Guyana Times International

Ramkarran to speak on Guyana’s democracy in Richmond Hill Page 21

INTERNATIONAL THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING October 1, 2017

ISSUE NO. 365

Dynamic Airways passengers forced to make other travel arrangements …as company ceases Guyana operations

See story on page 3

The contestants of this year's Miss Indigenous Heritage Pageant pose for a photo op. with Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs Valarie Garrido-Lowe The Pageant is scheduled for this Saturday (September, 30) at the National Cultural Center in Georgetown. (DPI photo)

Cashless Tolling at MTA bridges, tunnels from this weekend - NY Governor Page 4

‘We need your skills’ – President tells Diaspora in NY

Page 23

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Dynamic Airways passengers forced to make other travel arrangements …as company ceases Guyana operations

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assengers booked with Dynamic Airways are now forced to make alternative travel arrangements to arrive at their destinations as previously planned, as the company has now pulled out of the Guyana market.

Faced with bankruptcy and lawsuits which could force it to sell, Dynamic Airways is now in the process of closing all operations in Guyana.

According to local representative for the airline, Captain Gerry Gouveia, Dynamic is currently slowing down its operations, and has stopped selling tickets.

Gouveia has revealed plans to meet with officials of the US-based company to determine future plans. A number of travel agencies recently voiced concerns over

the cancellation of all Dynamic flights for the remainder of the year.

Airline representatives were tasked with calling up customers who were already booked to travel to alert them that they would need to make other arrangements.

A source told this newspaper that passengers are already demanding immediate refunds, but so far airline representatives are unable to say if and when these refunds will be processed. One source

told this newspaper that it could take as long as six to eight weeks.

One irate passenger who made contact with this newspaper to relay her concerns noted that she was booked to return to Guyana on October 2 from New York, but she was told that she would need to book with another airline since Dynamic Airways would no longer fly to Guyana. The seemingly upset woman questioned where she would get the money to do so since she did not bud-

get for such an expense as she had already paid to return via Dynamic Airways.

Another irate passenger who received a call from the airline regarding the same issue said that he would be demanding an immediate refund since he would have to purchase another ticket.

Dynamic had, earlier this year, announced that it had filed for bankruptcy with the United States Bankruptcy Court.

The voluntary Chapter 11 petition was filed by Dynamic Airways with the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of North Carolina.

According to the United States Court’s website, this chapter of the Bankruptcy Code generally provides for reorganisation.

Chapter 11 allows a debtor to propose a plan of reorganisation to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time. This includes the lawsuits

from Hajj flights that Dynamic operated in 2014 for Air India, and an arbitration award against Dynamic Intl., finding that the airline was in breach of contract by failing to pay commissions to BKP Enterprises in connection with the Hajj flights.

Just a month after filing for bankruptcy, one of the airline’s creditors had moved to the courts to force the airline to liquidate its assists after Dynamic owed some US$1.19 million. The creditor, PMC Aviation LLC of Greensboro, claimed in its motion for liquidation that Dynamic was suffering from millions of dollars of continuing losses, and that the debtor (airline) had been grossly mismanaged. Back in 2014, the airline had suspended its operation for four months.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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

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EDITORIAL

A democratic constitution for plural Guyana

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alk of “Constitutional change” continues to dominate political discussion emanating from several quarters in Guyana. But they seem to be placing the cart before the horse by focusing on their cause celebre in a vacuum, and not paying enough attention to the substantive values — encompassed by the omnibus term “democracy” — that constitutions and constitutionalism seek to implement. Democracy, however, like most value-concepts, can only be appreciated within its historical context and development. We must always keep in mind the historical specificity of all institutions. This is another point that the partisans of “constitutional change” studiously avoid in their utterances.

The political institutions of Guyana were directly imposed on Guyana by the European colonial powers – which since 1803 meant Britain. In Britain, the development of the democratic idea went hand in hand with the development of Liberalism; and for most Britishers the two were coterminous, especially during the phase of struggling for constitutional government. They are not, and the famous distinction by F.A. Hayek is apropos: “Liberalism is concerned with the functions of government, and particularly with the limitation of all its powers. Democracy is concerned with the question of who is to direct government.

Liberalism requires that all power, and therefore also that of the majority, be limited. Democracy came to regard current majority opinion as the only criterion of the legitimacy of the powers of government.”

As we trace the development of democracy, which the British insisted should be practised by Guyanese, it would do us well to keep in mind the distinction occasioned by the exigencies of the British experience. Western constitutionalism arose out of the struggle for personal freedom and escape from arbitrary political will. Guyanese should certainly resonate to this struggle.

Constitutionalism is a foundation stone of Liberalism, and defines a political scheme in which law, rather than men, is supreme.

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

But the Constitution must address the specificities and peculiarities of our social circumstances, and this we avoid. Unlike Britain, we are the paradigmatic “plural society”, where the culturally defined various groups were differentially integrated into the power relations, steering our politics in a pattern of ethnic mobilisation within “democratic” rules of governance set by the constitution. Unfortunately, the premises of the political system and its Constitution still reflect the biases of Liberalism, in which the supposedly rational individual engages in a variety of roles, and belong to a multitude of organizations and groups whose several interests are “cross-cutting”. The individual makes decisions based on the particular role he is playing when he confronts the given issue. In his political role as a voter, therefore, he makes a “rational” choice based on the position a given party takes on the issues before the electorate. Even if all voters do not conform to this ideal, there are enough who do to constitute a pool of “swing” votes for which all parties compete.

As such, while there will always be blocs of voters who vote “traditionally”, there will also always be a substantial bloc of “undecideds”. This situation creates a centripetal, moderating effect, and the parties line up on a continuum on the issues.

Since these swing voters may always change their minds, the majority is always careful to be respectful to the minority. The essential principle is audi alteram partem – hear the other side. Additionally, the multiple membership in organisations that creates the cross-cutting cleavages help to ensure that the party out of office still has other avenues outside of the explicit political institutions for ensuring that their views are considered by those in power.

But with our entrenched ethnic voting, the challenge for the “constitutionalists” is to accept that changes in political behaviour will only occur after changes in political consciousness.

To assume otherwise is to engage in spinning wheels.

President David Granger attended a reception in New York where he met and exchanged views with members of the Diaspora. (In photo: President Granger is greeted by Barbara Atherly, Consul General of Guyana in New York, whilst Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow, Permanent Representative for the Guyana Mission to the UN looks on. (DPI photo)

Cashless Tolling at all MTA Bridges and Tunnels from this weekend - Governor Cuomo

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overnor Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday announced that the installation of Cashless Tolling at all MTA Bridges and Tunnels will be completed this weekend - three months ahead of schedule. The final two crossings to implement Cashless Tolling, the Bronx-Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges, will no longer be accepting cash beginning at 3 a.m. on Saturday, September 30, a release from the Governor’s office said.

“The completion of Cashless Tolling on the remaining two bridges marks a significant milestone in Governor Cuomo's comprehensive plan to reimagine New York's transportation infrastructure for 21st century travelers. The benefits of this technology are already making it easier for New Yorkers to get where they need to go, with improved traffic flow, reduced congestion and decreased commute times” the release added.

"Open road, Cashless Tolling is critical to modernizing our roadways, easing congestion, and reimagining our transportation system for the 21st century economy," Governor Cuomo said.

He added that transitioning MTA bridges and tunnels to Cashless Tolling not only improves the safety of motorists, it reduces carbon emissions and helps further our efforts to provide a greener and more modern New York for all.

Originally announced to be completed by the end of 2017, open road Cashless Tolling will be fully implemented on Saturday, September 30 at all MTA bridges and tunnels - three months ahead of schedule.

The following bridges and tunnels are complete and no longer accept cash: Henry Hudson Bridge - November 20, 2016 Hugh L. Carey Tunnel - January 4, 2017 Queens Midtown Tunnel - January 10, 2017 Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge - April 30, 2017 Cross Bay Veterans Bridges - April 30, 2017 Verrazano-Narrows Bridge - July 8, 2017 Robert F. Kennedy Bridge - June 15, 2017 Throgs Neck Bridge - September 30, 2017 Bronx-Whitestone Bridge September 30, 2017 As a result of accelerated construction announced by the Governor on June 12, and the interagency team, composed of the Governor's Office, the Department of Transportation and the MTA to oversee expedited construction -

the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, which was scheduled to be completed on October 31, will have Cashless Tolling live a month early on September 30.

The acceleration of construction also resulted in an early Cashless Tolling Go Live date for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, moving the completion date from November 30 to July 8, 2017, and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, moving the Go Live date from August 31 to June 15, 2017.

According to the Governor’s office, before Cashless Tolling, drivers would spend more than 6,400 hours per day waiting to pay tolls at MTA crossings and wait up to 1 hour and 45 minutes in cash lanes every month. With the implementation of Cashless Tolling, commuters are projected to save up to 21 hours of drive time every year, conserving over one million gallons of fuel and saving customers $2.5 million each year in fuel costs, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 million pounds.

Between January and August 2017, drivers at MTA crossings with Cashless Tolling have saved: Over 2.1 million total hours of travel time; Up to 14.4 hours of travel time per driver; Over 970,000 gallons of fuel, which equates to over $2.4 million in savings at recent average regional gas prices; and 19.0 million pounds or 9,503 US tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

"The accelerated schedule we undertook to bring Cashless Tolling to all of our facilities in 2017 underscores the MTA's commitment to meeting the standards set forth by Governor Cuomo and the needs of a growing City," said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota.

"For our customers, not having to stop at toll booths will allow for a smoother, quicker, and more continuous commute across all of our crossings," Lhota added. At all MTA bridges and tunnels, sensors and cameras suspended over the roadway on structures, known as "gantries," read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images, so vehicles no longer have to stop and pay tolls. Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged. Vehicles without E-ZPass have their license plate recorded and a bill is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. E-ZPass tags should be mounted inside the vehicle's front windshield.

To ensure that all users of MTA toll facilities pay their fair share, a series of enforcement measures are in place to tackle toll payment evasion and chronic toll scofflaws. Customers who do not

pay their tolls are subject to violation fees, registration suspensions, and other enforcement actions. Late fees accrue if an initial toll bill is unpaid, and if a second notice is also ignored, violation fees of up to $100 per toll violation may be imposed.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has enacted regulation that allows suspension of the vehicle registration of motorists with three or more unpaid tolls, violation fees and other charges resulting from violations on different days, as well as registration suspension of commercial vehicle owners with $200 or more in unpaid tolls and violation fees within a period of five years. Repeated notices are sent before eligibility for suspension.

All drivers are encouraged to visit MTA.info/E-ZPass to sign up and save 30-50 percent on MTA tolls. E-ZPass "On-the-Go" tags will continue to be sold until September 30 in all cash lanes at the Bronx-Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges. Tags cost $30, come with $20 in prepaid tolls, and have a $10 refundable deposit, which is waived if the tag is linked to a credit card or bank account for automated replenishment. E-ZPass tags can also be purchased at local DMV offices and at the New York Transit Museum Store.

E-ZPass customers are encouraged to sign up for Mobile Alerts to receive email and/or text messages of important information regarding their E-ZPass account. Notifications are sent for low balances, failed payments, successful replenishments, increased replenishment amounts, and payment method expirations. Customers can login to their account at www.ezpassny.com, go to Account Profile, and opt-in to Mobile Alerts. Customers must have an email address and/or cell phone number listed on their account.

For drivers who don't have E-ZPass and drive through a Cashless Tolling facility, the registered vehicle owner will receive a Toll Bill in the mail. Drivers who receive a bill can pay it online at the Tolls

by Mail website, by mail, over the phone, or in-person, and payment options include check, credit card, bank account, or cash. Customers who call **826 from most mobile devices will receive a text with a link to the Tolls by Mail website and information on how to set up a Pay Toll Now account that can be used by rental car customers.

For additional information on Cashless Tolling and E-ZPass, visit MTA.info/cashless or call 1-800333-8655 (TOLL).

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Judge’s ruling on GECOM Chair confirms President’s interpretation of Constitution invalid- Jagdeo

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cting Chief Justice Roxane GeorgeWiltshire has handed down a written ruling in the months-long debacle surrounding the appointment of a chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and has in the process essentially thrown out the public pronouncements and interpretations held by Head of State, David Granger.

The written ruling was handed down on Tuesday last by the acting Chief Justice and was subsequently welcomed in part by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) when Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo weighed in on the matter.

Justice George has essentially ruled that when rejecting names nominated by the Opposition Leader, the President must provide reasons for each person rejected and all of the names submitted by the Opposition Leader do not have to fall in the category of Judges.

The acting Chief Justice in ruling on whether the list of persons nominated by the Opposition Leader must include a judge, a former judge or a person qualified to be a judge found the answer to be in the negative.

Addressing media operatives at his Church Street of-

fice on Wednesday, Jagdeo made it clear that based on the ruling, the persons nominated by himself “do not have to be in any of these categories: Judges, former Judges or (eligible) to be appointed Judges”.

On the question of whether the President is required under the Constitution to supply reasons as to why the names have been rejected, Jagdeo, in pointing to the ruling, observed that the acting Chief Justice found the answer to be in the positive, “yes, he has to give reasons”.

Speaking to whether the President is obliged to select a person from the six names supplied, unless he has determined positively that the person is unacceptable as a fit and proper person to be appointed, again the Chief Justice ruled in the negative.

“So even if the President finds individuals who are unacceptable to the list, it does not render the entire list unacceptable,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader reminded that President Granger’s public utterance was “I have to find all six acceptable before I even consider the list.”

The former President did indicate to media operatives

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George Wiltshire

that there was one ruling addressed tangentially by the acting Chief Justice which the PPP could very well appeal in the future since it would have implications for future appointments.

He was speaking to the ruling, which essentially says if the persons on the first list are not found to be acceptable, then the President could go ahead and appoint a person from the category he identified, namely Judges, former Judges or persons eligible to be appointed Judges.

In the acting Chief Justice’s ruling, it was

pointed out that her interpretation in this case was simply academic, since there have already been requests on the part of the President for subsequent lists.

Jagdeo has already submitted three lists, the latest still under consideration by the President and according to the Opposition Leader, he is yet to receive any communication with regard to a decision made.

That matter was not raised by the Opposition or the Attorney General, but rather by the Guyana Bar Association which had submitted that the Constitution only contemplated one list to be submitted after which the President must make an appointment.

“It seems as though even APNU’s interpretation and ours coincide that more than one list is contemplated.”

He said the question was “whether we would allow this to stand as a ruling, because if it does then it, unless it’s explored fully, it may influence in the future the choice of a chairperson for GECOM.” He suggested that should the ruling stand, the President could in future request a single list and if none were found acceptable, he would go right ahead and

appoint someone unilaterally.

“I believe personally that that is a bit worrisome; that interpretation for the future,” said Jagdeo.

As such, he indicated that the Party would be discussing further with its lawyers “to see whether we will join others in challenging that interpretation that there should be one list”.

In light of the written ruling handed down by the acting Chief Justice, Jagdeo did indicate, “I am hoping that the President (David Granger) reads this carefully and that his advisors will now guide him accordingly…I hope that he understands now that the interpretation that he had, that all of the persons had to be acceptable to him before he even contemplates choosing someone, that interpretation is now untenable (invalid) in the face of a ruling from the Chief Justice.”

The former President did express some optimism that the ruling by the acting Chief Justice would bring about some sense of conclusion to the months-long debacle stemming from the President’s obstinate positions on his role in the appointment of a GECOM Chairperson. (Gary Eleazar)

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jagdeo need not respond to Guyana can well become a attempts to discredit his saviour to Caribbean residents tremendous accomplishments Dear Editor, It has become necessary to underscore the fact that a new trend seems to be developing, wherein persons wishing to etch their names in the public psyche latch onto a prominent individual in society — whom more often than not these days is former president and current Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo – an art that some could argue has been perfected by newspaper columnist Freddie Kissoon.

A recent iteration of this has been evidenced in a recent letter penned by Saieed I Khalil, headlined, “Jagdeo is no Lee Kwan Yew” and published in the September 19, 2017 edition of the Stabroek News.

The letter writer attempts to discount Jagdeo’s stewardship of Guyana’s economy, and credit our country’s consistent economic progress under his tenure to favourable global conditions.

Students of economics at least should possess the basic understanding that global conditions alone do not translate to economic progress, even when those global conditions are favourable; which is why our leaders are tasked with advancing policy direction to enable future and sustainable growth.

Guyanese did not enjoy more than a decade of economic progress under Jagdeo and the former PPP/C Administration because of favourable global conditions; they did so because of the careful planning on the part of Jagdeo and the PPP/C. One only has to look at the letter writer’s own arguments to understand this.

Khalil contends that: “Oil prices are now lower than they have been in more than a decade…the US economy is in the middle of an eight year long upswing, and stocks are 235% higher than they were in 2009.” Yet, what is our current economic position? Where are the foreign direct investments? Where are the jobs? Where is wealth being created for average Guyanese? What is the position of our foreign exchange? These are only a few of the many criticisms voiced about the current APNU+AFC Coalition Administration’s management of the local economy.

The reality is that, despite the favourable global conditions cited by Khalil, Guyana is not doing well, due to the lack of coherent economic policy from the current Government – a vastly different state of affairs compared to the policies put in place by Jagdeo and the former PPP/C Administration.

The letter writer also fails to recognise that there has to be a profound analysis of several inter-related issues, including several major transformational projects, to improve the general understanding of the economic situation at that time – as opposed to the simplistic expression Khalil offers.

What Khalil does is ‘name drops’ disparate and unrelated economic concepts, including mention of the global financial crisis, in an attempt to lend depth to his supposed analysis. He also mentions the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), but it must be noted that there is no analysis of the ERP that is offered, nor is there an acknowledgment of the fact that the ERP, by its very nature, exposes the situation that the former PPP/C Administration took over in 1992. Khalil states only that “the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), a package of reform measures overseen by the late President Desmond Hoyte to ease the economy away from decades of debilitating ‘cooperative socialism’ and towards a market oriented economy, was beginning to pay dividends. Guyana went through an ERP because the country was bankrupt

– a fact acknowledged by then Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, who said that 153 per cent of revenue was being used to service debts at the time.

Guyana having to go through an ERP sets the starting point of what the then PPP/C Administration inherited from the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Khalil goes on to say that Guyana received “roughly US$1 billion aid package from the European Union granted in compensation for the impending 36 per cent cut in the preferential price for Guyana sugar heading to the bloc.”

The reality is that Guyana only received US$138 million – nine times less than what Khalil claims.

Interestingly, this ‘student of economics’ could not differentiate between US$1 billion and US$138 million. That said, there are fundamental transformative moves that can be directly credited to Jagdeo and the former PPP/C Administration, including the facts that: 1: A bankrupt country was transformed to a country that was the most viable in the Caribbean. If Khalil was analyzing a trend, he would have recognised this fact.

2: All the macro-economic fundamentals advanced by the PNC had been transformed from unsustainable to ones that are highly conducive to growth and development.

3: The biggest single constraint to growth was debt, which was substantially reduced.

4: Guyana was moved beyond stabilisation to a growth era.

5: Growth areas were identified to create the wealth for the future. Oil and gas were one of those. Also, in pursuit of the said growth areas, the Low Carbon Development Strategy was one of the most transformative and progressive in the world, which led to Guyana being recognised globally.

6: And Guyana was leading in CARICOM with an initiative that had Jagdeo’s name on it – an initiative relative to food security. Jagdeo was chosen by Dr Cheddi Jagan to head the Committee to draft the National Development Strategy. In his tenure, he advanced the NDS, the Poverty Reduction Strategy, and the Low Carbon Development Strategy. He was selected as one of the young global leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2005, and served as the Vice Chair of the ACP Eminent Persons Group. He was also appointed by the UN Secretary General to the High-Level Advisory Group on Mobilizing Climate Change Resources.

He was selected by the Summit of Heads of State, held in Congo in 2011, as the Roving Ambassador for the Three Forest Basins. He was named as IUCN High Level Envoy for Sustainable Development in Forest Countries and Patron of Nature in 2012. He was the First President of the Green Growth Institute Assembly (2012-2014), a newly formed international organisation based in Korea.

Time Magazine had named President Jagdeo a 2008 ‘Hero of the Environment’. The United Nations, in 2010, declared President Jagdeo as one of its ‘Champions of the Earth Awardees’. As recent as 2016, he was chosen as the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Special Ambassador on Forests.

All considered, Jagdeo need not respond to a poorly constructed attempt to discredit his accomplishments, as well as those of the former PPP/C Administration.

Sincerely, Adrian Anamayah, MP Attorney-at-Law

Dear Editor, As a young journalist working for the Barbados Nation newspaper in the 80s, I was sent to cover the aftermath of the very devastating Hurricane Hugo, which wreaked havoc in Montserrat in the summer of 1989.

It was the morning after when we got there. When we landed at the main John A. Osborne Airport, after riding in the belly of a British C110 aircraft out of Barbados, we were dumbfounded.

I tried to hold ‘my own,’ but it came gushing out in torrents of tears after my editor (a tall hulk of a man) Timothy Slinger began crying. It was a horrifying sight; the island was in a mess. It looked like there had been an island-wide fire; everything was brown. There were no leaves on any tree. Nothing was in place. Cars and household furnishings were scattered in the valleys. People walked the roads aimlessly. I immediately began shooting pictures. When I returned to Barbados with my pictures, the front page picture in our newspaper was with a little boy – maybe 10 years old – sitting on a three-threaded concrete stair with nothing behind him. He was digging, with his hands, hard coconut jelly from a coconut that had blown off a tree during the storm.

That was his breakfast. He told us that where he was sitting was his home. There was nothing but the concrete steps remaining. The blue horizon framed his background.

We drove from the airport into the capital of Plymouth behind a frontend loader that was lifted by helicopter off a British ship. The machine was pushing the boulders out of the way to make the roads accessible. That was my first trip to Montserrat.

Then, in 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano, in the southern part of the island, came alive. Because of my previous affinity with the island, I was assigned to cover that story. I would visit that island several times between 1995 and 2000.

I was there when the initial major eruption happened and claimed its first victims – some farmers who had ventured beyond the safe zone to

take care of their cattle. The constant belching of plumes of ash and sulfur would eventually make the southern parts of the island uninhabitable. I saw two-thirds of the island’s population being forced to flee, some to surroundings islands, but most to the UK. The United Kingdom lays claim to the island. There were fewer than 1,200 people left on the island. Today the numbers are slowly creeping up.

No doubt, the recent spate of hurricanes will retard that momentum.

I have lived in Barbados and have been a witness to several hurricanes and tropical depressions. And with the latest uptick in these destructive weather patterns, I am wondering if life in the Caribbean will not make a formidable turn.

Could it be that if the globe continues to warm – which is a catalyst for the most deadly and destructive storms – the islands will (like Montserrat) become sparsely populated? The Bible speaks of an eventual disappearance of islands; could this be a foretaste?

Guyana – if only because of our sizable land mass and English language – can well become a saviour to the Caribbean residents. We need to begin to think in these terms. We were long the laughing stock of the Caribbean. However, our new-found brush with oil wealth and the prevailing and predicted weather patterns might very well position us as a proverbial “rejected stone” that becomes the “head of the corner”.

Of course we can benefit from the mental acumen and the entrepreneurial skills of our fellow Caribbean sisters and brothers. We can benefit from their assistance, particularly in the areas of tourism and offshore investments. Maybe there should be a nonpartisan committee established to begin to explore ways of offering Islanders terms and packages that will lure them to Guyana as financial investors. I think that we need to strike the nail while it is hot. There is a proverb which says, “He is wise who does now what he will eventually be asked to do.”

Pastor W. P. Jeffrey

It is shocking how indifferent Govt Ministers are to the needs of people Dear Editor, Every report I have received from Guyana is one of “it has never been this bad economically.”

Only last night in my conversation with a senior Guyanese Private Sector official, he alluded to the fact that in one of his conversations with the ordinary people (in this case some Parika boatmen), they expressed much despair about their economic future. They are increasingly seeing a life of destitution and financial depression under this Granger regime.

But while the Ministers are ignoring the plight of the ordinary people from their temporary sand castles, it is shocking how indifferent they are to the needs of the people. The fact remains the people were patient for two years and have given this increasingly incompetent Granger regime the benefit of the job; but it seems to get worse by the hour in Guyana. If one read scriptures especially the book of Ezekiel in the Bible, such a situation is written about. That sacred text outlined such ignorance by the rulers and it defines the cause such ignorance as nothing else but plain old greed. Can we understand now why

the entire tender procedures are being trampled upon by key players in this Granger regime on all sorts of projects? Where are the so-called men of good governance like Nagamootoo and Ramjattan?

Misusing our oil related assets and for that matter any assets will only devour the future of our women, our children and our underprivileged. And we all know what happens to society when those classes of people are devoured. The facts remains that every day that goes by, these gross untruths from the Granger regime seems to be getting persistently more regular. And we all thought that the leader of the pack was a kneeling and prayerful man? Well we now know and therefore it is our duty to oppose, expose and depose.

But more help is needed especially from the righteous religious community leaders. They cannot continue to be silent on these incidents of pillage and misrule by the unrighteous rulers. Silence from the religious leaders is nothing but an unholy cover in the face of this political and economic oppression. continued on page 7

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

It is shocking how indifferent Govt Ministers are to the needs... from page 6

The plain truth remains Minister Patterson does know what he is talking about when he spoke about the awarding of oil blocks in Guyana. Slice it and dice it how you like; the fact remains Minister Patterson made a mistake in his public utterance but so far in an aloft manner has refused to correct the records which has now established that his words were furthest from the truth.

The empirical evidence clearly illustrated that all of the offshore oil blocks were not allocated, so it was a gross untruth on the part of Patterson to attempt to represent otherwise.

The truth remains and the GGMC records reveals that 100 per cent of the offshore oil blocks were NOT distributed. There is still the Pomeroun Block, the important block next to the oil rich Stabroek Block (which I understand is earmarked for development by a consortium that included front companies for two Government Ministers), the block about 250 miles North of Berbice next to the Canje block and the two near-shore blocks outside of the Essequibo and Demerara coast.

When a Minister swears to carry out the function of the office, he does so with an understanding that he shall act ethically and with integrity. We the people must be prepared for an increasing amount of untruth, financial mischief and plundering of the Treasury over the next two years. But our response must be firm but peaceful resistance against the oppression. Silence is not a choice anymore.

Regards, Sase Singh

Rio Convention

Stakeholders updated on US$2.3M climate change project A

s the world moves towards achieving the 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Guyanese stakeholders were on Tuesday updated on Guyana’s status with regards to the implementation of policy objectives under the 1992 Rio Convention. The stakeholders gathered at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown and were given an overview of the status of the US$2.3 Million Rio Convention Mainstreaming Project.

Several countries, including Guyana, had signed onto the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development which among, other objectives, seeks to curb using harmful materials to the environment. It is generally accepted that these restrictions will reduce the devastating impacts of climate change.

Project Coordinator Michelle Klass explained that the mainstreaming project will be guided by four components which include institutional reforms, bringing educative awareness to the project and to formulate laws in keeping with good environmental practices.

She highlighted that component one looks at strength-

A section of the gathering on Wednesday during the update on the Sustainable Development Goals

ening institutional capacities while component two focuses on the technical capacities. Component three of the project is geared at engaging in dialogue which highlights the value of the Rio Convention whereas part four deals with updating the national capacity and self-assessment of the project.

Meanwhile, Director of the Department of Environment within the Ministry of the Presidency, Ndibi Schwiers, said the project is using local consultants only. She also outlined some of the goals the initiative hopes to achieve which includes improving the way in which information is obtained.

“It is our expectation that by the end of this project,

progress would be made is strengthening both technical and institutional capacities in collecting and managing data and information in facilitating legislative reforms and in establishing a data monitoring and management system,” the Department’s Director observed.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State Joseph Harmon called on international partners to commit to the Rio and Paris Climate Change Conventions.

“We have recommitted ourselves to the Rio Conventions on climate change and we continue to ask and promote the climate change conventions which have been signed and we wish to ask those countries that have not committed to the Paris Agreement to rec-

ognise what is happening in the world and to take a very firm step in ensuring that we commit resources to be able to work in a better way so that the impact of these disasters like the hurricanes can be lessened,” Harmon implored.

The Rio Convention Mainstreaming Project is co-funded by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Guyana Government. It was disclosed that some G$387,000 of the project’s budget was already expended for this year, which reflects nearly 20 per cent of the total funds available.

The project commenced in late 2016 and will conclude by 2020.

8 news

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

6-yr-old dies tragically Visitor arrivals skyrocket in playground accident during July/August in Guyana

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Dead: Glensean Skeete

Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), school boy was tragically killed on Wednesday after a metal goal post fell on him at the community centre, where they were practicing for the upcoming school athletics.

Dead is six-year-old Glensean Skeete, a pupil of St Paul’s Primary School and of Lot 10 Graham Street Plaisance. The incident occurred around midday at the Industry/ Plaisance Community Centre Ground.

Guyana Times International was told that around 10:00h on Wednesday, a group of pupils from the primary school had gone to the ground to practice for the upcoming inter-house sport when the tragedy occurred. They were accompanied by two teachers.

It was reported that during the practice session, Skeete and another male student were reportedly swinging on the metal (football) goal post, when it uprooted and fell, hitting the child in the head.

He reportedly sustained severe head injuries. As such, he was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by teachers in a critical condition. The

six-year-old subsequently succumbed despite efforts by doctors to resuscitate him.

The boy’s mother, Stacy, who is nine months pregnant, was too distraught to talk to the media. She broke down in tears at the hospital and had to be whisked home after she became hysterical.

At the house, close relatives and friends gathered to console the woman, who could be heard repeating “I want Glensean…I don’t want to live anymore.” The grieving woman lamented that she did not want the boy to go to the practice session since he was not going to the actual school sport but the lad insisted on going.

Meanwhile during a brief interview, the lad’s grieving father, Glenroy, related to reporters that he was at work when he received a call to go to the hospital.

“When I left, I go and meet her (his wife) at the hospital and she was in tears and so on. Because I go after, I didn’t get to see him,” the man recalled, saying that he too was told that his son was pinned under the collapsed goal post.

The distraught father went on to described Glensean as a fun and loving child. “He was my one and only son, a real good child…Up to this morning (Wednesday), he went to pick up dunks and he bring and give me…he always joyful, always make me happy and he was always by my side,” the grieving man said.

The body of six-year-old Glensean is currently at the GPHC mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination, which is expected to be done on Friday.

He leaves to mourn his parents and seven siblings with one on the way.

Meanwhile, a visit to the community centre showed that the football goal post was not properly secured into the ground, hence it uprooted after the children were swinging on it.

Nevertheless, the Education Ministry, whose officials including Chief Executive Officer Marcel Hutson had visited the family at the hospital, said it will continue to engage Glensean’s parents.

It added that psychosocial and other support will be provided to the family, teachers and students of St Paul’s Primary during this difficult time.

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he Caribbean P r e m i e r L e a g u e (CPL), the sporting franchise that has evolved into the Region’s signature sporting bonanza annually and the growing interest in Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector have seen the number of visitors to the country skyrocket.

Arrivals at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for August 2017 set an unprecedented record of 34,796 passengers, surpassing the 2012 figure of 33,367.

Additionally, arrivals for the first eight months rose seven per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2016.

According to management of the CJIA Inc, “The increase can be positively attributed to the Guyana leg of the Caribbean Premier League tournament and a number of entertainment activities held during the month; increased tourist arrivals, additional business travel due to the expansion in the oil and gas and mining (sector)”.

Substantive Minister David Patterson, commenting on the increased arrivals, said: “Overall, 2017 is another strong year for us with business and tourist travelling demand levels steadily increasing due to the sound business policy and enabling environment created by our Government.”

According to Minister Patterson, Government continues to pursue sev-

eral carriers to assist with the additional influx of visitors.

“High on the list of priorities is a carrier to ply the South AmericanGeorgetown market and both legacy and low-cost carriers for the North American market,” the Minister further stated.

While New York remains the largest key market, there has been an upsurge in other destinations such as Cuba and Panama.

Meanwhile, upon completion of the new Arrivals Terminal building, with the inclusion of several facilities and amenities, the airport’s capacity will be greatly augmented and strengthened, significantly impacting passengers’ experience.

The US$150 million project was scheduled to be completed within 32 months of its commencement in 2013; however, that deadline was extended to December 1, 2017 since the project would have experienced several delays.

In 2011, Guyana, under the People’s Progressive Party, had secured a US$138 million loan from the China Export-Import (Exim) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation

project, for which the Guyanese Government has injected some US$12 million. The Project commenced on January 16, 2013.

When the coalition Government came into power in May 2015, the project was put on hold, but following discussions between Public Infrastructure Minister Patterson and the contracting company, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC), it was announced that the project would be continued but at a downgraded scale.

The original designed expansion was the extension of the runway from 7,500 ft to 10,800 ft to accommodate the Boeing 747-400 aircraft along with doubling the aircraft position from four to eight; installing eight passenger boarding bridges. Also 300 cameras were to be installed to boost the CCTV system. However, the modified version is expected to yield two air passenger boarding bridges for arrival and departure; a 450-seating departure area, escalators and elevators in addition to its extending runway catering for larger categories of aircraft.

Drunken minibus driver placed on G$500,000 bail for pensioner’s death

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he allegedly ‘drunk’ minibus driver involved in the Herstelling public road accident which claimed the life of Basil Rambarran, an elderly pedal cyclist, was released on G$500,000 bail after his arraignment before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Seekumar Singh of Soesdyke Back Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who was represented by defence attorney Lloyd Conway, pleaded not guilty to the offence, which alleged that on September 19, 2017 he drove minibus BLL 3749 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Rambarran.

Reports reaching this publication indicate that the accident occurred at

Seekumar Singh was released on $500,000 bail

about 16:45h on the day in question, as Rambarran was heading home from work. According to Police reports, the minibus driver was heading towards Timehri when the cyclist crossed the road in the path of the oncoming minibus and the collision resulted.

Singh was subsequently arrested when he failed a breathalyser test that found in excess of the

legal limit of alcohol on his breath.

The fallen cyclist had succumbed to multiple injuries, according to a post mortem report.

Rambarran leaves to mourn his common-law wife, two daughters and grandchildren, among other relatives and friends.

Singh was placed on bail in the sum of G$500,000 and ordered to return to court on October 13, 2017 for continuation of this case, before appearing in another court to answer to a traffic charge of driving whilst having consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol.

However, that charge was withdrawn and discontinued against the defendant when the Magistrate found the particulars to be ambiguous.

(Paula Gomes)

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Two charged for brutal T murder of 13-yr-old

Opposition calls on procurement commission to investigate drug bond ‘scandal’

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Hillary Edwards

Omardai Christopher

he two men who have been accused of sexually assaulting and killing a teenager on the East Bank of Berbice were on Wednesday remanded to prison for the capital offence of murder.

Hillary Edwards and Omardai Christopher appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that between September 17 and September 23 at Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice, they murdered Leonard Archibald.

They were, however, charged separately.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Godfrey Playter told the court that the Police needed more time to complete the file and as such, Magistrate Moore granted the required time and set December 8 as the next court date.

The matter has been transferred to the Sisters Magistrate’s Court.

Christopher is being represented by

Attorney Arudranauth Gossai, while the number one accused Hillary Edwards was unrepresented.

As the duo left the courtroom, a crowd gathered to get a glimpse of the men.

Reports are on September 17 they lured the 13-year-old to a house where theylived and allegedly sodomised him. After the teen lost consciousness, he was bound and thrown into the Berbice River allegedly by the men.

Two days later, Police arrested the two and on Friday last, they reportedly got a confession detailing the gruesome act, which was allegedly committed in a house three lots away from the Sisters Police Station.

One week after Archibald went missing, his body was discovered at the Khotbradt foreshore three villages away in an advanced state of decomposition.

He was laid to rest on Wednesday.

“Cash Money” found with ganja

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n Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) man, called “Cash Money” was on Tuesday nabbed at a bar with a quantity of marijuana.

Reports are the man was at a popular bar named Cus-Cus, located at Henrietta village on the Essequibo Coast, when ranks swooped down on him based on information received. The man, who was recently released from jail, at-

tempted to escape when he noticed ranks approaching him.

He was subsequently arrested and a search revealed four small Ziploc bags containing leaves, seeds and stem in his right side front pants pocket.

He was then taken to the Anna Regina Police Station where the illegal substance was weighed and amounted to four grams. Charges will be instituted soon.

he Opposition P e o p l e ’ s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has for the second time approached the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), this time calling for an investigation into a contract inked between the Public Health Ministry and a known financier of the coalition Administration for the use of a Sussex Street, Albouystown house as a storage bond for drugs and medical supplies.

The formal request was made by former Minister within the Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill, who on Monday wrote to PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin, indicating that the political Opposition was demanding “a definitive pronouncement specifically addressing if this award was done in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner according to our procurement laws.”

The former Government Minister wants the Procurement Commission to investigate specifically how a contract for a bond for the storage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies was solesourced from an entity that did not own and/ or operate such a facility and further “how was the company’s primary director, Larry Singh, made aware that a drug bond was needed”.

Given the argument presented by the Health Ministry in defence of the contract –Edghill is also looking to ascertain “who made the decision to sole source and under what

The Sussex Street, Albouystown house that was used as a storage bond for drugs and medical supplies

circumstances; what was the emergency referred to by the Minister”; and how Linden Holdings Inc was engaged to ink a contract.

Among the other concerns listed in the request for an investigation, the Member of Parliament is questioning why the contract stipulated rental of “office space” and not rental of a pharmaceutical bond and whether the price was fair in terms of market value for similar facilities.

A Cabinet SubCommittee investigation had recommended the contract be re-negotiated since there were other facilities which could provide the service at a cheaper cost.

The Member of Parliament, in his list of queries to the PPC Chairperson, also questioned whether taxpayers were in fact receiving value for money on the G$14.5 million monthly arrangement.

The Public Health Ministry had also indicated that the facility adhered to World Health Organisation/ Pan American Health Organisation (WHO/

PAHO) standards for facilities used for the storage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies; as such, compliance has been listed among the concerns.

Edghill is also asking the Procurement Commission to investigate what breaches took place in the procurement process and to identify any recommendations for remedial action and preventative measures for its re-occurrence.

On August 23, 2016, an unsigned copy of the contract was released to the public which illustrated that the rental contract was, in fact, for “office space” and not a bond for the storage of pharmaceuticals.

Edghill recalled that the issue with the Sussex Street bond facility came up for the first time in the National Assembly on August 8, 2016 when the Committee of Supply examined the supplementary provisions requested by the Government for money for several State agencies and projects.

After multiple questions were asked and concerns raised in mid-Au-

gust 2016, Minister Raphael Trotman, according to reports from the Department of Public Information, disclosed that a sub-committee was appointed by President David Granger and comprised himself as the Chairman, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. The committee, after a review, recommended that the contract be renegotiated.

During the debate on the 2017 Budget in December 2016, a parliamentary delegation accompanied by the media visited the bond and found condoms, lubricants and some unused refrigerators, but no pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

With no further action by the Government, on January 16, 2017, following the news of Minister Volda Lawrence taking responsibility of the Public Health Ministry, the PPP/C repeated its call for the ‘drug bond’ contract to be rescinded.

To date, the Ministry continues to rent the Sussex Street facility.

10 news

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rape, murder of Berbice Govt altered new Demerara River bridge contract to favour Houstonteen could have been Versailles location – Teixeira averted - Child care head

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CCPA Director Ann Greene

s Guyana observes Child Protection Week 2017, the country remains in outrage over the recent case where a teenager was lured away, sexually assaulted and murdered in Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice.

In light of this, Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) Director Ann Greene has spoken out against gruesome attacks on minors, noting that it was a wakeup call for communities.

This is as the Agency is of the belief that persistent intervention by residents in the area could have prevented the fatal outcome.

Reports revealed that 13-year-old Leonard Archibald, of Brothers Village, was allegedly sodomised and dumped into the Berbice River while still alive, by two allegedly known child predators residing within the area.

Reports are residents in proximity to the location of the attack recalled hearing screams,

but failed to report the incident.

In an interview with Guyana Times International on Tuesday, Greene indicated that the CCPA has commenced consultations relating to the matter and in doing so, the Agency has met with the family of the now dead teen.

Given the reluctance to alert the authorities despite being alarmed by the screams, the Director posited that the tragedy could have been averted.

On that note, she lamented, “We could’ve gotten a better outcome for this child had the community been more involved and understand their roles and responsibilities. If you know of a predator in your community, that person must be identified, monitored and pushed to the criminal justice system.”

Responding to comments that reports were made, all of which were to no avail, Greene argued, “Even if you say

you reported to the Police, you best keep reporting this thing until action is taken. Here is where people can come out and stand up at the Police Station demanding action.”

Adding to her calls for intervention at the community level, the CCPA Director is also urging families to be more vigilant as it regards the welfare of their children. In fact, she noted that they must not only go into protective mode for the females, but attention must be paid to the males as well.

With the Berbice incident in mind, Greene reiterated that it was a wakeup call for communities and thereby emphasised the need for families, and by extension members of communities to be more invested in the protection and well-being of children, and to even be persistent when necessary.

As such, she underlined, “We got other children out there and we got to use “out of evil might cometh good”. It is a wakeup call for other communities. You know something, you best say something. You best keep reporting until action is taken. You have a responsibility to keep the children in your community safe.”

Meanwhile, the warning by the CCPA Director coincides with this year’s theme for Child Protection Week, “Partnering with families and communities for positive outcomes for children.”

An artist’s impression of the vehicular flyover at Versailles, West Bank Demerara

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utch consultant LievenseCSO, who was hired to undertake a feasibility study for the new project with an initial design, found that by moving the bridge to the Houston-Versailles location some 2.2 kilometres north of the current Demerara Harbour Bridge, it will in fact attract significantly more traffic when it comes to oceangoing vessels.

More traffic

In order to allow for smaller vessels such as trawlers, the bridge will as a result have to be constructed with a clearance height of 17.5 metres, close to 60 feet above the high tide water level.

The consultant has documented in the findings of the feasibility report, “the main conclusion regarding river traffic is that the location strongly influences the river transit numbers”.

According to the findings, if the bridge will be positioned at Houston, the number of trawlers passing will be high.

But, with a bridge at the New Hope location, the number of oil tankers would be min-

imised and no trawlers at all would pass under the bridge, the consultant said.

As a result of the 17.5m elevation in the bridge, the approach roads will have to be constructed with an ascending angle of at least six per cent.

This means the height of the bridge necessitates a lengthy approach road complete with vehicular flyover, instead of what currently obtains at the existing bridge.

The price tag identified in the feasibility study will include only a first phase for the approach roads meaning Government will have to foot the bill for the accompanying road network in order to use the bridge.

Altered contract

This past week the political Opposition again questioned the rationale behind the selection of the HoustonVersailles location.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Gail Teixeira told media operatives that information coming to light suggested that the company had been asked to amend the Terms of Reference of the contract in favour of that location.

Teixeira was at the time speaking during a press engagement at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

According to the PPP/ Civic Chief Whip, “in fact, part of the change in Terms of Reference, which we have not seen, or the contract, or the Terms of Reference of the contract that this Dutch company had, that in the process the Government started to change what the feasibility study would look at.”

Teixeira pointed out that the feasibility study – as was the case with the prefeasibility study undertaken under the previous Administration – was commissioned to research three sites.

This, she said, has not been contested and is in fact the official pro-

nouncement on the project; “however, at some time in this process, the Government amended, seems to have amended what were the terms of the contract for the feasibility study”.

The parliamentarian told media operatives that the consultant was instead directed to focus on the HoustonVersailles location, and “there are many questions why that would have been so”.

According to the PPP Chief Whip, there is no evidence of any public disclosure that the contract had either been terminated and renewed, or the original contract amended.

Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo has publicly said the location was chosen in order to have the bridge land at a property owned by coalition financier Stanley Ming in order to see Government paying him yet-to-be disclosed ‘compensation’.

Jagdeo has also railed against the cost of the project which the consultant pegged at US$170 million.

The hidden costs, however, have also been raising eyebrows in recent weeks, such as the likely US$80 million that will have to be added to the overall price tag for the accompanying road network.

Even more hidden costs that are expected to see the price skyrocketing even further and will in fact reorient the entire Demerara shipping passages.

According to the Dutch consultant, in case the bridge is positioned at Houston, it would affect the nautical procedures between the present harbour limit and the existing bridge alignment.

In the case of the river channel used by oceangoing vessels, a bridge at Houston will mean that the nautical procedures and ‘lead lines’ in the harbour area shall also have to be redesigned to ensure safe shipping.

news 11

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana needs Sex Offenders Registry – activist

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n wake of the heinous rape and murder of Berbice teenager Leonard Archibald, a noted child rights activist is reiterating her call for Guyana to introduce a Sex Offenders Registry in the hopes of keeping other at-risk children safe.

According to social worker Nicole Cole, who is a member of the Women and Gender Equality Commission (W&GEC), there is a pressing need for the implementation of this Registry. She stressed the need for the court to process cases more swiftly, citing two recent convictions.

“There were two rape convictions earlier this year; we can start with those two….one is a Pastor who raped a sixyear-old girl in 2007 and the other raped another child in 2010…both were convicted in 2017.”

“More so, child rape cases should be given special attention by the courts. Why must a child wait seven to 10 years for justice? (So) yes, there is need for a Sex Offenders Registry to keep a record of sex offenders.

Children are being violated (partly) because of systematic weaknesses.”

Rights activists have long pointed to the ab-

Guyanese to be jailed for firebombing Muslims, Hindus in NY

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Nicole Cole

sence of a Sex Offenders’ Registry in Guyana.

According to the United States Department of Justice, sex offenders’ registration and notification programmes are a system for monitoring and tracking sex offenders following their release into the community.

The registration provides important information about convicted sex offenders to authorities and the public, such as the offender’s name, current location and past offences. It describes this system as important for public safety purposes.

There are even sex offender websites, which help to notify communities of the presence of a sexual deviant in their midst.

ome five years after going on a fire-bombing spree of mosques throughout southeast Queens, a 45-yearold Guyanese man is expected to be jailed for 20 years after he recently pleaded guilty to the hate crimes against Muslims, whom he claimed back in 2012 were “trying to take over his life.”

The Times Ledger reported on Friday that acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron said he would sentence Ray Lazier Lengend, also known as Suraj Poonai, a resident of Queens Village, to 20 years and five years post-release supervision for first-degree arson as a hatecrime when he returns to court on September 28, according to the Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

“In pleading guilty, the defendant has admitted to carrying out a vicious, hate-filled attack that endangered scores of people,” Brown said. “In a single night, this individual filled glass bottles with gasoline to make crude Molotov cocktails, and then tossed them at five buildings. His targets ranged from private dwellings to houses of worship – endangering those within the buildings as well as the firefighters called to respond to the scene. This kind of intolerance and hate will not be tolerated in Queens.”

In pleading guilty, Lengend claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which he used Molotov cocktails made of Frappuccino bottles filled with gasoline to attack mosques, a deli, a private res-

Ray Lengend being escorted by an NYC Police Officer

idence, and a Hindu place of worship.

In early January, Lengend drove to a gas station in a stolen rental car, where he purchased the provisions for his attack before heading off to a mosque at 89-89 Van Wyck Expwy. He hesitated to perform the task because of a Police presence near the house of worship, and instead torched a nearby deli at the corner of Hillside Avenue and 179th Street, according to the criminal complaint.

Lengend immediately drove back to the mosque, where 80 people were praying at the time, and threw one of the Molotov cocktails at the front entrance before fleeing.

Lengend’s blitz attacks did not end there. He went to a home

near 107th Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard, which he attacked before heading to Elmont, L.I., where his brother-in-law lived.

The Molotov cocktail he threw at the house, however, did not explode, and he moved on to the next target.

A house at 170th Street and 88th Avenue which was used as a Hindu temple was next on the list of targets, according to the criminal complaint.

The suspect was later arrested and kept at Bellevue Hospital’s psych ward, where he was arraigned by teleconference.

In statements to the police, Lengend said the goal of the attacks was to inflict as much damage to Muslims, Hindus and “Arabs” as possible.

12 news

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

IDB’s credibility now at stake Cocaine disappears from Police Headquarters ...several ranks under close arrest in light of ‘procurement fraud’ ­Teixeira S …says highly suspect contract could lead to criminal charges

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira

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ow that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has indicated that the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) had funded the Feasibility Report for the G$146 million New Demerara River Crossing, that international financial institution is being called on to make a public statement on the matter, in light of the different pronouncements being made.

The People’s Progressive Party, on Friday, through its Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, made the demand of the IDB in light of its reputation and adherence to procedures—procedures that Teixeira insists appear to have been flouted by the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

Teixeira on Friday met with members of the local press corps, along with Member of Parliament Bishop Juan Edghill, to call on the IDB to make public its involvement in the entire sordid affair which is now mired in controversy.

“The credibility of the IDB is now at stake,” Teixeira said, as the Members of Parliament questioned how exactly the Public Infrastructure Ministry came to know of the Dutch consultants it eventually paid to undertake the study.

Bishop Egdhill, in questioning the choice of the company and how the ministry came to know of the company, pointed out that the company was not even interested in providing an Expression of Interest in the project when the ministry first advertised for the feasibility study.

Patterson, in what was described as a knee-jerk reaction to a publicised complaint and call for a formal investigation to be done by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), had issued a public statement which essentially confirmed that Government did in fact hand-pick the Dutch consultants.

According to Patterson, with funding from the IDB, the ministry advertised the Consultancy for Feasibility Study and Design for the new Demerara River Bridge, and 22 entities expressed their interest.

Twelve of the 22 firms were subsequently shortlisted, but according to Minister Patterson, only two submitted bids; and of the two submissions, only one firm had a valid bid, albeit the firm’s bid price exceeded the US$800,000 budget.

He said, too, that concerns were also raised on the technical level.

Minister Patterson said the Public Infrastructure Ministry subsequently made the decision to annul the process in May, following permission from the National Procurement and Tender

Administration Board (NPTAB) and the Finance Ministry.

The Opposition has since demanded the minutes and documentation verifying all of what Patterson has claimed, including the authorization issued by the NPTAB. In demanding the minutes of meetings and other pertinent documentation, Edghill also demanded the evaluation report for the company to undertake the project, and questioned against which companies the report was compared, since the process had been annulled in the first instance.

Teixeira, in addressing the matter on Friday, firstly pointed to the fact that had the PPP not complained very publicly to the Procurement Commission, the information divulged by Patterson would not have seen the light of day.

She was adamant that the Administration has never made public the fact that it had discarded the original tenders for the project, and had in fact instead hand-picked a consultant.

Pointing to the Administration’s penchant for retendering for projects—a situation which has led to the abysmal implementation of any of its annual budgets—she said there is no record of a contract being awarded to any company, including the Dutch consultants that eventually prepared the report.

According to Teixeira, the explanations given by Minister Patterson have simply mired the contract in even more controversy, and make the contract even more highly suspect. “And in my view, (this) could lead to criminal charges,” she expressed. Teixeira said that by Minister Patterson’s own admission, he is making the situation worse, and she pointed to the fact that his public statement is the first to implicate the IDB in the process.

As such, Teixeira told media operatives, “If this is so: that the IDB was funding the feasibility study – and, at this point, we can’t believe anything the Government is saying, because we are now being overloaded with lies, in a sense — if that is so that the IDB is funding it, what is at stake now is the credibility of the IDB.” The Opposition Chief Whip was adamant, “It is important for the IDB to say, ‘yes,’ they were funding this project; two: that they approved this process.”

She recalled that the IDB has its own procurement laws, which would dictate that the matter cannot be simply transported to the level of Cabinet.

Teixeira reminded that, before the Cabinet is allowed to have a voice in the matter, the NPTAB must first write to the IDB, which would then decide on approvals before it can be transmitted to the Cabinet for its no objection.

Insisting that the local procurement laws had been flouted, the Opposition Chief Whip was quick to also point out that she was not in any way attacking the Dutch company, but rather the process used by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Teixeira, in writing to the Public Procurement Commission calling for an investigation, had pointed out to the constitutional body that part of Guyana’s international obligations under the Inter-American Convention against Corruption was to ensure that there was transparency and accountability, in order to enhance public trust and confidence, particularly in respect to the public procurement process.

everal members of the Police Narcotics Branch are now under close arrest following the disappearance of close to two kilograms of cocaine from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

The cocaine was tendered as evidence against 31-year-old Travis Mendonca, who was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a trafficking in narcotics charge.

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has confirmed that an investigation was launched by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

He also told media operatives that the cocaine was discovered missing on Tuesday evening, but did not go into details. The acting Top Cop was reluctant to divulge any additional information other than an investigation was underway.

This publication understands that while

Cocaine mule: Travis Mendonca

the State won the case against Mendonca, investigations were ongoing to determine who else might have been involved in attempting to smuggle the illegal substance out of Guyana, since the Police had issued a wanted bulletin for another person.

Following the bust, Police had issued a wanted bulletin for 27-yearold Delvor Bunbury of Lot 37 Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. His name was reportedly called during the investigation.

Bunbury was implicated in a similar incident back in March.

He, along with another

Wanted: Delvor Bunbury

person, was charged for narco possession. A police officer, Louie Dublin, was also charged in connection with the matter.

Two Mondays ago, Police intercepted Mendonca, who was travelling to the United States. Police stated that during a search of the suitcase belonging to Mendonca, 1828 grams of cocaine was unearthed.

The suspect, of Kara Kara, Linden and Ozone Park in Queens, New York, was taken into custody and narcotics trafficking charges were instituted. He was arraigned for narco possession and sentenced after he pleaded guilty.

Gaming authority overstepped bounds – Auditor

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s the silence on Sleepin owner Clifton Bacchus’ second casino licence application continues, an audit firm is arguing that the Gaming Authority overstepped its jurisdiction when it requested backdated, personal tax information.

According to Nigel Hinds, of audit firm Nigel Hinds and Associates, it is only the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that can access such information. Hinds in a missive on Saturday took the Authority to task for its request.

“The casino licence application was made by an incorporated entity on April 5, 2017. Yet Mr Bacchus’ personal Income Tax returns are requested.

It seems to me that the Board of the Gaming Authority has acted beyond the remit of the Gaming Authority Act,” Hinds said, adding that according to his understanding of the law, it is only the GRA that has a right of access to an individual’s tax return. He added that the only other person that can make such a request is the President of Guyana.

Sleepin’s Church Street branch has been making preparations for quite some time to set up a casino. Under the law, only three casinos are allowed in each administrative region in Guyana. For Region Four, Ramada Princess has one, while another has been earmarked for the Marriott Hotel at Kingston. Sleepin has sought the third one. With a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), made with the previous Government being cast aside by the coalition and after being rejected initially by the Gaming Authority, Bacchus had reapplied for a licence.

It is understood that the Gaming Authority had requested additional financial information. Bacchus had said that this would be provided to go along with his application to the Gaming Authority.

Hinds in his missive questioned the reasoning for the Gaming Authority to request seven years of tax returns for SleepInn International Hotel and Casino, when it was only incorporated in 2015. According to Hinds, the casino license application clearly states this.

Hinds said that at the core, these are all the primary requirements needed to comply with the Gaming Authority Act, for approval of the casino licences. He also questioned whether individual tax returns were requested from the directors and shareholders of oil giant ExxonMobil, which has launched a major investment in oil and gas off Guyana’s shores.

Tax laws

Restrictions on other entities accessing confidential tax information were made clear in a March 2017 court ruling in favour of GRA, against the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

SOCU was at the time carrying out a money laundering investigation and had requested the information as part of its probe. But the tax agency had stood its ground, arguing that it had an obligation by law to protect such information.

It is understood that after being served with documents to produce the information, pursuant to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/ CFT), GRA approached the courts to vary, set aside or even discharge the order. According to Section 4 (1) of Guyana’s Income Tax Act “Every person who has any official duty or is employed in the administration of this Act shall regard and deal with all documents, information, returns, assessment lists and copies of those lists relating to the income or items of income of any person, as secret and confidential, and shall make and subscribe a declaration in the prescribed to that effect before a Magistrate.”

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Murdered Berbice teen laid to rest

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he Berbice, Region Six teen who was raped and murdered was on Tuesday laid to rest.

Leonard Archibald, 13, went missing last week Sunday, after riding ahead of his three sisters he was accompanying home from a birthday party in the neighbouring village.

He was captured and sodomised and when he lost consciousness, he was bound and thrown into the Berbice River along with his bicycle.

The two men of Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice have since admitted to the heinous act.

At Tuesday’s funeral, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) Chairman

The funeral service for 13-year-old Leonard Archibald

David Armogan called on residents to take back their communities from rogue elements, who have been terrorising residents mostly as a result of drug use.

According to Armogan, social problems have led many youngsters and even adults to turn to drug use, which in term makes them commit acts that are mostly illegal.

He said child abuse is one issue but the bigger picture will be to look at the root cause. Many at this point in time are focusing on the symptoms of the problem rather than the cause. He referred to that as surprising the sore while the disease remains.

Nevertheless,

Armogan called on all to condemn the act which resulted in Leonardo’s death.

Armogan said the entire country was shocked at the events which unfolded and which led to the discovery of the missing teen’s body.

“Our region should not be known for these kinds of things. Our region should be a peaceful region where people are free to walk around and people are free to move as they like. I do not think it had anything to do with the fault of the child or the fault of the parent. I think the parent did all that that they can to protect their child and the child did all he can to protect himself but in the circum-

stances, there was a depraved mind. I believe that a normal human being cannot commit such a crime,” Armogan said while suggesting that the alleged perpetrator must be a “depraved man.”

M e a n w h i l e , President David Granger expressed condolences to Leonard’s mother, Abigail Archibald, his siblings, other relatives, and friends.

In a statement from the Office of the President, the Head of State said he was deeply saddened to learn of the death of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald, under such tragic circumstances.

Meanwhile, also speaking at the funeral service was Social Worker Rickford Ward, who called on all to unite in the fight to make the community safer. He said that the community allowed the situation to develop until murder was committed, noting that they did nothing when they should have

been acting.

“We all should help to protect our children and also to help him to be reformed from his evil ways… If we as a community do not take firm, serious action to prevent a reoccurrence of what has happened here, it will continue.”

On this note, Ward called on the Social Service Ministry to get into action.

Young Leonard was laid to rest in the neighboring village of Lansdale and leaves to mourn his mother, father and nine siblings.

The men who have since confessed to luring, sexually assaulting and killing the teenager are expected to appear in court sometime this week. (Andrew Carmichael)

The funeral service was well attended

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Guyana exports 7,500 tonnes rice to Cuba White rice being loaded in the vessel’s hatch, for shipment to Cuba

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fter exporting its last shipment of more than 400 tonnes of white rice to Cuba back in 1999, Guyana is ready to ship rice to that Caribbean island again. The shipment of approximately 7,500 tonnes was expect-

ed to leave the shores of Guyana on Tuesday, and arrive in ALIMPORT, Cuba this weekend.

This action follows an announcement made by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) of possible exports to the country.

General Manager (ag) of the GRDB, Allison Peters, said it has been close to two decades since rice was exported to Cuba.

“This is the first shipment to Cuba since 1999, when the MARDS rice milling group sent about 400 tonnes of white rice to Cuba at a price of US$345 per tonne”, Peters said.

Representatives of the Cuban firm ALIMPORT and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) were present to witness the loading of the rice, which was done at the Muneshwer’s Wharf in Georgetown on Monday.

Reynaldo Aguirre Labora, who is purchasing the rice on behalf of the Government of Cuba, said there has always been the need for quality rice to be sourced. This is one of the main reasons for the purchase of Guyana’s rice.

“We always make tenders. We look for better conditions for rice, the better quality; so we found that with some Guyanese exporters, like Nand Persaud, we can have a good, reasonable relationship with Guyana itself. It’s a Caribbean country, it’s very close to Cuba, so it’s very convenient,” the representative said.

According to Peters, the GRDB plays an integral role in ensuring that product quality is maintained. “The Guyana Rice Development Board is responsible for the quality, and we will also do fumigation. And we are confident with our preparations, so we don’t expect any issues with the rice being loaded here or on arrival in Cuba.”

The ALIMPORT representative said more shipments to Cuba can be

expected. “We are confident that this will be the beginning of a longstanding relationship. We trust also in the Guyana Rice Development Board, and they show they are very serious in handling the quality of this shipment,” Labora noted.

The GRDB Head concluded that the shipment deal is the first part of an existing contract between Guyana and Cuba for rice to be traded between the two countries.

“There is a contract with this company for rice to be sent to Cuba.

So this is the first part of that contract, and we hope that another one will be sent soon… Not only the Government of Guyana would do contracts, but also private investors, who are constantly looking for buyers with good prices to purchase rice.”

This consignment follows the first shipment of rice to Mexico, in July 2017. More markets continue to be sought for the export of seed paddy and rice in the near future.

Paddy production for the first crop of 2017 was recorded at 518,667 metric tonnes. It is projected that local rice production will increase by 1.3 per cent for 2017.

Beleaguered rice farmers, are mostly eking out a living by cultivating plots less than 10 acres in size, after the rice industry declined following the 2015 elections. The loss of the Venezuelan market for 200,000+ tonnes of rice and paddy annually was a serious blow to Guyana’s rice industry and the nation as a whole for a number of reasons.

There was firstly the size of that market – absorbing fully one-third of our exports. Secondly, there was the price of US$780/tonne that was almost double that of the world market price.

Third were the terms of payment which were tied to the PetroCaribe initiative, via which Guyana was receiving oil at extremely concessionary terms. The arrangement became fundamentally a barter arrangement that meant the Guyana Government did not have to pay for oil in foreign currency (US dollars) but to our own farmers in Guyana dollars.

The new market for Guyanese rice in Cuba evoked echoes of the conditions existing here during the PNC era when that Administration cancelled the market when that party assumed power.

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Berbice man sentenced to 20 years for murdering wife

By Andrew Carmichael

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Corentyne, Berbice man was on Monday jailed for 20 years for killing his wife in 2016.

Ravindra Bandoo, a 31-year-old carpenter of Princetown, Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) killed his wife Indrawattee Somwar, also called ‘Sharda,’ by chopping her in the face on March 8, 2016 at their Corriverton home.

State Prosecutor Orintha Schmidt told the court that, on March 8, 2016, Bandoo was consuming alcohol at a neighbour’s house after which he went home and an argument ensued between himself and his wife. Consequently, he armed himself with a cutlass and inflicted several chops about the face and head of Somwar.

The woman was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The post-mortem report prepared by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan recorded the cause of death as haemorrhage, along with multiple incised wounds.

Bandoo pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Meanwhile, in his caution statement, Bandoo confessed to the crime, while adding that he would usually give the now deceased woman all his money, but she had refused to give him money to purchase alcohol.

“She just kept nagging, telling me to stop drinking. I got annoyed and I picked up the cutlass and dealt her several chops,” he told the court.

Earlier, Senior Probation and Social Services Officer Voonashewarie Gopal submitted a probation report on the accused.

In the report, she noted that the accused described himself as a hard-working individual who preferred not to socialise. She said reports from the New Amsterdam Prison revealed that the accused is of good conduct.

“Further, he rarely received visits from his relatives, and was unable to make any telephone contact with them. On the 21 October 2014, the accused was arrested and charged with unlawful wounding committed against the deceased. However,

Ravindra Bandoo

the case was dismissed because the virtual complainant (deceased) did not wish to offer any evidence against the accused,” she said.

Attorney-at-Law Charrandas Persaud asked the court to be lenient, since Bandoo did not waste the court’s time.

Persaud argued that Bandoo was himself a victim, since he had been before the court for physical abuse against his wife.

“The system failed him by not providing the needed support and assistance to the accused,” he told the court.

Charrandas argued that the accused claimed that he was told hurtful words, such as: “You don’t have money to give me, I will get another man.”

However, Justice James Bovell-Drakes, in handing down sentence, said the accused was spared once when the woman opted not to give evidence against him.

“He should have looked at it as a new start in life,” the trial judge said.

He said the court was considering that the injuries were to the face and head, and the fact that the couple’s two children had witnessed the act.

“She was not your dog. She was not your animal. She was not a piece of wood,” Justice Bovell-Drakes said.

The judge noted that a cutlass was used in carrying out the act, and said if the accused was provoked he should have controlled himself.

Bandoo stood in the docks with tears rolling down his face.

The court took into consideration the fact that Bandoo had spent two years incarcerated before trial, and then imposed the 20-year sentence.

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Wales severance: Workers send petition to President – matter still to call in High Court

By Shemuel Fanfair

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fter almost nine months since the shutdown of the Wales Sugar factory, several employees are coping with life without having being paid their severance benefits. This matter was filed by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in the High Court some five months ago but is yet to be called up for proceedings in which legal arguments would be heard on both sides. Sugar worker Vishnu Jailall, on behalf of his fellow unpaid employees, sent a signed petition to President David Granger, in late July urging him to ensure that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) meets its legal obligations to provide the aggrieved workers with their severance benefits.

In the letter, Jailall contended that the payments should be paid as the Corporation had made the workers’ jobs redundant. In the petition signed by over 30 other cane cutters and transporters, the former employees observed the benefits the sugar production has given to the

country. They cited the challenges they have faced, since they had not taken up employment at Uitvlugt.

“We have peacefully requested our severance pay and our Union has applied for same legitimately but the Corporation has refused to pay us the same. This is a breach of law,” a section of the petition stated.

President Granger in a responding letter to the petition in early August acknowledged the concerns of the workers and observed that Agriculture Minister Noel Holder would have tendered a response to the former employees.

“I have forwarded the request to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Noel Holder, for his attention.

The Minister will examine the request and respond to you,” an excerpt from the President’s August 8 letter stated.

However, in an interview with Guyana Times International earlier this week, Jailall explained that Minister Holder has not followed through with the President’s commitment.

Several workers had their service transferred

to Uitvlugt Sugar Estate but the remaining workers were promised severance payments; some since December 2016 and others by February 2017. After this period elapsed, GuySuCo contended that all of the workers who requested severance were paid. As such, the workers who did not agree to accept their severance within the stipulated timeframe have not been paid and were supposedly “left in the wilderness”, as described by GAWU’s General Secretary, Seepaul Narine.

Workers formerly attached to the Wales Estate have long contended that they cannot be compelled to travel beyond 10 miles from their previous working place and had demanded severance. However at a community-level meeting between Wales residents and several Government Ministers, including Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan told the worker earlier this year that Government had no money to pay the severance to which the workers are entitled.

In May, Guyana Times International

The letter that the workers sent to the President in late July

reported that attorney for GAWU, Ashton Chase SC, compiled and filed documents for the matter regarding the non-payment of severance packages to hundreds of sugar workers to be called up at the High Court. This situation was deemed unusual as GAWU had filed a number of court actions, none which, it noted, had taken such lengthy periods of time before being called up for hearings, whether at the preliminary stage or for full trials.

“It is not normal for matters to take so long; we don’t know what is the reason. We would all like [the case to be heard] immediately. Workers are being affected and it’s in the interest of all to get it called,” the GAWU General Secretary told this publication last month.

The Wales Estate closure was rationalised

by Government as a cost-saving measure due to billions of dollars that was allocated to the declining sugar industry.

Since then, the scaling down of other estates across the country has been announced. Many stakeholders had however called for social impact studies to be carried out to assess how communities across the sugar belt would be affected by the closures. Some estimates have pegged a figure of some 10,000 sugar workers being directly affected by estate closures, in addition to their family members and the local economies that depend on the sugar industry.

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Ramkarran to speak on New Demerara bridge hidden costs to run Guyana’s democracy in billions – analyst in Richmond Hill …country will have to build another bridge in 10 years – consultants

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o r m e r Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran SC, and ex Member of Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM), will deliver the keynote address on Democracy in Guyana on Sunday, October 8.

He will speak on the struggle for the return to democracy in Guyana and also give an update on political developments back home.

Ralph Ramkarran

The occasion is the 25th Anniversary since the restoration of democracy in Guyana in 1992.

The first free and fair election was held on October 5, 1992 which saw Dr. Cheddi Jagan being elected President.

Prior to that, all the elections were regarded as highly flawed. Several groups within and outside of Guyana participated in the struggle for the restoration of free and

fair elections and the return to democratic governance.

The lecture will take place at the Liberty Palace on Liberty Ave and 130 Street in Richmond Hill. Time is 4 PM. The public is invited.

Refreshments will be served.

There will also be a few other speakers.

For further information, the public can call 718-5702420; 646-420-3701.

Two charged for cocaine utensil, smoking weed

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ark Gravesande muttered a series of inaudible words as he sought to explain how he had come to be busted by Police with the pipe on September 20, 2017 at Cross Street in Werken-Rust Georgetown, during his appearance before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Following his explanation, the presiding magistrate informed him that the court had recorded a not-guilty plea on his behalf, to which he posed no objection.

The Prosecution is contending that the 30-year-old market labourer of Timehri, East Bank Demerara was found by Police with the cocaine-smoking utensil.

Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves disclosed that the matter was not ready for hearing in the

Mark Gravesande

absence of the analyst’s certificate, which is yet outstanding, and the case was adjourned to be heard on October 16.

Meanwhile, Noel Mansfield, 40, a single parent of five, was granted G$20,000 bail for allegedly smoking cannabis after he pleaded for the compassion of the Magistrate by indicating that he toils at the Stabroek Market as a vendor to provide for his school- age children.

Mansfield further dis-

closed that he has an ongoing matter before another Magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, upon which Prosecutor Gonsalves based his grounds for objecting to bail, attesting that the accused had committed the offence whilst on bail for the latter case of similar nature (trafficking in narcotics).

The father of five maintained his innocence in relation to the latter matter, contending that the alleged bags of marijuana were found next to his stall at the market.

“Should you grant me bail, I promise to come to court every time,” Mansfield pleaded, even requesting the Magistrate to consult with Magistrate Dylan Bess, who presides over the trafficking case.

He was instructed to return to court on October 18, 2017.

he US$170 million price tag tentatively being flouted for the construction of a New Demerara River Crossing does not include money for the completion of several kilometres of a new road network that the bridge will require, an amount analysts have pegged to reach in the billions.

The hidden price tag is addressed briefly in the report into the feasibility of constructing the New Demerara River Crossing— LievenseCSO. The Dutch consultants, in the recently completed G$146 million feasibility report, noted: “Project costs of the low three lane bridge at Houston – Versailles are estimat-

from the Bridge in order to use the facility, else the new Demerara River Crossing will essentially be useless.

The Dutch consultants have found, too, that in order to reduce the traffic congestion, the bridge is only a part of the problem.

“The city road network has to be improved and extended to serve the present and future traffic demands…The existing bank roads need to be relieved, in addition the East Bank Public Road shall be relieved from the traffic from Diamond and more south by realizing the bypass road now under preparation between Diamond and Ogle.”

The New Demerara River Crossing, in addition to replacing the

Ministers of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Annette Ferguson, or Ministers of Finance Winston Jordan and Jaipaul Sharma, proved futile.

This past week, the hidden costs associated with the new river crossing were explored

by Financial Analyst Peter Ramsaroop — the economic advisor to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

During an interview with this publication this past week, Dr Ramsaroop revealed that given the hidden costs associated with the construction of the New Bridge, the required sums of money will have to be diverted away from the ailing sugar industry.

Dr Ramsaroop at the time surmised increas-

ed at US$150 million, including contractors cost and additional costs for services, land acquisition for the approach roads, and limited budget for a first phase of link roads.”

The US$150 million projected cost cited is minus the financing costs, which have been estimated by the consultants to take the entire project to US$170 million; but this does not include the cost of the new read network.

The consultants have also identified the need for new links from the bridge to town, as well as from the bridge to the west — bypassing Vreed-enHoop — to relieve the East and West Bank public roads from traffic.

The cost of this, however, is not included in the projected cost of the bridge, which means the administration will have to construct the accompanying road network separate and apart

outdated Demerara Harbour Bridge, is geared at reducing the traffic congestion; but based on projections by the Dutch consultants, the administration will—a few years after the completion of the proposed bridge—be required to construct another bridge.

According to the consultants, the traffic forecast indicates the proposed measures will suffice to mitigate the traffic until about the year 2030.

“At that time the road system is expected to become saturated again… New investments will be required, like a second bridge as well as extension of the city road network.”

As such, “It is recommended to shift this moment backwards in time by promoting alternative transport modalities (speed-boats and public transport) in order to reduce the traffic demand for the road system.”

Efforts to contact

es, since in all of the financial models that have been presented to this Administration by their consultants, it repeatedly dismisses them as not viable, given the US$170 million price tag for the bridge alone… Each of the models proposed requires an untold amount of Government support.”

The financial analyst said, “These people are smart in a way, because the report speaks to a construction cost of US$150 million, with additional financing such as interest during construction; and in all of the designs, there are mass expanses of road networks that are not optional.”

He is of the firm belief that the true costs of this project have not even been laid out in the report, since there is no reference to the actual cost of the accompanying elevated road network and ancillary structures.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Arsonist succumbs after ingesting poison

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Dead: Mohan Persaud

ust one day after setting his home on fire, 49-year-old Mohan Persaud succumbed while receiving treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) having ingested a poisonous substance following the incident.

At the time of his demise, the Parika Backdam labourer was under Police guard at the medical institution,

suspected to be the perpetrator behind the arson of his family home.

Police investigations revealed that Persaud had returned home from work on Sunday in an intoxicated state, which resulted in a confrontation between himself and his wife. The dispute then ended with the man threatening his wife, saying, “‘I will teach you a lesson,” relatives said.

Just after midnight, the woman was awakened by the smell of smoke and discovered that their two-storey wooden home was engulfed in flames.

It was only after the family managed to escape the inferno that the labourer indicated that he had consumed a poisonous substance.

As such, he was rushed to the WDRH at about 01:00h on Monday.

The 49-year-old man leaves to mourn his wife and three children, who are now homeless as a result of the fire which burnt their house to the ground.

Police have since confirmed that the fire was intentionally set.

The remains of the Parika Backdam home

Govt still on course for constitutional reform – Trotman

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

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espite the delay, Government is insisting that it remains committed to constitutional reform. This is according to Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman.

Trotman, who was at the time addressing attendees at the recent University of Guyana’s ninth round of Tain and Turkeyen Talks, affirmed that it was a campaign promise the Government intended to keep.

“The Government of Guyana has made efforts to keep this matter on the front burner; we did make a manifesto promise for constitutional reform. We have worked on the Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission Bill, which is a large measure taken from the 1998 bill which was crafted during the

Seventh Parliament,” Minister Trotman explained.

“I believe that it is all of our responsibility – Government, Opposition, civil society, academia, youth, women – all of us, we all have that equal responsibility. And (the Bill) is now with the review committee of Parliament,” he continued.

The move to have the Bill debated at a Parliamentary Select Committee level is seen as a major step to assist with constitutional reform, something that the coalition Government promised during its election campaign, to deliver.

According to the draft bill, the Consultative Commission will be made up of 15 members.

The establishment of this Commission will al-

low for some 100 countrywide public consultations.

The Bill allows for President David Granger to appoint two constitutional law experts.

Eleven of the other members will be nominated by the parliamentary parties; trade union movement; organisations representing Guyanese youths; the Guyana Bar Association; the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers; Christian, Muslim, and Hindu organisations; and the National Toshaos’ Council.

Cummingsburg Accord

The agreement made in the Cummingsburg Accord regarding constitutional reform was bolder, affirming that: the President should be elected by a majority of electors; there should be separate elections for the presidency and National Assembly; executive powers should be shared between the President, Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

The political Opposition, led by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, as well as British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn have been critical of the slow pace of enacting constitutional reform.

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‘We need your skills’ – President tells Diaspora in NY P

resident David Granger has encouraged Guyanese in the Diaspora to contribute their intellect to help in the country’s development.

Guyana’s newest industry – the oil and gas industry – is expected to transform the country’s economy.

However, the President noted that there was a need for more new industries and made the clarion call for members of the Diaspora to join their skills with the country’s resources to aid its development.

“We need your intellectual capital. We need to tap into the expertise and experience which you have gained here in the Diaspora,” the President said in his address to Guyanese in New York during a meetand-greet reception on Friday, September 22.

President Granger was in New York at the time for the 72nd United Nations General Assembly session.

He pointed out that the Government has recognised the need to diversify the coun-

try’s economy from the “curse of the six sisters” – sugar, rice, bauxite, timber, gold and diamonds.

“We are going to ensure that new industries are fitting for the development of our country and that is where I turn to you the members of our Diaspora. We don’t need more barrels; we need brains; that’s why I am here,” the President said.

He added, “We need to diversify; we need to get away from the spell of these six sisters and ensure that our chil-

President Granger interacting with the Guyanese diaspora.

President David Granger addressing the Guyanese diaspora in New York

dren have a future other than being cane cutters, our children have a future other than felling timber.”

According to the Department of Public Infrastructure, President Granger gave assurances that Guyana had the resources and investments in the country would be welcomed.

“The doors are open to business, to investment. We cannot do it alone. We need factories, we need manufacturers…we need investment to move our raw materials into the realm of well-manu-

factured products,” he emphasised.

The President expressed his confidence in achieving the development of new industries to make Guyana “an important manufacturing country and not just an exporter”.

“It is time for Guyanese people to contribute to making this a reality, but there is need for innovation and diversification,” President Granger added.

He also drew attention to the need for more engineers to aid in the development of the country’s infra-

structure and to improve access to communities no matter the distance. “One day we must be able to drive from Georgetown to Lethem, to Boa Vista to Brasilia. We cannot give our Indigenous farmers access to the markets unless we develop roads and bridges. We cannot allow our children to move freely and understand the country that we’ve inherited unless we develop our infrastructure,” President Granger noted.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

President’s land offer to foreigners without due process is ‘Executive arrogance’ – Nandlall

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resident David Granger’s proclamation that Guyana could offer land to hurricane hit victims in the Caribbean has not gone down well with former Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

According to Nandlall, the President cannot assume the responsibility of offering Guyana’s land to foreigners without due process.

This process, Nandlall reminded in a statement on the matter, is consultation with the people’s representatives.

“The President cannot arrogate unto himself the power and authority to offer Guyana’s land mass to foreigners without a word of consultation with or approval of the real owners of these lands – the citizens

Former AG Anil Nandlall

of Guyana. This issue was discussed with no Guyanese whatsoever.”

It noted also “it was neither raised in nor debated by the Parliament of Guyana. (Neither) the Opposition Leader nor anyone else was informed or consulted in any manner whatsoev-

er. Are we so unimportant in the President’s mind? From whence has President Granger derived the authority to offer our patrimony and our sovereign territory to foreigners?”

Nandlall acknowledged that persons affected by the hurricane should be assisted by the Government and pointed out that it was the People’s Progressive Party that had called on the Government to render assistance. But pointing to the thousands of Guyanese still awaiting land, Nandlall affirmed that the President owed the Guyanese people their input in the decision.

“Significantly, this President has personally revoked over 50 fifty-year-old leases of our

President David Granger

rice farmers in Region Five and taken away from them, rice lands from which they earn their livelihood; actions that our constitutional court has declared to be unconstitutional and unlawful.”

This is a reference to the ruling against the

Government in the matter of leases which were revoked by the President last year.

The applicants sought justice in the courts and last month, Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, ruled against the President’s revocation of rice farmers land leases. Deeming it unconstitutional, she also ruled that the farmers are entitled to compensation from the State, amounting to the sum of G$300,000.

“Against this factual backdrop, how can this President, who has not held a press conference locally for nearly one year in Guyana, hold a press conference in New York and offer our most important national asset to foreigners without even offering us the courtesy of a consultation.”

President Granger, speaking to members of the local media on the side-lines of a United Nations summit in New York, made the proposal to give the victims of Hurricanes Irma and

Maria land in Guyana.

According to Granger, this form of humanitarian contribution could be pursued as Guyana has the most land mass in the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

“We are the largest Caribbean Community state and we have to consider our land space as being the hinterland of the Caribbean. We have to sit down and speak to other Caricom states to see how this gift could be utilised to give the Caribbean people a better life in the wake of these disasters,” he had related.

With Category Five winds and rain, Hurricane Irma was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean.

It has completely devastated Barbuda and affected jurisdictions such as St Maarten, St Barts, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands.

Decomposed body of woman found on ECD T he body of an unidentified woman was on Tuesday found in the vicinity of the Foulis, East Coast Demerara, suspected to have been raped and murdered. The body was discovered by a resident,

neck.

Police also found a pair of slippers and a hammock next to the woman’s body. She was lying face up and her arm had a gaping wound.

Police officials have confirmed that there

who went to the area to dispose garbage.

The body was reportedly found in a clump of bushes in a state of decomposition.

The Police was immediately alerted and an investigation was launched.

Reports are the woman’s blouse was pulled to her chest and her pants and undergarment were below her knees, leaving investigators to believe she may have been sexually assaulted.

There was also a yellow metal chain wrapped around the woman’s

were reports of a missing person but they are examining every possible lead.

Her age is estimated to be in the mid 30’s.

Police in a release stated that the body was clad in a blue top, brown and black brassiere, blue jeans and light-blue underwear.

The woman is brown in complexion and is about five feet, five inches tall.

The body is at the Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting identification and a post-mortem examination.

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he Kanuku Mountains are located in the heart of the Rupununi Savannahs in south-western Guyana. The mountains are divided by the Rupununi River into western and eastern ranges. It is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Guyana with habitats ranging from savannah, gallery forests and semi-deciduous forests in the lowlands.

One of the most notable features of the Kanuku mountain range is the ‘Sleeping Giant’ - a peak

found on the range. Hikers describe the ‘Sleeping Giant’ height to be “almost 3,000ft”. Despite numerous challenges on the hike to ‘Sleeping Giant’, according to hikers, the views from the peak made them forget all their bruises and bites.

The peak’s unforgettable vistas include streams, creeks, waterfalls, beautiful flowers, “strange” trees, unique insects and a landscape view of beautiful Guyana. (Photos by Ronald Nandlall)

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Cascading waterfall along the hike up the mountain

Hammock camp on the peak

Breathtaking view from 'Sleeping Giant'

Stunning view of the Kanuku

Refreshing stream of water flowing down the mountain

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Silencing the Indian

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r Eric Phillips responded to my article that asked the question, “Can the Indian Guyanese speak for Justice?” and claimed, “This shows the malicious degree of deception used by Indian leadership in Guyana”.

He then went on to name a number of media entities owned by Indian Guyanese and several individuals of Indian descent who write and comment in Guyana to “prove” his point.

First of all, apart from Ms Ryhaan Shah, I doubt the others who were named would take kindly to the notion that they speak “as Indian Guyanese”, as I have done over the last three decades. But secondly, and more germanely, it is clear Mr Phillips chose to ignore the allusion of the title of my column to Gayatri Spivak’s “Can the Subaltern Speak?”, which makes the point writ large.

That point being the non-white world is locked in a discourse in which the West has universalised its particulars as “Knowledge”. When the subjugated former “speaks”, she is merely uttering words that are unintelligible to the latter, unless the consciousness, premises and values of the West are accepted and incorporated.

As I wrote in 1993 in the SN, “Hegemony and Hinduism in the West Indies”, when the Indian was brought to the West Indies, he was inserted into the dominant Creole culture that derided and devalued all that he was and stood for. Unless he adopted what anthropologist RT Smith called the “white bias” Creole culture he could not speak, because he was not listened to, since by definition he was speaking “nonsense”.

The African, who had been brought as slaves the previous centuries, had already been brutally subjected to this “epistemic violence”, as Spivak called it. They were now the practitioners of Creole culture, which denied them humanity and agency. In its pecking order, the apex, white, represented knowledge and culture; he snickered at the pretentions of the Coloured below him, who obsequiously im-

itated him even as he constantly changed the goalposts.

The Coloured derided the Africans beneath him; and the African, after the abolition of slavery, now had someone lower than him on the totem pole – the heathen “coolie” and his clannish ways.

I had returned to Guyana when Dereck Walcott, in 1992, dedicated his entire Nobel prize speech to his discovery of the Hindu Ram Lila performance in a village in Trinidad.

It had not penetrated the consciousness of “Trinidadians” that such an art form could have existed for almost 150 years without being “heard”.

It was “just a coolie thing”. And the same in Guyana, of course.

With Independence, there was a brief period of questioning of the premises of Creole culture by Africans in the Caribbean, with the tools that came out of the Black Power Movement.

Rodney made a gesture to include the Indian in that counter discourse, oblivious to the irony of him not recognising he was not allowing the Indian to speak in his own voice.

The Rastafarians of Jamaica made a bold assault on the debilitating premises of Creole culture to people of African origin, but when I called it an “abomination”, I was silenced with the “racist” label.

Those individuals mentioned by Mr Phillips, save Ms Shah, do not generally speak outside the dominant paradigm from an Indian perspective, so I will speak my own truth on being silenced. In my paper, “For a New Political Culture”, in 1990, I introduced the notion of an Indian and an African Security Dilemma, which must be addressed if Guyana was to know any peace. Yet no one heard our warning the PPP in 1993 about the African Security Dilemma, for to speak as an Indian, say, for the Police Force, Army and Bureaucracy to be more “balanced” was to be inevitably “racist”. I could call for an inquiry into the use of Phantom Squads at the Square of the Revolution and be cheered, but become “racist” when I call for one into the violence

By Ravi Dev emanating from its epicentre at Buxton.

There are thousands of other instances down the years; the latest with speaking about Indigenous Peoples’ lands.

An entire sub-discipline has developed, especially by African Americans, to expose their “silencing” by White Americans by epistemic violence. But if the Indian makes the analogous point in Guyana, he is silenced as “racist”.

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Preserving our literary heritage

By Petamber Persaud

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ery often, and too often with immense gratification, I get the urge to put aside the reading of current books in preference to delving into those published a while back, especially reprinted rare and out-of-print material. This browsing is not too difficult for me for I am accustomed to ‘marking up’ my own books, highlighting words, phrases and extracts of interest. For instance, while flicking through “Beacons of Excellence: The Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lectures – Volume 3, 1986 – 2013”, I stumbled on the following passage: One of the most exciting things about literature is the way earlier texts… are rediscovered or re-read in the light of new developments in writing and reading. Writing, in other words, is not a once for all time act that closes with

Edgar Mittelholzer

the final full stop, and nor is reading a fixed or stable single act of passive reception. Reading is fluid, adaptive, processual and constantly changing according to the needs of the times.

The above passage was delivered by Dr Jane Bryce in 2013 at the 15th lecture series of the Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial

Lectures and published by the Caribbean Press in 2014. The “Beacons of Excellence”, in three volumes, were compiled and edited by Andrew O. Lindsay.

The idea of The Caribbean Press surfaced during Guyana’s hosting of Carifesta X in 2008.

The idea was later fleshed out by former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Professor David Dabydeen.

Within months, the idea was manifested with the printing of the first 12 titles of The Guyana Classics Library, which included “The Discovery of Guiana”

by Sir Walter Ralegh, first published in 1596; “The Coolie, his right and wrongs” by John Edward Jenkins; “Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana” by Charles Barrington Brown; “The Chinese in British Guiana” by Sir Cecil Clementi; and “Guianese Poetry: covering the hundred years’ period, 18311931” by N. E. Cameron.

Each title carried its own scholarly introduction and a series preface.

The series preface, written by Jagdeo, is instructive and informative. This preface declared that “The Guyana Classics Library will republish out-of-print poetry, novels and travelogues so as to remind us of our literary heritage, and it will also remind us of our reputation for scholarship in the fields of history, anthropology, sociology and politics, through the reprinting of seminal works in these subjects.

The Series builds upon previous Guyanese endeavours, like the institution of CARIFESTA, and the Guyana Prize. I am delighted that my government has originated the project ….so that all Guyanese can appreciate our monumental achievement in moving from Exploitation to Expression…”

While searching for material of interest concerning the National Library, which is celebrating its 108th anniversary - ‘In Service To The Community’ - I discovered the following pieces in Kykover-al, issue 8, June 1949: The Reference Department The policy of all librar-

Public Free Library (British Guiana), now known as the National Library

ies is that no one should be allowed to leave without having either received the information for which he came or the knowledge where he may find it…the words “No”, “We haven’t it”, “I don’t know”, should never be heard. We try to live up to that rule, but of course, there are limitations imposed by the collection of sources at hand, and our Reference Library has still a lot more to grow, but we try to do our best at all times.

The Young People’s Section The other day while looking through a book on sewing … I came across a scrap of material with some stitching one it. This had been demonstrated in the book and obviously the borrower had been

painstakingly practicing what was shown. This set us thinking and gave us an idea. The word “competition” kept going through our minds. With the result, we soon hope to have a competition…Any piece of work, which they have done…and which they learnt through a library book, we shall ask to be presented to us for a display at an exhibition at which two prizes…We aim at encouraging them to be interested in what they read…

In a previous article about the National Library, I highlighted the contribution of Andrew Carnegie indicating that “his is not the only name of substance nor is his most fundamental gift of establishing the library the only noteworthy contribution carrying the library

into its 108th anniversary this September in the year 2017”, inferring that there are many other signal and significant contributions. For instance, the first 50 years in the life of the library, its destiny fell into the hands of the first two librarians: Ms Emily Murray (1909 – 1940) and Ms Ruby Franker (1942– 1962).

When we think about books and libraries, we seldom spare a thought for the custodians of books and libraries. These custodians play the most vital of roles in maintaining the relevance of books and libraries. (To be continued) Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

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Guyana 2013. This souvenir sheet contains one stamp and depicts Pegasus, a constellation in the northern sky named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology

By Ann Wood

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hile collecting stamps from around the world is a popular facet of this hobby, collecting stamps related to a subject or a concept is also common. Topics can be almost anything, from stamps on stamps, birds, trains, cars, music, to famous people, events, astronomy or space.

There are estimated to be as many galaxies visible in the universe as there are stars in the Milky Way - over 100,000 million. So, it is surprising that not many of them are featured on stamps.

As space exploration grew, so did ‘Astrophilately’ - the area of philately (the collection and study of postage stamps) connected with astronomy and efforts to reach space, both manned and unmanned.

Guyana has many astronomy themed stamps.

In 2013, Guyana issued a set of star/space stamps featuring ten of the 88 constellations recognised today.

List of Guyana’s astronomy themed stamps

1968 - Scott 64-67 - Tropospheric Scatter Antenna and Map 1978 - Scott 294-297 - Satellite Earth Station, Georgetown

1989 - Scott 22162219 - Women in Space 1993 - Scott 263742 - Earth Summit 92, Anniversaries and Events 1994 - Scott 280911 - First Manned Moon Landing 25th Anniversary 1994 - Scott 29002906 - Star Trek 1996 - Scott 3105A Mars Meteorite 1998 - Scott 3327a - Pioneers of Aviation The Wright Brothers, 1903 1999 - Scott 34173420 - 30th Anniversary of the First Manned Landing on the Moon 1999 - Scott 3428 John Glenn’s Return to Space 1999 - Scott 3443 - First Balloon Flight Around the World 2000 - Scott 3496-97

- The 25th Anniversary Guyana 2013. This souvenir sheet contains one stamp Apollo-Soyuz Joint and depicts Orion, a prominent constellation located on Project the celestial equator and visible throughout the world 2000 - Scott 3502-06 - Space Satellites 2016 - Scott 4481- subject. It is something 2006 - Scott 3925-32 - 82 - Characters from that captures the imagiSpace Anniversaries “Star Trek: The Next nation.

2006 - Scott 3925-36 Generation Ann Wood is presTelevision - Hot Air Balloons and Series” ident of the Guyana Airships If you collect astrono- Philatelic Society. The 2011 - Scott 4055-56 my themed stamps, you members of the Guyana - International Year of could have several seg- Philatelic Society are Astronomy (2009) ments: famous astron- people from all walks of 2013 - Scott 4240-41 - omers, the history of life who collect new isExploration of Mars astronomy, observato- sues from Guyana to 2013 - Scott 4243-46 - ries and telescopes, and those who have only very Constellations stars. You could even limited stamp budgets.

2014 - Scott 4297-98 - branch out into vari- But above all, the stamp Chinese Space Program ous related topics, such club offers the friend2015 - Scott 4393-94 - as astrology, aviation or ship, knowledge and exInternational Year of the meteorology. There are perience of its members Light who are there to help many possibilities.

2015 - Scott 4442-43 Astronomy is one of stamp collectors with ad- Characters from Star the more popular sub- vice on all aspects of colTrek: Deep Space Nine jects when it comes to lecting. Visit www.guyaTelevision Series postage stamps. And nastamps.com for more 2016 - Scott 4483-84 many countries have cre- information on stamp - ExoMars Mission to ated and released many collection.

Mars stamps devoted to the

Stamps celebrating 30th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon

‘Live2Lead’: A Leader Development Experience in Guyana

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ive2Lead is a leader development experience designed to equip individuals with new perspectives, practical tools and key takeaways. You’ll breathe new life into your leadership during this information-packed event, which will be happening in Guyana soon.

Presented in Guyana on October 6, 2017, Live2Lead is a worldwide leadership simulcast event hosted by the John Maxwell team in Guyana, comprising of Vishnu Doerga, Sonia Noel and Rawle Dundas.

Speakers at the Live2Lead event in Guyana include Dr John C. Maxwell, leadership expert and #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach and speaker, who was identified as the #1 leader in business by the AMA and the

world’s most influential leadership expert by Inc. Magazine in 2014; Dave Ramsey, a personal money-management expert, best-selling author who wrote seven best-selling books; Cheryl Bachelder, a passionate restaurant industry executive, who most recently served as the CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., and who is known for her crisp strategic thinking, franchisee-focused approach, development of outstanding leaders and teams. Cheryl also most recently ranked #1 by Inc. Magazine in a Top Ten List of the World’s Best CEOs; Warrick Dunn, former NFL Running Back, who, after a 12-year career in the NFL, retired and in 2009 was approved by the NFL owners to become a limited partner of the Atlanta Falcons.

Through Homes for the Holidays, Dunn honours his mother, Better Smothers, who, as a single-mother of six, strived for the American dream of homeownership.

While working, she was killed and was never able to realise that dream.

In 2002, Dunn founded Warrick Dunn Charities to improve lives through innovative programming inspired by his journey.

Live2Lead is designed to deliver the very best leadership content to inspire and motivate you and your team, plus connect with other influencers in your community and expand your business network with relationships that produce tangible results.

Live2Lead has made a great impact on the lives and organisations of those who attended in

John Maxwell Guyana team - Vishnu Doerga, Sonia Noel and Rawle Dundas

the past and is projected to have resounding impact in many spheres in Guyana as the information gained is utilised.

The week following Live2Lead, the John Maxwell team in Guyana

will be a part of the Global Youth Initiative.

Youths across Guyana will benefit from impactful sessions to boost selfesteem, promote positive thinking and action and to stand against bullies

and negative youth activities.

Interested schools, youth organisations and interested individuals can make contact with the team on 223-5583.

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omestretch Avenue was built on the ‘homestretch’ of the former D’Urban Park Race Course, named after Governor Benjamin D’Urban.

Benjamin D’Urban’s tomb can be found in Pointe Claire’s Field of Honour, Canada. The Papineau cemetery, where his remains were originally buried, was in the way of building a new access ramp to a bridge. D’Urban’s remains, along with those of other Canadian soldiers who have served internationally since the 18th century, were transferred in 1944 to Last Post Fund’s National Field of Honour in Pointe Claire, Montreal, Canada.

Durban, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, is also named after Sir Benjamin D’Urban, who was also governor of the territory.

A museum displaying the history of the Guyana Police Force was founded in 1932, but left neglected until 1975, when it was resuscitated by John Campbell, a writer who ‘undertook the task of redesigning’ the museum. The John Campbell Police Museum reopened in 1993 near Eve

Leary in Georgetown.

The first Europeans to settle in Guyana were the Dutch who cultivated cotton. Sugar was first produced on the Pomeroon River at the village of New Middelburg.

On May 27, 1938 American pilot and mechanic, Art Williams, along with John Henry Hunterm, registered a new company in British Guiana called the British Guiana Airways Limited.

In July 1955, the colonial government purchased B.G. Airways Limited and renamed it the British Guiana Airways (Government).

On September 1, 1963, the Guyana Airways Corporation, established under the Public Corporations Ordinance, took over operations of the B.G. Airways (Government).

In 1965, the entire G.A.C. operations were moved to the Atkinson Airfield, now known as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, or the Timehri International Airport.

Flight operations had previously been carried out at the then Mackenzie Airport, Ruimveldt and Atkinson Field.

According to Lloyd Luckhoo, Guyana is

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Walter Roth (April 2, 1861 –April 5, 1933)

the only country in the world in which the Prince of Wales (in 1920) and Her Majesty the Queen (in 1966) actually attended race meetings – the Prince at Bel Air Park and Queen Elizabeth at D’Urban Park.

In 1943, Vincent Roth became the curator of the Guyana (British Guiana) Museum. He also established the zoo in the Botanical Gardens. Roth arrived in British Guiana in 1907, when he was 18 years old, after com-

pleting his schooling in Tasmania. He joined his father, Dr Walter Roth, who had taken up the post of Government

government service in 1928, and became curator of the Georgetown museum of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society, and government archivist.

The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology in Georgetown, Guyana has been named in his honour.

The city once used a tram service around the town. It began and ended on the Georgetown Seawalls.

Bourda Green was once called ‘Bourda Pasture’. It was a neglected field before becoming a favourite spot for large political meetings.

From the late 1940s and into the 1950s, Dr Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham addressed mass meetings there calling for an independent Guyana during various rallies.

Brown, a British geologist, discovered the Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River on April 24, 1870.

Pvt. Robert Howat of the Scottish Black Watch took the most dangerous dip on record when he swam across the top of Guyana’s Kaieteur Falls in 1955, drawn by both the challenge and the flower blossoms on the far bank. Howat was on the final leg of his risky round trip and “hungry for dinner” when he got caught in a whirlpool and was spat out toward the world’s highest sheer drop-off of water.

“I drifted almost to the lip and was rescued by an Amerindian as I was holding on to weeds 10-15 yards (metres) from the edge,” the former infantryman in the crack Highland regiment said by telephone

Guyana Airways Corporation airplane

Medical Officer in the North West District of British Guiana in 1907.

Vincent Roth departed for Barbados in 1964, and died in 1967.

In 1906, Walter Roth was made protector of Indians in the Pomeroon district of British Guiana. In 1924, his valuable work, “An Introductory Study of the Arts, Crafts, and Customs of the Guiana Indians” was published.

Roth retired from the

In 1891, Lady Gormanston turned on the first electric lights in British Guiana.

On July 17, 1879 Lady Kortright, wife of Governor Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright, ceremoniously lay the foundation stone of Stabroek Market.

The Town Hall (now the City Hall) was opened in 1889 in the city of Georgetown.

Members of a geological survey team, which included C. Barrington

from Lichfield, England.

“It was put into the Guinness Book of World Records in 197071 as the most dangerous swim recorded, but it was taken out again in 1980 because they didn’t want anyone else attempting it,” said Howat, who was 25 when he took the plunge. To date no one else has gone to such extremes to get a bird’seye view of the gargantuan waterfall. (forests. org)

Esplanade, Seawall Georgetown, Demerara

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Hapless…

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…or biased in Agri

he head of the Agri research unit (NAREI) assured us recently that we shouldn’t worry about going the way of Nigeria, Venezuela and all the other oil producers that allowed their agricultural sector to wither on the vine (pardon the pun!). They then lost “cost and husk” (couldn’t help it!) when the bottom fell out of oil (barrel).

The fella seems quite well-meaning, but really, he just exemplifies the truism that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Even the British, by the fag end of colonial rule, accepted that Guyana needed to diversify from the monoculture of sugar. They had the agriculture research institute move away from just creating newer varieties of sugar cane. But there was no real diversification, was there? There is a lesson from that experience for us in the present. The rice industry had been painfully enlarged by private peasant farmers by that time through trial and error.

But it wasn’t until the PPP Government, during its 1957-64 stint, that they began to push for rice research. However, the important thing is, they didn’t stop there. They recognised that water control for drainage and irrigation is literally the lifeblood of a viable rice expansion. And so, we had the Black Bush Polder scheme that opened up not just new lands that were suitable for rice, but brought in farmers who could actually produce the crop.

So, if the NAREI head’s prediction of diversification on agriculture is to become real with onions, Irish potatoes, broccoli, etc, being produced in commercial quantities, the Government will have to be willing to move from the “test plots” to actually facilitating real-live farmers to produce them in farmlands. Last year, the Government budgeted an impressive sounding G$20 billion for “agriculture” – more than what GuySuCo needed to tide it over until it was brought to a point of sale.

But how much has been spent on facilitating real farmers to produce the new crops in real time? The spending pattern is very reminiscent of the actions of the PNC Government when they took over the Government in 1964. Even though they cut the budget for Agri, what they did approve was directed at their supporters – putatively for agriculture. This regime, for instance, secured a CDF loan of G$2.5 billion (US$10.4 million) for agriculture in Ithaca, Triumph and Buxton, and Mocha. Three pumps will also be installed at Buxton.

It’s hoped since lands were already cleared and prepared in these areas, at least the pioneering crops will also be introduced to lead Guyana into the brave new world of agricultural diversification.

It appears that offering lands to do the same with sugar workers has been abandoned. …or venal in Public Infrastructure The Bard HAD advised, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive”. But when it comes to the Public Infrastructure Ministry, it’s clear that even with sustained practice at deception, the web’s getting even more “tangled”!

It’s as if Patterson wants to give Spidey a run for his money!!

And your Eyewitness is only referring to Patterson’s record on the proposed new Demerara Harbour Bridge! If he’s one of the “better” Ministers (according to the Stabber news), imagine what’s going on in this government!!

After the faux pas on retaining a retracting bridge, sole sourcing the Feasibility Study, and creating the “Ming Swing”, he now admits he lied when he said the IDB paid for the study. He’ll now have to explain from which SECRET bank account the G$143 million came from. And imagine we still haven’t arrived at ordering the concrete for the Bridge!!

AFC’s Patterson and Trotman are making the PNC look like cherubs!! …on overpass Gridlocked East Bank commuters sighed in relief when the Public Infrastructure Ministry promised and accepted bids for an overpass at Diamond.

But that’s now cancelled, says Patterson.

Ooops!!!…he hadn’t checked whether the required land was available!!

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The Guyana Hemophilia Society

Amazing team of the Guyana Hemophilia Society

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emophilia is a rare disorder in which your blood does not clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors).

Consequently, there is continuous bleeding, even from the smallest injury.

To sensitise the public on this blood disorder, a team of amazing people formed the Guyana Hemophilia Society (GHS).

Establishing a worthy cause

The Guyana Hemophilia Society was founded by Laurence and Lloyd Bakhsh two hemophiliac brothers - along with a fam-

ily member, Freda Figueira, on March 6, 2014. The Society acquired registration as an official Society under the Registrar of Friendly Societies of Guyana in March 2017.

Establishing a close relation with one of Suriname hemophilia patients, Laurence Bakhsh liaised with the World Federation of Hemophilia. He was invited to attend a Hemophilia Conference held in October 2016 in Jamaica. At the conference, he further cemented international ties and relations in the hemophilia global setting.

Notably, GHS recently received accreditation from the

World Federation of Hemophilia; consequently the Society will have an internationally recognised status.

“We are very encouraged with the response from the World Federation of Hemophilia. We are also honoured with the accreditation visit by Fernanda De Carvalho Geiger, Regional Coordinator - South America and a hemophilia volunteer, on September 22-26, 2017,” GHS founders expressed in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Due to this international recognition, two of GHS members will be representing Guyana in October 2017 at the

World Federation of Hemophilia conference in Colombia.

GHS objectives

Under its motto, “Strive to Stay Alive”, GHS was established to advance the interests and welfare of hemophiliacs; promote public

awareness and understanding of this disorder and its associated complications in Guyana; and to build relationships with hemophiliac organisations and societies around the world.

The GHS is eager to educate the Guyanese public of the seriousness of blood disorders/diseases, specifically hemophilia with signs, symptoms, treatment options and coping mechanisms from persons affected with the blood disorder.

Future plans

The GHS plans to have an annual health fair and march on World Hemophilia Day, which is celebrated on April 17.

Additionally, it hopes to partner with other societies, such as the Sickle

Cell Association, to bring awareness on blood disorders/diseases to the public.

Due to lack of information and education regarding hemophilia and other blood disorders/ diseases, GHS aims to create an open mind and grasp on the severity of these. Its hope is to save lives by helping others recognise the symptoms of hemophilia, which will help in early definitive diagnoses, and recognition of persons, who were previously unaware of their disorder/disease status, to be added to the GHS patient database.

For more information, visit Guyana Hemophilia Society on Facebook or call 615-3359.

Informative materials provided by GHS on the blood disorder

Chart showing impaired blood clotting in hemophilia

GHS founders - Laurence, Freda and Lloyd

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New Demerara Bridge: Houston residents not told of Govt’s plan …with eviction only months away

Residents are calling for official word on which of the homes will be removed

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esidents in the vicinity of the site for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) at Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD) have indicated that they were in the dark over the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s plans regarding the removal of several homes to facilitate construction of the crossing.

It is expected that construction of the HoustonVersailles bridge across the Demerara River will commence in the new year. The relocation of several buildings was deemed necessary to facilitate the construction

several homes, noted.

Another resident claimed that she, along with members in the community, first suspected major road works would be conducted when they saw persons in construction gear measuring out their plots over extended periods of time.

“Every time, they’re sending people to measure – from last month to this month, they measuring all the time, nothing else, they are saying.

When my small cousin does be home alone, they does carry he and ask he for measure (the premises).”

The residents fur-

Resident Shawn Moses

of road overpasses that would lead to the new bridge.

In the prefeasibility study conducted by Dutch company LievenseCSO Engineering Contracting BV, some four houses and a nursery school were cited for demolition, but on Monday, residents in the area claimed that no consultations were held to confirm the exact homes that would be moved.

This has left an unsettling feeling among the residents who say that all information relative to the plans is relayed through the media.

“Nobody hasn’t come and tell us anything as yet; we’re just seeing this thing in the newspapers and on the news. They’re doing all these feasibility studies, saying that the bridge will commence next year, but nobody ain’t telling us anything,” a grandmother, who lives in a yard with

ther added that they received no notices or letters from any authority on the move; with some saying they cannot image life anywhere but in their transported lands on which many have resided for over 40 years.

“Is 45 years I living here – born and grow in this yard. We don’t know where we’re going [but, where I’m living now] is close to town and close to my work and to the school,” a father of one expressed. He highlighted that the Houston Nursery School, which is slated for removal, is a landmark in the area.

Meanwhile, Shawn Moses, 42, said that it was his neighbours who informed him of the plans to move some of the homes.

Some residents said that their plots of land have been in their families for over 60 years, which, according to them, makes the removal much

harder to conceptualise.

They are calling for officials to meet with them to discuss their future.

Government is moving to replace the current DHB at Peter’s Hall,

The proposed design for the Houston-Versailles bridge

EBD and Meer Zorgen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) owing to its age and mounting maintenance costs. However, in the recent weeks, there

have been reiterated calls for a more transparent process as the project gets underway.

Meanwhile, if the residents choose not to move

the Government can only evict them by invoking its powers of eminent domain and compensating them at market value.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cocaine laced hammocks:

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Woman turns self in to Police

iffini Collison of Lot F 21 Samaan Street, Guyhoc Park Georgetown, who was wanted for posting cocaine laced hammocks to the USA has surrendered to the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

The drug enforcement body issued a wanted bulletin for the mother of one on Monday and on Tuesday evening she turned up at CANU in the company of her lawyer.

It was reported that the 26-yearold used an international Courier Service to ship the hammocks sometime last week.

However, on Thursday last, the package was intercepted by ranks of the drug enforcement unit at the Eugene F Correia International Airport while checking outgoing cargo to the US. Attempts to contact the woman proved futile until she showed up at the CANU Headquarters on Tuesday.

Investigations are on-going.

In the past there have been attempts to smuggle cocaine out of Guyana in the most creative and innovative means.

Some attempted to do so in fish, achar, fish feed, milk powder and in pastries among others which has resulted in several persons being charged and either remanded to prison or sentenced and fined.

Following the interceptions, the drug enforcement units have boosted their surveillance at Guyana’s main port of entries including, the Cheddi

Tiffini Collison

Jagan International Airport, Eugene F Corriea International Airport and the Wharfs.

With the new measures in place, the cocaine mules are finding more creative means in shipping the illegal drug out of Guyana- a country which has been categorise at a major transhipment point.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

One shot dead as gunmen invade mining camp at Cuyuni

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Brazilian national working in a Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) mining camp was brutally slaughtered by cross-border bandits armed with rifles and handguns, in a brazen attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The robbery saw the gunmen carting off a quantity of raw gold. Dead is 36-year-old dredge owner Antonio Da Silva, whose

body was found at a mining camp in Akaiwanna, Cuyuni, Region Seven with several wounds suspected to be gunshots.

According to preliminary reports, the brazen incident lasted for some eight hours – from 17:45h Tuesday and ended 02:00h Wednesday. It is reported that a gang of about six to eight armed men attacked the mining camp, bound the deceased along with

several of his workers and ransacked the camp.

It is believed that after rumbling through the camp, the bandits escorted Da Silva to his worksite and swiftly removed an undisclosed amount of raw gold. Reports are that the bandits then took Da Silva about 500 metres from the site and shot him several times before making good their escape.

This newspaper learnt

that upon hearing the rapid gunfire, one of the persons in Da Silva’s camp was able to flee and ended up at another mining camp. It was there that the worker relayed information as to what transpired.

“The first info we received was that the camp was invaded and gunshots were fired and that’s where one of the persons escaped and was able to

make a call from a nearby camp and this information was relayed to Police,” Guyana Times International was told.

A source close to the investigation explained that it was two hours after the first contact was made with Police that Da Silva was killed by the bandits (foreigners). This publication was told that several Police ranks were dispatched to Akaiwanna early Wednesday morning to investigate the man’s murder. His body is presently at the Memorial Gardens Crematorium, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Some reports suggest the attackers could have been Brazilian but information disclosed to Guyana Times related that the gunmen are more likely Venezuelan as the camp is reportedly one hour away from the border with the Bolivarian Republic. When contacted,

Acting Crime Chief Paul Williams responded to these reports, saying that while the attackers were said to be “external”, investigations are ongoing. This could soon determine their nationalities.

This latest attack comes just two months after three miners – Vernon Eudoxie, 55; Cologne Solomon, 23; and Samuel Moses, 19, of Port Kaituma – were all killed when their camp at Imataka on the Venezuelan side of the border was raided by four gunmen who had opened fire after demanding that the miners turn over their valuables. Other miners were also injured in that attack. Before that Imataka slaughter, there were incidents at two gold mining camps in Region Seven which were raided and the occupants were severely beaten by gunmen who robbed the respective miners of their gold and valuables.

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana looks forward to successful resolution of border controversy – President

President David Granger exchanges a handshake with UN Secretary General António Guterres

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resident David Granger has reiterated his Government’s commitment to the course of action outlined by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon regarding the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.

He made this clear during his meeting with incumbent Secretary General, António Guterres on Monday.

In a special interview in New York earlier Tuesday, the President said that the engagement with Guterres offered an opportunity to seek clarification and to be updated on the progress that has been made thus far. “Yesterday’s meeting was largely what you will call a situational report and a commitment on the part of Guyana to remain engaged…We will continue to exchange views with the intention of bringing this matter to a successful closure,” President Granger is quoted as saying by the Ministry of the Presidency.

Before demitting office last year, the former Secretary General, in his assessment on the way forward, declared that the matter would be referred to the

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) if significant progress was not made by the end of 2017.

Moreover, Guyana has been cooperating fully with the Secretary General’s Personal Representative, Norwegian diplomat Dag Nylander, who has been working closely with the Guyanese and Venezuelan Governments.

In his address to world leaders at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, President Granger explained that Guyana remained imperilled as a result of Venezuela’s claims to its territory. “Guyana warns the world, through this Assembly, that peace will be at stake in our Region if justice does not become ascendant, not only within Venezuela, but also in respect to its border controversy with Guyana,” he said to the Assembly.

For decades, Venezuela has laid claim to nearly twothirds of Guyana’s landmass – the Essequibo.

The border controversy, which was not on Venezuela’s front burner for several years after being first officially mooted in 1962, was reignited by the country, when

US oil giant ExxonMobil began exploratory works in the Stabroek Block offshore the Essequibo.

With Guyana on the verge of becoming a lucrative oil-producing nation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro issued a decree purporting to claim the majority of Guyana’s waters.

The decree was seen as a flagrant violation of international law and was inconsistent with the principle that all States should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other States.

In an effort to defend its sovereignty, Guyana made it clear to the Venezuelan Government that the Essequibo and its offshore waters belong to Guyana, and strengthened its push for judicial settlement of the issue, as the Good Officer Process had yielded little result. The border between the countries was set by an international tribunal in 1899, in an award the parties, including Venezuela, had agreed would be the final settlement. Since the belligerence from Venezuela, moves have been made by the international community, including the UN Secretary General, to push for a peaceful resolution of the issue.

President Granger and President Maduro had met with the former UN Secretary General for the first time in September 2015 to discuss the controversy.

It was decided by Ban that the two countries would return to the Good Officer Process for a period of one year. However, if no progress is made by the end of this year, the matter would be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The occasion…

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…not the cause urnham had a penchant for flaunting his “erudition” – which mostly centred on the studied phrases he’d drop in conversations and speeches. With lawyers of his generation having to cram a whole list of Latin phrases, these were liberally trotted out at the drop of a hat. One of his favourites was to make the distinction between “casus belli” – the occasion used to justify a war and “causa belli” – the real cause of the war.

So back in 1963, for instance, Burnham’s 80-day strike by the TUC for higher wages was simply the casus belli for bringing down the PPP Government.

The real reason, the causa belli, was the US’s refusal to accept the “communist” PPP Government. Burnham played the game (Wink!Wink!) and was soon rewarded with the reins of power in Guyana – which he didn’t let go of to his death.

The present followers of Burnham now ensconced in the PNC – incarnated as APNU – don’t have his facility with words, but they certainly know how to play the game. The latest demonstration was the CoI into the “assassination conspiracy” against Prezzie, who just happens to be the leader of the PNC. While the allegations were clearly a “cock and bull” story, there’s no question it should’ve been investigated properly.

But the civilian controllers of the Police in Government are supposed to be the Minister of Public Security and his staff. Did Ramjattan advise that the Police were incapable of conducting their own investigation? This is a crucial question. The AFC demanded the Public Security Ministry be allocated to them because of the critical need for this institution to be professionalised.

During the first PNC regime, as the Rodney CoI proved, the Police had been utterly de-professionalised and made into a creature of the PNC. The President just can’t treat the Minister of Public Security like his “creature”. But from all that has gone down, it’s clear Ramjattan’s a mere spectator, complaining about ‘leaks” and supporting the doomed Crime Chief! Most alarmingly, he’s mute as the

The Circle of life “From the day we arrive on the planet And blinking, step into the sun There’s more to see than can ever be seen More to do than can ever be done.” -Tim Rice, Lion King

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’m currently halfway through my year 5 Obstetrics and Gynaecology rotation, which builds on what we’d done in year 4. I’d always had a greater interest in this area than several others that come to mind, and was looking forward to the repeat. I’m definitely more knowledgeable than I was back then.

There’s less of me going, “A speculum?

What?” But, of course, there are still those moments where I stare back blankly on rounds when a consultant asks me about something I’d never even heard of before. But, overall, I’m

not in the constant state of befuddlement that I’d grown accustomed to last year.

This year, instead of just observing deliveries, we have to actually perform the deliveries under the guidance of a midwife.

My first delivery definitely wasn’t as miraculous and profound as I was (naively) expecting. And it all seemed to happen so quickly! The baby’s head was crowning, the mom was pushing, the midwife was quickly telling me where to put my hands, how to grasp the baby, and suddenly there I was, holding

this newborn baby in my (thankfully, gloved) hands.

I then quickly had to clamp and cut the umbilical cord, show the mom her baby, wipe the baby down, and attach the baby’s name tags around his ankle.

It certainly wasn’t a Simba moment, and it was not because there was no Pride Rock for me to triumphantly present the newborn to the world!!

Even though I’d observed deliveries back in 4th year, I was still surprised by how involved the whole process was. In the back of my mind, I

Anu Dev guess I sort of felt like I’d be standing by with a catcher’s mitt and the baby would drop into my waiting hands.

So, as you can imagine, I was more than a bit thrown when, there I was, actively pulling this little human into the world.

And the process doesn’t end with the delivery of the baby — that’s only the second stage of labour.

The next stage is the

implementation phase kicks in – which is where we’re seeing the CoI was just the occasion for the war. Most cynically so! The cause of the war was the PNC’s fear that the upper echelons of the Police Force MIGHT BE sympathetic to the PPP, during whose Administration they were appointed.

But while a CoI is appointed by the President, he, like the Minister, can’t just fire “lax” officials. So we’re hearing about “REORGANISING” the Force. But we didn’t need a new CoI, for that, did we?

Prezzie sat on the Disciplined Forces Commission, which already pronounced on that! …for graft in pharma We all know about the reasons offered by the Government for pulling their pharma out of the NEW GPC bond at Ruimveldt and storing it at a warehouse in Albouystown. The NEW GPC rates were too high…but that turned out to be a LIE since it was at least three times cheaper! Then we were told the warehouse was PAHO approved…That would’ve been a miracle since the “warehouse” was just a bottom house that took months to be made ready!! And bought and equipped by money forwarded by the Govt!

Well, after all the protests and resignations and further lies (The PM: “the Govt warehouse at Diamond is too far away and the drugs needed at GPHC would get stuck in traffic!!), we now hear a G$2.4 million storage bond will be built at Kingston, and the Diamond bond will be extended for G$1.6 million. These will take care of ALL STORAGE. So what was the CAUSE of the Government spending G$150 million to date on the Albouystown bond?

To pay off a “political investment”!! …for schooling One RISE rep took umbrage at Lincoln Lewis attempting to “school” them on constitutional change.

While insisting the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) be CONSTITUTIONALLY enshrined!!

It’s the “Fiscal Rules and Fiscal Responsibility Legislation” not the SWF, oh well-schooled one!!

delivery of the placenta (the afterbirth). And as part of the “Active management of the third stage of labour”, I had to gently use controlled traction on the umbilical cord to deliver the placenta after I saw the signs that it had separated from the wall of the womb.

After examining the mom to make sure she didn’t have any injuries to the birth canal, and after tidying her up, it was time to inspect the placenta with the midwife. I don’t know, but after getting up close and personal with several placentas now, I really don’t understand the trend of women eating their placentas, claiming the nutrients are helpful.

To each her own, I guess!

For my next couple

of deliveries, as I grew more accustomed to the process, I could understand and appreciate everything a whole lot more.

The sight of a mother holding her baby with so much tenderness and love after the excruciating pain she endured is a sight to behold.

These deliveries of babies have definitely been one of the high points of medical school so far. After my first couple of deliveries, I felt a little bit like running up to random people and telling them, “I just delivered a baby!

My hands brought new life into the world!” Thankfully for everyone around, I was able to exercise some restraint. Maybe I’ll still have my Pride Rock moment!

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Aircraft Owners’ Association supports GCAA 2018 budget increase

(ICAO),” AOAG noted on Wednesday.

The AOAG however stressed that it has long emphasised the dangerous prevailing conditions under which airline pilots fly in delivering essential services to hinterland locations.

The body reminded that

with regards to aircraft tracking systems such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADSB). AOAG reminded that the ADSB system still remains to be fully operational.

“It is because of the frequently hostile and extremely dangerous conditions under which aircraft operators conduct hinterland shuttle flights from hinterland locations that the Director of Civil Aviation has quite properly demanded operators manage these away from base operations to a standard specifically developed to ensure maximum possible safety,” the body stressed.

The AOAG said its

Force Major, was piloting a Roraima Airways’ Britten-Norman Islander aircraft when it crashed on landing at Eteringbang, killing him almost instantly. Captain Imran Khan, 41, of Essequibo Coast, Region Two, also lost his life when the Air Services Limited’s Cessna 206 aircraft he was flying from Chi-Chi to Mahdia went down late last month.

The GCAA Head had conceded earlier this month that at present, Guyana does not have an adequate search-andrescue helicopter, nor was there navigational aid at the main airport outside a certain radius. Field reasoned that

it has been urging the GCAA and Government to address the need to “upgrade our hinterland aerodromes and invest in an adequate Search and Rescue system appropriate to our domestic aviation requirements”.

The Association noted that many hinterland airstrips “still fail to meet the regulatory standards” that have been set by the GCAA

Technical Committee has worked with its members to develop procedures and requirements specific to the environment in which shuttle operations are conducted, adding that it had presented the Standard Operating Procedures on August 31 which were accepted by the GCAA. On July 25, Captain Collin Martin, a retired Guyana Defence

this was a risky situation which was ongoing for years without rectification. As such, he made commitments to ensure the sector would see improvements, having noted that our pilots fly unassisted through vast airspace beyond the 75-mile airport radius, while depending primarily on their own radio contact with other planes in order to avoid mid-air collisions.

Guyana Civil Aviation Authority Head, Egbert Field

F

ollowing criticisms over its response to several air transit accidents, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is now moving to expand its technical staff to include qualified and experienced Flight Operations Inspectors.

This is slated to ensure that the aviation industry “complies with the highest possible safety standards”.

The Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) on Wednesday noted that it is in full support of GCAA’s move to expand its staff which was recently announced by the Director General of the aviation body, Egbert Field. The proposed staff increase is included in the Authority’s budget for 2018. The Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana stated that this upgrade will meet the needs of a rapidly growing aviation industry and its expanding hinterland shuttle operations.

“The Association, for many years, has advocated in favour of strengthening the Authority’s regulatory and technical capacity in order that Guyana meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation

The Ming Swing

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atiricus was in a good mood. Since his inlaws lived “across the river”, he was forced to schlep weekly across the decrepit “floating bridge”. This always tested his fortitude. Satiricus swore the bridge was kept going by a combination of welds and spit, since there was not an occasion he’d crossed when there weren’t always workmen blocking his path. They were always bent over, welding and spitting. But now there was going to be a new concrete bridge!

“Halleluiah!!” he exclaimed to his buddies at the Back Street Bar. “I’ll now be able to visit the old nags across the river and get back in a couple of hours!”

“Who seh dah?” demanded Bungi. “Dem guh spen’ mo’ money dan fuh buil’ de Skelden facktry and de bridge gat fuh still open fuh ship pass!”

“I’m always confused when they say the bridge ‘open’ or ‘close’,” ventured Hari. “They mean for the ships, or the vehicles?”

“They mean for ships,” said Satiricus, the newspaperman. “Which I never understand, because it’s only motorists who read the newspapers.”

“That’s why I’m always confused,” said Hari. “So the bridge ‘open’ really means the bridge ‘closed to traffic!”

“You got it!” said Satiricus, clicking his beer with Hari.

“Dah all ayuh a t’ink ‘bout?” demanded Bungi.

“When ayuh guvment a waste all da money and yuh still gat fuh wait?”

“Budday!” grinned Satiricus. “It’ll be safer than those floating punts!”

“How yuh know da?” said Bungi. “Yuh hear ‘bout de Ming Swing?”

“OK…OK…” said Satiricus sheepishly. “We never denied that we accept ‘political investment’, you know!”

“Hold it!” interrupted Hari. “I know Ming was a big financier of the government, but what is this Ming Swing?”

“Yuh na hear?” smirked Bungi. “All bridge suppose fuh buil’ straight, but des waan guh swing fuh lan’ pan Ming land.”

“So how much the government has to bring for the swing?” Hari asked.

“Mo’ dan dem a spen’ pan cane-cutta,” said Bungi sourly.

Consideration for People with Disabilities

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n Guyana, there is no argument that most of our society caters mainly to one archetype of a person; i.e. a person with full control over their mental and physical faculties. Whilst a fairly obvious example would be the presence (or rather lack thereof) of wheelchair ramps in By Ashley Anthony prominent buildings, this problem runs deeper than just simple infrastructure.

Of course our buildings could be more considerate to people who are disabled, but what about ourselves? In Guyana, and perhaps around the world, the mindset is that if you are disabled you are pitiable, and sometimes, perhaps unknowingly, we can treat persons who are disabled as less than human. It is not our intention to undermine their autonomy, but for example if we address a family member instead of the person directly, even though they can answer for themselves, this is what we accomplish.

If we, as strangers, ask incredibly personal and invasive questions (all pertaining to the person’s disability) at a first encounter, we are unknowingly reducing an individual to one specific aspect about himself or herself— as though they are nothing else. Although a major disability undoubtedly plays a central role in that person’s life, it is not their entire identity. Also, we shouldn’t assume that people who are disabled wish that they were like us. For some people, their disability has given them a unique perspective through which to experience the world, and in some cases, even believe themselves to be part of a unique culture.

There is no right way to deal with all people with disabilities. Everyone is different, and what might be taken as a joke by one person might offend another, and individuals will have preferences about the words used to describe them and their disabilities. Of course, you could always look up polite terminology and behaviour to determine how to come off as least offensive as possible, but definitely the best thing to do is to treat the person as an individual and engage him or her so as to figure out what words and actions he or she is comfortable with.

One thing, though that we should be able to universally agree upon is that disabilities should not be used as punch lines, made light of, or construed into insults. To claim that you’re mentally incapacitated because you forgot your keys at home, or let your tea get cold can be a slap in the face to someone who is genuinely mentally incapacitated. You are reducing the mental struggle that they face everyday, and jokingly asserting that you understand what it’s like to be in their place, when you really don’t. A little thought goes a long way.

Most of us don’t intentionally mean to disparage someone else, but our actions can be thoughtless and inconsiderate. I urge you, the next time you meet someone with a disability to be conscious of your behaviours.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Akshay Kumar has great eye for The greatest Indian sports cinema, says actor Divyendu Sharma story will now get its deserved cinematic glory – Ranveer Singh

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ndian Cricket history’s most important chapter, World Cup 1983, is already etched in our memories, but now it is time to revisit the episode in a cinematic manner with Bollywood film ’83. And who else would be better than Ranveer Singh to portray the iconic cricketer. The actor will be playing Kapil Dev, who led the team back then.

Ranveer attended the announcement event in Mumbai with all the legendary players who were part of the team during the 1983 World Cup. The actor made each and every player revisit some memories on stage. Ranveer also became extremely emotional about getting the opportunity.

“I feel honoured & privileged to be part

of this film. One of the greatest underdog stories of all time – finally coming 2 the silver screen. To have met our sporting heroes in the flesh & be regaled by their stories – full of nostalgia, humour, emotion. A truly unforgettable event. The greatest Indian sports story will now get its deserved cinematic glory! It’s time to #Relive83 may God bless our endeavour. Im filled with a sense of responsibility to make a film the entire nation can be proud of. Thank u for this opportunity Kabir Khan,” he wrote in a series of tweets.

Ranveer Singh also shared a couple of pictures, which show the kind of fun the actor had at the event. (Indian Express)

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ctor Divyendu Sharma, who shared screen space with Akshay Kumar in “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha”, says the actor was very supportive on the sets and is an open-minded person.

“It was great fun to work with Akshay sir.

We played brothers on screen and we were almost like brothers on the set. He’s very disciplined and he works on his scenes and his lines and everything,” Divyendu said in a statement.

“There’s so much you

can learn from him. At the same time, after every scene, he used to ask me, ‘Can we do some improvisation or something?’ So, he’s very open and is very supportive that way, and he’s got a great eye for cinema,” he added.

Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the film will premiere on Zee Cinema on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

The satirical comedy is in support of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to improve the sanitation

conditions, with an emphasis on the eradication of open defecation, especially in rural areas.

Talking about his upcoming projects, Divyendu said: “There’s this small film, which is releasing on October 6 which is called ‘2016: The End’. I have also completed shooting for another film ‘Assi Nabbe Poorey Sau’. It’s an indie film and has nothing to do with comedy.

“You will see a very different side of me and yes, I am doing other projects as well.”

On the work front, Akshay is working on his several projects, including Padman and Gold. While the actor has shot for some sequences for his next, Padman, Akshay would soon start his work on Gold, which marks Bollywood debut of television actor Mouni Roy. (Indian Express)

Hema Malini on learning Hrithik Roshan vs Tiger Shroff Salsa with Dharmendra: Both in Yash Raj Films’ next actioner will be in different corners

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H

ema Malini is a diva in the truest sense. She is Bollywood’s Dream Girl, an actor, a wife, a mother and even a grandmother.

While she enjoys being the granny the most, she thinks playing a mother was the most difficult for her. In a candid chat with indianexpress.com, she got into answering some rapid fire questions, leaving everyone in splits with her funny replies, some of it were around her husband and Bollywood icon Dharmendra.

Hema Malini was in Delhi recently to promote her dance collaboration with Georgia. The 68-year-old has become the face of a cultural extravaganza, an Indo-Georgian dance ballet titled ‘Synergy’. We all know that Hema is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and has been instrumental in promoting traditional Indian dance forms across the world. But there is one western style she would love to learn – Salsa!

“I’ve done all Indian style of dance.

Few western movements also I’ve done in films and all. But the form or style that I want to learn would be Salsa,” Hema said.

But before we could move on to our next question, the veteran actor cut us short and added, “Now, ask me ‘with whom?’ Salsa with Dharam ji… Both will be in different corners,” she said before breaking into a loud laughter.

Hema took Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan’s names as her favourite co-stars apart from Dharmendra. She also said she prefers to remain lazy and sleep on a normal Sunday.

So, what’s that one question that irritates Hema Malini? “How do you maintain yourself so well?” she revealed. How many times have we asked this to her already? Well, now we know what goes on inside her mind. (Indian Express)

Vikram Bhatt’s daughter Krishna Bhatt turns director

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ilmmaker Vikram Bhatt’s daughter Krishna, who has assisted him on a few projects, has now become a director. The happy father just cannot believe it and thus shared his happiness

on social media. Vikram on Tuesday morning, shared a call sheet of her first day at work. Krishna’s name was written next to the director’s slot and her father’s name was written adjacent to the writer’s slot.

“I can’t believe she is a director! Time flies! This call sheet of her first day I shall cherish. Krishna V Bhatt,” the filmmaker captioned the image.

Krishna Bhatt too shared a thank you note

t is a special treat for all you dance freaks out there because Bollywood’s most sought-after dancers Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff are coming together to light up your screens.

Hrithik and Tiger are going to share screen space in a Siddharth Anand directorial to be produced by Yash Raj Films.

Grabbing the golden opportunity, YRF has announced the project on the auspicious occasion of Yash Chopra’s 85th birth anniversary. This is the first time that Hrithik and Tiger are going to star in a film together and that too, a thrilling action film. The film is said to go floors in April 2018.

for her daddy and wrote, “Thank you, Papa, for teaching me that there will be a Friday when I will succeed and there will be a Friday when I will fail. But most importantly, I will have what dreams are made of – A Friday. This letter will be my Temple. I love you.”

The details about the

Confirming the news on social media, Tiger teased Hrithik and wrote, “Sir @iHrithik.

You are my Guru.

But you should know when the game changes. #HrithikVsTiger.”

To which Hrithik replied, “A Guru will always have that one trick, he doesnt teach his student. @iTIGERSHROFF #HrithikVsTiger.”

He also retweeted YRF’s tweet with the caption, “The BIGGEST Action

event ever. Exploding on 25th Jan’19. #HrithikvsTiger ! …Be Ready.”

And while Hrithik Roshan returns to collaborate with YRF after 11 years post their blockbuster Dhoom 2, this is Tiger Shroff’s first venture with them.

The film is scheduled to release on 25 January 2019. Sidharth will also be directing Tiger in his upcoming film Rambo.

(Indian Express)

project are still under wraps. Krishna has assisted her father in films like ‘1920’, ‘Mr X’, ‘Haunted’ and ‘Dangerous Ishhq’.

Currently, Vikram has wrapped up shooting for his next film ‘1921’, which features actress Zareen Khan and Karan Kundra.

The film revolves

around the lead characters, played by Zareen and Karan Kundra, dealing with their dark pasts and secrets to secure their present and future. It is about a struggle between life and death, and is based in Britain. It is set to release on January 12, 2018.

(Indian Express)

Hollywood 49

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Spider-man: Homecoming’ now highest grossing superhero film of 2017

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O

ur friendly neighbourhood Spider-man has slung his way to the top position in superhero films this year in terms of worldwide collection. The film, starring Tom Holland as the eponymous superhero, has collected over $874 million (more than Rs 5700 crore) in its overall gross. The film’s collection is more than that of films like Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Wonder Woman has earned more than $820 million (more than Rs 5300 crore) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 has collected $863,416,141 (more than Rs 5600 crore).

Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spiderman was received very well across the world by both critics and the audience.

According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% reviews of the film have been positive. Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-man in 2016 film ‘Captain America: Civil War’ when he fought alongside Iron

Man’s faction. This is not the first time Spider-man has had its own live action film. The superhero has been portrayed twice before Tom Holland, first

by Tobey Maguire and then Andrew Garfield.

There are still two important superhero films that are still to come later this year. One of them Thor: Ragnarok belongs to Marvel’s own cinematic universe to which Spider-man: Homecoming also belongs. And the other is DC Extended Universe’s Justice League. Thor: Ragnarok is slated to be released on November 3 and Justice League will release on November 17.

Both films bring multiple superheroes together in one film and thus are expected to lure in more moviegoers than most superhero films.

Nonetheless, it is still a notable achievement as this Spider-man film came too soon after Andrew Garfield’s one. (Indian Express)

James Cameron begins production of four Avatar sequels

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ilmmaker James Cameron has started the production in Manhattan Beach on the four ‘Avatar’ sequels he is shooting in succession. It will be the most expensive shoot of its kind, at an estimated collective budget expected to surpass $1 billion, reported Deadline. The epic sci-fi film franchise stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin and Joel David Moore.

The original ‘Avatar’

is the second most highest grossing film in the history of cinema, behind Cameron’s own ‘Titanic’.

If there is any director who one can trust to cover the budget of their expensive movies, it’s James Cameron, but it is still unheard of four films with lots of computer imagery and graphics to be shot at the same time.

Peter Jackson is one other filmmaker who shot three films in The Lord of the Rings trilogy simultaneously and released one film every year.

‘Avatar’, released in 2009, is set in mid 22nd century. Humans have colonised Pandora, a habitable moon to mine unobtanium, a precious superconductor. The local race of people, blue-skinned Na’vi, are threatened by humans and their ambitions. Humans are sent as Na’vi ‘avatars’ (basically their consciousness is transferred to a genetically engineered Na’vi body) to interact with the Na’vi population to let humans mine the previous substance.

The visual effects in the film were considered as a breakthrough although the story was deemed too simplistic.

Fox is releasing the first ‘Avatar’ sequel on December 18, 2020, and the next comes a year later, with the last two in December 2024 and 2025. (Indian Express)

housands of Wonder Woman fans have signed a petition to make the DC superhero a bisexual in its upcoming sequel. Author Gianna Collier-Pitts, who belongs to GLAAD, a USbased NGO founded by the LGBTQ people in media, has started the social media campaign on Change.org which has been signed by 5,885 people.

In her petition, Collier-Pitts said the DC comics indirectly hinted that Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot in the Patty Jenkins-directed film, is a bisexual and that is why it was natural for her to be portrayed in her real sexual orientation on the silver screen.

“The likelihood of Wonder Woman being bisexual has been alluded to over the years, primarily in com-

ics. Writer of ‘Wonder Woman: Rebirth’, Greg Rucka even confirmed that ‘Diana has been in love and had relationships with other women’, so why is it so hard to translate this for the silver screen? “(She) hails from Themyscira, land of the Amazons and inhabited exclusively by women.

This alone should serve as reason enough to confirm her sexuality, since any close relationship she could have had prior to her romantic storyline with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) would have had to

have been with another woman,” she wrote.

Collier-Pitts said that making Wonder Woman canonically bisexual on the big screen would make her “the first openly LGBTQ superhero of any gender from either DC or Marvel’s cinematic universes”.

She also requested Warner Bros studios to present the Amazonian superhero in her true form in “Wonder Woman 2”.

The sequel is slated to release in December 2019. (Indian Express)

Being a good person doesn’t guarantee that others will be good people too – Mel B

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inger Mel B, who is currently involved in a bitter divorce battle with estranged husband Stephen Belafonte, says she is strong enough to raise her children alone. Mel B has an 18-year-old daughter Phoenix with her former husband Jimmy Gulzar, as well as Angel, 10, with comedian Eddie Murphy and Madison, six, with Belafonte.

The 42-year-old wrote an empowering message about single parenthood on Instagram on September 24, reports metro.co.uk. “Talking with my 18-year-old daughter today and I told her I learned the hard way in life that and that cannot always count on oth-

ers to respect my feelings even if I respect theirs.”

She added: “Being a good person doesn’t guarantee that others will be good people too, you only have control over yourself and how you choose to be as a person, as for others well you can choose to either accept them or walk away, even if your left all alone with no one it doesn’t really mean you’re alone, no. It just means you’re strong enough to handle things all by yourself.

Recently, Mel b also shared a beautiful picture with her mother captioning it. “What an amazing night last night I had with my beautiful mother at the faceforwardla gala,thank you thank you eborah alessi for everything you do and the woman you are, your just incredible you truly are, your changing women’s lives every day and giving them back their self-respect and installing them with hope love and care, and for that alone I’m honored and humbled to have been a part of it all last night and will continue to do so!!!!” (Indian Express)

Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry at his Invictus Games

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rince Harry’s girlfriend, American actor Meghan Markle, is sitting in the stands for Saturday’s opening ceremony of his Invictus Games for wounded veterans in her first appearance at a public event with him.

Markle lives in Toronto, but hadn’t appeared with Harry since he arrived in the city.

She recently told Vanity Fair they’re in love. They were not sitting together in the stands of the Air Canada Centre. They were about four rows apart but Harry looked over at her when the Canadian anthem played.

A security guard blocked at least one fan from taking pictures of Markle, who sat with friend Markus Anderson, a party consultant.

Markle, 36, was wearing a brown leather jacket over a dark dress. She is known for her portrayal of a paralegal, Rachel in the television show Suits. The Invictus Games are the creation of Prince Harry, who got the inspiration to help wounded and sick military personnel and their families after his two tours of duty in Afghanistan. This is the third Invictus Games. About 550

competitors from 17 countries are slated to compete in 12 sports over the next week. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended the opening ceremony.

Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams will perform at the closing ceremony next Saturday. U.S. Master Sgt. Brian Williams, who had his left leg amputated at the knee because of an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012, said Harry is living up to the legacy of his late mother Diana with his chari-

ty work. “He’s following in his mother footsteps. Straight up,” Williams said.

Williams said he has a lot of respect for Harry, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan. “He doesn’t have to do this but he is,” he said.

Williams was working as a dog handler during his second deployment in Afghanistan when he was severely injured while clearing a Taliban compound. Despite his injuries he has worked hard to stay on active duty. He also competed in last year’s Invictus Games in Orlando and he’s taking part

in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball this year.

Canadian Melanie Harris is set to compete in bioarchery.

Harris did two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the Canadian military. She would help carry bring in wounded soldiers to the medical facilities on base.

She has since struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I was living without passion, without purpose. I needed to believe in myself again and I needed to be inspired. And these Invictus Games that’s what they did,” Harris said.

(Indian Express)

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Karatekas put on impressive show

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Karatekas pose after a successful senior championship at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sunday

enior martial artists Roger Peroune and Nyota Rodrigues were among the top performers when the Guyana Karate Federation (GKF) held its 2016 Senior National Karate Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Sunday last.

Peroune, a 4th Dan black belt finished in first place of Male 18+ Kata category while Rodrigues another senior martial artist placed first in the similar category for females. Rodrigues then teamed with Loren Black and Christina Chaves as part of the Shotokan Karate Dojo’s team who won the women’s Kata team event.

In the men’s Kata team event,

Peroune, Malcolm Francis and Patrick Gurahoo emerged winners of that category. Other first place winners included; Tashana Wong (Female 1417 Kata), Trevon Miller (14-17 Kata), Timothy Chand (14-17 Kumite), Joel Kellman (Male 18+ -67kg Kumite), Roland Fanfair (Male 18+ -84kg Kumite).

The tournament, according to GKF President and senior instructor Sensei Amir Khouri was used as a measuring stick as to further assess fighters for upcoming tournaments, while helping those senior fighters to further get in shape in a bid for the 2020 Olympics.

Guyana’s National T20 team keen on fitness ahead of ABCA tourney

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Some of the players preparing for their Yo-Yo tests

he Guyana T20 team, which is slated to wing out to Antigua for the 2nd annual Antigua/Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) Tri 20 tournament, began preparations with an arduous Yo-Yo assessment at the Leonora Synthetic Track on Tuesday.

With the competition bowling off from October 6, the Leon Johnson led side got together for another tough morning of exercise routines geared towards heightening the team’s physical standards.

Used to evaluate an individual’s ability to endure repeated periods of vigorous activity followed by short active breaks, the intermittent fitness exam saw players being pushed to their physical limit as fitness continue to be a priority in local cricket. With stamina also being main criteria for the coaches, a number of sessions on sprints and dashes were also conducted on the synthetic track for the first time, under the eyes of head coach Esuan Crandon with assistance coaches Rayon Griffith and Clive Grimmond.

Speaking with Guyana Times International Sport following one of the exercises, Crandon said with the players already training on a weekly ba-

sis, it was important to use the Leonora venue as it provides a mirroring environment similar to the one’s used by the West Indies during their physical assessments.

The coach said the assessments which were carried out were important for all the cricketers especially for those who are contracted by the West Indies and Guyana.

“The training is for the entire franchise; the CGI contracted players, GCB academy and West Indies contracted players, it’s basically to assess them and see where they are.”

Thanks to the ongoing sessions which occur weekly, most of Guyana’s players who have not played any international cricket have gotten very fit under the guidance of Crandon and Griffith, both of whom have been instrumental in Guyana’s success over the past four seasons.

With a lot of firepower in the side, Guyana will carry a star-studded team to the competition and according to the coach he expects that players, especially those who have been on international duty or had good Caribbean Premier League (CPL) outings, to put on sterling performances during the T20 tourney.

Meanwhile, Griffith during a few brief re-

marks said that from a physical standpoint he was pleased with the progress of the players but added that he would like to see a bit more development in the fitness area, something he believes will ultimately be better for his players in the long run.

Among the top performers of the Yo-Yo exam were pacer Raun Johnson who was at one time the only man running the test, vicecaptain for the T20’s Veerasammy Permaul, Jamaican Ramaal Lewis, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and the skipper Johnson.

In addition to the Guyana T20 players, current West Indies Test players Raymon Reifer, Vishaul Singh and Shimron Hetmyer were also present at the session on Tuesday.

Training continues at the Everest Cricket Club ground from 09:00h.

The Guyana squad for the T20’s: Robin Bacchus, Gajanand Singh, Leon Johnson, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Jonathan Foo, Anthony Bramble, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Ronsford Beaton, Romario Shepherd, Ricardo Adams, Christopher Barnwell and Ramaal Lewis

West Indies’ latest addition Raymon Reifer going through his sprints at Leonora on Tuesday

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Akshay Homraj ton sinks Everest ACS

By Sam Sooppersaud

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he word around is that cricket fans prefer to see bowlers being blasted all over the cricket field by the batsmen. The fans do appreciate a bowler getting a fiver, but the excitement for them is short lived. They have to wait for over after over until the feat is accomplished.

However, in a batsman "ripping the bowlers to pieces" the fans are getting continuous gratification. They are constantly kept at maximum excitement. As they say, "T20 is a batsman's game."

Well, it is the fans' game also. The original idea behind the "invention" of this format was to create excitement for the folks sitting in the stands.

T20 cricket has certainly done that!

For the cricket fans, who prefer to see the batsmen create carnage at the expense of the bowlers, you've missed out "big time," if you were not at The Cage cricket ground last Sunday. It was a semi-final game in the 2017 Eastern American Cricket Association's (EACA) T20 Tournament.

Akshay Homraj, a diminutive opening batsman orchestrated and conducted an assault on the opposing bowlers, the magnitude of which had rarely if ever, been seen at The Cage. The only other batsman, in my mind, to have created such destruction of bowlers was Sudesh Dhaniram. From the first to the penultimate ball he faced, Homraj put on a show of powerhitting. Admittedly, he is small in stature, but, it was clear that he generated his power from his exquisite timing of the ball.

Akshay treated all the bowlers with "equal opportunity," with all of them sharing in his onslaught. He was so severe that he hit four consecutive bombs off of a Trevor Walke over, that cleared the high 18-foot fence that surround the cricket field. In the next over he dispatched two consecutive balls from Zamin Amin via the same route and altitude.

Now to the game!

Galaxy took first strike.

They got off to an excellent start, with their openers Akshay Homraj and Shafik Shah playing freely and scoring steadily. The hundred without loss came up in eight overs. The first wicket, that of Shah (32) fell with the score at 112, The second wicket fell at 133, but then Homraj and Zamal (37) got together in an 86-run part-

Galaxy team with some members of the Legend Social Club

nership. This alliance was broken with Homraj being caught in the deep with the score on 219; his personal tally being 142 runs. One hundred of those runs came in boundaries and maximums: 10-4's and 10-6's.

The Galaxy inning closed out at 229 for the loss of 3 wickets.

Six bowlers were employed by Everest ACS: Zamin Amin and Wasim Haslim were the only bowlers to taste success, getting one wicket each for 50 and 29 runs respectively. The others were treated with disdain: Deveshwari Prashad (40-30-0), Trevor Walke (20-37-0), Karan Ganesh (4-0-34-0), and Telston Johnson (4-0-47-0).

Facing a run rate of 11.5 per over to win, Everest ACS sent in Wasim Haslim and Jetendra Sookdeo to commence the run chase.

Both these batsmen are accomplished run-getters. It was felt that once they were settled, the "runs would come". This was not to be. In the first ball of the second over Haslim looped a simple catch back to the bowler Metray Balgobin. One wicket for nine runs. A pinch-hitter in Telston Johnson replaced him in the middle. Tello's first hit was for a maximum, his second a double. The third sent him walking to the showers. Three for 33 in 3.1 overs. Everest ACS was clearly in front of the gun. In fact they may have experienced the pain of an "actual gunshot".

Karan Ganesh and "Ol’ Reliable" Zamin Amin came together and took the score to 97 for 4. Once they were separated, another wicket fell at the same score.

It was then 97 for 5 and only 8 overs having been bowled at that stage.

The stylish lefthander Amarnauth Persaud, joined Amin. Persaud is known for his consistent run-scoring ability. He

was a dynamic run-getter for Van Buren High School in the Public Schools Athletic League cricket program.

Together Amin and Persaud took the score

to 157 before Persaud (33) was caught and bowled by Rafik Nazeer.

Once again, another wicket fell in succession without any addition to the score. At 7 for 157

Everest ACS began to see whatever glimmer of hope they had, gradually disappearing. With the fall of Zamin's wicket in the 17th over, the script was written on the wall:

an Everest ACS defeat.

Zamin had played an exciting inning. He scored 47 runs, 36 runs of which came by way of 6-6's. The end came in the 18th over with the fall of the last wicket, Everest ACS falling short by 36 runs.

The leggie Metray Balgobin was the most successful Galaxy bowler (4-0-47-3). Giving support were: Vijay Seonarine (3-0-33-2), Yudesh Bisnauth (2.1-014-2), Rafik Nazeer (4-047-2), and Zamal Khan (0.2-0-0-1).

The final (both A and B Divisions) will be played on Sunday, October 1st at The Cage; the cricket field at Foch Boulevard and Long Street in Queens. The “B” Division final starts at10:00 AM and the “A” Division Final is scheduled to start at 1:30 PM.

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Beaton fit, focused on Test cricket – says “Hard work carries me through my difficult times”

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it-again Guyana and West Indies s p e e d s t e r Ronsford Beaton says taking wickets and increased gym time are part of his current regime as he’s hopeful that strong performances in the upcoming Cricket West Indies Regional 4-Day tournament could help him secure a spot in the Test side.

Beaton, who was called to the West Indies T20 side for their series against Afghanistan back in May but did not play, spoke with Guyana Times International Sport during an exclusive interview at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Wednesday, where he along with his teammates continued

their pre-season training as well as some further fine-tuning ahead of next week’s Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) T20 tournament; also the 2017/18 Regional 4-Day which bowls off on October 26.

The pacer said despite his recent success in limited overs cricket, T20 especially, he is eager to play red ball cricket for the West Indies having just tasted selection without playing time.

He knows he will not only need to bowl well in the upcoming 4-Dayers, but taking truckloads of wickets will further strengthen his case.

“As usual, wickets will be the key this year also my physical fitness,

just being able to bowl for long periods is why I’m in the gym a lot because I’m not worried about my bowling I just want to continue my gym work ahead of the upcoming season ” he said.

During the playoffs in this this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the 25 year-old, suffered an injury during the Trinbago Knight Riders match against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Prior to the injury, Beaton who ended with 11 wickets was selected to play for the West Indies in their one-off T20 match versus England, but missed out due to visas issues.

“I was coming off a successful T20 and being selected to go to England right after was a good accomplishment for me but unfortunately I didn’t go to England for the T20 because of visa problems. The CPL for me was great though, I played with lots of experienced guys around me and that helped me improve my game, but I’m looking forward to the tournament in Antigua and hopefully the experience I gained over the past few months, I can put it to play,” said the

Ronsford Beaton takes advice from West Indies' most capped Test player Shivnarine Chanderpaul

fast-bowler.

He also admitted that following his injury he immediately returned to training and gym which has helped him to recover tremendously. “In the CPL playoffs, I pulled up with some niggles first my hamstring then my ankle, but I’m feeling better 85 percent better. When I was told by a teammate during CPL that I was bowling 150[km/h] I didn’t know I was bowling so fast cause I wasn’t trying to bowl too fast.”

Speaking on his road to full recovery, the West Indies ‘A’ bowler said that while the injury was a slight setback, his physical demeanor and bowling form were of utmost importance thus prompting him to doubling up on his training and fitness.

“I know my speed comes from the gym work that I’ve been putting in a lot of, along with my training and conditioning so

my speed is up there and I want to ensure it remains up there.”

Apart from his raw pace, the quick bowler said he’s not at all worried about his actual bowling as he added a bit more to his arsenal, rather he’s placing more emphasis on ensuring he’s physically fit for the rigors of playing in the longest formats.

“Hard work carries me through my difficult times and knowing that the word around saying that I’m a limited overs player helps me to aspire more to play for the West Indies at the Test level. I know it will take a lot out of me, conditioning will play a big part in everything but I’m looking to play First-Class cricket this year cause last year I was out for a whole season, so hopefully I get selected and I can make a claim’, said Beaton.

With Guyana the reigning, defending

4-Day champs after three seasons of sheer dominance, Beaton was adamant that his team can break history and win the title for a fourth consecutive year while marking the upcoming ABCA invitational T20 as an important tournament for the team who will need to enhance their limited overs prowess.

“We are the best 4-Day team in the region over the past 3 years so I think it comes down to discipline and once you can play the longest format you can play any format. We have a lot of experienced T20 specialists, so going into the invitational tournament I’m confident but I’m also confident going into the First Class season because we have guys who aren’t selected for the T20’s but can do the job in the 4-Dayers, so I’m not worried about the transition,’ the Essequibian ended.

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