Guyana Times Sunday May 26, 2019

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 3935 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, May 26, 2019

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53rd Independence anniversary

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana poised for another transformative moment with oil production – President

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..as Opposition urges Guyanese to continue overcoming challenges ECD/EBD bypass road GO-Invest's finances Minister admits project take nosedive from more costly than surplus to deficit – previously envisioned …surveyors submit new design report Page 18

See story on Page 7

Former P8 GRA Chairman takes over at GPL …as new Board appointed

More rainfall expected over next 3 P10 days

P17 Bomb threats at UG a hoax – VC

Leaking roof drowns City Hall P9 As Guyana celebrates its 53rd Independence anniversary, visitors arriving via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport are greeted with this depiction of the six ethnicities that encapsulate Guyana’s identity as a nation (CJIA photo)

Closed sugar estates

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Govt silent on progress report on interested investors

...$132.5M interest past due on unused $30B bond

Paddy bug infestation

Berbice small rice farmers experiencing difficulties in replanting P14

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Closed sugar estates

Govt silent on progress report on interested investors ...$132.5M interest past due on unused $30B bond

Closed: The Skeldon Sugar Estate

Closed: The East Demerara Sugar Estate

Closed: The Rose Hall Sugar Estate

he work of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) with regard to potential investors and the progress of divestment of the four closed sugar estates is still to be revealed to the public.

In November last year, the SPU had released a list of five bids that were submitted for the sugar estates of Enmore, Skeldon and Rose Hall.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) closed off the bidding process for offers on the estates on October 31, 2018.

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) was expected to submit a bid for the Enmore Sugar Estate, however, the company announced that “intense deliberation” led the company to backpedal on that consider-

beginning of the marketing period in July, last. This process involved the placement of advertisements in media publications in Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, Belize and Trinidad, since those Caribbean markets comprise companies in the business of sugar production.

For the estates, PWC’s San Francisco team was at that time in the process of doing a business evaluation, which is based on future cash flows and historical earnings, and an assets valuation, which will be based on the market price of individual assets driven by age, functionality and manufacture type, among other valuation criteria.

Baghaloo and his team had intended, prior to the evaluation of each offer, to

down which had resulted in thousands of sugar workers being left jobless.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told this newspaper when contacted that he did not have that information, since the management and decisions made in relation to those closed estates in question are not in his domain.

“Cabinet made a decision that we are going to right size the industry and just concentrate of three estates for sugar that falls under the Agriculture Minister. There was a Special Purpose Unit created under the Finance Minister to divest the four estates; Wales, Rose Hall, Skeldon and Enmore.

They are looking at that, I should not pronounce on that, because that is not

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ation.

The company’s primary reason for considering an offer was because of its need for molasses, of which, the company experienced a shortfall after the closure of the three Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates, the release stated.

DDL refused to submit a bid because it could not find a model for the Enmore estate that would fit its current investment and development strategy, in-keeping with the information memorandum governing the bidding process.

PWC’s Managing Director, Wilfred Baghaloo, at that time had said he was appointed “to oversee certain aspects of the privatisation” of the three sugar estates. Baghaloo oversaw the

determine whether the bid proposals are in-keeping with the terms of the information memorandum that they were provided.

Privatisation Specialist of NICIL, Shawn Persaud, at that time said the bids will be considered on the premise that they intend to utilise the estates for works in the cane industry, not limited to sugar, This, he explained, is because it is hoped that the successful awardee(s) of the leases will re-employ the skilled workers who were laid off after those estates were closed.

Silence

However, since this year began, no word has come from the Government as to the position of those four sugar estates it had shut

within my portfolio. You will have to talk to the Finance Minister for that,” he stated.

Attempts by Guyana Times to contact Finance Minister Winston Jordan, proved futile.

The SPU under NICIL secured a $30 billion through commercials banks, both in Guyana and the Region, as part of the diversification initiatives. The bond was secured solely by bondholders in the Government, and not against any assets of NICIL or GuySuCo. The commercial lending rate for Guyana at the time was 13.0 per cent, while the NICIL bond was issued at 4.75 per cent, which is 8.25 per cent lower than the rate that most companies borrow at in Guyana.

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

53rd Independence anniversary

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

Sunday, May 26 – 10:30h-12:00h and Monday, May 27 – 12:00h-01:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, May 26 – 09:50h-11:20h and Monday, May 27 – 11:00h-12:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected in the morning, followed by light cloudy skies in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies with light rain showers are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 09:42h and 22:31h reaching maximum heights of 2.16 metres and 2.10 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:12h and 15:53h reaching minimum heights of 1.13 metres and 1.04 metres respectively.

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Guyana poised for another transformative moment with oil production

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resident David Granger emphasised in his Independence Day message that the future belongs to the youths of Guyana. Calling Guyana’s independence transformative, the President noted that May 26, 1966, laid the foundations for a better life.

The Head of State said that the immediate post-Independence decade was a period of effective efforts aimed at expanding the country’s infrastructure and improving public services. These nation-building initiatives, he added propelled rapid improvements in the country’s economic, physical and social infrastructure.

“The newly-independent State strolled onto the global stage with confidence. It became respected and recognised for its efforts in advancing the cause of the developing countries, particularly of the small African, Caribbean and Pacific states.”

According to the President, youths today have a greater say in decision-making than before, with young professionals and entrepreneurs being consulted for the budget formulation. Pointing to the upcoming oil and gas production, President Granger noted that this new revenue is likely to bring more transformation.

“The future belongs to young people. This axiom is true today as it was 53 years ago when Guyana attained its Independence.

The central aspiration of the independence generation was to secure a better future for their children and grandchildren,” the Head of State said.

He pointed out that Guyana, today, is poised for another transformative

President David Granger

moment. The commencement of petroleum production, next year, and the transition towards becoming a “green” State will increase economic growth and provide greater resources for development.

“The future belongs to young people. The resources derived from economic expansion and diversification will be deployed, primarily, to secure and safeguard our children’s and grandchildren’s future.

Young people can be assured of greater opportunities as a result of oil production and the policies of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy.”

Young people, he added have started to play a pivotal role in driving development. “… a nation in which young people are united, educated, trained, safe, happy, healthy and integrally involved in the de-

cision-making processes, while enjoying equality of opportunity and equal access to the resources of our country and are politically, economically and socially empowered.”

Education, equality, empowerment and employment are the four pillars of our national youth policy.

The good life, regardless of the resources available to us, will be unattainable unless young people have access to better education, enjoy greater equality, are provided with expanded employment opportunities and are empowered to make decisions which de-

termine their future.

Education is a bedrock of Government’s youth development policy, he stated, adding that Government’s policy of every child in school aims at ensuring that no one is left behind. Young people are being equipped with the knowledge and skills to become productive citizens.

The 53rd Independence Anniversary flag raising ceremony and cultural display is scheduled to include thousands of youths, who will endeavour to keep the crowd entertained. It will be held on the D’Urban Park tarmac today.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Independence: Fruit of a poisoned tree

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oday is the 53 anniversary of Britain granting independence to what was then “British Guiana” when it renamed itself “Guyana”. The enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant observed that one cannot separate means from ends: the latter being simply “consummated means”. We, the inheritors of that “independence” can attest to the perspicacity of that statement as we review our history since. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham saw politics as “the science of the deal” and our independence under his People’s National Congress (PNC) was simply the result of a deal he cut with colonial Britain to prevent the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) from collecting on their promise for independence to be granted to the party that won the 1961 elections – which was the PPP. Some, including ironically the British, saw Cheddi Jagan essentially as a harmless, well-meaning Marxist; a type they knew very well from their domestic post-war politics, whose bark was worse than their bite. But the new liberal US President, John F Kennedy, could not afford to risk another Cuba in the western hemisphere after the disastrous Bay of Pigs expedition. The PNC under Burnham went along with a coup on the cheap through CIA-inspired riots and a condign tweaking of the electoral rules from “first past the post” to Proportional Representation. The rest, literally, was history.

But using the “means” of riots with two parties that were ethnically based, left Guyana with a more polarised political system than any in the Caribbean, because the genie of violence to “resolve” political differences was let out of the bottle. Our independence became the “fruit of a poisoned tree”. After WWII, the British had accepted they could not hold on to their empire and was more than willing for the US to fill any power vacuum created by their withdrawal.

Burnham, however, knew that with Jagan and his PPP as the alternative, he had the US between a rock and a hard place.

His electoral “innovations” to remain in office through rigging was ruefully accepted by the US as Jagan gravitated closer into the Russian ideological orbit. Burnham was alarmed after an attempted coup by some “progressive” young Army officers in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago in 1970, who were inspired by the Black Power Movement as well as socialist ideas. He moved ideologically “leftwards” to pre-empt a similar movement here but pragmatically chose “cooperative” Socialism, as his philosophy. This, he claimed, was based on the African “Ujaama” socialism of Tanzania, and not on classical Marxism so as not to irritate the US. The incoherent melange of policies, which he declared in 1976 would “feed, house and clothe” the nation within five years, inevitably led to the collapse of the nation politically, economically and socially. Politically, Burnham declared the “paramountcy” of the PNC over the Government and indeed over the entire state with its party flag flying over the Court of Appeal – then our highest court. The need to practice boondoggle politics intensified as the PNC supporters became restive after the formation of an alternative political force, the Working People’s Alliance.

Economically, the country was unable to pay its international debts and Burnham refused to accept the ministrations of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Printing of money to satisfy its internal debt precipitated the highest rate of inflation the nation had ever seen and this wiped out the savings of the salaried class. Socially, the supporters of the PPP were discriminated against, leading to even Dr Jagan protesting against “racial discrimination”.

The spectacular failure was epitomised by the largest mass suicide the world had ever seen at Jonestown in 1978.

It was only the fall of the communist USSR in 1989 that made the US look a bit more benignly at the PPP and facilitated its return to office in 1992 via “free and fair” elections. In their 23 years at the helm, they heroically attempted to clean the Augean Stables left by the PNC. And we arrive at the present iteration of the PNC under David Granger, who is delivering on his promise to “fulfil the legacy” of Burnham.

As Guyana celebrates Independence Day, former Presidents Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan were recognised for their sterling contributions in untangling Guyana from British rule. In this depiction at Brickdam, Queen Elizabeth II was also celebrated (Dexter Ceres photo)

TT to Maduro: Handle your borders …registration to cost $5M

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evealing the cost of the Venezuelan migrant registration exercise as $5 million, National Security Minister Stuart Young said yesterday that the government has asked the Venezuelan authorities to step up their border patrols to try to stem the influx of migrants to T&T. At a press briefing at his ministry at Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, Young admitted the registration was a “pull factor” for further migrants to come to T&T, and there was “no possibility” of T&T fully shutting down its borders. He was nonetheless glad that talks between President Nicolás Maduro and Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó meant the whole situation was now fluid.

Young said the Venezuelan authorities have been asked to “step up on their side.” He said, “The Venezuelan authorities and the Guardia Nacional, they have been doing it, but they have also been requested to see what extra resources they can put up to assist in the prevention of people leaving Venezuela with the intent of illegally coming into T&T.” He said it was almost impossible to throw a complete blanket of security over T&T. Young said he has had as “tremendous response” from people offering to be Spanish-language interpreters for the exercise.

“We are oversubscribed.”

He said fewer than planned registration centres will be used, namely the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Achievers Banquet Hall in San Fernando and Caroline Building, Wilson Road in Tobago. Young also hoped migrants would reg-

Safe haven: Venezuelan migrants at the Irwin Park Sporting Complex in Siparia, days after they were picked up by Police in the forests in Palo Seco (Lincoln Holder photo)

ister online before the registration period of May 31 - June 14. Young said each migrant registered will get a receipt and a registration card with security features for those 16 and over.

Saying anyone committing crimes would be deported, he said, “I have signed deportation orders in the past few weeks, about ten.”

On the 101 migrants held last week, he said in collaboration with the Venezuelan authorities a complete due diligence had been done to match them to their identification numbers in Venezuela. “That system is working and we’ll be tapping into that system as we go forward in this registration exercise.” While he was not consulted on the exercise that saw the 101 get orders of supervision, he said he trusts his immigration officers.

Of the Venezuelan man rescued from Grenadian waters, Young said no boat wreckage was ever

found, while both T&T and Grenadian authorities had identified him as a man with a criminal background who engages in human trafficking. Pressed later by Newsday, he said the man was involved in not mere migrant smuggling but human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution.

“We’ll not tolerate crime rings engaging in human trafficking. All sorts of things happen when people come to T&T. We’ll be going after those engaged in human trafficking, exploiting Venezuelans in prostitution and other detrimental areas.”

Locals involved would also be tackled, he vowed.

While repeatedly referring to migrants as “our Venezuelan brothers and sisters,” Young said the Government’s first duty is to its own T&Tcitizens.

Apparently referring to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he said it is very easy to issue a migrant

a piece of paper to stay in T&T, but T&T has not been seeing the end of the process where such individuals are sent to places that have more resources to take care of them. Saying Peru is overstretched and is deporting Venezuelans and Colombia is strained, Young said the Government is very aware its resources are limited.

Replying to questions, Young said the registration exercise will cost $5 million, but no international agency is helping with this cost.

Some software and expertise had been sourced from the International Office of Migration.

Asked about labour market distortion by the migrants, he said, “The market will work itself out. Persons will compete for the jobs.”

On exploitation, he said the registration is to prevent anyone trying to coerce migrants over their illegal status to do undesirable acts.

(T&T Newsday)

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$30M approved for completion of Drop-in Centre

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he National Assembly – which consisted of only Government Ministers as the Opposition is awaiting a court ruling on the validly of the passage of a no-confidence vote against the Administration – last week approved a request for an additional $30 million to facilitate the completion of the new Drop-in Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The centre was scheduled to be completed in April of this year but this deadline was not met.

Addressing the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply on the request, Social Protection Minister Amna

Ally said that the supplementary funds are to be used specifically to address gaps in the centre’s fire prevention systems as well as to procure a transformer, for electricity.

Ally, in her request, further explained that proper fire prevention infrastructure needs to be in place to ensure the safety and security of the children being housed at the facility given past incidents.

The Minister was at the time referring to the July 2016 fire, which destroyed the entire top flat of the centre’s Hadfield Street, Georgetown location and claimed the lives of two brothers, Antonio and Joshua George, aged two

and six. The preliminary report from this incident had revealed that the centre had systematic problems and bad policy arrangements for any occurrence of a fire or similar emergency.

“In 2016 it must be noted that the original Drop-in Centre was burnt down and we have now constructed and new Drop-In and Family Centre in Sophia. The buildings are completed, however, the fire escape at this centre was not done and so we want to ensure the safety of our nation’s children hence we are ensuring that we take every possible safety measure with this new building and com-

plex,” Ally stated.

With regards to the procurement of a transformer for the housing facility, the Minister stressed the provision of adequate electricity to the multimillion-dollar complex, while clearly adding that “in addition to that, we also wish to provide a transformer so that adequate electricity can be given at that centre”.

The Social Protection Minister recently disclosed that over $150 million has been pumped into this new facility, presently under construction at Block C Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

According to Ally, the new

The newly constructed Drop-in Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown

Drop-in Centre seeks to provide housing for vulnerable children as well as young adults, as she reiterated that the facility is much-needed to ensure that disadvantaged children in the public system are provided for and taken

care of in a conducive environment.

Nevertheless, Minister Ally reassured that the multimillion-dollar facility does not seek to replace the existing homes but rather serve its rightful purpose effectively.

PPP not a Hindu or religious party Politicised decisions are no basis for management of any industry Dear Editor, Reference is made to a controversial commentary of Kean Gibson’s, published in another paper: contending that the PPP is a Hindu party and ran a Hindu Government when it was in charge of the country’s affairs.

The PPP was right not to reply to Gibson because her contention is not worthy of a response. But, for the record, some kind of response is in order to correct her flawed argument.

Gibson apparently drew from her dissertation for the PhD and made the same illogical and unsubstantiated arguments.

The arguments in the dissertation comprise countless flaws and inaccuracies about Hinduism. No need to mention them here; there is no logic in her argument about the PPP’s Hinduness. The PPP is no more Hindu than the PNC is Christian or the AFC Islamic. None of Guyana’s political parties defines itself in terms of religion.

None ran or runs a religious Government.

Gibson claims that Dr Cheddi Jagan, PPP’s founder, was Hindu, and by some strange logic of “transference”, she concluded that the PPP is a Hindu party because

of its leader’s religion.

Extending this logic, it would mean that the PNC is a Christian party and has been running a Christian Government. Analogously, the Democratic and Republican parties would be Christian parties because of their leaders’ faiths. And the Trump Administration would be Christian because he is a Christian.

For the record, Dr Jagan was not a Hindu; he rejected Hinduism.

I wish to share some anecdotes on Dr Cheddi Jagan’s non-belief in Hinduism to add to that offered by Dr Ramesh Gampat in another paper.

They reinforce the argument that Dr Jagan and the PPP are and were not Hindu-oriented.

At Jagan’s funeral rites in March 1997, Pandit Tiwari (popularly known as Churkiman) of Alness told me at the home of Jagan’s parents in Port Mourant, on record in a taped video, that Dr Jagan was a non-believer. Pt Churkiman said he spent time volunteering to help with the construction of Jagan’s home in Bel Air. After the construction, he approached Jagan to perform a “ jhandi” (puja) to open the home,

as is the custom of Hindus who build a new home or complete major repairs to a house. Pt Churkiman said Jagan would have none of it. Pt Churkiman said he even offered to perform the Hindu rites by himself to open (give blessings to the Almighty) the house, and Jagan vehemently objected.

Such an attitude could not be the thoughts or ideologies of a practising Hindu.

It cannot be verified, but I was told that at the funeral rites of both his mother and father in Port Mourant, Dr Jagan did not participate in the rituals that require shaving of head, fasting, and performing aartie, among other activities. Clearly, Dr Jagan was not a practising Hindu. He did not support Hindu religious activities and did not provide assistance to Hindu temples or schools or societies (organisations).

How then can one conclude that Jagan ran a Hindu Government? What specifically did Jagan or the PPP do for Hindus or Hinduism that one can conclude that PPP is a Hindu political outfit or ran a Hindu Government?

If you ask Hindus, they will all tell you PPP has

Dear Editor, With reference to the recent editorial about sugar, published on May 23, 2019, I offer a few comments: 1: We grow sugarcane, as we have for centuries. We produce raw sugar, as we have for centuries. That model is broken. However, it’s a huge leap from this position to a wholesale withdrawal from the cultivation of sugarcane. Growing sugarcane need not just be about producing (raw) sugar: that mindset is equally outdated. As the Private Sector has shown, there is ample potential in value-added products (such as rum).

2: Exactly two years ago, I suggested in these no religion. And only a handful of the party’s MPs are Hindus; not dissimilar from the small number of its Ministers who were Hindu when the party ran the country before it was removed from office.

Religion never defined the policies of the PPP Administrations Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram (PhD)

columns that we shift our focus from sugar to bagasse and listed products made in India, New York, Japan and Kenya; highend textiles, paper, briquettes. Similar suggestions have been made by others. They continue to fall on deaf ears. Either the will or the vision is lacking.

3: The problems within the sugar industry predate the current Administration but they have consistently played a bad hand poorly. The (mis) managed decline of the industry reveals a larger truth: administrations, with their short-term focus, are ill-suited to devise and deliver the long-term, large-scale transformative changes required in any

industry. Put simply, the State’s missteps on sugar, an industry that is embedded in the country’s DNA, augur ill for it to play a similar role in oil (for example, by developing a refinery), an industry about which we know nothing.

4: A weak State, such as we have in Guyana, is perhaps best confined to the role of regulator, enabler and watchman. On current evidence, the State should retreat from industry: it should not have control of any industry where thousands of jobs are at stake. Politicised decisions are no basis for the management or development of any industry.

Yours faithfully, Isabelle de Caires

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Creative writing for kids: 5 superb ways to encourage expressiveness

reative writing for kids is more than just a subject taught in school. This is because language shapes the way we perceive the world around us and widens our understanding of different people and possibilities. Whether we come across writing in stories, news articles and fairy tales, or in research, signs and coursework instructions, language allows us to communicate with one another and gain knowledge.

So where does creative writing for kids come into play?

Creative writing skills equip our kids with vital tools to make sense of their emotions, thoughts, and what is happening in the world and in their lives.

In Singapore, creative writing for kids is regarded as an elective hobby. In fact, it is crucial for children to delve into creative writing because, as research shows, good writing skills are essential to a child’s success in school and beyond.

There are emotional benefits to creative writing for your child too. By engaging in more creative writing, your child will develop stronger self-awareness and observation skills.

In addition, characterisation enables your child to put themselves in different people’s shoes, which cultivates empathy.

Creative writing entails more than forming one sentence after another. It fosters imagination and inspires children to have fun with writing. By expressing themselves in ways that are creative and compelling, they learn how to win over an audience’s attention. A child who is an eloquent writer and communicator will have an advantage in any field – in school and in life.

Here are some simple strategies to encourage creative writing for kids in Singapore, and to help them become more adept at expressing themselves and the world around them:

1. Use writing prompts to jumpstart creativity

To help your child his or her “writer’s block,” introduce an exciting topic. Writing prompts are often used in English enrichment classes and creative writing classes in Singapore as a technique to stimulate children’s imagination. Some examples of writing prompts include, “Describe your favourite place,” “Pretend you are writing a letter to your favourite character in a movie or book – for instance, ‘Dear Harry Potter…,’” or “Imagine that it’s your birthday party and a dinosaur suddenly shows up.

What happens next?” An exercise like this puts the fun back in writing.

2. Emphasise character development before writing the story

While coming up with story ideas, ask your child questions about his or her main character’s background, personality, and motivations. In the MindChamps Writing Programme, students are taught how to create engaging characters in their stories by asking “What if” questions and adopting a different point-of-view of an imaginary character.

3. Build effective description

Details are what makes a story entertaining and convincing. Play observation and description games to free up your child’s imagination and encourage forming creative phrases in writing.

4. Use “Feeling” words

Encourage your child to write and develop how an imaginary character feels in any situation. A “fleshed out” character is more relatable and likely to generate an emotional response from the reader. The use of figurative language including metaphors allows your child to effectively describe how they, or their characters, feel.

5. Encourage your child to keep a writing journal

From a young age, children can start building a habit of writing freely. When it comes to journaling and free-writing, the goal is to cultivate a love of personal expression. Refrain from correcting your child’s grammar and sentences in journal entries; in this case, creative writing for children should be as unrestricted as possible.

By giving children the freedom to explore their own interests and voice, they are more likely to develop a fondness for expression in writing. (www.mindchamps.org)

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Helping your child with creative writing assignments

s children proceed through the elementary grades, some class and home assignments will gradually begin to involve creative writing-first sentences, then paragraphs, and finally short essays. It is possible that the assignments will be difficult for some children, and there is a good reason for this. Comparatively little creative writing is required of youngsters in the primary grades. Mostly they were asked simply to read and fill in the blanks. Then suddenly this neglected skill becomes a very important component of assignments in the upper elementary grades.

Creative writing assignments require a tot of time, not only from the student but from the teacher as well, who must grade for content, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. No teacher enjoys returning a composition filled with red marks.

Consequently, most teachers would welcome help from parents even if it only involves increasing the student’s output.

(If it can also increase the quality of the youngster’s writing, so much the better!) Therefore, if it is all right with your child and if he seems to be having a problem with composition, you may want to consider getting in touch with his teacher to learn what she will be requiring in terms of creative writing assignments and how you might best help.

Somehow the child’s cooperation win have to be secured, for writing tends to be tedious for some youngsters and cannot be accomplished- without a positive attitude. This can best be done by (1) defining the goal (“We’re going to work together to help you learn how to better express your thoughts in writing.”); (2) scheduling only one or two writing sessions per week, preferably at a time when the youngster is not already exhausted or burned out with other assignments; (3) keeping the sessions to a reasonable length, thereby preventing frustration brought on by fatigue.

Of course, it is possible that maintaining a regular schedule for creative writing will not be necessary, and a blanket offer that help is available if needed is all that is required. You may want to request that the teacher send all compositions home so that you can see if the child is keeping on top of this important aspect of the curriculum.

Materials A “first-aid” kit of writing materials will circumvent many a crisis. Be sure that there is always a supply of notebook paper, pencils, and ballpoint pens on hand (in case these essentials have been left at school). A paperback edition of a good dictionary written at the child’s reading level is also a necessity, and eventually a thesaurus will become a valuable tool for creative writing assignments.

Letter writing Letter writing seems a chore for many people, and yet a certain amount of correspondence is a necessity in everyone’s life, and the sooner the child becomes aware of this social obligation, the better. Almost by definition, thank-you notes are generally short and their content follows a prescribed format. However, merely “thank you for your gift” seems insufficient. The recipient needs to identify the gift and graciously explain why it will give him pleasure. (“Thank you for the pretty sweater. It will go perfectly with my favorite shirt.”) A note of caution: thank-you notes should be written within 48 hours of the receipt of a gift, for somehow the longer this is put off, the more difficult the task will be. Try to set a deadline without seeming to nag-something like, “Set aside a few minutes tonight to write Aunt Jane a thank-you note so that I can drop it off at the Post Office in the morning when I run errands.”

Find out who those individuals are in your child’s life that are important. Your child may balk at writing a letter to Aunt Jane, but trip over himself to write a letter to a favorite coach or previous teacher. (And, yes, pull some strings. Let that person know that a return letter would be mighty important and that some praise and interest shown your child would go a long, long way.)

The youngster can be encouraged to write other kinds of letters as well-a fan letter to a favorite rock star, a contest letter (25 words or less–good mental discipline), a letter of request (“Will you send me a free copy of the poster that was advertised in?”).

A number of children’s magazines promote pen pals with children in our own country and in other countries.

Your children’s librarian may be helpful in locating these. (childdevelopmentinfo.com)

TO BE CONTINUED

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SUnDAY, may 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

53rd Independence Anniversary

Opposition urges Guyanese to continue overcoming challenges

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s Guyana celebrates its 53rd Independence Anniversary today, the Opposition – People’s Progressive Party – has joined in calling for Guyanese to embrace how far the country has come and to play their part in Guyana realising its true potential.

The party paid its respects to the historical sacrifices that persons have made to ensure that Guyana achieved its independence.

According to the PPP, such individuals had many challenges to overcome before the colonial shackles could be overcome.

“During the fifty-three years since, our country faced many challenges and experienced a period of unprecedented progress and prosperity. Throughout that time, our resilient and patriotic Guyanese people re-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

mained resolute towards the building of a better nation through hard work and dedication for the advancement of their fellow men and women,” the PPP said.

The party noted that patriotic Guyanese remain committed to building a better Guyana, notwithstand-

ing present challenges. It also noted that Guyana has much potential which, through prudent management, could create a better future for all.

“In observing another milestone in our independence, our party urges reflection on the valiant efforts of those who made untold sacrifices during the struggles for self-rule. Those sacrifices must continue to be valued and remain a source to imbue us all with pride and patriotism,” the party added.

“We must also remain cognisant of our nation’s vast potential which, through prudent management, can create the brighter future we all desire. Let us continue to remain hopeful so that our challenges can be overcome,” the party’s statement added.

GO-Invest’s finances nosedive from surplus to deficit – report

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he annual report of the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest), which was recently laid in the National Assembly, has revealed

that for the fiscal year 2016, the entity’s expenditure increased to the point where its finances were in a deficit.

According to the report, GO-Invest’s total income for 2016 was $140.6 million; an increase compared to 2015 when the entity made $124.2 million. Providing a breakdown of this sum, Government subventions made up most of 2016’s earnings at $126.1 million.

However, the company had to contend with depreciation, which cost it $4.9 million and disposal of assets, which cost $909,902.

At the end of the year, GOInvest recorded a deficit of $372,837; a worrying reduction from its surplus of almost $3 million in 2015.

The annual report shows that expenses, such as maintenance of the building, cost $12.9 million. Other charges such as travel and utility charges took up $5.4 million and $5.8 million respectively.

Meanwhile, employment costs increased in the oneyear span, going from $52.6 million in 2015 to $70.8 million in 2016.

A breakdown of the more significant employment costs shows that administrative staff costs increased from $4.6 million in 2015 to $18.1 million.

Senior technical staff costs increased from $16.9 million to $21.5 million. Total benefits and allowances increased from $8.7 million to $9.2 million.

Investments

The report also states that in 2016, GO-Invest facilitated 57 Executed Investment Agreements (EIA).

These ranged across sectors from forestry to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sectors.

“In 2016, domestic investment was predominantly the source of investment for agriculture/agro-processing projects. GO-Invest facilitated and executed approximately 16 agriculture/agro-processing projects at a projected value of GY$7,948,624,000 with pro-

jected employment of 721 jobs,” the report states.

Of recent, there has been concern that the passage of the No-confidence Motion in December against the Government and its subsequent procrastination despite constitutionally due elections had impacted the business climate.

GO-Invest had claimed that the political climate in Guyana has had little effect on investments coming to Guyana. But in February, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said it had conducted a study following the passage of the No-confidence Motion.

The organisation had found that the looming political uncertainty has caused some 64 per cent of businesses to register some sort of decline.

The Chamber had said it was concerned about the effect of the impact of the associated uncertainty on the business community, adding that it was that level of uncertainty which prompted the survey to gauge the effect of the political environment on business performance.

From the results, 64 per cent of respondents (or about two in every three businesses) experienced some form of decline owing to the uncertainty over the state of political affairs in Guyana.

For those businesses which registered a decline in activity, approximately 85 per cent experienced a 25 to 50 per cent drop in the level of commercial activity.

The remaining 15 per cent experienced 75 to 100 per cent decline in business.

The Private Sector body had noted that the significant decline in commercial activity was worrying to itself and its membership.

According to the Chamber, the continued state of political uncertainty can result in further decline in economic activity.

GCCI’s membership numbers over 240 business organisations from micro to enterprise level, located throughout the country and in Caricom.

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Former GRA Chairman takes over at GPL …as new Board appointed

New GPL Board of Directors, Chairman Rawle Lucas

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ormer Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Chairman, Rawle Lucas will now be Chairman of the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) new Board of Directors, with their appointments taking effect from next month.

Lucas, a University of Guyana lecturer and economist, served as Chairman of the GRA Board up until last year. Serving along with him on the GPL Board

are Reggie Bagwandin, Kirk Hollingsworth, Morsha Johnson-Francis and Tara Singh.

Meanwhile, the remaining four seats are reserved for Guyana Public Service Union representative, Gillian Pollard; Guyana Energy Agency Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mahender Sharma; Private Sector Commission representative, Komal Ramnauth; and someone nominated by the parliamentary Opposition.

According to a Gazetted notice, the new Board will have a life of two years effective from May 1, 2019. But while the Board resides with the Public Infrastructure Ministry, signing the gazette notice is recently appointed Minister of State, Dawn Hastings.

Since last year, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has been questioning the absence of the GPL

Board and who has been making policy decisions in its absence. Prior to the new appointments, GPL had been without a Board since early 2018.

Jagdeo noted that while GPL is raking in billions in revenue, this was being done while the entity did not have a Board of Directors.

Appointing a Board, he had noted, is not a time consuming exercise, yet Government has failed to appoint one since January of 2018. This year, with the power outages continuing unabated, Jagdeo had continued his criticism of the situation.

“Blackout is raging,” he had said at a press conference earlier this month, adding that “every single day, I live on the East Coast… sometimes two-three times a day, we have blackout and sometimes it lasts for several hours.”

“If they had a few blackouts and the Government

said we’re planning to fix this because we have new generator sets coming and we’re going to do this…for the interconnected grid, there is no new power generation facility being put in place.”

The new Board comes at a time when GPL’s service has been heavily criticised by ordinary citizens. This is because of regular power outages, maintenance work and announcements that there are issues with the interconnected system.

It was only recently that a $1.8 billion power plant was commissioned by the Government on the Essequibo Coast. But just a day after, reports emerged of residents being faced with constant power outages.

After he was appointed in 2018, GPL Chief Executive Officer Albert Gordon had said US$110 million was needed to end the constant blackouts.

Body in pit latrine

3rd suspect nabbed for murder of miner

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he third suspect who was wanted for questioning regarding the death of a 25-year-old miner whose body was discovered floating in a pit latrine has been apprehended by the police.

He along with two other suspects are in custody at a police station on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) pending investigation.

According to F Division Commander, Kevin Adonis,

the trio allegedly committed the murder in the North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), and when they were nabbed by law enforcement officials, they were transported directly to Georgetown.

“They went to Georgetown, coming from the North West District, they landed at Ogle airport. Subsequently, they were all placed in the lockups. At this point, they have

not confessed to anything but we are investigating the matter,” he told this publication on Saturday.

On Wednesday last, the partially decomposed body of Darvin David was found in a pit latrine (toilet) in Tassawini Backdam, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini).

David, who hailed from Tassawini Landing, North West District, Region One, was reportedly killed by

F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Kevin Adonis

three other miners during an argument.

Initial reports were that David along with the three suspects were consuming alcoholic beverages at Marcus Hope’s shop at Tassawini Backdam when David accused one of the men of trying to rob him of his money. Two of the three men are said to be relatives and it was one of these two that David made the accusation against.

This resulted in an argument ensuing between David and the suspects.

Guyana Times was told that David then left the shop for home but the three men followed him and another confrontation ensued at Tassawini Backdam trail.

It was also reported that David was stabbed to his throat and was thrown overboard into a creek.

This newspaper was further told that the men then returned and removed the body from the creek and dumped it in a latrine.

Following the discovery of David’s partially decomposed body on Wednesday, investigations commenced into the murder, and it was revealed that David was last seen in the company of the three suspects who are currently in the lockups.

Independence…

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…and dance hall misogyny o celebrate “independence” this year, the PNC Government has thrown not only its weight, but also its money at the putatively “privatelysponsored” Carnival events spreading over five days all over the city. Down the ages, we’ve been warned about governments ignoring the real plight of their people by throwing “bread and circus” at them; that is, throw them some sops to survive, and dull their pain with the extravaganza of the “circuses”.

Well, this year, the PNC-led Coalition has decided to forego the bread and focus on the “circus” of Carnival. We all know it all has to do with elections after the expected CCJ ruling validating the NCM…but damn! Does the PNC have to be so crass?? Is that how they see Guyanese: willing to forget the privations of 7000 persons thrown onto the breadlines after shutting down four sugar factories just to wine down the road half-naked? Well, yes!! And that’s why it’s not coincidental that all the Carnival events are in Georgetown – far from the cries of the hungry and the destitute in the sugar belt.

But the PNC’s hypocrisy was exposed when it tried to cover another base to earn some votes. Capitalising on the unending stream of violence against women -which culminated in the horrendous incident wherein one man brutalised and then shot and killed his wife, then buried her in a shallow grave -- the Ministry of Social Protection took out full page ads in all the newspapers, calling on groups to “help” them fight “Gender- based Violence” (GBV). But SIMULTANEOUSLY, the General Secretary of the PNC -- Amna Ally - gave out $40 million worth of tickets to the dancehall singer Buju Banton’s show at the National Stadium.

And why is this hypocritical? Well, not just that Buju Banton’s a convicted drug smuggler, but dancehall music promotes a hypermasculine model that leads men to see women as a collection of sexualised body parts: tits, “booty”, hips, lips, all designed to satisfy their lust. When women refuse to accept their role as the ‘weaker” sex, they are “Jezibels” and Delilahs - designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel -and must therefore be condignly punished!!

Women are also “hoes”, as described by one Dancehall performer, Mr Vegas, who starts off by saying, “Well, if a gal a tek two man inna one night/ Then we know she’s a hoe”!! Equivalent behaviour in men, however, is praised ‘cause he’s a “bad man”, a “player” who lives through violence”.

As Vybz Kartel boasts, “Real badman neva afraid, we got bombs and guns and hand grenades.”

Is it any surprise that the “bad man” indulges in rampant domestic violence against women to bolster his masculinity?? …and Mass Games Not satisfied with messing with the heads of young adults with their Dancehall extravaganza, the Government roped in 5000 children from 60 schools to perform at its Jubilee Park extravaganza today.

This is reminiscent of the Mass Games Burnham had imported from North Korea in the 1970s - when then Major David Granger was in charge of imparting Burnham’s “co-operative socialism” philosophy to the armed forces. The latter coordinated the Mass Games then, and are coordinating the children’s performance today.

Burnham insisted that Guyanese were too “undisciplined”, hence his formation of all those military and paramilitary outfits to have the “Disciplined” forces discipline young Guyanese. Granger has already relaunched the Cadet Corps and the People’s Militia, can the National Service be far behind?? And here we see the problem when you put old men to lead a country: they don’t think, they only remember!!

Granger’s still stuck in a time warp wherein he thinks “discipline” means marching up and down in a formation under the hot sun.

And not the discipline to creatively produce for the nation. …and UG bomb threats Is anyone surprised that we have bomb threats at UG, when the Carnival “sporting” events have been scheduled to coincide with final exams?

How else can the students “suck cane and blow whistle” at the same time??

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

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Leaking roof drowns City Hall

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he rainy season has not only brought flooding to some sections of Georgetown but also a reminder that the City Hall building is currently on its last stride, with a leaking roof and a structure that is sure to collapse if repairs do not take shape soon.

The 19th-century gothic revival building, which was once named the most picturesque structure in the capital city, is falling apart rapidly with some sections labelled unsafe. During a recent visit to the building, located at the corner of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic, the railings were falling apart with broken windows and stumbling woodwork that was seemingly attached by a thread.

Speaking with Guyana Times, one of the Councillors, Bishram Kuppen, noted that this severe damage could have been averted if frequent maintenance was carried out. However, the building has been neglected for decades by past mayors and these small problems were mounted into a significant one which is difficult to remedy.

Kuppen stated, “The minimal repairs that were required for example the windows falling apart, it doesn’t take a substantial amount of money to fix the window. There are works that could have been done like fixing the leaks and the windows that are a disgrace to the people of Georgetown”.

A rotting section of the historic City Hall building

A study was conducted by the European Union, pegging the rehabilitation works at some $400 million. Kuppen related that the Town Clerks have a tendency of postponing these works due to the lack of funds or the fact that they are seeking funds from Central Government.

As part of the EU’s report, there were indications of structural defects among other issues cited.

“The building has not been repaired even to any small extent for decades and it was just left to deteriorate to the current condition that it is in and the usual excuse or explanation that is given by the Council, specifically the Town Clerk, is that they don’t have sufficient money,” the Councillor said.

He added, “I think the blame lies squarely with the Administration all the way back to former Mayor Hamilton Green and even though the European Union had made an assessment of the building, there should have been minimum maintenance of the building until the major repairs take place. I understand that in the report submitted to Mayor Ubraj Narine, there were structural defects identified”.

During statutory meetings, the chambers leak, creating pools of water on the second floor. Just outside the room, sections of the corridor are also unsafe.

“When we are sitting in the chambers, in fact, when it rains it is leaking in the chambers itself and that is not the top floor so it was just allowed, in my opinion, to deteriorate to the extent where some massive programme could be initiated and we know when that happens, there is lack of accountability for funds.”

For now, the Council is awaiting funds to construct a new building next to the existing structure, which will house employees during the rehabilitation period. Over the years, millions of dollars were injected into the Council for the building’s restoration, including some $20 million in 2012.

Last year, it was indicated that proceeds from the Council’s City Week activities were to be used start the restoration project at City Hall.

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Lindener jailed for robbery under arms A

lindener, Delroy Griffith, was sentenced to three years in prison by Magistrate Wanda Fortune on Thursday after he was found guilty of robbery under arms.

The 30-year-old made his final court appearance at the Linden Magistrate’s Court last week when the sentence was handed down.

The court heard that Griffith, a miner who hails from Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, on March 3 at Burnham Drive, Wismar, robbed Nicholas Valcin of a Samsung J7 cellphone valued $70,000.

At the time of the robbery, he was armed with a knife. The father of two denied the offence.

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More rainfall expected over next 3 days

…as floodwaters recede in Mahdia

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fter being affected by floodwaters, the township of Mahdia in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), found some relief as the water is slowly receding. On Saturday, while the area was still flooded, the water was not as high as it was on Friday.

As the water receded, officials from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) continued with their relief efforts.

The flooding was as a result of heavy rainfall accumulating up to a few feet of water by the mid-morning hours.

Head of the CDC, Kester Craig told Guyana Times on Saturday that supplies were distributed to the affected families. It was estimated that at least 25 homes were flooded and while they were planning to set up shelters for some persons, everyone was allowed to return to their homes.

This publication was informed that sections of the main roadway suffered damages, and officials of

An aerial view of a section of the flooded area in Mahdia

the Public Infrastructure Ministry were also deployed to the area, where an assessment is being conducted.

“The officers are there distributing relief supplies at the moment. No one is in shelters. We have persons from the CDC and Public Infrastructure. There is a road that is damaged so the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is doing their assessment,” Craig asserted.

During the rainy season, Mahdia is prone to flooding. This is even more undesirable given the fact that

it was just established as a newly formed township.

A resident, Daniel Smith, explained that he woke up to water in his home and was quite surprised when he ventured outside to see the entire area under water.

“The water was really high in the house and we get some damages. But the water took some time and in the afternoon it start to go down. We are now cleaning up so we can spend the night in the house here. The rain is falling a bit but I hope it don’t rain hard,” he said.

While the area is prone

to flooding during the rainy season, Friday’s flooding is the largest flash flood they have seen in years.

As the situation resumes to normalcy, officials have warned that heavy rainfall is expected within the next three days, urging residents in low-lying areas to brace themselves and take precautions.

Areas that are expected to have heavy amounts of precipitation include Mabaruma, Wauna White Water and Kumaka in Region One (Barima-Waini); Fort Island in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Grass Hook, Bush Lot, Abary, Abary Lass in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Albion in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Imbaimadai and Mahdia in Region Eight; Kwatamang in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Wismar, West Watooka, 58 Miles Mabura Road, Ituni and Great Falls in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Guyanese narratives and independence

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nother May 26; another Independence Day. But are we any closer to becoming a nation than on that day in 1966 when we received all the symbols of “nationhood’ – flag, national motto, national hero, pledge of allegiance; etc.? I say not, and this is so for so many reasons, not least of all because we have been unwilling to craft a national narrative on which we all agree.

Benedict Anderson said nations are “imagined political communities”, and every nation that has amounted to something has a narrative that captures its essence and holds the people together.

Americans, for instance, have their “American Dream” narrative – their firm belief that if they work hard and play by the rules, the sky is the limit as regards their upward mobility. They are a “can do” nation in which their constitution defines and protects their equality. All of which leads to their “exceptionalism” as Ravi Dev “God’s country”.

To say that the nation is “imaginary” is not to assert that the narrative is a tissue of lies; but, as the historian Ernst Renan noted, it is about what we choose to remember, as well as to forget. Fifty-three years after Independence, each group still holds on firmly to its own narrative, which ever so often clash. And it is these contending assertions we have to re-examine and arrive at some sort of modus vivendi over what to remember and forget if we are to ever become a nation.

Invariably, these nodes of disagreement have to do with one or the other group proffering reasons why they are exceptional, and therefore must be exempted from the universal norm of equality to the national patrimony guaranteed to all citizens of the state. Some of these clashing claims are about “who suffered more”, “who arrived first” or “who did more to build Guyana”. Such assertions buttress claims of preferential treatment that create tensions among the several groups in Guyana.

Take, for instance, the recently reiterated claim by ACDA that African Guyanese should receive 18 per cent of Guyana.

They point to the fact that our Indigenous Peoples have been allocated 13.8 per cent of our land mass as a precedent for their claim.

In the African Guyanese narrative, their justification for land -- one is not sure where the 18 per cent comes from -- is that, during slavery, their labour was expropriated without any compensation to develop Guyana, and as such the 18 per cent is morally appropriate as “reparations”.

They say they have also suffered more than other groups, and have even challenged the claim of the Indigenous Peoples to have arrived first. The frisson occasioned by that narrative is that, as pointed out by the Indigenous Peoples, they had negotiated treaties with the European powers which had asserted sovereignty over Guyana, allowing them rights over lands they had occupied “from times immemorial”.

At Independence, Stephen Campbell, representative of the Indigenous Peoples, was a party to the team negotiating the terms of devolving power from Britain, and had those rights incorporated in Annex ‘C’ of that agreement.

The two claims are therefore not equivalent, and ought not to be linked in any narrative.

Then, again, on the matter of “Reparations”, the Caricom Committee headed by Sir Hillary Beckles has explicitly made claims against the European powers - primarily Britain and Holland - which unconscionably benefited from the exploitation of African slave labour. The local Guyana Committee is the only one in the Caribbean that is seeking to simultaneously extract reparations from its government.

On a quite mundane level, doesn’t the local reparation claim undercut the larger moral and inchoate legal claim against the European nations?

But the danger in this kind of narrative is that it raises the issues of arrival, suffering, and contribution by other groups in such a manner that can lead to conflicting claims from other groups. For instance, during the period of indentureship, the Portuguese, Indian, West Indian and Chinese immigrants were all severely underpaid, and suffered greatly under the plantation regime. Should they also start claiming reparations against the Guyanese state in the form of land grants?

My suggestion is that we have to craft a narrative which accepts that we have all suffered and contributed to the creation and building of Guyana; and, with new horizons opening up from the coming oil revenues, we should all be rewarded based on merit. Affirmative action, of course, can be taken for groups that we all agree were discriminated against.

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SUnDAY, may 26, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Paddy bug infestation

Berbice small rice farmers experiencing difficulties in replanting

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mall rice farmers in Berbice are experiencing difficulties in replanting their crop and many are still hoping Government will step in and assist, following the widespread devastation as a result of a paddy bug infestation during the last crop.

Some farmers have prepared the land while others have already sowed paddy for the crop. However, they do not have the necessary funding to see them through the crop. Speaking with Guyana Times on the issue, Region Six Chairman David Armogan noted that several rice farmers have contacted him explaining that they need assistance.

“In meeting with these farmers I get the impression that many of them do not have the finance at this point in time to get back into this crop and so they were hoping that the Government would intervene to give them some kind

Regional Chairman David Armogan

of incentive or to assist them in some kind of way with seed paddy or the possibility of fertiliser or some other form of help so they could get back into the crop,” the Chairman said.

Many farmers have been forced to dump their paddy since mills will not accept it.

The paddy was rejected by

mills because more than 35 per cent of it was damaged.

In addition to the loss as a result of the paddy bug infestation, many farmers were faced with additional expenses for the current crop after having to pump water into their rice fields. The prolonged dry spell coupled with difficulties encountered by the regional administration caused some rice farmers to pump water as many as seven times during the crop as compared with three times on an average per crop. The region was expected to produce an estimated two million bags of paddy his crop. However, Rice Producers Association (RPA) Extension Officer, Ramlakhan Singh said only three quarters of that figure was realised. Armogan explained that although the yield had looked promising and most farmers reaped between 30 and 35 bags per acre, it did not have the weight as expected. “When they took it to the mills, the weight was

significantly less than what they use to get before and they get paid by weight so a lot of them would have lost large sums of money and are finding it very difficult to get back into the crop,” Armogan explained.

The Chairman said the regional administration is hoping Government will see the necessity to assist the struggling rice farmers. Following the poor quality of rice produced, and the scarcity of seed paddy, farmers told Guyana Times that the cost for seed paddy had increased.

Although the crop has already started, the majority of farmers have stopped at the perpetration stage.

“If they can assist them with seed paddy and some amount of fertilizer, I think they will be ready to go. These farmers only know to make a living by planting rice. So if they don’t do that, you could imagine what will happen to them and their families,” the Chairman noted.

World Turtle Day 2019: Preparing for the impending ban on singleuse plastics (Part 4)

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hell Beach is different from conventional beaches in that it is not known for white sandy beaches or blue waters. Located at Barima Waini, Region 1, the beach stretches for over 120 kilometres, or 75 miles, of mudflats, and is home to four of the seven remaining types of sea turtles: Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas). The area serves as an important nesting ground for marine turtles, and is home to the largest contiguous area of productive mangrove forests.

Many Guyanese residing on the coast have only heard tales of the Leatherback Turtle, the world's largest sea turtle, but have never seen one. As we celebrate World Turtle Day 2019, it is an important time to pause and celebrate our turtle and tortoise species, and raise awareness on the importance of habitats such as Shell Beach.

Shell Beach as a Protected Area Shell Beach was designated as a Protected Area in 2011 because of its rich ecological and cultural diversity. The area is home to 11 Amerindian villages, and is designed to support conservation of biodiversity, sustainable resource use, and livelihood development. As a protected area, residents in the area are still able to use the land for their livelihoods; however, the area is closed off to tourists.

The conservation programme at Shell Beach began in the 1980s with Mr. Audley James, a turtle hunter turned conservationist, who noticed the decline in the sea turtle population, and Mr. Peter Prichard, British Turtle Zoologist.

Mr. James, a resident of Shell Beach, with the support of Dr. Pritchard, was able to convince turtle hunters of the importance of conserving turtles and start protecting them. Currently, the area is under the Protected Area Commission, for which Mr. James serves as an advisor.

Shell Beach is an area of great significance, and continues to interest researchers around the world. Dr. Kelly Stewart and Dr. Catherine McClellan have satellite-tagged turtles on Shell Beach for the last two years with an aim to see their migration and habitat patterns. Dr. Kelly Stewart, who studies the genetics of turtle populations, population dynamics and by-catch in fisheries, noted that “Shell Beach has had one of the longest monitoring programmes in the world, beginning in the 1980s, and provides good protection and contributes to (continuation) of the species.”

Current Trends Although their distribution is wide, the numbers of Leatherback turtles have seriously declined during the last century as a result of intense egg collection and fisheries bycatch. Globally, Leatherback status, according to IUCN, is listed as Vulnerable, but many subpopulations (such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic) are Critically Endangered. Dr. Catherine McClellan, a Marine Biologist who has been doing field research for the last 26 years in freshwater and marine ecosystems, noted that “turtles are long-lived, and it is important to protect them at their different life stages.” She suggested not using turtle products, or engaging in the use of poaching for turtles.

Dr. Stewart also shared that, although citizens might be far away from these ecosystems, “turtles are vulnerable to our actions. We should be mindful of the seafood we buy, and our reliance on plastics. It is easy for a turtle to consume a plastic bag because it looks like a jellyfish.”

Ms. Devya Hemraj, a Scientific Officer at the University of Guyana, made the important connection, noting that “we need more conservation, and not consumption. Protected areas such as Shell Beach are important, but citizens in Georgetown have a role to play in taking care of our water bodies, especially due to garbage drift along the coast; fewer plastics provide a better chance for turtles to survive.”

She noted that people can engage in beach cleanups, community efforts, and stricter regulation should be implemented to prevent fishermen from fishing in the nofishing zones.

As Guyana prepares for the ban on single-use plastics, which comes into effect in 2021, we urge you to start thinking consciously about how we use and dispose of single-use plastics.

Let’s work together to protect our marine turtles.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN; or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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GNBA to haul errant broadcasters to court

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An examination of Guyana’s balance of payment account

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he Bank of Guyana’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended 2018 revealed that the balance-of-payment deficit widened from US$69 million in 2017 to US$132 million as at the end of 2018 – reflecting an increase of 91 percent. This article seeks to address this topic by explaining what is ‘balance of payments’, and how it affects the economy. The illustrations below depict the movements in Guyana’s Balance of Payment figures over the last ten years:

Balance of Payment overall balances

US$ Millions

As can be observed from the data above, over the last ten years, Guyana’s trade balance recorded a surplus in years 2009, 2010 and 2012, with the highest surplus during that period being US$234.5 million in 2009; and deficits were recorded in the years 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, with the highest deficit of US$132 million being recorded in 2018.

The balance of payment (BOP) of a country, sometimes referred to as ‘trade balance’, is defined as a systematic summary statement of a country’s international economic transactions during a given period of time, usually a year. In other words, it is a record of transactions between its residents and foreign residents over a period of time; or the imports and exports’ transactions of a country.

The importance of balance of payments

It serves as an indicator of the changing international economic or financial position of a country.

It helps in formulation of a country’s monetary, fiscal and trade policies. It helps in determining the influence of trade and transactions on the level of national income of a country.

It is useful to individuals and banks, firms and financial institutions which are directly or indirectly involved in international trade and finance.

It is an economic barometer of a nation’s progress vis-à-vis the rest of the world.

Economic growth in developing economies: balance of payment constrained growth? The case of Nigeria In the case of Nigeria, balance of payments’ instability was found to have complicated macroeconomic problems and financial management. Over the last three decades or so, there has been a growing trend in fluctuations of Nigeria’s balance of payments. A balance of payments’ crisis usually distorts the working of the entire economic system, because it creates disequilibrium between the supply and demand for money (Nwani, 2003). The different economic measures put in place by various governments in the 1980s could not turn around the balance of payments’ problems.

For example, the Nigerian exports promotion policy, import substitution industrialisation, exchange rate policy, and the structural adjustment programme. The worst of all was the transitional period of democracy (1999-2010), when balance of payments continued to show red although the Government tried to change the course of the balance of payments (Anoka & Takon, 2014).

Causes of the balance of payments’ problem

In some respects, in an open economy, balance of payments reflect the net result of equilibrium or disequilibrium in the domestic economy. If there is a savings gap, that is, if domestic savings are not sufficient to cover domestic investment, the economy needs a net inflow of capital to cover the shortfall. In the same way, a trade gap with the domestic demand for goods and services exceeding domestic production can be covered only by a trade deficit with the outside world. Such a trade deficit must, however, be financed with foreign exchange. It means that a country with a trade deficit therefore needs a net inflow of capital from the rest of the world; or, alternatively, a sufficiently high level of foreign reserves.

With that in mind, reducing Guyana’s vulnerability to the balance of payments’ problem therefore starts at home. Such that it is domestic savings and investment that, in the long run, must be in equilibrium. Also, domestic production and expenditure should be aligned; the efficiency of the domestic industries must be improved in order to make domestic export products more competitive in world markets.

Efforts to address a balance of payments’ problem more directly -- that is, by manipulating imports, exports and capital movements -- do not rectify the basic causes of the problem, and, as such, often lead to even more controls. Such direct controls, like borrowing foreign funds to finance a deficit, can alleviate the problem only in the short run (Stals, 1993).

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

ome errant broadcasters will soon be hauled before the courts by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) as the Authority has already given its lawyer the green light to proceed with litigation.

However, persons are not going to be placed before the courts for broadcast content but rather for broadcasting illegally since many of them have not renewed their licenses.

“Those broadcasters who never had a broadcasting licence and are broadcasting, whose licences have expired and have not renewed their licences but are still broadcasting and those who owe the Authority millions of dollars and are refusing or failing to pay, are the ones that will be brought before the court. GNBA continues to function as a professional entity and within the parameters of the broadcasting legislation,” the GNBA said.

Additionally, the broadcast authority will be soon institutionalising the concept of “Citizen Monitoring” and this goes in tandem with the development of a research department that will be tasked with surveying listenership as well as the quality of programmes and conducting content analysis.

“There is the Monitoring and Compliance Department which monitors the airwaves and when certain infractions are identified, those infractions are forwarded to the Special

Investigative Committee for further examination.”

According to the Authority, if it is decided that a fundamental breach was committed against the Broadcasting Act, then that broadcaster is summoned for a preliminary interview, where an opportunity is given for the broadcaster to refute or acknowledge the charge brought against his/her station.

Following that preliminary interview with the Special Investigative Committee, recommendations are made as to whether the broadcaster should be brought before the Hearing Committee or the Board.

Earlier this year, Reporters Without Borders for freedom of information (RSF) said that journalists in Guyana still face hurdles in executing their duties and some of the present laws

that the country has implemented can land a journalist in jail despite the Constitution guaranteeing free speech and the right to information.

The RSF website says that “a Cybercrime Bill that was passed into law in July 2018 took into account amendments RSF proposed regarding provisions that could have posed a threat to press freedom if used to penalise journalists for publishing reports deemed critical of the Government or that are based on information from confidential sources. However, the bill remains imperfect. The members of the media regulatory authority are appointed directly by the President”.

According to the media advocacy body, this restricts the freedom of certain media outlets, which are denied licenses and recent attempts to improve regulation of the broadcast industry involved no consultation with any broadcasters.

It added that local journalists may be censored due to editorial or company policies and the threat remains at large that Government officials can use the laws of Guyana to persecute and prosecute journalists if their articles are not “in keeping” with how they wish the publicity to be.

This by itself, is an infringement on the rights of journalists, and in contradiction of Guyana’s Constitution, the RSF added.

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Future belongs to young people ― Govt Selfless sacrifices led to independence ― PPP G

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ur attainment of Independence resulted from sustained struggles during which selfless sacrifices were made. It was a moment of tremendous joy for all Guyanese.

On May 26, 1966, our national flag, the Golden Arrowhead, was hoisted for the first time, heralding the birth of our beautiful nation.

It brought freedom from the shackles of colonialism whilst an independent Guyana, through self-governance, emerged with hope and expectations abundant in its people.

During the fifty-three years since, our country has faced many challenges and experienced a period of unprecedented progress

and prosperity. Throughout that time, our resilient and patriotic Guyanese people remained resolute towards the building of a better nation through hard work and dedication for the advancement of their fellow men and women. Those selfless efforts continue with every passing day despite prevailing adversities.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in taking this opportunity to extend warmest greetings to all Guyanese both at home and in the diaspora, on the occasion of our nation’s 53rd Independence Anniversary, would like to recognise and commend those invaluable efforts.

In observing another

milestone in our independence, our party urges reflection on the valiant efforts of those who made untold sacrifices during the struggles for self-rule. Those sacrifices must continue to be valued and remain a source to imbue us all with pride and patriotism.

We must also remain cognisant of our nation’s vast potential which, through prudent management, can create the brighter future we all desire. Let us continue to remain hopeful so that our challenges can be overcome.

Happy Independence to all Guyanese!

Pertinent reminder of freedom that was birthed out of patriotic struggle ― ERC

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he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) takes this opportunity to extend greetings to all Guyanese on the occasion of Guyana’s 53rd Independence Anniversary. The attainment of our Independence entailed a prolonged period of sustained struggles by many patriotic sons and daughters of this dear land. Their selfless efforts were focused on the betterment of all of their compatriots; for the realisation of a nation free from the bonds of colonialism and one that will always remain the cherished home of its diverse people.

Their success remains that beacon of inspiration epitomising what can be achieved when we work together in the best interest of Guyana and Guyanese. This must become an accessible source

of motivation for us to renew our commitment to work assiduously for the realisation of the goal enshrined in our national motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny.

Every anniversary of our nation’s Independence brings that pertinent reminder of the freedom that was birthed out of patriotic struggles sustained by the underlying bonds of brotherhood.

It is those bonds that we all must endeavour to build upon and strengthen so as to expunge the seeds of division from our society.

While our history will reflect the challenges in this regard, it must also serve as an impetus to fortify us with tolerance, to fully understand and appreciate our invaluable diversity and what it means to us as a nation. This enhances our capacity to shed

prejudices, thereby creating an environment in which harmony can prevail. History also provides the framework to help build a better society.

Activities for the observance of the 53rd Independence Anniversary will no doubt continue to see the participation of Guyanese from all backgrounds as pride and patriotism take centre stage. Let us all commit to building upon this with the objective of attaining a more harmonious society which we all desire. Let us also use this opportunity to renew our sense of value for the efforts of those who toiled for an independent Guyana. Let’s not forget that those efforts were in the interest of all without regards to where our ancestors originated.

Once again Happy Independence to all Guyanese!

of certain deficits experienced in governance. Our democratic culture which resurfaced over twenty (20) years ago, still, to this day, faces new challenges.

Notwithstanding the trials and setbacks the nation experienced and, most likely will face, we cannot deny the very many significant achievements as we steadily overcame the negative legacy of colonialism.

The GAWU is aware that several key objectives are yet to be reached. One of these is our economic sovereignty which we see as crucial to safeguard our political independence especially in the context and circumstances that we see unfolding in today’s world.

The prospects for our country to grow and develop despite current setbacks remain encouraging and we need to tackle the various tasks before us in a collective and united spirit. In this respect, our people, especially our working people, need to be encouraged and

become involved in the decisionmaking levels of our society.

As we celebrate this historic anniversary, GAWU urges that we all recognise that we have a responsibility to let our democratic culture prevail. It is one of the strong strands that bind our nation and makes it united and free. Additionally, we share the belief that our independence will be secured and strengthened over time when every citizen is given to enjoy the fruits, benefits and opportunities of our collective efforts and work.

It is unfortunate to observe that our 53rd Independence Anniversary finds us as a nation poised with further declining economic fortunes, with the sugar industry being an example of this reality. While this has certainly cast a pall over the nation, we must, nevertheless, lift high the banner of freedom and celebrate our Independence.

Happy Independence Anniversary to all Guyanese!

(1968-1992) and especially the period from 1962 to 1964 when there was a state of undeclared civil war which resulted in: 1. Over 200 persons losing their lives 2. Over 900 persons suffering physical injuries 3. About 2700 terrorised families being displaced from their homes as villages were engulfed in orgies of ethnic cleansing 4. Over 1700 cases of arson in which over 300 business places and houses were completely destroyed by fire during wanton acts of terror 5. Losses of over US$20 million in the local economy, as opposed to an investment of US$2.2 million, used to destabilise pre-Independence British Guiana according to US declassified documents.

6. The destruction of the Indo-Guyanese community at the adjoining villages of Wismar and Christianburg, where all 87 business

premises and 215 homes owned and occupied by Indo-Guyanese were deliberately destroyed by fire between May 24 and 25, 1964, followed by the evacuation of almost 3400 Indo-Guyanese persons under the protection of British military forces on May 26, 1964, exactly two years before Independence.

The IAC is of the view that the national economy is in rapid and serious decline including the rice industry which is suffering greatly from the paddy bug infestation and is calling upon all of the parliamentarians to work together to reverse this dangerous trend.

The IAC is cognisant of the upsurge in crime within the past four years and while recognising that in Berbice, there is a high amount of criminal activity perpetrated by persons of Indo-Guyanese origin against other persons of IndoGuyanese origin; elsewhere there have been many brutal robberies

Lift high the banner of freedom, celebrate our independence – GAWU

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he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is once again happy to join in extending best wishes to all Guyanese as our nation celebrates its 53rd year of Independence. The Independence achievement, now more than half a century ago, is a moment that all Guyanese take immense pride in. History recorded that the struggle to achieve nationhood was long and, at times, daunting but the strong will and perseverance of our people triumphed as the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted for the first time at the midnight hour of May 26, 1966.

GAWU feels certain that the attainment of Independence, which we fought for, motivated the social and economic progress of our country and was a decisive turning point for our all-round development. There are successes in several fields nationally while at the regional and international level, our country has earned recognition and respect in spite

uyana’s Independence on May 26, 1966, was a transformative experience that opened opportunities for everyone but, particularly, young people.

Independence was transformative.

It brought forward-looking changes which improved the living and working conditions for all, including our youth. It laid the foundation for a better life for future generations.

The immediate postIndependence decade was a period of effective efforts aimed at expanding the country’s infrastructure and improving public services. These nationbuilding initiatives propelled rapid improvements in the country’s economic, physical and social infrastructure.

Infrastructure – such as aerodromes, a bridge across the Demerara River, highways and wharves – was expanded.

Community centres, health clinics, housing schemes and many new schools were established. The economy was set on a path of growth. Public services – water and electricity – were extended to unserved areas.

Economic and financial institutions, such as the Guyana National Cooperative Bank and the Guyana Agricultural Development Bank provided much-needed access to capital for households, farmers and manufacturers. The Guyana Marketing Corporation assisted farmers to transport their produce to markets.

Social protection was revamped, including through the establishment of the National Insurance Scheme. Social cohesion was advanced.

Recognition was accorded to all of our main religious groups and steps were taken to reduce the divisiveness of the period just prior to Independence. The introduction of free education from nursery to university emphasised the importance of ensuring a sound education for our young people and of reducing distinctions of class, gender and geography.

The newly-independent State strolled onto the global stage with confidence. It became respected and recognised for its efforts in advancing the cause of developing countries, particularly of the small African, Caribbean and Pacific states.

Guyana, today, is poised for another transformative moment. The commencement

of petroleum production, next year, and the transition towards becoming a “green” State will increase economic growth and provide greater resources for development.

The future belongs to young people. The resources derived from economic expansion and diversification will be deployed, primarily, to secure and safeguard our children’s and grandchildren’s future. Young people can be assured of greater opportunities as a result of oil production and the policies of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy.

Young people have started to play a pivotal role in driving development. Your Government is preparing young people to assume responsibility for our nation’s future. A National Youth Policy has been promulgated. The “Policy” explains Government’s vision as: “… a nation in which young people are united, educated, trained, safe, happy, healthy and integrally involved in the decisionmaking processes, while enjoying equality of opportunity and equal access to the resources of our country and are politically, economically and socially empowered.”

Education, equality, empowerment and employment are the four pillars of our national youth policy.

The good life, regardless of the resources available to us, will be unattainable unless young people have access to better education, enjoy greater equality, are provided with expanded employment opportunities and are empowered to make decisions which determine their future.

Education is a bedrock of Government’s youth development policy. Government’s policy of every child in school aims at ensuring that no one is left behind.

Young people are being equipped with the knowledge and skills to become productive citizens.

An “education nation” is being established. Education is being enhanced at all levels – nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary.

Equality is integral for youth development. Your Government, already, is creating a fairer, friendlier framework for ensuring greater equality by providing improved access to public services – business registration, immigration, legal services, public education, public health, public information, public infrastructure, public security, public

telecommunications, electricity and water. Young people in the hinterland can look forward, one day, to having access to the same public services as those on our coastland.

Employment for all is possible.

The Guyana Youth Corps is retraining our youths to improve their “marketability” and to make easier, the transition between school and the workforce. The Corps reflects Government’s emphasis on consolidating its youth initiatives so as to have a stronger focus on employment and job creation.

Your Government is also committed to reducing the numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED); the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS); and the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG) initiatives are other examples of how Government is helping to promote selfemployment for young people.

Empowerment of young people has become a reality. Local Government Elections, held twice in three years, has evinced a surge in youth involvement in local democracy. Young candidates contested and campaigned in Local Government Elections in 2016 and 2018.

Youth today have a greater say in decision-making. Young professionals and entrepreneurs are being consulted in the fashioning of our national budget. Young people’s opinions and interests are taken into consideration in the development of Government policies.

The future belongs to young people. This axiom is true today as it was 53 years ago when Guyana attained its Independence. The central aspiration of the independence generation was to secure a better future for their children and grandchildren. Young people, today, can look to a bright future with greater confidence, enthusiasm and hope knowing that their Government is laying a stronger foundation for the good life for them and their children.

I extend to all Guyanese, but especially to our young people, greetings and best wishes on the occasion of the 53rd Independence Anniversary.

Happy Independence Day 2019!

PNCR Independence message 2019

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s we celebrate the 53rd Anniversary of Guyana’s Independence, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) salutes all Guyanese, both here at home and our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, on our achievement of yet another year as a politically independent people and country.

The political developments of the past four years have opened new avenues for the forging of a new democratic culture so necessary for the achievement of real independence and social

progress in our country.

Our party is confident that if as a nation we can build a truly inclusive political culture in which all stakeholders are allowed to play a meaningful role and in which can create an enabling environment for the orderly development of the nation, we can look forward to a future that is politically successful, economically self-sustaining and culturally rewarding.

As we celebrate this 53rd Anniversary of Independence, the PNC/R pledges to work with all responsible and reliable forces

whose aim is to forge social cohesion and national unity.

We believe that by working together we can ameliorate the many known problems which have bedevilled our country and stymied our development.

The PNC/R is proud of our record in Government and the important role that our party and our founder leader, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, played in our country’s struggle for independence.

Happy 53rd Independence, Guyana!

of Indo-Guyanese and Chinese business persons who have been deprived of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, jewellery, electronic devices and vehicles by criminals.

The IAC also recognises criminal activity impacting other ethnicities including rapidly increasing attacks on Chinese business places.

While the IAC reiterates its

call for the inclusion of Guyanese in the drive towards economic development and prosperity, the organisation is extremely concerned about the constant political warfare that is destabilising the country which is on the verge of a new and exciting national oil industry.

The IAC joins its voice with those of the political parties, religious

bodies, trade unions and other civil society groups in a nationwide call for peace and unity.

Let us all resolve to realise the dream of our fore-parents and Independence heroes and heroines to make our 53rd Anniversary a truly national event. The IAC wishes all Guyanese citizens a Happy Independence Day.

leadership on matters of regional concern. The American Chamber of Commerce-Guyana continues to create trade partnerships and opportunities, resulting in greater prosperity for both our countries.

As Guyana looks toward the production of its oil resources, the United States stands ready to assist to ensure all Guyanese will benefit. The United States looks

forward to a future of strong ties and collaboration based on our shared democratic values.

The United States joins you in celebrating Guyana’s diversity, freedom, and natural beauty.

On behalf of the citizens of the United States, I wish the citizens of Guyana a prosperous year and a happy Independence Day celebration.

IAC calls for peace and unity in Guyana’s politically unstable environment

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he Indian Action Committee (IAC) wishes to convey greetings to all Guyanese citizens, on the occasion of the Independence of Guyana from British colonial rule on May 26, 1966, fifty-three years ago.

The IAC calls upon all Guyanese citizens to remember and recognise all those persons who contributed to the ending of British colonial rule in Guyana including former Presidents Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham and Janet Jagan, and stalwarts of the struggle for national liberation like Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, Jocelyn Hubbard, Joseph Pollydore, Ramkarran, Ashton Chase SC, Jainarine Singh, EMG Wilson, Cedric Vernon Nunes, Martin Carter, Rory Westmaas, Eusi Kwayana, Brindley Benn, Moses Bhagwan and Reepu Daman Persaud.

The IAC, in recognition of the challenging history of Guyana during the past fifty-three years dominated by authoritarian rule

United States joins in celebrating Guyana’s Independence

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n behalf of the Government of the United States, congratulations to the people of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on your 53rd Anniversary of Independence on May 26.

The United States and Guyana have been friends and partners for decades, and we commend and encourage Guyana’s continued

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SUnDAY, may 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana’s economy can be revitalised by village production ― President

A section of the gathering at the anniversary celebration

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esidents of the Mocha Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara, on Thursday celebrated the community’s 125th anniversary of gaining the status as a village.

Showing their support in achieving the milestone, residents within the community turned out in their numbers for the anniversary celebration which was attended by President David

Granger along with other Government officials.

Delivering the feature address, the Head of State made emphasis on the many development and transformation villages across Guyana has brought to the country as a whole. On this note, the President declared that Guyana would be a different place without these villages such as Mocha.

“Every village in this country must celebrate national day of villages and today your have chosen as your village day…..these villages transformed plantations into a nation, they transformed subjects into citizens, they transformed domination into determination and they transform dependence into independence. That is why I feel so proud about our villag-

es, without these villages Guyana would be a different place” the Head of State remarked.

While refreshing memories on the history of the former plantation into a village, President Granger noted that the country’s economy can be revitalized by village production, while reiterating that his Government is committed to supporting village development.

“Villages are very relevant to present day development and they must be revitalized, that is my purpose in having this national day of villages. Not national day of towns but national day of villages because it is my belief that this economy, the country’s economy could be revitalized by village production. And that is why my

government is supporting the development of villages and communities” President Granger underscored.

Being a home to over 4,000 residents, Mocha Arcadia is a former plantation and was initially two separate villages but was declared as one on May 23, 1894 which had brought recognition to the area as part of Guyana’s Local Government System.

This community is known for producing a variety of the country’s provisions and vegetables as many residents make use of the area’s fertile soil. The event which was held at the Mocha Arcadia Primary School, showcased the talent of the village’s youths in the form of music, dances and skits.

Additionally, as part of

President David Granger

showing appreciation for his attendance, President Granger was presented with some of the community’s produce by local farmers residing in the area.

Large percentage of Linden women suffer from uterine fibroids

T

he New Horizons medical team in Guyana is set to conduct 39 gynecological surgeries at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), commencing on Monday.

Members of the Medical Mission revealed during an interview at the Hospital on Friday that they are very pleased with preparations so far done in collaboration with the local team. The team has so far been working alongside local medical staff to conduct a surgical training readiness exercise.

Based on screenings conducted, the team’s lead anesthesiologist, Colonel Greg Malone, said the main surgeries to be conducted are hysterectomies for uterine fibroids as he alluded to the large percentage of women affected by this condition in the community.

The team of 16 medi-

cal practitioners is expected to conduct more advanced methods of surgeries during the medical mission. Thirtynine women in the community are so far expected to benefit from gynecological surgeries.

“We’re very pleased to be here on request of the Government of Guyana in order to provide advanced surgical techniques to the Linden Hospital Complex as well as assist in our training of our personnel for deployment,” Colonel Malone noted. He pointed out that larger uterine fibroids in women of African ancestry, as those seen, are caused by genetics. He noted though that fibroids are very common in all women, alluding that there is a study which shows that 70 per cent of all females have some amount of fibroids. However, he said larger fibroids are common among women of African an-

cestry.

“Most ladies don’t really get large masses, however I can tell you having done several of these missions in Jamaica and Belize, Peru and here, for Central and Caribbean it is very genetic. Folks from these areas and also from Africa tend to have very large fibroid uterine which are very big and uncomfortable for patients...

Central and South America, females that live in these areas, predominant African Americans, they have genetics for very large fibroid uterine. So we would be doing a lot of hysterectomies for very large fibroid uterine,” Colonel Malone stressed.

He added that these can give patients a lot of problems, including heavy bleeding during menstrual cycles, bladder issues and feelings of abdominal pressure. Colonel Malone said based on talks with the local gynecology

Bomb threats at UG a hoax – VC …operations back to normal

University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus

F

ull operations resumed at the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana (UG) on Saturday morning after receiving the go-ahead from the Guyana Police Force’s Bomb Unit following a sweep of the campus for bombs on Friday.

UG’s Vice-Chancellor, Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, in a statement to the media said that he is thankful that the threat was a hoax while commending the professionalism of the Guyana Police Force’s bomb squad in handling the matter.

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

He explained that the sweep of the entire campus on Friday revealed nei-

ther explosives nor were any suspicious packages or items discovered during that search.

“Following the thorough sweep of the campus, Inspector Dyal of the Police Bomb Unit issued the ‘allclear’ signal. Students and staff members are asked to note that full operations will resume on Saturday, May 25, 2019.”

Meanwhile, Registrar of UG, Dr Nigel Gravesande noted that the staff of the Registry regrets the disruption caused by the bomb scare to the administration of final examinations on Friday last, but that the safety and security of UG’s students will always be a primary concern of the Registry.

Additionally, the University is requesting anyone who has information regarding the bomb threat to make contact with the University Safety and Security Officer on telephone (592) 623-9979 or the

nearest police station.

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

The Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service and the University’s security were on high alert and locked down the institution.

As a result, the gates to the educational institution were closed as security forces scanned the institution for threats. The threats were initially sent to a number of online news outfits and the situation was promptly reported to the police.

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

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

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

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

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

team, it has been noted that a lot of these surgeries are often conducted at the hospital, with the same disorders being observed in women.

Colonel Malone noted that hormonal contraceptives decrease the symptoms and discomfort associated with fibroids, in addition to taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin prior to a menstrual cycle. This, he said, can mitigate symptoms but noted that nothing can prevent the fibroids from forming or becoming larger. Additionally, he said the team will also be conducting surgeries for patients who suffer from urinary and fecal incontinence (problems holding in urine or stool), adding that he specialises in reconstructive surgeries for these conditions.

The mission’s lead gynecological and reconstructive surgeon, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Massengill said a total two staff physicians, four trainees, three anesthesia providers, three nurses and four technicians will be deployed to provide surgeries with a plan to run two op-

Members of the New Horizons medical team and LHC Public Relations Officer, Toshanna Allicock

erating rooms over the next nine working days. He noted that a list of over 50 patients who have advanced surgical needs has already been identified.

Deputy Commander of the expeditionary medical operations squadron, Captain Sean Bundles said there’s a future Mission which will see a team of six doctors going to various health clinics across Guyana to work alongside doctors. A medical readiness training exercise is also slated for the Egbert Benjamin Centre in

Linden from June 26 - July 12. It is expected to feature family health clinics, optometry, as well as dental and pharmaceutical services.

Chief Nurse for the operations Lieutenant Colonel Robert Smith also forms part of the team. Members of the team have noted that the leadership of the hospital has been very accommodating. Patients from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice) are also expected to benefit.

Tutorial High School receives steel pans …seeks to create rounded individuals

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utorial High School on Friday received a spanking new steel pan set and other equipment, which were donated to the school by the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.

The steel pans and accessories were acquired at a cost of US$5000 to assist the students in pursuing music.

According to Deputy Head Teacher of the institution, David Sam, this contribution is timely since the school is seeking to incorporate extracurricular activities with academics. In addition to a steel pan orchestra, they will be restarting a school choir.

He stated that the introduction of these instruments will allow children to take up positive activities during their spare time instead of resorting to crime, drugs and other social ills.

“I believe in a child that is not only academically there but has a rounded personality with the academics, the arts and academics and all of these things. My goal for Tutorial High School is to produce children who can fit into society irrespective of what is their career area,” he said.

According to Sam, the students are encouraged to take up activities in sports and the arts which will influence their personal growth.

In the past, they have pro-

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton making the presentation to Deputy Head Teacher of Tutorial High School, David Sam

duced athletes and other outstanding individuals.

“We encourage children to take up activities out of the classroom. We have children in debates, a female football team that we’re working on, the male footballers. We encourage children to be in cricket, and may I say that we have a child right here who is a national Under 15 cricketer.”

The Deputy Head Teacher indicated that he was previously stationed at the Dolphin Secondary School, where steel pan was a critical component for students.

“I recognised that there was need for a steel orchestra. I was at Dolphin Secondary and I saw what it did for them and I want

the same for Tutorial High School so we’re moving in that direction,” Sam explained.

Meanwhile, Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton posited that with this new equipment, Tutorial High School will now be able to join the steel pan competitions next Mashramani. Along with the newly introduced steel pan, the school has been active in debate competitions and other sports like football.

The school is yet to receive other components of the steel pan setup, which will be distributed shortly. On Friday, the school was visited by the West Demerara Secondary School, which is well known for its orchestra.

18 news

SUnDAY, may 26, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

ECD/EBD bypass road

Minister admits project more costly than previously envisioned

29 Venezuelan prisoners killed in clashes with Police

…surveyors submit new design

E

ven in its civil works stage, the bypass road linking the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to the East Bank (EBD) is proving to be a much more enormous project than anticipated.

This is according to Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, while addressing the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply last week.

The bypass road, which is being funded by the Indian Government, will provide an alternative route connecting the East Coast at Ogle to the East Bank at Diamond.

Since the Indian government is funding the project, it is required that the contracts be awarded to companies from that country and as such, a 10-month design consultancy project was awarded to India-based RITES Limited.

According to Patterson, the draft final design has been submitted by the surveyors and is currently being reviewed by the Ministry. He pointed out that the project is of a bigger scale than previously envisioned.

“What was previously envisaged when the loan was taken was a single road linking house lot developments (but) what has been designed and is being reviewed at the moment is a dual carriageway, which is not just for linking house lots; it is actually an additional new entry way into the city. So it’s

is new bypass road (design), so therefore it is vastly improved than what was initially perceived,” Patterson told the Committee as he successful sought additional funds.

The Minister requested an additional $67.410 million to cover payments for consultancy services provided by the Indian firm as well as to carryout preparatory works on the route earmarked for the new bypass road. He explained that along the area identified for the new link road, there is a ‘swampy’ section and part of the monies sought will be injected into clearing that area.

“The surveyors would have walked the entire length from the East Coast all the way the pass Diamond and Grove (on the East Bank) and then encountered a swampy section of about 30 acres of swamp land. So as we have the time now, we want to drain that so that by the time we start construction – hopefully very shortly – it will be drained and ready to have the road (works started)... The scope of the works is obviously enormous… (and) the more we can do upfront will make the project far easier when we do come to full implementation,” Patterson asserted.

This Diamond-Ogle Bypass project will see some 26 kilometers of road constructed, linking two of the

country’s main thoroughfare. This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara. These includes Diamond, Mocha, Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown.

Back in 2016, Finance Minister Winston Jordan signed a US$50 million loan with the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India for the construction of link road. The Guyana government has indicated its intention of extending the bypass road from Diamond all the way to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Timehri.

In an effort to reduce traffic congestion for commuters on the East Bank of Demerara, which leads to the country’s main point of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the previous People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) regime was working on constructing an ‘East Coast to East Bank’ bypass road and sought funding from the Indian Government in 2015.

Meanwhile, plans to extend the bypass road all the way to Timehri will come under a second phase of the project. Erskine had revealed that sometime this year, the Public Infrastructure Ministry is hoping to move ahead with the design consultancy process.

Inmates at a Venezuelan prison. Prison overcrowding has led to many being detained at Police cell blocks, where 29 inmates were killed this week

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wenty-nine detainees were killed and 19 Police Officers were wounded during a confrontation in a Police cell block in north-western Venezuela.

The incident, which took place in the town of Acarigua in the state of Portuguesa, was described by State official as a failed escape attempt, but human rights groups have called it a massacre.

“There was an attempted escape and a fight broke out among [rival] gangs,” the Portuguesa Citizen Security

Secretary, Oscar Valero, told reporters. “With Police intervention to prevent the escape, well, there were 29 deaths.” He said some 355 people were being held in the cell block.

Detainees detonated three grenades, which wounded 19 Police Officers, he said.

Venezuela’s Information Ministry has not replied to a request for comment.

Human rights groups questioned the official version of events.

“How is it that there was

a confrontation between prisoners and Police, but there are only dead prisoners?” Humberto Prado of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory said. “And if the prisoners had weapons, how did those weapons get in?”

Detainees for several days had been demanding that Government ombudsmen help them avoid being transferred to distant prisons where they would not be able to receive visits from relatives, Prado said.

Authorities entered the cell block to carry out searches and remove visiting women when violence broke out, Prado said, estimating the facility in fact held some 540 inmates.

Police cell blocks are meant to hold people for 48 hours while they face formal charges, but detainees can spend months or even years in such facilities due to prison overcrowding and judicial delays.

In 2018, a riot that led to a fire in a Police cell block in the central city of Valencia killed at least 78 people. (The Guardian)

Caribbean nationals detained in US immigration sweep

U

nited States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says a number of Caribbean nationals are included in the 31 immigrants detained during a sweep in New York by officers from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

ICE said that the sweep, which ran from May 19-23, “focused on persons ordered removed from the US with criminal convictions or pending charges”.

It said ERO deportation officers arrested the 31 individuals for violating US immigration laws and those detained include nationals from Jamaica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, the Dominican Republic, as well as China, El Salvador, Guatemala,

Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru and Ukraine.

ICE said 26 of those arrested were convicted criminals or had criminal charges pending, and more than 29 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States.

“Some of the individuals arrested during these enforcement actions may face federal criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry after removal. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted will be processed administratively for removal from the United States.

“Those who have outstanding orders of removal, or who returned to the United States illegally after being removed, are generally

subject to immediate removal from the country. Two individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge,” ICE said.

In Elmont, Long Island, ICE said a citizen of St Kitts was arrested with an outstanding removal order.

ICE said he was previously convicted of attempted assault second degree.

In Hempstead, Long Island, ICE said another citizen of Jamaica was arrested with an outstanding removal order, who was previously convicted of disorderly conduct: create hazardous or physical offensive condition and harassment.

Last year, 2018, ICE said it deported 258,085 immigrants from the United States. (CMC)

US Judge blocks funds for Trump border wall plan

The border wall ― or barrier ― was President Trump’s major campaign promise during the 2016 elections

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US federal judge has temporarily blocked the use of defence department funds to build a border wall between the US and Mexico.

The judge granted the injunction to block the use of $1bn (£786m) in Arizona and Texas because it had not been approved by Congress.

President Donald Trump

declared an emergency earlier this year, saying he needed $6.7bn to build the wall as a matter of national security.

It was a major campaign promise.

About 20 states, along with groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have filed lawsuits to try to stop the

president using the emergency declaration to bypass Congress.

“The position that when Congress declines the executive’s request to appropriate funds, the executive nonetheless may simply find a way to spend those funds ‘without Congress’ does not square with the fundamental separation of powers principles dating back to the earliest days of our Republic,” Judge Haywood Gilliam said in his ruling.

He said plaintiffs were likely to show that administration officials “exceeded their statutory authority, and that irreparable harm will result from those actions”. Construction was due to begin as early as this weekend in the two states.

(BBC)

sunDAY, may 26, 2019

19

ICC World Cup warm-up matches…

Smith, Warner and bowlers stall England

S

omething about England seems to inspire Steven Smith into producing his absolute best. The warm-up match at Southampton, where he was greeted with hostility from a sizable crowd, was no different.

He brought up his fourth fifty-plus score since returning from his year-long ban, converting this one into a hundred, which formed the backbone of Australia’s 297 for nine.

England may have fancied chasing it down, but on a twopaced surface, it proved just out of reach, despite stand-in captain Jos Buttler’s brilliance.

England were down to only 11 fit players at the start, instead of the permitted 15. In the space of three balls in the seventh over, injury scares took a pandemic turn; with Mark Wood jogging off, having halted in his run-up, and his substitute, Jofra Archer, went off two balls later, as he lost his footing while sliding at the deep midwicket boundary.

Later, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson split the skin on the finger of his right hand and was out of batting contention.

Substitutes, including assistant coach Paul Collingwood, who turns 43 in a day, came in and went off through the revolving door. Wood also went for a precautionary scan, which James Vince confirmed “wasn’t too serious.”

Australia were unperturbed by the chaos, as David Warner and Shaun Marsh batted steadily, adding 63 after the early loss of captain Aaron Finch. Then Warner holed out off a short one from Liam Plunkett, to mark Smith’s arrival.

Smith batted fluently, without ever looking to be in a hurry, placing good balls into empty pockets and dealing with the bad ones more severely. He had support through the innings, without a major contribution from anyone. Marsh departed for 30, and Usman Khawaja made 31 before being stumped off a wide one from Dawson as he revealed his intention too early.

Had this been an ODI, Australia may have been irked by the starts squandered; but, in a warm-up, it worked just fine that everyone had a hit. Marcus Stoinis was another one who got in and couldn’t go on, run-out as Smith called him for what should have been an easy second had the all-rounder not been ball-watching.

That brought in Alex Carey, and through him Australia

found late impetus. He struck a 14-ball 30 before being brilliantly caught by a diving Tom Curran. At the other end, Smith opened up with a six over extra cover and one over the keeper’s head, bringing up his hundred with a nudge to square leg in between.

The Australia innings ended amid controversy and confusion, as Smith was given out caught-and-bowled off what seemed like a bump ball. Curiously, he was willing to walk off, till he saw the replay and felt differently. The third umpire however thought the evidence was conclusive to rule Smith out.

England began their chase nervously, but luck was on their side. Jason Roy was struck on the helmet, dropped at slip by Smith, and nearly dragged one on. Those moments of uncertainty seemed to stir him into action, as he suddenly discovered the middle of his bat; but the surface was already showing signs of variable bounce, as some reared up from a length and some scooted through to the keeper from similar areas.

Wickets came soon after, as Jonny Bairstow spliced Jason Behrendorff to mid-on, and Roy jabbed at one that held in the surface and bounced higher than he expected, to have him caught at short cover. Ben Stokes struggled for timing during the course of his stay, which was curtailed by Nathan Lyon, as he threw one wide seeing Stokes advance, and had him stumped.

That brought Buttler to the crease, and with him out there, nothing seemed impossible. He looked in imperious form from the get-go, dismissing any theories about the need to get one’s eye in. But even at that stage, he seemed to be batting within himself. That became apparent when he tore into Nathan Coulter-Nile, smoking three fours and two sixes off an over.

A walloping like that would have forced Finch’s hand in an ODI, but here he could afford to persist with the pacer, and was rewarded next over as he induced an error from Buttler off a well-disguised knuckle ball.

The onslaught brought parity to the contest despite the fall of James Vince for 64, which left England needing 101 off 97 with five wickets in hand. Chris Woakes, playing purely as

SCOREBOARD Australia Innings (50 overs maximum) DA Warner c Bairstow b Plunkett 43 AJ Finch (c) c Ali b Wood 14 SE Marsh c †Buttler b Plunkett 30 SPD Smith c & b Curran 116 UT Khawaja st †Buttler b Dawson 31 MP Stoinis run out (Woakes/Ali) 13 AT Carey † c Curran b Plunkett 30 NM Coulter-Nile b Plunkett 1 JP Behrendorff not out 4 A Zampa run out (Roy/†Buttler/Curran) 1 Extras 14 (lb 6, w 8) TOTAL 297/9 (50 Overs, RR: 5.94) Did not bat: KW Richardson, NM Lyon, MA Starc Fall of wickets: 1-19 (AJ Finch, 4.3 ov), 2-82 (DA Warner, 16.3 ov), 3-108 (SE Marsh, 22.2 ov), 4-187 (UT Khawaja, 35.5 ov), 5-224 (MP Stoinis, 42.5 ov), 6-266 (AT Carey, 46.6 ov), 7-283 (NM Coulter-Nile, 48.4 ov), 8-296 (SPD Smith, 49.5 ov), 9-297 (A Zampa, 49.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W MA Wood 3.1 1 19 1 TK Curran 10 1 54 1 BA Stokes 8.5 0 45 0 MM Ali 10 0 54 0 LE Plunkett 9 0 69 4 LA Dawson 9 0 50 1 England Innings (target: 298 runs from 50 overs)

JJ Roy c Lyon b Richardson 32 JM Bairstow c Warner b Behrendorff 12 JM Vince c Lyon b Behrendorff 64 BA Stokes st †Carey b Lyon 20 JC Buttler (c) † c Khawaja b CoulterNile 52 MM Ali c Richardson b Zampa 22 CR Woakes run out (Stoinis) 40 TK Curran c Khawaja b Richardson 2 LE Plunkett c sub (GJ Maxwell) b Stoinis 19 AU Rashid not out 7 JC Archer run out (sub [GJ Maxwell]/†Carey) 1 Extras 14 (b 4, lb 4, w 6) TOTAL 285 all out (49.3 Overs, RR: 5.75) Yet to bat: LA Dawson, MA Wood Fall of wickets: 1-39 (JM Bairstow, 6.4 ov), 2-65 (JJ Roy, 12.3 ov), 3-100 (BA Stokes, 21.1 ov), 4-171 (JC Buttler, 28.6 ov), 5-197 (JM Vince, 33.5 ov), 6-239 (MM Ali, 40.4 ov), 7-250 (TK Curran, 42.5 ov), 8-275 (CR Woakes, 47.2 ov), 9-283 (LE Plunkett, 49.1 ov), 10-285 (JC Archer, 49.3 ov) BOWLING JP Behrendorff NM Coulter-Nile A Zampa KW Richardson NM Lyon MP Stoinis

O 8 6 10 9 10 6.3

M 1 0 0 0 0 0

R 43 61 54 51 37 31

W 2 1 1 2 1 1

a batsman, enhanced his reputation with a composed 44-ball 40 that kept England in the hunt, but his run-out in search of a quick single that would have brought him back on strike in the 48th over left England with too much to do.

Lewis Hamilton pips Valtteri Bottas to Monaco GP pole as Leclerc slumps

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here could have been no greater contrast in the visceral physicality of Lewis Hamilton’s pleasure at securing pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix and the repressed fury of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whose day ended in ignominy.

Hamilton barked an affirmative celebration and embraced fans trackside, ecstatic at having delivered in honour of his friend Niki Lauda, who died on Monday. Leclerc, meanwhile, stalked from his garage, knowing he would be starting from 16th place at the home race he dearly wants to win.

Hamilton’s pleasure was clearly largely driven by a sense of achievement after the death of the Mercedes non-executive chairman and three-time champion, Lauda. He had not felt ready on Wednesday to speak to the media, but wanted to deliver what Lauda would have wanted most: another success for Mercedes.

“This one’s for Niki,” he said, after he and teammate Valtteri Bottas had secured another front-row lockout. “Definitely one of the best qualifying [sessions] I can remember. One that means as much as this one, it having been such a difficult week for the team, and personally.”

Hamilton revealed that he and Lauda had been in constant touch over the past eight months while the Austrian had been in recovery from a lung transplant operation.

Lauda was instrumental in bringing Hamilton to Mercedes, where he has won four of his five titles in 2013, and the British driver reiterated just how important a role Lauda had played in his career.

“I was at home in Monaco when I got the call from Niki in 2012. We had never really spoken, and he said: ‘You should come to Mercedes.’ It was the first time we started talking,” Hamilton said.

He has always stressed the job then team principal Ross Brawn did in persuading him of Mercedes’s promise, but Lauda had been the vital component.

“Niki was the one that brought it to me and got it across the line,” he said. “Then, all of these years, he has been my partner in crime. He was such a racer (that) even though he was not racing,

Lewis Hamilton celebrating his claiming pole position

he would ask: ’What can we do to improve the car?’ We would tell him, and he would go to the factory and give them arseholes, as he would say. He was the person who changed my life. If I hadn’t had the call, I would be a one-time world champion; and now I am a five-time world champion.”

Hamilton has returned their faith in him in spades, not least with a superlative lap on his final run of the day in Monte Carlo that could not be matched. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was in third, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in fourth.

Ferrari’s best hope had been Leclerc. He had been quickest in final practice, where Vettel had already compromised the team’s weekend by crashing; but when it mattered, the Scuderia were left looking operationally second-rate.

Ferrari had kept Leclerc in the garage at the end of the first session, assuming his time was good enough to save a set of tyres. However, as the track got quicker, he fell down the table, and was knocked out while standing helpless next to his car.

“I asked whether they were sure [the time was good enough], they said: ‘We think we are’,” he said. “I don’t have any detailed explanations yet, it is a very difficult one to take. I need some explanations. It is heartbreaking and disappointing; a difficult day.”

Ferrari have been unable to match Mercedes on pace, and this error was almost inexplicable. The 21-year-old Monegasque was distraught at having to start from such a lowly grid position on a circuit where he knows passing is all but impossible.

For Hamilton, however, his 85th career pole with a time of 1min 10.166secs – pipping Bottas by just under a tenth of a second – was rightly celebrated, and is one he will want to convert in Lauda’s honour. This weekend, Mercedes are running with their halo devices painted red in his memory, with “Niki we miss you” written on them.

A minute’s silence will be held before the race, and F1 has invited a selection of Lauda’s peers to attend the grid, where each will hold a red cap in tribute when they join the drivers for the national anthem.

It will doubtless be an emotional moment for everyone, but particularly Hamilton. “We all love him and miss him,” he said.

“It’s hard to think that you are never going to see him or talk to him again, but I have the greatest of memories of him, and he will live on in all our memories.”

Pierre Gasly in the second Red Bull was in fifth. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen was in sixth, with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in seventh. The McLaren of Carlos Sainz was in ninth, with the Toro Rossos of Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon in eighth and tenth respectively.

Nico Hülkenberg in the Renault went out in 11th. Britain’s Lando Norris was in 12th for McLaren, with the Haas of Romain Grosjean in 13th. The Alfa Romeos of Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi were in 14th and 15th respectively.

The two Racing Points of Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll were in 17th and 18th, with the Williams of George Russell and Robert Kubica in 19th and 20th.

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, may 26, 2019

ICC World Cup warm-up matches…

Boult and Jadeja stand out as NZ thump India W

ith everyone expecting 300-plus scores from them, India were bundled out for 179 in just 39.2 overs in their first warm-up game against New Zealand.

Under overcast skies on a surface with plenty of grass cover, Trent Boult thrilled the fans at The Oval to end with 4 for 33. He was well-supported by Jimmy Neesham, who strengthened his case for a first-team place with 3 for 26.

The New Zealand openers also fell early in the small chase, but half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor helped them cruise to victory with six wickets and almost 13 overs to spare.

Will the result affect India? One doubts it, but New Zealand definitely had a fruitful outing.

Kohli had the luck with the coin, but India’s top order had no answer to Boult, who gave New Zealand a perfect start as he struck not once, not twice, but thrice with the new ball.

First, he sent Rohit back with a swing bowler’s two-ball trick in which Boult pitched his first ball of the match on a length around off stump. Rohit played for the inswing, and pushed his bat forward only to get beaten as the ball moved away after landing.

The next ball pitched in line with the stumps and nipped back to trap Rohit lbw. The batsman opted for a review, but replays confirmed the ball would have clipped the bails.

Boult deployed a similar strategy against Shikhar Dhawan, taking a couple of balls away from the left-handed batsman before bringing one back to find a faint inside edge.

With Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav nursing little niggles, it was a golden chance for KL Rahul to stake a claim on the No. 4 spot. He had a tough initiation to his innings, with Southee and Boult swinging the ball both ways.

Southee even got one to beat the bat and hit the batsman on the pads. New Zealand reviewed the not-out lbw decision, but replays showed the ball would have missed the leg stump comfortably.

In the next over, Rahul drove Boult through the covers for a boundary. The seamer pulled his length back the next ball, and Rahul tried to dab towards third man, only to deflect it on to the stumps. Rahul knew he had burnt his chances, his frustration reflecting in him kicking the ball as

it ricocheted off the stumps.

With India reduced to 24 for 3, Kohli showed the way to bat in these conditions, standing outside his crease and taking a big stride forward to negate the swing. He not only survived, but also hit a couple of crunching drives.

However, it looked like he let his guard down against Colin de Grandhomme, and was bowled through the gate while trying to work a length ball from off-stump towards midwicket.

Hardik Pandya, batting at No. 5, gave the team management some confidence -- with 30 off 37 balls -- that he can do more with the bat than just being a finisher. But his innings was cut short by Neesham, who got the batsman out caught-behind. Three balls later, Dinesh Karthik flicked a leg-stump half-volley straight down the throat of Ish Sodhi at fine leg.

Dhoni fell shortly afterwards, and soon India were struggling at 115 for 8. Ravindra Jadeja attacked his way to 54 off 50 balls, especially taking on the spinners, as he and Kuldeep Yadav added 62 for the ninth wicket; but a brilliant low catch at point by Martin Guptill brought an end to Jadeja’s innings. Boult then returned to wrap up the innings with Kuldeep’s wicket.

A target of 180 was never going to challenge New Zealand, and perhaps it was also an opportunity for Colin Munro to get some runs under his belt. He started with a first-ball four, but had no reply to a swinging yorker from Bumrah and was lbw without adding any further runs.

Guptill played some adventurous shots before holing out to Pandya for 22 off 28.

That brought New Zealand’s two best batsmen -Williamson and Taylor -- in the middle. Williamson had a slow start. He was 3 off 20, and then 23 off 50, as India placed a square-ish gully to cut off his favourite dab to third man.

But the New Zealand captain hit his stride after the spinners were brought on. He first square drove a Kuldeep googly before stepping out to loft the bowler over mid-off.

Chahal also was swept effortlessly over midwicket for a six as Williamson reached his fifty off 69 balls.

At the other end, Taylor rode his luck to a fifty of his own.

SCOREBOARD India Innings (50 overs maximum) RG Sharma lbw b Boult 2 S Dhawan c †Blundell b Boult 2 V Kohli (c) b de Grandhomme 18 KL Rahul b Boult 6 HH Pandya c †Blundell b Neesham 30 MS Dhoni c Neesham b Southee 17 KD Karthik † c Sodhi b Neesham 4 RA Jadeja c Guptill b Ferguson 54 B Kumar c Taylor b Neesham 1 Kuldeep Yadav c & b Boult 19 Mohammed Shami not out 2 Extras 24 (b 4, lb 8, w 12) TOTAL 179 all out (39.2 Overs, RR: 4.55) Did not bat: JJ Bumrah, YS Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-3 (RG Sharma, 1.2 ov), 2-10 (S Dhawan, 3.1 ov), 3-24 (KL Rahul, 5.3 ov), 4-39 (V Kohli, 10.3 ov), 5-77 (HH Pandya, 19.1 ov), 6-81 (KD Karthik, 19.4 ov), 7-91 (MS Dhoni, 22.3 ov), 8-115 (B Kumar, 28.4 ov), 9-177 (RA Jadeja, 38.1 ov), 10-179 (Kuldeep Yadav, 39.2 ov) BOWLING O M R W TG Southee 7 0 26 1 TA Boult 6.2 1 33 4 C de Grandhomme 6 0 12 1 LH Ferguson 8 0 33 1 JDS Neesham 6 1 26 3

MJ Santner IS Sodhi

3 0 3 0

19 0 18 0

New Zealand Innings (target: 180 runs from 50 overs) MJ Guptill c Rahul b Pandya 22 C Munro lbw b Bumrah 4 KS Williamson (c) c Sharma b Chahal 67 LRPL Taylor c Kohli b Jadeja 71 HM Nicholls not out 15 TA Blundell † not out 0 Extras 1 (lb 1) TOTAL 180/4 (37.1 Overs, RR: 4.84) Yet to bat: TG Southee, TA Boult, C de Grandhomme, JDS Neesham, LH Ferguson, MJ Santner, IS Sodhi Fall of wickets: 1-8 (C Munro, 1.4 ov), 2-37 (MJ Guptill, 9.4 ov), 3-151 (KS Williamson, 29.5 ov), 4-179 (LRPL Taylor, 36.4 ov) BOWLING O M R W B Kumar 4 0 27 0 JJ Bumrah 4 2 2 1 Mohammed Shami 4 0 16 0 HH Pandya 4 0 26 1 YS Chahal 6 0 37 1 Kuldeep Yadav 8.1 0 44 0 RA Jadeja 7 0 27 1

When he was on 3, Yuzvendra Chahal failed to get under a skier, and then Karthik failed to latch on to a faint edge with the batsman on 41. But it didn’t end there. When on 55, Taylor was stranded half-way down the pitch while going for a second run, but Pandya missed a run-out opportunity as his wayward throw allowed the batsmen to make his ground safely. He eventually fell for 71 with the scores level, but Henry Nicholls completed the formality with a single.

RHT Bakewell second division team honoured for stellar performance These include monthly Old Age pensioners’ breakfast programme; feeding of the poor; Cricket Academy; Republic Bank Summer Camp; Christmas Village; monthly single-parent household; food hampers; medical clinics; anti-crime posters; school bags’ Project and fitness walk, among others.

Foster disclosed that the RHTY&SC and Bakewell are very proud of the teams, and would continue to invest heavily in their de-

velopment. He urged the teams to always strive for excellence and, most importantly, to continue working as a collective unit.

Special thanks were extended to Rajin Ganga and the management of Bakewell for their support over the last twenty years. At the ceremony, Kevin Sinclair was named Batsman of the Year, while Junior Sinclair copped the Bowler and Cricketer of the Year awards.

Persaud’s 6 hands Malvern T20 title despite Fernandes’ efforts

Members of the RHT Bakewell team pose after the ceremony

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akewell, official sponsors of the second division team of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, since 2006, have collaborated with this club’s management to honour 15 players who are part of the team.

Under the captaincy of Kevin Sinclair, the players have recorded outstanding performances during the period January 1st 2018 to April 2019, and were accordingly honoured for this feat.

During that period, the team won six tournaments organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), while several players have gone on to represent Berbice and Guyana at different levels.

The teams have also won the countywide New Building Society 40-Overs Tournament, Magic Moments 20/20 Tournament, Naeem Nasir 5/5, Raffik Construction 100 Balls Tournament, Roy Fredericks Memorial Tournament, and Rhonda Lewis Memorial 20/20 Tournament.

Additionally, the Under-17 team defeated Albion Community Centre in the Finals to win the Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 Tournament.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster has said the RHTY&SC is very proud of the Bakewell teams, as they not only represent the club and the sponsors’ brand well on the cricket field, but have been remarkable ambassadors off the field as well.

The players honoured were Kevin Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Surendra Kissoonlall, Kevlon Anderson, Keith Simpson, Joshua Vantull, Jonthan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Sylus Tyndall, Erva Giddings, Chanderpaul Govindan, Sohil Shariff, Jai Tika, Kevin Ramnarine and Vikash Subramanie.

Management of the team, comprising Keith Hicks, Ravindranauth Kissoonlall and Tyrone Pottaya, have also been honoured. The trio, along with Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu, are responsible for the daily operation of the ten RHTYSC cricket teams.

Kevin Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Mahendra Gopilall, Jonathan Rampersaud, Erva Giddings, Keith Simpson and Chanderpaul Govindan have gone on to play either for Berbice or Guyana at different levels, while the Bakewell second division team have also successfully completed dozens of personal developmental programmes.

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fter weeks of scintillating cricket action on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), Malvern Cricket Club faced off against Rising Stars ‘B’ in the Malvern T20 final played at the Malvern Cricket Ground.

Winning the toss, Malvern elected to bowl on a sticky wicket and under overcast conditions. Sent in to bat, the Rising Stars side began to lose wickets at regular intervals, and were in danger of being bowled out before the 8th over. The form they had shown in the competition was not the same they employed in play, because they were playing as if they were holding a bat for the first time.

However, Tamesh Jagroop and Elroy Fernandes played resistant knocks of 20 and 19 respectively, and were the proverbial “thorns in the side” of the almost victorious Malvern Cricket Club.

In the end, Rising Stars ‘B’ were skittled out for 83 runs made in 10.4 overs, as the in-

Lesroy Persaud bagged 6-17 to take his side over the line

form Lesroy Persaud bagged 6-17 in his allotted four overs, and was able to maintain a wicket-to-wicket line as he extracted both bounce and swing in making the Rising Stars side work for their runs.

Needing a simple total of

84 for victory off 120 balls, at a net run rate of 4.2 runs per over, Malvern set out to chase their target in a patient manner. They played the power play overs safely, and were reluctant to lose any wicket in chasing such a small total.

However, Elroy Fernandes and Shane Persaud were not going down without a fight. The all-rounder and bowler respectively brought their side back into the game as they picked up a few quick wickets after the power play. Fernandes’ early wickets restricted the scoring rate of the Malvern team and prolonged their quest for victory, while Persaud’s miserly bowling almost put his team in possession of the title.

Eventually Malvern reached their target in 156.2 overs, with Khem Wong top-scoring with 38 and Ajay Basdeo chipping in with a well-played 32. Bowling for Rising Stars, Elroy Fernandes took 4 for 20 and Shane Persaud took 2 for 6.

sunday, may 26, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

University Games, Colombia 2019…

21

Paul claims 2 silver and 1 bronze

By Timothy Jaikarran

I

n the University Games currently ongoing in Colombia, the University of Guyana are battling against Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil and Panama.

For Kevin Paul, the journey has been one to relish competing in the athletics division.

Paul is currently a student of the University of Guyana studying for a Bachelor of Education (Secondary), majoring in Mathematics. At the games, Paul walked away with a total of three medals: two silver in the 400m and 4x400m relay respectively, and a bronze in the 4x100m relay.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview, Paul said, “During the race, from the starting block I kept hearing my students’ words, and kept reflecting on the messages they (had) sent me before (I left) the country. I remembered all the pictures I posted before the events started.

“While running, I kept telling myself I need to do this one The victorious University of Guyana relay team for my nation. I also reflected on the last 400m I ran back at home on Saturday at Leonora, and I couldn’t let them down. I Paul said that while he is proud of his achievements, come knew I had to do this one to make them proud. All I had want- next year, in the 2019 University Games, he needs to strengthed was to make my family, students, friends and the entire en his finish in the 400m and his 100m. He said he needs to Guyana proud.” start training hard and push in the extra work; he simply

needs to.

He also said the team had faced disadvantages, as the atmosphere is extremely challenging, with temperatures going as low as 8 degrees Celsius, and warming up and running in a high altitude country is a very difficult thing to do.

As a Guyanese participating in sports in Colombia, the breathing, stretching and running present challenges by themselves. Many athletes from countries below sea level were seen taking oxygen from the health specialist, Paul relayed. He said he managed to maintain his positivity and believed in himself to go beyond his limits.

Paul has declared, “I’d like to thank the Almighty, for blessing me with health and strength; the University of Guyana Sports Committee, for selecting me to be an ambassador of the nation’s prestigious institute; the Sports Director, Miss Fraser; Coach Mark Scott, for pushing in the overtime; the pastors, members and followers of Goed Intent First Assembly of God church; Pastor Godwin North, Elizabeth Seecharan, Ramesh Pooran, Travis Hardy and Feroze Rafiek.

(I would also like to thank) my family and friends, especially my mom, Charlene Paul; and the teachers, parents and students of Sir Paul’s Lessons, for believing in their mathematics teacher.”

Essequibo Zone of the Banks Beer Softball League…

Reliance Hustlers, RG X1, Bacchus Bulls CLASSIFIED and Saw all advanced to the semi-finals ADS

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ction in the Essequibo Zone of the Banks Beer Softball League (BBSL) commenced over the weekend with noteworthy teams fighting for top honours. Reliance Hustlers, RG X1, Bacchus Bulls and Saw have all advanced to the semifinals.

In the first quarter-final match, Reliance Hustlers upset tournament favourites Queenstown/ Ariel by 4 wickets. Inserted to bat, Queenstown/ Ariel struggled to 142 all out in 13.2 overs. Top scorers were Frank Satrohan with 63 and Brian Mangar with 37.

Narendra Madolall, Ramesh Narine and Daniel Bholo picked up 2 wickets each, for 25, 30 and 33 respectively.

Reliance Hustlers responded with 147 in 12.1 overs, with Mark Austin scoring 57 not out and Daniel Bholo 22 not out. Anil Durga picked up 2 for 20.

In the second quarter-final match, RG X1 defeated Diehard Brothers by 6 wickets. Inserted to bat, Diehard Brothers made 182 for 4 in 15 overs, with Patrick Rooplall making 78 and Yadesh Seemangal 74.

Bowling for RG X1, Dovendra Mohan bagged 2 for 24.

RG X1 responded with 184 made in 13 overs with Quentin Sampson scoring 60, Dovendra Mohan 58 and Adina Smith 46. Bowling for Diehard Brothers, Harinarine Panday picked up 3 for 7.

In the third quarter-final match, played under lights, the in-form Bacchus Bulls defeated Richmond Ravens by 57 runs. With the game reduced to 10 overs because of time, Bacchus Bulls won the toss and romped to 143 for 6 in 10 overs, with Latchman Rohit making 64. The tournaments leading run scorer and only centurion, Neiland Cadogan, chipped in with 34.

Bowling for Ravens, Safraz Ally bagged 2 for 36.

Ravens could muster only 86 for 6 in 10 overs, with Marvin Pearson making 30 and Sugrim Ahiram 22.

Bowling for Bacchus Bulls, Thakur Samlall took 2 for 13 and leading wicket taker Yaseer Mohamed picked up a wicket.

In the fourth quarter-final match, which culminated the evening’s cricket action, Saw crushed the powerful Adventure Sports Club. Inserted to bat

Adventured rallied to 136 for 8 in 10 overs, with Akel Wallace making 64 and Marvin Seymour 21.

Bowling for Adventure, Shaz Grovesnor bagged 2 for 25 and Andy Das 1 for 18.

Adventure Sports Club stuttered their way to 106 for 6 when their overs were expired. Gavindra Sharma scored 34 and Javid Azeez 21. Bowling for Advenutre, Motilall Narine picked up 2 for 17.

Bacchus Bulls had earlier in the day defeated Adventure Sports Club by 25 runs to top Group ‘B’.

Bacchus Bulls posted a mammoth 225 for 5 in 15 overs. Latchman Rohit scored 73, Neiland Codogan 52, and Ganesh Mangal 46. Snaz Grovesnor bagged 2 for 36.

Adventure Sports Club, in reply, could manage only 200 runs in 15 overs, with Chandi Jairam scoring 48 and Shaz Grovesnor 43. Yaseer Mohamed and Ganesh Mangal took 2 wickets each.

Queenstown/Ariel defeated RGX1 by 7 wickets to top Group ‘A’. RG X1 posted 99 for 2 in 8 overs, with Quintin Sampson making 48 and David Williams 38.

In response, Queenstown/Ariel ended on 103 for 3 in 7.2 overs, with Brian Mangar top scoring with 48.

Ryan Crawford horse meet postponed to June 2 – inclement weather responsible

T

he onset of inclement weather has caused the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club (RCMTC) horse meet to be postponed from its Sunday May 26 scheduled date (to-

day) to Sunday June 2.

More than 40 horses are thus far set to compete in the 6 categories of races this will be run off at the club’s Alness village turf on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice; and more than two million dollars in prizes are up for grabs.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport in regard

to this development, RCMTC president Marcel Crawford Jnr said, “We have had a lot of horses registering for the event. Despite the date being shifted on previous occasions, everything is a go. The feature race will be the J Class and Lower, and that promises to be a thriller.

“We are expecting there to be no rain on June 2, but even if there is, the track has been groomed to withstand the weather and run off a successful meet. But, in the end, we are just praying for good weather, come next week.”

Some of the horses that are slated to participate in this event are: ‘Not This Time’, hailing from Sophia; ‘The Rock’, out of Bush Lot; Golden Blue Echo, Keep on Swinging, Awesome Friday, First Prince, Lucky Star, TNT, Red Jet, Byron Osona,

Ebony Prince, Flo Joe, Silver Charm, Up Front, Kentucky Woman, and Massepequa Doctor.

The day’s events listed on the card are as follows: the I and Lower, the J and Lower, the L3 Unclassified, the L1 and Lower, L2 and Lower and the L and Lower. All prizes are inclusive of trophies.

Individual trophies and other incentives will be given to riders who have performed exceptionally well.

Some of the major sponsors on board are Banks DIH, Jumbo Jet, Attorney-at-Law Poonai of Georgetown, NTN Studios, and Kenneth Auto Sales.

Persons desiring further information are invited to contact Marcel Crawford Jr on 678-5342 or 6969009.

The event commences at 13:00 hrs.

Sentinel Security Inc boosts AP Invitational

S

entinel Security Inc, a returning sponsor of the Aliann Pompey Invitational, has committed to the event in a major way for 2019.

Regarded as the biggest track and field event in Guyana, the Aliann Pompey Invitational has said it would pay any female athlete of Guyanese origin $200,000 (USD $1,000) should they be able to break any national record.

This fantastic opportunity for the nation’s women was made possible by Sentinel Security Inc, and Aliann Pompey was ecstatic about the development. ”Yesterday (Friday) I watched Guyana’s Olympian Aliyah Abrams run 51.63 seconds over 400m and I saw my national record flash before my eyes. It won’t stand much longer. We have a tremendous group of young athletes coming up; and, believe me, they are thoroughly motivated to rewrite the record books,” Pompey declared. ”I am THRILLED that Sentinel Security Inc.

sees the value in supporting our athletes at this level. One of the principles on which this competition was initially founded is to provide not only a platform for our athletes, but a way for them to make a living from this sport; starting here. At the end of it all, it’s a job. The satisfaction from representing the Golden Arrowhead is incomparable. To be able to earn a living doing so is something we need to do for our athletes,” Pompey explained.

Executive Director of Sentinel Security, Noreen Gaskin, was nothing but complimentary of the AP Invitational and the development it fosters for Guyanese athletes. She said, “Sentinel Security Inc has always held the vision that supporting the development of sports is not only a corporate commitment, but (is) also vital for the improvement of sports as a whole, and athletes in Guyana.

“Providing resources to those associated with organising events towards this eventual achievement

is a priority. We have always demonstrated this through various and varying efforts, and are particularly thrilled with the initiative of Ms Aliann Pompey. In fact, Sentinel feels that she shares its vision aptly, and stands ready to support her in her venture. And calls on others to recognise and support her for the development of sports in our nation,” Gaskin highlighted.

Other sponsors have signed on to the event.

To date, the Guyana Olympic Association, Banks DIH, the Athletics Association of Guyana, IAAF, ConSudAtle, Ministry of Education, Sleep-In Hotel and Casino, Star Party Rentals, National Sports Commission, Quality+ Fast Foods and the Ministry of Communities (Green Generation Guyana) have all come on board.

The AP Invitational is set for July sixth at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, WCD. Guyana’s top athletes are set to be featured therein.

22

India set for maiden appearance at Guyana National Stadium Evin Lewis jumped for joy after scoring his century the last time India toured the Caribbean

T

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, may 26, 2019

eam West Indies are set to host Team India during the Caribbean Tour in August 2019 post the ICC Cricket World Cup that is slated for May 30.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Ricky Skerritt, who had earlier this week travelled to Guyana, confirmed that Guyana will be among the host countries for India’s tour to the Caribbean.

Skerritt, who was accompanied by CWI Chief Executing Officer Johnny Grave and CWI Logistics Manager Fawaaz Baksh, has made Guyana the fourth country visited since the appointment of the new team in CWI administration. The visits to these Caribbean countries are on the “Cricket First Plan” implanted by the Skerritt administration.

Vibrant as CWI President, Skerritt’s visit to Guyana focused on the Indian tour, the hosting of the Regional Under-19 tournament, and the illegality of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

The elite Team India are currently the world’s number one-ranked Test team, the world’s number two-ranked One Day International (ODI) team, and the world’s number five- ranked T20 International team.

Led by their great player Virat Kohli, India have last visited the Caribbean in 2016-17, when they played

a full series, including four Test matches, five ODIs and one T20I. Yet India have never played an International match at the National Stadium at Providence since the facility was established for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. The National Stadium at Providence has hosted 21 ODI matches, two T e s t matches, and s i x

CWI President, Ricky Skerritt

T20I matches. The last time that venue hosted an international match was on July 25, 2018. The last time a T20I match was played there was in 2010, and the second and last Test matches played there were between West Indies and Pakistan in May 2011.

India being on the cards to play at Providence is a ‘once in a lifetime’ event, especially since India had acquitted themselves very well in the Caribbean in the previous tour. In the 2016 Test tour, India won the 4-match series 2-0. The batting charts in that series were led by Kohli himself, who scored 251 runs, including a double-century.

Five of India’s batsmen had also recorded centuries on spin friendly tracks in that tour. The matches were played across Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and St Lucia.

Meanwhile, India’s last ODI tour to the Caribbean,

in 2017, had seen the West Indies suffering a 3-1 defeat. India’s axed ODI batsman Ajinkya Rahane was the leading run-scorer in the ODIs with 336 runs, followed by Kohli, who scored 244 runs.

For the West Indies, Shai Hope had the most runs in the ODI series, scoring 181 at an average above 40.

Kuldeep Yadav and Jason Holder had eight wickets each in that series.

India’s last T20I i n t h e Caribbean was a high-scoring encounter that saw Windies chasing a target of 190+. Evin Lewis had scored 125 from 62 balls in that encounter, played in Kingston Jamaica.

India usually brings their

West Indies captain Jason Holder celebrating the wicket of Kohli

‘A’ g a m e t o t h e Caribbean.

In August, after the ICC Cricket World Cup and before the CPL 2019, India are set for a maiden appearance at Providence.

(Brandon Corlette)

UG bags 9 medals at “You have a strong partner in development” University Chess Games – CWI President tells Minister Norton

– placed 3rd overall

Social Cohesion Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr George Norton and his team meet with Cricket West Indies officials

M

inister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, has been reassured of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) commitment to

Guyana.

This assurance was given the minister by newly elected President of CWI, Richard Skerritt, on Friday, May 24, and was made in light of the circumstances surrounding the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

“You have a strong partner in development…we want to see the continued development of cricket in Guyana,” Skerritt said.

The engagement, which was held at Minister Norton’s office, also saw participation from CWI’s Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave; CWI’s Development Manager Fawwaz Baksh; Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, and Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa DowRichardson.

As the engagement commenced, Minister Norton congratulated Skerritt on his recent appointment and expressed confidence in the development of West Indies Cricket.

Dr. Norton was particularly persistent about the hosting of the Under-19 Tournament in Guyana.

“I believe this would really go a far way in inspiring young cricketers, and that is what we want -- young Guyanese to nurture their talents and make their country and the West Indies proud,” Dr. Norton explained.

The meeting discussed the challenges involving the GCB, and ways of minimising their impacts on the hosting of international tournaments here in Guyana. The most immedi-

ate of these challenges is India’s Tour of the Caribbean, which is slated to begin in August.

In this regard, given the current situation, Minister Norton has given his commitment to ensuring that CWI is equipped with all that it needs to successfully host these matches in Guyana, with agreements for India’s Tour being confirmed by the Government of Guyana.

The meeting also discussed the development of cricket programmes for youths in grassroots communities and hinterland regions.

Herein, President Skerritt informed the meeting of CWI’s intention to develop the sport using approaches that would allow for greater productivity in West Indies cricket. “…We want to have a bottom-up approach, especially when it comes to youths in the rural areas; they are always so appreciative and willing to work with what is provided,” Skerritt said.

Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa DowRichardson, also emphasised the need for CWI to ensure that its programmes are geared towards gender parity.

Skerritt responded favourably, noting that the CWI is certainly becoming more gender-conscious.

As the meeting wrapped up, Skerritt lauded Guyana for its Cricket Administration Act. “As far as the Act is concerned, Guyana is way ahead of many other countries… It is important to properly regulate sports… It just needs to sort out this situation with the GCB,” Skerritt said.

Coach Ronuel Greendige receiving the team trophy

By Timothy Jaikarran

A

team from the University of Guyana (UG) travelled to Colombia to participate at chess in the XVII Juegos Deportes Universitarios Centro Americanos y Del Caribe Colombian Mayo 20-26 2019, and bagged a total of nine medals and one trophy.

The contingent representing UG consisted of 4 males and 1 female. Davion Mars gained 3/5 points in the male classical category to help the team secure 3rd place. His only 2 losses came against very strong opposition, such as International Master Luis Blandon from Colombia in the first round, who was rated 2243; and in the 3rd round to Gaviria Felipe, rated 2066. Mars won the remaining games, one of which included Jaimé Hernandez from El Salvador.

Andre Jagnandan stepped up to the challenge and held onto critical draws against a much higher rated Gonzalez Delgado Hugo Andres from Costa Rica, rated 1871; and another lower rated opponent, to add to the team’s tally.

Sidney Nelson also contributed 2 points to bring the team’s tally up to 6 points, securing third place in the classical senior male team category. Triston Carter did secure a draw against Andre Jagnandan in the individual category, but was unable to score a contributory point in the team category.

In the Blitz category, the team managed

another bronze with recorded points by Mars, Nelson and Jagnandan. Mars drew against the much higher rated Jose Alexis Rivera Gonzalez, a Costa Rica rating 1835, and won against Honduran Jose Valledres, rated 1461.

His team mate Andre Jagnandan recorded a draw against El Slavadorian Jaimé Hernandez, and a win against a local to add to the team’s tally.

Equally credible performances in the blitz category saw the team secure a third bronze medal after amassing 10.5 points collectively, with individual board victories against the likes of Honduras, El Salvador and Colombia.

The lone competing female was Anicia Patterson, current UG Chess Champion. She was however unable to record a point in any of the categories, as this was her first international exposure.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Davion Mars said the team experienced bouts of sickness for much of the duration of the event, as they were not accustomed to the temperature, since the conditions proved extremely trying for the team. Mars also noted that the team could’ve placed higher if they had converted some chances. He related that there were a lot of times when they had solid structure and a very good position, but failed to either save or secure a full point. However, they were still able to band together and fight their way to the podium.

23 A huge honour to receive Golden Arrow of Achievement, says Johnson guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, may 26, 2019

By Brandon Corlette

A

t 31, Guyana Jaguars cricket team captain Leon Johnson wears the tag of “best captain in the Caribbean”. He continued to prove his brilliance as a leader when he led Guyana Jaguars to a record fifth Regional 4-Day title in as many years. Fittingly, Johnson’s service for the country was recognized, and he was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement in the 2019 Investiture.

This is the fourth highest National Award in the Order of Service of Guyana, and Johnson, speaking to Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview, expressed his extreme gratitude. “It’s a huge honour to…receive the Golden Arrow of Achievement at age 31, whilst I’m still playing cricket”, he declared.

The Jaguars captain who conferred with the national recognition on Friday last at the 2019 Investiture Ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre. He told this reporter that it was a great moment for his family and friends present, along with the cricket fraternity as a whole.

Reminiscing that in 2017 he was adjudged Guyana’s Sportsman of the Year, Johnson said, “I thought that was as good as it would get for me in terms of awards in Guyana, but

Leon Johnson

this one (Golden Arrow of Achievement) surely surpasses that for me.”

Johnson has been a leading national figure in cricket, having played 109 First Class matches, wherein he recorded 5718 runs. Game savvy, with years of cricket remain-

ing in him, Johnson played nine Test matches for the West Indies between 2014 and 2016, and has continued to lead the Guyana Jaguars team with finesse.

From inception of the 2014-15 edition of the Professional Cricket League (PCL) Franchise, better known as the Regional 4-Day Championships, the Johnson-led Jaguars have won eight of their 10 matches. The skipper had a good season with the bat, scoring 465 runs in 14 innings in the inaugural season.

The 2015-16 season may arguably be the most fruitful for Johnson. He scored an impressive 807 runs in 17 innings at an astonishing average of 57.64, and led the Jaguars to win the title for a second time.

His consistency was demonstrated when, in the 2016-17 season, he led the team to a third 4-Day title. He followed up that performance in 2017-18 with a score of 475 runs for the Jaguars. The most recent triumph came in 2018-19 when Johnson led the Jaguars to a fifth successive triumph in 4-day cricket.

Besides the Jaguars’ exceptional showing in 4-day cricket, Johnson has led the team to dominance in the Regional Super50 Cup, but they have not won the title in recent times.

Come November, Johnson is expected to lead the team in both Regional Tournaments, where he will be eying a double in the 2019-20 season.

With Guyana being considered as the strongest Regional team in the modern era, Johnson’s captaincy and its achievements are continuously being recognised in Guyana, and he is being inspired to push for grander and greater achievements.

SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2019

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

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India set for maiden appearance at Guyana National Stadium

A huge honour to receive Golden Arrow of Achievement, says Johnson

University Chess Games Pg 22

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