Guyana Times International 8th March 2019

NY Governor announces US$50M for school technology upgrades

…through the Smart Schools Bond Act

INTERNATIONAL

Page 12

‘Clock is ticking’ THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING March 10, 2019

ISSUE NO. 439

…Guyana heading towards Constitutional crisis See stories inside

Guyanese man found murdered, burnt in Georgia

Guyana named world’s best …family eco-tourism calls for destination answers Page 24

Page 22

Darnley Colin Marshall

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NEWS 3

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‘Clock is ticking’ …Guyana heading towards Constitutional crisis as President refuses to call date for elections

…Opposition alerting int’l community about political situation

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high-level meeting between Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and President David Granger ended in stalemate on Wednesday as the issue regarding the date for an election was not addressed, which ended with Guyana on the precipice of a massive constitutional crisis.

Upon his arrival at the Ministry of the Presidency for the meeting with the President, Jagdeo told media operatives that he was not optimistic that the meeting would bear any fruit.

However, he contended the main reason why he chose to attend was be-

Bharrat Jagdeo and his team discuss with the President and his team the need for an election before Guyana heads into a constitutional crisis

cause of the people of

Guyana in light of nation-

al interest.

The former President

continued on page 5

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EDITORIAL

An elections date

I

f the political atmosphere were not tense enough with the PNC-led Government resorting to the Appellate Courts to question the Legislative and High Court’s determination that 33 is the majority of 65, and consequently the NCM was valid, and that in accordance with Art 106 (6) of the Constitution, the President and Cabinet “shall” resign immediately and elections be scheduled within 90 days, the differing opinions by the Opposition and the Government on the significance of the issuance of two letters by the President to GECOM on the same day has only served to escalate the tensions.

The Opposition Leader viewed the two letters as an attempt by the President to commit “fraud” on the Guyanese people, since the letters had different implications for the holding of elections as constitutionally mandated by Art 106 (6). The first letter stated, “The Government is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that the Commission is provided with the financial resources and has sufficient time to conduct credible elections.

“I urge the Commission, therefore, to commence preparations for the conduct of GRE (General and Regional Elections). The Government will initiate measures to provide the funds required and to seek the approval of the National Assembly to ensure that an agreement can be reached, given both the Constitutional requirements and GECOM’s capability.”

These “Constitutional requirements” were also spelled out in this letter: “…to deliver credible General and Regional Elections (GRE) within the three-month time frame commencing 2018.12.21.”

This letter is therefore very clear in its import: the Chairman of GECOM had indicated to the President that elections were due “three months (from) 2018.12.21”, i.e. March 19, 2019; and the President, who has the authority and duty to do so, had asked that preparations for GRE commence immediately.

The second letter, however, spoke to a totally different issue: that GECOM was now evidently being given the responsibility for setting the GRE’s date: “I have noted also, that GECOM, as a Constitutional agency would require a new appropriation of funds approved by the National Assembly for the conduct of General and Regional Elections. I now write you in that context for us to initiate consultations on the readiness of GECOM for the conduct of General and Regional Elections in 2019 (GRE).”

This shift in responsibility is what the Leader of the Opposition alluded to when he spoke of fraud. Since, for instance, the GECOM Chair accepted that the clock on the GRE date started ticking from Dec 21, 2018, why did he not then throw the machinery of the institution to meet the March 19 deadline, or at most a month afterwards, knowing that the validity of the voters’ list expired on April 31? For him to now express “doubts” on GECOM’s readiness a mere three weeks before that date, after the Government GECOM Commissioners had been strenuously insisting on a new “house to house” registration to create a new voters’ list and to have the President upturning his firm instructions for elections preparation within hours to “initiate consultations” on GECOM’s readiness, does lead the law’s famous “reasonable man” to conclude that “mischief was afoot”.

The Government’s spokesperson indignantly responded to the Opposition Leader’s assertion on “fraud” by raising a “straw man” to claim essentially that President Granger was a churchgoing Christian and, as such, incapable of lying; and that the Opposition leader was in fact so maligning all Christians. But by then the issue had moved from the surmise by the Opposition Leader to the world of facts. At a meeting of GECOM, only upon inquiry by the PPP Commissioners was the existence of two letters from the President acknowledged.

The PNC Commissioners then proceeded to give life to the opening offered in the President’s second letter by insisting that only the matter of a new voters’ list should be on the agenda. The PPP Commissioners not unreasonably wanted to know why the date for the elections should not be directly addressed.

That meeting then broke up with March 19th looming ominously.

Market day in Mabaruma, Guyana. Mabaruma is the administrative centre for Region One (Barima-Waini) of Guyana. It is located close to the Aruka River (the Venezuelan border) on a narrow plateau above the surrounding rainforest at an elevation of 13 metres. (DPI Photo)

Guyana now firmly on path for an illegal government

By Dr Leslie Ramsammy

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n just about two weeks, Guyana becomes a dictatorship. The President and APNU+AFC are sinisterly eager to be a dictator President and an illegal government. The passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21st, 2018 set Guyana on a path to new General and Regional Elections. The date of the elections had to be chosen by the President, as long as it was within 90 days from December 21st. Beyond the 90 days, which means beyond March 21st, the decision on a date belongs jointly to the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

Having squandered the first option, the President now depends on the Leader of the Opposition for legitimacy, even though he has adopted a position of an emperor.

Bharrat Jagdeo took an Olive Branch, a genuine offer for compromise, to the President this morning. He offered the full support of the PPP for Parliament, under Article 106(7) of the Constitution and with the required two-thirds majority, to extend the life of the government for a reasonable period, beyond the deadline of March 21st, 2019. All Bharrat Jagdeo, the Leader of the Opposition, wanted was for a good-faith agreement on a date for election. In keeping with the law and the constitution and representing a large section of the Guyanese people, the Leader of the Opposition presented the President with a face-saving way forward, so that come March 21st, 2019, Guyana would not have an illegal government and a dictator President.

The President, not surprisingly, was unwilling to discuss a date for election. The President abrogated his responsibility under the constitution to be the person who must decide on the date for an election. The law provides for

two possibilities for the election date. The first was established on December 21st, 2018 when the passage of the No-Confidence motion started a timeline requiring election within 90 days. That meant the President had to choose a date before or on March 21st, the 90th day from December 21st.

He and his Government deliberately ran the time down and now are faced with the daunting challenge of being an illegal government. There is a second option, provided for by the Constitution. This second option is a reasonable date after March 21st, if the Leader of the Opposition guarantees a twothirds majority in Parliament for the extension of the timeline under Article 106(7) of the Constitution.

While the President has absolute choice in the first option, that choice is absolute only for a date anytime before or on March 21st. It is now impossible for him to exercise this first option. We are now left only with the second option and, for that, he needs the acquiescence of the Leader of the Opposition.

In refusing to exercise the first option, President Granger arbitrarily wants to delegate the second option to GECOM which has become another creature of APNU+AFC. But he conve-

niently ignores the law that states he cannot now act alone.

The President gave up that option when he did not exercise his mandate to set the date before March 21st. He needs the Leader of the Opposition to exercise the second option.

The President cannot arbitrarily delegate the authority to GECOM. The law that now governs the choice of a date for election is one that must be made only by a compromise between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

The President, APNU+AFC and GECOM are involved in a wicked, reckless conspiracy to violate the Constitution and the laws of Guyana. GECOM clearly has transitioned from it being a creature of the constitution to being a creature of the President and APNU+AFC. There are too many people and organizations who are silent. The trade unions, the Guyana Human Rights Organization, etc. are adding complicity to the recklessness of the government. This silence is permitting President Granger and APNU+AFC to formalize a dictatorship. The silence of CARICOM and the ABC countries are troubling.

They need to know that they are aiding and abetting a dictatorship in Guyana.

NEWS 5

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‘Clock is ticking’...

from page 3

was accompanied by former Presidential Advisor Gail Texieira; former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate and former Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali. The President’s team on the other hand included Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Vice President and Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock; Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams; and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally.

No date

The meeting lasted for about one hour and on Jagdeo’s departure, he told the media that he and President David Granger did not reach an agreement on a date for elections. Jagdeo had proposed that General Elections could be held before the current voters list expires on April 30, 2019.

The Opposition Leader posited that that deadline was reasonable, while explaining that training and procurement of materials for elections can be completed within a new 50-day dead-

line. He reiterated that the Opposition is still not prepared to extend the life of the Government beyond 90 days which expires on March 21 following the passage of the No-confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

“I said at this point in time we are not going to extend the life of the Government unless there is an agreement to a date that is as credible and close to the constitutional requirement,” he said, explaining that the President informed him that he is awaiting word from the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) to determine an election date, and offered for them to both meet with officials there.

Jagdeo said he rejected the offer on the basis that the President has the authority to get GECOM ready for an election. “I said to him, you are the President of Guyana… you have a duty to uphold the Constitution, GECOM is a creature of the Constitution, GECOM cannot override the Constitution and unless we have a discussion on a date, we are not prepared to move forward on any other issue.”

No house-to-house

The Opposition has also maintained that his party will not support

house-to-house registration because it could delay the elections for at least eight months.

He also suggested that in order to address fears of electoral fraud, Government should fund three polling agents from their representative parties to work at each polling station to ensure that only people who are eligible to vote do so.

According to the former President, the meeting was aimed to “suck me back into a long drawn out talk about useless things. I said you are the President and you have a responsibility and not us. You have to set the date for elections, and therefore you tell us when and in exchange for that we might be prepared to go…the time is ticking. The ball is in his court. He is the one who is leading the country into a crisis.”

Meanwhile, Jagdeo on Thursday, during a press briefing said that his party will soon be writing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of American States (OAS) to inform them about the deteriorating political situation in Guyana.

“CARICOM will be faced with an illegal government; a member State that is illegal and I hope

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and President David Granger greet each other with a fist bump before the start of the high-level meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday

that they’ll treat it as an urgent matter,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader related that he has already spoken with CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque about the impending constitutional crisis and the illegality of the government.

He added that Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira was asked to send letters to CARICOM and other regional heads OAS, and the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations.

President Granger is expected to meet with the seven-member Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Friday to ascertain how much time and money is needed to hold general and regional elections.

Readiness

Following the meeting, President Granger

addressed the nation in a video posted on the Ministry of the Presidency’s social media pages, where he described the meeting as “fruitful” whereas both Government and the Opposition are working towards finding a solution to the issues.

Granger did admit, however, that discussions between him and Jagdeo and their teams were mainly centred on GECOM because it is the only entity that could deliver an election. On that note, he maintained that he cannot set an election date unless GECOM is ready. The President also noted his plans to meet with the Commission next week.

“GECOM is in charge of elections, not the Executive. I cannot decide when elections will be held. The President or the Executive or any oth-

er body cannot intervene, cannot intrude, cannot interfere in the work of GECOM and so we have to allow GECOM to do its work,” he said.

He continued: “Let me make one thing clear, GECOM is autonomous, GECOM is an independent agency and there is no part of the Constitution which gives the President or the Executive in general authority to interfere, intervene or intrude in the work of the Elections Commission.”

Nevertheless, Granger explained that he would now have to enquire from GECOM what they would need to prepare for the elections.

Notwithstanding that, the Head of State said he will work to have an election at the earliest time possible, while assuring citizens that Guyana is not facing a crisis.

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APNU/AFC Coalition has failed miserably Dear Editor, Some time back, Sir John Robert Seeley coined the axiom “History is past politics and politics present history”. What this means in Guyanese local parlance is not only the rhizome relationship between history and politics but also how politics and history have evolved and manifested themselves. Since 2015, some sections of Guyana have always wondered if the above would repeat themselves under the APNU/AFC coalition regime.

Their suspicion was brought about by the current regime’s useless moribund manifesto, poor governance and now the refusal to accept or even acknowledge the constitutional verdict of the No-Confidence Motion.

While the Government has the right to appeal and carry its case against the No-Confidence Motion all way until hell freezes over at Caribbean Court of Justice, not everyone, however, is convinced or even fooled by its action.

From the outset, the Government’s reckless, careless and callous actions have always looked like a duck, walked like a duck, quacked like a duck and now, it smells like a duck to them.

Shocking as it may sound to loyalists of the APNU/AFC coalition regime, only a small section of Guyana disagrees with the feeling that the country is descending into a constitutional crisis and strongman tactics. The regime continues blaming Charrandas Persaud, the messenger, instead of addressing his message: you have failed your supporters, your party, and above all, your nation, to deliver as promised. For those not in the know, recently, rambunctious Khemraj Ramjattan on GlobalSpan24x7 lambasted Persaud, calling him a Judas repeatedly. What a crying shame.

Ramjattan and others like him in the coalition see politics as a self-contained game with inflexible rules. Party members must toe the line especially when the stakes are high. This position smacks at the heart of the coalition campaign and manifesto as well as at the “good life” promulgation for Guyanese.

Instead of seeing the entrance into leadership as a historical moment to wield State power in ac-

cordance with visions of a good life for all, the regime has extended State benefits to itself and increased the tax burden on the populace, among others, with unconstrained freedom of action.

Upon reading the literature on the evolution of political history, one is inclined to say that the mindset of the regime is not guided by grand ideas, which apparently should be the main focus, but how each individual should successfully apply him or herself for advantages within an unstable political system. Do you remember the perks and salary increases coupled with the noble missing principles of transparency and accountability? Aww, it hurts bad, bad. The approach to understanding the individual within the current regime should not be on ideology and belief since that would be a futile endeavour and exercise. The focus ought to be on prosopography, a study of the collective biography of a group that invariably means exploring the hidden and dark side that frequently determines individual action. I have to call in the local Sigmund Freud to psychoanalyse “dem boys” in the regime.

There is little doubt that the APNU/AFC regime has “slapped up” GECOM to ensure that no Charrandas episode would ever be repeated under its watch. A section of the local media in its editorial on February 25, 2019, quipped that “There is no spin to be placed on it. The Government majority on GECOM has allowed itself to be subverted and this constitutes a serious blow to constitutional governance and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms”. Even the regime’s blind loyalists, extremists, and propagandists would shake their heads in the affirmative and say “Amen you can say that again”.

A national responsibility now rests on those who have showered so much support and blessing to speak out against despotism in GECOM. One person said to me, “we have started the fire of resistance, we have to now encourage others to fan the flames of resistance”. It is the human thing to do.

Sincerely, Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine

Politically driven campaign to discredit Irfaan Ali

Dear Editor, Please allow me to respond to the ongoing vitriolic and virulent campaign by the APNU/AFC supporters to discredit and disparage the credibility of the PPP presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali. Ali is by far one of the most qualified persons to ever contest for higher office in Guyana. His exemplary and impeccable track record as a Government Minister, apart from being one of the leading figures behind the 201114 orchestrated economic boom through the unprecedented housing programme, undoubtedly, allowed him to reach the zenith of his political career, whereby he is now the presidential candidate of the largest single political party in Guyana.

It must be noted, however, given the ongoing ad hominem attack and spurious allegations of

academic fraud in the media, any sane person would grasp the notion that this is clearly a politically driven campaign by the Government to tarnish Ali’s image. On that note, I would like to address one of the latest attacks, one penned by Shawn Sam in the Guyana Chronicle on March 2, 2019. In the article, Sam alleged that Ali obtained a fictitious Master’s Degree in Finance from Anglia Ruskin University. This is, however, far from the truth.

Ali’s degree from Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) was obtained through Arden University, an institution that collaborates with ARU in the delivery of online graduate programmes. Similarly, his other Master’s Degree from the University of Sunderland, was obtained through RDI distance learning. And in the interest of putting all accusations to rest,

each university was written to, seeking confirmation and validation of all certificates.

Hence, Ali’s commitment to self-improvement and intellectual development is astounding. In his latest quest for higher education, he is currently enrolled in the prestigious and internationally recognised LLM International Commercial Law at the University of Salford. The programme, inter alia, will explore critical areas of international commercial law, corporate law and governance.

Notwithstanding, he is also awaiting results from the University of the West Indies on his PhD dissertation. Hence, his unmatched self-discipline and commitment to achieve higher education should be celebrated and not condemned.

Sincerely, Name withheld

Guyana Govt must respect the Constitution Dear Editor, It must be noted that based on the timeframe specified by GECOM for nominations day for any election, Guyana can be considered to be in a ‘constitutional crisis’, unless a two-third majority in Parliament extends the legitimacy of the APNU/AFC Government within the constitutional deadline.

Constitutional Crises are considered to be ‘manmade’ because of the refusal of President David Granger to dissolve Parliament and call a date for elections in a reasonable timeframe. The Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said that he is committed to meet with President David Granger if the date for the elections would be decided. Based on the Opposition Leader’s cooperative approach to the President, he might even consider the

Government’s legitimacy based on the agreed elections date.

With the ongoing elections court cases in mind and considering GECOM’s readiness, then the elections date can’t pass April 30, 2019, which is approximately 129 days after the successful passing of the no-confidence motion.

The excuse for a house-tohouse registration before elections is comical and impossible since we must respect the Constitution and many other factors should be considered for example electronic voting etc, at the same time to ensure that the electoral system is free, fair and transparent, since the electoral system is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy.

The President’s deliberate refusal to announce the date for elections is well noted since uncertainty resulting from the political

situations is reducing investment, business confidence and political tension. While the uncertainty of election or electoral outcome is expected in every country, it is vital that this does not translate to uncertainty to the overall political stability of the nation since Guyana is vulnerable to these kinds of situations.

President David Granger’s tenure can be summed up by the idiom ‘you can’t flog a dead horse’, this means that whatever particular effort is made is waste of time since there would be no outcome.

We are urging that good sense prevails and President David Granger announce the date for the General and Regional Elections. The power is in your hands. Don’t disappoint Guyanese.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

We must have elections when the voters’ list is valid!

Dear Editor, Chairman Justice (ret’d) James Patterson seems to shamelessly dance to the beat of the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNC/R) drums while defying the Constitution. In 2015, the APNU/ AFC coalition Government took the issue concerning the life of the voters’ list to Parliament.

They placed into law that Continuous Registration will be an ongoing process, followed with Claims and Objections as the updating mechanism for the voters’ list to be ready for elections during any six months.

The delaying tactics now will not be able to stop the people in our country from demanding Regional and National Elections before the end of March 2019.

I join the international call for the global support of our constitutional rights. We demand the immediate isolation of this fraudu-

lent, illegal APNU/AFC regime based on the colossal corruption and glaring violations of United Nations standards of acceptable human rights that are taking place under this Government.

The Guyanese nation calls for immediate and necessary intervention against this vulgar wrongdoing of this regime.

It is encouraging to read that President Granger is now coming around to understanding the importance of our country’s Constitution. However, even as he belatedly calls on GECOM to prepare for Regional and National Elections, there exists a deepened level of national distrust, given the tried and proven hypocrisy that usually emerges from his clan. It leaves one to wonder about the basis of Granger’s system of governing.

We recall that in 2017, Granger hurriedly appointed and

swore in ‘pensioner’ Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission on Deepavali day.

This happened to be one of the most auspicious and signature days on the Hindu religious calendar. Heaven knows why he is proposing to reach the Leader of the Opposition on ‘Ash’ Wednesday, March 06, 2019.

Given that, the political calendar is respected and not punctuated by the amount of days, but by the ‘events’ that take place on particular ‘dates’; Ash Wednesday is recognised as one of the most significant days on the Christian calendar, which signals commencement of preparation by our Christian brothers and sisters for the ‘holy’ period of ‘lent’. It is a time when our people are cleansing themselves from all evils with no use of alcohol, meat, and wrongdoings. Selecting this date continued on page 7

news 7

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

4 Guyanese jailed Deported former rice board accountant for 3769kg cocaine slapped with 39 fraud charges found on vessel F

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nited States A t t o r n e y Gretchen CF Shappert announced on Wednesday that Guyanese Neville Jeffrey, 70; Mohamed Hoseain, 66; Richard La Cruz, 51, and Mark Anthony Williams, 32, were jailed for 48, 36, 30 and 27 months respectively, for possession of cocaine on board a vessel, by District Court Judge Wilma A Lewis.

The sentencing was handed down on Tuesday by Justice Lewis. The Judge also sentenced each defendant to two years of supervised release, but ordered that they be deported upon release from incarceration. She further ordered them to pay a special assessment of US$100 each and did not impose a fine, the US Department of Justice said in a release.

Jeffrey, Hoseain, La Cruz and Williams pleaded guilty to cocaine possession charges in November and December of 2018.

According to plea agreements filed with the court and statements at the sentencing hearing, the US Coast Guard Cutter Napier, on February 16, 2017, intercepted a suspicious vessel in a joint opera-

tion with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard approximately 70 nautical miles north of Paramaribo, Suriname, in international waters. The vessel, later identified as the Lady Michelle, was located along a known drug trafficking route and registered with St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The US Coast Guard boarded the vessel pursuant to a bilater-

al agreement between the United States and St Vincent and the Grenadines. According to the US Justice Department, they discovered 185 bales containing numerous rectangular shaped packages of cocaine in the vessel’s fish hold weighing 3769 kilograms. The drug had a street value in the US Virgin Islands of US$71 million.

Jeffrey and Hoseain functioned as captains. La Cruz was identified as the engineer and Williams as the cook.

According to the US Justice Department, the case was investigated by the US Coast Guard, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the US Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Alphonso Andrews Jr.

We must have...

from page 6

is certainly disrespectful to some Guyanese, or maybe a call for pious intervention.

March 6 is also the death anniversary of the Founder of the PPP, Dr Cheddi Jagan and the death anniversary of one of our country’s ‘heroine’ Kowselar. Maybe President Granger Makes his decisions based on significant dates.

Notwithstanding, GECOM must do one or both of the following:

1. Conduct a short Claims and Objections period so as to further sanitise the voters’ list and prepare immediately for elections.

Or 2. Have a short period of continuous registration along with a period of Claims and Objection for early elections.

The bottom line is that we must have elections when the voters’ list is valid!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

ormer Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) accountant Peter Ramcharran was slapped with 39 counts of fraud and remanded to prison on Wednesday.

Ramcharran was hauled in by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), following his extradition from Canada. He arrived in the country early Wednesday and was taken to SOCU headquarters.

Ramcharran, 39, of Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, later appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer charges for the alleged falsification of GRDB accounts from 2011 to 2015.

The first five charges alleged that between the years 2011 and 2015, Ramcharran, while being the accountant of the GRDB, omitted to enter some G$414 million in the GRDB ledger.

He was also slapped with 17 charges for allegedly colluding with former General Manager and Deputy General Manager of the GRDB, Jagnarine Singh and Madanlall Ramraj for omitting entries in the entity’s ledger.

The court heard that an arrest warrant was issued for Ramcharran since 2017 after he was contacted on June 5, 2017 via Facebook and WhatsApp. SOCU’s Head Sydney James had testified that he had contacted Ramcharran and disclosed that he told him that he was fearful to return to Guyana.

An arrest warrant was then issued. But Ramcharran sought legal counsel and attempted to fight his extradition. He was unsuccessful when a Canadian court had denied an application.

His attorney, Sase Gunraj said he was disappointed with the outcome of the matter, and has alleged that SOCU Head James lied to the court to get an arrest warrant for his client.

Gunraj said his client has denied that James contacted him on May 31, 2018 to inform him of a court hearing on June 1.

“He (James) said he made those contacts via WhatsApp and Facebook messenger. Those social

Former GRDB accountant Peter Ramcharran being escorted by a Police Officer following his court appearance on Wednesday

media platforms have a method of confirmation of delivery. None of that was demonstrated in this honourable court and yet an arrest warrant was issued on the word of James,” the lawyer explained.

Gunraj said this formed the basis for certain steps to be taken in Canada regarding the arrest of Ramcharran, who he claimed executed his legal right to challenge his extradition.

“But it seems as though he is being penalised for exercising the legal options that were available to him by law,” Gunraj stated, calling it a double standard.

Gunraj drew a nexus between his case and that of the Government, which said it has the right to explore all legal options concerning the no-confidence case.

He noted that that avenue was being afforded to it.

“Yet when my client Ramcharran exercised his right to use the legal options available to him in Canada…, that is being held against him,” he argued.

Of the 39 charges, the Attorney said they included failure to account into a general ledger. He also pointed out that there were matters of a similar nature engaging the courts.

According to the lawyer, based on his assessment, there has been “an abject failure by the prosecution to prove those matters.

“With the absence of the person at SOCU who has had ques-

tionable qualifications, I wish them very good luck in prosecuting that case,” he added.

Ramcharran was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. His next court date is March 25, 2019.

A forensic audit of the GRDB revealed some “anomalies” including loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes. Six former officials, who were part of the Board, were later charged and released in relation to the same matters.

The officials charged are: Singh; Ramraj; Rice Producers Association (RPA) General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj; former Amerindian Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall, who was a member of the GRDB Board; former Guyana Oil Company General Manager Badrie Persaud and Agriculture Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) Prema Roopnarine.

It is alleged that between 2011 and 2012, Singh and Ramraj omitted to enter, or to make true entries of, over G$4.2 million in the company’s ledger, knowing that it was contrary to standard operational procedures.

They face 17 other charges, which alleged that during the same time frame, they fraudulently took G$5.1 million or applied the money for their own use and benefit or any use and purpose.

8 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gender, Social Inclusion PPP/C commissioners walk Policy to be implemented out of Gecom’s meeting in Guyana by year-end …over ads for house-

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ocial Protection Minister Amna Ally on Tuesday announced that the Government is working to ensure that a National Gender and Social Inclusion Policy can be implemented before year end. This policy is intended tackle negative economic, cultural and social practices that hampers equality.

“The National Gender and Social Inclusion Policy is expected to be implemented during the second quarter of 2019 and will aim to mainstream gender issues into all sectors in order to eliminate all negative, economic, social and cultural practices that impede equality and equity,” the Minister explained.

She added that the policy is likely to strengthen links between the Government, non-governmental organisations and even the private sector to mainstream gender equality in respective sectors. Moreover, the policy will develop, maintain and provide gender sensitive information and gender disaggregated data for the purpose of planning and implementing projects.

While speaking on the progress, Guyana has made in relation to gender equality, the Minister pointed out that she was specifically pleased with the representation of women in Parliament, adding that Guyana is well ahead of many developed countries.

According to her, 31.9 per cent of seats in the National Assembly is occupied by women.

She also boasted that Guyana has met its target of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education. This, she noted, was progress towards achieving universal primary education standards.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Programme Manager for Gender and Development at the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Ann-Marie Williams explained that Tuesday’s forum was specifically designed to trace Guyana’s progress in Regional Gender Equality since 1975 through the United Nations Decade for Women.

Within that decade, three major conferences were held; the first was hosted in 1975 in Mexico which bore fruit of two documents. The first was the declaration of Mexico and the equality of women and their contribution to devel-

to-house registration

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Social Protection Minister Amna Ally

opment while the second encompassed the world plan of action for the implementation of the objectives of international women’s year.

Later on in 1980, the second conference was hosted which was used to report on the previous event. The third conference was held in 1985 which celebrated the accomplishments of the decade of women. It also established an agenda to guide future efforts to promote equality for women, worldwide.

Some 10 years later, the Beijing conference was hosted to accelerate the implementation of policies to ensure equality.

She said, “We’re taking time out to look at the progress that have been made and also the challenges and we know that within the challenges lie opportunities so as we move towards 25 years of Beijing, it is time for us to literally take stock”.

It was explained by her that next year will commemorate 25 years since the fourth World Conference was hosted and Guyana will be responsible for bringing together Governments and other stakeholders to consult on the priority areas that Guyana chose to work on after the Beijing conference.

Williams told Guyana Times that a few of the areas Guyana was expected to work on were education, health and women in decision making among others.

Guyana, like other countries, she said, will have to report on how they kept the promises they made for women and girls.

he Oppositionn o m i n a t e d Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday walked out of a meeting with the entity’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, over arguments in relation to the placement of advertisements for workers to conduct house-tohouse registration.

People’s Progressive Party’s Commissioner Robeson Benn was the first to leave. His departure was followed by the other two Opposition Commissioners, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj. Benn said he argued that it was not an activity established

by GECOM’s budget process. In fact, these Commissioners believe GECOM should be engaged in carrying out its claims and objection period based on an order, which should have been signed by the Chairman in 2018.

“Directions for the

PPP-appointed GECOM Commissioner Robeson Benn

blue we see ads in the newspapers for house-tohouse registration which is not a priority activity even for the resumption of GECOM by its normal activities… the undertaking of any houseto-house registration when we have not finalised a discussion of the matter was going along with a partisan position in respect of the matter,”

APNU-appointed GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander

placements of ads were given by the Chairman.

I objected and said this should not happen. I said that the Chairman’s power and activity in the public and even there, arises from a decision of the Commission… either by or by consensus,” Benn told media operatives on Tuesday.

He maintained that house-to-house registration is not a priority activity of GECOM, while explaining that a decision was not made on this matter because discussions were still ongoing. He recalled that during the last discussion, it was suggested that house-to-house registration could take more than nine months, or the six months which was recommended by Commissioner Vincent Alexander.

“Now here out of the

Benn further added.

He also reiterated that there was a conspiracy to delay the holding of General Elections despite the No-confidence Motion that was passed in the National Assembly. He claimed that Patterson leap-frogged efforts by advertising for house-tohouse registration staff, saying that it reinforced concerns about his partisan nature and his placement. He said, “The Commission has been captured and is being directed otherwise by one side of the bipartisan political spectrum that we have.”

On the other hand, however, Alexander challenged the comments made by Benn, declaring that house-to-house registration is just part of the Commission’s normal work programme.

He claimed that the 2019 work programme included house-to-house registration.

Election preparation

Alexander also declared that there are other activities in which GECOM is engaged in, to start election preparation, and that the election manuals are close to completion.

Meanwhile, to support his argument, another Government-appointed Commissioner, Charles Corbin, said there is nothing strange with carrying out house-to-house registration, although an election should be held on March 19.

The Opposition has maintained that houseto-house registration could not be accommodated. The party feels the People’s National Congress Commissioners are pushing for house-tohouse registration in order to have a delay in the hosting of General and Regional Elections.

The Oppositiona p p o i n t e d Commissioners on Sunday called on GECOM to withdraw advertisements for staff to conduct houseto-house registration.

Advertisements have been publicised for the positions of Assistant Registration Officer and Enumerator; both of which are temporary positions for house-tohouse registration.

But GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Warde claimed that a majority voted to inform President David Granger, to continue its routine work for 2019.

That essentially included ensuring that the current voters’ list remained valid after it expires on April 30, 2019 while at the same time conducting house-to-house registration.

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Guyana Govt grants extended ‘Alarming rate’ of child length of stay for Haitians abuse cases in Guyana …400 cases reported in 2 months

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espite having thousands of Haitians enter Guyana unaccounted for last year, the coalition Government has sought to extend the time that Haitians spend in Guyana to six months.

This was detailed in a letter dated January 31, 2019, addressed to Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and copied to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Citizenship Minister Winston Felix and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

The correspondence sent by the President’s Senior Confidential Secretary was titled “Immigration Order 2019”. It noted that under the Immigration Act, Chapter 14:02, amendments were made to “allow Haitian nationals to be entitled to an automatic stay of six months”.

The amendment was made by Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams.

This change in the immigration policy comes on the heels of the unaccountability of over 3000 Haitians in Guyana.

Already a number for persons are complaining about Haitians being employed at hospitals and in other sectors but being unable to speak proper English. This comes at a time when thousands of Guyanese have lost their jobs and are seeking employment but to no avail.

Speaking with Guyana Times International on Wednesday, a trade unionist questioned the decision by the Government to grant the extension.

“What will they be doing in Guyana?

How will they maintain themselves for six months? They obviously have to work and this means that they will be competing with Guyanese for already limited jobs,” the trade unionist added.

Haitian migration has long been a troublesome issue.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs back in June 2018, the alarming statistics revealed that thousands of Haitians and Cubans are not only overstaying their time in Guyana but could not be accounted for.

The letter extending the stay of Haitians in Guyana

On May 23, 2018, Minister Felix wrote the Clerk of the National Assembly and provided statistics of the eight main groups of foreign nationals, including Haitians, with the largest arrival and departure figures for the past five years.

The figures showed that Cubans accounted for the largest influx of foreign nationals, followed by Haitians and then Venezuelans after which were Brazilians, Indians, Bangladeshis, Dominicans [from The Dominican Republic] and Chinese.

It was noted that as of April 30, 2018, a total of 1238 Haitians arrived in Guyana, but only 85 left the country. In 2017, 3515 Haitian nationals entered Guyana and 291 left, while the year before out of 722 Haitians who arrived, only 451 were on record as leaving. There were 770 Haitian nationals who arrived in 2015, 227 in 2014 and 188 in 2013, but only 136, 113 and 99 left the country respectively.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, Opposition Chief Chip Gail Teixeira had pointed out that despite Haitians as well as Cubans – 22,520 of whom arrived but only 16,350 departed – speaking a foreign language, they seem to have gotten “lost”.

“Both groups are distinctive in terms of language and yet they seem to be lost away,” Teixeira stated.

However, the Citizenship Minister had suggested that the thousands of unaccounted-for foreign nationals must have left the country through `backtrack’. Felix had also accused Teixeira of “crying wolf in a crowded cinema” when it comes to the large numbers of Cubans, Haitians and others overstaying their time and the risk of human trafficking.

In the meantime, the Opposition’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had claimed that the coalition Government is granting thousands of Haitians and Cubans citizenship, so they get voting rights for the impending General and Regional Elections. But Government had rejected this.

t is just over two months into 2019 and there have been some 400 reports of child abuse cases so far.

This was revealed by Country Representative of UNICEF Guyana, Sylvie Fouet, who said the statistics are alarming.

“Violence against children, just to let you know that in Guyana, is really at an alarming rate and since the beginning of 2019, we already have 400 cases being reported,” Fouet said, while adding that last year there was a total of one thousand cases. She further noted too that this number had even gone as high as three thousand cases at one point.

Fouet made this disclosure on Tuesday when the University of Guyana teamed with the Judiciary and UNICEF Guyana to launch a Forensic Psychology and Sexual Offences Special Training Series.

According to the UNICEF official, this link between law and science will go a long way in changing the way Guyana responds to and documents child abuse cases as well as sexual violence in general.

The Forensic Psychology and Sexual Offences Special Training Series is an 8-module course being offered by UG. Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Emanuel Cummings, drew attention to the significant role forensic psychology and forensic medicine can play in increasing the capacity of the Judiciary in solving crimes and cases. To this end, he went on to note the importance of DNA profiling in solving sexual offences cases.

“The evidence that can be derived from DNA profiling can make or break the outcome of a case… It allows for the

UNICEF Country Representative Sylvie Fouet

comparison or comparing the profile of the perpetrator against the list of other suspects; the likelihood of holding the perpetrator accountable; and the likelihood of preventing future crime since the perpetrator’s DNA is then added to the database,” he stated.

Dr Cummings noted that this new programme being offered will significantly impact the way sexual offences cases are being solved in the local criminal justice system.

“So the plight focus of this course would provide an excellent foundation for continued education for the Judiciary in various forms of forensic science, including forensic psychology and medical science in an effort to strengthen the justice system by building the capacity for the use and interpretation of a more credible evidence,” the Dean of the Faculty of Health continued on page 12

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‘Political Protesters refuse harassment at play’ to unblock …says Peter Ramsaroop Berbice River after being detained Bauxite workers impasse

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for 8 hours by Police

dvisor to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Peter Ramsaroop, was Tuesday detained for more than eight hours by the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in relation to an investigation into former parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud.

Based on the type of questions he was being asked by investigators, Ramsaroop concluded that the activity was all “political”.

Ramsaroop told Guyana Times International that it was clear that investigators were attempting to ‘bully’ and ‘intimidate’ him, insisting that he can only be released after he gives a statement.

The political advisor said he visited Police Headquarters at about 08:30h in the presence of his Attorneys Mark Conway, Sanjeev Datadin and Sase Gunraj.

Ramsaroop said he was asked about 10 “odd” questions, all of which he refused to answer.

“They started out with questions such as which political party I am affiliated with, what is my role in the political parties of Guyana. And then they went on to other questions in relation to the Canadians and then questions about me, personally,” he outlined.

“From the beginning of the first question, which was ‘which political party I am affiliated with’, I realised that this is political harassment…to get me in there to intimidate me,” Dr Ramsaroop noted.

After he refused to answer questions, the political adviser said he was left there for hours without being offered something to eat or drink.

Ramsaroop said he was subsequently advised by investigators that he is free to go; however, shortly after they received a phone call and instructions from higher authorities, informing him to remain at Police Headquarters.

After more than eight hours, Ramsaroop was allowed to leave.

Following the historic evening on December

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Peter Ramsaroop

21, 2018, when Persaud – then a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) – made a conscious decision and voted in favour of the No-confidence Motion against the Government, the Member of Parliament (MP) left the country on a flight bound for Canada, where he is a citizen.

Since then, there have been allegations floating around that Charrandas was seen leaving the National Assembly escorted by PPP affiliate Peter Ramsaroop, who is also a businessman.

However, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has since dismissed these claims as mischievous, saying that the businessman was free to befriend whomever he wants to, even if it’s persons from the opposite side of the House.

M e a n w h i l e , Ramsaroop has also denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters that Persaud had requested his help – something which he would have done for any of his friends.

Ramsaroop’s help to Persaud has caused the Ogle Airport Inc to suspend protocol passes over an alleged security breach. This order came from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), although the Airport insisted it did not breach any protocols.

According to reports, a Canadian diplomat, along with Ramsaroop, had obtained protocol passes to see Persaud off at the Eugene F Correia International Airport, hours after the December

21, 2018 sitting of the National Assembly.

This is said to be one of the aspects under investigation.

Police are said to also be probing allegations that the former parliamentarian was bribed into voting in favour of a No-confidence Motion which brought down the A Partnership for National Unity/AFC coalition Government.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan – who is also the Chairman of the AFC – has since admitted that he initiated the Police probe into the expelled member.

“The personal involvement; yes, I got a call from Vice President Sydney Allicock indicating that there is someone that wants to give some information about Charrandas and his conduct, and indeed I then put the Commissioner of Police after speaking to Sydney Allicock. As a Minister of security, if some information does come and it’s information you feel can go somewhere … he indicated to me certain things and I said Mr Commissioner, you better make a check on what’s happening and that’s it,” he had told media operatives at a press conference in January 2019.

Ramjattan believes that Persaud did not vote his conscience.

Police Commissioner Leslie James has remained tightlipped on the progress and nature of the investigation, only informing the media that the situation is “a matter of national security.”

Residents of Ituni, Hururu, Kwakwani and Mapletown, Aroaima in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) protesting on Tuesday

he Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU), which is the trade union representing bauxite workers who were dismissed by Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) has no plans of instructing any of its members to desist from blocking a section of the Berbice River leading to the company’s operation located at Aroaima, Region 10.

The river was blocked off by disgruntled residents and workers after over 60 employees were fired by the company some three weeks ago. This led to residents and disgruntled workers retaliating against the Russianowned company, RUSAL, by blocking off the access road as well as a section of the Berbice River leading to the company’s operations.

Although RUSAL has said that it will reinstate the dismissed workers if the blockages are removed, the President of GBGWU, Lincoln Lewis, in an interview with Guyana Times International said that he is not going to intervene.

“No, we are not going to do that. We are not going to do that. We didn’t put them up, don’t ask me to move them.”

The trade unionist is of the view that persons have a right to have their voices heard and if those who are participating in the blockages feel that their actions are just and in keeping with the law, then he sees no need for the union to interfere in the matter.

The river has been blocked with wire rope, preventing bauxite-laden barges from passing.

This publication understands that as a result of the blockages, the Russian company has lost millions already.

More protest

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, in solidarity with the employees recently dismissed following their protest over the one per cent increase by RUSAL, over 100 residents took to the streets of Mapletown, Aroaima in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) in another protest.

Residents from neighbouring riverine communities including Ituni, Hururu and Kwakwani, marched through the streets holding placards bearing slogans including, “RUSAL must go”, “1 per cent can’t mek it”, “pay up or pack up” and “daddy not working, I can’t go to school”.

The residents also chanted loudly, “Who must go? RUSAL!”, “One per cent, can’t work!” and “No Union, no work!” as they made requests for a larger increase for the bauxite work-

ers.

“We are here to encourage one another. I am so glad when I see people from Kwakwani coming over…it gives us more strength,” a protester noted.

The protesters made their way over to the company’s quarters and the river crossing where residents continue to block that section of the Berbice River leading into the Aroaima-based company.

The disgruntled residents noted that there will be “no letting up” as it relates to unblocking the river until their demands are met.

The RUSAL impasse is now in its third week with the bauxite company coming under heavy criticism over its decision to fire 61 workers because they started a strike action against a one per cent increase in salaries, which they said was agreed to by Government.

Opposition

Last week, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, a similar matter had arisen, and the then Administration managed to save the jobs that were at risk.

Jagdeo added, “we took back the company that was private to the treasury, brought it back, renationalised it and kept it going until we found a replacement…we worked hard to protect those workers there so our track record is important”.

According to him, not only are private and foreign companies taking advantage of workers but Government Ministers are doing the same while making specific reference to the 7000 sacked sugar workers who had to go to the Judiciary to get their legally entitled severance payments.

The Opposition Leader added that the then PPP Administration exhausted every effort to ensure that workers’ rights are protected, especially with the passing of several laws which mandated severance payments among others.

Jagdeo pointed out that he has been lending Government advice which seems to be of no use.

Sixty-one workers were fired by the Russian-owned company after they protested a one per cent salary increase, which they said was agreed to

by Government. Following a meeting with Government, RUSAL refused to reinstate the workers and subsequently dismissed 30 more persons from the department in order to temporarily close it as a result of the strike actions.

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

AMCHAM urges Guyanese diaspora in US to return and invest P

resident of the American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana (AMCHAM) Zulfikar Ally urged a gathering in the United States to come back home and invest in what they do best or fulfil a need that they see currently existing in Guyana.

Ally was at the time speaking at a business meeting and reception in New York on Monday.

He informed the gathering that the mission of AMCHAM is to promote trade and commerce between Guyanese and American companies with their specific mandate being the representing of US business interests in the Guyanese market.

“We recognise that Guyanese companies face challenges in keeping up with the standard and pace of the global business environment due to a number of constraints including technology, financing, availability of skilled labour, high energy and other importation costs, to name a few, and as such, AMCHAM supports initiatives that help to overcome these hurdles,” he explained.

He noted that these

A section of the gathering at the Intercontinental Hotel, New York

include initiatives aimed at building capacity, connecting venture capitalists with businesses seeking capital for growth, expansion or improvements and at advocating for transformation or optimisation, as the case may be, of systems which reduce the bureaucracy associated with conducting business in Guyana.

AMCHAM Guyana envisions itself as the leading, influential voice that drives a business-friendly policy in Guyana. Ally said that they are focused on playing their role in fostering an enabling business environment in which both

investors and Guyanese companies can maximise value and enjoy the gains which flow from their investments.

He noted that since the organisation was formed, they have interacted with numerous companies, many of which are in the process of establishing themselves in Guyana. The organisation has served as an information hub to companies and has guided them throughout the process and through the linkages AMCHAM has formed in order to make this process more efficient for the investor.

“What I can guarantee is the full sup-

port of the chamber if you choose to invest in Guyana and become a member. Our members support each other, and we use our network and our voice to ensure no business is fighting its own battles. We are here to support you as you conduct business in [a] manner that is sound, professional and adds value to the US-Guyana trade and business relationship, and to the country’s development,” he assured.

He said that with the current preparations for first oil in 2020 as well as what is to come post first oil are reasons enough to come back and invest

across all spectrums.

He further informed that with the dawn of a new era comes new public investments, despite the Government of the day, resulting in large public and social infrastructure projects, health, education and transportation improvement projects.

“Lessons learnt from oil-dependent economies have served to guide nations in the direction they take at this very critical juncture of development, that is, the transition into an oil economy. The major stakeholders in Guyana, as well as AMCHAM Guyana Recognisance

Fund, is of paramount importance to reduce the economy’s dependency on oil revenues through secure investments and diversification,” Ally said.

The investment climate, he noted, is ripe for non-traditional industries and services since there are tax concessions available through the laws of Guyana and is mandated through the Guyana Office for Investment GOINVEST. “If you ask us what are some of the business opportunities that exist in Guyana today, we will tell you they reside in almost every sector. From providing goods and services including housing facilities for the growing expat community, financial and accounting services, provision of equipment and advisory services and the list goes one,” he added.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana, known as AMCHAM Guyana, was launched in August 2018 with a Board of Directors comprising of 17 members.

These members comprise of some of the largest corporations in Guyana.

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NY Governor announces US$50M for school technology upgrades …through the Smart Schools Bond Act

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ew York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced approval of 52 Smart Schools Investment Plans aimed at improving school security and reimagining teaching and learning for the 21st century. According to the Governor’s Office, the approved plans, totaling US$50 million, are part of the US$2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act—a sweeping education technology initiative first proposed by the Governor and overwhelmingly approved by voters.

The investments authorized will help ensure safety, modernize classrooms across New York, and equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the global economy.

"The Smart Schools Bond Act is playing a critical role in ensuring school safety and modernizing outdated classrooms," Governor Cuomo said.

"This funding expands educational opportunity and provides students with the skills and technology they need to succeed in the 21st century economy."

"The Smart Schools program expands learning opportunities and is providing advanced technology and connectivity in classrooms across New York, while bringing the curriculum into the 21st Century," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.

"This US$50 million investment as part of the Smart Schools Investment Plans is ensuring that students have the skills they need in the global innovation and tech economy. We must continue to take steps to modernize our classrooms and give every student an equal opportunity to succeed."

The Smart Schools Review Board met earlier this week

for the twelfth time to consider investment plans submitted by school districts and special education schools. The Board is comprised of the Director of the Budget, the Chancellor of the State University of New York, and the Commissioner of the State Education Department.

The plans approved were submitted by 43 school districts and seven special education schools. Projects include US$30 million for high-tech security projects, US$16.7 million for school connectivity projects, and US$3.2 million for classroom technology purchases.

With the Smart Schools Bond Act, school districts are investing in technology such as computer servers, interactive whiteboards, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and high-speed broadband and wireless connectivity. This

Woman fears for her life as sonin-law threatens to kill her

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ne week after she almost lost her daughter at the hands of an abusive farmer, Zorina Mahase is now scared for her own life and is contemplating fleeing the home she lived in for several years as the man has been threatening to “finish her off” before turning himself in to the police.

The 48-year-old woman of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Monday told Guyana Times International that she is fearful for her life after persons in the area reported to her that the farmer was seen and was threatening her life. According to the woman, whose daughter was chopped mercilessly on February 24, she made a report to the police but was told that they cannot do anything since they are still searching for the farmer.

The distraught woman was almost moved to tears during an interview with this publication as she said, “We gah leave the house and go now, we gah find somewhere to go because the man still deh out deh”.

Mahase’s words were triggered by last Sunday’s episode when the 35-year-old man chopped her 22-yearold daughter, Vashti Mahase, several times with a cutlass while she was serving him a restraining order at his Lima Dam home in Mahaica.

The elder Mahase, a mother of seven, said she has lived in her home for almost 19 years now and has never had an issue to cause her to move, even as she reported that her injured daughter’s condition is improving.

“Me daughter bin already tell me dah. Me daughter tell me that he promise to kill she and me together because is me encourage she fuh leff he,” the woman said.

The fearful woman said she never had an issue with the farmer until she learnt that he abuses her daughter, which is something she was unable to accept.

“I just want somebody to find the man, the police just said they can’t do anything because they nah know way de man deh. Tell me what I can do because I mind me children them without a father for over 19 year and now me

technology helps students to learn at their own pace, expands access to advanced courses and interactive curriculum, and enhances communication between parents and teachers. Investments in hightech school security support the purchase of new equipment, such as high-resolution digital cameras to enhance districts' video surveillance capabilities, and other safety technology.

State Budget Director Robert F. Mujica said, "The Smart Schools program is enabling school districts to install safety and surveillance systems that will protect our children while also revolutionizing classrooms to advance learning, ensure connectivity, and position students for success in the economy of tomorrow."

State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia

Governor Andrew Cuomo

said, "Our districts are taking a proactive approach to increase connectivity and create school climates where all students and adults feel welcome and safe. Nearly US$30 million of today's US$50 million will be invested in Buffalo, Syracuse and about 50 other school districts and Special Education Schools for high-tech security features in school buildings and on school campuses. These funds ensure that districts have the tools our students need for college, career and life and that they are safe to learn and grow."

‘Alarming rate’ of child abuse cases...

from page 9

Sciences posited.

Meanwhile, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-

Edwards stated.

However, the acting Chancellor went on to note too that the personnel working in this field,

tives the Judiciary is embarking on to enhance the criminal justice system in Guyana. She pointed to the fact that

Zorina Mahase

got to leff me house and go…how lang me gun able fuh hide from me home wah me wuk all de days of me life fuh build,” she cried.

Efforts made by this publication to contact the Divisional Commander, Calvin Brutus, proved futile.

Young Mahase was sent to the home of the suspect accompanied by a rural constable to issue a restraining order a few days after he threatened to chop her head off.

This newspaper was told that in the process of serving the restraining order, an argument ensued between the two and while Mahase’s back was turned, the farmer gruesomely attacked her with his cutlass, firing chops at her face, head, hands, back and other body parts.

The rural constable who was with her allegedly ran for cover, leaving the woman at the mercy of her attacker.

According to the mother, her daughter was told that it was compulsory for her to be present when the restraining order was served since she needed to identify him.

Police are searching for the suspect.

A section of the gathering at Tuesday’s launching of the Forensic Psychology and Sexual Offences Special Training Series at the Pegasus Hotel

Edwards, recognised the impact insensitive treatment has on the victims especially within the criminal justice system.

“The complexities of working with victims [and perpetrators] of sexual violence requires specialised training and intervention on the part of all involved in the process… Therefore, to ensure prompt, adequate and effective court response to needs of justice for both offenders and victims, an intensive approach is needed. That is why were are here today,” Justice Cummings-

they also need debriefing programmes to deal with the “vicarious traumas”, hence sustainable skills and capacity are needed.

“We intend to improve our adjudication of sexual offences cases, reduce or eliminate secondary trauma of victims and to adopt a coordinated approach with all stakeholders as well as enhance our awareness of the evidence base knowledge in this direction,” she added.

This new programme, according to Justice Cummings-Edwards, is among the many initia-

just over one year ago, the sexual offences court was established while noting that plans are afoot to expand this facility to Berbice in about two months, and then to Essequibo.

The UNDP had reported that Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent region in the world for women. In fact, Guyana was named second in top three of 10 countries in the world with the highest rate of rape against women and girls in the Englishspeaking Caribbean.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Major step in telecoms liberalization as Guyana Govt, GTT ink “non-binding” pact

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aving missed the 2018 year-end deadline for the complete liberalisation of the public telecommunications sector, the Guyana Government has inked a “non-binding” agreement with telephone giant GTT. The company, owned by US-based Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN), has held the monopoly over the local telecommunications market for more than 20 years.

In a joint statement from the Public Telecommunications Ministry and GTT, it was noted that while the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was non-binding, the signing nevertheless represented a major step toward fully liberalising Guyana’s telecommunications market.

In fact, it was noted that the parties have further agreed to continue discussions on all outstanding issues with the objective of eventually reaching a binding agreement.

“After many years of delays, this Government has brought the country one step closer to achieving a fully open telecommunications market. While more work needs to be done, the Government is committed to continuing discussions and completing the process of liberalisation for the citizens of Guyana,” Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes stated.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the local telecommunications giant, Justin Nedd, said he was “very pleased we have reached this milestone”.

He added, “GTT fully supports an open and transparent telecommunications market in Guyana and the opportunities it will provide for Guyana’s citizens and our customers. We look forward to further discussions with the Government to reach an agreement on the issues that remain outstanding.”

Last June, Minister Hughes had explained that the extra delays in the liberalisation process were as a result of other issues surrounding the final document having to be reviewed.

Citizens were, for many months, exasperated with the many delays have occurred, but the Minister, at that time, had pointed out there were many other issues which surrounded the liberalisation. In fact, she further refuted the reports of it being completed until 2020.

Presently, there are two telecommunications companies which provide

mobile phone services to the Guyanese public. The liberalisation of the sector is heavily dependent upon the settlement of a US$44 million tax claim against GTT. However, the company continues to enjoy the monopoly in international voice and data services until 2030.

In January of 2018, it was reported that negotiations with GTT and the Ministry to address the lifting of the monopoly were effective. These negotiations began in 2016 with the intention of ending the 26-year monopoly on the fixed line market.

The liberalisation, once in place, would ensure there was fair competition and regulation among all enterprises in the business sector.

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A simple hug can change a child – Sophia Drop-In Center Supervisor, Norma Hamilton

“I

Sophia Drop-In Center Supervisor, Norma Hamilton.

am proud of the children that left the Drop-In Centre … There are children, who would have become nurses, teachers, even a paramedic and there is one presently studying to become an Agronomist. We have different careers and I am proud of them, some I sent to be trained at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre and they are doing their own jobs Hamilton said.

As house mother, Norma Hamilton who cares for children exposed to all sorts of abuse.

She is Supervisor of Sophia Drop-In Centre.

According to Norma her main priority is to ensure that the children housed at the facility, receive the necessary love, care and attention they need.

“We have children who are there with lots and lots of problems, because of abuse, because of so many things we take for granted as parents. As their support, you have to be an individual that is cohesive, tolerant, patient and kind so you can help them to be what they want to be, help them to develop self-esteem,” Hamilton said.

She has been in the profession for more than five years and emphasised that her job demands a positive per-

sonality and a strong mindset.

“For example, when we have a new intake, a child might throw tantrums and display all sorts of behaviour. There are children who may have lived an abusive life and try to bring it into our domain and the challenge is to get that child to be comfortable and understand that they are in a different environment and that there are rules and regulations they must abide by.”

Norma added that her greatest accomplishment is the reward of seeing the children leave the centre emotionally whole and excelling in rewarding careers.

Her advice to mothers, “love your children, remember we made them and we have to nurture them. A parent must listen to their children. Do not talk down to your children, but rather talk with them because they can learn so much.

Children at the Centre need their family; we are here to help but do not stay away from your children, reach out to them, love them, care for them because they are yours.”

“I am a people person and I love what I do at the Sophia Drop-In Centre,” is how Norma Hamilton describes herself and what she does.

(DPI)

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‘Stalker’ charged for killing mother of 5 F

orty-nine-yearold Raymond Oselmo also called “Raymond Ali” and “Goodie Man” was on Monday charged for the murder of Nadina Kalamadeen, who was stabbed to death on Wednesday evening close to her North Sophia, Greater Georgetown home.

The pork-knocker of Lot 3617 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was not required to plead to the capital offence, which detailed that on February 27, at North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he murdered Kalamadeen.

The unrepresented man made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and was remanded to prison. The case will continue on March 18, 2019.

The 34-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed several times to her back by the accused, who was said to be obsessed with her.

It was reported that Kalamadeen was walking along the roadway in close proximity to her home when the suspect appeared and made several amorous advances towards her, which she

Dead: Nadina Kalamadeen

ignored.

After the woman refused to accept his advances, he reportedly whipped out a knife and dealt her several stabs to the back.

The injured woman was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect attempted to escape but he was apprehended by persons in the neighbourhood and received a sound beating by residents before he was handed over to the police. He was taken to the hospital for medical attention and was, over the weekend, discharged from the hospital and slapped with the murder charge.

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Impasse deepens between RUSAL, bauxite unions

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RUSAL representatives leaving the office of the Labour Department on Monday

he Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU) and other major trade union representatives were met with grave disappointment on Monday when they turned up for a meeting with representatives of the Labour Department and aluminium company, RUSAL. Instead of being able to start discussions with the aim of resolving the issue of the 90 workers being dismissed by the company, the team of trade union leaders were met with the news that RUSAL had requested not to meet with them unless President of GBGWU Lincoln Lewis was absent from the meeting.

Both RUSAL and the union representatives were invited to that meeting by the Labour Department.

Based on the insistence of the RUSAL representatives not to meet with Lewis, the Department of Labour held a meeting with the RUSAL representatives before meeting with the union representatives separately.

This created uproar amongst the trade union representatives, which also led to Lewis, who is also General Secretary of the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC), issuing a staunch reminder to the company that they are obligated to abide by the laws of Guyana.

Lewis argued that RUSAL cannot choose whom they want to speak with and when.

“We have a problem with RUSAL. The problem is they come now to tell this union who must lead it, who must speak on behalf of it. The next thing they might come in Guyana and do is tell us

who is the President of this country,” Lewis told media operatives. The trade unionist said that it is time that Government stands up and demands that the company respect the laws or they will treat workers worse.

M e a n w h i l e , President of GTUC Coretta McDonald said she believes it was disrespectful for the company to decide whom it wants as part of a union delegation. She said the Department of Labour should not have met with the company separately, which shows grave disrespect.

McDonald said RUSAL had requested that workers unblock the upper Berbice River.

At present, barrels and other objects are lined across the Berbice River, preventing bauxite-carrying barges from passing. The company, she said, has promised to reinstate workers once that is done.

But the GTUC President noted that since 2009, there was no Collective Bargaining Agreement in place and there are tonnes of unresolved issues. “So, the union position is, we need to sit at the table, workers representatives and management, iron out our issues, after which, we will move to the next step. And they are not willing to do that,” she explained.

No unblocking

McDonald said the

Left to right: GTUC President Coretta McDonald; GBGWU President and GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis; a union representative, and GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine following the meeting at the Department of Labour on Monday

company is more interested in getting the river unblocked because they are spending close to G$1 million per day, yet they are not prepared to give the workers more than one per cent.

“Seventeen days would have passed…but they are not prepared to use those monies. But we will continue to block the river until they decide that they will recognise the union, and they are going to sit and talk with the representatives of the union regardless, whoever is there,” she said.

Junior Minister of Social Protection Keith Scott, who holds responsibility for the labour sector said that they both will have to finally meet.

He maintained that in industrial relation practices, the two parties involved in any dispute must meet, and he believes they will meet at some point.

“While we encour-

age investment, we have to maintain a stable investment climate which we have been doing.

It doesn’t matter who threatened who or not, our country comes first and that is the priority,” Scott said.

But Lewis feels that the Minister should invoke provisions of the labour laws and force the union and RUSAL to go to arbitration. He said that the blocking of the river could be used to appoint an arbitration tribunal and under the Collective Labour Agreement, it says that either party can request the matter to go to arbitration.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said recently that Government is geared at taking action against the company even if it means having the company shut down its operations in Guyana.

In the meantime, the Guyana Geology and

Mines Commission (GGMC) is conducting a technical and legal assessment of all of RUSAL’S operations.

Sixty-one workers were fired by the Russian-owned company after they protested a one per cent salary increase, which they said was agreed to by Government. Following a meeting with Government, RUSAL refused to reinstate the workers and subsequently dismissed 30 more persons from the department in order to temporarily close it as a result of the strike actions.

On Thursday, union leaders in Guyana took to the streets to stage a picketing exercise in front of RUSAL’S headquarters in Queenstown, Georgetown. The leaders called on Government to take action against the foreign enterprise, citing that it had violated laws of Guyana and the rights of workers.

PPP MP calls for full disclosure of agreement between Guyana Govt and American Airlines

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p p o s i t i o n Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill has called for Government to disclose in its entirety, the agreement it signed with American Airlines to operate in Guyana.

This call comes in light of recent reports which suggest that Government may have waived a significant portion of the landing and air navigation fees for the North American airline.

“The Ministry needs to make public the entire agreement with American Airlines and to explain publicly why 90 per cent concession on the landing fees was required,” he said Monday.

The MP was quoting a report in sections of the media.

Edghill, who shadows the public infrastructure portfolio in the National Assembly, said Government needed to say how that agreement would benefit Guyana.

gers who are coming to conduct oil business in Guyana.

Not against concessions Edghill said the Opposition is not against concessions, but noted that concessions must be granted with the aim of bringing value to Guyana.

“It must be equitable, non-discriminatory and it must not be putting another airline out of busiOpposition MP Juan Edghill ness, because they have to pay more. It must be “Is this compatible a competitive arrangewith any concession that ment,” he explained. has been granted to any The MP said at this other airline that has opstage, without having erated in Guyana in the all the information – the past or is operating curOpposition was very conrently?” he questioned. cerned about it and is The Opposition MP asking for transparenis also demanding that cy and full disclosure on Government explain how this matter. this move will impact on Activist and commenthe lowering of airfares tator Christopher Ram to Guyana, stating that has said that Guyana since the airline entered should not allow oil comthe market, airfares panies and any of their have not reduced. subcontractors to conIt is alleged that the tinue using American US-owned airline is tarAirlines given the exorgeting high-end passen-

bitant travelling rates.

American Airlines is said to be the world’s largest airline by fleet size, revenue, scheduled passengers carried, scheduled passenger-kilometres flown, and the number of destinations served.

The airline started operations in Guyana in the latter part of 2018. It has an average of nearly 6700 flights per day to approximately 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.

The airline uses an

Airbus 319 with capacity for 120 passengers to fly to Guyana from Miami four times per week, departing from Miami at 18:00h and arriving in Georgetown at 22:40h.

The return flight usually departs at 01:15h and arrives at 04:55h.

However, the airline had the highest ticket prices for travel between Guyana and Miami. In some cases, the cost of a one-way ticket is as much as seven times higher than the cost of tickets to the same des-

tination on other air carriers.

Since these recent developments and media reports, Government has not been forthcoming with information regarding the agreement.

Several calls were made to both Ministers of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Annette Ferguson.

However, there was no success in getting a comment from either official.

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Guyanese man Guyana spends over G$300,000 found murdered, on each prisoner annually burnt in Georgia – Public Security Minister …family calls for answers

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Darnley Colin Marshall

aw enforcement officials in DeKalb County, Georgia are seeking the public’s help as they probe the murder of 58-yearold Guyanese national, Darnley Colin Marshall.

According to FOX 5 News, the body of the father of six was found burnt and dumped in a park last Thursday. The victims Suzuki motorcycle is missing, according to family members.

Family members are pleading with anyone who may have information to come forward and

assist law enforcement officials as they continue to seek to find the truth.

Family members say they are unaware of anyone who would have had a reason to kill the man, according to media reports out of Atlanta.

Police are searching for clues related to a motive and any possible suspects, FOX 5 News reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call Dekalb County Police.

Tipsters can also contact Crimestoppers at 404577-TIPS.

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ublic Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan recently announced that costs associated with maintaining one prisoner per year exceeds G$300,000, which places a burden on the Ministry.

The Minister was at the time addressing the state of the local prisons, which he stated are overcrowded.

Ramjattan alluded to a report compiled back in 2017, when the Camp Street Prison was burnt to the ground, which concluded that the overpopulation of the prisons creates its own disasters, costing the Government even more money.

According to him, the cost of maintaining prisoners is a huge burden which can be eased should treatment be available to offenders rather than having them incarcerated.

“At the last budget debate I did ask the question because it was asked of me what is the cost of feeding, housing and in a sense, clothing the prisoner for the period that they’re in there and the average cost comes up to something

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

over G$380,000,” he informed.

He later said that he feels he was being very conservative in the figures he called as the monies may very well exceed this amount.

As Government explores its options to reduce the high costs associated with maintaining prisoners, it was revealed that a Drug

Treatment Court is one measure that may very well aid in helping the Government achieve its goals.

The new system will provide rehabilitative services to offenders rather than have them incarcerated for long periods.

Ramjattan recently said that this initiative is likely to come on

stream soon, especially since training for stakeholders has begun.

On Wednesday, a twoday workshop kicked off for Magistrates and even psychologists among others who will be handling these matters.

The Public Security Minister had noted, “We do not want necessarily to jail our juveniles and to make this a jailhouse nation, we want to have alternatives, we want to have diversionary measures and I see this Drug Treatment Court as an aspect of that”.

In addition, President David Granger had assured that Government will soon present the legislation for non-custodial sentences.

“We have taken a decision in principle that custodial sentences for the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use would be legally abolished. After the National Assembly comes off of recess, we could look forward to that legislation being passed,” the Head of State told reporters back in September last year.

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PM candidate will be named once date for elections is called – Jagdeo T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which successfully toppled the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government on December 21, 2v018, says it is awaiting the announcement of the constitutionally mandated elections date by President David Granger before it starts the process of selecting its prime ministerial candidate.

The Party’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo told those gathered at the fundraising dinner on Saturday that the Party has deviated from the traditional process of selecting the prime ministerial candidate to include the Civic component of the PPP and that the process has already been streamlined.

He added that there will be an announcement of a prime ministerial candidate before Nomination Day after the official announcement of a date for the hosting of General and Regional Elections.

“We have spent over the last couple of weeks defining the process through which we will be

General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo

selecting the prime ministerial candidate. We have departed a bit from the traditional process to broaden it a bit more to the inclusion of the civic in the selection process.

Traditionally, it used to be only the Party and so now that we have defined the process, we’re waiting for an election date to decide when we will trigger that process,” Jagdeo explained.

He further stated that the process “can move swiftly. Within a week of triggering that process we can select out

prime ministerial candidate with adequate discussions on that issue.

I want to assure that there is no requirement on Nomination Day to name the prime ministerial candidate so it is not that urgent but we will still have a prime ministerial candidate before Nomination Day which is 32 days before the elections are held.”

On January 19, 2019, almost one month after it toppled the Government through the passage of the No-confidence Motion in the National Assembly

– when AFC parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud made a conscious decision and voted in favour of the motion – the PPP elected its former Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali, as its presidential candidate to contest the constitutionally mandated General and Regional Elections.

According to Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is de-

feated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” And “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than twothirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President

takes the oath of office following the election.”

However, the Government has been pussyfooting on the announcement of an elections date and has challenged the validity of the no-confidence resolution since Charrandas Persaud is a dual citizen. Acting Chief Justice Roxane George has since ruled that while Persaud is a dual citizen, his vote remains valid as a result of the doctrine of necessity as well as the resolution was validly carried having garnered the majority of the votes of the elected members of the House.

Prior to his departure to Cuba for cancer treatment, President Granger ordered GECOM to begin its preparations for the hosting of elections and also requested to meet with the Opposition Leader.

However, at Saturday’s fundraiser, Jagdeo told supporters that the President’s request reeks of desperation since it is the PPP alone that can extend the life of the present Government beyond the March 19 deadline.

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Cricket Fever: Netflix releases series on Mumbai Indians

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etflix on Friday last released “Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians,” an original unscripted series that follows the Indian Premier League’s fan-favorite team, Mumbai Indians, on their 2018 IPL season as they sought to defend their 2017 IPL title.

Produced by Condé Nast Entertainment, the eight-part series is an exclusive look into the world’s second mostwatched sport and the unseen action, both on and off the field, including the intense pressure the team faces with the weight of “Maximum City” Mumbai on their shoulders.

The docu-series starts with the 2018 IPL auction, documenting the team’s reorganization, and ends with their dramatic loss as they narrowly miss the IPL playoffs.

“Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians” charts the emotional arc of the team and reveals the never-before-seen journeys of the young yet talented team, led by captain Rohit Sharma, owners Nita and Akash Ambani and their coach Sri Lankan legend

Mumbai Indians have been one of the most successful sides in IPL history

Mahela Jayawardene.

This is Condé Nast Entertainment’s first international series.

Executive Producers are Al Edgington, Joe LaBracio, Jeremy Finn, Jamie Stewart and James Maby. The series is exclusively available on Netflix to over 139 mil-

lion paid memberships in 190 countries around the world.

Mumbai Indians; led by captain Rohit Sharma and mentored by the world’s greatest cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, is the most successful IPL franchisee having won 3 titles (2013, 2015 & 2017)

and 2 Champions League titles (2011 & 2014) trophies.

With its strong scouting program Mumbai Indians over the years, have nurtured many young talents like Jasprit Bumrah, Padya brothers Hardik and Krunal, Ambati Rayudu,

Yuzvendra Chahal etc who have gone to represent India senior at international competitions.

Owned by IndiaWin Sports Pvt. Ltd, a group company of Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai Indians is the most followed team in the IPL and enjoys a huge global

fan base.

Condé Nast Entertainment (CNE) is an award-winning next generation studio and distribution network with entertainment content across film, television, premium digital video, social, virtual reality and OTT channels.

Guyana named world’s best eco-tourism destination G

uyana has been named the #1 “Best of Ecotourism” destination in the world, leading ecotourism destinations like Sierra Gorda, Mexico and Tmatboey in Cambodia.

The award was presented to Guyana at the ITB global travel trade fair in Berlin, Germany, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported.

The second annual “Best of Top 100” Awards is a selection of the finest top 100 destinations selected by a panel of experts who reviewed sustainability success stories submitted by destinations worldwide.

The newly created “Best of Ecotourism” category was added in 2019 and put Guyana up against very wellknown and experienced ecotourism destinations like Sierra Gorda in Mexico, Tmatboey in Cambodia and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Brian T. Mullis accepted the

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis (fourth from right) along with other awardees at the ITB global travel trade fair in berlin, Germany

award on behalf of Guyana.

“Guyana has expended considerable effort in recent years not only to develop new and innovative eco-friendly tourism products as a part of the national Green State Development Strategy, but also to incorporate sustainable

tourism best practice into all aspects of its strategy, planning and programming while educating the world about its deep commitment to maximising the positive socio-economic and conservation outcomes from tourism,” Mullis told the travel trade fair.

Guyana is positioned as the next must-see destination for travellers. With daily non-stop flights already available from New York, Miami and Toronto and direct routes available from Europe through sister Caribbean countries, being the only English-

speaking country in South America, travellers can experience the vibrant indigenous culture, rich history, and hospitable and friendly people in the language both parties know best.

Guyana has also recently become the first country to adopt the Adventure Travel

Trade Association’s I n t e r n a t i o n a l Adventure Travel Guide Qualification & Performance Standards.

President of the Green Destinations Foundation said “The Top 100 Awards Jury was impressed by the dossier prepared

by Guyana Tourism Authority for the Top100-nomination and by the success stories submitted of Surama and Rewa. Both these eco-lodges have ambitious and admirable goals and successes, are community-owned and led, and aim at preserving Guyana’s ecosystems and indigenous traditions. The Jury also liked that Guyana has a policy of a ‘Green, Inclusive and Prosperous Guyana’ that provides a good quality of life for all its citizens based on a sound education and social protection, low-carbon resilient development, green and decent jobs, economic opportunities, individual equality, justice, and political empowerment,” DPI reported.

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Govt, union to begin teachers’ salary negotiations

‘We will restore hope in Guyana’

he Education Ministry on Friday announced it is expected to meet with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) in the second week of March to begin negotiations on public school teachers’ salaries.

The Ministry said a “High-Level Committee on Public Education (HLCPE) has been reactivated to examine the Guyana Teachers’ Union’s proposal that was submitted to the Ministry of Education”.

It was only on Thursday that the General Secretary of the Union, Coretta McDonald told Guyana Times International that she is looking forward to a timely decision agreeable to both the GTU and the Education Ministry, so as to avoid any negative reaction from teachers across the country.

“In 2018, you would

…Ali tells PPP supporters at fundraiser

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Coretta-McDonald

have seen the reaction of the teachers when it came to their benefits and I want to say to you in 2019, it is going to be no different… I am hoping that at that first meeting, we are going to actually lay out where we want to go and how quickly we are going to get there, because I am sure the officials at the Ministry of Education, they would not want to have a repeat of what transpired in 2018. If we have to do it, we will do it, but we are saying loud and clear we are prepared to sit and talk, but we are not prepared to sit and talk for a whole year,” McDonald stated.

She explained that the 2019 proposal submitted by the GTU went beyond this year and was a three-year proposal. She hopes that within a two-month period after discussions begin, the two parties involved can settle things amicably with decisions that are welcomed by both the Union and the

Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry

Ministry.

The Union submitted a proposal to have teachers’ salaries increased by 25 per cent earlier in February.

President of the GTU, Mark Lyte, had said in this new proposal, the Union requested that some of the already existing policies be maintained such as Whitley Council for three years, instead of four, and a few others.

This proposal also requests that grants be given to schools instead of having materials supplied, as complaints have been flagged in the past of sub-standard materials and cleaning supplies. “We believe that in some regions where schools are given a grant to purchase what they need, other schools can have that as well,” he said.

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

Moreover, the new proposal seeks to extend gratuity for persons leaving the profession before the age of 50 to 55, while the issue of class size for special needs schools were highlighted.

Lyte explained that, “Class size was agreed on in the last agreement that will see a reduction in class size so we want that to be maintained and in addition to that, I don’t think that we spent enough time talking about the special needs schools and how those class sizes should be different so we are stressing special needs schools in terms of its class size”.

Meanwhile, in relation to other schools, he said he is cognizant of the fact that some schools are over populated so they are pleading with the Ministry to have that issue sorted out.

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e o p l e ’ s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali said the Party wanted to restore a sense of hope amongst Guyanese – a hope that was lost after the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition’s failure to fulfil promises made to the people on the campaign trail.

Speaking at a fundraising dinner on Saturday at his Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home, Ali told the gathering that the event was not just to raise funds but also to serve as a platform to hear from the people in order to deliver a future that could be benefited from and enjoyed by everyone.

While noting that the PPP/C during its time in office, had done much to develop the country and improve the lives of Guyanese, Ali acknowledged that the Party did make mistakes and being on the outside now has clearly highlighted those gaps.

“So our commitment to you tonight is filling those gaps, correcting those mistakes and building a future in which all of us can be part of…,” he stated.

According to the PPP/C Presidential Candidate, the first thing in this process is

to restore the lost hope of the country’s population.

“Today, a lot of people, young people, and businesses are feeling a sense of hopelessness and when hope is removed from society, aspirations are removed.

That’s why we brought you here, so we can hear from you because we don’t want to give you false promises and false hope, because we have seen what false promises and false hope have done to our country and our people,” Ali asserted.

He outlined that the country needed a hope that was built on trust: trust of the people in their government and vice versa. Ali pointed out that if Guyana was a Private Sector company, or a developed state and the coalition Government was a company, it would have been sued for having made promises and creating hope that caused people

to invest in a particular way when in fact, it had no interest in fulfilling those hopes and promises. He said this was what the coalition’s manifesto did.

“The manifesto of the APNU/AFC created a hope that was built on lies. A hope that was never meant to be achieved, but was meant as a marketing tool to gain votes and this is one of the regions that suffered severely as a result of those false promises,” he contended.

According to Ali, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) has been mostly affected through the rice and sugar industries. He said rice farmers, millers, thousands of sugar workers, and even communities have suffered immensely because of the coalition Government.

“People’s lives have been trampled upon, parents finding it difficult to

send their children to school – all based on false hope and promises. So the hope we are talking about here tonight and in the future must be one in which trust is an important element and I want to encourage you to go through all the PPP/C manifestos and you will see that in all the manifestos, we tried and were successful in the implementation of 80 to 85 per cent of the promises in those manifestos,” he stated.

The PPP/C Presidential Candidate went on to promise that should the Party be elected into office, it would ensure that there were frequent Cabinet outreaches so that the Administration would get a feel of the reality on the ground and would be better informed as to how its policies affect the population.

“This would be something that you would see in a new PPP/C Government – constant Cabinet outreaches all across this country because in creating this hope, we must be accountable in all the promises we made and that is why we must be very, very careful in what we are promising [in our manifesto].

We will not promise anything that we cannot deliver to the people of Guyana and that is something you can trust us on,” he stressed.

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The Constitution…

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…and Basil Williams

asil Williams was made the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Guyana in 2015, once the PNC-led coalition slipped into office.

And SLIP in it did…by less than 5000 votes!! While he certainly wasn’t in any way, shape or form noted for any legal prowess, he HAD stuck with the PNC through the years.

Most would remember his (in)famous conversation with Winston Felix, then Commissioner of Police (and now PNC Minister of Citizenship), wherein they conspired to head off the PPP Minister of Home Affairs, Gail Teixeira, from the trail of those who’d committed the Agricola massacre. The secretly recorded tape revealed real intimate knowledge of the workings of the Buxton gang, right Bannuh?

So while he was no legal bright bulb, not much was made about his appointment to what was a POLITICAL office. But when, two years later, Granger went and made him SENIOR COUNSEL, it raised a whole lotta eyebrows. After all, by this time he’d lost so many high-profile cases he was openly criticised for being just a punching bag for his predecessor, Anil Nandlall!

The legal fraternity protested that the “SC”, signifier of legal excellence, was being debased like mixing gold with copper!!

And even after Granger arranged for an advisory panel of legal “old heads” to steer him in the right direction, he continued with his losing ways. Folks wondered whether the award was intended to boost his sagging ego. But the fella keeps sticking his foot into his mouth, and your Eyewitness wonders whether he’ll be able to overcome his latest faux pas that’s so ridiculous it makes one wonder if Williams is in possession of all his marbles!!

Referring to Art 106 (7) of the Constitution, which declares that the Government “shall hold an election within three months” after the passage of a No Confidence motion, Williams announced that the constitutional provision was “erroneous”, since “The Government does not conduct elections.”!!!

GECOM does!! Never mind that “holding” elections is explained in Art (61) as setting the “times for elections”, after the dissolution of Parliament, which “the President shall appoint by proclamation”!! So the PNC-coalition Government didn’t do a single thing since 2015, since everything was done by delegated agencies!??!

But even more amazing is this: Williams doesn’t understand that a Constitution, the highest law in the land, CANNOT be “erroneous”. Whatever it states IS THE LAW. Williams may disagree with a particular stipulation, but until it’s changed by amendment, procedures that are contained in the Constitution, it remains the law!!

Finally the man had the temerity to claim Burnham didn’t know what he was doing. “The framers of the Constitution got it wrong!” …and solutions Some folks also see the Constitution as “wrong”, but not in Basil Williams’s risible manner. They feel our Constitution doesn’t deal with the “real” problems of Guyana – the “ethnic divisions”. Your Eyewitness, not so respectfully, disagrees. What these folks don’t understand is that the present Constitution already has provisions where it’s unlawful to discriminate against anyone. It enshrines equal opportunity!

But the real problem is that some folks don’t want “equality of opportunity”, they want “equality of results”!! And they gloss over that, between “equality of opportunity” and “equality of results”, there’s the need for “equality of abilities” and “equality of effort”. Which just ain’t possible!! On the first fly in the ointment, abilities aren’t distributed equally.

Everyone in Guyana, for instance, has an equality of entrance to the same schools – but they don’t all have the same abilities, do they? And so we have different results.

Then even though there might statistically be individuals with the same abilities within every group, they don’t all put in the same effort! Hence different results.

But everyone wants quick fixes!! …of Guyanese In addition to being the fundamental principles meant to govern our society, “constitution” also means “composition” of something – how it’s “constituted”.

And we’ll never know peace until all Guyanese are “constituted” by the same narrative.

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Paternity leave recommended in report to House Speaker

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he Women and Gender Equality Commission, on March 5, presented the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland with a report with several recommendations including paternity leave for men. Recommendations of the report are also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number Five.

According to DPI, Chairperson of the Commission, Indranie Chanderpal called for the introduction of “paternity leave in law and in contracts for employment.” While this recommendation is new and groundbreaking, Chanderpal believes the commission and the government can begin the process.

The Women and Gender Equality Commission which advocates for women’s rights in Guyana embarked on research that investigated the laws of Guyana with the aim to rectify any prejudicial enactment against Guyanese women.

The report was executed and completed by Melinda Janki, an International Legal Consultant. In

compiling the report, the commission visited all ten administrative regions and gave women a chance to highlight the challenges they face. The report entitled, “Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls”, also included recommendations such as, “harmonised code of law on women’s rights”, “elimination of discrimination against women”, and “sexual harassment repercussions enforced by law enforcement and the judicial system”.

This research was sanctioned by the House Speaker at the commission’s last appearance at Parliament on March 8, 2017. This approval was granted to prove the government’s endorsement towards women and gender equality in Guyana, DPI said.

After receiving the report, the House Speaker congratulated the commission’s effort on their research and assured that the report will be presented at an appropriate time in the House and then to the public.

The speaker said, “we are a country of people and the strength of one enhances the strengths of the other.” In closing, he noted that there is a need

Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland and Chairperson, Indranie Chanderpal reviewing their copies of the report

for work to be done to educate the public about the content of the report

produced by the Women and Gender Equality Commission, DPI reported.

Jamaica: Fake doctor Barbados teachers warned against flogging children arrested, charged

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T

he police are reporting that Alicia England, a woman accused of posing as a medical doctor and fleecing individuals of hundreds of thousands of dollars, is now in custody.

England has been charged by Area One Fraud Squad detectives, as well as by personnel in the Corporate Area, for several offences including forgery, uttering forged documents, obtaining money by false pretence and breaches of the Medical Act, the police said.

She is scheduled to appear in the St James Parish Court on Friday, March 22, while a date is being finalised for her to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Investigators are now making a public appeal for other people who may have been a victim of the woman’s scam to contact the police.

Individuals in western Jamaica may contact the Area One Fraud Squad at

Alicia England

876-952-0552, while other people may contact the Kingston office at 876-9222374 or 876-948-5953. (Jamaica Gleaner)

inister of Education Santia Bradshaw says she will not tolerate teachers who flog children when the law does not permit them to do so. She has advised parents to report such cases to the ministry and urged police to follow through and prosecute the perpetrators.

Bradshaw voiced “zero tolerance” for corporal punishment yesterday and frowned on a recent incident in which a primary school principal reportedly flogged an entire class because a new teacher “could not handle the students”.

“I received photos of the bruises on the children’s buttocks and their backs,” Bradshaw said.

“What was interesting was that the grandparent called me because of concerns that the principal . . . instituted punishment twice. After the beating, the children were made to run around the pasture and then made to stand outside of the classroom.”

The St Michael South East MP was

Alicia England

responding to questions from Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn, following the recent suspension of a teacher for allegedly inflicting corporal punishment on a special needs student.

(Barbados Nation)

34 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Berbice man remanded CAL passengers get travel to prison over murder voucher for Monday’s delays T of young father rinidad-based Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) has compensated passengers on a direct flight from New York to Guyana, who endured more than 10 hours delay on Monday.

Passengers had complained about the treatment from the airline, including the fact that they were stuck abroad the aircraft for five hours at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York and then another two hours at the Piarco Airport in Trinidad.

Flight BW527 was scheduled to depart

A

Berbice labourer was on Tuesday morning arraigned at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Courts on a murder charge.

Thirty-six-yearold Kareem Charles of Benet Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice (WBB) was not allowed to plea to the indictable offence read to him

Kareem Charles being escorted by Police in Berbice

Dead: Muhammed Ally

by Magistrate Renetta Singh.

It is alleged that on March 1, 2019, at Rosignol, Berbice, Charles murdered

Muhammed Ally. He was remanded to prison and will make his next court appearance on March 25.

It was previously reported that the young father, who was killed as he was on his way to see his newborn baby at the New Amsterdam Hospital, died from shock and haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head.

The post-mortem examination was conducted on Tuesday by Government Pathologist,

Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan.

Ally, 24, of Benet Dam, Rosignol, Berbice, was allegedly killed by Charles who hit him to the head with a metal pipe.

The Blairmont Estate labour was reportedly killed in an alleged act of revenge, leaving a oneday-old baby fatherless.

Ally leaves to morn his wife of 11 months and their new born baby.

The couple had moved to the area about two months ago.

New York at 12:25h on Monday, but owing to the inclement weather, left until 04:26h.

Added to this, instead of heading straight to Guyana, the plane diverted to Trinidad to change flight crew. This resulted in the flight landing in Guyana until 16:12h, some 12 hours after the plane left the US. However, CAL has issued an apology to the hundreds of passengers on board that flight and has issued them with a travel voucher as compensation for the delays.

In an email sent to one of the affected passengers on Monday, the Customer Relations Department of CAL’s Head Office said, “Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience experienced.”

According to the airline, the safety of its customers and crew is the main priority of CAL. The airline said it made every effort to ensure this, along with courteous and professional service.

“We do regret that on this occasion, un-

foreseen circumstances caused you to arrive at your destination later than expected.

To demonstrate our commitment to service excellence and as a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience, Caribbean Airlines will provide you with a Transportation Voucher for the value of the New York to Georgetown sector of your ticket excluding taxes. Caribbean Airlines Transportation Vouchers are used for future travel and are valid for one year from the date of issue,” the correspondence from the airline to a first-class passenger stated.

Guyana Times International understands that Private Sector Commission Chairman Desmond Sears was a passenger on that flight and he confirmed, when contacted, that he too received a compensatory transportation voucher.

Sears told this newspaper that he was pleased with the effort of the airline to “give passengers some sort of compensation”. But looking back, the PSC Chairman felt that more could have been done by the airline to comfort and appease passengers during the incident.

“There wasn’t anything anyone could’ve done in New York, because we were snowed in and had to wait that out, but when we were diverted to Trinidad, the pilot did his best to provide whatever information he could have… I feel maybe an agent for the airline could’ve come (while we were waiting in the plane for two hours) and explain properly what was going on, because some passengers were angry and stuff … they thought we were gonna get a meal when we get to Trinidad, because we had boarded, since midnight but that didn’t happen,” he asserted.

Nevertheless, Sears did acknowledge that the airline did make an effort to facilitate easy boarding at the Piarco Airport, whereby they were allowed to go straight to the departure lounge instead of going through the immigration tedious processes.

The Sky is the limit - Capt. Feriel Ally F

or Captain, Feriel Ally “The Sky is the limit”.

Pilot Ally, of Air Services Limited, has been working in the aviation sector for over 30 years and has no regrets.

“As a girl, in high school, one day I woke up with this vision, I wanted to be a captain, I wanted to be in a pilot’s uniform, wear my four bars; I wanted to be in command and control,” Ally told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Ally said upon graduating from high school she attended the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School.

Following this, she took her first job at the family business - Air Services Limited.

Ally began by loading and cleaning aircraft, taking reservations and scheduling pilots. It was this humble start which

made her develop a deeper appreciation for aviation.

Over the years, Ally worked her way up the ladder in the aviation sector.

“I did my flying at ADF Airways at Tamiami Airport in Miami; however, I did not just want to be a pilot; I wanted to move laterally in aviation.

Therefore, I took some time off from studies and worked at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport [CJIA] as a Deputy Manager of Operations, after that, I worked with the Guyana Civil Aviation as an Aviation Inspector. This is the regulatory body of aviation with oversight for Guyana,” Captain Ally recalled.

After acquiring her licenses, Captain Ally also pursued other academic advancements, such as Aviation Management and a degree in psychology.

Addressing the challenges and dangers she faces daily in her profession, Ally has this to say: “The jungle is unforgiving, however, my day to day challenges is the weather. But with experience, you live and breathe safety. I try not to go beyond the safety curve, and I try my best to be safe.”

Captain Ally said she comes from a family of aviators who knew of her passion from a tender age and gave her full support to achieve her dream “I was lucky to have my parents provide me with a grounded education, thereafter, I took it on my own to pay my full tuition for schooling, and that was my greatest accomplishment in life.”

Captain Ally’s advice to young women is to set their goals from a young age, be focused and pursue your career. (DPI feature)

feature 35

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

ne of the fondest memories of my childhood is my grandmother returning from a hard day at Bourda Market and ever so often surprises us with thin brown biscuits that were crunchy but not too crunchy, sweet but not too sweet and many years later

the aroma still lingers in my nostrils.

It is the aroma of the ever so nostalgic coconut biscuits.

As time went by the delight slowly faded away from the market and as I grew older they became almost obsolete. However, a few years ago I was ever so surprised to see them back on the market but this time it was sophisticatedly packaged but the aroma has reignited the nostalgia.

About a year ago, I was at the Women in Business Expo where I smelled a familiar smell that led me to Simone Peters’ booth. It was then I discovered Country Style Coconut Biscuits. Not only was the smell familiar but also the face, coincidentally I would have taught one of Simone’s daughter during my stint as a teacher at the Vreed en Hoop Secondary School.

Simone resides at Crane on the West Coast of Demerara and has been invested in bettering her products.

When most of the village is asleep, Simone is up already preparing

her ingredients to have an early start.

Soon, a delicious smell drifts lazily from Simone’s kitchen.

Floating lightly on the early morning breeze, the inviting aroma wafts through Simone’s sleepy village, reminding her neighbours that one of their own has made a unique and delectable addition to Guyana’s cuisine.

The thing that makes Simone unique is that she uses coconut in all of her products making her products authentically Guyanese.

“I love to make coconut products because I am from the country as well. Everything I want to keep it at the country level, so people get that taste of home…my products will take persons back to their country roots.”

Simone is a native Essequibian and grew up in a family that was about baking. Her aunt would make pastries and other delicacies which she also learned.

In 2015, Peters started her business by selling coconut biscuits as a way of supplementing the income.

“In life, we always have ups and downs and we find ourselves in situations that are between a rock and a hard place and we would have to find something to sustain you and take

care.

I tried my hands at a lot of things that I know to do and I even tried lots of 9-5 and I realized that is not me and I always want to be doing somet h i n g that satisfies me and I love working with myself. When I ended up in the rock and a hard place situation I went back to what I know best and that is the baking.”

For Simone, it is about making her mark and taking people back to their childhood and creating more memories for the younger generation. She is the epitome of not giving up making her role models for females across the country.

“I have never known in myself that going back to where we started can bring so much joy and happiness to you and it pushes you for-

ward. I have gained the attention of people in Guyana, the Caribbean and even further afield.

We are working now to ship to those markets so that people can make those things possible,” she said.

Simone is currently doing everything to develop herself and according to her she is going places and it teaches her how to be humble about her success. The mother of three is serving as the ideal role model for her two daughters and one son.

She had thought about giving up a lot of times but she credits the constant calls for orders or to offer a word or encouragement as fuel to her drive. Simone is currently working on building her bakery as well as expanding her product line.

“I want to keep it strictly coconut and stay true to the roots.

So I am currently developing more new products and improving constantly.”

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Globespan 24x7: Providing a balanced perspective

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lobespan 24x7 is a Broadcasting and Media Company established to bridge homes and families with Information, News and Roundtable Forums focusing on Politics, Social & communities issues.

Globespan 24x7 has been broadcasting Town Hall Forums and Meetings for the past two (2) months, with seven (7) successfully completed programs covering topics including: Crime and National Security, the State of the Economy and Business in Guyana, Reasons for Constitutional Reform, and Race and Politics.

These topics have garnished over 102,000 views, with 3,535 comments on Facebook Live during the airing. The views and comments continue to increase after the program on GlobeSpan24x7 Facebook page, where the videos are still available. The audience hails mainly from Guyana, the US, Canada, the UK and the Caribbean.

Globespan 24x7 has had the pleasure of auspicious guest speakers that included, former Minister K. Ramjattan, Minister D. Gaskin, former AG Anil Nandall, Dr. David Hinds, TnT former PM Hon. Basdeo Panday, Mr. Bishop Edghill, , Mr. Ruel Johnson , Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, and Dr. Batyoram Ramharach to

name some.

“Globespan’s objectives are to have all sides and multiple views simultaneously on one platform, this can re-

sult in a wider understanding of each other concerns, which can lead to National Unity”, stated Nohar Singh, the promoter of the program.

The People Politics which commence at 2pm EST. every Saturday has been so successful, therefore, Globespan 24x7 will be adding topics such as Women Forums at 12 noon.

March 9, topic for women will be, Women Unite: # Speak Up, It’s your Right!

One such forum aired about a month ago was Letting Go of the Past, with Pastor Lisa Singh, Dianne Madray and Tracey Khan. We are looking forward to expanding our programs by adding more topics focusing on Women’s Role, the Community and Social Events. These programs will commence at 12 noon EST, and run for one (1) hour, before our preempted highlighted topic at 2pm, “The People Politics”.

The public are invited to attend our live online airings and participate with questions or by logging onto Facebook Live https://www.facebook. com/GlobeSpan24x7/?modal=admin_ todo_tour or YouTube https:// www.youtube.com/results?search_ query=globespan+24x7 this and every Saturday from 12 noon, and again at 2 pm, be inspired, contribute to the conversation or learn something new, whatever your views all are welcome to join in and be a part of each and every forum.

36 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana needs to up battle against maternal deaths – PAHO R

egional Health Officers from the 10 administrative regions were on Wednesday given an opportunity to highlight the challenges and achievements of the respective areas, and their plans for the year in bettering healthcare services for the public.

This meeting was facilitated by the hosting of a public health meeting at Cara Lodge, in Georgetown, under the theme: “Collaboratively we build a resilient healthcare system that is acceptable, timely and appropriate to meet the needs of every person in Guyana.”

During that time,

PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow

representative from the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), Dr William Adu-Krow sought to present on one of the challenging factors which Guyana’s health sector is faced with; the number of maternal deaths per year.

“For us now, maternal mortality is an issue. We cannot continue to talk about it all the time and continue to have maternal deaths all the time. I was surprised because I thought we had only four deaths but [it is]…six or seven. If we have six by the end of February… that means we are looking at 36 deaths [for the

year]… I think we need to do more,” he said.

Adu-Krow noted that he was asked by the organisation to prepare a monthly report on the number of persons that died and the factors surrounding their deaths, which will later be analysed. Other aims include having zero mortality from haemorrhaging.

“We want to have zero mortality from haemorrhage. That means no woman should die delivering a baby from blood loss. This is a tall order because the last data that I looked at indicated that 52 per cent of our women come into labour with haemoglobin less than 10. That already

persons irrespective of their sexual orientation, culture, age…. There should be no discrimination in healthcare delivery. We need to treat all patients with dignity, create trust and promote the demand for services.”

While informing that specialists were placed at the regional hospitals, Shako stated that there is need for medical personnel at the sub districts.

Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr Fawcett Jeffrey shared his input on the accessibility of services to remote areas. He is of the impression that doctors should make use of the techno-

Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr Fawcett Jeffrey

puts them at a disadvantage,” the PAHO representative said.

He explained that referral and counter referral forms are essential when transferring persons, since the next doctor will be briefed on the condition of patients and consequently, this will reduce incorrect diagnosis.

Meanwhile, Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Kay Shako shared some of the work done at the regional level, indicating that this meeting will serve as a stakeholder’s approach to understand the dynamics and challenges of each region. For now, accessibility is key in providing the same level of services to persons in the hinterland.

Her position is that health care should be provided without discriminating against gender, age, sexual orientation or social status.

Shako emphasised, “We should be giving healthcare services to

logical advancements that are given to gain assistance from practitioners in the urban areas, rather than sending persons to the coastland to be treated.

As a result of the lack of these approaches, the medevac costs which were once pegged at about G$40 million, currently stands at some G$120 million.

Jeffrey stated that the RHOs are required to recognise these problems and use all of the financial resources in providing these services. According to him, the residency programme should be reinstated to allow for specialists to visit the regions and treat persons in their respective communities.

Meanwhile, Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings noted that these discussions will allow the regions to develop better systems to provide accessible and dependable medical assistance.

FEATURE 37

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Lakhram Bhagirat

N

o matter what struggles come our way or whatever life throws at us, we must always push and push so hard that we break through all the barriers so that we get on the other side and can be proud of what we have overcome. No one knows pushing their limits and breaking barriers while crushing a couple of stereotypes like Amanda Mc Nichol does.

She is fearless, she is without boundaries and she is a trailblazer.

She is proud and has every reason to be proud, because she has persevered in not only one but every aspect of her life. She is the epitome of a fearless woman, one without any ego and one with every bit of kindness.

You see, Amanda is not your average woman nor is she ever going to be your average woman because she feels as if she should not be placed in a box of what a woman should be, rather she feels as though it is time the mould of the stereotypical woman be broken and is doing everything in her power to shatter the proverbial glass ceiling.

The 33-year-old mother of one has been doing what are considered traditional men’s jobs for almost all of her adult life. With a passion for engineering, Amanda has done everything from construction to now driving a taxi. She has been driving a taxi for over five years and is attached to the N2N Taxi Service in Georgetown.

The only way to truly understand

Amanda’s story is to thread back to where it all began. Growing up, according to her, was a joy in itself, since for her it was everything and a little more. She grew up in the heart of the city among family she adored.

Everyone who grew up with their grandparents around knows that there is a certain level of discipline one receives, but there is also the certain level of joy one feels just to be loved by granny. Amanda had that since she lived on Norton Street with her mother, but granny was just next door on Princes Street which served as a good escape.

Education has always been on the fore of her life growing up and after she finished her secondary education at the St Mary’s High School, Amanda started the Computer Science Programme at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and upon completion, she went on to the Critchlow Labour College for advanced studies in mathematics.

However, despite all of that, Amanda felt some thing was lacking. Thirsty for an adventure, at 18, she packed up her belongings and hopped on a straight flight to Barbados to begin a new chapter in her adult life.

“I am a bit adventurous and that is how me becoming a taxi driver happened. I like to see different things and meet different people. I was still a teenager and that is how I ended up in Barbados. I like construction and engineering and Barbados is not a sexist place and they allow women to be themselves,” she said.

In Barbados, with no cap placed on her abilities, Amanda began pushing her boundaries. She explains that being in Barbados allowed her to explore, push and shatter boundaries.

“In Barbados, if you wanna turn spade, you can turn spade. You wanna

You gotta eat, ain't no shame in the game because I come from a place where you can do what you wanna do and be what you wanna be. Nobody can’t stop you. You’re in control of that. Nothing is impossible. You are in control of your own destiny, the only person who can break you is you and first of all, you must believe in the Most High, the Father, and you can’t do nothing without Him. Just do you, follow your heart and be what you want to be. Nobody but you can’t say you can’t.

hammer nail, you can hammer nail. That is what Barbados provides. Women can be what they wanna be, not like they will watch at you. Here (Guyana) is a bit more sexist than there. I did construction. I was a paint foreman for five years and controlled a workshop and made sure everything was perfect.”

Amanda worked in the construction industry with very few objections from the men there. She said that level of comfort allowed her to dominate her field and hone in on all the skills she had. She was allowed to perfect every skill she had and when the tide changed on the island, she knew her time was becoming limited there.

After the Government changed on the island and the arrest of Allen Stanford for fraud, the tourism industry in Barbados took a dip resulting in the loss of contracts and stalled work.

“It didn’t make sense that I were there and had to pay rent and the work is coming yes, but not as fast enough…so it didn’t make sense for me to stay there and do all of that, is best that I came home because home is home,” Amanda, who got pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful girl dur-

ing her time in Barbados, said.

When she returned home, there was some amount of confusion before she actually settled in. However, it was not all smooth sailing even then, since Amanda thought she would be afforded the same respect working in a male-dominated field, but little did she know she was in for an unwelcome surprise. Amanda got a hard time getting work in construction since many men frowned upon her wanting to join them, because it was not the stereotypical woman’s job.

“Some would give me chances and trust me when I perform, I perform well and so. Still they see it challenging, because I was better than some and they wanted to pay me less. I value my talent and it is worth every dollar. I don’t do shabby work and it wasn’t working out,” Amanda explained.

It was then that a friend told her to put her licence and vehicle to work for her. She began scouting taxi bases and found the N2N Taxi Service where she has been working for over five years now and is now a manager.

You gotta eat, ain't no shame in the game because I come from a place where you can do what you wanna do and be what you wanna be. Nobody can’t stop you. You’re in control of that. Nothing is impossible. You are in control of your own destiny, the only person who can break you is you and first of all, you must believe in the Most High, the Father, and you can’t do nothing without Him. Just do you, follow your heart and be what you want to be. Nobody but you can’t say you can’t," she notes.

The passion to be a civil engineer is still burning inside of Amanda and she is ready to follow it. For now, she is focusing on shattering all the ceilings to make Guyana a better place for women with very few boundaries.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

M

arch 06 will mark the 55th anniversary of the death of the humble housewife, Alice, more famously known as Kowsilla, who met with her demise during a demonstration against the denial of work to labourers at the Leonora Sugar Estate. Tribute was paid to the heroine of the sugar workers, on the West Coast of Demerara.

On March 6, 1964, Kowsilla, along with a group of striking workers, squatted at the factory’s gate in Leonora as they staged a protest against the denial of labour to the estate workers. At the time, they were also rallying for the recognition of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

The then General Manager of the Estate instructed the driver of a tractor to proceed through the bridge where the demonstration was being staged. The act, which took the protesters for granted, resulted in the death of Kowsilla and 14 persons being injured.

Kowsilla, thereafter, became known as the heroine of sugar workers for her sacrificial act against the injustice to estate labourers.

Kowsilla was forty-four years old when she paid the supreme price for her convictions on that fateful Friday morning on March 6th 1964. Along with her fellow workers she stood immovable, unheeding of the scab’s shouts as he continued to drive the tractor directly at them: “You-all ain’t hear what the Bossman say? Get off the blasted bridge.”

An eyewitness recalled Kowsilla telling the other women “Don’t budge. We can’t let the rich man thief we children-them future.” Of the fourteen who were mown down by the tractor, receiving serious injuries, two of them, Jagdai and Daisee Sookram suffered broken backs and were crippled for life.

Another, Kisson Dai, lost one kidney and had broken hips.

Commemorations to honour the heroine, Kowsilla, takes place as usual with scores of participants marching from the Leonora Public School to the Anna Catherina Cemetery where she was in-

terred. A ceremony, during which wreaths are laid at her tomb and tributes were presented by sugar workers’ activists is usually conducted. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

38 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

mainly single women who are all in different fields of farming who came together to offer support that they would not have gotten anywhere else.

“We are all farmers and single women, and it started out as a small group, but as it grew, we had to switch things up a bit. We then moved to the (Hugo Chavez) Venezuelan Institute where they took classes in cookery, cake decoration and pastry. After they would have completed their classes, the group returned to the village and began training other women.

“We gained our certificates

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

or me, one of the most inspiring things is women cheering on other women despite all the obstacles thrown at them.

Throughout our history, women have been dealt the short end of the stick and they are now bringing about change, demanding those changes because equality is the most important thing.

One thing that is embedded in our culture is the habit of attempting to pit women against each other while identifying perceived faults for them to go after each other.

So when I see women supporting each other,

it makes me beam with joy. Women supporting each other is exactly what the Mahaica Women’s Group (MWG) has been doing for the past few years.

The group was birthed from a youth group in the community and according to Chairwoman Debbie Argyle, they have been supporting each other. The predominantly farming community has very limited opportunities for women to branch out on their own and create a space for their own development, resulting in the formation of the support group.

The 20-member group is made up of

and we trained over 154 ladies and we had tutors from Carnegie School of Home Economics helping us. In the moment, we are specialised in scented candles. Most of the women in the group are farmers and we are with NAREI and Food For The Poor so everybody have their farm where they plant their little kitchen garden and their produce to sell,” Argyle said.

For now, the group focuses mainly on the scented candles project. The fragrant candles also serve as mosquito repellent. The group receives monthly donations of wax, a key ingredient in their product from the Food For The Poor. Argyle explained that they create the labels and package the candles in

recycled glass bottles or cans to reduce production costs.

Apart from the candles, the group does craft items such as dolls, decorative bottles, florals and sewing. Because of the fact that many of the members are single mothers, there are several challenges associated with gathering. The members would find it hard to buy their craft materials or even travel to classes because of financial hardships and that makes it extremely difficult for the group to function holistically, but it is a challenge they address as it comes.

“We do not have a fixed location to meet so travelling is tough.

So when the women are having problems accessing craft items and so on and when that comes up, we have other members who buy the stuff and we help out each other.

Supporting each other is what we are here for.”

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

FEATURE 39

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

echnology innovator Steve Jobs once said “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Trust me, when I say, I have met a lot of people throughout my life and many are comfortable in their career fields, but never have I ever met someone who talks as affectionately about what they do as Aretha Meusa does. Throughout the world, w o m e n

are pushing boundaries and cementing their place in the world as movers and shakers. They are proving that there is nothing like ‘a man’s job’ and are taking up careers in every possible field.

If you had asked Aretha a few years ago, what she wanted to become, she would not have said that she wanted to be a plumber. She had never planned to go down the plumbing route, since she had her eyes set on entrepreneurship.

The 31-year-old mother of one is doing everything to ensure that she serves as motivation for her young son as well as letting him know t h a t

there is nothing that a woman cannot do. Aretha grew up in the small village of Plantain Walk on the West Bank of Demerara. She attended the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School, and immediately joined her mother in handling their small business after she finished school.

With a need to further her education, Aretha joined the Computer Science programme at Computer World in Georgetown and after graduating she went on to the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and got certified as a plumber. After she graduated from GTI, Aretha took the bold step of venturing out on

her own a n d so came A Meusa and Son Residential Plumbing and General Construction.

“The reason I started my own business is t o make sure that I have everything in order. I fell in love in plumbing and I

I

n a sport which dates back to the 1950s in Guyana, with the formation of the British Guiana Motor-Cycle Club (BGMCC) that showcased their daredevilry at the No 63 beach, men have dominated motor racing.

However, over the past years, there has been the emergence of fiercely competitive female drivers in the Caribbean region and in Guyana, Sharima Khan has acted as the change agent.

With the racing name of “Speed Queen”,

can’t see myself in anything else other than that. I also did a heavy-duty operator course at GTI,” she said.

Tracking back to her early beginnings, Aretha explains that she grew up with her father who allowed her to join him at work. He was an architect and was also into construction so he allowed her to work with him.

“I have always been doing work with my hands. I grew up with my father in the construction field, he was an architect and he was an artist and from looking at him and being in the field with him and doing the plumbing work, I fell in love with it. I love it and that is when I started to pursue it more. It became my passion and it is something I cannot see myself doing anything else.”

For over five years, Aretha has been blazing the field and making sure that she makes her name a household one and she has been quite successful in doing that. However, it has not been without challenges and those were not easy challenges.

Despite being given the opportunity to join the field by a male, the other men in the field made it even more challenging for her since they doubted her every step of the way. She said that the

main challenge was the sexism.

“As a woman, it is very challenging to be in the field because of the sexism, but I put all of that behind me and I showed them that it is all about the mind. Once you set the mind to do what you want to do, then you can conquer everything. The body works with the mind and once you put your mind to it, then you will conquer. That is what I did and I conquered all the negatives,” she declared.

For now she continues to blaze the trail, making her one of the most requested plumbers in the country.

“At first, it was hard because men used to say that plumbing is a man’s job and that you can’t do it, because you are a woman, but now everything is better. Now I'm known and my work is respected, the business is growing and exceeding. My advice to the other women who are thinking about being in this field, then they should stay focused and be humble. Put your mind to do what you want to do and the Holy Spirit will guide you that way. Go forth and don’t bother with those people who try to pull you down, because that will make you stronger.”

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Khan has gone bumper to bumper with the men, both young and old, and has managed to drive off with the precious chequered flag, doing something no other female has done for the sport in Guyana to date.

Khan firmly believes

once behind the wheel, the issue of gender does not matter since “competition is competition and it is the best driver who crosses the finish in first place”.

Interestingly, the driver said it was not as easy for her to enter the sport as it was for her male compatriots, since she was put under immense pressure to assert her skills as a circuit racer. However, she is hoping that her

success encourages more females to enter the sport, adding that “the hard work is done”.

With the focus returning to her life as a racer, the former Covent Garden Secondary School student recollected her most memorable moment on the track when she and her father, Rafeeq Khan, drove together at her first endurance race meet and won the title. “It was an

amazing feeling.”

Khan has since gotten married at the end of 2018 and currently resides overseas. It is yet to be seen whether she will return to the local racing arena or hang up her helmet.

Whichever she chooses, she did leave an indelible mark on the lives of young women throughout Guyana and further afield. She is the epitome of a fearless woman breaking barriers.

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Preserving our literary heritage

Is this the Last of Sheila: 1922 - 2019?

Petamber Persaud

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he was a font of knowledge especially with regards to Guyanese literary and cultural matters of yesteryear, yes, history matters, history matters more than most of us care to admit, history matters gravely to the future. And most of Guyana paid little heed to that significant fact that she was a font of such information. And now she is gone, another library underutilized, another library that could have been employed to inform the present custodians of our literary and cultural patrimony. Oh, why do we waste our human resources so? Oh, unkind old age!

Sheila King was more than a font of knowledge.

She wore many hats including the ones with which she won many a hat shows at Easter. King was also an artist cum designer, past member of the Guyana Women Artists’ Association (GWAA). She was a career Public Servant, poetess, playwright, actress, and prizewinning writer of children stories.

At age 19, a well-spoken and Sheila King entered the Public Service, a move that led to a remarkable career, resulting in a number of firsts.

In 1951, she was appointed the first female Probation & Welfare Officer. In 1965, she became the first female Labour Officer.

In 1972, she was made the first Organising Secretary of the newly formed Council on the Affairs and Status of Women in Guyana (CASWIG). In 1975, she was appointed first female Assistant Chief Labour Officer.

Her greatest satisfaction was when in support of Eileen Cox’s letter and on behalf of CASWIG, King was instrumental in getting government to remove a ban on the employment of married women in the Public Service.

The writing career of Sheila King blossomed during the flowering of women writing in Guyana in the 1960s. Numerous women writers surfaced during that period including Evadne D’Oliviera, Cecile Nobrega, Doris HarperWills, Rajkumari Singh, Syble Douglas and others. That group of women writers became a force to be reckoned with, pioneering many aspects of Guyanese Literature.

King was part of what may be the first Guyanese anthology of stories. That slim book, ‘Stories From

Guyana’, was produced to coincide with Expo ’67 in Canada. Incidentally, coming out from Expo’67, was a humorous poem, ‘Delightful Delinquent Millie’, written by King about the macaw that made history on that occasion. In fact the poem became so popular locally that it was produced on stage in one of the Brink Shows of the 1960s.

Another groundbreaking literary effort King was involved in (with other women writers) was the publication of ‘Guyana Drums’, a collection of poems prepared to coincide with the first Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) held in Guyana, 1972. That book has gone down in our history as the first anthology of Guyanese women writers.

In 1993, King published a small number of copies of her poems in a slim volume entitled ‘Our Homes Spring Poetry’.

Many of her pieces (poetry, fiction or drama) were penned to celebrate or mark special events, local or international.

‘The Cruellest Test’, an adult short story won the first prize in the Human Rights Year Short Story competition held in 1968.

In the same year marking the Human Rights event, her poem, ‘Triumph of the Martyrs’, was included in an anthology of poems, VOICES OF GUYANA, a P. E. N. (Guyana) initiative, edited by Donald Trotman.

But she made contribution to Guyanese literature in other genres of writing. Two of her plays, A MATTER OF POLICY and HANDS ACROSS THE RIVER were produced for radio. And ‘FOR BETTIN’ OR WORSE was produced on stage at the Theatre Guild Playhouse, Kingston, Georgetown.

King also acted in plays such as N. E. Cameron’s JAMAICA JOE and George Bernard Shaw’s ANDROCLES AND THE LION. She was a co-director for the Cameron’s production of THE TRUMPET. She was also associated with another great man of letters – Wilson Harris. At a tender age, King was part of an informal literary circle comprising of Harris and Malcolm King, discussing mainly Shakespeare, Milton, and Camus.

Sheila King was a font of knowledge; her memory was awesome as she regurgitates events – dates, venues, attendances with pinpoint accuracy. Her biographies

of persons of substance were peppered with spicy anecdotes. Her voice was strong, her delivery impeccable – tone, diction, pronunciation and enunciation. She did not mince words.

Bits and pieces of her knowledge are now part of my data base on Guyanese Literature, some of which I was able to package and pass on to other interested parties.

Thank you, Sheila.

This is not the last of Sheila….

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

FEAture 41

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rights activist recommends amnesty for TIP victims who testify

– says it could help address some of the challenges

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hile backing calls made by Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards to do more to address the scourge of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Guyana, rights activist Nicole Cole is now urging the authorities to consider providing amnesty for those victims who are willing to testify.

Cole said this could possibly help to address some of the core challenges faced in Guyana regarding TIP. However, she said the first thing that needs to be done is to recruit persons who are

bilingual and can communicate effectively with the foreign nationals who are caught in conflict with the law.

Recently, the acting Chancellor said combatting the scourge of TIP is more than just solving the crimes and helping the victims, and even though there has been progress, there is much more that needs to be done. She pointed to challenges in identifying who is the victim of trafficking, and where in many cases, some of the victims are foreign nationals and only speak Spanish or Portuguese.

Cole said in some cases, these foreign nationals are afraid of deportation and if they know there is an option out, some of them are likely to choose to testify. But according to her, this decision will have to be made after proper consultation is done in a way that puts a dent in TIP in Guyana.

She has also made recommendations for the issue to be tackled by the Public Health Ministry.

“The psychological trauma occasioned by modernday slavery has to also be addressed by the Public Health Ministry, whereby clinical screening is facilitated for survivors of TIP,” she added.

According to Justice Cummings-Edwards, it was pointed out that the police officers are instituting charges but have been unable to complete the files in a timely manner. This has, in many cases, resulted in the victims’ unwillingness to testify and the inevitable dismissal of cases for want of prosecution.

The rights activist said if the police are unable to identify who really are the victims as alluded to by the Chancellor then it’s a waste of State resources and the court’s time to even take those cases to court because there will be zero convictions. “We cannot be seen as unprepared to prosecute foreigners who violate our law because it sends a very weak message to others who are thinking of doing same.”

Cracks

According to Cole, shoddy defective work by some members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is another reason why many rape cases fall through the cracks and in the cases of TIP, it’s no different. She said, “The GPF is being asked to ‘fetch water in a basket’ because they lack the

Women's rights activist, Nicole Cole

human and financial resources to effectively execute their mandate, yet the public expects them to ‘serve and protect!’”

Given what the acting Chancellor observed as it relates to the case file not being completed in a timely manner although charges were instituted, smacks of gross incompetence, negligence and an abdication of duty by those prosecutors, Cole said. “A failure to do so will occasion an environment of mediocrity and an attitude of unprofessionalism which can be scientifically observed in our court system.”

Guyana’s small population has been hit with the growing epidemic of human trafficking cases, with statistics demonstrating that some 156 cases were recorded for 2018 alone. Out of the 156 persons that were assisted, some 93 were transferred to shelters and similar agencies for additional support.

This trend has continued into 2019, with some eight cases reported in less than two months.

For this, provisions were made for other countries and entities to contribute in these investigations. To date, Guyana has recorded eight cases of suspected trafficking in persons.

Some 45 victims were identified in Guyana.

Government recently worked with the International Organisation for Migration to repatriate one victim who was recruited in Guyana but trafficked to a Caribbean country.

The GPF has also played a role in locating trafficked persons and preventing such incidents.

In its 2018 TIP Report, the United States (US) State Department noted that although the Guyana Government meets the minimum standards, it did not provide adequate protection and shelter outside the capital, or for child and male victims. It said the number of trafficking investigations and new prosecutions decreased, and the number of successful convictions remained low.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rockstone is a scenic community tucked away along the banks of the mighty Essequibo River with a little over two hundred households. The community can be accessed from Bartica but the main access point is through Linden.

The residents of Rockstone survives on mainly farming as well as tourism. The village is also becomes the center of attention for the annual Rockstone Fish Festival. Here are some photos from the serene village.

travel & tourism 43

44 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Linden man facing attempted murder charge jailed for larceny

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w e n t y two-yearold Preston Skeete, a labourer of Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, will spend the next four years behind bars after being found guilty on two counts of larceny.

The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Wanda Fortune when Skeete made his final appearance at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

He was sentenced to two years in prison on the first count of larceny which stated that on April 7, 2018, while at Amelia’s Ward, he stole a cellular phone from

Shondel Frank valued G$20,000, a purse valued G$4,000 and G$236,000 in cash.

The items amounted to a total value of G$260,000 and were the properties of Shondel Frank.

He was also sentenced to two additional years behind bars on the second count which stated that on August 17, 2018, while at Lot 6043 Third Phase, Amelia’s Ward, he stole two gold chains valued G$168,000 from Felicia Seon.

Skeete is presently before the court on an attempted murder charge. That case is still pending.

Preston Skeete

Wanting to run…

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…without first crawling he RUSAL issue illustrates one of the challenges Guyana has to confront, since it’ll determine whether we’ll all sink or swim. There are many folks out there who’re totally oblivious – some deliberately so – to what it’ll take to really DEVELOP our country, even with oil money flowing. The country with the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela next door – and its refugees now swarming among us — should remind us oil doesn’t guarantee development.

The unions who’re “talking fat” – along with the Minister of Natural Resources, Trotman – about throwing out the Russians for “exploiting” bauxite workers, should remember that Russia supposedly led the world for not exploiting workers. As the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, all businesses – including mines – were owned by the state, supposedly on “behalf of the people”; so how could the workers exploit themselves??

But we know where THAT experiment went, don’t we? The same place where Burnham’s flirtation with non-exploitative cooperativism went – into the dustbin of history. It’s real ironic that the Russians of RUSAL, inheritors of the longest workers’ state in history — are being accused of practising “capitalist” exploitation of workers. The point of the matter is that our trade unions – and some of our leaders – forget that even Karl Marx, the fella who literally wrote the book on not exploiting workers – insisted that before you can practise socialism, you HAVE to pass through capitalism!!!

And of course he pointed out that capitalism meant exploitation. After all, he said, if capitalism depended on profits, and businesses followed the law of the jungle, where only the most profitable survived, then, OF COURSE, there would be exploitation!! The profits have to come from squeezing something more than your competitor – and that mostly means workers!! But no…these worthies, like Burnham, want to forget what their master taught them was the LAW of development and bypass the capitalist stage.

Your Eyewitness would like them to point out A SINGLE COUNTRY that is now “developed” – say, China, Singapore, S. Korea, etc. – that didn’t pass through a stage of “capitalist exploitation”. So back to RUSAL… they’ve got to compete in a global bauxite market against producers in Guinea and Australia, where, because the bauxite ore is practically on the surface, it is cheaper to mine because they don’t have to remove all that overburden.

So RUSAL has to squeeze somewhere, don’t they?

Meaning they can’t afford to have workers just walk off their jobs and halt production.

And shouldn’t the bauxite union have cleared up that ambiguity in its recognition to represent the workers?? Or should RUSAL not’ve used the “technicality”?

Why then not protest the Government claiming that 33 isn’t greater than 32?? …and crashing Trotman couldn’t have mouthed off about “throwing out” RUSAL without it being cleared by the PNC power brokers. After all, it was PNC General Secretary Amna Ally who started talking fat, wasn’t it?

Now, this isn’t just an academic matter – it might just signal that the PNC are going back to their roots and are again willing to kick out all those “capitalist running dogs”!! PNC leader David Granger has sworn to fulfill the “legacy” of “Founder Leader” Forbes Burnham, and surely it is no coincidence that Burnham’s first act after Republic Day was to nationalise the Canadian bauxite operations at Linden and the American’s in Berbice!

As union leader Lincoln Lewis indicated, bauxite workers are mostly African Guyanese, and the PNC feel they’ll support them in any (mis)adventure. But the PNC should look at the big picture – even as Granger as a historian should know — that history might just repeat itself.

After nationalising bauxite, the PNC couldn’t sustain production of even our unique calcined bauxite.

The industry crashed and 5000 workers lost their jobs. …in politics Your Eyewitness is quite disappointed with the new parties that’ll be contesting the next elections. Surely they’re not going to just be sending out press releases, will they?

What about pressing the flesh, kissing babies and the picong?

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

22nd death anniversary

Beware…

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…the Ides of March

he “Ides of March” was a medieval marker for the 15th of several months – including March – from where one could count how far in the month one had advanced. But the Bard, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, made it eternally famous when he had a soothsayer warn Caesar, “Beware the ides of March”, even as Caesar was surrounded by his closest friends, Brutus and Anthony, and was at the height of popularity, with the masses clamouring to make him king.

Well, for us in Guyana, we don’t even need a soothsayer to remind us that mid-March is going to be a very challenging period, as the PNC insists on trampling on our Constitution to threaten the foundation of our fledgling democracy – delaying free and fair elections to choose the next government. On March 12th, the Appellate Court will be announcing its decisions on the PNC’s second rearguard action to hold off the verdict of the Legislature to have the President and Cabinet resign and have elections scheduled on March 19 – 90 days after the NCM was successfully moved by the Opposition on Dec 21, 2018.

And so “The ides of March” falls smack in the middle of the 12th and the 19th, and we, the Guyanese people, will have to “beware”, because on the 12th March, the Appellate Court would have already certainly tossed out the PNC’s “cock and bull” plea that 33 is not the majority of 65! And on the 19th, the Government would’ve lost whatever legitimacy was left to continue with business as usual!

If the PNC were not the cheating bully it has always been, like other parliamentary democracies such as Britain and India, they would’ve already scheduled elections by March 19th, and been voted out.

But on the Ides of March, your Eyewitness believes the PNC could still try to bluff its way through – by going to the CCJ for a third opinion on the obvious – for clinging to office for another month or so. And this is where the Guyanese people have been forewarned to prevent the PNC from assassinating democracy – as Brutus had done to Caesar. But unlike Brutus, the Guyanese people have no reason to give the benefit of the doubt to the PNC, which has never been a friend to democracy.

If we do not head the PNC off at the pass by March 15, we don’t even have the excuse of saying, “E tu, PNC”, since they’ve never displayed anything but treachery and contempt for democracy.

By March 15th, we will have to gird up our loins and prepare to come out into the streets in our numbers.

To show the PNC we will not allow another dictatorship!! …of PNC’s misdirections The PNC should be reminded of the folk wisdom, “wha’ rain na full dew cyaan full”. Ever since the NCM pulled the rug from under their bravado (“Bring it on!!) they’ve been rushing here, there and everywhere doling out “goodies”. The Government newspaper has doubled its pages with advertisements of bids for building roads; centres; bridges; playgrounds; airports (including one for US$48 million!!); solar farms; and so on and so forth!! Christmas in March!!

Like Burnham, they’re now threatening to nationalise one bauxite operation – never mind that they eventually destroyed the bauxite industry with their inept management! To show how clueless they are, Raphael Trotman – who sold off the largest oil reserves of the decade for a pittance – took the visiting South African Dep Natural Resource Minister to visit the Bosai BAUXITE operations!!

Hello? SA has absolutely no bauxite mining!! But with gold, they’ve got the deepest underground mines in the world!!

Why not take them to Guyana Goldfields, which is now trying to mine underground?? …of emboldened thieves Khemraj Ramjattan and his Guyana Police Force have been trying to convince the Guyanese people – by trotting out massaged statistics – that they’ve got crime under control.

The break in at CID Berbice HQ, where all sorts of equipment were burgled, doesn’t help their cause!!

Dr Cheddi Jagan’s greatest achievement was the return of democracy – PPP

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he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Wednesday observed the 22nd death anniversary of former President and Founder of the PPP, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

In a statement, the Party said Dr Jagan’s death saw Guyana losing a great fighter, politician, statesman and human being and March 6, 1997, is a day that will forever be remembered as one of the saddest in the history of the country.

“Dr Jagan is regarded as the Father of the Nation for his relentless and selfless struggles against the colonial masters for Guyana’s independence. A struggle he led to free our people from colonialism, to improve their lives and to return democracy following the dark, oppressive period when our people were subjected to a brutal dictatorship for almost three decades under the [People’s National Congress] PNC regime,” the Party said on Wednesday.

The late President’s ideals and principles, it noted, are as relevant today as it was then, especially during this period owing to the total disregard for the Constitution of Guyana. “After about four years in office, the [A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change] APNU/AFC Government is swiftly pushing the country into economic ruin after 23 years of unprecedented prosperity under the PPP Government, started under Dr Jagan in 1992 and dubbed the “Return to Democracy”,” the Party said.

Dr Jagan’s greatest achievements, the Party added, would have been the return of democracy and the renewal of hope to all Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, gender, religion or class.

“Unfortunately, today, PNC-led Government impunity has returned, discrimination continues unabated and hope is once again fading into the sunset as it did dur-

ing those dark ruthless days of the PNC rule.”

Dr Jagan was a champion of the working class, the Party said, adding that he truly believed in equal opportunities for all – a fundamental ideal of the People’s Progressive Party.

“The PPP will not relent from its responsibility to represent the Guyanese people and to free them from the oppression that the current Government is foisting upon the nation.

Dr Jagan led the struggle, and it will be continued by our Party until Guyanese and Guyana can return to progress.

There are some who are bent on distorting our history in a calculated effort to diminish the outstanding contributions made by this Guyanese hero, but his work will live on and its relevance will remain firm in the hearts and minds of our people.”

Wreath laying Meanwhile, hundreds of persons turned out in Region Two

(Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Wednesday at Anna Regina to pay tribute to the late President and leader of the PPP. To observe his 22nd death anniversary on Wednesday, March 6, the Party held a memorial service at the Cheddi Jagan Play Park in Anna Regina where tributes, prayers, songs, and poem were done as supporters remembered the son of the soil.

In attendance were Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt; Regional Vice Chairman Nandranie Coonjah; MPs Cornell Damon and Nigel Daramlall; Deputy Mayor of the Anna Regina Town, Rudolph Williams; and other senior regional and party members.

During the ceremony, the speakers called for the upholding of democracy and fight for free and fair elections just as Cheddi Jagan did all his life.

A wreath laying ceremony concluded Wednesday’s activity.

48 Bollywood

Total Dhamaal box office collection: Madhuri Dixit starrer earns Rs 127 crore

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fter ruling the box office for two weeks, Total Dhamaal is finally showing signs of slowing down.

The film that has entered its third week at the box office earned Rs 3.20 crore on its third Tuesday, taking the total to Rs 127 crore. The Indra Kumar directorial managed to give tough competition to new releases, such as Luka Chuppi and Sonchiriya.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “#TotalDhamaal continues to be a big favourite in mass circuits… It is these sectors that will keep adding to a strong total, despite reduction of screens in metros… [Week 2] Fri 4.75 cr, Sat 7.02 cr, Sun 11.45 cr, Mon 6.03 cr, Tue 3.20 cr. Total: 127 cr. India biz.”

Overwhelmed with the success the film, Madhuri Dixit thanked her fans for all the love and support. She tweeted, “So overwhelmed with the responses received for #TotalDhamaal I still cherish the moments from the sets while shooting with @ajaydevgn @AnilKapoor @Riteishd & everyone.

It has been a rollercoaster of laughter & a crazy adventure. Thank you for all your love & Support.” Interestingly, Total Dhamaal marks the actor’s debut in Rs 100 crore club.

The film also marks the Rs 100 crore club debut of director Indra Kumar.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh

had earlier tweeted, “#Dil, #Beta, #Raja, #Ishq, #Masti, #Dhamaal…

Indra Kumar has delivered a string of hits… With #GrandMasti, he delivered his first 100 cr film and now, with #TotalDhamaal, Indu ji – as he is affectionately called – has again proved that he knows the pulse of the audience.”

While audience is thoroughly enjoying the film, Total Dhamaal did not receive good reviews from the critics.

The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave one and a half stars to the film but had words of praise for Madhuri and Anil Kapoor’s camaraderie.

“About the only people who prevent you from strangling yourself is the forever-bickering couple played by Anil Kapoor (motabhai, husband) and Madhuri Dixit (Marathi mulgi, wife).

They have an easiness between them which comes of long years of working together, and watching Dixit, unburdened from the weight of looking glamorous, reminds you of the powerhouse she used to be. These two deserve a film of their own,” she mentioned in the review.

Total Dhamaal also stars Ajay Devgn, Ritesh Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Mishra, Boman Irani, Jaaved Jaaferi and Mahesh Manjrekar.

(Indian Express)

83 movie: Harrdy Sandhu to play Madan Lal

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inger Harrdy Sandhu is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Kabir Khan’s 83. In the film, he will be seen as all-rounder Madan Lal who took all the important wickets in the 1983 World Cup Final.

Talking about his role in 83, Sandhu said in a statement, “Ammy Virk, who plays Balvinder Singh Sandhu in the film, along with another coach assisting the team, recommended me for the part. I have played cricket in the Under-19 team and the Ranji Trophy.

Kabir sir gave me seven days to prepare for the role before they could take the final call.”

To prepare for the role, the singer has been watching videos of former cricketer Madan Lal to adapt his man-

nerisms. Talking about Madan, Harrdy Sandhu said, “He was my coach then. I have spoken to him following my casting and will meet him in a day or two.”

Ranveer Singh will lead the ensemble star cast in 83. Apart from him, the film has Ammy Virk as Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Saahil Khattar as Syed Kirmani, Jiiva as Krishnamachari Srikanth and Pankaj Tripathi as manager PR Man Singh. Tahir Bhasin and Saqib Saleem will also be seen in the film.

The Kabir Khan directorial will trace India’s historic victory at the 1983 cricket world cup. It will be Ranveer’s first trilingual film to be made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. (Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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adla producer Shah Rukh Khan and actor Amitabh Bachchan are leaving no stones unturned to promote the Sujoy Ghosh thriller.

After releasing the first part of the Unplugged session, the Bollywood stars recently got together for another chapter of the interview.

And just like the earlier session, the second half of the tete-a-tete was all about light moments wherein Big B continued to pull Shah Rukh’s leg.

The clip began with SRK expressing how much he admired and looked up to the megastar and went on to play a video which he had made for Bachchan. Senior Bachchan returned the favour by playing a clip which he claimed he had himself put together.

The second video turned out to be a mix of all the comical things that Shah Rukh had ever done on the big screen.

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After the fun part, SRK got down to business and asked Bachchan the question on everyone’s mind – why does the superstar number his tweets?

The Shehenshah of Bollywood let out a laugh and explained that he does so in order to keep track of his posts.

However, the highlight of the episode was when the Badla star revealed that he was once mistaken for the Bhai of Bollywood, Salman Khan during the film’s shoot. Apparently, someone had shouted at him from a car, ‘Hey Salman Khan, how are you doing?’

When SRK asked Bachchan what did he do, the latter just shrugged and said that he waved back at them.

Badla, which also stars Taapsee Pannu in a pivotal role, will hit the big screen on March 8. The movie is an official remake of the Spanish film The Invisible Guest. (Indian Express)

anhvi Kapoor turns a year older today and cousin sister Sonam Kapoor took to Instagram to wish the Dhadak actor. Sonam shared a childhood picture of herself with Janhvi and captioned it, “Happy happy birthday baby jannu… all my love baby girl… keep smiling your gorgeous

shared a photo of herself enjoying the delicacies there and captioned it as, “Some dreams do come true!”. Her other photos from the visit went viral on social media.

Talking about her birthday plans, she told Mumbai Mirror, “There’s no better place for me in the world than a

smile.. @janhvikapoor.”

Sara Ali Khan also wished her contemporary Janhvi with a lovely photo.

She wrote, “Happiest Birthday Janhvi Kapoor. Have an amazing day and a wonderful year ahead.”

Later in the day, Janhvi shared a photo of father Boney Kapoor with a box of Nutties and wrote, “Best gift ever” along with it. She also thanked everyone for their love and blessings.

Janhvi Kapoor will be celebrating her birthday in Lucknow where she is shooting for her next, a biopic on Gunjan Saxena, one of the first woman pilots to fly in combat. Ahead of her birthday, the actor visited Kaashi and attended Ganga Aarti. She even

film set. My only wish is that I get the chance to do good work and make my parents (Boney Kapoor and Sridevi) proud.”

Janhvi Kapoor made her Bollywood debut last year in Shashank Khaitan directorial Dhadak, in which she starred opposite Ishaan Khatter. The film, produced by Karan Johar, was a Hindi remake of the acclaimed Marathi film Sairat.

She has a couple of films in her kitty which includes KJo’s dream project Takht which has an ensemble cast including Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Anil Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar. (Indian Express)

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ill Smith has signed up to play Richard Williams in the movie King Richard, Variety reports. Richard is the father of global tennis stars and sisters Venus and Serena Williams.

King Richard will be based on a script written by Zach Baylin and according to Variety, the film “will center on Richard Williams overcoming hardship, skepticism, controversy, and his own troubled past to instruct his daughters, starting when they were four years old on the tennis courts of Compton, Calif. — despite not having

a background in tennis.”

Tim and Trevor White are set to produce King Richard under the banner of Star Thrower Entertainment.

Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment company will also produce the film.

Will Smith, who recently opted out of the Suicide Squad sequel, is currently shooting for Bad Boys for Life.

He is also playing the role of Genie in Disney’s live-action take on animated classic Aladdin. He takes over the reins from the late Robin Williams. The film releases on May 24, 2019. (Indian Express)

Sherlock Holmes 3 delayed by a year, will now release in 2021

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he third film in Warner Bros’ Sherlock Holmes franchise will now release during year-end holidays in 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie was previously scheduled for release on 2020 Christmas.

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law will team up once again as the British detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr John Watson, respectively.

Guy Ritchie, who is helming the liveaction version of Aladdin, had directed the first two films. It is not known if he will return for Sherlock Holmes 3.

In August last year, Jude Law had revealed a few details about

the film while speaking to Entertainment Weekly. He said, “We hope to propel the story forward. As always, the essence of the story is their codependency. We’re going to examine — since it’s been several years since we’ve seen them — we’re going to play up the fact that they haven’t seen each other for a long time either.”

The last Sherlock Holmes film, A Game of Shadows ended with James Moriarty (Jared Harris) and Sherlock falling to their apparent deaths.

But the final sequence of the film revealed that Sherlock had survived. He added a question mark to “The End” that Watson had written while conclud-

ing his memoirs.

While the second film featured Sherlock’s archvillain Professor James Moriarty, the first film had him squaring up against Mark Strong’s Lord Henry Blackwood. Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the most adapted literary character ever and has seen numerous adaptations over the decades.

The BBC TV series titled Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, was a big success. Sherlock brought Sherlock and Watson to a contemporary setting as opposed to Victorian London these stories were traditionally set in. (Indian Express)

A

fter a long wait, HBO has finally debuted the trailer for the final season of Game of Thrones.

To say it is going to be grand will be stating the obvious. Much of it will centre around the war between the dead and the living and we expect epic showdowns as well as strong character work throughout the six (curtailed from 7 episodes from last season but reportedly feature length) episodes.

The last few seconds of the trailer are about the final battle between the living and the dead. The living (we see Brienne, Jorah and others) stand on a vast open space, perhaps before Winterfell, and in the final shot, a horse puts its hoof into view. It is a desiccated hoof and the horse is un-

dead. And riding it is a White Walker, though we do not see that.

To leave fans hanging at that point is an audacious movie by the makers.

It also promises a scale that will be similar to the Battle of the Morannon in the final Lord of the Rings film when Aragorn, Legolas and others fought hundreds of thousands of Orcs. It has been easy to forget during many battle scenes in this show that it is ultimately a television production since such has been the scope and quality of visual effects. But the Battle of Winterfell is clearly going to make everything that came before — including Battle of the Bastards and Hardhome — look puny.

This also explains why it took so long to shoot. (Indian Express)

Why is DC’s Shazam called the original Captain Marvel?

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aptain Marvel, the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, releases this Friday.

The superhero film is the first female-led film in the MCU and has Brie Larson in the main role as Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel.

But Carol is not the first person to be referred to as Captain Marvel.

Shazam, but it was actually Captain Marvel and it was the first character to bear that name.

DC execs saw a lot of similarities between Fawcett’s Captain Marvel and their flagship character Superman. They sued Fawcett and the publisher finally closed shop in 1953. DC Comics went on to acquire

That honour goes to Shazam, who is referred to as the original Captain Marvel.

How? Back in 2017, a little while after Zachary Levi was cast in the role of Shazam, James Gunn posted on Twitter that he agrees with Levi that Shazam is the original Captain Marvel, leading to the usual DC vs Marvel social media battles. But there is truth in that claim.

Billy Batson, which is Shazam’s real name, was created back in 1939 and is one of the earliest comic-book superheroes. But it was not under the DC umbrella then, and it was a publisher known as Fawcett Comics that published the first stories of the character. Also, its name was not

all the Fawcett properties in 1972, including the original Captain Marvel, but by that time Marvel Comics had released their own Captain Marvel (not Carol Danvers, but Mar-Vell, a Kree who becomes a superhero when he arrives on earth; his name gets corrupted to English ‘Marvel’) and had trademarked it. Fawcett had not done it and the name was thus up for grabs.

DC then decided to rename the character Shazam, based on the word the adolescent Bill Batson utters to transform into the adult, muscular superhero. Even under DC universe, Shazam still lives in Fawcett City, which became another one of DC’s fictional cities like Gotham and Metropolis. (Indian Express)

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CONCACAF Nations League Qualifiers prep…

Imran Tahir Jags team show positive to retire from ODIs after 2019 signs, but need more work – Suriname friendly set for March 16 World Cup

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outh Africa's Imran Tahir has decided to retire from ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. The legspinner, who made the announcement following his match-winning 3 for 26 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, has stated that he would still be available for T20Is, at least until the 2020 T20 World Cup. Tahir, who will turn 40 later this month and is contracted to Cricket South Africa only until July 31, said that the decision was taken with a "mutual understanding" between the board and him. He was not handed a contract for the 201920 season, which put a question mark over his long-term future in international cricket.

"I have always wanted to play in the World Cup," Tahir said in a statement released by CSA. "It would be a great achievement for me to play for this great team. I have a mutual understanding with Cricket South Africa and going forward I decided that I would finish at the World Cup, that is why I am contracted until then.

"After that, Cricket South Africa has allowed me to go and play around the world in various leagues but I would also love to play T20 cricket for South Africa.

I think I have the ability and can play a role in T20 cricket for South Africa. I am grateful for the opportunity."

Tahir has represented South Africa in 95 ODIs, taking 156 wickets at 24.56. He became the joint-fastest South African - Allan Donald and Morne Morkel being the others - to 150 ODI wickets during the match against Australia in Perth last year, achieving the feat in 89 matches.

It was during the 2011 World Cup that Tahir had made his ODI debut, in South Africa's opening match against West Indies in Delhi. He made a major impact in the tournament, finishing as South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 3.79.

He added that this move would also open up spots for other spinners, who according to him "need the opportunity".

"If you look at 50over cricket there's guys like (Tabraiz) Shamsi, (Aaron) Phangiso, Shaun von Berg, Dane Piedt... there are a lot of guys who need opportunity," Tahir said.

"I don't want to lose my spot. I have to work twice as hard, they are younger than me. I just want to be honest, I don't want to leave, but that's how it is. There is a stage in your life where you have to make big decisions, this is one of those big decisions, it is definitely the biggest decision of my life. I also feel there are a couple of good spinners in the country who need the opportunity. We are fighting for the same spot, but looking to the future, they will have more opportunities to play for South Africa."

Tahir has played 20 Tests and 37 T20Is for South Africa, besides being a regular presence in franchise leagues all around the world. He showed some of his best form against Sri Lanka on Sunday prompting his captain Faf du Plessis to gush: "That was the Immy of old, the Immy that has won us games single-handedly in the past. He's my go-to man in the middle. We need him to be on top of his game at the World Cup, so it was really good to see that (performance)."

(ESPNCricinfo)

he Guyana National Senior Men’s Team, commonly known as the Golden Jaguars, completed their third training match on Saturday last against Fruta Conquerors under the direction of Assistant Coach Charles Pollard, who said the match “had a lot of positives”, but he was disappointed with some individual performances.

This view was expressed following the match on Saturday at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre that ended 1-0 for the Jaguars, but saw the technical team focusing on specific technical and tactical areas.

According to Pollard, the team had a good first half and while there are areas to improve, the team’s attitude is encouraging: “I think we had a solid first 45 minutes. We were good with the possession percentage, but need to get the team to concentrate for

longer periods; this is an area where attention needs to be focused on.

I understand we’re asking the team to show something different, and I also understand that the learning process will take a while, but it’s a process we must engage.

However, the team’s attitude is great and that’s an important element.”

Meanwhile, a training match is scheduled against a Suriname Senior Men’s Team on

March 16 at 16:00h in Suriname.

“The match against Suriname will be a good test for the Guyanabased squad,” said Pollard. “The fitness level has progressed very well and is getting to the point required. I think the fitness coach has been doing a great job. I was very impressed with most of the guys’ fitness level in the weekend fixture.”

More details of

the scheduled training match with the Suriname senior squad will be disseminated during the week.

The training matches are part of the preparation for Guyana’s final CONCACAF Nations League qualifier against Belize on March 23 at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

Match time is 18:30h and admission will cost $1500.

Rookie Pooran hopes Gayle's advice pays dividends Nicholas Pooran

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okie West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran hopes advice from veteran Chris Gayle can help take his fledgling career to a new level.

The 23-year-old revealed he had a recent sit-down with Gayle who shared valuable insights, and he was now anxious to put those tips into action.

“I spoke with him [because] I love asking questions,” said Pooran.

“He's a legend of the game and I just wanted to find out how he did it for so many years, how he was consistent making T20 runs, 50 overs runs and [in] Test

cricket.

“He shared some things with me which I will always remember and I will try to use them in my game and hopefully they work for me as well.”

Pooran top-scored with 58 in Tuesday's opening Twenty20 International as West Indies slipped to a four-wicket defeat to England here.

He slammed three fours and four sixes in an entertaining 37ball innings, which helped the Windies get up to 160 for eight batting first.

Pooran has been in excellent form over the last year and pointed to the Caribbean Premier

League as a key to his recent development.

“CPL was a wonderful opportunity for me, getting to bat in different situations, getting to play against different players,” he said. “So that experience of CPL and [facing] different players helped me a lot.”

The half-century was Pooran's second in his last five outings for the Windies which has seen him average 59.

He said it was now important to maintain high standards.

“It's just for me to be consistent, whatever it takes. I have to be consistent in order to help my team win.” (CMC)

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Barbados, Trinidad among teams announced for upcoming tournament – Matthews to lead Barbados

Spin Queen Anisa Mohammed

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he fixtures of the upcoming Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional female tournament is expected to commence from March 17 to April 4. It will be a mega event that will feature all the best Women cricketers in the Caribbean with Guyana as host country.

Recently, Barbados and Trinidad are among the teams to announce their squads to tour Guyana to participate in the Regional tournaments. The matches will be played in two formats, T20 Blaze and Super 50.

Earlier, it was revealed that the venues considered to play these match-

es are the National Stadium Providence, Georgetown Cricket Club Bourda, Everest Cricket Club and Enmore ground is under inspection to host matches.

The T20 version of the tournament will be played entirely at the National Stadium Providence which will be played under the lights.

In the latter part of February, Trinidad and Tobago has announced a 14-member squad to play the CWI Regional tournaments in Guyana.

The team looks well-balanced with the experience Merissa Aguilleira leading the team. The team also features Windies Women’s stars in spin Queen, Anisa Mohammed, Britney Cooper, Stacy Ann King and Windies newbie, Karishma Ramharack.

Meanwhile, Barbados made their squad announcement in the past week; it was announced that Hayley Matthews

will lead the starstudded Barbados team. The Barbados team that will be coming to Guyana features six Windies Women’s stars in Shakira Selman, Deandra Dottin, Shamilia Connell and the Knight Twin sist e r s , Barbados Captain Hayley Matthews Kycia and put up a good show with Kyshonna. star players and enjoyIn the T20 Women’s ing home conditions. ranking Barbados’ The likely Shemaine Deandra Dottin is numCampbelle is expected to ber three on the batting be available to lead the charts while Matthew’s Guyana ladies. is in the top 20 of the The Guyana team top batters in the world. that played the Regional However, the Guyana tournaments in 2018 team that is yet to be in Jamaica includannounced is tipped to

ed Windies National players in Tremayne Smartt, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Akze Thompson, Subrina Munroe, Plaffiana Millington, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Mandy Mangru, Kaysia Schultz among others. (Brandon Corlette)

McCoy gets Georgetown Turf Club his chance! marks March 10 meet

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ricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has called up Obed McCoy for the second and third matches in the Sandals Twenty20 International Series against England.

McCoy, the 22-yearold left-arm fast bowler, replaces Andre Russell, who has been forced to pull out after a recurrence of a long-standing knee problem.

The left-arm fast bowler will join the squad in St Kitts, where the matches will be played on Friday and Sunday at the Warner Park. First ball daily is 16:00h (3pm Jamaica Time/8pm GMT).

McCoy, blessed with pace, control and one of the best slower balls in

the business, has long been seen as one of the most exciting bowling prospects in the Caribbean. He made his international debut in India in October and, while he has played just three First-Class games, impressed with St Lucia Stars in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and for West Indies B in the Global T20 Canada.

He played for the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI in the limited-overs warm-up match in Barbados in February and, having flown into St Kitts on Wednesday, is expected to be available for the final two matches of the T20I series against England.

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he Georgetown Turf Club will be catering to the appetite of horseracing fans especially on the East Bank of Demerara on Sunday, March 10, when it stages a meet at the Mocha Arcadia race track just after hosting a successful pre-Mashramani Gymkhana event. This meet is slated to commence at 13:00 hrs.

Racing promoter Compton Sancho has said the main goal is to reintroduce horse racing in Demerara County, since most horse racing events are kept in Berbice and it is costly for indi-

viduals to travel so far. The promoter disclosed that preparation has commenced on the track, with a few other renovating works that should be finished well before Sunday.

He noted that keen rivalry is anticipated between top horses Victoria and Red Jet. In their last meet, Red Jet was victorious, but Victoria has continued to show determination, and will be looking to level the score this Sunday.

The event will feature six races, in which the K/Class and Lower horses will be the feature event. Among the horses partici-

pating in the event are Victoria, Red Jet, Up Front, Early Bird, Something Special, Irish Boy, Rashel, Simpson, Dr Switch, Amazon Warrior and many others.

Sancho said, “I would like to thank the horse racing fans for their support; and the sponsors, for always coming on board and making these events a success.

We at the Georgetown Turf Club promise to keep horse meets as regularly as possible, so that people can be comfortable and enjoy horse racing in Demerara.”

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Time running out for South Africa batsmen as World Cup approaches F

ast bowling has been South Africa's talisman this season. On pitches tailor-made to suit them, the quicks have dominated both South Africa's engagements and the headlines, and amid fall-

seventh score of fifty or more in his last seven internationals that afternoon. "So I challenged myself mentally that when I get to 30s and 40s, I want to make big runs. And that mental shift is really the differ-

November, but he is averaging 25.33 in ODIs at home this summer.

Reeza Hendricks, 30.11.

Hashim Amla appeared to have turned a corner in the ODIs against Pakistan, but his numbers dipped again in the

Faf du Plessis

Quinton de Kock

ing batting averages the official line has been that as long as South Africa are winning, who cares if the runs aren't coming?

But a closer look at the numbers shows that while the feeling of a general malaise in South African batting at home is perhaps justified, all batsmen are not struggling equally. While others have floundered, Faf du Plessis has lead from the front as he seeks to transform himself from merely very good to great ahead of the World Cup. "Probably about a year or two ago, I wanted to transition from a good player to try and become a great player," du Plessis said after the second ODI against Sri Lanka, having made his

ence."

It's a marked difference. Du Plessis' crossformat average over his entire career is 43.71.

Since the 2017, he has scored his international runs at 49.08 with his ODI statistics - 1663 runs at 66.52, with two hundreds - most eyecatching of all over this period.

Sharpen the focus, and the numbers are even more impressive.

This season, du Plessis has averaged 51.00 in Tests, 37.75 in T20Is, and a whopping 88.66 in ODIs. His is a lead most of South Africa's top order is desperately seeking to follow. David Miller enjoyed spectacular success in Australia in

Tests against Sri Lanka, and the selectors seem to think he could do with some time away from the spotlight.

Aiden Markram, also not part of the current squad, has been breaking world records in the Momentum One-Day Cup, but his career ODI average is just 25.43, with a solitary fifty to his name, and when given chances this season his returns have come at 31.83. JP Duminy's shoulder injury has kept him out of action for the Proteas for four-and-ahalf months, and his return for the Cape Cobras last weekend lasted all of two balls.

The top order's numbers aren't all so iffy.

After years sharpening

his talents in various cricketing hinterlands, Rassie van der Dussen has arrived fully formed - and just in the nick of time for the World Cup - in international cricket, and he is averaging 91.66 after seven ODIs. That number must surely come down eventually, but van der Dussen has given himself the best possible start.

Quinton de Kock has also enjoyed a renaissance over the last few months, and like du Plessis, he has a shot at leveling up to achieve greatness. But the catalyst for de Kock's turnaround after a difficult 2018 is harder to pin down.

"My normal state of mind is to try and put the bowler under pressure," he said after his 94 in the second ODI. "Play the ball on merit."

De Kock burst out of the blocks with 12 fours inside the Powerplay on Wednesday, but insisted after the match that he hadn't set out to hit that

many, that there wasn't much of a plan. And that there usually isn't.

"I don't try and go at 100 miles an hour, to be honest," de Kock said. "It just happens. I don't go out there saying I'm going to try and tonk every ball for a boundary. I guess it just happens for me."

De Kock muddled his way through much of 2018, averaging a shade over 20 in Tests, and in the mid-20s across formats, but his see-ball, hit-ball approach has once again borne dividends recently. This season, de Kock has averaged 59.12 in Tests and 43.87 in ODIs, and across formats his run of international scores since South Africa got back from Australia reads: 94, 81, 86, 1, 80, 55, 83, 0, 33, 18, 129, 59, 45.

If there's anything to quibble about in those numbers, it's that de Kock has not converted as many of his innings into hundreds as he possibly might have - some-

thing he readily admits.

"Lately I haven't been converting these 80s and 90s into the bigger scores that I've wanted to, so I am quite disappointed," de Kock said after he fell six runs short of what would have been a 14th ODI ton on Wednesday.

"But going forward, my confidence is high." "[My plan is] just keep scoring runs. I'm just going to keep going with the routine I have.

It's doing well for me at the moment, so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. That's cricket for you. Every season you find something different that works for you."

Du Plessis and de Kock are striving for the same thing, but each has found a different method that works for them.

They're getting there, but as the World Cup countdown keeps ticking, time is running out for their team-mates to plot their own routes to success. (ESPNCricinfo)

Lennox Allen and NSC to the rescue of Pocket Rocket Gym

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tragic fire at the Linden Johnson Community Centre in Linden on Friday, March 1st, has most unfortunately gutted the home of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym; but recently crowned World Boxing Champion Lennox Allen and the National Sports Commission have come to the gym’s rescue.

Like a true Guyanese, world champion Lennox Allen needed only three days to mobilise his resources with the intent of getting the Pocket Rocket boxing gym back on its feet. “….so I reached out to him on Saturday, indicated to him what had happened in Region Ten as it relates to Pocket Rocket boxing gym. Within a short space of time, Mr. Allen was able to mobilise all the boxing equipment that you see before you, and it was sent to Guyana,” Director of Sport, Christopher Jones explained as he detailed the interaction between himself and Allen.

“So, today, we at the National Sports Commission are officially handing over these (pieces of) boxing equipment that have been made available by Mr. Lennox Allen”, he continued.

“Equally, the National Sports Commission will be providing addition-

Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon and Mr. Lennox Allen, the World Boxing Association's Super Middleweight Champion.

al gear, punching bags and so forth, (which) are needed so that the gym can

be back on its feet as early as possible,” Jones stated.

Aside from the donation of gloves, shoes, guards, bags and other equipment, the National Sports Commission is also working with officials in Linden to find a suitable building to house the boxing gym, Jones disclosed.

“Contact has already been made with Regional Chairman Renis Morian and Ms Bonita Primo at the CDC Region 10 with a view to (having) them identify a suitable location at which the gym could be restarted.

Currently, we’re looking at Block 22, there’s a multipurpose building there, and (there is) also the Christianburg Community Centre,” the Director of Sport disclosed.

Although still shocked by the questionable fire at the community centre, boxing Coach Orland Rogers was full of praise for Lennox Allen and the NSC, for their much needed and timely donation.

“Thanks to the National Sports Commission; Director of Sport, Mr. Christopher Jones; and Mr. Lennox Allen, our newest World Champion.

And I think this would be very beneficial for our youngsters, and they will come out back and start working heavily,” ‘Pocket Rocket’s Rogers stated.

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