Guyana Times Monday May 27, 2019

Youths P 12&13 dominate 53rd anniversary flag-raising ceremony Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3936

monday, may 27, 2019

PRICE

Brazilian miner shoots cop

during Police raid at Aranka – 36 rounds of .38 ammunition, suspected warhead found

Guyana Goldfields unilaterally

transferring workers to contracts

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Body found in Mahdia Backdam P7

Page 10 See story on page 9

...practice will cost workers severance benefits – Union

GA-FDD to investigate Chinese P8 restaurant

…after customers complain of insects in food

Murdered taxi driver

P2 Police working with GRA to locate car

The Golden Arrowhead is being hoisted in observance of Guyana’s 53rd Independence anniversary at D’Urban Park on Sunday

UK-funded Linden to Mabura Road Project

Consultants to submit report

by September – UK envoy

Page 3

Ace racer shot during robbery

after Buju concert

Pedal cyclist seriously Page 7

injured after being struck by soldier

Page 2

Guyanese P15 youths to receive training for jobs in Private Sector APA calls P15 for revised curriculum for hinterland schools

2 news

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Pedal cyclist seriously injured Murdered taxi driver after being struck by soldier Police working with GRA to locate car A pedal cyclist is now in an unconscious state at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was struck down by a vehicle allegedly being driven by a Corporal of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Saturday morning along the Vryheid’s Lust Railway Embankment Road, East Coast Demerara.

The severely injured man was identified as 57-year-old Ramlackhan (only name given), of Lot 346 Martyrs Ville, Mon Repos, ECD. At the time of the acci-

dent, the now injured man was towing another friend, who is allegedly from Sixth Street, Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD). He sustained lacerations to his right arm but did not seek any medical attention.

Reports are that around 05:15h on the day in question, the duo was riding along the roadway when they were hit off of their bicycle by motorcar PRR 7815.

It was reported that the car was being driven by a 33-year-old Corporal.

However, the serious-

ly injured man was picked up and taken to the GPHC where he was admitted a patient. Up to this morning, the 57-year-old pedal cyclist was said to still be in an unconscious state.

Meanwhile, a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the vehicle and it was discovered that his alcohol intake was above the legal limit. He is presently in custody as Police continue their investigations.

On March 24, a hitand-run accident along the Timehri Public Road, East

Bank Demerara (EBD), had claimed the life of 50-yearold pedal cyclist Peter Billison of Lot 17 Soesdyke, EBD. The pedal cyclist was reportedly proceeding along the roadway when he was struck from behind by a motorcar which reportedly sped off the scene.

Picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited persons, Billison was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Murdered female taxi driver Indira Bipat

A

s Police continue their investigations into the murder of 47-year-old Indira Bipat, a female taxi driver whose body was found in a ditch at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), last week, investigators believe locating the woman’s car is paramount.

The motorcar is a SilverGrey Toyota Axio bearing registration numbers PXX 4114.

D Division Commander, Edmond Cooper on Sunday related that there are no leads at this moment while noting that recovery of the vehicle is key to the investigation.

“We have not gotten anything on the car as yet.

What we are doing, we are trying to if we could locate the vehicle so we are in contact with our counterparts from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in terms of getting the chassis number and such so that in case that anybody sprays the car over or anything, and uses it, we would know. You have got to start from somewhere because you don’t have anything and it is a serious issue but we are working and

this is the angle that we have started with.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y , Commander Cooper noted that all police stations were informed to be on the lookout for the motorcar.

Bipat, of Lot 18 Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, WBD, had left her home at about 17:30h on May 18, 2019, in her family’s car.

After the woman failed to return home that evening and the following morning, her son told Guyana Times that he filed a report at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.

While there, the young man revealed that he received a report from a female friend informing him that the body of a female had been found in a ditch at La Parfaite Harmonie.

As such, the family rushed to the scene and their worst fears were confirmed.

A post-mortem examination was recently conducted on Bipat’s body where it revealed the cause of death as strangulation compounded by blunt trauma to the head.

The woman leaves to mourn two children.

(Kristen Macklingam)

news

3

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, May 27 – 12:00h-01:30h and Tuesday, May 28 – 01:00h and 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, May 27 – 11:00h-12:30h and Tuesday, May 28 – 12:05h-13:35h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

Lightly cloudy conditions and light rain showers are expected to prevail throughout the day, with sunny intervals in the late afternoon. Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening followed by light rain showers, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:55h and 23:41h reaching maximum heights of 2.13 metres and 2.14 metres respectively.

UK-funded Linden to Mabura road project

Consultants to submit report by September – UK envoy

T

he consultants conducting design and technical assessment works in relation to the Linden to Mabura road project are expected to submit a report by September, according to British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn.

The much-anticipated Linden to Lethem road project is divided into two phases: Linden to Mabura Hill and Mabura to Lethem.

The United Kingdom (UK) Government is funding the first phase – Linden to Mabura, including a bridge across the Essequibo River at the Kurupukari Stelling – with a $150 million grant from the £300 Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) programme that was announced by for-

The Kurupukari River crossing where the UK-funded bridge will be constructed

bridges and ports to help drive economic growth and development across the Caribbean region. Guyana was named among nine Caribbean states to benefit

Low Tide: 17:03h reaching a minimum height of 1.05 metres.

The Lethem trail in a deplorable condition

saturday, may 25, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

06

07

14

19

20

28

FREE TICKET

11 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01

06

12 18 24

LUCKY 3

4

0

6

1

Afternoon Draw

4

3

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

05

06

10

12

PAY DAY

03 09 11 14 17

14

17

21 SUPER PAY DAY

07 09 12 19 20

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

mer British Prime Minister David Cameron back in 2015.

Updating reporters on the project, High Commissioner Quinn disclosed that the design and technical assessment contract has been awarded and is in process. “[The consultant is] expected to report, I think, in the third quarter of this year, thus by September this year. They will present two basic options to the Government instead of one… Then it will be over to the Government to decide which of those [options] it wants to use the funding that we have available on,” the British diplomat said.

Last year, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had explained that the new Kurupukari bridge, located in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), will either be a single or dual lane fixed bridge – approximately 600 metres long.

Currently, persons travelling the LindenLethem trail have to cross the Essequibo River, at Kurupukari, by a privately-operated pontoon service. Kurupukari Village is located along the LethemGeorgetown trail, about five hours from Lethem.

In September 2015, former Prime Minister Cameron had announced the multimillion-dollar investment in vital new infrastructure such as roads,

from the grant.

In February of 2017, it was announced that Guyana had earmarked the first phase of the Linden-Lethem road project as well as the rehabilitation of the coastal and river infrastructures

in the Georgetown area to be funded by the British Government.

The second project would cover the reconstruction of the facilities at the major river-passenger and goods-transport hubs at Stabroek Market and Vreeden-Hoop on the Demerara River.

The Caribbean

Development Bank (CDB), which is administering the £300 UKCIF, has set a grant of $161 million to fund a feasibility study and designs for the rehabilitation of the stellings and according to High Commissioner Quinn, that study is ongoing and will be completed at the same time as the road study.

Turn to page 7

4

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Gender stereotypes

W

ith the PNC-led Government’s blessings, “Carnival” is now integrated into our Independence commemoration. This year, it kicked off with “Rum and Ramajay”, “Wet Wednesday”, “Stinging Nettles”, “Stink and Dutty Jouvert”, and culminated with the Dancehall music of Buju Banton.

Since the Government simultaneously announced its commitment to fight “Gender Based Violence”, we publish the following as advice by a young Guyanese: “As Lady Saw, legendary female dancehall singer, says, ‘man a di least of mi problem’.” However, this phrase could not be further from the reality for most women in the Caribbean culture.

In dancehall music, women are seen as salacious figures of sexuality, companions for men; and, ideally, as mothers and caretakers of those men.

In another song, titled “She’s a Ho”, Mr Vegas proceeds to list everything that makes a woman a “ho” in his eyes. This list includes being a woman who has one-night stands, takes another woman’s man, is “easy”, or has a negative reputation in her community. This portrays women as being treacherous individuals who weaken men.

Even the term “dancehall queen” is used to describe a woman who is seductive and uses her sexuality to attract men, and in turn weaken their masculinity.

Women are referred to in many songs as “Delilah.” This denotes their connection to the biblical figure who was known to be a temptress, and for tricking Sampson into revealing the source of his strength and then using that knowledge to take that strength away from him.

These songs and descriptions paint women as being duplicitous, deceitful, and sex-crazed. However, these same facts, when attributed to men, are usually seen as positive masculine traits. In addition to having many female conquests, an ideal man in Caribbean culture is aggressive, and as most dancehall songs suggest, violent when need be, often to the detriment of women.

Vybz Kartel, another dancehall artiste, notorious for his violent lyrics, recites that “real badman neva afraid, we got bombs and guns and hand grenades.” According to this song, and many others, men should be strong and fearless, and in turn should show no hesitation in engaging in violence in the event that their manhood is ever threatened.

This notion of hyper-masculinity, promoted through dancehall music, leads to the subjugation of women and reaffirmation of their roles as the weaker sex. Men are constantly reminded of their perceived roles as the stronger sex, and are being told that they would lose their masculinity if they do not work to maintain their prized machismo and the rigid gender roles ingrained into Caribbean society.

The rigidity of Caribbean gender roles is also evident in rampant domestic violence against women by men who are trying to bolster their masculinity.

This construction of sexual identities in dancehall music causes sexism, misogyny, and violence to be entrenched into the Caribbean culture. From the time a child begins to interact socially, he/she is being trained to understand his/ her specific role, as dictated by their gender. Boys are taught to be strong and assertive, whereas girls are being taught to be passive and open to subjugation.

Homosexuality challenges this heteronormative notion which causes many male dancehall artistes to target gay men in their lyrics. In an attempt to emasculate gay men and label them as an “other,” dancehall singers focus on their sexuality being immoral and taboo. In doing so, they attempt to isolate themselves from gay men and maintain the notion of masculinity being inherent in males. Dancehall artiste T.O.K., in his song “Chi-Chi Man”, blatantly attacks homosexuality on the ground of it being dirty and immoral. He then calls for all homosexual men to be burnt and killed with no mercy.

The essentialism that is being perpetuated in these songs is creating an impenetrable shield around Caribbean society.

Coupled with the violence associated with breaking away from these norms, dancehall music has become a very toxic part of Caribbean culture.” (Brown Girl Magazine)

Jamaican Reggae artiste Buju Banton performing at the “I Am Legend” Concert at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The event was hosted in observance of Guyana’s 53rd Independence Anniversary (Akeem Thomas)

Why the country with the world’s largest oil reserves faces gas shortages

F

or many Venezuelans, oil is a birthright in the country blessed with the largest crude reserves in the world. Despite wild hyperinflation, Venezuela’s Government has never increased the price of gasoline.

Today, amid a crushing economic crisis, filling up a tank in Venezuela is still basically free – but only if you can afford to wait for days in line.

Over the last two weeks, people from several states in Venezuela have described severe gas shortages. It’s not the first time that the country has suffered gas shortages, but previous crises were blamed on bad distribution and logistical inefficiency.

This time, as citizens find themselves queuing for days at the gas stations, many are starting to fear there simply is not enough oil for all.

Caracas is still fuelled by a steady supply, which critics of the embattled President Nicolás Maduro describe as politically motivated favouritism: Keeping the capital well supplied helps prevent further anti-government protests, after months of violent unrest.

But in the western city of San Cristobal del Tachira, Lorena Amaya, 42, spent three days sleeping in her car with her sister, as they waited in line to fill the tank with gas. The two sisters parked their vehicles one in front of the other and placed a mattress in the first one to create a bed.

“Today, it’s my son’s birthday, and look where am I,” she told CNN. She only briefly left the gas queue to visit her 10-year-old son that morning, while her sister held the spot.

“I ask the neighbour to keep an eye for him while I am here, but he’s home by

A closed gas station on the outskirts of Caracas, Venezuela

himself,” she said.

Her sister Ymara, 40, describes the fuel as “the most expensive gasoline we ever bought” because of the three days of lost work and life that she has spent waiting in line.

How this happened

In 1989, large riots hit Caracas after the Government of then-President Carlos Andres Perez announced the end of a gasoline subsidy which had maintained the prices well beneath market level. Since then, increasing the price of oil has become taboo for Venezuelan politicians.

Thirty years later, and after five years of deep economic crisis under Maduro, oil is still cheap, but production has dropped to levels unseen since the 1940s. In April 2019, Venezuela only produced 830,000 barrels per day, down from 1.2 million at the beginning of the year, according to new data from the United States’ Energy Information Administration.

State oil company PDVSA is struggling to keep production afloat. Most of its

machinery is obsolete and its production facilities under-resourced. Since March, waves of blackouts have only made the situation worse.

PDVSA does not publish production figures, so it is impossible to know exactly how much oil the country actually produces. However, shipments from key international allies such as Russia have increased this year, suggesting that the oil company is supplementing its dwindling production with foreign supply.

Maduro’s Government has blamed the production crisis on corruption by former managers and the increasingly painful sanctions from the United States.

Since the US sanctioned PDVSA in January 2019, the company has been unable to plug into the international oil market, where it buys ingredients needed to refine its thick, heavy crude into gasoline.

Venezuela’s Ombudsman, Alfredo Ruiz Angulo, has said that he intends to denounce US sanctions as human rights violations, say-

ing “All these unilateral coercive measures led by the United States are causing real trouble for the health of Venezuelans.”

For the Opposition, however, the shortages are proof of Maduro’s inability to run the country sustainably. On social media, the hashtag campaign #VenezuelaSinGasolina has attacked the Government for failing to maintain the country’s most prized industry. “The solution to get out of this mess is for Maduro to go,” said Miguel Pizarro, a leading Opposition congressman in a statement to CNN. The shortages are also compounding Venezuela’s already dire food insecurity.

Venezuela doesn’t have a rail system, and most of its largest cities are far away from the coast; without petrol, food supplies cannot be moved from city to city. On May 20, the country’s Federation of Cattle Ranchers issued a public plea for fuel to the Government, citing their difficulty in moving the cattle across the country. (CNN)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Crime, politics and the Police Dear Editor, On innumerable occasions, I have questioned this Government’s commitment to combat violent crimes, to uphold the rule of law and to act in conformity with the Constitution. I do so once again. On this occasion, I will interrogate its commitment to battle violent crimes.

No one can doubt that Guyanese from all walks of life, in particular, on the coastland, are in a state of terror unleashed by those who perpetrate violent crimes against them with impunity. The upsurge in recent months has left dozens dead, dozens injured and dozens psychologically and emotionally scarred for life. There has been absolutely no proportionate reaction from either the Guyana Police Force (GPF) or the Government. It is as if it is business as usual.

Indeed, one cannot point to a singular measure implemented or even conceived to confront these morbid atrocities. Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan seeks to appease a fearful and brutalised citizenry with the least comforting “it is not that bad” remark. His recent penchant of revealing statistics which show a decline in violent crimes assuages no one: the statistics are incredulous, as the people are

living, nay, suffering a different reality. To withhold the truth from the public, the GPF stopped publishing their monthly statistical data to which the press had become so accustomed.

One is, therefore, left with Ramjattan’s ipse dixit on the matter.

Four years ago, I publicly opined that the leadership of the GPF is being undermined by political interference. I essayed multiple examples to support my contention. I condemned such interference as unlawful and contrary to both the Police Act and the Constitution. I predicted that this would naturally lead to a destruction of morale and authority in the Force and impact negatively, on its capacity and performance. The nation is now enduring the results of such interference. Police officers are now afraid to use lethal force where the situation so demands because policy statements have been issued from the highest Office of the land absolutely eschewing the utilisation of lethal force. That policy directive not only emanated from the wrong Office but it is also legally flawed.

One Commissioner of Police was virtually hounded out of Office by the Government, in abrogation of the “security of tenure,” which the Constitution ac-

cords to that Office. A similar fate swiftly followed the next Police Commissioner who was appointed to act in his stead. It is not insignificant that they are of the same ethnicity.

In May 2015, a Senior Superintendent of Police, Wendell Blanhum, was elevated to the post of Crime Chief. Prior to his elevation, he was second in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Blanhum remains one of the most educated and highly trained officers in the GPF. His training, both locally and overseas, includes crime prevention policing, investigation of organised crimes for the Americas, policing and management, intelligence-led policing and law enforcement leadership, to name a few. He holds a Degree in Public Management, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws Degree. He is not yet 40 years old but has already served nearly two de-

cades in the Force.

Minister Ramjattan was quoted in the press (Stabroek News - December 6, 2017) as saying that “Blanhum has been an absolutely competent Crime Chief. He solved a lot of crimes”. Yet, Officer Blanhum was removed from that post and reassigned to a desk as Deputy Commander of A Division.

This bizarre move constituted the implementation of recommendations emanating from a most jaundiced Commission of Inquiry (CoI) held, to investigate, what many believed to be a fabricated plot, to assassinate the President. Blanhum has been deliberately kept away from active duties since.

However, it does not end there. I am reliably informed that recently, Blanhum was transferred to Mabaruma, Region One. I was further informed that this is the first time that an officer of such rank has ever been assigned to such a remote location. It is not that I am implying that remote locations of our country do not

require officers of the stature of Blanhum. But it was never done before. In any event, one can hardly compare the incidence of crime on the coastland with that of Region One. The quintessential question, however, remains: on what basis can one justify assigning one of the most qualified and able investigators in the Force away from the heart of the country’s crime zone, the coastland, particularly when violent crimes are peaking?

There is more still yet. I was informed that there is a “shake-up” taking place right now in the Force, driven by political diktat, to remove from key positions and locations, officers whom the Government feels they cannot influence and direct, and to replace them with

those perceived to be malleable and controllable. This is being done specifically in preparation for the impending Regional and General Elections. We know too well the implications and ramifications which will flow therefrom.

In the meanwhile, the Force continues to haemorrhage from lack of confidence and competence and citizens’ lives continue to be lost, families continue to be destroyed and sparse money to survive continue to be plundered by violent miscreants in our midst.

Clearly, we deserve better as a people.

Regards, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

6

monday, may 27, 2019

Page

Foundation Helping your child with creative writing assignments (Continued from Sunday)

Unblocking a block

Often, the basis of the problem is quickly identified when the child groans, “I’ve got to write a composition for school tomorrow, and I don’t know WHAT to write about!”

It’s a common complaint and deserves sympathy and some specifics by the parent-not to provide a topic but to trigger the youngster’s imagination and creative abilities.

Try asking questions.

For example, “Can you think of anything interesting that happened to you on the camping trip?” or “Is there a favourite person (or place or film, et cetera) in your fife you’d like to write about?” or “Is there a famous person you’d like to be? Why? The important point to note here is that all of the above questions relate directly to the child himself, who is probably going through the very normal developmental stage of egocentricity. To most youngsters, they are the most fascinating subject in the world at this time of their young lives. This, too, will pass, but while it exists, we can capitalise on it.

Suggest that the child thumb through a well-illustrated magazine or book in his search for an idea.

Newspapers are another good source – what better topic than to write about one’s favourite comic strip? However, if the illustrations are accompanied by a printed text, the youngster should be cautioned against copying from the text as opposed to merely using it for background information.

The family picture album may touch off some fond memories that will make a colourful composition. Help the young writer to notice details in photographs – “Wasn’t that the day it poured right in the middle of our pic-

nic?” “Look! There you are getting on the bus for your first year at camp.”

Try fantasy. For example, “What three things would you like to have with you if you were marooned on a desert island?” or “If you had to exist in a strange city for three days with no job, no friends, and no money, what would you do?” or, who would you choose as famous parents, or sisters, or brothers?”

General tips

Try to encourage the young writer to see a picture in his mind of what he plans to write about. Let him close his eyes and describe the picture to you.

Ask questions about it. His verbal description will help him organise his thoughts to be transferred onto paper.

Play word games. For example, if the word “red” occurs in his writing, ask him how many other words he can think of that describe the colour red.

Remind him of the tried and true journalistic technique of including who, what, when, where, and how in the sentence. Example: “On Tuesday Susan and I took a bus to the Strand Theatre to see our favourite movie.”

Contact the teacher and secure her permission to “proofread” a first draft of the written work and make suggestions and minor corrections before a final copy is written. In doing so, think praise, not criticism.

Example: “You did a great job. I particularly liked your descriptions. Here are two words whose spelling you might check. You must make sure that the teacher clearly understands that you are not doing the child’s work but are simply standing by in a oneto-one capacity to improve the finished product.

The key word is “organisation”. Never allow the youngster to jump haphazardly into writing a “finished” assignment. Help him identify what is to be written, define the territory, work out a sequence, list key words and ideas – and then, and only then, start the assignment. Because some youngsters have great deficits in organisation, they need gentle guidance for shaping their assignments.

If your work in creative writing is going well in terms of the youngster’s attitude and productivity, and, possibly, improvement has been noted, you might want to consider getting the youngster’s permission to approach the teacher to see if some added written assignments might be turned in for extra credit. Don’t be surprised or dismayed if your child doesn’t think this is the best idea you’ve ever had! (childde-

velopmentinfo.com)

I

t’s easier to agree than disagree. But we can learn a lot from conversations where we don’t see eye to eye – if we can listen and talk rationally, that is.

Unfortunately, many of us either shy away completely from disagreements or lose it when things don’t go our way. These five tips can help keep disagreements constructive – whether you’re talking to a parent, friend, or anyone else:

Don’t make it personal

If you get upset, it can help to remember you’re mad at the idea or concept your parent (or friend, coach, coworker, etc) is raising, not the person.

Avoid putting down the other person’s ideas and beliefs

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of someone’s tirade or put-downs, you know how valuable using respectful language and behaviour can be. So instead of saying what you might be thinking (“That’s a stupid idea!”), try: “I don’t agree, and here’s why.” Resist the temptation to yell, use sarcasm, or make derogatory comments and you’ll have a much better chance of getting your point across.

Use “I” statements to communicate how you feel, what you think, and what you want or need

Using “you” statements can sound argumentative. For example, telling your mom or dad, “You always remind me about my chores on Wednesdays when you know I have a lot of homework” has a very different tone from “I’m feeling pressured because I have a lot of homework tonight. Can I do those chores tomorrow?”

Listen to the other point of view

Being a good listener is a way of showing that you respect and understand the other person’s perspective. That makes it more likely he or she will do the same for you.

When the other person is talking, try to stop yourself from thinking about why you disagree or what you’ll say next.

Instead, focus on what’s being said. When it’s your turn to talk, repeat any key points the other person made to show you listened and heard what was said. Then calmly present your case and why you disagree.

Stay calm

This is the most important thing you can do to keep a conversation on track. Of course, it’s a huge challenge to stay calm and rational when you feel angry or passionate about something – especially if the person you’re talking to gets heated. You may need to be the mature one who manages the conversation, even if the other person is a parent or someone who should know better.

Respect goes beyond difficult conversations, of course.

Being helpful and considerate toward family members, teachers, or coaches in our everyday actions helps all of us (again, parents included!) establish a foundation for those times when we might disagree. (kidshealth.org)

news

7

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Constitutional reform

Political activist proposes separation of powers between Cabinet, Parliament – can provide independence for MPs to more freely exercise conscience votes

WPA Executive, Dr David Hinds

W

ith the need for constitutional reform as pressing as ever, political scientist and Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executive, Dr David Hinds is proposing strict separation of powers between Cabinet and voting Members of Parliament (MPs) be one such reform.

Dr Hinds made this suggestion while appearing on the Globespan 24×7 live show in New York.

He appeared with former President Donald Ramotar and A Party for National Unity (ANUG) member Timothy Jonas.

Hinds called for a strict separation of powers, urging that Guyana uses con-

stitutional reform to get rid of irritants to governance.

One irritant, he noted, was the fact that numerically, members of the Cabinet dominate in the Parliament and as such, it can lead to accusations of executive overreach.

“We do not, in our Constitution, have enough separation of powers,” Hinds said. “Structurally, the system leans too much towards the executive. Parties, when they are in power, take advantage of that problem in our Constitution. Parliament is supposed to be an oversight body of the Cabinet, but you have Cabinet members in Parliament.

“If you’re in Parliament, you’re in Parliament making laws. If you’re in the Cabinet, you stay in the Cabinet and implement policies. So (the accusation cannot be made) of executive bias. We use constitutional reform to get rid of these irritants to governance. We need proposals like that to be put forward and for the country to rally around them, so we can deal with these issues.”

According to Jonas, however, such a system would still not be enough to guard

According to Dr Hinds, there should be a strict separation of powers between the executive and legislative arms of government

against parliamentarians continuing to act as ‘rubber stamps’ by voting along party lines for legislation that could potentially harm the country. Responding to this, Dr Hinds referenced the potential for backbenchers to think and vote independently, without the pressure of being part of the executive.

“Yes, I agree with him.

Those representing the party in Parliament will be party members. But history has shown us that some of

those members do buck the system. Only recently, in Guyana, one member has caused an uproar,” Hinds said, a reference to former Alliance For Change (AFC) MP Charrandas Persaud, who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion of December 21 that brought down the Government.

“If you go back to Barbados in the early 1990s, it was the backbenchers that brought down the Sandiford Government.

So, I think it is a step, it is not a solution to the problem,” Dr Hinds argued.

On December 21, 2018,

Persaud broke party lines to vote in favour of a no-confidence vote brought by the parliamentary Opposition against the Government.

At the time, there had been much criticism of government policies and the coalition was reeling from setbacks across Guyana at the Local Government Elections (LGE) polls.

Afterwards, Persaud in explaining his actions said that he took a conscience vote after observing the Government’s closing of Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates and the toll it took on families in

the sugar belt, from whence he hails.

His party, the AFC, wasted little time in expelling him in an act of retaliation the next day. And after accepting defeat, Government turned around and tried to get the motion overturned, first through the Speaker and then through the High Court.

When neither worked, it filed an appeal.

The Court of Appeal then ruled in a 2:1 split decision that a majority of 34 votes would have been needed to validly pass the Noconfidence motion brought against the Government last year. While Justice Rishi Persaud had dismissed the appeal and conferred with the ruling of the High Court, his colleague appellate Judges ruled in favour of the State’s appeal.

Both Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Dawn Gregory opined that while 33 is the majority of the 65-member National Assembly, the successful passage of a no-confidence motion requires an “absolute majority” of 34, and not the “simple” majority of 33 that has been used to pass ordinary business in the House. The case is now before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Ace racer shot during robbery after Buju concert Consultants to submit...

M

inutes after leaving the Buju Banton Concert at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Sunday morning, race car driver Kristian Jeffrey was shot to the right ear during a robbery in the vicinity of Agricola, Greater Georgetown.

The young man and a friend were reportedly accosted and relieved of their personal belongings such as wallets, jewellery, mobile phones and other valuables.

“A friend and I went to the Buju Banton Carnival Concert on Saturday night at the National Stadium, Providence. After the show, we called a taxi to pick us up from the Stadium, but owing to the heavy traffic, the taxi took a while. We then decid-

Ace racer Kristian Jeffrey

ed to walk to meet the car.

In the vicinity of Agricola, we were accosted by individuals with guns, who proceeded to rob us of our possessions,” Jeffrey stated in a release to the media.

It is not clear if the young

racer and his friend put up resistance, but according to information received, one of the bandits discharged a round at him thus hitting his right ear. He was immediately taken to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital, where he was treated and subsequently discharged.

“I would like to thank the doctors who treated me immediately, and family, friends and well-wishers for their support during this time,” the statement issued

by Jeffrey added.

The Police have since confirmed that a report was lodged and an investigation was launched into the robbery. Over the past years, a number of persons have been robbed in the area by gunmen.

Body found in Mahdia Backdam

T

he body of an unidentified man was on Sunday morning found several miles from the township of Mahdia, Region Eight.

Based on reports received, passersby saw the body floating in a river and immediately alerted the police.

The body, according to information gathered, did not have any marks of violence and it is believed that he might have drowned

during the recent flash flood in the area.

When contacted, an official explained that the person might not be from Mahdia but might have been a miner who travelled into the area looking for employment.

Nevertheless, the body was taken to the Mahdia Hospital Mortuary and is awaiting a post-mortem examination. Mahdia has ex-

perienced severe flash flooding over the past two days with hundreds of residents affected and having to move to higher grounds.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) responded promptly with aids to the affected residents. In addition, it has been assessing the damage caused by the flood with the aim of having the lives of the residents returned to normalcy.

The Linden to Mabura road project covers approximately 122.5 kilometres of road to be constructed.

Meanwhile, with regard to the second phase of the project, Mabura Hill and Lethem, the Guyana Government is currently looking at its bilateral partners for funding.

In July of last year, a ministerial team from Guyana visited their counterparts in neighbouring Brazil during which it was agreed that both countries will provide financial resources for the engineering and design of the LindenLethem road, which is often in deplorable conditions as a result of heavy rainfall, causing persons traversing the trail many difficulties.

It was reported that the two countries will be working closely with the People’s Republic of China to access a $50 billion China Select Fund to complete the second phase of the critical piece of infrastructure that holds great potential in terms of integrating the two countries and improving trade between the neighbours and the Caribbean.

Back in July of last year, Guyana and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) within the framework of the Belt

and Road Initiative, paving the way for cooperation of several infrastructural projects including the Linden to Lethem road project.

The agreement was signed by former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and Chinese Ambassador Cui Jianchun in commemoration of 47 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Greenidge had hinted at the possibility of the often deplorable Linden-Lethem Highway being financed under this initiative.

“We have been speaking to all bilateral and multilateral partners. During our discussions with the Brazilians, we did discuss and explored the possibility of using funding from the Latin America China Funds to fund the road. That is something very much on the cards and something we are working on,” he had indicated.

According to Ambassador Jianchun, the signing of the MoU marks a new and promising chapter to the bilateral relationship enjoyed by the two countries as it will bring mutual benefits and a brighter future for the two countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk

From page 3

Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a significant development strategy launched by the Chinese Government with the intention of promoting economic cooperation among countries along the proposed Belt and Road routes. The Initiative has been designed to enhance the orderly free flow of economic factors and the efficient allocation of resources.

It is also intended to further market integration and create a regional economic cooperation framework of benefit to all.

8 News

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cyber Crime Unit continues to investigate recent UG bomb threat

A

lthough a clean sweep of the University of Guyana’s (UG) Turkeyen Campus on Friday last revealed that there were no bombs or explosive devices hidden, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will continue to investigate this matter until the culprit is arrested.

This is according to Crime Chief Lyndon Alves, who stated that the Force’s Cyber Crime Unit has just added this matter to the list of cases that it is aggressively pursuing.

ty and operations and what they do to secure the campus and the persons frequenting there then they will have to make those decisions.”

However, following the threats, classes at the University were suspended but the situation was returned to normalcy on Saturday morning after receiving the go-ahead from the GPF’s Bomb Unit.

UG’s Vice-Chancellor, Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, in a recent statement to the media said that he is thankful that the threat was a hoax

University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus

“As you [are] aware, the last time that we would have investigated, someone is presently before the court so we are hoping, working diligently, to get to the bottom of it. We are trying to get the source. We don’t know how long that would take us, how demanding that will be, but we will try, we need to get closure.”

He also explained that the safety and security of UG’s Turkeyen Campus rest solely on the tertiary institution’s administration.

“If assistance is needed and they make a request to the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, which will be looked at to determine how best we can assist. I mean, if a crime is committed the police are mandated to investigate it as is the case now.

But in terms of their securi-

while commending the professionalism of the GPF’s bomb squad in handling the matter.

“These inconsiderate and dangerous acts cause considerable physical and psychological stress and are particularly disruptive at this crucial time for thousands of students and dozens of invigilators. My hope is that we do not experience any such acts going forward,” the VC said in the statement.

Additionally, the University is requesting anyone who has information regarding the bomb threat to make contact with the University’s Safety and Security Officer on telephone number (592) 6239979 or the nearest police station.

On Friday last, chaos

Changes…

W The device that was sent to the media outlets

broke out at UG’s Turkeyen Campus when news spread that someone threatened to blow up several sections of the campus by reportedly setting bombs at various locations at the tertiary institution.

The threats were initially sent to a number of online news outfits and the situation was promptly reported to the police.

In the threat, the alleged sender “Jack Ryan” stated “I have placed 20 bombs across the University of Guyana campus which are hidden from plain sight. Attached to this bomb is a timer which can be remotely activated/ deactivated”.

The sender also uploaded an image of the alleged handmade explosive device.

He also stated that the timer was set for eight hours before destruction.

“The bombs will be activated at exactly 15:00h unless my demands are meet,” the message stated.

However, in a subsequent message, the sender related that students must leave the campus after which he will make his demands.

In February, 25-yearold UG student, Sheneza Jaffarally, who is alleged to have made several bomb threats to the tertiary institution was able to secure bail

to the tune of $10,000 from the High Court, through her lawyer.

This was after being refused bail by two Magistrates.

Jaffarally was charged under the Telecommunication Act. She pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on February 5, 2019, at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), she sent by means of a public telecommunication system, for the purpose of causing needless anxiety to the staff and students of the University of Guyana, a message which she knew to be false.

Jaffarally, who was on remand for almost two weeks, was granted bail by Justice Navindra Singh, pending the hearing and determination of the trial. She is being represented by Attorney-atLaw Latchmie Rahamat.

The woman’s family had released a statement, which read “… we wish to categorically deny the allegation levelled against her and will strive to undertake every possible means to ensure that her name is cleared of these claims”.

The incident, which caused UG to shut down for a short time, also resulted in the institution beefing up its security.

$97.5M to improve electricity supply to Kwakwani

G

overnment parliamentarians last week approved an additional $97.5 million for the Kwakwani Electrical Company (KEC) with the hope of stabilising electricity supply to residents in that Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) community.

This supplementary sum is in addition to the $3.981 billion already allocated to the KEC in the 2019 Budget.

Speaking on the sum being sought, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson explained to the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply that the money is to further add to contributions to the KEC, which forms part of the Kwakwani Utilities Inc (KUI).

The KUI is responsible for the provision of electricity, water, television stations and other public utility services in Kwakwani.

Last September, residents of Kwakwani took to the streets to protest the

Kwakwani Utilities Inc

KUI’s poor quality of water and electricity supply in the area. The disgruntled residents have long been complaining about the poor quality of water they receive, as well as the constant fluctuation in power supply, with electricity at times going off for eight hours during the day.

The controversial Russian aluminium company Rusal previously provided fuel to the KUI to power its generators. However, according to the Public Infrastructure Minister, since issues with the com-

pany and employees heightened last year, the community has been experiencing difficulties in purchasing the needed quantities of fuel, thus resulting in persistent and lengthy power outages which in turn affect water supply.

“With the challenges experienced a year ago, Kwakwani’s KUI had to absorb some of these services, like fuel provision and things like that, and there was a shortfall. So this provision here is to ensure that we continue to provide services to that very import-

ant community in Region 10; and secondly, that we can give them enhanced services,” Patterson told the Committee last week in his successful bid for the additional money.

As recently as in March 2018, the KUI commissioned two new 260-kilowatt engines at the Power Station.

The new sets were expected to improve electricity supply and meet the demands of the community.

At time of that commission, KUI’s General Manager Fitzhubert McPherson had anticipated that the new sets would allow residents to have 24 hours of electricity, a marked difference from the irregular access they previously faced.

KUI currently serves approximately 1,200 metered households. However, this number is expected to grow as the company seeks to expand services to other areas, such as West Bank Kwakwani, Jonestown, New Scheme, and Staff Hill.

…and constitutional B.S. hen the AFC were in the Opposition, their “big Issue” was “constitutional change”. They pointed out all sorts of democratic “inconsistencies” in what remained essentially Burnham’s 1980 Constitution, which had been customised to satisfy his megalomaniacal, dictatorial compulsions. In the Manifesto crafted with APNU after they became joined at the hip was the promise under the heading “priority Areas to be addressed”: “The introduction of a meaningful Constitutional Reform Programme geared towards improved governance and fair representation”.

So what happened during the following four years, since we know absolutely squat was done on Constitution and Granger’s acting just as authoritarian as his mentor Burnham? Well, Nagamootoo was given responsibility for this critical project, and since his only other job was to write a weekly column in the Chronic, you’d think we’d have a brand new Constitution by now, wouldn’t you?

Fat chance!! Because he’d been neutered immediately by getting his big, fat salary, SUVs and outriders, how could he dare suggest changes that would reduce Granger’s powers -- even though by the Cummingsburg Accord he’d get those powers!! Didn’t Martin Carter have something to say about “mouths being muzzled by hands that feed them”??

After a flurry of activities by then AFC executive member Nigel Hughes, who chaired a Steering Committee on Constitutional Change”, Nagamootoo deep-sixed the Commission’s recommendations! But now, with elections looming because of the upcoming CCJ’s ruling on the NCM, Nagamootoo has suddenly had an epiphany on the way to fighting Ramjattan for the PM’s slot!! A big, booming voice from the heavens probably asked, “Naga…Naga, why betrayest constitutional change?”

But you’d never guess the reason Nagamootoo gave for his epiphany – even though we know he wasn’t about to suggest reducing Granger’s powers! Nagamootoo declared he was ashamed so many of his MPs didn’t understand the math behind the Article on the No Confidence Motion involved creating “half-men” and then joining them up again, presumably at the hip!! Never mind that, back in 2014, he’d brought the identical motion against the PPP, and when the PPP brought theirs in Dec 2018, he mocked them for cogging his phrasing!! And that directly after the NCM resolution was passed he held his doleful press conference announcing that democracy had triumphed!!

But, funny enough, Nagamootoo isn’t going to start his constitutional education class with his MPs, he’s going into the schools to work on our next generation!! Why has he given up on his MPs?? Does he know the CCJ will make some definitive rulings that’ll give his senior partner, the PNC, absolutely no wriggle room??

But why make the children suffer with his BS?? …in British politics With Theresa May resigning over in old Blighty, the Tories are about to select their next leader, who will then be Britain’s next Prime Minister until the next general elections are called. And this being Britain, the punters have already declared the odds on what is now a crowded field of six and counting!! The favourite at this time is no other than Britain’s answer to Trump’s tousled blonde locks – Boris Johnson, with 6 to 4 odds. A while back, Johnson, who’s a journalist and former Mayor of London (twice), MP and Foreign Secretary, had declared, “My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.”

Well it does look like Elvis’s sporadic sightings might finally be locked down, ‘cause while nothing is certain in life but death – the jury’s still out on “taxes”, here in Guyana!! – your Eyewitness can’t see anyone stopping the irrepressible Johnson.

If only for his inimitable style of dubbing some political opponents “great supine protoplasmic invertebrate jellies”!! …and charges If ‘whistle-blowers’ sparked SARA’s probe of oil blocks’ allocations, why can’t President Granger do the same and order an investigation into the whistle-blowers’ accusations of gross incompetence, sexual misconduct, and verbal abuse of staff against Basil Williams?

Or, like with “I is” Broomes, it’s a “party matter”??

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

news

9

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Goldfields unilaterally transferring workers to contracts ...practice will cost workers severance benefits – Union

National Mine Workers Union President Sherwyn Downer

C

anada-based mining company Guyana Goldfields has said there was no need for a union to represent its workers. But according to National Mine Workers Union President and founder Sherwyn Downer, internal mechanisms the company set up to deal with complaints were not working.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Downer related that workers have instead been bringing their grievances to

his union. In this case, he said workers’ complaints include concerns that they stand to lose their severance benefits, something they were entitled to by law, and that no one was hearing their concerns.

“We have hundreds of workers who would have been working with the company since exploration days. So, they have more than a decade of experience. The allegation against the company is that they are now taking steps to have these workers go on contract.

“These workers are going to lose their severance and their benefits.

So what they want right now is attention to this issue. I wrote the company on the 10th of this month and they have not acknowledged my letter or said anything.”

Downer also pointed out that workers reached out to his union, even though it is not the recognised representative of the workers, rather than the Labour Department.

This, he said, would in-

Aerial view of a pit at Aurora Gold Mine

dicate a lack of faith in the Government taking action. According to Downer, workers also lack faith in the mechanisms set up by the company.

“They’re saying that there’s a grievance committee up there, set up by the company … there are serious accusations against this committee, (that) it’s being stacked by loyalists to the company,” he noted.

“The workers are scared of going to Labour, because when you make a report there, Labour

calls a confrontation between the employer and employee. We have a situation where it is alleged persons were fired after making reports to the Labour Department. So I think this is why they thought it best to reach out to us rather than the Ministry.”

In the letter that was addressed to Guyana Goldfields Human Resources Manager Peter Benny, Downer called for a meeting to address workers’ concerns. Efforts by this publication to make contact with Benny

were futile.

“Whether or not there are unfair labour practices in place, be mindful that in the absence of a union, this in itself reverses transparency and accountability by the company within its own general operations,” Downer wrote in his missive.

Section 21 of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA) states that “On termination of his employment, an employee who has completed one or more years of continuous

employment with an employer shall be entitled to be paid by such employer a severance or redundancy allowance equivalent to— (a) one week’s wages for such completed year of service for the first five years including the entitlement year; (b) two weeks’ wages for each completed year of service after the fifth year and up to the tenth year; (c) three weeks wages for each completed year of service in excess of ten years up to a maximum of fifty-two weeks.”

10 news

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Brazilian miner shoots cop during Police raid at Aranka – 36 rounds of .38 ammunition, suspected warhead found

A

Police Constable is now nursing a gunshot wound to his left side chest at a private medical facility in Georgetown after he was shot by a Brazilian miner in the Aranka Backdam, Cuyuni River, Essequibo River, on Sunday morning.

The police rank has been identified as Anthony Weekes who is attached to the Bartica Police Station.

Reports are that around 05:30h on Sunday, Weekes along with two other policemen acting on information ventured into a mining camp at Aranka in search of illegal firearm(s) when the shooting incident took place.

The workers operating at that camp woke up to the sight of the policemen and allowed them to carry out their search. The three ranks then proceeded to the sleeping quarters, where

F Division (Interior locations) Commander Kevin Adonis

the head of the mining operations was asleep, to conduct further checks.

However, according to F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Kevin Adonis, that is when the three policemen came under fire.

“From reports, the boss was sleeping when the ranks got there and he woke

up and then discharged about four rounds in their direction with a firearm that was under his pillow.

Weekes was shot near his heart and his colleagues immediately tried to get him out of the area. While they were doing this, the boss of the mining camp ran off further into the backdam to hide from the police.”

He explained that 36 rounds of .38 calibre ammunition were discovered and a suspected warhead was also found stashed in an empty fuel barrel that was inside of the boss’s sleeping quarters at the mining camp.

Adonis stated that the good work done by the ranks who had accompanied Weekes into that mining camp must be commended.

“The other two ranks were fortunate to get him out of the area and he was

subsequently medevaced to Georgetown. Constable Weekes is currently out of danger and is expected to make a full recovery,” he noted.

The Commander added that police ranks are presently on the hunt for the Brazilian national who shot Weekes. Meanwhile, seven workers who were employed

at the mining camp at the time of the shooting are currently assisting Police in their investigations.

(Kristen Macklingam)

Not all CID ranks have access to firearms while on duty – Crime Chief

I

n light of the recent spike in criminal activities in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), several senior ranks attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are of the view that they should be granted access to firearms as a safety measure.

A few of them told Guyana Times that their jobs, by nature, leaves them exposed to criminal elements and can result in them losing their lives while executing their duties.

One of the officers explained that at some police stations, there are CID ranks who are in charge of their department and are granted access to firearms.

Meanwhile, at others in the same region, ranks of the same level are not being allowed to access any.

“It seems like it is based on who you know and who knows you. I mean, some of those CID police get the access to the firearms to have on them whereas others who hold the same rank at other police stations and doing the same job don’t get that granted to them. At the end of it all, we are all doing the same work and, therefore, if you give some

Deputy Police Commissioner and Crime Chief Lyndon Alves

it looks bad that others cannot have that privilege which is to protect yourself and your life,” he told this publication.

However, Crime Chief Lyndon Alves in an interview explained that not every police officer can be given access to firearms simply because that provision is made based on the roles of the policemen on a daily basis.

“We have ranks who would uplift firearms from the station to perform duties and that is based on the determination of Station Sergeant or Officer-InCharge based on the duty that they are going on.

Well, you have ranks based

on their role and function and their duty and you will have protection because of what the duty that you are doing, that is for specific duties. So they will need for them to have access to firearms at any point in time.”

He further stated there are also police officers who have applied for firearms in their personal capacities and would have received the relevant documentation to own one privately.

“They might have personal firearm being given permission to purchase and license. You have policemen who have their personal firearm. I don’t know if that is the case they are referring to.”

Nonetheless, the Crime Chief noted that in the recent shoot-out between Police and bandits in Berbice, each rank present at the scene was armed.

“They were all sent out and every single one of them had a firearm in their possession because of the nature of that duty. It was a specific duty and, therefore, each police rank that was deployed there had to be armed. So it is not like we would have sent them out in such a situation without being prepared,” Alves added. (Kristen Macklingam)

news

11

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

House clears over $700M more for rehab of roads, bridges

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

T

he Public Infrastructure Ministry has secured in excess of $700 million in supplementary funds to conduct rehabilitation works on a number of roads and bridges across the country.

These monies approved was part of a $2 billion supplementary provision given to the Public Infrastructure Ministry last week.

Of that amount, $500 million is to undertake construction and rehabilitation of roads and drains in urban areas (within Townships).

Standing before the Committee of Supply in the National Assembly last week, the subject Minister, David Patterson, disclosed that already some 46 road contracts have been either tendered out or awarded for these projects.

“We’re well ahead of the aim,” he asserted. According to Patterson, projects are ongoing In New Amsterdam at Angoy’s Avenue and other areas, Agricola within the Georgetown district, and several areas in Linden.

“We are not stopping there and this provision will allow us to do more areas,” he told the Committee. This $500 million will be added

to the $900 million allotted in the 2019 budget for urban roads/drainage.

Meanwhile, an additional $150 million was also approved for the construction and rehabilitation of miscellaneous community roads in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. The Public Infrastructure Minister posited that thus far, 60 road contracts have been either tendered out or awarded countrywide under the “Miscellaneous Road/ Drainage” programme, which had already secured a whopping $1.955 billion in the 2019 budget.

“Notwithstanding this 60, one of the things that cannot be disputed is that since this Administration came to office, we paid tremendous amount of time and resources in upgrading road infrastructure. This is a continuation of those efforts…,” Patterson indicated.

The Minister further explained that since the launch of the coalition Government’s nationwide outreaches, they have been provided with information of or saw firsthand, works that needed to be done in some communities,

hence the need for additional funds to carry out these works.

“This sum will address those additional needs…

We go where the need is not where the vote is,” the Public Infrastructure Minister contended.

In addition to a budgetary allocation of $175.78 million, Patterson was also successful in securing an additional $40.850 million for the rehabilitation of access bridges at Bella Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, and at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The beams of the bridge at Bella Dam were damaged, while urgent works have been prioritised at the Little Diamond Bridge.

According to the Public Infrastructure Minister, allocations were made for four major bridges in the budget but critical works are required at these two bridge hence the need for more monies.

“Nothing is static… [We did] our inspection last year, since then we found these bridges needed urgent repairs and we felt it necessary to come to the House for funds to undertake these two bridges. If something goes wrong, thousands of residents would be unable to traverse to and from these communities,” the Committee was told prior to approving the funds.

On the other hand, supplementary provisions were also set aside for the Public

Infrastructure Ministry to conduct rehabilitative works on roads and bridges along the Lethem, Hoiwa and Nappi corridors in Region Nine (Upper TakatuEssequibo).

A total of $50 million was

be sourced from the communities as much as possible and all the labour will come from the communities. So basically we would just be providing the capital cost to these communities in these areas to assist themselves.

ceived supplementary provisions for is the installation of highway lights at Number 43/Joppa Village on the Corentyne and at Kuru Kururu on the SoesdykeLinden Highway.

According to Patterson,

approved for these works and will be added to some $2 million in budgetary allocations for the Hinterland Roads programme.

Highlighting the importance of ensuring that the Indigenous people have adequate infrastructures in place, Patterson further told the Committee of Supply that the communities will also benefit from these contracts.

“We embrace the spirit of community cooperation and every one of these bridges to be done, the materials will

This is part of our commitment to ensure that 20 per cent of our procurement is done either by community persons or small contractors. So this projects will be executed on those basis,” he asserted.

Among the other works that the Public Infrastructure Ministry re-

this is for the continuation of a programme that commenced in 2016 to install highway lights in unlit areas for security purposes and for better traffic control.

The House approved the $23.5 million requested.

This is in addition to a $250 million allocation set aside in the 2019 budget.

12

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyan

Youths dominate 53rd anniver

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he flag-raising ceremony for Guyana’s 53rd anniversary was held at D’Urban Park on Sunday, with several rounds of performances delivered by mostly students, members of the Youth Corps, Scouts and even the Guyana Police Force (GPF), before the giant Golden Arrowhead flag was hoisted by two youths.

The day’s activities began with the reciting of the National Anthem, followed by performances from students hailing from schools in Georgetown and beyond. One such performance was a troupe of students dressed as cowgirls dancing to ‘old west’ themed strains of music.

This performance also featured the iconic ‘mad cow’ dancer, who was ‘baited’ by a young matador. Next came an array of other dancers, who performed to songs from local artistes such as Vanilla. In fact, her “One Voice” track, which copped her the 2019 Road March crown, dominated proceedings.

Also performing was a group dressed in their Karategis, who carried out a series of complex karate moves using Kali sticks, to the delight of the crowd. There were also dances from a group of students using cricket bats to demonstrate classical batting strokes.

Secondary school students who participated in the flagraising performances hailed from Queenstown Secondary, Brickdam Secondary, Tutorial Secondary, East Ruimveldt

Secondary, Cen Secondary, Rich School, Christ C Secondary.

Meanwhile, dents that marc from Fort Wellin North Ruimveld Secondary, and them were mem Guides, and Pat In previous y hoisted the flag.

Malacai Flemmi Grant of Bishops using a mechani Da Silva of St Jo The event wa ber of the march Park grounds in she collapsed aft Guyana ach Kingdom on May 23, 1970, remain the flag-raising c Guyana Carniva

13

27, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

versary flag-raising ceremony Secondary, Central High School, North Georgetown Secondary, Richard Ishmael Secondary, St Mary’s High School, Christ Church Secondary and North Ruimveldt Secondary.

Meanwhile, the Guyana National Cadet Corps students that marched through the heat of the morning came from Fort Wellington Secondary, Mackenzie High School, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Hope Secondary, Stewartville Secondary, and Berbice High School. Marching along with them were members of groups such as Master Guides, Girl Guides, and Pathfinders.

In previous years, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks hoisted the flag. This time around, however, two students – Malacai Flemming of Mackenzie High School and Demari Grant of Bishops’ High School – hoisted the 65x35-foot flag using a mechanical device. Chairing the events was Natoya Da Silva of St Joseph’s High School.

The event was not wrinkle-free, however, as one member of the marching Cadet Corps was taken off the D’Urban Park grounds in an ambulance that was on standby when she collapsed after the march past.

Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966 and became a republic on February 23, 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth. After the flag-raising ceremony ended, the signature event of the Guyana Carnival, now in its second year, began.

(Photos by Shaconeil Burnette and DPI)

14 news

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Carnival Parade rocks Georgetown

G

uyanese from all walks of life flocked the route to observe and participate in this year’s Guyana Carnival Parade in observance of Guyana’s 53rd Independence Anniversary.

As expected, the revellers rocked the streets and delivered, even though the inclement weather prevented the events from starting at the scheduled time.

The three main “party trucks” assembled at the corner of Camp and Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, around 14:00h before heading to the D’Urban Park around 18:00h where it concluded.

Thousands of Guyanese who came out to support the

event were blown away by the phantasmagoria of colours that was showcased by the revellers who were all decked out in costumes.

Some of the patrons who were looking on from the sidelines were decked out in their very best outfits as they enjoyed the scenery that was provided by the revellers, who put on a show that would attract any passerby to join the festivities.

Guyana Times spoke to a few thrilled patrons who related that the Guyana Carnival Parade did not disappoint. Keisha Bacchus told this news publication that this is her second year participating and to her surprise, it was better than last

year’s event. “More people participate in the parade and the beauty about it is that families get together and line the streets just to get a feel.”

She further stated that a lot of foreigners were observed gyrating in the streets, which boosts Guyana’s tourism.

Clive Forde, who was observed with his family viewing the parade, said: “I’m just happy to be here with my family, celebrating 53 years of Independence”. He continued by saying that he loves the way the country is developing and he is quite excited to see where our country is headed.

One of the organisers of

the events and a well-known personality in the entertainment sector of Guyana, Robbie Singh, said that he worked tirelessly to ensure “Pulse Band” produced an even better experience than last year.

He stated that the idea is to never take away the authentic Guyanese culture but to give our country more exposure since Carnival is globally recognised. In closing, he stated that it is a beautiful experience and, therefore, Guyanese should support the Carnival body in the future.

Guyana Carnival is a privately owned festival in Georgetown, Guyana, during the month of May. It is an amalgamation of influential entertainment bodies, the Government of Guyana and other key stakeholders to create a new exciting product to boost tourism, entertainment, and nightlife

in our emerging city.

It attracts thousands of tourists, locals and carnival

chasers daring to indulge in something new and exciting.

NRM completes 2nd mining lottery in Region 1

GA-FDD to investigate Chinese restaurant …after customers complain of insects in food

H

ead of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD), Marlan Cole, said an investigation will be launched into a Chinese restaurant located at Providence, East Bank Demerara, following complaints that customers found insects in their food on several occasions.

An effected customer, who posted his experience on social media, said he purchased a meal and took it home to his wife who was sharing the meal among family members when they discovered the legs of an insect.

Following this incident, another costumer also made a purchase at the same establishment and had a similar experience. These are two of the most recent encounters, with other costumers making similar complaints.

A few days ago, the GAFDD presented the findings from a survey conducted on food businesses, which found that most are breaching sanitary regulatory requirements, ranging from employees not properly washing their hands to the storage and preparation of meals.

The survey was conducted from September 2018 to March 2019 among 55 randomly selected food service

GA-FDD Head Marlan Cole

establishments in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The inspection checklist assessed six areas: food storage, cold storage, food preparation, sanitation, garbage disposal and employee hygiene.

In regard to food preparation, only 18 per cent of the businesses effectively protected the food from contamination, whilst a mere 11 per cent practised meat thawing safely.

Food handlers in only 13 per cent of establishments used gloves. As it relates to sanitation, only four per cent of establishments’ workers were observed applying the correct principles of cleaning and sanitising.

While adequate exter-

nal garbage disposal was present in the majority (73 per cent) of establishments, only 56 per cent had adequate temporary internal garbage disposal. When it came to employee hygiene, only 20 per cent practised handwashing correctly and in 42 per cent of the establishments, workers used no hair nets.

Microbiological samples were taken from the food; workers’ hands; food contact surfaces; food service containers, and air quality.

Of the 99 food samples submitted, 37 per cent was unsatisfactory and of the 102 hands of workers that were swabbed after washing, 47 per cent was unsatisfactory. In regard to food contact surfaces (cutting boards and utensils), 30 per cent of the 125 surfaces swabbed after cleaning and/or sanitising was unsatisfactory.

Furthermore, 46 per cent of the 48 food service containers (food boxes) sampled were unsatisfactory. The air quality in the majority of establishments was generally satisfactory since 95 per cent of the 64 air quality samples taken was satisfactory.

In light of the findings, the GA-FDD will be embarking on an initiative to ensure food establishments comply with the sanitary regulations.

A

Officials of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) conducting the lottery process

pproximately 141 persons were awarded a mining block each in district five and several of the other mining districts when the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) conducted its second mining lottery at Port Kaituma, Region 1 (BarimaWaini), on Friday last.

The lottery was overseen by Natural Resources

to make more mining lands available to small miners in the Region 1 (Mataki) sub-district, and elsewhere.

The Minister, though bemoaning the fact that more lands were not readily available, promised to keep the search open for mining opportunities and called on the successful applicants to use the lands beneficially and with respect for the environ-

them that the APNU/AFC Government is working assiduously to address their needs and to provide a good life.

The lottery event followed a similar one held in Georgetown back in March of this year where 319 blocks of land within the six mining districts were opened up in March to small-scale miners in Georgetown who were

A section of the gathering at the mining lottery in Port Kaituma Region 1 (Barima-Waini)

Minister Raphael Trotman, who was accompanied by Junior Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe and Regional Member of Parliament Richard Allen.

Minister Trotman told the gathering that this was the fulfilment of a promise

ment and mining laws.

The Minister also took the time to thank the diligent and hardworking staff of GGMC for making the lottery possible.

Minister Garrido-Lowe congratulated the miners and residents of Port Kaituma while reminding

tasked with selecting a district of their preference and choosing a random number which would determine the plot of land to be given.

The progress of allocating the said land will be underway after relevant documents are submitted by the miners.

news

15

monday, may 27, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

APA calls for revised curriculum for hinterland schools C omplaining that the quality of education available to students in the hinterland is merely as good as that students receive on the coastland, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has called for a revised curriculum as the current one did not cater for their way of life, but in fact detracted from it.

This was outlined by a representative of the group, Sherwyne Krammer, who recently shared this and other recommendations at a round-table discussion facilitated by the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Youth at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown.

According to Krammer, “Indigenous youths are

not as privileged as others to access the same level of quality education as many of you have. That right there puts us at a disadvantage already. The current education system… contributes cumulatively to the erosion of our way of life”.

He is of the view that the schools’ curriculum was developed based on Western models and may be of more benefit to students on the coast and less beneficial in communities where English is most times a student’s second or even third language.

“As such, it is our belief that the formal education system does not cater for Indigenous youth. We are asking for there to be more

APA representative Sherwyne Krammer

focus on technical and vocational education for Indigenous communities, since a lot of our young people are very artistic and skilful craftsmen and we

Men being counselled to take prostate examinations

P

rostate cancer screening has been, for time immemorial, the worst nightmare for some men but is important if certain warning signs become visible. As such, men are now being counselled to ensure they know their status.

Prostate cancer is, as the name suggests, cancer that develops in a man’s prostate. Men are the only human beings that suffer from prostate cancer given that it is a gland found in the pelvis just below the bladder.

It wraps around the urethra which is the tube through which urine exits the body, and lies in front of the rectum.

Guyana Times recently spoke with a private organisation which offers counselling to encourage men to conduct these tests to ensure they are safe from the disease.

The organisation, which did not want to be named, said that men between the ages of 40 to 75 are required to conduct this test.

Most men dread the physical examinations but several health institutions in Guyana have moved to modernise the testing method to make men more comfort-

able.

The new screening method, the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) has replaced the physical test in a number of clinics and hospitals.

With the PSA, a person’s blood sample is taken and tested for cancer.

Men are encouraged to take the test if they urine frequently, experience weak or interrupted urine flow, need to strain to empty the bladder or notice blood in the urine as these may be signs of prostate cancer.

Blood in the seminal fluid or pain or burning during urination may also be associated with the disease.

Research shows that about 92 per cent of all prostate cancers are found when they are in the early stage, called local or regional. Almost all men who have local or regional prostate cancer will survive more than five years after diagnosis.

If left untreated, however, prostate cancer will grow and possibly spread outside of the prostate to local tissues or distantly to other sites of the body.

Scientists have not discovered the causes of prostate cancer but have said that a number of things can

increase your risk of developing the condition. These may include age, given that most men diagnosed are over the age of 50.

In Guyana, AfroGuyanese men in the past have accounted for over 65 per cent of prostate cancer cases, according to the Cancer Registry of Guyana.

“The Cancer Registry of Guyana reflects a high incidence of prostate, cervical and breast cancers among Afro-Guyanese.

Socioeconomic, dietary and genetic influences on the observed pattern of incidence within this ethnic sub-group, as well as those of IndoGuyanese and Indigenous Amerindians, warrant further investigation,” it said on its website.

According to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) data published in 2017, prostate cancer deaths in Guyana accounted for 89 or 1.54 per cent of total deaths. The age-adjusted death rate is 44.40 per 100,000 of population, which ranks Guyana at number 13 in the world.

A report from the Public Health Ministry back in 2014 showed that cancer was the third leading cause of mortality in Guyana with Ischemic Heart Diseases coming at second and Cerebrovascular Diseases at number one. Prostate, breast, lung and cervical cancers are the main categories affecting the Guyanese population.

According to the Government Information Agency, the report shows that during the period of 2004-2011, over 3400 persons died from various forms of cancer, with the largest number of deaths being 621 in 2011.

should not be forced into a Maths and English-based curriculum. We also want to improve our skills in mechanics, in engineering, carpentry and various innovative sectors,” he pointed out.

According to him, Amerindian people in the interior hardly ever get opportunities to come to Georgetown, where more resources are available to

study but even when they do, they are faced with stigma and discrimination in the schools which makes it difficult for them to remain focused on excelling.

As a consequence, the APA representative stated, most times Indigenous youths are left with no other option but to work for low-paying jobs which in turn end with them being exploited by their employers.

This type of behaviour, he said, is more rampant in the mining sector. Krammer explained that these youths would leave their homes to work in mining pits where they are forced to work under harsh conditions for little or no salaries.

Further, given that farming is one of the main activities by which Indigenous people sustain themselves, the representative shared that the Government must engage them before making

decisions on lands there, since they were directly affected.

He said, “The Government of Guyana should find ways to decentralise governance and policies that affect Indigenous youth by giving us and our leaders the opportunity to make the decisions that affect our people. We need to desist from making decisions in Georgetown without consulting us on our lands when ultimately the decisions affect us.”

Tuesday’s exercise is one of the activities being hosted by the Department of Youth in observance of Youth Week, which kicked off last Saturday under the theme, “Inspire and Build Resilient Youth”.

The other recommendations made by the various youth groups will be passed on to policymakers to eventually effect change.

(Davina Ramdass)

Guyanese youths to receive training for jobs in Private Sector

R

ecognising that unemployment is a major scourge affecting close to half of Guyana’s youth population, the Department of Youth has revealed plans to partner with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to provide training for unemployed youths who will benefit from jobs in the sector.

This is according to the Senior Research, Planning and Development Officer within the Department, Adeti De Jesus. During a recent interview with this publication she explained, “We are hoping to work with the Private Sector Commission to garner information as it relates to training that they [youths] need, skill sets that they need so the Department can lobby and advocate for those training programmes to be held so that they would not have a mismatch with regards to what is needed and what is available so we are hoping to continue initiatives like this because we are going to work assiduously to try to play our part to address this issue of unemployment”.

In April, the Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael said that the Department recognises that young people are often lost to drugs and crime after finishing school, or even during the

Senior Research, Planning and Development Officer within the Youth Department, Adeti De Jesus

latter part of their school years and a “job readiness training” will help to ease them into the workforce.

“We recognise that there is a gap between when young people leave their secondary education [and when they get] into the workforce, or to becoming a part of the workforce. There is a great gap there. Young people – very often in that area or during that stage – we lose them to different things, so in order for us to ensure that they head towards careers, we have to start our work within the school system,” she said.

Carmichael pointed out that this project would require officials meeting with young people, not only within Fifth and Sixth Forms but those who

have already left school.

According to her, youths require career guidance to prepare them for the world of work.

The Youth Director noted that the relevant agencies which would be responsible for working along with those youths have already been engaged, so that young people both in and out of school can benefit.

The Department is pushing to have youths ready for jobs, but youths are complaining that there is a lack of job opportunities.

In fact, Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton, who has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, had expressed some concern over the fact that 40 per cent of youths are unemployed.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

Regional

Venezuela crisis: Delegates to Haitians march against rape meet for Norway peace talks after students sexually assaulted

R

epresentatives of Venezuela’s Government and Opposition are returning to Norway’s capital, Oslo, for talks on how to address the political crisis.

The meeting, scheduled for next week, was confirmed

by Norway’s Government, which reiterated its commitment to helping to find a solution.

Discussions were held there earlier this month, but the Opposition says there were no face-to-face meetings.

Venezuela has been in a political crisis for months amid a power struggle.

Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó declared himself interim President in January, arguing that the presidency was vacant, because incumbent Nicolás Maduro’s re-election last year was “illegitimate”.

But Maduro has refused to cede power.

Norway’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying the “main political actors in Venezuela”

M

Previous attempts at mediation between the two Venezuelan sides have failed

would take part in the discussions, as it reiterated its commitment to “supporting the search for an agreed-upon solution” to the crisis.

Preliminary discussions, with each side talking separately with Norwegian officials, were held earlier this month.

Guaidó confirmed in a statement that his representatives “will talk with both the Norwegian Government and with representatives of the regime” in the upcoming discussions.

The Opposition delega-

tion will be headed by Deputy Parliament Speaker Stalin Gonzalez and former Caracas area Mayor Gerardo Blyde, both of whom were involved in the initial talks, he said.

V e n e z u e l a n Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the Governor of Miranda province, Hector Rodriguez, are expected to lead the Government delegation, after attending the previous round.

Maduro thanked Norway on Twitter for its mediation efforts. (Excerpt from BBC News)

ore than 1000 Haitians took to the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday to denounce sexual violence in the country after two students were gangraped this week.

Marchers dressed in white walked to the city centre from the university where one of the recent victims studied, passing the scene of the attack while screaming loudly to imitate the cries of rape victims.

“Rape is becoming a form of repression against women in working-class neighbourhoods and in universi-

ties across the country,” said feminist activist Pascale Solages.

Explaining the march’s slogan #PaFeSilans, or “do not be silent” in Creole, Solages said, “victims keep silent because they feel shame and fear. But everyone must end this silence: witnesses in the communities, families, no matter where the rape is committed, silence must not be kept.”

There has been little study of sexual assault in Haiti, but in 2017, the Ministry of Health released a survey saying one in eight

Brazilians demonstrate to pressure Congress to approve Bolsonaro’s reforms

Caricom Chairman speaks out on corresponding banking

Caricom Chairman, Prime Minister Timothy Harris

T

he Chairman of the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom), Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris says one of the biggest economic and financial challenges facing the 15-member grouping is the practice engaged by the large global commercial banks to terminate their corresponding banking services.

Harris, speaking at the National Press Club in the United States, said that the

global commercial banks were also offering their services at “unconscionable high rates”.

“The practice has a harmful effect on the flow of remittances from those living and working abroad to their loved ones and business associates at home who rely on this source of funds to provide for their sustenance.

“The practice has a harmful effect on commercial trading activity that disrupts the flow of payments for services

rendered. What was once an overnight bank-wire transfer of funds from the US is now taking as many as three months, or more, for delivery,” said Harris, who earlier participated in a two-day Caribbean Central Bank forum organised by the World Bank Group on the digital economy in the Eastern Caribbean.

Harris, who is Prime Minister of St Kitts-Nevis, told the Journalists that the “very damaging practice” by the global commercial banks “has the perverse effect of channelling many of these transactions to an underground black market through unscrupulous carriers with no certainty or guarantee of delivery”.

“This is particularly harmful to small island developing states such as St Kitts and Nevis with a large overseas population in the Diaspora.” (Excerpt from CMC)

T&T: Fugitives caught after 11 days

T

he two last escapes – Olatungi Denbow and Michael Findlay – who had been on the run for 11 days after breaking out of the Golden Grove Remand Yard Prison in Arouca have been recaptured.

Senior Police sources told Guardian Media the men were caught in a house in South Oropouche.

Officers from the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) and members of the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) surrounded a flat house in the area and later captured both men hiding inside.

“We did not recover any firearms when we searched the house. There were a few other things we retrieved, but cannot say more about that right now,” a senior source who was part of the SORT operation revealed.

Denbow and Findlay were discovered missing from the Golden Grove Remand Yard Prison in Arouca on May 15.

They had not only made cameo appearances on social media, but they had also been able to stay one step ahead of law enforcement authorities, according

to well-placed sources.

On Friday, Police and Army locked down parts of Laventille and searched several homes trying to locate the fugitives after the men had been spotted in that area. Sources said one of Denbow’s relatives lives in that area and has a shop.

However, the Sunday Guardian was told that the men had been able to evade capture since they had obtained a wireless set which Police, other arms of the law enforcement as well as security firms use to communicate. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

women report experiencing sexual violence at some point in their lives.

Haiti is dominated by a patriarchal culture and following this week’s attacks, several commentators publicly questioned whether the women were responsible for their rapes because of what they were wearing.

“Absolutely nothing can justify rape. Girls are free to walk outside at any time they want, and they can dress as they want,” said Wilkenson Saint-Fleur, a student who joined the march. (Excerpt from AFP)

Demonstrators during a pro-government demonstration near Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 26, 2019

B

razilians gathered in cities on Sunday to show their support for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and to protest against lawmakers whom they see as putting up roadblocks to the leader’s legislative agenda.

There was not yet any official estimates on crowds, but they appeared smaller than May 15 protests against Bolsonaro and his Government’s planned

spending freeze on education that sent tens of thousands into streets in around 200 cities, the largest protests in Brazil since Bolsonaro took office.

On Sunday, there were pro-government rallies in 52 cities, according to news website G1.

Bolsonaro easily won the election last November, but since taking office on January 1 his popularity has plummeted in several polls.

A survey released on Friday showed more Brazilians disapprove of his government than approve it, a surprisingly fast erosion of popularity.

Those in the streets on Sunday argue that Brazil’s corrupt political system has not allowed Bolsonaro to push through his legislative agenda and make progress in critical areas like security, education and the economy. They say that Bolsonaro is standing by his core pledge to not engage in the traditional political horse trading in Brasilia that is largely blamed for stunning levels of corruption in the nation’s political class.

Bolsonaro initially considered participating in the demonstrations, but later decided not to and recommended the Government’s Ministers not join.

Protesters gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

Strong quake in Peru kills 1 person, disrupts some oil operations

A

magnitude 8 earthquake killed one person, destroyed dozens of homes, and disrupted some oil operations as it rocked Peru early on Sunday, authorities said.

The quake – the biggest to hit Peru since 2007 – was felt across the country and in neighbouring Ecuador and Colombia after striking the sparsely-populated region of Loreto in Peru’s northern Amazon.

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra said the hardest-hit areas were the towns of Yurimaguas and Tarapoto.

“In reality, it’s affected all of the Peruvian jungle,”

Vizcarra told Journalists in broadcast comments as he surveyed the damage in Yurimaguas.

A 48-year-old man was killed in the region of Cajamarca after a boulder struck his home, emergency officials said. Peru’s National Emergency Centre (COEN) said there were at least 11 people injured and more than 50 homes destroyed. Several schools, churches, hospitals and clinics were also damaged.

State-owned oil company Petroperu said the quake created a “minor” leak in a pipe at its Talara refinery on the Pacific coast that it said it has since controlled.

It also suspended oil pumping at its Station 1 facility in Loreto in order to evaluate damage it detected there, it said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Canadian oil company Frontera Energy , which operates Peru’s largest oil block in Loreto, said there was no damage to its installations.

TV images showed large fissures in a highway in Cajamarca and piles of mud and debris that had swept onto other roads.

Peru sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where the majority of the world’s seismic activity occurs. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

17

Around the World

Islamic State: Iraq sentences 4 killed, 7 injured in 3 explosions in Nepali capital – Police French citizens to death

T

hree Frenchmen have been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court after being found guilty of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The men - named as Kévin Gonot, Léonard Lopez and Salim Machou by AFP news agency - have 30 days to appeal.

They were among 12 French citizens captured in Syria by US-backed fighters. In February they were transferred to Iraq for trial.

The three are the first IS suspects from France to be sentenced to death.

IS once controlled vast swathes of territory stretching across Syria and Iraq.

After years of fighting, Iraq declared victory on its side of the border in late 2017.

On the Syrian side, the main offensive was led by a US-backed alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The group captured the last stronghold held by the jihadists in March.

Iraq has offered to try all foreign fighters held by the SDF. Several hundreds have been transferred for trial by Iraqi courts but

none have so far been executed.

More than 41,000 people from dozens of countries are estimated to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq - about a quarter of them women and children.

Researchers suggest at least 7000 have travelled back to their countries of origin.

Those countries have raised concerns about bringing hardened jihadists back and the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Libya’s Haftar vows to fight until Tripoli ‘militias’ defeated

L

ibyan renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a military offensive against the Government in Tripoli, said in an interview published on Sunday he will continue fighting until militias in the city laid down their arms.

Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) began an offensive in ear-

to a parallel government in the east, has not been able to breach the southern defences of Tripoli.

Haftar justified the offensive last month by saying he was fighting against “private militias and extremist groups” who he said were gaining influence under al-Sarraj.

He offered an amnesty to fighters in Tripoli who

Khalifa Haftar also called the UN mediator ‘biased’ after his criticism last week

ly April to take the capital from fighters loyal to Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA), which is recognised by the United Nations.

The LNA, which is allied

laid down their arms, saying they would be allowed to “return home safe and sound”.

F r e n c h President Emmanual Macron asked Haftar in a meeting held in Paris last

week to take a public step towards a ceasefire without much luck, a French official told Reuters news agency.

Haftar also took aim at UN mediator Ghassan Salame who has warned that the country is “committing suicide” because of the conflict that six to 10 foreign states are involved in.

More than 75,000 people have been driven from their homes in the latest fighting and 510 have been killed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

More than 2400 people have also been wounded, while 100,000 people are feared trapped by the clashes raging on the outskirts of Tripoli. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Iran will defend itself against any aggression – FM Zarif

I

ran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran will defend itself against any military or economic aggression and called on European states to do more to preserve a nuclear deal his country signed with them.

Speaking in a news conference in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Mohamed Ali al-Hakim on Sunday, Zarif said his country wanted to build balanced relations with its Gulf Arab neighbours and that it had proposed signing a non-aggression pact with them.

Iraq is willing to act as an intermediary between its neighbour and the United States, al-Hakim said, adding that Baghdad does not believe an “economic blockade” is fruitful - a reference to US sanctions.

“We are saying very clearly and honestly that we oppose the unilateral actions taken by the United States. We stand with the Islamic Republic of Iran in its position,” al-Hakim said.

F

our people were killed and seven others injured on Sunday in three separate explosions in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, and police said they suspected a Maoist splinter group may have been responsible.

“Three people were killed on the spot and the fourth one died while undergoing treatment at a hospital,” police official Shyam Lal Gyawali said, adding that the nature of the blasts was under investigation.

One person was killed in an explosion inside a house in the Ghattekulo residential area in the heart of the city.

The second blast took place near a hairdresser’s in the Sukedhara area on the outskirts of the city, where three people were killed.

The third blast, a crude device, went off near a brick kiln in the Thankot area of

Security personnel inspect an explosion site in Kathmandu, Nepal

Kathmandu, injuring two people, police said.

Gyawali, the police official, said they suspect the blasts may have been the work of a splinter group of former Maoist rebels who are opposed to the Government for arresting its supporters.

“A pamphlet from the group has been found at the site of the first blast,” Gyawali said.

Nepal emerged from a

decade-long Maoist civil war in 2006 and the main group of the former rebels has joined the party that runs the Government now.

The breakaway group of former rebels carried out a similar blast in Kathmandu in February, in which one person was killed and two others were injured.

No one has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s blasts. (Excerpt from Reuters)

2 Indian fire officials suspended after coaching centre blaze kills 22

I

ndian authorities said on Sunday two fire department officials had been suspended over a fire at a coaching centre that killed 21 students and one teacher in the western Gujarat state, renewing questions about building safety standards.

Surat Commissioner of Police, Satish Sharma said the owners of the Takshashila Arcade building, where the shoddy coaching centre was built on the four-storey building’s terrace, were absconding.

The coaching centre was made of combustible material like Styrofoam and tires were used as seats for stu-

dents prepping for architecture or commerce exams, according to Sharma.

The manager of the coaching centre, Bhargav Bhutani, has been arrested.

Amid criticism from victims’ relatives that fire officials took up to 45 minutes to arrive on the scene on Friday, Deputy Chief Fire Officer SK Acharya and Fire Officer Kirti Mod were suspended, Chief Fire Officer for Surat, BK Pareek told Reuters.

Pareek, who said he was not aware of the precise reason behind their suspensions, added that a fire brigade was on site within minutes though it took

roughly 15 minutes for a hydraulic platform to arrive because there are only three of them in Surat.

An official at the Surat Municipal Corporation said no one was available for comment on the suspensions of the fire officials.

Television footage showed students desperately trying to escape by jumping off the building as smoke billowed from the top floor.

Footage also showed a man, identified by the Indian Express as 22-yearold Ketan Chodvadiya, perched on the facade of the burning building helping children jump down. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Hong Kong protestors demand China be held to account for 1989 Tiananmen crackdown

T

Zarif speaks during a news conference with Iraqi FM Mohamed Ali al-Hakim

The mediation offer echoed one made on Saturday by Mohamad al-Halbousi, the Iraqi Parliament Speaker.

Hakim also expressed concern for Iran’s spiralling economy.

Iranians make up the bulk of millions of Shia from around the world who come to Iraq every year to visit its many Shia shrines and holy places and their purchasing power has slumped after Trump reimposed the sanctions.

Iraqi President Barham Salih discussed with Zarif “the need to prevent all war or escalation,” his office said.

Zarif’s visit to Iraq follows a decision by Washington to deploy 1500 additional troops to the Middle East.

On Saturday, Zarif called the deployment of extra US troops to the region “extremely dangerous and a threat to international peace and security”.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

housands of protesters marched through central Hong Kong on Sunday as part of annual demonstrations demanding that China be held accountable for its democracy crackdown in and around Tiananmen Square three decades ago.

Human rights groups and witnesses say that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died in the bloodshed as Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square and soldiers fired on student-led democracy protesters, beginning on the night of June 3, 1989.

The Tiananmen crackdown is a taboo subject in China and authorities have refused to accept full accountability or release the death toll.

This year, for the 30th anniversary, censors at Chinese internet companies say that tools to detect and block content related to the 1989 crackdown have

Protesters take part in a march ahead of the June 4 anniversary of the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, in Hong Kong, China

reached unprecedented levels of accuracy, aided by machine learning and voice and image recognition.

The Hong Kong demonstrators marched to China’s main representative “liaison” office in the city, where some held up banners while chanting slogans including “the people will not forget”.

Many of the protesters also held up yellow umbrellas, a symbol of Hong Kong’s 2014 pro-democracy “umbrella revolution”, while

calling for the scrapping of a proposed extradition law that would allow people to be sent to China to face trial.

Lawyers, business people and diplomats have expressed widespread concern that the law could extend China’s control into Hong Kong and undermine the city’s vaunted rule of law.

An annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4 is expected to draw tens of thousands of people. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Refrain from revealing too much information. Using the element of surprise will be more effective than broadcasting your every move. Today is about presentation and pizzazz, not about giving away your secrets.

CANCER

You’ll have to back up your words with action. A personal change will give you the boost you need.

Someone you respect will offer a favorable critique and a constructive suggestion.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

SUDOKU

A change will help you see situations differently.

Be open to suggestions, but don’t give anyone the right to make choices for you.

Take care of business personally.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Look at the big picture when it comes to making a decision that could influence your reputation or status. Say no to anyone pressuring you. Do what’s best for you.

Be aware of what others are doing. Following someone else’s lead won’t turn out as planned. Look over your choices and stick to what feels most comfortable and realistic to pursue.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Just do it. Trust in your ability to get the job done properly and on time. If you rely on others, you will fall behind. Personal improvement is encouraged.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Take pride in what you do and stick to your plans, regardless of what others think. An opportunity to learn something new or to negotiate on your own behalf is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Participation will enhance your chance to put your mark on something that will affect your future.

What you do now will have long-term benefits. Romance is on the rise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Trust in facts, not in hearsay. Someone will use emotional tactics to sway your opinion. If you want the truth, go directly to the source for information.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution for SATURDAY’s puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

You know better than anyone what will please you most. If you want something, go after it relentlessly and you won’t be disappointed. Romance is in the stars.

Take any opportunity to make adjustments at home that are conducive to pursuing something you enjoy doing. Trust in your opinion, not in someone who has ulterior motives.

Emotions will surface and must be handled with care. If you offer personal information to someone, you can expect him or her to use it against you. Focus on personal gain.

MONday, MAY 27, 2019

Hamilton holds Max

19

French Open 2019:

Verstappen at bay to win Federer into 2nd round with straight-sets win

S

porting a helmet styled in the same d e s i g n as Niki Lauda’s in his final championship winning season for McLaren in 1984, Lewis Hamilton delivered the win in Monaco he so dearly wanted to honour his friend. A victory ground out though tense, nerve-racking effort, of sweat and seat-ofthe-pants determination, it is surely one Lauda would have admired and acknowledged as thoroughly deserved.

Hamilton had been emotional after taking pole and was once more moved to dedicate his win to Lauda as he celebrated with relief as much as ecstasy, that included hurling himself into the swimming pool at the harbour’s edge. He described it as his hardest race and, while it was certainly not the most thrilling, he had to remain inch-perfect and fully focused from flag to finish. Grinding out a win on the wrong tyres, despite being harassed by Max Verstappen to the end, was exactly the sort of dogged indefatigability that Lauda displayed and had admired in Hamilton.

“That was definitely the hardest race I’ve had but nonetheless I was fighting with the spirit of Niki,” Hamilton said. “He’s been such an influence in our team and I know he will be looking down and taking his hat off. I was trying to stay focused and make him proud.”

He took the win from pole in front of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in second and his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, in third. Red Bull’s Verstappen was in fourth after finishing second on track, harrying Hamilton

to the flag. But he had incurred a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit release and that demoted him. The win gives Hamilton a 17-point lead over Bottas in the championship and puts him 55 points clear of Vettel.

He led off the line but it was the pitstops that defined the shape of the race. Charles Leclerc had prompted a safety car because of debris when his charge from 15th on the grid came to an end with a puncture attempting to pass Nico Hülkenberg at Rascasse. The leaders all came into the pits but Hamilton was the only one to take the medium rather than hard tyres. He had 68 laps to make it to the end.

During the stops Verstappen was released from his box into Bottas’s path, the pair touched and the Dutchman squeezed Bottas into the wall.

Verstappen came out in second on track and, with a puncture, Bottas returned to the pits immediately.

The unsafe release by Red Bull was investigated by the stewards and Verstappen was given the penalty.

Lauda won twice in Monaco and his qualifying lap here in 1975 was so intense he said he was left trembling at its conclusion.

Hamilton endured a similarly tense encounter. He has not enjoyed the greatest success on the streets of Monte Carlo. This is his 77th career win but only his third here, where he lives and where, after these efforts, he will have slept particularly soundly.

Untroubled for the first third, he soon began to air concerns that his tyres were wearing. He has done the same thing before, only to remain in sublime control, but this time the graining on his left front was clear.

A race so often a procession that did indeed present a train of four cars at the front now had a genuine element of jeopardy. As Hamilton grew increasingly

fraught over the radio and his engineers did their best to calm his fears, it was clear they would not blink and pit him. The British driver had to hold his line and execute every lap to perfection without offering a sniff of a chance to Verstappen.

By the halfway point spots of rain failed to materialise into anything more and Hamilton was looking to save his rubber with a positively pedestrian pace. He revealed that, despite his concerns, he had not considered coming in.

At the Chinese Grand Prix in 2007, his rookie season, when McLaren left him out too long on deteriorating rubber Hamilton spun off at the pit entrance costing him his chance to win the title at that race, a moment he has not forgotten.

“I’ve not driven on empty tyres since 2007 when McLaren left me out in Shanghai for such a long time,” he said. “It was intense. I was never going to come in. I learnt the hard way, I wasn’t going to come in whether I crashed or finished.”

Verstappen, who drove superbly, was ceaselessly probing on rubber with more grip. He made a final dramatic lunge at the Nouvelle chicane with two laps to go and the pair touched as the Dutchman darted up the inside but could not snatch the lead. Investigated, it was judged a racing incident.

Hamilton held his nerve and the lead. The chief strategist for Mercedes, James Vowles, pronounced it “a job no one else could have done”.

The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, perhaps summed up the feelings of Hamilton and his team. “A world championship drive for a world champion that isn’t among us any more,” he said. “With all the drama that we’ve had, I’m relieved it’s over.”

Pierre Gasly was in fifth for Red Bull and he took fastest lap. Carlos Sainz in the McLaren did very well for sixth, Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso was in seventh, with another strong finish for the British-Thai driver Alexander Albon in eighth for Toro Rosso. Daniel Ricciardo was in ninth for Renault and Grosjean was in tenth for Haas. (The Guardian)

In the women’s draw, Elina Svitolina, a two-time French Open quarter-finalist, beat Venus Williams

R

oger Federer made a winning return to the French Open with a dominant first-round victory over Lorenzo Sonego.

The Swiss 20-time Grand Slam winner, playing at Roland Garros for the first time in four years, beat the Italian 6-2 6-4 6-4.

He arrived to a standing ovation on Philippe Chatrier court and left with the crowd on their feet in delight.

The 37-year-old will play German lucky loser Oscar Otte, ranked 145th in the world, in the second round.

“I knew I can play very well on clay and I am very happy I did it in straight sets today,” Federer said.

“I missed the French crowd so thanks for the warm welcome today.”

Four years away – 101 minutes to first victory

The rapturous reception he received was the only clue that Federer had ever been away from the Paris clay-court Grand Slam tournament.

The third seed missed the 2016 event with a back injury and skipped the past two clay-court seasons to preserve his body.

He raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set before Italian world number 73 Sonego finally held his serve.

But while Sonego temporarily stemmed the flow, Federer marched on to claim the opening set in just 24 minutes.

“Two breaks in the first set was very important for

me and when I was leading 4-0 I could take more risks and play more aggressive,” Federer said.

He had looked like he was going to race away with the match until Sonego began to find some form when he was a double break down midway through the second set.

A cross-court forehand winner set up three break points for the Italian, all of which Federer saved before Sonego snatched the break when the Swiss double-faulted.

The 24-year-old celebrated the breakthrough as if he had won the match and was soon fist-pumping again when a delightful lob had Federer well beaten to seal a hold in the next game.

But the brief glimmer of hope for the Italian was soon stamped out as Federer wasted no time in a hold to love to take the second set.

A closely contested third set was effectively decided by a thundering Federer backhand across the court that gave him a break for 5-4 and he went on to wrap up the match when Sonego sent a service return wide in the next game.

Svitolina beats Venus

Ukrainian ninth seed Elina Svitolina overcame a tricky first-round draw by beating seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in straight sets at the French Open.

Both players struggled on serve before 24-year-old Svitolina finished both sets stronger to win 6-3 6-3.

American Williams, 38,

has not gone past the third round of a Slam since reaching the 2017 US Open semi-finals.

Svitolina will play compatriot Kateryna Kozlova, the world number 67, next.

Svitolina, 24, missed two match points before sealing victory at the third opportunity when Williams sprayed a backhand into the tramlines.

The Ukrainian, a twotime Roland Garros quarter-finalist, has seen her season disrupted by a knee injury but showed little sign of any lingering problem as she won in one hour and 13 minutes.

Yet going into the second Grand Slam of the year, she had not won not the clay which she describes as her most natural surface - after successive defeats in Madrid and Rome.

That led to her jokingly describing the draw against the veteran American as more “punishment”.

However, it was the Ukrainian who did the punishing as she managed to grind down Williams.

The pair exchanged five successive breaks of serve in their opening set, Svitolina holding for 5-3 and breaking again for a one-set lead, as 18 unforced errors flew off Williams’ racquet.

And, after Williams led 3-1 following some more erratic service games, Svitolina won five successive games to continue her record of reaching the second round in each of her main-draw appearances at Roland Garros. (BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monday, MAY 27, 2019

Roach inspired by RHTY&SC honours outstanding teachers, WC heroes in 1975 and 1979 students, retired C educators

The Teachers/Students of the Year pose with Region Six Education Officer B La Cruz

The four retired teachers pose with Education Officer B La Cruz

“

Since its formation in 1990 by three times Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee, the St. Francis Community Developers, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTYSC) has always promoted the importance of education as all of us strongly believe that it is the foundation of a successful career.

Teachers are the ones who nurture our brains with information, who guide us on the road to success and who along with our parents are our first positive role models.

We are proud to honour you today for your outstanding contribution to the development of minds and as long as the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS exists, we would continue to do so”. Those were the words of long standing Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, MS at the presentation Ceremony of the Club’s Annual Tribute to Outstanding Teachers/ Students Award and Tribute to Retired Teachers Programme at the St. Francis Training Centre.

The ten cricket teams of the Club: Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro

Female, Gizmos & Gadgets Under-21 and First Division hosted the 15th Edition of the Tribute to Outstanding Teachers/Students Award and 6th Edition of Tribute to Retired Teachers. Eight Teachers and Students were honoured for outstanding performances in 2018.

The Awardees were selected by the administration of their respective schools based on performances in the classroom, attendance rate, relationship, and peers and role model status. Some of the schools involved were Lower Corentyne Secondary, J.C. Chandisingh Secondary, Port Mourant Secondary, Corentyne Comprehensive, Rose Hall Town Nursery, Rose Hall Town Primary, Belvedere Primary and Port Mourant Primary.

Among those honoured were Reaz Beepat, Kalyan Etwaroo of Port Mourant Secondary School, Ayesha Vanier, Pauline Flatts of Rose Hall Town Primary, Shalenee Seepersaud and Aaliyah Ahamad of Belvedere Primary, Renatta Lynch Mayor and Kester Jeffrey of Rose Hall Town Nursery, Seecharrn Rampersaud and Aliyah Henry of Lower Corentyne Secondary, Travita Ram Kirpaul and Reyah Khemraj of J. C.

Chandisingh Secondary, Samlall Rabindranauth and Analisa Yunus of Corentyne Comprehensive High School.

The four retired teachers with a combined 125 years of service to Guyana’s Educational Sector were Jean Herman, Kim Sampson, Jacqueline Jonas and Clement Edwards.

Foster stated that too many Guyanese Educators retire without being acknowledged for their outstanding contributions toward the development of our country.

The RHTYSC Secretary praised the Teachers and Students of the Year for their hard work in 2018.

He urged the attentive students to remain focus and pledged the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, Ms assistance in any way possible.

RHTYSC and its ten cricket teams would shortly be announcing an expansion of their Say No/Say Yes Programme with sponsorship from an overseas based Company, currently working in Guyana. Each of the Outstanding Teachers and Retired Educators received trophy, medal, framed certificate and special gifts.

The eight Students of the Year carried home trophy, medal and collection of educational materials.

ricket World Cup is staged by England for the fourth time, with memories stirred of the West Indies victory in the inaugural tournament in 1975 and again at Lord’s four years later.

Those teams were guided to global supremacy by legendary names like Clive Lloyd, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and, of course, Viv Richards; players that transcended their sport and secured their place in the pantheon of cricket greatness. The West Indies class of 2019, captained by the eloquent Jason Holder, a player who Lloyd identified as a “leader of men” and someone West Indies should invest in.

“It’s a great feeling to follow those great players that won here. We know the history we have in this tournament when England host it and that’s inspiring to us all,” said Roach.

“What those guys did means we still get amazing support in this country, we know the fans here love the West Indies and we want to put on that show they expect. However, we also know we have to make our own history, that’s our challenge and the guys are ready for it.

I’m feeling really good and focused, it can’t start soon enough to be honest. I’m very positive because I love this big stage, it’s made for my game,” he continued.

Roach is now a mature, more experienced 30-year-old with 53 Tests and 85 ODIs under his belt – and is the most experienced bowler in the attack. He is on the eve of his third ICC Cricket World Cup – having played under Darren Sammy in 2011 and under Holder in 2015.

Roach is in the top 10 of West Indies fast bowlers of all time – a list that includes Walsh, Ambrose, Marshall, Holding, Roberts – all rated among the game’s finest.

He ripped through the England batting order in the recent Test series, claiming 18 victims at an average of 13.88, and the World Cup is a tournament he has already made an impression on.

Eight years ago he became only the sixth bowler to ever claim a hat-trick at the ICC Cricket World Cup, when his figures of 6-27 against Holland at the Feroz-ShahKotla in Delhi further cemented his place in the record books.

West Indies enter the World Cup as underdogs, but many expert observers believe the men from the Caribbean have a good chance of causing a major upsets and lifting the trophy at Lord’s on July 14.

Roach is now fully recovered from a back injury that forced him out of the 2-2 ODI series draw with England in the Caribbean earlier this year. During that series Chris Gayle dominated the England bowling attack and his teammates batted and bowled brilliantly to match the world top-ranked side.

“We love being underdogs, going under the radar and surprising people, that is our game plan. We like not having to deal with the hype. The format is ideal, whoever wins this World Cup won’t have got lucky – they’ll have had to play everyone. If we start getting on a roll, no-one will relish facing us,” Roach finished. (CWI)

Raptors beat Bucks to seal NBA Finals place

T

Kawhi Leonard

he Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94 to seal a 4-2 series win and reach the first NBA Finals in their 24year history.

They will now face defending champions the Golden State Warriors in a series which starts in Toronto on Thursday.

The Raptors are coached

by Nick Nurse, who has extensive experience in the British Basketball League.

Star man Kawhi Leonard

scored 27 points and a career-best 17 rebounds to help the Canadian team make history.

His side had lost the first two games of the best-of-seven series before recording four wins in a row.

The Bucks started Saturday’s game at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena strongly and led by 15 points at one stage in the third quarter before being pegged back.

“It’s still surreal to me right now but this is what we’ve been striving for all season. It’s not over yet,” Leonard said.

“He inspired us tonight with monster rebounds,” Raptors coach Nurse added.

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse with Raptors ambassador and fan, music star Drake, looking on Nick Nurse is cheered on by Canadian music star - and Raptors ambassador Drake For Nurse, reaching the finals marks the latest chapter in a remarkable rise. The 51-year-old American only realised his dream of lead-

ing an NBA team last summer when he took charge of the Raptors.

That came after a journeyman career which has included stints in the BBL at Derby Storm, Birmingham Bullets, Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears.

He led the Bullets and Giants to the league title and twice won the BBL coach of the year award, working on a £100,000 budget - in contrast to the $150m (£120m) budget he enjoys at the Raptors.

The Bucks had the NBA’s best record (60-22) during the regular season and had been favourites to win the Eastern Conference finals against a franchise only formed in 1995.

“This hurts,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “But what they did in the playoffs tonight against a really good Toronto Raptors team, and to get to the Eastern Conference finals, the regular season, [it’s] a special season for us.

“We feel like we’re just getting started.” (BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, may 27, 2019

CLASSIFIED ADS ARACARI ARACARI HOTEL, WBD (NEAR HARBOUR BRIDGE) ALL MODERN AMENITIES- RATES FROM US$25.

TEL #264-2946-8 CONFERENCE & RETREATS- FULL SERVICE: HOTEL, CATERING & FACILITES. ARACARI RESORT, WBD. ALEX WAYNE: 264-2946.

WEDDINGS & ANNIVERSARIES. RENTAL OR FULL SERVICE: BANQUET HALL & CATERING, ARACARI RESORT. ALEX WAYNE: 264-2946.

SALON: COSMETOLOGY-FULL COURSE $100,000. TECHNICIAN $40,000. ARACARI SALON & SPA, WBD 264-3312, 600-3927.

FOR SALE 1 COMPLETE 6 BASS MUSIC SYSTEM. TEL: 601-9855 / 253-3070 • SMALL BUS/VAN – GOOD CONDITION $380,000 NEGOTIABLE680-3863 • TOYOTA COROLLA CAR, LEFT HAND DRIVE $380,000 NEGOTIABLE -680-3863 • STAND UP FREEZER - $85,000- 680-3863

LAND for sale TRANSPORTED LAND 11.6 ACRES. LOT 15 PUBLIC ROAD, No2 VILLAGE, WCB/CE. PRICE $18M. CONTACT # 686-4818, 648-7109

NOTICE APPLICATION FOR MONEY LENDER CERTIFICATE. PURSUANT TO SECTION 4 OF THE MONEY LENDER ACT. I CEDRIC JOEL WEEKES OF LOT 8 DEN AMSTEL OLD ROAD, WEST COAST DEMERARA GUYANA IS HERE

BY GIVING NOTICE THAT I HAVE APPLIED TO THE MAGISTRATE OF THE WEST DEMERARA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT FOR A CERTIFICATE UNDER THE MONEY LENDER LICENSE, AUTHORISING THE GRANT TO ME OF A MONEY LENDER LICENSE TO CARRY ON THE BUSINESS OF A PAWN SHOP UNDER THE TITLE, WEEKES FAST CASH PAWNSHOP AT LOT Y BLANKEN BURG PUBLIC ROAD WEST COAST DEMERARA. NOTICE OF ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPLICATION SHOULD BE SENT FORTHWITH TO THE CLERK OF THE COURT OF WEST DEMERARA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT AND A COPY OF SUCH NOTICE SHOULD BE SENT TO THE SUBSCRIBER CEDRIC JOEL WEEKES (APPLICANT) DATED AT GEORGETOWN DEMERARA THE DAY MAY 2019.

ROOMS AND SHOPPING ROOMS AND SHOPPING IN CENTRAL GEORGETOWN FOR MORE INFORMATION: EMAIL: caribamercare@gmail.com TELEPHONES #: 226-2409/223-4159/644-2388/6875448

spirituality & ASTROLOGY OM SHAKTI ASTROLOGY. MEET PANDIT ONCE AND GET PERMANENT SOLUTIONS FOR ALL YOUR PROBLEMS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. JOB, LOVE, HEALTH AND DOMESTIC PROBLEMS 100%. CALL OR WHATSAPP 692-9449. LOCATED – ECCLES EAST BANK DEMERARA.

TO LET FURNISHED AND UNFURNISHED APARTMENT TO RENT 3 E PUBLIC ROAD LUSIGNAN -638-9803, 6564163

VACANCY • COOK-624-0033 • DRIVER AND PORTER FOR WATER DELIVERY TRUCK – 680-3863

WANTED TAILOR AND SEAMSTRESS TEL: 6019855 / 253-3070

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

21

Metro renews sponsorship of RHTY&SC female team

S

tationery giants Metro Office and Computer Supplies on Sunday last renewed their long standing sponsorship of Guyana’s only female cricket team, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), MS, Metro female team.

The company has been sponsoring the team since its formation in 2009. RHTY&SC, the only youth and sport organisation in the history of Guyana to ever receive a National Award, has invested heavily in its female team over the years.

Secretary/CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, Hilbert Foster, stated that the Club will continue to invest into female cricket, and hailed the continued cooperation of Metro.

Foster stated that the team has made the RHTY&SC very proud over the years, and even won the only National Female Championship to ever be organised by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), in 2009. Over the years, the Rose Hall Town Metro female team has proven to be the strength of Berbice Female Intercounty Team with over eighty percentage of Berbice Team being members of the RHTY&SC. Foster expressed total disappointment that no other club in Guyana has seen it fit to invest in the development of female cricket.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is the only county Board that organises tournaments for the fairer sex.

Metro Regional Manager Danny Ramnarine handing over sponsorship to Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster in the presence of Metro Female Players

The rapid development of the RHTY&SC female members came about from being exposed to daily practice, involvement in coaching programmes and regular playing with their male counterparts.

West Indies players Shemaine Campbelle and Erva Giddings are permanent members of the Rose Hall Town Bakewell Second Division, Pepsi Intermediate teams, and match their male counterparts’ performance on the field. During practice, female members are treated as equals, and as such they develop at a very rapid rate.

Special mention was made of Uma Matadin and Abigail Kishun who only recently joined the RHTY&SC but are now Guyana Under-19 and

Berbice Senior Players respectively. Over the years the Metro female team has produced dozens of players for Berbice and Guyana, including Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Plaffiana Millington, Melanie Henry, Nikita Toney, Jackie Singh, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabiki Gajnabi, Mariam Samaroo, Dian Prahalad, Uma Matadin, Deborah Vanderstoop, Aleema Arokium, Rushanna Lynch and Sherica Campbelle.

Campbelle and Giddings have gone on to play for the West Indies, while Grimmond was selected in the Regional Team World Cup 20/20 squad but had to withdraw due to injury; but together with Gajnabi, has been called to numerous West

Indies Training Camps.

Campbelle and Gajnabi captained the National Senior and Under-19 Teams in 2019. Erva Giddings, at the recent 29th Awards Ceremony, copped the 2018 Female Cricketer of the Year Award, with her West Indies counterpart Shemaine Campbelle as runner-up.

Mariam Samaroo was named Disciplined Player of the Year, Abigail Kishun as Most Improved, Uma Matadin the Most Committed, Sheneta Grimmond as the Most Promising, while Shabiki Gajnabi won the Fielder of the Year award.

Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu, who heads the Club’s Cricket Section along with Ravindranauth Kissoonlall, Keith Hicks and Tyrone Pottaya, expressed gratitude to Metro for their continued confidence in the Club, and hailed the contribution of Metro’s Chief Executive Officer Avia Lindie and Berbice Regional Manager Danny Ramnarine.

Naidu assured the Metro staff that the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and the Female Team would continue to represent their brand with discipline, passion and commitment. Regional Manager Danny Ramnarine, in handing over the 2019 sponsorship, hailed the Female Team as true ambassadors of the Metro Brand. The company, Ramnarine stated, was delighted to be associated with Guyana’s leading youth and sport organisation.

“Not the right place for me”- Jayawardene declines SLC World Cup offer N ow a two-time IPL-winning coach, Jayawardene has in the past produced plans to overhaul Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket system, only for those proposals to be rejected by SLC. Last year, a committee featuring Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Aravinda de Silva had also produced a report on Sri Lankan cricket, with recommendations on governance as well as domestic structure. Those recommendations have been almost totally ignored since.

Jayawardene said he had been asked twice to play a role in Sri Lanka’s backroom for the World Cup - once by Sri Lanka’s sports minister, and once by SLC’s CEO towards the end of the recent IPL. He turned the offers down.

“I was [invited] but I have several other commitments. More than that, I didn’t understand the role I am expected to play,” Jayawardene told Sunday Times. “There’s no point in me getting involved tactically, or whatever, if I don’t have a say in the whole structure. The team is selected and everything is done and dusted. There is no room for me to come in and add something.

“I am still happy to contribute in my little way with the management of the team, but nothing to do with the SLC. That’s something I have told myself as well. I just don’t have the appetite to come and work for anybody when I know that it’s not the right place for me.”

Jayawardene had been especially dismayed

by SLC’s failure to seriously consider the recommendations put forward by his committee last year. That report had been commissioned by Sri Lanka’s sports ministry.

“We created a professional cricketing structure spending eight months,” he said. “We offered to set it up for them but they rejected it.

We did it because we don’t want to lose our cricketers going to Australia and to league cricket in England. We need those experienced players in our system.

“There are some teams in our first class system where the average age is 25, which is sad.

When we played, we had so many senior cricketers to guide us. Without them in our system, we cannot build a strong domestic cricket structure.

And without doing that, there’s no point in build-

ing stadiums.”

“He gave in to cricket politics. He allowed other people to make decisions and did not stand up for his players. I have told him this as well and he accepts it.”

Jayawardene on Angelo Mathews

Jayawardene also criticised aspects of Angelo Mathews’ and Dinesh Chandimal’s leadership, whose failures he believes contributed to the rapid recent turnover of captains in the Sri Lanka side. Mathews was captain of all Sri Lanka’s teams when Jayawardene retired in 2015, but since then, Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Chamara Kapugedara and - most-recently - Dimuth Karunaratne have held the reins. This instability is understood to have contributed to Sri Lanka’s serious decline in ODIs. “The only advice we gave Angelo was not to give in to cricket politics,” Jayawardene said.

“He needs to be a stronger leader, to be with the players and do the right thing. But he gave in to cricket politics. He allowed other people to make decisions and did not stand up for his players.

I am being honest. I have told him this as well and he accepts it. If he hadn’t given in, we would probably not be in this situation today. Even if I see him today, that’s the only complaint I will have against him.

“The number one rule in Sri Lanka is, if you are the captain, lead by example and do not allow any outsiders coming into that setup. That’s the only way we ran the show and survived. It was unfortunate and it was not easy, either. You need to deal with a lot of unwanted elements. But if you are a strong character, that’s something you have to do. I have nothing against him. He is a brilliant cricketer and a wonderful person but he did not handle this situation well. He should be the one who is leading this team at the World Cup. He had to give up because it was too much for him. But it was his fault.

“I think [Chandimal] was another victim of cricket politics. In the sense, he was another player like Angelo Mathews who was snared to elements behind the scene and went along with them rather than taking control of the team and being a strong leader.” (ESPNcricinfo)

22

monday, MAY 27, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Amla, de Kock get going before rain washes out warm-up game SCOREBOARD U

nlike the Bangladesh v Pakistan game in Cardiff - where the captains couldn’t even go out for the toss - there was a bit of action in Bristol. Just about.

West Indies, after opting to field, got to bowl a total of 12.4 overs -- in spells of 8.2, 1.1 and 3.1 -- at Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock; and in those overs, South Africa scored 95 runs before the stop-start encounter was called off, everyone having had enough of watching the rain.

It was South Africa’s last warm-up fixture before their tournament opener on May 30 against hosts, England, at The Oval in London, and they would certainly have wanted a proper hit out.

Amla, who had scored a 61-ball 65 in their earlier game against Sri Lanka, looked good again, scoring 51 in 46 balls; while de Kock, who didn’t get a bat in that 87-run win, also hit his stride, scoring a 30-ball 37.

Rain was always in the air, and while Jason Holder opted to bowl first to “make good use” of the conditions, Amla was the one to actually cash in early, a flick to midwicket and a cut past point earning him two boundaries in the first over bowled by Holder.

South Africa Innings (31 overs maximum) HM Amla not out 51 Q de Kock † not out 37 Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 2) 7 TOTAL (12.4 Overs, RR: 7.5) 95 -0 Yet to bat: F du Plessis, HE van der Dussen, DA Miller, JP Duminy (c), AL Phehlukwayo, D

Pretorius, CH Morris, Imran Tahir, AK Markram, K Rabada, L Ngidi, T Shamsi, DW Steyn

Sheldon Cottrell initially looked impressive with the new ball, bowling with pace and getting some balls up to around the throat, till the BOWLING batsmen had his measure in the sixth over. The first reared JO Holder (5-0-29-0) from a back of a length to rap SS Cottrell (4-0-27-0) de Kock’s gloves, but Amla ST Gabriel (0.2-0-0-0) leaned into a drive beautifulAD Russell (2.2-0-18-0) ly on the third ball, and de Kock sent the last two balls O Thomas (1-0-16-0) of the over for fours down the ground and over the slips.

The team’s fifty came up in 7.1 overs, and Amla and de Kock were looking good to go on and give South Africa a super platform when, after two balls in the ninth over, the players had to rush off the ground.

A point of concern was that Shannon Gabriel, who bowled those two deliveries, looked like he had suffered a strain of some sort, and didn’t come back to complete the over after the break. Andre Russell did instead, and after three more balls from Holder, the game was interrupted again.

The rain was such that there was always a chance of play resuming; and after a long wait, the two teams took guard again for a 31-overs-a-side playoff. Perhaps seeing the writing in the clouds, Amla and de Kock really opened up. Between them, they hit five fours and a six, Amla ramping Oshane Thomas over third man in the 19 balls of play possible before they went off again, this time for good.

From South Africa’s point of view, the form of the two openers was a big positive, while West Indies mainly took back negatives: their bowlers lacked discipline, and the fielding looked a bit worse for wear at times. But while South Africa now go straight into the main tournament, West Indies have another workout slotted against New Zealand on Tuesday, May 28, to try and iron out the creases. (ESPNcricinfo)

Global T20 Canada draft set for June 1 Mbihia wins EAA – Caribbean stars set to return 10K ahead of T Independence 5K Road Race he 2019 Global T20 is set to return this July for a second year, with the players’ draft being set for June 1 2019. Players from across the globe were asked to register via an online portal when the final application portal was closed on May 25 midnight.

In the 2018 edition of the tournament, many players would have announced themselves as T20 players.

Notable players include Guyana’s very own Sherfane Rutherford, who scored a brilliant unbeaten 134 from 66 balls; and Australia’s Fawad Ahmed who grabbed 14 wickets to set himself up for a CPL 2018 purchase in the same year.

Chris Gayle’s and Andre Russell’s Vancouver Knights lift the inaugural title after defeating the Cricket West Indies B team in the final. The 2018 that spanned between June 28 and July 15, saw most of the Caribbean stars dominating. Trinidad and Tobago’s Lendl Simmons scored the most runs in the tournament when he finished with 321 runs in eight matches.

Rutherford, who finished with 19 sixes in that tourna-

ment, finished third on the runs chart with 230 runs while Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton had 185 and 183 respectively. The CWI B team players in Nicholas Pooran (176), Justin Greaves (171) and Fabian Allen (169) were amongst the runs. Most of these players are expected to feature in this event along with International stars in Steve Smith, David Warner and David Miller.

Leading the charts was Jamaica’s Sheldon Cottrell who finished the 2018 tournament with 16 wickets followed by Fawad Ahmed 14 and Lasith Malinga 13. The former West Indies Test quick, Fidel Edwards was also among the wickets with 11 scalps while promising West Indies player, Obed McCoy had 11 wickets.

Russell, Tim Southee and Ali Khan had 10 wickets apiece in the Global T20 Canada tournament. The 2018 global showpiece in Canada had six teams in its first edition and numerous stars in cricket taking center stage.

The teams were Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Vancouver Knights, West Indies B and Winipeg Hawks.

On July Thursday 25, 2019 the stars will renew their presence in Canada for the commencement of the tournament. (Brandon Corlette)

Joe Solomon Golf Classic tees off today

Former West Indies cricket player Joe Solomon

L

ocal and visiting golfers will today team up to take away the prizes in what promises to be an exciting Joe Solomon Classic tournament, being hosted in honour of the Guyanese cricketing legend, who is currently in Guyana.

Initially scheduled for Saturday, May 25, the tournament was deferred to Monday, May 27, as the Lusignan Golf Club executives and members honoured the passing of a faithful long serving employee, the late Kampta

Ramdhan, aka ‘Manny’, whose cremation took place on Saturday.

Joseph Stanislaus Solomon aka “Joe”, was born on 26th August 1930 at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice and is a former Guyanese and West Indian cricketer – contemporary of Sir Gary Sobers and Sir Frank Worrell -- who played 27 Tests for the West Indies from 1958 to 1965, wherein he scored 1326 runs, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up.

“Joe” stamped his name in Test Cricket history at what one sports writer in 2011 considered “probably the most dramatic international cricket match ever played – the 1960’s tied Test at Brisbane between Australia and the West Indies.”

The following is a flashback to commentary on that phenomenal game.

“Tension built up - it was the last over of the last innings, and Australia at 226 for 7, after big-hitter Davidson was run out for 80 by Solomon’s quicksilver pick-up and throw from the edge of the square, needed only 6 more to win at 233. Then tension intensified as Barbadian Wes Hall delivered that last over, and with only 2 deliveries left, 5 runs were already scored, levelling the game at 232! Two balls left for either one run for victory or one wicket

for a draw of the Test.

“A breathless hush. Hall thunders in, the tail-ender Kline makes edgy contact and calls his mate Meckiff for the 22-yard winner. But at squareleg, Solomon (the Caribbean’s then crack out-fielding ace,) has pounced: he steadies himself and, with just one stump visible, he tumultuously bullseyes [and breaks the stump] in a convulsive, conclusive clatter.” Conclusion – a historic drawn Test, thanks to Solomon’s quick and accurate aim!”

Joe Solomon also played first-class cricket for British Guiana/Guyana from 1956 to 1969, and is the only player in first-class cricket history to score centuries in their first three innings for British Guiana – doing so in the 1957–1958 series. After 1969, Joe maintained his cricketing involvement by being on the selection panel for the West Indies team, serving as Chairman of the Guyana Cricket Board, and coaching a local team in Guyana. Joe, who is an honorary life member of the Lusignan Golf Club, still plays golf.

The 18-hole tournament tees-off at 9:00 am, and there are prizes for 1st and 2nd in each flight up for grabs, as well as prizes for Longest Drive, Best Gross and Nearest the Pin.

T

he Guyana Committee of Service (GCOS), in collaboration with Rising Stars Athletics Club, are all set for today’s third Independence 5K Road Race that will feature Kenyan Godfrey Mbihia this afternoon from 15:00hrs at the National Park.

The 40-year-old Mbihia is on a hot streak after winning the C to C 5K Race in the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) last weekend, before winning the Ex Athletes Association’s 10K race on Sunday morning in Georgetown, and the Kenyan will be aiming to continue his form.

The race, which will begin and finish at the National Park, will have over $800,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, with categories from Under-10 to Masters.

In addition, in a bid to increase the competitiveness of the event, the GCOS has told this publication that the seasoned Kenyan athlete, who has experience competing in Europe and North America, will be engaging local middle and long distance athletes, to help them improve on their times through discussions on training regimes, diet etc.

The third Independence 5K Road Race has been sanctioned by the Athletics

Godfrey Mbihia

Association of Guyana (AAG), and will begin in the National Park then proceed into Thomas Lands, east into Vlissingen Road before turning left into Carifesta Avenue, left into Camp Street, left into Thomas Lands then back into the National Park for the finish at the children monuments.

Among the sponsors for the event are to Ken Phillips (Antarctic Maintenance), Ministry of the Presidency, Office of the Prime Minister, Guyana Committee of Service, E-Networks , Bk Inc., Busta company, Kevin Jeffrey, Andrew king, Spads Inc., GTT, Star Party Rentals, Christopher Jones (National Sports Commission), Real Value Supermarket and Paul’s Auto Spares.

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, MAY 27, 2019

23

Significant resolutions Hanley Energy T20I Series in Ireland…

Taylor, Fletcher guide Windies passed at GFF Ordinary Women to 64-run win Congress 2019 SCOREBOARD L

The GFF Executive at the Ordinary Congress 2019

GFF President Wayne Forde during his Activity Report presentation

T

he passage of two significant resolutions was among the many issues addressed on Saturday May 25th when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) convened its Ordinary Congress at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal.

The first resolution, which was unanimously passed, amended Article 10 (b) of the Constitution, which had stipulated that “the eight Elite Clubs” would form part of the GFF’s membership, and replaced it instead with “the Elite Clubs.”

This resolution was aimed at curing the defects that occur whenever a club is relegated and replaced by another one.

The resolution further stipulated that “There will be a system of promotion and relegation of one club in the Elite League at the conclusion of each Elite League Competition; secondly - The champion club at the National Association qualification playoff will be promoted to the Elite League, while the lowest placed club in the Elite League would be relegated to the Regional Association, upon ratification by Congress.

The second resolution was passed by majority after the presentation of the findings of a GFF-appointed inquiry into the long festering issues surrounding the sale of hosting rights in the October 12, 2012 Guyana versus Mexico World Cup Qualification match.

The issues addressed in that resolution were: No evidence was discovered to indicate the reason for the sale of hosting rights, or that the decision to play the game in the USA was the collective will of the GFF. The investigation did not discover any evidence of criminal misconduct by the GFF Executive Committee (ExCo).

Confidential Document: In accordance with, Article 13, Sect 1; Members are “not to publish any confidential correspondence exchanged with the GFF, unless GFF has given its express written consent to do so.

The players’ decision to negotiate a profit-sharing agreement outside of their tour-

nament compensation schedule on the eve of the game was inappropriate and done in bad faith. Additionally, the investigation did not discover any evidence that a binding legal contract for profit sharing existed between the GFF and the players.

In recognition of the country’s progress to that stage of the World Cup qualification process, an ex gratia payment of five hundred United States dollars will be made to each player who was registered to play in that October 12, 2012 game.

Even though the GFF considers this matter officially closed, the ExCo reserves the right to investigate any new evidence brought to its attention in the future.

Apart from the resolutions, President of the GFF, Wayne Forde, in his opening address thanked all GFF members and the ExCo for their contributions in advancing the game. He indicated that this remarkable period of stability in football has resulted in exceptional progress in every department of the game, on and off the field of play. He outlined the six key goals the ExCo adopted that were responsible for the game to be moving in the right direction.

These were: good governance, improved facilities, capacity building, forging corporate and social relationships, improved financial management, and improved livelihoods for the players.

The President also singled out a number of noteworthy achievements during the past year and these included the historic qualification of the Senior Golden Jaguars for the Concacaf Gold Cup; the significant role played by corporate partners such as National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO), Pele Alumni Corporation, Guyana Beverage Inc., Ansa McAl Trading and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC); the role of ExCo Member Dion Inniss for overseeing the successful and historic hosting of the FIFA Development Conference on May 14-15; the Den Amstel Football Club for winning the Stag Super 16 KO tournament; the Fruta Conquerors Football Club for winning back to back Elite League competitions and for playing unbeaten in the 2018/2019 edition; the conferment of the National Award of Medal of Service on former FIFA Referee Lawrence “Sparrow” Griffith; and the dedication and commitment of the GFF staff.

Confidential Document: In accordance with, Article 13, Sect 1; Members are, “not to publish any confidential correspondence exchanged with the GFF, unless GFF has given its express written consent to do so.”

Other issues of Congress’ deliberations included a presentation by the Director of Competitions, Ian Alves, on the proposed Federation Cup, slated to commence in August this year, involving all 10 Elite League Clubs plus 14 clubs from Regional Member Associations.

3 ed by Captain Stafanie Taylor’s fine innings of 75 and leg-spinner Afy Fletcher’s four-wicket haul, West Indies Women Innings the West Indies Women com(20 overs maximum) pleted a comprehensive 64-run HK Matthews win against Ireland Women. In run out (Maritz) 3 the match -- played at Dublin, B Cooper c Maritz Ireland -- Taylor won the toss b MacMahon 17 and elected to bat first. West SR Taylor (c) b Raack 75 Indies scored 139 from their alSA Campbelle c lotted 20 overs, then restricted Little b Garth 20 the hosts to 75 all out.

CA Henry not out 9 Earlier, the Caribbean laNY McLean not out 0 dies lost vice-captain Hayley Extras (lb 4, nb 4, w 7) 15 Matthews via the run out TOTAL (20 Overs, route, after she had managed RR: 6.95) 139-4 Fall of wickets: 1-6 (HK to score only three. Taylor Matthews, 3.3 ov), 2-53 (B then joined Britney Cooper, Cooper, 10.4 ov), 3-128 (SR and dominated the 47-run Taylor, 18.3 ov), 4 -130 (SA partnership. The duo took the Campbelle, 19.1 ov) score to 53-2 in 10.4 overs before Cooper found the fielder at BOWLING mid-wicket for a painstaking Raack (4-0-16-1) 17 from 35 balls.

Garth (4-0-19-1) The lone Guyanese in the MacMahon (4-0-20-1) team, Shemaine Campbelle, Little (2-0-21-0) then joined Taylor, and the Maritz (4-0-43-0) duo ticked the score on nicely.

Delany (2-0-16-0) In the process, Taylor reached her 21st T20I half-century Ireland Women Innings from 41 balls when she worked (target: 140 runs from 20 one past third-man for four off overs) medium pacer Kim Garth.

MV Waldron † Taylor timed the ball to run out (Taylor) 6 perfection throughout her inGH Lewis c Henry nings, which ended after 18.3 overs, when she was bowled by leg-spinner Celeste Raack for a wellplayed 75 from 53 balls, including 11 fours and one six.

Campbelle maintained stability throughout her innings of 20

from 22 balls before she was out caught in the final over.

Chinelle Henry, the big-hitting Jamaican, added the finishing touches for West Indies by smashing two fours in the final over to ensure West Indies ended on 139-4. Raack, Garth, and Sophie MacMahon, one of the four debutants from Ireland, had one wicket each.

In response, Ireland had the poorest of starts when they lost Gabby Lewis in the fourth ball of the innings. She was brilliantly caught at mid-off by Henry after attempting to pull a delivery that found the wrong part of the bat.

It was a struggle for Ireland from there on, as West Indies kept discipline and got their second wicket via the run out route.

Mary Waldron’s 21-ball innings of six ended when she was involved in a mix-up with Garth before Fletcher had a throw at the stumps. The introduction of Henry brought

b Connell 0 KJ Garth lbw b Fletcher 46 SM Kavanagh c †Kycia A Knight b Henry 1 U Raymond-Hoey c Selman b Henry 0 R Stokell lbw b Fletcher 5 L Little c McLean b Fletcher 3 S MacMahon c †Kycia A Knight b Selman 0 L Maritz b Fletcher 1 C Raack not out 9 L Delany (c) absent hurt Extras 4 (lb 1, w 3) TOTAL 75 all out (18.4 Overs, RR: 4.01) Fall of wickets: 1-1 (GH Lewis, 0.4 ov), 2-32 (MV Waldron, 8.4 ov), 3-33 (SM Kavanagh, 9.1 ov), 4-34 (U Raymond-Hoey, 9.3 ov), 5-43 (R Stokell, 12.1 ov), 6-52 (L Little, 14.4 ov), 7-54 (S MacMahon, 15.2 ov), 8-58 (L Maritz, 16.1 ov), 9-75 (KJ Garth, 18.4 ov) BOWLING Connell (3-0-10-1) Selman (4-1-17-1) Henry (4-0-15-2) Matthews (4-0-18-0) A Fletcher (3.4-0-14-4)

the third wicket when Shauna Kavanagh was caught behind for one.

At 33-3, the floodgates opened when leg-spinner Fletcher was introduced in the 13th over. With her first ball, she removed Rebecca Stokell out leg-before; that ball went crashing into middle stumps. Fletcher, who represents the Windward Islands, got her mojo going in closing Ireland’s innings, as she removed the rock, Garth, for 46 from 55 balls.

Ireland slumped to 75 all out in 18.4 overs, the inexperienced batting group having little answers for Fletcher, who finished with 4-14 in 3.4 overs.

Laura Delany suffered an injury during the match and was unable to bat. Henry had 2-15, while new-ball Bajan pair Shakera Selman and Shamilia Connel had one wicket each.

West Indies will meet Ireland in the second T20I on Tuesday May 28 in Dublin from 11:00h local time. The matches will be live streamed on YouTube on Ireland Cricket page.

monday, MAY 27, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Significant resolutions passed at GFF Ordinary Congress 2019

Page 23

Amla, de Kock get going Taylor, Fletcher guide before rain washes Windies Women to out warm-up game Hanley Energy T20I Series in Ireland…

Page 22

64-run win

Page 23

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.