Guyana Times September 30, 2019.

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Issue No. 4062

THE BEACON OF TRUTH monday, september 30, 2019

GECOM's order for registrants to verify registration flouting court ruling – PPP executive

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Inadequate foreign reserves

Govt waiting P7 on oil money to replenish depleted funds

…says court ruling already prohibits removal of registrants from voters’ list See story on page 3 …nothing in law allows GECOM to give such order Page 8

Lindener killed, girlfriend fighting for life in “gang” feud Opposition Leader calls on CDC to take immediate story measures to bring relief to flood victims onSeepage 12

Berbice Chamber President calls for wise use of oil revenue P15

Sophia man P7 beaten, robbed in home invasion

Massive waves surge over the sea defence at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara as spring tides cause widespread flooding in Region Three. In photo below, the Essequibo River overflows its bank at Parika

Drug traffickers flee from cops during roadblock …pursued on foot, nabbed with ganja in haversacks …“It is my side hustle”- suspect tells Police P13

Granger’s refusal to issue Police Commanders appointed for each administrative region elections proclamation suspicious – former Minister from today See story on page 9

See story on page 11

Woman stabbed by jealous ex-boyfriend P7

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, September 30 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, October 1 – 05:00h– 06:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, September 30 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, October 1 – 05:45h– 07:15h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. Clear skies are expected during the evening. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to Southerly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 05:26h and 17:42h reaching maximum heights of 2.91 metres and 2.92 metres.

GECOM's order for registrants to verify registration flouting court ruling - PPP executive …says court ruling already prohibits removal of registrants from voters’ list …nothing in law allows GECOM to give such order

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he Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) recent gazette notice compelling registered voters to verify their placements before being put on the Official List of Electors (OLE), is being described as an obvious attempt to get around recent rulings of the court.

In an interview with this publication on Sunday, People’s Progressive Party executive member and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall reminded that Chief Justice Roxane George had already ruled that registered voters could not be removed from the list because of residency requirements.

This is something the

quirement. Therefore, that order will necessarily be amended. If not, it will be ignored because that requirement is ultra vires of the law. The clear intent was to circumvent the Chief Justice’s ruling. But even that will not succeed, because one cannot remove the names on the list.”

Seeking to ascertain the rationale of the order, Nandlall questioned what can GECOM do if someone who is already included on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) chooses not to come with his or her documents to verify. Previously, Claims and Objections was always an optional exercise.

“So it is a futile exercise.

Government has been pushing, but the parliamentary Opposition has described it as a flimsy excuse meant to deregister thousands and prevent them from voting in the upcoming elections.

“There is an attempt to circumvent the Chief Justice’s ruling, by that order,” Nandlall said.

“However, every aspect of the electoral process is governed by statutory law. And no provision in any law requires persons to take their source documents to authenticate their name on that list.”

“There is no such re-

Not only is it ultra vires of the law, it is a futile [exercise]. Because assuming that a person fails to turn up, then that name cannot be removed from the list.

That is the clear ruling of the Chief Justice,” Nandlall said.

Low Tide: 11:17h and 23:39h reaching minimum heights of 0.35 metre and 0.28 metre.

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Order

In a gazetted document and subsequent press release a few days ago, GECOM had informed that every person whose name appears on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) must visit the registration office in their respective area with an identification (ID) card for verification.

It claimed that this step is necessary to be included on the Official List of Electors (OLE). This means that every citizen desirous of voting much participate in this exercise, even though their names may already be on the voters' list.

According to the law, a Claims and Objections period is only for persons seeking to make a claim to be included on the list or make objections to their voter’s information, such as to change their address.

However, the release read, “During this exercise, every person whose name appear on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) must visit the registration office in their respective area with their National Identification Card to verify their registration record in order to be included in the Official List of Electors (OLE)”.

Soon after the appearance of the order, Opposition-nominated Commissioners called an emergency press conference on Friday, where they slammed this imposition, noting that it was never discussed during their meetings. According to Commissioner Sase Gunraj, this “hogwash” attempt is

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

another version of Houseto-House Registration.

“This was never a decision taken by the Commission, either in whole or in part. In fact, it was not even a discussion that was had at the Commission level. This can only be seen as an attempt [to] foist another version of House-toHouse Registration on the citizens of this country…I would want to label it, and I am being very charitable when I say this – mischievous at best. But it is not surprising,” he pointed out.

GECOM also announced that the countrywide exercise will be conducted at all registration offices and will conclude on November 18.

However, persons have until November 11 to make a claim to be included on the list if they are a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation or registration, 18 years or older or will attain the age of eighteen by December 31, 2019.

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

The “estate” is again a plantation

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he furore over the PNC’s intransigence in refusing to adhere by the democratic norms laid down by the constitution over the last year, has removed their callous treatment of the sugar industry from the headlines.

But under the radar, the conditions of the four shuttered estates – Wales, Enmore/LBI, Rose hall and Skeldon – have continued to deteriorate as the lives of the more than 7000 sacked sugar workers have become even more “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.

Back in the days of slavery and indentureship, sugar was produced on “plantations” and since then, the brutal conditions under which our ancestors laboured, were well chronicled so that the horror of “plantation life” became indelibly imprinted on the minds of people across the world. The British then deployed the Orwellian tactic of renaming the plantations as “estates”, evoking the idyllic pastoral ambience of the English countryside, but on which, the workers’ living conditions were worse than that of the mules that pulled the punts of sugar cane. And this was said by the head of the largest sugar company in the land.

After WWII, the workers rallied under the banner of their trade union – the GAWU - to struggle for better working conditions by were stymied for the longest while by the Sugar Producers Association, which refused to recognise the GAWU and dealt with the MPCA, which was in its pockets. It is a standing indictment of the PNC, which claimed it was “socialist”, that it kept up this farce from 1964 to 1976, when a 135-day record breaking strike by GAWU forced it to retreat.

The PNC used members of the Disciplined Forces, of which Granger was a leading officer and Burnham’s ideologue, as scabs in their efforts to break the strike.

Granger has never forgotten this defeat of his Armed Forces by the sugar workers, who traditionally voted for the PPP. It is possible that this was the reason for him to reject the recommendations of his COI and unilaterally shutter the four plantations.

By 1976, the PNC had imposed a crippling levy on sugar exports, which siphoned off funds that could have rehabilitated the sugar operations, including aging factories. Not to mention “profit sharing” for workers. By the time the PNC was voted out in 1992, sugar had been brought to its knees, while its generated foreign currency kept the rest of the economy afloat. It is therefore ironic for the PNC government to argue that the subsidy to the sugar industry was “unsustainable” especially when the COI had recommended that it continue only for another 3 years to rehabilitate the industry to bring it to a point of sale.

There has been much chatter by one of the parties in the coalition government to utilise some of the funds from first oil to hand out $1m to “poor Guyanese” annually. But this violates the tried and true maxim that it is “better to teach a man to fish than give him a fish for a meal”. Regardless, would it not be also advisable to recapitalise the three plantations that are still “running”, to rehabilitate the factories and to mechanise the field operations to deliver the efficiencies, that have been achieved by our competitors?

With the lands on the closed plantations that were drained and irrigated by the back-breaking labour of our ancestors, it is pure doltishness that they have been allowed to revert to “bush”. We suggest that the same concept that was used to launch the CDB-funded $2.6Billion scheme to resuscitate agriculture behind the four villages of Ithaca, Buxton, BV and Mocha be replicated with the abandoned sugar lands. Meaning that crops would be identified that can be marketed in CariCom and in global markets and the ex-sugar workers be facilitated to produce, process and package the crops for export.

At the end of slavery, the sugar producers spitefully conspired to deny the ex-slaves the opportunity to become independent.

This PNC government proved it intended to do the same with the present plantation sugar workers.

Esther Marslow from Region One (Barima-Waini) was on Saturday evening crowned Miss Heritage Queen 2019. The Indigenous Heritage Pageant was hosted at the National Cultural Centre. (DPI photo)

No optimal health without good mental health Dear Editor, In 1984 the World Health Organisation defined optimal health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

With elections around the corner, The Caribbean Voice urges all political parties to inform the nation about their mental health plans, especially where they stand with respect to the following: 1) Integrating mental health into the physical health care system; 2) Establishing psych wards in every hospital; 3) Training all healthcare workers in basic mental health care; 4) Mental health coverage under the NIS; 5) Psychologists in all hospitals and counsellors in all schools, 6) Gatekeepers’ training across Guyana; 7) Addressing agri-poisons suicide; 8) Domestic violence units in all police stations; 9) Suicide and domestic violence training for all police; 10) Safe houses in all regions; 11) Laws to try abusers even when victims refuse to press charges and/or to testify; 12) Establishment of detox rehab programme in the public health sector, accessible in every region; 13) Establishing a registry of sex offenders; 14) Raising the age of consent to 18 years; 15) Decriminalising suicide; 16) Across the board support network for abused victims and suicide survivors; 17) Creating a mental health app to facilitate Guyanese everywhere to be able to easily and quickly access services and assistance; 18) Peer mediation programmes in all high schools; 19) A national programme focusing on men to help address domestic violence; 20) Incorporating mental health, including suicide, all forms of abuse, self-esteem, coping skills in the Family and Health Curriculum and have this curriculum as part of the overall curricula in every school, handled by appropriately qualified teachers; 21) Establishing special education teachers and classes in all schools; 22)

Making all public buildings accessible by the disabled; 23) Early intervention programmes in all schools to screen for mental heath and learning disabilities; 24) Psychosocial support for all teachers, healthcare workers and police officers; 25) Inclusion of mental health in occupational health and safety regulations and training; 26) Establishing poison control centres across Guyana; 27) Getting the mentally ill off the streets and into treatment centres; 28) Licensing protocols for clinically trained counsellors and regulations to prevent quacks setting themselves up as counsellors; 29) Government support for NGOs and CSOs offering services in mental health, bereft of political or other unrelated considerations; 30) Updating the mental health ordinance of

1930; 31) A national campaign to eliminate the stigma around mental health; 32) Making rape a non-bailable offence offense; 33) Getting all child workers off the ‘jobs’ and into schools; 34) Making it mandatory for all convicted abusers to report to the closest police station on a monthly basis; 35) Mandatory psychological evaluation for all mentally ill, whether actual or perceived, who appear in front of the courts; 36) Establishing a mechanism making it easy for abused victims to report to Magistrates and Judges, if Police do not take their complaints, do not act on complaints quickly or ridicule them when they go to report abuse; 37) Creating and passing legislation to protect the elderly from abuse and make detection of elder abuse and law enforcement

a priority; 38) Establishing a viable network of support nationally for caregivers for the mentally ill and the disabled; Last year a Lancet Commission report on mental health said that mental disorders are on the rise in every country in the world and will cost the global economy $16 trillion by 2030. While the actual figures are not available for Guyana, there is no doubt that a more caring society will be a less violent and more productive society and with oil money geared to transform our nation, future Governments must entrench mental healthcare at all levels in all plans, programmes and policies.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

GECOM does not cease to disappoint the nation Dear Editor,

I don’t know what’s going on at GECOM but obviously, things are not going right. Who is really in charge there? Alexander was the one giving press interviews and I thought he was calling the shots. Now the public relations people seem to be running things there and making up their own rules.

A nation in political uncertainty thought that once we have a properly appointed Chair, everything else will fall in place. We thought the “Iron Lady,” a Judge who knows better, would put an end to all the shenanigans hatched under the illegal Patterson. How naïve we were. Patterson had promised earlier elections.

Judge Singh took a long time to do anything, and when she did give us a date for elections, it is after February 2020. This was a big disappointment, to put it

mildly, coming from someone who invalidated an election when the PPP was in power.

Why is Singh so silent?

Now we hear that people already registered have to do “House-to-GECOM office” registration – which seems to be a clear violation of the law and GECOM’s operational practices. As the “Jesus Only” people would say, “once saved, always saved,” I say, “once registered, always registered.” Can somebody please sue to stop this nonsense or picket Ms Singh if she cannot stop the lawlessness there?

It seems to me that heads should roll if false information was put in the Official Gazette. The Chair needs to investigate this. The Chair also needs to fire those who sat on their asses, receiving pay under false pretences, since last December and did nothing to update the voters’

list. Please bring in Vishnu Persaud to help clean up things at GECOM. I have no trust for the Secretariat people, and we need to know that staff there would follow the rules. Whatever happened to the audit of the misspending scandals at GECOM? Clearly, there are key people in GECOM who seem to be in lockstep with the PNC agenda of rigging. The PPP must make sure this is stopped. Remember GECOM did no recount in Region Eight, where the PPP lost by one vote. How do we make sure this does not happen again?

I trust the PPP is working on getting in many, many foreign observers for the new elections as in 1992. I have very little trust in a GECOM’s lack of staff diversity.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

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Govt bought itself more than an extra year by delaying a constitutionally due elections

Dear Editor, At this important juncture, Guyana finds itself in strange times. Political strife is nothing new to the nation, but the aggressive jockeying and flouting of legal norms have placed our politics in a unique place as the nation seeks to determine a suitable date for elections.

Robin Singh, in one of his prolific messages to the daily publications, opined the following: “Inevitably, that date will be announced, then, cue the lights, cameras, action, and of course, the plethora of political parties entering the fray. Conspicuously absent on the front lines during this period when the Constitution of our nation is being trampled by David Granger and his cohorts; these parties comprised of armchair activists, will ask citizens to vote for them. Their big marketing point is the promise to represent the ‘middle’. These parties lack the capacity to govern, nor do they, from all evidence available, want that responsibility. What they want is the power of being the weight that tips the scale, kingmakers on every

decision.

Granger’s cabal bought itself more than an extra year by delaying a constitutionally due election in an attempt to convince the electorate of its viability…”

Were it not for the graveness of the subject matter (merely the future of the nation), the current charade that passes for a Government would be laughable in the extreme.

What makes this cheerless parody that we are collectively experiencing even more like a badly written Shakespearean tragi-comedy is the fact that the founder leader of the main governmental party, namely one Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham would be appalled at the dodgy intellectualised games his party is engaged in.

Having had the abysmal experience of linking with a “third force”, prior to the elections held in 1964, “Burnham told the nation in unequivocal terms that he would not be prepared to enter into another coalition Government…only if given a clear mandate from the electorate to do so.” His supposed ally, Mr D’Aguiar had

betrayed Mr Burnham and the PNC by “holding a series of secret meetings with Jagan, which Burnham discovered and made public….

Mr D’Aguiar caused further confusion in the ranks of his party by refusing to give a clear undertaking that he would not form some sort of alliance with Jagan if he thought it necessary.”

Additionally, while the Independence Constitution had advocated the vote for non-resident Guyanese, contrary to Mr Burnham’s wishes, Mr D’Aguiar allied with the Opposition party led by Dr Jagan to oppose the right of Guyanese citizens overseas to vote in national elections.

Declassified documents speak to the significant external support that Mr Burnham received in order that Mr Jagan’s party be defeated. His subsequent use of questionable overseas ballots to win elections was well documented but relatively ignored by the western powers, the imperative being to defeat Mr Jagan at all costs.

Why is this relevant at this time? Mr Singh alludes to some interesting parallels

between what was discussed and eventually acted upon during the middle to late 1960 Guyana.

• Generating a constitutional crisis by flouting the law and feigning ignorance of it harkens back to the then UK suggestion that by suspending the Constitution and installing direct rule, the party of Jagan would be defeated…at the moment, we have no Parliament, no decision to extend the life of the current Government and essentially the country is being ruled directly by a titular ‘Head’ of Government • The willingness to disenfranchise legitimate overseas-based Guyanese citizens from participating in the vote by the current political party in power speaks to a history when their founder leader used this ploy to great effect in order to win elections, while overseas powers-that-be looked the other way. They are well aware of how this can be used to defeat them, but, rather than legally sanctify this procedure, they reject it outright • Third-party fickleness is legendary in Guyana.

Being the brilliant politician

he was, Mr Burnham eventually recognised that the alliance he had formed was deleterious to his core party, as there existed no noticeable constituency that said third party brought to the table. They were in effect, suckling at the teat of the more dynamic People’s National Congress, enjoying the power and the largesse from the continued association.

This is certainly not a singular event, as modern politics see exactly the same action being repeated. The innately intellectual “Guianese first, Guianese second and Guianese third…” party of Mr Burnham is once again forced to accept and acknowledge a mediocre “me-first” third party that has disgraced the inherently nationalist soul of the PNC. Now, it must perforce defend the expenditures and wastages of non-PNC elements that have over-reached in their greed to assume and maintain power in perpetuity. Left on their own, they are nothing more than the vague noises one habitually hears in the dead of night, not even worthy of distin-

guishing between which insect or amphibian is calling to whom in the darkness.

Mr Burnham needed no “kingmaker” party, nor was he frightened of elections.

Whether or not we choose to view his tenure as Head of State as useful or damaging, he at least was no coward and did not fear the voice of his people.

So, third parties, bleat on, chirp on. If and when your constituency determines that you deserve to have over 50 per cent of the vote of electors, try to recognise your place in the system. Armchairs are a comfortable vantage point for you to snipe and sneer from, while the two giants duke it out. When the dust settles, ensure that whomever you aligned with and enjoyed the patronage of does not remember the damage you may have inflicted on an unsuspecting public, in the name of said giant; possibly negatively impacting that party’s electoral viability.

Sincerely, Nalinie Singh BA (Political Science)

Illegal for voters GECOM is a national disgrace to verify existence

Dear Editor, GECOM has issued a statement requiring voters to verify their existence with a voter’s card or national ID or their names will be removed from the voters’ list.

That edict is illegal; it is in defiance of the High Court ruling that registrants cannot be removed from the list unless death or transference is verified. Voters are already on a list through a legitimate registration process. The names of the dead should be removed but not the living who may not be able to visit a registration office to verify their existence.

Why is a legitimate voter’s automatic right to vote being questioned? Implicitly, GECOM’s order is requiring an ID card to vote. A court previously ruled against such a requirement. To mandate voters to show up at a registration office to verify their existence or eligibility to vote is, therefore, illegal.

There is nothing in the Constitution requiring an ID card to verify existence or right to vote. In fact, in the Esther Perrera case, Justice Claudette Singh (now GECOM Chair) herself ruled such a requirement to be illegal and proceeded to vitiate the election.

Besides being illegal, the new requirement creates hardship for eligible voters.

It is virtually impossible for voters to go to a registration office to confirm their status as a voter. Voters may live far from a registration office and don’t wish to undertake travel. Some may not be mobile. Some may be out of the area where they live — in

the interior or abroad where they work or are taking care of relatives or on vacation, etc. Others may not be able to afford the means to travel to the registration office. It is extremely difficult for people in hinterland areas to visit a registration office. Many Amerindians would be disenfranchised. Clearly, this new requirement by GECOM hinders voter participation and as such is illegal. Also, this law was never in effect. Why suddenly now?

The status of adults as voters was never in doubt till November of last year for all elections. Why is their voter status or existence now being questioned? If verification of eligibility to vote is needed or there are doubts about existence, officials from the registration office could visit their place of residence and verify their existence or if they live there. In the past, a representative each from Government and Opposition would visit homes of questionable voters to authenticate their existence. Why can’t the same be done now? GECOM’s job is to make it easier for voters to exercise their franchise, not more difficult. This new requirement is akin to the efforts by redneck election officials in America in the South and Midwest seeking to disenfranchise Blacks from voting. The move is aimed at removing eligible voters who will not vote for a certain party. GECOM must cancel this order to disenfranchise voters.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, There was once a time (prior to 1992) in Guyana when animals, foreign souls and dead people voted in this country under the auspices the Elections Commission and beneficiary the People’s National Congress (PNC.) Today we have an entity named Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which is responsible for the administration and conduct of elections (General and Local Government.)

GECOM’s mandate of rolling off elections should be spontaneous under any circumstance, whether an election falls immediately after a five-year term or shorter.

The indefeasible statute remains that GECOM must always be in a state of preparedness to conduct elections as this is its only business and is duty-bound to the Guyanese people to effectuate their constitution-

al right without fail. And, to further ventilate that, it is indeed and in fact the people’s money – taxpayers’ dollars which is used for such purposes.

The current situation, as it relates to GECOM and the holding of General Elections since the successful passing of the No-Confidence Motion, and the vote, on December 21, 2018, can only be described as an arrangement of deliberate manipulation of the electoral process to suit and enable the same PNC in their despicable and treacherous acts to hold on to power and Government at all costs. At this stage, it is worth reflecting on some notorious events to support my narrative: 1) in 2011 General Elections, GECOM failed to tabulate 18 × official statements of polls from Region Three in the overall elections results; 2) in 2015 General Elections, GECOM

facilitated countless fake statements of polls into the database of the official elections results, then claimed that they were excluded from the final results and; 3) The Chief Executive Officer of GECOM moved to block the PPP 2015 elections petition case which was denied by the High Court and is now at the Appeals Court to be heard.

And, just to caution, by no means are these low and unscrupulous actions by

GECOM exhaustive.

On account of the foregoing, I can conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that GECOM is a national disgrace and should endeavour to execute its mandate in an ethical and professional manner and legal framework in the interest of the Guyanese people and NOT to any political party.

Sincerely yours, Paul Ramrattan

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Foundation

eading is a good way to discover the next big thing and to learn a little more about yourself while you’re at it.

But while you may know how to find the best app for your phone, do you know how to pick a book you’ll really like? Here are some tips.

and why of something. They tell stories using facts –but that doesn’t mean they’re dull.

Nonfiction books can bring to life the eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington or help you see inside a Chinese dynasty. Many of them read like novels from start to finish.

Start with your interests

Maybe you want to try a “graphic book,” which can be either fact or fiction, and is written with text and images, similar to a comic. There are a lot of great graphic novels, from Maus to Persepolis.

Reading on your own isn’t like reading for school (even though you’ll probably end up loving some of the books you read for school and want to read more by those authors).

You can pick something that’s all about your interests, whether it’s ancient martial arts, computers, or fashion design. You name it, there are bound to be books about it.

What’s your “type”?

Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction (or both)?

Fiction books like novels or short-story collections can transport you to another world or help you imagine something beyond your own experience. Not all fiction is the same – maybe you like the classics, fantasy or sci-fi, mystery novels, or ghost stories. Maybe historical fiction is more your thing.

Try a range of types of fiction and see what you pre-

fer.

Nonfiction books give you the who, what, when,

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esearch shows just how vital early language exposure is to future benchmarks for lifetime success, including reading at grade level and graduating from high school. It all starts early.

Take a hybrid out for a spin

Read the “blurbs”

The reviews and quotes on the back and inside covers of many books are called “blurbs”. They give you an idea of what the book is about, but can also help you pick future books.

If you find a book you really like, take a minute to read the quotes (if there are any) and see which authors praised the book.

Often, they’ll have similar styles and you might find you like books by those authors too.

Do you have an e-reader? You can download free samples (usually the first chapter) of ebooks that look interesting before you buy or borrow one.

Find a family favourite

What was your mother’s favourite book when

she was your age or your dad’s? How about a sibling’s? Find out and give it a read — then you can share your thoughts about the book. After all, what better way to connect with that cousin you only see in the summer than trading reading recommendations and discussing your reactions?

Join the club — online or in person

Get your friends together and swap recommendations of authors, prose styles, and story types.

Most social networking sites also have book-club sections, also check out readon@facebook or goodreads.com. Join a group with your friends and people you trust (avoiding sharing personal information with people you don’t know, of course).

Ask an expert

Your local library can hook you up with a whole lot of great book ideas.

Explain your interests – rock stars, sports teams, historical events, humour, whatever you’re into – and any writers you like, and your librarian can point you toward books that you’ll love.

Finally, you’ll probably enjoy what you’re reading a lot more if you find a quiet place and make time for the book. We all multitask, but most reading is best enjoyed when you can concentrate and focus on it.

You can put on some good music (ideally without lyrics), get yourself some tea and a comfy spot, and let yourself be carried away by the book.

You’ll see that time does fly when you’re reading something you love! (kid-

shealth.org)

Experts, including librarians who follow national and international research, tell us that adults should read to children starting at birth – many suggest reading out loud during pregnancy – for at least 20-30 minutes per day. That’s about four picture books a day, during

fore kindergarten.

Every parent and caregiver knows that it doesn’t take long for kids to identify “favourite” books, which will be read over and over again. That’s great, and it’s good for the adults in a child’s life to note and track evolving interests and curiosities in order to encourage further learning.

But variety also matters to expand the number of words a child hears, along with different sentence patterns and subject matters.

Even if we build at-

the years when their brains are developing the fastest.

It’s also the time when reading can be easiest for adults, including struggling readers and English language learners, because the books are more accessible. Getting a reading “buddy” is also an option, and librarians can help.

Adults who model the reading habit are another important component for children, and together, we can find a way for every family.

Speech sounds stimulate brain activity. The more reading young children hear, especially in an interactive setting where

home libraries, through both donations and purchases, none of us is likely to accumulate thousands of children’s books on our own. Our public libraries are essential to the goal of raising readers – again, knowing that so many of the other goals we have for children depend on early language skills.

Through libraries, each family has access to thousands of children’s books.

Librarians can also work with families on transportation issues and mobile library access; again, together, we can find a way for every family.

Check out the library

they can react (as with facial expressions and, as they get older, questions) and we can respond, the more the language-related regions of their brains will be activated and strengthened. It also strengthens the bond between the reader and the child.

If we follow the halfhour-a-day advice until a child reaches age five, it adds up to something like 7000 children’s books be-

cards for kids, and while you’re at it, get a card for the adults in your household, too. Libraries are now interactive centres of community life, with access to technology and expanding services to support families and children.

By developing and modelling the “library habit”, we can make kids first in reading and help to give every child a first chance to succeed. (Adapted from delawareon-

line.com)

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7

monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Inadequate foreign reserves

Govt waiting on oil money to replenish depleted funds T

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently found that Guyana’s foreign reserves were inadequate to cover the recommended three months of imports.

However, Finance Minister Winston Jordan is claiming that this is only temporary.

In a recent interview with this publication, Jordan said that with the revenue the Government is expecting from first oil next year, there is no need to worry about the state of the foreign reserves since they will be replenished.

“That is just a temporary situation, given our receipts that come in next year,” Jordan said. “And then subsequent to that. One of the reasons you have savings is that if you have need to use some, you do that and afterwards you replenish it as you pick up again.”

“So essentially, I don’t know that people have to make an alarm over it.

Imports are coming into the country, the exchange rate is relatively there, notwithstanding all the pressure on the regime itself. Despite all

of that, we are still there.

It would be something of a concern if we didn’t have on the horizon foreign exchange coming to replenish, stabilise and grow [the fund],” Jordan said.

The IMF’s analysis of Guyana’s foreign reserves came from its recent Article IV consultations in Guyana, where it consulted with various stakeholders and analysed data to come up with economic projections and data on Guyana.

According to the report, Guyana has projected 2019 official reserves of US$643 million, with this figure projected to rise to US$857.8 million by 2020.

In terms of 2018, the figure is US$528.4 million.

The report had pointed out that gross reserve coverage declined to 2.1 months of imports, mainly due to higher imports. As a rule of thumb, economists recommend that Governments keep enough foreign reserves to be able to cover three months of imports.

According to the IMF, the balance of weaker exports and higher imports

The International Monetary Fund featured the findings in its report on Guyana

due to oil-related investments was such that the external current account deficit rose to 17.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This was not the only aspect of Guyana’s economy that the IMF had highlighted. The report also found that first oil will offer both opportunities and

challenges, which must be surmounted by the Government.

“Directors emphasised that to ensure the effective use of windfall revenues, policies should focus on reducing macroeconomic vulnerabilities, addressing structural weaknesses, boosting inclusive growth, and promoting intergenera-

the suspect showed up to the young woman’s home, which she shares with her parents and siblings, demanding that she speak with him.

Ali reportedly agreed and the two conversed in front of

her Zeelugt yard.

According to Ali’s mother, she had turned away when she heard her daughter scream. As such, the family rushed over to where she was when they saw blood oozing from her left arm.

The young woman told her relatives that the suspect was begging her to reconsider her decision about ending the relationship. When she refused, he whipped out a knife from her waist and stabbed her before quickly escaping the scene.

Ali was rushed to the hospital where she was treated. A report was made to the police, who have since launched a search for him.

Woman stabbed by jealous ex-boyfriend

A

Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) woman is now in fear for her life after she was stabbed to her hand by her former lover.

Nazeema Ali, 28, said that the suspect attacked her at about 22:15h in her home on Thursday.

The couple reportedly shared a five-year relationship, which Ali recently ended.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, Ali ended the relationship as a result of the abuse she was forced to endure.

However, the man has since been harassing the now injured woman, threat-

ening her life.

Ali reportedly started a new relationship which triggered the suspect, whose threats reportedly intensified. On Thursday night, this publication understands,

tional equity.”

To further illustrate the need for intergenerational equity specifically focused on living standards, the report had pointed to a worrying disparity in who gets what from Guyana’s oil resources.

While the gross total oil revenue is 1178 per cent of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), oil companies will get the lion’s share of 1007 per cent while 171 per cent will go to the Natural Resources Fund.

When asked about the negatives contained in the IMF report on Guyana, Jordan noted that they are frank assessments on the realities. He noted that the Government has never hidden the fact that it has to build capacity for the oil sector, something that is being done in critical agencies like the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Department of Energy.

Jordan also noted that the Government is out in the fields looking and advertising for technical ex-

perts to bring on board to help manage the sector.

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had already warned that comments from Government’s camp about Guyana’s economy benefiting immediately post oil production are misleading.

“Even the oil companies, because they talk to me too, they don’t have such a rosy picture of the fortunes of Guyana changing drastically, dramatically in the timeframe that we think it will happen, it will happen but not from 2020 to 2025,” the Opposition Leader had previously said.

According to Jagdeo, while the impending oil and gas sector presents a massive transformational opportunity for Guyana, citizens must be realistic when it comes to expectations post first oil.

The Opposition Leader had also said the action by Government is worrisome especially since the impression given does not reflect the country’s reality.

Sophia man beaten, robbed in home invasion

A

Sophia, Greater Georgetown man was left counting his losses and nursing injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was attacked and severely beaten when two gunmen invaded his home on Saturday night.

Injured is Errol Scott of B Field, Sophia. This newspaper understands that the incident occurred at about 23:00h while Scott was in the process of securing his home before retiring to bed.

According to reports, the man was locking his home when he heard a strange noise in the lower flat of the building.

As such, he went to inves-

tigate when he was confronted and pounced upon by two masked gunmen.

This newspaper was told that Scott was taken to the upper flat of the house by the gunmen as they demanded valuables. In the process of making their demands, the gunmen also beat Scott.

Scared for his life, Scott led the man to his valuables, which included two oneounce gold chains, two gold bracelets, five gold rings and over $300,000. The men then tied Scott’s hands and feet and made good their escape.

Scott was able to acquire a cellphone and called relatives and Police.

An investigation has been launched.

8 news

monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Lindener killed, girlfriend fighting for life in “gang” feud

By Kristen Macklingam

A

24-year-old Linden man is now dead after being shot multiple times about his body during an alleged “gang war” battle which occurred in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Saturday night.

Dead is Ian Williams called “Ojay”, of Lot 4 Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden.

This newspaper was told that Williams was shot to the back of his head, the back of his neck, in both hands and his lower back.

Meanwhile, the dead

that he arrived at the location some 20 minutes later and it was when his girlfriend entered his vehicle that gunshots rang through the air and bullets shattered the rear windshield of the car.

After realising they were under attack, Williams immediately drove off in order to evade the two males, dressed in dark hoodies, who were firing shots at his vehicle.

However, a black Toyota Allion car suddenly appeared on the roadway and its occupants began firing shots at Williams’ vehicle

Follow de leadah…

Y The Toyota Allion used by the gunmen to execute the shooting on Saturday night

in minutes of the shooting but by then, the gunmen had escaped. Williams and his girlfriend were rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after being admitted.

The vehicle used by the

val gang’s members. Three 9mm shells were recovered as well as other rounds that are believed to belong to AK-47 guns.

When contacted, Deputy Commander of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani), Jermaine Harper said that

The car belonging to Williams that was riddled with bullets

man’s 20-year-old girlfriend, Melita Antigua, was shot to the middle of her back and to her left side calf. She is in critical condition at a medical institution.

Reports are at about 19:40h, Williams received a telephone call from his girlfriend, who requested that he collect her from a birthday party in Lovers’ Lane, Amelia’s Ward.

This newspaper was told

resulting in the rear glass shattering.

The man and his girlfriend were left with no other choice but to try to escape from the gunmen on foot.

But the gunmen also pursued the fleeing couple on foot, firing shots at them.

Shortly after, both Williams and his girlfriend fell to the ground while the perpetrators made good their escape.

This newspaper was told that Police responded with-

The area where Ian Williams was shot multiple times and his girlfriend injured

men who gunned Williams down was recovered by the police near a creek in Linden and is registered to the mother of one of the ri-

Williams’ vehicle, as well as the car used to execute the murder and shooting, are presently at the McKenzie Police Station.

He noted that the owner of the car that the suspects used has denied the involvement of her child and his friends in the incident. According to the Commander, the woman is maintaining that she rented the vehicle to a male and Police are presently investigating this claim.

However, a police source close to the investigation also told Guyana Times that the woman is unable to provide a proper description or information about the person who she allegedly rented the car to. She is presently in Police custody assisting with investigations.

Earlier this month, a motorcar believed to have belonged to ex-Policeman Teon Allen, called “Spoil Child”, was torched, after Police issued a wanted bulletin for him on September 4 in connection with attempted murder. Allen has since turned himself in to the police. His vehicle was torched while parked at a location at One Mile Wismar, Linden.

The torching of the vehicle was said to have been as a result of a turf war between the two gangs in Linden.

…on the elections rigmarole our Eyewitness has found this extended elections period (what do you think the parties have been doing since Dec 21, 2018??!) very revealing. It has acted like those “ink-blot tests” – Rorschach Test, actually – where the psychologist gets clues to your inner state of mind based on what you say you “see” when you look at the random shapes.

Let’s start at the very beginning – the NCM. Before the vote, the PNC/AFC saw absolutely nothing wrong with the premise of the idea. After all, Nagamootoo, with the blessings of their Opposition partner APNU/PNC, had even started one in 2014 against the PPP expecting to combine their seven seats with the PNC’s 23 to arrive at a “majority” of 33!! Confident of their “party discipline”, Amna Ally crowed “Bring it on, big boy!!” Right AFTER the vote, they lauded their defeat as burnishing their “democratic” credentials!!

Then overnight, the PNC realised if they were voted out in three months, they wouldn’t be able to get their (grubby big) hands on all that oil money, scheduled to start flowing by first quarter 2020. A “Plan B” was launched with the simple goal – delay the elections till 2020 – and the even simpler strategy: use whatever means to do so! Including those that made them look like jackasses. Like the one that declared 33 wasn’t the “majority” of 65!!

Here it was the PNC/AFC had won the 2015 elections and formed the Government because of their 33-seat majority – and suddenly, 33 wasn’t the majority of 65?? Did that mean they were occupying the Executive illegally? Did it mean that even after they expelled and replaced Charrandas, their 33 seats still didn’t constitute a “majority”?? OK, they were “trying a t’ing” as per their strategy…but look how fellas (and felines!), who were supposed to be very smart people, suddenly fell into line with the “argument”!!

Some say you gotta support the “party line”…but jeez!... isn’t there another line drawn somewhere to protect one’s self-respect?? University professors who’d boasted about their “independence” started bleating the party line. Even two Justices of the Appellate Court fell into line. If nothing else, it illustrated the Orwellian world we were now living in. “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” and now, the Guyanese contribution to the totalitarian imperative: 33 isn’t the majority of 65!!

As bookends, the High Court and the CCJ did point out the Emperor wasn’t only stark naked but stark bonkers!

But your Eyewitness just can’t respect any of those opinion leaders who still fill the letters pages and blogsphere with their ornately phrased pontifications. They haven’t even apologised!

Follow the leader means never having to say you’re sorry!!

…and condemning the West As soon as the US, UK and EU issued their (rather mildly worded) criticism of David Granger for his “constitutional breach”, he became so livid, he pulled out the race card. He accused these countries of having being slave owners, who had no standing to criticise him or his government!! How dare they??

Well, that was pretty rich for a country that just sent its Foreign Minister to the UN to lecture the Israelis on their mistreatment of Palestinians!! How dare she?? But Granger’s jingoistic response to Western “intervention” in our domestic affairs was even more hilarious since he’s never condemned the US destabilisation of the PPP back in 1964 to ensconce his hero Burnham as dictator for life!!

Especially since he’s supposed to be a trained historian.

But once again, we can say he’s a PNC “party man” and excuse him. But what excuse does that verbose Trade Unionist have?

Didn’t he work with the US right wing unions to do the destabilisation back in the day?? …on new oil contract Raphael Trotman dropped a bombshell into the Guyanese political scene, but seems we’ve become so shell-shocked by PNC kamikaze politics, we can’t react anymore??

Don’t we want to know who INSTRUCTED him to take that 1% “bonus” from Tullow??

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

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monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Granger’s refusal to issue elections proclamation suspicious – former Minister

U

nless caretaker President David Granger issues a proclamation that March 2 is Election Day (E-Day), former Minister Leslie Ramsammy said it can only be assumed that elections will be “really and truly” held on that day and that it is not just another hoax.

Last week, President Granger announced that elections will be held on March 2, 2020. However, he is yet to issue a proclamation or dissolve Parliament in accordance with the Constitution.

To this end, Ramsammy on Sunday posited that “until he issues a proclamation dissolving Parliament and naming a date for elections, the Guyanese people are suspicious that Granger and APNU/AFC are up to no good, working on another fanciful way to disregard March 2 as E-Day”.

According to the former Minister, it is not just the PPP Opposition and its supporters demanding that Granger issues the proclamation now, but the international community along with local stakeholders are also asking for a proclamation to declare that E-Day is really March 2.

Among the local stakeholders making that call are the Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), various chambers of commerce around the country, religious organisations, trade unions, other political parties, such as A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and so on.

The international com-

Former Minister, Ramsammy

Dr

Leslie

munity including the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the International Centre for Democracy (ICD) have also warned the Guyanese Leader to issue the proclamations now.

“It seems the only ones who are not bothered about the non-issuance of the proclamations are Granger and his colleagues in APNU/ AFC,” Ramsammy stated.

He pointed out that since the December 21, 2018 passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the APNU/AFC coalition, the Government has been deceitful, causing confusion and chaos, and trying every which way, including blatantly lying and concocting fanciful stories, in order to invalidate the motion and prevent the hosting of early elections, which were due on or before March 21, 2019.

“Ten months after the December 21, 2018 NCM, David Granger, the squatting President, in a long-de-

layed address to the nation, announced that March 2 is the earliest possible date for elections. Granger ignored precedent and did not issue a proclamation to dissolve Parliament or to name a date for election. His refusal to make a proclamation deliberately created confusion, but also provides APNU/ AFC with an opportunity for further delays, beyond March 2, 2020,” he noted.

The former Minister contended that for those who are accustomed to the “trickery and deceit” by the coalition over the last nine months, the announcement of March 2, 2020, as the “earliest possible date” for election, without the necessary proclamations, heightens suspicion that Granger, APNU/ AFC and even the Elections Secretariat are “cooking-up an excuse to invalidate the March 2 E-Day proposal”. This, he noted, will essentially reject the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair, Justice Claudette Singh’s, assertion that the body is ready for elections.

“If Granger is honest about the March 2 E-Day

proposal, then why not issue the proclamations immediately,” he questioned.

Ramsammy pointed out that the President’s sycophants insist Granger does not have to issue the proclamation for E-Day and Parliament’s dissolution now because E-Day must be within three months of the dissolution of Parliament.

He added that they argued that Granger has up to December 2 to issue the declarations. But according to the former Minister, this is farcical. “ … h e can issue the proclamation now n a m i n g E-Day and the dissolution of the Parliament to take effect on December 2. He does not need to wait for December 2 to issue the proclamation unless he is retaining an option to change the date,” Ramsammy stressed.

He went on to opine that

“If Granger is honest about the March 2 E-Day proposal, then why not issue the proclamations immediately” – former Minister

Caretaker Granger

President

David

given the trickery and deceit Guyana has witnessed since December 21, 2018, there is “genuine suspicion” that the Granger-led APNU/AFC is presently engaged in an intense search for an excuse to abandon the March 2 E-Day announcement.

“E-Day, March 2, 2020, is already one year after the deadline for the elections necessitated by the December 21, 2018, NCM. In fact, the proposed E-Day is almost 15 months since the NCM. It is an inconvenient truth, but Granger has, in effect, illegally suspended the NCM, totally breaching the Constitution.

Only dictators do that,” the former Minister insisted.

Ramsammy further outlined that one clue that the

coalition Administration plans to push E-Day beyond March 2 is the rogue behaviour of the Elections Secretariat, which he said appears to serve Granger and not GECOM. He noted that the Keith Lowenfield-led Secretariat issued a proclamation to start the Claims and Objections (C&O) for the Preliminary Voters’ List (PLE) for 49 days when GECOM itself agreed that it will be 35 days.

Added to this, he said that GECOM has also advised people that every citizen must appear in person at a GECOM office or their names would be taken off the voters’ list – something that was never agreed to by the seven-member Commission.

Ramsammy said this move comes on the heels of not just the Chief Justice, Roxane George, declaring it illegal to remove names from the voters’ list but also the Secretariat inserting these unapproved changes in the proclamation and dishonestly getting an unsuspecting Chair to sign it.

On this note, he called for the GECOM Chair to take a firm stance to expose and stop the Secretariat’s rogue posture.

10 news

monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Brother of Govt executive, civil society activist to join Civic arm of PPP …as MAPM calls for Guyanese to respect their decision

M

arcel Gaskin, the brother of former Business Minister and Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Dominic Gaskin, together with a fellow Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) activist, are poised to join the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Civic component.

This was revealed on Sunday when Gaskin made an appearance on a local radio station announcing his intentions. Activist Don Singh is also eyeing joining the Civic component of the party, which has produced notable figures including former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.

Both Gaskin and Singh played pivotal roles in the MAPM’s protest against City Hall’s attempts to install paid parking systems in Georgetown. According to Gaskin, during the interview, however, such a move

and Marcel Gaskin … announced their intention to join the Civic arm of the PPP … worthy of note is that there are several leading members of MAPM that are closely associated with other political parties and it has never been an issue or affected MAPM’s advocacy,” the group said.

“Don Singh and Marcel Gaskin will, therefore, be given the same respect that these other affiliated mem-

Don Singh during a recent protest outside the Ministry of the Presidency

will have to come with guarantees of independence.

“I’m not interested in the political structures. I’m interested in the civil structures and that might be the avenue for me,” Gaskin

was quoted in the media as saying. Efforts to contact him on Sunday were futile.

Meanwhile, Singh described the move on his social media page as him “getting off the fence”.

In a statement afterwards in which it emphasised that it was not affiliated with the PPP, MAPM also stressed the need to respect the rights of individual members to choose their own political persuasion. It, therefore, called for maturity among Guyanese, with the elections fast approaching.

“Two of MAPM’s leading members, Don Singh

Former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin

bers enjoy. MAPM remains a civil society organisation and our members are free to join/support any political party of their choice. We would like to urge Guyanese to be matured and tolerant of each other’s choices as our beloved country approaches the election season.”

Engineer and civil society activist Marcel Gaskin – brother of former Business Minister and Alliance For Change (AFC) executive Dominic Gaskin

Besides his involvement in MAPM, Gaskin rose to national prominence in 2017 when he approached the courts over caretaker President David Granger’s unexplained rejection of nominees for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chairmanship.

Almost two years later, Gaskin filed private criminal charges against the then GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson and the three Government Commissioners, for conspiracy to breach the Constitution of Guyana.

This came after Commission meetings that were supposed to get GECOM ready for elections seemed to be continuously frustrated by the four. The High Court subsequently dismissed the case.

In the aftermath of the successful No-Confidence Motion against the

Government, the PPP has attracted some notable names to the party. Among them were well-known People’s National Congress (PNC) stalwarts, Dave Danny and his son, Dave Danny junior.

Danny Senior, who served as a People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) parliamentarian in the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments, and his son, who announced his resignation from the party the previous week, held placards calling for elections as they marched outside the President’s Office last month.

The younger Danny was at the time a Government Regional Councillor in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and a former PNC Youth Executive. Among his reasons for joining the PPP was the clear disrespect with which the PNC-led coalition was treating the Constitution.

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monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police Commanders appointed for each administrative region from today

By Kristen Macklingam

S

everal senior officers in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be taking up the post as Police Commanders in the 10 administrative regions effective today.

As such, the old policing divisions (A-G) have been officially dissolved.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Paul Williams, who has responsibility for the GPF’s administration, when contacted on Sunday

by Guyana Times confirmed the appointments and stated that it was necessary in order to ensure that the GPF executes its duties to the best of its abilities in every region.

“Each administrative region will have a Commander and a Divisional Headquarters and that has been one of our strategic alignment which the Force has been looking at for quite some time. Looking in terms of the stand of control and the development of these new housing projects and so on, they are too far-flung for one Commander to really and truly [be] able to control and maybe exercise proper jurisdiction. So that is why we came up with the idea in terms of ensuring that this arrangement is in place,” he told this publication.

DCP Williams explained that such a move would also create more opportunities for other police officers to be promoted and, therefore, broaden the scope for elevation in rank while serving the GPF. He stated that the posts which some of these minted Commanders would have held prior to their promotion will be filled, thereby ensuring that other police ranks are promoted.

Region One Commander Wendell Blanhum

Region Two Commander Crystal Robinson

Region Three Linden Lord

Commander

Region Four East Coast Demerara Sub-Division Head, Royston Andries-Junor

Region Six Commander Calvin Brutus

Region Seven Kevin Adonis

Commander

Additionally, the DCP said that with every Commander in a region, there will be the need to have a Deputy Commander functioning so more promotions are in store.

The Police Division in Region One (Barima-Waini) will be headed by Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, who was functioning as the Officer-in-Charge of sub-division three in the former F Division (Interior locations).

In Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Acting Commander of the former G Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands), Superintendent

Crystal Robinson will hold the commanding post.

For Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Commander of the former D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo), Senior Superintendent Linden Lord will retain his position.

Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), because of its large populace, has been split into three sub-divisions; Georgetown, East Bank Demerara, and East Coast Demerara.

Assistant Commissioner and Commander Marlon Chapman, who was in charge

of A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara) will remain in control of the capital city.

Meanwhile, Head of the GPF’s Police Narcotics Branch, Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon will now head the East Bank Demerara corridor.

For the East Coast Demerara corridor, Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor will be in charge.

In Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), Superintendent Yonette Stephens will command that area while in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne),

Region Four Georgetown subdivision Commander, Marlon Chapman

Region Four East Bank Demerara Sub-Division Head, Kurleigh Simon

Region Eight Ramesh Ashram

Region Nine Keithon King

Commander

Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus will be the head.

Previously, Regions Five and Six comprised the B Division (Berbice) and that was headed by former Commander Paul Langevine, who has now retired from the GPF. Assistant Commissioner Kevin Adonis, who was previously the Commander for the now dissolved F Division (Interior locations) which comprised of Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, will be Commander for Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Meanwhile, in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni),

Commander

Superintendent Ramesh Ashram has been placed as the Commander. Prior to this appointment, Ashram was acting Commander of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) for a short period after Commander Lord was transferred to Head another policing Division.

Police ranks in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) will be commanded by Superintendent Keithon King and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) is to be headed by Superintendent Courtland Winter, who was, prior to this promotion, the Superintendent of the Court.

12 news

monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition Leader calls on CDC to take immediate measures to bring relief to flood victims …as affected citizens grapple with losses

L

eaders of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Sunday met with residents of several communities across the country, who were affected by severe flooding caused by unusually high tides over the weekend.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was joined by members of the party as

are also discomforted and had their livelihoods disrupted.

“Many have suffered untold damage to personal and other items and may never recover from the devastation brought about by this unfortunate situation,” he stated.

Jagdeo called on the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to take immediate

A woman walks through floodwater in her yard

he interacted with and comforted the flood victims.

In a statement on his Facebook page, the Opposition Leader said they have seen firsthand, the suffering of citizens, whose homes are flooded and who

measures to bring relief to those who are suffering.

Additionally, he said that the PPP has extended its full support to those State agencies that are entrusted with the responsibility of bringing necessary

relief at this time.

On Saturday residents in several coastal villages across the country were under water as a result of overtopping caused by unusually high tides.

Director General of the CDC, Lt Col Kester Craig on Sunday said communities in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) were affected by the current unprecedented high water.

Nevertheless, he noted that the CDC, through its 24-hour National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS), is monitoring the situation and is in contact with all the regional administrations that activated their Regional Disaster Management System and is conducting assessments and updating the Commission.

In addition, the Commission is coordinating with key agencies and Ministries including the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and Public Infrastructure Ministry. He said too that an additional team will be deployed to the affected re-

Persons struggling through floodwaters at Parika Stelling

gions to augment their response mechanism and continue the response that commenced on Saturday in Region Three and in Region Five on Sunday.

On Saturday residents along the West Coast of

seven families experienced floodwaters in their homes.

The CDC added that several small scale subsistence farms and livestock including poultry were also severely affected. Further, over 10 rice cultivated plots

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal walk with a resident carrying sandbags to block floodwaters

Demerara woke up to flooding from overtopping early that morning and then again later in the afternoon.

The villages affected are Blankenburg, Den Amstel, Fellowship, Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina, and Uitvlugt Oceanview.

Then on Sunday Parika was under water. As a result of the high tide, the Essequibo River overflowed, flooding nearby coastal communities and the Parika Stelling and surrounding facilitates.

Meanwhile, over in Region Five, an eroded sea dam at Dantzig, Mahaica, threatened homes and more severely, hundreds of acres of rice. By Sunday, however, the breach coupled with severe high tide caused intense flooding in the coastal communities in the region.

The CDC on Sunday said the height of the above normal high tide was approximately 3.31 metres. It was noted that over 200 metres of the Dantzig sea defence dam has been compromised.

As such, a five-person team was deployed to the communities of Dantzig, Columbia, Glazier’s Lust, Fair Field, High Dam and Prospect. A rapid assessment in collaboration with the Region Five Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was conducted across the communities and found that

were inundated with saltwater.

Nevertheless, as in Region Three, the flood-affected families in Region Five were also provided with cleaning hampers.

community were under threat. He also mentioned that this was highlighted in several newspaper articles but shortly after, the Regional Executive Officer (REO), David Morrison, was on national television refuting his claims.

He said if the Public Infrastructure Ministry had paid attention to his complaints, much of the damage could have been avoided.

Furthermore, the Regional Chairman also blasted the Mahaica Mahaicony AbaryAgricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), which has also failed to pay heed to his complaints about threats and dangers to livelihood that the breach could cause. He said he had implored the agency to pay urgent attention to the fragile sea defence over a year ago to no avail.

Ramphal said that he managed to get on to the MMA-ADA Head on Sunday but had he responded earlier then the severity of the flooding and most of the damages it caused could have been avoided.

“The Government has failed to put systems in place to properly manage and do remedial work to the sea dam and DantzigProspect area. There are over 500 acres of rice that is under threat because the temporary dam south of the sea defence to prevent the water from getting on land has broken away. However, since the tide is up and there is further deterioration of the sea dam and breaches, the water has now caused that temporary dam to also erode at some sections and the water is getting into cultivated land,” the Chairman stated.

Meanwhile, residents in these affected coastal areas are being advised that the above normal high tide

These Region Five residents hurriedly move their chicken pen as the floodwaters rise

However, Region Five Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal told Guyana Times that floodwaters had reached four feet in some areas, while other residents have reported up to 18 inches of water in their homes.

Ramphal explained that one year ago, he wrote to the Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, explaining that a breach had already occurred and the sea defence and the

warning remains in effect until October 2, 2019, and as such, precautions must be observed at all times.

To this end, residents were provided with sandbags, and in some cases, sand, to make the bags to use as protective barriers.

In addition, the Public Infrastructure Ministry and the NDIA have provided excavators to broaden channels to alleviate some of the floodwaters.

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Drug traffickers flee from cops during roadblock …pursued on foot, nabbed with ganja in haversacks …“It is my side hustle” – suspect tells Police

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wo men, who tried to run away from the police on foot during a “snap stop and search” exercise along the West Bank Demerara (WBD) roadway on Saturday evening were arrested after ranks pursued and caught them with cannabis in their haversacks.

The suspects have been identified as a 22-year-old labourer and a 35-year-old construction worker. Both men are from La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD. Reports are at about 18:10h on Saturday, five police officers were conducting searches at the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge at the Meer-Zorgen Public Road, WBD, when they requested the driver of a silver-grey car to pull over for a routine search.

The driver slowly manoeuvred his vehicle to the corner of the road, a short distance from the roadblock, to allow two men to exit the car.

Both men had a haversack in their possession when they disembarked the vehicle and began to run. The driver also sped away from the scene. As the men ran towards Schoonord Public Road, WBD, with their haversacks gripped tightly in their hands, Police ranks pursued on foot.

According to information received, a police sergeant managed grab onto both of the fleeing suspects and restrain them singlehandedly, while the two other police constables assisted him in opening the haversacks to ascertain what they contained.

Each haversack was opened in the presence of its owner and parcels wrapped in transparent plastic with what appeared to be cannabis was discovered.

The two men were subsequently arrested. A police source told this publication that the 22-year-old admitted to the offence of transporting the illegal substance.

“He admitted to the commission of the offence and stated that it is his side hustle. He gave a written cautioned statement to the effect,” the source said.

When contacted, Commander of D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo), Senior Superintendent Linden Lord confirmed that the duo is presently in Police custody pending investigations.

He commended the work by the ranks, stating that they went the extra mile to ensure that the suspects did

not escape.

Commander Lord added that investigators are currently trying to locate the

silver-grey vehicle that the two men disembarked as well as its driver. (Kristen Macklingam)

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monday, september 30, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Unsafe abortion happens when there is not enough access

By Devina Samaroo

J

ane Doe (not real name) was 15 years old when she found out she was pregnant.

At that time, she was about to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, and her boyfriend was scared of his parents’ reaction to the situation.

Becoming a mother was out of the question. She needed an abortion.

“I wasn’t scared prior to doing it simply because I

Map showing the prevalence of unsafe abortions (Source: WHO)

ous consequences for their own health and that of their families. This should not happen. But despite recent advances in technology and evidence, too many unsafe abortions still occur, and too many women continue to suffer and die,” Dr Ganatra said in a WHO news release in September 2017.

This point was under-

other far-flung areas are placed at a disadvantage.

The GRPA, also based in the capital city, offers abortion services and has helped a large number of persons.

Bacchus-Hinds said the number of persons accessing abortion services at that facility has decreased, and she likened it to persons being more informed about contracep-

the majority was categorised as “less safe,” as it is increasingly common for women in the region to ob-

is not a moral issue, said Bacchus-Hinds.

“It isn’t a moral issue or anything like that. It’s just a healthcare,” she explained, noting that it is completely safe when done by trained medical personnel and certified doctors.

In Guyana, abortions have been legal since 1995.

There is no need for a patient to have any form of consent. For persons up to eight weeks pregnant, no reason is needed for the abortion and it can be done under one doctor’s supervision.

From eight to twelve weeks, termination of pregnancy will be granted for reasons such as rape, in-

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

thought it would be a quick and painless process. On the contrary, it was the absolute opposite,” Jane recalled.

At such a young age, she knew nothing about abortions. There was not much information available and talking about it was always taboo.

“I did the abortion with pills my boyfriend acquired from a pharmacy,” Jane explained, admitting that she did not even know what medication she was using and the effects it would have on her body.

“I inserted two tablets into my vagina at 20:00hrs and went to bed.

By 01:00hrs, I was awakened by strong abdominal pains that I tried to ignore but, eventually, I couldn’t.”

“I ended up over the toilet in beads of perspiration and tears as the pain was so severe. I was over the toilet the entire time in excruciating pain as the remains of the baby came out in the form of massive blood clots.

This lasted for over four hours,” Jane recounted.

Today, she is 35 years old and a proud mother of four children.

Unfortunately though, many others who conducted unsafe abortions did not live to tell their tale.

In 2015, 41-year-old Carol Bollers, a mother of five, died as a result of an unsafe abortion. The woman was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after

complaining of intense abdominal pains, however, doctors were unable to save her life.

In 2012, 18-year-old Karen Badal, a mother of two, died after sustaining injuries during an unsafe abortion.

Globally, some 25 million unsafe abortions occurred every year between 2010 and 2014, according to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Guttmacher Institute.

The majority of unsafe abortions, equating to 97 per cent, occurred in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions. That number rises to 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in developing regions.

Abortion access

But why are there so many unsafe abortions?

According to the WHO, any woman with an unwanted pregnancy who cannot access safe abortion is at risk of unsafe abortion.

Moreover, women living in low-income countries and poor women are more likely to have an unsafe abortion.

Dr Bela Ganatra, a scientist in the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research, also believes it is as a result of inaccessibility to abortion services.

“When women and girls cannot access effective contraception and safe abortion services, there are seri-

Director at the Obstetrics and Programme, Dr Natasha France

GRPA Programme Manager Salima Bacchus-Hinds

scored by Salima BacchusHinds, a Programme Manager at the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) – a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting positive sexual health.

“Unsafe abortions happen when there isn’t access,” Bacchus-Hinds noted. And in Guyana, access is still very limited.

An independent investigation by Guyana Times found that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in the capital city and the New Amsterdam Public Hospital in the ancient county of Berbice are perhaps the only public health institutions which offer termination of pregnancy services.

When contacted, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud refused to name which public health facilities offer these services. He was concerned that anti-abortion groups would stage protests and threaten hospital staff.

While the services are also offered privately, it is often costly and mostly only available in Georgetown.

This means that persons in the hinterland regions and

tives and family planning as well as improved access.

However, there is still a long way to go to ensure universal access.

This limited access coupled with lack of knowledge as well as the stigma attached to getting an abortion are the main reasons why persons resort to unsafe methods.

Director at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Programme, Dr Natasha France recognised that many persons opted to "self-administer" the treatment, resulting in a variety of health complications.

“Most times they would have used misoprostol (or Cytotec), which would have been obtained from a pharmacy.

Sometimes they would have used other concoctions to induce an abortion,” Dr France explained in a short film produced by the GRPA. Several patients would usually be admitted and some would have to be treated for an infection, need blood transfusions while others may end up losing their uterus.

The WHO reported that in Latin America, only 1 in 4 abortions is safe, though

tain and self-administer medicines like misoprostol outside of formal health systems. “[That is why] we generally discourage you from going to pharmacies and getting medication and inserting them or drinking them. A lot of the times, the medication that is prescribed to you is not the correct type … or a lot of the times the medication you are getting is the incorrect dosage,” Dr France explained.

Stigma and permission

Although abortion is a common experience around the world, it is still widely stigmatised.

This is because some people view abortion as taking a life; others believe it can result in medical complications later in life.

And this stigma is another reason why many women prefer to self-administer, putting themselves in danger.

On September 22, 2019, thousands of anti-abortion protesters rallied in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, against a law allowing terminations until the 12th week of pregnancy, which has been in force in the heavily Catholic country since communist times.

But getting an abortion

Gynaecology

Residency

cest, HIV positive, health complications, or as a result of failed contraceptives.

For twelve to sixteen weeks, patients will need two doctors to agree that the procedure is safe. After sixteen weeks, there needs to be approval from three doctors and the procedure will be done if the pregnancy can cause permanent harm.

In 2015, Guyana’s Public Health Ministry recorded some 800 cases of abortions, the CMO had announced.

So how can society break the stigma attached to getting abortions? BacchusHinds believes people need to talk about it more often, and women need to support other women.

“Even if you don’t support abortions, at least respect someone’s right to choose,” she said.

For Jane, she believes if getting an abortion was not so stigmatised and there was more access at the time, she could have saved herself hours of excruciating pain and potential harm.

She is grateful to be one of the lucky ones to survive an unsafe abortion, and she supports a woman’s right to choose.

“It’s your body, your right, your choice,” she said.

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monday, september 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Local youths join global climate strike …call on Govt to prioritise climate justice

S

cores of Guyanese on Sunday joined young people around the world to encourage action against climate change by participating in a “climate strike” march.

The event was a collaboration between the Guyana Policy Forum (GPF), the UG Geographical Society and the University of Guyana Female Empowerment Movement (UGFEM) and was organ-

September, there was a series of international strikes and protests referred to as “climate strikes”, led by young people and adults, demanding that action be taken to address climate change.

In fact, during the week of September 20 to 27 (Global Climate Week), there was a record 7.6 million people who took to the streets to strike for climate action – resulting in this be-

Participants in Sunday's march making their way to the Seawall Bandstand in Kingston

ised to mark the end of the Global Climate Strike.

The march started outside of the Bank of Guyana building on Avenue of the Republic and moved along Church Street then onto Camp Street all the way to the seawall and ended at the bandstand in Kingston.

During the month of

ing dubbed as the “biggest climate mobilisation” in history.

This resulted in the United Nations holding its first ever Youth Climate Summit at its 2019 General Assembly, which served as a platform for young activists, innovators and entrepreneurs who are commit-

ted to addressing the global climate emergency to showcase their solutions and meaningfully engage with decision-makers.

Prior to her departure for New York to attend the UN Special Summit on the Climate Crisis, the groups wrote Foreign Affairs Minister Karen Cummings, underscoring the need for Government to prioritise climate justice.

The letter outlined that the climate is undergoing a crisis, with forests on fire, oceans poisoned and wildlife facing extinction around the world. This is coupled with the fact that countless people across the globe are already faced with the devastating impacts of climate change and it can only be reversed if political leaders act urgently to change this trajectory.

“To date, we in Guyana, have avoided shattering environmental events such as [hurricanes which] recently devastated the Bahamas, but changing weather patterns will inevitably come our way.

One such event could permanently transform our low-lying coastal regions for the worst. Are we ready for this,” the letter asked.

It was highlighted that previous generations and political leaders have failed to ensure that descendants

Students from West Demerara Secondary School highlighted their concerns about the climate crisis

have a future to look forward to. Instead, they are leaving the burden of creating the change we need on us and our peers around the world.

The local organisations had urged the Guyana Government to use the opportunity provided by the UN Climate Summit to push for the climate crisis to be addressed. They reminded the Minister that the Summit seeks to challenge States, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens to step up action in all matters related to the climate crisis.

“We are calling on the Government of Guyana to take steps to prioritise climate justice by protecting not only human life but also promoting a world that respects all living beings,” the letter stated.

In keeping with this goal, the groups also called for the

Government to pay particular attention to specific priorities relating to the climate crisis. These include: young people needing to know the facts and being updated about the climate cri-

such, steps need to be taken to equip them for the kind of jobs required by the world they’re about to enter, and Government communicating to the general public in a more direct and purposeful way to bring habits and lifestyles in line with climate constraints.

“Young people in Guyana are constantly referred to as the hope for the future and legally allowed to vote at eighteen years. However, no one treats eighteen-year-olds as adults, except the criminal justice system. This is no longer acceptable, young people must be allowed to influence decision-making, especially on climate-related issues,” the groups contended in the letter.

These young kids also joined Sunday’s climate strike

sis in a language which everybody can understand; the education system not preparing young people for the world they will inherit, as

At the end of Sunday’s march, prizes were offered for best banner, chant and creativity in the production of promotional materials.

Berbice Chamber President calls for wise use of oil revenue

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resident of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), Mohammed Rafeek has called on the next Government to ensure that the money which Guyana will receive as revenue from its oil reserves next year is immediately used to benefit all citizens.

Rafeek made the comment while addressing the gathering at the Berbice Expo on Friday evening.

Speaking at the Albion Sports Complex, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), where the event was hosted, Rafeek said that the event, now in its 16th year, has brought benefits to the community.

The expo, he explained, is a costly exercise but money is given back to the community. Over $2 million was spent from the last expo to construct 13 incinerators for schools on the Corentyne.

“That is something that we found to be very useful because people used to dump garbage all over the place and so we found that by doing that they will have a better way of disposing of garbage. $100,000 was spent to build a cycle shed at the Belvedere Primary.”

Rafeek noted that throughout the year, the Chamber has been receiving requests from various organisations throughout

Berbice for donations.

Berbice Expo 16 is being held under the theme, “Promoting a favourable business and investment climate”.

The Chamber’s President said it is very important in any country to ensure that the investment climate is one that is conducive to investment.

Elections

Touching on the current

political climate in Guyana, Rafeek said that the Berbice Chamber is advocating for free and fair elections and a clean elections campaign. He said that the Chamber is eagerly looking forward to political parties coming up with programmes which ordinary citizens and the business community can benefit from.

He noted, however, that the next Government should be one that ensures a good environment for the country so that the country can move forward at a rapid pace.

Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party’s Presidential Candidate, Irfan Ali in his address to the gathering said under a PPP regime, oil and gas will open up opportunities in Guyana for the resources to move faster on critical development and infrastructural needs.

However, he noted that most important is how the resources are spent in order to build a stronger and more diversified economy so that it will not be singularly reliant on oil and gas but have many legs on which it can stand.

“That is a very important part of the vision of the PPP as we take Guyana forward. One of the key areas of investment that will be the new areas of growth development, wealth, job creation and to create the upliftment of the region.”

This, he said, must be-

gin with educational training and also include policy formation.

The party’s Presidential Candidate outlined notable education, healthcare and security programmes that will be implemented under his regime.

“So, in the strategy that we will build as we move forward, we will have to be able to address all of these issues in the immediate and long-term as we create opportunities and build a stronger region.”

Ali noted that industrial development will also have to focus on micro-businesses so that assistance can be given to small and medium-sized businesses.

“We have to be able to create industrial and commercial zones [for] our small and medium-sized businesses because the infrastructure is becoming more expensive and if we do not

create a specific framework for small and medium-sized businesses, they will not be able to compete and will be swallowed up by the big sharks. So, we have to create an environment which enables small and micro-enterprises along with medium-sized enterprises. So, we have to look at the commercial industrial investment and development that will target that, the segment of the business population.”

Ali said the new Government must also look into approving disposable income.

According to the Presidential Candidate, the party has already committed itself to reopening the closed sugar estates in Berbice once it returns to office. This is in addition to creating new jobs which must be able to produce High Disposable Incomes.

That, he said, will be able to take the minimum wage threshold to $100,000 as an initial step. He noted that the party has already indicated this in the short version of its manifesto.

In sustaining those jobs, a special investment and incentive regime would be created for Region Six. There will be specific benefits that will come in specific areas for investment in Guyana and Region Six, according to Ali, will be one of those areas.

He said systems must be geared towards meeting the economic requirements of the future. The Port Mourant Training Centre, he said, will be transformed into a state-of-the-art facility for technical education so that students can be trained to function effectively in the oil and gas sector and in the downstream industries that will come as a result of oil and gas.

Noting that oil and gas together with hydroelectricity will reduce the cost of electricity, Ali said this will encourage persons to get more involved in agro-processing.

Meanwhile, Director of Business, Dominic Gaskin said oil reserves in Guyana are likely to last between 30 to 40 years, hence it must be used to secure the future of the other sectors.

The expo will conclude today.

(Andrew Carmichael)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, september 30, 2019

Regional

Regional parliamentarians in gun talks Trinidad: Teacher, students

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rominent parliamentarians from Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname, together with their counterparts from TT, convened at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, last week, to identify how female parliamentarians can ramp up their engagement in tackling the illegal gun trade in the Region.

A statement from the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) said nearly 60 per cent of all homicides in the Region were gun-related and more than 1.6 million illegal guns were in circulation, despite the fact there is no local manufacture base in the Caribbean.

The workshop was organised by PGA and was funded by the United

Nations Trust Facility on Cooperation in Arms Regulation (UNSCAR).

It was tasked with highlighting how female decision-makers, including parliamentarians were increasingly being looked to by the international community, to get involved, especially since the situation has deteriorated considerably in several Caricom Member States, including TT. At the workshop, participants recognised that reckless, unchecked arms exports by certain countries outside the Region were a major cause of the problem.

They also identified a number of practical steps they can take, both as advocates and lawmakers, to tackle the significant security, public health and socio-economic and development chal-

held with ganja cookies

O

At the workshop, participants recognised that reckless, unchecked arms exports by certain countries outside the Region were a major cause of the problem

lenges that arise directly from this trade.

Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Aad Biesebroek and UN Resident Coordinator in TT Marina Walter were at the

workshop and spoke of the substantial resources their respective organisations were collectively committing to address this region-wide challenge. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

“Everything is burnt”: Bolivian caravan marches across fire-ravaged region to pressure Morales

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n Bolivia’s fire-ravaged lowlands, a caravan of Indigenous protesters is marching hundreds of miles to demand President Evo Morales declare a surge in wildfires a national disaster, a move they hope will unleash international aid.

Morales has been reluctant to make the designation as he campaigns for a fourth presidential term

ahead of October 20 elections, despite growing calls that he acknowledge the fires – which have already burned an area bigger than Costa Rica – were beyond his government’s control.

Some 200 protesters – most Indigenous Chiquitano people from Bolivia’s east – have joined the caravan since it departed earlier this month from San Ignacio de Velasco, a

ranching hub where fires have forced villagers from their homes and threatened pastures that sustain half a million head of cattle.

“He hasn’t declared a national disaster despite all this misfortune we’ve suffered,” Joaquin Orellana, the organiser of the march, said of Morales as he walked along an unpaved road alongside protesters playing flutes and

drums.

“Everything’s burnt where I’m from. We don’t know what to do,” Orellana said of his village of San Miguel.

Protesters, including women with young children and elders, have camped out in empty lots and relied on donations of food, water and clothes from villages along the march’s 500-kilometre (311-mile) route.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

fficers of the North Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF) arrested three people on Saturday night after they were found selling marijuana-infused brownies and cookies in Arima.

The three – one of whom is believed to be a teacher at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, along with two students, were held around 19:00h at Farfan Street.

Acting on information, the officers went to a named location and found the trio

allegedly offering the items for sale to interested persons.

Following their arrest officers carried out searches at the homes of the three and seized a quantity of items pertaining to the creation, packaging, and distribution of the products.

The trio remained in custody and being questioned up to Saturday night.

They were expected to appear before an Arima Magistrate Sunday morning. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Peru airport going ahead despite threat to Machu Picchu

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Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of the Inca civilisation

n Peru, a controversial airport is being built near ancient ruins that critics say could destroy historic landmarks.

Historians and archaeologists say the new air-

port could damage Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of the Inca civilisation.

The Government still plans to move forward with the project.

Magnitude 7.2 quake strikes off coast of Chile;no tsunami threat José José: Mexico’s “Prince of Song” A dies aged 71 shallow earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck off Chile’s coast on Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

A tsunami is not expected, said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

The quake was centred 134 kilometres (83 miles)

west of Talca at a depth of 6.1 miles, the USGS said.

Chile, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, has a long history of deadly quakes, including an 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast that triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns. (Reuters)

Jamaica: Body of 9-yearold boy swept away in floodwaters found

Mexico rollercoaster crash leaves 2 dead A

August Town residents on September 26, 2019, searching for Kyle Richards, who was washed away by floodwaters the day before

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he Police have confirmed that the body of nine-year-old Kyle Richards, who was swept away by floodwaters in August Town, St Andrew on Wednesday, has been found.

The constabulary’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) said it was unable to provide further de-

(Al Jazeera)

tails at this time.

The boy, a student of Hope Valley Experimental School in the parish, reportedly got into difficulties as he made his way home from school following persistent afternoon showers.

The incident occurred shortly after 15:00h. (Jamaica

Observer)

rollercoaster carriage has derailed in Mexico City, killing at least two people.

Another two were injured in the accident at La Feria Chapultepec amusement park on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses said the victims fell from the last carriage of the Chimera rollercoaster in the park.

The popular park was closed soon after the incident, and the authorities are now investigating the cause of the derailment.

“This is now in the hands of Prosecutors, and Prosecutors have already taken the neces-

sary steps for an investigation,” Miriam Urzua, an official from the civil protection organisation, told Reuters news agency.

She said the investigation would be exploring both what happened and who was responsible.

Eyewitness Rosalba Rodriguez told reporters there was nothing out of the ordinary about the ride, which had completed a few loops, until she saw the last carriage fall.

The fair said it “deeply regrets the terrible accident” and that it was investigating alongside the relevant authorities.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

José José received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004

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opular Mexican singer José José, known as the “Prince of Song”, has died at the age of 71.

The Culture Ministry confirmed his death on Saturday, describing him as one of Mexico’s mostloved voices.

Known for his heartfelt ballads, José José’s career spanned five decades, during which he received several Grammy nominations.

The crooner died at a

hospital in South Florida following a battle with pancreatic cancer, media reports say.

The singer, songwriter and occasional actor, whose real name was José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, rose to the top of the Latin charts in the 1970s with songs such as “El Triste”. He saw more commercial success in the 1980s, and the album “Secrets”, released in 1983, became his most popular. (Excerpt from BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, september 30, 2019

17

Around the World

Thousands across Asia Pacific march in solidarity PM Johnson vows to stay put to hit Oct 31 Brexit with Hong Kong

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housands of people have marched in cities in Australia, Taiwan and Japan to show their support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

The “anti-totalitarianism” rallies on Sunday were part of a coordinated day of global protests, with solidarity marches to denounce “Chinese tyranny” planned in 60 cities across the world.

The global day of action comes as Beijing prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday.

The demonstrations kicked off in Australia’s Sydney, with more than 1000 black-clad protesters

taking to the streets, chanting “fight for freedom” and “stand with Hong Kong”. In the cities of Melbourne and Brisbane, protesters sang “Glory to Hong Kong”, the anthem of protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, according to videos posted on social media.

Hong Kong’s “anti-totalitarianism” march, meanwhile, devolved into violence, with Police firing water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas at petrol-bomb and brick-throwing protesters.

The demonstrations were sparked in June by a now-shelved extradition bill, but have since swelled into an anti-China movement.

deadline

B In Taipei, Taiwan some protesters gathered under torrential downpours outside Parliament

Beijing has denounced the protests, and accused foreign Governments, including the United States and Britain, of fanning anti-China sentiment.

In Hong Kong, thousands defied a police ban and gathered in Causeway Bay, a busy shopping district.

Some were holding so-called “Chinazi flags”, a version of the Chinese flag where the yellow stars are in the shape of a swastika.

Students are planning a one-day strike today while activists have called for people to dress in black on Tuesday. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India Government may seek US$4.3B interim dividend from central bank – media reports

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he Indian Government may request an interim dividend of around 300 billion rupees (US$4.3 billion) from the central bank in order to meet its fiscal deficit target, Mint newspaper reported on Sunday citing news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

The Government is likely to seek the dividend payment toward the end of the April-March financial year

to meet the Government’s fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent of gross domestic product, Government sources told the PTI. The Federal Government could request an interim dividend of 250 billion to 300 billion rupees from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) during the current fiscal year, one source said, adding that a final assessment would be made in ear-

ly January.

India’s Finance Ministry and RBI were not immediately available for comment.

As the manager of Government finances, the central bank pays the Government a dividend each year to help the Government meet its financial targets.

Last year the RBI paid the Government an interim dividend of 280 billion rupees.

Expectations of the Government missing its fiscal deficit target have risen following a number of measures taken to lift growth from six-year lows of 5 per cent in the first quarter of the current financial year.

Analysts also say the Government could resort to stake sales in State-run companies to bridge its revenue deficit and avoid a fiscal slippage. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Algerian Army Chief: Won’t back any leader in

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lgeria’s powerful army chief has said the military will not back any candidate in a presidential election set for December to choose a successor to ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

“We affirm that only the people will pick the next President through ballot boxes, and the army will not support anyone,” a Defence Ministry statement quoted Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah as saying on Sunday.

Angry at unemployment, corruption and an elderly elite seen as out of touch with the young, Algerians have been relentless in tak-

ing to the streets since February this year.

The protests were initially against Bouteflika’s plans to remain in office, but later included removal of all remnants of a secretive political and military establishment that has dominated the country for decades.

Days after Bouteflika stepped down on April 2, Speaker of the Upper House, Abdelkader Bensalah, was appointed the interim President.

One of his first actions was to call presidential elections for July 4, but Algeria’s constitutional council scrapped the vote, citing lack of candidates.

H

assault.

The video shows an attack on armoured vehicles, but there is so far no verification of the Houthi claim of a major military success.

Colonel Yahiya Sarea alleged on Saturday that Saudi forces had suffered “huge losses in life and machinery”, including “thousands” of its troops.

All those captured would be paraded on the Houthi-

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen outside the venue for the Conservative Party annual conference in Manchester, Britain, September 29, 2019

for more than 40 years.

Asked if he would resign to avoid having to ask for a delay, Johnson said: “No, I have undertaken to lead the party and my country at a difficult time and I am going to continue to do that. I believe it is my responsibility.”

But Opposition lawmakers are increasingly hostile to Johnson’s Government, accusing the Prime Minister of stoking division by using terms such as “the surrender act”.

Even those who want a deal, might not be as compliant as before. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Austria election: Sebastian Kurz’s People’s Party tops poll

Sebastian Kurz has emerged largely unscathed from the “Ibizagate” scandal Mass protests forced Bouteflika (right) to step down after 20 years in power, leaving Army Chief Gaid Salah as the main player in Algerian politics [Reuters]

Since then, the grassroots protest movement has been adamant that no election should take place in the country as long as Bouteflika-era officials, including Bensalah and Gaid Salah, remain in positions of power.

On Sunday, Gaid Salah accused the remnants of the old guard - who he claims to oppose - of trying to disrupt elections by “spreading propaganda” that the military would side with one of the candidates running for the presidency. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Houthi rebels video fails to prove Saudi troop capture claim outhi rebels in Yemen have released footage which they say shows a major attack on Saudi forces near the border between the two countries.

On Saturday, a Houthi spokesman said three Saudi brigades had surrendered near the Saudi town of Najran.

Saudi officials have not commented on the alleged

oris Johnson said on Sunday he would not quit as Britain’s Prime Minister even if he fails to secure a deal to leave the European Union, insisting only his Conservative Government can deliver Brexit on Oct 31.

At the beginning of his party’s annual conference in the northern English city of Manchester, Johnson wants to rally his party with a “do or die” message that he will deliver Brexit by the end of October, with or without a deal.

But there are hurdles to clear, not the least of which is what Johnson calls “the surrender act” - a law Parliament passed to force the Prime Minister to request a Brexit delay if he has not secured a deal with Brussels by an Oct 17-18 EU summit.

Johnson and his Ministers again declined to explain how he plans to circumvent that law and deliver on his Brexit promise, deepening uncertainty around Britain’s biggest trade and foreign policy shift

run Al Masirah TV network, he said.

But the video broadcast on Sunday instead shows what appear to be rebels firing at vehicles on a road.

This is followed by footage of several burnt-out vehicles, as well as assorted light weaponry laid out on the ground and a group of men not in military uniforms marching down a dirt road.

In a news conference on Sunday, Col Sarea did not give a date for when the vid-

eo was taken.

He said the evidence of the attack could not be shown for security reasons.

The Iran-aligned Houthis say they launched a drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities on September 14 which affected global markets.

But the Saudis - backed by the US, UK, France and Germany - have all publicly blamed Iran for the strike, allegations Tehran denies.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

A

ustria’s conservative People’s Party, led by former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, has won a clear victory in Sunday’s general election.

With nearly all the votes counted, Kurz’s party has more than 38 per cent of the vote, up from 31 per cent last time round.

His former coalition partners, the far-right Freedom Party, have received 17.3 per cent, a sharp fall.

The snap general election was called after a scandal caused the previous coalition Government to collapse.

Polling stations opened at 07:00h (05:00 GMT) on Sunday and closed at 17:00h.

Some 6.4 million people were eligible to vote in the election.

Despite the People’s Party’s strong showing, it will not have a majority in Parliament and Kurz will need coalition partners.

The 33-year-old could choose to renew his alliance

with the Freedom Party - the source of the scandal - but may want to look at other options.

Appearing at party headquarters to a rapturous welcome from party activists, Kurz said he was “overwhelmed and almost speechless”.

Norbert Hofer, leader of the scandal-hit Freedom Party, told reporters he believed the result meant his party would not take part in coalition talks.

“That means we are preparing for opposition,” he said.

The “Ibizagate” scandal forced Strache to step down and led Kurz to end the coalition with the Freedom Party.

The country has been led by a caretaker Government since June.

But despite the fallout, Kurz appears to have emerged largely unscathed from the scandal. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

18

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ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

Emotional changes will help set you free.

Recognizing what you need and want will help you find what you are searching for.

Put more emphasis on personal growth, physical improvements and nurturing meaningful relationships. Channel your energy into something constructive, and avoid letting stress and anxiety take the helm.

Use your ingenuity to get things done. Sharing your emotions with someone you love and respect will lead to insight that will help you deal with a personal matter more effectively.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

If you feel you need a change, be the one to make it instead of having it forced on you by someone else.

Speak up and make your agenda clear.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Try your hand at something you’ve never done before. Finding a new pastime or meeting new people will broaden your outlook.

Listen to what an expert has to offer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

Take care of your responsibilities and don’t let anyone take advantage of you. If someone is demanding, you need to set him or her straight about what you are willing to do.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Tidy up your surroundings and enact changes that will help you make a physical move. It’s up to you to make the first move if you want to live up to your expectations.

Take care of an emotional matter that’s weighing heavily on your mind.

Address issues that are affecting your relationships with others so that you can focus on new beginnings.

SAGITTARIUS Look at your options (Nov. 23and find people who can ofDec. 21) fer valuable input. Choose your allies based on past performance. Romance is encouraged.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SATURDAY’S

Leave what you cannot change alone for the time being. Look at the changes you can make at home or work that will help you hone your skills.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Look for a way to lower your debt. A plan to make extra cash or adopt a more modest and affordable lifestyle should be implemented. Personal gain is within reach.

Make a point to get involved in events that will help you gain experience or establish relationships with like-minded people.

Participation will lead to unexpected benefits.

monday, september 30, 2019

19

Tridents storm into play-off after win over Zouks English left-armer’s slower ball bouncer an even bolder choice.

But it did the job, with Viljoen early on his shot and gloving through to Johnson Charles.

That triggered a startling collapse, with the Zouks losing their last six wickets for six runs in barely three overs, to tumble out of the tournament.

the last word, bagging his fourth wicket of the night and tournament-leading 14th of the 2019 Hero CPL to finish off the game and send the Tridents into the playoffs.

It was a fine effort from the Tridents after the heartbreak of the one-run defeat to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 24 hours earlier,

160 looked on the cards.

Shakib, though, fell just as he was starting to really get going, drilling a slog-sweep off Fawad Ahmed but picking out Ingram, who held a stinging catch at deep midwicket.

Charles fell three short of a half-century, having hit four fours and two sixes in a 36-ball stay. No other Tridents player was able to match his ballstriking.

JP Duminy, a record breaker

earlier in the week, made 13 from 18 here, before edging the excellent Santokie behind; while there was to be no repeat of last night’s Raymon Reifer fireworks as he holed out for just 3.

Ashley Nurse lifted the total beyond 140 with a six from the final ball of the innings, and thanks to Walsh Jr and Gurney, that proved more than adequate. (CPL)

SCOREBOARD Team Barbados Tridents

T

hree wickets in an over from Hayden Walsh Jr and a superb spell from Harry Gurney turned the Barbados Tridents’ whole season around as they defended 141/6 to defeat St Lucia Zouks and grab the final 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) playoff spot in a winner-takes-all clash at the Kensington Oval yesterday.

The Tridents looked to be heading out of the competition when the Zouks had got the target down to 31 runs from 28 balls with six wickets in hand, but Gurney then dismissed Hardus Viljoen before Walsh Jr’s three-wicket burst in the next over made it four wickets in eight balls, and turned the match on its head.

Their total looked slightly short at the halfway stage, but with the pressure of a win-or-

bust situation, and with a pitch offering some assistance to the bowlers, it always promised to be a nervous run-chase for the Zouks.

Nevertheless, the Tridents’ hopes were already fading fast when the asking rate for the Zouks dropped below a run a ball within the powerplay, despite the loss of openers Andre Fletcher and Rahkeem Cornwall.

Colin Ingram and Colin de Grandhomme kept the hammer down, and got the Zouks so far ahead of the rate that even when they fell in successive overs, control of the chase was still firmly in the visitors’ hands.

But first Gurney, and then most dramatically Walsh Jr, changed that with dizzying speed. Viljoen had smashed Gurney for six the ball before his dismissal, making the

Captain Jason Holder and Hayden Walsh celebrate

Walsh Jr had Chris Barnwell, Daren Sammy and Krishmar Santokie caught on the boundary in his third over, while Gurney returned to finish off a superb spell of bowling in which he used the helpful conditions expertly to have Kesrick Williams caught on the fence from another deceptive slower ball. He finished with 3/17 from four high-quality overs.

It was Walsh Jr who had

which had turned this game into a must-win.

Even on a pitch offering a bit for the bowlers, 141/6 still felt short of what the Tridents would have hoped for, after getting over the loss of Alex Hales to Santokie’s slower ball for a duck to post 48/1 in the powerplay. With Charles looking in imperious form and the classy Shakib Al Hasan another major headache for the Zouks, a total in excess of

Tridents Innings J Charles †b Viljoen 47 AD Hales c Cornwall b Santokie 0 Shakib Al Hasan c Ingram b Fawad Ahmed 22 JP Duminy c †Fletcher b Santokie 13 JP Greaves not out 27 RA Reifer c Sammy b Viljoen 3 JL Carter run out (Royal/†Fletcher) 7 AR Nurse not out 8 Extras (b 3, lb 1, nb 1, w 9) 14 TOTAL 141/6 (20 Overs, RR: 7.05) Did not bat: JO Holder (c), HR Walsh, HF Gurney Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Alex Hales, 0.6 ov), 2-63 (Shakib Al Hasan, 8.2 ov), 3-81 (Johnson Charles, 11.3 ov), 4-104 (JeanPaul Duminy, 15.5 ov), 5-115 (Raymon Reifer, 17.2 ov), 6-133 (Jonathan Carter, 19.3 ov) BOWLING: K Santokie 4-025-2, RRS Cornwall 3-0-240, KOK Williams 4-0-30-0, GC Viljoen 4-0-26-2, Fawad Ahmed 4-0-23-1, J Royal 1-0-9-0 St Lucia Zouks Innings (target: 142 runs from 20 overs)

ADS Fletcher † b Holder 8 RRS Cornwall c Holder b Gurney 19 CA Ingram c & b Shakib Al Hasan 25 C de Grandhomme c Walsh b Reifer 21 GC Viljoen c †Charles b Gurney 22 CD Barnwell c Holder b Walsh 7 DJG Sammy (c) c Greaves b Walsh 1 K Santokie c Duminy b Walsh 0 J Royal not out 3 KOK Williams c Duminy b Gurney 0 Fawad Ahmed c Holder b Walsh 1 Extras (lb 4, w 6) 10 TOTAL 117 (18.4 Overs, RR: 6.26) Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Andre Fletcher, 3.3 ov), 2-40 (Rahkeem Cornwall, 4.3 ov), 3-77 (Colin Ingram, 8.1 ov), 4-84 (Colin de Grandhomme, 9.4 ov), 5-111 (Hardus Viljoen, 15.3 ov), 6-113 (Chris Barnwell, 16.1 ov), 7-113 (Darren Sammy, 16.3 ov), 8-113 (Krishmar Santokie, 16.4 ov), 9-115 (Kesrick Williams, 17.6 ov), 10-117 (Fawad Ahmed, 18.4 ov) BOWLING: Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-20-1, JO Holder 4-0-37-1, HF Gurney 4-0-17-3, HR Walsh 3.4-0-26-4, RA Reifer 3-0-13-1

Road World Championships…

Denmark’s Mads Pedersen claims shock elite men’s road race title

M

ads Pedersen claimed a shock victory in brutal and wet conditions to become the first Dane to ever win the elite Men’s World Road Race title in Yorkshire.

Pedersen, 23, clawed his way back into the leading trio after initially being dropped on the final lap in Harrogate. Even then, Italy’s Matteo Trentin was the favourite in the sprint finish, but Pedersen surged past to beat him into second, with Switzerland’s Stefan Kung taking bronze.

“This is unbelievable!”

Pedersen has said. “I didn’t expect this, and it wasn’t the plan.”

Pedersen is only the second Dane to win a senior world road race title, after Amalie Dideriksen won the women’s event in 2016.

After attacking to join Kung out front with 45km to go, Pedersen said, he had expected team-mates Michael Valgren and Jakob Fuglsang to bridge across; but when they failed to do so, he just tried to “survive, and hope for the best”, after nearly six and a half hours of

racing.

Elite Men’s Road “I hoped that Race top 10 when I saw the finish 1. Mads Pedersen (Den) line, all the pain would be gone and 6hrs 27mins 28secs I could do a good 2. Matteo Trentin sprint,” he said. “It’s (Ita) Same time every rider’s dream 3. Stefan Kung (Swi) +2secs to wear the rainbow 4. Gianni Moscon jersey; for me to do it (Ita) +17secs now is unbelievable.”

5.

Peter Sagan (Svk) +43secs Heavy rain 6.

Michael Valgren overnight had forced (Den) +45secs organisers to shorten the course by 23.5km 7. Alexander Kristoff and re-route the (Nor) +1min 10secs race, removing the 8. Greg van Avermaet two biggest climbs (Bel) Same time of Buttertubs and 9. Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Grinton Moor 10. Rui Costa (Por) Riders had to battle severe wet conditions in Yorkshire because of flooding, and adding two more as, with the helicopters with 65km to go, stringing Avermaet, were caught out at laps to the finishing grounded, the sole plane being out the peloton behind. They 35km to go, when Trentin and circuit of Harrogate.

But even with those changes used to relay pictures from the stayed clear for 20km, before Tour of Britain winner Mathieu it was a gruelling day for the motorbikes had to land and Craddock dropped back and quit van der Poel attacked to join the riders, (being) in almost constant refuel just as the race reached the race; while Pedersen, the front group. Teunissen dropped rain and cold temperatures on the finishing circuit, shortly Netherlands’ Mike Teunissen back, but compatriot Van der an undulating course that still before the early breakaway of and Italy’s Gianni Moscon joined Poel looked to be on course to Kung. fulfil his billing as one of the prehad patches of standing water. 11 riders were caught.

More than half the field A group of contenders, race favourites, only to suddenly Only 46 of the 197 starters had already abandoned the including three-time World crack at 12km to go. finished.

With the chasing group The conditions caused an race when Kung and American champion Peter Sagan and interruption to the TV coverage, Lawson Craddock attacked Olympic champion Greg van failing to get organised, Trentin

and Kung drove on, distancing Moscon and putting Pedersen briefly in trouble. Pedersen dug in, to get back on with 5km to go, and stayed calm when Trentin -who has eight Grand Tour stage wins, including several sprint victories -- launched 200m from the line.

Easing up to the Italian’s wheel, Pedersen swept round him, and had time to raise his hands as he crossed the line, becoming the youngest World champion since Spain’s Oscar Freire in 1999.

Moscon held on for fourth behind, while Sagan attacked late on to take fifth.

Tao Geoghegan Hart was the top British finisher in 26th, after leader Ben Swift dropped out of the chasing bunch on the final lap.

A medal table of the Road World Championships: 1 - USA (three gold, one silver, two bronze) 2 - Netherlands (two gold, four silver, two bronze), 3 - Italy (two gold, two silver, one bronze) 4. Denmark (two gold) 5. Australia (one gold, one bronze) and 10. Great Britain (three bronze) (BBC.COM)

20

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monday, september 30, 2019

CPL 2019…

Patriots seal play-off spot in thrilling win over Tridents S

t Kitts & Nevis Patriots secured their 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) playoff spot in dramatic style: Dominic Drakes bowling Harry Gurney with the final ball of the night to seal a thrilling one-run victory over Barbados Tridents.

The Tridents now face a winnertakes-all clash with St Lucia Zouks on Sunday, after a dramatic batting collapse when victory appeared in their grasp.

Superb bowling from Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell and Rayad Emrit on the back of what would prove a crucial 33-ball 53 from Shamarh Brooks all helped set up the dramatic finale and, ultimately, what had looked an unlikely victory for most of the night.

The two points move the Patriots up to second on the table for now; but, more importantly, they are certain of at least placing fourth, no matter what happens over the next few days.

These results also mean the Trinbago Knight Riders are likewise sure of a top-four finish despite their recent struggles, while the Tridents are condemned to what amounts to an eliminator, before the eliminator against the Zouks to determine the final top-four spot.

The Tridents will be kicking themselves for failing to chase down the Patriots’ 149/7, after having appeared

Jason Holder.

Evin Lewis never really got going, and was Walsh Jr’s first victim of the night, as a slog-sweep picked out Jonathan Carter at deep midwicket.

That the Patriots got on the board any kind of defendable score at all was largely down to Brooks, who rewarded the decision to push him up the order to number three by blasting his way to a half-century from 30 balls, in an innings wherein no other member of the top five reached a run-a-ball.

He was bowled by Walsh Jr’s final delivery of the night, though, and when Brathwaite followed in the next over, it was left to Fabian Allen and Keron Cottoy to try and lift the total beyond 150. They gave it a good go, but a superb closing over from Gurney, in which just four runs were conceded before Allen was bowled off the last ball, meant the Patriots came up short of that landmark.

Nevertheless, by the barest of margins, 149 would prove sufficient. (Excerpted from CPLT20)

3

SCOREBOARD

vis Patriots

The St Kitts and Ne

i n full control for much of the game; first when keeping the runs down with the ball, and then when easing to 85/2 in the run-chase.

Shakib Al Hasan was integral to both situations on his return to Tridents’ colours. He opened the bowling with a maiden, and ended with 1/14 from his four overs.

He had appeared set to guide his team to a routine victory, but his dismissal for a 25ball 38: caught at long-on off Brathwaite, triggered a collapse of 5/14 in less than four overs, to leave the chase in ruins.

The Tridents would yet again roar, when Raymon Reifer blasted three sixes on his way to 34 in just 18 balls.

From needing 51 off 29 with three wickets in hand, Reifer’s assault reduced the equation to five runs in five balls with

two wickets in hand; before he was run out attempting a high-risk second run in a desperate bid to retain the strike.

Last pair of Harry Gurney and Chemar Holder each picked up a single, to leave the target at two to win from the final ball of the night.

Drakes, however, went full and straight to beat Gurney and spark dramatic celebrations.

That collapse from 85/2 to 99/7 had proved decisive after all. After Shakib fell, Jonathan Carter chopped on to give Brathwaite a second wicket in the over, while Jason Holder struggled before miscuing Emrit to mid-off.

Emrit had earlier had Alex Hales superbly caught

by Sheldon Cottrell running back from short fine-leg in an impressive spell.

Ashley Nurse was then trapped plumb in front, to

give Cottrell a second wicket, after having seen off opener Johnson Charles early in the run-chase; and Brathwaite got his third when Thursday night’s record-breaker, JP Duminy, edged behind for 18.

Shakib had earlier led the way in a fine all-round bowling display from the Tridents, in which he, Jason Holder and Gurney all went for less than a run a ball, while Hayden Walsh Jr added two more wickets to his impressive recent tally.

Although he had to wait until his final over to take his only wicket – Brathwaite, trapped lbw – Shakib was the leading man. His first over of the 2019 Hero CPL was also the innings’ first over. It was a maiden, and it set the tone for a powerplay that brought only 32 runs for the Patriots and the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez: caught behind off

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Innings (Maximum 20 overs) Mohammad Hafeez c †Charles b JO Holder 6 E Lewis c Carter b Walsh 19 SSJ Brooks b Walsh 53 LJ Evans c †Charles b Gurney 5 DC Thomas † c JO Holder b Reifer 20 CR Brathwaite (c) lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 7 FA Allen b Gurney 20 KJ Cottoy not out Extras (lb 3, w 3) 6 TOTAL 149/7 (20 Overs, RR: 7.45) Did not bat: DC Drakes, RR Emrit, SS Cottrell Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Mohammad Hafeez, 3.5 ov), 2-46 (Evin Lewis, 7.6 ov), 3-61 (Laurie Evans, 10.3 ov), 4-104 (Devon Thomas, 14.5 ov), 5-114 (Shamarh Brooks, 15.6 ov), 6-114 (Carlos Brathwaite, 16.1 ov), 7-149 (Fabian Allen, 19.6 ov) BOWLING: Shakib Al Hasan 4-1-14, JO Holder 3-0-16-1, CK Holder 2-0-23-0, HR Walsh 4-0-37-2, HF Gurney 4-023-2, RA Reifer 3-0-33-1 Barbados Tridents Innings (target: 150 runs from 20 overs) J Charles † c Brathwaite b

Cottrell 13 AD Hales c Cottrell b Emrit 19 Shakib Al Hasan c Brooks b Brath waite 38 JP Duminy c †Thomas b Brathwai te 18 JL Carter b Brathwaite 2 JO Holder (c) c Brathwaite b Emrit 1 AR Nurse lbw b Cottrell RA Reifer run out (Evans/†Thomas) 34 HR Walsh c Brathwaite b Cottrell CK Holder not out 0 HF Gurney b Drakes Extras (lb 2, w 9) 11 TOTAL 148 all out (20 Overs, RR: 7.4) Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Johnson Charles, 2.2 ov), 2-56 (Alex Hales, 7.6 ov), 3-85 (Shakib Al Hasan, 11.3 ov), 4-87 (Jonathan Carter, 11.6 ov), 5-95 (Jason Holder, 13.5 ov), 6-97 (Ashley Nurse, 14.4 ov), 7-99 (JeanPaul Duminy, 15.1 ov), 8-137 (Hayden Walsh, 18.5 ov), 9-146 (Raymon Reifer, 19.2 ov), 10148 (Harry Gurney, 19.6 ov) BOWLING: SS Cottrell 4-0-273, FA Allen 1-0-6-0, Mohammad Hafeez 4-0-34, CR Brathwaite 4-0-30-3, DC Drakes 3-025-1, RR Emrit 4-0-24-2

World Athletics Championships…

Felix surpasses Bolt with 12th World Championships gold A

Allyson Felix

…Fraser-Pryce claims 4th world title

llyson Felix became the most decorated athlete in IAAF World Championships history when she helped the United States to victory in the mixed-gender 4x400m relay.

Felix was level with Usain Bolt on 11 gold medals at the event prior to Saturday’s race in Doha, but the 33-year-old, who became a mother in November, helped set up Michael Cherry to power clear on the last leg.

Poland, who decided to send their two men out first in an attempt to build up an unassailable lead, held the advantage until Cherry came into play, with Felix having run second. Cherry simply had too much for the rest of the field.

Javon Francis claimed silver for Jamaica, and Bahrain came in third.

On top again!

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce returned to the top of women’s sprinting in fine style, with a fourth World title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha on Sunday.

Eleven years after her first World title, Fraser-Pryce delivered on what had promised to be something special, after looking imperious in the opening rounds. The 32-year-old, who returned to the track two years after having her first child, clocked a blistering 10.71 to seal Jamaica’s second gold medal of the cham-

pionships. The time was just one-hundredth of a second outside of her personal best.

A duel to the line with countrywoman and reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, however, failed to materialise. Instead, it was Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith who claimed second place in a British national record of 10.83s, with the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou third in

10.90.

Thompson, who seemed not at her best in the earlier rounds, finished just outside the medals with a time of 10.93. The other Jamaican in the race, Jonielle Smith, finished sixth with a time of 11.06.

The win for Fraser-Pryce added to World 100m titles in Berlin (1999), Moscow (2013) and Beijing (2015).

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

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NBS 2nd Division 40-Over cricket tourney

GNIC survive Duke scare to prevail over Rubis

...Nicholson’s 70 leads GNIC to win; GDF brush aside 3rd Class

By Timothy Jaikarran

A

70, Sean De Souza 34, and Dexter Solomon 23.

GNIC composed a total of 224-8 in their allotted 40 overs.

The Rubis Bel Air II bowling attack was spearheaded by Budhu with 2-28, Arthur Duke with 2-27 and Aravinda Gainda with 2-39.

Needing a simple total of 225 for victory, Rubis Bel Air II started their run c h a s e with a nervousn e s s t h a t caused ly dethe earparture o f L e v o n Singh and

ction on the second day of the NBS 2nd Division 40-Over Cricket competition continued with GNIC battling Rubis Bel Air II in a one-sided affair that took place at Demerara Cricket Ground (DCC).

Having won the toss, GNIC elected to bat first, being fully aware that the side batting first would reap the desired result of taking a comfortable victory.

David Richardson was the first batsman to depart for a golden duck, as Shivnarine Budhu struck in the first over; but undisturbed by the fall of the first two wickets, Marc Nicholson took the score to 29-2.

Nicholson and Sean De Souza put together a healthy partnership of 75 before De Souza fell for a well-played 34, to leave Nicholson again stranded. Dexter Solomon then contributed a resistant 23 run before departing.

When Nicholson departed for 70, it was practically the end Marc Nicholson scored a of the GNIC innings, as not much batting remained. Batting well-played 70 for GNIC for GNIC, Marc Nicholson scored

“Sports is a universal language”, says Minister Allicock

Davendra Bishram, among others. At one stage in the innings, the score was a t 70-5, and one batsman retired hurt.

But then, like superman to the rescue, the experienced 55-year-old Arthur Duke blasted the ball to every part of the DCC ground as he punished the GNIC bowlers, t a k ing at

least 10 runs per over as GNIC witnessed the unfolding of a superb innings.

Duke was supported by Budhu, who fell for 31 after smoking a few sixes out of the ground; but GNIC were back in control, as Duke fell for an aggressive 76 that included 9 boundaries and 7 maximums, to leave the score at 161-7.

In the end the ‘retired hurt’ Devindra Bishram returned with a runner, as he aimed to salvage the innings at 165-9. Alas, it was too late, as they were bowled out for 191 in a fighting effort.

Bowling for GNIC were Jerimiah Benjamin with 2-37, Rashidi Borne with 2-33 and John Champagne with 2-9. They were the chief wicket-takers.

Meanwhile at Police Ground, GDF battled 3rd Class. The defense force team batted first and were able to score 197 all out in 32.3 overs, as Damion Waldron top scored with 75 and Leon Andrews chipped in with 44.

Bowling for 3rd Class were Ricardo Ghisiawan with 4-37 and Tekram George with 2-65.

In reply, 3rd Class folded for a meagre 69 as GDF were too strong. Bowling for 55-year-old Arthur GDF were Leon Andrews, Duke of Rubis Bel Air II with 4-25, and Damion scored a quick-fire 76 Waldron, with 5-14.

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21

Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock

By Timothy Jaikarran

A

t the conclusion of the 2019 Amerindian Heritage Games, it was agreed by many that the 2019 edition of the games was the biggest of all such events ever held.

The event was held under the theme “Maintaining our Traditional Practices while promoting a Green Economy”.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Hon. Sydney C. Allicock, has said that sports in general is a universal language, and can bridge the game and bring social cohesion.

Speaking to this publication, the honourable Minister said, “Sports is what we can term a universal language, where there is no ethnic group, age, country; nothing but happiness, as long as you are an honest sportsman.

I think this year’s Games is growing, it is bigger than last year’s. We have had very serious competition coming from all ten administrative regions, (and) we are looking forward to making things

even better in the future.

“Despite the hiccups, I think there are rules that the regions will have to stick to to avoid setbacks and dissatisfaction. Even though we are in a growing process, the outcome that we have seen is very encouraging.”

The minister also said there are plans set in place for the year 2020, some of which are to have more interaction with the coaches in the regions, and even FIFA, as there have been opportunities which are encouraging to him.

He has thanked the fans for turning out to witness the Games and making it the success that it has become, and has said he believes that sports brings unity and everyone together.

“We have seen an increase in our Guyanese brothers and sisters from all ethnic races coming out to celebrate with us in our culture, and it feels as though we are one. These Heritage Games have become a Guyanese Heritage for us,” Minister Allicock has said.

Ronaldo Ali Mohammed plays a shot

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

hrough hard work and dedication Ronaldo Ali Mohammed has continued to strive as he works to attain his goal of making the Guyana PCL Senior Team. It is his belief that, through the PCL, his career can take off once he puts in the necessary work.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, when asked what is his main focus for the year 2019/2020, Ali Mohammed said, “Well, my main goals at the moment are to make the Guyana PCL senior team, and make it to the international level.

“I would also love that

through my consistency I am able to make CPL team.

It would be a great feeling for me being selected for one of the teams.

I prefer to be selected for the Guyana team, because I know most of the guys and I train with them also.

“In order for me to make such strives in life, I have to keep

working hard on my game. I also know that I must also be dedicated and I got to train more, run some more, do a lot of strength training, and work more hard on my bowling and fielding and my batting, too.

“I want to be like Keemo Paul, as he is someone I look up to because he is a very hardworking person in terms of his bowling and batting.”

Ali Mohamed has the necessary potential to succeed in any arena. He boasts high scores of 175 against GYO in 2nd Division cricket, and high scores in national cricket of 60, while bagging 30 wickets playing for Guyana and national under-15 in Jamaica.

It should be noted that Ali Mohammed has consistently put in all-round performances in his games, and if his cards are played right, he could be a part of a PCL or Amazon Warriors setup.

Mohamed bowling

22

monday, september 30, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Pee Wee Under-11 Football

St Pius, North Georgetown dominate 2nd round

Esteban Madina plays a key role for Timehri Primary Story and Photos by Jemima Holmes

T

he second round of play in the Courts and Banks DIH- sponsored Pee Wee Under-11 Football tournament continued on Saturday afternoon, in favourable weather conditions

which the young students used to their advantage, putting on a show for their families, teachers and supporters.

Soesdyke Primary set the bar high on Saturday, as they took to the Ministry of Education ground to compete in one of the first games of

the day. Coming off of a first round win over FE Pollard, the Soesdyke boys were intent on displaying more of their talent. They thus trampled St. Margaret’s 7-0.

Jaden Tasher opened the scoring in the 13th, and found the back of the net once again in the 15th for a 2-0 score at the half. His teammates joined the party in the second segment, with Jermaine Mitchel netting back-to-back goals in the 21st and 25th.

While Tasher completed his hat trick in the 35th, Ezekiel Holder (36th), and Neil Persaud (38th) added one each to the tally for the 7-0 win.

Timehri Primary also registered their second victory of the tournament when they met with Plaisance.

Esteban Medina was again the front runner for the East Bank team, as he netted a brace (10th, 27th).

Meanwhile, Tyrone

Pereira (34th) and Jason Williams (37th) added goals in the final minutes of the game to push the score to 4-0.

In their encounter against Ann’s Grove, North Georgetown Primary utilized the option of having a girl on their team, and she did not disappoint. Martha Chance, who was a part of the second placed North Georgetown team in the Smalta Girls Under 11 tournament in 2018, superbly matched strides with her male counterparts in the midfield.

While chance netted one goal (10th), she had many assists, which led to Garey Primo finding the back of the net four times (11th, 12th, 33rd, 40th). Dellon Wray (24th) and Maneshar Khan (14th) were also a part of the scoring in North Georgetown’s 7-0 victory.

Defending champions St. Pius again romped to an exhilarating victory, after going toe-to-toe with Smith’s

Martha Chance matched strides with her male counterparts

Memorial Primary. While St. Pius are missing their 2018 star Kaden Wellington, another promising talent has shown what brilliance he is capable of. After netting 5 last week, Jamal Fraser upped his tally on Saturday, as he found the back of the

net 6 times (1st, 19th, 22nd, 29th, 34t, 36th). Jamal Jones (13th), Nickali Watson (25th) and Teon Macy (31st) added one each for St Pius’ 9-1 win.

Smith Memorial’s consolation goal came off the boots of Japheth Sampson in the 4th minute.

Saturday’s complete results: Mocha vs JE. Burnham (Mocha won via Walk over) Enterprise 1 vs Mae’s 2 Goal scorers Enterprise Kristin Semple 17th Mae’s Elijah Bynoe 38th ,40th South 0 vs Craig 2 Goal scorers Craig Timothy Melville 2nd, 31st Soesdyke 7 vs St Margaret 0

Goal scorers Soesdyke Jaden Tasher 13th, 15th,23rd Jermaine Mitchel 21st, 25th Ezekiel Holder 36th Neil Persaud 38th

Esteban Medina 10th, 27th Tyrone Pereira 34th Jason Williams 37th

Uitvlugt 0 vs Redeemer 1 Goal scorer Redeemer Nickolas Watts 21st

North Georgetown 7 vs Ann’s Grove 0 Goal scorers North Georgetown Martha Chance 10th Garey Primo 11th, 12th, 33rd, 40th Dellon Wray 24th Maneshar Khan 14th

Timehri 4 vs Plaisance 0 Goal scorers Timehri

St Agnes 2 vs St Ambrose 0 Goal scorers Shaquille Dalrymple 14th

Kwason Chance 26th Marian Academy 2 vs FE. Pollard 1 Goal scorers Marian Academy Emanuel Francois 16th Jeremy Ten-Pow 40th FE. Pollard Jaquan Armstrong 3rd St Pius 9 vs Smith Memorial 1 Goal scorers St Pius Jamal Fraser 1st, 19th, 22nd, 29th, 34th, 36th

Jamal Jones 13th Nickali Watson 25th Teon Macy 31st Smith Memorial Japheth Sampson 4th St Stephens vs Tucville abandoned due to power outage West Ruimveldt 1 Vs Genesis 0 Goal scorers West Ruimveldt Cleon La Rose 10th

BCB/Stag Beer 50-Over 1st Division tournament…

Young Warriors, Tucber Park victorious N

ew AmsterdamCanje top club Young Warriors and the Tucber Park Cricket Club have recorded comfortable wins in their respective matches in the Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) Stag Beer 50-Over 1st Division tournament.

S e o n Hetmyer, older brother of Shimron Hetmyer, Suresh

Suresh Dhanai bowled with venom for Young Warriors

Devon Clements have been top performers in those matches.

Tucber Park vs West Berbice

Martin Singh scored 57 for Tucber Park

Dhanai, Alex Algoo, Martin Singh and

Young Warriors vs Rose Hall Canje

Explosive opening batsman Martin Singh took Tucber Park to a comfortable 6-wicket win over West Berbice in a match played last Saturday at Rose Hall Canje Ground.

West Berbice being restricted to 150-8 in 35 overs was due mainly to the ef-

forts of leading Tucber Park bowler Devon Clements, who bagged 3-24. Martin Singh also took 2-28, while Nial Smith, Damion Vantull and Kwesi Mickle each took a wicket.

In chasing that target, Tucber Park ended on 155-4, scored in 28.3 overs. Singh contributed 57, Maxie De Jonge 22, and veteran batsman Anthony D’Andrade 21 in a polished performance.

In this match, the Cumberland, East Canjebased club of Shimron Hetmyer defeated the Rose Hall Canje club by 115 runs. Taking first strike in a match reduced to 35 overs because of overnight rain, Young Warriors made 205-8.

Batting at #5, Seon Hetmyer, older sibling of the famous Shimron Hetmyer, rescued the Warriors’ innings from the precarious position of 29-3 with an unbeaten 76, even as he received able support from Alex Algoo, who scored 60, and Suresh Dhanai, who scored 21.

Rose Hall Canje off-spinner Ameer Rahaman took 4-29 in five economical overs.

RH Canje, replying, could manage only 90 all out, as Suresh Dhanai wreaked havoc with top-figures of 4-19 in seven brilliant

overs. Trevon Stanislaus and Ishwar Singh each took two wickets for Young Warriors in a domi n a n t team display.

Seon Hetmyer

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, september 30, 2019

23

Clash of the titans:

GAW, TKR set to battle tonight five

By Brandon Corlette

I

n every tournament, the rivalry between two specific teams is stronger; in Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), those teams are Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) and the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).

From 19:00h today, Monday September 30, Port-of-Spain will witness the clash of the CPL titans.

GAW are on a roll in this 2019 CPL, winning seven matches in a row, while TKR have been quiet in recent

matches, with four wins and two defeats in their seven encounters.

In the last

matches between these two teams, TKR won t h r e e w h i l e GAW won two.

TKR enjoy

a 10-6 win over GAW in the history of CPL matches.

These two teams have been to the playoffs and final on various occasions, but TKR has prevailed in most of those outings.

However, this year’s GAW team have been the best, and they certainly will be aiming to make it eight wins in as many matches.

Playing each other for the first time this 2019 CPL season, GAW and TKR have had their battles at Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Head to

Lendl Simmons, a former Warriors player, has been in supreme touch for TKR with the bat

head a t t h i s

venue, these teams played each other six times, and TKR have won four of those matches.

has 191 runs, Shoaib Malik has 180 runs and Shimron Hetmyer has 155 runs.

Romario Shepherd (9

looking to get back in winning ways.

L e n d l

Brandon King and Shoaib Malik have been in sublime form

Imran Tahir will be the key bowler

Untouchable GAW

This season the GAW have looked formidable, more than in previous seasons. Their leading players in terms of runs and wickets this season are Brandon King and Chris Green. King has been in sublime form, with 275 runs, while Green has 10 wickets in seven matches. Three other GAW batsmen have more than 100 runs this season.

Chandrapaul Hemraj

wickets), Imran Tahir and Keemo Paul (8 wickets) have also been impressive for the flawless GAW team this season. The GAW players have been hungry this season, and with every opportunity they seem to make the most of it.

TKR top guns

Without doubt, TKR has some T20 stars in their team. Led by West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard, his team will be

has h a s

Simmons has been their biggest plus this season, with 272 runs. Pollard 173 runs, while Colin M u n r o 147 runs.

What may be the difference bet w e e n

these two teams is the bowling line-up. GAW are equipped with star bowlers in Tahir, Green, Shepherd and Paul, but TKR best bowler in terms of wickets has been Jimmy Neesham.

The New Zealand international has been on the expensive side with an economy rate of 12, but he has nine wickets under his belt.

Khary Pierre, who continues to impress, has six wickets at an economy rate of over seven.

GAW have already qualified for the playoffs, and TKR are likely to book their spot. These two teams may play each other three t i m e s for the 2019 CPL. T h e last t i m e t h e s e t e a m s played each other three times in one season came in the years 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

PMTCT one-day horse race meet…

Don’t Overlook finally puts Scores Even “to rest” Appadu, produced a rare comefrom-behind burst of speed to take the lead with twenty-five metres still to go, and win the race handsomely by two lengths.

Storm Bird was beaten into second position, while Vera’s Finally finishing third, ahead of Lucky Star.

This win was the third such in the fourth outing for Don’t Overlook.

Scores Even, which had not taken to the track since 2015, showed good promise earlier in the race, but seemingly buckled under the pressure of an injury

Justify the Heat won the race for 2-year-old Guyana-bred horses from a packed field

D

on’t Overlook, from the Jumbo Jet Racing Stables, put in a last-minute surge to win the feature event of the MMP Foundation/Port Mourant Turf Club one-day horse race meet on Sunday.

With jockey Reynaldo Appadu on board, Don’t Overlook addressed a strong challenge from Storm Bird of the Habibullah Racing Stables -- both horses in the process destroying the reputation of former ‘A’ Class champion Scores Even, who finished the race way out of contention for a prize.

From an even break, Storm Bird quickly took the lead three lengths ahead of Lucky Star, while Scores Even and Simple Side battled for a third position,

The winning horse, Don’t Overlook, with jockey Appadu

until they came around the final turn. Storm Bird came out of the final turn first with all cylinders firing; but Don’t Overlook, being piloted by jockey Reynaldo

sustained in 2015, and thus slowed up, to the disappointment of many spectators who had hoped to see this animal return

Chemelli, Kentucky Woman and Not This Time were beaten in that order.

The last event of the day -for animals classed ‘G’ and lower -- saw Uprising, ridden by jockey Y. Drepaul, finishing ahead of Touch D Cash, Gold Again and Red Region in that order.

Proceeds from the event will be used by the MMP Foundation to send 65 children to school in Berbice.

MMP Foundation has been providing scholarships to students who have been doing excellently at school but live

Don’t Overlook, with jockey Reynaldo Appadu on board, won the meet’s feature event ahead of Storm Bird

to its winning ways.

This race, which was run over a distance of 1300 metres, had a top prize of $600,000.

Meanwhile, in the race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses, jockey Kevin Paul piloted Justify the Heat past the winning poll ahead of Catholic Boy, Bodyguard and Perfect Dream, who finished the race in that order.

That race was over a distance of 1000 metres for a top prize of $260,000.

In the ‘L’ Class event, run over a distance of 1000 metres, jockey Colin Ross piloted Silver Charm to victory; while in the race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses, Ebony Prince, piloted by jockey Anderson, finished ahead

Champion Jockey Colin Ross

of Mahaica Star, My Choice and Mark, who came in in that order.

The ‘G’ Class race was won

by It’s My Choice, with champion jockey Colin Ross on board.

under difficult circumstances.

This was the first time that the organisation held a horse race event to raise funds for its programme.

monday, september 30, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Clash of the titans: GAW, TKR set to battle tonight

PMTCT one-day horse race meet…

Don’t Overlook finally puts Scores Even “to rest”

Page 22

The Pee Wee action is always riveting

Page 23

Pee Wee Under-11 Football

Don’t Overlook won the feature event

St Pius, North Georgetown dominate 2nd round

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