Guyana times november 1 ,2017

Road Safety Month

“White Knight” campaign returns P15

…as Police clamp down on DUI Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Issue No. 3379

PRICE

GECOM fallout

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

AFC Canada chapter pulls out of party Page 3

…calls for rewriting of agreement with APNU

Trinidadian remanded over fake kidnapping plot Page 8

DHB to be P14 reopened to marine traffic on Thursday

92 road P2 fatalities recorded so far for 2017 – Traffic Chief 1 critical, 2 others injured in separate accidents P7

...wanted bulletin issued for 2 accomplices

Harmon urges EPA to focus on technical expertise, P13 environmental management

106 and counting!

Rice farmer slapped with causing death charge P8 IDB regional poverty report One of the oldest Guyanese alive, Gladstone Mack celebrated his 106th birth anniversary with lots to give thanks for. Mack, a resident of North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was born on October 31, 1911 and lived at the location all his life. Also in photo are two of his daughters and one of his great grandsons

Judge strikes out request to withdraw Bisram’s murder charge Page 7

…Attorney ordered to pay State $250,000

Demerara Bank records 20.6% increase in aftertax profit for 2017

Page 9

Govt policy P9 contributing to increase in poverty – fmr Minister

2 news

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

92 road fatalities recorded so far for 2017 – Traffic Chief

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s families continue to mourn the loss of eight lives following two road accidents in recent weeks, Traffic Chief of the Guyana Police Force, Dion Moore, has announced that the country is fast approaching 100 road fatalities for

the year thus far, compared to 190 deaths last year.

It was while speaking at the launch of National Road Safety Month 2017 that Moore told the media despite the decrease in the number of roads accidents resulting in the loss of lives, the total

number of road fatalities recorded by the end of October is just short of 100.

In doing so, he outlined that, “We’ve already have 92 persons who have lost their lives on our country roads as a result of 79 fatal accidents.

This is in no way acceptable,

even though we are at the moment, a 20 per cent decrease in fatal accidents 16 per cent decrease in deaths.”

On that note, the Traffic Chief went on to say, “Yes some would say that figures are reducing but for us, one death is always too many.”

Traffic Chief Dion Moore

This report comes shortly after a motorcar collided with a paddy laden truck on the Corentyne Public Road, resulting in the death of a mother, her two sons and two family friends. This incident is paired with a tragic mishap in Vreed-en-Hoop which led to the demise of three youngsters, just one week later.

In light of these massive tragedies, Moore further highlighted the main causes of death on Guyana’s roadways.

“We have already recognised that speeding is the main contributing factor to accident, coupled with driving under the influence of alcohol. There has been a growing trend that a lot of drivers are engaged in texting and driving or engaged

in a cellphone call. Those are forms of distraction that would encourage you to be involved in an accident. Let us refrain from those practices,” underlined the Traffic Chief.

Even with that being established, persons are pinning the blame for these recent incidents on damages to the roadways and poor infrastructure.

However, the Traffic Chief is urging the public to practice caution, especially when driving, noting that such simple strides are at times all it takes to save lives.

Pleading to road users he stated, “Even though a speed limit would be of a particular number, if the road in such a state that you cannot drive at that speed, then reduce your speed. In busy areas reduce your speed. At markets, at intersections, reduce your speed. We all have a role to play.”

Meanwhile, having recognised the alarming statistics, the Guyana Police Force continues to promote its “Safe Way” initiative, established over a year ago.

This is aimed at creating safer roadways for both pedestrians and persons travelling in vehicles, with the ultimate goal of keeping the number of road fatalities on a constant decline.

news

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

GECOM fallout

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

Wednesday, November 1 – no retraction (bridge will be open to vehicular traffic all day) and Thursday, November 2 – a night retraction at 03:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, November 1 – 14:10h-15:40h and Thursday, November 1 – 14:50h-16:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly to East North-easterly between 2.23 metre and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 02:10h and 14:33h reaching maximum heights of 2.48 metres and 2.63 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:05h and 20:29h reaching minimum heights of 0.68 metre and 0.59 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, October 28, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS A

02 04 08 16 27 28 06 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 04 08 18 23 26 LUCKY 3 9 3 0 Afternoon Draw

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

05 06 07 09 14 18 20 DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

AFC Canada chapter pulls out of party …calls for rewriting of agreement with APNU

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embers of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Canadian Chapter have pulled out from the AFC party, as the fallout over the unilateral appointment of Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Chairman deepens.

In a letter to the AFC, Secretary of AFC-Canada, Laurence Williams, expressed grave concerns about James’ appointment.

Williams said his party’s group in Canada agreed that the AFC should publicly call for the appointment to be rescinded and for one of the 18 persons nominated to be appointed.

He also stated in that missive that AFC-Canada will no longer be associated with the AFC. However, it said it would “continue to support the Guyanese people’s quest and struggle for national unity, democracy, transparency, accountability and peace and progress”.

However, on Tuesday, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan and AFC General Secretary Marlon Williams have different opinions on the matter. While criticising the move, Ramjattan told sections of the media on Tuesday that the party will not backpedal on the decision based on the opinion of one support group.

But in a new twist, General Secretary Marlon Williams, claimed that the letter was “fake” and does not represent the position of AFC-Canada. Marlon also went on to state that several media entities had contacted him around midnight on Tuesday to clarify whether the statement was true and whether the AFC will support such a call. He again reminded this newspaper that the letter is fake.

“There is a process by which we do things and every statement has a channel that it passes through. All statements are sent to the party and approved by our Vice Chairperson Catherine Hughes and disseminated to the media by Imran Khan,” the party’s General Secretary said.

However, AFC-Canada Secretary Williams told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the missive is not fake, and the content of the letter was decided on following a meeting with members.

He went on to state that he was in communication with Ramjattan via email minutes before the statement was issued.

“Our meeting last Friday evening was well attended, with full capacity with the exception of few. We had a unanimous decision which we had to go public. We

AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan

also informed the Leader (Raphael Trotman) and the Chairman (Ramjattan) of the AFC before we went to the press,” he explained.

Guyana Times also made contact with President of the AFC-Canada Tameshwar Lilmohan who also debunked claims made by the party’s General Secretary and said there is no such protocol where a support group like AFC-Canada where the group cannot freely express its own opinion.

He said the political Diaspora group has been in existence for over 10 years and has provided both financial and intellectual support to the AFC. He went as far as to say that AFC-Canada has contributed over Cdn$75,000 to assist the party in their political campaigns and other initiatives.

Lilmohan, who is also a member of the AFC’s national executive committee, said the meeting unanimously passed the resolutions and

also expressed disappointment with Ramjattan for rushing to make a statement rejecting the proposal by the group without first giving it due consideration or having a meeting between the executives of the party to discuss the matter in depth.

“It begs the question what respect you have for your supporters and members who have actually financed your catapulting into Parliament. If you are going to immediately on your feet fail to give due consideration to our request, then you can tell me what respect they have. I am asking for them to give due consideration to the matter and look at it in collaboration with other resolutions,” he added.

Other resolutions, referred to in the letter, are the need to rewrite the political agreement between the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to ensure legal enforceability with specific time limits for its implementation and the immediate commencement of constitutional reform and the enactment of a reformed constitution before the next general election.

AFC General Secretary Marlon Williams

Concerns were also raised about the functioning of the Valentine’s Day 2015 Herdmanston Accord.

AFC-Canada recommended that the party assess its very survival and purpose of existence because it has no independent collective representation in Government and its support base is decimated.

The group also called on all party members and supporters in Guyana and the Diaspora to hold the leaders of the party accountable to the high ideals, morals and aspirations that the party was founded upon.

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017

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, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Mobilising international resources

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n November, the Caribbean Community (Caricom), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will hold a high-level Donor Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to mobilise international resources for its members devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

This is an excellent initiative aimed at rebuilding the devastated countries and helping the wider Caricom Region improve its resilience to natural disasters. It was announced

by Caricom earlier this week that international development partners; friendly countries; Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); prominent personalities; Private Sector entities and foundations have been invited to participate. Caricom Heads of Government and the Secretaries General of Caricom and the United Nations are also expected to play a leading role in lobbying for support for the affected countries.

It could be recalled that the powerful Category Five Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the Region in September causing a number of deaths and widespread devastation in Caricom Member States and Associate Members. Irma, with wind gusts of over 230 miles per hour (mph), damaged or destroyed more than 90 per cent of the buildings on Barbuda – the sister island of Antigua – leading to the complete evacuation of the island; and between 60 and 90 per cent of buildings in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Southern Family Islands in The Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Haiti, and St Kitts and Nevis were also affected.

Maria passed two weeks later, hitting Dominica with such fury Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was prompted to declare that “Dominica is pure devastation”. In essence, the devastation is unimaginable, and currently, much effort is being placed on rebuilding houses and public infrastructure that were destroyed by the hurricanes.

Caricom, through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), has been at the forefront of the immediate relief efforts. Member States, including Guyana, Private Sector companies and public-spirited individuals have contributed significant quantities of relief supplies. Several countries have also contributed security personnel, health professionals and utility repair experts, among others.

However, these relief efforts are just short term. Experts have predicted that more frequent and extreme weather linked to climate change, like hurricanes and severe flooding, will occur more often. While we cannot prevent natural disasters from occurring, we can certainly prepare better, so that the impact is reduced. For this reason, it is crucial that in their efforts to rebuild, countries should rebuild better; meaning buildings and infrastructure should be able to withstand the force of natural disasters or minimise the effects as much as possible.

Surely, the decisions we make today will determine our long-term resilience to natural hazards and be critical to people’s well-being in the short and long terms. When we build in hazard-prone areas, or fail to apply the appropriate building codes, people’s lives and assets are put at risk.

With reconstruction costs for the Caribbean nations estimated in the billions of dollars, the UN has said that their economies — often highly indebted and dependent on tourism, fishing and agriculture — need help in setting up a regional emergency insurance fund to soften the impact of disasters.

Disasters require complex responses, drawing on a wide range of skills and capacities. Responses require the cooperation of various stakeholders, including multilateral development agencies, and national and local governments, NGOs, the Private Sector, natural and social scientists, technical specialists and citizens as a whole.

The Donor Conference scheduled for November is, therefore, very timely and, no doubt, will go a very far way in helping countries get back on track. As pointed out by Caricom, the event comes against the backdrop that the impacted countries are Caribbean Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS) with inherent vulnerabilities. Most have also been made ineligible for concessional financing from major donors which have categorised them as middle- to highincome countries.

It is, therefore, hoped that the Conference will seek to highlight the plight of these small islands, more particularly the threat they face owing to natural disasters and the need to become resilient.

Mexican Ambassador Ivan Robero Sierra Medel and staff dressed as La Catrina (the friendly image of Death in Mexico commonly seen during celebrations of Day of the Dead)

Justification to challenge unilateral GECOM appointment Dear Editor, The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has rightfully challenged the President’s power to make a unilateral appointment. The President has seemingly violated the spirit of the Carter Formula.

However, there will be no quick resolution to this legal issue. The judicial process, given historical precedents, of cases in Guyana and at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will take around two years, unless both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition agrees to an expedited process. The country cannot afford to wait for that process to conclude in order to prepare for elections. The work of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) should not be left to languish while the matter makes its way slowly through the judicial process.

The two opposing judicial arguments in the court case are: the Constitution requires the President to choose from among the list (s) of nominees submitted by the Opposition versus the Constitution allows the President to make his own unilateral appointment (outside of the lists) if he finds

none of the Opposition nominees as being fit and proper.

The President indicated he found none of the nominees as being fit and proper, although one of them previously served as GECOM chair without any controversy and was highly rated by international observers. The court has to decide whether the President has this prerogative even though it is so stated in the Burnham constitution. But there was an unwritten agreement between the ruling party and the Opposition since 1991 that the GECOM chair will be chosen from among the nominees submitted by the Opposition.

From the outset, the President’s behaviour in rejecting the first list of nominees revealed his intention to choose someone he (his party) had confidence in from outside of the nominees proposed by the Opposition Leader as required by the Constitution.

In the Guyana, challenges to the President make their way to the High Court (Chief Justice) and then the Court of Appeal chaired by the Chancellor. The process is slow because of adjournments. The Appeal Court’s ruling can be challenged at

the CCJ which is Guyana’s final court of appeal.

The Burnham constitution has a lot of holes (ambiguities) and both sides will focus on meanings of a few words that will be subjected to interpretation based on ambiguous meaning.

The Carter Formula inserted into the Constitution states the President should appoint someone as GECOM chair from among the names submitted by the Opposition Leader. But it gives the President a way out by indicating that if none of the names is acceptable (not fit and proper) to the President, he can make a unilateral appointment. And this is the power Granger invoked in appointing James Patterson, an advisor to Granger and a People’s National Congress (PNC) supporter. Yes, the Granger appointment violates the spirit of the unwritten constitutional agreement made by Jimmy Carter between the governing party and the then Opposition. But it does not violate the written words of the Constitution that have been retained by both the PNC and PPP when the Burnham constitution

was amended. That clause in the amendment should never have been retained (added).

The clause gives an opening to the ruling party to make its own appointment.

Now the PPP has (unwisely) found itself as depending on the court to give meaning to words in what is a highly politicised environment at a most critical time for the PNC that is thinking about extending its tenure in office – believing this can be done through advantages in its appointment of a chair. The powers of the Executive should have been curtailed ever since the PPP came to office in October 1992.

The PPP, understandably, does not have a choice but to go to court to challenge the appointment since all chairs have been selected through the Carter Formula since 1991. The party is concerned about electoral fraud given the history of the PNC on electoral frauds between 1966 and 1992. GECOM needs an un-aligned chair and there are several from among the 18 names submitted by Jagdeo.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Constitution was breached, plain and simple Dear Editor, A lot has been said about President David Granger’s decision to appoint an 84-yearold retired Justice and Reverend James Patterson. I would like to say that, in all my reading, there are three points that cannot be forgotten.

One, the President moved away from the Carter Formula and over two decades of procedure, which was even followed by the last People’s National Congress (PNC) leader who held high office.

The second point is that, as a people, Guyanese can-

not continue to tolerate the attempt to make this matter, a matter of race. The Constitution was breached, plain and simple. As an Opposition Leader, the late PNC leader, Desmond Hoyte, nominated the IndoGuyanese who were then chosen to be the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chairpersons.

When the PNC held the presidency, it was the late, Dr Cheddi Jagan, who nominated an Afro-Guyanese, Rudi Collins, who was appointed

by Hoyte. In the lists submitted by Opposition Leader

Bharrat Jagdeo, we see both Indo and Afro-Guyanese included. If the President really wanted an Afro-Guyanese to lead GECOM, such as people including David Hinds have said, then why not appoint the Afro-Guyanese nominated by Jagdeo?

Thirdly, the new GECOM Chairman is now faced by serious questions about whether he will act fairly and whether he lied on his resume. Till now, it cannot be confirmed that he acted as Chief Justice of Grenada in 1987. Till now, he has not said that he was not a pallbearer at the funer-

al of Hoyte. Till now, he has not said that he was not part of the rally around the PNC group.

These three are the matters that we must focus on – the President broke procedure, he breached the Constitution and Patterson may not be ‘fit and proper’ to serve as the GECOM Chairman.

Guyana is a growing and developing democracy. We cannot afford mistakes that will set us back.

Yours truly, Baldeo Mathura

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Sale of GuySuCo properties

Fake kidnapping

Tender for Int’l Financial Police issue wanted Services Provider closed bulletin for 2 Trinidadians

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he Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has announced that the selected tender for International Financial Services Provider has closed.

A press statement from the SPU said selected tenders were invited from PriceWaterHouseCooopers, Ernst and Young, Delliote, and KPMG to provide services to the SPU as a financial services provider.

The selected international services provider, according to the SPU, would be conducting the valuation of all assets under the control of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in addition to other advisory and financial services.

At the closure of the tender on Monday, the SPU had received submissions from all of the four invited com-

SPU Head Colvin Heath-London

panies. An award should be made within two weeks. It is expected that the valuation of the assets and the preparation of a prospectus will be completed by the end of January 2018.

Meanwhile, advertisements have been placed for Expressions of Interest (EoI) in the sugar factories and estates. The deadline for the EoI has been extended from November 3 to November 24.

Head of the SPU under the NICIL, Colvin HeathLondon has said the SPU is interested in companies, both local and international, that could integrate the production of sugar into their existing operations and product mix.

According to him, companies that are in rum production, other beverage manufacturing, and food processing, for example, would be ideal as potential operators of some of the current GuySuCo assets.

While factories could be sold to potential operators and investors, lands will not be sold but could be leased.

The Opposition has since said that the SPU was set up by the Administration in order to sell assets belonging to GuySuCo is nothing but a vehicle for corruption that completely bypasses the established privatisation procedures and the sale of State assets.

Man denies killing rival as High Court trial commences stemmed over the two men allegedly being romantically involved with the same woman. Singh had reportedly confronted the woman and Harrison at a shop with cutlass in hand. After the woman left, Singh was said to have pursued her and Harrison followed them.

Reports are sometime later, the two men got into a physical altercation which lead to the deceased man suffering 4 Murder accused: Rudolph Singh

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urder-accused Rudolph Singh appeared before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall on allegations that he caused the death of Kevin Harrison at Ideal Road, along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway. When arraigned at the High Court in Georgetown, the accused denied the July 12, 2013 stabbing to death of Harrison, by way of entering a plea of not guilty.

A jury of 12 members was subsequently empanelled to hear the case in which a total of seven witnesses are expected to testify.

In the opening addresses, State Prosecutor Narissa Leander implored the jury to keenly observe the evidence which will be presented in the case, urging them to be fair in judgment while Singh’s Attorney, Pamela De Santos highlighted that it was the deceased who armed himself with a knife, got into a scuffle with the defendant, which resulted in his death.

According to reports that surfaced at the time of the murder, the confrontation

incised wounds, allegedly at the hands of the murder accused.

Police Sergeant Richard Marshall was the first witness to take the stand and he testified to taking the report of the murder at the Timehri Police Station at 19:55h on the day of the incident. He told the court that Singh surrendered himself some four days after the incident occurred.

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he two Trinidadians implicated in the fake kidnapping of 33-year-old Sawak Maraj on October 27, 2017 are now being hunted by Police.

The men, who have been identified as Anil Antonio Mahabir and Vejhy Ramdass, are wanted for questioning in relation to the “Conspiracy to Commit a Felony”.

They reportedly escaped from the Madewini Resort, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) moments before the Police arrived and found Maraj relaxing.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the duo is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-1389, 227-2128, 226-7065, 225-

Wanted: Anil Antonio Mahabir

Wanted: Vejhy Ramdass

2227, 225-0575, 911 or the nearest Police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Maraj was on Tuesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

He was charged for giving false information to the Police and conspiring with others to commit a felony.

The three Trinidadians reportedly conspired and attempted to extort US$700,000 from relatives of Maraj by faking his kidnapping.

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017

Page

Continued from Tuesday

By Carl E Pickhardt, PhD

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t often takes more courage to learn for the adolescent than the child.

Now consider the “classroom” that really shapes receptivity to learning: the family home. When parents are continually disapproving, they can make learning unsafe by expressing: Intolerance of ignorance: “You don’t know that?”

Impatience with mistakes: ‘You got it wrong again!”

Criticism of capacity: “What’s the matter with you?”

Charges of foolishness: “You really look slow!”

Harsh evaluation: “A child could do better than you!”

Contrast these parental responses to adolescent learning with those of safe parents who: Affirm ignorance: “All learning starts with admitting we don’t know.”

Value mistakes: “Getting it wrong can teach how to get it right.” Show sensitivity to feeling stupid: “You’re not being slow; you’re learning at your own rate.” Respect feelings of foolishness: “Letting others see you struggle to learn is brave to do.”

Act supportive in evaluation: “Now you know more than you did before.”

If there is one piece of advice I would offer parents when responding to some aspect of their adolescent’s performance it is: Don’t criticise youthful mistakes.

You will further injure the young person at a time of vulnerability, and you may discourage some willingness to risk ongoing learning in the process.

In an earlier book, The Connected Father (2007) I wrote down what seemed to me some basic principles of mis-

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

take-based-education. They went like this: Everybody makes mistakes.

A mistake is a choice people would make differently if they could do it over again.

People don’t make mistakes because they want to; they make mistakes because they didn’t know any better or didn’t think more clearly at the time.

All mistakes are costly, but they can be worth the expense if they are used to inform and instruct. A bad mistake can teach a good lesson.

Making a mistake is not a failing;

not learning from a mistake is a failing.

It is ignorant to make a mistake, but it is stupid to repeat a mistake.

Sometimes people have to repeat the same mistake a number of times when there is something hard they don’t want to learn before they stop acting stupid and wise up.

The smartest people are not those who never make a mistake, but those who use mistakes to make better choices the next time around.

The stupidest people are those who are unable or unwilling to admit mistakes.

I believe it works best when parents can cast mistake-making in a human light. For example, they can talk about how everybody, no matter their age, remains forever a student in The Great School of Life.

“When we’re growing up, grown up, and even when we’re growing old, we never get out of the classroom. In The Great School of Life, you and I will always just be students.

We’ll never experience it all, We’ll never know it all, We’ll never master it all, We’ll never pay enough attention, We’ll never get it all right, We’ll all do some foolish things, And neither one of us will ever get all A’s.

Then, if they haven’t already done so, parents can even humanise mistake-making by telling about a few poor choices they made when they were growing up, and what they learned the hard way from facing the consequences.

Finally, the best parental response to an adolescent mistake I ever heard was many years ago in counselling with a dad and his discouraged 19-year-old son who had once again chosen his way into difficulty and was beating up on himself for “not having better sense”. So the dad leans forward and says something that instead of slumping the young man further over in discouragement, straightens him up with hope. “Son,” the dad says. “As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not making and learning from mistakes, that just means you’re not trying hard enough.”

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s parents, we are dealing with two separate challenges in trying to bridge the gap with our children: the one-to-one, parent-to-child interaction in our own homes; and the million-toone, youth culture-to-child interaction that is the teen community.

One-to-one: Research shows that our children act according to our perceptions of them, and they want to conform to those perceptions so that they don’t disappoint us.

Because our children are looking to us for cues on how to act, we must make our rules clear and our approval (or disapproval) felt.

Million-to-one: Standing up as a parent to an entire teen community is a trickier task. Parents often express anxiety, bewilderment, exasperation,

other families who share your views and help monitor your children?

Without a doubt, my best parenting information comes from parents of my children’s friends. So many parents express relief when they find other like-minded parents. We parents are actually part of our own nationwide parent culture, but our community does not have the same reputation and glamour as the teen community. While we might not be updating each other on our Facebook pages, we must remember how important it is to act like a group with a purpose.

Does it “take a village” to raise a child?

If it does, how are we doing in our respective villages?

Last June, a mom I know told me that she had

or ignorance when faced with the latest teenage fads. A good deal of our distress about what we see on the social media that our teens use is our realisation that this generation is very open about all kinds of behaviour. What is each parent’s responsibility when it comes to addressing the larger teen community?

Does your child understand what values your family supports and does not support when it comes to teen culture?

For example, the teen community places a lot of importance on “staying in touch”, but privacy is undervalued. Talk to your child about the good and the bad values that you see in the larger teen community. Be sure to support some pop culture values, or you will risk destroying your credibility.

Do you connect with

a tough time finding parents to chaperone the senior prom. Few parents were willing to be in the uncomfortable position of having to uphold the school rules. Parents told her, “my child would be humiliated if I were present.”

Why are we so careful about our children’s feelings and so lacking in our caring for our larger community? We parents often try to behave in a way that shows our understanding to our child –but when we do so we also have to check the message we are sending to our community at large.

(Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Are we sending the message “we are not watching?”

Or are we brave enough to be representatives of the adult community and be accountable for expressing interest and concern about our children and the teen community? (drugfreekidscanada)

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Judge strikes out request to withdraw Bisram’s murder charge … Attorney ordered to pay State $250,000

Deceased: Carpenter Fiyazz Narinedatt

Murder accused: Marcus Bisram

Justice Gino Persaud

Lead Attorney for the defence, Sanjeev Datadin

H

igh Court Judge Gino Persaud on Tuesday ruled against the application to have the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdraw the case against high-profile murder accused Marcus Bisram, who is currently awaiting extradition from the United States.

One day after his absence angered Justice Persaud, Bisram’s lead Attorney, Sanjeev Datadin appeared at the High Court to defend his application to have the matter withdrawn before the Judge who was initially set to rule on Monday.

However, despite the lawyer requesting to withdraw, Justice Persaud ruled against Datadin withdrawing at this late stage, citing

that the court has the duty to stand against ‘dubious methods’ that could bring the justice system into disrepute.

On September 25, 2017, Datadin filed an application on behalf of Bisram’s mother, Sharmilla Inderjali, to quash the murder charge against Bisram on the grounds that one of main witnesses for the prosecution recanted his statement, a contention which the lawyer maintained outside of court on Tuesday.

The Judge however observed that the Attorney’s notice of discontinuation, which was filed on Friday, was an abuse of process.

As such, Justice Persaud struck out the entire case,

highlighting that there was “material non-disclosure” on Datadin’s behalf, since he did not include in the affidavit that he made an application in December last to stop the DPP from advising the Police in the Bisram murder probe.

Justice Persaud stated that an applicant is required to present all facts, even if they are against the said applicant, adding that the court must be approached “with clean hands” when seeking prerogative relief.

“The application of 2016 was not disclosed to this court and it was only through the court’s records that it was detected,” the Judge explained.

In his judgment, he further noted that there are clear legal provisions to discharge orders nisi when there is material non-disclosure, without going into the further merits of the case.

Justice Persaud struck out three orders nisi; one of which sought to prevent the three respondents – the DPP, the Chief Magistrate and the Commissioner of Police – from pursuing the murder probe against Bisram. As the orders nisi were discharged, Datadin was also ordered to pay the State by way of the three respondents, $250,000 in court costs.

Marcus Bisram was charged in absentia last year for the murder of 27-yearold Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice carpenter Fiyazz Narinedatt, who was killed after he rejected Bisram’s sexual advances. The five other men charged for the November 1, 2016 killing of Narinedatt are Radesh Motie, 39; Diadatt Datt, 18; Harri Paul Parsram, 49; Orlando Dickie; and Niran Yacoob, 37. Two of the accused men had reportedly confessed

1 critical, 2 others injured in separate accidents

Cuthbert’s Mission resident slammed into a parked truck along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, in proximity to the Splashmins Resort.

This was after bright lights emanating from a vehicle proceeding in the opposite direction impaired the vision of the driver, causing him to lose control of his motorcar. Turn to page 10

The mangled car which was driven by the St Cuthbert’s resident, Deon Daniels

O

ne man is listed as critical while his wife and another walked away with minor injuries, following two separate accidents within the vicinity of the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway.

Reports are that in the wee hours of Monday morning, a car driven by a St

The toppled lumber truck on the Mabura Trail

to investigators that they were ordered by the overseas-based Guyanese businessman to dump the carpenter’s body on the Number 70 Public Road to make his death seem the result of a hit-and-run accident.

Additionally, the businessman’s mother and sis-

ter were also charged and remanded to prison after they allegedly offered bribes to Police ranks to “duck the case”. The accused’s mother, Inderjali, was recently charged for witness tampering. Since the commencement of the preliminary inquiry in Berbice, several

persons have been accused of witness tampering and Nariendatt’s family stated outside of court on Tuesday that they are constantly living in fear that they could be shot and killed at any moment due to the influence Bisram has with money and power.

8 NEWS

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Trinidadian remanded over fake kidnapping plot

S

awak Maraj, the 33-year-old Trinidadian, who, along with others, reportedly faked his kidnapping was on Monday hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

With his father present in the courtroom, Maraj appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he denied the charge of faking his own kidnapping.

He denied that on October 27, 2017 at Madewini Resort, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he gave false information to the Police that he had been kidnapped and US$700,000 demanded for his release after which Police carried out an investigation and prove the claim to be false.

He also denied that he conspired with others on the same day at the same location to commit a felony, that is to say, he knowingly conspired to obtain US$700,000.

The mechanical engineer was represented by Attorney Nirvan Singh, who stated that his client was being subjected to negative

Trinidadian Sawak Maraj

publicity by the media.

According to Singh, the charges against his client are baseless and what seems to be successful crime fighting by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is not.

He maintained that Maraj entered Guyana in search of employment, but was kidnapped. In a bail application, the lawyer told the court that Maraj has been made a victim twice – once by his abductors and then by the Police.

He petitioned for bail to

be granted, disclosing to the chief Magistrate that his client’s travel documents are with the Police and as such, he is not a flight risk.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, however, objected to bail being granted as a result of the seriousness of the offence.

He also noted that the accomplices, allegedly also Trinidadian, of the accused have still not been arrested by Police. He explained that if placed on bail, Maraj might use the opportunity to escape. As such, the prosecution’s submissions were upheld, and Maraj was remanded to prion until November 16.

Reports are that the Trinidadian arrived in Guyana and was scheduled to check in at the Ramada Hotel, Providence but never

showed up there.

According to reports, the parents of the victim were contacted in Trinidad via cell phone by an unknown person who indicated that their son was in custody in Guyana and a sum of money was later demanded for his release.

A photograph of the man shirtless with a cutlass to his neck was sent to his parents as proof of his detention.

However, following investigations by the Police, it was reported that Police swooped down on a Madewini resort and found the man relaxing comfortably with his alleged accomplices.

Detectives then began to unravel an apparent scheme by the man to extort money from his relatives.

Rice farmer slapped with causing death charge

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rice farmer of Corentyne, Berbice was on Tuesday

Crumwell McDonald

slapped with a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and taken before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

Crumwell McDonald, 67, denied the charge which stated that on October 28, 2017 at the Good Hope Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he drove motor car PHH 5116 causing the death of Narine Persaud. The court was told that the father of nine has been complaining of severe pain in his arm since the accident and was yet to be medically examined.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, however, requested that conditions of bail must include the defendant’s licence being suspended.

He argued that age might have been a factor which contributed to the accident as the defendant might not have been able to react quickly enough to prevent the accident.

Bail was granted in the sum of $400,000. The case will continue on November 16.

Orwellian world…

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…in Guyana ur European colonial masters introduced us to the notion of “sovereignty”, which describes where in the polity POWER should reside.

Around the time, they “discovered” us (evidently, we’d been lost or misplaced!), sovereignty was defined as residing in the Monarch. He’d been decreed by God to rule and his orders were to be obeyed to the “T”! If you dared disobey, it was” “Off with his head!!”

But a strange thing happened over the next few centuries. Ordinary Europeans – especially the ones exploiting the “colonies” – outside of the nobility started improving their material circumstances and soon demanded a share of sovereignty – making rules for themselves. And so, after a gap of 2000 years with Ancient Greece, “democracy” came to Europe! And the Kings were decreed not to be so divine as not to take advice from the people – through their representatives.

Now we natives, of course, weren’t as advanced as the Europeans and so had to wait another hundred or so years until we’re tutored in the ways of governing ourselves. So, by 1966, we were declared ready for our “democratic” right to share in our governance and share in the “sovereignty”. Heck…our Constitution declared that sovereignty RESIDED in we, the people!!

But, as we know, Burnham and his PNC decided we weren’t REALLY ready…we were still lacking in the nuances of democracy and he had to “mould” our destiny by rigging elections for the next 20-odd (VERY odd!) years. By bringing our country back to a “state of nature” so “we the people” could live like “noble savages”! Burnham, of course, had to make the ultimate sacrifice and accumulate all sovereignty in himself! Poor fella! There were some recalcitrant souls, of course, who chafed at the demands of “noblesse oblige”, which would allow the “small man to be the real man”!

Now after the PPP managed to return to office in 1992, they had the temerity to remove the PNC’s debt burden, expand the economy and move us from a “Highly Indebted Poor Country” into a “High Middle Income Country” etc, etc by holding democratic elections in 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2015. In the last one, of course, the PNC returned to power – they had the troops to guarantee not just “office” but POWER – and promptly promised to return us to the path marked out by the Founder Leader Burnham.

And it’s against this background we can understand Prezzie’s unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chair – he has to “mould” us further.

It goes without saying, of course, he’ll have to sacrifice himself and allow all sovereignty to flow into his bemedaled body!! …in Sugar In Orwell’s “1984”, written in 1949, he describes the totalitarian future he saw lying ahead for mankind.

Well, after what proved to be a false start by the PNC between 1968 and 1985, it’s clear (even if you hadn’t seen the argument above) by the headline in yesterday’s Chronic, we’ll all be goose stepping in unison soon.

Here it is, three sugar plantations are going to be shuttered, at least 7000 workers are losing their jobs –which will put at least 30,000 men, women and children on the breadlines and the Chronic announces in banner frontpage headlines: “Future looks sweet for GuySuCo”!!!

Like in “1984”, the PNC believes, “…if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale –then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’

But what the PNC forgets, is Orwell also wrote: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

Guyanese must speak truth to power!! …and teachers After the teachers said “enough is enough” to being given Larwah one more time, they threatened to strike.

But after a meeting with Prezzie, they recanted!!

In the days of Divine Kings, peasants also fell on their knees in HIS presence!!

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

News

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Demerara Bank records 20.6% increase in aftertax profit for 2017

Demerara Bank

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emerara Bank Limited (DBL) has again ended another financial year on a high note with outstanding performance recorded in all areas of the Bank during its financial year ended September 30, 2017.

The Bank’s profit before taxation is GY$2.4 billion, an increase of 19 per cent over the previous year, while Net Profit rose by 20.6 per cent. DBL, being the only Indigenous Guyanese Bank and the youngest bank among all the commercial banks in Guyana, continues to excel despite the challenges of the banking environment.

According to the bank, the outstanding performances are reflected in the Deposit Base which stands at its highest of GY$57.0 billion, registering a rise of 7.3 per cent when compared to 2016; this compares fa-

vourably to the Banking Sector Deposits which declined by 2.49 per cent at the end of August 2017 y/y.

Total Loans and Advances increased from GY$24.7 billion to GY$25.5 billion, showing a rise of 3.2 per cent over the previous year.

Loans and Advances in the banking sector for the period September 2016-August 2017, recorded a marginal increase of just 0.30 per cent. The investments of the bank have remained constant at $23.2 billion.

Demerara Bank’s listing of its assets at the close of financial year 2017 totals GY$70.0 billion compared with GY$64.0 billion at the end of September 2016. Interest Income on Investments went up from GY$1.56 billion to GY$1.66 billion; an increase of 6.3 per cent over the previous year while Interest Income on Loans and Advances marginally increased from

GY$2.15 billion to GY$2.19 billion; a rise of 1.8 per cent over the previous year.

Other Income expanded from $422 million to $988 million during the year, showing a rise of 133.8 per cent. Total Interest Income rose to GY$3.9 billion; 3.7 per cent higher than 2016.

As a result of the bank’s solid performance over the past financial year shareholders’ earnings per share has increased by 20.3 per cent to GY$3.55 per share.

The net worth of the Bank has increased from GY$9.3 billion to GY$11.0 billion, an increase of 19 per cent over the previous year.

The bank noted that it continues to be an environmentally friendly bank and a catalyst for green and clean energy. After the successful implementation of solar panels to its corporate office which allowed the building to be fully powered by solar energy, the bank ventured to install solar panels to its main branch location and is in the process of installing the solar panels at its Diamond branch. The installation of the solar panels has significantly reduced the electricity cost of the bank.

The solid performance over the last financial year was also significantly due to the continued commitment and dedication of the Chairman, Directors of the Board, management and staff of the bank, the financial institution said on Tuesday.

IDB regional poverty report

Govt policy contributing to increase in poverty – fmr Minister

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recent Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report has placed Guyana at the top of the list of regional countries that have high levels of poverty.

The IDB has also noted that this contributed to the high crime rate in Guyana and other countries with extreme poverty.

Former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill has claimed that the policies of the David Granger-led Administration were the main contributing factor to this development and things could only get worse given the decision the Government has taken to send home thousands of sugar workers by year-end.

Speaking about the proposed plan to lay off thousands of sugar workers, Edghill told Guyana Times on Monday that this was only helping to add more people to the poverty line and this would in turn contribute to other issues. He noted that the move was senseless and did not bode well for Guyana.

“By the layoffs and closure of estates, firing of over 1000 Amerindians and the slowdown of the economy, that is causing small businesses to reduce staff and no foreign direct investment; these are all issues that will trickle in and this is not helpful to Guyana and the people that live here,” he said.

The former Minister pointed to the issue with the imposi-

Former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill

tion of Value Added Tax (VAT) on lumber at different stages of production which continues to affect many small and medium-scale loggers. Edghill claimed that this move has led to many people in Linden, Ituni and Kwakwani being laid off or closing down their businesses, as they could no longer operate under such heavy taxes.

“If you go these villages, the people there who used to be involved in some level of logging are no longer able to work. And that is because they have doubled taxes from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. They are no longer meaningfully engaged and that alone could tell you that they are finding it difficult to pay their loans and some people are already finding it hard to get jobs,” he explained.

According to the IDB’s Reformulation, Upgrade and Expansion of Road Network report, compiled under the Adequate Housing and Urban

Accessibility Programme, 26.6 per cent of the population were “multi-dimensionally poor”.

The IDB compared this with a regional average of 18 per cent.

The report, which focused primarily on infrastructure and housing, went into detail about the real cost of housing deficiencies. The IDB noted that these shortfalls were perceived to contribute to crime rates. “In Georgetown, poverty is evident in various measures of the standard of living and housing deficits,” it stated.

“Twenty-nine per cent of the population lives in overcrowded housing (of) over two people per room.”

“Criminality in Georgetown is also high, 33.8 murders per 100,000 people; above the regional average of 26, perceived to be exacerbated by the lack of community facilities and public spaces. Basic infrastructure in new and established housing sites developed incrementally by [Central Housing and Planning Authority] CH&PA,” it added.

The report acknowledged the work of the CH&PA, noting that there were programmes enabling housing construction and extensions by upgrading infrastructure, and allocation of land and titles. But it noted that much more needs to be done.

The IDB also noted that local Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) lack sufficient institutional capacity for longterm site management.

10 News

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Security guard charged for manslaughter

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security guard attached to the Hopkinson Security Service was slapped with a manslaughter charge and later appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Christopher Ambrose, of Lot 1324 Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), the 55-year-old was made to stand before the Chief

Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

It is being alleged that on October 24, 2017 at Seven Hour, Butterfly Backdam, Cuyuni, he unlawfully killed Raimar Batista DeSouza.

The defendant was represented by Attorney-atLaw Latchmie Rahamat who pleaded his case, explaining to the Chief Magistrate that her client was defending himself from the now deceased

man, who was at the time attempting to kill him.

She noted that if the defendant had not defended himself, he could have been killed by DeSouza. Attorney Rahamat asked that bail be granted to her client on these grounds.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore had no objections to bail, but requested that the defendant lodge his trav-

el documents at the Bartica Police Station.

Magistrate McLennan granted bail to Ambrose in the sum of $500,000 and asked that he report to the Bartica Police Station every Friday, pending the outcome of the matter.

Ambrose is scheduled to make his next appearance on November 16, 2017 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

One year later

Man slapped with 2 causing death charges

T

he man who reportedly drove his motor lorry in a dangerous manner causing the death of the sons of Regional Health Officer of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Dr Pansy Armstrong last year has now been brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Twenty-seven-year-old Ghansham Dass, of Lot 2233 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charges read to him.

The charges stated that on October 16, 2016, at Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he drove motor lorry GNN 5355 in a manner dangerous to the public causing the

Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

Similar to the first accident, this accident stemmed from the driver’s vision being impaired, resulting in the man being unable to see the deteriorated roadway ahead.

Eyewitnesses present at the scene complained of the deplorable trail which is the

main access road in and out of Mabura.

This, they posited, was the cause of the accident, which could have led to the death of the driver, or others present at the accident site.

Nevertheless, the truck driver managed to escape with only minor injuries.

Brothers Phillip and Jonnel Armstrong

deaths of 23-year-old Jonnel Armstrong and his brother, Phillip Armstrong, of Linden.

According to the defendant’s Attorney, Paul Fung-

1 critical, 2...

The driver, who was identified as Deon Daniels, was pulled from the mangled vehicle and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Guyana Times was told that Daniels suffered a broken shoulder and leg, among other injuries and as such remains hospitalised

a-Fat, the accident occurred more than one year ago and Dass was not charged after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determined that the accident was

“accidental”.

He also asked that bail be granted to his client as he was ill, suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.

Prosecutor Arvin Moore had no objections to bail, but asked that it be set in a substantial amount.

Bail was granted in the sum of $400,000, and the defendant was scheduled to make his next court appearance on November 16.

The fatal accident occurred around 01:45h when the Rav4, which the brothers were travelling in collided with the truck after the driver reportedly lost control while negotiating a turn on the East Bank of Demerara.

Jonnel Armstrong was an aeronautical engineer and Phillip Armstrong, a medical student.

From page 7

in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, his wife who was also in the car, sustained minor injuries.

Just hours later on Tuesday morning, a truck carrying lumber turned over on the Mabura Trail, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), also within the environs of the

Finding identity S

atiricus was very troubled. He’s been following the increasingly bitter debate that followed Prezzie’s bold action to break the political logjam. And Satiricus figured that was a pretty good metaphor, since he’d seen how his uncle dealt with logjams when he brought logs from the interior. Wasn’t pretty – but drastic intervention was necessary.

“Wha’ yuh mout’ a hang dong suh laang, fa?” asked Bungi as Satiricus took his seat at the Back Street Bar. “Man, don’t you see how this thing becoming racial?” replied Satiricus.

“Which t’ing?” asked Cappo, slyly.

“Don’t play the fool with me, Cappo,” said Satiricus with some heat, “You know damn well I’m talking about Prezzie’s decision.”

“Sato, you know everything in Guyana ‘racial’,” said Hari. “Even with your KFC party.”

“What you mean by that?” asked Satiricus sounding even more heated.

“Well, nah yuh leadah Nagga Man seh how he bring in 11% Indian las’ election?” answered Bungi. “An’ da how ‘e tu’n Prime Minista? Da racial!”

“I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing,” said Satiricus huffily.

“But a de same t’ing!” insisted Cappo. “An’ a wan good t’ing!”

“It’s a good thing for us to be dividing into two racial camps?” demanded Satiricus.

“Budday!! Abee always divide in two camp when elekshan time!” observed Bungi. “Jus’ dem pala-tishian like fuh pretend abee a bhai-bhai!”

“That’s righ,t Sato,” said Hari. “People now becoming honest.”

“Nah…dem pala-tishan still na ‘anest,” said Bungi. “Yuh na see a only wan set a people a write fuh de Pee an’ See an’ anadda set a write fuh de Pee-an’-See?” “Even those who said there was no such thing like ‘race’!” chuckled Hari.

“But I’m afraid this thing will get out of control,” said Satiricus.

“Nah worry, Sato,” said Cappo. “Ev’ryt’ing guh tu’n right by Chrismuss when abee drink ginja beer and eat black cake!!”

“Den abee guh see abee a waan!” said Bungi.

They clinked their bottles to that!

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

‘Customer’ arrested for Corentyne bar robbery get up, because was sheer blood and I couldn’t know what happening then.”

Hemnauth said the men then proceeded to rob the customers who were in the bar at the time, of their cash and other valuables, which

Surveillance footage from the bar showing the gunmen robbing patrons

A

customer is suspected of being part of a gang that robbed more than 20 persons at a Corentyne, Berbice bar on Sunday evening. The customer was arrested on Tuesday after being identified on surveillance footage as having connections with robbers.

The incident occurred about 19:30h when there were close to two dozen customers at Mikes Beer Haven, called Murphy’s Bar, at Number 65 Village.

Surveillance footage has since been reviewed

by Police and showed five masked and heavily armed

men entering the entity from a side entrance.

According to proprietor Krishdendatt Hemnauth, the men entered the bar and ordered everyone to lie face down on the floor.

He explained that the gate was closed, but the padlock was not locked.

He added that when the men entered the bar, one of them ran to him and punched him in the face.

“He cuff me straight to my face and I fall down and when I get up back, he give me another cuff and I fall down again and I still get up and he cuff me again and when I fall down, I didn’t

included cellular phones.

He said they also took about $135,000 which belonged to him.

When the men entered and made their demands, one of the customers who had been in the bar for

more than two hours was not robbed which was reported to the Police.

After viewing the footage, the Police identified the ‘customer’ as someone who was involved in criminal activities.

He was arrested and taken to the Number 51 Police Station as investigations continue.

Reports are that the suspect lives at Philippe Village, also on the Corentyne.

12 NEWS

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

AG implores Ram to reconsider resignation

I

n the wake of the resignation of Chartered Accountant and Attorney Christopher Ram

from his post on the committee negotiating the establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School, Attorney

General Basil Williams has issued a plea to Ram to reconsider the move.

Williams, who was at

the time being interviewed on the Focal Point by Public Information Coordinator Beverly Alert, took care to

post. The vocal anti-corruption advocate described the appointment as blatant disregard for good governance.

A number of individuals and organisations spanning

Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram

stress that he was not making this call on his behalf.

The Attorney General invoked the plight of local law students in seeking to beg Ram to return to the table.

“I would suggest to him he shouldn’t abandon the negotiations. It’s not about the AG, it’s about the law students,” he stated. “As you know, it’s a hard time they’re experiencing in Trinidad. The cost to study there is TT$94,000 (G$3 million). So we need to get this thing done.”

Ram had announced that he was stepping down from the committee, just one day after Major General (retired) Joe Singh announced his own resignation as a presidential adviser.

Both Ram and Singh were on the lists submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to President David Granger to consider for the post of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman. Their resignations came days after President David Granger reached outside the 18 nominees to appoint retired Justice James Patterson.

While Singh remained reticent about the motives behind his resignation, Ram was highly critical of Government choosing Justice Patterson for the

Attorney General Basil Williams

a wide cross-section of society have also soundly criticised and condemned the President’s unilateral decision, including the Guyana Bar Association; the Berbice Bar Association; the Private Sector Commission (PSC); the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Criticism has also come from the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and members of the Diaspora. In addition, the political Opposition filed a legal challenge in the courts on Monday, seeking to revoke Patterson’s appointment.

Law school

In January of this year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and Law College of the Americas (LCA) to open a law school in Guyana.

The undertaking was expected to come to fruition in 2018.

news

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wednesDAY, november 1, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Harmon urges EPA to focus on technical expertise, environmental management

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inister of State Joseph Harmon, who holds responsibility for the Department of Environment (DoE) under whose purview the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) falls, on Tuesday called on the agency to place greater focus on con-

crete research to guide environmental management in new and developing sectors such as oil and gas, towards the generation of technically defensible position.

The Minister said emphasis should also be placed on technical expertise and environmental management, as he noted

Mess to messenger

Saiku: The man behind the hits

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cheduled to perform in Guyana on Friday, popular gospel singer Saiku Andrews has received much airtime on the radio. But exactly who is the man behind popular hits such as “Pillow Could Speak” – the opening song of his debut album, “You”, launched in May 2017.

Saiku faced a number of challenges while growing up in a single parent household with nine other siblings, headed by his mother in a two bedroom apartment. His father, a fish-monger by trade, died while Saiku was only three years old. This left a wide gap for male influence in the youngster’s life.

This was a worrying fact, especially for his mother who worked extremely hard to ensure her family was provided for, as the majority of the male influences of the community were negative in nature.

As such, she sought to protect young Saiku as best as she could from the traps of illicit drugs, crime, violence and the overall hopelessness that seemed rampant in the community. He recalls having to “bargain” with his mother for a chance to play beyond the confines of the small enclosure of their apartment’s front entrance that was bound by an always locked gate.

Like the average boy, he relished the idea of “running football” in the neighbourhood streets. Saiku attributes much of his interest and prowess in business and life to the lessons he learnt from his “hardworking and free-handed” mother; attributes he continues to practice in his own life.

“I was just an average student”, he said of his primary and secondary years of schooling. While recognising education as a means to elevate himself from a life of poverty, as well as his potential to excel academically, Saiku often lacked the interest and personal discipline to apply himself fully to his studies.

Nevertheless, he managed to complete his secondary education at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School and subsequently a Bachelor of Science in Economics at the University of Guyana.

Singing

Saiku Andrews discovered his ability to sing at the age of 11 and dreamt of “making it big”. Yet, it seemed as though his “chance to shine” was always being delayed. He recalled witnessing a neighbourhood dispute from his bedroom window and writing “how are we gonna survive, if we keep taking one another’s life? Like there’s no tomorrow, with all of this war and

Saiku Andrews

sorrow!”

That was chorus of a song he created and gave to a friend who managed the famous Guyanese Rastafarian Group, First Born. The finished song gained international success and was recorded with Jamaican Reggae Legend, Buju Banton.

Another opportunity presented itself when Saiku was poised to make his debut on the international stage at Caribana in Toronto, Canada.

Everything was set, or so it seemed. Saiku was unable on that occasion to leave Guyana’s shores as the promoter that set the deal was nabbed by local authorities for illegal activities – another hope deferred.

In a country that offers little reward, recognition or protection to artistic talents, Saiku focused his energies on entrepreneurial pursuits while not letting go of his musical dreams. Saiku subsequently began using his writing and singing talents to express his gratitude for salvation at Youth Conventions and Church concerts locally and eventually internationally.

Saiku's desire is to continue sharing his life experiences and lessons with the world in the hope that it brings tangible positive change to the lives of those who listen. He is bent on showing that if he could have transitioned from ‘A Mess to a Messenger’ like the second song on his album, anyone, anywhere can rise to the occasion and not submit to being a product of their environment.

According to a statement on Tuesday, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) announced it “proudly celebrates and supports the spirit and efforts of Saiku, a Guyanese warrior committed to fostering hope, love and unity in communities across Guyana. Saiku is one of the key performers along with International Gospel Artiste Travis Greene at the GTT ‘Hope is Rising’ Gospel Concert on Friday night at the National Stadium, Providence.”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon addressing the staff and managers of the EPA at their retreat on Tuesday

that mechanisms to promote the implementation of low impact methods, technology and infrastructure and to address or monitor trans-boundary movement of pollutants are necessary. Harmon was at the time delivering the feature address at the EPA’s oneday Staff Retreat and Capacity Building Workshop at the Mainstay Resort.

“Some of the positions taken by Government are challenged by some local experts and they are also challenged internationally. So you will find them challenging the

technical competence of the EPA in the decisions that they make so that when you make a determination, we have to be satisfied that the technical basis of that determination is sound and that we can defend it anywhere in the world.

That is why it is very important that we develop technically defensible positions in what we do. Also, your plans should not only be geared toward execution but also to the development of mechanisms to strengthen and enabling framework for execution,” Harmon is quoted by

the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

Minister Harmon noted that through this process, ideas for policy, legislative, institutional and procedural reforms should be generated and not only for the EPA but also for the related sectors.

He noted that as an agency under the DoE, the EPA’s role is central to guiding Government, Private Sector and civil society towards striking a balance between the exploitation of the nation’s natural resources and environmental stewardship,

thus the execution of the functions of the agency to ensure conservation protection and sustainable use of Guyana’s natural resources and the established, managed and enforced environmental regulations are key elements in pursuing sustainable development and securing the nation’s patrimony.

In this regard, he commended the agency for its recent restructuring programme, where the organisational structure has been amended to target and address through separate programme areas, all aspects of environmental management.

It is part of strategic planning, he said, which is needed to take the agency forward.

Meanwhile, Head of the DoE, Ndibi Schwiers, in her brief remarks, said planning strategically, which is necessary for the effective functioning of the EPA, cannot be seen as a stand-alone target.

She noted that in order for the Agency to achieve its objectives, it also requires the staff to get into the habit of ‘visioning’ so that the issues, which fall under its purview, can be adequately addressed.

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DHB to be reopened to marine traffic on Thursday F ollowing the discovery, over the weekend, that one of the hydraulic winches on the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) has failed, resulting in the Bridge being closed to marine traffic, General Manager Rawlston Adams on Tuesday told shippers that the Bridge was expected to be reopened to marine traffic on Thursday.

After closing the Bridge for seven hours on Saturday for the replacement of a pontoon at the retractor span, engineers discovered mechanical failures during the reconnection process. It was discovered that one of the hydraulic winches were not holding pressure under load.

General Manager

DHB General Manager Rawlston Adams

Adams said that they initially thought that the problem was with the gearbox, but after stripping it, they discovered that it was in working order. Further diagnostic tests revealed that

the spline in the shaft of the barrel was damaged and had to be repaired. Adams noted that the spline was damaged because moisture was trapped in the barrel.

“We did some testing and it failed on the test, and we isolated the problem to the shaft on the barrel; when we opened that shaft, it took a long time and we realised that the spline is damaged. Over the years, moisture go into the spline and it got damaged. The guys are in the process of machining the part and we will hook it up and test it,” he said.

The General Manager said engineers would carry out tests before installing it later on Wednesday.

“We expect it to be com-

pleted by tomorrow 12 noon (today) and we will install and do the testing. For those in the shipping industry, we expect that your next retraction is going to be Thursday at 03:30 (am),” he added.

Adams, in a meeting with shippers, told them that the DHB Corporation was now contemplating testing the remaining three winches on the retractor span. However, he noted that many factors have to be taken into consideration before they embark on the project.

The retractor span of

the Bridge comprises eight winches, four of which are small four- ton equipment while the remaining four are 12 tons each. The faulty winch has been identified as the north-eastern 12-ton apparatus.

The bridge company did not have any replacements at hand and as such, it now turned to two private entities – Industrial Fabrications Inc and EC Vieira Investments Ltd to assist.

Stemming from the hiccups encountered, works are currently underway to diagnose the direct cause of

the problem, after which reinforcements will be put in place.

This issue derived just as the floating bridge was undergoing the second of a two-part rehabilitation process on the retractor span, which carries a total cost of $103 million.

The Bridge usually facilitates up to four marine vessels on a daily basis, the majority of which are attached to the fuel, bauxite and timber industries. Despite this interruption in passage, the DHB General Manager did indicate that financial losses remained at a minimum.

Rockstone Fish Festival drowning

Minister to meet with organisers to address safety issues …body of male recovered, no lifeguard on duty for festival

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n light of the recent drowning of two persons at the Rockstone Fish Festival on Sunday, Minister with the responsibility for tourism, Dominic Gaskin said that he called a meeting with the various organising bodies to address the issue of safety to ensure that such an incident did not recur.

On Sunday, 50-yearold Gavin Moses and his niece, 13-year-old Kimeanda “Yasha” Prince drowned after going for a swim at the Golden Beach.

Moses’s body was recovered in the Essequibo River on Monday around 13:30h and was currently at the Linden

Dead: Kineanda “Yasha” Prince

Hospital Mortuary.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Minister Gaskin said that this was the first time such an incident has occurred. He noted that the incident highlighted the importance of safety measures.

“I asked for a meeting between the organisers, the GTA (Guyana Tourism Authority) and the Department of Tourism to get a better idea of what occurred and look at what ought to have been in place in terms of safety measures and ensure that in the plan-

Minister with responsibility for tourism, Dominic Gaskin

ning for next year’s event that a lot more emphasis is placed on safety and that there is a plan to deal with issues like this,” Gaskin said.

Dead: Gavin Moses

“The question about lifeguard is a valid one, because if people are swimming in open waters, should there be a lifeguard? Of course! This may be the first time that something like this has happened and it is most unfortunate and it drives home how important it is to have safety measures and we would like to use this as a learning experience,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, GTA Logistics Manager Carla Chandra said that they had basic emergency services

personnel on the ground with the exception of a lifeguard. She said that at the time of the incident, the judging of the competition was ongoing with almost everyone at the main event area.

Chandra said that the GTA would be working with the community of Rockstone and the other organisers to ensure that signs were placed to warn people of the dangers.

Prince, of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, and Moses, formerly of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice, met their demise on Sunday during the 12th Annual Rockstone Fish Festival.

It was reported that Moses and other relatives had hired a private boat to transport them to Golden Beach – minutes away from the main event area. Whilst there, Prince and two cousins, one being Thalia Clarke, experienced difficulties in navigating through the deep waters.

Moses, who could not swim, went to their aid, but instead went under the water and never resurfaced.

The now dead teen was celebrating her birthday on Sunday, and her now dead uncle had celebrated his on Saturday.

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Ramsammy’s Ruminations

APNU/AFC is now openly and brazenly affirming its dictatorial credentials

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eep in the imbroglio caused by the President’s unilateral, unconstitutional appointment of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman and facing widespread protest and consternation, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is unflinching in its dictatorial posture. It has increasingly become more brazen and daring in proclaiming its dictatorial credentials. It has the DNA credentials already, having been born out of the belly of the People’s National Dr Leslie Ramsammy Congress (PNC) and inspired

by Forbes Burnham. Since its assumption of Government in May 2015, the APNU/AFC has deliberately and daringly emblazoned its dictatorial credentials in a way to leave no doubt. Like a centipede, its dictatorial feet keep increasing.

This week, the AFC-Canada group delinked itself from the AFC over its total immersion into the PNC, with its latest capitulation being the unilateral appointment of GECOM’s chair. The AFC’s response to AFC-Canada is “drop dead” – the AFC made it clear there is no reconsideration of its support to President Granger’s constitutional malpractice. Only dictators behave this way.

Last week, the Business Minister chastised the Private Sector, warning them to desist from political discourse in Guyana. Gaskin edict is that political discourse is not the business of the Private Sector. He warned them to “shut up”. Gaskin told the Private Sector they must invest in the economy, without the right to question. This is not just ridiculous, not just obscene, it is frightening. It is an open threat that the Private Sector will be blacklisted unless they jump on the train. For Gaskin and APNU/AFC, it is politically correct to criticise the People’s Progressive Party, but when it comes to APNU/AFC and how it runs the Government, the Private Sector must be silent, or else.

Politics is the Private Sector’s business, since a politically unstable country is a threat to the investment of the Private Sector. Business growth is directly related to the political milieu of a country. The Private Sector cannot afford to be silent in the face of dictatorship, non-transparency and nonaccountability. It is for this reason that in every country in the world, there is an organised Private Sector, organisations that represent the interest and welfare of the people who invest in the development of their country. The Private Sector of Guyana has seen or knows of the debilitating consequences of dictatorship. The Private Sector was virtually hobbled and almost disappeared in the period 1964 to 1992 because of the dictatorial rule of the PNC years, during which they were expected to be silent.

The Private Sector has grown by many magnitudes since 1992. It has actually kept Guyana’s economy from drowning in the incompetence, visionless, corrupt governance since May 2015. It is the Private Sector that continues to invest and sustain the service, rice, manufacturing, mining, constructing and other industries. Almost all of Guyana’s import earnings are because of the investment of the Private Sector. They have earned the right to speak out and to be engaged in the political discourse of the country. Indeed, they have a right and an obligation to join in the coalition of stakeholders holding the Government transparent and accountable. This is what a democracy is. Minister Gaskin’s admonition of the Private Sector is eerily chilling, in the image and spirit of Forbes Burnham when the Private Sector permitted their cooption in the complete usurpation of the political rights of all citizens.

The co-option of stakeholders in the evil expansion of authoritarianism is a classic strategy of all dictators. Guyana is no stranger to this phenomenon. We sadly experienced this between 1968 and 1992. We have been there, done that and we know the consequences. In that period, the public service, trade unions, the business community, religious entities, sports organisations, the media, were expected to stay in line and “follow the leader”. Speaking out then meant you were risking discrimination, intimidation and even death.

The political co-option is in full swing in Guyana today. It is either you are with APNU/AFC or you are against them. It is sad to see the Working People’s Alliance fully co-opted and fully integrated into the PNC today. It is depressing to see how the AFC and its leaders, like Trotman, Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and Patterson have completely fallen in line. It is chilling to see a free media hobbling, some of them becoming mouth pieces of APNU/AFC. This is what dictators do. The fight for a free Guyana is in full swing because a dictatorship is fully in place.

Road Safety Month

“White Knight” campaign returns …as Police clamp down on DUI

Traffic Chief Dion Moore joined by Executive Members of the National Road Safety Council and other stakeholders at the launch of National Road Safety Month 2017

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s part of the activities tabled for the observation of Road Safety Month 2017, the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force on Tuesday announced the return of the “White Knight” campaign, which is slated to be executed countrywide.

This is as the GPF makes good on recommendations put forth earlier this year which called for the continuation of this initiative, to be implemented in June, all the way through to December.

Speaking at the launch of the month of activities, National Road Safety Council Executive Member Owen Trotz outlined that the campaign would be a collaboration be-

tween the Traffic Department and members of the Road Safety Council.

“They will have general traffic checks and breathalyser tests and (look out for) people riding bicycles, driving down the roads without lights and so forth,” Trotz said.

This phase of the “White Knight” campaign is expected to kick off in Berbice, then in Essequibo on November 11, eventually moving to Linden on November 19 and wrapping up in Georgetown on November 25.

The Council’s Coordinator, Ramona Doorgen, during the press conference, highlighted that the campaign would focus on awareness and promoting

safe practices on the country’s roadways.

“You don’t wanna drink and drive, if you have to drink and drive, designate a driver.

So it’s not about us asking you to stop having fun. We’re telling you go ahead and have your fun, but help us to make you safer and the public at large safer,” she noted.

Meanwhile, in addressing the media at the launch on Tuesday, Traffic Chief Dion Moore presented an overview of what was in store for the month of road safety activities.

On that note, Moore indicated, “During the month, you will see an increased presence of Police patrols. A lot of ranks from the offices will be part and

parcel of the month’s activities.

On some of the days, we will not be enforcing, but rather encouraging drivers to practice safety habits.”

Adding to that, this year’s National Road Safety Month will also see the launch of a Child Restraint Education and Awareness Programs, Road Safety School Patrol Trainings, Defensive Driving Courses, live television programmes along with other public awareness sessions. This will all be topped off with a grand Education and Health Awareness Village booked for November 29 at the Stabroek Market Square.

November has been designated as National Road Safety Month, packed with a list of activities, aimed at ensuring safer roadways so as to reduce the alarming number of casualties and fatalities recorded on a yearly basis.

This year, the observation will officially commence in Berbice on November 1, under the theme: “Making roads safer for everyone starts with you.

Observe, think, drive; a second is all it takes to save a life.”

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Consistent Singh delighted with batting performance

Avinash Singh with his top-batsman trophy at OSCL presentation and award ceremony recently in Toronto

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legant right-handed opening batsman Avinash Singh expressed delight with his top-batting performance after the completion of the 2017 Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) tournament. Singh, who hails from Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, demonstrated his consistency with an aggregate of 270 runs from 14 matches representing Better Hope Sports Club in the A Division.

“I [am] extremely happy with my performance this season especially topping the batting; the hard work certainly paid off and I will remember it for a very long time,” Singh commented.

His highest score of 84 came against his former teammates, Rems and Singh mentioned that was a memorable innings but noted he was more than determined to get a three-figure mark; however, he also expressed satisfaction with his average of 33.75.

“Playing in the OSCL for the past 13 consecutive years and still able to make an impression is pleasing; I know the competition was going to be very stiff and most batsmen would have also wanted to dominate, but it was a great honour to head the list,” the 42-year-old versatile all-rounder declared.

Despite his team had to settle at the number five spot with 47 points from their allotted 14 matches, Singh felt they played excellent cricket from the commencement of the tournament. Dant emerged as the champions with 67 points from the same number of games.

“We played as a team throughout the tournament but as I said there was always stiff competition but the guys showed great enthusiasm and no doubt we can be the victorious side in 2018,” Singh related.

In addition to the 20-over category, Singh made an impact too in the 10-over version where he was named MVP in the Consultation final.

He also reflected on his previous outstanding performances during his softball cricketing career featuring for various clubs in the OSCL various competitions.

In 2006, Singh was the top batsman with 457 runs in the B Division while he came in third with 276 runs at the A Division in 2010. The following year, Singh was again prolific chalking up 573 runs back at the B Division.

Meanwhile, since the formation of the OSCL in 1996, a large number of Guyanese cricketers have been representing different teams and showcasing their talents with also resounding performances.

Windies “A” looking to extract revenge Jahmar Hamilton

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indies “A” captain Jahmar Hamilton said bowling is the strength, but batting will be the key to success for his side in the three-match, One-day series against Sri Lanka “A”, starting today under the lights at Sabina Park.

Hamilton said Windies “A” were keen to put behind them the disappointment of losing the preceding “Test” series, which the Sri Lankans won 2-1, but the batting will have to improve.

“It is very important for us to win this series,” the wicketkeeper/batsman said.

“We have been training very hard, but we failed to get the results in the ‘Tests’ we wanted, so we want to come out and win this series which will do a world of good to our confidence.

“Our batting let us down

the necessary tools through the exploration of best practices in football coaching education, enabling him/her to connect with, motivate and lead the adult learner more effectively.

Greenwood in a release to the media said, the GFF is excited to participate in this programme, which is specially aimed at developing the Coach Educators who will develop the future coaches in our country: “This is the first of a kind course that CONCACAF has developed based on the English Football Association/ Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) “Train the Trainers” course. One of the key mandates of the Technical Department is to develop coaches across

he Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy (ABSAA) or-

L-R: GFF Youth Development Officer Bryan Joseph, GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood and GFF Technical Development Officer Sampson Gilbert

the country as evident by the number of courses we have been hosting this year, but a strategic objective by the Executive Committee

in the ‘Tests’, but I believe if our batting line-up can put some runs on the board and give our bowlers sizeable totals to defend, that would be key to our success.

“During the ‘Tests’, the bowlers were bowling them out, so I think if the batsmen can get it together, they will put their hands up again and defend the runs.”

On lessons learnt about the Sri Lankans during the “Tests”, he said: “We got to see how they play and they are naturally aggressive in their batting and they have a decent all-round attack. It is for us to do the basics and do them consistently well, and we will be successful.”

Four players that did not play in the preceding “Tests” have been chosen to reinforce the Oneday squad. They are: Guyana Jaguars fast bowler Ronsford Beaton, Windward Islands Volcanoes all-rounder Kyle Mayers, along with the Jamaica Scorpions pair of Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith, a member of the West Indies Under-19

side that won the ICC Youth World Cup last year in Bangladesh.

The second day/night match comes up on Friday also at Sabina Park while the final game is a day match set for the Trelawny Multiplex on Sunday.

Windies “A” Squad; Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Sheldon Cottrell, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Reynard Leveridge, Kyle Mayers, Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith.

Sri Lanka “A” squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Charith Asalanka (ViceCaptain), Amila Aponso, Ron Chandraguptha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Asitha Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Vimukthi Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Kasun Rajitha, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dasun Shanaka, Roshen Silva and Sandun Weerakkody

Action heating up in Cancer Awareness Female Futsal tournament T

3 off to “Train the trainer” course A

s of today three officials from the Guyana Football Federation will be participating in the first “Train the Trainer” CONCACAF programme in Barbados. The course will run from November 1 to 3; the three GFF officials departed Guyana on Monday.

GFF’s Technical Director, Ian Greenwood, GFF Youth Development Officer, Bryan Joseph, and GFF’s Technical Development Officer (Georgetown ATC) & Secretary of the Coaches Association, Sampson Gilbert will be participating in this new initiative that is designed to enhance the quality of coaching in the Regions.

The programme aims to provide the instructor with

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is to have our own Coach Educators based in Guyana that will allow us to increase this number further.”

ganized “We Believe” Cancer Awareness Female Futsal Cup continued on Monday evening at the National Gymnasium.

The competition is featuring teams named after cancer survivors and is in observance of breast cancer awareness month.

On Monday evening, team Ena Persaud took on team Rajkumari Persaud and won 6-4. Scoring for Team Ena was Sasha James with three goals, Annulisa Johnson with 2 and Shamika Marcus with one.

Meanwhile, team Rajkumari scorers were Terryka Joseph and Shanya Daniels with a brace each.

Team Evette Bunbury edged Bibi Hassan 3-2 courtesy of a Tiandi Smith brace and a single goal from Nicole Leacock while Lakeisa Pearson netted Bibi’s two goals.

In game three of the night, team Nicola Schultz hit eight past Rosline Clarke who could only muster two in reply.

Shamika Marcus was the star for Team Nicola hitting four goals while Terryka Joseph

had a brace with Salene Chan and Shania Riley bagging a goal apiece. Scoring for Team Rosline were Annulisa Johnson and Sasha James.

Team Francine Leitch needled team Bibi Ali with Shanya Daniels scoring. In the final game on the night, the Christine Jordan Team snuck past team Vonette Mayers courtesy of a Lakesha Pearson brace and a goal from Shamika Marcus. Stacy Adams put up a brief resistance for Team Vonette with two goals.

The sponsors of the tournament are NAMIlCO, the Outdoor sports & Pet shop, Metro Office & Computer Supplies who have recently come on board.

In addition the ABSAA team expressed gratitude to the Guyana Football Federation, National Sports Commission, ABSAA, Guyana Cancer Foundation and Leading Edge.

Additionally Samuel Bunbury, Jaime Pablo and Kirk Bunbury have been on board from the beginning.

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CWI/Digicel Regional 4-Day Championship 2017-18

Pride, Hurricanes go head to head in key clash

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Kevin Stoute

his will be the key match of the round, after Pride and Hurricanes earned the majority of the points in their first-round matches, having secured draws against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes respectively.

Hurricanes, lately the “Cinderella” side of the Championship, are currently second in the standing and the Pride, the bridesmaid in each of the three Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League seasons, are third.

Both teams will be look-

ing to take things a step further and secure victory to give a boost their position in the standings and stay within reach of current leaders and reigning three-time champions, Guyana Jaguars.

History favours the Pride in this contest: They have won five of the six matches between the two sides in the PCL era, including all three at Kensington Oval.

The Hurricanes however, can hang their hats on their home match last season, when they ran the Pride close and almost achieved victory, but sev-

eral of the main players in that performance are missing, due to Windies duty.

Both sides have listed unchanged squads for the contest, meaning the result will depend mainly on the advancement of the young players on the Pride, along with the stability brought by the seniors, against a Hurricanes side packed with far more regular faces.

The two teams are starting a day earlier than the rest of the teams, due to the state funeral of former Barbados GovernorGeneral, Sir Clifford Husbands, on Friday.

Pride and Hurricanes will play today and tomorrow then enjoy a rest day on Friday, before returning to complete the match on Saturday and Sunday.

Squads: Pride (from) – Kevin Stoute (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Jonathan Carter, Shakeem Clarke, Justin Greaves, Aaron Jones, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Mario Rampersaud, Shamar Springer, Hayden Walsh, Jomel Warrican and Kenroy Williams.

Hurricanes (from) – ­ Devon Thomas (captain), Elvin Berridge, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Campbell,

Devon Thomas Keacy Carty, Chesney Hughes, Jeremiah Louis, Mervin Matthew, Akeem Saunders, Stanny Simon, Jacques Taylor, Gavin Tonge and Terrence Warde The Match Referee is Steven Proverbs while the on-field Umpires are Gregory Brathwaite (Barbados) and Danesh Ramdhanie (Trinidad & Tobago) and Ryan Willoughby is the Reserve Umpire.

– 2nd leg runs off on Sunday in Georgetown

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he Guyanese trio of Cleveland Forde, Cleveland Thomas and Winston Missigher dominated the first leg of the South American 10K Classic Road Race Saturday last in Suriname. The trio will be looking to do the same come Sunday (November 5) when the second leg of the competition is held in Georgetown, Guyana.

Guyana Times Sport caught up with Missigher who revealed that teamwork ensured that he along with his country men took top honours in the Dutchspeaking nation.

“The Surinamese were trying to force their way to the front during the first 3000 metres but then we (Forde, Thomas and Missigher) decided to make

Cleveland Forde (centre), Cleveland Thomas (front) and Winston Missigher (back) will be looking to make a repeat of taking all the podium spots in the second leg of the South American 10K Classic on Sunday

our move and worked as a team to finish strongly.”

This same ploy Missigher explained will be used come Sunday as the Guyanese athletes look to reign su-

preme on home soil.

Despite coming off of an injury just recently, Missigher noted that he is still recovering pointing out that to finish third at the

10K in Suriname is extremely pleasing to him.

In Suriname, Forde had a winning time of 34 minutes 5.08 seconds while; Cleveland Thomas came in

just behind with a time of 34 minutes 9 seconds.

The top two finishers’ countryman and longtime rival Missigher came in third in a time of 34 minutes 21.3 seconds.

In the second leg of the competition athletes from at least 15 countries will be competing in Guyana.

Forde, Thomas, Missigher and 17-year-olf Rickie Williams will be strong contenders for the podium while Lyanna Charles along with Ashanti Scott are expected to be front runners in the female category.

Some of the countries that are expected to come to Guyana are; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Grenada, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname,

Inaugural PM T20 Cup hailed a success F

ollowing the successful staging of its inaugural Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup last weekend, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL Inc) would like to express gratitude to all the stake holders that contributed to the success of the three-day event.

In a media release, the association stated that the tournament was well executed and that they were especially pleased with the spectator turnout and the weather.

The tournament was played in the All-Stars and Masters Categories; In the All-Stars final, Speedboat defeated Regal All-Stars by 55runs in an all Guyanese affair while Regal Masters beat New York Hustlers by 24 runs in the Masters final.

Both finals were con-

tested on Sunday at Everest CC in front of a large crowd which included Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport Dr. George Norton.

The release indicated that the fans were able to witness a new dispensation of softball cricket whereas lighted bails were used in the finals and cheerleaders provided added entertainment from beyond the boundary.

The organization has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, Ministers Ramjattan and Dr. Norton, the 12 teams in the All-Stars category and six teams in the Masters division, fans, Everest CC, GNIC SC, DCC, MSC,

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addressing the players and spectators during last Sunday’s final at Everest Cricket Club ground

YMCA, USA Cricket Zone, Umpires, Scorers and sponsors. Special mention was made of the overseas teams; New York Hustlers, SVC All-Stars and Queen’s AllStars.

The competition was sponsored by Banks DIH, Hero Motorcycles, Regal Stationery and Computer,

Regal Sports, C. Mohan General Contracting Inc., Crown Mining Supplies, Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Ink Plus, Industrial Supplies and Services, P and P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd., Starr Party Rentals, Pyeo General Store, Clear Waters, Chung’s Global

Enterprise, Gafson’s Industries Ltd., WJ Enterprise, Lucky Star, Ryan and Reuben General Store, Massy industries, Guyson’s Engineering, Dino Enterprise, Scott Service Station, Swiss Machinery Establishment, Fly Jamaica Airways, Express International, Office of the Prime Minister and Jap Restoration Inc of New York.

President of the GSCL Inc, Ian John said that the tournament was held in collaboration with the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Social Cohesion with responsibility of Sports and they are looking forward to a bigger tournament next year.

John congratulated the winning teams and individual award winners and thanked the media for their coverage.

Uruguay, Venezuela, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.

The event will begin at 15:30h beginning at the GTT Earth Street on Carifesta Avenue and will head east along the Rupert Craig Highway before turning back to finish in the National Park at the Children’s Monument.

(Michelangelo Jacobus)

Djokovic, Wawrinka set to return in December

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welve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is set to play his first match since Wimbledon at the World Tennis Championship in December.

The world number seven, whose season ended early with an elbow injury, is slated for the Abu Dhabi exhibition event from 28 to 30 December.

"The line-up is very strong and it will be the perfect way to make my comeback and begin the season," Djokovic said.

French Open finalist Stan Wawrinka is also set to make his return there.

The Swiss world number nine ended his season in August because of a knee injury.

The Abu Dhabi event is held two weeks before the start of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.

Djokovic and Wawrinka will play alongside world number one Rafael Nadal, Austria's Dominic Thiem, Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic. (BBC Sport)

sports

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Passed Pawns Must Be Pushed!

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The ultimate goal of a passed pawn is to reach the other side of the board (8th rank for white or 1st rank for black) and "promote" to a bigger piece. Usually, a pawn will promote to a Queen, as she is the most valuable piece; however, certain occasions will call for “under-promotion” which means to promote to a piece other than the Queen.

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Two Passed Pawns Are Better Than One. Cases of “under-promotion” will be discussed in Part 2 when we deal with “promotion tactics”.

For now, let's discuss one more basic example of the power of a passed pawn and work our way toward understanding why the “Big 3” are such strong forces in a practical game.

Here we see a position where the black King stands no chance against the two powerful passed a and h pawns.

After 1.h4 for example, the black King will have to commit to the h-pawn and after a few obvious moves it becomes

Jessica Clementson

clear that the pawns are too much: 1...Ke5 2.h5 Kf5 3.a4!

Kg5 4.a5 Kxh5 5.a6 and white's a-pawn “Queens” on a8…

Passed Pawn Advantage #1 Now that we understand the raw power of a passed pawn, it's time to learn a few practical and super deadly ways to use them. An “outside” passed pawn is defined as a passed pawn that is far away (usually at least three files) from the rest of the pawns or pawn groups remaining on the board.

Typically, an outside passer is used as a decoy to distract the enemy King away from what matters most: protecting his army! With black to play, the King is just in time to catch the a-pawn, but that isn't good enough to save the game after: 1...Ke6 2.a5! Kd6 3.a6 Kc6 4.a7 Kb7 5.Ke4! Kxa7 6.Kd5 Kb6 7.Kd6! – and the black King is cut off. White will continue 8.Ke7 then start munching on black's pawns…

– Central/Upper Corentyne, West Berbice record opening wins

West Berbice won their opening fixture handsomely at home and will now hit the road for their next match

by 75 runs in their encounter. Batting first, West Berbice scored 128; S Safie 16, A Balman 20 and D Joseph 18.

Bowling for Lower Corentyne, K Cecil took 4 wickets for 10 runs and A Maniram 2-7.

In Lower Corentyne's reply, only P. Ganesh managed to reach double figures as he scored 11. All the other batsmen fell below the

he Berbice Cricket Board’s Under 15 Inter Zone 50 overs tournament commenced last Sunday across two venues with the young aspiring cricketers showing true grit, as they sought to impress the selectors ahead of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Inter County tournament set for February 2018.

At the Young Warriors Cricket Club in Cumberland, Central/ Upper Corentyne convincingly defeated their peers from the New Amsterdam/ Canje Zone by 59 runs.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl, NA/Canje's bowlers had their work cut out, as the Corentyne lads rallied to 159 for 9. Batting for The Upper Corentyne, J. Rampersaud top scored with 38 while B Downer and R. Rampersaud contributed 18 and 14 respectively.

Bowling for New Amsterdam/Canje, C. Arokium took 4 for 59, N Samuels 2-39 while Isia Thorne and T Caesar took one each.

In their reply, New

double figure mark, as they were all bowled out for a paltry 53 runs.

The Competition continues on Saturday November 4 and will see Central/Upper Corentyne taking on West Berbice at Port Mourant Community Center while Lower Corentyne will do battle with the lads of New Amsterdam/ Canje at the Albion Community Center.

Following the conclusion of the tournament, the Berbice Cricket Board will select a 30-man squad that will be further prepared to represent the county in February 2018.

T

Central/Upper Corentyne took a group photo before the start of play with Coach Leslie Solomon and Manager T Latchman

Amsterdam Canje were shot out for 100 as the Upper Corentyne bowlers continued to make light work of the NA/Canje batsmen.

Avishkar Persaud top scored with 24 while T Ceasar scored 10. All the other batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Bowling for Central/ Upper Corentyne, Rampertab Ramnauth was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets for 17 runs in his 8 overs spell and was supported by J. Rampersaud, N. Singh, A. Munroe and J. Sandia with one a-piece.

At the Bushlot Ground in West Berbice, West Berbice defeated Lower Corentyne

6 lucky winners drawn in GCB raffle

T

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year and a grand raffle is ongoing.

Last Sunday at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at La Bonne Intention (LBI) the second drawing was done in the presence of members of the Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara Cricket Boards along with Executives and staff of the GCB. Six winning ticket numbers were drawn, five of which were for food hampers sponsored by Carib Foods and the other one was for a Tablet compliments of Cell Phone Shack.

The following ticket numbers were drawn; Food Hampers: #0314, #3394, #0585, #9414, #11010 Tablet: #3582

The GCB is also reminding ticket holders of the results of the first drawing which was held in April 2017, they are: Hampers: #0293, #0481, #11614, #9835; #9895 Trip to Baganara Resort: #11858 Congratulations to all winners who can uplift their prizes at the GCB offices on Regent Road Bourda with their tickets. The next consolation drawing will be held in December 2017.

The costs of raff l e

tickets are only $200 and can be purchased from several outlets countrywide including; Igloo Ice Cream outlets, Howie’s RestaurantEccles, Flat Shop-Eccles, RSI Brokers- First St, Albertown, Carib Foods Supermarket- Croal Street, Cell Phone Shack outlets, Khemme’s Sports Bar- 2nd & Light Sts, Alberttown., Beacon Café, GCB Office or from any Executive of the GCB.

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017

GCB/DMLAS/NSC/National Secondary Schools Cricket League…

Enmore bowled out for 18

T

he 2017/2018 Guyana Cricket Board/ Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited/ National Sports Commission/National Secondary School Cricket League (GCB/DMLAS/NSC/ NSSCL) continued with matches being played on the West Bank Demerara and on the East Coast of Demerara.

Over at Enterprise ground on the East Coast of Demerara, Enterprise Secondary beat Enmore Secondary by 252 runs.

Enterprise taking first strike on a very good pitch for batting, amassed 270 for 4 off their allotted 25 overs, after a delayed start due to rain. Himnauth Dindyal stoked a masterful 121, Edmon Person supported well with 61, while national under 15 wick-

…Dindyal hit 121 for Enterprise

The Christ Church Secondary trio who wreaked havoc

et keeper Mark Ramanand made 29. Bowling for Enmore Secondary, Jitlall Jainnarine took 2 for 62.

In reply, Enmore Secondary were amazingly bundled out for 18 all off just 5 overs. Bowling for Enterprise Secondary, Jetendra Chandra grabbed 3 for 8 and Himnauth Dindyal 2 for 10. Enterprise won by 252 runs.

Over at the Bellevue ground, on the West Bank of Demerara, West Demerara Secondary gained victory over Endeavor Secondary by 81 runs. West Demerara Secondary won the toss and elected to bat first. West demerara made good use of their decision to take first strike, by posting 180 for 7 off 25 overs. Ryan Seecharran made an impressive 59, while Keemar Pheria and Cohen Gurdyial

each contributed with 30.

In reply, Endeavor Secondary needing 181 for victory, felt well short of their target, as they folded for a meagre 99. Avinash Kemraj top scored with 44.

Bowling for West Demerara Keemar Pheria took 2 for 14. West Demerara Won by 81 runs.

West Ruimveldt (formerly David Rose Secondary) to bat first. West Ruimveldt, posted 98 all out in 14.2 of their allotted 30 overs.

Batting for West Ruimveldt, Aaron Glasgow made 22 and Joseph Semple 20. Bowling for Tucville Dwayne Jones took 4 for 16 and Leon Chesney 3 for 11.

Tucville in reply,

West Demerara’s steady pair of Ryan Seecharran (left) and Keemar Pheria

At the Enterprise ground, President College opposed Cummings Lodge Secondary.

President College batting first and were only able to muster 69 all out in 17.3 overs. Karen Samaroo top scored with23.

Bowling for Cummings Lodge Secondary, Andrew Samaroo had magnificent figures of 7 for 8 off just 4.3 overs. Domaun Mohamed supported well with 2 for 26.

In reply, Cumming Lodge reached 70 for 2 in 13 overs. Andrew Samaroo made an unbeaten 26.

Cumming Lodge won by 8 wickets.

In the other match, played at the Enterprise ground, Beterverwagting (BV) Secondary lost to Hindu College by 4 wickets.

BV batting first, only managed to make a paltry 71 all out off 11.5 of their allotted 30 overs. Bowling for Hindu College Dhauiram Sukhu took 3 for 16 and Sasnarine Harichand 2 for 8.

In reply, Hindu College batted positively to race to 74 for 6 off just 12.2 overs.

Bowling for BV, Chandau Rauthal grabbed 4 for 15.

Hindu College by 4 wickets.

Over at the MYO ground in Woolford Avenue, Tucville won toss and sent

reached their victory target off just 14 of their allotted 30 overs, ended on 102 for 4, with Dwayne Jones top scoring with 34. Darren Daly supported well with 28. Tucville won by 6 wickets.

Over at GYO ground in Woolford Avenue, Marian Academy batting first were bowled out for a paltry 35, off 25.4 of their allotted 30 overs. Bowling for Christ Church Secondary Aaron Beharry grabbed 3 for 8, Renaldo Mohamed 4 for 2 and Reaz Drepaul 2 for 4.

In reply, Christ Church Secondary rocketed to 36 for 1 off just 3.5 overs.

Ariel Tiku made 15 not out and Renaldo Mohamed 11 not out. Christ Church Secondary won by 9 wickets.

Matches in the GCB/ DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL continues today with matches in Georgetown.

East Ruimveldt will oppose North Ruimveldt at GNIC, New Campbellville Secondary will do battle with Valmiki Vidyalaya at GYO, while Mae’s will play St. Winifred’s Secondary at MYO. All three grounds, are situated in Woolford Avenue Thomas Lands and matches will commence from 11:00h.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, november 1, 2017

23

Holder, Dowrich rescue Windies after collapse S ikandar Raza cut through West Indies to register his first five-wicket haul in professional cricket, but Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich combined to put on an unbroken 144-run eighth-wicket stand to give the visitors a 48-run first innings lead at stumps on day three.

After Kieran Powell fell for 90, West Indies' middle order collapsed to Raza's offspin as the visitors slipped to 230 for 7, still needing 96 to wipe out the deficit. But they were put back in front with a stand characterized by controlled aggression.

Dowrich was batting on a career-best 75, while Holder had constructed an attractive unbeaten 71. Raza's success aside, Zimbabwe had little else to cheer. A stiff ankle stopped Solomon Mire from bowling for most of the day, Graeme Cremer struggled for rhythm and Tendai Chisoro bowled well without any luck.

The hosts missed five chances in the field and an injudicious use of the DRS ultimately allowed Holder and Dowrich's partnership to flourish.

Dowrich was the first to fifty, off 85 balls, and Holder followed him soon after, off 92. Their stand was just the

Kieran Powell third in West Indies history to pass 100 for the eighth wicket. As the partnership flourished, even Raza came in for some damage. Dowrich drove him repeatedly through the covers, while Holder stepped out to clout a huge six over long on.

The hosts were in need of some pepping up when Powell and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo stretched their partnership beyond fifty on Tuesday morning. With Cremer struggling and edges flying between fielders or dropping in front of them in

the first session.

When a chance eventually did come, via the top edge of a Bishoo slog-sweep, it was put down by Brendan Taylor at midwicket - the first of five opportunities that Zimbabwe let slip through. It was left to Raza to make the breakthrough all on his own, drawing a false shot from Bishoo and holding on to a regulation caught-and-bowled chance.

Offering generous flight, Raza struck again soon after when an offbreak kept a little low to peg Kyle Hope, playing back, in front of middle stump. Zimbabwe's frustration began to show but the new ball, taken half an hour before lunch, changed the complexion of the session.

Chris Mpofu got the hard new ball to leap alarmingly as Powell fended one to the diving Craig Ervine at gully to fall 10 short of his fourth Test century. The wicket put the pep back in Zimbabwe's step.

The Raza Show kicked into top gear with the West Indies stumbling from 219 for 4 to 230 for 7. He started with the breakthrough that stalled Roston Chase and Shai Hope's fifth wicket stand at 56, by beating Chase's reverse sweep with a

– Powell misses 4th ton fizzing offbreak.

Jermaine Blackwood played too early at a delivery that bounced with a puff of dust and broke sharply in to him, chipping a catch to Cremer at midwicket. When Raza beat Shai Hope's defence to rattle his off stump for his fifth wicket, he set off on a celebratory run.

This was the first five-for from a Zimbabwean spinner at Queens Sports Club since Ray Price's 5 for 199 against West Indies in 2003, but the celebrations were short-lived.

The early lbw aside, Holder

didn't give Zimbabwe a sniff and Dowrich was similarly limpet-like.

Bad balls were inevitably carted to the boundary, and Zimbabwe wilted noticeably in the afternoon sun as the pair put on just the third 100-run eighth wicket stand in West Indies Test history. They ended the day with the all-time eighth wicket West Indies record - the 148 put on by Jimmy Adams and Franklyn Rose against Zimbabwe in 2000 - and a healthy lead within their sights. (ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Stumps on Day 3 Zimbabwe 1st Innings 326 (Masakadza 147, Raza 80; Roach 3/44) West Indies 1st Innings (Overnight 78/1) KC Brathwaite c Masakadza b Cremer 32 KOA Powell c Ervine b Mpofu 90 D Bishoo c & b Sikandar Raza 23 KA Hope lbw b Sikandar Raza 1 SD Hope b Sikandar Raza 40 RL Chase lbw b Sikandar Raza 32 J Blackwood c Cremer b Sikandar Raza 5

SO Dowrich† not out 75 JO Holder* not out 71 Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-1) 5 Total (For 7 wickets; 150 Overs) 374 Yet to bat: KAJ Roach, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-131, 3-135, 4-163, 5-219, 6-225, 7-230 Bowling Mpofu 21-7-46-1, Mire 5-2-5-0 (nb-1), Cremer 43-7-134-1, Sikandar Raza 43-12-82-5, Chisoro 34-794-0, Masakadza 4-1-9-0 Position: West Indies lead by 48 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the first innings

CAC team is a mixture of youth and experience – Qualifiers begin November 5 in Jamaica By Michelangelo Jacobus

A

mere two weeks after taking part in the International Pan American Championships on home soil, the Guyana Men and Women’s hockey teams will be jetting off to Jamaica to compete in the qualifiers for the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) being hosted in Kingston.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport exclusively, Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) boss and Women’s coach, Philip Fernandes revealed that due to commitments and in some cases retirement of senior ladies the women’s squad is a mixture of new faces and experience.

Fernandes explained; “we have lost some of our senior ladies to retirement or unavailability due to work commitments and so we have several new faces who will be making their international debut this tour.”

However, the GHB head expressed; “I am confident that the experience of our remaining senior ladies will be able to anchor the newcomers and work cohesively to produce good results.”

While only the top two finishers will qualify for the CAC Games in Colombia, 2018 Fernandes believes “Guyana is favoured to take one of those

ing for the past several months, we hope at least that the core of the team will be fit and ready for this competition.”

With players such as Minsodia

Robert France will captain the Men’s National Team in Jamaica

spots but will face strong challenges from hosts Jamaica and Puerto Rico who also have a lot of experience at this level. While the tournament comes at a difficult time for our teams as we were committed to indoor train-

Culpepper and Nicole Eastman making their debut at the recently concluded Pan American Championships, Fernandes pointed out that the experience would have been good for them.

Eighteen-year-old Tamala

Glenn and 19-year-old Bushani Kaladeen will be the debutants on the upcoming tour; the debutants will be exposed to a high quality of competition and conditions. This Fernandes reasoned would be an advantage to Guyana if they succeed at the CAC Qualifiers to book a spot in Colombia, 2018.

“If Guyana is successful in qualifying for the CAC Cames, the exposure of these young players will be valuable going into that tournament as it means they would be more familiar with the conditions and expectations of athletes at the International level.”

Prodigy Aliyah Gordon has recovered from her injury that was sustained during the Pan Am Championship and is included in the Guyanese squad.

Meanwhile, the Men’s side has retained almost the entire squad that finished fourth at the Pan Am Championships two weeks ago.

Prolific striker Robert France will once again captain the side; included in the team is veteran defender/midfielder Dwayne Scott. The Branford brothers, Aroydy and Rayon will also be vital players for the Guyanese.

Both the men and women’s teams will be in action on Sunday (November 5). The men take on Puerto Rico while the women face Panama.

Only the top two finishers in both competitions will qualify for the CAC Games in Colombia, 2018.

The female squad reads: Briawna Gordon (Goalkeeper), Gabriella Xavier, Latacia Chung, Minsodia Culpepper, Marzana Fiedtkou, Kerensa Fernandes, Trisha Woodroffe (Captain), Marisha Fernandes, Maria Atkinson Monroe, Nicole Eastman, Bushani Kaladeen, Shebiki Baptiste, Aliyah Gordon, Ulrica Sutherland, Tamala Glenn, Ashley DeGroot.

The male squad: Melroy Scotland (GK), David Williams (GK), Hilton Chester, Kareem McKenzie, Marvin Dannett, Rayon Branford, Aroydy Branford, Dwayne Scott, Andrew Stewart, Jamarj Assanah, Jason De Santos, Randy Hope, Orlando Semple, Robert France (Captain), Mark Sargeant, Jael Gaskin, Meshach Sargeant, Steven Xavier.

Coaches: Men’s Coach Robert Fernandes, Women’s Coach Philip Fernandes.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Holder, Dowrich rescue Windies after collapse

– Powell misses 4th ton

Windies Captain Jason Holder (left) and Shane Dowrich have so far put on 144 runs for the eighth wicket, four runs short of the West Indian record

CAC team is a mixture of youth and experience Pg 23

– Qualifiers begin November 5 in Jamaica Aliyah Gordon has recovered from injury and will be vital to Guyana’s chances at the CAC Qualifiers in Jamaica

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Pg 23