Guyana Times International 25-OCT-19

INTERNATIONAL THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Coalition hanging by a thread for FRee distribution guyanatimesinternational.com

You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 27, 2019

ISSUE NO. 471

See story on page 3

...APNU refuses to accept AFC’s Ramjattan as PM candidate See stories inside

Diwali Parade in Queens See photos inside

Hundreds of persons, mostly Hindus, took part in the 2019 Diwali Parade in Queens, New York last Saturday. The parade, organized by the Divya Jyoti Association of New York, started at Liberty Avenue and 133rd Street and saw floats representing the various Mandirs and business organizations in Queens and other boroughs in NY (Lakshmee Singh Facebook photo)

The drama continues …

GECOM commissioners clash on proposal to publish list of H2H registrants Page 7

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NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Coalition hanging by a thread ...APNU refuses to accept AFC’s Ramjattan as PM candidate

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he Alliance For Change (AFC) has hinted that it could part ways with its coalition partner; the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), should its choice of the prime ministerial candidate be rejected for the upcoming 2020 polls.

Both parties, which form the current administration, were in talks over the revision of the Cummingsburg Accord, so that they can contest the March 2020 elections again as a coalition. The Accord, which binds the two parties, states that the presidential candidate post is to be filled by the APNU while the coalition’s PM candidate would be from the AFC. However, Treasurer of the AFC, Dominic Gaskin stated at a press

Khemraj Ramjattan taking the oat of office as Public Security Minister in the presence of President David Granger

conference on Thursday that these negotiations have been stalled, as the parties have since failed to reach a consensus on

the Prime Ministerial candidacy.

While they would have moved to select their leader Khemraj

Ramjattan for the post during a recent party congress, the APNU has been reticent, showing no signs of support for

this decision.

Commenting on the matter, Gaskin indicated, “The AFC wishes to confirm reports that the

negotiations of a revised Cummingsburg Accord between the two parties has stalled due to a lack of consensus on this issue. The AFC finds it unacceptable that the matter of the presidential and prime ministerial candidates has been repeatedly deferred.”

Gaskin, who has been part of the negotiations, said the deferral was unclear and his party was not in agreement with reasons provided by its coalition partner.

However, the idea of replacing Ramjattan is not up for debate.

He hinted that their selection of the Prime Ministerial candidate is their condition for remaining in the coalition ahead of the approaching general and regional elections. turn to page 9

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL To contact: Guyana Times International

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Tel no: (592) 223-7230/1, 225-7761.

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EDITORIAL

Constitutional reform

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acing severe domestic and international censure over its failure to deliver on its Manifesto promise to initiate constitutional change to address our political logjam, PNCR Executive member Gary Best sought to shift the blame to the Opposition PPP. He claimed, “We had to get at least two-thirds of the members [of the National Assembly] to vote for the many clauses and articles that are now in the Constitution. So constitutional reform is not an activity for the party in power, it’s an activity for all the parties in power, and parties that seek to have power… It can’t be done without the cooperation of the other Members of Parliament which are from the PPP [People’s Progressive Party]”.

This has to be one of the most blatant attempts at a coverup since the Watergate Tapes. The APNU/AFC Manifesto had declared “The Constitution, in its current form, does not serve the best interest of Guyana or its people”. It then detailed seventeen far-reaching changes that included the President being elected directly and separately from the Members of Parliament and Executive power shared between the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, with the PM being the person who received the second highest number of votes in the Presidential poll.

A six-member Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform (SCCR) was duly established by PM Nagamootoo in August 2015, took extensive submissions and its final report was handed over to him on April 30, 2016. He promised to submit it to Cabinet but a cryptic comment by President David Granger in June 2016 showed that he opposed the changes. He claimed Constitutional Reform should not come from individuals “sitting in a room” and pontificated sedulously, “We need to go to the people, find out what the people think; we need to have consultation and we need to listen to them”.

Never mind that the SSCR had actually recommended a detailed, wide-ranging process to effectuate constitutional change. To wit, that after the report being read in the National Assembly, it would be passed on to the Parliamentary Standing Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC), which would have worked with legal experts to prepare a draft of the proposed changes. After circulating this document to the political parties and the widest possible array of civil society organisations, the CRC would have been expanded by representatives of these groups, and they would, in turn, repeat the earlier process. Their report would then be submitted to the National Assembly for debate and ultimate ratification by one of the methods included in the present Constitution, most likely a referendum.

But even Granger’s red herring proposal for “hearings” was not followed up even though Nagamootoo requested and received G$80M for “consultations”. Instead, the report was read in Parliament a year later in June 2017; submitted to the CRC and from there never saw the light of day. While the CRC is bi-partisan, it is chaired by the AG and has a majority of Government MPs, including Khemraj Ramjattan. A year later in May 2018, following UNDP and Carter Center missions in 2017 to place constitutional change on the Government’s agenda, pressed for an explanation, Ramjattan claimed: “There are good reasons why there are other matters before Parliament and we haven’t been meeting regularly for good reasons and that has stalled the process somewhat. But as we had indicated prior, we are going to, fast as possible, ensure the passage of that (constitutional reform) Consultation Bill so that the process of constitutional reform could start by the Commission going to the various areas across the country. I think that it will be done before the next election and we have to fasttrack it”.

Nothing changed in the following year and a half since the PNC-led Government’s frantic efforts to subvert the present Constitution to remain in office.

The PNC’s spokesperson, Best, was simply being mendacious, since the Bill never reached the floor of the National Assembly for the PPP’s vote.

To commence the of activities in the lead-up to the Agri-Tourism Expo that will be hosted in November the Agri-Tourism Monument was unveiled on Tuesday outside the entrance to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (Shaconeil Burnette photo)

Maintaining healthy lifestyles

By Jainarine Deonauth

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ountry Representative of the Food and A g r i c u l t u r e Organisation Dr Gillian Smith was quoted in the media as saying at a recent World Food Day event that over 40 per cent of Guyanese are either overweight or obese and of that number, the majority are women.

While lauding Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean region for the immense progress made in reducing absolute hunger; Dr Smith underscored the point that overweightness and obesity is another dangerous problem which must be tackled by policy makers and other development partners.

While the recent comments

by Dr Smith did not come as a surprise, they indeed serve as a reminder that the issue of non-communicable diseases and the need to adopt healthy lifestyle changes must remain a central part of the national discourse on the development of our human capital.

Health experts say that chronic diseases result largely from bad food choices and low levels of physical activity. Reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses, including Type 2 diabetes,

cardiovascular diseases and various cancers is associated with living a healthy lifestyle, which includes such factors as non-smoking, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol intake and a sense of mental wellbeing. For example, evidence suggests that half of all cancers could be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. Citizens therefore need to make a conscious effort to check on the status of their health regularly, instead of procrastinating which further compromises their health.

NCDs come at a high cost to individuals and to nation states in terms of human suffering, expensive treatment and loss of production. For example, Dr Smith explained that a 2011 cost of illness assessment, done by the Health Ministry in collaboration with the PAHO/WHO, estimated that the direct and indirect cost of treating non-communicable diseases in Guyana was over 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This, she noted, threatens to erode the human capital.

What is noteworthy is the realisation that most cases of chronic non-communicable diseases are avoidable and it is within our individual powers to prevent these diseases from affecting our lives. So how do we make the breakthrough when it comes to getting our citizens to adopting healthy lifestyles considering the fact that some persons still operate with a high degree of ignorance.

To begin with, we believe that there is need for greater awareness and knowledge in the society about the dangers of chronic illnesses. On this basis, we urge that there be continuous awareness campaigns across the country to address various health issues.

Research has shown that the

numerous media campaigns on HIV/AIDS prevention and care, stigma and discrimination have impacted positively on attitudes and lifestyle changes; and messages in a similar fashion should be created towards addressing non-communicable illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes or dealing with overweightness and obesity.

The government, even though they must take the lead as it relates to policy drafting and implementation etc, cannot do it alone. The entire society must be actively involved. Perhaps the temples, mosques and churches can take up a more active role in educating their congregations about the need to adopt healthier lifestyles in order to live longer, more fulfilling and happier lives. Consumer bodies, schools and other educational institutions, civil society groups, and more importantly the media, also have a role to play, as when we lose our citizens due to premature deaths, the entire country is robbed of its most valuable resource – its people.

Additionally, while individual responsibility and choice are crucial factors affecting the incidence of chronic diseases, public policy, public education, qualitative regulation of food imports, licensing laws to protect consumers and gearing the environment to support prevention of chronic diseases are also pre-requisites for combating this epidemic.

Better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more. Everyone should therefore aim to live a healthy and full life and to avoid becoming trapped by NCDs.

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Doctor, 6 others remain in police custody for gold dealer’s murder

…as file being prepared to be sent to DPP for advice

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even persons, including the doctor who reportedly administered medical attention to the suspected injured gunman that shot and killed businessman, Deon Stoll, in front of the El Dorado Trading Inc., less than two weeks ago are presently in police custody.

This is according to Acting Crime Chief, Michael Kingston, who on Thursday told Guyana Times International that in addition to the seven individuals in custody, the police are hunting for one other person.

He explained that in relation to the doctor’s alleged role in this matter, the law is currently being researched, to determine what charges (if any) can be laid against him.

“This is the first time that we would have been confronted with a situation of this nature.

So, the law is being researched at the moment and the file is being prepared at the moment to be sent for legal advice. And so all of that would be expounded upon and at some stage; the report will be sent to the Medical Council of Guyana on the doctor’s conduct.”

The Crime Chief (ag) noted that at some stage of the investigative process, law enforcement officials will engage the Medical Council of Guyana, so that it would be aware of what the police would have uncov-

Businessman Deon Stoll who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in front of the El Dorado Trading, Da Silva Street, Kitty, Georgetown

ered during its probe into the incident.

On Monday last, one of two masked gunmen who attempted to rob Stoll, shot him in the process, while now dead man’s driver was shot to his arm while he was trying to defend himself from the second gunman.

A security guard attached to the El Dorado Trading company was also shot during the attempted robbery on Monday.

Stoll, a.k.a “Mow” hailed from the Charity village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) but is said to also have resided in Bel Air, Georgetown.

Reports are that around 10:20h on Monday morning, Stoll had been in a motorcar (PPP 6727) driven by Powley, when the duo arrived at the front of the El Dorado Trading premises. A white Toyota motorcar with tinted windows that had appeared to be trailing Stoll’s vehicle also stopped across the road from the business place moments after Stoll had arrived at that location.

Two gunmen donning rags/ handkerchiefs used to conceal most of their faces ran out of their vehicle and rushed towards Stoll’s car. One gunman opened the door at the driver’s side and a scuffle began between him and Powley, who soon exited the vehicle to better defend himself. Powley received

a gunshot wound to his arm in the process while his assailant rushed back to the waiting white Toyota motorcar.

At the time this was happening, the other gunman had rushed to the front seat passenger door, where Stoll had been, and opened it before attempted to snatch something from Stoll. The businessman also appeared to have been putting up a fight from inside of the vehicle but was shot to his stomach. His shooter then ran away towards the direction of the vehicle that he had arrived in but Stoll also exited the car (PPP6727) with his handgun, firing shots at the gunman.

The gunman also returned fire while trying to get back to the white Toyota car, falling to the ground twice in the process, before managing to rush back into his vehicle.

The white Toyota motorcar then quickly sped away from the scene as the gunmen made good their escape.

A few days later, the doctor who is reported to have attended to the wounds of the injured bandit, along with others, were hauled into the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Eve Leary, Georgetown, in relation to Stoll’s murder. It is alleged that the doctor did not report the matter to the police after he finished treating the suspect’s gunshot wound.

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Guyana should use oil funds to invest in its education system Dear Editor, Two favourite campaign promises are already being bandied about: free education and cash transfers. The former is borne of a desire to fundamentally change our society and future. The latter is an example of how to squander our oil wealth. This opinion is not influenced by any party affiliation – to me it seems pure and simple common sense.

We all know that investing in our education system is an urgent and vital need. The IMF’s Article IV report found that while Guyanese

children receive around 12 years of schooling, that education is only worth about 6 years compared to other countries with better education systems. That means that half of the time our children spend getting an education is wasted. Perhaps it is better to call it daycare than school?

Better teachers, facilities, resources and programmes will ensure that the quality of that primary education improves. This will equip our children with the solid foundation they need to pursue further

education, rather than proceeding to university unequipped for the challenge. We must also invest at the university level as well. Improving UG’s faculties and programmes will prevent Guyanese from being forced to go elsewhere in order to obtain a degree.

This must be done if we are to halt our devastating brain drain.

To me, all of this seems to be common sense. One of the best things a country can provide its youth is a quality education. Guyana’s system has fallen into disrepair. Now that we

have happened into oil wealth, we have an opportunity to fix this mistake.

Compare that to the suggestion that Guyana should begin making cash transfers. A blanket payout to all citizens cannot possibly create the same merits and values that a quality education can. Rather, it rewards Guyanese for having the good fortune to be living in this moment. It also counts on the recipient to be responsible with how they use the funds.

Of course, the idea of limited or targeted cash

transfers has been suggested as an alternative.

And in a perfect world, our Government would impartially distribute cash to Guyanese most in need, bereft of any racial or political considerations. But we do not live in a perfect world. I fear that the idea of targeted transfers is more likely to become a mere euphemism for buying political support with oil money.

It is the duty of all Guyanese to refrain from the near-sighted temptations that oil wealth will offer. Every international expert and every country that has al-

ready experienced oil wealth all urge us to look to the long term and plan ahead. Our generation is lucky to have seen the discovery of oil, but our labour is just beginning if we are to translate that into lasting prosperity and stability.

We have not earned the right to take early retirement on an oil “pension.”

We cannot be bribed away from our long-term goal. Let us exercise restraint and look towards policies which create a lasting foundation.

Yours sincerely, Donald Singh

Police outriders should stop the APNU/AFC have failed miserably recklessness

Dear Editor, The terrible road accident at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, that claimed the precious lives of those five people on October 15, 2019, is indeed very sad.

After viewing the surveillance camera footage, it is clear that the driver of the private car was not at fault. I was looking at the accident and thinking with a shudder that it could have easily been myself and family in that private car on that fateful day.

This was something that was waiting to happen. I have heard count-

less experiences by drivers who encounter these blazing fast outriders. In Berbice, a close friend of mine and a popular businessman, was telling me some time back when Mr David Granger visited Region Six, Corentyne, how he was almost forced off of the road in his attempt to avoid a collision with one of the outriders that was travelling at a dangerously high rate of speed with absolutely no concern for other road users. What is the reason for these officers and convoys to be driving at this high rate of speed?

What is the urgency? Is

someone usually on life support in the presidential convoys and needs to get quickly to the hospital? It makes absolutely no sense at all. We the good citizens of Guyana have summed up that it is just for publicity, to give us all a sense that “he” is around. Take your time please, drive carefully and try not to kill more innocent people.

I now wish to draw your attention to another horrific incident in Berbice in which two bodies were found, two others are missing and presumed dead. This was a few days before the road accident that

sadly claimed those five precious lives. However, neither the President nor any of his Ministers visited to extend condolences to the grieving relatives of the boat incident, nor, to a lesser extent, offered monetary help.

The police are here for the protection of the citizens of this country at all times and they are doing a great job in spite of bad conditions.

They are not employed to guard a single person (who is in no risk of being hurt) in all conceivable directions.

Sincerely, Shane Lindie

The lives of sugar workers have not improved

Dear Editor, The GAWU could not miss Mr Earl John’s letter appearing in the October 17 section of the media titled: “Loud silence on plans for the former sugar workers”.

Indeed, we felt the title was most appropriate considering, it seems, the powers-that-be have all but forgotten about the some 7000 workers they put on the breadline following their decision to shutter sugar estates.

Mr John begins his missive by recognising GAWU’s presence on the corporation’s Board of Directors. Our Union, for some time now, as he is no doubt aware, has been invited to name a nominee to sit on the Board. We have grasped

that opportunity as, we contend, we should not fail to use every opportunity and platform to advocate on behalf of our members. We should add, on that note, that though having a representative on the Board, the plans to minimise the industry were not discussed in the representative’s presence, though he was a Board member at the time. It seemed to indicate that the corporation’s Board was not really privy to the plans to minimise the industry and gave rise to suspicion as to who was really giving direction. This fact of notoriety we drew to the Government’s attention at the inaugural meeting held on December 31, 2016 to discuss the

future of the sugar industry. Mr John may recall our concern as he was present at that December 2016 meeting.

At the meeting held at Enmore in December, 2017, our Union along with Mr John, who represented GuySuCo, among others, listened carefully and attentively to what NICIL-SPU had to say regarding its plans for the estates identified for divestment. We agreed, at that time, there was much optimism from the NICIL-SPU and the workers who stood to be affected were hopeful those plans would have become a reality.

Of course, now nearly 2 years down the road, those plans have all but evaporated and been replaced with suffering, misery and hardship for thousands in the affect-

ed communities.

In furthering his concern, Mr John drew attention to a study that was conducted regarding transitioning sugar workers into farmers.

The study which, was done by consultants contracted by the European Union (EU), was tasked to prepare a roadmap, as we understand, to pursue the transition. Of course, as we recollect, the GuySuCo did not want the consultants engaging our Union. In fact, it was only after a stern foot was put down that the consultants were eventually allowed to meet with the Union.

During that engagement, we did share with the consultants some of the concerns we had and some of the matters we believed required attention for the transition to continued on page 7

on crime

Dear Editor, When they were in the Opposition, the PNC and AFC were good back seat drivers. They had all the solutions to the crime problem and good governance.

From the time they got into Government, they have been complete failures. One of their own, now National Hero, MP Mr Charrandas Persaud, who could not take it any longer, voted with the Opposition against his own coalition Government, and caused the PNC to be defeated.

There was an expectation that the coalition would do better on crime given all the retired military people that Granger assembled to help his Government.

People thought they would create a Think Tank, or action plan but nothing of the sort. We get more of the same backwardness, including law enforcement personnel working in cahoots with criminals.

Every week, from Berbice to Essequibo, to Linden and Georgetown, violent crime creates widows and orphans.

Our hardworking mothers, daughters, sons and fathers are brutalised by bandits without mercy. The poor fishermen going out to provide us with fish do not return home. Businessmen taking risks to engage in enterprise and providing jobs are ambushed and killed in broad daylight, and the Government keeps twiddling its thumbs with no solutions in sight. Instead,

they feed us propaganda that crime has reduced, even as families in mourning bury their loved ones whose lives have been cut short by bandits’ bullets. And Granger says: “Give us five more years.” Five more years to do what?

While the Government has done minor shuffles of its pack of jokers, Ramjattan is in place still. The current pack of Ministers in the coalition are probably the sorriest lot ever in Government. The PNC knows that while it needs to put in a new Minister, it cannot just move the AFC Leader just like that. So because of coalition politics, the nation continues to carry the goadie of incompetence of clueless Ministers, more widows and orphans are created, and fear stalks the land. Even church people are afraid to venture out at nights for Bible studies or prayer meetings. Guyanese abroad are scared to come home and visit.

Let Ramjattan say how many of the fishing boat owners in his county of Berbice have been issued firearms.

Fishermen should not have to pay with their lives for us to be able to eat fish.

I call on Ramjattan to resign immediately, and for caretaker Granger to appoint a new caretaker Public Security Minister. Enough is enough!

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

news 7

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

The drama continues …

GECOM commissioners clash on proposal to publish list of H2H registrants O ne half of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has denied that any decision was made by the Commission to publish the list of registrants captured during the recent House-toHouse exercise, throwing further uncertainty into the exercise.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick on Wednesday evening said that such a decision was never taken by the full Commission.

“We read reports in the press, attributed to Commissioner Charles Corbin, that the Guyana Elections Commission will proceed to publish the entire list of persons registered during the House-to-House (H2H)

exercise from Thursday, 24th October, 2019,” the Commissioners said in a statement.

“These remarks were made to the press immediately after the Statutory Meeting of 22nd October, 2019 and the impression was conveyed that the said disclosure was a decision of the Commission. We were present from the beginning to the end of that GECOM meeting and we wish to emphasise, most vehemently, that no such decision was taken”.

According to the Commissioners, they have since informed the Chairperson of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, of this misinformation and have requested her intervention. Moreover, they made their objections to the move clear.

Government nominated Commissioners Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin

It was announced on Tuesday that GECOM had completed the encoding process for data

Opposition Commissioners; from left, Sase Gunraj, Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick

The lives of... be successful. Following our meeting, we never heard from the consultants or what finally they recommended. This apparently is a State secret. The transition of displaced workers into farmers were also expressed by Government officials and during an engagement with President David Granger in January 2018 we did share our views on the matter.

It was, therefore, for us, a surprise to learn that GuySuCo Managers were actually trained to facilitate the programme. We wonder how many workers were trained, since as far as we know the Alternative Livelihood

from page 6

Programme developed by the Corporation also was not as impactful as may have been envisaged. That programme, we understand, trained a small number of the displaced workers.

Nevertheless, the situation for the workers and their families has not improved. Their remains a dearth of opportunities whether for entrepreneurship or jobs.

The talk about taking care and assisting the workers has all died down. And, as Mr John puts it there is a loud silence.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

gathered from the recent House-to-House exercise and that fingerprints would be sent overseas to be cross-matched.

In his engagement with the media after the meeting, Commissioner Corbin had explained that the data gleaned from the encoding process will be put up for public scrutiny from today (Thursday). At the time, however, Gunraj had noted that while the proposal came up for discussion, there had been divisions at the Commission level about this approach.

“We discussed the House-to-House data.

Specifically, we got back a report from the finger print cross-matching on a part of that data. What we are looking at now is what to do with it. A proposal is to publicise it for public scrutiny, but then to what end?” Gunraj

had explained to the media.

“My questions at the meeting were, when you post it for public scrutiny, how does one deal with it? Is one allowed to make an objection? Is one allowed to make a claim? Is one allowed to ask questions about entries on that list? Those are questions that have to be answered by the Secretariat. Up to the present time, we have not received any proposal as to how those issues will be treated”.

At the same time, Corbin himself had also called for the intervention of the GECOM Chair to steer GECOM in the right direction. He had noted that the time has come for Justice Singh to take a stand on certain matters. He pointed out that this is necessary in order to move the process forward.

“I think all the views associated with how to treat with all the data available to us, how to treat with all the transactions that are to be conducted during Claims and Objections, I think they have all been properly ventilated. I think positions have been adopted by all members of the Commission”.

“And I think that at this point, from my assessment, it is a question of decisions that have to be made. What has been happening is there has been a repetition of views… as a result of all the information available. So at this point in time, I think the Chairman will have to weigh in with a definitive decision on where to go, because time is slipping. We have until the 11th of next month to complete the process,” Corbin had said.

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WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Guyanese drug offenders now have a choice’ …Justice Cummings-Edwards says during launch of first drug treatment court

By Jarryl Bryan

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specialised drug offences court, the first of its kind in Guyana, was commissioned with the backing of multiple stakeholders on Monday, with Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonnette Cummings-Edwards explaining that drug offenders will now be given a choice to fix their lives.

The new court will be housed in the lower flat of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, at the Brickdam entrance.

It will feature a drug treatment team that includes Magistrates, State Counsels, a legal aid attorney and a probation officer.

In explaining how it works, Chancellor Cummings-Edwards noted that offenders will get to choose to do community service or enter a drug rehabilitation programme. She noted that participants first have to sign an agreement, which binds them to follow certain rules including regular attendance of the programme and submitting to random drug tests.

“Once the offender comes to the court, and the offender pleads guilty or is found guilty

Chancellor Cummings-Edwards cuts the ribbon, while (from immediate left) Ministers Khemraj Ramjattan and Basil Williams and Chief Justice Roxane George look on

by the Magistrate, that offender is provided with the option to accept a custodial sentence or to enter a treatment programme which the drug court provides, as an alternative to incarceration.”

“Participation in that treatment programme is voluntary… the programme will provide treatment tailored to the needs of the participants. Some of the key interventions are educational sessions, one to

one counselling, group counselling, treatment recovery plan, reintegration, post-graduation plans.”

She cited the Phoenix Recovery Centre and the Salvation Army as two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) that are providing their services to ensure the rehabilitation of these drug users.

According to the Chancellor, the court will also work alongside these organisations to

ensure the success of the programme.

Edwards also explained the disadvantage of incarcerating drug users without addressing the underlying issues.

“We have come to the realisation that many offenders have a substance use disorder. Some even have mental health disorders. The grim reality is when these offenders are charged and found guilty, they’re likely to be incarcerated.”

“While in prison, the drug problem remains. When they’re discharged, they go back to base as before. And then reappear in the courts with similar offences and are labelled recidivists,” she said.

Rehabilitation The question of whether offenders can indeed be rehabilitated was an-

implementing the drug rehabilitation court.

He noted that Director of Prisons, Gladwin

OAS representative to Guyana, Jean Ricot Dormeus

Samuels, recently highlighted cases of rehabilitated prisoners.

Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonnette Cummings-Edwards

swered by Organisation of American States (OAS) representative to Guyana, Jean Ricot Dormeus, who played a key role in collaboration with the Government in

Canada, went through a hard rending lifestyle in Guyana, served jail time. He has been rehabilitated and is currently supporting the Ministry of Health. Can we achieve rehabilitation? Of course.”

“As I was visiting [Phoenix home], I met a woman who fell into the grips of addiction. As a result, her family became dysfunctional, she engaged in [a destitute] life for 17 years, even sleeping on the tombs of Le Repentir Cemetery.

After an old friend would not give up on her and took her to Phoenix, she was rehabilitated and is now helping others get their lives back.”

He spoke of another individual who holds a Master’s Degree, lectured and even worked on Wall Street, the United States’ financial capital. According to

“I discussed the topic with Director Samuels.

And he referred to several rehabilitation successes, including a man I met afterwards.

He was deported from

Ricot Dormeus, this man too fell into addiction.

“He was deported to Guyana and led a [destitute] life for many years.

His sisters signed him up for rehabilitation.

After a long struggle and several relapses, he got rehabilitated. Now, he’s coaching addicts on how to overcome their plight and again become worthy members of society.”

Earlier this year, a United States (US) State Department report had declared that while Guyana has a comprehensive drug demand reduction strategy, the use of drugs like marijuana and even cocaine is a growing domestic problem.

According to the report, marijuana is the most commonly used drug. The document also reported seizures of synthetic drugs like Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA), most commonly known as “ecstasy”, and detailed Government’s response to the scourge.

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana has second most oil discoveries in the world for 2019

By Jarryl Bryan

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il and gas companies throughout the world have discovered over seven billion barrels of oil equivalent for the year 2019, but of this amount, Guyana has the second most discoveries so far in the year.

This is according to Norwegian research company Rystad Energy, which compiled a report on all the discoveries of oil around the world and came up with a list of the top 10 countries.

Russia is in the lead, with over 1.5 billion barrels of oil found in its Dinkov and Nyarmeyskoye oil fields.

Russia is followed closely by Guyana, where oil was found in the Liza 1 field in the Stabroek block by United States (US) based ExxonMobil and in the Orinduik block by British oil firm Tullow. These companies are not finished drilling, as further projects are being undertaken.

A distant third is the middle eastern country of Cyprus. They are followed by South Africa, Malaysia, Norway, Angola and Indonesia. The United Kingdom (UK) and the US bring up the rear on the top 10 oil finds list.

Commenting on the steep rise in oil drilling in the Caribbean, the report noted that in 2013, only seven offshore wells were drilled in the region. Now, the report noted, 23 new exploration wells are expected for 2019.

“Rystad Energy expects the Guyana-Suriname basin will continue to occupy headlines with a few planned wells in both Guyana and Suriname.

The basin is pinned as one of the most prospective, underexplored basins in the world and will definitely get a facelift from its current assigned volumes if hydrocarbons are established towards the east,” a statement from the company says.

So far, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL, Exxon’s local subsidiary) has made 14 oil finds in the Stabroek block over 100 miles offshore Guyana, including four for this year.

Last year, the company made five discoveries. These discoveries have

Diagram showing the extent of oil discoveries, and by which companies, for the year

pushed the total estimated recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over six billion. In addition, Exxon is moving ahead with its Liza Phase Two project, which will contain approximately 30 wells.

The Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, arrived in Guyana’s waters at the end of August.

The vessel will play a key role in oil production, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, Tullow has made at least two oil finds in its Jethro and Joe wells. On September 16, the same day that ExxonMobil announced its 14th oil find, Tullow also revealed that it had made its second oil find in just a

Coalition hanging...

“This was a decision taken by the highest decision making forum of our party and it is not up for debate so it is almost a prerequisite for us entering into a coalition…

We don’t accept that any other entity or any other party shall tell us or dictate to us who we should choose as our Prime Ministerial candidate,” the former Business Minister clarified.

He added, “There were a number of reasons given why this matter needed to be deferred, none of which we accept or agree with…It wasn’t very clear with us on what basis the matter is kept being deferred.”

Meanwhile, the minority coalition partner has also informed the APNU that until this stalemate is resolved, no other decision can be made on the Accord.

“Our position is that we cannot have any further discussions on a re-

vised Cummingsburg Accord until there is consensus on the positions of the presidential and prime ministerial candidates.”

The APNU has thrown its support behind caretaker President David Granger to return as its Presidential Candidate for a second term.

Asked whether they would be willing to make a switch, Vice-Chair of the AFC, Cathy Hughes affirmed, “We’ve had a set process that chose a candidate. On what basis would we begin to reexamine our process that we hold important to the operations of the AFC? We don’t have a basis to change it. Why would we?”

The AFC will be hosting its national executive committee meeting on November 2, 2019.

There, executives are hoping to forge a definite position on the party’s

FROM PAGE 3

“mode of participation” in the upcoming national and regional elections amid these outcomes.

Coalition politics On the contrary, they renewed commitment towards coalition politics here in Guyana.

Though it has not been discussed, Gaskin stated that their form of association shows that they’re willing to join with any other party.

“We’re the Alliance for Change. I think we’ve always said that we’re here to form alliances for the benefit of Guyana; so we have no inherent opposition to forming alliances with anyone”.

Hughes also commented, “The Alliance for Change is willing to work with anyone committed to the principles of constitutional reform and the creation of a more equitable Guyana where everyone has an equal opportunity.”

matter of weeks – the discovery of 14 metres of oil reservoirs at the Joe well.

After the find, Tullow’s Exploration Director, Angus McCoss, had noted that the discovery increases the potential in the Orinduik block. He had also alluded to the block having multibillion-barrel potential.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries

in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10-year Petroleum Prospecting Licence and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016. French firm Total E&P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco and getting a 25 per cent share in the block.

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WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

22 years’ jail for man who brutally murdered wife in 2016 A

fter brutally chopping his wife to death in 2016 and later admitting to the gruesome crime, 44-year-old Althone Pitt, formerly of Chelsea Park, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, was on Wednesday sentenced to 22 years behind bars by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court.

Pitt was initially slapped with a murder charge, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and a wounding charge earlier this month when he made his first court appearance. The indictment read that on June 1, 2016, he unlawfully killed 31-year-old Candacy Pitt.

Reports are that on

June 1, 2016, the now dead woman and her cousin, Brenda Thomas, 54, who were working with Home Safe Security Firm, were performing duties at the Bygeval Secondary School when Pitt turned up and requested to speak to his wife.

According to reports, given previous threats Pitt made to his spouse, Thomas refused to give him access and it was then he carried out the gruesome attack.

He first dealt two blows to Thomas and then proceeded to chop his wife, who was in the guard hut.

His wife attempted to escape by running out of the school’s premises, but owing to her injuries she collapsed a short

A

on June 21, 2019), including the President, from meeting.

Nandlall also re-

distance away as the now convicted man continued to chop her about the body until she died.

After committing the act, Pitt turned up at the Mahaica Police Station where he confessed to the murder and handed over the murder weapon.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Barlow handed down the 22year sentence together with an eight-year sentence for wounding Thomas. The Judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently and that Pitt be given counselling while in jail.

The man was represented by Attorney-atLaw Adrian Thompson while the State was represented by Prosecutor Sarah Martin.

The dead woman, Candacy Pitt and her now convicted husband, Althone Pitt in happier times

Appeal court order being sought to compel Cabinet, President to resign week after his order seeking Cabinet’s resignation was refused by

Acting Chief Justice Roxanne George

the High Court, former Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall has filed a notice that he is appealing against the ruling on the grounds that Chief Justice (CJ) (acting) Roxane George made a mistake in her ruling.

According to the Notice of Appeal seen by this publication, Nandlall is seeking an order from the Court of Appeal compelling Cabinet and the President to resign, as a consequence of them being defeated by a NoConfidence vote.

Apart from asking for a mandatory order to force the Government to give effect to such a ruling, Nandlall is also asking for a conservatory order restraining Cabinet (which stands resigned following the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling

quested an order reversing Justice George’s order dismissing his claim and awarding costs of G$500,000 to the respondent, as well as any other orders the Court deems fit to grant.

According to the former AG in his Notice of Appeal, the CJ “erred in law in failing to properly give a true interpretation to and give effect to the clear and unambiguous provisions of Article 106 (6) of the Constitution, commanding, mandating and requiring the resignation of the Cabinet, including the President, when the Government is defeated by a vote of majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly”.

Among Nandlall’s other contentions is that Justice George failed to

properly interpret the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the consolidated appeals related to the No Confidence vote.

According to Nandlall, she also failed to properly apply the Doctrine of Stare decisis or the principle that treats with precedents set by higher courts.

The ruling In her ruling last week, Justice George had noted that a first instance court such as the High Court cannot contradict the higher court’s ruling. She pointed out that the CCJ had said that notwithstanding the Cabinet’s resignation, it still continued in office as a caretaker government.

She said that both Nandlall and Attorney General Basil Williams referenced this passage in their submissions to the Court, though she

nouncement on the resignation of the President and Cabinet. Given the language of the CCJ… the effect of the (No Confidence Motion) was the immediate resignation of the Cabinet, but the Court clearly stated that notwithstanding this, the tenure in office of Cabinet (and) President… is on a different footing”.

“Given this pronouncement, there could not have been… any requirement for a mandatory order compelling the Cabinet, including the President, to give effect to the resignation of the Cabinet, including the President, which occurred by operation of law consequent on the NCM,” Justice George said in her ruling.

Besides striking out Nandlall’s application, Justice George had also ordered the payment of G$500,000 in costs to the

order. He noted that the Constitution of Guyana takes precedence over any doctrine on the hierarchy of the courts.

“This is indeed a shocking ruling. Every Guyanese, by now, must be aware of the clear lan-

acknowledged that such references were made in different contexts.

“In my view… the CCJ did make a pro-

respondent. In his comments after the ruling, Nandlall had expressed shock at the Court’s unwillingness to grant the

guage of Article 106 (6) of the Constitution… mandatory, clear, unambiguous language. And here it is, we have ap-

Former AG Anil Nandlall

proached the court there is a Cabinet refusing to resign and there is a constitutional court telling us that because the CCJ did not make that order, then forever we are in perpetual error”.

“In other words, the doctrine of precedent and the doctrine of stare decisis are now superior to the Constitution of the country. The Constitution is the supreme law, not no ordinary principle of Stare Decisis. Those are basic, low-ranked principles.

The Constitution is the supreme law and that, unfortunately, is not being upheld by the court.

So this decision must be appealed”.

According to Attorney General Basil Williams, however, the decision was in keeping with the need to preserve legal precedent. He was of the view that the decision was the right one, since the CCJ referenced the matter in its ruling.

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“Rogue elements” in Police Force posing a challenge …Ramjattan says Cops abusing sirens inspite of warnings

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n the wake of the horrific accident on East Bank Demerara (EBD) that claimed the lives of five persons, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has admitted that indeed, there are Police Officers who abuse the sirens on their vehicles and present a danger to other road users.

Ramjattan made this admission during an interview on State radio.

When asked what he was doing about these ranks, he noted that there are rogue personnel that they are making efforts to weed out.

“To avoid these accidents that cause so much loss of limb, life and damage to property and the trauma of it, requires passengers speaking to drivers, telling them you’re doing something wrong, please stop it or put me out of the vehicle”.

“That Policeman that was driving very fast on Friendship (Public Road) a couple days ago, that caused the loss

of five lives, obviously he was very reckless.

You’ve been begging the Police leadership to also talk to these fellas and still. They use their sirens; they abuse their sirens”.

Ramjattan was asked what is being done to curb this abuse. As an example, he noted that there are problems with implementing surcharg-

es on Police Officers in cases when they damage the Force’s vehicles.

“Information (from public) is acted upon, but still we have, I don’t know if you’d want to call them, rogue elements who still go out and do it. I remember, the first time after getting the first set of Chinese vehicles, about 59 vehicles, the next day

one crashed because of the reckless driving”.

“I had indicated when we did the launch that any driver found recklessly driving and causing accidents, they will have to pay a penalty coming out of their salary for the repairs to the vehicle. And the next day after (we were going to fine him), his wife and four children

came in and said if we deduct from the salary, these children will starve. What do you as a Minister do? Take the money and starve the children?”

Five persons lost their lives last week, when a taxi and a speeding Police car, driven

by Presidential Guard Ronnel Barker, collided head-on. From all in-

dications, the Police car had its siren blaring and was travelling at a fast rate of speed.

As such, the civilian motorcar was seen coming to a halt when the two vehicles collided head-on. In the wake of the accident, which left Barker and four other persons dead, President David Granger had ordered a Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

When it comes to crime fighting, the Minister shied away from taking responsibility but rather claimed that the public has to secure itself and be more alert. From the Police end, he noted that they have to beef up patrols.

“It requires lots more patrols by our Policemen.

It requires members of the public being alert.

They have to be far more alert. And take a look at the back and find out who’s following them. If they go out, try to go out in groups. That’s what the Police will generally tell you.

Turn to page 12

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WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

EU to mount observer mission for Guyana elections

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he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) will be receiving help from the European Union (EU), which will be fielding an observer team for the General and Regional Elections scheduled for March 2, 2020.

This was revealed by Government-nominated Commissioner Charles Corbin following a meeting at the secretariat on Tuesday. He noted that discussions have been held not only with the EU, but also Canada and the United States.

“The EU team visited. They have engaged with the Government.

And they have indicated they’re prepared to mount an observer mission. And basically they have been engaging with other stakeholders in Guyana. And they engaged with the Commission (Tuesday) to explain the scope of their operations and methods”.

“The Commission, on its part, welcomed their involvement and indicated that we would support their involvement.

The Commission is open to receiving any assistance that corresponds with the need that they have”.

Corbin further noted that while these countries have extended an offer to help, discussions are needed to narrow down what form this assistance will take.

However, he noted that some interventions have

Persons queuing to check their information before they are allowed to vote

already been made.

“Most of the major countries— Canada, US, EU— that have engaged with the Commission, have made their services available to provide any support that they need.

We’ve already had interventions through diplomatic channels to facilitate some of the work we’re doing to aid our operations and that will continue,” he said.

It was only a few days ago that it was announced that GECOM

Secretariat would be benefiting from the technical expertise of retired Chief Electoral Officer of Canada’s elections body, Jean-Pierre Kingsley.

His appointment is being funded by the Canadian Government.

According to GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, the Canadian High Commission had offered the elections body technical assistance in the form of providing an expert and the seven-member

Elections Commission had approved, accepting the offer, which resulted in the former Canadian Electoral Officer being appointed.

Kingsley, who has 17 years of experience under his belt, is currently in Guyana conducting familiarisation meetings with stakeholders.

He has already met the Justice Claudette Singhled GECOM Commission last week, as well as the senior management at the elections body.

The former Canadian Chief Electoral Officer served from 1990 to 2007, during which he

participated in many significant international development missions aimed at promoting democratic electoral processes through cooperation, capacity building, and mutually beneficial relationships. He also provided electoral assistance to several Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago.

According to his profile on the Canadian elections body website, Kingsley was proactive during his term in office, recommending and promoting key initiatives to make the elec-

toral process more accessible. While ushering in reforms needed to comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, he led elections in Canada into the age of computerised election administration.

The international community has been instrumental, along with the parliamentary opposition and civil society, in putting pressure on the Government to hold elections. With the exception of Canada, the international community has been on the Government’s case urging constitutional compliance.

Last month, the Commonwealth became the latest in a line of organisations to urge the President to call elections immediately.

Similar calls also came from the United States, British and European Union diplomatic representatives.

Soon after, the UK High Commission took the step of advising that continued funding for two infrastructural projects were on pause. Design work on the Seawall rehabilitation project and the Linden to Mabura road was previously funded from the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that intervention by the international community regarding the hosting of General and Regional Elections here was “wholly necessary”.

The President has since named March 2, 2020 as elections date.

“Rogue elements” in...

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

from page 11

And that’s what is needed to secure yourself”.

Ramjattan made mention of the recent Police operation, where touts and members of bicycle gangs were arrested in the vicinity of Stabroek market. He noted that many of them were arrested either through tips from members of the public or by facial recognition from the Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras set up around the city.

“We are going to, in a way, beef up the Police patrols all over the place.

We have utilised our video cameras at the command centre at Liliendaal to check on a number of these bicycle and motorcycle guys, for a period of days and then we went in and, having identified them, ensured that we arrested them, and arrests have been made, about 39”.

“So we’re getting the information through the video cameras. And persons have been calling in to say who and who, at the Stabroek market, have been doing their mischief and we have been arresting them,” Ramjattan said.

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

news 13

Man to face murder ‘Becoming a lawyer has

charge soon for hammering cousin to death

always been a life-long dream’ – Meenakshi Arti Outar

Newest Attorney-at-Law Meenakshi Arti Outar (centre) shares a photo with Justice Diane Insanally (left) and Attorney-at-Law Pratesh Satram (right) after Outar’s admittance to the Bar

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Dead: Arvin Dipchand, called “Krishna”

35-year-old businessman was on Tuesday night beaten to death, allegedly by his younger cousin, a 28-year-old electrician of Unity Village, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is Arvin Dipchand, called “Krishna” of Dochfour, ECD. The incident occurred around 18:30h at Unity.

Reports are that the cousins had several misunderstandings, stemming from the electrician allegedly stealing from

the businessman on several occasions.

On Tuesday night, the suspect was under the influence of alcohol when he pelted a hammer towards his cousin.

The hammer struck the businessman to his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

The suspect then began to punch his cousin. He then reportedly pulled out a wooden stave from a fence and dealt the businessman a lash to his head.

The businessman

managed to free himself and jumped into his car.

However, he was only able to drive a short distance down the street before he collapsed.

The man was escorted

by Community Policing Group (CPG) members to the Mahaicony Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect is in custody assisting with the investigation. A police source says he is likely to be charged for murder soon.

fter graduating with honours from the Hugh Wooding Law School this year, 25-year-old Meenakshi Arti Outar is one of the country’s newest lawyers, as she was admitted to practice law in Guyana, at the Demerara High Court on Monday.

Outar’s petition was presented by Attorney-at-Law Pratesh Satram in the courtroom of High Court Judge, Justice Diane Insanally.

During the brief proceedings, Outar was advised to always seek guidance from stalwarts in the profession while always keeping abreast with and upholding the laws of Guyana, in order to have a striving career.

During a brief interview with Guyana Times International, an enthusiastic Outar expounded that her present achievement was a life-long dream. The young woman who hails from Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara (ECD) highlighted that she has a deep interest in both company and environmental law especially since there is a lack of attention to such specifics, but with such interest, Outar seeks to journey towards becoming one

of Guyana’s top lawyers.

“So becoming a lawyer has always been something that I dreamed of as a little child; at 16 I didn’t feel like that I was ready to embark on this legal journey so I pursued a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies; while pursuing that degree I developed a passion for the environment and I saw that Guyana especially and the Caribbean Region, we lacked great development in environmental policies. So I wish to pursue a career path along that line, my passion is with company law and environmental law,” she explained.

Outar noted that the journey through law school was challenging, and she was proud to have overcome every obstacle.

“This journey has been very challenging – the many sleepless nights, the moments where I felt like I could not have done it, but with the constant support of my friends, and my family I made it and I’m here today. It hasn’t really registered as yet that I’m an Attorney-at-Law, but I feel happy and proud of myself to have completed this journey.”

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news 15

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Phillips ‘likely’ to be among nominations for PM candidacy …but every nomination will be treated on its own merit – Jagdeo

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eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo has pointed out that the party has not decided on its Prime Ministerial (PM) candidate, adding that former Army Chief of Staff, Mark Phillips, like any other member of the party, can be nominated for that post.

Jagdeo explained that the PM candidate will be selected from the civic component of the party and noted that there is a possibility that Phillips can be selected for this position.

“I believe that he is a great person, I know of his skills, in terms of finance and his security credentials and I have heard a lot about his integrity. He would be a welcomed addition to our team, I made it clear to him that the process we would follow. I don’t know if anyone of our members will nominate him. It is very likely that his name could be nominated too because members of the central committee, the members of Parliament, anyone could nominate a person and we will treat each

Former Chief of Staff of the GDF, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips

name on its merit and then make a decision,” Jagdeo told a news conference.

He explained that Phillips was welcomed into the folds of the party.

“Let me make it clear, we are not trading positions…the PPP will go into these elec-

tions making no commitments, we are working on a platform, a platform that is inclusive, we want progress for all Guyanese regardless of their race, their religion, wherever they live and we want to make sure that our people are safe in their homes, good quality education, and our oil resources work for everyone. We believe that there are many people who have great skills within our ranks and who will be part of our team through the Civic and also many individuals who we will have to tap for their skills,” the Opposition Leader said.

The PPP/C General Secretary added that under a PPP Government, from 2020, there will be numerous opportunities for persons to obtain jobs, not only in the Government.

“Right now we are talking about thousands of young professionals trained to manage to create a national core of managers for the oil and gas sector, thousands of opportunities, so we are not going to be engaged with any Party or individual with trading indi-

viduals….Mark Phillips said I want to be a part, I like the vision, I like the programme for the country, he is a patriot too and he wants to be a part of the team. When we come to selecting the PM candidate, the names are going to come up, we are going to have a discussion, and then we will make a selection but it is not dependent, him being a part of the team, is not dependent on that”.

Meanwhile, on Friday, former Chief of Staff, Gary Best, at the Peoples National Congress press conference said that Brigadier Phillips worked under his leadership in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and displayed good qualities and possessed integrity.

“Mr Phillips is a gentleman and he will decide what he wants to do with all his qualities but I will say in no uncertain terms that when he worked with me he had to display those qualities. I demanded of it, I got those qualities out of him, in the GDF he did a good job,” the PNC member said.

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WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cuban doctors satisfied with President’s health …say cancer in remission

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lmost one year after being diagnosed with cancer, President David Granger is said to be in remission.

This was announced by Ambassador of Guyana to Cuba, Halim

Majeed following the Head of State’s most recent visit to that country for a medical check-up at the Centre for Medical, Surgical Research (CIMEQ).

President Granger returned to Guyana

Tuesday night, having completed a medical evaluation over the past few days.

The medical specialists have expressed complete satisfaction with the state of the President’s health.

President David Granger

They have also explained that his ailment is now in remission.

In complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, although cancer still may be in the body.

Granger was diagnosed with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops in a network of ves-

sels and glands spread throughout the body.

The announcement was made on November 14, 2018.

In keeping with strict medical procedures of the Cuban health system, President Granger is expected to return for another scheduled routine medical check in January 2020.

Thereafter, the next

evaluation will be in June 2020.

Meanwhile, Granger has iterated his gratitude to Cuban President Miguel DiazCanel Bermudez, the Government of Cuba, and the CIMEQ medical team which has been responsible for his treatment in Cuba, over the past months.

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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NEWS 19

Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo was paid a courtesy call by newly accredited Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Her Excellency, Ute Kรถnig

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Scenes from Diwali celebrations in New York (Photos by Lakshmee Singh)

news 21

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Don’t worry with plantain chips, focus on manufacturing’

…President Granger tells Berbicians

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n what is considered a complete backpedalling of his previous advice to young Guyanese, President David Granger is now calling on Berbicians to stop selling plantain chips at the Berbice River Bridge and get into manufacturing instead.

The Head of State made this statement last Friday in the country’s oldest town as he declared the 2019 New Amsterdam Town Week open.

In October of last year at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, the President, responding to a question from a young lady about the availability of job opportunities as promised on the 2015 campaign trail said “The possibilities of employment with the Government are limited but the possibilities of self-employment are unlimited. When you ask what are the job opportunities and about the brain drain, I tell you that you don’t have to run and leave because this is the land of promise and opportunities.

Young people must learn to go out and create jobs and there are so many possibilities here in East Berbice, anytime you go by the Bridge [Berbice River Bridge] you see people with these big laundry baskets selling plantain chips. That is business, don’t laugh at them”.

Persons selling plaintain chips at the Berbice River Bridge

The Guyanese leader has been saying that there is scope for Guyana’s growth by selling plantain chips and cook-up rice.

However, former President and economist Bharrat Jagdeo, who is the current Opposition Leader, has slammed the President’s idea of job creation, saying that an economy cannot be run on plantain chips.

The President had defended his “plantain chip economy” proposal in the past, saying that “It may start with plantain chips… small things could end up big… Some people call it the plantain chip economy. I would like those same people to go to the regional exhibitions which we have

been holding around the country and see women coming out of Yupukari and Hiawa, see housewives getting into the microeconomy; and you can see something happening in Guyana”.

But now, the Head of State is suggesting that persons stop selling plantain chips at the Berbice Bridge and get into manufacturing. He said Region Six (East Corentyne-Berbice) should get more into agro-processing.

“Region Six can produce enough processed food for the entire Caribbean. My friends, you have the potential, you have the land, you have the expertise [and] you have the resources. This region has all

of the most important ecological geographical zones. It has coastland, it has grassland called the intermediate savannahs, it has high land in the south; the New River area, it has hilly sand and clay zone,” the President stated.

Region Six, he went on to say, has become the economic engine of the east of Guyana – a region which is rich in resources and agricultural

produce.

Bauxite, rice and sugar, he noted, are some of the commodities coming out of the region thus making it the agricultural heartland of the country.

Half of the sugar and a quarter of the rice produced in Guyana come from Region Six alone.

The region also produces a substantial portion of fish, cattle and livestock along with more than twenty-five per cent of the vegetables grown in Guyana.

As it relates to fruits, Region Six produces more than twenty per cent of what the country produces.

Despite this, however, the President said the region is not doing enough.

To this end, he pointed out that agro-processing is the way forward.

“Stop selling plantain chips at the Berbice River Bridge…,” the Head of State stressed.

Zeroing in on New Amsterdam and Town Week activities, President Granger said as the town celebrates its 128th anniversary as a municipality, it is a time to celebrate the

town’s rich history and heritage.

Meanwhile, the Town’s Mayor, Winifred Haywood, boasted that over the past year, New Amsterdam has made great strides with the rehabilitation of the Bermine Ground and the synthetic track, which is currently being constructed at the Burnham Park. The restoration of the Esplanade Park and the street lighting project were also heightened

by Her Worship.

Among the activities planned for the oneweek programme are the Mayors Ball, birding competition, inter-school debating competition, senior citizens breakfast, high school basketball competition, all-white cocktail party, male empowerment pageant, domino competitions, softball cricket competitions, poetry competition, big people party one-man band, medical outreaches, renaming of streets in Stanleytown, a street fair and exhibition. The week of activities will conclude on November 3, with a duck curry competition and cooler fete.

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WEEK ENDING october 27 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

New entries into political scene good for democracy – PNCR I n light of the establishment of several new political parties, one of the two largest traditional parties, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is claiming that it is not threatened by these new entries into the political scene.

The PNCR is the largest party in the five-member A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) alliance, which has managed to pull in the Alliance For Change (AFC), which it coalesced with in 2015 to get into office.

“You have to look at the fact that we’re a mass-based party. Some of the emerging parties are small-based parties, might be middle-class to upper-class parties and we believe that is a combat divider. We don’t see them as a major threat,” PNCR’s executive member retired Rear Admiral Gary Best said at the party’s weekly press conference on Friday.

He was at the time responding to questions on the implications these small parties can have on the traditional voting patterns in Guyana.

According to the PNCR executive, the formation of these new parties emerging in communities is not only necessary and good for local democracy but can also work in favour of the APNU in the future.

“The President [David Granger] has made it very clear – and that’s the leader of our party – that coalition politics is here to stay. So the extent to which other parties are being formed is the extent to which the David Granger-led party would be concerned but not from a negative perspective.

But to see how broad the coalitions can be in the future. We don’t see them as a negative or combat divider. We see

Rtd Rear Admiral Gary Best

them as a combat multiplier once the platform they’re on is similar to the platform of the APNU/AFC. We see that as progress within the country,” Best stressed.

He went on to point out that these

new parties entering the scene brings nothing new to the table that has not been raised before.

“There is no track record on these new groups that have emerged…

Because when you look at the platform

of the CI party [Citizenship Initiative which was launched on Thursday], it has nothing there that are[nt] already core principles of the PNCR. So they haven’t invented anything new,” the PNCR executive contended.

The PNCR-led APNU also comprises of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Justice For All Party (JFAP), National Front Alliance (NFA) and the Guyana Action Party (GAP).

Earlier this week it was revealed

by APNU Leader, President David Granger, that the partnership is in talks with one of the new small parties – Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) which was founded by former Indigenous leader, Lenox Shuman.

The former Toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission and former Vice Chair of the National Toshaos Council said he has approached the various political parties for discussions.

Granger told reporters on Wednesday that “We’re looking for common ground, we’re looking for areas of convergence… Mr Shuman has given me the assurance that, you know, there’re areas of convergence between the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and what he thinks the APNU stands for”.

Nevertheless, no actual agreement has been made by the two sides but they are expected to have another meeting sometime this month.

According to reports, Shuman said he will be doing a final analysis before making any decision on possibly coalescing with other parties.

However, the PNCR executive said at Friday’s press conference that the partnership is open to more members who share the same policy vision.

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Guyana cops top spots for CSEC, CAPE T

he Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced its regional awards to students who would have performed exceptionally well at both the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) for 2019.

This year, both top spots were bestowed to Guyanese students.

Michael Bhopaul of Queen’s College copped the CAPE top award while the CSEC top performer was listed as Riana Toney of the Anna Regina Multilateral School.

While Bhopaul would have placed second in Guyana’s lineup this year, he won the Dennis Irvine Award for the top overall student at CAPE. He would have secured passes in eight units – Communications Studies1, Integrated Mathematics1, Applied Mathematics2, Biology2, Chemistry2, French2, Pure Mathematics2

Top Regional CAPE Performer, Michael Bhopaul

and Physics 2. The teen was also named the second-highest CAPE performer for 2018 and the country’s top CSEC per-

former back in 2017.

Meanwhile, Riana Toney won the regional top award for CSEC. She would have won the

Man accused of strangling

security guard faces murder charge T

he Sophia, Greater Georgetown man who allegedly strangled another on Church Street, Georgetown was slapped with a murder charge.

Ashaka John, of A Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 24-year-old man was not required to plea to the indictable charge, which stated that on October 12, 2019, at Church Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, he murdered Jason Bowen.

Defence Counsel George Thomas informed the court that his client has a mental problem and is a patient of a doctor at the Psychiatric Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Thomas further told the court that his client was taken to the hospital while in custody.

According to reports, at about 21:30h on October 12, Bowen and the accused were involved in a scuffle on Church Street, Georgetown.

It was reported that John dealt the victim, who was a securi-

Ashaka John

ty guard, several lashes about his body before wrapping a belt around the man’s neck and proceeded to strangle him.

Public-spirited persons who witnessed the altercation rushed to render assistance to the victim; however, the man was dead, while the mur-

der suspect attempted to flee the scene.

Persons managed to grab onto the John and restrain him. The Police were called and he was handed over.

John was remanded to prison and the case will continue on November 7.

Top Regional CSEC Performer, Riana Toney

Overall Outstanding Achievement award, having obtained Grade One passes in 19 subjects.

The passes were secured in Agricultural Science, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, English A, English B, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office

Administration, Physics, Principles of Business, Religious Education, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, and Human and Social Biology.

Having scored the top spot for the Humanities award, her school was

listed as School of the Year.

Meanwhile, Brianna Gopie of Queen’s College won the award for Most Outstanding Candidate for Business Education.

Gopie achieved Grade One passes in Economics, English A, English B, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Additional Mathematics, and Food, Nutrition and Health.

Also coming from QC was Samuel Haynes, who copped a similar award for his 18 passes in the Sciences. He secured Grade One passes in Agricultural Science, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, English A, English B, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Human and Social Biology, and Additional Mathematics.

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Guyana needs to vigorously implement National Drug Strategy Master Plan – Atherly

W

ith Guyana considered a drug transhipment point in South America, only the strict implementation of the Drug Strategy Master Plan will suffice to eradicate the scourge of drug abuse and trafficking in Guyana.

This was emphasised by Director of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA), retired Major General Michael Atherly during the opening of Guyana’s first specialised drug rehabilitation court. According to Atherly, many factors, including those outside of Guyana, can help to explain Guyana’s drug problem.

“National considerations also take into account several international deliberations, including treaties, strategies and best practices. Guyana is located within the hub of the transhipment routes for cocaine-producing countries in South and Central America to the North American and European markets.”

“Drug cartels operating there seem to feel that profits gained from these markets overshadow the risks associated with production and trafficking.

Accordingly, Guyana is not spared the distressing consequences of this problem. The drug problem must, therefore, be countered relentlessly.”

Atherly emphasised the need for all stakeholders, including communities, civil society, and the Private Sector, to be involved in eradicating the drug scourge. In addition, he cited the master plan, which the Government launched back in 2016.

“The National Anti-Narcotics Agency believes that strong anti-narcotic efforts and demand reduction measures can and must go hand in hand with policies focused on rehabili-

NANA Director, Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly, at the opening of the drug treatment court

tation and reintegration of drug users into society, in full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to reemphasise the need for vigorous implementation of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan. This plan is aimed at guiding and monitoring the actions of Government departments and their stakeholders, to reduce the

demand for and supply of drugs, as well as the resulting harm from their abuse.”

Earlier this year, a United States (US) State Department report had declared that while Guyana has a comprehensive drug demand reduction strategy, the use of drugs like marijuana and even cocaine is a growing problem.

This information is contained in the 2019 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which has a section dedicated to Guyana’s profile.

Notwithstanding the trafficking, the report noted that the actual consump-

tion of these drugs is a growing problem.

According to the report, marijuana is the most commonly used drug. The document also noted reported seizures of synthetic drugs like Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA), most commonly known as “ecstasy”, and detailed Government’s response to the scourge.

“The Government of Guyana’s National Drug Abuse Control Unit trains public health officers, teachers, social workers, and civil society groups as part of the Government’s supply reduction strategy,” the report states.

“The Guyanese Government has a drug enforcement presence at its international airports, post offices, and to a lesser extent at seaport and land-border entry points. Control agencies reported several interdiction efforts and drug-related seizures and convictions during the first nine months of 2018”, the report details.

The report also noted that during the first nine months of 2018, authorities seized 164.9 kilograms of cocaine and 889 kilograms of cannabis. It also states that local authorities initiated 358 prosecutions and convicted 24 individuals for drug trafficking.

The report expressed faith in Guyana’s demand reduction strategy, noting that it adequately addresses drug rehabilitation. It named the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Social Protection as the relevant Ministries responsible for addressing demand reduction.

Being positioned on the South American continent with strong ties to the Caribbean region, Guyana has long been identified as a transhipment point for drug trafficking activities. It was against this backdrop that the US established an office of its Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the country back in February 2016.

Man found guilty of murdering uncle

T

wenty-nineyear-old Dwayne Tappin was on Friday found guilty by a 12-member jury for murdering his uncle back in 2017 at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was accused of beheading his 51-yearold uncle, Randolph Seenauth, on August 6, 2017.

After the guilty verdict, Justice Sandil Kissoon set November 14 for the probation report and sentencing.

It was reported that on the day in question, Seenauth’s head was found lying between the living room and kitchen of his Better Hope house.

His body was found in the bedroom.

The gruesome discovery was made after Police were summoned to the scene by neighbours who heard a loud commotion in the man’s

Convicted murderer: Dwayne Tappin

home which he shared with his nephew.

The accused, however, turned himself in a few hours later. He was charged for murder and

remanded to prison.

Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI), he was committed to stand trial before a judge and jury.

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FEATURE 29

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T

he Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.

There are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year (IARC Globocan, 2008). Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women and the second most common cancer overall. There were over 2 million new cases in 2018 according to the World Cancer Research Fund.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, palliative care to relief the suffering of patients and their families is needed.

The majority of deaths (269 000) occur in lowand middle-income countries, where most women with breast cancer are diagnosed in late stages due mainly to lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services. A situation that can be reverted if adequate public health programmes are put in place.

The World Health Organisation promotes comprehensive breast cancer control programmes as part of national cancer control plans. The recommended early detection strategies for low- and middleincome countries are awareness of early signs and symptoms and screening by clinical breast examination in demonstration areas.

Mammography screening is very costly and is feasible only in countries with good health infrastructure that can afford a long-term programme.

In Guyana, a lot of headway has been made in the fight to raise awareness to breast cancer as well as other cancers. During the month of October a plethora of activities are held to raise awareness as well as screen for new cases. However, there are no specific statistics as it relates to breast cancer in Guyana.

Breast Cancer Statistics Worldwide: • Nearly 1.7 million new breast cancer cases were diagnosed in 2012.

Breast cancer is the second • most common cancer in women and men worldwide. In 2012, it represented about 12 percent of all new cancer cases and 25 per-

• • •

cent of all cancers in women.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in 140 of 184 countries worldwide.

Globally, breast cancer now represents one in four of all cancers in women.

Since 2008, worldwide breast cancer incidence has increased by more than 20 percent. Mortality has increased by 14 percent.

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A new world…

I

…in world finance? t’s a sign of the times that we’ve entered a new world order when the Breton Woods institutions – the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – are commemorating their 75th anniversary and none of the political parties – even the newbies – have uttered a squeak. Formed in 1944 when WWII wasn’t even over, the two institutions were meant to facilitate the new world order reflecting the ground reality: the US was now the most dominant nation on earth, with its economy exceeding the combined wealth of all the other developed countries.

The sun had set at last on the Britain Empire and the WB and the IMF would ensure that (US) money would “talk” and the rest of the world’s BS would “walk”!! The WB – actually the “World Bank for Reconstruction” – was supposed to fund the (duh!) reconstruction of the war-devastated countries – with the money spent in the US, of course! Later, it was to provide funding for “development” projects in the newly independent countries created from the detritus of a British and French Empires. With the same caveat! The IMF was to ensure the exchange rates for the various national currencies remained stable. How else would the US ensure it was getting back the monies “lent”??

And, of course, this is where Guyana – granted independence in 1966 – came into the picture. When Burnham decided he’d build that Mazaruni Hydro Electric Power plant, who else would he turn to but the WB? Hadn’t they just funded that massive one in Ghana? The WB, of course, balked – supposedly upon the protest of Venezuela. But one has to ask if there weren’t wheels within wheels turning since Burnham had just nationalized US bauxite and was planning to use the power to run a smelter to produce aluminium!

By the late seventies, Burnham and his half-baked utopian schemes of state capitalism combined with cooperative socialism – not to mention racism – had bankrupted the country. Who could he turn to?? The IMF, that’s who!! But after they firmly rejected him after he didn’t accept their “conditionalities”, he described them as “International Mother F***ers! Why would they bail him out when he was yanking the US tiger’s tail by allowing Cuba to send troops to Africa.

Fast forward to 1989 when Hoyte’s decided enough was enough and accepted the IMF’s ministrations.

Our economy was shoehorned into the “Washington Consensus” straitjacket of “liberalization, privatization and stabilization”.

But with WB and IMF losing their teeth and the Chinese creating alternatives with their B& R initiative, you’d think we’d have some buzz on the hustings, wouldn’t you??

As a new oil economy don’t we want to be part of the brave new world? …of constitutional engineering Fossil fuels are now considered bad for our environment. But we use them in the vehicles that move us around!! What to do?? Well, we can engineer our car engines to use fuels that aren’t so polluting – like DDL just did with natural gas, or Brazil does with 10% alcohol. Similarly, if you want enter your car in a race, you would have to engineer a turbo booster?

Well, as your Eyewitness has been pointing out, lots of parties, especially the newbies insist that to govern our country more efficiently and effectively, we need “constitutional change”. But your Eyewitness disagrees, what we need is “constitutional engineering”. The parties should state specifically what are the objectives they seek to achieve, and then design institutions (incorporated in the constitution) that would deliver these objectives.

For instance, exactly what change would they engineer to make the PNC and PPP “share power”??

We can then decide whether they’re just bloviating anodyne banalities!! …of odious debt Does the international community realise there’s such a thing as “odious debt”? That the monies they’re lending the PNC government while they’re in their present illegitimate state, imposes no obligation on the new govt to repay them??

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Surviving Breast Cancer

feature 33

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

ne of the most beautiful and equally scariest things about life is its unpredictability. The unpredictability of life is such that we never know what is coming next so it behoves us to not get too comfortable. It behoves us to not take things for granted, so we can be ready for every curveball that unpredictability brings.

Despite being told to be prepared always, Zalina Singh never thought that she would have been hearing the word “cancer” associated with her name in her lifetime.

It all started one July morning while Zalina was in the shower. As she was washing, a breast self-examination revealed a lump in her left breast, but as most women do, she took it as not something to be serious about.

“I saw this lump on my left side breast and I didn’t do anything about it until a week after. Mind you, I work with Banks DIH, and I went to talk to our Industrial Nurse and she referred me to the Oncology Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital,” she said.

“They examined me there and sent me to do a fine needle biopsy and that result came back inconclusive and then they sent me to another biopsy and when that results came back, it concluded that I had stage two breast cancer. They told me at that time that the only solution was to remove my breast,” Zalina added.

However, she was not entirely sold on the idea of removing her breast so she asked her doctors to allow her some time before the surgery could have been done. Zalina went back to work and discussed her diagnosis with some coworkers who advised a second opinion before any drastic steps were

taken. So, in November of 2017, she travelled to the United States of America and restarted all her tests. In the end, it led to the same diagnosis – stage two breast cancer.

However, the only difference this time was that she did not need to have her breast removed. The doctors in the USA advised that since it was just stage two, Zalina could have got her cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiation. She received 18 sessions of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiation.

Good news came for her in August of 2018 when she was declared cancer-free.

However, for her, the road to recovery was not an easy one.

“The road was not an easy one. Cancer makes you value life more and you don’t take things for granted anymore, because tomorrow is not a promise. I was okay one day and all it was was just a lump. Cancer was nowhere in my mind and to be told that I have cancer was life-changing. I was numb at that moment when the doctor told me that I have cancer and I just started to cry.”

Cancer not only took part of her, it also affected her mental health. While receiving chemotherapy treatment, Zalina would go on to have anxiety attacks and for her, they were really bad.

“It is a struggle every day, because your body is never 100 per cent after treatment. It is a continued fight,” the mother of two said.

For Zalina, the journey could have been harder, but the unwavering support of her family and those around her made it much easier. For that, she remains thankful.

“My advice to people out there is to listen to your body. If I had left that lump there, I could have grown more and progressed. You feel something, go to the doctor and get yourself checked out. Don’t wait. Don’t assume anything. When you are diagnosed with cancer, people think it is a stigma. It is not the end of the world; you just have to be prepared to fight. You have to be positive always; support is important.”

34 FEATURE Surviving Thyroid Cancer

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

or many people, cancer means a death sentence. It means that if they don’t fight hard, then they would be conquered by this illness that rips millions of lives apart. However, for some, they have no other choice than to beat this parasite of an illness because they cannot leave their lives in the balance.

For 48-year-old Nicola Schultz when she was diagnosed with cancer, she was sure about the fact that it meant she would have lost a battle. However, fate had

another plan for her and with her willpower, she can now say that the long battle is somehow concluding.

Nicola was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid. It all started when she discovered a lump in her throat in 2010. However, her doctors informed her that she had an

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overactive thyroid and it could be dealt with via treatment.

“I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid in 2010; after a few weeks, I saw swelling in my throat and people were saying that it was goitre and all of that but I really didn’t take it for anything. But I was reading in a newspaper and they were talking about thyroid cancer and realised that I had the similar symptoms they were talking about. I called my doctor the next day and he said I can come in. When I went to him and right away he said I should do some follow-up checks and so and when I took the results, he confirmed it was what I suspected.

“He advised that I should do surgery as early as possible and I agreed.

I did the surgery in October 2014. And when they opened up, they saw the cancer had spread so they took out the entire thyroid gland and sent it for a biopsy and it further confirmed it was cancer.

I felt like it was a death sentence and I started crying saying that I am only 43 years old and how can this be possible. My daughter was pregnant with my second grand and all of that. But my doctor told me that his mother had the same thing a n d

she had been a survivor for over 19 years,” Nicola related.

Nicola’s doctor then advised her to visit the Cancer Institute of Guyana located in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital. She went there and met with Dr Sian Chakraborty, who tested her to confirm the

diagnosis. Upon confirming the diagnosis, Dr Chakraborty advised that she would require treatment but the treatment was not available in Guyana.

Nicola was told that she would have to travel to the United States or Trinidad for treatment. She chose the latter because of the cost factor.

“Dr Omar Khan in Trinidad did a fullbody scan in June 2015 and they found that they were capable of treating me. I am taking the 131 iodine radiation and it is not available in Guyana. When I first started I went like three times in six months, I would have to go to Trinidad and the radiation is working so in 2017, I was 80 per cent clear and last year and this year I came back clear, but I have to go back next year (2020) before I can be free of cancer.

“But for the first when I went to Trinidad, it was very hard for me. I was in isolation for three weeks and it was hard and I still need to do another dose of radiation before I am completely cancer-free, but I am a survivor right now.”

For now, every day for the rest of Nicola’s life begins with her taking a pill to induce the creation of thyroxin because the absence of her thyroid gland prevents the production of the hormone.

“Being diagnosed with cancer, everybody thinks the worst. For me it was early detection, so with the treatment I could have been helped and then I did not really have much support other than my children and grandkids. My boss was also a major support for me, because they facilitated my treatment and ensured that I never missed a clinic date. Support is an important thing,” she notes.

Nicola advises that “everybody should get their check-ups. Early detection saves a life because cancer changes everything. Cancer changes your life. I thought I had gotten a death sentence, but I tell people now to use me as an example, because there is a life after cancer. Go early, get help, and have that support.”

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Surviving Breast Cancer

By Lakhram Bhagirat

C

ancer is a word no one wants to hear from their doctor. For many, the word itself is strong enough to drive fear in the strongest of people.

So when Andrea Tucker’s doctor informed her that she had the dreaded “C-word” all she could have done was look to the heavens and place her faith in God. “I knew something was going to happen before I got my results. I was kinda expecting them to say cancer, but another part of me was doubtful because they would have done all these tests here in Guyana. When they told me that I have cancer, I said okay. I was shocked and I looked towards the sky and saying that God has the final say. I asked what stage, but they told me they have to do more tests. After they tested me and said they felt a lump and it was the first time I heard lumps after so many years of going to doctor and so on. It was then I broke down,” she remembered.

Andrea Tucker is the epitome of a strong woman, but to understand her current cancer-free status you would have to first understand her journey.

For years, Andrea has been visiting doctor after doctor at various hospitals for them to explain why her breasts were bleeding.

“I had a condition for like four years where the breast was bleeding and I kept going to different doctors and hospitals, and they could not find the cause.

I was told that it’s ductal papilloma. They didn’t give me any treatment, because the doctors said it could die away and if it persists, then I could do a minor surgery where they will make an incision to remove the tumour and stop the bleeding ,but treatment won’t carry it away. It would stop and start back ever so often and it eventually started to pain and I had to be taking painkillers, but it was no cancer diagnosis,” she explained.

An intraductal papilloma is a small, benign tumour that forms in a milk duct in the breast. These tumours are made of gland and fibrous tissue as well as blood vessels.

The 51-year-old was subjected to a number of mammograms, biopsies and ultrasounds, but not once was

the word cancer mentioned. in April of 2017, she visited the United States of America and decided to get

However,

herself

checked out again.

When she went to the hospital in New York, after numerous tests, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.

“When I got the news, it was me and the two doctors and they asked me if it was me alone, but I told them I had a navigator. They said to call my navigator and I did.

I felt that she knew what the results were, but she did not tell me because she was not the doctor, but she was there when they took my coat, asked me about how the weather was and so on.

After they did all

of that, then they told me that I had cancer.”

On June 1, 2017, Andrea has a mastectomy which was followed by a rigid five months of chemotherapy, a small break and then five weeks of intense radiation therapy.

“It was a hard journey, but I was determined to not allow it to get me down. I felt weak, drained, sick, ugly. I pushed myself to ignore the feeling.

I cried yes, but I always got up and made the best of what little strength I had in my body. Two occasions I had to reschedule my treatment, because my body was so down. Don’t let the feelings get to you.

Don’t allow cancer to get over you. There is hope and a lot of it too.

“I started occupying my time with things and took up crocheting and I am now sharpening my craft. When I felt weak, drained and could not sleep, I would get up and start crocheting until I felt good enough. Sometimes, the treatment would cause you to have mood swings and it is constant. I had to learn to work around it and navigate around it,” she recalled.

When Andrea returned home, she made a vow to ensure that more awareness is centred on the stigma of having cancer. She is hoping that her story can inspire more people around Guyana so that the conversation can move away from just one month of the year to the entire year. She is urging everyone to take care of their health and ensure they have regular check-ups because early detection saves lives.

Someone once wrote, “If you see those little pink ribbons on sale within a store, please take the time to buy one and say ‘breast cancer no more’, in loving memory of women gone and those suffering today. All the women of our future, may a cure be found. We pray.”

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Another formal body of which Harris was a member was the Carnegie Library Discussion Circle. In 1956, when George Lamming visited Guyana to organise public readings, it was Harris who read Carter’s poems because Carter was under house arrest.

So Harris was well grounded in literary matters before his sojourn in the wilderness of Guyana and was conversant in such matters during his years as a surveyor, exploring the ‘womb of space’. So much emphasis is being placed on the influence of the jungle on his work that his steady growth in literature in the ‘civilised’ Georgetown environs is overlooked. But his Georgetown sojourn is important part of Harris’ journeys of the imagination. *The theme of the 38th Annual West Indian Literature Conference ( Oct 17 – 20) to be staged by University of Guyana is ‘Hinterlands: Journeys of the Imagination’.

Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065 of email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

B

orn in a small town in a far-away country, Wilson Harris would go on to haunt the imagination of people around the world.

Carew, Harris’ writing came out of ‘someone accustomed to talking to himself in the Guyana bush for seventeen years’.

He gifted us infinitesimal dots on enormous canvases of the mind by listening to trees – ‘Tell me trees, what are you whispering’ – and writing back to Guyana and communicating with the world, by smashing down ‘Fences upon the earth’ and opening the ‘womb of space’ into which our imagination entered. He takes the reader to the precipice and dangles answers for the discerning; hard work for the reader but not unrewarding.

Harris’s early years were not uncomplicated but certain influences along the way helped to shape the direction of his writing. When he was only two years of age, his father died and when he was six, his step-father seemed to have deserted the family. The family headed by the mother made several house moves. When Wilson was only eight, he starting reading, THE ODYSSEY, with the help of his mother, Millicent. The Ulysses of that book became one of the motifs Harris employed in his writing.

His accolades, awards and accomplishments can only address part of his work and worth. The other parts of his work and worth are in the domain of the reader to appreciate. Harris is the recipient of several honorary doctorates, grants and fellowships. He has held the revered position of Writer-in-Residence at many universities around the world including places like Australia, New York, Texas, Toronto and Cuba.

In 1970, he was part of the Convention of Caribbean Writers and Artists held in Guyana planning for what turned out to be the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta). During that visit to Guyana, he delivered a number of talks in the Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lecture Series. (Both Harris and Mittelholzer were born in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana.) In 1987, he won the inaugural Guyana Prize for Literature in the fiction category and, in 2002, he was awarded the Guyana Prize Special Award. In 2010, he was knighted

by Queen Elizabeth II. Before Harris migrated to England in 1959, he had spent almost equal number of years in Georgetown and in Guyana’s interior for he was 17 when he left school (Queen’s College – one of Guyana’s top schools at the time) to train as a land surveyor and, according to Jan

Along with chalking up his first read book, young Wilson was part of an informal literary circle comprising of Sheila King and Malcolm King, discussing mainly Shakespeare, Milton, and Camus.

During his high school days at Queen’s College, he was a member of another literary group, Club 25. This group, limited to twenty five members only, operated from Progressive High School headed at the time by Leslie C. Davis. It included the likes of Allan Young, W. G. Stoll, E. O. Q. Potter, Maurice Charles and Jan Carew. One of the club’s events was a debate on the moot, ‘Poets and Scoffers’, judged by A. J. Seymour.

Later, when he moved into the world of work, Harris became part of a number of social and literary groups.

One such gathering was labelled the ‘Anira Group’ operating out of the home of Martin Carter’s mother. It included Martin and his brother, Keith, Sydney Singh, and others. That group eventually moved to Carter’s home with additional members like Jan Carew, Slade Hopkinson and Milton Vishnu Williams.

Harris was also a part of a group that met at the home of Cheddi Jagan, mainly attracted to his vast library and his political vision for Guyana.

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Journey from Classroom to Courtroom

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Accomplishment is a beautiful thing, but the road to that beautiful thing is one that is not paved and lined with daisies, rather it is one lined with bumps. However, when one reaches the pinnacle of accomplishment, the feeling is incomparable.

For 28-year-old Candiacia Juliet Lewis, that day came on October 5, 2019 when she crossed the graduation stage at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad. The journey to the mecca of law schools in the Caribbean has been a long one, a very long one for her.

That journey started on the small farming island of Wakenaam in the Essequibo River when little Candiacia started Maria’s Pleasure Nursery School. Education has always been an important part of her life and from a very young age, she knew what she wanted to become – an attorney.

When she sat the Common Entrance Examination, Candiacia gained a place at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown but because of the distance, her mother, Hyacinth Prince, decided to have her attend the Essequibo Islands Secondary School (EISS).

“Unlike the other schools, we didn’t have a lot of subjects and Sixth Form. We had a maximum of nine subjects and the limitation of the subjects made it difficult and I felt disadvantaged.

After I finished secondary school, I came to Georgetown and went to University.”

At no point did the idea of becoming a lawyer leave the mind of Candiacia, for it had cemented at an early age. “ I remember on the island while going to school, we would get electricity from 4 pm (16:00h) in the afternoon until quarter to eight (07:45h) in the morning. But every Friday the electricity would come on at either Attorney-at-Law Candiacia Lewis 10:30h or 11:00h with her mother, Hyacinth Prince and when I would come home from primary school for lunch, I would find my grandmother watching Matlock. When I get home, I would get the ending part of it and she would tell me the story and so and I would always tell her I want to be just like him. She used to admire this man so much and I was fascinated.”

Candiacia was recently called to the local Bar when Justice Sandra Kurtzious accepted her petition. In her maiden address to the court as a member of the Bar, Candiacia said that she was proud of herself.

“I am everything I am and everything I aspire to be because of Ms Hyacinth Amelia Prince, my mother. I am blessed to have such a strong woman in my life, who has always been my inspiration, my motivation, and my confidante. The selfless sacrifices that she has continuously made over the years – degrees after degrees –have not gone unnoticed nor taken for granted. She has put plans on hold and set aside her life so as to make my plans and dreams come alive and for this, I will forever be grateful and indebted to her,” she said.

“Having a legal career has always been a childhood dream.

Living in the farming community of Wakenaam in the Essequibo River, where we rode our bicycles six miles to and fro to attend the only secondary school, where the pinnacle was to write just nine subjects at CXC, becoming a lawyer was simply a fantasy.

I remember watching the legendary TV sitcom Matlock and telling my grandmother I want to be just like him when I grow up and she would always say ‘go for it’. And today, here I stand before you proof that with hard work, dedication and a good support system, dreams are attainable.”

Justice Kurtzious accepted the petition on behalf of Candiacia as brought by Mark Waldron, Attorney-at-Law, Waldron & Burch-Smith Chambers. The Judge then alluded to the fact that the law was a jealous mistress, one that would consume your time. She advised the newly-minted attorney to have a life outside of the law.

Madam Justice Kurtzious further expounded on the expectations that this noble profession requires and that Lewis should never lose sight of the oath taken and the moral duty owed to the court. Always have integrity and apply your best knowledge of the law was resonating advice coming from the Honourable Justice. She charged the new attorney to always treat clients with respect as they would be your biggest advertisements and to demand respect for yourself and your office. Justice Kurtzious concluded by welcoming Candiacia to

FEATURE 37

the Bar, where she will be permitted to practice in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and all its jurisdictions.

Backtracking to her journey, Candiacia said that throughout her time at law school, she felt somewhat disadvantaged because of the fact that she was not afforded the opportunity to complete prelaw studies as most of her colleagues were.

In fact, before she studied law, she read for her degree in social work.

“Starting UG Law was a terrifying experience. I was intimidated because I was thinking that I was this little island girl and I would be in class Newly-admitted lawyer Candiacia Lewis (centre); her mother, Hyacinth Prince to with students from top schools and her immediate right; Justice Sandra Kurtzious to her immediate left; Attorney-atwho were exposed to legal courses Law Mark Waldron; Attorney-at-Law Keoma Griffith (extreme left); Attorney-at-Law before, so I was very intimidated. I Ronald Burch Smith, Attorney-at-Law Danielle Anthony remembered my first day: I walked in and got so scared, I closed the door and Certificate. The journey many times attempted to break her came back out. Professor Ronald Singh came out and he told and she wanted to give up, but she pushed forward. me to come in and I sat down and it wasn’t bad. Intimidation The dream was so strong that nothing could have obstructed was still there though and I had no friends there and it made her path. Now that she is part of the legal profession, Candiacia thing worse.” does not plan to remain in one field of law, rather she wants It was her mother who pushed her back to classes and it to become an all-rounder so that she could make the biggest was from there she skyrocketed. She made friends and it began impact. a beautiful journey towards achieving her Legal Education She is ready to take on the world, one case at a time.

38 NEWS

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Lindener charged for attempted execution of cop

Renard Caesar

O

ne of the men who allegedly attempted to carry out a daring executionstyle killing on ex-cop Teon Allen, known as “Spoil Child”, at East La Penitence, Georgetown was on Tuesday slapped with an attempted murder charge and arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Renard Caesar of Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on October 5, 2019, at the East La Penitence Market, with intent to commit murder, he discharged rounds at Allen.

The 23-year-old man was represented by Attorney-at-Law Gordon Gilhuys, who in a bail application, informed the court that his client was shown a video before he came to court alleging that he was the perpetrator. The lawyer further stated his client was then informed of the attempted murder charge.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that on October 5 around 13:00h, Allen was

at the East La Penitence Market purchasing vegetables when Caesar and two others exited a car and started to shoot in his direction.

The court heard that Allen ran and sought cover, and the men made good their escape.

The matter was reported to the Police and following an investigation, a wanted bulletin was issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for Caesar, who later turned himself in at the Mackenzie Police Station.

The Prosecutor further objected to bail being granted on the grounds of the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts.

The Chief Magistrate remanded Caesar to prison and the case was scheduled to continue on October 31, 2019.

According to a vendor, she saw the man, who was running away from the gunmen, whip out a handgun and return fire.

The vendors in the area where the shooting occurred had told Guyana Times that it happened in a flash.

NEWS 39

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Aspiring doctor honoured

by Enmore businesses “I just want to be able to help persons to feel bet-

ter.”

That’s the life mantra young Gangadai Harrichand plans to uphold as she embarks on her secondary school journey with the ultimate aim to one day serve in the medical field.

“My long-term aspiration is to be a doctor,” the 11-year-old Enmore lass related.

At the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) earlier this year, Gangadai, attending the Valkimi Vidyalaya Primary School at Lusignan, chalked up 523 marks out of a possible 536, thereby gaining a place at the prestigious Queen’s College.

Her achievement matched that of her brother, Balram Harrichand, who, in 2017, managed 516 marks out of a possible 529 and also secured a spot at QC. Gangadai said her biggest challenge during the examinations was time management, as

Gangadai Harrichand with her parents, brother and the numerous trophies she received

she had to tussle with extra lessons, but the sacrifice and hard work, along with unflinching support from her teachers, parents Tularam (Pandit Hero) and Urmila and

brother Balram, paid off in the end.

Ironically, it was Science that gave her the most trouble, but Gangadai was determined to conquer what-

ever was thrown at her during the examinations.

She gained 130 marks in Science, 129 in English Language, 133 in Mathematics and 131 in Social Studies.

Academic excellence Recently, Gangadai was recognised for her academic excellence by several businessmen/ women of her East Coast Demerara community.

The ambitious young lady was presented with trophies and given words of encouragement and advice as she pursues more success in the classroom.

Gangadai said being honoured by her community is just the motivation she needs to make a positive difference in society in the future.

The businesses that came forward to show their appreciation to the young student were R Kissoon Contracting Services, Trans Pacific Motor Spares, Loaknauth Lumber Yard, Motor Trend Service Centre, Gajadar’s Service Centre, Star Sports Trophies and Awards, Kuldip Lumber Yard and General Hardware, Rajin’s Auto Paint and Accessories Shop and SE Auto Sale and Spare Parts.

They all encouraged Gangadai to continue to strive in the field of academics, as the future progress of the community is dependent on the foundation that is laid now.

40 NEWS

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Driver killed after fuel tanker topples at Buck Hall A 34-year-old man is now dead after the fuel tanker he was operating toppled at Tapir Trail, Buck Hall, Region Two (PomeroomSupenaam) on Sunday.

Dead is Atewick DeFreitas of Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway, East Bank Demerara.

Reports are that the driver lost control of the tanker while travelling down a hill. As a result, the vehicle careened off the road and crashed into a ravine.

The tanker was one of three heading to the Aurora Mine, operated

by Aurora Gold Mine Inc

– a subsidiary of Guyana Goldfields Inc. The driver was employed by Trail Boss Interior Trucking Services Inc, locally contracted by AGM to transport fuel to its Aurora Mine. According to Police information, the driver was travelling at a fast rate of speed when the accident occurred.

During the accident, the driver’s body was reportedly flung out of the vehicle. Following the report of the accident, AGM’s emergency response team attended the site, where the company’s medical officer reported that the driver had suc-

cumbed to his injuries.

The company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Allen Palmiere, in a statement stated, “We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and our condolences go to his family. Our immediate focus is to support his family, friends and colleagues at this most difficult time. Safety for everyone is our highest priority and this was the first time that an accident of this nature has occurred while fuel is being transported off-site to Aurora.

The body is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Dead: Atewick DeFretias

NEWS 41

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana Relief Council celebrates 25 years of serving the nation T he Guyana Relief Council (GRC) on Sunday observed its 25th anniversary under the theme “Years of Caring and Sharing,” where volunteers, sponsors and specially invited guests came together to reflect on the project and its accomplishments.

A luncheon was held at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown, and was attended by members of the private sector, diplomatic corp and stakeholders.

GRC Chairman Yvonne Hinds in her opening remarks related that the organisation operates on funding from donors and businesses.

She added that despite the acknowledgement and favourable reviews of the vast work that has been carried out yearly, funding is limited and donations are increasingly sporadic; however, the organisation is eternally grateful for the funding received.

The Chairman noted that the GRC has grown into a respected non-governmental organisation over the years, after being faced with many challenges. She went on to

GRC Chair Yvonne Hinds (right), Former British High Commissioner Stephen Hiscock, Former President Samuel Hinds, and Rev Philadelphia among the guests at the event on Sunday

say that the work that has been done for the Guyanese population is significant.

“Those involved in charitable work are well aware of how difficult it is to raise funds in a small society and reaching for help from the same sources. The past year has

been very difficult financially; however, no one who sought our services is turned away,” Hinds expressed.

Reflecting on the past, Hinds said that the GRC’s service to the nation over the past 25 years has seen many of early dreams becoming a

reality. “We now have an emergency shelter with an apartment for such administration. The facility was renamed the Yvonne Hinds Hope and indeed is an oasis I envisioned, which could house one hundred persons when necessary.

During the great floods

in 2005-2006, the residence accommodated age range from a one-monthold baby to a 92-year-old man, who stayed for a period of six weeks”.

She outlined that the organisation is fulfilling its vision of providing non-discriminatory help to Guyanese when

they are most in need.

She further added that the GRC has handled 35 fire cases and 14 welfare cases and has helped 227 persons.

Former British High Commissioner Stephen Hiscock stressed that even with help from international and local communities, funding is hard to accumulate since there is always a need for more help and assistance for those who have been affected by disasters, especially fire.

He encouraged young members of society to volunteer to make a meaningful contribution to the country.

A number of persons were recognised for their tremendous contributions and sacrifices to the GRC’s cause, ranging from the Chairman, Oscar Phillips; Courtney Benn, Doris Lewis, Donna RamsammyJames, Lloyd Stanley Gopaul, and CHE Jian Ping.

The Guyana Relief Council is a non-profit voluntary organisation, which was established since 1994 to render support and bring relief those affected by disaster.

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GPHC boss says families continue to abandon elderly relatives at hospital situations usually occur between the months of November and December annually. He noted that elderly persons are taken to the hospital to be treated for minor illnesses and when they are ready to be discharged, their relatives disappear and cannot be located.

“Or they bring them to the Accident and Emergency Department and by the time they are treated they are no longer there and when you check the information that they delivered to the

C

lenge for us,” the CEO told the media.

He stated that in order to remedy such situations, very soon, the GPHC will be introducing its electronic medical records system. One of the requirements with the introduction of this system will be that persons bringing patients to the GPHC for any treatment would have to produce a pictorial presentation of identification.

“So with that, we are hoping that we can get better information. We

ferent homes to try to get them into those homes.

The process sometimes takes a while because the homes might be filled but we don’t abandon those patients.”

Less than two weeks ago, Coordinator of Elderly Health at the Public Health Ministry, Dr Melissa Dehaarte, during an interview with Guyana Times International had noted that neglect and other forms of abuse exist in high rates.

She explained that

GPHC CEO, Retired Brigadier George Lewis

ases of older persons being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for medical treatment by

their families and being abandoned at that institution continue, and according to statistics from the hospital, those numbers increase at the end

of each year.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GPHC, Retired Brigadier George Lewis, recently told the media that such

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

clerks who recorded the vitals for the persons, it is that the information is incorrect. You cannot make contact with the persons. That is a chal-

do have patients who are in the hospital who are abandoned by their relatives and what we do is utilise our social workers to work with the dif-

many elderly persons in Guyana continue to face negativities stemming from social issues in society, topped with their health statuses.

Stepfather remanded over death of 4-yr-old boy

M

agistrate Wanda Fortune on Wednesday further remanded 21-year-old Joseph James to prison in connection with the October 7, 2019 murder of his fouryear-old stepson Alex Prince.

While the case was initially called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on October 17 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, it was transferred to the Linden Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday after it was said to have been filed at the incorrect magisterial district.

It is alleged that the accused, who is a logger, murdered the child during the course of rape at their Silver Hill, Linden-Soesdyke Highway home.

Initial investigation had revealed that the child was found naked and unconscious at approximately 12:00h

on October 7 with injuries to his eye and head. According to reports, the accused claimed that he discovered the child unconscious with the injuries after returning from a nearby grocery shop.

The child was then transported to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) after being examined by nurses from a nearby health centre. He is said to have died while on the way to the hospital.

A Post-Mortem Examination performed later indicated that the fouryear-old died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and had been sodomised. The accused was later arrested and charged with murder following investigations. He was remanded to prison and the case will continue on November 13.

NEWS 43

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Sophia man who set girlfriend on fire slapped with murder charge

Small fry… A …small parties Your Eyewitness thinks one of the reasons there are all these small parties springing up is ironically because of our very small society of barely ¾ million persons. Here, everybody knows everybody so invariably they know somebody who was a president of Guyana or ran in elections to be president of Guyana.

Don’t forget that – as was listed in excruciating detail yesterday- there have been dozens of small parties since independence. Each with a Prime Ministerial or Presidential candidate.

The prevailing sentiment clearly is, “if ‘so and so’ can run to be president – or even BECOME president why can’t I??” Seriously, now if a fella like Keith Scott could run for the presidency, how are you going to disqualify that fella who picks up your garbage? At least he does an honest day’s work and knows the value of a dollar, which he had to sweat for! Anyhow, the bottom line is we’re going to have a crowded field in the upcoming presidential sweepstakes. There’s the additional Lotto premise: you gotta be in it to win it. And this time the jackpot is humungous with all that oil money about to start flowing in!!

There’s another theory your Eyewitness heard about to explain the proliferation of parties. After 4 years of filling their pockets and enjoying their perks (like Chinese fried rice, in the case of Broomes!) and power, the PNC is encouraging elements within its ranks to start new parties to keep disaffected supporters from 2015 away from the PPP. Their line is “OK…OK the coalition messed up in this or that area.

Give us your vote and we will make sure you have a voice.”

This will be done, they all insist, by “holding the balance of power” in parliament and voting with either party on policies that are best for Guyana. But who do they think they’re fooling? Wasn’t this exactly what the AFC claimed? In their case that each of the three parties – the PPP (Ramjattan), PNC (Trotman) and WPA (Holder) had messed up! But once in Parliament, can you think of a SINGLE instance when the AFC supported the PPP? Even when they agreed with a policy like the AML/CTF Bill!

But of course, your Eyewitness hasn’t become so jaded to not accept there may be some wellmeaning idealists throwing their hats in the ring to “save Guyana”. But actually, dear readers, these are the most dangerous of them all since they invariably demonstrate that in politics, the guiding maxim is “the road to perdition is paved with good intentions”!!

They’ll be corralled by the PNC fifth columnists to present a “gentler” face. Remember that Ramsaroop fella from the AFC? …campaign funding One of the PNC-spawned small parties that was just off the blocks, announced proudly that one of its promises is “campaign spending reform”. Now this is a vexed issue that crops up at every election during the past three decades. Before that. Of course, it didn’t matter since the PNC had rigged elections for 28 years and didn’t care what his opposition spent!!

Knowing no one could dislodge him, the big money businessmen made sure they filled his campaign coffers for the PNC show campaign!!

Campaign reform was inspired by laws in the US that covered campaign contributions and spending, starting from the 1970’s. Since then, individuals couldn’t donate more than US$1000 to a candidate – and only in 2002 this was raised to US$2000. So imagine your Eyewitness’ surprise when the said PNC-5th-column-new-small-party announced that in accordance with their “clean money” campaign reform plans, they’d announce the names of those who contributed US$10,000 and above!!

Yep, you heard right!! Below US$10,000 is chicken feed and can’t influence them.

And the oil ain’t even flowing as yet!! …integrity PNC’s executive Gary Best insisted that “under his leadership, he demanded and received integrity” from Brigadier Mark Philips, tipped to be PPP’s PM candidate.

Best, a stranger to integrity, wouldn’t know this is a personal quality from within!!

Sophia, Greater Georgetown resident, who was last month charged for the attempted murder of his girlfriend, was on Tuesday slapped with a murder charge, after the victim succumbed to her injuries.

Wazim Pereira allegedly lit his girlfriend on fire on October 10 during a dispute.

The 25-year-old man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on the attempted murder charge; however, after the victim succumbed to her injuries, the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for further advice and the murder charge was recommended.

On Tuesday, the case was called before Magistrate McLennan and the new charge, which alleged that on October 10, 2019, at

Wazim Pereira

Sophia, he murdered Olivia Defreitas, was read to Pereira.

Reports are on October 10 at approximately 13:00h, Pereira

visited Defreitas and requested to speak with her. However, when the woman refused, he went away.

It was reported shortly after leaving, Pereira allegedly returned with a container containing gasoline, which he reportedly threw on the woman and allegedly set her afire.

Reports are as the woman’s loud screams rang out, neighbours ran to her rescue. The woman was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she was admitted and treated for second-degree burns to her face, chest, abdomen and back.

She, however, succumbed to her injuries just over a week later.

Pereira was remanded to prison and the case will continue on October 31.

44 news

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gaming Authority taken to court over failure to issue casino licence

T

he proprietor of Sleepin International Hotel and Casino Inc, Clifton Bacchus, has filed legal proceedings against the Gaming Authority after the company was not granted a Casino Operator’s Licence or a Casino Premises Licence by the agency even after the submission of all requisite documents and materials since 2016.

Legal documents seen by this newspaper revealed that Bacchus is asking the court to grant an order or writ of mandamus directing the authority to process, consider and determine in accordance with law, the applicant’s applications

Sleepin International Hotel and Casino Inc

for a Casino Premises Licence and a Casino Operator’s Licence made on or about April 5, 2017, with all convenient speed; costs and such further or other orders that the Honorable Court may deem just.

These claims are being made on the grounds that the respondent (Gaming Authority) is a statutory corporation created under the Regulations to the Gambling Prevention Act, Chapter 79:02 and that is therefore tasked with the responsibility of issuing casino premises licences and casino operator’s licences in accordance with the Gambling Prevention Act and the Regulations made thereunder. This is together with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the businessman and the Government of Guyana, signed in 2015, which guarantees him a licence to operate

revealed that after almost two years since the required documents were submitted, the licence was not yet granted. According to the legal proceedings filed, Attorney-at-Law for the company, Anil Nandlall wrote to Chairman of the Gaming Authority, Roysdale Forde, enquiring as to why the issuing of the said licence was delayed.

In response, the Chairman pointed out that the agency is awaiting the completion of certain investigations being conducted by the Guyana Police Force in respect of the applicant and its principals, but according to the claims, Bacchus was never contacted in relation to such investigations.

In July of this year, the attorney sought clarity in the matter in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, but to

Sleepin owner Clifton Bacchus

a casino once he is able to complete construction in line with several specifications, including the construction of a minimum of one hundred and fifty-five (155) rooms at its hotel.

Further, it is stated that upon making an application for the licence, the company paid an application fee for the said licences in the sum of G$9 million, which was refused to be granted three months after the application was made.

The documents also

date, no response was received.

Since the opening of the state-of-the-art casino, Bacchus disclosed plans to reapply for a licence in 2017 after he was denied permission in 2016 after failing to provide proof of “its financial soundness and capability,” which was critical for approval.

As such, the court hearings for the parties is set to commence on November 13 at the Demerara High Court.

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Young fisherman fatally stabbed during argument

A

Dead fisherman Noel Singh

22-year-old fisherman was on Sunday evening knifed to death in front of his home by a young man with whom he had an old grievance. Dead is Noel Singh of Lot 33 Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Reports are that around 20:00h on the night in question, Noel was returning home from a local bar where he and his friends had been consuming alcohol and as he arrived in

front of his yard, he was confronted by the suspect.

This led to a continuation of an argument the duo had some six days prior to the stabbing incident.

The row, however, escalated and the suspect reportedly whipped out a knife from his waistband and stabbed Singh twice to the left side of his chest and once to his back. He then cut the fisherman along his left wrist.

As a result, Singh collapsed and fell into a drain in front of his yard.

He managed to climb out and was picked up by one of his friends who raised an alarm.

The injured teen’s brother and others rushed him to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, West Coast Demerara (WCD), but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the medical facility.

Reyaad Mohammed, the friend who found Singh bleeding, told Guyana Times International that he had just returned home from work and was heading towards the shop to purchase an item when he noticed the perpetrator approaching him from the opposite direction.

“All I see is this boy running coming towards me and I try to run back home, because he had tried to attack me a lot of times already. So when he passed, then I came out back and saw my friend on the road laying there, panting for breath. I helped to take him to the hospital with a taxi. The person who stabbed my friend had beat up and cuff up my friend a few days ago before he stabbed him Sunday,” Mohammed related.

He explained that the suspect, along with

a few other young men from another section of the village, would usually frequent his street and terrorise villagers.

“They are coming this side when they drink to make a problem, when they drink and walking late and they see anybody and so, they pick trouble with people, they pick on anyone. The suspect is troublesome.

Sometimes it is five or six of them that comes at the back here, picking on my friend and even me, a lot of times they come

suspect was lurking outside his yard, apparently waiting on his son to return home.

“It is a lot of them; they does always have knives in their pockets, but he (Noel) must have thought that he did not have a weapon on him.

They are always making problem. If I had known at that time, I would have gone out too, and he (the suspect) would not have ran the risk to stab my son,” the elder Singh said.

Meanwhile, the teen’s

news.

“All I could do was start to put on my clothing quickly, but by the time I reached there, my older son and others had rushed him to the Leonora Cottage hospital. When I got there at the hospital, he was dead already,” the woman sobbed.

She recalled seeing the suspect carrying a knife in his hands prior to her son’s death.

The grieving mother, along with the dead fisherman’s other relatives

The area where the young fisherman met his demise

and even try to chop me.”

The dead teen’s father, Dennis Singh, who also spoke with this publication, stated that he was at home when the incident took place. He was later told that the

mother, Nesha Singh, who resides at another house in the village, stated that she had just stepped out of the shower and was clad only in her towel when she received the devastating

and friends, is calling for justice to be served.

Meanwhile, the Police are on the hunt for the suspect, who has been on the run since Sunday evening.

(Kristen Macklingam)

NEW GPC among top performers at GNBS award ceremony

T

he New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) was among the top awardees at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards’ (GNBS) Annual Award Ceremony held last Thursday evening.

GPC was the overall winner in the category of continuous improvement in manufacturing.

Rupununi Essence, Luke’s Manufacturing, National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO), Assuria Insurance Company, Eureka Medical Laboratories, and MACORP Inc were also awarded for their services provided to the country.

Quest Medical Centre was awarded for its continuous improvement in small business services, and St Joseph Mercy Hospital for its continuous improvement in services.

Morning Glory won the award in the category of green initiatives agro-processing, while the National Milling Company of Guyana won in the category of the green initiatives

es.

Overall winner, winner of continuous improvement and winner of health and safety awards at the GNBS Annual Award Ceremony (New GPC)

manufacturing, Doobay Medical Centre won in the green initiatives small business services, and Assuria Insurance Company in the green initiatives services.

For the customer focus award in small busi-

ness services, Woodlands Hospital’s Limited Pathology Laboratory copped the winning spot while the National Milling Company of Guyana was announced as the winner of the customer focus of manufac-

turing. Eureka Medical Laboratory, on the other hand, went away with the award for customer focus services.

Ending off the award segment for the overall winners, Quest Medical Centre received the

award for health and safety in small business service, the National Milling Company of Guyana for health and safety in manufacturing and Massy Distributions Inc in the category for health and safety servic-

Head of Marketing and Communications of GNBS, Saheed Abraham explained that the first award ceremony was held in 2017 where companies participated in the categories of manufacturing services of gold and platinum winners. However, this was revised this year as part of their continuous improvement process.

Moreover, he explained that apart from them having overall winners, they thought it best to allow participants to gain recognition in key areas of strength. These key areas include continuous improvement, customer focus, health and safety, and care for the environment.

In closing, the Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar, in his address congratulated the companies for their participation and their awards. He stated that this initiative has paved the way for these companies to persistently look for ways to improve their services to the consuming public; an effort that is appreciated

by GNBS.

47

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Constitutions, anyone?

Politricks… W

T

…by PNC nailed – again he major issue the PNC-AFC combination exploited to ease the PPP out of office in 2015 was “corruption”. They threw so much mud at PPP officials about “siphoning off billions and billions” from the treasury that enough of it inevitably stuck after 23 years. It’s one of the hazards of extended incumbency. Ordinary folks forget about all the good that was done for them after the ravages of the previous regime, and start believing the grass will really be greener…

Once in office, the PNC-AFC Government launched at least 50 “forensic audits” into departments of the Government from where they insisted the loot had been “siphoned off”. And then passed on the findings to SOCU – the Special Organised Crime Unit – to go after PPP officials and officials they insisted were “PPP”. Never mind most of the findings were conjectures and wild assumptions on precious few facts. Their strategy was “give a dog a bad name and then hang him for it”!

Dozens of names were “called” and pretty soon charges laid— all of this in the very earliest days of the PNC administration. But a pattern started to emerge: the grounds for the charges were so specious that they couldn’t even fit in the standard criminal charges and new ones had to be invented!! Like the NINETEEN they slapped on the rising star in the PPP, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, for merely signing off on a land transaction approved by Cabinet. A clear pattern emerged: the PNC knew they’d been slinging mud; knew there was nothing of substance that was criminal – but expected once again, some would stick!!

But they were dealing with the Judiciary; not ordinary folks, and their “cases” fell apart and were thrown out. The latest concerned 5 officials of the GRDB – including two PPP parliamentarians – failing to make a “proper entry” into the company’s register with the intent to defraud G$362M from the entity’s bank account. And this was the second charge on identical grounds dismissed. In both cases, SOCU’s Prosecutor didn’t show up to produce evidence of fraud – because there was no evidence of fraud!!

But it’s up to the Guyanese people to see the vindictiveness and wickedness of the PNC with their “bad name” strategy: to destroy the reputation of individuals whose only “sin” was to be affiliated with the party of their choice. It’s nothing else but politics of the dirtiest and slimiest type. And with Irfaan Ali, they’d like to think they struck gold – since he subsequently was elected to be the Presidential Candidate of the PPP. But their strategy will now backfire as their deviousness has been exposed! Vote them out!! …and David Granger As your Eyewitness has pointed out, David Granger’s schtick to become leader of the PNC was to convince their executive and membership that he would change their “thug” reputation earned by the exploits of fellas like Hamilton Green and Robert Corbin. That his “election” at the PNC Congress was characterised by charges of rigging (by Aubrey Norton, no less!), a walkout by Linden delegates, and shots fired by a gunman, who was caught on film, was not ironic, but inevitable. As he boasted later, he’d been PNC since the sixties.

And all of this has been confirmed by his actions since. Note that the rebels from Linden – Solomon Sharma and Vanessa Kissoon – have been banished from the PNC and their names erased as effectively as Trotsky’s from the Communist Party of Stalin!! He’s as vindictive and small-minded as Burnham. Recently, he ostentatiously struck a pose at the Pegasus protest that his followers have dubbed “unbothered”!!

Unbothered? And he sends 150 cops to crush a protest of his presence at a rural school? …and economics All right, your Eyewitness knows that we’re all West Indians and all that. But allowing Trini businesses to exclude Guyanese businesses from a forum IN GUYANA to exploit our oil needs? That’s taking it too far!

Guyana isn’t their ATM machine!!

ith elections in the air, talk of Constitutions and constitutional change are flying fast and furious, especially after the PNC’s flouting of the present Constitution in the NCM fiasco. It should help, then, if citizens are more aware about what Constitutions are all about.

Essentially, Constitutions describe the allocation of State powers amongst its various branches as defined by the Constitution itself; prescribe the rules by which those powers would be conferred and also include procedures by which the Constitution may be altered.

In a fundamental sense, therefore, a Constitution should be the embodiment of the social contract crafted by the people of a country for their governance. In a divided society such as Guyana, it is most important that the institutions created by the social contract – Government, Police, civil service etc are seen as just: “justice is the first virtue of social institutions as truth is of systems of thoughts”.

It is ironic that the British, who have done so much to entrench the idea modern of Constitutions as written rules that all citizens of a state have to be governed by – the rule of law – themselves do not have a written Constitution.

The anomaly, however, should remind us that rules, in and of themselves, may be necessary but are not sufficient, to ensure the consent of the governed and the governors. We need to foster the wider network of informal traditions, accommodations, informal pro quid quos that makes the British unwritten constitutional rules function.

And this is where we have sorely lapsed in Guyana. Some people, especially those in the new parties, seem to believe that just by crafting a new Constitution, all our problems will be solved. That is not even the beginning: it is a

truism that changes in cultural and moral behaviour must precede changes in political behaviour. But very few are willing to work in the trenches to achieve those changes.

Western constitutionalism arose out of the struggle for personal freedom, and escape from arbitrary political will by the emerging European bourgeoisie.

Guyanese, descended from slaves and indentured servants, should certainly resonate to this struggle. Constitutionalism is a foundation stone of Liberalism and defines a political scheme in which law, rather than men, is supreme.

Political authority is exercised according to law, which is to be obeyed by all including the governors, who cannot depart from it by whim as President Granger did regularly. By definition then, a constitutional government is a limited government.

James Madison (1751-1836), one of the framers of the American Constitution, sums up the essence of constitutionalism, in his Federalist 51: “But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels no government would

be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed: and in the next place oblige it to control itself”.

Madison thus recognised, as we Guyanese should after our recent history, that the fundamental problem of organised society is of the use and abuse of power – how men may best prevent its abuse and direct it to good ends.

This notion is rooted in the fallibility of man… the belief that no man, or group of men, is good enough to be entrusted with absolute power over other men. This tendency is exacerbated when a country has groups that are racially or ethnically different, as Guyana, since it becomes so much easier to demonise the “other” and resort to extreme measures to assert one’s position.

The Constitution, as asserted earlier, is a social contract, agreed to by the government and which defines its legitimate political actions as for instance, the PNC presently using state assets to campaign. This implies that all state power emanates from the people, and that sovereignty and all reserved powers remain with the people.

Constitutionalism, then, views men as inalienably free and right-bearing individuals who need and establish governments that they can, may, and should control. Through protests or ultimately the ballot box.

In Guyana, where we cannot pretend that our values were shaped by some commonality looming out of a hoary past, as in Britain, we need to imbibe common values and only then craft a new social contract. That is, a new Constitution.

Venezuelan who threatened to kill woman during robbery remanded

A

Venezuelan man who allegedly threatened to kill a woman during a robbery was on Wednesday remanded to prison after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded Wilfredo Jose Castelo when he appeared before her and denied that he robbed Sharron Cartier on October 19, 2019 at Thomas Hill, Mabaruma, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), while being armed with a knife.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on October 19, the victim was walking going home when the 29-year-old man pounced on her armed with a knife.

The court heard that the Venezuelan man placed the

knife to the woman’s throat, threw her to the ground, and threatened to kill her.

Castelo is accused of relieving the woman of her bag.

The matter was reported to the Police and he was arrested and placed in an identification parade. The prosecution is contending that the Virtual Complainant (VC) positively identified Castelo.

In an application for bail to be denied, the prosecutor told the court that the Venezuelan man had no ties to Guyana and would not return for his trial if granted bail. The prosecution’s submission was upheld and Castelo was remanded to prison.

The case will continue on November 18 at the Mabaruma Magistrate’s Court.

Wilfredo Jose Castelo

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

J

ohn Abraham along with his Pagalpanti gang – Anil Kapoor, Illiana D’Cruz, Kriti Kharbanda, Urvashi Rautela, Arshad Warsi and Pulkit Samrat, along with director Anees Bazmee launched the first song from the comedy film titled “Tum Par Hum Hai Atke.

At the event, John was asked as to why he decided to do an out and out comedy when he is smashing box office records with his action films. On this the actor said, “I am a big fan of Anees Bhai and his films, so doing a film like this is a lot of fun, and you leave it in the director’s hands. I think he has got out some fantastic performances from everybody. And, when you have Anil (Kapoor) sir on one side, and you have Arshad (Warsi), Pulkit (Samrat), Iliana (D’cruz), Kriti (Kharbanda) and Urvashi (Rautela), and Saurabh Shukla it is a fantastic combination. Everybody is outstanding in the film.”

John and his co-actors Anil Kapoor and Arshad Warsi also shared a few anecdotes from their struggling period when they were criticised. They said looking back, now it makes them laugh.

Arshad Warsi said, “When I

I

t seems that rumoured couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are in London for a vacation.

Photographs featuring the two

E started out, there were fourteen to fifteen more actors who started their careers as actors, and today I am the only one still surviving. Then, a journalist had told

me that I am a one film wonder, and that I wouldn’t be seen anywhere after that, but today only I am visible, others have disappeared.” (Indian Express)

Bollywood stars have appeared on various social media fan pages where the two can be seen posing with fans.

A fake wedding card of Ranbir and Alia was being circulated on social media a few days ago. On this, Soni Razdan had told Times of India, “It’s a non-issue. Please, don’t give these miscreants more publicity than they deserve.” The card had Alia’s name misspelt and had Mukesh Bhatt mentioned as her father.

When Alia was asked about the card on her way to the airport, she laughed it off recently.

Alia has been keeping busy with the shoot of Sadak 2 which marks the return of her father, Mahesh Bhatt on the director’s chair. Apart from Sadak 2, Alia will be seen in RRR, Takht, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra.

For Ranbir Kapoor, his next releases are Brahmastra and Shamshera. (Indian Express)

I

ndian-British actor Dev Patel says his upcoming film Hotel Mumbai celebrates the unlikely heroes of Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, who battled against all odds on the night of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Directed by Anthony Maras, the film depicts the indomitable human spirit that prevailed during the attacks in 2008.

“The film for me is about the unlikely heroes of this hotel. The beauty of this story is that those

staff of the hotel to whom you may not even give a second look, brings out their humanity.

“And it was really these people who put their lives on the line to save their guests.

Because for them this hotel was their home, it was sacred to them,” Patel said in a statement.

The movie, based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai, also stars Anupam Kher, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi and Jason Isaacs.

Presented by Zee Studios and Purpose Entertainment, “Hotel Mumbai” is slated to be released on November 29. (Indian Express)

mphasising that Bollywood films’ sentimental content strikes a chord with the Indian audience, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore on Wednesday said people may not like to see someone crying in real life but “they love seeing tears” shed by characters in real life.

“Our friends, family members and even doctors treating patients do not want to see tears in eyes of people. But thank God for our audience who love to see tears on screen,” she said with a smile.

The actress, now in her 70s, said this on stage at a health-related event referring to one of the most famous scenes from the 1972 film Amar Prem, starring her and Rajesh Khanna. The clip featuring the popular line on ‘Pushpa’s tears’ was screened at the event.

In the scene, Khanna’s character tells Pushpa, played by Tagore after he finds her weeping, “Pushpa, mujhse ye aansu nahi dekhe jaate, I hate tears.”

This dialogue is considered one of the most iconic lines in the realm of Bollywood, which became part of pop culture, and has inspired art and humour-laden spoofs galore.

The audience loves tears, otherwise the film would not have lasted for more than a day, Tagore said, recalling the film.

Tagore on Wednesday took part in the event organised here jointly by the Institute of Neurosciences, Apollo Hospital and Indian Stroke Association for raising awareness about stroke and its prevention.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death, with globally one stroke occurring every two seconds and claiming one life every six seconds, according to Vinit Suri, president of the Indian

Stroke Association.

The film’s clips were played to deliver a message but its popularity is such that it stoked Tagore’s memories of the film.

Tagore and other dignitaries present on the occasion were later felicitated by organisers.

A number of stroke survivors also shared their stories and said awareness is very important for identifying stroke symptoms before it is too late.

Bollywood films have often based their scripts on terminal ailments like cancer, AIDS, and of late on Autism and Alzheimer’s disease.

Khanna died in 2012, but some of these films like Amar Prem and Anand with the iconic dialogues, made him immortal to his fans and admirers.

In Anand, he plays a cancer patient and talks about the philosophy of life and death through his monologues.

One of the most famous lines from the film is — “Babumoshai, hum toh rangmanch ki kathputliyan hain jiski dor uss upar wale ke haathon main hai. Kab, kaun, kaise uthega ye koi nahin janta.”

“Babumoshai, zindagi aur maut uparwale ke haath hai. Usse na aap badal sakte hain na main,” another dialogue from the film still remembered by cinema lovers for its depth and poignancy. A number of stroke survivors also shared their moving stories and said awareness is very important for identifying stroke symptoms before it is too late.

“The event was very informative and extremely humbling to see and listen to some many emotional stories. I am going back from here with an enhanced level of awareness about stroke and its causes, perils and prevention,” Tagore said.

(Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Helen Mirren reveals she once secretly took a photo of Jason Momoa

V

eteran Helen Mirren has said that she once secretly clicked a photo of the Aquaman star Jason Momoa aboard a plane.

The 74-year-old actor shared the incident during her appearance on CBS chat show The Talk.

“I had secretly sort of done something rather uncool on an airplane. I didn’t know him at all at that point.

“He was with his beautiful wife (Lisa Bonet) and my heart

just went… I was with my husband (Taylor Hackford), but my heart just went, ‘Oh my God, that is just the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life,” Mirren recalled.

The veteran star said she was “floored” by the personality of the actor and it prompted her to take his photo without his knowledge.

“Oh my God, he was so gorgeous,” she said.

But fate was not yet done with the actor as

she was asked to present an award with Momoa during the Oscars this year.

“When they said, ‘Would you like to present with Jason?’ I thought, ‘My dream has come true’,” Mirren said.

The veteran actor is currently promoting her HBO miniseries “Catherine the Great”, in which she portrays the 17th Century Russian monarch.

(Indian Express)

Damian Chazelle and Olivia Hamilton expecting their first child

F

ilmmaker Damian Chazelle and wife Olivia Hamilton are set to welcome their first child together.

The news was shared

by Hamilton, 32, on Instagram where she recently posted photos from her trip to Rattlesnake Canyon with Chazelle.

On Tuesday, Hamilton shared a photo with friends Lauren Rodman and Yas Yeganegi placing their hands over her growing baby bump.

“Magic hour with magic humans,” she captioned the image.

Chazelle, 34, and Hamilton got married in September 2018. They had gotten engaged in October 2017.

The director is best known for films such as Whiplash, La La Land and First Man. (Indian Express)

Cardi B joins Fast and Furious 9

R

apper-actor Cardi B is the latest addition to the crew of Fast & Furious 9.

The details of her role are currently

unknown.

Franchise star Vin Diesel announced her casting in an Instagram video on Tuesday showed him and Cardi B on the last day of the movie’s UK schedule.

“I’m tired, but I can’t wait. I ain’t gonna front, I think this is going to be the best one,” she says in the clip.

Fast 9 is the second film outing for Cardi B, since her role in this year’s Hustlers.

Besides Diesel, the ninth installment of the action drama franchise brings back Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren.

John Cena is also a part of the new film, which is slated to be released on May 22, 2020. (Indian Express)

HOLLYWOOD 49

Therapy saved my life: Julie Andrews

V

eteran actor Julie Andrews has revealed she sought therapy after her heartbreaking divorce from stage designer Tony Walton in 1967 and the timely treatment “saved” her.

Andrews said her head was “full of clutter” at the end of her separation from her first husband and it was director Mike Nichols who convinced her to go for therapy sessions.

“Sadly, I separated from my lovely first husband. And separations were always inevitable and the marriage was over and my head was so full of clutter and garbage. Believe it or not, it was Mike Nichols who really tipped me into wanting to go to therapy,” the Sound of Music star told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show.

“He was so sane, and funny and clear. He had a clarity that I admired so much,” she continued.

Andrews said once she finally sought help, she went all the way.

“I wanted that for myself. And I didn’t feel I had it, so I went and got into it and it saved my life, in a way.”

The 84-year-old actor, who discusses the importance of mental health in her new memoir, Home Work, said there was no harm in encouraging people to seek therapy.

“I think everybody knows the great work it can do. And anybody that is lucky enough to have it, afford it and take advantage of it, I think it would be wonderful,” she said. (Indian Express)

Female-driven films are more profitable: Franklin Leonard

A

merican film producer Franklin Leonard on Tuesday said more women are needed in powerful positions to fight “a deeply sexist film industry and culture”, which perpetuates the myth that female-led movies don’t work at the box office.

Leonard, who is best known for founding The Black List, a yearly list featuring Hollywood’s most popular unproduced screenplays, was talking at a masterclass held here on day five of the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film festival with actor Kalki Koechlin.

Talking about why there is a lack of women protagonist, especially narratives featuring older women, the filmmaker said contrary to what male executive would want everyone to believe, such films are more profitable.

“Movies about women and with women with older roles are more profitable and that is the irony. It is sexism, misogyny and patriarchal society that is driving a lot of that reality. I don’t think we can rely on men to make that change. I think it is all about more women at position of power of what gets made and what doesn’t,” he said during the discussion.

“I can’t speak in the Indian context as I don’t know about it. In the US, there are not enough women in the room that decide what gets made and the consequences are a deeply sexist film industry and deeply sexist film culture that perpetuates a lot of assumptions about female dynamics that have resulted in reality that we faced right now, with vis-a-vis #MeToo movement.”

Leonard said the aim should be to find more people, especially women to collaborate and make female-driven stories.

“It is all about finding women who can collaborate and support each other and find those who are willing to support. Female-driven films are more

profitable and there are studies on it.

“A film with a female perspective should be made and seen more and the financiers will get the message quickly. We want to empower the people who are telling the story about their community. So we do screenwriters lab three times in LA, we want to make sure women are telling women’s stories, not that men can’t do it,” he added.

Asked whether Hollywood was finally opening up to Asian or Indian actors, Leonard said Slumdog Millionaire and Crazy Rich Asians are two of the biggest successes to feature predominantly Asian cast.

“America is ready for a big Indian film and the success of Crazy Rich Asians’ is an example of it. There are a lot of people who said it was not possible before it came out. I know there is an appetite for it as there is a huge Asian diaspora in the US.” The question, Leonard said, is who is going to make it and where do you make that international Indian film.

“There is an opportunity to make a film here that is amazing and have it go worldwide and be super successful, it is about what is that film and who is going to make it. Where is Indian Star Wars? …everyone will be down.

“Like, Black Panther, for years people were like no one outside US wants to see black people on screen and it is lousy. Even if people are racist, if the movie looks good it is good. And the success of Slumdog Millionaire shows that there is an appetite for it. It is about making a good film and marketing it well.”

Leonard, who is on the jury for India Gold section, said he is in Mumbai to familiarise himself with India and films. (Indian Express)

50 SPORT

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

'We call off the strike and will return to playing' - Shakib Al Hasan

B

angladesh's cricketers, who went on strike on Monday, will return to action after officials from the BCB and the players' association assured them that nearly all their demands would be met. Shakib Al Hasan, the Test and T20I captain who led the cricketers' movement, however, said that the players would only be satisfied when all they had asked for was addressed.

The impasse between the board and the players ended at close to midnight on Wednesday, by which time both parties had been in discussion for nearly two hours.

The players agreed to the meeting after holding discussions among themselves in a hotel, in between holding a press conference where they added two more demands: 1. the BCB must share a percentage of their revenue with them, and 2. it should also ensure equal pay for wom-

Among the 11 demands is one that involves asking the BCB to revert BPL to its old format (Getty Images)

en cricketers.

There were reports on Wednesday that BCB

chief Nazmul Hassan and director Naimur Rahman had met the

Sourav Ganguly takes charge, promises 'new start' for BCCI S

ourav Ganguly has promised a new start for the BCCI and to do what's best for Indian cricket.

He was speaking in Mumbai soon after assuming charge as BCCI president, marking the formal end to the tenure of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.

Wearing his captain's blazer - he is the first India captain to head the board in 65 years - he pointed to the similarities in the circumstances under which he became captain, in the wake of the match-fixing scandal, to pledge a clean administration. "I'll do it the way I know, with no compromise on credibility and corruption. That's the way I led India."

Though his term is only for 10 months, he spoke of the issues piled up in his inbox. "Things need to be brought back in place, reforms need to be done, huge amounts of money need to be paid to state associations."

"We don't know what's happened in the past three years, we weren't part of it [BCCI], there were no AGMs or working committee meetings. We'll take note of everything and do what's best for Indian cricket."

Ganguly pledged his support to India captain Virat Kohli, calling him "the most important man in Indian cricket". "He wants to make this team the best in the world‌ We have to sit with him and see what he wants. We'll support him in every way."

Ganguly accepted his election result from the board's electoral officer N Gopalaswami in the presence of the three outgoing CoA members and the state associations' representatives.

Ganguly and the other four office-bearers will now take over the board's running from the CoA - currently compris-

Sourav Ganguly

ing Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and Lt Gen (retd) Ravi Thodge - which was supervising the board for the past 33 months.

"I'm totally satisfied because we are leaving the BCCI to the governing council and the administration," Rai said after Ganguly's formal assumption. "Five former players in the administration could never have been better.

The president is one of our most successful captains, he has had five years at the CAB and is now taking over at the BCCI. There is no one better than him to take this position.

"We are agnostic about the family [relations of the office bearers] and other things. Our job was to hold the elections as per the constitution and we have done that."

"I'm very happy that a former cricketer is taking over as president," Edulji said at the headquarters before the meeting began. "I'm sure he will take the BCCI to greater heights."

(ESPNCricinfo)

country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who had summoned Mashrafe Mortaza as well to know more about the situation.

It is felt that after her intervention, the BCB backed off from their hardline stance and agreed to compromise.

Hassan said the board had not been made aware of the two new demands until a few hours ago, but that it will fulfill the original 11. Shakib added that the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh [CWAB] had also agreed to hold fresh elections, where players are expected to vote for the office bearers.

"As Papon bhai [Hassan] said, it was a fruitful discussion," Shakib said. "He and the rest of the directors assured us that our demands will be met as soon as possible. Based on their assurance, we will start playing the NCL [National Cricket League] and attend the training camp [prior to the tour of India].

"We told them that there should be [CWAB] elections swiftly. We want a representative from the current players, so that our problems can be discussed with the board regularly. It will be the best for the players. They have agreed, and the elections will be held when we are all available. We can tell you that we are happy when the demands are implemented, but discussions have been satisfying."

Hassan, who had a completely different

tone to his angry press conference on Tuesday, said that the BCB would return to the Dhaka Premier League's player transfers, as well as ensure a franchise model is in place in next season's Bangladesh Premier League, as the players had demanded.

He also said that the

Shakib Al Hasan

board would quickly increase the domestic players' remuneration, but asked for time on improving infrastructure across the country.

"We thank the players for coming today.

They had a number of demands, which I told you yesterday we were mostly agreeable to," he said. "Among their 11 demands, the first one [CWAB elections] doesn't have anything to do with the BCB and the last demand [more than two NOCs per year to play overseas franchise tournaments] will be taken case to case.

"We have agreed with the rest of the demands, like the DPL transfers and BPL franchise mod-

el. We will also significantly improve their allowances in the domestic competitions, and it will be done in the next two or three days. Not in six months or a year. We will also improve infrastructural facilities everywhere, and no longer take it phase by phase.

I also heard from many players, and I have asked them to send them their issues in writing in the future."

Hassan said they had offered to cancel the NCL's third round matches scheduled for October 24, but he was told that wasn't necessary. "We wanted to leave out the NCL's third round but the players said that if it is delayed by a day, they will make it to the venues," Hassan said. "The national players will join the [pre-tour] camp on October 25, as was earlier planned."

Hassan, who had criticised the cricketers on Tuesday for going on strike and was made to wait for four hours before the meeting started on Wednesday, said that even during the discussion, he had started off angry. "I felt that it was a good discussion but I don't think the players liked it, as I was angry at the start, but later the anger went away."

The strike that began on Monday afternoon with the centrally contracted and first-class cricketers, even attracted players from Dhaka's first division league on Wednesday.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SPORT 51

WEEK ENDING october 27, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rashid Khan, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc among top Hundred picks T

here were big-name omissions, surprise picks and several bumper paydays for local players as the draft for the Hundred took place in London. Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan legspinner, was the first name selected in what is a ground-breaking exercise in British sport, while Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga were among the top-bracket overseas stars to be overlooked in the opening round.

With England Test players and a pair of 'local icons' already selected earlier this month, the eight teams each had to fill 12 more spots in their squads for next year's inaugural competition. The format allowed 100 seconds for the team management to settle on their choices, with the Trent Rockets kicking things off by taking Rashid.

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell was second out of the hat, selected by Southern Brave, followed by Aaron Finch going to the Northern Superchargers and Mitchell Starc to Welsh Fire. Australia players were popular - the Future Tours Programme leaves them available for the whole of the Hundred with Steven Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short all among those taken at £125,000 (USD161,000).

"It's going to be exciting to be in the first ever hundred-ball comp," Smith told Sky via a satellite link. "I'm looking forward to joining the Welsh Fire, Jonny [Bairstow] a n d Starcy and the boys there it looks a good squad that they've picked up so far so I'm looking forward to it."

There were also eye-catching deals for domestic players, with Liam Livingstone picked up in the first round by Birmingham Phoenix - more than doubling his earnings after setting a £60,000 (USD78,000) reserve price - while the Manchester Originals went down the local route by taking Dane Vilas, Lancashire's captain, for £125,000.

The second round, with contracts pegged at £100,000 (USD129,000), saw young English batsmen Phil Salt and Tom Abell make their way north to Manchester, while World Cup winner Liam Dawson was signed to play at his local ground, t h e Ageas Bowl, for Southern Brave.

England wicketkeeper Sam Billings was picked up by the Oval Invincibles and experienced a l l rounder Ravi Bopara went to Birmingham Phoenix.

With overseas players unable to be purchased at below their base price, there were several notable omissions - perhaps influenced in part by availability.

Alongside Gayle and Malinga, S o u t h Africa's Kagiso Rabada was overlooked in the £125,000 bracket, while the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Trent Boult missed out on the £100,000 slots.

Shakib had been touted as a popular pick but Bangladesh's programme of Tests against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in July and August next year rendered his availability uncertain; similarly, Babar Azam had entered with a £75,000 price tag after a finishing as the leading runscorer in this year's Blast, but is likely to be involved in Pakistan's Test series against England.

"Coming here I was confident that I would get picked up," Russell said.

"Not sure which team but I was confident. If I didn't get picked up then I'd be surprised. But I'd understand that because you've got a lot of good players all around the world and they're all here in the draft to be picked. With

the likes of Chris Gayle, Bravo, Malinga and those guys that didn't get picked up, I would have that feeling right now like them."

The draft took place in Sky's west London complex, using a bespoke studio featuring eight three-man pods from which the teams could make their deliberations. The head coaches were all in atten-

dance, accompanied in most cases by an assistant and the team's analyst, with the early rounds concluded relatively quickly - few picks took anywhere near 100 seconds as the top targets were snapped up.

Darren Lehmann, head coach of the Northern Superchargers, was pleased to have got his top three picks - Finch, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Chris Lynn - while Shane Warne, his counterpart at London Spirit, said there had been a few "surprises" but he was happy with how things had panned out.

"To have [Mark] Wood and [Mohammad] Amir as opening bowlers, the spin of Mason Crane, [Roelof] van der Merwe and Maxwell is pretty good, gives a lot of variety and we've got some guys that can bash it and I think the Hundred is going to be about bashing it," Warne said.

With 96 picks to be made and 571 names in the draft, there were bound to be more losers than winners on the n i g h t .

England quick Olly Stone missed out, having set a reserve price of £50,000 (USD65,000), a s did former internationals such as Samit Patel, S t e v e n Finn, Ian B e l l and

Morne Morkel, who was available as a domestic player via his Kolpak deal with Surrey.

Other noteworthy picks

inc l u d ed Essex's Blast-winning pair of Simon Harmer and Ryan ten Doeschate going to Welsh Fire, where they will be joined by Liam Plunkett and

Ravi Rampaul (but no Welsh players). Birmingham signed New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi - although his availability could also be in question - while Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi went to London Spirit.

West Indies allrounder Fabian Allen won a deal at the Invincibles, and New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner heads to Manchester.

There were some early trends that stood out.

Southern Brave looked to stock up on pace, adding Russell, Tymal Mills and George Garton to the previously selected pair of Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan. Several teams picked along local lines Trent Rockets going for Nottinghamshire pedigree in Steven Mullaney, Luke Fletcher, Matt Carter and Tom Moores, while the Superchargers added Durham bowlers Brydon Carse and Nathan Rimmington.

Birmingham Phoenix left their choice of wicketkeeper until the final round, before picking up two in Riki Wessels and Chris Cooke.

Manchester Originals, meanwhile, set their focus on the longer term, adding Salt, Abell, Joe Clarke, Ed Pollock and Ed Byrom to 'local icons' Matt Parkinson and Saqib Mahmood - all of whom are 25 or under. Under the rules for the competition, up to 10 players will be allowed to be retained for the second season in 2021.

"I really like the fact that the teams are planning for the future a lot. You look at our side, you've got a lot of guys that are in their young 20s," said Jos Buttler, who was allocated to Manchester before the draft.

"It's fantastic to see all the coaches and staff look at it in that way rather than just the here and now.

"You look at Saqib [Mahmood] and [Matt] Parkinson they could be Manchester Originals players for the next 10 years." (ESPNCricinfo)

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India's 'exceptional ruthlessness' with bat left us 'mentally weak' - Faf du Plessis

F

af du Plessis will continue to captain South Africa despite overseeing one of their worst Test results since readmission - he sees it as his responsibility to ease them through the transition.

South Africa last suffered successive innings defeats in Tests in 1935-36, and though they have been whitewashed by Australia twice since 1992, their defeats then were not as stark as they are now. Du Plessis, who has led the side since mid-2016, will not use the results as a reason to jump ship and wants to oversee a process that will enable a new leader to take over in due course.

"How I see my journey unfolding with this team is to help with the transition period," du Plessis said at the press conference after the Ranchi Test. "That's something we spoke about before that wasn't necessarily the case before. Graeme Smith was a successful captain for a very long time and then after that, it was like, 'what now, who is going to captain the side, what's going to happen?' This period is to try and make that process a bit smoother, identifying the next leaders, identifying the next captains, working with them, and then when that time is right, that time will be right."

His reference to Smith and his golden generation will only make the India series' result sting even more.

It was under Smith that South Africa last won a Test in India, in 2010 and remained unbeaten in an away Test series for nine years. But earlier this year, South Africa lost a home Test series to Sri Lanka and now they haven't merely lost in India, they have been outplayed and exposed, something du Plessis puts down to inexperience.

"I found the tour really tough," he said. "We have had a very mature Test team for a while, guys that have played 30, 40 and more Test matches. Now you look in the dressing room and its five, six, seven, eight, ten Tests."

South Africa's most experienced player on this trip is du Plessis himself, with 61 Test caps, and only five of the 16-man squad had toured India before. Of those, Dean Elgar showed he has made some progress from 2015 by scoring a century, but Temba Bavuma did not. Similarly, in the bowling department Kagiso Rabada, who debuted in that series, showed flashes of

Faf du Plessis

brilliance but Vernon Philander, who was injured after one Test on the 2015 tour, didn't. A combination of the inability to bowl out the opposition even once and a failure to bat big is how du Plessis summed up what went wrong.

"When we play in the subcontinent, our style of bowling is not successful. You have to adapt your style to the style that is required. Obviously, someone like Dale Steyn was effective in the subcontinent because he has a similar skill set. He is a skiddy bowler off the pitch, hits the stumps, whereas if you are missing the stumps a lot or bouncing it over the stumps, it's not as effective here.

"Seam bowling is one area; spin they [India] were better than us and from a batting unit, exceptional ruthlessness in the way they put massive scores on the board. That's one of the reasons why mentally we were so weak towards the end. Obviously, they did bat first every time, which made it easier but they still to put on 500, 500, 600 and the scoreboard pressure, the effect that it has on you mentally as a batting line-up, it takes a lot of energy and it takes a lot of toll. You just feel like there's no opportunity or no moment in the game when you can hide. Your body is tired, your

mind is tired and then you make mistakes."

Mind games have long haunted South Africa, mostly at major tournaments but now even in the longer format and du Plessis believes its an area that needs improvement fast. "Our next journey is to try and make sure we get a lot stronger as a cricketing team mentally. As you can see, a tour like this reveals that there is a lot of mental scars that can happen and then obviously it's difficult to come out of the hole. We played our best match in the first match and the consistent pressure that was on us made us weaker with every Test match that we played. It tells me we are not mentally strong as a team and that some work is required in that department."

This tour is the first place du Plessis will look at when it comes to identifying who is mentally strong enough to keep playing at this level and who will form the next leadership group. "When you go through extreme hardships like this, in the hardships, you will still find guys that are up for Test cricket."

Like who? Quinton de Kock scored one century, Keshav Maharaj was brave with ball and bat, Senuran Muthusamy showed all-round potential and Zubayr Hamza played one sprightly knock.

The same cannot automatically be applied to Bavuma, the man being groomed as du Plessis' successor. He scored 96 runs in six innings and was moved down the order from No. 4 to 5, swapping places with du Plessis. His numbers suggest he is not ready to take over just yet, but his mindset reveals something else.

In a revealing press conference in the second Test, Bavuma spoke frankly about his battle to convert and acknowledged that his best was not good enough at the moment. Like du Plessis, he recognised his responsibility and he knows what's expected of him. For now, that's all South Africa can ask for. It will take time before Bavuma is performing at the level required of a captain, or South Africa find someone else who is and no-one can say how much.

The next few months will not be easy as South Africa host England at home for four Tests. When the same sequence of fixtures was played four years ago, South Africa lost both series and their captain, Amla.

This time, if du Plessis sticks to his word, they are are only at risk of the former. (ESPNCricinfo)

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Jamual John, Briton John (centre) and Michael Anthony (right) competed on Sunday last in Berbice

GCF clears the air on Caribbean Championships team selection H

aving recently confirmed their participation at the Caribbean Cycling Championships in Cuba from November 1-3, the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) named a seven-member contingent which will be making the trip. The team consist of five cyclists: Jamual John, Michael Anthony, Curtis Dey, Paul DeNobrega and Christopher Griffith, along with two officials – Marc Sonaram (Team Manager) and Enzo Matthews (Coach).

However, following that disclosure, some sections of the cycling fraternity questioned the selection process and the make-up of the team, specifically, the absence of Guyana’s current topranked cyclist, Briton John.

In a bid to clear the air on the selection process, GCF President Linden Dowridge and Racing Secretary

Malcolm Sonaram revealed that Briton John was the first cyclist to be selected along with Jamual John, Michael Anthony, Curtis Dey, and Paul DeNobrega.

Sonaram noted that correspondence was sent out to the respective parent clubs of the cyclists via email on October 3, 2019; however, We Stand United, the club to which Briton John belongs did not respond confirming his participation and up to the deadline date for Guyana’s confirmation of participation at the Championships, the GCF was not in receipt of any correspondence from the club.

The GCF was then forced to select a replacement, which led to Christopher Griffith being listed, according to the ranking system of the Federation (adopted from Guyana Cycling News’ points table). The next choice should

have been Andre “Padlock” Green; however, Green currently has two disciplinary matters which are pending, thus the inclusion of Griffith on the team.

Another young talent, Romello Crawford was not included on the team owing to him being granted a release from the GCF to race with the PSL Club in Trinidad and Tobago from October 1, 2019 until the end of November.

Meanwhile, another hurdle in making up a full team to send to Cuba was the lack of sponsorship for Jamual John, something which was remedied at the last minute after cycling enthusiasts heard of his plight.

In respect to the funding of the trip, the GCF had to rely on sponsorship for the respective cyclists and officials; this is due to the current ex-

ecutives’ inability to access the GCF’s bank account, something that is currently being worked on.

Moving ahead, GCF President Dowridge has stated that there would be clear criteria for the Federation’s team selection process which would see cyclists being picked through the ranking system and according to the type of events. He also noted that for future trips, the GCF would try its best to help fund cyclists as the body was trying to move away from a total dependence on sponsors.

As was quoted in a section of the media as saying that during the first days of his attaining the GCF presidency, Dowridge pointed out that cyclists and the cycling fraternity have nothing to fear as the GCF was not going to discriminate against any club or athlete.

Holder aims to stay on top of his game for Afghanistan series F

resh from celebrating the recent triumph in the Caribbean Premier League with Barbados Tridents, Jason Holder, has now switched his attention back to his duties as West Indies allrounder and Test captain.

The Test match talisman is heading off to India where he will feature in all three formats for the series against Afghanistan. The teams meet in three T20s, three ODIs and a Test match. West Indies arrive in India on November 1 and the series goes until December 1. The matches will be played at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in the city of Lucknow.

Holder is the Number 1 ranked allrounder in Test cricket – 58 points more than his next highest rival Ravindra Jadeja. He is also at Number 3 on the bowling table – two other West Indians feature in the Top 20 Kemar Roach (9th) and Shannon Gabriel (19th).

The highlight of Holder’s year so far was a magnificent 202 not out over

England in Barbados. It was a careerdefining moment which led the West Indies to a superb victory as the regional side regained the prestigious Wisden Trophy for the first time in a decade.

“We had a great start to the year in Test cricket when we beat England at home, so we want to end the year on a high. We have the match against Afghanistan and that will be a good contest in overseas conditions. Every Test match is important. Test match wins don’t come easy, so we know how hard we have to work. The guys are really up for this challenge and it would be very good to finish off the year well on a personal note as well as on a team note,” Holder said.

The 27-year-old has impressive numbers. In 39 appearances he has scored 1,887 runs including three centuries. He also has 101 wickets (average 27) including six five-wicket hauls – the most recent last month against India in the second Test at Sabina Park. West Indies will face England

Jason Holder

against next June as they defend the Wisden Trophy Holder already has one eye on that tour – with three Tests at the Oval, Edgbaston and Lords.

“That’s the major challenge on the horizon for the Test team as we look ahead to the future tours programme.

We will be going back to England to contest the Wisden Trophy and also to continue the quest for very important points in the ICC World Test Championship. Last time we played in England we had a magnificent win at Leeds, so there is all to play for,” Holder said.

Looking ahead to the return to the T20 International format, Holder added: “Feels great to be back in the T20 side – and to be playing in all three formats for the West Indies again. It was great to win the CPL with the Tridents and I did quite well, so happy to be back for West Indies. We are gearing towards the T20 World Cup coming up in just under a year and I want to be a part of that. I want to play a significant part. I was part of the set-up three years ago when we won in India and that was a wonderful feeling.” (CWI)

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Batting sensation Hetmyer says ‘taking it one step at a time’ I

n his last 10 T20 innings for Guyana Amazon Warriors, Shimron Hetmyer had only two scores above double figures. Since his return to local cricket in the SBF Petroleum Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) 50-overs Franchise he recorded scores of 28, 08, 06, and 18 for his West Berbice Franchise. Hetmyer possess all the talent in the world and it is only a matter of time until he returns to form and get among the runs.

Speaking exclusively to this publication, after his team’s victory against Georgetown, the West B e r b i c e captain, Hetmyer stated that he is taking it one step at a time as the series against Afghanistan looms. “I am going as well as I could but I am working on my game and taking it one step at a time and I am just trying to hit as much ball as possible, looking ahead of the upcoming (Afghanistan) series”, Hetmyer disclosed.

Hetmyer has often been criticized for his similar fashion of getting out on the big stage. As was seen in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he played some irresponsible shots but this is just a bad patch in his career. In this local match, some of his dismissals has been similar in nature; hitting bowlers for sweet sixes and gifting his wicket away soon after. However, he still remains one of the brightest prospects in West Indies cricket as was seen with his

latest selection.

The 22-year old Hetmyer, the only Guyanese to have earned selection for all three formats in the West Indies team for the Afghanistan series, will tour India from November 5 to December 1. West Indies will play three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Test match between that period. With one round remaining in the SBF CGI franchise, Hetmyer will play one more match before leaving for West Indies preparation for the Afghanistan series.

From a brilliant 2018 scoring 440 runs in the CPL then a tough season of 224 runs with only three scores surpassing double digits, Hetmyer still has a supreme ODI career for his age. The Berbician has 37 ODI matches under his belt with four hundreds and four half-centuries at an average of 38.67, one run short of 1200 ODI runs. He holds the record of the youngest centurion on home soil.

His Test career and T20 International career for West Indies have not been mined blowing as yet; he has 15 Tests and only five half c e n t u ries with a high score of 93 while he only had 12 innings in T20I for West Indies with a top-score of 26.

Reflecting on West Berbice o n e wicket win against Georgetown, Hetmyer stated that it was an all-round team performance that was very well-composed. “We had some ups and downs but the guys pulled it off at the end”, Hetmyer echoed. West Berbice had only recorded one lost in the ongoing tournament and their success had been surrounded by the brilliance of an allround Kevin Sinclair, who recorded three player of the match performances.

The West Berbice captain, Hetmyer had this to say about Sinclair: “He has been one of the greatest finds in the league; I am very much impressed with his performances and after seining him when he was younger and how me matured as a cricketer presently, it is only great for Guyana cricket and he could only get better”.

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