there were not more deaths of this sort.

Hubert participated in active politics since 1925. He supported Theophilus Marryshow, the “Father of West Indian Federation”, in his struggle for the region to become a united political unit. He supported and campaigned in the local government elections for the candidate in the Lodge constituency.

In 1943, Governor Sir Gordon Lethem arrived in British Guiana and introduced a new Labour Ordinance.

Hubert was appointed the first labour representative to the Legislative Council in 1944. Hubert was hailed as “British Guiana’s Greatest Social Reformer”. He was widely celebrat-

ed in the African-Guianese community. In 1947, Hubert and his fellow trade unionists launched the British Guiana Labour Party.

In a very real sense, Hubert was actively involved in the early political life of Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan and, Ashton Chase, who had fought for the political independence of Guyana.

Hubert Critchlow delivered his last Labour Day address at the May Parade of 1957. On May 14, 1958 he died. He achieved many successes for the workers. His “don’t fight, let me negotiate” underlined his bargaining with employers. These included the establishment of the eight-hour day, higher standards of living, abolition of night work in bakeries, Rent Restrictions Ordinance, Workmen’s Compensation Ordinance, Picketing Ordinance, Non-Contributory Old Age Pension Scheme, Universal Adult Suffrage, relief for the unemployed in the days of depression, housing scheme, free breakfast for school children, and the Friendly Society Ordinance.

At a meeting held at Bourda Green on April 30, 1933, Hubert had boasted, “There is not a man that can deny that Hubert Critchlow is a pioneer of labour in this country. If you want to prove it, read the Centenary Book.”

Thousands of workers turned out to bid farewell to the pioneer of trade unionism in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The funeral procession was led by the BGLU with draped banner, and the Invaders Steel Band.

The PPP members were next to follow with red, black and yellow banners, and among them were Mrs. Janet Jagan, Minister of Labour, Health and Housing; Mr. Ram Karran, Minister of Communications and Works; and Mr. Brindley Benn, Minister of Education and Community Development. After the funeral service, the cortège passed through the streets of Georgetown.

Hazel Woolford is the registrar of the Guyana Institute of Historical Research.

36 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Kizzy Coleman

E

mancipation day is observed annually in Guyana to memorialise the ending of slavery of the African people and celebrate their freedom from servitude.

August, 1, 1838 was one of the most important days of the country’s history: it brought an end to a European institution deliberately designed to acquire wealth from the “sweat” of Africans through forced labour.

But on August 1. 1838, the people forced into enslavement were finally freed from anguish and poverty and were free to live – to really live.

However, being free did not mean Afro-Guyanese forgot the struggles that they endured to acquire that freedom; as such, monuments were erected to stand as reminder of what was fought for.

A monument is a structure erected to commemorate a historical event in history or significant figures that contributed greatly to some major his-

Damon Monument

toric event.

There are a number of emancipation monuments erected throughout Guyana over the years, to remind of how grateful Guyanese should be towards those who came before us and fought for what we are able to realise to-

day.

One of these is the 1823 Emancipation Monument, designed and built by USbased Guyanese sculptor Ivor Thom.

Located along the Seawall Road opposite the Guyana Defence Force’s Camp Ayanganna headquarters, it was unveiled August 2013 5, to remind Guyanese of the largest revolt in history, its which took place exclusively on the East Coast of Demerara.

The 1823 revolt is of historic significance because it was the largest slave revolt in Guyana’s history, with over 10,000 slaves being involved. It is said that it also helped to hasten the decision for emancipation.

Occupying the southern side of

the grand base of the monument is the figure of a woman armed with a machete. There is no fear in her piercing eyes but rather a striking look of determination. On the opposite side is the equally fearless figure of a man holding a musket in one hand, demanding his people’s freedom.

The 1834 Monument or the Damon Monument immortalises Damon, an enslaved African who was executed for his role in the protest against a new system of apprenticeship on August 8, 1834.

He had led a group on a strike, declaring their decision to work only half day, as opposed to all day, which they were doing for many years. Acting as the leader of the people, Damon hoisted a flag in the Trinity churchyard at La Belle Alliance. For his role in the protest, this hero was hanged.

The Damon Monument, erected in 1988, honours his existence and the role he played, and serves to

remind Essequibians of the struggles of their forefathers in that region. This monument, which was financed through government funding, was also designed and built by Ivor Thom.

This monument of Damon is a giant chair, sculpted of bronze, weighs three tons and stands nine feet tall. It rests on a concrete plinth. It was unveiled at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast on the 150th anniversary of emancipation celebrations on July 31, 1988 at Damon Park.

The Beterverwagting Monument is a striking structure showing a hand with a broken chain, clutching a book which represents the registered title to the property in which the village was founded.

Beterverwagting, called ‘BV’, was bought by 62 slaves for the sum of $52,000 from Baron Van Gronigen. This community now houses almost 20,000 people and measures a half-mile by eight miles in extent.

The village of Victoria was also bought by slaves, 83 of them who pooled their finances. To mark the significance of the purchase, the Victoria Emancipation Monument was erected.

The clay brick monument still stands in the Victoria Culture Centre Yard. It continues to pay tribute to those who purchased the plantation. It is now more than 170 years since the village was purchased by the slaves.

There are a number of other monuments that were erected to memorialize this time in Guyana’s history. These include monuments such as the Ann’s Grove and Two Friends Centenary Monument, the Golden Grove Centenary Monument, the Lichfield Centenary Monument, Nabaclis 150th Anniversary Monument, the Friendship Emancipation Monument, the Kildonan Independence Monument and the Plaisance Independence Monument, and the most well-known, the 1763 “Cuffy” Monument.

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

FEATURE 37

Traditional African religious practice still carried out among the Yoruba: Obatala priests in their temple in Ife (Photographer Dierk Lange, Wikipedia)

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frican culture, also known as Black culture, refers to the cultural contributions of Africans to the culture of their country, either as part of or distinct from that country’s culture. The distinct identity of African culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African people, including the Middle Passage.

African culture for Guyanese is rooted in West and Central Africa, understanding its identity in the anthropological sense, conscious of its origins as largely a blend of West and Central African cultures.

Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans to practice their original cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived, and over time have been modified and/or blended with European cultures and other cultures that comprise the Guyanese population.

African identity was established during the slavery period, producing a dynamic culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on Guyanese culture as a whole, as well as that of the wider Caribbean.

Elaborate rituals and ceremonies were a significant part of African ancestral culture. Many West African societies traditionally believed that spirits dwelled in their surrounding nature. From this disposition, they treated their environment with mindful care.

They also generally believed that a spiritual life source existed after death, and that ancestors in this spiritual realm could then mediate between the supreme creator and the living.

Honour and prayer were displayed to these "ancient ones," the spirits of those past. West

Kwe Kwe dancing (Information and photo from guyfolkfest.org)

Africans also believed in spiritual possession.

In the beginning of the 18th century, Christianity began to spread across North Africa; this shift in religion began displacing traditional African spiritual practices. The enslaved Africans brought this complex religious dynamic within their culture to the Caribbean.

This fusion of traditional African beliefs with Christianity provided a common bond for those practicing religion in Africa and the Caribbean.

After emancipation, unique African traditions continued to flourish, as distinctive traditions or radical innovations in music, art, literature, religion, cuisine, and other fields. 20th-century sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal, believed that Africans had lost most cultural ties with Africa.

But, anthropological field research by Melville Herskovits and others demonstrated that there has been a continuum of

African traditions among as it is called in parts of Comfa. Up to the 1940s, full moon and black waAfricans of ter were importhe diaspotant in the timra. ing and placing T h e of ceremonies. greatest One thing A Ganda is opened by sprinkling rum on the floor and around leads to anothinfluence of African the doors and windows, inviting the spirits of the dead to join er, and Comfa culturceremonial ofin the celebration. al practen leads to forThe Greeting Song “Good Night Ay” is raised by the Tutor tune tices on telling. or Caller.

European The star of the culture is That is followed by the General Invitation “Come to My Kwe ceremony is the found beone who will Kwe” low the "come through" The Buying of the bridegroom, the advice on matrimonial and after that MasonD i x o n matters, the demand for a demonstration of the couple’s be recognised Line in the and authorised Sexual skill “Show Me Yuh Science” American to ‘read’ a perEnds with the Departure Song “Las Wan, Las Wan South. son's future, F o r somewhat like m a n y an oracle. years African culture de- Berbice. Most African some areas were as It must have been in veloped separately from Guyanese would gather African as could be ex- the inherited tradition. other cultures, both be- together at the home of pected in the circum- The practice runs far because of slavery and a bride the night before stances. Even then it yond a race community, the persistence of ra- the wedding in what is could be found in church just as ‘readers’ of other cial discrimination in said to be a massive cele- hymns and symbols. It groups attract African the Caribbean, as well bration of African/ creole seemed focused on the patrons. So it is that as African slave descen- songs and dance. Today, Water Mumma, or god- healers, readers, workdants' desire to create there is hardly any such dess of the water. There men and women of one and maintain their own activity, especially in the were stories of fair maid race attract a following traditions. urban parts of the coun- giving combs to earth that transcends race.

Guyanese Africans try; very few are prac- men for their enrichBut as African in years gone by were ticed in the countryside. ment and of the men be- Guyanese become more known to “draw a crowd” Another practice of ing found with neck mys- metropolitan, such with the traditional the African communi- teriously broken when things are little openly “Kwe Kwe” or “Keh Keh” ty was the well-known the union went sour. The spoken of or encouraged.

Stages of the Kwe Kwe Celebration

38

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

P

roverbs are an integral part of African culture, notes the BBC. Passed on from generation to generation for centuries, they are still in wide use today and are very much part of everyday speech.

Proverbs are used to illustrate ideas, reinforce arguments and deliver messages of inspiration, consolation, celebration and advice.

The great Nigerian author Chinua Achebe once wrote: "Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten."

Here are a few to ponder on: “Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable” (Kenya) “Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight” (Ashanti) “Beautiful words don’t put porridge in the pot” - (Botswana) “Rain beats a leopard’s skin but doesn’t wash off the spots” (Ashanti) “Don’t sweep another’s house whilst your own is dirty” - (Kenya) “You can wash the basket in the stream but you can't carry water home with it” - (Nigeria) “A skunk does not smell itself” - (Xhosa/ Ndebele)

“Make some money but don’t let money make you” - (Tanzania) “If you lift yourself up, that's better than if others lift you up” (Bantu) “Someone with more firewood than you also has more ash than you” - (Kenya) “Sheep wander together but have different prices” - (Ivory Coast) “Never mind if your nose is ugly as long as you can breathe through it” - (Zaire) “A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning” - (Kenya) “Wealth, if you use it, comes to an end; learning, if you use it, increases” - (Swahili) “Marriage is like a groundnut; you have to crack it to see what is inside” - (Ghana) “War has no eyes” (Swahili) “A single bracelet does not jingle” - (Congo) “Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends” - (Gabon) “By labour comes wealth” - (Yoruba) “One cannot both feast and become rich” (Ashanti) “If there is character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness” (Nigeria)

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40 NEWS

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Arson suspected as De Kinderen house goes up in flames

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fire, suspected to be the result of arson, destroyed the house of a De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara (WCD) family, leaving several homeless.

The Lot 42 De Kinderen two-storied concrete house belonging to 63-year-old Ruby Persaud was completely destroyed just before midnight on Saturday.

According to reports, the family, including two children, were not at home at the time of the fire.

Reports are that one of the occupants of the home, Suffina (only name given) had just returned from work when she entered the house and saw flames. As such, the young mother began screaming, alerting neighbours to the fire.

The owner, who was at a neighbour’s home for a celebratory event, heard the woman’s

The burning building at De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara (WCD)

screams, rushed over and saw flames billowing from the upper floor of the house.

The duo, along with

other neighbours, attempted to remove some household articles from the bottom flat of the burning building but

their efforts were unsuccessful.

A bucket brigade was formed and the fire service was notified.

However, the house was destroyed before the fire service arrived.

An eyewitness told INews that he was on the road at a bar-b-que when he heard the screams.

“She said that upstairs burning when she first run out. It’s a good thing nobody was at home because she has two little children but they were by their father,” the man related.

The matter has since been reported and based on information given, two persons were taken into Police custody.

However, it was not clear why the family suspected that the house was deliberately set on fire. The Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force are investigating.

Armchair Generals…

I

…and politics

t’s true your Eyewitness taps out these pieces from a keyboard. But he also has a life away from it, where he’s on the ground. And, trust him, dear reader, he finds out every day that only when thoughts are translated into action you know whether you’ve just been masturbating mentally, or whether you can achieve the changes that’s been roiling around in your head! Even old man Marx had pointed out that the task is to change the world, not just interpret it every which way – and then some!!

Trouble is, nowadays, with social media, it seems like every person with two thumbs and a smartphone has the answer to whatever bedevils Guyana – and they make sure they let every Tom, Dick and Eyewitness know about it!! Damned if he knows how they got his number, but nowadays his phone keeps pinging away at all hours of the day – and night – seemingly whenever these armchair generals have a thought floating around their empty craniums!!

Your Eyewitness hasn’t removed himself from one of these WhatsApp chat threads, ‘cause he wants to find out what makes these persons tick. Right off the bat, he can see that most of the denizens are older folks, with the median age above 50. He can easily tell from their allusions and phrasings. Now, the thing is, these armchair generals – most of whom are evidently overseas, with time on their hands – seem very well intentioned. But they’re so far off base it’s not funny!!

Your Eyewitness calls what they’re doing “pretend politics”, as opposed to “real politics” that involves ensuring on the ground that your party gets to determine who gets what, when, and how. Not understanding the difference, most of the keyboard warriors “call names” and cuss out their “opponents” to such an extent your Eyewitness could be excused for thinking he’s in the middle of a school playground at recess!!

It’s not that these folks don’t always understand what the issues in Guyana’s politics are all about, but in confining their actions to the discursive realm, they cannot ever initiate any real, meaningful political action. They’re all about inventing and deploying fancy rhetoric that will never actually challenge institutional power! So, we just get a whole bunch of noisy jumping up and down and virtue signalling about personal opinions on false equivalence between PPP and PNC, rather than breaching the walls of the PNC oppression.

The armchair warriors convince themselves they’re doing “their bit” when they know “their bit” surely isn’t enough. But rather than conceding the weakness of their strategies, they invariably turn around and blame those in the trenches for not effectuating changes.

Mental masturbation redux!!

…not defending Gerry Gouveia

Your Eyewitness notes the deafening silence of armchair generals on Govt GECOM Commissioner Desmond Trotman’s nasty attack on the head of the PSC, Gerry Gouveia, by playing the race card to answer the latter’s censure of CEO Lowenfield. He compared Gouveia to “a white slave owner who, in the presence of his overseers, is penalising a delinquent slave for failing to carry out the instructions of “massa””; but Booker T. Washington described folks like Trotman well: “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public.

Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays.

“Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

…and US visas

The number of non-immigrant visas issued by the US Embassy keeps falling precipitously, from an average of 33,000 annually to a low of just over 4000 last year.

Ah, well…guess this means there won’t be too many folks abroad for the Sept 18 elections!!

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

41

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Court orders Govt to pay former Deputy Solicitor General withheld salary

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cting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxanne George has ordered that the Legal Affairs Ministry pay former Deputy Solicitor General Prithima Kissoon all monies owed to her, ruling that the Ministry’s decision to withhold her salaries was whimsical and an abuse of power.

Kissoon took the State to court after the Attorney General Chambers decided to withhold her salary when she went overseas while on administrative leave. The Ministry had claimed that this was because she left the country without permission.

At the time, the Public Service Commission (PSC) was reportedly investigating Kissoon alleged misconduct while she served as the Deputy Solicitor General. According to Kissoon’s lawyer Nigel Hughes, the PSC never instructed that her salary be placed on hold.

“The PS (Permanent Secretary) of the MOLA (Ministry of Legal Affairs) wrote to Ms Kissoon’s attorney advising him that her salary had been withheld because she had left the

country without permission and that ‘on the directive of the Attorney General’s Chambers, [she] was advised and instructed that her salary be withheld with immediate effect pending the course of disciplinary action by the Public Service Commission,’ no investigation was ever conducted,” law firm Hughes, Fields & Stoby stated on Saturday.

According the law firm, upon her return, Kissoon was summoned by the Public Service Commission to attend a meeting with the PSC. Kissoon attended the meeting with her Attorney, Nigel Hughes, who enquired at the meeting about why her salary was withheld and the commissioners present denied issuing such a directive.

In her ruling, Justice George noted that the Permanent Secretary of the Legal Affairs Ministry overreached and exceeded authority by withholding Kissoon’s salary. Justice George pointed out in her ruling that it was the PSC that had sent Kissoon on administrative leave and thus, the Permanent Secretary could not usurp the

Commission’s role in handing out punitive measures.

“Indeed, the letter inviting the applicant to meet with the PSC did not say in relation to what the meeting was about. This is especially relevant as the circumstances of this case disclose that the PSC was dealing with more than one issue as regards the applicant – the allegations by the AG against her regarding her work, the complaint that she made against the AG, and the issue of her leaving the country without permission,” the ruling states.

The Chief Justice also found that Kissoon’s fundamental right to her property

was violated. The Court also noted that the AG Chamber’s advice to the Permanent Secretary to withhold Kissoon’s salary seemed to be aimed at punishing her.

Besides Kissoon’s salary, the Chief justice also ordered the Permanent Secretary to pay costs in the sum of G$500,000.

Controversy at AG’s Chambers Kissoon was dis-

missed as Deputy Solicitor General in 2017, after a Public Service Commission inquiry into the complaints against her. Last year, the High Court dismissed her attempts to overturn the commission’s decision. She has since filed proceedings in the Court of Appeal.

The incident arose with Attorney General Basil Williams, with accusations being traded against each other.

The AG had launched a probe into cases which Deputy Solicitor General Kissoon was involved in, following by the Court of Appeal, dismissing a State-sponsored appeal against a High Court decision that quashed a private criminal charge against Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Appeal Court ruled that the appeal was null after Kissoon

had conceded to a claim by Jagdeo’s lawyer that the Attorney General was not a proper party to the proceeding. Williams had since blamed Kissoon for the outcome of the case.

However, although he has blamed Kissoon for the loss, Solicitor General Sita Ramlall, in a letter to the editor, had pointed out that Williams had insisted to Kissoon and herself that he be named as the plaintiff in the appeal when he was not a party.

For her part, Kissoon has made public several accusations, including that she was harassed, verbally abused and prevented from carrying out her duties, all in an effort to oust her from her position. Kissoon had served as Deputy Solicitor General under the previous administration.

Fate of Berbice Cop accused of falsifying evidence to be decided soon

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he fate of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) rank at the Reliance Police Station, Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), who was arrested on Saturday after a series of damning reports of corrupt activities including falsifying evidence, is soon to be determined.

According to the police, investigations were conducted last week into the claims by several persons that the cop had been “planting evidence” at various locations and forcing innocent persons to pay him monies to avoid arrest.

A file has been compiled on these matters and has been dispatched for legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on the way forward.

Guyana Times International was told that the CID rank was placed under close arrest on Friday after the owners of a SuperBet location in Berbice made a report at the police station. The business owners reported that the rank had placed marijuana at their premises during a police search and then accused them of possession of the illicit substance.

This newspaper was told that the CID rank along with another officer had gone to the SuperBet location to conduct a search but while

the other officer walked straight into the establishment, the alleged corrupt rank stood at the corner of the building and “threw” an item to the corner.

This was the item he picked up during his “search”, which he used to accuse the owners at the SuperBet location of having marijuana on their premises.

A source close to the investigation told this publication that when the embattled CID rank confronted the owners about “his find”, they vehemently denied ownership or having knowledge as to where the marijuana could have appeared from or to whom it belonged.

However, the police constable continued to press the issue and allegedly told them that they had a choice; either pay him to “drop the matter” or they would be arrested for the marijuana possession.

The owners reportedly refused to pay him but rather, went to the police station with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showing the rank’s action.

According to the police source, upon reviewing the footage provided by the SuperBet owners, it showed the policeman throwing an item at the corner of the establishment as soon as he walked into the yard.

The footage also showed him picking up the same

item before confronting the owners.

A senior police rank, who is probing the incident, told this publication that regardless of what was inside of the package, the search conducted by the CID rank along with his partner had not been authorised. In fact, no other rank at the police station was aware that the duo was going to visit the SuperBet location to conduct a search.

As such, the rank was placed under close arrest on Friday.

However, on Saturday other persons visited the Reliance Police Station where they also alleged that the same CID rank had “planted evidence” to have them arrested.

Persons also purported that he had requested they pay him to avoid being arrested for matters in which they claimed that they were innocent.

In light of this, he was re-arrested and is presently in the lock-ups as investigations into the matters continue.

Meanwhile, another police source told this publication that the said CID rank had been stationed at the Number 51 Village Police Station, Corentyne, Berbice, earlier this year but after a series of allegations by residents in the area he was transferred to the New Amsterdam Police Station.

NEWS 43

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

US firm honours Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary’s top NGSA achievers

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he top ten performers at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) of the Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary School were on Friday honoured by US consulting firm in Guyana; Keen360.

This recognition was made possible through Keen360’s ‘Scholarship Programme’— which extended cash grants as well as trophies.

In addition, the students were treated to a full day of activities, which included a field trip to the Botanical Gardens and the zoo, with a relaxing lunch afterward.

In their continued bid to improve the school’s learning environment, the US-based firm also provided paint for all the desks and benches for grades 5 and 6 and sponsored their graduation—

Guyhoc Park man killed during home invasion

T

he start of a new day quickly turned tragic for the family of a well-known mechanic after he was brutally killed early Saturday morning when gunmen invaded his Guyhoc Park, East La Penitence, Georgetown home.

Dead is 44-year-old Reginald Atherly, popularly known “Diesel Boss” and “Reggie” of Lot G26 Guyhoc Park, East La Penitence, Georgetown, who owned and operated a mechanic shop at his home.

Reports surrounding the killing indicate that the father of five was shot multiple times at close range by two masked gunmen who invaded his home at about 04:00h on Saturday morning.

Guyana Times International understands that the gunmen gained access into the home by removing louvred panes from the windows situated on the side of the house.

When this publication visited the dead mechanic’s home, his partner, Roxanne Crawford, explained that she awoke to the voices of men inside her home, whom she soon realised had guns.

Crawford told this publication that she started to scream, before breaking down into tears.

“So I sleeping and I hear like two men talking, so as I hear this talking I open my eyes and I realise two men deh aiming the gun, they had on this black hoodie and one taller than one and they got this old gun…and I start screaming cause I say when I scream they gon panic and they gon gotta go out back how they come in,” the grieving woman said.

In tears, she added that Atherly, who was on the bed with her, also awoke, sprang up and rushed towards the men.

“I hear the shots dem start fire so I wake up my lil daughter and tell she

KILLED: Reginald Atherly

bandits! Bandits! Go under the bed….and when I peep now to see wuh going on, I see he got one at the front door, he lay down on the ground and he grabble one of them and I run back fuh the cutlass, me ain’t see he moving,” Crawford cried.

Meanwhile, the dead man’s mother, Ingrid Atherly, was still in a state of shock but the visibly shaken woman described her son as friendly while expressing uncertainty as to why someone would want to kill him.

“All we heard her screaming, and she call out for ‘Miss Atherly!

Miss Atherly! Reggie just get shoot’, and we run at the back and saw him lie down there lifeless….he don’t have no enemies, he’s so friendly a lot of people would come to him, he always got a raise to pull out his pocket and gave them.

So I don’t know who would want to out his light so cruel, he didn’t deserve this at all,” the grieving mother said.

After the shooting, Atherly was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The now dead man leaves to mourn his wife, five children, mother and other family members.

The police have since launched an investigation. (Leah Hernandez)

The students pose for a photo op with company officials

which was held on July 10, 2019.

Keen360 will also provide each student at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary School with backpacks and essential stationery supplies for the new term ahead.

At the prize-giving ceremony, Arif Khan, Director of Operations at Keen360, stated, “We be-

lieve in giving back to the community in order to strengthen the social fabric and sustain economic vitality”.

“This investment in our shared future is being rolled out under the ‘School Supply Programme’, through which close to 450 students will benefit,” the firm noted.

Khan also pointed to the social and economic benefits of these types of programmes. He noted too that the professionals at Keen360 look forward to future events for celebration and recognition, especially for the youths who are Guyana’s future.

The School’s Headmaster, Mr. Visvamintra Mohabeer

extended heartfelt gratitude to Keen 360, on behalf of the staff and the Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) for the Firm’s continued assistance.

Keen360 delivers technical and support services across a wide range of industries, specialising in digital transformation.

44 news

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Crime a major concern for Berbicians – Regional Chairman D

espite the repeated public statements that there has been a decrease in crime in Guyana, there is still a lot of criminal activities taking place in the county of Berbice, most of which are not reported to the police for various reasons.

This is according to Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, who told Guyana Times International in an interview that Berbicians continue to complain about their homes being broken into and also of phys-

ical assault cases but they are reluctant to turn to the police for help or justice.

“The Minister of Public Security keeps saying that crime has been on the decrease but it is the same way here… a lot of people thieves go at and it does not get coverage by the newspapers or anything so it looks as if things are bright and beautiful but it is not.

Then people stopped, they don’t even go and report because they don’t get any of the results,” the Chairman said.

He acknowledged

Regional Chairman David Armogan

that the shooting to death of three bandits that were hiding out in the Black Bush Polder two months ago did put a dent in the rate of armed robberies for the year, however, crime continues to spiral in different forms in Berbice.

The Regional Chairman noted that the data/statistics on the crime rate are retrieved from cases that have been reported but that a large number of thefts and robberies continue to occur without victims making reports in Berbice because they have lost confidence in the police.

“They don’t have that confidence and then the thing is when you go to make a report at the police station, it is like you are the one who did the crime. For example, the amount of questions that you have to answer and the amount of time you got to spend at the station.

People are now really hesitant to report a matter,” he explained.

Just last month, Guyana’s Police Commissioner, Leslie James, declared that there is no spike in crime in the country, despite repeated daily reports that persons and businesses are being robbed.

James had instead attributed the perception of increased crimes to “sensational” media reports. At a press conference in June, he assured the Guyanese diaspora and visitors that crime is not on the increase.

“I wish to advise very, very clearly that there is no upsurge in crime in the State of

Guyana.”

At that time, when he was asked to respond to the reaction by the public that claims of low crime figures are a “joke”, the Police Commissioner said he was relying on “our numbers” that reflect no hike in crime.

However, in the month of May, the US Department of State had sent a stringent warning to all its citizens, urging them to exercise caution when visiting Guyana due to the evident spike in the country’s crime rate.

In a statement on its website, the Department had stated there is a frequency of violent crimes, commonly armed robbery and murder. It specifically highlighted that the police network is hindered to effectively alleviate these incidents due to the lack of resources.

“Violent crimes such as armed robbery and murder, is common. Local Police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents,” the notice stated.

In Guyana’s Crime and Safety Report for 2018, which was created by the State Department, Georgetown was assessed as “a criticalthreat location for crime directed at or affecting official US Government interests”.

The report categorised local criminals based on their choice of weapons and targets, some of whom are American citizens.

However, Police officers are also victims in some cases.

“Criminals may act brazenly, and Police officers have been both victims and perpetrators of assaults and shootings.

Criminals are increasingly willing to resort to violence while committing all types of crimes. Criminals are often organised, travel in groups of two or more, and conduct surveillance on their victims. Criminals generally will not hesitate to show multiple weapons as an intimidation tactic during a robbery,” the report stated.

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

45

46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

20-30% of children sexually abused in Guyana – UNICEF …mixed survey report of 2014 reveals over 75% experienced violence

D

ata retrieved from a mixed survey throughout Guyana in 2014 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that over 75 per cent of the children interviewed reported that they experienced some form of abuse in their lives.

This is according to UNICEF’s Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet, who told a gathering at the recently-held University of Guyana’s Tain Talks on Sexual Violence, that this survey was conducted in various communities and households across the country.

According to statistics, between 20 and 30 per cent of these children and youths have been subjected to some form of sexual violence.

“For UNICEF, our message is clear, no form of violence including sexual violence, is acceptable. Sexual violence is a silent emergency … you don’t see the wounds.

They might be inside

UNICEF Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet

of them, the emotional consequence – that is a lifetime. So this silent emergency demands our attention and action at all levels – at home, school, community, institutions and system, including at workplaces,” Fouet declared.

She emphasised that no one person or agency could create a safe en-

vironment for the country’s children and youths and as such, all hands should be on deck to change social norms and cultural silence on the issue of child sexual abuse in Guyana.

Meanwhile, according to the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, prior to the

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

establishment of the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown (2017) and in Berbice, there was a very low conviction rate and low reporting of sexual abuse cases.

“We know only too well that when the matter is reported and investigated and proceeds to trial, there is even more

trauma if the case is not handled properly or if we are insensitive to the needs of the victims. This in itself can cause secondary trauma or revictimisation. And this may cause the victim to withdraw from the court system; they may refuse to give their statement to the Police, or they may

stay away or decide not to face the offender or the jury,” Justice Cummings-Edwards noted.

She explained that in some cases, victims may believe that they would be subjected to harsh environments, and would be reluctant to pursue the act of seeking justice for the crime committed against them.

“Prior to the Sexual Offences Act and the Sexual Offences Court, victims went through the ordeal, had to face cold confines of Police station, then the Magistrate’s Court and then the High Court to be questioned and even humiliated,” the acting Chancellor noted.

However, Justice Cummings-Edwards reminded that the aim of the Sexual Offences Court was to ensure that the environment was conducive to victims and support services were offered. Quite soon, she said, another such court will be established in Suddie, Essequibo.

Probe into arbitrary firing of PSM staff completed

– Govt yet to disclose findings

M

ore than three weeks have elapsed since a special Board of Inquiry (BoI) which was set up

by President David Granger to probe the arbitrary firing of staff at the Public Service Ministry handed over its report to the Government but there has been no word as to its findings.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon recently told Guyana Times International that the BoI completed the task that it had been assigned to and the report was submitted to Minister of State, Dawn Hastings, some two weeks ago.

“The report was submitted to the Minister of State who I think has passed it on to the President. I have not seen it as yet. But, I think the Minister of State might be able to tell you a little bit more about it because the last I know, this is what had happened.”

Harmon stated that although he was not provided with a copy of the report or has not yet been briefed as to its findings, the staff from the Public Service Ministry that are involved in the matter are

still on administrative leave.

“It [report] was completed and it was sent to her [Minister Hastings] and then I think she passed it on to the President.

So, I don’t know whether the President has completed his reviewing of it. I cannot say specifically.”

He noted that until a decision is made in relation to the BoI report, the staff remain on administrative leave.

Almost three weeks ago, Minister Sarabo-Halley defended the firing of staff members from her department shortly after she would have assumed office, saying that there was evidence at her disposal to warrant dismissal.

“I think that the evidence that was before me suggested that something needed to be done and the investigation would bear whether or not that was rational,” the Minister stated at a recent press conference.

She, nevertheless, did not reveal any bit of evidence that she referred to but noted that the investigation will soon wrap up with the findings.

On May 31, 2019, the personnel staff and chief accoun-

tant at the Public Service Ministry were sent packing

by Minister Tabitha SaraboHalley shortly after she was appointed to that post.

When the news broke about the arbitrary firing of personnel staff and the chief accountant, the Government initially denied firing them but one week after, Director General Harmon confirmed that indeed, the workers were sent home.

But he said higher authorities had since intervened and the dismissed staff were eventually sent on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. He had maintained that the staff in question are still employees of the Government as the decision by Minister SaraboHalley to terminate their services has been halted.

Scholarships However, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had alluded to the fact that the fired workers were initially targeted and arbitrarily dismissed after they revealed that the children of a Government Minister received payments amounting to over $20 million in the last two

Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

years.

One of those revelations is that the children of Minister Simona Broomes had allegedly received over US$86,000 in 2018, monies that were transferred from the Department of Public Service. Then again, this year, another transfer of millions reportedly took place.

Given the controversy around that situation, the

Public Service Department has made a decision to publicise all scholarships to ensure “transparency”.

It was confirmed that both children of the Minister in question received grants to study overseas, but SaraboHalley could not state if the monies were transferred to their personal accounts.

47

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

The lies that bind…

O

…the PNC

ld folks say you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper and call it “change” but it’s still going to stink to high heavens!! And boy does the PNC stink – even though it keeps wrapping itself with all sorts of different paper!! There was PNCR – the “R” for “Reform” – Desmond Hoyte brought in some “moderates” from outside the party in an attempt to clean up its disreputable and thuggish reputation after he’d first jettisoned Hamilton Green.

That application of disinfectant didn’t do anything about the smell since nothing had changed in terms of the party’s policies, programme of even ethnic makeup. The latter, of course, had always been the fundamental determinant of Guyanese politics. And soon enough, there was another attempt – this time to bring in a wider swathe of “outsiders” under the PNC umbrella. Unfortunately, they launched the entity as “PNC-R 1 Guyana:, without realising the irony of the acronym “PNC-R1G”. It just provoked paroxysm of mirth because of the history of rigging through the decades by the PNC!! PNC-R1G soon died a quick death and the party reverted to PNC/R, even though it was no longer apparent who or what was the “Reform” component, and the policies were PNC all the way!

Finally, after two decades of languishing in the Opposition wilderness, the powers that be of the PNC decided that more than lipstick was needed to get folks to give the PNC a second look. Leader Corbin decided to commit political hara kiri, step aside and support Brig (rtd) David Granger as the new leader – even though he had to use the party’s rigging skills to achieve this at their Congress. Granger, who’d never been in the party’s executive, later revealed he’d always been a staunch PNC member. Which explained his actions while a member and leader of the GDF. Granger decided that he alone didn’t provide enough lipstick to the PNC – everyone still saw it as what it was: an unreconstituted PNC! So he spearheaded a coalition with some micro parties – WPA, JFAP, NFA, and changed their name to APNU. Voting wise, nothing much changed in the 2011 elections, but the AFC did pick up enough seats to comprise with APNU a one-seat majority in the National Assembly. The PPP held on to the presidency because of our unique “plurality” requirement to capture the presidency. But once again, there was nothing different about the PNC-as-APNU. Even the WPA, which still retained a moral high ground in sections of the PNC’s base because of the principled stance of Walter Rodney, couldn’t do anything to change the overweening dominance of the PNC in the “partnership”.

…in the coalition fiction

But if it’s one thing you gotta give the PNC’s leadership credit for, it’s their willingness to try whatever it takes to hide their rancid smell to get into power. It didn’t take a genius to figure out if APNU could engineer a coalition with the AFC for the next elections, the latter could take them over the tape, even if they didn’t pick up any additional votes. AFC leader Ramjattan famously protested that his party would become “dead meat” if he joined the PNC – so he’d obviously smelt the PNC!!

But it’s truly said, “everyone has a price” – and Granger negotiated the “Cummingsburg Accord” which promised the AFC the sun and moon. They took the bait and won the 2015 elections with their APNU/AFC coalition. It was soon clear, however, that Granger had suckered them: apart from grandiose titles and hefty salaries, they had absolutely no real power!!

As PPP’s candidate Donald Ramotar had predicted on the hustings, they got “larwah”!!

Which they evidently enjoyed!!

…for the future

So what’s ahead for the PNC? With elections coming whether they like it or not, the PNC has decided to continue with the charade of hiding their stench with paper parties!

PNC’s George Norton says, they’re “against oneparty government”!!

The next war

By Ravi Dev

R

eflecting on the sudden agreement on the next GECOM Chair reached

by Caretaker President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, after the long war of attrition waged by the PNC leader, I was reminded of the salutary advice of George Orwell: “… the object of waging a war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war.”

Orwell made the observation in his classic dystopia novel “1984”, which has since been proven to be quite prophetic about the actions and motives of despots who are driven towards totalitarian “solutions” to societal challenges.

Granger, of course, has famously confessed that he is driven to fulfill the “legacy” of his mentor and founder of the PNC, Forbes Burnham. Nothing he has done since 2015 has disabused us about his seriousness of purpose towards that end. We must remember he was in charge of inculcating Burnham’s “revolutionary” ideology in the Disciplined Forces, and as such was totally transformed by it.

He is a “true believer”. It was for this reason when Hoyte cleansed the PNC of its Burnhamite wing, Granger was passed over as head of the Army for an innocuous advisory post. So in seeking an answer to Orwell’s prediction of Granger positioning his party for waging “another war” after the GECOM Chair skirmish, one has to look at Burnham’s articulation of the PNC’s end game to predict what lies ahead.

This was announced quite pithily in the 1974 “Declaration of Sophia”: to have his PNC must be the “paramount” party not only in the political hustings of electoral

politics, but also over the state itself.

As such it should be quite clear that while the next skirmish will be over the date of the next elections, the attenuation of this latter process against all logic since the NCM was successfully passed last Dec 2018 should also alert us to the fact that there has to be more at stake than just not giving the PPP the satisfaction of truncating their term of office, much as they had done to the latter in 1997. The PNC have something up their sleeves to remain in office beyond 2020, for which they need the time to put the pieces together. And it has to be rigging the next elections as the prelude to their creation of Burnham’s utopia.

When it comes to rigging elections, the PNC takes second place to none. But as to how exactly they will achieve this, one thing we can be sure about: it will be different from what they did in 1968, 1973,

1978 (referendum), 1980 and 1985.

After all, in each of those elections, they rigged by a different method: give the PNC “A” for creativity when it comes to maintaining the fig leaf of plausible “democratic” elections but gaming the system to ensure their hold on power.

Their fig leaf was signaled by PNC Executive George Norton when he recently “assured” the nation that the PNC does not want to govern alone – but will do so in tandem with the coalition they forged in 2015. But what exactly is the status of that coalition as far a broadening the electoral base of the PNC? Among the micro parties it coalesced with to form APNU, only the WPA had credibility – not in securing votes but in blunting concerns among those in its constituency that had to hold their noses to vote for the Palm Tree. The AFC did bring over a key chunk of votes from the PPP’s traditional Indian constituency in 2015 but since then, more by the actions of the PNC than anything else, those votes have returned home.

Since the fig leaf has become quite threadbare, unless Granger is prepared to use the army to do a repeat of 1973 and seize ballot boxes – which he described as a praise worthy operation – the mechanism for the upcoming rigging has to lie in the apparatus established by Winston Felix in his “Ministry of Citizenship” which was hived off Ramjattan’s Public Security Ministry immediately following the 2015 elections.

Granger’s insistence on H2H registration has less to do with removing dead bodies and emigrant Guyanese and all to do with inserting names that will end up alongside the Palm Tree (or its substitute) in the next elections.

Forewarned is forearmed?

Establishment of drug treatment court for later this year A number of drug enforcement officials, judicial officers, and other stakeholders on Monday attended a specialised training workshop aimed at preparing them to aid in the efficient operation of the country’s first drug treatment court, which is expected to come on stream in the latter part of 2019.

Drug treatment courts worldwide take a more public health approach when dealing with drug-related cases and as such, local personnel within the respective systems will be exposed to both theory and practical techniques throughout the three-day activity, which will enable them to effectively interact with drug abusers.

This new addition to the court system will extensively aid in the re-

habilitation process for persons who are addicted offenders. This is according to acting Chief Justice Roxane George, who was at the time presenting brief remarks at the opening ceremony.

“The reasons for having such a court are multi-dimensional, the anecdotal and empirical evidence strongly indicates that it has been and is a growing number of persons who interface with the criminal justice system in Guyana who are substance abusers … these courts and ours will follow the same model, allow for collaboration of a team of persons to support the offender in rehabilitation,” she explained.

The acting Chief Justice further added that the drug treatment programme would allow non-violent offenders,

who pleaded guilty or have been found guilty of an offence, to voluntarily benefit from a variety of social services, as a substitute for imprisonment which, according to her, is not a positive response.

“International and regional experience has demonstrated that treatment of substance abusers is a better response than imprisonment … the drug treatment court is, therefore, another in this new frontier of courts that will focus on the individual that will ensure not only justice is served, but the support that is necessary to help them become or resume being productive lawabiding persons in our society,” Justice George stated.

M e a n w h i l e , Organisation of the American States (OAS)

Representative Jean Dormeus, in his brief remarks, applauded the local authorities for embarking on such a ground-breaking initiative.

Dormeus posited that the international expertise provided for the training would be of great benefit to the participants.

It was revealed that the establishment of the drug treatment court will commence in the last quarter of 2019, as it will be situated in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts building with the goal of promoting public safety and the well-being of society.

The training exercise is made possible through a collaboration between the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA); OAS and CICAD.

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

When we are together, the world ceases to exist:

Anushka Sharma on husband Virat Kohli

W

hile we have often heard Indian skipper Virat Kohli talk fondly of his wife Anushka Sharma in his interviews, the Zero actor has for the first time opened up on how it feels to be married to him.

In an interview with Filmfare, the 31-year-old actor said she loves Kohli “just because of the human being that he is”.

Talking about her marriage, Anushka shared, “I am married to my best friend. I am married to my confidant. I am married to someone I love so dearly just because of the human being that

S

he is. You talk about being misunderstood in life and then you meet someone who understands you completely. Then the world doesn’t exist. So for him and me, when we are together, the world ceases to exist.”

Before tying the knot in Italy on December 11, 2017, Virushka (as their fans fondly address them) dated each other for over four years. The two made several appearances together and left everyone guessing about their rumoured love affair. Virat Kohli often addressed Anushka Sharma as his ‘lady luck’ and had said,

anjay and Maanayata Dutt launched the teaser of Prasthanam in Mumbai on the occasion of the actor’s 60th birthday.

Talking about turning 60 and his upcoming film Prasthanam, Dutt said, “It feels like I have just started. I am feeling very happy about making this film. And I would like to thank everyone who

“Ever since the lady has come into my life, she has taught me a lot of things.

I have learnt a lot, become more sensible in the last 4 years all because of her.”

Anushka also told Filmfare that they find “solace in one another because of the similarities we share as people” and she is “extremely happy because he is my family.”

On the work front, Anushka Sharma has taken a break from acting and is focusing on the upcoming projects of her production house Clean Slate Films. (Indian Express)

has been a part of my journey. I feel lucky that I got an opportunity to reunite with Dada (Jackie Shroff) and Manisha (Koirala).

She is a great actor. I had a great time working with them. Ali is like my son. He has done a great job in this movie. Deva (Katta, the director) has also done a great job. He has made a very good film. He is a little stubborn, but that’s okay. I

am really proud that he made this film. And Maanayata ma’am is my boss at home and on sets. I have to give the dates she wants. I haven’t even got my fees (chuckles).”

The actor added, “Modi ji has said that senior citizens should get tax benefits. I have entered that bracket, and hopefully I can make some use of it.”

Sanjay Dutt also revealed why he chose to produce and act in Prasthanam. He said, “It is a brilliant story. It has a political background for sure, but it is a story about relationships. At Sanjay Dutt Productions, we want to back films with good content that is entertaining. Prasthanam is exactly that. We have great actors onboard too.”

Farhan Akhtar today announced that Dutt will be a part of KGF 2. About his character Adheera in the film, the actor said, “The character of Adheera in KGF is very powerful. If you have seen Avengers, you know how powerful Thanos is. Adheera is as powerful as him. In KGF’s first chapter, Adheera comes only in the end, but in the second chapter, he is quote something. This is the character I was looking for, and it has come to me.” (Indian Express)

A

fter Mission Mangal, Akshay Kumar and director Jagan Shakti will once again join hands for the Hindi remake of AR Murugadoss’ action drama Kaththi. Though the film titled Ikka was announced a couple of years ago, the project went into cold storage.

But now the director has confirmed to Mumbai Mirror that the remake of the superhit Tamil action-drama has not been shelved and will go on floors soon. Revealing that his team is currently reworking the script, Shakti said, “It (Ikka) will resonate with the underprivileged section of the society. With my second directorial, I want to explore action which is presented in a sleek way.”

2014 film Kaththi featured Vijay in dual roles along with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Neil Nitin Mukesh and others. The film is a story of lookalikes Kathiresan and Jeevanantham and focuses on the issue of farmers committing suicide due to corporate encroachment.

Last week, Akshay Kumar had released the post-

K

er of his film Bachchan Pandey. The film, scheduled for a 2020 release, marks the 10th collaboration of filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala and Kumar. (Indian

Express)

aran Johar’s house became a party hub on Saturday where A-listers of Bollywood, including Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and others had a gala time celebrating each other.

Karan shared a video on Instagram, giving a sneakpeek into the mood of the get-together. He captioned the video as, “Saturday night vibes.”

At first, we see the stunner Deepika Padukone striking a pose as Karan takes a video. Slowly, Karan moved to Malaika Arora who was accompanied by her rumoured boyfriend Arjun Kapoor. Arjun was seen mingling with Shahid Kapoor.

As Karan moves on, we meet Varun Dhawan and Zoya Akhtar. And soon, the camera shifts to Vicky Kaushal.

Apart from them, the party hosted Ranbir Kapoor, Natasha Dalal and others. We missed Alia Bhatt’s presence but as we know by her Instagram updates, the actor is busy spending some happy moments with sister Shaheen Bhatt and mother Soni Razdan in Ooty. (Indian Express)

HOLLYWOOD 49

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Avengers Endgame

writers are interested in a Superman movie

A

v e n g e r s Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely want to script a Superman movie. The duo, who have worked in six films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, say the Man of Steel can be done on the big screen in a way similar to the treatment they gave to Captain America.

While speaking to Screenrant, Christopher Markus said, “I mean, I

think Captain America shows there are certainly ways to do a really good Superman movie in this day. You don’t have to dirty him up, you don’t have to get rid of his earnestness.

The Christopher Reeve Superman is one of my favorite movies. So that’s the one we certainly borrow from all the time.”

Superman was resurrected for the DC Extended Universe by Zack Snyder. Henry

Cavill was cast in the role. While Cavill’s look and performance was appreciated, the way his character was written, less so.

Usually, Superman is depicted as a sunny, innocent and slightly naive superhero. But in Snyder’s films, he was a godlike figure trying to find his place in a world that was afraid of him.

Whether the take had potential is debatable, but the implementation

Hobbes and Shaw S writer open to sending franchise to space

of these ideas was roundly rejected by critics.

Warner Bros and DC tried to correct course with Justice League, but it was too late by then.

Now, it remains unclear whether Cavill will be back in the role.

hannon Lee, the daughter of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, has slammed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino for portraying her father as a “caricature” in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.

Shannon said Tarantino’s take on her father was no different from the way “white Hollywood” treated him when he was alive.

In an interview with The Wrap, she said the movie paints Lee, played by Mike Moh, as an “arrogant a**hole who was full of hot

C

hris Morgan, the scribe of Hobbes & Shaw, has said he would never say never to developing a space-set movie in the action franchise.

The writer, who has also penned five other Fast & Furious films, said as long as the idea fits within the parameters of what the audience expects from the series, he is game.

“I would never shoot down space. Never, never. I would literally never shoot down anything, as long as it hits the parameters: ‘Is it bada**? Is it awesome?

Will the audience love it? And will it not break faith with the audience as they’re watching it?’

“I’m down for whatever,” Morgan told Entertainment Weekly.

Starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, Hobbes & Shaw is the first spin-off from the Fast & Furious series.

Also featuring Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba, the film is slated to be released on Friday. (Indian Express)

L

uca Guadagnino is in negotiations to direct an adaptation of William Golding’s iconic novel Lord of the Flies for the big screen.

The director, best known for Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria, is the name on Warner Bros’ list to helm the latest take on the 1954 novel, reported Entertainment Weekly.

As of now, no writer is attached for the project.

Known Universe,

Superman and Captain America share many traits. They both are righteous superheroes who rub shoulders with more morally ambiguous superheroes (Batman and Iron Man).

Superman, of course,

air”, something that diminishes Lee’s struggle and legacy.

“He comes across as an arrogant a**hole who was full of hot air. And not someone who had to fight triple as hard as any of those people did to accomplish what was naturally given to so many others,” she said.

In the film, Lee challenges Brad Pitt’s stuntman character Cliff Booth to an on-set duel which eventually ends in a draw.

Shannon, 50, said it was very

a

production banner founded by writers Lindsey Beer, Nicole Perlman, and Geneva RobertsonDworet, is in talks to executive produce.

Golding’s book revolves around a group of schoolboys who are marooned on a deserted is-

is an alien and almost all-powerful, so this creates its own set of problems. But Markus and McFeely might do something different with Superman if given a chance. (Indian Express)

“uncomfortable” for her to watch the film in a theatre as everyone was laughing at her father.

“I can understand all the reasoning behind what is portrayed in the movie. I understand that the two characters are antiheroes and this is sort of like a rage fantasy of what would happen… and they’re portraying a period of time that clearly had a lot of racism and exclusion.

“I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super bad-a** who could beat up Bruce Lee. But they didn’t need to treat him in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive.

She said in reality her father was often challenged but he never took them seriously.

“Here, he’s the one with all the puffery and he’s the one challenging Brad Pitt. Which is not how he was,” she added. She, however, praised Moh for his portrayal of Lee but criticised Tarantino’s decision to direct him as a “caricature”.

Lee was known for his classic martial arts movies such as Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury.

He died at the age of 32 in 1973.

(Indian Express)

land. As they attempt to organise themselves in order to survive, they soon get divided into two rival factions which in turn brings out their more savage natures, despite their best efforts to remain rational.

Previous reports suggested a gender flip with the new film focusing on a group of schoolgirls. If the deal goes through, Guadagnino’s will stick to the book with an allboy group in a more modern take.

Marco Morabito is also in talks to produce.

The book was most famously turned into a film in 1963 by Peter Brook, followed by Henry Hook’s adaptation in 1990. (Indian Express)

50 SPORT

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Holder keen on Test Championship, hopes Windies can excel W

est Indies Captain Jason Holder has thrown his support behind the newly launched ICC Test Championship, stressing that the longest format of the game remained the ultimate test of character and expressing a desire to see West Indies build on their success against England earlier this year.

The ICC, cricket's world governing body, on Monday launched the championship, which will see West Indies along with Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka do battle in 71 matches across 27 series over a two-year span.

The two top teams will clash in a final to determine the world Test champions.

“Going through five intense days of cricket, and then the last session, getting the ultimate results — that's the beauty of the game,” Holder said.

“When you're on the winning end of a Test match, after fighting

West Indies Captain Jason Holder

so hard, that actually makes you feel like you have done something significant…

“I cherish those moments and every Test win because they stand out significantly. Being put under pressure for five days — the mental struggle, the mental grind — and then to be able to win is what it's

all about.

“We recall the win at Leeds against England back in 2017, when we played so hard and gave it everything to come away with that kind of victory was truly remarkable and quite memorable.”

West Indies have struggled in Tests for the best part of the last two

decades and currently languish in eighth spot in the ICC rankings, only above Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

However, they beat world number one England 2-1 in a threematch series back in February to claim their first series win over a higher-ranked side in seven years and reclaim

the coveted Wisden Trophy for the first time in a decade.

The Caribbean side's first assignment in the Test Championship is a two-match series against India starting next month.

“Hopefully our group will continue to build and face the challenges ahead and win a few more Test matches,” Holder said looking forward to the rubber.

“It should be a really good battle when we start against India in a few weeks. Both teams are at a stage where we have some really good players, and we have to build on what we started earlier this year.”

He continued: “Beating England at home was tremendous for us. We played some excellent cricket in all three departments and it was great for this young team to recapture the Wisden trophy after so long and also capture the imagination of the fans again.

“It showed us that once we play well we can beat the best teams.

On home turf, we are looking to make sure we

can beat India at home as well.”

The Test Championship will see each team play three home and three away series, with each series counting for 120 points.

Designed to breathe new life into the Test format, especially in the wake of the success of the Twenty20 game, Holder backed the initiative to take flight.

“It brings a different dynamic to Test cricket.

It's the format that the true cricket fan really loves and adores,” said the leading all-rounder.

“Having something more to play for now, with points and an overall winner at the end of the two years, and to decide who is the best Test team in the world is great.”

He added: “Having numbers and names at the back of the shirts also adds a bit of flavour to the game as well. This should add a bit more colour to Test cricket, having the numbers and names gives a clear indication of who is who.”

Holder has chosen number eight. (CMC)

GBA boss proud of Allicock’s performance in Lima …despite losing out on medal

D

espite missing a Pan American Games 2019 medal by just a few points, the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) President Steve Ninvalle is proud of the stellar performance by Guyanese Boxer Keevin Allicock in Lima, Peru on Monday evening.

It was the Bantamweight quarterfinal bout at the 2019 Pan American Games and a confident Keevin Allicock brought all he had to the table but could not walk away with a reward for his stellar performance.

Allicock, one of Guyana’s best chances at copping a Pan Am medal this year, was pitted against Uruguay’s Lucas Fernandes and lost the bout 2-3. Allicock was given the nod by two of the judges (29-28 and 3027) but the others scored in his opponent’s favor, causing the Guyanese to miss out on the bronze medal.

Keevin Allicock (Red) lands a punch on his opponent during his Pan American Games bout

In spite of this, Ninvalle expressed pride in Allicock’s showing at the 2019 games and disclosed that if it were up to him, the Guyanese pugilist would have graced the podium.

“There’s a very slim

line between winning and losing and most of the times we’ll find that the judges are the ones who determine that border. If you’d ask me, I’m not a judge, I’m not a referee but from a layman’s point of view, I believe

that Keevin did everything in order to secure that medal,” Ninvalle stated.

He went on to share that while missing out on the medal was disappointing, the Association is pleased with the box-

er’s improvements.

“We are disappointed with him not winning but we’re not disappointed with the effort he actually showed. I think Keevin has improved leaps and bounds and as I said before, this is the

best preparation that he’s had for any tournament. He’s only 20 years old, he can only get better.”

Looking to the future, Ninvalle revealed that the next major tournament the amateur boxers will be looking at is the Olympic Qualifier, and Allicock will be joined by a small group of Guyanese pugilists who have intentions of competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Furthermore, he also expressed gratitude to the GOA for their support.

“We must say thank you to the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), they came on board without us asking and supported him going to Cuba. We have the Olympic Qualifiers coming up and we expect that Keevin and at least four of our other elite boxers should have time overseas training for that,” Ninvalle said.

(Jemima Holmes)

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CWI Regional U-19 Former New York tournament: Barbados Knicks player defeat Guyana by 3 wickets

to visit Guyana

F

ormer NBA New York Knicks player Anthony Bonner, aka “The Big Man from St Louis”, will be in Guyana this August for the second free Youth Hoops Basketball Guyana Clinic, organised

by Green Mango Media in partnership with the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABA).

Bonner will, from August 6th to 8th, host training sessions in Regions 4 and 10 with Xperience Outreach (USA) founder and youth coach Rich Mahler.

Young people between the ages of 11 and 19 are invited to participate.

“We are excited that Anthony Bonner agreed to travel to Guyana to be a part of YHBG, which was formed to give young basketball players a chance to be trained and hear from athletes who played/play in top leagues, including the NBA and BIG3,” said a spokesperson for YHBG.

This is the first time that Bonner will be visiting Guyana.

Anthony Bonner was one of the top forwards in the NBA during the 1990s. He played six seasons in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings (23rd overall pick), New York Knicks and Orlando Magic.

Bonner was on the 1994 Knicks team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Then, a year later, the team made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Playing for the Orlando Magic in 1996, his team again made a playoff run, but lost to the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls.

After leaving the NBA, he played in professional leagues in Europe before returning to St Louis and sponsoring youth basketball camps to help young athletes attain the same level of success he had enjoyed.

Youth Hoops

Basketball Guyana Clinic was launched in April 2019, with sessions in Georgetown and Linden hosted by Rich Mahler and former NBA and present BIG3 baller, Jermaine Taylor.

“Green Mango Media is committed to promoting youth skill development in basketball through local and international partnerships, and to reinvigorate an interest in basketball at all levels,” a spokesperson has said.

Bonner and Mahler will focus on footwork, aggressiveness, mentality, and all-round offensive skills, including ball-handling and shooting.

They will also identify players with the potential to make it to the next level, and hold talks with players on the pathway to sports college/ training scholarships in the United States and playing in the NBA.

T

able turned for Guyana Under-19 when they lost to Barbados by three wickets at Arnos Valle St Vincent and the Grenadians. In 2018, Guyana defeated the Barbados by the same three-wickets. Barbados won the toss and elected to bowl first against defending champions, Guyana. The Guyanese displayed an ordinary batting performance when they were bundled out for 124 in 30.1 overs on the back of Matthew Forde five-wicket haul.

Guyana lost Alex Algoo in the third over when he was struck in front by the quickie Forde. Algoo was dismissed for five with the score on 13-1 in the third over. Junior Sinclair batting at number three got a beauty of an in swinger by Forde and was bowled all ends up for a duck as Barbados struck twice in the same over.

At 13-2, Kevlon Anderson walked to the crease and looked at his compact best cutting one past backward point and driving one into the covers for two shots. Anderson was looking to play one into the leg-side but was trapped in front by Forde for four.

With three quick wickets biting the dust, Sachin Singh, who opened the batting Algoo got his promising innings off with back-to-back boundaries. He took the score onto 30-3 inside six overs but he was soon after drooped by the wicket-keeper on eight, off the bowling of Forde.

Alphius Bookie batting at number five, occupied the crease for a while but

his painstaking innings came to an end when he played away from his body and was caught at first slip for three.

Benjamin was caught behind off a lifted delivery off Simmons for four at 67-6 in 15.4 overs. Captain Ashmead Nedd was caught for seven at backward point off short ball with the score on 79-7.

Seon Glasgow then turned on the heat smashing a maximum in the over 21 but he started running out of partners. Leon Swamy was bowled by Forde at 102-8 for only four runs while Qumar Torrington followed at 1219, scoring only seven. Final batsman, Kelvin Umroa was bowl all ends up to give Forde his 5-fer at 124 all out in 30.1 overs. Glasgow was left stranded at 33 from 49 balls. Forde ended with 5-22 in 8.1 overs.

In reply, Guyana began in poor fashion in the field, dropping sitters, but Swmay got two early wickets to leave the Barbadians at 35-2 at lunch.

After Swamy and Torrington discipline efforts, Anderson was a tad expensive but the spin twin, Umroa and Nedd made Barbados worked for their runs.

Rivaldo Clarke top-scored with 50 as Barbados won by three wickets finishing on 126-7 in 29.1 overs.

Umroa finished with 3-39 in 8.3 overs while Nedd grabbed 2-33 in his 10 overs. Swamy had 2-20 in four overs.

Guyana will play Leeward Islands on August 1 at Park Hill from 9:30h. The Guyanese are two points on the table while Barbados are six points on the board.

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Zimbabwe players ready to 'play for free' to keep cricket alive in their country Z

imbabwe's cricketers will play for free if need be in order to keep cricket in the country alive.

"We will play for free as long as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel," a senior squad member told ESPNcricinfo. "Our next assignment is the (T20 World Cup) qualifiers.

We will play for free."

The qualifiers remain the focus for Zimbabwe's cricketers - men and women - although they have been barred from taking part in those events under the terms of their suspension by the ICC. Four members of the national women's team were also dropped from the ICC's Global Development Squad, but their exclusion does not extend to all cricket.

Zimbabwe are still technically able to play in bilateral series while under suspension. It is understood that the ICC will still appoint match officials for bilateral series that Zimbabwe host.

But, at the moment, that likely means players playing for free, and Zimbabwe Cricket is in any case unable to host incoming tours with-

out ICC funding. The Sports and Recreation Commission, which has put an interim committee in place to run cricket in the country, has said there is a contingency plan to deal with player welfare while Zimbabwe are under suspension, but the details of this plan have not apparently been communicated to

the players.

Neither of the two senior national squads has been paid in the last two months, and the men were not paid match fees during their recent tour of the Netherlands and Ireland.

It appears increasingly unlikely that Zimbabwe will be able to take part in the women's

T20 qualifiers in August, or the men's chapter in October. Zimbabwe were scheduled to host Afghanistan in August, before travelling to Bangladesh for a tri-series in September. The Future Tours Programme mentions that Zimbabwe will then host West Indies for a Test and five ODIs in October

and November, before travelling to India for three T20Is in January next year. Zimbabwe have two Tests against Sri Lanka scheduled straight afterwards, before a trip to Bangladesh in March and a maiden Test against Ireland in Zimbabwe in April.

While these fixtures have not been cancelled

outright, in reality there is no chance whatsoever of Zimbabwe hosting any cricket while under suspension, whether the players are paid or not. ZC is entirely reliant on ICC funding to host incoming cricket tours, which - apart from Indian visits - could end up as loss-making enterprises. (ESPNCricinfo)

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IPL champions Mumbai Indians enlist Guyanese Sherfane Rutherford for IPL 2020 M

Sherfane Rutherford also played for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2018 Hero CPL

umbai Indians have completed their first player transfer for IPL 2020 on Wednesday.

The four-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians decided to release leg-spinner Mayank Markande and inducted West Indies hard-hitting all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford from the Delhi Capitals for the next season of IPL. “We wish Mayank the very best for his future. He is a brilliant talent and we were fortunate to have spotted and nurtured him early. It is a difficult decision for us, but we are releasing him for better cricketing prospects and know that he is on the cusp of emerging as yet another shining star of Indian cricket. He will always be a part of the Mumbai Indians family,” said Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani.

Markande who made his IPL debut in 2018, played a crucial role in the Rohit Sharma-led side’s performance that season, picking up 15 wickets in 14 matches. Markande’s impressive show in the 2018 season of IPL had also earned him a place in the Indian T20 side.

The 20 year-old, however failed to replicate his inaugural season’s performance in the next season and was replaced by another leggie Rahul Chahar in the MI playing XI. Markande played only 3 matches in IPL 2019 picking up just 1 wicket.

Sherfane Rutherford, on the other hand, made his IPL debut last season and played 7 matches for Delhi Capitals. He scored 73 runs and picked up 1 wicket.

About adding Rutherford to their side, Ambani said, his all-round skills will benefit MI a lot. “I am excited to welcome the talented Sherfane into our family. He has impressed us with his all-round skills and match-winning attitude. His exploits across the world at such an early stage of his career have been impressive and we believe he finds his home at MI.” (Excerpts taken from Hindustan Times)

20-member U-15 squad named for CONCACAF championships

…team to play 2 warm-up matches before departure

T

he 20-man shortlisted National U-15 Boys’ team, in their final leg of preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Boys’ U-15 Championships at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida USA from August 4–11, are engaged in a series of training matches as they endeavour to represent the Golden Arrowhead with distinction.

The team opposed the Pouderoyen FC U20 team on Saturday, and are scheduled to play two more matches: against Santos FC on Tuesday, and Buxton United FC on Wednesday, prior to departure on Saturday, August 3. Both matches are scheduled for a 11hr start.

According to Head Coach Bryan Joseph, there are three objectives to the matches, which are open for public viewing.

“First, we’re trying to simulate the playing times and conditions we will be faced with in Florida, to see how the boys cope with the high temperature, and work out how we can best utilise the players without burnout. Second, we want to play against teams in which the style or method of preparation is unknown, and try to impose our style of play and dominate. And third, we want to play against tougher, stronger opposition… and to place the players in situations where they have to be motivated and driven to work hard as a group to compete.”

Commenting on the team’s performance in the first match, Joseph said, “Pouderoyen did not come as strong as we had expected them to. We would have achieved probably 70%80% of what we would have wanted the team to achieve.”

Meanwhile, from an initial 40-man roster, a 20-man squad has been shortlisted

The 20-member U-15 squad

and engaged. It includes two Goalkeepers, four Defenders, 10 Midfielders and four Forwards, with one international-based player in the person of Midfielder Joshua Kesney from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Head

U-15 Head Coach Bryan Joseph

Coach has said the six-week preparation, which has thus far been rewarding, focused on the playing philosophy and style of play to be engaged in the tournament, and also sought to identify the best available talent from across Guyana.

He said the core group comprises players who have participated in the 2018 CFU U-14 Boys’ Challenge T r o p h y .

However, he noted that only 18 will travel.

Guyana has been placed in ‘ G r o u p E’ with Nicaragua, C a y m a n Islands and The Bahamas.

The match schedule is as follows: M o n d a y August 5

@ 09:00hrs – Nicaragua vs Guyana. Tuesday August 6 @ 11:00hrs – The Bahamas vs Guyana. And Thursday, August 8 @ 09:00hrs – Guyana vs Cayman Islands.

According to CONCACAF, the tournament will be played in two rounds, as follows: “For the first-round group phase, the 42 participating teams have been divided into three divisions according to the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 ranking as of 2019, ensuring sporting balance and a minimum number of four matches for each team.

Division One would comprise the top-14-ranked CONCACAF teams, as well as Slovenia and Portugal.

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups A-D).

After round-robin play, the four group winners and the four second-place finishers will advance to the quarterfinals, to play for the Championships. The third

and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

Division Two would comprise the 15 next-best-ranked CONCACAF teams, and Israel. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups E-H). After round robin play, the four group winners will advance to the semifinals to play for the divisional championship. The second, third and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final positions in the division.

Division Three will be made up of the 10 lowestranked CONCACAF teams.

The teams have been divided into two groups of five teams each (Groups I and J). After round robin play, the group winners will advance to the divisional final, while the remaining teams will play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

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