Guyana Times Tuesday July 30, 2019

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Youth Parliament 2019 to focus on Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration, copyright law Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4000

THE BEACON OF TRUTH tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

Claudette Singh sworn in as GECOM Chair ─ promises to go by the book, meet with Secretariat today

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Enumerators encountering P5 staunch resistance from sections of society – GECOM CEO Probe into P11 arbitrary firing of PSM staff completed – Govt yet to disclose findings

See story on page 3

2nd Qatar oil company partnership deal with Total – as Middle Eastern oil producer being reviewed – Bynoe looks to invest in Guyana's oil sector

Kwakwani teen nabbed hours after robbing P8 Chinese restaurant P13 Chicken shortage causes KFC to limit meal options

P9

Man gunned Unauthorised application filed for down while CJ to recuse herself trying to make peace H2H Registration challenge

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Page 7

...GECOM CEO arrogates Commission's powers – Police issue wanted bulletin for ex-cop

PSC slams Govt-aligned Commissioner over “racist” attack Page 11

Fly Jamaica must file new application P14 before operations recommence – GCAA

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Tuesday, July 30 – 03:00h-04:30h and 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, July 31 – 04:00h-05:30h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, July 30 – 15:25h-16:55h and Wednesday, July 31 –16:15h-17:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected throughout the day. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to South-westerly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 15:25h reaching a maximum height of 2.51 metres.

Low Tide: 08:54h and 21:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.59 metre and 0.70 metre.

saturday, JULY 27, 2019

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MONDAY, JULY 29, 2019

DAILY MILLIONS

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Claudette Singh sworn in as GECOM Chair ─ promises to go by the book, meet with Secretariat today

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fter weeks of negotiations and delays, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will finally have a Chairperson following the swearing-in of retired Justice Claudette Singh, who took the oath of office on Monday.

Two days after President David Granger picked her from a list of six nominees submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, Justice Singh took the oath of office in front of the President and dignitaries at the Ministry of the Presidency.

In an interview following her swearing-in, Justice Singh stressed that she would carry out her role in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.

“My priorities are endeavouring to have free, fair and transparent elections.

I am also looking forward to having meetings with each set of Commissioners.

And I will have them separately. The meeting with Government and Opposition Commissioners. Then I will bring all of them together.”

“I believe in inclusivity and I will speak with everybody. And I don’t believe in people walking out when there is a disagreement. I believe in sitting down and resolving whatever the problem is.”

Singh was previously asked for permission to have her name put forward in a list of nominees for GECOM Chairperson, but had refused. Asked why the change of heart now, the retired Justice said that she accepted the nomination “for the sake of [the] country”.

The new Chairperson was optimistic that she would begin working at the Commission and meeting with staff as early as today.

While reports indicate that the meeting between her and Commissioners will go down today, up to press time this publication was unable to confirm a time for today’s meeting.

Collaboration

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who submitted the list of six containing Singh’s name, was hopeful that the spirit of collaboration between the Opposition and Government could continue. This view was echoed by the President, who noted that Singh’s appointment was the result of the groundwork between Opposition and Government teams.

“It’s a happy day for Guyana, and we look forward to cooperating on the other issues. The President and I spoke about this. And we hope we can take the same spirit we had, the spirit of collaboration in this appointment, into different matters,” Jagdeo said in a brief interview with the media.

“What you saw on July 26 was only possible because

Newly sworn-in GECOM Chair Claudette Singh along with President David Granger, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

areas of cooperation in the coming weeks and months.”

Retired Justice Singh’s appointment comes even as Guyana is over four months overdue for elections, in keeping with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution.

Despite elections being due within three months of the December 21, 2018, NoConfidence Motion, GECOM has instead embarked on creating a new voters’ list by way of House-to-House Registration.

The departed

Retired Justice Claudette Singh taking the oath of office

of the groundwork that had been put in by the working groups,” Granger said. “So, it

was a logical conclusion and Mr Jagdeo and I are looking forward to widening the

Singh takes over from former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson. Patterson, a former High Court Judge and former acting Chief Justice in Grenada, was appointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM by the President in October 2017. turn to page 7

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

The seeming rhetoric on noise pollution

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ast week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that it received a 35% increase in complaints of noise pollution, when figures for this year thus far are compared to 2018. By any stretch of the imagination, that is a substantial increase. That’s reflective of what may be deemed an ineffective approach to curbing this societal menace.

Over time, there have been numerous complaints, and gauging from some who pleaded their cases in the media, this scourge continues unabated. Interestingly, the Director of the EPA is reported to have stated that many people stopped complaining, given their perception of not getting a response.

For many, it is not a perception; in reality, their complaints are ignored. Despite the pain, suffering, and gross inconvenience many are forced to endure, the Director must be commended for bringing officially into the public domain that seeming lack of a response, even though branded as a perception. He has elevated, through the influence of his office, what many believe and experienced. In so doing, he may have deliberately brought some level of pressure upon those, including his officers and the Police, who are entrusted to enforce the laws.

Too often, when complaints are called in to Police stations, and when the call is actually answered, the response is either permission has been granted until midnight, in some cases 2:00 am, or they will “check on it”. Very often, the latter was a means of consoling, and never really materialised.

Part of the problem basically lies in the former: permission. Many have argued over the criteria used to allow a few to inconvenience residents within the village or villages. Among those affected in every instance are babies, children preparing for school or examinations, the elderly, and the sick. Medical experts have documented the serious effects of noise on people who are exposed to high decibels of sound, and especially how telling it is on an ongoing basis.

The inconsiderate bombarding of others with loud music by bar operators and bar-b-que promoters has seemingly become an unfortunate fixture within many villages. Village days are often promoted without the consent of villagers. To make matters worse, there are reports of alleged collusion with the Police and the operators/ promoters, thereby facilitating this hazard.

Having expended much effort for intervention, and having been unsuccessful, wary residents are naturally forced to stop complaining.

Some may posit that’s how it’s designed deliberately, to allow the flow of believed benefits from the alleged collusion. How else can one explain permission being granted for bar-b-ques, street limes, and village days -- which blare music -- to be promoted unabated?

How else can one similarly explain established and makeshift bars -- that are brazenly polluting with noise -- operating unhindered? How else can one explain that the approved midnight timeline is actually 3:00am or 4:00 am? How else can one explain the glaring lack of meaningful intervention in all those instances?

That, in many ways, sums up the plight of the affected residents, and the magnitude of the problem.

It’s worthy to note, and may be even ironic, that the EPA Director’s comments referenced were made when he addressed a noise management training for Police officers. The Public Security Minister reportedly took the opportunity at the training to highlight the prevalence of noise pollution, and alluded to victims not following through after reports are made; i.e. a reluctance to appear in court.

Aside from alleged collusion, therein lies probably the biggest hindrance to curbing the endemic noise crisis.

Maybe there is need to relook at the legal requirements in the context that if the Police were to independently, promptly and professionally respond to complaints, verify them, and take statements from complainants, the need for an actual presence could be obviated.

While a credible argument can be made that such a proposal could encourage collusion at another level, the possibility for legal resolution could increase. This considers that the Police are equipped with testers to check the level of noise, and that the Minister reportedly said it may be better to enforce the law by taking away the equipment of those caught in the act. Any justification of the latter seemingly negates the presence of a complainant in court; same as the testers.

What remains very worrying is that, despite the utterances of the EPA and the Minister, some establishments which are not soundproofed, even within the City, continue to unleash a torrent of noise pollution on residents craving for relief.

Reportedly many, if not all, of these establishments, appear to have strong connections, which allow them to operate untouched.

In those instances, complaints will be ignored at the expense of the health and wellbeing of the affected residents. That causes the rhetoric from the authorities to be rendered useless. It cannot be just about soundproofing. Many cases, like music carts, bar-b-ques, limes, vehicles and small village shops, are a big part of the problem, which is seemingly compounded by a reluctance to enforce the law allegedly on the grounds of self-interest. That probably explains the 35% increase in complaints, as against a decrease, which should be the primary goal.

Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour, in Chambley, France, July 29, 2019 (Reuters/Charles Platiau)

World's largest recent offshore oil discovery progresses amid political tensions, disputes

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othing is ever easy or simple in the world of international offshore oil and gas development. That axiom is proving to be true for the most prolific offshore oil discovery in recent years off the coast of the tiny South American nation of Guyana.

Political and media focus is shifting back to Guyana’s nascent oil industry following the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle over a successful motion of no-confidence in the governing coalition of President David Granger last December. On June 18th, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) upheld the no-confidence motion and ordered elections

by September 18th, 2019.

Guyana has a history of volatile politics, so this campaign season promises to become very contentious.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of rapidly approaching first oil in Guyana’s prolific Stabroek block, operated by the consortium of ExxonMobil XOM +0%, Hess HES +0% and CNOOC . In April of this year, ExxonMobil made its 13th discovery in the deep waters off the Guyanese coast. That discovery added to the estimated 5.5 billion barrels of recoverable resources found so far on the Stabroek Block alone.

The production potential here is staggering.

ExxonMobil and its partners expect production can surge from zero to more than 750,000 barrels per day over the next 5 years.

The first FPSO vessel recently set sail for Guyanese waters, and some expect to see as many as four or five offshore by the mid-2020s.

Some analysts have calcu-

lated that the Government of Guyana could reap as much as $5 billion per year.

These projections present transformative potential for a country with a population of around 800,000 and current GDP of less than $4 billion.

The upcoming elections will play out in late 2019 and early 2020, roughly the same time during which first oil production will take place. But it remains to be seen what this confluence of elections and production may mean for the industry.

Vocal critics have already begun to advocate for the government to take another look at the Stabroek production sharing agreement (PSA), which was signed in 2016.

A streak of successful discoveries has cast that contract in a different light, yet the situation in 2015 was not nearly as rosy as things sit today. At the time Guyana had no history of oil production and there had been a long string of over 40 unsuccessful exploration wells. There was little infrastructure in place to support any sort of production. Guyana also had the dubious distinction of being a total write off for Royal Dutch Shell , which sold

its offshore oil exploration block that year for $1. So, ExxonMobil and its partner companies were assuming an enormous risk going into this potential development.

The long-running maritime border disputes with neighbors Venezuela and Suriname only served to enhance that risk. In 2000, a Surinamese gunboat threatened to fire on a CGX rig as it attempted to prepare an exploration well.

In 2013, an exploration vessel chartered by Anadarko Petroleum APC +0% was conducting seismic work off the Guyanese coast when it was approached by a Venezuelan navy vessel and forced to sail to Margarita Island where it was detained. Even today, Guyana is battling Venezuela in international court to protect its territory.

The government, eager to retain interest amidst these difficulties, fell back on generous fiscal terms and large blocks in 2016 to convince ExxonMobil and others to continue their activities. Guyana thus became the epicenter of one of the largest offshore exploration programs in industry history. Energy analyst group Rystad Energy found that Guyana leads the world in

offshore crude oil discoveries since 2015 .

While the PSA is currently a source of political contention, the projected revenue to be derived from it is impressive. Guyana’s profit oil and royalty just from Liza Phase 1 and 2 at an oil price of approximately $50 per barrel could be $3 billion (US) after five years and $25 billion (US) over the life of those projects. A windfall of that magnitude is sorely needed in Guyana, where the government has struggled to fund education and healthcare. Much of the population does not have access to paved roads, modern hospitals or reliable electricity.

The pace of development of this deepwater prospect has also been impressive.

Most offshore projects take between 4 and 10 years to begin production even in shallow waters close to shore. Guyana’s first oil production at the Liza Phase 1 site is due to start in 2020.

Funding has poured into the country and made Guyana the fastest-growing economy in the Caribbean.

But the long-running political battle is diverting attention from critical needs, such as the development of a revenue-management framework and plans to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure, education system and healthcare network.

It is amid all of this political turmoil and international disputes that the ExxonMobil-led Consortium must continue the development of this major resource.

None of it is easy or simple, but the potential prize for both the Consortium members and the people of Guyana makes the risk well worth taking. (David Blackmon-Forbes)

5 Enumerators encountering staunch resistance from sections of society – GECOM CEO A news

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s the House-to-House Registration exercise continues, enumerators have been greeted by non-cooperation from some sections of society with reports indicating that some have even employed dogs on the hapless GECOM workers.

This was revealed on Monday by Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

“These challenges include persons are told to register is an illegal activity and they’re fending them away from participating in

the process. We’ve had incidents where dogs are let out on our enumerators on the field. We’ve had scenarios in which enumerators are told that they will not be paid and they should no longer participate in the process,” Lowenfield said.

GECOM had embarked on the House-to-House Registration exercise even though there were warn-

ings about the lengthy time it will take to be completed. This was owing to the fact that elections are due

by September 18 as mandated by the orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice

(CCJ).

As such, Lowenfield stated that any decision regarding this exercise in the future will be made by the newly constituted Chairperson.

“I’m sure whatever decisions relative to Houseto-House and the conduct of elections will be made in order by a duly constituted Board that we have…. At this juncture with the new Chair in place, whatever decision that is required to take us forward to the earliest possible date for elections no doubt will be done at the earliest meeting of the duly constituted Board,” the related.

The High Court last week denied an application for an interim conservatory order to block GECOM from continuing the national registration exercise which began on June 20.

According to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, counsel for the applicant Christopher Ram, the order was not granted since Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George required more evidence as to the unconstitutionality of the exercise.

“The Chief Justice did not grant the conservatory order which we sought to restrain the registration process,” Nandlall explained.

“But significantly, the Chief Justice emphasised that she understood that the CCJ ruled that the elections must be held by September 18.”

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

Nandlall’s affidavit containing additional evidence cites the work plan presented by Lowenfield, which shows that House-to-House Registration will take 290, and not the 90 days GECOM claimed it would take.

The affidavit also refers to and includes as an exhibition, the Order issued by former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, and published on June 11, 2019, in the Official Gazette. This order was cited by Lowenfield as the basis for carrying out Houseto-House Registration.

Interestingly, however, the order itself states that the house-to-house exercise will begin on July 20, 2019, and end on October 20, 2019, showing that elections cannot be held by the September 18 deadline envisioned by the Chief Justice.

The house-to-house exercise, which was last conduct-

ed in 2008, will see enumerators going in teams of two to three from door to door in various communities across Guyana. The enumerators will present forms to registrants to fill up, as well as take fingerprints and pictures.

While it is done to produce a clean voters’ list, Lowenfield was quoted as saying that a Claims and Objections period could be used to refresh the voters’ list which expired on April 30, 2019, and can be used to conduct the constitutionally stipulated General and Regional Elections.

This was heavily pushed

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

for from the parliamentary Opposition to honour the constitutional deadline but did not materialise.

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ome on! ALL of us are cutting Maths. Who wants to go take that quiz? We’re going to take a walk and get lunch instead. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to Maths class, quiz and all? Or do you give in and go with them?

As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions. Some don’t have a clear right or wrong answer – like should you play soccer or field hockey?

Other decisions involve serious moral questions, like whether to cut class, try cigarettes, or lie to your parents.

Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure. It’s something everyone has to deal with — even adults.

Let’s talk about how to handle it.

Defining peer pressure

Peers influence your life, even if you don’t realize it, just by spending time with you. You learn from them, and they learn from you. It’s only human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.

Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system or someone on the soccer team taught you a cool trick with the ball. You

Foundation

might admire a friend who is always a good sport and try to be more like him or her. Maybe you got others excited about your new favourite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other every day.

Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them, your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass her the ball, or a kid in the neighbourhood might want you to shoplift with him.

Why do people give in to peer pressure?

Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids might make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’s doing it” can influence some kids to leave their better judgment, or their common sense, behind.

Walking away from peer pressure

It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it.

Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away, and resist doing something when you know better.

It can really help to have at least one

other peer, or friend, who is willing to say “no,” too. This takes a lot of the power out of peer pressure and makes it much easier to resist. It’s great to have friends with values similar to yours who will back you up when you don’t want to do something.

You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advise you to “choose your friends wisely.”

Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t use drugs, cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.

Try to help a friend who’s having trouble resisting peer pressure. It can be powerful for one kid to join another by simply saying, “I’m with you — let’s go.”

Even if you’re faced with peer pressure while you’re alone, there are still things you can do. You can simply stay away from peers who pressure you to do stuff you know is wrong. You can tell them “no” and walk away. Better yet, find other friends and classmates to pal around with.

If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two. Talking to a parent, teacher, or school counsellor can help you feel much better and prepare you for the next time you face peer pressure.

Powerful, positive peer pressure

Peer pressure is not always a bad thing. For example, positive peer pressure can be used to pressure bullies into acting better toward other kids. If enough kids get together, peers can pressure each other into doing what’s right! (kidshealth.org)

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hittling is a type of carving done by using a small knife to make small cuts in a piece of wood to shape it into something else. In the book Paddle to the Sea, a young Indian boy whittles a piece of pine into a model canoe and figure that travels thousands of miles.

Small, sharp knives are not common toys for young boys or girls in this day and age. But in this activity your child can still have the experience and satisfaction of crafting a seaworthy craft from wood.

Supplies

• lengths of straight, dry (seasoned) sticks (12 to 20 sticks) • yarn or string • cutting tool (for evening the lengths of sticks and cutting string)

Getting started

To build a natural boat from wood, head out into nature!

Gather straight, dry sticks that can lie together to form a raft.

You can even build your craft outside if you bring a cutting tool and string with you. You may even want to plan to do this if where you gather your wood there’s also an accessible body of water for boat testing and launching.

As you gather sticks, talk about the fiction title you read.

Ask your child what kind of adventure he’d like to have on the water. Think aloud together about things besides travel and recreation that we depend on rivers for, such as drinking water, animal habitats, and even electricity.

Also talk with him about how the size of his raft depends on the size of his sticks. Sticks that are 10 to 12 inches long may be easiest to work with. Help him estimate stick length with a known standard, such as a dollar bill (6.14 inches).

Also most of your sticks should have a similar diameter — what determines how big around they are — though choose two that have a diameter at least twice that of all the others.

Lining things up

Once you have your sticks, lay them side-by-side. If the sticks are small and quite dry, your child may be able to break off ends to bring them all to a similar length. Otherwise, you should use a cutting tool to even them out for him. Then take your two sticks with the larger diameter and place them parallel to each other, less than one stick length apart.

Lay your other sticks perpendicular to the parallel sticks, letting them overlap the larger sticks about an inch. Gather more sticks if needed or trim your parallel sticks down to size.

Help your child knot a long piece of string around one end around the end of the first perpendicular stick. Wind the string under and around the parallel stick so that the sticks are secured together. Continue winding additional sticks until all your sticks are secure. The sticks you’ve laid out won’t stay in place until they are tied; so reassure your child that it is okay if the original layout is not maintained while tying takes place. Repeat tying stick lengths to the other parallel stick. Try to pull the sticks tightly together as you wind the string around.

Time now to test the waters! If your child wants to keep his raft, make sure you are testing in water that allows you to safely and easily retrieve the craft. Otherwise, make note of water currents, see if your child can make a prediction about where his boat will float, and wish it bon voyage!

After you’ve taken your homemade raft out on the water, you might enjoy watching this 30 minute film adaptation of Paddle to the Sea: http://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_ sea/ (startwithabook.org)

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

H2H Registration challenge

Unauthorised application filed for CJ to recuse herself ...GECOM CEO arrogates Commission's powers

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espite the last Commission meeting being held since June 11, the CEO of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, has unilaterally arrogated its powers to have Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus move to the courts, asking acting Chief Justice Roxane George to recuse herself from hearing the challenge to House-toHouse Registration.

This publication understands that Marcus, who last appeared on GECOM’s behalf unsuccessfully arguing his case before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), contends in his application that Justice George may be biased against them by virtue of a recent press statement.

Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus

After she declined to grant an order restraining the house-to-house exercise and gave parties time to make further submissions, Justice George via the Supreme Court’s publicity unit was forced to make a statement correcting misconceptions with her decision.

One such misconception she corrected in her statement was claims made by Attorney General Basil Williams in sections of the press that applicant Christopher Ram withdrew his challenge.

According to a statement from former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Marcus’ application contends that Justice George exhibited bias in the press statement.

“The Application filed by Mr Marcus, SC, is supported by an affidavit sworn to by Mr Keith Lowenfield. This compounds the anomaly. For Mr Lowenfield now purports to act for the Commission without the authority of the Commission,” Nandlall said in his statement.

“The Constitution is clear. Article 161 (1) is very clear: the GECOM shall consist of a Chairman and the Commissioners. Mr Lowenfield is not part of GECOM. Hence he is represented by different counsel in the case.”

Noting that new GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, has not convened a meeting of the Commission as yet, Nandlall questioned by what authority did Lowenfield take on the lawyer to represent

GECOM. “I have consulted with at least 3 Commissioners of GECOM and have been advised that GECOM has not met since 11th, June 2019, Mr James Patterson officially demitted office on 24th, June 2019, and the new Chairman is yet to commission a meeting with the Commissioners,” Nandlall said.

“In the circumstances, I feel compelled to ask; who retained and authorised Mr Stanley Marcus to file this Application? It certainly cannot be GECOM. These are fresh proceedings and one cannot argue that the same authority by which he appeared before the Caribbean Court of justice continues to apply. GECOM should publicly state its position on this matter, earliest.”

Last week Tuesday, George denied an application for an interim conservatory order to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from continuing its house-tohouse exercise that began on July 20.

Nandlall, who is appearing on behalf of Ram, had said at the time that the order was not granted since the Chief Justice required more evidence as to the unconstitutionality of the exercise and GECOM’s reluctance to comply with the CCJ rulings.

“The Chief Justice did

Nandlall and team, who this publication understands have filed an affidavit with the additional evidence for the CJ as of last Tuesday afternoon, were given until July 31 to respond to these filings, with the Chief Justice ordering

that all relevant submissions be laid over with the court by July 31.

The Guyana Bar Association, which will be represented by its President, Teni Housty, and prominent attorney, Sanjeev Datadin was also given leave to join

Claudette Singh...

CJ (acting) Roxane George

not grant the conservatory order which we sought to restrain the registration process,” Nandlall explained.

“But significantly, the Chief Justice emphasised that she understood that the CCJ ruled, that the elections must be held by September 18.”

“And she said that very clearly, that that is what the CCJ ruled in accordance with Articles 106 (6 and 7).

However, she said that we have not satisfied her on the affidavit that there is enough evidence to show that GECOM is not acting to complete this process and hold elections within that time.”

Besides Nandlall, Attorney-at-Law Neil Boston was given until July 29 to submit his affidavits.

Boston was reported to have been representing GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield since the CEO was named as the respondent in Ram’s application.

At the time, President Granger had rejected three lists submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. These lists comprised a total of 18 names of former Judges, persons eligible to be Judges and prominent members of civil society.

The President was heavily criticised for his actions and it is the court challenge filed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha that eventually resulted in Patterson’s appointment being ruled unconstitutional by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) last month.

Throughout his time at GECOM, Patterson was criticised for seemingly favouring the Government nominated Commissioners with his tiebreaker vote. In one such case, Patterson used his casting vote to break a deadlock and appoint cur-

the proceedings as a party and make written submissions. The case was meanwhile scheduled to be heard on August 2. According to Nandlall, however, this new application from GECOM will be heard today at 17:00h.

from page 3

New GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh (centre) poses with the six GECOM Commissioners. From left, PPP-nominated Commissioners Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj followed by Government-nominated Commissioners Charles Corbin, Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman

rent Deputy Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Roxanne Myers, over the previous DCEO Vishnu Persaud.

This is despite Persaud scoring higher marks than Myers during the evaluation process. An investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission subsequently found that Persaud was the

more qualified candidate.

Despite constitutional stipulations, in February 2019 Patterson again used his deciding vote and sided with Government Commissioners… this time to pass a motion that new elections could not be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated.

8 News

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kwakwani teen nabbed hours after robbing Chinese restaurant

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wo armed men carried out a brazen robbery on a Chinese restaurant at Kwakwani, Upper Berbice, in the wee hours of Monday, carting off with close to $700,000 in cash.

Based on information gathered, the incident occurred at about midnight after the owner of the restaurant, 47-year-old Huang Yahgng, ventured to the customers’ washroom located in a section of his restau-

rant.

The suspects, who were armed with cutlasses, reportedly sneaked behind the restaurant counter and

allegedly removed $700,000 from a drawer before making good their escape.

The police were summoned to the scene and

liably informed that Police acting on information received went to the farm belonging to “Camodeen”, which is located 500 metres west of the Adventure Public Road.

Upon arrival, the area

was cordoned off and a search was conducted during which two shotgun locks, four shotgun chokes, one shotgun pistol grip, one mini mag light, one shotgun choke spanner, and a number of shotgun pellets were

went in pursuit of the bandits but they escaped. The police had recovered a cutlass and a part of black Levi slippers at the scene.

The police have since confirmed that one of the bandits was identified as a 17-year-old Kwakwani resident. He was later arrested at a popular drinking spot in the area but none of the stolen money was found in his possession. The police are on the hunt for the other suspects.

Illegal weapons found buried on farm

P

olice in G Division, acting on information, made a startling discovery during a search of a farm at Adventure, Essequibo Coast, around midday on Sunday.

Guyana Times was re-

unearthed.

Two pairs of socks, two handguards and two knee guards were also found at the location. No arrests were made as Police continue their investigations.

The buck stops with…

I

…the President on elections t’s so pathetic that the Caretaker President of this country David Granger, would hide (now literally) under the skirts of GECOM to evade his constitutional duty to announce a date for elections. Does he even remember the oath he took on his Bible when he was sworn in as President? No matter how much he bobs and weaves he cannot get away from the clear declaration of the Constitution of this country.

There, Art 61 – explicitly labelled “Time for elections” – declares: “An election of members of the National Assembly under article 60 (2) shall be held on such a day within three months after every dissolution of Parliament as the President shall appoint by Proclamation.” Since even the pellucid statements of Art 106 – which the CCJ felt didn’t need a “gloss” or explanation – have been mangled by Caretaker Granger, your Eyewitness will give the “gloss” on Art 61.

To wit, for elections to be held in Guyana, THE PRESIDENT must first dissolve parliament and then set a date for the elections that’s within 3 months from the date of dissolution! Kapeesh?? Since Guyana doesn’t have a fixed-term Presidency or government – the President can call elections at any time – but he must still fulfil the conditions of Art 61!!

In this case, since the CCJ ruled that Art 106 kicked in after the successful passage of the NCM, by its unambiguous explication, elections must be held by Sept 18. And when the CCJ said they expected the President to “do the right thing”, as a “big man”, they expected him to immediately dissolve Parliament and pick a date either before or on Sept 18!! But Caretake Granger is playing the fool and has claimed the responsibility for setting the elections date is GECOM’s!

Now what does the Constitution say about GECOM and elections?? In Art 162 (1) (Functions of the Elections Commission): it says, “..the Commission (a) shall exercise general direction and supervision…over the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly”. Nothing about SETTING a date for elections!!

Election dates come up in Art 162 (2) which declares “if the Elections Commission is satisfied that the holding on an election…ON THE DAY APPOINTED therefor would be attended…by danger or serious hardship, it may, after consultation with the PM and OL…“postpose the holding of the election…”

The bottom line is, THE PRESIDENT MUST ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THE ELECTION and GECOM can alter this if it can show “danger or serious hardship” because of the day announced.

But the GECOM CEO has already declared that Sept 18 can be met with claims and objections!! Elections Sept 18!! …the Natural Resource Minister Trotman Several activists - and one media house in particular - have been going after Exxon for the extremely skewed terms he renegotiated with the three-company consortium, or exploiting the Stabroek Block. But since when did the golden rule concerning business entities – “Caveat Emptor!” or “Buyer’s Beware!” – been changed??

Did we expect Exxon not to secure as much profits possible for its shareholders as is explicitly stated in the company laws of all jurisdictions – including Guyana’s?

What about the responsibility of Raphael Trotman, who was tasked with representing our interests, for getting us better terms?? Your Eyewitness has made this point before, but for some reason, none of the abovementioned “activists” want to pick it up. They’ve been quoting the “better oil contract terms” from all sorts of jurisdictions – especially in Africa.

But have they not seen that in those same locales, whenever some anomalous term was snucked into an oil contract, it was invariably correlated with the negotiating official’s bank account becoming massively fattened?

Why hasn’t SARA’s spotlight been turned on Trotman’s assets? …with govt on local content FPSO Lisa Destiny’s on its way but Finance Minister Jordan’s brushing away concerns about “local content” legislation – to ensure Guyanese benefit from the oil - still isn’t enacted.

They want to give us handouts to control us!!

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

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

2nd Qatar oil company partnership deal with Total being reviewed ─ Bynoe ... as Middle Eastern oil producer looks to invest in Guyana’s oil sector

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atar Petroleum, the national oil and gas company of the Middle Eastern oil producer, is looking to get in on the action in Guyana’s oil blocks by partnering with another foreign company. They will, however, have to go through the Department of Energy first.

Qatar, with oil reserves of over 20 billion barrels and an advanced economy, is no stranger to the oil sector.

In fact, the Middle Eastern State was until January a longstanding member of the

Qatar Petroleum entered into an agreement with French company Total for a share in the exploration and production of its blocks. Total will be selling Qatar Petroleum 40 per cent of its existing interests in the Orinduik and Kanuku blocks.

During a press conference on Monday, Department of Energy Head Dr Mark Bynoe confirmed that the deal was being reviewed. However, he confessed that the deal is “substantially unclear” for the

Oil has often been cited as having transformed Qatar’s economy, making it a country with one of the best standards of living per capita in the world

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is known as one of the world’s top oil producers.

It was announced that

Department.

“We have received a transaction letter from Total, which the Government is currently studying. But un-

til such a time as we understand the implications, because this is not a normal farm in, we’re not about to pronounce thereon.”

“Because what we’re finding here is Qatar Petroleum seeking to back into the Total Guyana agreement.

But we can’t go further than that because it is still early days. We are still in discussion with them, so we can have greater clarity. At this point in time, it is still substantially unclear for us.”

Drilling

According to an independent competent persons’ report, the Orinduik block could have 4 billion oil-equivalent barrels. Drilling using the Stena Forth drillship started on the Jethro-Lobe wells in this block earlier this month. Tullow is expected to drill about 82 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana and cover an area of 848 square kilometres.

On the other hand, drilling in Kanuku is expected to start this year, with Tullow planning to drill a well called the Carapa 1. Total has a 25 per cent participating interest in both blocks, which it shares with other operators like Tullow, Eco and Repsol.

Tullow had in February announced that it was bring-

Qatar Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi ing forward its drilling programme from the previously scheduled end of the year to the second quarter. Besides Carapa, plans have been announced to drill two wells here namely the JethroLobe and Joe. Its Carapa prospect in Kanuku is expected to be drilled in the third quarter of 2019. It is understood that the net cost of the Jethro well is US$30 million, while the Carapa well will cost US$20 million.

Tullow’s partner in the Orinduik Block, Eco Atlantic, had announced that drilling on the Joe prospect will begin in mid-July of this year. They had announced that the Stena

Forth drillship will move directly to the Joe after it finishes drilling the Jethro Lobe Well in the Orinduik Block.

It is understood that the Joe is located in approximately 650 metres of water and will cost Eco approximately US$3 million to drill.

A recently published report from international company Gustavson Associates has estimated that the well has a 43.2 per cent chance of success.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10year Petroleum Prospecting

Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe

license and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016.

Total E and P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the block.

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Man gunned down while trying to make peace ─ Police issue wanted bulletin for ex-cop

Dead: Kurt Anthony Duncan

K

urt Anthony Duncan was, in the wee hours of Monday, gunned down while trying to make peace between a man and a woman outside of Seeta’s Bar in Station Street Kitty, Georgetown.

Based on information received, the 32-year-old father of five of Pike Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown was shot once to his chest by an ex-policeman who was at the establishment at the time.

Initial reports from the Police revealed that at about 2:00h on Monday, a woman who was imbibing at Seeta’s Bar got into a heated argument with a handyman who was at the time wiping the ground. That argument escalated into a scuffle, and

Duncan, who was also at the drinking spot, intervened.

The suspect, Keon David, then whipped out a gun and discharged a round that hit Duncan to the chest. The injured man was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

David, on the other hand, left the scene, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has since issued a wanted bulletin for his arrest. His last known address has been given as Sophia, Greater Georgetown. He is said to be 32 years old and a former member of the Police Force.

At the late Kurt Duncan’s home on Monday, his sister Candacy Duncan explained that her brother had been a “family man” who would hardly ever go out. She said, “We are not coping well, because I really can’t even talk right now; it’s just so shocking. I know my brother is not no peace-maker. He doesn’t get no problem with nobody.

He’s a family man, and I don’t know if he gone out must be to take a few drinks with he friends. I know he don’t normally do that, and that is what happened”.

Duncan’s distraught family members are still trying to come to grips with what has happened, and are pleading for justice. The sis-

Wanted: Keon David

ter is hopeful that the Police would do their work and ensure her brother gets justice, especially since he has left five young children to mourn.

His wife, over at her residence, had strength only to call for justice for her husband.

“I ain’t resting! I got to get reason! I is not one of the wife or one of the mothers what the family is just get killed just like that and it left like that. I ain’t giving up! I got to get a reason why!

I ain’t giving up for nothing!” the woman cried.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-1389, 226-7476, 911, or at the nearest Police Station.

The dead man’s wife and five children

Man remanded for damaging

louvre panes belonging to ex-wife

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hirty-two-yearold Mark Sampson of Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Leroy Daly on a damage to property charge.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 27, 2019, at Block E Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged two louvre panes worth $14,000 belonging to his ex-wife.

Prosecutor Richard Harris told the court that the defen-

Mark Sampson

dant was previously charged for similar offences and was warned on several occasions to stay away from the woman.

The court further heard that the ex-husband is in constant contact with the victim for varying reasons.

As such, the prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant poses a threat to the victim, since he is in a habit of going over to her premises. The matter was adjourned until July 31, 2019.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Probe into arbitrary firing PSC slams Govt-aligned Commissioner over “racist” attack of PSM staff completed

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esmond Trotman, a Governmentn o m i n a t e d Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has come under fire for labelling the Private Sector Commission (PSC) as “partisan” and politically motivated.

In a statement to the media on Monday, the PSC condemned Trotman’s statement and called on the relevant authorities in Government to ensure appropriate consequences are meted out against him.

In fact, the Private Sector umbrella body noted that there is no place for such behaviour at GECOM. “The organisation has never engaged in conduct that could be construed as racist or bigoted,” the PSC said.

“We condemn the recent overt racist attack of a Government-appointed GECOM Commissioner on the person of the PSC’s elected Chairman. This disgraceful, extremely offensive and defamatory behaviour has no place in GECOM or a democratic society. We would expect the Government to take the appropriate action with regard to Mr Trotman’s attack on the integrity and good name of the PSC Chairman.”

The PSC, headed by Captain Gerald Gouveia, represents 26 business organisations and 29 of the largest companies in Guyana. These firms pay 82 per cent of the total income and corporation taxes to Government and employ thousands of Guyanese, the PSC explained.

The Commission is known for speaking out against certain issues affecting the country, including political matters

– Govt yet to disclose findings

M

Desmond Trotman

Captain Gerry Gouveia

which ultimately affect the investment climate and the business community.

In recent times, the PSC has been urging all political players to abide by the Guyana Constitution and had called out President David Granger for failing to do so.

Moreover, the PSC called for the scrapping of the Houseto-House Registration exercise, an activity it believed was in violation of the Guyana Constitution and the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The organisation’s stance on these issues is what led the Government Commission to accuse its membership of being close confidants of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who shares similar opinions on these matters.

But the PSC pointed out that its membership comprises of persons of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and that it has always played a role in standing up for what is right for the country.

“The PSC has a long history of working for electoral democracy going back to 1992 and including official accreditation from 2001 onwards.

GECOM’s reports would show that we have been involved in critical discussions and resolution of issues over the years,” the organisation highlighted.

It called on political leaders and party activists to respect its role and rights. “…not attempt to silence the voice of civil society with unsubstantiated accusations of political bias or attempts at demarcating a sacred space where only professional politicians must occupy and shape the national political discourse,” the PSC posited.

“It is very much the business of Guyana’s business community to engage with the national political processes to ensure electoral democracy and democratic governance.

The first and foremost requirements for business to operate effectively and to succeed are political stability, rule of law, and political freedom,” the Commission said.

Furthermore, it noted that the business community does not only have a democratic right to participate in the political processes of the country but also a constitutional right enshrined under Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana.

ore than three weeks have elapsed since a special Board of Inquiry (BoI) which was set up by President David Granger to probe the arbitrary firing of staff at the Public Service Ministry handed over its report to the Government but there has been no word as to its findings.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon recently told Guyana Times that the BoI completed the task that it had been assigned to and the report was submitted to Minister of State, Dawn Hastings, some two weeks ago.

“The report was submitted to the Minister of State who I think has passed it on to the President. I have not seen it as yet. But, I think the Minister of State might be able to tell you a little bit more about it because the last I know, this is what had happened.”

Harmon stated that although he was not provided with a copy of the report or has not yet been briefed as to its findings, the staff from the Public Service Ministry that are involved in the matter are still on administrative leave.

“It [report] was complet-

Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

ed and it was sent to her [Minister Hastings] and then I think she passed it on to the President. So, I don’t know whether the President has completed his reviewing of it. I cannot say specifically.”

He noted that until a decision is made in relation to the BoI report, the staff remain on administrative leave.

Almost three weeks ago, Minister Sarabo-Halley defended the firing of staff members from her department shortly after she would have assumed of-

Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon

fice, saying that there was evidence at her disposal to warrant dismissal.

“I think that the evidence that was before me suggested that something needed to be done and the investigation would bear whether or not that was rational,” the Minister stated at a recent press conference.

She, nevertheless, did not reveal any bit of evidence that she referred to but noted that the investigation will soon wrap up with the findings.

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Mechanic’s vehicle broken into, $800,000 in valuables missing

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he owner of Khan’s Auto Service and Repair Centre is now counting his losses after suspected bandits broke into his vehicle in the wee hours of Sunday morning at Foulis, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the incident occurred between 01:45h and 02:30h. The motorcar was reportedly parked in front of the owner’s property.

It is believed that bandits gained entry by smashing one of the windows and carting off with items which were in the

vehicle at that time.

This publication understands that over $800,000 in valuables were stolen. Some of the items include a laptop bag containing stamps, billing books, receipts and business documents.

A haversack containing jumpsuits, the company’s shirts and a number of tools were also taken.

The owners are pleading with persons to report any suspicious activities whereby persons might be selling the stolen items. They can use contact numbers 6127444 or 658-4756.

The car with the shattered back window

Probe into arbitrary firing...

On May 31, 2019, the personnel staff and chief accountant at the Public Service Ministry were sent packing by Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley shortly after she was appointed to that post.

When the news broke about the arbitrary firing of personnel staff and the chief accountant, the Government initially denied firing them but one week after, Director General Harmon confirmed that indeed, the workers were sent

home.

But he said higher authorities had since intervened and the dismissed staff were eventually sent on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. He had maintained that the staff in question are still employees of the Government as the decision by Minister SaraboHalley to terminate their services has been halted.

Scholarships

However,

Opposition

Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had alluded to the fact that the fired workers were initially targeted and arbitrarily dismissed after they revealed that the children of a Government Minister received payments amounting to over $20 million in the last two years.

One of those revelations is that the children of Minister Simona Broomes had allegedly received over US$86,000 in 2018, monies that were transferred from the Department of

From page 11

Public Service. Then again, this year, another transfer of millions reportedly took place.

Given the controversy around that situation, the Public Service Department has made a decision to publicise all scholarships to ensure “transparency”. It was confirmed that both children of the Minister in question received grants to study overseas, but SaraboHalley could not state if the monies were transferred to their personal accounts.

Body of boat operator in mishap yet to be recovered

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ttempts to locate missing boat operator Kendol Rodriguez, who is feared dead after his boat capsized in the Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Sunday morning, have proved futile thus far.

G Division (Essequibo Coast-Essequibo Islands) Commander Khali Pareshram told Guyana Times that although a search party combed the area in which the man was reported to have fallen overboard, his body was nowhere to be seen.

However, the Police Commander stated that efforts to locate same have been intensified and the search would continue.

On Sunday, Rodriguez who hails from Kabakaburi village, Upper Pomeroon, was transporting 42-yearold Joseph Thomas, a sawman of the same village, when the boat mishap occurred.

However, Thomas was the only one to be rescued by a boat that had been passing in the area shortly after the accident took place.

Reports are that on Saturday night, Thomas and Rodriguez had attended a wedding celebration and had been consuming alcohol there for hours. Around 02:00h on Sunday, the duo left the wedding house to

G Division Commander Khali Pareshram

return to their homes via a 15-horsepower boat owned

by Rodriguez.

However, according to Thomas, they were in the vicinity of Siriki village when Rodriguez “suddenly began to swerve from left to right” and this resulted in the boat capsizing and both men falling into the river.

The sawman told the Police that he managed to hold on to a side of the overturned vessel, but did not see what happened to Rodriguez.

Shortly after, a boat that was in the area at the same time rendered assistance to Thomas and reportedly conducted a search for Rodriguez. However, the search proved futile.

According to the Police, it was around 09:00h on Sunday, some seven hours after the mishap took place, that Thomas made a report about the incident.

Thomas remains in Police custody, where he is said to be assisting with the investigation into this matter.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Youth Parliament 2019 to focus on Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration, copyright law T

he National Assembly will be igniting with young minds when the fifth annual Youth Parliament activity commences next week, providing a platform for young people to learn about the highest decision-making body in Guyana.

Youth Parliament 2019 will feature 35 students from the secondary level between the ages of 14 and 17 along with 37 individuals from the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen and Tain campuses. The New Opportunity Corps (NOC) will also be participating in

the sessions.

Public Relations Officer at the Parliament Office, Yannick December told media operatives on Monday during the official launch that there were many life skills attached to this initiative, but, most importantly, the aim was to create future

Chicken shortage causes KFC to limit meal options

Staffers of the Parliament Office of Guyana with two of the former youth parliamentarians

One of the KFC outlets in Guyana

O

ne of Guyana’s leading fast food establishments, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been affected by the recent chicken shortage, causing it to limit the meals that are available.

In a public notice, the fast food franchise informed customers that some of the combos they are accustomed to ordering will not be available owing to the poultry shortage.

KFC stated in the advisory, “Due to the current chicken shortages, some of your favourite finger lickin’ good items may be unavailable at times.”

In a subsequent social media post, it was announced that chicken strips, sandwiches, and wings would be unavailable on some occasions.

The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) confirmed last week that it had received reports of a chicken shortage in the local market and the situation was being monitored.

In a statement, the Authority said based on its records, there has been a reduction in the number of

cases of hatching eggs imported when compared to 2018, which perhaps could be the cause of the shortage.

Additionally, some farmers have also been complaining of reduced growth rates and higher mortality, which may have attributed to the reduction of poultry on the market.

“The major players in the sector were consulted and assured that the situation would be rectified during the week. This is based on the hatching and grow-out time for the chickens. They have also assured that they are able to maintain supply to their major customers,” the statement noted.

This is not the first time for this year that Guyana’s agriculture sector has suffered from poultry and eggs-related issues.

Records show that by June of 2018, 42,455 eggs were hatched compared to 36,514 eggs for the same period this year – a significant reduction of almost 6000 eggs.

Back in May, the GLDA issued a public notice to all traders, indicating that it is a criminal offence to bring

eggs into the country without proper documentation.

If persons are culpable of the offence, they will be presented before the courts to face charges.

Prior to that, the GLDA hatchery was closed on account of the unusual deaths of ducklings. It was later mentioned that the Muscovy breed was under threat, especially those two to three weeks of age. Subsequently, a surveillance and monitoring exercise of the birds was initiated.

leaders.

“The hosting of the fifth annual Youth Parliament is in consonance with the Parliament Office’s continuing effort to sensitise the citizens of Parliament and its functions and to mould future leaders. In addition to its sensitisation role, this activity will boost the students’ morale; and develop and own their leadership skills,” said December.

This year will focus on topics such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration policy, single-use plastic, amendments of the Constitution, and copyright law among other pressing matters. Apart from acquiring leadership qualities, students will also be acquainted with public speaking.

Some former youth parliamentarians will be re-

turning this year as mentors. Two former students of the St Joseph High School – Kunal Bridglall and Ruth Wilson – were part of the gathering during Monday’s launch and were looking forward to this year’s debates.

Wilson stated that she had a fantastic experience and would like to share that with the new batch.

The mentor said, “As a youth parliamentarian, I have had an awesome experience. There was a lot of other individuals in the room that I got to learn from and every opportunity that I got to be in a room full of students, I tried to get as much information from them, to learn from them so that I can better myself. This year as a mentor for the second time, I feel more confident than I was last year.”

Meanwhile, Bridglall,

who is currently attending the University of Guyana, stated, “Last year, I had a phenomenal experience being a participant in the fourth annual Youth Parliament. This year, I’m looking forward to the challenge of being a mentor and being able to help the students with their speech preparations and being able to somewhat to guide them in the topics they would have chosen.”

Students are selected for the Youth Parliament initiative after the Education Ministry would have assessed them.

These activities will conclude on August 17, 2019 and a prize will be awarded to the best debater. Throughout the 10-day event, visits will also be made to the public buildings and industrial plants.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Fly Jamaica must file new application before operations recommence – GCAA

A

lthough new investors who have taken over Fly Jamaica Airlines intend to recommence operations in Guyana by September, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field has pointed out that the company must refile an application seeking approval to do so.

Colonel Field told Guyana Times on Monday that reapplying for approval to operate out of Guyana is necessary. He explained that the airline must be granted approval first from the Jamaica Aviation Authority, then file its application with Guyana.

“If they are certified and approved by the Jamaican, because it is a Jamaicanbased airline not a Guyanese-based, so providing that Jamaica approved the application then they will give them the necessary permits, they will have to use that to reapply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Guyana so they will have to make an entire new application and go through the entire process for approval from Guyana also,” the Director General stated.

When it comes to having a bond set up, Field noted that the company will also be required to follow this procedure, especially since

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, in November 2018 after encountering hydraulic issues.

The flight left the CJIA for Toronto at about 02:10h on November 9 from the CJIA, but the pilot returned to the airport where the air-

the airline presently has no existing bond.

He outlined, “I would recommend that a bond be put in place if they should make an application to Guyana…there is no bond in place at the moment”.

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

According to him, the company once had a bond when they were granted approval to start operations here back in the late 2000s, however, the bond was removed in 2015 after their

craft crash-landed at about 02:53h.

The cash-strapped airline has since made all its workers redundant, effective from March 1, 2019.

Most of the fired former employees are still awaiting their salaries as well.

Fuming passengers too

are still awaiting refunds from tickets that were booked.

In May some 46 complaints were received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission which value about $8,316,504.

However earlier this month, the agency said over 100 complaints were filed.

operations changed.

On Monday it was reported that a team of investors including Jamaican aviation veteran, Glenn Logan, led by Yann LeProvost of the French-based company W&Y SAS has taken over the problem-plagued airline.

The new owners took over on Friday from Guyanese operators, Paul and Roxanne Reece. They have since pledged their commitment to addressing the issues affecting the airline, such as owed salaries to workers and compensation for tickets.

In the meantime, plans have already been announced to have the airline’s logo rebranded. In fact, Logan told the Caribbean Media Corporation that the company is considering a “complete rebrand”.

Passengers were left stranded when a Boeing 757 flight crash-landed at the

Hundreds of Guyanese with their home country flag proudly held high joined with their counterparts from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and other Caribbean Islands as they paraded at the Annual Carifest celebrations in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday last. There were booths with Guyanese food, flags, and trinkets from the home country

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

20-30% of children sexually abused in Guyana – UNICEF …mixed survey report of 2014 reveals over 75% experienced violence

D

ata retrieved from a mixed survey throughout Guyana in 2014 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that over 75 per cent of the children interviewed reported that they experienced some form of abuse in their lives.

This is according to UNICEF’s Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet, who told a gathering at the recently-held University of Guyana’s Tain Talks on Sexual Violence, that this survey was conducted in various communities and households across the country.

According to statistics, between 20 and 30 per cent of these children and youths have been subjected to some form of sexual violence.

“For UNICEF, our message is clear, no form of violence including sexual violence, is acceptable. Sexual violence is a silent emergency … you don’t see the wounds. They might be inside of them, the emotional consequence – that is a lifetime. So this silent emergency demands our attention and action at all levels – at home, school, community, institutions and system, including at workplaces,” Fouet declared.

She emphasised that no one person or agency could create a safe environment for the country’s children and youths and as such, all hands should be on deck to change social norms and cultural silence on the issue of child sexual abuse in Guyana.

UNICEF Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet

Meanwhile, according to the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, prior to the establishment of the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown (2017) and in Berbice, there was a very low conviction rate and low reporting of sexual abuse

cases.

“We know only too well that when the matter is reported and investigated and proceeds to trial, there is even more trauma if the case is not handled properly or if we are insensitive to the needs of the victims.

This in itself can cause secondary trauma or revictimisation. And this may cause the victim to withdraw from the court system; they may refuse to give their statement to the Police, or they may stay away or decide not to face the offender or the jury,” Justice CummingsEdwards noted.

She explained that in some cases, victims may believe that they would be subjected to harsh environments, and would be reluctant to pursue the act of

seeking justice for the crime committed against them.

“Prior to the Sexual Offences Act and the Sexual Offences Court, victims went through the ordeal, had to face cold confines of Police station, then the Magistrate’s Court and then the High Court to be questioned and even humiliated,” the acting Chancellor noted.

However, Justice Cummings-Edwards reminded that the aim of the Sexual Offences Court was to ensure that the environment was conducive to victims and support services were offered. Quite soon, she said, another such court will be established in Suddie, Essequibo.

“Sexual violence is a criminal offence and also a violation of human rights.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

Reports have shown that there is a high incidence of rape within the Caribbean and Guyana has signed on and ratified a number of instruments. The Constitution provides for appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measure to protect children, women and others from physical, mental and sexual violence.”

Establishment of drug treatment court for later this year

A

number of drug enforcement officials, judicial officers, and other stakeholders on Monday attended a specialised training workshop aimed at preparing them to aid in the efficient operation of the country’s first drug treatment court, which is expected to come on stream in the latter part of 2019.

Drug treatment courts worldwide take a more public health approach when dealing with drug-related cases and as such, local personnel within the respective systems will be exposed to both theory and practical techniques throughout the three-day activity, which will enable them to effectively interact with drug abusers.

This new addition to the court system will extensively aid in the rehabilitation process for persons who are addicted offenders. This is according to acting Chief Justice Roxane George, who was at the time presenting brief remarks at the opening ceremony.

“The reasons for having such a court are multi-dimensional, the anecdotal and empirical evidence

Some of the participants at the drug treatment court training

strongly indicates that it has been and is a growing number of persons who interface with the criminal justice system in Guyana who are substance abusers … these courts and ours will follow the same model, allow for collaboration of a team of persons to support the offender in rehabilitation,” she explained.

The acting Chief Justice further added that the drug treatment programme would allow non-violent offenders, who pleaded guilty or have been found guilty of an offence, to voluntarily benefit from a variety of social services, as a substitute for imprisonment which, according to her, is not a positive response.

“International and regional experience has demonstrated that treatment of substance abusers is a better response than imprisonment … the drug treatment court is, therefore, another in this new frontier of courts that will focus on the individual that will ensure not only justice is served, but the support that is necessary to help them become or resume being productive law-abiding persons in our society,” Justice George stated.

M e a n w h i l e , Organisation of the American States (OAS) Representative Jean Dormeus, in his brief remarks, applauded the local authorities for embarking

Russian Ambassador to Guyana tours Banks DIH Limited

D

uring a recent visit to the corporate head office of Banks DIH Limited, Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz and the beverage company’s Chairman and Managing Director, Clifford Reis were engaged in fruitful discussions as they officially met for the first time.

The Russian delegation comprised the Ambassador’s wife and third secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Kornilov.

Opportunities of mutual benefit were among some of the topics discussed, during a simple

From right: Banks Chairman and Managing Director Clifford Reis in discussion with Ambassador Alexander Kurmaz in the Rotunda at Thirst Park as Mrs Kurmaz looks on

lunch attended by the company’s Operations Director Michael Pereira, Human Resources Director Andrew Carto and Engineering Services Director Shabir

Hussain.

Ambassador Kurmaz was also taken on a guided tour of the company’s rum factory and soft drink plant by the executives.

on such a ground-breaking initiative.

Dormeus posited that the international expertise provided for the training would be of great benefit to the participants.

“For this week’s workshop, the Organisation of American States through [the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission ]CICAD has selected a fine blend of experts in the Region …, therefore, I trust

that the practical sessions of this workshop will provide you with tips and techniques to make the drug treatment court a vibrant and successful experience in Guyana. This initiative will bring much to the Guyanese society; in this week’s workshop, I hope to see the same engagement and excitement that have been the hallmark of the whole process,” he noted.

It was revealed that the

establishment of the drug treatment court will commence in the last quarter of 2019, as it will be situated in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts building with the goal of promoting public safety and the well-being of society.

The training exercise is made possible through a collaboration between the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA); OAS and CICAD.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

Regional

Brazil prison riot kills 52, many decapitated as rival gangs clash

A

bloody clash between two prison gangs on Monday left at least 52 inmates dead, 16 of them decapitated, in the northern state of Para, the latest deadly prison clash this year as Brazil’s far-right Government struggles to control the country’s jails.

State authorities said the riot began around 07:00h in a prison in the city of Altamira, and involved rival gangs.

Prisoners belonging to the Comando Classe A gang set fire to a cell containing inmates who belonged to the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command, gang, Para’s state Government said in a statement. Two guards were

It is the latest deadly prison clash this year as Brazil’s far-right Government struggles to control the country’s jails

taken hostage but later released.

“It was a targeted act,” State Prison Director Jarbas Vasconcelos said in the statement, adding there was no prior intelligence that suggested an attack would

take place.

“The aim was to show that it was a settling of accounts between the two gangs.”

Videos circulating online showed inmates celebrating as they kicked decapi-

cials and lawmakers said would be hugely harmful for Paraguay and cost the state around US$200 million.

The deal was signed in May, but was only made public last week.

Paraguay and Brazil are partners in Itaipu, the world’s largest hydroelectric plant.

“The President has just received the resignations. ... He made the decision to accept these resignations and during the week he

will communicate who will replace these people,” presidential adviser Hernán Huttemann told reporters.

Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni had announced hours before his resignation that Paraguay would ask Brazil to suspend the agreement, which established a schedule for the purchase of energy from the hydroelectric power plant until 2022.

The three others who resigned on Monday are Alcides Jimenez, who had taken over as the Head

tated heads across the floor.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.

Elected on a tough-oncrime message, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has benefited from a sharp drop in homicides this year.

Nonetheless, endemic prison violence has been a stubborn public security challenge in one of the world’s most violent countries.

In May, at least 55 inmates died during an attack in a lockup in the northern state of Amazonas. In 2017, weeks of violence in Amazonas resulted in 150 prison deaths as local gangs backed by Brazil’s two largest drug factions went to war. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister resigns after energy deal outcry

P

araguay’s Foreign Minister and three other officials resigned on Monday amid a growing scandal over the signing of an energy deal with Brazil, a blow to President Mario Abdo who has forged close ties with Brazil, South America’s number one economy.

The scandal was sparked by an energy deal related to the giant Itaipu hydroelectric plant that straddles the two countries, which offi-

New legislation coming to allow organ harvesting for transplants in Barbados

T

he Barbados Government is working on new legislation that will provide the legal framework for organs to be harvested from donors after death.

Over the last 30 years, about 19 transplants had been performed at the country’s sole public hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but these transplants have been limited to organs from live donors.

Health and Wellness Minister, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic said Cabinet has approved a policy document prepared by the Ministry to guide organ transplantation services in Barbados.

He said that with the high incidence of non-Communicable Diseases in Barbados, the new policy initiative would be very beneficial to Barbadians experiencing medical challenges.

Meanwhile, the Minister announced that Cabinet had given approval for the Ministry to contract the services of the Health Economics Unit of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, to execute a comprehensive review of all

Health and Wellness Minister, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic

medical services that are offered within the public health sector.

“So, we will cost every single operation, every single service which will then allow us to see what the true cost of health care really is, and using this information it would facilitate the planning and financing of health care in Barbados,” he explained.

Bostic said that this follows an earlier Cabinet decision to create a position for a Health Finance Commissioner. He revealed that the position was filled, and everything was in place to complete the costing exercise within six months and move ahead with developing health care financing within the country. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

of State power company ANDE just days ago; Hugo Saguier, Paraguay’s Ambassador to Brazil; and José Alderete, the Paraguayan director of Itaipu.

The previous Head of ANDE, Pedro Ferreira, a close collaborator of Paraguay’s President, resigned last week after refusing to sign the document for the deal, because he said it would increase costs for the State entity by more than $200 million.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

C'bean countries warned rainfall 'deficit' still possible despite wet season

The short-term drought, which runs until the end of October, is evolving in north-western Belize and might possibly develop in eastern Belize, Martinique, and St Kitts

T

he Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) says rainfall deficits are still possible despite the increasing rainfall and concerns exist for parts of the eastern Caribbean and Belize.

In its August newsletter released on Monday, CariCOF said rainfall would continue to increase across the Region augmenting water resources.

“It is likely that parts of Belize, particularly in the northwest, can still have concerns over short-term drought that can impact agricultural production and small rivers, streams and

ponds. With rainfall deficits still possible despite the increasing rainfall, concerns exist for parts of the eastern Caribbean and Belize over long-term drought that can impact rivers and reservoirs by the end of the wet season at the end of November,” CariCOF said, adding “this raises some initial concerns over water availability entering the 2019/2020 dry season”.

CariCOF said that last month, apart from St Vincent that was moderately wet, rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean was normal to below normal. (Excerpt from CMC)

St Kitts Govt tables legislation to allow for marijuana use

T

he St Kitts-Nevis Government on Monday said it would table legislation in the Parliament on Tuesday allowing for the regulated and controlled use of marijuana for medicinal, scientific, religious and recreational purposes in the twin-island Federation.

A Government statement said that Prime Minister, Dr Timothy Harris will table the amendments to the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill 2019.

“The far-reaching legislative amendments come after the Cabinet estab-

lished a National Marijuana Commission to ascertain the views of citizens and residents on cannabis use,” the statement said, noting that the consultations, which were chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Hazel Laws, had “found unanimous agreements for the decriminalisation of marijuana in the Federation”.

It said that the Commission had also recommended a phased approach to the establishment of a marijuana industry and the Cabinet adopted the Commission's report on February 18.

But it noted that since then the High Court has

ruled that some prohibitions on cannabis use outlined in the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) Act, Cap 9.08, were too broad and inconsistent with the Constitution.

The statement said that the Government has responded with the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement

of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill 2019.

It quoted Dr Harris as promising that his Administration would give “special support and priority to locals interested in pursuing marijuana cultivation and trade within the confines of the law”. (Excerpt from CMC)

Jamaica: Opposition to challenge SoE in court

T

he leader of the main Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips says the Opposition will be challenging the constitutionality of the continued State of Emergency (SoE) in Jamaica.

Dr Phillips, speaking to RJR News following the twoday meeting of the PNP’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Sunday, said the SoE was not designed to be

used for crime control.

“We have also said that we believe that there should be a testing in the courts . . . that States of Emergency were not intended to be a crime control measure, outside of some insurrection or some direct challenge to constitutional laws and our legal team is looking at that to see what is the best way to cause the courts to make a determination,” he told radio listeners.

Last weekend, National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, said there has been a significant reduction in murders as a result of the SoE, particularly in the South Andrew Police Division.

The Government declared the SoE on July 7 to curtail the high level of crime plaguing communities in the Division, particularly murders which soared to 94 at the time.

But Chang, who toured the area last weekend, noted that while 21 people were killed one month prior to the SoE, its introduction has brought a level of stability across the Division.

“For the last three weeks, we have had a significant fall-off; it means that some 20 persons’ lives have been saved. That is the mission of a State of Emergency,” he said. (Excerpt from CMC)

guyanatimesgy.com

Tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

Around the World

India: Teen who accused BJP leader of rape critical after crash

A

n Indian teenager who accused a senior politician of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of rape is fighting for her life after being critically injured in a crash that killed two of her relatives, raising suspicions of foul play.

Police official Rajeev Krishna said on Monday the 19-year-old woman and her lawyer were in a hospital battling for their lives after a truck hit the car in which they were travelling on Sunday.

The woman's two aunts, who were also in the car, were killed in the collision, Krishna said. One of the aunts killed was a witness in the rape case, which has

The allegations against BJP leader Sengar prompted protests across India [File: Pawan Kumar/Reuters]

highlighted lawlessness in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Both the driver and the owner of the truck had been arrested, the police official added.

The case of rape against legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar in India's most populous State has caused an embarrassment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

In April last year, the woman had tried to set herself on fire outside the official residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying the police had refused to register her complaint.

However, Police have lodged a case of murder against Sengar, based on the family's complaint that he was involved in causing the crash, according to a copy of the report seen by Reuters.

The woman's family said it feared for its safety, with her mother calling the crash a conspiracy, saying Sengar wanted the rape case against him to be withdrawn. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Garlic festival shooting: 3 dead in Gilroy, California

T

hree people have been killed and 15 injured after a gunman attacked a food festival in California.

The gunman was shot dead by Police shortly after he began firing, although Police are investigating reports that a second suspect may still be at large.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival was about to end for the weekend on Sunday evening, when shots were

17

fired at the site.

It was the 246th mass shooting in the US this year, according to US tracking website Gun Violence Archive.

The killer has been identified as 19-year-old Santino William Legan, according to CBS News. Witnesses said he was wearing camouflage, and used a rifle during the attack.

The lead guitarist of the group TinMan, who was

performing on stage when the attack began, said he heard someone ask the shooter: "Why are you doing this?"

Jack Vanbreen told the Associated Press that he heard the assailant respond: "Because I'm really angry".

US President Donald Trump on Monday thanked Police "who swiftly killed the shooter".

He called the attacker

"a wicked murderer" and vowed that the US would grieve for the families of victims and "ask that God comfort them".

Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a gun attack in which at least four people are either killed or wounded.

In total, it estimates that 8434 people have died as a result of gun violence in the US in 2019 so far.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Ethiopia 'breaks' treeplanting record to tackle climate change

Some Government offices have been shut down to allow civil servants to take part in the campaign

E

thiopia has planted more than 350 million trees in a day, officials say, in what they believe is a world record.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is leading the project, which aims to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country.

Some public offices have been shut down to allow civil servants to take part.

The UN says Ethiopia's forest coverage declined from 35 per cent of the total land in the early 20th Century to a little above 4 per cent in the 2000s.

Abiy launched the tree-planting exercise as part of his Green Legacy Initiative, which is taking place in 1000 sites across the country.

Officials were assigned to count the seedlings being planted by volunteers, reports BBC's Kalkidan

Yibeltal in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia's Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria tweeted that more than 350 million trees were planted in 12 hours.

The aim is to plant a total of four billion indigenous trees.

Staff from the United Nations, African Union and foreign embassies in Ethiopia have also been taking part in the exercise.

The current World Record for planting trees in a single day is held by India, which used 800,000 volunteers to plant more than 50 million trees in 2016.

Critics of Abiy say he is using the campaign to distract the public from the challenges his Government is facing, including ethnic conflicts which have forced some 2.5 million people from their homes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

China backs Lam, condemns China move trade 'radical elements' for HK violence US, talks to Shanghai

C

hina has said the anti-Government protests in Hong Kong have become a "serious challenge to the rule of law", reiterating its support for the financial hub's leader and Police in the wake of another day of street clashes.

The semi-autonomous territory has been rocked by demonstrations over the past two months that began over changes to extradition laws but have since grown into a wider movement against the Beijing-backed Government and alleged Police brutality.

On Sunday, Police repeatedly fired rubber bullets and tear gas to drive back protesters blocking Hong

Hong Kong has been rocked by protests over the past two months [Thomas Peter/Reuters]

Kong streets with signs and umbrellas.

In rare public comments on Monday, a spokesman for Beijing's top office on Hong Kong policy called on people in the territory "to unequivocally oppose and boycott vi-

olence".

"The recent developments, especially the acts of violence by a small number of radical elements, have seriously undermined the broad interests of Hong Kong for prosperity and sta-

bility," said Yang Guang, of China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

"They pose a serious challenge to the rule of law and public order in Hong Kong, and to the life and property of Hong Kong residents. They've also crossed the red line of the principle of 'one country, two systems' and by no means should be tolerated."

Yang said Hong Kong's top priority was to "punish violent and unlawful acts", adding that some Western politicians were stirring unrest in hopes of creating difficulties that would impede China's development. He did not name any individuals or countries. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Man pushes boy in front of train in Germany, killing him

A

40-year-old Eritrean man killed an eightyear-old boy on Monday by pushing him in front of an oncoming train at Frankfurt’s main train station in Germany, Police said.

The man also pushed the boy’s mother but she survived. Police were unaware of any connection between the man and the victims and his motive was unclear, a police spokeswoman said.

“According to witness

reports, a 40-year-old man pushed the boy and his mother onto the track just as the ICE (highspeed train) was arriving.

The mother, thank God, was able to save herself,” the spokeswoman, Isabell Neumann, told reporters.

“Unfortunately, the eight-year-old boy was run over by the ICE. He suffered fatal injuries,” she added. “The man concerned ... fled the station after the crime. Passersby took up the chase and the

man was detained near the station.”

Neumann said the suspect was being questioned.

The boy’s mother was taken to hospital and would also be questioned. Frankfurt Police said on Twitter the suspected perpetrator was an Eritrean citizen.

Several platforms at Frankfurt station, a major rail hub in Germany, were closed after the incident.

The police spokeswoman said the man tried to push a third person onto

the track but the woman managed to defend herself.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer strongly condemned the “horrific act” and warned against jumping to any conclusions as Police were still investigating.

Seehofer said he would cut short his holidays to discuss the security situation with senior officials on Tuesday and inform the public afterwards. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

amid deal pessimism

US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019

U

S and Chinese trade negotiators shift to Shanghai this week for their first in-person talks since a G20 truce last month, a change of scenery for two sides struggling to resolve deep differences on how to end a year-long trade war.

Expectations for progress during the two-day Shanghai meeting are low, so officials and businesses are hoping Washington and Beijing can at least detail commitments for “goodwill” gestures and clear the path for future negotiations.

These include Chinese purchases of US farm commodities and the United States allowing firms to resume some sales to China’s tech giant Huawei Technologies.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he thinks China may not want

to sign a trade deal until after the 2020 election in the hope that they could then negotiate more favourable terms with a different US President.

For more than a year, the world's two largest economies have slapped billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's imports, disrupting global supply chains and shaking financial markets in their dispute over China's "state capitalism" mode of doing business with the world.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at last month’s G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, to restart trade talks that stalled in May, after Washington accused Beijing of reneging on major portions of a draft agreement — a collapse in the talks that prompted a steep US tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES

Focus on personal gain,

(March 21- improvement, and physiApril 19) cal fitness and health. Don’t

worry about what others think, say or do. Your life, your choices, so take control.

TAURUS Think matters through.

If you take action before you (April 20May 20) consider the consequences, you will have to backtrack.

Formulate your ideas and plans, and leave nothing to chance.

dilbert

Don’t trust anyone askGEMINI ing for too much. If you re(May 21veal too much information, June 20) it will be used against you.

Focus on physical improvements, personal gain and what really matters to you.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

A vital partnership will take a positive turn if you are willing to make a couple of innovative adjustments. Observation will reveal what’s necessary and what’s superfluous.

Assess the changes going on around you and consider your options. Don’t be too quick to make a move until you know you have something else to do that will fill your time.

If you crave a change, do VIRGO something about it. Don’t (Aug. 23wait around for someone Sept. 22) else to make the first move.

Discuss your plans and put them in motion.

Calvin and Hobbes

The past will have someLIBRA thing to tell you about your (Sept. 23- present. Learn from experiOct. 23) ence and take action instead of waiting to see what happens. If someone blocks you, choose a different route.

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Approach change with intelligence. Do your research and don’t feel the need to follow the crowd.

Be innovative and come up with your own plan.

You’ll have options when SAGITTARIUS dealing with matters that (Nov. 23- could affect your personal Dec. 21) life. Aim to save money, not to spend it, and walk away from impulsive people or unsound situations.

YESTERDAY’S WORD

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle

A change at home or in CAPRICORN an important partnership (Dec. 22is best handled with care.

Jan. 19) Listen to suggestions and try to accommodate the people you love or want by your side.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

An opportunity may have strings attached. Weigh the pros and cons before you decide to take a leap of faith.

Your actions should be direct, consistent and from the heart.

Interact with people who PISCES are heading in the same di(Feb. 20rection as you. Trying to March 20) convince a skeptic will be a waste of valuable time that should be used to accomplish your goals.

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

19

The swimming scandal that has embarrassed Australia A

ustralian swimming is being accused of hypocrisy after an Olympic hopeful said she returned an abnormal drug test just days after teammate Mack Horton's high-profile protest against a Chinese rival suspected of a doping offence.

Queensland swimmer Shayna Jack announced on Sunday that she had tested positive for anabolic agent Ligandrol - which is popular with bodybuilders - in late June and that a follow-up sample has confirmed the banned substance.

The 20-year-old's statement came after Horton decided not to share the podium with China's Sun Yang following the 400m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in South Korea, having previously called him a "drug cheat".

The backlash to Horton's actions was fierce and spread quickly. China's state-run media accused Australia of being a "second-class citizen of the West" and of "white supremacy". Horton was decried as a "clown" and trolls left death threats for him online.

But Jack's admission has poured petrol on the tinderbox. She has been bombarded with taunts in both Chinese and English that have castigated Australia as a "nation of cheats". Some posts features emojis of pills.

"This country of Australia is as rubbish as your swimmers. You're doing drugs and losing face," wrote one commenter.

Jack has reportedly hunkered down at home in Brisbane with her family as she protests her innocence and vows to clear her name. She has insisted she had no idea how the banned substance got into her system, although it has been suggested she could have taken contaminated supplements.

"I haven't slept much, and I feel a sense of emptiness," Jack wrote in a lengthy essay online, in which she said she had to confront "the challenge of facing judgement from people who don't know me".

The four-time World Championship medallist has cultivated a pristine image through her Instagram account, which has now been blitzed by trolls.

what would befall both Shayna and Mack in the coming days and week," she said.

So was Horton let down by swimming bosses?

The former head of the Australian Sports AntiDoping Authority believes that Swimming Australia should have reacted to Jack's positive test far sooner.

"By covering up and not telling the truth, it makes the story bigger and worse," Richard Ings told the ABC.

Mack Horton (left) refused to join rival Sun Yang (centre) on a podium last week (Getty Images)

'Caution' with China

Accusations of hypocrisy

Hard, but fair, is the Australian way. Cheats, especially those from other countries, are readily condemned. But cricket's ball-tampering scandal last year was a sobering reminder that Australia can be as devious as anywhere else.

After refusing to respond to questions from a reporter in South Korea, Horton later broke his silence over the Jack saga.

"My position remains firm - clean sport must be a priority for all athletes, all sports and all nations," the swimmer told Australia's Seven News.

Horton was widely celebrated in Australia for his stand against Sun, who has denied recent claims of violating doping protocols. But Horton has also been accused of highlighting an apparent double-

standard, even before Jack's case was made public.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, columnist Andrew Wu said: "He [Horton] does not seem to have too much of an issue with other athletes who violate anti-doping rules, such as teammate Thomas Fraser-Holmes, who… was one of two Australian swimmers to serve 12-month suspensions starting in 2017 for missing three drugs tests in the space of 12 months."

Swimming Australia, the governing body, did know about Jack's shock test result when Horton refused to share the podium with his Chinese rival.

Its chief executive, Leigh Russell, said his protest was "difficult" to watch knowing that the doping scandal would soon erupt.

"I certainly was watching Mack, distressed about

Bale withdraws from Real Madrid squad for Munich tournament

G

areth Bale has pulled out of Real Madrid’s trip to Munich for a pre-season tournament, following the collapse of his proposed move to China.

It is understood Bale is not in the right mental state to play after Real president Florentino Perez prevented him from joining Jiangsu Suning.

Last week, Real boss Zinedine Zidane said the 30-year-old was “very close to leaving” having fallen out of favour.

Zidane added his exit would be “best for everyone”.

The 33-time Spanish champions will play Bale’s former club Tottenham on Tuesday in the opening game of the tournament that also includes Bayern Munich and Fenerbahce.

Left-back Danny Rose is included in Spurs’ squad, despite being left out of the pre-season tour party of Asia in order to seek a new club.

Bale joined the Spanish club for £85m from Tottenham in 2013 in a world record deal at the time.

He has three years left on his contract with the Bernabeu club where he has won four Champions Leagues, one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and

three Club World Cups.

The Welshman scored three goals, plus a penalty in a shootout, in four Champions League finals for Real as they won the competition in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

However, injury problems have limited him to 79 La Liga starts in the past four seasons.

He played 42 matches for Real Madrid l a s t

season but was booed by the home supporters at times during the campaign.

It has been reported Real blocked Bale’s move as they are demanding a transfer fee for the player.

Gareth Bale scored with a spectacular overhead kick to help Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final (Reuters)

’Gareth, learn the language’

Former Real Madrid and Wales manager John Toshack has told BBC Radio 5 Live that criticism of Bale is justified and he should have “engaged himself” with Spain and the Real supporters during his six years at the club.

“Come out Gareth, do an i n t e r v i e w, s p e a k yourself,” said the 70-year-old.

“You’ve been here six or seven years now. You don’t speak the language. That’s an insult to the people that you’re working for.

“It’s not gone down well at all here in Spain, and it saddens me.

“He’s been important in Real Madrid. It’s just a great pity that he hasn’t engaged himself a little bit more with the country that he’s living in, with the supporters that are there every week.

“Gareth, come on. Take a little bit of time out and learn the language.” (BBC Sport)

The reaction of Chinese fans to these scandals comes as China enjoys increasing sporting success and prepares to host the next Winter Olympics in 2022.

"We know that China has increasingly given significant attention to its engagement in global sports, and Chinese online commentators are certainly very patriotic," said Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at the Australian National University.

"Sun Yang made very particular comments about not only Mack Horton showing disrespect towards him but also disrespect to China. I think that further fuelled the flames on this particular matter."

Australia's relationship with China has been unsettled by accusations of meddling in domestic politics and concerns about cyber-espionage.

Canberra has also recently raised concerns about China's treatment of ethnic Uighurs and its detention of an Australian writer.

But Canberra is unlikely to let sporting tensions interfere with its most valuable trading partner, according to Prof Rothwell.

"The Australia government will be very cautious to try to isolate this matter, to put in a silo," he said.

"Yes, there is very significant funding for Swimming Australia and for the Australian Olympic programme but otherwise the government is really at arm's length from the conduct of individual swimmers and whatever political protests they may or may not be making." (BBC Sport)

Dalilah Muhammad breaks 400m hurdles world record at US National Championships

M

uhammad says she expects the 52-second barrier to be broken, either by her or a rival Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad broke the 400m hurdles world record on the final day of the US National Championships in Iowa.

The 29-year-old took more than a tenth of a second off a record that had stood for 16 years, clocking 52.20 seconds to beat Russian Yuliya Pechonkina’s previous mark of 52.34.

“I’m just shocked,” said Muhammad.

“I’ve been kind of hitting that time in practice and my coach was like ‘there’s no way you can’t do it’.”

Nineteen-year-old Sydney

Dalilah Muhammad (centre) winning the US National Championships in a world record time

McLaughlin was second in 52.88 and Ashley Spencer third in 53.11. All three qualified for the World Championships in Doha in September, where they will be joined by reigning world champion Kori Carter in a formidable US quartet.

And Muhammad predicted her new record would not last nearly as long as the previous one.

“That 52 is going to get broke if not by me, by the other women,” Muhammad added.

Noah Lyles ran 19.78 seconds to win the men’s 200m, with 100m champion Christian Coleman second in 20.02 as both qualified for the World Championships. (BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

What happens if World Test Championship final ends in a draw or tie?

T

he ICC officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship on Monday. It begins on August 1 with the first Ashes Test. Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament that is set to bring new meaning and context to bilateral Test cricket What is this World Test Championship all about?

Essentially, it is a league, like the zillions of T20 leagues out there, but this one is for Test cricket. It will be contested over two-year cycles, the first of which starts on August 1 with the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

The group phase officially began on July 16, 2019 and will run until March 31, 2021 after which the top two teams will contest a final.

Nine of the 12 Full Member countries will contest in 27 series during the window. The nine teams are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

and maximum of five Test matches.

Therefore, all the teams do not play each other in the WTC in the twoyear cycle. There can also be series played outside the WTC - an example being the New Zealand v England in November which is part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) but not the Championship.

Who decided on which series will be played under the WTC? The competing countries. Some of the series already committed in the previous FTP will now be played as part of the WTC with each team playing against some higher-ranked opposition and some lower-ranked opposition.

How are points allocated?

This is where things get a little complicated because, well, cricket can be complicated. For every series under the WTC, there are 120 points available, distributed evenly over the number of Tests in the series. So, for example, in the Ashes, which is a fivematch series, there will be 24 points for each win. In a two-Test series (such as Sri Lanka v New Zealand and West Indies v India which also start in August) there will be 60 points for a win. A draw is worth one-third of the points for a win: so eight in the Ashes scenario above and 20 in a two-Test series.

A tie, just in case we need to know, is worth half t h e

Why has the WTC been brought in?

For a long time, there have been attempts to bring additional context to Test cricket beyond the result of individual series. There are the Test rankings where the top team is anointed on April 1 each year, but that is just based a rolling table.

The idea of the WTC is to have a Test ‘winner’ every two years - like the World Cups in other formats - creating something else to play for outside of the series result. It is also hoped that it will increase interest in all series within the WTC, regardless of who is playing, because it can have a knock-on effect on other team’s chances of reaching the final.

points for a win.

Recently the ICC had announced that teams will be docked points in the WTC for slow over-rates. Two points will be deducted for every over a team is behind at the end of a match.

How will the finalists be determined and when will it be played?

The top two teams on the points table at the end of the league phase will play the final which is scheduled in 2021.

What will happen if the final ends in a draw or is tied?

If the final ends in a tie or a draw, the two teams will be joint champions.

Although the playing conditions allow for a reserve day, it can only be used if net

playing time is lost during the scheduled five days of the final. Net playing time for every Test amounts to 30 hours of play (six hours per day).

The reserve day kicks in only if the time lost during regulation play on each day is not made up on the same day. For example, if you lose an hour of play due to rain and then make it up by the end of the same day, then that is zero net time lost. But if you lose an entire day’s play due to rain and then make up, say, only three hours over the remaining four days, then you are short of net playing time for the match. That is when the reserve day kicks in.

What about the other three Test-playing nations?

Zimbabwe and the two latest Test nations, Afghanistan and Ireland, are the three who will not be part of the inaugural WTC. Zimbabwe are currently suspended by the ICC till October for government interference into cricket affairs. However, Afghanistan and Ireland will play Test series as part of the FTP, points from which will be considered for the Test rankings, but not the Championship. (ESPN cricinfo)

How many series will each team play and do all series count?

The teams will play three series each at home and away. Each series will comprise a minimum of two

West Indies during the third Test against England in 2018

Arsenal prepare to confirm Lukaku left out of pre-season friendly squad Nicolas Pépé signing in M record £72M deal

A

rsenal are preparing to announce Nicolas Pépé as their record signing after agreeing personal terms with the Lille forward on a five-year contract.

The fee will be €80M (£72M) plus add-ons for the Ivory Coast international. Once the final details are settled and a medical taken, Arsenal expect to confirm Pépé’s arrival.

Napoli were among other clubs who had hoped to buy the 24-yearold, who is left-footed but prefers to play on the right side of a front three.

Pépé scored 22 goals in

the French league last season, second to Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, and provided 11 assists.

Arsenal’s record fee is the £56M paid to buy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018. (The Guardian)

Nicolas Pépé scored 22 goals and assisted 11 in Ligue 1 with Lille last season

anchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has been left out of the 26-man squad travelling for Tuesday’s pre-season friendly against Kristiansund.

L u k a k u was part of the pre-season tour of Australia and the Far East, but did not play because of injury.

United remain in talks with Inter Romelu Lukaku is yet to feature for Manchester United in pre-season and Inter Milan are Milan over the interested in the striker Belgium international, 26, but there United, is also absent from the Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, is no agreement over a fee. squad heading to Norway for Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Chris The Old Trafford club reject- Tuesday’s match.

Smalling, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron ed a 60m euro (£54m) bid for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Wan-Bissaka, Ashley Young; Lukaku from the Italian giants side play their final pre-sea- Fred, Angel Gomes, Daniel earlier in July. son friendly against AC Milan James, Jesse Lingard, Juan Inter boss Antonio Conte has in Cardiff on Saturday (kick-off Mata, Nemanja Matic, Scott said the forward is his number 17:30 BST).

McTominay, Andreas Pereira, one summer transfer target.

Manchester United squad Paul Pogba; Tahith Chong, Italy full-back Matteo to play Kristiansund: David De Mason Greenwood, Anthony Darmian, another player Gea, Lee Grant, Joel Pereira, Martial, Marcus Rashford. (BBC linked with move away from Sergio Romero; Diogo Dalot, Sport)

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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15th Ricks and Sari Reagan Rodrigues Memorial Cycle Race on August 4

C

yclists will again return to action, this time to participate in the 15th staging of the annual Ricks and Sari Reagan Rodrigues Memorial Cycle Race, set to commence on August 4 at 08:30 hrs.

The race commences at Schoonard, on the West Bank of Demerara, before

heading to Bushy Park, on the East Bank of the Essequibo, then returning to the point of origin to complete a total of 46 miles.

In the 14th edition of this race, the seniors’ category was won by Team Coco’s Jamaul John, who retained his road race title by clocking one hour, 41 minutes and 38

seconds. Coming in second was Linden Bauxite Flyers’ Michael Anthony, while Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega finished in third place.

In the juniors’ category, Adealie Hodge won with ease, while Ray Wilson was the runner-up. In the veterans’ category, Team Alanis rider Paul Choo-Wee-Nam

Businessman Reagan Rodrigues was born on February 21, 1948 and passed away on August 4, 2004. During his lifetime, he served as President of the Carlton Wheelers Cycling Club and was also a champion race car driver.

This event is being organised by Hassan Mohammed.

Emancipation Day horse-racing meet…

Crawford anticipates “good turnout” A

ll contingencies have been put in place for the grand one-day horse racing meet to be staged on Emancipation Day – August 1st, 2019 – at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) Two days remain before this highly anticipated equestrian showdown, promoted by the 4-Horse Man Promotions Group in collaboration with the Crawford Memorial Turf Club & Sports Facility (CMTC&SF), gets underway.

Seven races are carded to be run, with the feature event being the 1300-metre race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses, which has a winning purse of $300,000 and trophy.

More than 40 of Guyana’s top horses have thus far registered to participate in this meet. Among them are Red Rocket, Not This Time, Catch A Glimpse, Sweet Return, Gold Again, First Prince, Red Jet, Orion, The Republican and Princess Emma.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Marcel Crawford Jnr, President of the Crawford Memorial Turf Club, said: “I expect a good turnout for the event. I am rea l l y

Secretary of the event, Bobby Vaughn, with some of the trophies up for grabs

happy; as, while it is the 100th anniversary of the Port Mourant Turf Club, it is also something that will showcase the lifetime work of my father, the late Marcel Crawford.

“During the 1980s-1990s, he was (among the few) persons who single-handedly held horse racing together.

“The Port Mourant Turf Club is

the best place to host the event, because it can hold a large amount of individuals, as we do expect a large turnout on August 1.

“I expect everything to run smoothly and with order, as we will not tolerate any disorderly conduct.”

Among the highly anticipated events of the day are: the race for horses classified H3 and Lower, to be run over a distance of 1000 metres for a first prize of $220,000 and a trophy. The 900-metre race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses, which carries a winning prize of $220,000 and a trophy. The race for animals classified J and Lower, being run over a distance of 1000 metres by horses 4 years old and older for a first prize of $180,000 and a trophy. The race for animals classified K2 and Lower, which is to be run over 1000 metres and reward the winner with $170,000. The race for L Class Open animals which would cover a distance of 1100 metres for a top prize of $160,000. Also, animals classified L1 and Lower would be competing over a distance of 1000 metres for a top prize of $140,000.

The event will commence promptly at 13:00 hrs.

PSG ‘egos’ not easy for team – Julian Draxler T

he “egos” of some Paris StGermain stars mean that “it is not easy for the whole team”, says the club’s German winger Julian Draxler.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

dethroned Ian Jackson, who settled for second, while Leer Nunes came in third.

In the final event of the day, the mountain bike category, Julio Melville bested Ozia McCaulay after a heated battle for the title.

Prizes are up for grabs in this race, inclusive of 8 prime prizes.

Paris St-Germain forwards Neymar (left), Edinson Cavani (centre) and Kylian Mbappe

Draxler plays alongside Neymar who has been linked with a move back to Barcelona - Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani at the Ligue 1 champions.

“All of them are exceptional players, it is hard to find in the world players of this level,” Draxler told AFP. “But of course they have their own minds, their own heads.”

He added: “They live football, they want to score every game, so they have an ego.

“So sometimes it’s not easy for the whole team, but if you are lucky enough to play alongside these players, it’s just a pleasure every day.”

PSG sporting director Leonardo said Neymar can leave PSG “if there is an offer that suits everyone” after his fellow Brazilian failed to turn up for the first day of pre-season training earlier in the summer.

However, Brazil striker Neymar is currently with the club on their tour of China. (BBC Sport)

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Guyana Cup 2019 Imran Auto Works sponsors GMR&SC International Drag Race Meet…

boosted by iBet Supreme

T

he 2019 edition of the Guyana Cup horse racing meet, to be staged by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, is already anticipated to be the biggest event in the history of its kind; but this event has just got bigger with the sponsorship of betting company iBet Supreme.

The meet is set for staging on August 18 at the Rising Sun Turf Club on the West Coast of Berbice, and in a statement to the media, iBet Supreme revealed: “iBET is proud to sponsor this event, since horse racing is an important (pastime) in Guyana, and at iBet, we’re looking for all avenues to further build the sport of horse racing in Guyana”.

The statement also revealed that the parent company of iBet Supreme -Supreme Ventures -- also owns the Caymanas Park Track in Jamaica, and is responsible for the resurgence of horse racing in Jamaica.

Further, the statement read: “iBET Supreme will also have our other products on display so that turfites can also enjoy them as well. As part of our promotion for this event, punters who bet on racing in the United Kingdom at our Stabroek location will win tickets when they bet over a certain amount”.

Chairman of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, Nazrudeen Mohamed, has declared he is looking forward to building a bigger and better partnership with iBet Supreme. He disclosed that the iBet Supreme Stake Race will see horses vying for supremacy

D

iBet Supreme’s Business Development Manager and Marketing Coordinator Dustanni Barrow handing over the sponsorship cheque to Jumbo Jet’s Gaitree Tulsidas

over 1400m.

Mohamed pointed out that he expects the Guyana Cup this year to be bigger and better than any staged in previous years. He said a concert will be staged after the day’s racing, and thus far, the participation of eight international artistes has been confirmed, along with that of a number of local acts.

The feature race of the meet, the C Class and Lower One Mile, will see the winner pocketing $2 million; while the race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses will see the winner carting away $1 million.

The races on the card for this meet are as follows: The feature race: for animals classified C Class and Lower over a distance of one mile for a prize of $2 million.

The race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses for a prize of $1 million.

The race for horses

classified G3 and Lower for a prize of $400,000.

The race for animals classified L3 and Lower (open to non-winners from Trinidad & Tobago) for a prize of $350,000.

The race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses for a prize of $300,000.

The race for animals classified J3 and Lower over seven furlongs for a prize of $300,000.

The race for colts classified L Class for a prize of $250,000.

The race for fillies and mares classified L Class for a prize of $250,000.

Among the top horses that would clash on race day are Just Call Me Bass, Crown the King (Jamaica), Doublin Fashion (USA), Chameli (Jamaica), Safara (Jamaica), Southern Express (T&T), Silver & Things (T&T), Sitarr (T&T), Kentucky Woman (T&T), Super Easy (T&T) and She’s a Princess.

Divine Entertainment Summer Super Cup…

Botafago, Eagles claim finale spots

A

‘fastest reaction time’

fter a gruelling affair, Botafago nudged levelled the scores through an 88th minute out Net Rockers on sudden death, strike. but Eagles United wasted no time in When the regulation period expired and an dismissing Capital FC 3-0 following a hat-trick additional 15 minutes of play could not produce from Colwyn Drakes, when the semifinals of the a winner, the mandatory five penalties also first ever Divine Entertainment Summer Super having failed to determine who would reach the Cup football competition was played on Sunday final, the resort was therefore to sudden death night at the Mackenzie Sports Club. kicks.

The first encounter was a ding-dong affair, The Botafago side kicked first and scored, as evidenced by the sudden death tie-breaker. but the Rockers first shooter failed to find the It summed up the vicissitudes of the match, as back of the net, so Botafago took the place into the Rockers were able to take the initiative after the final the game ending 3-8. a penalty came their way in the 15th minute The second game failed to be an following a dangerous foul on one of their even affair, as Eagles United, showing players. no respect for their opponents, Deshawn Joseph was calm in sending dominated play through the efforts of the Rockers ahead 1-0; and Shane Luckie, an in-form forward named Drakes. He who got a double in this game, nailed his sent Team United in the lead in the first from a squared ball in the 13th minute 28th minute, and as Capital FC could to make it 2-nil. not muster enough energy to make a Botafgao countered somewhat, and competitive game of the encounter, were able to get their first goal from a having played tough games drive from Duquan Hercules in the over the past two days, 24th minute. They then secured Drakes ran through their the equaliser through Trevon defenders to score in the Archibald, who scored from 72nd and 80th minutes. close range after a mistake A tired Capital FC was made by the Net Rockers side could do nothing to goalkeeper in the 69th minute. prevent that game from Later, Luckie regained the ending 3-0 for Eagles, who lead for his team with a spot will now take on Botafago Duquan kick in the 85th minute, but in the final on Saturday at Hercules Botafago’s Jamal Haynes again the tournament venue.

uring the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC’s) International Drag Race meet, the driver with the fastest reaction time according to the port-a-tree system will be awarded US$100.

Imran Auto Works, a West Coast Demerara business, is sponsoring this prize.

A statement from the GMR&SC has thus indicated: “Imran Auto Works has joined our sponsorship team for the upcoming international drag race event on August 25.

The company will sponsor US$100 for the driver or rider with the best reaction time across all time brackets for the event.

“We at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) wish to thank Imran Auto Works for their support in this venture, as well (we are) looking forward to future partnerships.”

The August 25 event is already gaining traction, with competitors from Suriname and Trinidad indicating their interest in participating in the quarter-mile run. As many

as six cars from the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago are in talks with the GMR&SC over shipping logistics for the event, while Suriname has not yet indicated how many cars would be willing to participate.

The cost for spectators’ admission to the event has not yet been set, but the GMR&SC is expected to release more details in the coming week.

Several local giants are expected to take to the strip, including team Mohamed Enterprise’s GTRs, Godzilla and Goliath; Sean Persaud’s Toyota Caldina, and the Trans-Pacific Toyota Alteeza and Peter Daby’s Mazda RX7 (second generation).

Other sponsors on board for the event include R. Kissoon Contracting, Deryck Jaisingh Trucking Service and Machinery Rentals, Mohamed’s Enterprise, BM Soat, Prem’s Electrical, E-Networks, TransPacific Auto Sales, Cyril’s Taxi, Blue Spring Water, Choke Gas Station, Miracle Optical, Tropical Shipping, DEL ICE CO and Handin-Hand Insurance.

Team Mohamed’s undefeated Nissan GT-R is nicknamed Godzilla

GFF-BFA Senior League 2019…

Blake, Mentore help Beacons down Rivers View

T

he intermittent weather is a constant threat to football in Bartica. However, the Bartica Football Association has persevered with the GFFBFA Senior League 2019, being played at the Bartica Secondary School ground despite heavy showers cancelling play for some of the highly anticipated matchups.

The action continued on Sunday July 28 with a high-intensity matchup between table- toppers Rivers View FC and second positioned Beacons FC. Since Rivers View went down to Beacons 6-2, it means that the top-of-the-table position that Rivers View commanded now hangs in the balance, as both clubs are on 29 points, with Beacons having played 14 matches as against Rivers View having played 13.

In that encounter, Beacons

asserted their dominance by scoring a few early goals, thus denting the table-toppers’ hopes of making a comeback in the second half of the game.

Despite scoring two consolation goals, Rivers View could not make a resurgence, thus placing their position in jeopardy.

Scoring for Beacons were Dwayne Blake with 3, Shameer Mentore with 2, and Shawn Joseph with 1; while Godfrey and Andel Norton were each able to score a goal for Rivers View.

The league will continue during the course of the Shameer Mentore week. scored two goals

GFF-BFA Senior League 2019 Points Table Club

Played

Wins

Losses

Draws

GF

GA

Points

Rivers View

13

9

2

2

31

14

29

Beacons

14

9

3

2

29

16

29

Potaro Strikers

13

7

3

2

19

17

23

Rising Stars

13

7

5

1

18

20

22

Mil Ballers

13

6

5

2

22

24

20

Wolves United

13

4

9

0

15

29

12

Lazio

12

3

7

2

14

21

11

Agatash United

13

1

11

1

11

28

4

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

23

20-member U-15 squad named for CONCACAF championships …team to play 2 warm-up matches before departure

T

he 20-man shortlisted National U-15 Boys’ team, in their final leg of preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Boys’ U-15 Championships at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida USA from August 4–11, are engaged in a series of training matches as they endeavour to represent the Golden Arrowhead with distinction.

The team opposed the Pouderoyen FC U20 team on Saturday, and are scheduled to play two more matches: against Santos FC on Tuesday, and Buxton United FC on Wednesday, prior to departure on Saturday, August 3. Both matches are scheduled for a 11hr start.

According to Head Coach Bryan Joseph, there are three objectives to the matches, which are open for public viewing.

“First, we’re trying to simulate the playing times and conditions we will be faced with in Florida, to see how the boys cope with the high temperature, and work out how we can best utilise the players without burnout. Second, we want to play against teams in which the style or method of preparation is unknown, and try to impose our style of play and dominate. And third, we want to play against tougher, stronger opposition… and to place the players in situations where they have to be motivated and driven to work hard as a group to compete.”

Commenting on the team’s performance in the first match, Joseph said, “Pouderoyen did not come as strong as we had expected them to. We would have achieved probably 70%-80% of what we would have wanted the team to achieve.”

Meanwhile, from an initial 40man roster, a 20-man squad has been shortlisted and engaged. It includes two Goalkeepers, four Defenders, 10 Midfielders and

four Forwards, with one international-based player in the person of Midfielder Joshua Kesney from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Head Coach has said the six-week preparation, which has thus far been rewarding, focused on the playing philosophy and style of play to be engaged in the tournament, and also sought to identify the best available talent from across Guyana.

He said the core group comprises players who have participated in the 2018 CFU U-14 Boys’ Challenge Trophy. However, he noted that only 18 will travel.

Guyana has been placed in ‘Group E’ with Nicaragua, Cayman Islands and The Bahamas. The match schedule is as follows: Monday August 5 @ 09:00hrs – Nicaragua vs Guyana. Tuesday August 6 @ 11:00hrs – The Bahamas v s Guyana. And Thursday, August 8 @ 09:00hrs – Guyana vs Cayman Islands.

According to CONCACAF, the tournament will be played in two rounds, as follows: “ F o r t h e

U-15 Head Coach Bryan Joseph

The full list of players in the U-15 squad

first-round group phase, the 42 participating teams have been divided into three divisions according to the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 ranking as of 2019, ensuring sporting balance and a minimum number of four matches for each team.

Division One would comprise the top-14-ranked C O N C A C A F

teams, as well as Slovenia and Portugal. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups A-D).

After round-robin play, the four group winners and the four second-place finishers will advance to the quarterfinals, to play for the Championships. The third and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

Division Two would comprise the 15 next-best-ranked CONCACAF teams, and Israel.

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups E-H). After round robin

play, the four group winners will advance to the semifinals to play for the divisional championship.

The second, third and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final positions in the division.

Division Three will be made up of the 10 lowest-ranked CONCACAF teams. The teams have been divided into two groups of five teams each (Groups I and J).

After round robin play, the group winners will advance to the divisional final, while the remaining teams will play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

Pan American Games 2019…

Squash team bag 1st win after dismal weekend I

t was a bittersweet day for Guyana at the Pan American Games on Monday, as the Squash doubles team recorded their first win, while the 2- member Badminton contingent each suffered a loss in their opening encounter.

Coming off of several losses in the singles and doubles competitions, the Guyanese Women’s Squash team, comprising of Ashley Khalil, Mary Fung-A-Fat and Taylor Fernandes, held their composure to defeat the Peruvian team 3-0.

Fernandes won her encounter in three straight sets 11-6, 114, 11-6; and Ashley Khalil did the same 11-4, 11-7 11-4. Mary FungA-Fat was not to be left out of the victories, as she, too, won with a clean slate, after a close final game, 11-3 11-3 11-9.

This win represents the first victory for Guyana at the 2019 Pan-American Games after a dis-

The Guyanese squash team take a photo opportunity with their opponents following their victory

mal weekend of competition, especially on the rugby field, where Guyana finished last.

Over on the badminton courts, the Ramdhani siblings got their Pan-Am 2019 off to a disappointing start, as they each lost in the singles division. Pitted against Costa Rica’s Lauren Villalobos, Guyana’s Priyanna Ramdhani lost the encounter 2-0.

Her older brother, Narayan Ramdhani, lost by the same 2-0 margin to Jamaica’s Samuel Rickets. The siblings are expected to team up for the doubles competition.

Meanwhile, Guyana also did not have luck in the taekwondo arena. Guyana’s lone representative in this sporting discipline, Canada- based Justin Choy, went into his first engagement with confidence, but could not pull off a win.

He was defeated 21-4 by Canadian Hervan Nkogho in the 68Kg category.

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

20-member U-15 squad named for CONCACAF championships Page 23

…team to play 2 warm-up matches before departure Pan American Games 2019…

Page 22

Squash team bag 1st win after Guyana Cup dismal 2019 boosted weekend by iBet Supreme Page 23

While the squash team enjoyed their first victory, Justin Choy (red) competing for Guyana in taekwondo suffered defeat

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Youth Parliament 2019 to focus on Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration, copyright law Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4000

THE BEACON OF TRUTH tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

Claudette Singh sworn in as GECOM Chair ─ promises to go by the book, meet with Secretariat today

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Enumerators encountering P5 staunch resistance from sections of society – GECOM CEO Probe into P11 arbitrary firing of PSM staff completed – Govt yet to disclose findings

See story on page 3

2nd Qatar oil company partnership deal with Total – as Middle Eastern oil producer being reviewed – Bynoe looks to invest in Guyana's oil sector

Kwakwani teen nabbed hours after robbing P8 Chinese restaurant P13 Chicken shortage causes KFC to limit meal options

P9

Man gunned Unauthorised application filed for down while CJ to recuse herself trying to make peace H2H Registration challenge

P10

Page 7

...GECOM CEO arrogates Commission's powers – Police issue wanted bulletin for ex-cop

PSC slams Govt-aligned Commissioner over “racist” attack Page 11

Fly Jamaica must file new application P14 before operations recommence – GCAA

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Tuesday, July 30 – 03:00h-04:30h and 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, July 31 – 04:00h-05:30h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, July 30 – 15:25h-16:55h and Wednesday, July 31 –16:15h-17:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected throughout the day. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to South-westerly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 15:25h reaching a maximum height of 2.51 metres.

Low Tide: 08:54h and 21:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.59 metre and 0.70 metre.

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Claudette Singh sworn in as GECOM Chair ─ promises to go by the book, meet with Secretariat today

A

fter weeks of negotiations and delays, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will finally have a Chairperson following the swearing-in of retired Justice Claudette Singh, who took the oath of office on Monday.

Two days after President David Granger picked her from a list of six nominees submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, Justice Singh took the oath of office in front of the President and dignitaries at the Ministry of the Presidency.

In an interview following her swearing-in, Justice Singh stressed that she would carry out her role in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.

“My priorities are endeavouring to have free, fair and transparent elections.

I am also looking forward to having meetings with each set of Commissioners.

And I will have them separately. The meeting with Government and Opposition Commissioners. Then I will bring all of them together.”

“I believe in inclusivity and I will speak with everybody. And I don’t believe in people walking out when there is a disagreement. I believe in sitting down and resolving whatever the problem is.”

Singh was previously asked for permission to have her name put forward in a list of nominees for GECOM Chairperson, but had refused. Asked why the change of heart now, the retired Justice said that she accepted the nomination “for the sake of [the] country”.

The new Chairperson was optimistic that she would begin working at the Commission and meeting with staff as early as today.

While reports indicate that the meeting between her and Commissioners will go down today, up to press time this publication was unable to confirm a time for today’s meeting.

Collaboration

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who submitted the list of six containing Singh’s name, was hopeful that the spirit of collaboration between the Opposition and Government could continue. This view was echoed by the President, who noted that Singh’s appointment was the result of the groundwork between Opposition and Government teams.

“It’s a happy day for Guyana, and we look forward to cooperating on the other issues. The President and I spoke about this. And we hope we can take the same spirit we had, the spirit of collaboration in this appointment, into different matters,” Jagdeo said in a brief interview with the media.

“What you saw on July 26 was only possible because

Newly sworn-in GECOM Chair Claudette Singh along with President David Granger, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

areas of cooperation in the coming weeks and months.”

Retired Justice Singh’s appointment comes even as Guyana is over four months overdue for elections, in keeping with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution.

Despite elections being due within three months of the December 21, 2018, NoConfidence Motion, GECOM has instead embarked on creating a new voters’ list by way of House-to-House Registration.

The departed

Retired Justice Claudette Singh taking the oath of office

of the groundwork that had been put in by the working groups,” Granger said. “So, it

was a logical conclusion and Mr Jagdeo and I are looking forward to widening the

Singh takes over from former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson. Patterson, a former High Court Judge and former acting Chief Justice in Grenada, was appointed to the position of Chairman of GECOM by the President in October 2017. turn to page 7

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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

The seeming rhetoric on noise pollution

L

ast week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that it received a 35% increase in complaints of noise pollution, when figures for this year thus far are compared to 2018. By any stretch of the imagination, that is a substantial increase. That’s reflective of what may be deemed an ineffective approach to curbing this societal menace.

Over time, there have been numerous complaints, and gauging from some who pleaded their cases in the media, this scourge continues unabated. Interestingly, the Director of the EPA is reported to have stated that many people stopped complaining, given their perception of not getting a response.

For many, it is not a perception; in reality, their complaints are ignored. Despite the pain, suffering, and gross inconvenience many are forced to endure, the Director must be commended for bringing officially into the public domain that seeming lack of a response, even though branded as a perception. He has elevated, through the influence of his office, what many believe and experienced. In so doing, he may have deliberately brought some level of pressure upon those, including his officers and the Police, who are entrusted to enforce the laws.

Too often, when complaints are called in to Police stations, and when the call is actually answered, the response is either permission has been granted until midnight, in some cases 2:00 am, or they will “check on it”. Very often, the latter was a means of consoling, and never really materialised.

Part of the problem basically lies in the former: permission. Many have argued over the criteria used to allow a few to inconvenience residents within the village or villages. Among those affected in every instance are babies, children preparing for school or examinations, the elderly, and the sick. Medical experts have documented the serious effects of noise on people who are exposed to high decibels of sound, and especially how telling it is on an ongoing basis.

The inconsiderate bombarding of others with loud music by bar operators and bar-b-que promoters has seemingly become an unfortunate fixture within many villages. Village days are often promoted without the consent of villagers. To make matters worse, there are reports of alleged collusion with the Police and the operators/ promoters, thereby facilitating this hazard.

Having expended much effort for intervention, and having been unsuccessful, wary residents are naturally forced to stop complaining.

Some may posit that’s how it’s designed deliberately, to allow the flow of believed benefits from the alleged collusion. How else can one explain permission being granted for bar-b-ques, street limes, and village days -- which blare music -- to be promoted unabated?

How else can one similarly explain established and makeshift bars -- that are brazenly polluting with noise -- operating unhindered? How else can one explain that the approved midnight timeline is actually 3:00am or 4:00 am? How else can one explain the glaring lack of meaningful intervention in all those instances?

That, in many ways, sums up the plight of the affected residents, and the magnitude of the problem.

It’s worthy to note, and may be even ironic, that the EPA Director’s comments referenced were made when he addressed a noise management training for Police officers. The Public Security Minister reportedly took the opportunity at the training to highlight the prevalence of noise pollution, and alluded to victims not following through after reports are made; i.e. a reluctance to appear in court.

Aside from alleged collusion, therein lies probably the biggest hindrance to curbing the endemic noise crisis.

Maybe there is need to relook at the legal requirements in the context that if the Police were to independently, promptly and professionally respond to complaints, verify them, and take statements from complainants, the need for an actual presence could be obviated.

While a credible argument can be made that such a proposal could encourage collusion at another level, the possibility for legal resolution could increase. This considers that the Police are equipped with testers to check the level of noise, and that the Minister reportedly said it may be better to enforce the law by taking away the equipment of those caught in the act. Any justification of the latter seemingly negates the presence of a complainant in court; same as the testers.

What remains very worrying is that, despite the utterances of the EPA and the Minister, some establishments which are not soundproofed, even within the City, continue to unleash a torrent of noise pollution on residents craving for relief.

Reportedly many, if not all, of these establishments, appear to have strong connections, which allow them to operate untouched.

In those instances, complaints will be ignored at the expense of the health and wellbeing of the affected residents. That causes the rhetoric from the authorities to be rendered useless. It cannot be just about soundproofing. Many cases, like music carts, bar-b-ques, limes, vehicles and small village shops, are a big part of the problem, which is seemingly compounded by a reluctance to enforce the law allegedly on the grounds of self-interest. That probably explains the 35% increase in complaints, as against a decrease, which should be the primary goal.

Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour, in Chambley, France, July 29, 2019 (Reuters/Charles Platiau)

World's largest recent offshore oil discovery progresses amid political tensions, disputes

N

othing is ever easy or simple in the world of international offshore oil and gas development. That axiom is proving to be true for the most prolific offshore oil discovery in recent years off the coast of the tiny South American nation of Guyana.

Political and media focus is shifting back to Guyana’s nascent oil industry following the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle over a successful motion of no-confidence in the governing coalition of President David Granger last December. On June 18th, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) upheld the no-confidence motion and ordered elections

by September 18th, 2019.

Guyana has a history of volatile politics, so this campaign season promises to become very contentious.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of rapidly approaching first oil in Guyana’s prolific Stabroek block, operated by the consortium of ExxonMobil XOM +0%, Hess HES +0% and CNOOC . In April of this year, ExxonMobil made its 13th discovery in the deep waters off the Guyanese coast. That discovery added to the estimated 5.5 billion barrels of recoverable resources found so far on the Stabroek Block alone.

The production potential here is staggering.

ExxonMobil and its partners expect production can surge from zero to more than 750,000 barrels per day over the next 5 years.

The first FPSO vessel recently set sail for Guyanese waters, and some expect to see as many as four or five offshore by the mid-2020s.

Some analysts have calcu-

lated that the Government of Guyana could reap as much as $5 billion per year.

These projections present transformative potential for a country with a population of around 800,000 and current GDP of less than $4 billion.

The upcoming elections will play out in late 2019 and early 2020, roughly the same time during which first oil production will take place. But it remains to be seen what this confluence of elections and production may mean for the industry.

Vocal critics have already begun to advocate for the government to take another look at the Stabroek production sharing agreement (PSA), which was signed in 2016.

A streak of successful discoveries has cast that contract in a different light, yet the situation in 2015 was not nearly as rosy as things sit today. At the time Guyana had no history of oil production and there had been a long string of over 40 unsuccessful exploration wells. There was little infrastructure in place to support any sort of production. Guyana also had the dubious distinction of being a total write off for Royal Dutch Shell , which sold

its offshore oil exploration block that year for $1. So, ExxonMobil and its partner companies were assuming an enormous risk going into this potential development.

The long-running maritime border disputes with neighbors Venezuela and Suriname only served to enhance that risk. In 2000, a Surinamese gunboat threatened to fire on a CGX rig as it attempted to prepare an exploration well.

In 2013, an exploration vessel chartered by Anadarko Petroleum APC +0% was conducting seismic work off the Guyanese coast when it was approached by a Venezuelan navy vessel and forced to sail to Margarita Island where it was detained. Even today, Guyana is battling Venezuela in international court to protect its territory.

The government, eager to retain interest amidst these difficulties, fell back on generous fiscal terms and large blocks in 2016 to convince ExxonMobil and others to continue their activities. Guyana thus became the epicenter of one of the largest offshore exploration programs in industry history. Energy analyst group Rystad Energy found that Guyana leads the world in

offshore crude oil discoveries since 2015 .

While the PSA is currently a source of political contention, the projected revenue to be derived from it is impressive. Guyana’s profit oil and royalty just from Liza Phase 1 and 2 at an oil price of approximately $50 per barrel could be $3 billion (US) after five years and $25 billion (US) over the life of those projects. A windfall of that magnitude is sorely needed in Guyana, where the government has struggled to fund education and healthcare. Much of the population does not have access to paved roads, modern hospitals or reliable electricity.

The pace of development of this deepwater prospect has also been impressive.

Most offshore projects take between 4 and 10 years to begin production even in shallow waters close to shore. Guyana’s first oil production at the Liza Phase 1 site is due to start in 2020.

Funding has poured into the country and made Guyana the fastest-growing economy in the Caribbean.

But the long-running political battle is diverting attention from critical needs, such as the development of a revenue-management framework and plans to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure, education system and healthcare network.

It is amid all of this political turmoil and international disputes that the ExxonMobil-led Consortium must continue the development of this major resource.

None of it is easy or simple, but the potential prize for both the Consortium members and the people of Guyana makes the risk well worth taking. (David Blackmon-Forbes)

5 Enumerators encountering staunch resistance from sections of society – GECOM CEO A news

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

s the House-to-House Registration exercise continues, enumerators have been greeted by non-cooperation from some sections of society with reports indicating that some have even employed dogs on the hapless GECOM workers.

This was revealed on Monday by Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

“These challenges include persons are told to register is an illegal activity and they’re fending them away from participating in

the process. We’ve had incidents where dogs are let out on our enumerators on the field. We’ve had scenarios in which enumerators are told that they will not be paid and they should no longer participate in the process,” Lowenfield said.

GECOM had embarked on the House-to-House Registration exercise even though there were warn-

ings about the lengthy time it will take to be completed. This was owing to the fact that elections are due

by September 18 as mandated by the orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice

(CCJ).

As such, Lowenfield stated that any decision regarding this exercise in the future will be made by the newly constituted Chairperson.

“I’m sure whatever decisions relative to Houseto-House and the conduct of elections will be made in order by a duly constituted Board that we have…. At this juncture with the new Chair in place, whatever decision that is required to take us forward to the earliest possible date for elections no doubt will be done at the earliest meeting of the duly constituted Board,” the related.

The High Court last week denied an application for an interim conservatory order to block GECOM from continuing the national registration exercise which began on June 20.

According to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, counsel for the applicant Christopher Ram, the order was not granted since Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George required more evidence as to the unconstitutionality of the exercise.

“The Chief Justice did not grant the conservatory order which we sought to restrain the registration process,” Nandlall explained.

“But significantly, the Chief Justice emphasised that she understood that the CCJ ruled that the elections must be held by September 18.”

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

Nandlall’s affidavit containing additional evidence cites the work plan presented by Lowenfield, which shows that House-to-House Registration will take 290, and not the 90 days GECOM claimed it would take.

The affidavit also refers to and includes as an exhibition, the Order issued by former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, and published on June 11, 2019, in the Official Gazette. This order was cited by Lowenfield as the basis for carrying out Houseto-House Registration.

Interestingly, however, the order itself states that the house-to-house exercise will begin on July 20, 2019, and end on October 20, 2019, showing that elections cannot be held by the September 18 deadline envisioned by the Chief Justice.

The house-to-house exercise, which was last conduct-

ed in 2008, will see enumerators going in teams of two to three from door to door in various communities across Guyana. The enumerators will present forms to registrants to fill up, as well as take fingerprints and pictures.

While it is done to produce a clean voters’ list, Lowenfield was quoted as saying that a Claims and Objections period could be used to refresh the voters’ list which expired on April 30, 2019, and can be used to conduct the constitutionally stipulated General and Regional Elections.

This was heavily pushed

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

for from the parliamentary Opposition to honour the constitutional deadline but did not materialise.

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“C

ome on! ALL of us are cutting Maths. Who wants to go take that quiz? We’re going to take a walk and get lunch instead. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to Maths class, quiz and all? Or do you give in and go with them?

As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions. Some don’t have a clear right or wrong answer – like should you play soccer or field hockey?

Other decisions involve serious moral questions, like whether to cut class, try cigarettes, or lie to your parents.

Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure. It’s something everyone has to deal with — even adults.

Let’s talk about how to handle it.

Defining peer pressure

Peers influence your life, even if you don’t realize it, just by spending time with you. You learn from them, and they learn from you. It’s only human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.

Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system or someone on the soccer team taught you a cool trick with the ball. You

Foundation

might admire a friend who is always a good sport and try to be more like him or her. Maybe you got others excited about your new favourite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other every day.

Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them, your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass her the ball, or a kid in the neighbourhood might want you to shoplift with him.

Why do people give in to peer pressure?

Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids might make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’s doing it” can influence some kids to leave their better judgment, or their common sense, behind.

Walking away from peer pressure

It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it.

Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away, and resist doing something when you know better.

It can really help to have at least one

other peer, or friend, who is willing to say “no,” too. This takes a lot of the power out of peer pressure and makes it much easier to resist. It’s great to have friends with values similar to yours who will back you up when you don’t want to do something.

You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advise you to “choose your friends wisely.”

Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t use drugs, cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.

Try to help a friend who’s having trouble resisting peer pressure. It can be powerful for one kid to join another by simply saying, “I’m with you — let’s go.”

Even if you’re faced with peer pressure while you’re alone, there are still things you can do. You can simply stay away from peers who pressure you to do stuff you know is wrong. You can tell them “no” and walk away. Better yet, find other friends and classmates to pal around with.

If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two. Talking to a parent, teacher, or school counsellor can help you feel much better and prepare you for the next time you face peer pressure.

Powerful, positive peer pressure

Peer pressure is not always a bad thing. For example, positive peer pressure can be used to pressure bullies into acting better toward other kids. If enough kids get together, peers can pressure each other into doing what’s right! (kidshealth.org)

W

hittling is a type of carving done by using a small knife to make small cuts in a piece of wood to shape it into something else. In the book Paddle to the Sea, a young Indian boy whittles a piece of pine into a model canoe and figure that travels thousands of miles.

Small, sharp knives are not common toys for young boys or girls in this day and age. But in this activity your child can still have the experience and satisfaction of crafting a seaworthy craft from wood.

Supplies

• lengths of straight, dry (seasoned) sticks (12 to 20 sticks) • yarn or string • cutting tool (for evening the lengths of sticks and cutting string)

Getting started

To build a natural boat from wood, head out into nature!

Gather straight, dry sticks that can lie together to form a raft.

You can even build your craft outside if you bring a cutting tool and string with you. You may even want to plan to do this if where you gather your wood there’s also an accessible body of water for boat testing and launching.

As you gather sticks, talk about the fiction title you read.

Ask your child what kind of adventure he’d like to have on the water. Think aloud together about things besides travel and recreation that we depend on rivers for, such as drinking water, animal habitats, and even electricity.

Also talk with him about how the size of his raft depends on the size of his sticks. Sticks that are 10 to 12 inches long may be easiest to work with. Help him estimate stick length with a known standard, such as a dollar bill (6.14 inches).

Also most of your sticks should have a similar diameter — what determines how big around they are — though choose two that have a diameter at least twice that of all the others.

Lining things up

Once you have your sticks, lay them side-by-side. If the sticks are small and quite dry, your child may be able to break off ends to bring them all to a similar length. Otherwise, you should use a cutting tool to even them out for him. Then take your two sticks with the larger diameter and place them parallel to each other, less than one stick length apart.

Lay your other sticks perpendicular to the parallel sticks, letting them overlap the larger sticks about an inch. Gather more sticks if needed or trim your parallel sticks down to size.

Help your child knot a long piece of string around one end around the end of the first perpendicular stick. Wind the string under and around the parallel stick so that the sticks are secured together. Continue winding additional sticks until all your sticks are secure. The sticks you’ve laid out won’t stay in place until they are tied; so reassure your child that it is okay if the original layout is not maintained while tying takes place. Repeat tying stick lengths to the other parallel stick. Try to pull the sticks tightly together as you wind the string around.

Time now to test the waters! If your child wants to keep his raft, make sure you are testing in water that allows you to safely and easily retrieve the craft. Otherwise, make note of water currents, see if your child can make a prediction about where his boat will float, and wish it bon voyage!

After you’ve taken your homemade raft out on the water, you might enjoy watching this 30 minute film adaptation of Paddle to the Sea: http://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_ sea/ (startwithabook.org)

news

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

H2H Registration challenge

Unauthorised application filed for CJ to recuse herself ...GECOM CEO arrogates Commission's powers

D

espite the last Commission meeting being held since June 11, the CEO of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, has unilaterally arrogated its powers to have Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus move to the courts, asking acting Chief Justice Roxane George to recuse herself from hearing the challenge to House-toHouse Registration.

This publication understands that Marcus, who last appeared on GECOM’s behalf unsuccessfully arguing his case before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), contends in his application that Justice George may be biased against them by virtue of a recent press statement.

Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus

After she declined to grant an order restraining the house-to-house exercise and gave parties time to make further submissions, Justice George via the Supreme Court’s publicity unit was forced to make a statement correcting misconceptions with her decision.

One such misconception she corrected in her statement was claims made by Attorney General Basil Williams in sections of the press that applicant Christopher Ram withdrew his challenge.

According to a statement from former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Marcus’ application contends that Justice George exhibited bias in the press statement.

“The Application filed by Mr Marcus, SC, is supported by an affidavit sworn to by Mr Keith Lowenfield. This compounds the anomaly. For Mr Lowenfield now purports to act for the Commission without the authority of the Commission,” Nandlall said in his statement.

“The Constitution is clear. Article 161 (1) is very clear: the GECOM shall consist of a Chairman and the Commissioners. Mr Lowenfield is not part of GECOM. Hence he is represented by different counsel in the case.”

Noting that new GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, has not convened a meeting of the Commission as yet, Nandlall questioned by what authority did Lowenfield take on the lawyer to represent

GECOM. “I have consulted with at least 3 Commissioners of GECOM and have been advised that GECOM has not met since 11th, June 2019, Mr James Patterson officially demitted office on 24th, June 2019, and the new Chairman is yet to commission a meeting with the Commissioners,” Nandlall said.

“In the circumstances, I feel compelled to ask; who retained and authorised Mr Stanley Marcus to file this Application? It certainly cannot be GECOM. These are fresh proceedings and one cannot argue that the same authority by which he appeared before the Caribbean Court of justice continues to apply. GECOM should publicly state its position on this matter, earliest.”

Last week Tuesday, George denied an application for an interim conservatory order to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from continuing its house-tohouse exercise that began on July 20.

Nandlall, who is appearing on behalf of Ram, had said at the time that the order was not granted since the Chief Justice required more evidence as to the unconstitutionality of the exercise and GECOM’s reluctance to comply with the CCJ rulings.

“The Chief Justice did

Nandlall and team, who this publication understands have filed an affidavit with the additional evidence for the CJ as of last Tuesday afternoon, were given until July 31 to respond to these filings, with the Chief Justice ordering

that all relevant submissions be laid over with the court by July 31.

The Guyana Bar Association, which will be represented by its President, Teni Housty, and prominent attorney, Sanjeev Datadin was also given leave to join

Claudette Singh...

CJ (acting) Roxane George

not grant the conservatory order which we sought to restrain the registration process,” Nandlall explained.

“But significantly, the Chief Justice emphasised that she understood that the CCJ ruled, that the elections must be held by September 18.”

“And she said that very clearly, that that is what the CCJ ruled in accordance with Articles 106 (6 and 7).

However, she said that we have not satisfied her on the affidavit that there is enough evidence to show that GECOM is not acting to complete this process and hold elections within that time.”

Besides Nandlall, Attorney-at-Law Neil Boston was given until July 29 to submit his affidavits.

Boston was reported to have been representing GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield since the CEO was named as the respondent in Ram’s application.

At the time, President Granger had rejected three lists submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. These lists comprised a total of 18 names of former Judges, persons eligible to be Judges and prominent members of civil society.

The President was heavily criticised for his actions and it is the court challenge filed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha that eventually resulted in Patterson’s appointment being ruled unconstitutional by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) last month.

Throughout his time at GECOM, Patterson was criticised for seemingly favouring the Government nominated Commissioners with his tiebreaker vote. In one such case, Patterson used his casting vote to break a deadlock and appoint cur-

the proceedings as a party and make written submissions. The case was meanwhile scheduled to be heard on August 2. According to Nandlall, however, this new application from GECOM will be heard today at 17:00h.

from page 3

New GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh (centre) poses with the six GECOM Commissioners. From left, PPP-nominated Commissioners Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj followed by Government-nominated Commissioners Charles Corbin, Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman

rent Deputy Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Roxanne Myers, over the previous DCEO Vishnu Persaud.

This is despite Persaud scoring higher marks than Myers during the evaluation process. An investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission subsequently found that Persaud was the

more qualified candidate.

Despite constitutional stipulations, in February 2019 Patterson again used his deciding vote and sided with Government Commissioners… this time to pass a motion that new elections could not be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kwakwani teen nabbed hours after robbing Chinese restaurant

T

wo armed men carried out a brazen robbery on a Chinese restaurant at Kwakwani, Upper Berbice, in the wee hours of Monday, carting off with close to $700,000 in cash.

Based on information gathered, the incident occurred at about midnight after the owner of the restaurant, 47-year-old Huang Yahgng, ventured to the customers’ washroom located in a section of his restau-

rant.

The suspects, who were armed with cutlasses, reportedly sneaked behind the restaurant counter and

allegedly removed $700,000 from a drawer before making good their escape.

The police were summoned to the scene and

liably informed that Police acting on information received went to the farm belonging to “Camodeen”, which is located 500 metres west of the Adventure Public Road.

Upon arrival, the area

was cordoned off and a search was conducted during which two shotgun locks, four shotgun chokes, one shotgun pistol grip, one mini mag light, one shotgun choke spanner, and a number of shotgun pellets were

went in pursuit of the bandits but they escaped. The police had recovered a cutlass and a part of black Levi slippers at the scene.

The police have since confirmed that one of the bandits was identified as a 17-year-old Kwakwani resident. He was later arrested at a popular drinking spot in the area but none of the stolen money was found in his possession. The police are on the hunt for the other suspects.

Illegal weapons found buried on farm

P

olice in G Division, acting on information, made a startling discovery during a search of a farm at Adventure, Essequibo Coast, around midday on Sunday.

Guyana Times was re-

unearthed.

Two pairs of socks, two handguards and two knee guards were also found at the location. No arrests were made as Police continue their investigations.

The buck stops with…

I

…the President on elections t’s so pathetic that the Caretaker President of this country David Granger, would hide (now literally) under the skirts of GECOM to evade his constitutional duty to announce a date for elections. Does he even remember the oath he took on his Bible when he was sworn in as President? No matter how much he bobs and weaves he cannot get away from the clear declaration of the Constitution of this country.

There, Art 61 – explicitly labelled “Time for elections” – declares: “An election of members of the National Assembly under article 60 (2) shall be held on such a day within three months after every dissolution of Parliament as the President shall appoint by Proclamation.” Since even the pellucid statements of Art 106 – which the CCJ felt didn’t need a “gloss” or explanation – have been mangled by Caretaker Granger, your Eyewitness will give the “gloss” on Art 61.

To wit, for elections to be held in Guyana, THE PRESIDENT must first dissolve parliament and then set a date for the elections that’s within 3 months from the date of dissolution! Kapeesh?? Since Guyana doesn’t have a fixed-term Presidency or government – the President can call elections at any time – but he must still fulfil the conditions of Art 61!!

In this case, since the CCJ ruled that Art 106 kicked in after the successful passage of the NCM, by its unambiguous explication, elections must be held by Sept 18. And when the CCJ said they expected the President to “do the right thing”, as a “big man”, they expected him to immediately dissolve Parliament and pick a date either before or on Sept 18!! But Caretake Granger is playing the fool and has claimed the responsibility for setting the elections date is GECOM’s!

Now what does the Constitution say about GECOM and elections?? In Art 162 (1) (Functions of the Elections Commission): it says, “..the Commission (a) shall exercise general direction and supervision…over the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly”. Nothing about SETTING a date for elections!!

Election dates come up in Art 162 (2) which declares “if the Elections Commission is satisfied that the holding on an election…ON THE DAY APPOINTED therefor would be attended…by danger or serious hardship, it may, after consultation with the PM and OL…“postpose the holding of the election…”

The bottom line is, THE PRESIDENT MUST ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THE ELECTION and GECOM can alter this if it can show “danger or serious hardship” because of the day announced.

But the GECOM CEO has already declared that Sept 18 can be met with claims and objections!! Elections Sept 18!! …the Natural Resource Minister Trotman Several activists - and one media house in particular - have been going after Exxon for the extremely skewed terms he renegotiated with the three-company consortium, or exploiting the Stabroek Block. But since when did the golden rule concerning business entities – “Caveat Emptor!” or “Buyer’s Beware!” – been changed??

Did we expect Exxon not to secure as much profits possible for its shareholders as is explicitly stated in the company laws of all jurisdictions – including Guyana’s?

What about the responsibility of Raphael Trotman, who was tasked with representing our interests, for getting us better terms?? Your Eyewitness has made this point before, but for some reason, none of the abovementioned “activists” want to pick it up. They’ve been quoting the “better oil contract terms” from all sorts of jurisdictions – especially in Africa.

But have they not seen that in those same locales, whenever some anomalous term was snucked into an oil contract, it was invariably correlated with the negotiating official’s bank account becoming massively fattened?

Why hasn’t SARA’s spotlight been turned on Trotman’s assets? …with govt on local content FPSO Lisa Destiny’s on its way but Finance Minister Jordan’s brushing away concerns about “local content” legislation – to ensure Guyanese benefit from the oil - still isn’t enacted.

They want to give us handouts to control us!!

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

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

2nd Qatar oil company partnership deal with Total being reviewed ─ Bynoe ... as Middle Eastern oil producer looks to invest in Guyana’s oil sector

Q

atar Petroleum, the national oil and gas company of the Middle Eastern oil producer, is looking to get in on the action in Guyana’s oil blocks by partnering with another foreign company. They will, however, have to go through the Department of Energy first.

Qatar, with oil reserves of over 20 billion barrels and an advanced economy, is no stranger to the oil sector.

In fact, the Middle Eastern State was until January a longstanding member of the

Qatar Petroleum entered into an agreement with French company Total for a share in the exploration and production of its blocks. Total will be selling Qatar Petroleum 40 per cent of its existing interests in the Orinduik and Kanuku blocks.

During a press conference on Monday, Department of Energy Head Dr Mark Bynoe confirmed that the deal was being reviewed. However, he confessed that the deal is “substantially unclear” for the

Oil has often been cited as having transformed Qatar’s economy, making it a country with one of the best standards of living per capita in the world

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is known as one of the world’s top oil producers.

It was announced that

Department.

“We have received a transaction letter from Total, which the Government is currently studying. But un-

til such a time as we understand the implications, because this is not a normal farm in, we’re not about to pronounce thereon.”

“Because what we’re finding here is Qatar Petroleum seeking to back into the Total Guyana agreement.

But we can’t go further than that because it is still early days. We are still in discussion with them, so we can have greater clarity. At this point in time, it is still substantially unclear for us.”

Drilling

According to an independent competent persons’ report, the Orinduik block could have 4 billion oil-equivalent barrels. Drilling using the Stena Forth drillship started on the Jethro-Lobe wells in this block earlier this month. Tullow is expected to drill about 82 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana and cover an area of 848 square kilometres.

On the other hand, drilling in Kanuku is expected to start this year, with Tullow planning to drill a well called the Carapa 1. Total has a 25 per cent participating interest in both blocks, which it shares with other operators like Tullow, Eco and Repsol.

Tullow had in February announced that it was bring-

Qatar Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi ing forward its drilling programme from the previously scheduled end of the year to the second quarter. Besides Carapa, plans have been announced to drill two wells here namely the JethroLobe and Joe. Its Carapa prospect in Kanuku is expected to be drilled in the third quarter of 2019. It is understood that the net cost of the Jethro well is US$30 million, while the Carapa well will cost US$20 million.

Tullow’s partner in the Orinduik Block, Eco Atlantic, had announced that drilling on the Joe prospect will begin in mid-July of this year. They had announced that the Stena

Forth drillship will move directly to the Joe after it finishes drilling the Jethro Lobe Well in the Orinduik Block.

It is understood that the Joe is located in approximately 650 metres of water and will cost Eco approximately US$3 million to drill.

A recently published report from international company Gustavson Associates has estimated that the well has a 43.2 per cent chance of success.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10year Petroleum Prospecting

Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe

license and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016.

Total E and P Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco with the option to get a 25 per cent share in the block.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man gunned down while trying to make peace ─ Police issue wanted bulletin for ex-cop

Dead: Kurt Anthony Duncan

K

urt Anthony Duncan was, in the wee hours of Monday, gunned down while trying to make peace between a man and a woman outside of Seeta’s Bar in Station Street Kitty, Georgetown.

Based on information received, the 32-year-old father of five of Pike Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown was shot once to his chest by an ex-policeman who was at the establishment at the time.

Initial reports from the Police revealed that at about 2:00h on Monday, a woman who was imbibing at Seeta’s Bar got into a heated argument with a handyman who was at the time wiping the ground. That argument escalated into a scuffle, and

Duncan, who was also at the drinking spot, intervened.

The suspect, Keon David, then whipped out a gun and discharged a round that hit Duncan to the chest. The injured man was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

David, on the other hand, left the scene, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has since issued a wanted bulletin for his arrest. His last known address has been given as Sophia, Greater Georgetown. He is said to be 32 years old and a former member of the Police Force.

At the late Kurt Duncan’s home on Monday, his sister Candacy Duncan explained that her brother had been a “family man” who would hardly ever go out. She said, “We are not coping well, because I really can’t even talk right now; it’s just so shocking. I know my brother is not no peace-maker. He doesn’t get no problem with nobody.

He’s a family man, and I don’t know if he gone out must be to take a few drinks with he friends. I know he don’t normally do that, and that is what happened”.

Duncan’s distraught family members are still trying to come to grips with what has happened, and are pleading for justice. The sis-

Wanted: Keon David

ter is hopeful that the Police would do their work and ensure her brother gets justice, especially since he has left five young children to mourn.

His wife, over at her residence, had strength only to call for justice for her husband.

“I ain’t resting! I got to get reason! I is not one of the wife or one of the mothers what the family is just get killed just like that and it left like that. I ain’t giving up! I got to get a reason why!

I ain’t giving up for nothing!” the woman cried.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-1389, 226-7476, 911, or at the nearest Police Station.

The dead man’s wife and five children

Man remanded for damaging

louvre panes belonging to ex-wife

T

hirty-two-yearold Mark Sampson of Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Leroy Daly on a damage to property charge.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 27, 2019, at Block E Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged two louvre panes worth $14,000 belonging to his ex-wife.

Prosecutor Richard Harris told the court that the defen-

Mark Sampson

dant was previously charged for similar offences and was warned on several occasions to stay away from the woman.

The court further heard that the ex-husband is in constant contact with the victim for varying reasons.

As such, the prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant poses a threat to the victim, since he is in a habit of going over to her premises. The matter was adjourned until July 31, 2019.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Probe into arbitrary firing PSC slams Govt-aligned Commissioner over “racist” attack of PSM staff completed

D

esmond Trotman, a Governmentn o m i n a t e d Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has come under fire for labelling the Private Sector Commission (PSC) as “partisan” and politically motivated.

In a statement to the media on Monday, the PSC condemned Trotman’s statement and called on the relevant authorities in Government to ensure appropriate consequences are meted out against him.

In fact, the Private Sector umbrella body noted that there is no place for such behaviour at GECOM. “The organisation has never engaged in conduct that could be construed as racist or bigoted,” the PSC said.

“We condemn the recent overt racist attack of a Government-appointed GECOM Commissioner on the person of the PSC’s elected Chairman. This disgraceful, extremely offensive and defamatory behaviour has no place in GECOM or a democratic society. We would expect the Government to take the appropriate action with regard to Mr Trotman’s attack on the integrity and good name of the PSC Chairman.”

The PSC, headed by Captain Gerald Gouveia, represents 26 business organisations and 29 of the largest companies in Guyana. These firms pay 82 per cent of the total income and corporation taxes to Government and employ thousands of Guyanese, the PSC explained.

The Commission is known for speaking out against certain issues affecting the country, including political matters

– Govt yet to disclose findings

M

Desmond Trotman

Captain Gerry Gouveia

which ultimately affect the investment climate and the business community.

In recent times, the PSC has been urging all political players to abide by the Guyana Constitution and had called out President David Granger for failing to do so.

Moreover, the PSC called for the scrapping of the Houseto-House Registration exercise, an activity it believed was in violation of the Guyana Constitution and the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The organisation’s stance on these issues is what led the Government Commission to accuse its membership of being close confidants of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who shares similar opinions on these matters.

But the PSC pointed out that its membership comprises of persons of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and that it has always played a role in standing up for what is right for the country.

“The PSC has a long history of working for electoral democracy going back to 1992 and including official accreditation from 2001 onwards.

GECOM’s reports would show that we have been involved in critical discussions and resolution of issues over the years,” the organisation highlighted.

It called on political leaders and party activists to respect its role and rights. “…not attempt to silence the voice of civil society with unsubstantiated accusations of political bias or attempts at demarcating a sacred space where only professional politicians must occupy and shape the national political discourse,” the PSC posited.

“It is very much the business of Guyana’s business community to engage with the national political processes to ensure electoral democracy and democratic governance.

The first and foremost requirements for business to operate effectively and to succeed are political stability, rule of law, and political freedom,” the Commission said.

Furthermore, it noted that the business community does not only have a democratic right to participate in the political processes of the country but also a constitutional right enshrined under Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana.

ore than three weeks have elapsed since a special Board of Inquiry (BoI) which was set up by President David Granger to probe the arbitrary firing of staff at the Public Service Ministry handed over its report to the Government but there has been no word as to its findings.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon recently told Guyana Times that the BoI completed the task that it had been assigned to and the report was submitted to Minister of State, Dawn Hastings, some two weeks ago.

“The report was submitted to the Minister of State who I think has passed it on to the President. I have not seen it as yet. But, I think the Minister of State might be able to tell you a little bit more about it because the last I know, this is what had happened.”

Harmon stated that although he was not provided with a copy of the report or has not yet been briefed as to its findings, the staff from the Public Service Ministry that are involved in the matter are still on administrative leave.

“It [report] was complet-

Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

ed and it was sent to her [Minister Hastings] and then I think she passed it on to the President. So, I don’t know whether the President has completed his reviewing of it. I cannot say specifically.”

He noted that until a decision is made in relation to the BoI report, the staff remain on administrative leave.

Almost three weeks ago, Minister Sarabo-Halley defended the firing of staff members from her department shortly after she would have assumed of-

Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon

fice, saying that there was evidence at her disposal to warrant dismissal.

“I think that the evidence that was before me suggested that something needed to be done and the investigation would bear whether or not that was rational,” the Minister stated at a recent press conference.

She, nevertheless, did not reveal any bit of evidence that she referred to but noted that the investigation will soon wrap up with the findings.

Turn to page 12

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mechanic’s vehicle broken into, $800,000 in valuables missing

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he owner of Khan’s Auto Service and Repair Centre is now counting his losses after suspected bandits broke into his vehicle in the wee hours of Sunday morning at Foulis, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the incident occurred between 01:45h and 02:30h. The motorcar was reportedly parked in front of the owner’s property.

It is believed that bandits gained entry by smashing one of the windows and carting off with items which were in the

vehicle at that time.

This publication understands that over $800,000 in valuables were stolen. Some of the items include a laptop bag containing stamps, billing books, receipts and business documents.

A haversack containing jumpsuits, the company’s shirts and a number of tools were also taken.

The owners are pleading with persons to report any suspicious activities whereby persons might be selling the stolen items. They can use contact numbers 6127444 or 658-4756.

The car with the shattered back window

Probe into arbitrary firing...

On May 31, 2019, the personnel staff and chief accountant at the Public Service Ministry were sent packing by Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley shortly after she was appointed to that post.

When the news broke about the arbitrary firing of personnel staff and the chief accountant, the Government initially denied firing them but one week after, Director General Harmon confirmed that indeed, the workers were sent

home.

But he said higher authorities had since intervened and the dismissed staff were eventually sent on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. He had maintained that the staff in question are still employees of the Government as the decision by Minister SaraboHalley to terminate their services has been halted.

Scholarships

However,

Opposition

Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had alluded to the fact that the fired workers were initially targeted and arbitrarily dismissed after they revealed that the children of a Government Minister received payments amounting to over $20 million in the last two years.

One of those revelations is that the children of Minister Simona Broomes had allegedly received over US$86,000 in 2018, monies that were transferred from the Department of

From page 11

Public Service. Then again, this year, another transfer of millions reportedly took place.

Given the controversy around that situation, the Public Service Department has made a decision to publicise all scholarships to ensure “transparency”. It was confirmed that both children of the Minister in question received grants to study overseas, but SaraboHalley could not state if the monies were transferred to their personal accounts.

Body of boat operator in mishap yet to be recovered

A

ttempts to locate missing boat operator Kendol Rodriguez, who is feared dead after his boat capsized in the Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Sunday morning, have proved futile thus far.

G Division (Essequibo Coast-Essequibo Islands) Commander Khali Pareshram told Guyana Times that although a search party combed the area in which the man was reported to have fallen overboard, his body was nowhere to be seen.

However, the Police Commander stated that efforts to locate same have been intensified and the search would continue.

On Sunday, Rodriguez who hails from Kabakaburi village, Upper Pomeroon, was transporting 42-yearold Joseph Thomas, a sawman of the same village, when the boat mishap occurred.

However, Thomas was the only one to be rescued by a boat that had been passing in the area shortly after the accident took place.

Reports are that on Saturday night, Thomas and Rodriguez had attended a wedding celebration and had been consuming alcohol there for hours. Around 02:00h on Sunday, the duo left the wedding house to

G Division Commander Khali Pareshram

return to their homes via a 15-horsepower boat owned

by Rodriguez.

However, according to Thomas, they were in the vicinity of Siriki village when Rodriguez “suddenly began to swerve from left to right” and this resulted in the boat capsizing and both men falling into the river.

The sawman told the Police that he managed to hold on to a side of the overturned vessel, but did not see what happened to Rodriguez.

Shortly after, a boat that was in the area at the same time rendered assistance to Thomas and reportedly conducted a search for Rodriguez. However, the search proved futile.

According to the Police, it was around 09:00h on Sunday, some seven hours after the mishap took place, that Thomas made a report about the incident.

Thomas remains in Police custody, where he is said to be assisting with the investigation into this matter.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Youth Parliament 2019 to focus on Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration, copyright law T

he National Assembly will be igniting with young minds when the fifth annual Youth Parliament activity commences next week, providing a platform for young people to learn about the highest decision-making body in Guyana.

Youth Parliament 2019 will feature 35 students from the secondary level between the ages of 14 and 17 along with 37 individuals from the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen and Tain campuses. The New Opportunity Corps (NOC) will also be participating in

the sessions.

Public Relations Officer at the Parliament Office, Yannick December told media operatives on Monday during the official launch that there were many life skills attached to this initiative, but, most importantly, the aim was to create future

Chicken shortage causes KFC to limit meal options

Staffers of the Parliament Office of Guyana with two of the former youth parliamentarians

One of the KFC outlets in Guyana

O

ne of Guyana’s leading fast food establishments, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been affected by the recent chicken shortage, causing it to limit the meals that are available.

In a public notice, the fast food franchise informed customers that some of the combos they are accustomed to ordering will not be available owing to the poultry shortage.

KFC stated in the advisory, “Due to the current chicken shortages, some of your favourite finger lickin’ good items may be unavailable at times.”

In a subsequent social media post, it was announced that chicken strips, sandwiches, and wings would be unavailable on some occasions.

The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) confirmed last week that it had received reports of a chicken shortage in the local market and the situation was being monitored.

In a statement, the Authority said based on its records, there has been a reduction in the number of

cases of hatching eggs imported when compared to 2018, which perhaps could be the cause of the shortage.

Additionally, some farmers have also been complaining of reduced growth rates and higher mortality, which may have attributed to the reduction of poultry on the market.

“The major players in the sector were consulted and assured that the situation would be rectified during the week. This is based on the hatching and grow-out time for the chickens. They have also assured that they are able to maintain supply to their major customers,” the statement noted.

This is not the first time for this year that Guyana’s agriculture sector has suffered from poultry and eggs-related issues.

Records show that by June of 2018, 42,455 eggs were hatched compared to 36,514 eggs for the same period this year – a significant reduction of almost 6000 eggs.

Back in May, the GLDA issued a public notice to all traders, indicating that it is a criminal offence to bring

eggs into the country without proper documentation.

If persons are culpable of the offence, they will be presented before the courts to face charges.

Prior to that, the GLDA hatchery was closed on account of the unusual deaths of ducklings. It was later mentioned that the Muscovy breed was under threat, especially those two to three weeks of age. Subsequently, a surveillance and monitoring exercise of the birds was initiated.

leaders.

“The hosting of the fifth annual Youth Parliament is in consonance with the Parliament Office’s continuing effort to sensitise the citizens of Parliament and its functions and to mould future leaders. In addition to its sensitisation role, this activity will boost the students’ morale; and develop and own their leadership skills,” said December.

This year will focus on topics such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, migration policy, single-use plastic, amendments of the Constitution, and copyright law among other pressing matters. Apart from acquiring leadership qualities, students will also be acquainted with public speaking.

Some former youth parliamentarians will be re-

turning this year as mentors. Two former students of the St Joseph High School – Kunal Bridglall and Ruth Wilson – were part of the gathering during Monday’s launch and were looking forward to this year’s debates.

Wilson stated that she had a fantastic experience and would like to share that with the new batch.

The mentor said, “As a youth parliamentarian, I have had an awesome experience. There was a lot of other individuals in the room that I got to learn from and every opportunity that I got to be in a room full of students, I tried to get as much information from them, to learn from them so that I can better myself. This year as a mentor for the second time, I feel more confident than I was last year.”

Meanwhile, Bridglall,

who is currently attending the University of Guyana, stated, “Last year, I had a phenomenal experience being a participant in the fourth annual Youth Parliament. This year, I’m looking forward to the challenge of being a mentor and being able to help the students with their speech preparations and being able to somewhat to guide them in the topics they would have chosen.”

Students are selected for the Youth Parliament initiative after the Education Ministry would have assessed them.

These activities will conclude on August 17, 2019 and a prize will be awarded to the best debater. Throughout the 10-day event, visits will also be made to the public buildings and industrial plants.

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Fly Jamaica must file new application before operations recommence – GCAA

A

lthough new investors who have taken over Fly Jamaica Airlines intend to recommence operations in Guyana by September, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field has pointed out that the company must refile an application seeking approval to do so.

Colonel Field told Guyana Times on Monday that reapplying for approval to operate out of Guyana is necessary. He explained that the airline must be granted approval first from the Jamaica Aviation Authority, then file its application with Guyana.

“If they are certified and approved by the Jamaican, because it is a Jamaicanbased airline not a Guyanese-based, so providing that Jamaica approved the application then they will give them the necessary permits, they will have to use that to reapply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Guyana so they will have to make an entire new application and go through the entire process for approval from Guyana also,” the Director General stated.

When it comes to having a bond set up, Field noted that the company will also be required to follow this procedure, especially since

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, in November 2018 after encountering hydraulic issues.

The flight left the CJIA for Toronto at about 02:10h on November 9 from the CJIA, but the pilot returned to the airport where the air-

the airline presently has no existing bond.

He outlined, “I would recommend that a bond be put in place if they should make an application to Guyana…there is no bond in place at the moment”.

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

According to him, the company once had a bond when they were granted approval to start operations here back in the late 2000s, however, the bond was removed in 2015 after their

craft crash-landed at about 02:53h.

The cash-strapped airline has since made all its workers redundant, effective from March 1, 2019.

Most of the fired former employees are still awaiting their salaries as well.

Fuming passengers too

are still awaiting refunds from tickets that were booked.

In May some 46 complaints were received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission which value about $8,316,504.

However earlier this month, the agency said over 100 complaints were filed.

operations changed.

On Monday it was reported that a team of investors including Jamaican aviation veteran, Glenn Logan, led by Yann LeProvost of the French-based company W&Y SAS has taken over the problem-plagued airline.

The new owners took over on Friday from Guyanese operators, Paul and Roxanne Reece. They have since pledged their commitment to addressing the issues affecting the airline, such as owed salaries to workers and compensation for tickets.

In the meantime, plans have already been announced to have the airline’s logo rebranded. In fact, Logan told the Caribbean Media Corporation that the company is considering a “complete rebrand”.

Passengers were left stranded when a Boeing 757 flight crash-landed at the

Hundreds of Guyanese with their home country flag proudly held high joined with their counterparts from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and other Caribbean Islands as they paraded at the Annual Carifest celebrations in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday last. There were booths with Guyanese food, flags, and trinkets from the home country

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

20-30% of children sexually abused in Guyana – UNICEF …mixed survey report of 2014 reveals over 75% experienced violence

D

ata retrieved from a mixed survey throughout Guyana in 2014 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that over 75 per cent of the children interviewed reported that they experienced some form of abuse in their lives.

This is according to UNICEF’s Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet, who told a gathering at the recently-held University of Guyana’s Tain Talks on Sexual Violence, that this survey was conducted in various communities and households across the country.

According to statistics, between 20 and 30 per cent of these children and youths have been subjected to some form of sexual violence.

“For UNICEF, our message is clear, no form of violence including sexual violence, is acceptable. Sexual violence is a silent emergency … you don’t see the wounds. They might be inside of them, the emotional consequence – that is a lifetime. So this silent emergency demands our attention and action at all levels – at home, school, community, institutions and system, including at workplaces,” Fouet declared.

She emphasised that no one person or agency could create a safe environment for the country’s children and youths and as such, all hands should be on deck to change social norms and cultural silence on the issue of child sexual abuse in Guyana.

UNICEF Country Representative to Guyana, Sylvie Fouet

Meanwhile, according to the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, prior to the establishment of the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown (2017) and in Berbice, there was a very low conviction rate and low reporting of sexual abuse

cases.

“We know only too well that when the matter is reported and investigated and proceeds to trial, there is even more trauma if the case is not handled properly or if we are insensitive to the needs of the victims.

This in itself can cause secondary trauma or revictimisation. And this may cause the victim to withdraw from the court system; they may refuse to give their statement to the Police, or they may stay away or decide not to face the offender or the jury,” Justice CummingsEdwards noted.

She explained that in some cases, victims may believe that they would be subjected to harsh environments, and would be reluctant to pursue the act of

seeking justice for the crime committed against them.

“Prior to the Sexual Offences Act and the Sexual Offences Court, victims went through the ordeal, had to face cold confines of Police station, then the Magistrate’s Court and then the High Court to be questioned and even humiliated,” the acting Chancellor noted.

However, Justice Cummings-Edwards reminded that the aim of the Sexual Offences Court was to ensure that the environment was conducive to victims and support services were offered. Quite soon, she said, another such court will be established in Suddie, Essequibo.

“Sexual violence is a criminal offence and also a violation of human rights.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

Reports have shown that there is a high incidence of rape within the Caribbean and Guyana has signed on and ratified a number of instruments. The Constitution provides for appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measure to protect children, women and others from physical, mental and sexual violence.”

Establishment of drug treatment court for later this year

A

number of drug enforcement officials, judicial officers, and other stakeholders on Monday attended a specialised training workshop aimed at preparing them to aid in the efficient operation of the country’s first drug treatment court, which is expected to come on stream in the latter part of 2019.

Drug treatment courts worldwide take a more public health approach when dealing with drug-related cases and as such, local personnel within the respective systems will be exposed to both theory and practical techniques throughout the three-day activity, which will enable them to effectively interact with drug abusers.

This new addition to the court system will extensively aid in the rehabilitation process for persons who are addicted offenders. This is according to acting Chief Justice Roxane George, who was at the time presenting brief remarks at the opening ceremony.

“The reasons for having such a court are multi-dimensional, the anecdotal and empirical evidence

Some of the participants at the drug treatment court training

strongly indicates that it has been and is a growing number of persons who interface with the criminal justice system in Guyana who are substance abusers … these courts and ours will follow the same model, allow for collaboration of a team of persons to support the offender in rehabilitation,” she explained.

The acting Chief Justice further added that the drug treatment programme would allow non-violent offenders, who pleaded guilty or have been found guilty of an offence, to voluntarily benefit from a variety of social services, as a substitute for imprisonment which, according to her, is not a positive response.

“International and regional experience has demonstrated that treatment of substance abusers is a better response than imprisonment … the drug treatment court is, therefore, another in this new frontier of courts that will focus on the individual that will ensure not only justice is served, but the support that is necessary to help them become or resume being productive law-abiding persons in our society,” Justice George stated.

M e a n w h i l e , Organisation of the American States (OAS) Representative Jean Dormeus, in his brief remarks, applauded the local authorities for embarking

Russian Ambassador to Guyana tours Banks DIH Limited

D

uring a recent visit to the corporate head office of Banks DIH Limited, Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz and the beverage company’s Chairman and Managing Director, Clifford Reis were engaged in fruitful discussions as they officially met for the first time.

The Russian delegation comprised the Ambassador’s wife and third secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Kornilov.

Opportunities of mutual benefit were among some of the topics discussed, during a simple

From right: Banks Chairman and Managing Director Clifford Reis in discussion with Ambassador Alexander Kurmaz in the Rotunda at Thirst Park as Mrs Kurmaz looks on

lunch attended by the company’s Operations Director Michael Pereira, Human Resources Director Andrew Carto and Engineering Services Director Shabir

Hussain.

Ambassador Kurmaz was also taken on a guided tour of the company’s rum factory and soft drink plant by the executives.

on such a ground-breaking initiative.

Dormeus posited that the international expertise provided for the training would be of great benefit to the participants.

“For this week’s workshop, the Organisation of American States through [the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission ]CICAD has selected a fine blend of experts in the Region …, therefore, I trust

that the practical sessions of this workshop will provide you with tips and techniques to make the drug treatment court a vibrant and successful experience in Guyana. This initiative will bring much to the Guyanese society; in this week’s workshop, I hope to see the same engagement and excitement that have been the hallmark of the whole process,” he noted.

It was revealed that the

establishment of the drug treatment court will commence in the last quarter of 2019, as it will be situated in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts building with the goal of promoting public safety and the well-being of society.

The training exercise is made possible through a collaboration between the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA); OAS and CICAD.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

Regional

Brazil prison riot kills 52, many decapitated as rival gangs clash

A

bloody clash between two prison gangs on Monday left at least 52 inmates dead, 16 of them decapitated, in the northern state of Para, the latest deadly prison clash this year as Brazil’s far-right Government struggles to control the country’s jails.

State authorities said the riot began around 07:00h in a prison in the city of Altamira, and involved rival gangs.

Prisoners belonging to the Comando Classe A gang set fire to a cell containing inmates who belonged to the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command, gang, Para’s state Government said in a statement. Two guards were

It is the latest deadly prison clash this year as Brazil’s far-right Government struggles to control the country’s jails

taken hostage but later released.

“It was a targeted act,” State Prison Director Jarbas Vasconcelos said in the statement, adding there was no prior intelligence that suggested an attack would

take place.

“The aim was to show that it was a settling of accounts between the two gangs.”

Videos circulating online showed inmates celebrating as they kicked decapi-

cials and lawmakers said would be hugely harmful for Paraguay and cost the state around US$200 million.

The deal was signed in May, but was only made public last week.

Paraguay and Brazil are partners in Itaipu, the world’s largest hydroelectric plant.

“The President has just received the resignations. ... He made the decision to accept these resignations and during the week he

will communicate who will replace these people,” presidential adviser Hernán Huttemann told reporters.

Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni had announced hours before his resignation that Paraguay would ask Brazil to suspend the agreement, which established a schedule for the purchase of energy from the hydroelectric power plant until 2022.

The three others who resigned on Monday are Alcides Jimenez, who had taken over as the Head

tated heads across the floor.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.

Elected on a tough-oncrime message, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has benefited from a sharp drop in homicides this year.

Nonetheless, endemic prison violence has been a stubborn public security challenge in one of the world’s most violent countries.

In May, at least 55 inmates died during an attack in a lockup in the northern state of Amazonas. In 2017, weeks of violence in Amazonas resulted in 150 prison deaths as local gangs backed by Brazil’s two largest drug factions went to war. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister resigns after energy deal outcry

P

araguay’s Foreign Minister and three other officials resigned on Monday amid a growing scandal over the signing of an energy deal with Brazil, a blow to President Mario Abdo who has forged close ties with Brazil, South America’s number one economy.

The scandal was sparked by an energy deal related to the giant Itaipu hydroelectric plant that straddles the two countries, which offi-

New legislation coming to allow organ harvesting for transplants in Barbados

T

he Barbados Government is working on new legislation that will provide the legal framework for organs to be harvested from donors after death.

Over the last 30 years, about 19 transplants had been performed at the country’s sole public hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but these transplants have been limited to organs from live donors.

Health and Wellness Minister, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic said Cabinet has approved a policy document prepared by the Ministry to guide organ transplantation services in Barbados.

He said that with the high incidence of non-Communicable Diseases in Barbados, the new policy initiative would be very beneficial to Barbadians experiencing medical challenges.

Meanwhile, the Minister announced that Cabinet had given approval for the Ministry to contract the services of the Health Economics Unit of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, to execute a comprehensive review of all

Health and Wellness Minister, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic

medical services that are offered within the public health sector.

“So, we will cost every single operation, every single service which will then allow us to see what the true cost of health care really is, and using this information it would facilitate the planning and financing of health care in Barbados,” he explained.

Bostic said that this follows an earlier Cabinet decision to create a position for a Health Finance Commissioner. He revealed that the position was filled, and everything was in place to complete the costing exercise within six months and move ahead with developing health care financing within the country. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

of State power company ANDE just days ago; Hugo Saguier, Paraguay’s Ambassador to Brazil; and José Alderete, the Paraguayan director of Itaipu.

The previous Head of ANDE, Pedro Ferreira, a close collaborator of Paraguay’s President, resigned last week after refusing to sign the document for the deal, because he said it would increase costs for the State entity by more than $200 million.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

C'bean countries warned rainfall 'deficit' still possible despite wet season

The short-term drought, which runs until the end of October, is evolving in north-western Belize and might possibly develop in eastern Belize, Martinique, and St Kitts

T

he Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) says rainfall deficits are still possible despite the increasing rainfall and concerns exist for parts of the eastern Caribbean and Belize.

In its August newsletter released on Monday, CariCOF said rainfall would continue to increase across the Region augmenting water resources.

“It is likely that parts of Belize, particularly in the northwest, can still have concerns over short-term drought that can impact agricultural production and small rivers, streams and

ponds. With rainfall deficits still possible despite the increasing rainfall, concerns exist for parts of the eastern Caribbean and Belize over long-term drought that can impact rivers and reservoirs by the end of the wet season at the end of November,” CariCOF said, adding “this raises some initial concerns over water availability entering the 2019/2020 dry season”.

CariCOF said that last month, apart from St Vincent that was moderately wet, rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean was normal to below normal. (Excerpt from CMC)

St Kitts Govt tables legislation to allow for marijuana use

T

he St Kitts-Nevis Government on Monday said it would table legislation in the Parliament on Tuesday allowing for the regulated and controlled use of marijuana for medicinal, scientific, religious and recreational purposes in the twin-island Federation.

A Government statement said that Prime Minister, Dr Timothy Harris will table the amendments to the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill 2019.

“The far-reaching legislative amendments come after the Cabinet estab-

lished a National Marijuana Commission to ascertain the views of citizens and residents on cannabis use,” the statement said, noting that the consultations, which were chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Hazel Laws, had “found unanimous agreements for the decriminalisation of marijuana in the Federation”.

It said that the Commission had also recommended a phased approach to the establishment of a marijuana industry and the Cabinet adopted the Commission's report on February 18.

But it noted that since then the High Court has

ruled that some prohibitions on cannabis use outlined in the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) Act, Cap 9.08, were too broad and inconsistent with the Constitution.

The statement said that the Government has responded with the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement

of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill 2019.

It quoted Dr Harris as promising that his Administration would give “special support and priority to locals interested in pursuing marijuana cultivation and trade within the confines of the law”. (Excerpt from CMC)

Jamaica: Opposition to challenge SoE in court

T

he leader of the main Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips says the Opposition will be challenging the constitutionality of the continued State of Emergency (SoE) in Jamaica.

Dr Phillips, speaking to RJR News following the twoday meeting of the PNP’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Sunday, said the SoE was not designed to be

used for crime control.

“We have also said that we believe that there should be a testing in the courts . . . that States of Emergency were not intended to be a crime control measure, outside of some insurrection or some direct challenge to constitutional laws and our legal team is looking at that to see what is the best way to cause the courts to make a determination,” he told radio listeners.

Last weekend, National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, said there has been a significant reduction in murders as a result of the SoE, particularly in the South Andrew Police Division.

The Government declared the SoE on July 7 to curtail the high level of crime plaguing communities in the Division, particularly murders which soared to 94 at the time.

But Chang, who toured the area last weekend, noted that while 21 people were killed one month prior to the SoE, its introduction has brought a level of stability across the Division.

“For the last three weeks, we have had a significant fall-off; it means that some 20 persons’ lives have been saved. That is the mission of a State of Emergency,” he said. (Excerpt from CMC)

guyanatimesgy.com

Tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

Around the World

India: Teen who accused BJP leader of rape critical after crash

A

n Indian teenager who accused a senior politician of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of rape is fighting for her life after being critically injured in a crash that killed two of her relatives, raising suspicions of foul play.

Police official Rajeev Krishna said on Monday the 19-year-old woman and her lawyer were in a hospital battling for their lives after a truck hit the car in which they were travelling on Sunday.

The woman's two aunts, who were also in the car, were killed in the collision, Krishna said. One of the aunts killed was a witness in the rape case, which has

The allegations against BJP leader Sengar prompted protests across India [File: Pawan Kumar/Reuters]

highlighted lawlessness in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Both the driver and the owner of the truck had been arrested, the police official added.

The case of rape against legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar in India's most populous State has caused an embarrassment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

In April last year, the woman had tried to set herself on fire outside the official residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying the police had refused to register her complaint.

However, Police have lodged a case of murder against Sengar, based on the family's complaint that he was involved in causing the crash, according to a copy of the report seen by Reuters.

The woman's family said it feared for its safety, with her mother calling the crash a conspiracy, saying Sengar wanted the rape case against him to be withdrawn. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Garlic festival shooting: 3 dead in Gilroy, California

T

hree people have been killed and 15 injured after a gunman attacked a food festival in California.

The gunman was shot dead by Police shortly after he began firing, although Police are investigating reports that a second suspect may still be at large.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival was about to end for the weekend on Sunday evening, when shots were

17

fired at the site.

It was the 246th mass shooting in the US this year, according to US tracking website Gun Violence Archive.

The killer has been identified as 19-year-old Santino William Legan, according to CBS News. Witnesses said he was wearing camouflage, and used a rifle during the attack.

The lead guitarist of the group TinMan, who was

performing on stage when the attack began, said he heard someone ask the shooter: "Why are you doing this?"

Jack Vanbreen told the Associated Press that he heard the assailant respond: "Because I'm really angry".

US President Donald Trump on Monday thanked Police "who swiftly killed the shooter".

He called the attacker

"a wicked murderer" and vowed that the US would grieve for the families of victims and "ask that God comfort them".

Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a gun attack in which at least four people are either killed or wounded.

In total, it estimates that 8434 people have died as a result of gun violence in the US in 2019 so far.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Ethiopia 'breaks' treeplanting record to tackle climate change

Some Government offices have been shut down to allow civil servants to take part in the campaign

E

thiopia has planted more than 350 million trees in a day, officials say, in what they believe is a world record.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is leading the project, which aims to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country.

Some public offices have been shut down to allow civil servants to take part.

The UN says Ethiopia's forest coverage declined from 35 per cent of the total land in the early 20th Century to a little above 4 per cent in the 2000s.

Abiy launched the tree-planting exercise as part of his Green Legacy Initiative, which is taking place in 1000 sites across the country.

Officials were assigned to count the seedlings being planted by volunteers, reports BBC's Kalkidan

Yibeltal in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia's Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria tweeted that more than 350 million trees were planted in 12 hours.

The aim is to plant a total of four billion indigenous trees.

Staff from the United Nations, African Union and foreign embassies in Ethiopia have also been taking part in the exercise.

The current World Record for planting trees in a single day is held by India, which used 800,000 volunteers to plant more than 50 million trees in 2016.

Critics of Abiy say he is using the campaign to distract the public from the challenges his Government is facing, including ethnic conflicts which have forced some 2.5 million people from their homes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

China backs Lam, condemns China move trade 'radical elements' for HK violence US, talks to Shanghai

C

hina has said the anti-Government protests in Hong Kong have become a "serious challenge to the rule of law", reiterating its support for the financial hub's leader and Police in the wake of another day of street clashes.

The semi-autonomous territory has been rocked by demonstrations over the past two months that began over changes to extradition laws but have since grown into a wider movement against the Beijing-backed Government and alleged Police brutality.

On Sunday, Police repeatedly fired rubber bullets and tear gas to drive back protesters blocking Hong

Hong Kong has been rocked by protests over the past two months [Thomas Peter/Reuters]

Kong streets with signs and umbrellas.

In rare public comments on Monday, a spokesman for Beijing's top office on Hong Kong policy called on people in the territory "to unequivocally oppose and boycott vi-

olence".

"The recent developments, especially the acts of violence by a small number of radical elements, have seriously undermined the broad interests of Hong Kong for prosperity and sta-

bility," said Yang Guang, of China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

"They pose a serious challenge to the rule of law and public order in Hong Kong, and to the life and property of Hong Kong residents. They've also crossed the red line of the principle of 'one country, two systems' and by no means should be tolerated."

Yang said Hong Kong's top priority was to "punish violent and unlawful acts", adding that some Western politicians were stirring unrest in hopes of creating difficulties that would impede China's development. He did not name any individuals or countries. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Man pushes boy in front of train in Germany, killing him

A

40-year-old Eritrean man killed an eightyear-old boy on Monday by pushing him in front of an oncoming train at Frankfurt’s main train station in Germany, Police said.

The man also pushed the boy’s mother but she survived. Police were unaware of any connection between the man and the victims and his motive was unclear, a police spokeswoman said.

“According to witness

reports, a 40-year-old man pushed the boy and his mother onto the track just as the ICE (highspeed train) was arriving.

The mother, thank God, was able to save herself,” the spokeswoman, Isabell Neumann, told reporters.

“Unfortunately, the eight-year-old boy was run over by the ICE. He suffered fatal injuries,” she added. “The man concerned ... fled the station after the crime. Passersby took up the chase and the

man was detained near the station.”

Neumann said the suspect was being questioned.

The boy’s mother was taken to hospital and would also be questioned. Frankfurt Police said on Twitter the suspected perpetrator was an Eritrean citizen.

Several platforms at Frankfurt station, a major rail hub in Germany, were closed after the incident.

The police spokeswoman said the man tried to push a third person onto

the track but the woman managed to defend herself.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer strongly condemned the “horrific act” and warned against jumping to any conclusions as Police were still investigating.

Seehofer said he would cut short his holidays to discuss the security situation with senior officials on Tuesday and inform the public afterwards. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

amid deal pessimism

US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019

U

S and Chinese trade negotiators shift to Shanghai this week for their first in-person talks since a G20 truce last month, a change of scenery for two sides struggling to resolve deep differences on how to end a year-long trade war.

Expectations for progress during the two-day Shanghai meeting are low, so officials and businesses are hoping Washington and Beijing can at least detail commitments for “goodwill” gestures and clear the path for future negotiations.

These include Chinese purchases of US farm commodities and the United States allowing firms to resume some sales to China’s tech giant Huawei Technologies.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he thinks China may not want

to sign a trade deal until after the 2020 election in the hope that they could then negotiate more favourable terms with a different US President.

For more than a year, the world's two largest economies have slapped billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's imports, disrupting global supply chains and shaking financial markets in their dispute over China's "state capitalism" mode of doing business with the world.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at last month’s G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, to restart trade talks that stalled in May, after Washington accused Beijing of reneging on major portions of a draft agreement — a collapse in the talks that prompted a steep US tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, JUly 30, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES

Focus on personal gain,

(March 21- improvement, and physiApril 19) cal fitness and health. Don’t

worry about what others think, say or do. Your life, your choices, so take control.

TAURUS Think matters through.

If you take action before you (April 20May 20) consider the consequences, you will have to backtrack.

Formulate your ideas and plans, and leave nothing to chance.

dilbert

Don’t trust anyone askGEMINI ing for too much. If you re(May 21veal too much information, June 20) it will be used against you.

Focus on physical improvements, personal gain and what really matters to you.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

A vital partnership will take a positive turn if you are willing to make a couple of innovative adjustments. Observation will reveal what’s necessary and what’s superfluous.

Assess the changes going on around you and consider your options. Don’t be too quick to make a move until you know you have something else to do that will fill your time.

If you crave a change, do VIRGO something about it. Don’t (Aug. 23wait around for someone Sept. 22) else to make the first move.

Discuss your plans and put them in motion.

Calvin and Hobbes

The past will have someLIBRA thing to tell you about your (Sept. 23- present. Learn from experiOct. 23) ence and take action instead of waiting to see what happens. If someone blocks you, choose a different route.

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Approach change with intelligence. Do your research and don’t feel the need to follow the crowd.

Be innovative and come up with your own plan.

You’ll have options when SAGITTARIUS dealing with matters that (Nov. 23- could affect your personal Dec. 21) life. Aim to save money, not to spend it, and walk away from impulsive people or unsound situations.

YESTERDAY’S WORD

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle

A change at home or in CAPRICORN an important partnership (Dec. 22is best handled with care.

Jan. 19) Listen to suggestions and try to accommodate the people you love or want by your side.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

An opportunity may have strings attached. Weigh the pros and cons before you decide to take a leap of faith.

Your actions should be direct, consistent and from the heart.

Interact with people who PISCES are heading in the same di(Feb. 20rection as you. Trying to March 20) convince a skeptic will be a waste of valuable time that should be used to accomplish your goals.

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

19

The swimming scandal that has embarrassed Australia A

ustralian swimming is being accused of hypocrisy after an Olympic hopeful said she returned an abnormal drug test just days after teammate Mack Horton's high-profile protest against a Chinese rival suspected of a doping offence.

Queensland swimmer Shayna Jack announced on Sunday that she had tested positive for anabolic agent Ligandrol - which is popular with bodybuilders - in late June and that a follow-up sample has confirmed the banned substance.

The 20-year-old's statement came after Horton decided not to share the podium with China's Sun Yang following the 400m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in South Korea, having previously called him a "drug cheat".

The backlash to Horton's actions was fierce and spread quickly. China's state-run media accused Australia of being a "second-class citizen of the West" and of "white supremacy". Horton was decried as a "clown" and trolls left death threats for him online.

But Jack's admission has poured petrol on the tinderbox. She has been bombarded with taunts in both Chinese and English that have castigated Australia as a "nation of cheats". Some posts features emojis of pills.

"This country of Australia is as rubbish as your swimmers. You're doing drugs and losing face," wrote one commenter.

Jack has reportedly hunkered down at home in Brisbane with her family as she protests her innocence and vows to clear her name. She has insisted she had no idea how the banned substance got into her system, although it has been suggested she could have taken contaminated supplements.

"I haven't slept much, and I feel a sense of emptiness," Jack wrote in a lengthy essay online, in which she said she had to confront "the challenge of facing judgement from people who don't know me".

The four-time World Championship medallist has cultivated a pristine image through her Instagram account, which has now been blitzed by trolls.

what would befall both Shayna and Mack in the coming days and week," she said.

So was Horton let down by swimming bosses?

The former head of the Australian Sports AntiDoping Authority believes that Swimming Australia should have reacted to Jack's positive test far sooner.

"By covering up and not telling the truth, it makes the story bigger and worse," Richard Ings told the ABC.

Mack Horton (left) refused to join rival Sun Yang (centre) on a podium last week (Getty Images)

'Caution' with China

Accusations of hypocrisy

Hard, but fair, is the Australian way. Cheats, especially those from other countries, are readily condemned. But cricket's ball-tampering scandal last year was a sobering reminder that Australia can be as devious as anywhere else.

After refusing to respond to questions from a reporter in South Korea, Horton later broke his silence over the Jack saga.

"My position remains firm - clean sport must be a priority for all athletes, all sports and all nations," the swimmer told Australia's Seven News.

Horton was widely celebrated in Australia for his stand against Sun, who has denied recent claims of violating doping protocols. But Horton has also been accused of highlighting an apparent double-

standard, even before Jack's case was made public.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, columnist Andrew Wu said: "He [Horton] does not seem to have too much of an issue with other athletes who violate anti-doping rules, such as teammate Thomas Fraser-Holmes, who… was one of two Australian swimmers to serve 12-month suspensions starting in 2017 for missing three drugs tests in the space of 12 months."

Swimming Australia, the governing body, did know about Jack's shock test result when Horton refused to share the podium with his Chinese rival.

Its chief executive, Leigh Russell, said his protest was "difficult" to watch knowing that the doping scandal would soon erupt.

"I certainly was watching Mack, distressed about

Bale withdraws from Real Madrid squad for Munich tournament

G

areth Bale has pulled out of Real Madrid’s trip to Munich for a pre-season tournament, following the collapse of his proposed move to China.

It is understood Bale is not in the right mental state to play after Real president Florentino Perez prevented him from joining Jiangsu Suning.

Last week, Real boss Zinedine Zidane said the 30-year-old was “very close to leaving” having fallen out of favour.

Zidane added his exit would be “best for everyone”.

The 33-time Spanish champions will play Bale’s former club Tottenham on Tuesday in the opening game of the tournament that also includes Bayern Munich and Fenerbahce.

Left-back Danny Rose is included in Spurs’ squad, despite being left out of the pre-season tour party of Asia in order to seek a new club.

Bale joined the Spanish club for £85m from Tottenham in 2013 in a world record deal at the time.

He has three years left on his contract with the Bernabeu club where he has won four Champions Leagues, one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and

three Club World Cups.

The Welshman scored three goals, plus a penalty in a shootout, in four Champions League finals for Real as they won the competition in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

However, injury problems have limited him to 79 La Liga starts in the past four seasons.

He played 42 matches for Real Madrid l a s t

season but was booed by the home supporters at times during the campaign.

It has been reported Real blocked Bale’s move as they are demanding a transfer fee for the player.

Gareth Bale scored with a spectacular overhead kick to help Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final (Reuters)

’Gareth, learn the language’

Former Real Madrid and Wales manager John Toshack has told BBC Radio 5 Live that criticism of Bale is justified and he should have “engaged himself” with Spain and the Real supporters during his six years at the club.

“Come out Gareth, do an i n t e r v i e w, s p e a k yourself,” said the 70-year-old.

“You’ve been here six or seven years now. You don’t speak the language. That’s an insult to the people that you’re working for.

“It’s not gone down well at all here in Spain, and it saddens me.

“He’s been important in Real Madrid. It’s just a great pity that he hasn’t engaged himself a little bit more with the country that he’s living in, with the supporters that are there every week.

“Gareth, come on. Take a little bit of time out and learn the language.” (BBC Sport)

The reaction of Chinese fans to these scandals comes as China enjoys increasing sporting success and prepares to host the next Winter Olympics in 2022.

"We know that China has increasingly given significant attention to its engagement in global sports, and Chinese online commentators are certainly very patriotic," said Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at the Australian National University.

"Sun Yang made very particular comments about not only Mack Horton showing disrespect towards him but also disrespect to China. I think that further fuelled the flames on this particular matter."

Australia's relationship with China has been unsettled by accusations of meddling in domestic politics and concerns about cyber-espionage.

Canberra has also recently raised concerns about China's treatment of ethnic Uighurs and its detention of an Australian writer.

But Canberra is unlikely to let sporting tensions interfere with its most valuable trading partner, according to Prof Rothwell.

"The Australia government will be very cautious to try to isolate this matter, to put in a silo," he said.

"Yes, there is very significant funding for Swimming Australia and for the Australian Olympic programme but otherwise the government is really at arm's length from the conduct of individual swimmers and whatever political protests they may or may not be making." (BBC Sport)

Dalilah Muhammad breaks 400m hurdles world record at US National Championships

M

uhammad says she expects the 52-second barrier to be broken, either by her or a rival Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad broke the 400m hurdles world record on the final day of the US National Championships in Iowa.

The 29-year-old took more than a tenth of a second off a record that had stood for 16 years, clocking 52.20 seconds to beat Russian Yuliya Pechonkina’s previous mark of 52.34.

“I’m just shocked,” said Muhammad.

“I’ve been kind of hitting that time in practice and my coach was like ‘there’s no way you can’t do it’.”

Nineteen-year-old Sydney

Dalilah Muhammad (centre) winning the US National Championships in a world record time

McLaughlin was second in 52.88 and Ashley Spencer third in 53.11. All three qualified for the World Championships in Doha in September, where they will be joined by reigning world champion Kori Carter in a formidable US quartet.

And Muhammad predicted her new record would not last nearly as long as the previous one.

“That 52 is going to get broke if not by me, by the other women,” Muhammad added.

Noah Lyles ran 19.78 seconds to win the men’s 200m, with 100m champion Christian Coleman second in 20.02 as both qualified for the World Championships. (BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

What happens if World Test Championship final ends in a draw or tie?

T

he ICC officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship on Monday. It begins on August 1 with the first Ashes Test. Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament that is set to bring new meaning and context to bilateral Test cricket What is this World Test Championship all about?

Essentially, it is a league, like the zillions of T20 leagues out there, but this one is for Test cricket. It will be contested over two-year cycles, the first of which starts on August 1 with the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

The group phase officially began on July 16, 2019 and will run until March 31, 2021 after which the top two teams will contest a final.

Nine of the 12 Full Member countries will contest in 27 series during the window. The nine teams are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

and maximum of five Test matches.

Therefore, all the teams do not play each other in the WTC in the twoyear cycle. There can also be series played outside the WTC - an example being the New Zealand v England in November which is part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) but not the Championship.

Who decided on which series will be played under the WTC? The competing countries. Some of the series already committed in the previous FTP will now be played as part of the WTC with each team playing against some higher-ranked opposition and some lower-ranked opposition.

How are points allocated?

This is where things get a little complicated because, well, cricket can be complicated. For every series under the WTC, there are 120 points available, distributed evenly over the number of Tests in the series. So, for example, in the Ashes, which is a fivematch series, there will be 24 points for each win. In a two-Test series (such as Sri Lanka v New Zealand and West Indies v India which also start in August) there will be 60 points for a win. A draw is worth one-third of the points for a win: so eight in the Ashes scenario above and 20 in a two-Test series.

A tie, just in case we need to know, is worth half t h e

Why has the WTC been brought in?

For a long time, there have been attempts to bring additional context to Test cricket beyond the result of individual series. There are the Test rankings where the top team is anointed on April 1 each year, but that is just based a rolling table.

The idea of the WTC is to have a Test ‘winner’ every two years - like the World Cups in other formats - creating something else to play for outside of the series result. It is also hoped that it will increase interest in all series within the WTC, regardless of who is playing, because it can have a knock-on effect on other team’s chances of reaching the final.

points for a win.

Recently the ICC had announced that teams will be docked points in the WTC for slow over-rates. Two points will be deducted for every over a team is behind at the end of a match.

How will the finalists be determined and when will it be played?

The top two teams on the points table at the end of the league phase will play the final which is scheduled in 2021.

What will happen if the final ends in a draw or is tied?

If the final ends in a tie or a draw, the two teams will be joint champions.

Although the playing conditions allow for a reserve day, it can only be used if net

playing time is lost during the scheduled five days of the final. Net playing time for every Test amounts to 30 hours of play (six hours per day).

The reserve day kicks in only if the time lost during regulation play on each day is not made up on the same day. For example, if you lose an hour of play due to rain and then make it up by the end of the same day, then that is zero net time lost. But if you lose an entire day’s play due to rain and then make up, say, only three hours over the remaining four days, then you are short of net playing time for the match. That is when the reserve day kicks in.

What about the other three Test-playing nations?

Zimbabwe and the two latest Test nations, Afghanistan and Ireland, are the three who will not be part of the inaugural WTC. Zimbabwe are currently suspended by the ICC till October for government interference into cricket affairs. However, Afghanistan and Ireland will play Test series as part of the FTP, points from which will be considered for the Test rankings, but not the Championship. (ESPN cricinfo)

How many series will each team play and do all series count?

The teams will play three series each at home and away. Each series will comprise a minimum of two

West Indies during the third Test against England in 2018

Arsenal prepare to confirm Lukaku left out of pre-season friendly squad Nicolas Pépé signing in M record £72M deal

A

rsenal are preparing to announce Nicolas Pépé as their record signing after agreeing personal terms with the Lille forward on a five-year contract.

The fee will be €80M (£72M) plus add-ons for the Ivory Coast international. Once the final details are settled and a medical taken, Arsenal expect to confirm Pépé’s arrival.

Napoli were among other clubs who had hoped to buy the 24-yearold, who is left-footed but prefers to play on the right side of a front three.

Pépé scored 22 goals in

the French league last season, second to Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, and provided 11 assists.

Arsenal’s record fee is the £56M paid to buy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018. (The Guardian)

Nicolas Pépé scored 22 goals and assisted 11 in Ligue 1 with Lille last season

anchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has been left out of the 26-man squad travelling for Tuesday’s pre-season friendly against Kristiansund.

L u k a k u was part of the pre-season tour of Australia and the Far East, but did not play because of injury.

United remain in talks with Inter Romelu Lukaku is yet to feature for Manchester United in pre-season and Inter Milan are Milan over the interested in the striker Belgium international, 26, but there United, is also absent from the Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, is no agreement over a fee. squad heading to Norway for Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Chris The Old Trafford club reject- Tuesday’s match.

Smalling, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron ed a 60m euro (£54m) bid for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Wan-Bissaka, Ashley Young; Lukaku from the Italian giants side play their final pre-sea- Fred, Angel Gomes, Daniel earlier in July. son friendly against AC Milan James, Jesse Lingard, Juan Inter boss Antonio Conte has in Cardiff on Saturday (kick-off Mata, Nemanja Matic, Scott said the forward is his number 17:30 BST).

McTominay, Andreas Pereira, one summer transfer target.

Manchester United squad Paul Pogba; Tahith Chong, Italy full-back Matteo to play Kristiansund: David De Mason Greenwood, Anthony Darmian, another player Gea, Lee Grant, Joel Pereira, Martial, Marcus Rashford. (BBC linked with move away from Sergio Romero; Diogo Dalot, Sport)

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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15th Ricks and Sari Reagan Rodrigues Memorial Cycle Race on August 4

C

yclists will again return to action, this time to participate in the 15th staging of the annual Ricks and Sari Reagan Rodrigues Memorial Cycle Race, set to commence on August 4 at 08:30 hrs.

The race commences at Schoonard, on the West Bank of Demerara, before

heading to Bushy Park, on the East Bank of the Essequibo, then returning to the point of origin to complete a total of 46 miles.

In the 14th edition of this race, the seniors’ category was won by Team Coco’s Jamaul John, who retained his road race title by clocking one hour, 41 minutes and 38

seconds. Coming in second was Linden Bauxite Flyers’ Michael Anthony, while Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega finished in third place.

In the juniors’ category, Adealie Hodge won with ease, while Ray Wilson was the runner-up. In the veterans’ category, Team Alanis rider Paul Choo-Wee-Nam

Businessman Reagan Rodrigues was born on February 21, 1948 and passed away on August 4, 2004. During his lifetime, he served as President of the Carlton Wheelers Cycling Club and was also a champion race car driver.

This event is being organised by Hassan Mohammed.

Emancipation Day horse-racing meet…

Crawford anticipates “good turnout” A

ll contingencies have been put in place for the grand one-day horse racing meet to be staged on Emancipation Day – August 1st, 2019 – at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) Two days remain before this highly anticipated equestrian showdown, promoted by the 4-Horse Man Promotions Group in collaboration with the Crawford Memorial Turf Club & Sports Facility (CMTC&SF), gets underway.

Seven races are carded to be run, with the feature event being the 1300-metre race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses, which has a winning purse of $300,000 and trophy.

More than 40 of Guyana’s top horses have thus far registered to participate in this meet. Among them are Red Rocket, Not This Time, Catch A Glimpse, Sweet Return, Gold Again, First Prince, Red Jet, Orion, The Republican and Princess Emma.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Marcel Crawford Jnr, President of the Crawford Memorial Turf Club, said: “I expect a good turnout for the event. I am rea l l y

Secretary of the event, Bobby Vaughn, with some of the trophies up for grabs

happy; as, while it is the 100th anniversary of the Port Mourant Turf Club, it is also something that will showcase the lifetime work of my father, the late Marcel Crawford.

“During the 1980s-1990s, he was (among the few) persons who single-handedly held horse racing together.

“The Port Mourant Turf Club is

the best place to host the event, because it can hold a large amount of individuals, as we do expect a large turnout on August 1.

“I expect everything to run smoothly and with order, as we will not tolerate any disorderly conduct.”

Among the highly anticipated events of the day are: the race for horses classified H3 and Lower, to be run over a distance of 1000 metres for a first prize of $220,000 and a trophy. The 900-metre race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses, which carries a winning prize of $220,000 and a trophy. The race for animals classified J and Lower, being run over a distance of 1000 metres by horses 4 years old and older for a first prize of $180,000 and a trophy. The race for animals classified K2 and Lower, which is to be run over 1000 metres and reward the winner with $170,000. The race for L Class Open animals which would cover a distance of 1100 metres for a top prize of $160,000. Also, animals classified L1 and Lower would be competing over a distance of 1000 metres for a top prize of $140,000.

The event will commence promptly at 13:00 hrs.

PSG ‘egos’ not easy for team – Julian Draxler T

he “egos” of some Paris StGermain stars mean that “it is not easy for the whole team”, says the club’s German winger Julian Draxler.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

dethroned Ian Jackson, who settled for second, while Leer Nunes came in third.

In the final event of the day, the mountain bike category, Julio Melville bested Ozia McCaulay after a heated battle for the title.

Prizes are up for grabs in this race, inclusive of 8 prime prizes.

Paris St-Germain forwards Neymar (left), Edinson Cavani (centre) and Kylian Mbappe

Draxler plays alongside Neymar who has been linked with a move back to Barcelona - Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani at the Ligue 1 champions.

“All of them are exceptional players, it is hard to find in the world players of this level,” Draxler told AFP. “But of course they have their own minds, their own heads.”

He added: “They live football, they want to score every game, so they have an ego.

“So sometimes it’s not easy for the whole team, but if you are lucky enough to play alongside these players, it’s just a pleasure every day.”

PSG sporting director Leonardo said Neymar can leave PSG “if there is an offer that suits everyone” after his fellow Brazilian failed to turn up for the first day of pre-season training earlier in the summer.

However, Brazil striker Neymar is currently with the club on their tour of China. (BBC Sport)

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Guyana Cup 2019 Imran Auto Works sponsors GMR&SC International Drag Race Meet…

boosted by iBet Supreme

T

he 2019 edition of the Guyana Cup horse racing meet, to be staged by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, is already anticipated to be the biggest event in the history of its kind; but this event has just got bigger with the sponsorship of betting company iBet Supreme.

The meet is set for staging on August 18 at the Rising Sun Turf Club on the West Coast of Berbice, and in a statement to the media, iBet Supreme revealed: “iBET is proud to sponsor this event, since horse racing is an important (pastime) in Guyana, and at iBet, we’re looking for all avenues to further build the sport of horse racing in Guyana”.

The statement also revealed that the parent company of iBet Supreme -Supreme Ventures -- also owns the Caymanas Park Track in Jamaica, and is responsible for the resurgence of horse racing in Jamaica.

Further, the statement read: “iBET Supreme will also have our other products on display so that turfites can also enjoy them as well. As part of our promotion for this event, punters who bet on racing in the United Kingdom at our Stabroek location will win tickets when they bet over a certain amount”.

Chairman of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, Nazrudeen Mohamed, has declared he is looking forward to building a bigger and better partnership with iBet Supreme. He disclosed that the iBet Supreme Stake Race will see horses vying for supremacy

D

iBet Supreme’s Business Development Manager and Marketing Coordinator Dustanni Barrow handing over the sponsorship cheque to Jumbo Jet’s Gaitree Tulsidas

over 1400m.

Mohamed pointed out that he expects the Guyana Cup this year to be bigger and better than any staged in previous years. He said a concert will be staged after the day’s racing, and thus far, the participation of eight international artistes has been confirmed, along with that of a number of local acts.

The feature race of the meet, the C Class and Lower One Mile, will see the winner pocketing $2 million; while the race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses will see the winner carting away $1 million.

The races on the card for this meet are as follows: The feature race: for animals classified C Class and Lower over a distance of one mile for a prize of $2 million.

The race for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses for a prize of $1 million.

The race for horses

classified G3 and Lower for a prize of $400,000.

The race for animals classified L3 and Lower (open to non-winners from Trinidad & Tobago) for a prize of $350,000.

The race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses for a prize of $300,000.

The race for animals classified J3 and Lower over seven furlongs for a prize of $300,000.

The race for colts classified L Class for a prize of $250,000.

The race for fillies and mares classified L Class for a prize of $250,000.

Among the top horses that would clash on race day are Just Call Me Bass, Crown the King (Jamaica), Doublin Fashion (USA), Chameli (Jamaica), Safara (Jamaica), Southern Express (T&T), Silver & Things (T&T), Sitarr (T&T), Kentucky Woman (T&T), Super Easy (T&T) and She’s a Princess.

Divine Entertainment Summer Super Cup…

Botafago, Eagles claim finale spots

A

‘fastest reaction time’

fter a gruelling affair, Botafago nudged levelled the scores through an 88th minute out Net Rockers on sudden death, strike. but Eagles United wasted no time in When the regulation period expired and an dismissing Capital FC 3-0 following a hat-trick additional 15 minutes of play could not produce from Colwyn Drakes, when the semifinals of the a winner, the mandatory five penalties also first ever Divine Entertainment Summer Super having failed to determine who would reach the Cup football competition was played on Sunday final, the resort was therefore to sudden death night at the Mackenzie Sports Club. kicks.

The first encounter was a ding-dong affair, The Botafago side kicked first and scored, as evidenced by the sudden death tie-breaker. but the Rockers first shooter failed to find the It summed up the vicissitudes of the match, as back of the net, so Botafago took the place into the Rockers were able to take the initiative after the final the game ending 3-8. a penalty came their way in the 15th minute The second game failed to be an following a dangerous foul on one of their even affair, as Eagles United, showing players. no respect for their opponents, Deshawn Joseph was calm in sending dominated play through the efforts of the Rockers ahead 1-0; and Shane Luckie, an in-form forward named Drakes. He who got a double in this game, nailed his sent Team United in the lead in the first from a squared ball in the 13th minute 28th minute, and as Capital FC could to make it 2-nil. not muster enough energy to make a Botafgao countered somewhat, and competitive game of the encounter, were able to get their first goal from a having played tough games drive from Duquan Hercules in the over the past two days, 24th minute. They then secured Drakes ran through their the equaliser through Trevon defenders to score in the Archibald, who scored from 72nd and 80th minutes. close range after a mistake A tired Capital FC was made by the Net Rockers side could do nothing to goalkeeper in the 69th minute. prevent that game from Later, Luckie regained the ending 3-0 for Eagles, who lead for his team with a spot will now take on Botafago Duquan kick in the 85th minute, but in the final on Saturday at Hercules Botafago’s Jamal Haynes again the tournament venue.

uring the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC’s) International Drag Race meet, the driver with the fastest reaction time according to the port-a-tree system will be awarded US$100.

Imran Auto Works, a West Coast Demerara business, is sponsoring this prize.

A statement from the GMR&SC has thus indicated: “Imran Auto Works has joined our sponsorship team for the upcoming international drag race event on August 25.

The company will sponsor US$100 for the driver or rider with the best reaction time across all time brackets for the event.

“We at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) wish to thank Imran Auto Works for their support in this venture, as well (we are) looking forward to future partnerships.”

The August 25 event is already gaining traction, with competitors from Suriname and Trinidad indicating their interest in participating in the quarter-mile run. As many

as six cars from the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago are in talks with the GMR&SC over shipping logistics for the event, while Suriname has not yet indicated how many cars would be willing to participate.

The cost for spectators’ admission to the event has not yet been set, but the GMR&SC is expected to release more details in the coming week.

Several local giants are expected to take to the strip, including team Mohamed Enterprise’s GTRs, Godzilla and Goliath; Sean Persaud’s Toyota Caldina, and the Trans-Pacific Toyota Alteeza and Peter Daby’s Mazda RX7 (second generation).

Other sponsors on board for the event include R. Kissoon Contracting, Deryck Jaisingh Trucking Service and Machinery Rentals, Mohamed’s Enterprise, BM Soat, Prem’s Electrical, E-Networks, TransPacific Auto Sales, Cyril’s Taxi, Blue Spring Water, Choke Gas Station, Miracle Optical, Tropical Shipping, DEL ICE CO and Handin-Hand Insurance.

Team Mohamed’s undefeated Nissan GT-R is nicknamed Godzilla

GFF-BFA Senior League 2019…

Blake, Mentore help Beacons down Rivers View

T

he intermittent weather is a constant threat to football in Bartica. However, the Bartica Football Association has persevered with the GFFBFA Senior League 2019, being played at the Bartica Secondary School ground despite heavy showers cancelling play for some of the highly anticipated matchups.

The action continued on Sunday July 28 with a high-intensity matchup between table- toppers Rivers View FC and second positioned Beacons FC. Since Rivers View went down to Beacons 6-2, it means that the top-of-the-table position that Rivers View commanded now hangs in the balance, as both clubs are on 29 points, with Beacons having played 14 matches as against Rivers View having played 13.

In that encounter, Beacons

asserted their dominance by scoring a few early goals, thus denting the table-toppers’ hopes of making a comeback in the second half of the game.

Despite scoring two consolation goals, Rivers View could not make a resurgence, thus placing their position in jeopardy.

Scoring for Beacons were Dwayne Blake with 3, Shameer Mentore with 2, and Shawn Joseph with 1; while Godfrey and Andel Norton were each able to score a goal for Rivers View.

The league will continue during the course of the Shameer Mentore week. scored two goals

GFF-BFA Senior League 2019 Points Table Club

Played

Wins

Losses

Draws

GF

GA

Points

Rivers View

13

9

2

2

31

14

29

Beacons

14

9

3

2

29

16

29

Potaro Strikers

13

7

3

2

19

17

23

Rising Stars

13

7

5

1

18

20

22

Mil Ballers

13

6

5

2

22

24

20

Wolves United

13

4

9

0

15

29

12

Lazio

12

3

7

2

14

21

11

Agatash United

13

1

11

1

11

28

4

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TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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20-member U-15 squad named for CONCACAF championships …team to play 2 warm-up matches before departure

T

he 20-man shortlisted National U-15 Boys’ team, in their final leg of preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Boys’ U-15 Championships at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida USA from August 4–11, are engaged in a series of training matches as they endeavour to represent the Golden Arrowhead with distinction.

The team opposed the Pouderoyen FC U20 team on Saturday, and are scheduled to play two more matches: against Santos FC on Tuesday, and Buxton United FC on Wednesday, prior to departure on Saturday, August 3. Both matches are scheduled for a 11hr start.

According to Head Coach Bryan Joseph, there are three objectives to the matches, which are open for public viewing.

“First, we’re trying to simulate the playing times and conditions we will be faced with in Florida, to see how the boys cope with the high temperature, and work out how we can best utilise the players without burnout. Second, we want to play against teams in which the style or method of preparation is unknown, and try to impose our style of play and dominate. And third, we want to play against tougher, stronger opposition… and to place the players in situations where they have to be motivated and driven to work hard as a group to compete.”

Commenting on the team’s performance in the first match, Joseph said, “Pouderoyen did not come as strong as we had expected them to. We would have achieved probably 70%-80% of what we would have wanted the team to achieve.”

Meanwhile, from an initial 40man roster, a 20-man squad has been shortlisted and engaged. It includes two Goalkeepers, four Defenders, 10 Midfielders and

four Forwards, with one international-based player in the person of Midfielder Joshua Kesney from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Head Coach has said the six-week preparation, which has thus far been rewarding, focused on the playing philosophy and style of play to be engaged in the tournament, and also sought to identify the best available talent from across Guyana.

He said the core group comprises players who have participated in the 2018 CFU U-14 Boys’ Challenge Trophy. However, he noted that only 18 will travel.

Guyana has been placed in ‘Group E’ with Nicaragua, Cayman Islands and The Bahamas. The match schedule is as follows: Monday August 5 @ 09:00hrs – Nicaragua vs Guyana. Tuesday August 6 @ 11:00hrs – The Bahamas v s Guyana. And Thursday, August 8 @ 09:00hrs – Guyana vs Cayman Islands.

According to CONCACAF, the tournament will be played in two rounds, as follows: “ F o r t h e

U-15 Head Coach Bryan Joseph

The full list of players in the U-15 squad

first-round group phase, the 42 participating teams have been divided into three divisions according to the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 ranking as of 2019, ensuring sporting balance and a minimum number of four matches for each team.

Division One would comprise the top-14-ranked C O N C A C A F

teams, as well as Slovenia and Portugal. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups A-D).

After round-robin play, the four group winners and the four second-place finishers will advance to the quarterfinals, to play for the Championships. The third and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

Division Two would comprise the 15 next-best-ranked CONCACAF teams, and Israel.

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each (Groups E-H). After round robin

play, the four group winners will advance to the semifinals to play for the divisional championship.

The second, third and fourth place finishers would play an additional match to determine their final positions in the division.

Division Three will be made up of the 10 lowest-ranked CONCACAF teams. The teams have been divided into two groups of five teams each (Groups I and J).

After round robin play, the group winners will advance to the divisional final, while the remaining teams will play an additional match to determine their final position in the division.

Pan American Games 2019…

Squash team bag 1st win after dismal weekend I

t was a bittersweet day for Guyana at the Pan American Games on Monday, as the Squash doubles team recorded their first win, while the 2- member Badminton contingent each suffered a loss in their opening encounter.

Coming off of several losses in the singles and doubles competitions, the Guyanese Women’s Squash team, comprising of Ashley Khalil, Mary Fung-A-Fat and Taylor Fernandes, held their composure to defeat the Peruvian team 3-0.

Fernandes won her encounter in three straight sets 11-6, 114, 11-6; and Ashley Khalil did the same 11-4, 11-7 11-4. Mary FungA-Fat was not to be left out of the victories, as she, too, won with a clean slate, after a close final game, 11-3 11-3 11-9.

This win represents the first victory for Guyana at the 2019 Pan-American Games after a dis-

The Guyanese squash team take a photo opportunity with their opponents following their victory

mal weekend of competition, especially on the rugby field, where Guyana finished last.

Over on the badminton courts, the Ramdhani siblings got their Pan-Am 2019 off to a disappointing start, as they each lost in the singles division. Pitted against Costa Rica’s Lauren Villalobos, Guyana’s Priyanna Ramdhani lost the encounter 2-0.

Her older brother, Narayan Ramdhani, lost by the same 2-0 margin to Jamaica’s Samuel Rickets. The siblings are expected to team up for the doubles competition.

Meanwhile, Guyana also did not have luck in the taekwondo arena. Guyana’s lone representative in this sporting discipline, Canada- based Justin Choy, went into his first engagement with confidence, but could not pull off a win.

He was defeated 21-4 by Canadian Hervan Nkogho in the 68Kg category.

TUESday, JUly 30, 2019

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…team to play 2 warm-up matches before departure Pan American Games 2019…

Page 22

Squash team bag 1st win after Guyana Cup dismal 2019 boosted weekend by iBet Supreme Page 23

While the squash team enjoyed their first victory, Justin Choy (red) competing for Guyana in taekwondo suffered defeat

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